Five Frugal Things | a certified tightwad
I don't know how exciting this list will be because shew, the first week of school was nutso for me.
I don't think I did any terribly exciting frugal things!
1. I bought a marked-down package of fruit bars
Zoe sometimes likes to grab these when she needs a little snack on the go, so I picked up this damaged box for $1.50. Don't worry, it wasn't open when I bought it.
Relatedly, in Amy Dacyzyn's "Are you a tightwad?" quiz, one item on the list is, "I have a box of dented cereal in my pantry." Ha. But I think a box of fruit bars counts as well.
And besides, we all already know I'm a certified tightwad, quiz or no quiz. 😉
(For the record, I just finished a box of shredded wheat with a damaged box!)
2. I packed all of my food (and coffee) last week
Exciting? No. But all of these packed lunches add up over time.
I probably save at least $5 every time I pack one and if I do that even four times a week, that's $80 a month.
If you add in all the coffees I avoid buying, that's probably another $80 a month.
3. I made a sandwich with two heels of bread
I told you I didn't have anything earthshaking to share. Ha.
The last two pieces of bread were both heels, sooooo, I made a ham sandwich with them. Yay me for using up the entire loaf.
(The loaf is Nature's Own 100% whole wheat sandwich bread, which I buy at Sam's Club in a two-pack, and then I freeze one. The bread is very soft, which makes it good for peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Or ham sandwiches. I also like Dave's Killer Bread, but sometimes it feels like a little too much for a sandwich!)
4. I ordered a larger bag of kibble from Chewy
I realized the price per pound went down with a bigger bag, so that's what I opted for. And I went through TopCashback first so I'm getting an extra 4% back on my purchase.
Every little bit helps. 🙂
5. I did my personal tax return
I had to file an extension months ago because there was a delay with my blog tax return (which my CPA does). I just finally got the blog return back, so I hopped onto TurboTax and knocked out my personal return.
Yay!! I am so happy to have this task off my back. I could hire my CPA to do it, but the personal part of my return is still simple enough for me to do.
The blog return? OH HECK NO. My blog is an S-corp now and that is way, way, way over my head to manage.
Anyway, I saved where I could by DIYing my personal return.
Also, also...I'm getting a decent-sized refund this year, which is a nice surprise, of course*. I was telling one of my friends that I am so much less broke than I was at this time last year (when I was getting no child support or alimony while also paying a lot of lawyer fees).
Life has improved in so many ways and I am grateful!
*I know that technically one should adjust withholding to get a $0 tax return, but since I didn't do that, the refund is a nice surprise. And you know I will put the money to work as soon as I get it.
1. DH took a cordless vacuum that a neighbor was getting rid of and brought it back to life. It was very clogged with pet fur and kitty litter. It is now in our basement and being put to use.
2. The same neighbor had a Chrome Book that wasn't working. DH ordered a new battery and fixed it. The neighbor was happy to have it back and DH was happy to keep it out of the landfill.
3. A friend has IKEA furniture and a dresser drawer was not sliding in smoothly/properly. A plastic piece on the drawer bottom was broken. In looking for the replacement part I discovered that IKEA will send you items like that at not cost. The part was ordered and the drawer fixed. We tend to stay away from IKEA furniture, preferring real wood.
4. I ordered a seat cushion at the beginning of the year. The cover is washable but when I went to unzip it for the first time I discovered the sewing/zipper was faulty. I contacted the company and they sent me a new one.
5. Meals at home using up what we have and filling in as needed. I try not to have too much in the freezer when we are on the cusp of tropical storm season.
@K D, there is a pattern here: stuff breaks but with effort, it can be replaced (sometimes for free) or repaired. Good work!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I have some real wood pieces from Ikea. Not all of it is fake. But you do have to be a careful shopper there.
@Jan, Whoops, meant for KD
@K D,
Good to know about replacement IKEA parts. We have several IKEA bookcases,
and one needs some new shelf support doohickies.
--Target had ribeye steaks marked down to $5/lb for their sell-by date, so I bought three out of five packages. Into the freezer they went! The steaks are ginormous and easily two servings a piece, so my husband and I can easily space them out.
--Today's menu will be homemade tomato soup, as one of the neighborhood tomato fairies left 10 lbs of tomatoes on our porch!
--For my part, I've become the basil fairy, delivering leaves and pesto. No one else seems to grow basil despite everyone being happy to receive it, so I'm glad to have something to offer our neighbors in return. Even with constant trimming, I've easily saved as much for us as I've given away (pesto freezes brilliantly).
--My husband and I did succumb to one Labor Day sale. While grateful for my friends generosity with our invasion of free daylilies and irises, my husband also wanted to pick a few things for the yard, himself. Thus, when of the plant sites we follow offered free shipping in addition to end of season sales, he picked a peony (Mrs. F.D. Roosevelt, with a pretty lotus-like bloom) for the back yard and a new tulip color (Candy Prince) for the front yard.
--I'm loving how much our freebie compost bin has reduced our trash output. We eat A LOT of fruit and vegetables, so banana peels, apple cores, etc. are added in bulk every few days (they are in Ziploc refrigerator limbo until then).
@N, tomato fairies are the best!
My neighbor and I are both obsessed with delicata squash, and whenever we buy them for ourselves, we always buy an extra and leave it by each other’s back door with a note that says “from the delicata fairy”
@Kim from Philadelphia, Delicata is the best! Especially stuffed and roasted...
@Kim from Philadelphia, LOVE delicate squash!
@N, I adore peonies. I never saw them until I lived in Oregon for a few years. Now that I'm back in hot-as-he** So Cal I seem to have to live without them.
@Kim from Philadelphia, they are easy to grow. But beware of volunteer plants the next year. Not edible but make nice decorations.
@Kim from Philadelphia, you just throw tomatoes in a freezer bag with skin on. When ready to use run underneath cold water, skin falls off. Same with berries, do not wash just throw in bag and freeze. Rinse when ready to use.
@N,
I love to grow basil and parsley. My son loves lots of basil. I dehydrated 6 jelly jars of basil and 1 of parsley so far.
I also found some great prices on Target meat markdowns. I stashed Burger patties(never buy those premade), chicken breasts and marinated chicken skewers into the freezer..
THEN...
Decided I did not want to cook but did not want to pay to eat out and we grilled the chicken skewers and served with rice and seasoned black beans
Then I pulled all the beef patties out to be grilled for Labor Day since we had a houseful..
So that helped offset the other out to eat expenditures of the weekend(eek!)
Bought a Cuisinart toaster at Kohls for $5.85- after I applied the $10 off $25 coupon, the 15% discount and the $10 kohls cash that showed up in my email! No shipping cause I sent a kid to pick it up! Replaces the (otherwise)fully functioning toaster that had a broken lever on my counter! (also bought through Rakuten with double cash back weekend)
Used rakuten again and shopped the Keurig site and snagged 8 boxes of K cups at $3.99 a piece - It is a small thing that makes the husband happy having coffee variety. He takes a selection to work also!
Bought a case of fresh peaches at a local orchard- probably not a super frugal buy but eating fresh and freezing for future uses!
@jes, super deal on the toaster!
@jes, I had a cuisinart toaster that lasted me 15 years. If yours does too, your deal is phenomenal!
-I have been dropping book requests to the library all summer and now they are trickling in. I love this (and usually forget what I have requested), so it's like a little surprise when I pick them up.
-Free lunch at work. Then I ate my packed lunch as a snack to motivate me for my grocery shopping on the way home.
-Attended seminar at my church that had free lunch and breakfast
-For my job I need a certain amount of continuing education courses taken online or in-person, have managed to find some that are free (while others are shockingly expensive).
-unlike many of the readers on here who seem to get by on minimal make-up/skin care products I have a shocking arsenal, and am working on trying to actually use up what I have. This could take a while...
@Sk in Norway, I'm a reader who enjoys skin care products! I often list skincare-related FFT when I finish a product and when I resist stocking up too much. It definitely takes perseverance to use things up and not buy more!
@Sk in Norway,
I, also, have a continuing education requirement related to my profession. It's always a great feeling to find worthwhile free continuing Ed.
I have some marked-down pasta with damaged boxes in my pantry right now. 🙂
--Sent all the food my family needed for the car trip out to Tucson, including a dinner for the night they stopped on the way that could be heated either on a campfire if they camped, or in a microwave if they stayed in a motel.
--Worked every day my family was gone on the book I'm editing. I have a hard time focusing on this when everyone is home. The extra money will come in handy, since my dishwasher needs to be fixed and possibly replaced (still doing dishes by hand, three months on . . .) and so does my oven. Boo.
--I over proofed a batch of bread, which results in very dense loaves. I used some of it for bread pudding, which made my children happy, and then turned the rest of it into bread crumbs for the freezer.
--I finally sewed up a small tear in my long skirt, so I can wear it again without fear that it will become a very big tear and have to be thrown out.
--Dehydrated apple slices from our tree that only makes apples good for fresh eating or drying; made roasted tomato sauce with tomatoes, garlic, and basil from the garden; made pickles with cucumbers, garlic, and dill from the garden; made some more pesto with basil from the garden (with walnuts, not pine nuts, because pine nuts are $$$$); bought my 5-gallon bucket of roasted green chiles ($20) and pureed most of them for the freezer . . . it's harvest season! Yay!
@kristin@going country,
I love walnut pesto, or hazelnut pesto for that matter. Also very good with parsley! You can leave out the cheese if preferred.
@kristin@going country, ooh pesto. We are constantly trying to keep certain nuts in my daughter's diet as exposure (she has food allergies). She doesn't like them very well so it is a constant struggle to come up with new ways to incorporate. We haven't tried pesto!
@kristin@going country,
Isn't your stove relatively new? What a bummer it already needs fixing.
I better get to my mending piles soon...
@Carla G, my mom had a cookie recipe that ground walnuts and raisins together in one of those old-fashioned hand-grinder things. It added a great texture to the cookies without a sense of "WHY do you put walnuts in EVERYTHING!?" (My dad was a walnut farmer and we craved cookies without walnuts—such brats.)
@mbmom11, It's four years old. And it was a cheap one, so I won't be too mad if I need to replace it.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
My Mom had a grinder, too! She made walnut bread and raisin-filled cookies.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, also a great idea! We tried smoothies recently and she figured it out immediately and wouldn't eat any. It's a constant struggle :-(
First, my Chiquita Caption Contest entry for the final photo here: "I approve of the larger bag of kibble--but I'd still rather have your sandwich."
Now, FFT, Labor Day Edition (revised/updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) I found 60 cents in the coin machine at Wegmans on Saturday, bringing my found-money total for August to a whopping $21.07. (That $20 bill I found in a storm drain a week or so ago was the big contributor.)
(2) The rescheduled “Buy Nothing” event at one of our local libraries is about to be rained out again: The forecast for Saturday 9/7 is for over an inch of rain. So I’ve reluctantly decided to drop out of this event altogether, and have picked a few things I’ll be keeping after all out of the rest of my load, which I will drop off at one of our local thrifts.
(3) I will be taking my semi-annual batch of clothing I call “thrift shop mistakes” to my local Clothes Mentor later today. Anything CM doesn’t accept will go back to the thrifts, along with the discards from (2).
(4) The Bestest Neighbors are arranging to purchase 30 lbs. of beef from my 1/4 steer–some for themselves and some for Dr. BN’s daughter and her family, whom they will be visiting next week. We’ve had good luck in the past with packing the traveling beef into a foam cooler (the kind Omaha Steaks uses for shipments) with ice and ice substitutes.
(5) And I do this so often that it seems like “old hat” to mention it, but I’ve hung yet another load of laundry on my three drying racks (one in the guest room, one in the upstairs hallway, and one in my bedroom). I rack-dry everything except sheets, for which I don’t have space. (One inventive commenter at the NCA said that she used to drape sheets over her furniture to dry, which is one thing I haven't tried and probably should.)
@A. Marie, I always forget to mention hanging laundry to dry! DH fixed up some lines in the garage so we can hang stuff even when it's rainy. With a fan in the ceiling giving air circulation, things dry faster than I thought they would.
@A. Marie, Ah yes, I also washed a bunch of bedding this week and hung it outside as well as filling my drying rack with other clothes. We have so much laundry that I could never hang it all, but I try to hang what makes the most sense.
@A. Marie, we'll give bedding a short dryer cycle (maybe 30 minutes), and then drape it over the bench press (yes, I know that makes me sound like a gym bro. Please edit your mental image of me to include the fact that I dry bedding over gym equipment, and I recently borrowed the Jane Austen book on thriftiness from the library. I contain multitudes.)
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, This comment made me laugh.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, if the JA book you mention is Jane Austen's Guide to Thrift by Kathleen Anderson and Susan Jones, I own a copy autographed by my friends the authors!
well OF COURSE YOU DO. 😉
@A. Marie, I have hung bedding over my dining room table & chairs (pulled out to lift outside edges) & been successful. Maybe an option for you?
@A. Marie, yes that one!!
@A. Marie, I can't remember when you recommended it, but I had my library pull it from the state collection for me when you did 🙂
@A. Marie, back when dealing with our old, dying dryer -- it was 21 years old when we replaced it -- I used to unscrew mop and broom handles, thread them through the back of the dining chairs, and drape big items like our bedspread over this redneck engineered giant drying rack. With a fan blowing on it, even heavy stuff dried in a day.
It was sort of a pain to do, but made it possible to get by until we could buy a replacement.
@A. Marie, you find more money than anyone I've ever heard of!
Please tell us what your "Clothes Mentor" is/does. Intriguing. . .
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Clothes Mentor (clothesmentor.com) is a chain of stores selling women's secondhand clothing and accessories; at my store, they used to focus primarily on the higher-end stuff, but they've relaxed their standards enough to include Old Navy and other middle-of-the-line brands.
Unlike traditional consignment stores, CM offers you a choice of cash on the barrelhead or store credit for whatever items of yours are accepted. (Since the store credit offer is always higher, that's naturally my choice.)
Today's outing there, alas, wasn't especially productive for me: The good ladies at my local CM took only about half of what I brought in. (That's mainly due to my being an old lady and increasingly out of the current fashion loop.) But I got enough in store credit to obtain a pair of extra-thick Crocs flip-flops that made my tired old feet burst into applause. I said as much to the good ladies, who LOL'd.
@A. Marie, thank you! It will be fun to look them up online. I was thinking you had a friend who occasionally went through your closet and advised about what to put together and what to put out to pasture.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, OOh, share the title of the Jane Austen thriftiness book? Not like I don't have a pile TBR right now, but...
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, no, I have no such friend. And I lack the resources to hire a personal shopper, so I have to be my own. 😉
Oh, and thanks to all the folks who offered tips on air-drying sheets indoors. My current dryer is even older than Ruby's old one was, and I've got an uneasy feeling that its days are numbered. (And I like Ruby's description of her setup as a "redneck-engineered giant drying rack.")
@Karen A., Jane Austen's Guide to Thriftiness: An Independent Woman's Advice on Living within One's Means
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, *Guide to THRIFT
@A. Marie, my MIL hangs her sheets over her interior doors. Works great.
I currently have a comforter drying over my daughter's Victorian (life size) rocking horse.
@A. Marie,
I hang sheets over the loft bannister in bad weather, which doesn't work at all if one doesn't have a loft, so I realize this suggestion is not too helpful!
@A. Marie, I lived without a dryer for a while and I hung my sheets with skirt hangers (it took eight to hang a full set) and put them on the shower rod. If I washed them early, they would be dry by bedtime and go right back on the bed! I still use drying racks for all my clothing.
@Rose,
I think I would love your house. So many interesting things to gaze at and admire.
Congrats on the start of your new school year. You are going to rock it, Kristen!
I am a heel of bread lover, but recognize I’m not the majority- hah!
When I’ve volunteered to make sandwiches for a church outreach program, they suggested we flip the bread so the crust of the heel is on the inside of the sandwich- apparently it kind of disguised it because people have gotten a little sassy about being the heel of bread receiver (strange to think about when giving food to those on the street, but I digress)
Chewy is awesome. Solid pricing, good customer service. I don’t get everything from there, but I’m pleased with what I order from them (I buy my cat litter and Kirkland premium dog kibble from Costco)
@Kim from Philadelphia, I don't mind the heal of the bread for sandwiches like grilled cheese. I usually dip sandwich in my soup, so thinner is ok.
@Kim from Philadelphia, if the heels are thick enough, a very thin surface slice can be cut off them to make them look more regular. I do this when using heels to make grilled cheese as the sliced spot toasts up better.
@Kim from Philadelphia,
I flip the bread heels for my picky kids. They have yet to notice.
@Kim from Philadelphia,
I love heel-of-bread PB toast. I guess because the heels get extra crunchy in our toaster oven.....yummmmm.
Our frugals:
Husband lost considerable weight over the last years and as he hates cleaning out his wardrobe, and will not let me do that, it means he still had some 10 excellent pairs of trousers that fitted him again. I am allowed to get rid of the larger sizes now. Plus we bought a nice pullover and a jacket, both on clearance.
Two pairs of trousers need some work. One pair were too long and I will see if I can hem them. And one great pair of jeans had a small speck of paint on it. I will see if I can cautiously get that out.
I bought herbs and spices at our local market and refilled my own spice jars. Plus I mixed up several spices mixes (shoarma, garam masala, stuffing etc) to make cooking easier and quicker. The market stall sells by weight and I am not the only person to bring their own jars and buy, say, 25 grams of basil and 15 of mustard. So cheap, and so easy!
We were gifted produce by a neighbour, we ate some and still have plenty left. I gave them flowers for their garden. They have a number of allergies so it is hard to cook something for them. Flowers are a good alternative.
When swimming I swam into a hook, line and bobber that someone lost. I avoided becoming the catch of the day and carefully brought the gear on land, for eldest who also likes to go fishing.
I cooked apple sauce and fig chutney for later in the autumn. We have plenty of friends who will not say no to my chutneys 🙂 so I made a few extra jars.
I bought an acacia bear chair which was on offer. I've secretly wanted one for years. Although this is an expense ofcourse and not a saving, I am telling myself I will save money if I relax in my own garden rather than go out for a drink. It is so comfortable and the weather forecasts are still for sunny weather, I love sitting in it for an hour after work.
@JNL, what is "an acacia bear chair"??
@JNL, we're all relieved that you avoided becoming the catch of the day!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I looked it up and it appears to be what is called an Adirondack chair in my neck of the woods.
@Erika JS, aha! Adirondack chairs abound in my yard; the design originated in the Adirondack mountains. Sure makes me wonder about what an acacia bear is. . . will try to remember to ask the Duck(duckgo) later.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
It is acacia wood, not teak so a cheaper version. I will need to keep it well oiled, but the up side is that the chair is lighter and can be moved more easily.
I love the arm rests, like bear paws. So comfortable and wide enough to place a book on, or a cuppa.
@JNL, my kitchen table is acacia and I just love how pretty the wood is. It was relatively inexpensive, and one of the few drop-side tables we found small enough for our kitchen.
@JNL,
I'm glad you did not become the catch of the day, but I also want to thank you for carefully bringing the hook, line and bobber back on to shore. Birds and other wildlife get tangled up and injured by fishing line, hooks, etc.
@JNL, we went through so many wooden Adirondack chairs that now I buy Polywood, a material made from recycled milk cartons. Really expensive, so I view them as a reward for a lifetime of frugality. And I will never have to replace them.
As with your situation, Kristen, school just started here so I'm not doing any big frugal things!
1. Had DH cut my hair--he did a great job! It looks like I went to the salon and got a long bob cut.
2. We had a "cheap date"--biked up to church and then to the grocery store, where we got a couple of vitamin waters (a splurge for us) and some fruit from the produce section, and had that in the seating area by Starbucks. Healthy and frugal. We also picked up some on-sale chips for the kids.
3. Library books, and still biking to the library! I check our PO box on the way, too, so that saves gas and wear and tear on the car.
4. I used my $15 gift card from the Amazon health survey + some Amazon points to get some more Rubbermaid water bottles, a graphic novel my youngest asked for (Bunnicula!), and a file box for my study flashcards.
5. DH redeemed some Kroger points to take $44 off our last grocery run, which was a nice surprise!
@Karen A., I didn't know there was a graphic novel of Bunnicula! I'm glad kids are still enjoying this story. The Bunnicula series was a favorite of mine back in the 80s.
@Elizabeth M, I got the graphic novel for him to read while I read aloud from the original. He is a bit of a reluctant reader--something has to really pique his interest for him to read it if it's not for school. I partially taught him to read by reading Calvin and Hobbes together! The books were due back at the library and he asked me to order the graphic version for him. The illustrations are very cute and it's faithful to the original story, so I'm happy to do so.
Fun fact: we had a cat named Chester, in honor of the one in the books! He was a good cat, too. Very smart. Less paranoid than the book Chester, though.
1. Our "fun outing" for Labor Day was a trip to Menard's to get more supplies for fixing up our house (we're currently redoing siding and windows on one side of the house, but probably adding in a second side this fall). We packed a picnic dinner to eat on the way home and ate it at a playground to avoid eating out. I bought two loaves of day-old Jimmy John's bread for 50 cents each for making our sandwiches. We love JJ bread!
2. I've been using my $900 in grocery gift cards every time I can that makes sense (whenever the price is reasonable at that store). Man, it helps so much! I also got a bunch of reduced price apples there to make applesauce and apple chips.
3. My parents gifted us with some movie tickets for a date night. We went out to dinner as well and after dinner we stopped by Ollie's to get some candy for dessert, which took away my feeling of "I need to buy popcorn at the movie!"
4. I made a Lands End order to get a number of clearance things like swimsuits (for 2 kids) and a winter coat (for 1 kid). We got gift cards to pay for the order and it gave us $14 towards our kids' tuition.
5. Lunch yesterday was pork fried rice, which used leftover pork and a bunch of leftover veggies. The only "fresh" part of it was the rice - it was a yummy and inexpensive meal!
@Ruth T, a Lands' End warning: do NOT sign up for their emails unless you are very very strong. All those discount codes lulled me into thinking "the more I spend, the more I save". I had a temporary loss of sanity several years ago in that department.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Ha! I do manage to ignore them most of the time. Swimsuits and coats are the two things I look to Lands End for the most. I only look in the clearance section for something for myself if I'm already putting an order in. Otherwise, I'm pretty good at not getting sucked in!
@Ruth T, Thank you for mentioning Lands End for swimsuits! I’ve been trying to find a clearance swimsuit for my daughter, she’s in year round swim lessons so needs it now since she’s outgrowing all her current ones. I had checked old navy, Target and Carters and all were sold out in her size. Lands End has plenty of clearance options in her size so thanks!
@Ruth T, Land's End is my weak point. They sell women's plus size clothes so some of their things fit me good. I lost a Land's End sweater last November on a trip to Florida. Put it through the scanner at the airport and forgot to pick it up. Boo. It was a black one too.
My pantry is well stocked with canned tomatoes from the clearance shelf and several boxes of slightly dented cereal bars. Certified tightwad here!
1. Had the rare occurrence of being able to stack a couple of coupons and saved $8 on pet food yesterday.
2. The suede accents on an old but comfy pair of shoes had badly faded, so I recolored it with some dye put on with an artist's brush. Much of my wardrobe is the same color, so I keep a bottle of dye on hand for refreshing items.
3. Turned a tiny bit of lunch leftovers -- half a big chicken thigh, a small ear of corn, and a potato -- into a three-serving pot of chicken corn chowder.
4. Sewed up two cat-clawed spots on my son's bedroom chair (again!) with some cotton yarn I'm trying to use up.
5. Inventoried our little chest freezer and wrote a meal plan using what's in it to cover September, which is a belt-tightening month due to a looming major home repair expense. Then wrote a short grocery list to fill in around the edges and attached the paper coupons. A trip to Aldi for bread will be required later in the week.
My frugal things:
1. I continued to get used boxes for moving. We still have only bought $10 of boxes for books, everything else was free! Including paper and bubble wrap!
2. I didn't hire a cleaner to deep clean our house to sell. I really wanted to, but instead I scrubbed the cabinets, cleaned the baseboards, and wiped down the backsplash myself.
3. We used some freezer chicken for dinner with the in-laws Saturday for the holiday weekend.
4. I made granola instead of buying cereal for my husband's breakfasts.
5. I'm trying to pick up an extra yoga class since mine was cancelled this week for the holiday... TBD.
Please ignore this question if it is too intrusive, Kristen! But do courts grant back-dated alimony and child support, for the period between separation and official divorce?
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, they will only back date if agreed to by both parties in divorce or judge rules that way. Alimony is usually only after divorce, but child support can begin/happen during divorce process (can be as soon as filed date) BUT I suggest you have employer info (taken from payroll--Corporate office number, employee info, copy of payroll stub if possible) to give to court for accuracy & not delayed processing. You can go to your county Friend of Court directly/online for information specific to you.
Back-dated child support, yes! But I don't think alimony can be back-dated.
I am simply not in a frugal season. If only the income rose to meet the non-frugality.
However, I can say that I also have had a dented box recently — family size extra-toasty Cheezits, the food of the gods, which was taped back together across the top, but the bottom opened just fine and the inner bag was sealed. A win at half price.
Also, talk to your accountant about throwing in your personal return for free. It's not always about saving money; saving time and/or anxiety is also worthwhile. Our accountant does our farm return (emphatically not for free) but does our son's (very simple) return as part of it. Yes, I realize our kid could very well do his own 1040EZ, but this is another area where we've had a season of some difficulty, and it eases some rubs when we let the accountant do it.
Well, since you are in possession of a dented box, you are still an official tightwad. 😉
I did ask about the personal return, but it was a pretty hefty price for preparing it. Turbo Tax was way cheaper, and it took me only an hour, so the savings was a decent return for my time.
@Kristen, gold stars for asking and not assuming, so you know your choice is best. 🙂
@Karen.,
I would soooo buy a dented box of extra toasty Cheez Its......(make Homer Simpson noise when faced with food....:-)) Truly a brilliant variation on a classic snack food. 🙂
Honestly, lately everything has felt like a frugal fail and I feel quite downhearted, especially as it's been kind of tough personally. This is what I can come up with:
1. I bought some ginger and remembered to chop it and put it in the freezer, instead of what I usually do, which is use some of it and then don't get round to finishing it before it goes bad.
2. I saved some beans for another meal.
3. I used the library, but I also forgot to renew a library book, so.
@Sophie in Denmark,
Good for you on the ginger!
It reminds me to do the same, plus squeeze and grate some limes, and freeze the juice and zest.
@Sophie in Denmark, Sorry it's been rough. 🙁
@JNL, thanks!
@Sophie in Denmark, Thank you! Your post reminded me I had ginger in the refrigerator that I needed to get into the freezer. (And while in there I found a zucchini that had gotten lost and gone bad. Oh well.)
@Sophie in Denmark, usually those rough patches are temporary, and then we just climb back on the Frugal Bus and proceed. Wishing you well!
@Cindi, glad I could help!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thanks!
Yeah S corps tax returns are not easy! Plus it's worth it as tax write off to pay preparer/accountant to get it right (no additional fees & intrest to IRS). 🙂
Crisp 43 degrees this morning, and predicted tommorow morning also but getting to mid-upper 70s in afternoon. Michigan weather is a rollercoaster in September. Hoodie/long sleeves in morning & T shirt/shorts in afternoon.
Frugal things---
● Meijer had ground beef on sale #1.87/pound in 3+ pound packages (limit 5) so picked up 5 & divided into 1 1/2-2 pound packages for freezer
● Meijer had double points day when I shopped & also got double rewards--- bought $30 meat & earned $5 points (doubled) that I used for rewards $$ off next purchas
● had free coupons for 8 oz bag of cheese, 10 count tortilla (any size), BOGO free seasoning, 50% off juice boxes (was going to put in Halloween (candy) but teen drank all of them after complaining that I purchased.
● found vintage Tupperware rolling pin, American Legion flag holder bag & bag of assorted electrical parts at flea market $1 each
● missed getting gas before went up for holiday weekend (early in week), found in small town while out for $3.29 & have discount rewards with Marathon, saved $0.10/gallon making $3.19 compared to (then current) $3.59
● not sure if gas gauging happened for holiday weekend as gas stations went up, then down & variations of prices by Friday, but topped off/filled up with $0.20/gallon discount paying $3.04/gallon.
● Allergy season officially in full swing 🙁 going through SO MANY boxes of kleenex (that had already purchased on sale) over weekend. Poor teen going through 8 boxes of Kleenex alone yesterday. Thankful stocked up while on sale knowing this would happen.
Frugal fail--
● We have been going to Habitat RE store every Thursday/Friday (they get new truck donation pick ups) & I have seen a $10 clear hard plastic basement window well cover that I was not sure about (2 or 3 times now). I finally found at Menards ($20 or $28) so decided I should probably get Habitat one. Went last week & gone (after being there months). And Habitat RE store marked up silver rolled insulation from $5 to $15 that I was getting.
Isn't Zoe 18? Can you still get child support once she is officially an adult? Regardless, I'm very glad you are in a better financial situation now!
Yes, she is 18 now. But she was a minor for the entirety of the separation/pre-divorce period, so some child-support ought to have been happening at that time.
@Kristen, did you ask/put in for child support for her while still in school (high school & college for some)? In Michigan child support is until child graduates or 18 (whichever is later) & college if agreed by parents. Read every word of paperwork regarding child support, word play can sink or help you.
This is going to be a virtual cash-heavy list.
Some of my frugalities:
1. I shook limbs or jumped up and grabbed and got enough pears that I was able to make about two quarts of pear sauce. They aren't all that flavorful, but I add cinnamon and a bit of sugar when making the sauce, or else I cook it down to pear butter. I'll probably keep it as sauce, this time.
2. I used credit card rewards I stacked up from paying for repairs and purchases on my card, to reduce my statement by almost $100.
3. I chose a $35 Lowe's card from my Capital One shopping rewards.
4. I finally got the $25 Visa gift card for doing a survey on work software. I am planning on using it as part of my Christmas shopping, which I've already started.
5. I ordered a few re-stock items using the Labor Day free-shipping and sales offers I was getting.
Kristen, your consistently frugal things may not be exciting, but as we all know, they make a big, big difference in the long run.
It has been another costly week of unusual expenditures.
1. We had to make another trip to NC from Florida this weekend. This one was not for pleasure, but we tried to make the best of it. I used my library’s Libby App to listen to an audio book when driving. This makes the 16 hours spent in the car a little less mind numbing. We brought our drinks and snacks only stopping at rest areas to walk and stretch. We also ate the mediocre hotel breakfast because it was included.
2. My sister and son who lives locally coordinated to take care of Rescue Pup and Calico Kitty. It is so expensive to board RP. This saved us $200.
3. My 8-year old iPhone 10 suddenly quit working and I had to purchase a new one. I used this time to review my phone plan and make changes to save a little money. I am hoping by year’s end to have two of my adult children off my plan which will give me more savings flexibility. Please tell me I am not the only one with this problem.
4. I received a bill for my last dental cleaning which should have been fully covered by insurance. After looking over it, I realized that I had been charged twice. I made a phone call, and this was promptly corrected. This savings was $80. (This one is for WilliamB who often reminds us to check our medical bills.)
5. I am too tired and stretched to attend a luncheon today. This saves a little money, but I can’t really say that I’m doing this because I’m frugal. However, I will claim the savings anyway.
Wishing all peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, I’m 39 and married with 2 kids and my cellphone is still on my parents phone plan! It was cheaper staying on their family plan than joining my husbands so I just pay them monthly for my portion (my two adult sisters are also still on their plan) When my kids get old enough to have their own phones, I will probably need to start my own family plan at that point!
@Bee,
I have the reverse - I'm on my daughter's plan. I had her on ours for years while she was a teen and young adult, but once she got a good job, she insisted on putting DH and I on her plan.
I also saved by ordering from Chewy. I looked up my dog's food and it was cheaper there this time than anywhere locally. Over $49 shipped free so I added my cat's food which was also a better price than locally. Then they had a code for $20 off any order over $49...in the end it was $60 of food for $40 and it shipped free. Locally, it would have been over $75.
I bought cheese slices for $1/pack. I stocked up on them as they're good for a few months.
I don't drink coffee, but DH does. The last time I was at Lowe's Foods the register printed out a coupon for his coffee. This past week while there I found a marked down large tub of the coffee (from $10 to $5)...used the coupon and got it for $2.50 total.
I bought two like new quilts from goodwill that I will cut up and sew into robes/jackets...kind of like the link below. I am making these for friends for Christmas. The quilts were each $4 and beautiful designs.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1720938043/beautiful-handmade-vintage-antique?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=quilt+coat&ref=sr_gallery-1-43&frs=1&content_source=4fbcef65ad42572e47d314b2fb552e3806e8df9d%253A1720938043&search_preloaded_img=1&organic_search_click=1
I desperately needed a few items for work this winter that I haven't been able to find after searching thrift stores for months so I stopped by Kohls. Found a black sweater and a black pair of pants both on the clearance rack and they were an additional 50% off that, so I paid less than $20 for both and was happy with that.
Ate at home mostly, made lunches for work, went to the library, and all the usual stuff.
@Marlena, the quilt in your link is GORGEOUS! But it looks more like a bathrobe than a coat.
If you have any leftovers, the quilts would also make very cool totebags.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,the ones I'm making have more of a bell sleeve that is 3/4 sleeve and only hit mid thigh...but the original idea came from like the link above.
@Marlena, check Anthropologie and Free People for additional inspiration. My sister and I just made jackets from quilts made by my mother in law. When we saw the prices at those stores we knew we could be "stylish " for less!
1. Brought our lunches on two big excursions we took within the last week or so. This allowed us to buy snacks and experiences instead of on mediocre vendor food.
2. Sold another item on eBay and also bought some used books for the little one on eBay.
3. Back to school sales mean some nice new things for me at almost free.
4. Took advantage of a huge 10/10 (max 30/30) sale on a lot of pantry staples like pasta and crackers and what not. I also took the opportunity to clean out the pantry and organize it a little better. We are at a point where we'll need to just buy milk, bread and stuff like that. All stocked for winter, I hope!
5. Just doing the usual things like line drying my clothes still and cooking at home etc.
1) Listed a few things on eBay. I find that listing new things helps to "boost" the visibility of older listings as well. I sold: sunglasses, skin care samples I picked up at a hotel, a pair of outgrown pants, & luggage tags.
2) We used up freezer items for dinner a lot last week: taco meat, grilled chicken, etc. I also made sure to make taquitos for dS18's lunch, as they are his favorite & he's heading off to school in two weeks.
3) DH replaced the brakes on a car we found for a family member (we scouted it out, they bought it). Because the brakes need to be done before it's driven from CA to WA (where we live to family member), he replaced the brakes himself, saving them a ton of money.
4) Called our dentist about a $150 bill for a filling that fell out. They charged us for the appointment, despite the filling only lasting a day. It was an error, which they quickly corrected once I called.
5) Negotiated with our internet provider to save $14/month. It wasn't an exciting win, but it will help consistently each month.
The garden is producing its last flush of vegetables before first frost so I'm planning meals around that and preserving as much as I can. I harvested my potatoes this week. I took all the little ones, blanched them and froze them to roast later -- got two meals worth. I also had about a dozen that a vole had taken a bite out of. I cut off the bitten part, peeled and canned them -- 4 more meals. I have another half bushel drying in the garage.
We split and stacked another cord of firewood -- from trees a neighbor cleared and gave to us. Only 1 1/2 cords to go for our winter supply.
We're having dinner with friends at their house tonight. Next week we will take them on our boat for a picnic lunch. Long ago we convinced these friends it was cheaper and more relaxed to eat at each other's homes rather than go out to an expensive and often noisy restaurant.
We loaned a neighbor our ladder, and my husband helped another neighbor repair his ceiling fan. These neighbors have helped us out, too. We're lucky that we have a neighborhood where people help each other out and freely loan tools. (I credit my husband, who made a point when we moved here to introduce himself to everyone and tell them if they needed anything to call him. After a couple of people took him up on that, others started doing it too. Soon it became a regular thing to do here.)
I read two newspapers every day thanks to the free online subscriptions provided through my library.
My life is so inherently frugal that it is almost impossible to ferret out anything specific. So today's list is just normal frugalities.
1. Library books
2. Batching errands (and not going down the hill to the Big Town)
3. Going to the cabin with a friend, then coming back down with my husband instead of taking my car.
4. Turning leftovers into new meals
5. Because of the fire causing the road to close, we had to winterize a far-away neighbor's cabin and got the food from his fridge and freezer. I gave away the things we don't use, tossed some mayo (it froze and separated and no amount of shaking made it look right), and kept the rest.
Boring. Normal is boring. But when fire is at your door (figuratively, not literally—the smoke is literally at our doors), boring is a desirable state.
*For the curious mind, it is the Coffeepot Fire.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, boring is good. And I hope that you all get some relief from the fires and their smoke soon.
@A. Marie, thank you. This is becoming normal for fall around here, but the thunderstorm on August 3 really started the mess early this year.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Hoping from here that you get nothing more than some smoke and that even that is soon gone.
By the way, why is this fire called the Coffeepot Fire?
@Erika JS, it began near Coffeepot Canyon. If you are bored, you can learn about the name here:https://mineralking.org/why-coffeepot/
* I keep eating from the freezers and pantry and supplementing with fresh produce. Less groceries = more money in my pocket
* Using public library for all my bookish needs. And they usually buy my requests, yay!
* Daughter needed to watch a specific movie for school. I was able to borrow the DVD from my Buy Nothing group.
* Working one extra shift/week until the end of october.
* Sushi meal (treat) for the family yesterday. Bought them at 50% off from Flash Food.
Here is a request for help:
I have a Chewy subscription and also belong to TopCashBack. Is there a way to get TopCashBack credit using the subscription each month?
Thank you, Frugalistas!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
This may not be of help to you, but I know Ibotta gives me cash back every month for my cat food autoship. Hoping TopCashBack has something similar for you!
We went to the fair. Our only purchase was one Tiger Ear (fried dough with butter, cinnamon and sugar) that we shared.
Went to an estate sale and left without purchasing anything.
Decided that we are going to DIY the install of a new sliding glass door; this will save over $900.00! Can't believe the price for something that usually only takes under 2 hours. We have done it before (when we were much younger - the current door is almost 20 years old) so are confident we can do it again.
Used ingredients on hand to make sides for two barbecues we went to over the weekend.
The usual: coffee from home, pack our own snacks/lunches, using up what we have.
Have a great week everyone!
So glad you got some money back from your return! It’s always a happy surprise when that happens 🙂
My Frugal 5’s
1. Used up food pantry items to make my girl’s belated birthday breakfast request of red velvet pancake with cream cheese icing. Have some icing leftover so hoping to make a red velvet cake to use it up.
2. Been graciously gifted more tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchinis from my friend. Used the cucumbers and tomatoes in sandwiches and cooked up 2 of the zucchinis as a side veggie dish to go with the mac and cheese. Also got a jar of homemade applesauce which we’ll eat later for breakfast.
3. Using my free shipping through my one month free trial Prime membership to get future birthday and Christmas gifts for my girls. Got a couple used-like new items for less than the original price through Amazon Resale. Also comparing prices through camelcamelcamel.com to make sure I’m getting the lowest price for the item.
4. Been actively using our one month standard subscription of Netflix with ads for 6.99 to watch tv shows and movies. Planning on unsubscribing by the end of the month before the renewal.
5. Keeping busy with kids walking and biking around the neighborhood and nearby parks and rivers.
Periodically go to the thrift stores with coupons they text to me and when it is senior discount day. Husband and I scored several pairs of like new shorts and jeans for 50 cents each..
Yes, I had a box of dented chocolate rice krispy cereal that made a great quick snack of marshmallow krispy treats to take to church dinner. The cereal was from Misfits. Also got a box of club crackers @ Aldi w the corner open. (None of the interior packages were open.)
Packed lunches for work the last two nights. Which was probably offset by driving through for breakfast yesterday morning...but it was the cheap big breakfast at Hardees which kept me satiated all day (I do not eat it all). Not fond of their scrambled eggs but when I chop up the ham with them, they are a little more palatable. The lunches were the two main dishes I fixed this week: macque choux and veggie lasagne, both of which used up a lot of veggies.
Baked up the peaches and nectarines I had managed to keep from spoiling by refrigerating (I have a hard time eating fresh fruit when it's cold, and never think to bring it to room temp when I want it NOW.) Made a nice cobbler for the freezer. Will take it with me in frozen state for family dinner/get together this Saturday. It's a weekend trip.
I also distill enough water and freeze it to take for drinking water and to make tea for the motel. Makes a nice big chiller for the cooler of snack food (cheese sticks, muffins, the cobbler) and prevents buying at gas station, etc. It has been our "family tradition" to get KFC and the sides for Saturday dinner. Last year I mentioned, in passing, to my brother and his girlfriend a thought about getting rotisserie chickens and sides at Hy-Vee because of the wait at KFC (it's rodeo weekend and BUSY) and he actually took me up on it! His girlfriend said it was "a lot cheaper!") I always chip in, but it's nice to know that 1) he listened, and 2) it was more frugal. It's been my "tradition" to provide a watermelon, but I never seem to get a very good one. Hence the peach cobbler this year.
In our area, gas goes down for the holidays. It is actually same price at the Casey's in the town I work and in the town I live at $3.14.
Truly, the basics of not buying food and coffee at work saves so much money. I'm not opposed to the occasional treat, but every day doesn't feel special to me. It just feels like a waste.
My FFT:
-made a batch of curry for lunches using dried chickpeas, pantry spices, vegetables,
and a tomato that I'd previously frozen
-harvested basil from my mom's garden (with permission of course!)
-flipped my closet for fall, realized that all I needed to buy is a pair of tights
-bought the tights online, bundled with my mom's birthday gift for free shipping
-rescued 3 t-shirts that were NOT getting clean with an overnight Oxi-clean soak. Hurray!
1. Accepted a last-minute substitute teacher date
2. Line-dried all my clothes, towels and laundry
3. Made coffee from home
4. Packed my lunch at home
5. Found someone in Craigslist who will haul off the old dead refrigerator for free. Handyman said he'd do this, but never got around to it, and I'm tired of looking at it.
Also took out the ice bin and other little drawers and door shelves which can be reused as storage boxes in the other fridge or elsewhere around the house.
Nice back-to-school photo! I think Chiquita just wanted to be included.
Also, I've never seen discounts on damaged boxes or dented cans of food. It doesn't seem to be a thing where I live, though I often hear about it from frugal people in other parts of the country. I wonder why.
My frugal things:
1. I got a $40 bonus for installing and using the Capital One Shopping browser extension. I redeemed it for a gift card to Chewy and applied it to my next autoship.
2. I replaced my old, banged-up, musty-smelling dresser with a hand-me-down from my family. It's old too but in much better condition than the one I had. My father and brother helped me move them. Total cost = free.
3. I was very tired of cooking everything from scratch, especially since work is picking up now that summer is over. I splurged on store-bought gluten-free bread and snacks and some canned soups, chili, and stew. It's still much cheaper than takeout or even frozen dinners, so I'm counting it as frugal.
That's all I can think of today.
@Elizabeth M, I do have five, after all.
4. After learning about several books that sounded good, I put them on hold at the library. One of them came in pretty quickly and I'm now enjoying it for free.
5. I didn't buy anything from the Labor Day sales. I looked, but didn't see good prices on anything I needed.
@Elizabeth M,
The major grocery stores where I live do not have a dented can or a damaged box section either. All day old bakery items are given to the food pantry. There aren’t any sales on meats, produce or dairy because of the best-buy or usage date. I am not sure why, it may be because this is a litigious state.
On occasion, I am able to find discontinued brands or seasonal goods on sale. I get a bit jealous when I the good deals others find in other parts of the country.
I drove right by 3 thrift stores and did not stop. Yay for me! I’m at that age where stuff is suffocating me. I still thrift but I’m very judicious about what I buy. That and I’ve noticed some thrift stores have stopped taking donations for periods of time. They are packed with donations. America is drowning in consumer goods.
@Joyce,
Yes they are. There is so much junk in the world, yet I cannot find a used coffee table that I actually want.
@Bee, did you try a Habit RE Store? Our local Habitat RE Store is packed & extra in back storage.
* I dog and cat sat for my daughter for the long weekend. Saves her boarding fees.
*Returning the pets to her allowed me to go to Sam's Club, where I filled up with gas that was 63 cents cheaper than home.
* I bought a box of 7.5 dozen eggs at Sam's. And much cheaper per unit than at the other stores. Well be eating a lot of eggs for the next few weeks.
* mildly insane egg purchase allowed as our garage fridge is back in business. This extra fridge meant I could clean out kitchen fridge, which sorely needed it.
*I bought shirts on three up to replace the ones that are ancient.
Frugal fail: disposed of old food from fridge that had gone way past Expiration dates.
1. Cooler mornings mean that we can open the windows and stop running the air conditioning.
2. Wearing a woolen vest I knit myself. I was actually getting a little cold!
3. I had saved up some rewards gift cards in my Target account for a situation where I had to buy something larger. Well, that situation arrived when I had to replace my Bluetooth earbuds after carelessly leaving them outside. I use them for listening to music while running or talking without hands on the phone. The cheaper corded kind just gets in the way of my arms.
4. Took advantage of a Labor Day weekend sale at Loft, items on sale had an additional 60% off discount.
5. Sold a couple of clothes that no longer fit (they shrunk??) on an online yardsale. Sent them off in packaging I recycled from other shipments.
Frugal.
Also nothing exciting.
Used a ten dollar paper coupon at grocery store.
Found chips on clearance for Labor Day for 1.49 a large bag. At Walgreens of all places. Yummy cape cod brand.
Shopped many Labor Day sales. Looked. Put things in my cart. BOUGHT NONE OF THEM.
Walking the dog for exercise while listening to free podcasts or audible books from the Libby app.
Bought a cute cheetah print ruana for 1.00 at thrift store. I am not really a cheetah print girl but the print is large scale in colors that I like. Already received two compliments.
1. Had enough ripe tomatoes to make a double batch of salsa on Saturday (16 pints). After that I had a large bowl of peeled and cored tomatoes, which I saved in the fridge til today, when I...
2. Made a large pot of tomato sauce! For whatever reason I prefer to freeze this rather than can it.
3. Hosted a labor day picnic yesterday for a few families. Everyone offered to bring something, so it was not a burden on us, and it was a gorgeous day so we enjoyed being outside together
4. These last two are my husband. He packed lunch meat, cheese, and bread for being out of town working this week, and noted there is an Aldi less than a mile from his hotel for whatever else he needs for lunches.
5. DH contacted our neighbor to ask him to give our hay field a second cutting. We do not have the equipment to do this, and it's worth paying someone to cut and bale it for us- it's literally money growing out there since we'd have to otherwise buy hay for our cows, and we can sell whatever excess we end up with.
Clearance section whenever I can lol
1. My sweet friend an hour away graciously sent me home from a visit with around 20 lbs of tomatoes, 10 lbs of peppers, homemade pesto, and a loaf of sourdough. I love food, but I especially appreciate homegrown and homemade! Oh and some steel cut oats with a best buy of 2017. They look and smell fine and it turns out they taste fine too.
2. Thanks to the sudden influx of very very ripe tomatoes, I’ve been trying to eat them in sandwiches etc. and being careful to check them for soft or moldy spots daily. I did make a giant pot of what will hopefully turn into tomato sauce for the freezer too.
3. It’s been cool enough and not humid enough to open windows at night, which is so wonderful. I feel like I sleep better.
4. Finished a hand cream that was over two years old and one of the endless little skin care samples I get free with purchases.
5. Nothing memorable! The usual coffee brewed at home, cooking at home and using the freezer and pantry, hanging laundry to dry (I always dry mine inside on drying racks for simplicity year round), and making do.
1. I can't remember if it was last week or the week before but my dentist said I had a balance and was it ok to put on my credit card on file. I asked to let me check with my dental insurance. I can have 4 cleanings a year because I have diabetes. So yes, the cleanings are covered but not the EXAM. Really, 20 seconds of looking in my mouth costs $36? I'm going to tell him he can do it in the spring and fall. Anyway it turned out that I had a credit there that covered it. Whaat? You had my money and didn't send it back to me?
2. Found .02 in the self check out at the store.
3. Going to RSVP to a Donor Appreciation Reception for the school that dd went to to get PT and OT when she was a toddler. Fancy club and cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Free supper!
4. Keeping the AC at 78 as we've had a stretch of cooler air.
5. Using my library.
Extra: signed up for a Walgreens credit card and got $50 in Walgreens rewards. I buy "deals of the week" for the food closet. People need body wash too although I personally like bar soap. And shampoo, conditioner and deoderant. Goes to my local food closet. If they have a good deal on cereal I will pick that up too.
It's Pesto for the win! I too, use walnuts (free) in my batches of pesto. I freeze them in ice cube trays and then vacuum pack them.
Picked more berries to barter farm chores/help.
Painted 1/2 the house (got a bid for $10k to paint the house). Will finish up this week while it is warm (90's).
Splitting cords of wood and filling the woodshed (it holds 14 cord). I burn 6-7 cord each year.
I am catering my Mom's 60th class reunion this coming Saturday, it's going to be 90's, will use my ice block/big fan cooling station. Lots of Iced Tea, Lemonade, making ice cream brownie (white and regular) sundaes. She came from a small town, only 40 people have rsvp'd. I am trying to get to a "work every other weekend" schedule.
Most of my boxed foods (nut thins, gf pasta are from the scratch and dent store). The running joke in the family is: train wreck, semi-wreck? Make a run to the scratch and dent store for pantry foods! Ha!
My CPA does the timber tax prep (ugh), farm taxes, rental taxes and she throws in my tax prep for free. I am uber organized, give her a notebook with monthly spread sheets, bills/receipts itemized & scanned. She also helped me with my brother's estate as he did not have a will. She is priceless. I pay her well.
I walk my dog so she uses the bathroom outside. We pass a plumeria tree and I gather one of the best dead ones on the ground. To be put in a shotglass with water. Free flowers delivered by me.
My mom helps me out with groceries when I am in a jam financially. This happens oh every end of the month. I call it my mom haul but I do help my step-dad and mom when they need me.
I splurge on my favorite magazine National Examiner. I grew up with tabloids as a teen. I normally can't get them until I get my check. Seven dollars might break the bank but who said love is free?
Lastly, I shop my local library bookstore for books. People donate these books to benefit the library. I am super lucky with my finds 50 cents a book. It's spooky how lucky I get. (Cheaper than Target books.)
lettting the government have my funds all year so i can get a return that they did not pay any interest to me sort of doesnt feel right. (awkward sentence, sorry)
As I said in my post, I recognize that this situation was not ideal. 😉 But on the other hand, my financial life has been one of upheaval these last two years, so it has been hard to plan exactly how to do my tax withholding.
So, all things considered, I'm grateful I got a refund instead of owing!
Always watch for BOGO items anywhere you shop, even online.
Today I didn't leave a tip for the mediocre haircut I received when I cut my hair
@hawkmeister, did you cut your own hair and then not tip yourself?? 😎
1. I made banana chocolate chip muffins with spotted bananas. I used applesauce(homemade) instead of eggs. Peels went into my compost bin.
2. I started 2 bottles of homemade vanilla. Had the vodka from when my daughter turned 21. She is 23 and hasn't lived here in a year and a half. I told her I was doing it. She said she wants some if it comes out good.
3. I picked 6 spaghetti squash, 24 figs and countless tomatoes this morning. I have 2 zucchini from my dad's garden that I have to use too. Meals this week will be including all homegrown veggies.
4. Met 2 friends at Panera. I used a gift card that I earned through Ibotta. I got a Value Duet for $9. I drank water.
5. Windows are open. A/C is off. I love this weather.
I use Food for Life Eziel bread and I love the ends.
I have stopped buying the Cascade dish pods and gone back to the old fashioned Cascade in the box. It is half the cost and guess what, it works great (and has worked great for decades and then we got so lazy)!!!
I have such trouble even finding the powder! Where do you get yours?
@Kristen,
I prefer the dishwasher powder too and find the Great Value brand @ Walmart works well.
1. We made our meals at home and packed snacks and lunches. We brewed coffee at home. We ate up food. I planned meals around what we had at home.
2. I returned items to the library on time.
3. I returned a present that I bought at Target and my oldest helped pick out a different (and cheaper) present.
4. We celebrated a birthday at home with homemade cake and the birthday person's choice of dinner (BLTs with watermelon on the side). We used a combination of regular dishes to be frugal and disposable stuff to save time. We reused gift bags and tissue paper to wrap presents.
5. I combined errands to save time and gas.
Playing the "no refund" game is a gamble. I did estimates for better half's sole proprietorship business and got darn good at it. These days I just have extra withheld out of my paycheck to cover taxable SS. Is it worth the risk of owing, a possible penalty, AND my time to *maybe* make $100 in interest? Nope, it is not. I've got better things to do. Any tax refunds go straight to savings.
Try on clothes at store, find same or similar items on eBay at reduced cost.
I love to do that on eBay when I already know what size/style/color I want from a previous in-store purchase!
I wash my gallon and quart bags . Once they are clean I put them in the fridge to be used again. If there is clean foil I fold it and use it later, sometimes I do wash it. And I keep bacon grease on the stove for seasoning and frying certain things, aka Onio, celery and such.
Late to the party, but trying to get more consistent now that the summer chaos is over.
1. I took my cans back for the deposit. Not huge $, but it does clean out stuff too.
2. We ate at quite a few free, back to school related dinners.
3. I've been going through the pantry/freezers to see what needs to be used up. So far I've mostly made unnecessary baked goods from things that don't really go in entrees, but we'll get to those later. Somehow clearing up the small things rattling around has felt more satisfying. So, I made flourless chocolate pecan cookies using some frozen egg whites and pecans. They needed three egg whites and I'd frozen them in sets of four so I doubled the recipe, used two fresh eggs, and left myself with two egg yolks in the fridge which I then put in scrambled eggs the next day for breakfast.
4. Then I made a macaroons using some more frozen egg whites and old sweetened, flaked coconut. Yes, there are still more frozen egg whites, coconut, and pecans. Clearly I overbought during the baking sales last Christmas.
5. We've been dutifully eating green/wax beans and cucumbers because that is what our garden makes best. I don't have an extensive garden, but those two items and herbs grow very well. I'm still trying to figure out what else works in my space. I did give away 10 cucumbers because we have soooo many, with just two plants.
Volunteered at a church rummage sale.
1. Got a Wisconsin Badger fall jacket for $5.
2. Got some Little House books focused on daughter Rose that I want to read this winter.
3. Started using baking soda to reduce the placque on my teeth.
4. Volunteering and going to book clubs to socialize and meet people.
5. Books on Libby.
6. Football on Dofu Stream since I can't get NBC on tv.