Five Frugal Things | I am feeling so crispy
I think it's gonna be slim pickings for my five frugal things this week. We're nearing the end of the semester and that combined with my personal problems = a Kristen who feels nearly fried to a crisp.
Let's see what I can come up with.
1. I filled Sonia's advent calendar
This is an inadvertently frugal thing (and it's only semi-frugal), but I'll share in case it helps someone else.
Sonia doesn't really like chocolate, and besides, she's allergic to a lot of chocolates since they often include nuts.
This means a regular advent calendar really doesn't work for her, so a few years ago, I bought her a wooden advent calendar tree, with 24 little drawers.
I fill it with non-chocolate things like fruit snacks, hard candies, and gum, which happen to be quite inexpensive.
This is the link to the tree that I bought; it's almost $40, but since the nice chocolate advent calendars cost $16 apiece at Aldi, the reusable tree pays for itself in fairly short order.
Also, I'm not gonna lie: I love the aesthetics of this advent tree. It's so simple and classic.
2. I bought some marked-down bread at Safeway
I found some nice ciabatta rolls and a ciabatta loaf on the day-old rack; yay!
I used the loaf to make garlic bread, and I think I will use the rolls to make some chicken sandwiches, using this red pepper/basil mayo.
3. I fed a full table for two nights
We had three extra people on Sunday night and two extra last night...and it was fine because I had all those free chairs from my cousin.
And I have the leaf from my abandoned-house table, so we can easily fit six people around the table.
Both nights I did not know until sort of last minute that we'd have extra friends over, so I'm giving myself a gold star for pulling together meals that fed everybody. 🙂
4. I TRIED to use Get Upside
Yesterday I was by a gas station that had a really good Get Upside offer for a gas discount. But just as I got there, the pumps all had a technical difficulty and they had to be shut down.
I'll try again when I am nearby; luckily I was not almost out of gas, so it's not a big deal to wait.
5. I sold a pair of slippers on eBay
I had a pair of almost-brand-new slippers that I didn't need, so I sold them on eBay.
Less clutter, more money!
Let's see where I'm at:
1.) I used slow shipping options in the few Amazon items I bought to get some digital credit in the form of some Kindle books. My big deals were on such things as freezer bags.
2.) Got a deal on Peacock streaming for $1 a month for a year. We will most likely cancel after that as outside of pro wrestling there really isn't a lot on there to be honest. We did get to watch the Thanksgiving day parade on there at least.
3.) Bought another Christmas present on eBay. Of course it is a unique item so it's not something I can just buy anywhere but it's more personal than just getting something from Walmart or Amazon, I feel.
4.) Thanksgiving dinner was from the freezer and pantry. We had no one over and we didn't go anywhere so we had some leftover ham, some potatoes and some vegetables. Our Friends Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving as the kids call it) on Sunday was our free BJ's turkey and some sides were discounted after Thanksgiving at Aldi so that was nice. Now we get to deal with all the leftovers!
5.) Made bread and rolls for the first time in ages! I feel like I've really slipped on this but I remember that I can't do everything all the time.
@Battra92, I got those freezer bags!
@Battra92,
We got Peacock for the same reason! And also chose the slow mail for digital credits.
@Battra92, if you like Parks and Rec or the Office, both of those are on peacock.
I was not frugal thanksgiving week but had so much fun!
Steaks for dinner. Not frugal but cooked at home is frugal.
Went to FIVE state high school football championship games. Not frugal. BUT FUN no snacks or drinks are allowed thru security and twenty dollars a ticket per person.
I did wear my 8 year old jeans to event. These jeans are frugal.
Did no Black Friday shopping. FRUGAL
Listening to my old classic Christmas albums. FRUGAL
BEST WISHES TO ALL!
@Stephanie,
Oh fun! I love that you got to go to the State Finals! I don't know that I've been since I was in high school. I really had sticker shock this year over how much playoff ticket prices have increased in the last 20 years! But it is such a fun and memorable experience.
@Stephanie,
I too did NO Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping. The more I focus on simplicity and frugality, the more I find that I don't need the things I think I do.
And, I love a good steak! I'd rather spend money on a good steak than on a piece of clothing I bought on a whim, which I probably didn't need in the first place. Food trumps impulse buys, haha!
Kristen, I hope the personal problems ease and the next semester of school is not so brain-devouring. (((Hugs)))
My FFT:
1. Got a free pumpkin at work after Halloween. Roasted it and pureed the pulp, resulting in three quarts of pumpkin goodness. Had the foresight to freeze a few small baggies to add to the dogs' food. Just started using these. The dogs say "Yum!"
2. Scored a mostly free new lipstick. It was on clearance at Walgreens and I had some Walgreens dollars built up after buying my expensive thyroid meds. Used the free money and some pocket change to pay for it. I was down to one quite old lipstick before this purchase.
3. Still drying my clothes and all towels on drying racks. It saves about 30 cents a load.
4. Have been hand-washing some of our dishes to cut back on using the dishwasher (saving energy and water by not running two loads a day).
5. Repaired a little hole in the screen of our back porch with a screen repair kit that's at least ten years old. It still works just fine.
That wooden advent tree is beautiful!
My FFT:
1. I packed all of our food for our trip from Michigan to Pennsylvania last week. We packed most of our food for the way back and only bought dinner on the road.
2. I did some Black Friday shopping and used e-gift cards to get a percentage back to go towards my kids' tuition. Usually my husband purchases the gift cards and this was the first time I've downloaded the app and figured it out to do it myself.
3. I borrowed a mobile hotspot from our library so we didn't go over on our data. I returned it on time yesterday.
4. The lost and found table at my kids' school has been quite full for about a month. Yesterday after school they cleared it out to take the items to Goodwill but the principal let me pick through and take anything I wanted. (While she was trying to get people to take things a couple of weeks ago I had let her know that if a particular cardigan went unclaimed that I was interested in it.) I came home with a couple of cardigans, a jacket, and a sweatshirt. My friend was walking by and I found a sweater that fits her son perfectly and there were some boots that fit her daughter. Yay!
5. I was somewhere that was offering a free account with RightNow Media and now I'm able to stream a lot of videos that before I would order for my kids through interlibrary loan. Yay!
@Ruth T, my child has also scored free clothing from our school lost and found (teacher here). In the spring they do a last call for winter coats before they get donated, and I always get permission to snag one for my daughter. Some of them look brand new!
My daughters have a "Secret Santa" this week for a cast mate in their school musical. We looked through our gift cupboard and the pantry and found lots of good little items without having to buy anything.
After dinner on Sunday, I made a lasagna using pantry and freezer ingredients. It came out tasty and will make lunch servings for me and husband all week long.
I took some bread that was getting stale, cut it up and popped it in the freezer. I always make a huge pan of baked french toast for my co-workers on the last day of school before winter break and now I have nearly enough bread waiting in the freezer for that.
My neighbor asked me if I wanted to trade some foil pans that aren't a useful size for her for a loaf of my homemade bread. It seems like a good plan, so I will make her a loaf of bread tonight or tomorrow.
Over Thanksgiving, I exchanged some books with my sister so now we both have new things to read and the book I requested from the library is finally in, so that's very exciting!
Kristen, hang in there, the semester is almost over so that stress will go away. Sending you thoughts for strength and perseverance on your personal struggles ((Hugs))
This week hasn't felt very frugal but maybe I can surprise myself by thinking of a few things
1) Fed DH and myself with leftovers from Thanksgiving all weekend
2) Finished most of Christmas shopping during black Friday sales. Used Rakuten to maximize cash back on purchases. Many of the stores had 15% cash back. Used no rush shipping on Amazon to earn digital credits
3) Paid off credit card balance after completing shopping spree
4) Mailed in our property tax payment so I avoided the 2.5% fee charged when using a credit card
5) Returned items purchased online to a couple of stores instead of paying to ship the return
Kristen, it tickles my ire that your heaviness has been so heavy this year because it doesn’t seem just at all. Praying this coming month would bring some respite and more of a freshly baked cinnamon roll feel than being fried to a crisp.
The week (month? Season?) of sickness continues so in some ways frugal, in some ways not:
1. No big Thanksgiving feast and no Black Friday shopping.
2. My husbands insurance (can I count this??) that has paid in full for a 3 day PICU stay and follow up ER visit in the last 10 days. (side note: Kristen, I’m excited for you to get your RN, because compassionate nurses have made hospitalizations less stressful. I think you’ll do well.).
3. Snow blowing shared alleyway rather than paying someone to plow each time it snows. (I think I said this before, but it’s snowing again. So it is still frugal)
4. Frugal fail: eating out because of ER visit. Hopefully life works out to get to the grocery store and stock up on easy meal ingredients so that eating out isn’t the temptation.
@Kaitlin, it is hard for me when we are sick or have significant doc appts to want to cook! I totally relate. I have migraines often and try to have soups or stir fry prepped in freezer that I can do as my “mock take out”. Doesn’t always work, but it is a work in progress
* I've cut my own hair. I have very curly hair so it's more forgiving if not entirely straight
* I've been shopping a lot on Shein lately. While shopping is not frugal, shopping there for Plus Size clothes definitely is! So much cheaper than in stores.
* Taking myself out for a movie this afternoon. Half-price on tuesdays
* Keep getting great items from Buy Nothing (and giving as much)
* Still using the same winter coat I bought used for 40$ about 3 or 4 years ago.
Kristen, I made your crustless pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving, and it’s our preferred pumpkin pie recipe forever more!
—I bought $20 worth of work snacks for my husband for just under $5 thanks to combining CVS Extra Bucks with sales and coupons.
—It was home haircut time again this weekend. In the winter, my hair gets a weekly oil soak to combat the dry air, and I’ve found it easier to cut my hair while it’s still oiled vs. just wet with water. That also means I can wash the leftover stray trimmings and the oil out in one go! (I have long hair with a tapered cut, so scissors are all I need—I wouldn’t be brave enough to cut oiled hair with a mechanical blade.) I’m feeling particularly shampoo commercial shiny and fluffy right now. 😛
—I used a $5 Michael’s rewards voucher to get two plain black t-shirts for my husband’s work. The voucher combined with a sale to make my total $1.05.
—I managed to eke out room in the deep freezer for two whole organic chickens, which were priced down to $5.50 apiece. I would have bought more if I'd thought they'd fit!
--When my dad visited us last week, he also brought several pounds of game meat as a gift (courtesy of my brother, who is now the family hunter that Dad has aged out). Goodness, how I've missed venison!!!
@N, do you know about Michael's free crafts twice a month in store? I get email notifications, but you can check online also. My teen son doesn't care to but teen niece does so share info with others.
"Still on the road" edition
1. Remembered to use my HSA card for a prescription.
2. We were given some spare albuterol “rescue” inhalers from our in-laws, as our niece had recently received several extra fills from the pharmacy and couldn’t use them. Inhalers are free of charge on their insurance, but our insurance charges us $50/each, and although we rarely need them it’s great to have some on hand. I know, *technically* you aren’t supposed to share medications with others, but I’m a prescriber and I think it’s good to reduce medical waste when possible and when safe, and in this case it’s frugal too.
3. Took one last flight for a while to visit my parents while DH is on an extended work trip. I saved $30 by traveling with just a backpack and a small diaper bag rather than checking a bag.
4. Bought DH a breakfast sandwich using stars at the airport Sbux, saving almost $7.
5. Canceled a “free” facial and scalp consultation at an upscale store, knowing that it would amount to a sales pitch. Although I’d been looking forward to the services, I realized I was going to spend an eye-watering amount of money on products that I don’t need.
1. Used a $100 gift card to WalMart from my health insurance wellness program to purchase items for our Christmas adopt a child.
2. Donated platelets for the first time and received an e-gift card. Will use to purchase stocking stuffers.
3. Earned $18 in Rite Aid rewards on Black Friday. Will use to purchase health and beauty items we use and stock up on.
4. Had friends over for a break-from-turkey dinner on Saturday and used items already on hand with the exception of salad greens which I was able to purchase on markdown.
5. Fit everyone around my “new to me” (and free) kitchen table comfortably. We used to be squished around a smaller one I had previously gotten free. It was nice to have a little elbow room!
1. I did a clean out of the freezer to make sure my inventory was up to date and nothing goes to waste.
2. I’m refusing to buy any gift wrap this year since my stash has grown again over the last few years.
3. I went to visit a friend on Black Friday instead of shopping. We watched the World Cup with our sons and worked on craft projects.
4. I finished a crocheted blanket I have been working on for my in-laws for Christmas. I used all the blue yarn from my yarn stash and only had to buy two skeins to complete the blanket.
5. I use a second monitor for work and the one in our home office stopped working. Thankfully my husband was able to bring one home from his office so we didn’t have to purchase a new one.
Kristen, my Gram always said in the tough times "this too shall pass". A good walk in nature will help focus you. Sending you a hug!
Quiet Thanksgiving, worked all day planting tulips and garlic. Too tired to make dinner, had freezer soup.
Black Friday I spent 7.98 on a Kitchenaid can opener. My 30 y.o. was plastic and breaking apart.
Walked my parent's forest for a heart pumping hike to collect cones for decorating.
Went to local thrift shop and found a vintage lit star to replace the really old one with scary electrical cords. Spent $8 for 5 items. Mostly frames to use for my Aunt's upcoming memorial service.
Picked up the neighbor's turkey carcass to make a big pot of soup that I share back with them.
Went together with 4 neighbors on 50# of flour and 50# of sugar for all of the holiday baking that we do for the church's holiday craft and food sale.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl,
@Blue Gate Farmgijrl, what a great idea on the shared bulk buying for Christmas baking.
First, Kristen, I'm sending good thoughts your way re: your current stressors. As Beverly says, at least the semester will be over soon--and I wish you what the Book of Common Prayer calls "the peace of God that passes all understanding" re: the personal problems.
Now, FFT, Post-Thanksgiving Food and Shopping Edition:
(1) As I may or may not have mentioned in last Friday's WIS/WIA, I was given the turkey carcass at the end of the Bestest Neighbors' Thanksgiving feast. I lost no time in turning this first into turkey stock and then into turkey noodle soup, which I handed around in take-out containers (aka reused deli tubs) to all attendees at Dr. BN's Saturday lunch.
(2) For lunch, Dr. BN made his incomparable turkey shepherd's pie--the best way ever of using up Thanksgiving leftovers, IMHO.
(3) I did do some Black Friday shopping--except that my first stop was the sale at Clothes Mentor (40% off between 8 and 10 am), and my second was one of our Rescue Mission's Thrifty Shopper stores, where I used an electronic 10% off coupon. Total haul = one pair of Skechers slip-ons, four knit tops, and six votive candle holders, for about $27.
(4) I then hit the jackpot at what's becoming my routine Monday stop at the Salvation Army superstore just down the hill. (Mondays are when they put two new tag colors on half-price and a third color at 99 cents.) Total haul = two T-shirts, one Old Navy plaid shirt, one pair of Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans (my second in a week), one pair of sweatpants for DH (he goes through these pretty quickly), and a bunch of health and beauty items in original packaging (two fancy soaps, a toothbrush, a bag of cotton balls, and a 30-oz. bottle of Suave conditioner), for $16.
(5) Finally, I have allowed two bananas to go uneaten, to the point where I'm either going to have to make banana bread or compost them. I'm currently looking up recipes for a small loaf of banana bread.
@A. Marie, What a great score at the Salvation Army superstore. The Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans makes me think of Mom. Those were her favorite jeans!
@A. Marie, recipe for ONE banana bread. I really like this website for small recipes, and even though it says dessert for two, she has other foods too.
https://www.dessertfortwo.com/banana-bread/
@Beverly, yep, the GV Amandas are Mom jeans--and I'm Grandma age, in fact, even though I don't have any grandchildren. (I would have had to have kids first.) And @Deb, thanks for the link to that recipe.
@A. Marie, I've been wanting to purchase a pair of GV Amanda jeans but haven't had any luck yet.
I have a lot of books that I listed on Ebay. I have sold a few but after the fee, on the last one I sold, I made $3 which I guess is better than it collecting dust but I'm wondering, is there a better way to make it more profitable?
@Michelle Schroeder, I wouldn't call it profitable, but to get books out of my house, I use Sell Back Your Books online. In the past have also used Decluttr. One or both also take CDs, DVDs, etc. Type in the USB code and they will make offers, with free shipping to them after a certain amount is reached.
Items generally need to be newish, which is rare for me, and of course in good condition. Both companies fulfilled the buying and payment as they promised.
That Advent tree is so lovely!
Hang in there, the semester is almost over! ❤️
Kristen, I am sure that going through the rest of the first year in your new life situation while also approaching the end of a grueling semester would tax anyone. I hope you are as kind to yourself as you can be.
This week it was mostly food and money finding/saving:
1. We took a walk after Thanksgiving dinner and I found a crumpled $20 bill.
2. Lidl had an offer to earn a $20 credit if you spent $100 on a gift card. I bought $.69/# apples and a gift card we will use. The $20 should be available by the end of this week.
3. Safeway gave me $5 off a purchase. They also had an offer to get a coupon for $25 off your next purchase if you bought $150 worth of certain gift cards. I paid less than $2 for a 5 count box of RxBars on clearance when I bought a gift card. I then paid just over $1 for four more boxes with the $25 coupon.
4. I redeemed some of my Discover points for a 25% off gift card for a loved one. I requested cash back rewards from another credit card company.
5. I redeemed some of our Citi 2x Cash Rewards points for a gift card that was 20% off. I gifted it to a considerate neighbor. I redeemed the rest of the points for cash back.
Ahahaha, yes, the holidays this year are going to be a bit of a challenge. And not that this is terribly important in the grand scheme of things, but most of my Christmas stuff is at the other house...I am hoping to get some of it soon.
@Kristen, I started some new traditions after my husband left. I got new stockings for my kids, got some new ornaments, and so on.
@Rose, we (teen son & myself) started new things also this year after Nex abandoned/left unexpectedly & divorce final now. We had to sell house (16 years in house) & since teen has grown a lot we decided to get new beds, new tv (old one had 50+ lines going through it) & dvd player (was gift) & new curtains (old ones don't fit new windows). Nex took xmas tree & I sold a lot of decorations because not knowing where moving to at time). We will be using teen tabletop tree (again) this year & limited decorations. But looking forward to cooking holiday treats for less friends/neighbors (teen & I always have done) since life changes.
Kristen--I love love love these posts (they're my absolute favorite of anything you post). Do you think in December some time, we could get a post about starting up some things for the new year, financially speaking?
I'm just trying to make it through the holidays, but I know I want to focus on paying down debt, working on saving more, and maybe introduce some fun apps and frugal wins into my everyday life. It might be a fun option to have readers write in to say what they use (Envelope system? Excel? Mint? Good ol' paper and pen?), how they budget (What percentage for tithing, savings, how to figure out food $), any digital tools (ibotta, CashApp, GetUpside, etc).
I could really use some motivation. And need help to get back on track! I figured new year would be something I could stick to 🙂
@reese, I think this could be very interesting.
Ok, I've made a note of this; you're looking for sort of an ask-the-readers style thing, right?
My week had Thanksgiving travel, but I have to remind myself this is what I save for the rest of the year.
1. Shared a large AirBnb with family to cut down on costs and maximize together time, and cooked in the house a lot rather than eating out. For two nights that we stayed in a hotel we also had an efficiency with a little kitchen and were able to cook there for most meals.
2. For airfare, used up credit that we had from canceling a leg of flights earlier in the year. We try to stick to one airline for all travel which helps to recoup some rewards.
3. Went skiing one day that was expensive, but limited it to one day only and the other day that we were in the mountains took a wonderful hike.
4. Before the trip, placed some cutup veggies and bread in the freezer to prevent them from spoiling during our time away.
5. DID some Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping, but these were for items I was going to buy as gifts anyway and ended up getting at a discount. At Target, did online price comparison before purchasing some items and was surprised to find that most items on my list were cheaper there.
Hmm, where to start:
1) I listed 4 books on the local Buy Nothing Group. They were taking up space on a shelf and I had already read them years ago.
2) I sold 2 items on Poshmark this past week. One of which I almost gave up on and was thinking of just gifting. But, hey, I made about 8$ so that covers a nice glass of wine if we go out for drinks with friends during the holidays.
3) I took a bag of clothes to the Goodwill. Clothes I helped my adult son clean out of his dresser due to his ADHD and inability to handle clutter. He handles it by ignoring it and throwing his clean clothes on the floor. I am using my decluttering and minimalist tactics to assist him in lessening his 'stuff' to help him overcome his own mental 'stuff' and clutter.
4) I somehow managed to accumulate another $100 in cash back on Ibotta this month so I moved it to my Paypal account where I have moved some other monies from other cash back apps. Once I get to $500, that money will go towards debt, which I am slowly tackling. My divorce a few years ago really set me back with my financial goals. I am slowly learning how to take control, budget, and live on one income!
5) I am decluttering my makeup this week. Sigh, I feel like I keep decluttering but I never seem to get rid of enough. So, today, I am focusing on my lipsticks and nail polishes.
@Bonnie, bravo on focusing on your debt. That can be an empowering journey. I too am decluttering post a move (who declutters befor3 a mive, rivht?? Dugh..) Hang in there.
1. I learned how to play hand bells for free for a night time Christmas Village side hustle (CVSH.) My advice is if you want to learn how to play an expensive instrument, get someone else to buy it 🙂
2. I replaced the foam holly berries that fell off a lighted garland with wood beads I painted, repaired some costume pieces, and crocheted ear warmers to wear from free yarn if it gets *really* cold during CVSH.
3. My husband swooped in and got the turkey carcass still full of meat including the untouched drumsticks his family was going to throw away. He stripped the bones and got a pretty big container of turkey bits that we'll get several meals from as well as turkey sandwiches (the best part of Black Friday IMHO,) and lots of lovely stock!
4. I took advantage of some 50 to 75% off before, during, and after Black Friday sales to buy some clothing in my new smaller size using side hustle money I had set aside. I can't wait for the ThredUp box to come with pants that don't slide down while I'm wearing a belt!
5. I bought Christmas presents during the Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales on line from a gift idea list I keep on my phone and add to when I notice a family member expresses a need, want, or interest in something throughout the year when I see them. This way I can get the item early if a sale comes my way, keeps me on budget, and is something I know that they will use and like.
Oh, I used to play handbells! It's really fun!
1. Ate Thanksgiving leftovers for 3 days.
2. Cooked up the turkey carcass to make some Lovely bone broth that resulted in a big pot of soup for the week. Added leftover rice, turkey, carrots, celery and
Mushrooms that needed to be used.
3. Prepped meals for the week including said soup, roasted chicken breasts, and ready to go veggies to keep myself in check nutritionally. Also frugal to avoid takeout.
4. Bought Christmas pjs, a family tradition on Black Friday for 70% off.
5. Turned off hvac and opened windows to take advantage of temps in the 60’s.
@Kristen for whatever it is worth know that you are in my daily prayers. God will see you through my friend.
Kristen - hugs and prayers for the end of the semester and personal challenges. Thankful God holds you and praying you are able to lament and know His consolation (felt presence). So many other ladies have said it so much better than I can.
Frugal things...
* Lots of bargain shopping the last five days. I'm thankful for deals AND I'm thankful for the crazy sales to subside slightly. My FOMO-on-a-Christmas-gift-deal was getting exhausting.
* AMAZING Frugal Deal. I stopped by the local grocery store this morning to pick up some free cookies (coupon) for some older neighbors. And happened upon the meat department marking down meat. I was picking up 96% lean hamburger for $2/lb and thanking the meat employees for helping me feed my family when the meat employees pointed to some flatiron steaks and said, "Check out these... it's the best price of the day." The 2lb packages of flatiron steaks were marked for a flat $2.49! 8lbs of good beef for $10 -- I'll take it!!!
* Our REI ReSupply (returns being sold at a discount) has been having an extra 25% off and lots of Darn Tough socks (our favorites) have been showing up BRAND NEW. They usually cost $20-25 each and we've picked up six pair for a total of $35 in the last two weeks. Two pairs had small factory defect holes, so I bought them for $2 each and sewed them up. Yay for warm feet affordably!
* We chopped up the spiral cut ham I bought at .49/lb post-Easter and used it at Thankgiving and now for the boys' school lunch sandwiches.
* Homemade loaves of bread are being part of our teacher thank-you gifts along with a pair of warm Muk-Luk socks purchased at $3.50 a pair. The teachers are loving the fresh bread!
@Dorinda,
Is the REI a store place or online?? Been looking for some wool socks and was thinking about Darn Tough! Thanks!
@Dorinda, two years ago we made homemade bread (wrapped in paper bags after taking out of oven so still warm when delivered) & (clearance) hand towels with homemade apple jam (made with apples we grew & picked) for gifts. One of the biggest hits for gifts given to others. Was saving brown paper bags (hard to find at grocery stores) for all year. Luckily got enough.
This year thinking of making bread mix (mason) jars with all ingredients to make later. Found multi pack individual portion yeast packets with bakers flour (at one Sam's club usually don't go to) where local bakery was purchasing & shared info.
Kristen, here's wishing you a less-stress week and better times ahead.
I traveled after Thanksgiving, which wasn't frugal (gas!) but I didn't stop for snacks or drinks, just kept on driving.
My sister (I was visiting her and her husband) and I looked through a small pamphlet-style cookbook published in 1957 by the insurance company my dad worked for when I was a little kid. I had previously mentioned this site -https://lileks.com/institute/gallery/ - with its hilarious old and horrible recipes, and honestly, I felt like I was reading that site when reading the pamphlet. A few recipes I read were:
Sandwich spread made of 1) peanut butter, deviled ham and mayonnaise ; 2) peanut butter, pickle relish, onion and mayonnaise; 3) half sour cream and half mayonnaise with salt and pepper to taste and 4) a cole slaw which required a half pound of shredded American "process" cheese. And literally, recipes for even large dishes called for "a few grains of black pepper." One adventurous recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper - oh my, spicy! Apparently home cooks bought mayonnaise by the five gallon bucket and black pepper by the 1/8th teaspoon in 1957.
However, this is five frugals today, so here are mine:
1. The aforementioned not stopping for snacks or a drink during my long drives there and back.
2. We did our "black Friday" shopping at thrift stores, where I found a cute sweater, a nice little cooler, a thread rack, and another set of old solid bookends that I can repaint and redo for when we get another new reader.
3. I remembered I had a gift card from back in May for Chick-Fil-A, when my sister wanted to get lunch there on Saturday.
4. I used my long-saved Firehouse points to get a free sandwich there, when she wanted to eat lunch there the next day. She and I don't get to eat out much, so this was our splurge.
5. I brought steaks from home (my dear daughter had given them to me) for our special meal Saturday night. A little broccoli and a sweet potato for me and white potatoes for them, and we had a nice, cheap meal.
@JD, I have the James Lileks book "The Gallery of Regrettable Food." Thank goodness my mother confined herself to whatever she could get out of a can and didn't aspire to Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise. I think I've previously posted the link to the William Bolcom song with that title, but here it is in case anyone missed it the first time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tWuG2oPL3o
@A. Marie,
Of course I have that book too - it's inevitable, I think, that we would both have it. I also have his books "Gastroanomalies" and "Interior Desecrations", about home interior design in the 70's, that is way too familiar to me. I am grateful that my parents were too traditional to try some of that stuff back then, but some of my friends' parents were more daring.
I listened to that song when you posted it before, and it is great.
@JD,
I love to look through old church and social group cookbooks from that time period. Some of the casseroles and jello molds are “interesting.”
@A. Marie, I loved that book decades ago, and was very pleased to discover he has a blog. Not all of the topics are that interesting to me, but his endless well of interest in the things he writes about is refreshing. Plus, he's a good writer.http://lileks.com/bleats/archive/22/1122/44.html
@A. Marie, My dear departed mother made a "company dish" of green peppers stuffed with Beefaroni and topped with Velvet and a dollop of ketchup.
@Bee, my friend Ken Albala just published a new book, The Great Gelatin Revival! https://www.amazon.com/Great-Gelatin-Revival-Outrageous-Desserts/dp/0252086813
I made a rhubarb/apple crisp out of some frozen rhubarb a neighbor gave me and some apples that were getting a little soft. Gotta be honest though, I didn't really like the texture of the frozen rhubarb. My husband is being a good sport and eating it up for me!
I did my month long menu for December and only need to pick up a few things. We'll be visiting kids for a week, so I'm sure that the menu will change, but it's nice to have a plan and doing it this way makes me focus on what's in my pantry and freezer.
It feels so great to be decluttering items that are literally 50+ year old and languishing in storage due to lack of motivation. Everything I toss or find a home for makes me feel very accomplished. BONUS: some of the items I had when I was a kid are turning into Christmas gifts for my grandkids, who are still young enough not to care about getting the newest toy/gadget.
We have to go "the city" next week for two different events that are on back to back days. Since this is 1.5 hours one way, in order to save on gas, I found a free hotel with points and my husband and I are turning it into a mini getaway. This is especially nice since one "event" is a doctor appt which we aren't exactly looking forward to.
We feed the birds and regularly use suet. When I was walking yesterday, I found an almost whole suet cake laying beside the road not even near a home. I can only assume a coon or squirrel hauled it off and then got spooked and left it. It's in our feeder now!
@Tricia,
My husband just took down his train set for our new grandson.
@Bee, that is incredibly sweet.
We ate lots of leftovers, amortizing the cost of Thanksgiving food!
Gave one of my kids a haircut (I've cut everyone's hair, sometimes mine, since I got married!). Always a money/time saver.
Borrowed library books, both online and "real" books. 🙂
Resisted the temptation to splurge and get a Starbucks coffee, remembering the last time I asked for a simple decaf black coffee with room for cream, and watched the barista put some cold coffee concentrate in the cup, add a splash of cream and then fill the rest of the cup up with hot tap water. It. Was. So. Gross. Never again. Of course, the long line at the kiosk was also a deterrent.
After reading and re-reading Kristin's post on natural deodorant, I took the plunge and am trying Native deodorant. I was using Secret Clinical, which had aluminum and I was worried about feeling too sweaty, but so far so good! And since they give you very little product in those Secret Clinical dispensers, I have the feeling that over time this will be less expensive and better for me anyway.
@Karen A.,
This may not be true everywhere, but where I get mammograms they allow patients to wear deodorant if it is a natural deodorant with no aluminum. Those who use conventional deodorants/antiperspirants with aluminum cannot wear any on mammogram days, which is, shall we say, problematic in Florida summers.
@JD, I've been told that too, so our center always has these cleaning wipes you're supposed to use ahead of time if you use traditional antiperspirant, and little antiperspirant wipes you can use afterwards. This wasn't part of my decision, I'm just trying to move to more natural care products overall.
My friends and I have eaten and reused so much of the Thanksgiving food! Whatever A, Marie says, turkey tetrazzini, at least the way *I* make it, is the best leftover reuse. Mmmmm, so good.
I really haven't been spending much, because away. I haven't decorated anything nor have I bought any gifts except a T shirt for my son and a pair of socks for my girl. I guess I'll start this weekend. Been helping my friend with household chores that need doing, though. Need to cut and stick some wallpaper after I finish today's workday and I'm planning to make another big dish to fill her freezer tonight, maybe lasagna.
And I'm sorry you're feeling fried, friend. You can always dump on me for a sympathetic ear and virtual tsking and tutting if you like.
@Rose, we may have to get together some Black Friday to duke it out between turkey shepherd's pie and turkey tetrazzini. In fact, if we could arrange a Frugal Girl meetup, "best use of turkey leftovers" could be one of the events!
@A. Marie, ahahahaha!
But seriously though: sauce made with cream, white wine and chicken broth, with parmesan, mushrooms, onion and garlic; peas, spaghetti and turkey with Parmesan and breadcrumbs on top. Yummmmmm.
I do love shepherd's/cottage pie. Hm...not sure what the correct term would be for turkey. There were goose girls....who minded the turkey? it's a hard world for a pedant.
also I cannot believe how much cheaper food is down here versus The Middle of Nowhere where I live. The Mobile Aldi's kombucha is half the price I pay back home. (Not that we even have an Aldi anyway.)
Kristen,
Prayers for you as you're going through this valley. I know you'll come out on the other side!
Frugal things:
1. My family (17 of us) brought lots of the food for our Thanksgiving feast and a good time was had by all!
2. I put the turkey carcass in the freezer for lots of wonderful broth later this winter.
3. We all shared leftovers by filling up my handy-dandy sour cream and cottage cheese empty cartons. I save these throughout the year, even though I get lovingly ridiculed for doing so. (: I will eat all week from these leftovers!!
4. A new trick: The morning after Thanksgiving, I filled the roaster pan with hot soapy water and put it in a warm oven for a while. That made clean-up so much easier! And helped take the chill out of the house!
5. I did some Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, but only for gifts I was planning to purchase anyway. No extra goodies entered my cart!
6. Now to shop small local businesses for the rest of my Christmas gifts. I save money in a Christmas club at my local bank all year to have the funds available. Such a stress- reliever each year!
And as a side note, does everyone else read comments from others in their native accent, or is it just me? LOL! I can just hear those lovely British, Australian, and even Southern accents coming across the page!
@Terri W,
I do the same as your #6 and feel less stress as well!
I love the wood tree advent calendar!
1) I fixed one of my library bags. My 13yo son had decided to try to fit himself into it, ripping off the handle. Thankfully, it was an easy fix … and that that’s the worst my teenager is up to!
2) I once again reused my fake Christmas tree, that I purchased in college more than 20 years ago! I bought it for about $20 back then, so for less than $1 a year, it’s been quite the bargain.
3) I’m also reusing my homemade advent calendar bags that I made with outgrown worn out Christmas jammies.
4) I officially started my new job at the library. I’m not sure if earning more money counts as being frugal, but earning money every time I go to pick up my books is definitely a bonus.
@JenRR, I laughed at the image of your 13yo son trying to fit himself into one of your library bags!
Praying for you, Kristen to finish your semester strong and problem free and less worries on your mind as you head into a festive time of year. Peace and joy wished for you!
1. My husband periodically plays scratch off lottery tickets. He spent $10 the other day and won $100 and treated me to dinner on a date night while doing a little Christmas shopping. That same night at the one store that was having a warehouse sale, we saved an additional $50 on stuff we were buying anyway with an advertised coupon that we missed seeing.
2. I was cleaning off a desk we no longer need. I found a few items that I listed on marketplace. One has sold already.
3. Husband was buying a gas heater for our uninsulated garage; he asked me to read the #s from his debit card. I stopped him before purchasing as I had a coupon we could use towards the order. We saved an additional $29.
4. I have an AFLAC policy for work and got a letter in the mail saying they reviewed previous claims from throughout the year and they found that I was eligible for disbursement from a claim previously denied. That check paid for a day trip with my girls to go see a Christmas tree walk-thru display, gas for my car, lunch plus all the shopping I did that day. I only paid an additional $2 that day towards my purchases.
5. Cooked the carcass from our Thanksgiving turkey and got 3 quarts of broth and 12 cups of cut up turkey for our freezer for future meals.
Wishing strength and peace, Kristin. School is its own special kind of stress.
1. I’ve started a grocery price book again. The cost of groceries really has me looking for bargains. This is helpful since I started shopping at Costco after many years. It is best to pay attention there.
2. Although I didn’t host Thanksgiving, I bought a turkey for $0.49 a pound and put it in the freezer. My husband loves turkey, so it will get eaten.
3. I used my Target app and received $8 in coupon savings and a $15 gift card.
4. Babysitting for my grandson today and happily ate leftovers.
5. Travelled to visit my daughter over Thanksgiving. We used loyalty points to pay for our hotel room. We ate free breakfast. Enjoyed Audiobooks on the way. This was free also using our library apps. We brought Rescue Pup with us and she stayed at my daughter’s. No boarding fees.
There is just too much STUFF happening this time of year, and school schedules come with extra stress at the end of semesters. The only way out is through, though, so onward!
Now for frugal things . . .
--The oven was on for three hours this morning, during which time I cooked one of our many squashes from the garden, a giant rice pudding to keep chipping away at the excess commodities rice and raisins, three apples with bruises that became baked apples, and a big pot of a really unappealing stew for my husband. He loves tripe and pigs' feet (yes) cooked in hot chile. The last time I made a big chili for him with some venison bones a friend gave us--like six months ago--I froze a couple of quarts of the liquid after most of the solids were eaten. That was the liquid I used to stew the tripe and pigs' feet for him. That pot of food will feed him all week. The rest of us will leave him to it. 🙂 Although I have a couple of kids that will eat the pigs' feet, they're not as enthused about the tripe.
--I roasted a 22-pound turkey last week and it has been almost entirely consumed now. I put a couple of quarts of turkey soup in the freezer for some day when someone is sick and needs soup.
--My clock by the bed kept losing power. I thought the outlet was loose and would need to be replaced, but when I looked, I found that previous owners had put up some fake wall paneling over the original wall of the trailer, and the new outlet cover was making the plug be too far from the actual outlet. I just removed the newer cover. The old cover was still there behind the paneling, so it's still safe. It's behind my bedside table, so I can't see the cut-out with different colored paint, and I didn't have to buy anything to fix it. And now I don't have to worry about my alarm not going off. 🙂
--My kids and I rolled all the change in the old peanut butter jar on my husband's dresser, and exchanged it for $102 in bills. That was fun.
-- While I was at the bank, I also finally cashed in the 30-year EE bonds my godparents gave me when I was 12 years old. Which is the age of my oldest son now. Crazy.
Oh gosh, let's see what we've been up to:
1) Almost no "Black Friday" shopping. Did pick up my traditional 2 pair of running shoes for the year, and 2 pair of tennis shoes for the teen, with BF/Cyber prices. They were all on a pretty great discount. Used Rakuten to save another 4% on both purchases.
2) Bought a Starbucks card (gift) on BF, earning a $5 reward/incentive. Speaking of, I had a lot of Starbucks points expiring, & remembered to use it today for a free latte. It was a reward for getting up extra early for a workout. 🙂
3) Noticed our holiday flights were on sale yesterday. Called & got credit for them, saving $540. Admittedly pretty thrilled about this, as it was by far the most we've ever paid for holiday flights. We have a family wedding to attend this summer, and will use the credit to cover at least part of that travel cost.
4) Picked up some free stuff on Buy Nothing. (Locally grown apples, and a giant bag of cranberries). Also gave away a bunch of stuff on BN as well. The kids ski pants got the most interest. 😉
5) Did a lot of eating from the freezer the last week, and had some very creative meals. I had a taco bake (no carbs, as it was Keto friendly for my husband) over mashed potatoes, and it was surprisingly great.
1.Got a bill from the dentist regarding my daughter's cleaning. It should be fully covered. I called and got it fixed. They had put in the wrong code.
2. Made brownies using applesauce instead of eggs. No one could tell. Eggs are getting more and more expensive.
3.Used part of a gift card I got for Mother's Day to get Starbucks. I don't go often.
4. Grilled up a large pack of chicken cutlets that I got for $2.49 a pound to have for easy lunches. Cold cuts are over $10 a pound.
5. Decorated for Christmas with everything we already own. All I bought were candy canes.
I’ve been a lurker long enough 😉
- I made my own vegan cheese and vegan butter using recipes from Thehiddenveggies.com. (I recently learned I have a rare DNA variant that causes me to produce waaaaaay too much cholesterol. So the vegan way is for a medical reason. And yes…. I miss so many yummy non-vegan things!) Store bought vegan alternatives are pricey. After doing lots of math and shopping/comparing for bulk ingredients, I think this will be better for my health and my wallet.
- I shortened the straps on my sport bras after they stretched out over time, likely from being hung to dry. I measured how much extra strap there was, cut that amount from the section attaching to the back of the bra, and then sewed the sections back together using an overlock stitch with a straight stretch stitch to tack it down for smoothness. It worked like a charm and my silhouette is less - ahem DROOPY.
- I scanned my receipts to the Fetch app
- I brought my dog along with me rather than boarding her while I stayed with my son & daughter in law for our Thanksgiving. It took some careful communication to keep my little pup away from their 2 German Shepherds, but we did it - and I saved hundreds of dollars!
- I “Mcgyvvered” the roll away bed frame which wouldn’t lock into place, using strong zip ties and garden wire. I bought the bed over a year ago, so it’s far beyond the return date. Wish I had tested it immediately, but grandkids didn’t come up for a sleepover until last Saturday.
@Mimi-in-the-mountains, I enjoyed reading your FFTs!
Oooh, we always love to have de-lurkers. Welcome welcome!!
@Mimi-in-the-mountains, I took my dog with me to my daughter’s during the holiday weekend. Boarding and dog sitters were at a premium. We have the opposite issue. I have a 90-pound rescue. She has an 15-pound pup. We managed just fine. Rescue Pup is extremely well-behaved.
@Bee,
My little one brings me so much joy, it was wonderful having her with me. She has ZERO tolerance for big dogs though. The shepherds were actually friendly until she got growly with them. It would have been “On Like Donkey Kong” if we didn’t keep them in separate areas at all times.
@Kristen,
Thanks Kristen! Your writing has added cheer to my mornings more times than I can count, and kept me focused on a frugal and rewarding lifestyle. I thought commenting would be a way to show my appreciation.
And you were right. 🙂 I always love to get to know readers!
@BJS,
Thank you! I love reading the comments here, so finally took a deep breath and decided to participate rather than just read. I appreciate your encouragement!
@Kristen,
It's seems like it's the perfect time to join the de-lurkers' club today! I've been reading your blog for years. Thank you for consistently producing insightful content and thank you all who are commenting; your comments are my favourite part.
I've been touched by you sharing your personal struggles and I often wondered about how your son was doing and if you had any contact with him... More recently, your separation from your husband and the grief this has brought has resonated with me because of my own problems in my marriage.
I have lived with my husband for 16 years, we have been married for 12 years and we have a 10-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. There has been so much resentment building up in me for the last few months because I felt like I was putting in so much effort in order for our family to work, yet he'd seem to focus more on his interests instead... until I came across the term 'neurodiverse' relationship thanks to my therapist. In our case this means that he is very likely to be on the autistic spectrum: extremely logical, but less skilful in social interactions; while I am the 'neurotypical' partner. There were events in the past where I wondered what was going on: he seemed hypersensitive towards any trace of criticism aimed at him yet wasn't able to acknowledge the subjective/emotional perspective of others, or he would focus on a detail while ignoring the context. Mostly he would just plan, and then plan some more, without actually progressing to the execution stage.
Last year brought many changes for me. I started a new full-time job after being a SAHM for 5 years, in a sector unrelated to the one I worked in prior to having children. I used to work with vulnerable adults in various health care settings, but now I work from home as a digital designer, who spends hours in front of her laptop. While working full-time (yes, there is more flexibility and I don't have to commute so that makes is easier), I continued doing the majority of household chores, maintenance, and activities with our children. Some people who have known us for a long time (one of them was my friend who describes herself as autistic) tried to allude to the fact that my husband might be on the autistic spectrum. At the time I said I didn't think so.
Seeing our relationship through the prism of a 'neurodiverse' relationship has been empowering. Apparently the majority (80%) of couples, where one partner is neurotypical and one is neurodiverse, end up divorcing because of the inherent challenges in experiencing reality from such different perspectives. I certainly feel less resentment. I am starting to understand why my husband behaves the way he does. At the same time, I am recognising my own needs and finding ways how to meet them, because for years I have been prioritising other people's needs and would just give and give.
This is a long comment, but I do hope that someone will find the subject of 'neurodiverse relationships' as helpful and relatable as I did.
Changing the subject, last Saturday I did some Christmas baking with my friend. The cakes and biscuits were so delicious that five days later, all of the them have been eaten. So much for getting ready in advance, ha ha.
This has been a decidedly unfrugal time for me. However, it's not a complete loss. I was able to score some good grocery deals last week (99 cents for 5# of potatoes!), we ate good food at home, we did frugal entertainment--game night, walk in the woods, watching our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD. I mostly reused our Christmas decorations although I did add a couple of rolls of new ribbon to the tree and bought a few new lights.
Kristen, sometimes I buy fun little erasers to put in our Advent calendar (which is similar to yours)--my kids especially like the kind that fit together like puzzles. Mini ornaments have also been a hit. I like to use a few non-edible items to mix up with the candy.
Wishing you peace through the holidays, Kristen. I suspect you will miss the distraction school provides soon enough.
My FFT this week:
1. The eating of all the leftovers all the time. Pumpkin pie for breakfast, turkey sandwiches for lunch, turkey quesadillas for dinner, roulette wheel of sides, wash, rinse, repeat...
2. Used egg nog gifted to me by my mom in the corn bread casserole when I realized I was one egg short. Worked great.
3. Carefully packed up all Thanksgiving snackie lunch items in their original bags for future snackie sides or treats.
4. Entertained the kids with free Christmas light displays and watching holiday favorites at home.
5. Decorated for the holidays using our existing decor-no new purchases. Trying to keep the gifting minimal too, but that's easier said than done.
I love that you still do an Advent calendar for Sonia. My mom continued to do one for me even after I got married. Such fond memories! (Proving once again it's the little things...)
Yep! And I bought regular chocolate ones from Aldi for Zoe and Lisey. 🙂 Gotta keep some things the same.
Kristen, you're so close to being done for the semester... YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! It seems I always feel most tired just before the hard time/deadline is finished. Just a few more weeks. Use Chick-Fil-A, scarf off your folks (you'll pay them back later) or get your girlies to cook a meal. It helps.
I also just finished wrapping presents for an Advent 'calendar' for both sets of kids. (Daughter #1 and partner, Daughter #2 and husband, Son #1) But instead of choocolate, I wrapped up exotic things like red chili paste, plus small bottles of vodka/gin, and some bottles of mixers I found on Amazon Warehouse. Ok, plus a few larger candy bars, too. They will like this much better than tiny pieces of chocolate. This is their main present this year.
We are 'caretaking' for friends this winter; our fifth-wheel is parked on their ranch. They asked us to move into the house, instead -- and I just got done stacking canned goods I've been getting from Amazon Warehouse -- with care, you can get some real bargains this way. (Always compare their prices with Walmart.com and Samsclub.com to double-check.) I feel proud that with what's stocked in the freezer, as well, we can get stuck here during storms -- and be just fine!
Was in Walmart just before Thanksgiving, and they had 18-egg cartons for $1.30. And 3 pounds of onions for $1.58. Whaaaa....?? The weirdest part: NO SIGNS. I had no idea they were that cheap until checkout. (Yes, I went back and got more.) Safeway was doing this, as well, for their loss leaders. Is this a pattern now??
(Kristen, you can do this. We're rooting for you.)
I love that tree!
FFT:
1) we had Thanksgiving leftovers for days and days.
2) we debated getting BK jalapeño poppers while out on Friday, but remind ourselves we have leftovers and were only 9 minutes from home.
3) brewed and drank caramel flavored coffee for a few days to avoid running to town to get regular flavored.
4) I bought three packages of marked down "brown and serve rolls"... only .50 each
5) we took advantage of a streaming channel Black Friday deal. Yes it is .99 a month more than free, but less than full price, and my husband faithfully watches a weekly show. He's worth it. 😉
1. Took home the Thanksgiving turkey parts that no one else wanted, but my husband loves, so he could make sandwiches this week and also not waste food. He is the lone person in his family that likes the drumstick and thighs.
2. Froze the bones in our bone bag after stripping them clean so we can make some stock for Turken Noodle Soup later.
3. Avoided Black Friday shopping as we usually do, very rare to find something in those deals we really need.
4. We did shop small on Saturday and got some good holiday chocolates on sale. For me that is being frugal, it's from small brand I love that doesn't often go on sale so I waited patiently.
5. Fixed the zipper pulls on some mesh laundry bags, now they are useable again.
1. We have been eating turkey and sides for dinner since Thanksgiving. The carcass was turned into turkey soup for lunch, for my husband and I, all week at work. The soup included the last of the kale from our garden too.
2. We went to Price Right and stocked up on good chicken deals, which are now in the deep freezer. We also got 2 pork butts from Aldi for 50% off.
3. We purchased bulk onions, apples, carrots, and celeriac root from our public market this weekend. Produce there is quite cheap and mostly locally grown.
4. My aunt gave me a book I had been wanting to read (Where the Crawdads Sing). She also brought me a bunch of Christmas wrapping paper she was not using.
5. My mother in law dropped off clothes for my daughter for next year. She volunteers at a clothing closet and can bring home one bag of clothes each time she volunteers.
I don't have much to add frugality wise because I am still recovering from an emergency surgery but along with all of your many other readers wanted to give you some encouragement right now. Second, another place I have found cool stuff for an Advent calendar is at an office supply store. Specifically the year I found paper clips in the shape of dog bones, and others in the shape of cat and dog faces.
@Lindsey,
I temporarily misread the last word of your comment and I was like "oh, no, that would be the world's nastiest advent calendar...oh, wait...she said fAces...that makes so much more sense..."
@Lindsey,
I hope you are recovering quickly. Wishing you strength and improved health.
@Lindsey, wishing you a speedy recovery.
@Lindsey,
I hope everything is working out for you.
Your comments are always great.
I’ve been an adult student with a full time adult life (all the good, bad, and indifferent) too. It is grueling and sometimes it’s just plain awful. Those were the times I did stream of consciousness, don’t lift your pen off the page journaling. Afterwards I’d rip the pages out of the notebook and then tear each page into confetti. After each session I was able to keep going to the next waypoint. (I wasn’t excited about it ,but I could keep going.)
My frugal wins:
-went into a store to “browse” and ended up with an armful of potential purchases . Managed to shake myself, put everything back, and leave without purchasing anything.
-got drawn into the Amazon Black Friday sales, filled up my cart… looked at what was there and deleted most of the items.
-not a pure frugal win, but definitely a frugal “think it through win” - ordered a hoodie from a clothing company I love (Woolx) using on cyber Monday. They have non-itchy wool clothes which are machine washable, well made AND keep me warm —- which I haven’t been since I finished my cancer treatment. (This is not a paid ad - I’m just so happy to have found clothes that are not made completely of artificial fibers and don’t itch!)
Congratulations, Kristen! Almost through a challenging semester, and acing it to boot! A happy Christmas awaits you.
My FFT:
1) Used Black Friday sales to buy Christmas gifts and a few things for my kitchen, at 50% off. I am thrilled to refresh my batterie de cuisine and hope these items will last the rest of my life!
2) Cooked at home three meals every day, except for a treat on Saturday with DH. We enjoyed burgers out very much, tho I was shocked at our tab even for a modest lunch.
3) Shopped at Aldi and made recipe substitutions to avoid going to Kroger, which has more selection but is often much more expensive.
4) Made my own sarzoyan seasoning for pasta e fagiole, recipe from the Goya beans bag. And discovered beans don't always have to be presoaked! Per Jacques Pepin, I simmered the beans for several hours, then added seasonings, ham leftovers, and carrots and onions, and the pasta an hour before serving. Pot simmered all day but I was home anyway, and it was delicious.
5) Mended new cloth napkins from a Fair Trade catalog, rather than recycle them. Machine darning is not difficult, and very sturdy, and the mend is hidden in the print pattern.
1. I posted an ASK on my By-Nothing group for Pumpkins or squash left from porch displays. I collected enough to can 21 quarts of pumpkin.
2. I got a free turkey with my grocery haul. Another family member provided the Turkey for our Thanksgiving feast, so I canned the free turkey.
3. I used my turkey bones (see #2) and the bones form our Thanksgiving turkey to make and can bone broth.
4. I bought lots of mason jars on Black Friday when Goodwill had everything 30% off. That made them just 35 cents each.
5. I found a reasonable deal on eBay for a replacement gasket for my thrifted pressure canner.
Five Frugal things Thanksgiving edition
1) had five days of turkey, turkey, turkey (sandwiches, soup, 2nd dinners)
2) cooked down the bird for hours to make stock (2 hours) and bone broth (6 hours)
3) made our favorite frugal girl potato rolls (rather than buying)
4) homemade everything for the holiday (saving tons of money)
5) bought ornaments for Xmas presents ($2.99 each, instead of $16) TOTAL win on Cyber Monday!
Trying to find frugalness in our extremely expensive week. Auto shop wanted $2500 for ball joints and brake replacement. Hubs has a friend who can help with brakes, parts are $600 and we can pay him. The other repair will probably go to a shop. This is after spending $600 on 50k mileage maintenance. This is money well spent as we will keep the car forever.
My oldest is SO hard to buy for so youngest picked out a gift we felt they would love and if you order online it saved $70. This is Christmas gift.
I have tried to find the grands gifts at Goodwill without any luck. I hit Friday-Monday sales and at least saved some $$.
A friend at work gave me puzzles! Yay!
Not my frugal however my youngest found his health care app has rewards for health checkups and scored a $45 gift card. He was very excited. I looked at the app my insurance carrier has for rewards and almost all it is for joint replacement or MRI's.
*This week I am DONE with Christmas shopping and just awaiting various boxes to arrive. I stayed within my budget and was able to do a couple of things for my peeps that I am fairly jazzed about, including ordering some leather pouches to gift at least 20 of my Hubby's pocketknives in. Each one includes a lucky penny charm from the year they were born. Etsy for the win.
*I ate out twice last week which felt so strange to me - I am mostly eating from my freezer and going back to curbside groceries since it eliminates impulse buys for the most part.
*I'm getting two (minor but must be done now) car repair jobs done at the dealership this Friday, then saving the rest for my son to do. It will be cheaper and I would rather pay him directly!
*Lastly, the tree company is coming out tomorrow and I feel pretty proud of myself for asking them for a second estimate which ended up saving me $300.
Hope you have a less frazzled week going forward!
Better late than never?
Five Frugal Things, Use It Up Edition.
1. Greek Semolina Cake, to use up semolina, honey (in the syrup in place of some of the sugar), and pistachios (in place of almonds on top)
2. Pizza crust, to use up semolina and canned tomatoes.
3. Muffins. They started as Gingered Oatmeal but turns out I don’t have any crystalized ginger. So I used raisins (needed to use up anyway), milk powder, honey, applesauce (in place of oil), and oats.
4. Cake or cupcakes to come, to use up cake flour, milk powder, crisco, and powdered sugar.
5. Garlic Cashews to come, to use up cashews.
6. Fudge (sort of), to use up crisco (in place of coconut oil), PB powder, milk powder, and honey (in place of maple syrup).
I’m late to the party but wanted to echo everyone else’s encouraging comments to you, Kristen, and also to anyone who may be having difficult times & feeling fried from the stress of it all. It is hard not to be overwhelmed by circumstances.
FFT -
1. Filled my car with gas in the town where my dad lives as it was $.20 cheaper per gallon.
2. My sister came to visit Thanksgiving weekend to give me a much needed break from driving to/from nursing home to visit our dad. So another savings on gas.
3. Sister & I did enjoy some holiday shopping though. We went to Ulta for some Black Friday deals. My foundation makeup was 1/2 price & we both bought prestige brand mascara for $12. Since my daily makeup routine only consists of those 2 items, I was glad for the savings.
4. We also purchased a tabletop tree/lights/ornaments at 60% off at Hobby Lobby. This was for our dad’s room at the nursing home.
5. We also checked out a new to me overstock store where I scored a T-fal silicone pastry brush for $.99. I’m planning to stop by regularly to see what is available. They had everything from toiletries & groceries to furniture.
Thank you!
So many have said it more eloquently than I’ll manage, but I’m sorry you’re going through these hard times. Wishing you better days ahead!
My FFT:
1. We was supposed to celebrate Christmas with my partners family this year but the plane tickets are just absurdly expensive so we’ll be going on a pre-Christmas trip using airline points.
2. Planning to visit IKEA while we’re there so we can buy Elvarli posts for shelving for my plants. It would cost $430 to have Ikea send them (talk about absurdly expensive) and free now as I booked the plane ticket with special luggage (ski).
3. The electricity price is very high here now so have lowered the ovens to 16/60 degrees around the clock. Wearing two layers of wool and are using the wood stove in the evening when not doing chores and keeping warm.
4. Haven’t done any grocery shopping since we’ll be away for a week. The lunches have been “creative”.
5. Only BF shopping I did was 3 gallons of laundry detergent. Very exciting 😉
Not super-frugal, but if she ever does want a standard advent calendar, my friends and I love the Bonne Maman calendar with tiny fun-flavored jams and honey. It's a treat every year, and makes December breakfasts a bit more special for not too bad a price!
My husband and I are big on thrift store stuff. We went to a Goodwill and found for our teenage daughter gloves, a beanie hat, a Rock & Republic button up shirt, and a Coach logo crossbody, all for $20. Talk about deals at their finest!
I used free Christmasy address labels for the holiday cards I'm sending to mbers of my online support group.
I have three unfrosted cupcakes in my freezer to use when I try a small batch of cake pops for my ten year old son.
I made my son a Christmas tree advent calendar using solo cups, tissue paper and small candies/trinkets from the dollar store.
I separated our leftover turkey into white and dark meat. I immediately froze the dark meat for soups later on and we ate the white meat in sandwiches for a few days right after turkey day.
I am crocheting a gift for my youngest sister for Christmas.
1. I made all of our meals at home.
2. I waited to order certain things until Cyber Monday, because I knew they would be on sale and I was going to buy them anyway.
3. I wanted a new quilt for my bed, but I decided to want 24 hours between seeing it and buying it. Well, the next day, it wasn't on sale so I didn't get it.
4. I fixed a pair of pants.
5. I made coffee at home.
6. We borrowed a board game from the public library.
1. Packed our road-trip snacks from cleaning out the fridge.
2. Brought food from home for some meals for vacation at in-laws (rather than shopping while out of town).
3. Frugal/not frugal - forgot my jacket & it’s in the 20s/30s/40s here so will be buying a jacket on sale at Costco or thrift store for dog walking part of vacation
4. Vacation is actually a job & Gent plans to do some DoorDash work while we are here as well.
5. Usually buy an advent calendar, ours was lost in move this year so am forgoing the tradition this year. Simplicity is the name of the game!
I also got peacock for 1.98. Love the escape to the chateau, did chateau etc. There are some interesting docuseries like Diana Vreeland, originally devil wears Prada and she was responsible for r h e first met gala. They have a quick lamr ny news station for weather updates and I am searching for more and more content. Prime, Acorn and Masterpuece still fans.
I replaced YouTube TV w peacock that was 65 per month. First h at savings, there is plenty of content!