Five Frugal Things | mouse mending
1. I mended a mouse
A catnip mouse, to be specific.
Both of our cats love these catnip mice, which is funny because they are such a low-tech toy. Both cats chase them around like they are alive, though. 😉
This one had come apart so I did a quick hand sew to put it back in business.
2. I paid for my contacts with my HSA
I now have a health savings account (HSA) at work! I know some people use these as investment accounts (which is great!), but I mainly opened one to get tax-free cash from my paycheck for things like glasses, contact lenses, copays, and so on.
I needed a new box of contact lenses, and that was my inaugural HSA purchase. SWEET.
I have no idea if I elected the appropriate amount to contribute to my HSA, but the nice thing is that the funds do not expire at the end of the year. So, if I have extra leftover for next year, no big deal.
3. I rented a schoolbook
I neglected to realize this second summer class required a second book. I actually only need it for about three weeks of the class (!), so I found a place online that will let me rent it for $15. Yay!
My hospital does reimburse me for books, but I have a limited amount of tuition reimbursement available every year, so it behooves me to be frugal like this. No sense in wasting my tuition dollars.
4. I submitted tuition forms again
I submitted all my paperwork for my upcoming fall classes, and I also submitted my grade for the class I just finished.
(For the BSN program, you are required to submit proof that you got at least a C or better in order to qualify for the tuition assistance.)
The process is a little tedious, but I am motivated. I might be suffering in this BSN program, but I can at least make it an inexpensive type of suffering. 😉
A cheerful add-on thought: during the process of downloading my school paperwork, I scrolled through the "Your Degree Progress" section, and a satisfyingly large number of the required classes are now in green, not red (meaning they are completed). Yay me! I'm getting close.
(I'm slated to be done in May of 2027.)
5. I got some markdowns at Giant
I found batteries ($1.17 a package), some flatbread ($2), and three packs of meat.
I put the flatbread in the freezer for some future easy pizzas, and I also immediately froze the meat for some future meals (as yet to be determined!)
Summer frugal five:
All of my company is gone now, so I'm sad, tired, and gave myself time to rest and get the house back in order:
1. Gave extra produce to a coworker, including a nice watermelon.
2. Shopped my freezer and pantry, made dinners for a few nights with frozen shredded bbq and a can of baked beans. Baked beans are only bought around here when we have company, I don't care for them, but it was easier to just heat them up then to get creative with the ingredients this week. Lazy = recovery time for me.
3. My garden got seriously overgrown with the heat and company. The whole lettuce parasite thing motivated me to harvest all of my overgrown lettuce and salvage the good, new leaves. Eating those for lunch salads this week. I'm not ready to buy any lettuce from the store quite yet.
4. Stayed off social media for a day or two and read a novel my daughter brought me. She knows I love historical fiction.
5. I treat myself to one pedicure a year, in late spring. It was growing out and looked terrible, especially since I garden so much, haha, so I did my own toenails with supplies I already have. That will last until I stop wearing sandals to work in September.
I fully support your "lazy" baked bean dinners as you give yourself time to recover and get back in your normal rhythm.
Thank you for prompting me to look up the lettuce thing. I have heard about it in passing but just didn't really worry about it until now (head in sand). I searched and see that it's actually just iceberg lettuce which I can easily avoid. Nice. Enjoy your garden lettuce!
I read a novel this weekend too, and it was so much more restorative than scrolling or watching something. I love historical fiction, too. Any good titles to recommend? I just read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi which a friend let me borrow. Powerful!
I read Homegoing awhile back and remember it being powerful / intense. Do you have any favorite historical fiction titles?
The frozen river by Ariel Lawhon is a great book.
Heather Mar,
I've always enjoyed Kate Quinn's books (The Alice Network, et al).
Oh I love anything by Kristen Hannah! I also loved The Giver of Stars, that made such an impact on me. I have learned that I really love reading about strong female characters. I'll have to try Homegoing.
Momma Jo, is your garden lettuce crisp? Mine more often than not is not crisp. Any hints for growing a crisp lettuce? I’ve grown both iceberg and romaine but haven’t been satisfied with the lack of crunch.
Janice, I'm in the Southeast, and my lettuce is never crisp, but if I cut it early enough, it is tender. My try at romaine was that it was very dark and tough. I like Blackseed lettuce, red lettuce, and arugula, although a little arugula goes a long way. I just make sure I eat it with something crunchy, like red peppers or sweet onions in my salad.
We're having some big changes to our lives recently and trying to look at them all through a frugal lense.
A deer totaled our son's car this spring so we're loaning him my car with the hope that he'll like it so much he'll choose to buy it. He's coming around to that 🙂 which also means we're now a one car couple plus my husband's adventure van that's not a daily driver.
Our daughter moved back in with us to escape western smoke and fires, and recover financially from living in an expensive area for work. It's good to have her back for awhile!
Our other son is building a camper and hopes to be out of here by early winter. His excess stuff will either go into storage, or be gotten rid of. Either way, we'll have some space back in our house.
Aldi confirmed yet again yesterday why I shop there. I bought a box of Annie's mac-n-cheese for $1.48, then saw it at Giant for $2.59 (and that's just one small example).
But Giant comes through with local produce. The larger location near us has local cantaloupes that are large and sweet (also called a mushmelon–the big ridged kind) for $3.99. I've been buying 2 each week while they're still in season. And I always scout the meat counters and sale bakery rack for yellow discount tags. There can be some great deals there but nothing I needed yesterday.
And I'm enjoying the next book in a mystery series on an interlibrary loan. The series is currently up to 19 books. I'm on book 12, and 7 of those loans have come through ILL. I could just order it from Amazon, but the local library and ILLs save me tons of money; just the remaining books in the series would set me back about $90.
Just like Rory on Gilmore Girls! He got hit by a deer! On a serious note, I'm glad he's okay and I'm sorry about the car
Thanks Sophie! And yes, blissfully he was ok and no one got hurt (except possibly the deer who disappeared into the woods). The neighbors there all came right out to check on him and help him. The car was an absolute mess but the airbags deployed (thank God for airbags!) and now he has my very nice, newer car. When I was young, an accident like his could easily have resulted in major injuries or even death. I thank the auto industry for installing airbags and excellent seatbelts in vehicles every day!! His younger sister also was saved by airbags and her seatbelt when her car slid on ice in northern Vermont. That car was also destroyed when it finally came to rest against a line of trees above a small river. eek!!! An off-duty firefighter and his family were first on the scene and helped her.
Wear your seatbelts, folks! and be safe out there! And step up to help those in need because you never know when you or someone you love might be in need and someone will help you.
Beth, would that book series be the Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen? I have them all, except for #20, which is released in hardback in November. Impatiently waiting!
Or, it could be The Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series...
I bought my sister's cat a toy mouse for Christmas but she ignored it! I tried not to take it personally 😉
Frugals:
1. I got a lovely tunic top from a charity shop. It's a good brand, well-made and its only flaw is not having pockets!
2. I borrowed three books from the library.
3. I went to an archaeology event with my parents. The entrance was free and the talks were £1 each, which my parents treated me to. I treated my parents to some slices of cake from a food stall, but we brought lunch and drinks with us.
4. I wanted to reread a book I once borrowed from the library. It no longer seems to be in the system, so I bought a cheap copy from ebay.
5. I went for walks near the house and went running outside for free exercise.
You may be able to add pockets.
I did find a tutorial for doing so online, but I haven't had a lot of practice with sewing!
She may not always be ignoring it. We have a cat who loves to play with toys (especially mouse-esque ones), but only when she thinks no one is looking. If you walk into the room, she haughtily walks away with her tail and her nose in the air, as if to say “Moi? Play with toys? I think not…”
Possibly! She won't drink water in front of you - you have to pretend not to know the water's there before she drinks any of it.
Does your job reimburse you for school when you work part-time?
Yep!
Is it less than if you were full-time?
I believe so, but I am unsure of the specifics. At this point, I don't even care; I'll take whatever they give me, but I need a schedule break more than I need the money!
1) I was able to spend a day preparing about a months worth of slow cooker freezer meal kits, so we will have easy dinner options ready when August arrives (a really busy time at work for me, and the hottest time of year when we don’t want to turn on the oven). This way we won’t be as tempted to pick up takeout for dinner every day.
2) I was able to make a repair on my truck myself, buying a used replacement part on eBay and watching how-to videos online.
3) A storm took down a tree in our yard, and our sweet neighbor, who has the tools and training, offered to chop it up and haul it off for a few hundred dollars, which is much less than what it would have cost us to rent equipment to try to do it ourselves (and much safer, too, tbh).
FFT--Garden, garden, garden!
--I glued the loose sole on one of my gardening shoes.
--My gardening shed is actually the original garage for our 1890 house and has as many surface textures as it has decades. (We also have a more modern 1950s garage.) I repainted the exposed wood previously; yesterday, I watered down the remaining half gallon to paint the side covered in tar paper. It protects the wood underneath on the storm-facing side, so I understand why a previous owner installed it even if it is a $-%# to paint. 😛 Watering down leftover paint saved on materials and made the process MUCH faster!
--It's officially "zucchini magically appearing on the porch" season! That's fine by me, as the $&&$# squash bugs destroyed all mine. Hopefully my late revenge planting will do better. I have round zucchini this year (softball size), and the ONE fruit I did get was superb.
--My cucumbers (Boston pickling) have thankfully been going gangbusters. We've been making fridge pickles, salads, eating sliced cucumbers with just a sprinkle of salt, and sharing with friends and neighbors. This is my first year actually using fresh dill--it turns homemade pickles up to 11!
--All of my tomatoes are on the cusp. Next week and the week after will undoubtedly be all about soups and sauces for the freezer. Amusingly enough, the volunteer tomatoes* are doing as well as the ones planted on purpose.
*Plant cherry tomatoes once, and you will have them forever. I also have volunteer Romas and beefsteaks.
Bonus frugality--I keep being asked how I get such large, long-lasting blooms on my flowers; everyone is always taken aback by my answer of "benign neglect." Water is reserved for the vegetable garden, so everything else is a drought-tolerant native (bee balm, milkweed, bachelor's buttons, etc.) or hardy species (irises, day lilies, Asiatic lilies, etc.) that can hold its own. It saves money, water, and makes it look like I know what I'm doing with the yard. ;P We just finished a brutal heat wave, and everything still looks fine.
To give a sense of scale, we own a 1/4 acre lot. Our little house, the garage, and gardening shed take up maybe 1300 sq/ft all together. The vegetable garden is up to 250 sq/ft (I companion plant, so it is crammed tight), and the assorted flower beds are even more than that--and still expanding!
It sounds like you have a little piece of heaven!
My garden is in a similar situation. I had several zucchini plants, but only one is still alive and it’s the one that grows round squash. I’ve had a whooping two zucchini this year, but have restarted some more seeds inside. On the other hand, my cucumbers have gone nuts. Last week, I made sweet and spicy cucumbers, sesame soy cucumbers, creamy dill cucumbers, and sautéed cucumbers for my kids that don’t like them raw. The dog even gets them for a treat. I still have a pile to use up. The tomatoes have just started harvest time, so that is very exciting.
Nice grocery store finds! I am using pickup, which is frugal in a way (saves time, no temptation for extras) but I don't see marked down items. My pickup is from WalMart, though, and there I don't usually find a lot of markdowns on stuff I'll actually use anyway.
I'm curious since you have an HSA if you also chose a high-deductible insurance. I moved to an employer without this option and miss it, though I also went through cancer treatments with the less skimpy insurance and was grateful that it was "easy" for the most part as they covered what my doctors said I needed. Thankfully, I was able to throw some money in the HSA before leaving my last job, so I'm hoping to leave it for long enough that it becomes something more. I tried an FSA last year, but the paperwork and their communication process was too much for me and I decided not to continue it for this year. I used to be good like Kristen about doing all the tedious things, but my tolerance in this phase of life is so much lower that I have let it go for now.
I decided I didn't feel like driving to town to go the pool one day, so stayed home and took a walk and did YouTube yoga instead.
Went to a free art museum with friends where another friend volunteers as a tour guide. It's an hour away but I only had to drive halfway to meet.
NOT FRUGAL, especially the timing - A/C went out on Friday evening. We paid the extra $100 for a Saturday house call but thankfully "escaped" with a bill in the hundreds, not thousands.
Not much frugal over here as I had a small eye surgery and one of my cats had to be sedated, dental xrays, and a cleaning. She's only a year old, but has started this grinding/click noise with her teeth. They found absolutely nothing wrong with her teeth or mouth, and she doesn't present with pain anywhere on her body day to day or during an exam. No idea what the grinding is about, but it cost $500 to rule out resorption of her teeth. Ugh.
I have stayed home most of the week with my eye swollen so that has been frugal, I cooked ahead so we could avoid take out or eating out, I've been eating through the freezer so grocery bill has been low, DH washed our cars rather than take them through the car wash (which we do sometimes with the heat here), and I trimmed my own hair rather than go to the salon.
Oof, Shelley had to have some dental work done last fall and it was pretty expensive!
Side note; I'm going to be cat-sitting a cat this week who has no teeth! She was a stray and her teeth were damaged, and had to be removed.
Cats can actually get along fine with few or no teeth. Betty had to have all of hers except her four fangs extracted at a fairly early stage in her life with us; she was a shelter cat and presumably lived rough for her first 3 years. But she refuses to discuss her past, including her kittens (she seems to have had at least one litter).
She seems to be doing well - it certainly hasn't affected her eating too much (nor her purring!). The cat I had growing up had to have some teeth removed and the vet said she she might be sleepy and lethargic afterwards...instead she meowed like crazy, ran around the house and ripped off her bandage with her remaining teeth!
My 7 year old kitty just had dental surgery last month. A fang had fallen out, so I took him in. They said he was already missing 6 teeth and took out 16 more!! I tell people this is why I drive an old car— vet bills! Louie the cat also had to have a biopsy on his jaw which came back fine—thank god. Fur babies are so worth it.
Bone/enamel resorption is one of the three reasons we opted to euthanize our young cat. When I took the other stray we took in to the vet for the first time, she warned me the kitten would have dental issues (kitten was six months old). Almost 4 years later, cleaning and extraction of five teeth. Cat didn't miss a beat. I suspect more cleaning and (sad to say) extractions. Upside is the first thing our vet told me when I took the latest two rescue kittens in for their initial visit was their teeth looked good.
Pets are not financially frugal but you can't put a price on the positive health they bring to us.
The Commodore has those same mice--we found five stashed under a bed once when we moved it--and I also mend them frequently! I have to cut the tails off before giving them to him, otherwise he will bite them off and swallow them.
1. DH and I used our bikes to go to the grocery store, using his handy home-built bike trailer. So nice to build exercise into a daily chore and not use gasoline!
I can't think of much else. DS#3 is home from the hospital but we have many follow up appointments and labs so lots of driving--hence the using bikes whenever we're not transporting DS#3. We're eating at home, planning menus around what's on sale. Oh, I did find a pair of Birkenstocks I thought I'd donated, and I was glad to find them, as my Crocs almost have holes in them and I really didn't want to buy anything new. I like to have a pair of slip on shoes for heading out to the yard or garage.
Did you “cut off their tail with a carving knife?” Ha! Aren’t most nursery rhymes horrifying when you think about them?!
My Molly cat had a full dozen mice she played with. Assorted colors. She would fetch for a long time and then flop down to rest, She hid them in my husband's work boots and they played a game with them, every morning. When she passed, we buried them all with her - except the hot pink one, which we didn't find. When we moved out of that house, we searched everywhere - no pink mouse. Not in boxes, nor cupboards, under or behind the stove and refrigerator. Nothing. I will always miss her. She was a rescue, and a more rewarding companion you will never find.
So glad to hear that your son is at home again. I hope he is feeling much, much better!!!
I used to do so many dog toy sewing repairs when my dog was in his early days and toys would get holes from rough play. Well, as rough as you can get from a tiny 7lb dog. Sadly we lost him about a year and a half ago, but held onto a couple of his favorite toys.
I sewed and restuff a toy my dog gutted. She looked me dead in the eye and ripped it into unrepairable rags as to say, "when I rip open a toy, it STAYS ripped open!" At least she plays with now rags. If I throw it out, she gets offended, LOL
Listen, that toy had made personal remarks about your dog. It needed to be taught a lesson.
1. While we were gone for a few days, our housecleaner cleaned our home. Before we left, we turned up the AC. Since we like to have the house cooler for her, I used the HVAC app on my phone to turn the temperature down the morning she cleaned and then turn it back up after she was done. Pretty wild.
2. Shopped my kitchen for something to corral a few seasonings and a cruet bottle that we keep out on the counter. Thirty plus years ago, I would have been thrilled to put that on my "To Buy" list, but now I just want to use what I have.
3. Our suburb has started free food scrap pickup as part of our garbage service. We receive 120 food scrap bags annually. At the processing center, robots separate the special bags from the regular trash. This will save us from making special trips to the compost drop-off site.
4. Saved $10 off at Target for purchasing $50 worth of health and beauty items. My husband's OTC eye supplement costs $40 so this was a nice offer.
5. Splurged on frozen pineapple coconut bars at Trader Joe's, although at $3.80 for 6 bars, that's a frugal treat. We indulged on a 96 degree day and sang the lyric "If you like pina coladas" like goofballs.
never saw pineapple coconut bars. i have to check for them. love pineapple and coconut.
My little dog chews up cat toys, so I grow cat mint for the kitty and sprinkle a handful of leaves on the porch rug for her to enjoy.
I made a skillet meal of various pantry/freezer finds that turned out very nice. That's lunch for me for a few days. Also made some bran muffins for breakfasts using crushed bran flakes cereal that was $1.99 for a large box.
Am "reading" the next book club selection as an audio book from the library, using Kristen's trick of slightly increasing the audio speed so that I can return it early.
1. I cut a t shirt into rags and used one to polish a pair of character shoes I've barely worn and put up for sale.
2. I didn't find curtains or anything I could use for fabric at the Goodwill Outlet for camper curtains. After researching prices on drop cloths, raw fabric, and ready-made curtains, buying 2 sets of ridiculously long curtains to rework for fabric goods was cheaper and hopefully easier.
3. We bought a medium size CO2 tank made for soda fountains and an adapter to use with our 1st generation Sodastream since it's hard to find and exchange the small tanks. A refill of the new bigger tank cost less than the exchange of 3 little tanks that don't last long because of use. Not to mention, we've stopped buying fizzy water and sending a mountain of cans to recycling.
4. My father-in-law is cleaning out his garage and gave me a bubble level, new in box garden hose, and a couple of plastic pull out drawers for the camper.
5. I reserved campgrounds for the next two renaissance festivals on my tour and got a long term stay performer's discount at each one. Unfortunately neither show offers free camping in my contract but on the upside, I'm getting full hookup and will stay completely dry cooking and living in horizontal rain.
Our late cat, Sanders, had a bunch of those nice all over the house. He chased them like they were real, too. And they looked so real that we often told non-cat people that they were toys so they wouldn't think we were overrun with mice!
Here are my FFTs:
– l stopped at Kroger on a Friday and used my double points coupon to get a few treats to take to a visit with an old friend. I got donuts on sale, a few other things and earned double gas points.
– I bought a card of buttons on clearance at Hobby Lobby to add to my now-complete button jar I started a few months ago. I realized cute buttons are kinda hard to come by. I longed to have a button jar like my mom had. And now I'm the old lady with a button jar! 🤣
– a friend gave me a cute, fluffy flower a neighbor had made from Kleenex. It looks like a peony. I wondered what to do with it and then hot glued it to a plastic straw and slipped it into a fused glass wall pocket another friend made for me. It looks adorable on the wall in my bedroom.
– I made our leftover pork roast from a previous dinner into BBQ pork sandwiches. They were good.
– With free advice and backing paper from my artist neighbor, I helped my sister-in-law fix a print of my late father-in-law's painting that had slipped away from its mat inside its frame.
We took the framing apart, re-tapped the print to the mat, reassembled the frame and added new backing paper to the frame. I'm guessing this probably saved $50 or more vs. taking it to be repaired at a framing shop.
Have a good week. I'm waiting for a "cold" front to drop out temps into the 90s. It's going to be over a 100 degrees here today. I am very thankful for ceiling fans!
I love button jars. I inherited my mom’s button tin full of buttons that she’d had (and used) since she was young. I used to marvel at them as a child.
Whew...for a minute I could see a little mouse, supine on your kitchen floor having had a slight amount of anesthesia having his tummy stitched up! ROFL.
FRUGALS:
1. DH found dried pintos for a very frugal deal. Cooked in crackpot for Future Linda.
2. Spent several afternoons photographing my bird feeder birds. No money spent.
3. Used air fryer instead of oven. No oven heat and a saving on air conditioner.
4. (Frugal fail) DH bought cheaper peanut butter. Had to make seed balls for the birds...which is ok for them so guess not a complete fail.
5. Used ThriftBooks to get some children's books for granddaughter. They were her favorites as a child. We don't have lfl and this was as frugal as I could find them.
So proud of you, Kristen! 4.0 grades!
SLOW COOKER....NOT CRACKPOT!
crackpot cooking sounds like more fun
True!
I can think of a few crackpots I'd like to cook. 😛
Yes. I think I know who one of them is. We've made him subject of several number 5's on NCA blogs.
Me, too!
LOL
Lately spellcheck has been wild and insists on replacing crockpot with crackpot. Got some kinda crazy meals going! 😀
How do I get back on the frugal wagon? Ideas?
We are almost out of the the old house ( staging items left because the buyers in escrow are try to hold us up for $15,000 in ransom and we might have to put it back on the market.)
We are "in" to the RiverHouse meaning the essentials are in place. The painters haven't finished the outside.
For the first time in my life food is one quick grab dining out, crackers and cheese, hot oatmeal and dates. Big ticket items are still coming in - $850 cash for window seat cushions, we don't have a window covering in the house, and the windows desperately need to be cleaned.
Problem: I have absolutely no motivation. Nothing is settled. Hubby is starting radiation. My car is getting a new transmission while I am driving the rental to drive 6 hours away to get my Dad's player piano moved. It still feels like freefalling so I am not practicing any of the tiny saves that have been so successful for me. Help!
When you don't know where to start, start small and start anywhere. I rely on this tactic a lot, at work, at home. Don't overthink it!
I love this. Start small, start anywhere. I think this will be my new mantra.
Love start small, start anywhere. I have that for today.
"Start small" is an aspect of some cognitive-behavioral therapies for depression; it's also known as "chunking" seemingly overwhelming tasks into smaller units. I'd add only that it may be helpful to start with the easiest tasks. As we handle those, it helps us pick up momentum as we go along.
Give yourself grace, you are doing a LOT right now. Take it one day at a time, and you will get through it. Routine doesn't sound doable right now for you.
Oh, Mary, I am saying a prayer for you and your DH. May God help you through all the obstacles you're facing! If any others on the Commentariat are praying people, perhaps they will join me in this, please.
Prayer is not the least we can do for someone else, it is the MOST.
give yourself some grace. there is a lot on your plate. sending prayers and hugs your way.
You too Anita, I've been thinking about you. Take care!
thank you so much. i really appreciate it.
Speaking as someone who is now on the other side of a year of cancer treatments that coincided with packing up my classroom to move to a new school, I would say that you can remind yourself that this is a season and it will not always be this overwhelming. Your frugal ways will be there for you when you are ready for them again. In the meantime, just try to keep yourself going. I give you permission to spend a little if it helps you keep your sanity. Sending love!
Yes, allow yourself some grace. When the time is right for you to climb back on that frugal horse you will do just that. Grace is what you need now.
Prayers for you and hubby. "This, too,shall pass." I have been in the just getting by stage of life and know how hard it can be. Try to have a little time each day to sit down with hubby and talk about easier times (if he feels like it) and find some things you are still thankful for. DH and I take out our photo items and reminisce. Peace to you.
We have those mice, which our cats love. I also sew them frequently!
1. I bought 3 packs of ground beef, 4 packs of chicken skewers, 2 packs of chicken breast, and 2 packs of sausage for 50% off at Aldi.
2. I went for my yearly breast MRI, which has no copay. Prevention is always frugal!
3. My husband fixed his road bike himself, which would have cost $150.
4. I picked up mini muffins for my kids off Buy Nothing.
5. I took my kids to see the new Minions movie at a discount theater. For tickets and popcorn it was only $37.
The chicken thighs are an excellent deal! So much cheaper than around here.
FFT:
- I moved a button on my waistband, to make the waist a bit more snug. I figured I could move the button by about a cm without looking funny. And I often wear tops over the waste band. We'll see how it works out.
- I took a train trip to work on one of my severely reduced senior citizen tickets. I have six annually and two were about to expire. It seems I have not made many fun trips this year by train, but a 24 euro reduction is also fun.
- I ordered supplements and they were reduced in price as I am a trade union member.
- I went swimming outdoors.
- I had a look online and made lists of the shops close by and the items they have on offer this week. Some have non-perishables on sale and this is a good week to stock up on them.
Non-frugal prospect: I consider buying a new bra, with more comfortable straps. I always buy my bras in a specialized local store since my body shape has changed after menopauze. The purchase will set my fun account back considerably, but support is comfort.
Voting that this purchase doesn't come from the fun money fund 🙂 unless there's something extra fun about it, lol!
Seconding the idea that purchasing a bra that fits is a damn need. Buy yourself something actually fun with your fun money. Like, I dunno, t!tt!e tassels? Just kidding, but us menopausal ladies need to get our giggles somewhere. 😉
I have been up to a lot of nothing. The continuing heat and humidity has sapped my energy.
I did make two Goodwill trips this week, and I got a gift, a sweatshirt, some household supplies, and some potential resale items.
I stumbled upon a free pile and got some coffee, canned goods, medical supplies and a cool tin to enhance my decor.
Ebay sales have dwindled. I occasionally get questions from potential buyers, but nothing happens. This has made me feel unenthusiastic about listing new things.
I am trying to empty my freezer so I can defrost my fridge, but it's a vicious cycle. I thaw something, I create something out of it, and then I have something new to freeze. If I could just get it down to what would fit in a cooler, I could defrost. Which I really need to do.
I have had an ongoing saga about getting dental care -- have finally resolved to use my Flex card now and get better insurance next year.
That's about it.
Hi Beth-The heat here has been awful, too. It just zaps my energy. It's a good thing I am a reader, especially this time of year! I hope this is okay-please feel free to remove, Kristen, if it's not. My mom and I have our dental insurance through Physician's Mutual, and we have been very pleased with it. My mom has a rider for vision and hearing, which is about $10 a month, and it just paid her $1,000 towards her new hearing aids!! Take care and don't be hard on yourself.
eBay has been suuuuuper slow for me. I've sold a few things on Vinted though. Just started there last week.
Nice work on the mouse repair. I too was confused when I read the title.
1) I'm on jury duty this week, but so far it's only meant calling in & confirming I don't need to be there. Two days of not having to drive to jury duty instead of working.
2) Repurposed some dinner ingredients when all four of us were home for dinner, to make things go further. It's a good thing I made that call, because we ate everything, including the leftover pasta I heated up & the bag of veggie fried rice (TJs) I pulled out of the freezer.
3) Bought clothes for DS19 & DS20 at Uniqlo when I was in Japan. The yen was very weak, which made the clothes quite inexpensive compared to the US. Out of everything I bought, it all fit & people were pleased, minus two shirts. I'll list those on eBay. One is a collectors item (an anime Tshirt) that DS20 loved, but didn't fit. That should sell easily. I'll donate the other shirt if it doesn't sell.
4) I ordered a new Kindle when mine died last week. I am a huge reader & can't live without mine. The new one came with three months of Kindle unlimited. DH was somehow able to reboot my Kindle through a lot of effort. I'm returning the new Kindle, saving money, but the Kindle Unlimited subscription is still working. Maybe it will end when I return the Kindle? Either way, I'll be reading up quickly, as the library typically doesn't have a large volume of Kindle supported ebooks & I've made my way through quite a few already.
5) DH gets a few days off 4x year. He has "unlimited" vacation, which really means taking days off outside of those days is sort of questioned. I hate the system. Anyway, he really wants to maximize those days off. We agreed on Palm Springs/Joshua Tree in March of next year. I used Chase points to cover some of the 3 nights in a hotel. The remaining amount was $540. I'll get a Chase credit of $250 back on my next statement, dropping the cost to $290 (total). We will also get a $100 resort credit when we check in, and free breakfast. I've never been to Palm Springs, and March looks like a good time to go, and I'm always looking for new (to me) national parks!
Hawaii Planner, before you sell the anime t-shirt, look online for instructions for making a throw pillow out of a t-shirt. I think it's fairly easy. Your son might like it for his room!
I’ve been to the Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree Park in the early spring time. It’s an absolutely lovely time to go! Even experiencing my very first earthquake (the Easter Sunday one in 2010) couldn’t dampen an otherwise delightful trip. I hope you have an equally amazing time!
Just wondering about your comment on library supported kindle ebooks. Amazon switched to the epub format ebooks, instead of mobi files. Surely your local or state library has many epub ebooks. Possibly even other libraries that offer free library cards not tied to being a local resident.
I'm envious that you could use your HSA for contacts! I have an HSA (to which we max out the contribution between my husband and me) but I have to use an FSA for dental/vision expenses. I can only use the HSA for medical expenses. My older son has really bad myopia and often needs new glasses twice/year. FSA is a use it or lose it set up, so I never quite know how much to put in. But I definitely put too little in this year. Sigh.
I use FSA for dental and vision. I rarely tap into my HSA as building it for when I retire. Knowing full well that I can reimburse myself at any time for HSA allowed expenses. I've had an HSA since 2001 and I love it.
Everyone who has FSA should read up on life events. I put a kiddo on my insurance for a few months until kiddo's new insurance kicked in. I increased my FSA as better half had surgery. When kiddo aged off (at the time kiddo's insurance kicked in), I increased FSA again as we'd have rehab expenses in the next calendar year. Upside to FSA is whatever amount you choose for the year is available to you the first day of the year. If you separate from the company, you do not have to pay it back. Which is not an issue because unless unusual circumstances (read: Covid-19), FSAs are a use it or loose it.
no air conditioning. no trips to dunkin across the street from my apt. my target runs just have things i need instead of want. my zozo packed on pounds from hermeds so she is not allowed any junk food boy is that tough on the rest of us. what am i without my junk food? plus zozo discovered all our hiding places. and without ac ice cream is a staple in my freezer. guess what? not allowed to have that either. i am allowed tj's strawberry lemonade frozen bars. unfortunately, noah doesn't like them
but hubby and zozo do so they disappear fast.
so last night we were having a huge fight about his identical twin. he said to me if i loved him i would follow him up there. i did what my dad always did when he got in a huge row with my mom. he walked out to cool off. somehow i always knew he would be back. not so my family. when i left i told them not to look for me. i intentionally did not go to any of my usual benches. on my way home i ran into my son. he was looking for me. i told him i was sorry but dad went beyond the pale. he didn't say anything.
well hubby, buddy and zozo were looking for me too and they almost called the police. thank g-d they didn't cause i wouldn't want to be hospitalized. when my dad passed i wound up in the hospital cause he cut me out of his will and i had done nothing to deserve that message.
sure, the best thing would be for twin to move into city. but guess what he never even visits cause he doesn't like the city. anyhoo thank you kristen for creating this wonderful space. thank you to all in the commentariat who wish me well. on thankful thursday chiquita will thank you for mending her mouse.
Why does the twin's wishes take precedence over yours? SMH.
I'm praying for you, as well, Anita, and for Zozo on her diet.
that is what i would like to know. thanks.
Hard times for you all, Anita. I'm so sorry. I have no useful advice to offer about the husband's twin/Irvington situation, but I am keeping you in my good thoughts.
I appreciate your kind words so much. This is such a comforting space. I am so grateful to have found you all.
Anita I have had you on my mind since yesterday. So glad to hear that they were all looking for you. I liked the idea of your Rabbi being involved. Maybe he or some other neutral person could mediate among the family? Sending you good wishes and hoping things will resolve soon. Stay strong.
This is such a tough situation for you, Anita. I hope you and your family are able to find peaceful passage through it soon. Sending love!
I've yet to read the words your husband is his brother's legal guardian. Meaning your husband is not responsible for his brother. Sounds to me like the rest of the family is dumping the brother on your husband, along with a heavy dose of guilt. From what I've inferred, it sounds like the brother needs to be in a facility that can provide care based on his needs.
Please look to see if there is low cost/no cost legal aid to advice you of your rights.
i suggested that too. hubby will not hear of it. but thanks.
My FFT:
1. I also scored some great markdowns... my kids wanted to make salmon and we priced it and I told them sorry, we have to pick something else. But then I went to Meijer and they had some 2-pound slabs of salmon marked 75% off! They ended up being just over $3/lb. I'm so excited!!!
2. Staples... we found some really nice binders on clearance that were over $12 full-price, then marked down to less than $1.50. We bought 7. 🙂 There are 3 of us in the house that will use them. Between that and the other stuff we were getting, we were $20 away from their "Spend $50, get a $20 gift card" deal, so we did some school shopping and I downloaded the app to get that deal, plus their freebie of the week: Sharpie S-Gel pens.
3. I made yogurt! Perfect for smoothie season.
4. Our church does a clothing and toy swap every summer and we went with two overflowing tubs of stuff to donate, then came home with almost one tub full of freebies for our kids.
5. I cashed out my Ibotta rewards (about $30!) and just submitted to cash out my Fetch rewards ($10 to Meijer).
It's canning season! I made my favorite sweet pickles last night, and tonight I'm turning the carcass from a rotisserie chicken into a broth. These are resources that last a long time and cut the grocery bill significantly.
Let's see...this week I:
-put an item in my cart on Etsy but didn't buy it right then. Waited a day and was offered 15% off. Doesn't always work but off sets the tax and some of the shipping when it does.
-bought cherries in bulk and on sale. Some will be canned; the majority dehydrated for the winter
-bought a bushel of cucumber pickles. Worked out to something like $1.20/lb compared to $3/lb at the farmers market. Was a lot of work but we have pickles for the next year now.
-bought some quick sale meats at Wegman's that will be the majority of our meat for the week.
-Walked the mile (in the heat...yuck) to get lunch yesterday. We split the sandwich (huge) and side of beans (added to the zucchini/corn mixture from previous nights dinner). Saved us the 7 bucks it would have cost for another sandwich, the processing fee the app would have charged and the delivery fee + tip it would have cost to get to us if I hadn't walked.
1. I started using a free app that motivates me to get more steps in. I really need this on work from home days.
2. I finished a Libby audiobook over the weekend and started a new one that I had suspended.
3. My husband and I took a little weekend trip. I didn’t bring home any souvenirs other than pictures and we made the most of our credit card rewards program while traveling.
4. Our CSA box is keeping me out of the grocery store! Between the pantry, the CSA box, and the freezer I’m keeping our food spending close to zero.
5. I took care of my mani and pedi myself before our trip.
I'm disappointed that there was no photo of Dr. Chiquita supervising the mouse surgery!
Now, FFT, AAA to the Rescue Edition:
(1) When I was about to head out yesterday for a visit to NDN1 in assisted living, the Element wouldn't start. I called AAA, which got not one but two guys (one was a trainee) here in 20 minutes. And I'd bought the previous battery from AAA and it was still under warranty, so I got a new one for free. For me, the AAA membership is worth every penny. (Also, guilty confession: I discovered after the guys left that I'd somehow tripped the *rear* dome light on--frankly, I didn't even know there was one!--and that was probably what ran down the battery. Mea culpa.)
(2) When I did get out to see NDN1 this morning, I took her a small bouquet of flowers from the garden (my "Cut and Come Again" zinnias and my yellow yarrow). This keeps up a custom from when she used to live here, and it gives her pleasure.
(3) I made 8 pints of refrigerator pickles Saturday (pints are in more demand than quarts this year), using my still overabundant garden dill and the little "bulblets" from this year's garlic. Instead of cutting off the scapes, I leave those on, and the garlic continues to mature the bulblets as it cures in my attic. The bulblets are very useful not only in pickles, but in broths and stocks.
(4) I saved as much rain as I could from Saturday's two good hard thundershowers here, and am looking forward to doing the same this afternoon. We're not expecting the type of storms that may be affecting the eastern midsection of the US, but we should still get some rain.
(5) And the friends who raise my annual 1/4 steer have alerted me that the 2026 steer will be processed and ready for delivery about the first week of August, so I'm doubling down on clearing out my upright freezer in the basement. I do have to hold the whole order here till the friends with whom I share the beef can pick it up, so I need the freezer room.
BIG fan of AAA here. Worth every penny. And it doesn't cost all that many pennies. Peace of mind is priceless. Unlike a piece of my mind. For which I charge a small fortune.
It's a weird quirk with old Hondas that the dome light switches are so easy to turn on. I ran the battery flat twice in my Fit by lifting something off the passenger seat -- you know how your hand flies up when something is lighter to lift than expected -- and brushing the switch. After the second hard lesson, I trained myself to check them.
Agree A.Marie; We put a AAA membership in our kids' Christmas stocking every year since they began to drive and still now that they both have families.
FFT:
* Made yet another batch of refrigerator pickles using cucumbers from the garden
* Made brunch for our family to celebrate hubby's birthday, instead of us all going out to eat.
* Used produce from the garden to make pasta salad to take to a potluck.
* Baked sourdough bread.
* Read books available on Kindle Unlimited.
1. Our new puppy needed some toys and I picked up a couple at the dollar store
2. 6 month old grandson is going to visit in August. I borrowed a Pack and Play from a friend, bought a toy for $3 at Goodwill, and bought a baby seat from FB Marketplace for $20.
3. Adhered to our family "rule" (more like a guideline) that restaurant/takeout is only for intentional planned occasions, not just because I don't feel like cooking. Those days are why God made eggs and quesadillas.
4. Ditto. Adhered tomy personal rule about coffee shops...only intentional (like I made a coffee date with a friend).
5. Picked up a few badly needed clothing items at Goodwill as well. Found brand new jean capris for $7 and two pairs of shorts for $3 each
I win, Kristen-my contacts are -11 and -11.50! No, that's not a typo. However, I am very, very thankful that I can see!
I took my application to a non-profit clinic yesterday, hoping to get approved for low or no cost medical care, as I don't have insurance and am not eligible for Medicare for another 4 years.
Got two like new Tana French books at our Friends of the Library bookshop yesterday for a total of $3, versus the $45 cover price!
Will be having my weekly phone call with a dear friend tonight that is covered by my unlimited talk and text plan, which is very frugal-I still remember the days of expensive long distance calls and having to wait until a certain time in the evening for the rates to drop.
Stacked errands yesterday to save my time and gas-it's over 100 here for the next few days, so I don't plan to get out for a bit.
Sounds weird that I think this is fun, but my mom and I are painting three smallish pieces of furniture for a friend-she paid for the paint, and we are happy to be able to use our skills and help her out. Free for us!
OK so I am an extremely morbid person. I read your description in my email and thus my first thought was:
"One of Chiquita's mice split down the middle, so I sewed it up for her". My first thought was that is was a real mouse that she had caught and that you were sewing up a hole that she had ripped in said real mouse. Then I had a re-think, and was like "eeeewwwww" this can't be a real mouse. Then I read your blog. OMG I'm having a good laugh, this was too funny. When I had my cats I had a number of mice escapades in my house, so it wasn't too far off for me to think what I thought, I've seen mice in every which way condition. Though to be clear, I never sewed up any real mice, though I was queen of taking them outside, in whatever state they were in.
Bahaha, there is NO WAY I am ever touching a dead mouse.
To be fair, most of the mice I have removed from my house have been alive. I had one cat who would catch a mouse outside and then bring it inside (still alive) and put it in my running shoe (every single time!). If it is a mouse that my HB had to catch in a mousetrap (i.e. in my kitchen cupboard under the sink or behind the stove, not brought in by the cats), then it is his responsibility to remove said dead mouse outside for disposal.
I always joke that I am starting a business called "Linda's bug, insect, spider, wasp and mouse removal service". I try to not kill anything and catch said creature and take it outside (including the wasp! yes not my finest hour though I did not get stung). The exception being mosquitoes, you bite me, that's the end of your days. I do not react well to bites. (though not anaphylactic).
In our house, better half sets the traps (attic) and I dispose of the dead mice. I dispose of the (rare) dead mice the cats kill in the basement.
What if it was always the same mouse…was it named Jerry?
A couple of mechanical gifted guys set up a commercial swamp cooler in our community gathering spot. We set up 4 futons, a six pack of recliners, 2 poker tables and a new to us shuffleboard. We already have 4 corn hole sets. Dominoes, a projection tv and an ice maker. I am brewing my sun tea and have mint simple syrup, lemonade, raspberry lemonade and cherry lime syrup. I have collected 20 camping cots if anyone wants to stay overnight.
I made a double batch of Milanesa, butter lettuce salad heavy on the cucumbers and grape tomatoes and noodles with pico de gallo.
We are socked in from wildfire smoke. Washed the whole house air filters.
I might not be frugal anymore. This realization is coming to me as each week I cannot think of anything to add.
Some friends invited me to lunch yesterday. With the tip, it was $26!!! (Just mine!) It wasn’t very good—it wasn’t bad, just not my kind of food. I wasted all the bread from the sandwich, and the only thing that passed for vegetables were pickles on the sandwich.
Maybe my frugality is in that lingering sense of ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
I have to view such events as an investment in friendship rather than paying for a meal.
YES to that being an investment in friendship! You can make a good sandwich at home. 😉
I love mending small fixes like your mouse. Small wins to the rescue!
My Frugal 5 This Week:
• DIY AC Fix: Saved hundreds on labor! My husband replaced our AC capacitor with a cheap part from Amazon. Cold air restored!
• Linoleum Repair: Glued down a torn piece of linoleum with E6000. It seamlessly blended right back in.
• Lego Alternative: Grabbed an off-brand floral building kit for $30 on Amazon—$20 cheaper than Lego, and I snagged the cheapest listing available.
• Meal Prep & Yard Work: Turned off the sprinklers after it rained to save water, and turned one batch of homemade pulled pork into a whole week of varied meals.
• Weekly Usuals: Free park lunches for the kids, ate through pantry leftovers, batched run our driving errands, blocked the afternoon heat with blinds and blacked-out shades, and washed full loads of laundry.
Also forgot to mention, borrowed more books and DVDs from the library, watched lots of anime off our Prime subscription, played games we already had, went to the nearby parks to play and the lake to go swimming.
HSA's never expire (while you are alive at least). They're one of the best savings accounts you can have, because if you qualify for one (that is, you have a high deductible health plan), you can save on taxes when you put money in, invest and the investment grows tax-free, and for qualified expenses, it's tax free when you take money out.
Tax free for qualified expenses. 10% tax if not. Which reminds me I need to get a spreadsheet put together of what qualified expenses I have not reimbursed (along with supporting documentation) in the event I die before better half.
Can anyone here please tell me if the “Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment.” that’s beneath the part where you fill in our name and e-mail works? Thanks!😊
Yes, it works, but sometimes there’s a delay. I sometimes read comments because I went back to reread and then I get the notification email a day later.
Weird, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one even though I’ve gotten replies back before. I’ll look again tomorrow to check. Thanks!
it has ever worked for me. either. i just check back every once in awhile.
I still haven’t gotten an email back to let me know that Becca commented.
I’ve checked spam and didn’t see anything. Who should I be looking to be the sender? Any advice appreciated! Thanks!
I think it only triggers emails to the original commenter, so if you reply to someone else’s comment, I don’t think you get notified, but I could be wrong. I usually just reread comments whenever I have downtime instead of doomscrolling through news articles.
LOL, I'm the grandma who fixes things. Last visit, there was a duck who was shedding his stuffing because its bill was torn. I picked it and the stuffing up, found the right shade of orange thread at a thrift store, and set about restoring it to health, only to learn it was a dog toy. Sure enough, the poor duckie's bill was in tatters again before we headed for home. It's still satisfying to fix things, even if the repairs don't last, sigh.
What does it say about me that I immediately pictured you fixing the correct kind of “mouse?” Am I just that nuts/frugal that I think yup, totally normal to fix a cat toy? 😉
Ahem, my frugals:
1. Took my car back to the mechanic to double check the “new” transmission. If I’m gonna pay like three grand, I want it to be as good as it possibly can be. Thankfully, my mechanic likes me. 😉
2. Did a metric ton’s worth of gardening, but it’s the kind that costs nothing but time and energy. Think lots of weeding and de-vining.
3. Spent 2.12 on a spray bottle of super duper strong bleach bathroom cleaner at Aldi thinking “maybe it’ll help…” holy moly, is that stuff powerful!!! My bathroom has never been cleaner! It makes me so happy every time I walk in there!
4. Tried the fabled 4.99 Costco rotisserie chicken for the first time, and got three dinners and two lunches out of it already. Still planning a chicken soup night for the carcass. Very frugal, indeed.
5. I dunno…coffee at home?
Ah, I remember the days of repairing a beloved dog toy.
I am getting ready to move, so some frugal items are related to that.
1) Listed a few household items on Marketplace.
2) Filling my mini toiletry containers for my carry-on
3) Purchased plastic tabs for hubby's eyeglasses. His glasses kept flying off when he plays sports, so this $1 fix will save us future money on replacing broken glasses.
4) Utilized free book exchanges and was fortunate enough to come across books I would pay to read, which is even more special. I also rescued a sticky book from the recycling bin at my condo and cleaned it off, so that's another free book!
5) Utilized public transportation instead of a private taxi. There are a few times I have to get private transport if I'm going somewhere the bus doesn't, but I try to go places on the bus route and when I don't, I remind myself that using an uber bery occasionally is cheaper than owning a vehicle.
1. I picked up an extra shift at work, and will pick up a few more as there is some availability.
2. DH did a political survey that earned him a $5 prepaid Visa. I told him I would figure out spending it since those can be a bit of a hassle.
3. DH’s friend gave him a squash, two eggplants, and some rhubarb. The rhubarb is especially nice as ours gave out due to heat before we’d picked much. We made our favorite rhubarb cake which also used frozen soured milk. The eggplant went into a Thai curry.
4. I bought three bottles of dishwashing soap for $1.50 a bottle, and three of dishwasher detergent for $3 a bottle that were on clearance at the local grocery store. However I just checked my receipt and the detergent rang up at $5/bottle so I need to go have it adjusted.
5. I picked up some free kid socks from Buy Nothing.