Five Frugal Things | More mending + I was firmly assertive
1. I fixed Zoe's chokers.
She bought a set that turned out to be terribly flimsy; they kept breaking after just a few wears.
Luckily, I was able to get them back together with a pair of needlenose pliers.
How long will the repair last?
I dunno.
But at least she'll get a little more wear out of them!
2. I resubmitted a medical bill.
The first bill was kicked back because it was missing a diagnosis code.
So, I got a new bill from the provider with the necessary code and I sent it back off to Cigna.
3. I fixed two placemats.
Hole one:
Hole two:
All fixed:
4. I sewed up a backless dress.
This one requires kind of a long explanation. Buckle up!
Zoe got this dress, which was perfect except for the back design.
I thought about closing it up with buttons, but Zoe suggested sewing it up entirely.
So, I grabbed an old pair of black knit leggings from my rag bag.
I cut a long strip and sewed it to one side, sewing over the existing seam.
Then I carefully lined up the other side and sewed it up. I left a section at the top unsewn so that Zoe could still get this over her head.
The legging fabric is nice and soft, so it should be comfortable for Zoe's back. And since it's knit fabric, it's not going to fray.
Now the dress basically looks like it has a zipper, which is just fine.
The dress is much more wearable now, and the fix just cost a little of my time.
5. I assertively insisted on a refund.
I used to have some domain name services through DYN, which has now been acquired by Oracle.
I canceled my account long ago, but they've auto charged a $26 bill that's not mine to pay. I finally got a refund in December, and then a month later, I got a notice saying the account is months overdue.
AUGH.
They keep closing my support tickets and marking them as resolved without responding, and it's nigh onto impossible to contact anyone.
I finally managed to get on the phone with a guy, and he tried to insist I canceled my account in August 2019, when I actually sent in my cancellation in July 2018.
Luckily, I still had the confirmation emails, which I sent to him, and I am really, really hoping that this is the last of this irritating saga.
And this is why I will forever have every blog service possible through Agathon. Their customer service is as fabulous as Oracle's is terrible.
(I am definitely not the only person experiencing this with Dyn/Oracle, as evidenced by these forum threads. Do not ever work with this company.
Also: I'm not that fussed about paying $26. The reason I'm pursuing this is because who knows what else they will try to charge me if I don't make sure this is all closed.)
Only one, but I feel it could stand in for five: I continue to cook my way through an entire bull elk. This is not for the faint of heart, but, you know, free meat. 🙂
I feel for you but it could have been deer or bear, both of which are *ahem* gamier. When you get such a large amount it is sometimes hard to tell the stockpile is shrinking. Such a savings on meat though. We cut our food budget to the bone last month and couldn’t have done that without our freezer being stocked with meat.
I'm afraid this elk IS gamy. Much more so than the deer or antelope I'm accustomed to. This is the first elk I've ever dealt with, and I am not too pleased with the taste. An unfortunate combination of a bull in rut and not being able to hang it because of the warm weather, I think. So cooking it mostly means trying to disguise the flavor. Boo. But still, free meat AND my 9-year-old son's first big game, so I will soldier on.
Well congrats to your son for bagging his first big one! I’m surprised that the elk is gamier than deer since I have usually found the opposite. Supposedly, soaking in milk can pull out some of the gamieness but that would be a lot of milk! Grinding it together with beef might tone down the flavor, but it would also prolong the misery ;). I’d suggest canning some for long term storage but that would probably only intensify the flavor. Soldier on!
I'm not a hunter and don't even eat meat, but from family who are hunters I've heard that the way you cut the meat off the bone makes a big difference to gaminess.
Kristina, can you share more about cutting the meat off the bone? I'm very curious, although I'm unlikely to need the information.
I've never worked with elk but have had good luck with soaking venison overnight in either buttermilk or a mixture of vinegar and water. I typically then make it into stew. I brown the meat in a fair amount of oil first (venison tends to be dry and I dislike a dry mouth-feel to my meat).
My husband says that processing your own meat rather than having it done commercially is better--removing as much of the "silver skin" and the fat will reduce the gamey taste.
Is grinding the meat and making it into sausage an option?
I have notice that what the deer eats greatly affects its overall taste, for what that's worth.
Moose, caribou, yak and bear eating family here. You probably have tried this, but in case you have not, have you tried marinating in straight vinegar or yogurt, then rinsing the meat and preparing as usual? That has not worked for bear, for that I have spicy sausage made but even that gets old. Over 200 pounds of sausage goes a long way! Here is a link to a moose recipe that might work for elk; it worked for yak. And this Alaska based magazine often has food articles on line that might work for your elk glut. https://ediblealaska.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/moose-crostata
This counts for ten, girl.
for two weeks
Very creative on the dress repair! That never would have occurred to me. I like that it just looks like a zipper.
Five frugal things 2/5
1 Grocery shopped on my way home from work to save on gas
2 Kept to my list at the grocery store.
3 Hung some laundry to dry instead of using the dryer
4 A book I pre-ordered on Amazon a month ago arrived and I told my husband it was his birthday gift to me. This got him out of shopping, which he hates and was probably less expensive than anything he would have purchased for me. Amazon also automatically gave me the lowest price.
5 My husband fixed my birthday dinner at home - pulled chicken. Yum! I estimate it was about $20 to make a meal for 8 of us that would have cost $150 if we had gone out, wouldn’t have been as good and still had leftovers for my husband’s lunch for 3 days.
1. Our zillion year old router was not working well. Rather than rent one, paying monthly, we bought one. We also managed to get the old laser printer to work with the new router, after some effort. That not only saved money but it kept it from becoming waste, and I didn't have to wade through the myriad options to choose a new one.
2. I have made a couple large batches of chicken thighs, with various seasonings, and frozen the bulk of them. It's just the two of us and we don't mind pulling them out of the freezer and cobbling together sides to go with them.
3. I returned to Michael's some crafting supplies I'd bought before the holidays that were still in the bag (not seasonal items). Less clutter and money back in the pocket.
4. All my long sleeve shirts are shot, they have shrunk and are thin (good bye Eddie Bauer, you are a mere shadow of your former self). I ordered some that I expect will be better from Thred Up. I'm trying not to buy new.
5. We have had wonderful warm weather. I worked in the yard, picking up pine cones and branches. We walked to vote in our special primary last night. Fresh air and exercise, free.
1.Used a $1 off your next purchase coupon that someone had left at the grocery self-check register yesterday, then saw that they'd also left 40 cents in the change return.
2. Decided to eat out of the freezer and pantry for February. So far we've only bought bananas and lettuce. There's a stockpile of cheese in the fridge and various meats and fish in the freezer, so it should be a frugal grocery month..
3. Had a formal event to attend and my husband's brown suit was not going to work. It was too late to rent a tux and the $200+ cost was unreasonable so I didn't know what we were going to do. Then I remembered that maybe he still had his tux from a choir he was in in grad school - he did, and thanks to a lot of running, it still fit! The pleated pants are dated, but nobody noticed but me. He wore a pair of shoes that were found after his grandfather passed away but had never been worn. I couldn't help but laugh seeing him looking so sharp in the midst of some super-wealthy people.
4. Daughter needed a black gown for the event but was studying abroad last semester, so we planned ahead and got her one from Thredup last summer. It was new with tags and had to be hemmed, but other than that fit her petite frame perfectly and saved us a lot of money. To go with it she wore shoes she already had.
5. For the event, we stayed at a hotel we've used many times, but this time the heat was not working in the room - as in, it was 70 degrees when we arrived and 76 several hours later after we'd turned off the heater! We were too busy to do anything about it but very politely let them know when we checked out. When I checked my credit card statement I was stunned to find that the entire weekend was comped! I've gone back several times to check it because it's so hard to believe!
1. Went into a local supermarket on Saturday as they were marking down a bunch of spareribs down by half off a good price anyway -- came out to roughly a $1/pound CDN. We love these for a supper from the crock pot, so I cut them all apart, put two meal-size lots in bags for the freezer, and cooked the rest for two more meals. Roughly $3 each meal for the two of us!
2. Of course we had to have BBQ sauce for cooking these: partial jar of BBQ sauce + home-canned hot relish and fruit sauce + last of old bottle of molasses + agave syrup + mustard. Dressed the ribs and had a half-pint I put back in the fridge for other meals.
3. Combined some leftover pasta, meaty turkey stock from the freezer, diced frozen veg, and some dried green for a yummy soup to help ward off a cold.
4. My home-made sage tincture + salt + warm water in a gargle to combat a sore throat from said cold, as well as a couple of pots of yarrow-mint-linden-elderflower blend tea combined with some elderberry elixir abated the cold in three days.
5. Made a nice double batch of beef stew with veggies and beef on hand plus a special purchase of a small white turnip and a parsnip. Also a double batch of chicken/sausage gumbo. Nice to have three precooked mains this week for days with busy evenings!
Hi! Longtime reader, first time commenter. I worked for a major credit card company for years, and if you've been charged by Oracle via credit card, you absolutely have dispute rights. It's not considered "fraud," because you did do business with them, but if you have dated emails showing cancellation and they're continuing to bill you, you absolutely have grounds to file a dispute (which you will win) through your credit card issuer. Sometimes companies like this only understand the legal side of things. It's a free and mostly painless process, so maybe consider it if Oracle continues to be difficult.
Thanks for the info! I will definitely consider doing that if Oracle will not stop with the billing.
I haven't heard anything back from Oracle since I sent over the documentation (even though the guy I spoke with on the phone assured me that he would email me back once the account was closed.) Am I surprised? Umm, nope.
But I do feel a little shocked that a company this big can possibly have such poor customer service. How do they even stay in business?
It is amazing how poor the customer service is for some big companies. We have been fighting with Frigidaire for four months over a brand-new dishwasher that has not worked since installation. New product, no replacement parts made yet, but not willing to send us a new dishwasher. FINALLY this week got a manager who says we'll get a new dw…..not holding my breath.
Ugh, that is so frustrating! I hope they actually pull through for you this time.
FG, you are small beans for Oracle. Big customers generally get better customer service.
I wouldn't wait to contest the charge with your credit card company. You'll need the same info you do for arguing with your insurance company: description of the contested charge, timeline of events, with whom you talked if you have it, Oracle's response (or lack thereof). Just FYI, even if it isn't fraud you'll probably be dealing with the fraud department, and they may have to give you a new credit card. My idiot credit card company did that, and no one can figure out why it was necessary.
I am tiny, this is true.
On the other hand, not too tiny for them to keep trying to get money from me. Ha.
1. Took my lunch to work every day. I even planned ahead and prepped all 5 lunches on Sunday.
2. We got FREE tickets to a college basketball game and went with NO expectations AND HAD A GREAT TIME. We also parked and walked to save parking fees close to the arena.
3. Did not go OUT for the Superbowl. We are saving for a Toronto Vacay and a Bathroom remodel. Slow and steady savings wins the race!
4. Took a bunch of not so great produce. Saute in olive oil and butter. Separated into three tiny storage containers to use in future breakfast quiches. Breakfast for dinner is also frugal!
5. I am still driving our one owner 2006 HONDA ACCORD. miles: 219,000!!! It just needed 200 dollars worth of work, but we hope to milk this baby until our youngest is out of college in three years. I still love driving it. #cannotexplain
No need to explain #5. I'm still driving our two owner 2008 CR-V 🙂 I love this car and will drive her til the wheels fall off. Hopefully not while I'm driving her 😉
Another 2008 CRV owner here! It already had 105,000 on it when we got it, but those heated seats make it feel super fancy to me! I will also be driving it until the wheels fall off. 🙂
Hondas and Toyotas can last SO long. Lisey has a 2007 Toyota that is still going strong too.
I really love a car that lasts!
I drive a 2006 Scion xa and just reached 31k miles. Pretty sure I’ll be driving it forever!
My husband is still driving the 2004 Corolla (which I bought when I graduated from nursing school) as his work vehicle!! It's starting to rust in one spot but other than that it's still great! The mileage is sky high and no end in sight.
Where does your daughter get her chokers? My daughter really wants a few but we are having trouble finding any locally.
Hi, I hope you don't think this is too weird, but I do know that good chokers are hard to find! I make them myself, and I was doing well selling them but had to stop since I'm terminally ill, and no longer able to keep up with the demands. I would be happy to send you some out of my remainder stock, no charge! This is not a scam of any sort, I really would just be delighted if someone could enjoy them. Please let me know if you're interested or would like to see some pictures. Have a great day!
That is very nice of you Marina! My daughter also likes chokers. Three have been broken unfortunately. Her last one is still hanging on. I like Kristen's tip about using needle nose pliers too. I am not super handy but might try to fix the last one if it breaks!
1. I am happy our pellet stove is fixed now. The house gets much warmer for less $!
2. Found a pair of shoes at Goodwill for $2.95 to fit over my son's orthotic braces perfectly. They even squeak to help encourage steps. He has Cerebral Palsy.
3. Working on getting his diapers covered by insurance instead of buying them. Future savings hopefully!
4. Found a great deal on high calorie yogurt at Grocery Outlet four for 47 cents! Evan is on a feeding tube wean so every calorie counts.
5. All meals at home as usual.
1) Instead of stopping by the bakery every day for fresh bread rolls or sweet pastry, I bought a hearty dark bread ladting nearly two weeks in the fridge. Healthier and cheeper choice.
2) I bought tickets for a bike tour in an underground mine using three different coupons. Complicated, but I only paid half price.
3) I made a very conscious effort to minimize food waste. Every leftover was packed properly to avoid spoiling. What we don‘t eat this week, was put in the freezer. I made a list of frozen dishes so that I won‘t forget to eat them in time. I eat my oats with yoghurt instead of milk to use it up. I made a mixed vegetable soup with old vegetable bits and withering greens.
4) I sorted through my socks, mended some and developed a system to sort them after washing so them I wear not always the same. I hope to reduce the wear.
5) Small things: cooking at home and bringing leftovers for lunch; eating more vegetables and fruits and drinking ginger tea against my cold instead of buying something special; using cotton handkerchieves
My system to avoid using the same clothes, is to put the freshly-washed items at the back of the drawer (socks), bottom of the pile (t-shirts), or at one end of the hanging rod (suits) and be sure to use a suit from the other end. I need to be a little deliberate when putting away clean clothes, but future WilliamB is always grateful to current WilliamB for making it easy at godawful-in-the-morning.
So, my comment today is not really about today's post, it is simply about your blog/page/site..
In todays crazy and divided world, reading your posts brings life's beauty back to a person, straight on. It's sweet simplicity makes everyday feel real and homey. ( is say 'simplicity' in that it is straight up.. I can only imagine the time it takes to prepare your posts!!) Your posts are about the simple pleasures of what, I think, it's all about, or should be. About family, about living simply, truthfully and frugally. About making the little things matter. We, your readers, do not know you personally, but you open up about your family and lifestyle and make us keenly aware that genuine happiness and success is a state of mind and what you make it, it is not made up of materialistic facade. I love my family, my family and friends are everything and it's nice to read about others devotion to the well being of family-hood! I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts, they make my heart smile, probably because your own happiness beams through, loud and clear. Thank you for the warmth, the intellect, the horse-sense and the laughs. Have a wonderful day!!
Aww, that is such a sweet and encouraging comment. Thank you! I really, really appreciate you taking the time to encourage me.
I agree! This blog is a refreshing, encouraging few moments of my day.
This is sooo sweet!! Thank you for sharing this with Kristen!!
1. I made the Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Thighs from Dinner Illustrated last night with my "happy chicken" from a local farm. The recipe calls for 4 thighs, but I cut up the whole bird, and used all the parts instead! I had forgotten to put grape tomatoes on the list, so no tomatoes. I also had 4 leftover baked potatoes from Sunday's dinner, so I sliced them, brushed them with some oil, and roasted them on another sheet with a sprinkle of bacon and sharp cheddar.
2. There were a few leftover potato slices, some leftover roasted cauliflower, and quite a few leftover roasted shallots from dinner. We don't tend to enjoy these as straight leftovers, so I blended them all together with some homemade chicken broth and a splash of cream to make a lovely soup that I'll have for lunch tomorrow topped with a little bacon and scallions.
3. I packed leftover split pea soup for lunch today.
4. I made my breakfast at home (eggs and toast) and packed my coffee. I do this regularly, but it's always a good reminder of a habit that keeps working.
5. I packed chili to take on the plane for lunch on Friday. I had to travel to Charleston, SC, from the Chicago area for a family funeral, and we had a bunch of leftovers we were trying to use up. I mixed rice and beans into the chili to make it less like a liquid and more like a solid. Amazingly, security let me take it through, even packed in an insulated metal container! The security person had me open it to verify it was actually food, and then said it smelled so good she wanted the recipe. 🙂
I also took my reusable bamboo utensil set with me, and that went through security just fine, too.
I've been thinking about getting reusable utensils to keep in my purse, but I'm worried about the mess. Do you pack them in a bag? Then do you have to wash the bag?
My bamboo utensils come in a little velcro pouch. as long as I wash the utensils after use, it stays clean!
I just have them loose in my lunchbox but I've seen other people use plastic pencil cases which are easy to wash
or a toothbrush/toothpaste case -or just wash & keep in a container at work in a desk drawer
1. We didn't eat out this weekend. We'd gotten into a habit of eating out for lunch on Saturdays, but not this week!
2. I carpooled with my husband to a conference near his work.
3. Made a batch of lunches for the work week.
4. Ate a few vegetarian meals: cauliflower tacos and greek salads.
5. Picked up and returned (on time) a few library books. I had gone years without reading or reading very little for pleasure, but since my LO was born I've picked it back up. It's been a joy!
My several things, in no particular order:
1. Sorted out leftovers in the fridge, labeled them, and put them within easy reach so that nothing is wasted/thrown away. Instant reward: found a one-serving amount of a delicious chocolate dessert that I had put out of reach last week! Yum!
2. Finally dealt with several customer service issues using online chat. I've been putting them off until my phone's working again, but why wait?
3. Sorted out and organized my arts & crafts supplies, combining some things to make them easier to locate, and labeling! Sorted out a number of plastic bags/boxes for recycling.
There's more, but all in a similar vein. I'm doing what I can to make my life a little more liveable. I'm terminally ill, disabled, and it's hard to move around, so I'm trying to bring things that I need within easy reach.
You are an inspiration! I enjoy reading your posts and I admire your positive, sunny disposition! Whenever I *see* you here, you are immediately in my thoughts and prayers.
Your fix on that dress looks awesome!
1. We're in the midst of a full bathroom remodel that my husband is doing all himself in the hours he's not at work. I've only ordered pizza once. This is a win.
2. My daughter's birthday party is this weekend and it's at our house. So I'm trying to prep for that while having no bathtub for my 3 small children (why was it a good idea to put hand sanitizer and lotion in your baby sister's hair last night???) and all of the contents of our bathroom are stored in our dining room right now. I'm giving meal planning and cooking a second spot in my frugal five.
3. It's a princess birthday party and my daughter wants a castle cake. I'm not a baking genius, but found one that I believe I can make. It's not exactly cheap (I've got 3 cake mixes, 4 cans of frosting, and it needs both sugar cones and regular ice cream cones) but it's way less than buying pre-made.
4. I had a gallon of milk that was at its date yesterday, so I made hot chocolate and a breakfast casserole and used over half of it. Ran out of time to make the baked oatmeal I wanted to make, so I still had to throw out part of it, but at least didn't lose the whole gallon.
5. Our internet has been down for a couple of days and I didn't blow through my data like my husband. (Ha!) This will be my last internet thing until after the repair man comes tonight. My husband kindly asked for a credit and they're giving him $5, which is what it'll cost him to buy an extra half GB of data.
I can never use up milk, but the small containers are just so overpriced. I usually buy a half-gallon and freeze at least half of that in jam jars. Thawing milk sometimes separates a bit into the fatty and the less fatty part. You can either shake to recombine, or heat it, or don't do anything if you are using it for cooking/baking. I can recommend this!
Ruth T: I can't tell from your comment if the milk was bad or if it was just at its "best by" date? "Best by" does not mean it is spoiled. I use a smell-taste test, and have safely used milk almost a week past its date. Whole milk seems to last longer than lower fats. Cream also lasts beyond the date on the carton. The date is early enough to make sure the store doesn't sell bad products, but it doesn't mean they have gone bad.
I smelled it the next day and since it was questionable, I threw it out. Didn't think to freeze it earlier, though!!
And eating a spoiled dairy product will put you off that for months-- I had a bad encounter with yogurt once and it took ages to want to eat it ever again!
A really bad grape tomato makes me feel like that too. I eye all the next ones with fear for a while!
Also, most dates are more marketing than anything. Use your nose. If it smells off, by all means throw it out. However, it is usually good WAY past the printed dates andI have sagely and yummily used slightly soured milk products in muffins and pancakes for years.
Re: milk- the dates are pretty ridiculous, and arbitrary. Some are sell-by, some are best by... I’ve used milk 7-10 days after the date and it’s been fine. I’ve also had spoiled milk well before the stamped date. I can’t tell by smell, so if any doubt, I will take a tiny taste. In the olden days, old milk turned “sour” and was good for baking, etc. But now, in the days of pasteurized and ultra- pasteurized dairy products, milk SPOILS, meaning the bad, unhealthy bacteria take over, and the milk needs to be tossed! I freeze milk, too. Then I use it for cooking or baking, since it doesn’t seem so great for drinking, although it’s safe.
1) I did a bunch of sewing repairs last night too--patching the knees of my boy's pants and closing holes in a couple of my t-shirts.
2) I am going back and forth about a medical bill as well. It is just an eye exam (from July!). The doctor's office knows it is covered because my claim was covered. My husband's claim was not covered because insurance did not receive the claim. Somehow instead of the doctor's office calling the insurance company to ask what the issue was they repeatedly send me bills. I call them and tell them they have to submit it correctly for the claim to even register. They protest that they did send it but don't know why the insurance company didn't get it. On and on we go. Will it get paid before it is time to go back???? It is so frustrating to be responsible for a bill with no control over how it is handled.
3) My daughter and I were both super sick on Monday. Thankfully we had already meal planned and grocery shopped for the week, so my husband was able to keep the kitchen running and avoid takeout even while he nursed the two of us.
4) Same awesome husband cut both boys' hair on Sunday.
5) I was finally recovered enough to do our monthly money email. We do budget checkins in person, but it is funny how helpful it is for both of us to put it down on electronic paper.
1. Patched a pair of pants for my son this weekend
2. My husband and I considered making a run to the grocery store last night, as we both were hungry for a snack, but instead warmed up some frozen vegetable dumplings from the freezer.
3. Purchased a $115 suit, for $40 on Facebook Marketplace, for my son. My sister is getting married in June. I already have shoes for him. My husband, my daughter, and I already have wedding attire.
4. Someone on Nextdoor gifted us 6 cinder blocks for free. We use them to make a grill, of sorts, to cook our maple sap down into syrup. We have officially tapped our 3 Maple trees here in Western NY! We have spent $20 on all of our maple syrup making supplies and have used these supplies to make syrup for 3 years now. The syrup we get will last us all year long. And it's fun!
5. Cooked all our breakfasts, lunches, and dinner at home
I always enjoy your 5 frugal things. I keep thinking I need to start reviewing my week to see where I've actually been more frugal.
Thanks!
I agree with this comment. I marvel at the small things people do and yet I have a hard time thinking of my frugal five.
Same here... I love the ideas, but when I try to think of mine, I draw a blank!
1.) My tub spout decided to fall apart (well all the plastic bits inside of it that control the shower) so I had to replace it myself. Luckily it wasn't a huge deal to install (getting the old one off was most of the trouble) but it's frustrating that everything is cheap plastic these days.
2.) Returned a part I thought I was going to need for said repair.
3.) Did my taxes on my own. Unfortunately when you live and work across state boundaries it makes things expensive but doing it myself saved some cash.
4.) Worked more overtime as usual.
5.) Just chugging away on the normal day to day stuff ...
Five Frugal Things
1) made a VAT of white bean soup (using up most of the produce in the fridge)
2) made knitted hats (for family and charity) cost? $2.97 per hat (which are probably worth in the range of $30-40 each. Took me a day and a half to do the first one but by the 10th hat? I can make two a day (just while watching TV)
3) used Imperfect Produce *which saves us at least $50 a week in groceries
4) am using up the Xmas candy canes (instead of buying candy) does that count?
not sure I have a 5th this time! 🙁
LOVE imperfect produce -- saves so much!
1. Trying to catch up from unexpected expenses in December, and picked up a 12 hour shift at a my work-when-I-want part-time job today.
2. Brought leftovers from home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so I wouldn't be tempted to order food.
3. Held firm and ate my leftovers when a coworker made a run to the Taqueria, when I really, really wanted tacos.
4. Planned meals for the rest of the week to avoid food waste.
5. Posted 2 items on ebay yesterday.
1. I am older and my torn ACL makes putting on socks difficult. I can ask my husband, but I hate being a burden. A "sock assist" cost $11.00 at our medical supply store. We made one with a plastic cup from Dollar Tree and a rope from the basement. Savings.... $10.
2. Our home is 11 years old, and our builder grade fireplace needs work. The first estimate $4000.!!. My husband is going to replace the burner and ceramic logs himself.... Cost about $450.
3. We are planning a Soup and Chili cook-off for about 8 couples later this month. First prize a beautiful ladle from William Sonoma I found on clearance, regular $24, for 6.50.
4. Our new car is a lease, and we "save up" milage so we can travel to Lake Placid with our children and grandchildren. We have 800 miles saved so far.
5. We had bought Christmas m&ms on clearance last month. I separated the red for our grandsons for valentine's day and the green for St. Patrick's day.
Good idea on the M&M's!
Haha! I always do this with MMs too!
1) For a knitting project for my club, I used my stash and made 6 hats to donate. And I have started to make some placemats for my daughter using stash fabric.
2) We had a February birthday celebration for my husband, my oldest daughter and myself last night. $5 bottle of wine; steaks my husband won, and I opted to buy a small special birthday cake.--which was plenty for 7 adults & 2.5 kids (.5 is the 18 mos. old). My 2nd daughter had plenty of vegetables for the dinner.
3) I received a scratch ticket last night and won twice the value. And my sister-in-law gave me a cute top that she found at the resale shop where she works. My daughter gave my husband homemade peanut butter cups and several boxes of his favorite hot cereal--Cream of Wheat
4) Working at making better use of my Y membership and starting to make acquaintances there. I signed up for the Y spin-a-thon fundraiser, so I need to prep for it.
5) Finally received a refund for work done on my husband's car before he received a recall notice from the manufacturer about the problem he was having. It took a few months and a lot of phone calls--and like you say you never get the same person.
I was assertively firm to my health insurance company after the birth of my daughter. I had called several times over a period of six months (!) to resolve and issue. They always insisted I’d “get a call back tomorrow.” Finally, when I was told that the person I needed was “in a meeting,” I insisted on waiting on hold until the meeting ended. Ha! The receptionist was shocked that I wanted to wait on the line, but I only ended up waiting about twenty minutes (and six months!) before finally getting what I needed.
Good for you! Put the phone on "speaker" so you don't have to hold it up to your ear when the hold music is playing, and go on with your business while you wait.
Yes! I do this too. Much less annoying to get through long wait times if you can fold laundry or reply to emails while you wait.
Aarrrgh! Like your expression!
I do this- holding on instead of the future possible call back. Who picks that “music”, and who’s in charge of the volume? But THE WORST is “your call is very important to us, blah blah” over and over! Then I have to remind myself that the person who (maybe) eventually picks up the phone is not the one who makes the choice of music or policies, and probably is having a harder day than I.
We have had an economic downturn. Which in and of itself is not exactly rosy. But it gave me the chance to go through the budget and let go of some on-going commitments that not only cost us big bucks, but aren't particularly in line with our new lifestyle of healthy living. So, goodbye to them. We are also packing our lunches with leftovers or a sammie every day. Not buying new things, like scrubs I would love to get for work. We cancelled Hubby's LinkedN account. And are not eating out more than once on the weekends. We can do this and it will be as rosy as ever. (: I am used to not living high on the hog, so it seems second nature and I find it fun to look for ways to be frugal.
Ahem, haven't done anything very startling but I did feel guilty about my fresh produce after reading your eat more produce post & ate a raw carrot...
1. Got soap wash on sale on the way home no extra gas
2. Pay my bills on time & get a discount on some for that
3. A while back I bought more smalls like socks to wash less often - less wash cost & last longer
4. Got unexpected free food at work today but frugal fail still needed to buy lunch as I didn't prep
5. Making progress buying only wht I really need or can foresee really making use of a day/wk/month at a time appropriate for the product
Kristen- So sorry about your Oracle issue. I hope it gets resolved by a competent person. Your dress fix came out beautifully.
Jean- Your bday celebration had some great deals in there!
Gina- I feel your pain. We've been there so many times. Food banks and medical assistance were blessings for us.
Here's my Fab Five:
1) I cancelled a credit card 2 years ago. They recently started sending "bills" with a -$1.52 balance. I called the 800 # and yup, the account has been closed. But these weird bills kept coming....Anywho, I finally got a refund check this week for $1.52.
2) Got Oscar Mayer rotisserie chicken deli meat in packages for 99 cents each. I got four 1 lb pkgs and they don't expire for 2 weeks..In the freezer they go....
3) DS2 was fretting and worrying about a college class and we went over his grades and issues. I looked for a tutor on campus but they didn't have any (ok, it is calculus 4), so I looked online and found a well rated team for $1100 for 21 hours of tutoring.... DS2 ended up dropping the class, saving me a bundle.
4) I had a gift card to Panera and ended up getting bread.
5) I emailed my medical insurance company about getting a refund for my overpayment. I got a response that $500 is coming within a month.....Or should I say, the check is in the mail?
Wow sorry to hear you DS2 dropped Calc 4.
My DD uses youtube a lot when a STEM class like Linear or DiffeQ is overwhelming her. She told me that sometimes the youtube video makes it all clear and wishes her profs could have said that.
Her other strategy is to go to office hours with a study group so the prof is helping multiple kids at once.
I am currently stewing as my daughter has racked up $100 in toll fees in five days. This seems unreasonable so I rang the company. They are closed. Another job for tomorrow.
I have been so careful with my bank account of late and I now short and it is along wait until my money is deposited into my account next Thursday.
I have been making do and using older groceries.
Oh wow, that's a lot of toll fees! I hope you can get it resolved.
Magoos had Chuckit balls for $1.18 for 2 balls, these are perfect for our Destructo dog. Picked up some for grand pups too.
A large group of us at work all do puzzles in winter and then trade them with each other when done. I am on puzzle #8 since Christmas. Picked up a couple new ones at Goodwill too.
Changed my cell service to Xfinity, so far so good. I was paying $50 @ ATT now it is $12 per month fees included. 1 gb per month, that is more than I use.
I needed a cover for my back car seats for the dirty paws and did not want to buy one from Amazon so I used a large thick piece of fleece, cut holes for the head rests and it works great. I had the fleece so no $ spent.
Our local gas station has been sending out text when they do the $.30 cents off a gallon of gas, its very random and you need their station card but last time we filled up all cars for cheap.
A little late to the game, here. I was busy yesterday taking my husband in for a procedure that required light anesthesia.
That picture of your face, Kristen, made me laugh so much. I felt like I was looking in a mirror -- not because we look alike, but because I know that was my exact expression much of yesterday, which was filled with frustration at insurance issues. I think I have most of them conquered, though. We'll see.
I love the dress fix. It looks great.
1. I took a cooler of drinks and snacks with us for the 50 mile trip each way for his procedure.
2. I filled up the truck with gas for $2.21 before leaving that town to go back home. It's $2.49 in our town.
3. I filled a prescription for him after we got back, and while being given the mandatory medication instructions by the pharmacist, I checked the receipt, wondering a little at the price. Before I could even ask, the pharmacist said we were given a discount because my husband must not have insurance -- except, he does. Back to the check out window, and the prescription ended up being free.
4. I got my husband to eat one of his home-delivery meals again yesterday. He is coming around to eating them. They are free to us, so it would save us so much money if he would.
5. Cooked a spatchcocked chicken after we got home yesterday, with my own favorite addition of adding cut up sturdy vegetables to the pan after browning the skin side, so that the flipped chicken rests on the vegetables in the oven and they cook in the juices. Plus, it makes the chicken a one-dish meal.
Nobody else seems to have asked, so I will. What is a spatchcocked chicken? Never heard the term.
Here you go! https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/how-to-make-a-spatchcocked-salted-pan-roasted-chicken/
Fun name, delicious chicken.
Kristin demonstrated it here on her blog, I believe. It is basically cutting the chicken so it lays flat while it cooks. Makes it cook more evenly. Hope it helps!
Ohhh yes, I have definitely made that face about insurance issues too. I feel you!
1. Red Robin held their monthly kids eat free night. We had gift cards and our OOP cost was only the tip! I did have to have her re-calculate the bill since the kids food didn't show up being free. It always pays to check receipts.
2. Because we were in that section of town and Ollies was right beside Red Robin, I ran in to get my son a Bible case and my daughter a more "older" child Bible. Both of these things I have been looking for at the Goodwill but have come up empty handed. Ollies price was still a bargain but I would have preferred to buy second hand. (Maybe the Goodwill doesn't sell Bibles?) I also picked up a few boxes of granola bars that are much cheaper there. I've been wanting to replace our paper napkins with cloth, so I found two packages of dish towels that we will start using. My kids are on board, but I know hubby will be the hard sell!
3. I've been using the local library to borrow books from for my Daisy troop. I can easily sit at my desk, place the request (for a specific book) and i get notified when its at the front desk of the library. This is even easier (and free) compared to buying at a book store!
4. Ebay has been selling at least one item per day. Which is OK with me.
5. Trying to read some frugal blogs. anyone have any good ones?
Try theprudenthomemaker ! It is an inspiring blog.
I love your mending/re purposing tricks. After reading about some of the negative environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry, I've been on a mission to not buy new clothing for over a year now and am doing these things too. I'm actually having fun with picking up the occasional thrift store bargain and, with a little ingenuity, making it fit or re purpose. The dress turned out great!
Here are my 5 frugal things:
1. My brother-in-law came for a visit. We used restaurant gift cards (from Christmas) to take him out to dinner and breakfast. I used a grocery store gift card (from Christmas) to buy extra groceries to include his favorites.
2. Used a grocery store gift card for Superbowl Sunday tailgate food.
3. Using free yarn to crochet a baby blanket a new niece due in April.
4. Using existing supplies to make Easter/Spring ornaments to sell on consignment at a local gift shop.
5. Took advantage of a buy one/get four free sock sale in December to buy enough fun socks for my daughters for Christmas, Valentines Day and Easter! So each of my lovelies will get fun footwear with their box of chocolates on Feb. 14.
This is how this post showed up in my mail box from Twitter: Kristen shared "Five Frugal Things | More mending + I was firmly ass...
Lol. Eye-catching, but...
Haha, that's like when you upload a video and the site chooses a terrible freeze frame of you for the thumbnail!
Love the dress see up!
1. Canned 14 pints of fish, 11 of chicken and 9 of ground beef. First time pressure canning. I was super nervous, but my husband worked together with me on it.
2. We've been sending medical receipt pictures to our HSA and getting reimbursed (when in the US we just use the HSA card).
3. While we did order food tonight, we chose sandwiches that were cheaper than pizza.
4. I pulled out a skirt I plan to stitch a hole in....but maybe this shouldn't count, I haven't done it yet.
5. Putting off a big purchase.
Awesome job on the canning! I love to can. Just follow a current canning guide, such as the Ball Canning Guide. I do love watching those jars add up.
You orderd sandwiches? What, was putting 2 pieces of bread together with a filling to much for you?
Danielle, this comment is rudely worded. It's not fair to assume that Katy ordered sandwiches because making them was too much work. Maybe they have a budgeted night out? And someone who has just canned a bunch of meats is probably not the type of person to think sandwiches are too much work.
If you honestly just were wondering why someone would order sandwiches instead of making them, you could say, "Sandwiches seem super easy to make, and I'm curious why you decided to order them instead of making them at home."
Better to err on the gentle side on the internet, you know? <3
Your" seriously?" picture is hilarious -- but the issue of customer service is not!
After runarounds with Lyft (no dispatch or ombudsman to step in and help with lost items, just a slew of emails expressing their profound sadness that they could do nothing to help me) and ridiculousness from Amazon (oops, we don't really have that thing you ordered but it took us 3 weeks and accepting your gift card to discover it) -- I am seriously not appreciating this new, digital world of no recourse. What happened to good old customer service??
So, when I had to get another CVS fob to replace the one lost in the Lyft, I was so astounded by the excellent customer service, I was dithering and thanking them all over the place. I hope supervisors were listening in, because the 2 ladies were so fabulous. Now, I will really make a point to applaud all the people who go above and beyond to help you -- or even just do a good job!
When CVS sent the survey, I happily filled it out with good news. It reminded how important it is to thank and appreciate the people who go above and beyond. Any way, I feel your pain and and how nervy to keep insisting you owe stuff -- you must prevail!
1). We cancelled Direct TV now that our contract was finally up. We went without cable years and decided to get it again 2 years ago, mainly to watch/DVR sports. Eventually we realized that we just didn’t watch it enough to justify the high cost of the second year of the contract ($90/month).
2). My husbands birthday was this week. I used cake mix already in the pantry to make cupcakes. Decorated with the birthday banner we reuse for everyone’s birthday. We also continued with our family tradition of making birthday cards using whatever craft/art supplies we have on hand.
3). I listened to a podcast yesterday about easy eco friendly habits. Many of them were also frugal! Last night I put one into action while making dinner, always cover a pot of water when you are trying to boil it.
4). I shopped at Aldi before going to Wegmans. I had loaded my entire shopping list into my Wegmans app to see how many much I saved. According to the app I would have spent $30 more if I bought everything at Wegmans!
5). Picked my son’s next book club pick based on what youth book club kits our library system had available. I put the kit on hold and will pick it up while out running errands tomorrow. Now no one has to buy the book!
Taped and glued a bunch of worn board books for my kids so they can continue using them
Redeemed some money from Ibotta
Went to the further away grocery store that has a good clearance section and stocked up on a bunch of super cheap produce, meat, & some pita bread.
Made homemade pizza when some family came over instead of ordering out.
Used leftover rice to make rice pudding for breakfasts this week.
1. Used all my target gift cards (buy $50 in groceries get $10, buy $15 in oral care get $5, etc) and got a new large cutting board that I've been wanting for ages.
2. Requested new books from the library
3. Printed off a blank weekly menu and framed it in a frame I already had to create some new useful art in my kitchen
4. Tackled the mending pile and fixed a dress, a sweatshirt, and a hat. Still have a quilt to go!
5. Cooked mainly from the pantry and freezer, only spent $45 on groceries this week for a family of 5!