Five Frugal Things | I dabble in jewelry repair
1. I "fixed" my locket
When I graduated from high school, my aunt and uncle (the ones Lisey lived with during aviation mechanic school) gave me a locket with my initials engraved on it.
I got married a little over a year later (!!), which meant that for most of the time I've worn this necklace, the initials have been wrong.
But...now they are correct again. 😉
I've had this necklace for almost 30 years, and it will not stay closed anymore. This is probably due to me absentmindedly fidgeting with it and popping it open. I am the problem!
I stopped in at a jewelry store to ask about it, but they declined to work on it since it is not real gold.
I tried using a pliers to adjust the little tab that's supposed to hold it closed, but that didn't work.
And upon closer inspection, I saw the problem was on the other side; there just was not enough material to hold the tab in place.
So, as any good jeweler does, I got out my super glue and glued the whole thing shut.
In keeping with my professionalism, I used a rubber band to hold it shut during the drying process.
It doesn't function as a locket anymore, of course, but I don't care! I just wanted to wear the necklace.
2. I noticed a missing 12-hour work shift!
Every month, we have a new grad nurse education program at work, and I was scrolling back in my time card to make sure I'd added a clocking for those four hours.
It turned out I had.
BUT.
In the process, I noticed an entire 12-hour shift that wasn't showing up! I don't know if I'd forgotten to clock in and out that day or if there was a system error or what.
I emailed our payroll person to ask, and she confirmed that yep, I had indeed worked that day but had not been paid. So, she's adding my 12 hours onto my next paycheck.
Whew. I make $35/hour, so multiply that by twelve, and you have $420.
That's a significant amount of money to leave on the table, and I'm really glad I happened to notice!
3. I attended a staff meeting for $35
I noticed I could make my schedule work to attend a monthly unit staff meeting on Teams, so I logged on from home on a day off.
The meeting itself was helpful (since I'm so new, almost any topic is going to be helpful to me!!), and I got to ask some clarifying questions about a few things I've encountered at work.
But, this is also paid time, so I logged on afterward and added a one-hour clocking (after clarifying that this is indeed a valid paid-time meeting.)
Hey, $35 is $35! And it was an easier hour than most of my regular work hours. 😉
4. I worked some CVS deals on deodorant
I usually use Native deodorant, which runs about $13 at most stores.
However, I got two at CVS for $8.50 apiece by:
- doing an online order for in-store pickup (prices were $1 cheaper online than in-store)
- using multiple coupons (one specifically for Native and one for $3 off a deodorant purchase)
- taking advantage of a sale
Native deodorants are $15.99 apiece at my local CVS, but I never look at those prices to calculate my savings; I consider whether or not the deal/coupon will get the price lower than what I'd pay at a grocery store.
Because CVS prices are craaaazy most of the time.
Also of note: I drive by my CVS almost every time I leave my house, so it wastes exactly zero gas to do an in-store pickup.
5. I canceled my Canva Pro trial
I'd said yes to a free trial this month because I was designing so many PowerPoint presentations for this horrible BSN class.
But I think I am done with slideshows now, so I hit "cancel" before I got billed. It's only $15 a month, but still, that's $15 I'd rather have in my pocket.
Major frugal fail: I forgot my travel card and had to pay a fine! I was kicking myself!
Frugal things I did accomplish:
1. I got some Christmas presents on sale.
2. I baked more bread.
3. I made Kristen's granola and baked vanilla cookies.
4 . I brought lunch to work.
5. I went swimming outside for free exercise.
@Sophie in Denmark,
Sympathies about your travel card. Frustrating!
Your wins combine to show a lot of productivity and joy in your week 🙂
@Heather Mar, Thank you 🙂
@Sophie in Denmark, Your wins, and your posts overall, bring joy to us too! I always look forward to them.
Is a travel card like a train pass?
@ErikaJS, Aw, thank you! Yeah, it's kind of like an Oyster card, if you've seen those.
I work for a healthcare provider in the UK rolling out a new rostering/pay system. We train the staff to always check their hours before the pay cut-off date so that any mistakes can be rectified early and not affect pay. Especially if they pick up an overtime shift - if it isn't marked as overtime they won't get paid for it!
Might be worth making a note in your diary/planner to check your hours once a month.
Thank you for this weekly post, Kristen. It made me realize I haven’t done anything to improve my frugality over the past week and is a reminder to get back on track.
1. I only shop at CVS when they send me Extra Bucks for no reason (other than they want me to become a regular). I drive by a CVS at least six times a week. I have stopped in three times in the past several days as I had $3 EBs, then $3 + $3 + $4 EBs, then $3 EBs. I haven't spent more than $1 per visit to redeem the $16. I see they are offering a year of Extra Care Plus for $24 so I may give it a try.
2. I received three reusable totes from the VFW. I donated them to a local group that uses them when they give things away. I received a check for $1.50 with the totes. What in the heck am I to do with it? It seems morally wrong to cash it.
3. I went with a friend to Michael's. She picked up the two items she had on her list. I looked around a bit was wasn't tempted to buy anything.
4. I switched to shampoo bars and had little bits leftover since they tend to break into pieces when they are small. They don't meld to a new bar like soap does. I put the bits into the leg of old panty hose and I should have shampoo for many, many washings.
5. I cut the top off a tube of hand cream. There is always so much left in the tube. I just pop the top over the remaining tube to close it.
@K D,
Cash that check and:
Drop the money in a Salvation Army bucket
Buy a couple of canned goods and donate to a little free pantry or food pantry.
Hand it to a person who looks like they could use a boost and just walk away.
This is the time of year for collections for charity, so you could donate soap, combs, toothbrushes and toothpastes to any collections like this that you find.
@JD,
This is not like getting a nickel in the mail. If I don't cash the check the VFW will keep the money. They show no record of me donating money to them in the past four years. If I ever donated it was long ago and I assume not very much. These fund raising efforts are ridiculous.
@K D,
Surely, VFW officials will eventually realize their ridiculous fundraisers are not successful. Then, they'll change it up. Meanwhile, I vote for the above ideas, like giving the money to Salv. Army, a food bank, etc. Who knows? The person those charities help with your buck-fifty may even be a veteran!
We are still in New Orleans, going home tomorrow, so here's some frugal things, and some not. The one made the others possible.?
1.We didn't check any bags on the plane. We all brought one backpack. My husband, at my request, brought our one roller bag so if we bought anything there, we'd have room to bring it home. I measured it with a ruler to make sure it was within southwest's parameters for a carry on, but they announced at the gate those were changing and asked us all to bring roller bags to the agent. She told us ours was too big and it would need to be gate checked --annoying given the size of other bags I saw on our flights and that we had to wait at baggage claim --but at least we didn't have to pay for it.
--Not paying for checked bags meant I was okay with paying more for parking at the airport so when we return we don't have to wait for a shuttle. And paying $80 for pizza during a long layover in Dallas.
2. First thing in the morning after we got here was going to the grocery store a mile away to get food for breakfasts, snacks, and dinners. Yes, I am cooking on vacation, but I know how to do it with as little work as possible while still making real, healthy food. I pretty much have to do this because my kids need three very full meals a day and I literally cannot imagine how much it would be to feed six people three meals a day out.
--Cooking 2/3 meals at our Airbnb means I'm not worried about buying fun and unnecessary treats like Dubai truffles or pralines. I'm not trying to get the majority of our calories from purchased food, so what I do buy are the fun things.
3. We spent our first day in the Garden District and the French quarter. We started in the Garden District walking around, so that is where we parked, for free on a side street. Then we took the St. Charles streetcar to the quarters. This was fun not only because a streetcar is way more interesting than a car, but because it's the very same streetcar my mom took ever day to and from school when she was a kid. There's a small fee --it would have been $4.50 for all of us--but the cash fare machine wasn't working, so it was free.
--Not paying for parking meant I didn't worry about the fee for the pharmacy museum --this has a family connection, as the first pharmacist in the country whose practice that was is an ancestor of mine--or the parking I did pay for the next day so we could easily go to Cafe du Monde on Jackson Square for beignets after Mass yesterday morning.
4. I had been counting on the house we're in having laundry facilities, but the washing machine is not working. There's a laundromat nearby, but I have no interest in spending any time or money there, so I've just been doing small loads of tub laundry in the mornings, leaving it to drip dry while we're gone during the day, and then putting it in the thankfully functional dryer when we get home.
--Not spending any money at a laundromat paid for the different flavors of Louisiana kettle chips I bought at Dollar general for a taste test last night. 🙂
5. Hmm, one more...My husband and I are too old and have too many kids with us to take advantage of the many opportunities for day drinking here. Instead we got beer for him and vodka for me so we can have a drink before dinner after we get back for the night.
--Not drinking overpriced Hurricanes has probably saved us enough to pay for the swamp tour we did yesterday.
@kristin@going country,
It still annoys me that Southwest now charges for bags. It is such a different airline than it was a decade ago. How was the swamp tour?
@kristin@going country, wow! Lots of special moments and memories being created while honoring family connections and history. Hope you continue to have a good trip!
Yes, drinking consciously as you all are or not at all saves SO much.
I wonder if your air B&B would give you some kind of small refund or bonus...or reimbursement for a laundromat? Maybe not worth it, but that immediately came to my mind.
Kettle chips - fun!
@Bee, Much more commercialized than I would have liked, but options with younger kids were more limited. They won't take kids under I think 16 on the smaller private boats, so we had to go on the big pontoon. Still fun though, lots of alligators still out, plus wild boar, birds, and racoons.
@kristin@going country, We do the same thing on trips, make sure our accommodations have cooking facilities and hit the grocery store. The last two times we were in Florida, I think the only eating out we did was on our overnight stop in Georgia; two kids got Chik Fil A and I got a Chipotle salad. I like the challenge of buying just what we need for the week and then using up what we can before heading home, leading to the discovery of the fried egg grilled cheese sandwich, which my youngest associates only with Florida now because that's where we came up with it, to use up the eggs before leaving!
@kristin@going country, I love the connection with your Mother's childhood!!
@kristin@going country,
Reminds me of the song lyrics, "Polk Salad Annie, gators got your granny. Chomp, chomp!"
Glad the gators didn't get you or your kinfolk!
@kristin@going country, I LOVE your laundry solution as well as your alcohol strategy. So smart!
As a teenager, I was making much less per hour, but McDonald's was always messing up my pay! Either mismanaged or they actually were trying to scam us, who knows. Once I asked for corrections a few times, somehow it stopped happening 😉 Which does not sound to be the case in your scenario, but I'm glad you got the pay that you were owed. That's a significant amount!
1. I'm visiting family out of state right now, and my travel day was full of being unprepared and hungry. Whoops. Sunflower kernels from Sheetz $1.39 to the rescue! 3.5 servings per bag always makes me feel like I'm getting the best thing a convenience store has to offer. Ingredients: sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, salt.
2. STILL hungry before I arrived and I've been craving a hamburger for a couple weeks so I got a Whopper Jr. which is a nostalgic taste for me. Not totally frugal but worth it and kept me going and prevented hanger.
3. Visiting my Grandma who lives alone and is happy to have a dining out companion and treats me to restaurant food daily (which is within her budget comfortably).
4. CVS win from last week on deodorant too! The self checkout didn't seem to be counting or stacking my coupons correctly, and I'm grateful to the employee who helped me start over and get all my discounts. I pass many CVS stores frequently. For me recently, the key has been to get just an item or two, then wait for the next coupon. Great for those $4 off purchase or 40% off 1 item.
5. DH continues to say "yeah I need to go to the store" so I am waiting until he decides to go! We have even been out of eggs which is usually an "emergency" but this time we are both just eating what we have. As I read in a comment here from Friday, we are forcing meal creativity. Last night back at home DH said he made spaghetti with some chicken apple sausage links from the freezer and it was great.
Sweet kitty picture!
@Joyce, Yes!! I wanted to chime in with the same thought. I'd lose track of the meeting bc I'd be leaning down smooching her.
Your university may have free Canva, my guess is you’ve already checked that though. Because you are frugal. ? https://www.canva.com/education/students/
Haha yep I did check very carefully! Alas mine doesn’t have it.
@Kristen, maybe the comment will help someone else! And perhaps by the time you need it again there will be another free Canva Pro offer!
1. I found a can of pumpkin in the cabinets that says "best by November 2025" and while I'm leery of using that on my family's pumpkin pies, I will freeze it in lumps and add it to oatmeal in the coming weeks for my own consumption.
2. Mixed my own pumpkin pie spice using a combo of the spices I had on hand and on-sale spices ('tis the season for spice sales).
3. Tomorrow is our last in-person lab day for nurse aide training, and I'm proud to say DS#2 and I have both packed our lunches through this whole unit (we're there for eight hours, with an hour lunch). The other students either Door Dash something or go out for fast food, but we did influence one other student, who started bringing her own lunch! 😉
4. I've managed to reduce the number of supplements I've been taking--I came to the conclusion that some were just flat out not doing anything (I'm looking at you, Estroven).
5. We were able to make some swaps in the bulk food purchases we make for some very good savings, as well as making them more practical for our use and for food donations.
@Karen A.,
Ummmm.....it *is* November 2025.....would canned pumpkin not be okay for a pumpkin pie if it's still "in date"? (Which, I know, expiration dates, "best by" dates, etc., are always questionable). You do you, of course, but I'm a bit baffled?.
I didn't even realize that we do have a CVS here. I need to check it out!!
1. I have started Thanksgiving meal prep by taking some chicken carcasses out of the freezer to make the stock needed for Thursday's dinner. There was a significant amount of meat remaining on the bones of the chickens, so I made chicken noodle soup on Sunday night for dinner. I also set aside some meat for Rescue Pup and Calico Kitty. The $4.99 rotisserie chicken goes a very long way in my house.
2. I had purchased new carriage lights for my home. When it was finally time to install these, we found out the electrical plates did not line up. Although it was significantly past the standard 30-day return window, I brought them back to the store anyway hoping that they would take them back. Evidently when a Home Depot customer makes a purchase with their store credit card, the return window is a full year. I learned something new and saved quite a bit of money!
3. I made some decor changes using some things that I had on hand. I rearranged all the art. I washed the windows and dusted in those hard to reach places. I did a little decluttering. My house looks so much better and the cost was negligible.
4. I signed up to volunteer at a festive, community Christmas event. This raises significant amounts of money for the Red Cross Life Saving Corps.
5. My library book was due and I hadn't had time to complete it. (Life's been really busy.) Unfortunately, someone else was waiting, so I could not extend the check-out date. Since it was my book club's December selection, I needed to finish it by December 10th. I found a copy on eBay for $4.27 which included shipping. Woot! Woot! It is on its way to me now.
Wishing you all peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, wow I love your frugality and creativity! Especially with the rotisserie chicken (:
I've said it many times here before, sometimes the hour of overtime is more valuable than a week's worth of small frugalities.
By the way, I was in Macys or Boscovs or some department store and saw an analog Peanuts watch and it made me think of you.
1. Canceling my streaming services paid off as there have been a couple deals (Disney Plus and Max being the big ones.) I know that watching TV isn't particularly frugal or a good use of my time but whatever.
2. Got some grocery deals which have been up for this week because of Thanksgiving. We aren't hosting and i don't even have the room in the freezer so I opted to skip buying a turkey this year. Otherwise it will just sit in my already stuffed chest freezer (if it even fits in there.)
3. Bought a discounted Barnes and Noble giftcard. If there's one certainty in life besides death and taxes, it is that I (or someone in the house) will be buying new books at some point.
4. Making a lot of food from leftovers or things in the freezer. Always good to clean things out.
5. Probably going to make bread or rolls from scratch tomorrow in prep for Thanksgiving.
Its a good thing you checked your timecard - we are required to approve ours at work, even with a timekeeper who keeps us straight. A 12 hour shift is a lot of paycheck!
Frugal things for me are few and far between, but let's see:
*returned $44 worth of Christmas lights that were not going to work for my tree. Its just gonna have its same old lights and they are plenty. What was I thinking...
*buying nothing new to decorate for the holidays
*got $15 worth of free cookies last week from Tiff's Treats for donating blood
*repaired my daughter's stocking with a quick trip to my sewing machine - yes, I still fill their stockings, I don't care how old they get! She just turned 34 (:
*continuing with my telehealth health therapist as the co-pay is less than $20 since I've reached my deductible for the year. She will help me get through the holidays then I will reassess for the new year.
*sewed some bookmarks for our reading library at work. Free to me, since I have all the supplies.
I cancel subscriptions before the 30 day mark all the time - a trial is a great way to see if you really want to invest in the service.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, I'm 68 and my Mother still does my stocking!! You are not alone 🙂
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
We're a house of adults and have always done Christmas stockings. Even our dog gets a stocking.
This week's frugals:
-we filled up at the cheapest station;
-I ground more eggshells, this time for the grapevine
-we made use of some very good deals on butter, which will come in useful during the Chrismas period;
-I could not withstand the lure of cookies so I baked some and they were delicious - but I froze half of the "slice and bake" receipe for a later occasion;
- I will be making use of a Black Friday deal for a painting project that I have planned for December, otherwise I am ignoring the deals.
What I have been wondering about - how much grams is a stick of butter? I have a measuring jug that does both milliters and cups, but how can I measure butter for american recipes?
@J NL, It's 123 grams. I always have to convert to metric!
https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-many-grams-are-in-one-stick-of-butter/
@Sophie in Denmark, 113 grams, not 123!
@Sophie in Denmark,
Thanks! Tonight will be spent looking up new recipes probably 🙂
FFT, Composting and Thrifting Galore Edition:
(1) I've constructed a fine new compost heap with all the sawdust I could scoop up from my felled tree, plus three bags of lovely mixed grass and leaves from the lawn of my late neighbor up the street (who died back in August). There was a crew there on Friday doing lawn cleanup, and I know that my neighbor didn't use lawn chemicals, so the stuff is safe to use. I will now think gratefully of both my late tree and my late neighbor when I use the compost from that pile next spring. I told the neighbor's friend and executor about this, and she seemed quite pleased.
(2) I've also had a glorious week of thrifting. I decided to treat myself to this, since both the weather and my schedule were cooperating. First (as noted earlier), a new branch of my local Thrifty Shopper chain's boutique store opened up recently near me, so I paid my first visit there last Tuesday (with my 25% senior discount). Several nice odds and ends, but a not-quite-so-blank book that turned out to be rather disturbing (see my comment from last Wednesday for details). Nevertheless, I'll still use the book for some purpose or other
(3) Then my local Clothes Mentor had a 35% off "Friday before Black Friday" sale, at which I picked up Vera Bradley bags for all three of us VBBAs (VB Bag Aficionadas)--JASNA BFF, JASNA Panera, and me. (Believe me, I plan to be toasting my tootsies next to a good fire on the actual Black Friday--especially since we have a winter storm watch for Thursday night through Saturday morning.)
(4) But my biggest score was Saturday, at the Goodwill on the west side of town. I don't get there often, but when I do, it's always worth it. Canning jars galore for my homemade pickles and other uses (this Goodwill sells these jars in big bundles for a couple of bucks per bundle); a nice bottle for my homemade herb vinegar; two big bags of yarn for NDN1's CF, who is an indefatigable knitter; an old wood-handled dandelion digger; and a pair of Lane Bryant jeans, a nice unstructured Old Navy blazer (very suitable for JASNA meetings), and an LL Bean fleece hoodie. Total = $44 and change. Woo hoo!
(5) Finally, I went on Sunday to the university-area branch of the Thrifty Shopper's boutique store. A lovely LL Bean flannel shirt, a pair of NWT Xmas-themed socks with dogs for Bailey dog's mom, and several household odds and ends, for $15 and change. (And I paid for it with the $100 Thrifty Shopper gift card I bought for $75 earlier this year.) Also, free Sunday parking at a meter and nary a student in sight, since the university takes a full week off for Thanksgiving.
@A. Marie,
I love thrifting days like this. I stopped into an estate sale on the way to Costco on Saturday. I wish that I had gotten up early for this one! I saw wonderful things going out the door. I spent $20 for the following items: a black Talbots wool skirt, 2.5 yards of green embroidered silk (a tree skirt, stockings, a table runner), 3 rolls of extremely expensive Christmas ribbon (store price tag $90), a silver and blue glass wine bottle coaster, a piece of branch coral, and a vintage owl belt buckle.
@A. Marie, one more thing - a bag of oversize copper cookie cutters,
@Bee, dang it, I wish we lived closer to each other. I'd go to an estate sale with you any time.
@A. Marie,
I'd like to go with both of you! What hauls!
@A. Marie, @JD
I can't think of anything that I would enjoy more than a day of thrifty fun with some frugal gals.
@Bee, ditto.
@A. Marie, Couldn't find your mention of the not so blank journal in last Wednesday's FFT. I was disappointed-really want the details.. Was it naughty? I hope it was not political.
@A. Marie, Me three, please.
1. We picked up a broken push leaf blower off the curb. It's still for sale for about $800 new. It just needs a new carburator, which will cost $20. The chairs that came with my daughter's kid's table set broke. We picked up 2 chairs off the curb that just needed a good wash.
2. I found an ergonomic chair at the curb and listed it on Marketplace for $90. It's still for sale on Amazon for $220.
3. I used 2 over-ripe bunches of bananas my mom gave us to make 3 batches of banana pancakes and a batch of banana muffins. I used over-ripe berries my mom gave us to make a batch of berry muffins. I used flat bread pizza crusts and grilled chicken my mom gave us, along with left over cheeses from my refrigerator, leftover homemade pizza sauce, and homemade sundried tomatoes to make pizzas for my lunches this week.
4. I dehydrated some more tomatoes from our garden.
5. I purchased another turkey for $0.40/lb. It went in the deep freezer.
@Corrine,
Banana nut pancakes are my favorite. I haven't made these for ages!
After reading yesterday's post about the demise of the penny, we talked about it at work. Apparently, there is a penny shortage in our area and one store in the mall will give you $10 gift certificate if you bring in $5 in pennies. We all thought the shortage was a funny concept since we all have a jar filled with pennies at home.
FFT:
- Went to BFF's house for happy hour and she provided the ingredients for the cocktails and most of our snacks. At the end of the evening, she sent me home with the leftovers from the charcuterie board, a handful of protein bars in a new flavor for me to try, a beautiful gold and opal necklace and earrings set that she no longer wears, and a very gently used Brahmin handbag that will be gifted to my sister for Christmas. This friend is always so generous to me and my family!
- Planned menu and stocked the pantry around grocery store sales
- All Christmas gifts purchased so far were on sale and most had significant Rakuten percent rebate
- Made dinner over the weekend using odd and ends from the freezer and frig instead of getting take-out
- I made two loaves of bread and, as usual, shared one loaf with our daughter's family. As the loaves were cooling, I happened to get a text from her asking when they could submit their next bread order.
@Beverly, thinking alike. Family is like that even if they are not blood.
1. I wrapped a birthday gift in a cloth bag I made. The recipients of gifts from me know to hand the bag back to me and they will see it again next time.
2. It took a while, but I finally bugged the DOT enough that they came and checked on the dead tree in the corner of my yard, and yes, it is on their right of way. Because it is quite tall and close to power lines on two sides, they will have the local electric utility drop it in sections, then the DOT will pick it up and haul it off. How long this will take, I don’t know, but I won’t have to pay for it if they do it.
3. We have a cold front coming this week, but so far, I have gone all of November with the heat on for only two days, and the a/c off the entire month, which is not always possible in Florida. I kept my air off most of October. My monthly electric bill is averaged over the last 12 months, and I was just notified it is dropping by $13 next month.
4. I mixed up another batch of homemade laundry soap.
5. I needed an organizer for the different interfacings and battings in my sewing closet. After a fruitless search for a used one, the lightbulb went on. I had a wooden organizer I bought at a yard sale that I used for cookbooks. I now have them on a much better looking (free to me) shelf, so that wooden organizer was sitting on a porch, ready to be hauled off. I cleaned it up and now it’s in use in my closet.
@JD, there is something very gratifying about making and using your own laundry soap.
@JD, I congratulate you on your #2 in particular. Having just had to pay through the nose to get my beloved maple (unquestionably on my property, alas) felled, I'm very glad to hear that the responsibility for your tree is the DOT's.
Kristen, that blasted iPhone-based pop-up ad has gotten worse. Now, in addition to blocking the post, it forces a refresh that deletes comments in progress. Maybe it's something you could ask about when your blasted class is over?
If anyone wonders why I'm commenting less, this is why.
@WilliamB, I lost comments a few days ago on my pc. When I use a different browser, it seems to work but I prefer my default browser. I hope this comment works.
@WilliamB, Just lost the comment I was making about losing nearly all of my comments haha!
@Book Club Elaine, and Wm.B.,
I don't have any problems with Frugal Girl's website but Katy's NCA site is driving me nuts. All kinds of ads pop up on the bottom. This has happened since she changed it, and just since the problem with the "old" website was fixed.
@WilliamB, I did wonder where you were. I always enjoy your comments. I know you travel frequently, so I thought that was the culprit.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
I'm having the same problem over st the NCA site. I really hate all of those ads popping up.
Love the photo of Chiquita - what a cute meeting buddy.
A few wins on our side:
1) Used a $20 pizza reward when DS18 was able to fly standby & get home much earlier on Thanksgiving break. We weren't expecting him for dinner, so the impromptu pizza was perfect.
2) Used a dining credit from my credit card for date night. I have been really paying attention to the credits this year, to make sure we use it, as the credit card comes with a hefty fee. So far, we are more than getting the value out of it, but it's important to track & ensure it's still valuable each year.
3) Pulled prepped taco meat out of the freezer for our only (so far) family dinner while everyone is home. It was nice to get two containers out of the freezer and I'm having the leftovers as taco salads.
4) Both teens have been working a lot, as it's a busy time of the year at work.
5) DS19 took a placement test for a class. He is attending a relatively inexpensive school, but placing out of even one class saves money.
Someone may have said this already, but have you considered Ebay for your deodorant? I did a quick search and you can get three of that type (I think, based on color), for $25 shipped. I always try to support resellers (because I am one!) if I can, if I can save some money and also if it's something I can buy ahead or store or wait on. Just an idea!
That's a very clever repair on your locket. And very good catching those missing 12 hours!
We downgraded the insurance we're carrying on my husband's truck since he's driving it much less now that we have a camper van instead of a trailer. Saving over $500 a year.
We used a 40 cent discount when fueling the camper for our Thanksgiving trip.
I was asked to bring a pie to a gathering and made apple since we had lots of apples on hand.
We're staying at free BLM campsites for three of five nights on our trip.
I packed food from home for all our meals while away.
Excellent fix on your locket! A dab of toothpaste (not the gel kind) on a damp cloth is great for cleaning and shining up chains on necklaces.
Aww, Chiquita is so cute!
1. Since my husband had to go to the big city, I went along so I could shop at Aldi
2. We also stopped at a big Goodwill
3.using regrowth green onions and basil in my kitchen window
4. Gave my mother in law some spools of thread. I had a ton, bit she actually often does repairs for us.
5. Found some pennies
Longer version here:
https://practicalwalk.com/2025/11/24/frugal-five-19/
My local grocery store has had turkeys on sale for 27 cents/lb, so I bought five: one for homemade cat food, two for my family, one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas (because if a giant bird is good enough for Bob Cratchit it’s good enough for us). My deep freeze is full and so is my family. It’s a good thing we all like turkey!
there was a mix up with my health insurance. was billed $387 from my podiatrist. One phone call to his billing service and the bill is 0. hooray.
I bought my dad a Christmas gift of something he will really like and it happened to be 75% off!
I got a few decent deals on things I was buying anyways for Christmas with early Black Friday sales (I don't do Black Friday sales unless it is something that is already on my list).
I bought some household items with Black Friday sales...some up to 50% off. I bought kitchen baggies, water filters for the fridge and house, and AC/heat filters.
Bought gas at .40 cents off per gallon at Circle K. I don't really understand their system...sometimes it is .05 cents off, other times .40, but I'll take it! Sometimes we get a text saying so much off that day, other times you just show up and get a good deal.
Used a coupon for $5 off at Ace Hardware and used a $10 off $50 coupon at my grocery.
Seems like missing wages should have been paid out immediately instead of being added to next check?
@OregonGuest, the hospital I work at sends staff an electronic reminder every 2 weeks to "approve" your timecard. If we don't, and a punch was missed, it's on us, and the correction will come out on the next check (after we fill out the appropriate correction). If it's their error, we usually get a choice to have them cut a check immediately, or have it added to the next check.
1. I canceled my free trial of Spotify Audiobooks. I had barely used it in the month I had for free, so it wasn't worth paying for. I think I just prefer reading books over listening to them.
2. I canceled Hulu. I had it free for six months, and then paid for one month because I missed the deadline to cancel before being charged. I enjoy many of the shows they have, but the price of their basic level has gone up to $11.99 a month, which is too much, in my opinion.
3. I paused Netflix so that I won't get charged in December, saving me a little money next month. It's annoying that they no longer let you cancel for a few months and still keep your info for when you want to restart the subscription, but the option to pause for a month at a time is not bad.
4. I bought groceries from Aldi, including a few things for Thanksgiving. I had them delivered by Instacart, and the sliced turkey was missing from my order. I quickly got a refund. I thought about reordering so I could get turkey and a couple of other things, but decided to make do with what I have. I have plenty of food for a Thanksgiving dinner, and the sides are the best part anyway.
5. I bought a six-pack of Feliway plugin refills for my cat because it saves a little over buying them individually. It's a pretty big expense upfront, but will save me about $5 a month for the next six months.
Frugal fail:
When I replaced the toilet handle last month, the new handle apparently gets stuck on the lid. ( It's wedge shaped, which I hadn't noticed.) All the jiggling and adjusting the chain didn't fix the problem of running water. It took me a few weeks to notice why it was still running. So the water bill is about $25 higher than it should have been.
However, I used some felt pads ( used on the bottom of chair legs) on the top edge of the tank to lift up the lid just enough to remedy the issue.
I'm trying to use up leftovers efficiently. And I found the smallest possible turkey for Thanksgiving. And at least potatoes were on sale. This should be a thrifty Tday!
Also, if you didn't see the update on the penny post yesterday, it's predicted to be $0.03 increase for a consumer each year, not $42. So no one should see a big impact on their bottom line.
@mbmom11, Love that repair to lift the lid!
My 13 yo loves that deodorant.
I "fixed" the broken watch band by using a rubber band to hold it closed.
I'm saving $ this week cuz my 19 yo can't come home for Thanksgiving. No train trip, no drive, no hotel. He's got class and homework. (And maybe a girlfriend? ? He never would tell me.)
1. Went to the new Wicked movie with my sister. Saved money by going to the matinee, watching it in standard format and getting the senior discount. We both loved it and were especially glad that Jonathan Bailey had more screen time.
2. Made my own makeup remover by mixing witch hazel (from Buy Nothing) and olive oil (from the pantry). I use a tinted moisturizer with SPF every day and sometimes I put powder, mascara, blush and lipstick on when leaving the house. I have fair skin and silver hair, so some color definitely helps my appearance.
3. Reduced our monthly Xfinity bill by $7.00. Because we're at the end of our 2-year rate ($58/month) for home Internet, I received an email saying that we'd be getting a loyalty discount when the term expired. Since the amount of the loyalty discount was not given, I called their customer service. Turns out the rate was skyrocketing to $113 but the loyalty discount of $20 would bring that to "only" $93. I politely stated that I was a happy customer and that I preferred not to change to a competitor to receive a lower rate. I was offered a lower rate than we had been paying, partially because we switched paying via credit card to paying directly from our bank account. This rate will be effective for one year and now includes an unwanted Peacock Premium subscription for two years (valid only if we upgrade to a higher internet tier; geez the fine print on this Peacock offer is crazy). I will make sure to watch my billing carefully to make sure I don't start seeing higher charges after these promo deals are over.
4. Finished a library book, The Unexpected Journey by Emma Heming Willis. There's a lot of good information in there on caregiving, no matter what one's financial situation is, written with a lot of wisdom and empathy.
5. Called a plumber for a leaky water heater pipe and had him diagnose a minor noisy laundry faucet while he was here. Opted to leave the laundry faucet as-is due to the cost and effort of fixing it. Plumber also gave us a quote for annual maintenance of our on-demand water heater. While he was here, I called my HVAC provider who services our unit twice per year to see what they would charge for maintaining the water heater. Their price is less than half of the plumber's quote so we're going to have them service the water heater at the same time as the HVAC unit in December.
Sold a book on eBay and turned a cereal box inside out to use as the shipping vessel. I got that hack from someone on here!
Sold my first cookie cake. Just to a friend, so I was only going to charge her for the cost of ingredients but she gave me a $5 tip 🙂
Here's my five:
1. I paid off my Rose Bowl Parade marching band fees early to save the $65 processing fee every month. Now I can start saving for the travel and other expenses for the 2027 parade.
2. I got a seasonal job to help with my #1 and to buy a much needed microphone system for my performance gig.
3. I processed our Halloween pumpkin into dehydrated dog treat Christmas presents (pets get Christmas presents here. You can fight me on this, but you'll lose,) purée, and shelled pumpkin seeds while I was making cream of mushroom soup for Friendsgiving green bean casserole (based on what I already had on hand,) and croutons for Thanksgiving stuffing.
4. I got two tubes of Crest toothpaste free by combining a sale, loyalty points, and a coupon.
5. Compared the unit prices on sale items on my grocery shopping list vs. the unit price of larger sizes/different brands to get the best deal.
@Lazy Budget Chef,
The Rose Bowl parade is on my bucket list. The "flower sculptures" have always amazed me.
@Bee, And the smells! At least some of the flowers must still have good scents, I would expect.
Kristen, I'm glad you found a way to fix the locket! It's a beautiful keepsake.
My frugal five feels a bit old-fashioned as I've been using many coupons this week. We get a local free newspaper that comes with an insert for coupons for local businesses I like to quickly look through.
1. For a recent celebration, picked up a dozen donuts using a $4 off coupon from the flyer; best thing is that the donut place is locally owned and not a chain store.
2. Shopped at consignment store for a pair of pants and a cardigan, and used a $5 off coupon from the flyer.
3. At CVS, combined several online coupons and extra bucks, paying $14 for something that would have cost over $50.
4. My kids are off school this week. I had saved two coupons for free sandwiches from a local BBQ restaurant, and my older son took his younger brothers there for a lunch yesterday while my husband and I were attending parent/teacher conferences for them.
5. A friend gifted us a large sack of cat food that had been misdelivered to another neighbor by Amazon, who did not want it back.
Also, still going strong keeping only one car (going on 3 years) that is fully paid off between my husband and me. Our son finally bought a car of his own but it is now in the shop and he is back to using ours temporarily. Recently, our neighbor needed to borrow it. This week our car has been used for transportation between four adults and two teens. It feels very satisfying to be able to do this in a suburban place, though I recognize that we eventually have to buy another car when circumstances change.
So proud of you for taking back your name! My former roommate also did this. IMHO, it is a fantastic thing to be Ms. Yourself instead Mrs. Ex. Why should the ex get any credit for your many achievements?
OK, off my soap box.
1. My old-style 1990s (or possibly 1980s) TV has gone *kaput*. So I am giving myself permission to buy one that was made THIS millennium! Already checked some Black Friday prices at Walmart. Will be going to some pawn shops to see about secondhand TVs. Plan to buy one today.
2. Experimenting with window treatments for my bedroom. They didn't send me enough printed curtains. Per their style, you put one narrow printed curtain in between two solid colored curtains. But I don't like this! Had to buy another set to get enough curtains for the window, boo hiss. Then it hit me: why not use the bedspread, since it is thin, for a drape over the window over my bed? That one always lets in cold air. Bought some clips to see if I can rig this up. (If not, I will return them.)
3. While shopping for window hardware, Olllie's had a faucet fixture (sprayer that goes on the end of the faucet) for 50 cents. Former roommate had long ago replaced the good faucet sprayer in her bathroom sink with something that would fit her portable washing machine's hose hookup. (This, after I complained about some organic material, let us say, left in the drum of my washer. Yuck! But instead of cleaning up her act, she got her portable out of storage. Fine with me! And I went crazy sterilizing/sanitizing my washing machine!) Anyway, she lost the original faucet fixture and moved out with hers. (That bathroom is rarely used, so it wasn't a top priority.) Anyway, I'm thrilled to find a fix under a dollar -- it's considerably less than a plumber would charge! (Meanwhile, her nursing home long ago made her wear diapers. Sad case.)
4. Going to the electric dealership and getting my little bitty LED tube replaced. It goes over the kitchen sink. While there, I'll ask for their free Xmas items: a big wall calendar and big desk calendar. Plan to give them to the church secretaries.
5. Volunteered to work a double shift on Saturday. Not only do I get extra hours to make up for Thursday, but it solves another problem. Out-of-town (formerly close) friend likes to stop by my house; her visits are no longer welcome. (But social obligations and all that.) If she comes to see me at work, I'll be too busy to talk. Thus, I'll avoid her nagging and judgmental attitude toward me. Five years ago, her lecture was on how I should NOT be wearing my mask for COVID-19 prevention. She traveled with her companion. Both were un-masked and argued that both masks and the vaccine were dangerous. The next time I saw her, I asked about the other gal. "Oh, she got COVID and died." DUH!
1. More free photo prints from Photo Affections (they give 85 PER MONTH!) Paid for shipping, no big deal.
2. eBay sent $19 for one thing sold, minus their cut and postage, but since I didn’t pay for the item sold, it’s all profit.
3. Gleaned walnuts in a friend’s orchard yesterday.
4. While down the hill, stopped by a grocery store to save a few $ on produce that we usually buy weekly in our desperately overpriced local store.
5. I drove 3 friends to a distant wedding and one, against my wishes, snuck $20 into the cupholder for gas.
The jewelry repair tutorial is possibly the best thing I have read in years. I *love* it.
I also wanted to share that there was an ad for a local restaurant offering a lobster dinner. Cracked me up. Frugal? Sure, sure.
Re #3: I can just feeel Katy W-S being proud of you for this one.
My husband is out of the country for the month of November and of course a bunch of home-related things popped up but I found ways to save some money:
1. the garage door wasn't working but with a facetime with my dad, was able to figure out that I just needed to strip the electrical wires and rejoin them. So I did it instead of calling someone to do it.
2. Our microwave broke unexpectedly and I would like to swap out all the appliances with a brand that I like. The microwave for that brand is backordered until February at the earliest so I couldn't get it even if I wanted. I found an older model, new in box, from a contractor that wasn't able to use it on a build he did. It was a long drive to pick it up but I paid 60% less than if I had bought it retail.
3. I found an installer certified by the manufacturer to install the microwave for what seemed to me to be a reasonable amount. He gave me a discount for paying in cash and the service was excellent. I now have a vendor for appliance installations.
4. On Saturday morning, I walked into my closet to find a puddle on the floor. I figured out that a pipe above the canned light had sprung a leak. I called a bigger plumbing company for a quote because I thought they might be more reliable. He recommended a drywall company who also gave me a quote. $4k-$5k to cut and dry the ceiling, another $1k-$2k to put it back. $2.5k for the plumber to fix the leak. So almost $10k to fix a single point leak and it would take about a week, due to the holiday. I think we got our old house completely repiped for around that much. Also, in the quote they sent over, they included a picture that piping that wasn't our house, which seemed a little sus to me. I called several other vendors and found one that said he could fix it without having to cut up the drywall and for significantly less on the leak fix. This plumber is a smaller company (which I am happy to support), has excellent reviews, and came out the same day to take a look. He actually took the time to crawl up to where the leak is and is working on fixing it today. Fingers crossed that everything goes well.
5. I redeemed a loyalty bonus for a free iced tea to help me cope with the stress of a water leak 🙂
Since you work 12 hour shifts, does that mean a normal work week is 36 hours? I'm just curious how that works.
Well, I got a free debit card via Venmo that had a deal, make a, purchase of at least $20 using the card by November 27 and earn a $20 reward! I've been selling a few things, and getting paid via Venmo and leaving that money on my account for Christmas shopping. I got a notification from Amazon that something in my shopping cart that I 'saved for later' was now on sake for $25.50. It was regularly $49.99!
So I quickly purchased with my Venmo debit card, meaning when I get my rewards this $50 item will end up being just over $6! It was on my son Christmas wish list too!
I also picked up some brand new items in my local buy nothing group for our families 'dirty Santa' /white elephant gift exchange. We have a $10 limit and it can be from a thrift store or whatever. We just can't actually spend more that $10.
Great job catching the missing shift! That’s a chunk of $$ to miss out on!
I’m a high school teacher, and I pick up uncovered classes - when there are not enough substitutes available for that period - for $25/50-min class period. I keep track of the classes in Notes on my phone to make sure I get paid, and I also like to make $500/school year covering classes, so it’s a good way to keep track of my progress. $25 is much less than my hourly rate, but it’s easy money, and I like to see how other teachers decorate their classrooms. Spoiler: most don’t decorate!
Glad you noticed the missing 12hrs!
I texted our bookkeeper to tell her about taking one vacation day during my total week away from work. Our company/business is so small that the boss/schedule maker forgets to tell her about paid days off we take.
I did not pay someone to clean my cookstove. (I probably will next time as I can hardly move today after getting up and down from the floor.) Yes, It is a self-cleaning oven...as in I clean it myself! It does have and easy clean surface if I don't bake on the drippings. The door does come off so that helps. I did put in a drip tray.
My Audiologist company gave me a free pie today. It is one of the perks of being one of their customers. I also renewed my warranty insurance with them. It's a pretty penny outright, but covers everything r/t my hearing checkups and my hearing aids for the year.
I bought unwashed farm fresh eggs at only three dollars a dozen. Eggs in general have seemed to fall out of favor w me as a meal option, but I'm hoping the fact that these are local and fresh will encourage me to consume them. I know getting the fresh milk has helped.
I got gas yesterday at $2.74.
This week's (month's?) frugals are mostly work related:
I was given a set of modules from my manager as added learning opportunities when I transferred to NICU. The cost to the hospital for the subscription was nearly 5k. I used several of those free-to-me CE's for my Maternal Newborn certification and my Certified Pediatric Nurse certification. The additional CE's I used were free from various sites, except one, that I will be reimbursed the $19 out of my annual CE fund.
I paid for the 2 certifications in the "early bird" window, saving money.
I will send the receipts to the Union Training Fund for reimbursement, so my cost will be $0.
I turned in the CE hours to the manager for reimbursement from my annual CE fund, so my total money "earned" will be the 1k from this year, plus about $273 carry over from last. I often will use it for an out of town conference, but dates and locations just didn't work this year.
In addition, by maintaining my certifications, I get and extra $1.35/hr for each of them, which definitely adds up annually.
I take my dinner and snacks to work almost exclusively.
All books are from the library.
Watching the Black Friday deals to see if any of my regularly purchased items pop up, along with the items I'm getting for my grandkids. I'll pull the trigger on the kid gifts either way on Friday. I've already found the foundation I wear (purchased about once a year) was about 30% less than I paid last year, so I purchased that. I like to keep a "wish list" on Amazon and check prices when there are promos. Often, I end up just taking things out of my list as they are no longer appealing (great way to save...just don't buy! lol!)
Reached out to the airline for compensation for our 9 hr delayed flight back in September/October, which became a 12 hr delay and lost baggage for 2 days. They reimbursed us $129 each. So, I sent a letter explaining the scenario, what we missed, and the inconvenience their issues caused us (mechanical delays x 2, and flight crew timed out, plus an additional flight through Paris which is where our luggage stayed for a bit, a missed tour), and that 10% was hardly adequate, and I'd hate to have to stop using their airline which up till then had been a favorite. I was pleasantly surprised when they gave us each $300 vouchers to be used in the next year. 🙂 Since we travel a decent amount, that shouldn't be a problem!
1. I snagged a few early Black Friday/friends and family deals. We don't shop Black Friday just to shop, but we do hold off on certain purchases we already need to capitalize upon the sale if it makes sense.
2. I volunteered to be our go-to person over the Thanksgiving holiday since I am on a different time zone and could use the hours given my time off a few months ago.
3. Yesterday when I was frustrated I chose to walk outside with peaceful music instead of placating myself with cake from the bakery like I wanted to.
4. I continue to hold off from looking at Realtor.com until our move date is a little closer. I hope this is a frugal play, as it will give us more time to save cash and may allow us more time to analyze whether or not renting will be cheaper for one more tour.
5. My spouse needs a foam roller for work, so we will purchase it using one of the credit card benefits in order to avoid spending money out of pocket.
@FJB, Also just as a note, the peaceful music was via headphones. Not so peaceful to others if I would have been playing that out loud.
I have just one item but IMHO its a good story:
First off, I highly recommend that you don’t allow cold water to spill onto a425° glass oven door. Especially not on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving. This will induce immediate panic. All effort to find someone to help will be futile. Its Sunday, 4 days before Thanksgiving!
Once you've talked with salesmen and left recorded messages for your repairman, turn to YouTube University. I found a video that could not have been more comprehensive and at the same time simple to follow.
Finding the replacement glass locally was a bit of a challenge but I know someone who orders parts as part of her job (different field but the skill set is the same). After determining what replacement glass I needed she even made the 50 mile trip and delivered it to my door.
The patient and doctor came through with flying colors.
Now back to my baking.
@Linda Phillips, super impressive save !
Frugal things:
1. I finally made soap with most of the beef fat I've saved. (I've been putting this off.)
2. We bought a cow (a frozen one, nicely packaged). It's expensive up front, but the freezers are full. We can't bring ourselves to buy beef at grocery store prices.
3. I made some college-related phone calls for my son. Out-of-state tuition is no joking matter. The recruitment specialist at the engineering school was super nice to help us come up with a Plan B in case my son doesn't get enough in scholarship money to go there his first year.
4. I checked out the new and huge thrift store in the city where my daughter is taking driver's ed. I have to hang around town for the 3+ hours she's in the class. I didn't buy anything, but at least I checked out what all the fuss is about. I plan to return with a different daughter so she can try on snow pants.
5. We've been eating so many leftovers because food waste isn't frugal. It's a little more frugal when you can feed some to the chickens. Speaking of the chickens- they're not pulling their weight. Today I called and made an appointment with the butcher so that we can reduce our flock by several roosters and old hens. Yes, I know it is more frugal to butcher them myself, but I don't like the cold weather-- and we have too many other things going on right now to deal with that.
I am a rare if never commenter (reader and granola and pizza maker, mostly), but I really appreciated your jewelry repair segment. “I glued the whole thing shut” and “keeping with my professionalism” brightened my day. Thanks for the laugh and well done making something you love be a useable item again.
That picture of Chiquita! It and she are the cutest! Ten different captions flashed through my mind in seconds of looking at it. So adorable. Aren't velcro kitties just the best? My sweet little black kitty, Bella, is curled up next to me in bed. She has exhausted herself giving my arm a bath, and is resting from the exertion. She has planted her tiny self between me and the edge of the bed. So I don't fall out of bed maybe?
I love that you were able to make the locket wearable. Feels like a metaphor for a human broken heart. We patch up and keep going.
1) I explained CVS pricing to my husband. I stopped by CVS on Monday for a prescription. I also checked prices on the Vitamin D gummies our daughter's doctor recommended. They were, of course, crazy expensive, so instead I used my stacked coupons for a couple of lip moisturizers after comparing prices on my phone. When I got home I shared this story with my husband who said he had no idea CVS had jacked-up prices. I count him having this piece of knowledge as an even bigger win than the few bucks I saved because it will prevent him from buying something when he picks up a script.
2) On Sunday night we menu-planned and put in an Aldi order, which I picked up on Monday. We do this every week, but this week was especially complicated with kids home some days and two Thanksgivings for which we are bringing dishes. We strategized a walmart pickup on Friday to get fresh items for the Saturday dishes. I added in extra dishes too because despite all this careful planning, we have been running out of food by Friday because these kids are eating like crazy.
3) Before I left for campus yesterday I started bread in the bread machine and a roast in the crockpot. I also packed my own lunch to eat on the 1.25 hour commute. No emergency take out for us. Things are tight enough as it is; I can't imagine if we were blowing hundreds a month on take out for the six of us.
4) I signed up to be an AP reader this week. I've never done it before, but I finally have a little breathing room in my life, and I've been looking for part time work for a while. I went ahead and completed all the steps to get me up and operating in the pool. Evidently I might still not get an assignment, but we'll see. It's something.
5) I worked on replacing the zipper in a jacket I bought for our daughter at Goodwill. Maybe it was already breaking when it was donated, which explains why it was a very expensive jacket in otherwise perfect condition at a thrift store. I was able to purchase a zipper for about $15. I have been working on it a little at a time as I have time, taking the zipper part apart and pinning everything back together with the new zipper. I hope to get a moment later this evening to sew it together. I would not describe my sewing skills as advanced, but so far this project has been easier and cheaper than I first imagined.
Frugal fail: Last weekend my husband noticed that the registration sticker on the car read July 2025. I always purchase new registrations promptly, so I can only assume I didn't get the postcard that usually triggers me to buy a new one. I went online immediately and renewed, which cost me $10 in late fees. It could have been worse.
Frugal indulgence: I've been fighting cancer for a couple of years now. I started with chemo, which led to me gaining 30 pounds, enough that my wedding rings no longer fit. I'm not a jewelry person, but I really miss wearing my rings. I've tried losing the weight but it proved impossible with the medication I'm on. I thought about having my rings resized, but I thought, what if, when I go off the meds, I lose the weight and then have to resize them again. Then I came across a small gold filled (not fully gold, but better than gold-plated) ring on Etsy. It's simple and made of enough gold that my skin won't react. And it was $40 including shipping. It's not frugal to buy a piece of jewelry, but I so rarely spend money on myself, and in the grade scheme of things, it is relatively cheap.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone. I came into some money, and was able to double my savings! I went to our new Aldi store today. As I was getting out of the car, the women next to me started to return her cart. I asked if I could use her cart and tried to hand her my quarter. She declined the quarter but we exchanged Thanksgiving greetings. After checking out, I pushed my free cart into the line and noticed the 2 carts in front of mine still had their quarters in them. So I liberated all three for a profit of $.75. My family has a decades old tradition of saving found money during the year and donating it to charity at Christmas. My grand total so far this year has been 75 cents - from 12 finds. This cashless society is so disappointing. But my Aldi score doubled the yearly total! Yay Aldi!
My community will never be known for being a shopping mecca. We do have a huge Dollar Tree in a former 99cent only location. I went there for the first time today also. Things I did not expect to find were a single serving of Nutella (which I got to try because I have never had it before). They also had a small jar of pesto (6 oz?) made in Italy with all good ingredients. So again, for $1.25, what is there to lose?
Aldi score was 3 pound bags of sweet potatoes for 63 cents a pound. Only had 4 bags left so I only took 2.
The best deal I could come up with for turkey was $.99 a pound, minus 10% with my vaccine coupon, and $7.00 off of meat using 400 reward points.
Frugal fail: Kristen, I really hope you have another whine-a-thon soon. Because I need to vent about Arizona residents getting shorted on savings that national chains offer all over the country but not here. I should release some frustration before I blow a gasket or bust something.
Blessings for tomorrow 😉 <3
I made 2 reusable spa bra & panty sets using recycled material and am in the planning stages of creating 2 side hustles - the spa sets mentioned above and a THRIFTY solo self-care staycation planning service.