1. I bought a camera lens at a discount
I got my 50mm 1.4 lens in 2011, and I’ve used it probably 5/7 days a week ever since, for blog photos. I have definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it!
This lens is a little bit prone to focusing problems, and mine has really been getting worse and worse in the last few weeks.
I looked into repair, but that was estimated to cost $179. Which does not make a lot of sense on a $350 lens that’s 9 years old.
On the Canon repair page, though, they had a little blurb about an upgrade program. So I called, and they offered me a brand new 50mm 1.4 lens for $297, which is only slightly more than the refurbished price on Amazon.
Considering that’s only $120 more than the cost of the repair, I decided to go with the new one.
Of course, I will list the old one on eBay (I’ll disclose the issue of course!) and see what I can get for it.
And of course, I will save the receipt and deduct this camera lens from my taxes, since I use it for blogging.
(I know a $300 camera lens is not what you’d consider to be frugal, usually. But I feel sure that a new one was the right choice here instead of a repair, given the pricing I was quoted. And at least I got a good price on it.)
2. I saved $148 on car insurance
I realized that since we switched out of the Ratelock plan with Erie, it would make sense to adjust the mileage category for Mr. FG’s car, since he’s still working from home.
(In the Ratelock program, the mileage categorization does not affect the rate.)
So, before I paid our annual bill, I called and asked about it, and that knocked $148 off our bill.
Which is a drop in the bucket compared to the total bill, but still, its $148! I would be very happy if someone walked up to me and handed me that much money, you know?
(We pay our bill annually because there’s a discount for doing so. We divide by bill by 12 and each month, we have that amount automatically deposited into a Capital One 360 savings account. That way the money is there when the bill comes due each year.)
3. I bought uneven bacon at Aldi
I bought a package of unevenly sliced bacon at Aldi. This particular brand is cheaper because of the wonky slices, and who cares about unevenness if it needs to be chopped for the recipe?
4. I installed the 7-11 app for a free Slurpie
They didn’t do the free Slurpies on 7-11 day this year because obviously crowds of people are a bad idea right now.
But if you install the 7-11 app (or if you already have the app), you can get a free Slurpie anytime before 7/31/20.
I also got an offer for seven free fountain beverages in the app.
So, we’ll do a quick visit to our 7-11 store soon!
5. I…
- ate up the last of the leftover black beans with my egg burrito
- froze the mushy mango for smoothie use
- paid that annual car insurance bill with my Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card (might as well get some miles!)
(Of course, I will pay that card bill off right away because interest negates any rewards)
Your turn! Share your five frugal things in the comments.
Hawaii Planner says
1) We are making meals without a kitchen, so just the efforts there are frugal vs the alternative.
2) Used a couple of coupons for “critical” popsicles when it was super hot out
3) Sold a bunch of stuff, including an old cooler, motorcycle jacket, and hanging filing cabinets. All of which were old, and we were happy to get out of the house
4) As part of packing up our kitchen, found things we’re not using pushed to the back of the cabinet. Got those listed on eBay.
5) Used grocery store gift cards (earned by buying gift cards we needed for our remodel) to pick up a few essentials & treats over the past few weeks.
Deidre says
I think your camera lens is frugal – isn’t the whole point of being frugal is to spend our money on what matters to us? You use your camera because you love photography & it aids your income; & thanks for the reminder to work out the best deal & compare options – which is also frugal. Here are my FF:
1. Finding recipes to use what I have sometimes with help from Gemma on biggerbolderbaking.com I have lost count of the number of times I made microwave ramen noodles instead of getting takeout. I altered her recipe though to more stock less soy & more veg.
2. In my decluttering found some colouring books I forgot I bought – I confess I would rather colour ones made for kids; I get exhausted just looking at some of the really detailed adult ones. Anyhoo I did find an adult one with some simpler pictures that just look fun so I’ve started on that & the other two look brand new so I will use them as presents.
3. My colouring also means I am finally making use of all those textas I bought years ago that amazingly work great – I love those faber castel clip-it textas, so nice to use.
4. Didn’t get ’round to cooking a marinated butterflied leg of lamb & remembered in time to freeze it before the useby date – Phew!
5. I love books & part of my decluttering is going through many books – I will keep many but to decide I read quite a few & now I’m reading a autobiographical one by Ken Duncan a well-known Australian photographer – it’s huge & every page has amazing photos from his travels – I find myself in lockdown travelling to places I have never seen before – just beautiful.
Christina Miller says
1. My favorite Kroger now has a Whoo Hoo section. I bought several protien bars for 25 cents each.
2. My neighbor gets a delivery of food from a local food bank and it is too much for her family to consume. So on food delivery day, she puts the extra food on her porch and lets neighbors take what they need. I took 2 cans of tomato sauce and a jar of peanut butter. I made spaghetti for my brother (who is a disabled veteran) and gave the peanut butter to him.
3. I love Swiffer for cleaning, but I do not like buying the disposable cloths. Instead, I squirt cleaner on the floor and wrap cleaning rags around the Swiffer mopping head. Then I throw the rags in the washer and reuse them.
4. I use white vinegar (from Aldi) instead of bleach in my washer. Clothes come really clean and fresh smelling without using bleach.
5. A friend moved out of state and gave me his vintage pop up camper. It has some water damage so I am working on repairing it and putting down a new vinyl floor this weekend myself.
Marianne says
I have a spend some to save some, my dogs clippers are so old I could not find replacement blades for them. 3 cuts at a professional groomer will pay for my new set and I have 2 dogs to cut.
Lots of produce coming out of the garden. This year is the earliest I ever recall having red tomatoes. I know they like the warm nights & hot days.
I moved furniture around and swapped curtains out for a newly remodeled look. No money involved.
I am working from home but lack a dedicated office space so I bought my work chair home (which my son bought for me long ago) switched a table around so I at least have a no cost kind of workspace.
Kristen says
Oh yes, clippers really pay for themselves in a hurry. Good call there.
lisa says
Saving that much on car insurance is great! Which reminds me to shop for car and home insurance again…. The last time I did that, the salesman (lack of a better term) told me that our car insurance couldn’t be as cheap as quoted because they looked into it and my husband got a ticket a year ago. And he never mentioned it!
My Fab Five:
1) I found Food Network dinner mixes in a box for 75 cents each. I add the chicken for chicken tikka masala. It’s really good.
2) Earned a $10 GC from swagbucks and got items from Target.
3) Sold a book on ebay for my son.
4) Found a birthday lunch reward in a junk drawer that will expire in 2 weeks. That’s when I get another one.
5) DS2 won a college scholarship for $1,000.
Kristen says
Shopping for insurance can be super worthwhile. But man, it’s easy to put off because it’s so annoying to have to gather all the necessary information!
Meredith K says
Five frugal things:
1) eating wild raspberries that grow on the property & block
2) making my own almond milk from the bulk aisle at the supermarket
3) making muffins with the leftovers (i.e. almond meal subbed for flour) from the milk ^
4) skins go into the compost & water they soaked in went to my tomato plant
5) always reusing old jars – salsa, sunflower seed butter, etc.
6) bonus: when the lids get rusty, the jar can be used to root plants – have celery & box basil that started to flower rooting on the kitchen windowsill
Cathy in NJ says
The purchase of a high quality durable good like a camera lens is very frugal. If you had purchased a $500 lens in 2011, that still worked well, it would have been a more frugal choice. You just would not have known it.
1. DIY exterior painting, windows, doors, porch ceiling…
2. Used old tan fitted twin sheets as porch furniture dust covers.
3. Used old socks to clean.
4. Shopped the garage for lightbulbs and found some.
5. Eating garden lettuce, zucs, cucs, scallions etc
akbj says
Thanks for the idea to use old socks to clean! I have a ton & wasn´t sure what to do with them! Great idea for dusting.
Katy in Africa says
1. Ate leftovers.
2. Finally sewed a button back onto my husband’s shirt that had fallen off.
3. Going through the kids school books. Tossing the full notebooks, but keeping ones that have plenty of pages left. Also keeping books that can be reused easily.
4. We’ve been given tomato and hot pepper plants.
5. Accepted some fish and peppers from a neighbor.
Bobi says
1. Figured out how to add Peacock to our smart tv and streamed new Psych movie we were looking forward to (totally not good at figuring this stuff out-thank goodness for Google!)
2. Food Lion has been super generous lately with freebies, scored digital coupons for a free bag of salad, a free bag of potato chips and a free five pound bag of potatoes!
3. Fixed hubby’s watchband until we can get him a new one.
4. After getting prices on car detailing, I watched some diy vids on YouTube and bought the necessary items to do the job myself. High quality items cost less than $30 and will do both vehicles. Cheapest quote I got was $199 per vehicle. Will do work this weekend.
5. Finding lots of free entertainment (hiking, biking, swimming) at nearby state parks. Even started my own Nature Notebook.
Lindsey says
1. Cut husband’s hair
2. Husband cut my hair
3. All vegetables are now coming out of the garden, and our fruits are all berries from the garden. Very small grocery bills right now.
4. The basil just keeps coming and coming, so I made and froze more pesto for the winter.
5. Young nephew stopped by and turned all three compost containers, just for the price of a dozen cookies. I can no longer do that so my compost ages very, very slowly, as in two or three years. He comes over about once a month in the summer so it ends up taking only a year to produce useable compost. This is very frugal.
Kristen says
Aww, yay for a strong young nephew!
Amie says
1- Got everything for school. So far it looks like it will start as usual. Figure what she doesn’t use this year, she can use next year. Got everything on sale. And using some items from last school year like headphones.
2- My Kroger app gives me occasional freebie coupons based on items I buy. I picked those up a couple days ago. Packing Quaker oatmeal, cheese slices, and an Aha can of flavored sparkling water. (Never had probably fairly new. It’s going to my grandma.)
3- Got clearanced bags of lentils for 50c each. They are good until May 2022.
4- Used coupons (they had peelies on the boxes, plus they were on sale.)to get cereal inexpensively. Got Rice Krispies $1.45 each and Fruit Loops for 40c each. I also used 2 store coupons for off cereal to bring the price down.
5- Used Ibotta to get a couple freebies and boxes of sunbelt granola bars for 66c each. They were on sale too. And a couple rice pouches for 25c each.
Amie says
Bonus- I forgot my grandma’s neighbor gave her almost 2 cases of canned garbanzo beans/chick peas. She passed most to me.
Alicia says
1) used my 40% coupon to buy sewing machine needle at Joann’s.
2) refrigerated my homemade hamburger buns and used the last one today.
3) bought 10 pound bag of russet potatoes instead of 5 pound since per pound it’s cheaper and we will be using it all up.
4) got a free breakfast at Black Bear Diner using my birthday coupon.
5) order coffee online at Godiva using my $10 birthday coupon plus free shipping.
Florencia says
Thanks for the tip on the Godiva birthday coupon! I just signed up.
Ruth T says
1. I had 5 pears and a banana that were past their prime, so I cut off the bad spots and threw the rest into smoothies.
2. My family and I have cloth masks instead of disposable. The frugalness of this really hit me this morning as my kid sneezed in his mask on the walk into Aldi and needed to change masks because it was super gross. Instead of having to throw one away and get a new disposable one before we even made it inside, we just took his off to wash and grabbed his other cloth one to wear in.
3. We went to a friend’s house Saturday and took no-bake cookies, which we already had all of the ingredients to make.
4. I used my 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby to buy a piñata for my son’s birthday next week.
5. I sold our exersaucer, high chair, and bouncy seat yesterday. (Cue the tears.) Getting rid of them was hard (so many great memories of my babies with them over the last 6.5 years), but I’m happy for them to go to a family that can make their own memories with them. I bought the exersaucer and bouncy seat secondhand and sold them for about the same price I paid for them.
Kara says
Shopping carefully and wisely for things that you need is definitely frugal! I love Aldi from my time in NC, and I wish we had one here in CA!
1. Went for a walk and watched the ocean fog roll in last night. Beautiful and free.
2. Started altering a garment for my daughter. It’s a Madewell dress from the thrift store, so it’s good quality. At 6 feet tall, many dresses are too short, and this one is. I’m making it into a top for her.
3. I look at my frugal habits as I go about my day and make items for my shop that can help others be frugal. Today I made the sweetest little clothespeg bag. I have saved SO much over the years by hanging laundry, even cloth diapers in England! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/814096070134395871/
4. My visiting daughters keep on cooking -a huge blessing-and I keep the leftovers in circulation so nothing is wasted, I’m freezing quite a few. I’m letting them enjoy making lots of different things. We will eat leftovers from the freezer when they are gone.
5. Ordered a window fan to help circulate the cool air from outside in the evening/night. We do not have central AC for the first time in 20 years. I’m adjusting!
Becca says
Used the long weekend to make a sand pit for the kids in the backyard. We used an existing hole from some bushes we had removed. We only paid for the sand, and edged it with rocks & wood logs already on our property. So far it has provided hours & hours of cheap entertainment.
Made tea with mint and chamomile from our garden.
Trimmed my own bangs and gave my toddler a haircut as well.
Used a free ham bone my mom didn’t want to make split pea soup.
Picked a bunch of wild black raspberries from our yard and ate some, froze some, and made muffins out of some.
Tina Ray says
We are growing our own tomatoes and cherry tomatoes in big pots (empty nesters).
I have been growing two pots of green onions so I don’t have to buy them from the store. Big success so no more buying from the store.
I make my own Fabreze with fabric softener.
I am using the can of paint I bought for our porches to paint the cement border in our garage since I didn’t want to buy specialized paint for cement and it has turned out amazing so far. Plus, I am doing it myself in small stages instead of hiring it out.
I am also using the same paint to paint the door and landing from our garage to the entrance of our house instead of buying a new brown door. This is still a work in progress as well.
Shelia says
1. I picked the first cucumbers today and more beans. I froze beans over the weekend and will freeze most of these also.
2. I am really enjoying my free coffee at Panera. We’re not out often but when we are, I pick it up and make ice coffee the next day. What a treat!
3. I needed a birthday card for a great nephew this week. I had finished an elephant coloring page so I made him(and his cousin) a birthday card. I usually put in a dollar for each year of age but we go to the bank so seldom now I didn’t have enough ones so he got 2 fives. I won’t consider that a frugal fail because he is a sweetie!
4. While running errands this week, I remembered to return 2 items. One was an outfit purchased as a birthday gift for a baby niece who is much bigger than anticipated. I still have one item to return to a store that still isn’t open.
5. We enjoyed a movie from the library with home popped popcorn this week. With a couple series beginning on PBS, our entertainment needs are certainly be met but I still really miss people!
Stay safe everyone!!!
Tracey says
I buy the Aldi’s uneven bacon all the time!! It has great flavor and is so cheap. Here are my frugal things for the week:
1. Joann Fabrics had their clearance fabric on even more clearance. I bought enough fabric to make a fully lined summer dress, a summer skirt, a winter skirt and a pattern for $42.
2. My daughter started a new job and needs dressier clothes. We had a pants pattern and some cute suiting plaid fabric and a zipper in my stash in the attic. We’ve got the pattern cut out so far and, if all goes well, should have them done by the weekend.
3. I went though the hall closet that contained (among other things) coats, sweaters and prom/formal dresses and gowns. I distributed them to my three daughters and have a white satin gown and a pink satin and chiffon gown that my eldest said to donate. I was streaming one of the Paris fashion shows and fell in love with a Chanel blouse that I am now trying to replicate using the fabric from the pink gown.
4. Taking advantage of virtual Barre fitness classes offered for $5 by the studio that I usually pay $10 for drop-in classes.
5. Made a huge vat of vegetable stock from the veggie bits, ends and pieces I have been collecting in the freezer. I froze the stock in meal-sized containers for future use.
Jenny Young says
1- I cut my husband’s hair
2- I sewed an extension on the bathroom curtain using fabric I already have, rather than buying new.
3- I picked some herbs from the garden to dry.
4- I got 2 free pounds of ground beef by mistake in my grocery order.(Their mistake so I get to keep it)
5- I saved some green onions by rooting in water….I’ll get two more cuttings this way.
Kris says
My hubby buys uneven bacon!
Kristen, you should feel good about your $300 purchase. Your camera is part of your personal and professional life and I consider investing in quality items that you use regularly as a wise use of money.
Saving money … hmm. We are eating all our veggies from our garden …. the hubs and kids have picked cherries and blueberries recently which is less expensive than buying them in a store (and they taste better!) …. we had a picnic supper at a local park the other night–I have to buy a season pass so the more times we go to the park, the more cost efficient our pass is … I trimmed my daughter’s bangs this morning …. instead of buying new throw pillows today, I found that Hobby Lobby has pillow covers so I bought 2 for a grand total of $12. They fit over existing pillows and they are an inexpensive way to brighten up our living room.
OregonGuest says
Kris, curious about buying a pass for the park — I keep seeing comments about this and because we don’t have to do that in our area, I find it interesting. Is this just a city park or something extra special with a lot of amenities? I use all our parks constantly to walk the dog, ride bikes, go for a walk, go to the creek, etc., and there is no fee — I can’t imagine having to pay extra (over and above property taxes that usually probably go to fund this type of thing). We do have larger lakes and hiking areas that may require Day Use parking fees of maybe $3 or something like that to park in the parking lot, but they aren’t close to town — actually, I guess they are state parks. Can you explain a little? Just curious how this works and how expensive.
Maureen says
Heat up the black beans and then add the egg mixture to them for inside the burrito. Yummy!!! And I know several bloggers that make the burritos ahead of time and freeze them and just reheat.
Dee says
Yes! This! I need to do this, as I love black beans and eggs, sounds like a great combo!
Martha C says
1. Froze questionable peaches and grapes for smoothie use.
2. Sold books to Half Price now that they’re accepting books again, yay. My daughter gives me a Book of the Month membership every year, and after I enjoy the books and pass them around to my friends and family, I sell them. I usually get good $$ from Half Price because they are in-demand novels.
3. Maximized tax refund by careful research and documentation of deductions
4. Figured out how to align my credit card rewards with Amazon purchases. This seems to get me the most “bang for my buck” out of my particular card’s rewards.
5. Gave away a bunch of stuff to Goodwill, which isn’t really frugal but helps other people be frugal!
CrunchyCake says
1. I saw on this blog that a reader had used some peaches to make peach syrup for iced tea. I usually spend $3 to get iced peach green teas. My in-laws had sent us a bunch of peaches from their tree and no one was eating them. It was the perfect (delicious) storm. So I made some peach syrup! And I put it my tea! It only cost me a few pennies and it reduced my food waste!
2. I finally got around to dropping my green onions roots into a jar of water and they are doing great. I am so tired of spending a buck to just use a couple of the green onions before they wilt and go limp. In the past I’ve chopped them and put them in freezer and that works well if they’re going into a recipe but not as great as garnish. Also inspired by this blog!
3. We had an instacart debacle a couple weeks ago after months of success ordering groceries online. The wrong order was delivered to our house. When we contacted instacart, they told us to keep the groceries and they would be sending over a replacement order. Then the replacement order shopper ALSO delivered the wrong order. So we had all this excess food, including meat (we are pescatarians). I found homes for all the food we couldn’t use and have been diligently working through the food that we can, including a month’s worth of bananas (froze ’em- also an idea from this blog).
4. My husband listed some extra supplies we had lying around the house on eBay and it’s all selling. It feels so good knowing someone can use it and clearing our house and some of it is selling for a profit.
5. I continue to read this blog – see items 1-3! Thank you for continuing to post here!
JD says
1. My employer buys us logo shirts for work that we can pick out in both style and color. I thought it would be nice to get 2 or 3 more, then I could wear the logo shirts all the time without having to wear the same five shirts every week. I thought I’d buy a few myself when I saw sales. I went online during a sale, picked out three sale shirts, added the logo, the shipping… and saw it came to almost $90. I removed one shirt from my cart and the sale no longer was valid, since my total was now under the minimum order. I emptied my cart. I can for the company to buy the next round.
2. I braved some of the weekend’s heat wave to hang out at least some of my laundry. I hung more on my drying rack and shower rods. Anything to avoid running the dryer and adding heat to the house.
3. Speaking of the dryer, my husband ran into ours again with his electric scooter, and knocked the vent hose loose when the dryer slid. I purchased a better vent hose and two hose clamps, and replaced the vent hose, making it sturdier and safer. The last hose had been removed and replaced by workmen re-doing the floor, and was, it turned out, duct-taped on. I’m glad I replaced it and I’m glad I didn’t call (and wait ages for) someone to come replace it for a fee.
4. I’ve been able to supplement our meals with some produce from my little container garden. I spotted purslane in my back yard, and will be adding it to a meal.
5. I had some things I really had to use the oven on, so I waited until the house was cool and put everything in there at once, on the convection setting. One 30 minutes oven session and that was my oven use for the week. I use the stove top, microwave, crock pot, and pressure cooker the rest of the time, to keep from heating up the kitchen so much.
Barb Ferguson says
I sprayed myself with bug repellent (mosquitoes and noseeums spelling?), and hung two loads out in the early evening. Dried pretty quick the next day. I will sometimes throw just socks and undergarments in the dryer if the line is full, usually only takes 20 minutes, with the dryer balls in there. Loving not using the dryer, for the most part. And the fresh (free) smell.
Beach towels and sheets today. I love keeping even a little amount of $ out of the hands of the utility company. And with you, JD on the crockpot usage, too. Plus we use our grill a fair amount.
Becca says
How do you eat your purslane? I have tried to cook it or put it in salads a few times and I always end up stumped so it just wilts on the counter before I use it. I’ve heard it is super healthy and it’s free so I’d love to start adding it to our meals.
Corrine Wilson says
I like it in salads. Nice and crunchy!
JD says
I make the salad, pick the purslane, wash it and drop it in the salad. It’s not something I save for later. I’ve only eaten it fresh. I also put it straight in the refrigerator if the salad has to wait a few minutes. I’ve not tried to cook it because I like it fresh.
Carolyn says
Investing in a new camera lens is part of your business, good quality is not cheap, and it will last, so I would not call it frivolous. Good tools last and save money.
We invested in additional seedling flats, starter soil and seeds back in the spring, we are seeing good growth on our plants and our blueberries are on now.
Fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden not only save money, but taste great.
We are looking at remodeling the main bathroom and the kitchen. We are watching a lot of videos on using epoxy coatings to do the project ourselves, it will save thousands over hiring a contractor. The colors look great, like real stone.
Susan says
so jealous that you have blueberries in your garden. My favorite fruit…
Carolyn says
Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits as well. Hubby pruned the canes back in February and gave them some magnesium sulfate so it would soak in and aid in chlorophyll production in the spring. By pruning we get fewer but much larger berries, the size of grapes. We get about 125 quarts in the season from early July to mid August. Just a few cherries on the trees this year, but the yields will improve as the trees get bigger. We love fresh fruit.
Laurie Villotta says
Not frugal, but desperately needed. A brand new kitchen! Should be done in the next week. Looks thus far amazing. Now have a large pantry. My 12 y/o old is doing all the organizing. Have a nice new collection of storage containers. Dumped all dinnerware, glasses etc. Bought everything new. Last big project. House paid off in 2021 at age 50.
Kristina says
Let’s see,
1. Since our pool opened last week, we’ve been there almost every day for exercise and fun. I always feel satisfied when I take full advantage of something we’ve paid for.
2. We refinanced our house for a lower mortgage rate, and got some money back from an escrow account. I was going to move it into savings, but we needed sudden car repairs so the money came in handy.
3. My husband has been fixing his bike and has been going to a local bike shop for parts. We have been trying to find new bikes for our kids, but they are in short supply. He was talking about this to the store owner, who just happened to have a bike returned that day. There was nothing wrong with it, but we got it for half price with full warranty.
4. Bought two outdoor chairs off an online yardsale for $5.
5. Returned a pair of pants that I purchased online when all the stores were closed this spring. Purchased some things from Bed, Bath & Beyond using their 20% off coupon.
Jean says
We pay our car insurance in full. I deposit weekly for next year’s bill. I actually divide the bill by 48 weeks (12 mths). That way I end up with 4 extra weeks deposited (in preparation if the bill should (probably) increase the next year. I do pay it on my credit card to get the points, then immediately pay the CC bill.
1. We received a rebate from our auto ins. co. for limited driving over the last few months. (I am not sure if it was a requirement from the state or not.)
2. I paid $150 to get my bicycle tune-up. Especially worth it because new bikes are not available and I don’t really need a new bike. Now I have to get out to some bike trails.
3. Bought 2 gallons of ice cream at market 3-day sale ($3 total) instead of the ice cream farm ($3/kiddie sized cup) this week. Although we do like to support our local small businesses.
4. I ordered a state and a world coloring tablecloth ($10/each)to work with the grandkids in the remainder of the summer at minimum. I also saw them on another site at $30/each.
5. Finished up the remainder of the raspberries from our bushes on my yogurt and fruit breakfast.
6. I watered the vegetable garden from the kiddie pool water. Exercise–walking and carrying the water buckets (weights).
Lauren says
This was a rough week. Rough meaning “expensive.”
1. The fridge stopped working. We got it repaired instead of getting a new one, which was definitely the right choice, but we had to pack food into a cooler for several days, and we lost some items.
2. I mended a bunch of things – a shirt, my son’s towel, and a pillow case.
3. I planted a bunch of pepper seeds – fingers crossed.
4. We ate at home all week.
5. I loaded receipts on Ibotta and Fetch, and got a $15 Pampers rebate.
Lisa M. says
Your philosophical question: Yes, any savings = frugality in my book. The amount spent is a side issue & unfortunately often not within our complete control. My example: We recently spent a large amount on numerous plumbing & carpentry repairs/updates/improvements. There was minimal room for negotiation but I was able to substantially reduce the cost of an initial service call with a saved coupon that did not have an expiration date. As an added bonus for the carpentry project, I used a local small business – a man that is a 1 person company whose daughter was a friend of DD’s in middle school, so his reputation preceded him. These projects were costly but had been needed for some time & would be required when we sell our townhome in the future. The improvements were not discretionary expenses, they were investments. The same holds true for your camera lens, as it contributes to your job & income. The amount of the expense is not the primary issue – if the cost can be impacted in some manner then it should definitely be considered frugality, especially for nondiscretionary spending.
Corrine says
1. Picked up 2 bags of unopened marshmallows (we are going camping in 2 weeks) and a work dress and skirt for myself from Buy Nothing. I love Buy Nothing!
2. Sold a piece of art, I picked up for free, on eBay. Someone on Buy Nothing gifted me the cardboard shipping tube to ship it in.
3. We received our car insurance bill and found that the price increased by $300 per year, even though we have had no claims. So, we switched to a different company for our car insurance and home owner’s insurance, which saved us $400 yearly.
4. We had to have our driveway replaced. The company let us pay using our credit card, which gives us 2% back.
5. We have been looking for a chest freezer, so we can stock up on meat while it is reasonably priced and to store vegetables from our garden, but they are sold out everywhere or very expensive on resale sites. My husband posted on Nextdoor to see if anyone in our neighborhood was looking to sell one. Someone in our neighborhood sold us a brand new one for $100!
Stephanie says
1. Continue to shop at ALDI and cook and eat at home.
2. Riding my bike on local bike trail for exercise.
3. Continue to get free plants here and there from local buy nothing group : this week was coneflower and lemon balm.
4. Painted our entire basement with free paint given to me from my sister. It is kinda a weird slightly pink toned khaki but it was free and neutral and A BASEMENT. My sister is the queen of great OOPS paint finds. We always get our paint from her WHENEVER POSSIBLE!
5. Paid off our car this week. No car payments and we own three cars ( not frugal ).
Arthur Mantzouris says
Well, I decided to call consumer cellular for a price quote and they convinced me that they would give me a good price on a phone plan and so I would save me some $$ but how much I’ll never know, cas after the rep had talked with me, I had to call my current provider and get my account number with them, well as I was trying to get it from them they realized that I was trying to switch over to another carrier and so the rep for my current provider ask me why I was changing and I told him that i was wanting to go to them cas the bill have now is getting really tough to pay and so he told me how bout we knock yr bill down to $40 instead of $ 60 and I said to him wait, will it give me the same hotspot and he said no but itll give you only 12 GB of it so right away I thought to my self, even tho i dont get the hotspot i want I’ll be saving alot of money, so i said ok and he said they would pay for my month coming up so itll be free and since I already had $60 bucks they owed me for a bill I already paid, then I wouldn’t owe anything for about three months and so i took it.
Now that was unintentional but it saved me over $100 bucks in a year without me doing anything but to have them fight for my biz.
If we could do that with everyone of our Bill’s where they would give us a deal that would be hard to give up.
So the next time you see a bill that u want to save on, do that. Make a call to another provider and ask them what would they do for you of u switched over to them and then when u have them tell u go to yr current provider and ask them what would they do for you to keep you. Why? Cas it cost more to find a customer then it is to keep one. Think about it, they already have u so to keep u make them both fight for yr biz. Neat idea right. Make them make a sweet deal with u that in the end, u win…
gina says
Saving on Big Things is so satisfying. I haven’t done any of that lately, but am always thinking about how I can get a discount! Lately: I bought a side table for Hubby to set his coffee on – a project for me, too – and I got 25% off at Salvation Army for working in healthcare. Score! Cut Firtborn’s hair on July 4th – that clipper set has repaid for itself so many times. Dyed some black scrubs that were looking worn and faded – instant upgrade for $5. {Scrubs are fairly expensive so I want to where them as long as I can} Made my own pesto with some basil that was about to go bad and things I already had. Stored in freezer. Moving some shrubs around in my front landscaping to pretty it up and save some of them – will cost zero dollars and make it looks so much nicer.
K D says
1. Still not spending money on entertainment. I met three friends in a friend’s back yard yesterday. There was shade and a breeze and we were physically distant. It was bring your own coffee. At least Covid entertaining is easy, no need to clean the house or make food. I also stopped by a friend’s house on Monday for a patio visit.
2. The library has curb side pick up. We have borrowed a few DVDs. Mostly I read and listen to electronic books borrowed from the library.
3. A neighbor gave me a few herbs to protect my tomatoes. They needed to be trimmed so I have been using the leaves to make herbal tea. Peppermint is delicious but I found that thyme and even sage are refreshing. No tea bag, no waste. I don’t have a tea ball so I have improvised by using the funnel with the screen insert that Kristen recommended many years ago.
4. I just contacted our auto insurance company to see if they will give a discount for Work From Home. They did so “automatically” through June but it is now July.
5. There has not been and will not be spending on trips for the foreseeable future. A decision made for us by this Covid Crazy time.
Barb says
1. Posted several items on Nextdoor. Sold a couple of them and got $15.
2. Mended the torn velcro closure on my purse and added a snap for less wear and tear on the velcro (I hope anyway!).
3. Kept my A/C on 78 during the day and 75 at night. I’m not sure if I can keep this up as it is crazy hot and supposed to get even worse.
4. Arranged for some needed repairs on the exterior of my house and negotiated $100 off the total.
5. Found 5 pennies on the ground. I don’t know why I find this so exciting, but every time I find a coin, it just makes my day!
Julia says
Just a funny comment on your #3. I just read that during the Great Depression when it was super hot entire families would sleep out on their lawns where it was cooler.
JD says
Julia, when I was a kid in the early 60’s, on hot nights, we slept on the screened porch and left the wooden house door and the windows open and fans running to try to cool off the house. We had cots that we drug out there at night. We didn’t have air conditioning until I was a ‘tween, and I was the youngest of the kids. We latched the screen door, like that was a lot of protection :).
Denise says
My Grandmother told stories of when she was a kid her entire family trooped to the local park, with all the other families and they all just slept on blankets it was so hot in the brick houses in the city. They also put an ice block in front of the one fan they had and all slept on the living room floor in front of the fan.
Barb says
None of the 3 schools I attended had A/C, and the 3 bedroom house I grew up in had only 1 window unit for many years. I guess it’s just what you get used to.
CrunchyCake says
My folks grew up in India and during the hotter months, they would sleep on the rooftops at night – the homes had flat topped roofs and those memories are some of my dad’s favorite childhood experiences. He’s 75 now and went to visit family last year. My mom said she kept finding him napping on the roof.
Kris says
I love these comments, especially the one from CrunchyCake! Our schools don’t have AC except in the computer labs. Things haven’t changed in some places.
We didn’t have central AC when I was a kid. I shared a room and we had one of those old style oscillating fans. I remember laying on top of my sheets anxiously waiting for “my turn” when the fan turned my direction.
My in-laws live near Hannibal, MO. We have toured the Tom Sawyer cave (it really exists!) and the tour guide told us that, back before AC, the locals would bring tables/chairs/food and spend the hot days inside the cave.
Barb Ferguson says
I love these comments, too. Good blog!! My elementary and middle school here in MD had no AC, nor did our house. We’d come in from recess (elem.) and the teachers would turn off the lights, we’d put our heads down on the desk, and they’d read to us. We never had central AC growing up either. Parents had a window unit while we sweltered in the upstairs bedrooms with a fan blowing out one window in an effort to bring cool air in through another. And yet they are still good memories. Oh yeah, and we had to walk uphill (both ways) to get to elementary school in 1st through 6th grade! (Hubbies favorite joke, but I don’t think he had to walk. I DID. Our kids have it so easy now.
Ruby says
1. Used Fetch Rewards to knock some off the cost of a new printer.
2. Turned a nice little 99 cents a pound pork butt roast into crock pot barbecue. I trimmed the meat off the bone before cooking and boiled the rather substantial bone to make broth.
3. Took leftovers for my work lunches all week.
4. Trimmed some more on my hair. My self haircuts usually take place over several days as I find little bits that need evening up.
5. Ordered monthly meds for my dogs through the veterinarian’s mail order pharmacy and saved $40 with a coupon code.
sarah says
My five:
1. We also got the free slurpee and the 59 cent big gulp :).
2. Continued to eat all our meals at home.
3. Incorporated some of our garden fruit/veggies into our meals. Froze the rest.
4. Returned several items that well, needed to be returned.
5. Enjoyed free hobbies like tennis and biking
Suzan says
We recently bought a new car. It is lovely to drive and uses far less fuel which is fantastic. We did some hard bargaining and managed to reduce the car insurance bu around $720 a year. It is wonderful when the children are no longer on the policy.
This is a little silly but I always make sure to buy fuel when it is at the lowest point of the price cycle. Twenty or more cents a litre adds up very quickly. Since the tank holds just over 40litres it can be a substantial saving.
The Australian government runs a pharmaceutical scheme. I am now allowed free medicines that are on the scheme for the rest of the year. Since I have a lot of meds I love this saving.
I save my daughter money by looking after my granddaughter two days a week. It is no hardship. I spend precious time that can never be captured again. She saves and I win. Mia and I have had such fun over the last few days.
I have also managed to buy meat steeply discounted. I am very careful when I do this and I generally. save 40to 50%.
I feel I had a major parenting win. My son has never been good with money. To my pleasant surprise the boy bought a new car for him, it is second hand four wheel drive work truck, and he paid cash for it. He tells me he still has money in the bank. I am impressed.
Isa says
* Got a free movie rental using a coupon
* Getting free kayaks rental with city pass
* Using public library for the whole family
* Free raspberries from friend’s bush
* Eating all the leftovers, no food waste