Five Frugal Things | a library edition
Well, the library makes up the first two, at least!
1. I put next month's book club book on hold
I am sort of allergic to buying books (unless they are somehow not available at the library).
As long as they are at the library, that is where I will always go. Next month's selection is Everything Sad is Untrue and it was indeed available at the library.
I also caved and got an ebook at the library. I normally dislike ebooks, but I heard about this one called "Do Nothing" on Laura Vanderkam's podcast, so I looked it up and a digital copy is all our library had.
Will I actually read the book? Or will I completely forget about it, as I usually do with books that are digital?
Stay tuned.
2. I requested a new book at the library
I saw an article about The Miracle Pill, by Peter Walker. It's a book about how a sedentary lifestyle isn't great for us, and while that's sort of a "duh!" concept, the book intrigued me.
I sent in a materials request to the library, and they're going to try to get the book for me from another library system.
3. I ordered some Debrox drops
(If you are grossed out by any mention of earwax, skip this one.)
One of my ears has been feeling a little muffled and I'm guessing it's because my ear needs to be cleaned out! When the primary care physician last cleaned out my waxy ears, she suggested that I try Debrox drops next time.
The drops are significantly cheaper than a doctor appointment, so if they work, they will be totally worth the price. Here's hoping.
(Just in case you are wondering: I never, ever clean my ears with Qtips, since I know that doctors say that makes the problem worse. And rest assured that if these drops don't work, I will get my ear checked out.)
4. I filed our taxes with TurboTax
I bought the software from Costco back in January, but I put off finishing up the last few things.
I finally got it all done and it feels GOOD. All the tax papers are off my desk now!
(For the record, I think hiring a tax professional is good if your taxes are complicated. If they are fairly simple, the DIY route works great and costs much less. So far, mine are simple enough to go the DIY route.)
5. I...
- submitted several medical bills for reimbursement
- ordered more Starbucks coffee grounds from Amazon (way cheaper than the grocery store)
- listed more books for sale on eBay
- unlocked my Acorns investment account (someone from Germany had tried to log in!)
Share your frugal five in the comments!
P.S. If you want to try Acorns, you can get a free $5 bonus for opening an account through my referral link.
(The link will show you the $3 and $5 fee options, but there's a $1 option as well that you can find if you compare the subscription plans.)
My doctor said to just use a few drops of Hydrogen Peroxide instead of the Debrox. Much cheaper. She advised doing this once per month.
Oh, interesting! I had wondered if that would work when I read the ingredients of Debrox.
Has it helped you?
I'm curious how do you get the hydrogen peroxide drops in? Just like a medicine dropper. I should try this because I've been the qtip route and they need something more.
I put a cotton ball of the peroxide bottle, turn it upside down, and then squeeze the cotton ball into my ear. Then I lie on my side and let it bubble away.
Really my favorite thing for my waxy ears is using one of those blue ball syringes and squirting water as hot as I can stand into my ear. Gets all the gunk out.
I use a medicine dropper. Put a few drops in and lay down on my side with the ear drop side up for about 5 minutes. You can feel the bubbling in you ear, it kind of tickles. Then I turn over and let it drain out. It really seems to help.
My dad also used Rubbin alcohol in my ears. I bet it's a similar result hydrogen peroxide.
This!! I take the extra step of warming it for a few seconds in the microwave. My ears get really waxy during allergy season, and whenever they feel congested I use warm peroxide. Works every time!
You may want to look at Bj's Starbuck coffee. In the Bj's coupon book they usually have a $5 off coupon every other month. I buy the Starbucks French Roast 40 Oz whole bean for $12.99 after the $5 off coupon. It usually last until I get another coupon, 2 months.
Does BJs sell the Starbucks flavored coffee? I like their mocha flavored grounds.
I supposed I could buy plain coffee and then add chocolate flavoring somehow, but I have not looked into that!
Many can file taxes online for free. The IRS has the scoop: https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
In addition, most states have free income tax filing options. I've used both for many, many years.
Yep! Lisey can do her taxes free that way, or TurboTax offers a free edition.
Unfortunately, since I'm self-employed, the free versions don't work for me. I have to have access to a Schedule C.
1. Sold my quee bed, mattress, and sheet set for $100 on Marketplace. We replaced it with a king bed I got off Buy Nothing. We bought a memory foam mattress off Amazon, which was substantially cheaper than a store. This mattress is awesome! Such good sleep!
2. I am a lactation counselor. I have to complete continuing education credits to keep my license. I am always able to get the credits for free by working on them throughout the 3 year period. I sent in my application to renew my license 2 months early, which saved me $50.
3. Found my son's multivitamin for $3 less at a different store.
4. I sold a Pokemon card, I had bought as a kid, for $50 on Marketplace. Vintage Pokemon cards are popular, I guess. Who knew!
5. My husband is building us another vegetable garden. We found the corner posts on a neighbor's curb, saving us about $30. We started some seedlings on egg cartons. We already have garlic, strawberries, sage, snow peas, and oregano growing in the garden, which is amazing considering we live in in Rochester, NY
May I ask which memory foam mattress you chose? We've been debating making the change but are still looking at options.
Re: Pokemon, I run in fairly geeky circles, and I can tell you those cards are a HOT commodity. List more if you have them! Ditto with Magic: The Gathering cards and vintage video games. One of my friends supported himself by selling off the lesser parts of his various collections while he was unemployed due to COVID last summer. He only sold what he was comfortable parting with, and he still managed to replace his wages until he found new employment.
Can you share where he sold them? I think we might have some floating around from when my eldest (now 32) was little. We kept a lot of stuff for his little brother and sister, but they are now 20 and 22, would be coooool if we could sell some for a few dollars!
My friend exclusively used eBay. He had crazy things like the first issue of the Incredible Hulk comic ($$$$), so eBay provided a wider audience with deeper pockets than, say, Facebook Marketplace. He’d check prices among fellow collector friends as well as sold listings to decide on a fair price.
For smaller ticket items like the Pokémon cards, FB Market place might work just fine. I know some friends have sold their most valuable cards alone and then put the others in lots. Collectibles also end up on Etsy, so it’s worth checking there for prices/value, too. Good luck!
We bought the "Best Price Mattress" 14 inch memory foam. It is so good and affordable!
I bought this Pokemon card when I was 13 or so. I think they cost $1 then. It ended up being some rare 1st edition card. Wish I did have more to sell!!
Thank you re: the mattress! I’ll add that to the research list.
How did you find out how much the card was worth? I just found a whole binder of Pokeman cards that were my daughters, and she is now 31. I was thinking about trying to sell some. She doesn't want them.
You can check out how much the same card sold for by looking on ebay and filtering by "sold". That should give you a good estimate of what the cards are worth.
I sold on Facebook Marketplace because I have had such bad luck lately with people not paying on ebay. Marketplace requires you pay immediately when you purchase. I personally would rather make a little less using Marketplace then have to relist items on ebay for non-payment. Time=money. Good luck!
Thank you.
--Found a new-in-box meat grinder from 1974 (!) at Goodwill for $12, which I promptly purchased for an upcoming gift. The recipient loves to hunt and is getting more into processing his own meat, so it will definitely get used!
--Also thanks to Goodwill, my husband found a $60 pair of insulated work jeans for $6! We're still likely to get at least one more winter storm (ah, the Midwest), so they will come in handy well before next winter.
--Picked up packing materials for my Etsy shop from a friend.
--My husband recently cleaned out his closet. I sorted the cast-offs between the rag pile and items that were still in good shape. The latter were given to a friend for her teenage sons, who go through clothes like, well, teenagers!
--Had a dermatological procedure done only to get home and realize we were completely out of band aids for the required daily bandage changes. I hit up the dollar store for large band aids and surgical tape to help keep them in place, because naturally my new coin-sized wound is on my cat's favorite shoulder. 😛 No, he will **NOT** switch shoulders and only doubled-down when I tried to coax him that way.
CATS, they rule the world.......and they know it.
I was actually traveling this weekend, and while it was generally a pretty much no-spend weekend--I was at my parents' house, where they cook and eat like I do (mostly--no bull meat there :-)--but I fully admit that I bought coffee in the airport. Because I could. And the last time I bought any sort of comestible that another person prepared for me was . . . years, I think. It felt very luxurious.
I also went to Whole Foods with my mom. It was like visiting a foreign country. That was a bit of a shock for me, given my usual surroundings, but I did buy some Parmesan there to bring home. I can't get real Parmesan here.
And now for something ACTUALLY frugal and not a list of "Things I Bought While Away from Home."
I resolved way back in November or something that I would no longer purchase pre-packaged snacks for my kindergarten son's snack box at school. The whole idea of pre-packaged snacks grates on me--financially, nutritionally, and ecologically--so I stopped getting even the trail mix or nut mix packages. He sometimes gets pre-packaged things that other people give us, but mostly he has popcorn, raisins, and homemade spiced nuts that stay in his box, plus I bring in peanut butter bread sometimes on the days that I'm there working (and can remind him he has it in his backpack). I also discovered that there are often breakfast items left from the morning school breakfast (cereal, string cheese, yogurt, trail mix) that his teacher keeps in a box for the kids to eat at snacktime if they want to. He often chooses those things, which saves them from being thrown away.
Yesterday when I was there, he chose his popcorn, which is in a big sour cream container. His classmates were very confused about why he had sour cream for his snack. That was pretty much the highlight of my day. 🙂
Ooh! Popcorn is an excellent idea for school snacks! Stealing that for my first grader!
My kids got told by her teacher not to bring popcorn at school since "it's not healthy" (air popped, no chemicals, contains fiber and antioxidants, but hey what do I know!), BUT they are allowed cookies (without chocolate tho, since it's not healthy! Eyes roll!). Go figure!
Since when do teachers police what kind of snacks kids bring, unless it is something like no peanuts due to allergies? (Actually I should ask when does a school get to do that because this teacher is probably following some administrative mandate...)
I would go ahead and keep sending in that popcorn!
So glad you shared the Debrox Drops. I just ordered them for my husband. Hopefully, they will be the answer to the problem.
My library has started (or at least I just noticed) putting the amount you saved on the bottom of the checkout receipts. I've saved $300 in the past 2 months!
My library does that now, too! We check out about 25 books a week (mostly picture books for children), so seeing the total each week makes me chuckle. I'm incredibly grateful for our library!!
- Used more of the frozen food I bought in case of food supply disruptions. Last night's stir fry used up 3 baggies of frozen veggies. PROTIP: roast or airfry your frozen veggies before using (even in soup); it concentrates their flavor and makes them not soggy.
- Listed a couple more things on Craigslist. No bites yet but hopefully patience will be rewarded.
- A exchange with a friend: she's giving me veggie seedlings; I'm giving her several huge plant pots ($50-100 new) and boxes of books that she can sell and use the credit to buy LPs. It wasn't a trade, it was just each of us finding a better home for things we had.
- Will say thank you to my organization's IT department by making them a bundt cake. From a mix I bought from the Stonewall Kitchen company store for $1. It needs eggs and butter and milk so it's not quite the bargain it seems but the cake is going to be the better for the quality inputs.
- Continued to check out dozens of books from the library. I buy the book if I read it more than once, and library is a great way to check out new authors.
- I got HBOMax to watch the Justice League Snydercut, so I'm going to watch a lot of Warner Bros/HBO in the next month. Then cancelling the service.
- Got a free donut after my vaccination. Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts to vaccinated people. A lot of them - one per day per person till the end of 2021. PS: I am not going to eat 260 donuts this year. I'm also going to get a copy of my card laminated for free at Staples or Office Depot (it's a bad idea to laminate your original in case further annotation is needed).
An indulgence: I hired my handyman to weed my beds, clean up the yard, and spread mulch, all of which I deeply dislike doing. Being frugal means being able to do this.
A big frugal fail: I wasted two orders of take-out veggies. That one really hurt.
I have my own opinions about the Covid vaccines which are vastly different than probably 100% of the commenters here, but my gripe lies with Krispy Kreme. The donut-vaccine concept is really awful. Yeah, on the surface it sounds like a fun reward scheme, but overall ill health caused by poor diet choices is a real problem. Our ability to fight off disease (even Covid) lies to a large extent with us and our diet and lifestyle choices and how all that impacts our own immune systems -- promoting junk food and linking it to vaccine use as some sort of reward is pretty messed up in my opinion (perhaps even more so because the vaccine is indeed controversial). Having said that, I'm not the donut police, so hopefully I haven't offended you (absolutely no offense intended).
A donut a day is, for most people, a terrible idea. But I looked at it from another perspective: Krispy Kreme wanted to do something to support the effort, and they do donuts, so one can see why they'd do the donut thing.
Ironically, I have not yet had a vaccination donut.
I have to imagine, too, that most people will not bother to go get a donut every single day for a year, unless they were already in the habit.
In which case the vaccine donut isn't to blame. Heh.
We don't have a Krispy Kreme super convenient to us, so we have not gotten a vaccination donut either. One of these days Sonia and I will drive out there (more driving hours!) and get one, though.
Nope, not a 100%. You'd be surprised, I think, that there are at least 50% of us who are vastly different. And who spend alot of time devouring all kinds of science to support our view - thank God that not all info is censored [yet]. J&J and AZ are not anomalies.
1) I transplanted raspberry plants from my garden pathways back into their garden bed. I also gifted some of them to a new friend.
2) I bought some flowers on clearance at Walmart. My kind of flowers are definitely those with roots still on them, so I can plant them and enjoy longer. Prices of just $1.00 and $2.00 are definitely my price range, especially when some of them are perennials!
3) We read my daughter in law’s new post on her History blog as part of our homeschool. While not specifically written for homeschoolers, her blog is a nice supplement to our History curriculum and I have learned so many new things myself! We are never too old to learn!
4) My teen daughter received her first COVID vaccine. While not happy for the need, I was thankful she could receive it and free was a great price!
5) We had our carpets professionally cleaned. This keeps our carpet warranty valid, and also aides in the carpet not wearing out prematurely from trapped dirt underneath acting like sand paper and wearing it away. I did have a $30 off coupon, which helped bring the price down a bit.
Pictures and the link to my daughter in law’s History blog if anyone is interested at: https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/04/frugal-friday-week-of-april-4-10-2021.html
Looking forward to reading everyone’s comments!
Hmm, let's see. I kind of had a bit of a spending week
1.) Repaired my grill. It required replacing the tents over the burners as well as the thermometer in the lid. I was able to get those parts at Homeless Despot but I had to order the electric starter off of a seller on eBay.
2.) Bought a couple of Arko shaving sticks. These seem to last me practically forever and there's so much less waste (just a foil wrapper) versus all the metal and plastic required for a can of shaving cream. I also like the idea of paying $4 and being all set with shaving supplies for a couple of years and not having to think about it.
3.) Doing a major purge of items that I don't want/need. Will either donate or give them directly to people who will use them.
4.) Checked out the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore for some dining room chairs. While we didn't find what we were looking for, we did get an idea what is out there and what people think they are worth. Here's hoping this summer we can find some to add to our dining room (perhaps at garage sales or something like that.)
5.) Went to Aldi and bought nothing but produce, milk and eggs. All meat and carbs have been items we already had in the house in the freezer or the pantry. We're really working on living out of the pantry for a while to start to use up what we have and to stop from all those grocery store trips which have increased over the last year.
I seriously wish we lived close to a ReStore. The nearest one is 175 miles ... not exactly on the way to anywhere. Sigh.
I will say that mine is not very good at all. A plumber acquaintance tells his clients he won't install anything purchased from there. I only went to look at furniture and quite frankly more than half of it belonged in a bonfire.
My in-laws live near one that is excellent. It's all in what gets donated.
Well, on the subject of cleaning ears - and I'll bet you never thought this topic would get going -- my husband had his ears cleaned at a specialist's office, and do you know what they used? Vinegar and warm water in a 50/50 solution, squirted in with a special syringe. She had him hold a big cup under his ear to catch the outflow, and he was told to sit up normally the whole time. You can get big syringes without needles at the drug store for dosing children or pets, and I've seen some "squirters" that come with ear cleaning kits. I've done his at home since then. Naturally, if he had a problem - pain, discharge, stubborn clog, etc. - we would go to the doctor again.
Okay, for my frugal things, most of which seem to involve me spending money:
1. I used the extra money I'd been saving to get a new water heater before our old one dies, and got the "hybrid" aka "heat pump" type. My house is all electric, as we have no access to natural gas and propane here is horribly expensive, so I was looking for the best electric option. Average yearly expense is $114 for the new model I chose. My current, old-style tank water heater has an average yearly expense of $424. At that rate, I'll have made up the higher initial cost in less than 3 years.
2. I made sure to get one at Lowe's that was in stock. I can use my husband's veteran's discount that way, saving 10% off the price. I picked it up in our little truck, saving another $114 that I would have been charged for delivery.
3. I used the $10 gift certificate I had won in a survey, when I went shopping at the grocery store, and used a $5 Amazon gift certificate I won doing another survey, when I re-ordered a supplement that the doctor has me taking.
4. I juiced some more lemons off of our tree and froze some, made lemonade with some, and put a cup in the refrigerator for use later this week.
5. I found the co-op where I shop had discontinued their gummy bear bulk bin and was selling them off at 79 cents a pound. These have no artificial flavors or colors and taste good. I bought two pounds of them, which delighted my grandkids this past weekend.
1. A couple of weeks ago, I bought some items at Kroger that qualified for 85 cents cash back on their app. I transferred it to my Kroger card to use on my next shopping trip. (There is also an option to transfer earnings to PayPal.)
2. Yesterday at Kroger, I found a dozen Eggland's Best eggs on clearance for 79 cents. With tax, the total was 84 cents. Using my cash back, I got them free.
3. I used some of the eggs and ham frozen after Christmas to make ham salad for lunches this week.
4. I returned 2 carts at Aldi which netted me 50 cents.
5. I bought 50 cent Hallmark birthday cards at Dollar Tree and found a penny on the floor as I was leaving.
These are all very small frugal wins, but I still get a thrill even for a found penny. My sister laughs at me for this, but it sure makes me happy!
I have become a religious library user....but I ONLY do ebooks or audiobooks due to an extreme fear of bedbugs in books (this is likely very rare and completely irrational).
I just have to make sure that I remember to listen/read on time. Our library system is very progressive and lets you manage your holds.....so I can delay when I get books. It has been a life changer.
Also. sad to admit this: I am an end-reader. I have great self-control for lots of things.....not this!! ebooks and audio books save me from myself!
Ali, I also only get e-books, starting for the same reason. Our community had a bad outbreak of bedbugs and I realized that I always left my library books in a stack beside the bed. My OCD is way better than it was back then, but I just came to enjoy e-books so much better over time.
I get ebooks because I am usually too busy to pick up a book I put on hold. I also like how the book returns itself when it is due back to the library - no late fees if I forget the due date!
Kristen, you make me smile with your willingness to be open about things like earwax, bidets, and period panties.
My kids had an extended spring break since the covid outbreak is bad in our district--the kids were given yesterday off to allow the teachers to plan for remote learning. They were antsy yesterday so I decided we would try visiting a nature center about 30 miles away. I received a complimentary membership for being a health care worker a year ago and had never taken advantage of it. It was more fun than I anticipated and I'm glad we went.
Other than that, same-old same-old for frugal activities. I'm kinda boring that way.
I try and make a list daily of ways I've saved money, so I have things to list in these posts.....
1. Our community has spring clean up days and there's a cost to get rid of certain types of items. My neighbor asked me if there was a cost for something and i told him the information and that I myself had an item to get rid of that would cost me $10. He offered to take it off my hands as he's a scrapper, so he saved me $10 and he'll get $ for the scrap. Win, Win!
2. I'm also trying to have 1-2 no-spend days a week, so I did accomplish one day last week.
3. I've been wanting to try a certain kind of whitening toothpaste and I asked for recommendations from friends online. A friend offered me a new, unopened tube to try (saved me $20). I'm not totally impressed with it, so I'm glad I saved the money & also that she didn't have to throw it out.
4. I had my daughter and her boyfriend run to the store for a few items (one being steaks for dinner). They went thru the self checkout lane. I went to scan my receipt in one of my apps and noticed that she rang the steaks up twice but forgot to ring up my coffee creamer. I called the store and they said to bring the receipt in. I went in and got reimbursed for my "extra" steaks and paid for my creamer. I got $26.60 back.
5. My neighbors had to put their dog down. Yesterday they brought over a half bag of food and 5 toys for our pups to use. It was much appreciated.
1. Used $13 in store coupons while grocery shopping this week.
2. Bought two flea collars in the correct size for our dogs and pieced together the cut ends to make a third collar. (We have three dogs.) The collars are designed to fit such a wide range of weights that they are always too long and there's more than enough left over to make a third collar.
3. Discovered my favorite very comfy fisherman sandals have been discontinued. I have problem feet and stick with a product when it works. Found a pair on eBay for a reasonable price after a lot of searching.
4. A co-worker gave me a not-ripe banana yesterday, which I took home to ripen for my breakfast.
5. Used a work perk this week and laundered our very heavy king-size winter blanket at the student laundry room, which has commercial washers and dryers. The blanket is too bulky for our small washer and dryer at home. I don't abuse this perk and had last used it January on the day I accidentally poured coffee all over my coat and handbag and had to launder them at work.
Your book club read for next month sounds really interesting! I'm gonna put it on hold at my library, too. Thanks for mentioning it!
1. I used an overly ripe banana and the end of a bag of baby spinach in my smoothie this morning.
2. I used my Target rewards and a $5 gift card that I received last month for buying laundry detergent to reduce the cost of my monthly Target run.
3. I ended up with an abundance of butternut squash in my farm box - 5 to be exact. I have cut them in half and I’m roasting them. There’s a batch in the oven and a batch ready to go. I will freeze them and use them in recipes later.
4. I roasted a large chicken for Sunday dinner. We ate the leftovers for lunch yesterday, and I froze the carcass to make a batch of chicken broth in a few days.
5. All the usual things... brewing my own coffee, drinking primarily filtered water, enjoying the outdoors and reading a library book.
We went to Sonoma for the weekend & ate out & bought wine, which was definitely not frugal. I'll have to dig deep for these:
1) Came home on Sunday, and considered takeout for six (the four of us, and my parents, who are in town). Quickly scrapped that idea, & picked up fixing for tacos. Made tacos, & have enough for two dinners.
2) Made pico de gallo (to go with the tacos above) & used cilantro & jalapenos from our garden
3) Used a grocery store reward to offset part of the cost of our taco ingredients
4) Sold a few items on FB & eBay, including our old gaming system for $70. Junk out of the house, and money available to pay down our mortgage is always a win.
5) Drove our electric car to Sonoma. The hotel we stayed at had free charging. Saved close to a tank of gas.
I was helping my friend clean her house, and noticed two stools in her give away pile and asked if I could have them for my new house. She obliged, and gave me two totes and a box for packing and moving. She's a pretty great friend.
Continued eating through fridge and freezer to make moving goods as simple as possible. Moving is not a cheap process, and I've been buying prepackaged snacks for the kids, but I think it'll still cheaper than eating out, and being tempted to run through drive-thrus.
I have been borrowing ebooks from the library so I don't lose hardcopies at home in the middle of this move. I like ebooks because I can grab a book whenever I need (at night when I can't sleep and need something simple to help me fall asleep), but I prefer smelling and feeling the pages.
Hey! I'm reading Everything Sad is Untrue right now! I'm about 2/3 of the way through. The format is definitely different than what I'm used to and that made it a little hard for me to get into at parts, but I'm really interested in the part I'm in right now. I hope you enjoy it! For my FFT...
1. Last week was our spring break and we didn't travel, but we found ways to have lots of fun that fit into my comfort level. We took 2 trips to the zoo (everyone had to wear masks and on the busier day we only did outdoor things) and spent 2 days at playgrounds. Everyone had a blast and the only money we spent was for gas.
2. Our George Foreman grill fell off our counter last week and broke. I did a little research on the cost of a new one that would be big enough to work for the size our family is now and it was anywhere from $50-$110. I was wondering if we could make do until Christmas, but we really do use it a lot. Then on Saturday I went to a yard sale and found EXACTLY what I was looking for in amazing shape for $5!! It was for sure a gift from God!
3. Pork chops were a good price the other day and I bought 2 packs, divided them up into 3 meals, and froze the 2 we didn't use that day.
4. We're getting a new furnace today, mostly paid for with the money from our last stimulus check. We've known that ours has been in the "could die any day" stage for a while as it's 15 or so years past it's expected lifespan. We're hoping that doing it now (off-busy-season) will save us from having to make a call on some Saturday in the winter when it's 10 degrees and it goes out. We knew that we would have to pull the money from what we've saved for the kids' tuition or for our next car or something, so it seemed like a wise idea to use the stimulus money for it.
5. Someone was selling a pair of like-new New Balance flip flops for $3 in the size my oldest daughter will be in this summer. They're nicer than what I probably would have bought her from a store. I stopped to pick them up when I was already driving by that house.
We found a Step 2 climber/slide in pretty good shape on the curb outside a daycare near our house! I suppose the daycare fees keep them able to replace their play equipment regularly, all the better for me 🙂
This week...
1. We bought mulch in bulk...2.5 yards...for our flower beds instead of buying the pre-bagged variety from the big box stores. This saved us over $350 as we only paid $70 for the mulch and the same amount of pre-bagged would have cost us $426 plus tax! Plus we bought from a local, family-owned business...win-win!
2. I cooked a large batch of pinto beans. We used the last of the Easter ham in these beans enjoying them for one dinner. I used half of the leftover beans to cook a large batch of chili. We have had several meals of chili, put a gallon into the freezer to top hot dogs with later this summer, and I will freeze the remaining beans for use at a later date.
3. I used my flex card to cover the cost of my deductible and co-pays for physical therapy for my shoulder. Using these funds that have already been allocated avoids losing any monies at year end.
4. I cooked a small batch of chicken last night to go with sides that we had in the fridge that needed to be eaten. I repurposed them a bit & voila!...a new yummy meal enjoyed by all.
5. We hired a local man to till the garden space this year spending less than it would have cost us to rent a tiller and a truck to till the space ourselves. Plus I avoided re-injuring my shoulder and my husband is giddy over not having to till the space himself.
Enjoy the week ahead 🙂
Our library even has jigsaw puzzles that we can take and bring back on the honor system.
Xoxo
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
So interesting and fun reading all the comments 🙂
1. Had a good week selling stuff online, to make extra money for my back taxes. Not the same system here in Norway as in the US, but that was the nearest translation I could find.
2. Found a Marimekko jeans jacket at the thriftshop wich I can sell online for a good profit.
3. Got the bf to make dinner from the freezer and not order pizza a day I was too sick to cook.
4. Bf had the day off on Friday. Went on the snowmobile to icefish, packed lunch to take with instead of buying it at the gas station. No fish for the freezer, but a nice trip.
5. Bought yarn on sale for my mum. She will knit mittens during the summer and then I will sell them online for here come fall.
Ice fishing in Norway. That sounds amazing and probably so relaxing!
Totally with you regarding books! I very rarely buy them, since the public library is full of them and I'm not one to re-read books. I also very much dislike digital books. I absolutely LOVE books, the physical weight of it, turning the pages, etc.
My frugal five:
- I will have to go with the library books too, which I use a lot!!
- started biking to work yesterday. Saving gas, parking fees, and free exercise
- The kids are doing virtual schooling and I'm very grateful that they got a laptop for Christmas! It was an old one from my MIL, nothing fancy, but it does the job. If not for it, we would have had to buy a new one
- Doing prices match for groceries saves me lots of money
- Decided against summer camp for the kids this year (too many Covid cases here in Quebec, I don't feel it is safe,), which will save $$
I consider using an accountant for my taxes as a peace-of-mind splurge. The “luxury” of handing it all off is a big relief. My frugal thing: I’m putting the money that was going for a car payment in another (travel) savings account so I never “see” it in my regular checking account. I’m now debt free which is a very good feeling!!
I think paying an accountant is a completely valid option; we all have things we save on and things we splurge on, and those vary from person to person. As long as what you're spending on is in line with what's important to you personally, it's all good!
Debrox is glorious - one of my kiddos struggles with major wax build up and has to have it removed about every 6 months because it impairs his hearing. We had used Debrox once, then haven't been able to for a few years because he had tubes and then holes in his eardrums ... and since he's a preschooler, having to lay still while the ENT scrapes wax out of his ears is not his favorite. The ENT and I both rejoiced when we found that his eardrums were in good shape this last time and that I can use drops again!
Some frugal wins ...
1) We have a trail-a-bike for said preschooler that we bought used when our oldest was his age. At some point we lost a vital component that holds it securely to my husband's bike (or maybe never had it?), so I was looking around for solutions - $70 for replacement part that included more than we needed, $50 for another used trail-a-bike, and then landed on $3 for random bits from the hardware store cobbled together to hopefully get the job done.
2) I need new razor blades, and have been intrigued by all of the flashy ads I see, but took a bit of time to read reviews and crunch numbers and decided I'll stick with what I had been using - the price is right, I've been satisfied with how it works, and I like the handle I have, so less trash.
3) I made a delicious dinner from random bits from the fridge and freezer - tortellini I got on sale a few months ago, roasted some veggie bits from last week, chopped up leftover grilled brats from this weekend, and tossed it all with Costco pesto.
4) I read an article a few weeks ago about finding a focal point for a room and decorating around that. I've never loved our front living room, but it has a great bay window looking out at the street. I moved the furniture around so that our big comfy chair faces the window now, and I find the room 10x more cozy and welcoming already.
5) I've been repainting the main floor of our house, and as I take pictures off of the walls, I've been analyzing what we have and moving pictures around a bit, make things feel fresh and new without buying new decor.
FYI...another ear cleaning hack is to break a colace gel pill in a small bit of warm water. Use that water to flush out your ear. My husband has bad earwax and this works everytime. The ENT doc suggested it to him.
I'm happy that we treat our sports gear well & keep the out of circulation stuff organized. For the spring season:
1 - I outfitted the little guy in the same baseball pants, cleats, and baseball bag from last fall (all hand-me downs). We upgraded his glove to the next size we already had. We discovered he fit into the helmet my oldest was done with after the fall season. Last fall he had shared a new helmet with an older boy, but they have conflicting schedules this spring. We did buy him a new bat. COVID regulations require each child have their own and a regulation change meant we didn't have a legal bat his size. It should last a few years.
2 - For soccer, the same child is wearing a hand-me down jersey and the same cleats as above. His pants were too small. I found him a pair of athletic pants from a friend who also accepts hand-me downs, but didn't need for her child.
3 - I outfitted the next boy in the same baseball pants, glove, bat, catcher's gear, and bag from last fall (all hand-me downs). He is using the helmet we bought new last fall. He moved to the next size cleats, which we already had on hand.
4 - Our older soccer player moved to the next size uniform, which is a hand-me down. He changed numbers so I had to confirm that was ok with the coach.
5 - Our oldest is using his gloves, bag, bat, and cleats from previous years. We had to buy a new helmet to color match his new team. He also needed bigger pants. I used Amazon's returns process multiple times as it took 6 tries to find a new pair of baseball pants that actually fit. Each time I dropped them off promptly for free and used the credit to try the next pair.
Summary - four kids outfitted for spring sports with one new bat, one new helmet, and one new pair of pants!
That is impressive!
1. A friend gave me the last of her beets from last summer, already roasted and diced and frozen. There was a forlorn half a cabbage in the fridge that joined it and became borscht, which we ate for three days. Healthy and frugal, as long as you don't count the sour cream we add right before eating.
2. Felt like pizza but too tired to make crust so dug out a package of garlic naan and had naan pizzas. A lot cheaper than take out and less effort than making a crust.
3. A bachelor in my husband's singing group buys a Costco rotisserie chicken at least once a week. Two days ago husband brought home 13 frozen carcasses so I could make broth from them---turns out the guy was so impressed that someone made stock at home that he had started saving his bones for me. They are simmering away right now, in our crock pot and three stock pots. I am making cinnamon babka to thank him, since the guy will never use stock if I send some back to him in thanks.
4. Finally mended a bunch of the husband's socks. He sews but he does not like mending.
5. The last of the potatoes from last summer's garden are getting pretty soft. I pulled out the ones I can use for planting in late May. The rest I shredded and froze in meal sized portions. It took me and the husband almost three hours to get it all done but now we are set and no waste occurred. (Why are so many of my frugal things food related?!)
6. Library, library, library. You can now make an appointment to browse.
I consider sour cream to be perfectly healthy. The more, the better! Ha.
Debrox drops are great! My husband is very prone to getting his ears clogged and using these drops every 6 months or so has helped a ton! No need for a dr. appt for him for this issue anymore!
1. My older daughter sorted her spring clothes. She still likes most of them. Some items she gave to younger daughter, who was thrilled. Some she will donate. Some she will sell. She has a depop store and earns herself some nice pocket money.
2. Organized our yard sale items. We have a yard sale every May and it usually pays for most of our frugal annual vacation to Maine. Still not done with this job, but I made a good start.
3. I used some cans of black beans (different brand than I usually buy) that were unexpectedly salty to make black bean soup with using low sodium broth to try to balance it out and the soup was delicious.
4. We looked through the sports gear and found a perfect mitt for my 13 year old for softball. Glad we do not need to buy one because I don't think she will play softball after middle school. We also found some outgrown sports items that we passed along to a neighbor's children.
5. My brother in law gave me some tomato plants that he started from seed. I think we are now all set on tomato plants. It is still too early in my area to plant them outside so I have them on a windowsill in my husband's office until the time is right.
I hear you on books -- I try not to buy any unless I absolutely need to for book club. Which is why I always suggest older novels 😉
After the trip east, all the frugality has been food related.
1. Have not eaten anything out since I got back last Wednesday.
2. Picked up chicken and pork way way marked down have been cooking and eating.
3. Was about to pick up an 11 lb. butterball turkey for $6.00 or so to freeze, then thought of all the food in the freezer and decided it wasn't a deal. And it might not fit.
4. Returned a pair of leggings to Ross and exchanged for salt grinder and something else I needed in the kitchen (?) So only spent an extra dollar or so over the exchange.
5. Actually read my union's offer of cheaper life insurance and am looking into getting cheaper coverage (much cheaper) than we have been paying. We just need enough so the survivor isn't gobsmacked by funeral fees, and the current coverage is WAY overpriced.
1. I bought 2 shirts and a pair of leggings today, all used items.
2.Supper was leftovers from the freezer.
3. I made a menu plan.
4. The kids and I tried this cookie recipe... cheaper as it doesn't call for butter and very yummy!
https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/easy-chocolate-cookies-without-butter-recipe/
5.My husband had to go to town, so we combined errands and I went to the market and store.
1. My husband picked up the mulch needed for around our house on sale for 2.00 for 2 cubic foot at Lowes. A local man who owns property along the river delivered a load of dirt for our new garden bed and flower beds. In addition to some iris we brought from the old house, our landscaping will look quite lovely this summer for a reasonable price.
2. Since I'm now fully vaccinated, I allowed myself to go a large thrift shop. Oddly, it wasn't busy which was why I've avoided it this year. I found some really good deals, including new porch pillows with the Joann tags still on them.
3. I had a 10.00 reward from Eddie Bauer. I expected to just pick up socks but found a pair of athletic sweat pants on clearance with 40% off the clearance price. Cost was just over $5 for a needed item.
4. I'm still working on the freezer and pantry. I laid out chicken for dinner today but it's still frozen. Thankfully, I have other already purchased items for dinner instead.
5. I did fruit kabobs for a shower last weekend. I knew the cost would be higher than it would later in summer but I was able to get pineapples for .87, black and red grapes for .97# and blueberries for 1.50. Strawberries looked terrible and were expensive so I spent 6.99 on a watermelon, the most I've ever spent! The kabobs looked and tasted great and as it was my gift to the bride and family, I actually spent about what I would have on a gift card.
Not to be morbid -- just thinking ahead!
oops -- i meant to respond to my own silly comment about life insurance-- D'oh!. But don't you love rewards -- it is like something for nothing practically:)
1. Had the tax guy do my taxes. He was gruff but good. Made me go home and phone to get my 2019 documentation sent by mail. I goofed up and lost 2019 info in my house. Learned my lesson. 2. Went to dollar tree. Canned mango 1.00 each and lasagna noodles 1.00. Sewing kit 1.00. 3. Neighbor and I went to thrift store that all benefits go to HIV youth. Books were 75 cents. I got three books...beautiful slacks and 5 blouses for 13 bucks. 4. Made a delicious veggie lasagna...shared with neighbors.
I had a client meeting at a coffee shop downtown. I pick downtown places because I have 2 downtown gift cards I'm using up. I hate to go to a coffee shop and not buy anything...plus this place has amazing bagels. So I got 3 parmesan bagels using up one of my gift cards and now we have those to go with our leftover soup tonight.
I also made sure to add the parking fee from today's meeting to my business expenses for the year. It may not seem like much, but parking fees add up! I use the app for parking so that I get a receipt.
We...have been working our way through a plethora of food this past week. I've put the kabosh on going to the store for a while, though I do have a list going for our camping trip... SO we've made potato broccoli soup to use up both of those veggies, lots of salads with greens from our produce box, we've eaten up some things from the freezer, I ate the last of some tomato soup from the fridge today for lunch, I pulled out some chocolate chip cookie bars from the freezer for dessert this week, and used up some kitty treats one cat didn't like by adding them to the other cat's wet food this week.
I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum re: physical vs digital books. I've had a kindle for 10 years, but recently started using the library to borrow physical books more, because I have a career change coming up and want to save more money. Well, the physical books are so huge, I never want to bring them anywhere! Most of my reading is done on the bus or the train (or in the line at the cashier), but I often can't be bothered to bring the physical books.
1. I bought a reasonably priced birthday gift for my nephew. Due to the career change and because I overspend on gifts, it has been my New Years resolution to spend less money on gifts. I got my nephew an item he wanted for his birthday and refrained from making a whole production out of it. He's turning 4, and I'm sure he will love his reasonably priced gift.
2. I started baking my own bread! Still head over heels for the new oven.
3. I'm leaving my job, and I will have to pay back the tuition they paid for my Master's degree. Per our initial agreement, I'd have to pay back everything, but I managed to negotiate them down to a 60 (me) / 40 (them) split. This one is huge for me as I suck at negotiating and talking about money in real life!
See if your library has Overdrive or Hoopla or some sort of digital lending app. Also, SCRIBD is $10 a month after the free month and they have a LOT of newer titles, so cheaper than buying or Audible. See what you think.
Scribd has been a great resource for us!
Thank you for the tip! I checked out our local library's digital resources before, but there were pages upon pages of instructions for signing up, so I got discouraged and deferred it to another day. I also checked out SCRIBD - it looks super interesting, so if the library doesn't work out, I will try that instead.
Congratulations on working out the tuition payback! I also have trouble with such discussions.
If you are in the U.S., make sure to keep careful records of the tuition, as there are tax benefits for you if you paid it, (this might already have been worked in to how your schooling was paid for or be several years ago and irrelevant). The American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.
I'm outside of the US, so the specific tax credits you mentioned are not available to me, but you reminded me that I need the receipts for my taxes here too. When my work used to pay for it, I didnt get a credit, but now that I have to pay some back and paid for my last term, I need to save the receipts. Thank you!
1) My husband & I both got Starbucks gift cards from our employer as a thank you for voluntarily getting our covid vaccinations. Yesterday, I tried their new Peach Oolong Tea with jellies. So refreshing!!
2) We went to a friend's house for a group gathering, and even though it was pot luck-ish and I brought a salad, I felt like we gained more than we brought.
3) The spring blooms are fantastic this year, and I am just drinking it all in.
4) My kids/grandkids are all healthy and seem to be at good places in their lives right now. It's easy for me to forget what a blessing this is and only focus on when life is hard.
5) My neighbor in Maine has already told me that we can forage in his garden after we move home as he knows we won't be back early enough to get much in this year. This is why I love small towns.
1. We used the library, too.
2. I had two or three children who needed some new clothes, so I headed to the local thrift store and bought 3 grocery bags of clothes stuffed to the max for $21. (I think there were something like 6 or more pants/shorts, 2 skirts, and maybe 12 shirts?) Unfortunately, about 4 items didn't fit, but I can put them back for the next child.
3. I put lots of leftovers on the table.
4. We bought half a beef-- and it's so much cheaper that way. Plus, I don't have to waste time shopping.
5. My kids (with the help of a family friend) fixed a couple of vehicles (and I got to feel really stupid when I was sent to the automotive store twice). But the one vehicle managed to pass inspection, so I guess they must have done a decent job.
Because I work in a different state than I live, I've ended up paying $200 for Turbo Tax in the past. In a recent issue of Kiplinger, they highly recommended freetaxusa (.com) instead, which is free.
If you're interested in reading about non-sedentary lifestyles and moving more, you should look up Katy Bowman. She has a few books out, and her blog https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/blog/ is a wealth of information.
I use hydrogen peroxide. I just pour some in the cap and then into my ear.
1. We had our dryer fixed rather than buy a new one. It is 43 years old. I know that it is not energy efficient, but there is only 2 of us and we only dry 2.5 loads per week, so I figure it is better than adding to the landfill, and I hear that new dryers do not last nearly as long. It was a fraction of the cost as well.
2. Borrowed library "mifi/wifi" to bring on work trip.
3. Went on a hike last weekend and partner and I stopped for an ice cream. One scoop was $4.5 (jeez!!) but 2 scoops was $5.50 We decided to split the 2 scoops, and each just stuck to our flavor.
4. All of the regular stuff -- make coffee from home, bring lunch for the 1 day-a-week go into the office, etc.
5. One frugal fail: last week I got my 2nd dose of vaccine and so I asked partner to make garlic soup that called for 46 cloves of garlic (!). He [for some reason] came home with 10 garlic bulbs. Garlic went on sale this week.....
Just dropping by to say I love your friendly bear. Made my day 🙂
1. Planning a trip to Yellowstone NP later this summer with friends. While the lodging we booked earlier this year inside the park is decidedly not frugal, we decided to prioritize time over money for that portion and save on other things like food (buying at the grocery store for picnic lunches) and using points for our plane tickets. I booked our tickets about 1.5 months ago, but have been periodically checking and found that one flight was now "cheaper" (using less points), so I cancelled our tickets and rebooked at the lower rate, saving 3800 points per ticket!
2. Borrowed a book from the library that my son needed for school instead of buying it.
3. Need to get an MRI due to some neck/back issues I've been having lately. Asked my doctor if I could schedule at a stand-alone MRI center instead of the hospital, which I know from experience is generally cheaper, even with insurance. He agreed and hopefully I should have a very low co-pay (if at all), plus this place is much closer to me than the hospital they recommended at first.
4. My son has been wanting a bean bag chair for a while. The first one I bought him from FB marketplace "deflated" and we couldn't unzip it to add filler. Found a huge "Ultimate Sack" bean bag chair someone was selling in our local FB garage sale group for $50 (it is literally 4' across and 2.5' high), looked up the retail price ($150+) and snapped it up. It was so big it filled the entire trunk of my SUV (even with part of the middle row down)! He loves it and uses it daily. Gave away the old beanbag on our local freebies group.
5. Ate at Texas Roadhouse for my husband's birthday this weekend. As we tend to eat there regularly, I had bought gift cards over the holidays that offered a $5 bonus if you buy a certain amount. Used the gift card to pay for our dinner and redeemed his birthday coupon for a free sidekick of ribs (which he gifted to me).
1. I did most of my grocery shopping at Aldi, and then swung by Publix for a couple of BOGO deals.
2. I scored 96% lean ground beef 50% off while at Aldi!
3. Used a BOGO coupon at Culver’s for a sweet treat for my husband and I.
4. I’m doing a better job of remembering to check a thrift store first before I buy new when I need something.
5. I also joined a Facebook gifting group (similar to Buy Nothing) and I’m heading out today to pick up something I need. It’s nice to be part of a like-minded frugal/recycle/low waste kind of group.
For all you frugal readers - don’t forget about Little Free Libraries! It’s a great way to discover new reads and recycle books. I just put one up in my yard, and it’s been fun seeing people use it already. I’m having a “Grand Opening” party on Sunday afternoon, and I can’t wait!
I am a strong advocate of the Little Free Libraries. I donate often to one right around the corner. Love them!
A note about the Debrox - it may soften the wax but not actually remove it. What has helped me and my husband is to use a bulb syringe (some kits are sold with one) to gently spray warm water into the ear to actually flush out the wax after softening it several times with the drops. Be careful this can make you dizzy. It doesn't really bother me but I had my husband lie down and I did it for him (true act of love!) 🙂
Thank you! That's good to know. Do you soften it several time with the drops right in a row? Or do you wait and do it once a day, and then flush after a couple of days of that?
An ENT specialist told me to put a drop of hydrogen peroxide in each ear once a week and I would not have the problem with a stopped up ear because of wax. Inexpensive solution prescribed by a doctor! And it does seem to work.
My frugality this week is I used my stimulus to file for divorce. We've been separated for over 6yrs & I was waiting for him to pay for it. Ha! He never worked & still doesn't so I bit the bullet & filed. Weight off of my shoulders.