Five Frugal Things | free cereal! cheap mums!
1. I got a free box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Mr. FG alerted me to the million-box giveaway General Mills was doing.
Since he likes that cereal (the girls don't really eat cereal at all), I picked up a box, scanned my receipt, and got the $5.30 credit to my PayPal account within 24 hours.
It was a super easy process, so if you like this cereal, go get your free box.
2. I submitted an iPhone claim
My old SE, which Zoe is now using, qualified for the iPhone battery slow down settlement, so I submitted my information.
Hopefully $25 will be hitting my bank account soon.
Click here to visit the iPhone claim website to see if your phone qualifies; the submission process is really easy and $25 is $25.
(Hat tip to both WilliamB and Mr. FG for alerting me to this claim.)
3. I bought $3.29 mums at Aldi
Of course, mums are not exactly a necessity but geez, these were only $3.29!
I'm not one to invest much in non-perennial plants, but even I couldn't resist these.
4. I got multiple discounts on Claritin
Sonia's been have some allergy issues (the shots she's getting only cover her spring allergies), so she needed some non-drowsy meds.
I:
- picked a container with "10 free" tablets
- got it on sale for $19.99 ($5 off)
- used a $4 Claritin coupon in the CVS app
- used my $10 CVS Carepass reward (pay $5, get a $10 credit)
So, I paid $6 plus the $5 I paid for the Carepass, for a total of $11. Which is much better than the original price of $24.99.
5. I got a discounted haircut
I haven't gotten a hair trim for about a year (!) and it was starting to show on my ends.
So, when HairCuttery sent me a $3 "happy hour" discount, I made an appointment.
(Apparently they are slow after 5 pm, so appointments made after 5 got a discount.)
I was the only customer there, and I was in and out in 15 minutes. Sweet!
The ends of my hair are not nearly as straggly now, and I am very happy.
Also, I am probably good to go for another year now, knowing me and my lazy hair habits.
Bonus item: I buzzed Zoe's undercut again. Even cheaper than going to HairCuttery with a discount.
1. I gave myself a haircut. It's definitely not even close to perfect, but I feel better with less hair.
2. I received a coupon from Kroger for a free jar of peanut butter. I will pick it up on my next trip there.
3. I redeemed some points on one of the apps I use and chose a $50 Amazon card.
4. This isn't frugal but good for the environment. I spent about 30 minutes calling or writing to organizations that send me solicitations for donations. Hopefully, that will stop a lot of the junk mail I get.
5. I helped my sister post more items for sale (we are never going to finish!). One of them sold right away for $100. She bought me a delicious sandwich from Firehouse Subs that served as lunch and dinner that day.
Re: your #4...
When I have received those requests for donations, they usually have postage paid envelopes included. As soon as I receive them I simply use a red pen and write "Please remove my name from your mailing list" on the donation form. I have also emailed organizations with the same request and have been successful. They do not want to spend $ on people who are not going to donate. This has reduced my junk mail by 90%. I can't eliminate junk mail addressed to "Resident".
What a great idea! I will give that a try.
Mums are perennials! At least where I live they are!
My 5 frugal things:
1. We have lots of veggies from the garden
2. We are eating everything from the freezing but that also comes because the power was turned off in prevention of wildfires. So we have lost lots of food. Not frugal! (We are in no danger though so are thankful)
3. Not running our a/c since there’s no power. Oh it’s so hot and smokey!
4. Found lots of great books for my daughter at the thrift store. So glad that store is now open again.
5. Did my eval planning
Oh, interesting! What zone do you live in?
Here, I have always seen them die and not come back again.
Goof point! I live in CA but we get snow and frost. Mine die but next year they pop up the next season. I love them because they live up so much space and last so long. After they did this year cover that after with some mulch and see what happens. Worth a try.
Hmm, maybe that's my problem. I have not tried covering them with mulch.
Kristen--As you know I don't live too far from you and our mums are perennials, but you need to trim them back by 50% in July if you don't want them to bloom mid-summer but delay the blooms to September. That said, I pulled mine out a few years ago because they were super scraggly...and now do what you did and buy a pot of mums for my porch, and a pumpkin, each fall.
Oh, ok, good to know! I'll try covering them with mulch this year, and if that works and they come back next spring, I'll trim them in July.
But... mums are perennials!
Which zone do you live in? Mine have always died and not come back!
I live in northwest Indiana (zone 5 I think) and I plant mine every year and some years they come back and some years they don’t. I’m sure it has to do with weather, hardiness of the plant, location, when I planted etc. I consider any comeback as a bonus! Side note: I spent much of my childhood in Phoenix and am still catching up on green things...Just learned that mums and chrysanthemums are the same thing! Doh!
My mother-in-law told to when I buy mums to look for "hardy mams." They will come back then!
Ah, that should be "Mums" 🙂
1. I have been using greeting cards from my stash since the Covid-19 craziness started. Even cheaper than $.50 cards from Dollar Tree.
2. To celebrate my birthday we went hiking on a little used local trail. In prior years we might have done something more costly.
3. My husband had no gifts for me (I am notoriously hard to buy for). I asked him to sharpen my kitchen knives and clean and seal the counter, back splash, and tile flooring. We already have the materials for that and it is what I really want.
4. I need yarn of a certain color to make scarves to match hats I knit. I was able to get some yarn that was donated to a charity crafting group that will work well.
5. We're not using much data on our phone plan so the cell bill has been lower.
Happy birthday!!
I have to laugh at the greeting card stash. I am a sucker for vintage greeting cards, and I've acquired a lot through suctions very cheaply. Modern ones often come with them. I recently put them all together and sorted them. I am quite certain I won't need to buy another greeting card for a decade (except maybe Christmas cards because I give a lot of those) or more. I even have cards for occasions that are so rare that I may never use them.
My son requested Cinnamon Toast Crunch recently. Thanks for the heads up!
Sure thing. I love that you don't even need to use a stamp or envelope...the whole process is online.
Just an FYI for the future - Costco has the generic loratadine tablets for a bit over $13 for over a year's supply!!
Oh, nuts. Well, I will do that next time! Thanks for the tip.
Amazon has a comparable price. Great deal if you have Prime.
Mums are supposed to be perennials but mine only come back for a couple of years before disappearing even though we have mild winters
I think you just made me $25 because I looked at my phone and it's an SE. That explains why it's so slow and the battery heats up so fast. Thanks!
Sweet! $25 doesn't fix the problem, but hey, a problem with $25 in hand is better than a problem with $0 in hand. 😉
When the email hit my inbox I thought the 'mums at Aldi' referred to humans for a minute! I was like, what is she going to tell us about all these mums who are at Aldi?! Opened it up to flowers lol.
Oh, haha, this is where American English vs. British English is a problem!
In the 1985 Anne of Green Gables with Megan Follows and the late lamented Jonathan Crombie, Anne spells Gilbert down with the word "chrysanthemum." "Mum" is the usual short form of that word in the US. (I doubt that most present-day U.S. residents could spell the word either.)
Oh yes, I remember this scene!
Anne, I had the same thought!
1. Finally got around to taking pictures of the decor items leftover from our daughter's wedding last year and have sold a few things. Better to have a little cash than for them to be taking up space at my house!
2. Picked up groceries from Target's drive up service. When I got home, I realized they left out 1/3 of my items. I called the store, they located them and I asked for a small compensation for the trouble of having to make another trip. Target provided a $10 gift care to it was worth asking.
3. Purchased 3 pair of NWOT Lularoe leggings for my best friend for $20 from Facebook marketplace. She loves them, hasn't been able to find them and was so excited to get them. I was glad to be able to cheer her up a little because her husband just passed away.
4. Shopped at Aldi for wine and charcuterie board ingredients. I found a wine I like from Aldi that is $6.99 a bottle. 🙂
5. Our internet was out for 4 days, including last weekend, so we watched movies on DVDs instead of going out for entertainment.
Aww, that is so nice of you to show love to your friend with some new leggings.
Cabinet has generic allergy pills for around $20 for 100 pills... it's the cheapest price we've found, and it's mailed to you instead of having to go somewhere to get it!
For what it's worth, Claritin is actually a lot cheaper in Generic form, particularly from BJ's or Costco.
1.) Since our Costco membership is up at the end of the month and we aren't renewing it (long story short their Draconian Covid restrictions made it not worth going any more.) Among other things we got our allergy meds
2.) Steadily paying off my mortgage: the only debt I have left. 🙂
3.) Felt like getting takeout last night and instead forced myself to be creative and make dinner. It's healthier and better all around.
4.) Did a quick check on everything before I donated a ton of stuff to Goodwill. One item was worth some money so it's up on eBay now.
5.) Getting all the overtime I can and at the same time taking all the vacation time that I can.
I don't have an iphone but my daughter does, so I shared your info with her. Thanks!
If I was Stateside I'd be all in for that free cereal!
1. Made a meat-free meal today using beans from our garden.
2. I've had a little more time on my hands, so I'm trying to think through ways I can be more organized and intentional. While this is mostly for the goal of saving time and reducing stress, it also can help with saving money.
3. I've tried some new recipes lately using ingredients I had on hand.
4. I trimmed my bangs this week.
5. Accepting a free fridge. It needs some repair, but my husband know how to fix it.
Ate lots of veggies from our garden.
Made a homemade birthday card.
Trimmed my own bangs & ends of my hair.
Ended up returning a bunch of expensive camping gear we didn’t use and decided to wait a year or two before buying again.
Stocked up on clearance meat at the cheaper grocery store, as well as pasta which was at a great price.
1. After finishing a glass jar of coleslaw dressing, I saw how cute it was without the label. It is now my iced coffee container I bring everyday to work. (No worries, I cleaned it out REALLY well).
2. Our neighbors children are older than mine and unfortunately their basement flooded recently. They are now motivated to clean out and have since given us some great toys for my kids that they no longer need. (now if only my son hadn't spilled the perler beads down our driveway!)
3. My community has been wonderful in donating their used clothing to me to resell in my side hustle. Our Goodwills are not collecting items right now, so people are a bit more "OK" with this. I was a bit apprehensive about this and thought I might get some negative comments, but everyone has been super nice after I explained that this is my side hustle to supplement my income.
4. Camped over the weekend with my family and shared food. It's nice to not need to provide EVERY meal for the entire weekend. I typically get to cover breakfast and that's all I need bring!
5. I'm not coming up with anything HUGE for number 5, just thinking about the little things: packing my lunch every day, packing my own coffee, using old office paper to print my Ebay labels, etc.)
5.
A glass jar is perfect for reuse! It doesn't hold any smells or stains.
I usually get 2 or 3 years out of mums before they start to look pretty sad. You could try keeping them, but not counting on them.
Thanks for the link on the phones. My daughter had a 6. I sent her the link.
1. I made more pear sauce from my finally dwindling supply of pears on my tree.
2. I got through to Misfits Market and they are giving me full credit back for my ruined box of produce. It was not the fault of Misfits Market, I should point out. Someone at Fed Ex overlooked my box for a full, hot day.
3. I re-used a really nice gift bag for a wedding gift, and tied the handles with some pretty ribbon that had come on another package, but went perfectly with this bag. It turned out quite nice.
4. I had some leftover heavy cream from a special meal, milk, and a peach that was about to get overripe. Homemade ice cream! I made a small amount and churned it in the ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid. That attachment was a gift, and we have definitely used it.
5. I've started keeping my shopping lists and menus in a freebie notebook. I don't lose that slip of paper with my list or menu on it anymore, and I have a way to look back at old menus, to get ideas for new menus. I tried shopping with my list on my phone, but it was too troublesome to keep my phone open to the list. Give me paper. It stays "open."
#4...ice cream is grain free! So nice to have a treat you can still enjoy.
I got much happier when I found I could tolerate some dairy, especially raw dairy. Coconut ice cream is good, but dairy ice cream is the best. The real cream I had was from a farm, and it was so thick you could stand a spoon in it. It makes such good ice cream.
Yum.
concerning your #3....yes, I saw the Aldi's ad had mums for $3.29 and I, too don't buy many non-perennial flowers, but I couldn't resist giving my yard some fall colors. I bought 6 of them for about $21 (with tax) and they are so beautiful and a spectacular deal. I haven't found them any cheaper in our area.
1. I was gifted some zucchini and yellow squash from my brother-in-law that we’ve been enjoying with our meals.
2. Picked beans one last time before I pulled the plants from my garden & I was able to freeze 3 bags of beans and 2 bags of tomatoes from the garden.
3. My work hosted a picnic and we were able to take home leftover food and condiments from the event.
4. Our shed was falling apart, so we looked for a few weekends for sheds. We found one the size we wanted (without it having to be built) and because we bought one off the lot, they gave us a $500 discount.
5. We had to rent a dumpster for the demolition waste from our old rotten shed. I used our garbage carrier and we personally know them and they knocked off $65 from the rental price & they came out the day I needed them to. Everything was timed out with this new shed according to the delivery date.
6. While cleaning out our old shed, I listed a few items, netting me $130 (almost enough to pay for the stone I had to purchase to put down as a pad for our new shed. Hubby was impressed!
1. Last night's dinner was almost entirely from leftovers plus things from our garden. (I'm going to miss fresh green beans when they're gone!) I'm still having tomato sandwiches for lunch every weekday.
2. I attended a bridal shower over the weekend and put the gift in a gift bag that I had saved from my wedding and used a card from a box of wedding shower cards, which is much cheaper per card than buying individual cards.
3. I haven't been to Aldi yet this week. I had my list ready to go yesterday but it rained pretty heavily all morning and I have to go in the mornings to not mess up the rest of the day (naptime matters). But I realized that I was fine with the food we had to push it another day or two... Which is good since I went this morning and found that they're closed until noon because of a maintenance issue. Since my oldest returned to school I'm falling back into my Aldi-twice-a-week habit but just going once this week will be good for my budget, even if my husband is a little disappointed with our lack of snacks at the moment.
4. The super cute and comfy Banana Republic sweater I'm wearing today is one that I purchased for $1 at a yard sale on Friday. Yesssssssss.
5. I switched phone plans today. We had Republic Wireless for probably 5 years and it was cheap and great, but we learned that Xfinity Mobile costs even less for my husband and I. He switched a few months ago, but I finished out the year I paid with Republic and just made the switch. The biggest savings come with two of us on the plan as opposed to just one.
1. I knitted a lovely, warm, squishy sweater out of yarn that I already had (bought on sale about ten years ago), and used buttons that I bought at a thrift store a few years ago. It's not the cheapest way of getting clothes, but I price it out as both my hobby and my clothing 🙂
2. I saved most of the delicious bakery bread and the cheap-but-also-delicious homemade bread by freezing half of each.
3. I'm really leaning in to using the freezer! We ate the dumplings and soup that I froze a few weeks ago.
4. I did a calculation of parking cost vs. taking a taxi to an appointment later. They are virtually the same--the downside of big cities!
5. A frugal fail: I put my headphones through the wash and dryer! Shockingly, they still work, but the microphone doesn't, which is a necessity for work. So I had to buy a new pair. But, I'd done my research before, and I re-bought the same pair: excellent noise cancelling, a decent microphone, and comfortable ear buds for about $40 CAD.
Oh, that's so frustrating about the headphones. I am impressed that they work at all after going through the wash, though!
My phone is SE! Battery is not working well at all. I am basically used to walking around with a charger at all times. So thanks, I will request that $25 rebate.
I live in NYC and my mums do come back for a couple of years.1) I happened to buy two pots of mums from ALDI this week too and will try to cover them with mulch for upcoming winter. 2) I walked back to work and back two days this week: 2.2 miles takes me 35 minutes one way. Since I mostly sit at work it is a good substitute for exercise. I also like to look at the houses and how people seasonally decorate them and what flowers they have planted. Good for the environment too (2 miles driving in our traffic can be 30 minutes). 3) We are driving our college sophomore to her university. I froze two containers of leftover soup before leaving so it will not go bad. 4) Packed all fruits and veggies to eat on this fifteen hour drive, otherwise they would rot in the fridge. We’ll also spend less money on buying food at the rest stops. 5) I made a list of tasks to accomplish based on reading this post by Kristen and all the comments to it (SE rebate, etc). As I am employed by forensic laboratory in NY I am still required to go to work during my 14 day quarantine upon return to NY from the states that have high Covid infection rates. But accomplishing things from the list will keep me busy on weekends and will take my mind away from missing my kid!
With the extra $25, you can buy a second charger. Heh.
You can get a one year supply of Loratidine (generic Claritin) for $9.79 on Amazon.
https://smile.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Allerclear-Loratadine-Antihistamine/dp/B00EXPTG08/ref=sr_1_10?crid=27NRPNCP3JRUD&dchild=1&keywords=loratadine+10mg&qid=1599670180&sprefix=lorat%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-10
Yep! That's what we do. MUCH cheaper, and the same drug!
This! I do this too. So much cheaper!
Here's my 5 Frugal things for the week:
1. The tomatoes in the garden are still going strong, so I made a double batch of sauce using some of the basil from our herb garden.
2. The red raspberry patch is graciously giving us a second batch of sweet berries. I've been collecting and freezing them to make jam, muffins, etc at a later date (when I'm done processing the other garden goodies). Between the red and wild black harvests, I'll be able to make two more batches of jam.
3. I had a bunch of random bread ends and rolls. I have them drying to make bread crumbs. I'll add a little Italian seasoning to them and store them in a glass jar for whenever I need them. I use them a lot in meatballs, meatloaf or as a thickener.
4. A while back I bought a jumbo package of pork chops from Aldi when they were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I noticed that some had more fat than others when I portioned them out to freeze. I thawed a couple of the more fatty ones and made pork hash and plan on using the bones as sauce flavoring for a pasta dish.
5. I traded a basket of fresh tomatoes with my neighbor for fresh eggs.
That picture of you is sooo pretty!
I am enjoying some Aldi mums too!
1. Did two mystery shops, one got me $25 plus two gamma lids and the other got me $25 and two food grade 5 gallon buckets. I was just about to buy them, so I am inordinately pleased for these two shops.
2. Traded a neighbor greenhouse tomatoes and eggs for peppers, since mine refused to grow this year.
3. Trimmed the husband's hair. So easy to do with curly hair!
4. Husband trimmed my hair. He is getting better; this time I don't have to spend a month wearing a wool cap when I leave the house.
5. I won an argument with the insurance company, saving us about $320.
1. Gave everyone in the family a haircut, including myself, saving $42 off the Great Clips price plus tips. My secret weapon for maintaining my pandemic pixie cut is a Tinkle razor comb with replaceable blades that are just double-edge razor blades. I used Fetch Rewards to get the comb for half price on Amazon and have been happily cutting my hair ever since.
2. The oral flea preventative for our three rescue dogs is suddenly not up to par, and the vet suggested Soresto flea collars, which are mucho bucks. However, the collars are long for my dogs' necks, and I realized the excess cut off two of them could be combined to make another collar. Chewy had a sale on, and with the autoship discount, we bought two collars and turned them into three for the cost of one collar plus $10.
3. Our middle dog, who suffers from many allergies, had a trip to a veterinary allergist who prescribed her a food that's over $100 a bag. I read the ingredients online and it contains an ingredient we know she's allergic to. So we have gone back to a home prepared hypoallergenic meal for her. I did buy a larger rice cooker (spent $23 after tax), but that's much less expensive than the new kibble and I can use it for people food too. A lot of people do not think a rice cooker is frugal, but I consider it a multi-purpose cooking pot for the absent-minded.
4. Went grocery shopping with a fistful of store coupons and a manufacturer coupon and knocked $23 off the cost of food and some bar soap. The total was more like pre-COVID days. I love those monthly mailers from our grocery store.
5. Speaking of Fetch Rewards, I pounce on every receipt the family brings into the house. I manage a gift card every few weeks, and it really helps.
Just a warning about the Soresto collars. They gave my mini-dachshund seizures. Using herbal citronella collars now.
FFT, With a Little Help from My Friends Edition:
(1) Following Ruby's suggestion of "portion control" for DH's frozen treats, I bought him some Yasso frozen Greek yogurt pops in various favorite flavors of his. He's still grumbling a little about missing unlimited-access ice cream, but he is also enjoying the pops. Thanks again for the idea. Frugal in the long run (DH's waistline and my sanity), if not in the short term.
(2) I helped a friend of the Bestest Neighbors, who had just finished making them some cushions for their furniture on their enclosed porch, sneak the cushions in as a surprise. (I have both the key and the alarm fob for the BNs' house, in case of emergency during their absences.) The surprise was indeed total. Hilarity all around--and what's more frugal than mirth?
(3) Am arranging to resume dog-walking duties for the neighbors with the darling Australian Shepherd as the neighbors resume their respective COVID-crazed teaching duties. (Aussie's Dad teaches at a local university; Aussie's Mom is a special-ed teacher's aide in the city school system. Wish both of them luck; they're going to need it.) And Aussie is one of several "dog therapists" for DH on our street.
(4) Got DH most of the way through the Labor Day 50% off all clothing sale at our local Salvation Army superstore (but was careful to bail out when he got seriously fretful). We spent $13.50 (including some pullover tops for DH, as I'm moving him away from garments with buttons), and the cashier was glad to accept a 50-cent roll of picked-up pennies, given the current coin shortage.
(5) Tried out a new recipe for bread machine pizza dough from Aussie's Mom, and was pleased to find it was much better than the recipe that came with my bread machine. The new recipe makes a very respectable Chicago-style crust; the old one, frankly, was only good for making floury Frisbees!
So glad the ice cream situation is working out better now. Whew.
I am so glad that your DH has been agreeable with the popsicle portion control plan. It worked really well with my mom for controlling her weakness for sweets.
And also that your shopping trip was not too stressful. There were things I could do with my mom for a long time, as long as I recognized when she'd had enough and was ready to pack it in and go home.
We are in a fire zone and our sky is orange for the second day. The whole day is like twilight. It's very depressing. I am sewing to take my mind off of it. I can think happy thoughts about where these items will be going.
I went to our local produce exchange/seed giveaway. I got fresh kale, walnuts, asian pears and grapes. I got 5 packets of seeds. And had a nice outdoor, distanced visit with a few people. I came home and made dinner, in which the cheese and the avocado were the only things I had not made (GF sourdough bread) or grown. That was very satisfying.
A friend has asked me to sell some things for her, and I would get a percentage. I'm excited about that.
I have a coupon for 10 free car washes in September, but with ash falling every day, I haven't taken my car yet. Every day I look at the coupon laying on the counter...
All the usual frugal things...turning off lights in empty rooms, unplugging things not in use, washing ziploc bags and empty cereal bags (I used these to store my homemade bread), taking short showers, line drying clothes, tending my garden. All of these things make me feel better, and also more resilient to face uncertainties ahead.
Happy frugal week to all!
Oh, no! I'm so sorry you are near the fires. Stay safe.
Sorry to hear that -- these fires are horrendous!
Kara: Depressing for sure. I'm sorry this is happening near you... near anybody actually.
Stay resilient and safe!
Free cereal sounds good if you like that brand, but I avoid getting the sweetened, processed cereals as they are mostly sugar and high fructose corn syrup. When I do have cereal rather than an egg sandwich, I either do steel cut oats with maple syrup or granola mixed with yogurt. I think it is a healthier option, and on some specific weekend mornings we will do pancakes from scratch, no mixes with fresh blueberries from the garden.
I don’t buy mums, but the flowers that I put in my hanging pots back in May will be dying off soon as the weather cools, so I will enjoy them while they last, the wild flowers are dying off in my yard, but the goldenrod is still in bright yellow.
We are still getting fresh tomatoes from the garden, we made sauce and gave plenty of tomatoes away to family and friends. The kale is still producing well and it is cold hardy until it is covered in snow, same with my parsley. Next month we plant the garlic for next year. When the weather cools, I am looking forward to the pizza nights. Hubby makes great Stromboli as well, my boys and our friends that visit love it. We heat the pizza sauce to dip slices in, it is great. Hubby is looking at ways to improve his pizza to wood fired oven restaurant style. He has been researching pizza dough, aging it a few days, rather than hours, and he is going to get a pizza steel. It is a little pricey (I think) but given the cost of great takeout or restaurant pizza, and it is his hobby, I think it is definitely worth it. He thinks it will be better. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UWVEgoEGnkY
He is a great cook, so I am sure he will in his glory with this new toy to play with. He is like a kid with different kitchen appliances and trying new recipes, he gets so happy when he gets it right. He has been looking at Youtube videos at building an outside wood fired pizza oven. So that might be his project for next spring, and then the pizzas we love, won’t be limited to cooler weather, as heating up the kitchen won’t be an issue.n
You went a full year without a trim? My hair would look to be an absolute mess! I would be bugging after four months. I get hubby to trim my hair every couple months, it doesn’t grow even and it combs out so much nicer after a trim. You have gotten practice cutting Zoe’s hair and even proficient with the clippers doing an undercut, perhaps she could step up and trim your hair. Nothing drastic, just minimal trims so your hair doesn’t look straggly. Here is a great tutorial
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=36Ry3Dpm3lQ
Especially if you have fine hair, regular trims are a must, so why not get them for free?
So our big frugal wins are the garden produce of fruits and vegetables, preserving foods and eating meals at home, while spoiling ourselves, as hubby plays chef.
I usually eat plain shredded wheat for breakfast, topped with berries or whatever fruit we have in the house. That's a pretty easy way for me to avoid having a bunch of extra sugar for breakfast.
However, I don't mind buying an occasional box of sugary cereal for Mr. FG (who would, incidentally, hate eating plain shredded wheat. lol)
I bet your husband's outdoor pizzas are going to be great!
I think it should be, the wood fire, and we have plenty of wood on the farm, allows the oven to get hotter than we could get in the oven in the kitchen and that is the key to making better pizza, baking it at a hotter temperature. We have had pizza at a restaurant that was cooked in a wood fired oven and it was great. So I am looking forward to it.
Another cheaper option is a Pizza Kettle that you use on a round charcoal style bbq. You can use wood with this and easily get it to 800 degrees. It makes beautiful, wood fired pizza right on your patio, no heat in the house.
I looked at it, but it would not fit on our weber gas grill, and the thin pizza stone included with the kit, would break easily at 800 degrees. We do have a big green egg style kamado barbecue that is wood fired we barbecue with, perhaps that might be a cheaper route if we put a round pizza steel on the top rack. While your suggestion would not work for us, you have provided a great suggestion for us to work with what we currently have. I do think building the pizza oven would be part of the fun for my husband, especially when he fires it up when we have guests and we are cooking several pizzas and we let the kids pick their own toppings.
Husband and I packed lunches for 5 days of work
No takeout or restaurant food for 2 whole weeks
Harvested sunflowers for next year (hung them up to dry)
Mowed the front and back lawn
Sewed/mended a pair of flannel pants that were my kids--but fit me!
1. Enjoying reading about other people's frugal habits on this frugal blog.
2. Visited our Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and bought paint so i can paint our kitchen.
3. Home haircut for my husband.
4. Enjoyed marked down "take and bake" Aldi pizza for yesterday's lunch (marked down $5, to $2.49 for a 16 inch pepperoni).
5. Taking walks and using garage sale home fitness equipment for exercise.
**I planted some mums a couple of years ago in our south-facing flower bed out here in western MD, and they are blooming beautifully right now.
Now, frugality:
-I went to a $5 a bag sale at the local thrift store and spent $20. My daughter is moving from girls' clothes into juniors/women's, and I found enough shirts and skirts and pants for her (I still needed to find a pair of jeans) for winter AND some shirts and pants for my teenage boys. And two decks of cards.
-I continued harvesting from the garden.
-My son harvested sunflowers to dry for seeds for next year.
-I planned meals in advance and used leftovers.
-I stopped by Booksavers sidewalk sale and found a ton of books and cds for my children.
-I made my daughters ice cream cake for her birthday. I shopped for her gifts in my closet (where we store things we find deeply discounted).
1. Eating most meals in (except drive-thru Fridays -- Arbys, and Pollo Loco are current favorites.
2. Taking lunch to school (no kids, just me and my desktop disseminating a heap o'learning thru the digital classroom) along with snacks.
3. Using up all kinds of foods from pantry and freezer -- old kits and frozen items bought at discount; meat and veggies from the freezer; oddball meal kits (Pad thai noodles, etc.) turning old potatoes into potato salad, etc. Love putting a few ingredients into the google search and coming up with recipe ideas. I put in "shelf stable miso and tofu" and discovered a great rice bowl recipe.
4, Not shopping and not buying stuff, for the most part. Thanks, COVID.
5. Gerry-rigging my good N95 mask with bandaids to hold the little metal piece inside the material. Also, to avoid poking out eye with the little metal piece. So far so good. It's my go to for grocery shopping so making it last.
Stay well, everyone!
Mums are perennials! Plant them in your garden and watch them thrive. They love my Maryland climate. They perform well every year unless the deer eat them first.
Most of my ALDI mums come back, but some don’t. ♀️
1. The people camping next to us this weekend gave us 1 dozen eggs and tomatoes from their farm. So nice!
2. Picked up a brand new erector set and winter gear for the kids off Buy Nothing. Erector set will be a Christmas present for my son.
3. Made stewed tomatoes and tomato pesto using tomatoes from your garden. Sun-dried more cherry tomatoes from our garden. Made pesto using the basil from our garden. Dehydrated thyme and sage from the garden. Ate tons of beans from our garden.
4. I made more homemade toothpaste.
5. Returned library books on time
1) I got reimbursed for some ProD related spending through my work (it took 2 months!) 2) A friend of mine was going to sell an antique pie safe that I have always admired. When I told her I'd always loved it but couldn't buy it until next summer, she told me she would hold it and we could have it for free:) 3) My son got a job with good insurance, so I was able to drop the coverage we were paying for him. 4) A friend gave us a loaf of homemade sourdough...yum! 5) Our electric bill in Hong Kong comes every 2 months. The last 2 have been super low and I was worried that maybe something was wrong and we would get a big hit later. But I finally figured out how to check on the website, and come to find out, it is being subsidized by the government right now, apparently because of Covid. So yeah for cheap electric!
By the way the fall mums ARE perennial in the ground. Just let them die back & cut back at ground level. They will come back next year & will bloom if they get sun. I’ve had mums coming back for the last 5 or 6 years. I do pinch them back to about 12” high until around the 4th of July & then I let them grow. If they get taller than that they flop over. FYI I live in Pennsylvania which I believe is colder than where you live.
"Sometimes the mums at Aldi are a little sad-looking."
LOL When I read this I thought this was about mothers. Apparently I'm more familiar with British English. Makes sense because the UK is closer to the Netherlands than the US.
That’s really funny! Mums and mummies!
I live in a house where the former owner planted her mums. They have spread out and I've dug them up in places and distributed them in the back and front yard. Easy peasey, I just cut them back at the end of Fall and in July.
Not sure if there are different kinds of mums, but mine look like your pic. 🙂
Life is back to as normal as possible here! Kids in school, Husband sent back to the office 3/5th of the week, My preschool opened so back to going a dozen directions!
Everyone packing lunches for work or school, taking water/drink containers
I really wanted to get take out on Monday, cold and heavy rains, but I decided to save money and use up stuff at home. Grabbed a box of aldi *steakums" and cooked that meat and smothered in provolone we already bad. Used up all the leftover hamburg and hot dog buns we had lying around to serve them on. ( make them garlicy and buttery first!) ate with oven fries and fruit.
temporarily fixed the leak in the shower wall while we decide what the long term rehab plan is (WAHHH-not frugal)
Did not buy dairy queen when I wanted it....
Snagged 2 free pints of ice cream on Ibotta when I was at Walmart last week!
Cashed in my SavingStar and Ibotta.. left it in my paypal and used some of that to buy my ebay item!!
I never bought the Aldi steak ems. I’ll have to pick some up next time.
I have had some good wins this last week.
I was at the grocery store as they were marking down organic vegetables. For instance a $5 bunch of scallions was reduced to 15 cents. A $7 bag of potatoes to 21 cents. I bought loads and shared them with my grown children. Now there is much care and planning to make sure none of it is wasted. I think I save about $70 on that day.
I am waiting for petrol to drop to the low point of the fuel cycle to fill the car. Our new car uses far less petrol so the saving seem huge compared to the older car.
Today I grocery shopped and on the whole I am pleased with what I found and managed some savings.
I went to the ENT about my horrible nose and he charged me rebate only. Super thankful that. I feel for Sonia. I live on phenergam as my allergic shots have not worked. I hope she feels better soon.
For me these have been huge savings in an expensive week.
1. Bought very discounted holiday hand towels. The holiday print is only on one side so I turn them and will use them all year.
2. Shopped the boxes in the garage for some refreshed home decor. Changing decor up in the house helps the house look fresh and cheery.
3. Painted a frame on the garage shopped decor to update the look.
4. Continue to declutter. Less density of stuff gives me back home square footage. Sold clothes on Thredup.
5. Painted the first floor of the house ourselves and had the painter do all the painting that required ladders. The house looks great and no one had to feel fear of heights.
At the risk of sounding Really Old, I think mum plants in the past lasted more years than the ones bought today do. Perhaps it is something in how they have been developed for quick sale fall markets, maybe more bloom than root.
My Mom used to mail me a box of mums every fall when I was at college. She would pick them early in the week, so they didn't spend time in the post office over the weekend, wrap the stem ends in wet paper towels with a plastic bag tucked over them, put them in a cardboard box, and Dad would mail them off. They lasted several weeks in a glass in my room!
That is so nice about your mums from home package. It makes me think of my own mother, who loved to grow flowers in the yard. She could make a beautiful but simple bouquet just about any time. It just so happens that she grew a lot of perennial chrysanthemums in the yard. The potted ones are indeed different varieties. Once in a while I can keep one going for a few years outside, but when I buy garden mums, they thrive through all the seasons in Illinois for years. I know some people don’t like the fragrance, but I do.
Jenny--I hadn't ever though of asking specifically for "garden" perennial mums instead of "potted" ones. Makes sense. Glad to hear of your flower-loving mother! Mine said about picking bouquets that all flowers match each other, and in many ways, they do.
I love the Frugal Five posts! Here are mine:
1) I gave away the Christmas tree that my parents purchased when I was 16. I'm selling ornaments on ebay and hope all are going to loving homes.
2) Our fridge has decided to kick the bucket and I'm not sad. It gave us nearly 20 years of service. We paid $75 for it from Craigslist.
3) I purchased a gas generator that has since gone up in price by $56. It's big enough to handle our major appliances in a emergency.
4) As a precautionary measure, I decided to stockpile for any disaster, such as buying the generator above, and am able to pay for it by selling my stocks.
5) DS2 won scholarships for college but they are more than the cost, so he's getting a big refund.
1. I mended my daughters heat pack, then reminded her not to throw it.
2. Used pantry and fridge/ freezer supplies to make up a tuna casserole. Leftovers for the freezer.
3. I got two free coffees from McDonald’s this week. One was from a coffee loyalty card and one from the monopoly app. I also scored a bag of their apple slices.
4. Spring cleaning the house using cleaning supplies I have on hand and making some new sprays. I’ve found more items to donate to charity along the way. I also found some spare brown photo frames that I will paint white with leftover paint.
5. Ate most meals at home, saving money on petrol and entertainment thanks to Covid, keeping the heat down low as the days warm up and enjoying frugal activities like walks and long baths.
1. Made my lunches ahead a time for entire week. Overnight oatmeal for the win.
2. Still driving 2006 Honda. OLDIE GOLDIE. DRIVING GREAT
3. Grocery shopped at ALDI.
4. Rode my bike and walked my dog for exercise while listening to books from public library on HOOPLA
5. Saved 77 dollars for a project.
I love cars that last for eons. Hondas are awesome!
One day when I get rid of my minivan, my dream is to have a Honda Civic with a sunroof. 🙂
Hi all. New here. Here are my 5:
1) Sold things on line and at consignment type shops for clothes kids needed
2) Got free seeds through the lending library to plant in pots inside/outside and see how they do (flowers and herbs) since planting season is over!
3) Talked to a neighbor about a garden, and got all the details (free advise!) of how to compost, when to plant and help offered for when it is time to plant. *Also got some yummy home grown tomatoes from her garden
4) Learned about the free box of cinnamon toast crunch from Kristen and waiting on refund :)!
5) Also talked to Kristen about blogging and signed up with Blue host for their 30 day free trial! I'm starting to get my ideas together for what I want in my blog also related to living on less and being thankful 🙂
Thank you so much, Kristen! 🙂
5.30 for a big box of cereal? Wow and people say California is expensive.
This was at Harris Teeter, so that's probably why! It was on sale for $3-something, but when I submitted the rebate, they paid me the non-sale price (even though the sale discount was clearly listed on the receipt).
Kristen,
If you have a place to plant your mums in the ground, they’ll come back! (And last longer through the fall.) Leave the plant alone until last frost then trim to ground. Keep the buds from growing until July and you’ll have another mum next year!