1. I got a free Pyrex container
Someone on my Buy Nothing group listed a Pyrex container so I said, yes please! I love the rectangular ones, especially this size. They’re perfect for meal prepping, and now I will have three.
That’s ideal because the max number of days I work in a row is three.
The lid has a crack in it, but I don’t care.
I’m slowly replacing all my lids with the silicone variety anyway; I use them until the crack is too big, and then I buy a silicone one to use.
2. I paid my spring 2025 tuition by echeck
If I pay by credit card, there’s an associated fee.
And we know I DO NOT LIKE FEES. 😉
Sooo, I paid my bill with my checking account. There’s no sense in making my tuition more than it needs to be!
3. I submitted my tuition for reimbursement through my hospital
They reimburse at the start of the semester, and then you just have to submit your grades to seal the deal.
Hmm…I actually don’t know what happens if you fail a class. Maybe they deduct the previously-disbursed funds from your next paycheck?
I do not ever plan to find out because I dearly hope to get all the way to my bachelor’s without ever having to repeat a class.
Anyway, I submitted my current grades to seal the deal for the Fall 2025 semester. And then I submitted my bills for the Spring 2026 semester.
4. I got my $900 bank bonus
Several months ago, I did Chase’s checking + savings bonus offer.
(Not an affiliate link of mine; just a link to the page where I found the offer.)
It was a pretty big headache and I almost didn’t make the deposit deadline because of some issues with my married name and maiden name.
But I persevered and got it taken care of, and as of last week, I have my extra $900!
This bank does not offer $900 bonuses. But it is cute.
In case you want to do this offer, you should know that it requires you to have $15,000 in the savings account. But, this worked out nicely because I have money saved up for my future Civic purchase, and it was just sitting in my bank account.
Sooo, I made it work extra hard for me and it grew by $900. Yay!
I realize I will have to pay taxes on it, of course, but still, that’s a pretty nice payoff for opening an account. And now my Civic fund is a little fatter. 😉
5. I emptied my lotion into a container
My pump bottle of Cerave lotion was getting to the very bottom, so I turned it upside down and let it empty into a little container.
This way, I can use every last bit.
Also frugal: my dermatologist recommended this for dry spots on my face, and as skincare products go, this one is very inexpensive. And it works great!
Price Chopper Shopper
Wednesday 17th of December 2025
Kristen, I thrifted the very same Pyrex container !, and then I bought the silicone lid(s) for it because it did not come with one. Based on your recommendation, I too am replacing the plastic lids with silicone as they wear out.
mkmitch
Wednesday 17th of December 2025
I just got back from a trip to NYC with my husband, which certainly cost money, but I think I actually succeeded in making it a frugal win of a trip: 1 - Paired it with a business trip on his part so that his flights were covered. 2 - Used credit card points to book both our hotel in Midtown Manhattan and tickets to the Rockettes show for free! 3 - I took the subway + bus to and from the airport for $5.80 total vs taking Uber for $140+ round trip. It was great on the way into the city, much more crowded and I stood with my carryon luggage backpack the entire way to the airport ... but I consoled myself and my tired feet with knowing how much money I was saving, ha! 4 - My lunch one way was a hot dog at a cart for $5 in Central Park - overpriced hot dog, but cheap lunch and totally checked an "iconic NYC experience" box for me. 5 - We thought it could be fun to ice skate at Rockefeller Center but looked up prices, $90/person at the cheapest!! We decided it wasn't worth that to us, so we didn't book it ... and then we were so cold anyway that we felt fine not being on ice skates!
Lindsey
Tuesday 16th of December 2025
Chase offer not applicable in Alaska. That is very common. And forget about free shipping in most cases (but not Amazon. They give Prime shipping to even our remotest villages, and I mean the ones reachable only twice a week by plane or copter...)
Frugalities: 1. Neighbor on one side left for vacation and we are watching their giant dog. Since we already have a 185 pound Dane and a 87 pound lab and something big mix, we thought, "how hard can it be to bring in another dog for a week?" Pretty hard as it turns out. But the guy usually snow blows our driveway when he does his, so I consider it frugal to help in the areas we can knowing we will reap what we sow. 2. They left 6 dozen eggs for us because they have been unable to keep up with how fast their chickens are laying eggs. We already had 2 dozen, so we are freezing some, passing some on, and eating egg-centric meals for the next few weeks. 3. Neighbor on other side found a Harry & David box of pears on her porch. At 41 below, they were quite frozen by the time she saw them. She told me she was throwing them out. I took them in and am in the process of making pear jam with them. 4. It has warmed up to 21 below as I write this but we are still pouring through the heating oil. They delivered 188 gallons today, for $706.12. If I pay today, I pay only 700.12, so I did. Six dollars is six dollars! 5. Mailed off a book I sold through a USPS mystery shop.
Kimberly
Tuesday 16th of December 2025
Thank you for all these ideas, Kristen and everyone!
Can someone answer this for me, please?:
I really want to start using the Buy Nothing group in my area--I have a lot to give and would like to ask for some things.
However, as a woman living alone, the safety issue has stopped me so far. I don't want to give strangers my address!
How do some of you handle that? Thank you in advance.
Denise
Wednesday 17th of December 2025
@Kimberly, You could offer to drop off the items or meet up in a public place.
JD
Wednesday 17th of December 2025
@Kimberly, Sorry for a late reply. I hope you get to see this. I don't have a buy nothing group, but I used to use Freecycle some. I would only meet in the daylight hours at a very public place, such as the parking lot of a busy grocery store. I know some people use police stations as their meeting spot. I never met anyone at my house or theirs. If it is possible to get a friend or co-worker to come along, I'd recommend that, too.
Hawaii Planner
Tuesday 16th of December 2025
1) Drove the electric car to & from the office, to avoid paying for gas. 2) Both teens are working at the restaurant (DS19 took over for DS18 when he left for college, but now both are in town) & getting some hours, thanks to holiday parties & the like. 3) Made a big batch of chicken noodle soup & a double batch of chicken shawarma this weekend. The soup also used up some extra noodles, and the chicken shawarma made a great dinner for four + leftovers. 4) Did not want to commute in this week (very early starts thanks to London calls), but made it happen as the boss is visiting. Took advantage of free lunches, bananas & fizzy water, so at least there was that. And, a delicious free dinner out last night, although would have preferred leftovers at home. The company was nice, but I hate driving at night. 5) went on a free hike this weekend. We live next door to a nature preserve, and I try to remind myself how fabulous it is to be able to walk into the preserve from our house. I saw coyotes, lots of deer & wild turkey, and a bunch of birds. It was, as always, so lovely!