Five Frugal Things | after a clean-out session
On Sunday night, I had a clean-up-the-papers* session, and I discovered I had a few coupons that I needed to use up.
*it was also a dump-out-the-purse session. I hadn't done that since at least December and it was getting pretty clogged in there. Ha.
So:
1. I got three free Einstein bagels
I found a receipt in my purse that had a survey on it, with a three-bagel reward promised. So, I filled it out and got my reward code.
You did have to make a purchase to get the bagels, so I bought a single bagel and then got the other three free.
2. I got a free Bath and Body Works shower gel
They send me coupons for freebies every now and then, so I popped in and got a shower gel, which I promptly gave to Sonia.
Bath and Body Works items bring my girls more joy than they do me, so I almost always pass my freebies on to them.
3. I got two pairs of socks for $2
DSW had sent me a $5/any purchase coupon, and I needed some invisible socks to wear with my black flats anyway, so I stopped in, found a two-pack for $6.99, and used my $5 coupon.
4. I triple-dipped at Target
I wanted to get a pack of Crest tooth-whitening strips (remember when reader Jodie, a cosmetic dentist, recommended those as the best ones?), so I placed a store pickup order for a pack with Target.
I got a $5 discount for placing the order, a $5 Target gift card added to my account after the purchase, and I had a store credit gift card (from what? I HAVE NO IDEA. It's been in my wallet for a while!!) to use as well.
5. I did some serious trip-batching
Gas is so expensive right now, I am trying extra hard to reduce my driving miles.
In conjunction with taking Zoe to her class I also went to:
- the post office (to ship two packages)
- the UPS store (to do two returns)
- the library (to drop off two books)
- Einstein (for my free bagels)
- Target (for my whitening strips)
- DSW (for my almost-free socks)
- Bath and Body Works (for my free shower gel)
- Lidl (for some cheap produce)
And I managed to do all of this without driving out of my way by more than a mile or two total. Yay!
FFT:
We were given produce by a neighbor which was partly passed on to a relative and partly converted to a delicious meal
I revived wilting herbs in glass of water
I bought coffee and dishwasher tablets in a 1 plus 2 free discount offer
I did a serious lot of laundry on solar powered electricity and linedried the same (spring is on its way!)
I mended a tear in a shirt
Plus one: I need multi focal sunglasses for driving, but I am waiting for a discount offer coming up in April. I found an old pair of sunglasses that past me kept after my mum passed away. They are not dark enough for summer (sensitive to light) but will last me to April.
The sunglasses are worn on top of my "ordinary" multifocus spectacles, obviously!
@J NL, I describe this as my glasses needing glasses.
@WilliamB,
😀
Well done on planning the trips. It has been an expensive week here and there were somethings that could not be reduced in way shape or form.
Most nights this week we have had home made soup. It is still hot here and it takes extreme effort to swallow soup but it has saved us money.
I have walked instead of using the car for two lots of shopping.
Since it has finally been sunny for a few days I washed everything and put most if it on the outside line to dry. It has been crazy wet here is Southeast Queensland.
I elected to buy my licence for five years as it is cheaper that way. It cost just under $190. Ouch.
I am trying to not buy stuff. this is difficult for me but I am determined and it seems life is becoming more expensive every single hour.
God bless.
@Suzan,
Some soups are better cold! Gazpacho comes to mind, but I also personally like cold potato-based soups.
Most of my frugality this week was of the "less spendy than it might have been" variety.
1. The hotel made several substantial mistakes, which I was going to let go until they delivered my luggage to the wrong room - not only inconvenient but risky. In recompense they paid for both my massages.
2. The hotel package included $100 boutique credit for each of us. I spent $99.23.
PS: what's the difference between a boutique and a shop?
3. Didn't buy any extras (alcohol being the prime one) and nabbed some of the free snacks for my flight home.
4. Tried a couple of new activities at the hotel gym, meaning I won't need to pay for a class I might end up not enjoying.
5. The usual: stashed up on sale items, used what I have, visited the public library, didn't join a gym (yet - I did enjoy the kickboxing class), limited food waste, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Frugal Public Service Announcement: we can now order another 2 sets of at-home COVID tests from USPS.
@WilliamB, thanks for the heads up on the covid tests!
@WilliamB,
You have the best hotel experiences with choosing places that have great extras and then maximizing your stay with negotiating for more extras. I want you to be my travel agent—and come along, too, ha.
Along those same lines, Kristen has the largest stash of coupons and rewards I’ve ever seen. Big props for keeping on top of it all.
My thanks to WilliamB as well. I'm still having to produce a negative test before every visit to DH, so this second giveaway of kits is very good news.
@WilliamB, yes, thank you so much! Just ordered mine.
Oooh, what a nice payment you got for the errors. Good for you!
@WilliamB, thank you for the news about the second round of free tests. We received our first order last night, and I just ordered the second.
@WilliamB, in answer to your second question, about $100. (rimshot)
@WilliamB,
Thanks for notice about more free tests
1. Didn't eat out at all this week (well, we never eat out, so I'm not sure this counts. We haven't gotten takeout/eaten in a restaurant now for two years. Hm.)
2. Our grocery store had a "buy 5 of these and get a $1 off each" deal, so I used it for dish soap, cheese, and to stock up on my favorite teas--all items I already had a coupon for, so I got a double discount.
3. I had two lemons that were slowly going soft, so I microwaved them and rolled them to get as much juice out of them as I could, and froze the juice in an ice cube tray to use in recipes. I've never done this before, to be honest! So I was pretty proud that I caught them before they went south.
4. I needed boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a recipe and bought the bone-in, skin-on that were cheaper and just skinned and cut them up myself. I probably saved about $5 this way.
5. We're in the middle of decluttering for a move later this summer, so I stopped by the Goodwill on my way to the grocery store (batching errands to save gas).
Nice use of the corporate coupons. I forget to use them for things that are less expensive but needed. I'm impressed with your coordinated errands. I'm avoiding my car unless necessary.
First, a public apology to Allison, who I called by the wrong name in my comment on her lovely Meet the Reader post yesterday. So sorry, Allison!
And now, frugality.
1) We finally butchered the ram yesterday. My husband badly smashed his index finger the day before, which meant that I did most of the cutting. My natural inclination is to only want the tenderloin and back legs and give the gnarlier meat to the dogs. But! I virtuously (and frugally) spent a lot of time carefully trimming and salvaging meat from the neck, the forelegs, and so on, and also managed to get another cup or so of fat to render. And then I used the shanks and so on (where the meat is very difficult to get off raw) to make a chile for my husband in the pressure-cooker, to which I also added one of the packages of pigs' feet that's been in the freezer for, uh, about a year. No greater love hath a wife than to butcher a ram and cook pigs' feet for her injured husband.
2) My daughter announced that her socks were too small for her feet. So I pulled out the package of brand-new socks I had bought for her brother probably three years ago and was saving for just this event.
3) During one of my quarterly buying sessions on swap.com, I tried once again to get an acceptable winter coat for my middle son, whose coat has had no zipper (just snaps) for the last two months. The first one I bought him online turned out to be more of a jacket than a coat. This one was most definitely a COAT, and an extremely high-end North Face coat at that, for about 10% of its original price. When it came, however, it was much too big. But! Benefit of having three boys in relatively close age and size: It fits his older brother a little big, but is fine for the rest of this winter AND will fit him next winter. So older brother's coat, which is likewise wearable if a bit big this winter, but perfect for next winter, is now middle brother's. Bonus that that coat was also a nice one--Land's End--that I got used for a fraction of the cost.
4) We have had a lot of minor illnesses in our home this winter, which has meant a lot of honey consumed for coughs and sore throats. I finally bought a 12-pound bucket of honey instead of smaller jars, both because then I know I won't run out for awhile, and also because I can get better honey (raw, unfiltered) for less that way. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm not really a honey connoiseur, so I think it will be find.
5) I realized the other day that it is perhaps a bit odd that none of my children have ever used soap or shampoo when they bathe. I've never used it on them because they tend to dry skin and kids just don't need to wash like adults do, and it's fine. My oldest son does now use shampoo on his hair--it's starting to get a bit greasy as he approaches puberty--and I use a conditioner on my daughter's long, curly hair, but other than that, no bath products for them. I didn't do it to save money, but I'm sure it has over the years.
@kristin @ going country,
Just curious. What do you use instead of soap/shampoo when they bathe? Is it just a hot water bath, then? Thanks!
@st, Yup, just the bath.
@kristin @ going country, Hello, I am interested in where you bought your honey, I am always looking for bulk honey to buy.
Amazon. It was a brand called Glory Bee, which I got just because it was one of the few bulk options for which I could use EBT funds.
@kristin @ going country, I like to think that I would throw myself in front of a bullet for my husband, but I now realize my devotion would stop at foraging the last bits of meat from a game animal (and I have done my share of moose butchering, so I have an idea of what you went through) or cooking pigs' feet. I have been around cooking pigs' feet and the smell was too much for me to ever repeat the experience. You are a good wife!
A more devoted meat-in-the-kitchen-expert wife could not be found!
@kristin @ going country, Glory Bre is made in Eugene Oregon. A great company that specializes in honey products. I assure you that you will not be disappointed
@Lindsey, We've only ever cooked them in chile, which has so many strong smells as it's cooking that I've never noticed the pigs' feet. Watching my children suck all the stuff from around the bones, though . . . yuck.
@Brandon, Thank you for the information! I did specify U.S. honey in my search, although I don't know that I noticed exactly where in the U.S. Glory Bee is from.
1. Brought donations to the thrift store. Although I have a pretty good filtration system for things that come into our home, I still find things to donate. Together with my catch and release philosophy for things like books, I am able to create a calm, clutter-free cocoon.
2. Keeping my 10-year-old car purring after 170,000 miles.
3. Treated to a lovely restaurant lunch by a friend.
4. Went to a community production of The Music Man. Top-notch entertainment for just $15.
5. Retrieved the crumbs from the bottom of the toaster and added to other saved breadcrumbs to top a dish.
Keeping an old car for a long time is such an effective way to save money! It's not flashy or exciting, but it is so smart.
Good going on the coupons and the trip batching. Gas prices are getting crazy.
1. Being gluten-free and mostly nut-free means I often use cassava flour, which is expensive. I got notice that Otto's was having a moving sale of 30% off. I just missed getting the best deal (15 lb. bags, sold out), but was able to snag a multi-pack of smaller bags. With their sale, and using a Paypal balance from Swagbucks, I was able to buy the flour at less than half of normal store prices, and at least $3 per pound off store sale prices for my out of pocket costs. Shipping was free.
2. I cleaned the sludge out of our pond's three tier fountain with a shop vac that I had to stop and empty frequently. There exists a pond vacuum that wouldn't have to be emptied, as it has an auto discharge, but it costs about $300. I'll just use the shop vac.
3. I order our pond's goldfish food online in big buckets, which are amazingly cheaper per ounce than the 8 oz. cannisters in stores. I placed an order yesterday and put it on auto-ship, which saved an additional $20 this time.
4. I harvested the kohlrabi from my container and cooked the entire batch, including leaves. It turned out well.
5. We are having warm weather so I cut most of my lettuce but left some to go (hopefully) to seed for collection.
@JD, I find myself wondering if pond sludge makes good compost or soil enricher. It seems like it might.
@WilliamB,
I scatter it in my lawn, as I've not been brave enough to use it "concentrated" on container plants, but I think it must be good for soil, too. There is an odor, though.
That sounds like a good outdoor fertilizer, then. 😉
@WilliamB, When the local college would clean its pond and fountain with fish every few years, a local farmer would somehow get the last sludge and scrapings from inside it for fertilizer. It is more than fifty feet in diameter, which would make it a significant chunk of stuff for his fields.
@JD, how do you cook the kohlrabi leaves? I love kohlrabi but have never thought to cook the leaves.
@Lynda,
I've never bothered to cook them because I usually just slice them thin and add them raw to salads, but they taste like mild cabbage, so I imagine they would cook like cabbage as well. I generally only have a couple kohlrabis at a time though, so maybe if I had a massive harvest I would cook the leaves or, more likely, hand them to my husband to cook. 😉
@Lynda,
I roughly chop them and cook them much like cabbage or collards, which for me is either to steam them, or as I did this time, saute them in a little olive oil and garlic, then put the lid on the pan and let them cook till tender.
1.) Reading a book from the library. For all I could figure out my library, nor the digital ones I am a member of had this book. Through whatever magic my wife did, she was able to get the book via interlibrary loan even though I couldn't find it. The book itself is almost $20 and I can't see myself rereading it (even though I am enjoying it.) So this was in a sense saving $20, though truth be told I probably would've just skipped it.
2.) Target is having Circle Week or whatever they are calling it. For me it meant a discount on my daughter's allergy meds which sadly are not in generic form at either Costco or BJs yet but Target has a generic. So we got 80 pills of it and due to her age, we cut these in half so effectively we have enough doses to get us through about half a year. There were also a couple other deals which I picked up then and of course got 5% off with the Red Card.
3.) Bought a new laptop bag for work to replace the awkward one that work gave out. I used slow shipping to get another credit which I will use on another book this week. My backlog is definitely growing ...
4.) Also combining the trips. Groceries are done by the person who is working outside the home that day, we generally combine every possible trip together now because of the skyrocketing gas prices.
5.) Took some optional overtime yesterday and I know I will get some next week.
You find such wonderful coupons. Do you sign up for rewards programs?
We accepted two dinner invitations over the weekend. This is unusual for us, but we could not turn them down. They were birthday parties for people we love dearly. But man oh man, it was expensive! So I need to be extra frugal to balance things out.
1. I stocked up on laundry detergent and took advantage of Target’s offer for a $15 gift card when you spend $50 on household essentials.
2. I completed a rebate for $200 after purchasing a year’s supply of contact lenses.
3. I decided to use an accountant this year to complete my taxes. They are very complex and I had too many questions. It is frugal not to get audited.
4. I picked up a mercury glass lamp from the
Curb that looks great in my office.
5. All the usual things, I have been drinking primarily water, brewing my own coffee, batching errands, and reading library books.
Wishing everyone peace and good health!
@Bee,
Wow, the most I have ever gotten in a rebate for a year's worth of lenses is $75! You got a nice rebate!
@JD, I use BioTrue. My eye doctor gives me the form every year. Bausch Lomb has a nice rewards program for people that use the company’s products. https://bauschrewards.com/
It applies to solutions as well as lens.
Yes, I always send in the rebate for my lenses as well! Mine are Bausch and Lomb ultra.
I do often sign up for reward programs, yes! After so many years of living frugally, it's pretty automatic for me to always be having an eye out for a deal/discount/coupon/reward of some sort. I am always looking for a money-saving angle!
@Bee,
Ah! My lenses are Alcon. Hm, I just might see if B&L are an option next time. This year Alcon limited their rebates to those who were new to lenses, something like that, which I thought was not so nice of them. Their rep told my doctor to tell his patients to submit the rebate request from a new email instead of the one they had been using, or they wouldn't get the rebate this year.
1. I've finally filled a boiling bag of meat and vegetable scraps to make broth. Might taste awful, but worth a try.
2. At my craft club, I made a painting of a dog running with a heart in its mouth that looks like the dog a friend of mine lost last month. She's grieving hard. I just used some of the copious art supplies around the house. I will give to her once it's finished.
3. In the same vein, I talked my daughter into crocheting a lace collar for the folk art doll the craft club is making for a friend who collects black dolls. I'm going to make the doll a straw hat.
4. I haven't been creative in so long--well, except writing--it felt so good. Cheaper than therapy.
5. Eating our leftovers, trying to minimize trips. Gas was over $5 a gallon here this week.
@Rose,
Gas is 2,5 euros a litre here, including taxes. The cost of driving is really prohibitive, and we are now working from home to save gas as much as keeping safe from covid.
@J NL, I also heat with oil. Dreading that bill too.
On the other hand, as the meme goes, I'm not hiding in a basement while invaders shell me from above. Actually I'd rather be the lady wielding the Kalashnikov. Being passive doesn't work for me.
@Rose, as much as I abhor guns and violence, I would also rather wield a Kalashnikov (I had to look that up to be certain what it was!). I wouldn't mind dying if it meant I was helping to stop this atrocity.
@MB in MN, I was having fantasies of garrotting Putin a couple weeks ago. An AK-47 is an easy weapon to use and doesn't tend to jam. Plus you can put it in automatic mode and spray soooooo 600 rounds per minute. I would feel sorry for shooting Russian soldiers, who didn't ask for this, but grownups sometimes have to do bad things to keep the world safe.
I am not prone to wishing people dead; but Sonia and Zoe and I were discussing this and we concluded that wishing for someone's death is just fine if said person is causing zillions of other people's deaths.
For instance, if we lived at the time, we would not judge ourselves for wishing Hitler was assassinated.
And I think the same holds true here.
@Kristen, agreed. This is our Hitler moment in many respects.
I made chicken broth from the carcass of a roasted chicken we had last week (I'd stuck it in the freezer) and then I used some of that, plus leftover rice and chicken from a different meal, to make a really good chicken rice and vegetable soup for dinner last night.
I've been keeping the house 1 degree cooler most of the day lately and, of course we always turn the heat down at night. I don't know how much difference that 1 degree makes in the heating bill, but we haven't been colder and I feel like I'm making an effort at least to use less energy!
I've been holding off on buying any clothes until my REI dividend arrived. I now have quite a bit of funds to spend on some needed gear for our outdoor sports. The only credit card I have is an REI Mastercard, so all of my "rewards" show up in the form of a large REI dividend once a year. I'm excited to head over and see what's on the clearance rack!
We opted not to go skiing yesterday. This saved us about 90 miles of gas use round trip.
We finished our carport project ourselves. We'd originally thought about hiring someone to do it, but the hubs decided we could tackle it ourselves, and we did! We're very pleased with the results too! New siding, fresh coat of paint, a few new boards, and we're all set!
Great job on bundling those errands! I traveled over the weekend with my daughter for a college visit, so I don't feel particularly frugal! The trip was worth the cost but wasn't cheap. We'll see what I can think up.
1. I baked gluten free banana bread on Sunday to use up brown bananas. It was a first go with this recipe, and I honestly can't tell the difference from banana bread with gluten (and I still eat gluten! my daughters have celiac).
2. I meal planned and shopped on Sunday. Grocery bill was low because we stocked up on meat at Costco last week. I like the way Costco packages chicken parts as they work well in my freezer.
3. At Costco, our $400 bill was free because I cashed in my rewards check from my Costco visa that I use for every day expenses and pay off in full every month. I started doing this after my debit card was compromised one too many times. I only use my debit card at the ATM now.
4. I got my daughter in for a dentist appt on the same day I called to schedule due to a cancelation. I had been remiss in scheduling previously. Always cheaper to catch dental issues early, but fortunately, her checkup was all clear. I think this was also a win for the dentist as they had their chair filled!
5. I'm catching up on my kindle book back log. I occassionally buy kindle books I am interested in when they are $2 or $3, but I don't always remember to read them. I wasn't finding what I wanted on my libby app before my trip and dove into some great books I already had. I only have a few more pending now.
1. I submitted a receipt to our medical insurance for at home Covid tests I bought. I hope they will reimburse me.
2. We will be going away for a few days at the end of the month. We'll visit a relative we have not seen for a few years and then go to a beach town for a couple days. I discovered we had two free night certificates with Marriott that we earned pre-pandemic. Apparently they kept extending the expiration date on them. We'll use them to stay in a suite, with a kitchen, on the boardwalk.
3. I needed some greeting cards. I don't send nearly as many as I use to (thanks to texting with GIFs) but I still needed some. I walked to Dollar Tree (to save gas/the environment) and was pleased to find cards are still 2/$1. I got everything I wanted except for some graduation cards.
4. I made a big pot of bean soup with the Instant Pot. I used up a partial onion, some peppers from the freezer, and a partial bottle of low-sodium V8.
5. I am wearing a new-to-me tee shirt that my SIL was giving away. I doubt it ever fit him so I suspect to it had never been worn. It's all cotton and there was no environmental impact in it's procurement.
Doing a few little things all week long still adds up to savings.....
1. I received my 4 free Covid test kits in the mail and just submitted a new form for an additional 2 from the USPS.
2. Remembered to use a coupon for my haircut, saving me $6 over original price.
3. Last weekend we made beef stew in the instant pot. We had some left over that I froze in a quart jar for an easy lunch or dinner for a few of us. Trying to watch our food waste.
4. Hubby and I went to a habitat for Humanity store looking to see what they had that we could maybe use at our camp. Instead we found an identical chandelier light fixture that we have 2 of in our home. Hubby broke one of the globes awhile back and I had a heck of a time finding replacement globes. We bought the chandelier for $25 and now I have 6 replacement globes and finally replaced the one he had broken. We were so happy about this score.
5. I was walking the other day and noticed a Weber charcoal grill cover in the ditch. We have one of these grills at camp in our shed, but didn't have a cover for it. I rescued it, washed it and now it's ready to go to camp to cover our grill.
Not frugal for me, but I had a Jersey Mike's sub gift card with a few bucks left on it that I gifted to a coworker who was ordering from there for lunch. He was happy!
1. Watching grocery sale circulars and shopping wisely.
2. Exercising at home.
3. Trying to only drive to work and home.
4. FaceTiming my out of state sister for free in my home amusement.
5. Gave up soda in cans. And I miss the cans. So I am not really drinking go soda anymore.
FFT, Energy Savings and COVID Tests Edition:
(1) I've been an errand-batcher ever since Tightwad Gazette days--so much so that when I had to make an unavoidable one-stop trip yesterday, I felt vaguely guilty. So I turned it into a two-stop trip by pausing long enough at a house two blocks away to trashpick a large, intriguing ceramic planter I'd seen previously on the curb. (Extra points for the upper-body exercise of getting the planter into the back of the Element.)
(2) One minor benefit of living alone is that I'm in sole control of the thermostat--and as an older woman who still gets the occasional hot flash, I keep it turned pretty low in winter even when I'm not running the woodburner. Not only has National Grid proclaimed my natural gas usage "Great," but it just lowered my budget payment by another $8/month...this after an earlier $13/month reduction.
(3) I combined decluttering with fire-starting yesterday by using my few remaining letters from two long-former boyfriends to get the woodburner going. Very satisfying for several reasons. 🙂
(4) After reading WilliamB's PSA above, I've just placed my order with the USPS for more COVID test kits. As I noted above in thanking him, I still have to have a negative test every time I visit DH. The facility still isn't furnishing kits, and my Medigap insurance company has said they don't cover kits unless their use is ordered by a medical professional.
(5) And a friend who's one of my beef "customers" will finally be coming over soon for his family's share of the 1/4 steer I still buy every year. As his family has just gone through COVID and they find themselves with extra kits on their hands, I'll be bartering some of the beef for some kits at the current drugstore price.
@A. Marie,
Did you ever listen to Click and Clack The Tappin Brothers on public radio? They loved the Honda Element. They said that you could transport a cow in the back. Evidently it has quite the cargo hold. Don’t stop for cows just planters.
I'm so glad you are able to get some extra test kits! And I hope the price on them comes down eventually.
@Bee, I used to love listening to those guys - I'm not a car enthusiast by any means but their energy was so infectious.
@Bee, I think that my neighbors, the cow, and my back would all be unhappy if I stopped for a cow. But Click and Clack were right about the Element. It was DH's vehicle back when we had two cars, but now that it's my only one (ever since I wrecked the Prius back in Nov. 2020), I've come to appreciate its virtues.
@A. Marie,
I have all the more reason to be grateful that my husband's rehab and his assisted living neither require tests before entry. I hadn't thought of how difficult that would be. I hope you can get all you need for free!
Our local cases of Covid are down 97% - we had 12 new cases at last check - so the need for tests has basically vanished for us at this point.
@A. Marie, your #3 made me lol
@Bee, fun fact: Years ago, I waited on the entire "Car Talk crew" for the producer's, Doug E. Berman, 40th birthday. Click and Clack are just as fun in person, especially when they made a joke about how poorly they tipped me and I could quip back, "funny—that is the exact same amount that I donated to WBUR last year [local NPR station]!"
1. Used up the Starbucks gift card I have been carrying around for several years when I had to meet someone there.
2. Gave my husband and son haircuts on Sunday, saving each of them around $15 plus tip.
3. Finally finished eating the too tough manager's special beef as part of my brown bag lunches. With the addition of green peas and gravy, it improved quite a bit in chew-a-bility.
4. Detailed the important parts of my car myself on a warmer day: vacuumed the inside, cleaned the front compartment, and cleaned the glass inside and out. Also carefully cleaned the wiper blades to extend their lives. Cost was only some time, window cleaner and a few paper towels.
5. Went to Walgreens yesterday for a bottle of antihistamine tablets and used $1 in rewards. I am trying to stay on top of the ones that are truly rewards, not spend X and get X off.
@Ruby,
A men’s haircut is now in the $25-35 range now where I live. Although my husband has nice hair, I’m thinking it’s time to go with a crew cut. I’ll use the dog clippers!
@Bee, DS has super thick hair. I cut his with a #6 guard, leaving his bangs long. Those I layer and trim with scissors. His dad has thinning hair and likes his very short, so I use a #2 guard on him. For both, I trim around their ears with scissors and even up their back neckline with scissors. I shave their necks with the guard off the clippers. It takes only a few minutes for each of them. I can cut their hair and clean up in less time than it takes to drive to the good Great Clips salon.
@Bee, my now-ex got a set of clippers about 14 years ago and convinced me that I could cut his hair, which I did (and got steadily better at it, changing the guards as I did different parts). We both found it a soothing exercise. We have moved on from each other, but the clipper habit has been a great skill to have learned - I have cut both my #2 son's and my daughter's hair almost exclusively for the last 14 years. and yes, the daughter, at times, has had all or some of her hair shaved. The son currently has a short (#1 guard) shave at the back and high on the sides, and he is wanting it longer and longer on top - he has quite a bit of curl if he manages it right, and eventually he will (gulp) be able to put in a man-bun. SO much fun, it is only hair, right?
The point being, a set of decent clippers on sale are usually around the cost of a man's cut (or two, depending on the cut or barber) and then haircuts are free, save for a bit of sweating on the part of the cutter as she learns the ropes.
I can say that, now that I am 2-1/2 years sober, I am able to cut hair faster, more calmly, and much better than during those dreadful last few years. Not having to 'time' the cutting days for days I was trying to be dry? Priceless.
@Bee,
Home haircuts do not need to be buzz cuts. My husband is the family barber and stylist. My teen boys get their haircuts every three weeks, they like their hair kept short, but not shaved. He uses the clippers with different attachments and clippers over the comb cutting on the longer hair on top as well as to blend the shorter hair on the back and sides. Great results every time, of course he has given each over a hundred haircuts over the years. I take a seat every couple months and have him trim my long hair. My best friend and mom have him cut their hair. At $25 plus tip for a haircut for each of my teen boys and $80 plus for my long hair, I am saving well over $1000 a year. So definitely watch some YouTube videos, get a decent cape, hair clips and a good quality set of hair shears. Well worth the investment and have your husband watch videos as well so you can save even more by having him cut your hair. This is a good one that shows the method he uses to cut my hair.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=36Ry3Dpm3lQ
Going to give this a go this week because I have a few (although probably not 5)
1) The other week I returned a jacket I got for xmas that didn't fit. They gave me a store credit to use on-line. I went on last night and bought a rain coat and a winter jacket for only ~$6 more than the gift card. Glad I waited til the winter sale and was able to get 2 jackets for approx. the price of the one. Now fingers crossed they will fit.
2) Last Friday, we made my mom's birthday cake. Saved us the $30-40 it would have cost at the bakery.
3) Borrowed the pan, for said cake above, from someone on my local buy nothing group instead of buying one.
4) Went to Whole Foods to get their sale price of $4.50/lb for lean ground beef. Bought 6 lbs with a date of over a week out so will use/freeze by then.
Well 4 is close enough 🙂
It is wild how expensive bakery cakes are, even just flat sheet ones! Good for you for making one yourself.
1. Needed some construction supplies from Home Depot so went to the grocery store and bought $500 worth of Home Depot gift cards, which gave me 1000 points, which saved me a dollar per gallon of gas. The limit is 25 gallons and we needed less than that, so husband brought along two gas cans and we got every bit of those 25 gallons.
2. I have signed up for five gas shops next week, and while each one does not bring in a lot of gas, it does top things off nicely. Plus, I get a bottle of pop at each shop and get paid a small amount.
3. Needed an oil change on our pick up so found a mystery shop for an oil change. That made it free plus we got $10 for doing it.
4. Despite having read that hair grows slower as you age, my husband puts lie to that bit of information. I had to cut his hair yet again because if it gets too long the ringlets turn into knots from hell. Saves us money although I always have this bit of anxiety that I am going to cut his ear or give him a bald spot. I would advocate for a Marine Corps haircut, but I have to confess I love the look of a 74 year old man who has a full head of grey curls.
5. Choked down the last bit of turkey that I discovered in the freezer last week. I had to give myself a stern talking to because I was looking for a reason to throw it out.
@Lindsey
How do you find the mystery shops? I think I'd like to give that a try.
@BarbG, This blogger known as the Financial Panther recently did a list of all gig type jobs, including mystery shops (which he calls secret shops). You can find it here: https://financialpanther.com/the-ultimate-list-of-gig-economy-apps I have been with all but one of the companies he lists so I can vouch for them being legit and that all of them have paid. In many cases, you have to pay in advance---so, you might shop Sonic or Trader Joes according to what they want evaluated, and then you submit the receipts and they reimburse you. Some shops are for places that are so popular that they only pay for the items, and not for the work. Meaning, you and your friend get to eat at a place and the payment is the free food. Other times the reimbursement rate is high---my husband got a free pair of prescription bi-focals for free through a shop. Sometimes there are shops listed for a very low price but if no one claims them, the price goes up until someone claims them. I imagine that if you live in a big city, the competition for shops is fierce, but in rural or isolated areas the competition is less. Sometimes you have to accept cheap shops to make your reputation with a company when you first start, in order for them to trust you with more involved or higher paying jobs.
@Lindsey, Sorry, not sure why this posted twice!
@Lindsey,
Thank you so much!
I have Champagne Toast hand lotion in the second bathroom. I love it. BBW stuff is expensive normally, but with coupons and sales, it's a deal. I can make a tube of the body cream last 6 months, so even better.
Money is incredibly tight this week - Instacart has almost dried up for my town, so I am redeeming my Fetch points for a $50 WM card, cashing out my Ibotta for a $25 WM card and will finally use my $25 Target card I got from our insurance company for getting a physical last year. At least we'll eat!
Gas - GAH!! It just topped $4 here in NC this am, but thankfully, we have a Sam's card, so it'll be nominally cheaper. With the weather better, we've taken to driving to our IC area - 8 miles from home and either going into McDs for a $1 drink or sitting in the car. NOTE: when we were living out of hotels last summer, I racked up plenty of points for free things and we use those now.
Using up the meat in both of our freezers has helped save on groceries since meat is so expensive now. 5 out of 7 dinners used meat from the freezer.
FFT:
1) I'm also trying to plan errands so that I'm not driving any more than necessary. Luckily for us, my husband works from home and my office is only 4 miles from home so we don't use a lot of gasoline.
2) We continued to clean out Mom's house even though it is very emotional for me to see how much she hoarded. We were able to rescue some kitchens items and books for me and several things for our son (bookcase, wire shelving, art work). The more we get out of the house, the less we'll have to pay the contractor to trash it all (estimate is over $18,000 to give you an idea of how much stuff there is)
3) Planning a happy hour at my house for my best friend's birthday instead of going out somewhere. I shopped at Aldi for snacks for event and Dollar General for decorations.
4) Rescheduled my telehealth appointment to an in person visit since my insurance does not cover telehealth visits.
5) Placed several pairs of work pants in my cart when browsing online but decided I could do without them and deleted the order before I changed my mind.
@Beverly,
If I lived close to you, I would help with your mother's house. I think it is easier for someone who didn't know the person to go through things. I cleared my mom's house in January 2020, and it was very emotional. I know many of the items were special to her so it was difficult to let them go when it was something I just couldn't or wouldn't use.
@BarbG, Thank you for your kind words. You understand how difficult and emotional the process can be.
1. I got another email from CVS with free ExtraBucks ($4 this time!). I used that along with the $2 EB that printed on my 85 cent receipt last week to buy 3 large boxes of General Mills cereals and 3 Twix bars. My total out-of- pocket was 77 cents. This receipt also has a $2 EB. I scanned the receipt on Fetch and got 1,035 points (Cheerios offer) and on Ibotta and got back $1.50 for the Twix. Plus I found a penny in the parking lot. Woohoo! I wish all shopping trips could be like this!
2. I ate in Panera today for lunch (first time eating inside anywhere in 2 years). I used a gift card that my daughter gave me for Christmas 3 years ago. I met up there with a friend that I haven't seen in almost 6 months.
3. I found a 99 cent bag of zucchini and a 99 cent bag with 3 bell peppers on the clearance produce rack at Kroger.
4. I used 4 pieces of extremely stale cinnamon bread and the last 2 pieces of large sourdough bread in the freezer and made a bread pudding. I subbed in dried cherries since I am out of raisins, and it was yummy!
5. I filled my gas tank last Thursday at $3.21 per gallon. I noticed yesterday that the price was up to $3.56 a gallon.
Great frugal week for me!
1. I cooked all of our meals at home.
2. I prepped for an out-of-town trip. I premade some sandwiches and bought some prepackaged stuff at Costco and the grocery store. Prepackaged isn't exactly frugal money-wise, but it saved me time so it was worth it.
3. I also baked some muffins for the trip.
4. Our local zoo membership let us into another zoo.
5. My oldest grew and his shirts didn't fit him, so I dug through his closet and the boxes of too-big-clothes until I had removed the small clothes and replaced them with an adequate number of clothes that fit. No extra shopping.
6. I used the Libby app and my library card to get ebooks and audiobooks for the trip.
Ugh...you've guilted me into doing the same thing...purse dump cleanout. Mine so needs it too. I hope I find some goodies like you did!
Here's our Five Frugal Things for the week:
1. Our promised free COVID tests finally arrived in the mail (projected delivery date was 1/28).
2. My boss's daughter is having a baby girl. I went to my stash and found some soft, fuzzy, pink yarn with which to make a blanket out of at no cost but my time. I like crafting at night while watching TV, so it's a win-win.
3. Went out to a Japanese restaurant with another family. They paid. We try to do this one a month. Next time we will pay.
4. While running errands, like you, I used a gift card for a bagel and coffee!
5. Combined my errands like you did. A big loop all within a couple of miles. That included: Dropping may daughter at work (her car was in for inspection and oil change), hitting two grocery stores (one for staples; one for produce and meat), stopped at local fabric store for supplies needed on a sewing repair job, did banking, drove through Tim Hortons for coffee and bagel and enjoyed it while sitting in the car wash (it was above freezing enough to get all the nasty salt off).
1. As always, shopped at Aldi. Good old Aldi.
2. Well, this one isn’t done yet. We ordered a heating element for our dishwasher for $68 to replace the one that has gone out. A service fee plus the part would have cost in the hundreds. I really love this dishwasher and it’s five years old. I did not want to buy a new one. We are attempting to replace the part ourselves. Stay tuned for updates if you can handle it.
3. Picked up a new-in-the-box over the sink dish drainer that folds up at the thrift store for $4. This particular one is 19.99 on Amazon. A timely purchase with my dishwasher out of commission.
4. Another DIY : painted my very small powder room vanity countertop with Rustoleum Epoxy spray paint. My gosh it turned out well. I saw many tutorials on You Tube.
5. Sold four items on EBay. One item sold thirty minutes after I listed it. Another of the items had been listed for three months, and the third, for about two weeks.
@SandyH, if I can fix appliances, and I can, I assure you that ANYONE can. A half-witted chimpanzee is more ept than I am. I am the least handy person on earth but I fix all our cellphones, laptops, appliances, etc. And by fix I mean "Take one part out and replace it." I had a number of dishwashers that needed different things to fix them and I managed it.
The procedure is: figure out what's broken. This can take a while but a lot of appliances, phone, laptops have what's called blink codes to tell you what's wrong. Purchase another of that piece, unscrew the electronic, take the piece out, put new piece in, screw it all back together and you're good. It really is that easy.
Youtube, folks, Youtube. Also handy if you have an appliance parts store nearby, or online is fine too, and a bunch of trips to the hardware store for weird/dumb screwdrivers, like the--the name is escaping me now--the star shaped ones in dishwashers.
@Rose, thanks for the vote of confidence!! We have bought those crazy screwdrivers for other projects. Now to find them! You’d think they’d be in the toolbox, wouldn’t you?
@Rose, OMG you have saved me by reminding me that I likely have the teeny flat bladed screwdriver that I need to repair my toilet paper roll holder - the darn thing is falling off the wall, and the 'thumbscrew' to tighten it needs a teeny screwdriver. I have been racking my brain about how to find one - but I KNOW I have those sets, and I even know where they are (in a special bag that I won't let the 'helpers' in my house throw out). WHOOT
Hmm...
1. Walked to the health food store instead of driving on Sunday. Still managed to spend a bomb on what I could cram into a backpack, but I'm happy to funnel my dollars into the local economy rather than Amazon.
2. Bought some juice concentrates that were pricey, but considering they make the equivalent of four big bottles each, they end up costing half as much and I shouldn't need more for a long time. Also, concentrates are not as heavy in a backpack. We don't normally drink anything other than water, but my youngest and I have been drinking cranberry juice (pure, so it's terribly bitter without added honey) for the health benefits. I also got some other concentrates with similar benefits for some variety-pomegranate, blueberry and black cherry. Not cheap, but maybe cheaper than more doctor's bills.
3. Filled up on gas last week when prices were about a dollar a gallon less, and am trying to conserve driving to make that tank last as long as possible-might be able to go another week.
4. Worked on some paperwork to get a few bonuses and back pay I'm owed through work. It's a pain, but might end up buying me a week or two worth of groceries, so definitely worth my time.
5. Planning to force myself to do taxes this weekend because I will get money back this year but not if I don't do the work! Again, definitely worth my time.
Well, that's five without even leaning on the old standbys of eating leftovers and being content with static wardrobes. 😉 Happy frugaling everyone!
1. I used some frozen pureed pumpkin to make pumpkin bread. It is feeding my kids for breakfast this week. I took some homemade applesauce out of the freezer to make apple bread for next week's breakfasts for them.
2. We went to the library this weekend to rent books and play with the toys. Our library prints on your receipt how much money you saved using the library that day. Our receipt said $176! They were also giving out free COVID tests while we were there.
3. Used a leftover ham bone to make soup. It is feeding my husband and I for lunches this week.
4. I ordered more free COVID tests via USPS.
5. Submitted receipts to our daycare FSA. We put $5,000 per year in and it saves quite a bit on taxes.
Work had an event with a lot of leftover food. It's enough for a couple of free dinners for us.
I got a free $5 from Kohls for my birthday. I will use it wisely.
Spent as little as possible at the grocery store.
We spent the week at home so that was very frugal.
I waited for the dog food my pups eat to go on sale and used a coupon on it. That saved $15.
On WilliamB's hotel note...my son stayed with a group at an expensive popular Washington DC hotel, first room he was assigned he opened the door to see steam rolling out of the bathroom. Second room there were several bags already on the bed. For the third room they insisted the hotel clerk go into the room first to make sure no one was in it. But the third room was a single queen and they had reserved a double queen so off they went to the 4th. His room was frugal as he did not have to pay for it. He was part of a car group that toured 4 cities raising funds for charity.
@Mar, I'm glad it worked out for him but what a set of errors! I'm curious - do you know the hotel name?
Took advantage of free county park and nature center for awesome entertainment for the kiddos.
Stopped at the farther away cheaper grocery store after work and scored a bunch of clearance produce for $4 plus clearance pork chops for $4 for the freezer.
With all my clearance goodies from the grocery store I made a big bag of dried banana chips, banana muffins, banana bread, a crumble with strawberries and the last of the frozen raspberries from our yard, apple/pear sauce, sautéed chilote squash, peppers, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms for our bibimbap, chili using the tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Also ate a bunch of the apples, oranges, and bananas plain. Used a bag of lettuce for a side salads. Used potatoes for fried potato cubes as a side, and lemons to make lemon cookies, lemon pound cake, lemon muffins, and salad dressing, plus froze some juice and dried some lemon peel for future baking.
Have done a good job of meal prepping for the days we have jiu jitsu at 5:15 so we no longer are stopping for fast food after. Transitioning from having littles to running everyone around in the car to various activities is going to be interesting!
Picked up some clearances clothes 50% off for the boys for next year. Athletic shirts and shorts, they always like those for summer.
Champagne Toast is my fav B&B scent right now. I’ll be picking up my freebie this week!
1. Got 60 cents off a gallon of gas at local grocery store with my points. Saved $9 on my fill-up.
2. Need to take a 2 hr round trip this weekend for an event. Will drop a rescue rabbit off on the way and my gas will be paid for for my whole trip!
3. Found 2 whole chickens marked down 1/2 off. Bought them and put them in the freezer.
4. Found $5 in the woods during a hike
5. Selling items a friend left behind after her move. $ for me
AS prices go up, I just keep reminding myself that I am not a refugee and my house is not being shelled.
1. Did a Mystery shop at a grocery store and scheduled the next one (fingers crossed that this will continue 2x per mont for the next year).
2. Scheduled another mystery shop for a mid-range burger joint that will make my partner happy/paid for cheap date.
3. Gifted items from mystery shop that we have to purchase (reimbursed) but will not use to friends (who have given us leftover CSA boxes that were not picked up).
4. Happily accepted a bag of tomatoes that a neighbor had and was not going to use and somehow convinced partner that a homemade BLT would be better than lunch out. (I love BLTs although my stash of bacon is running low and, at one store, it is going for $9.99 PER pound!)
5. I found ice-melt at Amazon warehouse (so even cheaper) and used Ibotta GC to pay for it.
Do you find Ibotta to be worth it? How does it compare to Fetch?
@Kristen, I've never tried Fetch. I find Ibotta to be VERY slow going, as we don't buy much processed foods or named brand foods. As such, it is often only 10 cents a week.... But still, I suppose $20 a year is better than nothing, and sometimes we totally luck out like when we needed coarse grain mustard and Maille was both on sale for half price AND $1.50 back per jar on Ibotta. But those are few and far between for us.
1. Writing thank you’s for baby gifts with cards from my mom’s unending card stash.
2. DH shopped around for a moving truck, and moved almost everything by himself with the exception of furniture, which he recruited a coworker to help with. The total cost was only $120 plus some pizza and snacks for the coworker.
3. I had a friend come visit to help with both the new baby and also she wanted to help clean our new house. As a bonus she brought some homemade raspberry jam, taco meat, and two small containers of soup. We’ve been grateful for the easy, heat-and-eat meals.
4. Had my biannual dental visit and received a clean bill of (dental) health. Frugal in the preventive sense, and also that it is covered by our insurance.
5. Am using diapers that were given to me by my coworkers. I’ve tried several cloth diapers from those I received through Buy Nothing, but Baby E’s bottom is still too small to really make them work. Besides, I’m currently too tired in the newborn stage to have energy to deal with washing them. Maybe when he’s bigger and I have more energy/margin?
6. Have set aside a pile of baby things to take back to various stores for credit. People have been so kind to send us things, but how many blankets does one baby need? (Of course they can't use one for a long time anyway as nothing can go in the crib at first.) We are keeping 5 of the handmade/monogrammed variety, but the rest are going back along with various other odds and ends. I will say, the best gifts so far have been gifts of homemade bread, chocolate, meals, help around the home, etc. rather than baby clothes or blankets (many of which were too small or, as I mentioned, how many blankets does a baby actually need?!)
1. I'm definitely trying to reduce and combine my trips places since gas is so high! Also I'm carpooling for kid activities whenever possible.
2. The forsythia are blooming in my yard so I cut some of the offshoots to decorate with. In a vase they look really pretty and are free to me!
3. Hubby's bday was last week, I made his cake from scratch and used up some carrots that were a bit past their prime but fine to shred up for carrot cake.
4. Using up some old bananas today to make a banana cake.
5. Just put in a request for a few new books at the library. Borrowed is always better than paying for books!