Five Frugal Things (maybe it's a week of fives?)
I'm following the Five Happy Things post from yesterday with a Five Frugal Things post today. 😉
1. I helped Sonia & Zoe look at unit prices.
They had some coupons they wanted to use at Bath and Body Works, plus some money in their pockets from cat-sitting.
They were initially going to buy a single item each, but I pointed out that things like the 3/$12 pricing only applies if you buy three.
I know it's kind of a racket and that Bath and Body Works purposely sets things up so that it makes way more sense to buy multiple items. But still, if you're going to shop there, you might as well play the game the smartest way!
Anyway, they each did a multi-item deal and we had a 20% off coupon on top of it, so they are all set for a while.
2. I started the process of filing a claim with Cigna.
We have some pretty large bills from an office that doesn't participate with Cigna and also does not file on our behalf. This has never happened to me before, so I'm into uncharted territory.
It's not a 100% guarantee that they will contribute to these bills, but I figure it's worth a stamp and a few pieces of paper to at least try.
I am now freshly full of appreciation for the medical billing professionals who usually handle this stuff for me!
3. I went shopping while thirsty but mostly behaved myself.
You know how if you go shopping when you are hungry, you want to buy ALL OF THE FOOD?
Well, when you are thirsty, it's tempting to buy ALL OF THE BEVERAGES.
Luckily, I just bought a small box of Aldi's version of La Croix, and I popped one open to drink in the car on the way home.
(Sonia and I are on kind of a La Croix kick lately.)
4. Sonia and I watched a library movie.
Which is fabulous because it's free.
(Though in full disclosure, she has another movie checked out from the library right now as well and I forgot to bring it back yesterday which means I have a $1 fine waiting for me. Still a decent deal, though!)
5. I got a sweater on clearance for Sonia.
She's been wanting some sweaters for fall, and we happened to find one on clearance with a cat on it.
Which of course makes the sweater twice as good.
Your turn! Share your own Five Frugal Things in the comments.
Also, I'd love to hear your option on La Croix. Love it? Hate it?
You might have Out Of Network benefits that the medical bills will be applied to. The out of network deductible is usally higher though. It doesn’t hurt to try though!
Mmm, that is true now that I think about it. We probably have not met our out of network deductible. But hey, I might as well submit these bills so that they're at least applied toward the deductible.
I do believe I am going to have this issue with medical bills this year as well. My oldest son needs some major dental work and the specialists that my dentist want us to go to are not in-network. We shall see. My husband is on the same page finally. He said if they pay some they do if not he is still getting the work done. We don't want him having bad teeth/sleep apnea issues/tonsillitis and such when he gets older. So all in all $4500 in dental bills and then whatever surgery will most likely be for adenoids/tonsils taken out. Glad I have been diligent in paying bills and most of my student loans are paid for since May. So I have an extra $300 a month to go towards these bills. I have to look at the bright side:)
I forget that you have a cat. He is beautiful!! Have a good week:)
I love seltzer, but oddly do not love it in cans. I find it so fizzy that it feels like I'm getting all bubbles and no liquid.
We have a SodaStream, which I used heavily when I could exchange the canisters. One of the most disappointing things for me living where we do now is that there is nowhere to exchange our SodaStream canisters. The nearest store that does it is three hours away, which is not happening, obviously.
This means that seltzer is now an occasional treat when we get to the store (60 miles away) that has the Poland Springs seltzer in liter bottles.
As for frugal things . . . well, I told my kids I'm not giving them a dollar every Tuesday and Thursday to buy a snack from the Tech Club's snack shack. I already had to buy packaged snacks--which irritated me--to send in with them for their teachers to hand out. As with school lunches, they are free to bring in their own money to buy food, but I'm not going to buy it for them.
Also, after three weeks in our new home, we have already established a reputation as people who will take excess produce. It started with an elderly man at our church who was giving me the ubiquitous zucchini and cucumbers, but now is bringing us peaches and cantaloupe and tomatoes. And a different elderly man from our church brought us peaches from HIS tree yesterday. Awesome.
Moral of the story: Graciously accept the zucchini, and perhaps peaches will follow. 🙂
Do you live by a walmart? They exchange soadstream canisters for a small fee. My local store keeps them at the service desk.
The Frugalwoods are renowned for their sodastream hack:
https://www.frugalwoods.com/2015/08/07/the-great-homemade-seltzer-discovery-of-2015/
I don't live near anything. The closest Walmart is 80 miles away.
If I remember that hack right, it relies on getting a really big tank from a home brewing supply place. We could do that, I suppose. But again, the nearest home brewing supply place is 160 miles away, and we haven't ventured that far away yet. (And probably won't in the near future with all our many small children.) It's a good thing to keep in mind though.
This is exactly my experience with hand me downs too. It's totally worth it to be known as a person who loves hand me downs!
I don't have a sodastream but could you order replacements through amazon and get them delivered to your house? I know in my town we can't get everything I want/need so I just order it on Amazon and get it delivered! 🙂
Frustratingly, you can order new canisters, but not replacements. At least, not here.
I'm heavily reliant on Amazon too. The delivery guy here is practically a celebrity.
FG, send me an email if you'd like suggestions/advice about filing an out-of-network claim. As y'all know, I go through that disaster frequently.
Does Bath & Body Works make you buy 3 to get the sale? Bummer! So many places have two-for $X or three-for $X but you really don't have to buy the 2 or 3 to get the sale price. I saw an ad the other day that said "Must buy two to get the sale price" and I pointed it out to my husband, because it was so unusual to see that. I don't like being forced to buy the multiples.
1. I stuck to the bare minimum on my grocery list and spent about $49 on groceries for the week.
2. I used my Florida Farm Bureau member card to get cents off on my gas at the pump.
3. I buy my dog food at a local pet supply store. I've researched the prices, and they are quite competitive, plus I get every 12th bag free in my regularly purchased size. I'm on bag 11 now, this go-round.
4. I have made a padded seat cushion for one of my kitchen chairs that I am painting, using sale-purchased fabric and upholstery foam bought completely with Swagbucks on Amazon. It looks good, so I am eager to get the other three finished.
5. Got someone a small kitchen item (on sale) as a gift, and bought a cute but very inexpensive dish towel to wrap it in. I had raffia in just the right color in my ribbon/bow stash to tie it up with, and it even already had a blank tag threaded on the ribbon.
My Harris Teeter's BOGO is actually 50% off, but my Safeway's BOGO is an actual BOGO. If you only buy one, it's full price.
Yes, I've noticed that at Harris Teeter. So weird!
I use the multiples and donate those to the food pantry.
1.) Booked a ferry ride for the weekend wedding trip my wife and I are taking. Booking online saves a couple dollars. It's not cheap but it saves several hours of driving and makes life easier.
2.) My local BJs had a copy of a Cooks Illustrated cookbook (The Science of Good Cooking) for $8 but I didn't buy it. I don't *need* another cookbook so it would've been $8 wasted, even if the cover price was $50.
3.) Bought a Netflix GC on Amazon. It's a minor victory but it amounts to 4% off as my CC gives me 5% off on Amazon purchases but only 1% on Netflix. So I saved $2 on $50 of credit. Hey, $2 is $2!
4.) Dollar General had Ajax dish soap at Buy 2 Get 1 free. They were $2.75 for the giant 52 oz bottles. Just buying the three bottles gave me probably a year's supply of dish soap (though I'm currently using the Lidl soap I got while on vacation which is really nice!)
5.) Actually planned out meals for the week. We've been slacking off this summer. Sure it's a short week for us but still, I call it a win.
My frugal things aren't as good as yours...I need to work on that!
1. We are getting a new drain pump installed in the dishwasher as I type. This isn't something we can do ourselves and its cheaper than a new dishwasher. So I will call it a win since I use my dishwasher on the daily.
2. Spent less than $100 at the grocery store this week and that's unusual. I have several frugal meals planned and they all sound edible!
3. Side note to #2 - Hubby and I ate out only twice this last weekend. I made Sunday breakfast using Saturday leftovers, and we had a free lunch provided by a winery we visited.
4. Both of us pack leftovers for lunch every day.
That's only 4. And I realize most of my frugalness involves food!
1. Ate out last night to celebrate my 7 year old achieving an 'A' for poetry recitation in a local arts festival. Burgers were on special, and I had a voucher for my son. Skipped dessert.
2. Used my close-to-expiry supermarket loyalty points (I'm not really that loyal, obviously) to buy cream, for coffee.
3. Finally received uniform allowance payment! Nursing shoes were 50% off at a local pharmacy; I bought one pair and let my colleagues know about the good deal.
4. Took a summer jacket (which no longer fits me) to the tailor for alteration. Not as cheap as taking it in myself, but cheaper than a new jacket (and the job is above my skill level).
5. Calculated, and compared costs of a trip to campus on Friday. Driving is cheaper than the train. Pity...
I feel as though all I do is tell myself "no" to a lot of stuff lately. Mainly because of money. While I know that it is helping our financial situation, it is becoming quite the buzz kill to always have to say no. With that being said, I"m going to type out what I've said no to so that I can re-read and try to be proud of what I'm doing for our financial situation.
1. I said no to filling up my gas tank at Costco (even though it is cheaper) when I knew I had enough gas for the week (and enough to get my through until payday).
2. I said no to an easy drive through dinner before baseball practice last Friday. We went home and had peanut butter and jelly.
3. I said no to buying all of the "suggested" school supplies to help stock my son's classroom. I donated what I already had on hand that was on the list and have kept a list of things to buy on clearance for a mid-year donation.
4. I said no to buying an instant pot. I borrowed one from a friend to see if I would like it. Though it was quick and easy, it didn't inspire me to cook any more than what I already do.
5. I said no to buying some items for re-sell at the GW. I need to make some profit from my current inventory before buying more.
Yes, I know saying "no" is needed to change your financial situation, I am just tired of living this way. It's hard to send your kids back to school in hand me downs and skip over "fun" parts of life. Ok, I guess that was my boo-hoo for the day. Sorry to vent to everyone.
Don't be sorry for venting at all. I think that the comments section on Kristin's blog is always a safe place. Please remember that this is just a phase of life that you are going through and that the sacrifices you are making now will pay off in the long haul, quite literally. My husband and I are where you are now - buckled the boot straps and are on budget lock down. Do you have a *little* bit of wiggle room to say "yes" to something? I find that making a big deal out of something small...like a trip to the ice cream shop does a lot for our mentalities. Reading "Meet the Frugalwoods" has helped me cope with the stage we are in right now. You will make it through! And your kids won't remember that they wore hand-me-downs 😉
Thank you so much for your comment. I do try to find some fun things that I can do with my kids so "they don't notice" (they are young)...but I also have to say no to things like date nights and going out with friends that are "fun" to my husband and I. We both know that this is for the better of our family...it just weighs down heavy sometimes. Thankfully Friday is payday and there is enough food to get us through and enough gas to get us where we need to go. Thanks again.
Yes, you rationed your gas wisely!
Yes, you enjoyed PB&J with your family!
Yes, you planned how to handle school supplies, frugally and fairly!
Yes, you didn't clutter your cupboards with one more appliance!
Yes, you trusted that more deals for re-sale would come around again!
Yes, your kids will find "fun" in ways you never imagined!
Yes, you shared your honest frustrations, and that is good!
Yes, you are not alone.
Thank you for the support.
This is amazing 🙂 I loved how you rephrased everything so positively! Even just reading through the comments (and it’s not my life) it made me feel better for that person....I think framing it as a “I said yes to....” instead of “no” ....I think I need to do this in my life too!
Jenelle, I need to learn to say NO more often. We have some major expenses coming that we need to prepare for. I agree.... look for the way that you can say yes periodically. I don't know where you are located.... a few examples from here when wanting to eat out... Sonic periodically has a 50 cent corn dog special. Some restaurants let kids eat free with adult entrees, ice cream store might run a 50 cent single cone. Search online for "free" things to do as a family. Most cities offer a variety of things... during the summer, we have free movies in the park, or free concerts in the park. We just take a picnic or some snacks from home to those and enjoy. If your children are little and you don't have access to a free pool, let them play in the sprinkler or water hose. We did this with my grand baby a couple of weeks ago and she had a blast. Jumping in the puddles, spraying us, giggling her head off. What about playing cards or board games at home? For date night do you have someone you can trade babysitting with? Then come up with a creative date that doesn't cost anything. I think the world we live in has taught us that we can't have fun without spending tons of money. I know I'm guilty of it myself, but I am trying! Just remember... this is a season, not forever!
We do a lot of your suggestions, but I do appreciate your support and someone to tell me to "Just keep trying"
Absolutely. Always feel free to vent, Jenelle! It's all good.
I haven’t paid a library fine in years thanks to the fine vouchers the library gives my kids for completing the summer reading program or the “read your fines down” program they have. Although this is dependent on having little kids who like to read as they only offer them for the children’s programs. On the other hand we tend to check out a lot more children’s books as we can easily read 10 in a sitting and you can rack up the fines pretty quickly (ask me how I know ).
That darn Bath and Body works. They get me every time. I go in for a $5 body wash and come out with $70 worth of stuff. I just stay out of there now except for the $8 candle sale in December.
And I love La Croix and similar seltzers. Because sometimes I just want bubbles without the calories and/or chemicals of soda!
Not sure if I have five frugal things this week but let's see . . .
1. I am adopting a kitten from the SPCA on Saturday. The adoption fee is $50 but since the kitten has already been spayed, microchiped and has some of her shots, I think its a bargain.
2. I stuck to my grocery budget for once!
3. I finally finished reading a library book after checking it out FOUR times. I kept having to return it in between because other people had it on hold. But I am always at the library anyway and will be forever grateful that libraries exist.
4. I downloaded Frankenstein for free on my kindle. I plan to read it in October. I love to plan my reading around the time of year. Something creepy for October, something wintery or Christmasy for December, etc. When I was a kid and well into my teens, I read The Secret Garden every spring.
I guess just four things but that's not bad!
1. I decided to cook lunch for the family birthday celebration instead of going out like we usually do. Our family is growing, so we saved money even though I made a seafood gumbo. We will have leftovers for the freezer also.
2. I continue to avoid food waste by eating leftovers and using my freezer. I cut up some celery for the freezer to avoid wasting it.
3. I have a husband that will eat leftovers.
4. I had a birthday card in my stash, probably bought from one of the dollar stores.
5. I'm saving veggie scraps to make broth.
Ahhh! I love the cat and the cat sweater. 🙂 How cute!!
This week:
1. I washed laundry today with homemade soap.
2. I harvested okra from the yard. Hopefully hubs will be able to try pickling it this weekend.
3. I'm preparing our monthlong meal plan for September this week. I'll go through our freezer and pantry to make sure I'm using up food we already have on hand.
4. We bought hubs snacks at the grocery store last night. He was out of work snacks and often falls into the takeout trap. Hopefully the snacks will help. 🙂
5. I have a super annoying work trip next week. I'm making a plan for meals ahead of time so I'm not tempted to buy takeout (or go hungry). As an upside, I'm getting mileage reimbursements for it.
I got turned on to La Croix by my sister a couple years ago. I’d be interested to know what you think of the Aldi brand! I tried the Target brand once and wasn’t a fan, so I try to stock up whenever I see real La Croix on sale. But if Aldi has a good substitute I’d give that a try!
I prefer the Aldi brand, and for the longest time they didn't have it in stock. But it's back now 🙂
I couldn't tell you why I prefer the Aldi brand, but after drinking it, I inevitably think, "So much better than La Croix. I'll have to remember that." ( Then I ask my husband to pick up some La Croix at the commissary a few weeks later when I'm craving carbonation again. Thick skull) I guess I have cheap taste?
Cheap taste is a fabulous thing!
I like the Aldi kind, but your mileage may vary! Aldi will give you your money back if you don't like one of their products, though, so it is totally worth a try.
Have you tried Bubly? I really like it more than La Croix. There is also a Kroger brand I enjoy called something Fizz...they are soda flavored, and the Dr. Pepper flavor is very good!
Kristen, if they deny your medical claim, appeal it. There is always that option. State the reason you went to an out of network provider (fancy talk for the doctor doesn’t take Cigna). Maybe it was a specialist not available in your area, or an off hours emergency, like you needed to go to Urgent Care vs. a more expensive Emergency Room. Good luck. Also, LOVE the kitty sweater!
That kitty sweater is so cute!!
1) I used some saved money to buy new throw rugs to replace ours that are disintegrating. I replaced them with better quality rugs so we'll hopefully have them for a long time. Our dog is a super klutz and we have laminate floors. She reminds me of little kids playing 'Hot Lava' because she jumps from rug to rug. It's as funny as it sounds!
2) I pre-renewed all of the library books I just checked out so I don't get fines. My library system allows two renewals for all media except interlibrary loans and items with holds. After so many years of using academic libraries as a grad student (with 6-week to semester-long checkouts), two weeks has been a rough adjustment...
3) I bought more grapes to freeze at $0.67/lb.
4) I ate leftovers for dinner last night instead of going out or making something new.
5) My bagel and cream cheese breakfast this morning came from my lunch bag instead of Einstein's.
My kids play "hot lava" too!!
So I had a terrible week re grocery budget - the turnover from summer to school year food is always a bit of a hit - but did very well elsewhere. The groceries all level out, it was just a big hit this week.
1 - A scientific calculator was on the Middle School supply list this year. I dug around in our collection of calculators from when us adults were in school and found a scientific calculator that still works. I wonder how long it will take before someone points out that it is a Radio Shack calculator!
2 - Sticking with school supplies, the twins sets of dry erase markers for last year are still going strong. And, they didn't lose any so both have a full set for this year. We have plenty of left over binder paper also.
3 - One of the twins got a hole in his swimsuit. On the one hand, swim suits are on sale right now. On the other hand, he might not be the same size next summer. I remembered that I might have a hand-me-down suit, which I did, which still has functioning elastic (often they're dried up before I can use them for the next kid), and which he agreed to wear.
4&5 - Digging through the younger boys' closet for bigger clothes yielded two finds. a) A full supply of size 6 jeans for the youngest who only has one pair of size 5s left without a hole in the knee. Bonus is that he's just big enough to wear them. b) Many of the pjs for both of them have holes in the knees that are getting uselessly huge. I found brand new pairs for each in the closet also!
All in all, many needed things did not need to be purchased.
My fab five frugal things are:
1) We used gift cards to go to dinner.
2) The youngest is taking the bus & train to get to college. The school gives him a pass so he can get on those for "free" but the best part is that I don't have to spend $ on gas to drive him.
3)The youngest gave me some t-shirts that he won't be wearing. I wear them to bed & the gym.
4)The local Starbucks has been giving me extra tea (and full strength) as they would just throw it out at the end of the night anyway.
5)I've been saving up CC points and Swagbucks points for holiday/birthday gift card buying.... I've gotten quite a bit so far and have $172 right now to get more.
Uggggggghhhhhhh, medical bills. We're still dealing with the insurance company from a bill in May. Which is super fun, because we have even more bills now that I've had another MRI and am back in physical therapy. But hey, I'm sure stress is *great* for medical problems, right? RIGHT???
1. I picked up some clearance shirts for my son for Christmas at Kohl's and paid for them using a gift card. Merry Christmas, kid!
2. Someone on a local site was giving away a bunch of stuff before a move, and I picked up an air purifier. It costs $129 on Amazon, so that's a pretty good deal for me! I'm hoping it'll help with my basement, which sometimes smells a little musty. One of the reviews said it worked great in theirs, so I'm hopeful.
3. My mom came up and I made us lunch, instead of us going out.
4. I'm sending my kid lunch every day, which saves plenty of money.
5. My mother gave me her Kohl's cash, so we'll go back there on Thursday and redeem that. Hurray for free stuff!
I have had a dehumidifier in my basement for 20yrs same one. I empty it 2x day. It does an amazing job. You got a good deal.
I've tried to like La Croix (and the Aldi version) but I just can't. I think I'm now past the point of "well maybe I'll like THIS flavor" and have accepted that it's just not my thing. 🙂
FFT:
1. I found 2 shirts on clearance at Maurice's for $4.95 each! I was looking for something that I feel good in for my body that's not pregnant anymore, not back to "normal" yet. And I found 2! Yay!
2. I took food to my husband's volleyball game last night. Since he's coaching, the goal is to make it till the end so the kids can see Daddy. To keep my 4yo and (especially my) 2yo occupied, I feed them dinner there. But instead of buying concession stand food I took food. It didn't prevent my 2yo from throwing his toy airplane onto the court, but it kept him in the bleachers pretty well. 😉
3. Ate leftovers for lunch. Most of those leftovers were food from my garden.
4. Thought ahead to take a cooler and empty containers to the team cookout last Friday. My husband was gracious to me and had it at a park this year instead of our house and I knew we might end up with leftover hamburgers and hot dogs. We did. So we had a way to keep them safe while we stayed for the football game and then get them home to have for lunch Sunday.
5. I'm canning salsa. I know that's psychotic to do with a newborn, a 2yo, and a 4yo at home, but we're making it work. I think it's only ended in tears once so far. Not bad at all!
Not psychotic at all if that's your thing. I just spent three hours making and canning peach jam with the dubious help of my 3-year-old, while my 8-year-old rested on the couch because he came home sick from school, and the 10-month-old crawled around getting into stuff. At least the 6-year-old was still at school.
And yes, there were some tears. Not mine, though. 🙂
I wish I had enough tomatoes to do salsa . . .
Peach jam sounds delicious! Our tomatoes did not do well last year, so I ran out of salsa pretty quick and had to buy it. It made me really want to put the effort in for this year, even though my circumstances around it aren't the easiest. 🙂
Mr. FG HATES La Croix, so you are not alone.
And Zoe hates anything carbonated, so she is totally not interested either.
1. I checked out library books.
2. I bought a frozen pizza for lunch instead of a pizza delivery.
3. I used discount coupons to buy yarn.
4. I paid bills on line instead of using stamps.
5. Best of all was a free Pandora subscription for T- Mobile customers today.
This is one of my favorite sections of your blog, yet every week, I fail to come up with 5 frugal things I've done. I love reading everyone's comments.
So far this week I have managed to cook dinner at home 2 nights and bring my lunch to work for 2 days instead of eating out!
I keep a five frugal things list in the note section of my phone so I don’t forget!
i do too!
*Picked up 10 packages of Kool-aid jammers for $.69 each and found our favorite brand of yogurt marked down to 50% off at Kroger
*Picked up a used dresser that my mom was giving away for my son
*Bought plane tickets 4 months in advance to save money
*Restocked our homeschool prize box with goodies from the dollar store
That sweater is all sorts of fantastic!
I also enjoy those flavored soda waters so much! It's nice to have a bubbly alternative to pop. (Or to drink after shopping to tame your thirst 😉 )
As for some frugal things...
1. My husband went for work training session last night and came home with an entire pizza!
2. I picked green beans at my in-laws while they were away and I get to keep the harvest!
3. We've been eating the massive amount of produce I bought on the clearance rack at Walmart. Hopefully none will go to waste!
4. We made playdough instead of buying the containers
5. I watched Netflix. Well worth the $8 a month.
Do you have a Once Upon a Child store near you? They are run by the same company that does Plato's Closet but it only has childrens clothes.
That is a very realistic-looking cat on the sweater in the last picture. 😉
Right?? 😉
Pretty pumped about my frugal-finds this week. We recently bought a home, which meant buying a new washer/dryer and installing a Nest thermostat. As I was looking through our electric and water bill online, it turns out that our city has tons of rebates available, including $300 for an energy-star washer and $75 for a Nest thermostat! We are also in the process of removing our grass for more drought-tolerant plants, which qualifies for another rebate! It pays to review your bills and city policies carefully to look for rebate programs. 🙂
I completely agree with trying to submit to your insurance. I was having severe abdominal pains a couple years ago and we were in another state. My husband checked our health carriers website for a participating emergency room and found one. So we went, I got treated etc. I receive a bill stating they are out of network. I called our insurance to explain to them that my husband had checked prior to us ever setting foot in the ER. Turns out the DR was in network but the facility wasn't. I was so upset. Long story short, the lady walked my through the appeal process which was very simple and our insurance covered as if it were in network.
It is always worth a stamp and a few pieces of paper. Gold luck!!
I occasionally drink LaCroix because it’s a nice change to tap water without drinking soda. But, recently I discovered Waterloo and it really is much better than LaCroix. It doesn’t have an aftertaste or bitterness. It’s a bit more expensive so it’s a splurge. I’ll have to try the Aldi brand.
1. Paid neighbor to drive me to mammeogram. Drop me off. Cheaper than cab and helps her. Drank free tea there. Talked to some ladies. Took bus home. 2. Cooked big bag wings 1hr, 375 degrees. Sugar, ketchup, lemon pepper 1.00 from dollar tree....used as sauce. 3. Took neighbor who is very sick some wings. 4. Cutting my own shrubs with clippers really early each day before it gets hot and after carrying coffee out there to drink. Nice quiet time for me. 5. Following directions using blueing from grocery store on a load of clean white blouses. Will iron myself. Recovered my ironing board with a pretty cotton dress length from church sale.
I’m loving LaCroix drinks too but I always buy the store brand....just as good, but much cheaper. I get tired of plain water so this changes it up for me.
1) Went to the state fair using discount tickets we were able to get through Girl Scouts. We actually went twice once to look at the animals, exhibits and once to do the rides (we purchased discount ride tickets in advance). We bought a refillable lemonade and were able to pay for reduced cost refills both days. We bought a few fair treats and shared them among the 5 of us. Overall it cost less money and we consumed less junk.
2) We had originally planned to do a day trip on Sunday but everyone was worn out from the fair the day before. We stayed home, spent $0, relaxed and got a few little house projects done.
3) I have been working out with Yoga with Adrienne and Fitness Blender both are free and effective.
4) Meal planned from the freezer and did not have to purchase any meat/protein for the week.
5) We received some hand me down uniforms from our kids' school uniform donation program. We realized that meant we did not need some of the items we had purchased. I mailed them back to Lands End for a return.
1- changed car insurance.. for years we were with a local place for all.. then we were getting new cars and looked around and found progressive to be a good amount more affordable for car.. But last week my insurance guy( who I like the family) called b/c they have to do these cold calls and I agreed to look at the pricing again... Car insurance actually cheaper right now.. will drop my homeowners $300/year if we come back and bundle.. I was already thinking about doing this with soon adding a teen driver.. I was feeling like we would do better with a local person we could contact.. vs a large national organization where you are a number..Time will tell...
2- child #3 needed underwear... he finally told me about how bad they were looking and tightness ( Kids fold and put away laundry so I miss this these days!) Went to grab a pack at Walmart.. They are pricey.. but found a pack with 7 for the same price of the 5 pack! Love a bonus deal!
3-I donated more money to the Athletics booster group at school and I got a punch card for home games!! I donated $50 to be a good parent.. gets my name in the flyer.... My friend is the treasurer and she called me and told me to write another check for $25... that level of sponsorship will get me a $50 punch card for home games... So instead of always having to have cash to get into the VB matches.. I have this card... should cover almost all of the rest of the season for myself, husband and whichever boy comes with us!
4-Have been giving the working kid cash to buy milk at the end of his shift.. this keeps me from wandering the store and buying random stuff! Money saver!
5-I ordered twin pack of essential oil diffusers and found some great ebay wins for the * antiseptic* type oils.. 1 for each kids bedroom.. Planning to run those every day once school is in.. It is a win no matter what.. either this stuff really works and will fill their room and bedding with germ killing WOO WOO or it is a bunch of smack talk and their stinking teen rooms will smell better at least! lolol
Valueless comment on fizzy water. 😉 Aldis are few and far between here. My sister adores the Safeway store brand version of La Croix but will drink Kroger when Safeway is hundreds of miles away. I like plain seltzer, but I don't like paying for it when really I don't even like water that much — I prefer my fizzy beverages to be brown with sugar and caffeine — sad but true.
Since I'm so new to the sparkling water game, I haven't explored any store brands besides Aldi. Now I'm curious about the Safeway version.
I have never, ever been able to enjoy plain seltzer, but I do like flavored seltzer, and I find it makes a good substitute when I might otherwise want a real soda.
I crave a nice cold carbonated drink, especially in the summer - so a couple of years ago I started making water kefir - love it ! It's great because you can choose to flavor it however you like (cherry is our current fave but I just made some with apple cider, in case it ever feels like fall). It's also extremely frugal - once you buy the kefir grains, you just feed them (sugar) and flavor the drink (juice/dried fruit). Despite a few initial mishaps my original grains are still going strong - 10 minutes of hands-on time every two days gives me some great carbonated drinks. (I love kombucha too but couldn't wrap my head around the scoby.... : )
That sweater is amazing. I think I will try to get a little more whimsy back into my wardrobe. I’ve been trying to just wear and rotate what I have to try to lessen my footprint but I will watch out for a fun sweater to add to my wardrobe. The cat even looks like yours!
I love La Croix! We also drink Polar Seltzer which is very well priced at a store near us (25 cents a can) vs La Croix which is 30 cents a can. A few flavors are totally worth it to us to just splurge on the La Croix. I also love the Aldi ones.
I definitely agree with you that shopping while thirsty sometimes means you come home with all the drinks!
I don't know if I can come up with 5. Let's see what how I do:
1. Made dinner last night despite wanting to eat out. Found some things in the pantry that needed to be used up, and made a pretty nutritious dish of chicken and rice (and quinoa and couscous).
2. Tonight for dinner we are using a giftcard to a restaurant that is donating 50% of proceeds to my son's school. Even with the use of a giftcard! Super excited not to cook or spend cash and still support our school.
3. My husband has been recording himself reading aloud books we own so that when he's on business trips the kids have him participating in their nightly routine. Why is this frugal? When he's gone he feels bad that he can't be with the kids and buys them lots of trinkets instead. We're pretty confident this will curb that habit and be more meaningful to the kids.
4. We've been super diligent to return things to the store that we don't need. We had to redo our bathroom due to a plumbing problem and my husband bought a bunch of stuff so that he wouldn't get 1/3 of the way through the project and have to run out again. And all of the stuff he didn't end up using has been returned already.
5(ish). With all my bread-making, have decided to look into buying 25/50lb bags of flour or wheat berries (not convinced that wheat berries are cheaper, but probably more nutritious and definitely make a difference in bread quality. Aslo, freshly milled flour smells ahhmazing) So...not exactly frugal yet, but hopefully soon will figure out a way to make my bread habit less expensive and more sustainable so one day I can open a bakery. Any thoughts or recommendations for finding a good source for spring white wheat that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for shipping?
Love the 5 things kind of week! Here's my frugal list:
1. 1 found a set of 10 Consumer Reports magazines at my local thrift store for about $2. There's a wealth of current finance/health knowledge in them.
2. I waited for some dinnerware bowls at my grocery store to go on clearance. The wait paid off--6 bowls at $1.20 each vs $3.99 each.
3. We've been giving TIME to loved ones (neighbors & family) and have received so much back in return. Tending to relationships can cost so little financially & be so worth the effort.
4. Thinking of what we haven't spent in the summer...I haven't bought new swimsuits for the family in 3 years. We don't pay for outdoor pool visits. Our neighbors have a pool we're often invited over to use & splash pads are free. We ask for kid's swimsuits for family b-day gifts & use hand me downs. But I'm thinking this is the year for a new suit for me!
5. We use our library a lot and I've been trying to stay on top of renewal/return dates:)
I put us on a budget starting September 1st! It’s an adjustment for sure. So far I’ve done some frugal things:
1) Didn’t buy new shoes or clothes. I’m interviewing for jobs after being home for several years, and it’s tempting to get geared up with some new office attire. BUT, I actually have a few things that are interview/job appropriate, and I’ll make due with them for as long as possible.
2) I’m patiently waiting for my reserved book to become available from the library instead of buying it.
3) This sort of counts... I asked a very frugal friend for sources she goes to for frugal inspiration. This blog was one of them. 🙂
4) Shopped around for a much needed meat probe thermometer... local store has one for $50, but I found one online with free shipping for $17.
5) Bought meat and milk that were marked down to half price. Use or freeze immediately and it’s fine!
A meat thermometer is an amazing tool. I seriously do not know how I lived without one before.