Five Frugal Things | coffee, flowers, pudding, and more

1. I got a $3 Starbucks drink

On my way to do some fun money spending (I promise a report!), I decided to splurge a little and buy a coffee instead of bringing one from home.

But this ended up not being much of a splurge because when I opened the app, I found a coupon for a $3 latte, so my drink was less than half price.

And of course I paid with a gift card, so, $0 out of pocket. 😉

2. I used some slightly sour milk to make pudding

An oldie but a goodie; somehow, milk that is slightly old still tastes fine in chocolate pudding, so that's what I did with the last two cups from my most recent gallon.

Sour milk, if it is pasteurized, is unlikely to make you sick (please see this NPR link), so I am never nervous about this. Besides, I always use it in some kind of cooked form, like in pudding or in bread dough, and I have faith that the heat is killing any potential pathogens.

Relatedly, many of you suggested adding a pinch of salt to milk when I open a container, to keep it from going bad. I have been unable to find a reputable source saying this works, though, so if you have one, drop it in the comments!

3. I got some free flowers

Trader Joe's sells something called paper flowers, and I always stop to admire them when they're in store. And I've considered buying some; they appeal to me much more than most faux flowers do.

So, when I happened to see someone offering up some dusty purple flowers that reminded me of the TJ's paper flowers, I said, "Oh yes, please!" and picked them up.

I put them in my big Ikea pitcher by my fireplace, and they make me smile when I see them!

This is an example of how a flexible approach to decorating works for me; I patiently float through life, and when something free/cheap pops up that fits within the broad range of Acceptable Aesthetics (according to me), I pick it up.

Slowly but surely, my house has come together this way, and the look is sufficiently cohesive for my taste.

(The theme is called Free/Cheap Stuff That Kristen Likes. All the rage. I expect Better Homes and Gardens to feature me any day.)

4. I mended a pair of undies

You know how I sometimes get free undies from Victoria's Secret, with birthday offers? Well, a recent pair seems to have been sewn poorly, because the side seam was coming undone.

So, I sewed it up by hand, with some thread rescued from the abandoned house.

And then I put a little bit of fray chek glue on it to stop my repair from coming apart.

5. I got a meal voucher for work

My manager gave everyone $8 meal vouchers for the cafeteria at work, as a thanks for making it in during the snow.

Soo, one day in the future, I will not have to pack a work lunch!

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

P.S. I ended up being needed at work today, so I will unfortunately be away from my computer again. But I promise I will read all the emails you all sent to me. And I'm asking that if you have anything more to say about yesterday's post, please just email it to me instead of starting a discussion in today's comments. Thank you!