Five Frugal Things | help me decide something
This is one of those weeks where I was feeling unsure I could come up with five!
Prepare yourself, none of mine are going to be ground-breaking. 😉
(And number five is the one where I need your advice.)
1. I used a gift card to get my wifi service
As I mentioned the other day, I was having power issues at my house, so I ended up going to Starbucks to get my schoolwork done after clinical.
But I did use a gift card to pay for the coffee, so it was $0 out of pocket for me.
(Gift card via points from somewhere....I think from Fetch, maybe?)
2. I packed my lunch for my clinical days again
I still have my no-hospital-cafeteria-food streak going. 😉
3. I bought some marked-down chicken at Aldi
50% off? Yes, please. 🙂
4. I mended a potholder
The stitching just started coming off of this potholder randomly. But fixing a potholder is very easy with a sewing machine!
I'm not a sewing expert, but I was surprised to see what long stitch length the manufacturer used on this. I'm guessing it's a cost-saving mechanism.
But in my experience, a long stitch length usually makes an item more prone to needing repair in a jiffy.
5. Should I mend my Darn Tough socks?
I have a pair of Darn Tough socks that developed a little hole. I know they have a guarantee where they will replace your socks, but I'm wondering if I should just do a little hand-sewing repair of the hole instead.
If I send my socks to them, the socks will just get thrown out and not used, but if I repair the little hole, I can keep using the socks.
What would you do?
I'd fix the socks. Ultimately it's less work and I'm lazy.
@Becca, Ditto!
@Becca, another vote for fixing the hole.
@A. Marie,
@Becca,
Also, I should clarify that I am so lazy, I would probably just wear them with a hole in them for a pretty long time until the hole got big enough to annoy me out of my laziness, like a toe would have to be losing circulation or something. I know you are far more prompt at addressing this kind of thing than me though.
I have those same socks! If you repair them now, then have a major hole later, will they still take them back? I would probably send them in.
@Crystal, I had the same thought! Mend now as it seems doable, send them over for an exchange when they’re no longer wearable
@Crystal, and @F from france,
I was thinking the same thing! as long as the "home repair" doesn't negate the replacement policy, I'd stitch up that hole, and return them for replacement when no longer wearable.
@Liz B., Adding my vote that I agree with Liz B.! Mending is a skill I wish I had the patience to learn, so it's great that Kristen has this as an option that is both frugal and pretty efficient with her extensive mending practice over the years.
Fix the sock - it's just a small hole. Also, you will have use if the sock right away! No waiting necessary.
I've not been frugal. We're still heating the garage. And last night, I sent my teens out for potato chips to have with dinner - a bag of store brand. They cone back with 2 bags of name brand. Instead if two dollars, it was seven. Sigh. They thought they were being helpful because name brand was on sale. I appreciated the thought.
I bought 90 eggs at Sam's club - the box is up to $30 now. ( $4 / dozen still cheaper than grocery store. )
I filled up with gas a day too late - the price went up by 30 cents.
Oh well, we'll keep trying!
@mbmom11, those trips to the grocery store do teach teenagers how to shop, but they can be painful. When my daughter was a teenager, she wanted to make an apple tart for her cousins birthday. She went to the store to purchase a few of the things she needed. While there, she decided to use cardamon in the place of cinnamon and purchased it at the cost of $9.99 a bottle. This was 10 years or so ago when everything was much cheaper and I was shocked. We had a long conversation about grocery prices and value after that.
@mbmom11,
Ugh, that gas situation happened to me, too! I feel your pain!
@Liz B.,
I have no idea why this posted twice. Sorry, folks.
I’d repair the socks!
I have the same potholders and that trim piece has come unstitched on every single one!
Since the hole is on the side of the sock, I would probably just fix it for now.
I would repair the socks. You can always replace them later, if there is another issue. Save the socks from the landfill.
1. I bought ground chicken and chicken breasts marked down at Grocery Outlet. I cooked the ground chicken and froze it, in a recycled jar, for a future meal.
2. My Grocery Outlet receipt contained a $7 off a $50 purchase coupon. I used it to stock up on some long shelf life products.
3. A friend invited me to her house for lunch. It's healthier, cheaper, and more comfortable than eating in a restaurant.
4. I returned some items to Sam's Club that we didn't need.
5. I talked with a local friend on the phone. The weather was dicey for going out (high winds) so we caught up with a phone call.
I would also darn the socks because it's a faster fix and I'm an impatient person. : )
My main frugal thing this week is that the final cost for some legal work we had to get done was less than the estimate the lawyer had given us. This needed to be taken care of and I don't have a problem spending the money, but spending less was a happy surprise.
I will mend wool socks but I would just buy new socks at Costco before I would mend any non-wool sock.
I'm sure you know this but for others who may not, if you are in need of some WiFi and want to not spend a cent (giftcard or not) you can go to your local library. When I was in college (20 years ago ...) I would use the computer lab for this reason. It was a free hangout spot
My FFT:
1.) Speaking of the library I found a few series of books I've been wanting to read via Interlibrary loan. While I am not opposed to buying books (I feel like John Waters was right about people who don't own books) I don't need to own every book out there.
2.) My daughter really wanted to see Wicked and since it was a long movie we opted not to take her to the theater and wait for home video. Instead we got it from the library and she and my wife had a mommy-daughter movie night. Unfortunately for her she didn't like the movie (which is too bad as she hyped herself up for it.) but a big positive for us that we didn't spend any money on a movie she didn't end up liking.
3.) Got a couple discount items (but not that many!) from the Valentine's Day clearance section at Walmart.
4.) Sold another item on eBay. My eBay sales at this point are now going toward my next "fun" purchase (an ereader) but I won't let myself purchase it until I get through more of my physical books.
5.) Valentine's Day dinner was cooked at home and leftovers were eaten the next day. I do hope to get some time for the wife and I to go out but with the cost of babysitters and everything and such, it may be a while.
Of course the weather kept us homebound so we didn't spend any money this weekend at least.
@Battra92, my local library has rather confined hours, especially on weekends. My college library though had great hours, and the program I was in gave me 24 hour access.
Yes to the library idea! Except it was a Sunday night so I was stuck with paid options.
Normally, though, both my public library and my college library would be good options.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, yeah it's very much a YMMV situation. I also really dislike how my library closes for every new holiday that comes around (honestly, I'd argue why they needed to be closed on Presidents' Day ...) but I like to advocate for libraries because they are one of the few places left in society where you don't have to spend money to be there.
@Battra92, Yes to working at the Library, which is open until 9pm here. And you may bring your own coffee, from home or GC purchased. Our Library has a quiet room, too.
I'll remember the library suggestion if ever we have a power outage, such a good idea!
@Kristen, True, Library not open late on Sunday nights.
@Kristen, fair enough. My library is closed on Sundays and I get the why and honestly have never needed to go on a Sunday but it would be nice.
@Battra92, Our library is open on Sundays just during the school year--only in the afternoons, but I think it's mainly so students can do research or work on school projects that may be due on Monday. In the summer they're closed on Sundays.
@Battra92,
Gah, I thought it would be too recent to get Wicked at the library. I thought it was just streaming as it wasn't too long ago it was still in the theaters. O-well, at least I used some points which made the price of streaming cheaper. I will have to remember to check the library even for newer movies going forward.
I didn't love the movie either. I seem to be in the majority though...along with your daughter. Nice to know that someone else didn't absolutely love it too.
@Battra92,
My local public library has a huge "tech center" on their lower level, so not only are there many computers available, it's quiet. Obviously, you are limited to the days and times the library is open (it is open on Sunday, but closes at 5 pm).
@Battra92, as a library trustee at my local library I am very pro library. Our little local library has limited hours but we have one in the next town that has better hours. One library about 8 hours away even has a Keurig to make coffee with . I think it's a good will offering towards the coffee.
@Jaime, yeah she'd been asking again and again for it. She loves The Wizard of Oz so she expected more of that. She didn't hate it but didn't love it and said she'd most likely never want to watch it again.
Oh well.
@auntiali, Eight hours is a long way to go for a coffee 😉
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea,
Many libraries keep their connections on 24/7, so all you have to do is get close to the building(s).
@Kristen,
My local libraries lend hotspots with a three-week lending time!
I work from home and getting a loaner hotspot meant that I could be home working and waiting for my internet to be fixed a few weeks ago. It took a couple of callbacks to have the new router really up and running and all connections in place, so the loaner hotspot was such a blessing.
Our libraries also lend out Roku devices with various streaming services loaded on them, which I've used to watch specific movies not yet on DVD or my current streaming service.
Very handy.
@Battra92, I found the live musical a little on the light side. The original novel was very dark and very brutal. To make that into a light musical, and then they kind of tried to balance it in the film… The singers were good, but I just don’t know if they succeeded.
@Jane in PA, Great tip! My library system does this as well, and was a lifesaver when we were in between employer-provided home internet and Starlink availability.
@Julia,
I agree the novel was weird.
My book club chose it and I tried 3 times to read it. I guess I just couldn’t get past the munchkins having sex!
I would repair those darn Tuffs because the hole is up around your ankle. I love darn Tuffs and I have sent back pairs but it's when they get threadbare down in the foot and no amount of darning will either fix it or make them comfortable to wear.
If I was any good at sewing I would repair the socks!
This week was very spendy because I was in Paris, but here are my five:
1. We bought food either from cafes or takeaway places for dinner rather than eat in a restaurant.
2. We took water and snacks with us when we went out.
3. We bought a travel card for the week which easily paid itself back due to the number of times we used the train and the metro.
4. This wasn't saving money, but if you are able to go to Paris in winter and arrive at museums like the Louvre before they open, you will save a lot of time standing in line! The downside of course is the grey weather 😉
5. This is two- I saved money on the flight by being able to just bring one bag. When I got back I realised I'd lost my plug adaptor in the airport. I had a spare charger in my drawer and that worked for my laptop!
@Sophie in Denmark,
Paris metro is so convenient! I envy you for having been there.
Plus you had a refresher course in French too 😉
@JNL, the train from the airport was excellent too! It was fun speaking some French again, although my brain mixed it up with Danish at times haha! I read that the part of your brain which stores different language is the all the same part (this is grossly simplified, I'm sure) so different words from different languages can be spoken when you are unsure/tired.
@Sophie in Denmark, on DH's and my three-day trip to Paris that I mentioned in an earlier comment, DH and I concluded that although Paris is generally tres cher (very expensive), the Metro and cheap red wine are bargains!
@A. Marie, this isn't about the price but I love the art nouvaeu signs for the metro above the station!
@Sophie in Denmark, so true! I speak Spanish as my second language and recently had a colleague who speaks Spanish as her first language. She and I agreed that speaking our second language is so much more challenging when we're tired that sometimes we just give up, haha. It's interesting how that works. And my toddler, who is bilingual, just chooses the best word that comes to mind. So we have a lot of conversations that begin in the vein of, "Mama! I want my gato!"
@Sophie in Denmark, I hope you had a lovely time in my city! If you liked the train from the airport my guess is you landed at Orly, that train line is brand new.
The train from Charles de Gaulle is meh at best, you pass some really dodgy neighborhoods/cities on the way. If you can board an express train though, it’s somewhat better.
@Myndie from California, so cool! Sometimes I mix Danish words when I think in English, even though English is my first language.
@F from france, I actually got the train from Charles de Gaulle! The places it stopped at didn't seem great but it was a short journey into the city. And I did have a lovely time!
So true! Isn't the brain amazing? It has become necessary for me to learn Japanese lately, and I have intermediate fluency in Spanish as a second language. I consistently replace Japanese words with Spanish but hardly ever with English. I think my brain just grapples for any non-native word. Even my husband, who is not fluent in Spanish or Japanese, will often say "sí" when what he really means is "hai". It thoroughly confuses ourselves and the native Japanese speakers we interact with.
@Marissa, when I'm tired my brain will combine all the languages I ever studied and sometimes a combo of Danish, French and German will come out (sometimes even a Spanish word). I read that your brain will absorb language until you are roughly the age of seven, and you cannot retain it in the same way. You can still learn a language at any age, but it will be considerably harder after that!
mend 'em!
I'd save on shipping costs and time by mending the socks.
Here's the fab frugal five this week:
1) I got a free half gal of milk and a can of hairspray.
2) I purchased warm outerwear and sweats on clearance for the family. I finally wore the parka since we've had super low temps outside. What a difference it made. And I saved 80%.
3) I received $17 through Rakuten on my purchases.
4) My son got a haircut for $14 from a coupon mailer.
5) We shopped around for homeowners insurance since the cost nearly doubled. We were able to drop the rate down by 40% by using a new company and providing proof of the installment of high impact roof shingles.
Mend the sock. If a pair wears out in the sole or heel, then use the warranty.
Sew the socks! Best solution for all involved-less energy used for sending and receiving a new pair of socks and less resources used by the company (one that you like!) overall, so even though you might get a little less use from a mended pair vs a new pair- mending is best!
I'd check if the replacement guarantee is still valid after a repair. If so, I'd stich and ask for a replacement only if/when the socks wear out more (If not, I'd ask for a replacement pair now).
Small frugalities this week:
Using the thermos whenever I heated up water for tea, for later cups.
Upcycling vegetable scraps and ends into slowcooked bouillon - to use for lazy gravy, soup, cooking couscous/rice/pasta etc. The bonus is that the house smells so lovely when I make it :-).
Returning whole and clean plastic bags to our grocer, who will give small refund and use the bags again.
Shopping at Aldi and buying at clearance.
Sunny cold days, so free power for laundry and wonderful free excercise outdoors.
Also I found a dime.
I love the sound of the wind below the ice so I recorded half a minute of bird song and tinkling ice - just what I needed to soothe my mind.
@JNL, I love that sound!
@JNL, I've never heard of 'tinkling ice.' I found this online, so soothing!
https://www.evocativesound.com/2022/03/01/the-tinkling-sound-of-tiny-icicles/
--My parents' impromptu visit last week left us with 15 more pounds of ground venison (we've 35 lbs TOTAL now), frozen homemade banana bread, and frozen gouda with bacon. Our half chest freezer is so comically full! I had to take out a bag of flour and chicken thighs just to get the door to close, plus one pound of venison that just wouldn't Tetris.
--Cue a change in the weekly menu plan! Thursday was updated wth roasted chicken, with venison burgers and BBQ Mac & Cheese over the weekend. I JUST managed to fit the flour into my one spare container.
--Valentine's was our usual quiet dinner at home. We don't do presents for each other but instead splurge on food--lamb and asparagus, in this case.
--The specialty pharmacy for one of my husband's medications sent out another e-survey; the reward for taking it is always a $5 Amazon gift card. It's a short survey and the pharmacy staff are fantastic,* so it's a breeze to give high marks for $5.
*The nurse who calls to schedule refills has been the same for years. She even knows the names of our cats.
--The "free" $5 was put toward brown lentils and five pounds of flour.
--After an intensive inventory of our deep freezer, fridge freezer, and assorted pantries (small kitchen = inventive), I've calculated that we should be able to make it several months only spending $100/month for groceries. (Human groceries, that is--the cats stay spoiled.) Most of that will be fresh fruit and vegetables until gardening season hits. Toilet paper, etc., are also good. I started "slow stocking" last summer, where I bought one extra of household staples as the budget allowed. Much like my recent vegetable garden seed sale binge, I'd rather be prepared than not.
I'd probably repair the socks, but I also feel like when companies guarantee something and then people don't take advantage of the guarantee, the company never knows their product is failing. There is no opportunity for them to fix a problem if they don't know about it.
@Christine,
Along the same line of thought, I wondered if the company would accept a photo of the hole. I’ve done that with food purchases and received a coupon. This way the company doesn’t need to pay for shipping (or do you pay it?) and bother throwing it out. Might be worth a try.
@ErikaJS, that's a good idea!
Did all our food shopping over the weekend and spent too much. But we will have enough meat and supplies for the rest of the month before we leave for our FL vacation. Started the pile of some items to bring with us so we don't spend too much money. We will be in a condo with a kitchen, so we will probably be eating there a lot.
Husband worked on bicycles so that when we bring them, they will be in great shape. We plan on riding everyday while there. Swimming will be our other exercise. Just hope we don't spend too much money at Spring Training Baseball games.
Other than the food shopping, stayed home all weekend and did not spend money. And now this week is very cold, so it will be more staying home and keeping the wood stove stoked.
Working on organizing my office as there is too much stuff and not enough storage. Trying to use up a lot of paper that I already have for my scrapbooking adventures.
Made some cards for people I have been thinking about a lot. One is the husband of a deer friend that passed away last year. Her birthday would be tomorrow and I just want to let him know that I am thinking of him. Also made a card for a dear friend that is going thru cancer treatment and wanted her to know I am thinking of her. Used supplies I had on hand, including stamps and return address labels.
@Maureen, love that you were sending thinking of you cards!
Socks are one thing that I've not repaired before, so I'm no help on that one. If it's not on a seam, odds are that I'm not going to fix it.
My FFT (on a week where we've done lots of fun things and spent lots of money):
1. My daughters and husband went to a Daddy/Daughter dance on Saturday. They wore dresses that I got on clearance and went to Bob Evans for dinner with a gift card that we found while cleaning. (Whoops! We have no idea what it's from.)
2. I took my son out (he chose McDonald's) and I used a 20% off coupon on the McD's app. We had been to Meijer earlier and picked out candy boxes to eat on the way to the movie theater (we finally saw DogMan) so we didn't feel like we needed any snacks at the theater. Oh! And I used an e-gift card from a contacts rebate to pay for the movie tickets.
3. Yesterday was my daughter's birthday party and we took a few friends to SkyZone, a trampoline park. Definitely more expensive than our normal birthday parties! But instead of ordering socks when we bought our tickets, we bought them at the door. Before we went we ended up finding one pair that we owned and a friend had a pair, so that was two less pairs that we had to buy - then the employee gave us the member discount on the socks, which saved us around $15.
4. We reused birthday decorations from a previous year's party. I won't tell you how long ago that party was, but it worked out that I didn't give away those decorations years ago like I had planned. (It was from a Candyland party and she just turned 11, so....)
5. I made yogurt and coffee at home. (I'm out of fun frugal things.)
P.S. Your work lunch looks amazing!!! Surely it was better than if you bought cafeteria food.
@Ruth T, you have to pay for socks to go to the trampoline park? You can't just wear your own? I'm intrigued.
@auntiali, Yes... they have grippy things on the bottom. In addition to trampolines, they have some foam block pits and ninja challenge course stuff, so it helps you keep from sliding everywhere. And because they like to make money, they require that you wear their brand of socks.
I would repair the sock. The non frugal mindset would go for a shiny new pair and not even think twice where the old sock went. But your mindset is save the planet....one sock at a time. Lynne
I would repair the socks IF in doing so you don't nullify your ''replace'' guarantee. Check that first!
That way, you can repair them and if that works, great. If it busts again within a short time, you get your new pair.
Hedging!
Darn good question. I'd mend them for the reasons others have listed.
1. Earned $13 from bringing books and an audiobook to Half-Price Books.
2. Sister treated me to lunch. I got a foot-long veggie hoagie and ate the whole thing in 10 minutes flat, ignoring my stainless steel doggy bag container that I bring everywhere. Had a small dinner that night.
3. Wearing a headband and neck gaiter in the house for extra warmth, especially in the morning while the house heats up.
4. My flair pen is running out of ink, so I now store it upside down to keep the ink flowing a bit longer.
5. Drinking hot chocolate at home using packets of Starbucks mix (with no unpronounceable mystery ingredients) that I bought at a steep discount. I stretch each one-serving packet into four servings made with whole milk. Divine!
@MB in MN,
I saw what you did there…
@ErikaJS, hehe.
I'd fix the socks. I didn't know Darn Tough just throws the socks away--you'd think they could recycle them or something. I usually use worn out socks as rags.
Not very many mindblowing frugal things here:
1. Youngest DS has shown an affinity for reading fantasy (it's the only thing he really loves to read, aside from history) and I dug up a copy of Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander for him. To my surprise when I was leafing through it, I found a dime! This book has been read by his three older brothers, so I'm guessing at some point it got shoved somewhere and the dime got jammed in it. I took it as a finder's fee.
2. DH had Monday off and went grocery shopping with me. This is frugal because he is so much better at finding deals than I am. I got hooked on grapefruits when we were in Florida, and had been just buying one or two at a time (they're huge!), but he found a bag of less pretty ones that were cheaper, and when we tried them, they were delicious. Can't judge a citrus by its cover.
3. Library books are always a bargain, even if sometimes I get a dud. At least I didn't buy the book and then have regrets!
4. Our Fit Desk bike started making horrible sounds and it looked like the belt was broken. DH managed to get the compartment open and found that just a piece of the side had shredded off. He trimmed it, cleaned it up and the bike is working fine. It is a wakeup call to get a replacement belt before long, though.
5. I didn't buy eggs. But the eggs I do have need to be used up---we don't eat a lot of eggs--so I'm hardboiling some for snacks and will scramble the remaining ones for fried rice tonight.
@Karen A.,
I decided to look up what happens to them
"After inspecting your socks, they eventually get tossed into a bin where they go on to get recycled into practical things... like emergency blankets. At least the clean ones do. Dirty – e.g. fire damaged socks – are recycled separately and then used as stuffing for automotive seats..."
Additionally, for those who brought up if mending yourself would void warranty
"If you alter the socks, like by dyeing them or cutting them down to re-size them, you have voided our warranty, and unfortunately we don't cover that. (But if you choose to extend the life of your sock by darning it yourself, we will cover that when you do eventually decide to replace them.)"
@Jaime, Thanks! I'm glad to hear they recycle them.
I think the sock falls under "just try it!" If the hole is on the side, toe "seam" or ankle ribbing, I'd do it. If it's on the sole of the foot, I wouldn't bother, because a repair that rubs your foot isn't good. Darning is easy to do poorly and hard to do well; commercially-made socks are made with such fine yarn that it's hard to make a perfectly smooth repair.
My five:
-I made a lot of "thrown together" meals over the long weekend, using up some stuff from the freezer.
-We went to a car show this weekend. We brought food for my daughter and we stopped at a grocery store on the way home for the grownups. Much cheaper than convention-centre pizza for 3.
-I ordered free fabric samples from Bemz to consider a slipcover for our couch, which is threadbare. If we can get it to last another 5 years, I'd be thrilled.
-We bought a month of access to Sportsnet to watch the four-nations games, but we'll cancel it after. We do that a lot; get access for a few months for a specific show, then cancel and re-start next time. That way we don't wind up accumulating the equivalent of a cable bill.
-My writing of this comment was rudely interrupted by the subway stopping service. Instead of paying 60 bucks for an Uber, I've hopped onto a different line and will get to work late. Luckily my supervisor doesn't mind, and it saves me 60 bucks.
I would repair the socks and send them back if it happens again later on.
My 5 frugal:
* Redoing a bedroom/den. I choose paint on sale (55$) and did the job with my daughter (0$). I took my daughter old but like-new daybed (0$), with her mattress (0$). I'm using already owned bedding/cushions for the daybed (0$) and keeping the same curtains already in place (0$). I have transferred my reading chair and bookcase for my old bedroom (0$). I bought, at the thrift store, a bedspread (well.... a curtain that ended-up being too short but that fits the bed, so bedspread it is) for 7$, a cozy throw (6$) and 2 cushions covers (2$). I was also on the lookout for a narrow desk, I went to 4 thrift stores for it, no luck. So I caved in and bought one from Amazon, for 30$. Grand total of 100$ for a new bedroom/den, yay!
* Had to buy daughter a new bedframe, from IKEA, before the 15%-off offer ends. And accepted the free delivery offer (Don't know why, as it is usually 60$). 330$, not bad. My mom will give her a mattress she does not use.
* Got a queen size bedspread on Buy Nothing to replace one that is really crappy.
* Got a free 30 days Amazon Prime and 7 days Crave trial offer. I will cancel before the end date. I wanted to watch the Friends Reunion for a while now but didn't want to pay for it. Now I can 🙂
* Have not bought any food from my workplace since January 1st.
@Isa, impressive room refresh!
It seems like every time I mend a hole a bigger one ends up opening around it. I would probably return it.
I have some frugal/not frugal things:
1. My iron was old and taking forever to heat up and forever to get wrinkles out. I researched irons and snagged one when the price dropped by $20. I know, the fact that I still use irons is a sign of insanity to many of you, ha. I do iron clothes but I also sew and an iron is really useful there.
2. I bought another watch. I have the lovely watch DH bought for me years ago that I wear to work and church but it is too dressy and delicate for many other situations. I bought a plain rugged watch that can get wet, when it was reduced by $150 plus another $22 off through Capital One plus free shipping. I would never have paid the original price. I wear a watch almost constantly.
3. I opted not to “follow the link” to pay a skipped toll fee that a text oh so helpfully advised me to follow, even though I was warned I would “lose my license!” Stupid scammers. I haven’t even been on a toll road in years.
4. I sewed a microwave potato baker sack from materials I already have.
5. My sister and I will be jointly celebrating our February birthdays by going thrifting and buying each other something there.
@JD, I think we must be around the same age because I use an iron and wear a watch (and sew, but only under duress) AND occasionally go thrifting for fun with a sister or a friend.
@JD, although we determined some time ago that I'm exactly 6 months older than you are, I'm a "lily of the field" by comparison: I toil not, neither do I spin. That is, I don't sew (except for the most basic mending), and I no longer own an iron or an ironing board.
I am, however, intrigued by the "microwave potato baker sack." That may be within even my limited capabilities. Is any special type of fabric required?
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I know my name suggests otherwise, but I'm in my 30's and regularly use an iron, I asked for a watch last Christmas, and I had a blast at Goodwill last week. 🙂
@A. Marie,
The sack is basically cotton batting sandwiched between two pieces of cotton fabric, folded and sewn at the edges to form the envelope. The requirements are few, but are important: everything must be 100% cotton, including fabric, thread and batting. For those who are unused to batting, there are plenty of battings that are basically cotton but actually have other fibers woven in with them. Only 100% cotton is safe, so many use a safe batting brand called Wrap and Zap. The reason is that you can start a fire if there are any non-cotton contents in the bag. The bags do a good job of microwaving potatoes so that they come out like baked potatoes. It's quite likely that one can buy a bag without having to make it. I would just be sure it says it is 100% cotton.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Let's put it this way. If you watched Captain Kangaroo and Red Skelton, remember Barry Goldwater as well as Watergate, watched the moon landing and read about Dick, Jane and Sally, we are probably contemporaries or near contemporaries.
@JD,
I iron almost every day as do our four kids! My sons, 25 and 27, are fastidious ironers as well! I don't understand the desire to wear wrinkled clothes! LOL! My mom was quite a seamstress and taught me the value of a good iron-both the appliance and the action!
I do remember Watergate and did watch Captain Kangaroo and read Dick and Jane. I'm a bit too young for the moon landing and Barry Goldwater, but my dad was on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer shaking Goldwater's hand in 1964, and my cousin is named Barry after Goldwater. So, now, in addition to revealing that I iron, you also know my family's political leanings! 🙂
@JD, sign me up for being a contemporary. But my sisters will not do thrifting. They don't live near me anyway. I was a "horrible" mother who dressed her kids in yard sale clothes.
It’s way less time/effort to repair the tiny hole.
1) Had $15 off any purchase at BJs so I placed a pickup order. Also had rewards available so my order total was $0.60! DH picked up the order when he was nearby for a doctor's appointment.
2) Our dishwasher quit spraying water after we had a new faucet installed in the kitchen, so we purchased one from Best Buy that was supposed to be delivered and installed yesterday. When I went to schedule the time on Sunday, per their request, I learned that there was no installation available for months and the delivery wasn't available until Wednesday, so I canceled the order. Then DH realized that the plumber had shut off the water value to the dishwasher when he installed the faucet and forgot to turn it back on, so turned out to be a good thing they couldn't deliver on time since the dishwasher was actually working. 😉
3) Redeemed Honey points to my PayPal account for a total of $80.
4) While cleaning up I found a VISA gift card for $60 in the desk that expires this month. Activated the card and will use it to cover some of the cost of hosting grandson's first birthday party on Saturday.
5) Went to the mall with DD, SIL, and grandson so he could get a build-a-bear for his first birthday. I didn't go into any other stores at the mall, so I spend $0.
FFT, The Endless Winter Is Still Endless Edition (adapted from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) The winter weather in Central NY continues with only a few minor breaks. I used one of these breaks Saturday morning to nip down to my own Ollie’s and use my 15% off Presidents’ Day coupon for various things. Since I no longer have any warehouse club membership, it’s Ollie’s for me. (Sam’s Club is owned by the obscenely rich Walton family that also owns Walmart; I have a personal issue with BJ’s; the only Costco in my area is on the other side of the county; and, as a single woman, I don’t need most things in club-size quantities anyway.) Our @Ruby is also a loyal member of Ollie's Army.
(2) I was at Ollie’s too early on Feb. 15 for the Valentine’s candy to have been marked down. So I grabbed some Hershey’s chocolate Santas (and shared these with NDN, who has a sweet tooth).
(3) For the time being, I’m fortunate to have ample supplies of some things folks are reporting having trouble finding. In particular, I tend to get a lot of fancy bath soaps as gifts, since my friends know my weakness for them. And I’d rather have soaps and other consumables/usables than bric-a-brac. (See also Lindsey and her requests for toilet paper!)
(4) I spent Sunday and Monday under house arrest (a lake effect snowstorm plus high winds), decluttering and cooking. I made a split pea soup and a loaf of bread machine potato bread, and have shared these with the Bestest Neighbors and NDN.
(5) And I also spent some time participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count, as planned. The snow here is now so deep that some birds who usually prefer to feed on the ground (juncos and white-throated sparrows) have mastered using the feeders.
@A. Marie, I meant to tell you that one day during the weekend I was playing fetch with the pup in the backyard and heard a loud, odd birdcall that quickly became louder. I looked up and saw a huge V of sandhill cranes flying over. They overwinter on the lakes here, along with a few whooping cranes. It was an amazing thing to see.
@Ruby, wow, sandhill cranes?? I never saw those back when I was living in your neck of the woods! Great sighting!
@A. Marie, and here’s my mind blowing sight for the backyard bird event. I was standing in my kitchen, aimlessly looking out the window when I saw a bird landing. I thought, “Holy expletive! Look at that wingspan.” I took a photo of it & the Merlin app id’ed it as a bald eagle. It felt most auspicious
@Diane, your bald eagle story reminds me of DH's and my first sighting of one, at an artificial wetland in Arizona created with wastewater. As we walked out onto the boardwalk there, we saw one, and DH yelled at the top of his lungs, "Holy s**t, it's a BALD EAGLE!!!" Whereupon the bird promptly and sensibly took off. I teased him about that from then until he could no longer understand a joke. Thanks for prying loose a funny memory for me.
@Diane, We've seen several around our house and also while driving around (especially near the Mississippi River-- tons of them). I have tried to explain to my children that when I was a child, I NEVER saw one. Nor did I know anybody who had seen one. It's so cool to me.
@A. Marie, they were critically endangered, but conservation efforts since the 1960s brought them back. There are a few that live here year-round. It was just amazing to see creatures that were nearly extinct flying free and lustily hollering their heads off.
@Ruby, @A. Marie I am in Florida Gulf coast and Sandhill cranes are a daily sighting. I know them from their call, before seeing them. LOVE seeing the babies in springtime! Also many eagles by me, but usually have to go out on the lake or to the local park to see them.
@Diane, I saw a pair of bald eagles last week, and they were calling to each other! Most auspicious, indeed!
@A. Marie, For quite a few years everyone in my town was very excited about the lone pair of mated bald eagles that came to a historical park every year to have their babies. Apparently this year, because the eagle population has risen, the male (Orv) has gone missing after having been spotted fighting with other males. Now Willa, the female, has a new mate...poor Orville. Back when the kids were very young we got a kick out of going to the park and spotting them, and like Jody S., I had to explain that as a kid I'd never seen a bald eagle. Now they're having turf wars!
@A. Marie, I swear I had a hawk that was following me around. I first saw on sitting on the split rail fence at horse facility opposite from my doctor's building. Couple of days later I saw one sitting on a metal fence in front of Walmart. So cool! Last spring dh and I saw bald eagles while on a train ride into a canyon or some sort in West Virginia. Rumor has it that they fly around about 30 miles west in the Delaware Water Gap. I really love birds.
@A. Marie, I uttered precisely what your beloved said!!
@Cheryl,
I have bird photographer friends on Long Island, NY, that have seen sandhill cranes there recently! That is NOT usual for them.
@Karen A.,
You must live in Dayton, Ohio! I live south of you (Lebanon). We love Carillon Park!
@Liz B., Yep, when the kids were young that was one of their favorite places to go!
The only socks my husband will wear at this point are Darn Tough. He LOVES them. They are pricey, but there guarantee is incredible. He is very hard on socks and HAS used the warranty on multiple pairs but his always wear through so they can't be mended.
I do wonder if they will honour the warranty if they can tell you've sewn up a hole? Probably.
We always send our Darn Tough back (it does cost the price of shipping), but I don't know what I'd do about a "mendable" hole since that's never happened.
Frugal things lately.
- Getting all my books from the library.
- Finding a 4-pack of nice plastic totes at a thrift store for $5. I re-organized our main bathroom cupboards and the totes were perfect!
- I took two bags of outgrown kids clothes to a consignment store and then another two (small) bags of odds and ends to another consignment store.
- Buying all sorts of things 50% at the grocery store.
My question would be if you sew the tiny hole now & then end up sending socks in for gaurantee will that tiny repair void your gaurantee warranty? If it doesn't affect gaurantee then sew away. 🙂
Frugal things---
● Saved $0.10/gallon on gas ($2.89/gallon)
● got eggs at Save-a-lot ($5.50 for 18 eggs)
● needed more motor oil for oil change & found at Dollar General & saved $5 off $25 (Saturday only coupon)
● got my taxes done (free)
● & got identity theft protection for next year for teen & myself ($30 after using (previous clients) $10 off discount coupon from Love My Credit Union)
● bought some bread previously & put into metal bread box on counter (No I didn't forget about it but) the bread was hard on bottom & squishy/wet on top (& I put bread in box on side as to not squish). Ripped hard bread off & made french toast with remaining part of bread.
I'm definitely in Team Repair. It's such a small hole, easy to repair, and in a non-critical location. Even if it were on the heel, I'd repair it, only returning it when it's too ratty to repair or uncomfortable.
I had a good week this week.
1) I took advantage of a pricing quirk by Safeway. They bagged 5 sumo citrus and labeled it "$3 each." Legally "each" means the product as presented, in this case they were presented by the bagful. I bought 4 bags.
2) I returned something to Nordstrom that didn't fit well.
3) Instead of paying $100 or more to turn a souvenir cross-stitch into an Xmas ornament (my tree is travel themed), I left it in the hoop, tidily taped the back, and added some fishing line.
4) I bought half- price yarn at a yarn shop that lost its lease. The yarn was good quality but not fancy, which is hard to find these days.
5) Best of all was an unplanned thrift store spree. When I dropped off my donations I saw a pair of hand weights in a size I needed, in the donation shed so I went in to ask about buying them. Of course I looked around. I for $55 I bought
- the weights (for $.50/lb),
- set of 3 cast iron pans (which needed seasoning),
- 3 craft books,
- a potato ricer,
- 2 spatulas that match what I already have,
- 3 candle holders that match my kitchen's unusual hardware, and
- an InterMetro shelf end, to keep things from falling off the side.
@WilliamB, does your thrift shop sell items by the pound? That’s a good haul. The shops around me have started googling everything and applying the eBay price, so I’m less tempted to go on a spree.
@Ann on the farm, Nope. A common way to compare the prices of lifting weights, kettlebells, and so on is how much you pay per pound. Dumbbells run $2-3/lb for the smaller ones so $.50/lb was a bargain.
@WilliamB, Got it! It’s a dumbbell metric!
I'd mend it. I'm wearing a pair of smart wool socks (so, similar, but they fit my feet better than darn tough) that I mended a teeny hole in over a year ago. Still going strong.
One vote for sock mending. You know how, it's easy, and you get to keep the sock in use.
Fix the socks. Then you can use them immediately. Like you said, they will just toss them.
Kristen, Your packed lunches and dinners streak is awesome. Beyond the savings in money and time to run to the caf, they look so yummy! I find myself starting to drool at your food photos often, this one no exception.
I would repair the socks.
1. For Valentine's Day, my husband and I went to a local brewery for dinner. We used a gift card we had won. We only spent $40. Then we played a murder mystery game we already had and went in our hot tub. The next day we went to the public market and we went hiking.
2. I used leftover ricotta to make gnocchi. I used homemade pumpkin puree to make an oatmeal bake for breakfast. I used 2 chicken carcasses to make chicken soup for lunches.
3. I listed a dollhouse for sale on Marketplace.
4. We purchased ribs for 30% off, french baguettes for $0.69, $0.50 M&M's, and $0.90 trail mix at Aldi. The trail mix and candy is for my kid's Easter baskets.
5. I am off of work with my kids for February break. We used our museum membership yesterday and brought lunch/drinks. Today we are seeing a movie at the discount theater (tickets are $5) and then we will likely go to another museum we have a membership to. Later this week we will use a gift card for a trampoline park.
I would mend to sock. I never learned to darn so I patch all my wool socks with a patch from an old wool sweater. The patch melds in after a wearing or two.
@Sheila, ooo, what a great idea for a mend!
I love DTV socks!! I'm a rule follower, so I'd probably email customer service and ask if sewing the hole voided the guarantee in some way. If they say yes, send them right in to be replaced. If they say no, repair and save the email for when you do eventually send them in. You must have your sewing machine out and at the ready? Putting mine away makes it a little more of an issue for wanting to do quick repairs.
Are you going to count up Repair and Return votes, and then go with the majority opinion on those socks?
I would go ahead and mend the socks. They are ones you enjoy and you never really know how they will view the guaantee. I have never had this brand of socks but have had mixed results with guarantees. Jansport sent us a new black backpack my daughter cried over because the backpack we sent in was black with sugar skulls. My son on the other hand got a gftcard and couldn't decide which backpack to choose. Bombas has replaced colored socks which were probably discontinued with black socks. So if you love these socks just mend them.
Frugal 5
1. I am on no spend day number 15 and going for the win of 30 days.
2. Mended my favorite WALMART woolen socks.
3. Replaced a windsheild wiper with one that was hanging around my shed.
4. Started a new bucket of compost.
5. Went through my seeds and developed a good list of seeds I really needed. Started the chart for planting.
Bonus! I keep track of utility bills and we are paying about half of what we paid last winter on Natural Gas. The new furnace for the win!
@Amy cheapohmom, 15 days is great! and woohoo for the new furnace pay off!
@Amy cheapohmom, did you take your new furnace receipt for your taxes?
@Amy cheapohmom, I once had to send my daughter's backpack back to Jansport and she was upset with the one they sent back cause it wasn't the same. Sigh...
This week is winter break for my son and we are staying home. There are lots of playdates, cards to play, board games, puzzles and some spring tasks to keep us busy. The cost is $0.
I used my FSA card to purchase some OTC medications, reading glasses and pay for some coinsurance bills.
I cooked all of our meals at home and we managed to get through almost all the leftovers losing only a bit of chili and a small amount of cheeseburger macaroni.
I purchased flower seeds during President's Day Sales to save 25%. I also took advantage of a bedding sale to purchase sheets from Target as we have several sets that have become threadbare - these are sets I have had for more than 15 years so they have certainly given us our money's worth. I will save them for cleaning rags, draping over bushes and plants during frosts, and for painting projects.
I am trying out a new gym this week. They offer a free trial week and since it is a large gym, there are classes that you can take that are included in the membership. My current small gym doesn't offer this and I know it sounds dumb but I need the motivation of a class to really get me going in the gym. I have been slacking off in this area since the holidays, then got the flu and it is time to get back to it.
@Angie, not dumb at all. Whatever works to get us going. The best exercise is the one we will do.
@Angie, I don't think I would get to the gym if I didn't have a trainer!
@Angie, I also vote not dumb at all. Classes have made a HUGE difference in my exercise life! I hope you find some classes you like!
@Angie,
Not at all dumb:
Our DS2 loads a book he really wants to read and only allows himself to h listen to it at the gym as motivation to go.
I would mend the sock, but I find this kind of mend very easy.
I'm scraping the barrel for five frugals this week, too:
1. We were going to purchase a new car this year but decided to put it off, so my husband bought the parts needed to put new rear brakes on my existing car.
2. I'm working my way through my to-be-read pile and was able to return three books to a friend who loaned them to me an embarrassingly long time ago.
3. Tillamook 2-lb blocks of cheese finally went on sale and I bought the maximum allowed of four blocks. The encased-in-plastic blocks last forever in the refrigerator and the sale price is less than half of the regular price. I also had a free coupon for one 8-ounce block of Tillamook.
4. I'm digging through the freezer and pulling out odd bits to eat. Also focusing on eating down leftovers. I did have a fail -- had to throw away a large bag of shredded mozzarella forgotten in the garage refrigerator.
5. My husband made some extra cash plowing a couple of neighbors' driveways.
1. I have hardly left the house since Thursday. This is for a variety of reasons: the cold, the snow, but mainly the physical therapy I am working through. This has saved on gas!
2. We braved the cold and took my son to his yearly well-child check. He’s a medically boring child (thankfully) but it’s good to have him check in yearly to make sure there aren’t any issues we missed. We were also able to get his sports physical taken care of during this visit which will save us time and the cost of an office visit before he starts high school.
3. One of my friends came by for a visit. We caught up after not seeing each other for a while and I made her a “fancy” London Fog and a boring cup of coffee for me. It was perfect.
4. Since I was staying home over the weekend, I did some baking on items I could have picked up from the store. I also reorganized two closets. We moved to this house a year ago and one of the closets still had unpacked boxes – lots of things are in the Good Will pile now!
5. I repotted a monstera plant into two different pots. I already had the potting soil and the pots, but now I have a new plant!
I would send them back - the manufacture needs to be aware of where it's product is not living up to the name. And I am sure that you paid a premium for them. I don't mind mending but in this case, no.
I would try to send a photo, then probably mail it if they pay for shipping . . . if not - might mend it!
I just watched a youtube video over coffee this morning discussing how to spot poorly made stuff - the first of which was long stitch lengths! Obviously true :). Good job repairing.
Lets see:
1. Decluttered my bedroom stuff this weekend - collected several tweezerman tweezers that had been set aside as dull - will be sending them in to be sharpened this week.
2. skipped spending money on valentine cards and dinner out [had to mildly press dh for this] and instead I made lasagna and chocolate crinkles and we watched a free movie :). For gifts we agreed on planning future fun events [without valentine's day crowds!] I bought him concert tickets for this summer [a show he will love and I will tolerate because I love him LOL] and he got me a gc for the local paint and sip which is too large and will provide future date nights as well as fun with friends. Much preferable to stuff we don't need.
3. Found a nice leather bag in my closet with a stain of some sort - ink? green - weird. Looked up solutions and got it off with nail polish remover - then cleaned the bag and it's ready to use! all that decluttering I've been doing netted me a ton for donating but also found some great stuff I'd forgotten I had - like free shopping - now it's all well organized and easy to access so my wardrobe has swelled despite my donations. I'm focusing on keeping the stuff that has longevity built in - like natural fibers and more classic styles.
4. I was lucky enough to find several packs of our favorite rotisserie chicken leg quarters at costco [marked down from the day before - 8 quarters for $5] - got it deboned bagged and frozen, bones became stock [which was reduced and frozen] and there's tons of quick meal bits ready for busy nights [like tonight, when I forgot to defrost anything - I'll set the rice cooker going when I get home, defrost a bag of chicken for stir fry - ready in a jiffy]
5. Visited my daughter at her new apt this weekend in spanish harlem - found free street parking which was fab - saved train and subway fare as well as a lot of waiting by driving in [one toll but cheaper than anything else since parking was free - much better than her previous location!].
I would fix the sock...if it becomes a problem later, then have it replaced.
Frugal things...so much right now is not frugal in my life, but even expensive stuff can be "less" expensive than it has to be. Let's see what I have...
We knew our fireplace needed inspected and probably needed some work. It has a wood burning stove insert. Most companies wanted $475 to even come out to clean it and then started talking about replacing it with a gas insert before I even set up an appt, and I knew I didn't want that. I called around and may have found one of the few honest and reasonable chimney guys. He came this morning and gave us SOOO much good information. I thought our stove insert was shot, but he said it was in great shape, EPA certified and just needed a broken pane of glass replaced and told us where to order it (said we could order it for same price he could). Showed us the old, very bad insulation and will replace that, told us where to order a liner kit for a good price and he will come back to replace the liner, add insulation, will replace the glass we order, and a new cap. Didn't charge us anything for coming out since he will do the work. All in about $1400 for all parts and labor which is MUCH cheaper than I had planned (I was thinking $3500 for a new stove alone). Hoping this will help our heating propane bill that is ridiculously high.
Bought some pork tenderloins on sale this week. Smoked all of them at one time and froze them in meal portions for DH and I. Added other items to the smoker at the same time.
Not frugal: buying a small trap to catch a feral cat that is coming around all the time. It's in heat and although my cat is neutered, he yowls at is all night through the door...this cat comes up to our porch and stares and yells at my cat through the glass panes...ugh. Frugal: This cat will end up eventually pregnant from somewhere, and then I would have kittens. Our county allows cats to roam so I can't just take it to the pound. My friend has a farm and has offered to keep the cat if I can catch it, spay it, get it shots...It gets the cat out of the snow and cold here since it will have a barn there and I don't have to worry about it spreading disease to my cats in the yard or having kittens later.
DH and my dad installed the last of the cabinetry for the kitchen. DH is hanging the doors today. Labor was free except to feed everyone dinner 🙂
Came across some good deals this week...cereal for DH for less than $2/box. Deodorant for DH on close out for $1.42 (his deodorant is usually $6...I bought 3). Good quality shampoo and Conditioner for less than $2 for me. Trimmed my hair and trimmed the cats nails at home. My older cat is much more receptive to nail trims than my kitten is!
@Marlena, I know it takes a lot of effort on your part but thank you for taking care of the poor feral kitty!
@Maddie, I caught her and she's in a crate in my garage overnight til friend picks it up tomorrow. I can tell you....the cat is not grateful at all LOL! It's howling and crying so loudly that I'm going to have to text my neighbors to let them know that nobody in our house is dying. Just a cat throwing a tantrum! It's causing my cat to scream...gonna be a long night for all, but better after that.
I wouldn't fix the socks if the process of getting a replacement pair was easy. I've got quite a pile of sweaters to mend after moths found our closet so they would take priority. I do normally darn hiking socks and wool socks if there is a single point of failure (rather than the sock also rubbing thin).
I would say Nursing school and keeping fit and healthy and well rested and eating well and exercising are all your priorities right now, PLUS you work shifts as a PCT also? I’d let the company replace my socks!
Use the old one as a dustcloth to recycle!!
It’s about energy management right now ,right? Spending your time and energies the best way possible to meet your current goals…
Unless you really love sock darning and find it relaxing to sit and get out the equipment,etc .. while watching a tv show or something like that??
I’d get the replacement socks.
When I have mended socks in the past I can always feel it and I find it irritating to my skin and annoying to my brain. I vote make a sock puppet or fill it with catnip for a toy. My cats have always loved to steal balled up socks and carry them around in their mouths like babies.
@Tiana, I also wondered if the socks could be made into cat toys.
I was not familiar with Darn Tough socks and looked at their webpage. (Great colors!). Their warranty does not say no mending, strongly indicates any condition, so I wouldn't worry that mending would void the warranty.
I did not see what they do with old socks. One would expect them to recycle them somehow, (wool must be valuable for that).
I will guess Kristen has seen they have a Medical/First Responder/Teacher discount for when she gets brand new ones.
I switched my cat food and litter autoship from Amazon to Chewy. Chewy had coupons for all the things I needed, and between that and the autoship discount I saved almost $20.
I bought eggs on Friday so I could use Ibotta’s any brand egg offer for $2.50 cash back. It’s available every Friday this month.
I made a pot of tortilla soup and had leftovers for days.
I made a batch of dairy-free fudge and a batch of gluten-free biscuits for snacks. Much cheaper than most packaged snacks that I can eat. I froze half of each so they'll last longer.
I have a free month of Amazon Prime because someone else in the household signed up for the free trial. I’m making the most of it by watching several movies and short series that are only available on Prime.
@Elizabeth M, thanks for the info about eggs on Ibotta. I’ll watch for it on Friday!
Personally, I would send them in. That said, I am not a darner or a sewer so sending in would be easier for me. Plus, they offer the guarantee so I would use it.
Let's see...frugal this week would be...
1) We went to a free talk/book event on Climate Justice at the library. Free education and a night out of the house.
2) Got my volunteer discount at some of the vendors at the Farmers Market
3) Trying to get the Oscar movies in which can be pricy. Used Google credits to stream Wicked for $7 something (instead of $20) and Anora for $0.79 ($5.99). Saw the documentary shorts yesterday for the matinee and member discount price of $7 and will see the Live Action shorts today for $7 Tuesday rate and the Animated Shorts for $5 (Tuesday rate and member discount). It still adds up but much cheaper than full price.
4) Stayed in and did Valentine's Day dinner at home. Bolognese and homemade tagliatelle.
Struggling to come up w/ a 5th. 4 isn't too shabby though.
Since the socks are so expensive, I would go ahead and get my new pair. It's worth the $3 shipping or whatever it costs.
Fix the hole AND contact Darn Tough and be honest. You might get a new pair anyway!
While lunch (leftovers) is heating up, I will do the frugal exercise and try to find the silver lining.
1. I had to go to a doctor's appointment and get bloodwork. I was supposed to get gas in the cheaper big town, but I forgot. On the plus side, I didn't stop to grab lunch; I waited until I got home to eat leftovers.
2. I also ended up in the emergency room. That's not cheap, and it's even less cheap since our copay went up. The silver lining? Although the roads were iffy on the way there, we didn't crash. We also didn't eat out even though it was supper time, and I was hungry. We waited to eat until we got home.
3. I sorted through 2 totes of my mother's crafting stuff that has been languishing in storage. I threw out a lot of stinky (smelled like smoke) stuff, but I found a few brand new cloth napkins (plus things I plan to use).
4. We had lots of fun making homemade Valentine cards for each other. Also, we made and decorated sugar cookies. This is usually a Christmas thing for us, but we didn't get around to it last year. So for Valentine's Day, we feasted on sweet llamas, owls, airplanes, bears, butterflies, and bunnies---topped with pink and white frosting (plus some black-ish stuff I dug out of the freezer) AND eyes.
5. I made a soup with some bones and veggies scraps from the freezer. (Plus some other things. We're not THAT hungry.)
I'd send them the socks. The warranty is part of what you originally paid for the socks, unless they were a gift.
My savings this week, again nothing monumental, but it all adds up:
>A jar of Olay that I purchased went bad a month after purchase. I called and got a coupon for more than what I paid (It was on sale). However, no one in the area would honor the coupon(CVS, walgreens, etc.) so I called back and they sent a $30 debit card, which is twice what I had paid as the original item was on sale. Took more than a month in all, but since I just decided to buy another product and it was $10, I still came out ahead. (It would have been even, because if I had replaced the original product, it was more expensive as the sale was over. The $30 would have covered it.)
>>Got cash back when I did taxes online ($20). The total price included efile for both, which was already a discount because in all the various iterations, the state efile would have been an additional $39. So, the overall price was already greatly discounted. But with the $20 back it was an extra savings that was unexpected. (Cash back via BOA credit card offers, which I check all the time. Some are small (1% but there are larger ones on occasion. But they add up)
>>I redeemed BOA credit card points and selected a special offer. Instead of a $50 gift card, I got one for $70 for the same points. Kristen wrote about this recently.
<I renewed my Walmart+ subscription. Included is a free year of streaming for one of my favorite streaming services. Not only do I save even without that added value, but the fact that I can order at any time, without a minimum, saves me even more than the cost of the annual subscription. I just wish we had a physical walmart store here so I could order fresh, frozen and refrigerated products.
>>We continue to use both Rakuten and Retail Me Not to get cash back both online and in stores. It may be small amounts at times, but it adds up and if it's available, why not use it? A few extra clicks.
Two other savings I forgot:
>Renewed my two phone lines with Mint, used the annual plan and it was only $15 a month plus tax, about half of the cheapest all-in phone service available in our area.
>I buy one particular product from Vitacost. It periodically offers 20% off, which, in itself is great, but Vitacost has 15% or 20% sitewide food sales. I monitor and have now ordered several times where I was able to combine both promos, making for some huge savings as I buy a lot because I end up saving almost 40% off for each item.
Monitoring does take time but I'd rather spend time to save than to just spend.
In general, we stock up on holiday items when they go on sale (includes many snack items).
>The magazines we order (business and home) are only ordered on sale and via discounted online retailers. Recently they offered a three year's worth of access to a magazine service that has over 300 magazines, many of which we read. We have since been able to cut back on about 7 subs, saving about 50% over the already discounted subscriptions (print, some digital) that we already have. Now, it is a digital subscription, which works well for me, but might not for others.
>>We get newsletters that offer a weekly review of special promos on streaming services. We were able to get some seriously discounted offers that we may not have heard of otherwise.
>>We use a variety of resources that monitor discounted items. We plug in what we follow and then get notifications as offers show up. Great way to save on items used regularly and those on a wish list.
We've been stockpiling on certain things (Coffee, for one) because we know prices are going up on tariff items. You really do have to follow the news to keep abreast of what could affect you.
You can only get so many eggs these days and when I hear people saying they only pay $4 or $5, we never had them that cheap here in NYC. But if you are careful, you can get the pasture eggs (the only ones we now eat, such an improvement) them for $7 or $8, which for us is a bargain.
I envy the fact that you can quickly repair your pot holder. My sewing machine stays out and has a dust cover but there is no space around it because all of the nursing desk decorations are piled around it and in the craft room in general. And I really do like to sew. (and for the record, iron, too. But same conditions apply to the ironing board being cluttered with Christmas.)
1) Distill my own water. While tap water is "safe." you would be surprised at all of the sludge that builds up on the bottom and sides of the boiler. And it does save my electric teakettle and makes better hot tea and cocoa.
2) This is an odd one but counts. My back porch and bedroom closet were add-ons to the house and not over the basement, and has windows. Because of "settling" the rooms are very drafty. I have cold blockers (?) over the doors. In this zero weather, I have just avoided going out into either room. Sunday night to work (we are kinda loose w dress code.) I avoided getting a pair of scrub pants from the closet and wore jeans instead. It was, after all, Sunday night. Since I am not working today or tomorrow, going out there may change as I really want to wade through Christmas decorations and purge/reorganize. My tools are also scattered about and need to be back in order.
3) I got the back windshield wiper to the Escapade fixed at O'Reilly's before the snow. They put it on at no extra charge.
4) Frugal fail: I finally cleaned out the refrigerator freezer. It's safe to say that the things marked 2020 needed to go. I did find some salvageable blueberries for pancake syrup and some other things I can use up. I also got rid of all of the extra salad dressing/ sauce packets that were in the fridge door. I always have such high hopes for the "horsey sauce" from Arby's.
5) Filled up w gas at the "work" town at $2.86. It's $2.89 here.
6) Took supper to work. Chai latte at home.
I used to wear Tilley socks; they had a "no holes barred" promise to replace any that got a hole. I took advantage of that since the replacement socks would last a long time thus increasing the time needed before buying new ones.
I would personally get the new socks. You will definitely wear those out, too, no doubt!
Frugal things for me: When Son #2 moved out, I created a sewing a crafts room that is clean, smells nice, and cost me zero dollars. Brewing my own coffee to sip at home, taking my own lunch to work, eating items from my freezer to avoid overbuying groceries. Got some new books at my favorite little Goodwill for 99 cents each. Got a container of some fancy soup free today in the My HEB app. Gonna go look at oops paint at Home Depot to paint the garage with.
Side note: for anyone who has socks that DO NOT have a replacement guarantee: SmartWool has a sock recycling program. You do have to buy something, and pay $5 for a pre-paid mailing envelope/bag in addition to what you buy (I don't know if you can just buy the pre-paid envelope).....fill the envelope/bag with as many worn out socks as you've got (any size, brand, etc)...seal, and drop off for mailing. I forget which mailing service takes it - maybe FedEx? My local CVS has a FedEx drop off.
Obviously, it's not free, but I look at what's on sale (I love SmartWool socks for this time of year), and wait until I have a fairly large stash of socks to send - which typically doesn't take long, because my son is hard on socks. It keeps them out of the landfill, so it's worth it to me, but YMMV.
I have no financial interest in SmartWool, no stock in the company, etc. etc. Just a satisfied customer, and happy they recycle socks.)
Re: #4. It is indeed a cost saving measure. Saves time and materials, and the items wear out and have to be replaced more often. Planned obsolescence in action.
My solution, which I believe I learned from you, is to reinforce every towel of any sort as soon as it comes into the house. I zig-zag right over the existing thread, using it for a guide. I smile when I fold my decade(s) old towels, which are still in excellent condition, with no fraying.
Re: #5. I'd mend them at least once, unless it voids their warranty.
A friend in the food industry informed me that commercial salad dressings have a super high markup, often the highest in the store.
So I make my own dressings for much less.
I then realized that when making a mustard vinaigrette, I could use the mustard at the bottom of the bottle, using every last drop. Now I add vinegar or water to the mustard bottle, shake it up and use that as the ingredient for a vinaigrette.
Double savings!
@Barbara, LOL, I just did that yesterday. The mustard was good and I wanted to use every last bit of it.
And one more thing...
We are preparing for an RV trip next week. Each night, I've been making double batches and freezing the leftovers in Pyrex dishes just like yours in photo 2. It's so easy to stow in the freezer.
Bonus: Since the freezer is small, putting frozen dishes into the refrigerator helps it work more efficiently.
Fail: Dang, the Pyrex branded lids break so easily. Have you found any alternatives? Silicone, perhaps?
Bonus Bonus: My favorite frugal dinner is to make Polenta and Veggies. I cook the polenta (so easy!), and fill the Pyrex dish half full. Then I top it with chopped, roasted vegetables, often the bagged ones from Costco. It's cheap, filling, can be seasoned many different ways, and best of all, reheats really well. I'm a vegetarian, but I typically prepare and pre-cook some chicken with your Brinerade recipe. I bring them along and add a few chicken slices on top of DH's portion.
--I diluted a new bottle of shampoo as I added it to the big pump bottle I keep in the shower. Shampoo can always be diluted a bit.
-- I hate to waste food! I froze leftovers to take to my sister. If leftovers are in fridge for more than a day, they won't get eaten. So I freeze them for my sister who lives alone 5 minutes from me. Sometimes our leftovers feed her for the whole week.
--I made egg McMuffin-type breakfast sandwiches from eggs that were getting close to their expiration date. I added cheese and bacon to them. I wrapped them in foil packets, labelled them and popped them in the freezer. To eat, you just unwrap one, fold a paper towel around it and heat in microwave for about a minute and a half.
-- I moved $$ into savings. A tip I saw on The Dollar Stretcher years ago has helped us save quite a bit of cash. Each Monday, I look at our checking account, see what bills are coming up and move some $$ into savings. Money doesn't slip thru your fingers and it becomes a regular habit.
-- I made a menu for the week. I always do this before I go shopping on Tuesdays. I see what's on sale, check what I gave on hand, and download any useful coupons. A menu removes the stress of wondering what we're going to eat for dinner each night. I stay flexible and switch meals around if needed. But I'm not a slave to the stove. I plan "eat out or bring in food for dinner" nights every few weeks. That way I don't get burned out cooking.
Cheap or Frugal - you decide. Personally, I like to brag that it's my way of "saving the environment" because everyone talks about recycling but never does more that put that green bin out every week for pick up.
Instead of a store bought poster board for school projects I like to reuse a cardboard box. We cut it the box down to the size we need or just untape the box & use the big length for the project if that's what we need. I say we because my kid is in elementary school so parents are expected to be involved.
@Frugal Mom, Frigal!
1) We have been eating up leftovers from the birthday party we threw for a friend last week. I am getting tired of party food, but it is also almost gone.
2) My mother in law gave us another load of leftover food bank food. (She works the local food bank giveaway location. Anything they don't give away that day, they send home with the volunteers.) This means most of our meals going forward will have something from the food bank. It is a true blessing and takes hundreds off of our monthly grocery bill.
3) I continue to carefully track insurance claims and invoices for our daughter's hospitalization in January and subsequent barrage of tests and appointments. I paid the first $500 of one bill with a $500 grant our daughter received. Then I paid a bunch of smaller ones. I am applying for assistance for the big $3,000+ bill from the hospital. I signed up for the 0 interest monthly payment plan for the anesthesia bill. We will eventually pay all of this (and pay forward any assistance we receive now), but for right now, in this time of 1, 2 (and 3 and 4) punches, I am just keeping all the plates spinning.
4) The school system provides psychological testing for our daughter (who has a plethora of disability diagnoses at this point), and we think they did an excellent job. But we wanted to get an outside opinion as well. We are already dialed in to our local-government affiliated mental and behavioral health clinic. They don't provide testing but they gave us a list of local providers. I called around and they were all private pay to the tune of multiple thousands for a full eval. No dice. Then our new neurologist recommended a neuropsychologist in their hospital network. Their first available appointment was in January of 2026. But then they called on Friday because they had a last-minute cancellation on Monday! We really like the doctor and we have the full eval scheduled for March. And now that our deductible and out of pocket are paid on our insurance, everything associated with the testing will be free free free!
5) I've been on a clothing repair tare lately. Last week I repaired a blazer that had one little corner of a hem not hanging quite right, resewed the hem on one of our daughter's shirts, sewed a pocket back on one of her sweatshirts, repaired three rips on our youngest's winter coat, and one or two other things I am currently forgetting. The problem is just when I think I am done, multiple family members say "oh while you are fixing things" and hand me a piece of clothing they only hadn't added to the mending pile because they needed to keep the clothing item in the rotation. LOL My goal is to work through all of these items this week or next.
Hey, is there a way for us to edit our posts? Oops! Forgot to add my comment. I'd mend the socks. It'll take like 2 minutes. If it's a problem later, contact company.
I REUSE GLASS JARS (pickles, maple syrup, dressings) &
plastic jars for freezing liquids, beans, vegetables and frozen drink starters!
My frugal five:
1. Complained about Hefty zip lock gallon bags were slit just below the zipper. I got a $5 handwritten check from the company. Who handwrites checks anymore?
2. Dh emptied out the water heater and got all the gunk out of the bottom. Hotter water these days.
3. Got a $50 gift card from the Red Cross after being told my veins were too skinny to do the type of blood donation they wanted to do with me. Giving blood for gene therapy and development of vaccinations.
4. $5 Walgreens cash after a $15 purchase at Walgreens when I got a photo developed. Used that and bought some food pantry toiletries and got $10 in registar rewards back.
I'm not as good as the coupon queens though.
5. Everyone in my Nextdoor Neighborhood is upset that electric prices will go up another 20% in June. I made my suggestions such as - getting a rack to hang your laundry on, turning off lights when not in use, putting your tv on a power strip as well as your computer, unplugging the toaster oven etc. One person's response was "why should I have to do all that?" Um, it will cut your bill and be kind to the planet?
1. Progresso soup was on sale so we bought a bunch of cans as this months food bank donation.
2. I cooked a bunch of chicken and froze it in small batches. We will eat it with rice, veggies and some "International-flavored" sauce next week. (I always do my cooking on the weekend and we will be out of town over the coming weekend. Being prepared will keep us from buying more expensive food.)
3. I de-piled my husband's sport coat.
4. I wrote a list of books I already own but haven't read. I'm not buying again until I read at least half of them. This has already stopped two purchases.
5. Beef chuck was cheaper than ground beef (by $3 a pound!) so I bought a chuck roast and asked the butcher to grind it for me.
6. We created a path through our backyard using pieces of cement left over from when we removed a crumbling pad of cement from our backyard. (Not only did we avoid buying stepping stones but we avoided paying for much of that cement to be disposed of.)
I'm also on Team Repair.
1. Instead of going out to dinner on Valentine's Day, my husband and I had a video "date " since I'm out of state performing at a festival for 2 months.
2. I'm saving money on lodging by camping and let me tell you Van Life is really a series of misplacing and finding random things Tetrised in such a small space. Not Instagrammable at all!
3. Much of my "new" camping gear for this season is doubles/repurposed things from our house: kitchen tools, food storage, storage tote organizers, etc.
4. I stocked most of my camp kitchen with pantry items from home. I also decanted spices and a few other things from home so I didn't have to buy a bunch of spices I wouldn't up before it's time to go home. Also it's a space issue.
5. I'm looking for free and low cost things to do on my days off. It's difficult because it's a high tourism area and most activities are priced accordingly.
Frugal:
Mended my husbands jacket. It does not look great but is under the hood.
Got free frozen green beans and a 16 Oz bottle of Pepsi using in app Kroger coupons.
It’s been so bitter cold that I have saved lots of gas by hunkering down at home.
Cooking and eating at home. Using library apps for books and movies. Have you checked into the Kanopy app yet?
Stay warm! I would send the socks in!
Mend your sock and call it done for now.
I used Flashfood app to buy discounted groceries.
1)I downloaded adobe so I could more easily submit a portfolio for a certification in the fall and finally cancelled the subscription today-28.00 back monthly.
2) I am updating my resume as I am going to need a job this summer and I don't want to feel stressed when its time to apply for summer school or miss any deadlines.
3) Helped my son look for scholarships for next year-he graduates high school in May.
4) Didn't have the time to put together the dinner I wanted to this evening but substituted quesidillas instead of going out.
5) Took the Raman Soup my son cooked but didn't want for my lunch today.
I'd mend it too! I'm actually getting ready to send some Darn Tough socks in to be replaced as they wore out in the sole and wouldn't be repairable. It's my first time doing it and I'm looking forward to new socks!
1. Mom and Dad brought some venison with them, which we are happy to have because DH didn’t shoot a deer this year (we were out of town much of deer season).
2. I picked up a free Hallmark card when I was already in the area making an errand loop.
3. My parents are in town and it’s always a challenge to feed more people. We ended up ordering some pizza from a local chain and I was able to combine two promotions for our purchase. Now we have coupons for a free large and a free medium pizza.
4. We don’t typically buy meat, but have had two amazing deals in the marked-down meat section recently: a whole ham for about $7, and three pork tenderloins for about $6. My dad likes a meat-based dinner, but while he will be happy, the truth is we will all enjoy it.
5. Cooking with freezer and pantry things when possible, including cooking up a giant batch of dried beans, and Mom made banana bread with previously frozen brown bananas. She frosted it with leftover chocolate frosting from one of the kiddo’s birthday cakes this week.
Micro economics class - time is your most precious resource. You can't make more time (nor more land. truth be told). The time it took you to mend the small hole is likely a nit compared to any paperwork (RMA), packaging to ship, then shipping. You might have a decision to make IF the company repaired and returned the item but that isn't the case.
A tweet I read today: back in the day, eggs and toilet paper were in such ample supply we could throw them at houses and trees.
Get a new pair of socks as companies usually recycle items if they can and this is especially true of a Vermont based company.
my five frugals:
1. Our local grocery store brought back the rewrap shelf, but put it in an inconspicuous place near the door where they prep the produce. I am so happy they brought it back! I bought two packs of cut up zucchini and onions, and one pack of mushrooms, for a dollar each, and made a yummy stir fry for dinner. Lasted for 2 dinners, one lunch.
2. Didn't have any soy sauce or mirin for the recipe, so I substituted worchestershire sauce and a splash of white wine. Still tasted delicious.
3. Had a potluck lunch at work, took a crockpot of homemade soup, brought home brownies for DH.
4. I splurge on a very nice blush because its a good color on me and has no sparkles. I don't like sparkles of any kind. One blush used to last me at least a whole year but I noticed lately it had hardened and not sticking to the brush. I was ready to buy another one, but looked it up online and learned that taking scotch tape to the surface lifted the top layer off and it was good blush again. I buy very few cosmetics but love this blush so I figure, one quality thing over trying lots of others. As soon as I learned this trick I thought, I need to tell other people about this!
5. DH roots plants all the time, so I took lots of baby rooted plants and put them in saved spice jars to work to give to co workers at our potluck. Free, and made people happy. 🙂
Kristin, I'd send in the sock if the elastic was making it fall. I really hate that. But if it still fits and no sole hole, I'd mend it. I love snug soft socks, they are little foot huggers.
My frugality continues to feel like a drop in the bucket with seemingly endless bills outside of the normal budget, but we keep on keeping on!
-Went to judge a regional speech competition on Saturday. Lunch provided, but hungry before. Stopped at Sheetz and they have sunflower kernels for $1.29. It's almost 4 servings and gave me like 4 days of snacking. Great frugal road trip tip, as long as you can stop at the recommended portions (which I admit is not easy) 😉
-Got a CPAP machine this week and needed distilled water. Local amazing grocery outlet is near the respiratory place. Distilled water probably a little more expensive than a regular store so I got just 1 gallon to get me started. While there, decided against $9 eggs and got 3/$1 Chobani yogurts, so I think I saved money overall.
-It's snowing AGAIN today 🙂 so I have another day off work (school) and save gas money with no commute, plus extreme gift of time for some additional tasks and brain processing that I haven't had time for!
-Went to lunch with friends. Indian place we wanted to go closed. Boo. But Italian place chosen, and got a $10 lunch special instead of spending the $20 it would've been at Indian.
-Lost power for 3 hours so I guess that's 3 hours of heat we won't have to pay for!
@Heather Mar, I am always hearted to see references to speech competitions, which were a huge part of my life in high school (and college). They don't get the attention they deserve.
I'm glad you are part of them.
Heartened. Hearted. Sort of the same thing.
I took old curtains down to use on my dining room chair covers. It was a Sound of Music moment for me.
If you have extra, might I suggest making a dress? 😉
I HAVE CONSULTED A SOCK EXPERT ON THE MATTER! 🙂 My 16 year old son works at an adorable store in our resort town that sell nothing but socks. Here is his advice- return the socks because mending them will void the warranty and then you are giving up on an infinite pair of socks. As in, the replacement could later be replaced, etc. Also as Darn Tough is one of their partners, he assures me that the returned socks will not be sent to the landfill. The Darn Tough website confirms this. Returned socks will be recycled into items such as emergency blankets or fill for automotive seats. So, while I also would be tempted to mend, I think I'd follow his frugal advice. 🙂
Starbucks is not frugal. You can go to Dunkin’ Donuts, get Wi-Fi and the coffee is cheaper.
I think you missed the part where I said I had a gift card, so it cost me $0 out of pocket. 🙂
I picture that they maybe have a box there that u can go through for employees? Idk. I had one darn tough sock but could not find the other. For a while, I kept it thinking it was hidden in a sheet or something but no luck. So I sent the one sock in and got a code for another pair.
1. Still packing lunch every day for work.
2. Tried too goo to go at Whole Foods for their bakery bag. It was a fun surprise for the next day. For 6.99, I got donut muffins, bagels, half an apple pie, black and white cookies, and blueberry scones. They were either sealed in packages or bags.
3. Eating down the pantry.
4. Took advantage of the swim club rummage and got 5 shorts and pants for upcoming meets.
5. Did some extra shifts at work.
Repair the hole in your socks yourself. Easy to do, and most likely the hole will be hidden. Who cares what it looks like? Plus, in my experience, that repair job would be a quick one and you're back to wearing it. As opposed to mailing the sock off then waiting for repair and return mail.
I don’t love darning so I would probably just leave it until it got bigger and then send them back. I wish I had blue socks. I wonder if I’ll be able to find them in thrift stores? What I wouldn’t give for hand knit socks… I wonder who knits?
1. I’m reusing my gallon Ziploc bags as mini greenhouses for my newly planted six packs. I’m also using plastic meat trays, cleaned, of course, underneath to catch drips.
2. 30% off breakfast sausage x 2 means we had sausage for breakfast today, Sunday, and tomorrow, with 8 more links in the freezer.
3. I made incredible Cubano sandwiches using leftover pork from a roast, plus cheese and pickles and hot sauce, and I made Panini‘s with leftover brioche hotdog buns. They were so good we had them for dinner and then for lunch the next day.
4. I have been protesting to my congressman and senators almost daily using resistbot’s free email version. I donated a lot of money in the fall before the election and it’s not in my budget now to donate but I can certainly do a free email comment.
5. I volunteered to hostess one of my group’s monthly meetings, and the theme was Valentine’s Day. So starting in January, I looked at fabric at the thrift stores, looking for one yard-pieces in pink or red or hearts, and I was able to cobble together enough table coverings, using these cute fabrics for four big tables and one long buffet table. The colorful fabric went on top of the white tablecloths. I was able to do this for less than $20. And it looks so beautiful when the room was decorated. All thrifted, all reusable. Also, I couldn’t get my sewing machine to work so I pinked anll the edges which saved me some time and effort.
1. We cooked all our meals at home. We brewed (most of) our coffee at home. I used a gift card one day for "fancy" coffee. We baked banana chocolate chip muffins.
2. We got books from the library.
3. I used the Libby app to get a free audiobook with my library card.
4. I did multiple errands on the same trip to save gas.
5. I fixed the zipper on my son's coat.
6. We didn't go anywhere on Presidents Day, because it was about -25 F before wind chill. It is easy not to spend money when you don't leave the house.
I mend my husband's cotton socks often so I think it's worth the time but if these socks cost more than the standard, I'd return them and get another pair.
My Frugal 5
1) Got some free goodies from the Food Pantry at the church I volunteer weekly for. Received Valentine's Day gifts that I could repurpose for Easter baskets for my kids or use as future gifts for them. Also got a few food items: a container of pre-cut mango, Costco giant chocolate chip cookies and a couple of drinks.
2) Received some extra groceries from my generous mother and sister in law who visited.
3) Took advantage of the free events at the library. My girl had weekly ukulele lessons there. We may attend an event today about getting to know Vietnamese culture and that will be a continuation of our Lunar's New Year celebration. We also read books, watched movie and played games we borrowed from the library.
4) Brought some discount used lego sets for my girls for their future birthdays and study guide for my bible study on eBay.
5) My usual: Used up and cook food from home. Made coffee and pack lunch for my husband. Used Ibotta and Fetch. Batch run errands. Walked and picked up kids from school. Stayed home mostly and bundled up since it's negative degree weather. Mend clothing and toys.
This is not frugal. This is stingy. Buy a new pair of socks for God's sake
I would assume they don’t have you send the socks back to them but just send a picture of the hole (and discard them yourself). So I’d go for the replacement and also mend the hole!