Please note: there are no pictures of blood in this post! It’s safe to keep scrolling.
1. I worked the CVS deals for some conditioner
I was out of the Maui Moisture conditioner that I use, so, I combined my Carepass with some other discounts. I paid $3.20 for two bottles, and got a $4 Extrabucks reward in my app.
Soo, that was a pretty sweet deal!
2. I got blood donation freebies
My hospital sent out an email yesterday saying they were desperately low on all blood types, so I popped in to try to donate blood.
I say “try” because sometimes when I have tried in the past, my iron has been too low.
But this time I was good to go. Yay!!
I would donate blood if there were no freebies involved, of course. But I was not about to turn down what they were offering. 😉
In return for donating, I got a coupon for a free cheese pizza and also a free lunch at my hospital cafeteria. Sweet.
I feel a little bit tired after donating blood, but I remind myself that I do not feel nearly as bad as the people who need my blood!
3. I went into greens-eating mode
I realized I had quite a backlog of greens in my fridge. So, I made sure to add a bowl of salad to my breakfast as well as dinner.
And here I will put a vote in for greens at breakfast; I’m not ready for ranch dressing at that hour, but some greens with a light vinaigrette (especially a sweet type of vinaigrette) are easy to eat with some eggs and toast.
Another advantage: you will feel obnoxiously virtuous if you eat a salad first thing in the morning.
You ate greens before 9 am? YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE.
4. I used my canned cherry juice
I finished up a jar of sour cherries from Aldi, and I mixed the leftover juice/syrup in with some sparkling water. Tasty!
5. I got paid for attending the phlebotomy class
Not only did I not have to pay for the class, I got paid for attending! We just clocked in like we would for a shift and got paid for learning how to do our jobs better.
FYI: This is fake blood. It is just red fluid; I promise I’m not gonna post pics of blood. I can look at blood all day and not feel the least bit queasy, but I recognize that is not true for everyone.
As a college student, I am used to having to pay for all of my education. So to get paid for learning feels rather miraculous indeed.
Connie Seward
Saturday 4th of January 2025
Over the past couple of months I’ve developed the habit of sautéing some greens and other various vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc. and having that as a side with a two-egg omelette for breakfast most days. I’m actually feeling kind of unstoppable, lol. Please forgive me…. Just had to brag a little.
Kristen
Saturday 4th of January 2025
That’s what I’m saying! You eat veggies for breakfast and you can do no wrong. Heh.
AW
Friday 27th of December 2024
Those are some good ones!
My Frugal 5's 1) Basically only Christmas gifts for kids and no gifts for the adults. 2) Eating meals from home. Brought a bunch of groceries since we have family staying with us for a few weeks but also trying to use up what we had. 3) Staying home and not going out much. Played games, watched DVDs or digital movies we already had or borrowed from the library, and did crafts. 4) Went to a couple free library events when we learned to color or paint from an art teacher and will make a mosaic piece for the library tomorrow. 5) Got a few gift bags, boxes and bows for free at the library which we used for Christmas presents.
Willow
Thursday 26th of December 2024
I donated blood in November. In January I will be on track to be a regular donor.
Kate
Wednesday 25th of December 2024
Less so on the frugal front, but thank you for your blood donation. As a cancer patient, I’ve been thankful to my donors every time I’ve received their incredibly generous gifts.
akbj
Tuesday 24th of December 2024
I used to donate blood (or try, due to low iron) when I was younger but not allowed to for the past many years due to a medication I use long term. It's been disappointing. I don't care about needles or blood so it was easy for me. It always helped me feel good to do it so I felt really bad after I couldn't any more. At one point I was so frustrated I called up the blood bank and asked to speak with the director just to try to figure out the "why" because the techs always seemed vague about it when I tried every so often. A close family member has donated for most of her adult life in a western European country. She occasionally had low iron when younger but they won't allow taking iron supplements! I've been so curious about the reasoning for that. I could never have kept my iron even barely high enough without additional iron.