Five Frugal Things | more furniture adventures
Ok, so, my five frugal things this time is not ALL furniture related. 😉
1. I made a two-heel, two egg lunch
Yesterday when I went to look for lunch fixings, I noticed that there were two heels left in the bread bag.
So, I fried two eggs, toasted the heels, and ate my eggs on the bread heels.
I accidentally cooked the eggs more than I wanted to, but oh well. I ate them anyway.
2. I got a free bookshelf
Some in the Buy Nothing group in my parents' neighborhood was giving away a wooden Ikea bookshelf, and I was able to pick it up.
It was pretty wobbly, so my dad used glue and about 47 screws to reinforce it, and it is now nice and sturdy.
I feel like I have put eleventy-twelve coats of paint on it, but that's because bookshelves have so many corners and edges; they are very labor-intensive when it comes to painting.
3. I got an almost-free meal
During Zoe's last evening class, I used another $15 birthday voucher to get an almost-free dinner for myself. I think my total was $2!
(Seriously, four different local restaurants sent me $15 birthday vouchers. I am living' large lately.)
4. I chose auto-pay for my internet bill at my new house
I think this saved me something ridiculous like $20/month, so it was a no-brainer.
And besides, I like to have my bills auto-pay anyway; one less thing to think about!
5. My dad and I rescued a table leaf
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know this, but: my brother found a leaf for my table in the flooded basement of his abandoned house.
It was truly disgusting: moldy, warped, and dirty.
But with some clamping and screws compliments of my dad...
And some extremely aggressive sanding...
It's actually turned into quite a respectable-looking table leaf.
And since it was sanded to death, I feel like all the disgusting parts are gone, and it will be quite sanitary for eating on!
One of these days I really am going to actually finish some of my painting projects, and then we can have some fun before and after posts. It's just that right now I am about 75% done with all of the projects, so nothing is actually...DONE.
Soon, hopefully!
1. My husband decided the Grease Monkey Nitrile Grip gloves that I buy are good enough for yard work most of the time. You get 15 pairs for $10 at Sam's Club and my husband use to spend several dollars a pair at Home Depot for yard work gloves.
2. I needed a dress for a "black tie optional" and wear black and gold event. I remembered I have a long black dress I bought ten years ago. It still fits and looks nice. I don't love the length but considering it will take no time, energy, or money to wear it that's what I'm going to do. I'll try to borrow a gold wrap or scarf from a friend.
3. I was walking on the night people put out trash in our neighborhood and noticed a bird bath at the curb down the street. I could see there was a small crack in the top but figured that could be repaired. It's now good as new and I saw several birds using it yesterday.
4. Two weeks ago we took a day trip to look at a vacation house rental we'd reserved. The house looked fine but the area did not look like one we'd enjoy spending a week in. I cancelled the airbnb reservation and we booked a week at the beach. It is slightly more expensive but it's a vacation we know we'll enjoy.
5. Our SIL's best friend is moving across the country with his significant other. They had a bunch of stuff that did not make it into their PODS and would not fit into their cars. We will put it out with our neighborhood yard sale. My husband was planning to sell stuff this year anyway (so much for my proclamation that that's a frugal activity I no longer spend time on). If the stuff sells we'll pass the money along to them, if not I'll use Freecycle to give it away.
@K D, I found lovely gold wraps very inexpensively on Amazon. My best friend needed one for her son's wedding last summer in Michigan. We are notorious for hot days and temps dropping in the evening 😉
Donna
The table leaf looks great!
I shopped at the cheaper supermarkets, borrowed books from the library, cooked meals at home and tried to save money for my mother's visit by not going out for coffee etc. I feel like my frugal things never change much!
I really enjoy seeing before and after, I’m sure everything is beautiful.
Used two $5 off coupons to pick up aspirin. Also $10 off to buy coffee. I now have enough of both to last for a year or more.
Have picked lettuce and radishes from our small garden. Chopped both to top meals, which I don’t usually do. They added a nice fresh taste to our dinner. Plus no waste.
Made cookies using up almond butter I received free with grocery coupon. I ended up adding some leftover coconut to the batter making two different cookies. Most of these went into the freezer because I would have ate too many.
I’m getting ready for trash day and have a stack of things to set on the curb. I went through all the clothes and only set aside any that had no wear for donation. Nice items will go the the thrift store and worn stuff the curb. Not frugal for me though the older I get the less I like stuff stuck here and there. Cleaning my parents house has made me take a good look at my home. It will be my next big project.
@cc, I too have had to clean out parents houses. I have been emptying my own house, so much stuff!! I have been selling stuff too, money in the bank is one thing I don’t seem to mind having a collection of! Jane
After moving for the first time in forever—to our first house!!!—I feel like we incinerated all our money. That said, I managed to fix up an entire house and get the few appliances we needed for ~$2000, which research says is better than most! That total includes but is not limited to:
—A new-to-us Kenmore washer from Habitat Restore for $120. The house came with a dryer and stove; the (basic/simple as we could find) fridge was a gift from my parents.
—A new-without-tags Kenmore vacuum for $50 (that retails for $300+!) also from Habitat Restore. It still had the protective plastic across the shiny parts and came with a new package of vacuum bags!
—Refinished the tub and shower myself using Rustoleum boat paint, which was $20 for a quart vs. $50 for a tiny refinishing kit or several hundred for someone else to do it. Research actually inspired this choice, and the results are amazing—the finish has survived dropped screwdrivers already! Fair warning: The fumes will knock you flat, so a respirator is a must!
—13 gallons of paint. A friend’s generous housewarming gift of an Ace gift card covered half.
—Peel-n-stick vinyl “wood” flooring for the kitchen and bathroom. I screwed up fewer boards than anticipated (first time doing this, so yay!) and was able to return two unopened boxes for a refund.
—Stain and sealant for the two real wood floors. Another friend covered the belt sander rental as their gift. As with most things on this list, it was my first time refinishing wood floors!
—New faucets for the kitchen and bathroom (the old ones had too much hard water damage) for $70 total. I saved over $100 by shopping the Amazon seconds department, but only after I had no luck at Habitat.
—Incidentals like caulk, brushes, privacy window film (a window IN the shower?!), etc.
Borrowed:
—A dolly/hand truck.
—A full-size rug shampooer from a friend who once raised labs.
—A respirator from my sister.
—Trucks and a motorcycle trailer volunteered by friends and family on moving day.
—Expertise from my Swiss Army knife of people, who are masters of many things! This was on a strictly volunteer basis, as I never assume people’s time. Friends declared when they were free to help and/or offered their specific talents.
Free:
—Boxes. Boxes from friends, from the grocery stores (several of ours have box bins), from items bought for the house, etc. All the boxes!
—Roughly half of my painting supplies (brushes, rollers, and the like) were on hand.
—New incoming hot and cold water pipes in the kitchen, courtesy of an amazing relative who had the know-how and all the materials. He also installed the new faucets.
—Ditto for our new thermostat.
—Cleaning rags and grubby clothes.
—A hanging clothes rack and rug from another friend who was moving/downsizing.
—Losing 10 lbs from all the work!
@N, good job, I’m impressed.
@N, Congratulations on your new home and only spending $2000 on all those things. That is wonderful!
@N, amazing job! And congratulations on your first house 🙂
@N, Way to go!! And it sounds like you had some really nice housewarming gifts - those were great ideas!
@Ruth T, I like @N's housewarming gifts too. I'd take expertise, labor, borrowing, and gift cards over typical gifts any time.
@N, Congratulations on your first house! I am very impressed that you refinished your tub and shower, it seems like a difficult job.
@A. Marie and Ruth, we purposefully bought a small house (under 1000 ft) to keep our costs low, which also means that there just isn't room for extraneous items. We only needed to mention the official square footage to head off most "What can I get you?" requests! Our friends and family were thankfully open to the suggestion of gift cards (Ace, Target, etc.) for the projects that needed done or randomness that we'd realize we needed once there. Their love and volunteered labor saved us SO MUCH!
@Ruth T and A. Marie, we purposefully bought a small house (under 1000 ft) to keep our costs low, which also means that there just isn't room for extraneous items. We only needed to mention the official square footage to head off most "What can I get you?" requests! Our friends and family were thankfully open to the suggestion of gift cards (Ace, Target, etc.) for the projects that needed done or randomness that we'd realize we needed once there. Their love and volunteered labor saved us SO MUCH!
@CindySW, painting the tub and shower was actually the easiest part of rescuing the (formerly filthy) bathroom! It took two coats (roughly 20 minutes each) and required foam rollers to get a completely smooth finish. The fumes were the worst part. I had to make sure that I was DONE with my task list for that particular work weekend, as there was no being in the house without a respirator once the boat paint came out. It's allegedly less fume-ridden than the official refinishing kits--I can't even imagine how bad they must be!
@Gunn from Northern Norway, thank you! 🙂
@Sandy Beach, thank you! 🙂
@cc, thank you! I brought all my frugal powers to bear, but I owe the most to my people. Even the staff at my favorite Ace was *giving* me coupons (in addition to the Ace Rewards I'd earned) once they realized what was up!
@N, kudos to you! Wow, really impressive.
@N, Congratulations on your new home.
@N, I love your phrase "my Swiss Army knife of people" and am totally passing it on to my buddy, who continues to marvel that I seem to know people who can do a job. She now has a term for the people I know! LOL. As for the hard work and ten pounds lost, good for you! Learning on the job can be fraught with fearful challenges, yet when it is YOUR OWN PLACE you can find a lot of courage to get things done,. particularly when you have time and not much money
@JEG, thank you!
@Ecoteri, you're welcome to the phrase! I also seem to know someone for any given task, and I love to recommend them for paid work (vs. the gift of their time/expertise, as offered for our house) whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Courage-wise, necessity led the way more often than not! My peel-n-stick flooring person's entire family came down with the flu the weekend they had planned to help me. With appliances coming the next weekend, it was very much a "Well, I guess I'm learning this today!" situation. 😛 I learned so much while working on our house, and I have to give credit where its due: thisoldhouse.com is an INCREDIBLE resource!
@N, Congratulations on your new house! And lots of projects, done already! I have a bit of experience to share re window in the shower: Our old house had one too but whoever installed the shower later failed to waterproof the walls or the window frame. They mildewed and rotted, an awful job. You might want to double check that situation if you are keeping the shower there. We replaced the wall and installed a new window much higher up. Best wishes.
@Kristina, thank you for the advice! The bathroom is the one room we’d even think about changing, but that’s going to be a few years and more money in the future. That’s one of the reasons I just refinished the very discolored tub and shower myself—no need to drop more money than necessary on something I know we’ll change down the line! I also waterproofed/caulked the holy Hades out of it, so hopefully it’s good until then.
My goodness you and your father have been very busy,
This was one of those weeks when I spent money with the intention of saving for the future. We are not big grain or pulse eaters. However there is one product I like and it was cheaper this week. As we are heading into winter I bought a lot of packs and stored them in the fridge. The armchairs broke and I found a lot fo $2 and $1 coins. Yippee on that one. Those gold coins add up fast but a re very heavy to carry around. I feel great about that. My thimble is now a little loose on my finger and twice in has flown away while I have been hand sewing. I was glad to find it as it is sterling sliver. This week as seen very little food waste.
Have a good week everyone.
"It’s just that right now I am about 75% done with all of the projects, so nothing is actually…DONE."
This can drive me up the wall, although there is benefit to doing all of one stage at a time.
- Made several recipes that use a lot of honey, since a routine review of a cabinet showed that I have a ton of it. The spice squares were tasty but dry so I utopped it with the remaining bit of cream cheese icing (frozen for the past couple of months).
- Made chix soup using: stock made from scraps (chix, onion, carrot, celery), frozen edamame that had been languishing in the freezer, colorful carrots that had been languishing in the produce drawer, and leftover onion/garlic/parsley rub - used to marinate chix for confit, then cooked and frozen for future use.
- Made dinner from chix bought on sale in December and frozen, more of the languishing carrots, and green beans that were approaching their limit.
- Changed investment advisors to one that, among other advantages, has lower fees. This is the culmination of a lot of work.
- Continued to contribute to my retirement funds in a way that gets the full employer match.
@WilliamB, as always, I forgot one: did the coupon/sale/club benefits at CVS, netting OTC med for 1/3 of original price, free skin cream, and free shaving cream.
My frugal things are mostly food:
1. I decided to pause hungry harvest every other week so that we only get a box the week I don't go to Aldi. This way I can get a small infusion of fresh fruit and vegetables on the off week, but I'm now automatically not spending 60 bucks every month.
2. I made pork and beans using dried cannelini beans, water and a very ancient ham bone from my freezer in my crock pot. This was my first experiment with dried beans, and the crock pot is like a magical tool! We will have them on pasta for dinner tonight.
3. My husband made a batch of waffles and at my request added four small winter squashes. I saved the guts and made puree using an immersion blender and the microwave and toasted the seeds in the oven. Hurray for more magical appliances!
4. We ran low on milk and needed it for waffles, so I mixed up some powdered milk by squishing two cups through a too-small funnel into the milk gallon, adding water, recapping and shaking like crazy. I thought about getting a funnel with a slightly wider end, but I'll make do instead or ask my mom if she has an extra one.
5. I used the pumpkin puree and leftover milk to make overnight pumpkin pie oats.
6. We were low on milk because I made the kids cereal twice for breakfast this weekend, but instead of letting them inhale the whole box of the expensive sugary kind, I made "seven layer cereal" which mixed some cheaper kinds with nuts, raisins, fruit, etc. and is topped with the sugary kind. Cheaper and healthier this way.
7. I harvested more Japanese knotweed from the garden. It's growing under the fence from the neighbor's yard, and I don't want it to take over no matter how edible it may be, so I keep cutting it back. I made stir fry out of the most tender parts, pickled some stems, used the wilted leaves as mulch and made bee houses from the thicker hollow stems. Not a bad haul from an unwanted invasive.
8. Bonus non-food item: we went to the library yesterday and got new to us books.
@Becca,
Could you cut your funnel end on an angle so that it is wider?
@Becca, If you cut off the top few inches of a plastic bottle like a small soda bottle, take off the cap, and turn it upside down, you can make a funnel that might be big-small enough.
@Becca, for lightweight powdered stuff like dry milk, I have often crafted a disposable funnel out of foil or parchment paper.
@Becca,
All great funnel ideas! Thanks! Don't know why I couldn't think of any of them while painstakingly shoving gritty milk powder through the funnel bit by tiny bit. Ugh. My fingernail itches thinking about it!
@Becca, Um-- you could also have pre-mixed it in a pitcher and then poured it into the carton to finish the shaking. I don't know how much energy it takes to mix it.
@Becca, good on you for finding ways to eat Japanese knotweed. As you say, it's a fierce invasive.
@Heidi Louise,
Haha! Yes...this also would have worked...what a silly I was...but I persevered and did not go out and buy milk! I'm going to try your cut up a bottle idea because I think a water bottle might be just the right size, and then I can keep it in the powdered milk bag and it'll be there whenever I want to top off the store bought gallon.
@Becca,
And it probably doesn't take that much shaking to mix it, but it's such a good stress reliever that I shake the dickens out of it-which I feel safer doing in the milk jug than in a pitcher, though I do have one with a lid...not sure I totally trust it for vigorous shaking.
@Becca, that knotweed is such a nasty invasive, one of the few times I am a fan of roundup. Sigh. not that I have knotweed on my property, just bindweed (morning glory) and buttercup. I would trade all the bindweed for buttercup, but don't think that the garden goddess is engaged in bartering. If you are getting the nasty KW growing in from the neighbour, I encourage you to have a deep digging party and put in an impermiable barrier - but I think they have to be at least 2 feet or more deep. Where I live I think it is possible to have the government come in to deal with it, but again they use roundup. Glad you are eating your invasive.
Gah.
Bindweed is equally pervasive and invasive and annoying, I have it in several sections of my property, the last owner figures it came in with a load of topsoil.
I have never heard of knotweed; I had to google it. Also, I looked up bindweed, and goodness, that is kind of a beautiful weed. Is the problem just that it takes over?
@Ecoteri,
Bindweed is very pretty, but it strangles everything else in your garden and the roots are like twenty feet deep or some crazy nonsense. Knotweed is also pretty, but takes over and apparently also has really powerful roots. It's growing in the far back corner of my yard, so no foundations nearby for to worry about. I just keep eating it and that seems to keep it under control. It tastes kind of like lemony asparagus. Quite tasty.
I love a good furniture rehab. I always get so inspired! Right now I have too many other project to complete to start anything new, but I would love to repaint my bedroom furniture. As far as frugal goes, this week I
*am taking my lunch to work every day and cleaning out my freezer in the process. I realized I was running out of containers and I have some goodies in there!
*eating at home all but one meal a week, which is huge for me since most of the time I don't feel like cooking but I pay a fortune for groceries so I need to eat them!
*I'm combining errands whenever I get some to do. So I end up staying home more, yes, but save on gas. And I am getting more stuff done at my house, too.
*I am reining myself in when it comes to on-line shopping. I guess its one of the dangers of being home so much? I put an item in my cart and let it sit there and really think about it, and most of the time I go back and empty the cart!
*still reading my Goodwill books and all the magazine I meant to but never did - I have dozens of like new Reader's Digests!
1. Doing most of the work clearing up the godawful mess my former tenants left behind ourselves. It's all so inexplicable. Why would they have removed my new dishwasher? And where did it go? And why did they leave a $3000 scooter in the backyard? And surfboard? And an extra fridge?
2. Have had the dumpster I rented emptied twice.
3. Found, I believe, good new tenants. We are negotiating prices.
4. Did not buy new dress for Mother's Day brunch even though tempted to.
5. Mom can use $4 county handicapped transport to get to brunch instead of the $335 private transport I paid for Easter.
@Rose, one of my DH's low points as a landlord was when he found a set of departing tenants having a yard sale and selling the refrigerator and stove right out of the house. He was in time to rescue one appliance, but not the other. So I feel your pain on the purloined dishwasher.
@Rose, I have always been terrified of being a landlord just because of these kind of stories. My already high blood pressure would burst if I found someone stealing from me. At least you are in possession of the scooter, but can YOU sell it without a title?
I was wondering the same thing too! I'd want to sell it.
@Anne, No idea. And they stopped paying rent in October and because of the Covid eviction moratorium, I couldn't evict them. Heck, I still haven't evicted them (though their lease was up 5/1). They owe me north of $30,000 in rent and damage. Somehow I doubt I'll ever see a dime.
@Rose, That's awful! My MIL had a tenant that didn't pay for an entire year, we were able to get rent money though a government agency due to Covid (it's in CT). This was the worst tenant she's ever had (or us), he stole things, but not the appliances, let his cat use the entire apartment as a litterbox and took and ax to the walls. Fortunately we have a very good handyman who took care of everything for us and hired repair people to fix it all and kilz and paint everything. He said the smell was horrible. We're going up to refurnish it because everything had to be thrown out due to the smell and damage.
@Sandy Beach, Unfortunately the landlord rental assistance for Covid ran out in October, right when he was still saying he was out of town for an "emergency." Just a maddening stress pile.
@Anne, There is a way to get title to an abandoned vehicle, but I think I'm supposed to store it on my property for a good while after an evicted tenant left it there. I am telling you, landlord-tenant rules are simply nuts in New York State right now. No one cares about landlords. We're all evil types twirling our giant handlebar mustaches while lying on a pile of Krugerrands. or something. Sigh. This past year has been an expensive nightmare and basically no one sympathizes. "This is why I'm not a landlord" is the most they'll say. Well, GREAT for you. I need the money. sigh.
@Rose, I'm so sorry you're going through this! Believe it or not, I stressed out about leaving our wonderful landlord for our new house, as I worried what sort of tenants would come after us. He's an incredibly sweet man despite having been a landlord for my lifetime (just what we've seen him deal with over the years from other tenants in our small building is... yeowzer!), and we want him and his beautiful house (which was a wonderful home) to have good people. I hope karma balances out this nonsense for you, and your next renters go above and beyond. I also hope you make bank on the scooter and whatever else the last person left behind.
@A. Marie, Well this was one of those comments that left my mouth hanging open. I cannot imagine someone selling your appliances at their garage sale. Years ago my younger sister, then in her 20s, was bent over a copier and as he passed by her boss put his hand down the back of her pants. She whipped around and punched him in the nose so hard she broke it. (This was not normal behavior for her.) Ever since then, when someone does something particularly horrifying, I imagine punching them in the nose. Not that I have ever done it, but the 10 second fantasy has given me a lot of joy over the years. Someone selling my appliances would merit the nose punch fantasy. (My sister's boss was not fired, but that was about 30 years ago. I think these days he would have been terminated. I hope so, anyway.)
@Lindsey, my DH fortunately was slow to anger--but I believe that this was one of the times where even he had visions of violence. And I hope your sister didn't experience repercussions from the nose punch to the boss. Me, I'd have been tempted to punch a body part a little lower down.
@Rose, I agree about NYS restrictions on landlords. Those were among the reasons DH finally got out of the business, along with his own failing cognition.
@Lindsey, GOOD FOR YOUR SISTER! She's my hero. I have never done it, but I've threatened people with it.
Come to think of it, when my renters' employees were moving my stuff out of the cottage into my main house, I caught one of them offering a very nice watercolor painting I own to the renter. I ran out of the house and said, "What are you doing with that?" The employee said he thought I wanted to throw it out. "What makes you think that?" I said. No answer. Later, the renter apologized for "the misunderstanding." I said, "No misunderstanding. Your employee was trying to steal my picture. Don't assume I'm a wimp because i'm a woman."
Shoulda broken his nose.
@Rose, call the police. What they did with the dishwasher is considered theft.
@Tracey, A landlord friend found his outgoing deadbeats had removed all the copper pipes from his house to sell. Might have been part of this.
Or just plain beyond comprehension stupidity.
@Tracey, The police know aaaallll about this dude.
I just wanted to say that I love your dad! He is great. I miss mine so much and yours reminds me of him. All of the tools and can fix anything!
Your new apartment is going to look great. You need to summarize all of this and I bet the post will go over big. “Hw to furnish an apartment on next to nothing and still look classy.”
Hard work pays off.
Oh yes, of course I will bring your guys all along on my rental furnishing adventures!
Sat down and did my upcoming bills for May. A lot has changed because of the move, but we are finding that we will be able to let my husband take the summer off. Come September, his babysitting duties will be done for the summer so he can apply for social security and we will have some extra income then. He will also be looking for work then and we will be able to boost up our savings.
Our daughter's family came this weekend and she had some school work to do Saturday night, so we pulled some spaghetti sauce out of the freezer and had a wonderful dinner rather than trying to rush eating out and coming home.
We went to the free state park in our area and had a great time with the waterfalls and views.
Ordered the last 2 things needed to make our house a home: a shelf for my office and some curtains. I had 2 valances that were older, but I need 3 and I cannot find a third for this particular pattern. So I will move the 2 I have to 1 bigger window and ordered 3 for the other windows. Not very economical, but quality curtains will last a long, long time.
Eating the food we have at home. Froze the leftover green beans from the large package I purchased last week.
1. Packing pantry and freezer ingredients to cook all of our meals in the condo while we are on vacation next week.
2. We need some grading done in our backyard and have had lots of estimates to get the job done. Hired a gentleman we have worked with before for 1/6 of the cost of what several landscapers wanted for the job. We will do all the work that we can ourselves to offset the cost even more.
3. Drinking coffee and tea provided in my office which I don’t like but it is free and I am grateful.
4. Turning the thermostat up a couple times of degrees to save $$$.
5. After shopping around I found the topsoil we need for our backyard, garden and flower beds for $16/yard which saves us $52/yard. This may seem small but when you need 3 truckloads of dirt every dollar helps.
First, a COVID update on DH: He is better and no longer testing positive, but there are still 10 positive cases on his ward, so I'm still "strongly discouraged" from visiting. But I'm hoping it won't be too much longer.
Now, FFT, More Spring Things Edition:
(1) Frugal fail: As recounted in more detail on the most recent FFT at Katy's blog, I misplaced a 5# sack of yellow potatoes and found most of them sprouting merrily when I did locate the sack. But I (a) cut off and planted the chunks with the best sprouts (putting them in a big container as far from our wildlife as I could get it), and (b) made an emergency potato salad with most of the salvageable pieces. And (c) everything else went into my composter, where I may yet be surprised with some potatoes from the other sprouts.
(2) Found some sprouting Egyptian walking onions (paging Steve Martin's "King Tut" routine) that a young friend had given me last fall--but these were intended for planting this spring, so that's not a frugal fail. I accordingly planted them, and at least the deer and woodchucks won't eat those.
(3) Our old mama woodchuck who's been with us for 4 years now (I know her by the scars on her side) fought off an intruder woody in a match that was better than any TV wrestling show. Free entertainment--and now I know how she got those scars!
(4) More free wildlife entertainment: The first Gray Catbird of 2022 stopped off at our feeders (just outside the front window), took a bite or so of suet, and gave its characteristic "mew" call. Betty was sitting at an open window and almost went through the screen!
(5) Almost all the plants I'm starting from seed this year are now outside in my little portable greenhouse, so I'm not running fluorescent lights on them inside any more.
Oh, I am so glad to hear about your DH's health. Yay!!
Created thrifty, tasty and easy dishes using food on hand:
1. Stew made with canned tomatoes, frozen chickpeas, carrots and onions served over brown rice. Also served over spaghetti squash (whose origin is a wonder to me - how did a box of pasta mate with a winter squash?)
2. Israeli couscous salad with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Kalamata olives and Parmesan cheese.
3. Light version of spinach and artichoke dip for broiled open-face sandwiches.
4. Pudding consisting of coconut milk and chia seeds, along with a glug of syrup and vanilla extract.
5. Crisp and light apple and celery salad. So good. https://www.acouplecooks.com/celery-salad-with-apples/
6. Carrots, potatoes and the green part of leeks roasted with spicy seasonings and olive oil. The next day, added a fried egg on top.
7. Made soup using steamed stems of cauliflower and broccoli, sauteed green parts of leeks, and veggie broth, pureed with immersion blender. Dolloped with sour cream.
1. Cashed in some change at the bank amounting to $250, which went into my son's college fund
2. Borrowed some books from the library
3. Had our annual furnace tune-up and inspection which does cost money but offers peace of mind that things are in working order. Preventive maintenance seems like a frugal thing to me
4. Paid off all outstanding credit card debt. Now I can pay the balances off monthly and save on finance charges. This is a huge relief!!
5. Opted to not have a big birthday party for my son this year. He will have a couple friends for a sleepover, and we will have a family birthday meal together. Less pressure on me
6. Using Misfits every other week (or skipping two weeks). I must say I was skeptical but tried their cold pack and ordered some meat. It was still cold when it arrived, and the meat was delicious. Saved me a weekend trip to the store.
Kristen, I was wondering if you are still using all of your subscriptions or if you've put any of them on hold while you transition. I have found that I have been overspending (especially on Grove) because of all the emails they send me with such great savings. It's not a great savings if I don't need it. I have enough dish soap for a long time haha
@Steph, congrats on paying off the credit card debt. That's a huge win!
@Steph, congratulations on paying off the credit cards! I'm still working on that.
1) Used a coupon code to buy two greeting cards. We typically make our own (Mother's Day, most recently), but I needed a couple of "fancier" ones. The code didn't work, so I had to email customer support & now is all well. Points added to my account. Similarly, bought two gift cards I needed at the grocery store, in time for a Mother's Day promo. Earned $20 in free grocery credit.
2) Registered for double points day at the grocery store, and earned a bit more from that.
3) My teen had two soccer matches, pretty far apart, and taking up most of the day on Sunday. I planned ahead with meals, drinks, & snacks, so we weren't tempted to go out.
4) Canceled & rebooked an upcoming flight, when I noticed that prices had dropped. Saved $60.
5) Made dinners from the freezer a few nights.
The table leaf looks amazing!
We have had this past week and will have for the next couple of weeks a number of veterinary expenses. But our regular vet, who is amazing, did not charge us for two visits, one of which was a drop-in emergency after our blind, elderly dog swallowed a tablet of my husband's medication when he accidentally dropped it. It turned out it's a medication also prescribed to dogs and so mild that it would not hurt her.
On the frugal side:
1. We did not need to buy groceries this week.
2. I made a big pot of spaghetti jazzed up with sweet Italian sausage out of stuff from the pantry and freezer. This will be my husband's lunches this week.
3. We took a visiting relative out to lunch on Saturday, and my meal was so large the leftovers made three work lunches for me after I added some green peas from the freezer to round it out a bit.
4. After 12 years, the driver's seat of my car is becoming somewhat worn and uncomfortable. I dug around in my stash of sewing stuff and found the right fabric and foam to make a cushion. Now I need a few minutes of time. 😀
5. Reused some small baskets we had around the house and organized my sewing tools.
1. My baby moved up to the next size in clothes and I already had a tote full, given to me free.
2. My mom sent us home with a huge container of cookies. I can't eat them (nuts), but my husband and son has been happily munching on them this week.
3. Met a friend on her lunch break to walk and talk. Free exercise and it was fun.
4. Had cans of small biscuits (replacement items on a grocery pickup) that we do not like so I used them for dumplings and made blueberry dumplings. Delicious that way.
5. Went to a state park. Pretty and free. Got plenty of walking in.
1. My son picked 4 radishes from the garden, our first “harvest” this year. After we each sampled some, I sliced them and put them in a small jar and poured some pickling solution from a pickle jar over them. They’re more likely to get eaten pickled!
2. I volunteered at the kids clothing swap and got a couple bags of clothes for my kids. My daughter really needed some as she still seems to be growing very quickly. My son needed less, which worked out because there’s always far more girl clothes than boy clothes, not sure if people tend to buy more clothes for their girls or boys are harder on clothes or a combo of both.
3. Our freezers are packed so the meal plan this week focused on using items from the freezer. So far we had chicken wings that have been in there for awhile, and some frozen Mac n cheese leftover from my sons birthday. Also used up some Swiss chard the neighbors gave us from their garden that I’d chopped up and frozen, it’s a good addition to most soups. I also plan to make Irish soda bread to use up some buttermilk I frozen when making Irish soda bread back in March. It’s like a game figuring out ways to use up the freezer items!
4. Still going through lots of library books and walking to the library rather than driving when I go.
5. Coffee at home!
@LB, I just learned that you can roast radishes. Do you eat them raw or cooked? Sadly, Aldi didn’t have any last trip but I’m hoping to find some soon to try a new recipe.
@Elaine, I have tried roasted once and they were also very good! Raw is ok in small amount but roasted or pickled, I can eat a lot!
1. Submitted the paperwork to be paid for some medical screenings via my cancer insurance policy. I was also able to submit one from last year, so I ended up with $200.00. 🙂 Half went to debt/bills and half went in the vacation fund.
2. Set a reminder before our Prime membership renews so I can cancel it. The streaming NEVER works, so I don't see the point in paying for it. And, hopefully, not having free shipping on everything will make us shop a little less.
3. Looked up a better way to store cucumbers. Wrapping them in paper towels and putting them in a Ziploc bag makes them last so much longer! Now our fridge is no longer a cucumber graveyard.
4. Remembered to log into Swagbucks before I ordered Mother's Day flowers. It's money we were spending anyway and now we're at least getting a little bit of it back.
5. Picked a Wednesday delivery for the Mother's Day flowers to avoid paying a $5.00 - $15.00 surcharge. It goes up every day starting Thursday, and early doesn't sound bad to me.
@Danielle Zecher, we have a cucumber graveyard too!!! I've tried wrapping them in paper towels but haven't put them in a ziploc. I will try this week - thanks for the tip.
@CrunchyCake, here's the link: https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/how-to-store-cucumbers-to-last-for-weeks/ The picture shows them all lined up on a strip of paper towels, but I've had better luck when I wrap them individually.
I keep meaning to try it with eggplant and see if it helps, but haven't gotten around to it. Our fridge is definitely where eggplant goes to die!
You have done an excellent job saving that table leaf. I really enjoy the before and after photos when you do furniture painting.
1. I gave my son a haircut, I will give my DH one later today.
2. My youngest son is using his grandmother's Southwest points to fly out west to visit a friend. She said sure when I asked her and this will save him a lot of $ as the flights are expensive.
3. We watched our son's girlfriend graduate from college online last weekend instead of driving up to watch in-person, saving the cost of a hotel room during peak pricing.
4. We went to an orthopedic walk-in clinic instead of the ER last week when I dislocated my toe and had to have it re-set (not fun at all). I'm sure it was much less expensive than the ER would have been.
5. We're stopping off to see my Mom on Mother's Day on our way up north. I'm excited that I get to deliver an orchid and chocolate in person and spend a few days visiting with her.
1. I paired a Buff City Soap coupon for a free bar of handmade soap and a 20% off Mother's Day sale to buy their foaming liquid soap because I want to reuse the dispenser when it is empty for my own hot process liquid soap. They included a sample of their laundry detergent powder as a gift with purchase - a nice surprise I didn't notice until I got home.
2. I opened a new box of dishwasher powder and poured it into a repurposed protein powder container to keep it from drawing moisture from the air and losing its cleaning ability as I go through the box.
3. Weeded my flower bed and container garden to prepare it for planting. Instead of buying paper yard waste bags (required by my city) I reused paper grocery bags.
4. Went to a local festival last weekend that has the suggested entry fee as a can of food for their local food bank. Their food bank usually receives at least 6 months of food from the event and has been hurting due to not having the event due to Covid. My husband and I took the list of items the food bank needs and bought all of it at Aldi so we could donate more items with the budgeted money than if we shopped a conventional grocery store.
5. I cleaned and conditioned the muddy leather boots I wore to the festival. While I was at it, I cleaned and conditioned my favorite leather purse and a pair of leather boots I gave him for Christmas and he hasn't worn yet. I also replaced/added heel savers to both pair of boots which is so much easier and cheaper to replace when they wear down than having them resoled.
@Lazy Budget Chef,
I'm sure you did, but make sure to label that dish powder! What an unpleasant smoothie that would make!!!
Nothing spectacular here.
1. Most of our needs can be taken care of in our town, but a few things need to happen in the next town over (Costco, all doctors) which is 20 minutes away. Husband had a doctor's appt. in next town yesterday and we managed to tack on three other errands after the visit, saving gas and time.
2. Two cats live here with wildly different ideas of what constitutes food. One of them will eat a minor amount of wet food and prefers dry. We kept throwing out her uneaten portions of the wet stuff before it occurred to us to just give her less. sometimes the brain works so slowly that you can't believe it.
3. Husband is 79 and sometimes unsteady. He headed into the bathroom the other night when a cat decided he didn't want to miss the excitement of a bathroom visit, and raced in ahead of him, tripping him. He grabbed for a towel rack, which broke off the wall, but at least he didn't go down. Husband decided he's replacing cheap towel rack with a heavy grab bar, as cats refuse to give up bathroom Olympics. Not cheap, but cheaper than concussion or broken hip.
@Anne, one of my DH's last home projects was installing grab bars in the upstairs bathroom that I could chin myself on if there was room. They're a godsend for us older folks.
@A. Marie, Not just older folks! My husband was 28 when he had cancer and was pretty unsteady on his feet for a long time. We installed grab bars all over the house, and replaced our toilets with the taller handicapped ones so he could get up easier. When I got so sick we installed them in our new house, this time for me. They were ready and waiting when we got so old that we sometimes needed them. I got so used to them that once time I was visiting someone and found myself wondering why they did not have grab bars or tall toilets.
@Lindsey, Tall toilets are one of the greatest things ever. When we go to motels or stop at rest areas, I wonder what kind of trolls the facilities are designed for.
1. The $5 Costco chicken that provided several meals for the two of us as well as protein for a couple salads. The bones are cooking with carrot and onion scraps from the freezer for broth, and if I roast and grind the bones I will have bone meal for
my houseplants.
2. Our freezer, which consistently allows us to save food from waste and to buy food at a discount.
3. My handyman husband that does so many repairs and maintenance in our lives.
4. I found coins on the ground and in the coinstar machine at the grocery store-one of which was a 1939 silver quarter with a value of $4.
5. I made croutons from a portion of the bread I had frozen to avoid waste. Tasty and easy with ingredients on hand.
I so appreciate this blog and the nice readers.
@Debbie,
How do you grind bones? Do you have a special appliance for this or can a blender handle them?
I actually don’t think a twenty dollar savings is ridiculous for auto pay.
The company likely well understands the cost of labour/mail costs to follow up on unpaid bills and are passing those saving on. Win win.
Well, it works out very nicely for me!
Really amazing how your furniture jobs turn out!
I haven't done much in the way of frugality outside of normal tasks but here we go:
1. One of my neice's birthday presents was a book I thrifted. The other presents were dresses my wife made with fabric she already bought ages ago and never found a use for until now.
2. Got some books from the local Little Free Library. I have a few to drop off the next time we go by there.
3. Raided the Walmart clearance while I waited for an oil change. I ended up buying a bunch of baking supplies like unsweetened chocolate so we're pretty much stocked up for Christmas baking about 7 months in advance (everything will keep just fine until then.)
4. Eating from the freezer as well as shopping sales.
5. Getting ready to plant some items for my garden outside. I just need to get some more soil and some seed potatoes.
@Battra92, I picked out a couple of great looking books for my grandkids from the little free library near my son’s home. I was so excited. Turns out that they were books my daughter-in-law had donated during spring cleaning!
@Elaine,
Haha! This happened to me once because I had donated a hideous straw chicken my sister gave me to my parents' church rummage sale. The church put everything that didn't sell out for kids to buy for pennies at breakfast for Santa about six months later and my then ten year old brother bought me the same straw chicken. (My brother was adopted after I and my sister had moved out, so he didn't know about the chicken.) My dad thought it was so funny!
@Elaine, That is pretty funny! You both must have great taste in books ❤️
@Becca, me too. I wanted to cheer up my recently widowed friend so I bought her a book at the thrift store that I knew she would be interested in and slid it through her mail slot. She figured out it was me and called to thank me and asked me where I got it. When I told her, she admitted she had been the person who donated it to the thrift store. It's still funny.
That looks like one of the more appetizing ways to eat bread heels. And I can't wait for all of your before and after pictures!!
My FFT:
1. I mended 2 pillowcases and the inner lining of a super cute little koala backpack for my 3yo.
2. Since I needed to use my carpet shampooer for, uh, sick kid things, I decided to use it on my van seats and floor while it was out. As I was doing it I thought of how thankful I am that we have the carpet shampooer (SUCH a good purchase with kids and pets) and how some people pay to have their car interior cleaned. Every time I use the carpet cleaner it feels like a win because it's nice to repeatedly use the things you buy.
3. I combined a zoo trip with a trip to the cheap produce store. I always try to combine these two places into one trip since they're each 45 minutes from my house but only 20 minutes from each other. I also took note of gas prices the whole way there and filled up at the cheapest one.
4. We paid a little extra on the principal of our mortgage today.
5. We returned 3 bags of library materials (puppets, books, and movies) and brought home 3 bags of library materials (puppets, books, audiobooks, and craft kits). I also got some free COVID test kits while we were there - some to share with a friend and one for us for if we need one in the future.
I so badly want a list of 5 amazing frugal items, but I think mine are quite normal, but frugal.
1. We celebrated two graduating students today at work, so we had breakfast and lunch provided! I love free meals.
2. Checked over a camping invoice and found that I was going to be charged for an extra adult. My father decided NOT to go with us, so that saved us $20.
3. I graciously accepted a monetary gift from my father to pay off a medical bill. Now that he is living with us he is more aware of our situation. I know he is sound mind and I respect his want to help us out. I've been listening to some Dave Ramsey shows and I'm a bit surprised by the number of callers who have asked for financial help from family members. I've never done that before. I've just had to figure it out for myself as my family isn't well off at all.
4. I resisted the call of a really cute backpack purse at Target (it was even on clearance). Instead, I went home and found a similar style purse I already had stored away. I try to remind myself to shop my own closet when I think I want something new.
5. We've been taking all of our drinks to baseball games and practice. The call of the snack stand is real!! But with two grandfathers in tow, my daughter has started asking them for snack money!
1. I made all of our meals at home.
2. I took advantage of a few freebies for teacher appreciation week.
3. I mended my kids' pants, because they still have 4 weeks of school and it's too cold to wear shorts. It was in the 30s this morning. I also fixed a hat.
4. I mended 2 dolls that my children loved a little too much.
5. I enjoyed free entertainment this week. Also finally got outside in nice weather. It's been cold and windy for the past few weeks. There was a blizzard over Easter weekend.
6. I made arrangements to borrow a pick up and have childcare so I can fix the fence that broke in the blizzard. I'm so thankful that we have family nearby who are willing to help.
1. I downloaded the Sprouts freebies on Sunday and picked up 3 of them yesterday: pizza ($11.99), Kettle brand chips ($3.49) and plant-based milk ($5.99).
2. While at Sprouts, I picked up a reduced bag of organic mini sweet peppers for 89 cents. I sauteed them with onion, cooked lentils and taco seasoning for delicious vegetarian tacos. There is a lot left for many meals this week.
3. I used a Panera gift card to have a free lunch with a friend.
4. I used Kroger points to get 10 cents off per gallon when I filled up today so I paid $3.64 per gallon.
5. I used an emailed $4 CVS Extra Buck to get 3 rolls of paper towels and paid just 43 cents. I rarely buy them, but I thought they might be good in my "disaster" bag.
We went to IKEA today and got some inexpensive lightbulbs we've been waiting...4 months to buy.
And then we bought supper there. $13 for a family of 4. Can't complain on that price point. And I love that basically everything is made of paper now, for easy composting!
I don't feel very frugal these days, what with a number of MAJOR expenses that cannot be sorted out or discounted-- For example, after a rain storm knocked out a retaining wall, the crew discovered that the same rains had taken out part of the foundation which means that we have a $25K unexpected expense. And, these LARGE unexpected expenses kind of cancel out any $20 refund I earned from noticing a double charge on my credit card bill, or the $60 box of See's Candy that I won on Twitter.
Oh dear...that is such an un-fun way to spend money!
I am still going to cheer on your little wins, though. They matter.
1. I picked up a box of food and shorts and a shirt, for my son for next summer, off Buy Nothing. Someone dropped a large mint plant off to me after I asked for one on Buy Nothing.
2. We took down a fenced in area in our side yard to build a 3rd vegetable garden. The fencing, broken cement, cinder blocks, etc I was able to give away for free on FB Marketplace and Buy Nothing. This saved us having to pay to dispose of them, but is also better for environment. The 3rd garden will also provide us with lots of vegetables and fruit this summer!
3. I had the kids pick all of the dandelions from our yard. I used them, 1 going-bad orange, and some sugar to make dandelion jelly. It has a similar consistency to honey and tastes like it too! Don't worry, we dont use any chemicals in our lawn.
4. I used oats, over-ripe fruit, a can of coconut milk from my cupboard, a half jar of artichokes, olives from my cupboard, eggs, and leftover goat cheese to make my lunches for the week. I made the kids banana bread for breakfast using over-ripe bananas.
5. The kids ran a free trail race this weekend in a local park. The race included snacks and drinks, which the kids loved. After the race, we visited a free nature center and bird sanctuary in the park. It was lovely.
@Corrine Wilson, my standard response to the occasional person who still asks about the dandelions in my lawn (most of the neighbors have likewise ditched lawn chemicals by now) is "I'd rather have dandelions than cancer."
My friend and I attended the annual state conference of the club we belong to. We only went one night, we brought our own drinks and snacks for the break between the day meeting and the evening banquet. We brought yogurt, fruit and muffins for breakfast and made coffee in the hotel room.
For our club banquet on Monday, I purchased little pots of pansies for the tables and then included them in the door prize drawing for club members.
Today I took leftovers from home for lunch and coffee from home, which I sipped on all day.
The rest of the week is not going to be so frugal. I have an eye exam tomorrow, who knows if I will need new glasses. My car is at the autobody shop so that will have to be paid when I pick it up.
I hope the auto body bill isn't too bad!
Our Five Frugal Things for the week:
1. We had a not-so-frugal purchase to make. Our dryer died. It actually lasted longer than we thought it would when we bought it used many years ago. The cost for replacement parts with shipping made the decision to buy a new one the clear choice. Luckily, we have a fund for such purchases. We bought a new model of the one we had. We also used $200 in gift cards we'd been saving. The new beast arrives Thursday. It gave me the opportunity to remember why I choose not to dry outside...bugs, bird poop, stiff and scratchy towels, and the mad dash to bring wet laundry in out of the rain.
2. Because we chose to purchase the same model dryer, we can use the old one for spare parts. DH dismantled it, recycled the unusable bits and stored the good stuff in our barn for when we need it.
3. Ok, so my kids think I'm totally weird to doing this. I am on a deodorant dig. I had three deodorant containers that were down to the point where swiping is impossible. Monday began my fourth week (well into the second container) of deodorant digging with a little paddle. If I'm lucky I'll get another two weeks out of them before having to buy more. It's such a waste to throw away all that product.
4. Free meal weekend! On Friday, the bosses took my workmate and I out to lunch. my meal was so huge, I saved it for lunch on Monday. My brothers in law came out for the weekend.. they treated DH and I to breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. I treated them to homemade dinners...using things I had on hand.
5. My daughter broke her watch and needed another one for clinicals. On Amazon I found one on sale for $11 off. I used some of the savings to send her favorite cookies with the watch.
I do your number three sometimes!
@Tracey, tell your kids you're not weird at all - at least when it comes to digging deodorant out! I take a toothpick to get out every last bit, put it all in a small jar, and enjoy many weeks of "free" deodorant.
@Tracey,
I dig it all out from four or five used up tubes, melt it together and pour it back in a tube. It's almost like a new stick of deodorant for free.
@Kristen, so glad to know I'm not alone!!
@JD, What a great idea. How do you melt it?
@Tracey,
In the microwave, short bursts at half-power until it's just pourable.
@Tracey, I like no. 3, but I'm especially impressed with no. 2 We would do things like that when we were younger, but now my husband is 79, and anything he has to squat for is off our to do list.
When I see your posts in my in box my heart sings. Am so happy you are working the birthday freebies. That is so fun. You take good care of yourself. All the best to you and your family. Always.
Foraging season is beginning in Maine! I had dandelion greens for dinner and the fiddleheads are nearly ready.
I cut my husband's hair this week.
Rather than buy new plants for our flower garden, we are trying to use local, native plants and rethink the flower bed. It was so root bound. It took me several hours to dig everything up, a long overdue project.
We have 2 bookshelves like that--from IKEA, over 15 years ago! But we got ones with what ever cover they put over the wood (it's too sturdy to be paint). They are wonderful shelves. I love the various depths for bigger/heavier books on the bottom and smaller books on the top. AND, Ikea Baskets fit perfectly on the bottom shelves to store blankets, book bags (or toys as I did when they were little). I didn't hink of what a pain they'd be to paint, but I hope you love it once you're done.
Love the furniture pics, like everyone else! FWIW I'm proud of your massive investment of time and effort into the furniture.
For my own FFT:
1. Cleaned our washing machine to help remove accumulated detergent and fabric softener gunk, using first hydrogen peroxide then a vinegar wash as per some online instructions. It’s an ancient Maytag that came with the house and I hope to keep it for many years still, as newer machines just aren’t built to last.
2. Used an online store credit to purchase two pretty woven fabric baskets for a total of $3 OOP.
3. Made banana bread using overripe bananas, a packet of ham “glaze” that was really just sugar and some spices, added poor-quality milk chocolate Easter candy that I chopped up like chocolate chips, and topped it with leftover frosting. It was delicious, used lots of miscellaneous food bits, and prevented food waste. Can upcycling apply to food? 🙂
4. Working to intentionally use things up before purchasing replacements, including my favorite “vices” of loose-leaf tea and skincare.
5. Visited the ReStore by Habitat for Humanity to see what kinds of furniture and other house items they had. Ended up buying an oversized leather chair with a matching ottoman for $55 as well as some other needed things, such as a new light fixture for the entryway for $20. I have leather cleaner and conditioner on hand, and think the furniture will clean up nicely. I’m already using a hand-me-down leather couch my parents bought in 1999 that I love and that stays in wonderful shape due to intermittent cleaning/conditioning.
Relying more on 4.99 chicken from Costco with price increases. I de-bone and freeze then bubble everything else into gray.
Been getting rid of things I don't use and donating to animal shelter thrift store.
Made a pair of wide leg pants into a skirt.
Kids came and flopped around the living room and we watched a $1 movie from red box, with popcorn and chocolate cookies.
I stopped using deodorant in high school. Friends and family are happy to tell me if I stink. ok so far.
@Kristin, I love that you took the time and serious effort to revitalize that table leaf! Well done. I currently have a newly installed window that needs both inside and outside trim to be painted - and several coats, at that. I got one coat done inside, and then other demands put it down on the list of priorities. However, that particular 75% completed job puts all kinds of other jobs on hold, too, with a scaffold outside and everything pulled away from the window inside, so I think I need to move it back up the list.
Frugalities? Well, I found a 4 tray dehydrator (Excalabur type, 'licensed' but not brand name) for $5 at a thrift store. The note said the fan worked but the heat was questionable. Youtube to the rescue! I found a video explaining what part needed replacing, and a friend from my "Swiss Army of friends" suggested where I could order it. The part arrived today - that box of disassembled dehydrator might soon be removed from my pile-o-projects. I think it will take me about 30 minutes to replace the part and reassemble, and for $20 (parts were cheap, shipping not so) I will have a $200+ dehydrator that I will gift to my son.
I am pushing hard with my benefit company to ensure I get the $400 back that I paid for my new orthotics. they denied the claim, and now are being obstreperous about the information they require (which I have sent but they seem to not be able to notice it). I am in email communication and expect to get this resolved soon.
My lovely friend who died had a house stuffed full of things, and his sweet sister was offering some furniture to my son who is moving into his own place (*see note) soon. I went to check things out for her last week. She is going to give my son a couch, a TV, a tv stand with a Blueray and other random electronics like an apple TV box and who knows what else, as well as a dresser! My son will purchase the bedroom set (bed, sidetable and another dresser) for a very decent price, it is a very modern and nice set. While I was there I started to assist my girlfriend in the kitchen (she is so full of grief that the clearing out project is very hard for her). I simply got some bags, and boxes, and said "I will help". We went cupboard by cupboard, anything she didn't want she gave to me, and I offered to take home, in addition, expired foods to recycle into my compost or chickens. I ended up with boxed and bags of canned beans, dry beans, rice, soups, tomatoes, etc etc - all foods we regularly eat. She doesn't and was feeling overwhelmed with food-waste guilt, so my taking it away was a gift to us both. I also retrieved at least 2 dozen of my canning jars that I had sent over with food for her brother - bonus! We cleared out his fridge, too, and I brought home a collection of compostables and edibles. Sad job yet, in the end, there were good things that happened. We got every cupboard in the kitchen cleared!
I haven't bought seed potatoes either, folks - the various forgotten bags of sprouting spuds have been planted, and when we dug up the strawberry patch to thin it out, we found another 15 or 18 potatoes that were duely replanted in the steadily expanding potato patch. The relocated leeks are fattening up, the relocated onions are doing the same, the relocated greens were bolting so the sheep got a treat. We had purchased shallots at the grocery store for considerably less than the cost of seed shallots - the store ones were tiny round things, perfect for seeds, and the two patches we have planted are doing very well. The big greenhouse continues to green up with winter plantings - I have transplanted the last of the broccoli into the field, and chard into the raised beds, now to get the kale and cabbage out to the fields before they bolt as the weather warms and the greenhouse warms more. We are feasting on the greens that suddenly are outgrowing our demands. We have transplanted a lot of our seedling tomatoes and peppers to bigger pots and hope that they get a good growth on before we move them to the greenhouse - so much cheaper to grow our own, but I do purchase way too many varieties, I will be selling starts this spring to get some of my seed money back.
1. My sister and I went in together to buy and prep breakfast sandwiches for the week—$8.46/day for 9 people!
2. I met my other sister for lunch yesterday and chose to pack a lunch instead of picking one up at a drive thru.
3. We carpooled with another family to our church.
4. I bought two stuffed animals to put in foster care bags and they rang up at $1 instead of $5.88!
5. I gave practical, consumable thank-you gifts to our MOPS childcare workers instead of wasting money on Knick-knacks. They got energy drinks and granola bars to help them study for finals this week!
I love how you’ve given new life to your dad! I’m sure he enjoys helping you bring old things to new life.
I LOVE birthday month! So refreshing to go out and hardly spend anything! And so many times you get enough for 2 meals!
Also, I want to encourage you that you are going to make it just fine! I went through a divorce back in 1985 and my kids were 3 and 5. Everything we had was someone else’s throw away. There were no cell phones or FB marketplace to be able to purchase things. In fact we lived for 2 years without a stove. I had an electric pan that had a rack and you could bake, broil, fry and sauté. I also had a microwave. One get together for New Years Eve, my sisters friend said, “I have a used stove just sitting in my garage”, can I give it to you?! I was beyond excited. Lol
Oh, trust me, my dad was quite full of life before I brought all my projects here. He is ALWAYS busy working on projects of his own; he just rebuilt all the built-ins surrounding the TV to accommodate a larger TV, for example.
I have to work hard to keep up with him. lol
Congratulations on the bookshelf! IKEA no longer sells that model. I have a couple, and really like them
I'm late to this as I was busy, busy all day yesterday, because...
1. The assisted living facility made it official that my husband requires too much care to move back in there from the rehab, where he currently is. We would be charged for each day his things remained in his apartment. My daughters and I took all the day off of work and emptied it completely out. Some stuff we kept, some we donated, some we tossed. Getting it empty as soon as we got the word from the ALF was very frugal. I will say it again, I don't know what I'd do without my super kids.
2. We bought totes and bags from our homes, rather than buy any boxes. We also used his two laundry baskets to pack things in.
3. One daughter's fiancé let us borrow his trailer, which we definitely needed. He is a solo practitioner in a busy medical practice, so he couldn't leave to help us, but he did what he could. My other daughter's husband was leading a meeting at his work so he donated muscle power later, when he had a break. We didn't have to rent anything or hire anyone.
4. My lawn guys have decided to buy some of DH's lawn equipment that they have been looking at. They brought me half of the money last night and will bring me the rest later this week when they finally get a chance to go to the bank. (These teens are brothers who have earned my trust).
5. Our bosses have told us to order two more logo work shirts each. Free Lands' End shirts of my own choice to wear to work - yes, please.
Oh man, that's so tough, JD. Hugs to you guys. I'm so glad that your kids were able to help you clean out his apartment!
Do you know what the plan for care is after the rehab place?
@Kristen,
I just now got word that a nursing home is accepting him. They have private rooms, which is a big deal for DH, as he goes nuts listening to someone's television/phone conversations going all day. We've had an anxious few hours waiting to see where he could go.
@JD, Such a great relief for you!
@JD, I'm so glad to hear that you found a nursing home for your DH. These sorts of moves are so hard. And I'm also glad that, once again, your amazing kids and their partners have pitched in.
@JD - I'm so glad to hear you were able to quickly secure a nursing home location (with private room! I'd go crazy too). I hope he settles in quickly and easily when the time comes.
@JD, wow. So great full for family help. We moved my mom to assisted living this week. A room became available last week so she took it. It was a fast move but now it’s done. It’s a lot of work! Hopefully you can get some rest.
For those of you who support, love, teach, and encourage teens: News story from The Verge:
The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is counteracting a ban on certain books by letting anyone in the US aged 13 to 21 apply for a digital library card. This gives teens and young adults, regardless of their location in the United States, access to the library’s entire ebook collection.
@Heidi Louise, I simply love what the BPL is doing!
Made tea instead of drinking canned diet soda.
Made homemade cake for my father in law’s birthday instead of buying one at the store.
It’s not really frugal to eat out but we did use a coupon for a free sandwich and lemonade at chik fil a when we picked up lunch.
Made a homemade wedding shower card instead of buying one at the store for a coworkers shower.
Stopped at the cheaper further away grocery store after work to see if they had any deals and I picked up 2 giant cauliflower heads, 3 iceberg lettuce heads, 4 tomatoes and 6 red bell peppers for $2.97. Also a package of bacon for $3.00.
Your Dad has such a nice workshop! So glad you are finding frugal things for your new home.
Home-cooked meals and coffee, drinking home-brewed iced tea and water instead of soda.
Picked up and donated books to a Little Free Library.
Limiting errands to days we have to drive for work (half the week we work only from home).
Planning meals for our upcoming vacation, will pull nearly everything from our pantry and take an electric skillet and small coffeemaker. No fridge at some of our hotels, so working with mostly dry/canned goods.
In the process of rotating out winter clothes for summer - it always makes you feel like you've got new clothes!
@Bethe Sailer, one year I bought a used mini fridge off FBMarket to take on vacation. I also took a microwave, small card table and my coffee pot and made my own kitchen in the hotel room. Saved us tons of $ and we could relax in our room while we ate.
I have a somewhat "frugal" moment..Just 1. I was invited to a wedding last weekend, formal attire required. I was my sisters MOH this past August & it was a black gown. I got that sucker cleaned & wore it. I even wore a dress shoe that I had with it &dressy earrings I never wore b/c I didn't have anywhere to wear them. Total cost for the outfit: "0" as I had everything. Go me!
Sorry, I am not posting frugal things (as you suggest!)-- cause, I cannot get over why YOU didn't keep the house? You have two girls at home-- and YOU were the one who added the window to the dining room, stripped the kitchen cabinets, struggled with the stairs, and remodeled a different bedroom every year. All the blood, sweat and tears YOU put into that house, your determined repainting of the Soffitt, the bulbs you planted. . . all of the mini and major projects your readers heard about through the years that inspired and transformed us to be better people and to do better in our daily lives!! I know you have a rental. . . and are moving on. . . But, I am a frustrated long-term fan and reader. Dang it. you deserve to keep that house--
He has refused. And I decided it would be easier to find somewhere to rent than it would be to take on a drawn-out legal battle.
Obviously, there is way more I could say, but I'm trying to be respectful. Believe me, though, I share your feelings.