Five Frugal Things | Look at me, decorating!
Now that I am done with school, I am knocking out tasks that felt nigh onto impossible before.
When I do these tasks, I think, "Oh, that wasn't that hard." But nursing school felt so all-consuming, I was not getting around to even smallish tasks!
I'm doing a great job of catching up now, though.
1. I hung up a piece of wall art from my Buy Nothing group
I picked this up quite a while ago and it has just sat in my carport, collecting dust.
But as we mentioned, I have time now. And mental energy.
So, I cleaned it off and hung it up in my living room. Yay me!
2. I hung up some frames from my old house
I originally bought these on clearance at Kohl's, eons ago. I printed a few flower photographs and hung the frames on the wall in my kids' bathroom (you can see them in this post!).
Sonia initially put some watercolors of hers in the frames and kept them up, but eventually, she switched to some other wall decor, and she brought the frames over to me.
Like the wall art mentioned above, these have just been sitting in my carport, collecting dust (an embarrassing theme!)
I dusted them off, wiped them down, and hung them up in my living room. Right now, they still have the watercolors in them, and I haven't decided if I'll keep them like that or swap them out for something else because they did look nice with the black and white photos!
But at least they are not catching dust in my carport anymore. 😉
3. I hit a $5.99 scrub sale
This was quite an inadvertent frugality, but I'm including it anyway!
I randomly stopped by a scrubs store to check it out for the first time, and lo and behold, they were going out of business. Every scrub top/bottom in the store was $5.99.
I didn't even have to do a Google price comparison check to know that was a screaming deal.
The sizing options were a little limited, but I managed to find three sets that fit, plus two pairs of compression socks. And my total was $42.
(!!!!!!)
That is a wild bargain, considering most scrub items cost at least $25 apiece.
I made it through my year of working as a tech with only two sets of scrubs, but I'm glad I have some more on hand now.
I took a photo of my blue scrubs all by myself...
But then look who showed up again!
4. I did not renew my Archer NCLEX review membership
My NCLEX test date is a week from today, but my Archer membership expired a few days ago.
I considered renewing it for $59, but I think I have gotten a sufficient amount of review from it (I did over 1200 questions!), and besides, every one of their predictor tests gave me top chances of passing.
So, I let it expire, and I am just using my ATI membership (from my school) and my physical NCLEX review book for this last week.
And then hopefully in a week, I will not have to think about NCLEX review questions ever again in my life.
The last few years of my life have been so focused on getting ready for the NCLEX; it's hard to believe I am close to (hopefully) having it behind me.
I CANNOT WAIT.
5. I used up two wrinkly cucumbers in agua de pepino
I got two regular cucumbers in my Hungry Harvest box, and they were not the lovely kind with smaller seeds.
So, unfortunately, I left them until they were showing some signs of age.
However, I'd seen an agua de pepino recipe online, which involved blending up the cucumbers with water, lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves.
I would never in a million years have considered combining sugar with cucumbers, but I forged ahead.
Honestly, it was very tasty,and perfect to drink on a hot day. 
And since my VitaMix is a beast, I didn't even remove the big seeds these cucumbers had; they got all nicely blended up.
As I said on my Instagram story, I don't know if this was tasty just because lime and mint are a good combo (the cucumber flavor is not super strong), but it was refreshing and delicious and it kept my cucumbers from going to waste.
10/10, would recommend.
(I only used ¼ cup of sugar, so I'd recommend starting with that and then adjusting to your taste. Also, the mint leaves are optional but I think this would be only half as good without the mint.)
6. (bonus) I did a modified sun-bleach on the pillow sham
Ok, so you know that yellow spot Snoopy was pointing to?
I did one more overnight oxi-clean soak on that pillow sham, and the spot was better, but still not completely gone.
So then I folded up the sham so only the yellowed spot was showing, put washcloths over the embroidery to protect it, and then put it out in the sun.
It definitely helped, and now the spot is pretty inconspicuous. I'm gonna call this good enough for now. 😉
It's not like anyone is popping in to closely inspect my summer bed linens. Ha.
Just a quick look from me this week - I love the tiny red touches in your decor in the first picture! They bring the whole picture together-
Have you explained your love of Snoopy before, and I missed it? If not, that would be a fun post idea. Do you have a favorite from your collection?
--I lucked across a Tiffany-style stained glass desk lamp for $15 at Habitat Restore. When I went to check out, I found that I had earned another $10 Restore credit, making the lamp all of $5. Yeah, baby!
--A $5 Michael's coupon + a 40% off a regularly priced item coupon = $3 gold paint for refinishing bathroom mirror frames. Yeah, baby, the second!
--Making my own compost landed me with over a dozen volunteer tomato plants--my hippie non GMO seeds don't f*** around! They were all growing in the wrong places, but I couldn't bring myself to cull such strong-willed plants. Friends and family were happy to take the rogue starts off my hands, even though they remain mystery tomatoes. I planted beefsteak, cherry, and rainbow tomatoes last year, so those are the potential surprises in store. 😛
--In return for tomato starts, a friend brought me two peony roots thinned from her garden.
--I continue sharing excess dill and basil with friends and neighbors.
@N,
Wish I was your neighbor! I'd love some tomato plants, not to mention the herbs! And a $5 Tiffany lamp? Wow!
@N, WOW! on the Tiffany lamp.
I can't wait to get my hanging Tiffany ceiling lamp (from my Aunt's neighbor) possibly by end of summer if my dad is able to make the trip from Florida to Michigan
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Right? My basil always struggles along, this year being no exception. I'd love to be N's neighbor! I love Tiffany style lamps, $5 is a steal!
I admire your dedication with the bedspread! I would have given up long before!
I think I win for biggest frugal fail this week. I went to Sweden to see a friend and then realised I had left my keys in my apartment and my phone died! I had to spend a night in a hotel and then spend the same amount of money for a locksmith to let me in the next day!
Things which WERE frugal:
1. The train ticket to Sweden was cheap (despite it turning out to be an expensive evening).
2. My workplace paid for all of us to have drinks, dinner and a taxi to the restaurant yesterday.
3. I found a cheapish flight home for summer.
4. I'm planning to cancel my gym membership over summer.
5. I've been doing lots of free outdoor swimming!
@Sophie in Denmark,
Oh, noooooo!! I'm sorry that happened.....funny story, somewhat related: I was working in our yard one day last summer, and my DH left to run an errand....he didn't realize I was out in the yard....and he locked every.Single.Door. The garage door was closed, and I didn't know the code to make it open (I tried everything I could think of!). My phone was in the house, so I couldn't even call him. I was sweaty, hot, and filthy; I finally went over to a neighbor's house, who kindly took me in, offered me a cool drink, and let me call DH (who didn't answer, because it was an unfamiliar phone number). An hour later, DH came home and let us both into the house. He then installed a little wall box that holds a house key in our garage, and told me what the code is to open the garage door. (I brought the neighbors some banana streusel muffins to thank them). We laugh about it now, but it was not funny at the time! And we now know that it would be REALLY difficult for anyone to break into our house. Lol!
@Sophie in Denmark, See if you can put your gym membership on hold instead of cancelling. Then the price of your membership stays the same. This works at my gym.See if it does at yours.
@Liz B., That must have been so stressful! Something which is only funny after the fact (my adventure is still too recent to find funny lol)!
@Ann, Thanks for the tip!
@Liz B., At one point in my life I did adoption studies, and as part of that I would talk to any other kids in the home. Some of the questions were about house rules. It is a sure way to find out what has gone wrong before. "Daddy locks the door when he gets home from work; I don't need to lock him out before I go to bed." (Dad worked the evening shift.)
"Don't ask a fat woman if she swallowed her twin while in her mother's stomach." (Apparently one grisly documentary should not have been watched by the eight-year-old.)
"I cannot ride my bike down the driveway with no hands because I will break the living room window." (Driveway was very steep and ended right in front of the lower-level living room.)
"Do not hear a new bad word at school and teach it to my brother."
"I am not allowed to say to my mother, 'Talk to the hand' and stick the palm of my hand in front of her face."
@Sophie in Denmark,
Oh, it was quite stressful! And as you mention, only funny after the fact. Yours is, indeed, a bit too fresh right now, but give it time! 🙂
@Lindsey,
Bwahahaha! Quite eye opening, for sure! 🙂
@Lindsey, I’m laughing!! Talk to the hand. Hilarious!
FFT, I’m Baaack Edition:
I’m back from NYC, with stories to tell. Here’s the first batch:
(1) A classic NYC cab story: Because it was so hot on Tuesday 6/24 that you could have fried an egg in the middle of Broadway if you were so inclined, JASNA BFF decided we should get a cab from Penn Station to her place instead of taking the subway as we usually do. Our crabby cabbie deposited us unceremoniously in front of BFF’s apartment building and then, despite BFF’s earlier reminder to get my suitcase out of the back (he either didn’t hear or didn’t understand; his English was limited), peeled off without getting the suitcase. Luckily, an alert bicyclist saw me chasing after him and yelling “STOP!”, caught up with him at a nearby red light, and managed to get his attention. So I got my suitcase back, with four days’ worth of clothes, prezzies for BFF, and my laptop. Giant frugal win. And although I gave the biker hasty thanks, I wish I could have bought him a latte at least.
(2) Alas, my former managing editor came down with a vicious cough and could not meet me for lunch on Wednesday while BFF was babysitting her toddler granddaughter in Brooklyn. But since it was still hot enough to fry an egg on Broadway, I limited my activities to doing a little grocery shopping (NYC food prices are horrifying, but I did my best) and then curling up under the AC with a selection of BFF’s books. (Like DH and me, BFF and her late husband are/were bibliophiles and Anglophiles, so this was no hardship whatever.)
(3) Thursday (much cooler, thank goodness) was our day for the Morgan Library & Museum, and was a complete delight. BFF and I went there in the morning so we could go through the JA exhibit with a fine-toothed comb. I’ll provide more details on request, but it was everything I’d hoped. BFF wasn’t able to get me in for free with her membership, but I did get my admission discounted from $25 to $10. And I also got a 10% discount on my gift shop purchases.
(4) The Thursday evening reception at the Morgan was also everything I’d hoped for. In addition to being able to revisit the highlights of the JA exhibit (and, in my case, make a fast pass through the Julia Margaret Cameron photography exhibit), we met and mingled happily with both old and new JASNA friends. A particular joy was meeting again with the three children (and their spouses) of my late revered JASNA friend Edith Lank, who lent two items from Edith’s extensive JA collection to the exhibit. (And, finally, given that the price of drinks in NYC is also horrifying, I didn’t regard the open bar at the reception as any calamity. 😀 )
(5) After the reception, several of us were treated to a celebratory dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant in honor of the JA exhibit’s co-curator (one of JASNA’s leading academic lights) and her husband. Although the ambient noise level made conversation a bit challenging, the food was excellent, and I enjoyed my evening with this distinguished company.
More to come in later comments.
Ohhhh I am so delighted to hear about your wonderful trip, despite the hot weather.
@A. Marie, Your trip sounds so exciting! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself despite the heat. My own JA notes from this week: we watched S&S at the request of 13-year-old daughter who finished reading it and wanted to compare. The 17yo son finished P&P and has decided it is better than the 1995 movie; he quotes the movie liberally in many situations to my delight. And 16yo daughter is reading MP for the first time and wondering if there is anything else weird other than cousins marrying. 🙂
@A. Marie, nothing like getting together with other like minded people to enjoy something as much as you do. Glad it was so wonderful. And yes, NYC is a bear in the heat of summer.
@A. Marie, happy to hear you had a great trip! I want to know more about the souvenirs and presents you selected 🙂 (I usually am a non-consumerist, but museum and national park gift shops are my weakness)
@A. Marie, Good save by the cyclist. Bad start to a trip.
@A. Marie, o know what your mean by NYC prices. Every time I go I do an almost ritualistic complaint of shock the first time I buy something.
Glad you enjoyed your trip and kudos to that biker.
@A. Marie,
I gasped when I read about the taxi taking off with your suitcase, but breathed out a big sigh of relief when the bicyclist came to your rescue. Whew! I'm so glad you didn't lose all your stuff! I sure hope you were in air conditioning the whole time, but I wonder if they have AC in New York. I'm thrilled for you that you had a good visit with Jane Austen and all her fans.
@A. Marie, Count me among those who would definitely like to hear more. Your experience with the bicyclist reminds me of almost every visit I’ve made to NYC, and there have been many. Helpful New Yorkers abound. The stories about those that I have are equally many.
@A. Marie,
It sounds like a wonderful trip despite the heat. I'm so so glad that you did not lose your suitcase! It would not have been fun to replace any lost items at NYC prices.
@Bee, Last year our DS1’s phone fell out of his pocket in a cab in Paris. He realized after the cab was long gone. But a call to the cab company reunited them the next day as they are used to things left in cans.
@A. Marie,
Oh, what a nice bicyclist! As a reverse to that, my daughter once left her laptop in a cab in D.C. In her case, her cabbie had spotted it, drove back to her hotel and got her called to the lobby to return it to her. She was able to tip him in that circumstance, since they were both standing in a hotel lobby, not dashing madly through traffic.
I'm glad your trip went well in spite of the cab incident!
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, same here for weakness at gift shops where visiting. I usually bought an ornament/small item signifying the trip & use them on Christmas tree as ornaments. Our tree tells some good stories.
Ornaments are a great little souvenir option!
@Regina, and @Kristen, ornaments are a great idea! I usually buy a fridge magnet (inspired by my sister who doesn't like buying tourist stuff).
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea et al., I bought a book for myself titled Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney (about women authors who preceded and inspired JA). For others, I bought a selection of postcards from the exhibition and several "JA Lip Balms" made by the company called the Unemployed Philosophers' Guild (a fun, inexpensive, and useful souvenir).
@ErikaJS, Me too! Brusque for the first 10 seconds, then hearts of gold!
@A. Marie, I'm out of the loop here. What is JASNA? JA? What's in the Morgan Library? Thank you!
@Sophie in Denmark, Regina, and Kristen, Ornaments from Museums also make great inexpensive-ish Christmas gifts to tuck away.
@ErikaJS, I've bought tree ornaments for Christmas presents in the past but haven't looked at ones in museums!
@Sophie in Denmark, They’re the best and can be ordered from the Museum's catalogue.
Last Christmas, I bought each son's family plus us the Edvard Munch Scream character from the painting, as an ornament. Because of the election.
@A. Marie, My son bought JA soap for me from the same company.
@Diane, JA is Jane Austen; JASNA is the Jane Austen Society of North America, of which I am a proud Life Member; and the Morgan Library and Museum in NYC is home to a fabulous collection of books, manuscripts, photos, etc., from all over the world. The Morgan is currently hosting an exhibit titled "A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250," in honor of JA's upcoming 250th birthday, and my JASNA BFF and I (we met on the 2009 JASNA tour of England and haven't stopped talking since) were lucky enough to be invited to the opening reception for this exhibit.
@A. Marie, Full of envy for your magnificent trip!
@A. Marie,
Your trip sounds amazing! Well, its started off on a wrong foot, but that bike rider saved the day! Can't wait to read more.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea,
Same here....I cannot resist a museum or national park gift shop!
@Diane, JA is Jane Austen. JASNA I believe is Jane Austen Society North America.
@Regina, ah same here!! They are small enough to fit in a carry on, and don't create much clutter. I bet you have a great tree!
@Diane, Jane Austen Society of North America; Jane Austen
@Diane, Morgan Library is a richly endowed museum in NYC, famous for wonderful books and thoughtful exhibits. I saw one of Beethoven’s original handwritten music scores there and almost had a heart attack for joy. It has recently been remodeled and expanded. A must visit for book lovers.
@Jody S.,
I have a Master's in English but it took your post for me to figure out the JA references, lol.
Mildly frugal week:
*I hit Sam's club in big city as we were there for a doctor's appointment. I did not buy anything frivolous- meats , drinks for my daughter's camp, etc., that I do need and are much cheaper than home.
*The doctor figured out the kid was responding to a less invasive method of treatment, so no surgery required! I'm glad I asked for a trial of the easier treatment when she talked about going straight to surgery in his previous appointment.
*The kids are going to the city pool and the YMCA in this hot weather- making good use of our membership fees.
* Husband and I did a massive clean out of our basement. We were able to clear off a set of shelves that he could use in the garage instead. Also, I emptied two storage containers, now available for his use. We sorted out stuff in good condition for donating, and the junk went into the truck which he took to the dump.
*I had the boys take the basement area rug outside for a good scrubbing. They did a good job, and after it dried ( the hot sun good for something!) , they vacuumed it and replaced it in the much less cluttered basement.
I still have to reorganize the school and art supplies down there, but at least everything is on a shelf and not the floor or precariously stacked on a table. My husband will call for an electronic item pick up from the waste management services, and then he'll also do a scrap metal drop off. It's so refreshing to go down there now!
@mbmom11, I wish I had the courage to do a massive clean out of our basement. So much stuff! So many books without homes! A good portion of my father's household stuff! It is daunting. Kudos to you for getting through it.
@Jody S.,
We were supposed to do it last year, so I really don't deserve praise. I did get rid of most of my personal "stuff" that was stored there last spring, but I needed him to get energized to do the whole thing. Books upon books, so many computer parts, bags with random screws... However, he also said he'll go through his clothes and clear out things he doesn't wear, so I'm happy the spring cleaning bug has struck ( even if it's summer). We'll have so much good clothes to donate.
@mbmom11, Hooray for no surgery! And no recovery. That's huge.
You put that yellowed spot out in our ferocious sun and you'd have no spot left after just a few hours. Benefit of a UV index of 12. 🙂
I was traveling with my kids last week, which involved some kind of un-frugal things--notably, I stopped at A&W in the last rough few hours of our drive home to get them floats and milkshakes and that was almost $30, eek. But!
--We stayed with my sister and while I bought dinner one night and provided all the food for lunches, she already had food on hand for breakfasts and dinners. So I bought her the Time magazine about cats (she's a veterinarian and has three cats) and a bottle of Prosecco and called it even.
--She lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, which has this awesome river park in the middle of the city that's free. It was very hot while we were there, so we went there two days and went hiking one morning. She has the state park pass, so also free for that. We did go to the farmer's market after church, where I bought everyone ridiculously expensive pastries, but that was about the only entertainment I paid for.
Even more frugal were my husband's activities at home while we were gone. He tore out the kids' bathroom down to to wall studs and floor joists. There had been many leaks resulting in worryingly spongy floors and water under the trailer that smelled really not good. Plus the toilet only sort of flushed because of mineral build-up. It was way past time for this. Obviously, the most frugal thing about this is the labor costs we are not paying. But also:
--The sink was okay after he replaced the plumbing under it, so we held off on getting a new one of those, even though it's very dated and sort of worn on the surface.
--He was able to get the plywood, plumbing things he needed, and a new toilet at one of our "closer" small cities (90 miles away), saving him the extra 60 miles driving to the bigger city. Everything else, even the new tub, was ordered online and will be delivered.
--We're not on any kind of municipal sewage, so while he's messing with the plumbing under the trailer, he's diverting sink water and so on (NOT toilet water--that goes to the septic) to various trees and shrubs outside. I don't clean with bleach or anything, so this will be fine.
The toilet is already in, and it's a great luxury having a toilet that flushes without the aid of extra water being poured in from a bucket. I'm looking forward to him doing our bathroom next, which is similar condition, if not worse.
@kristin @ going country, Your trip sounds delightful--I've been to Colorado twice in my life and loved it, even if, as a low-lander, I had to adjust to the high altitude! And kudos to your husband for doing all that work. He and my DH are a lot alike, preferring to DIY whenever they can!
This week's frugal things:
*I worked on projects that I have all the materials for (a high school graduation quilt for my son who graduated more than a year ago!) instead of starting another one to leave unfinished.
* I shopped for summer shoes for my youngest 2 in totes in our shed and basement. No luck. In the process, I learned that my youngest has NO SHOES that fit her. Not even close. The sandals she was wearing to church were 4 sizes too small! So we immediately did the not frugal thing and drove the 40 minutes to the big town to find shoes for her. We did not thrift. We found a pair of shoes for church and tennis shoes. When we got home, we ordered closed-toe sandals from Zappos--- and here's the frugal part finally----and picked out the uglier color in order to save $40!
*We planted some seeds in dirt. If this pans out, it will be less expensive 🙂
*We read books on our shelves and watched movies we already owned. We used the library for regular books and audiobooks (for my father to listen to while he's flat on his back with back pain).
*We cooked at home. Mostly. We had eye appointments and piano lessons one day, so we did have to buy some food for lunch. It was more expensive than pb & j's from the grocery store, but less than eating at a restaurant.
*We thrifted at the local store during a bag sale day.
@Jody S., Wow, FOUR SIZES too small? That's a remarkably stoic child.
@Jody S., your poor kid. That is an excellent time to spend money to get it done.
@kristin @ going country, Well, to be honest, they were open toed sandals, and she really liked them. The tennis shoes were "only" about 2 sizes too small.
@WilliamB, I know. I promise, this is not a normal habit for me. This is my youngest, and I have had similar things happen a few other times right after a growth spurt. I've noticed the big spurts happen in the summer-- just like plants that grow. Does anybody know if there's any science behind that?
You always look so put together in your scrubs. I worry when my time comes I'll look like a giant blob. But I will like not having to think about what to wear to work--I've always liked a uniform!
Not a lot that feels frugal, since we have a birthday or two coming up. But...
1. DH did some number crunching and we worked out that our food pantry purchases (we regularly donate to Little Free Pantries) will be more economical if we order some of it online, rather than buy at the grocery store. How it took us this long to work this out, I can't explain, except we've been very busy.
2. DH had a work and lunch session with a doctoral student, and hosted it here, so homecooked food, no restaurant involved.
3. DS#4's birthday is next week and he asked for a hiking adventure, so DH is taking him and DS#3 (who recently graduated high school, so this will be partly a celebration for him) to a 'castle' in the woods a couple of hours away. No, the stay isn't super cheap, but breakfast is included, and DH plans to pack food, and aside from lodging and a couple of meals they'll do free stuff like play their RP games and hike in the forest.
4. All meals cooked at home, no eating out.
5. And...library books! Am currently enjoying The Ministry of Time, even if it's getting a little racier than I thought it would be!
Your student scrubs will prob make you look like a blob, unfortunately. Ha. But once you can pick your own, you can choose a top that’s cut to fit a female body and that makes all the difference!
@Karen A.,
I liked the Ministry of Time, and was going to recommend my husband read it, until I got to the racier parts. He likes sci fi, not graphic love scenes. However, I loved how it ended.
@mbmom11, SF/F is my thing as well. Who is his favorite author? I'm always looking for a new rec.
@mbmom11, Ooh, good to know the ending is good...right now I'm in a place where it looks rather bleak!
@Karen A.,
I have seen Ministry of Time on many lists. My daughter recommended it to me also. I just finished the book, Trust. It won the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 2022. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out why. It was a good book, but far from fantastic IMO. Maybe Ministry of Time will be next.
@Bee, The writing in Ministry of Time is very, very good. If you don't mind slightly dystopian, near-future sci-fi, and some racy bits, you may like it.
@Bee, I was more than 1/2 finished with Trust when Libby unceremoniously took it back from me. Insert sad face! I was really enjoying it & looking forward to it coming back again!!
Your sun might make my pillow sham vaporize. Heh.
@Kristen, I think my comment got vaporized. 🙂
Oh my goodness! I don't know how that happened.
I made it re-appear. 🙂
I did a supermarket run where almost everything I wanted was on sale.
Giant Food overcharged me for phyllo cups (which I filled w homemade pudding to bring to a friend's party). It was only $.30 but there wasn't a line so I went for the refund. Turns out they give you the first one free, then the price differential for the rest.
Still eating down the freezer. Yesterdays dinner was donburi (Japanese soupy scrambled eggs) with onion and mushroom that I cooked and froze earlier to save from going bad.
Next up: using all the interesting sauces, rubs, and ingredients from the pantry. Anyone have ideas for using Italian ginger in syrup?
@WilliamB, could you mix the ginger syrup with club soda for homemade ginger beer?
@Bee,
I love ginger beer.
@WilliamB,
Anything can go in a smoothie.
Here is a "use up" that had my head scratching:
.99 cent baked dark chocolate Larabars. Discontinued and the taste was the reason. Still 5 grams of protein each and healthy ingredients. I decided to throw into a chocolate smoothie. Not bad.
@Mary Ann, wow!
@Bee, @Mary Ann, great ideas, thank you.
@WilliamB,
I did a quick Google search.....maybe this will give you some ideas? Though ginger beer sounds wonderful.
15+ Ways to Use Ginger Syrup and How to Make it https://share.google/KqoJ0Tg46MEhAkUAm
@WilliamB, we like to use flavored syrup on fresh fruits. Ginger is especially good with melon, plus a squeeze of lime juice.
1. This week’s free Adventure Club outing with my sister was a library presentation on local history, followed by a simple lunch of fruit and sandwiches at my house afterward.
2. Made sloppy joes out of TVP (textured vegetable protein), onions, peppers, tomato sauce and seasonings. (Next time I'm going to substitute lentils for the TVP, as suggested by a reader on the The Non-Consumet Advocate blog.)
3. Stopped at a neighborhood garage sale on our walk and found a jumbo mason jar that I had been wanting. Spent $1.
4. Made sun tea with tea bags from Buy Nothing. Used the new jumbo mason jar for this.
5. Replaced the rusted, painted over hinges on a hallway closet with nicer hinges from Buy Nothing. Perfect size and finish.
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@MB in MN, we used to make sun tea with the old glass giant pickle jars. I'm pretty sure that those pickle jars are now plastic. 🙁
I say leave the watercolors in the frames by the door. The colors look very pretty with the glass in your door and the greenery from your tree reflecting through it.
We have a lot of cucumbers this year so I'm going to try the agua de pepino.
Frugal things:
- Made homemade sauerkraut to use up an extra-large cabbage from the farmer's market. We'll have it with brats for the 4th of July dinner with the kids.
- Continue to receive produce from coworker's surplus from his garden. He is kindly sharing with me in exchange for the lemon pound cake I made for him.
- Paid in cash for lunch since there was a fee to use a credit card. I typically put everything on the credit card to earn cash back.
- Planned meals around the grocery store sales and contents of refrigerator, freezer and pantry.
- Continue to read book on Kindle Unlimited to maximum the value of my subscription.
One note: if the peels are a little bit bitter, the drink tastes better if you mostly peel the cucumbers first!
Frugal:
Cooking and eating at home, including buying less snacky foods.
Put all my random flower seed remnants into one large curb picked flower pot. Going to see what chaos gardening is all about.
Trying to use fans instead of AC whenever possible. Not on humid days tho.
Bought solar lights last fall on a deep clearance. Enjoying them now.
Mowing the grass ourselves even tho we both hate it.
Have a great week frugal friends.
Oh, I don't know....I imagine your kittycat will inspect your bed sham, along with everything else in the house, pretty closely! LOL! Looking forward to the darling photo you will take.
And you've given me house envy, showing those gorgeous hardwood floors and the stained glass windows on your front door. My luxury vinyl plank floors look nice, but nothing beats the real thing!
My frugal (or maybe not-quite-so-frugal) things involve going into a frenzy fixing my house up:
--Got another estimate for ceiling fan and flooring estimation. It was sky high so I won't be using that company.
--At Saturday's block party, I asked the neighbors if they new any good handymen/roofers/floor installers. One couple raved about their handyman, and gave him my number. He called right away, quoted me a decent fee, so I hired him.
--That handyman came by yesterday to finish the mess the other guy made of the ceiling fan last week. And the week before. (Did I mention the other guy had gone up into my attic several times and that my overhead lights in my bedroom, closet hall and 2 bathrooms quit working? Because the circuit breaker for those lights kept tripping? And that we didn't know why?) He fixed the overhead light problem, but discovered several pieces missing from the ceiling fan. We looked all over and can't find them. So....I tried calling the first guy and no answer, so I called his step dad and said I need him to come get his stuff. (Turns out it's all the stepdad's tools and stuff, which he took without asking.) I said I will give him the ceiling fan he tried to install as his payment. (Let HIM try to take it back to Walmart and explain why parts are missing. I suspect he pocketed the small parts to keep me from hiring anyone else.) But I'm not going to give him any money. (Sad to say, I suspect he's spending his $ at bars or something...his stepdad concurs.)
--New handyman will come and install another fan as soon as I buy one. I also asked him if he could install the flooring, and he was honest enough to say he doesn't do a good job with that, but he gave me the name of a fellow who is an expert flooring installer. (I'm not sure if I shared this on this site: But after buying enough LVP for the computer room at 15% off at Ollie's Outlet private sale, I saw that Ollie's had another sale. This one was open to everyone, where everything was also 15% off. So I went back and got 5 more boxes to do the hallway. With the discount, I paid $1.61 per square foot for commercial grade LVP. It's maybe one teensy weensy shade different from the Lowe's LVP that was on clearance for $1.99.)
--Meanwhile, playing around on the internet, going to random sites, I saw some ads from Wayfair and Home Depot that featured 24 inch wide electric wall ovens. Eureka! I've needed one for my 1960s kitchen. This is not a standard size any longer and they're hard to find. The original (bright yellow) built-in oven conked out a long time ago, and I replaced it twice with secondhand ovens (Craigslist and Habitat ReStore). Neither worked. One needed a thermostat, no longer available, and the ReStore one worked for a while and then died. So, seeing new ones are available, I think maybe now's the time to replace it. Went to Home Depot, and found out (from a very indifferent salesman) that Home Depot stores are different from the HD online, and the store does not have those ovens. I then thought about local businesses. Called a couple of Mom and Pop stores and one has a 24 inch oven in stock. Will be visiting them in a few minutes. Is it possible I will be able to bake in my kitchen again? Stay tuned!
Update: No, the store's built-in oven was digital. When I had my digital oven problems in the last house I bought, I swore I'd never get another digital stove again! Then, I went back and checked out the Home Depot website and Magic Chef website and Lowe's website....and read the customer reviews....and most customers gave their 24-inch ovens a failing grade.
The store clerk at the Mom and Pop place suggested I cut up my countertop and cabinets to make room for a freestanding kitchen stove. That would be a major expense! But maybe some other year.....
@Fru-gal Lisa, That's too bad about the 24 inch ovens. If you just want to be able to bake for yourself, maybe you could get a toaster oven? I have a good sized one that doubles as an air fryer and doesn't take up too much countertop space. It's big enough to bake breads, cookies, casseroles, pizzas, anything I want.
Kristen, if you keep working at that stain every so often, I bet it will disappear completely. But it's much, much improved now, already.
1. My sister is visiting again, and she'd never seen "The Princess Bride," so I pulled it up on Prime. What? I have to buy it for $14.99? Nope, we switched to the "included with Prime" movies and I entertained her greatly with her first viewing of "Knives Out."
I used to have "The Princess Bride" on VHS, but then we alllll had to upgrade so I no longer have a copy of the movie or a VHS tape player. I hate these upgrades.
2. I got coupons in an email from Michael's for fabric. They are working with JoAnn's now, it seems.
3. I'm still picking blackberries, although they are starting to play out.
4. I hung out laundry on Saturday (sheets and towels) and it promptly sprinkled. I checked the rain locations on radar several times and gambled on leaving the laundry out. My gamble paid off and the laundry dried nicely in the sun and breeze that followed the sprinkles, so I didn't need my dryer, and my laundry was rainwater fresh, ha.
5. The sweet potato sprouts I planted are growing like gangbusters, even the sprouts that looked iffy for a while. I hope I actually get potatoes. And I just harvested my first Beit Alpha cucumber for this summer. They are so crisp and flavorful, almost a little sweet.
@JD,
Knives Out is so much fun! The Glass Onion too - husband and grown kids also liked them (I was concerned they might think these movies tame, as they usually prefer somewhat more noisy and violent. However the movies were Much Approved). We are looking forward to watching the new one that will be available next winter-
@JD,
I kept my DVD player and my favorite DVDs just for this reason you mentioned here. Prime charges quite a bit for seasonal movies like Elf near the holidays. I purchased it for $1 at an Estate Sale.
@JD, she hasn’t seen The Princess Bride?! Inconceivable!
That was my thought; I might just do some random Oxi-Clean soaks whenever it's time to wash the bedding, and eventually the stains will fly away.
@Tina in NJ,
Ha!
@Bee,
I have a DVD Blu-ray player and several DVD's, but I missed getting a few of my old favorites on DVD when I switched to DVD from VHS. They are getting harder to find, too, so if I find them at a reasonable price, I buy them. A dollar is very reasonable! I have "White Christmas," "Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story," on DVD so I can watch them all I want during the holidays.
@JD, three random thoughts: 1. I’m with you on HATING continual “upgrades”, which is a euphemism for “complication, waste, relearn, and added expense”; 2. JoAnn’s “upgraded” a number of years ago, becoming an almost interchangeable clone of Michael’s; 3. Sweet potatoes are almost the only thing I can grow successfully. (I will email you a photo of last year’s crop so you can laugh with me!)
@Tina in NJ, A long time ago, I taught a composition class with the theme of Folklore and Fairy Tales. One of the books I used was The Princess Bride, to explore the theme of modernized, or altered, fairy tales. I had a returning student, maybe in her 40's, who had never seen the movie or read the book. (most of my students hadn't read the book before, or didn't even know it was a book, but they had all seen the movie.)
We made a class agreement that nobody was to offer any spoilers at all, so when she came across that one chapter in the Pit of Despair, you can guess her reaction...she came to class FUMING, and asked why did I have her READ this book, because she got so mad when she read that she threw the book across the room! I persuaded her to keep reading, and she did, mostly because her 12 year old son was also reading it with her and told her things got better, but I was actually tickled to see a book get such a strong reaction from a reader, who had gotten so invested in a character's well being...it was priceless.
@Tina in NJ, lol 🙂
@JD, I have all my favourite films and TV shows on DVD for that reason!
My very unpopular opinion is being underwhelmed by The Princess Bride *cue 'inconceivable!'*
@JD, if I ever find Princess Bride, I will let you know.
@Bee,
Thanks, Bee!
@JD, The Princess Bride is available streaming on Max 🙂 A classic to be sure.
I really like the print you hung behind your sofa. Well done, both on getting it for free & hanging it up. 😉 We have wedding photos on the floor of a closet, and our 20th wedding anniversary is in October. Maybe I'll make it a goal for our 20th to get them up. I'm also planning to have photos taken on our 20th, so I can set a double goal. 😉
Frugal fail: DS18 had friends over, and asked us to leave out hot dogs DH had grilled. Left out a huge pile of food, and went to bed. He forgot to put the leftovers in the fridge. His friends are typically really great about cleaning up, so not sure what happened there. But, it was a sad moment to see wasted food yesterday.
Frugal things:
1) Set up my family benefits at the new job yesterday, and got all of the health care stuff sorted. Today my goal will be to do the 401k. I maxed out our HSA contributions, which will require quite a bit monthly deduction, as I'm getting started half way through the year.
2) I go to our little local grocery store at least once a week (it's not cost effective to shop there for our regular stuff, but so close for last minute items) & every time I go, I redeem three of the game pieces I've earned. You can only redeem three at a time, which is infinitely annoying, and definitely more of a system limitation than intentional.
3) Bought my sister's flight to come visit in a few weeks as a thank you for her hosting DS18 & his friends on part of their summer road trip. I know she spent a lot to keep them fed, so this was nice to do. I used a gift card to cover the cost of her flights.
4) Sold some hand cream on eBay.
5) Went to the bank & had them adjust the terms on a CD that was in the "renegotiation phase", so I could get the best rate.
I love that you were able to take advantage of the scrubs sale! So timely.
We've been in this house 11 years and are focused on doing a big de-cluttering this summer. We have too many hobbies and interests to ever be minimalists, but we are getting rid of a lot of stuff. Which really brings home the point that we don't need to buy more stuff. I'm pretty good about adhering to a one in -one out rule, but still we have accumulated a lot of excess.
I did some mending this week. I also used the last of a saved curtain panel to make a cover for the dogs' 'porch bed.'
The lid to my slow cooker had cracked. My husband repaired it, but it still bothered me. I picked up a new, programmable slow cooker for $5 at a garage sale.
Our neighborhood summer picnic is this afternoon and I'm bringing a pasta salad made with stuff I have in my pantry and fridge.
We've been enjoying lots of carrots, lettuce, rhubarb, green onions, chard, and herbs from the garden.
I had a batch of yogurt that didn't set properly, so I used it up in smoothies (and made another batch of yogurt that set fine.)
1. Accepted a bowl of snap peas from our son's family garden. Will serve in salads and steamed with carrots as a side dish. Might also work for a snack by dipping in hummus or we can freeze the extra.
2. Bought 6 day old bagels at the coffee shop - still pricy but discounted. We freeze them and eat half a bagel at a time as they are hearty.
3. Signed up for two 4 week health challenges through my health insurance which if completed will earn $40 towards health care costs and which I will apply to my prescriptions. Doing this as I need to focus on exercise and weight anyway so why not get paid to do so.
4. Working on changing some habits that I do enjoy but don’t serve me. Right now shifting to afternoon tea at home instead of a latte at the coffee shop for a double win - less expensive and healthier diet by not adding a pastry or cookie.
5. Continuing to only read library books, do the yard and house work, etc. We want to restart contributing to our granddaughters’ 529 funds and set up some monthly charitable donations to things we value like the food bank. All the frugal habits fortunately leave us the funds to do that.
I am not being very frugal lately. We have had lots of family events, so I am just going with the flow. I don't come from the thriftiest of families, but they are a lot of fun.
• I sold an item on eBay. I shipped it using recycled materials.
• I used my contact lens rebate to buy a new pair of running shoes and a pair of sandals. I used a discount code and signed up to receive emails to save an additional 20% and to receive free shipping. This brought my total under the face value of the $100 gift card, and I had nothing out of pocket. BTW, my running shoes are also last year's color choice making them $25 cheaper than this year's.
• My nephew invited me to go out in the boat with his family. I found a really interesting succulent on one of the little islands where we looking for sharks teeth, so I took a cutting to root.
• I bought a delicious fresh pineapple last week. I am attempting to root the top. Other bromeliads grow well in Florida. I hope this pineapple will too.
• I have been doing the usual things when and where I can - brewing my coffee at home, drinking primarily filtered water, reading my library books before bed, earning my YMCA points by working out, and bringing snacks along on my outings.
Wishing you all peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, my maternal grandmother's father tried and failed to establish a pineapple plantation along the Indian River in the early years of the last century. (My Florida roots go back a long way.) But to the end of his long life, he enjoyed rooting pineapple tops and had good success. So I wish you the same with yours.
@Bee,
My sister in Deland grows her own pineapples. Good luck!
@A. Marie,
My mother worked for one of the large engineering contractors during the Apollo and Mercury programs. We lived very close to the Indian River. Do you know where your family was? Many generations back that had to be a hot and buggy endeavor. Not at all for the faint of heart.
@Bee, the plantation was near a community called Eldred, which now survives only in community names but was near present-day Fort Pierce.
1. I used a 15% off coupon at Ollies (saved almost $9) on lamp shades for 2 lamps I found at thrift store.
2. Used expired milk (by 2 days, it still smelled fine) in meatloaf.
3. used yogurt I didn't like & put in candy molds and froze as dog treats for my pups
4. Saved license plate from our previous trailer and transferred it to new trailer, saving $25 new plate fee
5. Received a small watermelon from the food bank that operates from our work building
6. Redeemed receipt hog rewards ($15 Amazon) towards an electric shaver I wanted
Great deal on the scrubs!!
For the frames, in the past if I have needed a little picture somewhere and had a good frame, I would keep an eye out for art books or travel books (like coffee table books about Charleston or about Paris or whatever) and use the pages from the books as my pictures. The old books at my library being sold are usually $1-$2 or Goodwill for $2.
We had company all this past week so not the most frugal week, but also not horrible. We went out to lunch and ate suppers at home with them. Went to a local museum on a day that was BOGO tickets.
Bought local corn on the cob for 4/$1. I bought enough for the year and put it away in the freezer. That took up most of my Saturday morning, but it's done for the year.
shredded cheese was on sale for $1/bag so I stocked up on that also.
Bought a pair of Reef slide in shoes that were still in the box new for $4.50. They're a great color to slide on with a summer dress when I need something a touch more dressy than a flip flop or sandal, but still really comfortable. They run about $70 new.
Set up the nursery this past week! Crib was a FB marketplace find, $100 and it converts to a toddler bed (no recalls on the model, bought a new mattress for it.) The changing table dresser was free on FB, and a rocker was $20 at GoodWill. The cats have claimed the changing table pad as their own, so the crib is filled with pillows to deter them from claiming that. 😀
Aww, what a fun frugal project a nursery is. So exciting!
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, we bought a really nice arm chair for (youngest) first Christmas & put it in nursery/room & kept the rocking chair for first year, then moved rocking chair to living room. We used that arm chair for reading books in room and today still have that arm chair.
You could take the changing table pad & put into crib under stuffed animals. We put diapers & wipes & burp clothes in top dresser drawer during those years.
Jumping right in here. The organic white potatoes I got from Misfits a few weeks ago went to root. I had one mineral tub left to plant in and even though potatoes are a cool crop, I planted a few of them yesterday. If the roots are not to heavy, I just cut them off and use the potatoes but some of these were pretty shriveled and small.
I've noticed several "volunteers" coming up in the yard. I already had the Mowing Guy go around one cucurbit species unknown, that might be mini pumpkin, or summer squash. I've noticed two more but one will have to go. The (very) small patch of zinnias I've had has reseeded itself twice and one is far away from the group, so I will move it to join the others. The squirrels are notorious planters. (I have cut back two black walnut sprouts twice a year, three years in a row next to my front stoop.) I planted common basil with tomatoes in the mineral tubs last year and the basil reseeded. Most free plants are nice!
The car has not needed repair.
The "new" lawn mower I got a few years ago, had a problem the first summer I had it. Put it on the back burner, since my sister gave me hers. My Mowing Guy's Dad is fixing it for the price of parts. If this works, it will be nice to have a mower in which the self-propelled portion really works. However, it is a hoot to watch the Mowing Guy mow with such ease while I struggle. Height and center of gravity difference of course.
The usuals: chai latte at home, distill my own water, bunch errands, AC remains on 72', drapes closed to keep out the sun. Did not buy any new holiday decor for the nurses station at work, but reused rustic flags, red/white/blue pinwheels, red carriage lamp w battery operated candle. I took up the "bee" decor last night that was there for June pollinator month.
Great score on the scrubs & compression socks! And the quilt (& Snoopy) look great. 😉
Frugal things---
● used $10 bonus Applebees giftcard(s) towards prime rib dipper sandwich & fries for lunch (×2) making total cost $11 (both of us)
● used my free birthday brownie bite with Applebees lunch
● stopped by Apple Valley to check on ice cream & received 10% off case (6 quarts)
● found new (small) craft Welcome sign $2 at antique store
● hit 2 yard sales (passing through countryside) & purchased new Pampered Chef white glazed 9" stoneware square pan, adjustable pole (to put apple picker attachment on), 15 plastic white hangers, small cute ceramic pot, Tupperware snowman cookie container, 4 grapefruit spoons $9 (total)
● put out my medium American flags (purchased at flea market last year) & giant red/white/blue pinwheels (purchased few years ago from Dollar tree when still $1 each item) for 4th of July holiday decorations. Had neighbor tell me yesterday how nice the house & yard look decorated 🙂
● picked up real lemonade $1 each (after sale & coupons)
What a great deal on the scrubs!
1. I needed a pair of sandals for summer, so I shopped on eBay for sandals in my size and put a few that I liked on my watch list. One of the sellers sent me an offer for a reduced price, so that's the pair I bought. I used the last of a gift card to pay almost all of the cost. They only cost me 3 cents out of pocket.
2. I had an at home film festival over the weekend because I needed some fun. I watched movies on Netflix and Tubi and ate snacks I had at home. It was a good time with no money spent.
3. I shopped the sales at the grocery store and got some great deals - chips for $1 a bag, name brand canned beans for $1 each, tortillas for less than $2 a package. I used coupons for gluten free pasta and frozen vegetables. I didn't buy anything that was not a good price.
4. I gave all my shoes a good cleaning. They look and feel much better now.
5. All the usuals, reusing Ziploc bags, using washables instead of disposables for almost everything, cooking simple meals at home, and drinking mostly water.
Kristen,
You were not only in nursing school but also earning a living by blogging and also working as a hospital tech (not to mention dealing with your former life). You had a lot of balls in the air. I'm glad you finally have some breathing room.
This is true! And you know what's crazy? Even though I am still blogging and working and studying for the NCLEX now, my life already feels so much calmer. 🙂
No frugals, but a vote to keep the watercolors in the frames. Too much black and white makes for a dull look (says the pencil artist who became an oil painter but still loves to draw more than anything!)
1. I finally hung up some artwork too! It took all of five minutes and I had all the supplies just no motivation. Now when I see the artwork it makes me so happy.
2. A planned dinner out with friends at a local restaurant changed to meeting up at one of our houses and bringing food to share.
3. My grandparents have successfully moved into their new home in assisted living. I helped my parents go through my grandparent’s house to get it ready for the upcoming estate sale. I pulled items I wanted to take home and found items to bring up to my grandparents that were missed in the move (crossword puzzle dictionaries, my grandma’s photo album of all her projects – little things that make it their home).
4. Some of the items I brought home will replace items we already have. I will be bringing the replaced items back to my grandparent’s house for the sale. I am also doing a thorough clean out of our house to go towards the estate sale. All the proceeds will go to my grandparents.
5. It feels like all my Libby holds have arrived at once! I’ve been listening to some wonderful books that have been on my list for a while, thank you library!
Frugal fail – the containers that I used for this year’s herb garden did not have the drainage needed to keep up with the amount of rainfall we received this summer. I had to throw out all the plants and soil because everything was beyond saving. Hopefully I can find a few plants this late in the season since we use so many fresh herbs at Thanksgiving.
@Geneva, some of my potted herb plants sitting in water also because of so much rain. I was beginning to think I can't grow this year. I'm about to drill in more drainage holes because half are almost dead. I thought the HOT weather would help but I don't have plants in all day full sun, only full sun part day.
I think those colorful wildflower images look really pretty framed in your entryway like that! I love them.
Did you all see the blurb on MSN website today about Aldi trashcans? Supposedly Aldi will premiere a kitchen trash can that looks just like some $99 and $119 high-end trash cans. The kind with a pedal on it. It named Williams Sonoma and West End as having them. They were saying how Aldi's knockoff will be $25, blah blah blah...and raving about how shoppers can save $75 or more, and isn't this a fantastic deal, etc.
I had to laugh, thinking of all of us (responding to yesterday's post about trash cans) and how we get our trash cans from thrift stores and curb piles and repurposing shredder bins and other items we have around the house....25 smackeroos is way more than we spend, LOL!
I had a week of frugal fails and just general misfortune. So let this be a lesson to a lot of you.
Fail #1 I did not have AAA and apparently towing on my insurance was not something I had any more. We broke down on the highway and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts price fixes the cost of towing on the highway to a stupidly high level. We were broken down and on vacation had no choice.
I have since become a member of AAA but it doesn't start until later this week. If this happens again, we will be covered.
I guess this is a Frugal Win (so #2) was that we found a mechanic willing to look at our car right away in the small town we were towed to. He was honest and didn't rake us over the coals and just charged us a flat labor charge and we were back on our way after a $300 (mostly parts) charge. He also gave us a list of things to get done with the local mechanic when we got back.
3. I replaced my wife's car's air filter and cabin filter. Total cost was under $30 and required no tools. So easy a caveman could do it.
4. Brought snacks and food on vacation to save a few dollars (while the emergency took up like ten times the maximum possible savings ... )
5. Just the usuals that save a few dollars here and there. I know how things work out in the long haul but I absolutely see why people get discouraged with frugality sometimes.
@Battra92,
Ugh, I know your pain. I dont know if I ever mentioned this, but hubby and I bought a 25 year old, used sailboat and trailer many years ago. Long story, but we did not take good care of it (hangs head in shame), and hubby spent most of a summer getting it fixed up. We were ready for a vacation to a nearby lake; hubby hitched up the boat trailer, and off we went! We got as far as the interstate, when one of the tires on the boat trailer got a flat. During rush hour, I might add. We have AAA, but waited a very long time....only to have them come, and we find out we have *auto* insurance, but not *RV* insurance, which I guess is what's required for them to cover the trailer. Sigh. The first AAA guy calls another AAA guy, and they somehow get the boat & trailer up on a flatbed truck. I have no idea how much that cost, but Im sure it was a pretty penny. We no longer have the boat or the trailer, since the last time hubby tried to tow it, a trailer tire caught on fire. But thats for another day. 🙂
Jose the Cook is such an awesome guy, and I love Chiquita's plushy bootie. 😀 Hurray for that incredible sale on scrubs!
I have been going to physical therapy and had to get somewhat inventive with recreating equipment at home. So far so good. Been enjoying a meal I threw together from odds and ends and froze in individual servings. Neighbors had a block party with free hot dogs and seltzers Saturday.
Using up all my fabric scraps from my quilts to make scrappy quilts. Have 3 done and at least 2 more to go. Fun and easy.
I channeled a bit of your energy, Kristen, and used a $5 reward at DSW. It was due to expire so I checked the clearance area, found a set of 2 pairs of socks, applied the reward and paid $2 for some very soft, gray boot socks.
I really like the one watercolor that goes so well with the stained glass in your front door. I wonder if you’d like the frames there if they were a lighter color? You have so many beautiful photos of nature from your walks, I suspect you could find something that would go nicely, if you decide to change it up.
Combined errands yesterday.
Meal planned with an eye towards the weather/temperature, freezer holdings, impending teenage grandchild visit, and sales.
Am doing the monitor outside temperature/inside temperature, open windows/shut windows, raise/lower shades, make sure awning goes out early, turn on/off AC dance to keep house as cool as possible with the least amount of AC.
I am so proud of your DSW purchase!
I had an unfrugal thing followed by an almost really unfrugal thing followed by a frugal-ish thing: inspired by the rotisserie chicken meals here and my previous love for Cowboy Chicken in OKC, I picked one up at the American grocery because this week is so busy (not so frugal to me at $9 for a little one). When I got it home I noticed the kitchen smelled like hot plastic. My husband was meanwhile happily eating this chicken for lunch. When I put the leftover chicken away, I nearly threw it out because the chicken itself smelled and tasted like plastic (very not frugal). I then realized if you remove the skin (as my husband always does), the plastic smell was virtually gone (so I'll be frugal and remove the skin before eating). That's too bad for me because the skin is the best part of a rotisserie chicken. I guess leaving them in those plastic bags on the heat is not the best thing for them. Has anyone else had this problem? Perhaps the bags they use here in Japan are different from what is used in the states?
Happy Canada Day to any Canadian readers!
FFT:
Not sure if I have five but here goes:
1- took advantage of a credit card offer that 1) had $200 bonus cash upon approval; 2) first year annual fee waived; 3) 10% bonus cash back in the first 90 days to a max $2,000 spend, and I promptly paid my annual property taxes with that credit card earning almost the full 10% cash back.
2- purchased a new sofa using a 15% discount plus free shipping offer. I gave away my 3-seater sofa a couple of years ago have been making due with 2 love seats but have been wanting a larger piece for some time. I used a points earning credit card with a high multiplier at grocery stores to buy gift cards for the furniture store and paid with those.
3- used stacking gas offers to fill up and received roughly $18 back that I'll use toward a future gas purchase
4- used a $10 off $20 purchase offer at a specialty food store to buy a couple of items that I really like but rarely purchase due to their cost
5 - made meals and coffee at home
That cucumber drink sounds delicious!
1) Went to a show, Little Shop of Horrors, using my sisters discount for tickets. Only 3 dollars for front row seats!
2) Made a peach/blackberry cobbler using our canned pie fillings instead of buying a pre-made dessert to bring to a BBQ
3) Used my Google credits to rent Far and Away (which I watched while shelling a zillion fava beans)
4) Remembered to skip a recurring delivery because we don't need it quite yet so the money doesn't need to be spent now
That's all I can think of for now...
My neighbours were moving and dismantled a bunch of lattices, so I scooped three large pieces and made a gate for my vegetable garden, I even had all the screws and hinges so I didn't have to do a hardware store run. It was so fun to build and completes the garden and will keep the deer out!
I picked a huge bunch of chard and it’s making its way into tonight’s dinner.
I gave myself a manicure with some free nail polish….I’m in the dirt a lot at this time of year so it was necessary.
I lowered my house insurance by $155, which is not huge but every little bit helps.
And lastly I got a large annual bonus which I invested into my TFSA with an employer match of 33%. I couldn’t turn down a one time 33% offer! Luckily I had room in my tax free savings account to do so.
Happy Canada Day everyone!
The scrubs look great on you. Hooray for a top "cut" for women. I have some cute compression socks that my sister gave me as a gift. The socks have rabbits riding a bicycle. They cut off my circulation because my calves are so big. Kristen, please e-mail me and I will mail them to you.
My 5 frugals include:
Snacks and beverages taken when away from home. This week, I made sandwiches to have post gym work out. My hubby easily ate 5 pre-packaged items (like protein bars) post workout so packing us sandwiches is better for health and our budget.
All meals cooked at home.
Air dried laundry, washed on cold, and measured laundry powder instead of eye balling it.
Doing yard work early in the day and taking multiple days to finish it. This is frugal since I won't give myself heat stroke or a heart attack.
Hubs travels for work. I enjoy gardening and the exercise I get from yard work ( just not this time of year).It's been in the mid 90's here and summertime just means high humidity where we live. All outside chores must be tackled early in the day.
Used 4th of July decor I already have to make the house a little fun.
1. I planned meals. I avoided buying prepackaged snacks. I did not buy any drinks. I made meals at home. We brewed coffee at home.
2. I made 2 play costumes without buying any materials. I have several more to mend or adjust.
3. We enjoyed no cost activities and borrowed a movie from the library.
4. I avoided many impulse buys, so it needed its own mention. Sometimes, it's just stopping to think about whether you actually need something.
5. I moved all the patches from one uniform for a bigger uniform. The shop offers to do it for you, but I can do it for free.
6. I have been consciously using the AC, to keep costs down and generally be a good steward of our natural resources.
Man! I wrote a whole big comment and it vanished just as I was about to hit publish! Grr…here are the highlights: I bought some marked down chicken, cut the “ick” off and renamed it “chen” before stashing six pounds of it in the freezer. Also, my house is still pretty hot, but it is raining now and I have opened the windows, so hopefully it will be better tomorrow.
I like the watercolors in the frames. They echo the stained glass.
1) Last week was crazy with events and lunches and dinners, so I didn't cook much. This week I am happy to prepare all our meals at home and use up as much as I can that became leftovers last week. It meant a much cheaper grocery bill on Monday, and hopefully avoiding a lot of food waste.
2) Our daughter is in a really nice camp this week, paid for by our local health authority that also manages her disability case. The only cost to our family is driving her way out in the county every day. I am making the driving as frugal as possible by getting gas way out in the county where it is cheaper, batching my other errands so I do them on the way, and listening to a free library audio book while I am driving all those miles.
3) Our daughter has grown a full size since I finalized her summer wardrobe back in May. A couple weeks ago I ordered five shirts and five pair of pants in her current size and style from Threadup. This weekend I washed it all when it arrived and pulled everything out of her drawers that no longer fits. My "donate" basket that I keep in our bedroom is now full, which means I need a trip to the Goodwill!
4) I interviewed for another job this week. The institution is great, and the job is mostly what I want, but the salary is egregiously low, even by nonprofit standards. My plan is to keep interviewing with them if they keep bumping me along the interview gauntlet. If and when I get to talk to the powers that be I will make my own pitch to them about what I could do with the position for the institution and how I would structure the salary to make it palatable for someone with my experience and skills. Will it work? Probably not. But I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. At the very least I will walk away with them saying, we wish we could afford her.
5) I turned down one home exchange guest who only wanted to stay in our house one night. It is not worth it to me to prep the house for a single night exchange. And then I got a request for a home exchange for five nights during the same week we are already out of town. The person also told me she would make it super easy by packing her own sheets (her kids are sensitive to everything but their own laundry detergent, and it makes their clean and check out much faster if they are just grabbing their own sheets to drive home and wash at their leisure). It is kind of genius, and I am ashamed I hadn't thought of it. So I will clean the house and wash and put away our sheets next week when we leave on vacation, they will water my plants and leave me with 800 "guests points" that I can use for our next vacation stay.
We found out in California (end of May) that hubby and I are going to be grandparents. Our baby boy will be born in early January in Singapore. So hubby and I have t start pinching pennies for our trip to Singapore this year.
Hubby bought two pairs of shorts at Costco and didn't like them but took them back. He's bought two more pairs but at least they are Costco priced (12?).
We are eating at home. Daughter came home for jury duty which she ended up being excused from. Hubby did the drive down and back to pick her up in one day. That night we did have pizza from the pizza place.
Controlling electricity use. Using warmer AC temps at night and keeping drapes and blinds closed.. Realizing that with daughter moving home the end of July our electric and water use will go up. She will be paying weekly board to us.
Good sales at the grocery store this week. This has been the best flyer in a long time.
Congrats on the grandbaby!
The cucumber drink looks refreshing and your wall decor looks great!
My Frugal 5s
- Eating up food in the fridge and leftovers from camping trip as much as we can.
- Kids also got free lunch at the park. Free food and fun at the local playground.
- Free entertainment by reading books, watching TV at home, going to swim by the lake and river, playing with toys and crafting with things we already have.
- Adulting and slowing going through choirs that need to be done.
- Will be spending 4th of July at my brother and sister in laws' place. They'll be providing the food at their place.
I repaired 3 pairs of crop pants by replacing elastic. This would probably for at least 20 bucks a pair to have someone do this.
-- I fixed a too short necklace a friend gave me by using extenders in a unique way.
-- since we've been hiding from the heat, we went and did a few frugal activities like going to a free art exhibit at the library going to see another exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Library.
-- I found a new little library in my neighborhood deposited a few books and took one for a friend.
-- I hid the bread. My husband always opens a new loaf of bread for the old one is gone so I hid the new off in the freezer. Hopefully he doesn't figure it out.
LOVE your posts! The handout on “SHOCK” brought me back to my nursing school days: Was there a time I KNEW ALL THAT??!LOL!! You worked SO HARD! And now,graduated! YAY! You will ace the NCLEX!
Yellow spot: Just move Snoopy’s nose over a bit, lol… it does look so good after your treatments.I love that set you have on your bed.so pretty!
Cucumber:I love it in salad, as a drink? I would have to stretch to try that recipe.
Hugs and good luck on your NCLEX!!!!!! GREAT BUY on those scrubs!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha, yeah, that's a page of my notes on shock.
I like your yellow spot solution. Or perhaps I can buy a bigger Snoopy to sit next to the other one. Ha.
I see you have hung up a lot of pictures. What is your method to doing that? I know as a renter you may not be using a nail which is what I want to avoid.