Five Frugal Things | free silverware!
1. I got some free silverware!
We were getting by with a rather motley assortment of flatware from the abandoned house, but we were pretty short on knives and forks.
So when someone from the Buy Nothing group offered a set of Martha Stewart Living flatware, I threw my name into the hat, and I got chosen!
(She'd received a new set as a gift, so she didn't need this Martha Stewart set anymore.)
I am so delighted to have a well-stocked silverware drawer again.
2. I got some coffee for 50% off
I took a peek at the markdown shelf at the grocery store and ooh! There was a bag of coffee that I like, marked to 50% off.
I have no idea why it was marked down (it doesn't expire until August) but it's all good by me. 😉
3. I cleaned out a clogged ear
(I promise I will keep this as un-gross as possible.)
Being a self-moisturizing person (aka greasy. Ha.) has upsides, such as the fact that I almost never need to use lotion.
But a downside is that sometimes my ears are a little overzealous with the cerumen production, and it gets bad enough that my hearing is muffled.
You can go to the doctor to have your ears flushed out, but I didn't really want to pay for an appointment, so I tried the Debrox ear drops.
It took several applications over several days, but my ear is doing way better now.
And this reminds me that I should probably do this treatment every now and then as a preventative before my hearing gets muffled!
4. I got Zoe a free Slurpee
Yesterday was 7-11's anniversary, so they put a free Slurpee deal in the app. I had to run out to the grocery store anyway, so I brought home a Slurpee for Zoe (she was in online driver's ed!).
5. I did not buy a 3-hole punch
I printed a recipe the other day, went to add it to my recipe binder, and realized that I had no hole puncher.
I stopped in at Office Depot after my cat shift and was a little surprised at how expensive these are (I was not expecting to pay $30-$50!)
When I got home, I put out a message on my Buy Nothing group to see if someone had an unwanted punch sitting around. Reader Kim is in my Buy Nothing group (Hi, Kim!), and after she saw my message, she happened to be at a church thrift store and she picked one up for me.
So, I don't deserve a lot of credit for this one, other than this: I put the word out.
I remember Amy Dacyzyn (of Tightwad Gazette fame) wrote about this years ago, actually! If you let people know you are on the hunt for an item, sometimes you can get the item for cheap or free.
Back in the Tightwad Gazette days, word of mouth was basically the only option, but in this age of Facebook groups, it is easier than ever to put the word out.
Packed lunches for the zoo instead of buying food there.
Trimmed my own bangs and ends instead of going to the salon
Made hummus and pita bread to bring as a snack to a play group instead of buying something.
Made rhubarb bread with rhubarb from the yard as a hostess gift for a party.
Washed, vacuumed, and detailed our cars myself. They are very old but when they are shiny and clean they seem so much nicer and fresher.
@Becca,
Isn’t it amazing how much better things look when they are clean. I also have an older car. I try to keep it clean and in good repair. It has 180k on it and it’s going strong.
@Becca, detailing old cars is the best. (Ours are 26 and 33 years old.) I like to think of it not as a chore, but as a way to show gratitude for their service and continued mechanical loyalty... and maybe a bit of a bribe, regarding the latter. 😉
@Becca, I need to wash and detail my car. Maybe this weekend.
1. Saturday morning we were the only people at early primary voting besides a multitude of workers and some campaigners standing outside. We were each offered a rapid Covid test after we scanned our ballots. These days you can never have too many.
2. I stopped at Safeway to pump gas and pick up a few items. I discovered they had GF items on clearance and bought some bags of flour and boxes of pasta. I ended up spending enough to get $5 off the order (of $50+).
3. A neighbor put a box of irises out at her curb while I was walking to yoga on Sunday. I texted DH since I thought he was almost done running an errand. He picked some of them up and planted them along a sunny fence line. We have many plants that friends and neighbors have shared over the years: various types of hostas, loriope, vinca, and gladiolus and tulip bulbs. We have shared lilacs, forsythia, nandina, azalea, and other plants as well.
DH was driving home from work last night and noticed another box of irises at the same curb. He called a neighbor that loves plants and he picked some up.
4. I have had terrible luck growing full size tomatoes. Too many critters get into them and I was able to eat none of them last year. This year I have cherry tomatoes and while a critter bit into the first ripe one I've been picking them when they are not quite ripe. My SIL planted the plants for me for mother's day this year. A perfect gift.
5. I made a pot of sweet potato carrot soup to use up aging baby carrots, sweet potatoes, and half a can of coconut milk.
Hooray for Kim!
1. My youngest has come of age to start having official chores and earning money. She already had a piggie bank for her spending money, but I needed 3 other banks for tithe, savings, and missions. Instead of buying banks (my husband reminded me that it was silly to buy some - ha!) I made banks with 3 empty frosting containers. They work perfectly!
2. I used cash to pay the balance of my child's summer camp since there was a fee to use a card.
3. Purchased strawberries at cheap summer prices and froze them for future smoothies.
4. Shout-out to my awesome library again! I am currently borrowing a Kill-a-watt that tracks how much energy different appliances use. We found that the dehumidifier in our basement is 18%-25% of our electric cost a day, so we've set it on a timer to only run during off-peak hours.
5. Submitted a receipt on Ibotta to get a couple of bucks and have submitted almost enough Driscoll's berry surveys to cash in. (Thanks to whichever reader it was months ago that mentioned the Driscoll berry surveys!)
@Ruth T,
It is wonderful that you are teaching your little one about money management at an early age. So smart. I also love that you are reusing frosting containers.
When I was a little girl, I would stash my money in a can that tennis balls came in and then I would put the used balls on top. I felt that my money was safe in there from my sister who didn’t play tennis. ( My sister never took anything from me. I was just being a kid.)
@Bee, my older brother did take things from me, and I would stash precious stuff inside the sleeves of my winter coat. It worked like a charm.
@Bee,
My siblings and I didn't get allowances, so any birthday and Christmas money was carefully hoarded. Two of us washed a pot pie tin from the store, put our cash in it and covered it in foil, then hid it in the deep freezer. We kept adding money to it as we got more; our goal was to get a horse. We hid it because our parents sometimes borrowed money from our banks to get correct change for the newspaper boy or a school fee, and didn't always remember to replace it.
We bought a lovely mare that someone was selling cheaply and her colt was thrown in for free. Our parents chuckled at our method when they found out, but were impressed and let us buy the horse.
@Ruth T, I would have loved having separate banks for my coin savings when I was little!
Question: How do you teach her when it is ok to spend her savings?
@JD, Wait...you and your sibling stashed your savings in a potpie tin in the freezer and then bought HORSES with it??? That's so interesting - I love it! I wish my childhood was as interesting as this. I think I only used my saved money for buying junk from the little machines at Kmart.
@CrunchyCake,
We did! We still had the tack from the horse that had been on my grandfather's farm, so it all came together. She was a nice, gentle horse. The colt was unbroken, but we sold him to someone who trained horses.
@Ruth T, My garden helper, now 16, has been helping me for three years. His mother recently did a deep cleaning of his room and when she turned the mattress over, she found a hole literally stuffed with cash. Turned out he had saved every penny I've paid him over the years, plus added gift money he'd received from both sets of grandparents. He had over $2,000 in that mattress!! She used the opportunity to teach him about investing and compound interest and he has agreed to buy treasury bonds with it. I was beyond impressed that a kid his age has been hoarding his money and got a giggle out of the fact that he had read some book about the depression that mentioned saving money in your mattress and somehow thought it was still a good way to hide your money.
@Lindsey, I'm both amused/amazed at this story, and relieved that the young man has agreed to invest his money. Mattresses don't pay very good interest.
@Heidi Louise,
My oldest child is only 8 and we haven't had any of our kids spend their savings yet. I think we're going to have them save it until they're old enough to do something like buy a car. It's a bridge we haven't had to cross yet and won't for a while!
@JD,
Oh my goodness!! A horse!!!!! Your parents must be flexible people. 🙂
@Lindsey, Wow! He must be a natural saver! It sounds like a great opportunity and age for him to get hands-on finance knowledge and experience. No doubt that it'll be a big help to him throughout his adult years!!
@Ruth T,
We lived on a farm so it wasn't a big deal. My sister and I had to clean out an unused stall and feed and curry her as part of the deal. We had a nice big pasture for her already. My grandfather had always kept a horse on his farm and my dad had plowed behind mules and horses growing up, as a seasonal helper on extended family's farms. He liked horses.
--On a day I didn’t feel well (endometriosis sucks), I enjoyed discovering new-to-me movies with one of my favorite actors for free on YouTube. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. makes everything better! 😛 Honestly, the only thing I’ve ever missed in all these years without cable is TCM.
—One of the gliders for our curb find futon broke, and of course it’s an odd-sized metric one that we can’t find online or at the hardware store. It’s a *nice* solid oak futon frame ($500 minimum new), so replacement is not an option. I solved the problem by using leather cord we already had to lash the back into place; the lashing blends in shockingly well and actually looks purposeful/nice! We use the futon as a couch 99.5% of the time anyway, so having it “stuck” in couch mode until we can find the part isn’t a problem.
—-I couldn’t find any house numbers I liked at the hardware store, so I hand-painted them using paint I already had. This inspired me to make a list of house projects separated into the categories “Free” (I.e. don’t need and/or already have everything) and “Need _____.” The “Free” list is much longer, thank goodness!
--Land’s End had 70% off + free shipping, so I bought two pairs of LE brand shoes to replace my *very* worn out ones. After too many years standing in customer service, my feet are picky princesses; LE brand is both supportive and wide enough for my comically wide feet. (Seriously, I split the sides of normal shoes.) Getting two pairs for what one would normally cost ($75) was a bonus!
—The shoes were doubly necessary because I just picked up part-time work at the local grocery store that is walking distance from home. Gas was $3/gallon when we bought the house mere months ago, and my husband still commutes. My checks will be outside the budget/designated for savings and extra house payments; employees also receive 10% off groceries, including sale items. Every bit counts!
FFT, Free (or Nearly Free) Food Edition:
(1) I harvested some more salad greens from the garden of neighbors who are away on vacation.
(2) My annual "Eat Your Weeds" PSA: I've harvested leaves of redroot pigweed (aka wild amaranth), lamb's quarters, and purslane for two stir-fries this past week. They're quite nutritious and cost nothing in money or effort to grow.
(3) I continue to make my Locally Famous Refrigerator Dills. Although I've spent $15 on cucumbers so far, the other ingredients are either free from the garden or already on hand.
(4) I gave a jar of the LFRDs to the director of the cognitive care programs that DH attended for a few years. (She remains a friend and informal counselor to me.) She reciprocated with a mixed-berry pie! I'll share some of this with the Bestest Neighbors.
(5) I've been picking a few wild black raspberries from the patch I share with the next-door neighbor--but not as many as I'd like, since it's hard to keep the seeds out of the new gap caused by the recent tooth extraction. I may have to run the remaining berries through a sieve and use the juice for pancake/ice cream topping.
@A. Marie, We love wild black raspberries! My kids and I picked them at my parents' house last week.
@Ruth T, my parent's house had wild black raspberries and wild strawberries. I miss being able to pick those with my kids. Fun memories.
@A. Marie,
I'm still looking for lambs' quarters and can't find any!
@JD, I wish I could FedEx you some, but I don't think it'd hold up in transit. I've got heaps.
@A. Marie, I love that you eat your weeds. I am a huge fan of foraging and eating the weeds in my yard. Lambs quarter is one of my favorites. It would be lovely if you lived closer to my part of NY. I would love to have to have tea with you!
Friends and family help me be frugal. Recent examples:
1. I mentioned to my SIL that my spray bottle of homemade cleaner broke (such riveting conversation!). She quickly offered up an empty one that she had on hand.
2. Friend gave me a stir fry mix that she received as a substitute for salad mix in her online grocery order and couldn't use. She also passed on a lovely new cookbook as well as a supply of paperclips after I had run out.
3. Friend gave me some leftover paint that I used to paint a work table.
4. Friend picked up my share of fresh blueberries which I spread on trays to freeze and then portioned out into pint size mason jars for the freezer.
5. Sister visited me instead of my driving to her place, saving me a 100-mile round trip. She drives infrequent, shorter distances so she looks forward to a longer trip.
My frugal ways lately are much like the #3 you mentioned above - just don't buy the thing. If I have the time and inclination, I can go to the thrift store. But lately with the heat, gas prices, and just generally not wanting to leave the house, I put the "thing" I want on the back burner. I did, however, join a buy nothing group on FB and I am happy that I will be able to both offload some of the perfectly reasonable stuff I have that I no longer use or want, and maybe find a thing or two I do want. This week my frugal thing is eating at home. More and more I am dismayed by how much groceries cost so I want to use up all I buy. Plus, eating out is ridiculously expensive and I never seem to have an app or a coupon or a way to make it cheaper. Please advise!
Put my money into cash envelopes for the next 2 weeks (paid bi-weekly). We did go over by $5.00 this week, but way better than spend, spend, spend and running out of money to pay the bills. Hubby thinks I'm crazy, but I have way better control this way.
I will not look at Amazon Prime Day because I do not need anything.
Made a meal plan for the week so we are eating at home all week and not running to the store every day. Plus the store is not very close so I end up using gas. And can't use my bicycle because there are no shoulders on the road.
Been working on my bike riding at a local trail to increase my speed and miles. Have a goal by the end of September that I have to reach! Great exercise on a beautiful trail.
Signed hubby up for Social Security. We've been waiting till he became eligible for full benefits and when we went to the website yesterday, he was eligible. Since then, he also has been applying for some part time work in the area. We have enough to get by on my salary, but I want to start padding the savings account again.
Used up the last of our red cabbage that was in the refrig last night for dinner. Amazing how long red cabbage lasts and still tasted fine. Also made salad dressing for my lunch for this week. Will roast some sweet potatoes to put in the salad. Already put the chicken in marinade for dinner tonight and my husband said there was a lot of chicken in that package. Leftovers for lunch!
1. My MIL gave me a large container of blueberries from her bushes. Since I had no specific plans for them, I just froze them immediately. Most likely they will all end up in smoothies but maybe I will make some blueberry bread.
2. Both my kids are away until 7/21. I am enjoying getting a lot of things done around the house and we are eating simple meals just the two of us.
3. I brought a big donation to the thrift shop and didn't go inside to shop!
4. I brought 2 bags of books to the Little Free Library and only came home with 1 "new" book, which will probably go back to the Little Free Library when I am done.
5. I want to read the new book "Normal Family" by Chrysta Bilton. It was not at my local library but they said they would order it and I could have it first when it comes in. It is about how she discovers that she has at least 35 half siblings. Her biological father told her mother that he would give her some sperm informally so she could conceive Chrysta and her little sister as a single woman, but as an adult she finds out that after she and her sister were born, he was also regularly donating to a sperm bank and MANY pregnancies resulted.
Kristen, my husband also has self-lubricating ears and does periodic cleanings with Debrox.
1. While making a dog food order on Chewy, I noticed some Paul Mitchell Pet shampoo, a 16 oz. bottle, on sale for only $6. We were almost out of dog shampoo, so I bought it, although we usually buy a different brand. One of our dogs has a lot of allergies, so -- don't laugh -- I tried it out on myself first to see if it left a lingering perfume. It did not and my hair was really soft. 😀 It also worked just fine on the dogs.
2. Sometimes my job requires a lot of walking and I realized last week my trusty sneakers truly are worn out. There is one brand I can buy online and know it will fit. Did some sleuthing on eBay and bought a new without box pair for $30, including speedy shipping, which was an amazing deal.
3. Repaired one of the cat's toys. This is a particularly beloved mouse toy. She is delighted.
4. Moved our den furniture around so that the attached seat cushions on the sofa and loveseat will wear more evenly. The stuffing needs to be replaced, but we're having trouble finding an upholsterer to do the job. This move will buy us some time while we hunt.
5. Used a stack of store coupons at Food Lion to knock $10 off our grocery total.
@Ruby, I’m a dog groomer. It’s fine to use dog shampoo on your hair, if you get good results. Many groomers do. I never use human products on dogs, though, in case of reaction (they’re not my dogs and I’d have no recourse if an owner complained). But what I really wanted to say is, DILUTE your dog shampoo. As much as half and half. Instead of just sitting on top of their coat, it really mixes in so much better and will obviously last you twice as long.
@Ruby, I remember that in the 80's-90's to use a popular horse shampoo!
@SandyH, this was just to test for the perfume, but I did get a nice result. I have noticed how thick dog shampoo is and don't put it directly on their wet coats. I always put a dab in my wet hands, rub them together to spread it out and thin it, and then massage it into their wet coats. A bottle lasts us a very long time that way. Our oldest dog has pretty bad arthritis and doesn't tolerate a lot of handling, so we have to do a very efficient wash and rinse on her, and that works well.
@SandyH,
We have always used baby shampoo on the dogs and horses over the years and have never had any problem but you make a good point! Do you think we should buy proper dog or horse shampoo going forward? I would hate to cause any suffering.
@Chrissy, I use the Mane and Tail shampoo for my hair. I can get it on sale and it lasts forever.
@SandyH, thanks for the tip! I don't usually bathe my dog, taking her to a groomer because it's hard for me to get down on my knees and bathe her in the tub. But occasionally I have to, so this is very good to know!
Bought the frozen dinner food we will eat on our upcoming vacation so we won't eat out and squirreled away treats and pantry items so we won't need to do much grocery shopping that week, just milk and fresh fruit.
Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner from our pantry, freezers and farm shares, using what was already purchased.
Cut the funky bits off of some strawberries and finished the last lb of the 4 lbs I bought on sale. Got to the first 3 lbs in time for them to not be funky.
Walked to the pool, taught my boys swim lessons myself, brought snacks so we wouldn't be tempted to buy ice cream, and hang dried our suits and towels on the porch.
Turned the AC off on a couple cooler days.
Vacuumed my own house, cooked/prepared all our own food, and cut my own grass which I have been able to hold off on for five weeks in between mows thanks to newer regulations that let lawns be slightly higher which is better for the environment. I have also landscaped my yard so that my actual lawn is pretty small and it only takes me 25 minutes to do the whole thing. I have lots of garden beds to maintain, but I do those mostly by hand so they use no electricity and cost nothing but time.
Started some basil plants from cuttings I u-picked at the farm and placed in water. I will add them to my garden beds. I also got some cuttings of some other herbs from our community garden and added them to my garden as well. I'm trying to root some zinnia and marigold cuttings as well, but they so far haven't been as successful for me this year as the basil. Basil roots so easily in water, and I love free plants!
Frugal fail: the elderberry flowers I picked to make more elderberry cordial molded in the container I had them in before I got around to making the cordial. They were free, but I was still bummed to have to compost them, especially because if I hadn't picked them, I could have picked them later as elderberries. Oh, well. You win some, you lose some.
Three cheers for Kim!
Getting an entire set of flatware is fantastic. My first complete set of silverware that I had after I married was picked up a piece or two at a time - at the gas station where we were given a free piece per so many dollars of gas. Those were the days, ha, ha.
1. I realized a slit had formed along the end seam of a pillowcase, so I sewed a new seam below the slit. My pillowcase is shorter now, but it still fits my pillow. I checked the other case and it was starting a tiny slit, so I sewed it too. I'm not ready to get rid of this sheet set.
2. I buy calendars for two people every year as part of their Christmas. They each have a certain calendar they love to get. I found both online with a 20% off coupon and got free shipping through another offer. They will be shipped in August, and that's two gifts out of the way.
3. I found DH's jigsaw and my little handsaw, which allowed me to trim the end off of a shelf that needed to be shortened. It was a lot cheaper than calling a handyman. Buying tools, if one will actually use them, is very frugal. This jigsaw, like some of my husband's other other electric tools, is literally 20 or more years old, and we/I still use hammers and wrenches that belonged to my father-in-law who died in 1971.
4. I'm using my homegrown elderberries to start making elderberry syrup for cold season. I planted bushes in my yard rather than go squelching through soggy roadside ditches, with snakes and the occasional small alligator, in order to pick wild berries.
5. I applied the cash back on my credit card to this month's balance, then I paid the full balance that was leftover after the credit. That payment will also earn cash back.
@JD, boy, tramping through ditches that have snakes and small gators in them. You must really love your elderberry syrup.
@JD, your intro about flatware as gas station freebies reminds me of a funny moment when my mother and I were cleaning out my grandmother's house: I held up a brass beer bottle opener with the Schlitz logo on it and asked, "What in thunder was my rock-ribbed teetotaling Presbyterian 'Moma' doing with this?" Mom replied, "It was free with a fill-up at a gas station."
--Neighbor appeared at my gate yesterday with about ten pounds of apricots from his tree. That made about 7 pints of apricot jam to add to the ten pints I made from the last apricots I got from a friend. I made 14 pints last year and they were all gone in two weeks, so none of this will go to waste.
--We're getting low on both dog food and chicken food, but won't be getting more until at least Saturday. So I've been supplementing the purchased dog food with the cow innards from the last cow we got (kidneys and liver this time) that I always ask the butcher for just because I know this will happen eventually. The chickens are getting excess commodities stuff in addition to their feed: chickpeas, cream of wheat, split peas, rice.
--I helped my son clean out his frankly scary closet, and found in there his stash of old bottles and things he's collected from the abandoned property next door (that we own). Now I'm using one of the little pitchers to hold my wildflower arrangement on the kitchen table.
--I made chocolate pudding pops for the kids' Sunday dessert, and woah, those things are SO GOOD. Way better than storebought (not that I have a store to buy them from . . .), and I bet WAY cheaper.
--We're taking care of two other gardens and a chicken flock this week while our neighbors are gone. I harvested a giant bunch of romaine lettuce from one garden that would have bolted before our neighbors returned, and we've been getting lots of eggs from the chickens of the other neighbors.
@kristin @ going country, Whoops. 14 pints of apricot jam lasted 2 *months* not 2 weeks. That would be a little gluttonous even for us. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, I was super impressed with your jam intake! 🙂
@Hawaii Planner, Five people (I don't usually eat it) and their yogurt and crepes takes care of a LOT of jam.
@kristin @ going country, But not in two weeks.
@kristin @ going country,
Care to share your pudding pop recipe? Hoping to visit my granddaughter soon and thought that would be a great treat to make while I'm there.
@Barbara, Sure. I used this one, but heaped the tablespoons of cocoa powder, and added a whole extra tablespoon:https://www.inthekitchenwithmatt.com/fudgesicles
Yay for the silverware! I personally think that having a matching set of silverware is quite on the (my) brain than all different kinds.
My FFT
I read books and did not watch anything on TV or laptop in the evenings, saving electricity
I read books from the library or second hand
I did laundry on solar paneled electricity and line dried everything
I planned meals
I am taking a free course in basic Spanish to prepare for an event where I will meet people who speak neither Dutch nor English
Plus one: I made short-sleeved shirts out of worn long sleeved ones.
@J NL, Quieter on the brain
This week, I'm not feeling frugal, but broke. We are stretching every penny until Payday. But here is what we are doing.
1. First off I am reminding myself that all of our bills are paid and there is food to eat. So we are just fine and there is no need to freak out. Payday is coming.
2. I had some Amazon rewards points on my account and used those and a prime day deal to purchase label holders for my Ebay business. This is a need and I"m able to write it off come tax time. with those rewards, it was free!
3. The local food bank had an overage of food and is asking anyone to stop by this afternoon to pick up so nothing goes to waste.
4. A bike appeared on the buy nothing group that will just work for my daughter. Her old princess bike is just a bit too small.
5. Trying to sell on Ebay and make any small change I can.
My mom periodically had to have the wax cleaned out of her ears. After watching the first attempt at a doctor's office, I would never again try it that way--so painful for her--and a subsequent health care provider said that a better technique would be to do what you did and soften the ear wax over a few days first. You not only saved yourself time, but potential discomfort.
I'm currently working on future savings--we will be leaving on vacation in a couple of weeks. We are renting an Air B&B and I'm prepping meals ahead for that. Nothing fancy--tacos, sloppy joes, that kind of thing, but it saves substantial money to eat in instead of always eating out.
I've also done the usual--cooking at home, library use, eating food from the garden, etc.
We've hosted young people (teens and young adults) for Sunday evening get-togethers for a few weeks in a row and while there is an outlay of cash to do this, it's still less expensive overall for everyone to, say, come make and eat s'mores and play yard games than it would be to go out and do activities like going to the movies. I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive hosting ideas--so far we've done s'mores as well as a popcorn bar (providing add-ins for popcorn--peanuts, pretzels, M&Ms, garlic salt, etc.) for refreshments. If anyone else has ideas, feel free to chime in!
@Kris,
Maybe a taco bar? Lots of stuff that goes on tacos is super cheap when made in bulk like beans, rice, salsa, greens and herbs from garden, etc.
@Kris, frozen soft pretzels bought in bulk or make funnel cakes (super easy), both fun carnival foods. If you're looking for activities, tie dyeing shirts is always fun or make your own ice cream in Ziploc bags. Water battles with empty squirt bottles from dish soap, etc. is fun if it's really hot too.
You can buy a snow cone machine very cheaply and it's so fun! We have this one (it used to be $24, now it's $29) and this is the 5th summer we have used it and it's going strong: https://www.target.com/p/koji-ice-shaver-blue/-/A-53222363
The syrups are cheap too, or you can do homemade syrups for even less money! Add sweetened condensed milk too!
Thanks for the ideas, everyone!
@Kris, make your own ice cream sundae! Big tubs of ice cream are cheap.
I was at the thrift store last week and there were probably 10 hole punches available! Of course free is better, but I did file the thrift store fact in my head in case I ever need another hole punch. They are crazy expensive new!
1. A couple of years ago we moved big plates of slate that was completely overgrown by gras in the backyard. Now they are in front of our steps that is also made of slate, but it was time to remove weed and gras. Used tools we already have (came with the house) and sand that my friend and I got for free last year.
2. When I was replacing soil for my potted indoors plants, I also took the opportunity to split some of them so I can decorate my newly renovated craft room. Lovely to have plants in there too!
3. A couple of weeks ago my bestfriend and I traveled to Iceland for this year girls only trip. Thankfully all was paid well before the price increases. Due to high wind the whale watching trip was cancelled. Got a full refund now and since I paid in local currency I actually got $40 more back since the exchange is different now.
4. My partner made a pedestal for my big Monstera plant. Bought five broomsticks (just the stickthingy) and used a teak table top from a free table I got for the nice tablelegs (for another project). Seen pedestals like this sell for $350, my diy version cost $22 thanks to my handy partner.
5. Sold my sewingtable (an IKEA diningtable) that couldn’t fit in the new room for $100. Got a smaller table for free a couple of months back.
We just got back from a trip, so I'll detail the frugal things we did. We rented a cabin out on about 60 acres, which of course was not cheap, but for our family, it was perfect. We like being far away from tourist attractions, and other people, when we are on vacation.
1. We did not need to rent a van or truck, as we bought a truck about a year or so ago, cash outright, from savings. We used to have to rent a vehicle large enough for us and all the stuff we needed, but no more. Over time, this has saved us money, not to mention the truck was clutch when we needed to move recently. We were able to fit three coolers, our gear and everything in the truck bed!
2. Just before we left, we received our security deposit (in full) from our previous landlord, and the amount exactly covered the cost of renting the cabin, as it turned out. So it really pays to clean, clean, clean when you're leaving a rental property, and repair any small things you can!
3. We cooked and ate all our meals at the cabin, with one exception: the birthday kid loves Chik Fil A, so we picked that up on the way, put it in one of the coolers, and heated it up for dinner when we arrived. (This is a treat they have about 2x a year.) We only got Chik Fil A for the kids, as neither DH nor I really eat fast food anymore. We had food we brought from home. Aside from the Chik Fil A, I didn't buy any food I wouldn't have bought that week for meals anyway.
4. For entertainment, we streamed a couple of new movies (free releases) when it was rainy, and went for hikes in a beautiful nearby state reserve when it wasn't rainy. We brought card games and board games. The hot tub at the cabin kept the youngest quite entertained, as did the frog pond and fire pit.
5. Our oldest drove out and joined us the last evening after his work week, and kindly brought the marshmallow toasting forks I had forgotten, as well as some microwave popcorn he found in the pantry and a family favorite DVD for a movie night.
Oh, I forgot. Just today I gave my husband and one of the kids a haircut--another kid says he wants one later, and maybe i can talk the youngest into one. By cutting everyone's hair these last 20 years we've saved a bundle. Anybody who says they're afraid to cut hair because they don't know how, bear in mind I have no formal training, and first cut my husband's hair, at his request, a week before our wedding with nothing more than my kitchen shears and the guidelines in the Tightwad Gazette! 😀
Ha, also forgot, my birthday is this week and I needed some new hiking shoes, so I used our Amazon reward points towards a pair that was already majorly on sale. I hope they fit! I was tempted to buy a book too, but remembered the Little Free library in our neighborhood, so I walked down there today and borrowed two new to me books and put in a book I was done with. It's a half mile from our house, such a nice little walk.
I love chai latte. Not as frugal as DIY, but I buy the concentrate and mix my own with whole milk and ice. It is much cheaper than Starbucks and I'm back to drinking milk and actually finishing a half gallon instead of moving it to the sour milk/baking category.
Not mowing as often as my neighbors. Thankfully, "the City" and they do not complain. Most of my yard is dedicated to veggie gardening with mineral tubs and pollinator habitat.
My neighbors to the south have large raised beds and share their produce. Last month I picked a gallon of strawberries and I see blackberries and pickles in my near future.
I questioned whether it was frugal to buy from Grove Collaborative, Misfits and Chewy but I find that not spending the time in the store (freer of impulse buying) and the savings in gas worth it. During the summer, I buy less from Misfits, than my every other order, but they do often have things not available or as early in the Midwest.
1. Worked overtime last night and was unable to cook dinner. My first instinct was to get take out because when dinner isn't planned I tend to freeze up on ideas. We ended up eating tuna sandwiches and did okay. Bonus points for not running the stove.
2. Harvested some lettuce and will have a tomato to harvest in a day or so. We've also been harvesting radishes right along. My wife got invited to a sort of pot luck with her friends (whose kids are my daughter's friends) so we ended up bringing a salad made at least in part of garden vegetables.
3. Target was having a sale today to offset the whole Prime Day scam and I was able to get a booster seat for my car for a good 20% off. Car seats are one of the few items I won't buy used.
4. Changed our homeowner's and auto insurance. Our current carrier wouldn't play ball any more so I moved to another company for a better rate.
5. Didn't buy anything last week at the grocery store except for milk. It was kind of nice to not spend any money.
Let's see, I am working as a nurse at camp for military kids the next 2 weeks. I get free housing and free meals, along with various other perks like free t-shirts and water bottles. Honestly, not having to buy, prepare, cook, clean up, etc is such a treat. Best freebie ever.
My sister gave me an old antique chest (did I mention this one last week?) that belonged to my great uncle. It is perfect as a side table for our cabin.
I used a $12/60 coupon for our local grocer, Hannaford. I stocked up on meat sales.
On the way to this camp job--a 4 hour drive--I was tempted to stop for fast food, but I ate an apple I brought instead.
I know there are a lot of mixed opinions about prime day, but I did stock up on a few "best price" items and will not have to purchase them for a year.
1) Took advantage of free workout classes & electric car charging at my office last week, and drove the electric car as often as possible.
2) Went through the fridge/freezer, shopped from a list, menu planned, & did our best to keep our grocery budget in check.
3) Avoided buying anything from my son's summer camp. After going through the list, we were able to source everything from items we had on hand.
4) Used a few gift cards to cover eating out splurges.
5) Remembered to use my work credit card for expenses related to an upcoming travel visa. If I charge it on my own card, it's more of a hassle to fill out the expense report, and get paid. This streamlines a step, and eliminates the risk that I'll forget to fill out the reimbursement.
We met some friends last weekend and while travel always costs money, we managed to save in a few places:
-Visited only one winery where we (really my husband) are members. This includes tasting for up to 6 people (would have been $40 each) and 25% off of food purchases. The grounds were beautiful and the kids enjoyed exploring their garden. We sat outside and I had brought art supplies to keep them busy.
-Split dinner with one of the friends
-Brought snacks for the room, helping to fight off the urge to go get food from outside
-Used the hotel pool instead of going to a nearby waterpark. Kids were just happy to be together with their friends.
-Charged the car for free at the hotel.
-Booked a hotel where breakfast was included for all four of us.
I'm in awe of your Buy Nothing group. Our group just started and I think we have 10 members. (Only 10 people seem to be posting.)
We went to an estate sale and picked up a saw ($4), some small bowls that I use frequently ($2) and a painting ($24).
I packed lunches for a car trip to visit family.
I re-used some lard for cooking. This could have been a frugal fail because I wasn't sure if I could re-use lard but the meat tasted great! Does anyone know about the limits on re-using oil/lard?
I turned off the AC for the weekend when we were gone.
We took ownership of some old tools my Dad didn't need. I don't deserve much credit for this except that we resisted running to the store to buy everything when we bought our first house.
@Rebekah in SoCal, Do you mean how often you can fry in it and then save it? As long as it doesn't smell off--and as long as you don't fry fish in it or something--probably half a dozen times or so.
@kristin @ going country,
Yes, I meant how often can you fry and save lard. I store the lard in the fridge after use. Thanks for the advice. I only use lard for carnitas and lard is half of the cost of the dish since our grocery store sells pork butt roast for $1.99 a pound.
One more question, do I need to strain the lard through a filter or cheese cloth after use and before saving?
@Rebekah in SoCal, You can. Or you can just pour the hot lard into something like a loaf pan, then drop the loaf of lard out when it's cold (you may have to put the pan in hot water for a minute to get the loaf out) and scrape off the impurities that are on the bottom. I do this when I render fats, since I have no desire to wash cheesecloth saturated with tallow.
I hadn't intended on it being a Food Edition a la A. Marie, but these days, it seems that it is the only thing that I am buying!
1. Foraged for a quart of black raspberries. I made a sauce with them and used some for a dessert that I brought to a dinner party (no-bake cheesecake for which I had cream and cream cheese in freezer and 2 ounces of sour cream from a mystery shop meal). I will use the rest for a dinner party that we are hosting, to top Meyer lemon curd tart, made from Meyer lemons that I was gifted from a friend (from CA) who gave them to me as a hostess gift. Eggs come free from mystery shop to make for another really inexpensive dessert.
2. I did buy some things from Prime Days that were good deals: almonds ($3.45 lb), Grade A Madagascar vanilla beans (10 for $11), etc. I paid for all with gift cards from Swagbucks. That is all that I will buy.
3. Harvesting arugula and kale from our poststamp urban garden and just harvested first summer squash and green beans
4. Found "stand and stuff" taco shells on the discount rack at my grocery for 1/2 price. These make it them less expensive than Aldi and is my partner's taco shell of choice. Thank you slightly dented box.
5. Bacon was BOGO at another grocery store and I was able to find a coupon for the brand for $1.00 off, which brought it down to a price that I haven't seen around here in many months (and again, cheaper than Aldi), so I stocked up for the next few months. (I could print out as many coupons as I wanted.)
1. I returned a box of granola bars to Sprouts that I thought was one of their full-sized freebies (it was the wrong kind). I picked up the correct kind - Cascadian Farm oat & honey ($4.49).
2. I returned a huge box of trash bags to Target. The box said they were 13-gallon kitchen bags, but they were about a foot too short!
3. I found a 2 pound box of strawberries on Kroger clearance for 99 cents. There were a couple of unusable ones, but the rest are fine. I also got 3 yellow peppers for 99 cents. I will chop and freeze these for future use. I did the survey on the receipt and got 50 fuel points.
4. I returned library books and checked out more. The receipt says I have saved $4,189.73 so far this year. I read a lot! I also picked up a free magazine and a free local paper.
5. These errands were batched to save gas, and the store receipts were scanned to all my points-earning apps.
1. A friend was having a birthday and I had a movie shop to do. The only movie that qualified for the shop was one I knew I would hate but she loves the series, so my birthday gift to her was to endure the movie, paying her way and her concessions. The shop covered all but $6.99 for her popcorn. She knew it was a mystery shop but is the sort of friend who got an extra buzz out of something so much fun for her being free.
2. About a year ago, I received a name brand purse as a gift, very expensive, but not something I would ever use. In fact, I never use a purse because I don't wear anything without pockets. If it does not fit into my pocket or my bra, I don't bring it. I sold it on eBay for $100.
3. Another blog reminded me that young pumpkin leaves are edible, so I made chicken and greens soup last night, using pumpkin leaves because my garden is out of greens until a new crop matures. Used only one breast of chicken (amzing how shredding makes it seem like a lot more), with homemade stock from the freezer and scallions and pumpkin leaves from the garden. It made enough for last night and tonight's dinners.
4. I have a dress that shrunk so much I could have worn it as baby doll pajamas! I finally cut it down slightly and it is now a blouse.
5. Thirty eight years ago I bought a dress; I remember the exact date because I was going in for open heart surgery to correct a defect (that it only partially did!) and I bought it so my husband would have a decent outfit to bury me in if I died. I was 33 and sure I was not going to make it. Anyway, I obviously lived and over the years I have worn that sturdy cotton dress to shreds. It finally could no longer be repaired so it is now in the rag bag, waiting to wipe up dog vomit. I felt like I should give it some sort of burial for being such a well made, comfortable and durable garment.
@Lindsey, consider composting your #5 dress? Seems as if a form of "green burial" would be appropriate for this one. (And, BTW, we're all very glad that you're still here!)
Lindsey, is this the dress your husband said you should no longer wear in public? 🙂
It's hard to get rid of clothes that have tons of history. I still have Zoe's little fish dress here in my sewing box, because I can't bear to get rid of it!
@Lindsey, am so glad you didn't need the dress for it's original purpose:)
@Lindsey, so glad you're still here, I love your comments!
@A. Marie, Kristen: I am rather horrified to say that it was NOT the dress the hsuband won't let me wear in public. I have several old lovelies that are slowly falling apart. Clothes were never that important to me--until my father remarried and the new wife forbid me to wear my father's shirts I used to wear them whenever I was not wearing my school uniform. By the time I was 11, I was as tall and weighed as much as my father, and back then there really were no clothes for 6 foot tall females built like linebackers, so it was just easier to take over his shirts. And the older I get, the less I care what I wear; if it is clean, I will wear it. My wedding dress was a scarlett velour dress I wore when I was in Arsenic and Old Lace in college. And my husband did not have anything but sneakers so he wore shoes an old boyfriend had left behind in my closet. Obviously the husband and I were made for each other.
Ok, your wedding dress sounds like it might have been quite beautiful!
Using Debrix once a week or every two weeks will keep your ears clear.
There is often a plethora of 3-hole punches at the thrift stores. I've purchased 2 there, together they were nowhere near $30.
I got a large box of Banza rotini free on Buy Nothing. $15 worth.
I noticed that a guy who was picking up some shirts I was gifting posted a new folder I could use. I asked if he could deliver it when he picked up his shirts. Love Buy Nothing.
I always check the coupons spit out at the self serve checkout that people neglect to take. Got "$3 off your next shopping order" twice this month.
I ride my bike for Buy Nothing pick ups so no gas and exercise for me.
Because we are frugal in so many ways we were able to purchase a new couch. I asked the saleswoman if they would be having a "No sales tax" day soon. She offered me 5% off today. Never hurts to ask.
Loved the Tightwad Gazette!!
ER nurse here. When we have patients come in we use 1/2 strength hydrogen peroxide and water and use a syringe and drip it in.
After a few minutes we then use a cerumen removal stick and it’s astonishing at how much dissolved wax comes out.
@Tauna, I've seen medical syringes at the Walmart pharmacy. Reminded me of what I used to use to give the kids liquid meds when they were toddlers.
I knew it was free Slurpee day yesterday and for the first time in years I passed it up. It was always a treat for the kids when they were younger. I would bring my friends kids too.
1. I bought a picture book for my friend's granddaughter on line from Kohls for $1.67. I also got a peace sign t shirt that I hope will fit or will fit in a couple of months.
2. Dh got a gift catalog for one of his anniversaries at the company and one year I got flatware. Still using it. It must have been 15 yrs ago?
3. Still cooking at home and hubby is perfecting his pizza. It's ruined us for pizza store pizza. I love that it saves us half of what a pizza store pie would cost.
4. I used a "red neck tupperware" container, as my husband calls it, to freeze leftover tomato sauce. He got it originally from his sister and it contained "Spike's Fish Market" clam chowder. He got two servings from it. The fish market is down the shore in Point Pleasant NJ.
5. I got 2 free tubes of Crest toothpaste at Walgreens. They were $3 each (outrageous!) so I paid $6, used a $2 off digital coupon and got a $4 register reward. The reward is Walgreen's money. I can use it towards just about anything in the store.
I have balancing issues and can no longer ride my bicycle. I thought oh an adult trike would be perfect, until I saw the price. Way more than I wanted to spend. I posted on my FB page I needed either a fairy godmother or a sugar daddy. A fairy godmother found me and gave me a Schwin-Meridian trike. I was overjoyed. I don’t feel comfortable attempting to do a trike overhaul, but am more than willing to spend the 100 to get it fixed. So happy!
Oooh, what a wonderful find!
Gotta love Buy Nothing!!
1. I used up some spinach I had sauteed and frozen to make scrambled eggs for my lunches. I added artichokes, olives, basil from my garden, and garlic scapes from my garden.
2. I continue to forage while we hike. I found a large amount of lemon balm, which I am drying for tea. I also found yarrow, which I am infusing in oil to make a salve. Wild cherries were added to yogurt this week for my breakfasts. Wild cherries, red raspberries, and juneberries have been snacks for my kids.
3. I have been making large ice blocks by putting water in a plastic bowl and freezing it. We have been using the ice blocks for our cooler when we camp. Saves a few dollars, but much better for the environment.
4. I have been using the free vacuums at the car wash near my house to vacuum my car.
5. We found a lawn mower in the trash while walking in the neighborhood. My husband hopes it just needs a quick cleaning and we will resell for $150.
Taking a “vacation” by tagging along on husband’s work trip and wandering around the cities/towns he’s got client meetings in. Visiting churches, libraries, nature centers, and parks via the bicycle we put in the back of the car rather than him flying (8 hrs away - kind of an even split decision these days with the flight issues). All free so far!
Great list! I don't have a super long frugal things list, but I HAVE been doing a summer long "garage sale" type thing over here where I'm decluttering my house a little at a time and listing things for sale or give away on my local Next Door website. Making some extra cash here and there AND spiffing up the house in the process is feeling so good! Feeling very proud of my progress so far.
What great frugalities this week for everyone!
1. I picked up a lovely set of frying pans, plus two round scalloped cookie cutters and a pampered chef hand pie sealer from our Buy Nothing group.
2. Also picked up a free new-to-me oven. Took #2 son along, he has informed me that he won't do that again with me. But will with his brother. I guess a 61 year old woman with arthritis shouldn't be lifting a stove into the back of a truck, or carrying it up or down stairs, huh? Anyway, the new Almond coloured stove was spotless, and the burner drip pans are not rotted out, and the oven is big and clean. I am going to buy a new oven soon, this will just tide me over while I look at the new oven money stash and figure out when I can afford it.
3. #1 son came by finally to look at the box of coats and jackets that we were gifted when my lovely friend died. They all fit him, but some are pretty worn. some are almost brand new and the lined Jean Jacket got him all excited because it WAS worn and full of personality. He took 4 coats/jackets, plust 2 dozen eggs and a bag of snap peas from me. I will donate the other jackets to our local homeless shelter, that I go to on Thursdays for an AA outreach meeting so no special trip.
4. Eating more from the garden - the chard is now healthy enough for good meals, I cook up a big pot and sprinkle feta on it when it has become tender, then keep in the fridge. #2 son and I both love it cold, learning that cooked greens are delicious cold!
5. picked tonnes of snap peas - unfortunately the entire harvest, from the look of the plants today. we have had so much rain the peas didn't get very sweet, or ripen until suddenly they all did. I gave some away, and cooked some up in a big stirfry (extra stirfry in the fridge is also good either reheated or cold) I also cooked up a bunch of peas and have been eating THEM cold with lots of torn mint. Who knew?
6. I have a freezer full of my own chicken and both fish and prawns from local fishers, as well as a fully stocked pantry, so am working on meals that use these things up. Finding that if I cook earlier in the day, the meals get made. As mentioned above, cold doesn't seem to bother us.
7. Am reducing the bread-chips-white-food carbs in my diet, which means I am avoiding the ever tempting grocery store. Seems to be working for both my waistline and budget.
8. Picking raspberries and currents however the raspberries are going straight in to my mouth as I am usually picking when I am turning off the water in the field, and don't have time nor a container to pick into..... Currents are a total pain to clean, but I did about a cups worth. Enjoyed with my peas at lunch today. all by myself, I didn't share any!
There's not a Buy Nothing Group in my area. I'm wondering if any of your readers have ever started a group for their area and is the monitoring of the group very time consuming.
1. I LOVE our local buy nothing group. I needed a room monitor so I could hear a sick family member if they needed help in the night and someone GIFTED me with an awesome one they no longer need. I also loved how my hair turned out at the stylist, when she used a flat iron, but they are sooo expensive! I asked, and I RECEIVED>I also POST GIVE AWAYS frequently so we keep things balanced..I gave away an exercise step bench with two videos (hurts my feet now can’t use it.) I gave away an old stereo we stored..someone’s teen is so eager to play with it! We gave away an old animal carrier (we had duplicates) and a coffee pot and a printer.
2. Ear wax removal..I am a retired Nurse so you can’t gross me out! GOOGLE “Ear wax removal with an ear syringe.” There are some videos. You buy a baby ear syringe and you do have to rather FORCEFULLY squirt the warm water in there. Maybe two or three times. I used the debris drops for 2 days prior then did what the video said..and voila, big amts. ear wax retrieved. I went to the doc once to have this done..$30 copay and 2 weeks wait for an appt.Now, two years later,I can DIY with my trusty syringe.
3. YAY for your silverware!
I bought the Blue Echo Care wax removal kit years ago when my kids were kids. It uses hydrogen peroxide and warm water. Best investment ever. I will not tell you what comes out of my son's ears.
1. My sister was going away with 2 friend's and needed a dog sitter. I asked if we could watch him at her house for a few days. She told me to bring our friend's with us.(Both lost their jobs during Covid. They are both employed now but are not making the amount they were prior to Covid) Her house is a multi million dollar house on the water. She has a beautiful in ground pool where we spent our days. We had multiple fires, watched the sun set, looked at the moon with her telescope, played pool, took naps and played cards, and lots of other games and cooked delicious food. All it cost us was gas to get there. We brought her dog home with us and she will get him this weekend.
2. I picked lots of peas, cherry tomatoes, wineberries and lettuce when I got home.
3. Our kids(20 & 23) stayed home and took care of the house, garden etc.
4. Our friends brought zucchini, yellow squash and string beans from their garden. They sent me home with extras.
5. Eating leftovers today.
1. Went to our favorite consignment store. I dropped off a box of dishes and clothes to sell. I bought, à purse, backpack, 2 pairs of jeans, leggings, another pair of pants, 3 shirts, a dress, 3 notebooks and a blank planner. I paid $78 after $9 was taken off from credit on my account. I estimate buying all that new would be at least double, especially since one of the jeans were Calvin Klein!
2. Spent about $18 at Goodwill and got 2 pairs of flip-flops, swimming trunks, and 2 tank tops.
3. Used hipcamp to find a camping site on our drive. We spent $30 for the site instead of $60-80 for a cheap hotel. This also helps us stay moderately active and being in nature puts us in good moods.
4. I signed my daughter up for a program where she'll be able to receive an accredited diploma through homeschooling. It's not cheap, but because I registered early, I got $75 off.
5. Enjoyed a picnic ans swimming with family at a free park.
1. Cut my daughter's hair into a blunt bob. It's not perfect, but have received a few compliments, so a win.
2. Had a garage sale to sell off items before moving, rather than dealing with them when we arrived at our destination.
3. Are planning to use garage sale proceeds for bikes for our new location that is laden with bike paths. We made enough to pay for one bike, so just one more plus a chariot to pull my son left to fund.
4. Took up realtor on her offer to get a stager for consultation before pictures are taken. I thought we'd need to replace carpeting and paint the exterior of the home, but both realtor and stager think it'll be fine without. So glad.
5. Watched my son decide to make "quarters" by selling lemonade for $0.25/cup at the garage sale. He walked away with $8 and wants to start a lemonade stand business. He decided to raise his price to $0.50/cup in order to afford supplies and still make money. It's fun to watch him connect the dots with time/energy/resources=money. Money isn't the end all, be all, but he's just figuring it all out.
I went to an estate sale and everything was 75% off. Score! I got over $70 for less than $20. Including 2 pair of shoes, some books that have been on my wish list, some Christmas decorations, a couple of shirts ( one with tags on still), a new laundry bag for my delicates, and much more. I love garage sales, but I have to be careful not to buy just because it is a bargain. I did good. It made my day.
I found a broken 3-color pen in a parking lot. It is the same design as the one I use at work. My work Pen's black died a day ago. I decided to see if I could change out the ink. I was able to and it was easy, two minutes no special tools. It is much easier to have one pen instead of 3 and I use each of the colors every day.
This is only 2, but I'm tired and can't remember the others at this moment. Again, I love this blog. Keep up the great work.
My big one that I am SO excited about it is a piece of furniture. My younger son’s current dresser is too big for his room so I’ve been wanting to downsize for a year. Went to Goodwill on TUESDAY and found a banged up, but sound Mahogany dresser for $25. Now I get to channel my inner Kristen and fix it up!!
Ooooh, that is exciting! I got Sonia's dresser at Goodwill for $25 as well, and it was so satisfying to fix up. It's this one: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/sonias-25-goodwill-dresser-is-now-white/