Five Frugal Things: Cheap meds

1. I got my colonoscopy meds at my work pharmacy

I had to get the prescribed prep, of course (which was $0), but I also had to buy Dulcolax and simethicone (which is Gas-X).

Well, my hospital pharmacy has a few shelves of over-the-counter medication that they sell at cost to hospital employees, and MY GOODNESS, it is cheap! For both the Dulcolax and the simethicone, my total was $2.11.

I was shocked.

And I will make a point of buying all my over-the-counter meds there in the future.

(I don't buy a lot of them, but you know, sometimes we do use cold/cough meds and ibuprofen.)

2. I have resisted turning on my heat

We suddenly got some very cold overnight temperatures and woo, my house has been getting pretty chilly, at least upstairs. The basement is still pretty warm, of course, because it's largely underground.

However, it was 63 degrees in my bedroom.

I haven't turned on the furnace yet, partially because heating oil is stupid expensive this year, and partially because I am pretty cold-tolerant. I do not mind putting on extra clothes, and I actually kind of like sleeping in the cold air.

However, it takes almost nothing for me to crack and turn on the A/C; the threshhold for that is insanely low. Ha.

I'm like, "Hmmm, am I mildly sticky and uncomfortable? Well then, it's A/C time!"

3. I went to a student-ticket symphony

My schedule lined up for me to go see a performance (with some Tchaikovsky!), so I worked my chemistry-studying in before and after the midday symphony.

This one was at the symphony with a $35 yearly student membership, so obviously it behooves me to go to more symphonies to really get the most out of my $35. 😉

The unfortunate thing is that while school does get you a student discount, it also gives you very little free time! It is a conundrum. 😉

4. I am on track to finish chemistry in a month

I have been devoting nearly all my time to working on this, and I am currently on schedule to finish by October 29th, which is safely before my one-month deadline (November 5th).

Sooo, I think I will make it without having to pay another $99.

Mostly, though, my dedication to the task has been motivated by me just wanting to get it over with.

(For anyone worried about the cramming: I have done 4/6 tests, and I am passing by a very significant margin, which means I should have a lot of margin for the final, test #6, which is not open-book. I know cramming is not wonderful for long-term retention, but I am not aiming for long-term retention! I am just trying to pass.)

5. I bought a book on eBay

I was reading a Patreon post by Elisabeth (her public blog is Optimistic Musings) where she was quoting from Keep Moving, a book by Maggie Smith.

(I have mentioned Smith's book "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" many times. Highly recommend for divorcees!)

I had read a library copy of Keep Moving a few years ago, but Elisabeth's post reminded me that it's a good book to own, because the whole thing is just short, encouraging tidbits that are best read in a one-a-day fashion.

So, I ordered a used copy on eBay, and now I will have her cheery little sentences on my nightstand. 🙂

Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?