Five Frugal Things | birthday freebies
I have done a shockingly terrible job of redeeming birthday freebies this year, largely due to a lack of time.
And that's how we know I truly am crazy busy. Ha. Me? Missing out on freebies? That's unheard of.
1. I got my free Starbucks coffee
This one was an easy one to remember to redeem!
2. I got a free little cake
Nothing Bundt Cakes gives me a mini bundt in my birthday month. 🙂
3. I got a free cookie from Potbelly
Just over here collecting all the sugary freebies. Ha.
4. I got some socks from DSW and Kohl's
They send me a $5 birthday reward each year, and I usually use it on some clearance socks.
I got three pairs from Kohl's:
And a single pair from DSW's clearance rack:
I have plenty of socks, so I will keep these in my drawer, untouched, to donate when my hospital unit does their winter a sock drive, to help people in our community. I will be prepared!
The Birkenstock socks are especially nice; they will definitely help to keep someone's feet warm next winter. 🙂
5. I made it through a crunchy cantaloupe
I did let it sit on the counter for a nice long time in hopes that it would ripen, but unfortunately, it was still rather crunchy when I cut it open.
So, I adjusted my expectations and ate it anyway. 😉
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?
P.S. Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes yesterday! You are all so kind; thank you for cheering me on!
1. I waited until the night before our anniversary trip to book our hotel and it ended up being significantly cheaper than when I first looked a few weeks ago. We stayed at Holiday Inn Express, which always has a good free breakfast and coffee.
2. We hit up two thrift stores while we were there and scored some great finds! A lot of my former summer shirts don't fit great this spring, so it was good to get some new options at a low cost. Plus my most exciting find was a pair of black dress pants for work that are comfy and fit perfect that had the color tag that was on sale for $1.99.
3. I wanted to go to a minor league baseball game on our trip and was surprised at how high the ticket prices were through MiLB. I held off on purchasing for a while due to a sketchy weather forecast. We bought tickets day-of through Stub Hub and saved $48 and ended up with 3rd row seats!
4. Back to home life... Our first attempt at incubating chicken eggs was a big flop, but we tried again and got 9 healthy chicks this time! I'm glad we didn't panic and go out and buy chicks.
5. A frugal fail: I got really behind (embarrassingly so) on labeling my receipts and getting them to where they needed to go (my husband does all of our finance tracking) and finally did it this weekend... when I found a $5 off coupon for Meijer that I stuck in my wallet and totally forgot about. It expired last week. Bummer!
Next time that happens with the cantaloupe try sprinkling some sugar on it and putting it in the fridge that way. Obviously it's not as healthy, but I do think it helps to make it a little more appealing/soften and sweetens it when you get one that isn't quite ripe.
Just litte things this week.
1. I noticed an Art Exchange Box inside the library. I will drop some colored pencils in next time I am there.
2. We helped some young-ish neighbors rip carpet off their basement steps. DH watched You Tube videos to know what to expect. Among the tools we used was a nail puller I found in the street a few weeks ago. It was not near any particular house.
3. We borrowed a jigsaw puzzle from neighbors.
4. Meals at home. Even simple meals taste better than most restaurant meals that contain too much sodium and fat and frequently spice (my body does not do well with hot spices).
5. I lined up a service contract for our oil burner. It is with a local company that has been around for several decades and they have experienced technicians. Our former provider was gobbled up by a behemoth company that raised prices and sent inexperienced technicians. I like supporting a local business and they are cheaper.
Happy belated birthday and hope you still feel the glow of celebration and love from all around.
- Spring season (some days) brings the frugality of open windows and HVAC off.
- Still using donated pencils for the students who don't have one (daily) and my school now buys tissues sometimes so I haven't had to spend my own money on boxes in the last couple months.
- Made some awesome beans and rice Mexican style and mmmmm are they yummy and so frugal.
- Frugal kinda win kinda fail: Went to see spring HS musical. Ticket $10 since I'm on staff, a $5 discount. I ate a normal dinner, but am very unaccustomed to anything so late. For my life, who or what in their right mind BEGINS any event at 7pm?! So my confused body was very hungry by intermission and the only reasonable option was popcorn. $3 later for an individual serving, but the usual sting of a frugal fail was soothed since the $ is invested back into the program. Happy to donate a small amount and grateful for the emergency popcorn.
I have a very crunchy pineapple to eat. I cut it up yesterday and was so disappointed. But I will force myself to eat it anyway.
Make pineapple salsa, it pairs perfectly with pork
--I turned down a free reusable bag on Earth Day, as I've plenty. Indeed, they're all from the same grocery store that offered the new one and were also free.
--A friend gave me lilies, purple cone flowers, and penstemon thinned from her own garden. I gave Rocky Mountain bee plants in return.
--I joined other volunteers in cleaning up the library's garden from last year's growth and this spring's weeds. We all brought our own gardening tools. We meet again this Friday to break up the ground along the fence so the kids can plant sunflower seeds.
--Mending time! I fixed a fly button on a pair of my husband's work pants in addition to a torn seam on his pajama pants. I also FINALLY got small grease stains out of two of my shirts, though it took three tries/concoctions.
--Before this gardening season started, I repaired a crack in the bottom of one of my rain barrels. It's holding up a treat!
I apologize to Kristen--as I did to Katy at the NCA yesterday--for hijacking the thread with this news, but I thought that her many fans both here and at the NCA would want to know: Our dear, dear Lindsey in Alaska has left us. I knew her real name because she was kind enough to send a few Alaskan goodies to me via USPS "mystery shops" back when I was caring for DH at home. Here is an Alaskan blog post on her passing, which includes a link to her inimitably self-written obituary. Farewell to one of the bravest and kindest people I've ever known, online or IRL. And much love to Ted, "the husband, always the husband."
P.S. to yesterday: Do also take the time to follow the numbered links in Dermot Cole's blog post to the series of articles Linden did a while back on the various impacts of having a catastrophic illness. I believe you'll be as awed and humbled as I was.
https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2026/4/17/q4jmucdky2avmbtilefxdshsaom5ss
HUGS. Thank you for sharing this news. I missed your post yesterday at the NCA.
Oh no! I don't feel like I 'knew' Lindsay as well as some of you but I am saddened by this news. She will be missed and I hope she rests well.
...and then I go and spell her name wrong! I hope she'd be humoured and not too annoyed.
As long as it didn’t contain an errant apostrophe, I think she would be just fine with the misspelling.
Like I said at The NCA: Thank you, A. Marie. Lindsey was a force of nature and one of the many commenters who made me want to be a part of these blog communities. It's nice to have the curtain peeled back to learn more about her amazing life. Rest in peace, Lindsey, wherever you are.
Reply
Thank you for telling us. It’s a strange thing to feel sadness re: the death of a person one never “met.” And yet, I was teary reading her obituary. My heart breaks for her husband. It isn’t easy being the one left behind
Oh, thank you A.Marie. I'm so sad to hear this but I'm grateful to learn it in the community of the Commentariat, where we understand how truly we can mourn someone who's "only" an online friend.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I am grateful to have enjoyed her posts here and now to be able to read her self-penned obituary. Looking forward to reading the linked articles as well. And my condolences go out to "the husband, always the husband." I hope he may find peace and love in Lindsey's absence.
Thank you, so much.
Thank you for sharing this sad news. I've thought of her often since her last post and was wondering how she was doing. I loved reading all her comments over the years. What a fabulous obituary! I had no idea there was hard rock accordion music around and I share her angst of 'beleaguered punctuation' so perhaps I'll buy a sharpie and take up the cause in her honor. If you have contact with her husband, please let him know how much she'll be missed here.
Oh, I am so sorry to hear this, but I appreciate you letting us know. She will be missed. I just found a copy of the book she raved about at a thrift store and bought it because of her recommendation.
Thank you for sharing, A. Marie. I'm so sorry to hear the news. Will listen to the "If We Were Vampires" by Jason Isbell per her excellently written obit. She had a well-lived life, truly.
Thank you and hugs for sharing the link. If I lived in AK, she and I would be kindred friends. I am slowly reading thru her posts and I am keeping Ted, aka "The husband, always the husband", in my prayers.
Thank you for letting us know, A. Marie. I'm feeling so sad. Lindsey's comments were a joy for me to read, for many years.
thank you so much for this. so sorry to hear. i was thinking about her a lot this week and hoping for the best. may her memory be for a blessing. please convey my condolences to her widower if you are so inclined.
Thank you, A. Marie. I knew she was uniquely gifted with a very colorful history, extensive knowledge and experience in several areas, and her obituaries reveal just how extraordinary she was.
Just the other day I got to thinking about Lindsey and Clobber Paws and them being in Alaska -- and was wondering how they were doing. Thanks for letting us know the sad news, A.Marie, and for the link to her obit. Even though I've never met any of you in person, I feel like you all are friends and that this online community is like extended family. Very sad to lose a member of the Commentariat, but I pray Lindsey is at peace and happily enjoying heavenly gardens where she and her hubby don't have to haul manure. (See her obit for the explanation).
Her earlier post about how she was making final arrangements so her passing would be easier for her dogs and family has inspired me to do what I can to prepare for the inevitable...not that I plan to check out any time soon. But none of us ever knows, do we?
Rest in peace, Lindsey, you are missed but will be forever remembered.
A. Marie,
Thank you for sharing this sad news.....I haven't read yesterday's NCA post yet, but I was thinking about Lindsey on my drive in to work today. I always loved her stories about her life, her dogs (most recently Houndini and Clobber Paws), and her family - as well as her deep love and devotion to the husband, always the husband.
Rest easy, dear Lindsey, and know you are with us always in spirit.
I always sought out her comments to read. I, too, am saddened at her death. Thank you for noting it here, A. Marie.
I know; I too googled her name a few days ago and wasn't sure how to announce it here. She lived her life well and we were privileged to know her.
Oh @A. Marie - so glad you posted. I almost laughed out load when reading this (part 1) "But I have thought about her a lot (I have also fantasized
about pushing him in front of a bus, but that is a different issue)". This would be so me and I love Linden aka Lindsey in Alaska for it. And I look forward, albeit sad, to read the entire series.
@A. Marie - reading part 2 makes me even prouder of my dad who cared for mom, at home, till Alzheimer's (which she didn't deserve) forced her exit from earth. Yes he had help but for a man from his "trad wife era", he was and still is self-sufficient. Even while battling some health issues himself.
I feel a bit sad she had no kids/grandchildren/local in-laws in her support group. So yes the husband, always the husband. She had a keeper.
Thank you so much for sharing this. What an absolutely amazing human!!! She would have been fun to know.
1. I went over my food budget for April, but I didn't buy any takeout. I had a couple of lunches out, but started bringing a lunch to work 90% of the time, which is a marked improvement!
2. I went to a seminar yesterday and there was free food and coffee.
3. I wanted to watch the show The Lost Room again. I don't own it but found it free to stream on Pluto TV 🙂
4. I did the 5K park run on Saturday which is free, and then went swimming afterwards (also free!).
5. I have a french press which got into a somewhat parlous state. I was tempted to throw it out but instead gave it a deep clean and now it's as good as new!
Hahaha, I love your commentary: "So I adjusted my expectations and ate it anyway."
1. Friend brought over a lightweight transport wheelchair that I use to help me get up and down, push in front of me for balance, and schlep things around (using a wooden tray on the seat). She also brought a pasta dish that we'll enjoy for many meals. I'm disappointed that I'm not able to help her clear out her recently deceased mom's home in person, so she consults me on what to do with various items, which helps me feel useful.
2. Neighbor gave me a beautiful bouquet of orange tulips that I put into two mason jars for the bedroom and living room.
3. Another friend made comfort food: gouda bread, vanilla espresso scones (OMG), asparagus quiche, and gourmet mac 'n' cheese. And she brought me several books and magazines as I'm doing A LOT of reading.
4. This same friend also brought over several pairs of billowy bottoms that fit over my full-leg splint and are easy to pull down for going to the bathroom. I can't wear regular underwear, so I'm going commando - sorry for that image! She also brought a cute top to go with one of the bottoms for when I have my next x-ray in a month. This appointment will likely be the only time I'll leave the house, since I don't want to risk getting down our scary stairs and steep driveway, and I'm not relishing car rides either as I can only sit sideways in a vehicle's backseat.
5. As long as I'm yammering away ... Considering the alternative (surgery), things are pretty good here even though my full-leg splint weighs me down literally and figuratively. It's a knee mobilizer contraption that surrounds my whole leg from ankle to thigh, contains several metal rods, and is held in place by six Velcro belts cinched to make sure I don't bend my fractured knee one iota. It's both a comfort and a burden. I can feel it's weight even when lying down, and the rest of me is getting free weight-bearing activity as I get up, down and around. I'm sleeping well, too, with the magic of drugs. I even take naps now.
I'm sorry about your injury and all the junk it entails, but I'm glad you're sleeping well and have flowers to enjoy!
Ditto!
I'm sorry to hear of your leg, hope you are not in too much pain! Glad you could avoid surgery and can sleep well, though.
I add this to the note I left for you yesterday at the NCA: If it's any comfort to you, Margaret Sullivan assures us in her completely fun The Jane Austen Handbook that Jane, too, probably "went commando" (except on certain days of the month). Mags was another friend of mine who's gone too soon, but she lives on in this book, several enjoyable JA sequels/prequels/etc., and the old AustenBlog (where, in keeping with her love for baseball, the motto was "There's no crying in JaneBall"). Now that I think of it, if I could introduce any two people I've known to each other, it'd be Mags and Lindsey--neither of whom took any s**t whatever. Have a good time in Valhalla, you two!
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
Happy birthday!
1. My mom gave us tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, apples, oranges, meat, and breads. I sundried all of the tomatoes, which made 5 jars. I stewed the apples.
2. I purchased two packages of breakfast sausage at Aldi for 50% off
3. I sold a snow blower we got for free on Marketplace
4. Made baked French toast for my kids with a bunch of left over breads.
5. Used some leftover milk to make rice pudding
Happy, happy birthday! I've been reading your blog for over a decade and truly enjoy it!
1. Got free printer paper
2.got free mulch
3. Got free plants
4. Saving and reusing RO water
5. Found replacement jeans for my daughter on ebay
More details here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/04/27/frugal-five-free-mulch/
Belated birthday wishes! Those free goodies are such a great little boost.
I am insanely (tragically?) pleased with myself because I have a pot at my front door that is home to a lovely salvia who was a bit pummelled by winter and is taking its time to gee itself up and start looking nice again. It is alive and will almost certainly be fine, but for now... it's... a sad brown stick, more or less.
I went round to my various tubs where my spring bulbs are going mad and rescued some over-run pansies and bright little flowers that were virtually hidden and struggling and put them in the sad pot. They will most definitely live another 6 months or so and look very pretty while my salvia convalesces.
Free plants!
1. I received free VIP tickets and parking pass from my company for a minor league baseball game. Will make a nice, inexpensive date night with DH.
2. I received a $90 reward from my company that could be used for online purchases. I used it to replace my slow cooker that was damaged the last time I used it for company potluck and ankle weights to use to continue my PT exercises at home.
3. I baked many loaves of bread last weekend and gave one to my PT as a thank you. The other loaves were shared with our kids and MIL.
4. I cancelled a streaming subscription we were no longer using.
5. We went to a strawberry festival about an hour from home. We put an Aldi birria roast in slow cooker while we were gone so we had dinner ready when we got home. While we did pack a cooler of drinks, our frugal fail was that we didn't take a drink when we went into the festival and ended up paying $3 for a cup of ice water!
1. I will be picking up our yearly quarter cow this morning. It’s a lot up front but lasts for the entire year (we still have a few pieces left from last year).
2. I spent a few hours this weekend playing with my propagated plants. I made new cuttings, planted successful props from earlier this year, and repotted plants to utilize pots I already on hand.
3. I stopped by Goodwill to drop off a few donations and went inside for a quick look. My son found two movies not available on streaming to watch with his stepdad and I found two books on my want-to-read list.
4. My husband sweetly froze most of the meals that he made last week while I was out of town so I don’t have to cook this week which helped keep our grocery bill low this week. (He may have doubled some recipes since he was feeding himself and a 15-year-old boy)
5. Non-Frugal Frustration – my son realized this morning that someone stole his cleats during school yesterday (thank goodness his game was cancelled last night or he wouldn’t have been able to play) so I will have to scramble to get him a pair as soon as he gets home from school before he has to go to ref this evening. I won’t have the luxury of shopping for the best cleats at the best price. Jokes on the thief – those cleats are RIPE!
It is asparagus time! My favorite time of spring, a close second to strawberry time. Time to freeze broccoli and eat on asparagus, plus pickle some. Yum, yum, yummers!
Happy Spring, happy weeds. I need to invent a robot weed whacker.
I also raked in some birthday freebies this month! Publix (local grocery) sent a coupon to my app for a free half gallon of ice cream/frozen yogurt or Bakery Bar Cake - I got the ice cream!
Got a free coffee at Dunkin.
Chick Fil A dropped a free dessert in my app, and Raising Canes sent me a free drink in my app.....I still have time to redeem these!
I redeemed Fetch points for an Old Navy GC, and used it to purchase 2 pair of jeans on sale!
Got gas with a .35 cents off per gallon offer!
I kind of feel like the frugality was a strained effort recently, as I sat down with a bundle of grocery store receipts last night and discovered I'd overshot the budget by $100. Ouch. However, that happened because I was stocking up on a few things Food Lion put on deep discount. Better to buy several at $4.99 than one at a time later at $6.99.
Yesterday I washed my car out on the driveway with a bucket and hose. This saves me $19 over the car wash every time. I am such a shortie pants that I use a microfiber string mop, reserved solely for car washing, to clean the roof.
Also mended an ancient pair of sweat pants for my son. I can tell by various other mends that it was third time I'd brought them back to life: new elastic, ragged hems and pocket edges mended and this time a patch cut from one of his old t-shirts and zig-zagged to the inside.
While I had the sewing machine set up, I wound up bobbins of thread in the colors most used in mending my menfolks' clothing, tidied up the thread box, and ordered the colors I'd used up. Also inventoried and ordered some sewing machine needles. This is all part of my maintenance is frugal mindset.
Ruby, I wish we lived nearer each other. I almost flunked out of 7th-grade home ec at old Brainerd Junior High School in my former/your present city because I couldn't get the hang of threading a sewing machine. I'd swap you homegrown herbs (or anything else I could manage) for your sewing expertise.
Don't feel bad about the sewing class. When I was a freshman in high school, I took the learn to sew class for an easy A because I had been sewing since I was four years old. Followed all the classroom instruction and made the most ill-fitting dress you've ever seen. I figured out eventually that the teacher herself did not know how to sew.
My skills are not what they once were, but I mend pretty well. One of my prouder moments recently was my husband swearing there had never been a hole in the knee of his work pants, until I asked him to look closely and find the mend.
We flew to Florida for a long weekend for a family celebration, so frugal-ish activities during this time were:
1. Spent one day in Disney (not frugal!), but pretty frugal considering this was only one day and only once since my 15-year-olds were babies. Also, opted out of buying flash passes that were $400 per person!! Instead, bought individual flash passes to three rides, and waited in the long ride for a couple of more rides.
2. Shared a large Airbnb with extended family instead of individual lodging.
3. Took a nature hike in a state park where we saw 10 alligators and lots of other wild life, all for free.
4. We traveled back Sunday night and would be home quite late with not much food in the fridge. I placed an online order for groceries at Safeway for my son to pick up who was home. I redeemed a $40 off coupon when spending $75 on the first online order, and also another $20 rewards coupon from points. This way, we had some snacks for when we came home and some food for the start of the work week, for quite a good price.
5. In the heat of Florida, wore some light linen pants and a linen shirt that were thrifted. Packed our clothes in a weekend bags and back bags I have chosen as my company gifts from the gift catalogues over the years.
Kristen, wait til you turn 65. You'll get all kinds of freebies and discounts, all the time, not just on your birthday/birthday month. (My favorites are the property tax breaks!) For that matter, a lot of places have Senior discounts starting at age 50, others at 55, so you won't have to wait too many more years.
My FFTs:
1. I had to run an errand and it didn't take as long as I thought it would. Since it was near our store, I didn't drive back home. To save gas, I went directly to the store and punched in 10 min. early. The FT cashier got to take her lunch break early, she was glad of that, and I got more minutes on the clock. At shift's end, I stayed on until my replacement got there, knowing she's always at least 20 minutes late; therefore, I got 30 more minutes of pay, with my supervisor's permission, of course.
(And still got home in time to watch Jeopardy! And see Jamie Ding lose after his 6 wk.- long winning streak.)
2. Frugal fail: the flowers I bought for my patio have died. Darn! But I now have one very large flower pot and a hanging basket, both full of potting soil, once I compost the dead plants.
3. Some thing (or someone) broke my "Save Social Security and Medicare!" yard sign. So I'm taping it back together and will attach it to a larger old Vacation Bible School sign, which is blank on one side, so I can display it again.
4. I save soda pop cans for a friend but she's no longer coming to get them. So I will take them in for recycling today. Also taking in a box full of glass jars (except for the kinds the thrift stores want) and soda pop bottles.
5. It's Senior Discount Day at Goodwill so I will shop there after I donate some Mason jars. (See #4).
1. I got to the Smokey Mountains early for a festival. I got my daily miles in by hiking the National Park trails, poking around Gatlinburg's shops (Hill work!) Pigeon Forge 's pretending to be an outlet mall, and The Island's Dinosaur Hunt. I didn't shop since most of it is the same stuff I saw in Florida and will see elsewhere on my tour but with a different city slapped on it.
2. I did the free Dinosaur Hunt at The Island. I discovered facts on the displays and some new dinos (and adjacent,) went over my daily mile goal and got a free slap bracelet as a prize after completing it. I guess I fell for a tourist souvenir after all, LOL
3. Picked up a weekend of weekend of work doing trash duty at a ren faire I wasn't performing at on my way home. Hard work and unglamorous but it also allowed to network and run into many friends I haven't seen in a long time.
4. Got a surprise free lunch from a food booth worker who said he's done the trash job in the past and empathized
5. Slept in my own bed last night = priceless!
One thing I started doing when signing up for rewards with different local establishments is I put a different date other than my birthday. Sometimes I've used our anniversary. My ID is never checked and that way I don't get so many freebies for food items the same week/month... It spreads out the splurges for me.
Enjoyed a super early dinner at our local Mexican restaurant which is half price for seniors and my husband just barely makes it over the 55 age minimum. I think that's his favorite meal of the week if we go there.
Waited for Target to run a promotion on pet products to save $15 off of $60 and stocked up on cat food. A friend gave me a nearly full bag of a urinary health cat food which I'll pass on to my stepdaughter whose cat has just been diagnosed with urinary tract issues. I probably worry about their finances way more than they do, But figure this will help 🙂
- packed my breakfast & lunch everyday always
- walked away from new dishtowels to buy because they were acceptable but just weren't right
- thank goodness for continued chilly weather so the soups and stews I've been making still hit the spot. Both sons were over for dinner so I made beef & barley soup and baked biscuits--everyone ate lots and was very pleased
- remembered to refill my medicine before our insurance changes this summer. Fully using that paid up deductible!
- and lastly, although slightly expensive, MUCH less than it could've been--went to my new, young dentist who's growing his practice and had the nice surprise that he's searched for better quality retainers/mouth guards for patients so I'm getting a new one to replace my very old one that has lost its grip on my teeth. The new one should feel smoother, and it's less money that I thought it would be 🙂 I'll get it in two weeks.
I hate crunchy melons! Maybe freezing the cubes and using in your smoothies would make it less objectionable.
I'm late to the party here! I didn't get an email this morning, then we had storms and I got distracted. I found the post on your website.
Birthday treats are fun! I don't routinely sign up for that stuff but I should. I like the one readers idea of signing up for different birthday dates, maybe all in the same week. I do get my Kohls treat and a few others.
Here are my 5 FFTs
– Instead of using a can of pinto beans for a crockpot recipe, I used cooked leftover charro beans I had frozen when I made too much for dinner.
– I needed a 10-inch square template for a sewing project so I cut one from the heavy cover of a local over-sized magazine.
– I continue to occasionally shop at Kroger, but wisely. I only pick up things there on Tuesdays when they offer a 5% discount for seniors or on the weekends when they offer double points on purchases that we can use towards gas fill-ups. I'm also doing Kroger surveys from receipts whenever I get them to earn 50 points. 100 points = 10 cents off a gallon. My husband most recently got 50 cents off a gallon when he filled up his truck. Every little bit helps. After shopping almost exclusively at Kroger for decades, I recently switched to Walmart for noticeably lower prices on many items. But Kroger still has some things that we've gotten used to that Walmart doesn't offer. So I'll pick up those things there occasionally.
– I planted my free flower seeds! The Susan G. Komen Foundation sent me two packets of dwarf Cosmos seeds as part of a fundraising appeal. The seed packet says “when we plant there is hope” and “when flowers bloom there is life.” As a breast cancer survivor, I can relate to this. SGK sent me seeds last year, too. They took forever to grow and bloom, but they were pretty.
– I made a zero-cost pin. I used scrap fabric, buttons, embroidery thread, felt and my glue gun to create a Summer pin for my friend. We have been swapping pins all year. I even used Pinterest to learn a few embroidery stitches for my 2 ½” x 3 inch creation. I was just tickled with it. I wish I could show ya'll a photo of it!
Happy Birthday Kristen! Those are some nice freebies you scored.
My Frugal 5s+
• Got 2 free jars of applesauce from my sweet friend for watering her plants and checking on her house.
• Batch run errands and went grocery shopping at Walmart after.
• Preplanned and brought Christmas gifts for my girls and friend during the off season for the best price. Brought a new set of Calico Critters of dogs off Walmart online and a good used condition panda one off eBay for my 2 youngest girls. I set an Amazon price watch on 2 seasonal tablecloths to gift my friend. Once the price lowers, I’ll buy them.
• Brought 2 Five Stars brand trapper keepers for my 2 oldest daughters for next year off Amazon during their lowest price and discount since it’s the end of the school year. 5 Stars has a 1 year guarantee which is good to have just in case.
• Continue to clean, touch up and fix minor things around the house in case we decide to sell it. Examples like cleaned up a ton of mouse droppings in the garage from the poison it ate, degreased the siding outside where our deep fryer sits, etc.
• Sent a birthday text and did a video chat with my mother in law since unfortunately, for personal reasons, my husband has become distant to her. It was still nice to talk to her. She especially loved seeing the grandkids.
• Made my own book containers and drawer separators from free empty cardboard display boxes from Walmart. I had to cut to make them fit but they work.
• Found 2 play kitchens and a couple bins from our city spring clean up. Donated the kitchens to our church children’s area and kept the 2 bins for myself. My husband also put out a windsurfer and jeep part for free which someone took.
• Still eating from our fridge; reading books and watching DVDs from the library; mending toys, books and clothes; redeeming Ibotta and Fetch points.
Hmm, let's see....
* Been using the Flashfood app a lot lately, to get groceries 50% off
* Updated my TBR list (To-be-read) and focusing only on books I can get for free (public library, free piles, Kindle unlimited (the free ones). There is too many free books laying around to have to buy new ones.
* Thrifted a couple shirts and dresses for the summer
* Requested a refund for movies tickets we got kicked out of (all of us) for audio malfunction. They also gave me free tickets on top of it, so double the refund. And I refilled the popcorn for free when I was there (not cheap, so better make use of the free refill)
* My winter tires won't be good for another season, so we are stretching the summer tires life by keeping the winter ones on longer than needed (all summer? Will see)
1)Went hiking at a national park near our house (Pinnacles) & had a great day hiking. Other than the $30 parking/admissions fee, we only paid for gas to get there. Brought our own food & drinks for the trip, which were all things we already had on hand at home.
2) Made it a point to continue going through things in the freezer: two bags of chicken bones became a double batch of broth. Defrosted a small bag of Philly Cheesesteaks meat, which was perfect for a meal for just the two of us (DS20 was working). Also pulled out a couple of bags of hamburger meat that looked like they were starting to get freezer burned & turned that into Korean beef.
3) Used a bunch of coupons at CVS when I went to pick up a prescription. I picked up a couple of vitamins & spent $3.45 out of pocket, which was a nice win.
4) A woman on my Buy Nothing was giving things away &had no takers. She mentioned then that she was fine if people wanted to take & try to resell themselves, because she was emptying out a parent's house. I went over & picked up four things to consider reselling. Once I'm back from my weekend trip, I will give it a shot.
5)Helped dS19 with prep for finding a summer job.
1. I tried out a new-to-me coffee shop where I discovered that a bakery in town makes the most fantastic almond croissants. I had previously been in the bakery but never bought anything. Recently I went in and bought a box containing three day old pastries for about the price of one fresh croissant. I picked the box with an almond croissant, a chocolate croissant, and a cinnamon roll. Yum!
2. I stopped by Once Upon a Child to look for a car mirror. Now that we have a second car we needed another mirror as it’s nice to be able to see the baby from the driver’s seat. I found one NIB for cheaper than at Walmart. I also found some NIB organic cotton boys’ underwear, 6 pairs for $5.50. I wasn’t looking for them, and they are a little too big, but it’s nice to have things ready to go before they are needed. I really love this store for finding things in a nonconsumer way.
3. I received a $6.22 class action settlement. I don’t remember signing up for this but it’s something about ATM fees.
4. I continue to give away things on Buy Nothing and it is extremely satisfying to help others be nonconsumers all while clearing unwanted stuff out of the house and garage. Some of it is nearly vintage camping stuff from my parents who would otherwise have thrown it away.
5. Bonus (nothing to do with money but satisfying nonetheless): I spent some time hand weeding out the absolutely pokiest woody evergreen seedlings that are carpeting our front yard, along with some invasive bittersweet. Both get mowed when my husband mows the yard, but since they are woody they just come back. I am hoping that by pulling them up by the roots I will win the battle. I still have a long ways to go as it’s taking a long time to pull them up by hand.