Five Frugal Things | and birthday month begins!
1. I added a birthday offer from Safeway to my account
They're giving me 2x the reward points for my birthday month, so I "clipped" the offer and added it to my account.
Safeway is not the cheapest grocery store by far, so this offer will not induce me to shop there more often than usual. But if I do stop in, hey, at least I'll be getting my double points.
(And also my standing 5% student discount. Every little bit helps. 😉 )
2. I searched my email inbox for birthday offers
I typed "birthday" into my Gmail inbox, and a bunch of birthday offers popped up. Now I have a list of freebies/discounts to use.
April is my month to live large on a budget. 😉
3. I packed my clinical meals again
I am maintaining my streak still!
And I have only four more weekends of clinical left, so I think I'm gonna make it all the way through school with no cafeteria food. 😉
4. I went straight to the gym after clinical both days this weekend
The gym is in the same city as my hospital, so it saves gas to go straight there after I leave clinical.
I just pack a gym bag the night before, throw it in the car with my clinical bag, and change out of my scrubs at the gym.
5. Not frugal for me but....
I gave my Crock-Pot to a classmate. She's setting up a household from scratch and mentioned wanting a Crock-Pot.
I was never a big Crock-Pot user even when I was feeding six and I REALLY am not a Crock-Pot user now.
So I brought mine to school for her and now I have more space on my pantry shelves. Yay!
I do have some space-occupying appliances in my kitchen, but they're things I use more often than a crock pot (for instance, my VitaMix, my Kitchen-Aid, and my grain grinder.)
As long as I use the appliance frequently, it deserves to take up kitchen real estate.
By these standards, the Crock-Pot needed to go!
Just a quick word on a busy day: your lunches always look so inviting! And I am impressed at your bring your own meal streak.
I do cook with the crock pot, usually broths, soups and stews and today we happen to have meat loaf on the menu, because a busy afternoon.
- We found a side table and a few lamps for dorm kid, at a thrift store.
- I bought marked down artisan bread at the end of the day, it keeps well.
- I enjoy (and improve my english by) doing a number of free word games. I was introduced to the NYT Wordle by Rose I think, and I cannot recall who mentioned the Spelling Bee but that is my current favourite. I often stare glazily at the letters in the morning, shut down, and then manage to pump out the maximum free number of words after work. Very satisfactory.
- I will need to let go of some clothes that either do not fit or do not flatter any longer now that my hair colour and body shape have changed. Some are near-new (office clothes bought just before covid). Those I will list.
- We are investigating a cheaper parking app since our current app has increased in cost.
@JNL,
I do the same thing with spelling bee! My goal is to get the pangram before being kicked out. It's a fun game, but if I paid for it , I would waste too much time searching for obscure words. This way it's fun and quick!
@mbmom11, there is a similar free option to Spelling Bee online, Word Blossom. It is created by Merriam- Webster. Here is the link. https://www.merriam-webster.com/games/blossom-word-game.
I also stare at the puzzle while drinking my coffee. Then I complete it in the afternoon when my brain is finally engaged.
@Bee,
Thanks for the link to Word Blossom. I will definitely check it out!
For anyone wanting to do Wordle more than once a day, there is free clone of this game called Word Guessr. You can google it, and it also comes up if you google Word Guesser. You can play as many times as you want and you can also vary the number of letters in a word so that the games aren't too repetitive -- that'll shake things up a bit!
@JNL,
Lol, a good friend of mine does the NYT Spelling Bee daily, and posts on Facebook when he gets "Genius" or "Queen Bee" status. He includes a quote that includes the word "genius" in it, just for fun. I usually make some humorous comment about the quote, which is taken in the way it was meant. My comment is never mean-spirited, or anything like that. (My friend pokes some fun at himself, and knows he is not a "genius". He is very smart, though).
@JNL, I love Wordle and Spelling Bee too!
@Bee, I used your link for Word Blossom. Thanks for putting that on my radar! I bookmarked it for more daily fun. It will be a nice complement to the longer NYT Spelling Bee, which I do on paper.
@JNL, love NY Times Spelling Bee! We always did this in elementary school, before a long vaca. Teacher would write “Happy Summer” or “Merry Christmas”
And we’d bring our word lists in the following day
When I sign up with shops that give a birthday discount or ask for birthday I now put a month where I know that discount will be good timing. So I have a “birthday” at the shop I get my kids school clothes from right before we go back to school for the year. At a different shop my “birthday” falls just before winter as I like their wool clothing. You get the jist, it works well.
@Kate, clever!
@Kate, genius! I may have to steal this idea in the future!
Maybe I am the only one who finds this a troublesome example to be set for kids?
I don't think it's a problem because you are not getting any more discounts from the company than what they are willing to offer; you're just spacing out the timing of them. I say carry on!
@OregonGuest, but the discounts are not received multiple times, only once any way?
@OregonGuest, yes.
@Kate, I like your method. I never feel comfortable sharing my actual birthday with these places anyway for privacy reasons.
@Kate,
Absolutely brilliant!
@Kate,
My birthday is near Christmas, so using all of my freebies is sometimes problematic. I may start doing this!
@OregonGuest, just to clarify, it’s only the timing of the discount. I still only get the single discount at each store.
FFT, I’m in Training to Become a Bag Lady Edition (revised/updated from a couple of recent NCA comments):
(1) At 6:30 Sunday morning, I peered into the dumpsters of a nearby apartment complex for the first time in a while–and fished out a Farberware 8-quart pot with lid, in excellent condition and with nothing gross inside. (Online, this pot is going for $30 and up.) My only regret is that it wasn’t a 10-quart pot (I really do need to replace my 10-quart), but I’ll settle for this one. I’ll donate the oldest 8-quart in my collection to one of the thrifts.
(2) I used the new pot Monday to make a ham, garbanzo, and vegetable soup, cobbled together from a ham I bought on sale at Wegmans this morning and assorted canned goods and veg I needed to use up. A. Marie’s Soup Kitchen is open! I took some to my NDN and to the Bestest Neighbors. (As I said to the BNs, “When the going gets tough, the tough make soup.”)
(3) I batched errands Monday morning: my local Staples (for a printer cartridge and a couple of thumb drives I need before the prices go up on those); my local Byrne Dairy convenience store/gas station (to air up my tires at its free digital air machine); the pop-up thrift store in the old bowling alley (where I was tempted by several things but bought only three fancy Ball jelly jars for Bailey dog’s mom, who is a jam maker); and Wegmans.
(4) I’m ramping up my bottlepicking. At the rate things are going, my bottlepicking may do better than my investment accounts this quarter.
(5) And on Sunday, my friend Mr. Fix-It completed a repair on the water dispenser/ice maker part of my refrigerator, which required $20 in parts, and for which I made him take $40. I leave you to imagine how much I saved by not calling in an appliance repair service.
@A. Marie,
Since I had to get my ice maker replaced, I can take a guess on your number 5. You have a nice friend!
And thanks for looking out for canning jars. As a canner who likes to share with family and friends, I admit to some - okay, a lot of - frustration at not getting them back!
@A. Marie,
A good find! It does amaze me what people throw away. But their trash is your treasure.
@JD, when I give pints or quarts of refrigerator pickles to friends, I remind them with a smile (except for folks like the Bestest Neighbors, who don't need reminding) that "The return of the empties is always appreciated." I actually get a pretty good return rate this way.
@JD, I am not shy about asking the recipient of a quart of strawberries to dump them in their own container as I am "territorial about my wooden boxes. Hard to find these days". So drop a polite hint OR put a return address label on the jar.
I revived my sourdough starter and have a batch of bread working as I type...(I had put it to sleep in the fridge while the Mr and I went on vacation)
I took 3 baked sweet potatoes left in the fridge and turned them into muffins...
I defrosted buttermilk and made pancakes for the freezer for the kids...(bought a half gallon for .49 on its expiration date! Made a round of pancakes initially then portioned the rest into jars and froze for future use!)
Scanned all my receipts into the Fetch app.. made the minimum point on those.. BUT scanned the random receipt I found left on the machine at Meijers and earned 3000 thanks to someone buying Friskies!!
Washed 3 pairs of sneakers last night- 2 of mine 1 of the Mr... I wear sneakers ALL the time due to feet issues so I have about 4 pairs in rotation... but these 2 pairs were lighter colored and were dirty! Soaked in Oxi, sprayed with stain cleaner, scrubbed the whites with a dollar tree sponge and sent through the washer.. still slightly spotty but a LOT cleaner looking!
@jes, I've never thought about freezing buttermilk!
@jes,
Not to be a Debby Downer (because, 3000 points? Yes, please!), but Fetch's rules indicate you are "not allowed" to use/scan someone else's receipts into your account. I'm sure it's in the fine print somewhere. (Frankly, I want to know how they find out? do they do audits, or something? I have no idea.)
@Beverly, it's also possible to buy dried buttermilk and reconstitute it. This what I do, 1 cup at a time, since I have trouble using up a whole quart of fresh buttermilk all by myself.
@Beverly, freeze it mixed with yogurt for a tasty treat.
@jes, I've been lucky before on fetch as well with receipts I'll pick up off the ground on my way out to my car. I'm beautifying the world and playing a game all at once.
Mine are small:
1. I counted my found change from the first quarter and it amounted to $5.72. I then found $.11 on April 1st.
2. I found an onion in the grocery store parking lot when returning the cart. It looked fine and I brought it home.
3. The ink cartridge on our laser printer was low on ink. I was able to get a replacement on eBay for half price. It was a new name brand cartridge.
4. I finally used all the quick cook grits in my morning oatmeal. I added just a bit every day.
5. I used two very ripe bananas in a double batch of pumpkin banana muffins. Most of them went in the freezer.
Happy birthday month!
1. Treated a dear friend to lunch for her birthday. We both got lunch specials that were smaller and cheaper than other options. The restaurant we went to offers a free birthday dessert so we split a slice of delicious pineapple cheesecake.
2. Turned some truly terrible corn tortillas into edible corn chips by brushing them with a spiced oil mixture and baking.
3. Sewed pillow covers out of a beautiful, appliqued tablecloth that I received from a friend whose house I helped declutter in preparation for selling her home.
4. Took household hazardous waste and food scraps to the new Environment Center in our county. Impressive place for lots of reasons. Went into the Reuse Room and found practically everything on my list for the hardware store! Some of them are just one-time needs so I’ll donate them back when I’m done.
5. Used leftover base shoe from our remodeling project to cover the gap in the floor inside our clothes closet that was not part of the original project.
@MB in MN,
A wonderful use for your tablecloths. I love to see beautiful fabric reused. I have used a tablecloth to recover the seats on my kitchen chairs. There is also a seamstress on Instagram - Poppy Lu Clothing - who makes beautiful dresses and blouses from embroidered tablecloths and coats from thrift-store blankets. She is a talent.
@Bee,
I've watched some of Poppy Lu's reels! She makes some beautiful things! I think I've mostly seen where she takes a thrift store blanket and turns it into a cool coat or jacket.
I use my crock pot frequently. I cook up batches of chicken or beans in it.
Your picture of your packed lunch made me think of a question. What do you do if you want to pack both hot and cold food? I ran into this dilemma the other day. Do you just pack two separate lunch boxes so each one stays the right temperature?
@Katy @ Practical Walk,
I'm wondering if Kristen brings some sort of dip for her fresh cucumber slices. 🙂
I usually don't; I just eat them as-is. But at home I sometimes spread some whipped cream cheese on each slice and that's tasty!
- I saved our basement from flooding. Our power went off after heavy rain and the water-powered backup sump pump came on. After noticing the backup was running on shorter and shorter intervals, I discovered all that water was ponding next to the house, seeping back in, and making the problem worse. I dug out a trench in my yard to lead the water away. It was very effective at un-flooding my yard, though I’ll need to come up with a more permanent solution.
- I wasn’t finding anything good at “new clothing” stores, so I ordered some pants for one of my kids from eBay.
- I’ve reached the stage of my seed growing where my seedlings are being potted up using my stock of old free containers, lids from my Rubbermaid bins, and multiple shelves and lights I already owned.
--I moved some gifted day lilies to fill a blank spot in the front yard, where we'll actually see them vs. behind the garage. Our first spring in the house, my gardening friend showed up with a car full of transplants from thinning her beds, so there was A LOT of panic planting vs. planning. 😛 Her beautiful day lilies deserved--and now have--a better spot!
--Believe it or not, I found more free landscaping rock on Facebook marketplace! These are BIG pieces--think fist-sized--so I'm using them as a border for the smaller loose rock around the house.
--One of the above freebies was a proper mini-boulder, so it will become our house's "name rock"; its custom plaque should arrive in the mail in the next few days. The plaque was $15, but given what I've saved on landscaping, I'm good with that. 😛
--A windfall of a few thousand dollars was funneled straight to Responsible Adult (TM) things like savings, with the exception of $100 in play money. This mostly went to smaller items we'd been wanting for the house (see above and below).
--After three years of hunting light fixtures at Habitat Restore for the living and dining rooms and not finding anything that was quite right, we finally gave in and bought new online. By new, I mean "Used, Like New," which made the two fixtures only $20 each. My handsome, tall husband did the installation.
It's been a full week here. My FFT:
1. I stopped by my pediatrician's office last week because they billed the wrong insurance (one letter was entered incorrectly) resulting in a very expensive well visit. They're correcting it now.
2. When I took my kids to the dentist on Thursday, neither they nor the insurance company could find any record of our policy, which was strange since I had a freshly printed policy ID card in my hand. I nixed the "extras" like x-rays for this visit and just paid for the cleanings and exams. Yesterday I followed up with the insurance company (I think it was a timing problem) and we have coverage that started April 1, so I followed the instructions to submit a reimbursement request.
3. My 8yo son went to a free baseball clinic hosted at our school. It was put on by the Major League Baseball Alumni Association. He got to meet former MLB players and try baseball for free. It was a very cool experience!
4. We hosted my in-laws over the weekend. My FIL drafted up floor plans for the addition to the house we just purchased together. We're taking them to a friend who can turn them into blueprints. My FIL and husband also replaced a couple of windows on our current house, got some new siding on, and started rebuilding our front porch, which was in worse shape than we knew. Sorry, squirrel, you gotta find a new home! (I kid you not, a squirrel ran out of the inside of the roof part of our front porch and ran across my husband's arm as he was ripping a piece of the porch down!) But doing this all ourselves saved a ton of money.
5. I went to the dermatologist this morning for what my PCP thought was one thing, but turned out to be a precancerous spot. Paying to get a spot frozen off my head is way cheaper than letting it develop into cancer, so I'll call this visit frugal.
Now I'm ready for a more chill week ahead.
I use my crockpot for things like corned beef dinner, Beef Burgundy, stew, soup, roasts, batches of beans, rendering lard or tallow, etc. I even have a little one for small batches of homemade soup, a couple of potatoes, that sort of thing. If you don't really use it, though, I agree, get rid of it. They do take up room.
I don't seem to have much notable frugality this week.
1. My daughter and I went shopping and she spotted a grilling item she knew for certain her husband wants, and it was on sale. I asked if I could buy it instead of her, for his birthday or Christmas (his birthday is in December) and she kindly said yes. I'll transfer the amount it cost from my "gift" savings account to my regular checking account.
2. That's something I do that I suppose could count as frugal. I have an automatic weekly transfer from checking to a savings account I use only for gifts, mainly Christmas gifts. It's my own "Christmas Club" for those of us old enough to remember those, and I earn interest on it through the year so, frugal?
3. I didn't do this, but the finches and other migratory birds that have been in my yard all winter migrated back north this past week, so my bird seed expenditures will go down again.
4. The storm front passed through here yesterday. I got home in time to pick the ripe mulberries before the wind and rain beat them off the plants. Once they are ripe, it takes very little to make them fall.
5. From a local farm, I bought a piece of beef that is typically tough with veins of hard fat, so it was cheap. I trimmed the fat out, cut the meat in chunks and pressure cooked it in beef broth, seasoning, onions and garlic for long enough to tenderize it. It is now good to eat. I cooked the trimmings until somewhat crispy in my toaster oven which was set outside, because the weather was hot this past weekend, and I'm delighting my dogs with some trimmings on top of their kibble every day.
@JD, I used to use the “Christmas Club” to save for our property taxes.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Our bank gave us the last week's amount as our "interest," so if we saved five dollars a week, they gave us an additional five dollars at the end of the savings period. Did yours do that?
Ah, the days of Christmas clubs, tiny paper passbooks, and toaster and piggy bank giveaways.
@JD, I think my bird seed expenditures are going up as yours are going down. I've seen song sparrows, chipping sparrows, and white-throated sparrows recently, and I always keep my feeders up until that glorious moment in May when I get a few rose-breasted grosbeaks. Then I take them down for the summer.
@JD, I agree. My husband just bought a 30 piece Snap Ware plastic container set for $20. I told him I remember I got a Rubbermaid set years and years ago from a bank for going in and asking them about their CD rates. That's all you had to do to get the free Rubbermaid. They looked at me funny but I got my Rubbermaid. It got ruined and has been long gone.
My mom had a Christmas Club for years. She was one of the "original" working moms, working full time outside the home while my brother and I were latch key kids.
I seem to be caught in a frugal-not-frugal cycle of doom lately. I change phone plans and carriers and save about $60-$70/month but have to replace my old phone for about $170. A business provider does some work for "free" but then ups the monthly charges by 25% ($100) in perpetuity. I buy a huge pack of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on sale but when roasted they turn to rubber. Stop the (frugal) world, I wanna get off!
@JDinNM, There are times in life when nothing seems to go as planned. These periods are usually short-lived, but I am currently in year 3 of my little downturn. Sigh! The tide always turns.
@JDinNM, have you purchased any other chicken disasters lately ?? We too had some rubbery ones. Speaking with friends about this and we are wondering if there were some old ones that escaped the extermination orders by our past president. Or they have been given something to get them to market too soon. They would not be a bargain at 000.00
Happy birthday month!
- The paint on our cast aluminum mailbox was very faded and starting to chip in places. I sanded and repainted it. I bought paint at Michael's (with coupon) to paint the number on the plaque. We're missing one "1" but I'm hoping I can get a guy at work to make one for me using his 3-D printer. The refresh cost less than $20.
- Costco is near Michael's so we stopped by after buying paint to get gas.
- DH called the dentist office when we got a large bill from his last dental checkup and cleaning. They had not filed on his primary dental insurance and are now filing it.
- DH put dinner in the crockpot Friday afternoon so we were not tempted to get takeout.
- Planned weekly menu based on what we had on hand and what was on sale this week at the grocery store.
1. I printed, signed, and copied for my records new show contracts I negotiated on the road last month, at home for free.
2. My husband and I went to a restaurant that we usually order from on Take Out Date Night, which was much cheaper.
3. Attended a free improv comedy workshop that one of my local teammates presented at our rehearsal as a test run since it's his first time teaching. He did great, got useful feedback, and we all learned something we can use in later rehearsals and shows.
4. Using the free version of Stride to track mileage and business expenses made doing my taxes so much easier.
5. Started wading through the receipts during my last show and entering them into Stride for 2025. Note to self: I need to do this at the time of purchase since it's an app on my phone, rather than waiting until I get home to a pile of paperwork.
1. I sewed holes in 2 of my son's shirts
2. I picked up some baseball pants, from Buy Nothing, for my daughter for next year's baseball season
3. Sold a dollhouse on Facebook Marketplace
4. My mom gave us some sweet potatoes, bread, rolls, and oatmeal.
5. I dehydrated some over-ripe grapes and blueberries
Double win for you & your classmate with the Crock Pot. 🙂
Frugal things---
● Cashed in some Fetch points to get Meijer gift cards that I used grocery shopping plus found bonus $5 reward in my Meijer app because recently app did not do correct points calculation
● used 17% off Dunham's coupon to get teen new shoes (& received more coupons on receipt)
● roadside find of 2 big plastic outside chairs that just need a bath
● local eggs $3.50 dozen (big brown eggs) 🙂
Frugal fail---
● checked my email yesterday before going to get gas & didn't see any TODAY ONLY BONUS, so got gas. Checked my email 1 hour later & TODAY ONLY GAS BONUS.
Frugal things--- Luckily I didn't fill up my tank with gas & convinced teen to follow me to gas station & filled up both vehicles with BONUS SAVINGS TODAY ONLY.
@Regina, great find on the eggs!
• I have been spring cleaning. It's nearly free and has made my house look loved. While I work,I have been listening to books on the library's free apps - Hoopla and Libby. This is the perfect distraction. I really dislike cleaning.
• I have sold 4 items on eBay this week which has surprised me completely. These funds go into my little mad money account.
• I filled out my contact lens $100 rebate offer. I also have scanned some receipts to Ibotta and Fetch. I used a $5 off $40 offer at Target.
• I have been working on emptying the refrigerator and freezer prior to Easter weekend. I'll need the space. I have been using up bits and bobs to make meals. Last night I used the three remaining pieces of bacon, half an onion, some frozen ground beef, three limp carrots, and several small containers of barbecue sauce from a local restaurant to make a really good meat loaf.
• I have been doing all the usual things. I have been batching errands, brewing my coffee at home, drinking primarily filtered water, and reading library books. This week I also watched basketball for free on TV. When your team is in the NCAA tournament, it's a must.
Wishing everyone a week of peace, good health, and growing prosperity.
@Bee, that was some excellent free TV watching. What a game!
@MB in MN, it was a heart- stopping game. I was on the edge of my seat for the last half.
It's my birthday month also, but I always forget to look for the freebies. I don't use a lot of apps, so I'm sure I miss a lot that way.
We got a quote for a mini-split for our back sunroom. The mini-split is about $1200, but they want $4,000 to install. I ordered one yesterday from Home Depot (10% off military and 8% back on Microsoft cash). We will hire out the electric which we would have done even if the HVAC company did it, but we will install the unit ourselves.
*Sidenote: we had the insulation done a couple weeks ago and they did an awful job and were very demeaning while here. Yesterday a manager came by to fix a few issues and when he saw it all he immediately started apologizing. They are sending a crew today to redo it all.
swapped more plants with a lady in my FB plant swap group
made dividers for my kitchen drawers with wood I already had in the garage. No more rolling pin rolling all over a drawer.
bought bacon and breakfast sausage on sale and stocked up the freezer. I never find bacon on a great sale anymore (less than $3/lb for the thick, good bacon).
finished the backsplash in the kitchen. Was able to use leftover grout from another project. I love when I can clear out space in my garage and save money!
Your lunches always look so good!
My husband and I have older phones that have been having problems lately -- locking up, not holding a charge for long. Our phone carrier sent us a promotion where we could trade in our phones for new ones for a $35 change fee. Having read that phones will soon cost more because of tariffs we decided to take advantage of that offer.
Our friends hosted us at the local hot springs where she works.
My husband mentioned he needed a new swim suit for summer and the next day my friend showed up with a dozen men's swim trunks from the lost and found at the hot springs. He picked out two that were really nice and we will donate the rest.
I spent the weekend out of town and took food with me for all but one meal. That one meal I got the children's burger basket at a local restaurant. It's the perfect size for me -- cheaper and no food wasted.
I'm putting off going to the grocery store this week, forcing myself to use up a lot of odds and ends.
@Cindi, I'm amused by the swim trunks from the lost and found. I wonder what else turns up there?
@A. Marie, So many things. Every water bottle I own came from there and a couple pairs of sandals and our very nice plush robes. People buy so many things and simply leave them behind. (It is a small hotel as well as a hot springs.)
We must have the same birthday month, because some of those offers are on my list too.
1. I used my birthday-month rewards from Lane Bryant to order a pair of shorts for summer. I chose a style that was on sale, so after my discount, they only cost $4.98 + shipping.
2. I clipped my birthday-month rewards coupon from Tom Thumb (my local version of Safeway/Albertsons), which will give me extra reward points on everything I buy this month.
3. I bought some shirts from JC Penney during their sale last weekend. It’s my favorite brand of shirts and I needed some new ones, so I got them at the lowest price I could. Trying to get what I need before tariffs drive prices higher.
4. I started reading an e-book of Emma that I bought years ago and have never gotten around to reading until now. I also told my parents that I’m re-reading Jane Austen’s books, and they offered to let me borrow any that I want from them. Free books without even going to the library!
5. I made a detailed budget for the next few months. I have neglected budgeting lately and it hasn’t been good for my finances. I need to be more disciplined, and it starts with actually making a plan and writing it down.
6. Just this morning I bought a remanufactured ink cartridge for my printer for $7.99 instead of the $30 it would have cost new from the printer company. I also used a 10% off coupon.
@Elizabeth M, huzzahs for you and your excellent parents re: the Jane Austen!
Let's see...
1) Took the T into town to buy theater tickets. They wanted $16.50 PER ticket to buy on-line. No fees if you go to the box office. Bonus: used my husbands T pass so it was free to get in/out of there.
2) Borrowed a book from the library. I've been waiting like a month for it and my friends already read it and are waiting on me so we can chat about it.
3) Got my discount for my volunteering at the Farmer's Market. Only one week left. I'll miss both the people and the discount until Nov when it opens back up.
4) Saved 50% by buying slightly imperfect period underwear. Slight stitching or packaging errors but still fully functional they say...hopefully the fit is still fine.
5) Saved $31 (and possibly tariffs) on new running/walking shoes for the summer. I looked on-line and they weren't on sale so I held off. 3 or 4 days later I get an e-mail they are on sale. Sold! I've looked into slightly used shoes but in the past I've been more unlucky than lucky in that department. My feet are picky and I'd rather get new and have them adapt to my feet and be comfortable so I try to get new ones on sale so they aren't a fortune.
Way to go on your lunch streak!
1) We've used up a lot of things on hand for meals (naan bread turned into grilled cheese, leftover sourdough for bread crumbs, topped some chicken parmesan with cheddar as we didn't have mozzarella).
2) Clipped a bunch of fresh mint & dried it, used the mortar & pestle to grind it & added it to the spice jar. I also clipped a ton more mint & oregano & gave four large bags to neighbors, so they wouldn't go to waste.
3) I needed a few makeup items (I rarely wear makeup, but I love a specific sunscreen & have a skin condition that means I use a really expensive & incredible lip treatment - but, that treatment is much less expensive than the prescription version!) & my sister had a discount for Sephora that I didn't have. She ordered it & had it sent directly to me (I venmo'd her) & I reminded her to use Rakuten first, to save a bit more.
4) Continue to do tons of interviews, networking calls, & applications for jobs. It's a huge slog & often feels like a new job is never going to happen, but... surely at some point, it will pay off?
5) DS18 started his new job as a host at a restaurant. Although the pants he purchased were dry clean only (?!), we discussed how to purchase washable kinds in the future. I also helped him wash them on delicate, and taught him how to steam his shirt, so he can be prepped for his next shift. He also went in to drop off his social security card for I9 verification, and they asked him to work a bonus shift, which he did.
I don't use the crock pot all that much but my wife does. The Instant Pot is a better use of counter or cabinet space IMO.
My FFT:
1. God some good grocery deals at the store including some ground beef which my wife made into meatballs.
2. Sold an item for my dad on eBay. So that will give him some pocket money and clear up some room. I also found a few more things to list.
3. Did a DIY repair job on my car by replacing the side mirror. It got smashed in a parking lot and my car is old enough that the parts are cheap and not too old that it's collectable or things start to get hard to find. It was three bolts that I was able to fix myself using Harbor Freight and other cheap tools.
4. Found some ribs that were in my freezer (sealed in the thick plastic vacuum pack) and finally cooked them up. We are starting a sort of freezer purge and I am going to enjoy it.
5. Not buying a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch. Nintendo can play their pricing games and blame games but I'm not doing it. Besides, my house has three NS consoles already so to upgrade all three would be pricey/
1. Last Friday when we had no time to cook, instead of ordering out we bought frozen pizzas and salad kits from Trader Joe's, a much cheaper option.
2. Cashed in on reward from Safeway to redeem a $20 off coupon.
3. Mended and hemmed some pants that had torn up because they were too long for my son. Left my sewing machine out so that I will remember to mend some other clothes waiting in the pile.
4. Changed my 401K contribution to include a percentage from my yearly bonus.
5. Cancelled the Acorn streaming subscription now that we are done with the shows I was watching on it.
Five BIG Frugal Things ( as I revisit my overall financial health.)
1. Friday I instructed our new financial advisor to sell overly conservative money market funds to pick up some bargains with the market downtown. I congratulate myself on following the advice I learned in college to buy low and hold for long term. It was scary in the face of a 10% down turn in my nest egg but I really believe in this country and I want to keep the faith.
2. I registered with a "headhunter firm" for private schools. I am a classroom music specialist and trained in much methodology. I only want part time and I want schools that pay into Social Security. If a special job is out there or I need to make a little money I might have opportunities to do what I love and earn toward my 40 quarters. Currently I am about 12 quarters shy.
3. I am doubling down on my health regime. If I go back to work part time, I need to be in shape.
4. I made a new will using FREEWILL. I made my now 22 year old the 403B beneficiary so that he would have some easy cash. The generational farm is so convoluted it could take a long time to sort things out if something happenede to his father and I.
5. I added to my emergency fund. 3 months of expenses feels like the right cushion.
@Mary Ann, A great list!
Some people bought a huge ranch in my town. It came with a barn full of household items including furniture, and they just wanted it all GONE. A friend gathered lots of folks together to haul it away, so I told my soon-to-be next door neighbor, a young man with his first house. He scored a washer and dryer, along with other big stuff.
We spent 2 afternoons boxing and hauling the smaller things to the local thrift shop, run by the women’s club ($$ for scholarships). Anyone was allowed to take anything, and so I got several rolls of packing tape, 2 sponges, and a book for my niece. Then I decided she wouldn’t want it so I listed it on eBay.
The whole time I kept telling my husband, “Yes, that is very cool but we DO NOT NEED IT!” He brought a few gee-gaws home anyway. Sigh.
So, the whole deal was frugal for the whole town, and I only got consumables.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, that household item giveaway from the big barn sounds like my idea of a fabulous time. I'm glad that so many people were able to make use of the freebies.
One more frugal:
The valances on my kitchen windows shredded when I washed them. I made them from a tablecloth, and saved the remainder. It was enough to make new valances, not ruffled this time (nobody cares). When I originally made these, I bought the tablecloth and matching floor mats from Williams Sonoma. The mats are long gone, replaced several times, so things don’t match as well, but again, nobody cares.
I have one win, and one pseudo win. That's about what I can concentrate on this week!
Win:
I paid off my car. Took 5 years (life of the loan). 1.8% loan. Probably will never see that for a car loan ever again--but I'm never planning on having another car loan either. It's done. I will have $750 more each month. And I feel positively flush with cash (It just happened at the end of March. So I won't feel more wiggle room in our finances until April. But still.. win!).
Pseudo-Win:
I read a lot of books. Our library isn't small, but all the copies of nearly every book I'm searching for are checked out. There's wait lists. etc. For some of the series I'm reading, it is NOT economical to buy them ($15/ea!). And the used stores here don't have them. I casually looked up eReader prices. I already know that Kindles are not for me. And the Kindle Fire is even worse (I sit at a computer all day for work. DO NOT want to sit at one to read). But then I found the reMarkable. And it does a few other things that could help my freelance business... I ordered a mint condition one on Swappa. And boy howdy am I really looking forward to getting it. eBooks are far more readily available at my library.... 🙂
@Reese,
That's interesting about the library books. At my libraries, you can get the physical book way faster than the weeks to months waits on the e-books.
My birthday was a month ago yesterday, so Jimmy John's reminded me it was the last day for a free sandwich. Total for the meal I picked up on the way to work was $3.89 and it makes for two meals. Yes, please!
I spent two hours at "my financial advisor's" on Thursday. The advice was well worth what I will be paying him. I'm confident that the Markets will come back up when the dust settles. I never thought much about the Markets before receiving this inheritance which is in IRA's.
I needed windshield washer fluid and Wal-Mart was clearing out their winter mix for $2 per gallon so I got 2 gal.
I'm not coming up with anything new or different. for the remaining two.
I use my slow cooker a lot. I got an Instant Pot from QVC at a good price in red. Then I got everything to go with it. That was 4-5 years ago. I've used it twice. I put off getting an air fryer until a year ago. Then I put off using it for two weeks. Now I use it 2-3 times or more a week.
I was inspired by you and used scrap denim to repair a hole and a thinning patch in the crotch of my favorite jeans! I don’t have to go shopping for new jeans yet! Yay!
I am highly honored. 🙂
Happy Birthday!
And I also wanted to tell you how pleased--but not at all surprised--I am about your job offer. Your kindness and your enthusiasm for nursing mean that you are a splendid nurse. Good on you for your diligence.
I really appreciate the encouragement. Thank you!
1. Listing things on ebay that I no longer need. Frugal for me because I gain space and a little money. Frugal for someone else because they get a nice quality garment at a great price! Here's a cute LL Bean dress I listed https://ebay.us/iNpx1E
2. Ate leftovers for dinner after a busy day planting, collecting compost and reading to my grandson.
3. Stocking up on a few essential non-perishables. My future self will thank me.
4. Worked some extra hours from home.
5. Made a new peg bag from a ground sheet (sort of tarp-type material) from my dad's army days in the 1960's. The fabric literally looks like new.
1) I picked out a special dinner and dessert for my husband to cook for me on my birthday. It was a wonderful indulgence to eat exactly what I wanted at no trouble to myself! And so much cheaper than going out.
2) We also cooked a meal for our extended family on Sunday to celebrate our oldest boys' baptism. I would have loved to take everyone out, but it would have been a crazy tab. Instead we did a lot of Sunday lunch prep on Saturday night and assembled things when we got out of church.
3) My other indulgence for my birthday was a shopping trip to the Goodwill. In addition to some kids clothes, I got three dresses and a pair of pants for myself. I hemmed the pants, but otherwise they fit me perfectly off the rack. All four pieces are already in the rotation.
4) I wanted to get some clothes for our son's birthday as well. Although he just turned six on Monday, he is already Mr. Fashion. I found a pair of Nike's in a black and gold color scheme I knew he would like, along with a bunch of cool t-shirts, at Kid to Kid. And when I went to pay I discovered that I had a $5 credit on my account from years and years ago.
5) We planned cheap meals this week around things we already had in the freezer and pantry, I called insurance to ask about a questionable claim (they thought it worthy to investigate, so it might appear in a future frugal things report-out!), we found a way to "make do" with my current desk and still incorporate the $12 filing cabinet I bought off of facebook marketplace, I bought a $5 used "dry bag" for our tubing trip this summer off of facebook marketplace, I applied for a supplemental, resume building academic gig, and I also continue to bring my lunch and park in the far away cheap lot at work.
1. We packed lunches. We made all our meals at home, mostly from scratch. We made a double batch of cinnamon raisin muffins. We brewed coffee at home.
2. We did the spring clean up of our yard ourselves. It is very quick and relatively easy now that all the kids are old enough to help in a meaningful way.
3. We returned our library books and got new book and a movie.
4. We thought our TV was going out, but a friend suggested we try a cheaper fix before replacing the TV. He was right and the TV is working correctly again.
5. Two kids had concerts/recitals this week and just wore nice clothes that they already owned.
1. We hosted our church small group recently, and I was able to serve some cut up apples, brownies from a mix, and free popcorn I got from Aisle (app with freebies, I think I heard about it from the Commentariat here). It was simple but sufficient, and also frugal.
2. I thought I needed to buy more olives but I happened to find an unopened jar under the cabinet. I still need to buy more because my kids love olives, but it can at least wait a week.
3. DH gave me a massive present last week by letting me spend two nights with my friend an hour away. She in turn treated me to amazing homemade food, pizza purchased with a gift card, and she paid the $10 for me to go to the gym with her. I enjoyed exercising, then used a 15-min hydromassage machine and then we sat in the hot tub for an hour just talking. I haven’t felt that amazing in a long time.
4. This friend then sent me home with a large stash of dark chocolate which she doesn’t like… her loss is my gain. And also half of the absolutely most amazing focaccia I have ever eaten.
5. I needed to purchase something online. For a 10% discount, I signed up for text messages and will promptly unsubscribe.
I threw my daughter's bridal shower on Sunday.
1. My older daughter made up several games and printed them 4 to a page double sided. We used pencils that I got I think for 25¢ at back to school sales. Gifts for the games were from Christmas clearance from 75%-90% off. I did count the kisses and got a very cute jar at my thrift store for $3. I also hid 50 rings around the room. That was a big hit.
2. Centerpieces were mini bud vases that I had and some were from FBMP that I got used. Everyone got to take one home. I bought the flowers from Trader Joes(ordered ahead of time). I had the girls from the bridal party come over the day before and help me do them. I had extra flowers so we used several of my large vases and put them around the room. I gave a mini vase to each of the waitresses with their tip.
3. We brought home all of the leftovers from the buffet. I gave some to the bride to be, my son, my parents and my neighbor. Hubby and I have been eating them all week.
4. The bride to be is not a cake person. I was able to borrow a donut wall and that was a big hit. I made chocolate covered Oreos and pretzels with butterflies on them. The theme was a lifetime of butterflies. Everyone was encouraged to take home leftover desserts.
5. My husband made an arch for her to sit in front of to open her presents and to take pictures. We decorated it with balloons, fake butterflies and flowers. They are going to use it for their wedding. We have 2 weddings after our daughters and we offered them the use of the arch. They both happily accepted.
6.My daughters gifts were made at the library. I had a pair of mugs printed with their names, wedding date and butterflies on them. I also had Mr. & Mrs. towel set made. I got the towels on sale at Target before Christmas.
7.Additional decorations were pictures of my daughter and her fiancé from babies to current times. I literally pulled pictures off my walls. I had double sided picture frames that we use as table numbers. We put pictures in them too. I hung up a rope and used mini laundry clips to hang pictures. My daughter loves to paint so I used several of her paintings too. Anything with a love or garden them made the list.
8. Today I spent returning things that we didn't use. I returned a few things to Amazon, a few to $ Tree and a few to Stop & Shop. The total for everything was around $45. I would rather have the money then the stuff laying around.
My Frugal 5's
1) Fixing and mending household items with things we already had like sewing a strap on a sleep mask, placing pads on the bottom of chairs to protect our floors, touching up the corner of a chipped cabinet, etc. Also sent my mother in law's mail by pictures through text instead of actual mail.
2) Got a free cream of mushroom soup from our church's food pantry since they couldn't give it out since it was dented. Also had a tacos that were generously provided for lunch while there on my volunteer day.
3) For my daughter's birthday week, We've watched borrowed DVDs from the library and ate a special treat each day. Will plan a few free events.
4) I batch run my errands at the library and when gong to my doctor's appointment. For my trip to the library, I returned items, pick up reserved items, got a library card application for my husband, got a few free plant starter kits for our girls. Also signed our girls for a library event. For my trip to the doctor's appointment, I got my physical, mammogram and bloodwork done all in one visit. Also schedule my next year's physical and mammogram while there.
5) Been exercising from home with strength training exercises and walking on the treadmill.
@AW,
I forgot that I ...
-Did our taxes and got money back!
- Instead of buying Microsoft Office, I used Libre Office for my documents which works out just find.
My 5 frugal things --
– I colored my own hair. I've been doing this for years ever since a cut and color got north of $80. I use Clairol Natural Instincts, a wash out color which lasts several months in my hair. I combine 2 colors to get the color I want after a friend told me how to do that. It costs about $10 to do it myself.
– I very rarely use the seasoning packets that come with ramen noodles, but usually set them aside. Recently, I used a chicken seasoning packet to add to chicken broth for soup when I needed more broth.
Because the packet is salty, I diluted it well and made sure to cut down on salt I would normally use in the soup. It gave me just enough extra broth that I needed.
– I froze extra tomato sauce for later. I only had a 28 ounce can of tomato sauce, but I needed just 8 ounces for a recipe. So I froze the rest to use later. I'll probably use it next week in a recipe I have on the menu.
– I froze extra rotisserie chicken to use later and made chicken broth from the bird's bones that I froze in 2 cup portions.
– I did the Kroger customer survey and earned 50 points toward gas purchased at Kroger.
So sweet of you to pass along your cookware! Fun that it helped you both:)