Five Frugal Things | a secret gift

1. I used Citicard points to buy a gift

I wanted to buy a small gift for my preceptor (the main nurse who has been supervising me during my orientation), and I found what I wanted on Barnes and Noble’s website.

This is not the gift, but what I bought IS Snoopy-related 😉

Then I remembered I could probably redeem some of my Citicard points for a Barnes and Noble gift card!

Sooo, I opted for an emailed gift card, applied it to my order, and I was good to go. 

I’d show you what I got, but I still have another three weeks of being precepted so I’m being secretive just in case. 😉 

2. I bought a non-scrub-brand jacket for cold night shifts

During the day, I am almost never cold at the hospital. But at night, I doooo sometimes get chilly.

Figs makes scrub jackets, of course, but they are pretty expensive.

And since we are not required to have scrub-specific jackets, I decided to branch out and order this nurse-recommended fleece jacket. 

It’s not expensive, so I don’t care if it gets messed up at work. 

It’s warm, which is the whole point.

It’s a full-zip, which means I can easily take it on and off without having to go over my head.

And importantly, it has very stretchy wrist cuffs, which means I can shove the sleeves up nice and high for hand washing and also just for having the sleeves out of my way if I go into a patient room to do something. 

3. I renewed my Safeway student discount

My previous student discount from my RN school expired at the end of September. Sooo, I uploaded proof of enrollment at my BSN school, and now my random pop-ins at Safeway will be slightly less expensive. 

I will be delighted when I get my BSN and I’m finally not a student anymore…but in the meantime, I do appreciate the small perks of student life. 😉 

(I am slated to graduate with my BSN in December of 2026.)

4. I sold my “vintage” nightgown!

Remember when I cleaned up and listed a 1990s Victoria’s Secret flannel nightgown recently?

Well, I listed it as “vintage” because apparently that is how long ago the 90s were. (!!!)

And someone bought it. 

Less clutter for me, and hopefully the new owner is going to enjoy wearing a flannel nightgown that is not even warm (the neckline is way too big to offer warmth, and we expect nothing less from Victoria’s Secret! Fashion over function.)

5. I cut up my bread ends and froze them

The last few slices of bread were getting a little too dry for sandwiches, so I cubed and froze them. 

This way, I can make croutons when I have the need. Or I might wait and accumulate some more so I can make overnight French toast casserole. 

Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?