Five Frugal Things | bulbs, blades, coffee...
1. I got some free fluorescent bulbs
Someone in my Buy Nothing group was offering some new in the box, so I picked them up. Part of my basement has some fluorescent fixtures, and one of the bulbs recently burnt out.
Yay for a free replacement!
2. I canceled my Dollar Shave Club subscription for now
I have too many blades here right now, so I need a minute to catch up. 😉
I do like DSC's razors, but a sad thing is that they recently changed their handle/blade design. So, I had to get a new handle to fit the new blades.
However, I discovered that someone on eBay is selling the old style blades, so I ordered a bunch of those for Zoe, who still has the old style handle.
(If you are new to Dollar Shave Club, you can use this link to get $20 off a starter set.)
3. I got a Starbucks drink with a gift card
I got an email recently telling me I'd neglected to add a gift card to my Starbucks account (a gift I had somehow missed in my email!).
Sooo, I added it, and I did a study session at Starbucks this past weekend for $0.
4. I chose free store pickup for a shirt I ordered
I got one like this blue shirt, on clearance:
And I chose free store pickup at the mall vs. paying for shipping. While I was at the mall, I redeemed a freebie with a coupon at Victoria's Secret.
5. I...
- picked up a penny (woohoo I'm rich!)
- fixed my pen light that I use for clinicals (I almost bought a new one because this one was only working intermittently. But I discovered a part just needed to be screwed in better.)
- kept on cooking at home, packing lunches from home, and making coffee at home (aside from my free Starbucks drink)
As I said last week in WIS/WIA, I am impressed that you continue your streak of bringing your own meals to the hospital!
My Frugals,
-I (re)started a products price list, to list the prices at shops that we go to on a regular basis. This will help me decide what products to put on which shopping list, while I take our favourites in account too.
-Related to that, I blind tested Aldi's coffee beans by filling our coffee maker with them and not telling my husband. He liked the coffee well enough and it is 4 euros a pound cheaper than our usual brand. We each drink some 4 cups a day.
- I continue to do laundry whenever the sun shines , on solar paneled power
- I'd been going to a gym connected to a PT for over 10 years, at the same early night timeslot. Recently I noticed that I could not bring myself to go out any more after dinner. So I reschudeled my sessions to pre-dinner and now I am back in the groove. I do like going for walks after dinner, but the gym is just too much hassle somehow.
- I continue to make vegetable bouillon on a semi weekly basis, using onion peel, tips of carrots etc. My gravy has improved considerably and it hardly any effort. Plus the house smells wonderful when you are making stock.
One I'll add: I asked my family to go look for holiday gifts for me also in thriftshops. I personally like new-to-me gifts and I do not want my family to buy expensive stuff just because they feel obliged to. There are many ways of showing affection and it is good to know the "love language" of the giver as well as the "love language" of the recipient of a gift.
@JNL, I admire people who can regularly go to a gym. Changing clothes, driving, parking, being with a crowd, driving back home, changing clothes again —even if we did have a gym in town, I'd go for a walk instead.
I've never made vegetable boullion. Do you sauté those scraps, then add water and simmer for awhile, and when the scraps are soft you just discard them?
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I just simmer the scraps with water, salt and whatever herbs I can lay my hands on. I use the slowcooker and just leave for hours. I like to include celeriac and carrot, and sweet pepper, but there certainly needs to be plenty of onion and garlic in it!
@JNL, I love your move of requesting thrift store finds for gifts! What a great way to introduce another person to the world of thrifting.
It was not the most frugal week at our house:
1. There was a languishing bag of "Quick Grits" that DH was no longer using to make hot cereal. I poured the rest of the bag into a glass jar and I add just a little of the grits to my morning oatmeal mixture before I cook it. It will be gone eventually.
2. Halloween candy was 75% off at the grocery store. I bought some Kisses for making Peanut Blossom cookies and also some Miniature Peanut Butter Cups for making peanut butter cup cookies. It will not matter that the candy is wrapped in fall patterns.
3. DH wanted to go out for lunch for with DD and SIL for his birthday. The restaurant charges a 3.5% convenience fee if you pay with a credit/debit card so I paid cash.
4. On chilly days I'm layering up in the house and letting it get to 65 degrees during the day.
5. A lot of passive frugality as in wearing what I have, using what we have, etc.
@K D, I've also used up old grains over time by putting a little into bread. If you don't make bread, I wonder if you could sneak a tablespoon into a cookie recipe.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Great idea. I could also add a little to muffin and pancake batter. I'm playing the long game.
We hosted Friendsgiving this past weekend!
--I roasted a giant $2 pie pumpkin from our local pumpkin patch ahead of time, retrieving seven cups of puree. This went to pumpkin pie, a triple batch of creamy pumpkin pasta, and to last night's pumpkin lentil soup.
--We snagged Halloween paper plates, paper napkins, and skeleton plastic silverware on sale. Our guests outnumbered our everyday dinnerware, so disposables were both easier and necessary. Friendsgiving is the only time we ever buy such things, now that I think of it.
--We provided the main courses (creamy pumpkin pasta, four cheese pizza, and pumpkin pie), using ingredients we had on hand. Our friends brought one side each. I encouraged everyone to bring to-go containers so any leftovers could be split up, which they were happily. Our group is full of excellent cooks!
--Wine was provided by a friend celebrating a professional milestone.
--I recently repainted our kitchen door and invited our guests--all of whom helped with preparing our house and/or moving--to sign the door on their way out. I'd been wanting to do something special with the door and acknowledge everyone's part in our home in some way; my husband and I agreed this was perfect. I had both a coupon and a $5 reward for Michael's, so the paint pens were free. The kitchen door is our main door, so now we're greeted by our friends' signatures coming and going. It makes us smile every time.
I luv the door signing idea! What a beautiful thing to remember everyone by!
@N, That's a fantastic idea. How nice to see everyone's name like that.
@N, great idea on friends putting their signatures on your door. Good thing to remember.
@N, I've heard of guests signing the tablecloth, but I love that you had them sign the door!
We selected a discount day to see the winter lights at a museum ($5-10 savings per ticket). We also declined the $10 blinky lights… lol.
Used check instead of credit card to pay for a home repair from our inspection (radon remediation), saved 3% in fees which is extensive for a $1900 procedure!
We found a semi-local board game store, and checked their consignment shelf. We got 3 games for $42! They also have a demo shelf, where almost every game they carry is available to test before purchasing.
One of my vintage children's book went missing!! I filed a USPS report for missing package though, & got a refund from eBay.
Signed up for a discount at the health food store for working at the local university. They have some recyclable hygiene products I want to try.
Frugal fail: Antique mall incorrectly charged us $5.60 instead of $0.80... and we didn’t notice until we drove away. We decided it wasn’t worth the $5 to drive back and bother the employee, but it’s nagging me LOL. That’s a latte’s worth!
@Andrea G / Midwestern Andrea, I understand how that's nagging at you and it's good to realize that our time is valuable as well.
@Andrea G / Midwestern Andrea, maybe a frugal habit for all of us to develop is to always check the receipt before leaving the store. A nuisance, but better than a lost latte! I'm usually in a large hurry to be done shopping no matter what I'm buying.
@WilliamB, very true! If it takes too long to resolve, the $5 isn’t worth it. My other rule of thumb is how big of a corporation is the place. Amazon, I’ll hop on a customer service call, but a local business I write off.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Yes, a good habit. And one that could be added to this other excellent habit from a podcast I like: when you leave your seat in a place (restaurant, bus or taxi, church, what have you) always look back at your seat for something left behind.
This would have saved our older DS some work when his phone had gotten out o his pocket in a Paris taxi, for example.
@ErikaJS,
That's a great suggestion. My DH almost always wears a hat of some sort when we go out anywhere - most often, a ballcap or a cap like the old-timey newspaper boys used to wear in movies and such - and he has lost many of them over the years. More recently, our teenage son left his teeth retainers behind at at restaurant (they were able to fish them out of the trash for us.)
@Liz B.,
Oh dear, I remember dealing with retainers in the trash!
On another note, I had Invisalign as an adult to correct a serious issue that had developed with my bite. My orthodontist followed me for two years after my final treatment. After which, he sent my scans to the Retainer Club. I know this sounds a bit hokey, but the company does a great job. They replace my retainers automatically twice a year which has been a life saver. I always have the pair I’m wearing and a spare.
@Bee,
I don't find your comment hokey at all!. Good to know that the Retainer Club exists. My son has a certain number of freebies - I forget the exact number, but 1 per year? He'd only had them about 2 weeks when that happened.
Picking up items from the store can save on some serious shipping costs. Good job!
Here are my 5:
1) I'm answering surveys in my spare time. I earned $8 this week.....I did get a $30 gc last week, which will be a holiday gift for a relative.
2) Any extra hours at work that someone doesn't want is something that I've learned to ask for. My boss is texting me to come in if I can. I'm glad about that.
3) I purchased a cookbook that had authentic recipes in it. It's not written in english, so I have to take time out to translate it. I'll try a new recipe today. I got it from a book fair in another country.
4) I needed some new make-up and went online to Sephora. There is a sample package that's sold with lots of foundations and a cute blender sponge. For $10, I got about 12 samples and if I make a purchase, a $10 gift card is included for the purchase. I'm having lots of fun with this.
5) I had some long, forgotten body lotion hiding in my room. I'm using it in the shower to soften my skin and as a shaving cream.
Yes, as long as you are mindful of the distance you’re driving! I hit the mall on my way to Starbucks, plus I got the free undies, and all my destinations were nearby.
If you live far from a store, picking items up there makes less sense financially!
@Kristen, there are advantages to living in or near cities, as well as extra temptations. In rural areas, we choose shipping and avoid temptations by staying off the internet.
@Kristen,
Your post reminds me of my college roommate, M.K. She would drive miles and miles from one end of town to the other, and sometimes to nearby cities, just to save a few cents on a product. And she would brag and brag and brag about her savings. When I mentioned this during a visit home, Mom said M.K. probably spent untold dollars on gasoline just to save a few cents on, say, shampoo.
But since the car was provided by her dad and the gasoline credit card by her stepfather, M.K. didn't mind a bit that she was wasting THEIR money!
This one is kind of funny: Every semester our school has some kind of "community engagement" night. Last night we had one that was a night of bingo, but all the prizes were board games or card games. One son had gone home sick with my husband, one was at home after an FFA trip, one was at basketball. That left just my daughter and me there playing. The adults were given pages of three bingo cards on each page and told we could play as many cards as we could keep up with. So I did six at a time, figuring that way I could play for all my missing family members and go home with a game for them. I did win once, and now we have Charades, which is perfect, because my younger kids love Charades, but always ask me to use the word generator online. Now they can just use the plysical cards, hooray.
Also, a man from our church who has only grown children won one time, so he gave his win to my daughter and let her pick a game. Which is why we now own something called "Pass the Pigs."
This may not have been a net frugal thing, however, as my daughter also really really really wanted to win the door prize--a 10-in-one board game thing--that I may now end up buying her for Christmas. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, I used to play Pass the Pigs for hours with my parents and friends! Such a fun game, I hope you enjoy it!
@kristin @ going country, I have Pass the Pigs, too! My niece and I played it a lot when she was younger!
Granddaughter needs a new scooter for Christmas (she has outgrown her old one). I looked and the only one I could find in the style that my daughter suggested (3 wheels instead of 2) was close to $200. but my husband was able to find one for approx $30. so we will be ordering that and having it shipped.
I found pattern on Etsy for cutting out a snowman light with paper on my cutting machine for a few small gifts for Christmas. I have all the paper and will just need to buy the battery tea lights at the dollar store.
Husband wanted a work bench for the garage. We were looking to buy used, but they were either too far away or too big. He found a kit at Menards that had the plastic pieces to hold the 2x4's and plywood together for $60. The wood was less than $50. We built it over the weekend and it is perfect for what he wants. And very sturdy.
Started making red cabbage for Thanksgiving. I followed a recipe and it has too much salt in it, so it doesn't taste that great. I will make another batch of the sauce without the salt and re-cook everything and I hope it takes out the salty taste.
We continue to use the woodstove rather than the electric heat. We haven't eaten out since 2 weekends ago as there is plenty of food here. And the coffee here is delicious too.
This week was a reminder that frugal living to me is a combination of large and small moves to both earn and save money.
We took a shirt trip last week to visit our daughter at college and used rewards points to pay for several hotel rooms and off-site airport parking.
I used my Kohls cash to purchase clearance jewlery for Adevnt calendars. I purchased refillable Advent calendars years ago. Throughout the year, I enjoy looking for small, practical filler items that average less than $1 each. I gift them to my daughters and their roommates to help make the end of their college semester and finals week a little more fun.
I used Amazon digital credits to purchase a digital copy of The Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot. I read it on the free Kindle app on my iPhone.
I contacted my insurance agent and was able to switch insurance providers saving nearly $1000 on our annual premium.
I started a new job yesterday with a negotiated salary that will significantly increas my income and lower our health insurance costs next year.
@Julianne in MN, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
@Julianne in MN, congrats on the new job!
@Julianne in MN,
I love the Advent Calendar idea! It's absolutely brilliant!!! Having to study for exams during the holiday season was always a bummer for me; I'm sure that's true for most students, if not all. I think your favorite college students will love the little surprises!
And congrats on the new job! I hope it is a wonderful place to work!!!
@Julianne in MN,
Congrats!
@Julianne in MN, Hooray for the new job!!!! Best of luck with everything.
@Julianne in MN, always happy when I read/hear a female has negotiated salary.
Folks, I'm going to sit this one out for the same reason I sat out yesterday's FFT at the NCA: DH’s best friend from high school called late yesterday morning to let me know that his wife died over the weekend of ovarian cancer (a fast-moving and brutal case, as best I could make out through his and my tears). This friend was one of DH’s *very* few friends to stay in touch from time to time through DH’s Alzheimer’s, and his pain is mine.
Sending you so much love, A. Marie. I am so sorry for your loss and his. I know that you will be a support to him in his grief.
@A. Marie, Hugs to you A.Marie; I'm so very sorry for this loss.
@A. Marie, I'm so sorry. That's a hard blow. May her memory be a blessing.
@A. Marie, so very sorry for your loss.
@A. Marie, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss!
@A. Marie, Thinking of you as that is hard. May you keep your DH's memory alive between you. I’m so sorry.
@A. Marie,
I'm so sorry to hear this! You are right, it hurts. Peace to you, and to your DH's friend.
@A. Marie, Oh what a devastating thing. I just can't believe that there is still not a cure for cancer after all these years! So sorry for your loss. May the happy memories help in your time of grief.
@A. Marie, What a blessing DH's BFF was/is to you both. May you be a blessing to him during his time of grief, as well. I'm sure his dear wife and your DH are now greeting each other in Heaven.
@A. Marie,
Sorry for his loss, and yours.
@A. Marie, Oh, how painful for yours and your friend's heart! Thank you for sharing this with us, so that we may embrace you in our thoughts.
@A. Marie, My grandmother died of ovarian cancer, and it is fast and brutal. I'm so sorry for your loss, but what a blessing her husband has in a caring friend like you.
@A. Marie, I am so very sorry. May God's peace and comfort be yours and DH's friend in this time of mourning.
@A. Marie,
I am so very sorry to hear of this loss. I hope that memories of happier times, shared between you and your DH's BFF, will help get you both through this.
@A. Marie,
Wishing you love and strength.
@A. Marie,
Oh I am so sorry. Hugs.
@A. Marie, so so sorry. may her memory be for a blessing.
Current frugal things are trying to score Christmas gifts at thrift shops!
Also, frugal in a roundabout way is trying to ONLY buy Christmas gifts I know people are going to use, appreciate, and aren't going to be a waste of money (i.e. crafting kids where my kids will only use a few things a few times). I'm trying to remember it's okay to spend more and invest in things that will be appreciated and have a long "shelf life."
This week was not the most frugal...this is what I can come up with:
1. I returned a book to the library and avoided getting a fine.
2. I went for a run and got free exercise.
3. I got some reduced food at the supermarket.
4. I had a free consultation with a trainer at the gym.
5. I went for a walk in the countryside and enjoyed some nature.
@Sophie in Denmark, those may not seem frugal to you, but compared to most of the impulsive and self-indulgent world, you are a rockstar of frugality. Normal people would have bought the book, skipped the run, impulse shopped for groceries buying whatever caught their fancy, skipped the consultation and stayed home to watch something they paid too much for! So you had a tremendous week of good habits in action. I commend you for not being "normal".
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thank you! I don't judge people who make different choices, as I am fortunate to have those options and live near an excellent library, but I try and work with what I have. I was very tempted not to return the book today as it was hailing but I was already out!
I have been decidedly un-frugal lately, considering I bought a new car. And this morning my washer is acting like its going kaput, and the fridge is making a LOUD noise. So I think that my frugal wins are going to be teensy tiny for awhile. I did however:
*sell two vehicles
*order some free covid tests
*decide not to buy any new Christmas decorations
*roast a free turkey my son brought me
*made a reasonable plan for Christmas gift-giving
Sometimes all you can do is just make the most affordable decision you can, right?
@Gina from The Cannary Family, like with @Sophie from Denmark, it looks as if frugal habits are built into your everyday life, but they are so common to you that you don't realize it. I think you did very well—selling TWO vehicles is not tiny, and making reasonable plans and purchasing decisions is a huge part of being frugal.
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
Selling two vehicles sounds like a BIG frugal win. Two of them, in fact.
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
With the prices of used cars these days - and some of them are in not-so-good condition - sometimes, it makes sense to buy new. And, really, it's 100% okay in my book to buy a new car even if you just *want* a new car. (Not that you need my approval, lol.) Plus, you sold TWO vehicles, so bravo!
I’m prepping my home for the holidays and my FFT reflect this.
1. Many months ago, I received some unusual wrought iron garden edging on Buy Nothing. They were in rough shape and were relegated to a corner in my garage. Last week I cleaned them really well with a wire brush to remove loose paint and rust. I then repainted them with paint that I had on hand. They are perfect for my small flower bed around the mail box. It will keep dogs out of the flower bed too.
2. I have always wanted a string of sleigh bells, but they are hard to find in Florida. I found a very old set at an estate sale recently for just $8 — a bargain! The leather was dried out and the brass bells corroded. I treated the leather several times with leather balm. I then polished the brass bells. I will hang them on the back of my front door.
3. I have been moving items around my home using them different spaces. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I bought a pair of lamps at an estate sale for my bedroom. I preferred the shades from my old lamps that had been broken. So I switched out the shades and lamp harps. I then used the shades on the new lamps in the guest room. The look much better and no additional money spent.
4. I have been painting the trim and baseboards using supplies that I have on hand. Clean, unblemished trim work makes everything look brighter.
5. I have started looking for natural materials for my Christmas decor - pine cones, dried hydrangeas, hickory nuts and so forth. After Thanksgiving, I’ll cut pine boughs, magnolias, and holly.
@Bee, My mother had a little thing of sleigh bells she hung on one of our doors every year. I loved that sound! It always meant Christmas was near.
@Bee, sleigh bells in Florida is funny! You got lucky with those. And I imagine your natural Christmas decor will be beautiful. Too bad we can't post photos here because I'd love to see what you put together.
@Bee, I've discovered estate sales, too, and sometimes I have to stop myself. Too much stuff that I don't want to bring into my home. But I should make a list of what I would like and would be useful.
@Karen A.,
Isn’t it amazing how sounds and smells can awaken memories? My mother used to wear a heavy gold charm bracelet that jingled. Every once in a while I’ll hear that sound and my heart skips a beat. I wish that my mom was still here with me.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I am excited about my sleigh bells. I have run across them from time to time in antique stores, but never at a bargain price. I do love to decorate with real greenery and natural things. It is thrifty and good for the environment.
@auntiali, estate sales are my favorite form of thrifting. There are beautiful things, but there are also practical things such as cleaning supplies at great prices.
As usual, I have a hard time thinking of how I've been frugal. Part of that is I am still ordering specialty dressings for DS, and Juven, which is pricey. But here goes:
1. Library books, and I biked to the library yesterday. This was probably the last long bike ride of the season--the cold temps are setting in. It was a beautiful day to bike, though!
2. Took some kids to the free archery range at the state park. It's a bit of a drive but during the week nobody is there and it's very peaceful. We counted it as a homeschooling field trip activity.
3. We've been going for evening walks on the nearby military base where DH works, and he proposed we do the grocery shopping afterwards, since we were already near the store and we had a crew to help out. Split into teams of two and used Google Docs to share the list. Saved some on gas and time.
4. I swapped Clark's food delivery from Amazon to Chewy this month, as it happened to be cheaper at Chewy. That sometimes happens. He's mad that I'm not opening the new bag NOW, but he still has kibble in the storage bin, sorry, buddy.
5. I absolutely stuck to the list at the grocery store--having other people with me keeps me accountable!--and we got some stuff for Thanksgiving ahead of time.
6. Eating at home, no junk food bought at the store (except for the one Lily's chocolate bar I indulged in!)
I forgot Clark's frugal contribution. His favorite--absolute favorite--toy is the plastic strip peeled from the cap of an Ice Mountain spring water gallon jug. (We cut it half and half with our filtered rainwater to drink). Forget the catnip mice, or your fancy jingle balls or wands, he wants that little piece of plastic and will chase it and bap it around forever if I'm willing to supervise and make sure he doesn't chew it up. I save them in his toybox for play sessions. Frugal feline fun!
@Karen A.,
That and the box itself would be favourites for our cat!
@JNL, Clark is, oddly enough, not a box-loving cat. He is curious about bags, and is always there when you're opening a box, but will not curl up or hide in a box like so many cats. He's more curious about what's IN the box and whether it's something nice for him.
@Karen A., Calico Kitty’s favorite toy is a pony tail holder. Hours of frugal fun indeed!
1. I'll up you on your penny and say I returned two carts at Aldi and made $0.50!
2. Did a fridge/freezer stockup. Butter was finally on a cheap enough (for 2024) sale so I picked up enough to last me a while. All in the freezer it went.
3. Used some Target Circle offers to get discounts on the toys we were going to
4. Went to a local book sale at a library and got many good books for cheap. I also use the library so this effectively a donation as well.
5. Upped my 401k contribution as there was more in the budget to do so.
Bonus Fail(?) I accidentally double donated to Operation Christmas Child but I can afford the donation so I am not even mad about it.
@Battra92,
I like your fail! If you have to "fail", that's a good way to do it.
@Battra92, a group of friends and I just cleaned out a bunch of old stuff at church and found enough to fill 25 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Then we had to scrounge up $250 to ship them, someone else is shopping to finish filling the ones that were a bit lean, and I get to haul them down the hill (on a day I am working down there so not an extra trip).
A pretty good week for me, I think.
1) I used duct tape to fix the cracked edges of 2 laundry baskets. $30 plus saving something from the trash.
2) Half-priced dinner out plus leftovers for another meal on Veteran's Day, courtesy of a vet friend. We split the BOGO deal. $50 savings even with an insane-and-well-earned tip.
3) I was going to cancel my digital newspaper when the annual subscription expired but when I clicked "cancel" they offered me last year's deal, which is 75% less than full price. $100.
4) I decided it's not worth $250 to fix the automatic tire pressure indicators on my car. $250.
5) I pushed to get the repair company to refund me for their assessment mistake. It would take too long to explain the mistake but the result is that the company is refunding 3 hrs of labor. I'm sure they won't deal with me again but with that kind of mistake, I won't miss them. $625.
6) I think is this Less Extravagant rather than Frugal: I took advantage of an affiliation discount to get Paramount+ for $60/year for as long as I choose to keep it.
@WilliamB,
You had a stellar week, with close to $1000 in savings!!!
@WilliamB, Regarding your #4, our truck is also showing those indicators, but DH decided to just check the tires regularly and not bother getting the indicators fixed. Money saved.
@WilliamB, So much money saved in just one week—heroic frugality award to you! And, I love insane-and-well-earned tip.
@Gina, I admit, it does make a nice change of pace from “made my own coffee, got a book from the library, didn’t pay a manicurist”.
1. I accepted an offer to get Walmart+ half off. I added up the amount I spent in the past year on delivery and shipping charges from Walmart, and it was over $150. So I figure that paying $49 for a year of free delivery will save me at least $100.
2. I asked for and got a refund on a bottle of orange juice that had a hair in it - gross.
3. I signed up for a new survey site and have been making a little money in my spare time. I made $21 on my first day.
4. I'm still making my own bread and snacks because buying the ones I can eat is too expensive.
5. The usual things, cooking meals at home, eating leftovers, drinking mostly water, using what I have.
@Elizabeth M,
May I ask what survey site?
@Gina, It's called IntelliZoom Panel. I don't make that much most days, but it does pay pretty well compared to other sites.
I don't know if I can come up with five but:
1. I wanted a "treat" meal so I was going to buy a frozen pizza. They were not on sale, unfortunately, so I bought something at half the price that I can make a meal out of twice.
2. I had been wanting a certain pack of colored post-it notes for my work, on my dime. I found a pack on eBay that was missing only one color, so I made an offer on that and it was accepted. Colored post-it notes definitely make my days brighter! I usually find them at yard sales or flea markets. I saved $4.50 off the lowest price I found by accepting one less color.
3. I haven't bought any new seasonal tops, a habit I usually partake in. An example, buying a new sweater for the winter season.
4. I rediscovered a new set of frying pans in storage that I'd been saving ($5 yard sale find!) that I think I'm going to gift my Mom with for Christmas. Her pans are heavy, and she's almost 80, so I'm trying to convince her to make her life easier and use a lighter weight pan. She is so hard to shop for, so this is a win in every light.
5. I continue to drink protein drinks for my lunch at work followed by two dark chocolate truffles, not delicious, but affordable compared to going out. I used to go out about twice a week (fast food, but that really adds up!). Also, I figured out a while back that eating something good at work still tastes like work, if that makes any sense! So protein drinks keep the calories down and I don't expect much out of them.
Frugal.
Making hot tea and iced coffee at home. Drinking filtered fridge water in reusable cup too.
Used a gift card for Panda Express. We got the family meal for the first time. It was lots of food. Six generous meals for four adults. ( We prefer a local Chinese restaurant but gift cards are fun!).
Using up all purchased produce! I often fail here.
Bundling errands.
I appreciate that so many of your listings this week were the small things that add up over time, Kristen. I'm going to do same in my listings this week, because it's a good reminder that continuing to mind the small things leaves room for the funner things in my life.
1) Got up a little early two times this week in order to get dinner in the crockpot before heading out on some busy days. I know I would have been tempted to order out for pizza otherwise. I'm the Energizer Bunny in the AM, but a regular sloth in the PM!
2) Took time to send a email to a new and pricey coffee place that just opened, politely expressing my disappointment at a really awful customer experience on my first visit there. I received not only a sincere apology from the manager, but a coupon for a free cup of coffee on my next visit. Writing the email allowed me to let go of the negative experience, my primary goal, so the free coffee was truly an unexpected bonus.
3) Made a special trip to Albertsons to pick up two cartons of Thrifty's Ice Cream for just $2.50 each, one of this week's advertised Five Dollar Friday deals. An ice cream store near us sells Thrifty's for $3 a scoop, so this was a nice score!
4) Got several free books to read from our Senior Center - it's amazing how many terrific hard cover books they have, and it's open to all, not just seniors. I'm diligent about returning the books I take, to ensure their robust selection continues.
5) Taking time to read through the many free community holiday events announcements that are cluttering my email box, to make sure the ones that sound appealing get placed onto my calendar. So far the free events I've jotted down include a Santa paddle in the harbor, tree lighting ceremony, holiday boat parade, cookie decorating, multiple holiday concerts, and several holiday light shows.
@Tamara R, a holiday boat parade sounds fantastical—may I ask where this is?
@Tamara R,
Lol, when I was a kid living in S. California (late 1960s), there was a Thrifty's Drug within walking distance of where we lived. They had a very basic ice cream counter right as you walked in, and they sold ice cream for 5 cents a scoop! Except it wasn't an actual "scoop"....they used a cylindrical ice cream utensil that the employee sort of "pushed" into the big tub of whatever flavor of ice cream you wanted. It wasn't super fancy ice cream, but when you were 7 or 8 years old back then, it didn't matter. No one had heard of Ben and Jerry's, lol!
@Liz B.,
I have no idea why my comment came up twice. Apologies.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I did a quick search, and it looks like almost every harbor from San Diego to Los Angeles has them. 🙂
@Liz B., Same exact memories, and they still use that same scoop device today at the shop that sells it here!
Like so many here, this week has been a mix of spending and saving.
On the savings front, I did a big grocery run last week and hope to stay out of the store until after Thanksgiving. I did a freezer and pantry inventory and meal-planned around what I have.
The breaker to our laundry room is bad, so my husband is replacing it. Fortunately, he is qualified to do so. The breaker itself was $60 -- two years ago the same breaker was $40.
It's the time of year when I switch from drying most of my laundry outside to drying on a rack in front of the wood stove. I still use the dryer for some things, but I don't mind hanging the other items and it adds some moisture to the dry air in the house.
A neighbor cut down some trees and offered us the wood. My husband is going to get it later this week. Free exercise and free heat.
I was really tempted to buy some quilting fabric on sale, but reminded myself that I already have fabric for another quilt that I haven't made yet.
I also got ready to use a Starbucks gift card this week! In my case, I don't have the app so I just took a screenshot of the emailed barcode. That way, I can easily find it in my photos next time I'm there.
1. I finished (and blogged) more from-the-stash sewing. Hurray for stashbusting!
2. Um, less frugal, but I went to a textile charity sale benefitting a museum and made out like a thief with some utterly gorgeous cuts of wool, silk, and cotton. Cost-effective, certainly, frugal...debatable.
3. I booked free museum tickets through my local library and will take myself to a ceramics exhibit on Friday. I wouldn't pay for it, but I'm glad to go for free!
4. I accepted some free produce from my mom (she's so funny; she bought an enormous cabbage "because it was so beautiful" but her and my dad don't really eat cabbage.)
5. I (once again) signed up for some extra work to earn a bit more money for our downpayment fund. Bleh. I am stopping this soon, because it's starting to burn me out.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), I like the combo of your 2 & 3.
@WilliamB, I suppose you're fond of museums? I'm currently living in a city with a wealth of them, so I feel I have to take advantage, because we won't live here forever.
Frugality
Another Tuesday, another day of work and class. Packed all food.
Cut open more hand creams for that last little bit.
Reorganized the pantry to group like with like. This is the first time I looked through the pantry since we moved in April. Found a few things I forgot about.
Went to six (6!!!) thrift stores looking for a specific item. Walked out of all of them without buying anything when they didn't have what I was looking for (what happened to all the cork boards?!?).
Tracked all spending in my excel budget.
Used gift cards to buy some Christmas presents.
My frugal things this week
- I found a highchair on sale at Amazon for our grandson. I thought it was on sale for $50 but when I checked out, Rakuten added coupons and I got the highchair and a Christmas present for $32.
- I started Christmas shopping and everything I've purchased so far was on sale and had free shipping.
- I took advantage of the free lunch the company executives provided for us yesterday.
- I used foam core boards and contact paper (purchased on clearance) to make liners for the wire shelving in the pantry. Things sit much better on the liners, and you can slide things around to see what is in the back of the shelf.
- DH paid our property tax in person so we avoided the online and credit card fees.
1. Last week I tried to be extra frugal in using up bits and pieces of random things in the fridge before they went bad. I used up a whole container of spinach for a creamy spinach bake, in which I incorporated the ends of sour cream and plain yogurt. For a stir fry dinner I used dry noodles that had old best by dates, but being pantry stable items and smelling fine, I felt ok using them.
2. I had made an online purchase of a sweater in two sizes since I did not know how it would fit, made sure to promptly return the other size.
3. Some synthetic sports clothes had picked up a smell that didn't go away in the laundry. To extend their life I soaked them in a vinegar solution before washing them, seemed to help.
4. Went to the office on days with catered lunch, and used my parking benefit card for free parking. (I would go more often but there really isn't any benefit with nobody there, so it's more of a hassle on other days.)
5. While at the office, picked up some company-branded items that were being cleaned out of a closet, a water bottle and reusable coffee-to-go cup.
@Kristina M., if the vinegar doesn't work, my latch-ditch attempt would be to do an overnight soak in OxyClean, then launder. I find that when everything else has failed, OxyClean will strip out dirt/smell. It's hard on clothes, though, which is why I do it as a last-ditch.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), thank you for the tip! Have you used laundry boosters such as Borax? This is another weapon against smells in my arsenal I was planning to use for a soak.
The pin pad at Target wasn’t working properly so I wasn’t able to use my Target Circle discounts. I walked over to customer service and asked for the discounts and my credit card was promptly refunded.
We bought a huge tub of cream cheese to use in a couple dishes at a recent dinner party because it was a better deal than individual bricks. I turned the leftover cream cheese into flavored cream cheese by mixing in odds and ends from the fridge.
I made sure to check Upside before filling up my gas tank and I found a gas station that was offering twenty five cents off per gallon! It was two miles away from the station offering a penny off.
I was completely exhausted Saturday (the puppy is up every 2-3 hours at night) so I picked up a pizza from Aldi for dinner while doing the grocery shopping. Everyone loves Aldi pizza in my house and it saved us from ordering take-out.
I dropped off two books in the neighborhood Free Little Library. One I got from the same FLL and the other I bought at Goodwill. As I work my way through my TBR pile I’ll continue to add them to the FLL.
1. I sewed a hole in another pair of sweatpants
2. I used some leftover noodles, leftover pizza sauce, leftover pasta sauce, and a bunch of different cheeses we had in the refrigerator to make a pasta bake for my kids for dinner
3. My daughter and I both had our yearly physicals, which are free with our insurance. Not only are physicals free, but they can also catch more expensive medical issues early.
4. My daughter and I met some friends at our local science museum. We have a membership there and brought all of our food and drinks. She had a great time.
5. I purchased $100 in gifts cards to Crumbl for $80 at Costco. The gift cards will be great holiday presents for my kid's teachers, bus driver, etc.
Had one big frugal thing this week, and the others were all meh.
1) We have been wanting to get an awning installed over the back porch, which is really just a stoop--4ft x 4ft. When it snows or gets really icy, we can't open the back door, because we had the stoop built level with the sunporch for my husband's ease in transitioning to the steps. (We didn't think about the ice or snow blocking the door from opening.) I had several Home Depot gift cards from our Medicare Advantage plan that I hoped to cash in, but the awning itself was $457, and I kept waiting for the price to decrease.
Well, the Honey price check kicked in, and I found the same awning at Amazon for $37 less, which wasn't that big a deal, BUT, I had $162 in Amazon points, and a $50 Amazon gift card from the Fetch points that I cashed in--all for a savings of $249! And free shipping, because I have Prime.
2) Had some veggies that were past their prime in the fridge, so salvaged them by chopping them up in a stir fry, which was 3 meals' worth for me.
3) Did my shopping at Aldi's first, then Walmart, then hit some loss-leaders at Food Lion to finish up. They had 12-packs of Coke products for half price ($4.98), so ordered 4, but they had run out and were not expecting another delivery before the sale ended. Got a rain check for that price good for 8 weeks.
4) Cooked up a couple pounds of ground beef, divided it into thirds, and put two packages in the freezer for later. Used the 3rd to make up some chili last night. Ordinarily, I would have split the package into a pound each, and put the raw meat into the freezer. Somehow, seeing it actually cooked up made it easier to put less into the chili and make 3 packages instead of 2.
5) Turning the thermostat down when hubby goes to bed to save a bit on heat (he goes to bed about 3-4 hours earlier than I do), hit the dollar store for doggy treats instead of getting them from Chewy, combining errands, etc.
Five frugal things, Hersheypark edition:
1. We had free entrance passes, thanks to my mother in law winning them at a company event. She graciously offered them to us (she and I took my four kids)
2. She also had two meal passes, and I prepurchased two more at a discount from paying within the park. We made it work for the six of us to share the food.
3. Parking fee is $10 cheaper if you buy online ahead of time, so I did that. We all drove in one vehicle
4. We arrived within 30 minutes of opening, and left less than an hour before closing to try to maximize our time in the park
5. We utilized the app to see which rides had shorter wait times, although we found that it was not very accurate
All in all, a very fun day for not too much money! Not sure I could ever bring myself to pay full price 😀
Dollar Shave Club changed their handle design because... "Upgrades" cause cynicism in me. It seems that companies do that to generate more sales, not to improve their customers' experience.
1. After spending $165 for one month of website help, I immediately did the non-auto-renew option. Doing my best to use the service to the fullest (in between power and internet and phone outages).
2. Bought shoes at Zappos using a $5 credit. They were $85, on sale for $54 minus the $5 AND THEY FIT!! I will return the other 2 pair that I didn't like as well FOR FREE. (Zappos is terrific!)
3. Got $145 credit from Spectrum for all the internet/phone outages.
4. Free food for frugal folks (local food bank) had a lot of salmon, some cheese, apples, and canned tomatoes. All very useful.
5. Amazon $25 gift from the company that prints my calendars because I referred another artist who actually ordered.
6. Made soup using mostly free things —burger in the freezer from a cattle-raising friend, 4 different cans from the food pantry, flavored with oregano from my garden and garlic from a friend from Gilroy (garlic capital of the whole world).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I love Zappos free returns!
1. A first: I cleaned the broccoli bag that had a ziplock on it. I have been out of large ziplock bags for awhile and have not wanted to buy more. I have never done this before because it seemed "extreme frugality" and I resisted living this way. So how do I feel? "meh." Not sure I'll do it again but it has made me aware of alternatives like my food saver and Tupperware containers.
2. I have changed my checking account so that I don't have a balance requirement. On Dec. 13th I will need to pay the lump sum of our Antartica Cruise. If I put it on my credit card the company charges 3%. I do like points but not at the price of $600. I know this is a luxury problem but being discerning on where I save and how I splurge has allowed me to take this dream trip.
3. My A1C slipped 1 point up and now I am pre-diabetic. A wake up call. I have made a plan until Thanksgiving to reduce my weight through diet and exercise. It will not cost 1 penny and could save me hundreds of thousands of dollars in future medical expenses.
@Mary Ann, I've recently been keeping the newly redesigned bags our brown rice comes in; they have the best reclosing mechanism - robust velcro - so we've been using them for snacks and sandwiches especially on roadtrips. But I too dislike washing out bags of "wet" stuff (e.g. produce), and you definitely get extra stars for reusing a broccoli bag!
@Suz, It’s worth it (to me at least) though. I throw out the ziploc if it’s had raw meat or if the produce got really gross. The rest of the time, I wash. I haven’t bought baggies in years. Then I nabbed a lot when my mother died and now I may never need to buy a baggie again.
@Mary Ann, I've been fighting to get out of the pre-diabetic category for a little over a year now. My number has dropped from 6.1 to 5.7 by following the hacks in The Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe (AKA Glucose Goddess on I'Gram). A friend has given me a spare continuous glucose monitor so that I can see what spikes the glucose and what keeps it flatter. Insurance won't pay for it, so I am very thankful for this incredibly helpful device. Kind of dumb on their part, because if we can't learn how to keep our blood glucose low, we will end up costing the insurance companies a lot more by needing lots of medical care and drugs. It's been 4 months since I last had my A1C checked, but I'm pretty sure that I'm out of the pre-diabetic category now. If not, I will be sorely disappointed because I am committed to NOT becoming diabetic!!
So, head to the library and get that book, speedy-quick-like lightning!
1. We made meals at home. We brewed coffee at home. We packed lunches and baked treats at home. We ate up food that needed to be eaten.
2. I fixed a necklace and a treasured trinket.
3. I used a gift card to get some fancy coffee.
4. I wrapped a gift with a reusable gift bag. I also wrapped a baby shower gift in some pretty tissue paper that I reused before packing it and mailing it across the country.
5. I bought some pantry staples that were on sale and that I was running low on. With snow in the forecast, I always start to think about having lots of pantry staples on hand so I can make simple meals at home.
Good freebie on the light bulbs, those are getting costly not to mention very fragile for storage/transportation.
Frugal things---
●teen got signed up for Spring semester college classes & high school already applied payment (save $2700)
● got gas at cheapest station & saved $0.10/gallon & earned $0.14/gallon earning additional $2.80
● free hot chocolate (Meijer) yesterday only
● picked up earned $21 (Sam's cash last month)
● found new tarp (in garage) (was free item with purchase Harbor Freight) that fits over front of firewood shed (to keep wood dry during rain/snow of winter)
●eating all meals at home from pantry/freezer
●NO EARLY BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING
Frugal fail--
●only lost 1/3 loaf of bread (moldy sitting out on counter for month)
Had lunch w my oldest son yesterday at the casino where he works and he can comp food so that was a nice treat
Chose slower delivery from Amazon and got a credit towards my kindle purchases
Been mostly eating freezer and pantry and haven’t bought groceries for 2 weeks
Bought Tazo tea to make at home to keep myself from treating myself when I’m out running errands
I’ve lost weight and really wanted a pair of black jeans. I fell in love w a pair but they were over $100! Went to Old Navy and found a pair on sale, nearly as cute, for $20!
Thinking outside of the box on frugality...
1) One of the plant choices I put in my color pots on the front porch "waned" through the hot summer and since it's been cooler and we've had consistent rainfall, has flourished and is beautiful. I often buy more flowers that last to hard frost (usually pansies) because having blooming flowers is important to me.
2) Bought a faux wicker fern stand with a liner and stainless steel wire shelves to use as a plant stand from swap shop for $15 each. I broke down and moved the Zenith console TV out for pickup (it still worked, but I quit watching regular TV, d/t cable issues) and made room for shelves in the same corner that has medium sunlight through the day.
3) I did buy a grow light from Amazon to use if the sunlight is not enough. It was on sale for "black Friday." Also bought a supplement for Molly to be able to use free shipping on the purchases.
4) Finally used up a several apples (that kept spoiling one by one) to make two pies to put in the freezer. Reused "disposable" aluminum pie pans to make them giveable if necessary. Frugal fail. Had to buy more sliced pineapple as what I had in the cabinet was suffering from bulging cans. Eeek! For pineapple upside down cake for family gathering and church dinner. Made two as the the mess was no dif for two vs one. (I know I shared about that last week?)
5) Filled up with $2.84 gas @ Casey's.
Ohhh, I am a penny picker-upper as well!!! And I say that penny is very usable! It was a good week saving for me. Went to a bakery outlet and hit the jackpot, buying 22 packages of bread, bagels, and English muffins for $1.50 each package. These are all safely tucked in my freezer now, waiting for a week of company coming my way! Actually finding bagels at the outlet is very much a hit or miss type of thing, so I was happy to find them just in time for company!
I also found a LLBean tote bag at a thrift store for just $4.00, and it even matches the larger size tote bag I already had (purchased with LLBean coupons ). I was absolutely delighted!
Pictures as well as more things are listed on my blog.
http://www.jesuscallsmefriend.blogspot.com
My five frugal things:
1. Got a piece of lemon pound cake at Starbucks for free using an old gift card I've been hanging on to.
2. Found 4 pennies in one day. One in the self check out and three on the floor at Walgreens at the register. I picked up one and the very tall cashier picked up the other two for me. He was very nice and kinda surprised that I would pick up 3 pennies.
3. While at that Walgreens I picked up some random things for Christmas like a huge bow to put on hubby's gift cause I'm not going to wrap it. I also got two toothbrushes and two toothpastes to donate. Not the best deals but I did get a $3 registar reward for both. I used my free from credit card points gift card to pay for my stuff.
4. Went for my annual "girlie" appointment. Free with my insurance.
5. Keep monitoring the electric usage and heat. Hubby has a habit of leaving the kitchen light on and we've had a couple of chilly days that I needed to put the heat on. Oh that reminds me I need to see what my budget plan electric bill will be monthly.
A repeat from Non-Consumer blog:
1. Stocked up on dog food, which cost over $100 and thus I got a free turkey at Fred Meyer.
2. This was also a mystery shop so $18 of the bill was paid by that.
3. Did another mystery shop this week, picking up onions. Our entire Thanksgiving dinner is free because I planned ahead and with every mystery shop this month and last, I picked up one or two things I would need. I did get the bread for stuffing over a month ago when at the end of some of my volunteer shifts at the food bank there was extra artisan bread available. People tend to select supermarket white bread rather than the artisan loaves donated by a local bakery, so we often end up with loaves on Friday that will start molding by Monday. So, the pig farmer gets whatever we don't take.
4. Two books and two puzzles from the library.
5. Went to a breakfast meeting and brought home a leftover donut for the husband.
The other night was so beautiful with the big moon I went walking by the water. A swoosh ran past me and a bushy tail brushed against me. A red fox joined me. He’d go ahead of me and wait in the middle of the trail for me to catch up. This went on for quite a while. When he finally ran up into the woods I turned on my flashlight and found him up there watching me. Foxes are fun. Frugal free fox fun.
I don't think that I'll be able to come up with 5 today but I'm gonna give it a whirl.
1 - for sometime now I have been wanting to check out small, local coffee shops/eateries in my city to get out of the house more and to support small businesses, while enjoying a cup of coffee and a book or my tablet. Yesterday, I learned of a Coffee Club in my city that for $42 provides a punch card for 1 coffee at each of 40 local, small buisness coffee shops. I think that I will buy it. I know that I won't visit all 40 but even if I did 20 of them, that's 20 new experiences for $2/cup.
2 - I've just moved to a new condo and am having the kitchen renovated. Though that is a very costly undertaking, I was able to order my cabinets, etc., during a promotion where 10% is given back in gift cards.
3 - I was very displeased with myself for the amount of unworn clothing I donated when packing for my move. Clothes that I had bought and years later still had tags on them. I promised myself that I would not buy any new clothing, except for necessities, and have stuck to it.
4 - I have amassed several hundred dollars in various gift cards and have made a conscious effort to use them instead of always paying with my CCs. If my wallet was lost or stolen someone would hit the jackpot with the number of GCs in there.
It's my birthday month and there are a lot of birthday freebies one can enjoy but, unfortunately, almost all are very high carb, high sugar offerings so I don't think that I'll get many frugal wins in that category this month.
None of these are huge, but:
1 - I made a sale on Etsy, and shipped it promptly in packaging I had saved from something else.
2 - I peeled two of those sticker coupons off items at the grocery store.
3 - I returned three items in store to avoid return charges.
4 - I audited the baking supplies in the pantry so I don't overbuy while everything is on sale.
5 - I ate dinner at a school function. Not my first choice, but better than passing and having to eat elsewhere. Free is even better than anything I can do at home.
Late but logging for my own accountability.
1. We put up all of our Christmas decorations and I did not buy one single new thing. I am staying out of Hobby Lobby on purpose as I have realized that I have NO will power in that store.
2. Still have not turned on my HVAC and I am holding out as long as possible.
3. Turkeys are $0.49/lb. I have bought 3 so far and will likely by 3 more before the sales are gone. I have already cooked one and used the carcass to make a huge batch of bone broth for the upcoming dressing, soup, etc.
4. I used up some apples that were on their way to soft to make an apple coffee cake. The rest will go into sauteed apples to top pancakes with this weekend.
5. Cooked all meals at home and ate lots of leftovers. Switched to a lower priced dog food that is less than $100 every two weeks and still healthy. Got my flu shot at CVS and got a $5 off of $20 purchase - I am saving that and my rewards points to purchase some Christmas candy. I figure I have earned a few really good truffles this Christmas after the year we have had.
Well, on Saturday after picking up my final farm share, I went into Giant to check out the manager's specials. It was a bust because I kept saying things like "3.47 for moldy tomatoes? That's like the regular price at Aldi...3.99 for cereal? Is that a clearance price?" Etc...So then I decided to just go to Aldi (a different one, not the one I normally frequent) and I scored big time: 7 jars of the chipotle pumpkin sauce we like for .99 each, 8 boxes of seasonal instant oatmeal for .49 each, 4 boxes of muesli for .99 each, 3 jars of natural peanut butter for .49 each, 2 packages of edible cookie dough for 1.39 each and a tub of maple yogurt for 2.75 (normally about 5 bucks). AND I wandered into the clothing section of the random crap aisle and found four shirts and a pair of comfy yoga pants in my size for .99 each. I was very happy with my haul, or should I say Hauldi?
Writing this made me feel like it's a Five Frugal Things and Thankful Thursday combo!
-My friend shared a bunch of food with me...extras and leftovers that her family won't use. Some homemade dishes. So grateful!
-It finally rained, so we got some free water in our cistern.
-Continue to drive my car that takes it easy on gas.
-Went to Wendy's with a gift card and both my husband and I ate for free. (PRO TIP - you can sub a small chili for fries in the Biggie Bag deal for no extra charge!)
-Found some individually-portioned meals that I had prepped in the freezer and am taking them for lunches this week.
1. We went out to eat with friends on Saturday. My husband and I chose the combo meal for two which was cheaper than each meal individually, and came with 2 more sides. They somehow lost my entree and when my husband asked about it, they eventually brought it and later the manager brought a 2nd one to go for free. He also brought mugs of tea for our whole table. I took my entree home since I filled up on all my sides and the 2 entrees lasted another 2 meals for 4 of us.
2. Our Disney+ account was up for renewal and I found credit card cashback for 15% so I switched the payment to use that card and got $26 back, which helps with the price increase this year.
3. Scanned receipts to ibotta and fetch and got $3.40 back, have enough to redeem for Starbucks and Amazon gift cards.
4. Took advantage of grocery sales to buy drinks for an upcoming Christmas potluck and school donation.
5. I have a Disney Movie Insiders account which was accruing points from watching movies and submitting codes online for many years. They are shutting down the program next month so I'm redeeming my remaining points for DVDs (which is basically all they have left as rewards). I'll either update our collection or donate the ones we get since the redemption selection isn't all that great, but I'm not letting the points go to waste!
@DebbieR, You might sell the DVDs to Decluttr, if they aren't marked as promotional. I do not sell there any more since they require electronic payment, (such as paypal, which I don't have), but always had excellent service when I used them. I also like Sell Back Your Books for books, (and they send me an old-fashioned check!). Their websites and mailing processes are very straight-forward, though not the way to get rich.
1) Continuing to eat out of freezers, refrigerators, and pantry.
2) 50 days of no fast food
3) Saved the bags my Sam's Club purchase arrived in as they are resealable and sturdy
4) Turned the heat down to 68.
5) frugal fail, 4 brand new snow tires but last winter I spent way too much money using uber.
Not going to lie, this has not been a very frugal week for me. I splurged on a new cat tree for my cats and a christmas bowtie (originally for the dog, but now happily worn by the ginger cat)
On a frugal note, I bought two packets of reduced to clear linguini, made bolognese from scratch with what was in the cupboard and netted my raspberry and peach tree to ensure I get a free harvest in the next few months. The raspberries were grown from free canes and the peach tree I grew from seed in the first covid lockdown, making them both frugal investments.
* Used coupons to get grocerie items for 4$ total instead of 10$.
* Asked public library to buy new releases. And borrowed books from them.
* My no new clothes/jewelry/shoes challenge is going well. 7 weeks so far.
* "Upgraded" my cellphone plan from 15$ to 19$/month in order to get more data (3 gb/month). This is very cheap here in Canada.
Frugal fail : uploaded a coupon for a free grocery item last Friday. Went to claim it yesterday but they were out and said we need to come in the same day, otherwise they run out. (They offer a free product every Friday). Good to know! I'll be going on Fridays from now on.
- used a cashmere sweater vest for a sleep sack/baby layer for when I babysit & kiddo naps outside.
- got some free toys from a lady at church for babysitting gig
- used a coupon code for coffee order ($15 off coffee for 6mo, have family visiting and our coffee consumption always goes up!)
-made egg salad for lunches this week
-found free diapers (unopened) for kiddo I’ll be watching (I don’t have to purchase items but free diapers are nice)
-am using pantry items & gifted squash for Friendsgiving next week!
Buy Nothing groups are awesome!
My Frugal 5’s
1) My friend’s kindly and patiently helped me to learn how to sew on my sewing machine. I’ve mended my husband’s pants and my Fall tablecloth so far with things I already have.
2) Spent 2 hours shoveling snow off my driveway myself instead of hiring someone to do it.
3) Listened to Christmas music for free off Pandora and YouTube. We’ve become one of those people who like listening to it before Thanksgiving. For some reason, it really feels like Christmas has come earlier this year.
4) Batch run errands while at the library. Kids did another Lego Build event there for free. We also returned items & borrowed more books and games from the library. The games will be a part of our Thanksgiving tradition of spending more time together with family. On the way home, I filled up on gas since we’re almost empty and with the snow storm that past by, I wanted it full in case of emergencies.
5) About shopping … Returned an item from Amazon to UPS and got a rebate; Brought 2 for $1 Christmas cards and a pack of chocolate spoons as a part of my friend’s Christmas gift at Dollar Tree; Got another 1 month free trial of Amazon prime for free which has been so helpful with Christmas shopping for free shipping costs; and also brought items off my wish lists that are part of their early Black Friday sale so tons of savings there!
I occasionally read those "recommended changes to your spending habits ways to save" and find them entertaining....
1. Found King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour at 1/2 off, so I bought 3 bags, and left 6 for others to be happy about. (I might get more today while it's still on sale.)
2. It seems almost like cheating to list, but I only read library books rather than buying them. I work in a library and also use the town library so can easily request any book that's in a USA library anywhere. So I'm currently enjoying a new release for which our town library currently has a hold list of 16. I recently got to read a hard-to-find travel book about Italy that came from a California library. Even at Amazon pricing, that's $55 saved.
3. Dropped big bucks at Aldi but it should cover more than two weeks including Thanksgiving so I'm counting it as a save because it would've been a MUCH larger bill at any other grocery store!
4. Made cookies for home and also took a dozen to work to share, also only ever make my own coffee & tea, and take a reusable water bottle to work that I refill several times daily. I keep tea bags at work so I can enjoy a good cup of tea each afternoon. And take my lunch daily (I've never bought my lunch in the 14 years that I've worked here).
5. Remembered to use a $5 off coupon that I had to print and include with my car key when I dropped the car off for inspection & emissions testing, so total was only $68. The garage actually called during the day to recommend changing out a wiper blade for "only an additional $50" NOT A CHANCE!!! I thanked them for their diligence, but declined--obviously!