Five Frugal Things | red dress repair
1. I mended a dress
I got a thrifted dress that had a tiny hole on the side.
So I just stitched that up by hand, and all is well.
Under the arm is a nice, inconspicuous place to do a repair; it's way lower stakes than, say, the middle of the bodice.
It's too cold for the dress right now, but I will for sure wear it to a symphony once the weather is warmer!
2. I got 20% off Target groceries
Zoe came with me to Target to pick up a few groceries, and she noticed she had a 20% off grocery items offer in her Target Circle app for me to use. Sweet!
Of course, I also used my Target Red Card debit card for another 5% off. 🙂
3. I got Chiquita a cat tree at Aldi
It was $35, which seemed like a pretty good deal, given that it includes scratching posts, and this scratching post alone is almost $30 even on Amazon.
I also like to buy cardboard scratching pads when Aldi carries them; they're intermittently available in the Special Buy aisle.
4. I got my entire fourth-semester tuition paid for
I applied for so many before nursing school started, and a lot of the ones I won were good for all four semesters. Which means that I got a lot of return for my time; I'm still seeing the fruit of my 2023 efforts.
I am so grateful to Lisey for setting an apply-for-scholarships example for me! 🙂
I am also grateful that writing comes easily to me; I churned out essays with no difficulty, and that made the scholarship application process much less laborious.
I am also grateful that in those essays, I was able to write about some hard things that happened to me and turn them into something good (money for a nursing education, which I will use to hopefully go out and do good in the world).
VERY satisfying. 🙂
5. I got a $0.99/month Kindle Unlimited membership
Lisey wanted two Kindle books (we share an account), so I signed up for a temporary cheap membership. I think I have the $0.99 price for three months.
As it happens, I also wanted to read Tia Levings' book, "A Well-Trained Wife" (Tia was in the documentary Shiny Happy People), so I snagged that.
Which means each book has cost us $0.33 apiece for the moment. Sweet!
You are off to a frugal year!
My Frugals:
- We used more eggs than usual in the past weeks and as usual I rinsed, dried and ground the shells for future use in the garden (anti-snails, additional calcium);
- I found several cans in the streets;
- I had milk that was five days past expiration date, and an old box of pancake mix. So after a sniff test we had pancakes - they were tasteful and we did not have belly aches;
- I found a thick woolen Norwegian sweater in a second hand shop and have been wearing it a lot in the house and garden;
- A membership I have is offering free five month trials of health apps and I plan to try one. Subscription ends automatically - otherwise I would not make use of it.
@JNL, no way in Hades would I enter anything into a health app, particularly if I was pre menopausal. Bad enough our data is logged, all too often legally "shared". To which we have no say so, and has likely been breached.
Even if the apps don't have you key in data, what you look at will be logged. We should all do what we can to protect what little privacy we have left.
That dress is gorgeous on you!
FFT, Garage Edition
My husband has been wanting to convert the garage into a study (with car space--we do live in hail country) since we bought our house a few years ago. However, the money to do a proper conversion--insulation, floor tiles, etc.--keeps being claimed by Life Happens (TM) expenses. I decided to spruce the garage up for as little as possible as part of his Christmas gifts. Handily, we both agree that my car is the nicer of our two, which means it's the one in the garage--i.e. he has no reason to go in there 97% of the time. This made it shockingly easy to keep the makeover a surprise until Christmas!
Shopping both our house and the garage, I used:
--An antique wooden library table for a desk. (All furniture is up on pavers until we install the planned raised deck tiles.) Shifting that behemoth by myself was an adventure, but I managed!
--A fancy Habitat Restore bar stool for a chair (tall desk, tall husband).
--An extension cord.
--A zip strip (for different outlets, scout's honor!)
--A desk lamp.
--A 1990s Philco radio/DVD player combo. This was a previous birthday gift to my husband.
--A CD wallet to go with the above.
--A Goodwill clock.
--An electric fireplace/space heater that seemed like a good idea when we found it at Habitat, but it didn't have an intuitive spot in the house.
--Framed prints we already had.
--White Christmas lights for both sparkle and lighting.
--Leftover "stained glass" window film from the kitchen covered the garage's two small windows for privacy. I put this up last, since it was the one change noticeable from outside.
Most things were leftover, thrifted, or genuinely free in the first place. The library table was a freebie, for example!
Additionally, a side table became an additional media/electronics stand complete with:
--A tube television with built in DVD/VCR players (free--kept me entertained while working on the house before we moved in).
--A "used, like new" mini fridge from Amazon ($25).
--A Honeywell space heater (free--came with the garage).
Also free, but less fun, was cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Just getting the normal "garage stuff" sorted and put away made a world of difference in available space and cleanliness.
Lastly, I put out a fresh bottle of peppermint essential oil, uncapped. Peppermint is a natural pest deterrent because it irritates the respiratory systems of small animals and insects (I do NOT use it in the house with our cats) without resorting to poison (I don't want to second-hand poison our cats, either). Our garage was a mouse poop metropolis when we first bought the house, but there have been NO signs since I instigated the peppermint protocol. Not bad for $6 every few months!
@N, wow, what a job you did on the garage conversion! Congratulations!
@N, I love the peppermint trick . That’s very helpful.
@N, Fantastic and thoughtful gift for your dear DH.
We get ants in the kitchen at a certain time of year and since our handyman recommended peppermint essential oil, they disappear, once I soak a cloth with it and put it in the drawer they favor.
@N,
I wish I could see your garage conversion -- it sounds fantastic. (Have you thought of taking photos and posting them on Home Talk?)
@A. Marie, Thank you! My husband was deeply touched and amazed that I'd managed it under his nose. I get so excited about presents that I'm my own worst enemy keeping them secret!
@Fru-gal Lisa, I have not. My husband prefers that our home not be posted online, and I share that sentiment for the most part. I admit, sometimes I'm so pleased with a project, it's hard to restrain myself. My compromise is recounting them here. 🙂
@N, your peppermint trick inspired me so much, I immediately found my peppermint oil, opened it, and put in one kitchen drawer which has recently been cleaned of mouse droppings. DH, bored because we are housebound due to snow, decided to check the mouse traps and wonder of wonders, he found two dead mice. I hope the peppermint prevents the nasty vermin from now on.
@N, you are possibly the most resourceful person I have ever encountered!!
She should be the one blogging, right??
@N,
That garage conversion sounds amazing! I can guarantee if I shopped our home and garage, I would not find such wonderful treasures as you did. 🙂
@N,
Keeping that a secret would have made me spontaneously combust.
Well done.
@A. Marie, I agree. And as a person who lost beloved cat when I was young, thank you for not using poison.
My five frugal things are courtesy of a couple of my daughter's friends who are doing post-grad work at the university here. They went home over the holidays and as generally happens the food that doesn't get eaten before they go ends up here. Half a dozen home-made "pizza pockets" with yogurt sauce were a very good weekend lunch--so good I'm going to get the recipe. A container of chopped beef became wrap sandwiches and I've been having three or four Triscuits as an afternoon snack. The half a pound of butter will be used to make a cake for both girls to share.
Nice repair! I always say that sewing from scratch is not the most frugal way to clothe yourself (because it takes so much time) but thrifting and repairing is.
My five:
-Mr. B and I returned/exchanged our Chanukah presents, because both came in the wrong size.
-I accepted groceries from my parents' kitchen before they left on vacation
-I experimented with a bread recipe to make English-muffin-like buns. The first time was a failure, the second was good enough to eat. Kitchen experiments are inexpensive and satisfying! Right now I'm eating a breakfast sandwich on said bun 🙂
-I sewed my girl two shirts from a free pattern. Not blogged yet, but we'll get there.
-Mr. B has been a champ at using our museum membership. I think we went as a family twice and he went with our daughter two or three times more, and that's all in about 6 weeks.
@Meira@meirathebear, the cost of patterns and fabrics and notions (buttons, oh my goodness!) has turned sewing clothing into an expensive hobby. Most of our clothing was homemade when I was a kid, and stupidly, I was embarrassed about that. Then I got older and realized that clothing could be custom designed and custom fit by sewing it yourself.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
My mom has said on numerous occasions that her mom made all of her clothes - meaning, her mom would see the "latest fashions", and then translate those looks to create/sew clothes for my mom. Everything from "every day" clothes to dressy dresses for going out in, school dances, etc. (This was in the late 1940s/early 1950s). My mom, at age 90, still mentions she was voted "Best Dressed" in high school. She, too, longed for "store bought" clothes at the time.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, just to encourage the joy of sewing—I use patterns many times, which reduces the cost quite a bit. And if you watch for sales and fabric bonanzas it is still frugal. For example, I make a lot of shirts out of cotton poly sheets, easy sewing and wrinkle free.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, My grandmother was a tailor and I am horrified by the disdain I expressed in my teens when she would give me clothes so perfectly made you could almost wear them inside out. If I could go back in time I would give myself a good slap.
Wouldn't we all slap our past selves at some points? Ha. Oh, the folly of youth.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, it's so true! I don't really sew as a cheap way of clothing myself; I sew as a hobby, so any savings on clothes or home decor are a bonus. I'd say, generally, you can make high-end things cheaper than buying. I can make a custom-made blouse high-quality fabric cheaper than buying a custom-made blouse in high-quality fabric...but it's definitely not cheaper than buying a basic blouse at the mall or thrift store.
The price of cotton has risen dramatically in the last ten years; it's pretty surprising. Or perhaps not; cotton is a water-intensive crop and increasingly expensive to grow.
@Lindsey, I would slap myself silly for several youthful behaviors (some not so youthful).
--As everyone is well aware, the price of eggs is getting noticeably daunting lately. $5.19/dozen at the store I was at a couple of weeks ago. When I was at Walmart last week, though, they had the stacked box of 60 eggs for twenty dollars. Much better. We can go through 60 eggs with no problem, so I got those. Also two big spiral hams that were a dollar a pound.
--My husband and I spent a couple of hours grinding the tough elk meat, so now I have good ground meat again. I loathe buying ground beef. The quality is not good, the cost is more than it should be, and too much of it disappears in the pan via steam and fat rendering.
--My husband also slaughtered the extra ram lamb this weekend, so we'll be putting more meat in our freezer shortly. The sheep are much more expensive than wild game, since we have to feed them hay in the winter, but they are also more of a sure thing. 🙂
--Eldest son grew again and needs all new everything. The Amazon Essentials men's flannel and button-down shirts are really good--all-cotton THANK YOU--relatively inexpensive, and they come in slim sizes, which is important for my very slim sons. I have no luck finding used men's clothes--at least, not the more-practical kind of work clothes they prefer to wear--for my skinny man-sized sons anymore, so new it is.
--My husband did not grow, but did need new jeans. His were beyond disreputable. He likes the Rustler brand jeans from Walmart, which are mostly indistinguishable from Wranglers and are also $14 per pair. Surprisingly durable, given that he wears them constantly for at least a year before I insist on getting him new ones.
@kristin @ going country, Yes! I got the 60ct eggs at WalMart for $2.49/dozen the other day and we also have no problem going through that many eggs. We have saved cartons from previous purchases so we can keep them in the fridge without the giant box. We aren't getting free eggs anymore (an animal got in my parents' coop and killed over half of his chickens) so I'll constantly be on the lookout for a good egg deal.
@Ruth T, Wow, that's not even an option at Walmart at bottom portion of Michigan. Cheapest/most quantity was 18 eggs $8
@Regina, I'm also bottom portion of Michigan (not too far from Ohio) and now the 60ct box is over $26. Sigh. We're about halfway through our last box, so I may need to slow down. Maybe the last box was nearing its expiration date or something.
@kristin @ going country, I am glad I live in the Midwest, not rural but kinda is. Eggs are no where near that price even for the local free-range eggs (aka consumers know where the producers live). All I can say is wow...
@kristin @ going country, my guys like the jeans from Tractor Supply. They wear very well and are often on sale.
@Ruth T,
I know this is a late comment, but I have decided to experiment with alternatives to eggs for baking and keep "real eggs" for omelettes, quiches, etc. there are several alternatives to eggs for baking such as Bob's Red Mill powdered egg substitute that a friend of mine uses. Another friend uses a tablespoon of ground flax to 3 tablespoons of warm water for each egg. The Dollar Stretcher tips recently shared another sub: a healing tablespoon of soy flour to a tablespoon of water.
1. Used a $25 gc from Swagbucks for my “only what is needed” Walmart list
2. Freezing leftover milk & heavy cream from the holidays in 1 cup bags before they go bad
3. Feels decidedly unfrugal, but had a new furnace installed on Friday. Apparently, it’s been hooked up incorrectly for 15 yrs & I should see a change in my gas & electric bills
4. Keeping downstairs at 65 when I go to bed: upstairs at 64 when I get up
5. Very limited running around with my pre-holiday Covid adventure, so have not filled up my car for 3wks. Will get gas tmrw at Food City on “cheap gas Wednesday”
Frugal 5:
Sam's had a lot of marked down meat Dec 31st so I stocked up. Saved just short of $50.
My son bought me a coffee warmer and I thought about sending it back, I drink my coffee before it gets cold so I use it to keep my feral cat food from freezing as we have been in the teens here. It has worked very well.
We replaced the fluorescent lighting in our basement, while it costs in the short term it will save in the long run. Ugh at all lighting that once the led goes out you have to replace the whole fixture. Such a shame.
Meijer sent me some free and 50% off coupons on items I use so you betcha I used them.
I found some 75% off puzzles for the oldest grand child.
@Mar,
Finding fixtures where you can replace the led bulbs can be quite challenging!
I spent so much $ on myself towards the end of December (guilt-free as I also worked holiday hours) that my entire January will be frugal. Today I am:
*putting some chicken and leftover cranberry sauce in my mini crockpot to serve with my almost too wrinkly mashed potatoes that I froze in portions
*using a gift card to get me a couple of new books
*stitching today, using materials I already have and a freebie design
*purging my kitchen cabinets and setting aside stuff for a son who is moving out (so he can be frugal, really)
*walking for exercise (free!)
I love the kitty tower. When the carpet is shredded too much, you can easily replace it yourself with scrap carpeting or a rug. (:
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
Love that your son is getting a frugal head start on his new digs. Very smart!
If there is something he lacks, try the thrift stores this time of year: some college students finish their schooling in the fall and move out and give stuff to Goodwill, et al. Also people receive new items (dishes, small appliances, clothing, etc.) as gifts and donate their old items. After the fall semester and especially after the spring semester are good times to see what household goods and clothes are available. I've gotten trash cans for $2, electric can openers, and curtains this way. I also got a king-sized bed and box springs off Craigslist from a newly graduated student moving up North. He figured it'd be cheaper to sell those items and buy replacements than pay the movers to haul them home.
One of the cutest things I ever saw was that late one August, the Goodwill store nearest a college campus in our town had bins of knives, forks and spoons out. They had all sorts of patterns all jumbled together in big boxes; one box had spoons, one had knives, one had forks. I was in there shopping for clothes when I saw some college boys, who I think were roommates, were gathering up kitchen items and they grabbed large handfuls of flatware out of those bins. They didn't care if the patterns matched, they just wanted something to eat with. Their buddies had armfuls of dishes, coffee mugs and glassware. They were so darling! Looked like they were having lots of fun getting stuff to furnish their apartment.
I hope your son also has fun!
@Gina from The Cannary Family, Also love hearing about your care for your son's new place. And, it’s helps you to declutter! I’m about to get serious about cleaning stuff out so it’s on my mind ha. Wish I could give your son some stuff from here.
@Fru-gal Lisa and Gina,
Ooh good point. Also, the Little Free Libraries are stuffed with books received as Christmas gifts and/or older books to make room on shelves in the home for new books received.
Great book finds for free.
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
I have been gifting our kids with moving out on own/adulting gifts for years. Each kids had a tote with kitchen basics, their bedroom furniture (& lamps), cookware by high school graduation & small kitchen appliances next years afterwards. They start out with some smaller version of family favorites accustomed to using.
Went grocery shopping and stuck to my list. I'm getting better at that and also at trying to find meals to cook with what I have on hand. I'm trying to buy staples and work from there. My husband wanted chili for Sunday afternoon, and I took some navy beans out of the freezer that I had soaked, but not cooked. Only took an hour to cook and I have less beans in my freezer and the chili warmed us up! Plus I have at least 2 more dinners with the leftovers that will go into the freezer.
I also froze some discarded veggie scraps in a bag in the freezer to make my own veggie broth when I'm ready.
Haven't driven my car in over a week, so no gas is needed. However, I will have to go out tomorrow, so I will stop at Circle K and save 10 cents a gallon when I use my card. And my car is in the garage, so no snow removal is needed. But I will try @N's suggestion of peppermint oil in the garage to keep the mice away.
Benefit of working from home is keeping the woodstove stoked. We have been keeping it at a nice 77 degrees around here. Unfortunately, my office is kinda cold as it's not near the wood stove, so I do bundle up while working. We have fans to blow the warm air around, but not enough to keep me hot. LOL
The biggest and thing we did this past week was switch to Mint Mobile. It cost $450. for 2 phones for a year. With AT&T, it cost us over $1200. for 2 phones for a year. So far, so good. Don't know why we didn't do this earlier.
@Maureen, you do need to drive your vehicle on a regular basis. It is NOT good for it to sit for extended amounts of time. And the trips need to be long enough to warm up the engine/burn off the moisture in the exhaust system. The car that the little old lady only drove on Sunday's is not necessarily a good buy.
FFT, holiday edition
1) Used ingredients leftover from the holidays to make two batches of soup. Soup was shared with our DS, who is currently sick with the flu.
2) Froze the extra lemons from the holidays
3) Prepared finger foods for delayed Christmas celebration with MIL at the nursing home instead of purchasing take out
4) Exchanged pants for SIL that were the wrong size. The company had free return shipping
5) Returned a pair of shoes to Zappos that didn't fit DS. Found a replacement pair for half price of the original pair.
@Beverly, how do you freeze lemons without having them turn to mush when they've thawed? Thanks.
@Jane, I was wondering the same thing. I squeeze the juice and freeze it in ice cube trays. Also grate the rind and wrap it in foil or put it in a ziplock in the freezer (to let it dry out and get freezer burned and throw away a year later.)
1. I had a doctor's appointment 90 miles away yesterday and it was for a specialist, so I didn't get to pick the day or the time - it was set for 12:50 pm. Instead of buying lunch on the way there or after I left the appointment, I packed a sandwich on GF bread and a couple of pieces of fruit, plus a drink. I packed it in the little "six-pack" sized cooler that I found like-new at Goodwill for $5 a couple of years ago. I used a freezer pack left over from a medication mail delivery. I ate lunch sitting in the parking garage in my car, watching it rain, after my appointment was over.
2. I ordered a prescription refill before the end of the year so that it should be free.
3. I picked the rest of my lemons so that they won't be frozen on the tree when it drops to the 20's at night, as it is forecast to do a few nights this week. (Welcome to Florida!)
4. I put another blanket on the bed rather than turn up the heat more.
5. I batch cooked three separate pans of food in the oven at once on Sunday and two pans at once last night. I'm pretty much set for the week.
@JD, I woke up to cold Florida weather today with rather chilly and gusty winds. You know it’s especially cold here when there are news stories on iguanas falling from the trees. 🙂
@Bee, I also woke up to cold weather (Tampa Bay Area), and I also just put extra blanket on bed rather than turning heat on...as we know it will be a comfortable temp as soon as sun comes out around here!!
@Bee,
We had a lot of wind yesterday, as it traveled east. I guess it's your turn today. It was 72 yesterday - right now today it is only 42, and not expected to get out of the 40's or maybe, just maybe, lower fifties today.
In this part of Florida, falling iguanas are not a problem, thank heavens! It's too cold for them to move here - I hope.
@JD,
I have a huge lemon tree which I never pick. Ideas on what to do with them?
@Mary Ann,
I'm a little overwhelmed with them myself at the moment. I'm having to give some away, which is a nice problem to have after a couple of years of not getting hardly any due to freezes and hurricanes.
What I do is:
Juice them and freeze the juice in measured amounts, usually 1-2 cups, also I freeze some in ice cube trays for when I need only a dab in a recipe.
Make lemonade "concentrate", dissolving 3/4 cup sugar in a cup of water, adding a cup of lemon juice and freezing that, then adding four cups of water to it later to make lemonade. My grandkids love lemonade made from my lemons.
I will grate some of the peeling to dry for recipes. Lemon pepper is one way to use it.
I make lemon frozen custard in my ice cream attachment for my stand mixer.
I don't, but my sister's neighbor makes lemon curd and jars it.
I don't eat much jelly or jam, or I would try lemon marmalade.
The juice can be bottled and processed in a canner, I'm told, but I've never tried that because I'm not a fan of bottled lemon juice. It might be fine, but I have no experience with that.
I make a lot of lemon-oriented salad dressings, desserts, teas and other recipes when the lemons are ripe. I have a couple of chicken dishes that call for lemons, for example.
Mine are Meyer lemons, so believe it or not, I sometimes put a little sugar on them when ripe and eat them like a grapefruit.
I have not tried preserved lemons with any success. Probably operator error.
@JD et al., all of you down South with more lemons than you can use are making me lime-green with envy!
@A. Marie, cheaper to buy lemons where we live IMHO.
My frugal wins were:
Selling a lovely top that I bought without trying on... but which never fitted properly (and I delusionally hung onto - still with its tags - because it's so nice), so a few bucks was made.
Stocking up on really good meat at a couple of local supermarkets on their post-Christmas 75% / 50% off markdowns for big roasting meats like beef silverside and similar. People here don't seem to understand that you can... freeze things?'' Same for the traditional Christmas veg - parsnips, brussels sprouts etc. You can... freeze them and have them later! Anyway, I got well-stocked on good stuff for a real fraction of the price.
Managed to snag *just* the right quantity of gorgeous soft blue paint for my teeny office via a FB marketplace swap. The paint concerned is quite pricey, so getting it free was a big win for me.
@Caro, I recently did some painting, and I was shocked at how expensive paint had gotten. It had nearly doubled in price over the last 5 years. So getting the right amount of paint for free is a big frugal win.
@Bee, Caro and everyone,
I've bought some good Glidden paint at Walmart before. It is somewhat cheaper than other stores, and mine covered in one coat.
Also bought some "recycled" paint at a Habitat ReStore, about half of what I paid at Walmart. But it took 2 coats to cover so I really didn't save anything. At least I helped the environment, and the "Sands of Time" color looks really good.
@Bee, no kidding re: cost of paint. It *used* to be an inexpensive way to spruce up/redecorate.
Four Frugal Things, Winter Hibernation Edition (revised/expanded from yesterday's Two Frugal Things at the NCA):
(1) For the most part, I’ve been bundling up, chowing down, and staying home during our recent siege of winter weather. Good thing I’ve got plenty of JASNA editing work to do. And I’ve been eating out of the pantry and freezer, and showering only when I have to. I think I’m turning into a Lake Wobegon Norwegian bachelor farmer. 😀
(2) But I did nip down to my local shopping strip Monday morning, after the lake effect snow warning was lifted, for a well-batched bunch of errands. More snow is predicted starting tomorrow, so I figured I’d better get out while the gettin’ was good. (And, as of Tuesday morning, we are getting that snow.)
(3) I thought of a couple more things. First, one of the four wires from which my platform-style bird feeder is suspended snapped off the feeder. I reattached it, and reinforced the other wires, with Gorilla Tape. The repair is holding up so far.
(4) And, inspired by Kristen's pampering of Chiquita, I broke out a fresh cardboard scratch pad for Betty this morning. She'd pretty much reduced the old one to shreds. I will dispose of the shreds when I put out my recycling this afternoon. (And the new one is a Kong brand pad from Country Max, so I'm hoping it should last longer.)
@A. Marie, I miss Lake Wobegon. It was one of my late father’s favorite. The mention of it made me smile. Stay warm!!!
@Bee,
I miss Lake Wobegon too!
I had to chuckle at the "Norwegian bachelor farmer."
@JD, where the women are strong and all the children are above average!
Congrats on still enjoying the benefits of all those scholarships! And Chiquita looks very content in her pretty new home.
My FFT:
1. We ate at home on Saturday night. We had gone to the Imagination Station in Toledo for a fun day trip and stayed there until they closed at 5 and I realized midday that my dinner plans wouldn't work. It would have been easy to get takeout, but instead we stopped by Meijer on the way home and got things to make dinner in under 15 minutes. Even though prepared potato salad isn't cheap, it's way cheaper than takeout for 7 people!
2. Meijer also had strawberries for 99cents/quart and I got a case and froze a bunch for smoothies.
3. I had $10 of Kohl's cash that was good after Christmas and through January 1, then $10 in rewards that kicked in for the month of January, so I went right on January 1 so I could use them at the same time and get $20 off jeans.
4. I got a package of ornament hooks for 9 cents yesterday. We couldn't find our ornament hooks this year and this will make next year easier.
5. We have done pretty well at eating down leftovers this past week.
Great job on paying your tuition!!
1. I made banana bread with some not-so-fresh yogurt.
2. My family was heading to Goodwill, so they took a bag of stuff to get rid of and got a 20% off one item coupon. Clutter out, coupon in! They purchased some clothes and a pizza stone there. (So I guess instead of clutter out, it was clutter replaced! Ha, but we should get good use out of these items)
3. We're continuing to compost.
4. I made a menu plan for the week, it's pretty bean heavy, but we all like beans!
5. My husband is doing repairs on our house himself, I'm sure this is saving hundreds, maybe even thousands of $.
Crush Your Divorce and Keep Your Faith by Bree Sullivan-Howell (2024) is a book written by an attorney who stays a Christian after her divorce. And spoiler: marries a wonderful Christian man after a very bad first marriage.
Each chapter tells the story of an abusive relationship from her 20 years of practice as a divorce attorney. It's well-written and helpful
This book would make an excellent pre-marital counseling book.
It Tia a Christian? It's not obvious from google. When I look at her page it looks more like she's just moved from one cult to another. Very black and white accusations on Christians who have never been fundies. To keep it non-controversial, I won't say more. Will your thoughts on the book only be on your other blog?
@April, does the term fundies apply to Christian fundamentalist?
As far as I know, Tia has decided not to discuss her faith publicly, so I am not positive where she has landed.
Women who have survived terrible abuse like hers (if you read her book, you will see it is unimaginably bad) land in various places with their faith.
But I think the appropriate response from Christians is to focus less on what the victims are doing and more on this: fixing the Christian systems that led to and enabled abuse like this to continue for decades.
There is so much teaching that prevents women from speaking up in the first place, but so many times, when abused women have gone to the church to try to get help, to try to get rescued, they have been turned away, while their abusers have been shielded and protected. This, heaped on top of the original abuse from the spouse, is often what drives people away from the church. And it doesn't have to be this way.
@Kristen,
I’m so sorry that you and other women have suffered as members of any religion. Although I understand that some churches promote a patriarchal structure that demeans women, I think it’s important to note that not all denominations of Christianity and/or all congregations look at women as second class citizens. Many offer love and support to all people from all walks of life.
I have read many anti-Christian posts on various blogs lately as well as in other media, and I find this incredibly sad as many Christian groups - both small and large — really are trying to make the world a better place.
Yes, this is true. There are churches and lots of good people in those churches who would not support abuse and patriarchy, and I don't want to paint everyone with the same broad brush.
Still, the number of religious institutions that do not handle spousal abuse appropriately is distressing, and I dearly hope this changes. Unfortunately, it is not just a fringe kind of thing; I visited one of those big megachurch type of places called(in other words, very very mainstream), and I kid you not, the pastor said, "Ladies, I guarantee you that if you respect your husband, then he will grow into the man God wants him to be."
As if a wife can respect her way out of an abusive marriage. As if a wife can control her husband's sanctification by her behavior. As if responsibility for the husband's growth lies on the wife's shoulders.
That's why I'm saying it is distressingly mainstream. And if we love the church and we love God's people and we love the world, then we will all work toward change in the church so that women are not placed in situations like Tia was.
@Kristen, beautifully put. Tia's description of the abuse she experienced is heart wrenching.
When I see the question "is she/he a Christian?" I think it would be more helpful to ask "is she/he kind? Is she/he honest?"
@Kristen, this is too true and the verse-picking-to-prove-ones-point is NOT properly representing what our Creator has in His handbook/Holy Bible. The reading the handpicked verses to shut up and help a perpatrator is so damaging.
@BRENDA, I agree with you. Thinking Christians do not support abusers of any kind. That is one of the challenges of faith, to learn to see clearly and be brave in confronting evildoers. There is another challenge: we all tend to see what we are looking for, and often miss important clues.
Yes. Like so many things in life, it's about making space for both things: believing that there is good in the church, and that there are people who don't support abuse, but also recognizing that there IS a big problem that needs to be addressed.
And to understand the problem, it's important to listen to people who have been through the abuse. We don't have to agree with everything that someone like Tia says, thinks, or believes, but I think that it is really important for church people to listen to her story. How can we fix the problem if we don't look at it with open eyes? And who better to tell us these stories than the people who have survived the abuse?
@April,
Ummmm....who is Tia?
@Liz B.,
Oh, never mind....I missed the authors name in Kristen's post. D'oh!
@Kristen, the abuse/treating women worse than chattel plus politics makes me hopeful to see the end of "organized religion" in the US. When the reverend in your church is divorced, remarried to a woman a few years older than his son (and has more kids), THEN has the audacity to think HE can decide if you can get married in "his" church is pure BS.
@Selena and @all - don't forget the sermon Jimmy Carter heard "if you were arrested for being a christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?" IMHO for 90% who claim to be so, they'd be found not guilty.
1. Because I always check my credit card bill, I saw that I’ve been double billed for a subscription. I should see the refund in the next bill.
2. Stayed home on NYE.
3. Switched to getting dog’s meds online, saving 60%. I’m embarrassed to think how long it was before I compared prices to my vet’s but better late than never.
4. Inventoried the freezer, post-vacation. I’d shoved a lot of food in there before I left, time to use it up.
5. Continued to exercise without a gym: weights I already had at home and fast walking.
Did everyone in the path of the storm weather it OK?
@WilliamB, your vet uses the profits to pay his staff well. Your money was well-used.
We are good over here! I think it helped that the snow was so light and fluffy; we had very little tree damage in my yard.
@April, Trust me, their rates are high enough already. They’re good and have oncology and surgery specialities and are available 24/7, which I'm happy to pay what it takes to have that available.
@WilliamB, I'm fine here in Central NY, but then what we've been getting is our usual lake effect stuff rather than the storm that went through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. I hope that everyone down there is OK. (One thing we do have here that you don't down there is efficient municipal snow removal.)
@WilliamB,
I'm good here in Ohio, thanks. We got somewhere between 6-7 inches, which is a LOT for us. I had to work yesterday, because my boss insists we are essential workers (we're not). Yes, I'm still salty about it.
@A. Marie, DS#2 and #3 stayed back in Ohio to tend to the petty needs of Commodore Clark, and they report 8 inches but, thanks be to God, they never lost power. It must not be that bad because they reported that Amazon delivered a package today! All the schools are closed, though.
@A. Marie, Hope you are done with getting snow by now? We in eastern PA had a 2-inch dusting, very dry so easily pushed to the side. And the streets are always treated ahead so they dried up yesterday with the sunshine. We also have excellent snow removal here ….but so often lose power. Thank goodness, not this time!
@April, @WilliamB - and I doubt the online retailers pays staff well. My reason for purchasing from my vet is this - IF the day came where I could *not* afford the meds in a lump sum payment, being a long term, good animal caretaker would allow me to either make payments and/or work off the charge. Our pets have received stellar care from the vet clinic. Our main vet is a bit younger than me. If she retires, I'll give a new vet a chance. I also have another vet clinic in my pocket, who thankfully could quickly spay the best-cat-ever who was dumped. A special place in hell for those who dump animals during the cold time of the year (we've taken in two dumped during the northern winter).
I've been with my vet clinic (ownership changed hands once) coming up 40 years. Adopted from shelters, taken in/humanely treated dumped animals, reunited animals with owners a couple of times. One offered money, to which we replied we hoped someone would do the same for us. A very nice basket of baked goods was delivered to us the next day. We didn't expect it, we appreciated it, and were glad the lost pet was got back home.
If budget is a consideration, I understand looking for best price.
@Karen A., no online learning days? I'm farther north than you and snow days are a thing of the past in our area.
Tia Levings' book was so good!
My frugal things:
1. I brought food to the airport when travelling back.
2. I brought a packed lunch to work.
3. I returned and borrowed books from the library.
4. I bought some food before going home for Christmas and froze some vegetables, so I had an easy meal to throw together when I got back.
5. I had a long wait at the airport due to delays. I did buy a newspaper but I also brought a book with me, so I read that after I finished the newspaper, which saved money on buying something else and battery on my phone!
Great deal on Kindle books. I really need to start making time for reading for fun again.
Frugal things---
● (2) 5x7 & (10) 4x6 FREE pictures that will use for teen Senior pictures for family & collages
● eating all meals at home from freezer & pantry
● DID NOT BUY EGGS ($17.98 for 2 dozen) at Sam's club --- Michigan had new law take effect Jan 1 that all eggs must be cage free chickens & Sam's club only carries 2 vendors that meet that qualification and were out of cheaper (my normal kind I buy) eggs
● I will be doing my Aunt taxes as she qualifies for presidential declaration for hurricanes as she lost her house/losses. I will be a learning experience for our tax office as in Michigan we don't have hurricanes, but do taxes for people in other states/countries for American citizens
● using dripping water (to keep water lines from freezing on outside wall when temps in teens or below) caught to water plants, fill rescue dogs dish & flush toilet.
Frugal fail---
● broke another glass storage/cooking container while I was holding trying to get food out & dropped. Maybe I should start sitting container on counter to do whatever so I don't drop. 😉
I hope all of you impacted by the wintry weather gripping many parts of the country are safe and warm. The Target App really has some wonder offers.
1. I was able to transfer $23 from my iBotta account to my fun money account. I also traded in Fetch points for $60 in gift cards.
2. Now that the New Year is upon us, I have been attacking the “hot spots” in my home — those places that have a tendency to get cluttered and disorganized. I have reorganized my pantry, my freezer and kitchen junk drawer. Being able to see what I have should help during my “use-it -up” January.
3. I saw that one of my neighbors was asking for old magazines on Buy Nothing. I sorted through my stack and passed a bag full to her. I also received a set of handmade needlepoint stockings that I will give to my grandbabies next Christmas. Buy Nothing is such a great resource for giving and receiving.
4. We did some DIY home maintenance over the holidays. One of our toilets had begun running nonstop. We made a trip to the hardware store and replaced the internal workings ourselves saving money on plumbers and preventing an inflated water bill. This month, we also replaced our garbage disposal unit ourselves which had sprung a leak. I love my plumber, but I only use him for the bigger jobs.
5. I have been watching my sister’s house while she is away for a few weeks and she gave me a few food items that needed to be used up - a tomato, butter lettuce, burrata, and eggs. I borrowed Amy Tan’s new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. It is a birdwatchers delight. As I tackle my household chores, I have also been listening to books using Hoopla and Libby. And as always, I have been doing all the usual things - brewing my own coffee, drinking primarily filtered water, and eating at home.
Wishing everyone peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, Happy 2025! Your sign-off is lovely, as always.
I, too, borrowed and enjoyed Amy Tan's book. I was sad about her reason for turning to her backyard for solace, though. In an interview she mentioned the hideous racial bullying she had been enduring lately, and focusing on birds kept her at home and out of the limelight.
@ErikaJS, I found this interview on YouTube just by chance. She is an enormously gifted writer and has more than her share of adversity,
@Bee, Yes, her books are wonderful. It’s hideous to think of rising racism in a country that I love, and one in which my parents found relief from their home country's troubles.
There were currently 108 people waiting for TIAs book in my libby app! I am 109!
I found a turkey breast on clearance for 8 bucks. It is currently in my slow cooker.
I bought holiday cards on December 28 for half off. These are for next year!
I bought two boxes of Xmas tea on clearance for 2 bucks each. We drink a lot of tea in the winter.
We are on a January freezer and pantry clean out.
Happy New Year!
Same deal at my library. Get the Kindle Unlimited offer and it'll be way faster. 😉
@Kristen, I lucked out - there was no waiting list at my library!
My Target foray was less successful than Kristen’s, because I didn’t have Zoe with me:
Frugal win: Did a big stocking-up-on-household-goods shop at Target and got an unexpected $15 gift card at checkout.
Frugal fail: Once again, used the wrong card at checkout and lost out on about a $6 reduction I could have gotten using my Target card for the 5% discount. Grrrr….
Protection against Future Frugal Fails at Target: My debit card is a red look-alike for the red Target card so when I realized this had happened AGAIN!@%! I moved the debit card into a separate compartment in my wallet. I only use it for getting cash at the ATM which I hardly ever do.
But it will be a while before I need to go back to Target.
Unfortunately, Zoe is not available for hire. Heh.
@JDinNM, Oh, but apparently I did get $14.81 from a class action claim against Verizon. Weirdly, to collect it you have to log in to redeem a "virtual" prepaid Mastercard that can then only be used online.
@JDinNM, I got mine today, too, but must have opted to receive it via Venmo. Should be in my checking acct before the end of the week
@Diane, You're smarter than me!
@JDinNM, I just used mine to "buy" a $14.81 Amazon gift card. I'll buy something there eventually.
• I’ve been using broccoli and cauliflower stalks as training treats. These usually get thrown away (I know I should be using them in other meals but it is what it is) but the pups love them. They also take longer to chew so we can work on more time intensive training.
• I finally listed and sold a few items on Marketplace. They had been sitting unused since our move and they are now in the hands of people who will use them.
• I dropped off two puzzles at the puzzle swap at our local library and picked up two more – one of which was promptly put together with a group of friends.
• I’ve picked up a few things from a consignment shop that were on my ‘to buy when it shows up at consignment/Goodwill’ list that I keep on my phone.
• We successfully used up all the holiday leftovers. I am now working hard on using everything I can in the fridge before we leave for a trip. My parents will be housesitting, but past experience tells me they will bring their own food and won’t necessarily use what I leave or buy specifically for them.
@Geneva, and everyone,
If you are staying indoors and getting bored due to the cold weather, you can find some jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles to do online free. My favorite crossword site is Boatload puzzles, but USA Today and Dictionary.com also have them. I really like the jigsaw puzzle sites bc working them online means you don't have to set up the card table, etc., and that no puzzle piece will ever go missing!
@Fru-gal Lisa, I love this idea! Thanks, Lisa.
We're eating from the freezer and pantry, with the exception of some produce and dairy I picked up at the grocery.
I have the aim of filling in gaps in my wardrobe with better-quality pieces and picked up a pair of shoes and a purse from Poshmark --used, but in good condition and reasonably priced.
I cooked and canned 5 pints of pinto beans from dry. I like to have these on the shelf for really quick meals. I also baked sandwich bread and made granola.
I knitted a hot water bottle cover using yarn leftover from another project.
We're planning a summer camping trip and finding lots of free or low-cost activities in the area we're headed.
@Cindi, I LOVE Poshmark! You do have to search a little for the best deals.
1. We made all our meals at home. The coffee maker was temporarily broken, so my husband picked up some bottled coffee for the mornings.
2. The coffee maker was an easy fix, and my husband ordered the necessary part through Amazon. He ordered another item that I had been waiting on to avoid shipping costs.
3. I took some toys and clothes to a resale store and got $15 and more space in my closet.
4. I mended something but I can't remember what it was, just that I used white thread...
5. I renewed some library items. Our library eliminated late fees long ago, but I still want to avoid the emails and texts that I have late items.
A huge congrats on the scholarships. Very well done.
1) I made hummus for a healthy snack/meal addition this week. I've made it before, but have been buying it lately. Even though the ingredients were more expensive than a single batch, the tahini will make at least six batches, and will pay for itself in the next batch. And, the hummus was fantastic & made quite a bit. Even the picky teen ate it.
2) Drove DS18 to Sacramento realllllllly early, to catch a ride back to college with his roommate + Dad. They also took the boys skis, so they can ski a few times this quarter. Altogether, this saved me about $225 vs flight, shuttle, ski transit, etc.
3) I sent DS18 back to college with a small gift card I won at a holiday game. He used it to buy himself dinner on their first night back, when the dining halls were closed.
4) Sold two pair of shoes on eBay (one mine, one DH's). Made about $55 between the two.
5) Listed some new things on eBay, gave away stuff on Buy Nothing, and used up two packages of naan that were on my December "use it up" list. Better late than never. 😉
I had my kids do so many scholarships for college. It saved so much money.
1. I didn’t have to work today so I am cooking and cleaning lots. We are doing a low budget month for January. I have spent $10 on groceries so far. The fridge was looking a little empty so I made hard boiled eggs and a potato salad.
2. I have a loaf of bread going in the bread machine.
3. The water from the eggs and potatoes watered my plants.
4. I have the heat set at 62 and I am in layers.
5. My last pumpkin is cooking in the oven. I threw in 2 spaghetti squash(from my garden) too since the oven was already on. I will make them into mini lasagnas for dinner. The pumpkin will get frozen for muffins, bread and dog food. Egg shells and potato peelings will also go into the dog's food.
1. Enjoying the jigsaw puzzles and Scrabble game that are provided at our vacation rental.
2. Brought our own to-go cups (from Buy Nothing) to the coffee shop. (Didn't receive any money off, but still a good move for the planet.)
3. Finished the monthly financial spreadsheet for December and reviewed our full year's expenses to identify any opportunities for adjusting our expenses.
4. Not counting the amount we're spending on the remodel and vacating the premises for 5 weeks, our spending is down in most every other category.
5. Earned a total of $840 in cash back from our credit card last year. I took this amount as statement credit at different intervals during the year.
1. Used a 20% off coupon at Goodwill to purchase two fancy flowerpots, including a large one. One had a price tag that was the color of the week -- green, how appropriate! -- so I got it for half price + 20% off. Also got a travel guide for Greece, my ancestral homeland, as it turns out, which was also green-tagged. My $10 and change bill was therefore $8 and change.
2. Donated an unwanted item to Goodwill and thus obtained another 20% off coupon for next time.
3. Went to Walmart to get some inexpensive house plants. One is a hanging basket of spider plants, and I will be able to transplant a few into other containers. I've decided I need more green living things inside my house, air quality and all that.
4. With the icy weather coming, I replaced my car's two back tires last Saturday, so that there is less chance it will hydroplane on wet streets. The Firestone guy said the front ones were still OK but the back ones were getting bald. He said I might be able to wait to replace them, but it was getting into the "iffy" category. I didn't want to risk it. So I got the top-of-the-line tires and used a credit card that gives me 5% cash back credit. OK, I admit it: that might not seem frugal at first glance, but new tires are MUCH cheaper than having a wreck....don't ask me how I know that one! Will be saving up to get new front tires this spring, in time for the rainy season.
5. In celebration of my late mother's 100th birthday, I ate lunch with her (and my) 87 y.o. friend. We'd originally planned to go to a restaurant but the cold weather made it difficult for my friend to get out. So I was treated to a free lunch at her assisted living facility; it was very nice -- they have a "chef," not just a "cook". ( For you WIA fans: He served a pasta-and-tomato sauce dish, with garlic toast and fresh green beans; dessert was a bowl of pecan praline ice cream.) My friend just moved in a couple of weeks ago, and I got to see her new place. Very nice, but moving from a beautiful large house to one not-so-spacious room must be quite an adjustment. We were able to cheer each other up somewhat, given the circumstances.
@Fru-gal Lisa, 100 years -- what a wonderful thing! How nice that the three of you cheered each other up.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
What a nice way to honor your mom's memory. 🙂
@Fru-gal Lisa, So I have not been into Goodwill in awhile, but I never (in al my years of donating, even last year) gotten any kind of discount for making donation. Is this something new? Color discount just started last year which make prices more reasonable as Goodwill prices have soared a few years ago.
@Regina, I have never heard of this discount that Fru-Gal Lisa mentions. I think it is obnoxious that GoodWill prices have soared when they pay NOTHING for their merchandise!!
Lost my first draft so this will be a more brief version, I guess.
1.) Participated in a huge stock up sale at a local grocery store and got our pantry into full on "prepper mode." Not literally but we won't be running out of canned soup any time soon.
2.) After the black plastic food safety issue came out we tossed a lot of the 15+ y/o crappy plastic utensils and set out to replace them with better versions. I found some really nice ones which sadly I had to return because you can't hang them up. I guess that's better than keeping things which don't work for you.
3.) Got a free three months of Apple TV+ via Target Circle. So that's nice. We didn't bring our Peanuts DVDs to the in-laws so we were able to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and the like.
4.) Getting more items ready to sell on FB Marketplace and/or eBay. I am definitely in purge mode!
5.) Wife broke her side mirror on the car (well the cap broke.) I got the part to fix it on eBay for $20 and it's as good as new.
@Battra92,
I hadn't heard about that plastic utensils. If you mean the big cooking spoons, turners, tongs, etc., I got the Di Oro silicone covered metal ones which have hanging holes a while back. So far, so good.
@JD, America's Test Kitchen spoke to OXO and OXO said they had no recycled plastic nor the offending flame retardant so their recommendation was keep the OXO and call the companies you bought them from. Ours were all old no names and in crummy condition anyway so we tossed them.
Silicone should be just fine.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/8464-black-kitchenwares-toxic
@Battra92,
Yikes....we have a set of black plastic kitchen utensils that my DH and I were given as a wedding gift (25ish years ago). I need to check if there's a brand on them. Thank you!
Frugalish:
Was at Sam's Club and they were out of the 2 dozen package of eggs I usually get - noticed a box in corner with packages that each had a broken one so swapped out the broken for a good egg and got them for about $3 a dozen and saved a package from being trashed.
Husband needed massive amounts of vancomycin after 3rd bout of c-diff. Finally was able to get and used Good RX - His Part D wouldn't cover the amount needed and cash price was over 3K so $250 was wonderful.
Working on less food waste and what does go bad gets to feed animals.
Keeping thermostat turned down - it's cold in the Midwest right now.
Not going into stores which translates into not spending.
@Jennifer G, hoping your husband gets better soon!
@Jennifer G, Hope your husband gets better soon! After 18 weeks of nothing working, my c.diff was finally eradicated. I believe my body did a spontaneous cure when the doc mentioned a fecal transplant if the final drug didn't work!
YESSSSS for kicking c. diff!!! Wooohooo!!!!
@Jennifer G, c-diff can be a bear to treat. I sadly remember my dad's nurses acting like he was Typhoid Mary. I had no problem grabbing a sandwich from the cafeteria and consuming while visiting him in his hospital room. To this day, he does laundry as if he still has it, he doesn't.
Looking at the icy wind outside I can't think about trying on a summer dress, but way to think ahead!
1. I also used the same 20% coupon at Target when I placed an order on coffee and granola bars. I have found the coffee I like to be the cheapest at Target, so I always order many packages at once.
2. Finished a knit cap for my son, and now wearing a warm wool vest I knit myself last year. I am also trying very hard to use up the yarn I already have at home and needles I picked up from my MIL's estate.
3. Returned some Christmas gift clothes that did not quite fit for my kids. An earlier return had not been credited to my account, but when I called the retailer's customer service it was quickly processed.
4. Fell $4 short on using my whole FSA savings amount (flexible medical savings) for 2024, but checked the account in December and was able to squeeze in one more medical copay.
5. Picked up a free advertisement calendar for 2025 when I was at the pharmacy. Main thing I do with it is to write down appointments, so I don't mind the ad. (I use Google calendar, but like to transfer them on paper somewhere where I can see them easily.)
A bit of a frugal win/lose. I took my son's old winter pants to the consignment store as he had outgrown them and they were hardly used. However, I hadn't bought a new pair before the winter storm arrived. Luckily he was able to use my husband's ski pants although they are a bit large for him.
@Kristina M., your company allows no carryover?
@Selena, I think it's the case for FSA in every company, no? HSA allows carryover but requires a high-deductible health care plan. FSA can be combined with a PPO.
Reporting in from Florida, on our last day of our vacation to Indialantic. Heading back to the currently snow-covered North tomorrow.
1. We again stayed at my friend's lovely house, for a bargain price.
2. We packed homemade food for the drive down; the only exceptions were one stop at Chik Fil A and one Chipotle salad (opted for the veggie bowl with beans, no extra guacamole!) As always we opt for Walmarts or large truck stops for breaks.
3. The beach is free so we did a lot of that. This year I was able to gather lots of coquina from the beach--my friend collects it for landscaping. I found a massive chunk and somehow lugged it back. DH says it was nowhere near the 50 pounds I claimed, but was impressed nonetheless. Free landscaping materials for my friend, a free workout for me!
4. DH had put a gift certificate in my stocking for "one day in Florida to do whatever you want." I chose kayaking; we brought our inflatable kayaks to a little park on the shore of the Indian River Lagoon. It was peaceful and everyone, including DS#1, got out there! It was wonderful to see him doing something physically challenging after all his trials last year. Free outdoor fun.
5. The one Very Not Frugal Thing was Disney. DS#4 got to go last year and wanted to go again; neither DS#1 nor I were keen on riding rollercoasters. (I did it last year and nearly died of motion sickness!) To save money, this year only DH and DS#4 went. Two tickets instead of the three last year. DH prudential packed food and water to take into the park, and they had a good time. That said, DS says next year he wants to skip Disney, and do more outdoor stuff which was music to my ears.
@Karen A., Loved your #4! How fun!
@Karen A., I love the Indian River. I think you had wonderful weather for most of your visit. I am also not a fan of rollercoasters. I find them terrifying. I am perfectly happy at the beach soaking up the sunshine. Safe travels home.
@Bee, it has been delightful! We tried to spot manatees today but we're unsuccessful. Last year it was cloudy and rainier.
@Karen A., we just got back from Florida (new granddaughter). DD went to Disney, but we were over it. The best touristy thing we did was an airboat tour on a lake. The lake was only about 3 feet deep. Saw gators, a huge snake, and lots of birds. Highly recommend.
What a pretty dress. Yay on the scholarships/nursing school monies. Opportunity money is so special.
I worked much of the holidays, now am at home enjoying the beautiful PNW weather and gorgeous sunrises. Drug out my telescope and enjoyed a clear night until my pup told me there was something not friendly somewhere in the barnyard.
Paid for a year's worth of insurance on the farm truck and received 20% off.
I took 3 laundry baskets of winter clothes to the community closet.
Inventoried the catch all freezer in the garage.
Made a batch of granola, made a batch of applesauce with the remaining galas that were in cold storage and turning soft and yogurt.
Made a double batch of GF bagels, cut them up and oven toasted them with everything seasoning. I like to use these in my version of chex mix.
Im always uncomfortable when people monetize their pain. I find it shady but everyone seems to eat it up. Life is not easy for anyone I know and no one gets out alive. Joy gets my attention. I saw my fox again. She was just sitting there smiling at me. I know her life in the wild is not easy.
My frugal is food. I’m not sure why food preferences change but mine sure have. All my life I have loved bbq, ribs brisket potato salad pit beans not anymore. And Burgers? Nope. Pizza? Nope. I had to throw some away so I know not to buy it anymore. I still love coleslaw. And I’m eating baby carrots again, they don’t taste like mold or bleach to me anymore. Blueberries, grapes, little tomatoes, peppers, anything fresh and crunchy. And yogurt. And bananas. It’s so much cheaper and easier. I feel like a rabbit when I leave the grocery store. And butter? Nooo. I love olive oil on stuff. Did the economy teach me to like plain unprocessed groceries? I dunno but thank you world. I feel a little jingle in my pocket and a kick in my giddyup now.
I think that since life is a combination of both joys and sorrows, writing about both of those aspects is a true and honest way of being.
Regardless, scholarship prompts usually ask you about a challenge you have faced, and about how you've come through it, so the prompts themselves lend to a combination of both joy and sorrow. 🙂
@Tiana, Writing about challenges faced (books, articles, essays) does not mean "monetizing...pain".
@Cynthia,
This is what I thought as well....and sometimes, reading about someone else's challenges can make the reader (who, perhaps, is or has faced/is facing a similar challenge) feel less alone, or give the reader an "aha" moment of inspiration or clarity.
@Kristen,
Well said. 🙂
@Tiana, "I feel a little jingle in my pocket and a kick in my giddyup now." Thanks for the grin—that is so cute!
We had minimal damage to our house from a tree falling onto the corner of it (during Helene), and we just got the repair done. The insurance payout was less than the cost of repairs, so I took the time to figure out the correct people to send our invoice to, and now the insurance is covering the difference. We live in the upstate area of SC, and it's going to take years for people to deal with all the trees down and house damage; we haven't been to NC so I can't even imagine what they are dealing with!.
@Tammy,
I still get a sad feeling when I see homes here still damaged from Idalia, which was before Debby and Helene, and Helene wiped out most of the coastal homes here, which of course aren't rebuilt yet. There are dead trees everywhere still, and things like broken phone poles and sections of metal roofing still lying around. I'm glad your own repair is done; like you, I can't even imagine what NC is dealing with in this weather.
1. I made popsicles for my kids using leftover orange juice, over ripe raspberries, and leftover pineapple.
2. My mom gave us a ton of food she got from a neighbor. Some of it we froze and some we are eating fresh.
3. I picked up some books and Mad Libs off of Buy Nothing.
4. I dehydrated some over-ripe grapes to make raisins
5. My son got a new bike for his birthday, so I listed his previous one for sale on Marketplace.
Not so frugal- our car got stolen 1.5 weeks ago. Sad face. It has since been recovered but has some damage. It's a Kia, so we did file for the settlement. Luckily, we have good car insurance, which also covers the rental vehicle. My husband wants to buy a different car now since the car has a risk of being stolen again, but Kias in general have significant depreciation due to all the thefts. We may just have to take a loss on this one. Because we are frugal in many ways we thankfully have the funds to purchase another car in cash and our current car does not have a loan on it.
@Corrine, Such a sad & angry thing for your car. I just don't know why people would do something like that.
Yeah for Mad Libs! I didn't know they still published those.
@Regina, thanks! It's upsetting for sure, but thankful no one was hurt. Mad Libs are so fun. My kids and I have been enjoying them!
1. I found 200 daffodil bulbs for 1/3 their original price plus 15% off because it was my first order. A benefit to living in California is that I can order bulbs at a discount when it is too late for other climates to plant
2.Waited to buy gas until today in spite of needing it so I can save up to .40 per gallon (haven’t gone yet)
3. Chose free books for Kindle from Amazon Prime
4. TopCashBack - I cashed out in the form of an Amazon credit. It took a year to "earn" a little over $6.
5.I found my kind of jeans on eBay, and the seller offered them for 40% off, so $20 total for what I used to pay $50 at LLBean (I HATE it when companies redesign styles that worked!)
Trying to be frugal in the new year:
*Husband replaced 2 car door handles which broke off after the wet weather turned cold.
*Buying a few used textbooks for my homeschooling kid. And most others I'll just find through the library.
*Using the YMCA membership to give him a more formal gym class.
*Walking into two stores and only buying exactly what was on my list.
* Balancing accounts yesterday, I found a fraudulent charge on the credit card in December . I called the bank, they will give us credit, and the card will be replaced. The sad thing is that the same fraudster tried hitting the account this weekend, which the bank caught. However, the notice the bank sent to me went into the spam folder, so I thought that was a fraud attempt. I should have called the bank then instead of deleting that message.
At least not having a credit card for a few days will force me to be frugal.
-i bought a season pass for downhill skiing, which is not frugal, but I have already gone 5 times.
-cleaned out some kitchen drawers and realized I have like a 3-year supply of tape and other random things
-also went through my stationery and I need to stop buying more of this. I have so much.
Went to runnings and bought Muk Luk boots for 10 dollars!!
I used up some meat and vegetables I had stored in the freezer a few months ago and made beef stew in the crockpot for the snowy day yesterday. I also had just enough frozen pumpkin ( leftover from making pie for Thanksgiving?) to make a batch of pumpkin bread.
I mended some fraying pillowcases.
I cut up a cardboard box and fashioned it into a pen/ pencil holder.
I repotted a few small plants from my big pot of snake plants to give as birthday presents. I did have to buy a few small pots at the dollar store for those but the plants cost me nothing.
Honestly, I am gonna list my frugal fails and then just let them go. So irritating:
1. Misplaced a $75 gift card to Lowes. It must have been tossed with Christmas wrapping. I did not have a gift receipt.
2. Spent 2 hours cracking pecans and then burned them in the roasting process by using aluminum foil in the pan instead of butcher paper ( which I ALWAYS did before.!!!!)
3. Tossed about a pound of chicken pesto pasta and a caprese salad because I miscalculated the timing of an out of town trip. ERRRRRRRER!!!
4. Threw away a tiny funnel in a decluttering frenzy. Then Hubby asks "Where is the funnel to put the kerosene in the glass blown Christmas trees?"
5. Missed Sam Clubs discount spiral ham which is really good but only seasonal.
Adding up the cost of all this is still less than one sushi meal out with my family! I need to remember it is a lifestyle with countless benefits. I must expect stumbles.
Ahhh, it's kind of cleansing to list them, right? And now you can let them go. Poof!
Here's how I make myself miserable after a money mistake: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/5-ways-to-make-yourself-miserable-after-a-money-mistake/
And here's how I actually do recover after a money mistake (ha): https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/how-to-recover-after-a-money-mistake-7-tips/
Congratulations on the tuition scholarships! It's not just frugal, it's a great investment in your future!!
I am struggling to think of frugal things at the moment because we just got charged $60 by ADT to supposedly cover the driver's transportation costs to repair ADT equipment, which breaks down a lot. Does anyone have a good home security company they can recommend? I live in Maryland.
* I started knitting a gift baby blanket with yarn I bought an estate sale last fall, 14 skeins for $5 (including the tub they came in). As California Artist, Janna anticipated, the yarn is so old that an internet search was no help figuring out how old, so I was cautious and kept my expectations low. Happily, the old yarn knits up nicely and I should have no trouble finishing it in time for a March baby.
* DH ordered replacement parts for a broken blind instead of buying new blinds. Tilt mechanisms, he tells me.
* Interestingly, the dollar amount I set aside for 2024 Christmas gifts throughout last year is exactly what we spent. I'm usually way off so this was a happy surprise. I'm not a strict budgeter, but it is gratifying to know there's money sitting in savings to pay the credit card bill when it comes.
* Since we are getting up there in years, DH gave his snow blower to a young friend who is wanting to start his own business. That guy, his dad, sister and a friend plowed our driveway and shoveled out long walkways during the snow yesterday and charged us nothing. Generosity has very frugal benefits.
* I don't watch TV unless there are no commercials. So that means we pay for Netflix and YouTube Premium, two monthly subscriptions. But I think we come out ahead because advertisers are very good at separating me from my money.
@Book Club Elaine, kudos to you and your DH for the snowblower donation in particular. I had to hire help after DH's dementia got bad enough that he was putting gas into the oil compartment and vice versa. "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away..."
@Book Club Elaine, so glad the old yarn is working out for you! Sometimes I've been given old yarn and it is too moth-damaged to use.
For home security, you might look into Simpli-safe. You install it yourself! https://simplisafe.com
Frugal: Cancelled Hello Fresh, I wanted ready meals with minimal prep/cooking, not ingredients. I do have 3 meals from them that should cover 6 days (as their meals are for 2 people and there's only one people here LOL)
Paid space rent before the 10th, there's a $25.00 late fee after the 10th, and i can sure think of better ways to spend $25.00.
I just wore a dress like this with a bodysuit under it as well as fleece lined tights and boots. It was the perfect way to be frugal with my clothing and wear them no matter what the weather.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
It was below zero in this neighborhood. Makes it hard to want to do anything. But a Doctor's appointment and visiting a family member that is in the hospital forced me out.
1) Grateful for the lined jeans I bought on eBay last year at a much more frugal price than retail. Also making use of the lined wool mittens I bought on sale at Duluth Trader's last year.
2) Salvaged a package of tenderized steak in the fridge. Had high hopes of making smothered steak but the hospitalization of family member changed all day plans on "cooking day" last week. Was able to cut it up, brown it and use it for beef barley soup which also used up a lot of veggie odds and ends also in the fridge. Made on Saturday morning and shared w my niece.
3) Filled up w gas here in town at $2.76
4) Talked myself out of stopping at Starbucks in hospital for chai latte or at Casey's for breakfast pizza and came home.
5) All of the subtle ones: chai latte at home, batched errands (grocery store, pharmacy) prior to Sunday/Monday predicted snowstorm. Pulled the window a/c from window and though I didn't get it to it's storage place, at least it's not allowing draft around it. Still haven't covered window w plastic, but the curtains in front of it are heavy.
What a win finding that dress at a thrift store, and then mending that hole. It looks gorgeous on you! The red really pops. Those kind of mending jobs are absolutely so satisfying. And that's an incredible price for a cat tree - Aldi for the win! I still haven't found one I like for my 2 kitties - but the search continues. Wish we had Aldi out here in Denver. Maybe someday...
I love this kind of red with my skin tone; it's sort of a brick red, which works way better for me than a bright red or a ruby red. I usually need some kind of warmish version of a color for it to look the best on me!
@Kristen, aha! That explains why you gravitate toward olive greens and pinks with a peach-like cast. You might be a Spring or a Fall, if you have ever had your colors done. I still have my colors from the early '80s —a super frugal thing because all the different pieces in my wardrobe are easy to coordinate.
My frugals are that I…
1) Got a jacket for free from my mom in law because it was too small for her.
2) Saved on $36 of bowling fees with 6 coupons I previously clipped off the back of my grocery receipts. Only had to pay about $25 on shoe fees for 6 people.
3) My mother in law paid $125 to take us all to the Chinese buffet as an early birthday gift for my husband.
4) She and my sister in law have been staying with us for a month and she paid $100 in groceries.
5) Attended the Holiday Ball, a free event at the library, as a post New Year’s event celebration. Whole family had a blast dancing the night away.
@AW,
Congrats on the scholarship! You look beautiful in your red dress!
Forgot to also add …
6) We also colored, did puzzles, played games, and watched movies with things we already had.
7) Mended holes in clothing and stuff animal, touch up wall paint, declutter, inventory stuff, etc.
8) Used ibotta, Fetch, cashed 2 checks given as Christmas gifts.
you are such an inspiration. i am sad today peter yarrow died. he was part of peter, paul and mary. one of my dad's co-workers gave me my first record album and it was theirs. of course i don't know what became of it. i got to see him perform at a synagogue on 23rd st in manhattan. may his memory be for a blessing.
chiquita's tree is spectacular.
I mended several more toys the pup chewed up. She is extremely talented at dissecting her many stuffed toy foxes. Bought a men's tall 100% cotton J. Crew t-shirt at Goodwill for $1.64. Got it to use the fabric in a sewing project and there's a lot of it, as a tall comes down almost to my knees.
Had one of my homemade freezer meals for lunch (bean soup with a side of roasted sweet potatoes). Made up a canister full of reusable Keurig cups with coffee bought on sale, which works out to $1.75 per 12 homemade K-cups. Doctored up some too tart yogurt with some apple butter to eat as snacks.
My most frugal thing lately has been simply not shopping.
I have been batch cooking and freezing food. I baked a cake and put more than half the pieces in the freezer ready for when I'm craving something sweet. I made three loaves of bread at once and will put two in the freezer. I pulled some frozen soup out to thaw for dinner to go with some of the bread I just made.
I am wearing layers and using an extra quilt on my bed during this cold snap, keeping the heater set fairly low.
@Elizabeth M, I almost forgot, I also found a way to use a small-balance prepaid Visa I had been given that was about to expire. I combined an Amazon gift card with the Visa card to get a couple of books for my Kindle. The amount on the prepaid card was enough to pay for the tax after the gift card paid for the rest.
My 5 are:
1. Used a Skechers $20 reward from when my husband got some new shoes and bought myself a pair off the clearance rank and only paid $5 and tax.
2. Used up food from the fridge to make a delicious soup yesterday so no food waste there.
3. Was able to work from home yesterday and today due to snow so no gas used to go into the office and no parking fees at the garage.
4. Passed on some eggs and milk leftover from holiday breakfast to a friend that will use them. Food waste once again avoided.
5. Got a $14.81 deposit into my Venmo account for a Verizon Class Action Settlement. I don’t remember filling anything out for this but I will happily take the payout.
Have a great week everyone!
My frugal 5:
1. bought a 4 pack of tea towels from Macy's using my Macy's rewards. My tea towels mysteriously disappeared and I found one with lots of red on it that looked like it was used to clean up from a murder. It was one that dh used to clean up spilled red paint as he was painting the front door. Gently reminded him to try and remember to bring up some rags from the basement when he's doing something messy.
2. Got a $50 gift card for Christmas and used it to buy some items at Walgreens that I needed and some to donate to the food closet.
3. My daughter in law gave me their leftover Korean hand lotion that she and my son got on their flight here from South Korea.
4. Bought a huge Christmas book by Caroline Kennedy from my library's book sale room and paid $1. I was having a small crisis about whether to keep it or give it to the free little library but I remembered that I do have a bookshelf downstairs. I can keep it now for another year and if I want to donate it I can.
5. Got a couple of free dinners out from our son and daughter in law. One was at Cracker Barrel which had terribly slow service and one that I paid for at Outback with my free $100 gift card from credit card points. That one was disappointing as the food wasn't that good and service was slow. But my Asian daughter in law made us pork belly and fried rice that was fabulous!
Well, since I am on the eve of the third snow day in a row, I suppose I have time to think of five frugal things.
1. I made a big pot of cabbage soup that used up some cabbage I had prepped in the fridge. I find it I chop stuff like radishes and cabbages from my farm share up and put them in prep bowls, I am much more likely to use them. The soup also used stock that I had made from a thanksgiving sale turkey and frozen, as well as other inexpensive ingredients like onion, carrot and celery. We had the soup for three different dinners and one lunch, and there's still about one lunch left. In order to have it be different each night, we had it plain the first night, over egg noodles the second and over baked potatoes tonight.
2. I used some leftover egg nog to make egg nog bread, and we liked it so much, I made another loaf but added chopped craisins. Yay for easy and cheap recipes.
3. We entertained ourselves on this snowcation by watching free movies online, playing video games we already owned and playing in the snow. Free entertainment.
4. I shuffled our winter gear around and discovered that I didn't need to buy anything for us all to be able to go out and stay dry and warm. This is really more of a benefit from my parents' past generosity and my children's complete willingness to wear hand-me-downs of any color, shape or size. Hurray for unpicky kids!
5. I took inventory of the pantry and freezers and determined that we can definitely skip a grocery week. This will help offset the cost of our farm share which we buy in January but don't get to eat until May. Our grocery budget has room for us to take the hit, but it's still nice to give a little extra wiggle room because then I can splurge on sale items later in the year without feeling worried.
I hope everyone is staying warm and dry wherever you are tonight!
This week I:
-shoveled our driveway and walkway ourselves
-Cooked at home
-used the library
-got multiple quotes for a repair we need that found a cheaper option
-hand wrote birthday invites for my little instead of getting them printed (which is a trend here)
-used up my Christmas gift cards
Full disclosure: we moved recently and it is hard to be frugal! I am trying to focus on making do before purchasing new things (shelves and hangers and bins, oh my!) but the temptation is much stronger than usual to add to cart. Send be frugal strength!
1. Car insurance was up for renewal and since adding my 16 year old son last summer, it has doubled for us. However, I called to add the "Good Student" discount (couldn't add last summer as we were halfway through the year) and that took off almost $600!
2. Redeemed some points on my pet store rewards account for a $10 off coupon to be used in the next couple months. Will use to buy dog food when it goes on sale. The points were set to expire at the end of December and I was thankful to catch them a day before they did!
3. Making a concerted effort to eat up the fridge, pantry and freezer this month and not to buy any more SNACKS until we have eaten what we already have!
4. Did not buy any more chocolates or candy in after-Christmas sales but stuck to small gift bags for teacher gifts and small toys/stuffed animals for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for this year. All were 70% off.
5. Played the Starbucks for Life game throughout December using the free entry method and won 270 stars, which is enough for one free drink (actually, two, when added to my current stars total)!
6. Bought some bras on sale from ThirdLove but didn't love 2 of them, so will return. However, when I received my order, it came with a $15 off coupon and I was able to use it on another bra on sale plus convert reward points to another $10 off making the bra only $4! Even with paying for shipping it was only $10. The bra was originally $79!
7. Husband got a free trial of Amazon Prime throughout December so we used it to watch shows and then my son got a month-long free trial as well so we made sure to cancel my husband's trial once it was up and switch the account to my son's on the TV. I can watch a few more weeks of Pop Culture Jeopardy! for free.
That book in on my ''to-be-read'' list (A well trained wife). Let us know if you enjoy it!
* Hubby and I are attempting a low-buy/conscious buy 2025 (a.k.a. not paying for unnecessary stuff). So far so good.
* I have not bought any new clothing items, jewelry or shoes for myself since October 1st (my personal one year no-buy challenge)
* Received a prepaid 50$ Mastercard for my birthday. Will use it to treat myself. Like today, I'm going for sushi at a friend's request, but since I cannot eat much in one sitting (gastric surgery) it will keep the cost low (10$ or so)
* Working 2 extra days in the next 2 weeks
* Been on a puzzles kick lately. Getting them really cheap at the thrift store (1-2 $), or gifted from my Buy Nothing group, or as exchanges on my Facebook puzzle group. On this group people sell their puzzles for quite a lot (IMO). I will NOT pay 15$-20$ for a used puzzle, sorry (not sorry). Or for a new one.
Frugal fail: I received an email yesterday from CRA (IRS for you guys in the USA) about having not submitted documents in time to justify a large health related expense in 2023, and they are now asking me to pay back 2600$..... Ouch! I had NOT seen the initial email/letter sent in august (!?!) so this amount now includes interest...... I did submit the required justifications yesterday, hopefully this will reverse the charge. (I would still pay the interest, I'm ok with this. Better 100$ than 2600$!). I am always so on top of anything financial, this is a shame I didn't get the initial request in August.
@Isa, You might want to check if there’s a Little Free Puzzle Library in your neighborhood. You can look up local maps of the LFLs in google. We have two of the puzzle variety and 20+ of the regular Little Free Library kind 🙂
A day late, but maybe worth commenting anyways! We've been cozied up this weekend and well into this week from the winter weather. Husband has a cold, so we did pick up some spicy Thai food to clear up his sinuses a bit. Otherwise, just spending money on essentials and future travel!
1. Target charged me for a promo giftcard, which was supposed to be complimentary with $40 purchase of "health & beauty". I chatted with customer service and got it sorted!
2. Used that giftcard towards a gift for my SIL, a book on pregnancy myths (just found out she is expecting!).
3. Booked an AirBnB for a trip to Traverse City, MI for Memorial weekend with my bestie. With some hunting around, we found a great place with a private dock for about $600 less total than the other 2-bedroom options.
4. Gave my husband another haircut. I think I'm getting better at it?
5. I have a work trip to NYC coming up; my professional development fund will cover the flight, lodging, transport, and food for two nights, and one of the days is a conference. However, I have some downtime the first day, so I used a discount app to purchase a box seat Broadway ticket for only $92!! Seeing a show on Broadway is on my bucket list so I'm stoked. Plus, it's The Great Gatsby, which is one of my all-time favorite books.
I got A Well Trained Wife on your recommendation on Amazon Unlimited. It was an eye opener for me. So sad in a lot of ways, but so glad she managed to leave. Heartbreaking.
I
1. Sold a free to me juicer for $30 (I found it on one of my walks)
2. Also used several rewards and $back on a Target order
3. Am eating up some instant oatmeal that has been hanging around a bit too long. I added some applesauce to the oatmeal. It also needs eaten up. Yum!
4. Decided not to brave the cold this morning to attend a lecture and instead chose to watch it live on Facebook. Saved on gas and time.
5. Feeding leftover to the chickens. Less food waste and happy chickens!