Five Frugal Things | a rare Aldi markdown
1. I got marked-down bagels at Aldi
Markdowns are pretty rare at Aldi, but I found a bag of the French toast bagels that Zoe likes with a "$1 off" sticker attached.
Since they were near their sell-by date, I divvied them up between a few bags and froze them when I got home. That way she can easily grab out as many bagels as she wants.
2. I bought a set of Figs scrubs for $22
I had a gift card from a graduation gift (you know who you are...thank you!), plus I used a first-time purchase discount on buying a set, and I got free shipping.
I considered buying a pink set, but all they have right now is a mauve color. And I kinda wanted something more bubble gum pink.
So I opted for a classic set in navy blue, and after this I will have a better idea of what sizes work for me in the current styles.
(My other Figs are previous styles since they are a gift from a dear reader who was doing a closet cleanout!)
Once I have figured out my size, then when Figs comes out with a bubble gum pink in the future, I will be ready to confidently purchase.
3. I did a bank account bonus
My blogging friend Josh recommended the site Doctor of Credit (not affiliated) for a list of the best bank account opening bonuses, so I hopped on over and found one that would work for me.
Now that I have a real paycheck with direct deposit, I plan to do a few of these every year to make my nurse paychecks work a little harder for me!
These offers do require a little bit of legwork, but even if you spend an hour working on it (and you usually won't), it's a seriously good return on your time since most offers are worth at least $300.
4. I submitted for a new student ID
I had to send in a photo to get a student ID for my new school; they required a collared shirt for some odd reason, and this is literally the only one I own.
(You may remember it from this ThredUp Goody Box...click on the link to see it on 2018 me with low-rise skinny jeans. Ha!)
I will probably not end up using the ID much for school purposes but you know why I want it: for my student discounts. 😉
Many of them require proof of enrollment in the form of a current student ID, so now I will be prepared!
As I slog through journal articles and APA citations, I will comfort myself by remembering my little discounts. 😉
5. I made chicken broth from freezer bones
I had a backlog of rotisserie chicken bones in my freezer because...I was not about to make chicken broth while it was a million degrees.
Also, I use chicken broth most often for soups, and the summer weather earlier was not making me feel like eating soup!
But it has been delightfully cool of late, so I made a pot of broth and used it to make a pot of Zuppa Toscana.
(Here's how I make my chicken broth.)
I think I only have a couple sets of chicken bones left in my chest freezer now. Yay!
Every time I make chicken broth, I think about how it is rather magical that you can make something nutritious and useful from basically nothing.
I don't think I will ever stop making chicken broth, even if I become a millionaire*.
*not a worry for the near future. My nurse paychecks aren't THAT big. 😉
My FFT:
1. We officially sold a house! This was absolutely the biggest check we have ever received in our lives. Bonus: we are now debt-free!
2. I cashed in a rain check from earlier in the summer when blueberries were 99cents/pint. I got 12 pints and froze a bunch of them.
3. I asked for rain checks for the ground beef and pork chops that were on sale but out of stock on Saturday at Meijer. I know this may be one of the last times that ground beef goes on super sale until next Memorial Day, so I didn't want to miss out.
4. I found a quicker way to make salsa compared to my normal recipe. I'm short on time right now, but don't want to throw away bunches of tomatoes (like I did a week ago.) We've been eating lots of salsa and I gave some away. I have a friend bringing me jalapenos today, so I'll make more this week.
5. We had paid for a month of the Adventures in Odyssey Club to have it for our vacation last month and I wrote a note in my planner to cancel it on September 1 to avoid the auto-renewal. I cancelled it yesterday since we won't have as much time to enjoy it during the school year.
(Do numbers 2-5 seem so small compared to #1? Yes, but they still bring a lot of satisfaction.)
@Ruth T, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That's so awesome!
@Ruth T, congrats on selling the house! Wonderful!
@Ruth T, congratulations on the house sale!
@Ruth T, WOOHOO! Having gone through house-selling more than I'd care to admit, I know that feeling! Congrats on selling AND getting out of debt! Definitely something to celebrate!
@Ruth T, congratulations on being DEBT-FREE! When we paid off our house, I literally felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It's wonderful!
@Ruth T, Yay! Such a good feeling.
@Ruth T,
Woot! Woot! Woot! It's great that you are now debt-free. Congeatulations!
@Ruth T, loud cheers for both the house sale and your new debt-free status!
@Ruth T, congrats!!! That's a lot of work done as well as a big check.
@Ruth T, Last summer my tomatoes were slow and I never seemed to have enough at one time to make a big batch of salsa. I had read that you could freeze them whole and the skin just slides off when you thaw them to use. Of course, they are mushy and only really good for cooking after freezing but it did work great.
@Ruth T, DEBT FREE!!! It is the BEST way to be!
@Ruth T,
WAHOOOOOOO on the house sale and being debt free!
Thanks, everyone! It's been an exciting week!
Not a whole lot. I kind of feel like I've been failing lately!
1. Some women were picking plums from a tree as I walked past on Saturday and randomly gave me a bag, which was very kind of them! I used most of the plums to make a crumble and will probably use the rest for smoothies.
2. I got a free chocolate bar and a fizzy drink from a work event.
3. I saved half of a tin of beans from last night for a future dinner.
4. I used a book token I got for my birthday to order a book.
5. I bought a blender which I hope will motivate me to make smoothies at home. My old one broke and I hadn't replaced it, but I noticed I was missing smoothies and buying them more frequently than I expected.
@Sophie in Denmark, homemade smoothies make me so happy. I love smoothies and they are so expensive if you buy them! I love making them at home because I make them just right for me 🙂 and if I add flax, or chia or hemp seeds it feels even healthier. I hope your blender brings you some extra smoothie joy!
@Caitlie, Thank you! So do I!
--I was in a dyeing mood last week! The black load in the washer included a pair of cargo pants and six of my husband's work shirts, all of which had faded. The second, dark purple load included a full set of flannel sheets that we've had for over a decade. They're still in great condition, I just felt like switching up the color to better match our winter quilt. Jewel tones for the win!
--The garden is slowly filling up the freezer. The okra is podding like mad, and my first eggplant fruits have finally shown themselves. Chard, kohlrabi, and beets were planted last weekend; I've probably time to plant another round of radishes and greens before it gets too cold.
--Our last doozy of a summer storm claimed both trees in front of the house. With their shade gone, it is noticeably hotter in the afternoon. Thus, I hung our thick winter curtains in the windows for better insulation and installed reflective window film on our screen door windows to bring the temperature back down. $12 in window film was definitely worth it! We'll plant new trees next year, but that's a long haul pay off. 😛
--A neighbor very sweetly helped haul the last of our tree debris away. He's a long distance trucker and home very seldom; we were deeply touched that he spent some of his limited time off assisting us. I handed him my biggest container of frozen homemade tomato soup as a thank you, which tickled him no end. He kept repeating that he was just glad to help.
--Unbeknownst to our neighbor, I had cleaned up the fallen branches on his land the day after the storm, knowing that he was likely on the road.
@N, When you dye in your washer, is there anything special you have to do to make sure there's no leftover dye transfer to subsequent loads? I've always wondered! (And anyone who uses black dye clearly knows the answer : )
@Suz, As I recall, instructions for this are part of good dying instructions. Run a cycle of just hot water with bleach; or wash dark colors only for a couple of cycles after dying. I have done this and had no problems. I used a dye recipe that used a combination of black and navy blue, a rich black result. Found recipes on the internet using Rit dyes, easily available.
@Suz, What Kristina said! The dye box has cleaning directions, but it usually boils down to run an empty load on HOT, the fullest cycle, with bleach and detergent. For the next load, wash only darks In cold to be safe; I also like to throw in a pale sacrificial sock or rag so that I know if there's any lingering dye. A dark laundry load won't dye a white sock green or pink, for example, so I'll know if my cleaning job was sufficient or if I need to repeat the process.
It's so fun to play the new bank account bonus game! I have two that will be paying off this month. I use Rakuten, and sometimes it will offer extra bonus payments on top of what the bank is offering. I've seen that happen twice!
I miss my student ID days! The discounts were legit.
A frugal fail this week. I bought milk and Graham crackers at a store when I was running errands, so carefully packed the milk in the trunk to keep it out of the sun. And promptly forgot about it. So two days later , I open the trunk and sigh. It was pretty solid from sourness, but the smell wasn't too bad.
The usual frugal efforts: using gift cards for dinner after a long week, eating out of the freezer. And cooler weather means no AC , so a win there.
@mbmom11, oh my goodness, I'm so glad the milk didn't spill & the smell wasn't too bad. Had just a few drops leak out one time and I didn't notice until the next time I opened the car door and the smell knocked me down!
@Suz, one time my husband spilled some milk in the back seat of the car. I washed what I could see but that smell was forever leaving. I swear on hot days I still get a faint whiff.
FFT travel edition.
We have friends staying at our house for two weeks to look after our dogs and the garden. They get a vacation in our area and I know my dogs are in good hands. This saves me the cost of a pet sitter.
I packed breakfast and lunch for our travel day.
I have snacks for the two days we're in Anchorage prior to our cruise.
I used credit card points to book a hotel last night near the airport which is two hours from home. We had to be at the airport at 5am.
My kindle is liaded with library books for the flight. By
Thanks for the reminder about student discounts! I should remember to use mine, now that I'm taking classes again after (many) years. Thanks again for being part of the nudge to inspire me to take the leap! And I'm excited for you about the new scrubs!
Frugal things...
I bought bulk corn on the cob when it was on sale for 5/$1. Cooked it all, and froze packs for a taste of summer later on.
Similarly, we grilled lots of extra chicken for dinner one night. Since the grill was already going, it saved on gas and our time. It will get frozen in packs as easy meal additions. I don't feel like I've mastered cooking meat in the kitchen so that it's tender, but the grill does great. I love having a stash of easy pre-cooked meats to add to salads, soups, fajitas, stir fries, etc. (anyone have any excellent tips for cooking meat specifically? I do use the crockpot, or saute, or roast some meats, but even after 25+ years of cooking, I wish I was better in this area).
Packed picnic lunches to enjoy with friends at a park yesterday. Such a beautiful day!
Walking the dog every day, doing weights at home, and playing volleyball... Low cost investment for valuable physical and mental health gains.
Hosted a bunch of neighbors for a fire pit with s'mores for an easy end-of-summer gathering.
Have a great week, everyone!
@PD, for chicken and pork, try brining or dry-rubbing the meat before cooking. I recommend either Kenji Lopez-Alt or the Serious Eats website for details.
For chicken, try simmering it in stock, sauce, or water on very low heat, the liquid should barely be bubbling. The theory is of the chix never gets above 160f, it can't overcook.
Try sous-vide. It's terrific for not overcooking and also efficient. Serious Eats website for details.
@WilliamB, thanks for the suggestions!
I can’t remember if I shared this last time, but I fixed my daughter’s door with toothpicks and wood glue. The hole for the hinge screw was stripped, making the door hit the frame at an odd angle, but this cheap fix worked great!
Last night’s dinner was odds and ends from the kitchen. Trying to use up most everything before my next grocery trip.
I ate from the garden.
I took a free class from a local community farm ministry.
I waited for a big sale to order my daughter’s pajamas. Labor Day was the perfect opportunity for half off prices.
@JenRR, my Dad used to use the toothpicks and glue repair method. Thanks for prompting another memory of my Dad.
@Juhli, It’s funny what brings memories to the forefront of our minds. I’m glad you got to enjoy memory this morning.
I have a similar store of chicken bones waiting on cooler weather. Maybe this coming weekend I can get to them.
One of dogs got sprayed by a skunk last night, a direct hit. They're not all that common here, so this is the first time it's happened to him. Our dogs are entirely outside dogs, though (except when it's zero degrees out there), so we won't have to try to de-stink him with any products or anything. It'll just wear off gradually and we'll try our best to keep our distance until it does. 🙂 He is the one most likely to shove his head in our laps while we're sitting outside on the bench, of course, but it should only be for a couple of weeks.
@kristin @ going country, Oh, and a query for the group at large: I have a couple of boxes--at least--of books that I have weeded from our shelves, and I noticed that Thriftbooks has an option for selling with them. Has anyone ever done this? Was it worth it? I figure even if I only get credit with them, that's better than nothing, and we will certainly always be buying more books in the future anyway.
@kristin @ going country, I've never dealt with Thriftbooks, so I can't offer any advice about that. But do be prepared for your skunky dog to smell skunky for a full 6 weeks. Our second and last dog got skunked four times (that's one reason she was the last dog), and doggone it if it didn't take 6 weeks for the smell to wear off every time. We used Nature's Miracle and other remedies, too.
@kristin @ going country, I have used Powell's Books, but that was a few years ago and it is a credit. Not sure if they still are buying books. And that was a Non-Consumer Advocate referral. I know for a while during and after Covid, they were not taking any books. But it's another area to check.
@kristin @ going country, I haven't tried Thriftbooks, but I have used BookScouter, which aggregates offers from various sellers. Just enter ISBNs and see which site offers the best option; I've sold this way (for cash, and they pay for shipping the books so there's no cost to me) to various sellers inc Powells, sellbackyourbook, eCampus.. all have pros and cons (e.g. Powells has stringent requirements for condition), but all transactions went well overall. I agree - it's worth a try!
@kristin @ going country,
I have sold books online before and have used thriftbooks. Although I didn't make a lot of money, it was a good experience.
I helped my son clear out a lot of his art books after a change in his life's trajectory. I used an app called Bookscouter. You simply scan the ISBN number on the back of the book. You are then provided a list of secondhand book buyers and an offer price for each book.
This only works for a large clearance, because most companies have minimums and restrictions. However, the company will cover the cost of shipment. For me, this worked beautifully.
@kristin @ going country,
If you do try to de-stink him, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap is the winning combination.
( my sister had a skunk move in under her front steps, so had several unforexperiences with her pets before they could get it removed. Tomato juice is useless.)
@kristin @ going country, I’m about to try the Thriftbooks selling option. I read about it and think you have to enter each book’s ISBN for them to say yes or no. When you are ready, they send you a label for the Post Office and you can send up to 40 lbs. in one box. This seems nutso to me, but I am willing to try it.
@kristin @ going country, there's an app called Library Thing that makes selling books easier. You use your phones camera to scan bar codes, app turns it into ISBNs and loads it into your personal online catalog. You can also fat-finger ISBNs for books too old for bar codes. If it has the ISBN in its memory it will populate details for you. Then you download your catalog, copy the ISBNs into the book sellers websites.
It sounds tedious and there's a learning curve, and still it's easier than entering ISBNs by hand.
For sites such as Powells, keep trying because what they need changes over time. Also, Powells pays for your shipping, which is a significant consideration.
My experience with selling books is that after the first flush of easy sales, the financial reward is very low. Now if Powells doesn't want it, I donate to the library for their sale.
@mbmom11, tomato juice is worthless on a skunked dog. And I'd do my best to de-stink the dog - the cost and time is minimal.
Nice scrubs!
1. We finally had a few days of warm weather in the East Bay and I mostly used techniques from my childhood without air conditioning to keep the house and us cool enough. Strategic window and blind opening and closing along with fans. We do have an air conditioner upstairs and turn it on for the hottest part off the day,
2. Exercised at home.
3. Enjoyed my birthday gifts of fancy coffee and flowers.
4. Set up online payment for contributions to our granddaughters college funds saving a tiny bit of postage.
5. And ate the birthday dinner leftovers which was so hard when part of that is ice cream. Still ice cream left but someone has to eat it.
1. We accepted a hand-me-down Blackstone-style grill from my parents, which they never even put together. My husband assembled it and we enjoyed two breakfasts on the grill already!
2. I used up some leftover heavy cream by making homemade ice cream and whipped cream.
3. I made French bread instead of buying it prepared for the same recipe that required heavy cream (French toast casserole).
4. I also made homemade soft pretzels last week.
5. Husband is abroad again for work. I decided for the third out of four times to not go with him, saving us the plane ticket and my meals. I'm working from my parents' house this week instead.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea,
My kids love their Blackstone grills. My eldest son, whose life would not be complete without a party, has the great big one. He has cooked holiday breakfast for a crowd. He made fajitas for about 40 at his daughter's first birthday party. On Mother's Day, he used it to make a Japanese-style, gluten-free, teppanyaki steak dinner. They are fun!
@Bee, the recipe ideas seem endless! I really want to try a stir fry and smash burgers soon.
I don't usually write here on FFT days because it seems that we are ALWAYS spending money. Somehow, it just occurred to me that frugality is the WAY you spend money, not necessarily the complete absence of spending. I guess I'm late to the frugal party, but at least I'm here.
This weekend is a family wedding - yay! We are feeding a lot of people, and the frugality comes in by cooking at home and getting groceries at Costco and Aldi.
We have helped some family members with their travel expenses, and the frugality comes in by the small amount it is costing us compared to the joy that spending time together is bringing.
Clothing for the wedding and rehearsal dinner - DH is wearing clothing he already owns, even shoes. I bought one dress, a shrug, and two pairs of shoes that I am looking forward to wearing a lot in the future. No one-event clothing purchases here.
I just cancelled an online subscription that I haven't used. I'm usually careful about these but this one got by me. The frugality will hit next month.
I resisted the temptation to hire a professional cleaner to prepare our apartment for the arrival of guests. DH and I are our own professional cleaners.
@Book Club Elaine,
It's interesting that people all look at frugality differently. I have always thought that frugality was spending money mindfully, with intention, and in a manner consistent with your values and goals.
@Book Club Elaine, I always think it's more interesting to read about how folks spend money creatively to save money, then not spending money at all! Perhaps the most frugal thing would be to stay home and eat nothing and do nothing, but that's not very interesting or realistic 😉 Hope the wedding is fun for all!
@Book Club Elaine, family weddings are about the most fun a human can have, and your efforts to make it the best for everyone are well worth every dollar.
Frugality is indeed about spending wisely rather than just squeaking by with cheapness.
Welcome to the Frugal Party! (not as fun as a family wedding, but it’ll do for the in between times.)
1. Sister came over for lunch and brought a lot of grapes and pineapple that she left for us to finish.
2. From Buy Nothing, I received under-eye concealer for my raccoon eyes and two large jars of expired peanut butter that no one else wanted.
3. Husband spent $20 on a high school fundraiser. He was impressed by the young man selling the card that provides discounts to local businesses.
4. Went out to dinner with friends and limited my order to a $9 salad. Scoped out the menu ahead of time so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend more. Forgot to bring enough cash so I had to pay the 3 percent charge for using my credit card.
5. Asked for plastic newspaper sleeves for dog poop bags from my Buy Nothing group and received 40 plastic bread bags, all from one person. Score!
@MB in MN,
A big THANK YOU to your husband for buying that card for the high school fundraiser. My son is in our local high school marching band (and will be in winter drumline later this year), and the fundraising is so necessary. In my son's case, it pays for things like show shirts, costumes, snacks and meals for when they have all-day Saturday practices, and more.
I don't think I own a collared shirt at all. I hate collars on my neck. That's a strange requirement for a photo.
I love my pressure cooker for broth in the summer. Keeps the house from getting too hot, but in the winter, I love to make it on the stove.
Probably most frugal this week is the weather ha! My ac isn't on nearly as much as it was weeks prior. We have the windows open this morning at 60 degrees outside.
I bought a boston butt last week on markdown. DH put it on the smoker yesterday with a few other things. We now have a few meals in the freezer.
I bought two pottery barn 100% cotton sheets and pillowcases at the thrift store. They look new and at $3 per sheet...I was glad to find them.
I dug out a huge, mounded flowerbed that was completely root bound. It has taken me two weeks to dig it out. I wanted to go buy a tiller sooo bad, but I didn't because I know I wouldn't use it much in the future. The exercise was good for me. This way was completely free. I pulled probably 50+ misc bulbs from the bed and will give those away to friends and neighbors.
I sat down last night and planned meals for the week from things in the fridge and freezer. I should only need to purchase fresh produce for salads this week.
@Marlena,
I'm wondering if they want to make sure people include their shoulders in the head shot. By requiring the collar, you get a full face and shoulders.
@mbmom11, I bet it also prevents the wearing of off-shoulder tops, which would not look very professional.
FFT, Labor Day Weekend Edition:
(1) Saturday was such a perfect day that I really just wanted to spend it at home. So I made herbal vinegars, processed some dried herbs, and spent breaks watching the bird and butterfly activity in my gardens.
(2) On Sunday, I attended the second day of a nearby estate sale. The deceased was a professor of literature at the Jesuit college near me, and–according to DH, who did some remodeling for him back in the day–was quite a character. (There was a rumor that the guy once threatened to take off his pants at a faculty meeting, though I forget the reason.) Anyway, after 45 hot, dusty, and fascinating minutes, I staggered out of there with two overflowing shopping bags of books (the place was a book-a-palooza, as you can imagine) and other odds and ends, including two DVDs, four Irish music CDs, two belts, a pair of sunglasses, and an unopened box of flypaper strips! Total cost $45.
(3) Minor frugal fail: Unfortunately, after I got home, I discovered that what I thought was a complete set of the Oxford U. Press edition of Jane Austen in paperback (a possible present for JASNA Panera) had two Emmas and no Sense and Sensibility. Fortunately, Jane Austen Books (janeaustenbooks.net; the owners are personal friends, and I’m happy to recommend them) had the S&S I needed in stock for a very reasonable price.
(4) I've spent much of the rest of the weekend copyediting papers for JASNA's upcoming journal issues. If I'm editing, I'm not out spending money.
(5) And I took a drive yesterday afternoon to visit the friends on whose country property DH's ashes are buried. Lovely day, lovely visit, and DH seems quite content next to his llama friend under one of the property's many bluebird houses.
@A. Marie, the satisfaction of completing a set of books... unmatched!
@A. Marie, what is JASNA?
@Joyce from Arkansas, Jane Austen Society of North America. (sorry, I'm not A. Marie)
@A. Marie, the variety of finds at the estate sale is giving me a chuckle.
@Book Club Elaine, yep--and there was some even weirder stuff I could have had if I'd wanted it. As I said, the deceased was a character.
DH really likes the compression socks from Figs.
FFT:
1. Bought orthopedic surgeon approved shoes when they were on sale.
2. Bought a big pack of chicken wings from Costco to enjoy for start of college football season. We had wings twice over the weekend and also shared with DD and SIL.
3. Used jar of homemade peach habanero jam that turned out not to be spicy to make wing sauce.
4. Made more cloth napkins using fabric and thread I inherited from Mom.
5. We took our grandbaby to a local children's museum and packed snacks and drinks for our adventure.
1. We have taken advantage of the nice cooler weather with free outdoor activities such as biking and kayaking.
2. Opened the windows and not running the A/C.
3. a Sweat equity in the yard and doing our own weeding and yard care instead of hiring a landscaper.
3. b Almost bought a new outdoor hammock chair but got second thoughts and canceled the cart.
3. cContinue enjoying figs from our neighbor (helped pick some) and pears from our tree.
4. I have a pair of comfortable pants I keep wearing and washing non-stop as I use them so much. Bought a second pair at REI with their Labor Day sale.
5. Received my check in the mail from the BlueCross BlueShield gym membership reimbursement. I was thinking recently how I never received one and contacted my insurance company to check on it. I must have missed the envelope as one of those multiple mailings I overlook as I never saw it, but the insurance company issued a new check for me which I promptly opened.
Thanks for the reminder that teen has not gotten college student ID yet. Since it's done online teen will procrastinate because doesn't want to do. I'm thinking same thing as you, student discounts!
Frugal things---
● bought local honey this weekend & opted for cheaper (plastic) container (same size) saved $3 each compared to glass container. After opening I will transfer to saved glass jars for better storage
● went to local flea market over weekend & purchased 2 new hand rolls of shrink wrap $1 each
● Ordered my Allergy meds on Amazon for cheaper than sale price with coupon at store
● managed to not turn on furnace (40* overnight for 5 nights) though did pull out warmer pjs. Obviously no AC & fans.
● earned my $9 monthly bonus from making 12+ purchases with my debit card. Love FREE money. This is not reported as interest so not reported to IRS
● Earned FREE $20 giftcard from many parts purchased for teen vehicle (deer damage plus additional stuff).
Frugal fail---
● we recently had Rotisserie chicken & I always forget to put chicken bones in freezer to make broth. I did it once & hot water bath/canned it only to find out you have to pressure can it so it still sits in my refrigerator, probably should dump out since been in fridge for months.
I made easy spaghetti sauce from our abundance of tomatoes. I roast sliced tomatoes, onions, garlic and whatever else needs to be used up (this time it was a couple small eggplants I had been given) in the oven for a couple hours. I don’t peel or seed the tomatoes. When done I puree in my beloved Vitamix, add spices, a little sugar (to offset the acidity) and salt. I simmer that on the stove and add ground meat, sautéed onions and peppers (which we also have an abundance of). I served it over steamed zucchini zoodles. I have to say I have gotten a lot of seasonal use out of my inexpensive hand-crank spiralizer over the years.
A friend needs an outfit for a family wedding and asked for advice for consignment or thrift shops. I went through my wardrobe and sent her 3 possibilities that I am happy to loan her.
I have several wonderful books on hold at the library. I support independent bookstores with occasional purchases but also use them as a resource to see if my wonderful library already carries books that interest me.
We got together with extended family who were in the area for the holiday weekend. We shared garden produce and brought a wonderful pie sourced from a small business we love. I took the opportunity to collect some costume jewelry, scarves and kitchen stuff I wanted to pass along if they were of interest ( all but one item found a new hone).
I have been updating my “this is it” folder with information (including digital passwords) to have available if I became incapacitated or leave this world. I have had 2 acquaintances check out this summer and it makes you think. Having settled an estate 8 years ago I appreciate how valuable providing and keeping info up to date can be for whoever is responsible for sorting through an estate.
Eating down the freezer and the pantry is definitely frugal. (Till the freezer is empty and I buy pastured meat in bulk, which is spendy.)
I saved my father some money by buying him the cheapest fridge that met his needs, instead of the nicest. When you're 88, you don't need a fridge that lasts 15 years. And if it turns out he does, I'll happily admit my error and take the tradeoff.
Continued to watch free streaming from T-Mobile and the public library. Full disclosure: I pay for Prime, Disney for the time being, and Paramount ($40/yr for as long as I keep it).
Roommate and I used his birthday credits at various stores for things for the house.
Did not go to any Labor Day sales.
As always I forgot something. Sheesh!
Picked thru the things my friend is getting rid of. I got a soda stream machine and accessories, and a few random bits and bobs.
I gave her a KitchenAid slicer attachment that I've used literally once.
@WilliamB, I’ll be interested to know what you think of the Soda Stream and how you dress up the drinks. Although it is definitely mono-functional, I’ve always been curious about it. (Things only get to live in my kitchen if they perform 3 functions.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, even if I don't find a flavor I like, I'll probably keep it for my guests. I have a roomy kitchen and don't need to be so strict any more.
Now my brain is making a list of single taskers in my kitchen.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
My husband has one because he likes plain carbonated water. We don't care for many of the flavored syrups. I toss a bit of lime juice into mine to make a club soda and lime which has been my drink for ages.
@Lazy Budget Chef,
I drink plain carbonated water, too - usually just plain, but once in awhile I'll use some of those flavor drops to liven it up. Ive always wondered if a Soda Stream would ultimately be cheaper....a 2 liter bottle of plain seltzer water (Kroger store brand) is a little more than $1 (maybe $1.25? I forget). Of course, with the Soda Stream, there's no big plastic bottles that need to be recycled.
1. I found frozen fruit bars at Aldi marked down to $1.09 a box, so I bought two. They had several kinds of ice cream and popsicles discounted too, probably because it's the end of summer, I guess.
2. I made cornbread to go with a can of pork and beans that had been languishing in the back of my pantry for months. I got several meals from that combination.
3. I also ate some of the cornbread topped with leftover pasta sauce, after using up the pasta. This was surprisingly delicious.
4. I made pancakes from a partly used box of cake mix. I had them with strawberries for a Sunday brunch at home, and ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day.
5. I combined a small load of laundry with a bigger one to save a little on water and detergent. I used a mesh bag to keep some smaller items separate.
Well done on the chicken broth! I'm always taken aback by how delicious homemade chicken broth is. My local stores don't carry rotisserie chickens, but I get packs of raw bones for next to nothing and I just simmer them with chunked-up vegetables, and it's phenomenal. I'm so excited for fall cooking!
My Frugal Five: travel edition
1. We could have driven, flown, or taken the train. We drove, which was definitely the best choice; having the car gave us a lot of flexibility.
2. Our main activities were visiting friends (free,) hiking (free,) and going to a museum (not free, and we stayed for hours and enjoyed it immensely.)
3. We got our food from the grocery store (inexpensive) and ate out once a day at either a diner or a noodle joint in the local market (not super expensive.)
4. We travelled Monday-Thursday to keep the hotel costs lower...but we did splurge on a staying somewhere really nice. And boy did we extract every inch of enjoyment that we could! We ate the included breakfast every day, had a million cups of coffee and tea and juice from their lounge, enjoyed all the included snacks...it was great for us and our almost-4 year old LOVED it.
5. Unrelated frugal redecorating: Mr. B and I have tickets from our first date, which I stuck in a frame. A few weeks ago when I was doing watercolours with our daughter, I painted a little watercolour of the park we went to (it's...not great. Art is not my forte.) But this weekend we were re-arranging some wall-art and swapping frames around, so I trimmed down my little watercolour and stuck the tickets on it, then re-framed it, and you know what? It's pretty darn cute for a little piece that can just sit on a bookshelf.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), I like your watercolor story 🙂
One big and Four tiny saves:
1. I just received the insurance info from my school district. I need to pick plan. I have never been great about figuring out the most cost effective. I had a breakthrough. I used ChatGPT. I put our last years cost's ( which I got from my insurance's dashboards) then put in the three possibilities. This included premium, deductibles and co insurance. Of course all three were vastly different because the insurance company wants to make it as confusing as possible. The CHATPT came up with a side by side scenario and a winner. This year my husband will have focal therapy for prostate cancer. The cheapest insurance came up the winner . I think it is because we know he will meet the very high deductible. Beyond catastrophic scenario which becomes a push, I will save between $500 - $4,000 dollars"
2. Nielson rating sent me a dollar bill to take a survey. I kept the dollar but didn't take the survey.
3. I bought a near expiration large plain yogurt. I froze it in ice cube trays and now I will now have many yogurt starters for my own yogurt which is super cheap.
4. Date night was watching Thunderbolts streaming. Instead of renting for $9.99, I bought a one month Disney Hulu subscription for $10.00. I can now rewatch it and other things. I have already canceled the subscription but I have till the end of the month.
5. I believe in Karma. Living a generous life becomes generous to me. I gave my housecleaner a 5% COL raise unsolicited. I pay a pretty generous salary already but not everyone else does.
i am so glad you have figs scubs. they look terrif on you. everything looks terrif on you. forgot to thank you for the fab chiquita pictures from the other day. she is such a ham.
You look great the in the purple scrubs! I bet the navy blue ones will too!
@AW, I had a long list of Frugal 5s but they unfortunately, got deleted 🙁
Got to be okay with letting it go.
What is the fiber content of scrubs? They look to be cotton with spandex. The pants look comfortable enough to pass as sweats without looking sloppy. Makes me want to get some! (especially if they come in teal)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I have Figs--they're comfortable, but entirely synthetic.
I don't have any big frugalities lately, but here's what I have:
1. I had a turkey in my freezer for some time, and I needed to cook it. Since we've had decently cool mornings lately (oh, that they would last!), I put it in to cook first thing Labor Day morning so it was done before the day heated up. I'll eat some and freeze some for meals later.
2. As soon as the turkey was cool enough to handle, I pulled the meat off of it and put the bones in the crockpot to make broth.
3. I cooked down the scuppernongs I've picked from my vines and put them through the food mill, then froze the pulpy juice for later. It will be jam, pudding or pie.
4. This isn't especially frugal, but I found a quiet paper shredder at Costco for $30. That's a better price than I'd been seeing, and I feel better knowing pages with sensitive information are not going in the trash. It's not frugal to have one's information stolen.
5. I could have paid for it, but I made myself refresh my raised beds with more dirt and compost, dig all the dirt out of one bed that is a cattle trough in order to drill more drain holes in it then replace the dirt, and plant seeds in all my planters. I also used some seeds I've had in the refrigerator for a couple of years. If they don't sprout, I'll do over with fresh, but this often works.
I have decided that everyone looks good in pink! It brightens you up and just makes you glow! Even men look great in pink, if they'll wear it!
We are getting 2 Aldis in our area soon. I can't wait!
My ffts –
I made a cute artsy pin to swap with a creative friend. We decided to challenge our creative brains and make pins for each other. I made my first pin from fabric scraps and a lone sterling silver earring from a pair; I lost the other one. You can add these pins as decoration on purses, clothing, even pillows and home decor. We'll each do a few in the coming year. You can see examples all over Pinterest.
I saved some leftovers and passed them along to my sister so food wasn't wasted.
I paid attention and timed it just right so I did 4 Kroger surveys in August. This added 200 extra points to our gas points total. My husband uses the points to fill up his truck. At one point he got 50 cents off a gallon.
I met a friend for breakfast at a local bakery spot and later answered the survey that came up on my square receipt with the unhappy face. They must have had an off day because my breakfast was kinda terrible. First, it came to the table cold and I had to ask for it to be reheated. Then, after getting it back warmed up, the sweet potatoes that were part of the plate were terribly over-salted. I didn't say anything about it at the time because I didn't want to come across as a whiny customer. To my surprise, they refunded my entire purchase which I did not ask for, nor expect – which I told them. They appreciated the feedback, they said. So I'll go back and try again.
I made another bottle of my homemade “Poopourri.” It just takes about 30 drops of essential oil, 2 teaspoons of alcohol and water. A bottle of the stuff is $10. I found the recipe online a few years ago and it works perfectly. I put it in the original bottle.
Thank you for the banking link.
My farm helper brought a friend to work on a big project. It is always nice to have a well vetted list of hard working kids.
I vacuum packed the rotisserie chicken carcass, not ready for soup on a 90F day.
I altered my work jeans, added 2" elastic to the waistband. I have a small waist and I keep getting stung "back there".
While I had the sewing machine out, I patched another big tarp. My brother brings me the ripped tarps.
Builder friend brought me 5 gallons of white interior paint as the buyers changed their minds. I never turn down his leftovers. I am slowly ship lapping my tack room with his leftovers.
You'd never have to pay for scrubs if you'd gone into labor and delivery, as they're hospital provided due to being an OR nurse and rules regarding infection control!
That is true!
My hospital had SO few openings for L&D nurses, though, so I'd likely have ended up in regular scrubs even if I did apply over there.
Hmmm, like BookClub Elaine, it seems as if all I do is spend money. However, these things are frugal:
1. Caught a ride to the cabin with a neighbor
2. Cut up vegetables to contribute to our neighborhood gathering instead of buying something fancy (the cabin is so very far from everything that one must plan in advance)
3. library books, always
4. Planning on selling many books on Thriftbooks (do future plans count? how many times can I use this?)
5. Knit fingerless gloves for my friend using leftover yarn (WilliamB—and any other knitters, — the pattern is Susie Rogers Fingerless Mitts)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thanks for the pattern recommendation - I just saved it in Ravelry. Very frugal!!
I'm making another chicken broth this second!!
Major, miserable, frugal fail: A silver tongued seller came by to encourage me to cut (another) tree that I already knew needed cut. It was slowly dying and it was hanging over the house. He started out with an exorbitant price and all the reasons he was charging so much. He dialed it back a bit and they had the agreed upon work done in record time, which was just "lightening" the load of the tree so as not to be dangerous. "Of course, it would be prudent to cut the remainder of the tree because..." at xxx more dollars. Hind sight is always 20/20. What I have learned: It is possible to say NO!, 2) because there are other tree cutters around, 3) It is alright to negotiate, 4) It is alright to ask a (pastor, brother, close friend) to help with interaction. Anyway, I am left with knowing God is in control and He will win in the end. Two of the workers left their sweatshirts and I'm going to let them know their boss can get them back for a couple of thousand apiece. Actually, the right thing would be to wash and fold them and tie them with a bow.
Took supper to work both nights, over the weekend, although I did not have time to eat the first night.
We will receive bonus pay for working short staffed that night.
Sunday night/Monday morning at midnight began the holiday pay for Labor Day of time and a half.
I'm on vacation this week in order to be able to go to "the Rodeo" this weekend. My sister-in-law get's the tickets well in advance, assuring our seats are in a good section and avoiding the last minute mark-up fees. I always pay her a little extra for the effort. Will use Casey's points to fill-up on gas and the car wash that provides free vacuum use after a wash. Reserved a room at a no frills motel at a good rate. As long as it's clean w a fridge and microwave, I'm good.
@Chrissy, I'm sorry the silver-tongued tree guy targeted you! I'm terrible at making decisions on the spot. I bet we all have our own examples of interactions we regret, so - at least you're in good company : )
1. We have received quite a few items of free food from different friends which included: 2 cucumbers, 4 zucchini, 3 green peppers, 7 pears, a bag of potatoes. I used some of thes items and will finish using the rest before they spoil.
2. When donating blood, they give you points in your account which you can redeem for items in their "shop". I redeemed enough points to get a $25 gas card.
3. From buy nothing, I got a bunch of free shorts and capris. What didn't fit me, I passed onto another friend who was in desperate need.
4. Our youngest daughter was moving and gave us her couch which we put in our family room for upcoming football parties with our kids and friends.
5. I froze an overripe banana for future banana bread making.
6. Our air conditioning has been off for over 2 weeks and we have been enjoying having our windows open instead.
You must have a really big freezer. I'm jealous.
Mini bagels are my friend. They make portion control a bit easier. If I have a regular size bagel it is impossible for me to toast just one half
1. A fiend dropped off some tomatoes we used to make tofu cacciatore, along with herbs from our garden.
2. Dehydrated some tomatoes from our garden and some over-ripe plums and grapes.
3. Made applesauce from over-ripe apples
4. Brought my kids for a cleaning at the dentist
5. Used over-ripe bananas to make banana pancakes.
One pretty good frugal win, a couple of frugal fails.
Frugal win: I biked the 8 miles to campus! And 8 miles back again. And learned there's a branch library on the route, so I can stop there for my book fix if needed. 😉 What makes this work is my campus has locker rooms with showers, otherwise I would be a disgusting mess at class. As it was I got in early enough to grab a shower and rehydrate and get some studying in before lecture started. If I can do this at least once a week this semester I'll be very pleased.
Frugal fail: I remembered too late that I'd forgotten to pack a brush in my shower kit...so I stopped at a Meijer on the way to buy one. Ugh.
Another frugal fail: I have been trying (and failing) to find comfortable shoes that meet my Nurse Aide training requirements. They have to be all black or all white, and non-permeable. I tried Clove and those were much too narrow across the toes. I returned them and instead of being smart and asking for a refund to my card, I got store credit...maybe I can get some socks. :p Then I ordered some Skechers, but they, too, feel a little narrow. WHERE are the wide toe-box shoes for those of us who need them? Maybe I will try Hokas next, if anybody has any suggestions I welcome them. My feet are fairly duck-foot shaped, with a narrow heel but wide at the ends and in the middle!
@Karen A., maybe Dansko?
@Karen A., re wide toe box shoes, I heard about Altras from Kristen. Am wearing a pair as I type & have really enjoyed them. I definitely need the wide toe box! I do use orthotic inserts to add arch and heal support as well.
I love this!
@Karen A., my foot doctor recommends either Altra or HOKA (especially Bondi 8 or Clifton 9). Good luck!
@Karen A., Alegria is another good one.
@Karen A., Brooks sneakers have that profile. Can't help you with the rest of the requirements, sorry.
@Karen A., The (classic) New Balance 397 0r 392, I forget which, I know it if I see it, have been my go to. They come in varying widths.
@Karen A., I have duck feet too! Plus a really high arch. To keep things interesting, size 11. I feel your pain! Whoopie Goldberg also has them and recommends the brand of.....Duck Feet! I bought a pair when they were on View Your Deal. At half off they were still expensive. But work shoes are a good expensive purchase. I just don't know if they have the kind you need. Good luck!
I am a weekly Aldi shopper and love it. But I rarely see red stickers on bakery items, especially bread, in my Aldi. When I do I nab it/them and freeze extras.
I was doing a freezer cleanout the other day and found that I had more chicken carcasses than I had remembered so will be making some stock. I do mine in a Crock-pot and let it simmer for 3 solids days and get a really deep, rich stock.
My frugal five and one huge fail:
1. Got a family book from the free little library. It's a book where you put in your memories, ancestors, etc. Dh really liked it so now it's his to fill in.
2. We were on vacation last week at the Jersey Shore and after two failed restaurant dinners with 2 hearing impaired people we just decided to do take out. The restaurants were just too loud.
3. Dh has been working on replacing the shed that we have. That meant taking the siding off, pulling shingles off, etc. He's done a nice job. We got the shingles from our roofing job and they left some plywood too.
4. While we didn't win the 1.1 billion Power Ball we did get to purchase our tickets for free. Someone left an $18 credit in the lottery machine so we were able to get 4 tickets for free so that was our lottery winnings. Hubby felt bad for whoever left the credit so he gave his phone number to the clerk in case someone came back to claim the money. Hubby and I sympathize cause that machine can be complicated.
5. I'm getting a free replacement for my glucose sensor since the one I was using fell off my arm. I hate when this happens.
Been mostly staying home and doing the frugal old reliables: cooking from the freezer, reading thrifted books, wearing thrifted clothes, rack drying my laundry.
I needed a quick little gift for two friends and made them up a tomato sandwich/omelet kit from my garden: ripe tomatoes, sweet peppers, and a little bunch of basil, oregano and thyme. They can either have a herby sandwich with pepper rings or chop the tomatoes, peppers and herbs to add to an omelet.
I can identify with the chicken broth situation! I had two carcasses plus bones from a bucket of broasted chicken in my freezer, and then my dear darling husband brought home a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. I couldn't wait any more; it was time to make broth. It was a very rich and yummy broth, and the house smelled wonderful in the process.
I can my broth in a pressure cooker. The broth shelves in my pantry are full right now. As you said, it hasn't been soup weather.
1. I returned fizzy water cans to get my deposit back. My state doesn't have that but the state I am working in does. I am 70 cents richer! Whoo!
2. I am happily relying on rechargeable lamps, batteries, and gear to power my camp and show instead of buying a gazillion batteries.
3. My dad used the comp tickets I gave him to surprise me in my audience Labor Day weekend. He bought me lunch as a thank you.
4. The kettle corn booth gifted me a GIANT bag of kettle corn because pop corn is my favorite snack. I'm sharing it with all of my friends because as much as I want to face plant in the bag and not come up for air until it's gone,.my waistline says don't do it.
5. I got a shoulder and neck message froma massage booth that gives faire workers a discount rate. It's the only way I survived performing the 3 day weekend. I tipped very well in gratitude.
Forgot to tell you the frugal fail.
We got back from vacation and I realized the freezer door had been left open about 2 inches. Sigh...All of our sale bought meat, bag of shrimp and lots of vegetables got tossed. Then dh went grocery shopping to replace some of the meat and freaked out over how expensive everything was. I told him that's why I only ask him to buy stuff on sale. He feels bad as he is the one who left the door open but I just accepted it and moved on. What's the point of getting upset?
@auntiali, Is that something your insurance would cover?
1. I meal planned and cooked at home. We brewed coffee at home.
2. I mended a pair of pants.
3. We celebrated a birthday at home, with homemade cake and food. Most presents were bought on sale.
4. A Target drive up order was wrong, so when I was in the general area again, I stopped by to get it sorted. The worker had just missed a bag. The problem was fixed quickly. Then I went to the grocery store closest to Target.
5. I did not buy any clothes for fall, at all. I rarely buy new clothes for a season; I usually replace items as they wear out. I also didn't buy any new fall/Halloween decorations. And there are some many cute ones that I think that needs recognition.
I was excited to find a bakery item with a red tag $2 off sticker at Aldi today too. It brought my 4 pack of lemon blueberry muffins to just $1.89. That made me so happy! I never buy these muffins unless I get them on markdown.
One little/big thing and it didn't happen this week, but it deserves a mention--
I got 1/2 off on a large package of salmon at Aldi, so for $13 of fish and some veggies already in the house we had a really tasty and big family dinner
FYI there is a Facebook group for Figs buy sell or trade. I have offloaded a few of my sets that way when I no longer needed them. Once you know what style and size fits you best this is a great way as they are very well made to last.
Oooh, that is a good tip! Thank you!