Happy Monday, friends!
1. I mended my bench cushion.
We bought a table and chair set from Crate and Barrel some years ago and while the furniture is fine, the pads are less impressive.
The bench cushion especially has been problematic, in that it shrinks when you wash it.
I asked them for a new pad initially, but the one they sent me also shrank (despite cold water and line drying), so I just gave up.
Anyway, one of the ties came off, so I sewed it back on and the cushion is back in business.
2. I mended my jeans.
You’ve seen this pair of jeans multiple times before.
They’re the ones that came apart when I pulled them up by the loop.
And they’re also the ones that split by the bottom of the zipper.
At this point, I’m not even sure why I’m mending them. Except…they do fit me great. And I feel like they still have life in them.
(sweater from this recent Stitch Fix)
And I’m just feeling stubborn. I WILL PREVAIL.
Anyhow. The fabric around my jean loop repair ripped, so I sewed a bigger underside patch on, did more zig-zagging to secure the fabric, and put them back into my closet.
I will probably give up on this pair of jeans at some point. But I’m just not there yet. 
3. I saved by buying poultry herbs.
I needed fresh rosemary and fresh thyme, and considered buying a package of each. But then I saw that there was a package of poultry herbs (rosemary, thyme, and sage), so I bought that instead.
That way I only got a little of each herb (less waste!) and I only had to buy one package of herbs instead of two.
4. I bought some distressed jeans on clearance.
I’ve tried on distressed jeans in the past (so stylish!) and have always put them back on the shelf because I feel weird about paying a lot for jeans with holes in them.
But I found two pairs at Kohl’s for $12 each, with an extra 30% off coupon, which made them $8.40/pair.
For that price, I feel good about having stylish holes.
Also, after Joshua stopped by last night* and I saw the holes in his jeans, I felt like mine were QUITE conservative.
*in case you missed it, Joshua’s moved out on his own.
5. I bought nail clippers on clearance.
The last ones I bought were terrible (they kind of bend the nail instead of clipping it!), so when I saw these on clearance for $1.32, I bought both of them.
Your turn! Share your own Five Frugal Things in the comments.
I need to save a lot after the next few weeks but the last ten days have been hugely expensive. My medical expenses have been huge and then a tooth needs attention. Insurance doesn’t pay enough.
To save I am working to be diligent about not wasting food. Leftover roast is being converted into stew as it was far from satisfactory as a roasted meal. I have my list and am not buying extras.
Our fuel prices go up and down hugely. I managed to fill up and save over 20 cents a litre(quart).
Because I am not out and about I have not been spending as much.
I was fortunate today. I went to my eye specialist and was expecting the bill to be $195. Instead I was charged $37.50. Big difference. Also I was given great news about my eyes.
So glad you had good news from the doctor!
That’s wonderful news about your eyes
Thank you for the kinds thoughts.
1. We had to go into a department store so my son could spend his birthday money. We scored Christmas shirts for this year for $1.50 each. After we had checked out the attendant handed us a free drink bottle for spending over $30.
2. My friend bought us a fan to cool us down this summer. We don’t have air con in the bedrooms and we were one fan short. Super grateful.
3. My daughter was given a free donut when we were out shopping. I forgot a few things and went back to the supermarket today and scored a lot of 1/2 price items I needed. The store seemed to have many more specials than usual, including items I buy regularly that haven’t been on sale before (I hope this continues).
4. I did some babysitting two days this week for some extra cash (it’s school holidays here so I had my kids anyway).
5. The kids wanted to go swimming as it’s been so hot. We had a few options but decided on the pool they do their swimming lessons as entry is covered in term fees.
1.Earned $24 in credit card reward points
2.Filed my taxes online and will be getting back a great return. We plan to use the money wisely and make some home improvements that we have been putting off for many years
3.Returned library books the day they were due and picked up a few more to enjoy:)
4.Borrowed a small kettlebell from my sister to try out for a workout (they are extremely expensive!)and accepted a bag of office supplies my mom was giving away
5.Used fuel points from Kroger to reduce my price per gallon by 20 cents
Remember to adjust your withholding on your paycheck so you don’t over pay again next year. Getting a big refund feels good until you realize you lent the government that money interest free for a year.
If you decide you enjoy kettlebells, Amazon Basics (so the Amazon “store brand”) has the best price-per-pound I’ve seen.
I don’t know if you have an Aldi near you, but they’ve had a kettlebell set in recent weeks; I bought the set last year and while I’ve outgrown the weights now, they are a good starter set.
1. I received a Christmas present that I didn’t think I would use so I returned it to Macy’s for a refund.
2. Meals at home, mostly using what we have on hand.
3. Fitting in yoga and Pilates classes as much as possible. I pay a monthly membership fee so the more classes I take the lower the price per class.
4. I’ve been reading lots of library borrowed ebooks and usually have a book on CD going in my car.
5. Booked travel to a wedding using Southwest points. I reserved a car using COSTCO travel (I will continue to check periodically for a better rate), and booked a hotel using a wedding special rate.
Costco gives you a second driver for free – you may have multiple drivers, factor that into your comparison.
1. Stocked up at Aldi and the local surplus grocery in the next town over before school starts again tomorrow and it’s harder to make the time to get there.
2. Mended a bunch of different things around the house – including a towel that I never would have thought to mend before seeing you do it over and over, Kristen! I was quite happy that my 16-year old son knew that because his new tee shirt came apart at the seam it would be an easy fix. I did buy some ballpoint needles for my sewing machine, but they should get a good bit of use.
3. Found 2 unused glasses at Goodwill that match the ones we got at IKEA. They were 49 cents each but it was half-price day, so got them both for 53 cents including tax.
4. Filled out reimbursement forms for things I bought for my church job.
5. Used up the liquid left in the crock pot to make noodles for my son. It kind of makes me gag, but he’s been eating it, so I guess it’s edible!
Frugal fail – missed some things I took out of the chest freezer when I organized it and my husband noticed it days later, after it had been far too warm in the garage for them to be safe. What were they? About 5 lbs of local natural meats. Ugh.
Oh, Kristen, you might want to check out Katrina Rodabaugh’s book “Mending Matters.” She does beautiful visible mending, particularly on jeans.
Oh, that’s a painful frugal fail! You have my full sympathies.
1. After my husband insisted that we had ‘no food’ in the house and needed to go grocery shopping made frozen tamales with cabbage slaw, salsa, corn and rice for dinner. No grocery trip necessary.
2. Helped our youngest find the most economical LEGO with the minifigure he wanted then taught him how to comparison shop.
3. Slowly cleaning out the extra freezer. Had two freezer inspired dinners this week.
4. I have two bananas that will become banana chia muffins later today.
5. Planning out our pantry/freezer challenge in February. We will be eating a LOT of lentils.
1, drove a little farther then usual to a grocery outlet to stock up on non perishables and frozen food. Scored about 9 bags of groceries for $130! Worth the drive!
2. Took my son to see a movie at our cheap second run theater. 2 tickets plus popcorn and soda, total spent $12!
3. The toaster oven I got for free when my neighbor moved works great! So does the free blender I got when another neighbor moved out.
4. Helped my son find a used jigsaw on FB Market Place instead of buying a new one.
5. A friend gave us some extra hay for our rabbits
Have you checked your library? Ours has a puzzle library, where you bring one and take one. No checking out or due dates. It is run on the honor system and they are always over-stocked.
I’d keep repairing those jeans if I were you as well. Comfortable jeans that look and feel good are so hard to find!
1. I organized the closet next to the bathroom. In doing so, I found a whole bunch of stuff that I won’t have to buy, which will save us money.
2. We ate at home all this week. Hurray!
3. I grocery shopped for two weeks this week. It’s gotten ridiculously cold and I don’t want to have to drag my daughter out in that. With a little creativity, we should be okay, although next week’s forecast doesn’t look any warmer…
4. The library. How I love the library. I checked out a bunch of books for me and my daughter, from two different libraries (where we also played), I picked up books from interlibrary loan, we attended a magic show and signed up for another event.
5. My husband snowblowed (snowblew?) the driveway, saving my back and untold amounts of pain on top of my normal daily pain, which means I’ll be able to get more done. Win for everyone!
Five frugal things……
1. Bought ground beef on markdown….( organic grass fed)….made huge batch of spaghetti sauce . Served one batch for Sunday lunch and froze two other family sized servings.
2. Used a 30 percent off Kohls coupon code and Jan free shipping to buy two baby gifts. Each were around five dollars with sales and coupons.
3. Bought my hubby a new winter jacket ( much needed) for 29.99….marked down from 100.00 dollars. His current winter coat is over 15 years old…it has been a goodie but a little ragged for church.
4. Picked up some bags of peanut Mand Ms ( my sons FAVE) for 2 for 1.00 at Walgreens. stocked up bought six bags….My son is 18!
5. Very cold weather here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan….I have been using my tea bags twice before throwing them out….making lots of hot tea right now….so yummy. Yes I like mine with milk IRISH!
Stephanie, you’re in my neck of the woods — the U.P.
Yay Michigan! I am what you would probably refer to as a troll.
But you Yoopers have beautiful land up there!
Also a troll.
1) I always need a back scratcher so when I saw one at Walmart priced $1 I snatched it up. Turned out it was a clearance item and was only .10 cents.
2) Meals at home all week and bonus for creative use of chicken leftovers, turning them into chicken & rice tacos.
3) Figured out that a $5 jar of Garnier brightening face cream I had previously bought and was too heavy for my face turns out to works wonders on my dark circles under my eyes. And it’s a fairly large jar so WIN.
4) Rinse and/or reuse ziploc bags by storing them in freezer after I take out the meat to thaw. Each marked beef, pork, chicken so I don’t get them mixed up.
5) With this recent cold spell I’ve made sure doors & windows have extra insulation by stuffing a towel or blanket to keeps drafts away, and extra blankets on beds and socks for everyone.
My back is always itchy too. Ugh. And it’s not because my skin is dry…my back is pretty oily. I don’t know why I need back scratches so often!
Luckily, Mr. FG is an excellent back scratcher, which works out well if he’s around at the time of the itching. Ha.
I wonder why it is so hard to find nail clippers that work decently. I have about 10 around the house, and none will cut a hangnail properly. The same goes for tweezers. They don’t tweeze fine hairs. Or at least the ones I have don’t. There must be some out there that work. If you have found them, let us know the brand name.
I have found Tweezerman slanted tip to be the best, a bit pricey at first but well worth it. Tweezerman offers free sharpening as well but keep in mind you have to mail it to them at your cost. It’s worth it though. I have two pairs and that way I have one on hand in case the other needs to be sent out for sharpening. Check them out online.
Also, buy one that comes with a storage case of some sort if you can, that will protect and preserve the tips over time.
I second Tweezerman. And they sharpen them for free when they get dull. LOVE them.
Tweezerman are the best. I have several of theirs. They have so many different kinds.
I bought my Tweezerman tweezers at Bed Bath & Beyond using one of the coupons they always are sending out.
Surgery week so my five frugal things will be not going anywhere, eating out of the freezer for several weeks but until then….
1. Cupboards and freezers are packed with prepared food for the next several weeks. All purchased at lowest prices and packaged in re-purposed containers.
2. Our last big night out was seeing Finding Neverland onstage for 10.00 a ticket. We did, however, pay for parking because of sleet. We usually find free street parking many, many blocks away.
3. Our other big outing was one of our favorites. Our local, family owned ice cream/dairy has an annual birthday sale with prices linked to the years they’ve been in business. This year for 1.50, we bought kids’ meals(sandwich, fries and drink) for 1.50 and massive waffle cones for the same price. This year, they also gave away commemorative pint milk bottles with purchase. They’ll look charming with yard flowers in them this summer.
4. Needed to buy nothing for surgery and recovery. And they’re always generous with food for family at the hospital so my husband can eat also. And free parking and overnight accommodations if he wants.
5. I lost a dear uncle this week. My sister, cousin and I helped my aunt with the funeral plans. It was bitterly cold the day of the funeral and my aunt is not a flower person at all so my sister made a lovely wreath for her to either put on her door or to donate to the church. My cost was only 10.00. She often does flowers for family funerals and it saves us so much money since our extended family is so large. So grateful to have her and not just for her flower arranging talent!
Keep five frugal things coming to entertain and inspire me the next few weeks!
I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle!
Glad you found cheap ones but I just don’t get why torn jeans are stylish.
It IS a little weird. But I have to say, I felt quite stylish in my distressed jeans yesterday, so I guess you could say that I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid!
… I saved my distressed (torn the old-fashioned way, by being worn a ton) jeans from the last time they were in style and was so happy to take them out again since they’re my most comfortable pants.
They’re not skinny leg jeans because I was in middle-school the last time distressed skinny-leg jeans were in style, but I figure I can get away with them, even without tucking and folding the cuffs on the bottom (any Gen Xers here know what I’m talking about).
That’s called pegging and yep, I totally know what you are talking about! I pegged plenty of pants in my day as a GenX-er.
pegging didn’t ring any bells for me, so I looked it up online and found other terms– where I’m from in the midwest, we called it “tight rolling”!
We call in french rolled pants here is Western NY!
We called it tight rolling in the South.
Nooooooo! That expression irritates the heck out of me. The people who “drank the kool-aid” literally died. If you don’t know the reference, google “Jonestown Massacre”. You’ll never use that phrase again.
Sorry to call you out on this, Kristen, but if your gentle soul knew the back story, you would understand my reaction. If we can use this moment to teach others, so much the better.
/end rant.
Ah, I had no idea where the phrase originated. The Wikipedia page says that it’s begun to take on a neutral or even positive light, but I can understand the negative connotations still associated with it.
Also, that whole thing is such a bummer for the makers of Kool-Aid and Flavor-Aid. It’s not their fault their product was used in such a terrible way.
I agree about buying jeans with holes, it feels so strange to buy ripped clothes. Plus, every time I try on jeans with holes, my toes get caught in the rip and I’m afraid of ripping it even further. But question is, where to go for new, well-fitting jeans? I am in such a need for new ones, and have had a terrible luck in finding replacement ones. I can definitely see why you keep mending a pair that fits!
Frugal things:
1. Have continued the no-shopping streak since New Year’s (one reason I can’t find replacement jeans, ha)
2. My sister was thrilled to receive a painting I’ve made for her birthday. It was of a view from her house that we’ve always enjoyed, soon to be built over with houses. It felt more meaningful than buying a gift, and definitely cheaper. (I took up painting again after an all too long hiatus with small kids and work and am so happy I still have the skill.)
3. Started a freelance gig that will bring a lot of extra cash in the spring. Without this money, we could not afford to travel overseas to go see family.
4. Made oatmeal for breakfast several mornings, and beaked rolls out of leftover oatmeal one morning.
5. I really enjoy a glass of wine with most dinners as our food is very Mediterranean, but with the colder weather, have favored hardier meals where the flavor profile is not enhanced by wine. So I’ve tried to be more mindful of this and have cut back, saving money and maybe healthier too
I hear you on getting your toes caught! You do have to be careful when you put them on.
Kristina…your #2 is an amazingly perfect gift! How marvelous that you can use your talent to capture a view that soon will be lost forever.
Thank you! I only wish I could have been with her on her birthday, sad to leave so far apart.
1. I prepped food this weekend like crazy so that weeknights will be simple and no temptation to stop and buy a quick-to-make meal.
2. I took advantage of several BOGO’s at the grocery stores here in the town where I work. I always make sure I know what the non-sale price is first, though, because not all BOGO sales are truly BOGO.
3. I haunted the thrift stores for a new fruit bowl for my kitchen table to replace the old bowl that is way too big for my new-to-me smaller table, and badly chipped to boot. I found one I sort of liked for $4.99 at one Goodwill, but didn’t get it. I finally went to TJ Maxx and found a cute painted bamboo bowl on clearance for $2.00. We always keep fruit out in a bowl for snacks, so this wasn’t just for decoration.
4. I hung up most of my laundry to dry, either inside or outside.
5. And finally – drum roll please! – I also defrosted my freezer!!!! Bring on the confetti! And while it was empty I pulled it out from the wall and cleaned the floor underneath it, which it badly needed.
YAYYYY! It feels so good to have it defrosted and cleaned, doesn’t it?
No. 5 – “Hhhhhaaaaa!!” I can hear the crowd roar – Good for you!
Love the jeans! I’ve been revamping my wardrobe (aka defrumping myself) but I haven’t bought distressed jeans yet; I wasn’t sure I wanted to at my age (38). But these look great!! I’m now rethinking my need for them.
Well, I’m 40. So if I can wear them, then I think you can too.
1. I’m doing a very modified KonMari clean out of my kids closet. I have already took one bag of Joy-less clothes to someone who needed them.
2. I saved some of my fresh herbs for future use by freezing them in ice cube trays with a bit of vegetable broth. I have tried freezing them in olive oil before but I don’t always like to add extra oil to dishes.
3. I’m taking my kids to skate today. They got free skate passes at school. Since they both have their own skates this will be frugal fun.
That’s all I got for now. I think the trick to make wearing distressed jeans look good when you aren’t that young anymore is to wear them with a classy shirt, shoes, and/or accessories. However, I’m not opposed to wearing them with a rocker tee and tennis shoes and I am 41….hah!
Ohh I like your stock and herb trick, thanks
1. Sold a textbook that I had to buy new for my daughter last semester. Made $100 back.
2. Cut my husband’s hair and my son’s hair. They’re both at a point where they need a real stylist, but I can usually stretch the time in between cuts with a little touch up work!
3. Rinsed the car – this last storm left lots of mud and we’ve driven through it all. But it was going to rain again the next day, so not worth doing a real car wash.
4. Completed a Home Inventory video walk through of our house. Hopefully we will never need it, but you never know!
5. Made pizza at home, including making the dough from scratch. I recently lost my super cheap source of frozen pizza dough, so I tried a new recipe and I think it will work!
1) We had to change up our weekend plans after we grocery-shopped based on the first plans, which could have resulted in expensive take-out to fill the void. Luckily we were able to pull together enough food to feed everyone an extra day.
2) We are going to Iceland for the wedding of one of our employees in July. Iceland has gotten expensive as it has become more popular, but I am convinced that with careful planning starting now I can make it reasonable.
3) Other than buying gas this morning, we spent nothing all weekend.
4) We had a couple of guys come by our new office on Friday to talk about doing an energy audit. We did one years ago on our home and have since been more comfortable and saved a ton of money because of the relatively inexpensive upgrades we did. We rent our office space, so we are not willing to make a major investment, but I think we can find some ways to save on heating here and there while making the space more comfortable for our employees.
5) I also have a pair of pants to repair. I noticed yesterday our oldest’s church pants have torn at the edge of the back pocket. I think a quick repair will get him through the winter.
If you follow the MMM blog, there is a thread on doing Iceland frugally. Rustle, rustle rustle…here it is:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/tips-for-travelling-to-iceland/50/
Er, there’s a newer one, but I can’t find it. This should be a good start.
Warning: Some people don’t like MMM because of somewhat liberal use of profanity. The forum is a little different. I haven’t read it all, but this thread should be fine.
1. Decluttering the house and thereby organizing it (though decluttering is the primary focus right now). Already have used many items that were previously a pain to access, and have accummulated a decent load to send to people who could use the items
2. Have read 3 books and working on 3 more, all rented from our library. Eventually there will be some books on my list that may require buying, but so far this new dedication to reading has been free! (Goal is at least a book a week for the year, covering a variety of genres)
3. Have been conserative at the grocery store, and limited the number of processed foods I’m purchasing, so we’ve been averaging less than $100/week this year, having started with an almost completely empty fridge.
4. Took my 3 kids to see Mary Poppins Returns (Emily Blunt did such a great job!) and eat at Chik-fil-A on a cold Saturday for a total of $23 (to be fair one of my kids is a g-tube cutie, so he only eats his formula). Some of the best fun money I’ve spent for the quality of time we had.
5. Bunched errands that were 20+ miles from my houes, baked bread, cooked at home
My daughter (age 3) has declared she won’t wear clothes with buttons, why(??). After a couple of weeks of waiting for her to change her mind I switched the buttons for Velcro on a dress and a couple of T-shirts. She wore them to nursery this morning.
A supermarket had deals on a few of our favourite products. Then an online delivery firm they partner with sent me a 15% off coupon. I ended up with £75 of groceries for £45 including home delivery.
I turned some of these groceries into 6 family dinners for the freezer and 2 work lunches.
I mowed my lawn myself and cleaned my house, as our cleaner cancelled at the last minute. It was a great money saving as a one off but I missed the extra family time at the weekend, as I couldn’t do all the chores when the kids were asleep. Made me grateful to have the cleaners help.
My daughter has declared that she will never wear her Mickey and Minnie t-shirt again because they are kissing on the shirt and all the kids laughed at her at school(1st grade) It’s such a cute shirt!
1. Used up old potatoes and eggs bought on sale to make a frittata with mushrooms and spinach. We had some for breakfast today, and will have more for one lunch and two dinners later this week.
2. Stitched up a small hole in a pillowcase so it doesn’t become a big one later.
3. Used an Amazon gift card from the holidays to buy a few necessary household items instead of splurging on books I could borrow from the library.
4. Made stock from ham bones to make split pea soup later this month.
5. Saved a fitted sheet and some floral pillowcases my mom gave me when they got scorched by something in one of the machines in our building laundry room. It left them feeling crunchy and tan like some kind of waxy or oily substance got on them and they fried in the drier. There were little blobs and streaks of dark stuff stuck to them. (I suspect a crayon or small soft plastic toy that melted, our dryers get really hot.) I soaked them all in hot water with white vinegar for three days then used a nail brush to scrub the blobs and streaks out. Then I soaked them in OxiClean for two days, washed and dried them. (I checked the machines carefully first.) Worked like a charm! The OxiClean did fade the pillowcases slightly but they look great that way, they were my grandmother’s and look vintage anyway.
Vacation edition:
1. We are on our way to an indoor water park!!! We’ve never done a vacation like this before, but my oh-so-generous in-laws let us choose what to do with the leftover Christmas money they had set aside for our kids (after buying gifts that were mostly things we told them they like) and we found a good deal for Kalahari! $99 for one night in the hotel and water park access both days. I’m so stoked!!! And I’m continually blown away by how awesome my in-laws are… And thoughtful!
2. I packed food. Reviewers said the restaurants were really pricey, but our room has a microwave and fridge. I packed a cooler with pizza rolls and steamable frozen veggies for dinner, then we have instant oatmeal for breakfast. Plus other things like cheese sticks and popcorn.
3. My 6 month old baby actually still fits in 6 month clothes, but I didn’t have a swimsuit in anything smaller than 12 month. So I asked my church life group if anyone had a 6-9 month swimsuit I could borrow and my friend had one with tags still on it! No purchase necessary.
4. I’m borrowing a water wrap to wear my baby, though I’m not sure how it’ll go. They require life vests on little kids, so I’m guessing they’d ask me to put one on her even if I’m wearing her. We’ll see. Water wrap are awesome, but I could never justify spending $40 to but one for myself.
5. I found a summer dress at a yard sale that seemed perfect for wearing over a swimsuit (the seller said that wasn’t her original intent with purchasing it, but she eventually used it for that same thing) and I’ll get to try it out today. Only cost $1.
My five plus one:
-Sold an outgrown textbook
-Bought a book I had been coveting second hand
-Homecooked meals all week last week plus mealprepped over the weekend for today, no food waste.
-Restocked on bathroom linens with a gift card I’ve had for over a year
-Repurposed an torn shirt into handkerchiefs. Nice and soft for sore noses.
-Identified several items that can be donated to the local thrift shop
It is going to be very cold here, so no temptations to go shopping. We are well prepared, with food in store, plenty of petrol and comfy warm clothes. It is pure happiness to watch the birds feed on the foods we’ve hung/placed/strewn for them. Different kinds of foods, so different kinds of birds! We count the familiar birds and look up the unfamiliar birds in a handbook. Some of them have travelled far to get here.
So sweet, about the birds…if you see this, what foods do you put out, and what kinds of birds do you see? The migratory birds here in Texas (I swear the same ones come back, and they remember me and the cat!) make me SO happy in the dank winter! Them and the bunnies and the racoons and the skunks and the voles – yep, my neighbors love me.
I find it amusing that you mended some jeans only to buy ones that look like they need mending.
Anyway, here’s five things I’ve done recently.
1.) Found a great deal on some toothpaste (Tom’s Kids’ toothpaste – the only one my kid will use) so I got three tubes of it.
2.) Our home router has been chugging along for eight years but lately it’s required a lot of reboots and has just been a pain in the butt. So I waited for a sale on a model I wanted and bought a new router. I’m also waiting on a deal on a printer but haven’t seen one yet.
3.) Have a Target gift card and I’ve been only been using it on essentials (with the exception of a bag of popcorn I bought myself.) Better to have the money in the bank than some frivolous item I don’t need (which are so easy to find at Target)
4.) Kid is more or less officially potty trained so we’re not buying wipes or doing nearly as much laundry as we were. It took a while but I’m glad we made it!
5.) My car battery died as I was leaving for work on Friday. Sadly Walmart (who was the cheapest price) didn’t have one in stock (of course) but my local mechanic did. So I had to pay about $20 more but I got it before the snow storm. I used the money in our car savings emergency fund and all was well again.
And if you’ve ever owned one printer, you know that finding one that has inexpensive ink refills is a big factor in figuring the price! (Unless you refill your own).
Our rarely-used printer is probably fifteen plus years and cartridges are not only hard to find, but even more expensive than they were way back then.
I only buy laser printers and generally toner is easy to get for cheap.
To be fair, holes in the knees are sort of a different story than a hole by a belt loop!
But I get your point.
I know, just being facetious. In fact I’m of the type who repairs holes in the knees because I don’t like the look on me (I don’t look fashionable; I just look poor.)
1. Fixed some holes in my husband’s winter gloves
2. Husband cut our son’s hair this weekend, which he has been doing for the past 4 years. He also cuts my hair and his own hair. Imagine the savings!
3. Sold a Snuggle Nest, we only used once, for the same price I bought it for
4. Made all dinners at home
5. When we have over ripe fruit (lone grapes at bottom of bag, for example) or my son only eats part of a piece of fruit, I put the fruit in a bag in the freezer. Once it’s full I use for smoothies or make a fruit compote with it like I did this weekend. I then put the compote on oatmeal or yogurt. It comes out yummy!
1. Through persistence, I succeeded in buying 40 lbs of 100% grassfed, pastured, 90% lean ground beef at sale price of $5/lb. Even just browned in its own fat and without salt, it tastes better than CAFO ground beef. Thankfully I have a cleaned-out deep freezer to put it into.
2. My local purveyor agreed to sub chipped beef for the sage sausage I loathe, in a meat package. The chipped beef will be perfect for CI’s Bulgolgi recipe.
3. When my sick friend needed some specific groceries, I already had most of what she needed and found the rest on sale. Of course I’ll need to replace those things, but can do so when they’re on sale instead of right now. She sent me home with the produce she won’t be eating.
4. Someone else’s frugal: had my cousin stay with me instead of at a hotel, when his road trip was derailed by bad weather. The unexpected bonus was he took me out to dinner. The dinner, never pricy, became less so when the restaurant insisted on comp’ing the overcooked chicken even though I said that giving me extra sauteed onions would be fine.
5. Frugal good deed: potted a jade branch that fell off my jade plant, to give to a coworker who likes plants, using a trash-picked pot and kitchen-scrap compost.
Why To Have A House Fund:
Looks like it’s going to be cheaper to rebuild the chimney, than to replace the many broken bricks and repoint the rest.
Organized some drawers Kon Mari style. Sure helped to see all my sweaters at a glance. I’m not planning on getting rid of anything. I have a lot of clothes but with 4 seasons here I wear 95% of what I have.
There have been so many food events at work lately my lunch has been from work leftovers.
Pizza one night used up all misc leftovers in the fridge.
Aldi had eggs for .66 and I had a coupon for eggs at Kroger for .48 so everyone got and egg, people, dogs and feral cat.
Some of my peeps at work traded household items. Win win for everyone. I got rid of some Christmas bowls that I have not had out for 2 years. Now that my kids have a house we may have Christmas there so I won’t need to decorate for the holidays. Heck am I the only one who loves to decorate but putting it back makes we want to get rid of it all.
1. Calculated that it would save $$ to switch to a Marketplace healthcare plan for the whole year instead of remaining on husband’s Cobra plan (lots of sums re premiums, deductibles and out of pocket maximums) and received a totally unexpected 10% premium reduction for completing a health survey! That’s a whopping $948! Husband is on Cobra for one month before Medicare eligible, has already met his annual deductible and out of pocket maximum (cancer sucks folks) so is ordering as much medication and visiting other specialists this month to make the most of $0 meds and $0 doctor visits.
2. Bought an $8 coat zip to fix a fabulous winter parka.
3. Painted 2 bedside dressers with leftover chalk paint and poly finish, they look like new and I had fun.
4. Ate out using money from December eBay sales.
5. Organized pantry, fridge and freezer which resulted in finding food I didn’t know I had, and saving on grocery spending for January.
Tip for mending jeans: buy iron on patches, cut to required size and use on the inside of fabric, followed by zigzag stock on right side. Your mend will last longer than the rest of your jeans!
I’m really sorry to hear that your husband has cancer…not a fun reason to meet your deductibles for sure!
I’m very sorry to hear about your husband’s cancer. If he is choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, you want to be sure his doctor’s are in network first. Also, if they are not in network and he is wants to keep them for up to 6 months, he can request a transition of care plan with the insurance company so he doesn’t have to find new providers while undergoing treatment.
If he’s using straight Medicare and a Medicare Supplement plan, just be prepared for any out of pocket expenses he may have as tied to his deductible. I work for one of the top 3 health insurance companies in the country. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jacnjoe @ gmail.com
1. Hubby’s boss gave us his old generator. It works great.
2. I made french toast out of bread that my son brought home from work.
3. I made croutons with bread that my son also brought home.
4. I am wearing 2 pairs of socks, 3 layers of shirts and I have 2 blankets on me as I type this. I refuse to turn the heat higher.
5. Asked the vet to give me a generic prescription for the dog. It saved me a pretty penny.
6. Paid all of my bills online except one. They wanted to charge me $4 to pay it online. I mailed it instead. I have a stack of forever stamps. Might as well use them.
1. Read free ebooks from the library on my phone
2. Sorted through baskets of toiletries and reorganized hall shelves so I can see what we have more easily
3. Sorted and organized baskets full of cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink and found some cleansers and sponges I had forgotten about, now I won’t have to buy more for a while
4. Sprinkled coffee grounds around our outdoor plants to enrich the soil
5. Made bead jewelry to give as a birthday gift
Let’s see:
1) Brought food on an overnight trip, including dinner, breakfast & lunch the following day
2) We also brought snacks for the long car ride. Most of the snacks were purchased on clearance at 75% off for holiday packaged treats
3) Ended up home earlier than expected (ski resort was closed due to thunder & lightning), so we were able to make dinner at home last night, vs stopping along the road
4) Husband washed the cars today, getting off all of the sand/snow dirt.
5) Filed an expense report for work, so I can get reimbursed quickly for my recent international trip
1. Suggested we get gas at WalMart (we were going there anyways) instead of the place my husband was pulling into. It was 7 cents cheaper, a savings of about $1.12.
2. Bought a tie, gloves and cards at Goodwill for just over $9. I don’t know how much that would’ve cost new, but I guess it was a $10-20 savings buying used.
3. I had my son pick out a candle for a birthday gift for a lady. He liked the scent of one on clearance, it was 33 cents cheaper. And I found a reusable gift bag in good shape for free. If we had bought a new gift bag we probably would’ve spent $1-2.
4. We’re accepting a free TV from my bro-in-law who offered his old one to us.
5. I have $2.80 Ibotta, 228 swagbucks, $0 consignment store credit, and 74 my reader reward points.
1. I bought some used toys at a thrift store, cleaned them up, and resold them on Facebook for 2-4 times what I paid!
2. I’ve been doing a pantry and freezer cupboard to use what we have and only buying produce and perishables (milk, eggs, etc.).
3. Our thrift store had a 50% off everything sale for Columbus Day and I found a LLama Llama Easter Egg board book in great (not perfect) condition to save for our little ones Easter baskets for $0.23!
4. I’m trading babysitting with other adult friends for evenings out once kids are asleep in stead of hiring a teen (though I’m all for providing teens/kids with opportunities to make and manage money)!
5. I’m packing my husband’s lunches and using Tupperware instead of ziplocks.
Babysitting trading is an awesome way to ease the financial strain of those baby-sitting-necessary years!
Hey Kristen!! I would love to see a post about how you guys assisted Joshua, either financially or otherwise, with his transition to moving out. I’m not a fan of “economic outpatient care” LOL but I feel an obligation to do something to help my oldest when he does move out. What are your thoughts and what did you guys do?
Good for you on repairing your jeans (again) it is inspiring I should reduce/reuse/recycle/repurpose more & this was a great reminder – I did smile too though that you repaired one pair to buy a ripped one but you are quite right – a zip tear is NOT stylish
1. I had a big frugal win by Godincidence – I had booked a guy prune/remove trees who never showed, then I went to a friend’s b’day & met an arborist & he came next morning, was super helpful with advice & gave me a significantly cheaper quote
2. Trying to buy non-perishables only on special & got a number of things on great specials
3. Doing better with meal planning again & eating at home
4. Been wanting to get a cane chair for the porch & found a lovely one at the op shop!
5. Went to another op-shop & stopped myself from buying a bag I don’t need
Ooh, so great to get a cheaper quote. Yay!
I made a few concoctions to use appid food waste – banana, squash, carrot, bran, choc chip muffins for my kids and salami snap pea pasta for me. Both were really good!
I planned out a month’s worth of meals and it is so great to know what is for dinner!
I run tax simulations on last year’s tax software to identify how much I should pay in estimated taxes. My goal is to pay in about $100 each for state and federal (as I hate how tax refunds are considered income in the next year – I don’t remember if that’s a MN thing or a federal thing). My taxes are paid for this quarter and I estimated well!
I’m using (frozen) ham from last Christmas in tonight’s meal and I’m really excited about it.