Five Frugal Things | cat cookies: crunchy again!
1. I re-crisped some cat cookies
The last of the Trader Joe's chocolate cat cookies had gotten a little soggy when we had that string of super humid weather.
Then neither Zoe nor I really wanted to eat them. So, I baked them in my toaster oven for a few minutes, let them cool, and they were marvelously crunchy again.
Which means they have now all been eaten. 🙂
2. I bought a dented container of oats
Most times, the clearance rack at Safeway is full of things that I don't use.
But this time, there was a dented canister of store-brand oatmeal. Sweet!
3. I went on a reward-redeeming spree
I don't think I'd ever cashed out my Upside cash back, so I had $180 in there. I redeemed that for an Amazon gift card, which is basically as good as cash.
(Upside gives you discounted offers on gas at select stations. I suggest using GasBuddy first to check prices in your area to compare if the Upside deals are the best or not. Click here to download the free Upside app, and use code 97N2J to get an extra $0.15 off per gallon on your first purchase.)
I also redeemed my Fetch rewards for a $50 Amazon gift card and a $50 Starbucks gift card. Points in those types of programs sometimes become less valuable over time, so it didn't make sense to keep hoarding the points like I had been for so long.
4. I moved my tax refund to my high-yield savings account
My taxes got done late this year, as I've mentioned earlier (Yes, I did file an extension, so I wasn't in trouble for the late filing. Do not worry. 😉 )
My refund had been sitting in my checking account for the last month and I realized I should pick up that money and plunk it into the high-yield savings account. Duh!
My high-yield savings account is mainly there to hold money for a future down payment on a house, so my tax refund is just going into that fund.
5. I found a Chipotle gift card!
In redeeming my Fetch rewards, I realized I had a partially used Chipotle gift card sitting in my Fetch account from a while back. Whoops.
So, Zoe and I redeemed it. 🙂
Honorable mentions: I packed my lunch and my coffee for school yesterday. And I walked to and from school.
I probably will walk again today because class starts at 8 am and that does not allow time for a regular walk/workout before school.
Wow on all the rewards for gift cards!
Frugal things---
● used $10 reward & $2 bonus on my Hallmark Christmas ornament making it $5.99
● since I turned in my Hallmark ornament wish list & picked up ornaments (twice now) I got free reusable holiday gift bag & bonus free trumpet player ornament
● used Meijer rewards to get Free Slushie since it went from 40* to 65* & I was warm & thirsty
● teen sick since Friday so No homecoming events
● teen finished college class early so no extra driving to college equals less gas
● eating at home from freezer & pantry
● since warmer during daytime, opening windows for fresh air & closing up before cool off at dark so no air conditioner or heat 🙂 for part of week
@Regina,
My high school freshman son is a trumpet player in the marching band! I'll have to look for that ornament. Thank you!
@Liz B., the one got for Free ($18 value & same free ornament last few tears) though this season they do have guitar player, saxophone player & harmonica player (all $35 each) ornaments at Hallmark stores. I learned last year that Walmart carries different Hallmark ornaments than Hallmark stores, Kohl's.
@Regina,
Guessing they want you to go to alllll the stores, and be tempted to shop. Lol.
My son also plays the drums, so last year I got him a drum ornament (not Hallmark).
*On a trip to the state next door, I bought gas for 50 cents per gallon cheaper than my hometown.
*I turned off the upright freezer in the basement and moved everything to fridge in the garage. We don't need both extra storage right now, so I'll save a little on electricity.
*son designed his Halloween costume and just required the purchase of some spray paint and a thrift store discounted shirt. We had cardboard,
markers, ans belt. He looks amazing (minecraft character) for very little $.
*the back cushion and throw pillow on the favorite comfy chair were completely flat/deformed after 20+ years of use. I bravely cut them open, removed stuffing, and washed them. I then replaced the insides with throw pillow forms (bought 4 pack on sale- used two to make it really squishy) and king -sized, extra- firm bed pillows (bought on sale at target-1 worked but 2 made it really nice) . I sewed them up by hand. This is not sonething I normally would try, given my lack of crafty skills, but it worked!
*I used the 2 other throw pillow forms to refresh 2 other nice pillows that were older than most of my kids.
@mbmom11, That's great! I recently restuffed an ancient kitchen chair with memory foam because it hurt my butt to sit on it. Although I still haven't spray painted it. Maybe I should get started in this nice weather.
@mbmom11,
"Comfy chair" always reminds me of a certain Monty Python sketch. 🙂
1. I went out to lunch with two friends yesterday (not frugal but fun) and I found neither of them knew about the toilet that basically never blocks. I highly recommend the American Standard Champion series. We've had one for almost nineteen years and it has never blocked. I made the recommendation to my friend that recently started renting their beach condo and they had to pay for both toilet unblocking and a plunger. I can't imagine the damage that would be caused by on overflowing toilet. PSA over and I have no financial interest in American Standard.
2. Our neighborhood association sponsored a dumpster day (actually morning) on Saturday. They do this once a year and our county property tax provides this service. This year they let it be known that useful items are placed outside the dumpsters for people to peruse. We walked down there and didn't see anything compelling but did find out that someone would be by to pick up scrap metal. We had some that I had been unable to get rid of using Freecycle or Buy Nothing so we drove it down to the dumpsters. It kept it out of the landfill. The collecting of scrap metal started with picking up potential tire puncturers (mostly nails and screws on the road) and morphed from there.
3. We worked in the yard getting it ready for winter. Fresh air and exercise, what more could one want n beautiful fall days.
4. I offered a couple pair of old Levi's jeans to a friend that appreciates the boot leg fit a lot more than I do. She in turn invited me to a clothing swap she is planning to attend.
5. The New Balance running shoes that I love for walking have been upgraded and I did not like the newer version. I hopped on eBay and ordered a pair of the version I love and at a greatly reduced price. It made me think of Kristen.
Oh yes, isn't that just the best way to shop on eBay? When you already know the style, size, and color you want, it's a breeze. And it's so perfect for buying something that is discontinued.
@Kristen and K.D.,
Isn't it too bad that manufacturers don't announce in advance that they are changing their products, so you can stock up on the old stuff you like?
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Normal in America is to keeping "improving" things so you need the latest and greatest.
Recrisping your cookies gave me the idea to try recrisping some cheez-its that got soft in the humidity recently. I'm going to try that.
Frugal things,
-packed snacks so I didn't have to eat at the hospital cafeteria as often while my son was in the PICU. That said, I still grabbed two meals over the course of two days because I'm single parenting, and didn't want to leave my kid to go home for real food.
-cleaned up my house a bit and found supplies that I wanted, meaning I didn't go out to buy them
-used a giftcard to buy a sweater that adds some life into my wardrobe. I got this giftcard in August and used some of it to buy things for the beginning of the year, saving about half of the card for winter clothing because winter here is long. And sure enough, I found a sweater I love.
-reading books off my shelf at home so I can give away the ones I don't absolutely adore. Books bring me happiness, but so does a home with as few extra things as possible.
-This one is sort of silly, but sort of not: My friend insisted I need an "I'm Sorry" jar instead of a swear jar because I apologize for things that are absolutely ridiculous (the effects of some really bad history showing up, I guess), and I held my tongue yesterday when I wanted to apologize for a bunch of things that were ridiculous. Interestingly, in keeping the thoughts in my head, I became more aware of how apologizing for things that don't need it is a way of life for me. Awareness of the problem is the first step in change, yes?
Oooh, I like your last one!
When I am aware enough, I try to say, "thank you" instead of, "I'm sorry."
Like...."Thank you for your patience!" instead of, "Sorry for the delay."
I understand the struggle, and I bet we have some shared reasons for our over-apologizing. <3
@kaitlin, thinking of you and your son as I send thoughts of healing your way.
@Kristen, "Thanks for your understanding" has been magic for me.
@kaitlin, I hope that your son is doing better. Being a single mom & when your kid is sick or struggling is the hardest. I am with Kristen & understanding the struggles (& possibly shared reasons why) & know that it will get better in time. Just know that you are doing your best & doing great! <3
@kaitlin, I have a lioness necklace because they are my spirit animals. They care for their cubs and get what needs to be done done without help from the lions. So do you--fellow lioness. Kudos.
@Rose, we both know all too many lions aren't/won't be there when the going gets tough. My lion is and I'm thankful. But in the grand scheme of any species, lionesses are the rocks.
@Selena and Rose,
I love your analogy about the lionesses! I'm going to share that with my friends who are single moms -- and boy, are they lionesses!
am tryi8ng to make nice dinners for the family. so far it has been four days. yay.
1. I made our meals at home and used up foods that needed to be eaten. We brewed coffee at home.
2. My youngest and I used craft materials we had to make 2 little ghosts and a fox decoration.
3. We are preparing for a trunk or treat event and using materials we have to make decorations. It will be an indoor event.
4. My young violinist needed a tuner. I couldn't find one at a good price in town, but a highly rated one was half off on Amazon. I ordered that with a few items that I had been waiting for so I wouldn't pay shipping.
5. I didn't buy any new Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations or clothes.
Imma piggyback off yours today, because I kept nodding at them . . .
1) I re-crisped some stale store-brand Fritos for a Frito pie (technically a Crunchy Corn Chip pie, but it lacks name recognition)
2) I bought a couple of boxes of spaghetti from the Walmart clearance shelf that had damaged boxes
3) I don't do this, so I don't have an equivalent. I did make soup with some of the chicken stock made from various leftover chicken bones, garden vegetables, and leftover sausage.
4) I opened one of these CIT Bank high-yield savings account after seeing you recommend it. I used to have a high-yield checking account, but that required a certain number of transactions a month to get the higher percentage yield, and it just got too hard to do that. I don't need that money right at hand, so a savings account is fine. So thanks for that!
5) I don't have any gift cards hanging around, so related to my own number 4 . . . I used some of my kids' savings accounts to buy 1-year CDs for them. They don't even know they have that money, so it might as well make some more money for them until they need it. 🙂
I am glad the cookies turned out ok. I occasionally recrisp homemade granola but only if there are no fruits/raisins in them.
Last week we had a short break and did not mind expenses a lot. But our habits are such that we do not break the bank anyway.
-On arrival we bought groceries at Aldi and did not buy more food than we would/could eat;
- We adopted the "one in one out" strategy for dinners, meaning in four days we ate out twice and ate an easy sandwich/fruit/salad dinner at the cottage on the other days;
- We visited two museums at reduced rate and bought nothing in the museum store (I did note down some ideas for December though);
-Drank our coffees in cafe's here and there, but did not buy any cakes to go with them;
-We kept our eyes open on the cost of gas and refilled at the cheapest place, on our return.
The sunny autumn weather was priceless and just what we needed!
Frugal Fail: The green tomatoes I picked before our first freeze got moldy in record time. At least I have a compost bin to add them to now vs. the garbage!
Frugal food:
--I've been using up odds and ends in the fridge. Since my moldy green tomatoes meant I couldn't make green tomato salsa as planned, I had a languishing bunch of cilantro. BudgetBytes to the rescue! I made the cilantro lime rice for the first time last night; it was so tasty that I'll be using the remaining cilantro to make another batch today. https://www.budgetbytes.com/cilantro-lime-rice/
--Along the same lines, I made BudgetBytes' black bean soup in the crockpot.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-soup/
This soup is affectionately known as "Garbage Pail Soup" in our house because the recipe is VERY forgiving--just about any randomness can be added so long as the beans, tomatoes, and spices remain the same. This batch included onion, the last garden bell pepper from a friend, the last garden beefsteak tomato from a neighbor, green onions from our garden, and part of a store bought cabbage. Toppings included the last of the sour cream, more cilantro, and random cheddar cheese.
--Tonight's dinner will be pepperoni and pickle pizza from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Cookbook. (This pizza is more delicious than it has any right to be.) I've a ball of mozzarella that needs used, as well as an open pack of pepperoni.
--In non-food, I called our credit card company to have interest fees removed. Owing to an expensive year and a late paycheck, we missed having our bill paid in full for the first time in the decade that we've had our one and only card--as in we missed the deadline by a day! The customer service rep had it fixed immediately, and we should see the difference in 1-2 business days.
@N, I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!! I didn’t realized they had a cookbook. In 1991, my son and his best friend dressed as Leonardo and Donatello for Halloween. Such fun memories!
@Bee,
My son dressed as Raphael when he was a wee one! He kept the costume for play dress up, and wore the shell and a TMNT mask to our local children's museum once. It was in the spring time, not around Halloween. We got lots of indulgent smiles from other parents. 🙂
@N, I've had something similar to your Garbage Pail Soup, only we called it Refrigerator Soup; anything that wasn't greenish or furry went in.
@Bee, Not only do they have a cookbook, it's on sale for $13! https://www.amazon.com/Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Cookbook/dp/1608878317/ I paid full price when I bought our copy a few years ago, and it's worth every cent. We're kid-free by choice, but there are tons of kid friendly recipes in the back for kitchen helpers, and the pizzas themselves range from the classics (pepperoni, carmelized onion, etc.) to the weird/weirdly good (one has parsnips!). I actually learned about the book on a now defunct cooking blog where the commenters were raving about it!
@Liz B., I was Donatello for first grade Halloween. Dad carved my shell out of styrofoam, and Mom died a set of sweats green in the washer.
@N,
Your parents ROCKED. I was too sleep deprived to even consider a homemade costume. (Our son was a terrible sleeper until he was about 7.)
@Bee, I believe I still have my kiddo's t-shirt from the late 80s. Along with some Alf slippers lol.
I didn't look closely enough at the label on the cat cookies container and at first I thought they were cookies for your cat to eat. Then I wondered why you and Zoe would eat them at all! Ha! It's good to slow down and look at things thoroughly...
@Ruth T, Back when I had more free time, I would sometimes bake biscuits for my dogs with garlic and cheese. Now and then I would sneak one myself--they weren't bad!
@Rose, Ha! I visited an older friend once and her husband told me he'd just made pumpkin dog cookies (for their dog). He offered me one. So I took it to be polite. It tasted like pumpkin and was pretty bland. I thought it was funny that he offered me one (and maybe even funnier that I took it).
@Ruth T, glad I wasn't the only one who wondered about that. 🙂
I admire how you always fit in a bit of exercise each and everyday.
1. My son was married two years ago today. Complying with tradition, we had a rehearsal dinner/welcome party the night before. I decorated the venue with a fall theme doing most of the decorating myself. Over the last two years, I’ve given many of the things I used to others. When cleaning the garage, I found a few remaining items which I remade into a fall wreath for my door and a centerpiece for my table. Both are festive and cost nothing. They were right on budget!!!
2. I went to a free workshop on plant propagation at the garden club. I always learn a little something at these events. One of the attendees gave me a cutting from a Confederate Rose which I am attempting to propagate using technique I’ve never used before. Fingers crossed.
3. I bought a set of 4 antique dining chairs at a garage sale for $15. They are a project! I have been working on their restoration which is a little tricky. I needed to re-web the seats, and I was able to borrow the webbing tool from a friend. This saved me from having to buy a tool which I may never use again.
4. I checked out a book from the library. I requested my book club’s selection this month. I passed on my club’s selection from last month — which I purchase used — to my cousin.
5. I am doing all the usually things drinking primarily water, brewing my own coffee, and eating simple meals at home. I am also continuing my projects - cleaning and organizing the garage as well as my “question everything” quest to reduce regular expenditures.
Wishing all peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee,
Learning new things, or things anew, gives such a lot of pleasure. Good luck on the Confederate Rose!
(I am tunisian crochet-ing a scarf, with the help of youtube and far gone memories from when I first learned that technique, when I was still in primary school. My mother rather encouraged crafts!)
@JNL, creativity and learning are good for the soul. Your mom was a wise woman to encourage crafting.
@Bee,
I just looked up Confederate Rose.....what beautiful flowers! I really hope you can propagate it, and plant it somewhere such that you see it daily every time it blooms.
I was away last week so this is my frugal fortnight:
1. Although we ate dinner out, my mother and I brought food for breakfast and lunch.
2. Similarly, I have two coffee flasks which I brought for us rather than getting coffee out.
3. I found a set of tupperware-style containers which have already come in very handy for packing and storing food.
4. I booked train tickets ahead of time and found good deals.
5. I remembered to pack a lunch today.
I also did all the usual things like using the library, cooking dinner since getting back and getting money back on recycling.
@Sophie in Denmark,
On the first day of my week off, I went to the library and took home six books (some on crafts, some fiction). Such a joy to have a bag full of books.
@JNL, yes! I remember being so happy as a kid carrying home a big bag of library books (mostly the Babysitters Club lol), and I still love it now!
@Sophie in Denmark, you have totally rejoined the crew on the Frugal Bus! Impressive.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thanks!
1) Got my free birthday gift from Ulta when I picked up shampoo.
2) Purchased peanut butter at BJs. DH eats a lot of peanut butter, and their price is much better than our grocery store. I picked up the order curbside so I wasn't tempted to purchase anything else.
3) Purchased gas at BJs while I was there. Their gas is the cheapest near me.
4) Had a bad leak in the irrigation system repaired and shut down the system for the winter. Our water is pretty expensive so we should recoup the cost of the repair fairly quickly.
5) Made soup using items from pantry and freezer.
@Beverly, speaking of peanut butter - I saw a post which I have not vetted re: some brand(s) of peanut butter using Xylitol as a sweetener which is *not* good for dogs.
1. I re-crisped some corn flakes. I would have forgotten about that!
2. I reused packaging for an eBay sale.
3. Another sale I made (not on eBay) sent via UPS was late. Since the shipping cost an unconscionable amount, I called UPS and demanded a refund. In this case being a day late is a big deal since the antiques dealer I sold the item to won't be able to sell it at the swanky antiques fair in London this week.
4. I found an old Kindle for my daughter to use.
5. It's been record warmth here, so I took advantage of being a freelancer and spent yesterday afternoon reading on the beach. Today looks like the same! Protecting my mental health results in more frugality.
@Rose,
I so envy you being able to just step out to the beach.
Also, did UPS refund your money? Enquiring minds want to know.
@Liz B., Not yet! But they will, don't you worry.
And yes, I'm very lucky.
@Rose,
I am waiting to see how you do get that money back. I recently sold an item on eBay and I shipped it via USPS 15 days ago. It has not yet been delivered. It has been in Oklahoma City where the recipient lives for 10 days. It has been scanned in by the post office 29 times as it bounces among the various distribution centers. I put in a service request. The package was found, but not delivered. Today I put in yet another service request. I have refunded the buyer his money. He has been very kind, but I’m not sure it will ever be received. This kind of thing drives me nuts!
@Bee, Oh that is completely annoying. In my case, UPS guaranteed the item would be in London on Friday. As of today, it's still sitting in some warehouse. Fortunately, I've been buying and selling from this dealer for more than 25 years and he doesn't blame me. He has a beautiful stand at LAPADA without my item. The fair is in Berkeley Square which is making me hum "A Nightingale Sang at Berkeley Square" because I'm crazy.
@Bee,
Ugh, how frustrating! That would drive me bananas. How hard is it to get it from the first distribution center to the delivery address? (Clearly, I have zero knowledge or understanding of how these things work. But....scanned 29 times???). :-0
@Rose, And now I'm reliving my college women's choir days! I haven't thought of that song in years. Thanks for the memories!
@Bee and Rose,
Some years ago, a UPS delivery person left a package on my back porch, where it was ruined in the rain. My front porch was a covered porch and had he done what he was supposed to do -- leave it on the front porch-- it would have been fine. Even worse, he let my sweet precious dog out, resulting in the dog getting killed. I contacted UPS about the whole thing and they were horrible. Of course, there is no way in the world that anything can make up for me losing my beloved pet. I hate UPS and will never, ever use UPS again.
Well, in frugal fails, we bought a huge bottle of laundry detergent and then left it in the shopping cart. Argh!
On the frugal side:
1. Not planning a winter trip. The last two years, we bought plane tickets around this time to go visit family in California in December. This year, we aren't, and it's easier both financially and logistically.
2. I worked out for free, using our building's pool one day and some workout videos another day (Fitness Blender is my go-to.)
3. I saw a lot of friends last week. One fancy dinner (costly,) one fast-food lunch (less costly) and one grab-takeout-coffee-then-come-to-my-apartment (even less costly.)
4. Picked up more extra shifts to fund the downpayment savings (FHSA for my fellow Canadians.)
5. The usual: cooking at home except for the exceptions above, using public transit, frugal hobby-ing, etc.
@Meira@meirathebear, I definitely relate to your frugal fail! I hate it when I do stuff like that!
@Meira@meirathebear, I've had luck going back to the store and admitting my goof.
@WilliamB, Our weekly shopping is a little convoluted; we visit my parents in a nearby city once a week and do our shopping there, so it wasn't possible to go back once we noticed. But when we have things not work out with goods from our local, more expensive store, you can bet I get my refund!
@Meira@meirathebear, it may be worth it to have your parent(s) go back to the store to ask, as someone may have handed it in as "found in a cart outside."
Of course, a phone call will also work, if that's possible!
Let's see......
I shopped a wonderful sale at Kroger where they had chicken - split chicken breasts, drumsticks and thighs for $0.99/lb. I stocked my freezer for less than $50! I also purchased pasta, condensed soup, buy one get one pork tenderloins, frozen waffles (cause easy breakfast for kiddo), and chocolate chips. I was super happy with my total this day as I saved more than I spent and I love when that happens whilst purchasing items I know will be used throughout the months ahead.
Again I shopped sales for my son's clothing needs - boy that kid grows like a weed! and Mama has shrunk quite a lot. I found a new thrift store and picked up several items for myself new with tags on them. I also found some long sleeve shirts for church for my son at a local consignment shop. I waited for the Old Navy 50% off sale - which is still running now - and bought him hoodies, jeans, sweats, beanies, long sleeve shirts to layer with, pants. Again I saved more than I spent.
We are having lovely fall weather and I have not run my HVAC in the last couple of weeks.
My son turns 9 years old today. I am making his birthday dinner with family at home tonight instead of going out. He wanted to take some friends bowling but when I looked into it I found 2 hrs of bowling labeled as a party was $400+!! I bought two Groupons for $74 which gives un bowling for 10 with shoe rental. We will bring a birthday cake and buy pizza and soda there. Total out of pocket will be less than half of their party cost.
I used fuel points to save on gas which got me a tankful for $2.00/gallon. How lovely to fill up my car for $40 instead of $65.
Happy Tuesday!
@Angie, Happy birthday to your son!
(You might call the bowling alley and make sure you can bring in outside food).
@Angie, Groupon for the win!
Kroger was on multiple lists of food recalls including chicken & waffles. Maybe check it out.
FFT, I'm Back from the JASNA AGM Edition:
I returned yesterday from the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cleveland, thoroughly refreshed and very happy. I expect I'll be posting more than one FFT about this, but here's the first set:
(1) In an incredibly generous act, the JASNA friend with whom my JASNA Panera friend and I carpooled from their Central NY city to Cleveland refused any payment from either of us for the road trip expenses. We protested, but she said, "I'd have rented the car and made the trip even if it was by myself, and I appreciated your company. Just make a donation to JASNA or another JA-related organization." I certainly will. And you may be sure that this will turn up in this week's Thankful Thursday.
(2) I was glad that JASNA BFF (my hotel roommate) and I brought in as much of our own food as we could carry, since the options in the hotel were of course overpriced, and reasonably priced options outside the hotel were few and far between. At these events, BFF and I want to save as much money as possible for books, not food!
(3) The one big dinner that JASNA BFF and I had with friends outside the hotel was not cheap. But it was excellent (we always let one of these friends, who is well traveled and knows her food, pick the restaurant), and it yielded enough leftovers for two more meals.
(4) My costume for both the fashion show run by JASNA Panera (one of whose passionate avocations is Regency-era fashion) on Friday night, and the banquet on Saturday night, was the servant's costume I put together back in 2016 (the last time I attended an AGM) for about $30: an ankle-length brown Flax brand linen dress with an Empire waist that I found at a consignment shop, and a white apron I found on Amazon. I borrowed a cap and fichu from JASNA Panera. (I should clarify that I was not actually one of the fashion show's models; my role was to stand at the foot of the rather steep steps off the stage in case any of the models, especially the older ones, missed a step or tripped. Fortunately, none of them did.)
(5) On my solo return trip from my friends' city to my own, I gassed up at the cheapest Thruway service area between there and here (gas is actually cheaper there than in my city), and I stopped off at Price Chopper on the way home for necessary groceries (consulting this week's flyer for the loss leaders on my way into the store).
I should also mention that during the social hour before the banquet began, I had a delightful and completely unexpected encounter with another member of the FG Commentariat, named Laurel. (Laurel, do you post here under your name, or do you use another handle? In either case, I hope to hear more about your AGM experiences!)
And for those of you who were requesting photos earlier, there will be a couple, which I will send to Kristen (in the hope that she can add them to a later comment of mine) as soon as JASNA BFF emails them to me: one of me in costume, and one with (who else?) Mr. Darcy!
Oh yes, I would be delighted to share. 🙂
@A. Marie, I'd want to wear a wet muslin gown in a fashion show. I don't care if it's a myth!
@A. Marie, Welcome Back! Happy to hear you had a great time, but the real question I need answered is: did you cross paths with any of the Rock & Roll HOF inductees? When I realized you were there at the same time, I was picturing you and your JASNA pals rocking out! 🙂
@Bobi, I did not, but some of my JASNA pals did report encounters: one with one of the last (if not the last) surviving members of Kool and the Gang, and one with Cher. And the hotel elevators were full of roadies, security guards, etc. Some of those security guards were so big that only two or three of them could fit into an elevator at one time!
Also, four attendees from my JASNA region dressed up as inductees and did such a great job of it that they were asked to lead the promenade from our banquet to our ball. If I can obtain photos of them (and their permission to use them), I'll send these along as well.
@A. Marie,
Happy to hear that you are "thoroughly refreshed and very happy".
Regarding period empire dress - I am always so surprised that the costume does not keep the neck and chest warm in winter. You need more than a fichu in a draughty house with only open fireplaces, surely? In the serialized novels you see the heroines walking briskly through the countryside with open coats over their dresses and think: small wonder people died of chest colds. But I am prepared to be better informed by someone who has worn period dress - please share your experience! (Plus share your picture with Mr. Darcy!)
@A. Marie, ahh this filled my cup to hear your trip was a success!
@A. Marie, thank you for sharing the fun, but please tell us what books you bought with all the money you saved.
@A. Marie, WELCOME BACK!
@A. Marie, can't wait to see the photos. thank you so much for sharing them soon.
@A. Marie, i went to college when cher was married to greg allman and she was often spotted at piggly wiggly grocery in Macon, Ga. she also came to conde nast when i worked there but i never saw her.
@Anita Isaac, A good friend of mine is Gregg Allman's daughter. He left a lot of kids via groupies. (I make her sing "Whipping Post" every time I see her.)
@A. Marie, Can't wait to see the pics! It is always great when a planned trip turns out to be as good as you anticipated.
@A. Marie,
Pictures, yes, please!
@A. Marie, Joining the general hue and cry for pictures—and more stories, please!
@Rose,
Lol! "Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyinnnn".......great song. I'm sure your friend takes it all in stride.:-)
That was such a weird phase when Cher and Greg were married. Their duet album makes lots of "worst of" lists.
@A. Marie,
May I join in by saying a hearty Huzzah to your return! I love Cleveland. How fun that some JASNA folks dressed up as RRHoF inductees!
I don't generally reply but I always read them.
1. I walked to all my errands, post office, hardware store, pharmacy, grocery and library.
2. I have an electric car which I really like. Drove it to pick up a storm door. No gas. No oil change. No emissions test. No 25k mile check up.
3.Cut up patterned shirts to make future gift wrapping.
4. Cleaned my house did my own yard work including trimming trees.
5. Lost my phone for a day and realized how often I turn to it. Will be putting in place some habits to reduce that time and maybe get more of #4 done!
@Big City Ann,
I so need to follow your example re: #5. My #4 needs a whole lot more attention.
Kristen, I hope your future house is the non-split level of your dreams!
I've not felt particularly frugal the past week. We had several restaurant meals (celebrating selling our house, treating friends for helping us move, and one date night just because) and I both went to urgent care and had to miss teaching a yoga class because I pulled my back :/
1. I kept cranking away at the surveys the university offered, until I accrued another $20 in Amazon giftcards!
2. I used $4.99 of the giftcards to get a discounted Kindle Unlimited subscription for two months. I think the breadth of their collection has improved a bit, I'm excited to read an Ann Patchett novel on there.
3. Really dragging this one out, but I just remembered to cancel the subscription in advance (most places let you do that!) so I won't be charged the full price in December. I still get full access in the meantime.
4. I brought Dutch Apple cheesecake to supper club this month. Frankensteined two recipes together.
5. This is small, but purposefully portioned every restaurant meal in half so I'd have leftovers for one full additional meal! I feel like restaurant meals are smaller now, or maybe I just eat more...
@Midwest Andrea, I agree that many restaurant meals have gotten smaller on portion size when prices increased. Even the deal prices have gone up recently.
YAY for points programs!
1- I wanted to buy an e-book as I cannot find the title in large print (the library's copies are in very small print) but while I like reading e-books, I don't like not being able to sell them afterward. A grocery chain had a promo on Kobo gift cards where you'd get a $5 grocery store GC with every $25 Kobo GC. That'll make my e-book a little more affordable.
2 - I continue to sell a few things online that I'm not finding room for in my new home. Every little bit of cash I make from selling the items helps as there are a few things that I need to buy to replace some of the items I'm selling (smaller or different style versions or alternatives).
3 - My consignment shop pile continues to grow and hopefully most of it will be accepted and will sell.
4 - I needed something to store my (far too many) cardigans and sweaters in and had ordered a $230 4-drawer storage unit that would fit inside my closet but then while in Walmart looking for something else entirely, I saw a 3-drawer unit that would perform the same function - though is definitely not as aesthetically pleasing - on clearance for $19. I bought it, brought it home, and assembled it. It will fit the bill and save me $210. I'm going back today to buy a second one.
5 -Used my student university email address to buy a Costco membership with a promo code and received a $130 voucher toward a $250 online purchase. Great timing as my expensive laserjet printer is dying after fewer than 5 years and I needed a new printer. The cost to repair the laserjet was fairly high and I'd have had to lug it into a repair centre and it weighs a tonne. Not ideal to not have it repaired. If a repair tech could have come out to fix it, I may have gone that route. I've gone with a Canon model similar to the one Kristen had recommended.
@Tammy, re: your number 1: does your library have Libby? Or maybe Hoopla? A lot of libraries have access to ebooks these days, although you can only borrow them for so long. I usually buy my ebooks bc I like to reread most of them.
@Tina in NJ,
Hi! Thanks for your reply and suggestion. We do have both but only the audio book is available.
Whoo, that $180 from Upside is nice! Proof that small frugal efforts do add up.
My frugal five are of the "keep on keeping on" variety: Used some sale ground meats and homemade chicken stock to cook kibble topper for my dogs, saving about $10 over the cost of canned food. Had an order ready to go on eBay and the seller refused to combine shipping costs, so I removed it all from the cart. Not about to pay $13 to ship two cotton shirts from just two states away! Stopped by the big Goodwill after a medical appointment and bought two very similar items for a total of $12. That Goodwill gets hit hard by pickers, so many times I leave empty handed, but this was nice.
Cooked a lot, as in every bite we ate all week. Hung a lot of laundry to dry on the porch. Used paints, stains and brushes from my stash of supplies to finish the final details on our new sun room.
Okay, I also thought they were cookies for the cats at first, and I thought, "Huh, I've never seen cookies for cats before." I get it, now.
1. I needed a new palm sander. I used the last of my Lowe's store credit plus a Capital One Shopping gift card to get a Bosch palm sander for free. This sander works so much better than the old one did.
2. The nights have cooled off enough that I've used the oven some in the evenings. Even so, I put three things in at once when I used it this weekend.
3. I mixed up another batch of safflower seed, a dash of vegetable oil and plenty of HOT pepper from the Little India grocery store. It's reduced the squirrel predation in the tray-style bird feeder.
4. I bought a Christmas gift for my son-in-law when American Giant had a sale. Thanks to Kristen for telling us about AG.
5. Every time the battery goes out in my wristwatch, it's been difficult to get the back off and it's hard to find the right battery. It costs - or did, it may be more, now - about $10 to get a store to do removal and replacement (I've caved and had this done before). I finally wised up and looked online and there were the batteries (duh). I got this battery for $2.25, and with patience and some effort, I can do the replacement myself. I use an old eyeglasses screwdriver to pry the back off. DH gave me this wristwatch years ago, and actually picked it out himself, instead of his usual thing of telling one of the kids his gift idea for me then have her go pick it out, so it's special.
@JD, on your #5, it is so sweet that DH chose the watch for you. I have had to toss a watch because no matter what, the back WOULD NOT come off. It seems to be a random problem with the Timex watch that I like. Other customers have commented/warned about it, but I went ahead and bought another.
1. Good choice, if not exactly frugal: I started the new stove buying process yesterday. It's a good choice because I'm upgrading to induction from (semi-broken) gas, which costs less in fuel, is probably safer for me, and for tax purposes counts as an investment into the house (for when I sell it). It's not exactly frugal because regular electric or another gas stove would have been less (although without future tax benefits), and I could have limped on forever by turning on and off the gas feed instead of replacing it. I also chose not to wait another 2-3 months for a lower price. I did negotiate for free install and removal of old stove.
2. Didn't pay for upgraded coach seat on my flight, got it anyway by being nice to the staff.
3. Signed up for an American Airlines credit card since I expect to be flying AA a lot more in the future. I waited a bit to get a really good deal - 60k miles - and already calculated that the benefits outweigh the annual fee.
4. Returned just-bought mushrooms to the store because they were slimy.
5. Teaching my niece, who just moved to my town, how to cook. Not only is it a good time with her, and she wants to learn, and will help her be wise with her money, it's cheaper than eating out.
@WilliamB, Will be interested to hear how you like induction if you have opinions somewhere down the line...
@Suz, Not William, but I'd urge anyone buying a new range to get induction. It is fantastic--much better than gas.
@WilliamB, I also am very interested in your feelings about an induction stove.
@Rose, In what ways is it better than a gas stove.
@ErikaJS, For me, it's the highs and lows. You can boil water super fast and you can simmer at a super low temp. In fact, at Thanksgiving 2022, BFF opened a can of black eyed peas and stuck the can on a small burner on simmer. It just....simmered. (She had some recipe for black eyed peas and spinach and I hate black eyed peas but it was delicious. Annoyed I didn't write it down.)
I looked into converting my beloved 1959 gas range into induction, and it's possible, but also probably a gigantic pain and expensive, which is how I generally do things, but I am so tired, so I tucked it away in my brain for the future.
Cleaning the stove is another reason to get induction!
One thing about induction cook tops: they hum if you turn on two burners on the same side. You get used to it, but it does sound a bit strange.
Some electric stoves have air blowing out the front when the burners are on, which I find very annoying. Induction all the way! Energy efficient, as well.
My first thought was, "Can cats eat chocolate?"
Took a nap after church yesterday and then hit the kitchen with a vengeance. I desperately needed to clean out the fridge and had bought items for specific recipes. The egg roll in a bowl and vegetable soup used up a lot of lingering garden veggies so it was nice to use them to eat rather than compost them.
Bought gas in town rather than the smaller one where I work. It is now $2.89 vs $3.07 same chain, 10/12 miles apart.
Ran into Aldi for sourdough bread after church yesterday and came out with just sourdough bread!
Picked through the stew meat for the vegetable soup, cutting out the toughest gristly pieces. Instead of discarding them, I browned them for a treat for Molly. Since childhood, I have never been able to abide hitting gristle or fat or even chicken skin when I eat meat. I like the flavor of things cooked in meat fat and love bacon, but that's where it ends.
The usuals: bunched errands, distilled water, chai latte at home. Did not run heat or a/c.
My kids used to love those cat cookies! Part of me misses shopping at Trader Joes. Their teas are lovely.
1. Library books ad infinitum. I'm finally reading Elizabeth Strout, and my goodness, I just want to give Olive Kitteridge a big hug, though she'd hate it.
2. On my last bike ride, I found an abandoned hair scrunchie by the bike station benches. A quick wash and I have a free scrunchie, which is good, because I lose those things like crazy. No, Clark doesn't play with them. It's all me.
3. I had a bunch of celery I'd forgotten about; it was going a bit limp so I chopped it up and froze it for soups. Some of it is simmering in ham and bean soup as I write.
4. We took advantage of our Prime Video membership to watch Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which most of our kids had never seen. It's leaving Prime Video in 11 days, probably because you have to be a real die-hard Trek fan to even enjoy parts of it. Visually beautiful, though. And now our kids can say they've seen all the original Trek movies (except the unspeakable fifth one, AKA the Reason You Should Never Let William Shatner Write or Direct a Movie, Ever).
5. All meals at home. And I've managed to wean my seltzer addicts down to seltzers as a treat on Friday nights when we play Dragonfire.
I love how Cat Cookies says "For Humans" on them. I suspect people were confused.
My FFT
1. Using some in-app offers for free food. I figure if I'm going to have a diet soda addiction, I may as well get some points for it.
2. Got a free trial of the anime service Crunchyroll for two months. I am basically binging everything now as I have a date in my calendar to cancel it at that point. I like the service but $12/mo. is a bit much.
3. Made my own birthday dinner instead of us going to a restaurant. We've definitely been going out way too much over the last couple months and I'm trying to dial that back. Life just got way too busy.
4. Got Chex on sale for making Chex Mix. It's one of my favorite homemade snacks. I'll probably make that later this week.
5. This warm weather means line drying clothes perhaps for the last time.
@Battra92, This kind of thing. Then she goes to the media to complain.
https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/21/mum-realises-daughters-advent-calendar-is-meant-for-cats-far-too-late-8274085/
@Battra92,
I confess to an addiction to Chex Mix. I am also addicted to the Chex recipe for Muddy Buddies, which is why I rarely make either of them. I will eat them all, by myself.
@JD, Muddy Buddies are good but I prefer the original.
And yeah, it's kind of a holiday season thing for me.
@Rose, I should be surprised but I am not.
@Rose, I recently had to stop my husband from eating a pack of jerky treats bought for the dogs. He's really bad about never reading the packaging.
Good Morning.
I am heading off this afternoon to my NYC frugal adventure. I posted over at Non consumer advocate requesting cheap hacks because I am on an extreme budget. I got amazing tips and throughly planned my 5 nights. So grateful.
1. My friend lives near SFO. She is going to house my car, cook me dinner, and drive me to the airport. Priceless.
2. The fancy flight and fancy hotel were from vouchers and reward points. I am going to spend lots of time just enjoying luxurious surroundings. I will be able to walk to Central Park and to the Museums that have a couple of free hours at the end of most days. Warned by the commentariat, I made reservations for all the freebies
.
3. I made a fabulous capsule wardrobe I feel really good about. I checked out "Fall Fashion in NYC" and had fun including the burgundy and winter greens ( color of the season. ) I splurge on a few very high quality pieces over the summer months and now really get to enjoy them. It is important to me to look my best. ( PTSD from childhood.)
A capsule wardrobe left room to pack my meals and not check a bag.
4. In an 8 by 12 compressor bag I packed 15 Food Saver'ed meals. These were leftover from my backpack trip. They are very healthy: whole grains: dried fruits and nuts: healthy fats, dehydrated protein. I requested an electric kettle, packed a spork and the small round insulated ziplock container. https://www.the-hungry-hiker.com/2023/02/12/how-to-make-a-backpacking-food-cozy/. ( It helps to finish cooking the meals and keeps them warm.)
When I get to the hotel, I will have them remove all the minibar food to have lots of space for my food.
@Mary Ann, whoa, that is some Serious Planning. I am so impressed by your adventuresome spirit and resourcefulness. Such a bipolar journey from your Rim Trail! Is this a solo trip?
P.S. It is such a gift to find a place to keep one's car instead of those crazy-priced parking lots/garages (Fresno jumped from $8/day to $15!!)
That’s some awesome rewards you redeemed!
My Frugal 5’s
1) Will be reusing most of my kids’ winter clothes and gear from last year for this year and using some winter gear like snow pants and mittens I stashed away years before for them to grow into. Only item I brought used on eBay were snow boots for my middle child since she wore through the heel of the ones she had last year. They’re Bogs brand so hopefully, more durable.
2) For our trip to Theodore Roosevelt Park, we ate a big breakfast at home and brought snacks to eat although we did go to a Chinese buffet for dinner. Also filled up on water at home and the visitor center for free.
3) Using up food from the fridge and pantry. Also froze squash and zucchini before they go bad that my friend kindly gifted us for use this winter or during the holidays.
4) Celebrated my oldest girl’s birthday at home. Reused fall and birthday decorations, made homemade meals and desserts, watched movies rented from the library, gave her a reduced price gift off Amazon she wanted, and an experience gift to the Pumpkin Patch with her sisters that she loved at half price admission day.
5) Signed my kids up for more Lego classes at the library which are free. I love my library! In the past, my kids had gardening, space, and Lego camp there. Also art, dance, and ukulele classes. I put in a request for drawing books and Halloween DVDs too.
@AW, not sure if you know but Lowe's has free kids workshop first Saturday (?) each month doing hands on (different) woodshop kits. Micheals (craft store) also has monthly/weekly free/low cost craft workshops.
I:
1. shopped at Aldi.
2. worked out multiple times at the onsite gym where I work (about $20/mo.).
3. purchased a highly desired but inexpensive birthday present for a nephew and used Amazon Prime for shipping.
4. brought all my work food and beverages from home.
5. reused a plastic bottle purchased at a sporting event (not in itself frugal).
You have a remarkable way to find hidden cash and missing gift cards!
1. I ordered from Coldwater Creek in August and they sent a wrong item. I returned it along with another item that was weird and never got a refund. A 20 minute phone call to someone (hard to understand) may or may not resolve the problem, but I will dog it until I get my $50 refunded. I will also cease to look at their website or catalogs.
2. After much dithering, I prepaid 12 months of cell phone service to get 14 months, saving 127.82
3. Saved $42 on Shutterfly order (photo books) by applying TWO promo codes gotten from a postcard in the mail. Usually a site will only accept one code, but I decided to live on the edge and put in a second offer code.
4. I saved another 34.43 by deciding to only order 2 as gifts and not get one for myself.
5. Initially the site didn’t give me the option of slow-boat shipping, but after going to Paypal, the shipping dropped from $17.99 for Standard to $13.99 for Economy. These are Christmas gifts, so no problemo.
You've mentioned a couple times that you eventually want to buy a house instead of continuing to rent. Your rental house seems nice and seems like it's located in a good area. Just wondering if there's a reason why you'd rather buy them continue to rent.
I would love to have a post on high-yielding saving accounts or other options where to park some money not needed for a few years!
1. Made quick bread from leftover breakfast oatmeal to go with a catch-all veggie soup.
2. Received my free covid tests in the mail (thanks Kristen!)
3. Checked my credit card for cash back offers before making an online purchase, and received 6% back. The purchase was also for sale products.
4. Organized the coat closet and made an inventory of gloves, hats and scarves for the upcoming colder season, washed some to make them ready for use.
5. Transferred some succulents that had overgrown their smaller pots into larger pots bought in an estate sale.
Question for the group- has anyone used the Pepper app? I started using it a while ago (when it was called Moocho). You do have to link a credit card to the app. You buy gift cards to various merchants and earn points that can be used for purchases later. I use it at the grocery store all of the time. I’ve earned over $100 in points, which I plan on using for Christmas. Was just wondering if anyone else has used the app.
My FFT
1.I was having trouble with my ring doorbell and Ring said I needed an internet booster. Because I was unaware that my router needed to be closer to the device when I purchased it, they provided the booster for free. Hopefully this fixes the problem.
2. I borrowed a circular saw from the tool library to cut old deck boards. Unfortunately, it just stopped working 1/4 of the way thru the job but at least I got some boards cut so that I can dispose of them easily.
3. I am trying to do as much demo and disposal of my deck as I can physically do myself to save on labor when it will be redone in the spring.
4. Made strawberry rhubarb jam with some friends. We get the rhubarb from a friend who grows it. My contribution was the sugar we needed and we brought our own jars. I had a bunch left over from the last time we made it.
5. I made an impulse purchase of a Christmas gift, which I returned once I got it and realized that it was the wrong thing to buy for this person. I found the perfect gift for half the price soon after I made the return.
I made bread and bar crisp. I was buying from a few companies what are called artisan crisp. Basically they are dried out thin layer of bread or cracker. I like them because they come in different favors like rosemary and herb as well as they contain nuts and berries in most of the ones I buy. I was making applesauce bread with nut and raisins as well as what I call my everything bars (these are made with oats, almond flour and different fruit; ton of fiber so one bar keeps me filled way past lunch time). The bread, being made with applesauce and having bits of apple was a bit moist yet not to bad. The bars are very dense yet I figure I would sacrifice some of each to be dehydrated to see if I could make my own "artisan crisp" . The bread came out light and crunch with I really likes. The bars, being more dense, came out more like the biscotti which is no big because I like dunking. All is all I made about a package worth of "crisp" for a fraction of the cost. Added bonus to this all is that the dehydrated items will keep a lot longer for me than the ones that are not. I love to cook and bake yet it is just me so even a small pan or loaf of these type item can spoil before I get through them so now I have a better plan for when I decide to make such.....dehydrate half and eat the other half as I would, lol. (I also get to choose what flavors I want now and skip all the additives and such for real whole foods!)
1. I bought some marked down apples and cherry tomatoes at the local food coop.
2. I finished an expensive curly hair gel that didn’t work well for my hair.
3. Our fridge and freezer suddenly stopped working about 24 hours ago. Fortunately we noticed quickly and we were able to transfer everything downstairs to our spare unit that came free with the house. We did lose a few freezer burned homemade yogurt popsicles.
4. DH called the freezer/fridge company and they were able to do some initial diagnostics over the phone (there’s a chip of some sort in the fridge… they could tell it was level, among other things). It’s currently still out of commission 24 hours later, despite DH following their advice to do a “hard reset” that supposedly would take 24-48 hours to show any effect. We do have a local repair person coming today to check it out.
5. I was able to cook some thawed veggies so that they didn’t re-freeze into a solid block. And we will cook some thawed salmon tonight rather than re-freezing it.
And a few frugal fails/annoyances!
1. My in-laws were in town, and they wanted to order Domino's pizza. I sent DH the link I had for a free pizza with your next order, and he didn’t bother to ask me for my login credentials but instead made his own account. So we not only didn’t get (or redeem!) any points on my account, but we didn’t get a free pizza for later.
2. Also while the in-laws were here– they wanted to eat out at Texas Roadhouse (they eat out 75% of the time I think), and we had a 10% off coupon and the remnants of a gift card. I had to step out once to do a toddler time-out, and during that time DH paid and–of course– didn’t use either.
1. I picked up some overnight oats containers off Buy Nothing.
2. A friend had a last-minute ticket to see Les Miserable at our local Broadway theater. So, I went for free and found free parking. It was lovely.
3. We attended our Community Center's Halloween party. They had snacks, candy, cider, crafts, hayrides, activities, and pumpkins all for free.
4. I made some pumpkin bread for my kids using some pureed pumpkin from a pumpkin I had roasted.
5. Sundried some tomatoes from my garden
1. I had a couple of homemade pretzel sticks in the freezer that I turned into croutons for our butternut squash soup.
2. I am leaving for a work trip on Thursday and I have not purchased anything new for the trip other than some face masks for relaxing at the end of the day.
3. My leisure activities this week have been wonderfully no-cost: library books, long walks with podcasts, doing a puzzle that was a gift from a friend, working on a crochet project that will use up left over yarn.
4. I roasted the pumpkin seeds from two pumpkins to have on hand for snacking or soup/salad toppings.
5. Leftovers for lunch, coffee from home, batching errands – all the good standbys!
I..
got mail in rebate card in the mail for $200 for buy a years worth of contacts
Listed some things on ebay for the first time
Got a free month trial meal plan from a friend who's a chef
Took a free Maui thai class last Friday
Clipped my cats nail(my brother scuffed them)
didn't eat out at all last week
1. Bought a box of seconds apples at a local orchard, which are 25% of full price
2. Raking leaves... Exercise, fresh air, and getting the job done
3. My husband has been packing his lunches every day. This is a big step for him and I really appreciate his effort.
4. Programming the coffee maker each night to have coffee ready when we wake up
5. Sewed up the hem of a dress my grandma made for me when I was little. It now fits my youngest daughter and some of the stitches had come out
Great idea to crisp up those cookies! Gotta give it a try and I wonder if it works for soft baked cookies from a name brand company? Hmmmm
Ok, here's my five:
1) I got a Nielsen letter to do a survey and they enclosed a $1 bill in the envelope. That's a first for me....
2) I used a survey company online and earned $26.
3) I cooked up a garden pumpkin and am making pie.
4) I ordered 2 tires for hubby's car as they were cheaper online and then went to the local shop to put them on. They charged me $50 to put them on and said that putting on 4 tires is $160. It makes me think that if I ever buy 4 tires at a time, I might as well just let the shop put 2 on at a time and save $60 doing it that way. Kinda strange.....
5) We decided to repair a panel of our driveway as it is chipped up. I contacted several companies and they wanted $1500 to tear up that panel and repour it (it's about a 5x8 panel). Instead, we went to Home Depot and got a concrete kit for $30.
@lee, that is really weird about cost of putting tires on! You gotta wonder what kind thinking is behind that.
Worst frugal week ever.
Bought two new loveseats. Our couch was old and so uncomfortable. And our laptop broke and had to be replaced.
We used savings and are back in low spend mode.
@Stephanie, But having comfortable seats to relax in is worth it. My mom once bought a pair of sofas "off the truck" and they were AWFUL.
1. Took my husband's watch to have the battery replaced (he has the watch that needs a special tool to take the back off and put back on, otherwise I'd do it myself). We thought the battery died a lot sooner than usual and it turns out we were right; it was last replaced December 2023, so the store didn't charge us for a new battery as it was still under a one year warranty.
2. Used some CVS bucks and a coupon + sale to buy 2 sticks of deodorant for my husband/son, paid $3.23 and got back $4 CVS bucks.
3. Did some baking and made a batch of granola which helped use up some random pantry items that have been sitting there for a while.
4. Ordered dinner after my son's soccer game last weekend to be picked up on the way home. Downloaded the app for ease of ordering and they had a 50% off coupon to apply to our order! The dinner lasted us 2.5 meals.
5. My son needed a physical copy of a book they're reading in class so I bought a used copy from Better World Books with another book to qualify for free shipping and 15% off and paid with a gift card my mom gave me. Unfortunately the other book was for my older son's collection and wasn't in the greatest shape so it may end up being donated but at least I didn't spend money out of pocket.
Frugal fail: lost track of some library book due dates and ended up having to pay a small fine. But at least it goes to my local library which I make very heavy use of, so I don't mind.
@DebbieR, I've never heard of Better World Books, but use Thriftbooks regularly. Thank you for mentioning them; I now have more than one place to look (yikes, another temptation).
Nothing too exciting on my end, but I’ve kept up good habits: walking commutes, mostly packed lunches, making tea in the break room at work or skipping afternoon caffeine altogether instead of buying coffee, borrowing books from friends and the library instead of buying, sharing snacks or home-cooked meals with friends instead of going out for meals or drinks.
My 5….
1. Took vacation days all this week so I wouldn’t lose them…losing them definitely would not have been frugal.
2. Used two of the days to finish painting our deck. This has been an all summer project that needed to be completed ASAP since nice weather days are numbered at this point. Doing it myself saved big $$.
3. DH and I leave for a long weekend vacation tomorrow evening with friends of ours. Booked tickets when Southwest was doing a free companion ticket for later this winter so that will be frugal for a warm getaway mid-winter.
4. Booked a rental car with points so I only had to pay for one day instead of four. Will split the one day cost with our friends.
5. The usual….eating at home and avoiding food waste.
@BonG, nice work taking your vacation days! I sometimes read that people here in the US often don't use their vacation and I always wonder why not... it's paid time off!
How I envy you getting to walk to work! I have to drive halfway across town for my school jobs. My store job would almost be walkable except that there isn't any way I could avoid crossing several mega-busy streets -- all with three or more lanes -- and likely getting run over.
This past week I had to have a CT scan and a student radiology tech was there along with a more experienced employee. They have to put some kind of dye/contrast material in your vein before you get the scan. They asked me if it'd be OK for the student to learn on me, and I said yes. My arm vein rolled, she got flustered, had to stick and stick and re-stick me again (ouch! ouch! ouch!) but I thought of you, Kristen, and only said encouraging things. Eventually the experienced tech had to take over, and even she had trouble. I ended up with a small bruise (which has already vanished) but we got finished with the scan. Still awaiting the results; pray I'm cancer-free. (The oncologist thinks I am, but he ordered the scan to be 100% sure.)
--This Saturday was yard work and I cut up and sacked most of the last of the huge pile of branches. Probably one more week to go and I will have that huge pile hauled away at no extra charge. Said branches are now at the curb awaiting the city yard waste/garbage collection. Had we taken them to the landfill ourselves, the fee would've been about $100.
--Since it was a full moon, I also dug up some "volunteer" plants and transplanted them in the flower bed. These are some kind of pretty shrub and they grow really large. They will be fantastic foundation plantings if they live, all the more so since they were free.
--Hired 2 teen boys to cut my grass this time.
--My friend has to sometimes visit the food bank. Like me, she lives alone. She ended up with way more jugs of milk than she can possibly drink or freeze and more produce than she can eat before it spoils. We worked out a trade: She gave me 2 gal. of milk, a big bag of grapes and a squash, and enough leftovers for a one-woman feast -- a slice of cake, two corn fritters, and some spaghetti (probably enough for 2 meals); I went to our store and bought a dozen of the huge 99 cent packages of popsicles and gave those to her. She sells the popsicles to the children around her neighborhood for something like 50 cents each and this helps her pay her utilities.
-- It was Pajama Day at the middle school where I sub, and I was able to find some out of season PJs and a robe that was suitable for wearing in public. Had fun and it didn't cost me any money for the outfit.
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