Five Frugal Things | free Starbucks for me!
1. I got 50% off a Starbucks coffee
When I landed in a cold Chicago airport after a night of zero sleep, I thought a hot coffee was in order.
Sooo, I walked to the nearest one in the airport, opened my app, and oooh, there was a coupon for 50% off a coffee. Woohoo!
And of course, I used a gift card from my Erie YourTurn rewards to pay for the remaining 50%, so this was $0 out of pocket.
I love it when I can stretch my gift cards!
2. I ordered a discounted gift card from Citi
I have a Citi credit card that I originally got in order to score $200 cash back on my $1300 first semester nursing school books purchase.
I've been letting the points sit there, so when I got an email from Citi letting me know about a points sale, I logged on to see what I could snag.
I got a Panera gift card at a discount and immediately loaded it into my Panera app. Sooo, when I need to press the easy button at some point this semester, I've got a little Panera cash waiting for me. Yay!
3. I filled out the FAFSA
Man, this new FAFSA form is sooo much faster than the old one. I give the revamp a 10/10.
Anyway, I filled it out because I want to apply for some more scholarships, and often the FAFSA is necessary for scholarship submission.
(I don't think I've said anything about this before, but I got my first two semesters of school totally paid for, so I am quite motivated to continue with the FAFSA/scholarship thing.)
I don't have it back yet (I think they said to expect it to be approved by the end of January?), but at least I got the ball rolling.
4. I made a use-it-up dinner
I haven't done a proper grocery shop since I got home from Hawaii, so I have been scrounging a bit.
The other night, I found a few slices of bread in the freezer, and two slices of bacon, so Zoe had French toast and bacon.
And for me, I made whole wheat blueberry pancakes, to use up the last of a jar of yogurt, plus some blueberries that had gotten wrinkly during my Hawaii trip.
5. First day of school frugalities
My second semester of nursing school started yesterday!
I walked to school, even though it was pretty chilly out.
I brought my home-brewed coffee in my Yeti mug.
And I packed a lunch (in reusable containers of course). It was just a whole wheat peanut butter sandwich plus some cheese, an orange, and a sliced red pepper, and while it didn't win any excitement awards, the price was right.
We shall see how long I can keep up my not-buying-food-at-college streak. 😉
I was thinking this morning that you started your second semester this week. Happy to hear you got started with a scholarship and a free meal in your pocket!
My Frugals:
* did the laundry on solar power, and linedried two loads (sun! wind! excellent for sheets and shirts - no ironing)
*made my own teriyaki inspired dressing to add a spicy touch to a meal consisting mainly of rice, french beans, and eggs
* ate leftovers of the same for lunch
*made bone broth using bones and vegetable scraps from the freezer
* sold an unused item from our attic
* had our home admin laptop, that showed a blue screen, repaired*. My husband and I have vastly different requirements for a new device so we settled on a repair, that was very inexpensive. I hope the device will last us a few more years, it isnt that old. *No data on the laptop, so no worries taking it to the repairshop!
@JNL,
Plus one: found two 5cts coins during lunch break (total to date: 30 cts)
@JNL, I wish I could line dry clothes now.
@Battra92, You can. We haven't had a dryer in almost 30 years. You can run a line in your house or get a drying rack or just hang it over chairs and doors. It may take a little longer but it's free. Mind you, we had three kids when we started doing it.
@Battra92, We've line dried at various times in the past, and I'm hoping to get back to it very soon. When my husband was finishing up college, at the end of the month there was no laundromat money (and this was when the machines were .25) I handwashed our clothes in the bathtub, and dried them on hangers on the shower rod. Now I have a fold-able drying rack, but mostly I've used the shower rod.
Congratulations on past scholarships, and may more be in your future! Your excellent grades can only help.
FFT, Frigid Edition
-To protect our pipes during over a week of temperatures well below zero, we left our three faucets steadily dripping. I loathe wasting water, so I tried to catch as much of it as possible in water jugs for the freezer, our Brita pitcher, etc. The cats, of course, were thrilled!
—My mighty tiny space heater ran in the basement for the same reasons. The basement held steady at 40-45 even when it was minus 20 and change below! At 0 and above, our basement can hold its own, but anything below that, I consider it worth the precaution.
—My husband and I took turns going out to start our cars and let them run for 5–10 minutes once a day. Our older rides—1989 and 1992–appreciated the care and have been starting right up.
—Our larder has been getting a workout! Knowing it would storm, I planned/shopped ahead so I could skip my usual weekly grocery trip to the nearest city. Spelunking in our pantry and freezer has resulted in homemade pizza, enchiladas, blueberry coffee cake, pumpkin soup, household specialty BBQ Mac and cheese, and other comfort foods, all with a big side of vegetables.
—I also stocked up for our feline brood. The only downside was forgetting myself and storing the extra litter in the garage, like usual. Guess who got to shovel a path to go get it? 😛
My deepest thanks to our little house for keeping us and the cats safe and warm throughout. 134 years old and built like a brick #*@$ house, it withstood the challenge like a champion.
@N,
Spelunking in our pantry and freezer! Love it!
@N, try foam pipe insulation (pool noodles cut to fit around pipes). It really does help. Available at hardware stores/Menards & Lowe's or Dollar Tree/Dollar General for pool noodles.
@Regina, That’s on our to-do list, believe me! Temperatures close to -30 aren’t uncommon for at least a few days every winter, and we just did a week of solid -20 at night; I’d rather be too cautious with pool noodles, dripping faucets, AND the space heater than not!
@N, I live in northern Alaska and we have block heaters in our vehicles that we plug in when it is 20 degrees or colder. (One of the most common questions from tourists: why do you all have plugs hanging out the front of your cars?) I don't know where you live, but with temperatures that cold every winter, are block heaters not normal?
@Lindsey, We normally have a handful of days that cold spread over winter, not over a week at a shot. I've also found that old Buicks are shockingly resilient so long as they don't sit without starting for days--hence the 5-10 minutes running once a day. I do know about block heaters and may we'll look into them once money allows! We just purchased a power bank for phones and our fridge as a precaution since the power went out for an hour during the worst of our storms. Our wonderful gas furnace still ran, though, thanks to the batteries/failsafe in the thermostat!
@N, so smart to catch the water dripping to protect the pipes. Will have to remember that when the next rare artic blast that hits us. Thanks for the great idea.
@Lindsey, those of us at least of a certain age certainly know about block heaters. One of our must-have pieces of equipment is diesel and a block heater is a must have. Grew up with block heaters and in more northern parts of the continental US than me parking meters are well off the road and outlets available. Been a few vehicles ago since we had a block heater but I'd not hesitate to have one again. We can and do park inside(and have done so for well over 40 years now. Attached garage is well insulated so one vehicle usually doesn't "oink" much. The detached, not quite as well of course but not bad. I do remember the year I worked nights and the temp was close to -30, wind chill -60. Seat in the old V-8 did not move when I got in. He grumbled but started - I had darn near a full tank. Had a block heater but no outlet at work. You can't beat the heat a V-8 throws when he's all warmed up.
It is freezing here, so I stayed home all weekend and did a freezer inventory:
1. Found a bag of broccoli, cauliflower and celery I'd brought home from a work veggie tray. I made a version of Panera's broccoli cheddar soup with it. This lasted two meals for me and DH.
2. A coworker who doesn't eat pork gave me a very nice peppered spiral ham (I looked it up online, they cost $50!). I used 1/3 of it to make a big pot of ham lentil soup. I sliced up the rest and froze it for future soups.
3. We don't buy lunchmeat anymore, and DH was eyeing the ham, so I gave him a slice for a nice sandwich treat.
4. I boiled some bone in chicken thighs with onions, carrots and celery to make a nice soup starter, which I froze in two batches.
5. Used my CVS points to buy some vitamins. I check the CVS emails regularly and have been able to save a ton of $ on essentials like vitamins and personal care items.
Frugal Fail: When I first boiled the chicken thighs, the paper/plastic thing was frozen on the bottom of the chicken. I put them in the water thinking that I would peel it off as soon as it warmed up. Well, I forgot about it, and 10 minutes later those things dissolved in the water, like diapers. I had to throw away the broth, rinse off the chicken really well, and that stuff ended up all over my sink. Don't ever do that.
OH, and I made croutons from old hot dog rolls in the freezer, thanks to you Katy, and your constant reminder to not throw old bread away!
@MommaJo, been there, done that. Hopefully the chicken meat was salvageable!
@MommaJo, I left one of those blood catchers on a roast once. It only happens once. I could still cry about it years later.
@Amy cheapOHmom, I never knew what those things were called but now that I know, I'll be using "blood catchers" as much as possible in conversation with my kids. One will think it's cool, two will be grossed out, the other one will be puzzled. Ha!
@MommaJo, My first turkey was cooked with the plastic encased organ meats still in the cavity. We ate the outside meat but the stuffing was ruined. You only have to do something like that once and forever after you don't put in stuffing until you have scoured the inside of the turkey like you are preparing it for surgery.
@Lindsey, both my kiddos are squeamish about sticking their hand "up the derriere" of a turkey. And I constantly remind them it is not as icky as cleaning up cat vomit. In other words, put it in perspective. Now if I could just get the better half to get over his phobia about diced innards in stuffing cooked inside the turkey (or at least in stuffing cooked outside the turkey). I refuse to make "Stove Top" - that stuff is nasty. And I refuse to waste gravy on top of it to "make it taste better".
@Gina from The Cannary Family, I was able to rinse it off really well, and the chicken was still pretty raw so I was able to get more broth out of it but what a mess!
Somehow I didn't picture you as a "6 pumps of syrup" in your coffee kind of lady...haha.
My biggest frugal "save" this week was noticing a potentially really bad problem with my house and taking action on it immediately. (Water issue). Hopefully some plumbing bills avoided.
After a night of no sleep, I said, "Bring on the sugar and caffeine." Ha.
Congratulations on all your scholarships. I hope the trend continues.
1. With snow last Tuesday and Friday we stayed home more than usual. It helped put a dent in the amount of food in the house. I bought a few items at Sam's Club on Saturday but they were on my list.
2. We helped a friend in our neighborhood with shoveling. We walked home the long way and I found $.61 on the sidewalk. That was totally unexpected. I also helped a neighbor shovel. She lives alone it was too much for her to handle by herself. Frugal entertainment.
3. On Thursday a friend and I went out between storms. I ordered a bowl of soup and used a gift card to pay for it. I received the gift card for supporting a local organization that works on maintaining and expanding local trails.
4. I organized tax records, at least what we have available at this point. We received our PINs, from the IRS, to use for filing since we were hacked several years ago. I like to submit our return as soon as all information is available. I also requested a mileage statement for regular volunteer work that involves driving a couple times a week.
5. For the fourth week in a row CVS sent me Extra Bucks. I don't regularly shop there but I drive past one at least 3x/week. I stopped yesterday and purchased three packages of Walker's shortbread cookies for $.10 out of pocket. They were 75% off (Christmas clearance).
@K D, Thank you for helping neighbors shovel snow.
Frugal things, New York City edition!
This was overall a very unfrugal trip but it was totally worth it. Ways I saved money here and there....:
1. My friend and I got dinner from a supermarket a couple of times instead of eating out every night.
2. We walked as much as we could.
3. We took the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty because it was free.
4. Went to a free event at a museum.
5. I had bought food for when I got back so didn't get takeout despite being exhausted after getting home!
@Sophie in Denmark, That #5 is so smart. I need to start doing this.
@Jody S., thank you! I just remembered one more. My friend was able to get us reduced seats at the theatre.
@Sophie in Denmark,
The Staten Island ferry is the best!!!! ( Born there)
@Sophie in Denmark,
What did you see? I love seeing shows in NY.
@Sophie in Denmark, Good for you! Tourist life doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. My DH has diabetes so #5 is important for us in rural Ohio. By the time a late flight lands and we drive an hour or more to get home, it is important to have food, as there isn't any open late at night. It has saved the homecoming more than once! It can be as simple as soup in the freezer to thaw in the microwave.
I came home yesterday after a late meeting to discover my husband had been too sick to make dinner, so I scrambled into use it up mode too. We had the remains of three different salads, plus carrots and hummus. Then I microwaved a package of frozen turkey dogs and a package of frozen brioche buns. It was definitely not a dinner at our usual level of amazing, but it was cheap and fast and it cleared out some randomness from the fridge. I'm hoping he's feeling better today. What else? Just the usual...coffee at home, food at home, leftovers, pushing grocery trips off, etc.
@Becca, "our usual level of amazing" — that is so cute. 😎
Did you get a scholarship for the first two semesters of your nursing school?
Well, I got a combo of scholarships and grants....kinda piecemeal, but it all worked out.
@Kristen, glad to hear FAFSA is vastly improved. After the first year with kiddo #1, I resented having to fill it out (two of them one year) when I knew there would be no benefit. First year, according to FAFSA, we could send kiddo #1 to Harvard, paying for all of it out of pocket. Trust me, we did not make that much money. So I did what the colleges wanted but both kiddos did okay with scholarships and work study. None of us had debt once they graduated. I considered that the most frugal accomplishment of my life. That might be bumped as we paid off the house (no other debt) five years before I will turn 65.
@Kristen,
Now that is just amazing:) Congratulations on this!
I bet you could go all year not buying food at school. I worked an office job for the three years my husband was in the law school, and I didn't buy lunch a single day I worked there.
I am very tired after a night of little sleep (stupid, unpredictable insomnia) and I have to sub at school today, so I don't feel my brain is working at optimum performance. We'll see what I can come up with . . .
--Not that I get too much credit for this, but I didn't buy anything special to cook or drink for the three days we had no running water. I just made due with what I could easily prepare, and did dishes by boiling water on the stove. Though had I had the option for buying prepared food, I would have, so like I said, not so virtuous as it sounds. Living in the boonies forces frugality in some ways.
--I packed food for the basketball player and I to eat on the way home from his game. Saves money and time, since it's an hour and a half drive and the town we were in had no drive-thru options or anything fast. We wanted to get home, and not too late.
--My eldest son is on the homecoming court this coming weekend, a fact that I just found out about four days ago. Thankfully, I had just ordered him new jeans, and jeans are worn for pretty much everything here. For more formal occasions, they're the "best" jeans, and they're heavily starched and ironed, so his new jeans will be just fine. He already has a dress shirt he can wear, and he can wear his cowboy boots. I didn't have to buy him anything special or, more importantly, make the long drive to a clothing store to get him something.
--I was rummaging around for snow pants for my sons in the bag we keep little-used clothing in, and I found several things of my own that now fit me again, including the corduroys I'm wearing to work today.
--My husband FINALLY got around to fixing my middle son's bike, after, um, four months or so of the parts sitting around. I assisted him in this by allowing the bike to be worked on in my kitchen. He's more likely to do something if he doesn't have to go out into the cold to do it. 🙂 Middle son was very happy.
@kristin @ going country, I knew I would write something stupid. That should be "for the basketball player and me to eat . . ." I'd better wake up before I have to teach English today. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, good luck on little sleep. I had insomnia last night (no clue why) & going on 2 hours. Early to bed tonight.
@kristin @ going country, I HATE those insomniac nights. They come at random intervals for no known cause. I tell myself that for whatever reason, my body didn't require as much sleep and I am FINE, so there. (Sometimes it works to explain things to my body. . .)
@kristin @ going country, I absolutely love that formal wear is your "best" jeans.
@kristin @ going country, Oof, as someone who had insomnia all through childhood and young adulthood, and still have bouts today, my sympathies. Hopefully your students go easy on you and you can grab a nap when you get home.
@kristin @ going country, I had insomnia last night also. And I had to drive for four hours today. The longer I laid there, the more irritating it was becoming knowing I had that drive ahead....which of course makes it worse. I see an early bedtime for me tonight.
Ugh, I am so sorry about your bad night of sleep! After such experiences myself, I usually say, "Ok, self, but at least we will be so tired tonight that we will undoubtedly sleep." lol
@kristin @ going country, so sorry you’re dealing with random insomnia. I’ve been having that recently as well and have found a glass of tart cherry juice at night helps as it’s a natural source of melatonin. The taste reminds me of a cherry turnover, so I’ve started to look forward to it lol.
@kristin - I conquer and I am right there with you.
I feel like life has been anything but frugal lately. But cross your fingers that my check engine light is related to a part that is still under warranty! Getting that sorted today. Also:
*did not give in to eating out yesterday, instead thawing a lone tilapia filet for dinner, with sides I already had and made mini apple cakes with three wrinkly apples.
*the switch to creamer-less coffee is in full swing, saving me a few bucks each week as I am following a self-imposed grocery budget.
*got my fence fixed by a friend of a friend for 50% less than the big fence company wanted - same work.
*the audiologist gave me several free battery packages for my hearing aids at my recent check - these are pricey.
I've been mostly not thrifting, staying off Amazon as much as possible, and reimbursing myself from my HSA for OTC stuff.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, I had the same issue with our car! Luckily it was under warranty (fuel intake valve issue). Saved me an $800 bill! I hope yours is covered too. Prayers!
I'm encouraged by your experience with the new FAFSA. I've been a little concerned. This year we will need to fill it out for 2 children. Is it wrong to wait a couple more days to fill it out until we pay a couple of big bills coming up? I am hoping that if we have a smaller bank account, the boys will be eligible for more aid because they have to pay for themselves. I hate to see them struggle!
My frugals:
*We made two huge batches of beef bone broth. I used some veggie scraps from the freezer. The first batch of bones was cooked twice because we threw them in with the 2nd batch.
*We baked more pumpkins sitting in our garage to make some pumpkin muffins. The pumpkin that was starting to get soft was cut open and given to the chickens.
*I made do without all purpose flour instead of buying my preferred type at the local grocery store. I was thankful that when I called the bulk food store, they had a 50 pound bag of it in stock, so I didn't have to make do for long.
*I accepted lots of free eggs.
*I have recommitted to my Great Clothes Heap Challenge. My great clothes heap is a large pile (or two) of clothing which may need mended, donated, repurposed, put away, or tossed. This week I sorted to baskets of the mess. Then I organized some things to make it possible for me to easily grab something to mend/use when I crash in my recliner in the evenings.
*I made coffee at home, made meals at home, entertained myself at home. In fact, I stayed home the entire week.
@Jody S.,
For the FAFSA, we always pay off any credit card balances, tuition bills, etc. before we fill it out. I figure it's going to be snapshot of our income and assets, so I should make it as favorable as I can for my kids. It's not like we're hiding anything - we are just paying off our debts/bills which are due anyway. We're not burying our cash in the back yard (tempting as that thought is at times!).
This is why I find it so hard to be frugal at times - anything we or the kids save, the colleges will act as if it's their money. So play the game to your advantage!
@mbmom11, Well, we have a couple of auto insurance bills that aren't due for a couple of weeks, and we plan to pay those early. Also, we need to buy a couple of mattress, so why not now instead of two months from now? Of course, we are only buying them early because we do have money saved for it.
1. I hadn't been able to open/close the garage door from anywhere but inside the garage, which necessitated backing the car out, running back into the garage, punching the "doorbell" button by the back door, going back inside the house and out the patio door to the car. In cold or rainy weather, this was especially miserable! Instead of calling the garage door repairmen to my house, I found the old remote control opener and took it to Batteries Plus. They were able to open the thing, which had been stuck, and replace the battery with a special kind not available elsewhere. It cost $9, and my remote is now working. Much cheaper than a service call!
2. Not frugal, but I lost my black cardigan sweater. Probably left it in a classroom while subbing last fall; it was never found. Saw one like it at Walmart but balked at the $23 price. I waited for it to be on clearance -- but my usual Walmart store sold out. Looked for black cardigans at thrift stores, no luck. Went to another Walmart and found they had three left on clearance. Paid $13 for one.
4. Took a day off and ran errands and signed up for some deals that were super helpful. First, I went to my internet and telephone provider and renegotiated my bill. Will save $30 each month. Major win! Next, I went to the courthouse to enroll in a special program for senior citizen taxpayers. Property taxes are due Jan. 31. Being over 65, I am able to pay 1/4 every other month until July. Signed up for that! Much easier on the bank account to pay in installments. I wrote a smaller check and am off the hook until the next payment is due in late March.
5. Former roommate had dirtied up the living room draperies to the point that those on the side window were pretty much ruined. How anyone can be so filthy is beyond me, but I was stuck with a major problem. Dry cleaner said he could not use the usual solvents on them, as they would disintegrate. It'd be super expensive to replace these formal drapes. He said he could try steam cleaning, so I said please do. Sure enough, it worked and I don't have to buy window coverings for two huge picture windows.
@Fru-gal Lisa, the Former Roommate Saga just goes on and on and on. Yikes.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I can not figure out what this woman did all day? Did she roll in a pig stye and then come home and roll around your home?
@Anne, and @Fru-gal Lisa,
I was thinking the same thing! How does someone, anyone, get draperies filthy dirty? Wipe their dirty hands on them, or (ewww) other body parts?. Spill food on them? Throw animal feces at them? It boggles the mind!
@Anne, Thanks for the best laugh of the morning!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Yes. Hopefully, as soon as I figure out the flooring replacement, it will all be over, just an unfortunate memory. As in "no good deed goes unpunished."
Meanwhile, a letter was delivered to my house addressed to her and stamped "PAYMENT OVERDUE" and "SECOND NOTICE" So I'm not the only one she's scammed. (I marked it "no longer at this address," and returned it to the sender; lots of luck to them in collecting the debt. I guess she's been out of the house long enough that the post office no longer automatically forwards her mail. )
@Anne,
Probably.
She sat at her computer "desk" (actually Mom's old card table) and played around on the internet. Usually late at night and she'd sleep during the hours most normal people were awake.
She would bring in food from the kitchen but not take back the dirty dishes (they piled up sky high) and if she drank part of a cold drink, it'd stay there. I complained so she brought in a bucket to pour the melted ice and leftover cola in. It'd fill up to the brim and she wouldn't do anything so I ended up always having to bail sticky sugary soft drink leftovers into another bucket and throw it on the grass outdoors. Before I could lift the original bucket and dump it without spilling the goo on the carpet. That was so disgusting! We had numerous disagreements (really loud yelling matches) over this, but she never changed her behavior.
She ate huge amounts of candy (despite being a diabetic) all day and ate all kinds of junk food so that crumbs and wrappers and gunk were all over the computer desk and floor.
Of course, this drew roaches. It looked like coffee grounds were smeared on the back of those drapes; it was actually roach poop.
When she moved out, the card table surface was so filthy and nasty we couldn't even pressure wash the dirt and grime off, so we had to throw it away.
I had trouble getting her out of my house. She would only pay just enough rent to set the clock back so I couldn't evict her and she would not voluntarily leave the premises; when she went to the hospital, I changed the locks and got a lawyer to start the eviction process. So she's hollering to anyone who will listen how cruel I was to her.
She came from a nice family of schoolteachers and was my very nice and sweet friend throughout grade school, and the house she grew up in was always nice and neat. I have no idea what got into her to change like she did.
But I have since talked to two other women who have had similar experiences with other female roommates. One told me there are professional con artist "sofa surfers" who know how to get by with these misdeeds/obtaining free rent/not moving out for months or years -- and that they go from one home to another taking advantage of people who want to help them. So if any of you folks out there are thinking about taking in a roommate, beware.
Congratulations on your scholarships!! That’s great!
@Addy, what you said about the scholarships! Three hearty huzzahs for our Kristen! (And, frankly, I think Kristen was too modest in burying this news in the middle of her #3. A classic case of what they call "burying the lede" in journalism!)
Haha, thank you. 🙂 I have a post in my drafts folder about what strategies I used to get scholarships, but I need to find time to finish it off.
@A. Marie, "I don't think I've said anything about this before..." Why, no, Kristen. No, you did not. ;-}
@JDinNM,
Lol! 😉
Two in, just two more to go! So excited for you, Kristin!
Frugal is hard to come by currently, in that we're in the midst of a whole-house remodel, still, I make an impact where I can!
- Remembered to turn off my outdoor sprinklers before an incoming set of rainstorms, and will likely be able to leave them off for a good amount of weeks to come.
- Made an outline of easy, no-cook meals for our current no-kitchen status, and though repetitive for sure (cheese & meat slices, crackers, fruit & raw veggies, repeat, repeat, repeat, lol), it is economical for sure.
- Made a point to check the Winter performing arts schedules of several colleges in our area, and have been enjoying wonderful live performances for somewhere between Free and $10 a ticket, depending.
- Along those same lines, picked up tickets to enjoy a free youth symphony at our county's beautiful performing arts center. The students, high schoolers primarily, are ridiculously talented, and it's always a treat for us to attend.
- Continue to drink water & split meals with my husband when we pick up to-go meals to break up our current no-cook meal monotony. We can eat 'out' pretty well for about $12 a meal as a result, thanks to the way we super-size everything here in the States, ha!
-
1. Finished using a generous restaurant gift card from our Realtor – it covered five meals and two appetizers.
2. Cut up blank sides of Christmas cards to use as scratch paper.
3. Used $34 of Target Circle earnings when buying items on my niece’s baby registry.
4. Friend gave me a beautiful plant that the florist had wrapped in colorful tissue paper. I smoothed out the paper and will repurpose in gift bags.
5. Purchased a $13 item at our food co-op and paid just $5, after applying our monthly discount, annual dividend, and loyalty credit.
Congratulations on getting those scholarships - getting the semesters fully paid for is huge, and fantastic! (And I'm glad the new FAFSA form is easier since the old one was definitely a pain)
My first frugal thing is crazy and only by the grace of God. I have been nursing a chronically painful right knee for months. D/T weight and age, both of my knees are bone on bone. I had been putting off setting up an orthopedic appointment. Last week, in minus 7 degree weather, I went out to warm up the car for work and tripped on a stick frozen to the ground under a twelve inch depth of snow right onto my knees and hands. It took a minute or too of excruciating cold to find the car door handle and side mirror to pull myself up. After starting the car and going back inside to ge my work stuff, I noticed the pain in my right knee was different. Today, my right knee isn't hurting at all! Yay! no money for gas, no money for ortho!
Due to the cold and snow and slick conditions, I only got out, besides work, one time last week, and that was to take Molly to her grooming appointment as temp was up to 23 degrees, and to the Mennonite store while waiting on her. No other shopping or getting out, means no money spent. Did stop at the auto fixit place as "add coolant" light was on in the car. Only took a few minutes and it was less than "a quart low." (Sounds like oil.) Still, steady maintenance saves in the long run.
Did not change the thermostat on the below zero days, maintained 68' setting and layered clothes. Grateful for the lined jeans I bought on eBay last year. Keep drapes over the plastic covered windows, and blankets over the back door and walk in closet, both just an added on back porch with no insulation.
Congrats on having your first two semesters paid for!
Let's see if I can find 5.
1 - My part of Canada had several days of -45C recently and I wore more layers rather than turning up the thermostat (though the furnace was still running (what seemed like) constantly)
2 - I continue to sell items on ebay and/or kijiji though ebay seems to have really slowed down
3 - I used credit card points for the vast majority of the flight and hotel costs for a trip to Portugal this spring
4 - I used a bonus points offer when buying an Uber gift card and my Uber expenses will be reimbursed by my employer for work related travel
5 - Bought prepaid Visa cards that had an offer of a bonus $15 card with purchase and used a high points earning credit card to buy said prepaid Visa cards
I can't take credit for this but I found $5 when walking to the dentist's office
@Tammy, certainly you can take credit for the found $5. After all, you found it and you picked it up!
@Tammy, @A. Marie is the Pick Up Found Money champion, so if she says you can take credit, you most certainly can!
@Tammy, I found a penny when we were at Disney World, picked it up on the way out, and I take FULL credit for that! Considering we paid $12 for a hot dog, I figured the Mouse could give a penny back! My husband said he was surprised that Mickey didn't come out of nowhere and tackle me to get it back, lol!
Frugal things---
● picked up 2 more spiral hams that were 50% off to put in freezer. My dad is going to take a refrigerator freezer full of frozen meat back with him when comes for vacation this summer. He misses the good meat compared to meat available in Florida.
● Used usual Subway coupon to get 3 foot long subs under $20
● found new Pampered Chef mini muffin pan $21 (includes shipping) online for teen to make mini muffins---don't carry any (different brand) in Meijer or at thrift stores
● got my Free (monthly) Hallmark card
● used BOGO free (up to $3.99) Hallmark card coupon & $5 rewards points to get Valentine's day pop up card & teen birthday pop up card
● eating food at home (freezer & pantry) except Subway (one time)
● one of my tire pressure sensor went out & then came back on few minutes later. Called Discount tire to ask about this. Batteries going bad so replacing ALL tire sensors (at once) & using credit card for 0% interest for 6 months
Frugal fail---
● $700 for plumber to come & clear septic pipe after I did everything possible. But I could not have done what the plumber ended up doing to fix the problem. Plus plumber told me fix for future issue.
Montana free radon test kit
https://deq.mt.gov/energy/Programs/radon
@Regina,
Hey, you did everything possible - what more could you have done? Thanks for plumbers!
- got some "free" firewood. I use quotations since we had to use our truck, trailer, skidloader, and chainsaw to get said wood. Plus several hours of time 😉
- had friends over for homemade pizza, which is significantly cheaper than buying it from a pizza shop!
- grabbed some leftovers to take with us to my in laws, since it was impromptu and I didn't want them to feel obligated to feed six of us. It probably would've resulted in getting takeout.
- our chest freezer is officially dead after being submerged in our basement flood. We may have to buy a new one, but in the meantime, I am checking pages for used ones daily, and if I can't find a suitable used one, will go with a scratch and dent store.
- enjoyed playing in the snow!!
- the usual things... Brew coffee at home, pack lunches, meal plan. I am trying to use up some freezer things since the steer is going to the butcher tomorrow! Hence the urgency for a new to us freezer!
@JP, "free" firewood is sort of like "free" pets.
My not frugals:
1. Bought a jacket on a whim, although as I said yesterday, my clothes are falling off me so it's not so bad.
2. Ordered a bakery cake for my daughter's birthday at her request. The bakery is 45-60 minutes away and the car is in the shop, so I'm paying $45 an hour to my organization person to pick it up. Now the cake is going to cost $135 or so. Eyeroll, but my girl has had a rough time lately. Usually I make cakes myself.
3. Car is in the shop and they want a key fob, so have to pay for an Uber there to drop it off.
4. Car is in the shop, dunno how much it'll cost.
@Rose, this is your car-is-in-the-shop week. I think you are able to do all this expensive stuff because you have been frugal in other areas of your life (or what passes for frugal in the super-expensive part of the world where you live).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I am sometimes a bit. I never buy a new car, for example.
-Other than buying pizza for my wonderful work teammates one day last week. I have packed all of my breakfast, lunches and I always make a cold/blended coffee drink with chocolate flavored fruits and green powder. I can't stand sugary drinks and this stuff is so good and it supposedly has a serving of fruit and veggies in it. Lol! Stevia is the last ingredient on the listing, so I imagine that there isn't too much of that in it?
-My husband fixed our dishwasher by ordering a new pump. I was ready to buy a new one as this one is over ten years old, but now it is up and running just like new.
-Husband also fixed our snowblower. My son must have hit something with it while snow blowing and it cut through a hose and all the gas leaked out. Yikes! But, now it's also up and running just like new.
-Picked up two hair colors and four laundry detergents at Walgreens for less than $25 and got $5 in rewards loaded to my account.
-Bought groceries and Aldi's and purchased twice as much as I would have gotten anywhere else. Plus, I picked up some discounted items. Including a card for a friend of mine for her birthday in November:) I put a reminder in my calendar, so I won't forget where it is. I got it for .09. Gotta love Aldi's!
@Jackie, Maybe you should start your own blog: thefrugalhusband.com
@JDinNM, Hmm... Now there is an idea. I'm not sure he would like me writing about him though! He's pretty quiet and private.
@Jackie, OK, so: theanonymousfrugalhusband.com. No pictures of husband's face, just his hands patting the fixed appliances affectionately and saying "Good dishwasher. Atta girl!" Or "Atta boy!" so as not to be sexist.
@JDinNM, Now that's just funny!!
@Jackie, It's such a blessing to have a handy husband! When we married (donkey's years ago) he didn't fix anything, but since we had no money, he learned. First, he bought a Chilton's manual for our VW Beetle and learned to do almost everything himself. The only things I know of that he can't fix are the sealed units on refrigerators and the electrical system on said VW.
Frugal: cooking and eating at home this week.
Listening to podcasts and books for free to walk outside
Making soup once a week in soup weather. Soup is frugal and lasts 1-3 days depending
Picked up a big candle from kohls for 54 cents out of pocket.
Stretching my haircuts ( my hair grows FAST) from every six weeks to every eight to get ready for retirement, less income. Also trying out no highlights to save money. I am now at week 8 and my hair is driving me crazy. Four days to go!
Stay warm and safe my frugal friends!!
@Stephanie, you could skip haircuts altogether for a year or two since it grows so fast and then donate it to Locks of Love or a similar place. Yeah, kind of extreme, but a fun challenge.
Great frugal wins, Kristen! My five for this week are:
1. I made birthday treats for my middle kid to take to class yesterday rather than buying something like donuts. He's a summer birthday, so we did this for his half birthday. Thankfully, this fell on the ONE day they've been in school in the last week and a half. (We canceled again today. )
2. I found a number of packages of boneless skinless chicken thighs marked $2 off at Aldi, so I bought a number of the smaller packs to make the $2 off be a bigger percentage off. Then we ate our froze them all.
3. We did a number of free things on our week of snow days last week: a playdate, swimming, and a trip to the library.
4. I just ordered party decorations for my oldest kid and rather than buying 2 sets of decoration kits to include enough themed plates and cups, we just ordered decorations (no tableware) and I'll get plain colored plates and cups to match. It'll be a significant saving.
5. We've done a really good job of eating down the leftovers this past week.
FFT, Coming Out of the Deep Freeze Edition:
(1) Yesterday was the first day in eons that the temperature’s gone above freezing here. I celebrated by taking my first shower in four days. I’ve really been rocking the Lake Wobegon Norwegian bachelor farmer thing. But, hey, it saves on hot water, soap, shampoo, and conditioner, right? (And at least I’ve never lost water during this siege. I feel for all of you who have.)
(2) I should probably also mention that my current shampoo and conditioner were trashpicked (still in their warehouse club shrink wrap), and that my current deodorant soap was first used a year or so ago as deer repellent. I had only middling success with deodorant soaps as deer deterrents, but I rinsed them all off carefully for reuse--and I've found that the stint in the garden has made brands like Irish Spring and Coast smell less obnoxious.
(3) I’m still bumming over missing my JASNA region's annual luncheon on Saturday. But we had winter weather advisories for both my city and the luncheon city, and it snowed a lot more in the luncheon city than it did here, so I think I made the right call. (Nine other folks had to cancel as well.) And I’m trying to console myself further by thinking of the savings in gas and Thruway tolls. Finally, I’m going to suggest to the rest of the executive committee that we start celebrating Jane’s and Cassandra’s birthdays in June, a la Trooping the Colour!
(4) I occupied myself usefully Saturday and Sunday by repotting more houseplants and continuing to declutter. I’ve got nice piles now for the antiques/collectibles charity auction and the secondhand-housewares shop.
(5) And I’ve added a jar of unsalted shelled peanuts (which I’ve decided taste like Kleenex) to my bird food supplies. My Ollie’s finally ran out of the unsalted peanuts in the shell I was using, so the shelled ones should keep the blue jays and red-bellied woodpeckers happy for a while.
@A. Marie,
I detest roasted peanuts anyway; unsalted peanuts do indeed sound as if they'd taste like Kleenex.
Give me boiled peanuts or peanut butter any day.
1. Received a check for $61 from the consignment store, which was much larger than expected… and, I think the last time I’ll need to deal with them (it’s been a hassle but I did it initially as a favor to my mom). However, I’ve been able to clear out some of my closet and it’s made about $200 over the last 18 months (minus portion to my mom and $20 “start up” fee).
2. Eating out of the freezer with an emphasis on using dribs and drabs.
3. I finished two skincare products that I won’t be repurchasing.
4. I also finished an expensive compounded prescription medication that I’d had to buy when the “regular” medication was out of stock around the country. I’d only expected to need a few doses out of the whole container, but I ended up needing to finish it out, so that was at least a small efficiency.
5. Frugal, or not? I’ve decided not to pursue several small things. First: an inappropriate kid gift from grandparents ($6) that was returned to Amazon, but not credited to our account. Second: I bought a present for Little E on Wayfair, but immediately after the purchase found a coupon for x% off your first purchase in my email. Value: $7. Third, I just made a purchase of some needed house items on Target, but forgot to click the “activate cash back” button for Rakuten. Value: $0.80. Each of these could be resolved with some time and effort, but DH convinced me that the amount of time and hassle involved would just not be worth it for us at this point in time. It’s really challenging for me to let things go. But DH is right: sometimes you have more time than money, and sometimes you have more money than time.
6. Batched errands while at my counseling appointment, saving a little gas and definitely time.
@Lindsay B, one little e-mail to Wayfair will get you the $7. It worked for me!
@Lindsay B, Rakuten has not been sending me emails when purchased through them stating my amount of cash back, which adds up. Hoping it's not a Rakuten software issue.
Five thoughts, rather than frugals today (It was a non-frugal week here).
1. Kristen, 6 pumps of syrup?! I commend you on your restraint when in such a weakened state, because I would have gotten something indulgent to go with the coffee.
2. You must have had eggs left in the fridge in order to limp along without shopping after you got home.
3. Congratulations on those scholarships! (and why am I not surprised?)
4. It takes vigilance and discipline with apps and subscriptions to keep up with all those coupons and discounts.
5. I have a false sense of being frugal because I buy things I don't need that are on sale, often buying more than I need (stocking up) in order to get free shipping, and doing it online so that I don't feel the pain of handing over actual money.
Next week I WILL do better (after the package with my new skirt arrives along with the shorts that got me free shipping, which I will probably return because the color is weird—on sale—and they most likely won't fit anyway, and WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME, SPENDING MONEY ON MORE CLOTHES??)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I totally get the struggle over the shipping charges. My Achilles heel is buying clothes, also. I'm trying to be better about it, but the yearnings come and go, especially when some article of clothing screams, "Oh Anne, this is you!" And I try to remind myself that the $30 blouse is REALLY $40 because of shipping.
I have been frugal all my life and can actually afford some insanity in my retirement, but the guilt is there.
Cash is tight around my house right now given all of the repairs that have to be made after our recent flooding. We have an insurance claim of course but have decided to go ahead and renovate the two remaining bathrooms. Since we have to move out for the repairs, this is a good time to go ahead and bite the bullet. Of course we want to pay cash for the expenses and are getting lots of estimates to save where we can.
1. I left my 8 yr old at home with Dad when I went to the grocery store. This was helpful in my being able to stick to a list and avoid the trap of random stuff falling into my buggy. I spent a mere $80 to get what we needed for the week. Given that we will have to move out in about a month, I am trying to eat down our pantry and freezer so we have less to pack.
2. I noticed that I had $12 in rewards at CVS and have been holding onto that to use when we needed something. I went in for toilet paper and combined rewards and a coupon to pay for it. I walked out for $3 out of pocket and they will add a $5 reward to my account to use next time.
3. The weather has been cold and I am using it to my advantage to make soups which stretch groceries and use up odds and ends. This week I used some frozen stir fry veggies and the rest of a bag of wonton dumplings to make a homemade wonton soup, homemade chili beans & ground beef from the freezer made chili for us, and languishing potatoes helped us gobble up the leftovers.
4. I turned in a claim for recent a recent vet visit for our dog and will be reimbursed a bit of money. Not much but every dollar counts.
5. I attended a free financial seminar offered by our church. This was useful for budgeting and investing ideas. It also was an encouraging message and offered some very good advice for the times we are living in.
Congratulations on your scholarships. I can think of few so deserving. Also walking to school and bringing your lunch. The little things add up.
1. I had a couple friends and two of my daughters for dinner last night. It was a potluck. I provided the inexpensive main course of pasta with homemade pesto. Delicious and so much fun.
2. I'm slowly doing laundry and hanging it to dry on racks.
3. I sold two items on Ebay and shipped them off yesterday. I recycled packaging.
4. I listed two items on Ebay today. This is something I've not been motivated to do in several months.
5. It's freezing rain today and the roads are very slick so I'll be staying home which means I won't spend anything.
Scholarships sure helped my kids get through collage with no debt. Fingers crossed you get them all the way through.
1. I pulled some meaty beef bones from the freezer, cut up some veggies and cooked soup in a fireless cooker I made out of a cooler with stuff I already had, including the cooler. I only cooked it a few minutes on the stove top to bring it to a boil before putting it in the cooker. I will be doing this again with other dishes. One can buy a pre-made metal thermal cooker, but their prices seem to be running $60-$100. (For more information, look up haybox, fireless cooker and thermal cookers)
2. I picked up my daughter from the airport since her car was in the shop, saving her a car rental.
3. I actually found a nickel on the ground. It's been possibly a year, maybe even more, since I found money on the ground.
4. My sister was lamenting the fact that she gave away all her Corning Ware casserole dishes years ago. Two days after she told me that, I went into Goodwill on a whim and found the very size she wanted, with lid and no chips or cracks. I can't find things for myself easily, but I seem to have a knack for finding thing for others.
4. I filled out all the aggravating paperwork to get assistance for my husband's nursing home bills again for this year, and got it submitted before the due date.
@JD, the proprietor of my new local secondhand-housewares shop says that Corning Ware is HOT right now. And I'm starting to have trouble finding it at my usual thrifts, which probably confirms this. So I think you made a great find for your sister.
And I truly sympathize about the aggravating paperwork for your DH. Much as I miss my own DH, I **definitely** don't miss the aggravating paperwork (with the long-term care insurance company, the nursing home, etc., etc.). Once I'm through with the 2023 tax paperwork, I will have cleared that particular hurdle.
@A. Marie,
Wait, ye olde fashioned Corning Ware is hot now? Is it about to become the next Stanley cup (not to be confused with the hockey award)? I have some pieces from 1977 and I have some pieces of my mother's that was rescued from the house after the fire that are probably that old or older. "From the freezer, to the oven, to the table.." I can still sing that jingle.
Yes, the paperwork is such a headache. And I'm always nervous I did something wrong by mistake, especially when the people in charge of those forms can't tell me for sure what some of the questions mean. My sister is just starting to find out just how aggravating it is.
@JD, I have two CorningWare dishes my mom gave to me when she didn't want them anymore and they will have to be pried from my cold, dead hands. Ditto for my Cinderella and Chanticleer bowls.
@JD, I just replaced a Corningware dish that was a wedding present in 1986. It took a lot of combing through eBay to find it at a decent price and in good condition. Some of the prices are just nutso!
@JD,
Yup, Corning Ware has gone the way of vintage Pyrex....very collectible and pricey. I have a 70s Pyrex mixing bowl that was my MILs....not in pristine condition....but valuable to me, not to anyone else.
I collect Cornishware and on our group on FB, once a month or so, someone asks the value of their Corningware. Um.....really not much.
@JD, Secondhand Corning where has been expensive at Goodwill where I live IF IT MAKES IT OUT TO SALES FLOOR. Goodwill has policy of keeping Hot/nice items in back & list for sale online. Though I have no idea how or where to look online to see.
@Regina, shopgoodwill.com
Hmm, let's see. I've been doing okay on the frugal scene I guess but some family emergencies (everyone's fine!) kinda forced us to be flexible in what we do.
1.) Using Doctor on Demand which is paid for by my insurance vs just rushing to the ER or trying to find an in-network doctor that could see the affected person.
2.) Got a good deal on mayonnaise which seems to have skyrocketed in price.
3.) Cut up a whole chicken into parts for various dinners. I put the pieces into various reused plastic containers (from deli meat) and put them in the fridge until we used them.
4.) I had a real craving for Chick Fil-A but there is not one around us and it too has gotten expensive. So I cut up the chicken breast into sandwich sized pieces, breaded them and cooked them in the air fryer to save on calories and mess.
It was not CFA but it scratched the itch.
5.) Just not spending a lot on things.
@Battra92,
Yes, what's the deal with mayonnaise? The prices just keep climbing.
@JD, eggs and oil being the main ingredients is why. I got lucky this summer and found some Hellman's on extreme discount at Ollie's Outlet. When it was gone, the sticker shock really stung.
@Ruby, as Ollie himself says, "When it's gone, it's gone!" But on the other hand, I just stopped at my Ollie's this morning (ahead of a predicted bout of snow turning to freezing rain) and found my Hampton Farms unsalted peanuts in the shell back in stock. My birdies will be very happy.
It's really easy to make your own mayo if you have a stick blender. Plus it tastes better.
@A. Marie, we had some pitiful-looking birdies during the big freeze. I don't feed them regularly because it attracts rats, but we had sesame seeds, oats, barley and some rye and wheat seeds for planting cat grass that can no longer be used due to our old kitty's allergies. Those got the birds through the worst of the cold and I kept their water bowl thawed.
@A. Marie,
I wish there was an Ollie's near me! I've been buying peanuts in the shell for birds from Chewy.com.
@Battra92, I RARELY make fried chicken because we are a big family and the mess. But last week, I talked my 14-year-old daughter through cutting up two whole chickens, breading the pieces, and frying. I was proud. I'm still not impressed with frying chicken at home. Roasted is just so much easier and quicker.
@Jody S., I've never actually made fried chicken because I detest the lingering smell of cooking oil. Last year though, I decided to try "fried" chicken in the air fryer and it was phenomenal!!! All the juicy flavor without the smell, mess and fat!
Hope your back-to-school week is smooth, FG! My FFT:
1. I painted a hanging bookshelf white for my daughter's bedroom. I bought this dark wood shelf probably 18 years ago in our very first condo. It has moved with us four times since then and hasn't been mounted since our first condo - it's just been taking up room. Never found the right spot for it. The paint job is far from perfect but I'm proud of it. Keep your fingers crossed that it will actually be hung sometime soon.
2. Said I'd bring dessert to a dinner at a friend's house. I was missing an ingredient for every dish I considered making and I started thinking we'd pick something up instead. Kept looking for recipes and ended up making a chocolate cake and made homemade frosting for the first time. It was a hit! It was far from perfect but I'm proud of it.
3. The reason we went to the friend's house was to meet their new puppy. Wanted to get both their dogs a little toy so I looked on the Target app and saw that they had a small selection at my local mini-Target (it's closest to my house but quite limited in offerings). Went there (saved time and fuel), dropped in the 20% discount in the app and then used a gift card I had to help pay for the toys. Chef's kiss.
4. I had bought some wall art for our living room but it didn't really work. I lagged on taking it back to be returned because it doesn't fit in our cars so I have to borrow my dad's car. I did that this week and was able to get store credit (which I know we'll be able to use in the future). I then proceeded to lose the gift card credit but panicked and found it between the seat and the console in the car. Phew.
5. I have not bought the things I've been browsing on the websites for Madewell, Vuori, or Lululemon. They're just sitting in my cart. I'm going to try & let them stay that way.
1) I am using up odds and ends of stuff in the freezer and pantry this week because I have a little more time. I combined some partial bottles of BBQ sauce and cooked it over chicken in the crock pot. I made granola to use up the half bags of nuts we have collected over the last year and the container of oats that no one was eating. I dried out and ground up a bag of bread heels I found in the freezer. I'll use it in meatloaf next week.
2) I checked a couple of medical bills against my insurance claims. These were correct, so I went ahead and paid them. But I've found so many errors in the past it makes it worth it to spend 30 seconds pulling up the claim online.
3) I did a Costco online order. This seems very un-frugal, but I try to do Costco in the most frugal way. I only get items there that are really worth getting in bulk (yeast, dish detergent . . .), I save those items up until I have enough to get free delivery, and then I make use of the delivery option, so I save the time and gas I would have spent to go all the way out to the suburbs to the warehouse.
4) Last week I went through a couple of the wellness tasks on my employer's website. They pay a bonus at the end of the year based on how many of these tasks you complete.
5) I am negotiating my employer's short term disability while I am undergoing treatment for breast cancer. A rep called me yesterday, and I stayed on the phone long enough and asked enough questions that I have a good idea of how to proceed. I almost accepted the less-than-idea situation I was facing, but I am glad I pressed on and kept asking questions.
@Amanda in VA, Wishing you all the best peace, comfort, and success with your cancer treatment!
And that includes not just good staff and supportive friends and family and employer, but minimal paperwork.
@Amanda in VA, AFLAC is another good option that you can get on your own if employer doesn't have.
@Amanda in VA, I'm sorry to hear of your health issues and wish you the best.
First off, I want to thank Kristen and everyone here in the Commentariat for being so welcoming, kind, and supportive yesterday. This is truly a bright corner of the internet!
1. I mended a catnip mouse for Mr. Clark; he loves the mice and sometimes I find little holes gnawed in them. Not wanting him to eat the stuffing, and hoping to make these last a little longer, I sew them up when this happens. They look a little funky but he doesn't care.
2. Another Feline Frugal Thing: I had a pair of shoes that was worn down and needed to be tossed. Knowing Clark likes to attack my shoelaces when I'm tying my shoes, I pulled out the shoelaces and now we have some free cat toys to keep in his toy drawer. He goes absolutely bonkers for a shoelace (and for charging cords, or anything that looks like a snake, or as one of my sons calls it, "a danger noodle."
3. Deep cleaning the kitchen today and I oiled the butcher block table as well as the "cutting boards" we've been using for years and years, which are actually small round table tops DH bought at Home Depot ages ago. They are thick, sturdy, and perfect for cutting and as hot plates. I started thinking about how often people forget that a core action of frugality is taking care of the things one has, so they'll last longer. Not just mending, but upkeep.
4. In that vein, DH informed me today that the car we bought about 20 years ago is still going strong, even though he's had to replace the brake lines and all sorts of things--he's so good about car maintenance that I have no doubt the car will keep going for another 5, maybe 10 years. It is rough around the edges, but still runs and has excellent gas mileage.
5. I am slowly culling my list of Subscribe and Save items on Amazon--a few were impulsive, a few we don't use anymore, and one I have learned I am highly allergic to, so it's not coming in the house anymore.
@Karen A., re: your #3: Dizzy, the third and (for me) best beloved of our six cats (he's the one who turned up as a filthy kitten under the hood of DH's Suburban), was a snake specialist. Inside the house, his favorite toys were the tear strips off juice concentrate containers. Outside, it didn't take him long to discover that garter snakes nest under the big rock in our front yard. I'll never forget his bringing his first snake to me, with his eyes the size of dinner plates: "Ooh, Mama, look~this tear strip WIGGLES!" I got that one and as many as I could afterward away from him, but I didn't always succeed. (And, sadly, he died too young of a disease he contracted from the crazy cat lady's troop next door, so he was the last of our indoor/outdoor cats. The garter snakes have been relatively safe since then. But I miss our Diz still.)
@Karen A., and, of course, I was responding to your #2, not your #3.
@A. Marie, my sweet, cuddly Dora brought an actual snake into the house last year. Thank heavens it was a harmless DeKay's brown snake. She was having a grand time slapping it around the kitchen before I got it in a dustpan and released it. We bought her some new toys after that.
@A. Marie, Aw, Dizzy sounds like a sweetheart! Clark likes his storebought kitty wand well enough, but he is always up for chasing a shoelace. I remember my childhood cat, Pearson, loved string so much we had to hide dental floss, curly ribbon, and yarn or he would just munch it up. As it is, I have to trim the tails off Clark's catnip mice or he just gnaws them off. Note to self--either make my own tailless mice or find some.
@Karen A., It's super easy to make cat toys. My friend does it as a cottage craft hobby. She buys old wool sweaters for nothing, felts them, and cuts them up into various shapes like whales, sews them and embroiders an eye, and sells them locally, stuffed with her homegrown catnip for $4 apiece. It's something relaxing to do with your hands in the evening.
@A. Marie, Pound Hound is the first dog we have had who does not bring shrews inside. The Irish wolfhounds all loved to catch them and bring them, still alive, into the house and preferably into the bed while I was still sleeping in it. (In the summer, the dog door stays open all the time so they were free to wander around the yard at will). Better than snakes, though.
@Ruby, and all,
Your stories of cats and their gift offerings to you remind me of the time my mom was deep cleaning the house in preparation for visitors coming for my dad's 50th high school reunion. She worked and worked and worked and got everything sparkling clean and just about perfect. The visitors were scheduled to get there any minute when Rascal, her aptly-named cat, strolled in and opened its paws to present Mom with a gift. Out ran a panicked field mouse, running for its life, and taking refuge under the sofa. Mom couldn't find/catch the poor little mouse; she spent the entire visit worried that it would make an appearance in front of the guests at any minute. (It didn't.)
Congrats on your scholarship, Kristen ☺️
Hard work pays off!
The FAFSA about killed me with website/ submission slowness. This was my first (and only) time doing this for my high school senior, so I have no standard of comparison
Haha, I have the benefit of having struggled through the old FAFSA several times for my kids and once for myself. lol
1. Saved bones and skin from roast chicken in the freezer. Future bone broth.
2. My brother brought food when his family visited and we ate the leftovers for most of the week.
3. I used a $15 e-gift card from Target to buy baby wipes. (Months ago I spent a certain amount of money on diapers to earn this gift card. There were WAY too many steps to use the gift card and I won't use "earn" one again.
4. I used a Barnes & Noble gift card to buy a parenting book. Getting ready for the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. 🙂
5. I finally got a haircut after "frugally" skipping one in October. (baby came early and it has taken me a while to reschedule.)
Participating in the frugal economy: a wooden table failed to sell on offer up so I lowered the price to free. Someone picked it up and I didn't have to drive to a thrift store.
1. I have been using up food from the freezer to make dinners. I pack lunches for kids and adults before we eat, so there are always leftovers for lunch.
2. My phone stopped working, for no reason that I know of. But, it was still under warranty. The replacement is supposed to arrive today.
3. I mended two pairs of pants for my husband and one for my child.
4. I needed new dress shoes. I waited until there was a 50% off sale and luckily my size was still available.
5. I found that I wasn't drinking enough water because my water bottle had become squeaky. But I didn't want to replace a perfectly usable item. Well, someone gifted me a personalized water bottle as a thank you. Now I have new non-squeaking water bottle.
6. We celebrated my child's birthday with homemade treats, a nacho bar, and a trip to the arcade. The last part is not frugal, but the kids sure had fun.
Having been stuck in the house for almost half the monh due to the weather, life has been very frugal. Lots of eating homemade stuff, re-wearing clothes (our water was frozen to part of the house), and washing dishes by hand in a dishpan. We did make two frugally-guided purchases:
As our new rescued pup finally has recovered her house training, I ordered a small carpet cleaning machine to use on the rugs. It also has an upholstery tool, so that will be helpful with the cars. We had been spot-cleaning while she got through the transition to a new home but it's time to thoroughly clean the rugs.
Gripping milk cartons was aggravating the arthritis in my hands, so I looked on eBay for a gadget called a carton caddy. The price was eye-popping. Wound up buying it for 50% less from Amazon. I prefer to support small vendors on eBay over the world's richest guy, but am not a idiot.
1. Helped organize a baby shower for a friend. I made her a diaper cake with diapers on sale from Costco, free ribbon from Michael's using their $5 rewards coupon, CVS extra care bucks to buy tiny Squishmallows on 75% Christmas clearance for $1 for decorations (a seredipitous find while I was perusing CVS to use the extra care bucks they've been sending me recently), and discounted Valentine's Day ribbon from Hobby Lobby. And I made her the card from my craft stash.
2. Cleaned out the fridge and used up a bunch of forgotten about ingredients for dinner recently. Also using up condiments that were almost finished and taking up space.
3. Hanging up laundry inside to dry and taking advantage of the heater running during our cold snap last week.
4. Used old sheets to cover my plants outside during the freeze and old socks to wrap around the faucets for extra insulation before putting the faucet covers on.
5. Last year I bought a subscription to an online workout website for less than $1. Apparently they have auto-renewal and it just renewed for $110! I immediately logged on and turned off the auto-renewal and called customer service to cancel the renewal and get my money back. Phew! Thankfully it only took a few minutes to take care of.
Yay for 50% off a Strabucks coffee! I almost never buy Starbucks *except* when at an airport. Well done! (I do buy the bags of SBux coffee to use at home, when it's on sale). And fingers crossed you get those scholarships!
My FFT:
1. Have been eating up all leftovers for lunches.....most recently, some very old - but oddly, still edible - cheese slices, leftover tsatsiki sauce with raw carrots (sauce was from a lovely Greek meal a friend made for us), bean burritos with leftover refried beans and cheese.
2. Frugal/not frugal: repurposed an ugly binder notebook to replace my falling-apart recipe binder. I did have to buy clear contact paper to make it less ugly, but I'm happy with the result.
3. Have been looking up recipes to use up ingredients that we seem to have accumulated. Why do we have 6 cans of cream of chicken soup? No worries, I found a recipe for copycat McAlisters Deli chicken tortilla soup....it's a start.
4. Not me, but hubby submitted my medical bills from my recent knee surgery to our FSA for reimbursement. We always use up every cent every year, but this year, he doesn't have to scrounge for prescription and OTC receipts.
5. Also not me, but hubby used travel points to book flights and hotel for our summer vacation to Boston. The three of us (hubby, son and I) are huge history buffs, so we're all definitely looking forward to it.
Bonus #6: not frugal for me exactly, but have been getting rid of things we don't need or want via our Buy Nothing group. Frugal in the sense that it feels very freeing to have *less stuff* cluttering our home. Priceless.
@Liz B.,
*Starbucks*, not Strabucks (eye roll at self)
@Liz B.,
....and, duh....Kristen's Starbucks was ultimately free....(double eye roll to self...)
That's wonderful news about the tuition. I had wondered about that, so I'm glad you mentioned it.
My house is due for termite inspection/renewal. I called around and found a cheaper company that is nearly half for the yearly inspections.
I returned a duplicate Christmas gift to walmart. One of my sons and I bought my husband the same thing.
I sold a dining table that I had when I moved into this house, but it didn't work for this house. And I also sold a grill. Happy to have the space back in the garage, and a bit of spending cash.
I came across some organic vegetarian bean chili (soup in like a pouch) that had a good protein count in it. They were usually $4.75, but on clearance for .47! I bought 6 of them for my husband to take when he goes out of town for work. He always has a microwave in his room, so these will make an easy supper he doesn't have to keep refrigerated.
And I created an annual expense sheet. I think that helped looking at all of last year's numbers and knowing what is coming this year...it made me call the termite people seeing that it was coming up.
Overall, frugal week for me. I don't have high expectations for next week though so I'm gonna take the win while I can.
1. I listed a kid's toy on Marketplace that my son is done playing with.
2. My mom bought my kids some cut up tropical fruit that they did not end up finishing. I pureed it with some water and made home made popsicles for the kids. I also used up some leftover orange juice and apple juice by making popsicles. I used up leftover baked potatoes and fried some eggs for my lunches this week.
3. Our friend had a birthday party at Lasertron. We brought along BOGO coupons for the arcade and a friend gave my son a free game of laser tag. The evening did not end up being as expensive as expected! My son's friend had a birthday party at our local science museum. We are already members of the museum, so only cost was the gift.
3. Our kids had the day off from school yesterday for conferences. Luckily my husband and I can work from home, so we did not have to pay for childcare.
4. I fixed the torn seam on my son's winter coat.
5. I used up a lot of frozen bread and flour tortilla odds and ends to make baked French toast for my kid's breakfast.
I doubt I'll come up with 5 but here goes...
1) I found an obscure old french horror movie I want to watch and I looked it up and Google claims its on HBO/Prime which I have. What they really mean is that you can watch it on there...if you buy or rent ($3.99). I was thinking "well I want to watch it so I guess I'll rent. The library won't have it most likely". Jumped on Hoopla and couldn't find it. What the heck, I'll check the library catalog but I doubt it. Low and behold they have 2 copies, it seems, in the interlibrary system. Fingers crossed its the one in French.
2) I cancelled my FRNDLY, Hallmark movies now, UP, and Paramount + with Showtime. Granted a couple of those were free trials to watch a couple movies in an effort to be frugal but turned into paying for 3 months (so really frugal fail) but we can focus on finally cancelling them being Frugal because we weren't really using them.
3) 95% of this weeks food has come from the freezer/pantry, discounted on food waste apps, or #dollardeals.
4) I got Panera soup at BJs and then when we put in the fridge we noticed the top seal had broke. Part of me just wanted to say forget it and toss it, but we brought it back. My husband just did a flat return so it ended up saving us $11.50 in a way.
That's about all I can remember.
I filled out FAFSA (for the last time!) for my younger son last week. It was so quick I was sure I'd missed something!
Congratulations to Kirsten! How wonderful to be well on your way to the nursing degree!
My frugal week includes:
*free installation of snow tires because we are loyal customers of the tire shop.
*coffee brewed at home every day.
*packed lunches for DH every day.
*mended two warm sweaters just in time for very cold weather.
*used elderly vegetables to make bean soup.
I love that you can walk to school, that's almost unheard of. Plus you'll be able to tell actual true stories of how you "trudged through the snow to get to school!"
My frugal things:
1. We had a cold snap that left temps in the teens and the furnace wasn't working right as I was freezing even layered up. We had the furnace get it's yearly tuneup on 1/2. So I broke down and called the company. They sent out someone who looked at the furnace and fixed it and it was free. So nice to be warm again.
2. Hubby and I have started a boiling bag. We have chicken thighs once a week so now we are saving the bones and any veggies that are left over. This can be turned into soup.
3. Hubby finally got our medical insurance straightened out. He is officially retired now and the company that handles his company's insurance seemed to not know what they were doing. All straight now and we have medical, prescription and dental until we turn 65.
4. Hubby, again, made mac n cheese in the crockpot using the delicious and relatively inexpensive Aldi cheddar cheese block. We also stopped at Aldi to pick up milk and eggs as it's cheaper there than at the grocery store.
5. Bought myself two blouses from Thredup. Had to go to a funeral viewing and realized I had no nice shirts to wear. Next will be trying to find pants and a nice pair of shoes.
Curious minds want to know if the sandwich was PB and bread only, with cheese as a side; or PB and cheese on the sandwich.
I haven't tried the latter. Maybe I should?
Today is the first time in over 60 days that our most northern village of Utqiagvik will see the sun come up. It goes down in November and stays down until now. When we lived there, it was my favorite time of the year, no pesky sun. In Fairbanks we are up to six hours of sunlight now, galloping toward 24 hours of daylight at the rate of 7 minutes a day.
Frugal things:
1. Husband is coming home after 12 days of being gone so made a berry pie for him, using up four partial bags of various berries that had been rattling around in the freezer just waiting to get freezer burned.
2. Did a load of laundry and dried it by hanging it all over the house. This was a forced frugality because the car is in the garage and blocks access to the dryer. It is 37 below zero at my house today and I am not pulling the car out just to use the dryer.
3. Ate a chicken pot pie for lunch even though I did not like it. When am I going to learn that cauliflower needs to stay in its own land and stop trying to be something like pizza crust or, in this case, the pastry for a pot pie. I hate when I do aspirational shopping, where I buy something healthy even knowing that the likelihood that I will like it is less than zero. Sometimes I garden that way, too, which is why I plant beans and then end up giving them away because neither one of us eats them.
4. The only time I ever iron is when the husband needs his performance tux ironed. He has a performance this weekend so I dragged out the ironing board. He sews, I iron, and that distribution of chores works for me. Anyway, while I had the iron out I gathered up the tissue paper we salvaged from Christmas gifts we received and I ironed it for future reuse.
5. Listed three items in FB marketplace and eBay. One of them sold within an hour.
@Lindsey, 37 below....NOTHING could make me go out in that! I would be soooo glad to see even a hint of sun after that long!
And 100% on the cauliflower!
1. Canned 5 pints of jam from different berries I picked and froze in the summer. The berries were from my garden and the woods around my house.
2. Used up different odds and ends for dinners.
3. My friend showed me how to cut boys hair. Saved me $ on 3 haircuts.
4. I made garlic bread out of some very old rolls. Delicious.
5. Sold a coat I never wore.
Snagged more free puzzles from work. This ended up great for me because I was sick all weekend so I mainly worked on puzzles.
Work was closed due to the bad weather so I saved on gas. I had to work remotely but at least I did not have to go out.
Made creative ways to use up leftovers.
My laptop is making a wonky sound, I think it is the fan. I bought the tools to take the cover off for $7 before I take it into the shop. Why does Apple have to use such wonky screws!!
Sewed a hole in my 20 year old Lands' End coat. I hope I can get couple more years out of it.
I put the FAFSA right up there with mammograms, teeth cleaning, taxes, and potty training. Just one of those things you have to do but dread. Good for you for completing it already. You go, girl.
Frugal loss this week: This was supposed to be my no-spending week in January, but OOPS one veterinarian visit for $156.42 for the loss. I'll have to schedule two n0-spending weeks in February, so I have to watch my gas gauge carefully.
Congratulations on your scholarships. Given your stellar academic performance, I'm sure you will be awarded more.
Due to snow and ice event, our community was basically shut down last week. We didn't leave the house for over a week!
1) our large kitchen window doesn't have any window treatment, so I hung a blanket over it for insulation during the extreme cold weather.
2) reduced the thermostat from our regular setting to 2 degrees lower during the day and 5 degrees lower overnight. We had to layer clothes, but we were not miserable.
3) I made large pots of soup that we had for many, many meals.
4) we actually finished a whole loaf of bread last week! That never happens around here.
5) My potted gardenia is too large to move inside, so I used old sheet with a rip in it to cover it up to protect it from the ice storm. It appears to have survived!
That's great, that you got your 1st two semesters paid for, and I hope you're successful in your search for more scholarships!
You always make me think about ways to save money where I can!
I don't always do so well at saving money when it comes to food...working full time and not planning ahead have made it a challenge...but I am currently trying to use up things in my freezer, meat in particular, before I buy more things. This past week has been successful. One day at a time!
I just discovered this blog last week and have been working my way backwards through the archives. I've gotten used to reading in reverse order, so it's a little disconcerting to jump back to the present and read the latest post! This is my first list of frugal things. I can't wait to learn more frugal ways from everyone here!
1. Ate some mulligatawny soup and 6-layer casserole out of the freezer. Am planning to look in the freezer more often.
2. Used some expired migraine medicine, which still works well despite being several years old. I didn't have many migraines for a number of years, but have been having them lately, so I'm glad I still have the medicine.
3. Paid bills online, saving the cost of postage.
4. I purchased veggies at the nearby ranch market, where things are usually much cheaper than the grocery store.
5. I received a card in the mail from Chewy with a hefty discount, but lost track of the card. I decided to sign up for their emails and hopefully get a similar offer. I looked up the price of the cat litter, and it was on sale, even better than Petco's price. By ordering three, I got $20 off and free shipping. Woo hoo! I will have 126# of cat litter in the closet, but we'll go through it, lol. I like to order a bundle of 4 bags (10.5# each), which is less expensive per pound. The bags are easier for me to handle and it's easier to dispose of the bags than the big boxes. When I order from Petco, I usually get free shipping when I order 2 bundles.
Bonus: I contacted my exterminator and reduced service from every other month to every three months, saving about $100/year. I did this a few months ago, but as this is my first list, I'll include it.
@Dee in AZ, welcome! You'll find this is a caring and chatty community, and we're glad you're here!
@Dee in AZ, ditto what Lindsay B said!
@Lindsay B, thank you! I've already gleaned that from reading the archives. I'm back to May 2023 already.
@MB in MN, thank you! thank you!
Let's see what I can come up with...
1. The Friends of the Library's book storage shed needed some TLC. Over time, DH had collected mostly free building supplies to complete the job, so we headed over there between rainstorms to get the work done. Alas, the problems were much more entrenched than we realized.
2. I went inside the library to get something and a program was being set up in the community room, where our extension cord was plugged in. I introduced myself. Turns out the program was on a topic of interest to DH and me. We decided to sit in and then found out a yummy lunch was being served. Score!
3. I will save the snacks I'd brought along for a future Food Emergency.
4. A local wine store is closing up and moving to their other location. I have been able to score enough lovely wooden wine boxes to use as $Zero Cost Centerpieces for next Spring's fancy pants library fund raiser, and another batch to use as props for same. Love it when I underspend my miniscule budget. BTW, I spied the signs on a random walk through downtown in the early morning hours! Got my steps in and found cool free stuff* to boot!
5. Hosted a party for 12 at our house on Saturday. I used existing paper goods (Happy New Year themed supplies I'd paid 57 cents a pack for at Aldi after Christmas. They were leftovers from the original event they were purchased for.) I made two appetizers and dessert by shopping in my own refrigerator and pantry.
*After we had wedged into the tight alley behind the wine store and loaded up the boxes, DH's trusty old truck wouldn't start. He diagnosed the problem and I stayed with the quasi-legally parked vehicle while he walked to an auto parts store. Half an hour and $30 later, we were back in business.
Just here to say “ YAY,YOU!” for getting your education paid for! I am soo sad at the high cost of education these days.My entire 2 years of nursing school cost $3500 and I had no pre requisites, we took all the classes during the 2 year program, had to go full time. 1982, Applied,got accepted, did 2 years and done,They have made the whole process sooo complicated. Scholarships:YAY!!!! Did my NP years later, thanks to sponsorship by Planned Parenthood,I paid off the part I owed them with a work commitment.
Frugal Week:
1. Entertainment today,free: Played cards with 3 friends who live on my block,we rotate to each others home, hostess provides snacks /lunch.
2. Seeing local theater tonight, a DOO WOP show my fave! supporting local artists and I paid for a year’s series, so cheaper than show by show purchase. Ate dinner at home= frugal win. The theater is surrounded by trendy restaurants but we don’t bother.
3. Clearing out our refrig for some dinners this week. Made a baked potato topped with cottage cheese meal surrounded by all kinds of veggies and odds and ends yesterday.We oddly enough really like that meal!!
4. Planned a MONTH of meals for February to use up some freezer and pantry items and reduce grocery bill for Feb.
5. Paring down my closet. Making myself STOP SHOPPING even at consignment stores..I do love clothes and I have ENOUGH.Even if they are “thrifted” it is still not frugal and is wasteful of $. I have ENOUGH.
Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I posted in FFT, so I have a couple good-sized wins,--comparatively, anyway.
1) Due to hubby's increasing age, weakness and falls, we had to get the master bathroom shower remodeled. I was good and getting estimates, when the second person, with a large company, came in. He didn't have the lowest estimate, but he did have the quickest job date and completion date, so I heard him out. After a long spiel, an absolute "no" from me, much negotiating, several discounts, and a less expensive material, we got everything for half the original estimate.
2) The team came out and had it all completed in one day, which greatly eased my mind for hubby's safety. There were a couple of miscommunications, including failure to reuse our original grab bar, which gave us only 2 grab bars for three walls, but they brought a new one fresh out of the box the next day--at no charge to me. That thwarted my wish to be frugal by using the perfectly good grab bar we had, but at least the new one was free to me. And the rest of the issues were resolved to my satisfaction, at the insistence of the very nice office manager.
3) My dog had to have two tumors removed from under her tail, and the vet had told me it would be between $500-600. However, he had forgotten to include the cost for pathology, which brought it closer to $800. But before I even saw the bill, he had arranged for $150 to be paid out of the donation fund, which was half the overage. Back in the summer, when Ziva tore the ligament in her second leg less than 10 weeks after the first leg's surgery, he authorized a payment for $100 to be applied to her bill, stating it was because there was no way we could have saved for that unexpected additional surgery. We have been with this vet for 6 years, 2 dogs, and I am absolutely sold on this clinic and everyone who works there.
4) Okay, back to the mundane. Two or 3 of my bras had broken hooks, and I had put on enough weight that another 2 were way too tight in the band area. Instead of buying new bras (because the cup areas were still okay), I ordered bra extenders from Amazon. Three packages of 4 in white, black, and beige were still less than the price I usually pay for one bra, and they work just fine.
5) I have never been much of a meal planner, probably because I really do NOT like to cook. But I made myself sit down a couple of days ago and list 5 main meals based on what I have in the pantry and freezer, and if I sat down again tonight, I'm sure I could come up with 5 more without buying a thing from the store.
Congrats on your second semester! I agree that the FAFSA is a wonderful gift for education!
N- Your home sounds dreamy and I'm glad the cars and abode are doing well in frigid temps!
MD- Those are awesome uses of credits/discounts and offers! Way to go!
My frugal items are not very exciting this week but it's all good. Here we go:
1) I came across an awesome gift for hubby's birthday at a 50% discount. The last time I saw it was in an antique shop and I'm glad I didn't buy it back then.
2) While out of town, I came across an item that my sister had wanted. I didn't get her much for Christmas, so I picked it up. She was happy to get it in the mail. I know it's a belated gift, but it still counts, right?
3) My doctor ordered a bone scan and after calling my insurance company and the imaging facility, I found out it was free!
4) I was gifted a lovely frame with a photo of my oldest and his new bride. We had no idea they got married !
5) Instead of paying for haircuts for our youngest, I've now handed over the financial responsibility to him.
1. Admittedly looking for something else, I found a pj shirt marked down from $34.99 to $4.99 at Old Navy. Since I wear these every day I grabbed it and was excited to discover that I had $3 credit on my account so it cost me $1.99!
2. Steak is not cheap, but when I went late yesterday to buy some meat for dinner filets were marked down 50% because they had to be sold that day. I bought one extra package which we'll cook up for another day.
3. Today I went to a different store to return a defective item. While there I did find what I had been looking for at Old Navy, and it was marked down to $24.99 from $44.
4. I fried some leftover mashed potatoes in bacon fat with garlic and it went over quite well.
5. I dropped a different return in the FedEx box and they promptly emailed me that the return had been processed.
Trying to not buy groceries as we eat down our fridge and some freezer items before we leave for 2 months to Mexico this Sunday. Calling and canceling things like garbage to save money while we’re away.
Fasfa the thing I hated the most when my kids were in college. The passwords etc would never work even though they were written down and the whole thing was an exercise in frustration. Of course it got easier now that I don’t have to do it anymore!!
So nice to hear you aren’t going into debt for nursing school. I hope these semesters get covered too!
FFT
1. Menu planned 2 weeks of meals based on what we had in the pantry/freezer. I was able to spend $48 at the grocery on the items we still needed. What's crazy is we've eaten healthier and better meals because I'm cooking more. Ie it's cheaper to make chili & rice than get frozen pizzas....
2. $2.99 for a 10lb bag of potatoes, so I bought two. My youngest helped me peel most of one bag and we made mashed potatoes for the family. And with some of the leftover mashed potatoes, we made shepherds pie for the freezer.
3. I did some volunteer work for a group in the fall. The director told me to take a refund of the volunteer fee I originally paid. $150 back, yay
4. My husband asked a leader at our church if he could volunteer for a leadership conference coming up and get the entrance fee waived. They said yes. Sometimes you just have to ask.
5. We are on a spending freeze at least this month. Cancelled Netflix, already don't have Prime, and paused Peloton membership. Many times I've wanted to go thru a drive thru or get something.... I just tell myself nope unless I have a giftcard.
I will cross my fingers for you that your FAFSA process goes smoothly and results in some great aid! I work at a small university in Kentucky, and I know our Financial Aid staff are really stressed by the constant updates that are happening (especially with yesterday's announcement about the current FAFSA not calculating some information properly). All they want is to provide aid packages to our students for next year; and yet they just don't have the data yet. Sigh.