Five Frugal Things | an Oui yogurt pot upcycle
I sat here for several minutes trying to figure out if I phrased that title right. "A" doesn't sound quite right, but, "an" also seems iffy.
I think the issue is whether you pronounce "Oui" as "Wee" or more of a blended, "Ooh-ee". I'm going with the latter, so I chose "an".
Feel free to discuss if you have a different opinion!
1. I gave Sonia a little yogurt container for a cactus
I had bought one of those Oui dairy-free yogurts for her to try, and those come in little glass jars/lots.
I hate to throw them away, so I removed the label and set it aside.
She bought a tiny little cactus the other day and was going to buy a little ceramic pot for it, but then I remembered about the little yogurt container.
She potted the cactus, made a little macrame hanger, and now it's hanging from her ceiling.
2. I did some CVS finagling
My monthly $10 CarePass credit was about to expire, so I popped in to get a few things.
The initial total was $40 and I used:
- an $8/40 coupon
- a $2 Maui Moisture coupon
- my $10 CVS carepass credit
- a 30% off a single item coupon
And then my total was down to $18 for two Maui Moisture products*, two $5 eyebrow pencils, and a three-pack of lotion tissues (poor Zoe has a cold right now).
*Sonia uses these for her curly hair
That might not seem like a great deal, but Maui Moisture products are usually about $7-$8/apiece even at Target or Wal-Mart.
3. I did a subscribe and save for my iron supplement
I tried again to donate blood last week and alas, my iron levels were not quite high enough, despite all the iron-rich food I have been eating.
It's not that I'm anemic; it's that the blood donation center wants donor's levels to be above average before donating.
So, they suggest I take some iron pills for a couple of weeks before I try again.
I did some reading about the best type to take and then ordered a bottle off Amazon. I clicked subscribe and save to get a discount because I can always cancel the subscription after the fact.
And at least this way, I get the savings.
Here's to the third time being the charm!!
4. I cut up an old American Giant shirt into cleaning rags
One of my original American Giant t-shirts sprouted a small hole right in the front, at the bottom of the v-neck, and it had multiple holes in the armpits as well.
Which is fine; I've had these shirts for almost ten years and I've worn them a lot! Even high-quality t-shirts don't last forever.
Interestingly, as I type this post, I'm wearing another one of those same shirts, just in a different color. This one's still going strong.
Anyway, I cut the hole-y one into two big rags.
Happily, since the shirt is cotton, not polyester, it will make great cleaning rags.
(Here's a little more about the t-shirt rags I use.)
And when the rags are too worn to be useful, they can go into my compost bin.
That will really be full-circle on American soil since American Giant cotton is grown here in the United States.
(You can see all of AG's women's tees here; the basic ones are $33/apiece if you buy three. Also, use code FRUGALGIRL for 20% off your first order!)
5. I'm working on using up extras from the food pantry
Last Saturday was our monthly shift helping at the food pantry, and as usual, they sent some extras home with us.
The extras are random things they don't have space to store, so it takes a little flexibility to use them.
I ate a salad kit for lunch two days, I used a big loaf of bread to make French bread pizzas, and I used a bag of frozen catfish to make fish sticks.
You know what my son has hanging from HIS ceiling? A mobile he made with sticks, origami figures he folded, and, right in the center . . . a Coke can blown full of holes that was his target the first time he tried out his new .22 gun. He was proud of his marksmanship, I guess. I don't know how a nice suburban girl like me ended up in a household in which a shredded Coke can is considered decor, but here I am. 🙂
1) Made some more switchel (Gatorade substitute) for eldest son, as today is going to be HOT and football practices have taken a turn back to the running-heavy this week.
2) It's allergy season, and most of my family is drippy. I keep a small basket in the kitchen with small pieces of cut-up flannel from baby blankets and things to use as tissues. I just cut up another crib sheet for more of them. (Yes, I was maybe a little wistful that I no longer need crib sheets, but only a little, because I do enjoy sleeping through the night on occasion, which did not happen when those crib sheets were in use in the crib.)
3) One of my many new duties at the school this year is helping the cook clean up the kitchen after breakfast and lunch. When there are leftovers that aren't in sufficient quantity to save for another serving at school, she lets me take them instead of throwing them away. If we don't eat them ourselves, the chickens will.
4) My other major new duty at school is organizing the "library" (which, at our tiny school, is just shelves in the entryway of the elementary building). As I'm going through every single book to put them in order and clean the shelves, I'm finding many books for my family to read. Yay free books!
5) I got tired of the slightly unstable random folding table that I've been using as a nightstand for two years now and asked my dad to make me a nightstand (he's a very good amateur cabinet maker). He's using wood my husband gave him from trees he cut down in New York, so the only cost is my dad's labor.
Yes, Sonia's decorating style is probably more your speed than a Coke can. Ha.
And yeah, Mr. FG pointed out that the problem is really that I'm combining French and English. The rules are a little fuzzy in such situations!
Oh, and regarding your grammar puzzle: It's not you, it's French. 🙂 So "un," right? Or maybe "une," if it's feminine. I don't speak French, obviously.
@kristin @ going country,
ahah! I`m french, and OUI (pronounced ``wee`` for you english people :)) is ``masculine```, so it`s UN OUI.
@isa, not to be confused with "ennui" 😉
I agree with Kristin. Since pot is the French word for a container for growing plants and it's masculine you could says "un Oui yogurt pot."
This is assuming, of course, I'm remembering my first year French correctly!
@Darlene, as someone whose ancestors were French and whose Father is fluent in French I would say, "a yogurt jar."
I thought about that! But then I thought that if someone was googling to find some ideas for how to reuse their Oui yogurt pots, it might be better to include the actual brand name.
But yeah, sometimes when I'm typing something and I'm struggling with the grammar or punctuation, I just rewrite the sentence to avoid the problematic situation!
@Battra92, thanks! Do you know the French word for yogurt?
@Darlene,chiming in from France - it’s yaourt!
@Darlene, and all who chimed in about the grammar of mixed language sentences: this is one more reason I love TheFrugalGirl commenting family! I learn so much from this community!
@Darlene, in french it's pretty much the same, yogourt (Yo-Gour. Not T sound a the end). In France it`s yaourt
Looove the hanging plants!
Frugal:
I have been Uber focused on shopping sales and using digital store coupons. Saved 41 dollars this week. I am working very hard at buying healthy foods for Under 100 weekly for 3 adults. For four weeks I have stayed under but it takes time and planning.
Walking dog and riding bike for exercise.
Reading books for free from HOOPLA library app
Saved electricity during very hot FOUR DAY power outage two weeks after a THREE DAY even hotter power outage ( omg METRO DETROIT)!!
Not frugal: throwing lots of freezer food out after power outage and purchasing a new to us GENERATOR which will ( sadly) pay for itself in time
Take care!
@Stephanie, sorry to hear about your power outages. We purchased a generator when we moved to this house 4 years ago. The second winter we had horrid ice and snow and lost power for a week - - - I was so thankful to have a generator!
I have five for this week.
1. We have been using our beach pass and parking permit (you need to purchase both and no walk-ins allowed) at least once a week. I have 40 accrued vacation days and will lose them under the new policy unless I use them. And they don't pay for unused days :-(. I am accruing them as fast as I use them. I wish we had the European attitude toward vacations. I pack our lunch and filtered water in reusable bottles. My son and I do "plastic patrol" and reuse or recycle what we find. Many times there are sand toys that ended up in the ocean - I post those on my Buy Nothing Group. And yes - I post photos of the plastic on my FB page.
2. I made brown sugar cinnamon simple syrup to use in my cold brew coffee. Its drinkable and has no weird stuff in it but I probably won't make it again.
3. I received a new pair of athletic shorts from my Buy Nothing FB group. They are from Target and apparently run a size smaller so I gave them to DD25.
4. My son made a detailed list of everything in our cupboard-under-the-stairs pantry so we can stop buying things we already have.
5. My goal is to read everything on my Kindle before I buy anything new. I wish the tech team at Amazon would offer a button for us to instantly create an Excel spreadsheet of what is on our Kindle - and what we've read.
@MEM, A big thank you for picking up plastics and other items from the beach. I rarely enjoy a day at the beach without picking up trash of some kind or items that have been left behind. Balloons and plastic bags are particularly dangerous to sea life because they resemble jelly fish. At our beach access, they have a drop off bin for beach toys.
@Bee,
And thanks to you as well! This beach used to have a beach toy lending library of sorts but for whatever reason (it was years pre-COVID) they stopped doing that. They now sell plastic buckets and shovels and other sand toys in their tiny gift shop = profits. It bothers me because these could be teachable moments for children, i.e. you don't need "new". When I was a child - and I'm 61 - my grandmother gave us old, bent and dented metal spoons, funnels and measuring cups for the beach and I have the best memories of those.
The cactus in its yogurt jar is incredibly adorable!
The credit for the main frugal thing this week goes to my husband, who got our money refunded after a repairman contracted through our home warranty came out and refused to do the work. The repairman seemed to be having some kind of psychiatric episode, and we were understanding about that. Fortunately so was the warranty company.
Otherwise, I mended a grocery tote we've been using for over 20 years. Our grocery store recently started letting folks bring their own reusable bags again. These are big Kroger bags made of recycled soda bottles and they have worn like iron. They also wash well. The rest is just the routine: brown-bagging my lunches, wearing cute thrifted outfits (today is head to toe, from earrings to shoes!), and pinching every penny toward debt freedom at the end of the year.
Um, whoa. That must have been a very strange experience with the repairman!
@Kristen, it was. My husband was pretty upset about it, but we talked and he calmed down. I suspect that so many people are now overworked and if they are having emotional/psychiatric issues, some are reaching the breaking point on the job and we just happened to be involved in one.
I love the time of the year of the Farmer's Market. However sometimes my eyes are bigger than the shelf life of fresh fruits and veggies. So -I had extra corn on the cob and tomatoes that needed used up- found a great solution in a summer salad called cowboy caviar. Lots of variations of the recipe on the web. It is a very forgiving "use it up" recipe. We are on our third batch for tonight's dinner. We use it as a side dish vs nacho appetizer. So saved 1) corn on the cob and 2) BIG tomatoes. 3) Added a little extra zucchini to the bread to use it up vs keeping a tiny bit I would forget about or just toss. 4) Peaches- yum! Smoothies to the rescue 5) Buying local - It is a big picture but that helps with shipping costs and supports the local community.
I am so glad it is the end of August. It has been a long, hot, wet and trying summer. I live in a community that is dealing with the particularity insidious Covid Delta variant. So I am certainly ready this year for a change in seasons. I feel like I am stuck in the doldrums. My 5 FFTs are not particularly interesting or creative, but here they are all the same.
1) I batched errands on Friday. I picked up a prescription paying for it with my HSA. I dropped off two nice items at the food pantry thrift store for resale and made a food donation. I also returned two library books that I had checked out.
2) I accepted some hand-me-downs from my sister who worked in the fashion industry for years. This is always fun like shopping without the need for money.
3) The weather was okay on Sunday afternoon, so DH and I headed to the beach for a swim. This is always an enjoyable and free activity. The heavy afternoon thunderstorms which occur on nearly a daily basis have prevented us from enjoying this summer activity much this year.
4) Since I have not been in the mood to cook, I am afraid that I have had some food waste. 🙁 So I spent few rainy afternoons reorganizing, cleaning the refrigerator and digging through the freezer. I made a list of items that needed to be used and have been making meals around these items. It has helped me get out of my rut.
5) I have been doing the usual things drinking primarily water, brewing my own coffee, and eating at home. I am walking the dog and reading. I sold an item on eBay!
Wishing everyone peace and good health.
@Bee, we had a little food waste this week because we just weren't in the mood to eat. It's been too hot. Some fresh produce went bad on us and that's unusual as I usually find a way to save it. 🙁
I feel like the macrame jar reuse could sell on etsy!
1. We were in the big city recently and found some good deals, like clearance cookies, cereal and cheaper printer paper.
2. Similar to your rag shirt, I cut a piece off of some pants I'll never wear. I was looking through a ladies' bundle of used clothes for sale and when I left as a free gift she threw in a pair of white see through maternity pants. I can't think of anyone who'd wear th, so they'll make lots of nice cleaning rags instead.
3. My husband bought 2 pairs of thrifted jeans.
4. While in the big city we enjoyed ordering out 4 times and then I cooked the rest of the meals.
5. I accepted several free books for my kids.
Love the cactus pot!
1) I remembered a United flight voucher that was expiring before any of our planned travel, and used it for holiday flights to visit my family. I was able to add on a multi city stop, which will enable us to use a rental car for a much shorter period (& save time), to use up all of the credit.
2) I made 8 batches of pickled Serrano peppers. And, gave away another 60 or so peppers. Our plants have been prolific this year! We used the pickling brine leftover to pickle a bunch of other veggies from the fridge. My husband is a huge pickled veggie fan, so he's thrilled about both the peppers & the additional veggies.
3) My teenager completed all of the training to become a soccer ref. I was able to use a gift card (won via a fund raiser) to the local soccer store to pick up his uniform. He's set up his account, & is ready to start earning money as soon as the season begins. He's very excited about the potential to have a job.
4) Gave away a bunch of garden produce. I hate waste, so this is always a win for me.
5) Made chicken fajitas, using peppers all grown in our garden. Made guacamole to go with it, and the tomatoes/jalapenos/cilantro are also from the garden. It was a delicious meal!
Interesting factoid on blood donation iron levels: It's not that they want them "above average" - it's that they want them on the low end of "average" for men, and women's hemoglobin tends to be lower:
Men: 13.5-17.5
Women: 12-15.5
Many donation sites want hemoglobin levels of 13 at a minimum, to make sure that any donated blood can safely go to either gender. But many women can have perfectly normal hemoglobin levels and still not meet that minimum of 13!
Oh, interesting! So, above average for women, but the above average for women is just average for men.
Mr. FG sailed through the hemoglobin test his first try, without any extra effort on his part.
1. I used up the remainder of two small bags of mini chocolate chips in a recipe of double chocolate muffins. No one complained about using up the leftovers in this recipe.
2. I have some heavy whipping cream that needs to be used up so I baked a new recipe for pound cake that used about half of it. I made this in two loaf pans and shared with friends.
3. I used my Flex spending card to purchase bandaids and OTC allergy medications. I will also be using this card to pay a medical bill this week - hurrah for using the funds before they expire.
4. Fall is coming and we love chili during the fall and winter months. I love the canned chili beans but since I have a large quantity of dried pinto beans staring at me I decided to make my own. Dried pintos, some spices and tomato sauce, several hours in the crockpot and I now have 5 quarts of delicious chili beans in my freezer for the fall and winter months - yay!
5. A large pot of vegetable soup was made using a ton of veggies that we grew including okra, tomatoes, green beans, and a variety of bell peppers. I added corn from the farmer's market and a few potatoes to round it out & we have a lovely soup for lunches and dinner this week.
FFT
--I checked Etsy for bras and found exactly what I needed to replace: two new-with-tags Victoria’s Secret t-shirt bras (super comfy, lined so no one can tell if I’m cold). $32 including shipping for two new bras is pretty sweet. Underwear is one of my few hard “Nope!” items when shopping secondhand, unless it’s new-with-tags like these were.
--My avid hiking + my fat feet = I destroy shoes in six months or less. Land's End has been doing crazy clearance sales, so I stocked up on shoes ($60 shoes down to $18 a pair--yes, please!) and a few Christmas gifts for my very outdoorsy siblings.
50/50 frugal--We bought a new mattress. Both my husband and I had been increasingly achy for no discernible reason. After doing the math, we realized we’d had our mattress for 10+ years, and it was second-hand to begin with. We chose a Lucid 10” memory foam mattress for $250. The Frugalwoods blog’s recommendation led me to researching that brand and type of mattress a few years ago, so I knew just what to get when the time came. OH MY GOSH, IT IS SO COMFY!!! We didn't realize how shot our previous mattress was until we met its replacement. We both sleep *hard* now, and the morning aches are gone.
--I have the world's blackest thumb, so I'm grateful to all the friends and neighbors who pass on their surplus garden goodies. We've been on a very veggie streak despite growing nothing ourselves. (I exchange cat-sitting and the like so we're even!) It also forces me to learn new tricks in the kitchen, like turning pumpkins into pumpkin puree! I also recently learned how to blanch beets, as I was tired of sauteing them.
And now for the bittersweet one....
--The time came to say goodbye to my beloved old man cat. I'm grateful for fourteen years with him and that we had time to see it coming so we could send him off properly (spoiled last week, last meal of favorite people foods to steal from plates, etc.) vs. a run to the emergency vet, like our previous cat. We donated all his senior supplies to the local no-kill shelter; whenever we adopt again, it will be a cat too young to use anything but the basics, like the carrier.
The funny/frugal part is that, after hunting high and low online for an urn I liked and failing, I found a wonderful little box at Goodwill. While grimy, the quality of the wood was apparent--I'm fairly positive it's handmade. It even happened to be the half price color ($2 instead of $4), which I didn't realize until checkout. My boy was a diamond-in-the-rough as a kitten—I actually picked him because I worried no one else would—so a second-hand/second-life container is only too appropriate. It turned out to be quite the beautiful box once cleaned up, and I personalized it with my woodburner. That said, I *do* find it funny that a $2 box now safeguards a $200 bag of ash!
@N, I'm a major crazy cat lady and your story warmed my heart. I have a closet full of the ashes of past pets. They are in tins. I don't know what I'm saving them for. I don't know what else to do with them. I don't want to put the ashes in the garden because if we moved they would be left behind. See, crazy?
Any suggestions, readers?
@N,
Oh man, your mattress story is hitting home here! My husband and I are having discussions about it. We are both increasingly sore pretty regularly now and our mattress has been with us for 12 years and it was second-hand as well. My husband's not ready to pay for a new one yet, but I can't complain too much because he's the more strict saver in our marriage and it's a huge benefit. But I will definitely be looking up the kind of mattress you got!!!
@Anne, You're not crazy at all! HUGS I just counted, and we've now five ash containers (my husband came with a few in tow) of past companions. When I was younger, my family buried our pets on our land, but as you said, that made moving feel like leaving them behind. I know some people keep only a little bit of ash in a vial and/or pendant and scatter the rest--maybe that's a thought for you?
@Anne,
If your kitty enjoyed your garden, it would be an excellent place to spend eternity. However, I have told my children to scatter/bury the ashes of our dogs with me. It only seems appropriate. They go/went with me everywhere. It is a good idea to think about this, so they don’t end up at the Goodwill or Salvation Army.
@Ruth T, I'm very much the "I'm not spending it unless we NEED to" person in our relationship, and our new mattress has proven a wise use of $250 (full-size 10" mattress--we also spent $20 on a mattress protector). It comes flat-packed and self-inflates when it's released from its vacuum sealed bag. Let it air out for 24 hours, then put it to work! My favorite thing about it, aside from newfound comfort, is that it doesn't transfer motion. My husband is like a dreaming dog in his sleep, and his tossing and kicking frequently woke me up. That problem disappeared with the new mattress!
@Anne, I always thought about getting those faux rock urns for my pets’ ashes. Just looked online and they’re over $100 each! I like the idea of a vial and then scattering the rest. My one dog loved the beach. We buried our two golden retrievers in our backyard when I was growing up. I heard the new owners re-did the backyard with a pool and wonder if they found them.
@N, so sorry to hear of your cat, yet the opportunity to spoil him would have made your last week a bit sweeter. We did the same with my old dog, 23 years ago. the choice to let them go is hard, yet easier if we have time to say goodbye.
As for the ashes? well, my old girl was on several mantels. I finally let her go when a friend I hadn't seen in over 10 years came to visit. He has been a room-mate of mine when my Dog and I were younger, and we all used to go hike a local mountain. I decided that I was ready to let her go (partially because the urn had been inadvertently broken a few years previous... the tape holding it together always made me feel bad) and my friend and I went on a great memory-hike and spread her ashes. That mountain isn't going anywhere, no matter where I move...
I'm so sorry about your cat. Big hugs to you!
@N,
And we just had to put down our cat of 14 years! I certainly feel for you! It's so strange not having him come up with the dog to meet me when I get home, or holler for his food in the morning.
@ecoteri, What a beautiful send off for your dog! <3
@Kristen, Thank you. HUGS back.
@JD, I’m so sorry! I feel for you, too. HUGS
@N, When we put our beloved elderly Irish wolfhound to sleep, the week before the scheduled appointment (which I cancelled three times before I could force myself to do it) we had McDonalds every night. He was allowed to eat off the table with us, perched on the edge of the chair like a human (he was over six feet tall when standing on his hind legs so would frequently sit on the couch like my husband and watch TV with him). My husband said that if I ever let him have a week of McDonalds, he is going to know the end is near. I smiled to think of you letting your cat steal food off people's plates.
@Lindsey, what a wonderful spoiled boy you had. Irish Wolfhounds are so beautiful! I love the mental image of yours sitting at the couch or the table like a person. <3
"An Oui" just reminds me on ennui, which is certainly not the same thing!
1.) Sold a couple more items on eBay. It's a nice feeling to get rid of all this clutter and make some extra cash in doing so.
2.) Did some work travel and put in for mileage reimbursement.
3.) Found my daughter a nice book at Dollar Tree. It's amazing how many nice books get clearanced out through there.
4.) Been eating from the freezer, mostly and just not doing a lot of grocery shopping if I don't have to.
5.) Henri cancelled a get-together at my house and I was Mr. Procrastinator I never got around to buying hamburgers for the event. So that was a nice accident, I guess.
How did you guys fare with Henri? I was thinking of all you up there in the north east (I know Rose is on Long Island).
1. A resistance band, that I use for shoulder exercises almost every day, tore in half the other day. I checked out the other resistance bands we have and none were appropriate so I tied the band back together and it is working just fine.
2. I was at a location with an Eddie Bauer store so I stopped in and used a $10 off offer to score two pairs of socks for $1.25 as they were also 25% off.
3. Last week I had an insect bite that had a large red area around it. I asked a retired nurse friend if she thought I should go to the doctor to be checked for Lyme disease. She told me I didn't need to. I have since had similar bites but I think they're from oak mites, an aftermath of the Brood X cicada infestation. I'd love for them to continue to feast on cicada larva since they are annoying to humans and dogs. You don't feel the bites until many hours later and the are so small (0.2mm) you don't see them. At least it is not something that requires medical attention.
4. Meals at home, meals at home, meals at home. I continue to work on reducing the amount of food in the freezer as sometimes items get buried.
5. I used an offer from Walgreens for a free 8x10 print. I have received quite a few of those offers over the years and have never used one before but I wanted a print from a wedding this summer. I'll stop when I'm in the area or walk up to the store on a cooler day to pick up the picture. I'll use a frame we already have.
1) I accepted a free orchid from a friend. Her cat will not leave plants alone, and mine doesn’t seem partial to plants—he would rather eat plastic! So free orchid for me!
2) I made peach “jam” out of some less than great tasting peaches. They were not spoiled, just kinda mealy in texture. I don’t use sugar, but I blended some dates with a little cornstarch and water, and then cooked that mixture with the cut up peaches. This is not able to be canned the traditional way, and be shelf stable, but I keep it in the freezer until we are going to use it. My daughter loves fruit “jam” that I make this way to use on toast, and I also use fruit “jam” on pancakes and waffles. I have made strawberry, blackberry, and grape “jam” this way.
3) I hemmed five wash cloths that the hems had started to come undone. They were newish wash cloths as well, so I guess just not hemmed properly to start with.
4) I did our family finances—I hate doing it, but I am better at it than my hubby and keeping our check book up to date helps save lots of money problems later down the road! And it always feels super to be done with that job for another month!
5) I enjoyed music that my daughter and niece did at our church. They played several pieces, one with two harps and one with harp and viola. I recorded their music (of course—as any mom would!) and if anyone wants to listen they are posted on my blog. I considered this a free “mini concert!”
Pictures, music recordings, and more here:
https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/08/frugal-friday-week-of-august-15-21-2021.html
I enjoy reading what everyone is up to! I love the recycle of the yogurt container! I have never seen any come in the glass containers like that! I would not have been able to throw it away either, so glad you found a recycle for it!
~Susan in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Thanks so much for all your ideas, Kristen. Here's one for you. I have donated blood for 41 years and have struggled off and on because my hemoglobin wasn't high enough. I can't take iron supplements because they don't agree with me. One autumn a few year ago, I added 500 mg of vitamin C to my daily supplement regimen in an attempt to ward off winter colds and my hemoglobin levels shot up and have been acceptable with only one or two exceptions ever since. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from the food you eat. Hope that helps!
@Joan Taylor, I was skimming comments to see if someone had suggested - yes! I have been anemic off and on for years and a friend suggested vitamin C with my iron pill … works like a charm! (Bonus: I get to keep orange juice in the fridge all for myself and tell the kids they can’t gobble it up because it’s for mommy’s medicine :))
Thank you!
1) I have to get a new cell phone plan for the US since moving back, and the whole process seems overwhelming to me. I looked at a lot of the low cost carriers, but most of them don't have coverage in my area of Maine. I finally went with Google Fi and just set up my phone for the $20 a month plan. I picked a midrange Samsung A32. We'll see how it goes.
2) I have been getting lots of free veggies from a neighbor and am trying not to waste anything. I've been eating what I can and freezing a little for winter.
3) I signed up for a mystery shop at Five Guys this week. Free meal and $15.
4) I got $4.00 back from Ibotta when I scanned my Aldi receipt, which I wasn't expecting because I hadn't preselected and coupons.
5) I've been cleaning out/organizing cupboards and listed some items on ebay.
@Tricia, I pick up any receipt I find and scan them on Fetch and I gotta. Last week I hit the jackpot with both. I earned 3200 points on fetch and $12.70 on Ibotta!!!!
Oui jars have multiple uses. They can be vases for small cut flowers. I use a row of them instead of a tall centerpiece. You can also purchase plastic tops for them (a little pricey on Amazon) and use them for storage or to take with individual parfaits when attending a potluck.
I also enjoy using the Oui yogurt pots around the house. Please share how you remove the label. The pots I have seem to have a label that is etched into the glass.
And did you know they make lids just for these little pots??
Mine just had a label on it. I soaked it, scraped off the label, and then used Goo Gone spray to remove the remaining residue.
I was just googling about these yogurt containers yesterday and saw the lids. Genius!
My hemoglobin levels have been fabulous (also a blood donor and they typically register around 15) since I started drinking hibiscus tea. It is rich in iron (20mg/8oz cup) and the vitamin C in it also helps with iron absorption. I started drinking it because it tastes good, but noticed my levels went up and I felt so much better after a donation and that was the only thing I had changed. I tend to forget to take supplements so this worked great for me; it may be worth exploring with your doctor if the supplements don’t have the desired effect.
I actually think I might already have some hibiscus tea in my cabinet; I'll have to rifle through and see.
@Jackie, I'm going to try this! I have iron deficiency without anemia (super weird but it really is a thing). I go for iron infusions about twice a year. I'm thankful this can be done, but it would be amazing if I didn't have to!
Wow, Macrame, what a flash from the past. When I was a young woman in the late '60s we had big elaborate planters, made from macrame, hanging everywhere. I'm having macrame flashbacks. 😀
@Anne, macrame started making a comeback when everyone was staying home during Covid. A craft one can do with just string was pretty appealing.
I learned to do it in high school in the 1970s and may bust out those old skills and make a hanger for my spider plant that's been on the porch all summer.
@Ruby, It's hard for me to imagine macramé in colors other than orange, olive, brown, or cream, with wooden beads. Those were the originals back then.
Yes! My dad made a bunch of fancy macrame planters for my mom when I was a kid.
I see several people have offered ideas for hemoglobin, so I'll add to the cacophony by telling you what Lorna at Red Cross told me: Take double gummy Flintstones Complete for a week before your donation. Eventually you'll find something that works for you. Thank you so, so much for continuing to try to give blood.
We wiped out all the week's frugal attempts by deciding at 2 p.m. Friday to go to Mount Rushmore for the weekend. We went from deciding to gone in just over two hours. And, it was fantastic.
I guess I did take along the cookie bars that I had originally intended to donate for the booster club tailgate at Friday's scrimmage, so we didn't buy snacks on the road. Lol.
@Karen., It sounds like you had a great adventure! I would love to say, "let's go!" and then just do it! Maybe one day...
I've been to Mount Rushmore several times! We visited in conjunction with going out to see my South Dakota grandparents.
I used to macrame plant hangers, back in the day. We actually had macrame as part of our art class in high school. I still have a burn scar on one finger received as a teenager while singeing the ends of some cord.
I don't feel like I have a lot of frugal wins this week, but here goes.
1. I used up some cabbage that needed it, mixing it with onions, mushrooms that also needed using, a little diced sweet potato and a pound of ground pork plus a seasoning blend I made out of bulk-bought spices. It turned out pretty tasty.
2. Also on the food front, my daughter gifted us with some yummy smoked pulled pork from her fiancé's new smoker. My husband asked for cole slaw and I had just used the cabbage the day before but I had plenty of celery, so I made celery slaw, which he ate right up.
3. A present I had been wanting to give someone for over a year and a half, which would NOT go on sale and was over our gift limit, finally reached my price point when I saw they had a sale at long last, and the price including shipping and handling. I pulled money out of my Christmas savings and bought it quickly.
4. As Bee can attest, it's been so hot and humid here in Florida. My air conditioner kicks on regularly all through the night as well as the day. Our caregiver runs at least one load of laundry a day in warm water, and always uses my dryer (I use the clothes line, but I'm not going to insist she use it; she is so helpful that I'm not going to complain about it). In spite of that, I used 1KW less per day this month than in the same period last year, when the dryer was little used and I washed all in cold. So that new hybrid/heat pump water heater is actually making a difference.
5. I found two pairs of shorts at Goodwill. I was down to three pairs of shorts, two of them being quite old, and in Florida, shorts are worn for 7-8 months of the year, so I was happy to find these.
Oh, I can imagine how necessary shorts are in Florida!
@JD, I do not remember a summer as humid as this one — ever.
Man, I feel like that up here in the mid-atlantic as well. So many days in a row of mugginess.
1. I was 2 hours away from needing to be at a potluck where I planned to bring no-bake cookies but had forgotten to make them. I debated stopping by the store to buy something but then quickly googled a cookie recipe that would also use up some of my zucchini. Win-win! And they were delicious.
2. One of my pairs of jean shorts is getting a hole in them, so I stopped by Goodwill after a doctor's appointment yesterday and thankfully found 2 pairs I liked for.
3. My daughter took a homemade Lunchable to school today: crackers (a small portion of a box of crackers from Aldi) with ham and cheese that I cut into rectangles.
4. Stopped by a yard sale and scored a pair of soccer cleats for $1. This will be our first year in soccer so we're starting out with nothing. These cleats fit my oldest and look like they'll have enough life in them to last for when my second kid fits them if he still wants to do soccer. They're a neutral color and will work for both my girls and my boy.
5. A few weeks ago someone in your lovely comment community recommended Gretchen Rubin's "Outer Order Inner Calm" and I ordered it through inter-library loan. I'm partway through and hoping it'll be helpful as I look to declutter from the chaos of summer. 🙂
Big hugs going out for being so perseverant on trying to donate blood! Thanks for donating and I am so happy you can do that for others. My mom needed transfusions for her leukemia and I understand there is some type of bioengineered blood that they're working on that may help with the demand.
My mom used to make macrame plant holders and Sonia's choice of colored yarn looks so pretty.
I've been doing well with frugalness. Check it out:
1) I earned a $25 ebay gv from swagbucks
2) I signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime. They gave me $5 to spend.
3) I used cc points to get a $30 Amazon gc. So, I got a switch video game using the $5 credit and the $30 gc to get it for free.
4) DS2 got his college books through rentals from Amazon and his college. His college matched Amazon rental prices so we did what we could thru the college and the rest through Amazon. We rented books for $14 versus buying the book for $97.
5) DS2 received an email that he won a school scholarship. It's pending in his account but it didn't say how much it was for...It did say he has to keep a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to have it...It's renewable. I'll call the school to see what the amount is.
I really do want to be able to help with the blood shortage. Sigh. It's frustrating that I keep not qualifying. But I am very hopeful that the iron pills will do the trick!
@Kristen, I received a blood transfusion after nearly dying in childbirth. So thank you to all the donors! Because I received this transfusion in what is considered a 'high risk' country, I am not eligible to donate blood now.
1. I listed several more items, including more of my daughter's extensive Snoopy collection.
2. The last 7 days were no spend for me - no gas, no groceries, nothing! I'm going to try for another 7.
3. I redeemed another Kroger mailer coupon for a free Betty Crocker cake mix. Since I've received several of these, I gifted it to my sister. The receipt was for $0, but when I scanned it to Fetch, I got 50 points because of the brand.
4. The heat has been brutal here with the heat index around 110 degrees. I am not using the oven at all. I also hung a doubled twin sheet over my front window where the sun pours in beginning around 3 pm every day. The window already had blinds and thinner curtains, but the sheet blocks more of that heat.
That's it other than all the usual stuff.
I love the macrame! In my home office I have several house plants and the make the room so welcoming.
This week was not very frugal although I did do some mending and cooked all meals from scratch. I've een buying (marked down) clothes, and I have clothes. I bought two scarves as in my experience if you have multicolored scarves, they make it possible to combine clothes in those colours. I only buy muted light warm colours so 1 scare can help me created several outfits.
Also I bought a second bathing suit since I go for an outdoors swim every day. We are heading towards autumn and on some days the bathing suit will not be dry by the next morning.
The splurge will even out in due time! I am still at 50 pieces of clothing excluding underwear and sportswear, but for both summer and winter. It is not minimalist, but is is not extravagant either.
I'll put my reading glasses on next time. So many typo's!
I have a few.....
Our neighbor is a widow and he likes to bake. He sent over a zucchini bread for my family to enjoy 🙂
Trying to stay out of store and not shop. Instead I stayed home & did a few small home repairs and tasks. Found some lightbulbs for our one lamp when I thought we didn't have any...saved me from buying them.
I did treat myself to some new body sprays, but bought small ones plus got a free item and saved $10.50 using their coupons.
I filled out a survey for McDonalds and earned a free ice cream cone which I redeemed and enjoyed on a hot day.
We got another 3 zucchini from neighbor's garden. He said he keeps getting tons of them and has shared with us 3 timees, plus the bread!
We went to a friend's wedding and the groom (our friend) told us we were the winners of a $250 gift card to a local meat market. They had sold chances on it at their stag n drag party and drew the winner on the eve of their wedding! Yippee!
Oh wow, a $250 gift card is amazing. Yay!
FFT, The Free Flow of Goods Edition:
(1) I've finished bartering some of DH's tools and equipment for part of the deck re-staining job that my lawn care/snowblowing wizard has finally managed to complete between rainstorms. He knocked 30% off the price of the job; I got quite a lot of stuff out of the garage; and although of course I wanted more credit than he wanted to give me, we're both content with the deal and still friends.
(2) Part of my NYC BFF's recent visit included a call on a Jane Austen friend in her 90s who is being moved from her current senior living apartment to a higher level of care. At both her and her daughter's urging, we ended up taking several DVDs, audiobooks on cassettes, and other things for distribution to other members of our JA groups.
(3) Another part of this visit: a "Moving Sale--Everything Must Go!" being run by a recently widowed friend who will be closing on the sale of his house here and moving back to his native state soon. When he saw me and BFF, he insisted on our getting the "special friends" discount: "Take anything you want for free." I protested, but he protested back that (a) he'd been doing this all day for others and (b) he felt I'd undercharged him for a shotgun of DH's I'd sold him. So I finally allowed my arm to be twisted. Our finds included books, Xmas cards, and other miscellaneous, plus things worth mentioning separately:
(4) Enough hotel-sized toiletries to keep me from having to buy conditioner, shampoo, body wash, and lotion for the foreseeable future. (The friend's late wife did a lot of traveling for her work and apparently never threw out any of these.)
(5) Some dusty but beautiful old canning jars with zinc lids, including two Ball blue glass half-gallon jars. (I'm a complete sucker for canning jars in general and old blue glass in particular.) The friend told me that these had come out of a house he'd bought with contents some 35 years ago, and we both took a brief walk down memory lane over that one, since DH and I had helped him with the cleanout. Nice to have had that chat, since the friend will be leaving so soon.
My blood pressure + iron levels make it really difficult for me to pass the screening to give blood. Even when I eat beef several times a week my iron levels are just barely in the range of normal. I wish there were a way to help with the blood shortage that I could manage to do.
My frugal things;
1) Used Target giftcards to go grocery shopping: we used to buy diapers at Target, but now insurance covers them, so we don't need to go to Target anymore. However we do need groceries and our Target has plenty of food so I used up the giftcards there. Aldi is much cheaper. But I am fairly confident I would've forgotten about the giftcards if I don't use them fairly quickly (we have had them since Christmas).
2) We're not going shopping for much of anything, because RSV is rampant and hospitals are full, and one of my kids is too high risk to be out for fun. He's saving us money! (We're also not spending money on gas for school pick up and drop off, which amounts to 28 miles a day, but we are spending money on canvases and painting supplies because he loves to paint)
3) I'm still cooking at home despite having no oven or stove! Finishing up week 3, and I'm so excited to get my new range on Friday.
4) Canceled our bug sprayer monthly subscription. We decided it was a rip off for the two months we paid for it. Oops. Maybe that's a sorta fail?
5) Reusing curriculum for our second kid going through a language program. One curriculum set should get us through second grade with our kids and I could probably sell it for another family to use. I'm finding homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive.
6) This is one is from a while back: a friend so my husband's photography and asked for some pieces that would complement his home, and my husband supplied them at cost. And our friend in exchange made us a custom table at cost. We have a gorgeous high quality piece of art end table, and we got it by supporting a dear friend (he's had requests for this particular table since posting the finished product to his page). I think trades like this are such a fun way to save money and support one another.
You are correct with "an" as it is "an" and not "a" before words starting with a vowel. Pronunciation isn't relevant.
Have you tried organic beets? for iron. We use Floradix if needed. Have you had low iron before?
I like them raw and cooked.
Cold beet salad:
peel beet, discard outer part, of course
dash apple cider vinegar
1 tsp to 1 tbsp sunflower nut butter, tahani, or pb
dash salt, pepper, garlic power, onion powder
I have never had low iron before; I think my iron levels are such that they are within the normal range for an anemia test. But they are not QUITE high enough to donate blood. Both times I've tried, I've been almost high enough to donate, so I don't think it should take a whole lot for me to get over that hump.
I've eaten beets before but not always organic. Do you find the organic beets to have higher iron content?
1. Received a couple covered file boxes from a friend. The boxes work great for grocery shopping, especially for corralling small items, protecting soft produce, and transporting heavy cans/bottles. I use the box tops in the pantry to slide things in and out.
2. Neighbors suffered a frightening house fire (no loss of either people or pets). They are sifting through the ashes to help document what they lost. Good reminder for everyone to inventory their belongings; take pictures or videos of rooms and storage spaces; and store the documentation somewhere secure to access in the event of a fire or other loss. (I heeded this advice many years ago before my husband and I lost our apartment in a tornado. When the insurance adjuster saw our spreadsheet and pictures, he cut us a check on the spot.)
3. Saving a lot of printer cartridge ink when printing the daily crossword puzzle by adjusting the printer slider so that all the black puzzle squares are gray instead.
4. Helped a friend clear out her deceased father’s apartment and brought home at least $100 worth of pantry items along with many useful things for our home. Most of the pantry items were unopened and some of the opened packages contained food we don't normally eat, but I am determined to use as much as possible in creative ways.
5. Made a bed pillow cover out of the top part of a fabric shower liner that did not have iron stains from our water and other yuck.
Quick french lesson from Quebec, Canada : Yogurt in Canadian french is Yogourt (prononce Yo-GOUR, no T sound at the end). In France it`s Yaourt, different prononciation. OUI is masculine, so it`s ``Un Oui``. The sentence in french would therefore be : un pot de yogourt/yaourt``
🙂
I mean ``Un pot de OUI yogourt``
Oh, that's like the Spanish word for yogurt: yogur!
To also help get your iron levels up you might try cutting back on dairy products. My grandson ended up in the hospital a couple of years ago with severe asthma and pneumonia with some other virus issues. He was found to be low on iron (not anemic) and they told my daughter to cut out his milk consumption. Too much dairy depletes the iron in the body (or something like that). If you consume very much dairy it’s worth a try.
Your daughter's cactus is too cute!
1. I picked up a winter coat from Buy Nothing that should fit him next winter. My neighbor gave me 2 pairs of Nike shorts, that her grandson had outgrown, for my son.
2. My daughter will be moving to the 3-year old room at daycare in a couple of weeks. This will save us $10 per week in daycare costs, which adds up to $520 per year!
3. We camped this weekend. I foraged for food as we hiked at the State Park we camped at. I gathered lots of blackberries and silverberries, which my kids ate for snacks. I also picked lots of wild apples, which I turned into a 1/2 gallon of applsauce. All free and organic!
4. I made pesto using basil and garlic from our garden. I made 2 large jars of tomato puree, 2 large jars of pizza sauce, and a large jar of sundried tomatoes using tomatoes from our garden.
5. My daughter's daycare gave us 2 loaves a whole wheat bread they did not use.
Oooo - always thought those Oui jars could be used for something and that is a great application.
1. Checked my credit card and found that a late charge and interest were still being applied even after I had requested (politely) and been granted an excusal (it was only a few hours late and I pay in full each month). Spoke to a nice man named Fortunato who promised me it would be removed from my next bill. So clawing back $54.29.
2. Same old same old -- Eating in, making my cheaper iced coffee, wearing the old clothes and shopping my closet, reading library books, etc.
3. Husband away this week so I cooked up a big pot of chicken soup on Saturday, using up "all the things" from pantry, 'fridge, and freezer. Have been eating it every night this week with salad or steamed broccoli.
4. Picking up my salad kits on discount and beefing (leafing?) them up with extras.
Can't think of a #5 . . .
I’m not normally one to plan in advance for Christmas but someone in my buy nothing group was giving away a calico critters cottage and my daughter is just starting to show interest in calico critters (she’s still quite young and only has one little set of animals but plays with them more than anything else) so I picked it up and will save it for Christmas(like other commenters have said, my kids also only get gifts for bday and Christmas, although it’s often tempting to give them these freebies when I get them!)
This next one started as a frugal fail and I’m trying to salvage it! We bought a brand new baby backpack carrier a few years ago because my husband talked nonstop about wanting to take our first baby hiking. It was quite expensive and he used it 2 times for two short hikes with our firstborn and did not use it at all for our second. So it’s been sitting in the garage untouched and I finally listed it on Facebook marketplace. This is the first item I’ve ever listed on there so not sure how long it takes to sell something but hoping we can at least get a little money back and someone else can enjoy this like new carrier.
Don’t have anything else but really enjoyed reading everyone else’s comments!
My 5 Frugals are …
1. Brought my kids’ school supplies in July and August at Walmart and Amazon when they’re on sale. Also reused school supplies, any extras from last year and office supplies I already had.
2. Got 2 free crib mattresses off our Buy Nothing Facebook group and Marketplace. Will use them to replace the other 2 that have tears in them for my kids.
3. Got most of the kids’ school clothes for free at our Buy Nothing Facebook group and brought some at garage sales and EBay this summer.
4. Enjoyed a free local event at the Railroad museum. Kids had rides and did a scavenger hunt. Also got a free meal for everyone.
5. Cut the kids’ hair. I’ve did it for the 1st time a few months ago but it wasn’t great. Watched a handful of YouTube videos this time and they turned out much better.
My 5 FFT
* Vacation week with the kids, before schools starts (already??). Keeping it frugal : outing to the beach, using the public pool, free outdoor concerts, free kayak rentals with the city, books from library and already owned board games, etc. No need to cost a fortune to have fun!
* Using all the food! Not throwing out any. Eighter we eat it or we freeze it. Still looking at sales and reduced racks, using my credit card points (always paid in total each month) for free grocery, doing online surveys in exchange for gift cards that I apply on grocery, doing price matches, etc. Grocery is where I try to save the most while feeding 2 gluten-intolerant and one lactose-free family member and keeping it healthy and balanced....!
* Still missing a couple clothing items for the kids, for back to school. Found some at Value Village and, what we could not find we bought new but not super expensive. Time to hit another Value Village for the missing pieces! (with a coupon, of course!)
* Tempted to shop for myself, since I don't seriously don't own much clothes, but the reality is that I work in scrubs 3-4 days a week, and the rest of the time I`m low maintenance and all about comfort, so my needs for new clothes is pretty low. And I`m working on losing weight. So now is not the time to invest money in clothes.
* Using clothes line to dry instead of dryer. Should be good to go for another 2 months or so
* Using coconut oil on my sunburn. Don`t know if it helps much, but it`s cheap (coming from a gigantic jar from my cooking supplies) and it smells good. Do you know that you can also use it as a...hmmm... personal lubricant? Yep! All natural.
I really don't think I ever have anything frugal but I am going to try:
1. Ate at home ALL week (well I guess I never really eat out ever!)
2. Had my cabinet doors replaced under my home warranty. Purchased a new house a year ago and under the warranty any issues would be repaired within the first year, so I am taking advantage.
3. Purchased new carpets for my house and I paid in cash. I am so glad I've been good at saving.
4. I scheduled my first oil change in 8 months for next week. Thanks to covid I haven't been driving much.
5. I was able to share some snacks and goodies I had received from my parents with my neighbors as the snacks were things I personally wouldn't eat.
At one of my last blood donations, the phlebotomist told me that overhydrating before a blood donation can make your iron levels appear lower on the test than they actually are.
1. I found a new place for a corner shelf after getting a larger shelving unit.
2. I returned a too-small dress my kiddo bought on Amazon for a refund.
3. I used up the last of a forgotten bag of chia seeds and fruit cups i found at the back of the pantry.
4. It's been in the 90s here. Despite the heat, we've been limiting our AC usage.
5. We've all needed various medical appointments recently. I checked our insurance site to determine which specialists are in our network.
1. All fridge leftovers for dinner
2. Old Navy clearance clothes
3. All Clear Laundry detergent 50% off
4. At home manicure and facial
5. Hoopla Audio Books
Here's our Frugal Five for the week.
1. I dried some fresh tarragon gifted by a friend for future use.
2. Frugal, yes; or frugal, no, depending on how you want look at this one. My daughter's college offered tuition insurance from Liberty Mutual. We decided to opt for it given the cost of tuition and the fact that she is a nursing student in clinicals. I hope we don't have to use it, but it could cost us thousands if we have to use it. Her sister, who works at a hospital in the cardiology department, was out of work for over two weeks when she contracted COVID early on.
3. My daughter showed me a Pin of a cute halter top she wanted. I drafted a pattern out of a paper bag and used leftover blue and white gingham fabric from another project to make it for her.
4. We have to wear masks when people come into our building at work. We are provided with disposable masks that I may wear for a couple of hours each day depending on how busy the office is. I didn't want to waste them, so I spray them with Lysol and reuse them for dusting cloths. A couple of times I have used the ear loops when I forget a hair tie.
5. I got a deal on toilet paper! Since I was not one of the people who has hoarded toilet paper during the pandemic (my hoard was butter), I decided I was ok to get a bunch now. I have a specific, generic store brand that I always buy. I usually get the 20 pack because it has the best unit price at $15.99 plus tax. However, I saw a sign that the individual rolls were on sale 4 for $1. I bought 48 rolls for less than $13 with tax. No, I didn't take them all, either! There was plenty left on the shelf. This isn't pandemic hoarding, this is smart shopping. I would have done it with or without a pandemic.
Here in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, we rarely get coupons other than those for takeaways etc, almost never for basic food, which is pretty much all I buy new ! Our thrift stores are not as cheap as yours, often similar in price to new from KMart, and not necessarily better quality. Food prices here in general, are much dearer ( check out a Coles catalogue online!) our big pluses are a minimum basic wage of $AUD20 ( about $US 14.65, and good quality free health care. Paying for private health care speeds up non urgent operations, and allows a choice of specialists, but anything urgent is quickly attended to without private insurance, and the specialists I have had publicly also see private patients, so I have been happy with my free colonoscopies and thyroid surgery, obstetrician etc..
We have had a total of 7 COVID deaths in Queensland,, population roughly 5.2 million, but strict rules regarding mask wearing in public places, social distancing , 1.5 metres, hand sanitising, checking in to stores, cafes, hospitals etc (QRcodes) for contact tracing, , if you have been in contact with a positive case you are tested and isolated until given an all clear. We have had frequent lock downs when there have been cases in the community, reduced numbers allowed for functions and public gatherings etc, and are really pushing vaccinations.
Happy to answer any questions, regardless of topic, for those who are interested in life Down Under!