Five Frugal Things | a viral Snoopy flip
1. I bought and flipped a stuffed Snoopy
A few weeks back, I saw a news article about how a Snoopy plush from CVS was going viral on TikTok, to the point where they were getting sold out everywhere.
Snoopy is wearing a light blue puffer jacket, and for some strange reason, this particular $13.99 Snoopy is the one everyone wants at the moment.
I went to CVS to look for something completely different and lo and behold, there were 3-4 puffer jacket Snoopys on the bottom shelf!
I bought one for me (!) and also one to sell on eBay.
I listed it at noon yesterday, had several offers come in over the course of the afternoon, and sold it for $39.99 before dinner.
So, I more than paid for my little Snoopy. 🙂
This is definitely the fastest any of my eBay listings have sold!
(Of course, I will be packaging Snoopy up in packing materials I have saved from my own purchases.)
2. I got a free Panera bagel
On Saturday after my assisted living clinical shift, I went to Panera to work on some homework. I got my free drink, since I'm an unlimited sip club member, and the cashier told me I had a free bagel on my account too.
So, I got a cinnamon crunch bagel and brought it home for Zoe.
3. I got my shoes repaired
On one of the days last week when I got dressed up, I wore a pair of heels and as I was walking back to the parking garage, the rubber heel tip disintegrated and fell off.
(Thank goodness it happened when I was almost to my car!)
So, I dropped the shoes off at the mall shoe repair shop and paid $15 to have new heel tips put on.
I suppose I could have found a pair of second-hand shoes for less than that, but I already know these fit me and that they are the right height for the pants I recently bought.
Also: getting my shoes repaired was faster than shoe-shopping, let's be honest!
4. I got a free Auntie Anne's pretzel
At the shoe repair shop, they had coupons available for a free pretzel if you downloaded the app.
So while I waited for my shoes to be fixed, I walked down to Auntie Anne's, downloaded the app, and got my free pretzel, which I brought home to share with Zoe.
5. I got a free Jimmy John's peppermint cookie
The morning I went to get my shoe repaired, I had gotten an email from Jimmy John's, letting me know that it was National Cookie Day and that they were giving away free cookies.
Since I was super near there for my shoe repair, I popped in and got a peppermint chocolate cookie.
This Five Frugal Things is full of food freebies...you'd almost think it was my birthday month again! 🙂
Lucky you with all the freebies....... and maybe happened just at the right moment to cheer you up a liitle bit during stressful times 🙂
That Snoopy is very cute in that puffer jacket. I can see the appeal.
My five:
1. Made a gingerbread train kit with my kids and we boosted the decor using candy from my leftover stash. These were candies I had very much questioned if I should have just tossed years ago, but it turns out that old random loose jelly beans and sticky lollipops make for excellent gingerbread decor and we cut up one single fruit leather into strips to make train tracks between the rails of old peppermint sticks. We also used some of those old ice cream cones (remember our cone-shaped cookies?) and some green sprinkles to make trees plus some old marshmallows to make snowballs. The end result looked very cute and the kids have been enjoying tearing it apart as dessert the last few days. We used every last bit of what I had, so I will watch after the holidays for discounted candy to replenish my stash.
2. Brought leftovers for lunch at work.
3. Cooked at home a couple of times when my husband was feeling too stressed to cook. It's good to know I still have the skills. We are dealing with some really challenging family things, and this kind of stuff is always harder during the holidays. I'm glad I can at least pull it together to feed us well while we cope.
4. Got multiple wears out of clothing items like jeans and sweatshirts.
5. Pulled out my grey wool peacoat I have been wearing for 12 years now. It is a maternity Calvin Klein jacket that was a hand-me-down when I was pregnant. It's very classically designed and I still get compliments on it, so I see no reason to buy a new one.
I hope this week is less stressful than last week was for both you and me so that we both get a chance to enjoy the season a little. Sending love, as usual.
@Becca, I have a similarly classic L.L. Bean coat I bought at Goodwill specifically because I could zip it up over my 2nd baby in his front carrier when we went outside in the winter. That was 11 years ago. It's a little too big now, but it's such an excellent quality, I will never get rid of it.
@Becca, I'm so glad to see your #4. I often feel like I'm not doing anything frugal, but you reminded me that today I am. I am wearing clothing that I wore yesterday that did not get dirty yesterday. Re-wearing saves water, electricity, and laundry soap. And clothes do not wear out as quickly. Lots of frugality - thanks!
Last year, while I was visiting, BFF offered me my pregnancy coat, which I guess I'd given her. Shudder, I said. Considering my younger child was 25 least year, I guess there was plenty of wear out of that garment and I guess it sold in her tag sale last spring. I hope someone else is wearing it now!
@Elaine N and @Becca, I'm with you on Becca's#4. I've found that one of the advantages of aging (and, believe me, I'm looking for all I can get) is that I don't need to change clothes so often.
@kristin @ going country, I bet you could find someone to tailor that coat to fit you now.
@kristin @ going country,
Yup. This coat buttoned over the babies, too!
Go you on the Snoopy flip! Also, good on you for leaving the others behind at the store to make another Snoopy fan’s day.
Before it gets too cold, I’ve been on a mission to use up the drips and drabs from my paint stash, so this is a very paint-centric FFT.
—I turned a $25 Habitat Restore cabinet into a coffee bar after refinishing it with the same black enamel that I used on our vanity. The coffee bar is the perfect size for a weird nook in the kitchen freed up so much upper cabinet space!
—I mixed a different leftover black (NOT the enamel!) with leftover white to color match our gray garage. The whole thing really needs scraped and repainted next year, but touching up the the bare spots will get us through this upcoming winter. It bears repeating that the friends who warned us that "New-to-you house = three years (at least) of catching up to what the previous owners *didn't* do" weren't kidding!
--I used the last dregs of a different, glossy white to touch up our interior trim. Three very active cats = quarterly trim touch ups!
--I redid the frame of an ornate Goodwill mirror with metallic copper spray paint. I also used it on the trim for the faux fireplace/space heater stand I made with white marble tile from Habitat Restore and wood for the base. I think I spent $5 on fireplace stand's assorted parts?
—When it warms up again later this week, I’ll be using the dregs of several spray cans to repaint a $15 metal storage cabinet from Habitat Restore. It will just be garage storage, but I’d like to cover the few rust spots by experimenting with spray painting stripes. As with repainting my car, painter’s tape will determine the ultimate outcome! 😛
@N, Your #2 is spot on! We are going on Year 3 in 2024 and it goes without saying the "cut corners" are exposing themselves.
I'm mostly impressed at how many freebies made it home to Zoe. I would have scarfed them immediately!
@Carla G, I was thinking the same thing! Especially enjoying coffee at Panera + working on homework + bagel sitting on the table looking me in the eye = gone in no time.
Well, luckily for Zoe, I was not starving at any of the times when I got my freebies. That's what saved her. 😉
I love that you repaired your shoes; think of the waste of throwing the shoes away! Not that I don't throw things away sometimes that could possibly be repaired, but I get such a kick out of "saving" something.
*I planned meals and mostly stuck to them.
*When my husband and I went out to lunch on my therapy day last week, I didn't order a tea. Just water.
*I decided I would make ornaments for my husband's family for Christmas. I raided (late) mother's sewing stash and my rags to come up with several options. We used up some really old packages of binding and hem tape (? I don't actually know what hem tape is, but I think what I used was hem tape.?) as well as cardboard. You know what? They turned out better than I expected, and my girls and I had fun together-- lots of fun. Like, decorated cookies kind of fun.
*I made homemade rolls for potluck. BUT when I was pulling them apart, I realized they were WAY undercooked in some places. They didn't go to potluck, but yesterday morning I did slice them up, toast them in the oven, toss them with melted butter and cinnamon sugar, and serve them up for breakfast (next to scrambled eggs).
*I made coffee at home with coffee beans that were accidentally left at our house by far away family.
*We used some of the green tomatoes from our garden which have turned red finally. The rest turned yucky and were tossed into the compost bin. And that's the end of this year's fresh garden tomatoes. I also cooked up a pumpkin from our garden to make some pumpkin bread. Some made an appearance in the rolls and bread of the weekend. The remainder will go into chili for tonight's supper.
@Jody S., Squash in chili is the best use of squash, for sure. Also, I would really like to eat your salvaged rolls. That sounds delicious.
@Jody S.,
Hem tape, when I was younger, was sewn onto the raw edge of a skirt or slacks bottom so that there was enough material length to turn up for a small but needed hem. It also covered the raw edges of the hem even when no extra length was needed, which meant no need to fold the raw edge under when hemming.
That's my 1960's - 1970's definition, anyway.
@JD, Yes. I'm very tall, so if I didn't lengthen the skirt enough when I cut it out, I used hem tape for a very narrow hem.
@JD, I appreciate your explanation. Now it makes sense. And I have a lot of hem tape in that stash!
@kristin @ going country, If you ever come for a visit, I will gladly mess up some rolls and salvage them for you 🙂
@JD, I remember this! But I always got seam binding mixed up with hem tape. One of them might have some sort of adhesive along the edge that melts with heat from an iron.
@Jody S., Future You will have tomato volunteers in the compost bin, too.
@WilliamB, W usually do have tomato and squash volunteers in the compost, but they never amount to anything because the trees overhead provide too much shade.
Wow! What a haul. 🙂
FRUGAL THINGS---
●got gas $2.79 saving $0.30/gallon which earned another future reward of saving additional $0.15 (plus my normal $0.05+ $0.10 Tmobile Tuesday reward) on next fuel purchase.
●bought Kong dog toy (wild fish----looks real) on Clearance & used Meijer points/reward saved $3 making total $0.49 on $13.99 dog toy.
●CVS had save $5 on select purchase & got teen large bag Nerd covered gummys $0.79---cashier said very good & popular.
●my (Barbie) winter boots straps broke & can't wear (month to get repaired) so looked to see if Shoe Carnival still had BOGO FREE boots. Don't carry my boots anymore, but had shorter/similar version & ordered 2 (different styles) winter boots $49.98 plus free shipping (members reward). $25/pair new winter boots I actually like (& really warm). 🙂 Shipped out overnight & recieved next business day.
●bought Legos (December new releases) to get free Lego Holiday ornament balls with $50 purchase & used my $20 points/credit (for not having free with purchase BF) & $10 ponits/credit earned.
Not so frugal ????---
● bought (more Legos) on Poshmark--- found BF free Lego for $30 ($40 value), some older poly bags (didn't have), large Lego storage blocks, large Lego storage head, Lego holiday elf scene had not seen before. Great prices (mostly) but (most) did not need immediately for gifts this year, have for later
●used Domino's free emergency loaded tots when ordered takeout online, but got phone call that put of tots (have more in hour). Cancelled order & ordered dinner (& used 20% off order coupon instead). Employee said should give back free tots coupon in 24-48 hours, but can't tell until later.
@Regina, I used their free emergency pizza on Friday!
@Lisa, I just checked & I have (another) free emergency pizza that showed up today. Did not expect that. Apparently if you redeemed first free emergency pizza Domino's automatically adds (whatever current) free emergency item to your app coupons, no notice just shows up.
I have to admit that like Domino's reward system & free emergency food items compared to other pizza places. Plus additional coupons already available to use (no searching for promo codes).
So I guess Puffer Jacket Snoopy is the new Tickle Me Elmo? And I guess I just dated myself there. 🙂
Frugal things . . .
--My long-sleeved running t-shirt got a big hole under the arm that I sewed up. I was sort of tempted to get another shirt for running, since this was a t-shirt I bought at Salvation Army at least a decade ago and it's pretty ugly. However, no one sees me running around the interior of my mostly abandoned village, and I'm not a serious-enough runner to justify spending unnecessary money on a special shirt to run in.
--We had half an hour or so to kill in the small city last Friday before my son's physical therapy appointment. Son asked if we could go to Sonic to get a milkshake. He bought his own milkshake. I didn't get anything, though I was sorely tempted by the tater tots.
--Same son's feet keep growing. He needed black socks for his FFA competition yesterday, and was able to borrow a pair of his dad's black socks.
--The bigger feet needed new shoes. But I was able to find the brand my son wanted in a marked down color that he still liked, so they were about a third the price of most of that brand of shoe.
--Similarly, my middle son needed basketball shoes. I didn't have any from his older brother to pass down to him, but I found a pair of Nike's he liked that were inexplicably $25 cheaper in a size 8.5 instead of 8. I was going to get him the 8, but I bought the half size up, and they fit him. Hooray.
One of my kids said I must be rich, because I work and get paid. I told him I spend it all on shoes. Considering I work two days a week as a teacher's aide--not a notably well-paid position--that doesn't feel far from the truth these days. 🙂
Oh, yes, Tickle Me Elmo! I read that those were selling for up to $1500. If Snoopys were going for that price, not gonna like, I WOULD have been sorely tempted to pick up the shelf-ful. 😉
@kristin @ going country, I was interested in your describing your "mostly abandoned village". Do you mean your very small town is dying?
@Kristen, shoot, remember Cabbage Patch dolls? My friend saw some big fights over those!
Oh yeah, you're right! I was a kid when those were popular, but I never played with Cabbage Patch dolls. I preferred dolls with hair that was more braidable.
@Anne, Not so much dying as dead already. Where I live used to be a railroad village of about 300 people. When the railroad stopped coming in the 1930s, the town emptied out and most of the frame houses were moved up the road to the village 10 miles away. So now there are a few abandoned adobe houses, and five occupied houses. There are only 10 residents of the actual village now, and six of them are my family. 🙂
@Janie H,
One of my friends told me about her neighbors. Back when the Cabbage Patch Dolls were the rage, they advertised them on TV morning, noon and night. This was before streaming became a thing, and you could videotape programs or buy VHS tapes of cartoons or movies or whatever. The neighbors made sure that all the TV viewing was on tape or taped, and were good quality kid's programs; also they made sure that the TV commercials were not shown to their small children. They knew they'd done the right thing on Christmas Day, when their little girl came back from her BFF's house, wrinkled her nose, and told her mom about that "funny looking doll" (a Cabbage Patch one) that Santa had brought the other girl. (Wonder if similar tactics would work today.......)
@kristin @ going country,
I was just thinking that the Tickle Me Elmo thing was not that long ago . . . but the internet tells me that it was in 1996! Wow.
@kristin @ going country, that’s really interesting/amazing/sad/cool.
First, a frugal fail...
We spontaneously went to get our Christmas tree yesterday afternoon since my husband got home early. Picked a pre-cut tre which apparently wasn't labeled with the price... And OUCH. It was expensive.
Onto better things...
Continue to make kids and husbands lunch at home
Brew coffee at home
Two of my kids and I have a cold, so we've been home a lot, which means less driving than usual and enjoying frugal things like library books
The past few times I've been to the library, I've checked out kids audio books and they love it. It makes car rides much more pleasant and less fighting
1. We put up our skinny artificial Christmas tree which means no furniture must be moved. It was fun to pull out old decorations collected over the years. Nothing new was purchased, I am not an influencer.
2. We ate meals at home or packed lunches. I just finished listening to Ultra-Processed People which discusses ultra-processed food from a scientific/medical perspective. It was quite an eye opener, most of the packaged food sold is so processed it is bad for our health.
3. I joined three friends last night for charity knitting/crocheting. It is a wonderful group and we meet a couple of times a month. Yarn is cheap and companionship invaluable.
4. I printed a Happy Hanukkah card, black ink on blue paper. Not fancy but good enough. It saved me a trip to the store.
5. Frugal and not frugal: A couple weeks ago I bought Farm to Feet hiking socks. They are mostly wool and are US materials, workers, and manufacturing. They are "Seconds" but are I have no idea why. I have a soft spot for US made goods and am happy to pay more for them.
@K D, #3: what do you knit, where are you finding cheap yarn, and where do you donate the finished pieces?
#5: I too have a soft spot for US made goods. . . when things are too cheap, I wonder who suffered so I can be frugal. Sigh.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Not @KD but a knitter. If it's particularly soft yarn, I'll make Caps for Kids; anything can be made into Hats for the Homeless. Although if you have a choice, it's better to use wool or good quality acrylic because those keep you warm when it's wet.
@K D, I too look for American made (if possible) & am willing to pay (a little) more to buy made in USA, but I look at it as supporting small/local businesses (which are usually similar prices or slightly higher, and Made in USA is better quality materials compared to toxic made in China (much lower standards).
When Covid19 first started to emerge I immediately started looking for masks & could not find any in stores except cheap paper masks. I ordered some online (from China later found out) & never arrived, but found local (state) person who had what I was looking for & I purchased & shipped to me immediately. I would rather buy quality over cheap that has to be replaced.
@WilliamB, thank you! I will look up these two charities.
@Regina, I’m certainly willing to pay “a little” more for local/small businesses, even double sometimes, but triple, quadruple, ten times price? Can’t justify unless it’s drastically better. But it’s hard sometimes to justify NOT buying local! So, I just try not to buy much new stuff, and to support local thrift stores vs. big for-profit ones.
Meijer had 1 # packages of Angus ground chuck for $2. Usually an outrageous $8 #.
Wally World had Jimmy Dean sausage for $1 per package. I bought a bunch and froze for my son.
Sam's club had 3 packs children's T's for $5.81. I picked those up for the grands. At $2 per shirt it is cheaper than Goodwill.
Free donuts courtesy of the Men's Club at work.
I have a 20 year old Fiber Optic tree and the light went out on it. I paid $10 at a garage sale for the tree and the bulb was...$10. Still worth it. Hope it lasts another 10 years.
Some of my very old Christmas lights still work, 15ish years old and still going strong. They are not led. Frugal because they still work, not frugal for the energy bill. Some of the led lights that we got for free last year don't work already.
That Snoopy is so cute! Almost tempted to check out the closest CVS.
Nothing much cheap going on here, as usual. Well, all the supplies needed for the driftwood Christmas tree I'm hoping to have enough time and energy to make this year are free, except for a piece of rebar for the center. So that's something.
@Rose,
When you mentioned driftwood tree I perked right up. I was born and grew up by the ocean and have saltwater in my veins so the thought of this appeals.
Off to look up driftwood trees.
@April, Planning on a six-footer. With requisite starfish on top, of course.
Then, as I drove past a house festooned with lobster buoys, I thought, "Why not take a bunch of yours, hang them in a tree shape and add lights?"
My brain's writing checks my muscles can't cash.
@Rose,
You can't imagine how much this makes me happy.
Though your not supposed to, I collect all sorts of things when I go to the seashore to commune with the sand fleas. Sea glass, shells, sand dollars and yes...driftwood..six footer...WOW...color me pea green!
I'm thinking I'll make a smaller version for my office all decked out with my shinies from the sea that are currently awaiting for their driftwood tree...
Again...you've made this girl very happy.
Oppsy! Sorry about the double post.
@April, Fun!
@Rose, "My brain’s writing checks my muscles can’t cash" is priceless. Thank you, because I plan on using this great word picture (probably will be wasted on anyone under 30—"What's that even supposed to, like, mean?"
@April,
I, too, love the ocean, and have shells and sand dollars from when I was a kid (a loooong time ago, lol). More recently, my family and I have taken vacations to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, and I have shells from there as well. We were there about 2 years ago, and for the first time ever, I saw a *live* sand dollar. Color me amazed! (I did NOT take any....I left them in the water)..
Oof....well, we have made the slightly un-frugal decision to adopt a kitty from the shelter where we volunteer. Obviously one cannot put a price on saving a delightful cat from shelter life (this particular guy is a door-darter and despite being, we think, the sweetest cat, has been passed up for adoption for a year), but aside from the adoption fee, we have had to buy things like a litter box, food dishes, and such, after not having pets for about seven years. Still, we're excited, especially my youngest, who has very few memories of the cats we had in previous years and just adores cats in general.
To offset the cost of bringing him home, I have:
1. Fasted all weekend, since it was the First Saturday of the month, and that surely saved some food/money. 😉
2. Used Kindle Unlimited or the library for my reading material.
3. Bought a National Geographic chemistry set for my son when it was on Cyber Monday for good savings (This was before we decided definitely to adopt the cat!) . This will be a Saint Nicholas Day present.
4. Only had coffee and tea at home.
5. Used up leftovers.
@Karen A., it's too bad you don't have a Freecycle/Buy Nothing near you--ours are always offering litter boxes some kitty didn't like, dishes etc.
But glad to hear a kitty is getting a home for Christmas!
@Rose, There probably is around here, but if I found those, I would probably donate them to the no-kill shelter where we volunteer. They are a true mom-and-pop operation, do not get grants, and operate right at their income. We can afford a litter box, but sometimes the shelter is short on things and they have at least 350 cats there!
I am, however, resisting the urge to get him a cat bed. DH pointed out that we have an extra beanbag he can have, and I found a soft blanket to put on my desk by the window so he has a bird-watching place to nap.
@Karen A., my Betty (a proud graduate of my local Humane Association) and I send congratulations to you and your new cat!
From someone who has two adopted cats: no judgment. Heh.
@Karen A., My Gus says to tell your new boy that he has first dibs on Chiquita. He's a proud graduate of our trash.
@Karen A., I just love that you adopted a cat from the shelter. I have three, although none from the shelter. They all came knocking on the door with their suitcases. I would like to volunteer at our shelter, but I know I can't do it. Each day I came home my pockets would be filled with another couple of pets. So I send them a monthly check.
And don't get me started on cat beds. I have them set up all over the house, which is totally ridiculous as there are chairs, sofas or beds in every room, and they didn't need me to add more beds. But I did anyway.
@Karen A., If you got him a cat bed, he'd sleep in the box and shred the bed. In your heart of hearts you know this already.
@Karen A.,
Congratulations on your adopted cat! We have three adoptees (two from my mom when she downsized, and one who was a stray). Wouldn't trade any of them for love or money.
@Karen A., from our adopted trio to your new family member, congratulations!
@WilliamB, I know!
@Anne, Aw, when I was growing up we had one cat my dad found through a classified ad, but after that, my parents had two more that they found/found them. We started volunteering at this shelter when my youngest kept sighing about not having a cat (we have some allergies in the household). We figured volunteering would fill his cat needs without bringing one home...then this little guy just stole our hearts. Every time we go to clean the room he lives in he escapes. And he's the sweetest, politest, most playful boy. Hoping he settles in quickly and enjoys being the only cat after living with nine other cats in a small room!
@A. Marie, Thank you! His formal name is Clark, but my youngest likes to call him Fluffin. He's a longish-haired tuxedo cat. I like to refer to him as Clark K. Fluffin, Esq.
@Rose, Ha!
My biggest frugal wins this week included:
1. Cooking dinner at home every night this week
2. Used up all our Thanksgiving leftovers (except the stuffing)
3. Returned items that needed to be returned
4. Gave myself a manicure
5. Brough lunches to work everyday
Kristen, I'm glad you got those shoes repaired. They must have been good-quality shoes to begin with if they're repairable (so many shoes today aren't).
Now, FFT, Between Holidays with Friends and Neighbors Edition:
(1) My Thanksgiving hostess (the other close friend of my elderly next-door neighbor) kept her promise about putting her turkey carcass in the freezer for me. Boy, did she ever: I got not only the carcass itself, but all the extra necks and wings that she says she uses for making gravy. So I hauled out my seldom-used 20-quart stockpot and spent Saturday afternoon making 9 quarts of turkey stock. (The weather was dull, gray, and rainy–perfect for this activity.)
(2) I used 2 quarts of the stock, plus the usable meat I wrangled off the bones before starting the stock, to make a sort of turkey minestrone (featuring my own Tuscan kale) Sunday afternoon. I froze the rest of the stock. No need to make poultry stock for the foreseeable future!
(3) My next-door neighbor tends to let almost-finished loaves of white bread pile up in her refrigerator, so I’ve started occasionally asking her for these so I can make croutons. (It beats letting the bread get moldy, which it usually does.) I took her some croutons Sunday evening, along with a container of the minestrone.
(4) I found some bottom-branch clippings from someone’s Christmas tree on a nearby curb last week, so I collected these and made my annual easy-peasy Christmas bough to hang from the flagpole bracket next to the front door. I reuse the ribbon from year to year.
(5) And the Bestest Neighbors stopped by yesterday afternoon for some of the minestrone. They also admired my bough.
@A. Marie,
My head is not working right today. When you said almost-finished loaves, I pictured partially baked loaves - you know, "almost finished" baking - in her refrigerator and wondered why on earth she would do that. I think I need some caffeine.
Funny thing is I kind of vaguely remember that I bought these at Goodwill originally!
I love your neighbors and I am so happy that you live by them.
I know I am Johnny One-Note but I have to quote Betty MacDonald again.
Mary and Dede and I got our shoes in cheap stores that carried pretty good imitations of Andrew Geller and I. Miller for $1.98 if you could stand the pain and didn’t go out in the rain. The $1.98 Andrew Geller’s and I. Miller’s required a great deal of breaking in, in fact almost complete demolition before you achieved anything approaching comfort, but they looked very nice. I remember a pair of green Lizagator pumps I bought that lasted well, but took over two months of breaking in by the whole family before I could walk across the room in them without fainting from the pain.
We had a little shoemaker in our neighborhood who would do anything to our shoes, short of half or whole soling, for fifteen cents and many’s the morning we waited in our stocking feet in the breakfast nook while Anne or Joan or Alison ran up to Mr. Himmelman’s with our shoes.
“There,” Mr. Himmelman would say, polishing the shoes on his sleeve after he had sewed up the side or put on heel tips. “Just like new, eh?” And Alison or Anne or Joan would bound up the front steps, slam the front door and hand us our shoes saying “Just like new, eh?” no matter what they looked like.
One time I bought myself a pair of brown suede ties which looked very nice but were apparently made of suede-finished scratch paper because the first day I wore them it poured and rained and my feet got soaked and the next morning when I went to tighten the laces of my new shoes the holes came out and hung on the lacings like little gold beads.
“Hurry and take these to Mr. Himmelman,” I told Alison. “Tell him to bore new holes or something.”
But Mr. Himmelman told Alison, “These are not shoes. These are just imitation shoes. Bah, no good. Tell your sis I’m sorry I cannot do a thing.”
Last winter I paid $49.50 for a pair of real alligator pumps and though they are comfortable and have stayed sewed even in snow, I miss those old exciting days when a sudden storm might mean the dissolving of my brand-new pair of brown simu-calf pumps and leave me standing at a busy intersection in my stocking feet.
@JD, My head must be in the same place. Howdy, neighbor!
@Rose, Are you familiar with Vimes' Theory of Boots?
It's a wonderful example of why some people can make their living writing while most of us cannot. In a fantasy novel, the late, lamented Terry Pratchett neatly encapsulates why being poor is so expensive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory
I think my brain must be fried because I am failing to make the connection between the boots theory and making a living as a writer. Connect the dots for my tired student brain, please! 🙂
Kristen, he means Pratchett wrote so well, his theory has taken off.
TBH, lots of other writers (especially my beloved Orwell) complained that being poor is expensive, too.
@WilliamB, This doesn't mean your brain is fried. There's no connection between boots and making a living as a writer. I was responding to Rose's story about Mr. Himmelman, about how cheap shoes are usually very expensive.
@Kristen, And my brain must be fried because I didn't follow what you meant. Rose is correct - I was giving Sir Terry props for being able to encapsulate a sophisticated theory in easy to understand terms. Sorry!
Wow! App freebies galore! I have a Jimmy Johns really close to my house, but I often forget about it since it's a part of the road that I rarely travel. Maybe I should check out their app...
1. While organizing and labeling receipts last Friday, I noticed that I hadn't received a refund for a Flashfood order that had an item missing. I emailed customer service and they issued my refund.
2. I had an item ready for store pick-up at Kohl's and my husband was going to buy a shirt while he was there to get it, but I had him hold off his trip for a day so we could use our $10 in Kohl's cash towards the purchase of his shirt.
3. I cancelled the renewal of my Reader's Digest subscription (I love reading it at night right before bed, but not for the full price!) They eventually emailed me a renewal rate of $8, but when I clicked the link it said $12. I emailed customer service and they're giving me the $8 rate.
4. We've been getting a lot of things from the library lately - puppets, CD's, books, movies, audiobooks... Lots of goodies they have available!
5. Frugal fail: We were having a group activity that involved kids painting rocks and I got the paint and brushes, but forgot to ask if anyone else had rocks or to gather and wash rocks from under our deck. So instead we ended up going to Lowe's on the way there and spending $10 on a bag of rocks. I'm holding a lot of things up right now, but I dropped the ball on this and one other thing related to that night that ended up costing me $40 total that we didn't need to spend. Oh well... I give grace to others, so I'm trying to give it to myself on this one!
@Ruth T, you paid $10 for a bag of rocks!! That is so funny. I remember going to a nursery with Grandma and watching her outrage at needing to spend $ on a bag of aged steer manure. We laughed ourselves silly at that.
@Ruth T,
Some of those bagged rocks are really pretty! I've spent money on them, and I consider myself very frugal, so you should not feel bad, especially if you were using them for an art project with kids. That kind of quality time is priceless.
My first 5 frugal things comment!
1. I got 2 free medium iced coffees from Dunkin this week, they were running a promotion on the app (through tomorrow!)
2. Our plans were cancelled last night, so we pivoted to a free Christmas activity: driving around town looking at people's Christmas lights.
3. The dog parks are closed due to the respiratory virus going around, and it was rainy, so we took the dog to Rural King this weekend. Not quite free, we came home with some fun flavored potato chips, but cheap entertainment!
4. This weekend I also did another cheap Christmas activity with some friends, a cookie swap. So yummy.
5. I made some extra money babysitting Saturday. Put it towards the emergency fund I'm rebuilding after some expensive dental work.
Woohoo! Glad to have you join us!
@Andrea, Welcome to the crowd! Jump right in, the water is very friendly.
@Andrea, welcome!
I rarely seem to get free food, but I don't load a lot of phone apps for restaurants. And I was just thinking the other day that my yearly $15 BBQ coupon had not arrived from a favorite place nearby,,,hmmm. Maybe they aren't doing that anymore. But:
*Last week I cleaned out my fridge and got several meals by combining dibs and dabs of things, so I felt fairly proud of myself.
*I found a 1500 piece never used puzzle at Goodwill for $3 - this will be my something calming to do by the Christmas tree instead of scrolling on my phone
*We are all bringing something to decorate our tree at work, so I'm going to pop into Dollar Tree for candy canes - easy, cheap, and festive
*Found some upholstery fabric on sale for a very good price and was able to make a slipcover for my ottoman for about $10 {upholstery fabric is WILDLY expensive} creating a cozy place to sit and put my feet up to read.
P.S $15 seems reasonable for a heel repair for shoes that already work for you!
@Gina from The Cannary Family, You ain't kidding about upholstery fabric. At least we're getting something for the price. I offered my SIL her choice from my stash. She bypassed the delicate Thai and Indian silks and went straight for the upholstery scraps. Small bits, armrest covers, cushion covers, the whole nine yards.[1] She made cushions for her live-aboard boat, exactly the way she wanted them. I love helping her upcycle and be frugal.
[1] Which, despite the context, is likely a sports metaphor rather than a sewing one.
@WilliamB, I was curious and looked it up. "Whole Nine Yards" is a nautical term that refers to the sails being fully supported or set.
@Heidi Louise, amazing guys. I once heard that it referred to the length of the bullets that were fed into a machine gun back in the day. But I never looked it up. We all know what it means though.
And William, I'm really impressed with your sister in law patching together small pieces to cover the cushions on her boat.
@Anne, I believe the smallest bits became the sides and bound trim. My SIL is a very talented sewer who has a heavy-duty sewing machine and isn't afraid to use it.
@Heidi Louise, that's one of the many theories about the phrase, and is as plausible as the rest.
It's great that you could get your shoes repaired.
My FFT:
1. Picked up an electric snow cone machine from our Buy Nothing group. My great niece asked for one for Christmas so it will be her gift.
2. Stitched up my son's body pillow after the dog took a chunk out of it. The seam looks like a bad scar but at least it's holding together, for now.
3. Used Christmas lights I rescued from the hoarder house to decorate our hallway at work. We have so many lights, we're starting to look a little like the Griswolds
4. Got my flu shot for free when I was at Publix getting groceries.
5. Credit card got hacked, which created a good time to review the recurring charges for subscriptions and such. Canceled several things to save a little each month.
Sweet Snoopy covered your shoe heel fix. I couldn’t imagine a way that Snoopy could get any cuter but him in a puffer does the trick!
This week felt very unfrugal! I bought an expensive pair of boots, but they are reportedly a good brand and should last for years. Otherwise, I:
1. Returned and renewed library books.
2. Bought reduced food at the supermarket.
3. Line-dried clothes.
4. Made pizza at home (this is kind of cancelled out by the takeaway I got on a terrible day last week!)
5. Got a wrap reduced to halfprice for lunch one day.
@Sophie in Denmark, Large up-front cost is not the same thing as being unfrugal! Think in terms of lifetime cost.
@WilliamB,
I 100% agree! I bought a pair of boots in a classic style, real leather, probably 15 or more years ago....while I have had to get them re-heeled several times, they're still in good shape, and I wear them often in the fall and winter. Cost per wear at this point is probably in the pennies.
@WilliamB, true! I was thinking of Terry Pratchett and his boots story.
After vacation and then catching up from vacation, I'm back with a five frugal.
1. While on vacation, we purchased groceries for our meals instead of going out to eat. The place we rented had a full kitchen, so we ate in (simple food) the whole time we were there. We finished off everything we purchased except for mayo, butter, and salad dressing. Go us!
2. This week has been the "cut it open for the last little bit" week. I've cut open toothpaste (travel size, no less!), hand cream, and body lotion to get that last use(s) out of it.
3. I've played the Starbucks game everyday, using the free play feature at the bottom of the screen on the game. So far I've won 25 stars!
4. Used a free sweet treat coupon I received from the summer reading club at the library. It was for a sundae or cone from McDs in town and that is all I purchased. When did the hot fudge sundaes get so small?!?
5. And a maybe frugal fail. I bought new-to-me Christmas dishes from Facebook marketplace. We already own Christmas dishes, but I've never been in love with them (found them at Goodwill for $15 a few years ago). These are prettier and Corelle, so they take up less space in the cupboard. I will donate the old dishes and am thrilled with my service for 12 for $60.
@Angel,
About your #4, it's called "shrinkflation," and it's everywhere. I've noticed candy bars are getting smaller, even though the price for them hasn't dropped. And for the last several Christmases, I'm sad to see that the once-giant peppermint sticks like we got in our stockings at Grandma's -- the huge ones you had to break up with a hammer so you could eat a smaller piece, and which would last all winter --well, they are not so large anymore.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I've been looking for those giant peppermint sticks for teen stocking. Maybe have seen but since smaller didn't realize, thought they were discontinued. Will look again.
@Fru-gal Lisa, you took the word right out of my mouth! Five lb. bags of flour are 4 lbs., cans are smaller, bags of chips are smaller, even the carton for Breyer's ice cream got redesigned so it tapers at the bottom and you don't get a full 1/2 gallon. This has been going on for years, but is even more noticeable and prevalent now.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Maybe we're just savvier to it? I mean, inflation happens (except in economies where barter is the common thing; thankfully that's not us). We can either pay more for the same thing, or pay the same for a smaller amount. Of the two, i appreciate that shrinkflation at least means that those without a lot of cash on hand can still buy the thing.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Smaller but not less expensive....
And don't get me started on restaurant/fast food places! Smaller entrees, higher prices. Guess this is a good time to start a diet.
@Regina,
I think I saw what you are looking for at Kroger over the weekend!
@WilliamB, you have a good attitude.
Thanks to everyone who offered book recommendations yesterday. I really enjoyed reading both Educated and Unorthodox, so was glad for some suggestions of similar genre.
FFT (mundane, but representative of my MO)
-batched errands to save on time and gas
-mended a couple pillow cases that had ripped seams
-meal planned, cooked, & ate leftovers
-got a fresh round of library books for the readers in our family
-gave and received items via Buy Nothing group
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Ah, Peanuts: the strip where Schulz tackles such issues as depression, loneliness, cruelty of so-called innocent children, the predatory nature of many psychiatrists, theological discussions, lack of real friendships in the modern world etc. but the merchandise is all about the cute dog and his bird friend. Good on you for making some money off people who want to spend it.
1. Got my smart switches and was ready to DIY them but it turned into a bigger job than I was ready to do so I returned them for credit.
2. Got some deals at the local grocery store
3. Going to a movie (Godzilla Minus One) and will be skipping the popcorn and snacks. I'm still annoyed I had to pay a ticket fee but that's life now. 🙁
4. Went lamp hunting yesterday and I'm amazed at how expensive they are. I'll be checking the thrift shops.
5. Found some good deals on gifts for a local charity gift drive. It's a Secret Santa deal where you can buy for kids who are in need. It was also kind of nice to buy for a little boy since I can't buy for mine if that makes sense.
@Battra92, when at movie theater check to see if can still buy tickets in person (no fee). We had bought tickets online because did not list buy at counter option (& not happy with fees) but when got to theater there were people purchasing tickets in person.
My son is dying to see the Godzilla movie. And yes, I hope buying for a boy makes you feel good.
Re Peanuts: that's why it's great. It's both sweet and profound. Also, the Head Beagle.
@Battra92, that is an insightful look into Peanuts. And I'm with you on ticket fees—confiscatory!!
@Regina, I'd buy the tickets in person but I'd spend more in gas and time doing that. Plus it's a popular film so I need to make sure I can get a good seat.
@Regina, What really ticks me off is when you don't have a choice and have to pay an extra fee anyway. At least, as Battra92 did, we should be able to choose which trade-off we want.
@Rose, It was a great movie. I hope he enjoys it. Just know it can get a bit heavy at times.
Kristen, I love how you frugal-batched all those freebies while getting your shoes fixed. And cute Snoopy for the win!
I used some white semi-gloss paint to repaint the recessed area around the kitchen window that had chipped plaster instead of springing for a quart of paint mixed to match the walls. The window already has a white blind and frame, and the extra bit of white helped boost the light in a rather dark room. As a bonus, the paint was a discounted tin someone bought and returned to the hardware store.
Spent most of yesterday cleaning the kitchen cabinets inside and out. Repurposed some plastic baskets and lids that turned up during the past year of whole house decluttering to better organize a few things. During a break at lunch time, I made a pan of mixed berry baked oatmeal for breakfasts. At the end of the day, there was a washing machine full of cleaning cloths and reusable mop pads. And I was tired but the kitchen looks great!
Cute Snoopy!
My FF:
1) I ordered the free Covid tests after reading about them here last week. Three family members just had it, so our supply was runnng low. It is really going around right now.
2) I bought Target giftcards over the weekend on their annual 10% off sale. I load these onto my account and use them as needed during the year.
3) Purchased airline tickets with points on Southwest for me and free companion ticket for DH for next week. We're staying in our little condo (inherited) in CT and driving around to see the cute towns decorated for Christmas - Essex, Mystic and Stonington. Essex looks like something straight out of a Hallmark movie and is said to be really beautiful at Christmas.
4) My DH signed up for the Southwest Personal and Business Credit cards (bonus will hit in January or Feb.). I used my referral code so I would get a referral bonus. We alternate every two years and get the bonuses to qualify for the companion pass. The companion pass is good for the year you qualify (when bonuses post) and all of the next year. We always pay the credit cards in full each month.
5) DS in medical school was just awarded a scholarship for next year.
@Sandy Beach, Congrats to your DS on the scholarship!
@Sandy Beach, Y'all must be very happy and proud.
1. After cleaning out the refrigerator this weekend, I am eating leftovers for lunch all week. I used some leftover bread to make baked French toast for my kid's breakfasts this week.
2. I picked up a J Crew cashmere long sweater off Buy Nothing.
3. The zipper on my daughter's winter coat was getting stuck easily. My husband wanted to go buy her a new one. I keep kids clothes stored in the basement that I pick up off Buy Nothing or people give to us. I found another winter coat for her in the bins. For all the kids winter gear, I only spent $40 for 2 pairs of snow pants this year (I like to have a pair for school and a pair for home for each kid).
4. I have a lot of over-ripe bananas. I made the kids peanut butter, oatmeal, banana cookies last night. The rest of the bananas will likely become banana bread or banana pancakes.
5. We had a party at work and there were some left overs. I brought home the cookies and brownies. We had friends over for dinner the next night, so we used the cookies and brownies to make a dessert board.
@Corrine, I have read of ways to make zippers less sticky-- pencil graphite, perhaps soap or wax, WD40.
But if it was sticking on fraying threads, I would give up quickly!
@Heidi Louise, You can tape down the fraying threads. I once taped pants hems because I didn't have time to do anything else. By the time I did have time, the tape wouldn't come off. I figured the taped hem was meant to be!
@Corrine, I bought a pair of barely worn Clark's leather ankle boots super cheap off Poshmark and discovered the zippers were hard to get up and down. Some Chapstick rubbed into the zipper tracks took care of that.
@Ruby, I'm guessing that rubbing a candle over the zipper teeth, or a bar of soap, or spraying WD40 all also might do the trick.
@Corrine, try rubbing chapstick on the zipper.
Five frugal things:
1. The usual eat food from home routine. Coffee to.
2. Went through and did a inventory of pantry and freezer discovering that other than fresh foods I don't need to buy much for meals this month.
3. See #2 above...using that info..I sat down this last Sunday and made a month of meals plans complete with shopping lists...yeah, I'm a crazy woman but it was raining and I had time to waste...anyway, if I stick to the lists I'll have very little to buy grocery wise. So yay for that.
4. Used coupons for gifts at bath and body works. Saved thirty percent off total purchase and scored two free body washes.
5.Future frugality...I'm determined to gather enough free scrap wood to build a cat condo for my two goofy purr balls (the price tag on these things are ridiculous) anyway, nearly there..hoping to score some cheapo carpet next...fingers crossed.
@April, out town has a section of our landfill that is just for boards / tree limbs / wood. It is free for the taking. Maybe your area does too? also, if you call carpet installers, sometimes they will give you carpet remnants leftover from jobs. Hope your fur babies love their new condo!
This week I had the mental capacity to pay attention and keep notes on the Frugalities of my life.
1. Made soup from freezer and pantry stuff, much of it acquired for free.
2. While waiting for new tires, I went for a walk instead of going to a restaurant for lunch.
3. Bought gas at Sinclair instead of Chevron, saving 40¢/gallon for 13 gallons.
4. Instead of shopping for another car, I upped my towing package on AAA. I have conveniently forgotten how much more per year, but my last towing experience cost $185 from my home to the mechanic 30+ miles away, certainly more than a better towing package.
5. Did all the “paperwork” for VistaPrint to get sales tax refunded on cards bought to resell - $43.12. It involved a lot of computerizing, which was annoying and time consuming, but worth it.
P.S. Kristen, you have remarkable restraint, saving all those treats to take home and share with Zoe!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Forgive if you know this already - some car insurance packages include AAA-like coverage, such as lots of towing.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Ooh! Hooray for a week with extra mental space! That is a gift!
@WilliamB, thanks, that might help other people. I am trapped with my current car insurance because they have our house too, and we live in an area that is getting cancelled by homeowners insurance. So, we just hold our breath and try to keep from getting noticed. When they inevitably cancel our homeowners insurance, I will look at other options for the vehicles. And I will try not to have false loyalty to AAA. . . my card says I've been a member for 60 years, and I am only 64 years old! (Thanks, Dad)
I am so impressed with your score on all the free snacks.
My frugal things are mostly Christmas Village related:
1. Heated leftovers in my electric lunchbox on the drive to the show and kept them warm by plugging the lunchbox into a powerbank I use for camping and show sound equipment to keep my dinner warm until I had time to eat it. It was a win and gives me a few more food options than when I use a thermos (which I still use.)
2. I did a bit of shopping and many of the crafters gave me a performer‘s discount. I don’t ask for discounts and appreciate the nice gesture. Either way, I try to promote those shops to patrons when they ask for idea or where to buy certain things because I sincerely like their wares.
3. A friend‘s booth shared and tagged my performers page with a photo he took of me goofing with one of his products. I shared it on my channels and we both reached new audiences for FREE instead of buys ads for the post.
4. My husband and I took a field trip to the international grocery store to buy bulk rice and soy sauce (the good stuff.) This is a cheaper option for us than paying for a warehouse club membership we would only se to buy rice. We also a great deal on spices and fresh vegetables we can’t buy at Aldi.
5. And the usual:
- Refilling, refrigerating, and drinking tap water from our sports bottles during the day.
- Making tea from items I grew and dehydrated from my tea garden because I‘m freezing.
- Did a load of cleaning towels, wash cloths, kitchen towels, and reusable face rounds with DIY laundry detergent, vinegar rinse, and tennis balls for dryer balls in the dryer.
@Lazy Budget Chef, I gotta know- what's the good stuff???
@Lazy Budget Chef, re: your #4: My local Indian grocery is my go-to for bulk spices (which I usually share with the Bestest Neighbors), as well as dried peas/lentils and frozen okra (which I buy for winter gumbos and curries because I can't find fresh okra reliably in the winter around here).
I have been disappointed at how often shoes can't be repaired anymore. Our late, local shoe repairman, a grumpy old Greek guy who did fantastic leather work, used to curse about all the shoddy shoes made these days and once tore a lining right out of a brand new work shoe for sale in his store, just to show my husband how poorly such things are made now. I'm glad yours were repairable, Kristen, and yes, it's worth it to repair them, in my opinion.
1. I cancelled a monthly charge for a subscription I wasn't really using much. It was only $8 a month, but I no longer needed it.
2. I've been watching for sales for Christmas gifts and I'm finding some decent ones out there. I haven't paid full price for hardly anything.
3. I needed backing material for a mat I am sewing, and found an extra all-cotton pillowcase in very good shape that I can use. It's even the right color.
4. This wasn't because of anything I did, except, I suppose, give birth to my child. She invited family and friends to a hibachi restaurant for my granddaughter's birthday and she paid for all 17 of the attendees. I got a free dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day.
5. I gave my granddaughter her birthday gift in a gift bag I made. My family knows me well. She opened her gift, thanked me with a hug, and handed me back the bag.
@JD, I love your #5. You've raised your descendants well!
Usually I'm better about being thankful than being frugal, but I DO have some Frugal things this week:
1) Cooked up the gallon freezer bag of stock ingredients (celery, potato peels, onion skins, carrot peels, etc) and made 6 quarts of soup stock. Froze 5 quarts and used the 6th to...
2) ...make a HUGE pot of veggie soup. Put half in the freezer for another day. Or week, because this is day number 6 of eating soup just on half the pot.
3.) Bought gas at the Circle K that is 6 miles from my house but it is a) 22 c/gal cheaper than the local stations, was 25 c/gal less because I am a member of their Inner Circle, and got 10 c/gal back through Upside. That's 57 c/gal savings. I actually cashed out Upside several weeks ago when I had almost $30 and the app was not loading, and I didn't want to lose the money. Then I donated the money to a GoFundMe, so that might not have been frugal, but I was happy to be able to give to that particular child.
4.) Continuing to use Fetch, Honey, Rakuten, Ibotta where possible, and am racking up some savings.
5.) Returning a cooler that was an impulse buy from Amazon. Thank goodness for free returns.
6.) Got a red Chinese dragon figurine from someone in my gifting group that looks like a brother to one my husband already has--maybe a tad bit nicer. He collects dragons, and when this gal offered it up, I begged, putting a pic of his current dragon in the comments. It's now hidden away for Christmas!
7.) Heard about a long-arm quilter who is moving out of state and downsizing, selling bolts and bolts of her personal stash of quilt shop quality cotton fabric for $4/yd! I haven't bought new fabric since I bought a bunch of juvenile and bright fabric for children's masks back in 2020. I went looking for things I was low on--neutrals, greens, solids, batiks--and brought home 13 yards for $52! For reference, flannels and batiks alone are going for roughly $12/yd.
@StephanieLD, $12/yd for flannel would be a steal around here. I just bought some for $20/yd and it wasn't even 100% wool. (I only needed 1/2 yard so it wasn't much out of pocket but still.)
@StephanieLD, OK, I gotta ask: What's a long-arm quilter? Visions of quilters with 6-foot-long arms will be invading my nightmares tonight. 🙂
@A. Marie, It's a machine with a verrrry long stitching arm. Google it.
@William, quilting fabric is unlikely to be wool anyway.
@A. Marie, LOL! Instead of trying to use a domestic machine (say, a Brother or Singer sewing machine which you might use to make your own clothes) to completely quilt something large enough to fit on your bed, a long arm machine will allow you to load up any size quilt "sandwich" (top, batting and backing) and the machine will do the quilting. Here'a link to a picture of one of the largest: https://i.etsystatic.com/37975983/r/il/25336c/5332176903/il_1140xN.5332176903_njiz.jpg.
This lady has two; one was totally refurbished last year so it's like a brand new machine and she's selling it for $32,000. It has over 17,000 stenciling patterns loaded electronically. The other is pretty much hand-guided, smaller, though with the same amount of patterns, and she just sold it for $7.000. Quite an investment!
@WilliamB, Whoa! Well, this would have been cotton flannel anyway, but I remember when I made a totally flannel double bedspread-sized quilt for my daughter 20 years ago, it was around $5.00/yd, at the local quilt shop. I am a fabric snob--if I'm going to make a quilt, I'm not buying my material at WalMart. So that was a little high back then.
I switched pharmacies to one that has my scripts cheaper (which I will never understand since they go through my insurance both places...shouldn't it be the same?). The new pharmacy also told me that one of my meds was cheaper through Good RX than my insurance....and I have good insurance.
I found cashews for more than 50% off and bought enough for Christmas candies and to have some on hand for about 6 months.
Pepsi was on sale 2 liter for $1. Pepsi is my coffee in the morning. I stocked up on that also as it has gotten to where I hate to pay $2+ for cola. Now I can have a glass without guilt (you know...except for the guilt about my health LOL, but I have not many vices and that's one).
I bought a beautiful desk from FB marketplace. I've been looking for a fold up desk for months and found one for $50 that perfectly matches the other furniture in the room. Was in great shape except needing to be tightened up. Conditioned the wood and now I love it.
My friend collects antique/vintage glass Christmas ornaments. I happened upon 2 big ornaments (looked like the old tree toppers, but were ornaments) for $4 at Goodwill. Best $4 ever....she was so happy!
@Marlena, can I ask what you use for wood conditioning, and how? I have some older furniture (with some flaking/peeling varnish) and would love to keep everything in good shape. Thanks!
@Lindsay B, I use Howard Feed-N-Wax (polish and conditioner in one). It's a beeswax and orange oil mix. It is not a food safe polish so I use something different for wood utensils and cutting boards. But it's good for furniture. If a piece hasn't been conditioned in a while, I put it on and let it sit for a a bit and then come back and buff it off.
@Marlena, thank you! I appreciate your help.
@Lindsay B, Conditioner/feeder is not going to amount to much if the piece is varnished, though.
1. Looked through my hall closet once again and discovered some scented Xmas candles to give as gifts. I'd forgotten about them, but I bought them on clearance from Aldi last January.
2. Instead of buying new things, I'm finding what I already have around the house to use for gifts and to wear to all the different holiday events. Discovered I have enough batteries to last me almost forever, more than I can ever use before they'd go bad, so I'm dropping a couple of unopened packages into people's gift bags. Using the 3 lb bag of candy the former roommate left behind to fill up pretty jars and give as gifts. Also re-using gift bags and bows saved from Christmases past.
3. Called my internet and landline phone provider asking for a senior citizen discount. Found out the former roommate had, at some point, called in and put herself on the account as an "authorized user" -- no wonder my bill was so high! (Too bad she never bothered to pay her fair share of the bill -- or anything else, for that matter.) Got her name off my account, and got them to send me paperwork that will lower my bill by $30 a month. Major win!
3. Staying out of malls and stores (except for grocery shopping). No temptation = no spending money I don't have. Plus less exposure to whatever illnesses are going around (although I still have to go to work and church and I have the sniffles from subbing in a kindergarten the other day).
4. Working as many hours as possible, both substitute teaching and cashiering.
5. Brown-bagging my lunches; air drying clothes as much as possible; pared down my Xmas card list and will use cards I already have; keeping the heat turned down, esp. when I'm at work; staying out of restaurants. All the little things add up!
@Fru-gal Lisa, I'm still reeling from all the stories about your ex-roommate. Wonder who she is living with now and if she just goes through life cheating people.
I love all your food freebies! That cookie sounds delicious.
Argh! I wish I had known about the Jimmy John's free cookie offer yesterday. We shopped at Aldi, and go right by a Jimmy John's on the way home. Sometimes we stop in and get the day-old bread for .50, but we didn't yesterday. Phooey.
1. I stopped by a local salon where I thought I had about $20 in remaining gift card credit to look at their hair products and see if I could use up my gift card. I had the staff check my balance and it turns out I have $120(!!!), so I will book a massage sometime soon. I originally bought the gift card on a buy $100/get $20 promotion, so it’s only frugal in the sense that I had kept the gift card emails as a reminder, and will now get what will feel like a “free” massage.
2. Picked up a completely free large pizza from Toppers (a midwest chain)- they occasionally have a deal where you buy anything from the menu then you have a free large pizza for later, with no restrictions on toppings. Yum!
3. I picked up a crib mattress for Baby #2 (expected) from Buy Nothing.
4. I replaced my cracked phone screen protector with one handed down to me by my parents (actually, the phone was handed down by them too and is ancient by mobile phone standards).
5. I mended a pair of underwear that separated at a seam after about two washings.
6. I won a $5 gift card through the Starbucks online game.
7. Roasted the flesh and seeds of a small pumpkin I’d had for fall. I’m not a huge fan and DH is allergic, but I wanted to avoid food waste (I read somewhere that a tiny percentage of all pumpkins produced each year are actually eaten). The seeds were delicious, but I need to figure out ways to eat the pumpkin. Maybe in tonight's thai curry.
@Lindsay B, Try pumpkin pie (maybe for a party?) or using it like butternut squash roasted or in soup.
@Lindsay B,
I like to use pumpkin in overnight oats. If you also add brown sugar, cream (or powdered milk) and cinnamon/nutmeg, it's almost like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast and it's way less work.
@Becca,
I've also used pumpkin to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. One time I even made them during a terrible heat wave using the microwave! First I microwaved the pumpkin to cook it and then I made the batter (just used an internet recipe) and microwaved the cookies one at a time. They were softer than traditionally baked cookies, but they were still delicious.
@Becca,
One more idea...if it's just a small amount of pumpkin, like the amount you get from one of those mini decorative ones, you can use it to make a delicious pumpkin cheesecake.
Thanks all for the suggestions! I usually love sweet pumpkins, including in butternut-style soup, pumpkin pie, and in pumpkin choc chip cookies. It's just that this pumpkin is a tiny white one that is fibrous and stringy and not sweet. But it was inoffensive in my Thai curry last night and in some eggs this morning (I always add veggies to my eggs) so I think I can slowly use it up. It would be easier if hubby wasn't allergic 🙂
@Lindsay B, we are eating our way through pumpkin too. So far I have made dozens of muffins to share with neighbors and coworkers, pumpkin bread that was given to friends, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin dog treats, pumpkin soup. I have 4 more huge ones too cook but no freezer space.
I'm embarrassed to say my spending weakness is new clothes. In the past, a couple of my favorite stores would send me a $10 credit for my birthday. Of course there is little you can do with $10 without adding to it. And I always did. I couldn't wait to spend them. But I am getting older and a tiny bit wiser.
When I got a $10 certificate from Kohl's last week, I pushed it aside. A couple of days later they let me know I had another $5 in bonus money. Well, this was getting better. When I was in the neighborhood I stopped in and walked the whole store. I ended up getting a great smelling candle and a really good chocolate bar at no cost to me. I was so proud of myself buying consumables.
Honey and I burn the candle every night and we ate the candy bar as soon as we got home. Okay, I have a problem with immediate gratification.
On the note of free food...I entered into a giveaway last week at https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/ , and won 25 lbs of Maui gold pineapples...They should be arriving sometime this week. No idea what I will do with that many pineapples. I do love pineapples....if anyone has any suggestions. I dont know how to can >.< this will be fun!!
@Ashley Bananas, Roast the slices.
Learn how to can! It's easy. You can use a water bath for pineapple, because it's high-acid.
Buy, say, 2-3 jars and try it! Plenty of instructions are online. Canning doesn't have to be a big elaborate deal.
@WilliamB,
Grilled pineapple is delicious!
@Ashley Bananas, I won the other 25 pounds of Maui Golds from that blog! Fresh pineapple in Alaska in December---heavenly! I am giving a few of them away as Christmas gifts for neighbors I usually give home baked bread or cookies. Nice for them and a good use of more pineapples than we would consume (even with freezing chunks for smoothies or to use in some Asian recipes).
@Lindsey,
Oh my goodness, you guys are so funny! You make the Internet seem so small, but maybe it's just the frugal world! I was going to suggest freezing the pineapple, but also wanted to mention that you can plant the tops of pineapples and get cool-looking spiky plants for your efforts. They will apparently produce more small pineapple fruits if they live long enough, but I tend to start projects and abandon them, so my pineapple plants have so far ended up dying after a few months of neglect. 😉
@Lindsey, That's so cool!!! Congratulations. I really do love pineapple on my pizza, but how many pizzas can I eat? Maybe freezing or roasting or grilling would help me gobble up this delight. I'm typically a canned pineapple eater, so fresh is going to be so different and nice especially this Maui gold variety.
Most of my frugals are saving things from aunt and uncles house from going to landfill. But, still frugal!
1. We had a bin full of old Christmas decor that looked too old to be useful. But as I went through, I found a wreath, cut the old plastic decor and lights out of it, gave it a nice fluff, decorated with red berries and real pine cones and made a beautiful bow from my stash. Viola! A very pretty wreath, cost $0 and will now decorate Aunties door at the nursing home.
2. Rescued 6 holly swags and at least a dozen poinsettia picks from the stash, aired them outside for a few days, and now they are headed to the festival of trees for extra decoration.
3. Put the rest of the decor in a bag as real trash, washed out the bin, and now I can use it for my stuff!
4. Took a truckload of random end tables,nightstands, etc to the dump in the “too good for the hopper” section, and they were all quickly claimed! Hooray for giving furniture new life.
5. Bought no meat, we are eating down the freezer.
6. As I always do, made all my coffee at home.
7. Cutting down my Christmas shopping, as everyone has more than enough already. Also, cut my card list down, and am using leftover cards from previous years.
1. We enjoyed free entertainment.
2. I made all our meals at home. My husband received a coupon for a free lunch at a local restaurant, so he used that one day.
3. I ordered some cereal on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that arrivedthis week. It was half the normal price and I can't buy it locally.
4. I paid my student loans on time. My loans were recently sold, and there was a lot of confusion because the loan holders didn't communicate the transfer properly. (The documents notifying me of the transfer showed up 2 days before my last payment was due. Ugh.)
5. I've started Christmas baking.
I spent $0 except for one grocery delivery for which I didn't even bother with a receipt. I guess having covid has its advantages? I'm enjoying living vicariously through your frugalities.
1) I no longer homeschool, but I had a $52 credit at my local homeschool consignment store. I could have asked for a check, but instead I got books that my sister (who is homeschooling) needed, as well as found books for Christmas presents for four of my nieces and nephews. I will mail these at media rate which is really the least expensive way to send anything through the mail these days.
2) This week I am using as much food from the freezer as possible, to save on groceries.
3) For some reason I keep wanting to stop and get myself coffee while I am out, but I go home and make my own coffee (or tea). This saves me money and calories.
4) I am thinking about joining a gym. The one I used to go to raised their rates considerably, but there is one that is closer to me that I can try for free twice. After that the rate is reasonable. I went yesterday afternoon and it looks like a good fit.
5) My husband and I sat down and figured out our Christmas budget. We should have done this earlier, but at least we have a solid plan to work with.
Yay for freebies!!
I have been doing all the usual - coffee and meals at home, batching errands to save gas, meal planning around what is on sale, etc.
I do have a few extra things this week. I work for a small church, as their office manager. While at g.w. I found legal size copy paper for 1/3 of what you can buy it in store or online. I bought all they had (it was unopened and in great shape). As I was checking out, the cashier told me she was glad I had bought it as paper doesn't move very fast and tends to get beat up and then thrown out. I also found a new with tags dress for an upcoming event for only $7. So happy to find a needed item for so little. I also watched to see when my vitamin supplements were on sale, and got enough to hopefully make it to the next sale. I have been watching for deals on my children's wish list items.
@Cheryl 90,Good move on the paper! Also, you could cut it shorter if you didn't need the legal size.
So glad you got the shoes repaired. I desperately need a new pair of work shoes, but my main source does not have the right size at the moment. I bypassed the free JJ cookie simply because it costs more in the long run.(Although I can usually get two meals from my purchase.)
The usual, distilled and drank my own water rather than buying bottled,
Chai latte at home.
Went to Aldi once and while there, turkeys were still on sale for $.97lb. so came home with another one for the freezer. (That's two I have now) Even if I don't fix it myself it makes a nice gift for a church family.
Was off all week and only left the house once, so the car stayed parked. And the one time I left, I bunched the errands.
Ordered the ubiquitous fruitcake from Corsicanna, TX black Friday sale price and enough product for no shipping charge. It is a very good fruitcake.
And that's just barely five...
Oh, the cookie didn't require a purchase at all; it was just free and clear. 🙂
1. I missed being able to get my free birthday drink on the 29th. I stopped in on Dec 2nd when I was out, explained my situation and they gave me my latte for free. It was lovely to have a little sugar cookie spin to my protein coffee that morning before my errands.
2. I took advantage of digital coupon offers to save $2/lb on a chuck roast at Kroger and stopped in at the Customer Service desk while I was there to have a new Kroger Plus card issued as I lost my old one.
3. I used the $40 cash that I had at Old Navy to purchase a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, a pair of sweatpants, a sequined skirt and a flannel shirt for myself. All of these were items that I needed as the size I can wear has gone down quite a bit thank God.
4. We needed an electric fence to keep our Boxer from digging into our neighbor's yard to go after their chickens which are loose in the backyard. I borrowed an extra box from my brother in law and he gave us the extra wire he had. We only had to buy the clips and install it so total out of pocket was $35. Not much for peace of mind this gives me in keeping my dog from getting shot.
5. Coffee and meals at home. Leftovers repurposed. Lunches taken to work & treats made at home.
That snoopy is cuteeeee!
It’s not a very frugal time of year for me, but here goes:
-Ive found a map of local decoration stops to go to instead of the lights at the botanical gardens that cost money
-I found some free Hanukkah and Christmas activities at the library for our preschooler to fill up our weekend
-I unsubscribed from all those emails that notified me of Black Friday sales
-I used up a bag of nice coffee beans I got for my birthday. I don’t normally like the beans because they have to be ground
Thats it beyond the normal eating at home and such. December is a tough time to try to be frugal 🙂
Only 1 more week until the younger kiddos come home from college. I am making their favorite holiday snacks and treats for our decorating party.
I sanded my new to me $17 cabinet and found out that it is a beautiful maple. I will take the cabinet door to my friend's wood shop to determine what stain color to buy. I am either pickling or painting the interior a white enamel as it is a deep cabinet. I think I will also use a under the cabinet led light that turns on when the door is opened.
I reorganized 2 chest freezers and inventoried the contents. Each inventory is taped to the inside of the freezer lid in a vinyl sheet protector. When you remove something, you change the count number. It works until it doesn't ; ) good intentions, yada yada.
I washed my leather work gloves and patched the thumb/palm hole with a thrifted Men's $2 leather vest. To replace the gloves $19.
I power washed and oiled all of the shovels, rakes and pitchforks. They get stored in oiled sand for the winter.
I made a Christmas Tree out of a tomato cage, thrifted lit garland and buy nothing outdoor ornaments for the front porch.
I ordered new garage doors on black friday/clearance (over 65% off original sale price) to be installed by the college kids while on break. Replacing 50 yo dilapidated doors.
1. I picked up my ebike that had arrived at the store! E-bikes aren't cheap, but I got mine 40% off during black Friday, and I will be using it to bike to the office twice a week when we go back next year, so I will be saving on gas and parking, plus getting some exercise (since I plan to use it on the lowest setting). I just calculated that for parking alone, I will be saving $65 per month, so it will pay for itself relatively quickly, and that's not even taking into account gas.
2. I've been meal planning. Next up: using up stuff from the freezer.
3. We spread holiday cheer by baking cookies for all of our neighbors instead of buying them something. I did still buy festive plates and cellophane wrap, but it was cheaper than buying boxes of candy for sure.
4. We decorated our side yard with tons of Christmas lights that I got on Buy Nothing (a neighbor used to cover their roof, but then they got solar panels so they just gave them away). It makes me happy, and I've gotten so many happy comments from neighbors.
5. We made granola using a recipe we got from this blog!
This time of year it's so hard to be frugal!
1. Planning a trip next year with some girlfriends and after checking all the different airlines, bought my ticket partially using some Chase credit card points so I'm only paying half of what the price normally is.
2. December is my birthday month, so I'm diligently keeping track of all the birthday freebies/coupons that are being sent so that I can use them!
3. Used up the rest of a Grubhub gift card I was given a couple years ago to order dinner when I was too tired to cook this weekend. We made it last for 2 meals.
4. Since Costco is no longer printing Christmas cards, and most of the other online photo sites are cost more than I care to pay, I found a Groupon to a lesser known online photo site, with good reviews, $26 for 70 cards printed on one side. I figured most people only read the back once but will always see the front if they display the cards. Didn't pay extra for having return addresses printed on the envelopes; instead will use all the free address stickers we get in the mail.
5. For some reason, CVS recently keeps sending me $4 off any item coupons. I used it to buy some needed shaving cream for my husband, buy 1 get 1 50% off, for a total of $3.34 plus $3 extra care bucks back for 2 cans.
@DebbieR, would you mind sharing which photo site you ended up using? I also used Costco previously and have sticker shock from the prices at other sites.
@Lindsay B, it is called PhotoAffections. I just looked and they still have Groupons for it on sale!
@DebbieR, thank you, I will take a look!
Cute Snoopy.
1 - My birthday was last week so I treated myself to free breakfast at Denny's and accepted birthday freebies from a drugstore chain ($5 voucher) and Aeroplan (25% off base airfare).
2 - I took advantage of several bonus offers when purchasing gift cards that will be used for items I needed anyway (pet supplies, groceries, etc.) and came way with $75+ in bonus cards. Of course I charged all the GC purchases to credit cards that offer points and stacked with other reward programs.
3 - I used some rewards points to lower the price of my CAA (not called that here) membership renewal.
4 - I transferred my cell phone service to a different provider offering a much better plan both in coverage and in cost.
5 - I took quite a few items in for consignment.
I'm not sure I have Five frugal things but I do have at least one item that is very significant item.
I persistently called the EDD office to get my disability leave checks figured out. After THREE weeks of calling I have one disability check that I can cash, one more in the mail and soon I will be able to file for the final check.
My husband found our special Christmas tree extension cord. (It has a pedal/button you can step on to turn the lights on rather than climbing behind the tree to plug in an extension cord or futzing with a timer.)
I found the pump for my exercise ball. It has been missing since we brought the baby home from the hospital and we figured it got misplaced and nearly ordered a replacement.
(We have both had "Mom Brain" since the baby arrived and are just starting to get organized again.)
I made homemade refried beans. So much cheaper than canned and so very much better.
Recently, I tried a new dessert recipe that called for pumpkin pie spice. I never buy pumpkin pie spice, because the recipe I use for pumpkin pie lists each spice separately rather than calling for the pre-made blend. So I looked up a recipe for pumpkin pie spice and mixed the ingredients together in a little bowl. I made the least amount I thought I could get away with, but I still ended up with some left over. I didn’t know when or what I could use it for, but I didn’t want to throw it away, so I put it in my tiniest plastic storage container and stuck it in the pantry. Then the other day I decided to sprinkle some into my single serving of oatmeal for breakfast (which I of course made from a bulk container of oats :)) along with my sweetener. Now I have had pumpkin spice oatmeal a couple of times and am close to using up the leftover spices. I actually thought to myself, “This is something the Frugal Girl would appreciate,” so I decided to tell you about it. Ha, ha :).
Also, that Snoopy is so cute! Congrats on your various freebies.
1. I got a free ebook, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy. So far it's been an excellent read on lamenting and how to deal with sorrow.
2. We don't buy dog food, so I made our dog some rice mixed with homemade chicken broth, then topped it with chicken skin. He gobbled it up!
3. Cut some green onions for our fried rice. They're green onions that I regrew from the market and they're growing in old Oatmeal cans and cut open oil jug.
4. Watered the aloe vera and mint with rice rinse water.
5. Paid off our 2 credit cards. Yay to no more interest!
@Katy in Africa, congratulations on #5. That is a Big Deal!!
At first I thought that the Snoopy flip was some kind of new TikTok trend, kind of like the water bottle thing that all the cool kids were doing. 🙂 But anyway, that is a cute Snoopy! I'm glad you've got one for yourself, too!
-got my free flu shot at work
-finally used the last sessions in a skin care package I paid for about a year ago. Don't think they work but at least it's relaxing
-learned to make Pad Thai, which I tend to crave and then order from a restaurant
-participating in a physical activity challenge run by work- if you log a certain number of exercise sessions you are in a drawing for a cash prize. Could be a financial win, is definitely a health win regardless
-got wood delivered in a huge pile on the driveway. We carried and stacked it ourselves which saves money. Are going through lots now as it is bitterly cold (5-10 F (-15 C))
I found a coupon in the self check line that the previous customer had discarded. It was for a free package of strawberries! I rarely comment here but this one got me excited.
Is Woodstock under Snoopy's cap? Or inside the coat?
Not a frugal observation, but an observation. I'm glad that assisted living is part of your training. My mother (age 83) moved to an assisted living apartment in July after living alone for many years. It was the right choice at the right time, and she adores (most of) the medical staff.
I don't even like Snoopy (I know, who doesn't like Snoopy...) but thought the one in the winter jacket was cute. Kudos to you for selling one and, also, for leaving some for other customers. Thoughtful regarding others seems to be your default setting.
1. As I mentioned in commenting on someone else's comment, I won 25 pounds of pineapple shipped straight from Hawaii. That will be a huge savings on fruit for us and also saves us some money as we are giving a few of them away to neighbors. I cannot express how delighted people will be over quality fresh fruit in December.
2. Won a $50 gift certificate to Amazon, after spending five dollars in a raffle to support a local youth sport. Usually I say, "I never win anything!" and here I won something 2 days in a row.
3. Bought a gift certificate to a local pizza place as a Christmas gift for a good friend who rarely has spare money for eating out. The deal was buy a certificate and get a $20 one for free, so it will be frugal in the future when I use it on a day I cannot stand the thought of cooking.
4. For the second time in my life, our garbage guy knocked on our door and said, "This was left with the trash and I thought you might want it." It was another accordion! We are already a three accordion family so the husband cleaned it thoroughly and tested the parts and I was able to sell it locally for $150! (I did offer it to the music teacher at the high school but she laughed and wished me luck selling it. More fool her!) I used $50 of the money to buy a gift card for the garbage guy, since I have literally made hundreds off the accordion finds he has brought to my doorstep. I suggested he might want to give it to a family member who likes accordions and he said, "Mrs, I don't know anyone besides you who likes accordions!" (It cracks me up that he calls me Mrs. In 40 years of being married, the only other time I have been called that is by our postman when we lived in Scotland.)
5. Picky neighbor's dog does not like Blue Buffalo dog food so Pound Hound was the lucky recipient of a barely used 40 pound bag of it. I offered her some of my homemade dog treats but she said her dog refused to eat the last ones. "He and I don't like pumpkin." I did not tell her that my husband ate a bunch, thinking I had made him cookies. Apparently the dog bone shape of them did not give him a clue. So now I make some for him, too. They are totally healthy so what the hell...
Ha ha, that's an impressive week of free food! My week was much less fun on the frugal side -- it mostly consisted of saving money a million medical appointments :-/
Also, super random about the Snoopy doll. Reminds me of the weirdness that was the Tickle Me Elmo trend back in like, 2000.
Here are my own frugal wins:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/05/weekly-frugal-wins-way-too-many-medical-appointments/
My Five:
1. Gas: Twice this month I was able to use Kroger 1.00 off per gallon of gas to fill up both my car and my son’ car. It’s a bit of an ordeal, but worth it to me. We both drive to the gas station. We fill up the first car and then one of us holds the thing while the other drives and first car forward out of the way and the second car into position to fuel up. Stacked up points buying amazon gift cards on 4X days that I am using for Christmas presents.
2. Travel Hacking: My sister had to make two large purchases this month. She was going to pay cash, so instead I asked if I could put them on my credit card and she wrote me a check to cover it. Not only did I earn a few points, but the $1200 or so helped me meet a minimum spend on a new card to get the bonus points. I pay my credit cards in full each month.
3. Cheese! Our local grocery store had a wonderful cheese festival. I brought my three sons ages 21, 16, and 8 and enjoyed so many cheese samples. They went all out with wonderful appetizers that highlighted the premium cheeses and crackers, and sauces. Free meal. Free entertainment. We did buy a few fancy cheese products, but will love using them during the holidays. My first attempt at making a charcuterie board is in my future…
4. Cyber Monday deal: Spent $400 for $500 of gift cards to my grocery store.
5. Spent $450 for a $500 Target gift card. Beats the 5% I get from using my Target card and I also could put the charge on the new credit card to work towards the bonus.