Five Frugal Things | eBay fangirling
I started listing my five frugal things and realized I have kind of an inadvertent eBay theme going on here. It IS an awesome website for both making and saving money.
And I am not affiliated. 🙂
1. I listed many books on eBay
I went through my big bookshelf and found lots of no-longer-needed schoolbooks to offload. I'm hoping there will maybe be a big market for these right now, since more people will probably be homeschooling this fall.
Thus far, seven listings have sold, so I'm pretty pleased about that. Less clutter, more money!
(Here's how I sell books on eBay.)
2. I bought a flour storage bucket from Lowe's
I poked around on Webstaurant Supply and Amazon, but the options were pretty expensive.
I was reading comments on an Amazon listing, though, and someone pointed out that Lowe's sells food grade white buckets with screw lids for a fraction of the price that Amazon charges.
So I did an online order with Lowe's and chose the store pickup option.
The bucket does not hold an entire 50 pounds worth of flour, but I was able to easily store the rest of the flour in a few other smaller containers.
So now I have a big bucket of King Arthur bread flour and a bucket of King Arthur all-purpose flour in my laundry room. I am set for flour for a nice long time!
3. I sold an anime jacket on eBay
I rarely sell things other than books, but the girls had an outgrown silky jacket with anime embroidery on it, and I figured it might be worth something.
Also: I wanted it to go to someone who really wanted it. Anime clothing is sort of niche!
Now I've got $20, and I know the jacket is going to a home that will appreciate it.
4. I bought a pair of earbuds on eBay
The cat got to my earbud cord, and my beloved Yurbud earbuds work no longer.
Sigh.
I'm not that mad at the cat (she rarely breaks things), but I am sad because Yurbuds got bought out, and they no longer make these earbuds that fit my difficult-to-fit ears.
(I have tiny ear openings, which means most earbuds are painful!)
I found a new pair on eBay for $11, though. They are a slightly different design than my old ones, but I am hopeful that they will work out ok for me.
5. I...
- made more banana chocolate chip muffins (thank goodness my girls like these!)
- baked my sweet potatoes in the crock pot (cooler than using the oven)
- made coffee at home
- ordered a bunch of Stitch Fix items (with Lisey's help, to use my credit. Stay tuned...)
I'm struggling to come up with FFT with covid interfering with daily life but I'll try!
1. We had a lovely visit with two of our daughters maintaining social distance last week. I made brunch here, we chatted and I sent garden produce home with them.
2. This pertains to #1 but I got an amazing pedicure from my oldest while she was here. I love having pretty toes for summer even if I'm the only one that sees them!
3. The library continues to supply our entertainment. This week I got a book by Lysa Terkeurst to read for an online study which was also free.
4. I used Kroger coupons for $15 off $75 they sent for online pickup. I so appreciate them doing free pickup during this time.
5. My husband's birthday is this week and we'll do it a day early because I have a doctor's appointment. We'll run some errands, pick up a Facebook Marketplace lot of clothes my out of town niece purchased for her daughter and pick up food from our favorite Chinese place to eat at home. I need to come up with a yummy dessert but have an idea in mind.
Stay cool and stay safe everyone!!
We're getting ready to go back to school--though I still have my doubts that there will be children in the actual school building on August 17--which means school supplies. I sorted through the drawer of office supply stuff I've accumulated, mostly from my mother bringing things for the kids when she visits, and found several things on the supply lists. Yay.
The rest I had to order online, and as is the nature of online ordering, some things were way cheaper in larger quantities. Like two bottles of glue for $5.50, but TWELVE for fifty cents more. I e-mailed the teachers and let them know I would have extras of some things, either for kids who have trouble getting their own supplies or just for the classroom stash of extras.
I also ordered pretty much everything on the "wish lists" for the teachers. Not frugal for me, but I really don't think it should fall to the teacher to provide tissues and highlighters for an entire class.
I also did the dreaded Sorting of the Clothes and I think my younger sons, at least, are set for clothes. That eldest son requires continual new (well, new/old) clothes, though.
So, actually, this is not a particularly cheap time of year for a family with multiple children, but at least I found some ways to mitigate the damage. 🙂
Teacher here. I just want shout THANK YOU to on behalf of all teachers who are lucky enough to have classroom parents with your outlook! A teacher will never turn down a box of tissues or dry erase markers for their classroom 🙂
Cats are stinkers but I love them. Our cat breaks about one phone charger cord annually. She also is never sorry. Lol
Frugal:
1. Eating greens grown from my tiny patio garden.
2. Made banana bread from soft bananas. I really shouldn’t buy bananas this time of year because they ripen too quickly.
3. My husband picked up some needed rain gutter extenders from a job site. They were going to be thrown out. They will need spray painted. WE SPRAY PAINT LOTS OF FRUGAL FINDS
4. Continue to eat at home.
5. ????
Stay safe everyone!
I had no idea yurbuds were bought out! I have a pair I love, and I'm going to keep them in an extra special place to prolong their life so I don't end up budless. My husband keeps telling me I should get into wireless stuff, but I haven't seen anything that looks remotely comfortable for my ears.
Frugal things:
1. Puzzle swapping with friends. There should be puzzles at libraries because I rarely want to do one multiple times.
2. Bought books for homeschooling my littles. It's cheaper than buying a kit and I think I'll like it better piecemealed like I have done. Not that I'm trying to cheap out on my kids' schooling (one is in a private 2 days of school instruction model that isn't exactly cheap), but this years' choices ended up being less expensive than I anticipated, thanks to COVID changing how we do school.
3. recycling papers/junk mail etc. for kids to use for their crafting. No need for coloring books when we have junk-mail to open!
4. Rearranged house to make more space. Space is expensive, as I'm reminded every time I look at realtor websites, and I really think we can work with this house for longer. But, man, with a wheelchair and gait trainer and other special equipment, our 1500sq ft is feeling small for our 5 people.
5. Refroze gym membership due to the pandemic. It's an option the gym is re-offering during the pandemic. Totally worth it for our family since we're not using public gyms.
Puzzles would be a nightmare at libraries--every time one was checked out, we would have to count the pieces when it was returned, and we'd have to mark each individual piece per puzzle to make sure they all stay together. It is a good idea, since puzzles are generally a one and done activity, but multiple piece items are hard at libraries. We count the discs on all audiobooks whenever they are returned. Our library does take puzzle donations and sells them for 50cents at book sales.
I spotted a fellow library employee right away. HAHA. I second that! Also, if you didn't count pieces, you would get the complaints about how many pieces were missing. No thanks! A sister library is lending out cake pans and hate it because they come back dirty. Unfortunately, not all people are responsible.
Allison, counting pieces sound like a nighmare. I hadn't thought about it that way! I would buy one for $0.50 even if pieces were missing!
Have you already asked your library about puzzles? Both my library and my parents’ have puzzles to loan out. Its great that you have puzzle loving friends to trade with!
I asked my librarian about lending out puzzles before the pandemic and she seemed very uninterested. I wish she had given me an explanation like you received.
I am very fortunate that I trade with about 3 different people. And they used to be at yard sales for $1 but since the pandemic no yard sales around here.
The senior citizen center near us has a place where people donate puzzles. I was told that people are free to take them as well as donate them. I don't think the center is open at this time.
Oh, I love this topic! I once bought a house in a large Senior Community because it had an awesome Honor System Library, complete with a puzzle section. (Still own the house, still bring/swap puzzles every time I visit.)
Ways I get free/cheap puzzles when I'm not at that house:
- I volunteer at a Thrift Store that sells them for fifty cents or a dollar, depending on size.
- I also swap puzzles with someone I met via Next Door. I send her pictures of what I have, she does the same. We do a porch swap and everybody's happy.
- I chat with friends. If anyone is into puzzling, I offer to give/swap puzzles with them.
- When I'm done, I pass them on to other puzzlers, who return the favor.
- As a result, I have at least twenty puzzles in the puzzle closet at any given time. <3 <3 <3
To the librarians who poo-poo puzzles, I say HONK HONK, pull over! You might be overthinking this. Nobody cares if a puzzle from a public source is missing a piece or two. Put a disclaimer sticker on the box and get on with it. And yes, I am a long-time library volunteer and sit on two library boards. If you really believe that marking and counting every piece is vital, you could easily reach out into your community for a dedicated puzzle volunteer (post-pandemic, of course). Some frugal puzzle lover would be thrilled at the chance to do free puzzles.
Love your answer! Our library has a puzzle exchange corner and you expect that sometimes a puzzle you bring home (for free!!) will have a piece or more missing. Although I have to say that this has only happened a few times and we have been doing puzzle exchanges for years.
The library near my sister lends games and puzzles. They don’t count pieces. They weigh the boxes to make sure everything is there.
I used a lot of produce to make 2 Stromboli- one for me and one to give away.
I haven’t had anything but homemade from scratch food since March!
I made a key lime pie with ingredients I had here and gifted it. I had made myself one for the Fourth of July and it was soooo good. Brown eyed baker’s recipe.
I continued to work from home at a job I love.
I did buy some face masks from an Etsy seller and gave them away. I have enough for me.
I’m doing my best to keep a good attitude and not feel sorry for myself!
I can't believe there's someone else with small ear problems. I can't wear foam earplugs, or the little silicone ones. They just pop right back out! It's comical but also annoying. 🙂
Yes. Most earplugs hurt my ears as well; there's just not enough room to fit them comfortable into my ear canal. It's pretty frustrating.
I too have tiny ears and I wear kids earplugs when I need them. For headphones, I’ve had good luck with ones by SoundMagic, but it’s also possible to buy a bag of silicone tips in small or extra small and just swap the ends out.
I am a very tall woman with extremely tiny ear holes. Years ago I gave up the fight looking for comfortable ear buds and spent $300 on Bose, over the total ear head phones. They are so comfortable and they block out all other sounds; it ended up being one of those hideously expensive purchases that I would do 10 more times if I had to because of the personal comfort. Plus you never spend time, as my husband often does, looking for the darn ear buds...
"Anime clothing is sort of niche!"
Yes. Yes it is! I was really into anime as a teenager and early adult (and still enjoy a little bit, though I hate the fandom) and yeah, most of the stuff is trash to 99.99% of the population.
1.) Bought a night light with a USB charger at Harbor Freight and it didn't work so it was returned. I opted instead to just return it as opposed to exchange it. I just don't trust the model now (even though it is Intertek certified which tests to the same specs as UL does btw.)
2.) Paid for my homeowner's insurance on my credit card (which I promptly paid off.) I didn't get a ton of cash back but enough to make it worth going that route vs. having them just deduct it from checking account.
3.) Working on cleaning out my pantry and freezer. Thus the last few weeks we haven't needed to buy anything except produce, milk and eggs.
4.) Braved the heat and made four loaves of bread. I also started to make some German beer mustard (which doesn't save money really but it's fun.)
5.) Finally starting to get some harvest from my garden. Right now it's cucumbers and I expect some pickles are in my near future.
I sold my first two items on Ebay this week thanks to your post the other week!
Woohoo!
Hi! Are you not still buying your years supply of gold medal flour like you used to? Did you stop for, a reason
Did you stop for a reason or just forgot to keep doing it? I just remember that point from a few years ago, or maybe more, I've been reading for a while!
So, in recent years, good Gold Medal sales have been harder and harder to come by. I've kept an eye out, but there's nothing approaching the $0.99 sales I used to see.
When the pandemic hit, I didn't have much flour on hand, and stores were sold out. So that's why I opted to do the bulk buying from the Webstaurant Supply site; it was less about saving money and more about actually being able to buy flour!
Next time check your local restaurant supply shops to see if they sell to the public. My local one does.
I have no idea what my local restaurant supply shops are. I should google to find out.
I get so aggravated with ebay. They send me $20 for something I sold. Then, 2 months later, they charge me $2 for fees. Why don't they just me $18 in the first place? Why take the fees so much later? I've been liking Mercari because they only send you your sales $ NET of fees. Glad you are having so much luck on ebay though 🙂
I don't like selling on eBay because of this reason and shipping/postage. I sell on Poshmark--yes, the fees may be a bit high, but it's brainless for me to sell and ship. Shipping is already figured out, they send me the shipping label, I print it and that's that. Any fees are already taken out before I'm paid.
I don't know why the fees run on a delay like that, but since the eBay money is just extra income, I'm not too worried about it.
If I sold on a large scale, maybe it would be more annoying.
Then again, I am used to serious delays in income because with blogging income, there's often a 3 month delay between earning money and actually getting paid!
I have some things I'd like to sell, but for some reason, I am intimidated by selling online. I simply must get over that and sell some things.
1. I finished painting the old rocker I rediscovered in our shed, and it now graces the back porch. For about $4 of paint, I avoided paying for a new chair. I already used this as a frugal item when I found the chair, but now that I've actually finished it, I feel even more frugal, because I really am using the chair and used the paint I bought, instead of just having good intentions.
2. I had a facial skin cancer a few years ago, so I wear a sunscreen under my makeup now. I just cut open a tube to finish it completely before starting the new tube. I have the open end pinched shut with hair clips to keep it from drying out.
3. I had some bananas starting to get close to overripe and I didn't want to use the oven to make bread or muffins, so I froze them and made banana/strawberry/coconut cream "ice cream." It was delicious.
4. I washed a load of cleaning cloths and mop pads. I put a little Pine Sol in with the wash to disinfect them.
5. My dentist is retiring, so I found another one in my insurance network whose practice is less than a quarter of a mile from where I work. Less time off work, less travel, network pricing.
This weekend, my kids and grandkids were here, so my daughter, grandson and I built a new railing for my front porch. The lumber was $$$ but doing it ourselves saved the money to have it built by someone else. Plus, it doesn't look like Every. Single. Other. House's. Railing.
Got some lathe boards from FB Marketplace for free and used them on the porch crawl space panels. My son-in-law and grandson used some leftover pieces to make a garden obelisk for my garden and it's beautiful (and free!). I'll use the rest of the boards in the chicken coop to hold back the insulation in the ceiling (also scored insulation for free). Any leftover pieces will be put on FB Marketplace to pass along.
I've been slowly cleaning out the basement and selling things (or giving away, like the cans of paint) on FB Marketplace. Love that someone else can use the stuff instead of it sitting in my basement. The extra money from sales (even if it's only a few dollars here and there) are nice as well.
We will be moving at the end of the year, so many of my frugal activities have to do with decluttering and finding new homes for things.
1. Gave away an old ottoman via Facebook marketplace/local buy & sell groups.
2. Took another carload of things to Goodwill. We are (almost) empty nesters, and for some reason we still had 5 sleeping bags in the basement. My husband and I do not camp, and no grandchildren on the horizon, so off they go. I am happy to think of another family camping or kids sleeping out in their backyards.
3. Finding duplicates of things I can give to friends. A school librarian friend is looking for 70% alcohol for disinfecting chromebooks when school starts. I found two extra bottles as I went through bathroom cabinets. It is amazing what is squirreled away after almost 30 years in the same house.
4. Ripped all of our CDs into iTunes, and sold all our old CDs at Half Price Books. We are rediscovering music we have not listened to in a LONG time, and saving space in our new home.
5. Cooking at home. Granola is in the oven now. I also discovered that pancake batter can be refrigerated if you don't use it all. My husband and I had pancakes this weekend, and again this morning. A nice weekday morning treat!
At the risk of being annoying, I’d like to mention that it’s technically only legal to rip your CDs to iTunes if you keep the physical CD. Once you’ve sold the physical object, you are technically in copyright violation (as ownership is tied to the physical object). I’m not judging, just pointing it out as often people don’t know it works this way...
I love that you know this! Thanks for sharing!
I didn't know this, thanks for the info.
Thank you for informing/reminding people of this! I get accused of being the copyright police when I see people making copies of CDs to give as gifts or favors at kids' parties - and politely remind them its illegal and they could be fined, if caught. And don't get me started on the 100s of CDs I see for sale at yard sales after people have saved the music to their iTunes account.
Did you all know you can make granola in the microwave? Its great and takes 8 minutes. I just looked at recipes online and picked one- making adjustments for our favorite add-ins. You can make chex-mix in all its varieties in the microwave, too!
Ebay is my go-to for many things, esp. my medical items that are cheaper than what my insurance charges me. Right now, I'm...Christmas shopping there.
Here's my fab five:
1) Got 2 free mag subscriptions (recipe related).
2) Got 3 free gift cards from reward points.
3) Earned a $5 GC with swagbucks.
4) Got o elusive body wash on ebay since DS1 said he can't find it anymore.
5) Stocked up on chicken at 97 cents/lb.
1) Sewed another big batch of cloth masks. I made 32 masks for about $1.50 each, not including my time. However, I am ready to climb the walls screaming, so it was a delight to do something so productive and focused.
2) I sewed mask lanyards for my colleagues and myself. We're professors and have to wear masks whenever we leave our offices. I keep losing my mask on my desk, so I dipped into my ingenuity and fabric stash. I bought swivel clips and a set of bias tape makers for around $15.
3) LOTS of research to find a whiteboard app/tablet that I can use for my online and hybrid courses this fall. I want to give my students the best tools for success while also protecting my health and their health. I was THRILLED to discover that a $70 graphics tablet is as good an option as a much more expensive tablet.
I'm drawing a blank on other frugal options because my brain is mush.
I guess I really need to learn to do E-bay. I just hate to deal with mailing things out.
1- I sold the carpet floor mats from our car on FB
2- I've been making small batch tomato spread as I harvest my tomatoes
3 - I was given 3 large bags of oranges....trying to decide how I will process them.
4 - I was given a bag of white onions
5 - I was given five 27 ounce cans of green beans at my grocery pick up to sub for the 14.5 ounce I ordered.
1. Hoping to avoid going in to the post office, found stamps on eBay! Cheaper than the current forever stamp rate.
2. Been eating up the veggies produced in our garden (serrano peppers, zucchini, thai basil and tomatoes so far. Waiting on sugar snap peas, carrots, and melon).
3. Finishing up a fitness program on Youtube and started looking for the next thing to do. Went back to fitnessblender.com after years and realized my husband had purchased a program a while back. Will use this next. I think I originally heard about fitnessblender on this site so thank you!
4. Daughters' leggings had holes in the knees. Cut them into shorts to wear under their dresses.
5. Cut my daugther's hair - it was down to her waist and while it's still long, she says she feels so much lighter. It's not perfect but it's not a disaster!
1. I made a big pot of spaghetti/pizza sauce using a bag of 99 cent clearance tomatoes. I saved the best two tomatoes for sandwiches/salads.
2. I was offered a free year's magazine subscription in an email from Fetch Rewards. I wasn't required to input credit card information or anything for automatic renewal. I chose Real Simple from the list and am looking forward to the first issue.
3. I painted a desk that my sister wanted to sell. She offered me half of the $40 she got for it. I only took $10, but later that day, I went to Sprouts with her, and she paid for my $6 order.
4. I read on my auto insurance renewal bill that clients are allowed once a year to request a review of their rates which are calculated partially on credit scores. It says the review may result in a reduction, an increase or no change. Has anyone ever done this with good results?
5. I spent only $11.87 for gas during July and still have about half a tank left. Just not driving much.
My frugal things this week are a bit boring...
1. I made banana bread with the old bananas I had in my kitchen
2. I picked up 4 new books at the library
3. I dragged myself into the kitchen when I wanted to order takeout and whipped up a quick dinner
4. I fixed my dishwasher basket with zip ties. Again. Eventually the basket will just be made of zip ties but hopefully soon there will be a new dishwasher in our house. Just coaxing this one along as long as I can
5. We booked camping for one last summer experience. Since we have all the equipment already it's a very inexpensive way to enjoy some family time.
1) When we decided that we would homeschool our two middle kids this year (preK and 1st grade) instead of virtual school them, I did a bunch of research and came up with $400 worth of curriculum. Then I took some time to think on it and do some more reading. I decided that we have to keep things as simple as possible this year. We plan to send the kids back to public school next year (fingers crossed the pandemic is waning next fall), so I think my job is to make sure that they are engaged and learning this school year. But I am just not going to be able to replicate what they would have learned in the classroom. And if I pick something complicated I am just setting us all up to get frustrated and burned out. So instead I picked super simple curriculum--more along the lines of summer practice stuff. My expenses for curriculum went from $400 to $20. I put the $15 Amazon gift card I got for leaving a review for another item toward it, and our out of pocket cost was $5.
2) I applied for an amazing job in my field. I am uniquely qualified for it, so I think I have a good chance of at least getting an interview.
3) Lunch includes a packet of curry sauce that my sister and law brought us from Japan and leftover eggs and vegetables.
4) The Rothys that I bought for our son with a coupon code were too small. I was really disappointed because my understanding is you can wash them endlessly and not wear socks. That was their biggest size, so they have to go back. I've already initiated a free return, and my husband will drop it off today.
5) I have not bought clothes for myself in years because I have been in graduate school and having babies. So my body has changed and changed again and no one sees me. But things are getting pretty bottom of the barrel. If I get an interview for this amazing job, I will need clothes. I had racked up enough points with Thredup that I could trade some for the restocking fee waived on all the items in my order, which means I could place a big order and return anything completely free that I don't like. I will get store credit in return, which is perfect because I will be buying kids clothes again at some point.
1. We've had a lot of leftovers for meals this past week (including my lunch right now).
2. We had a yard sale a week and a half ago, but yesterday someone came to buy all of the baby girl clothes I had left, plus all of the 3T boy clothes I have. The price per piece was super cheap, but I know that you when buy in bulk you may not like every piece you get. I'm happy to have them out of my house and into the house of someone who can use them, happy to have a little more cash, and he seemed super happy about the price I offered. Everyone wins.
3. I just dropped my kids off for a sleepover at my parents' house! Frugal things from this include: free babysitting (we'll get to have our 2nd date since the pandemic started), my mom gave me a brand-new candle that she can't burn at home since the flame bothers my dad, I'm borrowing a few of her movies (including a rom-com that I plan to watch while folding laundry... not a kids movie!!!), and she showed me how she's been making her own frappuchinos at home and I plan to give it a try myself!
4. We met a friend at the pool yesterday to celebrate her birthday and my 6yo and I actually stuck to the budget when picking out her birthday gift! The pool is also a free activity for us as members and our membership is free since it's at the facility where my husband works.
5. We've been eating food from our garden! Lots of summer squash. The kids eat all the green beans as we pick them. Makes for a happy momma.
1. Shopped at CVS for refills on allergy medicines, shampoo and other toiletries by maximizing online coupons and discounts.
2. Been only drinking homemade coffee, saving leftover coffee for ice coffee later. My husband has gone without alcohol this month, so also saved on wine etc.
3. Purchased a new swimsuit on sale from Lands End. To get free shipping, bought some sweaters for my kids to give as Christmas presents, also on sale.
4. Purchased replacement lids for my Pyrex dishes, to lengthen the life of the dish.
5. Did a ton of landscaping and weeding in the yard with sweat equity 🙂
How do you handle the shipping costs for Webstaurant? To ship to Illinois is $21.00 for the $20.00 bag of flour. Any ideas to help cut that down some? We bake nearly everything from scratch.
The shipping cost IS a lot. But if you ordered, say, 50 pounds of bread flour and 50 pounds of all purpose, I think you pay the same shipping. So that would help.
Even with the shipping, the King Arthur price was still not more than I pay for 5 pound bags in store, so I just bit the bullet and paid it.
I didn't realize Yurbuds was acquired. That's makes me sad. I am also a member of team tiny ear holes.
1. I got my dog's medication at Walgreens for $31 (instead of $200+ at the vet!)
2. I meal-planned for the whole week (which has been much harder for me lately with the pandemic going on and my toddlers at home and underfoot)
3. I'm eating a bunch of random leftovers for lunch today.
4. I got a ton of beets in my veggie box, so I made pickled beets.
That's all I've got at the moment.
Sorry about the yurbuds but I am so glad you are not mad at your beautiful cat. I love seeing pics of her!
I like Ebay, too. I have one style of jeans that fit that I cannot find anywhere else, and also tops that are just right for me. I find that the Kim Rogers, and Karen Scott brands are made for short, plump women and are stylish as well.
1) Made Peasant Pasta for supper last night instead of ordering out. I have a hard time cooking for one while working nights three days a week.
2) Harvesting some peppers, tomatoes, occasional cucumber and herbs from my garden.
3) Freezing in season mixed fruit in portions for smoothies.
4) Purchasing large (16 oz) containers of plain or vanilla yogurt from Mennonite store that is able to sell them at close to buy by date. I have never had an issue with it spoiling.
4) Make my own sweet tea to drink. It's not as sweet as McDs.
1. This was the big one: my partner did the grocery shopping yesterday. When he got home and told me how much he spent, I was somewhat shocked by the price, although he did buy some meat. Last night, I was looking over the receipt, and saw a charge from the deli department for $40.69. I finally figured out that it was a rotisserie chicken that was 4.69, but the cashier had charged it incorrectly. Returned to the store today to get back $40.69 cents. I convinced them that I should get it for free since I had to make the trip back to the store.
2. We have 2 tiny raised beds, but have been eating radishes, kale, garlic scapes, and herbs. The last two weeks have meant golden zucchini and cucumbers and we harvested all of our garlic, and this week we can finally add the first of the tomatoes!
3. Our summer vacation was canceled since nobody wants Americans (I can't blame them!). Lots of savings, so instead, we spend more time with the inlaws who live on the coast of Maine (which does not suck).
4. Keeping curtains closed during the day, to keep the house cooler and not having to use the AC much.
5. I can't think of anything else, other than not buying anything, not going anywhere, and cooking all meals at home, and trying to not waste any food.
FRUGAL FAIL. I typed in the incorrect account number on my tax payment, and I got hit with a $30 fine. I HATE THAT! 🙁
Lindsay, can you pm me on this new med? Whats it for if u dont mind
Walmart also carries white food safe buckets and lids and I believe they are cheaper than Lowes (at least here in AZ). I have several here that I keep flour, sugar and my opened bags of other things like cornstarch, cacao, etc in. I just wanted to mention it in case others are looking for food safe buckets.
Oops.. Somehow that wound up as a reply rather than a stand alone comment. Sorry!
Funny I was supposed to leave on a trip to the coast of Maine yesterday. Obviously it was canceled.
I soaked and cooked black eyed peas, super cheap and delicious.
All our vegetables are from our garden these days so the grocery bill has been lower in July.
I made chewy granola bars with freezer bananas, and baked them in the toaster oven using a lot less electricity.
The kids are tubing in the river today which is a fun, cheap, and close by activity.
I’m reading a free book from the Little Library on my street, then I’ll pass it to my sister.
I'm feeling sad today for my daughter in quarantine all alone, and away from me. She is really feeling the isolation.
I got some money for 2 books I sent in to SellBackYourBook. Just enter the ISBN and they give you a quote. If you sell above $7.50 (ish), they provide free shipping.
I washed masks in a dishpan (used only for handwashing) and then dumped the water out onto a non-edible tree. I like to use every drop of water I can. We are in CA and water is always short.
I received some clothes from my Buy Nothing group and there was a knit skirt that I will use as fabric to make a tshirt bigger. I add a strip of extra fabric up both side seams, from the hem to the sleeve end. It works perfectly and means I can wear a shirt that my daughter gave me as a gift, but was a little too small (couldn't be exchanged).
Sewing for me etsy shop keeps me busy and not spending. It is always amazing how much can be made with what comes my way. My little notecards have been very popular, it seems people are sending more letters these days. They are a true "use the scraps" item and it makes me happy to make good use of things. https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricSpeaks
1. Ate restaurant lunches four days this week, courtesy of mystery shops. Actually, they were all take outs and my job was to see if they adhered to Covid sanitation protocols. Besides the food, I got $10 per shop.
2. Each day before the lunch, I did gas mystery shops. Made $40, plus $20 worth of gas.
3. The doctor started me on a new medication that seems to be performing miracles. I have not felt this good in years so have a lot more energy. She warned me that the effects are often temporary but I’ll take it for as long as I can. The frugal part was that she has little call for this drug so was able to give me a three month supply out of her stores, so free to me.
4. No shopping this week except for milk, as the garden is producing like crazy. It has pretty much been a heap of vegetables with a little meat or fish for every meal.
5. Sold four of the beaded evening gowns I had (I had asked your readers for suggestions as to where to sell them). I was telling my friend about the suggestions and she offered to put them in her garage sale last weekend. I had no hopes, really, but figured I’d give it a try. She hung them up in a prominent spot, and one woman saw them, left, and returned with a plus-sized friend who bought them all--$30 each (which is a steal for her and great for me, too).
Curious what that medication is- would you mind saying?
I have a question for readers. I have some amazing and very expensive skin care products. Everything from cleanser, to wrinkle serum that works-about 15 NIP products by Gold. It is totally worth the money, however, I discovered they irritate my skin and can no longer use them. How can I sell this - I really need to recoup my money and no returns. Thanks.
I wonder if eBay or Facebook Marketplace would be a good spot to sell them. I'd do a search on both places to see if other people are successfully selling them there.
Thanks
Try Poshmark - they have a makeup category.
Earbuds must be the frugal thing of the week! I found a sweet deal too. Here are my 5 frugal things:
1. Earbud bonanza! I was raking through a sale bin during a grocery shopping trip and found $9.99 earbuds for $1. They are a decent brand, but not the latest model. We go through earbuds like water in our house. I bought a dozen pair. Each person will get a pair in their Christmas stocking and I will still have spares on hand for that "MOM...I lost my earbuds" moment.
2. My husband races motocross. He had a pair of padded riding shorts (think beefy bike shorts) that went under his racing pants. I made them for him almost 30 years ago. When I was washing the gear, I noticed how incredibly worn out they were. So, I took them apart and used them as the pattern for new ones using Lycra, elastic and padding I already had on hand.
3. It's been a big garden week. I froze green beans, peas, red raspberries and zucchini. I am being creative with working fresh cucumbers into meal planning.
4. I used a Joann's coupon to buy fabric in my youngest daughter's college colors. She has four suite-mates and I'm going to make face masks for each of them.
5. I braved the thorns and poison ivy in the back of our land for wild blackberries. I was able to gather enough to make a batch of jam. So yummy. By the weekend I'm hoping more will be ripe for me to pick and make jam again.
Wow, I am really impressed that you made custom bike shorts for your husband like that. Genius!! Never heard of anyone doing that before. Certainly they can be expensive when store bought!
1. Accepted lots of free food from friends who are temporarily moving.
2. Washed a few zipper bags for reuse.
3. Ate leftovers
4. While I did buy some fun treats at the store, I skipped over a lot of expensive options.
5. Reused some gray water.
* Eating less = spending less
* Sold concrete blocks for 60$ instead of giving them away
* Got a free meal from my work place yesterday
* Using Flashfood to get cheap groceries items here and there
* Books! Books! Books! Eighter from the public library or from free piles
We bought a bunch of extra carrots for a cookout and ended up not using as many as I thought. Made carrot walnut muffins for snacks.
Used the brown bits from the pan and the bone from a steak we cooked for tacos to make a nice gravy that I turned into vegetable stew which we ate over English muffins. Two meals for the price of one!
Made country style ribs and baked potatoes in the crock pot instead of the oven to avoid heating up the house. Ribs were from our freezer and purchased on clearance.
Was super tempted to stop for takeout after a busy day, but went home and made food.
Picked dandelion roots & roasted them for tea.
FFT, Immediate Post-Retirement Edition:
As noted in my comment on the most recent NCA post, I handed in my final editing project on 7/14, and my employers are letting me run out the clock on accumulated vacation time till my official retirement date of 8/1. Here's what I've got for my first two weeks, large and small:
(1) Much of this time, alas, has been taken up by DH's ongoing Alzheimer's-related decline. The good news, however, is that his latest new med (Risperdal) seems to be kicking in and helping with the most distressing symptoms (anxiety, agitation, and delusions). Relief, however temporary, from worry about these = priceless.
(2) I'm also fighting the usual critter wars in the garden. I've decided that next year's garden will be A. Marie's Herb Farm, Onion Patch, and Pickle Factory--since herbs, onions/garlic, and cucumbers seem to be the only crops I can maintain against the deer/woodchuck onslaught. Adapting to reality = also priceless.
(3) This year's beef (1/4 steer, purchased as usual from a friend who raises the animals) will be arriving this weekend, so I'm doing whatever I can to clear out the freezer. Sadly, this friend is no longer raising pigs, since he and his wife aren't getting any younger and since pigs (by their account) are more trouble than steers.
(4) Made a half gallon of very fine sun tea (I used some of the Twinings English Breakfast bags I overbought at Ollie's some time ago) on the most recent broiling hot day.
(5) And we've had ratatouille twice in the past two weeks, using tomatoes, eggplants, and zucchini from our Farmers' Market to supplement the few tomatoes and eggplants I've been able to save from Bambi and Woody. Zucchini, IMHO, is not worth the garden space it takes up, but I'm happy to shell out 50 cents now and then for a zuke at the FM.
Congratulations on your retirement - looking forward to your post-retirement frugal things!
Ohhh, congratulations on your retirement! Well-deserved, I am sure.
And I am very happy to hear that your husband's meds are helping him.
1. Picked up a ton of heirloom tomatoes off Buy Nothing and made a ridiculous amount of salsa. Total cost was maybe $2.
2. Made a year's worth of homemade pickles. Total cost was $4.
3. Picked up a vintage Christmas decoration off a free site. It's worth $100 on eBay. I will sell closer to Christmas.
4. My aunt gave me a barely used Vera Bradley laptop bag to bring my laptop back and forth to work. I needed one and it's super cute!
5. We are enrolling my son in a private school this week. Public schools here are not opening full time in September. But some private schools are able to maintain social distancing due to smaller class size. We are very impressed with the school and it is substantially cheaper than enrolling him in daycare. So, ultimately not cheap but better than quitting my job and losing my pension.
Hi Kristen, just wanted you to know that your granola recipe has saved me from buying cereal during this entire pandemic! I love it so much, let me see if I can devote a whole FFT to celebrating it...
1. I shared the recipe with a friend who is a professional recipe writer (not sure the exact job title, but she creates recipes for a living.) She tried cutting the syrup and oil by half, and it's still delicious! A bit less clump-a-licious, but since I'm eating it as cereal, it's fine.
2. I don't normally measure it out, but I'm struggling with pandemic cooking/baking-related weight gain, so I'm trying a new tactic. 1/2 cup granola, topped with some plain yogurt and fresh berries turns out to be quite filling. Now each batch lasts longer.
3. I've discovered a store that sells Costco returns. I found a giant Costco-size box of Quaker Old Fashion Oats for about $6. That's 25% less than the normal warehouse price. The outer carton had been opened and resealed, but the inner bags were perfectly intact.
4. I'm on my last jug of Costco Maple Syrup. I didn't want to make a Costco run just yet, so I was poking around the pantry and discovered a bottle of fancy bourbon flavored syrup that Costco stocked over the holidays. I like to give syrup or olive oil for hostess gifts; they're much more memorable than a bottle of wine. This syrup got so many raves that I picked up an extra for us, then stuck it in the pantry and promptly forgot about it.
5. We made a Winco run when we happened to be near one. (No Winco or Aldi near home, but both are close to our rentals.) I stocked up on reasonably priced coconut for granola and still have plenty left in a well-sealed container. I usually mix sweetened and unsweetened in equal parts with good results.
6. All the nuts and spices are from Costco or Winco, so I have enough on hand to make many more batches. (I usually add Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves and Nutmeg for added flavor. )
7. I chop up the almonds in my old Cuisinart, which has a brand-new, free blade, thanks to a tip from The Frugal Girl.
8. It's relatively cool today, so I will mix up a double batch this afternoon and bake it while I'm making dinner.
9. Of course I use Kristen-recommended silicone pan liners (purchased on sale at Costco), so less oil used, and easier clean-up.
10. Far less packaging waste than buying cereal in boxes.
There! I did it! Now I'm hungry for breakfast.
Goodness, that's a TEN frugal things. 🙂 I am so happy that that recipe has been so helpful for you. Yay!!
Ha! I answered your survey while eating a bowl of it for today's "brunch". So, so good and crazy frugal!
1. Trash picked a like new cat condo for my cat
2. Mailroom at my apartment complex usually has stuff people no longer want. Today I got a garbage bag full of clothes for my mom.
3. Eating down the pantry and donated food that was probably not going to be eaten before it expires.
4. Negotiated the lease on my apartment saving $30/month.
5. I quit drinking soda which saves $, MI health, and the environment since I’m just drinking filtered tap water now.
This list highlights my roommate's efforts than mine:
1. He thought to check if you could buy a dishwasher rack (the tines on my new-to-me one are rusting and falling off) rather than replace the whole thing.
2. He split (some of the) logs from the tree I had to take down, rather than buying or scrounging wood.
3. He used $10 of parts to repair two multi-head standing lamps.
4. He swapped screen door panels. Now the one I don't use has a ripped panel and the one we do use has intact panels.
I scrounged a dishwasher rack from a dishwasher by the side of the road. It fit my dishwasher just fine. It’s was just a different color than the top rack.