Five Frugal Things | some grocery shenanigans
My first two items this week are both grocery-related and they both were a bit of a headache!
1. I got a $50 Harris Teeter gift card
This was not without hassle:
I saw that Harris Teeter was offering a $50 gift card with any transferred prescription, and luckily, I had one at CVS that was eligible for a refill.
I did the transfer on Harris Teeter's website, but when I went to pick up the prescription, the pharmacist said, "Oh no, this is not a transferred prescription."
Ummmm.
So I politely said that it was, and then the pharmacist realized there had been an error in categorization. Yay!
But then the cashier was confused about how to give me my gift card, and eventually, she told me it would just automatically apply at checkout.
(Apparently, no one has ever taken advantage of this offer there! She said she'd never done one of these offers.)
I went through the checkout, but nope, no gift card credit showed up.
So THEN I went to the customer service desk and the person there had actually heard of this program, and she gave me a physical gift card.
2. I used some Safeway gift cards
I had gotten some Safeway gift cards for 50% off, so I decided to go there to buy some Christmas foods, like my ham. And of course, I carefully looked through the sale ad to maximize my savings.
Well, when I got to checkout, the cashier rang up my gift cards, but he charged me for them! My total went UP by $50 instead of down. I tried to point this out, but he assured me all was well.
(Narrator: All was not well.)
I decided it was pointless to press the issue with him, so I paid and then went over to the customer service desk, where they took care of it.
3. I sold a pair of jeans on eBay
I had a pair of skinny jeans that I'd kept from an old Stitch Fix. I didn't want them, but it hadn't made financial sense to send them back, due to the discount you get if you keep all five items.
I listed them on eBay and they sold! I'm going to ship them off today.
4. I sent back a shirt I bought for Mr. FG
I ordered him a long-sleeved t-shirt that he'd asked for, but on the first trip through the wash, one arm seam ripped almost completely out.
I have no idea how this happened, since my washer is not in the habit of ripping up clothes. All I can think is that the fabric or the seam was faulty.
Happily, I was able to return it, so a new one will be on its way shortly.
And hopefully this one will survive more than one wash. (!!)
5. I helped Zoe modify/repair a thrifted blazer
She bought an 80s-style black blazer from Goodwill a little while back, and she needed help getting the shoulder pads out.
Sometimes you can just snip shoulder pads out of older clothes, but these ones were under the lining. So, I helped her take apart two lining seams, and then we were able to cut out the pads.
We hand-sewed the lining back shut, but we had a few mishaps where both of us caught the outside of the blazer in our stitches, and then we had to start over. Hand sewing a lining is a little tricky, apparently.
We also fixed a small rip in one of the hem seams, and now Zoe is all set with a super cheap blazer.
1. Big one for me: I'm late to the retirement planning game, so I made an appointment with a financial planner, realized that what I thought was smart investing was not even keeping up with inflation, so I'm rolling some over to a smarter, fixed account. Not fun stuff and I really wish I'd done this much sooner. Numbers give me a headache and money scares me a little.
2. Reviewing all of our monthly bills, DH and I do this annually.
3. My vehicle hit the 100,000 mile mark. That makes me feel good because its still running well.
4. My favorite thrifted purse ripped inside, I'm sewing it together again today.
5. Resisted the nice coat sales, I'm still wearing my son's long wool coat. Its really warm and men's pockets are so nice and deep!
Good for you for tackling #1!
@MommaL, #1 is the worst for me. We really lean heavily on our planner because we do not fully comprehend the ins and outs and have had years where money is tight!
@Stephanie, the scary part is so much trust in the planner. I took notes, asked a lot of questions, and tried to understand as well as I can.
@MommaL, AGREED
we asked coworkers for recommendations. Met with three planners. Picked one. Hoping for the best.
@MommaL, I really recommend J.L. Collin’s blog, in particular, his writing on stocks: https://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/
He wrote A Simple Guide To Wealth, and it truly is simple.
@Hadilly, thank you, I will check it out. I follow Frugal Chic Life on You Tube, she inspired me to take a hard look at my finances as well.
We...picked up our season passes at the local ski resort on Christmas Day. We'd purchased these back in the spring when they were MUCH cheaper than they currently are, so that was frugal thinking. We also packed our own snacks for "apres-skiing" and saved money there.
We've been using up various things from the fridge this week. I made mac and cheese on Christmas that called for cream cheese (which I needed to use up) and sour cream (and I had Greek yogurt that needed to be used up), so that worked out well. No food waste!
I sort of made a menu for the week to, again, make sure we're using up stuff from the fridge. Friends are coming for dinner NYE night and I'm planning to use all stuff we already have. My mom sent the hubs about four different kinds of almonds for Christmas, so we're set on appetizers! Haha.
I had one last gift to get yesterday and took advantage of Barnes and Nobel's 50% off all hardcover books sale.
I have actually kept up with all of my business monthly expenses this year AND cancelled one monthly product subscription that I wasn't using at all.
Yay for frugality. It's snowing here today so I think I'm going to clean out the guest bedroom closet...who knows what might be lurking?
—A friend graciously offered us her electric pet shears. She doesn’t need them anymore—her pet’s hair has become less unruly with age—and one of our adopted cats is quite the fluff. Day-to-day we have a special comb with built-in razors that thins his hair while we groom, but come spring and the dumping of his winter coat, we will be grateful for those shears!
—I was able to combine coupons for $5 off and 20% off at Ace to get jumper cables for $11 instead of $22.
--On a similar note (and a separate store trip), I was able to combine a coupon with a sale to get a hydraulic jack for $15. Between the jumper cables and the jack, my husband’s new-to-him ride now has all it needs in the trunk for emergencies. (It thankfully came with a full-size spare and tire iron.)
—Thanks to coupons and CVS Extra Bucks, I bought my $20+ nasal spray for $5 and change. Sinus headaches, be gone!
—The black suede on my winter snow/hiking boots was looking *rough*. The internet said mink oil would both condition and darken the suede; happily, we already have mink oil in the household shoe shine kit. Following a tutorial, I cleaned the suede first with a stiff brush, then applied the oil. My boots are once again even in color and look SO much better!
@N, Mine need some help and thanks to your message I'll shop the basement for old shoe polish! Thank you for the idea! ❤
1. I went with my daughter yesterday to return something she had ordered from DSW. While she was looking around, I saw a $20 Kohl's Cash certificate on the display I was waiting by. There was no one around so I decided that the person who left it there probably had no idea it was missing from their purse/pocket/wherever it was stored. I thought about turning it in at the cashier station but decided the person probably would have no idea where they lost it.
2. I used the Kohl's cash and $1o of my own Kohl's cash that they emailed to me saying "we haven't seen you in awhile" and my $5 birthday gift card from Kohl's and was able to get an extremely nice Christmas tree storage bag for free. It is very difficult for me to compress the tree back into the box it came in so this will be perfect. I didn't need anything else, so my daughter purchased some tongs for her nonstick cookware with the overage.
3. My daughter received a coupon for a free Snuggle product in a sample box. She doesn't use this type of product so gifted the coupon to me. I will redeem it before the 2/28/22 expiration date.
4. Other than the Kohl's purchase, I didn't shop any after-Christmas sales. I don't need more stuff!
5. I straightened the boxes where I store Christmas wrap (all purchased on clearance in years past-some as low as 25 cents) and decided I have enough paper for the next 20 years or so! HaHa!
@BarbG, the person with the missing Kohl's cash might have retraced steps and gone through every pocket/purse/crack in the car. Was there a Kohl's in the shopping complex? It might have been removed to prepare for the next stop. If I reached Kohl's and was missing such an amount of money, I'd be sick about it.
@Nora, in our area, people who are not going to use their coupons sometimes generously share with others who might want them by leaving them on a shelf or display, even if it isn't for that store. It happens quite a bit in the grocery store. Whoever had it might have decided they didn't want to make even one more stop--or didn't want to buy anything else--and left it behind for someone to find. So it might not be that someone was upset about missing the coupon--it could have been deliberate.
@Glenna Gregory, were there other coupons to pickup at the DSW display? $20 isn’t $0.50 off frozen peas. If it was deliberate, why did the original poster justify not turning it into the store?
Hi! I'm a new reader but I just love your blog so far. I just read your robot vacuum post, which inspired me to...start my own robot vacuum. 🙂 (I have a Eufy, which works just fine. It keeps the dirt on our hard-surface floors down. I am NOT a housekeeper, so this is a lot better than nothing!)
This week I:
1. Made noodle soup from some leftover seasoning packets. Sometimes, when I cook, I have been known to be in a hurry because I haven't planned ahead, so I have used instant rice noodles from pho bowls that I've picked up at Grocery Outlet for .50. (Usually for a fast stir fry.) That leaves me with the seasoning packets, which I've stuck in my spice drawer and forgotten all about. But yesterday we were snow bound, and I had some rice noodles, so I boiled water, soaked the noodles, and made soup for my husband and my father in law. It worked surprisingly well. (These are not really healthy, and I probably wouldn't eat them for myself, but dudes are dudes.)
2. I got a surprising email on my health care message system that I was eligible to participate in a study! $50 is $50.
3. I got a Target gift card from a student as a Christmas gift, and conveniently, our step-on trash can has just bit the dust, so I may go splurge on a really nice simple human one. Ours was an Amazon knock off that worked okay, but got stuck every once in awhile.
4. We scavenged a VCR from my parents that they weren't using, and we also scavenged a bunch of old VHS tapes from my in-laws, so now we have a lot of kids movies that are free to watch!
5. I tried out the Costco powder pods instead of buying the fancier kind, although I usually get those from grocery outlet anyway. Lo and behold, they work fine!
@Maggie, The VCR is a great frugal move! (until the kids decide the VCR is hungry and feed it a sandwich; I once read that children putting things in the VCR was a major contributor to them needing to be repaired). You probably can pick up more tapes for almost nothing if you keep an eye out.
1.) Making meals out of Christmas leftovers.
2.) Working on planning our spending goals for 2022. Basically we're trying to figure out just what we need and want to do in the coming year. It's hard to plan these days but we're trying!
3.) Redeemed my credit card rewards for some sweet cashback savings.
4.) Have the money all ready to go for my Roth IRA contribution next week. Now I gotta go through the yearly process to remember how to contribute again.
5.) I returned a gift. I always feel awful doing this but it wasn't something I'd use and honestly, I would feel bad keeping. I've been told I'm downright impossible to buy for.
Some big old fails happened this Christmas.
1.) Got some gift cards that I won't use because they are either irrelevant to me (Starbucks) or I am boycotting or avoiding the store.
2.) Went over budget on our grocery bill this month. It usually happens in December so I am not too worried. Plus we have a full freezer and pantry at least.
@Battra92, Starbucks actually holds more money than many small banks through gift cards and prepaid apps.
https://www.eatmy.news/2021/04/how-starbucks-functions-as-unregulated.html?m=1
You may want to pass those cards on to someone else or sell them. Otherwise, the company benefits by not having to provide the merchandise or services for which they have been paid. In other words, they get money for nothing.
@Battra92, I was given a Starbucks GC this year just before Christmas and I do not care for SB coffee at all, so gave it to my letter carrier.
I think that's a great regifting idea! Even if your letter carrier does not like coffee, there are lots of tees and hot chocolate things to order there as well.
Yeah, I am planning on either giving them away or finding something to use them for. I feel a bit ungrateful but like, I don't drink coffee or tea at all and I may drink like one cup of cocoa a year, maybe.
@Battra92, Starbucks does have food options. They are overpriced but a free lunch is still a free lunch.
@Battra92, I use (randomly) a fitness app called Playfit. After a LONNNNG time I earn a $10 Starbucks card, which I have been storing on my phone. I, too, am NOT a fan of their coffee (who knew I would be come a coffee snob originally when I was drinking Starbucks, and now I can't stand their coffee?). Anyway, I think I need to tuck in to the local shop and see what kind of random overpriced treats I can have. In addition, I have points on Tim Horton's app. time for DONUTS! and Tim Hortons coffee is not bad at all... Thanks for the ideas!
@Bee, Hi! There are websites that you can resell the Starbucks g/c too. We get them all the time from work. Fortunately, for me, my sister loves SB so I give them to her. However, I'd resell them even if it is a bit for below the price. Rather have the money than nothing at all. Hope you find a solution for them 🙂
@Marybeth, sweet food options that go with coffee. Maybe some have sandwiches, but not many.
1. Bought typical christmasfood at a 30%-50% discount: turkey and reindeer. And something I belive is a Norwegian tradition: salted, smoked, and dried ribs from sheep. Directly translated stickmeat 🙂
2. Got a Osprey backpack from my new job as a Christmas present. Very surprised as I’ve worked there for two months, 9 hours a week so I didn’t expect anything.
3. Got a Vipp trashbin and toiletbrush for the main bathroom at 40% and 75% discount. The lid on the trashbin has a small dent wich I’m going to try to fix, but for a $175 discount that’s totally ok with me and I’m planning on keeping them forever so that’s probably not the last dent anyways. Love Scandinavian design so the brand has been on my wishlist forever.
4. Bought two bags Too Good To Go from my local grocer. They were so full that one tore apart when I was walking home.
5. Ikea has an offer for free shipping for members. Bought two Ivar cabinets I’ve been planning for the hallway renovation. This offer is only valid for small packages, but when we renovated the kitchen they had free shipping for everything, one day only. Then we saved about $1000. Strangely they never repeated that offer 😉
1. As an appreciation for donating blood, I received an offer from the Red Cross to claim a $10 Amazon gift card. Better yet, they offered an option to donate it back to the Red Cross, which I did.
2. Received a generous Trader Joe's gift card from sister-in-law.
3. Asked my sister to pick up a not-inexpensive grocery item and when I tried to repay her, she said it was from Santa.
4. Saved $50 using a coupon for tire rotation.
5. Saved $1.50 using a coupon from the package of a previous purchase.
I always cut shoulder pads out in the 80s. My shoulders are broad enough--I don't need to look like a linebacker. There's something I hope never comes back, but I'm sure it will. In fact probably soon since these things seem to go in 40 year cycles. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go put on some stirrup pants. *heavy sigh*
Oh man, I hope stirrup pants never come back. They were so impractical...mine were always getting pulled down when I moved.
@Rose, if Mom jeans can make a return, just about anything can.
@Battra92, - Wait, what? Mom jeans left for a while?
@Battra92, I'd answer but I'm too busy weeping.
@Battra92, AHEM: Some of us have never STOPPED wearing Mom jeans (and I'm not even a mom). Remember that there are older ladies present.
Also I forgot to mention something frugal-ish! For me! For once! The feral cats I feed (which is frugal as the colony is managed by our local animal charity, so they donate the food to me) needed fresh straw for their little winter kitty houses. One of the overpriced local farm shops was shutting down for the winter, with a rather nice display of pumpkins and bales of straw and I asked and they gave me the straw for free! It will keep my kitty friends happy this winter. (They honestly look like a clown car coming out of the kitty houses when I show up with my bag of food. How do you all fit in there? Oh well, they stay warm that way.)
@Rose, oh this just warmed my heart. I would love to take care of an entire colony of ferals.
@Rose, @Battra92, you two crack me up... And I loved Stirrup pants, once I designed a pattern that worked for my over-long legs... I think I am not the right shape for them, any more, though. My daughter is totally into the high-waisted pants that I remember making and wearing in my highschool years. - and I am 40 years older than she is, to we are talking a LONG time ago... She looks wonderful in them, and I think I did, too. As long as the BIG hair stays out of the picture....
@ecoteri, and the yellow lipstick!
I baked a gluten free coffee cake for Xmas breakfast that was great! First Xmas with celiac so it was a big win for family traditions. Also just generally cooking a lot fit the family.
Got gift receipts from relatives for the things my kids didn’t love so we can switch them out for things they’ll use.
We have a tradition of a Xmas outing with kids - usually a show plus dinner. With Covid, the show options were limited/scary so we are doing some outdoor (free) Chicago sightseeing plus dinner instead.
Hubby and I limited our gifts for each other in favor of a furniture purchase later in the year.
Took daughter to Barnes & Noble on 26th for 50% off hard cover book sale. She used Xmas giftcard and got 3 for $35.
Oh yes, when you make an allergy-friendly thing that actually tastes good, it feels like such a triumph!
1. Like reader N., I spiffed up the suede on my sneakers and they now look nice again instead of beaten up.
2. Still doing the year of No Silly Spending, which incorporates buying secondhand for necessary items. After diligent shopping, I bought four items I needed from eBay and Poshmark.
3. Plated up Christmas leftovers right after the meal to make frozen work lunches.
4. Cashed out $15 in gift cards from Fetch after eight months of scanning receipts. We don't buy enough name or featured brands to make it worth the effort at this point, especially when I have to correct so many receipts to get points. So I am done with that.
5. We need to buy paint and I just realized we have a $5 off coupon to use. Hooray!
1. Similar to MommaL, and a big one for me, too: I am hiring a fiduciary to handle my investments. I have a very basic idea of the stock market and frankly, I don't appreciate the fact that these days, one's retirement plan MUST be in the stock market, which just might be crashing as one reaches retirement age, but since this is the way of the world, I am hiring a fee-based advisor. Our financial future is very complex right now, and I need some help.
2. Bought a grocery gift card with a $10 reward for a survey group now closing. They are cashing out all rewards, and this was mine.
3. I have committed to paying down as much debt as possible in January as part of a "no spend" month. For that reason, I am transferring $50 of Swagbucks to Paypal, to then transfer to my bank and use against existing debt.
4. I ate too much at Christmas! I'm cutting back, which will save me on the food bill.
5. I signed up for a free sewing tutorial at a sewing store near my work place. I can do it while my office is closed for the holidays.
1. I cancelled my print subscription to the Washington Post. I had the Sunday paper delivered and I had access to the digital version every day. For $9.99 I will get a year of digital only access. Not only am I saving money but the environmental impact of not receiving a newspaper should be big.
2. We just finished Christmas meal leftovers. We had a simple meal that just required a few dishes to be reheated when we were ready to eat. Timing for the meal was not an issue. It made for an easy and relaxed day.
3. With Omicron raging we are staying home more not going out and spending money.
4. I continue to read books and ebooks borrowed from the library, listen to audio books and watch DVDs borrowed from the library.
5. Walking outside with friends has returned as a primary source of a social life. Even vaccinated and boosted we're being cautious about Omicron.
Your second one made me laugh out loud when he assured you all was well. Thank goodness for a customer service desk.
1. My husband found $5 of Kohl's cash (from an Amazon return) that expires today, so I went and got a pair of jeans for my son since so many of his have holey knees now. The jeans were half off but rang up at full price. I stuck around until they checked the sale sign on the rack, then came up front, and finally adjusted the price. My kids were losing their ability to wait patiently, but I'm glad we stuck it out.
2. After all of the Christmas food we bought I'm trying to spend almost nothing on groceries this week. I used a $10 off coupon at Meijer to get a few things yesterday and a $25 Wal-Mart gift card from Ibotta to finish off my list.
3. I made a turkey for our Christmas dinner (purchased at Thanksgiving for 33 cents a pound) and made broth with the carcass. Big thanks to my MIL for taking all of the meat off the bones for me while I took a nap that afternoon!
4. We took my in-laws to see the lights at the zoo and I had to order the tickets in advance. I didn't know their exact ages and couldn't find an age listed for qualifying for the senior tickets, but I took a gamble and ordered 2 for them since they were cheaper. I figured we could even up when we arrived if we needed. But it all worked out and we learned at the gate that they did indeed qualify for the senior price. Saved $6.
5. I mended a fitted sheet. It's a good brand and I'm surprised that one of the seams ripped in less than 2 years. But thankfully it was just a seam so it's something I'm able to fix on my own.
I was watching my total go up and I was feeling like all was most certainly not well. Ha.
Your #5; I love it when a rip is right on a seam. That makes it so easy to mend.
I rarely comment but love reading everyone’s frugal wins! Yesterday I took advantage of Southwest Airlines price adjustment and saved $1500 for 3 tickets and we fly today. They were stupid expensive in the first place but we have to go and now they are just normal expensive.
Oh wow, that is an enormous savings! Good for you.
1. Sold my 3 hair dyes I had. Yet another benefit of letting my grays shine through!
2. Made a burger, Noodle, cheese, Cabbage dish using up ingredients as we prepare for a trip. One of the handiest things I've learned is how to make a meal with random foods.
3. Husband wrapped a gift in a used rice bag... Not the prettiest, but definitely frugal!
4. We are ordering customized shirts for a family reunion. It's not cheap, but we did 2 things to bring the price down. First my husband checked a couple of sights and went with the cheaper one. Secondly he did a quick search for a coupon and got $39 off our order!
5. Refilled my "dry shampoo" jar. I use 100% Cocoa powder. Works well with my brown (and some grays) hair.
@Katy in Africa, I'd love to hear more about using cocoa powder as dry shampoo. I too am in the brown-going-gray category.
I am so impressed with the FFTs that everyone has. This is amazing considering it is Christmas week.
I used Target rewards and Publix digital coupons to save a few $$$$$.
I carefully folded up and put away gift bags, tissue and ribbons that can be used again next year.
One of the recipes that was on the menu this week when our house was full of guests called for chicken stock. I defrosted the chicken carcasses and set up two crock pots before I went to bed. When I awoke, I had 12 quarts of chicken stock ready to go.
Every Thursday the small specialty retailer that I frequent offers 20% off vitamins and supplements. I made sure to purchase my vitamins D and B12 on sale day last week.
I scanned all my receipts to Fetch and Ibotta.
FFT, Merry Little Frugal Christmas/Blowin' in the Wind Edition:
(1) Christmas with the Bestest Neighbors was the usual jolly exchange of frugal prezzies. As mentioned in my last FFT, I gave Dr. BN my DH's three Indiana Jones-style hats, and he was delighted (he says he's down to two of these hats, and one of those has holes). Ms. BN, at my request, hemmed three pairs of (take note, @Battra92) new-to-me thrifted Mom jeans as one of her presents; she has a sewing machine and can use it, and I don't.
(2) And, of course, the BNs and I exchanged some of the same gift boxes that have been traveling back and forth across the street for a decade or so. One Chico's box has so many cross-outs and re-taggings on it that we may have to donate it to the Smithsonian.
(3) I also exchanged many edible presents with other neighbors. My gifts ranged all the way from petits fours to Asian persimmons.
(4) December's high winds here have brought some strange things blowing down our streets. I have thus far captured and washed out no fewer than 15 reusable grocery store bags. I'm pretty well set for these for the next few years.
(5) And while I was at it, I snagged a clean 50-pound pet food sack and am reusing that as a trash bag!
It doesn’t feel like a frugal time coming off of Christmas but after reading others responses I did come up with a frugal 5!
1. I successfully made it through the season with no last minute panic buying, nothing extra for my kids and no last minute high shipping costs for last minute gifts. Really glad I didn’t because my kids got so much stuff from others!
2. Related to 1 above, despite my requests, some family likes to buy my kids tons of little junk items (like those surprise toy type things, that are a plastic ball with a tiny plastic figure inside) These drive me crazy, they get opened and then are never touched again, it’s such a waste of money and creates plastic garbage. This year I successfully intercepted most of them before my kids opened them and I’m returning them (they all seem to have come from Target luckily so easy return). I’m also returning a book they received that we already have a copy of.
3. Meal planned for the week around our leftover turkey from Christmas dinner so no food waste!
4. I guess this is more something that might save someone else some money but I got two gifts that I know I won’t use and I didn’t know where they came from so couldn’t return them. I posted them on buy nothing and both immediately had a lot of people interested so glad someone else can enjoy them.
5. Rather than buy the new book I wanted when it came out in October, I added it to my Amazon wishlist. My MIL bought it for me as my Christmas gift, so I saved money by not buying it right away and it meant she could give me something I actually really wanted, wins all around!
I just wanted to mention that you were far more patient with the Safeway cashier than I would have been. I would have stood there repeating myself until he got it. A cashier who doesn't know a redemption from a purchase is a pretty poor cashier.
He seemed a little clueless, so I decided to cut my losses in the hopes that the customer service person would be more helpful! The customer service person didn't seem surprised that that particular cashier had committed the error, so I'm guessing that he is perhaps a problem on the regular. Or maybe he's new?
I do agree that this is a pretty basic thing to master; you should know that a person's total doesn't go up when you pay with a gift card. Heh.
1. I had all my shopping done by the Monday after thanksgiving, all the kids gave me a list. I was under budget so I gave both families $50 restaurant gift cards to the places they like to go. I bought them for a discount at Sam's Club.
2. My son wanted a grocery cart for the grand baby I had bought one at Goodwill during the summer for 2.99 so off it went. She loves it.
3. Most all the grands gifts were from Goodwill. They will get more new items as they get older. My DIL's mom bought out a bunch of toys and clothes for the grands when the resale shop in our town closed.
4. Son and DIL bought me a bunch of puzzles from Goodwill for $1 each. They had no price on them so they sold them for $1. We went back to look for more and they were all marked 3.99. All of their furniture was 4.99, pots and pans were 7. or more. I did not understand their pricing...
5. Because they just had a baby we ordered pizza online so we did not have to cook, if you text your order they give you 20% off. It was $5 but well worth it.
1. My husband got soap making supplies from Santa, so he has since made 12 bars of soap. The supplies cost $80. He loves organic bar soap, which he was paying $5/bar for, so we should recoup the investment quickly. Plus the soap will be neat for presents.
2. Someone left a bunch of organic peanut butter packets in our break room at work. After many weeks of no one taking them, I brought them all home to use for my kid's lunches.
3. My boss approved me to work from home during my son's February break. This saves us $250 on camp costs.
4. My son needed some larger size pants. I kept looking on Buy Nothing and Marketplace, but had no luck. I found 4 pairs at Goodwill for $3/each. The pants that no longer fit were listed on Buy Nothing.
5. We have been taking serious advantage of the library during the holiday break. Our library also offers craft kits, which we picked up too.
Kristen, I am a long time reader of your blog but did get away from it for a while and have missed what it is you are going to school for. I've search the archive but am coming up empty. Could you please tell me what you're taking? Thank you!
@Tammy, nursing
@Tammy, Kristen is studying to be a nurse (wouldn't we all want her to be our nurse if we needed one! : ) Here's a post where she talked @ it: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/qa-why-do-i-want-to-become-a-nurse/
(whoops, sorry, my screen is on the fritz so I didn't see Kristen's reply, but I stand by my comment that I'd want Kristen if I needed a nurse! : )
Hi there! I'm working on prerequisites right now for a return to college to get my R.N. once Zoe graduates from high school. More details here: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/qa-why-do-i-want-to-become-a-nurse/
I have three more classes to take, and then in the fall of 2023, I plan to join the nursing program. 🙂
And thanks for the reminder that lots of readers have wondered this; I added it to my FAQ page!
@Kristen, thanks! Good for you. You'll make an amazing nurse. I cannot believe that you guys are almost empty nesters. Zoe was just an itty bitty thing when I first found your blog.
1. I cooked all of our meals at home.
2. We've been eating up leftovers every day at lunch.
3. We've put on warmer clothes instead of turning up the heat (the outside air temp is -15 F... without wind chill).
4. My husband's coworker gifted us a "family" puzzle (the pieces are tiny to extra large) and my 3 year old happily put in the last piece this morning.
5. I will wear my beautiful 14 year old dress to our anniversary dinner. We are going to a restaurant that we have a gift card for.
This was not a frugal week for me, but here goes.
1. My husband worked with a law firm on a VA disability claim. We were able to save 10% on our bill by paying in full.
2. I brought some clothes to consign.
3. I canceled a subscription for Spotify and Hulu.
4. We're using our pellet stove to save on heating costs.
5. I switched my commuter benefit reimbursement to direct deposit to simplify the process.
Here is to a frugal 2022!
1. Made the Dijon and Cognac beef stew (for 18, split between 2 households) for Xmas Eve. Got onions, mustard, beef chuck, stock, mushrooms all on sale. Was given Cognac. Made for a very frugal meal.
2. Had enough stew to serve leftovers to nephew who came to stay with us.
3. Grateful that parents and in-laws gave us food/consumables only, which included maple syrup and a gc to a local abattoir.
4. Went away for a few days for present for parents & in-laws. Saved a bit getting the airbnb with only 1 bathroom.
5. Got takeout (Chinese food on Christmas!) and picked up to save on delivery charges.
Hi, Kristen! I'm a new reader and I'm really enjoying your blog!
My frugal wins this week:
1. Last night I finished menu planning for the month of January. I plan and purchase for the month (except for fresh produce). We shop at Costco for a lot of our groceries, which saves a lot of $.
2. My husband and I decided to take our family to Dallas, TX to a Medieval Times dinner/show for our son's 10th birthday next month. We saved $15/ticket by using a coupon code and purchasing before December 31st. On top of that, my parents surprised me by offering to let us use their rewards points to book our hotel, so we don't have to budget for our stay!
3. I'm planning my reading for next year based entirely on what books are available at my local library. Usually I get what I can at the library and then purchase any other books I want to read. (I'm an RN and also started reading some of the medical books you reviewed here on your blog.) 🙂
4. This week we updated our budget for 2022 (our income will change mid-January) and have our financial goals for the year.
5. We are taking a trip to Pigeon Forge, TNe in May and I've started planning our trip early so that we know how much $ we will need to take. I'm hoping to find lots fun, frugal/free things to do. There is no admission fee to get into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so I am excited about that.
6. Lastly, my two boys entered an art contest this fall and both won a college scholarship of $500 each! We are going to the bank today to deposit their scholarship money. 🙂 Every little bit helps!
Oh, hello! So glad to have you join us here.
And good for you for planning a whole month. I haven't done that in a while but I probably should!
* I was missing 2 shifts (unpaid) during the holidays, so I made sure to book 2 extra ones this week to make up for it
* Hubby and I are gearing toward a real frugal 2022. We wrote down our guidelines and are ready to go!
* I have set up an automatic withdraw from my bank account towards a TFSA saving account, every 2 weeks.
* Got a Christmas gift that I really don't care for (a nordic baths day, value of 100$) so I'm giving it to hubby for his b-day. He really enjoys this stuff, but would never pay 100$ for it. Not wasting this gift.
* I am a hospital worker, wearing a N95 (my poor nose!) and visor all day and I really feel like quitting sometimes..... So, not quitting is a frugal win!
@Isa, sending support to you on your last item. Your work must be brutally hard these days (and I'm not just talking about the N95 and visor). Thanks for all that you and your cohorts around the world are doing.
@Isa,
Hospital workers are real life super heroes. We have a friend who is a nurse in the ICU and our hospital is seeing only Omicron sufferers who weren’t vaccinated in there. Others with the virus have less severe cases so are in the regular parts of the hospital. But the poor workers are faced with all of it for soo long!
Thinking of you and all of them, and thankful for you all every Thursday.
1) Returned clothing items that didn't work out (two holiday dresses and a pair of flats). They were all fine but not great and likely would have just taken up space in the closet. I had to spend $7 to return the shoes but the savings overall was worth it. Also repaired an existing pair of shoes with Gorilla Glue.
2) Was not feeling like cooking and instead of getting proper takeout, got grab-and-go items from the grocery store. Not cheap or even frugal but much less expensive than a full takeout order and everyone got what they wanted (sushi! pizza slices!).
3) Put aside several lovely Christmas gifts that we received to regift in the coming year. We either already have the item (a board game) or won't use the item (fancy tea set) but would be ideal gifts for others. We were already able to regift some fancy chocolates to our handyman.
4) Drinking tea instead of coffee for a bit since I have a lot of tea and am out of coffee.
5) Planning to use gift cards towards the purchase of any needed clothing items in January. My kids are constantly growing out of their shoes, so will shop at the stores where I have gift cards first!
Mine are mostly shopping related. To be fair, I haven't needed much in the way of new clothes, shoes, etc. since the pandemic started and haven't gone anywhere until recently.
1. Save 40 bucks on sewing supplies at Joann Fabrics. I buy my basic colors of thread by the serger cone and finally had to go to the store when they had a buy 2 get 1 free sale on thread and cloak clasps. I also paired 2 coupons on the Joann's app on my purchase for extra savings.
2. Shopped in person for a pair of leather boots I saw online but wasn't sure about the fit so I didn't make the sale purchase on line. Good thing because I found I needed a different size than I normally do and it was a final sale with no returns. These leather boots will replace the pleather boots I bought long ago in the kid's department (I have tiny feet) and learned the hard way children's shoes are not built to last no matter the name brand or amount you pay for them.
3. Bought needed clothing at J Crew on line during their after Christmas sale and used a discount code to get an extra 50% off every item in my order.
4. Used Instantcart to buy groceries after coming home from vacation the start of Christmas week and avoided the temptation of buying holiday snacks, food, and too many clever cheeses.
5. Bought an adapter to use my current computer monitor with the graphics card on the computer I got last month for my birthday. My husband and I were going to buy a new monitor on after Christmas sale but now I don't have to
I was a frugal failure in a myriad of holiday ways with travel and treats. I will be hopping back on the wagon Jan 1st.
1. This probably sounds awful to some (and common to others), but I re-gift throughout the year. I save gifts I am given for whatever reason (birthday, previous Christmas, holiday, etc.) and I save them in my "re-gift zone." Many times I love the item, but simply have too much of it and would rather see it go to someone else (AND save me money in the process). This year I re-gifted a pricey pair of earrings I received for my birthday as a Christmas present as well as a few other things. I just make sure to re-gift across different friend/family groups so as not to offend anyone.
2. I have made plans to make 2022 a "No Buy Year" and only buy 100% necessary/perishable items. I got a little to spendy this year and need to reset myself.
3. I ate leftovers for lunch all week at work.
4. I was super lazy and didn't want to make anything for dinner last night. Instead of stopping for El Pollo Loco, I heated up a can of soup for dinner.
5. I returned some sweaters I got for Christmas to The Loft for store credit.
I cut an old table cloth, free,mind you, down fron oval to round to fit the new table. I cut up an old bag that had lost its handles into clothes to be used to absorb grease from bacon and such instead of paper towels. They work fine and wash clean. I repaired my 20 year old sewing machine with a 6 dollar set of needle files. This was after taking it to a repair place twice spending over $100 each time to fix it and have it be in vain. I did spend 10 dollars on a book that helped me diagnose the problem. Well spent $10. Stayed out of stores and thus spent nothing on food and we ate well out of the spantry. Christmas was low jey and cost little as I only bought pj's for children and got 30 percent off those so all were less then $7.
1. Found a quarter on a walk.
2. Rescued three bagels from the trash at work. They are only a little dry and will be nice when toasted. Wanted to rescue the remnants of a fruit and cheese platter from the fridge, but since I am only “as-needed” I didn’t feel comfortable asking. There are a lot of other people in the office so I hope it gets eaten!
3. Remembered to use the last of a gift card for a haircut. I originally bought the gift card during a “buy $100, get an extra $20” sale, but of course remembering to use it is the only way to get the full benefit. 😉
4. Had parents in town for Christmas- they gave us a ham and lots of homemade cookies. We kept our food costs down by cooking at home.
5. I had foraged some shag bark hickory nuts earlier this fall, and it was a pleasant enough activity for people to crack them. They made delicious nut cookies that are a new favorite, but TBH if people weren’t willing to crack the nuts (soooo much work) I would just buy pecans.
6. We worked our way through a game and two puzzles free from the library for entertainment.