Five Frugal Things | I changed my oil!
1. Lisey helped me change my oil
Despite my whole, "You don't need whiskers to do that" philosophy, I have never really done much work on my car. I usually just dropped the van off at a trusted mechanic for any maintenance needs.
But Lisey said, "Mom, let's change your oil together next time!"
And last week, my oil change light came on.
Sooo, Lisey picked up the supplies for me, and we jacked up my car (don't worry, we used jack stands!), drained the old oil, changed the filter, and filled it back up with new oil.
And as it turns out, it's not really rocket science. 😉
I think I could do it by myself next time, actually!
(In case you're new here, Lisey started working at Valvoline a few years ago, and she's been working on cars pretty much ever since. So she was more than capable of teaching me how to change my oil.)
2. I used leftover frying oil to grease my grill
The grates on the grill my dad rescued had a few rusty spots on them.
So, the first time I used it, I cleaned them as best I could, brushed the grates with oil saved from the last time I fried something, and then I heated the grill up to season the grates.
And then when I was smoking the chicken last week, I brushed the grates with oil again.
This is a pretty great use for leftover cooking oil!
3. I used dry buns to make a French toast casserole
I had bought a store-brand package of burger buns from Lidl and they were kinda dry to start with.
And a few days later, they'd gone way past the "kinda dry" stage.
So, I cut them up along with a few other bread odds and ends and made Pioneer Woman's overnight French toast casserole.
I haven't made that in so long! Definitely not since before I left my other house.
Look at me, getting back into my old grooves at my new place. 🙂
4. I renewed our rec center gym membership for a year
Right before Christmas, I signed the girls and me up for a 90-day membership at the local rec center. I did the 90-day one because I wasn't sure how much we'd all use it, and I didn't want to commit.
But Sonia and I have been regularly going to the yoga classes, and Lisey and Zoe have been using the weight room regularly, so I re-upped us for a year. It works out to be less than $60/month for all four of us, unlimited classes included, so that's a pretty good deal!
5. I...
- used the heels of the bread to make a peanut butter sandwich for myself
- made a batch of homemade yogurt
- made one of my classic random-leftovers skillet meals for breakfast
I am back from a bucket list trip to Ireland & refreshed & re-motivated!
1. I moved some money languishing in my checking acct to a higher yield Ally acct
2. I am consistently using Fetch for my receipts- I won 10k points with their “spin for a bonus” feature!
3. All meals at home- and that is so welcome after 9 days of eating out
4. The heat has been off for long periods as we’ve had some gorgeous spring days. Concurrent with that is I’ve been able to put a few loads of laundry on the clothesline ☀️
5. Not frugal, per se, but made many appointments yesterday to get some home/car maintenance things done. Taking care of my things will be frugal in the long run.
Happy day to all
@Diane, A trip to Ireland sounds very bucket list worthy, indeed! What a fun thing.
Also, I just wanted to say that I've always felt frugal after checking off nagging to-do list items like making appointments and such. I mean, I know in the long run they really are (like how getting regular car tune-ups or dental cleanings will prevent much of the more expensive fixes down the road), but I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the immediate frugal satisfaction, too 🙂
@Diane, Ireland!!!! How wonderful! What was your favorite thing?
@Diane, Where in Ireland did you travel? We went there for our honeymoon 24 years ago and eventually I would love to go back.
@Bee, I am still in such a haze of gratitude. My daughter went with me & that was a gift. My husband died 5 yrs ago leaving me a widow at 52. We were going to travel together, so being brave & going without him was so life affirming! I love old castles, cemeteries, falling down buildings, etc & we saw many! We climb an old tower in Kilkenny - a narrow ladder-type situation & I felt like a rock star. And went into an ancient mounded tomb at Newgrange. I’m a bit claustrophobic & did it anyway. I was happier than I’ve been in a long time.
@Karen A., mainly Dublin, but Waterford, Kilkenny, County Clare, Cashel. It was just breathtaking
@Diane, Sounds like a wonderful trip, I'm so glad you got to go! When we went we visited Maynooth, the Hill of Tara, Sligo, and Wexford, I think.
@Diane, It sounds like an amazing trip! I'm glad that you and your daughter could go. Ireland is definitely on my bucket list!
@Diane, it sounds wonderful! I am so glad you were able to do that.
@Diane, I just wanted to say that my husband also died 5 years ago. We were both 53. We were also planning to travel to together. We were planning to go to Ireland the next year for our 25th Anniversary. I'm happy you were able to get there and had such a good time. Jill
Go you and Lisey! How neat to learn a skill from your very capable daughter. We’ve been used car shopping (2023 laughing at us continues), and I actually have a favorite part: My little brother (15 years younger!) reviewing vehicle listings with me over the phone, imparting his wisdom about models he’s driven and/or worked on. He was so in earnest, it made an necessary task a great memory.
Anyhow, FFT!
—Chewy.com again offered “Spend $100, Get a $30 Gift Card.” I was unable to take advantage of it last time because we’d *just* had an auto ship order and didn’t need anything. This promotion had better timing, so I ordered hard food and cat litter. I’ll redeem the gift card for our boys’ preferred wet food, which wasn’t eligible for the promotion.
—Part of my order was Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Litter, which comes in unwieldy 40 lb plastic bags. Thankfully, I’ve a trove of empty litter tubs* in the garage, so I was able to transfer the two bags of loose litter to containers with lids and handles.
*Upcycled litter totes make for great storage containers. Target’s Up & Up brand unscented multi-cat litter is our preference, but it’s only been sporadically in stock since 2020. I buy two containers whenever I find it and make do with Dr. Elsey’s when needed. I use Dr. Elsey’s litter attractant herbs for both kinds of litter to keep things smelling the same/appealing for our cats. The attractant herbs are unscented to my human nose, but the boys love them!
—ThredUp sent me a $10 credit. Since I didn’t need any clothes, I spent the credit on a ginormous heavy-duty zippered tote bag. I use tote bags constantly—I can’t forget ____ if it’s hanging on the door!—and had worn out all but one. Between the $10 credit and a $5 coupon at checkout, I only paid shipping. In “I have a coupon and/or credit” instances like these, I always ask myself if I’d be willing to pay at Goodwill what I will pay in shipping; if the answer is “Yes” and it’s genuinely something I need, I go for it. More coupons founder than not because they fail that test.
—The “sell by date” meat scores at our local store have been bountiful lately. Last week, I bought four pounds each of brisket, pork ribs, and burger for $20. All have since been parted out for the freezer, barring one small brisket that I slow-cooked to celebrate my husband’s new certification at work. The leftover drippings made the foundation for an awesome stew the following day.
—Now that it’s spring-ish, I’ve gone back to saving our kitchen gray water for the garden. Water from hard boiling eggs, pasta, or from rinsing greens all get saved in a designated gallon jug. I’m still not used to having plants, so this practice reminds me to go water as well as saving water!
@N,
That is a great way to use your water. I’m sure the veggie water has some other nutrients in it as well.
@N, wow, what a deal on the meat!!
My dad insisted on us learning how to change our oil when we started driving at 16. I still remember his puzzlement when I couldn't actually slide under the car comfortably after he had jacked it up. He had to raise the car a few more inches to accomodate my female figure. And even then, I usually ended up with a very dirty shirt in the front up top. 🙂
I had an interesting kitchen save this week. I made a double batch of chocolate pudding this weekend, and wanted to use eggs to thicken it, since I have SO MANY eggs right now. However, almost all pudding recipes use just the yolks, and I really dislike having half a dozen egg whites hanging around. So I used mostly whole eggs. And then I heated it too fast and curdled the eggs. Boo.
It tasted fine, but the texture was kind of grainy. Definitely a turn-off in pudding. I was not about to throw it out, though. That was a lot of milk and chocolate! So I turned part of it into a cake by adding flour, baking soda, a bit more sugar, one more whole egg, and a little coffee. I totally made this up, and the end result was a little dry and also needed more flavor, so I poked holes in it while it was still hot and poured over a glaze of milk, powdered sugar, a bit of salt, and vanilla.
Success! And because I unfortunately woke up at 4 a.m. yesterday, I did all this before I went to work, so my kids got to have cake for breakfast. Good day for them. (I couldn't resist singing "Mom is great, give us the chocolate cake" song from the Bill Cosby standup routine. I hope I'm not the only one who remembers this.)
@kristin @ going country, One of the BEST Cosby routines. LOL hilarious. Good save!
@kristin @ going country, LOL! I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who does a fail and tries to make it into a success. Multiple times. Good job!
@kristin @ going country, I still sing that ditty from Bill Cosby at times 🙂
@kristin @ going country, Thanks Kristin for my earworm for the day!! I work with a friend that will occasionally just start singing "Dad is great, gives us chocolate cake!!" Great save on the pudding!!! Happy Tuesday
@kristin @ going country, we still sing that little ditty from Bill Cosby's standup routine too 🙂
@kristin @ going country, the story of your dad's confusion with the car jack is hilarious. It's an adjustment for fathers when their daughters hit puberty!
@kristin @ going country, I kept smiling as I pictured this dessert concoction changing shape as you kept adding items from the fridge to get it to turn into something. I couldn't help picturing a stalk of celery sticking up from the finished product.
@kristin @ going country,
I had one of my two roommates get stuck under her car when chaining the oil - for just that same reason.
The other one backed the car out of the garage the same day, with the driver's door open, and took the door right off the hinges! I didn't let either of them around my car after that day.
@kristin @ going country, many Latin countries have their version of 3 milk cake (tres leches). If you ever have another dry cake go ahead and poke those holes and add an equal mixture of condensed and evaporated milks w a pinch of vanilla. Let sit in fridge for a bit and it's delicious!!
I haven't spent that much in the past week but it doesn't feel as if I've been frugal either.
1. I continue to read the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal digitally for free, by getting short term access with my library card. When my cheap digital subscription to the New York Times runs out I will do the same with that publication. We pay plenty in county property and income taxes so I view this as our tax dollars at work.
2. We received an offer from Hilton Vacation to book a three night stay for $169 (plus taxes) at a variety of properties. Yes, we will have to attend a two hours sales pitch for their time shares but we know how to say "NO!". We anticipate earning 100,000 Hilton Honors points which will allow for some free hotel stays. We chose the property closest to home, a three hour drive versus flying to more distant locations. We have twelve months to use the offer. We have ignored offers like this in the past but this seemed like it is worth it.
3. I used a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups to make a batch of peanut Butter Cup cookies. The bag was $.49 at Lidl after Christmas.
4. I baked some chicken in a marinade and saved the leftover liquid. I used the liquid to cook a batch of quinoa. I like adding quinoa to green salads for both the taste and the protein boost.
5. I read The Dictionary of Lost Words and listened to Someone Else's Shoes, both digital "copies" borrowed from the library.
@K D, there is no way a bag of Christmas Reese's peanut butter cups would last past Jan 1 at my house, even if I "hid" them in the freezer. I LOVE them, and have such an addiction to them, that I try not to ever buy a bag. For me, one cup is too many and 100 are not enough. Kudos to you for holding on to them that long!
1) Southwest was late delivering my luggage, and when in did arrive, one of the wheels was missing. They agreed to reimburse me for the bag, which was cheap and about 5 years old. They asked me how much it cost and I don't remember. I told them that, and said it was in the $50 range, so that's what they gave me. They also reimbursed me for a few interim expenses. It was credited to my Paypal account within a month of my request, which is pretty fast for an airline!
2) I started tomato, pepper and herb seeds inside this week using old, recycled containers. Seeds were all less than $1, and some were free.
3) We helped a friend clean out his grandmother's house and my husband and son got come free tools, furniture & household items in exchange.
4) I told my work supervisor that I need a certain certification that has expired (it's a two day class that is fairly expensive) and she said she would sign me up and take care of everything.
5) I used points to book 2 hotel nights in Philly in April. We are going to a commissioning for my son. The only free hotel I could find with these points does not have a free breakfast, but it does have mini frig and coffee maker in the room, so I will bring food with me.
@Tricia, I'm glad Southwest came through for you. I always say the true measure of a company is not if things go wrong--they will, particularly in the airline industry--but how they make it right. And I'm not at all biased by my dad and brother being pilots for Southwest. 🙂 Also, I applaud your frugal gardening. My post today features the pepper seeds I planted in an old mushroom container, so I'm right there with you. 🙂
@Tricia, I use egg cartons to start my plants.
@kristin @ going country, I love Southwest...I hate that the closest Southwest airport is 3.5 hours from my house. 🙁 And yet, I still use them! Southwest pilots are the best!
@JC, Yes, have done this for sure!
Hmm.
1. Made meals at home/took leftovers for work lunches.
2. Repaired worn leather furniture spots with specific leather tape made for that. Would love to replace the furniture but not in budget.
3. Attended a free yoga class. Bought more classes at yoga studio and kind owner gave me an unexpected discount.
4. Bought the candles I like at a discount because they were all considered to be seconds in quality. The imperfections are pretty miniscule. Will be mailing a candle to a friend using bubble wrap and box saved from previous purchases. Will only have to pay for shipping and the tape used to secure package.
5. Bought Jacques Torres chocolates when free shipping was offered. Compared the price of the baking chocolates I bought with high end products on Amazon, and JT came out cheaper. Only bought baking supplies, not Easter candy or other goodies.
I am so bad at remembering these things! But I'll try:
1. I saved veggies scraps for future broth/stock/whatever.
2. I cooked and recooked some really hard to cook pinto beans yesterday. I tried them in the pressure cooker this time. (I also learned how to use the pressure cooker yesterday.)
3. We made a meal plan and a grocery list-- and didn't buy extra at the grocery stores.
4. I was happy to allow my father to buy us pizza at a restaurant after we went to a choral concert on Sunday.
5. Coffee at home!
1. I finally saw a great sale (50% off plus an additional 30% off) on something we'd been waiting a few months to purchase. It was not my favorite, but I bought the color that was on sale because its an item that color doesn't matter a bunch for. I bought enough to get free shipping since they'll last until they wear out.
2. I used Paypal for another item that needed purchasing because they sent a coupon just as it was heading for my cart.
3. I diligently checked ALL the BJs coupons (two mailed flyers, ap, and in store flyer) and found coupons for just about everything on my list. Still a big $ trip, but not as big.
4. I bought gas while at BJs. So much cheaper than anywhere else.
5. I continue to cook meals at home, though this will become more difficult as the spring sports schedule kicks in. Last night we ate at 8:30, which is later than I'd prefer.
Despite my best efforts, March wasn't as much of a no spend month as I had planned. But I am still following some pretty frugal habits! I've been giving away stuff to the Buy Nothing group members, which I feel better about than hauling it all to Goodwill. I take my lunch to work every day. I bought 4 new scrub tops and altered them myself when it seemed they were a bit large. Ran out of my nice shower gel and decided to start using some of the eleventy billion bars of soap I have. Mowed and edged my own grass, bagging lots of leaves and yard debris, trimmed my own crepe myrtle. Decided to stay home for Easter and cook a very low key lunch for whoever decides to show. Batching errands, paying bills on time to avoid late fees, yada yada yada. (:
@gina, we have six feet of snow in our garden so mowing the lawn is so far from my mind I had to re-read it because I thought it couldn’t be right. And also since I read Kristen’s FFT wrong first 🙂 Good job on all the frugal habits!
My brain didn’t notice the “frying” part of the headline so there was a moment I thought that you used the oil from no. 1 to no. 2 😀
My five frugal things:
1. Made sure to have our monthly big grocery shopping on the day we got triple points on our card. The points was equivalent of 1/5 of a night at a hotel. I would be very satisfied if we manage to do that all year and get a free weekend stay at a hotel.
2. Enrolled at a free course to learn how to weave the band to use around the shoes/legs while wearing Gákti, the traditional Sámi garment. I’m much taller than my mother and grandmother so I can’t inherit from them, so this is the first step of making my own.
3. Invited a new friend for lunch at my place instead of going out like the first time we met, saving a bit of money.
4. Found a pair of Dr. Martens winterboots at Salvation Army second hand store. Paid $15 and after stretching them this morning they fit perfectly. With a little care they should at least hold two winters.
5. Sold two sweaters, football shorts and a Marimekko pillow cover. Made an actual profit of $50 when I deducted what I originally paid.
Now if all weeks was as good reselling I would manage to fill the holiday found back up before my holiday. Used what I had in there to buy a new dryer. Have never had one before, but with the prices now at the dry cleaner I calculated it will have paid itself in three years with all the down jackets, pillows and comforters we have. Not to mention saving me the trouble going there without a car.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, Thanks for mentioning the Gákti. I did not know what that was so I learned something this morning!
@Gunn from Northern Norway, I did exactly the same thing when reading Kristen’s FFTs. My first thought was, “Oh no, she didn’t!” I attributed this to my brain fog. I have Covid again!
Someone on Facebook said the same thing! lol I am inadvertently confusing a lot of people today.
And I am so very sorry you've got Covid again.
@Bee, @ Gunn from Northern Norway, I, too was oil-challenged.
Brain fog and no COVID to blame.
So sorry you have it again, Bee! And @Kristen, I think you weren't confusing us, we are all just busy-brained and moving too fast...
I feel that my frugal efforts have been a little schizophrenic lately. I do well in the usual areas- cooking from scratch & eating at home; watching for sales on needed items, using digital coupons or promo codes to further reduce costs. However, I have had to/wanted to make some purchases lately, so I end up spending/not spending, depending on deals available. That said…
1. I stumbled across a sale for a particular make-up brand. I ended up buying 3 items, each around 1/2 off; used a 15% off promo code; qualified for free shipping. Perfect for birthday gifts coming up.
2. I’ve been wanting a pair of white jeans for, oh at least 3+ years now. Finally found a pair that fit perfect - not too tight, not too loose, not too long - at an outlet store. I bought them on sale, used a promo code, & got free shipping.
3. Due to recent foot problems, I’ve had to re-think footwear. (My feet are also wide with high arches.) I felt I needed to replace my 2 year old casual sneakers because the arch support, among other issues, was going, going… So once again, I scoured the internet and ended up making a purchase using a $25 off coupon + free shipping.
Now that I see it in writing, maybe not so schizophrenic after all. Have a great day everyone!
@LDA, I also have wide feet with high arches and shoes that fit can be so expensive! Glad you were able to score a deal on a pair of sneakers
I have wide feet and high arches too and my goodness, that makes shoe shopping a challenge.
My arches are so high that arch supports never even come close to touching my foot. So even when my shoes are all worn out, the arch area looks pristine. Ha.
On the upside, my feet seem fine without any arch support, so I guess all is well.
@Kristen, @LDA, @Beverly, while figuring out how to deal with my foot troubles (wide feet, high arches), I learned that arch supports weaken some muscles in our feet. The example given is that an arch is the strongest structure and the way it is broken apart is by exerting pressure from underneath. After chucking my arch supports, one problem has been fixed for about 10 years. But if it ain't one thing, it's another. Currently the only shoes that don't cause my feet to go numb after 2 hours of standing are Crocs. Pretty, eh?
@Rachel, I'm NOT giving advice, just sharing information that I have learned!
@Central Calif. Artist, I LOVE Crocs and one of the saddest days was when I was told I would have to wear a leg brace for the rest of my life so no Crocs ever again. I had so many that I once rinsed them off and then filled the dish washer with them for a really good washing. I gave away literally dozens of pairs. Had they been around 40 years ago, I would have worn them to my wedding, that is how much I love them.
My feet are wide, too, and I found Allbirds to be a great brand.
@Lindsey, I have wide, extremely flat feet and it's so hard to find shoes that don't hurt my feet. I've pretty much given up on custom orthodicts cause my non existent arches hurt when I wear them.
@Lindsey, that is so sad! I've wondered about buying them in every color that matches anything in my wardrobe. However, my innate cheapness doesn't allow such extravagance.
Thank you for mentioning Allbirds. I will look. Today I wore some Extra Wide shoes from Lands End and my left foot is numb. Dang it!
@Lindsey, I have wide feet and have worn Alegria for years, working 12 hour days on my feet all day - give them a go!
@LDA, I too have wide feet (well, I call them duck feet, wide at the toes, not so much at the heel.) so hard to fit! I have found KEEN a great option for hiking boots and sandals (I do need sox with the keen sandals due to rubbing, but the fit is lovely. ) My hikers are extremely comfortable. I am eyeing a much fancier KEEN sandal however neglected to purchase prior to my holiday that I am leaving on in two days, so think that isn't going to happen ....
My FF:
1) Aldi has butter on sale for $2.49 this week, so I bought 4 and put them in the freezer. This will last us for a while.
2) I gave my oldest a haircut. I asked him if he didn't want to go to the barber, but he said if I keep cutting his hair until he's finished with med school he should save at least $1000. This is from when I started cutting it to the 2 years left.
3) I have harvested/used lettuce, tomatoes, mint, basil, cilantro, chives and green onions from my container garden.
4) Still doing pt on my knee at home using the routine the physical therapist gave me. It's doing so much better.
5) Reading library books, drinking lots and lots of coffee at home and enjoying this beautiful weather by taking walks and sitting on the beach.
@Sandy Beach, I've been cutting my husband's hair since we married, and my kids' hair all their lives. My oldest is 22 and is living at home (works full time), and I've often said I would not be offended at all if he decided he wanted to go to a barber, or wanted a different hairstyle (I can only cut one style for men). He said, no, for one, this saves money and time, and for another, there's only one person I trust with sharp pointy things near my face! Ha!
@Karen A., I could have written the exact same comment.
@Sandy Beach, OH! Thank you for mentioning the Aldi butter sale! I usually try to get enough at Easter until it goes on sale again at Christmas but it hadn't crossed my mind yet.
@Sandy Beach, I have been cutting my husband's hair since not long after we got married 40 years ago. I think I may have posted that every time I cut it, I put a curl into a baggie, with the date on it, and then stored them in a drawer. My husband did not know this and when he opened the drawer one day he said it looked like a trophy drawer a serial killer would have. He cuts my hair, too, but I am relatively certain he does not have a collection of it. But I did find a file of every card I have ever given him, all with the dates of receipt on them...
@Lindsey, that really made me laugh. If you watched the series "Dexter", that's what came to mind.
@Sandy Beach, I used to cut my husband's hair and did my son's til he went to college. I got to a point where I couldn't stand long enough to cut hubby's hair so he started doing it himself. He thinks he's a pro now but not really...
@Sandy Beach, I just cut my son's hair, again. he is 6'2" tall and today I had to get him to slouch as he has a bit of a 'man bun' which I was trimming - told him it was a good thing I am lifting weights as my arms were getting tired, lifted above my head. We laughed. I take a set of clippers under the man bun and keep a lot of the lower bit clipped short, the longer hair disguises this almost-shaved bit if he leaves it out, although he seems to have it in the Man-bun a lot these days (I know, totally out of fashion, he can SOOO rock it).
I also cut my daughter's hair (she also has it clipped very short below, longer on top, what IS it with these styles that I have no idea how to cut?)
They both are cheap and also anxious young adults (22 and 24) and I will cut their hair as long as they want me to. What is lovely is that they aren't really too fussy about how it looks, and both are sometimes interested in having me try something new. Always game to try, however I do remind them that I have ZERO training, and youtube can only get us so far....
Went to visit my daughter over the weekend and went to a cheaper 7-11 for gas and coffee on my way home. Used my 7-11 card and got gas for 11 cents cheaper! Didn't know I had a gasoline credit. But then I had to stop at 4 places in order to get a good cup of coffee for the way home. Geez!
On the way to my daughter's I used my free donut coupon when I went to Sheetz. Now I know why it was free!
My husband had me order some filters for his lawn tractor as he plans on doing the oil change and tune up himself.
Went to Kohl's for sneakers for my husband and used up the last of my Kohl's cash. I also purchased some bras at buy 1 get 1 50% off. Of course, I get more Kohl's cash at the start of next month. Sigh***
Did some meal planning for the next 2 weeks. That is a first for me and him!
Five frugal things-
1. Someone gave me a bag of potatoes so I made changed dinner menu that night and used half the bag. (But I saw a few are growing eyes now so I need to finish them asap! Maybe potato soup tomorrow!)
2. Shopped at Dollar Tree for a few niece and nephew birthday gifts. It's nice to give a coloring book or hair accessories and not spend too much.
3. Ordered pizza for a night off cooking by using the kids' 3 free Book-it pizzas. We can usually feed the three of us who aren't on Book-it for one medium pizza, plus eating veggies at home.
4. Chick-fil-A gave me a free brownie reward for my birthday in their app. I was hanging onto it (because it's usually too expensive for me to eat there normally) when I saw they were doing daily food freebies this week for their one year anniversary of opening. So I went in to CFA, they gave me 2 free sandwiches for their anniversary (2 because one of my kids came along), then I got the free birthday brownie, and then I got free fries using old app points. Whew. I did purchase an $8 wrap on their mobile app so now they are giving me another free sandwich today or tomorrow. Plus, you know, the free anniversary food of the day is milkshakes today! All the kids are asking to go along!
5. I am purposely trying to avoid the grocery store to keep working on reducing our monthly grocery spending, so I'm making random pantry foods this week and extra bean-based meals.
Thanks for the weekly challenge to look for ways to be frugal.
@Maggie, My kids got Book It Pizza Hut certificates when they were in elementary school and I miss them. It was a way for us to have pizza without paying for it.
Nice saves on the cooking oil and bread!
My biggest frugal thing last week was not renting a car when we visited my daughter at school. She has a car, but she was working for most of Friday, and we flew in on Thursday night. We worked from the hotel and walked to lunch so it was all good.
While we were there, my husband taught my daughter how to use the tire gauge and what the proper pressure is for her car and how to use the digital oil gauge on her dash. Car is keyless and gauge requires car be in accessory mode which is harder to explain w/no key to turn!
We chose a hotel with free breakfast. My daughter has celiac and is dairy free, and breakfast is harder to manage than other meals. We ate separately before we got together and saved our dining out for easier meals.
For recreation, we enjoyed a university sport and were able to use her parking pass for free parking. We also took a long walk on a park path through a lovely neighborhood where we enjoyed the pretty houses and chatting for free! It was really nice to be out in some spring weather as her school is south of us and getting spring ahead of us.
We carried on our bags to avoid baggage fees from the airline.
Have a good week! I’m looking forward to some spring temps at home!
Rock on, both of you! I think that's awesome that she's so handy with cars and is teaching you to do the same. I'll admit that car maintenance and many house repair tasks intimidate me because my brain doesn't naturally seem to work that way, but maybe I've just conditioned myself to not even try. So at any rate, you inspire me to want to be better 🙂
One recipe I used to make all the time with hamburger buns (drying out or otherwise) were open faced tuna and egg salad sandwiches. Since my son and husband were both diagnosed with celiac, we haven't made them again, but I'll drop the recipe here in case anyone is interested since it's a great way to use up drying bread:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/27/secret-family-recipe-open-faced-tuna-sandwiches-a-quick-meal-from-the-pantry/
And also, here are my own frugal wins for the week:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/28/weekly-frugal-wins-homemade-strawberry-jam-plumbing-fixes/
Lisey rocks!
Yes, she does!
@Kristen, I was hoping we'd get another picture of Lisey with this post. I'm suffering from a dimple deficit today.
I'm impressed that you and Lisey changed your oil!
Let's see what I can come up with for FFT
1. Continued to "mine" Mom's hoarder house for items as I clean up. This week I got a really nice space heater for us and a slow cooker for our son. A neighbor is buying the house "as-is", so I just need to get out anything we want before the sale goes through.
2. Purchased a smoked pork butt from a school fundraiser so we've had that for dinner for the last 3 days. Since it's just the two of us, I shared some of it with our son and daughter.
3. Used coupon and free shipping to get our son some clothes for his birthday
4. DH patched a hole in the driveway with concrete
5. DH and I cleaned the yellowing headlights on my 2010 Pilot. A coworker suggested a product on Amazon that I found much cheaper at Walmart. Took a little time but the headlights look much better
@Beverly, what is the product, please?
@Shelia, I used baking soda and white vinegar along with a magic eraser and a ton of elbow grease. . . it greatly improved my headlights but didn't completely clear them.
@Shelia, We used Mothers NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit. The kit was enough for us to do headlights on both of our cars and cost about $20.
@Beverly, My husband got some kind of kit to clean my 2010 Honda CRV's headlights. I think I need to do it again as the lights seem to be clouding up. I saw a new red CRV today and went green with envy. My CRV is the ever popular 2010 color "Glacial Blue".
Minimal frugal efforts this week but want to say "You go girl!" on changing your oil! I was determined to learn that when I first got a car and my brother told me I didn't need to learn. Not that he would have changed it! So I had a college guy teach me and I did it for many years. It is a little more difficult for me to get up and down so I have my trusty mechanic do it. I appreciate that business so much. Someone there will stop what they are doing to help me with little things and usually not charge. I suppose it could have something to do with the occasional cookies or cinnamon rolls or muffins I take them...
What a unique FFT list this week, I love it! Got me drooling over that French toast casserole . . .
That's awesome that you can change your own oil now!
I am having a hard time thinking of extra frugal things I did this week, probably none.
--Library books, obviously.
--Sticking with oatmeal for every breakfast; cheap and good for me.
--Free exercise, biking inside and out.
--I got an extra workout this week when a MOUSE ran over my husband's foot yesterday morning, giving us both a shock; I tore apart the kitchen and found droppings under the stove, and behind the fridges...I know this is a new incursion, as I regularly pull the stove out and clean under it. Probably the mice came in during the recent cold snap we had. I cleaned and bleached the entire kitchen and had the kids help pull out furniture in the living room, which is near the kitchen and in which people eat sometimes, to vacuum the heck out of it. Thankfully it's Spring Break, so I have no school lessons to prepare.
--TomCat glue traps for the win---cheaper than an exterminator, and less icky than a snap trap. And made in the USA! DH got the rat-sized ones, which I think was a good idea. We caught two mice in the one behind the stove the first night. DH also found some ultrasonic repellers we had on hand--I think they work better for insects, but we set them up anyway, since we had them.
--Planning to donate my collection of books about Bernard and Miss Bianca to the Little Free Library, as I don't want to read anything about "friendly" mice ever again! Ew!
@Karen A., There sure are a lot of children's books about friendly mice!
@Karen A., Ugh! We had mice visitors some years ago. I discovered them because they really really enjoyed the cheese filled "Combos" snack foods I had hidden away. I used that for trap bait to get back at them-- Karma of a kind. I have read that gum drops and of course peanut butter are good baits.
@Ruth T, I know, and I grew up in a house lucky to never have mice in it, so I read all those books and thought mice were cute, helpful little creatures. I loved the Rescuers, too. I once even "complimented" a friend's mom on how her house reminded me of a mouse's nest (it felt cozy and friendly, cluttered just enough, not like my house...but it didn't go over well :D). That was nearly 40 years ago and I *still* cringe when I remember that!
@Heidi Louise, DH put another glue trap behind the stove with some peanut butter on it in case any further mice are shy after what happened to their buddies.
FYI, mice will eat raw potatoes if they can't find anything else...I found a potato bag gnawed through and bites in a potato. GROSS.
@Karen A., Too funny! I can completely see where that compliment would be well-intended but go awry.
@Karen A.,
My dad had a couple of barn cats (who actually lived in the heated dog house with the dog, but that's another story) and my mother would call them into the house a few times a year, open the bottom cabinet doors in the kitchen and let them explore all they wanted. She'd had mice before the cats came to live there, and she told me she'd rather clean up cat footprints than clean mice droppings out of her cabinets.
@Karen A., We had a mouse today, too. Except it was on our front porch and dead. Just a little gift from our cat. We also had an egg on our front porch. Just a little gift from one of the chickens.
Love, love, love that Lisey taught you how to change your oil!
1) Remembered to cancel a night at a hotel. We're going to a wedding this summer, but are only able to stay 24 hours. I'm not thrilled about the logistics (it's a lot to spend, for such a short period of time), but, we are saving one night at the hotel, & saving $150. I'm glad I remembered that I booked two nights, because the hotel was booked months ago.
2) Sold a luggage tag on eBay. I almost tossed this, when I was cleaning out my hall closet, and a few days later, a coworker mentioned that they can be worth some money. Woohoo!
3) I've been wanting to try an easier meal option, as a 1-2 week reprieve during some really crazy weeks. Noticed that our company rewards program had an offer for a meal service that brought the price down to $15 for the first week (for 10 dinners) & $50 for the second week. While it's definitely too pricey for regular use, the intro offer was too compelling to skip! I also love that I can choose 10 completely different dinners (we have a variety of allergies), which is a gift, & takes the burden off of planning & cooking all of those meals myself.
4) Finished using a container of non-dairy milk in smoothies. I purchased this before I gave up coffee, so it's been lingering. Also, I gave up coffee several months ago, and have been able to stick with it, which helps drive down our coffee spend a bit. (My husband has always had 3-4x more than my lonely cup, but at least it's a small decrease.)
5) Figured out a less expensive transportation option for last week. I was at a conference in the city, and we had a fixed transportation cap. Parking as insanely expensive, and I hate driving in the city. I'd originally planned to Uber to/from the conference, and pay the difference over cap. Instead, I drove to our office that's in between my house & the city, and Ubered to/from there. Parking was free, and my expenses came in just a smidge under the daily cap. I saved myself about $80 by doing this. I also submitted my expense report promptly, and it's already approved.
Yes, I had a nanosecond there in which I thought you greased your car's grill with used cooking oil...
1. I wear a removeable retainer because my teeth started shifting in my 50's, in spite of four long years of braces many years before. I soak it daily in a denture cup and the other day I dropped the cup allllll the way down the 19 steps from second to first floor. It got a huge crack on one side. I still had some little packs of Sugru in the refrigerator so I repaired the crack and it is watertight. I don't have to buy a new cup.
2. We keep getting sunny weekdays and rainy weekends, but I managed to hang dry most of my laundry this weekend by hanging it outside when it wasn't raining and hanging it inside when it was.
3. I had a basal cell skin cancer removed off of my leg last week and the after-care instructions requires compresses twice a day among other things. I dug around in the leftover stuff from my husband's many medical mishaps, and found gauze pads, stetchy wrap and a stretch sleeve that I can use to make compresses as well as keep the site protected under my clothes during the day. I had purposely kept just the medical supplies I thought we might need again one day, and I'm glad I kept this.
4. I used some Swagbucks to get freezer containers that fit my new freezer's door shelves perfectly.
5. And best for last - A daughter's workplace changed owners and they decreed that all computers must be from a certain maker. Her workplace has cleaned and donated most of their non-compliant computers and devices, but still has some that need to be gone. She asked for, and was allowed to take for free a Microsoft Surface for me; my own home laptop had died some time ago. She has a home license for the office suite for her personal devices and it allows several users , so she downloaded the suite for me on the Surface and it's ready to go!
Lisey rocks indeed!
Not a lot to my FFT this past week.
1. A major accomplishment was working with our son, who is on the autism spectrum, to thoroughly dejunk and clean his room. I took a carload of stuff to Goodwill afterward.
2. Mended several clothing items.
3. Took DS out to lunch after his room was cleaned up. This was the first time we'd eaten out in March. We chose casual student hangout near the university for good food and lower prices, thus the three of us ate for what is usually the cost of two.
4. Still being my own landscaper: finished cleaning up the back yard and filling in holes left by dead tree roots.
5. Persuaded DS to refill an empty liquid and soap container (the soap was free) so he can keep using it.
Ooooooh... I have a LOT of bread products in my cupboard right now (I'm not entirely sure how it got so excessive) so I might need to make that overnight casserole tonight. Thanks for the idea!
1. I went to the Dollar Tree for cards. I needed 4 cards for a variety of reasons and they have some nice ones for fifty cents. Much better than $4/card!
2. I packed lunch for our trip to Legoland on Saturday. This was by far the most expensive outing we've done in a long time, but at least we only had to buy one meal out. Frugal fail/disappointment: I got a discount code through the library for $10 off/ticket and got really excited (it's part of why we decided to go there), but (we think because it's spring break) they were only allowing discounted tickets to enter for the last hour and a half they were open. We paid the extra fifty bucks to be there as long as we want. My kids loved it and I'm glad we were able to do it.
3. I took advantage of a couple of birthday freebies: a bakery treat from Panera and a free chapstick from the library's swag collection.
4. I got a $5 produce box from Flashfood that ended up including 10 large avocados in addition to the other things I knew were in the box. Since I had signed up to bring guacamole to a potluck on Sunday, I was able to make a lot of guacamole for little cost.
5. We are enjoying free books, audiobooks, movies, and a hotspot from the library this week.
It's been a wacky month with us housing our annual Spring Break Code-a-thon for Missions events. But I dropped the last of the students off at the airport Sunday morning, so we're officially done! Fifty+ people through my house for Monday night suppers over the last three weeks, nine of those stayed as week-long house guests (in week-long shifts), lots of conversations about using our computer skills to make a difference around the world, and tons of excitement and learning.
Guest speaker from India: My brother is a pastor in _______, India. If you share about Jesus there, you can get killed. Well... mostly you will just get beaten, but if you are in the wrong place you can get killed.
Students' eyes: saucer shaped
----
Frugal things...
* Eating leftovers from all the donated meals! Avoids food waste, helps my sanity as I recover from massive energy outlay, and bridges the gap as I get back into meal planning.
* Using my infamous taco soup recipe and salsa chicken recipe to feed crowds of people at less than $1/ea.
* Picking up a box of excess veggies from someone on my local freebie group. It included 15 heads of organic romaine lettuce which I passed on to grateful friends.
* Found gogurt tubes on clearance for $1.25/box.
* Pulled out my serger to fix a manufacturing defect on a swag shirt for our event. Thankful it was an easy seam to fix without the repair being visible.
* Picked up eggs at 1.47/dozen yesterday. Woot!
1. My young coworker, a fellow cashier at the store, is getting her first apartment, and moving out from her parents' home. So I've been telling her where a lot of good buys are for household goods, curtains, furniture, etc. -- most are at local thrift stores. I wanted to get her a little something for her new digs, so I went by Goodwill and found some ice trays. But then I thought, maybe she doesn't need them or perhaps she'd feel funny about me giving her something used. So instead of buying the ice trays, I took my 20% Goodwill Store coupon and gave it to her. And told her that I saw a lot of ice cube trays, lamps, small appliances and other goodies there. (Our local Goodwill gives you a coupon for 20% off donated items when you donate your castoffs to them. So each time I go to their Donation Station, I get one.)
2. Speaking of coupons, I had a $20 coupon for the local plumber, which I used yesterday when he came out. He told me he'd have to dig up the sewer/drain line(s) (thus possibly threatening the survival of my oak trees) and that it'd cost me X amount of overtime -- he estimated about $800. I very politely asked for other alternatives, and he was nice enough to tell me of a larger plumbing company that could blast out the clog with a tool called a "jetter," which his Mom and Pop plumbing service doesn't have. If it works, the jetter will be faster, cheaper and better. So I opted for the jetter, and said I'd still call him again for the other stuff. We parted on friendly terms, and he said he didn't blame me for not wanting the entire yard dug up. And he honored that $20 coupon. Moral to this story: always ask if there's something cheaper that would work.
3. Invited to a banquet, I wore what I already owned, instead of going out and buying a new outfit. I found a skirt and matching silk blouse in the very back of my closet and accessorized with nice costume jewelry that I seldom wear. Got the free meal (fresh salad, prime roast beef, chicken and fresh asparagus) and enjoyed the rare evening out!
4. Our pastor had hosted the banquet meeting and gave a short talk; the purpose was to get us thinking about the end of life planning people are supposed to do, but usually postpone. And then we never do it, so when we die, our loved ones are left having to scramble -- and stumble around -- to settle our estates. He said his 35 yr old friend unexpectedly died in a car wreck, but had already filled out forms pertaining to his health care, funeral, burial and distribution of assets. Which lessened the family's burden (at least on the business end of things). So it's never too soon to do this stuff. It's also recommended you go through your possessions and give loved ones things you don't use anymore (but only if they want it!) and donate/sell the rest. Anyway, I came home with a lot of good ideas and a free book/packet to help me get started on this process.
5. Stuffed a lot of limbs, leaves and brush into the two rollaway garbage cans the city provides. I also put some into the regular garbage can. This saves having to pay to haul it to the dump. Yesterday was trash collection day and they took it all. I originally had a pickup truck load full, and I've been parceling out the yard waste each trash day until it was all gone. Anything that's as thick as a fire log, I offer to friends who have wood burning fireplaces/stoves.
@Fru-gal Lisa, great idea about getting your affairs in order. I have a book called "I'm Dead Now What?" that I got from the Acorn catalog. I have everything filled out in it for my kids. Dh and I also prepaid our cremation so that is all set to go.
@Auntiali, Good for you! As my pastor said, that's an act of love. My aunt and uncle had postponed all of this stuff, and then ended up in the hospital, dying just hours apart. My poor cousin had to run around buying cemetery plots and finding a funeral home right when he's thunderstruck with grief. Luckily, my uncle already had put everything (house, business building, investmentsm valuables and other possessions) in trust so at least my cousin, their only child, didn't have to deal with all that....although the items in trust included a very old car (it was brand new when the trust paperwork was filled out). By this time, the car needed to be taken to a junkyard somewhere. I told my cousin to tell the lawyer either he get that klunker out of the trust (so it could be sold) -- or else we'd have it towed to the lawyer's office parking lot. It got taken care of in record time!
@Fru-gal Lisa, Advanced Care Planning is what our local Hospice calls that end-of-life preparedness - and I have joined Hospice as a volunteer specifically to help out with these so-important conversations. Actually, today I was at the second day of a two day (two hours each) course to help folk determine who they want to speak for them during their final years/weeks/days. And what they want! We find death a very hard topic to discuss, however it can be an amazing series of conversations with our loved ones if we approach it with an open heart and willingness to ask for what we want. Bless your pastor for encouraging the conversations.
Changing your oil is a great skill to have!
1. I picked up a Hello Fresh meal off Buy Nothing. I added some more rice to the recipe and it was enough food for my lunches all week. I also made baked French toast, for my kid's breakfast all week, using the last of some milk and free whole wheat bread from my daughter's daycare.
2. I won 3 hours of personal training (worth $99) at my employer's gym by submitting a photo of me working out for Heart Month.
3. We opened a credit card that was offering $200 once you spent $500. We used the credit card to pay for our normal expenses i.e. groceries and then closed the credit card immediately. Opening credit cards for this purpose, may not be the best idea for someone working on their credit, expecting to have your credit score run soon, etc. But, we are not in that position, so we will often take advantage of these deals when we find them.
4. We dehydrated some older grapes to make raisins to go in oatmeal.
5. Used our YMCA and museum memberships this weekend to entertain the kids.
Unrelated to anything frugal...I was reading the post quickly and I almost thought you posted you used your used oil from the van on your grill! Just the order and my skimming, but I hope that makes someone laugh today!
@Barb from CNY, LOL! It did cross my mind too!
1. Sewed up a torn portion of an otherwise stout totebag
2. Found more frozen whey from my failed ricotta experiment and used it in baking bread
3. Learned about a site called Cash4Books; haven't investigated it yet, but it might come in handy when my bookshelves get too full again because. . .
4. . . .I bought more books, used on Thriftbooks. The library doesn't have these 3, they are nonfiction so will be good for referring to later, got free shipping. . . making excuses here. . . sigh.
5. My neighbor manages some vacation rentals and one asked her to clean out a garden shed. She gave me a very cute red metal cart, the kind that folds flat, used initially to haul a full garbage can. I don't need it, but it was free and cute, plus my yard is huge. . .making excuses again.
Frugal things....in all honestly nothing in life feels very frugal right now. In fact it feels the opposite of frugal...but the regular saving efforts add up over time right?
1. I made out my grocery list and used digital coupons and sales to buy groceries saving over $91 on my total. Big savings on grocery totals feel so very 2019 right now so I am calling this a win!
2. All meals and snacks made and eaten at home. I baked a dutch oven yeast bread twice that my family loved. Super simple recipe....water, flour, yeast & salt.
3. We are halfway through moving 30 ft of organic compost and topsoil into the garden beds. We would be done with this task but we keep getting rain and then more rain. I am counting anything that we do in the garden or for the garden as frugal since it will yield lots of wonderful veggies for us!
4. Combined laundry loads, dish loads and errands.
and that is all I've got 🙂
Well, this will be boring: I did NOT use any of my accumulated coupons for 25% off at Kohl's. I did not need a thing, and $ off something you don't need did not strike me as very frugal. Kohl's used to give out $5 coupons for an Amazon return, and that was "real" money, because it was easy to find something for $5 that would be useful (stationery, birthday cards, etc.). But they've stopped that, so it's back to the UPS store for returns. Of which I am not having many because I'm trying to break my Amazon habit.
@JDinNM, me too on breaking the Amazon habit. I found regularly ordered cosmetic/toiletries for less at Target and try to use Thriftbooks when I buy books now. Baby steps. . .
Congratulations on doing your own oil change! I'd be too nervous. Car stuff freaks me out! I'm glad you had a great teacher to show you how to for it.
@Beth B., to do it
1) Friday I made a minor alteration to a dress I bought at Goodwill so it will fit me better. I also claimed a pair of sweatpants that my oldest had worn the knee out of. He said he didn't think he needed another pair of sweatpants-turned-shorts. They fit me, so instead of trash them, I have myself a brand new pair of comfy shorts.
2) I used a gift card that I scored for completing a survey to pick up a few things Saturday night at Walmart including all the kids' Easter candy. Then my husband and I prepped the ingredients for a chili for Sunday dinner. We left the chili going in the crockpot on Sunday morning so it would be ready when we got home from church. I love a chili because you can throw in odds and ends; this one incorporated the last few mushrooms from a pack purchased as pizza ingredients, bell peppers that I was gifted and froze back in the fall, and the last little bit of kale in the bag.
3) We got McDonalds for supper on Sunday, which in itself isn't cheap. But my husband used the app to place our drive through order and was able to use a reward to get 20% off.
4) I menu-planned and grocery shopped Sunday night to make sure the family has easy food options while I am out of town this week.
5) I'm eating the food I brought on my travels this week. I might visit the soda machine later today, but otherwise I avoided the cafe car on the train and those oh-so-delicious-smelling food carts by my office.
Anyone, What are your thoughts on not using whole milk and cream? I always make substitutions for high fat.
@Connie, I'm not sure what context you are wondering about for whole milk and cream, but I rarely use either--the exception being that I make cream biscuits (I believe that Kristen has posted the recipe--it's an ATK recipe). I often use evaporated milk in place of cream for soups, and if it's a baking recipe, I sub in skim milk or low-fat buttermilk.
I find that baked goods such as muffins need some fat, or they taste like cardboard. If a recipe calls for, say, 1/2 cup of oil or butter, I use half the amount of fat and sub in applesauce (or another fruit puree such as pumpkin) for the other half. It cuts down significantly on calories/fat while still maintaining a good taste and texture.
Does that answer your question?
@Connie, I think you should do whatever fits your health and budget. I am someone who needs to eat low sugar and no grain (doctor approved) as my health is better when I stay away from those ingredients . Most of the time, full fat products are much lower in carbs / sugars, so I use them, but am mindful of quantity to be sure I am sticking to a single serving. After using full fat for so long, I notice quite of bit of taste and texture difference. If it works well for you and helps your budget that is what you should do! 🙂
1. Bought free "new" spring/summer clothes from consignment store where I racked up credit. Brought in more for fall "spending." I never spend any new money.
2. Use up all veggies and some frozen and canned and make creamy soups in my Vitamix. So healthy and tasty. Puree veggies, add some milk, season. Made tomato basil bisque used up tomatoes, V8, spaghetti sauce. Beet (bitter jarred beets we didn't like) frozen squash and broccoli, broccoli cheese (cheese dip we didn't like) I do not believe in food waste. Also made Thai chili sauce and honey mustard.
HAHA at first I thought you were using your car oil on the grill. Yikes! That's what I get for not reading carefully
Way to go Kristen! On the oil change.
I got a load of cow longs for free, spend a hour cutting it up and packaging to freeze for my dogs. They love the first bit/bite.
So awesome that Lisey can help you change your oil and now you can do it, too!
1. Spent some time cleaning out my study and gave away some bubble wrap, used padded envelopes and some various items through Freecycle.
2. My dad gave me 3 old/broken watches to dispose of and I found an organization that takes old/broken watches to use to teach veterans how to repair watches as a new life skill (www.veteranswatchmakerinitiative.org). So glad they can be put to use and not have to go to a landfill! I recycled old padded envelopes and used pirateship.com (a discount shipping site) to buy the postage.
3. Had a non-functional Fitbit to dispose of and found that Fitbit pays for shipping to a recycling company, so requested a free shipping label and used yet another used padded envelope to mail it. (see a theme, here?)
4. Got recruited for a pasta/pesto taste test study and have to buy the items up front, but will get paid the price of the items + a bit more once I complete it and answer the survey.
5. Inherited some various sized plant pots from my parents (who are slowly cleaning out their home by passing various things onto me, which I either keep or sell/give away; see #2). Using the pots to repot a dwarf lemon tree I recently bought and will use a few others to try to grow some herbs/veggies and whatever else I happen to have seeds for.
Frugal fail: I got my first ever speeding ticket on the weekend going between my son's soccer game and the library about 1 mile away. 🙁 I will go pay the fine at the courthouse nearby using a personal check and not the credit card option which takes an additional 3% convenience fee. I will not pay a penny more than I have to! Then will take a defensive driving online course to get the ticket removed from my record. The worst part was that the library ended up being closed by the time I ended up there, so it was a completely wasted trip!
@DebbieR, What a fascinating organization, the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative! Thank you for including the link.
(The defensive driving course can't get you a discount on auto insurance, can it? Would that be double-dipping somehow?).
@DebbieR, Yes, thank you for the heads-up on the VWI - what a win-win setup!
@DebbieR, I am thrilled to see the watch repair link! I have 3 watches that don't work - either the backs don't come off for battery replacement or I've replaced the batteries, and it only works for about a day. Fed up, but can't stand to put them in the trash so they are cluttering up my jewelry box.
We are back from our big Singapore trip for our son's wedding and it was not cheap at all. I will say that business class on Singapore Airlines is worth the money.
Went to Aldi and almost cried for joy at the prices of eggs and butter. I got 2 lbs of butter for $2.49 each and eggs were $2.12/dozen. I use my Am Ex Blue card for grocery purchases as it saves me 6%. Since January 2023 I have $81 in rewards.
Renewed the Costco card for a basic membership as we didn't earn enough for the expensive membership to get cash back.
I looked at the pantry in the basement and noticed we have 10 or more bottles of shampoo and only 2 conditioners. I may give some of the shampoo to the food closet. That way the single people who live in the 2 boarding houses in town can get some shampoo free. Or a family can get one.
My son has a clothes dryer in Singapore and it takes almost 3 hours to dry a load of laundry. It does it by extracting the water and that goes into a tank. No vents there. I think that must cost some money due to electricity.
Doing colonoscopy prep today. Got a 40 oz Coke slushie as well as used the lime jello from November when I was suppose to have it done. Prep tasted nasty as usual, just had a chaser of cold water after each gulp. I have chicken broth for later. Preventative care is cost effective.
I'm still in decluttering/de-hoarding mode and painting anything that stays still. I don't have the skills that Kristen has - but I'm having fun.
1. Sold some John Deere trinkets today and used that money to buy small bottles of craft paint for a wall project. Beads for macramé plant hangers. Bracelets from thrift store for the top hoop for the hangers.
2. Took back a tube of caulking goop I bought last week...something was seriously wrong with it - would not come out no matter what. They refunded $$.
3. Went to London Drugs to take back one of those pop up things for a cell phone. My old one kept coming off. Well the new one did too. It might have only been $5, but it was my $5. They refunded. I used some dots of Super Bond glue and put my old one back on, works great.
They'd also over charged for 2 plastic storage tote bins...$18.99 instead of $9.99. It was a rigmarole to get the overcharge back, but finally they did. I had taken pictures of the bins, and one of the UPC code on the them, and had my receipt. They wanted the actual bins...I kept being nice and sort of insisting. So that was another $20 refunded.
4. Stayed away from the grocery store on today's trip to town.
5. Had another dental appointment at the college. Looks like 4 or 5 more to go. They are very thorough. I have a lovely student who is trying so hard not to hurt me. While I was in the chair I was watching a couple of crows in the trees - they were snapping off small pieces of branches. Must be nest building time.
Hurray for changing your oil! I think it's so awesome that your daughter taught you how to do it. I'm sure most shops are perfectly ethical but my husband has heard that some shops will simply drain and refill your oil without changing the filter, which apparently is very important. It's nice that you have the assurance that it was done right. 🙂
I make comments and then they are gone. What gives?
Hmm…I am seeing this one! Have to left others today?
•While out running errands, resisted the pull of the drive-thru for lunch. Came home and ate a sandwich instead.
•Sold four items on eBay.
•Skipped dinner out Friday night. Made a batch of homemade soup.
• Shopped at Aldi.
• Every time a client pays with cash (I’m a groomer) I put it in my “cash for Disneyland” jar. I have not counted it in two weeks. We are going to California in July. This will be spending money, as my expenses are all being paid for by my sweet daughter and son-in-law. (there’s another Frugal Thing-being a freeloader! Ha ha kidding, I was
invited. )
I mended a big tear in the sheepskin rug in our kid’s playroom.
I made homemade sourdough bread, as well as commercial yeast hamburger buns to go with out sloppy joes. One of my goals this year was to make 50% of our bread goods from scratch and I think I am keeping up with this goal.
Bought cascade pods from Target and got a free $5 giftcard.
Stopped at the further away but cheaper grocery store after work and scored some clearance bell peppers, lemons, and bananas for produce. Meat clearance found country style pork spare ribs, beef tenderloin, and beef shank bones. Our freezer is nice and full now.
Got lots of books and paw patrol dvds from the library. And have remembered to renew the dvds so we don’t have a fine.
Good for you changing your own oil. That's awesome.
This week to save money...
1. I made most of our meals at home. My husband and I traveled out of town one night and split some meals.
2. I mended my son's pants.
3. I glued the lamp back together after my son broke it. The lamp was bought a few years ago from an estate sale. The glue's still wet, so I'm not totally sure about my attempt to fix. A table was also broken in the same incident. The table is currently in pieces in the garage. I'm not sure if I'm going to fix the table (it was cheaply made and partially broken before the incident).
4. We bought a secondhand video game console to replace one that isn't working. The new-to-us console came with some games we won't use, so I listed them for sale online. We may yet figure out how to fix the old one...
5. We attended a scouting award ceremony and brought treats from home for my food allergy kid to enjoy.
6. I didn't buy any new Easter decorations. And the kids all have nice clothes for Easter, without needing to buy anything. Last year, everyone needed new dress clothes for Easter.
* I usually give away my stuff on Buy Nothing because I don't have the patience to sell it. But I had this desk that still sells at Ikea for 300$, in excellent shape, so I decided to list this one instead of giving it away and I ended up making 140$ on it. And hubby listed a barely used amplifier and got 125$ for it.
* My 2015 cellphone, that I thought was finally dead, came back to life! So I'm sticking to it until it says his final good byes
* I got 12 Plus size shirts online for about 150$. This is an amazing price for Plus Size clothes.
* Work made a mistake while booking shifts and I didn't get one that should have been attributed to me. So I'm fighting this by asking to get paid for it. They are not willing to, even if they admitted their mistake, so I'm submitting a grievance (they are ridiculous!)
* I need to provided a gate to my mom while she dog-sit for me for 4 days, to prevent my dog from entering a specific room, but baby gates are like 60$ and I cannot get one on Buy Nothing no matter how many times I've asked. So, when I was at IKEA yesterday, I went to the ""as-is"" section and got the idea to use a plank of some sort instead. And I found one (a small door, whatever) that will fit the lenght of the opening, only 5$.
1. Read my Hoopla Library Audio Book… Baby Steps Millionaires by Dave Ramsey.
2. Made gourmet coffee, protein balls, yogurt desserts and protein shakes at home.
3. Did my own manicure at home.
4. Propagated my plants from cuttings.
5. Attended two free courses …one to learn embroidery on line and the other a Financial Peace University money course at our church.
1. Washed my cell phone with a load of clothes (AAAH!) while out of town visiting family. Explored repair options, but settled on buying an economy-level good brand phone, which was cheaper than the repair. My low price/month plan will make it pay off after a few months. Of course, not washing my phone would have been the most frugal option!!!
2. Used EZ pass on toll roads while traveling this week and took the back way (to avoid tolls) when it made more sense. West Virginia has really beautiful and quality back-roads, with no tolls in the sections of the state I drive through!
3. Appreciated my family for treating me to a couple restaurant meals while visiting 😉
4. Visited an Amish store in a small town in PA, spent less than $5, and got some frugal goodies (goat milk soap, popcorn kernels, garlic bulbs).
5. Did not buy any beverages this week aside from what is available at home (water, hot drinks like tea).
I'm super impressed about the oil change-- way to go!
1. I’ve been taking one for the team by eating little bits that Baby E hasn’t eaten because he’s been sick. I did have to throw away a little bit of oatmeal because it was forgotten in the back of the fridge and the milk went off.
2. Since Baby E was sick, we didn’t drive to visit a friend of mine last week, saving money on gas. Unfortunately she was the one with the sewing machine, so I didn’t get some knee holes patched for Baby E like I wanted to. I would rather have been able to go visit her, but I’m looking for a bright spot, so gas savings it is.
3. Mended a tiny hole in a crib sheet before it could get any bigger.
4. Our car battery died unexpectedly, and this is about the third time in 5 years! Hubby went back to Walmart as it had a three-year warranty with one year left on it, and they gave him a new one for free. But I’d rather just have a battery that doesn’t die prematurely. I’m wondering if anyone else has this problem with batteries from Walmart?
5. I was invited to a year-end work dinner, even though I am a casual employee. I enjoyed a free cider and meal, and it was nice to have time with coworkers outside of work.
How do your de-rust grill grates? I would love to be able to surprise my Gent with working on the grill while he’s out of town!
Mine weren't super rusty, so I just oiled mine.
You could use naval jelly on them, although I would wash the grates really well after that.
You could also go the old-fashioned route of sanding the rust off.
1. I walked home from work (rather than commuting with a coworker, my neighborhood isn’t really on her way home).
2. I gifted neighbors my gas points from a grocery store and they both used it to fill up.
3. I used coupons & store credit for shopping trips.
4. I at vegetarian meals for more than half my week.
5. I walked to/from the Farmers Market every week in March! Round trip it is 3.5/4miles.