Five Frugal Things | And I'm in my new house!
The rain did indeed stop in time for us to move our stuff into the rental house on Sunday. Whew.
More on the move in a future post, but...the move is why I did not write a blog post yesterday. I was exhausted and besides, I had a lot of unpacking to do.
On top of that, I have an assignment due on Wednesday, a unit exam on Thursday, and a cumulative final exam next Tuesday.
So...if I am scarce around here, that's why. But as of Tuesday the 17th, my semester will be over, and boy, that is going to free up a lot of time for me.
Also. I am not going to be moving again anytime soon, so that will also free up some time. 😉
1. I used a $5 Aldi coupon
Aldi does not usually send out coupons, BUT one just opened in our area, so everyone got $5 coupons in their mailboxes.
My parents gave me theirs (they shop at the commissary, since my dad is retired military), and I happily used the coupon to buy some groceries for my previously-empty pantry.
2. I used my Erie YourTurn rewards for a free Starbucks coffee
The morning after we moved, I dropped Zoe off for her tutorial classes and got myself a free cinnamon dolce latte, using credits from my car insurance rewards app.
3. I gratefully accepted a free bed and dresser
As it turns out, a reader here (Hi, Kate!!) knew the people who rented my house before me, AND she lives just a couple of streets away from my rental house.
Kate and I did not previously know each other (except as blogger and blog reader), but she kindly offered me a queen bed frame and a dresser.
And this is wonderful because...I really needed another bed. Lisey's taking the summer off from classes to work, so she's going to come live with me until August.
So. This is perfect. Thank you, thank you, Kate!
4. I hung out at the library while I waited for Zoe
She wanted to spend a few hours with a friend, and since the location was near a public library, I did some homework there while I waited for her.
The library is free, and it definitely saved gas for me to study there rather than going back home and then leaving again to pick Zoe up.
5. My moving vehicles were free
I deserve no credit for this one, but...my brother was able to borrow a big trailer from a friend, and between that and my dad's truck, my parents' van, and my van, we were able to move our stuff with no problem.
So, yay for family help and family vehicles!
The bed is so SWEET! Happy that the move is over for you and your family. I bet that latte from Starbucks tasted SO GOOD! 🙂
@Kim S., It is beautiful!! Kate, you are awesome!
It’s wonderful to have family. I’m sure they were glad to help. I hope you enjoy your summer with the girls.
Nothing frugal to report. Everything seems to cost more with few bargains on what we buy. I do have a full pantry and freezer which is a saving.
I continue to put out stuff from my parents for pick up. A shed had mostly trash and only one item that I might can sell. Even the pickers only took about half of what I put out. Simple for me was, some things I put aside to bring home I decided to set out. I was still undecided but they were gone quick so only a small regret which went away after awhile.
Congratulations on your move. I'm happy for you.
1. For Mother's day we had our daughter and SIL over for lunch. My husband made marinara sauce with ingredients on hand. I did buy pre-made meatballs and they were okay. I made French bread for garlic bread. I received tomato plants in re-sued pots and also a pot of mixed flowers. A perfect gift for my non-consuming self.
2. The saga of my 10-1/2 year old $30.50 laser printer continues. I did order a new toner cartridge from Staples. I signed up for email/text messages to save $15. I also got the printer to continue printing with the old toner cartridge after it deemed the cartridge used up. Thank you Google for telling me how to override that ridiculousness.
3. I did renew my digital subscription to the New York Times. It's $1/week and I'm happy to support journalism at that rate. I think the library offers free access but I have not explored that avenue yet.
4. We will be attending a work related dinner. I'll choose something to wear from among my few dresses.
5. Our neighbors have moved to a retirement community and the last of their stuff has been put in a small dumpster. I'm going to ask permission to salvage items that I think I can find new homes for.
I love the bed. What a wonderful gift.
I have decided this month that most of our food is coming out of the stores and into our tummies. I need to find extra money which is difficult for most of us and my pension doesn't go far. I am trying to use containers etc more than usual to try and stop plastic and aluminum waste. I filled the car and managed to save over 25 cents per litre by shopping around on an ap. It still cost $74 to fill our little Kia. Best of all my granddaughter and I have had a wonderful time cooking together. She was so chuffed when I brought some of "her" cooking for Mothers Day afternoon tea. Mum is beginning to want home made food more. This saves a lot. If we go to an appointment she likes lunch out. Even the simplest meals cost more these days. I am constantly saying I have stuff int he fridge and we could make etc?
Enjoy your new home. I can see you will have looking beautiful in no time flat.
That big window lets in such beautiful natural light! I bet that will feature in future thankful Thursday posts! 😉
So happy for you! Just gotta power through the end of your semester and get all those boxes unpacked ("just"--ha), and then you can enjoy a golden summer. Or something.
Same old same old frugal stuff here. Well, I did have an unfrugal moment of buying some books, but one of them was "The American Frugal Housewife," so I'll just consider that an investment on future frugal living. 🙂 It was first published in 1829. How much you want to bet some things haven't changed?
I have that book!! Some parts of it are so funny.
I have the e version of it and love it
My students (in Food History) were just doing cookbook analysis in class last week. _The American Frugal Housewife_ was one that they looked at (along with _American Cookery_ and _The Virginia Housewife_.
@BettafrmdaVille,
I'd love to take a class in food history!
Do you have any titles to recommend, that might be available in Europe?
@BettafrmdaVille, If you teach Food History, then you've probably read one of the other books I bought, "The Old World Kitchen," by Elisabeth Luard. That is quite a tome. So interesting, though.
Moving is such hard work let alone under your circumstances. Hope you find some peace in your new surroundings.
Last minute I decided to put in a small garden. Used some old wood laying (untreated) around for bed boxes and compost that was ready to be used. So the bulk of the setup was in labor.
We used pine needles and old straw we had on hand for the walkway between the beds.
A local greenhouse sells their annuals super cheap so I buy their plants instead of using seeds. I spent $17 for all my garden plants, cucs, peppers, tomatoes, beets, peas and some flowers.
My apron neck strap broke so I fixed that. I may need a new one eventually.
My employer dropped their dress code so now we can wear whatever we want. This will at least mean I do not need to buy any new dress pants. Our collective screaming Yay!! may have been heard around the world.
Wow. All good news. You deserve a few breaks. Good luck with school.
Can’t wait for a tour of the new place!!! Congrats!
@Jolene Shannon, I second that! From the little we can see of it, it looks like a wonderful place. And Kate, you're so kind!
Yahooo, congrats on the move!
This week I:
- Redeemed my Microsoft Rewards for a Target gift card. It wasn't much, but every bit helps.
- Applied for a new rental that's within walking distance of a library, grocery store, bakery, and loads of other things. The moving process won't be cheap, but when we're there I can rely on my car less. And I won't have to drive 45 minutes to my favorite places to shop.
- Speaking of which.... I am batching errands this morning. I have to return some things for my dad, and the stores are 45 minutes from where I currently live. That is not frugal. But I have to drive that far on a somewhat regular basis, so I'll make these trips all at once.
- Will use my credit card rewards to cover my latest trip expenses to visit my dad. I also paid off our credit cards to avoid finance charges.
- Garbage-picked a plastic drawer unit that I'll use for my eBay supplies and small inventory. Yippee for free, useful things!
Very impressive on all fronts! I read somewhere yesterday that May is hard on everyone and I can see why. I'm still plugging along, trying to be frugal where I can, but one of the biggies is that I haven't eaten any form of takeout for at least a couple of weeks. I never seem to have any rewards points or coupons for it, so home cookin' it is! I also emptied my Amazon cart after letting items sit in there a couple of days then recognizing impulse for what it was. I've been limiting the use of my truck as it doesn't get great gas mileage, instead using my work car and batching all of my errands. So to recap: staying home and not buying on-line. Wins for May.
I’m having a frugal breakfast. Half the apple I cut for my daughter’s lunch fell on the counter that I hadn’t sanitized. She has celiac so I had to cut a new uncontaminated one for her. I’m eating the original with peanut butter packs the kids had rejected for lunches because they were difficult to manage at school. They like to dip apples in the jif cups which are not frugal but are easy and gluten free. I’m also making my own coffee.
I hope you love your new place!
That bed is gorgeous! A lucky find!
1. I used a Speedweave darning loom to reinforce the heels of a pair of heavy winter socks that were wearing thin. It was much easier to get a nice looking darn that neatly covers the area. I'm looking for more stuff that needs darning now.
2. I took measurements and started calculating how much wood and supplies I need to build more self watering planters to grow more veg on our patio garden. Way too often for woodworking projects I just kinda wing it when I'm shopping.
3. I contacted the hanging shower dispenser company to buy a set of their special adhesive to reinstall the dispenser in my shower. They sent me the things I needed for free! In the past I replacement pumps when the first set wore out. Not bad for a garage sale find!
4. Just when I thought I was done with bathroom DIY projects, the faucet in my powder room leaks and needs to be replaced. I bought the replacement on eBay for half of what it would cost in a store.
5. The usual: Used packing parts, frozen fruit, bread, bags for dog pickup and trash liners. Made yogurt and ate a lot of leftovers to clean out the fridge.
@Lazy Budget Chef, I had to look up that speadweave gadget! Now I'll have to see if I can find an original, rather than reproduction. I follow a blog on old fabric/style/household methods (Time Travelers Rabbit Hole) but haven't seen one of these. Her posts are usually from the 1800s. Fascinating stuff.
@Allison, could you share where to find this blog? When I google I just get lots of goofy stuff about time travel. Always interested in fabric & household methods.
@Susan, It's a Facebook group, not a blog.
Congrats on getting moved in & and on the blessing that that is your family! My frugal things were few but significant. This was my biggest (and frugal in multiple ways!) - So I had to work from home for two weeks because my sister was afflicted with a non-Covid random virus that attacked her muscles and joints and caused severe pain so she couldn't sit/care for my mom while I was at the office. My first day back in the office, I spoke with my supervisor and asked, "What are the chances of me just working from home on a permanent basis?" And he responded, "Absolutely, 100%!" The next day I began working from home permanently. Saving major $$$ on gas (30+ mile one way commutes are over!), saving wear and tear on my vehicle, saving on the caregiver we paid to fill in the gaps my sister and I couldn't cover. And all it took was one question! Now if I can just get Amazon to quit taking my money! 😉
@sfeather, I love your last sentence. I would be embarassed to tell you how often we order from "Uncle Jeff".
Oh, what a wonderful win for you with the work at home situation!!
@sfeather, Wow, such a win in several ways! And as you said, it just took one question.
@sfeather, That is fantastic that you can work from home! My husband was 100% teleworking, and doing a great job, but when the cases started to come down his supervisor starting blithering about having everyone back in the office--even those who had been turning in *better* work when they worked at home! Luckily he was able to work something out where he only goes in a couple of times a week.
Congratulations! Your house looks lovely. I know moving is so hard, but there is a part of me that likes moving--I enjoy setting up a new kitchen, and decluttering.
Not much frugal here, as we are also in the middle of a move, and there are always extra expenses with a move, it seems.
But: Mother's Day cost us nothing but gas, as we took the canoe out to our favorite lake (on a military base, so it was not crowded at all!) and spent the day with the kids playing and going for adventures. Ate homemade pizzas and a nobake cheesecake one of my kids made. Delicious.
My Mother's Day gift was Amazon rewards points from our Amazon credit card--quite a few, as we use our Amazon card for a lot, and we did more spending than we usually do (see: move), and I used the points to buy some books and a new water tumbler I've been wanting very much. This is how I manage my impulse buying. I make a wish list and each month when the points are available I see what I could get with the points. Usually it's books!
I've been pretty much just taking the kids to parks for hikes and outings, as covid cases are climbing again here, and all the parks are free.
My husband found our old queen sleigh bed frame in the garage during the move, and since one of the kids needs a new bed frame, we're giving it to him. We were going to build a custom bed frame, but this will save time and use less lumber (just needs a few slats).
Grocery prices are going up but I'm managing. Taking advantage of sales to stock up on stuff we use regularly is key.
@Karen, I'm not sure I have five FTs this week--but your comment about Amazon points reminds me that an FT I do once a month involves running DH's nursing home bill through our Amazon Prime card. This gives me quite a bit of discretionary spending in points that I wouldn't have otherwise, although I do try to use it wisely and frugally.
@A. Marie, That's a great idea. We use our Prime card for basically anything except groceries--for those we use our Kroger Rewards card. We even use the Prime card to make donations. Usually I have about 40 dollars worth of points a month, sometimes more around the holidays.
A fireplace! Yay, I love fireplaces.
Sadly, not much frugal going on around here. Hemorrhaging money, cleaning out and fixing up the rental cottage. I am hoping the stress will abate soon.
Took my children, mom and brother out for Mother's Day brunch which cost an unconscionable sum--my brother and I split it. Then my mom missed her ride home so we had to somehow get her into my car to get her back. My son and brother did most of the work but it was tough. She only weighs 150 pounds or so but she's paralyzed on one side, so we have to lift her while someone else moves her feet, etc. Anyway, we got her home, and I gave her numerous presents including a huge bouquet and an old Book of Common Prayer she wanted, so that was good.
My car got a flat in the spare, sigh, so towing and fixing the old tire and the spare were $200. Trying to put off new tires for a few weeks while all the other spending is happening. At least the flat happened close to the house.
@Rose, I'm sorry for all the Sturm und Drang you've been having lately. But your comment about your mother and the old Book of Common Prayer reminded me that the last thing I shoved into my carry-on bag on my way out the door to the airport when my mother was dying was my 1928 BoCP. I don't know how much she may have still been hearing in the ICU, but I'd like to think that reading her some of the appropriate prayers was some comfort.
@A. Marie, I'm sure it was. I don't go to church often but when I do I am glad the local Episcopal church uses the 1928 form I grew up with. Such beautiful language.
Glad you're moved in. The bedroom furniture is a lovely gift.
1. Friend gave me an acrylic fridge storage bin that she was not using.
2. Went to my local bookseller for Independent Bookstore Day and got 20% off. Also received a free book.
3. Changed our newspaper subscription to digital only.
4. Transferred a magazine subscription to another family member.
5. Cancelled little-used P.O. box for husband's business.
Congratulations on the move! How serendipitous that Kate lives close to you now and was able to give you needed furniture. Love it when good things happen to good people.
This week has not felt very frugal but let's see what I can come up with
- Brought lunch to work everyday instead of getting take out
- Resisted buying a few items when shopping online, decided I really didn't need them so I removed them from my cart before I changed my mind
- Bought few pair of jeans yesterday when they were on sale for $20 at Old Navy. Not planning to keep all of them but total was enough to get free shipping. I'll return what I don't like to the store which is less than a mile from my office.
- Watered plants for our chief scientist while he was out of the office for a medical procedure and in return he's going to take me to lunch
- Reminded DH to use coupon when he purchased my MIL's Mother's Day gift
So glad you're in your new place; hope the settling-in process goes smoothly as it transitions from "house" to "home."
Congratulations on your move! I know from experience that it feels good to have that part of your life settled, even with all the unpacking to be done.
I feel as if I’ve not been very frugal lately, with various things that HAD to be done costing money but here goes….
We switched from cable TV to Fiberoptic service & switched “regular” internet to Fiberoptic. This will save us ~$90 per month! (This has been a month long transition though while fixing the bugs & kinks that arose.)
I used $.10 off per gallon & filled up the car on Sunday when the price was $3.97. Thank ful for that since it jumped to $4.27 on Monday.
I had a dental cleaning yesterday which cost me as my Medicare dental coverage is not accepted at my preferred dentist office. However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Spoke with their insurance person to get info & tips on buying dental insurance they accept. I’ve been a patient there for 30 years and really don’t want to change.
Needed bread for sandwiches but didn’t want to run to the store, so made a loaf in the bread machine.
Still doing all the usual, daily things to save wherever, however I can.
It's been really difficult being frugal what with the out of control inflation going on.
1.) Staying home a lot or at least within town has meant that we aren't paying for gas quite as much.
2.) Line drying all my clothes! I know that you aren't a fan of line drying but I find it relaxing and really enjoyable. Plus it saves like a quarter per load of laundry so that's something (I know I won't get rich by it but still ...)
3.) Thrifted a couple of shirts for me that I needed for work. Both are LL Bean short sleeve button downs. I have purged all the polo shirts from my closet (not really my style any more and they make me look sloppy) so button downs it is! I had plenty of long sleeve button down shirts but only a couple of short sleeved ones. New in the store, even on sale, would be around $90 for the two and I paid less than $20. I almost felt I paid a little much but then, they should last me a long time as they both look in great shape. Heck, even Walmart brands of clothes aren't really that cheap.
On a side note, I am still wearing T-shirts I had over 20 years ago although never outside the house.
4.) Replaced a GFCI outlet in my kitchen. It was annoying but less annoying than having cords just fall right out of the socket when you move the appliance a sixteenth of an inch ...
5.) Starting my gardening. Not always a big money saver but definitely good for my mental health.
Yay for free furniture! That bed frame is gorgeous, and I look forward to seeing the reveal of the wonderful bookshelves you were painting on Instagram.
Frugality continues to revolve around our new house and likely will for the foreseeable future.
--The grocery store in our new town has fantastic discounts on day-of items. I love when avoiding food waste and frugality combine! 😛 Yesterday, I bought giant bags of chopped cabbage, salad mix, an English cucumber, and cilantro for $4.50.
--Channeling Kristen, I’m repainting a small wooden bookshelf with leftover paint from the bathroom redo. The shelf’s previous color didn’t work in our new house, but that’s an easy fix. It was a $10 Goodwill shelf to start with, so it has many previous and future lives yet.
--I’ll be using the same leftover paint (this gallon is endless, I swear!) to repaint our tiny back porch. Since the paint is already rated for high moisture, it should do just fine outside. It was a clearance gallon from Walmart to start with, so it's a low-risk gamble.
--After much online research, I’m using vinyl contact paper to redo/resurface our kitchen counters. While the current color is actually okay, the finish is so worn that every coffee and tea splatter stains. Much as I’d love to try a marbling kit, I doubt our cats would stay down that long. 😛 The paper I found is incredibly pretty—I just need the time.
--A friend gifted us her old timey push mower, which is exactly what I wanted for our lawn. My pasty self has a very limited window for being outside (I burn even through SPF 50 and higher), and I didn't want to be the person running a motor at 6 AM!
Oh wow, that is my exact bed frame! I have never seen another 'in the wild'. 🙂
How wonderful for you to see more quiet recovery time coming soon for you!
I made croutons yesterday without burning them, using leftover bread ends. That pleased me for the whole evening, as I usually think "just a minute more", and it is one minute too much in the oven.
My chiropractor pointed out how much I am sticking my head forward and slouching, so I need to address that. One move will be trying to prop my laptop up higher on a stack of books so I don't lean in so much.
Squirrels are having a grand time digging in my flower pots--grrr. I bought generic pepper flakes and sprinkled that in the soil, and found the expired Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Salt Substitute that was at my Dad's, which we would never use, and poured that in another area. We shall see what deters them.
Lots of library books. Trying to keep the TV shut off more.
Yay, you are moved! And what a nice gesture, Kate! From those of us who aren't close enough to assist Kristen and family, thanks for stepping up.
1. I had frozen some raw milk a while back then forgot about it. I noticed it when re-doing my freezer, and determined to use it, but when I thawed it recently, the whey was separating out after being frozen so long. Luckily I remembered homemade cottage cheese - with some of the lemon juice from my tree and a minimal amount of work, I made delicious cottage cheese out of the milk instead of throwing it out.
2. I was able to shop for much less food this last week, since I had a decent amount of food in the freezer.
3. We had some humid, hot days when the nights stayed quite warm as well, so the A/C came on for a couple of days, but the nights have cooled off again, surprisingly. So for however long that will last I have the A/C turned off again. The no-A/C days are numbered, but I'm hanging on as long as I can.
4. I made another five-gallon bucket of homemade laundry soap, feeling grateful that it works for me.
5. I have harvested, dried and bottled marjoram, stevia and pineapple sage, re-using emptied spice bottles and bottles I collected at thrift stores.
@JD, I second what you've said re: "from those of us who aren't close enough to assist Kristen and family." I think Kristen would have more volunteer help than she knew what to do with if we all lived close enough. (And she certainly has a wonderful family!)
And I'm interested to see that you too dry herbs and reuse containers for them. Are you sure we didn't know each other in a previous life??
@A. Marie,
Ha,ha, I'm starting to think we must have! Re: your comment above, I have a copy of the BCP reprinted from the 1500's, a 1928 version, 1979, and now a 2019.
@JD, I recall that according to the late Virginia Cary Hudson (who was the author, with some posthumous assistance from her daughter, of "O Ye Jigs and Juleps!" and other books), the 1500s version included "A Prayer for Fools and Madmen." Was she right?
@A. Marie, I don't think so. John Kettlewell, devotional writer, wrote, "Death made comfortable, or, The way to dye well consisting of directions for an holy and an happy death : together with an office for the sick and for certain kinds of bodily illness, and for dying persons, and proper prayers upon the death of friends" with "A Prayer to be said by Friends, for Natural Fools or Madmen."
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A47293.0001.001/1:7.7?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
@A. Marie,
I'll just have to go with what Rose said, as I'd have to go pull out that copy of the BCP and check it, which means I'd have to remember to do that, and which I probably won't remember to do.
But of course, I do have a copy of "O Ye Jigs and Juleps." It's one of my favorites, first read many years ago.
@JD, I'm going with what Rose said as well, since VCH's book of adult devotional addresses, "Credos and Quips," isn't historically accurate on a few other points. But as a 10-year-old commenting on her world in "O Ye Jigs," she absolutely nailed it.
I tested positive for Covid and my insurance provided eight free at home antigen tests for my family. So far everyone is negative other than me. Fingers crossed.
My symptoms are upper respiratory and I am vaccinated so hoping to feel better soon.
Looking forward to your house pics. Stay strong. Change is so hard.
Ya! So happy you got moved. Yes, family is priceless.
I stocked up on some consumables at Big Lots since they had 20% off yesterday....might be through today, not sure.
Found some bargains at Ollie's.
Also yay that your semester is almost over and you can have a break.
That is a gorgeous bed frame! I´ve always wanted a sleigh bed! Beautiful. Your house looks very pretty, wood floors & the fireplace etc. I´ve been a reader for many years but don´t often comment, have been sad for you during this time in your life. I am so happy you´re getting your nursing degree.
That's all such great news! You'll have all your girls with you for the whole summer! Plus a free bed, a house, etc! What a wonderful way to start May.
I actually did some frugal things this week...
- I returned 2 books from my Kindle to Amazon. I bought them and then realized we HAD THEM.
- I used up some mushrooms in tacos we had the other night. They would not have survived many more days
- We took advantage of a "Western Slope" golf card that gives us discounted rates at several really nice courses.
- We're taking a road trip this week in our camper van and have all our snacks and meals with us. We did indulge in dinner out last night, but that meal left us with enough for lunch today too, AND it was at one of our very favorite pizza places/breweries, so it was worth it!
Glad you're finding stuff for your home. Glad the rain stopped to get the stuff moved.
My parents came to town for the end of school year festivities (they had some coupons to help with the last minute flights). They spoiled my kids so I didn't have to. Also, since they were very frugal so much of my growing years, now that they're (mostly) empty-nesters everything they do is much less frugal than it used to be, which makes me feel frugal with what I'm doing.
Beyond that: eating leftovers, planning ways to reduce wheat use in anticipation of rising prices, making meals at home; turning off my car in pick-up, drop-off lines for school as much as I can (it's hot here), getting books from my library etc.
Glad for family helping you move. We just moved several states away and only had our nephew help when we got to our new state. He was wonderful moving the heavy furniture upstairs! Look forward to hearing about your new home.
Went to Menard's on Sunday for a few things on our way home from a weekend party. They had an 11% rebate on everything as long as you used their form. It is filled out and waiting on a trip to the mailbox. We should be getting over $15. back, which is nice. And we didn't buy unnecessary items; just items we need to complete the new home.
Went away for the weekend, but remembered there was chili in the freezer for Sunday night dinner for when we got home. Was nice to just pop it in the microwave for dinner and not have to worry about what was for dinner after a tiring weekend. And the little that was left, my husband ate for lunch yesterday.
Got some refund checks that will be deposited soon.
Husband got 3 quotes on installing AC/Heat split units for our house. One had a 3 month timeline because of equipment. The other 2 were very comparable in price and could do the installation within a month, so he has to call one of them back. We also have a woodstove for the winter, so hopefully we won't be using the heat too much as electric heat is very expensive. It's mostly as a back-up system.
Good luck finishing up school.
Congratulations on your new home. I hope that you will have a peaceful time living there, for as long you live there.
1. I used my credit card rewards to get a gift card to the grocery store. We'll definitely use it!
2. I've been pretty consistent (though not 100%, which I'm trying to be fine with) about bringing my lunches to work and not buying treats or hot drinks. Better for my health, and cheaper, too.
3. We hosted a family party for a retiring relative and while it was expensive, we made the food ourselves, cleaned our apartment ourselves, and decorated with dollar-store streamers and flowers from the grocery store. We also gratefully accepted help! My aunt brought fruit and my brother bought the gifts for the retiree.
4. I went through my baby's dresser and took out the stuff that doesn't fit her to pass along to a relative.
5. We continue to enjoy walking in our neighbourhood as a free weekend activity. We live near a public garden and really enjoy seeing flowers bloom week after week. I feel strongly that usable, accessible, enjoyable public space is an important use of taxpayer money, and it's one of the advantages of living in a touristy area!
The bed looks so nice! And it must be so good to be done with the moving. Best wishes on your exams, Kristen.
Since my comment from last week just stood as pending, I’m recycling them since I was so happy with them 🙂
1. Since I don’t manage to keep up with the household chores due to fatigue a robot vacuum cleaner have been on the wishlist for several years. And now there is one on it’s way to us, thanks to getting a tax return. Also was an offer this weekend so I saved $120 from the normal price. And she clean the floors too! Now I’m just thinking about what old lady name I should give her 🙂
2. By chance I discovered that I could be eligible for a membership in The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille. Last week I applied and today I recieved an e-mail that membership is granted. I will save so much money onwards getting free audiobooks there.
3. I love the different ergonomic chairs from Varier and I had such luck on Finn - the Norwegian version of Craigslist. A new wooden base of the Variable kneeling chair for $50 including shipping. The complete chair sells for $500 and it will be easy for my partner and me to make the cushions with supplies we already have.
4. Finally managed to reserve two TGTG bags from our local grocer. And they were so good! Plenty of fruit and bread, plus oatmeal and cold cuts.
5. Eating from the freezer and pantry so bought only milk and produce in addition to the TGTG bags.
@Gunn from Northern Norway,
An old TV show from my childhood was "Hazel", about a family's maid of that name, and starring Shirley Booth. That would be my suggestion for your robot vac!
@JD, Rosey the Robot was the cleaning lady on the Jetsons.
@Rose,
Goodness, I'd forgotten the Jetsons' maid until you reminded me. That would be perfect, since she was a robot.
@JD, thanks! That reminded me of a lady from an old movie serie from Scandinavia. So the robot var is now Valborg 🙂
Your living room is lovely. Yay! for the bed, dresser and the family moving team.
I used about $4 in store coupons at the grocery store and $10 in rewards at Walgreens on some batteries and protein shakes. Could not think of a thing to make for my work lunches (I get burned out on brown-bagging occasionally), so I bought some heat-and-eat meal cups for $1 each and added some popcorn and fruit. Bought the less expensive Roma tomatoes to make tomato sandwiches with. They are just as flavorful to me and less drippy as well. Made a Penzey's Spices order the other day and received a free sample of Sandwich Sprinkle. It is definitely keeper and has elevated cheese and tomato sandwiches to gourmet status at my house. Dug around in my junk drawer for some little steel rings to put our dogs' new tags on their collars. The ones provided with the tags oxidize and leave gray marks on their neck fur. A well curated junk drawer always provides!
Congratulations! It will be good for you to be able to focus on you, your daughters and what you all need.
Got materials for daughter's school project for free. Received a $5 Michaels reward and my daughter needs a trifold display for a school project (As a kid, I used to just use a cut up box but the world is fancy now). The Michaels website said that only one Michaels in our area had them in stock so I ordered it for pickup and used a 20% off coupon, making it free. Bonus is that the Michaels is near the kids' school so I'll stop by on my way to picking them up. Same product was much more expensive at JoAnn, Walmart and Target.
Scaled back my iced tea habit to once a week.
Re-gifted a mug that my daughter had received in duplicate to create a cute mother's day display flower bouquet for my mom. It was a monogram mug and since they share the same first letter for their first name, it worked out great.
Started signing up for an online service with a discount code and then decided to see if any other codes existed. I had to use another a second email address but ended up saving 20% instead of just 10%.
Checked ebay before buying a Latin workbook from Amazon. Ended up paying half as much and hopefully cleared some clutter from some random ebayer's home.
Made homemade Mother’s Day cards instead of buying them at the store
Son’s Boy Scouts banquet had tons of leftover spaghetti so we took some home and repurposed that plus odds and ends from the fridge (leftover yolks from angelfood cake made last week), leftover veggies and made a spaghetti casserole bake that the kiddos really liked. Yay for saving food from the trash can.
Picked up a bunch of hours at work for time and a half, plus charge pay, plus weekend pay.
Went to a free county park for entertainment with the kiddos, got books from the library to read for more free entertainment
Have continued to avoid diet soda and drink herbal tea during the day instead.
Happy that you are moved in and your 'new' normal begins.
Hold on a minute….I was under the impression that cinnamon dolce was no longer available??
I kept not being able to find it last summer! But I have been able to order it lately.
I stopped over at a friend’s house today and we swapped plants. I brought her splits/babies from my Columbine, Packera Aurea, Liatris blazing star, and norther seaoats. She gave me, Caroline Milkvine, Tradescantia virginiana, and late boneset.
I also scooped up a few free tomatoes from another neighbor.
I gave away 7 black cherry saplings to another garden group member.
Yay free plants!
@Colleen, free plants are the best! And I feel it’s so cozy when watering to remember which friend I got them from 🙂
Hoping for many happy memories in your new home, Kristen!
1. Had the whole family for lunch on Mother’s Day. Used paper plates, napkins & plastic silverware that I already had.
2. Picked up two outdoor rockers for $30 each, which was 1/2 price. As a bonus, they match the slider I picked up last year.
3. Gifted my mom for Mothers Day a beautiful silk & cotton scarf I bought at a charity shop.
4. Bought cards & stationery at 1/2 off when the local Hallmark store was closing.
5. Eating up leftovers & making meals from what’s in the freezer.
That huge window certainly brightens up that room!
It has been snowing on and off the last two days, so the plants can't be wheeled out for sunshine and to harden them off in preparation for transplanting into the garden. Very frustrating.
We don't seem to be doing anything beyond the usual to save money, most of it centered around food. Using what we have so no waste, not spending money on exotic ingredients I will use once (instead googling for substitutes), eating all meals at home...boring but it adds up.
Kristen,
Let me know if you need any help with your nursing degree. I've been teaching nursing online for over 5 years.
Deb
I'm so glad the weather cooperated for your move and that you had free family help. Hang in there on the school front-almost done!
Frugal things:
1. I have been picking up great clearance produce at Kroger for 99 cents. It's definitely hit or miss, but when I checked today, there were 2 carts completely full! I got 3 romaine heads, about 3 pounds of grapes and 2 boxes of cherry tomatoes for $3!
2. I roasted some of last week's clearance carrots, onions and Brussels sprouts in my toaster oven and have been eating that over baked potatoes-so good!
3. I used this week's emailed CVS $4 ExtraBuck to get 2 large boxes of MultiGrain Cheerios and a travel size toothbrush/toothpaste pack and paid just $1.11.
4. I finally sold a pair of shoes that I wore once (daughter's wedding in 2018) on Marketplace. Clutter out, $ in.
5. Haven't turned on the A/C yet, but it's coming soon. Every day this week is supposed to be in the 90's. Trying to make it until the meter is read around the 15th.
Glad you got to move in to the new place! Looking forward to the pictures.
Even in the pic you shared above, I have never seen windows like that in a house (where the windows in the middle open like that). I assume you have central air there as I imagine you wouldn't be able to install window ACs in those? Anyway, I like how big they are...will let in lots of natural light I bet.
1. We camped over Mother's Day weekend with another family. We divide meal duties and each family provides one dinner. It's nice to have someone's cooking! It was pouring down rain and they didn't want to take the leftovers out in the mud and rain, so left it for us. I take left over cheese steak meat anytime!
2. Rearranged some of the loans that I have to consolidate down to a much easier amount to swallow!
3. I've fallen in love with Amazon's "try before you buy" service for clothing and shoes. I had the chance to try on different bras and realize that the $8 one was just fine for me. Now I need to find some new summer work tops. I have two coming from Amazon. As long as you promptly return the ones you are not keeping, you do not get charged.
4. On the same camping trip as mentioned above, everyone was heckling me for the multi - holiday themed disposable cups I have in the camper. I do not care what the cups/plates/napkins look like. We will use them and then throw them away. The majority of them are from a house auction. (probably some of the plates are over 30 years old!)
5. Continuing to take lunches and coffee to work.
Nothing terribly frugal to say but I am so happy that you are in your rental now. Please take time for yourself. We all understand and support you in this transitional time.
That’s so awesome about the bed! How did y’all make the connection? I’ve often wondered if you (or your kids!) get recognized in public
Congratulations on your new house and the bed is gorgeous.
My frugal 5:
1. Free energy saving kit from the electric company. Got 6 LED light bulbs, 3 nightlights and a massive power strip. I was so excited about that stuff.
2. Daughter gave me 4 scratch off lottery tickets for Mother's Day. I won $50 on one of them. So daughters investment of $20 turned into $50. Not a reason to gamble though.
3. I've been batching errands and taking my foot off the gas when going down hills. Today I drove 20 miles to my favorite oral surgeon and on the way home I stopped and got a milk shake, gas at Costco - what a line but it only took about 15 minutes to get gas and leave, Goodwill to drop off my donations and Walgreens to pick up my tooth meds.
4. Got my friend's granddaughter diapers from Walgreens that are Pampers and they are 2 for $20 with an additional $3 off coupon. I had a $5 register reward so it came out to $6/pack. I tried to do a toothpaste deal but I paid full price. I will NOT pay $3.99 for toothpaste! They are going back to the store.
5. Got 2 checks last week. One was for the $30 overpayment for a doctor's visit and the other was leftover money from stocks we own. The company that we own stock with got bought out and the money was was left after they switch the stocks over. Not enough money left to get another share.
Bonus: really just a whine. Gas prices here in NJ are up to $4.45 per gallon. NJ also banned plastic bags so now I don't know what I'll do for my small trash can liners. Asked my sister to bring up some from South Carolina, lol.
@Auntiali, I have amassed a large collection of plastic bags from curbside pick-up and wish I could send them to you, ha!
I've been listening to a lot of books on Hoopla. I download and listen to them mostly while I'm driving. I have at least a half hour in the car by myself each day (on the way home and on the way to school to pick up my daughter), and I listen at 1.4x so I get through a lot of books! I will not miss all the driving time once school is out for the summer but I'll miss the time by myself to listen to audio books.
I’m so glad the rain stopped and your move went well! Best wishes on your exams!
I scheduled my AC tuneup and the furnace for the same appointment to avoid paying two service fees.
I haven't started running the air conditioning yet. We have had some warm days but I am "suffering through" the warm afternoons because I know the temperature will drop in the evening and cool the house down.
I hosted my parents this weekend and my dad did a bunch of small home repairs and taught me how to do some of those things myself.
I meal planned to avoid takeout midweek.
That bed is really nice and a dresser also!! Truly a blessing…… so great to have a supportive family and friends. Very happy you and the kids are in your new place. ❤️
1) I helped a friend pack and brought home various odds and ends of food, tea, hot chocolate and few dishes.
2) Another neighbor gave me a pot of chives in exchange for some fiddleheads.
3) It was finally warm enough to hang our towels outside to dry. I know it's not for everyone, but for me, nothing smells better than line dried linens.
4) My husband discontinued our dental insurance through work. I will sign us up for cleanings at our local dental school. We were paying $80 a month, which was too much. with the rise in prices of everything else.
@Tricia,
Ahh, the smell of towels that have dried out in the sun! That’s soo nice 🙂
Wishing you the best as you are faithful in your studies, and as you start to settle in to your new home, Kristen.
My FFT:
1. Went to Texas Roadhouse with a gift card DH received last November. We’ve discovered that we like their grilled pork chops better than steak (seriously! So good). We split the double pork chop entree which comes with two sides, so for $15 plus tip we each have a full dinner. We still have enough on the gift card for one more date night, and since we almost never eat out this is definitely a treat.
2. Panera sent me a $5 coupon and I happened to be in the area, so I picked up two of my favorite orange scones and a free coffee (part of their Unlimited Sips, which I have free for 3 months) for a total of $1 OOP.
3. Picked up a free donut at the gas station through their rewards program.
4. We finally remembered to turn off the pilot light for our gas fireplace. It wasn’t frugal to have the AC on and also the pilot light, which puts out a surprising amount of heat (and gas is also expensive!).
5. We are participating in our city’s “No Mow May”-- you don’t mow your lawn for the month of May to let dandelions, violets etc. be available as food for pollinators. Our new house has violets and a nice purple flower all over in the backyard, which is lovely… and not mowing saves on time and gas. Double win!
@Lindsay B, what a great initiative from your city! Have never heard about it, but hopefully it’s a widespread thing. Just not here where it’s still snow, heh.
1. My doctor's office is rolling out a new technology for telemedicine. They payed me $50 to learn how to use it, which took me all of 10 minutes.
2. I needed an eye exam to renew my driver's license. I was due for an eye exam anyways and my health insurance covers one for free yearly. So, I scheduled and attended my eye exam this past Saturday.
3. I foraged for garlic mustard and wild garlic last week, which I used to make pesto. I used the pesto, some leftover homemade pizza dough, leftover olives, and artichokes to make an amazing pizza for for my luches this week. I also made more dandelion jelly using dandelions from my yard. I have been using it in my morning chai tea, which I got off Buy Nothing. Next I will try creeping charlie tea!
4. It's hospital week at my job. I entered a competition and won tickets to a jazz concert. My husband and I already had a date planned for this Saturday, so it worked out nicely. The tickets are $60 each!
5. On Saturday, I took my kids to the museum we have a membership to. I brought water and lunch with us. Later that evening, we went to our neighborhood cafe for a free art event they were having. It included snacks, a campfire, outdoor games, and s'mores. We purchased coffees, but overall a very nice evening for a small cost.
@Corrine Wilson, I'm just finding garlic mustard here in WI and am excited to try using it! It's invasive here, so it seems like an extra good deed to help slow it from spreading. Any recipes/suggestions would be awesome!
@Lindsay B, awesome!! I just used the garlic mustard like I would basil to make the pesto. I don't really follow a recipe, but it would probably be 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup almonds, 1/2 cup olive oil (add more for consistency), 2 cups garlic mustard leaves, 1 clove garlic (I used a big bunch of wild garlic leaves). Tastes fantastic! Good luck.
@Corrine Wilson, kudos to you for using garlic mustard and dandelions (neither of which I've managed to develop a taste for). But I've got a wild garlic patch near me (I keep its location secret!) that I'll be harvesting soon. And my annual ode to lamb's quarters and purslane will be coming shortly.
WooHoo home!
1. Got in free to some bluegrass concerts.
2. Vender gave me free frozen lemonade.
3.old gluten free standby using brown rice tortillas to make pizzas. Throw on rotisserie chicken or sausage or any veg's, or most anything. Cheap and easy and I like.
4.this week's cheap snacks: apples, popcorn, almond butter with chocolate chips.
5.I give someone a ride to work and they gave me gas money.$$.
I wish I lived closer as I have changed things up furniture wise and perhaps you could use different items.
Wondering if you still need any furniture and if so are there any blog readers in Maryland who could gift you items that they no longer need?
So glad you have the move behind you! And how lovely Lisey will be spending the summer with you.
Here the usual frugal activities in cooking (waste not want not) and some fabric mending. Plus we are trying to adapt our mortgage interest percentage. Between what we paid off and the house price increase, we might be eligible for lower interest. The monthly difference could then be used for clothes/bags/custom jewelry. Just kidding! We intend to use that also for additional mortgage payments.
Congratulations on your move! The bed is beautiful! And a big Yea to the frugal community for helping out! You have a lot on your plate. Praying for strength and clarity of thought for you.
I'm so happy that you are in your new place.
Here's what I did this week:
1. I cooked all of our meals at home. Or my husband did, when I was working extra.
2. I mended more pants. My oldest managed to rip the last patch out after 1 wear. Sigh.
3. I saved a couple leftover oranges from last week's teacher appreciation breakfast and ate them this week. I also grabbed a few treats leftover from post-AP testing parties.
4. I wore my same outfit again for a banquet.
5. I used the Libby app to get an audiobook using my library card.
6. I went through boxes of clothes to find the next size for my littlest.
1) Yesterday I batched errands. I had to be way out of the city, so after that appointment I did all the errands that had been piling up between where the appointment was and my house.
2) One of my errands was to drop off consignment. Full price for even consignment at this store is a little high for me, but I always look for things in my kids' sizes. I found a pair gold jellies for our daughter at a good price. I paid for the shoes with store credit from my last batch of consigned kids' clothes, and my daughter loved them so much she slept with them. LOL
3) Our family has a busy summer planned that will involve different clothes for each kid. Our daughter has her first dance classes (requiring dance clothes) and a summer camp where she will swim every day (requiring more than the usual one swim suit). We're taking formal family photos. The boys are going with us to my graduation and a wedding later in the summer. I shopped their closets first, then ordered some things off of thredup. After shopping Goodwill and Thredup so long I just cannot imagine paying the price of new clothes.
4) I am traveling for work this academic year, so odds and ends of things have accumulated in the freezer and pantry. Now that the semester is over I have started planning meals that will use up all this "free" food.
5) I have a job offer for next year that is fantastic for my career, but financially tough for our family to swing. I am negotiating with my current university to find a way that we can mutually benefit from doing a hybrid thing that will save me from taking a big financial hit. I could easily just leave my university and save myself from having to be confrontational. But being willing to push and negotiate might be a big win for me. (And prepare me to more effectively negotiate in the future because being open to negotiation, even in academia, can make a big difference financially in the long run.)
@Amanda, Best wishes for your negotiations! I hope you can work out some valuable to all, thinking-outside-the-box plan! (which is not something that academic institutions embrace, I suspect. They are often short-sighted because they are short-term budgeted and don't always take the long view).
Congrats on the new home! I do love to move into a new place. It reminds me of setting up my dollhouse again and again as a little girl.
My older daughter has COVID, there was quite a bit of spread at her prom. I'm not surprised and I'm glad she went and had a wonderful night.
Just the regular frugal stuff happening here....
1. Using food from the pantry and the fridge and making meals that use less meat.
2. Traded with my neighbor...I give her my finished magazines and this time, she helped me with some sewing. She has a very good sewing machine, much better than mine, and is more skilled.
3. Used up some paint for a small project. I think this paint was from when I painted a bookshelf many years ago, but it was still good and enough left for the small job.
When did you start this blog?
I remember reading it when you were in HS or College!
Jony
Kristen! I'm so glad that you and your girls are safe and in a new, clean home. I'm sorry that there's been a rough path to get there. I love the curtains you have. I just saw a great thing on instagram about putting toiletpaper tubes between the folds of that style of curtain to make them look fancier/more decorator-y. I wonder if it works! (I don't have that style.)
My 5 frugals:
* Cancelled a 3 days trip with hubby. We were going away just for the activities, so might as well save the gas money and the Airbnb money and do stuff closer to home.
* Investing in good (expensive) shoes. Why is this frugal? I`m hoping it`s preventing foot issues, which cost money to treat.
* Cutting groceries cost by using rewards points for free groceries, doing price matchs, buying from Flashfood, getting food from the discount rack, reducing meat consumption, buying whatever fruits and veggies are on sale that week, looking out for prices errors and getting the item for free, stocking on sale items, etc. Food prices are so freaking expensive in Canada!
* Health insurance covering DD autism evaluation
* My decision to go back to school at 41 to get a degree in social work. My school fees will be covered by bursaries, and I will still be able to work my current job when not in school, so this project should not be too damaging financially. And in 3 to 5 years I'll have a job that I really like and (hopefully) make more money, and I will not have to retire at 55 because I can't do my job anymore, which was the plan with my current (physical) job.
Dear Kristen,
This is a lovely start to a peaceful summer with your girls. So many accomplishments in the last month—personal, professional, furniture rehab, and family closeness—will go a long way toward filling your thankfulness basket!
Made crackers and hot sauce from scratch rather than buying.
Hand made gifts and greeting cards.
Still doing pantry challenge, have only spent $9.37 in the last week.
Got a fabulous new book, "Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines," from PaperbackSwap!
Had trimmed the top off the Tomato plant (it was getting leggy), and rooted it in water. Two-for-one!