Five Frugal Things | Oy, that exam!
I know...I'm a day late with the Five Frugal Things this week. My friend left on Monday night, and then on Tuesday morning, I had an exam bright and early.
Not gonna lie, I felt pretty bad when I left that exam room. It was the first exam of my school career where I felt a little blindsided.
I don't think I failed, but I do think that I'm gonna have to study even harder for this Med-Surg class.
Especially because I talked to some people who failed it last semester, and they said this test is the easiest of them all for this class. OH NO.
I did do a ton of studying, but apparently, I need to change strategies a bit. Or something.
I felt deflated for a minute, but then I got into my "What CAN I do?" mode and went home to dig into the prep work for today's lectures on respiratory disorders and diabetes.
Because we have an exam on those next Monday.
Anyway...I'm a little short on frugal things at the moment, but we'll see if I can come up with five.
1. I used a Starbucks gift card for a drink and sandwich
My friend Mia and I went out to Starbucks with Sonia, and I used a gift card from my Erie YourTurn rewards to pay for my purchase.
2. I made a batch of granola
This is not unique or creative, I know...but homemade granola IS pretty cheap, and it doesn't take long to make either.
I have not done a price breakdown on my no-stir* granola recipe, but I really, really should. I am curious exactly how it compares to the price of pre-made Aldi granola.
*meaning, "no stirring while baking". You do have to stir it initially in the mixing bowl!
I mean, if I was willing to separate trail mix into little ingredient piles, I can certainly bring myself to figure out the cost of granola. 😉
3. I used Chick-Fil-A points for a free tea/lemonade
After my competency tests last week, my mouth was as dry as the Sahara, from the nerves. And I didn't even have my water bottle with me!
So, I broke my years-long streak of never buying food or drinks on campus and ordered a large iced tea/lemonade drink. I used my in-app points for it, so it was free, and oh, it tasted so good.
I regret nothing.
And now I will resume my usual pack-all-the-food-and-drinks pattern. 😉
4. I got some faux black nylon leggings at Five Below
If you have been on Pinterest at all, you've probably seen these...they're fleece-lined leggings, but when you put them on, they look totally like black nylons.
So, you can wear dresses in the winter without having freezing-cold legs!
I'd been wanting to try some for a while, and the ones at Five Below are only $5, of course.
They look a little weird when you're not wearing them, but once you put them on, no one would be able to tell they are anything other than black nylons. Kind of crazy!
And since they're leggings, they're not gonna run and snag like nylons do.
If you get them from Five Below, I would suggest sizing up; I got the L/XL and they are not remotely loose on me.
5. I made a heels-only grilled cheese
Yesterday when I was poking around my kitchen to see what I should eat for lunch, I noticed that there were two lone whole wheat bread heels.
Soo, I put the heel sides together and made a slightly wonky grilled cheese sandwich for myself.
It wouldn't win any beauty awards, but it got the job done. 😉
Is "LATTE" the acronym you use to remember your medical notes?
My Frugals this week
- I also made your granola recipe, not with the 5 cups of oats but with 4 to wean ourselves from the 3 we were used to
- I wrote my meal planning and my shopping list on an empty envelope
- I ate leftovers for lunch on a few days
- I bought one day old artisan sourdough bread and buns at 50% off - and they will keep well for days!
- I bought cat litter online because the price was a third lower than in the local shop. I am sorry for that because I like to shop locally, but it was quite a big difference. Also when the litter was delivered, two bags had torn and spilled into the package. I can still use it but I wrote to the online shop to ask for better packaging in the future. And they sent me two untorn bags as compensation, which is excellent service. One of our cats has been diagnosed as diabetic, which is bringing/will bring higher "pet cost of living".
@JNL,
My cat had steroid-induced diabetes last year. He's "in remission" now, but he still pees a lot and it has some sort of chemical reaction with clay litter that makes it turn into the world's nasty river silt, so I had to switch litters. I now use "equine pine" which is actually horse bedding but is essentially the same thing as "feline pine" but I get a huge bag at the feed store for like nine bucks. It does not handle the smell as well as clay, so I have to change more often, but a bag lasts a very long time.
@Becca,
Thanks, will look into this!
Our cat pees (and drinks) impressively, which is how we first came to notice something was wrong
Poor thing, hope he will mend, with specialized diet, and also insulin. He's turning 13 this spring.
Yes, it's one method nursing students use. It stands for:
What does your patient LOOK like?
How will you ASSESS your patient?
What TESTS will your patient have?
How will you TREAT your patient?
How will you EDUCATE your patient?
@Kristen, The Osteopath Residents years ago used SOAP. Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan. The addition of EDUCATION has had a strong push in the last few years, even with Surveys (Inspections) by the state.
We have been over SOAP and also SOAPIE and our nursing process is usually ADPIE (Assess, diagnose, plane, implement, evaluate). So many acronyms!
Remember that you don't have your grade yet! How you feel you did on the test and your actual score may well be miles apart. I do agree that it's good to study harder for the next one, though, just to be safe!
FFT, House Past, Present, Future Edition
--I'd been thinking a specific spot needed wall sconces and then remembered our pretty wrought iron ones. They had stayed in the "decor overflow" box in the garage while we felt out the house, lived here a bit, and learned what worked where. With the addition of LED remote-controlled candles ($10), they look splendid and are cat safe.
—A friend is redoing their backyard water catchment system and offered a surplus rain barrel for $20. Um, yes please! It already has a spigot, filter, etc., so all I have to do is clean it ($1 at our local car wash) and set it up.
—Related: Another friend will help design/overhaul our backyard into a low-water flower and food garden. This is phase two; last year, I planted drought-tolerant clover, wildflowers, umpteen flower bulbs, and a small vegetable garden watered solely with kitchen grey water. (Ninja Turtle PSAs about wasting water still play in my head 30+ years later, and we live in a low-key desert--if it's not food or flowers, I'm not watering it.) My friend will be trading his gardening expertise for my freelancing—yay, barter system!
—Despite the -20 temperatures at night for over a week, last month’s gas bill was $30 less than our worst winter bill last year—ditto last month’s bill, when it became cold enough to start tracking the difference. Investing in crawlspace insulation and a new solid wood back door was definitely worth it, if A LOT upfront for the former.
--Habitat Restore had exactly the colors of tile we want for our VERY future tub/shower remodel. 10 cents a tile x 300 = $30, as opposed to $40+ per box of 24! The tile will keep in the garage until we’ve saved up for the whole endeavor (plus a healthy “Oh, $*#&” buffer). My 6'2" husband LOVES baths, but the tiny, tiny 1990s tub that came with the house is too short/shallow even for my 5'4" self. The necessary doors are 31” wide, so a larger tub would have fit into the house and the same spot—-and so one will, 1-3 years from now. 😛
Bonus Frugality: Our refund was exceptionally speedy this year, so we've already paid property taxes in full for 2024. (Don't be too impressed--cheap property taxes are one of the reasons we chose to live here!) Much like filing our taxes, we'd just as soon have this done and dusted instead of having the background worry. The remainder of our refund paid back savings for my car's very necessary new tires earlier this winter.
@N, WHERE IN THE WORLD are there cheap property taxes??
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Um, not in California.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Without doxxing, the most specific I can be is "rural."
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, New Mexico. 🙂
@N, I love all your rain barrel and low-water/gray water gardening frugality. It sounds enjoyable and satisfying. Thank you for doing that! I live in an area that has too much water running off the bluffs near our property. I want/need to work on water management to help reduce runoff, erosion, and related problems.
California prop taxes are cheap compared to suburban New York.
@Lindsay B, Thank you for your kind words! I’m very much a novice, which is why I’m grateful for friends willing to teach me their ways. Now that we have a yard to tend, I want to be a good steward… and also not earn the ire of our neighbors, who maintain plush lawns even in the armpit of July. We’re going all in on food, flowers, mulch (my husband gets as much as he wants free through work), clover, and whatever ground cover we can plant to skip mowing. The last two years were focused on necessary interior upgrades and maintenance, like the above-mentioned insulation; this year, we’re investing in the land.
@N, your mantra "If it's not food or flowers, I'm not watering it" has been mine during summers of drought here in Central NY. (I'll admit that rain or snow always come around eventually to save the grass.)
@N, thanks, oops, I should have been more sensitive to the World Wide Web situation. In California at least we have Proposition 13, which passed in 1978 and says that property taxes can only be raised when property sells, elevated to the level of the current selling price. But then various districts keep voting in additional taxes that get tacked on, usually called "temporary" taxes, fall down laughing.
@JDinNM, LOL!
@N, I love clover for clover tea. But beware of bees. We love bees for our garden and even plant a few flowers to attract more bees than our clover. Clover and dandelion grows where grass died. Mmmm clover tea. Dandelion tea helps limit sweet intake. Clover tea helps with hot flashes.
@N, you're welcome! I'm so glad you have friends who can help out with the knowledge end of things. Keep up the good work!
I hope your exam went better than you think. You study so much and stay on top of the work- I would suggest you wait to see the exam results before you adjust your study methods. Though I do know the feeling of walking out of a test feeling blindsided. Twice I burst into tears on a friend's shoulder after we got in the hallway after a rough test ( in college- the poor professor didn't know what to say).
Frugal things:
*I used several Target circle offers - save $5 on $15 and $10 off $60- to get a bunch of essentials for the pantry.
*After a busy Sunday, when I was gone most of the day, I did not order out, but rummaged around the freezer and found some dinner makings.
*We have my daughter's dog and cat for 10 days while she's on vacation. This saves her much money, and my kids ge a dog to love . And a cat who likes to sleep on top of my teen son. Win-win!
*With the spring-like weather, my husband was able to change oil in one car and replace a broken part in another.
*I canceled kindle unlimited- I liked it but I found I reread the same books all the time and rarely read new ones. I can still get ebooks through the library, so it's not much of a loss.
Good luck studying for your next exam!
@mbmom11, I like Libby better than Kindle to read books because I can search in the book for a word (usually a name of someone that I can't remember) and I can find definitions of words. So I think you made a good decision, and I thank you for keeping me from being tempted by Kindle Unlimited!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I use the search feature and dictionary on my Kindle.
Kristen, don't beat yourself up over the exam. You may have done better than expected and even if not, you study and work so hard! That's the main thing.
This really felt like a three steps forward, two steps back week for frugality. It kind of feels like that most of the time. I need some encouragement!
1. I cancelled a subscription but then I subscribed for something else which kind of cancels it out. I'll have to cancel the new subscription at the end of the month!
2. I borrowed some books from the library. I'm a member of the public library and also a library which is used more by students. It's not widely known that anyone can sign up to be a member there, but I did and have been able to get some books which aren't in the public library.
3. I resisted getting lunch at a cafe I really like. I did get a drink at a different cafe another day, but that was cheaper and also more intentional!
4. There was a good reduction on food at the supermarket.
5. I line-dried my clothes. I almost always do this but it's something.
@Sophie in Denmark, you are doing fine! My list this week is full of excuses, so yours looks stellar to me.
@Sophie in Denmark, @Central Calif. Artist Jana, Subscriptions will eat your budget like cannibals! I started keeping a written list with my calendar to remind me to cancel when introductory offers (such a come-on!) expire and when price increases are scheduled to take effect.
Life is simply not frugal overall for us at the moment, but I was pretty pleased at using pumpkin I froze in 2019 (a library character entry, Laura Ingalls, which was white fleshed) and 12 egg yolks frozen in 2020 (leftover from an angel food cake which was nowhere near as good as the box kind) to make three loaves of pumpkin bread. With the realization that yolks have not so much protein as a whole egg, I used bread flour instead of all purpose. The white pumpkin didn’t seem as flavorful as orange but it still turned out great. Felt like success. Wondered why I waited so long, lol.
@Karen., nice job on using up your frozen foods! It's so satisfying to get things like that used... especially before they are inedible. I once lost pounds of hand-picked dewberries (similar to blackberries) due to freezer burn, so I applaud you for getting to yours in time. 🙂
In days past, the cold didn't bother me as much, and I went without nylons in the winter (because I started breaking out in hives from wearing them). Fleece (the polyester kind) is another fabric that makes me feel gross even if I haven't actually had hives from it. So I've just started wearing cotton leggings under dresses and stopped caring how it looks because I have to wear frumpy shoes anyway.
My frugals are a team effort:
*My son used ILL to order an audio book not available on Libby for his younger brother.
*I've faithfully done my face exercises because to prolong therapy that the insurance doesn't reimburse much for is absolutely not frugal.
*My husband bought A LOT of carrots cheaply without knowing we already had two big bags of carrots in the other fridge. So I have been using lots of carrots because I don't want them to go to waste.
*My friends have been sharing their extra eggs.
*I have not caved to my desires of hopping in the car and driving to Minnesota to see my son perform in a play at his college.
*We cooked all of our meals, made coffee at home (still drinking coffee from the beans my family accidentally left when visiting), used soap leftover from a hotel stay, AND I spend time with my Great Clothes Heap, mending a stained and holy little cashmere sweater by cutting up a cute out-grown and tattered-about-the-neck corduroy dress and making patches to cover the stains on the sweater. It's cute, and my youngest daughter has been wearing it.
@Jody S., chop, blanch, and freeze those carrots. They'll be easier to just throw a handful or two into whatever you are making in the future.
And my favorite sweater recently got a hole. I'm pretty good at sewing, but I have yet to figure out how to mend a sweater. I wish I could patch this one, but it has a design that would make that not a workable solution.
@Marlena, There are so many options online to learn about mending nowadays. Do a search for mending a sweater or visible mending. Instagram has so many ideas for this.
@Jody S., Another carrot comment here: When I go through the fuss of grating carrots (with my ancient salad shooter), I grate extras and put them in pre-measured portions in baggies in the freezer, ready for carrot cake
@Jody S., Funny how different textures impact different people. I love fleece so much I have told my husband that if he refuses to have me incinerated, and wants to bury me instead, he must wrap me in fleece. I have several calf length dresses made of fleece that I wear all winter long because they are warm and I feel like I am wearing pajamas.
@Lindsey, I have never liked the feel of polyester, and nylons are a no-no for me (hives in the past). My daughter used to get eczema inside her elbows and behind her knees until we figured out it was polyester. So, if I have polyester in my clothes, it's a small percentage of the fabric. Cotton is, indeed, the fabric of my life, but the natural fabrics are becoming harder and harder to find (at a reasonable price).
@Jody S., look into merino wool tights or "nylons", warm and natural. Definitely more pricey but worth the cost. I have one pair of merino leggings that are thin enough to fit under jeans, and one pair of merino nylons that are sheer enough with dresses but super warm. Recently I wore them and a merino undershirt with a dress to a graveside funeral, kept me warm throughout even with the cold wind in the mountains.
I tell my children all the time not to panic if they haven't actually seen their scores. About half the time, there was nothing to worry about. I hope it's the same for you, but even if it's not the grade you were hoping for, I have faith that you'll carry on anyway. 🙂
--I FINALLY used the cauliflower that had been taunting me in the refrigerator for way too long. Even after I steamed it, it still sat there for a couple of days. But I got it cooked into a curry with split peas (commodities), potatoes, and caramelized onions (made moths ago from commodities onions and frozen), and even froze some for later. Oh, that curry also used a can of collard greens I got from excess commodities. Maybe I should call it Commodities Curry.
--As predicted, Middle Son hit a growth spurt and was complaining all his shirts were too small. Good thing he has an older brother who also grows alarmingly fast. I just dug around in eldest's drawer for the shirts he has outgrown and passed them along. Ditto Middle Son's shirts to youngest son. Too bad their jeans never make it out the other side to be passed down. Those, I have to buy new.
--We have no basketball games this weekend, which means I don't have to drive 200 miles for a game, and I'll be home to catch up on kitchen things. I need to render tallow, can pinto beans, and cook, puree, and freeze the last squash, among other things.
--We butchered the last ram lamb from last year. My husband spent the time to cut chops this time with a handsaw, which he doesn't do often because it's so much work, but then we had fancy lamb chops for dinner.
--I started my cabbage and kohlrabi seeds indoors, using the bag of potting soil that's been around for a couple of years, and two old containers I save from year to year for seed starting, one of which is a big plastic salad greens container. The seeds are also ones I've been using for a few years, so there was no upfront cost.
@kristin @ going country,
I've had only a very little luck with kohlrabi, which I like. It's a fall crop here, but any special tips?
@JD, I start it indoors and then transplant when it's warm enough. Other than lots of water, which everything here needs, and watching out for the harlequin beetle invasion around June (they love brassicas), I don't have any special tips. Sorry!
@kristin @ going country, I finally found a cauliflower recipe that I *love*-- hopefully it will post. It's super simple and amazingly delicious. https://www.firstyearoffood.com.au/whole-roasted-cauliflower?ck_subscriber_id=1988348391
Good luck on the testing front. You usually do well, so I will not count you out just yet!
Signed up for the Circle K gasoline rewards. You have to link your checking account which I am so leery of, but I saved 10 cents off a gallon, and as a new customer, saved another 20 cents off a gallon and then my bank is offering 2% cash back. Somehow I even got my husband to sign up with his checking account.
Finished one scrapbook and on to the next. I have a lot of pictures I wanted printed. So I received an email from Shutterfly about a class action lawsuit and that I would get a $25.00 credit (which has not been applied yet). But they had specials for free shipping over $49. and a coupon for 50% off. I saved over $100. on my order.
Will be doing some interior work on our house this coming weekend (rain expected) as my husband has 5 days off in a row -- very unlikely for a retail employee, but it's the slow season. He purchased a gallon of fresh paint and some new brushes with his discount so he can do some painting.
Will be going to the auto dealer on Friday to get my first free oil change on my car. They will also look it over and make sure everything is OK since it's the first visit to the dealership. And I'm only going because the first oil change is free.
My bike trainer that I bought for $25. is finally set up and being used. Have to get ready for riding season!
Hoping you did better than expected on your test. 😉
Five frugal things---
●since working 6 days week I usually only grocery shop on on day off, but this week decided to stay home & clean house/get caught up on chores.
● went grocery shopping same day as orthodontist appt (batching errands) & saving gas.
●went to Sam's club first was going to have cafe for early dinner but cafe closed for day (sign( @ 4pm (usually open later. Bought all sale items for this new sale, clearance bag chair & some potatoes (still cheap). Teen found favorite pizza (thin crust---usually doesn't carry) so picked up few boxes for freezer. Will need to pick up more before end of sale
●went on to Meijer where finished shopping only buying items on sale. Teen found coupon for Hawaiian rolls (we were buying), with digital coupons & sale prices saved $30 & got put door for $86 (instead of usual $100 every store)
●Since Sam's club cafe closed ordered Domino's $19.99 meal (2 medium 1 topping pizza, bread bites, cinnamon twists & 2 liter drink) deal to pick up on way home. I Have leftovers, teen of course finished most of rest deal.
kind of Frugal fail----
●Apparently I miscounted my debit card purchases & was 1 purchase short for my $9 monthly reward (first time in years). Getting all my shopping/purchases done early this month to get back on tract (& pay bills early).
Are those legging things with or without feet? Weird!
1. Bean soup for two days
2. Meal planning is in full force
3. Greenery for the house from our Magnolia tree
4. Hoopla Audio Books from the library
5. Bible study on-line of Unknown Women of the Bible with free downloadable materials
6. Free Podcasts
Hoping you pass your test!
Some of those classes are just really hard, no matter how much you study... not to discourage you, but it may not be anything you're doing wrong! If you feel confident that you're learning the material, that's more important in the long run.
Frugal things:
- we listed our excess hay bales and sold them pretty quickly. In hindsight, we probably underpriced them, but in the process we made a connection with a local small beef farm so that will be good going forward
- I used my second $40 off of $80 instacart coupon at Aldi
- planning my son's birthday party this weekend: making food at home, making his cake, have a relatively small gathering, simple fun like playing football outside
- my 5yr old had to get her first dental filling yesterday. The dentist typically uses nitrous oxide for all kids fillings, which I found out my insurance doesn't cover. My daughter was not nervous about the filling so I was thankful that the dentist was willing to try with just Novocaine, and she did great! That saved us over $100! Let me be clear that I was certainly amenable to using the nitrous if she needed it 🙂
- I searched for coupon codes, etc, when ordering tires for my husband's skid loader, and he looked at several different suppliers to compare prices. End result: they were still expensive!! But, he uses it frequently both around our property and for side jobs, so it was necessary
@JP, apparently Nitrous for kids (& teens) fillings is now common, which I did not know & got surprise bill for (also not covered by insurance). Luckily teen dentist (been seeing for most life) was kind enough to remove from bill when I questioned (knows other parent changed insurance to lowest possible coverage) plus first ever filling.
@JP, our family dentist when I was a teenager was a believer in nitrous oxide. I loved it: I could feel him drilling, but I just didn't care! (Good thing I never had access to N2O for recreational purposes...)
@A. Marie, I am immune to nitrous. Was really peeved when an oral surgeon talked me into trying it and the only effect was to feel as if a large dog was lying on top of me.
@Ruby, There was actually a sweet article in today's Washington Post about a dental practice that has "a large dog" (a golden doodle) that serves as a therapy dog for nervous patients by ... lying on top of them! So skip the nitrous and go straight to the large dog. ;-}
I hope you passed. I felt like I failed after every test in nursing school. It’s a very normal feeling. You have done very well so far and I’m sure you will continue to do great. A pass is a pass.
@Natasha, I'm equally confident that Kristen passed the test, even though this one was hard.
FFT, Here Comes the Sun Edition:
(1) The sun came out here Sunday and has stayed out. (Central NY natives don't know what to make of this.) I started taking advantage of this Monday by yanking the last two dead kale plants out of my garden (one actually still had a few usable leaves) and playing pick-up sticks in the backyard. Spiritual benefit of being outdoors without freezing to death = priceless.
(2) The Bestest Neighbors and I paid a call yesterday on another neighbor, who is decluttering in preparation for a move, to inspect her late husband’s crammed-full garage. (Hey, I thought that DH left me a full garage? This neighbor’s husband was a certifiable hoarder.) We were primarily interested in the late husband’s vast holdings of interesting flowerpots and planters; the BNs took a lot of these, while I restrained myself to three especially nice ones from a long-defunct local pottery. I also took two bushel baskets, an old picnic basket, a really funky old glass cider jug from a long-defunct local cider mill, and a few other odds and ends.
(3) I did go on Saturday to the new-to-me Asian food market I mentioned late last week, and spent almost an hour there getting acquainted with it. (But, somehow, I managed to hold my spending there to $35. I may not be so restrained next time, though.)
(4) I somehow STILL have some cauliflower left, so I'm going to make another stir-fry this afternoon with the last of it and the last of the garden kale. @kristin @ going country and I may be in the running for the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Cauliflower.
(5) Finally, I’m happy that I’ve inspired a good friend to go thrifting. The assistant director of the family service program at DH’s nursing home–my lifeline in many ways during DH’s long decline, and now one of my Sunday morning walking buddies–recently needed clothes for a client, as well as a new winter coat for herself. (Her rescue dog chewed her coat to smithereens after she made the mistake of leaving dog treats in a pocket.) I directed her to the nicest store in our local Thrifty Shopper chain. She found what she needed and was delighted.
@A. Marie,
High five for being able to only take three pots! Pottery - especially locally made- is a downfall of mine. I would have backed my car up and loaded up with all kinds of pots I absolutely don't need and have no use for.
@JD, well, I did back the Element in, and we did load up--but most of the pots were taken by the Bestest Neighbors. In his defense, Dr. BN is a certified Master Gardener and probably has plans for a lot of those pots for the volunteer projects he works on.
@A. Marie, I can see it now. A.Marie OLPC!
First off, it sounds like that test was a doozy. Hopefully when the results come back, you will have done better than you expect!
Now for 5 frugal things...
1. This involves a purchase that will hopefully help me to be more frugal going forward. At my job we get a meat bonus every spring, and there are inevitably cuts of meat that I wouldn't normally use. I like to can and preserve, but never canned meat before. A good friend shared with me how she cans beef, and then it's super handy for using in stews, etc. So...I invested in a pressure canner that can be used on my glass top stove. In the long run it should help me to use everything in my freezer and I count that as a frugal win!
2. I recently went on a purging spree in our house..."if we don't need it, get rid of it!" I took some of the items to a consignment store and every item sold. I didn't get rich, but I got a nice check that I was happy for!
3. I am in the midst of trying to organize my evening meals. It's never been a strong point of mine, but by meal planning I hope to avoid some of those last minute trips to the grocery store which inevitably cost me more $ than necessary
4. I made homemade protein bars for our lunches.
5. I repurposed an old set of shelves that I found in our attic (think old farmhouse with several generations worth of stuff in the attic)
.
@Alica, Pressure canners are very useful once you get comfortable with them. I use mine primarily for beans and meat stocks, but it was very helpful also with the very tough bull meat we had a few years ago.
@Alica,
I pressure canned my first meat and meat/veg. soups a couple of years ago, and I was very pleased. Follow the instructions and you should be fine. I use my pressure canner for green beans, field peas, things like that, as well.
@Alica,
Could you share which pressure canner you bought? I have a glass top stove, too, and I'm too afraid to try using "traditional" stove top canners with it. Thanks!
@Liz B.,
I called my stove manufacturer to be sure, and they recommended a Presto pressure canner. It must have a flat bottom. I got the 16 quart version off Amazon. I didn't want something too large, as I was a little concerned about putting too much weight on the glasstop. I also did some other research to make sure i was getting thw proper size for my burners.
Fingers crossed!
@kristin @ going country,
I'm looking forward to using this new one! I do a lot of water bath canning, and have done green beans in my old pressure canner, but meat will be a wholeness experience for me!
@JD,
I'm looking forward to trying new things! I've done green beans in my old pressure canner, but meat will be new to me!
@Alica,
Thanks so much! I'll look onto it.
@Liz B.,
*into* it
Thanks for letting us know about those leggings! Sounds like something I could use.
Praying that your exam grade is higher than you think, and that you get through this class with flying colors. You've worked so hard in your studies; hopefully this is just a little bump in the road and not a major obstacle.
My frugal things:
1. Needed to order some bras, and being frugal, my go-to place is Walmart, not Victoria's Secret. I buy underwear in packages. So I decided to order online. Found out I could get the loud-colored bras for $10 cheaper than the standard black, white and beige -- same style bra, just different colors. So now I have some technicolor brassieres in my wardrobe!
2. Again, I took a fairly large water jug to work when I substitute taught. I was at a school where they have those filtered water fountains, designed for filling up water bottles. I filled my jug and this saves me from buying bottled drinking water. Of course, this was free.
3. The last half-dozen times I shopped at that orange big box store, the clerks were rude and/or indifferent/unhelpful. So I cancelled my Home Depot credit card after paying it off. Discovered I can get stellar service at the True Value store that opened near me. I also found some items I usually bought at HD at other stores. This week I got some electric converter plugs at a thrift store (still in the package, so they were brand new) for half of what HD charged, and I also found my odd-sized AC filters (also still in unopened plastic packaging) at Habitat Re-Store much, much cheaper. And we have Lowe's in our city, so I can shop there as well. Oh, and when I phoned in my payment and cancelled, the telephone customer service operator got all the information about why....and said this will be forwarded to the store manager. Esp. the part where the desk clerk messed up when I tried to write a check to cover my bill, shoved the check back at me and told me to "take your sh*t back" and muttered a racist remark about me. Later, I found she'd mistakenly run the check through twice, thus charging me double with the same check -- my bank was thrilled to have to straighten out the HD clerk's mess. Not!
4. Attended a "home and garden" expo and got my $5 admission back in freebies -- shopping bags I can take to Aldi's, a rain gauge, handfuls of writing pens, mini-calendars, note pads and lots and lots of candy (for my Halloween stash). I made off like a bandit.
5. Also at that expo, I visited with the vendors and got lots and lots of useful, money-saving information. Found out that one of the local credit unions is planning to lower interest rates as part of a special promotion this spring.....and I can refinance my car loan then! If the Fed lowers the interest rates after I refi, the CU lady said, we can adjust my loan to an even lower rate. That potentially can save me hundreds of dollars.
@Fru-gal Lisa, man oh man on your number three. How do those people keep their jobs? Very poor management there because you know that there will have been complaints before yours. Maybe an email to corporate management is due.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Yikes about the rude and disrespectful store employees! That's awful. I agree with @Anne about sending an email to corporate management.
@Anne,
I tried calling the 800 # on the back of my HD credit card and could not get through to a human being. Couldn't find an email address either. So they are well insulated from dealing with disgruntled customers. I would understand if maybe a worker was having a bad day and this was the exception to the rule, so to speak, but it was a case of time after time after time being subjected to shoddy treatment. So I won't bother them again. Oh well, I was about to spend some major bucks on 3 rooms of flooring, but there are other places where I can get it.
@ Liz B.,
When I finally, finally, finally got through to a human on another HD 800#, she tried to convince me not to cancel my credit card. When I said sorry, I've made up my mind, she took down the information and assured me it'd get to the store manager. And that something would definitely be done to address these concerns.
I hope your exam went better than you think it did. Now that you've had the first test, you know more about how the tests will be and can change your study habits to align with the structure of the test.
My FFT:
- We went out to dinner Saturday night and used a gift card to cover part of the cost.
- Neither of us were feeling very motivated to cook on Sunday so we had quesadillas with ingredients we had on hand.
- I made a pot of soup for work and bought most of the ingredients BOGO. I had the leftovers for dinner.
- Someone else at work brought salad to go with the soup and we had the leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Mailing in the bill for our car tag renewals. They charge a higher fee if you pay online with a credit card.
- DH and I both got our Tdap boosters at Publix and the shots were fully covered by insurance. We've now had all the vaccinations recommended for grandparents.
@Kristen, I think that if an entire class struggles with a test, the teacher is the one who isn't making the grade.
Four Frugals and One Fail
1. Went to a gas station down the hill and paid .90 less per gallon than it costs in my town. Saved almost $11. (NINETY CENTS LESS PER GALLON?!!)
2. Saw a dress I wanted last fall at Coldwater Creek, waited for it to go on sale. Put it in the shopping cart, quit. Went to TopCashBack and tried to buy it that way, but it kept saying there was an error. Waited another day. Got an offer for an additional 10% off, so ordered it and then got notification that TopCashBack kicked in. Too many gymnastics to figure out how much I saved by buying a dress I don’t need, with a couple of tops thrown in, just in case. (Is this frugal? or a fail? or does the sale price cancel out the excess of an unnecessary expenditure??)
3. Another Costco chicken from Neighbor. We help her out with garbage from her vacation rentals, so she calls the chickens “trash treats”.
4. Used TopCashBack at Thriftbooks when ordering the book mentioned by AFVirginia (but "had to" buy another book to qualify for free shipping)
FRUGAL FAIL: my husband wanted some new shoes and I ordered from Zappos without first checking TopCashBack. Gonna have to focus to build this habit.
P.S. The dress (and 2 unnecessary tops) arrived but I haven't had the courage to try them on yet. Probably will waste money returning them all! (Please don't fire me from the Commentariat.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, HA, you think we all don't slip up on a regular basis? Reminds me of the way that I diet. One step forward, half step back, another half step back. Etc. etc.
@Anne, I just tried them on and they are all keepers. If I keep them at least 10 years, then all will be well. Not a problem, because I still wear skirts and sweaters and jeans from 15 years ago. Once I find something I like, I keep it (until I see a photo of myself in it and think, "oops".)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, In my case, it was a dress I wore to lunch with a friend. She said, "Look at you!" and then I thought, "Yep. Mutton dressed as lamb." Gave the dress, with an adorable strawberry print, to my daughter and she used it for a quilt.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, We do a photo Christmas letter. When I was putting them in envelopes to mail, I realized that in the three pictures I was in, I was wearing the same dress! So I guess I wear mine out by using them every day in one year, instead of over 10 years!! (Yet in the three pictures of Pound Hound, he was wearing a different collar in each one.)
Many of us, I think, don't get through college without hitting a wall sometime. I had a couple of tests that absolutely floored me - it's as if I had been in the wrong class the whole time, because almost nothing on the block tests looked even familiar to me. Don't sweat it until you see the grades, but consider it a good lesson in what to expect for these particular tests, so you can be prepared for the next one.
My frugal things:
1. I confess to the bad habit of drinking soft drinks. I can say at least I drink the ones that are considered "healthier" for us, but I can also admit that means they are more expensive. Well, I don't smoke, drink very little alcohol, I don't drink coffee so I don't buy the fancy coffee drinks (or tea drinks), and I very, very rarely eat food from a restaurant, so... Anyway, I save my cans. I sold a bag of cans the other day for $7.20. The recycling center is less than 3 miles from me and I combined that errand with others to save on gas.
2. I used scrap flannel to make face cloths and eye makeup remover pads.
3. I faithfully cover my tender plants when frost might happen at night. I am tired of running around in the dark at night when I get home, covering them, then getting up early to have time to uncover them before I leave for work, but they have survived the frosty and icy nights.
4. I used last week's spatchcocked chicken bones to make broth for chicken-vegetable soup.
5. I'm going to use Kristen's sugar cookie recipe again this year to make heart-shaped cookies for the grandkids for Valentine's day. They were a hit last year, for very little cost. I have all but one of the ingredients already, including the ingredients for the frosting.
@JD,
I also drink refreshing diet sodas, and it might not be frugal, but like you, I don't drink coffee or alcohol. Nor do I gamble or have expensive hobbies. I figure I need one simple pleasure in my life!
And I do recycle the bottles or cups.
We are frugal in many ways so we can spend the money wisely elsewhere!
@mbmom11, me too. It is my one vice in life. I've cut back mainly for my health, but I have one or two in the mornings for some caffeine....I'm just at the point that I'm not feeling bad about it anymore haha
@Marlena,
They are definitely my morning caffeine, too. And mbmom11, like you I don't gamble or have expensive hobbies. Thanks, both of you, I feel better about my habit now. 🙂
@JD, We splurge on carbonated water. My husband has to stay overly hydrated to manage his kidney ailment, and it’s the one sure way to make sure he drinks enough. One of his medications limits his tea and coffee intake—he can have 2-3 cups max.—and plain water gets boring when you have to drink a literal gallon of it. I know sparkling water is usually a frugal sin, but we’re frugal in so many other ways, easily 80% or more of the time, so the sparkling water stays. Your soda falls under the same “80% better is still pretty good” rule to me!
1. DH and i took another weekend trip to see some family, and rather than stay in the dreadful hotel (it used to be nice but has gone downhill) we rented a VRBO near our family's church, which worked out splendidly. We were able to buy real groceries and cook a real meal on Sunday.
2. As our usual practice, we fasted while on the road--this saves time and money. Not going to lie, I was really needing breakfast Sunday morning. Luckily we'd gone to the grocery store when we got into town on Saturday and had some breakfast food on hand. We had Kroger points to redeem, so our groceries on this trip were free!
3. When we got back home it was time to grocery shop (again) for the family. We still had Kroger points left over, which knocked off $85 from the total bill, which pleased me greatly. Although since I switched my diet a bit we seem to be spending less--I'm eating no dairy, fewer eggs, and less meat.
4. Library books, with the one exception being a couple of Mrs Piggle Wiggle books I ordered through ThriftBooks. I do like to collect some classic children's literature, especially the older versions before the new (ick) updated illustrations take over.
5. Repurposed a giant jar after the kids used up the powdered PB2 to store lentils.
@Karen A., Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!!!! I LOVED those books as a kid. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. ;-}
@JDinNM, I wish my boys had liked them better! I tried reading them out loud but my kids were all, "WHY are these children so obnoxious??" Ha.
By Betty MacDonald!
@Karen A., I think that's exactly why my mother liked them so much -- obnoxious children held up as examples of how Not To Be....
@Karen A., Can you tell me about the Kroger "points", please? I shop there every week (clicklist) and would love to save some money 🙂 Please and thank you
@Karen A., I recently discovered that my library has a set of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books on audio CD, and borrowed it a few weeks ago. I remember them from my childhood. I enjoy them as an adult too 🙂
@Rose, Betty MacDonald of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "The Plague and I"?? Awesome writer!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Betty Smith wrote "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," but the same Betty Macdonald wrote Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and "The Plague and I," (and "The Egg and I," etc.).
@Michelle, Sorry to get back to this so late! We have a Kroger Rewards Credit Card. When we use it at Kroger (or anywhere, but you get more points when you shop at Kroger and get Kroger brands), we get points that can be redeemed for 'free' groceries. We used to get checks in the mail, like gift certificates, but now DH gets a text from Kroger after we check out telling him he can redeem points towards his purchase. You might want to look into applying for the Kroger Credit card if you're a regular shopper!
Praying you did just fine on your test! IDK about anything frugal that I did this week. Other than pack my breakfast, lunches and coffees. I guess that is frugal in itself:) Have a great rest of the week.
I've never heard of those nylon tights before! I work in tech & don't have an occasion to wear them, but it's a genius idea for those who need to be dressy on cold days.
As always, it's been a ride around here. But, it's our season of life, and I know, one day, we will miss all of the craziness, so I try to embrace it! I've been working on a freezer/pantry challenge for February, so most of mine are food related.
1) Hosted a soccer party at our house, and went with Costco pizza vs Dominos, at the request of my teen, who prefers it. It was also cheaper. DH added chocolate chip cookies, so it probably all came out in the wash, but we do have a few slices of leftover pizza, which the teens have been eating.
2) Made a Greek veggie bake dish, which we served with rotisserie chicken. The Greek veggie bake used up some very old potatoes. Bonus, it made two leftover meals, where I borrowed a page from Kristen's book & scrambled some eggs with the potato/veggie mix & had that for a meal x2.
3) We had a huge wind storm (lost a gorgeous & hard to replace plant, unfortunately), and our neighbor's tree dropped a bunch of oranges on our property. I made orange cranberry muffins, also using up cranberries that were on my freezer "use it up" list. As a bonus, I had some old sour cream in the fridge, which I used to replace much of the yogurt that it called for.
4) I ate a pesto pasta dish for a couple of quick lunches. (From the freezer challenge).
5) Brought home leftovers from date night, and DS17 quickly polished those off.
@Hawaii Planner,
When we had a cold spell a few weeks ago, I saw several girls and women with this type of legging/tights, on the train. The tights probably are very warm because the women did not in the least seem uncomfortable (in fact, one girl combined them with a skirt not long enough to hide the cheeks). P.interest showed me this type of tights for several weeks during winter. But if Kristen needs to wear an L/XL, I can't even begin to think what size I would be needing.
@JNL, What I was thinking. It doesn't even go up to my height. Not that I'd wear them anyway, so whatever.
@JNL,
I've been thinking the same thing about what size tights I'd need....or if they even come in a big enough size for me.
Five Below's sizing seems awfully small to me, but I know there are tons of places online that sell these too and I would hope there are more size options!
I bought the S/M first and they were too tight, so I gave them to Zoe.
@Liz B., They're not fleece lined, but Snag tights (website) has tights & wool tights and leggings up to dress size 32 (US). I have the wool ones and they are warm.
Apparently some things haven’t changed about nursing school. I well remember the first exam in my med-surf course, where even those who did really well came in about 20 points lower than usual. I think it’s a deliberate wake-up call from the faculty to the students, a way of saying, “OK, this is where it gets serious. When we’re talking about people’s lives in your hands, a “pretty good” knowledge base isn’t going to cut it…” And it works. Don’t panic - you’ve got this! I feel 100% confident that you’ll be an awesome nurse! But cruising isn’t going to be an option for anyone. And that’s how it should be.
@Pauline in Upstate NY,
Well there’s a funny typo! Med-SURF was not at all what I meant! One does NOT surf through med-SURG!!
1. I also made a batch of your granola this week! It was delicious. I learned from my mistakes last time I made granola, and baked it on a silicone mat. Easy cleanup. I made some minor changes (omitted that add-ins, just used honey as the sweetener) but it was still really good.
2. Last week, I took a "vacation" so that I could study for my Big Scary Exam. It was definitely cheaper to stay home and study than to travel, haha. All I spent that was "extra" was on some madeleines from Starbucks for a special snack, plus I met a friend for lunch one day.
3. I made baked, breaded fish for the first time, in an attempt to copy the ones we buy from the freezer section. Homemade was definitely healthier and easier, and my toddler was willing to try it (if not actually eat it.) We'll still use the freezer section for emergencies, but this version will enter our meal rotation for regular use.
4. On Monday, Mr. B and I were both working late. Instead of ordering a whole meal delivery, I picked up a bit of sushi on my way home and used it to supplement out leftovers from Sunday.
5. I have been shopping Fb Marketplace to renew my wardrobe. I have a hard time spending money on clothes, because I'm in a phase of life where my body changes all the time (pregnant - post-partum - after nursing - lost weight due to stress - gained weight due to stress - will do it all again;) it doesn't feel "worth it" to spend much. But I deserve to feel good in my clothes 🙂 So I've pinned some listings and will make offers today.
Let's see....
1. Made bread after a certain tall coonhound managed to scarf half a loaf down and I was planning French dips for dinner.
2. Used homegrown horseradish for my sandwich. Winning against the high cost of boughten condiments! (that's a joke)
3. Watched old episodes of Sherlock Holmes while decluttering.
4. Bought a teak lounge set at a huge discount from a local guy for the cottage.
5. Used an old curtainrod instead of buying a new dowel to hang up a wall hanging. Winning against the high cost of Big Dowel!
@Rose,
Big Dowel is *such* a racket. Good on you for finding an alternative! 😉
I'm sure you did better than you think on the test, but I know that feeling and it's a bit nerve rattling. My son had a class for his masters program last semester that just completely deflated him. It was a long semester for him. I pray yours improves quickly.
Frugal wins:
I rented a movie from amazon with my digital points they give you when you are willing to wait an extra day or two for delivery. I always take the points and my husband thinks it is hilarious for $1 or $2, but then he watches the movie with me so hmmmmm
Not frugal: I bought a walking pad because I'm tired of walking in the cold. Frugal win: The company sent two. I reached out immediately to them and told them they sent two and asked how to return one (being they are $175....they aren't like the $10 item where they say "just keep it".) We went back and forth and set up a time for UPS to pick it up...then the company ghosted me...never sent me the label and UPS never showed up. So I guess I have an extra walking pad. If I don't hear back from them I will pass it along to my daughter in law.
I hurt my back last week so I haven't been out and about to spend any money...that's a win. My son's birthday is coming up. My parents came for the day and we all went for lunch. I made the cake and we did cake and ice cream at the house. I bought my son a new winter coat because his new job means he walks a few blocks from the parking area to his office. I found a wool dress coat on winter clearance for a great price. Much less than I had planned to spend.
Still eating out of the freezer/pantry.
Checked Good RX for a new medicine for my husband and found a better price than even our insurance. Also check Good RX pets for my dog's medicine (gabapentin for traveling anxiety) and it was $7.50 instead of almost $60 at the vet's office!
@Marlena,
Mind. Blown. Good RX for pets? I had no idea this exists! Thank you!
@Marlena, I've checked around and *could* get my cat's medicine for less. BUT I like my vet and have been with her clinic for almost 40 years. IF for some reason I had financial issues (despite the best plans, things can and do happen), I'm sure she'd help me out (like work off the cost). I'd save less than $20 per bottle (which lasts about 3 months) ordering else where but I see a generic was just approved. I'll have to talk to my vet.
@Selena, I was like that with my last vet, and I bought all my medicine from the vet because I LOVED the vet. He routinely wouldn't charge me for little things and was soooo helpful and kind when my dog passed. We had a good relationship that was helpful to both of us. It was also a private practice vet.
I've moved in the past year and the new vet (well, the practice) is ridiculous on all pricing. The vet seems knowledgeable and I like him as a vet, but the practice is more of a corporation (owned by a business that owns vet offices all over and contracts their vets). The same allergy shot I used to pay $35 for at my last town costs $140 at this vet. Office fees are 50% more, etc. So, I don't feel so much like supporting the office end on this situation. My niece is a vet in another state for the same type of corporation. I know what kind of cut she gets for services and it isn't as high for meds (vs surgeries, etc). So, for now...I'm ok with skipping meds at this particular office.
@Marlena, totally understandable. My vet is private practice and the vet I'll use IF she's no longer there is also private. The IF she's not there vet was able to neuter the stray I took in like a week. My vet was backed up 2 1/2 months because they were down a vet.
Hi. I’m JDinNM, and I’m a CVS-aholic. And it’s all Kristen’s fault!
CVS has started sending me congratulatory emails every time I shop there, touting what great deals I found. Telling me I’m in their “Top 10%!” of savers. Begging me to submit product reviews.
This is turning into a full-time job. Except I’m getting paid in free bottles of Vitamin D3 instead of “real” money.
This week’s “original price” total = $36.76. After coupons applied, $9.89. 73% off.
And this week’s receipt was 35 inches long. Getting close to the yard mark! Only an inch to go…
No Frugal Food brags this week, except I finally finished cleaning out and making an inventory of the contents of the refrigerator, freezer, cabinets and pantry, and decided no more grocery shopping required for at least the next 2 weeks. It could stretch to 2 months (years?), except for the need for fresh produce.
Where did all of this stuff come from? Who bought it? What in the world was she thinking she was going to cook that needed all these exotic spices and sauces? I want answers!
@JDinNM, LOL to the CVS stuff!! The receipts kill me!
And I'm doing the same with the pantry/freezers/etc. This week's spice of choice is a jar of harissa paste I found in the pantry. It's been on everything! On my eggs this morning.
@Marlena, Ras el Hanout? From a long ago expedition to Williams-Sonoma. It's a melange d'epices. Really? The label on the back tells me I can "find inspiring recipes at williams-sonoma.com/spices". Za'atar? Which I have actually used quite a bit. A nice Middle Eastern blend of wild thyme, sesame, sumac and sunflower oil. Shichimi Togarashi - say that ten times fast. Sounds Japanese (and is) but is labeled a "Product of China" distributed by Ace Solutions Holding Inc in College Point, New York. Quite a supply chain. Has red chili pepper, orange peel, seaweed, white sesame, black sesame, Japanese pepper (?) and ginger. I know I bought this because I found a recipe that called for it. Now I just need to find the recipe....
@JDinNM,
I, too, bought Ras el hanout beceause Richard Blaise on TopChef (whatever season he was on it, I watched many years later) used it in everything and hyped it up so much as his favorite spice. I just had to try it!
That was probably 2 years ago and I still have yet to figure out how to use it.
Maybe that should be a goal for this weekend.
Hahaha, I'm sorry for turning you into a CVS addict!
@Jaime, and @JDinNM,
I, I'm, also have some Ras elHanoit in my cupboard that is probably at least 4 years old. I've never used it, and have no idea what to use it with. Apparently, my cooking aspirations were (and still are) much higher than my cooking reality. 🙂
@Liz B., It's a very versatile spice mix. People use it on salads and in salad dressings, on roasted vegetables and even french fries, in soups and stews, as a rub for chicken and meats, and in granola, oatmeal and overnight oats for breakfast. Easy to find recipes online just by searching "how use Ras El Hanout?"
@JDinNM,
Thank you! I had no idea you could use it on so many different types of food. I'll definitely Google it!
1. Cashed in credit card rewards for a statement credit. I do this several times per year. Since the money has been flying out the door of late, I expect to do another statement credit sooner rather than later.
2. Was given a jar of maple syrup from the person who came to pick up several Buy Nothing items. We both feel like we hit the jackpot.
3. Continuing to get stuffed animals via Buy Nothing for our dog. She disembowels and beheads every toy no matter how sturdy or expensive or whether they’re intended for dogs or children.
4. Cut up old manila file folders to use as scratch paper. Also saved a few folders to repurpose as mailing envelopes.
5. Used up remaining fig spread in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Breathe. Remember that you can do all things. Also remember that you do not need straight A to be a successful human being. In addition,remember that sometimes at the end there is a curve.
Just. Keep. Swimming.
Sending positive thoughts your way!
Kristen, I’m rooting for you! You can do it!
My 5 Frugal Wins
1) Borrowed books from the library. Got a few on hold that was on my recommended read list.
2) Got some leftover food at church after their big events I volunteered at.
3) Brought food that was on sale. Also got a discount on nuts whose price was displayed incorrectly by going to customer service and asking.
4) Ate at home, Used Ibotta, Batch ran errands.
5) Had a quiet birthday for my husband at home. Cooked and baked that day. Reused decorations. Homemade birthday cards from the kids.
@AW, actually there is scanning law that states that if item scanned is incorrect as price shown on product/shelf then get price difference & (it used to be 10 times but has changed to lower number) ____times the price difference.
I hope you did better than you thought on your test. If you didn't, you're sure to have lots of company.
This week I made two loaves of sandwich bread and two loaves of sourdough. I added walnuts and dried cherries to one of the sourdough loaves and will definitely do that again.
I spent about an hour making Valentine's cards to send to a couple of friends and some older relatives. It was fun and relaxing and I know they will enjoy them.
I mended a couple of favorite items of clothing so I can keep enjoying them.
I'm using scrap fabric and a bundle of zippers I purchased at a garage sale to make zipper pouches to organize some items around the house. I'm de-stashing and getting more organized -- a definite win.
I made a dog bed for my dog from an old memory foam mattress topper and more fabric scraps. She loves it.
Influenza hit our house so it has been easy to be frugal when not leaving the house much.
1. A good friend went through a major surgery last week. My husband and I prepared freezer meals for their family over the weekend. Even though I was feeling less than stellar, I went shopping at Aldi for supplies because I knew if I gave my husband the shopping list he would go to the more expensive grocery store. (he would admit this too!)
2. One of my coworkers shared a plastic sleeve-thing that my son can put over his casted arm so he can take a shower.
3. Thanks to stocking up our medicine cabinet in an attempt to cash out my FSA last year before transitioning to an HSA, we were fully prepared when each member of our household was hit with the flu. We didn’t have to make any runs to the store for meds and we could just curl up in bed and be miserable.
4. When meal prepping for our friend I made a couple extra meals for our family to have in the freezer for our upcoming move to avoid eating out when we get busy during our move in days.
5. I found a recipe for Starbucks’ Medicine Ball online. It’s my go-to drink when I’m not feeling great and was a treat for the family when were all feeling down with the flu.
@Geneva, do remember if your company offers a FSA, you can what is known as a limited purpose FSA. Use on dental/vision to keep your HSA monies for medical/retirement medical.
@Geneva, and some limited purpose FSA can be used for medical expenses once you hit your deductible. A prior of employer had such so when I had a life event, I upped my FSA as I had reach HSA deductible.
One thing I would change about my nursing school experience:I would NOT pressure myself to get an “A” on every test and class.I almost made it, but the RENAL SYSTEM and all that sodium potassium pump stuff got me… it was my nemesis and I got a “B” in my Advanced Med Surg course. You know what, I was still a great nurse! (Retired now!) I know we want to keep up our personal standards, and I will be waiting to hear how you did on the exam! better than you expected,I bet!
Frugal Wins this week: I don’t watch home improvement shows or look at home improvement posts.This keeps me from wanting to redo my bathrooms which are kind of plain but perfectly wonderful and functional.
Made two big soup batches for dinners this week.It’s been chilly and rainy and they are soo good.
Hosted Bi weekly card game for 3 friends. Made a quiche for our lunch,using eggs I had purchased on sale, cheese that was frozen from a sale purchase, and a home made pie crust. Served with strawberries I got with a coupon. Entertainment and cheapo lunch day! YAY! AND FRIENDSHIP TIME, the best thing!!!!
@Madeline, pick a color you love to paint one wall in your bathroom and then buy new towels to match. Voila! redone bathroom. 😎
Glad you gave yourself a nice drink after your comp. tests. You work so hard, a small reward is great.
Let's see.... mine are mostly work related. I am the office manager for a small church and am conscious of trying to be a good steward of what we are blessed with. 1) I found new "reception" chairs for our small outer office at an auction site. I was able to find 4 nice, sturdy chairs for $22!! our others had become quite shabby, and we were past due for an upgrade. 2) one of our volunteers has been using an old (now falling apart) shoe box for her supplies. I decided to upgrade her storage with one of the magnetic close boxes you can find at craft stores. A specific size was needed. I found one that was a bit to bright for her tastes, so decided to look in the party section. Not only did I find one she will love, but just from being in the party section instead of the storage section - it was half the price! I will definitely remember to check in other sections from now on. 3) Thrifted a small organizer for same volunteer for all her paper clips, binder clips etc. Hit on a half-off day, so very little out of pocket. 4) picked up coffee supplies on sale. 5) Found a thrifted pot in the exact color my coworker wanted for their office plant that has outgrown it's current pot.
I was making a taco casserole last week and realized I did not have the seasoning packet--But I did have all of the ingredients to make taco seasoning.
I have picked up free bread at the Sr. Center to make (and freeze) bread crumbs.
I was able to use up milk in the birthday cake and a tasty bechamel and bolognese sauce lasagna.
I am working on gifts using my stash of cross stitch, knitting, and beading stash.
Around Valentine's Day Aldi sells fleece lined leggings. They are a little bit thicker than the Five Below leggings but great for taking the dog out on a lazy snowy weekend day.
1. I downloaded free PDFs of 2 books to my Kindle app that were recommended to me during a class.
2. We've been eating dinner leftovers for lunches. I love having quick and easy lunch choices on hand!
3. I saved a ton on booking a hotel for an upcoming trip by adjusting the day we are checking in and by booking directly on the hotel website because they are running a sale that was much cheaper per room than what I found on Groupon and travel sites.
4. I painted a coat closet with wall paint I already had on hand and bought the new closet system during the Elfa sale at the Container Store since none of the premade closet organizers would fit/work with the closet.
5. Ended up giving myself a manicure with sale nail tips I had on hand because I forgot to wear gloves while using oil based primer for the closet project. By the time Monday rolled around I scrubbed all of the primer off my hands but some wouldn't budge on my nails so I covered it up to look presentable in public.
@lazy budget chef, When we had sheep, one of the lambs got maggots coming out of his butt (long story, sort of my fault and sort of not). To kill them my husband held the lamb's butt toward me, I picked out bugs I could see and then sprayed this purple concoction all over the lamb's rear, that would kill maggots and keep the butt healthy. No one told me it was indelible. I ruined my shirt, but worse was I got it all over my hands, my neck and about a quarter of my face (note to self: check what direction that nozzle is pointing). In those days I was frequently called to court as an expert witness and, of course, I was called two days later. I had no choice but to explain my appearance but it actually helped humanize me to the participants. It took weeks and weeks for it all to fade away.
@Lindsey, was it gentian violet? I used to use it along with....what? ethyl alcohol and baking soda? to treat my many beagles' many ear infections. And yes, when you squirt the stuff in their ears, they will shake their heads and purple dye goes everywhere.
Apparently it was gentian violet, boric acid and witch hazel for the cheap dog ear cleaner/treatment. These days I use Zymox which is available on Chewy and doesn't stain things.
And I looked up sheep's butts and m------* and yes, they use gentian violet to treat it and I now know too much about sheep and I need a glass of wine right now.
*which a dear friend of mine calls "disco rice" and good luck trying to forget that. Sorry. Wine?
I'm sure you will do fine, Kristen! Even if one exam goes bad, it just shows us what we need to do differently, not your ability in something. And sometimes we simply can't be good in every aspect of something.
I am laid up in bed this week due to a foot surgery, so my main act of frugality consists in refraining from online shopping when I get too bored 🙂
1. I put a stop on my gym membership for the month of February as I will not be able to exercise for 6 weeks.
2. Skipped our coffee date this week with my husband and went on a hike instead on the last day before my foot surgery.
3. Invited friends over for happy hour where everyone brought some snacks, a pretty frugal way to get together.
4. Slowly decluttering my closet for the upcoming spring season, putting away clothes I did not wear much last spring and summer. The frugality in this lies in remembering I don't really wear that many clothes and don't want to buy clothes on impulse. Some I will take to the consignment shop when I'm on my feet again.
5. Bought adjustable sandals that I can wear with my wrapped foot, but chose a color that was discounted and on sale.
1. I used 1 over ripe banana and some homemade dried apples to make a bunch of muffins for my kids' after school snacks this week. I made homemade vegetable stock from vegetable peels, which I used to make baked potato soup for my lunches.
2. My daughter said she no longer liked her school sneakers because the insert kept coming out. I dug through my shoe bin in the basement where I keep shoes I have picked up off Buy Nothing. We found 2 pairs of sneakers and a pair of Crocs that fit her. The sneakers she no longer liked got listed on Buy Nothing.
3. My son had a birthday party at a trampoline park this weekend. My husband was out of town, so I had to bring our 5-year-old along. I ended up having 2 coupons that they let me stack together for her to jump for free. Some kids did not show up for the party, so the hosts gave her pizza and cake too.
4. I signed my kids up for free events at the library and the YMCA this month.
5. My husband and I did our taxes on Turbo Tax. It cost $80 and took us about 1.5 hours.
Remember that what others find you might not and vice versa. Also remember that you have really good habits to put to use to do better next time. You're going to great, of that I am absolutely sure.
1) I started cooking!!! Despite the broken-ish stove, even. It's going to be a while before I can finish replacing it so I guess I decided it was time to dive in. Or maybe I'm just feeling sufficiently not-overwhelmed to deal with the extra hassle.
2) Several of the things I cooked this week used up what I had.
- The very-not-sweet Oat Bars used the last of the crystalized honey; also oats, eggs, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. That's it. It's like oatmeal in a bar. I discovered that it's also good topped with peanut butter, to add some protein and fat to the snack.
- The bean soup used the quart of mirepoix that October'23 Me gifted me via the freezer the ham stock that November'23 gifted me via the freezer, and the leeks that Yesterday Me prepped for me.
3) The stir-fry used the veggies that Yesterday Me prepped for me and thin-sliced chix breast that I froze when they were about $0.33/lb (deep discount, coupon, about to expire; of course I got a ton).
3) I bought and planted 4 herbs to have instead of buying. Now I need to return them all because they're dying but at least I'll get the refund.
4) Took advantage of a Penzey's deal to get a discounted gift box for future use and free 1/4 c. jars of spices (two to send to others). I'm thinking of taking advantage of their totally free Taco Spice today, if I need enough of other stuff to get free shipping.
Y'all, Penzey's has some of the best herbs, spices, and mixes around. They constantly have sales and freebies. If you get their (rather political) newsletter you'll hear of all of them.
@WilliamB, Penzeys extremely political e-mails are why I don't buy from them anymore. I don't want politics with my spices.
@kristin @ going country, Which is I pointed that out - it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
@WilliamB, I love Penzey's chili spice blends! Chili 3000 and Chili 9000 are my faves and I gave them as Christmas gifts this year.
While I am trying to be more frugal, I suck at remembering the few things I do do and can never get to 5 here. So what I can remember:
1) I volunteered again at the Winter Farmers Market and got free potatoes and $2 off cheese this week.
2) We got pots/pans for our wedding in 2014. In 2015, there was a class action/recall for them but we didn't know as ours was purchased before that. The pots and pans have gotten so bad that my husband cut his hand washing them. Apparently there was an issue putting them in the dishwasher (despite being dishwasher safe) and it created sharp edges. I contacted the manufacturer and sent in 4 of them for replacement. Hopefully they approve it and sent new ones in a timely manner.
3) We dug potatoes in the fall but never got around to preserving them. Noticed they were starting to get soft so we picked through them, sliced, and dehydrated the 9lbs that were not quite soft yet.
4) Made and canned apple butter with the last of the apples that were starting to go.
5) E-mailed in to get my free month of composting for volunteering at the market in January.
Kristen, the wife of my favorite former employer was a career med-surg nurse. She loved it, but it was where the rubber hit the road in terms of difficulty. You will do fine because you got the whoa feeling right away.
I am not sure we had any real frugalities this week. Our sweet and very old, very sick boy cat made the final trip the vet when it became clear that he could not recover from the bout of inflammatory digestive disease he'd been suffering with for some time. It broke our hearts to lose him but we could not continue to have him slowly starve to death because he could not digest food. Our vet had tried hard to control costs for us, but treatment and a special diet were running close to $300 a month, to no avail.
I had a routine eye exam (covered by insurance), got a crown put back on my tooth -- fortunately did not swallow it when it suddenly came off, and it was covered by insurance -- and took my watch to be repaired, which was only $25.
I did bake two big homemade pizzas for my family using ingredients from the pantry and freezer, which made enough leftovers for our son to have two meals. Also brewed a gallon of iced tea and made homemade chocolate pudding from pantry ingredients.
@Ruby,
I am so sorry for the loss of your cat. We have a cat who also has chronic IBS (at least, that's what the vet thinks), and while he's doing fine now, we know there will eventually come a time when we have to make that same decision. His special food costs about $100/month, and if I thought about the vet bills....well, I just won't. He is most beloved in our home.
@Liz B., I hope your kitty stays stable throughout his life. Sometimes that happens. Our boy was just too old and he had food allergies that complicated things. He was a sweet cat with a big, friendly personality. We are glad he's not suffering now, but sure do miss him.
@Ruby,
Very sorry for the loss of your cat. Pets are definitely members of the family, and I'm sure you will meet again in Heaven.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I am sure of it too. It's a great comfort to me that the three elderly pets we lost since last February are reunited and will greet me again.
I had ordered Domino's a couple weeks ago when they had the 2 topping large pizzas on sale for $6.99 each and it came with an email for a free emergency pizza. I assumed there would be stipulations for it, but there wasn't so dinner was a completely free pizza picked up by my husband on his way home from work one night.
I cleaned out a huge glass pickle jar to reuse for storage.
I had milk that needed used up so I focused on making things that used quite a bit of milk like pudding and gravy.
Used the library for books, audiobooks, and DVDs.
Used my $20 Target gift card to help purchase toilet paper.
I am sorry you had a rough exam! I remember a particular class/professor where I had a hard time figuring out what I needed to do and how I needed to study (I normally got A's, but got a 24% on my first quiz!) I hope that you can give yourself grace as you adjust and get the hang of it. You'll get there!!
My FFT:
1. I needed to get a certain kind of pants for one of my kids and I stopped by Goodwill on my way to Kohl's. I'm so glad I did! I found just what I was looking for, plus a brand-new pair of pants that fit our new dress code for next school year and they were $2 each. I ended up not even needing to go to Kohl's.
2. I remembered to submit a receipt through Ibotta and got $2 back.
3. I got a couple of big bags of Chex-Mix and Snyder's pretzel balls and divvied them up into individual portions. One kid has a new after-school activity, so we need more snacks to pack.
4. We're borrowing plenty of books and audiobooks and movies from the library. I borrowed copies of two different versions of the movie Annie through interlibrary loan rather than paying to stream them.
5. I tried a new recipe on Monday, which most of my kids didn't like AT ALL. I just ate some of the leftovers for lunch.
So sorry about the test! I had a similar experience in grad school … such a bummer! But, I did pass the class and I did get my degree and I did have a great career in my field. Just keep plugging away! You’ll get there. Nice job redirecting yourself!
I just love grilled cheese with the heels. I keep the crust side up though, and put them in my grilled to create a panini style sandwich. So good!
1. I rented movies from the library. (They are free IF we return them on time . . . which hasn't been our strength since the baby arrived.)
2. I pumped breast milk. It's a pain but it is cheaper than formula.
3. I bought a blouse for our upcoming family pictures at the thrift store. I had to find something in a certain color palette because we are attempting to coordinate.
4.We bought a cheap basket at the same thrift store. Now the baby blankets have a home that isn't the couch or the floor.
5. My husband bought tortillas at the local shop instead of driving "all the way into town" for the tortillas I love.
@Rebekah in SoCal, You go momma. You are doing great. I nursed all 3 of mine and pumped for the last 2. It gave me some freedom. Make sure you are drinking lots.
Glad that you posted - fingers crossed for acceptable test results.
1) the recipient of a $50 gift card recently let me know that when they tried to use it the store said there was no money on it. I recall the cashier having technical difficulties with the transaction before mine. They said they couldn’t do anything about it (despite acknowledging that this had been a recurring problem at the store) and said to contact customer service. I first checked my credit card statement to make sure I had been charged. I went to the website and filled out a customer service request with all the pertinent info (dates, $ amount, store location, credit card reference info, etc). There was no way to phone customer service. I heard crickets for 5 days. Finally I looked up the corporate headquarters and called. After being passed around a few times I lucked out with a person who cheerfully wanted to get to the bottom of the issue. She took my info, called back to say she was able to verify it and that she had sent the info to several people who should be able to address it. Sure enough, a day later I got a call from someone in the IT department who said it was a technical issue (nothing I had done incorrectly) and that if we still had the card they would load the $50 on it or send a replacement if the card was not available. I was happy that persistence and creativity paid off.
2) went grocery shopping and got control of my bad self before I bought new packages of items I need to finish first. I have been on a serious mission to keep track of my pantry/fridge and use up stuff (especially the items that no longer appeal).
3) books from library, Hoopla and Libby
4) using stationery I already own to send a wedding gift check and adding $5 to the check amount instead (and explaining why in the personal note). I think a wedding card will eventually be tossed so would rather give more $$.
5) bought an especially lovely embellished valentine card for an elderly family member who I think will cherish it. After the fact I noticed the price (oh my) but it was worth it. When I went to mail it I discovered extra postage was required! (and no, it wasn’t one of the square envelopes that require extra postage that have burned me before). Live and learn.
I think I have enough to participate this week...
1. We were given 4 brioche buns and some chicken patties from a friend who was going on vacation and didn't want them to go to waste. We had them for a quick and easy, free lunch.
2. I've been trying to use things up in our freezers, so on the weekend I pulled out tater tots, pizza logs, the rest of some breaded shrimp and a few chicken nuggets and hubby and I both had plenty for lunch. I had been wanting fast food for lunch and this did the trick as it was fast in our air fryer.
3. My husband helped a friend install a dishwasher at their house. In exchange we had dinner with them and got sent home with a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Plus I relaxed and watched the football game and played with their dogs.
4. I got an email that I had a reward for a free large, iced coffee in my McDonald's app, so I redeemed that after a doctor's appointment this morning.
5. I gave myself a pedicure at home last night.
1. Friend wanted to go to restaurant meal. But we did a frugal picnic lunch and played card game golf. I never played that card game and had so much fun. We will do this again.
2. Get together with friends to make quilts for disaster relief.
3. Made a box of 99 cent brownie mix with chocolate chips and sprinkles. So much more reasonable than bakery or deli brownies.
4. Baked 99 cent lb chicken with real mashed potatoes.
5. Made carrot chowder with beef broth, homemade tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, cut baby carrots, celery, onion, and hamburger. I add beef broth. Otherwise, it is too rich (heartburn).
6. Free audiobooks and ebook on Libby app.
Can hardly wait to see what you actually made on your test. We will all be surprised if you do as badly as you feel you have. And I hope you had a great time with your friend, Mia.
1) For some reason, I keep buying bananas and not eating them. Going to bake banana nut muffins today. The big ones with brown parchment paper. When the bananas are beyond using, I throw them at the base of my rose bushes to feed them the potassium, I coulda had.
2) Had to adapt my thinking to the expense of one of my meds and first of the year deductible in order for it to seem less painful. The med was $800 plus dollars for 90 day supply. Changing my thinking: subsequent scripts will be cheaper, some of the meds I take are very inexpensive or have no co-pay at all. And even $800 is cheaper than the medical issue it prevents would be. Does that make sense?
3) Still distill my own water rather than buying bottled, chai latte at home is cheaper than buying it out by the cup. Packed "lunches" for work. Did not order out any where this week. Bunch errands.
4) Filled up with gas in the town I work rather than the town I live. Was $0.04 cheaper. Most of the winter it had been $0.10 cheaper here, but there is a little bit of gas war mentality with the gas stations along the main drag through town here. It's $2.79/gal.
5) Local Hy-Vee had an end cap of eggnog and holiday custard for sale for $.99 a quart. I love eggnog (I cut it with at least a third part milk d/t richness). They must've had a truck load hidden/forgotten somewhere, as when I wanted it during the holidays, it was not available. I got two quarts.
@Chrissy, Gas is almost exactly twice that here. Grrr. Remind me again that it's worth it?
@Chrissy, keep track of your medical costs. If you exceed 7.5% of your AGI, it may be deductible (depending on your situation of course).
@Chrissy, your $2.79/gallon is stunning. We are $5.19 in my town and last week I paid $4.29 down the hill, feeling very smug about saving 90¢ less a gallon!
Like so many in the Commentariat, I feel certain you did better on your test than you think. You work so hard, and have such good study skills that even if this test score isn't top notch, you will learn from it and adjust accordingly. You will be a phenomenal nurse regardless!
My FFT, though not all are all that frugal....
1. Just finished baking an apple cinnamon bread pudding using super stale ciabatta (bought to make something my son wanted to make, then time got away from us), 4 wrinkly apples, and eggs our neighbor gave us. The rest of the loaf is being made into croutons, using an herb butter a friend gave me.
2. Dinner tonight will be chicken tortilla soup, which will use up one of many cans of cream of chicken soup that somehow appeared in the pantry. Also using long-ago purchased canned crushed tomatoes and a similarly purchased can of chopped green chilies, leftover frozen cooked chicken, and marked down chicken broth from Aldi in this soup.
3. Not really frugal, but finally (FINALLY) got the DynaSplint my knee surgeon recommended to help straighten my knee. The first two months we have to pay out of pocket ($217.50/month, gulp), because new year, new deductible (sigh). Months 3 and any following months will be $40-something/month, as our deductible will then be met. Thankful we have the resources to afford it, and have health insurance. Working in a hospital, I'm well aware of just how bad it could be otherwise.
4. Also not frugal, but good for the environment: in cleaning out/sorting/decluttering various areas in our home, I discovered lots of single socks, socks with holes in them (not worth darning), socks my son has outgrown that also have holes in them....you get the idea. These were not worth keeping to use for cleaning or other uses. I remembered the SmartWool company recycles socks of all makes and sizes, so I looked on their web site - they will send you a bag to send in the socks with any order. I bought a clearance pair of hiking socks - which I know from experience keep my feet warm, do not itch, and last for years - for $14 + change. Used a promo code for free shipping. The worn out & single socks will be sent in for recycling.
5. Also not terribly frugal but better for the environment: I also found a huge pile of worn out panty hose (I am required to wear them at work, as I wear skirts and dresses to work). NoNonsense used to have a recycling program, but that ended several years ago. I found an arts organization that uses them, so I will box them up to send. At least they get another use before being thrown away.
Bonus #6: went to a free program about photographing lunar and solar eclipses at a library about 30 minutes from my home. The speaker gave a fascinating talk, we were all given a pair of solar eclipse glasses (they are officially the right type of rated glasses for the event in April), AND I got a library card to this library, which is AMAZING, and offers Craftsy and CreativeBug as part of their offerings. Public libraries ROCK!
Wishing you all the best.
@Liz B., My girls figured out how to re-use socks: they make them into Barbie clothes. And nylons are great to tie up tomatoes in the garden.
@Liz B., good job on finding those 2 recycle places. Anytime I don't waste something, it feels like a frugal win. I've been trying to figure out what to do with 4 watches that won't work (3 it is NOT the battery, and 1 the back will NOT come off), and you have inspired me to look harder for a place.
@Jody S.,
That's awesome that your girls can reuse socks that way! I've used strips of panty hose to tie up tomatoes in the past, and I know I'll have more by the time growing season starts around here. I have wayyyy too many right now, and they need to GO.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Thank you! I try really hard to recycle everything I can (or reuse it, or pass it on to someone else who can reuse it). Best of luck finding somewhere to donate those watches!
Kristen, sorry you felt blindsided despite your studying! Hopefully you can recalibrate however you need to so you feel back on track.
1. I received a $92 class action check.
2. This is an ongoing process, but I’ve realized that my skin has finally calmed down in the last few years before turning 40. I’ve also entered a new season in life where I am not finding joy in skincare products like I used to. All that to say: my medicine cabinet is a little more spacious as I finish (and don’t replace) products, and it’s more frugal too. I finished a sample or two this week. I'm also suuuper close to finishing a natural deodorant that doesn't work for me in the summer, but it's cold enough in the winter to make do around the house. I'll mention it again when I actually finish it, but I put it here as a reminder to myself that using things up is frugal.
3. Our toddler had a simple birthday party involving reusable banners, balloons, and a small piece of cake from the local grocery store.
4. Mended a few more board books.
5. I finished a few pantry/fridge odds and ends, including a homemade grape jam, sour cream, and a Nutella (definitely not suffering with that last one, ha!).
Repeat from Non-Consumer blog: Today started out very frugal. Used up some aging potatoes as part of a hearty breakfast. Did a mystery grocery shop that got over $30 in free food. Bought gas with enough points to get 40 cents off per gallon and made sure to use up the entire permitted 25 gallons by taking a five gallon gas can with us. Took a load of saved newspapers to the animal shelter, per their public request. AND THEN…went inside to leave a donation of canned cat food that I’d received as part of a shop (-5, so too cold to leave canned food in the donation locker) only to see a pure bred Great Dane who had been surrendered. 8 months old and 140 pounds. Apparently they had a bunch of small dogs and they did not like this big boy.
And so now we have added Pound Hound #2 to the household. Totally not frugal but the heart wants what the heart wants. He is fawn colored and still has some growing to do but since all the dogs before Pound Hound #1 were Irish wolfhounds, and Danes are smaller than IWs, we know what we are in for. Looking at him makes me smile. And he is house trained, so we missed that aggravation. I did forget about the clobber paws of giant breeds and have already had one in the face, and he jumped in the recliner and it flipped backwards all the way to the floor…but the husband and I are both happy to have another giant around.
@Lindsey, that is wonderful! What does Origibsl Pound Hound think of his new baby brother?
@Lindsey,
I love big dogs, and I cannot lie. 😉 Your big beautiful Pound Hound #2 sounds like the perfect addition to your household!
@Lindsey, Ooooooh, what a doll. Danes crack me up. They look fierce but most of them are big babies.
@Lindsey,
Awwww, Pound Hound #2 sounds adorable and I hope Pound Hound #1 becomes his very best friend. With both of them around your house, you're going to be well protected!
Keeping my fingers crossed that your test grade will be better than you think. Either way, we’ve all been there and rebounded as I’m completely sure you will too, if needed. But, yeah…I really hope you don’t need to….
I might get those leggings for my daughter! Thanks for the tip!
1. I used Kayak to get a cheap hotel. $58 for the 4 of us. Sure, the breakfast was small, they only had decaf coffee in the room and we saw a bug...but honestly for $58, I'd do it again.
2. I got a cart full of food for $110. My strategies were to buy lots of fresh veggies and to shop a lot of the sales. Packaged pre-made food isn't very bulky and doesn't carry a lot of nutritional punch.
3. Snapped pictures of reciepts for fetch rewards.
4. My kids were each given a gift, I kept the giftbags and tissue paper the gifts came in.
5. Vegetarian day today. toast for breakfast, bean and cheese burritos and salad for lunch and grilled cheese sandwiches and carrots for supper.
1. We made all our meals at home and used up foods.
2. We enjoyed free entertainment all week.
3. I keep using the free version of Duolingo, even though it sometimes frustrates me.
4. I picked up my reward for reading challenge through the library. It's a gift card to the coffee shop inside the library. I can't wait to use it.
5. I borrowed some books for free through the Libby app.
Good luck in your class! You got this! The first test is sometimes harder because you don't know how the professor tests.
This is the prescription version of frugal things.
Monday I spent a couple hours on the phone/computer trying to get the cost of two of my prescriptions into the affordable realm. I met my maximum out-of-pocket early last year and thus paid $0 copays for prescriptions for much of 2023. That was sweet, but I had forgotten how much a few of them cost. I called my insurance company and asked about coverage. Both are non-preferred drugs and tier 3, whatever that is. I gather it's more expensive than tier 1 and tier 2.
So one drug is about $450 per month, and no. I can't do that. I'm only taking it because the generic I was originally taking was unavailable. The insurance person told me that if I could take capsules, they were more readily available in generic at this time. So then I called the doctor's office and asked them to send in a script for that and boom! I picked it up today for only $15!
The other drug costs about $350 per month, even after a discount from the drug company. When I talked to the gatekeeper at the doctor's office to ask about samples, she asked if I had applied for the patient assistance program. No, I hadn't, because in my experience they do not provide that if you have insurance, even if the drug is still expensive with your insurance. But I found the form online and checked, and it seems that I'm still eligible. So I filled that out and dropped it off at the doctor's office the next day. I asked the gatekeeper if she had checked to see if they had some samples for me and she brought out four week's worth! Last week she very grudgingly gave me one week's worth, so I thanked her very much. I really have to work to keep my cool around her, so I was pretty proud of myself.
So I had good experiences with her and also the woman at the insurance company, who went out of her way to help me. I always dread calling them, but honestly customer service people have gotten nicer and more helpful in the past few years.
I also noticed that on my insurance card it says I have OTC benefits. I tried to find out more about that on their website, with no luck. I'll have to call again. That would be handy to be able to get some over-the-counter meds, band aids, stuff like that.
Today is my birthday, but my stomach was a little upset, so I didn't even try to go to Denny's. I may check to see if I can get a free breakfast in the next few days. And when I do, I'm going to finally check out Winco, which is just down the street. They sent me a coupon for free bacon with $25 purchase.
I did a pick-up order at Fry's for senior discount day and got some good bargains with coupons and my 10% senior discount. And they gave me a coupon for a free carton of Ben & Jerry's!
I avoided the cheap vegetable market for over a week and saved about $10 by not buying a loaf of sourdough bread and a package of chocolate covered espresso beans. Of course, I didn't have any lettuce either, but I survived.
@Dee in AZ, I just remembered that my electric bill is due today. I paid it on my phone with 21 minutes to spare. Whew!
You are doing a great job of handling the prescription problems. Yay you!
I am currently replacing some fence boards for the fence that lines the 1/4 mile driveway, measured all the boards and the neighbor took over to find the best deal using his former contractor tricks.
I cut up a neighbor's tree that fell during a wind storm for halvsies. It was equal to 2 1/2 cords. I sharpened my own chainsaw chains saving $15 ea.
I bought 3 brand new full containers of rose spray concentrate. We have 65 roses, each container is $25 new and I paid $4 ea.
At the same estate sale 3 whiskey barrels that were new for $2 ea, they retail here for $45 on sale. I bought them all. I picked up 2 baseball gloves for my pup, she loves them and they last and last as a chew toy. I picked up some vintage pyrex, sold it to a friend who has a antique mall booth and made $5 profit on each piece.
I got an estimate for replacing my whole house a/c and furnace upgrade, now am waiting on my plumber's bil to give me a bid for the work, bartering part of it with our custom locker beef.
I found a package of 7 yo elk steak, wasn't sure of the cut, so marinated it in fajita seasoning and instapot cooked it for taco salad meat. Was very tasty and tender.