Five Frugal Things | a selfie edition
I didn't realize until I put this post together that it was gonna have so many pictures of me. So, it's the Inadvertent Selfie Edition.
1. I got another $10 symphony ticket
Last Friday, I ducked out to the college parking lot on lunch break and bought a student ticket over the phone ($10 for a $77 ticket!). And that night I went to the symphony.
I'd been wearing my student scrubs all week, so it was nice to wear something else for a change. I wore my black $25 Target dress again, because I have decided no one at the symphony cares if I repeat outfits.
I met a new retired friend, and I also saw my friend Patty, whom I met at last month's concert.
I'm gathering a little collection of Retired Lady Friends. 😉
2. I got a PILE of clothes for $30
I think we've talked here before about how skinny jeans are going a bit out of style; this is convenient for me because most of my skinny jeans are sprouting holes or losing their elastic stretch.
Sooo, as I replace them, I'm trying to update the styles I buy.
Anyway, I saw that I had some Old Navy credit in my account, so I popped in there and spent some time trying on jeans.
Honestly, it's a confusing time to buy jeans because it seems like many styles are all available right now; I saw Boyfriend, Flare, Skinny, and Straight styles.
I'm getting used to the looser jeans, but one problem I'm running into is that my shirts are sort of wrong for the looser pants; I think a slimmer, shorter shirt goes with the looser jeans, so I bought some of those.
Anyway, because I had the credit in my account and also a $40 offer for paying with my Gap credit card, I got two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, and four shirts for a total of $30!
3. I got a shirt on clearance at Target
I picked up a long-sleeved shirt that's short enough to look good with high-waisted, non-skinny jeans, but not so short that it is a belly shirt. Perfect!
Also, those are some of the jeans I got from Old Navy. I know you might be thinking, "Hmm, those are still sort of skinny.", so for comparison, here are my previous Old Navy skinny jeans.
Now, those are skinny!
And this is the widest-legged pair of jeans I have. If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that this pair is a big adjustment for me!
4. I used some free cream cheese to make a dip
I had an offer for a free block of cream cheese in my Safeway app, so I picked that up and used it to make a fruit dip.
You just mix up a softened block of cream cheese and a jar of marshmallow fluff; not terribly healthy, but it IS so tasty.
5. I got a Mezeh bowl for $2
It's my birthday month, and as you all probably remember, I usually spend this month living large by redeeming all of my birthday freebies. 😉
I had a $10/any purchase offer from Mezeh (like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle), so I stopped in and got a falafel bowl for $2 after my discount.
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?
P.S. Sometimes I feel a little hesitant about posting selfies because, I dunno, there's something that feels a little self-centered about it. But then I always remind myself that I love to see the faces of bloggers or people I follow on Instagram, and then I give myself a little smack and tell myself to get over it and just post them. 😉
1. I saw a small cordless electric lawnmower on my walk to the grocery store. The sign it was free but needed a battery. I knew we had batteries that would work so I walked it home on my way back. It is small and light and a good addition to the large heavy mower we have. If we don't use it we will give it away.
2. It is our SIL's birthday. We gave him a $.50 Dollar Tree card, a gift card to a store he loves (they sell garden items) and cash. There were no unwanted items purchased.
3. All meals have been at home.
4. I stopped at Costco on my way home from my mammogram appointment, it was more or less on my way. Bonus, I switched imaging providers and the new one is leagues above the old one.
5. We continue to use our chipper on the multitude of branches from two old forsythia bushes. I am using the chips as mulch.
@K D, I bought card from.dollar tree last week & they ate now $1 each instead of 2/$1. Wish I would have known prices increased, would have picked up.more cards last month when purchased birthday cards.
@K D, It took me a while to realize that the $.50 Dollar Tree card was a birthday card and not a gift card for half a dollar of stuff.
@WilliamB, I thought the same thing. And went, "I didn't know you could get a .50-giftcard. I must need more coffee this morning 🙂
@WilliamB, Ha - me too! I was so confused.
@WilliamB, me too.
@WilliamB, Ditto.
@WilliamB,same!
You look so beautiful and happy, Kristen! I can't help but imagine your admiring Retired Lady Friends as the symphony version of Monty Python's "Hell's Grannies." ;P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_OIs49m56E
FFT, Yard Edition
--I planted Phase #1 of our vegetable garden this weekend, with seeds bought on clearance last year. All the giant pots around the porch were seeded; the actual garden beds will be Phase #2 in a few weeks; and Phase #3 will be seeding new things as previous plantings are harvested. This approach will hopefully keep mission "Grow our own food" manageable.
--My one store-bought start was a Trader Joe's $3.99 organic basil plant. Last year's gained sentience, it grew so fast and full--indeed, we only recently finished our substantial homemade pesto stash!
--While I planted, my husband mowed, the first cutting of the season. Since our intrepid young neighbor and his $25 mowings moved away, we've vowed to make a game out of NOT spending money on the lawn. Tag-teaming like this for an hour every weekend should do it.
--Before my husband mowed, I flagged all the irises, tiger lilies, and day lilies that are up but not very big yet. Everyone survived! 😛 The flags were saved from a previous yard project.
--In anticipation of spring thunderstorms, I added a third overflow container to our rain barrel set up. Like the other overflows, it is a 32 gallon outdoor rubber trashcan bought new for $20. That brings our total to one 50 gallon rain barrel ($20 from a friend) and three overflows. We've easily already gained/used 200 gallons of water out of this humble set up! I emptied the last saved water when planting this weekend, so we should be good to go for the multiple storms in the forecast. 1" of rain = five gallons of water per square foot of roof, which is why this is all attached to our one car garage vs. the house!
@N, Useful calculation, thanks.
@WilliamB, You're welcome! The numbers are courtesy of a gardening friend who has WAY more experience with rain catchment than I do.
@N, OMG, Hell's Grannies and Monty Python! Thank you for bring a big laugh into my day. I miss Monty Python...
@N, I did the same thing with my perennials I planted last year. I used plastic forks. 🙂
Non-frugal:
1. It's my birthday month but I never get freebies! Damn.
2. There is nothing frugal about having four dogs. The crazy coonhound managed to develop an eye infection which cost me $488. That also included her annual shots.
3. My older beagle resents the puppy, so back to the dog trainer we go. Sigh.
4. Upcoming puppy shots plus neutering for the beagle puppy.
Frugal:
1. Rescue Pup was neutered for free before we picked him up in Tennessee. His puppy shots were only $79 there. The differences in prices are astounding sometimes.
2. We got two dinners out of one batch of baked potato soup, which my kids found delicious.
3. Used stuff we already had to block dog tunnels under our fence. I'd forgotten my daughter has a staple gun to stretch canvases with.
4. Handyman coming to fix window hardware--much cheaper than replacing windows--and attach a new tabletop to my 30-year-old teak table, much cheaper than buying new.
1. I helped my daughter figure out how to mend the bag for my husband's camping chair. It wore out at the bottom.
2. I didn't buy coffee out when I wanted to.
3. I went to a book sale, and we all know that buying books that aren't strictly necessary when you have overflowing shelves and boxes of books is completely frugal. But I did find a copy of a music appreciation book my high school children have used; now I can return the borrowed copy to its owner.
4. We weeded the asparagus bed and fixed up the deer/chicken deterrent fence around it. The deer decided it wanted to munch by leaning over in just one spot. I'm hoping the curtain sheer over the top will work. Or the stinky soapy. I also harvested some asparagus twice!
5. I gave the three potted Easter flowers to 3 different children to plant in their own flower gardens. Hopefully they'll grow again next year.
@Jody S., you might try spreading some human hair around the asparagus bed. The deer don’t like the smell of humans. I used to get it from my hairdresser. It smelled like shampoo.
@Jody S., I think buying discount books is inexpensive therapy. Even with putting all my unread books on a single shelf, I find myself getting books from the library resale - the clever librarians put it at the entrance - and the Little Free Libraries.
@Dee in AZ, We've tried all the deer deterrents out there in other places of the yard/garden and other times. We just keep cycling through things. None of them work always or perfectly. We must have smart deer.
@Jody S.,
A friend of mine wanted to keep the deer from snacking on her flowering bush. I suggested hiding one of those motion-activated Halloween witches in the bush. That way, the deer would come up for a nibble and POW! get scared out of their wits. She didn’t go for it on the grounds that her goal was to make the flowers prettier, not terrifying. But it might be worth a shot for the asparagus patch.
@Tarynkay, We tried something similar for the moose who come every August, just before snows and harvest. They stomped the pop-up to death. and then took exactly one bite out of every single cabbage.
@Tarynkay, What could possibly go wrong ...
I do love seeing your smiling face! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Great for Happy birthday month.
As far as the jeans, do what you like to wear & you will always look good. 😉
Let's see, Frugal things----
● I recently recieved a cash tip from a client (which is against company policy) & other coworkers knew about the tip, so I used it to get lunch for whole staff. I used my (already pulled apart & frozen) rotisserie chicken & had a bottle of bbq sauce from home. Then I purchased potato salad, large package of buns & bagged salad with few bottles of salad dressings. Stayed within budget & everyone really enjoyed the food, which we are allowed to accept food.
● Ate lunch all weekend & yesterday from office fridge with all the food brought in for office staff.
● went to local shoe store to see about getting teen real leather belt (I've been peeling back layers that are ripped on current belt) & found a belt on clearance for $20. If doesn't fit then can exchange for bigger size.
●received a credit on my utility bill from home heating (tax) credit. Which is good because we lost power for 24 hours & (thankfully!) my generator ran whole time keeping us not in the dark.
● talked with elderly neighbor we help out & convinced her to hire teen instead of landscaping company to take care of her yard this summer. Teen has been helping neighbor for over year, when needed & she had not thought would like to do regularly. They will talk soon & there might be a work for some items she will be getting ready to get rid of later this summer.
@Regina, What a clever way to deal with a non-permissible tip. Well done.
@WilliamB,
I was thinking the same thing!. What a great idea.
I have never understood the skinny jeans trend...throughout it all I've stuck with either straight leg or boot cut. Your new jeans look great!
1. Making bone broth today with some turkey carcasses from the freezer. Oldest son is at the ER being treated for a bowel adhesion 🙁 , so I'm guessing some broth would be welcome at some point.
2. Not particularly frugal in the short term, but I finally got sick of seeing cracks in our Rubbermaid Brilliance plastic food containers and used Amazon points to start replacing them with the glass version. That got me down a rabbit hole of plastic and food, and I used some more points to order myself a LifeFactory glass water bottle. Hopefully these glass containers will last longer (and smell better!) than the plastic. I did save the best plastic containers for storing non-hot food items, and non food items. DH likes to use them in the garage.
3. Library books! Always. I biked to the Little Free Library and scored some new to me books, as well.
4. DH and I biked to the grocery store once this week; it's a nice little "date", we get good exercise, and it's a fun challenge to see what we can fit in our backpacks.
5. I had a library book waiting to be picked up and instead of making a special trip I combined it with taking some of the kids for a hike at an under-development park nearby. It was an adventure, as they only have some trails there, and a few of those seemed dubious, so it was kind of fun to explore.
I hope your son feels better soon!
@Karen A., I'm with you on the skinny jeans. I wear the style that feels good and fits right regardless of the current trend (and probably look ridiculous in the estimation of those who follow fads). Have you ever just wanted to take a stranger to a full-length mirror and then sternly admonished her that leggings are NOT pants? Sigh.
I'm going to give some gentle pushback on this. While I understand being confused about why people choose what they choose (I often am surprised by things like how much lip filler some people choose to get), if we want to be left alone about things like our gray hair, we also need to extend the same grace for things like lip filler and leggings.
We each get to choose what we think looks good for ourselves, even if other people think it's not the greatest choice.
When I feel that judgy bit rising up in me about lip filler (happened to me just last week!), I have to remind myself that if I don't like lip filler, then the only relevance of that thought is that I can choose not to get it myself. 🙂
@Karen A., I have only used glass storage for 15 yrs. with the same glass containers. I have round and rectangle. I greatly prefer the rectangle for refrigerator storage and clear glass to ID the contents. I wash plastic lids by hand and they have lasted also.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, only for my entire adult life.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I realize I'm old school, but wearing leggings to a job interview strikes me as just plain wrong. I know suits and such are no longer always necessary - I guess it depends on what industry you're in, what type of job you're aspiring to, etc - but leggings to me are way too casual.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, oh yes on the ability to get the leggings wearer in front of a full length mirror.
@Kristen, thank you! He just came through surgery for what turned out to be a Meckel Diverticulum. He's in recovery right now.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I am one of those people who wears leggings like pants, with a shirt long enough to cover my ample ass. If you took me in front of a full-length mirror, I would tell you that I did not care what you thought. They are comfortable, affordable, and keep me warm.
@Kristen, I had lip filler last year for the first time and it looked great. (I'm trying to cut down on my spending this year...) Mine looked really natural. I still tsk at a friend of mine who has so much she looks like a trout. Another friend of mine is a high powered Manhattan socialite in her 60s, and she and her friends all have the same exact face and all the same blonde hair.
Which....just means I'm a judgy jerk, but we all knew that already.
@Lindsey, it sounds as if you wear them the way they are designed to be worn. @Kristen, the leggings that bother me are the ones that make me feel embarrassed for the wearer. You are right, people can look however they want, but sometimes I just have to avert my eyes.
@Liz B., just too revealing.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, ""Have you ever just wanted to take a stranger to a full-length mirror and then sternly admonished her that leggings are NOT pants? "".
Nope. because it's none of my business.
FFT, An Eventful Weekend Edition (updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) As those who have followed my story on either blog may recall, I donated my DH’s body to the local medical school upon his death last June. (His first choice was to be an organ donor, but since that wasn’t possible, anatomical donation seemed like the next best thing.) On Saturday, the school held its annual service honoring anatomical donors and their loved ones, and the Bestest Neighbors and I attended. (Dr. BN used to teach at the school, and both BNs have walked every step of the long Alzheimer’s way with DH and me.) It was a simple and lovely service, including musical performances and poetry readings by medical students with talents in those areas, plus other worthy speeches. If you’re wondering about the frugal angles here, there are two: (a) a profound sense of closure on DH’s behalf, and (b) no cost whatever.
(2) I had brought DH’s “I Am a Force for Science” t-shirt with me, intending to stand and hold it up if there was a formal roll call of donors, but there wasn’t. (I was both pleased and astonished to see how many there were; the list of names occupied three double-column pages in the program. But it would have taken a lot of time to read them all.) However, I had a burst of inspiration at the reception following the service: I approached a group of medical students who seemed to fit the Gentle Giant size requirements, held up the shirt, and asked, “Who wears [DH’s size] and would like this shirt that my late husband wore?” One student immediately and enthusiastically claimed it, and I was able to point DH out to him on the photo board of donors on display. I felt really good about this.
(3) And for those of you who don’t have religious or other personal objections to the idea, and who do have a medical school nearby, I recommend going the anatomical-donation route. You’ll be doing good for others, and (again, there's a frugal angle) you'll be saving considerable money over the more conventional post-death options. I’m going to pull the necessary paperwork from the medical school on my own behalf this week.
(4) Now, two more mundane FTs. First, the young lady who runs a secondhand-housewares shop in a nearby suburb paid me a house call Sunday morning and bought about two-thirds of the stuff I’d piled in the dining room for her consideration: decorative bookends, baskets, planters/plant pots, an old Pyrex bowl, a couple of old half-gallon Mason jars with zinc lids, some hardcover cookbooks and gardening books (she likes to have these both as props and for sale), etc., etc. Of course, I wanted a bit more for all of it than she was prepared to offer me, but after some polite haggling, we settled on $240. Not a bad 90 minutes’ work for me.
(5) And now that it’s finally stopped raining (which it’s been doing every day since JASNA BFF left for home last Wednesday), I am going to get out in my gardens and start raking off/cutting back things like a maniac!
Aww, your #1 is so lovely and I am so happy that your dear neighbors could go with you!
@A. Marie, what a beautiful way to honor your DH! Years ago I read TO REMEMBER ME - A POEM BY ROBERT N. TEST, it references organ/body donation and it makes me tear up each time in revisit it. I'm a registered organ donor, but you inspire me to look into full body donation for science in lieu of more traditional options. My dad (a university professor) was also a registered organ donor; when he passed away from COVID during the early days of the pandemic, his organs were deemed ineligible because of the unique circumstances. He was a proponent of research, too. (So many sad layers to his passing.). Thankful that you were able to attend the recent service for donors and find closure! <3
@A. Marie, That’s lovely about your husband’s remains and a lot of good memories. For the non-squeamish, there’s another route as well, which can be done in addition to organ donation rather than instead of. One can be donated to a body farm, which is where scientists and forensic analysts can study bodies decaying in various natural environments. There are at least 8 academic farms and I don’t know how many law enforcement ones.
If I’m not suitable for organ donation, I want this or medical donation. No embalming for me, thankyouverymuch.
@A. Marie,
What a nice ceremony!
Your #4 is impressive, and she even came to your house!
@A. Marie, Thank you for reporting on the lovely ceremony on behalf of your DH at the medical school. I read the entire post to my DH. We are organ donors but we’re unaware of this worthy option to help mankind until you mentioned it once previously and now.
@WilliamB, I made a point this winter of reading the science writer Mary Roach's book titled Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. You're right about the body farm route not being for the squeamish--but it too is a valid and worthy option.
And I'm completely with you re: no embalming. I have yet to attend an open-casket funeral that made me feel good about the embalming option, and Mary Roach backed me up on this.
I loved that book! So fascinating. But definitely not a good option for people who are easily grossed out. 😉
@A. Marie, Try The American Way of Death, original edition, by my beloved pal Jessica Mitford.
@Rose, I got it long ago and enjoyed it immensely. And the Mitfords as a group were a family that has to be read about to be believed.
@A. Marie, oh YEAH. Jessica is my favorite and I was going to write to her one week when I opened the Book Review and saw that she'd died. I recently got a Victorian pressed-glass celery boat because it said "Grace Darling" on the stern.
Also that this is your blog, so you are Supreme Ruler of it and can do whatever you want. It's nice to have a place like that. 🙂
Five things:
--I made all the food my family ate for the three days they were traveling and camping. And I didn't go to the store to get anything before putting it all together, so it really was all just things we had at home. Nothing was purchased specially.
--While I was home alone this weekend, I cleared out the over-refrigerator freezer where things get thrown until I get to them. I found two bags of sliced bananas and a couple of whole frozen bananas that I used to make banana-walnut muffins (free walnuts from exta commodities) and the carcass of a rotisserie chicken I had bought a couple of weeks ago as an on-the-road dinner became chicken soup. I brought about half this food to both our priest and a lady from our church who had a stroke recently, but the other half was part of our dinner last night.
--My husband brought home yet MORE bull from the neighbor we butchered it with. This was more than two years ago. This is the bull that never ends. (It just goes on and on, my friends . . .) Her husband died last year, so she doesn't go through food very quickly anymore. Although the bull meat has become a running joke at this point, now that we have a grinder, I'm actually happy to have it so we can make ground beef. We're out of beef until fall shipping when we'll get a cull cow or steer from the same neighbor, and I do get kind of tired of eating so much lamb.
--I cleaned out my husband's office/my laundry room/the catch-all storage spot, and apparently found a box my husband didn't know he had that contained more of the things he sells in his Etsy store. So now he can sell more. He was very pleased. (And needs to work on his inventorying, I guess.)
--Our tiny post office now has a shelf for book exchanging. So I had a new book to read this past weekend that I didn't have to pay for. It wasn't one I would have chosen if I had a lot of other options, necessarily, but it wasn't bad. Anyway, it was free, and now I can just put it back for someone else and save my overburdened bookshelves from yet another addition. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, you've probably already heard (or made) all the bull jokes you want to hear, so I'll restrain myself. But I do hope you also get a share of the bull@#$% for your garden, in case the sheep don't supply enough.
@kristin @ going country, Here's to tiny village post offices. Ours has a hitching post out front, with 2 signs: "No Parking" and "For Horses Only".
@JDinNM, Has anyone actually ever tied a horse up there? My kids used to ride our old horse to the post office (a quarter mile away) all the time. He didn't even need to be tied while he waited for them; he would just graze on the grass behind the building.
@kristin @ going country, Do you every do ground lamb? A former “fancy” burger place with a classic car theme had a “lamborghini” with feta and roasted red pepper, which I thought was delicious!
@kristin @ going country, Absolutely yes. We have horses of all kinds everywhere. Coming home from the store this afternoon I passed a neighbor and his wife in their covered wagon (I am not kidding!) being pulled by 2 of their magnificent enormous draft horses. Lots of alpacas around, too. And the occasional water buffalo. Our Fire Department is trained in horse and other large animal water rescue because ... acequias and the Rio Grande.
@Casey, I don't love ground lamb, only because it tends to be stronger in taste. And I, um, actually don't really like the flavor of lamb. You'd think I would have gotten over that after fifteen or so years of raising and eating sheep, but nope. Still not really a fan.
@A. Marie, my thrift list includes a couple bags of composted chicken poo from a fb contact. A couple of years ago he had so much clean out from his coop that offered free delivery to anyone who wanted it. I was so appreciative that when he did his clean outs this year he set some of that golden garden dust for me.
I, for one, really appreciate when you post pics of yourself! Your new jeans/outfits look lovely on you!
As we just sent a large arount of $$ to the IRS, I'm not feeling overly thrifty, but here goes.
1. We literally got a Schedule K-1 tax form on 4/15 at 5PM. I promptly filed an amendment and paid the tax bill to avoid paying interest for late payments. Thankfully, turbo tax made this easy.
2. We ate 2 plant based meals this week-split pea soup/salad & bean burritos.
3. I made sure to return the clothing I purchased online that didn't fit. Unfortunately, I wear a size that is rarely found in any physical stores. So, I have to try things out online more often than not.
4. Planted seeds in my garden-this may be more of a frugal aspiration. However, I've had good luck in the past growing flowers/veggies from seed. So, I'll take that as a frugal win now since seeds are way cheaper than seedlings.
5. We'd been shopping for a lawnmower this year, but hadn't committed to purchasing one. Amazingly enough, I found a free lawnmower one of our neighbors put out with the trash. It looked to be in excellent condition, but it didn't start. With only about $25 in repairs (make sure you drain that oil every season!), we have a new to us lawnmower that would have cost $500 new.
@Sarah, I got a K-1 this year that was -$21 … I mean, it would be nice to make money, but it’s nice not to have to pay taxes, and I have a strong suspicion that in the grand scheme of things this wasn’t frugal. Ha.
@Sarah, I got a K-1 form this year from Mother's estate. I had never heard of this form but luckily TurboTax knew what to do with it!
Last year our capacitor blew when we turned our AC on for the first time in the year. They charged over $300 to come replace it (which was high...we had one go out at our last house and our regular AC guy in that town charged like $130). So, this year we turned it on for the first time and it blew again....DH ordered a capacitor for $35 on Amazon and will put it in himself. I'm going to call and electrician and have a surge protector put on the AC with the savings because I'm pretty sure that is what is causing it.
I needed some landscape rocks for front flower beds so I skimmed some from the backyard where I could rather than buy new.
My DIL wanted hydrangeas for her yard for her birthday. I was going to pick up some at Home Depot for $20, but last week Lidl had some for $11. I bought one and my other son bought her one. I picked her up some gloves, dirt, spade to go with them at Dollar General for a couple dollars.
It's my birthday, older son's birthday, and DIL's birthday all within 9 days of each other so we are hosting one big family dinner at our house rather than going out for each birthday and one cake rather than 3 cakes.
I've been making all of our bread the past few weeks. Not a big savings, but I think it is healthier. I usually make your granola also, but I found Bare Naked granola marked down to .75/bag for dark chocolate/pepita/cashew. I bought 4 bags so we are good for granola for a while!
Unfrugal: dog had to see the vet. Hoping it is just a small infection, but if the meds don't help then she will need her nasal passage scoped or even a CT of her sinus area (because she has a tumor elsewhere on her body that could spread).
I am struggling with the wide legged pants trend! (insert grimace face here)
The pairs I bought from Old Navy are sort an in-between; I think they're just called a straight cut. They feel a little easier to adjust to!
And when I look at the picture of myself in the actual skinny jeans, I do see that that silhouette is looking a little bit dated now. Just gotta remind myself. 😉
I am also working away from my beloved skinny stretch jeans ( “ soft pants”!!! lol). Scary times.
I have two pair of new pants at the alteration place right now. Googled a coupon!
I have not been very frugal lately. Work. Family constraints. No time. Bad mentals. It’s okay. I will get back on track soon.
Happy Symphony going! The ARTS feed my soul.
1. I used the free Arby's sandwich promo and bought a drink for $1 and got a free sandwich. It was a day I needed to eat dinner on the go anyway.
2. It's the time of year the heat and air are both off and windows are open.
3. I bought a Mother's Day card and a graduation card at a thrift store for 0.25 each.
4. My daugher saved money and bought a like new American Girl doll on Facebook marketplace for about 1/3 of the price. (I'm teaching her right.)
5. I used lots of grocery store coupons and sales to save tons of money.
Long time reader, but I have never commented before! I love all the pics. I don’t know how to buy jeans at this point, so this was helpful! But I especially love your hair! Lovely! My hair is going gray and I find that people are uncomfortable with it. I am 50 and I am just weary of coloring my hair. Maybe you could do a blog post about this?☺️
Noted! I'll add it to the list.
And I'm sorry people are doing/saying things about your hair. It is your head and your body and honestly, it is not their business. Sending you a hug.
@Crystal, I've been pondering this thought for awhile: WHEN DO WE GET TO LOOK OUR ACTUAL AGE?? I just hope I have someone in my life who will tell me when I am looking "ram turned lamb". Whoever is uncomfortable with your gray hair needs to get a real life.
@Crystal,
I'm with Kristen on this.
Honestly, what's up with people? Besides, grey hair is a popular color of choice for plenty of young people so there you go.
Just keep it healthy. When I started getting greys I noticed more frizz and the texture is obviously different so I found switching shampoo and conditioner helps if that's an issue. And just so you know plenty of women are allowing themselves to go grey. Take me for instance.
At 51 I've got hair down past my shoulders..
(Gasp! How dare I have long hair at my age right hahaha. Believe me, your not the only one who gets flack, unfortunately it's pretty common. But guess what, I'm not here to please those kinds of people and neither are you)
and I've got what my daughter calls Dr. Strange streaks...lol...not to be outdone my huzbeast ruffles his fingers through my hair and says hey wait, your not a witch, your my wife!
*Eye roll*
They're such sweet wise guys.
Anyway, if your ready to ditch the dye, embrace your greys and ignore the critics. Besides, who says they get to make the rules? You do you!
All women are lovely at whatever stage they are in life, it's a pity so many can't see or embrace that view.
(((Hugs)))
@Crystal, Hi! This post isn't specifically about hair, but I have read and shared it multiple times and love it, and it sort-of applies! https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/on-aging/
Gray/white hair is beautiful and so are you - thanks for joining the comments!
@Crystal, You do what you want with your hair and damn anyone who thinks its their business. I’m sure you’ve earned that grey. Embrace your age and glory in it.
@Crystal, as a person who stopped dying their hair 12 years ago, I say "Embrace The Gray!" I get a lot of compliments on my full head of gray hair and I just turned 63. So it was after my 51st birthday that I stopped coloring my hair. The first few months were weird because of so much of the roots turning white, but there are hats! And @Kristen did do a blog post several years ago about being yourself, but for the life of me, I would not be able to find it. But I remember reading it.
@April, I turn 51 in a week or two and my hair is past my shoulders also. I let it go gray a few years ago (it is pure silver...not a lovely mix) and it was a process...I couldn't get over how many people wanted to comment daily on my silly hair. Crazy. In the end after two years of letting the color grow out and getting it all gray....I decided it didn't match my skin tone at all and made me look washed out completely so I put some color back in it.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana I think the same thing a lot....when do we get to age?? I'm not 30...I'm not trying to be. The past couple years I decided if anyone else doesn't like it...that's on them. Especially when it comes to my clothing! Comfort is a premium now, even if it makes others feel uncomfortable for some crazy reason.
@Crystal, My second to oldest sister has finally stopped coloring her hair so now the three of us (me and my two sisters) have beautiful white hair. Following in our auntie's steps.
@Kristen,
@April, I can't believe that people have the nerve to comment on your hair! Honestly, if you don't like the way someone looks or dresses, avert your gaze. (Unless you are about to sit down in their space on a train and realize they have only underpants on, no overpants. (true story) Then yuck.
@April, just say something unexpected like "I'm trying to look older!" to shut em up.
@Lindsey,
Yeah...I agree people just need mind their own business and let others be for Pete's sake, particularly if it doesn't affect them.
BUT..they have opinions and apparently that over rides politeness .
Guess who's opinion I'm sticking with lol. Believe me I don't lose sleep over it.
And as for Captain underpants...oh dear...
@Rose,
Bwwaahahaha I love it. Totally using that.
@Marlena,
Your hair your business and you do what's best for you...not what others are saying.
Personally I like my grey..
@Kristen, hugs right back! Thankful for all of the kind comments! What a sweet community!
I just turned 40 and have been going grey for the past 3 or so years. I basically have
heavy grey highlights that frame my face. I actually get a lot of compliments from women who are a little older than me. I smile and tell them thank you. I see my grey hair as an act of rebellion. The older I get the happier I am to be wiser than I was in my "younger" days. The most important lesson I think I have learned is to love the things about yourself that are unique and special. The only negative comments I get are when I go to the thrift stores and the sweet old ladies ask me if I get the senior discount or if my kids are my grand kids. It gives me good stories to tell.
Girl. Those jeans are super cute and you look SO GOOD.
Aww, thank you, Molly!
The new jeans look good. I wish all stores would regularly stock several different cuts of jeans. Skinny jeans never seem to fit my proportions right, so it’s great to have more choices again! Plus it’s always nice to have a few different options in the closet.
Old Navy definitely has a variety of styles right now!
@JenRR,
Same here! Skinny jeans never looked good on me, though I would admire them on other women. Having a variety of styles to choose from is important.
That is something I appreciate about the current jeans environment; it seems like there's a pretty wide range of what people are wearing, all at one point in time.
@Kristen, I have never found a pair of jeans at Old Navy that fit me. It went off my "stop at" list.
Haha! It is nice to see a face 🙂
1. I am on vacation and am doing nothing expensive. Just sewing and visiting friends.
2. I'm picking up some free toddler pants from my Buy Nothing Group.
3. I don't buy many special products for Passover. Really just matzah, matzah meal, and cereal for our toddler. We don't eat a lot of prepackaged foods, so there isn't much to replace.
4. I am making a (third) mock-up of a fancy dress to wear to my long-delayed wedding reception. The first two were made out of an old torn bedsheet, the third will hopefully be a wearable dress in fabric that I already have. The real dress is a mix of fabric I bought online and at a yard sale.
5. I bought two new t-shirts with credit card points, so each one was about a dollar.
Ooooh, please post a link to your dress when you finish it. I wanna see!
@Kristen, I certainly will!!!
Selfies are fine if you're not doing the duck face 😉
My 5 frugal:
* working an extra shift this week
* using public library for all my bookish needs
* using up the food we have at home instead of stock pilling like I usually do. Makes for cheaper groceries.
* gifting and receiving on my local Buy Nothing group
* was looking at a new couch and bedroom set. Would have been at least 3000-4000$ for quality pieces. So I decided against buying new furniture. Mine is 10 years old, it's not the best, but can still be used a couple more years. I'd rather put that 3000-4000$ in my savings
@Isa, If I may ask, what’s happening to your 10 year old couch that you’re thinking of replacing it?
@WilliamB, It's total crap........ But, hey, it's going in the basement, and the "good" couch from the basement is coming up to the living room.
Well, I'm writing this here for accountability: I know this sounds terribly irresponsible, and it makes me thankful that I generally only have myself to look out for (and Miss Molly) but I was astonished when I calculated my gross income for taxes. It made for rough payments both Federal and State. I knew it would hurt a little and I am also trying to set money aside to cut down a huge ash tree that is succumbing to the emerald ash borer plight. Losing it is like losing a friend. It is the major shade provider on the south (!) side of the house.
Kristen, we don't mind seeing your lovely face. And if skinny jeans are passe, does that mean leggings are too? (One could only hope...) I mean, they are cute under a dress or long shirt/tunic.
Frugally speaking: Actually used up some black bananas for some pretty good banana bread with black walnuts. A midwestern entrepreneur had some available in 3lb (?) bags at Sam's when I went there w my niece, late winter. I love black walnuts.
2) Walmart yesterday for yarn to complete a baby afghan I'm crocheting. Went in and got the yarn and came out with nothing else. Did not stop anywhere else to shop.
3) Chai latte at home. Distill my own drinking water.
4) Saving gas money (and energy) not mowing yet. I am not keeping up w the neighbors, but I am staying true to my commitment to pollinators. It has only been really warm the last couple of days, though I've seen honey bees as much as a month ago. No weed killer used either. But I will have to bite the bullet this week as the height of what grass is growing is about at the "city limit." I am hoping that the blessing of the pretty spring flowers continues to overshadow the wildness of the "lawn." I know I'm not going to make "no mow May" a reality, because of the ranginess.
I think leggings are still in style, interestingly. But the trend seems to be to wear them with very big sweatshirts or t-shirts.
I don't know if that's just what the younger generations are doing, though; I admit to being clueless about what people my age are "supposed" to be wearing with leggings! I mainly wear them for going to the gym or going for walks, and those are not times I'm being particularly fashion conscious.
@Chrissy,
Does your town have a program for taking down ash trees? We had 2 big ashes in our front yard, and the city came through and took them down due to the ash borer issue. (They weren't infected, just trying to prevent the spread.) The city also offered replacement saplings. All at no cost to us. We missed the trees (such nice shade!) but took the opportunity to plant some other fun stuff.
@mbmom11,
Sorry about the double post - not sure what happened.
@Chrissy, hey, I love leggings! I mostly wear them with dresses or long shirts. Super comfortable.
@Kristen, Yep re leggings.
I referred to "Flashdancing" a sweatshirt I have with too-to-for-sensitive-me cuffs and collar and my son said, "Nice contemporary reference there." My daughter said she thought we wore bearskins in the olden times.
Two measly glimpses of Chiquita? Feh, I say. Feh.
1. I ordered a few things on sale from Old Navy but only kept a couple of items. The leggings were all made of a material that I did not like so I returned them. I did keep a pair of jeans and a jean jacket.
2. I used rewards points at Staples when purchasing toner for the printer. That saved me $20.
3. I picked up flower bulbs someone in my buy nothing group was offering from her garden. She gave me so many! I got day lilies, daffodils, spiderwort, and at least 5 different colors of irises.
4. I reused fabric grow bags from last year for my tomato and pepper plants. I amended the potting soil with fertilizer and compost we already had on hand.
5. Planned our meals around what we had in the refrigerator and freezer.
1. Received a generous rebate check from our electric company for when we installed a new HVAC system in December.
2. Had a fourth service call in the ongoing saga of our HVAC wiring being chewed by a ground squirrel (that apparently continued to live inside our foundation after we closed off the exterior hole). The first three service calls were free; this last time they only charged us for one hour of labor for replacing the wiring and placing it inside a metal conduit.
3. Received cream, spice jars and a book bag from my Buy Nothing Group. I was debating whether the book bag would be worth the trip, so before I indicated my interest, I looked up the person’s address and noticed she lived only a couple blocks from me. Definitely worth the walk over with my dog.
4. Renewed seasonal membership at our community center, which has a walking track that I use often. This renewal period will get me close to my 65th birthday when my membership will be free through my health insurance.
5. Made a note in my calendar to use a coupon before the expiration date.
I'm definitely missing skinny jeans, and still wear a few of my favorites. I agree that a different top/cut is required when wearing something looser. I did pick up a pair of the rough hemmed jeans (at Marshalls, so I could experiment & see what I liked) & I do like them. But, I still think skinny jeans were more flattering to my body shape.
Frugal things at our house:
1) Sold some stuff on eBay: sandals, shoes, a fleece & sunglasses.
2) we're having a final hurrah ski week (the resort closes on Sunday), & our rooms were free. I brought snacks to keep in the room. DH brought a bunch of snacks in his ski jacket, which ended up being a smart move, because there are slim pickings for lunches at the lodge.
3) We stopped at Costco for gas on our way to Lake Tahoe, and I bought the teens lunch for under $4. Can't beat that.
4) Took my favorite (and, very old) shoes to the cobbler. He was able to repair them for $18, & I can go back to wearing them regularly again.
5) I'm going on a hiking trip to Sedona with my mom at the end of the month, and was using free night awards for three nights of the hotel. I just received another free night award (thanks to our credit card) & was able to apply the new award to our final night at the hotel, which saves ~$330.
Enjoy your birthday freebies!
1. It's my birthday month too, but the only freebie I've been able to get is a $20 discount from a clothing store. I used it to buy new underwear - not exciting, but much needed.
2. I got an offer for a year of Instacart+ for $19, which comes with a free subscription to Peacock streaming service. That will save me money in two ways - free shows, obviously, plus the ability to get groceries delivered from Aldi with no delivery fee. I typically use each grocery store's own delivery service, but Aldi doesn't have one other than Instacart.
3. I used up some ingredients before they went bad by making a mixed berry cobbler. Besides the berries, which were getting old, I was able to use a lot of my carton of Nutpods dairy-free creamer in it. This was my first time trying Nutpods, and it's great. This will be my new substitute for half-and-half. But next time instead of getting the vanilla flavor, I'm going to get the unflavored version so I can use it for more things.
4. Since I still had a little creamer left, I used the last of it to make a batch of pancakes for Sunday brunch.
5. I made an agreement to split the cost of Paramount+ with my parents since we all enjoy it. We'll make one annual payment instead of monthly, to save a little money.
Five Frugal Things, Wardrobe Edition
Today is a hair-on-fire down-the-hill day and this is what I am wearing:
1. Skirt bought on sale 10 years ago
2. Top bought on sale 25 years ago
3. Sweater knit from unraveled scarf that my sister sent me from a yard sale because she knew the colors were perfect.
4. Earrings from a garage sale 10 years ago (abalone! And I did pay a jewelry maker to replace the hooks, although now that I ponder this, I think I traded her for a calendar of my art.)
5. Croc sandals found on eBay (recently)
Bonus #6: Bracelet made by a friend that arrived in the mail last month after she asked what my favorite color is. (teal)
This cobbled-together outfit from many years, nay, decades is possible because I had "my colors done" back in the '80s. That was the most frugal gift I ever received. Mom paid because I probably looked like a homeless urchin. Now I probably look like a well-coordinated bag lady.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, HAHAHAHA Jana, love this!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, in the midwest, colors hit more early 90s - yeah we're usually behind. A woman at work enjoyed doing it - for free - though I'll be darned if I remember what I am. I wear what I like. Probably drives my kiddos nuts but I have articles of clothing that are decades old. Still wearable and likely better made than a lot of "new" you find these days.
This is my sister's frugal win more than mine, but she was able to get highly reduced exhibition tickets for us. As for myself, I...
1. Made payments on loans.
2. Cooked dinner every night.
3. Used the library.
4. Line-dried clothes.
5. I skipped an event because I was sick. I saved money but wouldn't exactly call it a win!
Kristen, your idea of loose jeans fit you the way my tight jeans fit me. Those cute tops look great, but do they make you nervous about lifting your arms up?
Good decision about wearing the black dress again. . . maybe you have accepted my challenge to wear it every single time you go to the symphony. (Change the accessories and you won't get bored with it.)
Nah, I'm not too worried about someone seeing my belly button. 😉 I don't walk around with my hands in the air all the time, but if there's a brief flash of my stomach, I don't care.
@Kristen, Here is my show-your-belly story. I have what would be called a generous bust. One time I was wearing a short shirt and lifted up my arms. Unbeknownst to me, my boobs decided to take hold of the extra material as I lifted my arms and keep it. I was standing there talking to someone with the entire bottom of my shirt held captive by my breasts, so bare from boob to waist in a university setting. Why I did not feel the wind on my bare torso I do not know. I no longer wear short shirts.
Ohhh, man. Well, as you know, I am not built that way at all. I don't think my bust could capture anything. Heh.
Great frugals! The new jeans look great on you-I have trouble with looser legs as my legs are SO short I feel a little ridiculous in them!
This week's frugals for me:
1. We went to Washington DC for a couple of days [not frugal LOL] but we drove instead of using pricier transportation. We were taking advantage of having someone serving as a new Congressman who we know, and he spent hours with us doing a private Capitol tour which was amazing. The museums and other exhibits there are all free so we got to see a couple of Smithsonian locations, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives and the Library of Congress at no cost which was great!
2. In less fabulous frugals I was lucky and found our favorite markdown rotisserie chicken quarters at costco in the prepared foods area - you get 8 dark meat quarters for $4.99 - leftover from yesterday's rotisserie chickens. I bought four packages, deboned all the chicken, froze the meat in bags which I later use for buffalo chicken, stir fries, pasta sauce and salads. Bagged up the bones to make bone broth.
3. I pulled out the dahlia bulbs I stored last fall - it was my first time trying this - about 80% survived unharmed and are back in the ground! If they do well it will be VERY satisfying.
4. I got a ton of free dog food thanks to an amazon error - I had tried to cancel the unshipped order online and was told to reach out through the chat for some reason. I did so and was assured it was cancelled [I had found a different version also on sale in a more manageable size and had ordered that instead!]. Well when we returned from DC the 40 lb bag was waiting for me - I chatted again and they could see the previous conversation of course and said they couldn't pick it up for a return [food] so they simply credited me for the amount.
5. Lots of success combatting food waste: Leek ends I planted are growing, aging milk became ricotta cheese again [so easy] and the whey used for baking, succeeded with freezing whole lemons for later use [new for me and so easy and no more aging lemons], aging bagels [from a food waste app] became bagel chips, aging bread became french toast and leftover rice became fried rice.
Congratulations. You look like my 16 year olds at school. You are right on trend.
At 60, through a willingness to experiment, fail and then succeed, I found two jeans that that work perfectly. Then I went on Poshmark to corner the market on those jeans. The first are about 10 years old - Inc brand curvy 8. I had them all hemmed so they are the perfect length. ( No I am not an 8 but yeah vanity sizing.) The second pair is Talbot dark wash straight leg size 10. I have two random flares. Great incentive to not gain weight and size out of them.
The idea of buying multiples of something I love has really worked for me. I have now almost exclusively have things in my very carefully curated wardrobe that fit beautifully, are comfortable, and always garner compliments when I wear them. I kissed a lot of frogs and was often not very frugal to get to this stage but I am happy I am here.
@mary ann, I'm celebrating your Poshmark wins with you! I love Poshmark for finding/replacing clothing that I want duplicates of!
@mary ann, LLBean used to have a curvy jean that fit me exactly right. I bought about 5 pairs, and then OF COURSE they got discontinued. This was about 15 years ago, and 4 of the 5 pair have disintegrated. I found a couple on eBay, so can keep going for a few years more, IF I don't get any fatter.
I think I have a few to share....
1. I got an email telling me I had Sams cash to use, so the next time we went there, I remembered to redeem it.
2. I've been looking at ways to reduce our bills and services with us now being new "empty nesters".....I made changes to our Spectrum cable plan, plus internet, plus switched my phone over to them saving $80/month, plus one year of free phone service!
3. I have some black dress flats that were coming apart just a little. Some gorilla glue fixed them up nicely.
4. Coworkers have been bringing in treats on the free table. I brought home 10 full size snicker bars, 2 bags of Hershey eggs, some m&m's, starburst.
5. I used a coupon towards lunch out with hubby this past weekend, so it made for a cheap lunch date!
I love your selfies! Especially because they reflect how happy you are. 🙂
Not much for me on the frugal front, just the usual eating at home, making our own coffee, doing our own yard work, etc.
Hope everyone has a great week!
No shame on the selfies. Sometimes it's nice to show off a little bit.
My FFT:
1.) Needed a screen protector for my phone and it was like $8 on Amazon or $2 for a 2 pack on Aliexpress. I just had to wait a little longer to get it.
2.) My daughter broke the hinge on her water bottle. The little metal rod fell out and got lost. I replaced it with a nail which I cut the tip off of and filed down. I also added some super glue to prevent it from falling out again.
3.) Someone broke the spout on our olive oil bottle. Luckily those are cheap and easy to replace and I don't have to replace the bottle as well.
4.) Stocked up on my meds at Costco. They are much cheaper there than at Walmart.
5.) Booking our vacation early and around times when it's not as expensive.
I like the looser jeans! They are very flattering on you. The old skinny jeans are....skinny.
I have not had much that was frugal lately!
*My dishwasher developed a leak and water ran under the laminate flooring. I will need to get the dishwasher fixed and the flooring replaced. I hate laminate flooring.
*My tires need replacing.
*The repair on my car that I just paid for did not fix the problem. They had said it might need more parts yet, so I'll have to take it back.
*I had to drive 55 miles from home to work then 154 miles from work to a doctor appointment then 91 miles back home from the doctor last Wednesday. On Saturday I drove a teen granddaughter and myself 180 miles each way to go to my B-I-L's memorial service. That's on top of driving 55 miles each way for regular work days.
*We were fed a noon meal after the service, however my granddaughter and I ate our evening meal at Zaxby's on our way home, because we were getting hungry, it's a long drive, and as any card-carrying doting grandmother would do, I stopped for food when she asked.
Goodness.
Let's see what I can find that IS frugal.
1. The weather was sunny, breezy and low-humidity, so I dried laundry on the line with no problem. I don't think the savings in electricity will do much for helping me pay for new tires, though, ha.
2. As mentioned, we were fed after the service. A parishioner who owns a Chick-Fil-A donated all the food for everyone at the service.
3. My lawn guy cut up and removed the half of a tree that the last storm brought down, for only $15 on top of my mowing bill. We continue to see trees and limbs fall, months after the hurricane, when we have heavy storms and wind.
4. I knew skinny jeans must be going out of style, as I see them for sale in used condition now. I am always behind the times, and I never really care, so I bought one pair to wear with some of my bigger loose tops for around the house. I paid $6 for a Gap pair that looks brand new.
5. I stripped the carcass of the chicken I cooked last week and made stock out of it in the crockpot.
That's pretty much all I have, folks.
I TOTALLY feel the trickiness with the jeans and all pants right now! It feels like "anything goes" fashion-wise except for what I have already lol. I don't want to look like I'm trying to be a teenager but I also don't want to be embarrassingly out of style (especially since I am around so many high schoolers and I don't REALLY care what they think...but also I do, heh)
1. Shopping trip at Aldi is always a frugal win and a few items I needed were on sale.
2. My friend gifts me a lot of food, some cooked, some ingredients.
3. Not so frugal for me, but I had bought a pack of "healthy" sports drink alternatives (Water is my choice, but my husband occasionally likes Gatorades). Neither of us could get past the taste, but I was so happy the friend mentioned in #2 liked it! I'm glad I could return the favor of the food gifts a little.
4. I followed up on my refund request (a long shot but worth a try) with the hospital system.
5. Today I will go through some spinach that is on the edge of bad and use what I can! Spinach feels easier to do than mixed greens because of the texture.
@Heather Mar,
I do the same thing with spinach! If you get rid of what's starting to get slimy, it keeps the rest from spoiling so quickly!
The weird thing is that very little comes to mind. Here are the bits that do.
1. New Clothes.
As part of my father’s gift, I bought some new clothes.[1] I saved him some money by signing up as a new customer and/or for a credit card when I did.
2. “Vacation” Day.
I had a “vacation” day at home recently by doing nothing worklike. Roommate and I watched 3 movies on Hulu, eating whatever we had in the house.
- My method is to get a streaming service for a few months then cancel it. Hulu/Disney+ without ads is one of the most expensive so while I have it, I’m only watching that.
3. DuoLingo.
I continue to use DuoLingo daily, thus taking full advantage of the paid subscription.
4. Massage Subscription.
A friend and I signed up for a massage subscription. As long as you want a massage every other month, it’s a fantastic deal: You buy one discounted massage a month automatically charged to your credit card; the discount is 30% of list price. There are no extra fees, sign-up costs, cancellation costs, etc. If you don’t use it that month, you can carry forward. In addition to that one massage, you can buy any number of additional discounted massages. Even if you buy only the shortest massage, you can get any length as the discounted price. You can share the subscription with one other person - it doesn’t even need to be a relative. You have 60 days after you cancel, to use up any accumulated massages.
5. Crafting.
I’m using yarn someone else gave away, to knit a blanket for the soon-t0-be newest member of the family. The donor was trimming down a huge yarn stash, I now have about 2 cubic feet of baby and soft acrylic yarn for baby gear and hats and blankets to donate.
6. Crafting.
I’m getting back into knitting and other handiwork. I’ve reviewed and organized my stash, given away a couple of things, and - gulp - ripped out 100% of a large project that went awry.
[1] I hate clothes shopping in general and loathe thrifting for clothes. My frugal-ish response is to buy good quality clothes, using whatever deals I can find, and wear them forever. It helps to ~start~ at the sales rack.
1. I made all of our meals at home, packed lunches, made treats at home, and used up food that we already had as much as possible.
2. I "shopped" the boxes of clothes we had. All hand-me-downs or second-hand stuff for the kids. We went to a second-hand store for the oldest who out grew all of their shorts and most of their pants.
3. We hired a local person for some spring yard care (to do work with equipment we don't have). It's an independent contractor. He happens to be cheaper, but also I like that it's not a big, impersonal corporation. No, we don't know anyone to borrow it from. Yes, we could rent and do it ourselves but we would also need to rent a vehicle to move it so the cost is comparable to hiring out.
4. I am teaching the oldest how to repair a wall after they accidentally put a hole in it with a music stand. It is taking all week because it's concert and track season. One step a day...
5. The washer had a code pop up, but I figured out what it meant and fixed it in under 2 minutes.
6. I used the library to get a new audiobook. I talked with the person in charge of the Libby app stuff at our library and now the Libby app is working again for me.
7. I replaced some items necessary for packing lunches. The items themselves were not frugal, but being able to pack lunches for everyone who needs it is frugal.
Thanks for posting this. Seeing skinny jeans vs. fuller jeans shows me I need to shop. They look so much better to me. And the shorter shirts are just right. I need a shopping trip!
I know, that comparison was helpful to me too! I think my brain is slowly accepting this idea that slightly less skinny jeans are more fashionable right now.
Even after reading all the comments, I still can’t think of much.
— The usual use of library services.
— I had a small amount of milk that was going to sour soon and a box of chocolate mousse mix, which I thought would need two cups of milk. I checked the box and I only needed one cup, which was exactly what I had.
— I filed my income taxes on time. I woke up with a migraine yesterday and asked myself why I always wait until the last minute. One year I had pinkeye on tax day. At least this year taxes were done, so I just needed to review and print. I saved $20 by mailing in my state return rather than e-filing.
— I paid bills on time.
— I used up a lot of produce, so didn’t toss any on trash day. Although I think there are some sneaky grapes hiding in the produce drawer which may have to go next week.
@Dee in AZ, Search out the sneaky grapes and freeze them. Like having little popsicles without the fuss of the containers.
1. I used up some frozen pureed pumpkin, frozen mashed sweet potatoes, homemade broth, and left over spinach to make a really yummy vegetarian curry. I used some frozen bread odd-and-ends to make baked French toast for my kid's breakfast this week. I dehydrated mushy grapes to make raisins for my husband's morning oatmeal. I made popsicles using left over juice. I made a milk cake to use up some milk.
2. My husband fixed some imperfections in our walls this weekend and I painted them. I also went around the house and fixed up other walls/trim that needed a paint touch up.
3. My husband built us a sign that holds our kid's artwork. I can't imagine what it would have cost if we bought it new, but it cost us $20 in wood/clips and it's beautiful.
4. I picked up 2 bags of onions off Buy Nothing.
5. I sold a patio chair for $30 that we have had for at least 12 years and bought used. I was going to give it away for free and listed it on Marketplace at the last minute. It sold within hours.
1) Our washer went out Friday night. We could see where the entire inside drum had broken away from the machine, we have guests coming next week, and I was just not feeling waiting several weeks for the repair man to come and then getting charged $150 to be told I need a new washer. So I drove right to Home Depot, chose the frugal option washer (standard size but the least flashy), and arranged for delivery this week. Then I plunked a 10% off coupon down on the counter. There are more frugal ways I could have done this, but I am pleased with this situation.
2) I mended one of my husband's suit pants, a child's coat, and a stuffed animal while doing other things.
3) We wrote a dinner menu for the week that includes chicken wings that were gifted to us and as many items as possible that we already had on hand. Then we grocery shopped at Aldi.
4) I had to stop in CVS to pick up a prescription, and found a $4 coupon on my receipt. I combined that with a 30% off coupon to get a couple of Burt's Bees lip balms for a reasonable price.
5) My neighbor's house is sadly being gutted on the inside. High housing prices are a blessing and a curse for preservation. I spoke with the workers outside this morning, and they told me I could pull as many floor boards as I wanted out of the trash. So that is what I am spending some time on today: getting enough free boards to replace those in my kitchen that were likely ruined (I won't know until I pull the tile up) the last time housing prices incentivized someone to destroy historic and perfectly good houses. (Not that I have feelings about this LOL)
@Amanda in VA, Demo sales happen all the time here in the Hamptons. Then the newly built house is advertised as eco-friendly. Then I grumble that the most eco-friendly thing is not to demolish a house.
Very rich people, though, they can't stand to live in a house that used to belong to someone else.
@Rose, when my mom decided to give up the giant farmhouse and went househunting, she said to me with a snobbish sniff, "I don't like used houses".
For my money, a blog with lots of images of the people and pets involved is the most engaging. We’re getting good info about the styles and seeing your face with different expressions let’s us know you (your girls, friends, parents, kitties) better— as one does in real life. One picture says so much more than only words and is such an enhancement to the blog.
I agree! I would much much rather see a fashion post where someone is actually wearing the clothes vs a post where someone just shares stock photos.
I was gonna give you a happy shout out for including all these selfies. I think it’s really brave to publish images that can be criticized, and here you are doing it, not seeming to care a whole lot what other people think. That’s some solid self confidence which can be hard for women to have. Kudos to you!
Well, you guys are all really sweet and kind, so I know I'm not gonna get a bunch of mean comments when I post pictures. If I had a more crabby audience, I might hesitate more. lol
I love Mezeh. I make some meals that are similar to the combination bowls you can “put together “ at Mezeh. But sometimes when my husband and I are out on errands, Mezeh is a nice go-to for a healthy meal.
I think you look great in the wider-leg jeans.
I’ve been “shopping” my closet again instead of buying garments for special events. For example, a 40’s dance event later this month is one that my husband and I will attend. Dancers are encouraged to wear outfits reminiscent of 40’s style. I have a simple black dress that is a classic style and it’s 20 years old. I’ll wear it with a hairpiece called a fascinator( that I bought for another event last year).And I have an old pair of lacey gloves and a pair of black lacey ankle socks that I hope will bring the outfit all together but at no extra cost. My husband will just wear white shirt, black pants, black vest and bow tie. Again, no cost here because he owns all those pieces already.
We’re trying to eat smaller portions. That’s helping us to spend less money on ingredients and to eat more leftovers. We don’t mind that at all.
I am a "mom jeans" person, so I can't say anything about style. However, you always look good in jeans no matter the style. I am envious of anyone that can wear skinny jeans. I personally do not like tight fighting anything, so skinny jeans would be out. Especially with my larger-than-normal body type.
This week we paid our taxes on time so we don't have to pay a penalty. And thankfully we have a large emergency fund for said things. We were both kind of shocked at how much we had to pay, so we are increasing our deductions and saving more if it happens again.
My husband got the dreaded "Your BP is too high, you need medication" talk and it has put us into eating better mode. So we have been eating at home all the time now.
I have been eating the split pea soup for lunch from the freezer. It has been delicious.
I made rice and beans the other night and there is enough now to stuff some peppers for tonight's dinner.
And I'm glad CBS screwed up showing the Billy Joel 100th MSG concert the other night. They are replaying it on Friday, so I don't have to pay to watch it now. He's a home-town boy and I was too busy watching other things on Sunday night. Now I will spend Friday night watching him for free as CBS streams on our outdoor antenna.
1. I opened an account at a credit union because it offered more services for less, unlike a traditional bank
2. I scheduled two new performance side hustle gigs. I also got a side hustle working for a friend's booth on festival weekends when I am not performing.
3. I downloaded two free with ads apps. One for stargazing that we used during the eclipse and will be fun when camping and the other to track expenses for my side hustles.
4. Instead of paying $70+ to park at a big city event or $25 a head to stand in a high school stadium that had food trucks in a city that experienced eclipse totality, we went to a family members house and did almost the same thing in their yard for free. We were in charge of drinks and snacks. They were charge of making an eclipse playlist and grilling bratts. Way more fun and no traffic!
5. We saved money by not paying for 8 hours of electricity due to a storm related blackout. It's not my preferred way to save money on electricity but luckily it was during day light hours so I didn't have to break out the candles, crank flashlights, and lanterns. Instead of being tempted to get meals at a restaurant, we made soup from our Sick and Want Soup stash in the pantry on our camp stove. I also got to try out my Christmas present French Press to make coffee so it was more of a boring day than a hardship one.
1. Have been looking at all kinds of fitness classes. Have used my online subscription (purchased at a discount!) and have worked out at home using my own weights and started walking again while listening to my headphones. No new costs out of pocket, hopefully healthier me.
2. Lost an earring (frugal fail). Looked in the mirror and it was just gone and couldn't find it. Have been keeping an eye out for deals on a replacement pair. Saw the same pair I bought in 2020 for about the same price so I bought them. Husband checked a few days later and saw they were discounted another ~$200 and Macys offers price adjustments on their site. He filled out the form and the refund was really quick. They weren't crazy expensive, nor were they a small expense BUT I do wear them almost every day of the year so I wanted to make sure I had a good pair.
3. Made a small batch of mini cheesecakes for my daughter to take with her to a playdate. I had an extra block of cream cheese, a few graham crackers and a bit of sour cream to use up and this worked perfectly - made 9 minis and sent six to her friend's house and their family loved them!
4. Made my own iced tea, cleaned my own house, did my own nails, threaded my own furry face. Maybe that's just living life but to be fair, I've considered having someone else do all of those things for me in the last month.
5. Husband used some points to book a hotel room. Then we invited some friends to come on this vacation too. Problem is they have points to another hotel chain. We found a hotel nearby theirs and ended up only having to use half the points. We're also using credits and companion passes for the flight. So hopefully the only out of pocket expenses will be the rental and food.
Ooo ... birthday freebies are nice. I thought about it but never really took advantage of them. Also, you look great in your jeans! I'm always reminded that people I feel most connected to as those that show us their less than perfect life.
My Frugal's & Thankful's since I'm afraid I'll forget.
Frugal's
Celebrated my 6 year old girl's birthday with ...
1) Reused decor from past birthdays and Easter. Also used leftover balloons from church from their Easter event for free that they were going to pop and throw away.
2) Reduced/on sale birthday cake and cupcakes at the Walmart bakery. She wanted a Minnie Mouse theme cake so will put a Minnie Mouse, Sofia the First, Belle and bunny figurines (All her favorites) on top to decorate.
3) Dinner buffet at Pizza Ranch where kids eat free on Tuesdays so that'll cover all 3 of our daughters but will need to pay for my and my husband's meals.
4) A lot of Sofia the First figurines that I got through Facebook Marketplace and a lot of Sofia the First books through thrift books.com that were on sale at Christmas.
Thankful's
1) My youngest daughter. She turns 6 today! She's our snuggle bunny and sunshine. Love celebrating this little girl's birthday.
2) Spring rain showers. Spring is coming!
3) Time to rest. Got to sleep in today, read and meditate on my devotionals, and catch up with Kristin and you all 🙂
4) Having a good school with wonderful teachers for my girls to go to that's within walking distance.
5) On top of that, being in a nice and safe neighborhood where we can freely walk and ride our scooters/bike and have the girls play at the nearby school playground without worries.
@AW,
Forgot Frugal #5. We borrowed dvds from the library and watched a movie a day for her birthday week. Everything was dog themed since she loves puppies: Scooby Doo, Barbie and her sisters puppy adventure, Paw Patrol, Clifford and Snoopy.
1. I watched a few YouTube videos and gave haircuts to my 3 boys. $75 savings. Are we expected to tip after a $25 child’s cut?
2. My half full jar of almond butter has been sitting in the pantry for a while. I whisked it back to one creamy consistency and now using it up daily.
3. Shopped weekly specials to restock the freezer.
4. Got some new with tags kids shirts and shorts at the thrift store.
5. Picked out a few things from the grocery store bin of free Christmas items.
I, for one, am jelly that you can fit in skinny jeans. Certainly not a look that would work on me.
My frugal 5:
1. My check engine light came on so dh took off and re-screwed the gas cap lid on it and it seems to have worked.
2. Dh and I have discovered another library in our county library system that is fab. I love my library and am on the board of trustees but we are a small town library. This new library serves 4 towns and is huge! The director there likes to order best sellers at 4 at a time and when the bloom goes off sells them for $4 each. This is good for dh as he has been waiting months for books to read via online from the county book system. Now he can check out real books and not wait. That and I've found some good books to read, too.
3. Dh is on his "path to wellness and fitness" which is great as that means he's losing weight, gaining muscle and eating less. Our meals go further. It's usually cook once eat twice. We did take my nephew, his fiancee and their baby out to dinner last night and I brought half of my chicken home for supper tonight. Hubby had 2 slices of his pizza left and had them for lunch. P.S. my great neice is the best baby ever!!
4. Dh is into getting a garden going for this year so he's been working on that. Not exactly frugal this first year but I hope it will be in the coming years.
5. Hubby and I keep buying gas at Costco so we are saving money that way. We have the membership why not use it? It's about 3 miles from our house.
I love seeing your selfies. I too have been upgrading my jeans. 2 of my skinny jeans had unrepairable holes so they are gone. I got a few pairs of jeans from the thrift store before Christmas so I am good for now.
1. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner with the bones of a rotisserie chicken I got earlier in the week from BJ's. I used carrots that my sister gave me, celery from the freezer, 1/2 an onion that was close to going into the compost and parley from my garden last year that I dried. There was enough for us for soup today for lunch. Hubby wanted something to go with it so I made him an egg salad sandwich. I always have hard boiled eggs.
2. My daughter came over to help me with my garden. Just getting it ready to plant. She brought leftover with her for lunch because she is GF. She took a huge pot I had for her strawberry starts.
3. Heat is off and windows are open.
4. I did laundry on the cold water cycle. I hung it all outside.
5. Didn't plan out dinner for tonight so I will just cook up 2 burgers and we have leftover broccoli too. Maybe some mac n cheese or tater tots too. No need to get takeout. I keep easy things on hand for just this reason.
If you were not such a lovely person, inside and out, I would hate you for looking so good no matter what you wear. Really, even when you have modeled clothes that you were going to send back because they didn't look right, I thought you looked great.
Not many frugal things this week--or at least I don't remember many.
1) Needed some new casual shoes, wanting slip-ons since my feet are swelling a lot, and found a clearance sale on DSW combined with a BeFrugal deal. Got a very comfortable pair of Skechers for about $30 off.
2) I have 3 sets of sheets for my king-sized bed--all at least 8 years old--but one set is made from some kind of fabric that doesn't breathe well, and I get so hot when I sleep on them. So found another deal at Macy's along with a BeFrugal deal and bought a new set for our bed, and a new full-sized for the guest bedroom (those sheets are at least 10 years old) and paid less than $30, tax and all. The unwanted king set will be gifted or donated.
3.) Frugal Goof: I started an online grocery order but came down with the flu, and didn't finish the order for a few days til I felt well enough to go pick it up. In my feverish state, I ordered TWO FAMILY-SIZED packages of chicken thighs that were on sale, instead of one. Generally I divide them immediately into zipperlock bags and toss them into the freezer to pull out as needed. But I was still not up to par, so a couple of days went by before I remembered they were still in the garage fridge. I spent one evening processing 7 pounds of chicken thighs. As I am the only one in the house who likes dark meat, this should last me a while. Whew!
4.) Was given a dozen fresh eggs through my Buy Nothing group.
5) Hubby has been working hard to lose weight and now all his clothes are too small. I've been clearing out the closet, and some of his shirts will go to the Buy Nothing group, but some he has had so long and loved so well, the collars and cuffs are frayed. Those I am cutting into squares and rectangles for use in a lap quilt throw for next winter. Even some of those that are newer, but that I really love, I'm cutting up. And I saw a really cute pattern where someone used the cuffs from shirts to make ear bud holders, so I may make some for my daughter and granddaughter.
I'll happily continue wearing my skinny jeans for now, but your new jeans look great!
1. Boiled my kiddo-cleaning washcloths, a la Kristen. We use them to wipe hands and faces after meals rather than paper towels or baby wipes. While they are irreparably stained, at least now they don’t smell.
2. Completed an online health assessment to earn $75 to be used for medical expenses.
3. During a rare moment when both kiddos were asleep on the weekend, DH was inspired to cut down two dead trees on our property. We’d originally left them as habitat for cavity-nesting birds (dead trees are hard to come by for nesters, apparently), but we realized the safety issues outweighed other considerations, sadly. We will offer the firewood to a friend from church or on Buy Nothing.
4. After 2+ years of using a reusable shopping bag for a diaper bag (I don’t get out much!), I realized I would like one now that we have two kiddos. I found a nice used one on Poshmark for much less than a new one.
5. We were given a pristine-condition lawn mower by a neighbor who upgraded. It’s a good brand name and the neighbor even paid for the blades to be sharpened and for it to be serviced regularly. (I didn’t know that was even a thing!) We are currently using one that DH found free on the road and revived with a simple fix- I forget what it was now. So we can pass on the older one for the newer, nicer lawnmower.
Bonus: Ran outside before a big rainstorm to cut some volunteer daffodils to bring inside.
you look good in anything. wear your clothes in good health. glad you are happy. you reallty deserve it. never forget that.
A couple more birthday freebies
1. Free dessert from Chick fil a so picked up a strawberry shake and a free sandwich had been added to my account for a promo so grabbed that too
2. Free pastry from Panera
3. Paying a medical bill monthly through my HSA account so saving a little money by using pre-tax dollars
4. Got 2 free tickets to a play at a local theater. My daughter works there sometimes doing lighting and gets 2 tickets to every show she works on. Just so happened to be a show I wanted to see so a friend and I had a free outing together.
5. I’m loving sparkling water at the moment and the water cooler at work has that as an option so I’ve been making sure to fill up my 40oz. cup before I leave for the day so I can enjoy it in the evening too. Saves me from spending the money on it at the store.
Have a great rest of the week everyone!
I'm late to the party, it seems, but I thought I'd chime in and say that I don'tind your selfies at all. In fact, it makes me happy to note how happy you look in them. You are clearly in a good place these days and I love that for you. ❤️
Also, I wanted to mention one giant frugal in the form of a GIANT pumpkin that my parents bought for my son back in October. It was absolutely enormous, like so big I could barely lift it, and clearly the "you can pick out as big of a pumpkin as you can carry" rule that my parents had for me does not apply to grandchildren! Anyway, we named this pumpkin "Too Big," and he and the much more reasonably sized yellow pumpkin selected by my other son, "Yellow Guy" sat in our dining room all this time taking up (a lot of) space. I finally decided to cut them up and roast them this past weekend. They literally filled the entire oven and took two full hours to roast, but I got 52 cups (Fifty-two, y'all! Not a typo!) of really nice, sweet pureed pumpkin out of Too Big and 2 huge gallon sized ziplock bags of pumpkin cubes out of Yellow Guy (he was a drier meatier variety) and they are all now living in my deep freezer awaiting future culinary awesomeness. I also roasted a smaller pumpkin left over from my farm share, but it got kind of hard and dry, so I quartered it and froze it to toss into future stock pots-I figured it might add a bit of sweetness. And, I saved all the peels in a big bag in the freezer for my parents' chickens, so literally none of it was wasted. I think we will be eating Too Big for the next five years at least...
@Becca,
Almost forgot! I roasted the seeds, too! And I saved about twenty seeds from each pumpkin to try planting them.
You are so lovely and make me smile. That is all I wanted to say. 🙂
Hugs!
1. Going along with your Old Navy jeans... After trying numerous times at thrift stores to get my daughter jeans, we finally went to Old Navy where she found a pair she loves and is wearing a ton. Plus they were on sale.
2. I saved probably $100 by buying some of our homeschool curriculum used. The rest that I couldn't find used, I at least got on sale.
3. I accepted a box of free food and coffee that was going to be wasted.
4. I found 24 cents on my walk this evening.
5. Bought reduced price meat. Downloaded our local grocery store app so I can get the coupons.
My kids love cream cheese fruit dip. We make it with strawberry cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.
Don’t feel bad for the selfies. It’s why we are here!
I guess maybe my old jeans that I have been wearing for quite a few years (a lot) may be back in style (lol)
1. In lieu of paying my car loan online (from one bank to another), I started writing a check and bringing it to the bank. I think it saves on interest. I'll compare again next month.
2. Not entirely frugal but better than it would have been. I bought lunch for the house. We like a certain sub and there were 5 of us home today. When the clerk told me the price, I was not sure it was right. Well, Wed. they are half price.
3. I don't know if I said before. The Monday night stitching group (handwork) is doing a coaster exchange next Monday. We are each making 4 coasters. I made knitted "starfish" using all stash leftover yarn.
4. In preparing the house for the house cleaners today, I had 3 rolls of craft netting. I am going to give it to a woman I know makes decorations with it. I'm going to ask her to create something for our club to raffle or donate. (I always have to clean up for the cleaners. I want them to do the cleaning, not the picking up to be able to clean.)
@JEG, I just thought of something else I did. A few years ago my daughter picked up two hydrangeas and a lilac for cheap at the end of the season. Amazingly, they grew; but she now has two dogs and they race around the yard and through the bushes. I figured they bushes were done; but when I looked at them last weekend there were tiny buds. I dug them up and moved them to the front where the dogs don't go. Hopefully they'll survive the deer.