I’m a little late telling you about some of these, but I snagged a few more birthday deals before they expired. 🙂
1. I got a free mini mascara
Ulta Beauty gives you a free little gift selection in your birthday month, so I stopped in and picked up a mini mascara for $0.
It’s the Tarte Maneater mascara, but I assure you, I do not plan to eat any men. I just plan to enhance my eyelashes. 😉
2. I got socks for $2
DSW sent me a $5/any purchase coupon, so of course, I looked at the clearance socks. 😉
And I got two pairs of very soft socks for $2.
So between those and the ones I got from Kohl’s with my birthday coupon, I’m all set for warm feet this fall.
my Kohl’s socks
3. I got a sports bra for $5
Aerie emailed me a $5/any purchase coupon, and usually I spend that on a pair of undies.
But I peeked in at the clearance section and found a $35 sports bra on a serious markdown; after my coupon, it was only $5.
Clearance sections really maximize the birthday savings. 😉
4. I used my Erie rewards for a Starbucks reload
My study besties and I met at Starbucks twice last week for studying, and my Starbucks balance was low.
So, I redeemed some of my Erie YourTurn rewards for a $25 Starbucks gift card.
Which means my study beverages were free. 🙂
Someone put a smile on my cup too!
5. Umm…I passed nursing school?
I can’t think of a fifth off the top of my head, so we’ll go with this. Ha.
Passing school IS a very financially savvy thing to do. Not only does it save you from having to pay to retake classes, it also offers a big pay increase over being a tech!
I did have to pay $376 in a single day for fingerprinting, applying to the board of nursing, and paying for a seat to take the NCLEX. But I will make that back in a jiffy once I start working as a nurse.
Thank you all so much for your kind encouragement on yesterday’s post; it feels so nice to be loved and cheered on by all of you. 🙂
Brendalynne
Saturday 17th of May 2025
Wow..after all your hard work and financial challenges ,having to pay to sit in a chair to take their test for a "work permit" in a HEALTHCARE facility !!!!head scratcher. How many decades have we been hearing about RN shortages??? Happy for your success
Kristen
Monday 19th of May 2025
It is a tough financial burden for some students, especially if getting through school already stretched them financially.
Donna
Saturday 17th of May 2025
Congratulations, Kristen, on your achievement of passing nursing school! That is not an easy thing, and one filled with lots of studying, tests, and proving you can do certain tasks. You will be an amazing nurse!
Julia
Thursday 15th of May 2025
1. Returned my plastic bags to the grocery store. 2. Bought all the yellow sticker items at the grocery store today. Saved 49%. 3. Using burlap craft bags for grocery produce. 4. Cut a bouquet for myself from the yard. Pretty tulips, Jupiter’s beard, and salvia. Used a thrifted crystal vase. 5. At the physical therapist today, they recommended a small rolling foam bar for me to lie on for stretching. I could spend 50 or more dollars on it but what I really need is the pool noodle. So I bought one for $1.25 at Dollar tree.
Lindsay B
Thursday 15th of May 2025
This is several weeks' worth of FFT-- life has been more full than average recently so I haven't posted in a long time!
1. I was almost out of my favorite bars of hand soap. I’ve been using up hotel odds and ends, but then my soap company ran an Earth Day special that made it a great time to buy them in bulk.
2. I went to Style Encore for the first time and was so pleased to find about ½ of the store on 70% off clearance! So I got some really great lounge pants, work tops, rain boots, a sweater, and a new winter coat for about $50. Most of the prices were well under what they would have been at Goodwill, and of course the selection was much better.
3. I’ve been mending as always– some holey underwear and a shirt for DH.
4. I’ve also been mending numerous kid books.
5. Small frugality but delicious: a friend gave us a handful of morels he found. They were amazing!
6. I’ve been making sure to use frozen swiss chard any time I can– soups, curries, and even a small amount in my scrambled eggs.
7. I’ve been working on some organizing and have given several things away via Buy Nothing and elsewhere. I love having the house feeling lighter and less congested.
8. I received a free item through Aisle.
9. I found a lamp at Goodwill that matches one on my nightstand– I’d been wanting to have one for DH’s side of the bed, too! It’s an older Target one and is no longer being sold. Also, the shade had multiple minor stains and one crack so I asked if they could do any kind of discount and they reduced it from $15 to $8. I can probably get the stains out or if needed a replacement shade is easier to come by than the whole lamp. Thrilled by this one!
10. I work as needed for a health system that just paid one of my state relicensure fees, so that saved me $170. Usually those fees are only covered if you work full time or part time, so I am especially grateful.
11. I picked up a free dozen eggs from the local gas station via their app.
Julia
Saturday 17th of May 2025
@Lindsay B, free eggs!
Auntiali
Thursday 15th of May 2025
Have not been frugal per se but have experienced things that money can't buy. Hubs and I went to our daughter's Master's Degree graduation over Mother's Day weekend. It was wonderful. So happy to see her achieve that. Money spent on gas, dinners out, grocery shopping for dd and hotel rooms.
The hubs and I have been eating at home. I'm currently on Ozempic and my appetite is zero. I'm working on getting in protein and fluids. Hubs made me egg bites.
Congrats Kristen and good luck with your state test.