Five Frugal Things | a student discount on groceries!
1. I signed up for the student discount at Safeway
I was walking through Safeway the other night and an announcement came on the loudspeaker saying they have a student discount program.
So of course my ears perked up!
I signed up through the app (they just verify using your school email address) and now I have a 5% discount to use (I think you get a new one every month).
Does this make Safeway into an uber affordable store?
No.
But sometimes I press the easy button and go there to pick up a few things, and now it'll be cheaper to do so!
2. I used a $10 discount at Safeway
I had points in my Safeway that were about to expire, so I redeemed them for a $10 reward, which I used on some chicken and ham that were on sale.
3. I mended a cloth bag
On this same trip to Safeway, I noticed that my canvas bag was coming apart at the handle area.
I know that cotton canvas reusable bags are one of the least eco-friendly options (largely because the fabric requires a lot of resources to make), so you have to use them around 123012003524968 times for them to be a sensible alternative to plastic.
Soooo, I figure the least I can do is mend mine when they need it.
That way I can keep using them (and using them and using them and using them.)
4. I made some pudding with the last of the milk
Zoe and I had the end of a gallon of milk that was perhaps slightly past its prime. Soooo, I made a batch of my chocolate pudding (a recipe from my grandma!)
By the way, that pudding recipe is super easy, uses pantry ingredients (plus milk of course) and is a million times better if you use dark cocoa powder.
5. I...
- packed all my lunches last week
- made all of my coffee at home
- cut Chiquita's nails at home with Zoe's help (she scruffs Chiquita's neck and I do the clipping!)
- brought a granola bar to eat during the intermission of Sunday afternoon's symphony (rather than buy food there)
Those canvas bags! I read about it before and I am still not surprised but a bit surprised. I much prefer heavy duty canvas bags and I do use them for as long as possible.
I am feeling under the weather and had groceries delivered at home. They come in plastic bags that you can turn in the next time for reuse - you get a small refund.
And I am blowing my nose in cotton handkerchiefs (that I wash on 60C with other items that need a hygiene spin). Like canvas bags, cotton handkerchiefs are products that are not necessarily the most sustainable. But they are if you use them over 15 years, like I do. And I also buy them second hand if I can find them or sometimes make them from worn shirts. It is super handy to have a whole stack at hand and they are softer to the nose.
Great that you are eligible for student discount groceries by the way!
@JNL, Me too! I cut up my softest pima cotton t-shirts when they're not able to be worn anymore, and love how much easier they are on my nose. I have allergies and the constant low-level wiping with regular tissues always made my nose raw. I've also had good luck finding vintage cotton/linen handkerchiefs very inexpensively and have been astonished at how well they hold up for years now, despite their delicate looks.
Hope you feel better soon!
@JNL, I agree with you about handkerchiefs. And you're right that they last. I inherited a big stash of lovely old ones from my mother and grandmother; some of these must be 75-80 years old, and I've only worn out one or two so far.
@JNL, I found some hankies at a “Free, Take This” table in my neighborhood. I bet the previous owner didn’t expect someone would take them. They’re not the softest but they do a great job for the annoying small drips.
@JNL,
My DH carries a cloth handkerchief with him in his pocket, which has come in handy for me more than once (at the movies with particularly moving scenes, for example). He had some of his own, and inherited a large pile when his dad passed away. I have some vintage women's hankies, which I should start carrying with me. Thank you all for reminding me of this!
@A. Marie, my aunt gathered up the handkerchiefs from my grandmother plus some from her siblings and created the most gorgeous kingsize quilt.. Have to say her creation made everyone a bit more amazed than the snot rag version. hahahaha
1. We received Covid booster shots. Our insurance picked up the cost. I appreciate having good health insurance.
2. I switched my optometry appointment from early November to yesterday. The practice is going to discontinue being in network with our not generous vision coverage on November 1st. Since I have cataracts apparently I can use medical insurance to cover some of my future visits.
3. We were feeling a bit punk after our Covid boosters and cancelled a trip to New England. I was able to cancel our hotel reservations so we didn't lose/spend any money.
4. I upgraded my New York Times digital subscription to full access, at no cost to me. I will still pay $1/week and that price will continue for a year. My previous subscription was set to go to a much higher price in April. I will not pay more than that.
5. DH likes to listen to comedy in his vehicle with Sirius XM. The current contract is about to expire so I will contact them today to get the annual price down to a reasonable rate. It is what he asks for as a birthday gift each year.
@K D, recently Sirius switched up their monthly vs yearly pricing (or, at least for us, who knows what they offer), & we were able to get the subscription for $4.98/month, which was cheaper than the previous yearly cost. In case that helps!
@K D,
Wait, WHAT?? How did you get the NYT full access upgrade for $1/week? Pretty sure DH and I are paying more than that. Do tell!!
@Liz B.,
I have a NYT cooking subscription and recently they offered me an upgrade to full access for free for one year. I don't read the news much (being Dutch) but I love doing the Spelling Bee and other games.
@Rolien,
Nice! I also have an NYT Cooking subscription, a digital subscription to the newspaper, and a Games subscription. I love Wordle, the NYT crossword, the Mini Crossword, Connections and Strands. I also loved Vertex before they discontinued it.
@Liz B.,
I have paid $1/week for the past 4-5 years. I always go in to my account to cancel it just before the promotional rate is set to expire (after 52 weeks) and they offer to continue at that rate. A few weeks ago the offer to upgrade popped up when I brought up one of the games. I didn't do anything to access it but did say "yes". You can access the digital NYT through our library. I have not done so but I helped a friend that does not have much money set it up and he has accessed it for a couple of years. I access the digital Washington Post through my library account but you only get a week of access before you have to go through the short process of signing up again.
@Hawaii Planner,
Thank you for letting me know. I will look into it. I do not listen to Sirius but I currently have a free three month trial and I keep getting offers to extend the service for three more months for $2. I prefer to listen to audio books when I am driving alone and to converse when I am not alone in the car.
DH listens to Spotify when he is not in his vehicle, and occasionally on long trips, so I don't see justifying paying much for XM. I know you can stream outside the vehicle but we have not done so.
We have been eating at home all week too. And our coffee is from home as well. I eat leftovers for lunch and my husband brings his lunch to work.
Work has a free exercise month in an app so I downloaded it and it will help me keep my schedule of exercise for the month of October. Not that I will win a prize or anything.
My granddaughter has been asking for a new Doc McStuffins medical coat, so I spent some time over the weekend making her one. She has outgrown the previous 2 I made for her! I did have to buy the medical coat, but I am glad I still have vinyl supplies for the logo and the logo on my computer program. And I also made Fall cards with paper I already had.
Used a rebate when we went to Menard's the other day. Then we received another rebate when we shopped and will be mailing that in. They offer 11% off everything as long as you mail in the rebate. Of course it is to use in the store, but they offer a little bit more than home improvement stuff, so the rebates will get used.
Celebrated a friend's birthday the other day and instead of buying a cake mix to make cupcakes, I made a batch of cookies from items I had on hand.
Got a $10. coupon for shopping at Walgreen's last week and I will be using it tonight before it expires.
@Maureen,
My friend's daughter's birthday was this weekend. She bought boxed cake mix for the cupcakes. When she filled the muffin tin she was 4 short so she thought she might have over filled them... looked at the box... it now makes 22 cupcakes instead of 24. This shrinkflation can be frustrating.
With the cookies, at least you knew you were going to get the amount you needed and it was cheaper too!
@Jaime, shrinkflation is nothing new - it has been a long, long time since there was a 3 lb can of coffee.
Surprising about the cotton bags! I guess anything reusable is better than a single use plastic bag, at least!
I'm surprised Chiquita lets you near enough to cut her claws lol! My cats would have bitten my hand off 😉
1. I did not get takeout this week although I was sorely tempted.
2. I managed to pack lunch most days.
3. I baked another apple crumble and some lemon muffins.
4. I got some good discounts on food in the supermarket.
5. I cancelled a subscription.
1. Been going on walks for free exercise.
2. As usual, we eat multiple vegetarian meals a week, but lately we've been on on a chickpea kick. They're great on rice or in pita bread.
3. My son stitched a seam in a shirt that was coming undone.
4. My husband has opted on many days to walk to work instead of paying a taxi (I estimante this saves around $3-4 US dollars).
5. Enjoying some books from a little library.
@Katy,
I used to hate chickpeas - other than blended up as hummus - until I made a delicious chickpea stew recipe that a friend gave me. Now I love them! And not just in that particular stew.
@Liz B., Ooh, I’d love to know the source of that recipe, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. Chickpeas are a great source of protein.
@ErikaJS,
I believe this is the one! You can, of course, adjust the seasonings to your taste. The peanut rice is really great, too.
https://www.food.com/recipe/garbanzo-stew-with-peanut-rice-cooking-light-297004
FFT - finally starting to see progress in this area after our big move earlier in the summer!
1. I ordered 4 free Covid tests.
2. I got a Sam’s Club membership for only $15 - a special promotion that ended Sept. 30.
3. I checked my Walgreens app & was able to get 4 bottles (smallest size) of laundry detergent for $10 ($2.50 each) and store brand freezer bags (buy 1, get 2 free) for $2.
The same size detergent was $3.88 each on sale at the grocery.
4. I’m back in the swing of cooking at home & am actually trying a few new dishes.
5. I’ve been buying toiletries, cleaning products & paper goods separately from food spending, for the most part, to save money each week. It means going to a separate store, but grocery stores here don’t have a big selection for these items or the best price.
We have a bunch of cotton/ canvas reusable bags... somehow they often don't get returned to the car. It's a tough habit to get into.
1) got my discount/free couple items at the market in exchange for my volunteering
2) finished (at the last minute) my videos for a virtual symposium that expired yesterday. I spent money on them last year so with cramming them in over the last few days, I at least wasn't wasting money
3) got a free tote for attending election training (and $30 bucks too)
4) signing up for a co-working space. Since I'm doing it today, I'll get a free month. That way I'll have 2 months to try it out and see if it works for me.
5) saw an event where they are showing Nosferatu with a live organ playing. heading into symphony hall to buy tickets in person. On-line they wanted to charge $18 fee which I'm hoping in person I won't have to pay. I'll use my husband's T pass so getting in will only cost me my time... but it gets me out of the house so it evens out.
@Jaime,
Nosferatu with live organ! Is it a Halloween special?
@JNL,
Yes! It's on the 30th. I've never seen it so I figure this is a good time to.
@Jaime,
I think they might be doing the Nosferatu show in my area, too! What fun!
We have a bunch of old Kroger polypropylene bags that are very sturdy. After nearly 25 years of use, I have had to resew a few seams and they get laundered occasionally, but they are holding up great.
1. Mended a few tiny holes in the waistband of a pair of my husband's briefs that otherwise were in very good condition.
2. I really hate shopping at the local Walmart market because it's always a disorganized madhouse, but cat food is considerably less expensive there -- like nearly 25% less than at the usual grocery store. So yesterday I did that and tried to consider the excessive walking required to find anything just a form of free exercise.
3. Sewed up some more puppy-gnawed soft toys. The little fiend loves to unstuff her stuffies.
4. Did magic with fire yet again and created a week's worth of healthy, thrifty meals from what we had on hand.
5. Thoroughly cleaned our kitchen with a stack of rags, an old toothbrush, and a bottle of homemade all purpose cleaner while watching a free movie on Tubi.
@Ruby, I sew our dog's toys too. She doesn't totally rip them apart, just nibbling off ears and noses. I just close up the hole so there's nothing to nibble.
@Ruby, I have a bunch of poly reusable bags from various local grocery stores (Wegmans, Price Chopper, Tops, etc.). In most of these cases, I've found them in my walks around the 'hood, brought them home, and washed them. (I will splurge occasionally on Wegmans bags for both JASNA BFF and Grad School BFF, both of whom usually demand to be taken to Wegmans as their first stop on their visits here.) And I agree with you that the poly bags wear very well.
Also, I forgot to say yesterday that I'm really glad you, and my former hometown, got off *relatively* lightly from Helene. The photos from western NC are as heartbreaking as the ones from FL, if not more so.
@A. Marie, we did get off very lightly here. The mountains usually keep us safe from a lot of wind and TVA was ready to handle the extra water on the river system.
I am just heartsick about Asheville, which is one of my favorite places. The Biltmore Village is destroyed, though the actual estate house is farther from the river and came through it okay.
@Ruby,
I feel the same way about Asheville....my DH showed me a photo ("before and after" the flood photos side by side) of a street we had visited in Asheville on our way to Hilton head about 3 years ago. We had stayed over night at a quaint retro-style motel, and ate dinner and breakfast at a place on this particular street, which is now basically gone. it makes my heart hurt to see it the way it is now.
@Liz B. @ A.Marie, @ Ruby,
My son lives in that area. They are beyond devastated. Because of communication difficulties, I have only been able to speak with him once. Prayers are appreciated for all. I’m proud of my state, Florida is sharing resources with North Carolina.
@Ruby, I was wondering about the estate. I, too, am heartbroken for all the people who were in the storm's path and lost every thing.
@Bee,
Oh my gosh, your poor son!. Prayers coming! I hope you can be in closer contact soon!
FFT, Freebies Galore Edition (revised/updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) On my usual early a.m. stroll through the ‘hood yesterday, I came across several interesting finds. The first = two grocery bags full of books in the recycling containers of a nearby apartment complex. The bags were so full that I wasn’t able to get them out of the containers, let alone carry them home on foot. But I reached my “picking stick” into one bag and fished out one book. (My intention was to return this morning with the car--but, alas, a warning light has gone on in the Element, and I decided that if I'm about to have more car trouble, I'd rather not have it while trashpicking.)
(2) My next surprise came at the local Dollar General’s dumpster–which is usually kept locked, but which was unlocked and open yesterday morning, with a heaping helping of clean, undamaged, and within-date foodstuffs (mostly cereals and crackers) on top. Fortunately, I had a clean backup bag with me, so I loaded it with a family-size box of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, a box of Ritz crackers, and two boxes of Nature Valley “blueberry muffins” bars (new to me, and I look forward to trying them). (I was going to take the Element back there today too, but see #1.)
(3) On the set of Depression-era brick steps connecting the main drag below us (where the Dollar General is) with our cul-de-sac at the top of the hill, I found not only more NY State deposit bottles and cans–which were what I was really looking for in my #1 and #2–but a good solid steel made-in-USA pry bar. I scooped that up immediately, both on general principles and in case whoever left it on the steps was planning to use it for petty crime.
(4) One of my later morning errands was a stop at the pop-up thrift shop run out of a disused bowling alley on Monday mornings only by a local Catholic church, in aid of its food pantry. In addition to my purchases (two Chico’s tops, a pair each of Lane Bryant and Martha Stewart brand jeans, and four skeins of yarn for my next-door neighbor’s close friend, for a grand total of $10), I took a just-past-sell-by date package of Thomas’s English muffins from the free bin.
(5) And after posting at the NCA yesterday, I went over to the link provided by Katy for the latest round of free COVID tests. Thanks, Katy! If anyone here wants the link, here it is (special.usps.com/testkits).
@A. Marie, I'm sorry to hear about your car trouble! I read your post at the NCA and was hoping you'd have some more found book titles to share!
Also, thank you for posting and commenting on posts with kindness and integrity. It is noticed by me and others.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, thank you in turn. And this particular warning light may not mean anything, but I've made an appointment at my go-to garage for Thursday to get it checked out.
@A. Marie,
I only wish I'd been with you to dumpster dive. All the dumpsters behind our stores have rotted food, flies, and big locks.
@A. Marie, I have fingers crossed that your good old Honda is just having a minor hiccup.
@A. Marie, Got my free Covid tests today! Expired 12/23 but date has been extended to 12/24! The government must have a huge stockpile of these.
When we moved, I found SO many canvas bags. I think I'm stocked for life now. 😉
FFT
1) I ordered 4 free Covid tests
2) Used free service at the hospital to have the car seat properly installed for our grandson. I know we could have done it ourselves, but I feel better knowing a professional did the installation correctly.
3) Brought breakfast and lunch to work every day.
4) Went shopping for a Halloween wreath for the front door and was shocked at how expensive they were. I'm using supplies on hand and a few purchases from the dollar store to craft my own.
5) Signed up online for homestead exemption for our new house, which had to be filed by Dec 31st. The exemption allows us to deduct up to $4,000 in state tax and $2,000 in county tax from the total assessed value of the property.
DH is counting down the days until he qualifies for the senior discount at Kroger. Then he plans to do a mammoth shop for that discount each week!
Home haircuts--been doing this since long before Covid and still everyone is content with the job I do.
Library books--finally started on Elizabeth Strout's work. My Name is Lucy Barton was well written, but oh, so sad! Waiting on Olive Kitteridge next. Also read one of my Star Trek books in my own home library.
Speaking of grocery bags, Kroger had a coupon for a free reusable bag, and I thought it was just for the weekend, but they extended it, so I grabbed my first Kroger reusable bag. I have a bunch of Trader Joe's bags I've had forever. I know Kroger is planning to phase out plastic bags sometime next year, so time to prep for that, I suppose. I do like the reusable bags for bread and chips, things that get smooshed easily.
We lost power for six hours on Friday due to Helene (a mere inconvenience compared to what others have been suffering! Even in my area there are still people without power). Thanks to DH having generators at the ready, we were able to power both fridges, plus the microwave and the TV, so we had dinner and then prepped for bed by our rechargeable lanterns. Then once we were all tucked in bed...the power came back on! So glad we didn't lose any food.
Oh, we also clipped Clark's claws at home--he gets wrapped in a towel and fed a Churu treat to pacify him while we do so. He gets SO excited when he sees the clippers it's not even funny. We joke that he's getting the kitty version of a champagne pedicure.
Such a triumph to manage it at home!
@Karen A., I had the same thought about the senior discount at Kroger, but alas it is only once per month. The first Wednesday of each month there is a 10% discount on each item. I try to buy big ticket , nonperishable items like dry cat food on that day. It adds up!
@Dee in AZ, Ooh, we both thought it was once a week. I will let him know it's once a month! Thanks!
We finally recycled several years' worth of what the recycler calls UBC — used beverage cans. (Drinking the beverages in the first place is pretty much the get-away-from-kids-for-a-second splurge we have: Drive the 2 miles to the pop machine where it costs 50 cents, then drive the maybe 6-8 miles slowly that it takes to consume them, then return home with an improved attitude. All worth it. Got our few dollars to go back and plug back into the machine again.) Bonus that the guy at receiving was very interesting and told us a ton of random facts about aluminum chemistry.
We also had the last maybe quart and a half of milk go slightly funky. We drink so much milk that it's rare I have some on the edge of not-great. I didn't make pudding, but I did make ricotta. Bonus that this is probably the best ricotta I've ever made (using the Bon Appetit recipe).
And for a third, maybe less flashy, I accepted a school-bus driving opportunity to a ball game I was going to go to anyway. Took a little more time, and really I find driving my own kid around on a school bus to be mildly weird, but made the $50 for a trip that otherwise would not have made money.
That's only three but I'm good with that for today. 🙂
@Karen., you could not pay me enough to drive a school bus (guaranteed I'd be the most hated driver). However I have the utmost respect for the drivers. I have no issue with cameras on school buses.
@Selena, oh, never fear; I am for sure the most hated driver. Somehow making kids sit their actual bottoms on the actual seats and stay actually there is mean. Whatever. You don't have to like me; just do it. lol.
1. After careful consideration, I decided to start driving lessons for my son. He is AS and has been wanting to learn for quite some time, but the OVR person who works with him had not gotten him into the school yet. It is frugal because although he is working we transport. So far so good.
2. We are eating the last of the garden produce.
3. This months grocery purchases are limited to Flashfood, MEBB (Milk Eggs Bread Butter) to help control the pantry.
4. Using up the last of the Palmolive. I bought it 3 years ago for about .03 an oz.
5. Working from home.
1. Got my covid and flu shots at Safeway. Not only were they free, I got 10% off coupons that don’t expire till April. As with FG’s discount, it’ll make a semi-emergency run a little less outrageous.
2. Did not use a 40% off coupon at a clothing store.
3. Continued to exercise for free: lifting and yoga on YouTube, walking outside.
PS: I don’t recommend using videos for lifting or yoga unless you already know proper form.
4. Continued to reuse and mend my shopping bags. I keep one set in the house, another in the car. Average age is probably 15 years.
5. Should get my free covid tests today, which is my trigger for checking the updated expiration dates for the tests I have.
@WilliamB, I think your PS in #3 is important. Thanks for posting
Agreed on the videos; it's good to have someone check you in person if you are a beginner!
@WilliamB, #5 - ours are all expired so on my list to order more.
@Selena, Have you checked online for updated expiration dates? FDA was initially cautious in setting the date, and has continued to extend them. The new tests I got yesterday are marked as expired on the box and come with a note to check online for the new date.
1. I used up over-ripe bananas by making muffins, and I reduced the sugar in the recipe by a third. I also made a hashbrown casserole, using up some eggs and cream that needed to be used. Now I have several breakfasts ready in the freezer for when I need something quick.
2. Made enchilada casserole using half chicken and half lentils, plus made sauce from scratch instead of buying. Used a reduced amount of cheese in it.
3. Made bread instead of buying it.
4. I cancelled my Walmart+ subscription. I had tried it for a month, and I did use it enough in September to make the cost worthwhile, but I don’t want to keep paying for it long term.
5. I bought only items that were on sale at Kroger. I was pretty pleased with some of the deals I got, especially a $0.39 chocolate bar from a fancy brand that normally would be out of my price range.
6. Got $5 cash back on my credit card for using it through Paypal.
1. I sundried some tomatoes from our garden. I also used most of the basil and some garlic from our garden to make pesto, which has now been frozen for the year.
2. I used leftover potatoes, leftover Greek yogurt, rosemary from my garden, and eggs to make my frugal (and healthy!) lunch for the week.
3. Brought my daughter to a free new exhibit opening at our local science museum.
4. My daughter's pants were no longer fitting her. I went through the clothes I had stored in our basement, which were given to us for free from other families/Buy Nothing. I had stored away enough long-sleeved shirts, pajamas, and pants in her new size to last until next year. The clothes she no longer fit in, I handed down to another family.
5. Started Christmas shopping for the kids, which helps with getting items on sale or used.
I use mostly the Chico bags that I got for free from a few stores where I shop during special events. I wash them after each grocery outing and they dry in 15 minutes. My 2 gifted-to-me Lands' End canvas bags say spot clean only, so I use them only to haul "clean" non-food things.
I was asked where donations can be made for hurricane victims (here in Florida, at least) to organizations here and helping. I have some more information for those interested. Please remember South Georgia got a lot of hurricane winds. And please, please, donate for the flooding victims, too if you feel led to do so. All of these below have web sites, as I understand it.
Cajun Navy Relief
World Central Kitchen
United Way of Florida
Volunteer Florida Disaster Relief Fund
Florida Baptist Disaster Relief
ARDF (Anglican Relief and Development Fund)
American Red Cross
Samaritan's Purse
Convoy of Hope
For you non-US readers, you might enjoy reading the history of the Cajun Navy.
So, how does one remain frugal during a hurricane?
1. I am learning the tricks to saving my food. I'll be honest, I wish I wasn't getting so much practice at this. I froze milk jugs of water, unloaded the ice maker every time it filled and bagged the ice or filled bowls with it, holding it in a freezer until I evacuated. I have many freezer gel packs, and I made sure they were all frozen. I took small plastic freezer containers, filled them with water and froze them. Before evacuating, I put all the perishables I wanted to use in good coolers, with freezer packs. I made sure I had eaten all the leftovers and I cooked nothing that would create leftovers. I loaded the items from my refrigerator's freezer into the big freezer, then stuffed the big freezer with freezer packs and the freezer containers full of ice. I put the milk jugs in the nearly empty refrigerator and added towels plus poly fill and batting from my sewing stash to fill empty spaces. I also added bowls and bags of ice to the refrigerator. My little utility room refrigerator was emptied of anything needing to be chilled and left to get warm. (I left things like bags of nuts and dried fruits in there.) I took the coolers to my sister's house when I evacuated and stored the contents in her refrigerator and put the freezer packs in her freezer. I repacked the cooler to come back home and left the food in it, so I didn't have to open the refrigerator door. I stopped when leaving her house and bought ice because there would be no ice or stores open at home. I kept my food good during 3 hot days without power, at which point, DH's nephew brought me his generator and I could plug in the freezer and refrigerator. Whew.
2. Since Hurricane Idalia took down the shade tree on the east side of my house, I'd temporarily put up a landscape fabric barrier to keep the morning sun off of the east side porch's fish tank, which is actually a cattle trough with rocks, peace plants and goldfish. The sun had been killing the plants and growing algae in the water. Of course, Debby, then Helene, tore the barrier down, so this time I rummaged through the PVC sticks and connectors DH always had on hand and built a shade frame that I can remove and put back up after storms. Cost, $0.00.
3. I made sure to have GF bread, peanut butter, apples, dried fruit, dried veggies, individual tuna packs and half-pints of broth and canned meat on hand. I didn't have to buy any food from a restaurant (when they opened again).
4. I bought batteries on tax-free sale weeks ahead of time. I made sure I had extra oil for the oil lamps, so I could save on battery use.
5. I stored up water so I wouldn't be scouring the area, wasting gas and paying whatever price, for water. Being on a well means no water/sewer bill, but it also means no water during a power outage.
I'm not extra-clever, I've just learned all this the hard way. I hope this helps someone else, and mostly I hope no one else ever needs to know this!
@JD, I think you could teach a master class on hurricane prep at this point. I take off my hat to you.
And thanks also for the list of charities for donations. I'll probably donate to the Red Cross and, if this option is available, ask them to divide it between FL and NC.
@JD, I am in Florida too and did some of the things you did, bagging ice, getting gas ahead of time, etc. I was very lucky as the hurricane did not hit in my area. As you said, I wish we didn’t have to know all this but glad I do. Thanks for the tips.
@JD, So glad you're okay and I applaud all your planning--I well remember being on a well during a power outage and it is No. Fun. At. All.
I am planning a couple of days away on a mini vacay to a cabin and here are my frugal things:
*Used a coupon code on their site to get a 30% discount. (they also offer a medical personnel discount)
*will be taking my own supplies to have a simple breakfast of protein coffee and pumpkin donut holes, as well as my own snacks and bottled water
*will bring my own firepit wood - theirs is pricey and I already have some
*I chose the location closest to me, so the driving is minimal (Texas Hill Country)
*To offset my eating out, I am making a crockpot of stew at home today so I can package it up for meals the rest of the week.
*will do some bopping around in town to mainly sight see, on foot
P.S. - I have a couple of canvas bags that I am sure will outlive me. (:
Keep getting those student discounts where you can! I would prefer cotton canvas over plastic any day because it is better for environment & lasts forever! I rarely get plastic bags at stores (unless need to change small garbage containers bag) & always have my cloth reusable grocery bags inside of my canvas bag in my vehicle.
Let the "BOOing" month begin.
Frugal things---
● saved $5 off $20 & picked up BOO cards & large Fall pumpkin with flowers pop up card centerpiece for BOO gift(s).
● picked up my FREE (September) Hallmark card
● saved 30% on solar lights wanted for railings & 11% mail in rebate
● used my debit card 12+ times & earned $9 (free bonus cash)
● picking up my free (October) Hallmark card (today)
● bought new FUN Halloween socks for teen from Dollar store instead of other store(s)
● got free stuffed Halloween decoration when purchased 3 Halloween sticker packs (for teal bucket non food) & used decoration for gift
Frugal fail---
● that roast that I got on mark down at Sam's a few weeks ago & cooked in crock pot then transferred to glass bowl & put in fridge to portion into smaller serving sizes & freeze is still in fridge. So, rescue dogs & neighbor dogs will be eating well for few days until gone.
@Regina, FREE COVID TESTS available (again) stating 09/30/24
through Postal Service website, limit 4 per household/address
Well done on the canvas bag! I'll go on a brief tangent and say that one thing that absolutely infuriates me is the idea that something that looks or feels more "natural" and less processed is always going to be more environmentally-friendly.
Anyway, my Frugal Five:
1. The big one is, I went on a medical outreach trip last week (within my own province.) My flight, accommodation, and transport is paid for by the sponsoring government organization, and my supervisor paid for my dinners. I ate the free breakfast at the motel and got stuff from the grocery store for lunches. We only had time for one short leisure activity, and we went for a hike. In all, the 4-day trip cost me about $20 for the groceries.
2. We wanted little figurines for our daughter to play with, and through a combination of a clearance sale and Facebook marketplace, Mr. B got a full set of Octonauts.
3. I came home to find a large amount of bread, including the partial loaf I brought home, so we had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. I love soup meals. Easy and inexpensive.
4. I'm picking up my frugal hobbies again: sewing clothes with the fabric and patterns I already have, knitting the yarn I already bought, and batch-cooking yummy things. And maybe actually blogging the results, since I'll be home in daylight and able to take pictures. Hopefully will be able to update next week with some new dresses 🙂
5. I bought a batch of 3T pyjamas for my daughter over the summer. We had one pair of red plaid bottoms with no top, so I grabbed a red t-shirt from her dresser and demoted it to pyjamas. Ta-da, a matching set! We have more than enough t-shirts; little Bee is on the small side and still fits into last winter's clothes.
1) Listed & sold a few things on eBay. Also listed 2 items on FB Marketplace. I've received 40+ messages about the bike, but so far, all hagglers. I try to keep the price as is for the first week, and then lower as needed. I find bikes to be buy far the most haggled item on FB Marketplace, which is why I dread listing them.
2) DH detailed & posted our car for sale. This was supposed to be done by the summer, but better late than never!
3) I was really craving a specific sandwich, & almost stopped by the deli on my way home. Instead, I went to the grocery store & bought the ingredients for the sandwich. The cost for the groceries was about the same as the cost of the sandwich at the deli (I didn't exactly shop around for great deals), but I was able to get 4 sandwiches out of it, plus a few sandwiches for DS17. Not as good as eating something from home, but better than the deli.
4) I used very, very old carrots in a crock pot chicken & dumplings recipe. I rinsed them & they smelled fine, so in they went. I love this recipe, and had it once for dinner, 2x for lunch & then froze the rest for future lunches.
5) Met three friends for hikes last week, vs meeting for lunch or coffee. It doesn't always work out, but free & healthy social activities are my favorite!
@Hawaii Planner, I'm very poor about haggling over prices, just don't like to do it. My way to avoid that is to price items on the low side and put in the description, PRICE FIRM. It works surprisingly well.
@Anne, I post on FB market place pretty regularly, and that's what I do. I VERY rarely get anyone trying to haggle on 95% of what I sell. But, put a bike up? Especially one worth more than $100? So irritating.
In the article you posted it says that a cotton tote needs to be used about 52 times to make it worth the environmental damage. So you might be exaggerating a hair. Future Proof on YouTube had a decent video on canvas totes and the solution, if there is one, is kind of obvious: Use what you already have and don't buy one as a fashion statement (because that's apparently a thing.)
My FFT this week are going to go off of memory because I didn't follow one of my rules about making backups: namely, keep regular backups! I apparently missed my flash drive where I was tracking my daily spending. It was a system I designed in like 2010 and not a good one. But I lost everything from the last couple months. So that stinks. Nothing that couldn't be recreated so I'm rebuilding my spending tracking system.
But what I can remember off the top of my head ...
1. I've been sick so spending less by not going out.
2. Eating leftovers or planning meals to last a couple days (or eating leftovers for lunch.)
I only exaggerated a LITTLE bit. 😉
@Kristen, just a teeny tiny bit.
Either way, some of my plastic reusable bags are older than my relationship with my wife and the canvas ones are a few years old themselves so I'd say that I'm good.
One piece of trivia I like is that the plastic shopping bags were invented to be reusable.
@Battra92, That might’ve worked back when they were thicker. Now they’re so thin that if you don’t double the bags, the cereal box rips the bag open and everything spills out.
@WilliamB, I wind up having to patch the holes in grocery bags with some scotch tape to use them in the bathroom trash can. They always get holes at the ends of the seam in the bottom of the bags.
1. This one was accidentally frugal. I may have mentioned this before, but I have a horrible propensity for root canals: I've had 5, and am just scheduled for my 6th. Every time the endodontist wants to do this "cold test" with endodontic foam. I don't know how to convey that this test, when done on a tooth that needs a root canal, is the highest level of pain I've experienced. It feels like someone pulls a bone out of your body, and then briefly exposes the inside of the bone to an icicle straight from a blizzard. It is fleeting, but, I truly hate that test.
I was complaining to my therapist about how needing a root canal requires this test, on top of other injustices (big mouth injections, THE COST, needing a crown, etc). She told me I could just decline the test. Especially because after 5 root canals, I'm very confident in knowing my symptoms. So I told him I did not want him to test me with the endodontic foam, that I simply know I need a root canal.
Readers, I just learned I have been paying this man $45 to put me in the worst pain I've ever felt. That's $225!!
Well, I saved $45 this time.
Other frugal things:
2. we continue to eat down the chest freezer so we don't have to worry about the food spoiling when we move it.
3. I got a set of adjustable weights from my Buy Nothing FB for my new strength training program. They aren't the most comfortable to use, but they will keep me going!
4. I am replacing my plastic measuring cups and spoons with metal ones. I keep breaking the plastic ones, so I thought it better to replace the remaining survivors with metal before I break even more and they all have to go to the landfill. I thrifted metal versions for majority of the cups and some spoons for $4, and donated the plastic ones back to the same store since nobody from FB wanted them. Now I'm on the hunt for a metal 1/3 cup and some tablespoons! It's fun to have a goal to hunt for at the thrift store.
5. I baked pumpkin donuts for a game night Friday, but the recipe only used a partial can of pumpkin. So, I used the remaining amount to make 4 mini pumpkin loaves just to have and enjoy.
Bonus: We trade dog and cat sitting with friends. Earlier this year we used their services, so now we are returning the favor! We are feeding one friend's cats for 2 weeks, and watched another's dog last weekend. Sometimes we exchange cash and giftcards, sometimes just appreciation. Either way, it's way cheaper than hiring someone from Rover.
Yay for no foam!!
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, I am a firm believer in speaking up for yourself in regards to medical and dental issues. Yesterday was a terrible experience for me in that I had a doctor appointment and the front parking lot was closed so I couldn't get dropped off in the lobby. Went down to the first of two elevators in the parking garage (the garage is for the doctors) and I couldn't even get into the elevator vestibule due to the fact that it was jammed packed with people. I turned around and said to myself "nope, I'm not playing this game". Went home and left an email about my experience with doctor's group. I hate this building, truly, as it has no parking that's close to the elevators. Anyway, this morning I got a phone call from someone from the doctor's group so that made me feel heard.
I went to an estate sale last week where all purchases were bagged in beautiful large canvas bags. I keep a stash of them in the suv and the farm truck, so handy.
I signed my mom up for a swimming pass thru her medicare supplemental, they gave her a buddy pass and 2 free months. She used to swim 40 laps everyday and hasn't swam for years. She took to it and was so happy. She is in year 6 of dementia. We do daily chair yoga for her and the neighbor gal and I do floor yoga after I come in from chores.
Neighbor brought me fresh salmon, so I made him a double batch of choc chip cookies for his hunting trip.
10 year old hard wired smoke/CO alarms expired, contacted the vendor/contractor to have 6 alarms replaced would've cost $1800, another vendor had over ordered for another job and sold them to me for $45 ea.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, that's an excellent score on the hard-wired alarms. And blessings on you for working so hard to keep your mother active. Believe me, after my experiences with DH, I get it.
I’m surprised to learn that about canvase bags! Ive slowly switched to mostly canvases, there is something tactile about them for me. I like them better. Not all canvase totes are created equal though! My favorite are the canvase bags from Hannafords market, up in New England! They are taller rather than wide and they hold groceries better, in my option. Plus I think they are just a bit sturdier too. I grab another two this summer when we went to Maine, they were my souvenir. I love pulling them out bc I think of summer when I use them.
@Caitlie, I did the same thing with the ABC store Hawaii bags. They are one of my souvenir from our trip there. I even brought some home for others!
@Angel, Right? That’s a good idea! Maybe next time I’ll bring a few back for others, too! Maybe as thank you gifts for pet sitting, etc 🙂
Thank you JD for listing the places we may send our gifts during this devastating time in the southeast. And while it is from sad experience, your methods of saving you from replacement expense of perishable goods is noteworthy. I can see where some of these ideas would be useful for any power outages d/t inclement weather.
I continue to fill up with gas here in town where it is/was $2.96. I did notice a tanker pull into Casey's yesterday while coming home from work, and while I needed to fill up, I was exhausted from planting bargain flowers and bulbs at the nursing home. It was a twofold project. Fills some Master Gardener hours and provides beauty (eventually) for the residents. Anyway-the tanker-I have half a notion the price went up. I will see later today.
Speaking of the nursing home, staff is decorating doors for "prizes" for fall or Halloween. As a Christian, I'm not crazy about Halloween evil looking things (I dare say, it is not really always good for our dementia patients, either) so I chose fall theme and went to Hobby Lobby. After putting things together for cohesiveness/and pretty and elegant for whom I was decorating, I chose a style that would carry through Thanksgiving. The items were 40% off. I placed the decor over a fall table runner from Marshall's that I used a $10.00 discount on. I use my TJMaxx card to earn the $10.00 discount on $100 worth of purchases and pay it off every month.
I continue to have chai latte almost every morning at home and distill my own water.
Opened the windows. This is the time of year in Missouri that we start out with heat on in the morning and turn AC on in afternoon. Threw on my flannel robe instead of turning on the heat.
Canvas bags? One summer I was pushing people to buy from the local Farmer's Market and every time I turned around, someone was giving me a FM themed canvas bag. I have them "decorating" my car and to use.
@Chrissy, I agree with the scary part of Halloween decorations--- especially with younger children & nursing homes. Some scary decorations are down right creepy! I do animal skeletons & purchased talking regular skeletons for Halloween in addition toy Fall decorations that will stay out through November.
Ha! Granola bars are just as classy as a $4 concert bag of M&M’s!
I just returned from a very large, stock- up Aldi shop. It neared $300, which might be a record for me!
However, it would have easily been $400 at our local Giant, so I’m not complaining!
I feel like I’m hemorrhaging money lately but there have been a few things I was able to save on.
1. I am, as I type, having a tree removed from my yard, which is not easily accessible (oh the things you don’t think about when you are young and excited to buy your first house). While the cost is still shocking, I was able to get a discount for allowing the company owner’s daughter to shadow me at work. She wants to go into my profession.
2. The above mentioned tree is a Tree of Heaven and has been infested with spotted lantern flies for the past two summers. Not only is it disgusting, it has been damaging to the wood of the deck. This has contributed to the deck needing to be replaced. The tree guys dropped a limb on the deck railing which broke the railing off. They offered to pay for it but the wood was not in great shape anyway. I said if they would haul the railing away we would be even. It’s one less piece I have to cut up and dispose of later.
3. I treated myself and a neighbor to a mum from Aldi and neither one survived. When I returned them, the checkout person had a hard time getting the refund correct. They were giving me too much back. I pointed it out but when they took the amount off my order, they made the same mistake. I checked the receipt before I left the store and again pointed it out to them. They told me don’t worry about it. So I came away with $10.26 in my favor (counting the Quarter and penny I found in the parking lot)
4. I took advantage of a spend $100 dollars now get a $30 discount later from Chewy. I’m stocked on one of my dog’s meds for a few months and will use the $30 for her food.
5. My work schedule has been insane so I have gone nowhere but to work and home for the past few weeks. I have saved on gas because of this and have I packed all of my meals so I didn’t eat out.
My 5 Frugal Things:
1. Kept avocados fresh for much longer than I usually can with a new trick I learned….keep in a bowl of water in the fridge…worked like a charm
2. DH said his electric razor wasn’t shaving so close anymore and wanted to buy a new one, I suggested he research if he could buy new blades instead, he could and was able to buy 6 blades (only need 3 at a time) for $16 so having two sets will last for quite awhile and much less expensive than a new razor
3. Called Verizon Wireless to see if there was a cheaper/better plan that what I have and managed to knock our bill down $25 a month and only lost the “hot spot” perk which none of us use anyway
4. Called Verizon Fios and managed to saved $15 a month and got HBO Max for free for 12 months. Already marked my calendar for next year to call and cancel.
5. DH and I have a long weekend planned in Nashville later this month with friends and every few days I check my Southwest app to see if the flight price has went down. The outgoing flight had by $43 a person so I saved us $86 and our friends too. Then turned around and saved $26 for a November flight to Atlanta for me and a friend. The money gets put in our Southwest account which we will have no problem using at a later date.
Made green tomato bread with the last tomatoes from our garden.
Trimmed my own bangs at home instead of going to the salon.
Made a homemade cake for my sons’ birthday party instead of buying one at the store. Also made the guac and potato salad which tastes better and is definately cheaper.
Read a bunch of books from the library for free entertainment.
Used Dawn to get grease stains out of clothes I thought were ruined years ago until I saw a YouTube shirt about how to get out grease stains. The one time doomscrolling actually improved my life haha
1. I used my rewards card to cash in on my free eyebrow threading. It's the one beauty splurge I regularly get done.
2. My daughter asked if we could get a specific set of 3 hand sanitizers. For $30. Cue eye roll. I said no. Instead we found a single pack that was $8. Still too much for hand sanitizer? Probably Yes. Better than $30? Also yes. We compromised on this one.
3. Almost stocked up on some items that seemed to be wonderfully priced in my grocery store app. Before checking out, realized that I needed to be part of a paid membership program to get those prices. No thanks. Returned the items to the shelves.
4. Downgraded my Costco membership as we have no major purchases planned this year and we didn't spend enough last year to make the executive membership worth it. Costco refunded the difference between the two membership levels and the amount we were out for paying for executive membership last year.
5. Ate weird meals to use up what we have :). I'm also baking cookies for my nephew who's away at his first year of college at the US Naval Academy based on what's in the pantry (including a jar of free peanut butter, oats and chocolate chips). Luckily it matches up with what he likes.
5% off groceries is pretty meaningful these days.
1 - I used my Kohl's cash before it expired to get two pairs of shorts. They came to exactly the amount of cash I had and I'll pick up in store for free so zero out of pocket.
2 - I grabbed some kid leggings 50% off at Land's End and made sure I got enough product for free shipping.
3 - I sold an item on Etsy.
4 - I went for a nice long walk with a friend, during which I dropped off said Etsy package.
5 - I brought my own soap to the laundromat (washer is still broken) since buying it there is crazy expensive. The prices for the machines are actually pretty reasonable.
I have so many questions about the way plastic bags and cotton bags are assessed for eco friendly-ness. How heavily are the end of life impacts weighed? And why do we all know about how many, many times we need to reuse the bags but not how many times to reuse cotton shirts or jeans? This topic just always makes me wish I could sit around with people who work in this field and really pick their brains!
My Frugal 5’s
1)Had jury duty for 2 days and got paid $200.
2) Ate snacks they provided for lunch and stayed nearby for break so saving on gas.
3) My girl got a discounted Lego set off Amazon as one of her birthday gifts and enjoyed putting it together with her sisters.
4) Also got these huge gigantic chocolate chip cookies that were extra that the food pantry had for free.
5) Used up food from the fridge and cooked a few new recipes; Borrowed books and DVDs from the library
@AW, Wow, your state is very generous with regard to jury duty compensation! Mine pays $12 per day.
1) I got a "your balance is overdue" statement from a dentist we haven't visited in years. I left a message on the phone number provided on the invoice and heard nothing back. So this morning I called the main line for the dentist and got a very helpful person who was able to print off statements from 2021 that they claim were not paid by our insurance. I am almost 100% sure our insurance paid these claims. I check our claims site after every health-related visit to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. It would have been very unlike me to ignore an unpaid bill. So I then spent over an hour on the phone (while I did a more mindless work task) with the insurance company while they de-archived the claims from 2021. When I get all these files, I will match them up with the dentist's office statements. I'll pay anything we do owe, but I'll be surprised that is the case. What I really want to avoid is a collections call in six months over this dumb tiny bill.
2) I made covid and flu vaccine appointments for all six of us. Nothing like a free shot that helps keep you from missing work or worse due to illness.
3) I continue to eat up the lentils my mother in law passed along to us. Lunch every day this week is lentils. Luckily, I like them. But I probably will still take a lentil break when I finally get through them all.
4) I cleaned our electrostatic HVAC filter. Our HVAC man said these filters were good, washable filters, comparable to disposable hepa filters. One reusable filter was the same as buying a couple of disposable, but they should last for years if I keep up on maintenance. I set a monthly reminder to spray off the thing to keep it in top shape for years of "free" use.
5) I completed four more job applications yesterday, I postponed figuring out the kids winter clothing needs for when I will have time to strategize Goodwill and other used options, I batched errands yesterday on my way to campus, I got gas where I knew it would a little cheaper, my husband and I planned meals around what is already in the freezer and pantry, and I said no to a home exchange offer.