Five Frugal Things | Chemistry time
1. I have a plan to get my chemistry credits
I did take a chemistry course four years ago at my community college, but it wasn't the one my BSN school wants. Sigh.
Soo, on the advice of my advisor, I am attempting to get the 3 chemistry credits through StraighterLine, which is sorta like a CLEP system.
You pay a one-time fee of $79 for a class, and then $99/month to be a StraighterLine member. So, it obviously would behoove me to get this done in a month, because every new month will cost another $99.
There are 14 modules, with tests interspersed, so to get this done in a month, I basically need to get through 3.5 modules each week. I am pretty nervous about this because chemistry is not my strong suit, and I have read online that people struggle with this class.
I only have to get a 70% to pass, so I will give it my best shot, and if I don't pass, I will just take an actual chemistry class in the spring semester.
If that happens, I will console myself by considering this StraighterLine experience good prep for the real class.
2. We cut Chiquita's nails at home
I will always and forever give us a gold star for this. It's a two-person procedure, and it requires a salmon treat bribe, but Zoe and I get it done with some teamwork.
This is one of those frugal activities that actually saves time; making an appointment and then driving a cat back and forth to that appointment actually takes way more time than doing it at home!
3. I bought some Souper Cubes on sale (questionably frugal)
I have been experimenting with freezing leftovers for future work lunches, but I don't have any great containers for this purpose.
So, when I saw that the big Souper Cubes were marked down on Prime Day, I bought them. This is a rarity because I almost never buy anything on Prime Day, since the deals are usually not that good.
I know people love these for meal prep; you can freeze the food in the containers, and then pop them cubes out for storage in a Ziploc bag.
I do have two smaller knock-off Souper Cubes that I got at Aldi, and I use those to freeze my broth cubes.
However, neither of those is large enough for an actual lunch portion. I will let you know what I think once I give these a whirl!
4. I moved some money around
I took a minute to assess my various bank accounts, and I realized I had some money just sitting in a checking account. Whoops! This was one of those accounts I'd opened to get the opening bonus, and then I just left it.
Sooo, I moved the money to my high-interest savings account, where it can work harder for me.
I have the Platinum Savings Boost CIT(Member FDIC) account, which you can open through that link or through the little graphic below.
(For a complete list of account details and fees, see CIT's Personal Account disclosures.)
5. I mended a potholder
I've had several of these black potholders for a VERY long time, and I love them! But a corner of one of mine came unstitched, and I must have washed it in that condition because it frayed.
I know from previous experience that these are too thick for machine-sewing, So, I took a break from chemistry and did a little hand-sewing, using thread and needles from the abandoned house.
As with many of my repair jobs, this one is not perfectly beautiful, but it is functional, and that is what we need on a potholder. 😉
1. Made chicken broth from a bag of bones and veggie scraps found in my freezer.
2. Made a fabulous pizza with bbq sauce, fresh arugula from my garden, mozzerella and chopped bbq found in the freezer. I used to use tortillas for the crust, but I've discovered a nice thin crust in the dairy section of the grocery store, and its often on sale.
3. Culled through some knick knacks (ebay calls them shelf sitters) and listed them. I don't even miss them on my shelf!
4. Gifted some new dryer balls on Buy Nothing. I have so many of those IN my dryer, I realized I don't need back ups to sit around on my shelf.
5. Also gave away a dozen empty egg boxes. Sometimes my egg person gives me a few, sometimes no, so its always a nice surprise when I get a few. I'm just happy to not throw the boxes away and give them a new use.
(1-5) This news is so good it counts as all five FTs: CF and I have just sold NDN1's house--to the candidate of my choice!!! We had two identical cash offers for the low "as is" asking price, and I lobbied unashamedly for the one from the buyer I know personally. He is, in fact, a brother-in-law of my eventual executor, and the first thing I did after we signed the paperwork to put the house up for sale was to email my executor and his wife and ask them to put the word out among their family and church connections. It'll be a great comfort to have members of this family next door--and also a great comfort to have the responsibility for the house taken off CF's and my hands. Three hearty huzzahs!!!
Oh wow! Wonderful news for you all!
A. Marie, what a huge relief! You've gone above and beyond for your neighbor.
Huzzah! What a relief for you all!
Oh, congratulations indeed!
Excellent outcome! I'm so glad this stage of your neighborly help is over, with the prospect of new good neighbors coming into the Mutual-Assistance Cul-de-sac
: )
Go A. Marie!!! That's incredible news on all counts!
A storybook ending if ever there was one! Soo happy for you and the special family you have created with your eventual executors.
YAYYY!!! What wonderful news.
A.Marie,
I hope that the new neighbor is as good of a neighbor and friend to you as you are to NDN1. You and CF have absolutely gone WAY beyond the call of duty helping NDN1 through many years of her health challenges and finances -- trials and tribulations, if you will. Your caring is an inspiration and good example to us all. Congrats on getting the house sold, and to some good friends at that!
Now you can (finally!) sit back, relax, and enjoy your Jane Austen books!
Exactly right.
Amazing news!
A. Marie, hearty huzzahs coming from SW Ohio! What a huge relief for you and CF, AND you know your new neighbor has been vetted by your executor. 🙂
I should think so. My executor has been married to the purchaser's sister for over 20 years now. 😉
Thanks to everyone for the congratulations and well-wishes. But in all honesty, I must admit that the lioness's share of the credit for this whole process (from getting NDN1 moved into assisted living until now) should go to CF. She's had prior experience of acting as health care proxy/DPOA for a non-relative, and she knew just what to do at every stage. For the most part, she led, and I followed. (Not that there wasn't a lot of following involved...)
This is amazing news, A. Marie!!! I am so very happy for you and CF!!!
1. Went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) with my sister to see the exhibition featuring the "cream of the crop" art from the Minnesota State Fair. Free admission (voluntary donation). Absolutely incredible exhibit. While we were in the area, we went to a local restaurant and a nearby food co-op where I refilled some bulk jars.
2. Brought home half of my restaurant lunch in my trusty stainless container. Took home sister's jam in my mini jar; just enough to swirl into some yogurt for a nice treat the next day.
3. Went to Tare Market, a zero waste store in Minneapolis that also recycles unusual items. This time I brought in two plastic gift cards and two toothpaste tubes. They also took lots of empty spice jars that I had rescued from Buy Nothing, which they wash and set out for other people to use. I filled my own glass bottles with liquids like vinegar and oil and filled my cumin spice jar for just 84 cents. Used my birthday coupon for 10 percent off, saving $3.50.
4. Found a location that will accept various empty tubes, beauty containers, etc. that Tare Market doesn't accept. Check out to see if there's one in your area:
https://www.pactcollective.org/consumers
5. Created a house file using a portable file bag and hanging files from Buy Nothing. Made tabs for exterior, interior, individual rooms, etc. for everything that stays with the house - manuals, receipts, paint colors, etc. along with a master list of work done, purchases, service providers, unique features, etc. Whew, lots of etceteras in that sentence! I started this master list three years ago when we purchased the house based on conversations and documentation from the previous owners and have been adding to it ever since.
That's an idea I will be copying! I'll add the to do lista for those areas as well
There is a display of some of the State Fair's crop art at MSP too! It was a fun sight to see when I got off my plane! It's in the G gate and will be there through January.
Good to know! I'll be at MSP in a few weeks and will check it out. Thanks for the tip!
MB in MN,
The Twin Cities are so good about having Tare Markets and similar establishments. When I was in St. Paul this past August for my niece's wedding, I noticed a refillery shop not far from where my sister lives. I wish we had something like that in my area!
Also "borrowing" your idea about the house file. So smart!. We have a small half-bathroom that I painted a number of years ago, and the paint needs some touch-ups....except we don't know the paint color. (We've tried using one of those paint color apps to try and match it, but the lighting in there gives incorrect matches).
That stinks about the chemistry credit!!! Is there a chance you can be reimbursed for the crash course cost, given that it's required for work?
--A freshly-emptied coffee canister is now in the fridge, acting as the receptacle for vegetable scraps/future compost. I also reuse ziplocs this way, but the coffee canister is definitely more visually appealing.
--Another free shipping code + 30% off end of season sale = another anniversary iris ("Superstition" this time) for my husband's gothic garden.
--I also made a rare Prime Days purchase. The coconut coir and perlite I wanted to further condition our soil were truly discounted (I check the price regularly so as not to be duped by a "sale"), saving $20 on things I needed to buy, anyway.
--I packed all my food for this weekend's work event, not that I had much time to eat. It was crazy busy--one stick of string cheese took me an hour! It was well worth it, though, and my husband had a lovely dinner ready each night when I stumbled in the door.
--I passed on some freshly split irises to a dear friend who was at the same event. She's a beginning gardener, and irises are as foolproof as it gets!
This also led to a big shared laugh: Her teenage daughter came by, and as both my friend and I couldn't leave our stations, I gave her my car keys to get the box of irises out of the trunk. Cue a text to my friend from her daughter, who couldn't get the trunk of my '89 Buick open because she's only experienced electronic keys! (Completely logical on her part--my friend's husband works in tech, so EVERYTHING is electronic.) Neither my friend or I had thought of that and had a good "We're so old!" (we're not!) belly laugh.
1. We had 2 families over. I made a dessert and savory charcuterie board using mostly ingredients we already had at home. I spent about $15 total on the other ingredients.
2. Took our kids to the dentist for their dental cleanings and exams. This is free with our insurance, but also prevention is frugal.
3. Our state sent us a $200 check to offset the rising cost of utilities.
4. My husband took our kids to a local museum during their day off from school. Admission to the museum for kids was free that day. They brought lunch and water.
5. I repaired holes in a pair of gloves that go with my son's Halloween costume.
Sorry to hear about the chemistry course stuff. Hopefully it's less painful than anticipated 🙂
Frugal things... putting in lots of hours for work. Cooking at home, packing lunches, using up leftovers. Family time with s'mores and games around the fire pit instead of something more $$. Flu shot covered by insurance.
Not frugal or fun... Dealing with a flat tire and a giant tree that fell across our driveway (unrelated weekend excitements!). At least the huge tree didn't land on anything important like people, house, or cars. And our [non-flat-tire] vehicles were away when the tree fell, so they're not blocked in. Plenty of silver linings!
Fingers crossed for passing the chemistry exams!
This week's frugals:
I unsubscribed to a number of newsletters;
I went outdoor swimming and also did several workouts via our national broadcasting channel (plus did my paid for workouts via our PT gym);
I made my own coughing syrup which turned out really well;
I cleaned the carpet with water and a splash of white vinegar, which refreshed the colour of the carpet beyond expectation;
I was informed that some loyalty points through our energy company would be expiring in January. We had a look together and decided to redeem points to get voucher to an organic food chain. I buy some, though not all foods there and the voucher value will be well spent.
Some time ago I bought office wear online and the dress top is so comfortable and suitable to our office that I will check for alternative colours. If possible online and on sale, but not necessarily.
Off topic: over a year ago someone in the commentariat recommended a gripmaster to practise strenght in hands and separate fingers. I bought one and I can tell my muscle power has improved. I will now buy a gripmaster "heavy" to follow up. Thanks for suggesting!
O, and I planted small bulbs that my brother pulled out of his planters, and scheduled a free over sixties flu shot.
Quite a varied week, all in all.
I like using chemistry to accomplish something than be tested on the same thing I successfully used.
1. I started performing at am at a new to me faire last weekend. Fortunately there are a bunch of friends from the road here (including several acts from the faire I just closed the week before) that I have a network of folks who can give me info not only on faire things (like directions) but local resources like the cheapest place to buy ice, etc.
2. I started packing my lunch because the provided lunch in my contract was not food allergy friendly. I also made iced coffee at home for the drive to the show.
3. I had hand washed a few costume pieces I needed in my Scrubba bag that were not enough to make a laundry mat load.
4. I bought needed stage makeup on Prime Day and used a gift card credit from a return. My total came to $1.50. Score!
5. I had to find and pay for camping for this faire. The place most of my friends are staying is $8 cheaper than mine but they don't have full hookups, laundry, bathrooms and shower houses (almost everyone has a Planet Fitness membership as a backup, ) and level pull through sites (with its weight in gold. I'm very new to parking a trailer.) That 8 dollars difference is worth it to me.
We love renaissance fairs. Do you travel all over the country or in a specific regional area?
I travel all over the country. This year I performed in Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Nebraska, West Virginia, Michigan, and Missouri
Oof, that chemistry course does not sound fun. I'm surprised they don't take CLEP, so you could use Modern States, which gets reimbursed! You have a good mindset though--if nothing else, this will be good prep to get you through the actual class.
1. Four home haircuts, saving about $80 total, minimum (and like trimming a cat's claws, this also saves time!)
2. The last time we were at Goodwill I saw a nice white wire basket of a good size, and pointed it out, but DH asked what would we put in it and I said, "No clue, I just like it." The next day he was rummaging in the garage and found a black wire basket that was once part of DS#1's Worksman trike; DH used the back part of the trike to build his bike trailer and didn't need the basket. I remembered that DS#1 was using an old wicker toy basket for a laundry basket, and as wicker does, it has gotten mildewy from getting damp laundry put in it. So we swapped it out and the bike basket works great. DS#1 was pleased and I was glad to get a source of mildew out of the house.
3. Another basket swap: we had been using another small basket to hold kitchen rags that needed washing, but of course this also was going the way of mildew. DH found a plastic tote for this purpose and reclaimed the wicker basket to hold his shoes, which previously had no home. Nicer organization and we didn't spend a penny on baskets. Shopping at home for the win.
4. I'm happy to report that the Commodore has happily accepted that extra bits of kibble as treats; at least we have seen no sign that he finds it insulting. As long as he still gets his bulk-ordered Churu treats (once a day, and yes, he comes and finds me when it's treat time to remind me), he's happy.
5. Library books, biking to errands.
I got similar freezer cubes from Costco. I froze stock in them. Normally I freeze three cups of stock in a quart Ziploc. I've broken too many mason jars to bother messing with them any more.
Battra, I had to stop using mason jars for freezing stock, too. No matter what I did - cooling the stock first, using large mouth jars, allowing lots of room for stock to expand during freezing, waiting until contents of jar were completely frozen before using lids/rings - I'd still have jars break.
I have those 2 cup pyrex bowls with the silicone covers that I freeze leftovers in. It works great and I can stack them in my freezer. I usually only have three of them filled and frozen at any one time. By the time lunch rolls around, they have thawed in my lunchkit. Frugal things:
*repaired the weatherstripping on my front door myself. Painted the door and door mat with paint I had in my stash.
*used my Partner Rewards card and bought store brands for weekly shopping at HEB with 10% off
*going to buy jeans at Kohl's today with a 40% off coupon
*got a free flu shot with no co-pay
Kristen, I hope you go easy on yourself with Chemistry; personally I wouldn't mind stretching it out to 2 months to get a chance to sink it in a little; would be worth another $99 to me! (Chemistry was never my thing, and even my daughter, who loved Chem, said it took a while to get into the flow state)
PS - love the suspicious Chiquita eyes peeking up to illustrate her feelings about nail-clipping
Space Age Needles!! That’s too funny. Call me crazy but I love when I find a fray or undone seam. I just love mending. In fact my friends will give me things to mend for them! Good luck with the chemistry class!,
A question, if I may ask. What proportion of study time - in order to tick all the boxes to qualify - do you think is unnecessary in terms of the actual work of nursing? I realise nursing can cover a wide spectrum of roles and specialties, but surely if a specific role required this level of Chemistry knowledge an applicant could just study it then? I just wonder how many people who would make good nurses are put off by the time / cost / highly demanding academic standard of qualifying?
Oh, this chemistry is definitely NOT necessary for bedside nursing. We don't get that deep into molecules and atoms at the bedside!
I would say all the stuff I learned in my RN program was all important and necessary. Everything since then? Nope. Not necessary.
Thank you.
Prime Day wasn't even on my radar. I gues that is very frugal.
I made a harvest display on the front walkaway. I spent $7. The rest was scavenged:
pumpkins
wheat ( out of season so I had to find someone who hadn't turned the field over yet.)
a brass leaf wall sculpture ( Goodwill)
a plough wheel
and old red wagon
an old tin watering can
a sign I had in my gift closet "Welcome to Our Farm"
I didn't have any fall ribbon so I sewed cloth bows for all the pumpkins. It is pretty stinking adorable. I did not add to the incredible amount of manufactured cr** that has become Halloween.
Your display sounds charming! I agree with you 100% about manufactured unnecessary plastic themed items; seems so much better to decorate for fall than for that one hyped up weird day.
Natural decoration is often so beautiful despite being simple.
I will be bringing down the fairy lights in a few weeks, I already have the "candles" for the evenings. I store them away in spring and summer, so I really look forward to them again when summer is gone.
Real candles are off limits due to my asthma sadly. I use rechargable batteries.
I admire scientists -- these days more than ever -- but I have a substantial fear of chemistry, etc. I wish you the best on getting through your chemistry course.
1. I did some pantry clearing yesterday by making vegetable sauerkraut soup and pumpkin muffins. Funny thing about the muffins -- I woke up in the middle of the night realizing I didn't add the brown sugar, only the white. They taste fine, anyway, and I guess that was a bit of a savings.
2. I went to Goodwill and only spent $2 on a pair of nice new spatulas, the kind with the rubber scraper.
3. I've checked out several books from the "Most Wanted" shelf at the library. These books are only checked out for a week and cannot be renewed. It's keeping me very focused on reading.
4. Not particularly frugal, but necessary -- I took a window screen to the hardware store to get the screening replaced. It will be about $35. There was a hole big enough to let bugs in. Now I'll be ready for Spring. Hopefully a bugless Spring.
5. I've been stretching the food I have on hand, and I haven't been to the grocery store in a couple of weeks now -- other than buying cookies at Dollar Tree. I'm going to see how long I can do this.
I have had just enough experience with chemistry to know I am decidedly not a fan. Sigh.
I keep telling myself that at least this is the very last chemistry I should have to do in my entire life.
I enjoyed Chemistry the most out the sciences I had to study in school but it still wasn't my favourite (I think I liked it because the equations made sense to me and were easier to remember). I like reading about Science now but that's probably because I'm not being tested on it 😉
Beth, I always use half the amount of sugar called for. Hope you didn't lose too much sleep!
I agree that trimming the pets' nails is always a gold star. Just the time it saves and frustration (not to mention the stress to the pet to go to the vet) is a biggie.
*I roasted a turkey that I bought on sale. Used the turkey to make a lot of broth and kept the drippings for thanksgiving.
*used some old bread to make dressing to go with the turkey.
*went through the pantry and cabinets to see if anything was near expiration dates. Found a few things and used them up this week.
*my hand towel holder in the bathroom broke. DH fixed it, but then it broke again a few days later. It was very old. I went to Home depot, but those little holders were expensive. I bought one on amazon for about 30% of the cost of home depot. Removed the old one, patched the wall with mud I already had. Sanded and painted with supplies I already had. Installed the new towel holder.
*Went to a church yard sale Saturday. Bought a new OtterBox phone case for $2. Also bought an oak quilt hanger with plate shelf above it for $12. I have been looking for one of those for about a year so I was excited for that. And I bought a small digital alarm clock for the guest room for $1. I know most people use their phone now for an alarm, but I like seeing the time at a glance if I wake up at night and thought others might also.
I am constantly taking classes for CE. Good Bad and blah. I get 90% for free with IRS classes and other professional organizations. So not free because I pay for the membership. I think you have a solid plan, but might want to budget for months just in case life happens.
My frugal things are...
1. Making dinner at home and shopping my freezer, pantry and refridgerator. 7/7
2. Took the local Covered Bridge tour over the weekend instead of paying for a corn maze. Purchased some drinks and popcorn and hot dog form a youth group and a group for a diaper fundraiser.
3. Changed my water filters in my fridge and on my washer. Country well water.
4. Mending a $$$ bra that I just bought.
5. Organized 2 cupboards and found 3 jars of pasta with less then a cup in them. I am using them up before opening anything else.
I also did all of th usual things like taking my own water and buying groceries from flash food.
A Covered Bridge Tour sounds fantastic!! Now I want to know where you live (prolly really far from Central Calif.... sigh.) So many wonderful scenes to draw and paint—I believe bridges are the perfect blend of architecture and scenery, and we only have 4 pretty ones in our entire county.
Do you have a well filter? If you are/will be the owners of the house, I'd install one. We have one and have a softener hooked up to hot and cold. Saves on all appliances, fixtures, and hot water heater. Have a frig filter as I am not fond of drinking soft water.
You can bypass the softener for any/all outside spigots. And if you power wash, you can bypass the softener for the duration.
It is amazing how much the well filter traps.
1. Made overnight French toast with leftover sourdough bread.
2. Made breakfast burritos and sausage hashbrowns muffins to put in the freezer for our daughter. Her baby is due at the end of the month, and I wanted her to have easy things to eat. Shared some of them with our son who is still limited in mobility from his recent surgery.
3. Baked small lemon bundt cakes using the new pan I got for my birthday for my son-in-law's birthday cake
4. Returned items purchased for vacation that were not needed.
5. Made big pots of soup to eat over the long weekend instead of eating out.
Not frugal for us, but happy news none the less.
Our daughter and son-in-law finally got their house on the market on Friday. We have helped them a lot with "sweat equity" with cleaning, painting, etc. They received an offer on Saturday, countered on Monday, and the buyer accepted the counter today.
1. I made a slow cooker vegetarian chili from Budget Bytes that we really liked. It used up the last of the past-BB date canned beans we’d been given by an acquaintance of DH.
2. DS4 needed shoes for school and we searched through our bins of hand-me-downs, but he’s outgrown everything! I was able to find some pairs that will work at Once Upon A Child for a reasonable price.
3. I bought some pre-owned silicone bibs locally via FBMP.
4. We had a coupon for a free oil change at the dealer where we purchased our certified pre-owned van. We didn’t have a great experience at the dealer and DH wanted nothing to do with them. However I wanted to have a free oil change! So I went and enjoyed free coffee and some granola bars (neither of which were offered to us during our purchase experience), and also accepted the free car wash that was offered. Now I agree with DH– we can have nothing further to do with the dealer. 🙂
5. I’ve been giving things away like crazy on Buy Nothing which makes my frugal/clutter-averse heart happy. This includes some hand-knit wool sweaters and a dress which my grandma made in the 1980’s for me. They are going to good homes where they will be loved and worn. I have a few things that my boys can wear, but I am thrilled to see these more feminine ones get used by others.
6. Free flu shot through work at my as-needed job.
We adopted a new puppy this week. Not cheap but well worth it. And on the frugal side, a friend who has small dogs gifted us with a harness, leash, and coat for him. It didn't make sense to buy these new as he will quickly grow out of all of them in a few weeks. (He is a 16-week old small terrier mix.) He's playing with toys from our older dog's puppyhood (we did buy one new teething toy for him), sleeping in a bed from a previous dog, and still eating from the large bag of food the shelter sent home with him. And he's providing us with hours of free entertainment.
Cinci,
Congrats on your new furry arrival!
I only paid $12 at the dog pound to adopt Snuggles, and it's the most expensive $12 purchase I ever made. The 12 bucks was just the start of a lot of money spent on the snuggly-wuggly dog.
But he's worth every penny!
That hard stance on your previous chem class—talk about piling on after their way numerous errors, geez. You will get through it but I have to agree that they may be losing potential nurses with their tactics.
Inorganic (general ) chemistry is no joke, and I say that as a college science major who had to take a lot of it! I’d plan to do this online course at a time when you don’t have as much to do , because it might literally drive you over the edge. Even if it means finishing your degree a semester later- your quality of life and sanity are worth it!
-Mended some shorts for my husband
-Mended the handle on a tote bag
-Chose the least expensive color (gray—meh...) when ordering Polywood chairs for the yard
-Thought I was going to treat my friends to ice cream yesterday when one pulled out a gift card to the place and paid
-Went through a pile of Don't Wears, dividing into 3 piles: local thrift shop, consignment shop near my sister (winter clothes), and consignment shop near my sister in summer (because she doesn't want to store my old clothes!) Even though it didn't involve $$ (yet), it feels frugal to make space in my closet, narrow down the choices, and lose the guilt over owning clothes I don't wear which nag me because I wasted money on them.
Agreed about the cat nail clipping! It can be done! And I think it's way less stressful for the cat too.
Agreed; getting packaged up and driven to a vet can't be that much fun. But a salmon treat at home plus a few minutes of trimming is probably not that bad.
1. Sold a total of 18 items this week, mostly on vinted. Total earned $155.04
2. I had some extra bucks from CVS to use. I got 3 tubes of toothpaste for a total of $2.06. Which earned me another $5 in extra bucks that need to be used in the next few weeks.
3. My oldest son decided he wants to be a scary clown for Halloween (yuck). He just needed a mask and said he'd wear his grim reaper robe from a previous year. This will be third year he's been able to wear the black robe.
4. I used up some about to expire points for a free meal at the local hot chicken restaurant.
I couldn't come up with a 5th item this week!
With all the admiration and respect possible, I wonder about your chemistry-in-a-month plan:
It totally behooves you not to let the class go on indefinitely at $99/month, but I do wonder if a little more time to make sure you can get to 70% accuracy might be worth it. Would $100 to increase your chance of not having to take it through the (not-delightful) BSN college next semester be worth it? $100 is nothing to sneeze at, but I wonder if the ROI on a second month of access to the course might be worth it on this one. Just an idea!
That is a fair point, and I will consider it. If I don't feel ready at the end of a month, it prob does make sense to pay another $100, bc a college course is gonna cost more than $100!
1. I spent a few days in Las Vegas for work and I didn’t spend anything out of pocket. My company is generous when it comes to food allowance (so thankful when I’m in an expensive city), I was too tired for any shows, and I’m not a gambler.
2. When I ordered my son’s sports uniform I noticed there was a discount on ‘fan ware’ so I ordered a couple of things for his Christmas gift.
3. I grabbed a handful of teabags from the coffee service cart while in Las Vegas.
4. I’ve been enjoying books from my TBR pile – I have a small stash of season specific books that I’ve been looking forward to reading which makes not buying a shiny new book easy to avoid.
5. I am a fan of Big Brother and I look forward to watching it every summer. I don’t have the streaming service it is on but I am able to watch it on CBS’s website after it airs for free (they keep 5 episodes at a time available).
The idea of taking Chemistry again is enough to give me hives. *shudders* I wish you all the luck in the world!
And Chiquita looks to be plotting evil things to do to toes at a later date. Stay on high alert.
I have the big Souper Cubes and a few knock-offs; maybe if I worked out of the house I'd use the bigger ones more, but I absolutely love the smaller ones I have in 1-cup portion sizes. I save all our leftovers in them.
The only frugal thing done recently was using a buy one get one free entree at a local eatery for a date day.
Do you freeze the leftovers? Or use the containers for fridge storage?
A very belated five frugal things!
1. I was in Venice with my sister for a few days. I think the only frugal win was not taking a gondola ride (it cost 90 Euro!). We went in lots of museums and the cathedral, but it's Venice! I did bring some snacks and we bought large bottles of water to fill our refillable ones and walked around rather than taking public transport.
2. I went to something called Culture Night before the trip which included all kinds of events included with one ticket. I went to a synagogue, a music concert in an art museum and rode a vintage bus around the city.
3. I've bought food for when I get back.
Um, I can't think of anything for 4 and 5. I renewed a library book and ate lunch at home before heading to the airport. That'll do haha!
Welcome back! What fun it must be to live in a place where you can easily visit so many countries.
Thank you! It is 🙂
1. My reddit time-waste came in handy. Someone in our city posted that the time of use plan for electricity was changing and we would have missed it otherwise (the electric company made little mention of it). this matters because we have two electric cars and charge them when rates are lowest. I've also shifted when I run the dishwasher and do laundry.
2. We went to a friend's daughter's b-day party and they gave a couple small squishmallows as a party favor. My girls have kind of outgrown them but I saved them for my niece and included them as part of her 7th birthday present.
3. Going to a party this weekend and my daughter didn't like any of her clothes. She went into my closet at my parents' home and found an outfit that I picked for myself when I was 21...so it's almost 30 years old. My mom is altering it so it'll fit her better and everyone is happy.
4. Sold a Halloween costume that I had thrifted so we ended up paying very little a pretty great costume.
5. I pulled out my discounted post-Halloween decorations that I've purchased over the years. I have a pumpkin/jack-o-lantern collection that has been growing every year. Two are almost 15 years old and remind me of when my teen was a baby.
Bonus freebie: I've been helping my SIL, who is going through tough times. It's tiring but it really feels good to help someone. Dopamine and confidence boost for free.
Frugal to someone else (but a fail for me): 4 years ago I bought a raised garden table and I killed many plants there (but also grew a few veggies!). It's just been deteriorating, taking up space and reminding me of my many (MANY) failures. It's a whole thing, my desire to grow and ability to kill plants...anyway, I finally listed it for free and someone came and picked it up.
Re: your raised garden table-- I hope it's a weight off your shoulders to not have that sitting around and reminding you of what you call failures. The peace of mind that comes from not feeling guilty about an abandoned project is more important than any perceived frugality, in my opinion.
Thank you for the reassurance! I do feel better walking into the area and it being gone. It also makes me happy to know that someone could put it to use whereas it just wasn't something that worked for me.
Yes, I know what you mean about someone being able to put something to use that wasn't working for you! I'm so glad you're feeling better with it gone. 🙂
What a bummer about the chemistry course! The only things I know about chemistry are that H20 is water, CO2 is carbon monoxide (I think), and never mix bleach and ammonia (useful info when scrubbing the toilet). Still, I was able to substitute teach in numerous high school chemistry classes; the students in there are highly motivated, and self-directed, and help one another on the tougher assignments.
1. Colossal frugal fail: I finally got around to taking my pair of once lost/now found/completely paid for/ expensive cell phones to Spectrum. It's been so long since I used them, I can't recall the passwords or PINs. Spectrum claims they cannot unlock/jailbreak/activate/fix my phones without said codes. Clerk suggested I take out the sim card and just sell the phones at one of the machines at Walmart. I will no doubt get pennies on the dollar that way. Another reason for sticking with Tracfone!
2. While at the Spectrum office, I saw that Belk's (dept. store) is going out of business. Hoping to take advantage of 75% off, I hopped over there. Sadly, the brand I like is not always accurate as to size. All the dressing rooms were closed. But a huge sign on the door said "all sales final". I am not going to buy a blouse or pair of slacks or whatever else without trying it on and then take it home only to find it doesn't fit and I can't take it back. So I suppose it is frugal that this happened bc I did not buy anything. Shame on you, Belk's!
3. Our store has a small can of Folger's coffee for $5.99. I comparison shopped other stores for both Folger's and other brands, including store brands, and that price is about $2 cheaper than the next nearest low price.
4. Similarly, comparison shopped. We had a clearance table with Fiesta peanut butter for $1.99 for a 16 oz. jar. I beat the price at Aldi, $1.49. (Didn't need peanut butter for myself but the church food pantry has asked for some.) But these jars used to sell for 99 cents!
5. Took some plastic wrappers to HEB for recycling, and bought a box of their Hill Country Fare (store brand) kitchen trash bags that use 65% recycled/post consumer content. I am happy knowing that my efforts at recycling go in to the making of this product.
6. A. Marie, I have finished reading my Little Free Library copy of Pride and Prejudice, after binge watching the BBC Colin Firth version several times in the last couple of weeks. Delightful on both counts! I'm enjoying my smart TV and all the free streaming!
Yes, Tracfone has worked out well for us. $25 or so a month. We still need a landline.
I like the idea of the souper cubes, but I make do with a silicone loaf pan and a hot knife. I will eventually find souper cubes at an estate sale, garage sale or thrift store. The fun is the hunt. But I get the need it now for time savings.
I am crossing my fingers that the straighter line will work out for you. If not, I hope you get a prof as excited about chemistry as my son's com college has. He is effervescent about all things Chemistry.
Sold some vintage '40s Thanksgiving decorations, packed up and neighbor offered to drop off at the local mail & ship store.
Made brown sugar, ground a weeks worth of coffee beans, roasted some walnuts for snacking and salads.
Pulled up the green bean plants, fed to the goats.
Planted chard, kale and winter spinach starts.
Slightly controversial frugality but my partner and I decided to not put the massive pile of clothes we decluttered on Vinted after all. On reflection, it would take AGES (it's a big pile), we would then need to keep the pile for months to see if they sold, and then I'd still need to go post them all, which I always forget to then do. We have decided that our time and isn't worth the small amount we would get (plus we are both so chronically disorganised we will never get round to it) and will instead take them to a charity shop so they can make the money instead. That way we can focus on the benefit of the decluttering. I will instead use some time to get a bank bonus similar to what you suggest or look again at my spending plans. Plus this way I won't have to keep looking at Vinted and maybe will stop buying things from it which will be far more successful frugality! (I was on a specific hunt lately to get better jeans but I've got them now and I now definitely need to stop!).
I'm going to batch cook the rest of the week's work lunches shortly, a vegetable pasta bake.
I completely understand just donating instead. Sometimes you need to do the fast thing!
Made banana nut muffins with the brown bananas i rescued from being tossed in the garbage at work. Shared said muffins with a neighbor and a friend.
Filled my tank on the 11th when gas was .50/cents off at 7-11
A neighbor had 6 large pizzas leftover from a work event and gave me one! I wrapped slices in foil individually and froze in a bag. Now they are ready to re-heat for a quick meal!
Boss had a daylong meeting in our office, so breakfast and lunch were catered in for attendees - employees got the leftovers. So I had a free lunch today, and something wrapped for tomorrow, along with a pastry from the breakfast leftovers I am taking home, large enough for more than one dessert!
I love my super cubes, I have the 1 cup and the 2 Tbsp. I also bought a 2 cup during the prime sales. I use the one cup a lot for filling with leftovers and use them for easy lunch prep. I hope you like them too! They aren’t cheap but they hold up well and every use makes them cheaper and cheaper 🙂
Finally stopped procrastinating and reserved a u-haul truck for the large items that have to be moved out of the house for the flooring. 139+ for a week plus gas (probably 10 miles total). Supposedly this will start on this Thursday but my helpers work Thursday and Friday so hopefully we can get all of the stuff on Saturday.
Now to figure out where to sleep. Not planning on sleeping in the u-haul ROFLMBO.
1. My husband and I went out for our anniversary dinner last week (not frugal, haha), but told them it was our anniversary so we got a free dessert!
2. Posted something to sell on FB marketplace and it sold within a few days, so stuff out and money in!
3. Did a survey and got an $8 Amazon gift card in return.
4. Gave my son a haircut at home.
5. Gave away a book only relevant to a small group of people, Living Donors for Kidneys, on the FB group I am part of, to another upcoming donor, who was happy to receive it. Paid media mail rates to send it to her and asked that she pass it on when she is done. Yes, I had to pay to send it, but really happy to send it to a new home to someone who can truly use it!
Ohh, I know what you mean about finding a recipient who is perfect; it is so satisfying.
1. Made some 'apple pie kits' for the freezer with apples gifted by a neighbour. 5 pie kits should last us until Christmas.
2. Prepped the last red beets from our garden for the freezer. Beets are yet again my most favorite crop of the year. We love growing them and eating them all winter long
3. Bought an electric radiator for my office. I am home alone during the day, so no point in heating up the entire house, and the solar panels make the heat and coziness from the radiator free.
4. Added red kindey beans to taco meat for taco Tuesday. Everybody was impressed and fully satisfied.
5. Did an inventory of my winter wardrobe before buying anything new. I have enough clothes and I like all there is in my closet.
Anna, may I ask your method for prepping beets for the freezer? We eat beets year round.
I have extra beets also. Did you blanch them, or just freeze?
Thank you
I peel them when they are raw with a potato peeler, then wash them really well to remove all sand and dirt. Then boil them until a fork can pierce. After they cool down i slice them into thin slices and freeze in containers. They keep all winter and are amazing. For cooking, i thaw the box, chop an onion finely, saute it a bit, warm up the beet slices and then add a splash of apple vinegar at the very end. This is how my very Dutch MIL taught me, and they are amazing. My 7 year old LOVES beets in winter with some salmon and potatoes, the only fish meal he doesnt complain about
Love our Souper cubes! I think ours are a knockoff version we got from Amazon. The size with both the 1 and 2 cup fill line.
We keep a bag of veggie scraps in the freezer. Once it’s full, make veggie stock and load up the cubes. Use it for rice, quinoa, ramen bowls amongst other things.
Also use it to make soup, which then goes back into the cubes for future lunches. These cubes are in constant rotation.
Used another register rewards coupon to buy canned cat food. It saved 75 cents off 10 cans, which is not a lot but every bit helps. Also went to a different store on the same street to buy sandwich bread, saving 97 cents per loaf.
Bathed and groomed both our dogs today and brushed out the cat, who got her nails trimmed by us the other day. Rack-dried a load of laundry on the back porch.
An expensive frugal fail: I parked across the street from church while attending an evening class and had one of my car's tires slashed. I suspect it was not personal and just a matter of a secluded spot and some anti-social behavior in a sketchy neighborhood. Still, it cost me over $200 for a new tire.
Oh my goodness, that is so frustrating about your tire.
I'm so sorry to hear that your tire got slashed. I felt the same way when I accidentally left my purse out inside my car and someone smashed my window to steal it and use my credit card for $20 for gas. The window itself cost a few hundred dollars! So frustrating ...
I finally finished the patio around our fire pit that I started building this summer. It was essentially free, all we purchased were a couple cement tiles, tile glue, and grout to make two mosaic tiles with all the bits of colored glass we dug out when we dug out the area and the rocks needed. Our lot used to be a farm so there are lots of interesting things buried in the yard. We used rocks from our yard, rocks and bricks free from Facebook marketplace, and logs free from my chip drop to make the patio. Then used sand from the sandpit the kids are now too old for. I am hoping this will be a fun space for us to have lots of fires going forward.
I packed burgers and tator tots for my husband and older son to eat in the car on their way up to scout camp instead of them stopping for fast food.
We got some books and movies from the library for free entertainment.
Made pumpkin bread and banana bread for snacks and breakfasts for the kiddos this week.
Transplanted a bunch of seedlings I grew from collected seeds into my garden beds. Native plants are expensive so any free plants are a plus.
I love chemistry but I admit the example you showed there is super complicated! Surely more than you will need for nursing chemistry.
I'm a chemistry teacher and I highly recommend Tyler DeWitt videos on YouTube. He has a way of slowly and clearly explaining that is really good! Give him a try, I think you will really like his videos. You can do this!
1. Using up meat from my freezer even if it tastes a bit freezer burned.
2. Changed over my winter and summer clothes in my closet. Now I feel like I have new clothes without spending any money.
3. Brought food to a family Thanksgiving Day meal. Splitting costs helps it to be more affordable for all.
4. Enjoying books from the library.
5. Used pantry supplies to make crepes rather than buying from the local food business.
6. Saw polenta reduced at the store. I had just been contemplating making cornmeal mush, so buying pre-made saved me tons of time for a very minor cost.
Splitting costs for Thanksgiving is a great idea! It's something I really would love to do more of with my husband's family when we visit.
1. We made our meals at home. We tried to use as much freezer stuff as possible. The kids who pack lunches got lunches. My husband got lunches. My work has relatively cheap lunches, so I did that a couple days. It's <$5 for lunch. While it's not as cheap as bringing my own, my sports kids are eating *everything* they see. I can't seem to make food fast enough right now.
2. We brewed coffee at home. We made treats at home.
3. We are fundraising for my kids' activities. I hate fundraising, but working booths is actually worth it.
4. I mended pants at home. I sewed and ironed on patches/badges for my kids scouting stuff.
5. I didn't buy any new holiday decor. I was gifted a Roman-style bust. For Halloween, I made it a ghost costume for it out of an old bedsheet.
6. I sold some old kids' clothes. We are re-using Halloween costumes or bought them secondhand.
I got the Souper Cubes during Amazon Prime Day too! It is going to be my first time using them as well, so it will be interesting to see what your thoughts are on them.
My Frugal Week
• Ran multiple errands in one trip to save on gas:
- Returned items and picked up a hold at the library.
- Printed a UPS return label at the library since we do not have a home printer.
- Got my glasses tightened at the optometry office free of charge.
- Made another key copy at a home improvement store in person instead of the self serve machines. I gave an extra copy to a friend. This will be a lifesaver if we ever get locked out, have an emergency with the kids and need someone to pick them up, or need someone to check on the house.
- Returned Halloween items to Walmart because we are using things we already have at home or borrowed.
- Signed up for a local bank's checking account promotion, depositing $50 to earn a $200 bonus.
- Picked up my girl at school on the way home to take to the pumpkin patch.
• Took my oldest girl to the pumpkin patch as one of her birthday experiences. Admission was $8 instead of $10 per person on Thursdays, bringing the total for the family to $40 instead of $50. We also skipped the extra ticketed items like games, rides, and pricey pumpkins, which we plan to buy for much less at the grocery store. To save on food, we brought our own muffins and apples to snack on instead of buying from the stands.
• Brought out a lego set that I brought at a discount a few years ago that I gifted to my girl to share with her sisters. Quality time like spending time with family is her love language.
• Headed out another day to run more errands:
- Filled up the tank.
- Picked up like-new winter snow boots (brand-name Bogs that usually retail for at least $75 new) for just $25 via Facebook Marketplace. These are the best winter boots for my kids! They rarely get wet or soggy and best of all, keep their toes warm.
- Dropped by UPS to return a few Amazon items and got a $40 credit.
- Attended a photography bootcamp class registered through the local college ($80 for five weeks with two-hour sessions) to learn how to use my camera better for family photos and events.
- Stopped by Walmart to pick up groceries for my daughter's birthday, including ingredients for breakfast sandwiches, chili, and her requested ice cream birthday cake. Stuck to the Great Value brand on most items to save on money.
• After volunteering at the food pantry, I brought home a few raspberries, blackberries that I froze, a few biscuits (which I ate for brunch with leftover soup), and some lighters. These were items they couldn't give out because they were a bit overripe or lacked labels.
That's a big atom, lots of filled electron shells, funny to see that.
Trimming Chiquita's claws, good for you
Ohhh, no, that's my list of the order in which they are filled, for reference!