Five Frugal Things | a free end table
1. I picked up an end table on the buy-nothing group
I joined the Buy Nothing group in my parents' neighborhood so that I could give away some sheets my mom no longer needed.
And when I saw that someone was giving away an end table, I asked if I could have it.
Do I have somewhere to rent yet? Nope.*
*not for lack of trying!!
But I think that the living room wherever I eventually rent could probably use an end table.
And free is a very good price.
If I do end up not needing it, well, I can just re-gift it on the Buy Nothing group!
2. I bought a $0.99 package of bagels
I found a bag of six bakery cheese bagels marked down to $0.99, so I picked them up, brought them home, sliced them, and then frozen them in bags of two.
That way they will stay as fresh as possible.
I thought they might be a little bit lackluster, given that they were on the markdown rack, but they are super tasty once you toast them! Definitely a good use of $0.99.
And this is why I always take a peek at the clearance rack when I am in a grocery store. It only takes a minute, and sometimes you find really awesome deals.
(Of course, sometimes everything on the rack is terrible, but hey, if you find nothing, you have only lost a minute of your day.)
3. I installed the Mezeh app and saved $3
Last week I hung out at Mezeh while I was waiting for Zoe at her class, so I installed the app for the first time and used a $3 discount on my bowl.
And I chose to drink water, even though Mezeh does have a bunch of interesting-looking drinks. I might get one of those next time. 😉
If a restaurant just has the usual soda/tea offerings at the fountain drink station, I am not remotely tempted to buy a drink. Sprite, root beer, Coke...BORING.
But Mezeh has drinks like mango punch, lemongrass berry, or berry watermelon, and those are the kinds of beverages that are tempting to me: fun flavors and not so much sugar.
4. Zoe and I used some notecards from the abandoned house
She has a horticulture exam tomorrow, so when I was helping her study, we made some flash cards, and we used a package that I rescued from the treasure house (as my sister-in-law likes to call it!)
Mercifully, they were still in the shrink-wrapped package, so they did not reek of smoke/old house.
5. I...
- used my fabric shaver
- brewed my own coffee at home
- read library books for entertainment
- submitted some healthcare forms to Cigna for reimbursement
1. I used Turbo tax to figure out our income taxes. I bought the copy while it was on sale early in the year. I submitted our federal income taxes using Turbo Tax and then used the state website to submit our state income taxes. Both submissions were free. We received our state refund in four days.
I shared a copy of Turbo Tax with our daughter since up to five returns are allowed.
2. I batched errands. I bought graduation cards at Dollar Tree. Cards there are still $.50. I stopped into Safeway since I had two freebies: the 10# bag of russet potatoes and a pound of butter. I also bought a few gift cards since it was the end of the first quarter for my Discover card spending and grocery stores were earning 5% cash back. I made a quick trip to Sam's Club and bought a few food items and filled up my gas tank. For the first time in months there was not a line for gas. When I left the store there were probably two dozen vehicles lined up waiting to purchase gas.
3. I have trouble buying shoes that are comfortable for my old, Irish clod-hopper feet.and I walk a lot so good shoes are something I spend on when necessary. I had bought two pairs of On running shoes and did not like the first pair after several wearings. I returned the second pair and will try something else.
4. Relatives wanted to get together for lunch on Saturday. We often do takeout with them but it was close to lunchtime and we had lunch (our main meal of the day) planned. We simply made more Coconut Thai Chicken and already had plenty of rice, vegetables, and fresh pineapple. It was tasty, easy, healthier, and cheaper.
5. I finally used the last skein of yarn I was sick of. A few years ago I bought a lot of a yarn that was majorly discounted. Since I had to pay for shipping I bought a bunch of it to lower the dollar cost average. It made nice hats for charity knitting but it was tired of it. I just threw out the last few yards of the last skein.
@K D, lobbying by TurboTax is one of the reasons why Americans actually have to file our own taxes (as opposed to the way other countries do it). Here's an article from Propublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free
The IRS actually has several options for free filing--none of which are Turbo Tax. https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
@K D, see my sneakers comment below. FWIW, I think our foot problems may have less to do with our Irish heritage than with our age group!
@A. Marie, I too am Irish and 50 with sore feet. WAH!
@K D, Have you tried Brooks or Hilary running shoes. I am a nurse and love be them both.
@A. Marie, I meant Hoyka shoes.
@Laurie Villotta,
Brooks are next on my list. They come highly recommended by both a friend and my youngest sister and her teen age children.
My other sister started wearing Hokas last summer and likes them but I think they are too padded/high.
@Mary,
Thanks for the reference. After the previous administration made so many changes to the tax code I decided I'd just pay for guidance on preparing income taxes. It's a small price to pay.
@K D, I have Lithuanian clodhoppers and I wear a leg brace. The most comfortable shoes I have ever owned are Allbirds. They have high and low styles and lots of colors. The tops are wool so expand to fit trouble spots. I wear them at 70 above and 40 below zero and on ice and they perform well in all those conditions. They are pricy but they really last, so I find them worth the price.
@K D,
For your shoes, I suggest visiting a local running store. Their shoe assistants are the best. Explain your feet problems and they will give you the best shoes for your feet. I love Nike brand but can't wear them because of extremely high arches. I have terrible feet and I would spend almost any money to get a good comfortable pair of everyday athletic shoes. I typically spend around $130-140 a pair but they will last 1-2 years.
@Susan, and everyone, I guess...one of the doctors I work with told me that athletic shoes, of any style or brand, at any price point are terrible for people who work all day on their feet. I discovered this firsthand after a terrible few months of plantar fasciitis. Since I work on my feet all day, I started looking at shoes designed for people who walk or stand all day. My favorites are Alegria and Dansko/Sanita. Dansko are more for standing, Alegria for walking, and both are total game changers. I walk MILES every day in my job, am 61, and have wide feet. No foot pain at the end of my day. You get what you pay for! Tennies are for yardwork, ha ha.
@Mary, VERY good read! I did not realize this. Everyone read!
Although I feel we have been very spendy lately, I had to find some ways..
1- My son works at a local grocery store, since he lives at home they allowed him to link his perks to my store card so we earn a % off each store brand item/meat/produce... we also earn store perks points at a higher rate than regular customers. PLUS they offer EXTRA perks earned every other week or so.. So I watch the store click coupons on the app, keep anything I might buy clipped on Ibotta and snag as many deals as possible. My favorite new thing is since I have built up in my perks account I keep it there.. When I need him to bring something home he can just use the points to pay for it!
2-grabbed some great deals at Walgreens.com... if you buy $10 + you can order to pick up in store. I get cash back on Rakuten also.
3. The kids are in H.S. track season - They are in field events which are located outside of the stadiums so No entrance fee.. but it is track season to increased laundry.. so its a wash I guess! lol
4. We needed new travel/collapsible chairs to take to events ( track) but the higher quality/weight bearing chairs can be pricey! We procrastinated long enough we found 2 matching chairs on a Walmart clearance shelf for $13.99 each!
5. DVD's at the local library! My sons College history class requires him to watch a film a week to discuss in class.. Many have not been available to stream online so I am grateful we have been able to snag them from our local library system for him to view!
1. Planted some older basil seeds in an empty pot. They might germinate. I'm planning to plant all my old seeds this year using a daily plan of the three Ps: prune, plant, pick. I figure if I do all those things a little bit every day, my garden will be reclaimed from the wilds and I'll enjoy it more. I struggled to keep up with it over the last two years for a variety of reasons.
2. Skipped Aldi and made the plan to go every two weeks instead. I think I'll spend less overall.
3. Made eggy bites in a muffin tin using up frozen spinach and frozen peppers that were a bit elderly. I rinsed the ice off of them and they tasted fine once baked with egg. Planning to make this a couple more times to use up freezer veggies.
4. Made overnight oats to have quick and tasty breakfasts in the mornings for cheaper than cereal.
5. Creatively used freezer contents to supplement when fresher foods started to run low.
6. Ate the following from the yard after picking: thyme sprinkled on broiled grapefruit, asparagus spears topping a salad (only a few available still), chives on top of roasted veggies.
Mine is several in one.
I’m cleaning out my parents house, they lived there for over 40 years. Lots of stuff that got stuck aside. Thankfully not hoards though. I called a local vintage store and was able to sell several things for around $700. I was surprised at some of the items they took. Family picked whatever they wanted, again it was interesting to see what was picked. They did enjoy it and I was entertained by the way they “shopped”. I sold a box of old tools and junk from the garage that a helper put in the trash pile for $50. I knew these type of items had value for up cycling and decorating. I’m putting items out for trash pick up early which is a limited amount the city will take. A lot has disappeared so I can put more out. Items that still have use like dishes, sheets, towels and blankets are being donated to a place that doesn’t charge it’s clients. I know I could make more doing the selling myself, but really I don’t want to take the time plus I hate selling. And since I want or need very little my first thoughts were to get a dumpster. This has been hard work that took time(still not finished) I have cleared out a surprisingly number of things and made a little money, saved some money and passed along things someone else is happy to get. The bonus for me was lessons in how to help my family and make it easier when I’m gone.
@cc, congrats on finding homes for so many things. What an accomplishment! I had to do this twice in 2021 so I can appreciate how difficult it is. I was able to use an estate sale company at one home, and in addition to making money for the estate, the company swept clean the house and emptied cabinets when they were done. A HUGE help as this house was 4 hours from my home and saved me many, many hours of driving, cleaning, and re-homing items.
@Brooke, thanks it is a job. But I’m 15 minutes away and usually work one or two hours at a time. I don’t have to rush so no time limit to being finished. I’ve found that just like with most things breaking it down to small tasks helps tremendously.
@Brooke,
I live in Florida where estate sales are common place. Hiring a reputable estate sale company is a wonderful solution in many cases. It can take a lot of pressure off of the family and allows for the efficient and profitable distribution of household items.
There are things that have value to collectors, vintage dealers, and resellers that are often overlooked by family. Estate Liquidators can get them to these individuals as well as making sure that valuable items do not end up being given away or trashed.
@Bee, I have always liked to recycle and do craft projects. I ended up with several items that no one wanted from my grandmother’s house. I often say I like thrift store projects but I shop at home. You are very right that it’s hard to see the value in something, especially if it is something you have seen for years. I didn’t realize how popular vintage paper was mainly because I don’t use it. I have been reading a site that is very good about explaining about these types of things. She is great about sharing information.
https://adirondackgirlatheart.com/
@cc, Thank you for the link you shared. I sometimes just want to look at crafts or antiques without buying them, and she has some interesting articles and ideas.
So many things are growing, hooray!
We save seeds a lot and use equipment we have, so I don't spend a lot on our gardens. It's hit or miss with our actual harvests here, but we do get quite a few pounds of food out of it which is higher quality than anything we can buy locally.
And we get the fun of growing it. Growing things is important to my mental health. At least in spring when everything is new and full of promise. It can challenge my sunny outlook when I'm picking hundreds of hornworms off my tomatoes and staring at all the weeds. 🙂
Also, my husband has started dozens of fruit trees from seed and several of them were planted out this year. And the little peach tree at our next-door abandoned house has lots of buds on it (not counting those peach-y chickens too soon, though, as stone fruits tend to be very likely to get wiped out by freezes, hail, sheep climbing to eat the leaves . . .)
AND, the chickens have finally started laying 4-5 eggs a day. (They also scratched up and decimated several cabbage starts planted out in the garden, so they are incarcerated at the moment.)
In non-food plant news, the daffodils are about to bloom.
I consider all this frugal because not only do we get food from these activities, we get exercise, entertainment, and therapy. Best deal ever.
@kristin @ going country,
Does Bt work on hornworms for you? It does fairly well on mine, but isn't foolproof, especially when we have a lot of rain. We also use neem oil in a spray mixed with water and a bit of soap.
An old organic farmer showed me that he hangs large (4" - 6") PVC end caps from rods at the ends of his tomato rows, with a small block of wood screwed into the underside of them. Wasps will use the wood as a platform to build nests there, since the big cap protects the nest from weather. He says the wasps are invaluable against pests. We don't grow bunches of tomatoes, and we have wasps aplenty already so we didn't try that ourselves.
Weeds are also the bane of my existence, which is another reason why I've gone to raised beds.
@kristin @ going country, I'm sorry to hear about the tomato hornworms. But perhaps your chickens might enjoy them? Nice, big, juicy caterpillars?
@JD, Yes, the parasitic wasps are the key to getting rid of hornworms. Last year was the first year we had an infestation of hornworms, andI--and my kids--picked SO many off the plants (and yes, A. Marie, fed them to the chickens) before the wasps finally found them and wiped them out. I'm hoping the wasps are now as established as the hornworms and will keep them under control this year.
Unfortunately, the wasps don't seem to affect the army worms at all, which was the next thing to show up on my plants. Hundreds of those went to the chickens as well. Gross. Pests go in boom and bust years, and I suspect last year's worm problems were directly related to the lack of ladybugs, so crossing my fingers there will be significantly more ladybugs this year fewer nasty worms on my tomatoes.
@kristin @ going country, I read long long ago of a way to make plant bug repellent from the invaders themselves. Gather and squish as many bugs or worms as possible from as many species as you have, put them in a jug of water, set the water in the sun for a few days, expect a bad smell, spray that back onto the plants.
I don't know if it would work and the chickens would lose out on their delicacy, but there could be some cannibalistic pleasure in trying it. I suppose more traditional repelling ingredients could be added, (garlic, essential oil, soap, oil; lots of recipes online).
That is a stunning table!!!
Great find on the end table!
This week I:
- am sewing shorts. This is not frugal in the short (ha!) term (cost of sewing machine, etc.), but if I keep it up, I can make custom-fit clothes for less than I can purchase them. And I usually find fabric at thrift stores to keep my costs even lower.
- put off grocery shopping. I'll use up what's at home before I shop again. And when the Publix ad comes out this week, I'll check for their $10 off a $50 gas gift card deal.
- shopped at the Dollar Tree for treats I like that originate in the Mid-Atlantic. I can find them at a Wawa about 45 minutes from home (ouch!), but occasionally the local Dollar Tree has some slightly melted ones at a deep discount. I'll take it!
- am thinking of baking cookies from scratch. So much better than store-bought cookies, and loads cheaper too.
- batched errands. When I dropped off an eBay sale at the post office, I took that opportunity to do a Dollar Tree run.
@Brooke, this is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe: https://www.katiebirdbakes.com/easiest-chocolate-chip-cookies/
It makes 20-25 cookies (depending on size), and only dirties one dish (I melt the butter in a sauce pan, and then use that pan as my cookie bowl). I really like that it makes a small amount of cookies, and they are delicious!
I have a hard time getting around to making cookies because it's such a process! This recipe removes that hurdle. I can decide to make them on a whim. It's also a great recipe for riffing on...add some cocoa powder and peppermint extract, or a bit of quick oats and raisins instead of chips, etc.
@RachelB, Thanks!!
Nice score on the end table, Kristen!
Now, FFT, It's Raining Sneakers Edition:
(1) Now that I'm an older lady with older-lady foot problems, I'm always looking for sneakers that *really* fit, and I scored big last week. The first find was a pair of brand-new Apex men's 7.5 out of the 70% clearance bin at Clothes Mentor. (See yesterday's discussion about women buying men's things. The shoes were mismarked women's 7.5, which is probably why they didn't sell before.) I hadn't heard of Apex previously, so I looked it up later, and it's an orthopedic brand. These shoes retail for $140-150.
(2) Clothes Mentor had a deal that day that if you bought one clearance item at 70% off, you got the second for $1. So I picked up a pair of FILAs that I'm hoping will fit a friend of mine who also has trouble finding sneakers. Total cost for both pairs = $7.50 (out of my accumulated store credit).
(3) The next score was on Saturday at one of our local Thrifty Shoppers (which was my second stop after the Regional Market). I found two pairs of Skechers memory foam sneakers in women's 10 (I find that Skechers tend to run small, so I always buy those in a 10) in excellent condition. Total there = $17. And no more worries about sneakers for a while!
(4) A slight bit of trouble on our otherwise lovely street yesterday: I discovered yesterday morning that someone had done a major trash dump at our cul-de-sac and in the public trash can there. I cleaned it up as best I could and asked our city councilor to notify the appropriate authorities, including a name and address I found on one piece of mail in the trash (gosh, I love a dumb scofflaw). The frugal part of this is that I also found 27 cents in change.
(5) Made a pot roast on Sunday, which was a good day for it (chilly, dispiriting drizzle here). Will be making a beef barley soup with the leftovers and sharing it with several neighbors.
1. I got another coupon from Bath & Body Works for a free item worth $7.50. I picked it up on the day they had their hand soaps for $3.25. I bought two for a friend who uses them and will give them to her for her birthday. Combined with the free lotion I got, these will make a nice gift for only $7.13 out of pocket.
2. CVS emailed another $4 ExtraBuck (I think this was the fifth one they've sent). I got Tide and peanut butter crackers for 73 cents. I also found a penny in the parking lot.
3. I want to try a very small container garden this year and plan to use laundry baskets (as seen on YouTube). I found a large one on the curb that is perfect.
4. I turned the clearance tomatoes from last week into tasty marinara sauce and used some on pasta and the rest on homemade pizza. Delicious!
5. Kroger sent me a coupon for free 18 count eggs. I will pick them up next time I shop. On April 1, I downloaded three Sprouts digital coupons for free items for redemption this month.
6. And a bonus one -- my niece had a bag of clothing for donation. I offered to take it for her but decided to try selling some of it to Plato's Closet first. They bought two items and paid me $11.20. Not bad for a very small amount of time.
1) didn’t grocery shop at all this week. Mostly because hubs bought double the milk thinking grandkids were coming over and then they didn’t. Plus advert had nothing I needed. Why does it seem to be 95% processed food?
2) got my money back from Amazon after USPS said they delivered but I never received. Their response to where’s my package is “we delivered it”. Perhaps, but not to me.
3) decided I’m done buying the books in a series I’ve followed for years. Last couple of books have been disappointing so I just got the latest from the library
4) husband broke, then repaired the lid to my cookie jar
5) baked cookies - fig newton were $4.79 at the grocery store (last year $2.50). SMH
Trying pretty hard to rein things in in general. April will be a $40 grocery month.
1. Started April 1st with recording every expense- things have gotten a little loosey goosey around here and that always helps me get my spending reined in.
2. Going to get my fingerprints done for a PRN job I'm getting- hopefully getting close to starting and making some extra $$$$. Will batch some errands while I'm in that area.
3. Using my library- I am obsessed with the Joe Pickett series by CJ Box.
4. Using the Get Upside App for gas and scanning receipts for Fetch
5. Packing bkfst, lunch, and snacks, not stomping on gas pedal to save fuel, and planning meals.
@Michele, I love the Joe Pickett series by CJ Box!
I would be broke if I didn’t have access to my really excellent public library system. I’m lucky in that I live within the boundries of two library systems.
@Michele, I love that series also! God bless the library!
I have an odd and possibly too nosy question....
Could you rent the abandoned house? I believe you mentioned that your brother was refurbishing it in order to rent it out. Once it's up to a livable standard, might that be an option?
@Lauren,
I too had this same thought
Unfortunately, that house is nowhere near ready to live in. It's still got TONS of stuff in in. And he needs to gut it. Soooo, that's gonna be a while.
I timed my marriage crisis very poorly. 😉
@Kristen, I maintain if I ever have a marriage crisis....Im taking my dogs and living in a camper.
Since my husband is officially retired now and we are moving:
He rolled my coins from 3 jars so that we don't have to move coins. $583. richer!!!!
He sold his car to a dealer and got very close to Blue Book value for it. Saving it for another car up North if we need one. And we don't have to transport 2 cars!
He will be taking the extra paint, chemicals and drugs to the county drop off center to dispose of properly.
Will be dropping off the cable box and the Toll passes to get refunds from the companies before we move.
We are finishing out clearing out the freezer. Anything packaged and not opened, we will give to a friend for food. Other stuff we are trying to eat.
I was given an emergency hurricane evacuation pack from my work. I will gift it to my neighbor so that they will be prepared.
Luckily we are still physically able to move ourselves. A company wanted to charge $8,000. to move us. We are doing it for $3,000. We did hire people to help us pack the truck and a nephew will be coming to help unload the heavy stuff with my husband. My husband will drive the truck North and I will follow with the dog in the car.
Whoa. $583!! That's a lot of coins.
@Maureen, I was going to say the same thing as Kristen, they must be really big jars!
I think I've only done one of these before! Hi everyone!
Well, I was sick all weekend so saved money by not going out. I made dinner instead of ordering takeout and watched things on netflix. I almost bought a soda and put it back when I got groceries earlier. I think that's it!
Yay! Glad to have you join us. 🙂
Let’s see….
1. I Made homemade bread using a new recipe. It was super simple and only used flour, water, salt and yeast. Plus this recipe has dough in the fridge for fresh made bread all week long.
2. Another bread savings. My so. Wanted cinnamon raisin bread but it was $4.99 a loaf in the store! Came
Home and made it homemade using pantry ingredients on hand. I’m guessing it cost somewhere around $0.80/loaf to make and tastes SO much better than store bought.
3. Our alarm system service company came
Out to reprogram the system in our new home announced they couldn’t do it and we would need to pay them $300 to get a run of the mill system installed. I said no thanks and shopped competitors. We got a brand new state of the art system installed for free and the same
Monthly service fee we were already paying.
4. All meals were made at home and I packed lunches for my husband. Leftovers are being consumed or repurposed to eliminate waste.
5. Errands combined. I gassed up at Costco and my hubby used fuel points from Kroger. Both saved us about $0.40/gallon.
Happy Tuesday!
That is a lovely table, Kristen! Very Craftsman in style, whic I view as timeless.
Some of my Five Frugals are due to things I've learned on this blog over the years, so thank you many times over, Kirsten!
- Made a specific stop at a $$ supermarket to pick up two boxes of ice cream sandwiches (12 in each) that were on sale, and a package of Keebler cookies the store had sent me a free coupon for. I don't eat sugar, and hubby is super disciplined when he does, so these will last for a good month. Total spent was just $5.
- Repaired a tiny hole in a pair of black leggings before it grew larger. Leggings are my sweat pants of choice, if you will. Paired with a cute sweater and boots, they'll carry me pretty much anywhere, so I appreciate not having to toss out a pair unnecessarily.
- Have enjoyed five Wednesdays of free and enjoyable suppers via a Lenton Soup Supper our spiritual home is holding. I brought chicken tortilla soup one of the weeks, which easily fit into my normal grocery budget, plus provided another two nights of leftovers for us at home. Sidenote: All the soups sampled so far have been delicious!
- Did my usual annual scanning of renewing items, and decided the time was right to drop a $150 annual news e-subscription, one of our streaming services (we are down to just one hour of TV a day), and a monthly wine club membership. All got us through some challenging years (the wine club, in particular, had an outdoor area and frequent live music, which served us well during the pandemic). Savings of about $1000 a year all together.
- Focusing on getting outside each and every day, which curbs 100% my desire to go anywhere (and spend $) once we return home. Plus the joy of simply being outdoors is rewarding, of course! Today's 'outside' will be a six mile walk at our local beach.
- Continue to frequent our wonderful library and it's attached used bookstore. Bought 12 wonderful books yesterday for $6, which I'll give back to the bookstore to be resold once I'm done reading them. So a feel-good purchase in addition to being frugal.
Yay! So glad my posts here have given you some good ideas.
Nice table!
1. Went grocery shopping at our co-op on Tuesday in order to receive the extra 5% senior discount.
2. Watched cashier and caught a few incorrect entries.
3. Brought my own shopping bags and received 10 cent credit per bag.
4. Chopped up radish greens and added to salad. This was a first; I used to compost them.
5. Thrifted several classical music CDs for .25 each. I like to have these on in the background while I'm reading. Relaxes my dog, too!
1. Used $2 in Walgreens rewards on something I had to buy there.
2. Made carrot-pineapple-flax/oat muffins for our snacks this week because we have an excess of carrots.
3. Received a crisp $10 bill in the mail for filling out a Nielsen radio and tv survey.
4. Made two homemade pizzas for our Saturday night treat for pennies.
5. Cooked chicken from the stash of Manager's special markdowns in the freezer.
Love the table!
Energy prices went up in the U.K. by 50-60% so we are only putting the central heating on for 1 hour a day going forward. A cold snap over the weekend saw us wearing many layers and snuggled under blankets on the sofa but we stuck it out. Thankfully the weather has warmed up a little.
I was offered and accepted 15 rolls of toilet paper that my boss can’t use as she is off the mains and the very fancy bamboo TP isn’t good for her septic tank, good for me though!!
Batch cooked at the weekend both to save time when I come home from work and the electricity costs.
Filled up my car with the cheapest fuel after using a cheap fuel app to check which was the cheapest locally. Luckily it was on the way to my son’s part time job so it saved a journey.
That’s all I can think of for now.
@Joanne in the U.K., 15 rolls of free toilet paper is like a small lottery win!
@Ruby, I know. I did a little dance of joy when I carried them to my car. They are a weird beige/tea stain sort of colour but who cares about that when they were free!!!
1. Called around for dentist prices. Saved probably a couple of hundred dollars by going to a cheaper one (then paid with our hsa as our insurance does not cover dental).
2.Bought a used mattress for $40. My husband purchased a $5 cleaner, and $30 mattress cover. I stitched up a rip in the seam. Even with all this we figured we saved $70 over buying one from a thrift store and spent about 1.5 hours going to get it and fixing it up.
- Bought a dresser from an antique shop for $75. Very sturd, should last years.
- Bought lots of clothes from thrift stores, some for us, some to resell.
We worked in the yard this weekend and I consider that to be frugal because as long as we nuture the plants that are already there we won't have to buy new ones to replace them! All of our flowering perennial bushes are greening up and looking great.
Similarly my tomato, cucumber and squash seeds are doing well and my composting efforts are paying off. I've got a good amount of beautiful composted dirt to add to the garden this year. Composting is a great way to avoid vegetable/produce food waste and even in the desert composting works!
I...figured out how not to owe a ton when tax season rolls around next year. It'll mean paying more each quarter, but I won't have to cough up a huge chunk of $$ next April!
I like that table! Will you paint it or leave it as is? I like it as is, but I like painted furniture too. Have you thought about changing up your furnishing style or are you going with what you already know you like?
My frugals, such as they are:
1. I used gift cards earned through a wellness program and surveys to buy soil amendments for my new raised beds.
2. I'm using paint I already own to do some painting around the house. I have three projects underway at once, and have paint for all of them, luckily.
3. The DH is a diehard diet cola fan these days, so I took him a diet soft drink from our work refrigerator when I visited him yesterday. Soft drinks, hot tea and coffee are provided by my bosses to the employees for free and my bosses have always told me to feel free to take him a soft drink, especially since I'm the only employee who never drinks them.
4. I have enough Swagbucks for another gift card and it's a new month, so I'll look for one that's "on sale" at 12% off to save bucks.
5. I was unwell Sunday so I didn't go anywhere or buy anything, and since I drive an hour to church normally, that's a savings. I guess there's a silver lining in most things.
Well, as far as style goes, I figure that will be determined by what is free/cheap. Ha.
I think once I find a sofa, then I can figure out what I will do with the side table...that should make it clear whether or not it should be painted or just cleaned up/touched up.
So sorry to hear you were not feeling well, and I'm glad that you were wise enough to rest up.
1) Bought shoes at the outlets. I needed new walking shoes and found a pair on clearance rack for $53 bucks (most likely $99-$129 normally). My husband got 2 pairs BOGO 50%. Where as his current pair as had many rips and holes for 2+ years... this was a huge win.
2) Finished watching the OG Law & Order years 6 & 7 from the library and requested years 8 &9. It's rough sometimes as the disks are so scratched up it keeps skipping and you miss hunks of the episodes... but I don't quite care enough to buy them so we deal with it.
3) Canceled my Hulu free trial I signed up for to watch the slap talked about around the world...I mean the Oscars last week. I actually forgot to do it at first but luckily I needed to update the credit card so I jumped on and canceled instead.
4) Skipped the farmers market and grocery trip this week as we are going away the 2nd half of the week. Additionally, looked for free or low cost things to do while away.
5) Curb finds! Scored a large yellow non-plastic colander and a double boiler off the steps of someone's house as we were walking around the neighborhood yesterday. Looking to make lemon curd soon so great timing for the double boiler. Free exercise and free stuff...a win on both fronts.
Frugal
1. Really focused on freezer and pantry this month. Saving money at grocery. FREEZER JENGA GETTING OUT OF HAND. I no longer own a chest freezer. It is now just the two of us!
2. Limiting driving to only work and one chunk of errands a week. No extraneous driving.
3. Using free workouts on the interwebs
4. Library always a win
5. Packing lunch for work every day even tho it’s getting monotonous.
@Stephanie,
I feel you on the freezer jenga. It's rough.
@Stephanie, I like the term Freezer Jenga. Very good description.
Except in Jenga, the playing pieces are all the same size, which makes it less exciting, without a frozen pound of bacon sliding out and landing on my foot.
I went to a library book sale and got a bunch of books for my kids only $1 each. I found so many early reader books and nonfiction content books for my homeschooled children it was awesome! (SIDE NOTE: Kristen, the sale is going on through 4/10 and it's half off on Saturday, possibly Friday as well - we live in Charlottesville, VA, not tooooo far from you. I'll make you and your daughter/s a meal if you want to come meet a fan and score some cheap books! I'm totally sending you an email to tell you more... I'm not creepy, I promise, just weird ; P ). I made a meal plan and grocery list for the week. I'm planting a vegetable garden and flower garden for the summer and started my seeds in old cardboard egg cartons. Starting seeds are much cheaper than buying plants at a garden center. And veggies = less grocery money spent in the summer. Flowers = a cheap way to bless friends. Last year I gave away dozens of bouquets all summer long and it made so many people feel loved and blessed. I also planted six raspberry canes, which is an investment, but will hopefully provide my family with berries every fall for the next several years. I went for a walk outside = cheaper than a gym membership and better for my mental health.
Attempting five here:
1. Using library often.
2. Picking daffodils from my yard.
3. Will get taxes done soon. (I keep saying that, and it will eventually be true!).
4. Looked up online the best time of day to take my medications, (Vitamin D and one prescription), and found I have being doing it backwards. Am reversing them with the theory that it will make them more effective, at least incrementally.
5. So much of what we do is ordinary and habit. I am trying to keep reminding myself that those things matter and we wouldn't be where we are without them.
1.) Michaels had a BOGO sale on sketchbooks so I bought two nice sketchbooks for less than the cost of one new on Amazon. Win for me! (Canson Mix Media is the brand I bought FWIW.) I also used a 20% off coupon on a couple little things I wanted but didn't need.
2.) Shopped the dollar store for some supplies for our church's nursery. Someone during Covid tossed out all the coloring books and art supplies so I replenished them.
3.) Eating from the freezer to so that things don't get forgotten.
4.) Used the Wendy's app and got dinner discounted. Won't be going to Wendy's again for a long time so I deleted the app after using it,
5.) I ...
* Shopped off the flyer at the grocery stores
* Meal planned
* Made a southern style all cornmeal (no flour) cornbread using cornmeal I haven't used in a while.
* Did all the usual stuff.
NOT the most frugal weekend--we went to visit my son in Michigan's upper peninsula and the bridge to the lower peninsula was closed due to falling ice so we had to spend an extra night there. However .... this is definitely not tourist season in the UP so our hotel bill nightly charge was almost half the cost of what we spent when we visited in the fall .... we took advantage of the buffet breakfast .... I took along food to make wrap sandwiches for lunch ... we opted for less-expensive restaurants and mostly drank water, making our eating out experience relatively frugal (and I gotta admit, it's so nice to be able to dine in restaurants again!) .... all of our entertainment while there was free, including going to Tahquamenon Falls, which was amazing to see when covered in snow and ice. Oh, and we drove our car rather than our truck to save on gas.
@Kris,
I saw your comment from yesterday about the bridge being closed and that was something I've never really thought about!! Yikes! I've never crossed the bridge in the winter.
@Ruth T, I never paid attention to the bridge being closed until my son started school last August at LSSU. Apparently bridge closings are common in the spring due to falling ice (there are videos of it and it's truly terrifying) but this year the problem is worse because last week that area had an ice storm. There is a website for bridge conditions and you can sign up for text alerts. The things you learn the hard way ....
That table was a great find!
Kristen, I've been trying to use your old Amazon links when I buy things from Amazon. You do still get an affiliate bonus, right? If so, I will keep doing that.
1. We got our second booster shots this week. I'm so happy they are available and free.
2. We're still harvesting fresh tomatoes, lettuce and herbs from our container garden.
3. I shopped at Dollar Tree for kitchen sponges and some decor for an Easter wreath.
4. I have 6 orchids blooming in my house that were all purchased in previous years. My other orchids outside are being attacked by thrips (which is causing those blooms to die), so I'm thrilled I brought these inside when they first sent out a bloom spike and they're thrip free.
5. We walk every night for free exercise. Where we walk is along the intracoastal waterway on a series of boardwalks over the water. It's so peaceful and we occasionally see manatees, dolphins, and lots of birds. It's just really relaxing.
Oh yes, any Amazon links should still work for me. Thank you; that is so kind.
Can you report your affiliate Amazon link? I buy a....shameful amount from Amazon every week.
repost not report
@Sandy Beach, I am in looove with manatees! We don't have them here on the west coast, of course, so it's such a thrill for me to see them when we're in Florida. They are so gentle!
That's a nice end table - great find 🙂
1. I exchanged a pair of earrings that I received as a gift for four shirts. I didn't care for the earrings and since they were from my MIL, I felt comfortable exchanging them for something I could/would use. The t-shirts that I love (SO SOFT!) were on sale for 25% off and were an almost equal swap.
2. DH and I went to a show without the kids. We considered taking advantage of the situation to go to a fancy meal but instead opted to get some take-out from our favorite places and really enjoyed our much less expensive meal. My husband drank his good scotch instead of overpaying for a meh one at a restaurant. The tickets for the show were a decent price for how much he enjoyed it. The venue was beautiful. It was a nice evening out.
3. Older daughter wanted a new apron since she's outgrown the little one she had and we could only find adult sized and little kid sized ones at the store. We went to JoAnn and bought some fabric and they sewed with grandma and grandpa. The fabric they picked was on sale so it ended up costing about $4 for each. I mean, when you factor in the time it took, it's more expensive but on the flip side, learning a usable skill from and spending time time with someone you love is worth more than gold.
4. Sold some things that had been just sitting on a shelf not being used. The people who bought them were so happy to get them. Feels so good to make things usable. Now if I could just get my husband to stop buying stuff...
5. Left several items in my cart instead of checking out. Ended up ordering less than half of the things I had originally dropped into my cart.
6. In a strange twist of fate, my kids ended up receiving three robes (each) for Christmas. And since our family Christmas celebration got pushed to February, I finally got around to returning two sets (we're keeping one set). It was luckily within the return window so I now have some usable credit that we can use for dailywear for them instead.
Have you shared why you are in need of moving...especially if there are several of you? Why not have the husband move to temporary digs to minimize overall family dynamic/routine?
If you could share it may be quite insightful for others in a similar situation, but afraid to lose their comfort of home.
Hmm, I'm not sure what to say about that. I should probably stick to the bare minimum which is: I agree that that makes more sense, but he has refused my requests to that end and I have decided to just look for a place of my own rather than go through a legal fight about it.
I am in a support group with about five other women in similar situations to me, and interestingly, every single one of them has also not been able to live in the family home.
Wish you were closer---I have several houses' full of extra furniture. (In fact I sent some off to my BFF in Mobile, Alabama this year!) Also I'd like to lend you my daughter's piano since heaven only knows when she will be in a situation to house it. It's a wonderful antique Bechstein. Oh well. Looks like this. https://www.worldpianonews.com/historical/art-case-historical/walter-cave-bechstein/
anyway, this week is my birthday week so the spending is more like DRUNKEN SAILOR than frugal. I decided damn the torpedoes and I'm getting a 1.5 hour massage on my birthday. Plus a friend is taking me out to lunch and I'm planning a very relaxed dinner with BBQ from our favorite takeout.
I did get my New York tax refund, while my IRS refund is still going---GRRRRRRR!--to pay off my ex's 2015 tax debt. Oh, how I regret the idiocy of joint filing with him to save money, even though we were separated.
@Rose, happy birthday! A massage sounds like a most excellent gift to yourself.
Oh I cannot wait. It costs way too much here, but I insist on getting them at least twice a year, on my birthday and on my wedding anniversay. It does me so much good with my health issues. And thanks.
That end table was a nice find! I also had some good grocery store clearance finds...
1. Over the course of 2 Meijer trips in the last week, I've gotten a gallon of milk for 33 cents (2 days away from its sell by date), a large pot for $1.74 for my one indoor houseplant that is outgrowing its current pot, and my daughter got a birthday present for a friend that is *perfect* for her and was 90 percent off!
2. I worked a weekend catering job back in November and they've asked me to help again with a couple of big upcoming events, one of which is next week. I didn't really love the fit of the black pants I got last time, so I went back to Goodwill and found 2 pairs that fit really well and I really like. One was half off and the total was less than $8.
3. I accepted a bag of hand-me-downs for my son that had lots of really nice, name-brand clothes. Most were way too big for him (he's 5 and they'd fit a 12-year-old), so I gave most of them to a friend that has passed down clothes to me in the past. It was fun to be able to share with a friend that has blessed me in the past! I did keep out one pair of UnderArmor sweatpants that actually fit me pretty well!
4. I stocked up on butter and hams since they go on sale at Easter and Christmas. I got 2 hams today and since there was no limit on the $1.99 butter, I got 10 pounds of butter.
5. I started getting out spring clothes for my kids and most everything is from a yard sale or a hand-me-down or a clearance find. My youngest is getting to wear all of her older sister's clothes, plus a few that a friend gave her.
Oh, and I replanted a bunch of tomatoes and peppers that I neglected for a few days and killed. Thankfully I've still got time!
@Ruth T, do you have a greenhouse? I can't imagine planting anything outside right now. For whatever it's worth, my husband made a cold frame 2 years ago and it really extends our garden season in the spring and fall for lettuce/spinach.
@Kris, No, I don't have a greenhouse. I have some trays with lids, then when they outgrow the lids they have to go to a basement closet to be protected from the cats. I have a grow light and warming mat for them, but "out of sight, out of mind" definitely applies. Maybe someday we'll expands to a greenhouse.
I planted lettuce 2 weeks ago when we had one really nice day. Ha! It's only snowed like, 2 or 3 times since then.
1. Put off grocery shopping and using up what is in the house
2. Made overnight oatmeal for breakfast
3. Toasted pecans for snacks since I had a large bag on hand
4. Used some of our abundance of eggs to make tuna salad
5. Bought 3 pair of wide-width sandals from Land's End for ~$60. Wide shoes are hard to find and often expensive. I'll return what I don't like or what doesn't fit.
And while this might seem frugal to some, I found an accountant to help straighten out Mother's taxes and obtain missing 1099 forms. Mother was in poor health for the last several years and her taxes were filed incorrectly. Paying someone knowledgeable is money well spent to me and it saves me from taking off countless hours trying to get replacement forms and reduces stress over getting the taxes done correctly.
(1) Gifted a pound of coffee to a family member who dealt with an overflowing toilet at another family members home. It was a thoughtful gift given to me but a flavour I wouldn’t use.
(2) Gave away a full box of Halloween candies, (Haha..not even expired yet.) I was trying to think where I could donate it when I realized a woman who works with me volunteers on a crisis phone line weekly. She said the volunteers would love them and they would disappear.
(3) One daughter mentioned in passing if I was purging socks she needed some, why yes I did have some!! I find when someone mentions a need I can do that items purge (give,donate,throw away) in a defined time and feel so successful.
(4) Was going through sheets and realized a family member in a new “living” situation had a new bed and might need additional sheets. In the process found sheets to donate to the animal shelter, textile recycling, thrift shop ,and the nicest I’m holding onto for a family we are waiting for from Afghanistan and the families ,my next door neighbour is working to bring from the Ukraine.
(5) Sat down to talk to someone , mended a pair of gloves that I will save for next winter to use or donate. Mended a hole in a seam on some tights of one daughter. Mending is a superpower it seems. Whenever I would visit my children or they would come home I’d ask what needed mending. Their roommates thought this was an awesome gift.
I filed a warranty claim when my bluetooth headphone died. (I do not routinely buy product warrantys except in the case of headphones which I find die every 18-24 months.)
I carpooled to Bible study.
I picked up a free lawn mower from my brother.
I got $20 off my bill and free delivery at Von's by trying there delivery app.
I bought pork shoulder on sale (again). This pork shoulder became very spicy pulled pork. The recipe was not intended to be spicy but I substituted 1/4 cup paprika in the place of a 1/4 cup SWEET paprika. It's a good thing we like spicy food but next time I will buy sweet paprika because there is a big difference.
@Rebekah in SoCal,
My favorite is smoked paprika. It makes anything taste amazing!
I ate up the leftover homemade soup for dinner. I was the only one at home so this was super easy.
I cashed in points at a grocery store for $10 off my bill.
I have been riding my bike every single day to work, making sure I have my rain gear handy for wet spring mornings.
I received my tax return and had it deposited into my higher interest account.
And I returned a bunch of bottle and cans for cash at the grocery store...not a lot of money, but it’s change in my wallet and not clutter in the bike shed.
1. I used some leftover coconut rice, broccoli, mushrooms, and leftover stir fry sauce to make my lunches for the week.
2. I used older bananas to make banana muffins for my son's school snack
3. We visited the library this weekend, where we rented books abd puzzles. We also visited a free local model train museum that my kids loved.
4. We did alot of Spring yard work this weekend and gave away some gardening supplies on Buy Nothing.
5. My sister gave us a grow lamp for seedlings that she didn't think worked. My husband plugged it in and it works great. So we are planning to expand our seedling growing this year. Typically we just grow herb and bean seedlings. For other vegetables, we buy mature seedlings. We are going to try (again) tomato, cucumber, and celery seedlings. We will also grow snow peas, onions, garlic, strawberies, golden raspberries, and black berries in the garden.
1. Mended three small holes in a onesie that was handed down from my SIL. It’s not my favorite, and it also came with stains at the neck, but I enjoy knowing that I can extend its useful life. Baby E can wear it at home or to sleep in.
2. Also mended a hole developing along the edge of a quite new bottom sheet. I had already noticed some threads fraying on the main part of the sheet, so I think the sheets are just poor quality, unfortunately. This was a time where I purposely sought out the cheapest sheets I could find (because other king-sized sheets were $90+ which seems unreasonable!), but I think I will end up needing to buy another set of sheets sooner than I’d like if these continue to deteriorate. This is an instance of cheap not being frugal in the long run.
3. Was given a travel case for wipes (brilliant idea) through my Buy Nothing group, and the giver asked if I was interested in a homemade coffee cake as well as a new-parent gift. Of course, I said yes- I never turn down free food. It was a lovely gift and I wrote her a thank you note from my gifted card stash. I also want to think of a way to pay it forward.
4. Made soup that used up various bits from the freezer– homemade chicken broth, previously chopped cabbage and celery, and leftover tomato juice (a miscellaneous ingredient my mom needed when she was here a few months ago). Have also been slowly using up frozen slightly sour milk in waffles. Trying to avoid food waste more than ever with prices being what they are, and also since it’s a little harder to get to the store with a newborn.
5. All the usual: brewing loose leaf tea in my French press, avoiding food waste, washing laundry on cold, hanging to dry as much as possible, eating mostly vegetarian.
I started a new job on Friday and my province is just opening back up from mandatory work from home so once I'm settled into my position, I will work from home 2 days per week and go into the office 3 days per week (until the next major COVID surge changes everything again!). Though I now have to use gas to drive to work (it was lovely spending so little on gas (or anything else for that matter) over the past two years), this week I:
- did a very large grocery shop today (over $200 which is A LOT for me) when it was 15% off at Sobeys/Safeway. I purchased a lot of meat for the freezer and staples for work lunches. After the discount, the total was right around $185
- did not purchase coffee on my way to work Friday, Monday, or today. I love McDonald's coffee but refrained from getting any
- received my overtime and unused vacation pay from the job I just left, which was 3.5 weeks' worth of extra pay now sitting in my bank account
- walked to the public library in the community rec centre and borrowed an audio book
- sold $130 worth of "stuff" on ebay (before ebay fees)
I do brew my own coffee. I do buy locally roasted coffee, so it is more expensive than the regular store offerings; but the cost of 3-4 cups at the donut shop probably covers a pound that will make many more cups.
I am working on my yarn stash. I made a small cowl that I will probably gift out somewhere.
I saved $5 at the drugstore the other day on items I was purchasing for donations.
I was able to obtain free materials to do a seed ball project with my garden club. When I told them about it, I suggested we get together to make them, sell a bag of 5 for $1 and whatever we earn send back to the organization.
I signed up for free wildflower seeds from Airwick.
I bought an air fryer, toaster oven. My daughter sent me an ad for almost half off. My toaster wasn't really toasting anymore. I think it may be a little less expensive for me to cook for the two of us in this as opposed to the big oven.
Kristen: I do like that table.
Did u notice your site loads slower these days. It’s been this way for 3 weeks or so
Hmm. It shouldn't be! Readers, is anyone else experiencing this?
@Kristen, It froze for me a few times and wouldn't continue loading. Weekday afternoons, maybe four times over the last few weeks, not this week.
@Kristen, No problems here.
Love the end table!
1. Helped a friend weed at her organic farm. Got to chat with her for 2 hoyrs while we worked and my son had a great visit with his best friend (her son). Came home with huge box of dandelion greens and purple nettle for our guinea pigs and rabbits (free food!) as well as a beautiful bunch of tulips for me.
2. Stopped at the Goodwill bin store on the way home from the farm. Spent $4 and got a pair of ear covers for hubby, a book, a sewing pattern, a dog water dish for on the sidewalk out front of our house (folks appreciate pup water when walking their dogs in the heat) a few toys for the guinea pigs and one or two more things I can’t remember. Lol
3. Helping my mom declutter her house and came home with canned goods she didn’t want. Mostly meats like chicken and salmon. Mom has decided she is done cooking, she is 85, so family is bringing home cooked meals to stock her freezer for heating up. I’ll use many of the cans to make meals for her and for us.
4. Remembered to use my Bath and Bodyworks free coupon before it expired to get a free item.
5. This is a frugal thing that popped into my head this week. Not everyone needs to eat the same thing at mealtime. Since I try for zero food waste I have lots of bits and bobs in the freezer. Usually not enough to feed all three of us the same thing. So I’ve been thawing an assortment and letting folks choose what they want. Yesterday for lunch I had cabbage soup, my son had pulled pork and my hubby had Turkey with stuffing and sweet potato.
1) Charged my electric car for free at the office
2) Free lunch & snacks at work (today was my first "required" day back, after two years)
3) We had leftovers for dinner, and I'm grateful we had enough for everyone, because I was admittedly really exhausted after a long day. I need to get readjusted to the office/commute life again.
4) Used grocery store rewards to offset the cost of a stop
5) Used a Subway gift card to do a mobile lunch order for my teenager, who was reffing a soccer game
Yay for free furniture! I'm sure you will work your magic and it will look beautiful wherever you end up nesting!
1. I submitted a receipt for a rapid covid test to my employer for reimbursement. I was initially told to get a rapid test and if it was negative, I could return to the office. I did, it was, and I returned to the office with my test results. I was then told the test had to be a PCR test (which I was able to get at my local pharmacy for free!) and I would have to leave the office until I had a negative test result. Since I was told (incorrectly) to get the rapid test at first, my employer agreed to reimburse me for the cost.
2. I have been getting all of my books through Kindle Unlimited or Book-Bub. All of which have been free. 🙂
3. Recently had hardwood floors installed in my house and the contractor offered me a significant discount if I could pay in cash. Why, yes. Yes, I can! (My contractor has done work for me for years so I trust him implicitly; but I still made sure to get signed receipts.)
4. I made a full pan of lasagna for dinner (for two people) and individually wrapped and froze the leftovers for quick dinners in the future.
5. I paid off a debt 3 years early which (a) eliminated a monthly payment; and (b) saved me a TON in interest charges. #doublefrugalwin
Be very cautious with "second-hand items" or resale store "bargains"; bed bugs are no bargain!
Oh yes; I would not consider a secondhand mattress or upholstered furniture. But wood furniture I am totally ok with!
Replaced a zipper on son's blue jeans. Not as hard as you would think.
Bought and cooked a package of chuck steaks from the clearance bin at grocers. 50% off items close to sell by date. Half went in freezer for another day.
Used $10 dollars worth of coupons for stuff I actually need. Usually don't bother as seldom things I need or use.
Passed up an item I actually like and do use as the price nearly doubled.
Accompanied family members to the local Ice cream shop but passed on actually buying any. The important thing was being with them not indulging in 7 dollar ice creams.
Used up the last bit of a container of ricotta in some pancakes so it didn’t go bad.
I remembered to renew our library books so I don’t have to pay a fine. I am very bad at remembering to do this, but I did today!
Made some homemade birthday cards instead of buying them.
Made the switch from using predominantly canned beans to mostly dried beans. It requires a little more planning to take them out and soak them overnight, but they are cheaper. I still have the cans for last minute meals but I have been able to meal plan and use mainly the dried ones.
Went to Costco when my tank was empty so I could fill up on gas at a good price.
My frugal five:
1. Ordered a free energy kit from my electric utility. It will have things such as LED bulbs and night lights, power strip, and a couple of other things.
2. Used my credit card points to get $50 in Panera gift cards - only $22 points each. $50 in Shell gas cards and $50 for Outback for a special treat.
3. Got 6 rolls of Scott paper towels for $3.75 using a Walgreens booklet coupon.
4. Got a $5 off $5 coupon from Walgreens.
5. Dh did the taxes with an on sale version of Turbo Tax. We have to pay the feds but will get some money back from the state.