Five Frugal Things | free ski flights
I've been down with Covid, yes, but I did get some frugal things done before I got sick. 😉
1. I used points and flight credits for a trip to Tahoe
I'm going skiing at Lake Tahoe in a few weeks, and I got my flights for $0 out of pocket.
I used up my flight credits that I had from not going to FinCon this year (I had too much schoolwork!), and I also used some points that I had from my Southwest credit card.
2. I canceled Quicken
I used to use Quicken to track our spending and income.
But since I'm not currently sharing day-to-day finances with anyone, and since I'm using a different tracking method for my business finances, I really do not need Quicken anymore.
So, I canceled it as soon as the renewal email hit my inbox!
3. I worked some CVS deals
Zoe wanted some hair dye, so we stopped in and got:
- two boxes of hair dye (normally $12.49 apiece)
- an eyeliner pencil
- a package of eyebrow-trimming tools
for a total of $9.96 out of pocket.
Plus I got another $5 of ExtraBucks on my receipt. Sweet!
(and then later I used my ExtraBucks to get some symptom-managing meds while I was sick. Not the most fun use of ExtraBucks. 😉 )
4. I ordered four Covid tests
Thanks to a commenter, I learned that each household can once again order 4 free Covid tests through the USPS. Yay!
It takes only a quick minute to place an order.
5. I got two free framed prints for Sonia
Someone in my Buy Nothing group was offering two art-deco framed prints so I sent a picture to Sonia and she said, "Oooh yes, I would like those!"
This person actually lives IN my neighborhood, which is awesome...I dropped by and did a porch pickup, and I will pass these on to Sonia next time I see her.
I’ve also learned of a each instance of USPS free tests through the comments here. Thank you, everyone!
— My husband has been wanting an olive wood salt cellar for the kitchen so that we don’t have to dig out the big container on the rare occasions we use salt. I remembered that I had a small olive wood box that had been used as a present box. Since it was just languishing in a drawer, I brought it out, oiled the wood, and now we’ve a lovely little salt cellar for free.
—I combined a 20% off coupon, sales, and my $10 CVS ExtraBucks to get two shopping bags full of work snacks for my husband for a total of $2.12.
—StitchFix sent out their once a year $20 shopping credit, with free shipping. I trolled the sale section and found a shirt I liked (originally $50, now half off), for a grand total of $5 after the credit. Truth be told, I keep my SF account open mostly for this! Last year I replaced my worn out slippers this way. This year’s long-sleeved knit shirt will replace an old favorite that’s wearing out.
—One of our local organic markets had some sweet member deals, with a limit of two for each item. I bought four pounds of oatmeal for $2, two cans of garbanzo beans for $2 (organic canned beans often have less salt for my husband), and two cartons of cage free eggs for $2.99 each. I also finally remembered our water refill jugs, which cost 29 cents per fill. Our spoiled cats get filtered water for their drinking fountain (which also keeps it clean longer).
—Whole Foods had heads of cauliflower on sale for $3.49, so I went through and found the biggest one. Beet bunches weren’t on sale but were inexpensive enough at $2.99 to dig through for the largest bunch. The cauliflower was immediately parted out for the freezer, and the beets were roasted in the crockpot for beet salad—I ate the greens for lunch. When in WF, I’m careful to stick to the store brand and the loss leader sales, only buying if they’d be good deals at any other store, too.
@N,
How do you roast them in the crockpot? I love roasted beetroat and would also learn how to use my crockpot more. Recipe appreciated!
@J NL, It's comically easy, though it will make your house smell... well, earthy! The main trick is to choose beets that are similar in size to ensure even cooking.
Wash 1 lb of beets. Leave the beets whole but trim off the greens. Try not to cut into the actual beet, or they'll lose juice during cooking.
Put your beets tops up (as much as possible, they roll) in your crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of water.
Cook on High for 4 hours. When done, I turn off the crock pot and let the beets sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so they aren't nuclear when I'm trying to rinse them. This also helps the larger beets cook the rest of the way through.
One the beets have cooled a bit, remove them from the crock pot and put them into a bowl or colander to rinse with COLD water. This will stop the cooking and make the skin slough right off.
My go-to beet salad recipe, best made a few hours or even a day early:
6 to 8 medium beets
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
Salt and black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup diced fresh parsley (optional)
@N,
Ah thanks! So it is basically like cooking them, only using less water I think? I'll give it a try!
Great deal on that flight!
1- I had paid a bill late due to illness, but the company waived it since Ud never been later before
2- I did a bulk cook of chili, lasagna and 4 loaves of French bread. I had one friend down with a bad back and one had knee surgery, so this fed them and us for several days
3- While caring for my sick daughter, I mended 3 things. She doesn’t sew and would have potentially thrown them out! (Who is she?!). We only had yellow thread but needs must and none of them mattered how they looked.
4- not inexpensive but I found my favorite liquid chai tea available online and bought a 6pack. If I buy it out at the only restaurant that has it, it’s over $6/ 20 oz! I will treat myself to one each weekend and it should last the rest of the winter
5- all the usual, meal plans, eat leftovers, stay home. I’m also doing a one year no clothes challenge and that was sorely tested when I did an Amazon return at Kohl’s and they gave me a 25% off coupon that was good on their already 85% off clearance! But I didn’t need anything and showed me how impulsive I’ve been in the past
FFT, Dental Implant Edition:
I had my long-scheduled and dreaded dental implant yesterday (the procedure for which my molar extraction in late June and my gum grafting in late September were preliminaries). I'm pleased to say that so far, it's gone much better than I feared (more about this on Thankful Thursday). But here are the FTs I managed to combine with this expensive procedure:
(1) I batched errands en route to the appointment: I made stops at the PO and the branch of my bank that are directly on the way to the office.
(2) I kept calm during a 40-minute delay, as I usually do in waiting rooms, with one of my inexpensive Shambhala pocket-size books of Buddhist wisdom. This does me a lot more good than surfing a smartphone would (even if I had a smartphone, which I don't).
(3) I paid by check, to get the 5% discount the practice offers for paying by check.
(4) I plan to spend the next few days eating mainly homemade soups or other soft foods I already have in the house. This will enable me both to go easy on my mouth and to start a low-spend February off right.
(5) I do plan to indulge in a few eggs, but I was able to find a dozen free-range eggs for $4 at the Regional Market this past weekend. That's cheaper than most regular supermarket eggs these days.
@A. Marie,
I hope everything goes well and you are back to enjoying your favorite foods soon.
@A. Marie,
I hope you'll have a speedy recovery!
@A. Marie, may your implant heal well! My mother-in-law had dental implants done in her early 50s owing to hereditary dental disease, and it improved her quality of life immensely.
@A. Marie, Hope your implant heals well. I just finished that long process myself. Glad to finally have it done and thankful for good insurance.
@A. Marie, I hope you heal well and quickly. When I had all four wisdom teeth pulled in one procedure to save money, I used it as an excuse to eat extra mashed potatoes for a few days, hee hee!
@A. Marie,
Regional market? Are you in Syracuse, NY? That's what we call our Farmer's Market. Good luck with implants. Any dental work give me anxiety. 🙁
@Joyce, yes. The $4 eggs were from a Mennonite (I think) couple in Shed C. And the Hidden Meadow Acres folks, who are in Shed A for the winter, sell Grade B ("speckled"/slightly blemished) eggs for $3.50. These are fine for cooking/scrambling/frying, but I've found that they don't hold up too well to boiling.
@A. Marie, I hope you feel better quickly. I had my screw put in back in November and I remember it being an easier recovery than the extraction.
1. I bought a digital copy of TurboTax premier from Target. I used $30+ from TopCashBack (a rebate site I often shop through) to pay for almost half of it and used a gift card to pay for the rest. I will share a copy with our daughter (up to five uses per purchase). While we are waiting for tax documents to be ready I'll organize the rest of them.
2. I stopped at Target on my way home from a Pilates class and used a $5 off a $15 purchase coupon to buy some Throat Coat tea. I twice suffered from bouts of crud throat last month.
3. I used Giant Flexible Rewards to get oat milk and eggs at a good price.
4. I passed on local university sweatshirts to a friend. She has family members attending and we were not wearing them. Stuff out of the house is almost always a good thing.
5. I had several at home visits with friends in the past week, both at our house and at theirs. We don't need to impress each other and are happy to just spend time together.
I ordered my Covid Tests. Exposure over Christmas left us with just one. Thank you for the link!
I’m so glad you are feeling better.
You can go through covid tests pretty quickly, I've found...testing the one who's infected, testing the other household members.
-- I waited until I was allllmost out of coffee before ordering from Community Coffee, because I was waiting for a sale of more than 20% off. They do those every few months, so I knew one would come along. It makes me nervous to be down to one bag, though. 🙂 And the overall cost has gone up by not quite double in the past two years, which is not fun.
--I dislike asking people for anything, but I continue to gratefully accept rides for my oldest son when he's coming home from any basketball/FFA/ school trips. We live exactly between the two schools in our county, and there's almost always another parent who is driving from one to the other and will drop him off so I don't have to drive the twenty miles roundtrip to get him at one of the schools. Those twenty-mile trips add up.
--My husband is going to get a big round bale of the cheaper hay today (we usually get the smaller square bales because we don't have equipment to more the big ones) that will serve two purposes: one is obviously as food for the sheep and pony (the older horse we had couldn't eat this particular hay for some reason, but he's no longer with us). The other is as mulch and fertilizer for my garden this summer. My husband opens the bale, but leaves it right in the trailer in the pasture next to the garden fence for the sheep. They hop up in there and work at the bale, pulling hay out onto the ground, lying in it and (as sheep do) soiling it as they hang around. This makes for a large area of fertilized mulch that just has to be pitched over the fence into the garden.
--Now that I am a very regular stock-maker (thanks to our generous neighbors for all those mean roosters!), I habitually save the cut-off tops and bottoms of onions in a bag in my freezer, plus the tops of celery, for when I make stock. I always hated what felt like the waste of cutting up perfectly good vegetables that would be thrown away with the chicken bones, so this feels better. I still give carrot peelings to our chickens, though.
--I've discovered that I actually like the cheaper Scott toilet paper. My husband bought it once on accident, but it lasts about ten times longer and doesn't stop up our slow toilets as much. And it doesn't fall apart like I was afraid it would. I find it very annoying to be changing the rolls every few days, so this saves me annoyance as well as money. 🙂
I can imagine how wonderful it is to have ride-sharing when you live so remotely!
@kristin @ going country, Yes to the Scott toilet paper! One roll lasts the two of us more than a week. We were lucky in that we had just received an order of 20 rolls right before shutdown in 2020. We didn't have to worry about getting paper for a while.
@AnnieH,
We use Scott, too. It lasts longer and it doesn't clog the toilet, as Kristin said. I was given a pack of nice soft two-ply by someone moving and we went through the pack in no time and I had to plunge the toilet several times. I'll stick to Scott's 1000 sheet roll, thanks.
@kristin @ going country,
I'm a huge fan of Scott toilet paper, too. It lasts so much longer than other brands.
@kristin @ going country, I love Scott toilet paper. A while back I tried the Walmart brand and like it just as much. I work away from home and I use other brands at various places. Those brands are the only ones that don't crumble.
@AnnieH,
during covid there was only the 2-ply rolls around so that's what we are using up. It does go so quickly. We always bought the one-ply so the kids didn't clog the toilet.
@kristin @ going country, We've actually found the best buy on toilet paper to be from our Asian supermarket! It's an off-brand, only $5 for nine big rolls, it's both fluffy/comfortable, and it doesn't clog our pipes.
Scott family here, too!
@kristin @ going country, raised with Scott tp as my parents were told it wouldn't clog up the pipes that were connected to the sewer. I still use it. I've gotten so many good deals on it at Walgreens in the past and had a tp supply before Covid. I still have a wall of tp in the basement.
I love Scott. I've always used it. It wasn't until rcently I got complaints from my apparently soft-bottomed offspring about it. Fine, you use your puffy gross Charmin in your bathrooms coughspoiledcough and I'll be here using my morally superior Scott.
Don't forget to adjust your halo when you say that to them. 😉
1. I used some spotted bananas to make a batch of low fat low cal whole wheat banana walnut muffins.
2. Received checks from Cigna refunding part of what I spent on Chiropractic care that I need. Threw the extra money at bills.
3. Used a $10 reward at tractor supply to buy my dog food.
4. Have to have a water pressure valve replaced but scheduled with the plumber we used last March to get a discount.
5. Sold two chairs we aren’t using, giving a train table to a single mom with two kids along with some Toys that my son isn’t interested in anymore, planted over 200 bulbs for aspiring flowers year after year, used garden supplies already on hand to fertilize. Ate at home, packed lunches and stayed home playing games watching movies etc.
Happy Wednesday!
@Angie, I am getting a Tractor Supply here in good ol 'suburbia. There are farms but I still don't get the marketing strategy. It was suppose to open on 12/31 and we are still waiting.
@Angie, i love the image of you throwing money at bills 🙂
More of the usual, I would almost say:
Filled up our car at the cheapest place
Revived a wilted endive head
Included frozen or store cupboard foods that needed to be used up, throughout this week's meals
Bought an exact same extra pair of pajamas at a discount, because they are a good colour on me and because they are so comfortable. and now they were against 25% of the original price
Bought some books at the thrift shop. And brought several books to the thrift shop.
I often feel the need to spoil myself a bit after a very hectic period, and this often is in the way of buying fabrics or yarns. I did so last week. So here are 5 reasons why this purchase makes sense despite costing money: 1 I paid from my pocket money 2 I bought discounted fabrics 3 said fabrics (Christmas theme) will become reusable gift bags for 2023 holidays 4 Crafting and in particular knitting is my go-to stress relief, and much better than eating chocolates 5 I have started on a project already after the materials were delivered. So they are not ending on a huge unused pile if I can help it.
@J NL,
I started making reusable gift bags a few years ago. They’ve been a huge hit with my adult kids and the grandkids, especially at the holidays. Everyone has told me they evoke memories just like ornaments used year after year. And my eldest daughter, with her black, white and gray holiday decor said she was particularly tickled with the bags I made her that match that theme.
Hmmmm.
*Well, due to a death in our congregation, we did not go on a planned vacation. No extra money spent.
*I called about tickets to a play. Instead of ordering them online with credit card, we'll be paying cash at the box office. That saved us $10.50 in fees.
*We cooked at home for our meals.
*I tried to use up less desirable ingredients (Wheatena) by mixing it in oatmeal, bread, etc.
@Jody S.,
ooooh I used to love wheatena as a kid. I will have to go out and buy some. 🙂
@Joyce, Most of us don't love it. Some didn't even like it in oatmeal. It's eaten better in muffins or bread around here.
My favorite post from you each week....!
1. The heel of one of my favorite pair of boots caved in and made it difficult to walk in. So, I searched for and bought another pair that I wasn't super crazy about. A few days later I went to another store and found another pair & returned the first pair saving $50 as the second pair was on clearance versus the first pair being "on sale".
2. I made a crockpot of chili for dinner one night. I ate some for a few lunches and then was tired of it. Luckily I only had one lunch portion which I froze for a future lunch. NO waste!
3. I went for an eye exam and my script changed (for the better), so I went with insurance approved frames and didn't pay anthing out of pocket for the exam or new glasses.
4. My husband helped his buddy put trim up in a room in his house. In exchange, his buddy trimmed our puppies' nails, saving us that cost.
5. I, too, took advantage of the free covid tests in the mail and just received them the other day.
6. We had a few pieces of fried chicken left from takeout. I removed the breading and picked the chicken off and froze it to use in a future casserole or quesadillas.
@Gina, I love doing that with fried chicken and you get a good deal on legs and thighs that works out to about $1 a piece. I leave the crackly skin on, because I can reheat the chicken in the oven and put in on greens for Fried Chicken Salad. So good.
1. Our son had to travel about an hour and half to take a certification test. I drove him so his anxiety wouldn't kick in since he did not know where he was going or what the parking situation was. I packed us breakfast, a cooler with drinks, and snacks for the car.
2. Our son and I have been doing meal prep on Sundays for him and us. This week we made egg bites, prepped meatloaf, and sliced carrots for roasting. The prep made my dinners easier this week and son saved money because he won't be tempted to eat out.
3. Restocked the pantry with items on sale at the grocery store this week.
4. Found a new kitchen faucet on sale that had free delivery.
5. As usual, brought my lunch to work each day.
1. I normally straighten my hair but my hair has seemed curlier than normal this winter, so I would like to try it curly. I found some curly hair shampoo and conditioner in a clearance section yesterday and picked them up.
2. My daughter burned her chin on a hot pan and I wanted some scar remover for her. I checked prices at a few stores (CVS and Meijer varied wildly!) and got some at Meijer which was a lower price and allowed me to get a $6 Ibotta rebate.
3. I used a 50% off coupon at JoAnn's to get a candy mold for an upcoming birthday party. Bonus was that they had candy melts half off and in the colors I need. Yay!
4. Now that I have kids that are old enough to clean, I needed another bucket. I asked my husband to pick one up at the store the other day if they were really cheap, but they were pretty expensive. I waited a few days until I went past Dollar Tree and got one for $1.25.
5. I got some snow gloves on clearance. One of my kids was down to one pair (where did the pair I bought at the beginning of the season go???) and my kids need one for home and one for school. Now we're set for this year and the next year.
My main frugal thing last week was just staying home. This wasn't hard, since a) my husband was out of town on a conference, and since we homeschool, at least one parent has to be home during school hours. Also, we had two snow storms that week, so obviously we stayed home and didn't drive!
Exercise was free: snow shoveling and sledding in our front yard.
One of my sons turned 18, and as we've found, as our kids get older they have relatively few "wants" for their birthdays; my kids are not clotheshounds who want a lot of new clothes, for example. We ordered him a fun book from Amazon and deposited some money in his spending account, and made him his favorite dinner. He seemed happy with that.
I read library books and found full episodes of Poirot on YouTube, which were very welcomed after watching the dreadful new Death on the Nile movie (Agatha Christie purists, DON'T watch it. Ugh. I think Kenneth Branagh is a great director and actor, but I hate what they did with the story and the characters.)
@Karen A., I agree that the story in Death on the Nile movie is not what I wanted, but the scenery is absolutely fascinating!
Big Suchet as Poirot fan here.
@Karen A., My husband hated it as well. He turned it off after watching for only a short while and said, "I want those 15 minutes of my life back!"
@Karen A., OK, will skip. I'm a purist about everything, of course, but a huge fan of Mrs. Christie. And the only Holmes I liked was the 80s one with Jeremy Brett.
Thanks for the USPS covid test link. I just ordered mine.
My frugal things
1. not spending money on anything but gas/groceries the last week or two.
2. Ripped out carpet, and discovered hardwood floors, so I didn't buy laminate hardwood as planned.
3. With the help of son's new pulmonologist we ordered a jiggle vest for my son that insurance covered (were told by old doctors that insurance wouldn't cover it and it's many thousands out of pocket), and we've been using it right along to keep his lungs clear. This has saved him at least one hospitalization because we used to go to the hospital so that he had access to equipment like this. We used it again last night, and we are saving medical expenses by treating him at home and not having to take him in.
4. Made bread when I ran out instead buying at a store.
5. Got a replacement bone anchored hearing aid through Cochlear after daughter lost hers. One time replacement is part of the warranty, and Cochlear has some of the best customer service I've ever had to use, especially for a medical company.
I'm not sure that I have five.
1. Got 6 free COVID tests cuz my kids are sick and the school hands them out. I'm sure I've spent hundreds on them in the last couple of years.
2. Cancelled an order for a sweater from Amazon, that was originally supposed to be delivered in December. Kept getting delayed and eventually says "we'll let you know when it's available." Well, I need it for a work trip to Japan in 1.5 weeks, so forget it.
3. Got my free second shingles shot, yay?
That's all I've got.
@Marcia, Japan! Sounds exciting. Have you been there before? With or without a sweater? ;-}
@Marcia, from someone who had shingles I would definitely say yay! with an exclamation point. Do anything you can not to get it - so painful.
@Christy, I had a smallish case of shingles in my 20's (64+ now) & was told that it can re-occur, although each time would be less severe. 4x2 inch patch on my back first time, then about 8 blisters up & down my finger, the 2nd time, about 10-15 years ago. And with all that, my doctor had me get the shingles vaccine last year, just to be safe. So I am as protected from having another breakout case, as I can be. 🙂
That trip will be so good for you -- there's nothing quite so needed when you're down with sickness as something to look forward to (as long as it's far enough away that you're not worried about still being sick, anyway!). Glad you're on the mend.
Here are my frugal wins:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/31/weekly-frugal-wins-tax-preparation/
1. Last camping trip our salt was a brick so I brought it home and will use it up—after I crush it back to normal.
2. I am shopping my yarn stash and supplies for my next knitting project.
3. Lately I feel my IG feed is full of advertising so I have been doing no social media for a few days. When I return, I will have a little self talk. I want to avoid any impulsive buying.
4. I am wearing a coat in the house to keep my thermostat at 68 degrees.
5. I avoid a monthly gym membership by working out at home and walking more. I do use a yoga membership online for a cost of $15/ month. So reasonable compared to my local gym at $100/month. It also offers me the chance to do a daily yoga class and my gym doesn’t offer that. Yes, I do yoga daily.
My thanks to the reader who mentioned the extended expiration dates, we had a couple of tests we were about to toss, but kept them. We also ordered the free ones again. If we can't use them, maybe someone we know can, although I hope none of us has to.
My FFT:
1. Ordered the extra tests and noted the new expirations on the ones we had.
2. Went to the office one day this week to see if my back was healed enough to return to a regular schedule. It was tough, I made it through most of the day, but am not quite ready for a full schedule yet. I packed tea and a lunch so I wouldn't have to buy tea and lunch outside.
3. Questioned the billing for my back procedure since I had to prepay before the procedure, and what was finally submitted to my insurance was less. Was able to get a refund of the difference, a little over $200.
4. A happy frugal accident, my husband bought deli meat and the guy thought he said 1/2 pound instead of 1/4. Deli guy had already cut it so we got the 1/2 pound for the cost of 1/4 pound.
5. Husband accidentally bought a can of creamed corn instead of regular. We added it to homemade cornbread and it was delicious!
@AnnieH, My cornbread recipe specifically calls for a can of creamed corn! I think it adds more moisture and I guess more corn flavor.
@AnnieH, I may have been the reader you're thinking of re: extended expiration dates on COVID tests. I'm still using tests that have 10/22 dates; it's my understanding that as long as a clear line shows up for C on a negative test, the test is still good. (Stop me if I'm wrong, somebody.) And charts with updated information on expiration dates are widely available online.
@Karen A., Yes, it was very moist, but no more corn flavor than usual. Years ago my aunt had a recipe that called for creamed corn, shredded cheddar, and a bit of cayenne pepper. It was sooooo delicious, but she's passed on so I had to wing it this time and didn't have any cheddar or cayenne. I'm sure I can find a similar recipe somewhere. I see a lot that use Jiffy Mix as a base but I prefer to make mine from scratch.
@A. Marie, I believe you are correct, thanks again! I think you are also right about a clear red line next to the C as the C stands for control, a line there means the test is working as it should.
Hopefully your cold goes away soon and you're back to feeling normal soon.
1.) My wife bought into a group buy from one of her co-ops for fancy popcorn. Now it's more expensive than the kernels you buy at the store but these are all fancy heirloom kernels and in the grand scheme of things, they are cheaper than buying chips or things like that.
2.) Finding random items in the freezer and making dinner out of them. We've been in a sort of food rut lately so we're working on at least eating what we have.
3.) Dollar Tree had some movies out and I was able to get a couple of Blu-rays for all of $1.25 each! Heck, you can't even rent a movie for that little!
4.) Opened a couple of CDs as returns are now as high as 4.6% at some places (e.g. Ally)
5.) Not happy about it but I probably owe money this year for my taxes (not a lot but a little bit.) I guess no free loans to the government this year. I'm also not paying an accountant because my taxes aren't that difficult.
@Battra92, regarding the price of potato chips, I've seen bags in the grocery store going for around $8.00. Are they sprinkled with gold dust instead ofsalt?
@Anne, some of them are really, really good. My favorite as Zapp's voodoo. BFF used to send cartons of Zapp's up from NOLA before they were nationally distributed.
@Rose, if you know anyone near Hanover, PA, have them ship you some Zapp's. The Utz Outlet store regularly sells them for around $1/bag. Gotta love outlets. 😉
@Bobi, mmmm, I love Utz too. I try to avoid eating chips because I love them so much and they're sooooooo bad for you.
So glad you have the trip to look forward to! And, Heavenly/Tahoe has received a ton of snow in January, so the conditions should be fantastic. We are headed there in February as well.
1) Took advantage of various rewards ($10 off a $10 purchase at Safeway, $4 ECB at CVS & $20 of grocery store credit) to buy things we needed, and some treats for the kids.
2) Continued to evaluate options for a very, very expensive flight we need for a wedding this summer. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, as I wait to see if there's any flex in our travel plans, that would allow us to save. Normally, I'd just buy & then adjust as needed.
3) Took advantage of a gift card to take the boys out for a "Mom/teens dinner".
4) My 17 y.o has been asking for a pull up bar for his birthday/Christmas. We bought one for him, but it didn't work & had to return it. Someone was giving one away on BN, and it's perfect. He's thrilled.
5) Received a good sized labor settlement due to a back pay issue, and was able to add money to the boys college accounts.
6) The usual stuff: giving stuff away (frugal for others), menu planning, eating leftovers, listing things on eBay, charging our car for free at work, driving our electric car as often as possible, etc.
A flight for zero dollars is quite frugal!
1. I batch cooked on the weekend again. I love that it saves electricity and saves time.
2. I sometimes top my dogs' food with a packaged mix of raw ground organs, meat and a little bone that I buy from a local farmer. It's a way for the farm to help use up all the parts of an animal, and the dogs love it. I got a nice discount for ordering a five pound bag which I split into one pound packages and froze.
3. Last year we applied for and finally received a 10% disability from the VA for a neck injury my husband had while in the Navy. He has had pain and limited movement in it ever since. I found out that a 10% disability from the VA will allow us to subtract $5000 off of our home's value for property taxes, so while I was home for an annual termite inspection this week, I also took time to take my paper work to the county appraiser, who will apply the discount to our 2023 taxes.
4. We received a discount on our internet when we switched from home phone + internet to internet-only with the telephone company that serves our town. However, the discount just expired, and my monthly bill was going up by about $25. I called and asked if my discount could be renewed, but was told no. I said that I would have to check prices with the cable company that serves our area. It wasn't just a ploy to say that; the cable company's internet-only price has been better that this company's, once my discount was removed. The rep told me in a "ding, ding, you're a winner!" voice that since I had threatened to move, she could now give me back the discount, to retain my business. I accepted, and I'm good for two more years.
5. I take care to wash out and comb my paint brushes carefully when I finish a painting project -for a short pause, I just wrap it in plastic and sometimes freeze it. I use a cheap little black comb, especially the fine-toothed end and it does a pretty good job on the dried paint that collects on the sides and near the ferrule. It is not frugal to toss paint brushes, especially since I tend to buy nicer ones because to me they just do a better job than cheapies.
1. While living in a city for a few months while my husband is a visiting professor, I'm hitting the consignment shops and thrift stores hard.(We live in a rural area and our thrifts are mostly filled with items from Walmart and other discount stores, with only rarely any items of good quality.) I have a list of clothing items and pieces of furniture that I'm seeking and I'm trying hard to stick to my list. So far off my list I've found a black summer Madewell skirt, Ryka hiking boots, and black Ecco dress boots, all at consignment stores. I've also found a few other things that weren't on my list but will get great use.
2. Found a pack of pens still in their packaging in a grassy area at the university. I always feel a little bad when I pick up something like that and will second guess myself for a while. What if the person comes back looking for them? But what if no one picks them up and they get ruined and are just thrown away? But what if....? I can go on like this for ages.
3. Traded a small pile of books in for a $30 credit at a bookstore and got four books in exchange, including one I'd been wanting to read for a while. My books were all quite recent oness that I'd purchased because our local library would not buy them, so I think that's why I got such a good amount for them.
4. The house we're renting was less clean than I would have hoped, so I'm doing my best to make it more to our standards while spending as little money as possible. I racked my brain for days trying to figure out how to frugally line the kitchen shelves and finally realized that parchment paper was the perfect fix.
5. This one's a bit of a journey - I overspent on an arrangement of flowers for my niece for her birthday. She sent a picture of what she got and thanked me. The flowers were literally every type and color other than the ones in the arrangement I ordered. I emailed FTD, stating I wanted a refund, and within hours I had it. I didn't tell my sister or niece because I didn't want to make them feel bad. That was Friday. On Monday, my sister sent a picture of the completely wilted arrangement, letting me know she'd called the local florist to complain and got a replacement bouquet that day. Good grief. Next year she's getting money to buy her own flowers!
@Kate,
My dear friend’s son send her a large Trader Joe’s gift card for Mother’s Day and her birthday - coincidently 6 months apart. He stipulates that she is to use it to buy flowers every week when she goes to the store. She always has a beautiful bouquet on her entry table and she’s become an expert flower arranger.
@Kate, I am always finding things in the bottom of shopping carts, like bags of apples or potatoes. In the summer, I usually leave them, thinking the person will come back. But in the witner, I "rescue" them because most folks will not leave the house at 20 or 30 below zero, just to get that sack of oranges they left behind. Sometimes the rescues are frozen, but I have made applesauce or potato soup with the frozen ones. Once I found a small bag with two jicama in it...they were actually okay to eat raw once they thawed.
@Bee, I found out after I placed the order that Trader Joe’s is exactly where my niece sometimes goes to get herself flowers! I don’t live anywhere near one so I forget how lovely their flowers are. And what a thoughtful son your friend has!
@Kate, great shelf liner i have literally used for many years is Duck brand Easy liner select grip. Bought at meijer recently. Have purchased years ago (& still have) but needed more for additional cupboards/space. Tried some cheap/thin similar shelf liner from Dollar tree but not even close in quality. This is (machine) washable & lasts forever.
I agree with the other commenters about learning about the free Covid tests from here. Thanks all! And Kristin, glad you are feeling some better.
1. Trying to use the food we’ve already purchased to keep costs down while traveling, and the friends we are staying with have lots of expiring/expired shelf stable goods so I feel good about “helping” to eat those.
2. Taking advantage of new member discounts at a few local specialty stores, like 20% off one item just for joining for free. One new member bonus is a free small bouquet of roses, which is especially nice when it is gray and overcast!
3. Just ordered another four free Covid tests from USPS. We’ve been fortunate to rarely use them, but it’s great to have some on hand.
4. My Microsoft Office license expired many years ago, but I was able to reactivate access through my husband’s account for another year.
5. Mended another onesie for Baby E.
1. Since I gave away a covid test, I was pleased to know more are available and got those ordered.
2. Finished using up cards that my mom rejected when she moved (I write to a few LOLs, which means "little old ladies" in my life)
3. Put together a sweet little gift for my neighbor by reusing a glass honey bear and filling it with fancy licorice which she loves; this turned it into a black bear, which we are always fighting in our neighborhood. (The licorice was $10.45 for 1/2 lb. at our local candy store, where both my neighbor and I have worked in the past)
4. By using jumbo eggs, I doubled a cookie recipe using 3 instead of the called-for 4 eggs, and it turned out just fine.
5. Finding all sorts of free piano lessons on YouTube to learn some new skills.
P.S. Kristen, is Heavenly the ski resort that starts at a shopping center?
Oh, yes, there is one spot where you can get up to the mountain from a little shopping area! That's not where we get on the mountain usually, though.
@Kristen, my SIL used to live in SLT and I thought it was so funny to see a chairlift in a shopping center! (We didn't visit much in winter).
1- I ordered the free covid tests as well after seeing about it here.
2. I'm traveling with my husband who is going on a business trip so the room is free for me...his company is paying for the room & the hotel lets me stay for free. We decided to go early to have a day out & the hotel gave us the business rate for the extra night. I didn't even have to ask for it! I just asked if we could stay in the same room & they offered it.
3. We've saved quite a bit this week being iced in...burning no gasoline, doing no shopping, ect.
4. I've started splitting a gallon of milk with my son. He has joint custody of my grandson & I babysit 3 days a week. My son can't drink milk & I drink skim milk so neither of us can go through a gallon of whole. I buy it on the weekend & send the rest home with him when he picks him up for his days. I was struggling to use up milk every single week & he was just throwing his away as it went bad. We both win!
5. We're eating from our pantry this week rather than shopping.
Good job on the airfare! That's a huge frugal win, for sure. I feel like my frugal things list is small, but I love getting ideas from everyone else. The big thing today is that I made pintos in my crockpot and for $1.18 I got the equivalent of 5 cans of beans to store in ziplocs in my freezer. I managed to go over by $16 in groceries last month, so I am doubling down on my efforts to keep the weekly total to $50 and meatless meals help.
Have fun skiing!
@gina, I did the same with pinto beans! We do bean taquitos every tuesday for dinner and it just comes in handy having them ready to go. I used my instant pot to do a big batch and then froze them in mason jars - the portion ends up being a little less than about a can's worth, so it's the right size for us.
Thank you to the commenter about free Covid tests from USPS! All the tests I got last year have expired, so I just placed another USPS order.
This week I:
1. Used a gift card to buy dinner while I was on call. We've really cut down on eating out and it would be a lie to say that I don't miss the convenience!
2. Made two loaves of bread using our new breadmaker (if we keep going at two loaves a week, the breadmaker will have saved us money by the second week of April.)
3. Did a sweep of the freezer and identified some odds and ends that need to be used up (four chicken dumplings, five pierogies, chicken bones to be made into broth, a bag of frozen spinach.)
4. I had bought half-and-half for a recipe and it's about to expire (the recipe was a dud anyway), so I'm making some fresh ricotta for tonight's dinner out of the rest of the half-and-half and some milk. There should be enough to make lasagna later this week.
5. I'm spending the afternoon sewing on a project made from a pair of old curtains, a very tacky tunic that I made when I was 17, with a pattern I already own. No expenditure!
@Meira@meirathebear, you deserve the Scarlett O'Hara/Maria von Trapp Award for your #5!
@A. Marie,
I immediately thought of Carol Burnett doing that sketch where she was Scarlett wearing her dress made of curtains - with the curtain rod across her shoulders. Now I'm sitting here laughing.
@JD, it's reported that this moment in that CB sketch got the longest recorded laugh in TV history. No way to confirm, but I'd love to think so.
@Meira@meirathebear, #3: What? No partridge in a pear tree?
@JD, LOL! Now that is funny 🙂
@A. Marie, I rarely laugh out loud at something on TV but that sketch drove me into hysterics.
@A. Marie, haha thank you! Luckily they're just a slubby grey cotton, so they don't look too odd. I made a dress out of them a few years ago that made me think of The Sound of Music:
https://meirathebear.wordpress.com/2020/08/27/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-meira/
@JDinNM, Haha, I'd be very surprised if I had a partridge! Though they are kosher, so it's not out of the realm of possibility 🙂
Thank you for the link to the free tests. I hope you feel tip-top in time for your test.
The FFT at my house:
1. Used up two jars of fruit baby food my husband accidentally bought for the dog (she gets her pills in meat baby food) to instead make breakfast muffins for people. Came out great.
2. Rummaged through the fridge, freezer and pantry and made a lentil-veggie-chicken soup to use up various items.
3. Using up some citrus drink powder to flavor home brewed tea.
4. Scheduled our dog's dental cleaning next month during our veterinarian's annual 10% off dental care event.
5. Bought three used books online, but was careful to choose a seller with free shipping and a 20% off three discount.
We are currently in Durham, NC where my stepson is recovering from his third double lung transplant. We drove here from Glenpool, OK.
1. We actually drove in a rental SUV, which another insurance company is paying for; so, no wear and tear on our other SUV. (accident that was the other driver’s fault)
2. We are “living” at a Mariott Residence Inn with a discounted rate for medical issues.
3. They provide free shuttle service to the hospital, whic saves us gas money.
4. We shopped sale items at Wholefoods and cook in our suite, which is stocked with dishes, fridge, stove, microwave.
5. They provide a great breakfast. We take fruit, bagels, cheese, milk, etc to our room after breakfast; saves us money. Haven’t had to eat out and hopefully won’t have to!
6. My husband works remotely, so still earning money…yay!
@Viktoria M Sacker, sending you & your family lots of good health & thoughts for your son.
@Viktoria M Sacker, Oh, my. My prayers are with you and yours.
@Viktoria M Sacker,
May he have a full recovery. A third transplant, goodness!
@Viktoria M Sacker,
Sending many good thoughts for a successful outcome to your son's surgery and especially his recovery.
@Erika JS,
Thank you; he needs all the prayers!
@JD,
This surgery recovery has been hard. We appreciate the prayers.
@Hawaii Planner,
Thank you
@Jody S.,
Thank you for your prayers!
@JD,
He has CF; it was life saving for him.
Oh my word, a third transplant. What a trooper he is!!
@Viktoria M Sacker, wishing you all love and strength as well as prayers for a improved health and recovery for your son. Duke has a wonderful surgical unit. He is in skilled hands.
@Viktoria M Sacker, Best wishes to your stepson. What a trooper he is, to be going through this a third time.
Would you or any of your readers know where to buy cheaper car insurance?? I live in PA and would appreciate any information on this topic.
Thanks very much.
@Carolyn, we've been very happy with the rates and ease of use with Lemonade. I'm sure it depends on your specific situation but it's worth checking. Good luck!
@Carolyn,
Car insurance rates vary from state to state. So many things go into determining your rate — the type of car, the number of miles you drive, your car’s safety features, your driving record, your credit score, what type of coverage you want, and so on. If you can find an independent broker who Can write policies for several different carriers, he or she can shop it for you and find the best rate.
@Carolyn, I believe New Jersey Manufacturers now sells car insurance to people in PA. Google it. It's my company and I love it.
@Carolyn,
I agree with Bee-- go for an independent broker! They can shop rates at all of the available insurance companies and will find you the best rate without you doing any legwork. We have used one for our house, car, etc. for several years now and have been really pleased!
Everyone check with your insurance about getting covid tests free. My husband is on Medicare and both Costco and Sam's club will give him 8 free tests a month using a Medicare card (one or the other store.). Some insurance might also.
@Cheryl, Yes, everyone check. My insurance will pay for 4 tests (?) a month.
I’m glad you are feeling better! Frugal things I did in the last week:
1. Redeemed Swagbucks for a $25 Amazon gift card
2. Froze leftovers for future meals
3. Donated plasma twice for a total of $140 added to prepaid debit card
4. Continued to use my work car to run personal errands because I am automatically debited $$ monthly whether I use it for personal reasons or not
5. Gave excess furniture to a needy Ukrainian refugee family- they were able to pick up furniture which got it out of our garage for free
Meeting this lovely refugee family also shifted my mindset a bit because I got a larger than expected year end bonus on my paycheck this week and had been thinking bout spending some of it on material things I “want” but don’t necessarily need. I decided to put the money in my saving account and think for awhile before doing anything.
@Beth, good for you on your #5--and best wishes to this family.
Thank you for the Covid test link! I hope you continue to feel better and that you benefit from substantial immunity after this!
I actually have FFT this week:
- I redeemed Fetch points for a Bath & Bodyworks gift card. I’ve developed a serious infatuation with their Juniper Sage fragrance, which I can now indulge guilt free.
- I questioned the copay I was charged for a specialty Rx. I have it on auto refill, and made the mistake of just saying “yes” to the text message prompt. It turned out they forgot to apply a special copay code from the drug manufacturer. So that put $245 back in my wallet!
- I’m trying to curate my home library a bit more selectively, mostly due to very limited sq footage in the cabin. I mailed about 30lbs of books to SellBackYourBook.com and should receive about $35. I could have listed them on eBay, but thought getting those out of the house would build some momentum and keep me going with this.
- I had afternoon tea with a neighbor who sent me home with a bunch of vegan foods she recently bought but didn’t use up for another get together she hosted.
- I rescheduled a doctors appt to coincide with the next time our family is getting together in the Phoenix metro area. This will save me an extra tank of gas and dog sitting fees.
@Mimi-in-the-mountains, do you have a bath and body works new reward account? specialized coupons & free products plus earning free products. Watch for buy 3 get 3 free and $5.95 full size body care (just ended) that you can combine with coupons.
I have 31 Frugal Things because I did a buy-nothing month every day in January to start the year off right. And it was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be:
Only purchases were food and household supplies (laundry detergent/dish soap and the like) for me, and my only Amazon purchase was the monthly subscription for dog food. I keep meaning to check out Chewy for that; I’ve gotten lazy using Amazon but Amazon’s prices are not always the lowest.
Like everyone, saved on food by eating down the freezer and pantry. And there’s still So Much Stuff in there.
Did an inventory of pantry/garage/bathroom and kitchen cabinets and realized I needed … nothing. Not even paper towels. I swear I’m not a Doomsday Prepper but you’d never know it from the supplies I somehow stocked up. And although I was about to order a space heater from Amazon, I found a receipt from last January (2022) on which I had written “Space Heater.” Huh. Where was it? In the front hall coat closet hiding behind the winter coats.
Did not eat out even once, because a mutual birthday celebration brunch got postponed to late February because someone (not me!) got COVID.
(Hi Kristen! Hope you’re feeling much, much better.)
Got two $5 coupons at Kohls because I started taking my Amazon returns there instead of UPS. Used that $10 on Christmas clearance items for this year’s presents/cards, coupled with another 15% off at checkout. I sometimes think Kohls will hand you a $20 bill just for walking in the store.
Did so little driving (in my new-to-me used RAV4 I bought for cash last November) that I didn’t need to buy gas. And I got a $700 tax deduction for donating my 25-year old station wagon (that I paid cash for back in 1997) to my local PBS station. That was more than its blue book value! I suppose I could have used it for trade-in value at the car dealership but it was in such bad shape I didn’t want to drive it that far. But boy did I love that car! Miss it. Sniff! So now 26 years and counting with no car payments.
And work was extremely busy due to many referrals and repeat clients, so much more $ coming in than going out. Always something to be thankful for but I guess I have to wait for Thursday, right?
Me three (or 33) thanking for the link to the USPS order of covid tests! My husband was exposed to Covid on a business trip last week with several of his colleagues down with it, so our stash is almost gone after daily testing.
We also get free covid tests from the pharmacy through our insurance.
Don't feel particularly frugal otherwise with our grocery bill super high these days as we are stocking up on pantry items after our kitchen reno. In the new kitchen, we are cooking more at home again, however, and eating up leftovers.
-Waited to buy a new winter coat at the Eddie Bauer winter sale.
-Organized my cosmetic drawer so everything is easily visible, making sure I use up every bottle completely before I buy new ones.
-Slowly doing the same with my clothes closet as well, to know which articles of clothes I actually wear on the regular and which I might need rather than want. The closets of our house have been very jammed through the house reno, which is now happily over.
-This is a regular thing, but I share a newspaper subscription with my neighbor, who brings me the paper after she's read it. I read breaking news online, but like to slow read some articles on actual paper.
I think you recently had a post about budget tracking software, but I wanted to share how much I like mint.com. I noticed you said you canceled Quicken, so I wanted to share in case you hadn’t checked out mint. It is a free online program. I used to track my budget and expenses with good old Excel, but that was time-consuming. A friend told me about mint.com several years ago, and I’m so glad he did. It’s much easier to use and saves me a lot of time not having to manually input my credit card and bank purchases. Anyways, hope this helps someone. 🙂
Thank you for the link to the free COVID tests!! So easy!! Got mine ordered.
We had a pretty un-frugal ski trip last week but I tried to cut costs wherever possible:
1. I took instant cups of oats, ramen, and cereal and mac n' cheese so we were able to eat some meals in our room instead of out.
2. I let the cashier know that we have an IKON pass and got a 15% discount on a couple lunches.
3. We used points for our hotel stays
4. I had a couple gift cards that my mom gave me (she wasn't going to use them) to Buca di Beppo. We don't have one near our house but there happened to be one near one of the hotels we were staying at so we put $50 in gift cards toward our dinner and basically only paid for one side and a tip.
5. When we got back, I did some grocery shopping but went produce-heavy. I started prepping the same day - chopping up the vegetables and washing the fruit, throwing in a few pans of roasted root vegetables, making refried beans, and cooking barley. I'm going to really try not waste the vegetables! So far this week we've used up sweet potatoes, rapini, radishes, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes. Next I need to use up the mushrooms (I throw out slimy mushrooms WAY too often!), shishito peppers arugula, cauliflower and dill. I think tonight I'll blister the peppers and use some of the mushrooms but I don't know what I'm going to do with the dill. It just smelled so good!
@CrunchyCake,
Unwrap your mushrooms and let them sit exposed in the refrigerator. The worst that will usually happen is that they dry out - and then they can be rehydrated and used. Just don't let them get damp first.
@JD, Great tip! Thank you!
This is a random question that popped into my head with this post:
So how did you/your family end up deciding to ski in Lake Tahoe? I have been to Heavenly before it's AMAZING (so maybe that's the answer in an of itself, ha!) but given that I think you live near the Atlantic Coast, it's a pretty long haul. Does your family rent an AirBnB together, do you make a lot of your own meals, or is this just kind of a splurge for all that come?
Whatever the case, it's awesome you get to ski there and I hope you have a wonderful trip, too!
You know, I actually don't know how my family discovered it! They tried it out sometime during the long period of years where I wasn't skiing because of having babies and raising them.
We all stay in a condo together and yep, we eat almost all our meals in the condo too.
There is skiing available here on the east coast but man, it never can compare to the skiing out west!
My friends, who go every winter, just got back from skiing in Switzerland. whimper. one a dese days, one a dese days....
I'm a creature of habit so it is very disconcerting that Thankful Thursday was posted on Tuesday and now 5 Frugal Things was posted on Wednesday.
I converted some broken cement/concrete into a stepping stone path to my compost pile.
I am propagating my succulents.
I purchased so inexpensive decorative pots at an estate sale.
I did NOT purchase a China set at that same estate sale.
I carpooled "into town" on Monday night.
I brought a heating pad into my office to sit on rather than turning on the gas furnace. (Why heat the whole house when no one else is home?)
What are you using instead of Quicken, then? I've never been willing to have my finances tracked online, and I finally had to settle for a very old version of Quicken that stores files locally and has no Internet access. Are there others? I worry that my ancient version will die, or that Windows won't support it anymore (that's what happened to my 2003 version 🙁 ) and I'll be stuck.
Thanks for the tip about the COVID tests. I just ordered mine.
1. I picked up a large bag of essential oils from Buy Nothing this weekend. We make our own bar soap, so they will be very helpful.
2. I picked up some frozen food (quinoa burgers, fish filets, and kielbasa) from Buy Nothing.
3. I used dried apples, that I foraged and then dehydrated, to make 2 loaves of apple bread. It came out great! I also used overripe bananas to make banana bread for my kid's breakfast this week.
4. We took the kids snow tubing this weekend, which was not frugal. But, I packed lunches and water for all of us so we did not eat there. It was alot of fun!
5. My daughter's daycare gives away extra whole wheat bread. We have a few loaves in the freezer now.
I got my free tests, too!
•eBay reselling is slow at the moment, but I was still able to sell a few things.
•Cooked from scratch, got takeout burgers one day only.
•Ate leftovers for lunch.
•My daughter cut my hair as usual; we barter different things.
• Shopped at Aldi.
1. I continue to work on eating up stuff in the freezer, including the three tubs of frozen food that must be finished before we have some above 32 degree temps in March. Next to one of the tubs was a pail full of flour, pounds and pounds of it. So, I copied grandma and her friends and invited over several women to make about 10,000 pierogies. One brought the eggs, one the sour cream, one the butter and another caramelized onions. I made mashed potatoes and donated the flour. We spent a day making them, listening to Vera Lynn music singing WWII songs (my father's CDs that he never stopped listening to; I missed the Beatles invasion because Vera Lynn reigned supreme in our house and at boarding school we were not allowed to listen to American radio. My siblings and I were all born in the 50s and 60s but the Second World War never ended at our home. Two of the women making pierogies are in their 40s and had never heard the music or of Vera Lynn.) No more bucket of flour but now there are bags of pierogies waiting for us.
2. Allbirds are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned and they accomodate my leg brace, so when Allbirds had a sale of shoes that had been returned to them for various reasons, all at half-price, I snagged two pair. Money out now but money saved in the future because I would have bought them at full price next time I needed a pair.
3. Did six gas station shops on errand day, filling our tank for free and getting 12 bottles of Pepsi for free. Husband loves Pepsi but never buys it so this is his way of getting his fix for free. Plus we had fun running the errands and listening to a book.
4. Someone on a free site bought several jars of Better Than Boullion and hated it so gave away 3 and a half jars of it. I snagged them and am thrilled. I usually make stock but sometimes we run out and I love this brand.
5. The library.
@Lindsey, I love the pierogies story--and so would DH if I could tell it to him and he could understand it. I never heard of pierogies before I met DH, but since he is half Bohemian and half Slovak, I learned pretty quickly.
Aww, what a wonderful day you spent with your friends!
Glad you are feeling better, Kristin. I still feel achy six months on...
FFTs
1) made snickerdoodles from scratch with what I had in the cupboard -including pecans not used at Christmas time - to take to a friend's tea party
2) avoided tempting "lazy restaurant meals" by planning a bit and being creative with what we have - vegetable quiche, apple and pecan pie (good thing we like 'em...) etc
3) have been cleaning out post move and located "previously lost" items meant as gifts to my sister and cousins
4) still using up all cosmetics and cleaning items with no purchases aside from toothpaste
5) very much on track with no clothing purchases in 2023 challenge
Oh wow, six months of achiness! I am so sorry yours has hung on for so long.
1. Made a huge batch of beef stew using reduced price meat from my local supermarket, and veg that's been in my fridge and pantry since before Christmas! This fed me and my local extended family for 2 evening meals.
2. Made healthy chocolate pudding using leftover avocado and pre-Christmas sweet potato (does it ever go bad?!) along with store cupboard items.
3. Made 2 servings of chicken tikka masala using reduced price chicken and a simmer sauce from a Christmas 2021 hamper. The remainder of the sauce will be used for a vegetable masala at the weekend, using canned chickpeas and yet more sweet potato!
4. As an insomniac I rely on audio drama to see me through long nights, this week I listened to a couple of very good science fiction drama free on Apple podcasts. In case anyone else is interested they were: "The Callisto Protocol - Helix Station" and "From Now".
5. Bought a couple of clothing items for an upcoming vacation using a returns gift card, the tops were on sale and both will be staples in my vacation and summer capsule wardrobe.
Thanks so much for the USPS Covid test link, I have sent off for mine and will let friends and family know too.
@Mindo, My husband uses Radio Echoes .com website as the basis for his exercise routine, finding an almost half hour program to listen to each time. They have thousands of programs, sorted by title or genre, including Sci-Fi.
For free, I forgot to add.
1. Picked up free full-size dog treats, dip, and salad dressing for a sampling/review program I'm part of. Also participated in a waffle taste test study which yielded me $2.50 after covering the cost of the waffles (which I have to buy first). Perfect for my kids' easy breakfasts!
2. Returned some (expensive) dog toys I bought my dog that we decided not to use. Did buy a handmade snuffle mat that our trainer recommended, from a dog fostering organization at the local farmer's market, which I was happy to do.
3. Gave away some leftover new Valentine's cards on freecycle. My kids are too old to exchange cards anymore. 🙁
4. Some friends are new foster parents and got their first foster placement last week, 20 month old twins! Since their owns kids are teens, they needed almost everything for toddlers again. I put out a call to our church community and within less than a day they were loaned or given everything they needed for the twins.
5. Resisted buying some items which I totally didn't need, but would have been nice to have as they were on sale. Went as far as putting them in my online cart, then remembered to give myself at least 24 hours to think about it and then the desire to buy them went away by the next day.
6. Frugal fail: the heel cap on a pair of boots came loose last week and I meant to super glue them back on but forgot. I took the chance to wear them one more day thinking I'd get to it after I came back from my errand and somewhere along the way, the heel cap got lost. 🙁 I'm getting it replaced at the local shoe repair shop, but its costing me waaaay more than if I just bought a tube of super glue and took care of it myself earlier on.
-I trimmed my own long hair. Thanks to Youtube!
-I deleted Prime. Too much impulse buying, and I can keep that $15/month. I am eyeing Netflix too.
-I logged in my health insurance and found out I can get rewards for doing health activities. I did several of them and earned $70. I am signed up to do more.
-I emailed my auto insurance and am raising the deductible to save some money.
-I found several books at Goodwill for one of my kids' upcoming birthdays.
-Used free Book-its for pizza night
-I babysat at my church for a special event night and earned a little money.
Frugal things make me smile! I know that it all adds up!
@Maggie, It took me longer than it should have for me to realize that since my husband and I had the same insurance but separate online accounts, we could each earn the points to get "rewards" from the company. Hope you earn lots!
@Heidi Louise,
I just discovered that as well! It's nice to have these incentives for doing things to benefit our health!