Five Frugal Things | (plus a frugal fail)
1. I sold something and listed something on eBay
You know how I had those watch bands from nursing school? Someone bought them! I had a small padded envelope in my stash so I packaged them up and off they went.
The listing?
Well, I found my 1990s Victoria's Secret flannel nightgown in one of the boxes in my closet, and apparently, these sell for a decent amount on eBay.
(Because...they are considered vintage. Ahahahaha. I will be signing up for an AARP membership now.)
I decided to take the win, and I listed it for sale. Hopefully my, uh, vintage self will be walking away with some money shortly. 😉
I am nowhere near as prolific as my friend Katy when it comes to eBay selling, but hey, every little bit helps. And the most satisfying thing to me is knowing that my unwanted items are going to someone who really does want them.
It's like matchmaking but with stuff instead of people. 😉
2. I cancelled my HBO Max subscription
I paid $9.99 for one month of access (with ads) so that I could watch The Pitt, a highly acclaimed medical drama.
I binged almost the whole season while I was in Seattle, finished it up once I got home, and then cancelled the service.
I will renew it when season two is ready for bingeing. I hear it premieres in January 2026, but I will wait for all the episodes to come out so that I can watch them with just a month of access. 😉
I really enjoyed the show, and it almost made me want to work in the emergency department...but then I remembered that I love having my patients for a good 12 hours, and sometimes for multiple days. I don't think I'm built for the "stabilize, then ship out" type of nursing.
3. I used discounts on an iron supplement
At my annual physical last week, I learned that I am anemic (which is odd, because my hemoglobin levels did get screened before I donated blood the last two times! Perhaps those finger scan tests are not particularly accurate.)
Sooo, I have to take a pause from blood donating for now (BOO!), and I gotta start on iron supplements to get my levels boosted. I hate taking iron supplements because they usually make my stomach hurt.
To help with this, my doctor recommended a variety called SlowFe, which is a bit on the expensive side ($20 for 60 capsules).
But I placed an online order through CVS (for in-store pickup) and used a bunch of discounts to get the price down.
Hopefully, these pills can get my levels up without giving me unpleasant side effects. I am also hoping I can get my levels high enough to donate blood at some point in the future.
4. I avoided a $43 credit card charge
When I went to pay my tuition bill for this fall, I initially planned to use one of my credit cards (might as well earn rewards!)
But then I saw they were going to charge me a $43 fee to use a card.
That was a hard nope for me because the credit card rewards weren't going to be nearly $43!
So I just paid it straight from the checking account where my hospital checks are deposited, which seems fitting anyway.
5. I submitted for tuition reimbursement
I dug through my work emails and found the form for tuition reimbursement. I filled it all out, and now the money should go straight to my paycheck.
You have to pass the class to keep the money, of course, so I have to submit proof of my grades once the classes are done.
But at least the initial legwork is done, and in future semesters this process will be even easier because I'll know what I'm doing.
The first time is always the hardest!
A small fail
The other day, I noticed that the mag slider top for one of our Yeti coffee cups was missing. And I thought that was weird because I knew I'd seen it when I was doing dishes.
I hopped online and ordered this set of 3 replacement sliders, in fun pink colors. They're unreasonably expensive, but they were cheaper per slider in the set of three (also: THEY'RE PINK!!) so I said "What the heck?" and ordered them.
But a few days later....I was taking a spoon out of the drawer and realized the black mag slider had stuck to the spoon! I must have not noticed it when I was putting the silverware away.
I tried to cancel the order, but it was too late. I could return them but I hate doing that because I know many returns end up in the trash.
So, I think I will just take the loss, keep them, and enjoy the Barbie pink colors. Or perhaps a local friend will lose theirs and I can share. 🙂
Chiquita looks quite in agreement about the 43 dollars!
This week's frugals:
I borrowed eldest's car instead of taking public transport (when my husband was at work with our car);
I redeemed soon to expire loyalty points for a DIY chain, to get stain for a project I am working on. I had a 30% reduction that way;
I made my own yoghurt, vegetable bouillon, plum chutney and tomato relish;
I went on a trip to Lidl where they had our favourite toilet paper on offer. They also sell the "best in test' washing powder (best quality for lowest price) by the consumer's association and I stocked up while I was there;
I repurposed an empty bird feed container to store my prescription medicine stash. I like to have two months of medication available, in case of disaster happening or life events upsetting the re-ordering cycle. Having them all in one place means I can more easily ensure they are stored in a dark dry cool place and not overlooking any.
@JNL, Chiquita's saying, "That's $43 she should be spending on cat food!"
@A. Marie, LOL
Are you open to trying to cook with cast iron skillet/bakeware? Organic way of getting iron with no side effects. 😉
I'm actually surprised because you are outside in the sunshine a lot (walking) so you are getting natural Vitamin D from sunlight. Maybe the test was wrong?
Frugal things---
● still eating all meals at home---working down the freezer & pantry
● took my dad more camp fire wood from our wood shed (teen built last year) I think I've saved him about $200
● Free Hallmark card (monthly Rewards Members) for teen upcoming birthday
● found (Peanuts) Woodstock as a Turkey Happy Thanksgiving vintage 10" x 10" wooden (yard) sign (no stake) for $2 more than originally paid (plus shipping). I (still) can't find my (only Thanksgiving holiday decor) wooden free standing Turkey
● teen did (another) curb find yesterday & picked up a sturdy/heavy duty (like Ethan Allen) (4)wooden cube shelf. And 2 commercial plastic milk crates. Quick wipe down & put shelf in teen room.
● sorted through clothes & have 3 paper bags of clothes & 1 paper bag of Covid tests to donate to Free Store.
Just a FYI--- Yahoo email will begin charging monthly charge for email storage over certain (sorry didn't see what low amount was still Free) amount August 27 or 31. If have more total email storage, including saved folders, inbox, archive, spam & trash (includes deleted until actually removed after 15 days) you will not be able to access your Yahoo email unless you pay monthly storage fee.
Many people recently reported getting email & thought was a scam. Yahoo confirmed recently that it is not a scam, but Yahoo is now making email a profitable business.
@Regina, I was concerned about the Yahoo email thing, until one of my devices showed my total usage is very minute. I was surprised because I'm seriously bad about cleaning out junk and old emails, so the free storage must be fairly generous and the email stated you have the option to clean out before being charged.
@Regina, thanks for the heads-up about Yahoo email. I've passed it on to JASNA BFF, who is a Yahoo user.
@Regina, people also use the iron fish! I know it's a popular option. A bit more upfront, but it lasts for 5 years even with daily use!
https://luckyironlife.com/
@Regina, according to my friend who is a family practice physician, you would basically have to be outside all day every day, completely naked, in order to get enough vitamin D through sunlight.
@Regina, Asking because I don't know, and am curious (+ too lazy to Google it): what does Vitamin D have to do with iron deficiency anemia?
I do know that eating an iron-rich food with a food that contains vitamin C will increase the iron absorption from the high iron food. Not sure if that also works when taking an iron supplement.
Also, I don't use yahoo email, but I really hope other free email providers don't follow suit.
*Used rewards gift cards to get pizza on a night too hot to cook.
*stocked up on my favorite beverage on sale. And I used online ordering to save 5% and to avoid picking up anything extra.
*used rewards gift cards to buy my sons new pants. They grew a few more inches over the summer, so they had nothing nice that fit.
* shopped my stash of uniform clothes for other son for his school needs. 3 shirts,pants, a bunch of polos that fit. The 10 other pairs of shorts and pants will go to the school uniform closet for others to take. ( I had a lot of hand me downs from big brothers.) I do need to buy a new gym shirt- the hand me down one is so faded- it must have been his biggest brother's from 15 yrs ago. Time to retire it!
*bought a new fridge - on sale, without too many bells and whistles. Honestly, most of the fridges look alike on the inside, so we went with the cheapest side by side. We did have it delivered, which was an added cost, but it's priceless in that my husband didn't hurt himself trying to get it in our narrow doorways. ( It did pain his cheapskate heart to pay for delivery!)
@mbmom11, When we bought our new chest freezer, my gift to my husband was paying the extra fifty dollars to have the delivery guys take the old one. He is past the point of needing to hurt himself wrestling a giant freezer to the dump to save fifty dollars.
@mbmom11,
Remind your husband that paying for delivery is MUCH cheaper than having to go to the doctor or ER for a back injury, sprained muscle, etc. That should make him feel better about it.
Also, an appliance repairman told me the fewer fancy features you have on a fridge, the fewer things that can break down.
@mbmom11, When we bought our last refrigerator the salesman kept showing us really fancy models. I found one I liked and the salesman said "Well, that is a very basic model." My husband said, "We are really basic people."
@mbmom11,
our utility (Consumers Energy) company has a recycle program that you can sign up online/call to have them pick up (Free) old refrigerator/freezer (2 per year & 4 air conditioner/mini fridge). They mail you $50 rebate check (sometimes $75 during special promotional times) & usually give you little bag with free light bulbs & night lights. You just have to have it outside/near building for pick up. New refrigerator Delivery people usually have no problem getting it outside for you.
We buy from Lowes (free delivery) since our/any local seller went out of business 10+ years ago.
@Regina,
Unfortunately, our utility only gives the rebate if the new fridge is energy star rated. And we did have to pay to have them haul away the old fridge. Sometimes, money spent saves time ( and backaches!)
1. We went tent camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula last week. I know I've said this before, but anytime we tent camp it feels like a big frugal win. My kids were dreaming of campers (or even camper vans - so expensive!) but we're (mostly) happy to tent camp. And a bonus is that we made it through this trip without having to replace a single piece of equipment.
2. Most of what we did was free - lots of swimming in Lake Superior, a swim in Lake Michigan, and playing in Tahquamenon Falls.
3. I brought unused food home. We had planned to host some friends for dinner our final night (they were also vacationing up there), but we got hit with a huge thunderstorm and we had to cancel our fun dinner. While it was our plan to bring home an empty cooler, I wasn't about to throw away the food I had purchased at the expensive local grocery store for the 11 of us to eat. Sigh.
4. I've borrowed a lot of library books lately! There was also a recently-released book I wanted to read that my library didn't have, so I asked if they would purchase it and they did.
5. Renovations continue at our new house and we found someone to buy a lot of the sand that we dug out for my in-laws' new basement. I'm happy to have someone give me money to take away the enormous pile of sand in my yard!
@Ruth T, you were truly camping in the most beautiful area. Yay! I live on the very western tip of the UP.
@Ruth T,
I didn't know Tahquamenon Falls was open again. I heard they closed due to too much rain that washed out trail & were going to be putting in new platforms. We love going to the ALL the wayerfalls in Michigan.
You are braver than me--tent camping in thunder storm. My tent days have been long over. 🙂
Stephanie - It is SO beautiful! We've only been as far west as Champion and Houghton, but there's so much to explore in the U.P.! We live in the opposite corner of the state from you, so it's quite a journey to get up that far over.
Regina - The big staircase to the upper falls is closed because they're turning it into an accessible ramp (yay!), but everything else was open. We hiked a bit of the rugged trail at the lower falls to get to one swimming spot the first day, then went across to the island the second day.
I confess that I have a hard time keeping a positive attitude when we're camping in the rain, but everything's fine once it's done and I'm warm and dry again.
I had to go on iron pills for anemia too, and a friend recs the slow Fe. It’s great! No GI issues at all and I’ve had to remain on it for over a year. (Altho now I’m eating a lot of meat and protein so maybe I will be able to stop.)
I discovered it when donating blood, altho I wasn’t low enough to be kicked out, I feel horrible afterward and declined myself the next time it was low. That’s when I decided to stay on the pills long term.
@AnnMarie Johnson,
a doctor friend advised me - when I was dealing with intermittently low iron - to find a brand of supplement that worked for me, use it religiously for a given time, say, 6 months, then take it a few times each week to basically maintain. Much less expensive. As long as you do take it 3-4 days a week most of the time, your iron will remain at a good level, assuming you are generally in good health and without a specific condition.
Ahhhhhh anemia. My stubborn companion. Best of luck getting on top of it.
My FFT:
1. I FINALLY just submitted several hundreds of dollars in pharmacy claims to my insurance. I forgot that they streamlined the process on the online portal last year. I feel a little silly for putting it off. Anyway, better late than never.
2. I used up odds and ends from the fridge. A tip: if you want to use a fresh tomato in something saucy, you can just cut it in half and grate each piece on the large holes of a box grater. You wind up holding the empty skin, and the grated tomato cooks down wonderfully.
3. Frugal home improvement: we painted the living room! It was a horrible purple-toned beige and is now a creamy white. It cheered me up, made our non-fancy furniture look better, and we borrowed some of the supplies from my parents. What we bought, we added to the "paint equipment bag" that gets passed around the family as needed.
4. I shopped the freezer for dinner last night. I found chicken broth, chopped celery and leeks, and chicken breasts. Well, we had chicken noodle soup, despite the heatwave.
5. I needed to get a yearly TB test for work, which is always kind of a pain. I got it done for free at the occupational health clinic at work. No idea what it costs to be done privately, but probably more than free!
@Meira@meirathebear,
I demand to see a pic of purple-beige, that sounds... horrifying! We're about to start painting and it's incredible how paint samples that look great on a swatch or in a shop look... hideous on the wall!
@Caro, I narrowed choices down to top 3 (maybe) & purchased samples of top colors then painted on the wall with most light & in darkest/least amount of light area. I usually painted all walls within few weeks so that didn't look funny with multiple paint colors in one spot
@Caro, It's hard to describe, but sort of like the nothing-colour you see when you close your eyes, but lighter. Shudder. A total clash with the very orange-toned laminate floors.
1. I finished my Modern States course and nabbed the CLEP voucher, just in case I fail and have to take it again, at least I won't be paying for it. I managed to move my exam date up a week, so hopefully by Friday I'll be done with this!
2. Library books forever, though I did use reward points to order a book I really want to read after reading "The Mother Next Door" (about factitious disorder imposed on others).
3. For some reason we'd gotten away from making pasta for dinner, and DH did so last night (he got chickpea pasta for the two of us, as we avoid a lot of wheat). I'd forgotten how cheap pasta is, especially when you're feeding four voracious young men. The four of them put away about 3 pounds of pasta (weight before cooking), and that was about $3.00.
4. Biked to church this weekend for some free exercise and Vitamin D.
5. DH is doing all the grocery shopping, thus keeping me from any impulse buys at the store.
@Karen A.,
"The Mother Next Door" was so good and heartbreaking.
@mbmom11, I know. It made me realize what is involved in pediatric nursing/medical care--and why there have been times, when our kids have been in the hospital, that I felt we were under the microscope. Medical abuse is so hard to detect and prove, so I'm sure there's protocols they have to follow.
@Karen A., When I was involved in child protection work, I was involved in a Munchausen by Proxy case where a mother was systematically poisoning her child. We had what we considered a rock solid case, including video evidence. The judge listened to it all and then said that he did not believe a mother would do that sort of thing and the child was returned to the mother. I left the field but later saw the child, now in a stroller instead of walking, and he had bandages over part of his face.
FFT, Coping with the Heat Edition:
Here in Central NY, we're heading into yet another week with no rain and highs in the 90s. I can’t imagine how people in places where “it’s a dry heat” is a catchphrase cope with these conditions. But here’s what I’m doing to stay sane:
(1) I’ve cut back to doing a full watering of my gardens only every other day. I also continue to collect water from my central AC system’s condenser drip, which comes to 3-4 gallons/day. Every little bit helps.
(2) Although I continue to run the central AC (at 75 or 76 F), I console myself with the thought that the solar panels are helping to offset the cost of this.
(3) One source of free enjoyment in the midst of the heat wave has been watching the night skies. (At least last week's smoke from the Canadian wildfires has cleared out.) In addition to admiring the recent full moon, I’ve been watching some planetary canoodling in the predawn eastern sky: Venus and Jupiter have gotten very friendly (see https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-august-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/).
(4) I hadn’t hit my Monday morning thrift sources in a few weeks, so I did both of them yesterday to cheer myself up. (Yes, I know, this isn't entirely consistent with my comment of yesterday about decluttering. As I said then, I'm the product of a mixed marriage when it comes to stuff.) At Second Time Around (the pop-up in the old bowling alley), I got a practically new pair of Propet step-in shoes, two Sonoma long-sleeve tees with the Kohl’s tags still on, three canning jars (it’s still pickle season and I’m starting to run short), a high-viz vest for my early morning walks, and a children’s book for JASNA BFF’s youngest grandchild, for $13.50 total. I also liberated a half loaf of day-old Wegmans Tuscan garlic bread and a 4-pack of Wegmans kaiser rolls from the “free bread” box on my way out.
(5) And at the Salvation Army, I picked up two new sticks of Old Spice Sweat Defense deodorant (this brand has made it possible for me to take fewer showers even during a heat wave), two Harney’s tea tins (for my homegrown spearmint and peppermint teas), a pair of socks, and a pair of semi-dressy navy Skechers Goga Mat slip-ons in excellent condition, for a total of $9. (My last pair of closed-toe dress shoes failed me during my NYC visit in June, so the Skechers were a happy find–especially since I’ve got the same style in black on order from eBay!)
@A. Marie,
I'm from a place where dry heat is about 8 months of the year, and though it is clearly hot-hot, it's so, so much more liveable than humid heat (I now live in a high humidity area and it kills me. I'm not built for it, the nights are unbearable!)
We were placed on water restrictions many times over the years and there are so many ways to reduce water use. For example! When you shower, switch on, get wet, wet sponge, soap etc. Switch off shower, do the scrubbing. Switch on water, rinse off, then switch off water. You more than halve your water use and get just as refreshed and clean.
If possible, keep a wide mouth bucket or bowl in the shower and stand in it while showering. At the end, use that water for a toilet flush (when appropriate) or to water plants.
Still eating down the freezer and knitting from my extensive stash.
Returned the shoes I didn't want to Nordstrom. Not a frugal place to buy shoes but the service, knowledgeable fitting, and return policy are all superb. The shoes I kept were 30% off.
Used local coupons for chocolates, happy meat, and a Tex-mex meal.
Convinced CVS to extend a discount because they didn't have what I needed and the item is delivered infrequently.
Not Exactly Frugal: I bought a new treadmill rather than buying used or free. New means I get what I want, that it works for sure, that someone will move it and set it up, and the seller is there to help with any problems.
@WilliamB,
To me, this is optimal frugality because you ensure real value for your buck, do not spend on unimportant (to you) things, use your resources fully and non-wastefully and still spend on things that are of real value to you and that will last you a long while, not impulse rubbish things that will be broken or forgotten in 3 months!
@WilliamB,
what is happy meat?
@Regina, happy meat comes from animals that live a good life, such as living on pasture, eating only what’s natural to them (no grain for cows, frex), or not being in stressful living conditions. It’s my informal term and there are many different ways to meet my definition.
It's in contrast to CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) meat, which is the mass-market, feed lot, stressful crowded conditions meat sold by the mfgrs and supermarkets.
It’s possible to get happy beef and happy pork at approximately reasonable prices - time it well, buy it in bulk, etc. It’s not possible to buy happy fowl at anything close to supermarket prices; there’s just no way to give chickens decent living conditions and simultaneously raise a lot of them cheaply.
I’m not a purist when it comes to buying only happy meat. I figure to do better today than I did before.
@WilliamB, I LOVE the term “Happy meat!” Temple Grandin talks about this. That when cattle are stressed they release stress hormones that make the meat tough. I eat happy eggs from my chickens!
I'm typing this on my phone, sitting in a not-frugal hotel, but we'll see if I can come up with five for this short trip...
--I'm at this very nice hotel because it's in a hot city people don't usually visit much in the summer, so they had a discount.
--Every room has a Keurig coffee maker, so I'm not paying for coffee this morning.
--I had a six-hour drive to get here, and I brought my small cooler with lunch, drinks and snacks for me and the son with me. So no food purchased on the way.
--Son wanted to have Raising Cane's chicken for dinner, which was near our hotel. I had never been to one. It was not bad for fast food, and certainly not as expensive as the restaurant in our nice hotel.
--There is a mall across the road from our hotel. I have not been in a mall in years. We walked over there last night and walked around, but didn't buy anything.
@kristin@going country, The last time I was in a mall was mainly because we were on a road trip and wanted to find nice, clean bathrooms and have some air-conditioned/heated space to walk around and stretch our legs. Having once worked in a mall (for my sins), it is kind of fun to go sightseeing in one!
I have done some minor decluttering following a little bit of (small!) house reno and sold a couple of things on Vinted. The only fail was that I unintentionally misrepresented one item as ''new without tags'' but should have listed it as ''very good'' because I had worn it for a whole hour and thus washed it pre sale. It is understandable why it was an issue logically, of course, but I lost a sale! Still, I've relisted correctly and hopefully it sells soon.
I scored a fantastic small grilled sandwich press that will do 2 sandwiches for an extremely, extremely reasonable price from a charity shop. Great brand, all electric-tested and in very good working condition. This will accompany my grilled-cheese loving son to university in September at about 20% the cost of a vaguely comparable new one. Very pleased!
Wholeheartedly agree with this from your #1: "And the most satisfying thing to me is knowing that my unwanted items are going to someone who really does want them. It’s like matchmaking but with stuff instead of people."
1. Painted a picture frame using paint that I got from my county’s ReUse Room for redoing door trim.
2. Put a yellowish-stained pillowcase out in the sun for a few hours and – voila! – no more stain. I’ll never stop being amazed by this.
3. Went to a retirement party at my former workplace and was so occupied with socializing that I didn’t eat anything. The fabulous food service staff gave me a to-go box.
4. Friend gave me three bags of dog treats that her dog could no longer eat.
5. Sister treated me to dinner by picking up veggie hoagies on the way to my house.
Kristen, are you comfortable sharing what your ferritin or iron levels are? I recently had to order my own iron bloodwork because of textbook anemia symptoms. All my numbers are on the lowest end of “normal”. Not going back to the pcp who dismissed my symptoms. I’m interested in what a knowledgeable caring doctor considers anemia. If you’re comfortable sharing.
Five frugal things
1.Picked 14 pounds of blueberries for winter baking. $2/pound. Scones, muffins, blueberry coffee cake are my families favorite
2. Kids wanted McDonald’s, paid with a gift card.
3. Eating all the vegetable from the garden.
4. Decided to go to a much smaller amusement park instead of going to Hershey. The cost is way less.
5. Sold some of my toddlers clothing on FB. I like knowing it will get used again.
@Natasha, was Dutch Wonderland the park? Hoping to take our granddaughter there and it was inexpensive when our sons were young.
@Janice, I have sweet memories of Dutch Wonderland from when my kids were little.
@Natasha, not Kristen though commenting on iron labs. Normal range on these labs are super variable and thus not very helpful. The AGA that governs gastrointestinal medicine recommend ferritin above 45. Serum iron is highly variable based on recent intake. Its most useful to aim for ferritin above 45, treat until ferritin near 100 suggesting iron stores are good and an iron saturation above 20%. There is more to anemia than that but its a good start. Best of luck, find a smart doctor who listens well.
@MaHoney,
Thank you so much for this response. Truly appreciate it. I have a long ways to go to reach 45 minimum. I’m an RN so am aware of other possible causes of anemia. Usually I try not to self diagnose but this time I was on the right track.
I've been using Floradix for iron with no stomach upset. And beef liver capsules. My friend just gave me an iron fish, so I'm going to figure out how to use it. I can tell when I skip a day of supplementing.
This week's frugals:
*We saved and planted the green onion roots.
*We ate a couple of things from the garden. Somebody gave us some seed potatoes this spring, and we planted them in a raised bed (because it has dirt instead of rocks like the rest of our garden). My husband helped the kids dig them up this week, so this morning we enjoyed hash browns from our garden, eggs from our chickens, and sausage (from the pork that we helped butcher). Very satisfying.
*I mended and thrifted.
*My husband called a local guy about a beef. We're starting to run low, and it's cheaper and more satisfying to buy local and pasture-raised.
*We cooked meals at home-- except for the meal my father treated us to at a local ice cream spot. It was a wonderful chance to be all together and have fun before the boys go away to Minnesota this week.
@Jody S.,
Oooh, your breakfast sounds delish!
@Jody S., I too am a fan of buying local and pasture-raised beef, as earlier comments of mine have indicated. And it's nice to have "My husband called a local guy about a beef" apply to cattle rather than a major argument. 🙂
I've always been told the best way to replenish your iron and up the intake is to cook in a cast iron skillet.
Tebble
It has not been frugal around here, at all. We are getting DS18 ready for college drop off this weekend, hosting all of the last minute dinners, and attending other going away events. We also splurged for eating out at a Persian restaurant on Saturday, and had an absolutely lovely dinner out with DS19. It was a great opportunity to talk about Persian culture & food (DH is Persian), & DS19 asked DH lots of questions about his parents. His dad just passed away, so this was a really nice way to be able to have a chance to share childhood memories with DS19.
1) A woman at CVS handed me her coupon she received while getting a vaccination. I was checking out, but able to apply it & save $10 off my order. Thank you, kind stranger!
2) Also on the CVS side, I bought a couple of gift cards & snacks for DS18's going away gift at CVS. Just some small things to help those first few weeks of school. I used CVS rewards, coupons, & I always upload my CVS receipt to iBotta, which has a standing 4% Cashback offer.
3) Ate lots of leftovers, and weaved in some freezer meals.
4) Signed up for American Airlines frequent flyer program, as I have two international work flights coming up. May as well earn the points.
5) DS19 wrapped up his summer job, and already found a job for the school year, which is awesome for him. He saved a lot this summer, and it will be nice for him to have additional spending money for the school year.
@Hawaii Planner, Best wishes to you for this upcoming weekend!
I had to think hard to come up with these:
My husband sold another $20 worth of scrap. (If you tell neighbors you are going to the scrap yard they will often have things for you to take that they are eager to get rid of.)
I used a coupon for a free dozen eggs at the grocery store.
We're enjoying cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, onions, chard, garlic, peas, and tomatoes from the garden.
This last is in the 'spend money to save money' category -- we need a new hot tub cover. Ours is repaired with tape. Our local pool and hot tub store has a spring sale and we decided to wait until then to buy a new cover. But -- the store is currently having a 40th anniversary sale. All covers are 40% off. I double checked and we are saving $150 over spring sale prices by ordered now -- the spring sale is usually only 20% off. So, expensive, but if you have things you have to take care of them. (Plus, we will probably save a little on our electric bill this winter -- I'm not sure how insulating the taped-up cover really is.)
Have you heard of the ironware Snoopy that can be dropped into food while cooking (so it simmers alongside the food to add extra iron)? I thought of you when I saw it, but can't offer any personal endorsement. 🙂
I struggle with low iron too, and have been taking daily multivitamin supplements (which supposedly include 100% daily recommended iron) since covid/2020. Spinach is also my go-to salad green, so hopefully it provides some iron boost as well. During the pandemic both of my parents received blood for different reasons, so I wanted to "donate back", especially considering my dad passed away from covid. I really wanted to do something to help others, since I had felt so helpless to help him. After an unsuccessful first attempt (low iron) I began the multivitamins. Second donation attempt was successful, but whew(!), I didn't do well. Definitely nearly passed out. So it's not on my recurring schedule. I'm very thankful to those who are able to donate, though! And I've kept up with the vitamins, as I do think the increased iron levels are helpful in general.
Agree with you about the crazy credit card fees for payments- good catch!!
I wanted to add that my husband's iron was low on his last physical -- something that has never happened. He had donated blood about two weeks before and the doctor suspected this might have something to do with the low level. I had no idea it could take that long for iron levels to build back up. He tested again a couple months later and he was fine. I know you've been donating blood and I didn't know how much time had passed since your last donation, but it's something to consider.
@Cindi,
Thanks for this information. I go for annual bloodwork tomorrow and my last blood donation was 14 days ago. I will keep this in mind in case those levels come back low to report to my PCP.
Picking veggies from the garden. Somehow, we must have picked a cherry tomato plant or 2 because we have a lot of tiny tomatoes from these 2 plants. And I don't like cherry tomatoes (hate the squishing in my mouth!). Anyway, the sauce tomatoes seem to be doing well. And tonight we will have some corn with our cucumber salad and meat.
Our second order of wood was delivered today. It's really seasoned, so it will burn great. My husband will clean out the woodstove and pipe at some point next month. We are traveling a lot in Sept and Oct, so we should be ready for winter when we get back.
Turned off the AC last week because of the nice weather. However, it's back on for this week and the very warm weather. And the outlook says it will be warm thru the end of the month. I love summer, but not the oppressively hot and humid summer. And fall, to me, just means pretty colors and that the cold and snow is coming.
Already planning our vacation for next year. It will be a retirement trip, my husband's 70th birthday trip and my sister's 60th birthday trip. It will be a long one, so we need to start saving now!
Purchased a used bike rack on line and there was a piece missing. We looked up the missing piece and it would have been close to $70. for the piece. Contacted the seller and she found the piece in her garage. I told my husband we should order the piece anyway just in case we lose it and this way, we will have an extra and the rack will not be unavailable for use. I have every intention of selling the old rack that doesn't fold down.
@Maureen, We cut our cherry tomatoes in half when we add them to our salads. It takes a bit more time, but it eliminates the squish.
Sometimes stuff like the Yeti thing happens, but it's not a total loss, you have fun pink sliders.
Note on packaging things being sold to ship. The last time I got a package from Etsy, the seller had used bubble wrap with packing tape, but had folded the ends of the tape under to make pull tabs, which meant I didn't have to risk cutting the item by cutting open the tape and bubble wrap. Maybe others knew this, but I'd not seen it before.
My FFT:
1. When we had the IRA guy at work for the lunch and learn, I got to take home the leftover pulled pork, pulled chicken and salad.
2. I was getting low on dishwasher tabs when I remembered I had a $5 coupon for tabs and $3 coupon for rinse aid that came with my dishwasher, so I used them. I made sure the prices were actually lower with coupon than if I bought a cheaper, but still good, version.
3. I made a chicken recipe that called for fresh lemongrass. Not a problem - I went outside and pulled a few stalks from my plants.
4. I went to Goodwill and found a Cook's Country cookbook of "Lost Recipes" that was in super nice condition plus had some great old recipes, so I got it, found a cushion I can recover with fabric and thread I already have then use in the seat of a wooden chair at home, and 11 kids' books that were on the color of the week, so I got it all for $12.29.
5. I buy a frozen cubed meat treat to put in the dogs' Kongs. I was running low so I shopped for more, and found out it was on sale, which I never see for this product, so I got two big bags instead of one. They stay in the freezer and I just use a handful at a time, so I'm set for a while now.
@JD, thanks for sharing the tip on folding under the ends of packing tape!
If you really wanted to hustle on eBay, you could buy Yeti cups that are missing mag sliders at thrift stores, apply the mag sliders, and sell for profit on eBay... LOL!
I never find the net sale I get from eBay to be worth the hassle of listing and shipping. But I don't think I have a great eye for what sells. I've had some luck with quite old books, but that is it.
• We packed a variety of snacks, including microwave mac and cheese, for our road trip to Memphis. Gas station snacks are tempting but less so when there is a plethora of choices in the car.
• Convincing two teenage boys that we don’t need a souvenir every place we visit is a feat unto itself. Thankfully most of the gift shops had guitar picks which my son decided were the right souvenir for him - $1, packable, and usable! I did purchase two t-shirts for him and lumped those into our back to school clothes budget.
• I pulled out a crochet project I started and put down months ago. Finishing an old project is much more frugal than starting a new one.
• On our trip we selected hotels that had a pool, offered free breakfast, and were within walking distance of where we wanted to go. Thankfully these also happened to be cheaper hotels.
• I’m keeping an eye out for all the back to school sales to stock up where it makes sense.
Yes, you can sign up for AARP, Kristen. They'll take anyone 18 or older!
Another way to get a lot of iron in you is to take a cue from Popeye the Sailor Man and eat lots of spinach. I can't stand canned spinach, but my dad used to grow fresh spinach in his Square Foot Garden. I love fresh spinach! We'd go out there and pick a bunch, bring it in and wash it, and immediately put it in our salads. Ate spinach instead of lettuce for the salad greens, and it was really good. We'd do this almost every lunch and supper all summer long. Then, I went to the Red Cross to donate blood -- and it really surprised them. I had so much iron in my blood that the phlebotomist (jokingly) told me maybe I needed to "stay away from magnets," LOL.
1. Cleaned out some old drawers. I had some (inexpensive Walmart) wristwatches I had to quit wearing bc I can't see the little bitty numbers on the dial. So I gave them to a friend who has grown daughters; she said they can all use them.
2. Gave some fast food and Starbucks gift cards to a young coworker who is going away to college. (Yes, they were in the cleaned-out drawers, too.)
3. Negotiated with the dentist's financial manager about some upcoming dental work, and if I use a check instead of a credit card, I will save 5%. (Frugal fail: I'm going to have to undergo some expensive procedures. Ouch!)
4. Made lunch at home instead of going out.
5. You can't see the controls on my microwave; they all look black. That's why I got it extra cheap, still new in the box, because the store knew that this model was defective. So I've been using an old gooseneck desk lamp that I set beside it and shine on the front. That way, I can see the buttons and use the microwave just fine.
@Fru-gal Lisa, my dentist also gives that 5% discount on check rather than credit card for major work. But I still sympathize with you about the need for the work. When my dentist let me go from a routine exam last week without recommending a single filling, crown, or implant, I was so elated I spared him my usual joke about subsidizing his antique-car collection!
@A. Marie,
I suspect my dentist must be planning to buy a Ferrari or a yacht or....something super pricey!
My ferritin level is frequently in the basement and I'll take Solgar Gentle Iron to raise it. One capsule every other day will do the trick.
Made sweet chili chicken with a pack of discounted fileted chicken thighs and a lot of veggies. Gourmet home cooks should avert their eyes because the base of the sauce is spicy cocktail sauce, but DH loves it and gets a lot of veggies in his meal that he otherwise would not eat. This also keeps open bottles of cocktail sauce from languishing in the fridge.
I added some finely diced tofu and five halved cherry tomatoes from the garden to a bowl of homemade soup as it reheated and it was delicious. Made a half-dozen chocolate chip muffins as a quick dessert and sprinkled cinnamon-sugar on top before baking instead of making an icing or a glaze. The family loved it, plus less work for the cook.
We have 2 cars but would like to go down to one, but are nervous about it too. It turns out our son's family need a several months temporary car, so we're giving one to them for that time. It gives us a good chance of trying out being a one car family before we make a permanent sale. I'm excited to try.
Chiquita looked like she was solidly with you on the $43 ha!
I continue to dig up soooo many paver stones in this yard from the previous owners patios and walkways that are completely overgrown. They are the old red square stones and not my style. Sold a bulk of them on FB marketplace for $100 this week. Listing wasn't up 5 minutes and 3 guys had sent messages. I'm glad to have the space back to start storing the rest of the pavers I find buried in this yard.
Had to buy an auger for a fence we will put in ourselves. Fence is too big and too many roots in this yard to dig it all out by hand. We waited for a sale, bought online to get 8% back online, got a 10% military discount, and used my credit card that will give me 3% cash back.
I've been wanting to make a memory box for all my memorabilia from our trip to Ireland that has been in a storage box forever. I found a nice wooden box at goodwill for $2. Stripped it. Used a $1 Ireland guidebook from Goodwill and used modge podge (already had) to decorate the box with pictures from the book. Came out great (especially for $3) and now is something I can put on the bookshelf with all our memories in it.
We went to the dump to unload yard waste and DH was helping the older gentleman in front of us unload his tree trimmings...under all of it the man had a pitchfork, a shovel, and a hoe that he was going to throw away also...DH asked if he could have them and the man was glad to give them away rather than toss them. We are constantly replacing tools in this yard so they'll get used.
Had some medical test in Charleston last week so we stopped by my favorite thrift store. Found a few nice t-shirts for $1 each. Bought DH 2 Brooks Brothers shirts and a vest for $3 each. Also bought a large hanging wrought iron flower box/trellis (3 foot tall, 2 foot wide) for $10 to hang on the side of the house.
I have taken a version of the Slow FE for several years, but I've found store versions at both Wal-Mart and Target for less than $5 a bottle and haven't had any issues with either. My hemoglobin usually tests fine enough to donate blood, but my "iron stores" tend to run low without the supplement. I have stopped donating blood the last couple of years because of it which makes me sad.
Another slow week on the frugal side.
1) Picked up a set of curtains from buy nothing. We are planning an upcoming move and will have more bedrooms. If these curtains work out then we save having to buy new. If not, we can just pass them on to someone else that can use them.
2) Picked up some foam that was wrapped around furniture someone bought. This should save us from having to buy some bubble wrap for packing all (or some) of our canning jars.
3) Exchanged some cheese that had gone moldy. Usually, I don't return food. Sometimes it isn't worth it to get back to the store. In this case, two cheeses had mold in less than a week. For $17, we went back.
4) I changed our SiriusXM from the premium to the lower level. When I looked a couple years ago some of the stations I like were only on premium...now they are on the next tier down so I switched which will save $2-3 per month.
Frugal win: Yesterday my electric company notified me that my monthly “budget bill” (where they smooth out high and low use months and charge you the average on a monthly basis) will go down by $45/month ($540/year) starting in September. Yay.
Frugal fail: It really just means they’ve been overcharging me for the past 12 months so I was making an interest free loan to a utility company.
I love the picture of you and Chiquita making almost the same face! And that was an impressive savings on the iron supplement.
My small frugal things this week:
I had torn some half sheets of paper towels into quarter sheets for a purpose I ended up not needing them for after all. I put them back in the paper towel holder and have been using them one at a time to clean up small messes.
I baked banana nut muffins with some overripe bananas. I accidentally put too much oil in the batter, but added more flour to balance it and they still turned out very well. I also made use of some leftover vanilla frosting in the fridge by putting it on some of the muffins to have for dessert.
I was given a free case of bottled water in return for sharing my bottled water the week before.
I have been watching all the things I want to see on Netflix before I cancel it this Friday. I meant to sign up for just one month and ended up keeping it for two, but it won't be any longer than that.
I was raised on the typical Midwestern meat and potatoes diet and I like meat, but for several years, I've not eaten nearly as much meat as I used to, or any other iron rich foods. Also am sporadic about using an iron skillet. When my Dr. suggested an iron supplement due to anemia, I asked her if I could take ProFe 180 as it is the iron supplement we see most efficient in our residents and it has less side effects. I have no issues with it. Just make sure to take it with Vitamin D to enhance absorption.
I mentioned yesterday about the flea market purchases that were very frugal: the Japanese lusterware tea set for four-minus the teapot for only $2, the seasonal jacquard (big) tablecloths for $2 apiece. I also spotted and got an aluminum brass colored cane with a faux pearlized handle that was really pretty for $1. I got two small steel (?) vintage builder's squares, a plain one and one with a level for my bird house construction company for after I grow up. The other items I got were within their regular price ranges: a little red Radio Flyer wagon for $25, a half bushel basket with a handle for $5, the Anchor Hocking green pitcher was $8.
Used up three over ripe bananas to make banana black walnut muffins.
Got a refund for the crackers that were flattened in my MisFits box. I also explained that one of the (two) white peaches got into a fight with the pineapple and had a severe bruise. Was refunded for that and the pineapple, although it was unscathed.
@-, I keep forgetting to fix my name "Chrissy"
@-,
$25 for red Radio flyer wagon is a steal! Those are $150-$200 new.
I cried when we had to sell teen's red wagon before moving. Luckily it went to a good home with kids to enjoy it.
I love Chiquita's expression!
This week was a lot more frugal!
1. I made all my meals at home.
2. I got a free lunch at work.
3. I packed a lunch for another day.
4. I cancelled some subscriptions.
5. I want to watch some things on netflix but have held off on subscribing until the new season of Nobody Wants This comes out!
Chiquita is so expressive.
I purchase box fans to use in the greenhouse, tack room and work shop. I pay $5 or less and have a few in storage. I pulled them out and stuck them in the House windows over night to suck the 85f air out. Woke up to a chilly 65f degree house this morning. We have a mini-split in the new addition and use the a/c there in the one room rather than cool the whole house.
Still watering the garden, orchard & berries with my over winter collected water (gutter collection systems on all of the barns and shops). Thankful that my dad humored my younger self when we put in the system 30 yrs ago. The only upgrade was a solar panel to run the pump. Bought at auction.
Preparing 4 raised beds for fall vegetable garden. there will be 4 winter beds planted next month.
Picked up a load of construction cardboard to use as underlayment for the walkways between the raised beds.
A friend offered me all the hazelnut shells I could take, so far he has delivered 2 - 1 ton totes. We have 21 - 4 ft x 16 ft beds created from scavaged cedar dock planks destroyed by coastal floods. The nut shells act as great deterrent of slugs and snails.
I too have thought about cancelling HBO Max now that South Park is on Paramount Plus.
1.) Bought a new (to me) computer during the tax free weekend in Massachusetts. I find the whole tax-free weekends to be scams but then so is the State government. I didn't save a ton of money but saved enough.
2.) Stocked up on Back to School items during some sales including the loss leaders like pens, pencils and notebooks. One side note is that the kids get far cooler notebooks than I ever did. Also, I let my daughter get the cool notebooks with designs and characters and not the cheapest $0.35 notebooks with Bible-paper-like pages where ink bleeds through. We also, of course, splurged on the Crayolas because we aren't monsters.
3.) Doing some basic home repairs myself.
4.) Avoided a take-out night with some pantry items we keep on hand.
5.) Still packing lunches and hanging laundry to dry. I love summer and I'm sad that it's almost over so I plan on trying to enjoy it as much as possible.
@Battra92,
I love your description of shopping for school supplies in #2!
In my town, by the week before school started, the only notebooks left were refugees from the office supply department - plain and plainer.
@JD, The only thing I miss about being of school aged is back to school shopping even if for me it was usually pretty painful. My mom had us use the free pencils handed out places and we never really got anything special.
I have spent way too much at places like JetPens and I'm now spoiled by Kokuyo Campus notebooks even if I don't actually need notebooks most of the time any more.
I had a slider attach to the side of my dishwasher. I also bought a pack of new ones, but I see it as a good thing because my husband uses his everyday, all day. Getting the slider off to soak never happened and now it does at least once a week.
Someone else might say this but! The target brand of slo-fee is much cheaper!! And now I get the generic on Amazon auto subscribed for under $4 a month! And it doesn’t bother my stomach.
1) Yesterday was our reentry from vacation and I had a CT scan. So it had all the makings of not-a-great-day. I was even tempted to get takeout for lunch as a treat-yo-self. Instead I made a sandwich, and we even managed to feed our much more picky children with food in the empty fridge and pantry. Then I made a grocery list and menu plan and picked it all up at Aldi.
2) We have a ton of appointments and errands this week. Yesterday I made a list, and I am batching errands strategically to save time and gas when I am already out that way. Yesterday I returned a library book on the way to Aldi. Today I visited with my dad in assisted living and then went by the post office on the way back from physical therapy. This afternoon I will pick up paperwork from one doctor when we are at another appointment at the same hospital.
3) I filled up on Costco gas after letting the car get pretty empty knowing that I would be going to physical therapy on Tuesday morning, which is right next to Costco. I did not actually go into Costco and buy anything.
4) I started planning my travel for an upcoming conference. It is a highly exchangeable location and we have lots of guest points, so I reached out to a few folks. I will reach out to more if we do not get an exchange this week. For the flight, I have been sitting on Breeze Points from our vacation last year that should cover it. I do have a little money from my employer, but I can always use that for books and software.
5) I put a call in to the city because I have not received a promised real estate tax rebate, I scheduled a walk with a friend because it will be cheaper and even more fun than lunch, I submitted a job application while I was waiting between blood work and my CT scan, and I pushed on our IEP coordinator that might bring a higher level of support to our daughter and save our family a lot of money.
I harvested and ate/froze fruit and veg from the garden,
cooking every meal at home.
I unscrewed the top of my halogen oven to clean it - may get a few months more use out of it before the rusty flakes return. For some reason I prefer the halogen oven over the airfryer, my guess is that I can see what`s going on.
I did not buy a nice comfy pant that I knew I would not wear often.
I ripped up a huge bag of old clothes and linens into disposable rugs and I give myself extra points for doing this outside wearing a haircover - no lint in the house or my hair 🙂
1. I mended the sleeve seam of a shirt that had apparently disintegrated in the wash. Practically new, too– the shirt was a hand me down from my mom that she hadn’t worn more than once.
2. Someone was giving away an above-the-range microwave on Buy Nothing. It would have cost $350 new, and this saves me the hassle of trying to figure out what brand, etc. to buy in the first place. We currently have a head-banging-level empty wooden box above the stove… no vent, no nothing. I’d love to get this chore crossed off the list– it’s been on there for over three years!
3. I mended multiple books for my kiddos. I actually really like this chore because I love that my kids are reading their books until they start to fall apart.
@Lindsay B, I read an Astrid Lindgren book so much as a kid that it fell apart, even after my parents' numerous repairs! I bought a new copy as an adult but it was the same edition, mostly because new versions are different translations, but also because I wanted the same book I loved so much 🙂
@Sophie in Denmark, that is a well-loved book indeed! I'm glad you were able to find the same edition.
as per anemia, organ meats and oysters are a much better way to go. Before you say yech, consider making a fast chicken liver pâté, cooking liver with onions tomaoes and herbs, or dress up like a snitzel
Kristen,
So good of you to give blood. I used to do it but had breast cancer more than a decade ago and just don't feel comfortable doing it anymore. They told me it was okay to give just months after finishing chemo and radiation but I worried that there could be a cancer cell still lurking in me that could be passed on to someone else. O. That same note, I used to run the Red Cross blood drives for my department and, of course, women often came up short on iron and couldn't give. But there were more female donors than men and I suggested the Red Cross ought to campaign to get more male donors. Some men even told me that their doctors told them to give blood because they had too much iron.
My 5
I picked up 3 books from a local Free Little Library that I took to my 96 yr old friend who loves to read. I normally give her murder mystery books and did find her two of those. But I decided to switch it up a bit and included a light-hearted summer romance read. It sounded like there could be a little mystery in the story, too.
I took advantage of a 4x fuel points offer at Kroger if you bought certain gift cards. I earned 200 points for a $50 gift card that I was going to buy anyway. My husband promptly filled up his big truck and was able to get 50 cents off a gallon of gas when those 200 points were added to the other points we already had on our Kroger account.
I picked up a half-off price pkg. of cherry pastry bites from Kroger on my way out of town to visit my elderly friend who lives about an hour away. It was a little treat to go with our tea.
A new local store opened up in my neighborhood and I think we kinda have a shopping war going on. Both Kroger and this store are offering 3-day weekend deals that are hard to beat. I picked up fresh boneless chicken breasts for a $1.99 pound, homemade in store bratwurst for $2.99 a pound and 28 oz. bottles of Sweet Baby Ray barbecue sauce for 99 cents each. These were all things I needed.
I sewed new valances for our two kitchen windows. Someone gave me a single fat quarter from Hobby Lobby about a year ago. It was so pretty I decided to get more and make kitchen valances out of them. It's a herb pattern with herb artwork and spelled out herb names. I finally got around to seeing them this week and they came out beautiful. I figured they cost me about $10 to make. I have one piece left and I'm going to make a few fabric towels holders for the kitchen drawer handles.
Yes, premenopausal women’s daily RDA for iron is about double the male daily RDA! Losing all that blood every month is no joke.
Chiquita is thinking about how many cans of cat food you could buy with $43! I don't like to pay "convenience" fees, either. Not convenient for me to part with that much money! 🙂
This was not a frugal week. My old girl started peeing around the house last week. A trip to the vet, and we discovered she has a UTi. 🙁 vI was prepared for the worst. She will be 14 in December, which is old for a large breed. We go back again next week to see if it's cleared.
The electrician is coming Monday to do more work.
On Saturday, I have to drive to 4 hours to Ikea to return the items we didn't use, and pick up the last few things to finish up! On the way home, I'll stop and pick up the lights for the kitchen. That will be a unfrugal day. However, I'm looking forward to a solo drive, listening to the radio.
We are having a heat wave . my mom and I purchased water and gaterade to give to a community outreach worker to distribute to the homeless population. I'm happy that we could contribute in some small way.
I did cook some meals at home. I've been giving away the items from our veggie box that I can't use up in time.
See if you can find iron treated with an treated for better absorption. I can't think of the term
I was anemic for many years (fibroids! I had a hysterectomy so no more anemia for me!) and I found that even SlowFE was hard on my digestive system. I took Floradix and I didn't have the digestive issues plus my iron levels came up to a healthier level! So if you find that even the SlowFE doesn't work for you, I recommend looking into Floradix. It's more expensive, but for me it was definitely worth it.
@Tammy, Floradix is my first choice. I could take it when I was pregnant despite always being nauseous.
Bought an 18 inch chicken bacon ranch pizza on sale on Tuesdays for $12.99. it is regularly $18.99 . Enough for supper for us all
You probably aren't anemic, doctors like to invent problems to make more money. Much like mechanics.
That would be a complicated conspiracy to pull off, involving the lab and the records that I can access through my portal. 😉
Also, the lab tests that were run were not simply a serum iron level; I also have my TIBC, UIBC, transferrin, ferritin, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCHC, and more.
In addition, my doctor is not the one I'm getting my iron supplements from. The only possible money-maker would be a follow-up appointment, but that also doesn't make sense as conspiracy because my PCP office is insanely busy. They are not lacking for appointments. 😉
Still, anyone who wants a second opinion on iron levels can always get a second set of bloodwork at another lab.
Great job! I had a huge yard sale and sold off tons of items that had been collecting dust. Then I found free t shirts during a walk. l now have three new to me shirts to wear when I'm cleaning and doing yard work.
If the iron you got still bothers your stomach I have the best luck with the liquid iron!
I donate plasma and I know what my iron and protein levels need to be to continue to donate. I use prenatal iron supplements as they are easier on the stomach and does not have the constipation side effects. I usually purchase them at walmart. I use whatever is in stock at the time.
Look at HemaPlex. I’m anemic, Have even had to have iron and blood transfusions. I couldn’t tolerate the normal or even the slow iron. My primary finally sent me to a hematologist and she pulled up hemaplex on Amazon on her computer and told me to order it. Two years now, it doesn’t bother my stomach at all and my labs are fantastic!
Frugal things I've done lately:
- make homemade pancake breakfast on the weekend with scrambled eggs and bacon. We like to go out to eat but it's like $20-$30 per person now-a-days
- bring a packed lunch for when I clean houses vs get food from a drive-thru ($8-$12/day in savings). I still get food out sometimes but way less
- drive like a granny: I accelerate and drive the speed limit but I'm gentle in my accelerating and braking, I don't change lanes often, and I use cruise control s lot. This saves gas, wear and tear on my car, and prevents accidents
- I'm working on paying off my Business SBA loan (originally $15.5k but ballooned with interest to $17.5k in 2 years) and am paying $1500+ per month to get it paid off, down to about $4.5k now (never taking out large loan again)
- got another roommate in my house. Have 1 in my master suite and they only go in my laundry room (have a full kitchen in there), and just transformed my family room into essentially a studio with a shared bathroom with me (they have full kitchen, couch, bed, dining table etc in their room). These 2 rooms bring in $1950/month alone, and for rooms that I wouldn't use anyways
- I see movies on Tuesdays at Regal or AMC and using their rewards card, it's $7/ticket. Even if the movie isn't that great, it's still cheap. Also get a kids box popcorn/drink for $7 and it gives me a good amount of snack food during the movie for a good price.
- I have a water cooler at home and get 5 gallon jugs refilled at the grocery store (5 gallons = $2.50) and use reusable water bottles, change out each week for cleaning. I add some ice so it's great 'n cold all day
My husband has complained about our bent chairs in our outdoor patio set (the welds busted and the seats are very bent) he wanted to find someone to weld and straighten all chairs. I was driving to work and a neighbor put 4 patio chaira out for trash collection. They were in perfect shape - just needed a coat of spray paint. I threw the chairs in the van and bought him a can of spray paint. I got new chairs . . . And I still have the old bent ones. Maybe hoarding is an issue.