Five Frugal Things | bare minimum haircut
1. I got the bare minimum haircut service
I generally get a haircut about once a year, and it seemed like it was time.
So, I went to Haircuttery and got the cheapest haircut they offer.
I always skip the blowdry/style service because it costs extra and my hair is so thin, it dries on its own by the time I get home anyway!
I'm glad to have healthier ends again. And it's still plenty long to tie back for nursing labs and clinical.
2. I've been faithfully packing my lunches
My building at the college has an in-house Chick Fil A, and in my two years of attending classes there, I've managed to not buy food there at all.
Before, this has been pretty easy because I have not had all-day classes.
But now I'm often at college over lunchtime, so I've been needing to pack food to eat during breaks.
So far, so good!
And I've found that if I pack a bunch of veggies, I will almost always eat them all, so I pack a prodigious amount of things like carrot sticks and cucumber slices along with the more substantial portions of my lunch.
3. I chose slower shipping for a $1.50 reward
Whenever Amazon offers me a little bonus for choosing slow shipping, I generally say, "yes, please."
The rewards usually are a little credit toward a digital purchase, and since Sonia and Zoe sometimes like to stream things on Amazon Prime, the little credits do always get used.
Inside my package: an eye mask to use for my dry eye issues.
I used to have one with little beads in it, but unfortunately it exploded in the microwave last time I went to use it (I don't think it was built to last!), so I decided to try a different type.
I did see that there's a very highly rated type of eye mask for this problem, but the masks are disposable! Not only would that produce a lot of trash, it would also be stupid expensive over time.
Hopefully the new one I ordered will serve me well for a while.
4. I ordered a previous edition of my Nursing Fundamentals book
We were required to purchase the digital version, since it come with online assignments that are mandatory.
But man, I hate reading textbooks online.
So, I hopped onto eBay and bought a hard copy previous edition of the book for $15.71.
This will suffice for the time when I want to read chapters or flip back through previously read chapters, and I still have the current online version available too.
I did this for my Anatomy and Physiology classes and I didn't regret it one bit. In fact, I've referred back to my hard copy A&P book several times since (including already this semester!)
5. We fixed Zoe's skirt with scissors
She'd thrifted this checked skirt, which had a sort of odd belt thing at the bottom.
The buckle was very poorly-designed and would not ever stay in place (which is probably why this skirt ended up at the thrift store in the first place!)
She didn't really care about the belt, so we decided to just carefully cut it off with a pair of sharp sewing scissors.
Since it's cut so close to the seam, and it's a patterned skirt, the snip is basically imperceptible.
Obviously the "right" way to do this would have been to pick apart the side seam, removed the belt ends, and then re-sew the side seams.
But this is a case where I decided to use my "good enough is good enough" philosophy. This took about two minutes, and now the skirt is usable.
Perfect.
Good on you for packing your lunch! I know from packing my husband’s every morning that just throwing things together is half the battle. 😛
—My husband and I enjoyed a free prime rib dinner courtesy of my employer, which held an employee appreciation supper. The host also sent us home with a *stacked* plate of leftovers, which became dinner the following night.
—The local thrift store was having an “Everything must go” sale to clear out their summer inventory. Thus, I nabbed three needed t-shirts for fifty cents each.
—$20+ worth of items—work snacks for my husband, lip gloss for me—came to $1.65 after CVS extra bucks, sales, and coupons.
—Habitat Restore continues to be good to me. A stained glass window I’d been eyeing for weeks was down to 75% off, making it $10 instead of $40. I also found an antique wooden folding chair that matches one we already have; the chair was only $8 to start and 25% off. (For those unfamiliar, Habitat has a four color coding system for prices to keep inventory moving, and the discounts change weekly.) I had earned $10 in store credit once again, which meant my total for both the chair and window was only $7.
—I volunteered at our local library and purchased art supplies for the occasion. They came to just over $12 and I considered them a donation, but the head librarian insisted on paying me back. Later, when my husband and I went for our Saturday date at local coffee shop, we found a teenage farmer outside selling her homegrown pumpkins. Her pie pumpkins were HUGE—we’re talking basketball size—and only $2 each! Since my library cash was already out of the budget, I happily spent it all on pumpkins. I’ve been roasting them one by one in the crock pot since! I'm averaging four cups of puree per giant pie pumpkin, so we should be set.*
*My husband is, in his own words, a “pumpkin slut.” Anything and everything pumpkin—Mac and cheese, baked goods, soup, chili, coffee, etc.—has his instant allegiance. My goal every fall is to stash enough pumpkin puree in the freezer to get us through to next season! Pure pumpkin in small doses is also good for pet intestinal and urinary tract health, so it's handy to keep around.
@N, when I was paleo for a migraine elimination trial I made “cheesy” pumpkin Mac & cheese. I thought it had great consistency considering it was gluten & dairy free. Gent didn’t agree as much.
@N, I’ve never thought of roasting a pumpkin in my crockpot… great idea!
@N,
It never occurred to me to bake pumpkin in the slow cooker! I always process a couple free pumpkins after Halloween each year, so I'll have to try and remember this. Thanks!
We had a very ordinary week with very ordinary things
* I mended my MILs favorite pillow, which is over half a century old and very dear to her
* I mended a pair of socks for her. I intend to knit her new ones, even though she says she will not live to wear them out
* we cooked and ate at home all week
*including slowcooked chicken - leaving bones for broth
*I made homemade BBQ sauce again and this time did not forget to freeze half the quantity (in a glass jar with plenty of head space)
*we had plenty of showers but managed to make most of the sunny spells (laundrywise and in excercise)
I have a loooong office day with travel ahead of me again and am resolved that this time I will not have any fries and mayonaise if I have a delay in travel. In fact, my strategy will be that I count on a delay and on the resulting frustration and that I will allow myself to buy a yoghurt if I need something more creamy than nuts and seeds (which I will bring anyway, as they keep well).
@JNL, can you share your bbq sauce recipe? I’d like to make some for my Chuck roasts.
1. The laser printer I paid $30.50 for in 2011 needed a new toner cartridge so I ordered one from Staples. I used Discover rewards for a gift card that paid for all but $2. The gift card was 15% off. I am to earn 30% back in Staples Rewards.
2. DD and I went to visit one of my sisters in the Midwest. We flew and rented a car but were able to stay with family. I rebooked the rental car several times to save $60+. We drank the free drinks on board. Yesterday we were treated to a comedic flight attendant, he was actually pretty funny. I have never experienced that on a Delta flight before.
3. DH had two Seiko watches that needed new batteries. It was $2.84 for the two from an Amazon seller. He changed them himself using a small kit for watch repair he bought a few years ago.
4. We have a "new to us" mirror hanging in our living room. A neighbor was getting rid of it.
5. I was away for four days and I've got nothing else.
We purchased some frozen food for quick dinners when no one feels like cooking. We don't live close to fast food and restaurants, so these frozen quick meals will be good. I usually have leftovers frozen, but we are running low. Time to batch cook!
I am in the process of switching banks and I dislike this chore so much! But the new bank's debit cards will be tied to one of our rewards accounts, and has better benefits, so in the long run, it will benefit us.
With the last zucchini of the garden, I made 6 batches of muffins. My husband loves to have something with his first cup of coffee, so there are muffins for weeks! Also dropped some off at brother in law's house for the guests that are coming and going all week.
Will be going to a wedding this weekend and will be making a card for the gift for the bride and groom.
We always have breakfast and lunch from home; especially coffee. On the days that my husband works, he always brings lunch with him. I usually end up eating leftovers that are not enough for a whole dinner.
A belt at the bottom? What were they thinking?
I also have had to do the microwaved mask for dry eyes, due to my cataract surgery. Sure hope mine doesn't go boom in the microwave! (Thanks for the heads up about that.)
All your brown-bag lunches/snacks look delicious. And healthy! Kudos to you for resisting the temptation to buy fast food.
Here are my 5FT:
1. Since I caught the crud going around, where everyone is coughing up a storm, I needed cough drops. I shop in an old-fashioned drug store, ie one that still has price stickers instead of using a scanner system. Saw where my Smith Bros. Cough Drops were getting more expensive, so I bought several pkgs. that were still the old (cheaper) price. The store honors whatever price is on the sticker, so I saved a dollar per bag.
2. My bank is just half a mile from my house, so I usually go there to pay my credit card bills, etc. I had a "points" card and hadn't ever redeemed my points. I had used the card for some charges related to my cataract surgery, so I asked them if I could cash in those points. I figured I might get 10 or 15 bucks from them at most. Surprise! I was able to redeem $67! The money was deposited back into my checking account. What a nice chunk of change!
3. The other day, I didn't have a substitute teaching job; the teachers are disgustingly healthy this year, LOL! It just happened to be Senior Citizen Day at the thrift store, so I dropped by there. Was able to get some needed items 50 to 70% off. Best bargain: a box of eyedrops, donated by a store, for $4. Those are OTC dry eye medication for cataracts and the drug store's price has risen from $13 for a box of 100 vials to $28. I got the same number of vials for $4. (Yes, they were unopened and unexpired and safe to use.) Also got 2 extension cords for 50 cents apiece and some outlet adaptors for 25 cents each. These were things I needed, and I'm only too happy to get them at super low prices. All these items were donated by area businesses and were new items still in their original packages, so they were not secondhand!
4. Used a discount card for 10 cents off per gallon of gasoline. Went to a different gas station than I usually use. It was located across the street from #3's thrift store. Its posted price was the same low price as my place, lowest in our area, and the card knocked the price down even further.
5. The horrible hot summer has not been kind to my front yard. So when the temperatures dropped into the 70s and early 80-degree range (it'd been triple digits before), I did some yard work. (First time in 3 months I could get out there without risking heat stroke!) Went to a greenhouse/nursery operated by a charity and got some garden soil for $5 a bag -- that's far cheaper than the commercial places -- to fill in the low spots. Also bought groundcover plants and transplanted them in the bare spots under the trees; when they fill in, I won't have to mow those areas. I'm planning to greatly increase my planting areas so that the yard will need less watering and less mowing -- and still look attractive.
Ha. I can totally copy your first three . . .
1) I cut my own hair yesterday. I was having my husband do it, but he always cut it too short, so now I do it myself. I just comb it out over my head after a shower when it's wet, put it in a ponytail and cut across the bottom of the ponytail. Then I usually pull it over my shoulders on each side and trim a little more to even it out. I have very curly hair, so the layers this produces work well. And the curl hides the fact that it's far from professional. 🙂
2) I bring my lunch every day when I work at school. If I ate in the cafeteria, I would have to pay $2 every time. Also, the food at school is meant for children, who can eat a lot more carbs than I should. AND, if I was getting cafeteria food, I would either have to eat in the cafeteria, thereby forgoing the only twenty minutes of my workday I don't have to talk to anyone, or get it in a to-go box to bring back to my room, thereby using a styrofoam box. So, I bring my lunch and eat in my room.
3) I almost always choose the slower shipping for digital credit. I don't make my kids wait to watch rented movies on Prime if I don't have them, but it's usually the case that I do have some when they want to watch something. Most recently, it was "Cool Runnings," which definitely holds up after all these years, by the way.
4) Relatedly, I finally decided to try using the Prime try before you buy thing for clothing. I've always bought my clothes and my kids' clothes through online consignment sites, but that's gotten so difficult now that I always have to pay to ship returns and the sizing is so different between brands. I was sending back more than half of what I bought for myself, especially jeans, which is mostly what I needed. So I tried the Prime thing. Obviously, I have to pay full price for new clothes, but I think the difference is probably about what I was paying in clothes I had to return or sometimes didn't bother returning and just donated somewhere else.
If you're squeamish, don't read this last one (line break)
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5) One of our ewes apparently bloated herself on alfalfa hay (meaning she ate so much she couldn't digest it--this has never happened with any of our sheep in twenty years) and died on Sunday. We found her when we got back from church, so it had just happened. Since we knew what she died from, and knew it was very recent, my husband decided to butcher her. It's not the time of year for it--too warm to hang the meat--but we're trying a method a hunter friend told us about where the meat is put in a cooler to age with ice for a couple of days. As the ice melts, the water is drained and more ice is added. I suspect this won't be as good a method of aging as dry hanging, but it should salvage forty pounds or so of lamb. We're going to cut up the meat today, so we'll see, I guess. We also gave the carcass with the ribs and all to our four children and told them to get their knives and cut off all the meat from that for ground lamb. They thought this was the most fun thing ever and stripped every tiny bit of meat from that carcass. Definitely giving them that job from now on.
@kristin @ going country, that is the method that we use for aging our deer meat. It works well. We live in south central Texas where it is too warm to hang meat.
FFT, Simulcast Edition (I’ve just put this same comment up on the NCA):
(1) I’ve received a check for 2 cents from Chase, for which they have nobody but themselves to blame for (a) cancelling DH’s Chase Amazon Visa card on me and (b) then messing up their own arithmetic. Will be looking for a frame for it among DH’s stash of frames in the basement!
(2) My JASNA friend in the next city who works at a Panera gave me three frozen Panera souffles and a frozen muffin when I saw her on Saturday. They arrived home with me in good shape in my cooler, and I had one of the souffles for lunch yesterday. Nom nom nom!
(3) On Sunday, two neighbors and I went to the home of an ex-neighbor (she and her husband now live in senior housing) to celebrate the ex-neighbor’s 90th birthday. My contributions were a vase of flowers from my garden, plus all the plates, napkins, and utensils we’d need (we didn’t want the ex-neighbor to lift a finger on this). I packed the equipment into a nice picnic hamper I found recently at a Thrifty Shopper for $4.50.
(4) And the ex-neighbor, who shares my interest in the British royal family (she’s the one who, as a teenage schoolgirl in Kent, got together with two schoolmates to send a wedding gift to the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947), gave me a bunch of royal magazines she’d saved, covering the Queen’s funeral and King Charles’s coronation. (It still seems weird to say or write “King Charles.”)
(5) Finally, a frugal fail: I’m visiting my dentist at noon today to have a new crack in one of my teeth checked out. This means $ for this appointment plus, probably, $$$ for eventual repairs. But I don’t feel comfortable letting this go till my next scheduled appointment in December.
@A. Marie,
Your #1 - I worked with a man whose brother had sadly died of cancer as a teen. In the midst of all that tragedy, his family received a threatening letter stating they had to pay a past due bill or be turned over to collections. The amount owed was - $0.00. The father promptly sent a check written for 0.00 dollars with a copy of the letter.
I applaud your intention to frame your 2 cent check, and good luck with that tooth.
@JD, Ha!
My son collects paper money. A few years ago, the city of Trier, in Germany, where Karl Marx was born, issued €0 banknotes with Marx's face on them, to commemorate Marx's 200th birthday. Of course I ordered some for my son. I'd be tempted to send one, except they turned out to be a hot collectible.
@A. Marie, Your $0.02 check from Chase beats my $0.22 check from Allstate for the sheer idiocy of it all. But I did cash my check! Actually I deposited it to my checking account using my phone app (and it showed up on my most recent statement) so I still have the actual paper check in my possession. I guess I could frame it. But where should I hang it?
And sorry about the tooth but, yes, those things don't improve on their own. Quite the contrary. Hope it's a easy and painless (and not $$$) fix.
Good fix on the skirt!
My FFT:
1. Our oven broke a few hours before Rosh Hashanah...but we are renters! Our landlord will replace the oven at no cost to us, except the inconvenience.
2. We brought what I'd already cooked (challah, honey cake) to my parents' and also some raw chicken which we cooked in their oven. Hurray! No wasting the chicken.
3. We borrowed a hot plate from my parents. We will have simple meals this week, made on one burner. If we can avoid much takeout, I'll be very happy.
4. We were able to dress ourselves and our toddler for all three days (well, one evening and two days) of the holiday without buying new clothes. My toddler is obsessed with her hand-me-down glittery shoes ("Sparky shoes! Sparky shoes, Mama!")
5. I use the library a lot. I mostly get e-books, because we live an unpleasant long walk from the closest physical library, but I really do enjoy it.
@Meira Bear,
Oh, also, little B turned 2 (MY BABY!!!) and we kept it really simple and frugal. I brought cupcakes to my aunt's house on Rosh Hashanah and we sang Happy Birthday before dessert. For gifts, she received some clothes and toys from our generous extended family, and we bought her a toy firetruck. That's all! We didn't have the energy for a big party as we are still recovering from covid.
That is such a cute skirt! A younger me would be wearing it!
Have I done anything frugal lately?
1. I bought gas in civilization, that is to say up-Island, where it costs $1.50 less a gallon than here in nowheresville, when visiting Mom.
2. Mom wanted another Scrabble game, so I bought a used one off eBay, the one we used to have, with the turntable.
3. I decided to forego my usual wedding anniversary massage to save money. I'm thinking I may need one anyway this week or so, not sure.
4. Fixed some picture frames using materials bought cheaply online.
5. Cleaned my house myself. Well, more or less. And forced my kids to help.
6. Forgot this. Picked beach plums to make homemade damson gin.
@Rose, homemade damson gin and homemade merlot grape jelly? My goodness, I may have to visit the Hamptons sometime!
@A. Marie, You are welcome any time! By the way, the merlot jelly offer is still on--the friend who makes it was the one I blew off on Sunday because of excessive stress. Stupid, because all we were gonna do is craft and check out a new vintage shop, but as I mentioned, I couldn't leave my chair. Sigh. But she's a wonderful friend and understands.
1. I went to a local rummage sale in the next town over (a higher economic level ). It was Saturday so they had their bag sale. Inflation hit them and the bags are now $3 for small and $5 for large. So I needed to make this count. I got the following. New to me Christmas table cloth, a fall coffee mug to replace the one I broke last year, a pair of handmade wooden Christmas trees, 3 everyday long sleeve t-shirts for layering, 2 small throw pillows, 4 large shams to cut down, 2 small frames, a basket of apple decorations, and to fill it out 2 small blankets and a box of new Ziplocs and a set of Rubbermaid. I also got 6 free DVDs and 5 free books. All in all I got a good haul and gave them $10 for the bag and 2 kitchen chairs and a twin bed frame and headboard.
2. My birth month is September and by the end I usually make up a list of doable resolutions/goals. In the past I have driven to Panera and gotten a coffee/tea and a pastry and sat there trying to decide what 10 things I was working on this year. This year I took a flask of tea, my journal and a muffin (which I didn't eat) and went to a local park. I took a nice hike and sat there and came up with my list. I ate the muffin later.
3. I have a solid list of birthday freebies offered by business I use. I plan to redeem several of them and hop the list reminds me.
4. Inventoried my refrigerator freezer to develop a plan to use up the stuff in there.
5. Mended several pair of socks and a shirt.
Today's list is frugal if you close one eye and squint out of the other.
• Today I will get a new catalytic converter, $850 so my car will pass smog; if I let them keep the old one, the job will cost $750 (such a sacrifice on my part. . . say what??)
• I spent the weekend picking/foraging ripe currants at around our cabin with the idea to make jelly. I ran a bunch through the juicer and not a single drop emerged; it made orange goo! So I boiled and tried to mash the rest, bent the potato masher (an antique), and ended up with less than 1 cup of juice. The currants were free, but I did a lot of work for nothing.
• The spray varnish that I've used on my finished oil paintings for many years now clogs and clogs and clogs. I've robbed every other spray can I own for new nozzles, which work for about 3 pushes of the button. I called the company, and they no longer make the product. IF they can find a spare can, they'll mail it to me. Ugh. I tossed the rest of my cans and have to figure out Plan B for varnishing. Such a waste.
• When I go to town for the new catalytic converter, I will look for the cheapest gas; it is now $5.59/gallon around here (gasp of horror)
• In spite of being in town all day and thinking I "deserve" lunch out, I will take my own.
Squint hard, my friends, because the frugal nature of my life still can sort of be seen in that mess of a week. (Is it frugal to keep my car?? 248,000 miles now. . . but the radiator is new and that new catalytic converter will kick some heiny for sure.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I bought a Ford Taurus station wagon in 1997 from a credit union (the car had been a dealer's demo) for about $17,000 and only gave up on it 25 years later. So ... not taking into account routing maintenance and a couple of more significant repairs ... $680/year. I didn't have your kind of mileage, but at some point I just couldn't find parts and things like hoses, etc. just kept giving out due to age. So I vote "Keep that car!"
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, This isn't related to today, but I wanted to tell you that I really appreciated your comment last week about regularly avoiding scary left turns. It gave me the courage to feel like I didn't have to do that scary left turn again and it was totally normal and fine to choose not to do it. Instead, I'm turning right, then making an easy left into a parking lot to turn around. So much safer. So much less stress. This will make my Monday and Wednesday mornings much better. Thank you!!!
@Ruth T, happy to be of service. When bad stuff happens, I try to approach it from the angle of "what does this make possible?", and if my wreck allows you to feel safer, then that's good. I still drive the car I got after the wreck in 2001 because I felt so very guilty about it all.
@JDinNM, thank you for that vote. I certainly enjoy driving it, although it looks pretty tired. Did you feel sad when you gave up the old Taurus?
Love the skirt fix!
I was traveling for work, and avoided spending any of my own money, with one exception. I love Uniqlo, and picked up a very thin workout jacket at the airport. I have to order Uniqlo online normally, and pay for return shipping, so being able to try it on & not paying tax meant the jacket was less expensive than if I'd bought it online at home.
1) We sat on the runway for 5 hours before our flight took off, due to thunder & lightning. They eventually let us off to get food/snacks, but I avoided buying food. I instead ate some crackers I had tucked away in my bag. I'd been fasting, so I was pretty famished, but unsurprisingly, it was fine. 🙂
2) I'm leaving for a 10 day trip with my sister & BFF on Sunday (my sister's 50th birthday celebration!), & we coordinated toiletries, to ensure just one person brings sunblock, face lotion, face wash, etc. None of us are picky or have sensitive skin, and this allows us to avoid duplication & overpacking. We will also not be checking bags. This is more of a time saver than anything else, but also saves us train costs, as you have to pay extra for over sized bags.
3) I got home much later than expected on Friday (due to the flight delay) & was very tempted to opt for takeout. Instead, my husband & I divided & conquered when he got home from work. It was a very unglamorous meal, but it worked.
4) DS17 forgot that he needed a homemade food item. It was already a late night, and he had to leave for soccer practice. We needed pictures of him at each phase of the baking. We opted for an easy banana bread recipe, and I photographed him, while he prepped & baked. The bread came out just as he was heading out the door for practice. We avoided buying anything, and chose a recipe that was quick & required no additional ingredients. Plus, would be easy to transport to school, and be a crowd pleaser.
5) We used a gift card (thank you gift from neighbor) to have a family dinner out on Sunday. As a bonus, the gift card was through Giftly (I've never used it before), & we could redeem it for Paypal cash. We have an Amex gift card we've been trying to use up, so we redeemed the Giftly gift card for Paypal cash, and I used the Amex gift card for the dinner. We wanted to honor the intention of the gift card, and our sweet neighbor has repeatedly asked us if we've had our family dinner out yet. Now we can say we have!
@Hawaii Planner,
Genius idea to share the toiletries and each member of the trio only taking one unduplicated needed item! That trick would never have occurred to me. Thanks for sharing!
1. I used CVS rewards to get a drink and a snack for myself when I was out running multiple errands and needed something to stave off hunger until I could get home to eat dinner. $0 out of pocket...hooray!
2. I took advantage of a sale and credit card points to order a new duvet for our king sized bed. The combination of the two saved me over $40.
3. I cooked up 4 pounds of pinto beans and now have a stash of homemade chili beans in my freezer to use through fall and winter. These are delicious and I had all of the ingredients on hand.
4. I am being extra diligent about using up leftovers in my house. Saturday I made a chicken soup using leftover peas, carrots, chicken, mashed potatoes and some chicken broth.
5. Fabulous weather this week means that I will be finishing cleaning out my gardens so that fall seeds can be planted. The gardens will yield Spinach, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, cabbage, peas, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and spaghetti squash. Healthy vegetables + great exercise...very frugal indeed 🙂
@Angie, I envy your confident gardening. "The gardens will yield. . ." My gardening is the continual triumph of hope over experience, and I never stop trying.
@Angie,
how do you make your chili beans?
I'll get to my Five Frugal Things, but as this is such a close community, I feel like this is sharing with friends:
The largest employer by far in my town and indeed this whole county (and the largest taxpayer, consumer of utilities, supporter of auxiliary businesses, hirer of contractors, etc.) suddenly announced yesterday that they will close by November 1st, announcing this less than three weeks after a major hurricane devastated our communities. The announcement says the closure isn't due to the hurricane. The shock and hurt here is overwhelming. This will affect 525 direct hires and a larger number of contract employees as well as employees and owners of associated businesses. My town has a population of roughly 7-8000 yet is the largest town in this county, to give some context. The owners had bought this mill about 8 years ago, and we'd been warned they've been known to buy places then shut them down, but after this long, people had relaxed. I used to work there but left when the new owners took over.
We are all going to have to be frugal around here.
1. I needed a case for my new gifted-to-me iPhone. I found some, but for $35 up to $65. I am not hard on my phone and have never even cracked a screen (but I will now that I've said that). A case for me is for ease of handling, minor bumps and protecting the lens, that sort of thing. After looking long and hard at stores and online, I discovered one clear silicone case in the right size at the bottom of the rack in a store, for $5 on clearance. I bought it and it fits perfectly.
2. I made the requested chicken and dumplings for our birthday dinner on Sunday. I cooked a whole meaty chicken and used half the meat in the dumplings and saved the other half for dinners for me. Although I don't eat gluten now, I had saved my all-purpose flour I still had, from Christmas baking last year, in the freezer, to keep it fresh. I used it up on the dumplings and cupcakes.
3. I found a penny! That's so unusual these days.
4. I sold my aluminum cans (I drink natural soft drinks, one of my indulgent luxuries) and got $13.64 for them.
5. I found the nice monogrammed leather wallet a daughter had given DH before he went to assisted living two years ago, where he didn't need a wallet. I decided to give it away since the daughter didn't need it back, and emptied it before I did. There was a crisp dollar bill that had been sitting there all this time.
@JD, Just...wow on the business shutdown. I'm glad you had moved on from them, and sorry for the impact it will have on the community.
@JD, that's awful about the mill shutdown. My heart goes out to everybody in Perry and the entire county. And the closure isn't due to the hurricane, they say? Even if it isn't (and I'm sure you all have your doubts), the timing is brutal.
@JD, what did the mill manufacture? Sure would be nice if someone bigger, better, and more reliable bought the facilities. We have a similar situation in our town, which depends on Sequoia National Park for almost everything economical and it keeps closing. But that's just our town, one of the smallest in the county, so your situation is much worse.
@JD, I know only too well how much having a major employer close down can hurt a community. I pray something will come along to provide jobs for those affected by this decision.
I have a few to share this week....
1. A co-worker gifted me a "save around (the area) gift card with coupons to use. Her son's football team was selling them as a fundraiser and she bought a few as gifts. She said it was a gift for all I've helped her out with in her department.
2. Friends gifted us with 3 huge tomatoes and 2 green peppers from their garden.
3. We used 4 vouchers from husband's work to enjoy a local baseball game.
4. Another co-worker gifted me a candy bar he bought from a fundraiser
5. I went thru my Christmas app to review my budget this year and I saved $110 from last year by eliminating a few things.
I want that skirt! LOL It's very "me".
Baked a cake for my kids’ birthday party instead of buying one.
Went to the cheaper but a little further away grocery store and got some clearance snap peas, two heads of cauliflower, a head of iceberg lettuce about 75% off, and two beef briskets 50% off. We do not have a smoker so we can’t make it perfectly but I found some oven baked brisket recipes that still look very tasty.
Harvested and ate a bunch of cucumbers and lettuce from our garden.
Mended a hole in my son’s bathrobe and sewed the wire back into the brim of my sun hat.
Got lots of books from the library for free entertainment. Also went to a craft activity for the kiddos at the library.
This is my frugal Disney list since we just got back from a trip with the whole family.
1. I bought gift cards at BJ's to pay for the trip. They are a reduced price. I put them on my cash back card so double savings. We pay the CC off every month.
2. We (7)all brought reusable water bottles. Disney has water filling stations so we saved hundreds on water. A water bottle is $4 and it was in the 90s the whole trip.
3. I brought a small cooler as my carry on bag. I brought hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, grapes and apples. In our suitcases I packed bananas, peanut butter, granola bars, muffins and Ziplocs. Muffins travel well in sneaker boxes. Bananas were $2.25 at Disney compared to 19¢ at Trader Joes. The kids put together a grocery delivery. Hubby and I got a loaf of bread.
4. We only did 3 sit down meals. I brought the Ziplocs with me. Extra rolls, chips and fries all were taken back to the room. Quick serve meals, Hubby and I shared or I got a kids meal. My favorite kids meal was grilled shrimp(6) with rice. I took an apple juice as my drink (for breakfast) and apple slices. My 2 daughters also ordered kids meals several times.
5. Hubby has an allergy and one of his meals came out wrong. They gave us back double the price as an apology. His allergy wasn't even what was wrong, they gave him the wrong side which they told him to keep.
6. We had to take connecting flight to get home. I made PBJ(jelly from food court) for our trip home and packed it in the cooler with leftover snacks. Our second flight got delayed so we were very happy to have the sandwiches.
7. Hubby's brother drove us to and from the airport. It is 15 minutes from our houses, we live 5 blocks from each other. Hubby drives them when they go away. No need to hire a car service or pay for overnight parking.
@Marybeth from NY,
8. My sister watched our dog for the week. We watch hers all the time because she travels for work. Her thank you was a bag of garden produce when we dropped her off and picked her up.
@Marybeth from NY,
My late father, when he had retired, used to have a free "van service" for all his friends and relations: for the price of gas, he'd take you to the nearest major airport (100 miles away) and drop you off (or pick you up and take you home). After dropping off his passenger(s), he'd go visit his nephew or some friends in the area, or go shop the Ham Radio stores. Filling up his old Ford van was a lot cheaper than taking the "puddle jumper" (commuter airline flight) or the commercial drive-you-to-the-airport service, so everyone came out ahead. It wasn't really a business, just an occasional thing that he did, so no having to get a commercial driver's license or report the "income"; I'm share this bc perhaps the same thing would benefit other retirees.
@Fru-gal Lisa, That is great that your dad did that. It kept him from sitting home bored. We have Uber and Lyft her. It is probably only $10 each way but the brother's like to help each other.
@Marybeth from NY, you actually packed bananas in your suitcases – that struck me as hilarious!!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, sneaker boxes for the win. I packed 8 and we ate them all.
@Fru-gal Lisa, Good for him! We have an arrangement with two sets of friends for this -- it's approx. 45 min. to DIA (Denver). They take us and pick us up -- we return the favor. Saves a lot on parking...and the dirty secret at the long-term parking lots here is that there's been a lot of break-ins. (The parking company is NOT responsible for thefts, they say.)
JD, I'm sorry about the company closing. It does sound like you suspected something like this was coming. This is going to be especially tough for the kids at Christmas...I'm hoping that people in your town are already thinking about this.
Diesel here is more than $4 a gallon -- and I thought that was bad enough.
Frugal wins here --
*Snagged from our local King Soopers clearance shelf:
5 boxes of Rice-A-Roni (33 cents each), a dozen baked goods ($1.80), a couple of dented enchilada sauce cans ($1.24 and $1.28).
*A heavy potholder ($1), Rocky Mt National Park mug I'll use for the Christmas box ($1) and two shirts ($5 and $7). A free framed print; a second watercolor ($12) will have a Bigfoot added into it, thanks to an artist friend.
*Bought a house! And Husband discovered that if we put together all the money we had in various investments, we can pay cash -- with a few hundred bucks left over. I was astonished to realize this. We will take out a small loan from our daughter/son (who had been stashing for their own home searches) -- cut expenses to the bare minimum, and hopefully pay that off in a year. Borrowing from them will give them a higher rate of interest -- and we won't be required to get mortgage insurance, or an appraisal ($500). Then we will start replenishing the accounts again -- so in essence, paying ourselves the interest, rather than the mortgage company.
*Got a job working for elections. Some long hours, lower pay -- but it will help pay that loan. And it's usually so slow, except for election day, that I can often work on something else while I'm there. The job means we'll move a week later (from fifth wheel to house) -- but it's worth it.
I do like these frugal saves, Kristen. Thanks for doing them.
P.S. Oops, the shirt/print purchases were from our local thrift shop -- and done on Tuesdays, which means an additional 20% off for being a senior.
This doesn't feel like a particularly frugal week, but I will give it a shot. Inspired by your packed lunches.
1. I have been using up a surplus of travel toothpaste. This helps reduce my clutter, and saves a tiny bit of buying full tubes of toothpaste.
2. I haven't bought the Nespresso, Aeropress, air fryer, or other small appliances/gadgets that I somehow impulsively want to buy. I don't have the space for them, or the extra funds at this time. I can add them to a future wish list for a time with more disposable income.
3. I submitted for a reimbursement for therapy costs, which was approved. It's still my money, but tax free as it's been set aside specifically for those purposes.
4. I brought my lunch every day to work this week. There have been leftover snacks in the office, so I haven't had to break into my bag of pretzels. With any luck it will bring me closer to the end of the month without needing a snack resupply.
5. I have limited my coffee intake. I have not made coffee most days in the morning before work, and rather opt for a cup when I get to the office which has been prepaid for/free through a program at work.
- I tracked my spending. While I have spent a fair amount, I have also spent mostly intentionally. It's just an unfortunate side effect that I have a lot of birthdays and fundraisers this month. Plus broken tools for enthusiastic and forgetful gardening.
- I haven't gone into debt for house repairs or other consumer goods yet. While the budget is tight, and I could refine my spending, I am maintaining that as my baseline.
We eat most meals at home, made from single ingredients, versus prepared foods, much lower cost per ounce, as well as healthier. Our garden season is coming to a close, so we are harvesting carrots, beets, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs. We canned 16 quarts of salsa (hot and mild) and 18 pints of tomato sauce over the weekend. Potatoes and carrots will be dried in the sun and hung in mesh bags in the cellar as well as the garlic. It is work, but it is pesticide free, and tastes so much better than store bought. We started everything from seeds, pennies compared to buying plants at the nursery.
We started cutting and splitting wood, and stacking it under the deck on pallets. Plenty of wood on the farm, and the wood stove keeps the house plenty warm.
I have my husband trim my hair every couple months. He loves my hair long, so there is no need to worry about him getting scissor happy on my hair. I like my hair out of my face, so during the summer, I have him braid it for me each morning, before I do chores. I cut his hair for him about every month, so we are both avoiding the cost of paying for haircuts. He is happy with my barbering skills, and I get compliments on my hair, especially with the different braids he does for me; French, Dutch, fishtail and variations on them. So I certainly am not just getting the minimal, but the full pampering.
I will be cutting back all the herbs and I will be freeze drying them, they keep the color and flavor so much better than heat drying them. We like gardening, some could call it our hobby, but we get the rewards of fresh fruits and vegetables for our efforts, plus we make blueberry, black currant, and blackberry wine from them. I like them sweeter as it keeps the berry flavor, whereas he prefers a dry wine, so we mark the bottles accordingly.
Good for you for packing such healthy, yummy lunches, Kristen.
My frugal five:
1. Cut my own hair, an easy, short, razor-comb cut style perfected during the Covid pandemic. This saves $26.
2. Made homemade rye bread, pumpkin bran muffins, and chocolate brownies in the past week. So much less expensive at home!
3. Shampooed, combed out and trimmed up the coats of our two long-haired dogs. This probably saved around $75.
4. Bought toilet paper on sale and used a $1 coupon.
5. Little things: took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill and did not go shopping, bought some baking supplies at Dollar Tree, rack dried a number of laundered items.
Nice haircut! I like that length.
1. I started a "stuff diary", keeping a running list of items coming in/leaving the house every month. Not food or other consumables, but items that last. It helps to be a bit more mindful and examine the amount of things we have/feel like we need.
2. As part of the stuff diary, took some barely used clothes my kids outgrew to a consignment shop to sell and donated a bunch more to our school clothes drive, including old towels and sheets for fiber recycling.
3. Saving morning coffee for afternoon ice coffee, yep, still warm enough here for iced drinks!
4. Using my credit card to make online purchases feels safer than the debit card, but I make a point of paying off the credit immediately.
5. Met up with some friends for coffee and a bike ride, cheaper than going out to eat together.
1. I made homemade yogurt and saved out half to make dog ice cream. I saved a cup to use for a starter in the freezer for the next time I make yogurt.
2. I purchased a new blender at Costco. It was on sale with $20 instant savings. I purchased an inexpensive Ninja since I don't use it that often but my old blender just wasn't working as it should.
3. My Mom invited my kids and I for dinner. We grilled steaks - I shared the cost and brought some baby potatoes to roast and a berry salad. We enjoyed a great dinner for much less than going out. I brought home leftovers which made another meal for two.
4. I treated a friend who does my taxes to lunch while she looked over my quarterly tax documents. I ate half my lunch and took the other half home which became my daughters lunch.
5. I turned off my air conditioning since it's been cooler and am opening my windows at night to enjoy the cool evening air.
1. Rescued a large, sturdy bin from a dumpster, cleaned it up, and gave it to my husband as a replacement for a battered one he had in his truck.
2. Found a tube of lip balm on the ground. Cut off the top part of the product and cleaned the outside thoroughly.
3. Went to an apple orchard with my sister and bought a half peck of apples that we split. Came back to my place afterward for bring-your-own-lunch instead of going out to eat, which used to be our default.
4. Needed some small loose scratch paper so I took sheets from a composition notebook and cut each sheet into smaller pieces. I had received the notebook from a Buy Nothing garage sale where everything was free.
5. Received an annual credit from our electricity co-op.
I made sure to stop by Starbucks on my way home from work last week and pick up my free birthday drink. I picked up the largest size of my favorite iced coffee and enjoyed it for the next two mornings. I also made sure to sign up for my free birthday Pilates class and use my extra 5% off at Target when I picked up a few groceries this weekend.
When I checked my cousin’s wedding registry everything was either purchased or completely out of my price range. I went through my gift cabinet and found a couple things that were wedding gift worthy along with a beautiful gift bag from my stash. I really do like to gift from a registry when I can but I was late to the party on this one.
I pulled everything out of my kitchen freezer and my deep freezer and updated my freezer inventory sheets. I then made my menu for the next two weeks based on when was in the two freezers. I did have to pick up a handful of items from the store but we will be eating down the freezers for a while.
I picked up a cookbook from the library to look through to decide if it needs to go on my holiday Wishlist or not. While I was there I noticed that they now have a puzzle exchange shelf! I didn’t see any puzzles that piqued my interest but I will be going through my stash and dropping off a few that I was planning on donating to goodwill.
I’m staying consistent with bringing lunch from home to work. Thankfully it’s the norm at work to bring lunch from home and we all get excited if there are leftovers from a meeting a day before that we get to enjoy!
I'm performing in a show as a side hustle. Unsurprisingly, my frugal five are all show related.
- I get free primitive camping (no utilities) as part of my contract which means I don't have to pay for hotels during the run of the show.
- I've been good about cooking camp breakfast and dinners and making lunches ahead of time on show weekends. I can't eat 90% of the provided free food due to a food allergy and while i could purchase safe food on site, I'd rather save the money bringing my own.
- My husband took one for the team and drank milk from 1/2 gallon jugs so I could repurpose the empties for frozen cold packs for our cooler.
- I needed a few inexpensive pieces of new camping gear which I bought on clearance, Marketplace, or with a Christmas gift card. I also added to what we already had by shopping the house when getting read for our community yard sale. I have a comfortable glamp site for cheap and with a few amenities to share with my follow performers who are just starting out.
- I repaired a pair of pants for a fellow performer when the closure shredded and broke. I also replaced the hidden and completely shot elastic in waist with sewing supplies I had on hand.
I like you hair cut!
1. I enrolled in 2 Nielson surveys. They are both about television viewing and are very easy. It will earn me $21.
2. I made more sundried tomatoes using cherry tomatoes from my garden. I pureed
tomatoes from my garden and froze the puree. I dehydrated some over-ripe plums while dehydrating the tomatoes. I used potatoes from my garden to make mashed potatoes for my lunch (topped with fried eggs in typical Kristen-fashion!).
3. I purchased all of our Halloween costumes at Goodwill. Total cost was about $35.
4. I wanted to read the 2nd and 3rd book in a series, but my library didn't have them. So I found them both on Thrift Books for a total of $18. I very rarely purchase books. I will re-sell them once I read them.
5. I went to our local public market this weekend and stocked up on cheap, local produce. I purchased 12 bell pepper for $3! They went into the freezer for use later this year.
@Corrine, do you resell your books on eBay like Kristen does?
A friend gave me fancy schmancy wet cat food that her cat dislikes. I made applesauce and apple pie filling from my orchard apples in trade.
A college friend and I went together to buy the sweetest sweet corn to freeze. It was 300 ears for $75, so I spent yesterday putting half of it in the freezer. I normally grow it, but had a covey of 24 quail eat my 4! plantings of corn. ugh.
I picked my friend's tomatoes for them and pulled the plants to help clean up their garden space. They are in their 90's and are just done with the season. We ended up making 20 pints of salsa for their pantry.
While preparing for the new corn, I cleaned out the freezer and sent 4 gallons of blueberries to the neighbor for his morning smoothies. He in turn gives me insulation made out of denim that I am using to insulate the inside office in my shop. The insulation is from his weekly deliveries of fresh food.
I used my credits at the local ag supply to purchase diesel for the tractor.
I started a book club for my former co-workers (nurses) and we are reading my aunt's book club's previous month's selection so that we do not have to buy the books. She collects the books and we meet in my house and we make it a salad potluck and cookies.
We invited a local 4-H group to come pick apples, pears and plums to make fruit leather. We had 3 dehydrators going and it was so fun to see the kids working together.
My husband always packs a lunch for work, and I used to do the same when I worked outside of the home. It saved us SOOOO much money, and often was not only healthier for us, but also way better tasting than most things we could have bought! I do applaud you though for having never needed to take the quick route -- I'm seriously impressed! There were always a few times here and there that I had to lean on fast food options because we just plain ran out of time or weren't home enough to pack a lunch.
Here are my own frugal wins, which include our first-ever attempt at doing an at-home grooming for our dog:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/19/weekly-frugal-wins-trade-outs-and-dog-grooming/
Aww that's a really cute skirt! Great thrifting find (and fixup).
Wasn’t sure is this would be a frugal win or a frugal fail when the day started but … frugal win! I hired a young man who just started his own “Tree & Yard Service” to take down a very dead 20-30 foot Russian Olive tree in my side yard. I’d gotten bids/quotes/estimates up to $1500 but this guy (who’s done work for several neighbors) said $450. So … I said have at it. And although we had several scheduling problems he came this morning and got it started and finished and cleaned up in about 3 hours, and also took down the remnants of an old (and dead) apple tree and cut it up into kindling sized pieces I can use in my wood burning stove this winter. He did a great job. Gave him $500 in cash. And he will come back and give me estimates for some other (long neglected projects) projects.
And I have been guilty of underutilizing library services (no excuse because my niece is a librarian and just got her MLIS degree) and oversubscribing to newspapers (hundreds of dollars and going up all the time) and overbuying books. So I got my third library card (I have access to my Village library and the libraries in two adjoining cities/counties) and my niece and her assistants gave me a half hour of their time last week to help me set up PressReader and other apps to access papers and magazines, and also get access to all their other library services (books and DVDs and an amazing array of resources). Will save me a small fortune. And we had a lot of fun! My niece had dressed up some Barbie dolls that had found their way into the Lost and Found as “Librarian Barbies are looking forward to helping you!” and posing them on the front desk. (She’s the niece I went to see the movie with.) Wish I could attach a picture!
I wish I could have the bare minimum haircut but alas, I have chosen the vivid hair life. And it's current state of natural(ish) auburn, pink, magenta, indigo and violet requires someone with significantly more skill than me and regular touch up.
However, on a more frugal note, this week I:
1. Made my own cafe de olla and pumpkin spice syrup so I can resist the fall Starbucks drinks easier. As a plus, I actually know what is in the them.
2. Made lunch and dinners with what I had on hand instead of going to the market. I am trying to get our fridge empty before we go on a trip next week and I am in the process of eating out the freezer
3. Sold an Ikea shoe cabinet on Facebook Marketplace. It took a minute to get through the scammers, but eventually talked to a legit person.
4. Got a free, upgraded router from our internet provider (since our last one was 8 years old). Now to call for a bill reduction.
5. Listed a bed and vanity on Facebook Marketplace. We are trying to turn our downstairs guest bedroom into an office for my husband's business since we rarely have guests and have no need of the gorgeous antique oak? set we were gifted. So if any readers in the LA/OC/IE area need a set, I will make a great deal for a fellow Kristen reader!!!
@Heather, don't need your gorgeous set of furniture, but I was so tickled to see someone from my neck of the woods. I'm in Menifee in the IE. A big "hello."
1. I made our meals at home.
2. We went to some free events.
3. We ate some food down from the freezer.
4. I needed a binder and found one in a box of old and unused school supplies.
5. I did take my Scout out fundraising to help cover the cost of summer camp, even though I didn't want to.
-I scanned some receipts on Fetch; one a day so I can spin for extra points.
-I sold a quilting frame on FB marketplace for $180. This covers the cost of the three hutches I've purchased so far to use for kitchen/laundry/pantry storage in my new house with $90 left over.
-I repaired: a sleep mask. The straps came loose on one side so I sewed them back on.
And a leather crossbody purse strap. The fabric loops holding the shoulder strap on were just about coming off. I cut them off & sewed on some decorative chain to hold the strap instead.
- I've been sleeping with the windows open & ac off...thankfully it's finally cool enough.
- I've been using some old fish sticks from the freezer for dog treats for my big dog.
-I'm trying to use up a bag of polluck I was given for free. We don't like it at all but we're eating it.
-I divided & repotted some houseplants, giving some away & refreshing what I have for fall. I used pots & soil I had on hand so all free new plants.
- I compromised my new kitchen cabinets plus am buying all laundry/pantry cabinetry used to get the price down $2000 under budget. Now I have a little room to buy bathroom vanities.
@Jenny Young, If you need a way to make fish taste better, here is my favourite recipe (which I have used on pollack). Dice onions and saute in butter until tender. Add some flour to thicken, and add whipping cream to make a white sauce. Add a generous amount of lemon zest, dill weed, and salt and pepper to taste. Put fish fillets in a greased baking dish, pour sauce over, and bake for 30 minutes at 350. I've always had rave reviews on this dish, even from people who dislike fish.
1. I needed to make a dessert for a gathering and chose a recipe that used up ingredients I already had on hand.
2. My 18mo needed some warm clothing and I “shopped” bins of clothing I saved from my older boys. It’s so tempting to shop online for cute and modern baby clothes.
3. The garden is a gift that still keeps on giving. Continuing to use up fresh produce for side dishes.
4. Called about a medical bill. There was some billing error and insurance should take care of the amount owed.
5. Took my 18mo to a beautiful children’s library that lends toys. I love the fact that he can play with new to him toys and they won’t end up as clutter around the house.
I want the recipe for the sauce you are using in that bowl meal! Looks tasty and I've been told no more processed sauces for me!
1. Sold some more items our neighborhood FB garage sale group from my parents' house clearout, netting over $100. They're letting me keep the money in exchange for my help in clearing out their house.
2. Disputed 2 fraudulent charges on our bank account. Someone used my husband's debit card to subscribe to Amazon Prime and I didn't catch it until the 2nd month of charges. I thought it was weird because we don't normally use our debit cards for recurring charges or hardly any charges at all. They cancelled his card, issued a new one, and reversed the charges.
3. Worked out a deal with my kids' dentist so they would cover my kids' sealants. Our insurance covers up to 4 cleanings a year now, so we're trying to max out on visits and by doing that the dentist will cover most of the sealants, which are not fully covered by insurance.
4. Donating, freecycling and giving away more items (again, from my parents' house).
5. While I was cleaning out my parents' garage, I found a large amount of cash stashed in some envelopes. It was found amongst a bunch of junk so it was lucky I checked it before throwing it away! Saved my mom A LOT of money. We are on the last stretch of emptying the house to be sold and hopefully I'll be done with getting rid of their excess of stuff by next month.
-I have been playing around with making fancy coffees at home for when I get just really want something fun. I’ve had several evening lattes.
- I found a woman gifting apples & unsweetened applesauce on our BNG group so am going today to pick some of each up!
-My small kale & chard plants are producing just enough for me to have some for breakfast every other day, even though a caterpillar is eating half the kale!
-My seeing friend is making me discounted unpaper towels, wipes & seasonal hand towels.
-I’m getting seeds for my autumn/winter garden from a local library & planting next week (better late than never).
-Once a week my ladies Bible study provides a light breakfast. As I walk it is greatly appreciated!
love your haircut. my stylist moved tampa fl in july. i miss her so much. have not found anyone yet. but she texted me that she can do my hair cause she is visiting. she is only doing me. i am so grateful.
I would like to hear about your dry eye issues. I think I have been having an issue with those with my eyes tearing up etc and I am currently looking into how to address that.
Thanks for the dry eye mask product idea. Didn't know anything like that existed. My FIL suffers from dry eyes. We will check it out.
@Ohio Farmwife, I'm finding this whole mention of dry eyes and masks interesting. I never heard of them before. I was diagnosed with dry eyes and told to use drops twice a day.
I know there are multiple causes for dry eyes; mine is called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Basically the oils from my skin clog the ducts that carry lubricating fluid to my eyes. The heated eye mask helps to clear out those ducts, and then my eye can lubricate better.
@Kristen, I also use Optase brand products, but haven’t used the masks yet as I didn’t realize that they also made some. Consitantly using the products does help.
Of course my "Five Frugal Things" are over at my blog, so I'll try and figure out five fresh new things for you.
1) Someone in my Buy Nothing group was giving away some random high end cat food items, so I raised my hand and was chosen for them. My son just got a kitten and she's staying with us until he moves to a new apartment in January. He's paying all expenses, so this doesn't really save *me* any money, but I like to spread the frugality.
2) I made an extremely frugal dinner last night of pinto beans cooked in the Instant Pot and then mashed up with bulk purchased taco seasoning and sprinkled with lots of yummy items like the last of a tomato, chilis in adobo sauce, avocado, salsa, etc. I then served it with corn tortillas and chips.
3) I'm reading a library copy of "Eligible" by Curtis Sittenfeld. She's a newly discovered author for me and this is my third book of hers over a two week period. It's a modern retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" so it's a no brainer!
4) A friend of mine just had a new book published, so I ordered it through Powell's Books. I purchased it by phone so it can be sent to the store that's walking distance from my house to save on shipping. I also used a gift card that's been gathering dust in my wallet.
5) I removed my extremely mildewy shower curtain liner and scrubbed it down and then put it through the washing machine with Dollar Tree Oxyclean. This job is a pain in the tuchus and I imagine that many people would just replace it, but I get satisfaction knowing I'm not participating in a throwaway society and that I'm saving money!
I hope you'll continue to avoid the Chick Fil A for frugal sense and also for human rights reasons.
I love the haircut!
1. I’m currently on a little vacation and used credit card points so the whole flight was free!
2. I’m staying in an Airbnb for the same price as a hotel, but I have a kitchen here and laundry, so I’m cooking dinner and breakfast here instead of going out. (I do go out to lunch, which is usually cheaper anyway)
3. I downloaded a kindle book from Libby for free for the plane.
4. I needed to replace my running shoes and found an older version on Amazon for half the price.
5. We had carrots, celery, onion and corn that I didn’t use before I left and knew my family would not cook in my absence so I diced it, labeled it and froze it and will use it in soup when I get back.
Oooooh, a solo vacation? If so, enjoy the solitude!!
Love your blog and wanted to share some tips. I have dry eye syndrome and right before being diagnosed I lived with my microwavable (with beads) eye mask. I've found the following extremely helpful (after much research): take flaxseed pills every day, truly helps lubrication. Best sleep mask because it has small pillows to actually keep your eyes closed all night: "Earth Therapeutics Dream Zone Sleep Mask – Comfortable & Versatile – Soft & Plush Cushioning for Peaceful Slumber – Elastic Strap Adjusting". I will end with the best frugal tip ever, I was prescribed Restasis eye drops (which are miracles, I could not live without. I've actually moved from the south to the mountains with zero issues). I get the generic of Restasis eye drops, cyclosporine, via Mark Cuban's online pharmacy Cost Plus Drugs for only $90-120 a box. Even generic Restasis at my pharmacy is $500-$1,500, much less name brand for $3,000 a box. [I only need 2.4 boxes per year with one drop in each eye morning & evening, never had any issues for 3+years now with using the same dropper for multiple days(2.5), just keep the tip clean.]
Oh, I feel like I've heard my eye doctor mention these drops and how expensive they are. I will keep the online pharmacy advice in mind. Thank you!