Five Frugal Things | avocado life
Note: I have a new theme, but I have not had time to tweak it. If anything is funky for the moment, my apologies! I will get it figured out. 🙂
1. I put my ripe avocados in the fridge
You know how avocados are perfectly ripe for about 33 minutes before they go bad?
Well, I had a bunch from my Hungry Harvest box, and I managed to notice that mine were all at the perfect ripeness stage simultaneously.
So, I stashed them in the fridge, which means I can eat one a day, and the rest can just sit there and wait for me.
Obviously, the fridge doesn't hold them forever (they will rot eventually!) but the chill buys me enough days to get through a reasonable stash.
2. I paid my Honda loan off right away
I financed the minimum amount required to get the finance bonus, and as soon as I got the email to set up my account, I logged in and paid that sucker off.
I know it can build credit to make monthly payments on a loan like this, but my credit score is already excellent (perks of being a frugal girl), so it was more beneficial for me to just pay it off.
3. I finished applying for a scholarship at work
I thought the BSN help through my hospital would be just straight tuition reimbursement. While it is partly like that, you also have to apply for some scholarships and grants.
I already finished the one grant application that was due in December, and this week I finished the scholarship one that's due January 9th.
It was a looooooong application with two essays required, plus you have to get signed papers from three people at work and also from anyone who can verify your volunteering hours outside of work.
I really wanted to quit halfway through the process!
But then I reminded myself that probably everyone else wants to quit at that point too. So if I hang in there, I will be part of a smaller crowd that actually ends up in the scholarship pool.
Honestly, sometimes I am astounded at the amount of paperwork I have done in the last few years; scholarships, grants, nursing school application stuff, health status forms, clinical forms, NCLEX forms, to name just a few.
4. I submitted my year-end tax info to my CPA
If I am not timely with getting these numbers to the CPA office, my tax return doesn't get done in time, and then I have to file an extension, and the whole process gets more expensive.
Sooo, I got it submitted in a very prompt manner, which means I should be good to go without any extension being necessary.
Also: I am going to swallow my pride and admit that I did use my new Excel skills to tidy up the income/expense spreadsheet I was using (a big accomplishment for someone with a severe allergy to spreadsheets).
So, I may not use the skills from The Worst BSN Class Ever in my work at the hospital, but I did at least use them a little in my personal life.
5. I froze bread cubes
You've seen this before because it's a mainstay! I had about four neglected slices of whole wheat sandwich bread that had gotten rather dry.
So, I sliced 'em up into cubes and added them to my bread cube bag in the freezer.
When it's full enough, I'll make an overnight French toast casserole. That recipe is very forgiving and still works if you use random combos of bread; my batches often have cubes from whole wheat sandwich bread and various buns or even bagels all mixed together, and it's always fine.
(As long as you don't use garlic bread or everything bagels, all is well. Ha.)
1. Finished monthly financial tracking spreadsheet for December. Spending on food was higher since we needed to stock our Airbnb, plus prices where we shop in Arizona are higher than at home. Spending on meals out was higher due to more get-togethers with friends before we left Minnesota for the winter.
2. Previous tenants at our Airbnb left crackers, tea, olive oil and salt.
3. Spent $4.25 for a small tin of pepper at the local only-one-in-town market. Yikes. I will save the tin and refill it for pennies in the future.
4. Spent an enjoyable and productive afternoon purging emails, documents, downloads and favorites/bookmarks on our computer. Feels good to start the year lighter in this way.
5. Husband spent $6 at the self-serve car wash in Arizona to rid our buggy of the road salt acquired through the heartland.
@MB in MN,
A commenter on a Facebook page I follow - it might have been the Tightwad Gazette Fan Club FB page, but not sure - mentioned that they follow agricultural reports (and similar) to get a heads-up on things that might be poised to go up in price. She mentioned that it appears black pepper, bell peppers, and aluminum foil are in this "watch out, the prices will be going up even more" group. I think with the black pepper, it has to do with recent poor crop yields?. I have plenty of black pepper, but will be stocking up/freezing bell peppers, and stocking up on aluminum foil (not crazy stocking up, but have a few backup rolls).
Welcome to Arizona! Hope you have a great winter. I used to live in the Valley as it is called, in Mesa. But have lived in Casa Grande for 25 years. So many excellent day trips no matter what part of the state you are in.
Nothing Earth shattering this week:
1. I had some socks that the bottoms of were just shot. I cut them off and I'm using the tops as arm warmers. They cover the wrists and tuck the shirt sleeves in. I cover them with a sweater/fleece so they are not seen. I feel cold air up my sleeves in the winter and this mitigates that.
2. DH went to Costco to order a new pair of sunglasses using his vision benefit for the year. The magnitude of difference in glasses price, compared to Lens Crafters or an opticians office, is shocking.
3. Costco is in the same shopping center as Trader Joes and Aldi. Katy, of Non-Consumer Advocate fame, shops Trader Joe's for vegetables sold by the unit, so I stopped in there. The butternut squash were small for $2.49 and the avocados $1.29. I didn't buy anything there but stopped in Aldi and bought squash and avocados ($.55) and also bags of oranges.
4. I submitted some receipts for FSA reimbursement.
5. My found change challenge results:
4Q: $3.89
2025 total: $13.39
@K D,
Regarding worn socks: I cut off the calves of worn knee high socks once and now wear them over my ordinary socks. It prevents the draughts from creeping up my jeans!
(I have new pairs of knee high socks for when I need to be presentable. For home, anything warm works for me).
@K D,
It would be wonderful to have those 3 grocery stores in the same area! Lucky you! Ours are in all different directions.
@K D, I have been shocked at the difference in glasses price between Costco and other places. I only purchase glasses at Costco now. It's also nice to be able to get glasses adjusted if needed while I'm shopping at Costco.
@Beverly,
Yes! My last pair of LensCrafter's glasses cost $500+ (that was many years ago, and several prescriptions ago). Costco = $100ish? I imagine if you don't need bifocals or anything "special", it's even cheaper than that. I've had very good experiences with Zenni Optical, too.
This past week, I did some clearing out:
1. Discovered Phobio for Costco from an influencer, went to their website and submitted info on my recently retired laptop. They will send me the box to ship it to them and give me credit $ for Costco!
2. Probably not frugal, but less waste: I had an even older laptop that didn't work at all, so I took it to Staples to recycle it.
3. NYE was spent at home, we snacked on nachos and popcorn, homemade.
4. Let go of some sentimental items on Buy Nothing: a pack and play that my grandbabies slept in (they are all too old for it now),
and
5. Someone on Buy Nothing was looking for holiday themed sheets and tablecloths to make resusable gift bags. I gave her a pretty holiday tablecloth that has seen many holiday dinners, but we don't host Christmas anymore.
Bittersweet feelings to give away items that brought me happy memories, but I'm glad someone else can use them now.
@MommaJo, Your 4 and 5 are so sweet!
@MommaJo,
Thank you for the info on Phobio. I use Staples to recycle most of my tech trash -- even cords and batteries. I earn points in my loyalty account which translates into savings.
@Bee, wow. good to know.
I'm going to file that chilled avocado trick. We have more people to eat the ripe ones, but sometimes it even too much for us!
1. I made yogurt.
2. I taught my youngest how to make bread.
3. I helped my high school senior fill out scholarship forms. Oh, Kristen, they are dreadful and repetitive!
4. I did not shop at the thrift store because I didn't need anything.
5. I made food for my college boys to take on the road so they didn't have to buy so much road food. It's a long two days of driving for them, and they don't have much spending money.
What does the scholarship cover for tuition that the hospital does not?
--Our bathroom sink suddenly started leaking into our unfinished basement. My husband unstopped the sink after shaving, and I heard a torrent of water hit the floor below as I sat reading in bed. We worked together--me in the bathroom under the sink, him in the basement--to achieve enough give to unscrew the elbow joint where the sink drains into the main line. Hello, MASSIVE hairball! It was seriously gerbil-esque. Junk towels were used to clean up the water/goo, then promptly bagged and taken to the oustide trashcan (there's a limit to what I'll run through the washer). All is happily back in working order!
--We restocked our ample spice cabinet* with $60 in Penzey's gift cards we received for Christmas. We mix many of our own spices--like garam masala--which means we always need more of the component pieces.
*Our kitchen has three pairs of upper cabinets (either side of the sink and above the stove); one set of cabinets is nothing but spices. Yes, we really do use everything!
--My little sister and her husband gifted us homemade everything: beef tallow (two jars, both regular and no sodium), vanilla extract (three jars!), syrup, cookies, jerky, and sourdough bread. Such abundance, such love. <3 I'm grateful all that glass made it through the postal service unscathed!
--My metal pie/cake pan wore out. It was thrifted several years ago, and the coating had started to come off. Rather than replace it, I decided to see if our existing cookware could fill the gap. Our cast iron pan and smaller enameled dutch oven both work admirably--yay, one less thing in the cupboard!
--My winter coat of 15ish years basically disintegrated the last time I washed it. I was able to find a replacement winter coat for $27 brand new instead of $80+. Apparently no one else likes the sage color, but it's a great color for me. The coat is knee length, WARM, and simple (no faux fur or obvious branding, which I hate). I live in the land of -20 in February, so a good coat is a must! The walk isn't going to shovel itself.
@N, your plumbing gerbil sounds even worse than my office dust bunnies. See below.
@N, I grow and dry my own herbs putting them in glass jars. One cabinet over the stove is filled with my herbs which I use during the Winter. I love to open that cabinet and look inside. Reminds me of summer.
@karen, I look forward to getting to that point! I processed all of last seasons' herbs fresh for us, froze a ton, shared more fresh with friends and neighbors, and/or let them flower for the pollinators. I made a proper drying area for this seasons' herbs--here's hoping! I'll also be planting black basil just because it's so pretty.
@N and @karen, I harvest my herbs in summer and hang them in bunches in my lovely attic to dry. I may have the best-smelling attic in the Northeast. And in winter, when I need something to do, I process and bottle the dried herbs. See my comment below.
Well, a skill is a skill no matter where we picked it up 😉 Happy for your silver lining Excel skills and that you put them to great use.
-On NYE we didn't feel great, and I had a free Chipotle entree sitting in my app waiting, so we enjoyed easy button, super nourishing, affordable meals!
-Continuously grateful for our countertop water filter system (RO) that a friend gave me. We have a cistern and there is an improved peace of mind I have drinking water now. Plus I like the taste.
-I finally got some orders done that were waiting on me. Purchasing stuff doesn't feel frugal usually, but planning ahead and trying to shop well avoids last-minute expensive buys when something runs out or is needed.
-In professional frugality, something in the small budget I manage that cost hundreds of dollars actually should have been paid by a different source, so my department got some "free" money back that we have great plans for 🙂
1. Found a green microfiber cleaning cloth lying out on our front lawn--it was sort of greasy and gross, and I think somebody tossed it and it got blown out of a trash can (that sort of thing happens here, with the way our street is and the wind patterns). I like microfiber cleaning cloths, so I brought it inside and soaked it in hot water and Dawn dish soap, and it cleaned up nicely. I enjoy rescuing "road kill" fabrics!
2. Biked to the library, and to check the mail, and stopped at the grocery store as well. Since it was the last day of school vacation, I treated myself to my once-a-year Starbucks drink (black decaf with room for cream, also one of the cheapest options) while I shopped. It was delicious. I don't drink coffee at home, so it really is a treat. Managed to bring home 12 pounds of groceries. Trying to go into the New Year with what I'm thinking of as EE energy: errands + exercise.
3. We had amassed a large number of Amazon points, and DH saw me perusing my book wish list--I keep a running list of books I want to read, and if I can't get them through the library at all, I sometimes order one. He encouraged me to go ahead and use the points, and I was able to get a few books plus some essentials we needed (socks, vitamins, pens).
4. DH reviewed our food spending bill and apparently for the last month, even with holidays, we spent just $1400, for 6 people, eating every meal at home. That works out to (and somebody can correct my kindergarten math if I'm wrong) $350 a week, or approximately $8 per person a day. Not bad at all. I'm thinking the main changes we've made are, I really don't bake sweets much at all; if I do buy store-bought snacks like chips, it's only for special occasions. DH makes a big batch of salmon burgers for his and DS#1's lunches, and DS#1 does his own grocery shopping when he makes dinner, so there's that.
@Karen A.,
You should be proud of that food budget. I am trying to come in around $600 for two of us with an additional $300 eating out budget. I know it is pretty luxurious but eating out is often our social life with family and friends. We are the generation to buy. It is still hard for me to come in under those numbers.
@Karen A.,
Have you thought about tracking your biking mileage and then multiple it by the standard vehicle write-off of $0.70 per mile? It woukd be interesting to see what your saving is overtime by biking rather than driving.
@Bee, Ooh, that is a very good idea! I didn't know there was a way to calculate it.
I am very impressed with your diligence with paperwork!
I am planning a trip to Florence with my sister in February, so this whole month will be extra focused on frugality! My frugal list for this week:
1. It snowed a lot yesterday and I wanted to go sledging. I don't own a sledge so I used a teatray which worked very well!
2. I did not buy lunch at the airport.
3. I cancelled some subscriptions.
4. I made payments on loans.
5. I used my gym membership and also went swimming outside.
@Sophie in Denmark, I have wondered and I hope this is not too nosy but you mentioned snow and then swimming outside.
You have mentioned the cold weather before and then swimming. Am I missing something or do you wear a wet suit.
Thanks, karen
@karen, Not too nosy! I go winter swimming so I just swim regularly without a wetsuit. I live near the beach so am able to go home quickly and shower. Lots of people do so here!
Whoa, don't you freeze??
@Kristen, It's more of a splash around than an actual swim! I go home straight away and warm up with a hot drink. It feels very good afterwards!
@Sophie in Denmark, You. Will. Love. Florence. But maybe you've already been?
@JDinNM, I haven't! I've been to Sicily but no other parts of Italy. I'm going to watch A Room With A View again for preparation!
@Sophie in Denmark,
Do you wear swimming shoes and gloves in winter season? We do - it is cumbersome but less cold.
@JNL, I don't but I might soon. My friends use them!
Frugal(ish) things:
1. Donated more excess stuff to Savers. I was surprised at the long line to donate and dismayed at the mountain of consumer goods piled against the building, knowing much of it (including some of mine) will be thrown out. I wish there was a better system for circulating stuff.
2. Filled several buckets of sand/salt mix for free at our town’s DPW, instead of buying ice melt.
3. Will use over-ripe bananas and walnuts left over from holiday cooking to make and freeze a banana bread today.
And that’s all the frugal things I can think of. I want to do more and have set an intention to shop more at thrift stores this year. I am puzzled though as to how to shop secondhand for things that are specific, like the curtains I currently need to be a specific size, color, fabric. How do people do that? Or do they not, and just try to find a good price?
@JaeFi, for thrift shopping, have a running list in your head. Things may stay on that list for awhile, but eventually you find them. Its a very slow shopping method. It can be hit or miss at thrift stores, so flexibility is key.
@JaeFi, for me, it's an exercise in being a bit more open about finding things that can fill my needs. In your example, to look for a curtain not in a very specific color, but to review the available curtains and think about how they would go with the rest of the room. Same for fabric. Keep an open mind and see what you can find. It's not just environmentally conscious to make do with what we have, but it helps me to expand my style a bit too. I've picked up several pieces that deviate from my standard, very boring style, and they've grown into favorites that I get compliments on.
Also, curtain size is easily changed, even if you have no sewing machine.
@JaeFi,
I buy much secondhand, but I have expanded where I look for these items. As I have said in my comments, I am not finding much in thrift stores these days. Here are some ideas:
Estate sales which are common in my area. Look on estatesales.net and put in your zip code. This will bring up local listings and preview photos. Often there are an abundance of high-quality goods in one place.
Local online sources such as Facebook Marketplace, and local SwipSwap sights.
Broad online market places such as eBay, Etsy, Thredup and TheRealReal.
Of course, there is always Buy Nothing - a wonderful way to share with your neighbors.
BTW, I would check eBay for your curtains. Narrow your search and you may find exactly what you want.
@JaeFi,
If your house or apartment features the same window sizes as your neighbors', try going to any estate or garage sales they have. Perhaps someone is redecorating and selling the old curtains. (Some folks redecorate every couple of years, so maybe the curtains aren't that old.) Chances are their curtains would be the size you need for your windows.
[I didn't do this with curtains, but with cabinet knobs. When a painter lost a couple of the knobs, I found identical ones at the neighbor's estate sale, in their garage. They had redecorated, but the husband saved the original knobs. I think I paid a dollar for them.]
However, it may take a while to find what you want/need. If you absolutely, positively have to have it right now, secondhand shopping might not work for you.
@JaeFi,
I have more items to donate also, BUT I know that many people donate old items after holidays to make room for new items recieved. So I try to wait until February to donate to local FREE STORE (limited storage) because I know they will not accept when filled up.
FFT, Bundle Up, Chow Down, and Stay Home Edition (updated from my comment yesterday on "Five Little Frugal Things" at the NCA):
(1) The weather in my part of the world has been so unspeakable this past week (2 feet of snow in one 24-hour period in my city, and 4 feet of snow in 24 hours in the county just north of us) that I've only been darting out on absolutely essential errands between snowfalls. It's harder to spend money if I'm not going out, although it also grates my cheese to be missing so much post-holiday thrifting time. (Update: Lindsey's later comment at the NCA demonstrates that Alaskans are made of sterner stuff than I am. Hots off to Lindsey and the husband!)
(2) One way I'm occupying myself usefully is cleaning out my office, which I haven't done since last April. I've got dust bunnies so big they ought to be named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter!
(3) Alongside the office cleaning, I'm doing one of my periodic book culls: I've got three boxes so far for donation to the first library book sale that comes handy. I've also set aside four books by a local author for my JASNA Panera friend, who admires his work.
(4) And I've been filling herb and spice "orders" from the friends to whom I gave herb/spice check-off cards for Xmas. (The herbs are my homegrowns; the spices are purchased in bulk at the local India Bazaar.)
(5) Finally, I've been using this time for another eat-down of freezer and pantry contents. As usual, nothing that would impress Martha Stewart, but then I'm not snowbound with her. (Fortunately.) 😀
@A. Marie, been thinking of you and all that snow. When I worked in Syracuse (many moons ago) we had a co-worker that lived in Pulaski and she could not get out of her house because of all the snow. And my daughter went to SUNY Oswego and one year there was 5 ft of snow just as school went back into session in January. All you can do is hunker down and become friends with the dust bunnies. LOL
@A. Marie, My younger kids are wishing for some of your snow!
@Maureen, Oswego County was the one that got the 4 feet in 24 hours. Pulaski was again among the villages especially hard hit. And @Jody S., I'd be happy to ship your family some of the snow if that were feasible!
Also, typo correction: That should, of course, have been "Hats off" and not "Hots off" to Lindsey and the husband. 😛
@A. Marie,
Several store chain websites have clearance sections where you can get good bargains post holiday, and at other times. Since you won't be getting out, you might find good stuff there.
@A. Marie,
Curious here - do your solar panels do much in the winter? With all that snow, I was wondering.
@A. Marie, I'm just glad that you and your dust bunnies are warm and safe! Also, your spice gifts sound wonderful.
@JD, sadly, no. Solar panels can't do much during winter's short days, especially when they're covered in snow. But both the company that did the installation and the company DH finished his home energy career with always warned us never to try to scrape the snow off the panels; this evidently can do a lot more harm than good
@A. Marie, I thought of you when I saw the national weather report. Glad you are warm and safe.
@A. Marie,
Girl you make me laugh! 😉
I always watch local weather (Michigan) & see what's going to hit your area after leaving mine. Glad you are warm & occupied with things to do. Thaw & Rain headed your way soon enough.
Frugal: I bought clearance Christmas candy for a treat and for kids' lunchboxes.
Frugal fail: the small handful of m&m's that I ate cracked a molar. So my cheap candy will cost me $$$ for a crown. Sigh. At least the dentist ad a canceled old see me the same smday I called.
Frugal:
*keeping the heat low during the day during winter break. The kids don't mind piling on the blankets.
*being good about using leftovers. I don't trust things that have been in the fridge for more than three days, and I do throw stuff out. so this is a real win for me.
* using holiday gift cards to take kids to movies. Avatar was three hours long, but the boys got 4 refills on popcorn and 2 on drinks, so they really got good value for the expensive snacks. ( My kids share a single popcorn and drink- no one ever gets their own!)
* my daughter send me a letter creuset casserole dish she found on marketplace as a Xmas present. However, the lid cracked in shipping. I went on ebay and found an affordable replacement. So the casserole dish is fully functional now!
@mbmom11, Boo about your tooth. My sister cracked a tooth just before Christmas and it got infected. She had to live with that for a week before she could get into a dentist. Luckily, she's a vet and had some antibiotics for her cat on hand that she dosed herself with, ha. She has to have a root canal. I'm glad your issue was resolved more quickly and easily.
@mbmom11,
Le Crueset has a lifetime warranty on almost all of their items. Next time, contact them if it is damaged. They might send you a replacement.
@Lazy Budget Chef, I did not realize this. I love my Le Crueset. It is amazing cookware.
@Bee - especially if purchased from one of their outlet stores!
Driving a paid off car is a great feeling!
*I have been faithfully tracking my grocery spending and managing well at the $50/week limit for one person. I have been using my VPP card from my son (who works for HEB) so I am saving 15% on store brands, which is usually what I buy.
*Yesterday I was made aware that my charge tech status (3% of my base base) had not been added to my weekend shifts SINCE JUNE. Why I didn't notice that before, I don't know. It amounts to a little less than $1500 after taxes and will appear on my next paycheck. And it was fixed, so going forward it will automatically apply. Ugh. Paystubs might be complicated, but you gotta check 'em! This will more than pay the repair on the dishwasher.
*I am getting a good deal on a smart TV (since I have zero TVs right now) and I will use it to watch PBS, and some movies using my free Netflix account from T-Mobile.
*Doing my own small repairs around the house makes me free thrifty and capable, and I have a few of them to do today, as I putsey around the house. I will also make my own coffee, eat at home, and have some reading time later with a thrifted book. (I am also still getting my late mother's magazine subscriptions as she paid for them well in advance)
How about some small frugal things from my kitchen that I'm so accustomed to that I forget them? Yeah, let's do that . . .
--I bake my own sourdough bread, which means I use nothing but flour, water, and salt. I don't have to buy yeast, and I don't add fat or sugar or anything to it.
--I store the bread in the empty big bags from Malt-o-Meal cereal I buy. I only get the Rice Krispie and cornflake knock-offs, so no sugar or flavorings in the bags that I have to worry about. And the bigger loaves I bake fit better in them than in a standard bread bag.
--I close those bread bags with twist-ties made from the really long ones that come around loose lettuce. I can cut one of those into thirds with my kitchen shears and it makes sturdy twist-ties that are longer than typical, which is helpful because those bags are thicker than typical, so they require a longer twist-tie.
--Anytime we eat chicken on the bone, I always save the bones from my children's plates to make stock. It occurs to me that this might gross some people out, but given the temperatures those bones are subjected to in the pot, I'm fine with it. Also, my kids never get all the meat off their bones, which would just go to waste otherwise. I do truly hate waste.
--I freeze the resulting stock in re-used plastic screw-top jars from my husband's instant coffee. He will drink the Walmart-brand instant coffee, which is amazing to me. Those really are useful jars, though, since glass always breaks in my freezers and I prefer something with a screw-top for liquids.
There's more, of course, but that's five. And pretty representative.
@kristin @ going country, my experience is that glass breaks in the freezer because the jar is too full for the contents to expand. I try to fill my jars a little less, and also leave the lid off early in the freezing process (cover with something temporary), and then put the lid on after the contents are frozen. Maybe that will help you too?
You've never had savory French toast? Garlic bread is great for that.
I returned a SAD light I bought because I found one on Freecycle.
Even though I've had The Crud for 2+ weeks and counting, I've wasted very little food. Thank you freezer!
I bought half a Happy Pig, selecting cuts consistent w my current disinclination to cook. The package included 20 lbs of ground pork (which I'll mix w ground chicken because ground Happy Pork is very fatty) and 12 ham steaks.
I saved a few more bucks on the pork by paying cash.
Ok yes but the recipe I linked has a cinnamon and a brown sugar topping. lol
@Kristen, @WilliamB what does Savory French Toast consist of?
Some frugal things this week:
*Hubby and I watched movies on DVD from the library. Every year we come up with a theme for the holiday season. Enjoyable and free!
*had an abundance of gifted holiday breads/cookies that we could not finish. Bagged, labeled and froze them for future treats or unexpected guests
*found a great flat bedsheet at a thrift store for $2.25, I'm slowly replacing very old and threadbare bedsheets- putting old sheets in the box to donate to the textile recycling center
*finished one library book and enjoying another
@Beth, my daughter works for a vet. Vets and animal shelters need a constant supply of bedding and towels. When we cleaned out my mother’s house, all the sheets and towels went to work with DD.
Congratulations on paying off the car loan!
1. I picked up a box of cereal from Buy Nothing.
2. My mom dropped off lemons, candy that I put away for Easter, crackers, and some cookies.
3. I picked up a puzzle from our local puzzle library.
4. Bought a ham from Aldi for $.70/lb
5. Made baked potato soup for my lunches this week using ingredients I already had at home.
Food has gotten painfully expensive, so I’m going back to food budgeting, better planning, and eating less. I got out of the habit during the 2020 pandemic and didn’t go back because our household income was enough that we didn’t need to. It’s gotten to the point of not being sustainable, so I’ll be working on that again.
Our winter thermostat is set to 65F in the day and 62F at night. Sunny days warm the house up more than that, but I sleep so well during the colder months.
My husband canceled a couple streaming services that we’d finished watching whatever series we’d been watching. I did have two episodes left on one show and used a 7 day free trial to cover that.
My frugal activities:
1. Taking poor fitting clothes to the tailor. It was just $18 to fix the top of my clearance jumpsuit. I should have done this years ago!
2. Using up what I have. I went through the bathroom cabinet to organize/consolidate so that I don't overbuy.
3. Picked up skincare on Buy Nothing! Now I have a steady supply of face moisturizer.
4. Buying quality work pieces instead of opting for more/cheaper "Factory" items. I have a 10 day international work trip coming up and I really need to leverage my work clothes. My home office has a flexible dress policy, but I don't want to look sloppy ... So I invested in three quality pieces that will hopefully last many years.
5. Eating all the leftovers. Even those I'm tired of.
I like the idea for stale bread, but when my bread gets a little old, it goes moldy, not stale, so I never have stale bread to freeze. Ah, the joys of living in Florida.
What did I do that was frugal and can actually remember?
1. I needed about half a head of cabbage for a recipe, so I made slaw out of the other half this week before it got ugly on me.
2. I used a thermal pot to cook steel-cut oats, using very minimal electricity.
3. I bought two little native trees at a local nursery. They are really small, but I can't argue with the price - $13.96 for both together. Being natives, I hope they will grow well.
4. I asked for new wipers with my oil change, and I was charged for the wipers only, not the labor to install them. Installing them is a bit tricky, even for the mechanics, for some reason, so I opted to have them do it. I had priced wipers, so I knew the price they charged me was a good price.
5. I have kept the heat off for almost all of December and so far, off all the time in January. Part of that is Florida's usually milder winter weather, of course, but crawling out of a warm bed at 5:30 a.m., to a house that is 61 degrees F is not my favorite thing to do and I'm somewhat cold intolerant due to thyroid disease, so I'm surprised that I've been able to keep it up.
@JD, re: your #1, here's a joke from my days in an Episcopalian junior choir: The naughtier among us, including me and my siblings, would always sing the response in the Decalogue as "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to eat this slaw." (And if you'd ever seen my mother's slaw, you'd understand why.)
@A. Marie,
Oh, great, now I'll be wanting to say that every Lent! I already have enough trouble with the song "Let Us Break Bread Together" because of the urge to sing, "When I fall on my face" instead of "When I fall on my knees."
(I will insert here that my Southern Living recipe for slaw actually gets compliments, so maybe the temptation to say "eat this slaw" won't be TOO bad.)
@JD, When I moved to Texas I found out what humidity was all about, like moldy bread. That is when I started keeping it in the refrigerator. No more moldy bread. I've also read that some people keep a loaf in the freezer, just taking out a slice or two at a time so it is always fresh.
* We stayed in NYE and had leftover taco kit from Costco and homemade rice krispie treats.
* We switched our ceiling fan to "winter" mode to help distribute the heat from the fireplace. The thermostat was lowered 2 to 3 degrees in the rest of the house.
* We've eaten a lot of leftovers recently, including baked goods I made to share with the family. I'm also meal planning around what's in the freezer and pantry
* Continue to clean out flowerbeds and put out mulch instead of paying to have it done.
* Continue to make the most of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and have read about 10 books in the last month.
1. One of my goals this year is to schedule a little fun into every weekend. I was stuck in a rut. I started off the year on track and visited a National Memorial run by the Park Service. We (DH went with me) enjoyed being immersed in a bit of history and had a lovely walk. There wasn't a charge.
2. I picked up a book that I had on hold at the library - John Grisham's latest, The Widow. I was 484th on the list when I first added my name to the list. My turn finally came.
3. We have enjoyed a few nights watching shows that are streaming on Netflix. My daughter added the app to our television while here on Christmas. I love free TV!
4. I have had a difficult time receiving a refund from Amazon for a product that was returned. I have made two requests directly with customer service. I finally filed a complaint with my credit card company.
5. I have taken advantage of the after Christmas sales to replace some basics in my wardrobe. Over the last few years, I have had a difficult time thrifting for clothing. The thrift stores near me used to be filled with high- quality options, but sadly this has not been the case since Covid. I have lots of thoughts about this.
I have also done the usual things - simple meals at home, brewing my own coffee, drinking primarily water, and batching errands.
Hope everyone's New Year is off to good start.
We renewed our phone service with Mint Mobile. My husband was able to get 3 free months, but they wouldn't give it to me. I tried and had to make do with 1 free month. And this is if you renewed for 1 year. So still way cheaper ($750. for both) than what we use to pay with AT&T ($1200. for both).
Continue to cook at home and make coffee at home. Today I'm going to make a pumpkin oatmeal bake that makes 6 servings. Hoping it also freezes well so I have some for during the week.
Made ham and bean soup and pea soup and put them into single servings in the freezer. Also made a double batch of banana muffins for my husband and froze those.
Cancelled Netflix. Apparently it is up to $20. per month now and we don't use it enough to justify it. It cancels on Feb 1, so I have to watch all the shows I have saved before it leaves.
Finishing my coat rack. Painted it over the weekend and then I put it together and I thought the hooks might be too big. My husband says no, we'll just use them anyway. So into the home stretch with that.
And I applied for social security for my retirement yesterday! One step closer!!!
@Maureen, loud cheers for you, @JD, and other Commentariat members who are approaching retirement this year!
This week I
Sold 2 items and have a potential buyer for a third;
Bought more paint at a discount, as I plan to paint one more wall. The colour is beautiful and inviting;
Got a refund for electricity: we used less than estimated;
Planned ahead: put snow shovel and salt indoors so I could clean sufficient curb for postmen and newspaper boy (no broken bones, hopefully);
And repurposed cat food that our cat is unwilling to eat, to feed the hedgehogs.
I am so jealous. I love hedgehogs! The are one of God's absolute most adorable creations. Had no idea they can be pets. How does that work? (clearly, do not have a clue. 😂)
On a side note, my girls (ages 11 and 7) were talking about what they want for their first car (the conversation assumed that you can just get any car you want) and my 11yo said that she wanted a car like her grandma's. I said, "You mean, a Honda Civic?" She goes, "Yeah!" 🙂
My FFT:
1. We travelled last week and packed lunch for one of the meals on the trip out. It's not much in the grand scheme, but it helps.
2. We also reactivated our EZPass for the trip. We only use it about once a year when we drive to Pennsylvania.
3. I missed that one of our library items went overdue while we were gone, so I made the time yesterday to find it and return it before more fines accumulated.
4. My kids needed new snow pants and I checked Goodwill first. I found a pair there for $7 with no holes, as compared to the $30 they cost at Meijer.
5. I walked with a friend this morning instead of meeting for coffee. Free and healthier!
Awww, your 11 year old is just like me!
I am trying hard to have a no spend January just mainly to not bring more stuff into this house, but a few things are always allowed...
I bought a beautiful vintage quilt at a thrift store for $10!
I also bought a new Dansk vintage sauce pot from the 60s for $5.
Eating from the freezer and using up all leftovers. Back to trying to keep food waste to a minimum.
We have a list of 9 projects for this year we want to complete on the house. We've done 2 at no cost to us than our hard work. We need some tree work and that came in 20% cheaper than I had planned because we are doing it in the off season.
Got .15 cents/gallon off gas the other day.
Congratulations on paying off the car right away, Kristin.
We had some expensive plumbing service calls that led to DH calling around for quotes on sewer line replacement, which led to discovering an assistance program funded by the city's wastewater department. We are waiting to see what the savings will be on that.
By sheer luck, I was able to get the latest book club selection as a free audio book from the library. This never happens, so I was very happy. Used Kristen's trick of listening at 1.50 speed because the author was reading at a very stately pace. It worked great.
Mended and patched a pair of sweatpants for my son. My sweet old dog did her part by doing so well during a surgery -- several small issues, one anesthesia -- that the bill came to about 25 percent less than expected. Took advantage of the warm weather yesterday to vacuum out and wash my car out on the driveway, as opposed to spending $20 at the car wash.
1. Coworker went on a New Year's diet and gave me the half-gallon of Blue Bell Christmas Cookie flavor ice cream that was in the break room freezer.
2. This is supposed to be a terrible year for flu, per news reports. I had gotten a flu shot very early in the school year (free, via Medicare) and was afraid it'd wear off by now. As you know, I work in a drug store, where plenty of sick people shop. Several customers have come through my lane sniffling and sneezing and having sweaty red faces. But....Usually, the worst of the flu season happens after all the college kids arrive back here from around the country; that will occur next week. So I paid $40 out of pocket for our pharmacist to administer a flu shot. Said I'd lost my Medicare card, so please just let me pay for it myself. (Didn't tell him I'd already gotten one at another place last August. If the pharmacist or my doctor calls me on it, I'll just pull the little old lady trick and say "I forgot!") What's frugal about paying for a 2nd dose? I figure it'll keep me from getting sick, having to stay home from work, and therefore not getting paid.
3. Years ago (late 1950s or early 1960s), my mother bought a tabletop night light with an electrical cord. It's very unusual, looks like a lighthouse. The thing shorted out, and to be safe, Mom cut off the power cord. Recently, I bought some battery-operated votive candles on sale. One fits in the lighthouse light, and when you turn it on, it flickers -- makes the lighthouse tower covering it look real pretty! So what was up on a closet shelf is now in the living room, looking fantastic at night when I turn on the "candle." So happy to get to use it again!
4. After Christmas sales: bought some $2.99 sachets for 75 cents each; bags of chocolate candy for 63 cents each -- the red-wrapped ones will be put out at Valentine's and the green ones on St. Patrick's Day. Also got some battery-operated candles (see above). The tapers don't work and will be taken back for a refund. I saved the receipt!
5. I'm off today, and since it is Epiphany, our church is having a free lunch to celebrate. Guess where I'm eating?
Oh, I forgot one: although I stayed at home from New Year's Eve celebrations, I wore a Happy New Year necklace to work (only from 1-6 on NYE, as we closed early). The necklace was one of those cheap plastic ones that look like shiny metal. It was a party favor from years ago, probably bought from a party store or dollar store. I keep it in my holiday clothing stash, and wear it every year. Customers complimented me on it, and thought it might be expensive or something. (No, just shiny). My frugal tip: get New Year's decorations/jewelry that don't have the year on them, and reuse them every year.
Well done on that scholarship/grant application. It sounds like a lot of work, but you are correct - that probably puts you in a smaller pool of candidates!
1) Finally got DS18 to the bank to convert his high school checking account to a college account. This will save $15/month. He also remembered to bring cash from his work tips, which he deposited into his account. He's young enough that he finds debit card cash to be infinitely easier to spend than actual cash 😉
2) Made dinner for the 3 present diners (DS19 was at school), largely using things on hand - pasta (pantry), meatballs (freezer), bread (freezer), pasta sauce (pantry). Made enough for leftovers.
3) DS18 had a big dinner party while we were out of town on NY. Had him walk me through a bunch of random things left in our fridge, so we can use up as much as possible before they go bad. I hate food waste.
4) Rearranged schedule so we can take DS18 to the airport on Wednesday, after his ride fell through. A ride share to SFO is pretty pricey, so this saves around $70.
5) Did a quick menu plan & grocery shop, to avoid another meal of takeout. We ordered takeout on Sunday, after our flight arrived. I did manage to squeeze another few lunch out of it, but it's still very expensive compared to anything homemade
Avocados! They rank pretty high for me as things I hate to waste. They're not cheap in Canada, and we often buy them rock-hard...and then all of a sudden you have a glut of ripe avocado. The fridge definitely buys time.
My five:
1. The Big One: Mr. B and I changed phone plans! It cost us 45$ to switch but will save us about $600 next year.
2. Frugal cookery: I threw some odds and ends into a quiche and I cooked up a tired-looking spaghetti squash. Today's task is to start tackling the bag of kasha. I'm the only one in my family who likes it (and the only recipe I like is a pain to make) so I don't make it often, but it would be good for meal prep. Also, maybe weird, but I like it for breakfast.
3. A fail: I glumly realized that I should have taken better advantage of the Black Friday and Boxing Day promotions for boring things like underwear, and now I'm going to have to pay full-price. Yuck. False frugality is a false friend!
4. I'm on a staycation and all I'm indulging in is a bit of takeout here and there. Much cheaper than a tropical vacation, and no travel headache involved.
5. Hmmm. Bought some treats at the grocery store--a pomegranate, some nice crackers--and realized that we're doing ok from a frugality perspective if that's what counts as a treat.
Verdict on the kasha: I used some tips from someone on YouTube to improve the texture (less water) and added some lentils to boost the protein. Came out delicious! I made a lot and will freeze the remainder; hopefully it'll make some good easy lunches for me when I go back to work next week.
YAY for easy lunches. I know the feeling.
1. There was a lot of food left after my grandfather’s funeral lunch and unfortunately not a place to donate to (at least not one that we could find on short notice, I do wish the church had a list). We left the desserts for the congregation to enjoy with their coffee the next day. The fruits and veggie trays came to my house – fruits were snacked on, veggies were roasted or frozen. The sandwiches and salads made their way to my grandparent’s assisted living facility for the staff to enjoy.
2. I took advantage of the “Buy a $25 gift card get a $5 gift card” that Starbucks had in their app. $5 is a free drink and I would have bought the $25 gift card anyway – I only buy Starbucks drinks on gift cards so I can use stars for a future free drink.
3. We stayed in on NYE. I made a kitchen clambake so we could have something on the fancy side, my husband and I watched Stranger Things and the second act of Hamilton, my son stayed played video games with friends, and we were all asleep before midnight.
4. I kept my activities nice and slow during my time off between Christmas and New Year’s. My son was visiting family out of state and my husband was at work so I enjoyed a quiet house by reading from my TBR pile, putting together puzzles I already owned, working on crochet projects I already have, slowly putting away Christmas, walking the dogs on local trails, and watching all the Netflix shows I added to my list.
5. After all the hosting in December we had lots of odds and ends in the kitchen to use up so most of our meals have centered around using what we have and fewer trips to the store.
1. I finished Seasonal Side Hustle and had more than enough to buy the Buy Once, Cry Once microphone system upgrade. I did a lot of research before buying, talked to several sound folks before buying, and since it was the only one that didn't go on holiday sale anywhere, bought it from Sweetwater (my performer friends call it The Toy Store) because they have a lot of before and after purchase customer support.
2. Used a T Mobile Tuesday offer for free photo prints for a shadowbox project.
3. Bought a wood steak knife storage box from eBay for our very good vintage steak knives.
4. Bought 2 CapCap Nalegene compatible water bottle caps to replace the current caps that eventually mildew and can't be 100% cleaned. Much cheaper than buying new insulated bottles, considering the bottles were a gift that until now only cost me insulated sleeves to keep the water cold.
5. I did a bunch of little clothing mends that piled up due to Holiday Side Hustle.
Woohoo for the fun upgrade!
> You know how avocados are perfectly ripe for about 33 minutes before they go bad?
No, I don't eat trash. 😉 (I'm joking but avocados are one of those foods like kale, hummus and sushi where I feel like people are pranking me pretending to like it because I find them so disgusting. >_< I know, it's a me thing.
Honestly, I'm not sure that I've done anything particularly frugal lately outside of bringing my lunch and not buying myself a kei-van or something.
I did make bread for the first time in ages but that was more of a snowed-in event than anything else.
This is how I feel about okra. And mushrooms. Ha.
@Battra92,
I'll join you on the sushi and kale, but I like avocadoes and hummus. It's a little too cold here to grow them, but my sister's neighbor in Central Florida has a tree full of them every year. I wish I could grow them.
@Battra92, I am right there with you on the avocados. I hate the taste and texture. I can eat pretty much anything but put a piece of avocado in my mouth and I start to gag. I have stopped trying.
@Kristen, I love mushrooms! My fatal flaw is hating soup - it's something about the texture!
Hello Kristen,
Did you know you can cube and freeze you avocados if they get too close to going bad before you can use them? Just a thought. I have been frugalin it for many years now and it’s hard for me to believe that even with the cost of food today people are still soooo wasteful. Anyway, love your site, your tips, photos and stories. Keep up the great work, congratulations on all your achievements. And may the Lord bless and keep you and yours always.
Patricia
@Patricia, This makes sense since we buy frozen cubed avocados for our daily smoothie, along with cubed fruit. You only taste the fruit but get the avocado protein benefit.
Oh yes, that's a good reminder! Thank you.
I planned this week’s meals around what was hanging around in the fridge.
Whenever Fred Meyer sends me their targeted coupons, the “best customer coupon” is always a free Philadelphia cream cheese- so I went in to snag that!
The produce section had a big box (24oz!) of baby Bella mushrooms marked down to $3, so that + fridge veggies became a nice roasted veggie side for dinner last night, which was homemade refried bean tostadas.
My non-frugal item was some Sumos. I love them and the season is short, so they’re my favorite splurge dessert this time of year.
@Robyn,
I love Sumos, too. I splurge on them every year during their too-short season.
1. I earned a $5 GC from my professional organization for updating my profile.
2. I won a total of over 300 stars in the Starbucks game, a $5 GC, and a free “lunch pocket.” I will use the stars for baked goods (100 stars each) for fun occasional treats… or, maybe I will use them for a free bag of coffee. As I mentioned last week, I think I only win because I am up with my kids in the wee hours of the night. I’d really rather sleep!
3. I finished another skin care product that I won’t be replacing. I am now down to the basics of cleanser, exfoliant, and moisturizer. I used to have a more complicated and expensive routine but I like this new simplicity.
4. DH processed deer #2 by hand, which he always does. We usually aim for one deer a year but it is nice to have a second one. We don’t buy other meat and DS4 and DS2 are already big eaters.
5. My frugal friend came to visit, bringing some homemade pesto (from 2024! But still amazing) and homemade hummus. I happily sent her home with some aging tahini that was in my fridge, as she will be able to use it to make more hummus.
Kudos for keeping your loan just long enough to get the incentive and then paying it off! Here are my frugal things:
1) We resisted takeout Sunday night even though we really wanted cheap Chinese. Sunday nights are usually our weak night because we grocery shop on Monday, so our food is low by that point, we've eaten up leftovers, and we don't usually want to cook. But we sucked it up and made grilled cheeses and tomato soup. Then we made school lunches, menu planned, and made bread for the week ahead.
2) Yesterday I took our second son (he refers to himself as the "oldest middle child") to the orthodontist. It was strategic on our part. I had taken him over the summer to be evaluated, then I opted for the stepped-up dental insurance that covers up to $1,000 in orthodontia in October and made a follow up to take him and start the process as soon as I could in January. After $1,000 in insurance, our bill was $1,000. Hopefully that will end up being the full bill; I know sometimes orthodontic work can go on and on. And our insurance only pays as long as I keep the policy, and my contract only goes through July. Even if they only pay through July, the policy will more than pay for itself.
3) Our family drove up to NYC for a long weekend last month, and I was surprised that the EZPass on the car didn't pull from our credit card right after. (To drive from Virginia to NYC is at least $30 in tolls, one way, depending on what route one takes.) Then we started getting toll violation notices. So far I have gotten MD and NJ. Evidently our EZPass didn't work even though there was money in our account. So I talked to our EZPass people and ordered a free replacement. I will promptly return the old one to avoid a $10 charge. Instead of paying a few bucks to mail it, I discovered I can return it for free at the DMV just a few blocks from my house. I will drop it off tomorrow morning right when they open. I also disputed all the violations we received. It was definitely us, but since our EZPass should have worked, it turns out I just have to show them evidence that we have an EZPass account in good standing, and they will only charge us for the tolls and not the heavy admin fees.
4) Saturday was a cold and kind of gloomy day. We did go for a family walk, but otherwise we spent the day holed up in the house. The kids played video games, but my husband and I spent several hours sorting through the software and other subscriptions for our business, canceling what we didn't need, and switching to annual subscriptions when it was cheaper. I also got most of our tax stuff ready for our accountant. I am still waiting on a few documents and to complete a meeting with our bookkeeper to review everything.
5) This morning after dropping our daughter at school I took our car to the mechanic to have the oil changed. I drive a lot of miles, so regular maintenance like that is a must. They were done by lunch time, and I paid the bill in cash to get the 5% cash discount.
@Amanda in VA,
Ah, your number 2. Now I know what to call my daughter's child #2 out of 4. The oldest middle child.
It warmed up to minus 13 last night and shouldn't get back to 40 below in the foreseeable future. However, all recent frugalities have been weather related, so I am pasting my last entry to the Non-Consumer Advocate here since they were our obsession for the last few weeks until this morning. Observant became a synonym for frugal. The ambient temperature was 40 below or colder for a week; most of the time our thermometer registered 47 below and at the times there was a wind, the chill factor was 60 below. So, here is how we saved money this week simply by paying attention:
1. Each time one of us went by the half bath used for guests, we flushed the toilet. Standing unused is the way for pipes to freeze so since we have no one here to use that john, we either used it or at least flushed it.
2. At bedtime, when temps get colder outside we opened al the kitchen and bathroom floor level cabinets. Kitchens and bathrooms are often lacking in insulation thickness, especially around the pipe areas, so we insured they were a bit warmer at night.
3. Husband went into the garage to make sure the furnace was not somehow being blocked by stuff and thus less efficient at keeping the garage warm. It is a connected but unheated garage so we depend on the heat coming off the furnace to keep things at above freezing. While there, husband decided doing a load of laundry would be prudent for the pipes...only to find that the water was slush not water. He dragged a small portable heater and put it near the laundry pipes. Four hours later no sludge so we did a load of sheets and later a load of clothes on hot, just to keep things clean in the pipe. The next 2 days we washed twice each day, and used the dryer, thus doing a spring cleaning a bit early this year. But no frozen pipes.
4, We had to park outside for a few hours and then run an errand yesterday. That was long enough to freeze the tires square. If you decide to zip off before the tires slowly adjust to the change back to round, you can rupture them. We drive extremely slowly until we don't hear the THUNK. We have been in too much of a hurry once in the past and killed two tires; they could not even be fixed by a professional.
5. We only have daylight from the sun that comes up 10:47 and sets at 3:05. And at these temperatures it is not a sunny daylight but a subdued pewter one, so we keep the drapes shut in order not to lose heat through the triple paned windows. We have LED lights so less electricity used than when we used conventional light bulbs. That is cheaper than using more oil to keep the house temperature from falling.
6. We stayed home except for one errand.
@Lindsey, oh my goodness! I really can't imagine being in weather that cold. I know after all the years that you have spent in Alaska, you know what to do. I hope you're comfortable and safe for the rest of the winter.
Congratulations on paying off your new car. Remember to put your car purchase documents in your personal tax paperwork to deduct minimum taxes paid, but possibly other (hybrid?) deductions also.
Frugal things---
● still eating all meals at home, eating down pantry & freezer
● Sam's Club closed NYD & needed eggs, so went to Meijer $3.69/24 medium cage free white eggs
● received $15 giftcard (email) for donating blood
● returned 1 Christmas gift & used in store credit to get gas line antifreeze ($1 cheaper than other stores)
● teen purchased few items at Menards wanted & both on sale, 1 item additional $3 rebate that got mailed in with other rebates ready to mail.
● gave rescue dogs haircut (save $125 + tip), dug out dog shirts/pjs to wear already have
Frugal fail---
● went to get gas NYE (before price increase NYD) & prepaid inside with giftcard, that clerk did not allow me to put rewards number in to apply discounts & earn more discounts. Loss $2 off in rewards plus Not earning $3 in rewards for later. Luckily my rewards points redeemed ($10 off) will be available for next fill up.
I notice you eat a lot of eggs. Have you always? I like the taste of eggs but find cooking with them is distasteful to me. I want to get over that thinking. Any advise?
Very late to the party today. I like avocadoes, I like mangoes and fresh pineapple and my issue with them all is the "33" minutes of ripeness. I also like okra and mushrooms, but I do not care at all for kale or chickpeas and hummus.
1) Forced frugality in the midst of very large frugal fail. I will say that it involved not listening to my spidey senses. Not able to spend money very freely d/t cyber crime. Value of the lesson and educating others, priceless.
2) Gas has dropped to $2.47!
3) Not able to get past #1 today and think of anything else.
Kristen, was there a reason that you didn’t pay for the car in cash, instead of setting up financing for a payment and then paying it off?
Yes! There was a bonus $500 discount for doing financing.
I normally freeze whole avocados when they are in those 33 mins if ripeness phase. Just take them out overnight to defrost or let them defrost with your packed lunch as an additional "freezer pack". Chopping and freezing also works. I read a book called The Full Freezer Method by Kate Hall, which gave options for freezing foods I never thought of, baked potatoes, and apples? Who knew!