Five Frugal Things | expensive protein powder
1. I bought another bag of Promix vanilla protein powder
This does actually make sense: hear me out. My problem is that I originally bought two very big bags of plain Promix protein powder before realizing that I don't really like it.
(Unflavored is not the same as "has no flavor", I discovered.)
However, when I make my overnight oats for work, I can use one scoop of plain powder plus one scoop of vanilla in each serving, and I don't notice at all.
Sooo, the vanilla powder is helping me slowly get through my plain powder (which is stored in my chest freezer to make sure it doesn't go bad before I eat it.)
Also, I used a coupon code to get $12 off the bag of vanilla powder.
(Promix is expensive, but it has only a few simple ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. So, I fork over the cash.)
2. I canceled some of my Amazon subscriptions
I realized I had more than I needed of some of the items on my list! So, I just canceled those items. I can always resubscribe if I find I need them again in the future.
Now I have almost nothing on my Subscribe and Save list.
3. I froze my extra bananas
An oldie but a goodie: I had two bananas in the fridge that were going to get funky, so I sliced and froze them.
They'll be perfect for adding to a smoothie or making some banana ice cream. 🙂
4. I turned my extra tomatoes into soup
My neighbors gave me some of their homegrown tomatoes, and at the same time, my Hungry Harvest box had also given me six big tomatoes.
Sooo, I seasoned and roasted some of them, along with half an onion from my fridge.
And then I blended them with some homemade chicken broth (from the freezer), plus some garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes.
5. I made roasted red peppers
I was also the recipient of some home-grown red peppers from my neighbors, and I already had several in my fridge from Aldi. Soo, I roasted some of them and made a batch of this roasted red pepper & basil mayo.
I had a few extra after making the mayo, so I froze them for a future mayo-mixing session.
Now I am a little more caught up on my produce situation, which makes me feel better. Fighting produce food waste is a task and a half with a small household, even though I do eat a pretty veggie/fruit heavy diet.
1. I made a turkey yesterday to use up some of what is in my freezer and I currently have a roaster full of broth going with the carcass. I've been out of broth for a while, so I'm excited to have some more!
2. My daughter thought that her backpack needed replaced, but we took a look at it and it really just needed a good cleaning and will be good to go. So we scrubbed it with some Fels Naptha soap and it's currently soaking in OxiClean. We have a tub half full of things that are soaking - most of which were stained during our camping trip.
3. I've gotten some pretty good meat deals on FlashFood lately and shared my promo code with two friends who live in a town that just got FlashFood. I don't know if they'll use the code, but it's worth a try.
4. We got some inexpensive corn on the cob and I blanched and froze a bunch yesterday.
5. We had friends over the other night and made a taco bar (one of our faves) but I did a few things to make it more affordable. I made chicken taco meat instead of beef (save about $3/lb, also I made two family packs and froze the extra meat when the night was over) and had sides like rice and refried beans to help bulk up the meal. I also shredded the lettuce myself. I didn't plan correctly on tortillas (did I really think people would have 2 hard shells and 4 soft shells each??) But I'll use the extra soft shells this week to make enchiladas for the freezer.
I knew I was forgetting something! Based on the recommendation from the FG community, I went to Goodwill and bought some spoons for 10 cents a piece for my kids to pack with their lunches this year. No more plastic spoons or losing my good ones. Yay!
YES! I love this!
Awesome! I hope they work out great for you!
Great idea! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the cleaning tips! I have had luck putting backpacks and lunchboxes in the dishwasher, but sometimes those things need a serious soak.
For reasons I do not understand (because I have been reading with you since forever) I never noticed this sauce before. It sounds delightfully easy and delicious.
This week I
-- did my regular cleaning with my favourite cloths: squares cut from old towels. After use I just wash them on 60Celcius and they are good to go again;
-- cleaned old sticker glue from a door with sodium carbonate. It worked really well, what cannot be said for the expensive bottle of environmentally hazardous sticker remover that I bought for the purpose. Lessons learned: always try the old-fashioned solutions first: sodium carbonate or soft yellow soap;
-- made pesto from basil in the garden, but in a few days I will have enough again for the pepper/basil mayo;
--sewed on a button;
--repotted a house plant. All my plants are doing well, which means I regularly have to move my plants to a bigger pot. Sometimes I have to tear the roots in two, because space on the window sills is limited;
-- gave one of my humidity loving house plants an outdoor shower in the soft rain that has been falling since yesterday;
--rejoiced over the rain that is gurgling into my water containers. It is a soft and steady rainfall and the containers are half full now. Fingers crossed that there will be more water in the days ahead.
I agree about the sauce; I will have to try making some as well! And yay for much needed rain!
I always get vanilla protein powder! It's a lot more palatable.
Frugals:
1. I hadn't baked bread in months but I baked two loaves this week.
2. I made some baked oatmeal. It was questionable, but I still ate it.
3. I replaced my running gear. I invested in some good running shoes; they were expensive but hopefully will last a long time. I did the park run on Saturday, which is free, and went swimming in the sea afterwards. I also used my gym membership.
4. I cancelled Amazon Prime, which I'd renewed for a month in order to watch a series and a few films. I have it for another week, so rewatched Crossing Delancey, which is one of my favourite films (I should really get it on dvd).
5. I am planning a trip to Venice with my sister for a few days in October. We found a reasonably priced place to stay which is self-catered (and, of course, it helps to split the cost). I plan to bring my new Snoopy plate and bowl, and now feel like it was less of a waste of money - if Snoopy can ever be considered a waste of money 😉
Frugal fail: I forgot to renew some library books.
Your upcoming trip sounds amazing!!! Here's to a well-traveled Snoopy set. 🙂
Thank you!!! I've loved Snoopy since I was a kid 🙂 I haven't been to Venice before so will be borrowing some guide books from the library.
Still have my childhood pillowcase with Snoopy & Woodstock dancing under a rainbow - pure joy! Anne Patchett has a great essay about Snoopy's outsized influence on her - e.g. "Did I become a novelist because I was a loser kid who wanted to be more like the cartoon dog I admired, the confident dog I associated with the happiest days of my otherwise haphazard life?"
I still have my childhood collection of books, most of which I inherited from my parents! I'll look the essay up. Peppermint Patty is my favourite character lol.
Hope you and Snoopy have a great time!
Thanks!
Ripe plums are falling....
Ha! I've met so many of that type of guy, and it's such a load of nothing. Sam is the best. "Go ahead and say it. Schmuck!"
I too love Crossing Delancy!!
I also started using Pro mix protein thanks to your review. I find it funny that the name they chose is inaccurate, as it's actually so hard to mix! Its fine when I can access a blender, but not for me in shaker bottles. Vanilla is tasty and not excessively or artificially sweet like most brands. I definitely wasted some money trying to find what worked and glad to have this option.
I swam and showered at the pool one day.
I put a container of wet wipes in a ziploc bag hoping that the inevitable end of product dryness will be less(?)
I shared more garden produce at work which is frugal for others and didn't cost me anything.
--I read about State Farm paying out dividends to its customers this fall and decided to look into it. It is, indeed, legit! You do have to apply to be included in the pay out and tell them how to pay you; our $65 and change will arrive next month via PayPal. I wasn't expecting a lot, given that both our well-loved cars (21 and 37 years old) and our <750 sq/ft house don't cost much to insure, but I'll still happily take $65!
--I donated three more items to one local coffee shop's free clothing rack and lucked into THE perfect green hoodie in the process. My last green hoodie (it must always be green) wore out last fall, and I've been hunting for a replacement with no success. I'll do another closet sweep to see if there's anything else to bring in thanks for the perfect hoodie. (I've become more ruthless about my day-to-day clothes. If I'm only reaching for something because everything else is dirty, it doesn't need to be there, and I am glad to pass on things in good condition.)
--I received a gift certificate to a different local coffee shop in thanks for donating to an upcoming charity auction. The certificate was good for one coffee and one pastry. I enjoyed a large iced coffee with mocha and chose the largest in-house made cinnamon roll; I split the latter with my husband when I got home.
--A regional natural foods store had a big sales event. I bought only what we needed--two dozen cage-free eggs for $2 total, yes please--and only took free samples that we could actually use. The main score was a nice, big free water bottle; the branding doesn't matter because it won't survive that long. My husband has a gift for losing or destroying water bottles at his lumberyard job, so free is best! Lol
--I had a coupon for a free 12 pack of Friskies canned cat food but had a neck of a time finding the pate variety. (One of our three boys is a former street cat with missing teeth, and chunky or shredded soft food gets stuck in the gaps. It's pate or bust.) I finally tried Petco, where I don't usually shop because the location is inconvenient. Victory at last! The Friskies will be alternated with their usual fancy soft food in addition to their fancy hard food. Spoiled creatures.<3
I forgot! I freecycled 7 books in two batches last week and had great conversations with the enthousiastic recipients. I love it when I can pass on books to a new reader. Especially those, that were hand bound. I had my hopes up for the start of the academic year and rightly so.
Where did you find out about the State Farm dividend payout or where can I find a link? Lifetime customer here.
Silly as it sounds, I found out about it via a deal/coupon aggregator site! Hunt4freebies.com . 95% of what they share is of no interest to me, but the 5% that is--like the State Farm notification--definitely makes it worth it! The site has also promoted grant programs for teachers and other random things that GIVE vs. trying to take your money/info.
Thanks for sharing about the State Farm dividends. I am going to check it out.
N, thanks for the State Farm info!! I just took 5 minutes to go request my payout; they are going to mail me a check for $77!!
How do you request it?
I found it. I'm getting a whopping $15.03 back.
I love canceling subscriptions! I may have mentioned this earlier but recently DH and I went through my subscriptions and consolidated all our household needs on his business account...we get a bigger discount AND I'm not managing a bunch of deliveries. It felt so good to clear out my list.
1. We learned that the landfill in the neighboring county will let us take trash and recycling there, for just a couple of bucks more than for county residents. Our county doesn't have such a landfill, and after number crunching we realized it would be cheaper--even with gas and vehicle wear and tear--to cancel our curbside pick up and make bimonthly trips to the dump (and in the process we can clean out the garage and take things there that curbside won't pick up). We've already gotten a mattress and old rug out of the garage, much to the Commodore's dismay, as he liked climbing/scratching on those! Of course we will coordinate dump trips with other errands to amortize the gas costs. We'll save about $1000 a year doing this.
2. I finally used up a jar of coconut oil and have moved on to using up a jar of ghee I bought for reasons now forgotten.
3. We learned our Vitamix makes very good rice flour, which is otherwise quite expensive for those little bags.
4. DH found a new free streaming app called Plex, and to my delight it has a tv series I've always wanted to watch: "The Librarians." Also another couple of shows that look interesting, plus some delightful Sherlock Holmes movies. There are ads, but we just mute during them and I tell my kids it's like watching TV in the "olden times." Plus, Amazon Prime also has ads for some of their content now, even if you subscribe. What a racket.
5. Reading library books on my tablet. Currently enjoying The Other Boleyn Girl and The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife.
5.
Karen A.,
I really enjoyed "The Other Boleyn Girl." Shame on Henry VIII!
Your #1, about the trash, reminds me of when my parents moved to the country and could no longer get our city's municipal trash service. The private garbage services were really high priced. No matter. I lived in the city and being a one-person household, never filled up the garbage can all the way. So they brought some of their cans to me, and then the evening before trash pickup day, Dad would bring some plastic garbage bags to my house and put 'em in the trash cans. Usually he'd combine this trip with another errand, to save on gas. They got free trash service this way. (Anything that could be composted or recycled, was composted or recycled --and not put in with the rest of the garbage.)
FFT, NDN1 and My Teeth Edition (revised/updated from yesterday at the NCA):
(1) On the way out to NDN1's assisted living facility Monday morning, I dropped a nice fat check for the estate sale stuff into her bank.
(2) As I was walking NDN1 back from refilling her bird feeder (well, let's be honest, it's a squirrel feeder), I heard a "Hellooo!" from another resident's window. Lo and behold, it was the lovely Barbara of FFL library book sale fame, who now has her nursing degree and is working as a visiting nurse for a local agency that serves this facility. We were delighted to meet, and I was only sorry I had to keep it brief because I had an upcoming dentist appointment.
(3) The dentist appointment could have gone better from a financial POV: Long story short, (a) I need to have a crown replaced, and (b) I've been instructed to buy a Water Pik and start using it. However, my long-time dentist and old friend offered me a discounted rate on the crown (over and above the 5% discount for paying by check). And we got into ragging each other for the benefit of my new hygienist: He said, "A. Marie and I sort of have a thing going." I replied, "Listen, buddy, you're 10 years younger than I am, and I don't rob the cradle." General hilarity ensued.
(4) After I got home from the dentist, I met CF and her husband over at NDN1's house. When CF and I went through the house late last week after the estate sale phase was over, we were horrified to discover that four Asian rugs had not sold and might be going out with the junk. CF and I carried out the three smaller rugs at the time, but we needed CF's husband's help to get the 8' x 10' dining room rug out. All the rugs are now stored up off the floor in my garage while we consider next steps. CF and her hubs, who know a lot more about Asian rugs than I do and have done business with a local rug dealer, think it may well be worth getting the rugs cleaned and selling them directly ourselves for NDN1's benefit.
(5) Finally, JASNA BFF is arriving Thursday afternoon (to stay till Tuesday morning) for our annual Triple Birthday Celebration with our JASNA Panera friend--a proud tradition now in its 15th year! Naturally, we intend to paint the town a discreet Wedgwood blue, as frugally as possible.
I'm sorry about your dental woes! I'm glad you were able to get a discount, at least, and you have a friendship with the dentist 🙂
Hi A. Marie!
It was wonderful to see you yesterday. You made my day and the resident I was seeing was amused by our chance encounter. I hope our paths cross again soon with more time to visit and you're a great friend helping your NDN1. I see so many elders with no family and no friends to visit and help.
A. Marie,
Ugh about your dental needs.....I have had crowns replaced before, and it's just no fun that you have to pay big bucks for. Glad you got a discount.
I hope, too, that you and CF can find a *reasonably priced* place to get the rugs cleaned. In my area (SW Ohio), rug cleaning costs a dang fortune. I have a large area rug (don't know exact dimensions, but probably 7' x 10') that I'm tempted to power wash on our driveway. (It's not antique, wool, or anything expensive).
Long time reader, pretty sure this is my first time leaving a comment though. It feels like I've been hemorrhaging money the past few weeks (needed 4 new tires for my 15 year old car, did a ten day road trip down the east coast and registered my sons for their fall and winter sports) so I've been trying to dial it in...
1. I've been trying to seriously declutter and bring in some extra cash. I recently discovered vinted and have sold 93(!!) items over the past month or so. Most items have sold for under $10, but there are no seller fees and somehow shipping is free.
2. I've been using all recycled packaging materials for the above sales. My stash of padded envelopes and small boxes is almost gone, so I'll have to source some in the near future. My office is right next to the mailroom, so no trips to the post office for me.
3. I did the meal deal at my grocery store...bought a large package of ground beef and get all the fixings for tacos for free (seasoning, taco shells, lettuce, salsa, gucamole & sour cream).
4. I get a weird sense of satisfaction when I completely finish something up...this week I used up a few tortillas that were in the freezer, a jar of salsa, the last of the American cheese, some frozen french fries and some shredded cheese. I also finished up some shampoo and conditioner and grabbed another set from my stockpile.
5. I forgot my travel mug of coffee at home one morning so I stopped at Dunkin and redeemed a coupon for a free refresher. $0 spent.
Yay! Welcome to the comments!
That meal deal sounds awesome. We love tacos!
Woah! 93 items....if each one was sold for only a dollar, LM, you'd still have made $93! And I bet you made even more than that! Incredible! Very impressive!
Don't beat yourself up for getting new tires. Better to get new tires than to have a wreck. And driving an older vehicle is very, very frugal.
Welcome aboard, LM, and I hope to hear from you again.
LM, that's an amazing number of sales on Vinted. Kudos! I also get a lot of satisfaction using things up, although you'd think that because I'm frugal I wouldn't want to, because then I have to buy more.
Frugal things
1. I made a big batch of chicken salad using canned chicken from Costco. That will be my lunch this week.
2. I baked bread, a loaf for us and one for each of the kids.
3. I used a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part bleach to spray a water mark on the ceiling of the house our daughter is selling. I had to spray the stains twice, but I'm amazed at how well it worked.
4. I finished sewing the curtain panels for under the bunk bed in grandson's playroom. I used fabric and thread I already had on hand.
5. I read 4 books on Kindle Unlimited last week.
Oh, thanks for the tip about water marks! I need to try that on a wall in my apartment.
@Beverly - I am a big fan of Costco canned chicken - and what a great deal! I also make chicken salad or just toss it on a green salad for protein!
These are all college move in related:
1) Convinced DH to drive me both ways to the airport, saving on transportation costs. on the way there, got DS19 breakfast at the lounge & refilled my water bottle. He also got 3 free checked bags, thanks to my airline status.
2) Stored his belongings with my BFF, and drove the rental car to her house to load up. Stayed for free two nights (one with BFF, one on a hotel free night awards.) She also has two girls who are no longer in their own apartment & have consolidated, so she had some extra kitchen items for us.
3) DS19 signed up for the Target student Circle app benefit (requires validation) & we saved $120 at Target while buying a lot of stuff.
4) Helped out a lot of DS19's friends with rides & meals, because moving into a new place without a car is tricky! We wanted to share the wealth.
5) Hotel front desk person originally wasn't aware that the parking was free on a free night awards, so politely inquired about it, and got the $25 waived.
I buy Isopure protein powder from CVS whenever I get one of their 30% off coupons, and actually don't mind the unflavored kind blended in smoothies. Good idea to mix yours with the vanilla flavor so it doesn't get wasted, Kristen!
1. I took my pile of fall clothes to donate (I try to wait close to the correct season to donate) and took it to my clothing consignment store first to see what they would accept to sell, as I get some store credit this way. I've noticed that they accept more to sell at the very start of the new season, which I was happy to see again.
2. I did buy two items there, one J Crew top that was half off consignment price (9 dollars), and raw silk Na Nin pants that were originally 278 dollars, and I bought these for 11 dollars! Crazy original price. Also saved on buying these on the no-sales tax week.
3. When we were traveling for most of July, I had put my gym membership on hold, and reactivated it in August.
4. To use up leftovers, I ate the same lunch for 3 days. I like a new dinner every night, but I don't mind eating the same food for lunch.
5. Frugal fail, sadly. My smoothie blender that was sealed shut all July when I was away developed an awful smell of rotten food. No spill was visible but some must have seeped into the blade assembly. I soaked the container in a baking soda solution to no avail. I will try to see if I can rescue the actual engine and order the separate parts.
Kristina, that's a bummer about your blender. Try using vinegar and a day or so of sunshine.
1. My car is paid off! I purchased a brand new car in 2020 when dealerships were desperate to move product. I put $0 down (other than my trade in), no payments for six months, and 0% interest. I had very low monthly payments in what turned out to be the best car deal ever and now it is officially paid off and ready for my son to drive.
2. When I was refilling one of my spice jars I noticed there was an expiration date of 2000 on the jar. I’ve refilled the jar many many times over the years but it brought back a memory of early in my first marriage when I splurged on a glass jar of spices from Target once a month. I still have those jars and they still bring me joy when I’m cooking.
3. I ran some extra basil and kosher salt through the food processor and then dried the salt in the oven. The beautiful green salt will be fun to use this fall.
4. I realized that our dog’s medication was shipped to our old address after I couldn’t find where FedEx placed the delivery (the address in their system switched from our current to our old address) so I called customer service to ask for help. They were very helpful and refunded the price of the medication.
5. I’m working from home all this week so I can drive my son to and from his two-a-day tryouts at the high school. I was able to cancel doggy daycare and get in some extra snuggles with the puppy.
Woohoo for a paid off car!
Frugal Fail - the cost of the medication was refunded, the shipping was not. I'll take the loss because at least it was something. I did check with my vet and they had more than one address on file for us so this has been updated.
1. I finished up a free trial of Apple TV, having watched Ted Lasso and a large chunk of Silo before I was cut off
2. I walked to Walgreens and bought a few groceries. I used my $2 reward and went BOGO on Oreos. Also bought Nice brand of granola which is cheaper than Aldi's!
3. I made recipe ingredient lists to post inside my kitchen cabinet doors: pancakes, quiche, and brownies.
4. I picked up three holds at the library and a book from a little free library. Yes, I am a voracious reader!
5. I emptied the fridge and freezer into coolers with ice packs. I unplugged the fridge and will let it defrost all day. Planning to use pancake batter, soup and eggs today for meals, as I ran out of room in the coolers.
1. Frugal clothing: hit the children's thrift store and got three dresses, a shirt, and two pairs of pants for the kindergartener, hit the general thrift store and got a silk scarf and a stunning Kashmiri-style embroidered wool scarf for me, and hit FB Marketplace and got two second-hand sleep suits for the baby.
2. Frugal eating: I've done a good job of meal planning (pat on the back for me!) and we've been sticking to takeout one night a week, which is our goal. I also experimented with making homemade sushi. Verdict: actually very easy if you make simple rolls, but none of us liked the rice seasoning proportions I used. Future attempts to come.
3. We had two kid birthday parties on the weekend. We got both girls the same thing: two Magic School Bus Books and a sheet of stickers, delivered in a gift bag that we already had and tissue paper that we already had for one, and wrapping paper for the other. Easy (which is key) and not too expensive for us.
4. I redeemed my credit card points to buy a Walmart gift card. I don't go there every week, but they're usually the cheapest source of formula when we need it.
5. I did not buy myself a heap of new fabric and patterns that I didn't need. I was feeling tempted, but then went thrifting for things we actually need instead. Scratched the itch 🙂
1. Used two $20 Target gift cards from the Red Cross to buy supplies for our local school.
2. Attended our financial advisor's annual picnic. Good food, music, camaraderie and free shredding (A. Marie, I thought of you!).
3. At the natural foods co-op, I spent 30 cents to fill my own jar of dried rosemary and $1.19 for my jar of black sesame seeds.
4. Found the misplaced backup key fob to my vehicle. Whew, that would have been expensive to replace.
5. Visited the Veterans Memorial Park of Blaine. For those in the Twin Cities, this is a gem:
https://www.blainemn.gov/facilities/facility/details/Veterans-Memorial-Park-of-Blaine-114
Ohhh I love roasted red pepper anything!
My five frugals:
1) Walked for errands, which also logged in thousands of steps
2) Did not buy a rain jacket, even though it was pretty. I will be in a cold, rainy area for only 3 weeks and can survive without one, thanks to my umbrella.
3) Tracked down a 5 gallon drinking water jug. It's a great deal more affordable (and eco friendly) than the 1 gallon jugs.
4) Reused bags for errands
5) Bought the cheaper but just as tasty fruit option.
I have some tomatoes and peppers I need to deal with. I may take your suggestion and roast them before they go bad.
Here are my FFTs
– I bought a few discounted bakery items at Walmart and put them in the freezer for later. I find the discounted items are still there early in the morning or late at night.
– I returned two boxes of tea to Kroger that my well-intentioned husband bought not realizing I didn't like one kind and had plenty of the other.
– I cancelled my free Amazon prime trial membership before it started charging me a monthly fee. I got a few things I needed during the past month.
– I saved about $15 buying cloth baby diapers to make a baby shower gift by buying them thru Walmart.com. They were at least $15 higher everywhere else I looked, even on Amazon Prime with free delivery. I waited til I had $35 in items and saved another $7 delivery charge. I could only get the diapers delivered to my home even though I picked up a few other items at the store.
– After reading your post last week on redeeming perks, I explored options for using my credit card’s cash back options and found lots of offers I didn't know about. I ordered a $100 Walmart gift card for someone using my cash back plus I found other ways I can use it.
I wonder if I am not frugal anymore.
Library books, not wasting food, transplanting existing or volunteer plants, accepting friends’ excess garden produce, catching rides with neighbors up to the cabin (please ignore the last 3 times when I drove myself and loved every mile) —all those things are normal and habitual.
But so is driving up the hill when I want to, buying books for friends just because, buying a new pair of Whitin shoes (thanks to a suggestion here, forgot who), buying a pair of palazzo pants (because I love the waistline design) that I don’t need and might only wear once (because I almost always wear skirts AND they need to be shortened by about 6”), buying yarn when I already have enough sweaters for a small island nation along with enough yarn for about 3 years worth of knitting… I might not be frugal anymore.
Or is it that the habitual frugal behaviors make the non-frugal ones into no big deal?
Frugality, to me, is not about squeezing the life out of every single last penny. Life is also meant to be enjoyed, and as long as you are not going into debt for your fun little extravagances, I see nothing wrong here.
Maybe you are just not miserly or cheap. 🙂
I think it is the latter: frugal habits make the non-frugal actions no big deal. Enjoy your palazzo pants!!!
We have a volunteer rose in our garden, which has conveniently seated itself near a wooden pole. We will leave it there. Our climbers are a green fence that make our morning terrace a "green chamber". With hot summers becoming a trend rather than an exception, we need to choose our plants carefully and any plant that propagates itself is a good candidate. The garden is fairly small, and we do need a patio of sorts. We try to compensate the space we have tiled by creating green (and cool) by growing climbers against the walls.
The morning terrace is such a great place for morning coffee. We used to sit at the back of the house all afternoon with our kids playing there, when we first moved into this house. But now it is impossible to be outdoors between morning coffee and dinner, on hot summer days. But I am grateful we do not live near moors, such as are on fire now in Belgium and Germany. With our trash pickers we are careful to collect pieces of glass as well as we can, as they can inadvertently start a fire when the grass verges are dry as hay.
I made $966 last week selling some gold to a local jeweler. Gold is very high now. What did I sell? Two broken bracelets that couldn't be fixed, two high school rings (my husband and I are in our 70's - not going to be wearing those!) and two other very small rings.
Received 6 dozen eggs from a friend with chickens.
Made my own yogurt which is also saving me some sugar intake.
And the usual - cooking, going to the library.
A local gas station gives 40cents off a gallon every once in a while so we save our fillups for that time whenever possible.
Now I'm hungry for tomato soup, LOL!
This isn't a frugal thing for me, but I wish to report that Scripps News had something on TV last night: it seems that the Gen Z kids are getting into frugality. The Levi Strauss Co. was holding some sort of class or seminar teaching some young Gen Z-ers how to mend their blue jeans and other clothes. The young adults were proud of the patches they were putting on their clothes, and they were learning how to sew stuff with a needle and thread. Per the report, fast fashion is "out," and kids want "long fashion". They want to hold on to their clothes for a long time, and said it is more sustainable for the environment not to throw stuff away and add to the landfill. The reporter even cited statistics as to how many tons of fabric was being put into landfills. But the young people were enthusiastically learning to patch clothes and sew up the holes in their Levis and other items Just what we've been doing all along! Folks, we are not just thrifty, but it appears that now we are also trendy!
My kids' generation has definitely embraced thrifting too!
Planting my fall garden.
Picked tomatoes, will make tomato sauce and can it today.
A friend asked me to quilt two dorm bed quilts, shams and make cafe curtains to use as dust ruffles to match. She offered me a weekday stay at her beach home as barter. Yes, please!
A cousin was needing a certain welding machine, I knew an elderly gentleman had one, I called and he set a reasonable price, saving one more thing in the neighbor's shop collecting dust. He invited my cousin to have look see in his out buildings for more treasure.
I use protein powder to boost the protein content of my bulk "Mason Jar Grab & Go Oatmeal" jars so my blood sugar doesn't crash halfway to lunch. You will probably enjoy this recipe because you can make a bunch of jars up at the beginning of the week (or month!), just add boiling water on your way out the door in the morning and grab a spoon, and by the time you hit the first traffic light, your oatmeal is ready.
INSTANT OATMEAL BASE MIX
5 cups quick oats
1 cup sugar
½ cup milk powder
1 tsp salt
Optional: 2 cups whey protein powder (to increase protein), compatible flavor
In a large bowl, combine ingredients and mix thoroughly. You will be portioning this out into single-serving containers and a variety of flavors using the suggestions below.
Pro Tip: If all you have on-hand is old fashioned whole oats, simply dump them into a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up into a finer grain consistency resembling quick oats.
To Make Single-Serving Oatmeal Cups:
Servings: 4 individual servings
1 c. Instant Oatmeal Base Mix
¼ c. dehydrated fruit (apples, blueberries, raisins, craisins, cherries, strawberries, dates, prunes, mangoes, pineapple, etc.), diced into bite-sized pieces no larger than a raisin.
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
2 T. finely chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
4 half-pint “jelly” size Mason or recycled jars
Mix dehydrated fruit, nuts, and Instant Oatmeal Base Mix in a bowl. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon if you wish (good with some fruits, others … not so much). Stir well. Divide into four (4) pint-size Mason jars (they will be half full). If possible, vacuum seal. Put a “use by” date of 6 months from when you mix it up.
To reconstitute:
Pour ½ cup of boiling water into your half-pint Mason jar, stir it, and put the lid back on.
1. I live two hours away from my academic job and rent a furnished apartment during the school year. My new apartment has only a K-Cup machine, so I purchased a small coffee pot (~$25) that will brew much better coffee and will pay for itself fairly soon as I won't be purchasing pods. There's also the environmental benefit and the hassle avoidance (i.e., brewing multiple cups to fill a thermos).
2. We celebrated a financial milestone with a fancy dinner at a steakhouse. I saved up gift cards to help more than halve the cost.
3. I had my tires rotated for free at the shop where they were purchased and used a coupon to get $10 off an oil change.
4. I needed some noise-cancelling headphones. After doing some research, I discovered that the best option will likely be a low-tech version (passive cancellation) rather than active cancellation, which I was expecting to purchase.
5. All of my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the first week of classes will be homemade or involve convenience foods from the grocery store. No eating out.
I like the idea for bananas.
This week I:
- Saw Toy Story 5 w/ the nephew on 1/2 price movie night (granted the snacks he wanted made it not the cheapest night but at least the tickets were discounted).
-Got this months book club book from the library and at the meeting got a free copy to keep of next months book.
-Walked to/from book club on Wednesday; Walked/took the T (free w/ husbands pass) to my errands and volunteer activity on Friday instead of driving.
-Purchased corn in bulk and zucchini at $1/lb to can and dehydrate for the winter.
Think that's all I got for today.
1. I juiced an over-ripe watermelon, I froze over-ripe strawberries, and dehydrated some over-ripe tomatoes. I made pesto using basil from our garden.
2. My mom gave us chicken, fruit, vegetables, cookies, and bread.
3. My husband and son are building a shed in our backyard instead of buying a pre-built shed. They dug the hole for the base and then we shoveled gravel into the hole yesterday.
4. I purchased a party pack of bratwurst for 50% off at Aldi. It was already on sale, so it cost only $3.
5. I took my kids and one of their friends to the pool this weekend. They wanted to go out to lunch after, but I grabbed some food from Aldi and cooked them lunch at home instead.
I wasn't able to post last week, so this is an extra long list. I'm also headed out of the country on Sunday with my family, using parental leave and tickets "bought" with miles received as credit card bonuses. I won't have a computer (I don't think?) so that makes it hard to participate. But I'll be reading this blog via my phone every day!
1. I picked all of our basil from multiple porch pots and Mom kindly made a lot of pesto which is now in the freezer.
2. I finally used a $3.17 merchandise credit at Target on some baby wipes. I also got a free tea drink and a pouch of baby food via rebates from Aisle.
3. I found a dime and a quarter outside Target.
4. I used a $1 off gas coupon from a local coupon book.
5. I redeemed a free pizza from Toppers. I received this for giving them feedback in their customer survey after a recent order. I mentioned how kind their employee was when my husband forgot to bring in a paper coupon for a free item on our last order. This is the second time I’ve gotten a freebie after giving them positive feedback! And it was an “anything goes” pizza, so I loaded up on toppings. I did make sure to tip well.
6. Finally, mom made chili using some “hot chili beans” we’d received from a friend, aging cherry tomatoes from another friend, and venison from the freezer. She also made an apple cake with some tart apples, also from the tomato friend. I especially appreciated this as she is helping us clean out the edibles before we leave on our extended trip.
This week . . .
-I bought five new pairs of the black pants from Old Navy that my daughter wears everyday. I will look for new-to-us t-shirts from Goodwill when I get a chance to swing by, but she likes the consistency of having the exact same pant. I was able to take advantage of a sale and free shipping, saving me a trip to the store.
-We drove to my sister-in-laws on Saturday for a visit. We got gas at home before we left knowing prices would be more expensive at her house. We had her free neighborhood pool all to ourselves for the afternoon, which was pretty nice. Lunch was take out pizza that we chipped in for. We had snacks on the way home and dinner when we got there. It was a cheap, lovely day spent with folks we love.
-On Sunday evening we menu-planned and made a grocery list. I set up the pickup from Aldi, and ran over during lunch on Monday for it. The only thing easier and faster than shopping at Aldi is paying a whopping $2 to have someone else bag it up and walk it out to me. My husband and I have been eating leftovers for lunch.
-I've been wanting to start strength training. I am a woman over 40, which is enough to justify the time and effort, but I am also a cancer survivor. Three years of treatments saved my life but left me weak and with joint pain. In a perfect world I would hire a personal trainer to meet me at the gym everyday. But since this is an imperfect world, I am instead doing a 15 minute full body workout I found online. For the last few weeks, I have done it three times a week. It doesn't sound like much, and I'm sure there are better avenues to strength training, but I already feel better and this is cheap and easy.
-Our Visible phones are up for renewal next month, so I took the time to see if there was a better deal to renew. It looks like we already have the best deal (paying annually and using our subscription to get cash off our Fios bill each month). I'm so glad I found this service last year--our cell expenses are so much cheaper and we have the same service we did previously.
Congratulations on making it through your cancer adventure!
Do you know about the Livestrong program? It is a 12 week strengthening and fitness program offered by the Lance Armstrong foundation (along with other resources). There are online videos and I know that it is also offered through some YMCA's - not in my area but I do know people who have done the Y program and I believe they said it was free.
My frugal wins feel small. But I guess it all counts.
*been leaving the A/C at 77-78 and it feels tolerable. I did clean the compressor coils today, BY MYSELF!, with a can of cleaner I found in the garage. I think I bought it 2 years ago...
*made banana chocolate chip muffins with two brown bananas and froze them for work lunches
*my gate repair guy said he could also fix my sprinkler heads and wouldn't charge me much. This is huge as I spent upwards of 1K on it about three years ago. I am looking forward to having a healthy and cooler yard to enjoy!
*using the library for book club reads
*found the last photo album I needed to complete a big project and it was on sale - I was going to have to order it and pay for shipping, otherwise.
*Mowed my own grass, power washed my own patio and deck, eating at home
I was gifted 10 tomatoes today and now I know what I’ll do with some of them! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Also, thank you for sharing the Panera gift cards tip. I was sitting on some credit card rewards dollars and the gift card made a great gift.