Five Frugal Things | Free E-Z pass, a refund, + 3 more
1. I got a free E-Z pass transponder.
(The E-Z pass is an electronic toll collection system that's used on the east coast and also as far into the Midwest as Illinois.)
I don't use tolls roads and toll bridges all that often, but a number are switching to only accepting E-Z pass, so if you don't have one, you get a bill in the mail that is more expensive than what you'd pay if you had an E-Z pass.
So, I figured it was worth it to fill out the online forms to get one, even for infrequent toll trips.
2. I cancelled some unused blog services.
For instance, we haven't used Lisey's old baking domain in ages, so I cancelled that one.
3. I got a $26 refund from Dyn.
I used to have my blog's DNS services through them and oh my word, they have the worst customer service ever.
Maddeningly enough, they charged me $26 a year and a half after I put in my cancellation notice.
(Which I did after I switched everything over to Agathon, who has the best customer service in the world!)
I did finally get a refund a few days ago for the charge that initially happened in August.
4. I turned a frivolous grocery run into something a little bit practical.
I made my coffee yesterday, poured it into my mug, and realized we had no cream.
NOOOOOO.
So, I put my shoes on and took a little trip to the nearest grocery store, because coffee without cream is not worth drinking in my opinion.
And milk is a very, very poor substitute.
A trip just for cream is not efficient, but...I took my Gold Medal flour rain check with me, and I also bought a bunch of fruit at good sale prices, plus two bags of bagels.
And apparently they were clearing out these small containers of cream, because they were marked to half price.
5. I popped by the library while I was in the area.
I picked up a friend's book that one of my girls accidentally returned to the library (whoops!) and I also picked up a library book I patiently waited for through the hold system.
Your turn! Share your five frugal things in the comments.
1. I've been eating from home, avoiding food waste at all costs, and only grocery shopping once per week. No more random trips to the store, because I spend way too much and buy things we don't really need and then waste both the food and my money.
2. I found 11 cents on my walk the other day.
3. Went to the Goodwill Outlet and found a few things for my boys. I also found things to sell so that the clothing I bought for them is going to be free. I might even make a few bucks.
4. Have stayed out of stores in general since the first of the year. I'm trying hard not to spend unnecessarily this year.
5. I have a birthday gift to put together for a four-year-old girl this weekend and am trying to find a balance between frugal and cheap. This is on my fft list because it's on my radar to give a good gift that's within my budget.
My sister just made homemade play dough as a gift. She divided it up and dyed it different colors. It was a hit while also being very inexpensive.
Our Walgreen’s has Christmas toys marked down 70% plus buy 5, get 1 free! I picked up great gifts for the next 4 birthday parties. Really nice toys & I even used $10 in rewards points.
1. I’m a home cook. I take my lunches to work and make my own “fast food” on weekends.
2. I bought a new espresso machine when it went on sale for $13.99 with the help of $20 in store credit from previous purchases. Now I make my lattes at home as well.
3. During the holidays I purchased a $100.00 gift card for a local grocer. I got a $10.00 gift card for buying it. I was then given a coupon for $10.00 off a $60.00 purchase. So, I went to a meat sale and purchased 20lbs of fish and poultry. I used the gift certificate and the coupon. In the end paying $40.00 for a $60.00 purchase.
4. I put weather stripping and plastic over my windows and doors. I’ve saved a ton of money on heating costs.
5. I make some of my own clothing and accessories. Big box stores like JoAnn Fabrics are always running sales and customers can use multiple coupons for materials. It’s fun and cheap. I’ve also turned my skills into a nice side hustle.
1. My son who works at a local restaurant brought home some (raw) drumsticks. I guess they had taken them out to use and didn't so his boss said he could take them home. There were 24 in total and I bagged them up into 3 bags of 8. So I'll get to have 3 meals with free meat!
2. I baked some drumsticks and used up leftover mashed potatoes and gravy (for my husband), leftover rice, mixed with leftover (stir-fry) vegetables from our dinner out Sunday at a Japanese restaurant, which certainly wasn't frugal (for me). I also had some leftover Beef and Rice Casserole that I fixed for my youngest son. And after his BB practice, he came home and ate a couple of the drumsticks. So I used up a bunch of small containers of stuff in my fridge without having to throw it away or use anything new. Makes the cost of the dinner at the Japanese restaurant sting a little less I guess, knowing I used every bit of the food we paid for, lol.
3. I always drink my coffee from home. And I make it with my Chock Full Of Nuts (my fav) that I bought on Sale and with a Coupon, paying $3.00 for a big canister.
4. Used my Dollar General App for some purchases Sat. and got $5 off my order and some vitamins I bought were on sale and I had a $4 off coupon, making them also $3.
5. Used my mystery code on my App/Rewards Card at the grocery store and earned 25X my points on my groceries and jumped my points to $20.38 (from around $6 before)!! That is a huge jump, I was so excited I texted my daughter about it, lol.
1. Wrestled hard with myself, because I wanted to drive thru Taco Bell last night on my way home from walking with a friend. I ended up going home and eating food at home. Phew.
2. Staying on my grocery budget. I have been keeping records (just on this!) for 3 years.
3. Frugal fail. Had to switch back to a more expensive phone plan, but was not getting my calls or texts on cheaper one.
4. Started "sinking funds" envelopes in November and I REALLY like it. Was able to pay big car registrations without a problem.
5. Found a reasonable play to go to in Nearby for my Birthday.
I would not call your #3 a frugal fail. You didn't do anything wrong or foolish, nor were you unprepared for a predictable expense.
1. I also got an E-Z pass transponder when my brother-in-law borrowed our car while in town, and he decided to buy one for it. Hopefully it will come into some good use.
2. We've been making homemade bread again, after a break over the holidays. It always tastes so good. We also made potato bread out of leftover mashed potatoes.
3. My consignment store gives some cashback dollars on every purchase. I went back to the store to use up the cashback before it expired, and refrained from buying anything else but a needed item.
4. Putting some cash I made from selling books and games straight into savings.
5. A freelance project starting, gearing myself mentally into the mindset of extra work and the needed time management.
First time commenting! I'm in the process of buying a house, so I'm trying to limit spending and use up what I have.
1. I had extended family over for dinner and made chili with ground turkey from the freezer, carrots, bell peppers, and onions that needed to be used up, and tomatoes and beans that I had gotten on sale a few months ago.
2. I went to a potluck on Sunday and I found a loaf of pumpkin bread in my freezer that I sliced up and had a bag of caramel popcorn from the holidays that I took.
3. I have a coat that I needed to wash that says to only wash in a front loading machine. I went over to a friend's to use her front loading machine to wash it, instead of dropping it off to the cleaners or going to a laundry mat. I took her a plate of food (sweet and sour meatballs, rice, and skillet green beans) as a thank you.
That seems strange that your coat needed to be washed only in a front-loading machine! I’ve never seen that. Is is supposed to be gentler, I guess!? I wash coats all the time on gentle cycle, but I bet your coat is nicer than mine. Pretty much everyone I know dislikes their fancy front-loaders. I hate my new (1 year old) cheap Kenmore high-efficiency top-loader. It’s efficient, I guess, because it doesn’t use very much water. I don’t feel like it gets things as clean as my old ugly one did. I’m really sad I decided to get a new one when the old one needed a $100 repair because it was on sale and I thought it would be better than trusting that old faithful would keep going after twenty years. But at least I didn’t get talked into the new matching dryer. Who cares if they match? Well, my sister-in-law does, lol.
Yeah we moved to water efficient top loaders & I agree they don't wash the same, it may be just the brand but it also drives me nuts that the cycle to just rinse & spin takes 35min & if I pause a wash cycle to add extra clothing it has a conniption & ticks over doing nothing for ages or just won't get going again & you have to switch off, unplug & restart to get it going. It also stops & ticks over several times as it fills so saves water - wastes a LOT of electricity - it isn't a fault as someone else's does the same things.. But then I feel the same way about eco shower heads - the time it takes to properly rinse shampoo or conditioner out of long hair I personally think I would have a way shorter shower with an old fashioned shower head.
I have hated all the efficient washing machines I've tried so far. They're really bad for extra dirty laundry, like the guinea pig's cage fleece. You have to wash it twice, and it still smells like pee.
When I wash it in my trusty old machine, it comes out clean the first time.
This is the Jen from the first comment. Haha. The coat is a down coat from costco. Some food got dropped on it a few days ago, so I think I may just try to wash it on gentle cycle in my own washing machine. I agree with no need for a matching washer and dryer. What's the point?
1.) My kid's daycare more or less banned glass containers so I went to Target and got some screw top plastic containers for her homemade yogurt. It ended up being almost $3 but I used a Circle discount and the Red Card and it allows her to take homemade yogurt again instead of pricey individually packaged cups.
2.) Stocking up on healthy food now that it's on sale as everyone is dieting.
3.) Using my rice cooker to make a big batch of steel cut oatmeal so that I don't have to lament not making it during the week. I can handle microwaving some oats in the morning but stovetop steel cut ain't happening at 6 am.
4.) Brought back some online GAP clearance and got the money back. It's good to have the money back for stuff that doesn't fit right or wasn't my style.
5.) Got a pair of Converse for $25 thanks to getting a discontinued color on sale.
So nothing ground breaking but just chugging along with day to day stuff again.
1. After the excess of the holidays, I’m back on my healthy eating plan. Better portion control, less junk food, and eating more of my own home cooked healthy meals rather than fast food or takeout means saving $$.
2. I signed up for Imperfect Foods, and unfortunately there was a glitch and my first order was never shipped. As a result, their customer service gave me a $10 credit and 50% off code for my next order. Used this week’s grocery money plus the credit and code to stock up on fresh fruit, veg, salmon, spices, and pantry staples—that plus what we already have in the pantry and freezer is enough to feed us for the next 3+ weeks.
3. Reading library books towards fulfilling my goal of reading at least 1 book per week in 2020.
4. Setting aside some nicer things to sell while decluttering. Will be giving EBay a shot for the first time!
You are awesome! I'm getting great ideas. Thank you for sharing.
1) I am listening to a free podcast--The Dream--which is all about how multilevel marketing is a pyramid scheme. It's so good. Last week I listened to a free audiobook through my library--The Jane Austen Project--also very good.
2) I wasn't feeling making lunch last night, so I just made a ham and cheese sandwich and packed some chips and salsa. It is not at all fancy, but it is getting the job done.
3) I cleaned out my linen cabinet Monday when I was home with a sick kid. We still had too many sheets from back when we airbnbed our home. I will donate the leftovers.
4) A friend is coming over for dinner tonight. She is a good friend who comes by often and doesn't mind that we feed her whatever assortment of proteins/grains/veggies we have in the fridge. In other words, I didn't buy and don't plan to prepare anything fancy.
5) I continue to breastfeed, walk to the office, and drink tap water and tea almost exclusively. I transferred cash back bonuses to our checking account. I went ahead and organized all our tax information for our personal and business taxes. I'm just waiting on the last few tax statements to come in at the end of the month to send everything to our accountant. I reached out to a friend about having lunch and she offered to treat me because I am coming to her place of business where there is a cafe.
1. Eating through our fridge & freezer reserves in preparation for an upcoming multi-week trip, so my grocery spend for two this week was just $40.
2. Signed up to receive emails from Old Navy, and combined the 20% discount I thus received with a $25 gift card, plus shopped sales once at the store, and ended up 'gifting' my hubby with a chunky oatmeal sweater, two chunky thermal shirts, and two polo shirts for just $29 total. Old Navy all day, every day!
3. Booked our upcoming airport parking reservation ahead of time online, saving 20%.
4. This close to redoing our used brick fireplace in a stacked stone, but was dreading the subsequent mess the somewhat costly job would entail. Spent time researching other options after seeing some beautifully whitewashed fireplaces on Instagram, and voila! Our painter can do the job for $200. I could do it myself for less even, but I'm happy to pay a pro to get it done 100% right.
5. Rechecked my state's unclaimed money site again, thinking our somewhat recent move might have resulted in some misdirected mail, and voila, found a Google refund of $38 jad been turned over to the state in my name. Then checked again on each of my daughter's names and located unclaimed amounts of around $200 for each one of them. Well worth rechecking this site every few years!
I once found $9,999 on my State's unclaimed property website under my Mom's name. It was for an old life insurance policy of my Dad's. Since my mother had since died, my brother and I were able to claim the money. Always worth checking!
One of those found money websites caused a crisis of conscience for me. I didn't have any money but found a very large amount for a former step mother who was a horrible abusive woman who actually pulled a gun on my six year old sister when she didn't vacuum the carpet so that the vacuum strips went in the same direction. That led to the divorce, finally, and she has been out of our lives for decades. Here is how bad she was: at the divorce, my father received custody of her children after all three begged the judge to leave them with my father (their dad was dead). It was through my step-sister that I knew this monster was now penniless and ill. Should I tell her or should I let her suffer for what she did to us? Honestly, I bored my husband for weeks as I obsessed, but finally I told my stepsister (who only sees her mother twice a year, pretty much out of obligation) and the monster later received several thousands of dollars. Actually, the situation was a blessing because I really had to figure out what kind of person I was going to be, although it seems like it should have been easier for me to decide if I was going to do the right thing.
Lindsey:
What a painful story! I hope you have all been able to move on to being well-loved people who love yourselves and know you deserve the love she denied you.
Thank you. I have told my husband that if what I went through as a kid was the advance price I had to pay in order to end up with him for the last 37 years, every second of it was worth it. I am very lucky. In fact, all of us kids have ended up very happily paired off!
Oh man, that would be a very hard situation to try to figure out. And I think anyone in your shoes would struggle like you did...it makes sense that it wasn't easy.
Tamara: Glad you commented on unclaimed money, because I also haven't done that in a while. Though I have nothing claimable, I checked for relatives and friends in various states and found a sister- and a brother- in law, and several former colleagues. Had fun sending emails to them all to check it out.
I agree - coffee without cream is not worth drinking. 🙂
1. Started planning my daughter's birthday party and we looked for decorations at the Dollar Tree first. They had some she really liked, so we got everything on our list from there! (Well, everything except the pinata... Still on the hunt for the pinata.)
2. While discussing with friends different ways to memorize Scripture, I mentioned that I would like to start writing it down to memorize it but have to get the stuff to get started. My friend said that her mom gets her a journal every year and she never uses them, so she gave me a beautiful journal for free!
3. My daughter is outgrowing her everyday school shoes but I'm totally prepared because I got a pair of tennis shoes in the next size up on clearance at Aldi a few months back. I'm going to get them out this afternoon for her. No last-minute trips to buy whatever's available at whatever price they have it for!
4. We just started a complete remodel of our main floor bathroom (in which my husband is doing all of the work) which means that everything we've accumulated in the bathroom closet over the last 4.5 years is now out (and in my dining room... no, I'm not stressed! Why would I be stressed? ;)) We have more floss and lotion than I thought we did, so I won't have to buy any for a long time.
5. Aldi had bananas marked down to 15 cents per pound and I got about 6 bunches. Planning to make banana bread to share and to freeze.
hehe, I have a little obsession about buying toothpaste when it's on sale. Last weekend I straightened out the bathroom cabinet and have put myself on a toothpaste buying ban!
Our Winco carries pinatas for some reason. If you live near one you might give them a look.
I've not heard of Winco before, so I guess we're not in their region. We are in a small city and pretty much have Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and the internet.
1. We purchased hard wood flooring ahead of time on Black Friday and finally got to putting it in. It was 50% off, so we saved a ton! My sister-in-law and her husband came over to help so we treated them to lunch & dinner at our house.
2. My 6 year old daughter was just diagnosed at type 1 diabetic in October. She recently received a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) that makes life SO easy, no more finger pokes! But, she needs a smart device to pair with the monitor that is linked to a data network so that we can see her blood sugars no matter where she is. While I'm not at all thrilled about my Kindergartner having a cell phone - it could be life or death in certain situations if she can't feel her sugar dropping. Anyhow, a very kind friend gifted us an excellent condition iPhone 6 and we got a great deal on a line for her on our plan.
3. We have a freezer stocked full of beef from my dad's farm and venison from my husband's hunts. So we've been doing a bit of a pantry challenge - which I think is great in the winter. You can use up SO much in soups and stews.
4. We got two notices for my car in the mail. Not exactly recalls, but issues that Kia has identified. One is just with the headlights, but the other is the engine. I didn't understand the lingo but my husband said, "engine go boom" so I'm taking that into the dealership today because a "boomed" engine is definitely not frugal.
5. 16 weeks into this pregnancy and I have not yet purchased any maternity clothes. Let's see how far I can get!
Savannah, I feel for you about your daughter. My husband and my niece (no relation to him except through marriage) are both Type-1. He is using the Dexcom and she is looking at using it. By all means, use all the technology you can, and consider it frugal. It's vital, at her age, to be able to monitor her sugars! I hope for the day when having a smart device for parents or other family members will be considered medically necessary, and perhaps at least partially paid for.
Thank you for your response! I was hoping the smart device cost would be at least partially covered, but no such luck. However, we have excellent insurance and we do not suffer paying the RIDICULOUS insulin prices like some people do. My insurance is actually still providing the glucometer supplies (lancets, test strips), and we have a huge excess so we are donating them to a local family with a t1 child that is struggling to make it.
That's so kind of you to donate! We now get his supplies through the VA, so we pay low prices, but we used to pay for much of it ourselves, as our old insurance wouldn't cover any testing supplies and only a portion of his pump. We still use his strips once in a while, just as a double check, but once or twice a month, as compared to multiple times a day. My niece has pretty good insurance, but she has to budget for her supplies rather carefully, as a young adult starting out.
We have a long way to go in helping diabetics pay for their needs, I agree, totally!
Hi Savannah@Dirt Road Daisy,
So sorry to hear of your daughters T1d diagnosis! She will do great, there are a lot of new tools and devices now! I was diagnosed in 1963 at the age of 26 months so 56 1/2 years now.
I love my CGM!!!
Alison
Alison - thank you so much for the encouragement! It is so relieving to talk to people that have had this disease for years and are living a successful life. It's easy to get stuck in the day-to-day struggles of it and not look at the bigger picture. She is still our sassy, little energetic girl...she just has some extra quirks now 🙂
Savannah I just want to thank you for your no. 4 laughed out loud...
We have had an EZ Pass for years when we lived in NY. Amazing that the state charges so much to get to and from Long Island (when I first started driving it was 75 cents!). And in NY, you save on the toll if you have the pass instead of waiting on line and paying cash (used to be 25 cents cheaper, not sure if that is still the case). Now we are in FL and have the Sun Pass. However the Sun Pass is not active in all states like the EZ Pass is, so we kept our EZ Pass. Each state is supposed to be combining with other states so you only need 1 transponder. FL is behind the times!!!
I love a nice cup of hot tea. I bought a 2 pound bag of loose tea (my husbands says it is like a bale of tea instead of a bag) and a tea ball and now I make my tea with that. It works out to about 3 pennies per cup. Much cheaper than a box with 16 tea bags. Oh and it is organic because who wants to steep chemical covered tea leaves in hot water to drink.
I hear you on the black coffee! I prefer cream and sugar--and in a pinch, I can do without sugar. But no cream? Yikes!
1) Went out with three others to prix-fixe steak frites dinner. The restaurant was incredibly backed up - blowing reservations by over 30 minutes. I was pleasant and sympathetic. The woman waiting near me was extremely unpleasant to everyone.
Guess which of us was kicked out and which of us got all the extra fries, all the drinks, and all the desserts comp'ed? That was about half the bill. I can't say it enough: it pays to be nice.
2) Still working to eat down the freezer. I'm close to the end but still there's so much I won't eat before defrosting: 2 frozen lasagnas for large parties, the lunch meat stash, the butter stash, the spice stash, the ground beef stash, ...
3) Made CI's hummus recipe. Not only did doubling the recipe use up all the tahini, it also used the 1 lb of chickpeas I had. Now there's a dilemma: I had planned on not making hummus again but the recipe is so good that I might change my mind.
4) I will paint the bathrooms myself. The strong coral matched the artwork and was still too much for the space. (FG, I thought of you: there were patches of coral and gray all over the walls.) I decided not to spend an additional $50 on paint just for an accent area although it would have looked nice. Instead, I got $60 low VOC paint-plus-priner which will cover both bathrooms.
5. I'm hoping to make time this weekend to learn to use my hand-me-down sewing machine.
Needed new tops for myself and nabbed some at the consignment shop.
Worked on my price book and discovered two dozen or so items at Costco that beat Aldi prices
Baked and cooked at home and never touched restaurants
Nabbed 8 ten packs of nespresso pods for .99 each - stayed out of coffee shops
Took 100 titles to our town book swap, took home 60+ books free
Would you share with us some of the items that are cheaper at Costco? I know it may be regional, but then I could check it out in my area, too. Thanks!
I find that Costco has good prices on nuts, pure maple syrup, toilet paper, butter, some spices like cinnamon, yeast, bananas, rotisserie chickens, sandwich bread, and frozen fruit. I also think the Kirtland chocolate chips are a good price for the quality. I try to fill up on gas there and have also found they have great prices on homeowner's and car insurance, so I think I'll be switching soon. Some items I find better prices at (my) grocery stores are most fresh produce, frozen vegetables, eggs, and most meats.
I always wondered what happens if you bring a non-library book to the library. How did you know it was dropped there? Was it hard to get it back?
I've accidentally returned a library book to the wrong library system as we use 2 libraries in 2 different counties. Usually I figure it out when the book I thought I returned doesn't show up as returned on my online account, I've searched high and low at home and then call the other library to see if it is there. They usually have a shelf of books that get "mis-returned", either from schools, the other system, or from people's own collections and you just go in and ask for it.
1. I cut husband's hair.
2. Husband cut my hair and I didn't end up crying like I did the first time he did it years ago. Practice does make perfect.
3. I have had a rare book listed on Amazon for over a year. It finally sold, for $99. I had it listed for $100 but on Jan 1 dropped the price to $99 after reading an article on the psychology behind pricing. It sold within a week.
4. Made a terrible chili by opening the paprika spice over the pan and accidentally dropping in a giant glug of it. Added a ton more tomatoes and we ate it with sour cream to calm down the heat. Ate it for four days because we were not about to waste that much food.
5. Library, library, library.
What was the book? Just curious- I love old/collectible books and have lots. Looking into starting to sell some.
It was a somewhat worn Russian book with some of the earliest pictures taken of the farm and factory workers of the late 1800s. It was printed in the 1940s. I have another book of Russian pictures listed but it is in English and published later, although the topic is similar. I live in Alaska so no rare book dealers here but if I lived near a large city I would have taken it to a dealer. I thought about sending it to a book dealer but it was a large book so a hassle to mail, and I would not know the first thing about figuring out a legit dealer from a fraud, so all in all I am very happy with the price. I am finally clearing out things I inherited, like jewelry and old books, but have to do it one by one or I feel overwhelmed.
What was the artical? Id love to read that
1. Sold $65 in old coins to a coin dealer. The coins were given to me by my father-in-law.
2. Eating all meals this week at home. Using my instant pot.
3. Many of my neighbors are getting their roofs reshingled from hail damage. I'm having someone come out tomorrow to look at mine. The roofer said I have a good insurance company so I am hopeful.
4. I'm back to doing weight watchers on my own. Less food equals less money spent for me. It all works out nicely.
5. Paying $10 a month for Planet Fitness is my splurge and money well spent. I love it, it's nearby, and my fitbit shows my heartrate is coming down. I feel stronger too.
I took the yoga class at the gym I already pay for.
I came home for lunch and ate.
I am cooking things I already have for supper.
I am making muffins for tomorrow.
I took of business clothes I wore for 2jrs for one meeting and am hanging them back up.
1. I made turkey stock with left over bones.
2. I sold 2 things on FB marketplace this week
3. We are in the process of refinancing for a way lower rate
4. I made our bread this week
5. I have been diligent in training my littles to turn off lights when they are not in a room.
We just got an EZ Pass too, after taking one of our alternate routes home from a family visit in a neighboring state, and discovering that the route had been re-routed and was now EZ Pass only (hadn't even been toll route before)! Does seem to be the trend to go to cashless tolling now. Just a note - EZ Pass will also mail you free extras of those Velcro strips that attach to your windshield, in case you want to easily swap out the same transponder between your vehicles.
I was wondering how you get the transponders for free- I think we pay $10 for each one in Illinois. They are called I-Pass, so maybe it’s different!
Yes, that's probably a little different. I don't know that the E-Z Pass transponders are always free here, but they are right this minute. So, I snapped one up!
I have an I-Pass. There is a $10 deposit, which you are supposed to get back if you decide to turn it in. I haven't tried so who knows how challenging that would be!
Even with the $10 deposit, you get half price tolls with the I-Pass so I've definitely come out ahead!
Jan. 12 FFT
1. Ate the last of the soup made from our Jan. 1 roast chicken and leftover veggies for supper on Jan. 12. It sure was handy to pop a frozen puck of soup in a bowl and microwave it. That was one awesome chicken.
2. Cut my son's hair, saving him $14 plus a tip. He has curly, thick hair and has probably saved hundreds having Salon Mom do his hair over the past 30 years.
3. Also shampooed and groomed our three dogs, which meant at least $45 not spent.
4. We have a mini Keurig coffee maker because I am the only person in the house who drinks coffee. This week I started using reusable K cups, which were bought and used the last time I had an extended period of unemployment. It saves a lot to fill the cups with coffee bought on sale. Don't know why I ever stopped.
5. Went grocery shopping with a handful of store coupons and actually made a penny on bananas.
Not sure about 5 frugal things, but our favorite frugal thing is to go to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (best ever!) and order 3 chicken enchiladas (each), no rice, no beans (ala carte is cheaper), then order 2 sides of refried beans (to go because you get more in a "to go" container than on a plate with your dinner - go figure!). It costs us about $35 (including 20% tip). Since we're not big eaters, we usually only eat 1/2 enchilada and take the rest home. Then we cut the remaining enchiladas in half and freeze for another day. That comes to 12 meals for $35. Can't beat 12 meals for less than $3 each for the best chicken enchiladas in town!
By the way, they are BIG enchiladas, which is why we can only eat 1/2 at a time!
What city?!
1. Took off matching lids (black) from unopened spices to raise TV to fit components under TV. Looks great!
2. Made homemade bread.
3. Cooked up chicken bones for delicious chicken soup.
4. Returned a spoiled product before due date.
5. Bought spotless rug off Swap Shop to pull a room together.
Thanks for the idea of lids for feet. I painted a damaged aluminium baking pan to use for storage under my kitchen sink. I wanted to lift it a bit but, I've challenge myself to do all projects this month without spending anything. Using lids, which I have is a good solutions.
I had a wooden tea chest that was missing a foot in the back. I cut a circle off an old wine cork and hit glued it on. Works great and no one really sees it. Love the idea of the plastic caps fir feet!
Love these-went to PetValu and washed our long hair Akita for $10 instead of a $100 trip to the groomers. Forgot my lunch today and my sweet husband dropped it off at work for me. Menu planned and followed so far this week. Bought a sleeve of Pepsi’s and keep them in the back of my car to avoid the expense of buying one from a vending machine or 7-11. Packed lunch for myself and 1 out of 2 kids every day. (Most days I actually bring it to work with me too ) Every little bit counts right?
I sincerely wish I could just run to the grocery store for cream. Or anything else. Alas, one does not "run to the store" when the store is 60 miles (or more) away.
Score on the cream, though. I agree with your assessment of coffee without cream.
1. Because of a plant-based food challenge our grocery this bill for this week was only $54. Eating meat and dairy costs so much more money!
2. We brought our son to an indoor play area, with my niece, for his birthday. We had been given a gift card for this place, so admission and lunch there was free. We met my sister out for dinner afterwards at Red Robin. Used a free burger coupon. So my son's whole "birthday party" cost about $40. He had so much fun!
3. Joined a $20 weight loss challenge at my work. It includes a trainer, nutrition tips, and body composition analysis. I am of average weight, but the challenge keeps me motivated and committed to exercise, which is priceless.
4. Made my son oatmeal raisin muffins, for his snack at school, which used up the plain yogurt in my refrigerator
5. Submitted mileage reimbursement at work, made my own coffee, packed my lunches for the week, still breastfeeding my 14 month old, schedule my biyearly eye exam
I‘m proud of you! Two healthy (and frugal) challenges?! That‘s fantastic!
It‘s always amazing for me that plant-based food is so much cheeper but so delicious! Do you alteady have a favorite dish you can recommend?
So far we have really liked a peanut vegetable curry over brown rice. It's been a fun challenge to cook without using meat, refined grains, oil, or dairy!
Hi Corrine,
Do you have a recipe for that curry?
Carol
1) Baked bread - so much better than store bought
2) Baked carrot cake cookies to use up some old carrots and an apple cake to use up some aging apples
3) Didn’t go to Target and Hobby Lobby when my daughter invited me, so I wouldn’t be tempted to buy things I don’t need.
4) Cancelled Netflix because we have mostly been watching Amazon Prime lately. If we decide to re-up within 10 months we’ll get the same monthly rate.
5) Finally got my Etsy shop up in running to sell my crocheted baby blankets
6) and this is the biggest one, we are still on track with our $20 grocery budget for the month. All we bought this week was a gallon of milk. I must say that the refrigerator is getting very bare
1) low volume at work until March, so I've been leaving early. I'm taking naps to capitalize on the extra 4-6 hours in a day I'm not working and avoid spending money. I'm used to working 10-12 hour days so coming home after only 6 or 8 feels weird.
2) saving up for a down payment on a house so I have a large pile of "unused money" just sitting in an account. Not gonna buy for another 15 months or so, and my apartment lease is up in March - so I went into the office and offered to prepay my rent for the whole year for a discount. They gave me 10% off! That beats the 1.x% it was getting in savings!
3) I received a letter to take a survey in the mail (regular old USPS). After googling for a scam for about 30 minutes I was satisfied it was legit. Took the survey and got a $10 Amazon gift card
That's it. Did I mention the part about taking naps? I LOVE naps
Awesome job on the rent discount!
I love when my library "holds" come in! I also love my Cloud Library,I do read some books online and I have "holds" there too.. sweet!!
I marked days next week in my dayplanner for cleaning out bureau drawers, and I itemized what is in my freezer so we can use it up and save some grocery $$ this next 2 weeks.
I made two weeks of menus up-- I spend less at the grocery when I do TWO WEEKS out, and I can sometimes grocery shop just once in 10 days instead of weekly,that way (OR just a fast fruit/veg run..)
* I picked up a bag of clothes left in a parking lot (!) and found a Guess jacket in it! I cleaned it and it's fitting my daughter perfectly!
* Watching movies on Netflix instead of renting them and/or going to the movies
* Stopped eating "keto" = cheaper groceries!
* Renting books from the library instead of buying them
* Not buying a laptop for my (one) university class, even if I feel like a dinosaur without
I shopped the clearance cooler and shelves at GFS today. For $16.60, I got 8 pieces of broasted chicken, 2 bags fancy salad, a 2# box of Grape tomatoes, 16 oz hummus, an apple pie, a huge loaf of specialty bread, & 8 bananas. Almost $45 savings. I bought a rotisserie chicken at Sams, got 2 meals with the meat, and instapotted the bones for broth - which became a big pot of chicken vegetable soup, with frozen and fresh vegetables for dinner tonite. My son put us on his Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts, at the first of the year.
1. Confiscated the rebate card from my husband that we earned from a purchase. He wasn’t using it because it was too much trouble, so I used it today for a needed purchase from Staples...
2. ...combined with a $10 off $20 purchase.
3. Continue to use food we have in the house to avoid literally throwing money away. I bought some small Pampered Chef glass bowls from the thrift store last year, and they are perfect for small amounts of leftovers.
4. After I finished a bottle of multi-vitamins, I took stock of what was on hand. I had several partial bottles that I am finishing before I buy more.
5. Paid $60 for a digital mammogram today because one of our local facilities is offering it at this price. (We use a sharing ministry for healthcare costs and preventative care is our responsibility.)
At least in my area, having EZPass isn't free. There's a monthly service fee, whether you use it or not. Plus, you have to seed it with $25, and if your account drops to a certain point (e.g. one longer-than-usual turnpike trip), it reloads itself with another $25.
My frugalities are so automatic for me that I generally forget I'm being deliberately frugal.
Frugalities:
1. Always (and I do mean always) pack my lunch to work.
2. Make my own frappuchino mix (milk, instant coffee, sweetener, cocoa power, chia seeds). Add ice & blend. Cheap & healthy.
3. Re-use just about everything until it falls apart.
4. Bought a 2-year-old cellphone to replace my previous 2-year old cellphone when it died.
5. Cook meals from scratch in quantity, then freeze.
Happily, here we haven't had an EZ pass fee for five years or so. Hopefully that remains true!
Ours required a $25 seed too, but that didn't bother me since it's money I can use for tolls.
Do you soak the chia seeds before you make your frappucino? Or do you just blend them as is?
.5 I have been so busy this last week between back to work, kids back to school, starting back to sport season and taking care of my mom post surgery I have not had much time to spend money... Can this count as a frugal thing? lol
1. Spent the unusually warm and rainy January Saturday prepping items for easy lunch packing.... organized the pantry, inventoried the freezer and meal planned..
2. Went to Aldi for grocery needs and pantry/freezer stock up. Took Husband to make it a date and he spent most of the time complaining that we were spending way too much..I pointed out that what we paid was equal to our family of 5 eating out 3 times..he calmed down
3. Took the gas gift card from me mom and used it when she offered it to me! lol
4. Detoured quick take out after coaching VB on Tuesday night...instead went home and ate the corndogs from the freezer ( thanks for your freezer clean out grandma) and mac n cheese and fruit..
5. Prepared a casserole before work knowing we needed to eat supper early.. This talked me out of a really yummy burger we could have stopped to get while out running...
6. My son saved his money and gift cards and wanted to make a pricey technology purchase.. Realized Target was the best price since I could use my Red debt card and he would save 5%. rang up the item and he was going to use his gift cards first. 1 worked and the other did not.. some of the access code number that had to be physically punched in rubbed off when you were to scratch off the silver.. No combo of numbers was working. We were VERY polite and understanding, the cashier and manager were very willing to help.. In the end they re-rang the item.. gave us a coupon code for the amount of the gift card( trusting us actually on the amount we told them it was!) took his other gift card and then I swiped the remaining amount.. He already handed me the cash so he owns it free and clear.. PLUS I was given the gift card back and advised to call target and explain the situation and they should reissue me a new gift card!!!!
7. picking up extra hours today...
Funny:
My husband brought back what used to be called half-and-half instead of heavy cream. I used it in my morning coffee and it was a terrible substitute. We also use it on fresh fruit and it wasn't wonderful with these either (blackberries, raspberries or poached pears)
Not exactly a frugal item but I got around to felting a wool cap of my husband's. It was much too large and after felting I also cut up two seams , removed wide slices, stitched up the ends, then covering them with ornamental ribbon to avoid stress points. It ended up looking very Scandinavian and we are both pleased with it.
I ran out of time to list my own 5 yesterday so...
1. Sent another bag of clothes to ThredUp, and will see if I get anything for them. They accepted most of the bag, but they have to sell for me to be paid. Quite a bit of it was actually clothes my daughter was getting rid of. She lets me do what I want with them, so I sell them if I can! She's our fashionista, so her clothes usually get accepted.
2. I get my "raise" now because my employer is covering all of my health insurance premium, not just part of it, starting Jan. 1. We get paid twice a month, so I'll see my first "raise" on the check tomorrow. My plan is to build my emergency fund back up after the Year of Medical Expenses from Heck.
3. I also started an auto-draft at my bank to save for Christmas for next year. I was manually moving the money, and I would let it slide sometimes. I usually pay for a nice chunk of the gifts with Swagbucks gift cards, so if I can do that this year, too, I'll just have extra money left in my savings account, which is always a good thing.
4. I'm wearing a shirt I got about 10 years ago at the grand opening sale of a Coldwater Creek outlet store down south. Outlet + sale = super low price. It still looks great.
5. Continuing to make my own laundry detergent and cleaners, using cloth instead of paper, using reusable containers for lunches and leftovers, packing my lunch, and resisting the lure of the January sales.
I have a few.....
1. We went to the in-laws to play cards and my sister in law & her family were there too & she made us all homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner, so i didn't have to make any.
2. I had some wrinkled apples that i was going to give to our chickens, but instead made an apple cake out of them as the girls wanted something sweet for a snack.
3. Hubby bought some stain that he thought he wanted to use on re-staining his gun, but he found another type that will work better, so I returned it to the store for credit since he probably would just let it sit there.
4. One night our girls wanted to get ice cream for snack, so we went to Coldstone where they each had gift cards & used two different coupons for BOGO Free, so hubby & i both got treated to free ice cream courtesy of our girls!
5. I had a meeting one night and thought of grabbing dinner on the way there, but instead ate at home & saved my money.
6. Shopped at Dollar general and the awesome cashier there showed me how to use their app and their digital coupons, plus I used coupons of my own saving $20.51 off a $55 order.
1. Am able to stretch the current tank of gas until tomorrow when I get paid. Its been one of those weeks and we had to make do in many areas of our budget. Well really we had to make due without!
2. My daugther has the flu. I am attempting to ward it off by bumping up the amount of Vitamin C I take every day. I was craving a medicine ball from Starbucks and looked up the recipe online. I was easily able to purchase what I need and will be able to make many of them!
3. Girl scout cookie sales started today in our area. Though I am a troop leader, I am trying NOT to buy any for us.
4. Used a gift card that I was given to buy birthday presents for twin girls that are in my daughter's class. We are attending their birthday party at the local bounce house! While I am sad to use a Christmas present for this, I get it.
5. After a girl scout event last weekend, my daughter and I went to Chick Fil A for lunch. I bought a kids meal and kept our total under $10.
You're lucky; restaurants where I live won't let you buy a kid's meal which is such a shame as sometimes it appeals to me more than the regular menu, oh well c'est la vie
I feel you doing a great job saving money in the long run !
On my laptop, the comments are now reading newest at the top of the list instead of the bottom.
Was that an intentional change? Just wondering.
(I often just search for the comments that have been posted on a new day. Click anywhere on the page text to set a cursor connection. Hold "control" and hit "f". In the little box that appears, type in the date as the comments show it/some bloggers do the number first, some month first/ and see what shows up. This works for searching pretty much any webpage or document, finding any combination of letters or numbers).
Five Frugal things...
1. I walked to work! Even though it's -30 degrees Celsius! Here, you'd better LOVE your winter jacket because you will be wearing it for a good 6 months!!
2. I made all meals at home and brought leftovers to work for lunch.
3. Have been using my sinking funds account like a good girl. Set a goal, save up, but item
4. Took my car in for a service, running nicely! Being proactive!
5. My husband and I cleared the snow off the roof ourselves instead of hiring someone else.
1. I have a ton of points on Amazon and resisted using them to buy books for myself. I found the books at the library and I’m saving the points for when we actually need something.
2. I’m focusing on using up food in my pantry and freezer to keep grocery bills tight this month.
3. I went out with a friend last night. We went out for dessert rather than dinner. It’s so much cheaper.
4. Hung about half the laundry to dry. In the winter I don’t have space for sheets and towels to hang, but I have two racks and can hang a load of clothes. If I do one load a day, I can stay on top of it.
5. Ate leftovers for lunch all week. I love fried rice made with leftovers of this and that.
Repurposed leftover party shrimp cocktail into shrimp & veggie stir fry one night and shrimp fried rice the next.
Baked muffins for my moms group when it was our turn to bring food instead of buying something.
Used bones from beef short ribs to make a yummy pot of stock which became vegetable soup for dinner.
Had the kids make my dad a birthday card instead of buying one.
Used the library to get some free books, movies, and activity for the kids.
Trimmed my own ends to avoid a trip to the stylist.
I had a bag of oranges left over from the holidays so I made orange marmalade. I meant to make it for holiday gifts but ran out of time. Now we have a three-month supply!
Score on your tag Kristen & great that you found out about the toll changes I got a tag too but the cost is toll credit
my frugalness was hit & miss this week
1. cooked at home except for fish & chips & movie nite with sis; $10 for a fun night - & I try to think Friday is F for fish to remind me to eat fish more often -(although in this instance the fried batter & chip aren't so healthy but they were yum)
2. Frugal fail bought chicken on the way home for batch cooking but ran out of time & energy to deal with it- but - I did reflect & realise I need to do that kind of cooking on a day off when I feel enthusiastic so hopefully won't do that again - failures are teachers
3. Really like drinking water, always have so that's saved me a lot over the years, that & drink bottles
4. Got extra hours at work for a while -yey!
5. Extra hours make me tired so going to bed earlier uses less power 🙂