Five Frugal Things | post-Christmas
Hello, hello!
I knowwwwww that traditionally, Christmas is not over (the 12 days of Christmas have just started!)
But in my world, Christmas is basically over after December 25th, so I am considering this a post-Christmas edition of FFT. Mmmkay?
Roll with me here. 🙂
1. I sold some Hallmark ornaments on eBay
Due to...events (!), some of my Hallmark ornaments did not make sense to hang on my tree any longer.
It occurred to me that perhaps some people might be interested in these particular ornaments, though, so I listed them on eBay and promptly sold two of them.
This is not the type of eBay transaction that will make me rich (we're talking less than $10/each here), but I feel happy that I was able to do a sort of match-making.
If I just dropped these ornaments off at Goodwill, they'd probably disappear into the abyss. But listing them on eBay ensured that the ornament went specifically to someone who wanted it, and that makes me happy.
2. I made a ham and egg sandwich
I used a leftover Christmas roll and some leftover ham (plus some sauce and spinach) and while yes, this made only a tiny dent in the ham, every little bit helps. 😉
As A. Marie likes to quote, "What's the definition of eternity? Two people and a ham."
So I figured a prompt start on using it up would be wise.
3. I bought a book on eBay
Someone had recommended a book that would be helpful as I pick up the pieces from what I've been through. But my library did not have a copy.
I forgot that an inter-library loan was an option (whoops!), but I did find a copy on eBay for a good price.
And you know once I'm done with it, back onto eBay it will go.
4. I used a 50% off coupon for some puzzle ModPodge
Zoe and I did a puzzle this summer, and she wants to hang it on the wall.
So, we needed some puzzle Modpodge, and before I checked out at Michael's, I google and found a 50% off coupon to use.
5. I used some frozen milk to make cinnamon bread to give
I wanted to give a loaf of bread to my neighbors (they're the ones who let me borrow their lawn equipment and helped Lisey with car repairs) but I was short on milk.
Luckily, I remembered that I'd frozen some when I had extra, in exactly the amount I needed for this cinnamon bread.
So, I thawed that and made two loaves.
Merry post Christmas! Your Christmas Eve post was so lovely. HUGS
--Thanks mostly to thrifting, I stuck to Santa's budget for my husband with room to spare! Finds/gifts included two Brother Victor cookbooks from thriftbooks.com and a flipping gorgeous hand-thrown ceramic stein with medeival-style carvings that was $6 at Goodwill. (I love present synergy happenstance!) Since my husband and I have a birthday on either side of the holiday gauntlet, we long ago decided to save "big" presents for birthdays and do stocking stuffers for each other. On Christmas Eve, we open our stockings and donate what we would have spent on "big" Christmas gifts to the no-kill shelter where we adopted our cats. And yes, they got new toys AND got to open their presents first, the spoiled brats. ;P
--My husband ordered a samurai frog print for the bathroom, like you do, only he received a print of a frog playing a banjo instead! The seller quickly corrected the goof but didn't need the banjo frog returned. Happily a luthier friend of ours fell in love with banjo frog, so the extra print now has a loving home.
—I passed on two pairs of curtains to a friend whose kids wanted to switch up their rooms. She gave me a big box of recycled bubble mailers in return.
—My husband won a giant box of gourmet chocolates in the employee present drawing at work. Even after he shared with his coworkers, plenty came home!
—A generous plate of homemade treats from a neighbor, combined with the above chocolate haul, has our sugar needs met for the foreseeable future.
@N, I have a set of rare comic tiles, by Copeland around 1880, of a frog doing stuff. There's a set of 13 and I have 11 of them. One of them is a frog playing a banjo to an unimpressed girlfriend. It says "Serenade" on top.
https://ibb.co/CmHj4S5
@N, love Brother Victor's cookbooks. His monastery is very close to where I live. He made the best vinegars. The monastery would have a vinegar festival twice a year (only time the monastery was open to the public) I would stock up.
@Rose,
That tile is so cool!
@Liz B., some of them are just inexplicable. Google Copeland frog tiles for the rest.
@Rose, That’s awesome—thank you for sharing!
You are keeping up suspense!
I still have this week off, it is such a luxury to sleep in for a bit.
Some small frugals:
- borrowing a book "interregionally" as our local library did not have a copy. There is a fee, but it is much cheaper than buying the book.
- making my own chutney, cookies and chocolate bark. And not eating all the bark at once (it turned out very good)
- visiting the local museum with my museum card. Free admission and a cup of free, very good, coffee
- visiting the Boxing Day Christmas Inn at one of our.local charities. A cup of free tea and an opportunity to say hi to a number of friends
-Making chicken stock immediately after finishing the chicken. We have birthday visits to make this week and it will be good to have a light soup ready when we get home.
Plus one: darning a pair of woolen socks. I knitted them myself and I look forward to wearing them for a bit longer.
Plus another: checking in with my health insurance to make sure our local hospital, pt etc are still covered. They are.
Plus finally: the gym was closed at Christmas so I went today and also made an alternative appointment for New Year when they will also be closed. Not skipping exercise during my holiday.
The first item I ever sold on eBay was a Hallmark ornament that was worth a lot more to someone else than it was to me, part of a series that I only had one of.
1. All gifts given for Christmas were fully vetted to ensure they were wanted. They were much appreciated and no impulse purchases were made. Wrapping paper was purchased on clearance years ago as were gift tags.
2. DH wanted a back brace so we looked at FSA eligible items on Amazon. Some of them also offered coupons (percentage off). I chose slower free shipping. There is still a
quite a bit of money in the FSA account to be spent before mid March.
3. Dessert on Christmas was pecan pie bars from the freezer. Most were given away a few weeks ago but we kept some for that purpose.
4. A trip to the Grocery Outlet resulted in good deals on potatoes, butternut squash, GF cookies and waffles, and a few other items. They are not crowded even in the afternoon.
5. DH wanted deer netting to protect the pussy willow trees he planted this year. I opted for Subscribe & Save to save 5%. It will come a few days later than it would have.
*I limited spending on presents, and bought on sale where I could.
*I'm trying to use up leftovers quickly and not lose them in the depths of the fridge.
*Adult daughters brought quiches and soups and treats for the holiday meals, which saved me time and hassle.
*Dog sat for my daughter so she could prep for the holidays and visit her inlaws with less stress. My kids got to love on her dog, the pup received enormous amounts of attention, and I got the pleasure of having a temporary dog. The cats were not pleased, but they coped.
*I do not have to return any presents due to careful purchases. This is a huge savings of time and stress.
1. My husband received a $250 bonus at work.
2. Which went towards a much needed new dryer. $299 was spent on a brand new dryer at a scratch and dent warehouse. A couple of tiny dents and a few scratches on the side, it was definitely worth paying a third of it's original price.
3. Used up things that needed used - old graham cracker crust and a can of root beer turned into a root beer float pie for Christmas, apples turned into apple bread.
4. Many Christmas gifts were bought thrifted or on sale.
5. Used the library for audiobooks and DVDs.
$299 total. So $49 pretax out of our own pocket.
@Jess, great deal on the dryer!
@Jess, some power companies give rebates on the purchase of a new dryer. I found mine on the power company website.
@MommaJo,
--I trimmed my hair yesterday. I've been doing this for about a year now. Thankful for long, curly hair that hides that fact I am not a professional.
--Today is my birthday. My only splurge for this was the ice cream I bought, which was the fancy Dreyer's chocolate peanut butter instead of the tub of generic chocolate we typically get. And then my husband got the tub o' chocolate to make sure there would be enough for everyone, because those containers of Dreyers are not really very big and my family can eat a lot of ice cream. 🙂
--Done with physical therapy for my son until his next foot surgery. Driving that much (180 miles) every week was a lot in gas. We spend more at the grocery store when we can go every week, too. Back to once-a-month shopping.
--My husband found the bike parts my dad had sent to fix my son's bike. He sent them like four months ago, it never got fixed, we started school . . . and then my husband is asking me where the parts are. Like I know after that long. He found them, though, so he can theoretically fix the bike.
--Most of my clothes are too big now that I've lost about 30 pounds, but my favorite wool skirt to wear to Christmas Mass fits properly again. And the high-heeled boots I wear with it that go over my calf fit much better now, too.
@kristin @ going country, Happy birthday! 😀
And wow, I thought we had some distances up here north but at least we can fly, if we’re prepared to pay an arm and a leg that is.
@kristin @ going country, Happy birthday!
@kristin @ going country, happy birthday! I hope you can stay out of the kitchen today and put your feet up for some well-deserved R&R.
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and a fun 5K run (yes, I read your blog every day ;))
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday!
@kristin @ going country, have a very happy birthday!
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYYY!!! I hope your day is wonderful.
@kristin @ going country, happy birthday!!
Also, a question: Is Dreyer's ice cream a NM local brand (not to be confused with Breyer's elsewhere)?
@kristin @ going country,
Happy birthday! December birthday girls (including myself, ha ha) are extra special.
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday!!
@kristin @ going country, Happiest Birthday, Kristin! I just love your blog.
@kristin @ going country, I hope your birthday is very special! My daughter’s birthday is Dec 24 and it’s always a bit of a challenge to make her day special as a separate event from Christmas Eve celebrations. Best wishes for beautiful pleasures that delight your heart today!!
@kristin @ going country, "theoretically" fix the bike. Lol
Love it
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday! I hope your family treats you like a queen today, obeying your every command.
@A. Marie, No, it's the same as Edy's that you see in the east. It's just called Dreyer's in the west. Like the Hellman's/Best Foods divide, I guess. Nothing to do with Breyer's.
@kristin @ going country,
Happy Birthday! Enjoy revisiting your wardrobe. So fun!
@kristin @ going country, ditto all those b'day wishes! (I hope you don't have to share your ice cream.)
@kristin @ going country, Happy Birthday!!
@kristin @ going country,
Happy birthday! I will not make you a cake. You're welcome. 😉
@A. Marie, We have both Dreyer's and Bryer's here in Washington.
This week I:
1. Sewed shut a hole that had developed in my younger son's hand-me-down winter coat.
2. Used up leftovers and froze some wilting veggies I won't use soon.
3. Aired up my car tires to get better mileage.
FFT, Christmas Eve Was a Snore Edition:
(1) As noted earlier, I undertook to make Christmas Eve dinner for the Bestest Neighbors and my next-door neighbor (NDN), as I’ve done for the last few years. Fortunately, almost all my preparations were done by 5 pm. Unfortunately, I stretched out in my recliner for a rest–and had to be awakened by NDN at the stated dinnertime of 5:30: “Oh, dear, did I get the date wrong?” Poor darling, she’s having such trouble keeping track of things these days–and I wasn’t helping! So I immediately went vertical and into hostess mode. The BNs showed up before I was finished with everything, and were much amused. Obviously, I’ll never live this down. But as Mr. Bennet says in Pride and Prejudice, “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”
(2) I went over to the BNs Christmas morning for a modest brunch (Dr. BN’s incomparable egg, sausage, and potato casserole) and a modest prezzie exchange (we’d previously agreed to scale things down this year). Considerable reuse/recycling in the prezzie department, and even more considerable reuse in the packaging department, were the order of the day. (Ms. BN would like to let you all know that she reused a box that one of us first used back in 2004.) And the BNs agreed that although I may have been a "snooze-chef" on Christmas Eve, the Martha Stewart parody calendar was up to the usual standards.
(3) Three other sets of neighbors brought me prezzies on Christmas Eve and Day. As ever and always, I am incredibly fortunate in The Street Where I Live.
(4) I took NDN in the afternoon to the Christmas Day open house that her other close friend (CF) and CF’s husband host annually. I wish I had 10% of Mr. and Ms. CF’s energy: They are hosting a niece, her husband, and two small children for the holidays; they were majorly involved in a full round of Christmas Eve/Day services at their church; and they still laid out a noble spread for their friends in the afternoon. Still, it was a bit much for NDN after a while, and I brought her home as soon as she quietly indicated to me that she’d had enough.
(5) And I've been taking advantage of the unseasonably mild weather this holiday week to (a) ramp up my year-end bottlepicking and (b) move some leaves from neighbors' piles on the street to the new compost heap I'm creating. I don't often get the chance for either in the last week of December
@A. Marie,
I love that story! I am so glad you have such darling neighbors!
@A. Marie, we might need a refresher course on all your acronyms!
Aww, your holiday sounds delightful. It is so wonderful to have good neighbors that are friends.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I try (as a former copyeditor) to give full terms and then acronyms on first use, but sometimes I slip up. Anyway, here's the cast of characters:
The BNs = Dr. and Ms. Bestest Neighbor, who have lived directly across the street from me for 37 of the 38 years I've lived here. Dr. BN, a retired family physician/hospice director/etc., is a widely beloved local figure--and he and Ms. BN (a retired university professor/administrator) walked every step of the way beside DH and me during DH's long decline.
NDN = my next-door neighbor, a childless widow in her 80s who is starting to have cognitive problems.
CF = NDN's other close friend, a retired community college professor about my age.
JASNA BFF = my best friend in the Jane Austen Society of North America, who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We met on the 2009 JASNA tour of England, realized we were separated-at-birth twins, and now exchange annual visits and copious emails.
JASNA Panera = my JASNA friend in the next city to the west who works at a Panera and keeps me supplied with day-old Panera goodies.
Grad School BFF = my other non-local BFF, an old graduate school friend of DH and me.
@A. Marie,
Christmas Eve at your house made me laugh! All’s well that ends well!
@A. Marie, Thank You!! You live on a fabulous street, and it sounds as if JASNA fills an important role in your life.
Christmas Eve, my daughter got sick, so that was a downer. She's still sick.
We're subsisting on leftovers. So many leftovers. So much cheese.
My mom rallied on Christmas and knew where she was and who we were, which is nice.
I spent yesterday lying on the sofa reading in front of the fire. I have some tidying chores on my to-do list but I may ignore them and just lie on the sofa and read all day again.
My son is driving to the city to see a movie playing only there which I'm dying to see. He invited me but I don't think I can hack the ride.
We weren't terribly merry but we weren't sad either. Just nice and quiet.
@Rose, I am so very envious of you--- lying on a sofa reading in front of a fire for a whole day?! That sounds like THE most amazing thing. "Just nice and quiet."
Chiquita is so cute peeking out from the paper pile!
At my house:
1. I did a bunch of mending (quilts, dog toy, husband's pajamas).
2. Added bits of leftover Christmas veggies to the freezer containers holding my homemade lunches. More veggies - yum!
3. Used the last of the money-off coupon codes from previous purchases at a local store to buy more underwear. My family loves new briefs and socks at Christmas or afterward.
4. With my husband's help, used a piece of wood from the scrap stack in the garage to create a larger top for the little side table in our den.
5. Used heavy fishing line to create a secure hanger for an oddly shaped decorative item.
@Ruby, New socks in stockings every year are a thing for our house also. Just in time as teen has huge holes in heel I noticed over weekend.
Today I will make an effort to leave my house and find a set of covered dishes with which to package up some homemade treats for my Secret Santa at work. The limit is $25, so I think I can do that fairly easily. I will be making a batch of fudge, and some coffee cake for she and her family. Other than that, I am resisting all holiday clearance items and starting my no-spend month early. All of my Christmas ham is portioned out and in the freezer and I am working on cooking foods we already have for the next 6 days. After that, I wipe out the fridge and pantry, then make a list and shop!
I have a pile of old Hallmarks ornaments I no longer use. I need to do the same.
1. I haven't left the house in days so no money spent or gas used. My home has been the center for my families Christmas festivities so it's been chaotic but fun.
2. We've been eating leftovers from Christmas breakfast and dinner.
3. I've sold another item on Ebay. I shipped it in a free priority mail box and used free gifted to me bubble wrap. The post office will pick up from my home during a regular delivery so it is free.
4. My daughter brought me about 40 bubble wrap envelopes that have never been used. She received a package at work full of them...someone had used these in place of filler.
5. I'm brewing coffee at home, reading library books on my kindle as well as all the other small frugal things that save so much.
1. We took our daughter to her (and my) first hockey game, but we saw the AHL instead of the NHL. Three tickets for less than the cost of one NHL ticket, and it was still super fun!
2. We did some cooking and baking together to pass the time. We made burger buns and zucchini fritters, both of which my daughter helped make, and neither of which she ate. Oh, well.
3. I cooked from the fridge and freezer; rehabbed some kale and stir-fried it, plus used up some butternut squash soup from the freezer.
4. I got a large amount of back-pay, and I put it into a tax-free account (FHSA for Canadians) which means we'll get a larger tax return.
5. I love love love using my library.
@Meira @ meirathebear,
We go to our local hockey games (EHL, Eastern Hockey League) on a regular basis, and it's a blast! Go Cyclones! The tickets are very affordable. We've splurged a few times on the closest NHL games (Columbus Blue Jackets), which are also fun, but not $$$ more fun.
@Liz B.,
And @meirathebear, same.....three tickets are less than one NHL ticket in the nosebleeds.
I slept through Christmas Day and was out of commission on Dec. 26 as well, due to illness.
My 5 FT:
--Even though I was as sick as a horse, and popped enough OTC cold pills to dose a horse, I made it to work all weekend including Christmas Eve. Somehow I got through it, thus saving my job. The rest of the time I had collapsed to my bed.
--I did not attend church or my friends' ugly sweater party due to the illness. 🙁 Although I kept finding gift items on my front porch and will reciprocate soon. But the new-to-me outfit I planned to wear to church will be new(to me) next year.
--Watched Christmas Eve religious services on TV. I only have an indoor antenna, so this was free. Except for the cost of electricity. As is all my TV viewing.
--I am finally nearing the end of my former roommate's large cache of toilet paper. About six months' worth of free! (Lest you think this is less-than-honest, remember: She doesn't need it in her nursing home, and she never paid her back rent or reimbursed me for her damages. So I feel it's OK to not have packed it in with her furniture and clothes going into Storage.....she'd be paying to store it.)
--Reused the dry cleaning bag as a garbage bag. (To do this, just knot the end where the hole was for the coat-hanger and turn it inside out. You may want to repeat process 2 or 3 times. Use the open end as the top, the knotted end as the bottom. ) It's bigger than my regular trash bags but then again, I have a lot of garbage at Christmas. Sadly, this year, it is because of so many Kleenex instead of the usual (non-recyclable) wrapping paper, packaging and other holiday remains. Also reused teabags by composting them on the roses.
@Fru-gal Lisa, Hope you feel better soon. 🙂 Get rest as whatever going around seems to make a second round a week or so later (at least here).
Awww, I hope your illness vacates the premises soon!
@Fru-gal Lisa, best wishes for a speedy recovery. And no jury in the world would convict you for using Former Roomie's TP stash, given everything you've been through with her.
1. Husband brought home a free leftover tree and two beautiful outdoor pot arrangements from the tree farm where he works.
2. Bought an old but barely used tree stand at Goodwill for $6.99. In previous years, l used a vintage metal bucket with not-great results.
3. Baked my own bread to use in the egg bake for Christmas Eve brunch.
4. Attended two parties and went home with a lot of leftover food that lasted for days. One of the parties was an open house, and when my husband and I were deciding what time to go, I shamelessly said if we were there more toward the end than the beginning, we’d likely get a lot of food to take home. Score!
5. Niece gave us a new blanket that a co-worker gave her as a gift. Our pup loves it so it’s hers now.
1. A national hotel chain offered free breakfast and I went with a friend instead of our regular birthday luncheon.
2. A local store also had a jubilee and offered 25% discount on everything in the store. Bought Christmas presents for SIL and BIL. Since she has so many allergies I find it easier (and safer) to buy locally made edibles than gifting my homemade.
3. Was with another friend at a free course in “tægerbinding» (weaving with tree roots) at a Sami museum. It’s located by the Finnish border so took the opportunity to buy the few groceries that still is cheaper there. Cannot remember a time when the euro was higher than now.
4. The local museum had an open day and I was lucky to get a spot there selling my handmade products. The last couple of weeks I’ve sewn up zipper pouches for children from secondhand fabrics with Moomin, Bambi etc. They are thankfully still a big hit after all the years of me making them and the extra money before Christmas is much appreciated.
5. This is my biggest win of the year. Thanks to a friend I decided to try to get the standard EU 261 compensation for the delay when I took my mum to Berlin last year. I’m so grateful that my friend pushed me to do it as I believed it was too long ago. And that she told me to go for vouchers as you get the double amount because now I got a voucher for €1600!
Alaska is now first on my travel bucket list (after being able to cross off quite a few destinations thanks to saving airline point on groceries the last couple of years). Perhaps this makes it possible!
@Gunn from Northern Norway, How wonderful to get the airline compensation! Having flight problems, and then having to search out refunds, is so very frustrating. I'm glad you have a system that worked so well for you.
If you fly to Alaska, do you go east or west?
@Heidi Louise, I’ve looked a bit on tickets with the airline I got the voucher from and the only options is flying west it seams. First to Oslo - Copenhagen - San Francisco or Los Angeles - Anchorage. Just traveling there will be quite the experience!
@Gunn from Northern Norway, you have a very long trip ahead of you. You might want to break it up a little before the very long flight to Anchorage. I am a seasoned traveler and don’t enjoy that deep level of fatigue plus jet lag, or perhaps I am just not a kid any more. But I feel better letting my system catch up with local time. Distances are very great on the west coast of the US—flights from Seattle to Anchorage are 7 to 10 hours! Even longer from SF or LA. Look at a globe; maybe you would enjoy a few days in Chicago? Just a suggestion. I’m not paid by anyone to promote any city but travel is more stressful than it used to be, and you need your health and your wits about you to deal with inevitable problems.
@Kristina, thank you for the kind suggestions!
Personally I prefer to have all the flights on one ticket (don’t know the English phrase for that) after a truly terrible journey to Morocco where my first flight was cancelled due to fog.
After that experience I always book everything with same airline on the same ticket so if there is any problems they will take care of it.
I too find the actual travel bit exhausting so I always have a day or two without plans when arriving, just to sleep and rest.
@Kristina, Just flew last May from east coast USA to Seattle and flight was 6 hours. Then flight from Seattle to Anchorage was 4 hours. Hope this helps.
@Kristina, Flights from Seattle to Anchorage are actually under 4 hours. It's a direct flight. From LA to Anchorage it can be just over 5 1/2 non-stop, or 7 1/2 hours or more with a layover in Seattle. If flying to San Francisco, that would be a fun place to stay a couple of days before flying to Anchorage.
Oh goodness, it wasn't much of a frugal week, but here goes:
1) Used our lounge pass at the airport yesterday to get a free meal. We were still quite a bit under the limit of credit provided, so the waiter brought us a bunch of protein bars & two fruit bowls. The protein bars will make a nice snack for the teens. We used that + the free meal we received on the flight (we got upgraded to first class) & the cocktail as our lunch & dinner, and didn't need to eat when we got home. Which is great, because the fridge is super bare, after being out of town.
2) Used two free hotel nights for our trip, so we paid just for parking.
3) Priced out cheapest transportation to/from the airport. It was the airport's long term lot vs a ride share, so we opted for that. Saved a little bit over Lyft or Uber.
4) Used an Amex gift card for a lunch out on our trip.
5) Ate a variety of creative leftovers before we left for our trip. (Quesadilla with a chicken patty diced up, soup with a hamburger bun as "toast", leftover teen meals, etc).
I like your frugal things this week, Kristen. Especially buying and selling on Ebay. I have not had much luck selling—I tried to sell an accounting textbook from school and this darn scammer bought it and the whole thing was a mess. I'm still stuck with the textbook and at least I'm not out any money, though.
Sorry to hear about the ornaments not fitting into your life anymore. That's great they have good homes now. 🙂
Let's see, recently (not necessarily this week), I:
-Found a nice wooden end table someone was giving away, so I snatched it and now I can replace my ugly black end table, haha
-Stayed home reading books I own instead of going places, so that's frugal
-Didn't do much for Christmas in general—not really my preferred choice (I commented semi-anonymously on the Christmas Eve post and that post in general was just super helpful to me, so thanks again for writing it, Kristen), but hey, at least it was frugal
P.S. Chiquita is so cute!
I'm so glad the post was helpful to you!
@Natalie K., I'm with you 100% on eBay selling of books if you haven't already been selling on eBay for years (I tried selling a few this summer through a friend of Ms. BN's, and it was a pain in the *** for all concerned), the excellence of Kristen's Christmas Eve post, and Chiquita's cuteness.
@A. Marie, THANK YOU. I am glad I'm not alone on the eBay woes, LOL. Either the scammers descend on me, which is super annoying. When that happened, I had to wait for the auction to be over BEFORE I could report them, then wait some more, then I was finally allowed to re-list the item.
The one item that wasn't bought by a scammer I practically gave away—$50 worth of yarn for a mere $16 profit to an annoying person in Arizona who wouldn't even leave me a review. I have 0 reviews (I was a new seller) and it would have helped so much if she'd left a review. I shipped promptly and even put a cute little note in the box, all to no avail. Sigh.
I was so frustrated by the experience that I haven't tried to sell anything since.
But yes, Chiquita is awesome, which makes everything better. 🙂
1. We made all of the holiday meals and treats ourselves. We ate up (and continue to eat) leftovers.
2. We did some troubleshooting on the washer. Hopefully that will fix the problem.
3. We didn't do any after-Christmas sales.
4. We rearranged furniture and decluttered part of the house. I started to list items for sale online.
5. I renewed our library items online.
I have deemed this the "most lack luster" Christmas I've ever had. I also worked on the weekend in spite of having a "not COVID" upper respiratory something and wore a mask. (Frugal-Lisa) Unlike some other co-workers, being scheduled for the holidays has it's responsibilities to me. Can you really use the excuse for you and your wife that you can't work because the neighbor's dog got into the chickens...for the third time? So after getting home Monday morning I hunkered down. 1) Frugal to work on a time and a half holiday.
2) My niece left a carefully curated care package on my front porch saving me time and money and energy for easy to heat items while "not COVID." This was in lieu of the time we'd planned to be together for a meal and celebrate Christmas.
3) Thawed a round steak to make steak and mushroom gravy, to use down (slowly) the freezer stash. That will be my "eternity" a single person with a whole round steak. I'm getting a quarter beef sometime this or next week. Getting the beef is not frugal, but healthier in the long run as I know where the steer roamed and who looked after it.
4) Ordered the free COVID tests from the post office. Had not taken advantage so was able to get both orders of four at this time.
5) I do not have to get many Christmas gifts, but I did find some cute tops for my niece on eBay. She so seldom gets herself new clothes that she's always thankful. For coworkers and neighbors, it will be treat trays. After I am well, I hope to embark on my baking marathon that got put on the back burner. I suspect my postal lady, neighbors and coworkers will be happy for the treats that will extend the sugar overload into January.
I hope you are feeling 100% soon!
Biggest seasonal frugal thing has been using all of the free pumpkin - I took a tip from Katy at nonconsumer advocate and picked up a few uncut pumpkins from my town’s recycling center, and then roasted them, freezing some as chunks and some as purée. So far they have made soup, muffins, breads, curry and a dog treat.
I am currently operating on the opposite side of frugal 🙁 But I have a couple Christmas related tiny ones:
- my 2 year old's "big" gift was an easel. I specifically wanted one with butcher paper, chalk and a dry erase. it took time but we found a beautiful one on FB marketplace for 50.
- we ran super duper tight on wrapping paper, so we ended up using Happy Birthday, and generic blue wrapping paper instead of rush buying more.
- we repurposed our left over mashed potatoes for shepherds pie (bonus: the recipe was from a cookbook my husband received for Christmas!) sadness: I put some to take to work, and then forgot it on the counter boo hoo.
- asked for grocery gift cards (got a total of 50$ between the husband and I) should decrease food spending a tiny bit.
- and one big (relative) savings: instead of flying to New Mexico to visit the in-laws, which would have required buying 3 plane tickets for husband, 2 year old, and me, we paid for the In-laws to come to us, thus saving the price of one plane ticket.
1. Got some wrapping paper post Christmas for 50% off. Bonus points for it being stuff like Mario and Zelda and not Christmas specific paper so it will work for birthdays.
2. My wife forgot socks on our trip so we found some at Walmart marked down. Bonus points are that she really likes them.
3. Mailing some presents instead of checking a bag on the plane.
4. Had a more minimalist Christmas this year. Fewer presents and fewer things to deal with. Post Christmas we are going to start donating or selling items.
5. Enjoying lots of free entertainment around Christmas.
Ooh yes, I love to buy non-Christmas-specific wrapping after the holidays!
@Kristen, I like using "wrong" wrapping paper if possible. One year, I used "It's a GIRL" pink paper for all Christmas presents. Because that's the kind of person I am. This year my two kids got Paw Patrol. (NB: they are 26 and 29.)
Hahah, that reminds me that we have a Peppa Pig gift bag that I always used for Lisey's gifts. Heh.
@Rose,
Lol.....I have Lightning McQueen wrapping paper, as well as a ton of "baby boy" themed gift bags from when my son was born and a toddler.....he's now almost 14. You've inspired me. 🙂
1. Yesterday I restarted my walking program. One of my weekly walking friends and I took time to go to a new place. It would take too long to get to and home from on Monday mornings. We did a nice 4 mile and plan to get back. The rain has been hitting our Monday mornings lately. It was good to be back out. Only cost was gas.
2. I told my friend I would show up at her line dancing class today at the sr. center. I always enjoyed the class but I became very lazy. It was fun today. We did a little "rockettes routine", which boosted the spirit.
3. When I left the sr. center there was a table of free food products. Boy, plenty of sweets, which I did not take. But there was a butternut squash, which will go great with my ham tonight and some bagels.
4. Heading back to the sr. center today for an early new year celebration.
5. Yesterday I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up my husband's medications. While there I looked over the holiday candy. Candy kisses in red (valentine's day), green (St. Patrick's Day) and silver (share between the holidays). But I found big bags of twix miniatures at a great price on the regular candy shelf. I am going to use for Valentine's Day for my club members. I'll make little boxes from red paper that I have and pop in a couple of twix bars.
I do understand the thought of Christmas is done. It's now time to re-organize the body and mind.
I feel like I have done absolutely nothing frugal lately. The only thing I can think of at present is that we are skiing using the season passes we bought at a discount a few months ago.
The multiple cups of hot chocolate and buckets of fries I have to buy in the lodge to keep myself and the kids happy does somewhat balance out this "frugal" win.
I thought it would be interesting to see how much cash back I earned (didn't even think to attempt amount saved) this year So I got busy & added amounts to see how I did.
Frugal things year end edition--
● $500+ cash back (in my pocket) (from Mastercard) for year (PLUS I used some towards purchase before I learned I could get money in pocket)
●$108 cash bank using my debit card 12 times monthly (from credit union) reported as income on taxes
● $85 Meijer rewards earned (not including coupons, money off purchase, Santa Bucks), $800 Menards Rebates (11% & free after purchase), $25 Sam's Club e-gift card earned, $35 Fetch Rewards, $10 (PayPal) Shopkick & I don't know for Swagbucks because won't let me in in few months. 🙁
● Used my Hallmark rewards/bonuses to purchase pop up birthday cards & 1 Christmas card for next year.
●made second purchase to get $20 Target gift card rewards/bonus. Found dog grooming clippers (usually $50) & with coupons/bonus got for $32 which is what been looking for & nobody seems to carry in store (I need to look at & check out quality of clippers) since rescue dogs grooming is almost double of what paid for former dogs. And groomer did bad job. Plus dogs traumatized afterwards.
●packaged up leftover ham into bags/individual serving sizes & put into freezer.
●DID NOT BUY ANYTHING ON MY 31 OUTLET SALE (started yesterday through January ?) Had Deluxe utility tote limited edition pattern I wanted & personalization but decided not to purchase. I already have a lot & rotate patterns to use.
Honestly it seems that this year clearance/end of year sales are not that good. Prices on sale for same products were better prices then clearance.
Frugal Fail---
● Had to throw out $15 juice & almond milk (dumped outside in grass & then rained again) that was few months past date. Teen thought funny because I bought on sale (usually drinks all time) but refused to because I bought after teen said not to (teen having difficulty remembering financial lessons on sale versus normal pricing). Going to be unhappy when I don't buy any foods want in no spend months (yes plural) because freezer full of food (on sale) & not paying higher prices.
I so enjoy reading other's frugal moves. Thank you all for writing and Kristen for hosting! It reminds me that what I do is important, however repetitive. This week, I have some more unusual ones.
1. One of the hotel rewards chains credit cards offered me a "Winter Treat Box": A beautifully boxed miniature waffle iron with a snowflake design, waffle mix, tiny syrup, and wooden spatula (with their company name on it). I can't say it will make me stay at their chain more or less often, but we should enjoy it.
2. Out of the blue, received a Giant refund from the health care system in our area in the mail, so generous that I phoned and asked what it was for. I made note of who I talked to and what she said, in case they go back through their records from several years ago when the mistake supposedly occurred and realize they made a mistake.
3. We are taking advantage of our one month free of Amazon Prime, to watch movies and order items without paying shipping that would take a lot of driving and searching to find in a larger city, (Britta water filters for ancient pitcher, precise Christmas presents, marzipan). Don't plan to continue it, especially as some network television programs will be coming back with new episodes soon.
4. I mentioned to my sister that we were going to experiment with homemade laundry soap, (using the ancient bars of Fels Naphtha soap that were at my parents-- so old I don't think they even had UPC codes on the packaging). She included some soap nuts and some laundry soap strips in her Christmas package to me to try out.
5. Lots of library books.
@Heidi Louise, can you share which hotel chain? I'm really curious. I belong to several rewards programs and have one cc but no one offered me a cute waffle iron. ;-( (I may be just a little jealous. 😉 )
@Bobi, Wyndham Rewards. I would share the waffle iron if I could!
I don't know quite how we moved up in their attention; someone else might know about current competition for customers.
I have had their account and no-fee credit card for several years but probably only used it once or twice for motels, pre-pandemic.
However, this summer, we used got two "free" points rooms and then paid for two more Wyndham rooms on the credit card, and used the credit card for a room at a Marriot as well, all in the same week. They might have decided we were becoming travelers again, (probably looked at other demographic characteristics as well), and were worth trying to cultivate.
Perhaps something will come your way for Summer!
Hmm. I am not feeling super frugal lately, as I've indulged in some retail therapy leading up to Christmas. I saw a meme that described me perfectly regarding the stages of buying presents: 1. Plenty of time 2. Presents for myself 3. Oh No.
Ahem.
Our Christmas is a little untraditional (or very traditional, depending on how you look at it). Stockings on Christmas, larger presents on St Nicholas day and/or Epiphany.
1. I sourced some stocking stuffers on Amazon, like no sugar added beef jerky, Lily's chocolate pb cups, and Goldfish crackers. When you're trying to build no sugar stockings, sometimes Amazon is cheaper than the grocery store.
2. We didn't go to any holiday activities that cost money--like light shows, or musicals--we stayed home, played board games, went for hikes (thanks to the amazingly warm weather), watched our favorite holiday movies, and just spent time together.
3. When planning Christmas dinner we went with what was on sale--turkey was cheaper than ham, so we did that. Everyone loves turkey (including the cat, who was in heaven with his own little plate of dark meat).
4. I saved the neck, gizzards, and bones in the freezer for turkey broth.
5. Library books. Although I have my eye on some copies of Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey, which I very much want to read, and I always prefer reading physical books over e books when it comes to classics. I may use Amazon points for those.
@Karen A., I like it that the cat (Clark?) got his own little plate of dark turkey meat. And let me know what you think about S&S and NA when you've read them. Both have their defenders and their detractors.
But A. Marie: what is YOUR opinion?
@A. Marie, Yes, Clark, who also gets called by the undignified nicknames of Fluffin, Fluff, and Good Good Cat. He also likes a spoon of plain Greek yogurt now and then, and is not averse to nibbling on a black bean. He really loves turkey, though.
We watched Sense and sensibility (Emma Thompson version) and liked it a lot, so thought I'd give the book a go. I'm a few chapters in and am enjoying it. I read the first few paragraphs of NA and loved it, so hopefully the rest will hold up 😉
@Karen A., The Emma Thompson version of S and S is my favorite production of all of JAs, works. Wonderful casting and I fell permanently in love with Alan Rickman. I have seen other versions that don't even come close IMHO.
Loved the Christmas Eve post—thank you! It inspired me to write 3 pages about Christmas to share with several close friends as we all deal with various flavors of holiday disappointment and those sore spots on our hearts.
1. Added elastic to a skirt that keeps falling down. I bought it on eBay many years ago, tried to give it away, failing that I took some tucks in the waistband, fought it every time I wore it, tried an elastic belt only to discover that the elastic was history, and finally decided to just sew some wide elastic inside the waistband. Phew. (It is April Cornell, my absolute favorite style of clothing from the early 2000s.)
2. Didn’t order photos needed for painting—waiting for a coupon or special.
3. Didn’t order stickers for my packages of notecards that are all the same design. 17 cents per sticker is too big of a bite out of already almost non-existent profit on those. I'll make something on my computer and put it inside every package, visible under the cellophane bag.
4. Recommended a water treatment company (Life Source—anyone else want a recommendation?) to a friend and when she buys, we will get $100 from the company.
5. Connected a friend with the insurance guy who found insurance for our cabin - frugal for him, easy happiness for me to be able to help.
I’m one person and a ham, eternity plus. I can guarantee part of that ham will be frozen.
1. It worked out that I hosted lunch for 11 on Christmas Day this year, hence the ham. I opened green beans I had bought too many of this summer so I had canned them with a little onion. They were delicious.
2. Used my 1970’s China and estate silver along with the sale tablecloth and napkins from at least a decade ago.
3. All of the gifts I gave were in reusable boxes or homemade gift bags, with reusable tags I made. They go back with my Christmas decorations when I pack that up at the end of the 12 days.
4. We were going to grab a quick bite after Christmas Eve service but the only places open were a couple of fast food drive throughs and they were backed up so we just waited and ate at home. It was cheaper and healthier .
5. I put my name in for half a hog. It comes from a strictly organic and pastured farm, so it still isn’t cheaper than factory farm meat but I will save $3-$8 a pound compared to buying cuts and support a local farmer at the same time. Growing up, our hogs lived in pastures with barns used only for weather protection and farrowing, with ample water and additional buckets of corn grown without pesticides. That was how family farmers usually did it there so I like to support family farmers here who take good care of their animals.
@JD, I wish I lived closer to you so I could go in on another of the 1/2 hogs you menion in your #5. DH's and my friends who supply our 1/4 steer used to supply us with 1/2 hog as well, but they went out of the hog business a few years ago--and I'm afraid they will be giving up the steer business next year as well. They're in their mid-70s and finding it harder to do the necessary work as the years go on.
@A. Marie, "menion" = "mention," of course. (I hate it when I notice a typo the minute I hit "reply.")
I can't remember who was asking about bone broth last week but Aldi is going to have (new product) bone broth $3.99 box starting January 3rd. I thought a little pricey because I get chicken & beef stock on sale cheaper.
\- Purchased wrapping paper and name tags on clearance to replenish the supplies
- Filled up with gas when I was at BJ's picking up the wrapping paper as it has the cheapest gas in town
- Froze some of the leftover appetizers from the holiday celebrations to have for NYE
- Skipped baking a cake for Christmas dinner since we had so many leftover sweets from previous events, and everyone was already sweets saturated
- We continue to eat a variety of creative leftovers
It has not been a frugal month.
Ham: I LOVE a pot of ham and beans.Soak those dry beans and cook them up with onion celery maybe some chicken buillion in the water and some ham!! YUM!! Could eat this every week!
I have always wanted to make Chicken Cordon Blue but never have.. if you do,post photos!!
NEXT MONTH: Back to watching the expenses!!!!!
@Madeline, why haven't you? I've been making chicken kiev my whole life--it's basically the same only with herb butter instead of ham and cheese. Not hard, but one tip: buy the big toothpicks and make sure they're colored, so you can see to pull them out easily.
For the entire month of December, I will have kept my grocery spending to $231.49, including not just food but also household supplies and dog treats. So about $51.44/week or $7.47/day.
Only one meal out and that was an annual Christmas get-together that I put in the “gift to me” rather than grocery category.
I caught Kristen’s CVS virus and bought $27.78 of needed stuff for $7.91. Which prompted a congratulatory email from CVS with … more coupons!
Aww, I am so proud of your CVS trip!
@Kristen, It's addictive!! I have to keep reminding myself that a great price on something I do not really need is NOT a bargain!
Eternal ham - it’s a thing! Our coping strategy is to cube it & freeze it in 4 oz quantities for this delicious easy egg dish which serves 2 & can be scaled up: Use an 8x8 baking dish,
Oven at 350 degrees. Dry fry/sauté cubed ham over medium heat to drive off some liquid; shred 4 oz of fontina, Swiss, or Gruyère cheese, place cubed ham in the bottom, sprinkle cheese on top, make 4 “wells” to nestle eggs in, crack eggs into “wells”, pour 1/2 cup heavy cream over the eggs, cheese & ham. Bake for about 20-25 minutes (depends on how long it takes the whites to set), let cool a few minutes, eat & enjoy!
Oooh, that sounds yummy!
That sandwich looks so good!
--Frugal Christmas presents: I divided my mother's considerable collection of Christmas cookie cutters and gave them as gifts to my nieces and nephews. I pitched in for a packet of candy eyes for each.
--More presents: I shopped in our basement collection of gifts for my great-nieces and nephews.
--I planned meals and mostly stuck to it. When I didn't, I used what we had here at home.
--We used credit card points to buy a gift card to Shutterfly so each of our children could pick out some pictures to have printed for themselves.
--We bought and gave many thrifted gifts-- records, books, etc.
As you have often mentioned King Arthur Flour, I point out the news article I saw about their just released Recipe of the Year, "Super Sized, Super Soft, Chocolate Chip Cookies."
No matter how good they look, I fear I could not make them, because aside from various careful mixing moves, the recipe calls for chilling the dough in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours. No way would that remain uneaten raw at my house.
@Heidi Louise, My mother used to make 'refrigerator cookies' that required the dough to sit in the refrigerator. I can't remember anything about what the actual cookies tasted like, but just thinking about them brings the taste of the dough to my mind 60 years later.
@tjbl, Oh, yes. I remember that name, though not what they were.
My Mom would think she was freezing cookie dough, mostly ginger snaps and chocolate chips, but when she went to get it out, the jars were empty. My sister copied some of her recipes onto recipe cards for me when I got married, and for the serving size on the ginger snaps, wrote "Serves 1".
I'm curious what those ornaments were. I bundled up the ornaments I never wanted to see again, not even thinking to try selling them. Two of them would have brought me some cash since they are part of Lennox annual series. Ah, well. Water under the bridge now.
Frugal things...
1. Made Pork Tinga for Christmas. It uses cheap ingredients, tastes great and made enough for me to freeze for when work/school resumes. Also, I like it; which can't be said for ham very much.
2. Shared Christmas Meal (is it lunch or dinner when it's at 3pm?) with a friend who is in a similar boat to me. She brought caramel buns (why have I never had such a treat before??) and we had a delicious meal together.
3. Reused holiday decorations, instead of buying all new things like I was tempted to do. I did get rid of some of the items that was most upsetting.
4. Baked stuff from scratch (cookies, cinnamon rolls, meals); menu planned.
I can't come up with a fifth one.
@kaitlin, You continued breathing. In the long run, this is very good for your health, and if you are healthy, you have fewer medical bills. 😉
@Jody S., I love this perspective!
Happy holidays!
1. I used Good Rx to pick up my prescription, which happened to make it $10 cheaper than using my health insurance. I will always check Good Rx now for cheaper prices on any prescription!
2. Went through the kids toys and craft supplies and listed things on Buy Nothing.
3. I picked up a Hello Fresh meal off Buy Nothing. I added more broccoli and rice, which will feed me for lunch all week.
4. Our 13 year old kitty passed away about a month ago. We also have a 17 year old kitty. We decided to adopt another cat, but fell in love with 2 cats at the shelter! So, now we will have 3 cats. The adoption fees are $120 for each cat, but the cats are fully vetted, vaccinated, spayed, microchipped, treated for worms, fleas, etc, so I feel like that's pretty frugal for an animal adoption.
5. I fixed the Velcro on my daughter's shoe instead of throwing them out.
Are you a member of Paperbackswap? It has saved me oodles of money on books for years and years.
@Daisy, Me, too! And the occasional DVD.
Our son and daughter in law are here visiting from South Korea. So a spendy Christmas.
1. Ds paid for our Chinese take out on Friday night. Then the leftovers stayed in the fridge a day too long so I had to toss them. I was annoyed cause we could have eaten them.
2. We had a prime rib for dinner on Christmas and we were able to eat the leftovers the next night. Yum!!
3. Son and daughter in law are staying in a hotel as we have no room here. They are saving money by using my car instead of a rental.
4. While it's not time for our monthly trip to Lidle we are taking son and daughter in law to check it out. Hubby and I have some stuff to take back.
5. Everything I bought for hubby for Christmas fit him. One fail was I bought 4 packs of underwear for him that had 3 undies each. He wants to donate one pack and I want to send it back. We'll see...
6. Hubby made me a beautiful wind chime from my late mother's silver ware not silver (silver plated). It's beautiful.
1. Made persimmon sauce that I will use in place of applesauce in select baking recipes. I had a mountain of persimmons that were just too soft for me to eat raw (fuyu variety-I only like them crisp and just didn't eat them quickly enough). I had already dried as many as I wanted in that form.
2. Had my husband trim my hair. It will make it last until my next hair appointment.
3. Rearranged some furniture to better use space in room and gain some storage.
4. Picked up a stack of books from the library. Perfect for a rainy and quiet week between Christmas and New Year.
5. It worked out that our celebration with kids/spouses/grandson will be this coming Friday. I overbought some food items for Christmas and ALL of them will be used for our 3 day get together that is coming. It has worked out perfectly and the only thing I need to buy is a bag of salad ( not the form I usually buy, but we are travelling to them and this is the easiest form to transport).
Chiquita cracks me up...she is so cute, peeking out from the wrapping paper!
Not a very frugal week around here, but let me see....
- I wanted to watch the old Rankin-Bass version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but spending $7.99 on AppleTV+ was a no-go. Son found it on YouTube for free (and also thought it was hilarious that I know all the words to all of the songs, and most of the dialogue).
- took advantage of Stuff Your Kindle Day - today - and downloaded a few Kindle version cookbooks for free.
- thought I had bought some fancy candy (on sale) before Christmas for my hair stylist and our postman. Nope, only had one, which I gave to my hair stylist. Stopped at Walgreens on 12/26, and found some clearance holiday candy to gift the postman. So, inadvertently frugal.
- out of town sister thoughtfully gifted us a variety pack of New York bagels and cream cheese, so breakfasts have been yummy. You cannot find better bagels anywhere else.
-have not gone anywhere, because son and hubby have been sick (they're both well now), plus still recovering from knee surgery.
She is so entertaining; always always busy being curious.
It’s nice that you don’t mind Christmas being over because you can work this week when other nurses with school age kids in public school want to be off. Heart
Christmas doesn’t start for me until dance and school get out on 22 Dec, so I appreciate celebrating until January 5th or so.
We’re decorating sugar cookies tonight. No eyes this year. Tears. lol.
Oh, that is true; and down the road when I am a truly empty nester, I will probably volunteer to work some holidays so that people with young kids can be off.
1- our Christmas party was smaller than planned due to illness so we have lots of leftovers that were finishing up tonight and then tomorrow night. Dinner will be cheese and bits.
2-I’m finishing a year of no new clothes challenge and my daughter gifted me for pair of her black leggings that she didn’t wear anymore. I put on the first pair and noticed a tear in the waistband so I got out the sewing kit and sewed it up. A few days later I put on the second pair, and it had the same problem, and I realized I had sewn up a small pocket!
3-On our neighborhood Facebook page someone posted 25 pound bag of rice for free. I said I would take some if she would divide it up and she gave me two large gallon Ziploc bags full!
4-my husband and I didn’t do a gift exchange and his father who lives with us gave him a massage gift certificate and a facial for me. So that will be a nice gift to enjoy later.
5-Taking advantage of this warmer winter, and getting out for a walk every day. That’s a nice change for me and the dog.
Kristen, I read about a third of the comments, but don't have time to read all of them. For that reason, this may be a question you've already answered:
What's the book that was recommended to you to help heal the aftermath of what you've been through, please? I could probably really use that book, too. Thank you.
I can email it to you! If I share it here, I will probably be sharing more than I should.
@Kimberly, Most posting days, I feel the same way. I want to read all the comments and reply, but I run out of time. 🙁
Check out ThriftBooks.com
Good prices most are used but can select what level you want
Also can sign up for reward points for free books
1. Had a free pastry in my Panera app, and was able to stop by while on another errand to pick it up without making a special trip (it’s about 20 min from my home).
2. I had about 6 hours of required training show up in my online employee learning portal. I was able to listen to those during Baby E’s naps, and also worked on other tasks (making meals, assessing our end-of-year FSA/HSA spending money options, etc.). I don’t have many options for paid work at the moment so I was grateful to have some hours.
3. Mended a pair of underwear.
4. Mended a well-loved board book before it fell apart.
5. Finishing up little odds and ends from the freezer, fridge, and toiletries (including minuscule soap slivers).
6. Wrapped gifts with vintage and/or previously used and/or scraps of wrapping paper (the vintage paper was handed down from my mom who is very sentimental to the point of never using things), mostly because Baby E is at the stage of loving to tear things open. We will transition to reusable gift bags later!
1. Sew and tie quilts for disaster relief. Just pay electricity cost. Trace template for liners for days for girls. Use supplies provided. Free crafts that do good.
2. Needed break from dishes. Got free chef prepared Christmas meal for family of 3....fish, turkey, and ham, plus sides, and dessert. Takeout.
3. Free audiobooks on Libby app. Love to listen to books.
4. Free bread and biscuits in free cattle feed boxes.
5. Free desserts in cattle feed boxes.
6. Made a free snowflake with 16 plastic hangers, zip ties and supplies at library. My husband hung lights on it.
7. Attend a free library book to art club to see friends and show artwork or eat treats. Low cost way to see friends.
Ok, so I don't know if I really have five frugal things that aren't just the same old, but I thought I'd comment and describe my son's birthday cake today since I know you all appreciate my culinary fails (can-shaped cranberry sauce of 2022, anyone?)...
Ok, here goes...first off, I don't really like cake. I find it dry and tasteless, and frosting is always too sweet for me. So, if I'm going to make a cake, I want it to taste more like things I like, such as whipped cream, fruit, or chocolate, maybe a gooey brownie, something like that. Maybe all of those things. I don't know...I'm indecisive. Also, I'm frugal and lazy, so I don't want to go out and buy any special ingredients, but I do love to use up something I already have, or better yet, got for free. Then, there is my love of a layered effect and a big beautiful presentation. Also, I'm easily bored and always want to try something different. Finally, there is the fact that despite my vast research and experience eating foods, I'm super spoiled by my husband and almost never need to do any regular cooking or baking, so I'm out of practice. All of this means that I bake a cake about four times a year on birthdays only, never the same one twice, and I almost always decide to mash three or four recipes together with an idea in my mind that would never actually work in real life.
Ok, still with me? Today's cake was a chocolate cake with two cake layers, a few cupcakes on top to create a third tier, a chocolate granola bottom crust, frozen strawberries (from leftover sweetened diced strawberry cups from school) and whipped cream in between the cake layers, a layer of whipped cream on top and I put the whole shebang into a spring form pan and froze it for a couple of hours. This was good. Despite some difficulties getting my cakes out of the pans and into the spring form pan because I like them to be just a teensy bit on the gooey side, I was actually really pleased with the results. I should have quit while I was ahead...
Um...I never quit.
I wanted there to be another layer of strawberries around the top cupcake layer-this time with whole frozen strawberries mixed into the diced strawberries because I thought it would look prettier. I also wanted the sides to look iced, but I wanted the icing to actually be more whipped cream, because yum. Also, icing=gross. Finally, I wanted the top to be drizzled with a dark chocolate ganache. I had such dreams! Oh, and two number 1 candles had to go on top. Small cosmetic changes, right?
You guys. I made all this happen. Temporarily. The chocolate ganache was a little on the thick side, but other than that, it was not too far off from my mind castle cake. Then I lit the candles. Then I put it in front of my eleven year old and said "blow them out quick! We have to eat this RIGHT NOW!" While whipped cream and frozen strawberries started puddling off the edge of the plate...my parents burst out laughing...my husband said "I have one note: I like it..." and my nine year old said simply: "nailed it."
In my defense, everyone said that it tasted amazing, but I literally had to dump the leftover cake unceremoniously into a large bowl to go back into the freezer prompting more hearty guffaws. Will we eat this leftover birthday cake ice cream? Um...yeah, frugal, remember? Also, I'm pretty sure my kids will always remember their birthday cakes...so there's that...anyway, happy holidays and I wish you all better baking luck this season!
I have made lots of ugly cakes in my time, so no judgment here. lol
Happy Birthday! I just stumbled across your blog for the first time and really love it! Have a blessed year!
FFT (or 10):
1. Did not buy any new wrapping paper, and instead, used wrapping paper and bows I've accumulated over the years -I have a wrapping paper addiction!. Fortunately, it's always purchased "discounted" at Costco, Hobby Lobby etc. I have fewer gifts to wrap each year so I'm working hard to use up paper and gift bags...and not buy more!
2. Used gift cards purchased last year on Target's 10% off day to purchase a gift that was on sale already, giving me an extra 10% off. It needed to be In Store Pick Up to qualify for the sale price, so I combined that with other errands...and didn't buy anything else at Target.
3. Made smaller batches of cookies so none went to waste.
4. Made ham and potato soup last night with the left over ham/ham bone from Christmas with my kids and grandkids.
5. Took leftover Christmas breakfast quiche for my dinner that night at work.
6. Did no after Christmas shopping.
7. Didn't buy a "throwback" football jersey for myself (as I normally would have done) and instead, waited and got it for Christmas from my brother in law.
8. Used Good Rx to pick up a prescription my insurance won't cover, saving over $100
9. Used other unused or partially used gift cards (Home Depot etc.) toward other gifts for my significant other.
10. Working on submitting my HSA receipts to get reimbursement.
The only tangible things I bought on my vacation were my usual travel souvenirs: a fridge magnet and a very small pinata to be a christmas tree ornament.
I got that exact puzzle for my sister in law for Christmas this year!
I have two words for you: ham salad! I love it so much.
How do you like making yours?