Five Frugal Things | Thredup, blog expenses, useless tools, and more
I really want to show you my newly painted bathroom and also Lisey's bed, but I haven't gotten around to photographing them yet.
So, how's about a five frugal things post today instead?
1. I shipped back unwanted Thredup items.
I have kind of a rotating thing going with Thredup at the moment.
I place an order large enough to get free shipping, keep what I want, send the rest back for store credit (return shipping is free that way), and then place a new order once the store credit appears.
If you're new to Thredup, give 'em a try through my referral link, and you'll get $10 to spend.
I hear that Thredup isn't the most fabulous way to sell your gently used clothes (you won't get a lot for them), but as a buying customer, I haven't had any complaints.
2. I sold a barely used tool.
Mr. FG bought a tool that was supposed to be handy for removing our old tile backsplash, but as it turns out, it just ended up being messy and ineffective for that purpose.
A hammer and chisel-type tool worked a lot better. 😉
Since we'd only used it once, I listed it on Amazon for a little less than the new price, and yesterday it sold. Yay!
Clutter out, money in.
3. I used some CVS coupons.
I had to stop in for some probiotics and while I was there, I hit up the coupon kiosk to see what was available.
Happily, there were some good ones! I got a card for $0.50, a tube of Colgate toothpaste for $0.50, and a candy bar for $0.50.
4. I did a money email.
I really, really, really did not want to do that this month, because all of the bills from our plumbing disasters are trickling in, along with a lot of other unusual expenses.
I'd rather stick my head in the sand and pretend everything is fine.
But I took care of it all yesterday, and although our outgo far exceeds our income this month, we'll be ok because we have savings accounts.
5. I negotiated a blogging expense.
I got a yearly $2400 hosting-related bill, and I checked to see if perhaps I was paying for more service than I needed.
With a little back and forth, I got it downgraded a bit and saved $780. Phew.
Your turn! Share your own five frugal things in the comments.
Well . . .
1) Always with the food. Still harvesting large quantities of food from the garden--which is almost free--as well as still cooking every night, no matter how uninspired I am.
2) On the same food note, we continue to deal with the increasingly belligerent lambs in anticipation of many pounds of lamb in our freezer in a couple of months. I vindictively remind myself of this whenever those wretched animals do things like get into my garden.
3) We opted out of taking our kids to the county fair after calculating that the whole thing would probably end up being about $100 for all of us, and neither my husband nor I were very enthusiastic about that scene anyway. But since my husband had already told them we were going, we had to do something else exciting to make it up to them. So we took them to this bounce house/play place at the nearest (30 miles . . .) mall that we've never let them go to before. We still had to pay for the three of them, but it was $20 as opposed to the $100 we would have spent at the fair, and we avoided the vending machines while we were in there. With the savings, we bought some desperately needed shoes for the older two.
4) We discovered that our local library offers free family passes to a wildlife center that we were planning on going to somewhat soon anyway. We can check out the pass just like a library book. And they don't limit the free family to four people, either, which I appreciate.
5) When a school friend of my oldest son's came for a playdate, his mother (who I was just meeting) asked me if I could use some clothing. She has two boys, the youngest of which is the age of my oldest, and I have three boys under 8 years old. Can I use some clothing? UM, YES. Always. I have no false pride when it comes to getting free clothing for my children. Give me all your old clothes. When she came to pick her son up, she brought a big bag full of stuff. Not all of it is things I would have chosen, but a lot of it was fine and probably saved me about $50 even at thrift store prices. Plus, I didn't have to GO to a thrift store. I should invite that friend more often. 🙂
1) I returned some shoes that we're wrong for me and got a different pair, saving $18.
2) Went on a date, played disc golf. Already had the discs, so it costs nothing to play!
3) have been focusing more on meal planning and our budget, so we've been saving money there.
Ok, so that's only 3. But now I want to do more!
PS. Have you used thredup long? I've been very interested in whether it's worth it.
Ember, I can only answer for me, but for me, ThredUp has been worth it. I've made about four or five orders. I choose carefully and have only had to return 2 items, but since I accept store credit, the shipping (Fed Ex) is free to me for the return. Plus, they have sales now and then that help.
We were married a few months ago, so we are combining households. There's lots of opportunity to be frugal!
1. Sold some furniture that I had been storing using both FB Marketplace and Craigslist.
2. Repurposed a sofa table into a desk for my son-it works perfectly in his room.
3. Repaired and repainted all the in doors in our lower level-a task I loath, but it looks great!
4. Cooked all our meals at home this week without going to the grocery store this week (having a large veggie garden helps).
5. Returned a few items of clothing I purchased online. Yay for free return shipping!
I love 5 Frugal Things posts! So helpful and practical!
1. My daughter had a sore throat, so I made her some lemon, honey, and mint tea using mint from the garden.
2. I used spinach from the garden in a peanut sauce.
3. To save time and propane, I cooked up 2 kilos of meat at once that will serve a few meals.
4. I'm trying to do better about saving electricity by: turning off lights and fans not in use, closing my computer when not in use, unplugging my phone charger (it has a little light on it that stays on as long as it's plugged in), and putting things in the fridge all at once to avoid opening it so much. I'm also thinking I'll starting freezing half a bottle of water then filling it the rest of the way and leaving it out on the counter, to avoid my kids always opening the fridge to get the very coldest water.
5. We just changed our stove's propane tank and I'll wrote it on the calendar, I want to see how long I can make it last. I will try to keep lids on pots, use the solar cooker occasionally to heat shower water, possibly use my pressure cooker, and put lunch leftovers that we'll eat for supper in the insulated dish I have so I don't have to re-heat it that night.
I have been painting also and am a little burnt out, yet still doing it. Seems like it never ends. I walk around a corner and find a spot I missed. I finally just poured a small cup of paint and put a lid on it so next time I find a missed spot I don't have to open and lug around the whole can.
1. Last night I made a turkey meatloaf with ground turkey I got in the reduced section for $2.51. I threw a couple old hamburger buns I had in the freezer in the blender with some spices to use for the bread crumbs. It was delicious! I served that with asparagus and fresh ravioli that was also marked down. We rarely have ravioli so my kids were happy.
2. We gobbled up the last bit of lemon meringue pie I made with a quick and easy no-roll pie crust. The reason I made lemon meringue in the first place was to use up eggs. My chickens are laying a lot lately and I was running out of room in the fridge. It's a good problem to have.
3. I am aggravated that I sent lunch money to school on Friday and got a note sent home that my daughter owes money. I only let her eat in the lunch room on Friday as a special treat and I know her money was in the backpack in a labeled envelope. I sent a note back to the teacher but I guess I will end up paying anyway. Not frugal, actually..
4. I found a little bit quicker route to take my kids to school so I am using a tiny bit less gas.
5. I am enjoying the fact that I didn't buy my kids any brand new clothes to start school in and they still look so neat and put together each day. I spent the past few months picking up clothes at yard sales and thrift stores and it really has paid off. This is the first time I have not got them at least one new outfit for the first day of school.
I guess it's all about food and kids this week!
When my daughter was in primary, I sent a check for $30 to cover the random lu Che's she bought. A few days later, got a letter saying we owed $15. Called and asked if she bought lunch for her entire class. They looked into it and it turns out it was their error.
I sent a note to the teacher but basically they just sent me paperwork for free lunches and auto pay information for lunches, ugh.
Oh wow I didn't know your blog expenses were $2,400 a year. I just started my blog four months ago and have paid around $200 for all blog-related expenses for the whole year. Negotiation sounds like such a great idea. I might do that too once my bills increase.
We're hosting a hotpot at our house this weekend and inviting our good friends over. We haven't done that in a while and hotpots are much cheaper at home, so I'm super excited for that! ^.^
And that's only part of my costs. There are other hosting-related expenses too, plus what I pay for my email services for my RSS feed.
This is why when some people complain about affiliate links or a sponsored post here and there, I'm just like, oy. Even aside from the time I put into keeping this blog going, there are real dollars in expenses to keep a medium-sized website up and running, and I think people forget that sometimes! 🙂
1. I was able to hang out some laundry when we finally got a break in the hot, misty, gray, humidity-choked days.
2. I remembered to turn in my medical test to an insurance I have through work -- I got a check for $150 from them, yay.
3. I just finished taking the wellness blood draw/measurements/health questionnaire to save $10 a week on insurance premiums next year. Our medical, dental and vision insurance cost me about $800 a month, and my FSA another $82 a month, so I save wherever I can.
4. I sent back a skirt that was a bit too tight to ThredUp, and now have the credit, so I will be using that on my next order. I've only had to return 2 things so far, though.
5. Our neighbor is helping us again in our yard, using his little backhoe to get heavy things for us. Good neighbors are frugal wins!
1. We are on vacation. We rented a house instead of staying at a hotel. We save on meals because we don't have to eat out every day.
2. We took inventory before heading out school supply shopping. Saved $100
3. Also took inventory of clothes before back to school shopping so we will only buy what they need.
4. Made coffee at home, added soy milk and cinnamon, delish.
5. Came on vacation armed with a budget. We can comfortably spend an allotted amount each day which keeps us mindful and stress free.
1. I've started bargain hunting for baby essentials like formula and diapers. I'm not going to coupon (as a working mom I just don't have time), but I have saved a bit of money by buying from the cheapest store (that I was planning to shop at already!) instead of the most convenient one.
2. We have stopped eating out as much! Cooking at home is really fun and tasty, so this actually doesn't feel that frugal. Hooray!
3. I've stopped buying a bunch of toys for baby. He truly is happy playing with boxes, ha!
I have a comment about ThredUp: I think they are a good company and I buy from them regularly, but their clothing seems a bit pricey. I'm sure it's due to retail clothing prices dropping, but I'm hesitant to spend $22 on a used Ann Taylor shirt when I can get a new one for less. I realized maybe the new one could be lower quality. It's just something I've noticed lately and not just for ThredUp - Goodwill prices seem a little steeper lately too! Maybe I'm getting old. 🙂
Gah! I feel ya on those blogging expenses! Mine aren't nearly that large, though. Great job negotiating and cutting down. 🙂
This week:
1. I packed my own snacks for family/work travel. I didn’t have to buy squat for my travel food. 🙂
2. I signed up to earn hotel points for my work travel. I’m kicking myself for not doing this sooner!
3. My stepmom crocheted me some beautiful oven mitts.
4. My sister gave us her homemade jams, pickles, and farm eggs.
5. My company paid for my meals for the last few days for work travel. That also means I should get a little bump in my next paycheck for mileage reimbursements. Awww yeah.
1. Found some deals on meat and stocked up and food prepped... 2 large bags of frozen meatballs for future crock pot deals...some bags of cooked ground beef for taco nights... and prepped 3 medium pans of lasagna and 2 loaf pans for dinners or meals to pass along..
2. paper and electronic couponing for lots of back to school snacks... I would love to believe everything will always be fresh fruits and veggies.. but the reality is with school and after school sports granola bars, and cracker packs are going to come in handy...
3. Ordered paper towels, tissues and toilet paper online with the Target red card and 15 off 50 deal... saved the extra 5%, bought nothing extra, saved gas and stocked my shelf...
4. Shared my Ibotta referral code on facebook with 1 friend who asked about couponing sites.. 5 people signed up under me and I will get $5 for every person that uses the app!
5. Made a few phone calls regarding my health insurance.. Was being sent for an out patient procedure and preferred a specific hospital for this specific issue... Called an verified that it was in network. Found out that I am almost at my personal deductible for the year.... Guess I should see what all needs to be handled through december 31~ lol
So here's my five frugal things:
1. I am on hold right now with Ting Wireless to change over!! All because of your blog, I'm switching over. I"m leaving Verizon first and then if we like Ting, my hubby will move over as well. Let the savings begin!!
2. Probably the biggest money savings of the summer is my daughter changing day care providers. Today is her last day at her daycare and will be moving to where my son is on Monday. This move will save me $50 per week, not to mention the gas savings that i have not calculated yet!!
3. I received a $200 medical bill from a recent dr. appt that should have been covered by the insurance. With one phone call to the insurance company, I learned that they made the mistake and there is no charge for that specific appt!
4. Also medically related, I saw that our dentist processed my daughter's appt. through my insurance when it should go through my husband's insurance. Bill is paid in full!
5. Needed to buy my son new shoes for Kindergarten. (this is the only back to school item I've needed to buy, everything else we have) and I had a small amount on a Stride Rite gift card. I used that on a clearance price and ended up with only $7 remaining. Score!!
Woohoo! Did you tell them I sent you? If so, you should get your $25 credit!
I did!
Love these!
1. We decided to invest in a steam cleaner for our many carpets and after doing research chose a well-made but expensive version. I scoured for deals, saved $100 off the price I might have paid so research paid off. Also saved $50 by getting a dented package! Free shipping.
2. Found an old coffee maker in our basement so our adult daughter does not have to buy a new one (frugal for her plus gets it out of house)
3. Brought coffee and drinking water to work
4. Packed lunch when I met with a friend on Saturday
5. Went to Hobby Lobby for one small item and ...ta da... didn't buy anything else!!! Got out of there for $2.99
1. I'm drinking an iced coffee that I made using plain ol' coffee and Aldi creamer. I put some coffee in an ice cube tray, some in a container in the fridge, and I'm set. Delicious and cheap.
2. We went to the outdoor pool and park at the gym today. We have a free membership since my husband works there, so I'm taking advantage of the fun things we can do there instead of paying to do fun things elsewhere.
3. I'm almost finished with my library book. It's due Friday and I can't renew it again, so I'm going to finish it today to avoid any fines for being late.
4. I'm being patient. My favorite sandals are on their deathbed and I've looked around town for a replacement (end of season clearance) but am struggling to find anything in my size and for a decent price. So I found the same sandals online (I love these sandals a lot) and since I really shouldn't spend $25 on them right now, I sent the link to my mom in case she needs gift ideas for me in the future. In the meantime I will make due with what I have and be thankful. And if I don't get them as a gift, I will at least have more time to find something.
5. I ate leftovers for lunch that needed to be eaten TODAY or thrown out.
I'm happy you were able to cut your blogging expenses. I really enjoy your blog and hope to keep reading for a long time.
1. I did all my grocery shopping in one day, Aldi, Sam's, WM, Publix, Dollar Store and the Mexican market. Just packed a cooler and sucked it up to get it done.
2. I packed the chicken with marinades for meals and planned out the veggies/fruits in order to avoid wasting.
3. I am getting a $6.50 check from Ebates and a Amazon gift card from Top Cash Back this month for prior purchases.
4. We have gone to the gym about 200 days so far this year, making the $10.65 a month a good deal and combined, we have lost almost 75 lbs. (Hitting our goals)
5. Got my hair done at the beauty school, gray would be "frugaler" I know.
1. I was able to find out that there is $1500.00 that will go towards each child's orthodontic work. I think any number higher than zero is good by me!
2. I also asked for a pay in full up front (after deducting dental insurance) discount, and asked for a multifamily discount! I am shameless!!! lol
3. Scored 3 roasting chickens at 0.88 cents per pound.
4. I had a gc I hadn't used so I was able to get coats for the 6 year old and the 2 1/2 year old for FREE!!
5. Received some clothing from my sil that her son had outgrown including a coat for winter for the 9 1/2 year old!!! Yay!!! Thanks SIL!!!
And a bonus #6!! Dh fixed the drain under the kitchen sink with plumbing parts that we already had so 0.00 cost!!! Thanks Dh!!!
Yay for free plumbing! Woohoo!
Be careful about paying your orthodontist up front in cash. My husband did that and half way thru his treatment, his orthodontist up and left his practice and took our money with him! My husband had to start over and pay again with a new orthodontist.
Since our experience I have heard of others having the same experience with other orthodontists. Based on this, I would forego any cash up front discount.
I know it is sad that we can't be more trusting but I just wanted to make you aware.
Let's see if I can think of five.
1. I availed myself of some home-grown tomatoes that a coworker brought in to share. I see BLTs in my future.
2. I challenged a portion of a dental bill. It was only $22 dollars and as it turned out, I was wrong and they were right. So not a frugal win exactly, but I used to let that kind of stuff go and so by challenging it this time I am developing my frugal muscle. Ha.
3. I made chicken broth with a rotisserie chicken carcass I had in the freezer. I used the Instant Pot I got for my birthday last month and I have to say, it is the best broth I have ever made.
4. I cooked even when I really, really, really, really, really didn't feel like it. Cooking the meal actually did not take as long as all the time I spent dreading it and considering other options before deciding just to stick to the plan, man.
5. I bought bakery bagels and cream cheese at the grocery store instead of the bagel shop. Five bagels plus cream cheese at the grocery store was $6.98. Five bagels with cream cheese from the bagel shop would have been $14.25.
Hmm. 4 out of 5 of my frugal things are food related!
I feel you so much on number four. There are tons of nights where I feel exactly the same about cooking dinner. Oof. But I always give myself gold stars for sticking to the plan!
I personally still love to price match whenever I can. More recently, I've been trying to cook more meals, but this is because I have a newborn and eating out is not an option.
1. Skipping the fair... playdate at playground instead.
2. Using the library at least 4 days a week...free activities mostly, but i haven't had a late fee for a while, too!
3. Keeping snacks in car so I don't impulsively stop somewhere when someone (including me) whines about being hungry. Of course my car is a mess of crumbs and whatnot now...
4. Back in the habit of bringing reusable water bottles everywhere, again so I don't impulsively stop.
5. Used up some milk that was iffy in some chocolate pudding. Now I hope all that pudding gets eaten. I wonder how long it is good for??
Perhaps freeze the pudding to extend it's life? Ice cube trays or popsicle molds from dollartree?
Kristen- Congrats on selling your items!
Alison-Great deal with your GC on kids jackets!
Deb- Congrats on the gym and weight loss!
Ruth- I hope you get those sandals as a gift or early holiday present!
Here are my 5 frugal things:
1) Got a free egg sandwich at Einstein (reg $4.95) and a free sub at Jersey Mike's for my birthday (reg $7.25).
2) Got a coupon in the mail for being a loyal customer at the supermarket. It's for a free angel food cake (reg $4.39).
3) I was at work today and a customer and I had a conversation. Afterwards, the customer told my boss about me and complimented me. My boss gave me a $5 gift card! Woohoo! We used to get gift cards if customers complimented us on the online surveys. The company did away with those, so it was nice to get a gift card today.
4) Got cereal for $1.49 a box! With DS2 starting school, he eats a ton of cereal.....I happened to get 15 boxes......
5) We reserved a room at the library for a meeting. Cost: FREE.
1. Was feeling stressed after waiting nearly an hour for an appointment, and was tempted to buy dinner out on the way home. Instead, I went home, made a box of red pepper risotto and supplemented it with black beans and veggies (all from Aldi!) for a filling meal with leftovers for the next few days.
2. My partner's parents are coming into town for a few days. We're planning low-cost activities to keep us all busy for the long weekend, such as museum visits and walking around the beautiful downtown.
3. The spin cycle on my washer wasn't working yesterday, so the clothes came out soaking wet. At 10:00 last night, I wasn't about to start fixing the problem. So I squeezed out all the water and hung the clothes up on racks in the bathroom to dry, so I didn't have to run the dryer for hours. I expect they'll be completely dry by tonight.
4. A summer picnic at work today, so we get a free lunch.
5. Lately, my mom has been cleaning out her closet of some summer items that don't fit her anymore. We're nearly the same size, so she's been offering me first dibs on anything before she donates it or tries to sell it. I received several pairs of pants, a dress for an upcoming wedding, and a few shirts for work. Nice to get some "new" things to wear!
My girls and I had a great shopping spree last weekend. My 13y/o had a gift card to Forever 21. She founds tons of stuff for fall. She paid $30 and paid for the rest around$25 after GC. She did very well. We then went to Younkers and my mom gave a GC she was not going to use. I found 4 pieces of clothing. The GC was for $50 and then the cashier scanned another coupon for another $30 off so I paid $8. Our last stop was to Payless Shoes. My DD 9 got 3 new pairs of shoes:new white sandals,minnie mouse keds l like shoe and tennis shoes all for $4.28!!!!! I feel we did great for not much out of pocket. Also when shopping I have the Retailmeknot app up and google all the stores we enter to save even more.
Well I'm a day late to this but I had so many frugal victories today, that I just had to reply. This summer has been a bit of a financial mess due to poor planning on my part and now I am in recovery mode. So, today I:
1. Went to a work event that paid a flat fee of 75$. I didn't feel like giving up one of my days off to go in, but it was only a couple of hours -- well worth the$$.
2. At said work event, we were provided with lunch. We had a lot of food leftover so my supervisor let us take home extras. My husband and oldest child are away -- so this was dinner for my 2 youngest and myself.
3. I cut two of my children's hair today.
4. I picked up a library book that I had requested from a different branch.
5. And here is a new one for me.... I had some extra time this evening ( see number 2) so I decided to highlight my own hair. I have been prepping for this moment for a couple of weeks. I bought my supplies at the beauty store last weekend (6$), and have watched several youtube videos on the subject. It is not perfect, but I think it is something that I can improve upon each time:) I am just done paying 100$ for salon highlights!
Wow great work this week! You all have had some challenges lately & I pray more carefree days will return soon!
Five frugal things:
1) Used summer reading program coupons for free movie check outs. The library near us charges 50 cents a movie, so always glad to read for a freebie!
2) Made a teacher gift for $1.50 with back to school sales
3) Regifted a book I never found the time to read to someone who I think will really appreciate it.
4) Shopped online garage sales for clothes for me. Also organized some of a closet to sell outgrown kid's clothing soon.
5) Repurposed old shoe boxes into catch all storage (craft supplies, plastic ware, etc.) for cabinets.
Let's see, we:
1) Ate almost all dinners at home.
2) Used a discount for the pizza delivery on Friday
3) Cancelled our cleaning service, as my mom & I teamed up to clean the house while she was in town.
4) Cancelled our rewards credit card. It was an Amex, and after Costco stopped accepting Amex, it greatly reduced our rewards. I would have kept it, but it has a $95 fee. Saved myself $95 for the year.
5) Remembered to call our insurance company to notify them that our house has sold. Got $108 in the cancelled part of our homeowner's insurance.
Yeah, we got rid of our Amex once Costco stopped accepting it. It was really the only reason we kept an Amex open!