Five Frugal Things | And the bear says hello
This bear that Sonia made has nothing to do with today's post.
But he's really cute, and I thought he might improve your day. 😉
1. We got a family discount on orthodontics.
Is there a lot about orthodontics that is frugal? Not really!
But Lisey is going to the same orthodontist that Zoe is, which means we got the $300 discount for subsequent family members.
And since we knew orthodontics were going to happen this year, we made sure to select the appropriate dental plan during open enrollment last year.
So, we're doing our best to be smart about something that's unavoidably expensive.
2. I used points for a free milkshake.
Zoe got her spacers out and her braces on this week, so she's in the rough period of adjusting to the braces.
I know she'll get used to eating with the braces, and I know the pain will get better too, but for now it's pretty rough.
She did her best to eat some dinner the first night, but it was hard.
So, we went out to pick her up a Chick-Fil-A milkshake after dinner, and I redeemed my points through the app for a freebie.
3. I helped Zoe buy a $30 skateboard.
She has a secondhand longboard, but she's been wanting to learn how to do tricks, and you need a skateboard for that.
New was out of her budget, but she found a good deal on a used one on Facebook marketplace, so I took her out to pick it up yesterday.
4. I bought marked-down milk.
This will come in very handy because I plan to make some pudding for miss Zoe.
(ALLLLL the soft foods right now!)
5. I made muffins with my huge carrots.
Hungry Harvest sent me some ginormous carrots last time, so I shredded some up to make some carrot cake muffins.
I used this recipe, sans the cream cheese frosting because keeping them unfrosted allows me to maintain that they are indeed muffins, not cupcakes.
Ergo, they are a snack, not dessert.
The family plan was one of the reasons we chose our Orthodontist! We received $500 off for each additional child after #1...
Not too much happening here besides being in a holding pattern... lol
*I grabbed a few deals at our local grocery store while waiting for Fathers Day (on Monday) Chinese to be cooked down the plaza... Was able to stack a few higher end hair products I had good coupons for with a store coupon on hair products.. and it made then average $1.99 a bottle!
*Bought some granola bars that were on a great sale with a few coupons... making them cheaper than buying at Aldi!
*Took a free online course for work.. finishing my hours for the year!
*used my Old Navy CC for some (larger)necessary purchases so that I earn the clothing points for future purchases!
1. Took our 18-yr-old van for inspection and the mechanic called and asked us to come by and check out something before he started work, which felt ominous. Turns out it's about a $400 problem, but that's still a lot cheaper than what we'd pay for any used car!
2. Asked my husband to finally get rid of a bunch of old dehumidifiers in the basement and get a part for the one we are using. Turns out 3 of them were recalled and we will be getting several hundred dollars from the manufacturers! I'd checked them all when a recall was issued a few years ago, but didn't realize more models were added. Thankful for the money, but more thankful the dehumidifiers never caught fire!
3. Switched back from eating cold cereal for breakfast to oatmeal. Cheaper, fewer calories, no sugar, less waste - a win all around.
4. Purging every nook and cranny in my house. Yesterday I hit the high kitchen cabinets I can't get to without a ladder and took out a bunch of stuff, but saved things that will be useful when my kids get their first apartments in a couple years. I'll be putting them together in a clear box so we can actually find them when the time comes!
5. As always, cooking at home forever and always.
Oh wow, the humidifier refunds are a great surprise!
My husband just keeps walking into a room and saying, "I'm really chuffed about those dehumidifiers." 🙂
I love the word "chuffed." It isn't common in the States. I've seen it a few other times in frugal posts of celebration.
I don’t have 5 frugal things, but my husband used to tease our daughter that his boat is in her mouth. And years later she still has beautiful teeth. So I totally agree with orthodontists, just so expensive! But totally worth it.
I bought a shelving unit off FB Marketplace and it only cost me $60. It’s from Pier 1, so I know it was over $100. brand new - maybe even closer to $200. It’s a small wooden and metal shelf that fits perfectly where I wanted. I even was able to remove 1 shelf so I could use the bottom shelf for the dog’s water bowls.
I bought a t-shirt for $2.98 at Michael’s and had the vinyl to make a birthday shirt for my niece. It was more expensive to ship it!
And I’m working on some Dollar Tree crafts that I have seen on line. I think I’ve spent $4.00 already. I have most of the stuff here at home already.
We did not have a frugal week.
1. Orthodontia emergency. 1338 dollars. Guess what? If my son was 18, it would have been covered. He is almost 20... not covered. ZILCH
2. I am paying orthodontia emergency if full so saving 5 percent.
3. Riding my bike for exercise. Free
4. Grocery shopped at ALDI
5. ♀️
Ohhh, that's so frustrating that he's not covered!
But good job paying it in full.
Thx! Arg. I was crabby all day yesterday but have now worked thru it. Today I am thankful it is nothing truly serious or life threatening.
Oooh ouch! I remember getting my braces in. Please assure Sonia that the first time they go in is the worst; getting them adjusted afterwards is sore, but not nearly as bad.
1. I'm tracking our meat and fish intake for six months. I'm interested in buying a quarter of beef, but we're only two people, so I don't know if it's justified. I'd love to hear about others' experience with it!
2. I'm stocking our freezer with some homemade quick meals to use when I start work in July. This week, I made veggie broth and some chicken wontons.
3. I bought a plain metal canteen for carrying water to work. It's bright purple, so I won't lose it! I also vow to only ever put water and green tea in it, as my old (bad) habit of putting milky tea in travel mugs always made the silicone stink.
4. I was content. My husband and I recently married and had only a bare-bones pandemic wedding instead of the bigger event we'd planned. A dear friend of my husband's offered to buy us a gift, and my husband and I looked around our apartment and realized that there's really nothing we want. For now, we're only missing little things like a box grater, some good kitchen shears, and glass food storage containers.
5. I bought a book to learn piano. On the good advice of the Frugal Girl, I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival of Alfred's Basic All-In-One Course for Adults!
Oh, that's really good to know. Zoe's the one who has fresh braces, and since she's the fourth kid, I usually am experienced in whatever happens to her. But she's the first kid in our family to get braces, and I never had braces, so I have no idea what to tell her to expect!
I will pass on the good news to her.
Sonia does lovely work!
I can't bring myself to buy milk anywhere but Aldi or Lidl. I pay much less than your marked down milk at those stores; I'm so bad that I'd rather go without milk than pay more. 😉
Oh wow, milk at your Aldi is less than $2? Ours is pretty much never $2 or less.
$1.43. It's been as low as $1.25/gal.
Our FFT
1. Long story but we had three cars and two drivers. Both of us WFH now so...we had talked about selling one but hadn’t gotten around to it yet Fate decided that a car accident would solve the problem. No one was hurt, the car we would have gotten rid of was totaled. Decision was made for us and we got more $ back from insurance than if we had sold the car.
2. Borrowed a rototiller to expand our garden/flower bed and filled it with free and super marked down plants.
3. We w@nted a small pool but they are are rare as TP right now and super expensive. I barred with a friend. I colored her hair and she gave us a pool they have no room for.
4. We’ve been able to pick all the lettuce we want from local community garden
5. Wanted to line a living room wall with bookcases. Found exactly what I wanted on FB. Solid wood bookcases from an old law library. 7 feet high, $50 each. Bought three and totally love the new look.
And thanks for sharing the bear. It made me smile!
So sorry about the car accident, but yay for a decision being taken out of your hands. Sometimes it's nice to not have to decide on your own.
Enjoy your pool on these hot days!
The pool thing here in metro Boston is RIDICULOUS! My daughter bought a blow up pool at Christmas Tree Shops for $24 and people are advertising them for $100 on Facebook Mkt. We had been looking for a used one and saw a nice Little Tykes one on Craigslist for $150 and it ended up selling for $300!!
Awww, we got our son a milkshake after every braces adjustment. I'll be sure to ask about a family discount when our next child is ready for braces.
Every little bit helps. I hope your ortho offers a discount!
I never comment, but I really should. And today.. the bear just made me smile! He’s adorable! Thank you for sharing. And thank you for your blog... I’ve been following for probably 10years now (time flies). It inspires me and informs me. You are a great blogger and seem like a wonderful person. God bless.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really, really appreciate it, and I'm so happy that my blog has blessed you.
1- Suspended my parking permit at work until October 1st. So every day I choose to bike to work, I'll save 5$ on parking fees + a little bit of gas
2- Since the whole Covid situation we almost stopped everything entertainment related outside of the house, and stopped having people over. We are now used to it and enjoying the slower/relax pace (still both working full time, with 2 kids in school, so still busy enough). This saved energy and money.
3- I get only one vacation week this summer (bummer!). The kids will be at grandma's for a special visit (only cost will be the gaz to bring them there - 12 hours drive). Hubby and I will stay quietly at home, doing free or cheap activities. Then hubby and the kids will spend the rest of the summer chilling at home (the kids. Hubby still has to work). Cheap and relaxed, I love it!
4- The kids are going to summer day camp for 5 weeks this summer. Choosing the city run one over private camps is lowering the cost a lot : 45$per week, per kid. (instead of 150$-200$ per week, per kid)
5- Using an app called "FlashFood" that let's me buy almost pass sell-by date food at 50% off. I always buy my yogourt throught it, some breads, some meats, etc. Good deals!
Oh, I've never heard of that app. I'm going to go look it up!
update: looks like it's only in Georgia for the U.S. Bummer! I hope it expands up to my area.
I'm in Canada
I was fortunate to win a free share in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm for the summer and so I would not call it an "achievement" (all I did was put my name in a drawing and then got lucky) I am trying to make the most of the overabundance of veggies because it was wayyyyy too much for a single person to eat fresh in a single week. So, this week I made zucchini and froze bread, chopped up the garlic scapes into a stir fry, banched and froze brocolli for later use, and made and froze spinach balls. I am also delighted to be able to share some with a friend when we get together for "social distance hiking" (staying 6 feet away from each other on the trail). Unrelated to veggies, I paid off another credit card (just one left) and used up some cream by making butter and using the leftover "buttermilk" to make pancakes this morning.
Ruth,
Congratulations on paying off your credit card.
I too have a friend that I "socially distance hike" with.
Our daughter went to the orthodontist yesterday to pick out her retainer, and next week she gets her braces off!! It’ll be so nice not to have that monthly payment anymore. I can’t wait to see my daughter’s new smile! Hang in there, Zoe!!
1. We feed our pet cat and also a feral. They both are picky about foods. By switching some varieties back and forth we have been able to use up everything we bought and not give any of it away.
2. I work at a food bank once a week. We are given massive amounts of bread and give out massive amounts, but there is always a lot left that goes bad. We volunteers are encouraged to take a loaf home that would end up in a dumpster. (We also give leftovers to people raising cows.)
3. Just before the pandemic started my hubby cashed in some leftover airline points that we were never going to use. We got a ton of restaurant gift cards and will use one this weekend to celebrate a granddaughter's birthday.
4. We checked the price of cat's medication at chewy.com. It was half the price of the vet, so a change was in order.
5. I read about an unscented hair spray that I wanted to try, but it was much more expensive than the cheap stuff I usually buy. However, Amazon had given me a ten dollar credit for buying something else (don't know why), so after applying that the hair spray was down into my cheap zone.
Thank you again for your encouragement - this blog is truly a bright spot in my day.
1. We had to get new tires for the car, but we did get a set that was on sale AND I found a coupon for an additional 10% off, which the company honored. I was extremely happy.
2. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with the health insurance company, but was able to get a $303 claim reduced to $60 because it had been billed incorrectly.
3. I planted my produce scraps in the hope of getting a small second harvest. I've regrown things like green onions before, but I'm attempting to expand.
4. We avoided eating out or getting fast food this week.
5. I listed more items on Poshmark.
1. Bought a mosquito net at Hollar online for elderly neighbor as Birthday gift. Less than five dollars. 2. Got Publix delivery ...some 2 for ones and saves me energy. Got ingredients for stuffed zucchini and for chicken breast wrapped in bacon. Will divide and freeze. 3. Cut down a bush by myself sitting in a chair with clippers. 4. Bought old snapshots at thrifty to send to artist friend to use in collage. 5. Tied fabric around old pillows to make them look better. 6. Made peach cobbler
That bear is adorable (and it did make me smile)!!!
1. I have made the choice to wear my glasses for the last 3.5 months instead of my daily wear contact lenses. The orders are usually a 90 day supply so I've saved!
2. I air fried a bag of brussel sprouts yesterday that were past the best by date. While letting them sit in the refrigerator untouched for weeks on end isn't frugal, trimming them all and preparing them when I really didn't feel like it is. Also moved my extra spinach into the freezer for smoothies instead of letting it get too wet and slimy.
3. We had planned on hiring an instructor but due to COVID, my husband is teaching our daughter how to play the piano. We're saving on lessons and she's doing really well.
4. I ate in for all my meals this week.
5. I think our solar panels have now paid for themselves in savings! This month we only paid fees to the electric company, no solar usage.
While trimming the brussel sprouts, I was thinking it's time to try composting again, especially since we're actually having some success with our garden this year. Kristen, do you still compost? Any tips? I vaguely remember you having a "compost boy" at your home who has since grown up!
My response to the bear....I said WHAT....... so cute!
Just a braces tip not many people I've talked to know: iced water (or any other very cold liquid) will temporarily soften the memory wire they use in braces, so it helps a lot with the discomfort right after an adjustment.
1. Working hard on following the weather patterns, so we can have the house open when it is cool and not humid, and doing laundry when I can hang it outside to dry.
2. Potted parsley and green onions from seed are big enough to eat.
3. Library reopened! with lots of Covid-preventions. Looking forward to just browsing the shelves again with real books to touch. Yard sale season restarted! with widely varying protections at individual sales. I am trying very very hard to not bring excess junk into my home.
4. With mostly-retirement and then self-quarantine, my husband and I haven't worn any"dress-up" clothing for months, maybe even years. It's frugal-good I like fairly classic styles, so it will look right when I do have to some day appear professional or proper. For around-the-house, I have tried to pare down the wardrobe to clothing that fits well and is sort of cheerful. And my weight is trending down, not up.
5. Appreciated your last post on content and discontent, and the thoughtful discussions that followed!
Totally jealous you can go into a library. We put a ton of books on hold and can only pick them up off a table outside the library door. I want to browse the racks, not my computer!!! And greet our friendly library helpers in person. With you on the dressy clothing, too. First time putting on a dress in 5 months, to go to REAL church, not virtual. Shorts and sweats are getting old.
Barb, have you considered sending a note of appreciation to your library staff? Some of my friends work in libraries, and the shut-downs have been hard on them, too -- especially the tech support people who have to keep all the databases, computer servers, and electronic resources running. Your library helpers might enjoy hearing how thankful you are for their service!
What an adorable bear! Great job, Sonia! Those muffins look really good. I have to make them! I've been making lemon blueberry ones but yours look so deelish...
Here's my Fab Frugal Five:
1) Oldest had braces, refused to wear the retainer and well, wants everything straight again. We thought we didn't have ortho insurance. But we did! Invisalign ended up being 54% cheaper than we thought! Our oldest works and will be footing this bill, since we initially paid for braces. Savings- $3,200
2)I got a prescription for a chronic illness and the price dropped by 70% ! And it's a name brand.... Savings- $21
3) I signed up for a warehouse membership. We ended up paying only $10 for it since they gave us gift cards for a purchase..... Savings- $35
4) My sis asked for a brooch/pin for her birthday. Ebay to the rescue...I wasn't sure her taste but went with a enchanted sea theme. I got her a mermaid pin and a fancy sand castle pin....She lives in Florida and I thought it would fit well with her job (she showcases new homes) and location.
5)Youngest broke part of his glasses. We're going to a new optical place where our former techs have taken new jobs. We're happy to see them and we were told to just bring the glasses in. If new frames are needed, we have enough in the optical acct to cover it..... Savings- up to $240
1) I have a dentistry-related frugal thing as well. Because of our terrible insurance (it's just the free add-on to our medical plan) we have budgeted $1K a year for the last few years for our kids's dental cleaning and possible cavities. This year we are on a new insurance and the cleanings were 100% covered. And we had no cavities!
2) I am finishing a dissertation and have been hamstrung without access to libraries this spring and summer. I have been able to put off buying, but I really can't write without books. My university library opened up for contact-less pickup last week. So I spent a few days ordering all the books I could think of I might need in the foreseeable future (is there anything foreseeable about the future right now?!). The boys and I made a morning of it, driving the hour to my university to pick up books and taking advantage of a great bike riding trail close by while we were in town. We packed a picnic lunch so we weren't tempted with fast food. It was a hot but lovely morning. Bringing all those books home was so good for my soul.
3) I've been hanging clothes on the line on sunny days.
4) My husband and I Friday skipped the support-local-resturants-Friday-night pickup that we started at the beginning of the pandemic. Instead we picked up pizza for Father's Day from a local spot.
5) Our school system is offering a free camp at home this summer. We had a fine, not great, experience with virtual learning this spring. But I am pleasantly surprised at the structure and activities that are planned for this camp at home thing. I hope it will help make up for some of the learning they missed out on in the spring and will give us a good idea of what virtual school might look like if things shut back down in the fall. And all for free!
Best wishes on your dissertation!
1. I picked up packaged, boutique soaps (I will give them as gifts), carrots and green beans, clothes for my son, brand new Legos for my son (I will give as a Christmas gift), and shoes for my son for next year all off Buy Nothing. Buy Nothing saves us so much money!
2. The wooden pole on our patio umbrella rotted and broke. My husband fixed it for us for $8 by using a shovel handle.
3. I scheduled my annual physical with my PCP. There is no co-pay for this and is preventive.
4 . Took 3 hours of free CEU's in order to maintain my state professional license.
5. My immediate family went to the beach to celebrate my son's kindergarten graduation. We cooked out, swam, and played in the sand. Much cheaper than a graduation party!
Frugal fail: My husband typically cuts my hair, but he only knows how to do one style. I asked him to do something else this time and it did not go well. So, I had to spend $25 on a hair cut and tip
I spent a few hours over the weekend doing food prep and "rescue." I froze overripe bananas and strawberries to use for smoothies; I pureed aging grapes and watermelon cubes together and made popsicles from the puree; I washed and prepped a fresh watermelon, a cantaloupe, and a bunch of grapes, and stashed them in containers in the fridge, ready to eat. The more washing / prepping / transforming / freezing I do, the more produce my family eats and the less we waste.
The kids and I visited a lakeside county park near my mother-in-law's house last Saturday. This particular lake is unusual for our area: it has a gravel/sand bottom, very few weeds, and turquoise-blue water (most inland lakes around here are very mucky and weedy). We had a refreshing barefoot wade and made plans to come back again with our swimsuits and towels. This park doesn't charge an entry fee.
That bear certainly brightened my day! I love him!
I wore braces and both of my kids wore them. They can definitely hurt.
1. I had finished with a banking product survey and was mourning the loss of the $50 grocery store gift cards, of which I got two, one for each of the two phases of the survey. I perked right up though when I found out I qualified for a home taste test, and I got, guess what, my choice of $50 gift cards, one of which was to my usual grocery chain! So, I've saved $150 on groceries in the past three months. I may not get this lucky again in years, but I'm loving it for now. The frugal part of that is that I chose to use the cards for groceries, not clothes I didn't need, or luxury items.
2. I used $22 in Swagbucks to buy a $25 Amazon card, which then paid for a birthday present.
3. I drooled over some lovely things in a catalog, then threw it away without buying. I don't need any of those things right now.
4. My tiny local newspaper always has a page or two of mainly useless coupons that I usually ignore, but I snagged one this time for $2.50 off of a denture cleaner that I use to clean my retainer. Note -- as we get older our teeth can shift again, especially if we quit wearing a retainer as a young adult. In my case, I had to start wearing a retainer at night at age 50+, to keep the bottom front teeth reasonably straight. Wear those retainers after your braces, kids!
5. I am packing for a short trip, hooray!, and doing some light housework tonight, and the temptation to just pick up something for us to eat tonight was strong. Instead, I dug some frozen planned leftovers out of the freezer and we'll have that tonight, with very little effort.
Just had to say, I got those enormous carrots from Hungry Harvest too! They were bigger than my arm. I thought they might not taste great and that I'd have to roast them or something hot like that, but when I cut them into chips we just ate them - they were actually very sweet and tasty even raw.
Also, if it's still going - Sam's Club had a special where you get the whole $45 membership fee back, so basically free membership for a year. We typically don't need the big bulk amounts, but it seems handy at the moment, and I think they also have good deals on tires/tire service, which we'll need this year.
1. I batched-cooked a bunch of stuff for us and extra for 2 recovering from hospitalizations.
2. "Shopped" online and didn't buy anything.
3. Bought a beautiful 8 x 10 rug on marketplace for $50 for granddaughters new townhome.
4. Went to Goodwill with a bunch of purged stuff.
5. Found Queen sized sheets for son for very reduced price.
Frugals of the week:
1. Got a couple of brand new release books for FREE on the day they were released, on my Cloud Library account,to read on my kindle app!!!!!
2. Using the treadmill we invested in, a few years back. (It was a birthday present, we bought a high quality treadmill which retails at $2000 for only $200 and the family DELIVERED and set up up for us!! (It was their “spare “ that they had in a summer cabin,when they sold the cabin they needed to get rid of it..!!) I am one of those people who actually ENJOY working out on a treadmill..I watch inspirational or informational youtube’s... no gyms for me,ever!! I also use free youtube exercise videos to work out.Fun!
3. Using up the freezer.. it is pretty over stocked from my initial covid panic buying!
4. Eating EVERY MORSEL of leftovers.NO food waste.I had leftover brussels sprout with my eggs this morning!!LOL!
5. My husband watched umpteen youtubes to try to figure out how to fix our R.O. water system under the sink.Still not sure if this is frugal or not, he is still working on it this morning!! Fingers crossed, he is pretty handy!
1. Getting some coats together to take to Salvation Army and in the pockets found 2 combs, a toothbrush (?!), and a $150 gift card to Omaha Meats. Neither the husband nor I can figure out when we got it or who gave it to us but we immediately used it.
2. Garden is starting to produce a bit. Honeyberries, rhubarb, tomatoes, cukes and scallions so far. Between that and the freezer and cupboard (and Omaha Meats), milk and cheese seem to be the only things we need. I love it when the garden starts paying for itself.
3. Sold three books on Amazon.
4. My grandfather was an amber carver and I had a lot of pieces of amber in raw and jewelry form, all of which he brought over when he came to the US. I only ever wore one ring, the rest of it was not to my taste and I am not a very sentimental person so I finally started selling the rest, after about 30 years of carting it from place to place. I made over $5,000 in total from the raw pieces and about two grand more for some necklaces. I wish I had sold it when we were so desperate for funds, early in our marriage, that we ate popcorn for dinner many nights. I still have a few more pieces to go.
5. The last time we had a hard earthquake tremor, our main bookcase fell apart. I have been whining about it ever since. Last weekend my husband presented me with a bookcase he had made out of driftwood we collected years ago when we spent half a year living on an island in the Pacific Northwest, dragging it home with us and storing it in our shed. The pieces were huge and all twisted and gnarled and the bookcase is a masterpiece. He has done fine woodworking as a hobby but not for a few years, so this was totally unexpected; I thought he was putting shelves up in the new shed and wondered why he was so slow about it when in fact he was constructing this. I wish I could show a picture, it is that gorgeous. Saved us money, too, since we didn't have to buy one.
Oooh, I want to see a photo of the bookshelf! Can you email one to me, and I can post it?
What a sweet gift!
I'd love to see the bookcase too! And well done on selling the amber!
1. I worked on a big special order of cards for my Etsy shop. Frugal because it uses up my scraps from bigger projects.
2. Gave away a light that we removed from our kitchen.
3. Sold a rug on facebook marketplace yesterday.
4. I ate free blueberries at the garden where I volunteer. I received a zucchini that had broken.
5. We made veggie soup with chicken broth from cooking whole chicken in instapot. We have eaten it for dinner 3 nights.
Sonia's bear is REALLY cute. Thank you for sharing.
1. The library opened for curb side pick up. I picked up several items yesterday. It was a quick and painless process.
2. I continue to cut fruit (cantaloupes, watermelon, and pineapples) to have a lot of cheap per pound fruit on hand. I have also bought cherries which my husband loves (and they are not cheap but we are not eating out).
3. I am buying gift cards at Sam's Club, for future use, to try to maximize my Discover 5% cash back bonus this quarter.
Also, I applied for the Citi Double Cash Back credit card. We had been using a Southwest card but neither the points nor the annual perks make it worth paying for the card let alone accumulating more points right now. We have a bunch of points and travel funds that we can use in the future. How quickly life changed.
4.. Since we are mostly Staying Home entertainment has been gathering with others outdoors (while wearing a mask) to walk, talk, knit, etc. We're not aiming for free entertainment but that seems to be what we have.
5. De-cluttered the house by giving away a bunch of stuff using Freecycle.
6 (bonus). We had a bunch of brush that needs to be disposed of. A guy I had used before wanted to rent me a dumpster for an outrageous amount of money. Since that involved my labor anyway, I cut and bagged one of the three piles and the bags were hauled away when the county did yard waste pick-up (a service funded by our property taxes). My husband convinced me to order a wood chipper/shredder to help deal with the rest of the brush. It was a fraction of the cost of the dumpster and we'll get "mulch" out of the deal.
I actually found it therapeutic to chop up branches the other day when I was feeling frustrated by the limitations on life right now. It was satisfying to conquer the pile and I felt stronger afterwards (not sore as I would have expected).
I had to share my daughter's braces story from a group that could commiserate! Both my girls needed 2 rounds of braces, sort of age 8 and age 12-ish, because of extremely small jaws. Oldest needed significant speech therapy before getting braces because of tongue thrust. This involved 4 years of therapy, including swallowing retraining where she had to chew her food and collect it on the place on her tongue that she was supposed to, and then SHOWING us the lump of chewed food there. Then swallowing with her tongue placed correctly. It was pretty brutal. So once that was solved and she got her final set of braces, I really felt I had paid my dues.
Enter youngest daughter. Same exact small jaw. 8 baby teeth and 8 permanent teeth pulled over about 8 years. One permanent tooth stuck in a cyst below the gum in her jaw bone needed surgery to open cyst and attach a chain to the tooth and drag it up (veeeeeeery slooooowly or the tooth dies). And same tooth on the top jaw was coming in 2 teeth over from where it was supposed to be. Another surgery to attach a chain to that, still up above the other teeth and under the gum. Then drag that tooth over very slowly or it dies. Quite fascinating to see that lump under her gums moving across. And the great excitement when it finally broke through. Never a more anticipated tooth than that one. She now has a beautiful (and expensive!) smile. We didn't do it for the look though, it was all just to have teeth!
Don't you think I've paid my dues in the braces department? And I am the queen of soft food. I have served it for months on end while some of this work was done.
You (and your daughters) are definitely royalty - congratulations on getting through that!
Oh my goodness, what an ordeal both of your girls have been through!
And yes, I bet you are an absolute expert on soft foods. Any tips for me?
I have been teased mercilessly about putting a full turkey dinner in the blender for on of them! (I can’t remember which one). Obviously blended anything is good. Straws are hard, so order milkshake with a spoon. We had a ritual that each trip to the orthodontist was followed by a milkshake. My younger daughter’s orthodontist actually had an ice cream freezer in the lobby and the patients got to pick one when they were done.
Calorie dense foods are great-cream in mashed potatoes, full fat milk or coconut cream in smoothie. Mashed avocado. I took my girls to the store and just browsed the aisles with them. I let them choose whatever sounded good. To this day neither girl will eat a bowl of soup-they’ve had their full. And our son (who did not need one dental or orthodontic procedure ever!!!) ate up any foods the girls had chosen but didn’t like.
Advil before does help.
THeres also floss that is cut into individual lengths and has a waxed tip sort of like the end of a shoelace and both my girls used those. They come in a box like tissues to, with a hole at the top you pull from (only smaller)
Poor dental hygiene during braces can lead to significant decay later. One friend of our older daughter had a long round of braces and she had to have a root canal in nearly every tooth afterward. Our youngest heard that and was VERY careful. She did not have a single cavity, even after 4 years of braces.
1. Posted 3 items and sold one within 30 minutes.
2. Not frugal for me, but I helped my sister post 20 items. Three have already sold. I did get free lunch at her house.
3. Since I have so much free time, I've been doing lots of surveys and racking up points to redeem for gift cards.
4. The library is open but only allowing checkout of 5 items at a time. I got 4 books and season one of a PBS series. Normally, there's a $1 fee for DVDs, but it's being waived so the librarians don't have to handle money. Every saved dollar counts, right?
5. I watched two movies on Tubi, a free streaming service.
Love the bear!!!
1. We went to the beach for our designated week. To avoid stopping, we packed all of our food and drinks.
2. We ate in all week mostly with food brought from home. I had purchased a spiral Smithfield ham for .99 a lb minus a 5.00 coupon. He fed four of us all week!
3. Our only entertainment was walks on the beach and a trip to Wright Memorial in Kitty Hawk. My husband has the National Park pass so we all got in for free.
4. Our friends took care of coffee, breakfasts and salads. I took care of lunches and dinners. We ate really, really well.
5. We usually go out to eat a couple of times since Father's Day and our anniversary is that week but with Covid and restaurants being closed, it didn't seem wise. Instead, we got milkshakes from Sonic twice and ordered pickup one night. Our friends paid for those and the tip for the housekeepers as a thank you for taking them.
A lovely, restful week with good friends was such a blessing during this time!
Just have to say that's a fantastic bear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Please go to Change.org and sign the petition for stimulus payments under browse.There are other great petitions to sign too!
1. I made a doll jumper out of a blouse slated for goodwill. Super easy since the shirt had some fun details and it saved me lots of sewing! 2. I hemmed some hole in the knee jeans for my kiddos to have shorts this summer. 3. I purchased some second hand stools! 4. I recycle the not so palatable fresh produce into other cooked foods. 5. I just discovered how much energy my dryer uses thanks to an app that breaks our energy usage down by 15 min increments, so clothesline it is for the summer! It either makes sense because I do so many loads a week or doesn’t because it takes longer to hang... For now the frugality bug has me!
Your bear looks safe. We have been hiking at a local state park around the lake there for fresh air, sunshine, exercise and to enjoy the views. There is no charge for day use, and camping is low cost for those who want to do so. There is an eagle nest with an eaglet that hatched around Memorial Day, we see it and one or both of the adult Bald Eagle parents each time. We see them catch fish from the lake and then there are the bears. One guy who takes pictures of the eagle nest was at the water’s edge taking photos with his high end camera with a telephoto lens and he turned to look up to the trail and he saw a bear was getting into his lunch that he had sitting on a chair. It was a big black bear, so he remained where he was and let the bear take the lunch. He showed us pictures he took of it, it was at least 500 pounds. The ranger said there were sitings near the campground as well. The bears smell the food, so they are recommending caution and warning campers and hikers not to leave food out.
They are nice to see, at a distance, but not to try and get close for a picture, using a telephoto lens is safer.
1. Since we are going to be at home all summer we wanted a small pool for our deck. Stores all sold out and the ones for sale on FB we’re going for way more than retail. My friend had one they were not using. I offered to buy it. We bartered instead! I highlighted her hair in exchange for a 10 feet by 40 inch pool! Just big enough for the three of us to stay cool! We set it up yesterday and enjoyed a good cool soak. Let summer begin!
2. Sold a few things on FB. Less clutter more money
3. Community garden has way too much lettuce left and they plan to lull it all by this weekend so I’ve been bringing some home every day. Free salads!
4. Landed a nice contract to develop and present a training (via Zoom) for a local non profit. All WFH for the win.
5. Got lots of free plants from the local FB plant group for my new garden bed. Bought blueberry bushes for $3 each! They were $15 each. Feeding lots of weeds and overgrown gone to seed veggie garden stuff to chickens, guinea pigs and pet rabbits, saving $ on bought feed. Had a neighbor drop off lots of carrot tops for the critters this week. They loved them!
I love your raining about muffins vs. cupcakes!
Just a couple of braces tips! I had braces for 3 1/2 years and some extensive dental surgeries all when I turned 30!
- Walmart sells 'Plackers' which are floss picks meant for people with braces, they were a blessing because otherwise flossing used to take forever. A water pick is also really helpful, but can hurt a lot when your braces are new!
-Depending on the type of braces (I had clear brackets in the front) be wary of colored beverages and mouthwash. I used blue ACT mouthwash and turned my elastics blue until they were changed at the next visit.... my husband laughed so hard....
- I wouldn't recommend really cold/ice water. I wasn't able to do cold water because in order to glue the brackets onto your teeth, they remove some of the enamel to get it to stick, creating sensitive spots! I actually avoided ice in any drinks until a few months after I had them off!
-I loved applesauce, soups, smoothies and mashed potatoes for the day or two following the appointments.
-Warm tea is your best friend 🙂
-I learned a tip from my hygienist during my appointments, if you take ibuprofen BEFORE the monthly appointments, it helps with the soreness/pain so much instead of waiting to get home, and then waiting another hour+ for it to kick in!
Ah, thank you for all of these tips!
Mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese for braces. I used to bust out my crock pot Mac and cheese recipe whenever the braces got tightened.
Let's see:
1. Cooked all meals at home
2. Salvaged most of a watermelon that was on it's way out (this got overripe in the fridge way faster than I expected)
3. Used rags instead of paper towels 95% of the time (I draw the line at dog messes)
4. Kept AC at 76 despite complaints from my daughter
5. Didn't buy a cute baseball hat I wanted today. Don't need it, already have several
That bear! So. Stinking. Cute!❤
What a weird week this has been.
Cancelled a 3 week tennis camp for my son - $1400 savings. As much as he needs activity and being with other kids, the Bay Area COVID rates are rising and I’m not comfortable him hanging with kids we don’t know well.
Cancelled a small gathering for 4th of July - we usually go to Pebble Beach for a big shin dig but that’s not happening so we thought we would have a very small group here for an outdoor BBQ. Again, don’t feel comfortable.
Son’s big 8 week camp was cancelled and happily they’re giving full refunds (a lot of camps aren’t).
No vacations so we had a bramble built instead - not frugal for this year but when I’m picking blueberries, raspberries and blackberries next year and making jams and stuffing our faces, it will be
Teaching the kiddo to bake
1. Went to a state park with some friends, admission for 9 was $52. On our way out I asked if we could pay the difference and upgrade to a year pass to all the parks in our state and they said yes! So, now we have a 13 month pass to use at all our parks!
2. Vacation this year was camping, borrowed as many supplies as possible to cut down on costs
3. Library is back open for hold request pick ups so no more purchased books, even secondhand books add up!
4. Took inventory of our freezer and realized I don't need to buy meat for like 2 months.
5. Keep grocery shopping online which allows me to keep costs down
I love having a park membership. It makes it so much more enticing to go often.
1. Been doing some de-cluttering which feels great, found a thrift store open to donate to & arranged a free hard rubbish collection; feels so good & was a free activity.
2. Combined regular purchases at my local bakery to get 2 rewards stamps (5 & u can have a free loaf)
3. Got my meal plan mojo back & buying way less takeaway
4. Sorted my pantry and have been planning meals & shopping around that - found quite a few more cans of tomatoes (diced & crushed) than I thought I owned
5. Getting a lot out of some great utube vids on organistion & time management that is already making a big difference to my days
woops that should say organisation
ps the bear's adorable
Doesn't it feel great to declutter??
I don't comment often and wish I could come up with 5 frugal things more often, but I guess I will share what I currently have thought of....
1. At my work, they house a food pantry for our community. Sometimes the workers will give us extra food that is perishable and can't wait til the next distribution. I was gifted bagels, breads, naan, and a bag of dove chocolates!!
2. People in my neighborhood set out some good stuff.....Recently I got a throw blanket, 6 green spotlights (will use at Christmastime), and a huge decorative basket. laundry hamper, vase. Also, 2 rolls of adding machine tape that I brought in to work as a co-worker uses those
3. Used dog food bag and chicken feed bag as garbage bags in our garage
4. My husband was digging a few tree roots in our back yard and accidentally pulled up our cable wire and split it. My brother-in-law works for our cable company, so he came out on his day off and fixed it within 2 minutes. The cable company would've charged us $50. We gave him a drink and thanked him. We recently gave him a bunch of compost for his garden. Nice to be able to barter.
5. Redeemed coupons for 2 combo meals for Taco Bell for lunch (my mother-in-law gifted them to us). Saved $18.32 on lunch.