Five Frugal Things | Cashing out
I got on a roll of cashing out all my credits and rewards. 😉
1. I ordered a Panera gift card on sale
You've seen me do this lots of times before! I have a Citi credit card that I use exclusively for groceries because it gives me 5% back.
Then I use my points to buy gift cards when they are marked down. This week, I got a $50 Panera eGift card and immediately added it to my Panera app so that I won't lose track of it.
So now when Zoe and I have a hankering for some sandwiches, they won't cost me anything out of pocket.
2. I cashed out my GetUpside money
I don't use this app very often, preferring to stick with my Royal Farms station. But when I'm not near a Royal Farms, I use the app to find less expensive gas near me.
They give you your savings as a credit in your account, and so I opted to just put that money right into my checking account.
I'm not sure I've ever cashed out my money there, and I had $50 waiting for me. But now it's in my bank account. 😉
If you download the app, you can type in my referral code (97N2J), and we both will get an extra $0.15 back per gallon on our next purchase. It's not a special blogger code; just the usual one any GetUpside member has. 🙂
3. I redeemed my YourTurn rewards
This is the safe driving app my insurance company offers, and I used my points for a $25 Starbucks eGift card, which I promptly loaded into the app.
4. I redeemed my Fetch points
I spent a little too long trying to figure out the best deal for these points, since the point value varies depending on what merchant you select.
I ended up opting for an Ulta gift card because I need a new tube of mascara. Once my gift card gets here, I'll hopefully also have an Ulta coupon to use, and that way I can maximize my savings. 😉
Fetch is like Ibotta; you scan your grocery receipts and earn points. Click here to download the app.
5. I used my CVS CarePass
For the CarePass, I pay $4/month (paid annually), and I get a $10 credit to spend each month. That's a pretty sweet deal if you use their sales and coupons in conjunction with the reward.
I did just that and got a Maui Moisture shampoo and conditioner, so now I have a pretty nice stash of backups in my linen closet.
Doing it this way means I never have to pay full price! When I finish a bottle, I just grab one from my stash. 🙂
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?
P.S. Reward apps are not going to singlehandedly enable you to retire early; they're kinda small beans. But as I know from my low-income days, small beans are actually big beans when your budget is super tight. Also, they're a nice way to get some little treats without actually spending money out of pocket.
1. A neighbor shared some summer squash with me. They are rather large so I am going to use them to make zucchini muffins.
2. My BOA Visa card offers extra rewards at both Giant and Shell these days. You have to add the offer and then use it within 4 hours. On Friday I use a 11% back offer at Giant and on Sunday DH used a $.38/gallon offer at Shell. He also chose the much cheaper Shell since he was right by it. For some reason the Shell near our house is always the most expensive in town. The cash back is not immediate but I'm in it for the long haul.
3. We had a neighbor over for a game night. We played Up Words. It is marked as having cost $1.91 and was purchased at a thrift store many, many years ago.
4. I only have time for four if you include this one. Time to go on a walk before it gets too hot.
-have been on a bit of a book buying bonanza lately but now put a stop to it by putting ton of holds on library books
- doing the "pan makeup" challenge which means using the makeup until there is zero left
-cancelled a tv subscription no one is using
-eating through my freezer
Somehow if I buy one book because it is not in the library, the bars are down and I can think of a dozen I also need/need right now.
I am now telling myself December is around the corner and I will be asked to produce a list of things that would really make me happy -
--I'm rehabbing our porch, bit by bit, and needed a hacksaw to tackle old screws that would NOT come out for anything. I intended to buy one, but the owner of our local hardware store/lumber yard just handed me a shop hacksaw as a loaner. I made a point of conquering the screws that same afternoon so I could return the saw promptly!
--Our library officially received the STEM kit grant we applied for this spring!!!! To celebrate, one of the librarians hosted a pizza party at her house for all the board members, myself included. Our board is small, but mighty!
--The village post office has a spot for people to leave/share their spare produce. I only take what I either didn't grow or failed to, which is how I came home with two perfect ears of sweet corn. My husband and I enjoyed them along with a giant salad made from our own garden.
--A friend brought over a DELICIOUS peach cobbler made from her own peach trees. I've been sharing basil and homemade pickles with her.
--Another friend brought over a bag of her Brandywine tomatoes, also in thanks for sharing cucumbers and homemade pickles. I love it here.
Glad to hear the outcome of the STEM kit grant application- that's wonderful! Congrats!
Yay for the STEM kit grant!
....and yay for both a borrowed hacksaw, and friends sharing their fruit and vegetable bounty!
FFT, The Tale of the Traveling Tomato Plant Edition (updated/revised from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) As I've done for many years now, I've been tending a tomato plant in a pot (an old Shop-Vac tub on wheels, to be exact) behind the 8-foot chain link fence at NDN1's house. Imagine my distress when I discovered late last week that the estate sale guy NDN1's CF and I engaged to sell NDN1's more valuable possessions actually SOLD the tomato plant (!!!), having forgotten what I told him about the plant being NDN1's and my shared property. To his credit, he fell all over himself apologizing and arranged to have the plant returned--which it has been, although it's considerably the worse for wear. But (a) it's the principle of the thing, and (b) I'm very glad to have the Shop-Vac tub (which is a great planter) and the tomato supports (which came from Gardeners' Supply Co. some years ago and were not cheap) returned.
(2) After that saga, everything else is fairly small. But for starters, I went to the Regional Market on Saturday and indulged in locally grown and inexpensive summer veg. I mean, can you beat a zucchini for 75 cents and an eggplant for $1 (which will be going into another ratatouille shortly)?
(3) I stopped at my Price Chopper on the way home, batching errands as usual. In addition to the prices I chopped on groceries, I found two quarters and two NY State deposit containers in the parking lot.
(4) My excellent neighbor Bailey dog's dad helped me get 20+ bags and boxes of old financial documents out of NDN1's house and into my garage on Sunday. (The estate sale phase of the project is winding down, and the junk cleanout is coming next.) CF and I are having trouble finding a shredding service that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and I'm seriously considering a friend's suggestion that I throw these docs away in heavy-duty contractor bags, with some well-used cat litter mixed in (which Betty will be happy to contribute). Meow!
(5) And I've discovered that the garage sale at the local Catholic church (which actually benefits a consortium of churches doing excellent community work) is happening this month and not next. Not only am I ramping up my efforts on stuff to donate, but I'm delighted that I will be able to take JASNA BFF to the sale when she visits in 9 days for our Triple Birthday Celebration with our JASNA Panera friend. I've taught BFF to appreciate a really good garage sale!
Does your local municipal center or library have a shred day? Our library has one once ir twice a year, where anyone in town can bring documents to shred for free. It might be something to look into.
Though the cat litter idea ( or anything suitably messy) is a good too.
The local bank hosts a shred day, too! It's worth calling around to see if at least the most sensitive documents can be destroyed. That said, I've definitely used the cat litter trick in the past!
Unfortunately, all the shredding events I've checked out around here so far limit you to 3-4 boxes/bags per vehicle.
A. Marie, if I lived near you, I'd offer to take four of those boxes in my vehicle and head to the shredding event with you and three or four other people to get rid of NDN's boxes in one fell swoop. And then we'd party!
MB, that might be the way to do it!
Check with your township and county for a shedding event. Between those two resources, our state representative occasionally has one. They may be listed as recycling events for other types of items so check the event ads.
enjoy the sale. hubby taught me to love garage sales. my son once got a model train set for ten dollars that was worth $180 when he looked it up.
A. Marie,
Since you live in a cold climate, have you considered burning those papers? IIRC, the Tightwad Gazette had instructions on how to make fireplace "logs" from old newspapers, and I bet you could modify those directions to fit the bank records. I think she folded or braided the papers to make smaller fire starters, and used wires to roll up larger pages into "logs". She retrieved the wires when the ashes were cool. I dimly remember she may have coated the papers with something, or wetted them down, and didn't burn them until they were thoroughly dry. Anyway, if you started making them now, they'd be ready by the first cold front. Who knows? You might have a whole winter's worth of free fire fuel! * If you can't find a Tightwad Gazette, a scouting manuel, Mother Earth News, or other book may have directions.*
Does anyone you know have a fireplace or fire pit you can use? Maybe you could burn the documents instead?
I got a Panera gift card from Fetch last year, and it was very difficult to use. It wouldn’t go in my wallet, and even though I put it in my Panera app, using it involved making the cashier type a long number into the register. For that reason, I always get Amazon cards, even though I don’t like Amazon, but every once in a while DH needs a weird filter or gasket or whatever, and Amazon is the only logical way to get it.
W
When I cash in my Fetch points, I always opt for the $25.00 visa gift card, but I like having the actual physical plastic card so they subtract $3.00 from the value, making the true redemption value $22.00, but that works for me as it works almost everywhere….
Dagnabbit!!! I almost finished a long post in my phone when the site reloaded and I lost it all.
Mine did this yesterday! Darn technology.
I learned the hard way to type my comments elsewhere and then copy/paste to the blog. I'm bummed we don't get to enjoy your lengthy post!
Here’s the most useful part: if you fly frequently, consider getting the airline’s credit card even if it comes with a fee. Depending on what benefits you use, it could still be a money-saver.
Useful Note One: most (all?) cards do not charge a fee in the first year.
Useful Note Two: most (all?) cards give you big bonus miles when you sign up, especially if you do so using the special code they give you on the flight.
My American Airlines card is $99/year. I, and anyone traveling with me, get free coach seat selection including premium economy ($30-50 per), two checked bags per person per flight ($50/per), and of course extra miles. I expect to keep this card for a long time.
My United card is $150/year. I, and one person traveling with me, get one free bag per flight ($50/per), two club passes per year ($60/per), Global Entry fee covered ($120/5 years), and of course extra miles. I got this card because I’m flying United frequently this summer and I needed to renew my Global Entry. I plan to cancel this card in one year.
1. I also used my CVS CarePass. One of my kids' swim goggles broke, so I got a pair of goggles and a bag of trail mix for a total of 24 cents after coupons and the $10 off.
2. We camped last week. I am still forever amazed at how inexpensive campsites are compared to hotel rooms. We took two week-long camping trips this summer and the only equipment we had to replace was one camping chair, one tarp, and we bought one water cooler (because I missed packing it). $30-$35/night for camping makes me enjoy it even more.
3. We ate all of our meals at the campground instead of going out to eat. (Exception: meals on the 500 mile drive.) This time we only took one cooler and that got us through the first 3 days, then we did a restock trip at Meijer on the way home from an excursion. It worked great and it was nice to have the extra space in the car from not packing two coolers.
4. We got dinner at Subway on our way home and tried both of our phone numbers to see which one was registered for rewards. (We only eat at Subway mayyyybe once a year, so we don't keep track of anything for it.) My husband's phone number was the winner and we got $2 off. I'll take it.
5. Sadly, we spent our first day back at home buying a new washing machine. My husband looked into fixing it himself, but it was going to be $200 in parts and he was going to have to take the entire thing apart to fix it, which was too big of a gamble. But we bought a Lowe's gift card to pay for it and that gave 7% back towards our kids' tuition. This gift card program doesn't cover an enormous percentage of tuition, but it does give us a significant amount and I'm thankful for it.
Kind of FFT related, but mostly related to something from a post last week when I was on vacation: I didn't realize that you weren't supposed to wash plastic silverware because of microplastics! We had a problem where too many of our spoons disappeared after kids took them to school in their lunches, so we started having them take plastic spoons and I would wash them if they made it home. It seemed wasteful to go through 3-4 plastic spoons every day. Now I'll have to give some thought to what the best way is to handle it. They are definitely not going to take my good spoons to school, though!
I was a social worker for a decade and the front desk person used to tape fake flowers to the pens. I saw a client using one once to simultaneously fill out paperwork and change a baby in the bathroom. I shudder to think of the germs- but they always made it back to the front desk.
We keep a small collection of non-disposable mismatched utensils on hand for lunch packing purposes (usually acquired from thrift stores or yard sales or Buy Nothing...).
Oh yes, Buy Nothing too! All of my cutlery is from the abandoned house and Buy Nothing. I'm proudly mismatched every day!
Kristen,
Lol, me, too! We have a silverware mash-up from cleaning out my in-law's house, my silverware from before I was married, DH's silverware from before we were married, etc. Funnily enough, my favorite spoon to eat my morning oatmeal with is a stainless steel spoon with a pretty flower design on the handle. I found this spoon on the side of the road (I had pulled over to take some photos - it was very safe, as there was a wide spot to pull over). (Ha ha - who has a favorite spoon? This gal. :-))
It's been a while, like before the pandemic, but dollar stores used to sell four-item packs of steel spoons and forks. Thrift stores often will sell odds and ends of cutlery. I bought a pair of very nice steak knives out of the Salvation Army's bin of assorted forks, knives and spoons.
I was going to suggest Goodwill's cutlery; super cheap, doesn't matter if it matches, and also not a big deal if a kid loses it.
And yes, dollar store cutlery is not luxurious but still probably nicer than plastic spoons.
That's a great idea! Looking at Dollar Tree's website, it looks like they sell them in 3-packs now. I could put them in the dishwasher too, which would be nice. That will be my back-to-school shopping. 😉
This would involve buying a new lunchbox, but I often see inexpensive lunchboxes in supermarkets which come with cutlery (which are BPA free). Maybe there are some in your area? There is a slot for the fork, knife and spoon in the lid which might help your kids remember.
I have no idea if this is an option near you at all, but when I am at estate sales, so often the silverware is very inexpensive - maybe $5 for the whole set of stainless, and while you may be handling more that you want with the extra forks and knives (donate?) the teaspoons and tablespoons might be handy at a low price. If you know anyone who goes to these, maybe ask them to keep an eye out? I have a short list of things I look for when I go at friends' requests.
Maybe get some inexpensive silverware from a thrift store for the kids? Restaurant supply stores often sell boxes of spoons, or forks individually (not in sets).
I baked homemade burger buns instead of buying them at the store.
Got a chip drop of mulch for the garden instead of buying it.
Transplanted a bunch of seedlings that popped up in the wrong place
into new garden beds.
We have been eating lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, and asparagus from the garden.
We packed lunches and snacks for some day trips instead of buying food while we are out. Also got a free pass from the library for one of said day trips.
1. I went to two work events where breakfast and lunch were provided.
2. I borrowed two books from the library.
3. I spent a lot of money in a charity shop - perhaps this defeats the purpose, but I got a blouse, a vintage drinking glass, a small headlamp and an ornament of a bird, all of which would have cost a lot more brand new. The sales person forgot to remove the security tag and I stupidly didn't take a receipt, but when I went back and explained the next day they removed the tag for me anyway (I think they were able to tell I'd paid after scanning the barcode on it). That also falls under a thankful post!
4. I am going to wash some laundry later and plan to air-dry it.
5. I went to a free creative writing group, where you can work on a piece of writing for an hour. It was in a cafe and I was tempted to get lunch afterwards, but as I have already spent a fair amount of money this week I just bought a coffee and then ate lunch when I got home.
*The security tag from the blouse.
I made pot of spicy black beans and yellow rice with chicken in the rice cooker after church Sunday. It's made entirely of pantry ingredients and costs less than a dollar a serving. Fast and yummy too!
Before going grocery shopping yesterday, I spent some time looking through the Food Lion website for digital coupons and suitable buy one, get one free offers. Added in two paper coupons issued by the store and the total effort knocked $20 off.
Had to go to Walmart Market for a few items not sold elsewhere and checked the price on Progresso tomato soup, which is the base for a mostly homemade hearty soup I make. It was almost a dollar cheaper there, so I bought a couple of cans.
Am being diligent about working though a stack of unread books I own and using the library's Hoopla app for other items.
1. I applied my citibank cashback to my balance. I don't use this card much. I charge everything on IHG and have stayed all over the world in hotels.
2. I mailed my fathers Life Alert back. He doesn't need it now that he is in a senior village. If I didn't they would have charged me $100.
3. We open up the windows at the River House at night. It was 100 degrees during the day. With the North/ South windows, it gets down to 60 degrees. what a blessing in summer.
Not frugal: I bought a Bose speaker so I can use my computer as back up instruments for singing in church. We will see if i keep it. It was quite expensive.
Mostly laundry related:
*We laid our tile flooring in the laundry room. We bought the tile/grout last year when we did the kitchen so it would all match. We demoed the old floor ourselves and laid the new floor. We used a military discount when we bought the tile and grout.
*we bought our washer MANY years ago and had bought it used. We knew it was dying and was starting to rust on the inside. It finally started throwing a code every other wash and threatening to die completely. With the rust it wasn't worth repairing so I finally gave in and bought a speed queen. Not cheap today, but should last forever.
*they didn't offer a military discount at the store we purchased the washer from, but they did offer to give us a warranty in place of the discount. They gave us a 10 year warranty on all parts and service...that's better than a discount to me!
*when we removed the old washer to lay the tile we realized the plumbing for the washer connections was very dated, had a small leak, and was rusted and corroded (well water for 30 years in the connections). DH replaced those himself and probably saved the house from flooding one day with those bad connections.
*I didn't buy the matching dryer (though I would have loved to) since my current dryer works. They're both white appliances and no reason they have to match perfectly.
Well filter then the water runs through the softener. Well worth the initial cost of the softener (sale plus 11% at Menard's - a rare time and only that day) and the salt.
Two of the outside spigots bypass the softener. The third does not unless we flip the lever to the softener.
1. Purchased shampoo when it was on sale at Ulta and got it delivered for free. No going into the store reduced temptation to purchase other items.
2. Made 14 jars of peach habanero jam that will be gifted as Christmas presents. I bought the jars on sale. We went to the farmer's market to get the peaches and found a farmer selling habaneros. Our habanero plants did not do well this year and since I needed 20 of them, getting them from a local farmer was the best option, plus they were cheaper than at the grocery store. Each jar cost about $2.50 to make.
3. Our daughter and SIL bought a new house, and the previous owners left the homemade bunk bed. It currently has 6 unattractive curtain panels for the lower bunk. I dug in my fabric stash that I inherited from Mom and found enough solid purple, blue, green, red, orange, and yellow fabric to make a panel of each color. I have thread in each of those colors, so the rainbow panels didn't cost me anything except my time.
4. Planned weekly menu based on grocery store sale ad.
5. Packed a cooler for grandson when we drove 45 miles so our daughter could order carpet from my cousin's flooring store. The store had carpet in stock that was on sale and the perfect color.
Frugal fail: when DH was putting away the ice packs from the cooler, the freezer door did not shut completely. Since that refrigerator is in the garage, I didn't notice until the next day. Things were cool to the touch, but we opted to throw it all out since losing money is better than potentially giving us food poisoning.
1. The screen door to our deck corroded right through some how. My husband found a brand new screen door, with the right dimensions, for $100 on Marketplace. He replaced it himself.
2. I used the bones from 2 chickens to make chicken soup for my lunch this week.
3. I made apple sauce from over-ripe apples. I used basil from our garden to make pesto.
4. My husband made pickles using cucumbers from our garden.
5. Took the kids to an event at the library. Also signed up for an outdoor movie at the library and a yoga class too.
I have not been successful with the frugal things lately.
1. I went to a free yard sale down the street and picked up some stainless steel straws and Oxo wooden/bamboo utensils. I got a handful of other things, but I was thinking about buying these kitchen items.
2. I am purposefully buying less treats at the grocery store because my teens plow through them at the same rate. I say NO to my teens requests for candy, soda, fast food, etc. so often that they call me "Mrs. No."
3. I am flying to Boston on Thursday and paid for my trip with miles.
4. I am re-doing old puzzles instead of trying to find new ones.
5. I drank all my coffee from home.
1. Went to see Toy Story 5 with my sister using the $5 Tuesday movie promotion that also came with free popcorn. Cute and clever movie.
2. Went out for breakfast and brought home the ball of butter from my waffle in my own takeout jar.
3. Renewed my annual Tracfone cell service plan. Just $125/year for unlimited talk and text, along with a generous data plan that I never use up and that carries over. I replace my inexpensive Tracfone (also $125) as needed every several years so this is very economical for me as it has all the smartphone features I'm aware of. My husband is on a different plan through his business.
4. Requested any extra garden produce from my Buy Nothing group and received cucumbers, zucchini, Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil and chives.
5. Planned meals around the garden bounty we received.
Let's see...This week I:
-hopped over to Neighborhood for their #dollardeals on produce
-bought last years version of my running/walking shoes for $40 less than this years price (fingers crossed they fit)
-took out a new audiobook from the library for my walks
-split a sandwich for lunch w/ my husband as we were driving back from Maine. It was huge and getting 1 $17 sandwich is definitely more frugal than getting 2
-walked over to deliver the rent check
If your gift cards are small beans, then what are the buttons that I sewed back on? Still, I l'll list them as a frugality, since it means we can use our purchases again instead of leaving them in the closet 🙂
FFT:
I sewed buttons back on a short and two shirts.
I froze some bananas with a dark peel (the insides were pretty perfect and sweet).
I toasted the heels and old slices of a loaf of bread.
I cleaned some spice jars so I can refill them. The food market and eastern bazar shops are places where spices are cheap and have a high turnaround, they taste better than storebought (plus you get exactly the amount you need, in a brown paper bag!).
We thoroughly cleaned some old furniture so we could reuse the pieces in our hobby room. Solid wood for the win!
Plus one: one of our clotheslines crashed and I bought a new one, in an old fashioned hardware store. In this way I can dry my laundry outside again! And air the blankets etc.
Thanks for this post. It reminded me that I need to explore what other options my credit card offers for using my built-up cash rewards. I will check that out.
Here are my SFTs:
– I used my USAA credit card at Walmart Murphy Oil gas stations twice in the last week and saved 50 cents a gallon each time. (We took a long day trip and used quite a bit of gas). This brought the cost of gas down to $2.75 a gallon. (gas is pretty low here in Arkansas compared to other places, I've heard.)
– I did another Kroger survey from a receipt and earned 50 gas points. I also downloaded the double points coupon that's good on the weekend. My husband was able to get 30 cents off a gallon of gas when he filled up his truck.
– I crocheted 2 small gifts, (cobweb catchers that go on a broom handle) for two friends I will see this week.
– I used all of my $10 Kohl's cash I earned in an earlier purchase to buy another baby gift for an upcoming baby shower.
– I checked the Kroger marked-down aisle and picked up a box of 100 decaf black tea bags for a mere 75 cents. I drink tea exclusively. I don't know why they were reduced because they don't expire til late 2027. Perhaps it was a mistake. They would normally run about $3 per box.
– I used a free little library and found 2 books for my 97 yr. old friend who's still a big reader. I'm going to see her this week.
Some small beans for me 🙂
1. Used the remaining $3.50 on an Indigo gift card to buy books as gifts for some upcoming birthday parties.
2. Bought myself a dress on clearance, and wore it with 8-year old shoes and a 20-year old purse. The dress is a reddish-purple with pink and white flowers, so it's good for late summer and early fall; that's one High Holiday outfit sorted, plus it buttons down the front so I can nurse in it. Yay!
3. Dressed my baby and my kindergartener in hand-me-downs.
4. Finally cracked nursing. It took nine weeks of me pumping and trying and trying to help baby latch and it was unpleasant the whole time, but baby and I finally got it. I have supply issues so we're not free of formula (and I'm all for formula, seeing as both my kids would have starved without it.) And my main motivation wasn't the cost of formula. That said, once breastfeeding saved us two cases of formula, that's the cost of the pump and the lactation consultant--and that's definitely already happened!
5. Will be going to the second-hand store today to start building my kindergartener's fall/winter wardrobe. We live in a true four-season place, so every year we need rain gear, snow gear, mittens and hats and neck warmers and duplicates of everything.
The hard thing about breastfeeding is that the worst of it is all clustered there at the beginning when you are a mess from having just delivered. It's a rough period to get through!
I don't have kids, but always lean towards 'fed is best', if you are struggling/unable to breastfeed.
Super true! Parents should prioritize getting their babies enough food over worrying about breast vs formula--and it's also ok for parents to have preferences about how they feed their babies 🙂
Sorry, Sophie, I don't mean to "passively-aggressively happy face" you--since you don't have kids, you might not see how MUCH messaging there is around feeding babies that moms are subjected to. No matter what you do and what decision you make, there will be someone telling you that you should do differently. I combo-fed both my kids from birth BECAUSE fed is best. And I worked very hard on nursing because I personally prefer it--when it works, nursing can be very convenient, inexpensive, and a nice way to snuggle with baby; there are also some health benefits to both mom and baby, which are both real and also massively over-stated by people who are rabidly anti-formula, which I am not. I'm proud of myself for sticking to something hard! Bottle feeding (which we'll continue to do) also has upsides; it lets baby get a lot of nutrition all at once when he's hungry, which is especially good at night, because he sleeps longer and fusses less. But it can be frustrating when moms say, "Here is a thing that I think is going well" and someone tells you that it sounds like you might be having trouble and should consider something. I'm actually quite pleased with how things are going!
Oh, I wasn't trying to imply you should be doing something differently! I'm sorry if it came across that way. I was trying to say that whatever way works best for parent and baby should be enough.
Sometimes I feel like my frugality these days is just ... not. I did a lot of different things 15 years ago (e.g. I haven't seen a paper coupon in ages, I don't do a lot of home baking like I want to etc.) but this week I guess I did some frugal things.
1.) Made a focaccia pizza from scratch, including the sauce. I don't think this beats a Costco pizza in terms of cost by much but they are two totally different things. Besides, my wife really loved it so it was worth it. Next time I might make it in a bigger pan since it was really mostly crust.
2) Was paid back by some family members who needed me to order something for them (they don't have credit or debit cards) and I put the cash in the bank and not carried it around where I'd be apt to spend it.
3) Almost bought myself a tablet to read some comics on but realized it was an aspirational purchase and those never work out too well. Besides, I don't need anything right now.
4) Getting a couple of items on sale at the grocery store.
5) In general just saving money and not spending it on me.
Let's see....
1. I made hot pockets with crescent rolls, ham, and cheese and ate them for breakfast for four days.
2. I made a spinach quiche. Since I baked it in a stoneware pan that is smaller than a standard pan, I reduced the ingredients by 1/3. Then I wrote the adjustments in my cookbook, so I can always do this going forward.
3. This is just a decision -- since I struggle to carry groceries up the 30 steps to my condo, I will start being sensitive to the weight of what I buy. I'm starting out with 20 lbs. When I hit the 20-lb. mark I will stop buying. May save money, too!
4. I used a birthday coupon from a local diner to go out for breakfast. My companion spontaneously paid more than her share, so it was a very inexpensive and lovely outing.
5. I began a free trial of Apple TV so I can finally watch Ted Lasso, which I'm loving.
Are you okay @Beth W? I know the storm today hit Chicago area quite hard. We were on the edge of it so dark outside, thunder, and a some rain.
Yes, thanks for asking -- I'm fine. The storm was noisy but short-lived. I didn't lose power and it doesn't appear there was much tree damage. So often there is.
have not had take out for 4 days. no ac. no car. i made dinner last night. i wonder if there is something wrong with me. i don't recognize myself. the only rewards i use are hilton and we are going on a road trip tomorrow. yay. mystic, rhode island, boston. we rented a car. may not be posting for awhile. but we are okay.
Have fun on your trip!
thanks so much.
Question for you:
I am quickly running out of my shampoo and conditioner. I have been using one for colour treated hair, but have been going through the very painful process of a) growing my hair (I've always had short hair) and b) letting my white come in (think Bonnie Rait with the white streak, but brown hair instead of red, and curly hair instead of straight. I'm finally liking how my hair looks. I wish to transfer over to a new shampoo and conditioner, and am interested in the Maui ones that you use.
The question is thus: I would like to buy the ones that say for "curly hair or light curls". Does this actually make any difference, as IMO shampoo and conditioner just get washed off and down the drain. I think you've used the "for light curls" ones. Any thoughts please. Thank you.
I honestly am not sure whether the type of Maui Moisture makes a difference! Mainly, they're considered to be healthy for hair because they don't have sulfates (the shampoo) or silicone (the conditioner). I use whatever they happen to have in stock and I do not notice a particular difference!
Welcome to the no-dye club!
Thank you for answering my question. I can buy it on any Thursday for Seniors day at the drugmart, which is less 20% unless it goes on a better sale, but I need it very soon. And yes to no sulfates or silicone! And really enjoying the not having to dye my hair every 5 weeks! Much thanks.
I considered using my car insurance's safe driving program, but they wanted me to open the app every time I drove somewhere (Liberty Mutual). Too much of a hassle for the savings! I usually just take my credit card rewards as cash. Chase sometimes has "reimburse yourself" discounts on certain categories like pet purchases, so I'll get a little extra with that. I've moved onto the Costco card now, which has some high fuel and groceries cash back!
Oh, mine just runs in the background. I would never remember to use it otherwise!
My credit card offers cash too, but the on-sale gift cards offer more bang for the buck. Sooo, that's why I opt for them.
This is such an excellent tut on how to keep track of bonus incentive programs! I was reading a report on Starbucks that they have approx 2 billion annually in rewards programs and gift cards. Of that they use the 30% roll over that people don't claim yearly as part of their operating fund. This was report was sent to me by a friend who works in the corporate offices. My son interned there while at U of Wa.
The many hands make light work:
Have set up a schedule for animal care. I received more cow & calves as I have a 1 acre pen set up for weaning purposes.
Set up a community feeding schedule so I'm not doing it all. My caterer buddy is hired for coordinating menus & food acquisitions. Tween kiddos do the set up,clean up and manning the portable dishwashers.
Picked 2 gallons of blackberries this morning. Making pies for dinner and streusel topped muffins for the breakfast buffet.
Tomatoes are really starting to come on. Making a batch (24 quarts)of marinara today.
1. We had our oven repaired! The heat sensor went out a few weeks ago (I found out the hard way with several burned loaves of bread). The repair bill was significantly less expensive than a new oven. We also had the cooling fan replaced as it would make a knocking sound from time to time.
2. I found a bag of carrots that were starting to sprout so I shredded them and froze them for a future dish.
3. My ‘no soliciting’ sign could no longer be placed on our front windows because of the tinted film we had installed. I taped the sign to an extra bamboo stake and placed the sign in a potted plant by the front door.
4. I repotted some plants that needed larger pots in pots that I have stashed in the garage.
5. My basil flowered while I was out of town so I snipped off all the flowers and put them in a jar with kosher salt. I’m looking forward to basil flavored salt in my future!
-We were out of town for our annual beach weekend. I suppose it's frugal that we like to go only for one weekend to the beach instead of a whole week 🙂
-Sliced and froze a brownish banana before going out of town for the weekend. I will use it for smoothies later on (thanks Kristen for the idea!) Also doing the same thing with a plum that I sliced up that was way too unripe, hopefully it will work better in a smoothie.
-Picked up free houseplants from a friend who is moving away.
-Mended a pair of jeans for my son.
-Helped fix up another pair of jeans which he sold on Deepop, using recycled materials from home to ship it.
1. Two outdoor lights had burned out so I (actually the handyman; he can climb ladders and I don't do that anymore) replaced them with LED flood lights I bought at Ollie's Outlet really cheap. Not only did the lights cost less but they are low wattage and won't burn much electricity. But they sure are bright! Package says they are good for 10 years.
2. That purchase from Ollie's was quite a while back. But I also shopped there yesterday. Best purchase was a big box containing 7 pounds of dog biscuits -- more than 250 "cookies" -- for Snugs. He turned up his nose at them at first.... but when he didn't get fed any other treats, he finally decided he'll eat them after all.
3. Vacuum cleaned the grills on the electric box fans. They'd gotten really dusty.
4. Took advantage of a free carwash coupon.
5. Got some tape that is supposed to seal leaks on old water hoses. I have several that are cracked, so we'll see if they can be repaired. Also am trying to repair some old Sunbeam sprinklers that are probably older than me! (Best lawn sprinklers ever made....)
I just went through my apps this weekend as well and cashed out anything I was able. Swagbucks, Ibotta, and Kroger Cash Back were all eligible. Fetch and Upside aren't there yet but getting close. Also checked on my Marketplace and eBay listings and lowered a few prices hoping to get this stuff gone.
We are remodeling our bathroom and I had to unload all the cabinets before removing them, and the amount of toiletries hoarded in there was a little frightening. I am a longtime coupon queen and love stacking a sale, discount, and rebate to get things for rock bottom prices, but I think I'll take a little pause until we work our way through at lease half the bodywash, soap and shampoo that was in there.
We're a family of 5 and I also supply my mom and my best friend with toiletries (along with the food pantry), but this was still too much.
1) Cashed out Hyatt points (earned from my credit card, so related to your reward programs, Kristen!) & suite upgrade awards to book two rooms for three nights in Palm Springs with my parents & sister in October.
2) Similarly, helped my parents offset the cost of their flights by booking free (with miles) one way flights on their various accounts. They just have to pay for the return flights, and my sister & I chipped in on those as birthday gifts to offset the cost even further.
3) Very inspired by you, I made egg bites using a bunch of stuff we had on hand + spinach I purchased. Everyone loved them, so that's an easy winner.
4) Got a $2k match in both kids 529s from my employer! I was supposed to qualify last year, but there was a bunch of hoop jumping & unclear documentation, and the reminder went to my spam. I was super bummed, so made sure I was ready for this year, only to give notice & I wouldn't be eligible when they did the end of year payout. Turns out they do a true up mid-year, and if you've already put in $1k per kid, they match it. It's taxable money, but it's still a very meaningful chunk, and DS19 heads back to college on Friday, so I'm thrilled.
5) Shuffled some funds to increase the amount on a CD to the next tier of rates, which means I'll earn an extra $400 over the next four months. I'm very pleased by this, as we don't have the money with our investments, as it's ear marked for college & we need it reasonably soon. I did have to go the bank, but this was otherwise a very easy $400.
We discovered mold in the drywall behind our bathroom, and a plumber is coming today (we think the shower is leaking into the wall), so I'm guessing this will negate all of the above & much more.
I need to try adding some veggies to my egg bites! I was thinking diced, sauteed red peppers might be good.
BOOOO to the mold, but I'm so glad you are getting it taken care of.
This week I . . .
-Used Office Depot rewards that I received for recycling toner cartridges. I let them pile up in our home office and church office (I am the unofficial church administrator, so everyone is happy for me to just dispose of the cartridges) and then I take 10 (the max amount at one time) to Office Depot. I had $10 in rewards from our last drop off, and I used them to purchase a birthday gift bag and fill it with candy and colorful pencils for our daughter to take to a friend's birthday party on Friday.
-Did a visible mend on a shirt that had a hole. The fabric is a linen-like black cotton with black embroidered embellishments, so I cut a small piece of black ribbon that I pinned to the back of the hole. Then I added my own black embroidery to hold the ribbon. If you look closely you can see the difference, but if you weren't looking, you wouldn't notice.
-Signed two of our kids (the two that qualified) up for a YMCA program. The Y got a grant to do a back to school event that gives each participant not only free school supplies, but free tennis shoes and a winter coat! I will never turn down free shoes and coats.
-Purchased the textbook for my class used on Amazon. Sometimes professors can get a "desk" copy of a textbook for free, but they really want you to select it for your class. I am having my students use a free online textbook--I'm just purchasing this textbook to structure my lectures. A used book at a fraction of the cost of the new textbook works for my purposes exactly.
-Sweated through another day where the electrical company automatically turned down our AC. I'm allowing them to do so not only because they pay me in bill credit (I suspect they will eventually just require you to do this program) but because we really are all using a lot of energy to combat the effects of climate change. It's not the end of the world to feel a little hotter for a few hours.
I took lunch to work; our cafe is being renovated, normally I buy lunch because I can get an entree and 2-3 sides and free iced tea for 3-4 dollars. I take most other home and my hubby and I eat/share the rest for dinner. There has been a food truck every day, the cheapest option yesterday was a baked potato with butter and sour cream for $10. It was a BBQ food truck. Prices were as high as $22! Without a drink! I've been bringing a frozen meal and grabbing a soda from the pantry (I work at a hospital.)
Had an appt at 11:30 today. I was going to run errands after, so I packed a sandwich and a starbucks canned coffee (bought in a 4 pack at the grocery store- another frugal thing, much cheaper not to buy a single at a convenience store)! but the office where my appointment was had coffee (keurig) in the lobby, so I made a cup and brought the starbucks home!! Double win!
Eating all the leftovers. Packing my husband's lunch. Not buying what isn't necessary.....
I like Fetch wayyyy better than Ibotta. With Fetch, you just take a photo of the receipt. I also use Ibotta if I am in the mood, as the payouts can be higher, but it is more work. 🙂
does anyone know a dog sitter in southington ct? we need someone to watch buddy while we go to a water park there.
I am changing my phone plan from a Verizon My Plan to one of the Ultimate plans as a $10/line promo ended and the bill went up by another $30. This will save us a little each month, but more importantly, save us at least $200 in September when we head to Europe. I typically end up paying $100/ line for the international plan for the month. It’ll be $10 instead. This change will eliminate Disney/ Hulu which I got for free, but my daughter will pay me the $120/ year it costs to add it since it’s my out of state grands that watch it.
My sister and I will use a companion fare to buy tickets to Boston in October for our nephew’s wedding. We did this for our trip in July to visit our parents, splitting the total cost.
We will use a BJ,s gift card Thursday night when we go to dinner with friends that was free through Fetch. It’s one that runs a little discounted so that’s a bonus.
BJ’s has Mon-Thurs dinner specials that include the mini pizza we like, salad and their famous dessert pizookie (a fresh baked cookie with ice cream) for $13. So basically a free dinner just for scanning coupons! Plus, I get reward points, so soon, another discount.
Rolled a bunch of coins which my guy took to the bank for me which ended up being $76.
Smashed up the raspberries I bought Sunday which were already getting mushy by Monday (very disappointing, but not worth a trip back to the store). I’ll add them to drinks or ice cream so they aren’t wasted.
Took a container of leftover ziti from the freezer for my work dinner last night (even though technically I ate it at 0130 this morning lol).
Not so frugal…took a standby for work tonight and didn’t use vacation hours to cover it, so I’ll earn a whopping $40 (and losing a LOT more), but I remind myself that I had only planned to be working 2 shifts per week at this stage of my life and was forced back to 3 when my unit closed last year. Since I’m going on a bucket list hike with my sister tomorrow near Mt. Rainier, I’ll enjoy it a lot more rested, than with a 2 hr nap after working all night. Fingers crossed I get to stay home tonight! Another not so frugal…couldn’t find the hiking poles I KNOW I bought at Costco a few years ago, so I quickly ordered some from Amazon last week.
5 Frugal things this week
1) I turned a very nearly overripe watermelon into sorbet and threw it in the freezer.
2) I found stew meat on sale at the grocery store for 50% off, so I bought 2 lbs and froze it for chili or stew when it isn't so hot.
3) l waited until my tank was nearly empty before filling it, so the Kroger fuel points apply to more gallons of gas. This time I saved 70 cents a gallon.
4) I planned specifically to use things out of the freezers for meals, cutting my grocery bill in half.
5) A colleague gave me extra paneer curry she made, and I've used that for lunches for 3 days this week! She's a lovely woman who spoils me so.
Let's see if I can name five.
1. Taking advantage of free on-line professional development in several subject areas before I head back to work in 2 weeks.
2. Enjoyed a crafty afternoon with my mom. It was frugal because I was using supplies I already had on hand.
3. Made a card to go with the gift I brought to a baby shower tonight. Definitely cheaper than a bought card and I could customize it.
4. Went to yard sales over the weekend. I scored a 3-drawer organizer, a like-new Uno game, and 2 canvas painting craft sets for $9. However, the best deal was 5 small Lego sets for $3! My prizebox for my classroom economy is going to have some great prizes this year!
5. I went berrypicking and got free saskatoons for my freezer.
1. My husband bought new glasses from Zenni and went through Top Cash Back and used a credit card with a 7% rebate at Zenni, netting $20 back from his original price.
2. Bought school supplies during tax-free weekend, set aside some to donate later on in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.
3. Gave away items on Buy Nothing.
4. Used up some old stamps on something I was mailing to Canada, decreasing what I had to pay at the post office.
5. Requested a refund of our copay at the optometrist from our FSA, since my husband forgot to use our FSA card and paid out of pocket.
6. Using a combo of things from home, buying from thrift stores, coupons, discounts, Kohl's cash and gift cards to get apartment items for my son going to college. Its been a fun challenge to find what he needs and keep our costs down!