Five Frugal Things | I have a napkin holder!
I know we normally do a Meet a Reader post on Mondays, but I'm still waiting on all my volunteers to send their questions back to me.
(If you sent one in and I've somehow missed it, let me know!)
So, we're gonna do Five Frugal Things today instead. 🙂
1. I got a free napkin holder
I don't know why, but it never really occurred to me to buy one when the girls and I moved here. Our napkins have just been sitting in a pile on the table!
That was working, but it's obviously nicer to have a napkin holder.
So, when one popped up on my Buy Nothing group, I said, "Oh, yes please!"
2. I emailed Yoplait about some burst yogurt
On my last trip to BJ's Warehouse Club, I'd bought a box of individual yogurt containers, and when I got home, I discovered that several of them had gotten squished to the point of bursting.
Oddly, the outside box was in perfect shape, which made me think something had gone wrong at the factory. So, I emailed the Yoplait customer service email, along with pictures of the product.
They apologized, of course, and a few days later, I got a $7 Yoplait coupon in the mail. Sweet!
3. I got two binders from my Buy Nothing group
I anticipate that I will continue to need some binders as I go through nursing school, but some of my older binders are falling apart.
So, I was delighted to get these two for free.
4. I got my printer working again
When I was trying to print some tax forms, the pages got a little faded and then the printer started sending out completely blank pages.
Ugh.
I tried the usual printer-cleaning tools that are installed with the software, but I kept getting errors.
So, I turned to YouTube and a guy on there suggested this ink flush operation, which I'd never tried before. It uses a lot of ink, but I didn't care. What good is the ink doing for me if it won't come out of the printer at all??
I ran that for both the colored ink and the black ink, and 20 minutes later, the lines were full of fresh ink and the printer was working again. Yay!
5. I got 8 more free covid tests
My bout with covid used up the previous eight that we had, so I stopped in at CVS and asked them to run another batch through the health insurance.
So, now I have another pile of them to use in case one of the girls gets it at some point.
(Obviously, I'm not about to get it again anytime super soon!)
1. I made a stop at Giant yesterday and discovered both Lara Bars and RXBars that were 75% off. They "expire" in the next few months but we will have no problem eating them past those dates. I also picked up a couple other items and was able to use a coupon to save $10 on a $50 order.
2. I made a pot of Lentil and Kale soup to use up a chicken sausage lingering in the refrigerator. Last night I made some chicken and rice noodle soup for dinner using ingredients on hand. There will be a lot of leftover meals. We don't mind eating something a few times and then not having it again for several weeks.
3. We combined mold testing with a neighbor. By having testing done at both houses in one visit/day we saved on the cost of a second trip by the tester. Each test beyond the first one was an additional charge but it was only $400 total versus $600. The good news is that neither of us has mold in the air.
4. I visited with a friend at her house on Friday and with a couple of friends yesterday, at one of the friend's house. That was how my mom socialized in the neighborhood when I was a kid.
5. I called out health insurance company to ask about a claim for Covid rapid tests that I submitted in September. It was never processed but I was told it will be sent through. I realized the purchase of some sunblock I bought a few months ago can be reimbursed from our flexible spending account, using up some of our remaining 2022 funds.
—I used a spare metal storage cart and carpet samples—both leftover from other projects—to make a designated shelf for my husband’s assorted work boots. Winter boots, steel-toed boots, tall boots for watering graves—all the boots! They were taking over our back porch but are now contained, at least for the moment! 😛
—A handy friend graciously offered to help us with a house project that we were too nervous to do ourselves for fear of damaging finicky antique bits. Our friend refused payment aside from lunch—a crockpot chocolate chili that he immediately wanted the recipe for. 🙂
—I bought an $80 sheet set from Wayfair for $10! It was an “open box” deal in the right size and color. Our sheets (most of which are 10+ years old and Goodwill finds to start with) are wearing out, so it was a fortunate find. The old sheets will join the project rag pile.
—Notable Goodwill victories: two pairs of work jeans for my husband for $5.99 each; a pair of new black winter gloves for me to replace a lost pair for $3.99; and a gorgeous vibrant green Opalhouse velvet comforter for $17. Even used, the latter sells for $100+! I’m keeping the comforter—it’s so pretty and warm!—but it’s nice know it’s such a score.
—The expensive part of the week is pending, as I had to call AAA twice, once for each car. One will be a simple fix (lost key fob—we’re waiting our turn in line for a new one to be programmed), and the other should be in the “reasonable” range of car repairs ($350ish with labor for a new harmonic balancer—the advantages of having an older car with a nice, roomy engine). My husband will miss a day of work since we’re currently without wheels, which sucks, but his employer is very understanding. On the *ahem* bright/frugal side, at least the tows were free?
@N, I have rediscovered my love of thrifting lately! I'm sure a lot of people have, given the cost of new goods. I got a $25 Opalhouse rug for $6.50 last week in great condition and I love it.
@N,
I have never heard of putting chocolate in chili. What's the recipe?
I really need to get more involved with my Buy Nothing group - I have been on a purge mission since my husband died. In fact, I have a complete twin bed set (with linens) that I will list soon - delivery not included, ha! Your napkin holder made me smile - my mother keeps a neat stack of them on her kitchen table with a brass paperweight from Greece on top. (: My frugal ways this week include eating every meal at home since I gave myself a little extra grocery money for staples, and replacing a pair of very old and falling apart shoes with new ones that were $80 off (!) and free shipping. Gotta have both shoes and food, so...
@gina,
We have gotten rid of so much via the Buy Nothing. It's a blessing to pass things along for sure. Some of the recent things we've given were little kids' toys as my kids are all getting older. My older kids liked the idea that their old unwanted toys were finding new homes with little kids who were excited to have them.
All your gives will be blessings to someone.
Made a fancy dessert to use up random ingredients! lol Had a box mix for Lemon bars but it had a recipe on the back to fancy up the mix. Turn lemon bars into cheesecake bars! I happened to have a partial mason jar with the required graham crackers crumbs and a brick of cream cheese that needed used to dessert helped clear up space! lol
Checked the "closeouts section-(aka junk aisle) at a local discount store and found a set of Bamboo bedsheets in the size I need- ran the name through google and amazon and they had amazing reviews and were a deal at $19.99! They are so soft!
Broke down and went into a new Amazon resell shop that opened up. This place Starts at $14/item on Friday and ends with .25 day on Thursday. We stopped on Saturday night so $10/item. Ended up buying 3 items and the husband wants to go back on Wed/Thur when it is $1.00 and .25 night. We bought a 48ct pack of AA batteries for $7 less than normal. Saved $35 on a 6pk of Edison bulbs.. But the winner was a security camera that was originally $89! To the average person this would be a pass-by item but my husband who can configure and do all the hook up this was a score. He is so excited as he has been wanting a new camera to attach to one particular corner of the garage. ( this goes with his previous score where the security camera system we have was donated to a spaghetti fundraiser- I am SURE the company assume one would win the items- cameras, DVR etc and then hire the company to hook it all up at a cost. NOPE.. husband did a quick google and realized he could do it all.. monitored the table and placed a silent auction bid of $50 and won it. Did all the work himself.
Its my birthday month so I am saving all my freebies for treats! lol
@jes, Happy Birthday!
Oooh, birthday month freebies are so much fun! Happy birthday to you!
@jes, Happy birthday month!
There is a resale place near me like that, where the prices drop. I need to check it out.
I have a very random question. I have noticed since being on social media a phrasing that is not familiar with here in Georgia. I noticed it in your reply, so I wanted to ask you and group at large where this phrasing is common.
I noticed you wrote “needed used”. I have seen variations- “needs painted”, “needed cleaned,” etc.
I have never heard that particular phrasing- here we would say “needed to be used” or “needed painting.”
I know this is not at all frugal related, but my curiosity got the better of me. I find it interesting how words and phrases differ from region to region. For example, I wouldn’t ask you if you wanted a pop or a soda. I might would ask if you wanted a soft drink, but would more likely ask if you wanted a Coke, and if you agreed, would say, “What kind? We have Coke, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper.”
Neither way is better, just different.
Thanks for humoring me if you have read this far!
I always use the phrasing you are thinking of, but I have heard quite a few people in my adult life use the "needs painted" phrasing!
@jes, I'd be curious to know how you like the bamboo sheets. I tried those, and also a wheat bag made with a bamboo cover. It was almost like I had an allergy to both. I parted with them.
@Sherri, I like hearing language too. The practice of dropping the infinitive is very common here in central Ohio, too--people say, "My kitchen needs mopped" or "that old house needs painted." It is a local idiom, tho it probably irritates the English professor who lives next door.
@Sherri, I share your interest in language patterns in different geographic areas. When I moved to NW Indiana, it took me quite a while to not be sensitive to the phrases you cite. "Does your car need washed?" was on the sign at one gas station, and "Does the baby need changed?" had me biting my lip. It was not the usage in MN, ND, IA, or KS that I had heard.
I wonder if some of the variation is from the rules of languages immigrants spoke before they learned English. It would be natural to keep the pattern of the old languages for modifiers and objects and verbs and whatever else these constructions are called.
An older family friend in NW Minnesota used the word "yous" for the plural of "you." She was absolutely consistent in it, using "yous" when there was more than one person being referred to. "Yous have a good time" was said to two or more people. "You have a good time" meant only one person. I don't recall that her husband did this.
@Kristina, Thanks! I was wondering what region it was common. And you are right, it probably does irritate the professor!
@Heidi Louise, That's in interesting idea, that it is from immigrants learning English. English in general is hard to learn because there are so many rules, and some of them rather random.
That is interesting about "yous," and really makes sense. It's sort of like "y'all." It drives me CRAZY when people use "y'all" as singular. It is never singular. "Y'all" is always plural, and "all y'all" is more plural. 🙂
@Sherri: Yes, if one is going to use "y'all", do it right! I like the idea of "more plural", though that adds even more complexity to learning the language.
@Heidi Louise, Here in Texas, we use" y'all" (short for "you all") instead of "yous". And we're always "fixin' to" do something.
@Heidi Louise, Archie Bunker used this phrasing too!
@Sherri, I love the regional differences in language. I had a friend from Pennsylvania who would say "We're going down the shore" to mean "We're going to the beach." I find that charming for some reason!
1. Continued to exercise using the great outdoors, YouTube videos, and hand-me-down hand weights. Jumping ahead to Thankful Thursday, I'm still unreasonably pleased by the small weight rack I randomly found at Target last year that just perfectly fits my weigh set - it's hard to find an empty rack - and that my set matches.
2. Verified, for a friend, that Zappo's sells single shoes. His new foot brace means he needs two different shoes.
3. Stocked up at the Asian supermarket. The impetus, as always, was buying frozen dim sum and I stocked up on produce as well. Fingers crossed that I cook it all before it goes bad.
4. Spent much of Sunday processing the produce (washing, cutting, bagging, packaging, familiarizing myself with what's in the fridge) and organizing the fridge.
5. Did some cooking for the freezer: I made
a) CI's Mushroom Bourguignon, using white wine I had instead of buying red (which means it's stew and not Bourguignon, which is stew in the style of that province, which requires wine in the style of that province), frozen pearl onions I already had, and too-big baby carrots (which I prefer not to munch on);
b) Tuscan Bean Stew, to use the leeks I bought, Rancho Gordo beans I had on hand, limp carrots I had on hand, cooked quinoa to complete the protein (packages bought on sale, already cooked from a different dish), and riced cauliflower (from a cauliflower I needed to use, natch) to make it less dense; and
c) savory rice using the salty, umami-ish bean cooking liquid.
Then I hand-washed all the large dishes so Monday Me will have less to do.
@WilliamB, I love Rancho Gordo and have many bags that I like to use and try new varieties. Well worth the price.
@WilliamB,
I, too, like that Mushroom Bourguignon/stew a lot.
Would you share the source of the Tuscan Bean Stew, if you don’t mind? We are moving into incorporating bean recipes that are tasty and of quality protein, as I have a need for extra protein.
Props for your use of needy produce in both recipes and the speedy processing!
@Erika JS, The Tuscan Bean Stew is from some online source; my starting point was Leek & Potato Soup but I wanted beans instead of taters. Here's how I did it because HEAVEN FORBID that I follow a recipe properly:
1) Cook 1 lb mild beans (I used Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye) in brine (1-2T salt/quart) till cooked. My method is to boil the beans in brine for 2 min, let sit an hour, then pressure cook till done. Drain, saving the cooking liquid.
2) Meanwhile, saute a boatload (6-7 c.) of sliced/chopped leeks. Remove about 3/4 to be blended.
3) Add a couple cups each of chopped carrots and celery, and a moderate amount of garlic (too much will overwhelm the leeks) and rosemary. Saute till soft.
4) Puree about half the beans, the set-aside leeks, and enough of the cooking liquid to keep it liquidy and smooth. (Alternately, don't remove leeks and instead roughly puree in the pot with an immersion blender.)
5) Add the pureed beans to the pot, with enough water or stock to get it to the consistency you like. I recommend against using more bean cooking liquid and it'll be too salty.
6) Season to taste. I added green tabasco and some vinegar. I added a head of riced cauliflower because I found the soup to be denser than I wanted.
7) Serve with rice, toast, or other starch to make a complete protein.
@WilliamB,
Ooh, right up my alley. Big fan of leeks, never without them. So many recipes are enhanced with leeks or shallots included.
Also embroider every recipe I find because that’s the fun of cooking.
Many thanks!
@WilliamB, I, too, wear a leg brace and I had no idea tht Zappos sold singletons! Thank you for that information because right now I am limited in what brand I can buy, since it is the only one I have found that will stretch enough for the brace to be comfortable. If you don't help anyone else today, you have helped me!!
@Lindsey, That makes me happy and thus qualifies as a Thankful Thursday item. Zappos does some very good things, of which this is only one.
@Lindsey, Turns out they don't sell every model/size as a single but check it out anyway.
1. Noticed my favorite planner in the world is 50% off so I ordered two, which should get me through about 2 years of life. I’m hoping they aren’t discontinuing the item.
2. Scraped paint, varnish, glue off floors in preparation for sanding. The goal was to have this project done a week ago, but I’m still working. The work I’ve spent on the room is still cheaper than paying for carpeting.
3. Cooked all meals, coffee, snacks at home. This is a big one the last couple weeks because my husband was gone and 2/3 of my children got sick and 1 needed an ER visit in the middle of the night on top of all the other things that typically happen when I’m solo parenting.
I think that’s all I have. I’m really not a terribly frugal person.
@Kaitlin,
Do tell…what is your favorite planner and where is it on sale?
@JDS, Nomatic planner at their website. It’s fairly customizable and has lots of space for notes on each week/month and extra pages in the back that can be torn out.
https://www.nomatic.com/products/nomatic-planner
@Kaitlin, whenever something I depend on is deeply discounted, I wonder (worry) if it is about to be discontinued. Knowing the resourcefulness and helpful ways of this blog, I'm guessing you will eventually get a few suggestions for another planner. (Hoping the community is still going strong in 2 years!)
Ugh, my favorite planner got discontinued a few years ago and I was so sad. It was the only one I'd ever found that worked with the weird way my brain visualizes a week!
FFT, Thrifting, Amazon, and Recuperation Edition:
(1) Congratulations to @N and @gina on their thrifting scores. My latest one happened a couple of weeks ago, and I've been forgetting to mention it: I found a pair of Cozy Earth bamboo jogging pants for $4 (originally priced $8, but blue tags were 50% off that week) at my Salvation Army superstore. They fit great and make even this overweight old lady look good. When I went to price these online, my jaw almost hit the keyboard: They're $124 at the Cozy Earth website, and only occasionally available on Amazon for $100 or more!
(2) Speaking of Amazon, my jaw also almost hit the keyboard when I got an email congratulating me on cashing in over $1900 in Amazon Prime points in 2022. (Remember that I run all of DH's nursing home bills through our Prime account.) So this is a fairly considerable addition to my income stream.
(3) I generally spend the Prime points on boring, useful stuff like cases of TP, senior canned cat food for Betty, and other household needs. But I did indulge myself last week in a new bird feeder. I've gone about as far as I can go with the one I trashpicked a few years ago.
(4) In other news, I'm glad to report that I continue to recuperate uneventfully from last week's dental implant. Uneventful is good in this case.
(5) And I've actually gotten a few of the things I was planning to do at this time done, such as cleaning out my office and the little ell off the office we call the "book room" (although there are books all over the house). I also continue to cull books, CDs, and DVDs.
@A. Marie, wait, wait. You can run other bills through your Prime Amazon account? Come forth and testify woman!!
@Anne, here's a clarification: What I do is put the nursing home bills on our Amazon Prime Visa *card,* which racks up the points. I then upload the bills to Genworth (our long-term care insurance company), which reimburses me in due course, which enables me to make payments on the card. So far, I've been able to pay the card off in full every month, so I haven't had to pay any interest. But I do have to stay on top of things and respond promptly at each step.
@A. Marie, Happy that this works for you (nursing home bills are in another stratosphere!) but anyone who wants to try running large bills through their credit card should double check ahead of time to be sure there are no surcharges or fees added for use of the cc, which can quickly negate any points received.
@Bobi, none are added by the nursing home. But your point is well taken.
@A. Marie, I htink you should win this week's award for best use of credit cards!
Glad your teeth are getting back to normal.
@Lindsey, We bought a 2023 Toyota Camry in October & intended to pay cash. We found out we could put up to $5000 on the credit card, so added that to our $5000 cash deposit. Came back the next day with a cashiers check for the balance & that night, we transferred the $5000 directly from the checking account to the credit card to pay off the charge. No additional cost for the charge & only $5 for the cashiers check. So we ended up with an additional 5000 air miles, which put us past amount needed to qualify for a $100 airfare credit on future travel. Plus the miles themselves can be used to reduce or eliminate our airfare costs. (Yes, car purchase will be a frugal win as previous car lasted nearly 24 years & I expect to keep this one as long.)
My list is pretty boring this week but every penny counts so here goes....
1. Batch cooking - this keeps us healthier and reduces spending by keeping us from getting takeout. On the menu this week was baked cod with lemon & dill, sauteed spinach with red peppers, onions, & mushrooms, kodiak chocolate chip muffins,
brown rice, chili & lime rubbed salmon and egg white muffins with turkey sausage & spinach.
2. We have finally seen some sunshine around here and my HVAC has been turned off - YAY!
3. My husband repurposed a cabinet in the garage and built two new tables to use for projects & some shelving to hang tools from in the garage.
4. Used $10 in store rewards when I bought dog food this week.
5. Added chicken broth to my freezer when I cooked a whole chicken last week - this will be added to soup later this week when cold temps return.
Cheers to the week ahead!
Nice find on the binders. They look pretty fancy. Those are one thing that people just never need to buy new but we usually do for some reason.
I use cloth napkins still but nice find on the napkin holder. I have one that holds letters and things like that.
1.) Doing a return of some items my wife got but didn't fit her properly. I'll do that on my lunch break.
2.) Packed lunches for my wife most of the week so she didn't have to get anything while out. She's not usually big on bringing her lunch but she was happy to save some cash.
3.) Working on using up what we have instead of buying more. We have a full freezer and fridge at the moment but my wife has been a "I don't know that I want *that* right now mood which can make this a challenge. Right now we have a ham thawing out in the fridge to make later this week.
4.) Bought nothing of significance last week. I guess that counts.
5.) Using my garage and sunporch as a fridge and/or freezer for things like sodas and what not. Now we're at least back up around 40.
Uh-oh, I wasn't prepared for this on Monday! Let's see if I can remember all that I did that was frugal.
1. Easy one - this Saturday was sunny, breezy and cool. I dried sooo much laundry on the line.
2. I have been looking for brown boots that aren't too tall for me, have a broad heel (like a loafer) and genuine leather uppers, since the fake leather chips and peels after a while. I found a pair that fit both my requirements and my feet in Goodwill, $12.99. They just needed a little polish.
3. The weather continues to vary wildly, but this week, we have 40's and 50's for nights and days in the 70's, so I turned off my heat. We had a notice that our electricity bills could go up by 30% to 50% soon. Ouch.
4. This is impossible to explain briefly: the way my backyard fence meets my back porch, which is 2-feet off the ground, means that my dogs in the fenced yard could just walk under the porch and porch steps to come out on the other side of the fence into the unfenced yard. I pointed that out to the fencers and they did a pretty slapdash job of nailing up wire fencing to cover the opening. They are the only fencers in town, sigh. I am removing that part of the fencing and blocking the opening differently. Instead of giving in to the strong temptation to hire someone, I crawled under the porch this weekend with concrete blocks and blocked off the opening that would have let the dogs out of the back yard. My house foundation is block, so this matches pretty well. I waited till winter to do this, since in warm weather I've seen a long black snake hanging out under there numerous times, and I knew there were multiple wasp nests under there, too. I'm sore, but I already had the blocks, so the job was free.
5. I cut up the sale material I bought for curtains and got one window's curtain finished last night. I'll get the other one this week, I expect. Each window will cost me about $4-$5.
@JD, you crawled under a porch that had, in the past, wasps and a snake? A SNAKE? You are the frugal queen this week. I would have sold the house and started over somewhere else.
@Anne,
Ha, ha!
Black snakes will bite if threatened, but they aren't aggressive or venomous. Instead of slithering slowly like a horror film snake, they take off frantically and a bit comically when they see people. Still, I don't ever want to come face to face with one while under a low structure, so I waited for winter.
@JD, I'd be much more frightened of the wasps than the snakes. But I'm glad you prudently waited for winter, when both groups are inactive.
@JD, I'm not afraid of snakes--it probably helps that Long Island has no snakes that are venomous, aggressive, etc--but I'm getting claustrophobia thinking about climbing under a house. We had a little snake in our backyard last summer who doubled in size, then disappeared, probably because my dogs enjoyed chasing it.
@JD, we had a big and beautiful blacksnake that lived in our side yard at our old house. We were always glad to see her patroling the garden because she took care of the rats that tried to get in.
@JD, I had a wonderful little black snake that lived in my front hedges got a very long time. He would pop his little head out of the bushes like a telescope and check out his surroundings. Most garden snakes don’t bother me, but rattle snakes frighten me.
@Bee,
Black snakes are actually kind of cute, aren't they?
A guy driving by my house killed an Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake that he saw as it came out of my yard and showed it to me in the back of his pickup - it went from end to end of his long bed pickup. I'm afraid of rattlers, too, so it took me days to walk normally out to my mailbox again.
@A. Marie,
Wasps do make me nervous. They are why I'm painting my porch in the winter. I'd rather be cold than stung.
@Anne, ME TOO!!!! I am moving right along with you!
1. I made ricotta for lasagna. The stuff without additives is ridiculously expensive, even at Walmart, so I made some with milk and vinegar. (It's technically not real ricotta because real ricotta is made from the leftover whey from making mozzarella; this is actually just farmer's cheese but CLOSE ENOUGH.) I also used frozen spinach (cheap!) and Mr. B made the red sauce.
2. I made a big French-style shredded carrot salad. It's easy, super cheap, keeps well in the fridge, and it allows us to very easily pop veggies on the table without having to cook.
3. Sourcing our daughter's clothes second-hand is not really possible right now, so instead I took the second-cheapest option: buy the minimal amount of items new at the cheapest price possible. Two sleepers and two onesies later, I think we'll be able to manage until we can hop back on the second-hand train.
4. Walked to work, packed my lunches, made tea in the kitchenette.
5. Cheap wellness activity for working moms: Go grocery shopping alone. Listen to whatever you want on the car radio. Be in blessed silence with your thoughts. Take an inefficient route through the grocery store. Ahhhh.
@Meira @meirathebear, how do you make ricotta? Someday I will be making mozz and want to make proper ricotta as well. Thanks.
@WilliamB, @Heather gave me these instructions, which I have yet to try (I've left off some of her notes):
1. Heat one gallon of milk with 2 tsp of salt until just under boiling.
2 Turn off heat and let sit a minute or so.
3. Add 3 tbsp. vinegar and stir (she said "white but any kind" so not exactly sure about this)
4. Let sit and cool.
5. Strain with cheese cloth or a fine mesh strainer.
6. Transfer to a container and use . Heather said she gets at least a week out of it and that it lasts longer than store bought.
@WilliamB, Well, I don't know how to make true ricotta, though I hear it's a similar process to making farmer's cheese/cottage cheese but just using mozzarella whey instead of fresh milk. The way I make farmer's cheese is this:
About 6 c whole milk (can also use a combination of lower fat milk with cream added)
4-5 tbsp white vinegar
Heat the milk in a pot until it's steaming with fine little bubbles around the edge of the pot. Add the vinegar and stir. Continue to heat the milk slowly, stirring, until you see the curds separate out, then drain through cheesecloth over a sieve. I often pour a cup of water over the cheese to rinse the whey, but it's not necessary. If I drained it too much, I just add more milk or cream in to loosen it.
What I have learned from experience is that temperature really matters! For a firm paneer, go ahead and boil the milk. The curds will separate quickly into large, firm curds and the whey will be totally yellow and translucent. For a softer ricotta, strain it when the largest curds are about the size of a penny and there are many fine small curds.
Apparently if you whip this cheese or run it through a food processor, it makes a great substitute for cream cheese.
@Meira @meirathebear, When my medium littles were truly little, walking alone through the grocery store in peace and listening to NPR or a podcast was truly my favorite sanity saver. Sadly, using the small square cart was such a treat back then. I still prefer not to shop with them (because I feel like I have to say no too often and they get me all distracted and then I forget things) but now at least I can say "hey, go grab this" and keep them occupied.
@WilliamB, the fattier the milk the better. I just use 2% and it works well. Note that you may use the leftover whey liquid for cooking or drinking too.
@Meira @meirathebear,
I use a similar process only with lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Add milk/cream (I just use 6c whole milk), and 1/4c lemon juice to pot; heat on med until 190F (88C) stirring occasionally; once at temp, shut off heat and let sit for 10 mins; set up to drain through cheese cloth 10 mins; add salt to taste
We hardly ever by store bought ricotta any more.
I've never introduced paper napkins in our home so my kids never missed something they didn't know existed ;D. I do have a napkin holder but that's for a pretty pile of cloth napkins- for drying hands to wrapping apples or even sandwiches.
An idea to save on your napkins - buy or make cloth ones. I switched to cloth maybe 10 years ago, and have never looked back. We love ours, and have a few different sets. We've had a few need to be "retired", & then they become cleaning rags. I've converted a few friends & family members to cloth as well. We do have paper on hand, mostly for things like teen parties.
1) I used a lot of rewards/offers over the past week. One for Safeway, one for CVS. I also noticed that Safeway added my birthday offer ($7 in free rewards), so I'll need to go back to use that. Unfortunately, they were out of the milk alternative I was trying to pick up yesterday (it was basically free between the Safeway offer and an iBotta offer, so I wasn't the only person who had that in mind.)
2) I needed to buy new soccer cleats for my teen. I picked up Nike gift cards the last time the grocery store had their $10 reward for a $50 purchase. Then I used Rakuten & the gift cards to purchase the cleats. Soccer cleats are super expensive, and the plays 10 months out of the year. We've tried a variety of options, and the middle range ones are the best tradeoff between cost & longevity. He definitely wears them until they fall apart.
3) I gave away a few things on Buy Nothing, and noticed a neighbor was giving away a box of our favorite samosas from Costco. Had DS16 pick those up on his way home. I almost bought them for the Super Bowl, but I'm now happy that I didn't - money saved!
4) We meal planned, ate leftovers, had creative lunches, and I made another batch of protein bars for DS16.
5) My teen accepted a box of bakery leftovers, at closing time of the store.
@Hawaii Planner, I'm another member of the cloth napkin/cloth rag club. (I can't remember the last time I bought paper napkins, and I go through 1 roll of paper towels about every 3 months.) But Kristen's pretty holder would work fine with a small set of cloth napkins, such as my everyday ones.
1. Stopped for gas as I passed it on my way back into town
2. Skipped take-out this weekend and had easy freezer convenience food purchased on sale instead
3. Continued to exercise using inexpensive streaming service
4. Packed lunch every day for work
5. All the snacks I took for weekly happy hour were BOGO
Precut fabric fat quarters are the perfect size for big, lovely cloth napkins. All they need is a quic hem and the last for years.
My Frugal Five:
1. Took up a pair of thifted slacks and ran new elastic in the waist. This cured the saggy-baggy pants problem and was easy once I puzzled it out.
2. Repaired another rip in my husband's suede house slippers.
3. Spent about 30 percent less on pet food and cat litter on our monthly stock up because we have figured out what to buy and where to buy it.
4. Homemade lentil soup for the win! Cheap, filling, nutritious!
5. Have extended the no-silly spending January through February, with a strict grocery budget.
Happy Monday! Sunshine and warmer temps make it happier for me 🙂
1. Received my 4 free Covid tests in the mail thanks to the link in this blog.
2. Varied up our usual grocery routine by making a stop at a Latino grocery store for dried hot peppers, tortillas, cheese, sausage and other goodies. We had the yummiest homemade chili as a result.
3. After the Latino Market, visited our local Lidl for the first time in ages. Was happy to note the lower grocery bill.
4. Took one of my kids on an outing for a hair cut and clothes shopping, one-on-one time being rare with twins. Refrained from buying anything for my own wardrobe despite being tempted. Mended a rip in my other twin's favorite pants, but I am trying to schedule time to take him clothes shopping solo as well (and to cut his hair, the twins are loathing having the same hair cut as they are identical, which is very tricky and leading to long shaggy hair).
5. My older son organized his sock drawer and put away several novelty socks and some other pairs he hardly wears. Since they are very gently used, I washed them and gave them to my younger sons with quickly growing feet.
My own Buy Nothing group hasn't been very active since it split up into smaller geographic areas last year. I hope it will start picking up again. Have tried to do my part by donating several nice items.
The free covid tests through insurance are 8 per month per person. And that is apparently stopping in early May.
Oof, better get them filled before then!
@Kathy, I read that too. My goal is to stock up for February, March, April and maybe May.
1. I got thrown out of my Buy Nothing/Freecycle group. I try to behave myself, but it's hard when other people think "Interested" means "I want that," because apparently it's "grabby" to say "I want that" in a group dedicated to giving away stuff for free. Once again, I fail to fit in with other humans. Your loss, earthlings. And yes, the person who said 'Interested" first did not get my giveaway air fryer.
2. Drove my son to his friend's house 2 hours away on their way to the airport. There is no train at a reasonable hour of day. Very shaky but a large cup of coffee helped.
3. Talked my current renter into allowing me to keep the large-ish storage shed he erected on my property when he moves out.
4. Did my taxes myself as always, while half out of my mind with brain fog. Kind of entertaining, really. At least my ex paid off HIS $25,000 tax debt so I will finally get a refund for the first time in 7 years.
5. as usual, read online library books.
@Rose, they THREW YOU OUT?? That sounds a bit over-reactive. Good grief, people, calm down. That sort of impulsive rudeness is exactly why I am not on FB. (If there was a Buy Nothing group in my little town, I might be tempted.)
@Central Calif. Artist, I know, isn't it ridiculous? Instead I just now drop things off at the local church for its well attended rummage sales. They have a little unlocked shed you can drop stuff in. Last time I gave them a large quantity of nice old prints of this tourist town. (I have too many pictures--artwork, vintage posters, prints, some stained glass cartoons of angels (I should really donate those too to the church, but the're Pre-Raphaelite and I like them.) everything I own is nice enough to sell, but I'd rather give things away and make everyone happy than sell them. so un-frugal.
@Rose, if ever you need a home for those PRB angel cartoons, let me know! Seeing a small reproduction of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s “Proserpine” (the seventh version, in the Tate) in Smithsonian magazine as a young teen was my gateway drug to Pre-Raphaelite art, to say nothing of the artists’ dramatic social lives.
@Rose, I was accidentally given 2 dozen Talenti containers. ( long story) This was something I knew that I would not ever use. However, I heard crafters loved these for storage. They are even sold on eBay. I offered them on BN and added a link showing how to take the labels off.
My post was taken down, and I received a note from the administrator that I had violated the rules. Evidently they considered my link a referral. They felt that I was steering people to this crafting blog on purpose. Really? I was just trying to be helpful.
It did dampen my enthusiasm.
GEEZ. The admins of my Buy Nothing group are much more chill.
aren't they lovely? If you're ever in Delaware, the art museum has an incredible collection of PRA. I took my daughter there (her request) for her 14th birthday, where I snapped a pic of her in front of the Rossetti of Lady Lilith. Exactly the same long curly red hair. (I want to say that was Alexa Wilding as the model, but too lazy to look it up.)
@Bee, what a bummer! I wonder if they have to be that strict to keep people from adding links to their own blogs/sites in a self-promotion sort of way. Talenti jars are LOVELY! We save all of ours for so many uses.
@Rose,
A friend of mine got kicked out of her Buy Nothing Group for not "offering items in the spirit of the group" whatever that means. She was downsizing and moving to a new state. She was offering up a ton of stuff on her BN instead of throwing it away (which she would probably normally do instead of donating it somewhere.)
@Rose, as one who adores church rummage sales (bake sales, craft sales, white elephant sales, etc.), thank you for donating!
1. My favorite jeans have been discontinued (WHY? I've only been wearing the style 20 years!) so I ordered a new style from LLBean. Using a return credit, LLBean points, and free shipping, they came to $20. Sure hope they fit. . .
2. I crawled around on the bank above our house with a handsaw and took down 6 small oaks. I dragged the brush to my neighbor, who cuts it up because he doesn't want us to have a burn pile. Was this frugal? Well, I didn't pay anyone or bug Husband about doing it, so that's worth something.
3. Got a great stack of library books, all proud of myself for not buying books that the library doesn't have.
4. Made a creative dinner using Chinese noodles a friend gave us, a chicken breast I found in the freezer, the butt ends of some broccoli, and a packet of seasoning salvaged from my mom's pantry when she moved. Husband liked it (but I told him it probably cannot be recreated because I never buy those seasoning packets).
5. Saved the container from a Costco rotisserie chicken (from another neighbor) and will use it to start some basil seeds (from yet another neighbor, free because almost expired at her hardware store job). So far nothing has sprouted, but maybe these seeds will be the cooperative and obedient ones.
P.S. I have WONDERFUL neighbors!
Pulled out the sewing machine and all the mending and finished off everything. Made a gig bag for the mando out of some extra fabric. Made some gluten free ravioli with red sauce and Italian sausage. I have missed you ravioli. Changed the oil and put a new cabin air filter in car. Thanks YouTube. Made almond butter and banana sandwiches for lunches. Thank you elvis.
-The county road crew cut up a couple of "leaner trees" Leaning out over the road and I picked up the logs and brush, cut up the wood and threw the limbs on the fire pile in the back pasture. 1 cord of wood later, a morning well spent.
- Answered an offerup ad for coffee roaster burlap bags, we use them on our ocean fishing boat to secure the fish when we catch them. I bartered with her bags & coffee for fish after we tasted her coffee. Win!
I signed up for being a tester for the local university heirloom seeds program. I received pea seed to plant next week.
I picked up a trailer load of wood shavings from the carpenter neighbor to place around my blueberry plants and in the walkways of the raised beds in the garden plot. Win for him and I will always take them from now on. Win for us!
FTT-
1. Used .60 in fuel points to offset the gas price on both cars.
2. Took some extra time to load digital coupons for 3 stores I shop at on a semi-regular basis. Usually I’m behind the 8-ball on this.
3. Remembered to scan my Target bar code to get points off my next purchase.
4. Went to the Dollar and a Quarter Tree to purchase my husband’s shower wash. Found my favorite Palmer’s lip balm so I stocked up on that too.
5. Trying my best not to waste food. Planning to deep clean the fridge though, & that means finding at least 1 back-of-the-fridge lurker.
1. Saw that the brand of feminine hygiene that I like was on sale for a price that I haven't seen in at least 3 years. Bought up to the limit amount and stocked up.
2. Stacked coupons to get "the good toothpaste" for $2 a tube. It seems like that never happens anymore. I use an electric toothbrush to it takes me months to go through a tube. So these two tubes should last me through the summer at least.
3. Received my refund check for the contact lenses I purchased on 12/31 to take advantage of my vision insurance.
4. It's been a hectic period but realized that I think we've only bought lunch for the kids at school maybe once this entire school year. It's effortful some mornings but I think it adds up.
5. DH has been out of town for a few days so I'm the only one working from home for about a week. Using the space heater near my desk instead of the house heaters. Usually he's downstairs and I'm upstairs so he'll run it down there to stay warm. I like the intensity that the space heater brings to my feet.
@CrunchyCake, we switched to having the kids pack their lunches the night before. It does add an extra five minutes to clean-up, but definitely reduces stress in the AM. It also helps move left-overs out the door.
Well, I'm sitting here eating a Very Frugal Soup at work, so I suppose I can just list why it's frugal (other than just being soup, which is usually pretty frugal in and of itself.
--One pound ground beef, which, because we buy a whole cow at a time, is $4 a pound. As is all our beef.
--A bag of shredded, frozen calabacita (I grow this instead of zucchini)
--The last of a pureed winter squash that was hanging in the refrigerator
--A can of excess commodities green beans. I will not eat these alone, but they're fine in soup.
--A jar of concentrated stock made from our neighbor's mean roosters.
--A bag of sliced, frozen cabbage from the garden. I don't remember freezing plain cabbage last year, so it's probable this was two years old.
--A jar of roasted, pureed tomatoes from the garden.
--Excess commodities carrots.
--Some very sad celery.
This made a huge (and delicious) pot of soup. I froze about half of it. The rest of it will stay in the refrigerator to be my work lunches and a fill-in as needed for dinners.
@kristin@goingcountry, I get the impression that you're enjoying making stock much more since the mean roosters entered the picture. (Me, I can think of a lot of mean people I'd enjoy making stock with, but I'd get busted for cannibalism. Besides, I don't have a big enough kettle!)
@A. Marie, Lol!
@A. Marie, Actually, the most enjoyable stock to make is from our OWN mean roosters. The one who used to chase my small children every time they went to feed the chickens, and then eventually spurred my toddler daughter, tasted particularly good. 🙂
@kristin@goingcountry,
Ruby Thewes “ I despise a flogging rooster….let’s put him in a pot”
I paid $10 for a used tool instead of paying $30 for a new tool.
I bought a used picture frame for $5. (a similar frame would be $60-$100 new.)
We are toughing out the cold as much as possible rather than turning on our gas furnace.
I composted fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. Hopefully the compost will be ready when I need to plant my new succulents . . .
I attempted to propagate my succulents.
Those are nice binders!! I love fun school supplies.
My FFT:
1. I made apple chips, yogurt, and (to use up some old bananas) chocolate chip banana muffins from scratch.
2. I bought a piñata from Hobby Lobby instead of Party City. Two of our piñatas were from Party City last year and, though they matched the party theme, they were so expensive. My oldest turns 9 this week and she found a piñata at Hobby Lobby that she really liked. It was only $10.99! I remember purchasing some from them for $12.99 in the past, so I was extra happy that they lowered the price.
3. I tried a new meat. Our local meat store had a 3-lb pack of chorizo for $3.99. I used half of it to make tacos over the weekend and that was pretty inexpensive for feeding my family of five!
4. I tailored my Meijer trip around mPerks coupons and Ibotta rebates and am pleased with what I got for what I spent. I also picked up a few Flashfood orders including two produce boxes. I got a LOT of produce for $10!
5. I had a well visit this morning, which is covered at 100% by insurance. In the past, I've only done bloodwork every few years (after getting stuck with a $300 bill the first time!) but they told me today that it should be covered at 100% based on the way it's coded. I think it ended up being covered last year, which really surprised me, but now that I know that's how it's supposed to be I am willing to get it done annually.
What I love about the napkin holder is it's Art Deco design.
Yes! I'm pretty sure Sonia would steal if from me if she could. Ha.
It looks a bit like the front of an old radio, or a wall design in someplace like a theatre. Maybe even the grill of a big vintage car. Classy!
not to be that person, I think it's 50s/60s deco inspired, not actual 20s/30s.
I'm always that person. I can't help it.
Ooh-- Juke box style!
Quick question. Have you or a reader sold on Poshmark?
Good experience? Better than eBay?
Thanks in advance.
I have never tried eBay but if I had clothes to sell, I would likely try Poshmark. You have better access to people who are looking specifically for clothing there!
@LaNell from Texas,
My hairdresser's wife does fabulously on Poshmark. She sells well and scores wonderful clothing for both of them at super low prices. I’m tempted.
@LaNell from Texas, I have bought a lot of great used AND brand new items off Poshmark. I have only paid regular price shipping a few times & been buying for 3- 4 tears now. I recommend that you like (heart) what you want saved to your wish list. If multiple from same seller & bundle then leave or make offer. I have asked for discount on message on listing also. Gotten some great deals and some nice gifts. Sometime I buy asking price because great price & just listed and don't want to loose product waiting--which has happened more than once.
*We wanted to do a picnic lunch yesterday with the beautiful weather, but picking up food to eat is expensive, so we made Mac and cheese and hotdogs and took it with us to the park along with baby carrots and apple slices.
*MrA. fixed a vacuum for some friends. That was frugal for them and we were glad to help.
*Met up for a ladies brunch at said friend's house. Used up some bread tailings with French toast casserole. Cheaper than all of us eating out.
*Walked my kids to school every day. I estimate we save over $100/yr by walking our short commute.
*Used a free coffee drink coupon sent in the mail to treat myself on a busy day.
1. I have a mammogram this Wednesday that's 100% covered by insurance, but the Ultrasound isn't. I have a high deductible, so to self pay (which I asked about) will be $160. which is much cheaper than the $656 I would have to pay if they use my insurance for this part.
2. I planted some lettuce seeds that are starting to sprout.
3. I've been harvesting tomatoes from my tomato plants.
4. I ordered a used copy of the Tightwad Gazette compilation and I've enjoyed reading some of the ideas in there. Even though some are very outdated, it's still fun to read.
5. I'm also reading some library books on the Libby app.
I have begun a very slow spring cleaning, trying to dig in every nook and cranny and purge along the way. Today, I did both bathroom sinks/cabinets and was able to get rid of quite a bit of stuff, plus I found some things I'd forgotten I had.
I've been using apps (coupons, ibotta, fetch) to pick up quite a few free products at Walgreens. It takes a little effort, but I love the thrill of the hunt and getting products that I need for free or very little OOP.
I mended the arm holes of the lining to my wool coat. I should have done it earlier (a stitch in time saves nine), but at least it's done now.
We went to a thank you dinner for the camp where I volunteer every summer (it was supposed to be a Christmas party, but was rescheduled because of weather) and not only did they provide a free meal, they also gave us a very nice plush blanket as a gift. It's nice to be appreciated.
I colored my hair at home!
I just wanted to let you know that you can order free covid tests through the postal service. Here's the link! https://special.usps.com/testkits
I like the napkin holder!
1. I picked up a nearly near pair of Nike sneakers off Buy Nothing. I have been needing new sneakers, so this worked out great.
2. My daughter has pink eye. Her doctor prescribed the medication over the phone without an appointment, saving me the time off of work and also the co-pay. I was able to pick up the medication at my work's pharmacy, so the co-pay was only $10.
3. I used frozen pureed pumpkin, from our Halloween pumpkins, to make pumpkin bread. It should feed my kids breakfast all week.
4. My daughter's daycare gave us more whole wheat bread.
5. Our seeds for our vegetable garden have been ordered. A few more weeks and we will be starting our seedlings. I so look forward to that time of the year.
1) I have a couple of gift-giving events this month. I strategized buying a couple things on amazon and combined those with things I made and sweet notes, and I think I got a lot of bang for my buck.
2) I really didn't want to go but went grocery shopping anyway last night. That meant I was able to take all my food with me on my commute (saving me from getting takeout at work), and I have greatly decreased the changes of my family getting takeout while I am out of town a couple days.
3) We made sandwiches for dinner last night instead of our usual takeout night.
4) I am daily checking the Amtrak website to snag cheap tickets for my commute when they available. I can't figure out the algorithm. It doesn't seem to be based on how full the train is or how far out the trip is. My same train commute will some days be $32 and some days $120. I have found that I can get most of my trips for $32 if I just check it every day.
5) I resisted the urge to buy a book. (Books are my weakness!) I am strategizing our travel plans for the rest of the year to get deals and use points. (We haven't been able to really travel since before the pandemic, so I am so excited about this!) My husband and I talked through some employee compensation decisions today that will be fair to employees but not break the bank for us. I am drinking Aldi tea right now.
@Amanda, I read on google (I think) earlier about Amtrak pass? for year. Maybe try search or advertisement. Not sure if location specific but had seen recently.
1. I made almost all of our meals at home. Except we had company and ordered pizza, so that was fun. We ate up leftovers and avoided food waste.
2. I mended my child's pants. I cut up old pants for another project.
3. I fixed a piece of furniture.
4. I think I figured out for sure why the washing machine was leaking and fixed it.
5. We borrowed a movie from the library and a bunch of books. The youngest couldn't watch the movie, so I took him to a free museum while the older kids watched the movie.
6. One child created a Valentine's box using only recycled materials. It looks like a location from a favorite book.
7. Past me raked the roof and we haven't had a single leak. Other people are finding out they have ice dams on their roofs this week. We also shoveled around the foundation of the house and haven't had water in the basement during this partial thaw. Yay past us!
Our kitchen sink started POURING water from the pipes below and rather than call a plumber, my husband and I did research online and purchased an $8 part! Now-- we are n the middle of the repair so I cannot claim victory yet but we are trying. AND after Kristen's adventures with the washer/dryer (years ago) we were emboldened to repair our 70s era laundry appliances on our own which has kept both going for a long time .
I made an apron and set of 2 potholders from material that was stashed (garage sale find) and old terry cloth tea towels that we almost beyond being rags. Haven't sewed in ages so it was nice to get back into it.
Have joined a Facebook Frugal group. They have a challenge each month to make it a "no-spend" beyond the regular household bills (electricity, gas for vehicle, etc.) I set my weekly spend for milk/produce at $25. What I really like is there is a one page calendar that can be printed that has a circle for each day, with a crossed out dollar sign. The idea is to colour in the circle with green/red for whether you've met the challenge. The visual on the fridge works for me. Only have 1 red circle so far - the day I bought a replacement palm sander.
There is a rafter/house building place near me that puts out big wooden boxes of scrap lumber and plywood pieces - free for the taking. Every trip into town I drive by and have a snoop. The small 2x4 bits I use for firewood in my cookstove. The bigger pieces - 2x8 and up that are more than 24" long I'm sanding and staining to be used as shelves in an upcoming home library project. So far 25 boards for shelves, sanded and stained. 3 old palm sanders killed. They were garage sale finds and none of them lasted long. So bit the bullet and bought a brand new one. I had a DeWalt brand sander in my basket, but stopped and asked 2 of the fellows in that work in that dept. at the store what they'd recommend. Surprisingly it was not the DeWalt, but a less expensive Milwaukee brand. Still $89 was an ouch.
Trying to make meals from what is stored and on hand. A pot of corn chowder is simmering right now.
Ugh...I feel I have not been that frugal this week, but then again I...
1. Rescued some overly salty leftovers by adding water and taking soup to work. Expected to be "taking one for the team" here, but was delighted to discover it made a delicious soup that I am looking forward to eating again tomorrow.
2. Waited another week before doing laundry. This is mostly because I am lazy, but rewearing pants multiple times is also frugal.
3. Did spend A LOT on food this past week, but did not buy any tempting non-food items from Aldi's random crap aisle.
4. Squeezed a toothpaste tube beyond the point that any sane person would (and will eventually cut the tube open too!), used water to get the last of the conditioner, and regularly used a spatula to get the last of food items like sour cream and salsa.
5. Moved stored pumpkins and butternut squash off the back porch and into a more insulated part of the house before a very cold snap that might have turned them to slush.
Oh, and a bonus: strongly suggested the teen reconsider a pint of organic strawberries at the local health food store that were "sale" priced at 11.75!
@Becca, I use a large dowel or rolling pin on my tubes of oil paint to get every last drop out, and started doing it to toothpaste tubes too. It is fun to see how far past "empty" that I can go. (Yes, I know, get a real life. . .)
@Central Calif. Artist,
It's the frugal life, baby! 😉
1) I cut my husband's hair
2) He cut my hair
3) I used some Sam's Club bucks to buy eggs
4) I was able to eat a $3 lunch using coupons when I went to the city for an app.
5) I bought a CD (certificate of deposit) to earn some interest on some money that's been earning none.
Dang, I should have written things down.
1. I lost a good amount of weight last summer (alas, have put half back on, so back into healthy mindset I go), and last fall had bought 2 knit dresses with 3/4 length sleeves and longer flowy skirt that I absolutely love to wear. I've been wanting more in different colors, but didn't buy any, and then bingo: yesterday they were marked down, I guess getting close to end of season, and there was a lightening sale which knocked off another $5 or so. Each dress only cost me $26 which is great for a plus size! They are versatile enough I can add vest, or sweater, boots and tights, or flats and they are wearable fall through spring.
2. Hubby's disabilities and health issues can present challenges at times. My daughter got him a couple of Untuckit shirts for Christmas, and he loved having some shirts he didn't have to tuck in and wouldn't look sloppy. Yesterday I got a notice of a Kohl's $10 reward from some Christmas purchases. (I rarely shop there, but they had some great gift items in Dec.) Checked their online clearance sales and found a different brand of untucked flannel shirts marked way down, and then with the extra $10 off--score!
3. Granddaughter's birthday was today, so we celebrated yesterday. (8 years old) Christmas 2021 she got sooo much stuff from friends and her mom, I realized that, even though we are her only grandparents, we probably bought too much. Made a concerted effort to buy less, and still ended up putting one purchase back in the closet. Brought it out for her birthday, added the new in box Lego dinosaur building kit from my Trusty Community Gifting Group, and all I bought else were 2 more small items. No major expenditures so soon after Christmas!
4 Saved a bunch shopping at Aldi's last week (hadn't been back there in months, but you guys inspired me). Some things they didn't have, so hit my more local grocery store today and found:
12-pack cans of CF Diet Coke 3/$12 for the hubs. Normally $7.99 each WHEN I can find the cans. I only buy the plastic bottles if I absolutely have to.
His favorite salty/sweet food bars on sale 2/$4 (another bargain).
Found a jug of distilled water--only 3 on the shelf! The shortage is a real thing, folks. Google it. I have to have it for my CPAP machine, so when I get down to half a jug and no spares in the cabinet, I get panicky.
5. Frugal fail (for now): Last week I bit the bullet and bought a distiller to make my own at home. It was marked down on Amazon, thank goodness. A gallon of distilled water is about $2 here so it will be a while before it pays for itself. But considering last week I drove to 4 stores in a 15 mile trip and didn't find any, I will probably save more in gas than I can figure.
6. Possible frugal reprieve--So I had my now empty jug of distilled water and found one at the grocery store today. Great, 2 jugs, and it takes 4 hours to make a batch at home (I think it's 2 quarts), so the gallon will take 8 hours to make. I can alternate jugs. I go to my Trusty Community Gifting Group and behold: someone is offering 8 clean, empty, gallon water jugs! I wanted 4, she brought me 6 because she still has 3 or 4 more at home, and now I will be able to offer homemade distilled water to others in my group who may be facing the same shortage.
* Bought what I thought were counter height stools on Marketplace for 80$. Turns out they were too high (bar stools). Put them back on Marketplace for 10$ more what I paid (for wiggle room) and sold them at that price
* Bought a pair of 25 pounds dumbells on Marketplace for 30$. Haven't seen a price this cheap since... forever?
* A member of my BN group offered to lend me a piece of equipment (foam roller) needed for DD physical therapy, saving me about 25$.
* Keep doing price matchs and buying on sale at the grocery store. And using Flashfood. And using my credit card points for free grocery.
* Got 16 pounds of oranges for 10$, a screaming deal where I live
I always think it's the funny little things -- like napkin holders -- that actually can make the most difference in the function of our daily life. And so often, they're the things we never really think to buy! I wish there was a good buy nothing group down where I am, but I'm pretty rural. People do still post some things for free, but they're usually snatched up pretty quick. Maybe I should look into starting one?
Anyway, here's my list for the week:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/07/weekly-frugal-wins-grocery-clearance-decluttering/
@Torrie @ To Love and To Learn, You don't even have to make it an official BN group. Just start a gifting group in your own location, name it, decide your boundary lines (how far are people willing to travel for something?),
your own rules and there you go. FB makes it easy to start a group. Grab a friend or 2 to help you run the group, because...Life... and to consult for any issues that come up. DM me or email me if you want more info.
My teen daughter won a concerto competition she entered on her viola. The prize she “won” was the opportunity to be a soloist with the university orchestra—an opportunity very rare for a young person. Normally, only someone in grad school for music gets a chance like this. Her concert was this past Sunday. She wore a lovely navy blue formal dress that we found several years ago at a thrift store for $7.50. I bought it thinking she may never have an opportunity to wear it (we homeschool, so no prom event) but I thought it wouldn’t be the worst thing if that happened at the price. I am SO thankful that I was prompted to purchase that dress when I saw it, because we looked around just for fun after she knew she was a winner (they choose six winners to solo) and dresses appropriate for what she needed are $200-$400!!! And she looked lovely!
Her dad and I wanted to give her flowers after her solo, and I went earlier in the week to check out prices. I was quite dismayed to find the bouquet of roses that normally sell for $10.99 had already increased to $19.99, and an employee told me that in two days they would be increasing again to $26.99! All because of Valentine’s Day! This was on January 30 that I was looking, and since they are fresh flowers I couldn’t purchase super far in advance. I ended up talking with the store manager, and explaining why it was I wanted the flowers and I asked if the prices were raised because their costs were up as well. He confirmed that their suppliers really raise the prices on them, so they have no choice but to pass the cost onto the customers if they are going to stock the flowers in store that customers want this time of year. He then went on to say that he was going to gift our daughter a dozen red roses for the concert, and that he wished he could do that for every student but he could at least do it for one! I had not expected that at all, but was very grateful and thanked him profusely! I was so happy for our daughter, as she has worked literally a year and a half on learning well the concerto she entered and won with. There were many hoops to go through—submitting a professional recording, then if you were chosen to be a finalist doing a live audition before the judges. She has paid for all the expenses herself, the cost for the recording as well as twice hiring a professional pianist to accompany her for the judging. If anyone wants to hear a fantastic concert, it was actually recorded and is posted on the university website here: https://www.southern.edu/events/concerts.html?__hstc=57918837.28672951d504203ef2f3489740c29cfd.1631629261786.1649705643291.1649772788914.164&__hssc=57918837.77.1649772788914&__hsfp=1458773878
You will need to click on “Concerto Concert, Symphony Orchestra” that is on the right hand side. That will take you to the concert page where our daughter’s picture is the thumbnail. The orchestra plays a piece first without any soloist, then there is a piano soloist, our daughter on viola, two violin solos, a tuba, and another piano soloist. It was a lovely, lovely concert!
@Susan M., it's a long concert, but I found the spot where your daughter enters, I think--sleeveless navy blue floor-length gown? She enters at 30:15. Beautiful girl with a LOVELY smile! Saw a hint of dimples there. I loved watching her face as she played. You can tell she was playing from the heart. It was gorgeous!
@Susan M., AWWWW all of this is wonderful and I just watched your daughter play (thanks @Stephanie D!!) a few tears happening here. She was so poised and PRESENT to the music and the experience. Brilliant.
@Stephanie D, Yes, that’s her! Thanks for getting the time her solo begins—I hadn’t had a chance to figure that out yet, and now I can tell my family that live far away and need to catch it on the recording.
@Ecoteri, Thank you! She told me she was a bit nervous at the start, but then was able to relax and just really ENJOY playing!
@Susan M., Your daughter plays beautifully, you have every reason to be proud!
@Nancy, Thank you! She has worked SO hard! She is a role model to me, and is now teaching me how to play both the violin and the viola. I am a super beginner, so trust me, I sound NOTHING like she does!
Later as everyone else, we don't get your FFF feed until later in day but at least I read & add mine anyway.
Used my free postable card reward from Tmobile Tuesdays app to send family in Florida free picture postcard for Valentine's day.
Using my free puzzle (I pay $8.99 shipping) from Tmobile Tuesday app that I get to upload picture that is made into puzzle & shipped for gift.
Used fuel rewards & met monthly goal for fill ups so recieved additionalb25 cents off this week fill up in addition to regular 10 cents off gallon up to 20 gallons.
Used Tmobile tuesdays reward to get $3 little ceasers half pizza half cheese bread for take out this week. Wasn't that bad & cheap price (normally $7.99)
Went to Sam's club & picked up only needed items on sale (except wheat thins out of & is my lunch item) saving additional money using scan & go. My reward points from credit card were not posted yet because billing cycle just ended so will have extra money off next trip. I have been trying to carefully calculate best choice for getting most rewards since bonus for first year on certain categories. 5% on gas (any station), 3% restaurant/take out (which has not been much plus takeout except pizza has been crappy) and 1% on everything else. It helps to stack those rewards on top of other discounts, which help keep costs down.
Ordered 4 free covid tests for myself & other familys who do not do internet but will use.
A few frugal things I did this week:
- Filled up my gas tank using $1/off fuel reward points.
- Fixed a pair of pants
- Reprogrammed the programmable thermostat to slightly lower temps
- Found a giftcard one of my kids recently won at an event and wrapped it up with candy for their friend's birthday party
- Made a 2 week meal plan with mostly food already in our house
- Then shopped at Aldi and purposely did not go through the "fun aisle" to avoid temptations
- A friend gifted me a Kindle so I am checking out all the free books available