Five Frugal Things | dairy markdowns, two repairs, & more
1. I paid my car insurance bill all at once
It's less expensive to pay up front rather than monthly, so that's what I opt for.
Once you've done this a single time, then it's not too hard to maintain. You just put the annual amount divided by twelve into a savings account each month, and then ta-da! You have the annual premium ready, and it's no less painful than making monthly payments.
2. I fixed a pair of undies
I sometimes get a free pair of birthday undies from Victoria's Secret, but man, the last few pairs have been less than stellar. The fabric is thinner and more pill-prone, and this is the second time I've had a waistband start to come apart.
These are not the same cotton undies they used to sell in the 90s and 2000s!
3. I fixed a t-shirt seam
This shirt came apart at the armpit seam, which meant it was easily fixable.
Seam fixes: simple.
Rips in the middle of a fabric section: much less simple.
4. I bought some dairy markdowns
I had to stop at a non-Aldi store for a few things, and I remembered that this store has a dairy markdown section. So, I took a peek and bought a few things!
I got a single-serve yogurt, a quart of Chobani plain yogurt, a quart of cream, and a refrigerated protein bar for $6. 🙂
5. I washed and sun-dried my Altras
I wear these to work, and while I can wipe down the outsides, the insides needed a refresh too.
Sooo, I put them in mesh laundry bags, threw some junk towels in to cushion the load, and ran them through my washing machine.
Then I placed them outside in the sunshine to dry and to further disinfect. 😉
These are nearing the end of their useful lives (they've logged a lot of miles), but by cleaning them up, I'm extending their useful life a bit.
(I know that some of you will be horrified that I put my shoes in the washing machine. To each their own, but I personally think some people forget that we put all manner of bacteria-laden things into the washing machine. Like...underwear. Also, people wash cloth diapers in their washing machines and do not seem to suffer ill consequences. So I am personally very unconcerned about this, but of course, I am merely describing what I am doing. I am not prescribing it for you. 😉 )
I'm all for washing sneakers and shoes- they are certainly not the worst thing my washer has seen! I dry mine in the sun or by stuffing with newspapers.
Five fairly frugal:
*We bought a new stove, as our old one was 24 yrs old, only two burners worked, the oven would occasionally go off, and the parts to fix it would start at several hundred dollars. So we found a sale and bought one with good reviews.
* My husband installed it himself and saved the fee.
*The old stove was supposed to be picked up by the city- we can have one oversized item a month collected. No disposal fee or hauling it to the dump. Howwever, we put it on the curb in the evening for morning pickup, and a little later someone had taken it. Maybe for scrap metal? Either way, it's gone no cost.
*On a trip to see my new granddaughter, we brought lots of car snacks, and only bought some small sandwiches on the road when we needed a break.
* We went up a day earlier than initially planned to save eighty dollars on the hotel room. The family enjoyed free hotel breakfast too. Gotta love those waffles!
Frugal fail: When we bought the stove, I specifically asked it the griddle on the display oven was included in the price. Salesperson said yes! Once delivered, no griddle- not part of the deal. So I need to buy a griddle. I wanted to complain to the store, but husband said to let it go. ( He was in the middle of installing said oven and had bigger things on his mind. )
I have had several new ovens and all have included a griddle! I would definitely ask again!
This seems to be the season for clothes repairs. I also mended some seams and sewed on buttons.
I can recall when canvas pimsels were en vogue in the 80s and we would wash them regularly. My mother would put them to dry in the garden, noses up on a bamboo stick. That was supposed to help them dry more quickly.
Apart from the small repairs, I cooked our meals, made and froze chicken broth from bones, and on Sunday joyfully ate homemade jam over vanilla ice cream.
This week I will also try to sow some biannual flowers and start taking shoots again from the geraniums, for next year. We can afford to buy new plants each spring, but this is the best way I know of making sure no insecticides have been used.
I love looking out from my home office and seeing the colourful geraniums 🙂
If it was me, I'd reach out and see if they could either provide you with a griddle or a partial refund. It doesn't hurt to ask, and I've gotten good results from reaching out to companies respectfully when I have a concern.
I agree. If the griddle is a part that you swap out, it may have been accidentally left out. You’re not going to be in a worse position if you ask and they say no!
I Love geraniums, and they remind me of my grandmother - she always had a beautiful flower garden. My mom has good luck overwintering geraniums, but I don't have the space or the sun yo bring the pots in. How do you take shoots for next year?
My mom overwinters them by shaking all the dirt off and putting the plants into a paper bag. No need to bring the pot inside.
Thank you @Hydra. It would be that simple. I didn't realize the plant could withstand the temperatures.
I was going to save this. Put the bags of geraniums in a coolish dark place for the winter -- but one where they won't freeze. I've kept them in my garage. In the spring, put them back into pots of dirts. Not every one always makes it, but most of them do.
Things like your parenthetical remind me that I apparently live in a completely different reality than many people. It would never occur to me that washing shoes is problematic. There are so many grosser things I encounter regularly that that doesn't even register.
Also, "Mush" seems an odd name choice for a protein bar. That does not sound appetizing.
We have a brand of coffee here, named Balzac. After a French novelist, but, still....
With you on the "so many grosser things" wagon! Why on earth are people sqeamish about putting anything in a machine that . . . CLEANS them???? Having spent 10 years raising dogs (400 of them at one point) there is no sort of "yuck" that fazes me.
Me too. I put our dirty sneakers in a mesh bag and throw them in with whatever regular wash I'm doing.
I agree about washing shoes. I’ve done it for years and never gave it a thought!
I can understand why a protein bar called "Mush" did not sell well lol! Even if it was delicious, the name is unappealing. Is it a dogsledding reference? Is it a bar of compressed mushy things?
My FFT:
1. The month before baby was born was EXPENSIVE with all of my various tuition fees and professional registrations coming due. I paid them with my credit card, paid the card off in full, and used the accumulated credit card points on an Amazon gift card, which I spent this week on some necessities like a water bottle (got myself a cheerfully-coloured Owalla and I LOVE it.)
2. I'm back to snack-making for myself/my kindergartener. Popsicles were an inexpensive hit (though my attempt at freezing smoothies and trying to sell them as "pink and purple popsicles" flopped. Hard to compete with frozen chocolate milk.) Protein pumpkin muffins were also successful for me as a one-handed snack when I'm in the throes of nursing-mom hunger. And they're a good way to use the cheap, gross skyr I got at the grocery store. My girl didn't like them, though ("too spicy!" from the ground ginger) so I froze most of the batch and just take out a few at a time.
3. I wear undershorts in the summer with skirts. I'm still mostly using old leggings that I cut short, but I'm going to try on a pair of Thigh Society ones from a relative before buying my own.
4. I gratefully accepted baby hand-me-downs from my cousin. This was a multi-person frugal activity, since my cousin is in another province! He gave the clothes to my mom, who borrowed a suitcase from my uncle and then flew home and gave them to me to split between my son and my nephew.
5. Cheap and free summer fun: We went to a free outdoor concert put on by our city (a pretty good Taylor Swift cover act,) took a day-trip to visit my aunt and uncle at the beach, and had a play-date in the park.
When I have leftover smoothies, I find adding more sweetener to it--I typically use maple syrup--and a bit of heavy cream before freezing makes them much less icy and more like a popsicle.
Yes! I read that our palate cannot taste sweet in the frozen form as well, so extra sweetener is required. We tried the pineapple in juice in our Ninja Creami and it had hardly any taste. Rather, pineapple in heavy syrup tasted much better.
Mazel tov on your new addition!
I love your number 4 frugal clothes swap!!
The concert sounds so fun! Did you have a good time?
Happy Friday! I am totally blessed to be financially comfortable but find it more fun and interesting to be frugal. I'm part of the generational wealth and believe me, I don't take it for granted. I spent much of my life struggling financially. There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't do quite a few frugal things and enjoy them to the max.
1. Are y'all familiar with the metal planter boxes that are very popular nowadays? They're usually black and very modern. I saw a YouTube about how you can repurpose filing cabinets by turning them on their side and taking the drawers out to make similar planters. Well, put it out in the universe, my neighbor just put three filing cabinets outside for garbage pickup. They're already black but I'm going to give them a coat of Rust-Oleum. They measure 18 in high and 24 in long so I can pretty much put them anywhere. I've already invested in a few ready-made and they're way expensive, so this is going to be a fun frugal project.
2. I read that it's more important to wash scrapes on your skin with soap and water than putting antibiotic on so after doing a lot of TNR (cat trap neuter and return) this week, I've been washing my arms a lot with soap and saving a lot of antibiotic cream. They also seem to be healing more quickly.
3. Had a long errand with my son today and I offered to pick up lunch along the way, but he wasn't sure if he would be hungry. So, to help my blood sugar, I ate early and sure enough he wanted to have lunch. He wasn't interested in a restaurant so we went to to Fireman's Subs and even though it surprised him, I didn't get anything to eat. I was able to concentrate on a conversation with him rather than gulping down my food. I really enjoyed it. It also saved money!
4. I don't know if it's frugal but I made sun tea. It seems more gentle than tea you make on the stove.
5. Stay with me on this one. I have a Roth CD that makes simple interest. In other words, the interest doesn't compound and go back into the CD, it goes into a savings account. I've decided to take the interest and put it into a Roth S&P 500 mutual fund with the inexpensive Schwab or Vanguard. My stock mutual funds have been making about 14% interest annually, even when they tank. I just put the money in and don't check it obsessively. I know finances are not everybody's cup of tea but I find it endlessly interesting and kind of like a game to make money with no cost investments. Also, for those who have any kind of a work-related savings plan, Roth plans(opposed to traditional) are great because if you're already in a low tax level, you can put in whatever you can afford and get it out tax-free in retirement after it's been making money for decades. I could go on forever but I'll stop now.
Roth IRA are great. With lots of kids now, we don't pay much in taxes anyway, so stashing savings into the Roth means no taxes in the future. Everyone's circumstances can differ, but for people with kids, Roths work well.
I'm going to have to Google filing cabinet as planter. I just can't picture it in my head! Sounds cool, though.
This week:
- Sitting on exclusively hand me down furniture still in my 40s. Well, did purchase a bed frame for $15 plus our own new mattresses. But MIL upgraded a couch recently so I'm thankful for this refresh.
- Visited friends and family this week that did not involve eating out except for one small ice cream.
- Carpooled with my mom to visit my brother. More time to visit and less gas for both of us. I'm grateful she lives (accidentally) in the perfect location for us to do this.
- REALLY wanted coffee but waited until I got to my brother's for a homemade cup instead of buying!
- With nieces/nephews, had fun playing with games and toys that were already at their house. So many kids in our society actually have a lot of stuff and the newness wears off so quickly. I loved seeing them use things that could easily be shoved in a closet and forgotten.
Five Frugal Things, It's My Birthday Edition 😉
1. Went on a training bike ride yesterday (I'm hoping to be fit to bike to and from classes, which is 24 miles round trip, come spring), and stopped at a Kroger to cool off and treat myself to a bottle of sparkling water for today. I paid with cash and because of the penny shortage, my change wasn't 2 cents but a nickel, so I guess you could say I came in to some money. 😉
2. DH wanted to get me some bigger storage bags for my bicycle, so we went on Amazon, found a good option and used our points for it. Free birthday gift, I like it! He said installation is included in the gift. True to his frugal nature when it arrived he wrapped it in the brown paper that comes in Amazon boxes, of which we have an abundance and used a recycled gift bow.
3. I have zero interest in eating out or getting takeout on my birthday. DH and the guys (we decided we can't call them "boys" anymore!) are making chicken sandwiches and oven fries at home. I might stop at the store on the way back from visiting DS#3 in the hospital and grab some extra fruit.
4. One of my dearest friends, who considers me her daughter, sent me a little package and I was surprised to receive a mini Trader Joe's tote! I love Trader Joe's but rarely shop there--the only thing I usually get is skin care or tea, but I love the vibe--and I'd read about these "viral" totes but never thought to have one. It's a perfectly practical gift, my favorite kind. Definitely be using it for errands.
5. Today I plan to: enjoy a homemade iced coffee, hang some laundry out to dry, read a book I got secondhand, and study my pharmacology book that I got half-price, along with visit DS#3. Tonight we'll watch The Dish, which we have on DVD and is my favorite Sam Neill movie.
**Non-birthday-related frugals: used up the very last nasty brown bananas by cooking them down with a bit of coconut oil and mixing them into my oatmeal; hanging all laundry out to dry; shopping the sales and only buying the meat that's the best deal. I also trimmed my own hair and gave two guys a haircut.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! Oven fries and chicken sandwiches sound way better than takeout.
happy birthday. i do hope the whole family can be healthy this year for your birthday present.
I wholeheartedly second this!
I third it! Good health and good life to all in Karen A.'s family, including (as always) the Commodore.
Thank you! We hope DS#3 will be discharged from the hospital this week, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. He ended up having to have elbow surgery to remove a nasty infection and will be on home IV antibiotics...but he will be HOME.
Happy birthday, Karen A.! Sounds like it was frugal and fabulous, just like you!
Happy birthday! I, too, have used that Amazon brown paper to wrap gifts (after flattening it, of course). My cats also love crunching it up and sleeping on it:)
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday, Karen! You truly deserve a beautiful day!
Tip from a family of runners: we never wash our sneakers bc it can shrink the stitching whigh can cause blisters and it can degrade the glue used to hold the shoe together. The number one way we maintain and extend the life of any kind of shoe is to put it on a boot dryer with the heat OFF. It is a game changer, especially with smell! But like you said, to each their own! Happy frugal day
I put my altras, chacos, hokas, and crocs in the washing machine. Have done so for years and all are still going strong!!
i don't like mush much either. and the apt washer does not let you wash sneakers
or blankets. usual frugal stufff no air conditioning and no car.
I wash sneakers like this pretty regularly. I especially wash lighter colored ones to keep them looking in decent shape. White sneakers get dirty so quickly.
I don’t see how they are any more dirty than anything else that goes in the washing machine. I do like the setting out in the sun idea though. I’ll have to try that in nice weather.
My FFT:
* The dog has torn a hole in my fitted sheet. I used an old pillowcase to sew a patch under the hole. Might not last long but at least it is working for now.
* While I had my sewing machine out, I decided to take apart the body pillow I ordered to remove some of the stuffing. It felt like I was hugging a redwood tree, which I hated, so I figured I had little to lose. Sewed the opening closed and the pillow is much more comfortable.
* I saved the stuffing from the body pillow to use for crafts.
* Baked 5 loaves of bread over the weekend, two for us and 3 to share with our kids and grandson. I prepped sourdough for 3 loaves all on one day. I usually only do 2 per day so it takes up a lot more time to make more than 2 and I had time to make sandwich loaves for grandson.
* Continue to use produce from the garden in our meal planning.
Frugal fail: I tried making water-bath canned pickles with excess cucumbers from the garden. They turned out mushy and the recipe I used was far too acidic for our taste. I will stick with refrigerator pickles from now on.
Sealed fermented dairy products that have been properly refrigerated will usually last weeks, to a month, past its "sell by" date. As long as its live, active cultures, the fermentation process will slowly continue to suppress spoilage until it runs out of natural sugars to ferment. So go ahead and stock up with that in mind if you spot a sale. Your yogurt, kefir, and cultured sour cream will continue to get more tart, however, the longer you go past the "sell by" date. Always give your overdue yogurts a tiny sniff and taste before you dig into them, however, just in case...
P.S. - I wash my sneakers and shoes, too, with a good douse of bleach.
Do you remove the insoles when you wash your shoes or have a problem with them drying all the way? It seems whenever I have washed shoes that they just smell musty afterwards and like they never fully want to dry no matter what.
Hope I am not Butting in -- I remove insoles and shoe laces and wash separately . . . which is always a challenge getting them properly re-laced.
not at all...I'm open to any advice 🙂
Stuff the shoes with newspaper after washing. It really helps pull the damp out.
Thanks for this tip! I wash shoes frequently and it's always helpful to learn these great little hints! 😊
Thanks for the tip about washing the sinkers and the reminder GERMS are everywhere . . .
I'm rarely icked-out by dirt/germs. Clothes diapers and so much vomit cured me of that. I'm not sure if I can think of 5; I've been in a whirl and not terribly grounded lately.
1. We worked in the garden. It remains to be seen whether or not this will be frugal 🙂 But it is free exercise and vitamin D.
2. We've been advising our oldest son about all the grown up things which must be done when moving to another state. This has involved a little research on our part since each state is different. Because of this, he wasn't fined by the state. Phew.
3. I reached out to a local OT I saw advertised on FB because my oldest daughter is considering that as her career choice. However, she isn't sure what it entails, so we are looking for a (not terribly far away) play for her to job-shadow and ask questions. It's frugal to know what you're getting into before starting a college path, I think.
4. I used zucchini we were given. I also gladly accepted 6 guinea keets which seem to be getting along with the 4 chicks.
5. My youngest wants another nightgown, so we went to the local thrift store (when we were going to be in town anyway to pick up her sister from work) and found a skirt and shirt to sew together. It was a $5 bag sale, and we found a few other items to throw in.
6. Homemade coffee, bread, and meals (except for buying sandwich things when we were out for piano lessons). Homemade root beer-- I don't know if this was frugal or not, but it was a cheap educational experiment. And it tasted very good to me.
*place to job-shadow
Jody, sewing a shirt and skirt together to create a nightgown is so smart!
I've always washed any shoes that are washable - including shoes I've purchased at consignment or thrift stores - without giving it a second thought. I guess I didn't realize that people are squeamish about this!
I'm pro washing sneakers. If you are around my husband's running shoes in the summer, you'd be too, LOL! My five is stressful but will be worth it in the long run.
1. We traded in our beloved and still working economy car for a SUV that was a former lease with a tow package. There are more fugal ways of buying and selling used cars but we needed something specific on a short timeline for #2.
2. We bought a used A frame camper! Tents get brittle being up for months on end so they don't last as long with care as casual family camping tent did when I'm touring. I won't have to rely on hotels as much when on the road and the thought of staying dry while making a cup of tea in horizontal rain makes me giddy.
3. Frugal Fail. I didn't try to negotiate the camper price after finding a series of repairs when the seller said it only needed new curtains (easy) and cushions (not really.) It's nothing I can't handle but an expected expense we should have been compensated for in our opinion.
4. My Father in Law is letting us store the camper at his house for free instead of paying for storage. We don't have the room or the HOA OK to do so at our house.
5. Frugal rant. I tried buying boring but necessary camper accessories (water hoses, etc.) from Marketplace to save money where we can. The used things we needed are listed at their new in store prices so I ended up buying new. I comparison shopped and saved a little, but it still frustrating.
Sorry about the typos. I am on my phone.
Laundering shoes is fine. We have had front load washers for a very long time and they have to be cleaned regularly, so sneakers are no more icky than the couple of loads of cleaning rags I wash every week.
Meant to say on your last post, Kristen-I love the weekly latte idea!! You deserve it, and my sweet dad always used to say that we need something to look forward to.
On the subject of coffee...I usually get a Starbucks drink weekly, but I am trying to do all I can to cut extra expenditures, so I bought the large refrigerated bottles of their lite vanilla latte and caramel macchiato, which I am mixing with a bit of milk to make them last longer-4 drinks for the price of one, and I always get the iced drinks in the summer anyway. Drinking them at home also saves me giving a tip!
Picked up a book at the library yesterday that I had requested they order, and they said yes!
My mom and I are painting a small dresser and two end tables for a friend, which gives us a service project and is frugal for our friend.
Might seem a bit silly, but I am putting a star sticker on my calendar for every day that I don't spend any money!
What a great idea -- star stickers as a frugal motivation! I don't have any stickers but I think I will start writing stars or check marks on my calendar for no spend days! Thanks for the tip!
Five Frugal Things
1. We went to my husband's college fraternity reunion over the weekend. We camped instead of staying at a hotel.
2. Once the fraternity activities were over, my husband and I had a fun Sunday driving around the area. He showed me a waterfall that he used to cool off at on a hot day. We did the same.
3. Husband's birthday is tomorrow. For one of his presents, I baked him his favorite muffins last night (banana muffins with caramel chips), after the heat of the day was over. Also, for another present, I am re-using something he got for free at the reunion. He will get a chuckle out of seeing it again.
4. I wanted some larger size garden pots to put annuals in, but I didn't have any. Instead of buying some, I got some from my mother who is no longer using them. She was glad to pass them on.
5. Some of the usual frugal stuff: line drying my laundry in my basement, eating out of our fridge as much as possible (despite weekend travel).
DECIDEDLY NOT FRUGAL: we have been running our window air conditioner units and attic fan a great deal since the temps have been very high here in the great Northeast (of the US). I am dreading my electric bill for the next few months.
*I had a new swim top in my WM cart, because one of the straps on mine broke, then I thought...wait. I have a sewing machine. Emptied cart.
*cooking 4 sweet potatoes today that are getting older by the minute. I will freeze them individually, then thaw and top them with taco meat and cheese for an easy meal.
*reading a library book today (ok this one is a stretch), then when I finish it I will work on a freebie from our lending library at work.
*happy I don't have to water the shrubs and grass as planned because RAIN!
P.S. I toss my flip flops in the washer, too. With my regular towels and hot water. I have done it for years.
I wash my shoes in the washing machine and the top rack of the dishwasher! If they are extra ripe I will sprinkle baking soda, let sit overnight.
Made a batch of electrolyte finger Jello in cute flower shapes. I used two scoops of beef gelatin, sugar free keto Jello and two scoops of SF electrolyte drink mix. Popped them into a pyrex fridge dish. Mom loves them.
1. After our sweet dog viciously disemboweled and beheaded her new dog toy in a matter of days, I was able to rescue the squeaker inside before she destroyed it. I sewed the squeaker into another dog toy that was only partially ruined, and sewed everything shut with dental floss to slow down her next killing spree.
2. Spilled some curry sauce on a pair of light colored jeans. Used Fels Naptha soap and strong sunshine over two days to get almost all of the spot out. I still can't get over how sunshine zaps out stains.
3. Made a basic quick bread and jazzed it up by filling the loaf pan with half the batter, then adding chopped walnuts and several generous globs of jam before topping with the rest of the batter. Then I used a knife to swirl the batter to spread the deliciousness all around before baking.
4. Tried steaming diced potatoes for both potato salad and mashed potatoes for the first time. We liked the less liquidy texture, saved some water in the process, and didn't heat up the kitchen as much as a boiling pan of water would.
5. Husband surprised me with a 3-night getaway to the North Shore of Lake Superior, where we are right now. He knew I needed a change of routine and scenery at the 3-month mark of my recovery from falling and fracturing my knee. He rented a cottage near the main lodge, which is pricier but we have our own kitchen and brought our own food. He negotiated $500 off our stay. Even with that, it's the most we've ever spent on lodging per night. Savings from my not doing anything that cost money for months will help offset the expense of this glorious getaway.
MB, you deserve that #5! And I'm amused to see the same "good juicy rationalization" principle applied to your getaway as I applied to my new recliner.
Yes! Totally worth the splurge!
Number 5 sounds amazing, and to echo A.Marie, well deserved! I hope you have a fabulous time!
Thank you so much!
Sewed a shirt seam hole & patched the sons ripped work pants.
Finished cleaning up 4 gallon bags of garden carrots for long term storage.
Sorted & organized my freezer (reduce food waste!).
Clustered errands.
Energy saving tricks in extreme heat-blinds closed, lights off, fan to circulate air & laundry at night to decrease heat.
How else would you wash sneakers? So, do people just throw them away?
The world we live in now!🤔
I don’t think it’s strange to wash shoes in the washing machine. I wash my Rothy’s in the machine, as the instructions state. I also run a bleach hot water empty load once a month, so that disinfects the machine.
I love to finding markdowns. I find bakery markdowns early in the day or late in the evening at Walmart. I sometimes just slip them in the freezer and take out just what I need -- like the reduced sourdough bread I just bought.
And bravo on small sewing repairs. I just ripped a favorite pair of capris right next to the seam and I have to figure out how to fix that. I may use an iron-on patch because it's in a place that won't show. won't show.
Here are my FFTs
– l made chicken salad sandwiches and ham sandwiches for eats in the car when we went on our driving trip to Florida. It saved us time and money since we didn't have to stop to eat.
– I froze a few things in the freezer before we went on vacation left so food wouldn't go to waste.
– I saved a super big plastic bottle from whey protein powder and took the label off. I plan to punch some holes in the bottom, give it a coat of white paint, then paint flowers on it to make it into a planter for flowers out in our front courtyard.
– While on our trip to Florida over the 4th of July, we filled up twice at Murphy Oil gas stations near Walmarts in Alabama and Florida and saved $10 with each fill up using our credit card rewards.
– I bought a loaf of marked- down sour dough bread at Walmart.
I also put my sneakers in the washing machine!
And pay my car insurance in full when it is due - as they give me a "paid in full" discount. (I also put it on my credit card to get the cash back!) I just have the money auto transferred every pay period to a special savings bucket, and transfer it to pay my CC after paying it!
Today is "Cow Appreciation Day" for those of us with a Chick Fil A.....dress like a cow/wear something cow related - get a FREE entree! I got a Free Chicken Biscuit on my way to work!
Are there people who would actually be disgusted by putting shoes in the washing machines? I mean if you have children, your bar for "gross things to wash" is pretty high. Plus, like you mentioned, we washed clothes diapers for years when our kids were young (boy I do NOT miss those days!).
Just curious - when underwear is absolutely no longer mendable, do you just landfill it, or is there a wonderful creative way that you repurpose it? I buy the best I can afford, wash gently and line dry, but eventually the elastic dies and the cotton is just worn out. What then???
Could the cotton part of your worn-out undies be reused as cleaning rags?
It's been so dry here the deer have been eating my onions -- which they never do. My husband fenced off the onion bed (which I've never needed to do in ten years.) He used leftover wire and posts and made a gate using the handle of an old wooden ore and a 'latch' fashioned from an old bucket handle. It looks much better than it sounds and used up stuff we had lying around.
I'm on the team that will wash almost anything in the washing machine -- shoes, rugs, rags, etc.
We've been eating lots of salads utilizing lettuce and carrots from the garden. About half my carrots bolted in the heat, but at least I'm getting some.
I harvested about 30 bulbs of garlic. A smaller crop due to the extreme heat, but I think I can make that stretch for a year. I had no garlic last year and really missed it.
Ooh, I have something to add. I might have mentioned in previous posts that my sister, a retited nurse, found an ICU hospital gown outside her car near her Dr.'s office when she came out after an appointment. She brought it home, washed it and gave it to me sine I sew and she thought I could use the fabric. I have since made her a pair of potholders using some of that fabric and just made a second pair for another nurse. The gown had no stains on it and my sister washed it in hot water and dried it on high heat. This might gross some people out, but I'm sure all the germs are gone. And these nurses now have unique potholders and the fabric wasn't wasted. It's made me think about calling local hospitals and see if I could get a few used gowns. I know when they are really messy they are considered medical waste and burned. But what about the ones that are just a little worn?
Could have been from a person who got fed up with the ER and left - I burned my "gown". Regardless, her hot water wash/high heat dry would have killed most bacteria.
Doesn't everyone wash their shoes in the washing machine? 😉
I also use the same concept for large bills. I take the amount paid annually for all of them, divide it by 12 and add a bit in case something is a little higher - and have that amount direct deposited in a separate account. This way I know those large amounts are covered and I don't need to worry about it.
1. I had some time to myself on Saturday and spent an hour and a half clearance shopping at Wal-Mart. I got a pair of really nice tennis shoes for my son for $3, four pairs of jeans my middle schooler is thrilled about for $5 each, school shorts for $2, and more. Bonus is that I did self-checkout so I could make sure everything rang up correctly. The four pairs of jeans rang up for $9 each instead of $5 each, so I called an employee over who fixed it for me. Saved $16 by paying attention.
2. There's a big parasite outbreak in my corner of SE Michigan and I'm one of the lucky ones who got it. But instead of just calling to make an appointment, I explained what I thought it was, what my symptoms were and was detailed about when they hit and so on (symptoms are not constant with this) and they were willing to prescribe me the medicine without me having to go in for an appointment. Hooray! And I feel completely normal again.
3. I made yogurt.
4. I've been freezing a ton of strawberries for smoothies since they've been so cheap in-store.
5. I shopped around to a place that would cover my son's glasses at 100%. My friend is an eye doctor and gives us free exams (SO generous!) and she encouraged me to check out a particular place that she thought we'd qualify for. She was right. I appreciate her kindness!
I repurposed an old fanny pack, cleaned it and repaired a small rip. Now I have a nice bag for dog treats for puppy training. I didn't have to buy one at the pet store.
I batch-cooked pasta salad with chicken and beans on Sunday to pack lunch for work.
I brought lunch, coffee, a snack, and water to work all week. No vending for me!
I found a top at Target that I liked but it had a small flaw in the knit. I knew I could fix it. They gave me half off the price.
I resisted buying adorable but unnecessary baby clothes for my adorable baby grandson.
I have to avoid the baby aisles at the store or my new granddaughter would be floating in flower prints and pink! It's hard to resist those cute outfits- boy, girl, or neutral.
I allowed myself 3 things at goodwill, and her other grandma hit the thrift stores with a vengeance.
Martha, what a great idea to use a fanny pack for dog treats. Wish I had thought of that when my dog was in training!
FFT, Odds and Ends Edition:
(1) The new recliner I ordered on Saturday (see my comment yesterday) will be delivered on or about August 1. Free delivery if they can just drop it at the front door and let me worry about getting it into the house. I'll see if I can enlist one or two of my guy friends to help.
(2) On the way home from the furniture store, I made several stops. The first was at one of our Rescue Mission's Thrifty Shopper stores that I haven't been to in ages, where I found a great pair of sandals for $5 (like Keen's, except that the footbed is less rigid and thus more comfortable for my bad knees) and an enchanting book titled "Capt. Kidd's Cat," written and illustrated by Robert Lawson--who did a similar book called "Ben and Me" about the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and a mouse, and who also did the illustrations for "Mr. Popper's Penguins," with which my fourth-grade teacher bored everyone but me during read-aloud hour.
(3) I also hit two garage sales after this. At the first, I bought a large and dusty but interesting basket for $1 (which cleaned up nicely under my garden hose) and a Calphalon sheet pan with some baked-on crud. (Suggestions for removing the crud are welcome. It's a nonstick pan, so I don't want to use Barkeeper's Friend, and cream of tartar has just bombed.) The pan was originally priced at 25 cents, but I only had 22 cents in change on me. The sale's cashier chuckled, "You drive a hard bargain!" 😛
(4) The basket has already found its use: It's perfect for transporting dried herbs from my attic to the dining room, where I grind the herbs and put them into reused spice bottles (McCormick, Spice Island, Penzeys, etc.; my regular "customers" know that I always appreciate the return of the empties). I'm spending this beastly hot day indoors catching up on indoor things, of which herb processing is one.
(5) And I applied $13.90 in NYS deposit container returns (three bags full) to yesterday's tab at Wegmans, bringing it down from $61 to $48. I also found some Reduced for Quick Sale turkey thighs at Weggies, which I roasted yesterday so as not to have to cook anything today. Today's Self thanks Yesterday's Self.
In (5), that should have been from about $62 to about $48. Senior moment. 😛
A.Marie, when I was studying my master's in Information Science, we learned about Karl Popper and his philosophies and I remembered it as Karl Popper and his Penguins!
I also pay my car insurance once a year, for the same reason.
1. Did the laundry in the wee hours of the morning to save on electricity rates, as well as keeping the house from getting too hot. After a short time in the dryer if necessary, to get out any wrinkles, I air dried everything on the wooden racks.
2. Found some old containers of broth that were long ago outdated, so Snuggles got some on his dry dog food.
3. Made sure to turn in the library book before its due date, thus avoiding a fine.
4. Bought a half gallon of Blue Bell Ice Cream on the last day of the sale, and saved over a dollar in price. Paid $5.99 instead of $7.49. Happy to report the new chocolate lava cake flavor is out of this world delicious.
Also topped off my car's gas tank at $3.49 before prices go back up, as is predicted.
5. Was able to get the city's regular trash/yard waste pickup to take away the remains of a hackberry tree, so I didn't have to pay extra $ for it to be hauled off.
I am diligent about running the cleaning cycle on my washing machine every month. So prior to that I look around for throw rugs, dog beds and shoes that need to be washed. Once that’s finished I run the cleaning cycle that uses steam cleaning. I’m happen that I’ve done what I can.
My machine "informs me" when I need to clean it. However I have found since I was strictly cold water these days, a couple cycles of hot wash after a packet of Tide washer clean is necessary. Prior to this finding, I'd do a couple of rinse/spin cycles to get rid of the suds. Now that I do the hot wash cycles, there is not as much water to wipe out after a load of clothes. YMMV but I paid a lot for my W/D set and will do what is best.
Repairing clothing is a great frugality measure! Isn't there a saying about reuse/replace and make do?
My fab five are:
1) I ordered a solar bank and kept it in a drawer. I tried to give it to our son for his apartment. Unfortunately, the battery bulged and destroyed the unit. I contacted the company and they sent me a new one for free. The cool thing was that they had a 3 year warranty and I bought this about 3 years ago! Savings- $50
2) We had garage door issues. A bang noise when it closed, the door bouncing up/down and not staying shut...A neighbor said we should replace it but he helped us fix the bang noise. The other issue required a garage guy who moved the sensors and then gave it a "tune-up." Due to this fix, the garage openers didn't work but our son fixed that! Everything now works! Savings- $3,000
3) I cut my own hair and messed up my bangs. Like, I cut part of them off! I decided to put on a puffy head scarf, hair sprayed the bangs and the problem looked better.
4) I heard that for car emissions testing, people were failing due to not having a new gas cap. Ebay to the rescue. I ordered one for $10 and passed.
5) Our 25 year old tree must be removed due to structural issues. It has a weak spot that can cause it to fall on our home or a neighbor's house. The cost to remove it isn't bad, and to save a home is worth it. Savings-$5,000+
Let's see. This week I...
-visited the markdown section of a local farm store. Picked up some mini chocolate chip pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and bagels 1/2 off. Also some mushrooms and shelling peas at a discount too.
-was treated out to lunch by the in-laws for my husbands birthday
-borrowed some dvds from the library that I would have had to pay to rent elsewhere as they were not currently on any streaming services.
-used my voucher for $100 off registration for a half marathon in the fall. It would have covered the whole cost if I had redeemed it earlier but I wasn't sure if I would be doing it earlier in the year and missed the price jump. Discount is still good though.
-hit up Neighborhood for their #dollardeals on produce for the week
Ha! I just washed two pair of expensive* Dansko walking shoes yesterday. Be sure to wash them in cool water, as hotter water can melt glue. Don't put them in the dryer for the same reason.
* Not for me, 'cuz I buy them on ebay. They're my everyday+light hiking shoes.
I didn't even know people had an issue with putting shoes in the washing machine!
Frugals:
1. I went for a long walk in the countryside with my mother and, apart from the cost of petrol and an ice lolly each, we didn't spend any money. We brought a large lunch and a thermos of coffee with us.
2. I went for my annual check-up at the optician. The eye test is included with my contact lens delivery, plus I paid a small amount of money for a 3D eye check. I see it as investing in health!
3. It's been very hot lately so I've stayed cool by drinking water and mostly staying home, aside from short walks near the house.
4. I booked a doctor's appointment which is covered by universal healthcare.
5. I have saved a lot of money this week in general simply by being at my parents' place, who are paying for most of the food!
I forgot to add re the walk, I wore walking boots and hiking socks which I bought several years ago. They are high quality and so have lasted longer without needing to be replaced.
My Frugal 5s this week:
• My husband gave me my first-ever haircut by him after watching a few YouTube tutorials. He did a great job!
• Was gifted a big bag of fresh garden zukes (small zucchinis) in return after I watered my dear friend’s plants while she was gone.
• My youngest won the grand prize in a free raffle! She's now the proud owner of a movie-night snack box overflowing with candy, jerky, and popcorn and has been so generous in sharing with us. Also got a few bags popcorn for free which made for a delicious snack at home.
• Redeemed three free Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas for the girls' reading achievements. Free yummy lunch for them!
• Took the whole family to a free swim day at the girls' favorite water park. We do this once every summer, and keeping the tradition alive without spending a dime makes it even sweeter.
1. Thanks to someone in the Commentariat, I was able to buy postage before prices went up. This was a significant savings as I am writing postcards to help get out the vote for the midterm elections and I needed several hundred postcard stamps! I went ahead and bought stamps for my Christmas cards too.
2. I’ve continued to give things away via Buy Nothing. This week I also picked up a few things including a kite and someone had some food they didn’t want.
3. I watered my plants using the water in my kids’ water table. This saved water, but it also reduced the places where mosquitos could lay their offspring.
4. I bought a lot of necessities at Goodwill for my larger-sized postpartum self. I found some new business casual trousers and a nice shirt for work, some shorts, some workout shorts, and a lightweight rainjacket. There were a few other little things too. I also asked the cashier about a couple of items that were missing buttons or had fraying areas, and received those items for half off.
5. I bought a preloved metal bedframe off of marketplace. I wanted a headboard and I also wanted one that let us still see the window that is directly behind our bed, and I think this will fit the bill.
Nothing huge comes to mind but I’m mildly proud of the soup I made, that was almost entirely from things I froze so as not to waste, plus beans cooked from dried:
- chinese cabbage, steamed and frozen;
- roast garlic;
- minced chicken from a stir-fry that didn’t work at all;
- ham trimmings;
- pork drippings;
- sauteed leeks;
- pureed broccoli sauce; and
- celery.
The only reason I haven’t put my runners in the washing machine is the concern that the detergent will affect their structure and support. Do you use a specific detergent?
I wash my shoes very frequently, and dry them in the sun. This is particularly a top priority after traveling, because somehow airplane bathrooms are just extremely vile. I've seen people entering those bathrooms with no shoes?! How?! Why?!
Traveling for work, so nothing too frugal to report. I'm hoping to earn points on my credit card & a cash back offer from my credit card. We shall see if it works. I've saved it to my account. I also had to buy a bra, because I forgot mine, so frugal fail right there. That said, the yen is very weak against the dollar right now, so everything is quite inexpensive. DS20 sent me a list of requests to look for at Uniqlo, and DS19 requested a cologne from duty free, if it's reasonably priced. We shall see.
Late to the party, but let me see if I can get five.
1. Still waiting on my car, so we have saved on gas by walking to the pool every day.
2. I am teaching my youngest to swim. This gives him a goal and some focus at the pool and I’m saving on swim lessons. (I was a water safety instructor, so I’m actually capable of doing a reasonable job of this.)
3. I made breakfast, lunch and dinner from what we have in the house, because no car means no groceries.
4. I’ve been spending twenty minutes a day gardening to slowly get back on track without overdoing it. I’ve not spent any money on plants or gardening things this year, but I did plant some seedlings from my farm share and some wildflower seeds that were a Mother’s Day gift from my kids. They are all mostly hanging in there despite this heat and my crappy watering work ethic.
5. I used scissors and turned two pairs of too short sweat pants into shorts for my youngest. I was hoping they would fit my oldest, as he is so tall, but also skinny, so his shorts look like he’s trying out for cabaret or something. Unfortunately, these “new” shorts, while in a more appropriate length, are way too tight, so the effect is essentially the same. Sigh…if anyone has recommendations for clothing stores for very tall (like 5’11” at age 13 and probably still growing) but also skinny as a rail kids, please let me know.
I wash most of my shoes in the wash machine exactly like you do!!
I also wash shoes in my washing machine. I cannot foresee that washing underwear, cloth diapers, period underwear, soiled sheets, etc. is any less worrisome. Also, think about laundromats!
1. We shopped around for auto and homeowner's insurance, which saved us $500/yearly by switching to Progressive.
2. My mom gave us fruits, vegetables, a whole chicken, and breads.
3. I used some leftover pasta, herbs from our garden, and mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes my mom gave us to make a pasta dish for my lunch this week.
4. We made chicken stock out of vegetable scraps and chicken bones.
5. My husband took lettuce from our garden for lunch this week. I made him croutons for his salads.
Thirty plus years ago I did cloth diapers for my kids and washed them in the washing machine. I had a Fisher Price diaper pail that I put water and some baking soda in to hold the diapers till it was wash time.
My 5 this week:
1. Got new glasses and bought them at Costco. I got two for about $50 more than the eye doctor's office. Picked them up and couldn't believe that I picked out such ugly pink old lady glasses. Hubby looked up the policy on returnss at Costco and I could return them within 30 days. So I did and picked out a pair of tortosie shell color oes that make me look much smarter than I am.. I was afraid if I kept the old ones I'd have to go the beauty salon once a week to get my hair done. No!!!!
2. Pay for car/house and umbrella insurance once a year too. New thought to put it on a credit card. Thanks!
3. We three got $4 personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut tonight. I could only eat half of mine so hubby ate the rest.
4. Eating salads from the garden.
5. I was able to walk around the parimetar of our local huge grocery store. This was the first time I've done this in over 5 years. I'd say closer to 10 years due to the obscene amount of weight I gained and very bad knees. Lost 147 pounds and had my right knee fixed and with physical therapy (paid for by insurance) I can do this. My daughter and I went to a volunteer event last night and she said "I guess I have to get the rollator out" and I said NO!!!! I'm cured!!!
Uh..... We're supposed to be concerned about putting our shoes in the washing machine? Who knew. Do it all the time. 🙂
I wash my OC shoes in the washer and they come out like new. I don’t get why anyone would have an issue with this.
I like to wear skirts in the summer, but they are sometimes hard to find. I have experimented with summer dresses i find at the thrift shop.! I cut the top off, leaving enough fabric for an elastic casing. Voila, new skirt!