Five Frugal Things | cloth napkins
1. I turned some towels into napkins
In the comments on a recent post, Kristin-with-an-i said she was surprised that I buy paper napkins, given that I vastly prefer dishcloths and cloth towels to paper towels.
I thought, "Hmmm, this is a fair point. Maybe I should give cloth napkins a fair shake."
Kristin recommended cotton napkins, with patterns to hide stains. And several of you said these are easy to find at thrift stores.
So, I popped by Goodwill, and sadly, only found these buffalo-print napkins.
They were $2 apiece, which is dumb because these new ones are about $2 apiece!!
But the main issue is that they did not feel like cotton. However, I did find two cotton towels for $0.75 apiece.
And it occurred to me that if I cut off the designs on both of them, they would be a square shape, just like cloth napkins are meant to be (a whole oblong towel is a little too bulky to be convenient as a napkin.)
So, I cut and hemmed them, with Chiquita's supervision.
And now I have a couple of cloth napkins to start my collection.
Since I didn't want to waste the trimmed part of the towels, I hemmed those too and I'll use them as small napkins or hankies.
White cotton is not exactly an ideal color for a napkin in terms of stain issues, so I might use some liquid dye I have on hand to make the white ones a different color. Stay tuned.
2. Zoe and I trimmed Chiquita's nails
Her front claws get so sharp, it's a spiky experience to have her on my lap! So, I am glad to have her nails clipped.
The trimming takes such a small amount of time if I have Zoe here to help by scruffing Chiquita's neck.
And it costs $0 (the clippers were $10 and paid for themselves in a single clipping session.)
3. I got $50 for doing a health assessment
My new health insurance has a rewards wellness program, and they offered $50 just for doing a "find out your body's age" assessment online.
I did it, and supposedly my body is more like 36 than 46 (who knows how accurate this is??), but regardless, I have $50 loaded into my account now.
4. I used a Sharpie on my black scrub top
When I got off a work shift recently, I noticed four little bleached spots on my scrub top. UGH.
We got some new bleach wipes at work that we have to use on the glucometers, and I must have accidentally touched my shirt with a wet glucometer.
But I tried using a black Sharpie on the spots, and thankfully, they're pretty invisible now. Yay!
I will be very careful with those bleach wipes from here on out.
5. I used a fabric shaver on my scrub top
In the spot where my badge rubs, the fabric was starting to pill. That makes me think I will not buy more of these scrubs; I'd prefer something that doesn't pill!
I used my handy-dandy fabric shaver, though, and now that area is pretty smooth again.
I have a fabric shaver from Aldi, but this one is virtually identical and it comes with two replacement blades.
Being able to de-pill clothing is a serious game-changer; I highly recommend a fabric shaver!
My 5 frugal things this week:
I started a new job last week, and I need clothes. ( I had enough business casual for 7 days). I bought 3 pairs of pants and a purple wool coat for 24.00. it will cost me 50.00 to have the coat dry cleaned.
I didn't buy lunch at work.
I preloaded Tim's coffee card with 20.00. I have set a boundary around buying coffee at work. I have to walk to get it, and only at lunchtime. This may not be frugal for some people, but I'm budgeting for this.
I'm turning down the heat at bedtime. 62-64 Fahrenheit , then up to 68 in the morning, down again before work, up when I get home. I hope to see a reduction in the hydro bill.
I've signed up for a new internet provider. I still have to have the house phone and my email address moved too, but this should work out to over 100.00 saved a month.
And finally, I made croutons out of a loaf of sour dough. I'll need to make a really good pot of soup to go with them. The canned tomato soup I ate last night with them was average.
Happy Tuesday!
@It's me, Sam,
I would love to have a purple wool coat!
[I have enough coats, I have enough coats, I have enough coats...]
@It's me, Sam, We make a fantastic homemade tomato soup. 1 onion, chopped and sauteed with a stick of butter, 2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes, juice and all, and 3 cups of water. Cook the onion til it's soft, add the tomatoes (chopped first if you want) and water, and simmer for an hour. Then blitz it with a blender. Seriously so good. I also made a really good roasted carrot soup, but you have to really like carrots. 😉
@It's me, Sam, hope your new job is going well!
@Karen A., This sounds really good! Thank you for sharing.
@Karen A.,
That sounds perfect. I'll let you know how I make out making it!
@JNL,
I've decided that I would like 5 wool coats, all thrifted. Working in an office is definitely a new experience for me!
@PD,
One week done, lots of training, reading, new data bases... So far, so good!
FFT
--A friend offered me empty Talenti Gelato containers, as she knows I like to use them for freezing soups and pumpkin puree. While they aren't microwaveable, the containers are the perfect size for a serving and make it doubly easy to drop off care packages for sick friends. I just grab a few soups from the freezer and tell them not to worry about the containers--win, win!
--Our black cat Halloween pumpkin started fading to orange, so I roasted it for puree. This went into pumpkin chili. Two servings of chili were frozen in the above Talenti containers for future us and/or sick friends.
--Since my birthday is within spitting distance of Christmas, it's not uncommon to receive my gifts all at once, on either side of the holiday. Potential favorites from the "The Family Box" include a homemade tea cozy from my seamstress little sister, along with a GIANT loaf of chocolate chip sourdough bread. The box also contained spices and snacks galore, so the kitchen is bursting at the moment!
--My husband roasted a duck for my birthday dinner, then proceeded to use the carcass for broth. This went into the rest of the Talenti containers.
--I'm wearing one of my gifts from my husband, a gray-green sweater that makes my green eyes SUPER green. My husband is justifiably pleased with himself. ;P
@N,
I hadn’t thought about using Talenti containers for soups. They are the perfect size. They are perfect for many storage needs. Crafters love them too. I once sold a large lot of these on eBay, and I given many away to my BN group. There are instructions on line to remove the printing/label.
@N, @Bee, not that either of you would know for sure, but how much does Talenti cost? Just guessing here, but it would be good to have friends who buy it regularly.
@N, do you mind sharing what the brand of sweater is that your husband gifted to you? Thanks!
@N, hello, can I borrow your husband?? 🙂
And just for fun, here's a story about me, my DH, and a duck. On the first birthday I had after he and I got together, we went to a fancy-schmancy restaurant where duck a l'orange was on the menu. When mine arrived at the table properly aflame, DH gave me a big wink and said, "Make a wish and blow out your duck."
@N, Talenti containers are the perfect size but don’t count on the seal being 100% tight if you pack something liquid-y in them. My experience is they leak. But perhaps for freezing stuff they are good. I often see BOGO sales on them and stock up - otherwise they are $$$.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, In our area, Talenti is anywhere from $4-6, depending on whether it's on sale.
@Molly F. C., I just looked, but it doesn't have a brand tag. I'll see if I can get the link from him.
@A. Marie, I love your aflame birthday duck story! As for my husband, I'm afraid I'm quite selfish about keeping him to myself. 😉 HUGS
@Jean C, I never trust things to be leak proof, so no worries there! They are great for freezer storage, though, and for packing fruit for lunch that one wants to keep from bruising (like pears). We only buy Talenti on sale, ourselves.
@N, I use Talenti containers for water for my painting sessions. As well as,I use one for holding odds and ends such as paper clips or random buttons.
@N, I buy a few Talenti gelatos at Christmas time since our kids an families visit us for upwards of two weeks. They live in distant states. We go all out with special foods in our time together.
As you can imagine it therefore took me quite a while to get a bunch of Talentis. They’re super great containers for nuts and such as they stack so nicely.
@N,
Same here in SW Ohio. I only splurge if they go on sale.
@N, awww thank you. I appreciate it but please don't bother. I don't want to ruin the birthday special surprise-ness of your gift by having you know the link to it. Make sense? I shouldn't be spending the money anyway. 🙂
@N, Talenti became my crack. I was eating two pints every weekend 4 years ago which helped get me up to 300 pounds. I had gastric sleeve surgery so now if I do eat ice cream I can only eat a quarter of what I used to eat. But it's just a better idea to stay away.
I use on of my Talenti containers for my q-tips.
@auntiali,
Lol, I just saw on my Kroger app that they've got a BOGO deal for Talenti....same here, I had a serious Talenti addiction going for awhile....I did NOT add any to my pick up order. I think it took every single ounce of strength I own to do that.:-)
@N, that’s a great idea to store fruit to keep it from bruising, etc.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I buy it BOGOF at Harvey's for $2.99. I'm in middle GA. My DH loves the stuff, it's really good.
This week:
I fixed the zipper on my favorite hoodie.
I used a soft red pepper and some equally soft carrots in fried rice.
The last bit of iffy milk that got pushed to the back of the refrigerator became raisin biscuits.
I chopped two large onions and froze them. Now when I want to toss a bit of onion into a dish I can just grab some from the freezer.
I reused a box and bubble wrap from a parcel from my sister to send a parcel to my nephews. I think the box has seen more of the country than I have!
@Darlene Too,
Having frozen chopped onions in the freezer has been a game changer for me. I was recently making a recipe that called for a tablespoon of chopped onion, and it was so nice just to grab a spoonful out of the freezer.
@Darlene Too,
Chopping and freezing onions is such a great idea. I live alone and rarely use a whole onion. I end up sticking half in a container in the fridge. It ends up staying there until it sprouts! Chopping and freezing is such a simple fix! Thank you.
* I bought essentials at Target with a $10 off $60 offer in the app, and paid using gift cards I got for 10%off.
*I rejoined Kindle Unlimited with an offer of $5 per month for 2 months, so that my son can read the next 17 books in a series. Also, the book my other kid needed for school was available as well. I'll cancel before the 2 months are over.
*Volunteering as a sub for my kid's school for 2 days means I'm not out spending money.
*Used up leftovers for dinner in fried rice.
* made a Sam's club stop when in big city for kid's basketball tournament. Saved money on lunch box items and essentials. Bought 180 eggs. They're up in cost to $3.5 per dozen, but my local area it's $5 .
@mbmom11, The next *17* books in a series?! Who is this prolific author?
@kristin @ going country, I'm wondering more about 180 eggs myself.
@WilliamB, That does not sound so surprising to me. For obvious reasons. 🙂
@mbmom11, 180 eggs is 15 dozen x $5 = $75!! Please clarify for my shocked self.
@kristin @ going country,
Pedro Urvi - the Ranger series.
This should keep him happy for a few weeks. I love finding authors with long series ( Keepers of the Lost Cities was another one he enjoyed. 10 or so books.)
I'm allowing him some fun reads for homeschooling, as well as novels for analysis/discussion/history. He has Rebecca for literature now, and The Boys in the Boat to enhance pre -ww2 American history.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
So at $3.50 , it's just a little over $50. We use at least 6 eggs a day, so I will actually use these up within a month easily. Teenage boys need their protein!
I feel like there's some kind of life metaphor for you in there about making that "married" towel into something useful and satisfying by cutting it and then repairing the cut pieces. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into a Goodwill towel. 🙂 The napkins look great, though. Definitely not something I could do that easily.
Frugal things:
--I got some half-gallon glass jars from our school cafeteria that used to hold pickled okra (a favorite salad bar offering for the students at our school, which I think is funny). I don't have definite plans for all of them, but at least one will be used for refrigerator dills next summer. It'll be easier to have one big jar than a bunch of small jars in my refrigerator. I think, anyway. And I might use one for sugar in my pantry, if I can figure out how to get the vinegar smell all the way out of the lid. Any tips from anyone on that?
--I do use cloth napkins exclusively, even if I don't make them. 🙂 My mother-in-law gave me like two dozen for my birthday this year, so I'm set for awhile. I also have a couple dozen handkerchiefs that I keep in a basket in my kitchen for my family to use in lieu of tissues.
--This is sort of a general one, but it is very rare for me to line a pan with foil or parchment when I bake anything, like meatloaf or cookies or whatever. I'd rather scrub off cooking residue than throw anything away. I really don't know why all cookie recipes now call for lining cookie sheets with parchment. Cookies are one of the least-likely things to stick to a pan.
--I did finally buy a clothes dryer, it finally got delivered, my husband very promptly went to install it . . . and the plug doesn't fit our outlet. Sigh. Apparently, our outlet is some older version of a three-prong 220-volt deal. So I ordered a new cord for the dryer, and will now wait two more weeks for that to come. And then we'll see how long it takes my husband to get that switched out. After not having a dryer for almost four years, what's another few weeks, right? And in the meantime, I guess I'm saving on electricity. (In the spirit of Monty Python "Always look on the bright side of life.")
--I received a rather substantial cash gift this year that is going into the CIT account recommended by Kristen-with-an-e and so will be making money for me while it sits there. I give you advice on cloth napkins, Kristen, and you give me advice on making almost 5% interest on my money. Not exactly an even exchange. I definitely came out ahead on that one. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, Re the vinegar smell, once the weather warms up try setting the lids out in the sun for the day.
@kristin @ going country,
I am all for the cloth napkins and handkerchiefs. And I have cotton tablecloths - which the guys will never put on the table by their own accord-
@kristin @ going country,
Several of the restaurants where I live that serve really messy foods like barbecue or oysters use napkins that are made of terry cloth. They are bigger than a face cloth and smaller than a hand towel. They are super absorbent, durable, and wash well. I made a set for cookouts.
@kristin @ going country, I use reusable "parchment" which last for thousands of uses. Mine eventually rip along the crease, at which point I use the smaller pieces as lifters in loaf pans.
@kristin @ going country, I pour a little cheap vanilla extract into lids like that and let soak in for a day or two. No need to use the good stuff, the cheap flavoring is strong enough to overcome a vinegar/tomato/salsa smell in jar lids.
@kristin @ going country, You could make apple scrap vinegar in one of the jars -- then you don't even have to worry about getting the smell out.
I agree with others that sitting them in the sun one hot day will go a long way toward getting rid of the smell.
@kristin @ going country, about those plastic lids, I'd try dumping baking soda in them for awhile —let them sit that way. Or I'd stuff the jar with newspaper and put the lid on, turn it upside down, and let it sit. And I'd check Everyday Cheapskate (Mary Hunt) for tips too. Somewhere is an answer!
-I HATE okra in all forms and think it is pretty bizarro that it is part of a kids' salad bar. In fact, I think a kids' salad bar is also a bit unusual. But I love those large jars from cafeterias/restaurants and use them for many bulk items in my pantry. I've learned to not put glass ones next to each other because they sometimes break if they bang against each other.
-Yea for a dryer! I think you have been positively heroic to not have one with your large household of active outdoor dirt-involved people.
-I'm with you on parchment paper.
@JNL,
me too! And my tablecloths all have the matching cloth napkins.
@kristin @ going country, Lids are often interchangeable--try finding another random one that fits. Tops to plastic jars of nuts fit my biggest jars, for example. And wide-mouth Mason jar lids fit others. I am a fan of the plastic, non-rusting options.
@kristin @ going country, can you give some details on the "CIT" account? I'm looking trough the blog for more info but haven't found it yet. I NEED this 5%! lol
@Elaina, It's CIT Bank's platinum savings account. The rate is actually 4.35% now, for the higher amount balance. It's an all-online bank.
@Bee, I call them “fingertip towels.” I’ve used them for years as napkins. They’re sturdy and great with messy foods and little ones. We use them in our camper, too. In a pinch they can be a placemat on an iffy picnic table. Although, usually, I have tablecloth with me for roadside picnics. I always pack 2 of the little towels when we travel. They’re so handy to have … along with 2 cloth napkins.
On another note … I ended up with about 10 thin washcloths from my MIL’s things. I rolled those up and put them in a basket in our guest bathroom. It didn’t take the grandkids long to learn to go and get one of those to wash up after a family dinner.
@kristin @ going country,
I wish the kitchem in the hospital where I work got ingredients in large glass jars. Sigh. All of their stuff comes in plastic or in cans.
@WilliamB, for years I used “baking sheets” from a restaurant supply store. They were much cheaper than actual parchment paper but I had to cut each one in half to fit normal size cookie sheets. I would flip them over and use both sides. (We had a mom and pop Christmas tree farm for many years. I made complimentary cookies for our customers on the weekends so needed to quickly rotate through my cookie sheets to keep up with volume.). I also like the silicone baking mats these days.
@kristin @ going country, I use the big glass gallon jars with metal lids that pickles come in as well. We store nearly all dry goods and anything else small in the pantry. The smell will dissipate on its own very quickly, or you can speed it up by putting them outside in the sun (doesn't have to be hot), or just keeping the jars open and without their lids for a few days. I use even them to store sugar and candy, and the smell is never an issue unless I forget to let them air out for a few days after washing thoroughly. I hear you as well on the eggs! Looking forward to them going back down hopefully; I've got 3 teen sons with empty legs too.
@Bee, My in-laws use terry cloth hand towels as their everyday napkins!
@kristin @ going country, Please --- do tell -- what is the CIT account that gets almost 5% interest? Many thanks!!!!
@WilliamB, oooh, this is a great idea. Do you use regular parchment, or is there a specific kind you could recommend that's more reusable?
@kristin @ going country, I just moved some money into Open Bank, which is a division of Santander (everywhere in Europe, and apparently on the East Coast.) My current rate is 4.75%. It too is all online for the high interest rate, and so far, easy to use.
Cloth napkins are the best! And yes, only cotton. I’ve tried linen and it is too wrinkly and doesn’t absorb as well. I once cut up a whole cotton table cloth and made napkins. I’ve also just hemmed pieces of quilters cotton.
The day after Christmas aldi had sets of six Christmas napkins for $2. They have trees on one style and the other ones say falalala. I figured we could use them all year round and it will save my nicer napkins. I bought 36.
My absolute favorite napkins came from Anthropologie as a birthday present and I only pull those out on special occasions. They are super thick. And if I had tons of money to spare I would have bought all this kind of napkin. I think they’d last a lot longer too since they are so much thicker than quilters cotton. They discontinued the kind I have, they came in all blues or purples before. This is what they sell now:
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/camila-jacquard-napkins-set-of-6?color=000&inventoryCountry=US&countryCode=US&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_source=Google-Mobile&utm_campaign=US+-+Shopping+-+PMAX+-+Home+-+G%26E+-+General&utm_content=&utm_term=&creative=&device=m&matchtype=&network=x&utm_kxconfid=vx6rd81ts&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADnwqi6B6baIK0DvMlhiVyw_IKSuG&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHyzgDWtXtEwYHml7-P9A9XlqUJ3UuNnpp9nnlR3_WrS35vOFv_97r4aAslpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&type=STANDARD&size=Set+Of+6&quantity=1
@Faith, I had the same issue with linen napkins. Standard cotton napkins are the best.
@Faith, in the spirit of Loyal Opposition (as the Brits say), I'm very fond of my linen napkins. Between what I inherited from my mother and my grandmother, and a few I've picked up at thrifts and rummage sales over the years, I have so many that I'll probably need to mention them separately in a codicil to my will. And here's a pro tip for linen napkins: They're a lot more absorbent if you line-dry or rack-dry them, and to hell with the wrinkles. They get wrinkled the minute you use them anyhow.
@A. Marie, I inherited some linen tea towels from my grandmother and found they became more absorbant as the years went by. They have to soften up with time.
@Faith, I bought a $20 tablecloth at IKEA, cut it up to make a whole lot of napkins, linen/cotton blend. Best of both worlds!
@Faith, ro ro. I followed the link and saw some terrific dish cloths (I am a sucker for good quality dish cloths and tea towels). I find many at the thrift shop I volunteer at. Also placemats and napkins.
@A. Marie, I agree! I never put linen in the tumble dryer. I snap them and dry them on a rack or line. I too have so many I may need a codicil LOL
Some of mine are luncheon size, some dinner size. I love them!
If the hems get a bit unraveled, just roll it a bit and stitch on a machine. Easy.
I haven't bought paper towels or napkins in years.
When they are so far gone as to be unusable for napkins, they are great for cleaning/polishing windows.
JC
I have to ask. Since it's just you and Zoe, why care about stains on cloth napkins? I've never cared about that. We don't have a matching set (just random ones I've acquired over the years)
If you want to go cheap and don't mind wandering the Labyrinth in the Land Where the Furniture Folds to a Much Smaller Size, a 4 pack can be had there for $1.49. Also their name is Vippstarr which sounds like a fantasy character name.
My FFT
1. Sold more stuff on eBay. One was very difficult to ship but the other that two end today should be easy peasy. I am not making a fortune off of this but enough that I am making a small dent in my excess stuff pile.
2. Worked some overtime. It's rare that I get overtime and it can be sometimes frustrating that just working a little OT brings in more than doing eBay but at least eBay is mostly not a big deal.
3. Because of various reasons, my daughter has decided she only wants to bring her lunch to school and not get the free school lunch. She barely eats what the school serves so in an effort to make sure she doesn't go hungry, I am okay with her packing PBJs every day (her choice.) I found a sandwich cutter at Walmart for $2 so she can use that to cut them the way she wants them (like the ridiculously priced Uncrustables.)
4. It was super cold out so I made chicken stock in my Instant Pot. It's great not worrying about getting your fridge all warmed up when you can just use the outside as a walk in (out?) fridge. Seriously, it was maybe 15° out and windy so after the water bath in the sink it got down to safe temperatures pretty quickly.
5. Just avoiding buying things right now. My pantry is full. My freezer has food in it and generally speaking outside of produce and bread and milk, I don't need to buy anything for a while.
I don't think it would have gone well if I tried cutting my cats' nails (either of them)!
My frugal things...can't think of many!
1. I stayed home this weekend so didn't spend money going into town.
2. I used part of a tin of beans for a recipe last night and saved the rest for tonight.
3. I remembered to renew my library books.
4. I went to the gym and worked on some of the machines I hadn't used before.
5. I went to a Danish language class, which is free for me (well, I pay by tax, but you know what I mean).
@Sophie in Denmark,
Frugality is very much about the small choices!
@JNL, indeed! I try to remind myself of that.
I love using cloth napkins and explain why here: https://practicalwalk.com/2024/11/15/why-i-use-cloth-napkins/
1. I sent back a whole stitch fix box. It got it free as a promo and while I was really tempted to keep a dress from it that I loved, I just hated paying so much. I much prefer thrift store shopping.
2. We'll be going out of town for a night. We're combining appointments with looking at purchasing a new-to-us car and also visiting my father-in-law. We do plan to eat out once, but are also taking breakfast burritos and sandwich makings for other meals.
3. I'm taking some items to Goodwill today and should get a coupon for my donation.
4. I signed up for ibotta, hoping it'll help the grocery budget. Anyone here find it helpful? I already use fetch rewards.
5. After crunching numbers, it was determined that driving on an upcoming trip save enough for it to make it worth it over flying. So drive we shall!
@Katy @ Practical Walk, I used Ibotta for about 5 years. Back in the day it had many generic items you could get money for like eggs or milk. When it changed to a lot of name brand items I deleted my account. They no longer had items that I would normally buy.
@Katy @ Practical Walk, I use iBotta as Mar says it primarily offer rebates on brand name items of which I buy few. It takes me a long time to make the $20 necessary to withdraw funds. However, I still have received over $300 in rebates over the years. You can also receive rebates for online ordering.
@Katy @ Practical Walk,
I love Ibotta. There is a lot of stuff not worth it, but others are good deals. If you find clearance items that's on there, you can get some great deals. If your accounts are linked, make sure you upload offers before you buy. I always look over everything before I go to the store. My last trip I got .10 for any receipt, .20 for any tortillas, $3 for two boxes of Tampax (one of the very few things I'm brand specific on). I recently got a Lego set on clearance for free after rebate and 3 large refill bottles of Soft soap (Christmas clearance) for just a few cents each. Love Ibotta and Fetch, next best in my opinion is Receipt Hog
@Katy @ Practical Walk,
I use Ibotta for ordering things from Chewy.com. Even my "auto-ships" earn cash back. Once in awhile, I will also scan in my receipt if there's an item we usually buy (the occasional "any receipt", Heinz ketchup that my DH insists on, etc). My local Kroger will not give you a paper receipt if you do a pick up order, and Ibotta will not accept an electronic receipt (even if you print it out, and then scan it).
1. I did some extra batch cooking and freezing, which makes it easier and tastier to have homemade lunch during the work week.
2. I borrowed the next two books in the series my kid is reading from a friend, after realizing that the books weren’t available at the library branch that’s open on Sundays.
3. I keep browsing clothes online and then remembering that I don’t actually need anything - I guess it’s a waste of time, but at least not time and money/natural resources.
4. None of our weekend activities had any extra costs associated with them. (Younger kid’s horseback riding lesson was canceled because of snow, so we saved that money. My husband took him sledding instead.)
5. Oh, a big one for last - we realized that switching our dental insurance from my husband’s plan to mine this year would save us thousands of dollars on our older kid’s orthodontia. The braces went on last week.
This past weekend I did a free painting class at my little library. It was fun to get out and try something new. The class was an unexpected library perk!
I bought my groceries at Target this week to take advantage of a reward offer. Their prices are typically cheaper than the grocery store near my house, but the fresh produce is lacking and it’s across town, so I don’t usually do my food shopping there. I had something to return though, so it made sense to get everything done at the same place.
We’ve had a lot of snow recently, so free entertainment! I went sledding with my daughter.
Meijer had discount ground turkey for 1.68 per pound and I bought 10 pounds & froze it. My senior dog currently eats this.
Meijer also sent me a 50% off coffee coupon and you betcha I used it. They also gave me free M&M's.
Several free meals at work, we also were allowed to take as much home as possible. I got 4 meals for 2 people out of it. I took a whole loaf of sour dough bread and froze it too.
Our back yard light went out...boo it is at the top of a very tall pole. It is 10 degrees here so we opted to use a light we had on the front of our house and moved it to the back for free dollars. It replaced a light on the back of our garage that did not work but was easily accessible. We need the lights in the yard to see when coyotes are there.
Due to my oldest pup not eating, my vet suggested the lowest cost options first before. Now that he has been on antibiotics for 2 days he started eating again which makes me think it is a tooth.
Like you, we clipped cat nails. Our sweet cat had not been out of doors a lot in the past weeks and as a result her nails were too long - she got caught on clothes and blankets (although she fortunately did not try to scratch the furniture, good girl that she is).
Our FFT:
- Cheap laundry when the sun came out: solar powered laundry and line drying
- Cheap shopping: aided by my master price list I shopped at several shops to find good price/quality deals. Also eating local and seasonal produce - with the exception of bananas 😉
- Shoe repairs: new soles for my day to day shoes, at a 30% loyal customer discount
- Cheap recreation: excercising outdoors and reading library books (I read 37 books last year, the majority of which were library books)
- Reducing temptation: I unsubscribed from the majority of newsletters I received in the past weeks, and in doing so I am also reducing carbon emission. Datacenters require a lot of capacity.
My husband made pizza the other night for dinner. If you get a chance and don't make your own dough, Aldi sells the dough for less than $1.50 and it tastes great. When it was on sale for $1.19, we bought a couple of doughs and froze them.
Then I got up on Sunday and he made a gourmet breakfast, so I didn't feel the need to go out to breakfast. Then he made chicken wings for dinner that were pretty good too.
We needed something to hold towels near the kitchen sink. I had them on the oven handle, but they were in the way of the bottom oven. I found a curtain rod I purchased a while back that I wasn't using that had magnets. I put it on the dishwasher and now we have a place for a town. Unfortunately, I had to lower it so we don't pull on the rod and break that.
He broke the snowblower last week, so he will be spending his spare time fixing that. Hopefully it can be fixed. He was talking to a friend and they both were sharing ideas on fixing it.
I purchased 2 quarts of paint for my island in the kitchen and I'm not sure which color I like, but then again think they are both wrong. My husband said I can bring them back and have them re-tinted to something I think would be a better fit. Now to get to the store when the person is there to do that.
FFT, President Carter Edition (revised/updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) I’ve been rinsing and reusing Ziplocs since Amy D recommended this in the Tightwad Gazette, but I was delighted to learn from several NCA commenters that President Carter did it too. (One of the many, many ways in which he was a role model.)
(2) I’m still enjoying the lamb stew that I made with the last of the Wegmans Reduced for Quick Sale lamb from last week. It only gets better as it goes along.
(3) I was able to slog out through the snow to my current compost heap yesterday and dump the overflowing bucket of kitchen scraps I’ve been saving for the last three weeks. I ripped open one of the bags of leaves I filched off a neighbor’s curb last fall and dumped it on top of the scraps, to try to keep critters out. (This won’t be totally successful, of course, but it will build up the heap.)
(4) I’m about to try a new method of making croutons from stale bread, described by Donna Freedman over at Surviving and Thriving. I’ve got a whole loaf of Panera bread (passed along by my JASNA Panera friend a while back, and currently in the freezer) that’s ripe for this opportunity.
(5) And since yesterday was a milder day, I was able to nip out for a well-batched bunch of errands. Among other things, I made it to both the pop-up thrift shop in the old bowling alley and the Salvation Army superstore, and found a couple of gifts for friends at each. (My next-door neighbor’s 86th birthday is today, and I found her a Talbots top.)
@A. Marie, I made croutons yesterday to use up four slices of gluten-free bread from the back of the freezer. DH will try a brand of GF sandwich bread and decide he hates it, but he'll eat it made into croutons. If you put enough olive oil, seasoning and crunch into it, I think he'd happily eat cardboard.
GF bread is usually $8 for a half-sized loaf. You can bet your boots I don't waste it.
@A. Marie, yes! I always wash out ziploc baggies! best frugal hack!
@A. Marie, I not only wash out all my ziplocs, but I wash and reuse aluminum foil when I can! Once its dry it easily rolls right back onto the roll in the box! Frugal Wierdos UNITE! Ha ha..
@A. Marie, I don't think you're allowed to have a Jimmy Carter Edition without mentioning peanuts. Just sayin'! 😉
@Bobi, well, I am loyally buying Hampton Farms peanuts in the shell at Ollie's for the birdies who adore them in my platform feeder: blue jays, tufted titmice, woodpeckers, and cardinals. Carter was a bird lover as well as a rinser of Ziploc bags, so I think he'd approve of this too
@A. Marie, He was a wonderful role model for a long life of service to his fellow man.
1. My favorite frugal thing this week is learning how - at the tender age of 65 - to make focaccia. Its King Arthur Baking's "Recipe of the Year 2025". Not a typo. Anyway. the recipe is what I call "fiddly" with 16 steps and so much folding of the dough but the results are worth it.
2. I raided DD28 recycling barrel and retrieved 48 returnable cans. Here in Massachusetts the deposit is still only 5 cents per can or bottle. We put the cash received in our yard sale envelope.
3. Continue to wash most clothing in cold water using the "speed wash" cycle. Sheets, towels and undies are washed in hot.
4. Stayed far away from Target and CVS after-Christmas sales.
5. Tinted my partially white eyebrows. I may have white and silver hair, but I do not want white eyebrows. In the past I have had them done professionally at three separate salons but the dye never lasts. A kit costs $9 and will last a year.
@MEM, Congrats on your focaccia! I've never tried one, but now that you've mentioned it's KA's ROTY25, I might need to try. But it'll be later in the year since I'm still recovering from making a Christmas Kringle, which also requires many steps and lots of folding. 😉
@Bobi,
I don't know that I would attempt a kringle. I impressed myself with the focaccia and now make two at a time. It's all about the bubbles!
@MEM, at the pop-up thrift shop in the old bowling alley yesterday, I saw a King Arthur Flour cookbook about the size of a doorstop. I passed it over, since I mainly use my bread machine and its recipes these days--but now I'm second-guessing myself.
And another fun fact about my Bestest Neighbors: A classmate of Dr. BN's is, or more likely was (given their ages), a higher-up at King Arthur Flour. So through this connection, the BNs are able to order from KAF online at a discount. KA scones rule!
I've used the black Sharpie trick on clothing before! Another reason to mostly wear black 😉 Reminds me, I have a nightshirt with bleach stains on it, I know not how, I should treat it.
1. I mentioned this over at the Non-Consumer blog. On our trip back north, we were watching the weather carefully, and noted that Winter Storm Cora was due to hit Knoxville right around the morning we'd be leaving there (we'd planned to stay overnight there to break up our drive into three, rather than two, days). After talking it over with DS#1, who was driving his own car, we agreed that we could push through after Macon and not stay in Knoxville. We already had reservations at a hotel in Knoxville, and their cancellation policy was very clear (as in, none), but we stopped at the hotel and DH very politely explained the situation and said he was happy to pay for one of the rooms, but maybe we could get a voucher for the other one to use at another time? If we stayed that night we were going to get stuck. The very, very nice front desk manager said that was fine, she could cancel both reservations, and she offered the use of their front lobby and lounge so we could have lunch in a warm place, hot tea and coffee from their station, and use the bathrooms. You bet I wrote up a glowing review for her on TripAdvisor and Google. We saved having to pay for hotel rooms we couldn't use, and got home a day earlier.
2. I cancelled some subscriptions on Amazon, and also deleted the app from my phone. This will definitely cut down on my "window shopping", which often leads to impulse buys. We used some Amazon points, though, to purchase some TV shows for family entertainment, and school supplies. While I don't yet feel the need to ditch Amazon from our lives, I'm trying to be more mindful of my consumption and exposure to it.
3. I went "shopping in the house" and found a plastic basket that came with our cooler and some clear food containers that were never being used, and used them to contain things like boxed mac and cheese in the pantry and my skin care stuff in the bathroom. Much nicer than the cardboard boxes I was using. I love organizing things.
4. Speaking of cardboard boxes, you know you're a crazy cat lady when your DH orders a UV sanitizing light and the box it comes in looks perfect for building your spoiled cat a cat tunnel. A little tape and some Xacto knife work and Clark has a perfect little cat tunnel. At first it moved around a lot on the tile floor when he'd barrel through it, but putting a couple of small hand weights inside solved that. He hides in it, plays in it, and I feel very smug when I think about the targeted ads I've been getting for cat tunnels.
5. The boys who stayed at home ate very frugally; one night they made a half-batch of hamburger stew, and said that fed them for several meals, as well as things like homemade tomato soup and some boxed mac and cheese we got on sale. They were so prudent that they still had all the ingredients left for a delicious taco meal to greet us when we got home!
6. Library books forever; I am deep in the middle of Liane Moriarty's "Here One Moment" and it's much better than I expected. Also got several books on herb gardening, as our landlords have okayed us digging up part of the front yard (best drainage and most sun) for a garden!
Sorry about the 6 things on Five Frugal Things day! Overachiever here...
@Karen A.,
We use boxes like that - our cat "moves house" more often than we do. One winter we made a little castle (but it did need a lot of space).
Slits, trapdoors, roof windows, all perfect for a little adventure
@JNL, It's gotten so Clark gets so excited when a delivery comes, and insists on supervising the opening of the box so we can assess the building potential of the box.
@Karen A., I once built a castle out of cardboard boxes for the cat my parents had when I was a teenager. Since the cat's name was Julius Caesar, I inscribed the entrance box "Caesar's Palace" over the doorway.
@A. Marie, I love that! We were considering designing a "Clark's Gym" sign, since there are hand weights in there holding it in place and he looks like he's going in for a workout.
@Karen A., that was a great book. i want to start on her other books from the library. i am working my way through fiona davis books. have one more to go.
hello!
1) I am working my way through a freezer challenge. I pulled a turkey from my freezer, cooked it up and have enjoyed several different meals so far. After making soup, freezing up extra broth and the different meals I made, each serving ended up being right around 1.25 and I have 18 meals plus the extra broth. Lots of work, but really paid off!
2) saved some fruit from my fridge by making a smoothie, and then wondered why I don't do that more often 🙂
3) told myself no to 2 impulse purchases I would have enjoyed I suppose, but did not need.
4) moved money from one account that was not doing so well interest wise, to a better paying account.
5) Not so much frugal for me, but for my kids and helpful to the environment, I shipped all the toys my dog doesn't like to my kids who have a much less picky dog. I feel better about not wasting them and it saved them some $
That picture of Chiquita through the sewing machine is so very cute!!
My FFT:
1. I used black sharpie on my catering shoes to cover where some black trim had rubbed off.
2. Meijer had great clearance on shoes (30% off the clearance price!) and I got $7 tennis shoes for one kid and really cute shoes for my fifth grader for less than $10. It was so good to hear her be really excited over the shoes and know how little they cost!!
3. My fifth grader needed some new shirts and there's an upcoming daddy/daughter dance so we went shopping Friday night. We found matching clearance dresses for her and her sister (I love that she still wants to match her sister!) as well as some clearance shirts, then we went to Goodwill and found her some shoes, new shirts, and one of those belt bags that the kids are wearing these days. I was thinking of getting her one for her birthday, but she was delighted to find one covered in sequins and only $3.
4. I had an abundance of chicken last week and made 3 freezer meals out of it.
5. I picked up my Christmas gift card from work. It was going to be available between January 3 and January 12 and I kept track of my claim tag for almost 3 weeks to be able to pick it up when it was available.
I had to fill a bobbin for the red napkin, and she was fascinated with watching the thread spin so fast!
@Kristen, That makes sense! Fun cat entertainment. 🙂
@Ruth T,
When my grandmother's identical twin was widowed, she moved in with my grandparents, and she and my grandmother immediately went back to their old habit of dressing the same, which they had done from birth until they were married and moved apart. They were still dressing the same until my great-aunt died in her late eighties, a couple of years before my grandmother died.
It delights me that your girls enjoy it, too.
@JD, That is so sweet!!! They must have been adorable to see out and about. My girls are in 5th grade and kindergarten, so they don't dress alike a ton and I feel like I'm cherishing this moment in time.
@Ruth T,
They were adorable, so adorable that they made the local paper!
I too have been on the thrift lookout for cotton or linen napkins. Good job hemming!
Frugal: January freezer and pantry clean out. Lower grocery costs ( for us). My family starting to grumble about the different soups! lol
I have been pushing my haircuts to every three months. Last three weeks gets interesting.
Walking and weights at home.
Podcasts. Libby app. And Kanopy for entertainment.
Went to a movie on 5 dollar Tuesday. A Complete Unknown. Really liked it.
@Stephanie, A Complete Unknown is a good movie, we saw it Xmas Day. I do thing they could have cut about 20 minutes off the "last year" but again, I am seven years younger than better half. The Beatles are about the only thing I remember from that year and only because of The Chipmunks lol. But a great history documentary (I love looking at the cars).
Weren't the napkins easy? Just don't do what I did and make some from on-sale fat quarters that are so darn cute, I don't want to use the napkins because I might mess them up!
1. I made striped reversible place mats last year for my table and that left a handful of strips about 2" x 12" from where I had cut out the place mats. I sewed the strips together this weekend, scrounged a piece of plaid fabric in the same colors for a backing from my stash, used a scrap of fleece interfacing between and made a little round pad to go under my glazed stoneware fruit bowl. Now I don't have to worry about scratching my tabletop.
2. The fruit bowl was a $3 bargain from Goodwill in my favorite blue. I love it.
3. I also made a soup bowl cozy for my sister who asked for one, from fabric, thread and batting (I use Wrap and Zap to be microwave safe) I already had.
4. I made a seed tray birdfeeder out of a solid brass sieve used for grading crushed rock/materials. DH worked for many years in industries that used these sieves. This one was a size they no longer used and he was allowed to keep it. I finally figured out how to hang it. These sieves easily run $100 and higher, so the birds are eating off some expensive dinnerware.
5. I did my usual thing of opening a large bag of dog food and immediately freezing about 2/3's of it, to keep it fresh while the dogs eat down the first third.
Oh that is a good point! I care so little about the Goodwill towel/napkins, I won't mind getting them messy!
@Kristen, the red ones are good for nights when spaghetti is on the menu. I sewed a set of red print ones just to use on Italian food nights.
@Ruby, this reminds me of the plan I pursue on the rare occasions I go out with friends for Italian or Indian food: "Always coordinate your clothing with your entree."
@JD, What a good idea to freeze part of the dog food! I have been noticing my cat's dry food getting a little stale before we finish the bag and wondering how to keep it fresh longer. I'm going to try this next time I open a bag.
I switched from paper napkins to cloth after I got married, because that's what Mr. B used. He had white cotton napkins that were weirdly stiff and too small, and I never really felt that they got clean. Last year, we got some big, soft ones in a autumnal plaid pattern that hide stains marvelously, plus they wash and wear well. Now I love them! We got 12, which also means that we never really run out and don't have to think about when to wash them; we just throw them in with any hot load.
My very modest five:
1. Two fails first: I waited one day too long and had to toss an entire pineapple, and I tried to make naan with some lingering yogurt and my cheap rental stove burnt every single one before it was cooked through, even on low heat. Frustrating.
2. We are working on clearing out the freezer to ensure good turnover and it's going well! I tossed some yucky stuff but we've eaten through most of the chicken katsu, some frozen veggies, the dumplings, and some soups and curries that I'd made and frozen. Maybe someday I'll see the back of the freezer again...
3. Our instant yeast has lost its power but we won't be getting to Costco for a while, so we bought regular active-dry. I figured out how to make it work with the bread machine, and we are back in business! (You add the yeast to the wet ingredients, stir, then pour in the dry with the salt going last, then start the machine with a 10-minute delay. Perfect results.)
That's all from me. I'm being easy on myself with spending money. We've had a hard few weeks and now my toddler is sick (just a cold, but still feeling awful.) We have extra so that we can spend it to make life easier when things are a bit harder. Case in point: I'm letting myself buy lunch at work today.
@Meira@meirathebear, you have indeed had a hard few weeks, as I remember from your recent comments. I think that you, Mr. Bear, and Little Bear should all be good to yourselves.
@A. Marie, thank you, that's very kind.
* Canceled subscription before the price increase.
* Submitted receipts to FSA. Our new FSA debit cards haven't come in yet so while it's more trouble to submit receipts than just using the card, it wasn't hard and the money was deposited in my account within a week.
* Planned weekly menu around what we had in the frig that was going to go bad.
* One Christmas present I ordered came in THREE times, but I was only charged once. Called the company and they said I could keep the other two. One of them will be my SIL's birthday present today. The other will go into the "gift" closet.
* Used remaining money on gift card to order myself a gift from my MIL. She's 92 and doesn't get out much, so she gave us each a little money for Christmas. That cash will go into the bank.
Target had spend $100 on diapers and get a $30 gift card. I bought three boxes of my kids nighttime diapers which were surprisingly $1 a box cheaper than Walmart and Amazon.
Target had a save $15 when you spend $60 on household essentials. I did that as well as used $7 in digital coupons plus the $30 gift card to spend $21 out of pocket on that order for detergent, toilet paper, freezer bags, and a few other things.
Digital library books.
Played some games on Fetch in my downtime to cash out $5 on Amazon.
Funny you should mention hankies because I put them in my list for FFT. Mine were a bonus find from a neighbor's "take me" table. I use them for a drippy nose, saving disposables for more substantial needs.
Buying dog meds online, particularly with the first-time-buyer discounts.
Cooking and eating down the freezers.
Price comparing for a few expensive food items, while buying most things at the store that is usually the cheapest.
Teaching my nibling how to cook, which is less expensive than eating out, not to mention more fun and more focused time.
Swapping back and forth with a friend. Most recently, she gave me a lot of plastic containers (storage my roommate's multiple cubic feet of loose Lego) and I gave her a lot of thread from my "how did I inherit so much?" thread stash.
Yes, the drippy nose is what I was planning to use those small pieces for; a drippy nose is usually not some kind of infectious issue so it's a perfect use case for a piece of cloth.
@WilliamB, my late MIL was a professional seamstress--and when my SIL was on a tear cleaning out MIL's house. I did manage to speak up in time to save the thread from getting tossed onto DH's dump-bound trailer. I've kept some for the simple mending I still do, and passed on the rest to Ms. Bestest Neighbor (who hems pants and skirts for me) and a friend of hers who's a quilter.
I use the sharpie trick a lot - XR wears black scrubs at my hospital. Works like magic!
Frugal things for me:
*people watching, book reading, and coffee sipping today at Starbucks, courtesy of a gift card I got for Christmas
*refund on some gross tasting powdered greens drink from an Amazon seller based on my less than stellar review. I wasn't planning on that at all, but it is appreciated.
*wearing my $6 shirt I got at Goodwill last week - it fits perfectly and is exactly my style
*while I'm out today, I'm going to get some BBQ take-out that I will stretch into two meals. Is that frugal? Not sure, but it ups my protein, gets me out of the kitchen, and gives me time to stitch more.
I love kitty's expression while you sew, ha ha.
I don’t remember where I read about the Netflix documentary “Buy Now” but, holy smokes that was jaw dropping (and a wee bit gimmicky which was annoying at the end).
1. In light of the doc, I stopped 2 Amazon subscriptions, took 3 things out of my shopping cart, & deleted the app off my phone
2. All meals have been eaten at home for days
3. Stayed home during the snow/ice that hit NE TN & organized my freezers & pantry
4. Made delicious chicken stock from the drippings that were leftover from our Meals on Wheels baked chicken thighs. A woman who I work with in the kitchen called it liquid gold & she was right! Also made beef stock with xmas prime rib bones & such
5. While being cozy at home, I also cooked & froze 8 cups of kidney beans for future chili
Grateful for my son’s hard work in the summer- had several days of wood stove fires which helped keep the furnace from running non stop. Also I know that my gas for my car will be much less because I stayed home for days!!
True confession: I love paper napkins and am not giving them up. I've tried cloth ones and they just don't work for me. They are getting harder to find though, either everyone has jumped on the cloth napkin bandwagon OR (my opinion) most who used them switched to paper towels. Actually napkins have gotten so flimsy that I'm pretty sure they decompose much faster than paper towels which have gotten progressively larger and thicker. Most napkins are also made of recycled materials.
That's how I feel about giving up my clothes dryer! I gave it such a good shot but I HATED it. I line dry some things that need gentle care, but I cheerfully throw my jeans and towels into the dryer.
@Kristen, my family absolutely hates line-dried towels, which I love. So I rack dry a lot of my clothes and machine dry theirs. It saves a tiny bit.
This is fascinating; what is it about line-dried towels that you love? That sounds like such a scratchy experience to me!
@Ruby,
I also prefer line-dried towels. They give you such a lovely rub. I find those soft towels very unsatisfying
@Ruby and @Kristen, I'm guessing that it's because line-drying towels makes them a lot more absorbent. (See my comment above about line- or rack-drying linen napkins.) In addition, I rather enjoy the scratchy experience as a skin exfoliator.
Is that just because of the lack of fabric softener? I know fabric softener reduces absorbency.
But I never use it in my dryer.
@Kristen, it's true that fabric softener reduces absorbency. But IME, so does drying in the dryer.
However, please do whatever works for you, given your busy schedule. I'm a retiree with the luxury of time, which you and many other Commentariat members are not.
@Lea, yes, using one just such a nice polish to one's skin.
@A. Marie,
I think the same way you do. They absorb better when not dried in the dryer to me, too.
And they feel great rubbing my back as I dry off.
I must be sensitive or something. Ha. I like my middle-of-the-road towels; no fabric softener, but tumble dried.
@kristen, that's how I like them also. Line-dried towels are too scratchy for me.
1. My son did not want a birthday party for his 11th birthday. He wanted to go to neighboring city, stay in a hotel, and ride their subway (he loovvess trains!). We used some credit cards points to get a two-night stay in a hotel very close to the subway. We rode the subway multiple times, which was free. We went to the play museum which we got at 50% off because we are members of the play museum in our city. We swam in the pool. We brought snacks, drinks, and lunches with us and breakfast was included in the price of the room.
2. I juiced some mandarin oranges that were past their prime. The juice is great added to sparkling water.
3. My son needs braces. The cost out of pocket is about $5500. We waited to schedule the appointment until 2025, so we could change our dental insurance. My husband enrolled in his employer's dental insurance and I increased the dental insurance through my employer. We also put extra money in our FSA this year. The total out of pocket cost for the braces will be about $1,000. This is not cheap, but definitely a big savings.
4. I listed some items on Marketplace that we no longer need.
5. Signed my kids up for some free events at the YMCA
@Corrine, I love that your son asked for his experiential trip over a party! I did the same (without the focus on trains) for my 40th and my 50th.
@Corrine, Love your #2. I have a jar of mandarin orange juice sitting in my refrigerator waiting for me to think of something to use it for. Thank you!
I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance and see the Fitness reimbursement option for the first time on the website. I need to figure out how to send a receipt for reimbursement as I do pay to for a a gym membership. Thanks for the reminder!
My frugalish things:
1. When I placed an order for a refill on toiletries in Target, I made sure to get the $15 off a $60 purchase (not hard to reach as I bought toilet paper, soaps and cleaning supplies that I store in the pantry).
2. My boys wanted to go thrifting and we popped into Goodwill, where they found a couple of button-down shirts they liked. We had just been to the mall where they didn't find any shirts they liked, instead they took scissors to the Goodwill shirts to cut them into the right cropped and boxy shape that's trendy. Hey, works for me.
3. Have done some bartering with a neighbor, she picks the rosemary in our yard and I get some extra garlic she doesn't use up that comes with her food order. Over the holidays I got some cinnamon sticks from her as well.
4. Bought some book gifts on my work benefit where I get a stipend to buy new books.
5. On the weekend, took some time bake breakfast pastries for the week. Used up leftovers into new meals (gravy and mashed potatoes into a shephard's pie) or lunches. Made ice coffee from coffee leftovers.
Oh, that's such a nice perk! I'd love a gym reimbursement, but I don't think my plan has that.
1. A fancy gas station just opened by our house, and they have had DEALS, 1.49/dozen eggs, 2.79/gallon milk, 2.99/pkg of bacon, coupons for free bread and bananas, and all kinds of daily specials on their hot food, so we have had a few meals for cheap! $2 1/4 lb cheeseburgers, and $1 slices of pizza and chicken sandwiches! Eating out is rarely frugal, but in this case, it was definitely cheaper than making those things at home!
2. Staying home is frugal, it's too cold in SD to want to go anywhere right now! Our electric/gas bill is not going to be pretty, but so very grateful for a warm house.
3. Using my phone as a scanner to scan in documents to save to USB's in our lock box, we are nowhere near the fires, but seeing the devastation made me rethink how much paper I would have to grab. I shredded bunch of papers, and have a clean slate to start gathering tax paperwork!
4. Deleting and unsubscribing from shopping emails! The focus for 2025 is no more debt, so this helps curb the impulse to buy anything that isn't a "need".
5. I want to look into cloth napkins, too, our family of 4 goes through quite a few paper napkins, and I have looked into just ordering a bunch on Amazon since our goodwill is very hit and miss with anything, and I rarely get there to do more than drop off donations.
@Jen, I asked a friend who has a side Etsy sewing gig to make me a few to see how it goes, I am much happier to give her $ instead of Schmeff Schmezos!
@Jen, #3 - excluding BCs etc, I have the "mom is dead folder" which is easily grabbed in case of emergencies.
1. After inventorying our little upright freezer, I made a grocery list solely out of the few items needed to make meals/dishes out of what needed to be used up.
2. Cooked 16 days worth of meaty kibble topper for my dogs, portioned it up and popped it in the freezer. Also made white bean soup, roasted sweet potato cubes, and a bowl of gluten-free croutons to use up some slices of GF bread found at the back of the freezer.
3. Managed to match up some store coupons with sales and knocked $6 off the grocery total.
4. Laundered some disposable Swiffer dusters and line-dried them. They are good for about five or six washings before the fibers dreadlock into not being that usable. My house has a lot of wooden blinds and louvered doors, for which the Swiffers work best.
5. It's taken a great deal of patient training, but our very nervous old dog has learned to tolerate having her nails manicured with a nail grinder. She completely loses her cool if anyone tries to cut her nails. We used to take her to the vet but it's $27 for a trim now, so this is very good news.
@Ruby, We tried using a nail grinder on our rescue dog, but she is terrified of it. She got her nails trimmed at the vet today and it was not cheap. How did you train her to not loss her cool with the nail grinder?
@Ruby, I congratulate you on being able to train your dog to tolerate nail trims. We continue our many efforts to try and get our animal shelter Dane to allow us to touch her feet. He was abused and it has taken 10 months for him to let us touch his face, but the feet are still a problem. Tried a groomer, tried treats including putting peanut butter on husband's forehead in the hope of distracting him (turns out the huge tongue made short work of swiping off the peanut butter, while also getting it into the husband's hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes), and using the vet after administering drugs that were supposed to calm him down. At this point they say it will take putting him under anesthesia, which is risky for giant breeds and also would make every nail trim cost about $500 to $750. We feel pretty helpless as well as feeling very badly for the poor dog who already had a tough first 10 months of life. And now we I refuse to use the groomer again, who suggested that we just get four big men to hold his flailing 185 pounds of fear down while a fifth person cuts his nails. I cannot imagine terrorizing him like that...and makes me wonder what she does if dogs don't cooperate when they come in for grooming.
I've used cloth napkins for over twenty years. I started with a bag of cotton/poly blend napkins that I found at a garage sale. There were about two dozen in the bag. They were a Hunter Green, a wonderful neutral color that can be used year round. I am still using that same bunch of napkins. I have since added many more, most of which came from thrift stores or garage sales. I actually prefer a fabric blend because they don't fade, never need ironing, and they don't show wear. The best two dollars I ever spent.
1. My son insists on wearing his grandparent's Pendelton shirts with moth holes. I found a brilliant youtube fix. I bought an old wool skirt at Goodwill and some two sided hemming tape. The mends are practically invisible.
2. Breakfasts this morning are home picked persimmon puree, homemade greek yogurt, and home picked and roasted pecans.
3. We took down Christmas for my 89 yo Mom. I made a cheese and fruit tray from leftovers at Christmas and Taylor Creek Ceasar salad bowls from Sam's. I had planned on doing a rotisserie chicken but this used up food we had. The bowls were so simple and clean.
4. I splurged on Hulu live for the month. I would like to see playoff football. This saves us from driving to friends to watch, overeating at parties, and using up gas. There is nothing wrong with social activity it is just this month I am determined to stay OP with my food. If I am home watching the game, I will get up and walk at halftimes.
5. While watching football, I made two of three felt kip ornaments that have been hanging around for a year. I now have two penguin ornaments. So cute and easy. Plus keeping my hands busy keeps me out of the kitchen.
@Mary Ann, loud cheers for your son wearing the ancestral Pendletons, and for you for mending them so brilliantly.
I was out of town at a conferenceretreat for five days and my only frugal was I bought most of my food with me to eat (breakfast was included and I had a burger one night.)
My husband was being frugal while I was away. Last month he switched to a new prescription drug plan with $0 premium. He picked up two prescriptions while I was away and paid $0. (On his previous plan these were $53 a month.)
He refilled the propane tank for our camper. His punch card was full, so he got the fill for free (every 10th fill is free. Between the camper and the barbecue grill, we get at least one tank a year free.)
He stopped by the liquor store and had earned enough points for a $10 credit (another once a year occurrence.)
My washing machine died, which is not frugal, but it's 19 years old. Two years ago my husband repaired it -- a two-day job. This time the parts would cost $350, plus some things are so worn they don't seat properly anymore. So for $700 we ordered a new one. We're saving a little money, since he will install the machine himself. (We did pay to have them haul off the old one.) The new machine is supposed to arrive Friday.
Oh, and our garage door spring broke the day before I left. The new one is supposed to be here tomorrow and he will replace it himself.
Repeat from The Non-Consumer Advocate blog...
1. Made a simple dish on the fly of black beans, rice, corn, green pepper and onions mixed with salsa and sprinkled with cheese.
2. Made a simple tomato soup using tomato puree, sauteed onions, coconut milk, veggie broth and seasonings.
3. For my 5-week trip, I packed my daily supplements in those small plastic film canisters, which have to be at least 20 years old. Each week I transfer the supplements into my 7-day pill container. Without that, I wouldn’t remember what I had taken and when. It also reminds me what day of the week it is!
4. Shout out to my sister who is doing our weekly Adventure Club outings by herself while I’m away. She lacks self-esteem and doesn’t get out much and I’m so proud of her. No outings save me money, but then I miss out on the fun.
5. Does anyone remember the author Elaine St. James? She was so instrumental in my simplicity journey back in the 90s. When I return from Arizona, I’m going to check out her books from the library and take a walk down memory lane.
@MB in MN, I definitely remember those plastic film canisters, since I still have a stash of them in the basement. DH, an avid old-school photographer, always saved them (and inscribed the box "Antiques!"). I use those for all kinds of things: pill storage (as you do), seed saving (for the garden seeds I do harvest and save from year to year), etc.
@MB in MN, forgot to add that I used bandannas as napkins for years.
I find that white is a great color for napkins, tablecloths, even slipcovers, because if they are cotton, they can be bleached. Just my two cents. Read you everyday❤️
Just a suggestion: I bought used soft colored 100% cotton bandannas at thrift stores (on 50% off days!) and also at Goodwill Outlet blue bins (pay by the pound: cheap!) for cloth napkins. They are common to find around and the patterns are all slightly different, but I like that quirkiness. The patterns and darker colors don’t show any stains, they are easy to wash and dry (nice and thin, dry fast and aren’t bulky). Mine tend to be red or blue or black, I like white, but why my kids chose those ones when we ate spaghetti sauce or bbq, I’ll never figure out!
The new ones at Joann’s are still not expensive, but they are stiff even after washing, even tho they are listed as 100% cotton.
We use kitchen wash clothes as our table napkins. Works amazing and the go right in the wash after each use. I found a pack of 20 at Ollies...and I don't feel bad if I need to throw one away because someone wiped up ink with them!
1. Deleted Igram, account, hibernated LinkedIn —none of this involves spending or saving money, but it is another tiny step toward less stuff (yes the electronic kind of stuff counts)
2. Bought more daffodils on sale and hope to plant them before they are completely sprouted. (60% off plus the company doubles whatever quantity you order)
3. Used topcashback reward to order some things that I needed while it was offering a $2.50 bonus—yippee, skippee, about $6.50. Almost deleted my account because it is too hard to keep track of, remember the password, remember to check it before I buy something, but then I saw I have money. And of course Amazon took a bite. Sigh.
4. Ordered more notecards (to sell—a steady but tiny piece of my business) during a very short Vistaprint sale.
5. The jeans I bought discounted on eBay came. They are almost as good as new (I can ignore a weird white spot on a back pocket).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, If you have some fabric paints, you could paint a very cute little doo-dad on the white spot.
I love that you repurposed the cheaper thrift towels into napkins! I keep a small cloth napkin in my work lunchbag (sometimes to just use as a placemat) - you could do that with one of the smaller ones you made!
1. I have fuel points to redeem on my next fill up which will be this week for sure. I made sure that I clipped the digital coupons that gave me double fuel points for shopping on certain days and times to help save the most on gas.
2. I combined errands. Each trip to town contains several to do list items rather than one trip for one errand only.
3. I inevitably forgot some things that we needed from the grocery store so I used grocery delivery to get those things. I used a coupon for free delivery and this prevented impulse shopping.
4. The hubby and I had a little appointment that took us to the small town of Griffin, GA. We made an afternoon of it and stopped at a clothing discount store where we scored some lovely new warm socks for both of us for $1.49 - $3.49 per package. Each package contained 2-3 pairs of socks and given that the same socks are more than $10 in Target, Walmart and other stores locally, I call that a good buy. Plus they were sorely needed.
5. I planned meals and we ate at home including the leftovers. We are saving a huge amount of money by doing this. I am not tracking but just noting when I am paying bills each month, there is more to go around and that my friends is a lovely thing.
The Sharpie marker trick is pretty handy on other items that need touch ups. My (now ex) husband used to use black Sharpie to color in paint dings on inside of vehicle door.
Frugal things---
● (another) free 8x10 picture (photo)-- so far all teen Senior pictures/prints have cost $0
● saved $0.10/gallon on gas ($2.79) & earned $0.65 rewards/$$ off
● eating all meals at home & taking leftovers for lunch
● bringing hot cocoa supreme from home instead of picking up while out/on way to _________
● save $10 on $50 (Meijer remodel coupon)
● save $5 on $25 pizza (that was on sale)
● neighbor snow blowed sidewalk & our driveway last weekend
Frugal fail---
● didn't eat all sugar cookies made at Christmas--birds will be happy 🙂
My frugal 5
1) Swiped the butter wrapper in the pan to use every bit of butter
2) Had my neighbor pick up some milk while they were in town (we're in the country and always see if the other needs anything)
3) Trimmed my own hair. My hair is wavy and rarely looks 100% even anyway, so I don't mind if I mess up
4) Listed some items on Marketplace. I'm happy to declutter and can hopefully get some money and put it toward something else.
5) Started saving all my old cottage cheese and glass jar containers. We frequently bring dinner or dessert to a neighbor and know he won't return dishes/canning jars, but still want to make sure he has a homecooked meal without losing all our dishwear!
1. I stretched a pound of sausage to make sausage rolls AND fried rice for dinner last night, using up a bunch of other things that would otherwise go bad.
2. My daughter is taking sewing lessons, so she can learn not just how to mend or sew from a pattern (which I could teach her), but to also learn how to truly fit clothing so she can make things that work for her hard-to-fit body, and alter clothing she already has to fit better. Instead of buying a bunch of brand new materials, she is using a dress pattern we already had, plus an old white sheet for fabric!
3. My high school son and I had a look at his lunch spending during the first semester, and I helped him make a plan to pack from home more often, including making some cookie dough so he can bake up fresh cookies to pack every couple of days. (We make the dough into balls & freeze them).
4. I thought carefully about what I needed to buy to use up some food in the fridge for breakfasts and lunches, and it’s going well!
5. I was reminded again how having an honest, reliable mechanic within walking distance of our house is a huge money-saver. We’ve had some car expenses on our paid-off vehicles (a repair plus two maintenance things), and we’re still spending much less on our vehicles than if we had a payment!
Those sewing lessons sound SO helpful!
As for cloth napkins, I recommend garage sales. I've bought many of ours from garage sales - and thrift stores, occasionally. I bought a set of eight Christmas napkins in a thrift store for $3 in December. Watch for sales on seasonal cloth napkins in actual stores, too.
Couldn't come up with 5 FTs but
*I “saved” $43.66 at CVS on a year’s supply of OTC allergy meds by using every single coupon known to man (or woman) – buy 1 get 1 50% off; $3 birthday reward; $3 off on 2 CVS manufacturer coupons; 3 different 2% back coupons in “Extrabucks” rewards; 1 30% off full-price purchase; and 1 20% off coupon for buying a CVS healthcare brand. It took longer to check out than to shop.
*So far this month (2 weeks) I’ve only spent $51.89 on groceries and $14.84 on a meal out.
Don't kick me out of the club! I'll try to do better.
1. I got two extra notches place in my leather belt instead of buying a new belt.
2. I spent 30 getting shoes repaired instead of replacing them.
3. I was able to tag on to our neighbors junk removal by paying the difference our junk added.
4. I worked laundry magic on one of my husband's ink stained shirts. Now it is back in the rotation.
5. We decided against fixing some electrical equipment. It kind of hurt to know the equipment is trash but the repair would have been close to the cost of replacing the item.
Cloth napkins are my favorite!!! Saves on a lot of paper and creates a lot less dust. Plus I feel fancy using them 🙂
Your little sewing supervisor is adorable, as always!
1. As I said on NCA, I put together a gift plant for my housekeeper's birthday using a plant basket from a thrift store, a not-too-Christmassy Christmas bow and, of course, the ivy which was from Walmart. (It was very full and healthy looking, much more attractive than what is currently growing around my house. So I splurged $7 for it.) I thought my little plant thing looked almost as good as what you'd get at a florist (for way more than $7 and change, that's for sure!). But she took the plant and the bow and left the basket. (I was at work when she came by.) So I guess I was wrong. Oh well, it's the thought that counts.
2. Brought my own coffee and brown-bag lunch with soda pop to work when I substitute taught. No Starbucks or $1.10 vending machine soft drink for me!
3. Finally finished my very frugal project: labeling my 20-volume set of encyclopedias with my name inside. One week at a time. Our church gives you a sticker with your name on it when you attend in person. The name tags are still sticky when you pull them off your clothes. So I've been re-using them as "bookplates" (labels you stick inside the book that has your name on it.) Sunday, I put my name tag on the Z volume, the last book in my set of encyclopedias. (Well, not on the book but inside its front cover.) So every single one is labeled now. (I got a nice set of Britannica Encyclopedias at a thrift sale, of course, for under $20 a few years back.) The name stickers work fine, look good, and you can't tell that they were used for anything else.
4. Read a book obtained from a Little Free Library.
5. Got a loaf of banana bread from my neighbor, and will have some really nice breakfasts for the next few days. Also saved the little gift bag it came in and will use it again.
I would consider looking for those baby blankets (the thin flannel ones)or a flannel sheet top. Those would make the perfect texture for napkins or handkerchiefs. They are soft and you can usually make multiple inexpensively. You also might find someone trying to get rid of some. Moms end up with a bunch of them. They are good to throw over a shoulder w baby of course. But, how many do you really need.
I bought a set of 12 cotton napkins from Amazon, each with its own floral design, for about $12.
Check out Joanne’s coupons
With 40% for a yard for cotton
You can make 4 table napkins and some cocktail napkins
I found cloth napkins to be the easiest of all the changes to make. I toss them in the wash each night and they wash whenever I run a load. I bought most of mine at yard sales or thrift stores for a dime each and they last forever.
I found some floor tile that was below my budgeted amount...which made the countertops that were over even out ha!
I caulked some windows that were drafty. We noticed how drafty they are when we had the 21 degree weather. They'll be replaced down the road, but for now caulking them helped.
I bought a small scaffolding for a few hundred dollars. We will use this often and it was a fraction of the price I was quoted for painting my tall stairwell (which we will now paint ourselves). We could have rented one for even less, but I do think we will get a lot of use out of it.
Been eating at home and out of the freezer mostly.
Cotton bandanas make excellent napkins, about $1 each at Walmart. Any color, or mixed colors.
In regards to cloth napkins, for anyone who doesn't want to wait it out for them to appear at thrift stores (at least the thrift store near me is very hit or miss), I've had these for 5 years now (and used them for nearly every meal since then) and they have held up wonderfully. They don't attract stains, despite being a light color. I recently ordered a second set, due to now having two small children, so we go through napkins more quickly than I always have time to wash them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4KMTII/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
@Hannah, If I could sew, I would consider Kristen's method, but my sewing mostly stops at fixing buttons and mending popped seams.
1. I baked pumpkin muffins using an extra can of pumpkin from Thanksgiving, as well as some cream biscuits to use up the last of a container of cream I had bought before Thanksgiving. I still haven't bought groceries this year.
2. I made a pasta dish with ingredients I had on hand – diced tomatoes, sausage, cream, and Italian seasoning blend. I put two servings in the freezer for future easy dinners.
3. I salvaged an old pair of socks by trimming the threads that were coming loose. They won't last much longer, probably, but at least I should get a few more wears out of them.
4. I sold some old magazine clippings on eBay and have just listed some more. I didn't even realize how many of these I still had from my younger days when I collected fannish things.
5. I reused two ziplock bags in different sizes. I don't like washing them because it's so hard to get all the nooks and crannies clean and to get them fully dry, but when I can just reuse one for the same type of thing without washing it, I will.
1. At work, they are offering a new feature where you can transfer some of your already earned money to your bank account prior to payday as a sort of payday advance. I won't ever use it, but they offered a $45 bonus to sign up for an account, so I did. Once I got the bonus, I transferred it to my bank account and won't use it again. Free money, though!
2. Found 50 cents at Aldi in 2 carts parked in the corral, but not locked up.
3. Met up with a friend at Starbucks and used my Stars for a free coffee. She asked me to buy her food so I could get the Stars and then she promptly venmo'ed me back, which was really thoughtful.
4. My son's backpack zipper is failing so he asked me to buy him a new one (rather disappointed in the quality of backpacks these days as they do seem to wear out faster these days, even the expensive ones. But I wonder if it is because kids carry EVERYTHING in their backpacks all the time, and don't ever use lockers anymore). After some research, we decided on a Jansport backpack because of their lifetime warranty. I've taken advantage of that in the past, when my husband's 20 year old backpack zipper needed replacing, which they did, minus the cost of shipping it to them. Was able to buy at a lower price on Amazon also using some credit I already had. Hopefully this will last him until he's done with college (he's a high school junior now).
5. Did the usual: lined dried laundry, returned library books on time to avoid fines, ate up random items in the fridge, scanned receipts to Fetch and ibotta.
@DebbieR, Jansport makes terrific bags, don't they? They do a great job with both quality and warranty. One of my Jansport backpacks is at least 35 years old. The 8 year old one I have is just as sturdy. They're not even all that expensive new.
It's been freakin' cold here!
1. Hubby and I went to Fuddruckers last night. Restaurant that has the best burgers or cheese and bacon burgers. They have an outrageous toppings bar so hubby just gets a plain burger and piles on the toppings. We don't go out to eat often so this was a treat and I paid with my allowance. We got a senior discount and didn't even remember to ask for one! Whoot $3.25 off our bill and 25 Fetch rewards.
2. I turn the heat down at night but that makes my bed nice a cozy and it's hard to get up from that. But I won't pay for more heat.
3. Opening up the livingroom curtains when the sun is shining to get more light and heat in the hose.
4. Had dh order a picture from Walgreens where he probably paid less than a dollar. He got a coupon for spend $15 get a $5 Walgreens cash. I used it last night to pick up some on sale toiletries to donate. I earned two $3 register rewards to use on my next purchase. I also earned $18 in Walgreens cash to use on a future order.
5. Hubby and I went through my closet and cleaned out some of it for donations. He's getting very OCD in his retirement. We did get a good small stack of stuff to donate.
6. My electric company changed providers who do their electronic billing so now I'll have to pay .50 to pay a bill!!! Whaaat? If we do automatic payment with a credit card it will be free. I hate the idea of having a credit card number out there floating around.
We also use cloth napkins! They work so much better than the paper ones.
I made two batches of muffins with leftover bananas and leftover squash to use for snacks.
Use some Kohls cash from Christmas to buy some clearance pajamas for myself. It covered the entire cost and I could do ship to store for free.
I made a birthday card for my dad myself with supplies I already had and made him caramel nut cinnamon rolls as his present.
Hubby brought home a bunch of leftover bread loaves from his work and I’ve used a bunch in French toast casserole.
Made sourdough discard crackers for snacks.
1. We made our meals at home. We brewed coffee at home. I've been sick, so I feel like this is a big accomplishment this week. My husband and oldest child helped a lot.
2. We made sure all of our weird once-a-year bills were paid on time. This one actually took a few weeks, but I'm counting it now.
3. I discovered that a movie version of a book was made that I wanted to watch. I could have paid for a subscription to see it... but my husband discovered that our local library had it to loan for free. My husband picked it up for me, so I didn't need to make a special trip.
4. I was sick, but my husband kept the kids entertained with free stuff.
5. Since my husband opted for a whole year of Peacock, just to watch the Olympics, I am currently enjoying some shows before we cancel the subscription.
It's cold here. I hope typing this will warm my fingers.
1. I sewed a tiny hole I found in one of my socks closed before the hole got so big I'd have to darn it.
2. I created a costume from things I already had at home from my wig to my shoes for a comedy show I hosted.
3. I took advantage of a free phone upgrade on Black Friday and finally turned the old phone in to T-Mobile. Otherwise I would have had to pay for the new phone that I didn't really want but was afraid it wouldn't get software updates so I took advantage of the free offer.
4. I'm applying to perform at several new festivals this year. I already have two shows confirmed. Yay!
5. My husband and I bought Wicked and watched it at home. It's one of our favorite musicals and we figured we'll want to watch it more than once which makes it cheaper to buy it than renting or going to the movies.
I use cloth napkins as well. Most came from the goodwill bins, and my favorites came from a free pile!
Cats - motto is always helping. And their definition of helping is not always the human definition.
I need to get a fabric shaver.
And being what some consider paranoid (do check out what is public about ZOOT - the data they have on everyone should have society in a livid rage), I have never participated in the money for doing X offers. My privacy is worth far more than any of these "offers" pay but YMMV.
1 - not frugal by choice but my feral appears to have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. The last order of cat food will last much, much longer. At least until the next dump shows up. But excluding food, I'm ready.
2 - event dinners out, all leftovers consumed
3 - busy working, watching out for my father = no time to spend
4 - saved a potential food poisoning/gentle reminder for better half to check best used by dates. A day or two is one thing, over a week is another
5 - had to spend money to save money (and schemzos was the *only* option for the basic BP unit - a pox on Omron) but provided factual evidence that my BP is not high. Stop using a one size fits all, and I do mean all, as well as teaching your staff how to take BP. Don't talk to me and a dangling arm is not ideal.
I sometimes pick up remnants at fabric stores for napkins, cut them to the size you want, hem and there you have it. Have gotten some awesome prints this way and they are usually quite cheap.
Took advantage of 2 month free Audible membership offer from my internet provider, (and put a reminder in my calendar to download the 2nd book and then cancel the membership).
Made mince pies and jam tarts with my 3 year old grandson, much cheaper than buying readymade treats and such a fun experience.
Cooked 1/2 free frozen pizza, from a BOGOF offer, for dinner at the weekend. A whole one is delightful but not good for the waistline.
Continued my hobby of knitting which isn’t exactly frugal, but keeps me busy and happy and produces high quality garments and accessories which last for years.
I inherited several sets of cloth napkins, and we use them almost all the time. You are correct- avoid white!
We also use napkin rings and reuse them for several dinners, providing they remain mostly clean
* DD wanted me to buy her a file folder for a second time this school year, since the clasp on hers broke. I said I would fix it instead, to which she was not too happy about (the horror!). And I did. I asked for a large button on my Buy Nothing group and got to work. It is now fixed, and looking good IMO.
* Same DD wanted a (third??) hairbrush at the Dollar Store, to which I said no since she already has one (or 2, or 3...). So she bought it herself (5$).
* Other DD needed new sneakers. She's really into Converse, but they are not cheap (80-110$ canadian). I did buy her 3 pairs of them, fake ones, in the last 1.5 year (she ruins them by walking in the snow... don't ask, she's 15!). So I decided to try the real ones, see if they hold better. But I waited to get a 20% coupon for my birthday + claimed a 10$ reward, so I got her a pair for 65$ taxes and shipping in. Hopefully they will fit!
* Went to Costco and stuck to the list. This is a first. Said no to DH suggestion of getting the girls some candy pouches for their lunch. If I am to pay for snacks, I want them to be at least a little healthy.
* Doing a low-buy 2025. So far so good. The only thing I paid for myself so far that is not a necessity is my gym membership cancellation fee, which was 65$. This will be saving me 180$ if I calculate what I would have had to pay for the remaining of the membership. I have all I need to work out at home and with free fitness classes offered by my city (Went to Zumba yesterday, that was fun!)
Hi, I was a private chef back in the 80's, monogrammed linen napkins every meal. So, when I married I thought, ahha, cloth napkins means one less thing to budget for (paper napkins). I made a dozen napkins out of discount or yard sale fabric. We used them for years, washed with the dish towels. For the last 20 years we daily use my handwoven napkins, and they have decades of wear left. They're beautiful, and durable, much nicer than using paper.
For the past 2 weeks, I have been eating down my frig and freezer! Remaking fruits and vegetables into pies and soups. So far a low spend January for food. $70, 2 weeks, 2 people. The things that were purchased were mainly specials to restock pantry, cereal, canned goods and fruit to share at church. Will continue this for rest of month as best possible to see where we end up and if we are able to reduce waste.
I have used cloth napkins since I got married 30 years ago. My original set I bought on clearance at Boscov’s, a local chain. They are green and whited checkered. And they are still going strong. A few have unremovable stains but still serve their purpose. I’ve picked up more over the years cheap or free at yard sales and free piles. I too had some white ones. They were very small, maybe for fancy luncheons back in the day. I tie dyed them and used them in my kids lunch box. We do use paper napkins for very very messy meals but they are extras from fast food meals that I save rather than toss.
1. I’m getting ready for a week vacation with my wonderful SIL next week. It’s to a warm sunny location. I bought sunscreen when it was on clearance in the fall so I only paid about $3 a can as apposed to full price now or more expensive at the resort.
2. Since we have been to this all inclusive resort before I know what to pack and what I don’t need. Happy to say that short of a few items from the thrift store that I just wanted, I really didn’t need to buy anything new for this trip. My passport is up to date and most of each day will consist of swimwear so I’ll toss in some flip flops and sundresses and call it a day.
3. I picked up several books from our local Little Free Library to take along. The bulk of my suitcase is books and my pillow. I have neck issues and don’t go anywhere overnight without my own pillow!
4. I started working on the incentives from my insurance company as well. I can earn $100 a year. So I make sure to complete it. My husband also gets $100 so I keep track of his as well. And it keeps us on track for getting screenings, exams and vaccines.
5. Currently Purina has a rebate of $10 if you spend $25 on cat or dog treats. You can do it multiple times. You can also double dip as Ibotta has money back on Purina Busy Bones which my dog loves.
I get cloth napkins at thrift stores and yard sales all the time. I may have a problem. I have dyed several over the years to hide stains and it works great.
1.Last night was my turn to host my 2 friends for dinner. I made pork chops($1.99 a pound), broccoli(99¢a pound), baked(49¢) or sweet potatoes(99¢), and homemade applesauce that I canned in the fall. I made iced tea and we had wine Hubby made in the fall. One friend brought a chocolate cake for dessert. We played cards for 3 hours. It cost me less than a dinner out would have. Next week is another one’s house and we are watching a movie after. All of us can afford to go out but we are all smart enough not to do it often.
2. I went to Stop n Shop and remembered to use a visa gift card that had 90¢ on it. It has been in my wallet for way too long.
3. I found tissues on the clearance rack for 74¢. They were all a little squished but we don’t care. I bought all of them. Aldi hasn’t had any the last 2 times I went and they are the cheapest around at $1 a box.
4. Mozzarella blocks were marked down to $2 with a use by date of 1/18. I bought 6 and threw 5 in my freezer.
5. My sister came back from 2+ weeks away. I watched her dog. She treated us to dinner. I have enough for lunch tomorrow.
6. I made lasagna for dinner for tomorrow. I work until 5 so all I have to do is cook it when I get home. I can make a salad to go with it while it cooks. I made 2 so lots of leftovers. I will freeze some after I cook them tomorrow.