1. I ate the rest of the gluten-free pretzels
Since Sonia is off the low FODMAP diet, she’s back on gluten.
But we still had some gluten-free pretzels hanging around, and since I think they’re pretty good, I finished them up.
(I would not, however, be willing to finish up gluten-free bread. Ha. My passion for food-waste prevention has its limits, and gluten-free bread involves too much martyr-dom for me. ;))
2. I customized my Hungry Harvest order
I try to do this when I remember in time because I am more likely to use all the food if I swap a few things out.
(Using the food you buy = always frugal)
I have some things on my “never” list, such as eggplant, but sometimes I have a refrigerator backlog of foods I do like, such as carrots.
So, it’s handy to be able to swap them out of my box for something else I can better use.
3. I used my CVS Carepass for some necessary items
CVS has this Carepass program where you pay $5/month and you get $10 of credit. So, it’s basically a 50% off coupon.
I needed some acetone nail polish (for a biology experiment), a sympathy card, and some Easter candy, so I used my Carepass.
4. I sold another book on eBay
I think I’ve had this one sitting there on eBay, listed and untouched, for probably over a year.
But then randomly, someone bought it, so now there’s one less book on my listed-for-sale shelf.
On eBay, patience is a serious virtue.
(Here’s how to sell books on eBay.)
5. Mr. FG got me some marked-down Dove chocolates
I know this would go over like a lead balloon with some spouses, but given my penchant for saving money, I am actually more appreciative when he gets me something inexpensive.
So, when he brought me two bags of Dove chocolate that he got for $1/bag, I was gratified. 
Suellen says
1) Sold a measuring tape on Facebook Marketplace for more than I listed it for.
2) Frugal Fail: Motel 6 at Lincoln City Oregon . Only place I could find that would accept the cat (and I wasn’t leaving him home alone for a week). Dirty (short dark hairs in bathtub, my hair is long and gray, floors dirty, top of microwave filthy), cold (wore nightgown, sweats, socks, and put a towel over my head, still COLD), noisy (next to elevator, across hall from ice machine which ran all night/day long), flickering light in hallway which was somehow connected to one of the lights in the room so 2 unusable lights), leaking faucet in bathroom sink, of course not beachfront (that I knew and expected beforehand). NEVER AGAIN. Will pay the pet fee and higher room rate at another establishment for comfort and cleanliness.
3) Bought 12 boxes of flooring at Costco on sale.
4) Because I keep records of everything LOL can prove that a missing space rent payment was made
5) Got a $5.00 Starbucks card for simply logging into my Geico app. Got a $5.00 Amazon gift card from Purina Cat Chow Perks program
Julia says
FFT
1. Got a $280 check back from my insurance company. Yes please!
2. Sold $80 of stuff I found for free on my neighborhood walks
3. Stacked a bunch of coupons at Rite Aid to get super cheap toothpaste (35 cents) and name brand cereal ($1 a box)
4. Picked up free books from local little free library
5. Picked up free teen Grab n Go poetry bag at library to use in a homeschool lesson
meghan says
I think I only have one frugal thing this week. I don’t have a dryer so when I do wash, I hang dry it on drying racks. My wooden drying rack has just been falling apart & I figured I’d just ditch & get a new one when it finally breaks. My stepfather saw it & unbeknownst to me, he fixed it with electrical tape. It was a simple fix & I just never thought about it, I’m a simpleton. LOL
Kaitlin says
My frugal items are all about Moving. Buying a house is a really good incentive for me to save, it seems.
1. Packed breakfast for the kids for our 8:30 house inspection. Usually I’d just buy some food on the way out of the neighborhood because leaving early is with kids is hard for me, and making a house look clean mid-move adds complexity, so this was a big win for me.
2. Used the instant pot to make dinner for the inspection day after learning that our inspection was at 3:30, not 8:30. I was so tempted to buy, but we had meat that needed using up and I can cook it quickly in the instant pot, so it worked.
3. Eating through our fridge and freezer so we have as few perishables to move as possible. Meals are less complex, but nutritious still.
4. Inventoried and sorted children’s clothes as I was packing, which has me very aware of what we need for the warmer season. Usually I don’t do that until too late in the season and scramble to find stuff. Not so this season!
5. We’re using organizational tools we’ve had for 5 years that didn’t work for this house in the new house because they’ll work.
Laura says
It’s not frugal when gift cards aren’t used! I have 2 gift cards that I need to sell. Does anyone have recommendations on how/where to sell them? Thanks!
Maggie says
We had to cancel a vacation due to CoVid restrictions and weren’t fully reimbursed. I called and asked if special rules apply since law prevented us from going and got the full reimbursement!
Kristen says
Ooh, that is a huge win!
Susan says
1. Ate corn we froze fresh last August and it was excellent.
2. We’ve had a warm spell but we didn’t turn on the air conditioning (in the summer we sleep in our walk out basement) even though I had the boiler turned off and ac on at work.
3. Aldi has great cheap ice cream, see #2! I’m so glad they are here in Iowa (I’m from CA).
4. Used up pasta with small jar of pesto which goes a long way for so little.
5. Buying used books from our Library bookstore during their half off sales.
Vallie says
1-made egg salad from Easter eggs and my husband has had lunch every day this week
2-we had leftover Presecco from mimosas but it just doesn’t taste the same alone, so I googled ideas and found a recipe for champagne simple syrup!
3-gathered even more items for upcoming garage sale
4-may already have an “as is” buyer for my hubby’s car that he’s selling and thought he’d have to do some work first so that’s a big win
5-trying to lose weight but walking is free and side effect of smaller portions is going through groceries more slowly
Annie says
Totally agree with you on the chocolates. I swear it tastes even better that way!
1. More sock darning. Somehow each time my husband does laundry he finds another pair of socks that need it.
2. Used up more bits and bobs in the fridge before they went bad.
3. Was tempted to buy clothes so I went through what I had first to see if there was anything to donate since I follow a one-in-one-out rule. There were some items to donate but also realized I had more than I needed of what I wanted to buy so I emptied my shopping cart.
4. Going through my purse and found a gift card I thought I had spent so I used it for some takeout I was going to get anyway.
5. Traded books with a friend so neither of us had to buy them to have new reading material. I call it the Friendly-Free Library!
Bee says
1) Enjoyed sunrise service followed by a small family brunch in my backyard. I dealt with all the leftovers. I froze somethings for later use and incorporated leftovers into our meals over the last few days.
2) I sold a piece of depression glass on eBay and made a little profit.
3) I donated some of the items in my gift closet to a small club raffle. One of my women’s groups is meeting again and we need to raise money for our annual scholarship donation.
4) I bought TurboTax, and I’m doing our taxes. I am also helping my two adult children go theirs. The software is much cheaper than paying an accountant, but not quite as easy.
5)I’m doing all the usual things – drinking primarily filtered water, brewing my own coffee, cooking from scratch, reading library books and watching streamed television.
SandyH says
I love Five Frugal Things!
1. As always, shopped at Aldi. I wouldn’t have even needed to make a stop at another store, but I needed more Easter stuff than Aldi offered.
2. Menu planned. It’s just my husband, me and my mom eating most nights (she doesn’t live with us but I take her a meal every night.) I just can’t fly by the seat of my pants because inevitably, I would be short an ingredient and not realize it until 5 pm.
3. Decided to do one meatless night per week. Last night we had “veggie plates” which consisted of a small baked potato with butter and chives, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, corn on the cob, and a corn muffin.
4. Cooked and baked totally from scratch. Well, except for Monday night, when I ordered pizza for the grandkids. Got a Pizza Hut “Deal “ in the form of their $10 large three topping, but alas, all the kids only like cheese pizza at this stage. If I ever have non-frugal moments, you can bet the grandkids are involved! They are my splurges!
5. Getting my first Covid shot today. How is this frugal you ask? Well I ran out of Frugal Things so I threw it in. However, if I got sick I couldn’t work, and I’d be in a heap of money-trouble! So I guess it qualifies.
Gunn S says
1. I visited my mum and at the antique store in her city I found some butterknifes I sold online. The profit covered the busticket.
2. At the same store I found three midcentury lampshades for $5 each. We’ll use them over the diningtable as we need more light there and when we move I can sell them at a great profit as that style is very popular here.
3. We have renovated our bedroom and due to a glitch on the Ikea page I could order two IVAR cabinets for $5 in shipping, normal price is $500.
4. We mixed colorsamples from our renovation and painted the cabinets. For legs I sawed off some teaklegs from bedside tables I got from Facebook Marketplace. Someone had primed them really poorly and gave them away. My bf got them as good as new in a couple of nights.
5. Had friends over for dinner, first time in over a year. Bought nothing, everything was from the freezer. Served steak from a moose the bf shot last fall and had leftovers for two days.
Edit says
I am celiac therefore I have to eat Gf bread. If you toast GF bread it is very good. Most of the GF bread taste bad otherwise.
Bee says
I agree. I almost always toast my GF bread. It tastes much better that way.
Kaitlin says
Whole heartily agree. But I still miss gluten-rich bread.
Corrine says
1. My husband and I have been wanting a king size bed. We have 2 young children and they often end up in our bed. I have been keeping an eye out for one and finally found a free king bed frame, headboard, and footboard on Buy Nothing. And it matches our bedroom set! We did purchase a new matress though. We bought a memory foam mattresses off Amazon for $400, which is substantially cheaper than a store.
2. I sold our queen size bed and mattress for $100 on FB Marketplace.
3. I had last week off of work for my son’s Spring Break. My daughter was also home with us. I spent $19 the whole week to entertain us and we had a ton of fun!
4. We ate all of our meals at home. I made a french toast bake using a bag of frozen bread odds and ends. We made a pound of mozzarella to use extra milk. I am using up extra shredded carrots from Easter dinner in my oatmeal this week. Dehydrated some wrinkled grapes to make raisins.
5. I called around for driveway sealing quotes and was able to save us about $100
Amy says
1) We needed out of the house! My solution over on Saturday was a small road trip to the bigger city to look for my son a pair of shoes. He is on the edge of transitioning from boys to mens and his current pair of sneakers has a hole in them. Found a pair and they were on sale for a price I was willing to pay and a “brand” he was willing to be seen in – ahhh middle school. It has been a long time since we shopped in store – yeah vaccine!
2) Leftovers from Easter for lunch the last two days.
3) Buying generic colored cleats for sister’s softball season equals baseball cleats hand me downs for younger brother. They play rec ball so the cleats are not heavily used and perfect for a season or two.
4) Easter was small and simple. Nothing fancy and not a lot of stress.
5) Dinner last night was chicken couscous surprise- aka the odds and ends of the fridge have been used up!
Jen says
1. I bought my house just over a year ago and it came full of stuff. I have mostly cleaned things out, but have been purging again. I sold a few items on facebook marketplace this past week. I only made $10, but I have fewer things in my house and items have gone to people who will use them.
2. The weather has been mild, so I haven’t used the heat or air conditioner for the last several days. Mornings are a bit chilly, but it warms up in the afternoon. Just turning on the fan to circulate up cool air from the basement is enough to cool things down in the afternoon.
3. I am potentially working out a trade with a friend where he renovates a bathroom for me and I will cook meals for him a few times a week for a few months. I can cook really well, but I don’t have bathroom renovation skills and he does! He seems more motivated by home cooked meals than money as he is a professor and doesn’t particularly need the money.
4. I budget to eat one meal out a week, but didn’t eat out the last two weeks and hardly missed it!
5. I have two roommates and an empty bedroom in my house. I haven’t been advertising the empty bedroom, but have had a lot of people interested in it. I may rent it out to someone, which would give me more rental income. Also, even though I’m in my 30’s I’ve been really particular about who my roommates are and really prefer to live with delightful people to living alone.
Shelia says
1. I purchased a box of mostly red peppers from Flash Food. There were fourteen in the 5.00 box. I roasted them with onions in the oven and froze them for fajitas and pierogies. There were two green peppers which we can’t eat. We gave them to our neighbors.
2. I purchased a spiral cut ham for .87 a lb. the week before Easter and we ate it all week. Our Easter online service wasn’t until 11:30 so I made a French toast casserole to eat for breakfast. I used a pave from the marked down pastry shelf with cranberries and chocolate chips. I ate it for breakfast all week before the casserole. Pretty good for 1.29!
3. I started Roma tomato plants from seeds purchased last year, I also planted red peppers from seeds I dried from a pepper. We’ll see if they’ll grow!
4. I redid my fairy gardens and helped a friends’ grandchildren plant one. We used rocks from our yard, shells from the beach and sedums that we’ve had for years. We picked up a few pieces at Dollar Tree for decoration. Such fun for so little money!
5. We ran into the thrift store before an appt. last week. I found a Land’s End sweater for me, a Thirty One bag and a really, really nice home sewn bag for my computer when we travel. We were in a hurry so all this was found and purchased in under ten minutes!
Lindsey says
1. What did I discover cleaning out the entire pantry? Five boxes of pasta made from chickpeas and a box of Velveeta; I do not remember buying either of those. So, since then we have been eating mac and cheese and toasted cheese and pasta salad…Chickpea pasta sounds more virtuous than it tastes.
2. Did two Starbucks mystery shops so free fancy coffees for the husband two mornings. I don’t care for coffee.
3. A gas station is running a contest and I won bottled water, good for adding to our earthquake preparedness kit.
4. We had 18 inches of snow over the weekend. A kind neighbor who has a Bobcat cleaned the driveways of the next door and across the street neighbors. Refused money so I gave him three dozen eggs and a fresh loaf of chocolate babka that I had just taken out of the oven. Had to give my husband the vulture stare to stop him from whining in front of the neighbor that he thought I was making this favorite bread of his for him.
5. Repurposed a large towel we had never used to make washcloths, to replace threadbare ones. Actually, seamster husband did it since he likes sewing. I just cut them to size.
Suz says
Vulture stare made me laugh out loud! (to be fair, that sounds like a particularly delicious smelling temptation to have to resist : )
Kristina says
Frugal spring break edition:
1. Went camping for spring break as on so many other family trips. The National Park entrance was free as we had printed a voucher for 5th graders to get in free, and we have two in 5th grade! (We’ve used this before when our twins were in 4th grade, and the program was extended to 5th graders due to the pandemic.)
2. This camping trip we were caught up in a snow storm and temperatures dipping into the teens. We almost gave up and checked into a hotel, but persevered and ended up just spending a bit more money on one meal out after our camp food had frozen and the propane grill malfunctioned. We also ended up buying two sleeping bags to layer with, but still cheaper than checking into a hotel, and we can reuse the sleeping bags.
3. Purchased Easter candy from CVS using all kinds of coupons and discounts (though still more expensive than using old Halloween candy, hah). Also used my stash of plastic eggs I’ve saved from previous years for an egg hunt. The kids also got new board games for Easter, which in my mind are a frugal fun for the family.
4. Picked up a book I needed for a book club from a buy nothing FB group.
5. For our kids baseball season, picked up new equipment from Dick’s during a 20% off weekend. Also, purchased new hiking shoes for the kids from REI during their 20% sale.
BarbG says
1. I sold some books on Nextdoor for $10. They were given to me so pure profit.
2. I had a very flat tire. My friend came over with a gadget that sort of looked like a drill and filled the tire with air. I then drove to Discount Tire where they removed the nail and plugged the hole for free! I didn’t buy the tire there. They said they do this for anyone, not just previous customers! I couldn’t believe it.
3. I ate the last of some bean soup even though I was really, really tired of it. I didn’t think it would freeze well.
4. I bought 2 fresh pineapples for 99 cents each. Delicious!
5. The weather has been great. I am hoping this translates into a much lower utility costs this month.
Lisa says
Actually, if it is bean soup with navy beans, such as a ham and bean soup with broth, they freeze really well.
A. Marie says
FFT, Ray of Hope Edition:
I actually have time for an FFT this afternoon, so here goes:
(1) After weeks of frustration on the issue of long-term care placement for DH, I have a ray of hope through pulling yet another string with a friend. I don’t want to say more for fear of jinxing it, so I won’t. But crossed fingers, good thoughts, and prayers of all religions and denominations are welcome. (And, of course, the only way this is an FT is that it may yet save my life and sanity.)
(2) As several other commenters did, I too defrosted a bought-on-sale ham in the freezer for Easter. Of course, we then again proved the truth of The Joy of Cooking’s definition of eternity (“two people and a ham”). But it did give me a chance to make my excellent (if I say so myself) split pea soup with the bone.
(3) Since I’d accumulated some Amazon coupons good on video rentals through opting for slower shipping on a few items, I rented my very first video on Amazon Prime: a wonderful 1945 British movie called I Know Where I’m Going!, with Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey. Watched it in catch-as-catch-can fashion between bouts with DH. I enjoyed every minute of it and can’t imagine how it took me 65 years to get around to watching this gem. Up next: All About Eve. Bring on Bette Davis!
(4) On this last Saturday morning’s aide shift, I slipped out for a bit of well-earned thrift shopping and scored big on two items: a pair of Clarks slip-ons in good condition for DH (and, believe me, men’s size 12 slip-ons in good shape don’t grow on trees), and a huge Vera Bradley bag in near-mint condition for the friend who’s into big VB bags. (As I have probably mentioned previously, the line for VBs among my friends forms on the right.)
(5) And an unusual (for Upstate NY, anyway) stretch of sunny weather this week has allowed me to get in a lot of early garden prep. On aide days, I work in the back yard, and on solo days, I work in the front yard so I can keep an eye on DH (who spends most of his mornings napping now) through the front windows.
Kris says
I hope the placement works out for your husband. The cost of long term care takes your breath away, but if he needs the care, then it’s money well spent. There comes a point when one person can’t be the full time caregiver any more.
Ruby says
A. Marie, I think about you all the time, having been in the same situation years ago with my mom. I’m sending up prayers that this works out for you and your husband. (((HUGS)))
karen says
A Marie, thank you for the update. You are on my radar because my mil is dying a slow and painful death and my sil, who I think is an angel, is keeping her until she can’t.
I will pray for a good solution for long term care. And peace and sanity for you.
Please continue to let us know how you are doing. I think about you often.
Bobi says
Caregiving is the hardest job ever. No one can understand until they live it. Wishing you all the best and hope your health and sanity hold out.
MB in MN says
A. Marie: A ray of hope – yay! This agnostic is sending out prayers, good thoughts, and positive vibes to the universe. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed, too. You are loved and supported here.
Corrine says
My thoughts are with you and your husband. Hoping all works out, for whatever that means for you both.
christie says
A. Marie, the best well wishes your way. I’ve done caregiving for two patients on hospice. It was extremely taxing, but not near as difficult on me as it was for the families. I hope the placement works out for both of you.
Christie
JD says
I’ll be praying that this works out for you. Hope is very necessary in our lives!
Kristen says
I really hope that this ray of hope works out for you guys!
And it was lovely to hear from you. We all miss you here!
Beverly says
1. My best friend joined us for Easter dinner and brought me a huge bag filled with spices that she will never use. Most of them replaced the ones that we had just tossed during a clean out.
2. Sent leftovers home with all our Easter dinner guests and still had enough ham left for ham and gruyere grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner yesterday.
3. Using the ham bone to make bean soup for dinner.
4. Got a $380 refund from my husband surgeon. We had to pay in full prior to the surgery but our insurance covered the majority of the cost so we had a credit with the doctor.
5. Thanks to Kristin@going country’s comment, I will count reusing the same Easter baskets again this year as a frugal win. Those baskets have been used for almost 25 years now.
karen says
My sil in law gave us my husband’s and his father’s Easter basket. We gave it to our daughter for our 1 1/2 grandson.
So four generations used it. I think that is pretty cool and frugal.
kristin @ going country says
We ended up with a very frugal Easter this year, although I didn’t exactly plan it.
The kids’ baskets are the ones we’ve had for years now. The dogs chewed on the handles of a couple when they were sequestered in the office (which doubles as storage space) during our Siberian weather event. They never (ever) come inside, so they were anxious and chewed some things up. Luckily, the handles were easy to remove, so now the baskets are just baskets without handles.
In the baskets I put some balloons and Model Magic my mother left at my house awhile ago and that I had stuck on the top shelf of my closet. Also in the baskets were the chocolate crosses she brought us last year after Easter. Those were in the big freezer all this time. They also got a few pieces of chocolate from the giant bag of Halloween candy that’s been in the freezer. So the only thing I purchased myself were books for each of them.
Our Easter dinner was a leg of lamb from the ram we butchered last November, with a yogurt sauce made with homemade yogurt and garlic we grew last year. Oven fries made from a bag of potatoes a neighbor gave us. Dessert was a chocolate roulade. Though I did have to buy the chocolate, cream, and sugar that goes in that, the seven egg whites for it came from the three dozen eggs a different neighbor gave us.
My daughter’s Easter dress from last year still fit, and nobody saw it anyway last year thanks to lockdown, so she wore it again this year.
I never buy new clothes for holidays, but this year it really didn’t matter, as I stayed home from church with two kids who had colds.
kristin @ going country says
Oh! Forgot about the eggs. We dye real eggs, and I never buy the kits, so this year I used some beet skins I saved in, um, January just for this (a bit crazy, yes), paprika, and curry powder for purple, orange, and yellow eggs. And then I used the leftover paprika sludge next day to make goulash, and I’m going to use the leftover curry powder tonight to make curried lamb with the leftover lamb.
Cathy in NJ says
We dye our Easter eggs the old country way with onion skins. The color turns out red similar to bricks. Somethings we put wax designs on before the eggs sit in the dye bath and use candles to melt the wax off and reveal the design.
Beverly says
Kristin – I hadn’t ever thought about using the same Easter baskets year after year would count as being frugal. On Easter my best friend was celebrating with us and asked how my kids (ages 24 and 27) knew which basket was whose. It’s easy – they still have the name tags attached for when they used them in preschool.
Kristina says
Honestly, I should have used Halloween candy for the Easter egg hunt. We have SO much left that the kids will never eat. How does chocolate fare in the freezer? I’ve always found that chocolate is very sensitive to temperature changes.
kristin @ going country says
I know. It was the same when I was growing up. Several years ago, though, I started seeing big pre-filled baskets wrapped in cellophane for sale every year at Walmart and so on. So I guess some people just buy one of those every year.
kristin @ going country says
No change. But I had mine in one of my big chest freezers, not in an above-fridge freezer, which probably make a difference.
Heidi Louise says
Re: freezing chocolate: The appearance might change, like get cloudy, but the taste isn’t supposed to be much affected.
I have read of people who chop candy up and use it like chocolate chips, but I never have any left for that.
Bee says
Leftover chocolate? That has never, ever happened at our house.
Molly F. C. says
Kristina, my kids’ baskets had chocolate that I bought last year when it went on sale after Easter. Most of it I had vacuum sealed, and I had intended to place the sealed bags in the freezer, but I never was able to do that due to lack of space. So I hoped for the best this year and the chocolate was absolutely fine. Of course I had to sample some before distributing it to ensure that it was alright.
The same shop is having the same sale this year so I bought a few pieces yesterday that I will use for Easter, 2022! I will again vacuum seal the chocolate but likely will put in the freezer this time. I agree with you about needing to watch temperature changes with chocolate but I’ve lucked out these past few years.
Jenelle says
1. A co-worker who is loosing weight gave me a bag of dress clothes. I have to put aside that I am NOT loosing weight and be grateful for some new clothes.
2. One of my students workers just came back from Disney and purchased my kids a few small souvenirs for when we announce will be going next spring. Such a sweet gesture.
3. My parents came in for Easter and Thursday evening we ordered Chinese. I wasn’t feeling well due to my second COVID vaccine, and was able to stretch out the food over 2 meals for 5 people!
4. Way too many leftovers of sweets from Easter.
5. One of the Easter egg hunts we attended actually had hard boiled eggs hidden with the plastic ones. It was quite cool here this weekend, so I have no issues eating them!
Heidi Louise says
Egg safety is a very personal choice. I remember coloring eggs at Easter time at my grandmother’s house, (to this day, the smell of vinegar makes me think of egg dying). She was always very generous in buying and hard boiling several dozen for us.
When we would go back to visit at Mother’s Day, she would still be eating them out of the bowl on the dining room table! When I read articles about salmonella– which I believe can be quite horrible– I think of her.
Jenelle says
She obviously had quite the immune system!
Angie says
This week…..
1. We cleaned out our pantry food storage area to get an accurate count of the jars we have, lids we need and inventory the home canned food we have left in order to plan meals, avoid waste and allow for the upcoming summer canning season to begin.
2. We ate a ham from the freezer purchased last November and I resisted the urge to buy hams on Easter sales as we still have two turkeys to cook from the freezer along with other items. I am determined that we will eat and not waste any of the food that we have purchased. Judging by the amount remaining…we might have an empty freezer by mid June.
3. Leftover Easter ham is simmering in a pot of beans on the stove. Leftover green beans will make a wonderful casserole to add to dinner tonight.
4. Found a long cardigan on a Walmart clearance shelf earlier this week marked down to $11 which I was happy with. Arrived at the register to discover it was $3. Now I have a nice new cardigan that is perfect to throw on indoors in cool fall temperatures or when I return to the office and they turn the AC down.
5. Using the last of some lemons to make lemon bars, lemon brownies or perhaps lemon meringue pie today. I will decide once I get to the actual baking stage later this evening.
Enjoy the day!
3.
Anita Isaac says
You are so wonderful. Have never sold anything on any site but we have so many books we don’t need. Then you posted how to sell books on ebay. I love your blog the best of all the frugal things I get via email. It is interesting, informative, well written and terrific.
Kristen says
Glad the eBay info was helpful to you! And I’m so glad you enjoy my blog.
Jen says
You might like Bookmooch! It’s really easy, and you trade the books you don’t want for ones you DO want!
http://www.Bookmooch.com
Holly G says
My husband is possibly more frugal than I am. The man loves a good deal (but he is incredibly generous with gifts and charity and tips and such, so he isn’t a miser or anything!) He is Greek and many people do not realize that Greek Orthodox Easter is on a different date, usually 1-2 weeks after, but this year is nearly a month later. This always makes him happy because he’ll go out the Monday after Easter to go get candy for “our” Easter marked half off. So I totally relate to your chocolate story!
In other frugal things, he did some other savvy shopping while out getting cheap candy, scoring deals on steak which we put in the freezer for a summer cookout and buy one get one free ice cream. I also used my kohl’s cash for some much needed new shoes which were already on sale, so saved a good amount there.
Julia says
I’m also Eastern Orthodox and I remember a few years growing up we had no Easter candy because it was so late that yearand my mom forgot to go get some.
Mar says
Lol. Regarding the Dove chocolates I would only be upset with hubs if he didn’t bring home 5 bags for that price!!
Kristen says
Heh, if I had been there, that’s probably what I would have done!
Sarah G says
1. Listed a few more maternity blouse bundles to sell. Things are selling slowly but surely. I decided to stick with fb marketplace pickup rather than continuing with ebay, since shipping is pricey. We’ll see how it goes.
2. Spent very little on my kids’ Easter baskets, including using baskets that were saved from previous years.
3. For Easter Sunday dinner/my mom’s birthday, I made a home cooked meal rather than going out.
4. My windowsill basil plant is growing well! I’m sooooo not a gardener but I can keep a pot of basil going. I foresee some pesto, caprese salad, and margherita pizza in our near future.
5. My daughter wants to read the next Grandma’s Attic book so I ordered an old used copy from eBay.
Sarah G says
Ooh I forgot one: we ordered a load of mulch for our front flower beds. When they came and dumped it, it was a load of brown mulch, but they charged us for the black variety (slightly more expensive). We don’t care about the color so the brown was fine, but my hubby called about the error. They refunded the cost difference, plus gave us back a fair bit of extra too. Good company, we’ll keep using them.
JD says
Chocolates on sale would certainly earn brownie points from me!
1. This isn’t my doing, but our local veterans’ resource officer (VSO) published an article in the paper last week, and I’ve verified it with the VA Health Resource Center, that all medical visit and prescription co-pays occurring between April 6, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021 – that last date is in 21, notice – are hereby cancelled. Charges occurring before that are still to be paid (many people with large bills have payment plans with the VA — those will continue as long as the charges were before 4/6/20) Since many of us have to pay the co-pays, and they can add up quickly, this is going to be a huge discount for many veterans. Consider this your PSA from a VA family. Questions can be asked at 866-400-1238, the Medical Care Health Resource Center.
2. With a Meyer lemon tree in my yard that is still holding quite a few lemons, dessert for Easter was easy to decide upon — lemon cream pies. We also had lemonade for the kids and any adults who wanted it. I used over a quart of free lemon juice.
3. Thanks to the gift of a vacuum sealer at Christmas, I can put up the rest of the Easter ham and it will be perfectly good later, when we aren’t tired of eating it anymore. No more wasted or freezer-burned ham.
4. I buy the stevia-sweetened fruit-flavored drops sometimes to add to my husband’s water, so he’ll drink more of it. I peered into the back of the shelf at the store and found some with “$1.00 off each bottle” coupons. I often look at products located in the back, because I’ve found attached coupons and BOGO’s lurking back there. I’m not sure why this is so.
5. We needed a trash can for our porch, and those can be expensive. Then I remembered a sturdy collection bin from a tractor accessory, given to us years ago. I found it, washed it off, and put a bag in it. It actually looks like one of the nicer commercial trash cans, and it’s free, my favorite price.
Jen A says
I had some Kohl’s Cash that I forgot to use by the expiration date…luckily they accept 10 days past. My husband needed a new sheet set for his bed at work (he’s a firefighter/paramedic) as they work 24 hours. I found a $40 set on clearance for $16, but with the store “cash” I got them for just $6! I also got my son a couple pairs of Champion athletic shorts for $10 for the pair! I call that a win!! Love saving money!
N says
–I used hemming scraps to sew a pincushion, which I somehow had done without all
this time. So much better!
–The handles on my husband’s wicker hamper for his work clothes broke. I used 1/2″
white rope leftover from another project to braid new handles. Honestly, they look
and work better than the old ones!
–Washed my allegedly “Dry Clean Only” coat in the washer on the gentle cycle with
cold water, and it came out just fine. It had the advantages of being 100%
polyester and $10 from Goodwill; I might not have been so bold if it were another
material and bought new. (The department store tags were still on it when I found it–$275!!!)
–We used a $25 gift card my husband had received for completing a survey for take-out.
–Our old man cat’s special dry food was only available in a smaller sized bag when we needed to reorder, which is how we discovered the small bag doesn’t have the nice resealable top that the large bags do. Thankfully, I still had the previous bag (I always reorder with a week of kitty servings to spare) and just transferred the new food to it. We keep his food bag stored in a recycled plastic cat litter tub (I carefully cleaned it out first, of course!) for extra security against potential pests.
N says
Gah, pardon the weird formatting! Not sure what happened there.
WilliamB says
I listed several things on Craigslist. I dislike the process, am not good at setting prices, and get cranky with all the flakes who don’t show up or who try a scam, so listing numerous things is a big step.
I gave away a large worn-out rug. It was a very popular listing! I picked the person who told me the rug was for her elderly, fluffy white dog to lie on outside in the sun, and when the rug was too worn out for that, she’d use it as weed suppression under her compost pile. Always nice to find a kindred spirit.
I continue to gradually declutter the attic.
I hacked an egg incubator using a small custard dish, some old unspun wool, a mesh strainer, and a sous vide machine, to help a neighborhood kid who wanted to try to rescue a bird egg that ze found on the sidewalk.
My friend is giving me tomato seedlings. I may try to grow other veggies as well.
Kristen says
I dislike the process as well! So I give myself extra brownie points whenever I list something.
WilliamB says
Maybe I’ll skip the points and just give myself extra brownies.
Jaime says
As a sidenote (I don’t know anyone selling on ebay IRL so figured I’d ask you): I started listing books on ebay after reading your post on it a while back. I had an account from eons ago. Now they want me to switch over to the manage payments instead of using paypal. Have you done this? If so, do you have any thoughts on it? I’ll admit, I’m hesitant to give them my bank info and SSN so I’m unsure about continuing it.
Kristen says
Yep, they do direct deposit for my payments now, and I’ve had no problems at all.
eBay is a big business, and I don’t think they are prone to doing sketchy things with bank info. A small, unknown company warrants my skepticism, of course, but since eBay is big and established, I trust that they have appropriate protocols in place to protect legally protected info.
Of course, leaks can always happen! Nothing is 100% safe. And of course, your decision about this is entirely up to you. I’m just sharing my thought process.
Jaime says
Thank you! I am glad to hear it has been a smooth process for you.
It’s sometimes tough when you don’t know much about something and don’t know many others that know either. I appreciate your response!
Battra92 says
1.) Found an old gift card that had been sitting around for ages and I didn’t want the store to hang on to the money. I used it to buy a New England Hot Dog Bun Pan. Sure it’s not a need but I didn’t pay for it and it should be fun to make.
2.) Disputed an order that I placed and got a refund. I ordered a small electronic part to repair something and the Chinese seller shipped me a rather lude sticker. Yeah … totally can see how that mistake was made. *rollseyes* Of course now I have to reorder the correct part.
3.) Taking advantage of the nicer weather and line drying clothing again!
4.) Pretty much have gone a month without going out for dinner. Also we’re getting really good about making our lunches for work (on the days we aren’t working from home.)
5.) Possibly frugal or at least a life quality issue. I’m thinking about getting an air purifier to deal with the near endless allergies that I expect to have to deal with in the next couple months. My major respiratory allergen is dust (and this can trigger my asthma) so I obviously want to keep this down.
Gina says
I’ll try to see if I can come up with FFT….
1. I was buying some Easter candy and treats at the store. I didn’t notice til I got home to scan my receipt that they didn’t charge me for 2 bags of candy and a package of wooden skewers. Total maybe was $5.
2. My daughter started working at a bulk grocery store and her employer said her family can use her 10% discount. I’ve shopped there a few times so far and saved about $6.42. Every little bit helps.
3. Yesterday and today we are eating leftovers from Easter dinner for our dinners. Whatever ham is left tonight will go into the freezer to use for future dinners. I did bring in leftover desserts to work today to share with my co-workers as we can’t eat them at home fast enough…..plus we don’t need any more extra empty calories. Co-workers were excited!
4. Relisted some of my items on Facebook Marketplace in hopes that they eventually sell. I definitely have patience.
5. I bought one pot of hydrangea flowers for a centerpiece plus my mom gifted me a hyacinth plant (my favorite smelling flower). I will plant both outside in my flower bed once I’m enjoying them in the house.
Keep on being thrifty and saving!!
Susan says
I baked my college kids brownies as part of their Easter baskets and added shorts/t-shirts they need for the summer as well. Covid hasn’t been kind to our waistlines.
We visited said college kids at their respective universities over a long weekend. We drove our own car and stayed in reasonably priced hotels. We brought our own water bottles for the road. We did a lot of restaurant dining on our visits, but we avoided a fancy Easter brunch in favor of take-out in the park. Combining gluten-free dining and outdoor dining due to Covid is tricky, so this filled both needs. 4/5 of us have had the first vaccine and not the 2nd and 1/5 has had no vaccine yet. Next time we visit, hopefully we can dine in!
JEG says
Buy candy after Christmas if you can find it. Red wrapped-Valentine’s Day; green wrapped-St. Patrick’s Day; gold wrapped–from the house leprechaun. My daughter gave an idea for St. Patrick’s Day fun for children. Make a little gift of “gold” wrapped candies from the leprechaun (without setting a trap). Her niece said they have set traps for their leprechaun but have never received candies.
I had signed up for a toddler zoom program at one of our local libraries and they have supplied all of the “ingredients” for each week. Well, I could not get the toddler’s attention last week, so I brought the experiment home and used it with the older kids on Easter Sunday for an activity.
Tricia says
1) I’m on a diet right now, so my husband is eating up a lot of leftovers.
2)I’ve been reading books from the free table at work and returning them there. Never have to worry about late fees at the library:)
3) We’ve been on break for 11 days, but it’s back to work tomorrow. I packed up lunches for the next 3 days.
4)I dyed my hair with a box that I bought on sale last summer and my husband gave me a trim.
Susan M. says
1) I used food that I had previously frozen, on a day that we spent most hours at the doctors office. I was grateful it was there when needed.
2) I called about a problem with my daughter’s ACT test registration, and when I didn’t get the help needed I called back again. This saved us $55 we would have been charged for registering a second time.
3) I ordered a birthday present for my hubby when it was on sale, and then asked if I could still have the free shipping when my order was .60 cents away from the free shipping amount. The customer service person said it was close enough, and waved the shipping charges. This saved me $5.00.
4) I bought flowers on clearance for our back porch. Perhaps not as frugal as not buying flowers at all, but it was good for my soul after an especially difficult week.
Pictures and more in my blog at: https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/04/frugal-friday-week-of-march-28-april-3.html
Mrs R says
We frugal girls know that discount chocolate tastes better than full price chocolate!
Hawaii Planner says
1) Used a Target gift card (purchased last year when they offer them at a slight discount near the holidays) to purchase Easter items. Saved a bit extra using Circle rewards, iBotta & Fetch.
2) Used grocery store rewards to buy ground beef, and paid $0 out of pocket. Also earned $.10 on the purchase on iBotta, which seemed like a win, since I paid $0 OOP.
3) Used a $2 Subway reward towards lunch for my son after a soccer game. He was very appreciative. We don’t get takeout very often, which makes it quite a treat for the kids when it happens.
4) Borrowed a spring form pan from a neighbor when I couldn’t find mine. I made a Basque cheesecake for dessert this weekend.
5) Sold a few items on eBay
Ruby says
Gluten-free pretzels really are good! My husband had a go at a gluten-free diet some years ago to see if it helped his health (not appreciably) and we liked the pretzels best.
1. Last weekend’s grocery total was $86, of which $20 was for the Easter lamb shoulder roast and 99 cents was for a pack of toothpicks, our only non-food purchase. It has been more than a decade since we last bought toothpicks, but they had not gone up in price!
2. My husband’s favorite red winter long-sleeved undershirt has been mended so many times that the armpit completely wore out. I gave it an armpit transplant from a thrifted t-shirt that’s been the donor for many patches for his shirts, and he should be good for another winter.
3. As a work thing, I have to participate in a Secret Pal gift exchange. My assigned pal asked for books on war. I was able to find several highly recommended volumes on Daedalus Books, which sells high-quality books online at a deep discount.
4. Sunday meal prep for my breakfasts used up the last of a bag of slightly expired oat bran, the last of a bag of frozen coconut leftover from making cakes, and is gradually using up the huge amount of frozen peas and carrots we mysteriously had acquired. Only a half bag to go! I will be very glad when my work lunches no longer feature a side of peas and carrots.
5. Received the Poshmark order of four work tops I had very carefully shopped for and was thrilled that everything fit, is in perfect condition, and looks so cute. The cost was $6 per top plus shipping, but shipping is a necessary evil when I can’t go to thrift shops in person. I really appreciated what a great job the seller did describing and photographing the condition of the gently used garments.
Ruby says
That makes it sound like I put peas and carrots in the breakfasts. They’re in the lunches.
Melinda & 3 boys says
Haha! I wondered.
Ruby says
I am so very tired of those peas and carrots. Eating them at breakfast would be the last straw!
Karen says
Frozen peas and carrots are great for an easy fried rice!
Kristen says
I don’t think I could handle peas at breakfast!
Lisa says
Those Dove chocolates are expensive when they aren’t on sale – that was a good gift!
Julie says
I have been using up lots of items from the freezer lately…we took a cobbler over to some friends’ house for dinner the other night and I used up the last of some peaches from the freezer and blueberries from the freezer too.
We got our REI dividends last month. Mine is still waiting to get used, but for us this is the perfect “points” credit card program. We’re big bikers and skiers and we always need things from REI. I get 5% back on REI purchases with my cc and 1-2% on everything else. So I’ve got some REI money waiting to get used on bike clothes!
I’ve purposefully scheduled a few in-person meetings for coffee shops in our downtown area this week and next because I have 2 downtown gift cards to use up. So I can have a meeting, support a local business, and not have to spend any of my own money.
I made chocolate chip cookie bars for my dad for his birthday instead of buying him a gift. He prefers homemade gifts anyway! Now fingers crossed they don’t turn into a melted mess before they arrive at his house!
Melinda & 3 boys says
* I used a free drink coupon to a local coffee shop.
* I heated leftovers last night instead of ordering out.
* We used mozzarella cheese to make a batch of really bad spaghetti palatable. That saved us from throwing it out and making another meal.
* I used your sweet potato muffin recipe and a sweet potato casserole recipe to use up a giant can of yams we were given and then we delivered the muffins to neighbors as Easter gifts.
* I used a free frozen chicken from a friend for Easter lunch instead of buying a ham.
* I helped said friend distribute frozen chickens to families who needed them. Not frugal on the gas side, but extremely valuable in heart encouragement.
I was thinking the other day, “I’m good at self-sacrificing and eating up leftovers that no one wants to touch, but I seriously can not do it to the extreme that Kristen does it!”
It’s relieving to know that you have limits too.
Felicia says
I cubed some leftover gluten free bread and used it in stuffing. My family couldn’t tell it was gluten free bread.
Jan says
You are so right about patience with eBay sales. I listed a very expensive photo album and the plastic page inserts that went with it and it sat there for almost a year… and sold about two days after I gave it away to a friend! Unfortunately I had forgotten to remove it from eBay so then my husband had to figure all that out.