Five Frugal Things | I bought a coloring book!
1. I bought an anatomy coloring book on eBay
Sonia came across a highly rated anatomy coloring book on Amazon, and when she sent me the link, I hopped over to eBay to see if any were listed.
Sure enough, I found one for $3.99, plus $4 shipping. It has one plate colored, but that's totally fine; worth it for the discount!
2. I worked some CVS deals
I had ExtraBucks in my CVS account, plus I had my monthly $10 Carepass credit (I pay $4/month and they give me a $10 credit in return. So, a pretty good deal.)
I checked the sale ad, added a bunch of digital coupons to my card through the CVS app, and I bought:
- 2 Maui Moisture hair products
- an Elf eyebrow pencil
- 2 Revlon eyeliner pencils
My out-of-pocket total was $5.40, and I got $8 in ExtraBucks added to my account.
So, I was close to breaking even once you add in the $4 I paid for the Carepass, and I'm pretty happy about that, given that Maui Moisture products are $7/bottle, even at Target!
(My initial total at CVS was $41.25 for the five items. But things are so overpriced at CVS, it's not really fair to say, "I saved $35!" You have to compare what you paid to prices at somewhere like Target. As always, what matters is how much you paid, not how much you "saved".)
3. I shipped Sonia's backpack to Jansport
Her beloved blue-flowered backpack is having a problem with the snaps...neither of them will stay shut.
Jansport guarantees their products, so I printed out a service label, packaged it in a reused Amazon padded envelope, and shipped it off to the warranty center.
As long as the problem is fixable (and I think snaps will be!), they promise to fix it and then ship it back to us free of charge. And even if it is not fixable, they'll ship it back to us at no cost.
4. I got another free pair of undies
Victoria's Secret keeps sending me no-purchase-required coupons for a free pair of undies. I know they're hoping I will come in and buy a bunch of other stuff too, but I am part of the minority that will walk in for just a free pair of undies and then walk right out again. Ha.
I've gotten three free pairs this fall!
(In case you are worried that I'm wasting time/gas doing this: there's a mall near where Zoe goes to youth group, and since I have time to kill while she's there, I've just been popping in after I drop her off.)
5. I:
- filled out a Panda Express survey (from a recent date night) so I can get a free entree next visit
- put some stale waffle cones in the oven for a few minutes to make them crispy again
- ate an entire bag of kale from Hungry Harvest all by myself, over the course of three days. Gold stars for me!
- listed a book and an Old Navy jumpsuit on eBay
I used to have anatomy colouring books. I gave my last one to a young lady studying medicine.
1. I am working hard at reducing food waste by using all I cook and cooking less.
2. Summer is almost here and I am trying to not use the air-conditioning. But when we had the hottest day of the year last week it was on.
3. Today I noticed that petrol has risen to $1.839 cents a litre (which is about a US quart). I hoped online and found a place that was still $1.38 per litre.
4. I saved my daughter some money. They bought a house last Friday and due to the way they were treated in their last home she and her husband moved in with his parents for 8 months. Yesterday I opened my long term pantry and started her off again.
5. We now grow many things in pots. I bought potting mix for just under half price today.
@Suzan, these are fabulous! Thank you for sharing these tips. ❤
I had a busy, busy week. As a result, I was on frugal autopilot. Although I didn’t do anything interesting, I
• finished reading my library book and returned it early.
• ate at home, brewed my own coffee and drank primarily filtered water.
• paid our bills electronically ensuring they arrived on time (no late fees) and did not need stamps.
• brought some expired medications to the CVS pharmacy drop box to make sure they were disposed of properly.
• gave Rescue Pup a bath at home after she played at the free, public dog park.
Wishing everyone peace and good health!
I loved my anatomy coloring book. My professor required the class to get one and it was immensely helpful. That was long before adult coloring books were a thing.
We have had an unusually mild autumn so far, so we haven't been using either AC or heat.
I'm taking advantage of the free coffee that the hospital system I work for is providing us as a perk during an extended period of high census.
I had a "baking day" with a friend a week ago. We each taught the other a new recipe and came away with lots of baked goods. For the cost of a few ingredients, we were able to socialize and enjoy tasty food for several days.
That's all that comes to mind!
@Kris, Your baking party sounds so fun!
@Ruth T, hey, you live in Michigan, right? You could join the party! We have so much fun and get to learn new baking tricks.
@Kris,
Yes! You remember correctly! So if you ever organize a Michigan FG community baking party, let me know. 😉
I returned something to the store that I didn’t end up needing. I’ve gotten so used to online and drive-up shopping, going into a store feels like an arduous task!
I’ve been doing toy trades with a friend who’s kids are the same age as mine. Most recently I’d leant her this indoor climbing structure we had that was taking up a lot of room and my kids barely touched. Her kids loved it and after several months, I got it back yesterday and my kids love it now since it’s “new”. Free way to get them “new” toys!
I signed up to provide a meal to a family who just welcomed a new baby. They requested vegan meals and I don’t have as much experience cooking vegan but I love cooking in general and decided to give it a try, rather than ordering them something. It turned out delicious (I prepared enough for our dinner too and they contacted me later to say how much they enjoyed it) so I’m glad I tried cooking rather than spending money on a prepared meal. Maybe will start incorporating more vegan meals into the weekly meal plan.
We are taking a family photo this weekend, and I was able to put together coordinated outfits using clothes we already had rather than needing to buy anything.
Free flu shots for all of us yesterday!
@LB, No fair not tell us what the vegan meal was that everyone loved! 🙂
@Mary, Please share. I am in such a rut and would love something new and even vegan, since I know someone said their none sham family enjoyed it.
@Mary, @Jennifer. Happy to share! Here is the main course:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/african-peanut-stew-vegan/
The only deviation I made was briefly using my immersion blender rather than smashing the sweet potato against the side of the pot. Served with brown rice and naan bread (I did not make the naan bread, just heated it in the oven)
This was the dessert:
https://jessicainthekitchen.com/creamy-chocolate-avocado-pudding-v-gf/
I had a few frugalities and one big fail, so here goes.
1. I planted some of the free seeds I got at the library. This won't be very frugal if they don't grow, but at least they were free. I also planted some seeds from last fall that I kept chilled in the refrigerator. We can often keep seeds viable for a few years by keeping them cool.
2. I had saved a couple of overripe plantains and three overripe bananas in the freezer over time, so I made cassava flour banana bread. Since I had more "banana" pulp than needed, I reduced the amount of fat in the recipe by half. It turned out yummy.
3. I sent some high amount coupons that my sister can use to her a few months ag0, so now she is sending some high amount coupons that I can use to me.
4. My dog is part of a trial of new probiotics treats for dogs, so for two months her probiotics, something I was already buying and giving her daily, are free.
5. Taking part in trials is nothing new for us; as first degree relatives of a type 1 diabetic, my kids were accepted to a diabetes trial run by the U of F when they were young, meaning they were monitored for the first warning signs of type 1 diabetes for about a decade, at no charge to us. Thankfully, they didn't develop any signs or diabetes itself.
6. Since my husband needs assistance with his insulin these days, the caregiver and I are writing everything down in a notebook so we both will know what his readings and doses are all day. The notebook we are using was one I found somewhere, although I can't remember where, in perfect shape. I think it had one page with writing, which I tore out.
Now for the fail: I cooked two pork tenderloins after marinating them, and they turned out great. We had one loin, the bigger one, leftover, so I put it in a covered container to put in the laundry room refrigerator. I found the container sitting out the next morning, from when I had been interrupted by my husband who was trying to get settled in for the night, and I had not remembered to go back to put it in the refrigerator. Ouch.
@JD, So sorry about the Frugal Fail. We had a mistake like that in our house recently and it hurts to throw good food away. I have to tell myself that it's not worth the risk of food poisoning or even just upset stomachs to get myself to put it in the trash can.
Rebekah
Ohhh, I have had several frugal fails regarding leaving meat out. I want to kick myself every time! So, I feel you.
@JD, Oh that is the worst - leaving something out! About two weeks ago, my husband put the ice cream in the fridge instead of the freezer after serving his. He was so tired so not thinking clearly. Worst part is he is dairy free which means his ice cream can be kind of expensive. Poor guy was so annoyed by this one.
@Bernadine, yep, we've all had these kinds of fails, it seems! I try some things like setting my timer, an alert on my phone, putting something in an odd place to make myself notice, Post-Its... and I am much better, but not perfect! I remember being so young and so broke- my SIL and I made a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, all day, to share and freeze. It got left out and had to be thrown out. I still remember her tears.
1. I finished a book on my Kindle and, instead of BUYING another one, I reached into the stack of actual paper books I have on my nightstand and started one of those.
2. Started composting again last month in anticipation of doing some container gardening next year. I feel SO much better having something worthwhile to do with the veggie scraps.
3. We've been cooking at home a ton and not wasting much at all. I made myself some "carrot fries" to go with dinner the other night from a pretty limp carrot that had been forgotten.
4. Gave the cats a new free toy - those plastic packing straps that are about 1/2 inch wide? I cut one at the corner so it makes a nice little "L" shape and is about 4 inches long. They love batting it around!
5. Ordered groceries online and picked up at the store - much less chance of impulse buying!
I'm trying to work through my nightstand pile of books too!
It's been a pretty boring frugal week around our house:
1) Planned to go out on Saturday, but an activity was cancelled, so we ended up making fajitas at home.
2) One of the teens used the wrong attachment on the food processor while shredding cabbage. We ended up with "riced" cabbage, which I didn't even know you could do. I was worried it would be wasted, but mixed it with cauliflower rice & a bunch of spices, and created a great mix. My Keto husband had his fajita peppers & chicken over that mix & loved it & asked for a repeat.
3) My 14 y.o. started reffing soccer games, and now is earning income. We helped him open a minor IRA, so he can start saving for retirement. We are matching his contributions, as an incentive. 🙂
4) Sold a few things on eBay
5) Gave away some stuff we didn't need: cake mixes, frosting, shared a homemade dessert with another friend.
6) Made Kristen's granola bars as a snack for the kids, and my 14 y.o. made another loaf of (Kristen's recipe) French bread this weekend. He makes it pretty regularly, but the first one didn't rise at all. He tried again, and it was wonderful.
@Hawaii Planner, Hurray for the IRA! Teach the important lesson of invest and leave it alone, perhaps.
Yay for a kid who is learning how to bake bread!
@Hawaii Planner,
Your 14 year old sounds awesome!
@Hawaii Planner, have you ever considered cloning your kids who help out in the kitchen, bake bread, and open IRAs? I think that about a gazillion parents would be glad to get them!
My crazy wrestling sons broke a lamp last night (so cliched). It was a cheap ceramic lamp from Walmart my mother bought like fifteen years ago, so it wasn't a huge loss, but it was the lamp my husband uses to read every day. Only the base broke, though, not the electrical components. Luckily, right next to the lamp is a bowl with a top that my dad made. So my husband said he can drill out the top of that, add a hole at the bottom for the cord, and we'll have a very pretty lamp for no cost.
We ran out of our traditional Sunday cereal this weekend--I keep generic crisp rice on hand for a quick breakfast before our 8 a.m. church--but I had just made bread the day before. And I had one jar of apricot jam left that I had made from the fruit my neighbor gave me a couple of months ago. Fresh bread with apricot jam is a much better treat than cereal, in my opinion. Cheaper, too. And almost as fast.
Last winter durin our days of terrible cold and ice, our outside dogs came into my husband's office at night for a couple of nights. They never come inside, and it made them nervous. They chewed up the corner of a whole package of printer paper that was on the floor. We saved the paper for children's drawing, and they've been making very good use of that lately. And when they've finished their entirely-too-numerous drawings that cover the entire dining room, they tape up the ones they want to keep and I use the rest to start the woodstove in the morning.
I also save the butcher paper that is wrapped around the beef from the processor to start the woodstove in the morning. 'Tis the season.
@kristin @ going country, when my youngest son was in high school he was on the wrestling team with a bunch of his pals. They simply could not be in a room together without eventually tackling each other like a pile of German Shephard puppies. I remember coming home one day and several boys were sitting in the living room, which was suspiciously neat, with guilty looks on their faces. I looked around and found a picture frame with all the glass out of it. Sigh!
@Anne, Yeah, the wrestling around definitely got worse when the eldest started football. Unfortunately, with three boys (and one pretty aggressive girl), it's kind of like having the wrestling team in house all the time. 🙂 I anticipate many more broken things in the coming years . . .
Thanks for the tip on Jansport backpacks Kristen - I have a 5 yr old and am looking to invest in a quality backpack that will last my son several years rather than purchasing the disposal Walmart ones each year.
1. I combined Target Circle coupons, Target rewards, and a $10 gift card to save on some toiletry items that we needed.
2. I made a recent trip to Walmart and discovered that they had some sausage rolls that my little guy loves marked down to $1.26/pkg. We don't usually buy these as they are typically $6-$7/pkg. I snagged 4 packages and tossed them into the freezer for some breakfast treats later this fall.
3. I purchased just a few items of birthday decor from Walmart for my son's upcoming birthday and we will use items on hand for the party.
4. Batch cooking every week in my house - this week's items included a large pot of okra & tomatoes and a large pot of green beans. Both of these were made completely from veggies we grew in our garden and having them on hand makes it easy to cook a main course through the week as we have veggies to serve alongside already prepared. I also froze half of the okra & tomatoes to use as a starter for vegetable beef soup later this month.
5. I shopped two consignment sales for fall & winter clothing for my son. I found a winter coat, several long sleeve shirts, sweaters, & pullovers to take him through the winter for a fraction of what I would have spent to buy the same items new. Some of the items were new with tags and the ones that weren't new looked barely worn and washed up beautifully.
Yes! I do think the Jansport ones are worth it; they are made well, and you can get them repaired if something does go wrong.
@Kristen, Maybe things have changed with Jansport but when my boys were in school, they used to be quite hard on their backpacks. I always bought Jansport because if the seams ripped or frayed, I could send it back and they sent us a brand new one. They didn't even try to repair them. This was in the late 90's through about 2003 or so.
@Angie, Jansport fixed my daughters zipper! She made it thru the school year and it was repaired over the summer - it took several weeks.
@Kristen, you said they will send the bag back to you if they can't repair it? Does this mean that they also send you a new one for "free", also?
I think on the form there was a box you could check for them to send you a free replacement item that is similar. The print on Sonia's backpack is no longer made, so they'd have to replace it with a different color/print, so we opted to just have it sent back if they can't repair it.
@Kristen, My son had a Jansport backpack through out his school years into college. He may still have it. Once the zipper broke and I sent it back and he got a new one sent back for free - except for the cost of me shipping it back. My son will turn 30 in December.
Wow, that's amazing! I just got an email this morning letting me know that Jansport received the backpack we sent, so now we just are waiting for the repair and return.
1. I redeemed points for a $50 Amazon code and was able to get 4 small Christmas gifts for my older daughter (2 books, a New York Times crossword calendar and a box of tea - all things from her wish list). I added a small household item I needed anyway
to get free shipping. No out-of-pocket cost to me.
2. I picked up 3 Fisher Price toddler toys from the curb. I will clean them up and post for sale. They are in great shape!
3. I used supplies I have on hand (blank inside cards, scrapbook paper, stickers and specialty scissors) to make Christmas cards. I decided to get started on this early this year!
4. I used a really, really ripe banana to make 6 muffins. I also made 6 corn muffins at the same time to utilize the oven more efficiently.
5. I continue to post items and have made a few very small sales.
@BarbG, When my kids were little my town had a clean up week twice a year. I was able to pick up a Little Tikes picnic table, baby swing for our swing set and a gas pump for their Little Tikes cars.
In my recent meet a reader post, I mentioned that simplicity and being light on the planet are important to me. I thought I'd share the following types of practices that have saved us money, helped the environment, and allowed our family of 2 (3 if you count the dog) to cancel trash and recycling service. What little we do have my sister takes and puts in her bins.
Personal care: Use a very small amount of toothpaste (a little goes a long way). Use the same soap bar for body, face and hair. Use a small mesh bag to gather soap scraps which I then use like a loofah. Use a natural deodorant stone. Purchase lotion in bulk using my own jar (I also notice I use less lotion when it's not from a pump bottle). No nail polish or makeup except for some lipstick gifted to me. I used to use coconut oil to remove makeup. Never had a mani or a pedi. Keep my hair short.
Household: Use handkerchiefs and rags in place of tissues and paper towels. Clean everything with baking soda and vinegar. Use a pumice stone to remove the toilet bowl ring. Purchase laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and dishwashing liquid in bulk using my own bottles. Compost.
Food: Eat whole, plant-based foods. Typically follow the adage "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
Out and about: Bring my own bags and containers to the store. Avoid most packaging, plastic and single-use disposables. Bring my own container for restaurant leftovers (which I fill right after the food comes to the table so that I save enough for a second meal). I even bring small containers for leftover condiments, dressing, etc. I hate waste of any kind!
@MB in MN,
I do the same! Except that every new soap bar goes into the mesh bag and I just love the slight peeling effect of the mesh bag.
Guests commented on the soap bar next to the sink of the toilett....so I bought a nice metal pump container ( I hate plastic ) filled in a tiny bit of dishwasher liquid and lots of water - everybody is happy now 🙂
I keep using my soap bar....
For shampoo I have some olive soap from the Iraquian guy (shop) right across the street and I give my hair the last rinse with cold water and some apple vinegar.
My dentist agrees that very little toothpaste is needed. It lasts so much longer now.
I wanted to try the curly girl method Kristen mentioned. I actually did once and the result was great - a friend of mine has all the products and she let me try.
But looking at all those plastic bottles made me decide not to buy all this stuff. Also I was quite impressed by the weight of all the containers when I brought it back to her place. So much material.....
Deodorant I mix myself using coconut oil, soda and starch and some bee wax and into a small metal container it goes. I spend like 5 €/year on deodorant....
Every time I come across lovely handmade soap with a fragrance that pleases me I buy and keep it with my clothes till the mesh bag needs to be refilled.
I do travel a lot and most of the time by train - my bag is now so much lighter without the liquid cosmetic stuff and takes up very little space
And in France they just passed a law that fruit and vegetables are not to be sold wrapped in plastic anymore. I can't wait till we have the same law here in Germany!
@Lea,
I do the Curlygirl method and was using Shea Moisture curly shampoo in the pump bottle, but recently I got brave and tried a shampoo bar. My hair still curls just fine. You might want to give it a try!
@JD,
Oh, that's a great tip! Never occurred to me it might exist as a soap bar. I will be looking for this and give it a try. Thank you!
@Lea, JD, etc. I do the Curly Girl "methods", using my own choices of products (mostly Suave, EVOO, generic products, stuff-on-sale, freebies). My frugal stylist approves, saying I have the healthiest hair of her clients. When she worked at a salon, it cost double, but she was worth it! Now she works from her home and has really cut her prices. Says she still makes more now.
@MB in MN, where can a person bring her own containers to be filled with lotion? or other stuff? I've never seen this. I use off-brand baby products for skin care and shaving, except for a certain hand cream that desperate nurses use- the only thing that keeps my hands from bleeding from so much sanitizing and washing. I get that when its on a 2 for 1 sale and stock up for months.
@Jenny, co-ops and zero-waste stores allow - and encourage - their customers to bring their own containers. Some Whole Foods Markets do as well. Check out this link for finding bulk wherever you are: https://app.zerowastehome.com/
I mended my favorite sweater. (I count six mended spots on this sweater so it's "on it's last legs" but I think it will make it through one more season.
I mended a towel that was unraveling.
I enjoy mending by hand while watching a movie and I hate shopping for replacement items.
We used a buy one get one coupon for Jersey Mikes subs. (We almost only go to Jersey Mikes unless we have a buy one get one free coupon.)
I made fall spice simple syrup so we can make moka-pot fall spice lattes at home. (My simple syrup has strong flavor and I like my lattes better than the coffee shop ones.)
I turned over-ripe bananas into banana bread.
1. Spent seven dollars out of pocket for a small ( full) cart of items at Walgreens. Scanned in fetch rewards and Ibotta. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CONNECT MY KROGER ACCOUNT TO FETCH REWARDS?
2. Was very sensible on my quarterly Costco trip. Only spent 97 dollars. It is so hard not to just throw stuff in the cart. No impulse purchases. WHEW!
3. Ate lunch cheaply while at COSTCO
4. Staying under 90 dollars a week by using online store coupons and deals and using grocery pickup. Also no impulse buys.
5. Got to listen to some great new albums for free from library HOOPLA app.
@Stephanie, we just did our monthly Costco shopping and I noticed we had been in the store about seven minutes and we had three impulse purchases in the cart, a fleecy throw, a new shirt for husband and another large pumpkin for me to put in the front yard. I did put the throw back but kept the other two things.
Costco is a struggle for me.
I found out about the CVS care pass through you and I sure have been glad I did! I don't drive any more so I depend on others to pick up my meds. One of the perks of the pass is free shipping on my meds here in Alabama. I'm not sure if every state is the same. I also love my $10.00 credit I get every month. Thank you so much!
Kathy
1) I have been busy picking apples from a neighbor's tree who offered all I could use. Now to can or freeze some of them!
2) I dyed my hair at home.
3) I fly out tomorrow to visit 3 of my kids who live in the midwest. The flights were nearly free after points and I am spending one night in a hotel with free points also.
4) We finally chose a financial planner (this is SOOOOO hard). We don't have a ton of money, but we worked hard to save it, and want to be wise with what has been entrusted to us, and after going over the plan that he created for us, I am so happy we went this route. He was able to show us how to move money to our tax benefit, and will save us so much in the long run. Very thankful.
5) I won $50 from a fund raiser raffle for my old high school!
@Tricia, We've been talking @ a financial planner too but the ones we've had recommended seem to work mostly with high-wealth clients. What type of planner (e.g. designation) did you end up choosing? It's good to hear that you are feeling like it's worth the effort!
@Tricia, I dyed my hair last week, too. It's second nature for me to do that so I didn't even think to add it to my frugal list.
Kudos on your CVS bargains! How you feel about CVS is how we feel about Kohl's. My husband jokes that if you leave the store having spent $20 that your receipt will say that you saved $200. My FFT:
1. We rented a lodge at a state park on Lake Michigan for a long weekend. It was an interesting state park as it was literally ON the beach. We initially were calling it a cabin trip, but it was really a beach house trip. And as I looked at the houses across the street that were available to rent I marveled that the price that we paid for our "beach house" was probably half of what we would have paid for something equivalent outside of a state park. (Bonus: it was oddly warm enough to swim in Lake Michigan on Saturday! In October!)
2. I packed food for all of our meals at the house.
3. My in-laws (they went with us, which brought the lodging cost down even more) offered to buy dinner since we'd be getting home right at dinnertime. They gave us the choice of where to get food and we stopped at a Sam's Club an hour from home and grabbed food there to reheat at home since it was much cheaper than take out for 7 would have been.
4. I made WAY too much macaroni and cheese at the lodge, so we put the leftovers in a ziploc bag and we are all happily eating it for lunch today.
5. I need to do a grocery pickup order today and Meijer is offering $10 off $30 in pull-ups if you order online, so I am opting to order through them instead of WalMart since pull-ups are the main reason for my urgent order.
This is the 1st time I’ve heard of an anatomy coloring book. So intriguing! I’ve also debated on getting Jansport backpacks for my girls but went with Pottery Barn. If their backpacks ever need replacing, I’ll definitely be looking into Jansport.
My 5 Frugals
1) Got a pair of Under Armor sneakers for free off Facebook Marketplace. They’re in excellent used condition and will make good gym shoes for my girl next year since they’re a size bigger.
2) Returned items to Walmart and got over $100 back! I returned a stylus that wasn’t needed for class, ink on a printer that’s not working, cool light bulbs when we wanted warm one, and extra party favors we had for my daughter’s birthday celebration.
3) Have a couple people interested on a set of fleece sleepers that I have listed on Facebook Marketplace for $15. Hoping they get sold today.
4) Gave away a new roll of peel & stick laminate for free off our Buy/Nothing Facebook group.
5) Batch ran errands yesterday, all pretty much on the same stretch of road, to save gas. Picked up a free pair of sneakers for my girl; Retuned and borrowed more books at the library; Took my youngest to the playground & Return items and shopped at Walmart.
—One of my husband’s co-workers saved a full box of iridescent glass tiles that he found by a dumpster and gave them to me. (I’m “the artist wife,” so I get shown and brought all sorts of nifty things!) The tiles came in pre-laid sheets a foot square and retail for $25+ **PER SHEET**! My box has 10 intact sheets, so wowzer! While tiling is out of my wheelhouse, I immediately thought of a friend who is redoing her kitchen by necessity (their house *needs* the work done for structural and safety reasons). She was glad to claim such beautiful tiles, especially for free!
—We reorganized our closets using baskets and shelves from elsewhere in the house. Our Victorian has giant rooms but tiny closets, so what works best is constantly evolving!
—While reorganizing, my husband and I found clothes we no longer wear or that don’t fit one way or the other. Everything in good shape was offered to a friend whose children are in the midst of teenage growth spurts. She was delighted to claim everything!
--I picked up several free wooden cigar boxes from a local smoke shop. (I don't smoke--this shop happens to be right by my favorite coffee haunt.) The owner stacks any empty boxes by the door, and one can take as many as one wants. Some are quite beautifully made! They enjoy second lives as storage for various things (our shoe shine kit, for one, my sewing kit for another), and I enjoy using the larger boxes in place of gift bags. My friends and family are always happy for another box to stash craft items or to craft in its own right! They even request specific sizes.
--A friend was having a baby shower. I know zip about babies, so I asked if I could do a present for her and her husband instead--they'll be the ones losing sleep, after all! Thus, they received a "Date Night" box. Inside one of the aforementioned cigar boxes was a DVD (dollar store find) with five terrific old-timey horror movies on it (I know my audience ;), two handmade tickets, and as many shareable snacks from Trader Joe’s as would fit (jelly beans, gummy bears, cookies, a large chocolate bar, espresso beans, peanut butter cups—-it was a surprisingly large cigar box!). Total = $10.
@N, I'm totally impressed by the dumpster-dived tiles, the reclaimed cigar boxes, and the other "share the wealth" ideas. And I don't know zip about babies, either.
@A. Marie, I’m grateful to have an extremely generous and thoughtful circle of friends who definitely embrace a “share the wealth” approach! We all keep a lookout for things we think the others will like and/or need and try to be helpful to one another. Example: I’ll alert my parent friends to relevant sales I happen to spot while out and about. (FYI, Michael’s and Barnes & Noble are both gutting their kids’ sections to make room for Christmas. One can get presents taken care of early and cheaply.) Meanwhile, my friends will save me shipping supplies, art supplies (see: tile), and so on. I’ve even babysat in a pinch, as I know if that’s being asked of me (see: knowing zip about babies), that means there are no other options/it really is an emergency.
Let’s see what I can remember from this week:
1) We filled our half-full compost pile to the top, layering dried grass clippings and hay. Normally we keep adding veggie scraps all winter so the pile isn’t all composted by spring. This year we started a 2nd compost pile with hay and grass, and will use it for vegetable scraps this winter. Hoping the first pile will be good compost for the summer garden if we keep turning it.
2) I found a bag of peach pie filling in the freezer a few years old and started to throw it out. My husband suggested we thaw it first and check it out. It looked fine so I made a delicious peach cobbler!
3) I traded books with my cousin and when I get them back, I’ll post them (well, most of them) on Paperback Swap.
4) We had some dried pinto beans that were 5 years old and never got soft the last time I cooked them. I checked online and learned to use baking powder while soaking —- and it worked. The pintos were great. We have others that we’ve stored awhile and I was afraid we’d have to throw them out.
5) Yesterday the refrigerator had little bit of pimento-cheese and little bit of egg salad but we had no bread. I toasted tortillas in a taco shape, and my husband and I each had 1 “taco” of each. Fridge clean-out!
This is my 4th week posting 5 frugal things. It’s a good exercise.
Oops! In #4 I added baking soda, not baking powder.
@Gail, Hi - when soaking pinto beans it also helps to not put any salt in the water until they have softened. It impedes the process if you salt the water at the beginning. 🙂
@Bernadine, Gail- well, one says soaking with no salt is the trick, the other says that adding baking soda, which is sodium, which is salt, for soaking, is the trick! Let mw know how it's done. I love experiments but hate to waste if I don't have to. Warm, cold, how much time, how much water? I'm only just learning about bean cooking- had always used canned, but I've tasted "homemade" and they re GOOD, and possibly cheaper. I have read about some premium dried beans that people get online, but are quite expensive. It can be fun while traveling to poke into groceries and see if they have interesting "regional" beans. Yep, I'm a cheap date.
I feel like I only have frugal fails this week. So to anyone in my same boat, cheers to a new week of opportunities to make good choices!
Good for you on the Hungry Harvey kale. Ours is…still sitting there.
@Laura, I dislike kale, but I will eat this salad all day long!
https://www.sustainablecooks.com/chopped-salad/
My daughters have had to get those anatomy coloring book for Anatomy & Physiology classes. They were $100 at the college bookstore. I, too, ordered it much cheaper online! My daughters kept me busy this week and I'm having a hard time remembering the frugal things outside the norm.
1. I used a gift card received as a present to pay for bagels and coffee for me and my daughter who needed a brain break from studying for nursing midterms.
2. Used gift cards worth $30 in groceries at a place I normally don't shop at because they are pricier than other places.
3. Downloaded two free fun Halloween-themed ghost mysteries to read on my e-reader.
4. Purchased a two-for-one car wash deal.
I honestly can't remember another one....I'll try to keep better track this week 🙂
1.) Not really frugal per se but it *kinda* is. I bought these scrub brush drill attachments at Home Depot and for the first time in years the bottom of my tub isn't black. No amount of manual scrubbing would work before. But a combo of letting the cleaner soak on it for hours and then using some mechanized agitation I got the tub clean.
2.) Sold some more items on eBay.
3.) Put in for reimbursement for some work related travel expenses.
4.) Made rolls for my daughter's birthday party (we had a deli platter.) I suppose I could've made up the platter myself but I got it from BJs. I did use a coupon for it at least!
5.) Working the overtime that was offered to me. We're really short handed so if I can make some extra now, all the better.
@Battra92, our shower, which I guess is some kind of fibreglass, never looks as white as I like. What kind of cleaner did you use on your tub? Thanks.
@Anne, It was something from the Dollar Tree. It was like Kaboom. I think the big secret was letting it sit for so long (used some paper towels to hold it to the tub.)
Checking Youtube some people do a similar technique with toilet bowl cleaner but I don't know how I feel about trying that.
1) I attended a free violin recital, by my daughter! Beautiful music, and I got to be the proud mama!
2) Dried some apple slices to gift to my daughter-in-law.
3) Used the peels from the above dried apples to turn into “Apple Peel Jam” for my daughter to use on her toast. I do not use any refined sugar due to previous blood sugar problems, so I just chop the fruit, add in some dates and a little water, and simmer until thick. This is great to use on pancakes and waffles as well.
4) Drove to visit my son and daughter in law. Took our own food for travels, so we wouldn’t need to stop and pick up something.
5) Visited the local Botanical garden in the town where our son lives. It was free to go, and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon wandering the gardens.
Pictures and more on my blog here: https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/10/frugal-friday-week-of-october-3-9-2021.html
Looking forward to what others share!
-Susan M, in Chattanooga, Tennessee
FFT, Social Butterfly Edition:
I have another of my BFFs visiting--a friend from grad school days who now lives in the Chicago area. So here's what we've been up to. My social calendar hasn't been this full in years.
(1) Together, we attended Dr. Bestest Neighbor's early 85th birthday party on Saturday, which Ms. BN threw for him at a local arts space. (His actual birthday is close to Christmas, so this was a great idea for various reasons. Needless to say, all appropriate health precautions were taken.) Greeting most of Dr. BN's surviving relatives + many mutual friends I haven't seen since the start of the pandemic = good vibes = priceless.
(2) I was happy to transport both BFF and a delightful 95-year-old mutual friend to this party. The frugal part of this was that I had to have one of the Honda Element's two extra seats reinstalled so I could seat three, and two friends of DH's who came by for another reason last week did this for me.
(3) BFF is a better and more enthusiastic cook than I am, so I turned the kitchen over to her for Sunday dinner. She produced a sheet pan dinner with chicken thighs in a lemon and garlic rub, potatoes, artichokes, and olives that was heavenly.
(4) We've also invited two other mutual friends for dinner Wednesday, when BFF will be making a chicken pot pie with the leftover chicken. I will be supplying squash from the Regional Market, plus kale, garlic, and sage from my garden, for the pie.
(5) Finally, we made use of a perfect fall day today by first going down to one of our excellent local apple orchards for apples and fresh hot apple fritters, and then calling on still another mutual friend on the way home.
@A. Marie,
There are few things I treasure as much as a visit from my oldest and dearest friend. Good conversation and laughter are free and good for the soul. Enjoy !!!
I used to get those free underwear coupons in the mail from Victoria's Secret and Pink quite often. I guess I redeemed them too many times without spending money on anything else in the store, and I'm off their list. I haven't received any coupons from them in a long time.
1. I listed last year's Halloween costumes for $40 on Marketplace. I paid $37 for all 4 used costumes last year. As a family, we were going to wear these costumes again. But, my 2 year old has been quite insistent that she wants to be a carrot for Halloween. In the name of coordinated costumes, we are all going to be pieces of a Thanksgiving dinner instead. I will be peas! We are making my daughter's costume, which will cost about $5.
2. We love carbonated water. We got a Soda Stream off Buy Nothing, which included 1 bottle. We need more than 1 bottle, so I bought 5 bottles, that came with another Soda Stream, off Marketplace for $20 (bottles on Amazon are $17 for 2 and new Soda Stream machines are $140). The extra Soda Stream is now in my office at work. My husband bought a larger cannister of CO2 from a restaurant supply store and learned how to hack the Soda Stream cannisters. Much cheaper than cans of sparkling water and better for the environment!
3. I used 2 loaves of free bread, homemade chicken stock, and sage from our garden to make a huge pan of stuffing. The stuffing is being served with a cheap turkey from last year and other sides. Groceries cost $55 this week due to using every last piece of the turkey for dinners.
4. Made more sundried tomatoes using tomatoes from our garden and dehydrated some oregano from our garden.
5. This is not financially frugal, but frugal on time. I had a cleaning service give us a quote and she starts next week. I have been giving this lots of thought. Having a cleaning service will cost me money, but give me more time with my family. Time is our biggest commodity in life.
Used my BoughtMilk settlement on a puzzle. I had zero luck finding any at Goodwill. I decided to live large and bought a 2000 piece. It is so much fun! I paid the balance of the puzzle with a Bing gift card.
Hubs got 2 $10 off birthday Ace Hardware gift cards so he bought Bird seed and suet.
Disappointed that Rite Aid is not giving $5 off with a flu shot. I did find that had large containers of Cetaphil for $4, when I bought several it shot me off a $3 off q.
I order my dog food from the same store & they always include samples with pick up orders and with my last order they gave me a 3# bag of food to try. I keep mine on the same foods and use the samples for treats. My pups love those freeze dried toppers.
I did not have any corn stalks to use for decorating the front yard so I used my tall grasses. It worked out well and it was free.
That coloring book is exceptionally cool. What a great buy!
I spent $99 on food shopping this week, which is $9 more than my budget but included taking advantage of a sale on lots of pantry staples. Also cut my son's hair, shampooed and groomed our three dogs myself, and got three meals out of a free dinner from work. Also inadvertently saved 4 cents a gallon on gas by procrastinating a few days on filling up my car's tank.
I sent my Jansport back years ago and ended up with a new one. They were fantastic and super cool about it. I even got a postcard from my packsack while it was in repair. Thought that was cute.
1-We finally dumped cable. Saves $100/month just on renting their equipment even after adding streaming services back in! Part of the streaming community at long last.
2-opted not to trash some old spaghetti squash (only I like squash in my family) and topped with cheese. Wasn’t great but wasn’t wasted either.
3-getting back in the swing of buying “needs” not lots of “wants” or “stock ups”
4-baking lunch treats or kid breakfast waffles for the week
5-I use plain vinegar in place of laundry detergent on washing weekly bedding changes. This cleans out washer funk, softens and freshens sheets and saves some soap.
6-hang dry the big comforters on a railing
1. Mailed off some sterling silver jewelry to a reputable gold & silver buyer called Goldfellow. It won’t be worth much, but better to have cash than unworn jewelry! I did look into selling it on eBay but it would have been more trouble than it was worth, so I took the easy way out. (Update: it was worth $8, and I wish I had sold it on eBay instead. Oh well!)
2. Might have succeeded at signing up for a free Starbucks coffee sample on National Coffee Day. I say “might have” because it was so early that I was half-asleep and didn’t specifically see a confirmation.
3. However, I have been playing the daily Starbucks game and have so far won 55 stars and two $5 GCs. They must have more prizes than usual because I rarely win! Tip: scroll down and you can enter twice daily for free by filling out a form.
4. Happened to see $15 off a $15 purchase at Sephora through a cash back website, so I ordered a set of sample hand creams to use for small Christmas gifts when I see family in early November. Total OOP: 84 cents tax.
5. Thanks to reminders from frugal blogs, I’ve checked out The Tightwad Gazette from the library and am eager to read it.
I love kale! Just tear it up, then heat it in a pan with some peanut sauce and serve it over rice or a baked potato. Delicious! I got the recipe from Simnett Nutrition on YouTube.
My daughter has to take Anatomy and Physiology next year. As I'm working on gift ideas I remembered this post. So many sellers on eBay are businesses and just list the condition but not specifically that pages are colored. What are key things to look for or do you go with listing that you can see are using their own pictures (and usually state any colored pages)? Thank you!
If you want to make sure nothing is colored, then I think you'd want to stick with "new" or "like new" listings. I think those two categories are not allowed to have any in-book writing or coloring.