Five Frugal Things | a free quilt!
Let's start with some smaller stuff first, and then we'll get to the quilt.
1. I threw some blackberries into a smoothie
My container of blackberries was hiding behind a big bag of kale (whoops) so I accidentally let them get kind of squishy.
So, I made a smoothie, using some homemade yogurt, a banana, the blackberries, and some mango I'd frozen when I had too many ripe mangoes at once (no one should feel sorry for me about that. Ha.)
2. I prepped breakfast, coffee, and lunch for all 4 work shifts
In the last six days, I worked two days on, two days off, two days on (all 12-hour shifts this go-round), and to avoid spending money at work, I:
- made a batch of copycat Starbucks egg bites (for breakfast, with some toast and fruit)
- made coffee ahead of time and put it in the fridge for iced coffee
- put an Rx bar (lately the Aldi version) in my bag each day for a mid-morning snack because lunch is late at work!
- packed lunches of fruit, cottage cheese, a salad with a protein (chicken or shrimp), and chocolate
This does save me money, I am sure.
But honestly, I mainly do this so I have filling food options that don't give me a blood sugar crash at work. I don't want an after-breakfast or after-lunch slump!
3. I got a free donut
I stopped into Safeway to buy some chicken, but I noticed there was a free donut offer in the app. So I said, "well, yes please." and picked out an apple fritter.
Because a girl can't subsist entirely on produce, whole grains, and protein.
A little treat is in order every now and then. 😉
However, I did eat a bowl of chicken salad before the doughnut because that helps me not have a blood sugar crash. 🙂
4. I used my free pizza coupon
I had gotten a free Ledo's cheese pizza coupon back in December when I donated blood at my hospital. And I remembered it expires at the end of June.
So after one of my shifts, I stopped by a nearby Ledo's and got my pizza. Free dinner for me, no thinking required.
5. I mended a free quilt
I got this quilt (which needed mending) on my Buy Nothing group months ago.
It has just sat here ever since, waiting for me to get around to it.
(We all know why.)
But now that I do have some time, I tackled it.
I was able to sew up the blue binding that remained, but it did not entirely cover the edge.
In the spirit of quilting (a use-up-fabric art!), I cut a piece from some blue cloth in my rag bag that was vaguely close to the binding color.
I sewed it on, rather imperfectly. And the color is imperfect.
However, the repair is unremarkable from a distance, and besides, I can just put that edge of the quilt in an inconspicuous spot on my bed. The important part is that it is functionally repaired.
And now I have a more summer-appropriate covering for my bed (my down comforter is a little too toasty for summertime!)
I found the thread for this repair in the sewing caddy from the abandoned house.
It's full of random thread colors, which are very handy for mending!
And a final bit of quilt frugality: the quilt came to me in a trash bag, so I put it to use after fixing the quilt. 😉
Something just occurred to me: this repair is reminiscent of the time I fixed Zoe's fish quilt (also imperfectly!)
What a beautiful quilt! I really admire the way you take the time to repair things with such care. I keep meaning to learn how to sew - when I was a kid my mum sewed some of my clothes and the curtains in our house. I need to ask her to show me some things! I had a couple of lessons at school but they were few and far between. I can sew a button but little else!
Anyway, this is my list:
1. I made a payment on a loan.
2. I managed to burn dinner last night by accidentally putting the stove on too high, but it was still edible!
3. I need to improve my range of motion so I did a free set of exercises from a youtube video on stretching. I also plan to go to more yoga classes included in my gym membership.
4. I reserved a book from the library.
5. I made all my meals at home (including the burnt disaster lol!).
@Kristen, is Zoe still a fish fan? I was very into My-Little-Pony as a kid and bought a My-Little-Pony fridge magnet in New York! Ditto with Snoopy!
Well, she has shifted more into being a Snoopy fan like me now!
@Kristen, Snoopy is the best! I inherited my parents' Peanuts books collection. Fun fact: Peanuts was translated to Little Radishes in Denmark because at the time, peanuts weren't common!
Haha, I love that!
@Sophie in Denmark, Little Radishes!! So stinking cute. 🙂
@Sophie in Denmark, I am also a huge Snoopy fan....and I love they were "little radishes" in Denmark - thats too cute!
After a spendy vacation week we are back on track.
1. I made a double batch of muffins to use up milk that was on the cusp of going bad. They are in the freezer.
2. I used the Instant Pot to make brown rice. It is so much faster that way. The real question is why it took me so many years to figure that out.
3. I made a pot of Saucy Lentils to eat with the rice. I used the remains of two jars of marinara sauce in lieu of a bit of tomato paste.
4. A friend is moving to FL 🙁 She gleaned her yarn stash and gifted me some soft yarn that is perfect for making chemo caps for donation.
5. I walked despite the rain. Outdoor exercise trumps being dry at all times.
@K D, Instant pot brown rice is the only kind that feels 'done' enough to me. I make a big pot and freeze it to reheat. This allows us to eat brown rice most of the time.
@K D,
Thank you for making the chemo caps. I have a couple from my chemo days. They were so nice on my bald head.
@K D, we love brown rice and it's usually the only kind of rice we eat. Some months ago I found an idea on line that said to cook rice like you cook pasta. First you rinse the rice off and then put it in a sufficient amount of boiling water and let it cook like pasta, uncovered. with the lid off. Then you drain it and add seasonings. Brown rice takes about 23 minutes to cook and white rice would take a shorter time. This is the only way I make rice now. It leaves it fluffy and not sticky.
@Joyce from Arkansas, I read about this also reducing the amount of arsenic in it. Brown rice has higher levels than other types of rice. Just don't reuse the water for food.
What a lovely quilt and clever repair! You've now added yourself and your spirit to that handmade item's history. I've a small vintage dress collection, and my favorites are inevitably the ones that were mended by many hands before mine.
--I had a telehealth visit to renew a prescription, saving time and gas.
--Our bathroom has a gloriously large built-in cabinet that's original to the house. Indeed, it's so big that items need designated containers to avoid being a jumble. I reorganized everything using containers on hand and even managed to whittle down how many we needed, which freed up several bins for tool storage elsewhere.
--I'm using a buzz saw borrowed from a friend to cut boards/intended shelves for my backyard workshop. The boards were stored in the shed when we bought the house and are in perfect shape. They'll be hung using my collection of ornate metal brackets ($1 apiece in most cases) from Habitat Restore.
--I repainted our bedroom closet solely using paint leftover from other projects.
--Again using paint on hand, I spray-painted a towel bar that came with the house* so that it would match the new closet paint job. I then hung the bar behind my husband's shirts; the bar now holds all his ties and belts.
*There is no logical place for a towel bar in our small, multi-tasking bathroom, let alone where the previous owner tried to hang this one--elbow level with the toilet! We've a self-adhesive towel bar on the side of the washer and an over-the-door hook set. (I refuse to drill into the original oak woodwork.) The toilet towel bar was uninstalled immediately and stored in the tool drawer these past few years until I had the tie/belt idea.
@N, you are the most resourceful and competent person I have ever encountered!
FOR REAL!
Some weeks finding the frugal feels harder and harder...
I did pack all my food the 3 days I went to work- as much as I wanted to order Jimmy Johns the one day.. I took food I already paid for!
Focused grocery spending on the store app- matching digital coupons and store sales for low pricing.. while there was a perks promo on my app.. the promo was 4 shopping trips of $45+ in the month of June earns you 1000 perks with is equal to $20. Done! Earned my bonus while stocking up on discounted laundry soap, pantry goods and my daughter's energy drink...
The energy drink- we don't encourage it but she found a green tea energy drink that is not THAT bad( in her words) and gives her the boost she is looking for with her summer schedule. The sale price posted at the store was 4 cans for $6... BUT the glitch in the computer system is ringing them up 2 for $4 .. then takes $2. off! So as long as you buy in increments of 2 it is coming out to $1.00 a can. And fun extra it was on bonus promotion with my Fetch app so piles of points back so she has a stockpile to help her through some of her busy work/summer class/babysitting days!
Did go grab quick supper with husband after a crazy busy day at work- I had a small gift card so we went to a local restaurant. Was surprised when it was $15 and not the $10 written on the card!
then the next day
Went to Kohls to exchange the Soda Stream carbonation canister - which would have been around $16. I had $5.00 Kohls coupon they put towards it and then I gave her a random gift card that was supposed to have $5 on it and she gave it back.. it had $15 on it ! I got both giftcards mentioned from the same event -I think they were intentionally marked as smaller amounts to be a surprise! I will take it!
I love the quilt! I would have agonized over getting the perfect match and fixing it perfectly. But then it would have continued to sit there unused.... I know this because of all the various small mending/repair jobs I have piled up!
This is an advantage of not being a perfectionist (at least when it comes to mending) Close enough is good enough for me
@Kristen, and Carla G.,
Close enough is more frugal!
@Fru-gal Lisa et al.--or, as DH used to say, "Done is better than perfect."
I had bought a whole cooked chicken from Sam's club on Saturday thinking my husband would have some for his lunch. If not, we would have it for dinner with salad. But alas, we did not. I came home on Saturday and we went out for pizza. I only had 1 drink (that is seasonal, so I splurged) and my husband had soda water - no beer which is a money saver in our house! We got a Margareta pizza with no extras (we usually like a lot of cheese!). It tasted so lite and we really enjoyed going out, since most of our dinners are home now. Usually pizza sits in our stomachs.
So then on Sunday we stopped at Jersey Mike's while we were out and about. I know not usually frugal, but I had enough shore points that my husband's half sub was free. I had taken my water bottle with me, so I drank water. We were full, so we didn't eat dinner.
Yesterday, my husband finally de-boned the chicken while I got our salads all set. I used up a lot of the salad material we had in the refrig. And we will be traveling Thursday evening, so I will make a batch of chicken salad to use for sandwiches so we don't have to stop for food. The only stopping we will be doing is for fresh coffee and bio breaks.
Nice save on the quilt, Kristen. And you don't need me to tell you that the full sewing caddy from the abandoned house is a real treasure. At the price of thread and notions these days...
Now, FFT, Travel Planning Edition:
(1) The planning for my trip to see JASNA BFF in NYC is in progress. To be more accurate, BFF is doing most of it for me! We're going to do a visit to the Morgan apart from the Thursday evening reception, to make sure we get a *lengthy* look at both the JA and the Julia Margaret Cameron exhibits (which may or may not be possible at the reception). Fortunately, BFF is a member of the Morgan and can get me in for free as her guest. We'll then have lunch with a mutual JASNA friend.
(2) We're also going to the New York Historical (formerly the New-York Historical Society; BFF is a member here too) so that I can see the exhibit titled "The Year of Flaco." Along with a great many New Yorkers and bird fans around the world, I cheered for Flaco (the Eurasian eagle owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo) during his year of freedom, and grieved at his death.
(3) On the Wednesday I'm there, I'm mostly on my own, since BFF babysits her toddler granddaughter in Brooklyn that day. So I'm planning to meet my former managing editor for coffee or lunch and catch up on the gossip from my old workplace. I'm also planning to take a walk in either Central or Riverside Park, and to hit every thrift shop I can find on the Upper West Side. 🙂
(4) BFF has reminded me that I left two shirts and a pair of pants at her place the last time I visited, two years ago. So that's two shirts I won't have to pack. I may still bring the pants I was planning to bring, in case the left-behind pants no longer fit. 🙁
(5) And apart from the lunches out, we'll mainly be eating at BFF's place. She is not a foodie, and we're both more than happy to economize.
@A. Marie, The cost of thread shocks me. I inherited a ton of thread and notions when Mom passed away, so I haven't bought any in ages. I couldn't find a specific thread color, so I purchased it at Joann's when they were going out of business and it cost almost $10! I'll make do with a close enough color next time.
@A. Marie, Flaco! RIP :'(
@A. Marie,
I love those vintage sewing organizers. I have a smaller-but-similar version that was my mother-in-law's. I also have a ton of embroidery floss in every imaginable color that I use for various mending jobs, in the event I don't have matching "regular" thread. I had no idea thread had become so expensive! :-0
@Beverly, Holy Guacamole, $10 for a spool of thread??? I am flabbergasted.
@A. Marie, thread does not last forever. If it breaks easily, it is too weak for sewing. I sew a lot and save by using serger thread that comes on a cone. It is finer than standard threads but very strong, and comes in many colors. Calculate the cost per yard when you buy thread. Usually the big spools are cheaper. Colors don’t need to match exactly; choose a shade darker than your fabric and it will blend well. (I feed the cone thread to my machine using a hooked stand. You can make one with a wire coat hanger.)
You NYC travel sounds wonderful. The Morgan has been recently upgraded, improving it even more for visitors. Lucky you!
So many thoughts!
1. I'm pretty sure my mom has the EXACT same sewing caddy. I always used to love unfolding and refolding it.
2. That quilt is absolutely gorgeous!
3. All your food looks incredible and now I am very hungry and wishing I could pop by and share supper with you tonight instead of having to make it myself!
My husband really dislikes "donating" trash bags. If we take things to a thrift store, he wants it to be in a box. And when he takes any bottles/cans to the recycling depot he asks for the bag back. I once worked out the cost and it was $.17 per bag, but hey...I guess that's not nothing and it means one less plastic bag in circulation.
@Elisabeth,
Unlike your husband, DH doesn't mind donating trash bags. However, he has a thing about donating boxes. He believes a good box needs to be kept for future use. (I'm not sure what he has in mind.) So the boxes stack up in the garage until I break them down and take them to the recycler when he is away on business. He never notices they are gone.
@Bee, DH likes to keep boxes for potential future moves (we rent, so that is always in the back of our minds). However, even he reached a breaking point--plus he wanted room in the garage to set up some experiments--this spring and we loaded up a ton of old, broken down boxes and cardboard to take to the recycling center.
@Elisabeth, I have two rubbermaid bins specifically for my recycables so I can not use the bag. I even bought reuseable yard waste bags this year that are great! They're made from like a tarp material, are wide at the top, have handles, etc. Every time we go to the dump to drop off yard waste, someone asks me about the bags LOL.
@Elisabeth, I, too, reuse our can recycling bag. We have used the same lawn and garden bag for our returnables for a few years now.
However, I am big on team "Save Box." When we moved last year, we had plenty of boxes for our move - way more than we needed. I recycled all the boxes, except the ones that reams of paper come in. I still saved those. Now I need to find a place to store them!
@Bee, I do the same thing—wait until he is gone and then go break down boxes and stuff the recycle container.
@Elisabeth, I even use old Amazon shipping bags as trash can liners. I also reuse the same garbage bags every year to cover my work computer and printer when school’s out for summer.
@Elisabeth et al., when it comes to reuse, I'm on the side of reusing plastic bags whenever possible. I also reuse cardboard boxes, of course--but the boxes can at least be recycled, whereas used plastic bags never really break down in landfills. So I too try to reuse my plastic bags till they get really ooky.
@Elisabeth, Had I known in my teens that as an adult I would have to force myself not to keep every box we get, I would have jumped off a cliff at how boring my life must be to worry about boxes. But it is true, I am box hoarder adjacent. I also hate to give away plastic bags because I, too, have calculated how much each one costs. What has saved my sanity is that our dog chow comes in sturdy 40 pound sized plasticized bags and I bring home empty huge bean/rice/flour/dog food bags from volunteering at the food bank. We use them for garbage, toting stuff to the recycle center, we have one for collecting old nails or things that might puncture regular plastic...and I give some of them to my friend who makes tote bags that sell surprisingly well. They are like a woven plastic so much much more durable than regular plastic bags.
A sign of adulthood is the development of box appreciation. Ha.
@Bee, what you said reminded me of this funny video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Au9vmh24Xd8
@BJS,
Oh my goodness. Someone wrote a song about DH. 🙂 Yes, he loves a pretty good box.
@Bee, My husband is also relentless about washing, drying, and reusing Ziploc bags. We don't use many since we opt for washable containers as much as possible, but with young kiddos in the house, we still do go through a fair number. He would tell me to leave the bags by the sink for him to wash (since I hate washing out Ziploc bags), but then of course he would let them build up. Our new system is we have a little spot in our cupboard where I put any bags that can be re-used. Once a month or so, he fills the sink with hot water, washes all the bags that have collected there, rinses them, and then puts them over a multi-pronged drying rack that fits over our duct vents.
@Angel, Yup, I save boxes, too. Mostly for donating things to Goodwill (since I can't donate things in bags!).
I will admit I tend toward minimalism minimalist side of things, so I don't have much of a stockpile of boxes since they are so tricky to store!
@Lindsey, For my entire life my parents have bought milk in bags and for my entire life they have washed and dried every single one of those bags! They use them for everything. Admittedly, they are a very heavy plastic. My mom also loves to reuse the resealable bags frozen fruit comes in. They are nice and heavy-duty!
My dad keeps giant bags from birdseed (which I suspect is like the bags you're describing) and uses them for all sorts of things. I recently helped them do a major declutter at their house and I made him throw out half a dozen. They come in handy, but there is a limit to how many empty bird seed sacks one senior citizen needs!
I love that quilt! And I have a sewing caddy just like that, but in need of some TLC. I bought it second hand and will fill it a lot of sewing materials still from my late mother.
No big wins this week, but the slow and steady stream of
-home cooked meals
-dishes with vegetables on the verge of expiration (pickled vegetables, vegetable broth, rejuvenated salad etc)
-sprouts grown on our window sill
-laundry on solar power, dried on the line
-gas topped up at the cheapest station, while on a different errand
-buttons sewn on
-library books, and books on sale from our library because too old or never borrowed. A bag full for 5 euros only
-outdoor swimming
Contentment at a low price, not surprising with a mild sun and a garden full of sweet smells and humming
@JNL, I went outdoor swimming as well!
@Sophie in Denmark,
It was almost too good to get out again - but home office was waiting for me.
O and everyone who proposed Dilly Beans last week - thanks! They were perfect for rescuing a large handful of leftover beans, and the guys approved of the experiment. Also the jar of beans and dill looked very artisanal on the dinnertable 😉
And I quite forgot that I found a plant stand and a small terracotta jar by the road when I biked back. It is in a spot where someone often leaves stuff for others to pick up. People are not supposed to do that (and sometimes it is a fine line between free stuff and garbage) but this is a place where people leave fairly decent items quite regularly. So I know they leave it for other folks to pick up.
@JNL, I had a swim with a swan! It was delightful!
@Sophie in Denmark,
I envy you or that. Matchless elegance.
Oh, I love that quilt. So light and summery looking. Good work!
Let's see what five I think of . . .
--Your sewing chest reminded me that I just recently got rid of the sewing kit thing that was given to me for Christmas around 15 years ago. It was a soft-sided folded thing with net pockets inside that I have disliked for years. I just didn't find it convenient. Everything fell out of it and it took up a lot of space. I had very few things in it because all I can do is very minor repairs, so I finally threw it away and instead am using a long, narrow, but somewhat deep box that my son's socks came in, of all things. It's exactly the right size for my sewing scissors, which are the biggest thing that needed to be stored. Serendipity.
--The summer heat has arrived, which means I am making sun tea outside every few days. I have one son who doesn't really like to drink water, but he will drink the (decaffeinated) tea. Our sun is certainly strong enough to brew it.
--I found sandals for my youngest son in the shoe bin. My kids generally either go barefoot or wear their "barefoot" running shoes, but we're going to be visiting my sister this weekend in Colorado and spending a day on the river, so I thought sandals would be helpful. I think the eldest boy can wear his dad's Crocs. Not sure what to do about the second-oldest son and my daughter. I might just have them wear their old running shoes for the day rather than buy shoes they'll wear literally once before growing out of them.
--My son's therapist often has cartons of eggs in her office for anyone to take, which I am happy to do. She doesn't want payment or anything, but I bring her bread, which makes her happy. Bread for eggs is an excellent trade.
--The garden continues to provide quite a few things for my kitchen. Enough that I'm starting to preserve some. I canned pickled beets yesterday and will can sauerkraut today. I love seeing the shelves fill again.
Pretty quilt. Hooray for saving it. Free is the best price too.
We are finally home from our long camping trip (31 days). I'm out of everything and headed to the grocery store later this morning, which I know will be a big hit to the wallet, but I have a few frugals:
I had carrots on my grocery list but when I got home I found a bumper crop of home-grown carrots waiting for me. They are so sweet and crispy we can't stop eating them.
My husband wanted a long-handled squeegee for cleaning the windshield of our RV. The auto parts store sent him a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase, so he was able to buy what he wanted for under $3.
My health insurance sent me an email that I qualified for a $100 gift card. I claimed it, and found I had another $75 waiting as well.
After two long days of driving to get home, it was very tempting to order take-out, but I pulled things from the freezer and we had a very good dinner or homemade burritos with salsa and guacamole, corn, and fresh carrots.
@Cindi, I too went grocery shopping this week to restock the kitchen after being away. I don't keep a price book, but it looked to me like everything I bought had gone up in price since I last shopped. Maybe I will start keeping a price book...
@Book Club Elaine, Sigh. I feel like this every time I go!
I have a similar mending story. I just retired from my paid job. I washed several of my summer work capri pants and discovered one of my favorites had a ripped button hole at the back patch pocket flap. My first reaction was, thank God I’m retired and don’t have to wear that again! My second reaction was, I don’t think I can fix that. But I set it aside for later. When I came back to it and analyzed it further, I determined I could repair it and mend the button hole, hidden under the pocket flap, and retain the usable back pocket. Now I have freshly-washed favorite capri pants in my closet that I will never wear for work!
@Mary, congratulations on your retirement. I got rid of half my work clothes the week after I retired and the other half about a year later. Now I wear only what I like.
1) I think my bank wanted to prove there is such a thing as a "free lunch" and had a BBQ food truck parked at their facility on Friday to serve their patrons. I had a pulled pork sandwich and homemade potato chips. And because I can't eat a whole sandwich at one time anymore, it fed me twice plus a few choice morsels for Molly.
2) I packed my lunch for work last night.
3) Gas in town is $2.82 as opposed $2.86 in the town where I work. (This puzzles me, as they are the same brand and only ten miles apart.) Even $0.04 a gallon is worth saving.
4) My raised bed "box" had rotted so I pulled it apart (ants and all) and since the bottom also deteriorated, just left the dirt in a pile (about 2' by 4') and put rhubarb plants there. Hoping they will prosper in the bermed up dirt as I have not gotten any to grow well anywhere else. This is the fifth time for trying to grow some.
5) I avoid garage, yard sales like the plague as I will always find something. A listed yard sale showed a cute little wagon and garden stuff so I went. The wagon was already gone, and none of the garden stuff appealed to me once I saw it...but...there was the cutest brown betty tea pot set. A regular size pot with a smaller teapot as well as the creamer and sugar bowl with lid. $1.00. Hah!
@Chrissy, wowsa, I don’t know where you live but it sounds excellent. I was excited to pay $3.99 in Oregon as opposed to $4.99 at home.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Yep! Costco gas was $3.99 gallon here earlier this week (Long Beach, CA) and I was a happy camper! Though a friend said he paid $3.94 at Sam’s.
@Chrissy, oh gosh, I envy your rhubarb! I grew up eating it when I lived in Illinois. But it just won't grow here in Arkansas. We get a plant that may last a year or two, but then they fizzle out. It's too hot during the summer and not cold enough for long enough in the winter. As a kid we had a rebar plant that was at least 30 years old and I miss it. And it's not easy to find in the stores down here either. I've been known to bring it back in my in my luggage when I visit up north.
The quilt is pretty! If you find another piece of fabric that matches the binding more closely, you can always sew it over the patch you have now. On something like that, I usually go around the entire hem and reinforce any stitching that looks like it's not in the best of shape.
I'm kind of stretching for the frugalities this time.
1. My daughter who lives in the same town as me met me for lunch on Saturday and bonus, my granddaughter was working there that day and had some time to sit with us a bit. My daughter kindly bought my lunch and my granddaughter always loads me up with extra olives on my salad for free, because she knows I love olives.
2. Although it was a very rainy weekend, I was able to time hanging out the laundry around the showers and use my big indoor rack so that I didn't have to use the dryer.
3. I buy both of my kids their favorite kinds of calendar every year for Christmas and they still like to pretend to be surprised, as a family joke. I got notice of a sale on 2026 calendars (No! Not 2026 already!) so I ordered theirs plus the one I use, getting free shipping too. In slightly related news, I now have 6 Christmas gifts - admittedly, mostly small gifts - bought already, all on sale.
4. This may be frugal; I'll have to see. I sprouted a sweet potato and I planted the sprouts yesterday. One of them broke off as I picked up the potato, but I saw a man on YouTube just snip the sprouts off of his potatoes and plant them in dirt, so maybe this will make it. I used a method I saw in some videos to sprout the potato - I laid it in a plastic pan on the porch with some dirt under it and more thrown on top of it, and kept it mildly moist with a spritz of water each morning and some evenings. I didn't even fill the pan with dirt, just put some where the potato was going to lay.
5. I use Capital One for online purchases and have just about reached $25 back, when I will purchase a gift card, although I could buy one for less. I also went through Swagbucks to order my generator online, and have about $30 coming back to me as a gift card in 2-3 weeks.
1) I received four free VIP tickets and parking for a local minor league baseball game from my company. We have invited friends to join us for a low-cost evening out.
2) we went out for lunch for Father's Day, but I made dessert using mostly BOGO ingredients from Publix
3) we had fresh squash from our garden for dinner. I was shocked that a container of squash was $7 at the farmer's market!
4) I made a batch of no-stir granola to go with my breakfast yogurt
5) I have been reading 2 to 3 books a week from Kindle Unlimited to make the most of my subscription
@Beverly,
Our local farmers market has always had pricey produce....I do understand this is the real cost of producing food, supporting local farmers, etc etc., but when I see "shop farmers markets" suggested as a way to trim grocery costs, well, it just isn't the case in my area (which is very agricultural). Some of my local family owned brick-and-mortar farm stores do sell seconds and "odd shaped" produce at a less expensive price.
@Liz B., I’m in your corner. The local farmers market has nice produce but the supermarket is much cheaper. Only if you bargain for the goods 20 min. Before closing is there even a close price match. In season it’s true too.
The quilt is beautiful! And free Ledo's is ALWAYS a good thing! We were so happy to have Ledo's in SC when we moved from Maryland. It's our favorite!
What a pretty quilt! It's wonderful that you mended it. I have become very interested in visible mending. Many antiques - even porcelain - will show signs of being mended. I love it when I see this in our throw-away world. There was a time when resources were scarce and people treasured what they had. Renew, Reuse, Recycle....
I don't have an exciting list of frugal endeavors this week.
• I saved $18 using the Target App this week.
• I listed and sold two items on eBay.
• I earned YMCA award points by using my gym membership. I am saving these towards a free personal training session. I would like to address a few problem areas with a trainer.
• I currently have a chicken carcass in the IP to make stock. When I needed stock last week, I did not have any in the freezer. I had to buy some. (Grrrr....) Store bought stock is never as good as homemade.
• Drinking filter water and home-brewed coffee as well as eating simple meals at home.
Wishing everyone peace, goodwill, and prosperity.
I feel like of all things, a quilt is a prime candidate for visible mending!
Love the quilt! It is beautiful, and just right for your lovely bedroom that you've shown us before.
BTW, Kristen, this may be a week too late, but the 6/23/25 issue of Woman's World magazine has a recipe for using a half-pound of green beans. It is the "Beef, Potato and Green Bean Platter" recipe on page 30 and it makes 6 servings. When I got my magazine in the mail yesterday, I saw it and thought of you -- and all the dilly green beans you preserved. If you don't subscribe, I think they put some of their stuff online. Might get/save that recipe for next time.
My frugal fives:
1. I have to go in and plead my case before the property tax board today. (Pls. pray it goes well!) Took advantage of the public library's services and printed out a huge stack of colored photos, taken with my cell phone. It cost $30, but was much less than a commercial place would've charged.
2. Sunday was the final day of a 15% off coupon from Ollie's Outlet. Went over there after work. Used it to stock up on some necessities....including chew bones for Snuggles the Dog. (Frugal fail: he found the vacuum cleaner's plastic nozzle and chomped on that while I was at work. It still may be usable, but it has teeth marks galore.) (Meanwhile, I let Snuggles out into the back yard and he's treed a squirrel! Good doggie! Since Miss Lucy Dog got old and infirm, may she rest in peace, we've had squirrel problems. But they're learning they can't bury nuts in the lawn anymore, with Snug on patrol. Lucy would be proud.)
3. The Ollie's cashier was going to put my merch in one big and two little plastic bags. Persuaded him to use two big bags, so now I have bags big enough to reuse for the indoor trash cans.
4. My arguing paid off: I received reimbursement of the $92 I spent on the tow truck during my recent car trouble episode. (I'm still going to change insurance companies, though. Leaving me stranded when they're supposed to have 24/7 roadside assistance is not a way to retain my business.)
5. Got more frugal on the drinks: Made sun tea instead of buying a jug of iced tea; salted the milk so it will last longer; got out the bottle of grape juice that's been in the pantry for so long, it could almost be turned into wine (no, this wasn't intentional, as I don't drink alcohol); and used the pitcher that makes tap water into alkaline water.
1. Received four dozen granola bars from Buy Nothing. Also received markers and colored pencils. I only wanted the nice containers they were in, so I regifted the pencils and gave the markers to someone who requested them for creating protest posters.
2. After all that work cleaning up the brass stair railing brackets, we decided we didn’t like how they looked so I spray painted them with pewter spray paint that I got for free from our county’s Reuse Room.
3. Went to two events where coffee was served. Took leftover coffee home in my large stainless bottle that I keep in the car for this purpose. I reheat the coffee throughout the week.
4. Asked a neighbor if I could have her plastic newspaper sleeves for picking up dog poop. She was thrilled as she felt guilty throwing them away.
5. Met my sister for a walk and picnic lunch rather than go to a restaurant or pay to see something.
Oooh those granola bars were such a good find!!
Made a Father’s Day card instead of buying one.
Made blueberry muffins to bring to the park as snacks instead of buying snacks.
Used a local park and splash pad as free entertainment for the kiddos. Also used the library for a free reptile program and to get books for the kiddos.
Made a vegan dinner of chickpea/lentil stew and thin flatbreads to scoop with up and eat it with.
Transplanted a ton of black eyed susan and butterfly weed seedlings into a new garden bed I am making. Garden wise also grew a ton of asparagus from seeds I’ve saved so in a couple years we will have lots and lots of asparagus!
The only one worth reporting is that I got a job!! I'm super excited, and it starts before we need to make our next COBRA payment, which is decidedly exciting. I moved up the start date by a few days, which saves close to $3k by not needing COBRA. As a tradeoff, I was going to deep clean the house before I went back to work, but there's not enough time. However, I can easily afford to have someone come & deep clean & still save a ton of the $3k. So, that's how I mentally bartered with myself to move up my date. I'll also be able to: max out my 401k! Contribute to an HSA! Yay!
And, I got a great sign on bonus for year one that was unexpected, as well as a smaller sign on bonus for year two.
OHHHHH YAY!!!!!! I’m so happy for you! Congrats!!!!!!
@Hawaii Planner, Congratulations!!!
@Hawaii Planner,
Wishing you the best on your new journey.
@Hawaii Planner, congratulations!!!
@Hawaii Planner, three hearty huzzahs for your new job! I know that this has taken a while, and I'm glad that your patience and persistence have paid off.
@Hawaii Planner, OUTSTANDING NEWS!! May you be surrounded by intelligent, competent, and kind people, and may your job challenge you enough to remain interesting.
@Hawaii Planner,
Yippeeeee yahoooooo!! That's great news! Congratulations!!!
@Hawaii Planner, that's great news - congratulations!! (+ very clever @ arranging the dates to save COBRA payments)
@Hawaii Planner, Congratulations!
@Hawaii Planner, Hooray! I hope it all goes great!
@Hawaii Planner, so wonderful!! And it's just too bad that you don't have time to do the cleaning yourself, lol! Hope the new role is a great fit!
@Hawaii Planner, Absolutely lovely to hear this good news! Congrats to your efforts paying off.
Thank you all so much for your congratulations! It was a LONG process, and I'm thrilled that it ended successfully. Woohoo!! Now I will go back to dreading Monday mornings. 😉
@Hawaii Planner, I'm late to the party but wanted to add my congrats! Smart move to hire out the housecleaning.
@Hawaii Planner,
How great! I'm sure you feel a weight has been lifted. I remember the stress of losing my job. When that happened, I sent out an email to everyone I knew and said I had a new job and my new job was to find myself a new job. It worked! A contact I had gave me a lead on a job that I got and I wound up getting and stayed there for 10 years.
@Hawaii Planner, All the congratulations!!!
1. Stocked up on eggs at Kroger with a weekly digital coupon - 18 eggs for $3.49. I bought 3 packages since I already had two at home in the fridge. I know it may seem like a lot but this pregnant mom is loving eggs during the first trimester so gobbling them up should not be a problem.
2. Made a trip to the farmers market and bought 3 bushels of tomatoes - $17/each and locally grown. Oh my goodness they were beautiful! Spent my Sunday after church canning 36 quarts of diced tomatoes. These will make any fall/winter spaghetti, soup or chili recipe truly magnificent.
3. Filled my car up with cash saving me $0.18/gallon.
4. Found happy new homes for some furniture items rather than having to pay for someone to come and pick them up from our home.
5. Planting perennials. This is an example of delayed gratification. We bought our home in 2022 and I have been working to fill my flower beds with perennial or evergreen plants so that my landscaping expenses decrease over the years. I have shopped sales, planted from seed or root when I can and tried my level best to care for the plants and bushes we have. Hoping that year after year this investment is worth it.
@Angie, I had the same coupon, but only got 1 carton. Right now only I and DS#4 (who is still on soft-ish foods) are eating eggs, but we should get through them pretty quickly. I craved fried eggs when I was pregnant with #2!
@Angie,
I agree that planting perennials in your flower beds is a big win over time. I used to be the Garden Centers best customer until I started concentrating on planting perennials and native plants. I do plant a few cold weather annuals in the fall. However, from March to October, I now enjoy my perennial beds.
@Angie, I loooooove fresh tomatoes. An in-season tomato is so delicious. I can make a meal out of that along with fresh corn on the cob.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
@Bee,
We've gotten wonderful deals on plants over the years, many perennials that are offered at Master Gardener sales in our area. We keep an eye out for them.
That quilt is just lovely!
Not sure I have much to share today. Let's see...
1) Hit up the local grocery store for their #Dollardeals Monday fresh produce
2) Hulled and dehydrated/froze ~6qts of local strawberries that I got for a steal (only $30 bucks)
Guess that's about it.
Local strawberries are SO good.
Pretty quilt. And good as new. 🙂
Quick question>>>>your metal lunch containers, do they get condensation or the food get a metal taste after being in refrigerator (being cold)? Honestly the only experience I have with metal containers is an aluminum containers.
Frugal things---
● picked up my Free (monthly) Hallmark card (Rewards members)
● picked up Father's Day card with ($4) coupon which made it Free
● teen came home with curbside find of small white table (missing sliding containers where has slots for) & I managed to snag/trade it for outside for a few plants
● gave rescue dogs summer shave (haircut) saved $75 but groomer makes them look better 🙂
● teen had few open houses last weekend & ate at open houses, so leftovers for me for dinner to eat up what's in refrigerator since cooked food at home but eating more pulled chicken, popsicles, ice cream & fresh fruit
Frugal fail--
● missed out on Free garden Snipps (Lowe's member Rewards) Saturday because did not go because of known protests happening in area. I did not want to take chance of getting into any situations.
● previous purchase of discounted weed eater string does not fit my weed wacker as said it matched models. Will try to return to store.
I’ve never noticed a metal taste at all! Mine are stainless steel so perhaps that’s why?
I think I have 5 to share....
1. Have been using chicken feed bags & dog food bags as garbage bags (in our garage can). saves on using regular garbage bags.
2. I did phone interview with the courthouse assessment office for our camp. They wanted to assess it for $96,ooo and we got approved to change it back to around $12,500...more in line for what it should be. Will pay less in taxes next year then.
3. I donated blood and they gave away a $10 gift card to local thrift store. I stopped afterwards and redeemed it for a hair dryer (to keep at camp), a makeup bag (for camp) and a replacement bra and then only paid $.50 out of pocket! I don't drink coffee before donation as caffeine lowers the iron level in blood. I took my own to-go cup from home for after my donation.
4. I had almost $4 left on a Subway gift card. I don't care for Subway subs anymore as they're so skimpy on the ingredients, so I redeemed the balance for 5 cookies to share with my daughter. Only spent $.34 out of pocket
5. I had made chicken soup which we had for dinner and 4 lunches; froze the last serving so no waste.
I bought some high end organic cotton yarn for $1/skein (normally about $18) at a yard sale. I crocheted new dishcloths for myself with one skein. I have 9 more, but will definitely use it up.
I walked into the store as they were marking down rotisserie chickens. $2/each. I bought 4. Removed the meat and put in the freezer in portion size meals. Made lots of broth in the pressure cooker for the freezer.
We ate at home for fathers day this year rather than go out. MUCH more frugal and had a nicer time at home with the kids than going out somewhere.
Going to the beach for a couple days next week and we reserved a room with points at no cost.
Used a $10 off $50 at the grocery this past week and used a $5 reward for an item I needed at Ace Hardware.
The historical point of a quilt is to use up old scraps of fabric to create something useful and beautiful, and I'd say that you've succeeded with this project!
Precisely. If ever there was a case where it was appropriate to use scraps to mend, this is it!
That quilt is fabulous—simple, classic, elegant, and BLUE, always my first choice in decor.
Had to snicker about “a little treat is in order every once in awhile” after I asked if you ever snacked. And I was impressed to see that you ate fiber and protein first. But I wanted to see what chocolate you included in your lunch!
I think it was a square of the 72% Ghirardelli chocolate this time. 🙂
The quilt looks beautiful! Great job!
My FFT:
1. My kids picked a big bowl of mulberries, but aren't all that interested in eating them so I put them in an old strawberry container in the fridge and have been adding them to smoothies.
2. I went to cancel my Panera Sip Club (my 3 months of $3.33/mo was almost up) and they offered me the same deal for another 3 months if I stayed, so I said yes and marked my calendar to cancel in September.
3. We are eating lots of leftovers - pizza, chicken, steak... all of it.
4. I'm currently reading an interlibrary loan book and listening to an audiobook from Libby.
5. I'm packing to move with boxes that we got from my work. So far I haven't had to purchase any boxes or tubs.
1. After getting the green light on retrieving Mom’s car (she hasn’t driven for almost 2 years), I caught a ride to Oregon with some friends to get the car.
2. Mom GAVE me her car! GAVE!! (a 2004 Accord with 59,000 miles; alas, it is an automatic, which I did not enjoy. Yet. Trying to adjust, but driving my old car today, with great relief.)
3. Before going, I ordered several audio books from the library for my drive home
4. 783 miles is too far to drive alone in one day so I used a AAA discount at a motel on the way home.
5. While in Oregon (at a city because I was there), I found someone to change the battery in my laptop. OVERNIGHT! If I had driven to an Apple store, it would have taken several days (so several trips) and the minimum cost would have been $300. This amazing guy did it for $200 and completely cleaned my laptop, inside, outside, and even the cords!
BONUS:
I won a book on GoodReads, an Anne Tyler!!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, it has been six years since I sold my manual. I still have to drive with my left knee against the dash so I don't go to engage the clutch. Still catch myself ready to downshift as I near a stop sign/light.
@Selena, a funny thought about automatic transmissions: it is automatic for me to drive a manual!
the quilt looks great and is very pretty. due to the tremor in my hand i am not able to sew anymore. i do hope you enjoy your beautiful quilt.
What a beautiful quilt! I'd say you hit the jackpot!
Your quilt is beautiful, and you did an impressive job on the needed mend! I find that folks in my Buy Nothing group tend to avoid requesting things that need mending/rehabbing/painting/cleaning.....possibly due to lack of time and/or skills and/or interest...many have small children, so I 100% get it.
The fam and I are currently on a spendy vacation, including having to buy things we forgot or lost (hubby's shampoo and body wash, son's hair brush), but trying to keep an eye on spending:
1) staying in a rental condo, so eating breakfast and lunch at "home" with foods we brought with us
2) spending time at the beach, which is included with our rental (it's a "private beach" accessible only to folks staying at our condo resort)
3) I plan to take shore bird photos -my hobby - when the tide comes in later in the afternoon/early evening (equipment is a sunk cost, much used by me, ha ha, so cost-per-use is probably in the pennies by now). As an avid birder/photographer, this is quite exciting for me.
4) choosing casual dining places for dinners, and bringing home leftovers for lunches. We *could* prepare dinner in our condo, but built in the cost of dinners out into our vacation budget.
5) using laundry facilities in the building....you do have to pay, but its less costly than coin laundries in the area, plus much more convenient. I brought laundry detergent with us (bought on sale).
Have a great day, everyone!
Agreed on items that need repair; there's a lower demand for those, which means you have a higher chance of being chosen to be on the receiving end!
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
7. I took a large box of clothes I no longer wear or need to Oregon (because I was in a city with lots of resources). My sister found clothing for herself and for a friend. She added pockets to a skirt for me, and we found a very well-run consignment shop which took most of my things.
8. I loaded up on canvases for painting (because I was in a city with lots of resources). Michael’s had Buy One Get TWO Free, I got a senior discount, AND OREGON HAS NO SALES TAX! (Good thing that Mom’s car has a large trunk).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
What a trip! You took advantage of nearly everything your trip had to offer. It is hard to find resources even in cities sometimes. Enjoy your new car. We have never given up a Honda vehicle with less than 200K miles on it.
@Bee, this is my fifth Accord. Can’t remember the mileage on the others, but my ’96 with 255,000 is the clear winner. I got it when I wrecked the previous one and felt so guilty that I expected to keep this one to the end of my life or its life, whichever came first.
OMG, I love that quilt! What a gorgeous find and perfect for summer! Lucky you that someone couldn't, it wouldn't repair it!
I still have a very simple quilt I sewed from squares of fabric I made dresses and other clothing from when I was a kid. And I can tell my love of color goes way back
I think I was a bit of gypsy when I was a teenager. I'm now close to 70 and I still have that quilt. I can still remember just about every piece I sewed from each of those fabrics.
My 5 frugal things:
-- I called about a problem with product packaging and got coupons for free products. A particular dishwashing liquid I use doesn't have an inner seal on the bottle. It invariably leaks between the grocery store and my house. Even the people at the grocery store double and triple bag it separately from other groceries because they are aware of the problem.
I just got tired of dealing with this every time I bought this dishwashing liquid. I called the company consumer product phone number on the bottle and told them about the problem. The customer service person took note of my concerns and sent me coupons for free products. Hopefully they will update their packaging and solve this problem.
-- I made my own sloppy joes rather than using a can of Manwhich. I was going to make sloppy joes then realized I didn't have a can of Manwhich, that I usually use. I looked up a quick recipe on line, had everything I needed and we liked it better than Manwhich. So I think I'll make my own from now on.
-- My sister in law shared a bounty of green beans from her garden. We had them for few meals and I blanched the rest and froze them. I also froze some blueberries when I got two pints on sale.
-- I ordered filters for our refrigerator directly from the manufacturer and saved more than $40 on two sets compared to buying them at the local appliance store. So now we're set for the next 18 months. I have to giveaway 2 new filters I have for our old fridge that died months ago. Of course those filters for the old fridge don't fit the new fridge.
And this new fridge has a "cabin air filter." Is it really needed? Just seems like a way to suck more $$ from customers. Id love to hear opinions from others. This is the first fridge we've had with this kind of filter.
-- For a baby shower, I sewed a baby sensory blanket from leftover fabrics and trims that I used on a previous blanket. Just for kicks, I looked on Amazon to see their options. They ranged from $6 - $20 and the one I made is way cuter and an original that no other baby will have!
@Joyce from Arkansas, I've never replaced the "cabin" filter on my frig. And checkout discounter filters. Good prices on frig and other filters.
I had only frugal fails!
*I went for a haircut and forgot the coupon.
*I was going to buy a gift card from the salon, as that would make my haircut free, but alas! They had run out of gift cards and were getting them later today. So I paid full price.
* I went to the library to turn in my reading log to get my prize for the summer reading program, and the staff couldn't find the gift cards. So no prize foe me.
* I tried using the grill instead of the oven to warm up a rotisserie chicken. I didn't leave it on long enough. And the hobo string beans didn't work and burnt.
Tomorrow is another day!
@mbmom11,
Ugh, we all have days like that! Tomorrow will be better. Can you check back to get your library reading challenge prize?
1. I wrapped Father’s Day gifts in the paper bag from the deli that our Father’s Day meat came from (not the food wrapping itself, just the bag holding everything). I put the logo on the inside so you couldn’t see it until the gifts were unwrapped. It was a nod to my dad using the Sunday comics for me when I was younger.
2. I signed my son up for a free camp through his club team and another one through the high school for his future sports team.
3. I paid my son to clean the inside of my car. He was cheaper than taking it in for a clean, gave him something to do, and saved me from doing it myself.
4. My son has to read a memoir over the summer and write a paper for his English class. Since we will be driving about 800 miles round trip for a tournament this weekend I requested the audiobook for us to listen to on the drive.
5. To prepare for the tournament I looked up on several websites what to pack. I already had a list, but there were a few suggested items on the websites that I’m happy I stumbled across. Hopefully next week I’ll have some frugal updates that were successful during this trip!
That's a really lovely quilt, and nice fix!!
I have not been particularly frugal this week, as almost every day I order a takeout meal because nothing at home sounds remotely edible (pregnancy sickness). I did get free chicken nuggets at Chickfila yesterday with my order, due to some local sportsball win! I also used a $2 off pick-two reward from Panera over the weekend. I'm choosing small portions of every meal, because leftovers are absolutely not palatable. My husband is on a work trip, otherwise he'd take care of leftovers 😉
I really wanted to do a Lego set while I rest and watch movies while husband is gone. I haven't done one since I was a kid, but they look so fun! Lego are not inherently frugal, but they now make 3-in-1 sets. I think it's such a cool idea, it must take some smart people to ensure the pieces can be used to make 3 different designs! Maybe a fun gift idea if anyone knows any kids (or bored and tired pregnant ladies) who like Lego.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, Think if Lego this way to help you not feel that they are not frugal>>> my daughters Lego's (yes we kept them in container) fit my youngest Logos (15 years later) even though different textures & colors. Most Lego instructions are online now, so you can mix/match/create from variety of different Lego pieces not necessarily just from Lego set(s). Lego's are great fine motor skills, creativity & a timeless activity/toy. Teen (youngest) has all Lego's (in totes) from 25+ years that that we (adults too) love to build with.
I do love a quilt! And I love the abandoned house sewing caddy! The chaos inside it? THAT would give me anxiety. If I lived near you, I would have to stop by an organize it so I could sleep at night. LOL
Nice quilt! I prefer the patched look, especially having lived in two quilt countries: modern Ohio and close to Amish country.
My frugal savings:
Cooked at home in spite of chaotic kitchen due to garbage disposal problems.
Shopped carefully for new disposal. They have shockingly short warranties!
Sorted and packed winter clothes, unpacked summer clothes, avoided shopping. Just in time for a heat wave.
Mended DH shirts and ironed them.
Got refund for silicon kitchen gloves that were impossible to put on. Used refund to buy a budget gift for dear friends celebrating their 66th anniversary!
Hi Kristen,
How do your metal tins hold up to acidic foods? I’m currently transitioning to glass bowls from my plastic ones.
Also, the quilt turned out great!!
Kori
I have noticed no issues with acidic foods. 🙂
About that repair, my MIL used to say " you wouldn't notice it on a galloping horse". We use that philosophy a lot in my family. Perfection is too difficult to obtain. I think I will research a lighter quilt for summer. We are in need of one. Thanks for the idea.
@Joyce,
I've never heard that saying, but I like it! 🙂
@Liz B., if someone sees how I begin a painting, I usually tell them that it is best viewed from the back of a fast horse.
1. I made all our meals at home. I planned quick meals or leftovers for busy days. We brewed coffee at home. We used up food that needed to be eaten.
2. I mended two pairs of pants.
3. For Father's Day we walked around a local arboretum. It was quiet and cool among the trees. The only other people we saw were golfers at the adjacent course. It was also free. We made ice cream sundaes with stuff leftover from another birthday last week.
4. Our television and laptop are both on their last legs, but we are watching sale prices and hoping that both items last a little longer.
5. I bought a pair of shoes on clearance to replace my almost 3-year-old pair. They were marked $40 while the newest style of the brand were about $90. I also bought a pair for my oldest who had destroyed their shoes (cracked, covered in mud). We got a discount for buying two pairs.
I sew a lot and would do the same thing with mending something like your lovely free quilt. I use a plastic tool caddy from the dollar store as a sewing box because it's long enough for my steel ruler.
This has not been a frugal week, as Demon Puppy got drastically sick and we spent Sunday afternoon at the veterinary ER and Monday morning at the regular vet. She's on the mend, and that's all that matters.
Due to the wee doggie's health crisis, I did not get to the grocery store until today and lucked into a reduced pork roast that made a lovely lunch with some sale spring greens for a salad and sale strawberries. Lots of leftovers to enjoy. The tomato plants in the container garden are keeping me in cheese-tomato-pickle sandwiches, and I rounded out the necessarily very tight grocery budget with a trip to Dollar Tree for almond milk, a couple of cans of tuna and an ice cold soft drink.
I love how you prep the iced coffee Kristen! I do exactly the same, in the same sized jars and leave them in the fridge for my youngest son who prefers his coffee iced. I start my day with a hot coffee for me and pour over the rest in the filter into a jar.
I hosted my mum’s birthday party on the weekend and made sauce for the lemon cake (baked by my sister ) out of fruit from the garden (rhubarb, raspberries and strawberries) and some frozen fruit that needed to be used up….it was delicious.
And the frugal gift for my mum was a big bag of freshly picked salad green and fresh herbs, which thrilled her no end. My mum loves fresh vegetables and no longer has a garden. Last summer I presented her with a cauliflower I grew and she was so excited it was like a put a new born baby in her arms!
I redeemed two $10 off coupons, one for groceries, one for gas.
I needed a pair of biking type shorts for under skirts and dresses and found a pair at the thrift store for $4, they are black, cotton and will go with any colour I wear. I’m a year round cyclist and I bike around in dresses, skirts, and heels if need be.
I biked to my favourite fruit and vegetable market yesterday and bought some straight from the farm eggs, $4 a dozen. So today I had fried egg sandwiches for lunch with my youngest, he’s working full time and not always around, so that was a treat.
That quilt is so lovely! The flower details are just gorgeous and so unique on a quilt. Your fix turned out great! I bet it will feel extra good snuggling underneath that lightweight quilt this summer after the extra effort you put into fixing it up so neatly.
What a beautiful repair job! That sewing box is *everything!
Short staffed 3 people + remaining person is 75 YO = not much time to spend any money.
As far as your alleged imperfect quilt repair - most would never notice. A few would notice but not say a word. And to the last few who'd say a word - take the quilt, fix it, and we'll be the judge.
Oof, I hope your staffing issues improve soon!
Selena,
I am wondering why it was important for you to state the age of the one remaining person you had at work today. It suggests ageism and that the
person might not be quite up to helping you with the tasks to be done or take up any of the slack for other missing employees.
Can I think of 5?
1. I took my parents out for lunch on Father's Day and used a gift card for part of the cost. (Of course, it would have been cheaper to eat at my place, but I am very short on time for both cleaning and cooking, and eating out is a treat for us.)
2. I made a Father's Day card with craft supplies I already owned.
3. I reused some barely used wrapping paper for a gift for my students last week.
4. I was nearly out of a personal hygiene item, but held off buying it until I found it on sale $2 off.
5. I reused cut up t-shirt rags as cleaning cloths for my students to clean their chairs, cubbies, and lockers. Some of them are remnants of my favourite t-shirt from the mid-90s!
The quilt looks amazing after your fix and was such a good find!
My Frugal 5s +
- Continue to take kids to the free summer lunches at the parks.
- Returned items at Walmart and got $32 credit back. Saw $1.07 missing and came back to get the extra credit.
- Took my husband’s retirement benefit paperwork back to the library to correct a notary mistake made last week. While there, girls got their free lunches, returned DVD, got additional DVDs, played electronic games together on their touch screen.
- Deposited $25 birthday check from my kind mother and sister in law.
- Had a low key Father’s Day. Girls made cards and got him a Uno card game. Also had at home hamburgers for lunch and homemade pizza for dinner. Him and the girls ended up working on redoing the camper door and getting it ready for our camping trip this weekend.
I am curious about the quilt. Are the rows of floral hand or machine embroidery? Or they straps of trim arranged in a pattern? It is quite lovely and your repair looks quite nice. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, they are definitely machine embroidered. And thank you!
1. I used leftover pasta, sauce, and parmesan cheese, along with mozzarella I purchased to make a pasta bake for my lunch this week.
2. Had my 40 yr old mammogram. Preventative medicine is always frugal.
3. Took advantage of a free drink at Starbucks for my birthday.
4. Made muffins out of over-ripe strawberries
5. Made strawberry syrup using the tops of the strawberries
Well done on fixing the quilt binding! It's a beautiful quilt.
1. I already counted all these previously, but I recently made myself scrambled eggs in which I used the last of the free swiss chard (chopped and frozen last fall), eggs from a coworker, golden oyster mushrooms from another friend, and chives snipped from my backyard plant (which was also a gift from a friend). So it was both a free and a local meal!
2. I cut open a tube of SPF to use the last bits. This was a different brand than my usual pick and I didn’t love it so I am happy to see it gone.
3. I purchased a new SPF/facial moisturizer for 25% off at HEB while visiting family. I remember liking this brand back in high school and it is so much cheaper than the kind I’ve been using so I hope my memories are correct.
4. I picked up a freebie protein bar through Aisle. We don’t usually eat these, but it can be helpful to keep something like that in the car for DH if he gets hangry.
5. I wanted to get metal water bottles for my two littles and the price of new ones was incredible. I was able to find two like-new ones on eBay for a fraction of the price. Like Katy at NCA, it makes me happy to prevent a new item from being manufactured (especially when there are millions of reusable water bottles already made).
""packed lunches of fruit, cottage cheese, a salad with a protein (chicken or shrimp), and chocolate"". Did you mean cherries? Nothing wrong with chocolate but I see cherries, no chocolate 😉
My 5 frugal wins:
* Asked my kids if they wanted to go to an amusement park during our vacations (300$+) and they both declined (?!?), stating it would be too crowed (they are right) and asked to do something chill instead. Okkkkkk.....! (not complaining)
* Picked up a shelving unit on the curb, that is currently selling for 80$ at IKEA, and hauled it in my Civic! Good thing it was close to home. It is now hosting some of our many board games.
* I found the list of all the little libraries in my region and will soon make a day of it: I will map them out and visit all of them to stock up on books. Yes, this sounds fun to me. Yes, I'm a nerd, lol!
* I have proteins powder that has been now expired for... 2 years (yikes!) and I have decided to finally use it all, so I have been making lots of proteins shakes in the past couple of days, and for days to come. Losing a couple pounds in the process (it was the goal), which is a perfect motivator.
* I have been using my work lunch hours lately to eat my (home-made) lunch and read my (library borrowed) book outside instead of going out to eat at restaurants or shopping with the colleagues.
The chocolate was still in my bag when I took the photo!
Hello! Wonderful mending, yet I would have approached it in a completely different manner. I don’t know if you know about a quilter’s “humility block.” Since it’s said that only God is able to make everything perfect, quilters often knowingly (or unknowingly) add a ‘mistake’ in their quilts. I’ve often turned a triangle the wrong way, added a completely different fabric pattern yet in the same color family or quilted a small section that doesn’t follow in the same quilting pattern. It’s done on purpose and some folks will notice while I’ll have to ask others if they see the mistake? That really gets them to look closer at the quilt. Your choice of a slightly off-blue may not be noticeable especially if you purposely hide it from immediate view. Celebrate your addition to the quilt! Even if stitches aren’t perfect, you made a significant addition to the quilt and prolonged its life!
In the first quilt I made for my 3rd daughter, if you look at the quilting stitches in the middle of the quilt, you would see that they are not the best and are spaced further apart then the quilting stitches closer to the edge. That shows my improvement and I wasn’t about to remove any and start over again! Since then I’ve made quilts for all 4 daughters and a TREE OF LIFE quilt with over 2,000 pieces! I draft my own patterns of old quilt patterns and only use cotton batting, which that one seems to have also. Very difficult to quilt through and I think that’s why I can get the tiny quilting stitches I am known for. The needle drags through cotton, yet glides like butter in polyester batting. Great job fixing the repair!
And sew on…
Cathy
Hi what a beautiful quilt.i like your post...how to follow your blog.
I am also doing some frugal stuff...as got old cloths for my friend which she was wearing in maternity and I fixed them.
And this week pentry shopping .
I will make all lentil and leftover chicken in freezer.
Keep posting
Made my Cleo another batch of treats I use to load her Kong. Years ago I priced a five pound box of vegan treats at$35. I found vegan recipes with ingredients I always have on hand. Also, I use a mini oven to bake in batches early in the morning when temps are over 50 degrees. It’s too hot in MD, utility rates keep skyrocketing, and I do not want to challenge the central air. Happy Juneteenth!!
What ever was the end result of that old house?
I have 3 or 4 friends I exchange my already read books with. I am always going to thrift stores and library book sales to find books too! I also exchange magazines. And also exchange coupons, plants , and garden bounty! Make 3 or 4 stops when I am out and about instead or single runs. I also donate baked goods to my local church and fire hall, and also pass used clothes to thrift stores. I am retired 5 yrs and widowed.