Five Frugal Things | school, school, school
Boy. I feel like I have been doing almost nothing besides attending lectures, doing clinicals, studying, doing homework, doing school projects...I am managing to keep up with cooking, sleeping, and exercising, but aside from that, it's school, school, school.
But, let's see what I can come up with! I guarantee you they're all gonna be small frugal things.
1. I boiled my washcloths
My little old rental house doesn't have super great circulation, and also the windows aren't very air-tight. So, the summer months are a bit humid, which means my kitchen dishcloths have gotten a little funky from not drying as fast as usual.
Soooo, I boiled them.
In case you've missed it the times I've talked about it before: if you boil your washcloths in water for ten minutes, they will smell SO MUCH FRESHER. And all you need is water. Easy and cheap.
I boiled the kitchen ones plus the ones I use to wash my face every night. And then I ran them all through the wash with some vinegar added, which really does help to make them softer.
2. I bought some student symphony tickets
Symphony season is here! And since I still have my student status, I bought my super cheap tickets for a few upcoming concerts.
This will force me to take a little break from all the studying, and I am very excited about that.
3. I used multiple Panera discounts
I worked on Saturday, and I picked up Panera on the way home for Zoe and me. I had a gift card, so the whole purchase was free.
(I'd gotten the gift card with my credit card reward points, and I bought it when Panera cards were marked down on my credit card rewards site.)
In addition to all this, I used a "buy one, get one for $5" coupon code, and I got two discounted cookies in the app for us as well.
I always like to stretch my gift cards as far as possible. 🙂
4. I used a Michael's rewards voucher
My classmate and I did an activity with the patients on our mental health rotation and we needed some watercolor supplies for it.
So, I popped into Michael's, bought some supplies on sale, and also used a rewards voucher they'd emailed me recently.
5. I got two Native deodorants for $8
These usually run about $13, but I got two at CVS for $8 total, using a combo of discounts.
(Here's how I work things at CVS.)
Plus, I got a $5 ExtraBucks reward sent to my card for buying two deodorants, so it's kinda like they cost $3 total. Kinda?
(Relatedly, I wrote a whole post about all the natural deodorants I tried.)
I’ve been very frugal and eating from my pantry and freezer. Now we’re on weather alert ugh! Have you ever tried Swedish dishcloths- I just love them and throw them right into my washer. Now you know why college students like to ‘blow off steam’ on the weekend! My GS is in grad school and also works as many hours as he can to pay the bills. When he has free time, he’s trying to have fun.
@Nan, love the Swedish dish cloths! Just got my first ones about 6 weeks ago and I’m hooked.
You live the life of an athlete, Kristen! Your self-discipline will help you pull through until the end of the semester -
Small frugals here also:
- husband bought shoes, with nearly 50% off due to loyalty points;
- they needed to be stretched a bit still at the small toes and the shop does that for free;
- I found a can (15 cents! yay!);
- I listed and sold a good jacket that I had kept for years despite being too small;
- we needed to buy a replacement part for our rain container and the DIY shop had 20% off one article that weekend
Plus one, grass fed beef theme: I bought grass fed sausage (and lovely apples) through our local farm sales platform.
Plus another, on transport: I brought in my bicycle for repair this week, with a repairman who did not try to sell me a new one.
Other than that: I finally managed to get the paint from a pair of husbands jeans, so he can wear it again. And I finished painting the garage door, with paint I had. If I manage to replace the lamp in my sewing machine, I will have completed my summer list and that would really make me happy. I really need the lamp now it gets dark so soon and I am looking forward to sewing some pillow cases for our guest room.
@JNL, please, please, please tell me how to get paint out of jeans! I just threw away a perfectly good pair because I couldn't. Thanks so much!!!
@Kimberly,
Well, I took some white spirit and and a very soft rag and basically just sprinkled the spot (it was not big fortunately!) with the spirit and then gently rubbed, took a clean corner of the rag, rubbed again, sprinkled with spirit, repeat repeat until the rag would not show the colour of the paint any longer. Then put the jeans in the washer as per usual. That was as much as I could get out and it was enough fortunately.
It is tempting to use a brush or rub really hard, but in that case you only create a "white stain" or damage the fabric. Probably, as with all stains, the quicker you are to the rescue, the more chance of success. Good luck!
@JNL, I think that many of us here in the US may not understand what "white spirit" is. Would it be what we know as paint thinner or something similar?
@A. Marie, This translates to mineral spirits in US language.
It has been a very spendy week as DD and I spent a long weekend in Duluth with extended family and it involved flights, a hotel room, and meals out. There are a few things that saved a bit of money:
1. I paid cash for lunch to avoid the 3.5% service fee for using a credit card.
2. I asked for the senior discount at Split Rock Lighthouse and Glensheen Mansion.
3. I did not buy any souvenirs despite visiting a few gift shops and stores.
4. In the spring I will meet a friend for A Road Scholar trip to Amelia Island and St. Augustine. They suggest reading six books before the trip. My friend ordered two of the books and I ordered three. All the books I bought were used. We will share the books, using USPS Media Mail as my friend lives in FL.
5. I went to Giant to buy bananas and a few other items. The have an offer this ad cycle to save $10 on groceries when you spend $50 on a Home Depot gift card. I took advantage of the promotion. I also picked up a few flat bread pizzas that were 75% off.
@K D,
I live in the area you will visit this spring. What books were you suggested to read? Thanks.
@Nan, I live in this part of Northeast Florida also.
@K D, I live in St Augustine. I hope you enjoy your visit!
@Nan,
Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine
by Masters, Ann Browning
Legendary Locals of Amelia Island by Rob Hicks Dr
An American Beach for African Americans by Marsha Dean Phelts
Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine by Graham, Thomas
St. Augustine: A Brief History of America's Oldest City by Robert L. Gold
Amelia Island by Rob Hicks Dr (Author), Amelia Island Museum of History
@Lynda,
Thank you 🙂
@Nan,
DH lived on Amelia Island in the historic downtown district for 9 years while he worked in Jacksonville. I'd like to know what books, as well, if you don't mind.
@K D,
I think it’s wonderful that you are reading about American Beach. It has a rich and interesting history as an African-American beach during the time of segregation. Billie McCray is a well-known textile artist from American Beach. From time to time, she will have a show in American Beach or some place on Amelia Island. Keep your eyes open for her work. I met her years ago at the Goodwill as she was searching for materials for her art, and we had an interesting conversation.
http://monamade.blogspot.com/2010/09/presenting-billie-mccray.html?m=1
https://shop.cummermuseum.org/collections/billie-mccray
@K D, my neighbors diagonally across the street (next door to the Bestest Neighbors) have a winter home in American Beach and are very proud of its history.
@K D, I hope you had a lovely time in Minnesota!
@JD,
See above.
@Geneva,
We had a lovely time. One of my sisters has lived in MN for about twenty five years but I had not been to Duluth before. We had wonderful weather and stayed at a lake front hotel. The sunrises were beautiful as were the moonshines on the lake.
@K D,
One of my sisters lives in St. Paul, and she and her family love taking long weekend trips to Duluth. I've never been there, myself, but it sounds wonderful.
@Bee,
Thank you for that link - her work is beautiful!
I always use vinegar in the place of fabric softeners. I buy it inexpensively at the warehouse store. It also helps with odors that become trapped in synthetic fabrics.
It has been a busy week, but I’m so glad it’s officially Fall.
1. Our biggest frugal thing this week was laying sod in the front yard. We lost 1/2 of the front yard this year because of the extreme weather and we had to replace the sod. We saved approximately $1100 doing it ourselves.
2. I received a coupon for 30% off my entire purchase at CVS. I used it to buy a new heating pad and Lidocaine patches. See my first frugal thing. DH and I forget that we are no longer young because we still feel that we are in our hearts.
3. I cashed in my iBotta account and received $25.
4. Frugal for others - I am continuing my decluttering project. I gave away two items on Buy Nothing and have set aside some others. I also cleaned out my eBay cabinet. There were a few items that have been lingering for a while. I have packed those up to be donated to a rummage sale. The proceeds of the sale support something that I also support.
5. I did all the usual things. I brewed my own coffee, drank primarily water, cooked most of my meals at home with the exception of our anniversary lunch, batched errands, and read library books.
Wishing everyone peace, good health and prosperity.
@Bee,
If you don't mind me asking, how much vinegar do you add to each load and when do you add it, the beginning?
@Gina,
I have a front loader so I just fill the softener slot prior to starting the washer. If you don’t have a front loader, I would try using it the same way that I used a liquid softener. I think that I pour in a 1/2 cup or so.
@Bee,
I too would like to know how and when you use the vinegar, if you don’t mind sharing. I’ve been using borax forever for deodorizing. Be great to sub in vinegar sometimes since it’s inexpensive. Plus, for the softening, which borax doesn’t do.
@Bee,
Thank you! I have a top loader, but still have a softener dispenser.
@Bee, I too use vinegar in my laundry; I have a front loader and add vinegar the same way you do. I've got a few dishcloths that are now tattletale gray no matter what I do, but I've never had a problem with odor--and my laundry comes out as soft as can be expected after rack drying.
@Gina, I have a regular washing machine, not a front loader, and I pour vinegar into the top container designed for fabric softener. I use the same amount as I'd use if I was pouring in Downey. It is marked on the container. I've been doing this for decades, after the dance instructor at my university told us it'd also help your fabrics from fading. I wash things on cold, and most of my clothes are secondhand. But I wear them for many years and I think the vinegar helps. Ditto, only drying them long enough to get the wrinkles out (but only if needed) and hanging them up to dry the rest of the way.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Thank you for the tips 😉
@Fru-gal Lisa, not to mention that the vinegar helps clean the washer (& hoses). In addition that liquid fabric softener builds up in hoses & machine over time & needs to be torn apart & cleaned otherwise causes problems (I learned the hard way years ago).
@A. Marie,
I have a few things that are gray, too, no matter what - a white bath mat, for example. I thought maybe it was because our water is so hard (we now have our water softener up and running).
@A. Marie, "Tattletale gray"...I just love that phrase 🙂
Reason I never really went back to school -- I never was a study-er. We were never really pressed to do homework as kids, so for me studying is very hard. And I have a lot of doubt of my knowledge. I took a medical coding course as an adult and I had to pass a 5 hour exam with a 70. I got a 70. Good for you Kristen on good study habits. It is paying off for you.
We moved 1300 bricks over the weekend. The person had them listed for $500. on marketplace, but when we went to get them, he said if you want them you can have them for free because they were listed so long. It did cost us some gas as we had to make 3 trips because of the weight, but better than the hundreds or thousands we would have spent at a big box store. I am sending them a thank you card for their generosity.
Went to buy new underwear at Kohl's (how exciting!) and they had a 40% off coupon over the weekend. When I went to purchase them, they were already BOGO 50% off, and then another 40% off. So I saved even more money than the items cost. Plus free shipping so I don't have to waste gas to pick them up at the store.
I also went to Michael's to pick up some scrapbook paper to make some fall cards that really wasn't expensive, but I had a 15% off coupon and another 15% off teacher credit that gets applied.
Went to sports bar/restaurant to watch some football with friends this past Sunday. The restaurant sent me a $5.00 off coupon for weekend use and then I had a $5.00 off coupon already on my account. So my husband saved himself $10. Next time, the hubs will make pizza and wings at home with the friends and save everyone money.
We continue to buy gas at Circle K with our K cards because it is saving us 10 cents per gallon. Gas was down to $2.57 in our town. Drive 20 minutes away and it's 40 cents more expensive.
@Maureen, the joke about Michael's is that if you pay full price you just aren't trying.
@Maureen, YEA for people who write thank you notes!!
@WilliamB,
LOL! One time, when I was in my mid-late 40s, the cashier applied a 20% AARP discount to my order. She really didn't care that I wasn't eligible (at that time, I think you had to be in your 50's?), and I gratefully accepted the discount. 🙂
1. I hit the school clearance section at WalMart and got two 16-packs of Expo markers marked down to $3.50. What a deal! These will be part of teacher gifts later on in the year.
2. I also got a couple of clearance Christmas gifts for my kids at Meijer and Hobby Lobby.
3. I'm working every Thursday - and in the season of school pictures and sports and all of that fun, the extra income is so helpful.
4. Though my schedule is more full right now, I'm continuing to cook all of our meals and avoiding takeout.
5. I signed up to coach my kids' volleyball teams that start at the end of October. This waives our registration fee and gets us free team pictures. And it's something I have the knowledge and enjoyment to do.
@Ruth T, Yay you for finding such great teacher gifts! Your kids' teachers will be delighted for such practical gifts. No more mugs!
This week I...
1. Packed a lunch for work
2. Cancelled a subscription
3. Got some dresses in an end of summer sale
4. Did NOT get a treat from a bakery
5. Baked an apple crumble
@Sophie in Denmark, it sounds as if you are recovering from your bout of non-frugalness. I knew you could!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thank you! 😀
Mostly small frugal things for me this week.
1) Used Gap cash to buy a birthday present for our son-in-law
2) Stopped by company picnic for free lunch. Added bonus was that I won a 1000-piece puzzle that DH will enjoy.
3) Skipped getting takeout over the weekend.
4) Found a coupon that saved $100 on new light fixture for the foyer
5) Reorganized the pantry to make it easier to see what we had on hand. Found multiples of some items so I'm using those when making dinner this week.
Frugal for others - I gifted a vintage vanity to BFF's son, I gifted a baby swing to one of DD's coworkers, and I gifted a window pet door to someone in our Buy Nothing group. Nice to have all those unneeded items out of the house and to someone who can use them.
1. Bought all sorts of shelf-stable and frozen food at a South Asian supermarket. It's more expensive than cooking but since I'm burnt out in cooking, it's cheaper than take-out.
2. Bought only some fresh produce, so it's less likely to go bad on me.
3. Gave up on doing all the complicated things necessary to replace my mostly-broken cooktop with a dual fuel one. I'll get the induction one and, if I really miss cooking with gas, a propane-run ring from a Chinese store for stir-frying.
4. I won't need to buy new pans for the induction stove. I've known for a decade or more that that's what I'd get next time I needed a new stove so I stopped buying non-magnetic cookware.
5. I started exercising again, using YouTube videos for the weight lifting and yoga. I don't recommend this for beginners because you can't learn proper form this way. But if you know proper form, I recommend Juice and Toya for weight and HIIT workouts and and Yoga by Adrienne for yoga. Both have a wide range of routines available and are competent practitioners of their arts.
@WilliamB,
I think I did Juice and Toya for a while, they were good and fun workouts
You write as if managing to keep up with exercising, cooking, and sleeping is nothing. It is not!!! That's more than some of us ... er, um, me st least ... manage to do even when we don't have a job while going to a demanding school full-time.
@WilliamB, or those of us... er, um, me at least... who only have a job and are not going to school at all. Kristen is a Role Model Extraordinaire.
I can't believe I am having to prep for a possible hurricane again. Three -well, two and a possible third - hurricanes and several tropical storms in 13 months is unbelievable in this area that normally doesn't get direct hurricane hits. And let's don't forget the tornadoes that are spawned by hurricanes.
So, I might be out of touch for a few days.
Anyway:
1. At least I have an evacuation site that will be free to me. A sister is going to visit members of her husband's family (in Paradise, CA, a place that knows its own disasters) for a month, so her house on the east coast is free for us to use if we need it. She's leaving it ready for us.
2. I hosted a daughter's birthday meal at my house, using my cloth tablecloth and napkins, and my regular, not disposable, dishes, glasses and silverware. The main dish was her request, chicken and dumplings, which is pretty inexpensive to make. That's good, since there were 12 of us to feed. Dessert was a cream cheese pound cake; pound cakes are rich and a slice is enough for most people, so one cake was plenty.
3. I started bagging up ice made by my newly replaced ice maker. I'll stuff the deep freezer with freezer packs and bags of ice in case of power loss (which is almost 100% certain to happen). I also put two milk jugs of water in the freezer. I can use the frozen milk jugs in my refrigerator. I'll consolidate all I can and if I evacuate, I'll take what I can in a cooler - things like the milk, cheese and eggs.
4. I'll also fill up my water containers, since I'm on a well. Buying water not only gets expensive, but after a hurricane, can be nearly impossible.
5. This month I will have a debt paid off, hallelujah. I'm using the snowball method to knock out some debts that happened during DH's health issues.
@JD,
I’m sorry that you are having to make preparations again. It can be very stressful to deal with Hurricane Warnings multiple times in one season. Water to drink is always my biggest concern. It was 25 years ago next week when they tried to evacuate the whole state for Hurricane Floyd that passed us by on its way to the Carolinas. As it was then, I hope your preparations won’t be necessary.
@JD, I'll be thinking of you. Since we did live on the east coast of Florida for a while, I know all about the prep and worry from hurricanes. Stay safe and glad you have a plan in place.
@JD, I pulled up the weather service radar app on phone & zoomed out (can move around the world) & there are lines of storms all the way around the world at the equator right now. Then looks like there are 3 or 4 other hurricanes starting to form between Africa & headed towards North America/Cuba area, not to mention one already hitting Cuba/Florida currently. Fall is usually not active time for this weather patterns to continue.
@JD, m'dear, I too am thinking of you. (A year with two hurricanes and now a possible third, plus other storms, plus your DH's passing and other bereavements...you must be feeling a little like Job at the moment, and I'm fervently hoping for better times ahead for you after this latest hit.)
And I send good thoughts as well to any other of our Florida commenters who may be affected by Helene, as this storm's likely to be called.
@JD, praying for your safety! I hope the storm does not become a hurricane and that you aren't forced to evacuate. (((hugs)))
@JD, you sound calm and very well prepared, with excellent plans. Very admirable. We have gotten the same way around here due to fires. It ain't fun.
@JD,
Thinking of you at this time. Hoping and praying that it will be much less or pass you by. Glad you have a safe place to go, if needed. Your safety is paramount.
@Bee, 11:00 o’clock update. The cone of uncertainty, aka the cone of doom, has moved. Looks like the NE coast of Florida may have some weather. Bummer! There were other things I would rather do than storm prep. Here we go again….
1. I consigned some clothes at a local sale and earned some money. The $/hr is probably not very high, ha, but I would've otherwise donated them so it's better than nothing!
2. Made it through the weekend with no restaurant/takeout food
3. We are spending money to fix my husband's truck, which is much much much less than replacing it... Trucks are expensive.
4. We got chicks, since our current chickens are slowing down on their egg laying. Hopefully we won't have too long of a time period with no eggs. We are using supplies we already had from having chicks previously, just had to buy the chick feed.
5. Continuing to eat tomatoes and red raspberries out of the garden. Fingers crossed I can carve out time to make another batch of salsa before the tomatoes stop.
I never thought of boiling my washcloths. I'll try it since I think they could be fresher.
I have small things to report this week, too.
1. I got a refund on a four-pack of canned chicken I bought last week. Only one of the cans was damaged, but they gave me a refund for the whole thing, so I got the other three for free.
2. I needed to replace a pair of sleep shorts that were starting to fall apart. I looked for used options first, but they were more expensive than I'd hoped, and I didn't really like any of them. I ended up buying new for $6.98 on clearance, which was cheaper than anything else I found.
3. I signed up for Disney Plus at a promotional rate of $1.99 a month for three months. I set up a reminder on my phone to cancel before they start charging me full price.
4. I did not pay full price for any of the groceries I bought at Kroger today; everything was on sale and/or had digital coupons.
5. I used my Discover card to pay for my grocery purchase because they're offering 5% back on groceries right now.
@Elizabeth M, re: your #5, I've been using my Discover card for grocery shopping all this quarter because of the 5% cash back you mention. Hoping for a tidy little profit by the end of September.
Take advantage of those student discounts while you can.
Frugal things---
● saved $0.40/gallon on gas which made it $2.99/gallon & filled up teen vehicle & some gas in my vehicle.
● free hot chocolate (Meijer app coupon yesterday only)
● I needed burplap to wrap my blueberry bushes & rosemary plants for the winter & went to JoAnn Fabrics & found burlap for $2/yard (compared to $5+/yard), bought whole bolt. Found 50% off coupon on website & used, BUT only took off $0.56 instead of $10.28 ($20 + $0.55 end remenet). Cashier said must be because (new) Penny Saver material & would not discount. I'm calling customer service because coupon does not say Penny Saver listed as not qualify.
● purchased some baby duck skeletons for 50% off (made them similar price to other stores that are out of decorations already & will not be getting more because Christmas decorations displays already out) for Halloween at JoAnn
● ordered few other animal skeletons (only available online) got $10 instant savings & used my $10 reward plus free shipping on Target.com ---baby river otter skeleton will go to my cousin (also in Nursing school on Florida) who loves otters for gift.
● found Allium flower bulbs in mixed colors (purples & white) at Menards cheaper & more bulbs plus 11% mail in rebate so purchased & returned bags just purchased at Sam's club
● got 4 loads of Free compost to fill in holes/low areas in yard
● ordered dog fool last day of sale (saved $8 bag) & free shipping.
● teen wants rescue dogs to dress up for Halloween & wants one dog to be Oscar Mayer hot dog. I found costume at Five Below $5.55 (compared to $20+). Both rescue dogs loved wearing costume around house when teen tried costume on rescue dogs. 🙂
Frugal fail---
● fresh baked buns molded after 3 days so birds got most of bag.
● since not using bread/buns up & end up giving to birds not buying until need for that meal, which means not on sale or don't get.... paid $3 for white burger buns
@Regina,
I have some purple allium in my garden! I love them. Your purple and white ones will be so pretty - and what a deal!
You're certainly working hard! And speaking of another hard worker, Chiquita's been hitting the books and joining your online sessions so regularly that she may qualify for a degree herself by the time you two are finished. How about Chiquita, FRN (Feline Registered Nurse)? 😉
Now, FFT, JASNA Member/Bibliophile Edition:
(1) I attended and enjoyed a local JASNA meeting in the next city over on Saturday. One of our members previewed the presentation she'll be giving at the JASNA Annual General Meeting in Cleveland, which is now only 3 weeks away. I'm shamelessly counting much of my JASNA participation as a Frugal Thing because I bought a JASNA Life Membership back in 2008, and I figure it's been paying for itself for about 5 years now. Besides, being part of a community of the like-minded = priceless.
(2) The AGM itself, of course, will not be cheap, but I'm economizing where I can. I'll be driving to it as far as the next city over, and then carpooling the rest of the way with JASNA Panera and another friend from that city. Also, JASNA BFF and I will be sharing a hotel room, and we're both planning to bring in some food.
(3) I've just gotten both a flu shot and the latest COVID booster. Coming home from Cleveland sick = definitely not frugal.
(4) Pre-planned frugal fail: I'm planning to spend some buckaroonies on books in the AGM Emporium. At least three of my academic friends have just published books, and I not only want those books, I want them autographed!
(5) And I relaxed my current moratorium on unnecessary spending on Sunday and Monday at one of our best city branch library book sales. I spent a total of $16, which included several books for JASNA BFF and one for Dr. Bestest Neighbor.
@A. Marie, books don't count. It's sort of like when you eat something bad for you with someone else—it doesn't count. Or if you eat it standing up—doesn't count. Books don't count, especially if they are written by friends, or when you buy them used.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, that's just what DH always used to say: "Books don't count." (Also, I've been trying to channel him from the Great Beyond, as per this old joke: "Your husband just called. He said to buy anything you want.")
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, lol I agree! Books don’t count.
@A. Marie, The husband periodically reminds me that when he proposed, I said yes but only if he never said a word about how much I spent on books or magazines. He has remained true to his word, although when he set up the system we have to recording daily expenses, at the end of the year I found that I spent literally thousands of dollars on books. That curbed my spending like nothing he said would have. But I still buy books new if they are written by friends or a few of the authors I especially love. Years ago I wrote one of those authors a note and mentioned that I had a friend who was in hospice care and one of her regrets was that she was going to expire before the next book in the author's series was out. Damn if I did not get a package from the author the next week, with the galley proofs of the book about to be released! I got to read the book to my friend before she died.
@Lindsey, that's a wonderful story about the friend, the author, and the galley proofs. Sometimes the stars do align in the right direction.
@Lindsey, That’s actually quite a lovely story. People can be incredibly kind.
@Lindsey, Best story about books ever, the sweet author and then you getting to read the proofs to your friend. Made my day.
@Lindsey, It is a lovely story!
I read some years ago that JK Rowling sends first day copies of her books to everyone (in the UK perhaps) named Harry Potter, perhaps to make up for the teasing they receive because of their name.
Kristen, you are a marvel of organization! Way to go!
We are in the midst of having our back porch turned into a sun room, which may take forever as the crew seems to show up when they feel like it. Yesterday I took advantage of their absence and spent an hour to touch up the paint on the existing wood siding, using the house paint bought last time it was on sale for 30% off and a quality paintbrush I've been cleaning and reusing for 12 years. (The age is marked by the green bedroom paint on the handle.)
Have been under the weather with a rotten cold, which is inadvertently frugal as I've stayed home, made soup, canceled an appointment that would have cost me a $40 co-pay for something not really necessary, and have been using up all the odds and ends of cold medications, save for some generic Mucinex that was bought with $4 in Walgreen's cash.
@Ruby, I hear you on using the old house paint and cleaning/reusing the good-quality paintbrush. DH, in his housepainting/construction days, was conscientious about doing both--and I know that the prices of both paint and paintbrushes just passed Mars and are still climbing.
Also, a friendly caution from my own recent experience: If, like me, you've developed high blood pressure as you get older, be careful about those old cold medications. I was reusing a few during the case of bronchitis from hell I had back in April--and got told off by my PCP for doing this, since they were evidently giving me cardiac palpitations. So no more Alka-Seltzer Plus or really effective cough medicine for me, alas.
@A. Marie, oooh, good point. Traditionally I have always had quite good blood pressure, but I'm 65 and some now and my various body systems lately have been doing wonky stuff.
@Ruby, Feel better!
Frugal.
Got much needed front porch cushions for next year ( ours were faded with some dry rot) for less than half price. They have a bit of a funky pattern but I am just rolling with it. I usually do solids!
Only spent 33 dollars at grocery. Eating through freezer and pantry.
Using public library for all sorts of things. Do you have your free Kanopy app yet? Movies and shows!
Still accepting any garden produce offered to me. Yesterday I got a bunch of pretty tomatoes.
1. At the best nursery around, I bought the last mud flat of wooly thyme, using the last of a gift card from last Christmas. The thyme was in very sorry shape; I asked for a discount, and the nursery dropped the price from $18.50 to $10.
2. A friend picked up something for me in the big town down the hill so i don’t have to drive 70 miles today.
3. Finishing a knitted sweater, I am figuring out how to make it work with the amount of yarn I have without ordering another skein. It might end up with some multicolored trim on the cuffs.
4. With great discipline, I tossed the new catalogs that arrived with fall clothing, which I don’t need, so that I am not tempted.
5. My friend gave me an extra avocado. Small blessings. . .very appreciated!
Floridians, praying for you and your families with oncoming hurricane. As I was driving home this morning (NEMO), I met 6-8 ( I didn't think to count until I realized it was a convoy) Wisconsin Badger Electric Power trucks that must be headed your way. I'm sure many other states are doing the same.
For once gas is cheaper in the town I live rather than where I work. It is $2.98 here and $3.12 ten-twelve miles down the road. I filled up here this week.
Bought Jimmy John's Original sandwich for $4.98 (of course I got chips and cookie, too), but it fed me two meals. That is the only time I drove through this week.
I bought a dozen eggs and two big turnips at Farmer's Market on Saturday. I can so easily buy much more including flowers or baked goods. I currently have a "load" of produce on hand already so did well at not getting more.
Can only think of the usuals, chai latte at home, distilled my own drinking water, opened windows at night when temps were in 60s-70s, running AC at 73' during the days of 80+. It has been comfortable since Saturday evening and we have had wonderful rain, so have not had to water the veggies and flowers.
My laugh for the day: The headline our TV station picked up about the 8 rodeo bulls that got loose in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, 'Bulls on Parade: Escaped rodeo bulls cause "udder" chaos in Massachusetts.' Your guest writer from yesterday will no doubt have a heydey with that! Bulls don't have udders! Cows have udders!
@Chrissy, I'm trying to think of a few more bull-appropriate headlines for the rodeo bulls story--but nothing I've come up with so far is appropriate for a family-friendly blog. 😉
@A. Marie, I’m desperate to say something about “balls to the wall” & will understandably accept if Kristen deletes this post!!
My 5 frugals this week are that I ...
1) Brought a few more items off my wishlist for my girls' Christmas and next year's birthdays on sale from Amazon. They're at their lowest price according to camelcamelcamel.com. I also saved on shipping costs since everything was over $35. Score!
2) Got some chips, crackers, ramen, soup and instant mac n cheese from from from the little free library. In return, we donate items there too.
3) Went on an inexpensive date with my husband. We walked the local trail along the river and got some pre-made food from the grocery store to eat as lunch.
4) Canceled Netflix after a month to avoid renewal costs. We can watch DVDs at home and those borrowed from the library, YouTube, Tubi and Roku channel for free.
5) Does cleaning my own house instead of hiring out count? I vacuumed our vehicles, scrubbed the floors, washed and folded the laundry, touch up paint our walls, etc.
1. I also used a Michael's $5 rewards voucher! I got one in my email for $5 and used almost all of it to get 4 new cake piping tips. I have two friend's birthdays in October, so I'll get to try them out soon on cupcakes or cakes for them 🙂
2. Husband really has been wanting a potato box (LOL) and I found one at the thrift store for $6! And it has an onion compartment!
3. I work for a university, so I had the opportunity to participate in a research study for three Amazon gift cards. I got the first one already, and used it to get $5 off my daily face sunscreen.
4. I made a meal plan with all the food remaining in our chest freezer, so none of it will go to waste in the move!
5. Our date night last week was to stop at the local international market to get an interesting dessert and drink, and rent library movies to binge 🙂
Frugal Fail: I sold a book on eBay... that I already packed in our interim storage unit while we are selling our house 🙁 We opened up 7 boxes and made a mess of the unit, but couldn't find the book. I had to message the buyer and cancel the order. She said she was still interested if I find it within 5 weeks, so I'll try again as soon as we close on the new place and can spread the storage unit boxes out more to go searching...
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea,
"2. Husband really has been wanting a potato box (LOL) and I found one at the thrift store for $6! And it has an onion compartment!"
I never store onions/garlic with potatoes. Onions play havoc on potatoes, making them rot faster.
Oooh, let's see. How did we do?
-Continued the clean out of DS18's room, and sold DS17's old desk. (Swapped DS18 & DS17's desk first.) Also sold 3 card games. Both on FB marketplace. Made just over $100 between the two.
-Canceled a paid subscription to a job search firm, as I didn't find it valuable.
-Kept the grocery shopping or a real minimum this week (bananas, cucumbers, milk), as we were out of town for college drop off & then DH was out of town for the rest of the week. We've eaten a lot from the freezer, which always makes me happy.
-I was able to resurrect a dish I made (honey chicken) that was meh the first time. I froze it, and decided to pan fry it to crisp it up. DH & I really enjoyed it this go round. Yay. DS17 doesn't like honey chicken, so he had two chicken sandwiches. One sandwich was made with a hamburger buns that was about to go off, and the other was from a ciabatta bun from the freezer. Yay for using things up.
-Continued to eat a lot from the garden (lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, a lonely strawberry).
We had a frugal / not frugal week. We went to visit our daughter about 4 hours away. I bought snacks at the grocery store beforehand to prevent gas station purchases. We took our camper to stay in, saving hotel fees. We treated our daughter to one meal out, but made the rest of the meals in the camper. We thrifted a few needed items and some wants for her apartment. Spending time together was priceless. She is taking 18 (!!) credits this semester, and I think our time together gave her a respite from nothing but studies!
1. Took my trusty pair of $5 loppers, which I purchased at a thrift store that specializes in tools, and cut up a whole bunch of brush. (The thrift store volunteer had also sharpened it for free, so it cuts those limbs really well!). I stuffed as much into a couple of city-issued yard waste trash cans, along with the regular trash can, for garbage pickup day. Also filled two garbage bags with brush. Once it was hauled off, I got out there and filled up the cans again, ready for the next garbage collection day. With all the shrubs, brush and limbs that were cut and stacked in my backyard, it may take a month to get it all picked up and hauled away -- but I'll save the landfill fee. This is a substantial savings: My yard man was going to charge me $100 to take all this to the dump, which included the landfill fee and whatever $$$ he charges to put it on his trailer and haul it off.
2. Instead of paying for campaign signs, I am reusing some that I had saved from past elections. My favorite state rep candidate is running again, and I'm helping her cause. I also saved some big signs (designed to nail on the fence) for candidates who aren't running anymore; next summer, I'm going to turn them upside down (to the blank side), put them on sawhorses, and use them for garage sale tables.
3. Eye doctor recommended I take Areds pills, and his office has them for $42 a bottle. I ordered some from my Medicare Advantage plan, and thanks to the OTC meds allowance I have, they were free. Had I not had this perk, the drug store sells name-brand Areds for $36, and store-brand pills (same exact ingredients) for $14. It pays to shop around!
4. Grabbed up a 2025 planner, a very pretty one, for the church secretary's Christmas gift. Got one before they sold out. It set me back $1.42 plus tax.
5. Called the internet company, which also provides my (very cheap) landline phone, and told them I'm still having problems. My internet and phone stops working at random times. Very nicely reminded them of the rival company's special offer for new customers. They had already sent a repairman once this week, but it still wasn't fixed; I let them know I was ready to switch providers. Within an hour, I had a repairman at my house, even going up into the attic, replacing ALL of the cables for free. Haven't had any more outages.
I tried the Native deodorant and they made me so stinky. Glad they work for you. When I was in nursing school 34 years ago it was all school for 4 years. So glad I got my BSN. Now 30 years later I have done everything in my career that was on my bucket list. Now I am a school nurse which has been the best decision I have made. It is my retirement job. Low stress and I am able to sit most of the day due to some health issues. As retirement looms in the near future I can say to myself a job well done. You will love whatever you go into. I I hope your future career will take you on so many different roads.
The washcloth thing always surprises me because I can't say I've ever had funky smelling washcloths. I do wash all my towels with the sanitize setting on my washer so maybe that's why.
1. I took advantage of some grocery store sales to get the pantry good and stocked for winter.
2. Got my daughter some nice shoes on a discount. She only will wear them to church on Sunday so not all that much.
3. Trying to cook more at home. We've had to get takeout or go out a lot lately and I'd just rather eat at home.
4. Getting some sticker collections online for cheap for my daughter to use in her party favor bags.
5. Still line drying clothes even though it's almost October.
@Battra92,
I am a dedicated 60C washer - for towels, bedlinens, kitchen linens and washcloths. Also I line dry as long as weather permits. I never have smelly cloths and the good thing is I also never have to clean gunk from my washing machine!
@JNL,
same here! Anything, that can be washed in 60 C will be washed in 60 C. And yes - never smells, never any gunk 🙂
1. We cooked all our meals at home, brewed coffee at home, ate up food from the fridge, etc.
2. We took some kids' stuff over to Once Upon a Child and got a few bucks. A couple things were from my parents' house, but they were actually recalled and went right into the trash at home.
3. We went for a walk at an arboretum and went to a parade for free.
4. I grabbed some free zucchini from work that someone had brought in to share. We plan to make chocolate zucchini cake. If I can find my mom's old recipe for zucchini relish, I'll grab some more and make that. I also grabbed a bag of bread from a local bakery that was up for grabs, but today I'll drop that off with my dad for him to enjoy (we eat gluten-free at home).
5. I haven't bought any new, cute fall decor. I am still on the hunt for secondhand costumes. Our family picked a theme for the church's Trunk or Treat event, so we're trying to get everything together. We'll have to make the decoration for our table (it's indoor this year - there was a snowstorm last year). We'll make the decoration mostly from what we have at home (cardboard, paint, etc.).
@Nikki, I've been given an abundance of zucchini the past few weeks. I made zucchini relish and oatmeal zucchini cookies. So good
1. I used some over-ripe apples, plums, nectarines, and blueberries to make popsicles for my daughter. I used herbs from my garden to go on roasted potatoes. Tomatoes from our garden will make chicken cacciartore this week.
2. My employer has an app that you can log your healthy habits and earn gift cards. I redeemed by points for a $60 Amazon gift card. This it the second gift card I have redeemed since May.
3. I scheduled appointments for myself, my kids, and my husband to get our free COVID and flu shots.
4. My husband sold a PS3 and games he was not using
5. We went to a baseball game for our city's minor league baseball team. The tickets were free, as I had won them in a contest at work.
Not feeling especially frugal, but here goes:
1. Hanging laundry---this has been very easy as we had a month-long drought (that ended last night, hurrah!). Even towels were drying fast out there!
2. Library books--I can highly recommend Some Of Us Just Fall by Polly Atkin. Beautiful, heartbreaking writing about living with chronic illness.
3. Biking to said library, and to church as well.
4. Before his hospitalizations, DS#1 had rented an apartment in the area; decided to recuperate at home (and live at home during grad school) and give up the apartment. He was locked into a lease but was able to get into the buyout program, saving half a year's rent. DH and I got the last bits out of the apartment and cleaned it up, and DS will be able to hand back the keys next week. Since he wasn't living there we kept the AC off throughout the summer, except for when I had a friend driving through who needed a place to crash.
5. One of the things DH brought back was a bureau DS#2 had given DS#1; neither wanted it so we swapped it for DS#4's older bureau, giving him more space in his room. DH repurposed the older bureau for much-needed storage in his office area.
6. When cleaning out the apartment I found random delights like some lovely serving spoons--I guess they're soup spoons, but they're large enough to be serving spoons for sauces and hummus and such. I told DS I felt like I was going shopping, and he said, "Take it all!" Ha. So I got some new stuff for the kitchen, as well as getting back things we'd given him for setting up housekeeping.
I forgot! When we cleaned out the apartment we also stopped at the store and DH showed me where the excellently priced chicken drumsticks are hidden ($5 for 14 drumsticks)! We used to find them at the other Kroger, and I had no idea where they were at this one. So happy to find a cheaper chicken for dinners. Their wings aren't badly priced, either. These are even cheaper than the Heritage Farms chicken, which I had been getting.
I do the same thing with my gift cards to restaurants, I try to stretch them out as much as possible.
1. I made apple, grape, carrot juice last week. I used park of the pulp last week to make 2 cakes. I pulled the rest of the pulp out this morning to make 2 more. I use aquafaba instead of eggs(why threw it away). I did one DF with nuts for Hubby. The other one has butter. Some will go to my son, some will go to my neighbor and some will go to friend that is having a rough time right now.
2. I made banana nut chip muffins for easy breakfasts and snacks.
3. Since the oven was on I threw in 2 baked potatoes and 2 regular potatoes. We will eat them this week.
4. My friend and I carpooled to a free art exhibit that my friend's friend was having. She was so happy to see us. It is her first one.
5. Got a free copy of Apples to Apples. My sister's basement flooded last year. She lost all of her board games. I have gotten her a few from the thrift store and at yard sales. I'm seeing her next week so I will give it to her then. I know her son loves it because we play it at my house.
and you get out posts for which i am very thankful. you are so amazing.
Good Morning.
This week has not been frugal in any way, shape, or form.
I started my big 14 night Tahoe Rim Trail backpack a week ago Sunday. We timed it perfectly for a freak snowstorm in the Sierras. Sigh. It was the first time in 20 years Yosemite had to close it's road due to SNOW!! The third night was to be a resupply but my husband took us into the town instead to buy snow gear that we never in a million years thought we would need. I had everything back at the cabin but we were going straight back to the trail, we thought.
So then he got a flat tire. drat!. Long story, short we ended going back to the cabin anyway.
We hiked 2 more days in and were at 9400ft elevation when a big storm came in - lightening, thunder, hail, rain and then storm. when we finally found an appropriate stopping spot, I couldn't get my "cutting edge, 11 oz. pack tent" set up correctly. Things went from bad to worse to dangerous. My tent was filled with 3 inches of water. I managed to keep my sleeping bag and a pair of socks dry. My buddies took me into their tent for a very uncomfortable but absolutely necessary night because hypothermia was a real possibility.
Using my compass and map, the next day I hiked to the nearest populated site, caught an Uber, and went to the cabin. The plan was to buy a new tent and meet up in two days. One of my buddies injured his leg and they bowed out of the rest of the trip. Double Sigh.
I have managed to salvage four more hiking days starting on Thursday with a buddy. Until then I will take long bike rides and enjoy this beautiful weather.
So in the last three days I have:
1. Listed the high tech tent and sold it on EBAY immediately to someone who is probably far more savvy than me. I bought instead a solid freestanding variety. I need less bells and whistles and more safety.
2. I returned all the extra snow stuff I had bought in crisis and never used.
3. I ran out of "hotspot" in my cabin ( no tv/internet). Who knew there was a limit? I bought one time $15 extra for the month and went to the library to read books instead of stream.
4. I printed the EBAY labels at the library here for .30.
5. I double checked on refunds I was suppose to have received this summer an verified they were on their way.
@mary ann, Oh, the trip you've been working so hard for!! I'm sorry for all the crazy weather and accidents which have hindered you. I will say - you have some excellent stories to impress the kid/grandkids. My husband's hiking buddy still dines out on his (much tamer) story of cutting a hike short when he badly injured his leg and a passing hiker duct-taped it closed. I think your story includes most of the varieties of excitement and danger that camping offers (freak snowstorm! hail! lightning! equipment failures and injuries!) - I almost expected the next paragraph to say you ran into Sasquatch.
@mary ann, I commend you on your good attitude and practical responses to a very disappointing expedition. Feeling bummed for you.
I second this!
@mary ann, I'm so impressed with how you pushed through, planned for difficult situations & made the best of it while still being safe. Well done, you. I'm sorry it wasn't what you hoped for. I was also following that freak snow storm (we live in the bay area).
I have done nothing extraordinarily frugal this week. I did two mystery shops that paid for the groceries we needed for this week and that is about it. And sold two items, one local and one on eBay. That's it. The rest of it is the usual of things like washing out Ziplocs, not running the dishwasher until it is full (despite those new, irritating ads that urge people to run them every night no matter the size of the load), and so on. Boring.
I posted this on Katy's site, but in case it was here that these things happened, I want to repeat it so the right people hear it: to the person who recommended the Tinkle razor comb for hair cutting, thanks so much! I used it for the first time when I cut husband’s hair the other day and it made the job 10 times easier. He used it on me and said the same. Second, to the person whose husband works with Sumos (the oranges, not the wrestlers) can you tell me when the season starts? Our produce manager seemed flummoxed when I asked him. Thanks.
Your student life makes me so very glad I went to college and grad school right after high school, when my energy level was the highest in my life. Just reading what you are doing every day exhausts me! You are amazing.
@Lindsey, I hear you about young vs. old energy levels. Right now, I'm at the point of the punchline of this joke:
"Give me a fulcrum and I will move the world."
"Give me a place to sit and I'll watch."
@Lindsey, the other day I noticed I have a half load option on my dishwasher, which I've had for at least six years. Guess my focus was turning off the sanitize/dry option and paid no attention to any other option. Go figure.
@Lindsey,
I'm not the person who's husband works with Sumos - though that would be absolutely wonderful if he did, because I can happily eat my weight in Sumos - but I can say, they typically appear in my local grocery stores around late January-early to mid February (I'm in SW Ohio). It's always a happy surprise when I see them in the stores.
@Lindsey, Sumos usually begin harvest in December. (It's my husband's BFF who manages most of the Sumo growing around here.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Thank you for letting me know, so I can stop haunting the produce area of our grocery store. We are the end of the supply chain so most of the produce that gets to us (assuming they survive the truck ride up the Alaska highway or if they are flown up they withstand sitting on the tarmac at below freezing temps) but Sumos seem impervious to mishandling. Even though they run $4.50 to $5.00 per fruit, I gladly put out the bucks for them.
1) Lunch today was leftovers of a dish I made in the summer and still had in the freezer. We had such a wonderful summer. In addition to being frugal, this meal reminded me of how great it was.
2) I called and politely complained about the $800 dental bill our family received. We all only had checkups with no cavities. And we have dental insurance! I understood the dental with my new job is not as good as the coverage at my old job, but I assumed the office staff would at least give me a heads up that they were now out of network on our new plan. The office manager is really great and this time was willing to at least give me the in-network rate since they didn't inform me that we were out of network. That 10 minute call saved me $340.
3) I checked the health insurance website to monitor a claim as it moves through the system. We have paid our deductible, so it shouldn't be too crazy, but I've caught plenty of errors in the past doing this.
4) I applied for one job and prepped my materials to apply for a second job. I have a bunch of applications I want to do this week. I am happy to be frugal on my average salary, but I would rather be frugal on a really good salary. 😉
5) I did a little online planning and strategizing yesterday for our trip coming up this weekend. It is already a doozy of a frugal trip, but a little strategy can go a long way to preventing accidental needs that end in expensive purchases.
I will try the Native deodorant. I started using Native toothpaste about 3 weeks ago and am quite satisfied with it.
I bought a gently used SquishMallow and it also helped our marriage. 🙂 Apparently my husband wanted to get our 1 yr old a $44 Squishmallow for Christmas because she loves stuffed animals. (She does but $44????) I was ready to stand my ground and refuse to buy one, but we found one at a yard sale for $2!
I found a free sweater at the same yard sale.
One year anniversary of using my Henson razor. The handle was $75 but replacement blades are $0.10. After a year we have re-couped the "investment costs."
I found out that our toddler loves salsa and will eat previously refused food if the food is covered with salsa.
1. Mended yet more toddler books.
2. I was able to redeem my $120 of gift cards to a salon that closed! The (previous) owner now cuts hair as a solo stylist and she honored the gift cards without being able to even verify the balance. I’m just grateful to have been able to use them and appreciate that she honored them in her new location.
3. We celebrated our anniversary by eating out with a gift card we’d been given a long time ago.
4. I’m stretching here, but I do think I’ve been saving money by shopping at Aldi recently. I still want to support my local grocery store, but Aldi is the same distance away and I really like their produce.
5. I received yet more free food after choir practice last night from the man who rescues food from distribution points. I came home with some more cottage cheese, tomatoes, squash, carrots, eggplant, and maybe a few other little things. I still have a lot to process from the previous week’s haul of swiss chard, celery, potatoes, and eggplant.
Trip planning FFT!
1. I menu planned exclusively around our fridge and freezer items for this week – we’re heading out of town next week and I want to make sure that we eat what we have so it doesn’t go bad. Pantry items will hold, fresh fruits and veggies will not.
2. I headed to the dollar store to pick up travel toiletries that we didn’t already have on hand. Since we will be in an Airbnb I can’t rely on hotel toiletries like I normally do.
3. I used a gift card to pick up a few books for my sone to read on the plane. Normally I would insist on library books, but I would prefer to not lose any books that don’t belong to us on our trip. My kindle is stocked with books I got for free with Amazon digital credits.
4. I borrowed voltage adapters from a friend who travels to Scotland frequently to visit her in-laws.
5. I treated my son to Starbucks using stars after he completed a school project he wasn’t excited about (interviewing a store owner for a business class).
-I saw a great new women's health provider today snd the visit (including bloodwork) will be free to me.
-I found a trustworthy place cheaper than Amazon for some supplements and even got free shipping.
-My husband was feeling sick earlier so we didn't eat out as planned or grocery shop. He's feeling better now! This will help us eat from what we have which is probably good.
-I set a reminder to double check some leave time at my work to make sure my time without pay is correct.
-I play in a free fantasy football league with former coworkers. No buy-in, only fun. Bragging rights and a small trophy go to the winner each year.
1. I continue pulling things, haphazardly, from the freezer. This week we used up all of the rye bread and more of the corned beef in reuben sandwiches.
2. I used some 1% milk that I purchased for guests who don't want to drink our usual whole milk making chocolate pudding.
3. I started going through the fridge and finished off a block of cheese that was fine, but not a favorite.
4. I did a better job at the laundromat this week in the sense of being more time efficient in getting all the laundry done. Hopefully our machine will be fixed soon.
5. I immediately forwarded a small bill that gets reimbursed by work.