Five Frugal Things | a Sugru fix
1. I repaired my headphone adapter
I have non-Apple wired earbuds, and they require an adapter to plug into my iPhone.
Part of the adapter was starting to come apart (it's an obvious stress point when I put my phone into my pocket), and I remembered that I had been sent a sample of something called Sugru.
(I got this sample some years ago and have never used it!)
Sugru is a moldable silicone substance that acts kind of like glue, and it was perfect for this application.
It's sort of like a clay consistency, so it was easy to press around the damaged portion of my adapter.
Happily, it dries into a flexible silicone rubber coating, so the cable will still be flexible and usable.
Yay!
This was my first time, so my fix is a little messy. Next time, I think I can turn out something slightly more professional-looking. 😉
2. I bought Zoe a clearance planner
She was wanting a planner to help her manage her schoolwork and her time better, so we stopped in at Staples.
She found one she liked that went from July 2021-December 2022, and since some of the planner was already useless, it was on clearance.
Yay!
She can just take out the pages she doesn't need, and she'll still get quite a few months of use out of the planner.
3. I cancelled Audible
I had originally gotten an Audible membership while Lisey was in high school because she does better at learning via audio. I got her some textbooks and some literature-assignment books that way, and it worked great.
But she has obviously graduated and I noticed we had audiobook credits just piling up.
So, I had Sonia redeem them all, and then I cancelled the Audible membership.
Of note: if you cancel Audible before redeeming any credits, you do lose them. So, be careful!
4. I got a free pizza
I opened up my Safeway app and noticed that I had a whole free frozen pizza offer in there. NICE.
So, when I was near a Safeway the next time, I popped in to grab my freebie.
Safeway is probably going to stop giving me freebies any minute now, but I am happy to ride this train as long as they let me. 😉
5. I am batching errands like a boss
I know I keep putting this on the list, but it's awfully relevant with gas prices being what they are.
I am being super mindful of making sure I do small errands in conjunction with bigger, necessary ones. And I am also being careful to fill up on gas when I am already going to be near a "cheap" gas station.
Not that any gas is exactly cheap right now. Ha.
You can extend the shelf life of unopened Surgu by storing the packets in the fridge.
Oh, good to know!
@Mands, That's super-helpful. I've had a packet or two go bad on me previously. It's nice to keep on hand, but it's not cheap!
I made homemade almond milk and used the almond pulp to make gluten free crackers.
My frugal five features a trip and libraries in two different countries!:
-I had a book due to the library that I could not renew. I ran out of time to return it in time before going on a trip, so I called the library and they were able to extend the loan.
-During the trip when I got covid, a friend of mine picked up free covid tests from the library where she works.
-Before going on the trip, froze some partly used milk instead of pouring it out. When I came back from the trip, incorporated it into homemade mac and cheese. I also froze some cheese I haven't used yet.
-Bought a couple of spring shirts from a thrift store
-Anticipated when I have less time to cook and made meals beforehand.
Truthfully, I don't feel so frugal these days maintaining two homes and trying to figure out the long term, but for now I'm happy we can do this (I moved to another country to be closer to my family, especially my mom who is not doing well health-wise, but we've decided to hang on to our old home and renovate it with the thought of returning soon).
@Kristina, we also live in two countries. It's tricky having to have two of everything.
@Katy in Africa, Yes, absolutely. We have been lucky to have found many nice things from buy-nothing groups or secondhand.
We used Sugru to repair a rack in our dishwasher that was rusting through, and it’s held up fantastically. It’s amazing stuff!
@Sally, brilliant!!!! I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with mine! Thanks for mentioning this. I’m really grateful!
Oh wow, that is impressive that it holds up to the stress of being inside a dishwasher.
@Cait, you're welcome! I'm amazed at how well it's held up and for quite a number of years. Those dishwasher replacement racks are expensive!!
@Sally, I scavenged a replacement rack from a dishwasher that was on the curb for trash. Not even the same brand washer but it fit! I’ve used my “new” rack for years now.
I had wondered about Sugru, and now I see it works. Good to know!
1. I defrosted my freezer this weekend and only had to throw out one thing, some not-gluten-free buns that I was going to give away and never did. I reorganized all the freezer bins, organized the shelves on the door, and wrote everything down again, by category this time, on my hanging thrifted chalk board, using chalk from a back-to-school sale years ago. I use an old sock as the eraser. Now it is easy both to know exactly what I have in there and to find it. The only problem is that I keep wanting to open the freezer and admire my handiwork. 🙂
2. I remembered to ask for the money I had left for DH to get a haircut at the rehab. The stylist didn't come while he was there, so it was unused.
3. The hospital lost his glasses, so this time I asked for his prescription and bought a pair online. I hope they work, as they were much cheaper. I can return them if they don't. I need to call the hospital and politely ask for reimbursement for his new ones. It may not work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
4. I've been using Gasbuddy to check gas prices in my area. If I'm near a cheaper station, I'll use it.
5. Oh, one of the freezer bins I use is a bin that came in a refrigerator we no longer have. I thought to grab it when we got rid of the fridge.
@JD, my mother's glasses went missing several times in assisted living until I took them to a jeweler and had little engraved name plates made for the outside of the side pieces. I had a pair and a spare done for her that way and they always made their way back to her after that.
If anyone else was wearing her glasses, the staff could see at a glance by the name on the side that it was not their specs. The jeweler glued the little plates on so securely that they couldn't be peeled off, unlike tape.
@Ruby, best idea ever. Thank you for sharing.
@Stephanie, thank you. It was a long time ago, but the jeweler didn't even charge much to do it. He was a really nice guy.
@JD, the first time we ordered glasses online felt really strange to us too - like you said, it's so much cheaper. But our glasses have all been great, no trouble with any prescriptions (including bifocals/sunglasses). Now they do definitely feel like cheaper material, but ours have lasted fine for years (and I've actually come to really appreciate the lightness since it doesn't leave marks on my nose). And since they're so much less expensive I actually have a spare pair now, yay.
@Ruby,
I can't figure out how the hospital lost them, though. It's not as though there was an opportunity for them to leave his room. Surely the cleaning staff doesn't toss glasses - the bifocals were lined, not progressive, so it was obvious they were prescriptive glasses.
That's a good idea, though, about getting them marked. I'm going to look into that.
@Suz,
I hope his turn out like yours! Thanks for letting me know!
@JD, the ambulance crew or medical transport crew that transported from hospital to rehab center may have failed to leave them with the patient at rehab. I work in LTAC/rehab and this is a common problem. Sometimes a call to the ambulance or medical transport company will result in the return of lost items. If they were, in fact lost by hospital, they likely were sent to laundry in the bed linen!!! That happens all.the.time!
@JD, They get put in a pocket and end up in the sheets. Sheets get pulled off the bed and washed and glasses get broken and tossed. Happens all the time at hospitals and at nursing homes. Teeth are what always amazed me. My Grandpa's roommate would "borrow" his teeth. Gross.
Goodness, you wouldn't think someone else's teeth would fit in another person's mouth!
@JD, the sad truth about life in DH's dementia ward is that things go missing **all the time**, regardless of labeling or anything else. (And, believe me, I label everything.) It's not that anyone is stealing anything or otherwise acting maliciously; it's just that the residents cruise in and out of others' rooms, see something that appeals to them, and make off with it. DH has made off with his share. And the staffers on the ward have enough else to deal with that sorting things out isn't a high priority, although I always try to have them return things that aren't DH's. Just a word of caution in case your DH moves on to skilled nursing.
My mom is in a nursing home because she's paralyzed. Her brain is as sharp as ever. They open her mail (ILLEGALLY, which I have complained about repeatedly) and take her things without asking, as if she were demented/not in her right mind. I have purchased her two gel- and foam- cushions for her bed and wheelchair, and BOTH have been lost. One because they illegally opened her mail and whoops--the package never got there. The second because they took things out of her room to clean them, without asking or telling her, and the second cushion went away.
I am about to order a THIRD cushion, which really burns me up as they're $80 each but can I put a price on easing my mother's pain?, and I am painting our last name on every single removable piece of it. Maddening.
@Rose, my mother’s dentures (upper) went missing, permanently.
@Suz, my husband's uncle had Parkinsons. He thought he had a job as a security guard and would go down the hall jiggling the door knows. He didn't have strength to turn to open, so thought everything was locked up tight 🙂 He even stole a set of keys from the nurses desk and was trying to get out of the unit to take himself home. One day he went and peed in a lady's trash can.
@Rose,
I am so sorry for what you, JD, A. Marie, and so many others are going through with nursing homes. I really am. From my own personal experience with my grandparents, it can be truly be either sanctifying, or maddening!
@JD, I think hospitals have “lost and found” boxes. Maybe they would let you look through them for the glasses.
My five frugal things include many really boring activities. We are suddenly feeling the effects of inflation.
1) I spent a little time analyzing our spending. Our monthly budget needs have increased by nearly $500, so I’m doing many little things to compensate for the difference. It is really stunning when you start looking at each line item in the budget. Homeowners insurance, groceries, gas, haircuts, association dues, Plane tickets, cleaning supplies, pet food, and household maintenance items have all increased significantly.
2) I garbage picked a beautiful terra-cotta pot. It’s perfect for Succulents. I am currently rooting several different plants so this will be made into a planter.
3) I submitted my fetch Points for a gift certificate to Whole Foods. I often buy my special needs foods there.
4) I received two books yesterday i. the mail from my cousin. We send books to each other on occasion. These are usually thrifted, read, and then gifted. We will then discuss them. It’s a cousin’s book club.
5) I have been doing all the usual things. Eating my leftovers, cooking from scratch, brewing my own coffee, batching errands, And drinking primarily water.
Wishing everyone peace and good health
@Bee, I'm glad to see that you too are a member of the "I brake for all trash piles containing interesting planters" club! And your cousinly book club sounds delightful.
@Bee,
Back in the day when DH worked on the east coast and lived on Amelia Island, I visited him often and we would take leisurely walks around the historic district, where he was living. We not only found planters, we found plants. He kept a poinsettia and a couple of other houseplants for years that we trash-picked a few blocks from his place. One of his talents was growing things and bringing dead plants back from the brink.
@JD, I find orchids quite frequently in the yard trash. The quit blooming and people throw them out. I bring them home and pit them. Often perennials are treated as annuals and tossed too. I love Amelia Island. It’s truly beautiful.
1. I was low on body lotion, so I purchased 4 tubes using Target's buy $40 get a $10 gift card last week.
2. I'm still stocking up my pantry, this week with sugar and flour.
3. I harvested some lettuce and tomatoes from my garden for salad.
4. I purchased some Armenian cucumber seeds. I haven't tried to grow these before, but they seem to like warm weather, so those will go into containers this week.
5. The usual, walking for exercise, drinking coffee at home and reading library books on the Libby app. This week I read: Shipped by Angie Hockman, it was a fun read. Now I'm reading, This is going to Hurt by Adam Kay.
@Sandy Beach, Armenian cukes are great and even though they like heat, they grow very well in my greenhouse here in Fairbanks, Alaska. We love them!
I love a good repair! Bonus points for it being an electronics repair! Keeping e-waste out of the landfill makes me quite happy. Now it would've been nicer had Apple just, ya know, not ditched the headphone jack but whatever.
On a funny side note can you believe that wired earbuds are becoming all the rage with young people again? I am not sure why but I am happy to once again not change anything but somehow be in fashion.
Anyway, here are my frugal happenings for the week:
1.) Planning a vacation for this summer. Yeah, it's not about spending the least but more about spending mindfully, I guess. We found that getting a hotel was almost half off if we booked Monday-Thursday instead of Thursday to Sunday. We also found the hotel through Hotels.com (although we had stayed there before) but we booked via the hotel's website instead of through the service as there was a better rate and room there. My wife also found some discounts via her Union as well. Nothing worthwhile on AAA unfortunately.
2.) Found something I wanted on eBay and used the "Make an offer" button. The seller counter offered and I accepted and paid for the item. Worst they can do is say no, right?
3.) Used a coupon at JoAnn for some yarn so that my wife can make something for me. While there she found some Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker fabric on clearance. This is my favorite Zelda game (and possibly my favorite game of all time.) She's not 100% sure what she'll do with it but she bought the end of the bolt and plans on making something for me.
4.) Finished a tube of medicated cream. It's a rarity when something like that fully gets used up but with more bumps and scrapes happening these days it's inevitable. Still, the most common way of finishing such tubes are for them to get lost or to expire it seems. Similarly I'm almost all the way through a tin of Bag Balm so I'll have to pick up some more.
5.) Trying to plan things for the weekends that involve me getting out of the house. I find my mental health struggles being stuck in the house (which explains why I mentally deteriorated so badly in the last two years) so we're looking at good family friendly activities that we can do together.
@Battra92,
Being home all the time was tough on many. It has taken me a while to get back into the groove of life. I still can’t used to getting dressed and leaving the house every day.
@Bee, What's strange is for so long I did work outside of the house during all of Covid and I welcome going back into the office full time (provided I can take care to get my daughter on and off the school bus.) What has got me down is nothing on the weekends to look forward to.
I caught a few charges on an EOB from our insurance company and due to an erroneous code, we'll go from an $800 bill to a few dollars. It pays to read through everything.
Eating out of the freezer provided 4 dinners last week and helps keep food from getting past that too late to eat stage.
Controlling the power bill by dressing dh for the weather. The women get it.
Like Kristen, combining errands and trips to save gas.
Going through the closets looking for things to use up. Found a bottle of shampoo, body wash, some toothpaste, A few OTC meds, etc... That should buy me a few weeks and maybe months on some purchases.
@Jennifer, yes we get it. DH wears shorts, tee shirts and bare feet around the house year-round, then complains about being cold. And pushes up the thermostat.
1. I spent the day with my parents over the weekend, and we wanted lunch out. I convinced Mom to do fast food with me instead of a spendy sit down restaurant. We all enjoyed our food. Plus, we had so much fun people watching! They got senior drinks.
2. I am taking a vacation day this week not to go somewhere fun (usual), but to deep clean and organize my home better. Hopefully, I can organize my food storage and make a list of expiration dates.
3. I had a hunch to go to our neighborhood Goodwill on Saturday, and voila: I got my DH a new pair of Rockports for $5 (he has bad feet so these are much appreciated!) and I also found him a like-new polo shirt for this season for 1/2 off (so around $2). I always try to follow my hunches.
4. I changed my menu plans last night when I saw something was about to go bad.
5. I had to stop at the grocery store last night, and I carefully picked out the most economical meats for our family (just two of us). I was more than a little shocked at how much prices have went up just in two weeks here. We both eat high protein diets, so meat, cheese, and eggs are essential in our menu planning.
For some reason mine did not post last week so this should be easy:
1. I have a hybrid vehicle and I put it in ECON mode a few weeks ago and have been very happy with the gas mileage. I waited to buy gas until the state gas tax was removed (for thirty days) late last week. I also have been trying to walk places when I can and drive less.
2. I have an old Brother laser printer. I paid $30.50 for it in 2011, it was a floor model at Staples. I got the low ink message so I put a piece of electrical tape (found in the street many years ago) over the eye which allows me to print until I don't like the print quality. Thank you Google for that hack many years ago. We have never had a color printer, just regular black ink lasers. They are so much cheaper to use.
3. I have been to LIDL twice in the past few weeks and been pleased with the prices on produce, including a lot of organic. I also bought some special buy foods the other day.
4. I took the MARC (commuter) train to DC to spend the day with my sister. She and her family were visiting from the Midwest for a few days. We also rode the Metro (subway) to get around. It's not expensive and so much easier than driving.
5. I ordered and received a second set of rapid Covid tests from the government. My impression is that that had an overabundance. Anyway, they were delivered three days later whereas the first set took a month or more to arrive.
@K D, hey fellow Marylander!! We live in Frederick. Did your family get to see the Cherry Blossoms?
@Julie, I visited Frederick for a wedding 6 years ago. I’m from Canada.What a lovely time we had especially in your historic downtown. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
1. I know I use this one all the time but I got a new stack of books from the library!
2. Target circle gave me a deal that if I spent $120 4 times in a certain amount of time they'd give me $50 back. I switched most of my grocery shopping to target to hit the goals, (I find the prices to be comparable to Walmart) and additionally hit several of their bonus goals. Earned $80 in target rewards in a little less than a month.
3. I mended a large stack of clothing for various members of my family.
4. I've made sure to menu plan to keep eating out to a minimum and keep our grocery bill on track
5. I gathered a bag of clothing to take to a resale store this week, hopefully will make a little bit on it!
1) Took advantage of a deal on cabbage, to pick some up. My husband eats a large salad each night with dinner, and the salad goes well to offset some of the lettuce as a base. And, lettuce, like everything else, is $$$$ right now.
2) We have really focused on driving our electric car almost exclusively now. Our larger car has a bike rack, and we do sometimes need to pick up a kid on a bike, to transport them places, but we've tried to work around that as much as possible, to ensure we're not spending money on gas. We also can charge our electric car for free at our office.
3) Picked up oat milk for $1 at the store, using a grocery store offer. This is the third container I've picked up for free or super cheap lately, thanks to iBotta & grocery store deals.
4) Our flight for a wedding we're attending got changed, and I wasn't sure if we could make the time due to kids school. I looked around & there were better flights on other airlines, but they were all $100+ more (x4 people). We will instead pick the kids up from school (vs biking home) & head straight to the airport to make the flight. We prefer more time ahead of flights, but we have TSA precheck, so it should work out.
5) Drove my son to soccer reffing games this weekend. Not frugal for me, but it's good for him to earn money. He will have his license next year, and will be able to drive himself. For now, I'm willing to invest the time, so he can earn money. (I drive the electric car, so no paying for gas.) He's my child who is not easily flustered, so when coaches challenge his call, he simply describes the rule & moves on. At times, I wish he were more ...emotional/empathetic at home, but this job is a perfect fit for a somewhat moody teen. 😉
I wanted two shorter cardigans for spring from Old Navy, but not at $45/ea. (I try to never pay full price!) They had a 40% off sale, which made the price for two more palatable. Then, I remembered I had $42 in Navyist rewards. Total-$12.98 (free shipping) for two new cardigans! I also batch my errands even more than usual now. I also pay a lot more attention to Target Circle offers.
Ooh, what a good set of deals on those cardigans!
Your Sugru fix looks pretty awesome! What a neat product!
My FFT:
1. I dropped my phone last week and there are now a number of cracks all across the screen (yes, I do have a protective case and cover on it). It's the worst screen crack we've ever had, but I'm going to stick it out and just live with it. We may put a new screen cover on, but I'm not going to purchase a new phone for a while.
2. I cooked and froze 4 pounds of black and pinto beans yesterday.
3. My oldest is not a morning person but had an early morning dentist appointment this morning, so I opted to have her eat breakfast between her appointment and school rather than at home before the appointment. We were going to get a breakfast meal at McDonald's but with OJ the meal came to $6. I realized that with ordering through the app, I could get her a breakfast sandwich for under $2 and get a free large smoothie! Their app is a pretty good deal! She drank half of the smoothie and I had the other half. I also had yogurt at home before her appointment so I didn't have to buy food for myself.
4. I was patient! I've been wanting a warming mat for seedlings for about a year, but instead of buying one myself I kept it on my running list of gift ideas and I got one for my birthday on Saturday. Once our plants outgrow the lids on their trays we have to keep them in our cold basement closet to keep them safe from the cats, so hopefully this will make them happier to grow.
5. I normally do my Aldi shopping on Tuesday mornings, but with the meals I have planned I can hold off until Thursday. I'm hoping that the 2-day delay will help us use up more of what's in the fridge and waste less.
1. On vacation, we got some takeout as a treat, but generally ate simply and picked up eggs, cheese, bread, fruits, and vegetables from local stores.
2. We visited a national park, which is a super affordable attraction!
3. We enjoyed having cable TV in our rented cottage (SNL! An Evening with Adele! American Song Contest!) and will now happily return to our cable-less home.
Frugal Fails:
Our rental said it had a barbecue but doesn't, so the meat I bought was wasted. Of all foods, the thing I hate to throw out the most is meat.
The weather is rough and this town really doesn't have much that we can do, covid-wise, so we're leaving a day early. If I'd researched better, maybe I would have known to book us a shorter stay. Live and learn!
That's a good reminder for us to be thoughtful about batching our trips and refueling at opportune times - really important frugal tip!
I submitted a reimbursement request to the home warranty company. When we moved in we used an out-of-network plumber because the in network company didn't have a same day opening. Hopefully I will get $50 back.
I used the "welcome to the neighborhood coupon" at the grocery store.
We batched errands. Sunday we left early to get gas before church, then went to Costco, Kohls (Amazon return location), the pharmacy and Home Depot. (We were gone 6 hours but since we moved 7 miles out of town, it is important to batch errands.) Our Costco is doing a major parking lot renovation so it is hard to shop there right now but we save quite a lot of money on cheese, cereal and gasoline.
I fixed the sprinkler system so that the sprinklers are no longer running every single day.
Kristen, your long-ago mention of how well silicone cord protectors work at weak spots on charger cords has kept the charger for my cell phone and tablet working great.
This past weekend I made sure to use some Food Lion store coupons before they expired. We also came in $19 under budget on groceries thanks to some stocking up done in previous weeks.
With the weather getting warmer, I need some short sleeved shirts for work and a cotton nightgown. It took diligent shopping on Swap.com and Poshmark to find what I wanted, but it's all either gently used or new with tags, continuing the year-long streak of buying only secondhand clothing. The Swap order included some denim capris I know will be too big for me, but will alter them to fit. Because I'm quite short, I get a lot of practice at this.
Our two older dogs have gained weight over the winter, and my husband used $10 in rewards from the hardware store to buy a pair of garden clippers dedicated to cutting their treats into pieces. The treats are too hard to cut with a knife, but the clippers do it so easily. Now the dogs get their usual three snacks, but the caloric cost is the same as just one snack.
Yes! My cute dinosaur cord protector has kept my fraying charger cable going for a while now.
@Kristen,
@Dottie, I would love to know more about these silicon cord protectors please
@Dottie, I bought Nite Ize cord collars, a pack of eight from Amazon, and doubled them up where the charger cord bends to keep the wires from breaking. It was only $5.99, but even with the included tool to put them on, it was difficult to do. Kristen used a cute little silicone dinosaur that was placed on the cord.
I love the idea of Surgu, I shall procure some immediately!
My FFT are;
I used up all the leftovers from my son’s 18th birthday family lunch buffet and nothing went to waste.
I mended 2 pairs of ripped leggings - working on the farm and clambering through fences equals lots of rips.
I darned my favourite pair of bed socks which had 2 enormous holes. I only had black wool and the socks are grey but I remembered people talking about ‘visible mending’ on here so that’s what I’ve done!!
My eldest son has torn his ACL and needs surgery. The NHS wait list is 22 weeks minimum so we may have to pay for private treatment. He’s an elite athlete (an American Football Running Back) so he needs to be operated on/recover as quickly as possible. I realised I could access a pension I have which will give me about £300 a year pension when I’m 67 (I’m 56 now) but I can take out some money to pay for the treatment. My son says he will pay me back which I will accept on a monthly repayment basis. It feels good to be able to do this for him, not exactly frugal but I guess you’ll all understand.
It’s Mother’s Day in England this coming Sunday and I’ve managed to get a lovely kingfisher sun catcher for my mom using a credit I had with a small artisan company. I also found hand cream my MIL loves in the sale at 50% off so some savings there.
It’s unseasonably warm at the moment so I’m planning a day in the garden tomorrow prepping the vegetable beds/pots for planting with free to me seeds so I guess that’s 6 frugal things!!
@Joanne in the U.K., I was taking the QE2 from NYC to Southampton one year (I refuse to fly anymore) and the florist had confused the US Mother's Day date with the UK date. As a result, he failed to order enough flowers for the UK date and had a lot of angry passengers as a result. Until then, I did not realize the dates were different.
@Lindsey,
It has always confused me as to why the dates are different. I have tried on many occasions to convince my boys to celebrate both days for me as we love the US. They tactfully says nope to that idea 🙂 🙂
Mothering Sunday is traditionally the fourth Sunday in Lent. That's been going on since the Middle Ages. It was also the day that servant girls were given the day off to visit their mothers.
American Mother's Day is a much later invention.
@Joanne in the U.K., I have a few pairs of bed socks as well. I keep 2 pairs in the drawer by my bed, a pair in our camper and a pair in my over night bag.
1. Shopped at the bargain discount store again and got some great deals, like 79 cent boxes of cereal.
2. Shopped Goodwill and found more clothes and home decorations. Some of the best scores were a pair of nine west heels that I think would be $50-80 new. And my husband found a cool mirror that he said would sell for $50. I can't remember the exact prices we paid, but each was under $10.
3. Accepted a whole bunch of pulled pork, chips, cookies and buns after a church meal. Easy free meals!
4. Thinking I might switch my afternoon coffee to unsweet ice tea. It's less caffeine and I think cheaper to make. Anybody have any good number crunching on coffee VS. Tea??
5. Trying to loose weight on the cheap. Been walking/running for free excersice. I keep gluing the soles of my sneakers, but need to start keeping my eyes open at the thrift stores for a new pair. I'm using run keeper app and my fitness pal app to track excersice and calories. They're both free.
@Katy in Africa,
I do not have a price crunch difference on coffee vs tea, but I will point out that the frugal among us have been known to reuse a tea bag for a cup or two more of tea, but when I tried one time to reuse coffee grounds for a second pot it was a frugal fail in the worst way!!! 0 out of 10, would NOT recommend!!!
@Becca,
Also my husband doesn't let me make the coffee anymore. I'm sure it's totally unrelated...
@Becca, My son loves Strong coffee and I don't. I sometimes reuse his pod when I want a cup of coffee( usually with cake) and it is perfect for me. We also save the pods as my seed starters every year.
FFT, Errand-Batching Edition:
(1) I batched errands this morning, as Kristen and many others have been doing. First, I stopped at the PO to send some of DH's old photos (he was a good photographer, and I have been going through the photos) to three sets of friends. All three sets (the photos, not the friends) were packed in reused USPS and Amazon mailers.
(2) Next stop was the Little Free Library that lives in an old newspaper box in the business park where my financial advisor's office is. Dropped off three books and took one.
(3) The session with the financial advisor was mainly for the purpose of arranging to roll my 401(k) from my former employer over into an IRA under his management (it's time to make this move, for various reasons). But on looking over the figures I'd jotted down on our general financial situation, he complimented me on how well I was doing on our limited current income. (I'm not tapping any of our investment accounts yet, except for the RMD from DH's IRA.) I grinned and replied, "Black-belt frugality."
(4) Last stop was Wegmans, where I returned a bag of bottlepicked containers and got $5 off the grocery bill.
(5) No luck at the Wegmans Coinstar today...but I've gotten 44 cents so far this week out of a melting snow pile in a nearby parking lot, and it still hasn't entirely melted. I've started calling this one the First National Snowbank.
@A. Marie,
First National Snowbank!!! Hahaha!
1. I had a free physical a couple of weeks ago through my Medicare Advantage plan and discovered I could request a $20 Visa card from them for getting the exam. I received it yesterday. It's a reloadable card so there must be more opportunities to earn.
2. Kroger had great digital deals on toilet paper ($3.97 for 12 double rolls) and cheese ($1.47 for 8 ounces). I bought 4 of each. I won't have to buy toilet paper for a long time!
3. I received my gas/electricity bill, and it was $65 less than the last one. Woohoo!
4. I picked up more library books, including one about the Vanderbilt family and how they made and then lost a fortune. Definitely no frugality in that family!
5. I had free access to Apple TV+ over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed a movie and the first season of a series.
1. I am making meals at home and we are eating through all leftovers. I am trying to be a little more diligent with this as food prices have gone up so much in the last month or so.
2. Combining all errands and trips and making a list at the grocery store. Our new home is about 8 miles from the grocery store so this is a very new habit for us as our old home was within 5 minutes of everything. We are adjusting very well to this thankfully.
3. I am making meals that stretch over several days which saves on food costs as well as electricity in preparing them. For example a whole chicken roasted in the crockpot has fed a family of 5 burrito bowls with rice and pinto beans for 3 days. I will likely have enough leftover to make a bit of soup as well.
4. We received a refund of our security deposit and the funds will be used towards our gardening project. We were also given a gift card to Home Depot and I will use the funds towards the cost of seedlings for the garden as well. The veggies that we grow will feed us well through the summer and beyond. Plus gardening is a hobby that we enjoy.
5. Combining laundry loads, staying home, turning off the HVAC whenever we can, turning lights off, used coupons to save on my grocery bill, fuel points to save on gas.
Happy Tuesday!
I've been increasing the distance for my daily walk now that the temps are getting warmer. Cheap exercise!
I cooked a turkey I had in my freezer and we had my brother and his wife over to share. I sent them home with leftovers, and we will still have at least 8 more meals from this turkey.
My brother brought in some books for me to borrow. We are a family of readers, and love to share our bounty.
My husband got out the hose and washed off the mud/salt on our first day of high 50s. Saved us the price of a car wash.
My husband went in for his annual checkup, which is free with our current insurance, and while there got a needed tetanus booster. I am always thankful for health and healthcare insurance. Definitely not something I take for granted.
Not sure if all my endeavors are considered frugal but here goes:
1) I mended a torn pocket in my husband’s dance pants( they’re actually golf pants but he doesn’t golf and they work quite well for him for dancing).
2)To make two of my dresses fit better, I took out the pockets then stitched up the seams. I’m not sure why dressy dresses need pockets… they just seem to bunch up when I wear them. These 2 fit better now.
3)My husband and I joined another couple for a few private dance lessons. This cut the cost in half for both couples as the instructor gets paid per hour and she was willing to split the hourly rate between all of us.
4) I made ( rather than buy) birthday cards and notes of encouragement for 6 people this month.
5)I got a free horticulture tutorial from my sister when she and I visited a local nursery this past Saturday. She gave me scientific names for all the plants, instructed me on proper watering and lighting for each plant and she pretty much convinced me not to buy anything as she believed all the plants there to be over-priced. I came home and took cuttings off some plants we already have. I don’t have a green thumb so I hope the cuttings survive.
Oh, this is so funny that you took the pockets out! So many women are upset when dresses DON'T have pockets. 🙂
I hope your cuttings thrive. If they don't, then at least you didn't spend any money on 'em.
@Martha, I refuse to buy dresses that don't have pockets, so I laughed reading you getting rid of pockets. I don't carry a purse, so pockets are a must.
@Martha, I am a GIMME POCKETS kind of gal, too! I bemoan the girl-pockets that we are given, if they grudgingly put any into our clothes - I want BOY pockets, big and deep enough that a cell phone won't fall out. Sigh. I have a lovely wool dress that was advertised as having pockets, and yes, they are there and OK - except when I get into the car. THREE times the phone has slipped down between the seat and the side console and I have muttered a LOT as I got it out. Anyway, my girlfriend cuts out any pockets at her hips as she HAS hips. I have a boy figure so I don't care if the pockets widen my non-existent hip area. Aren't we all do delightfully different?
1. We met our deductible early due to Baby E’s arrival, which means we only pay a small portion of costs from here out so I’m wanting to maximize that benefit. For example, my counseling sessions cost about $5 each now– and even at full price mental health care is something I consider at least a good investment, even if not always financially frugal.
2. Like many of you, I am batching errands– I recently drove to the north side of town, about 20 min away, to make some returns and planned my route accordingly. Most satisfying was dropping off some electronics recycling at Best Buy (they take small electronics and cords for free, and they are recycled responsibly)-- I leave those things in the car trunk until I happen to be in the area, then I can drop them off without an extra trip.
3. Mended a hole in a onesie from where the tag was punched through. Another onesie developed major holes around the snaps that are unmendable, so I will contact the maker about that. It’s new and has only been washed twice so that shouldn’t be happening.
4. Also like many of you, I am watching food costs. I have used up several miscellaneous ingredients that my mom left when they came to help with Baby E, including some panko, granola, and a wild rice mix. Also avoiding food waste by keeping tabs on anything about to go off in the fridge.
5. DH vacuumed a shocking amount of pet hair and dust off of the fridge coils in our new house- this should hopefully help the fridge work more efficiently in the long run.
6. I realized I am still using the laser jet printer that I was given in 2001 as a “going to college” gift. I have only replaced the toner a handful of times since then, and most recently found an off-brand version online for ¼ the cost of the branded version. Although the printer is massive and takes up a huge amount of floor space, we keep it because we don’t want to “upgrade” to a smaller version that will need frequent ink cartridge replacements.
I have not heard of Sugru before. I need to check out this product!
FFT
1) After my doctor's appointment, I stopped by Costco since it was on my way back from work
2) Last year the water line for the icemaker in our frig leaked and as a result, we had to have all of flooring on the 1st floor replaced. At the time, the floor felt wonky when they were done but we were told to "wait for it to settle". Over the weekend DH and I were talking about how bad it was so we called State Farm and our agent is working with the company that did the repair to come and access the problem. Our agent even called the next day to make sure things were being taken care of. Love good customer service!
3) Our undercabinet lighting was only working on one side. Called the company that installed it and they gave us some pointers how to resolve it.
4) No grocery store run for us this week. Between the freezer, pantry, short Costco visit, and our CSA delivery, I was able to plan the week's menu without needing to go to the grocery store.
5) Our house numbers were terribly faded so DH took them down for me. I used spray paint we already had to refresh them.
Not frugal for me but our daughter called me last night in search of garam masala that she couldn't find at the grocery store but she knew I would have in the spice cabinet. I was happy to share a tablespoon with her to save her from buying a bottle.
We also batched errands. We don't usually have many, but we did some running around on Sunday.
We bought a house plant at 1/2 off.
We did NOT stop and get the coffee we talked about.
My middle son had a sports physical done and I brought up something unrelated, and the dr addressed it! Yay for not having a second appt.
I was gifted a trip to see Reba! I ate prior to leaving (so I didn't need to eat a full meal when we went to dinner-and I drank water.)
Our chickens have ben free ranging with this nicer weather, therefore eating less feed this week.
Not frugal, but needed by my husband and I: taking our family and the oldest's gf bowling. It was so good to get everyone together and have a good time!
Thank you for the info on Surgu! Had not heard of it but have several places I will be using it as soon as I buy some.
1. Used a gifted card to a Chinese restaurant, take out because they have an attached bar so the air reeks of bar smells. The food was great and there was so much that we got three dinners out of it!
2. A company was desperate for a mystery shop to be done that they paid me $80 plus I got some gas and a bag of chips (I had to buy a convenience store item). I had to drive a bit to get to the place but I managed to run other errands on the way so it was well worth it.
3. An inadvertent frugal even was that an oddball spice I ordered from Amazon did not get here and finally, after a month, they returned my money. The next day the spice arrived and Amazon told me to keep it. Free spice is nice.
4. I had one final book of photographs taken in Russia right after photography started. I have looked through it so many times I have the faces of the serfs and the last Tsar's family memorized and I finally decided it was time to pass it on. I sold it for $160.
5. English is not my first language, Lithuanian is. Now that all my immediate relatives are gone, I have no one to speak it with and I miss the sounds terribly. I took advantage of this service where you can pay someone to talk to you in another language, so for quite a while I have paid $20 a month to have someone read the Vilnius newspaper to me (via Zoom). Recently I met a new arrival from there who has moved to a village in Alaska. Now I am paying him to talk to me, and he has offered to converse once a week for $30 a month, instead of just once a month. I was thinking of upping the monthly person to $50 to read to me once a week, so this is frugal. And when he comes into town, he'll stay here and we'll make our traditional foods together. This all makes me very happy.
@Lindsey, I find it so heartwarming that you found a weekly conversationalist in your first language. So very special since your immediate relatives are now gone. And making those traditional foods together is beyond great. In high school I had a wonderful girlfriend from Latvia and through her I did meet a charming young couple in love from Lithuania.
You’ve led such an interesting life, I keep hoping you will be Meet a Reader. Have
you ever considered writing a memoir?
I KNOW. I would love to have Lindsey as a Meet a Reader participant. 🙂
@Shirley, Lindsey, this is really heartwarming! Keep the language and the foods alive!
1. I used some frozen vegetable scraps and a chicken carcass to make chicken stock. Some of it was then used to make cashew chicken for dinners this week.
2. We tapped our Maple trees and have so far boiled down half of our sap. We have 17 gallons left to boil. We have been making our own syrup for about 5 years and the original cost of all of the supplies was about $20. The only yearly cost is firewood.
3. I borrowed some books and puzzles from the library.
4. I picked up some clothes for my daughter off Buy Nothing. They will not fit her until next year, but planning ahead saves money!
5. I started bean, snap pea, tomato, basil, and thyme seedlings using egg cartons.
@Corrine Wilson, good on you and yours for making your own maple syrup! I know how labor-intensive that is; it must truly be a labor of love.
I was boring this week. No amusingly long foot cream stories or complicated coffee gift card transactions. But I did:
1. Eat leftovers for lunch
2. Take walks with my kids for free weekend entertainment
3. Clean up my garden using just my hands and a good pair of handheld pruners (well, started anyway-the process is endless, but I like to think of myself as a sculptor whose medium is weeds)
4. Drive only to and from work and daughter's school batching errands on my commute as needed
AND
5. Eat only food made by me or my husband in my tiny little kitchen that is super outdated, but gets the job of feeding us all done.
Some weeks it's just the slow and steady game.
Yes to #5: a lot of money management is steady plodding!
I've tried Sugru on many things before and none of them ever seemed to hold or work correctly. I wish I could find something that actually did work.
A shout out to Sugru's customer service as well. We got a big pack as a Christmas gift some time back and I was waiting until the 'perfect' time to justify using it Turn out I waited too long and it wouldn't set up, just stayed gummy. There is an expiration date on the packages and apparently it means business! I contacted Sugru asking if there was any remedy, since I hated throwing away several unopened packages with the same date. Turns out there is no recovery, but they kindly send me a couple replacement pouches free and they worked like a charm. Very impressed with the product and the customer service!
Hi, Kristen...Thanks for sharing good advice on your blog. I noticed your post about repairing the adapter with Sugru, though. I had a phone charger with damage around the same area, close to where it plugs in. The wires had started to become slightly visible. I was planning to replace the charger soon but was still using it...and then it started to smoke. Thank God I was near the charger when this happened and noticed a burning smell. Although your adapter didn't look like any wires were starting to show, I would be concerned about something similar happening under the Sugru. Just a thought!
From,
Julie
(in CA)
I finally made the switch to Mint Mobile. And "so far, so good." I had lowered my Verizon Wireless bill to just about as low as I could get it ($48ish/month) by hopping onto a friend's Unlimited Family Plan. But I was lured into investigating Mint Mobile with their $15/month 4G data plan (unlimited talk/text), because when I inquired at VZW about my data usage the last few months, I was informed that my data usage was always well under 4G (usually 2G-3G range). That's just under $400/year in savings!!! I especially loved that you can order a $5 7-Day Trial SIM card from Amazon, making it a virtually risk-free endeavor. The process of getting fully up and running on it with my iPhone (SE 2nd Edition) wasn't as seamless as it could have been, but their customer service was very helpful throughout the process.
What great frugal reminders everyone has posted!
I, too, am trying to do the batch shopping. Now, for the Frugal stuff - car switching version. Not really frugal, yet... I gave my son the blue 2005 Toyota Matrix that I had lent them in the fall - decided that they might as well have it and drive it until it is done, it is stuck at 299,999 km (Toyota was cheap with this era of cars, the odometer stops here) and I think has at least another 30-50,000 km on it. Only one owner before me, and they did regular maintenance . I put a few bucks into it to keep it going, now my son can do the rest.
Meanwhile, I PURCHASED a RED 2007 Toyota Matrix from my girlfriend who got it from her son who purchased it after he drove my blue one for a week or so. Small world. He has left the country and before he did, while he had the car, he replaced the brakes, put in a backup camera that also replaced the stereo, put in heated seat covers (!!!) and replaced the clutch. I thought I got a great deal as I paid what he had originally paid - however the 'free' second set of tires on fancy rims, as well as the winter tires, both were not up to snuff (the summer tires were dated 2006!!) so I have just invested in two sets of used but good tires. The Matrix is a fairly economical vehicle to run, and I will be using it for most errands unless I need the capacity of my pickup truck. Also, though, my #2 son is in need of a car so he might be borrowing it for some of his random work trips. Thing is, the RED matrix is a stick/standard, and so #2 son is in for more driving lessons from mom so he doesn't wreck my new clutch!
On a different front, I, too, am eating out of freezer and pantry, avoiding the grocery store as I have a purchasing habit. This means we are out of boxed cereal, and #2 son has taken to cooking up eggs (we have chickens) for his breakfasts. He was grazing the cereal boxes at midnight, now that the ready-to-eat snacks are disappearing I suspect he will start to eat more porridge in the morning or middle of the night. I have a lot of oat flakes in the pantry!
I do still stop at our local discount vegetable market, and sticker shock was evident this last week. Onions were $1.39 a pound, and that hurt too much - so I bought $25 worth in a big 50 pound bag! I have a few buddies who eat onions as I do, so will share with them and the kids, and they will last several months in my cool basement. even if I only use half, I am still ahead of the game. Once some of my other busy chaos is settled, I may chop a bunch and freeze, I love having packages of 1 cup of onion to pull out for a faster meal. The freezer sometimes gets to smell like onions, but that never hurt anyone.
I have a kitchen renovation going on so the dining area is a mess, along with 40 baby chicks in a bin that really need to be put out in the shed - another project without time to get done. To save some money I have pulled out my old incubator to try hatching my own barnyard layers, today they started to crack out of their shells but I doubt I will get 9 out of the 30+ eggs I put in, always a disappointment to have a poor hatch, but they are almost free!
Tomorrow is a day of long drives as is Friday, #2 needing rides to a ferry that is an hour away. I will use gas buddy to find the best refill locations, and visit my chosen daughter for dinner on Friday night before I pick him up again, which is a frugal way to see someone I love and haven't connected with for far too long.
Loved your headphone adapter fix. One thing I’ve done to protect pinch points on cables is to add a coiled spring to guard against excess flex. The spring from an expired click ink pen works for small diameter items. I also use wire coils from old day-timer/ planners or other poly paper binders.
Oh, that's an interesting idea! How do you hold the spring in place?