Five Frugal Things | two hair items!
As we have established, I am not a person who puts a lot of time and energy into my hair.
I wouldn't say, as Ginger does, that I aggressively don't care how I look (I love how she phrased that!), but I also cannot be bothered to put a whole lot of time into my appearance.
So it's unusual for me to have two hair items in a single post. 😉
1. I got a very basic haircut
I do this about once a year, and I get the most basic thing they offer: a shampoo and a cut with no blow-dry.
There is no sense in me paying for the blow dry because my hair is super quick-drying; usually after the ten-minute drive home from the salon, my hair is mostly dry. 😉
2. I ordered a hair straightener from eBay
I haven't had a bathroom with much sink real estate since maybe 2005 or so. Even though the sink at this house is large, 90% of it is the sink, and maybe 10% is countertop.
This situation combined with my propensity to drop things/bump things off of the counter means my hair straighteners have a tough life.
I dropped my current one maybe a year or two ago for the umpteenth time and the plate got a little dislodged. I've been limping along with it ever since, but the problem is that the dislodged plate sometimes pulls my hair.
I decided this was ridiculous, so I hopped on eBay and ordered an open-box Revlon hair straightener.
And now my hairs are not gonna get pulled out as I straighten. Totally worth $13, and I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.
Sometimes I am TOO frugal. 😉
3. I got a necklace from Poshmark
Lisey and I used to both have matching stamped initial necklaces, but the gold had worn all off of mine so I hadn't worn it in a few years.
But I got the urge to own one again, so I looked around and found a Kate Spade one new in the package on Poshmark. Sweet!
4. I got a free audiobook with an Audible trial
Multiple people have recommended Richard Schwartz's book, No Bad Parts. My library doesn't have this, even on audiobook, so I got myself a free Audible trial and used my freebie to get this book.
And don't worry, I already made myself a note so I remember to cancel Audible when my free trial is over!
5. I...
- kept up my streak of packing 100% of my food and drinks for my shifts
- packed all of my meals in reusable containers/bottles
- made a zillion odds and ends meals using random things from the fridge
- picked up a short little extra four-hour shift at work
I'm loving the growing silver in your hair! It's so striking. Long live the Target dress!
--The gardening book from "Seed to Skillet" caught my eye, so I ordered an inexpensive copy from ThriftBooks for $6. (I also ordered another book for a future Christmas Gift to get free shipping.) This book is AMAZING no matter your gardening level! Building plans for raised beds (with or without irrigation), nifty facts for various plants (i.e. crushing beet seed hulls to make them grow faster), plant companion lists, recipes, and so much more! I ended up ordering a second copy for another gift.
--My $6 copy was in perfect shape aside from the cover being loose from the spine, which a little glue fixed right up.
--Thanks to two $4 coupons and $4 in CVS Extra Bucks, a new box of ForceFlex trash bags only cost me 4 whole cents. It was the only thing on my CVS list and the only thing I bought!
--Both of my husband's work shorts had developed holes. The mends aren't the prettiest, but his personal bits are no longer at risk of falling out!
--A neighbor brought by a gallon of green beans from their garden. I'll be paying them back with homemade pesto the next time I cut basil.
@N, people think I'm odd but I always found the streak of silver to be really attractive in a way. Think Tulsi Gabbard or that woman from the Bon Appetit videos from a few years ago.
Oh your new haircut reminded me of a frugal activity this week!
~I got a super cheap haircut for two reasons-1) It'd been about 6 months and it was time and 2) I had a coupon for a $10.99 haircut which was approximately $10 off.
~I packed our lunches & cooked dinner at home every night over the last 7 days
~Used up all our leftovers in the refrigerator
~I returned a bunch of clothing items from Amazon. I purchased 6 items during prime days because I needed (ok, wanted) a few items replaced in my wardrobe. However, when I received the items, the quality was very, very poor despite. Instead of dealing with the poor quality, meh pieces (that I could have made work), I returned them. It was a good reminder about the value of buying quality pieces over time.
~We ate food from our garden (tomatoes, asparagus beans, snap peas, zucchini and herbs)
I watched a video last night that someone did commenting on the hashtag "underconsumption" on Tip Tok (and probably Instagram). I'd be curious to hear your take. It's kind of a flex, I guess? I'm not on Tik Tok. But there's the extreme stocking videos where people have more product than they could possibly use up ever, and then there's the opposite.
I see the decluttering videos on Youtube and am shocked at the amount of hair and makeup product people have on hand. I don't even know what most of that stuff is even for. LOL And the funny thing is, most of the time the women with the huge collections are not heavily made up.
Ok, I'm gonna have to do some digging on this. I've heard people mention the trend in passing, but I'm not on TikTok so sometimes I miss stuff like this!
@Kristen, resident Gen Z here, it's a very interesting trend! it's supposed to be the opposite of "overconsumption", like the stocking videos and excess hauls. People show how they re-used something (like glass jars) or how long they've had an item, or if it was bought second hand. I'd say it's more of a climate change reaction, but there's a flavor of personal finance/frugality as well.
A few creators I've seen: becca.loveless, lydia_kyl, jess.cliftonn, going.zero.waste, sustainably_rosalie.
I mean, I guess it's a flex, but isn't almost all of social media a flex? Lol.
(There's also deinfluencing, which girlvsglobe does a lot of videos on.)
@Andrea G/Midwest Andrea,
What is deinfluencing? Like sort of "don't be like me" posts?
Yes! Like I did in this post about the restocking videos: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/i-am-confused-by-restocking-videos/
@Andrea G/Midwest Andrea, How would this be for Tik-Tok?
Hi Gen Z, I've had this dressing table longer than you've been alive! It was made circa 1905. As for this bureau. my parents bought in the 70s and my sister and I used it! Let's open a drawer....ah, still smells like Dad's Parliaments!
@Becca, a lot of deinfluencing content is like, "this product isn't worth the money". It's a counter to "influencing" which is where content creators on social media try to convince their audience to buy something (for different motives, maybe they get a kickback, or the post is sponsored by the company). And some deinfluencing content is just to normalize normal homes, like Kristen's post! The point of both is to ~not~ make the audience want to buy a certain product.
@Rose, awesome!
@Rose,
Lol, I tell some of the Gen Z gals I work with that I have record albums older than they are. 🙂
@Liz B., My son helped himself to my David Bowie records years ago. I was about to toss them as I loathe analog media. Both my kids were all NoooOOOOoo! records are cool, so we split them up. Far as I can tell, neither of them listen to them anyway.
@Rose,
Vinyl *IS* cool! Whether you listen to them or not. I wish I could go back in time and snitch my oldest sister's record collection....she had all the greats. Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Pink Floyd, CSN& Y, etc. Original albums in very good condition fetch $$, too (I would keep hers, if I could get them, though).
I'm enjoying Chiquita's interest in the hair straightener. My caption contest entry: "But, Mom, I don't straighten MY fur!"
Now, FFT, Use It Up... Edition:
(1) Remember that a couple of years ago, I was hanging bars of highly scented deodorant soap in my garden, in an effort--one of many futile efforts, I'm afraid--to deter deer? (They worked well enough as long as the scent lasted, but after a month or so, they lost their effectiveness.) However, I grimly rinsed off the bars of soap, dried them out, and then used them for their original purpose. I finally used up the last chip of the last bar yesterday!
(2) And remember that I was complaining more recently that my coffee was tasting like sheep dip? There were actually two reasons for this. The first is that I was using Equal packets that I'd found at my grocery outlet for sweetener. I finally used the last of the Equal this morning. Back now to my usual Sweet'n'Low, with a sigh of relief. (Yes, I know that neither is particularly good for me--but I can't drink unsweetened coffee.)
(3) The other reason is that I was using some IHOP brand ground coffee I'd found at Ollie's. This one's sort of a fail/win: I had enough left in the bag to make one more pot, but I couldn't make myself drink any more of it--so I dumped the remainder into my composter, where it will serve as both additional compost and a deodorizer.
(4) I'd actually bought not one but two bags of that IHOP coffee (what was I thinking??), so I'll add the second bag to my pile for next month's upcoming Buy Nothing event at one of our local libraries. (It's just past its sell-by date, so I don't think a food pantry would take it.)
(5) And the friends who raise my annual 1/4 steer have just let me know that the beef will be arriving Thursday morning, so I'm making one last push to create room in the freezer by defrosting my biggest package of chicken, to cook later today.
Haha, yes, Chiquita is always interested in EVERYTHING.
A moth got into the house the other night and I laughed so so hard watching her chase it around the house. She did actually manage to swat it into submission.
@Kristen, Clark is an accomplished hunter of flies. He will wake up out of a sound sleep at the sound of a fly buzzing, and will stalk it and beat it down and chomp it with relish. Saves us time! 🙂
@A. Marie,
I don't even like coffee, but I have to say, life is too short to drink bad coffee.
@A. Marie, the Harry & David coffee is the best at Ollie's. And Gevalia, if it shows up. Most of the time I make my own Kcups with reusable pods and the Gevalia is the best in those.
I will admit to buying a bunch of EcoPods on sale from Cameron's Coffee -- they were all holiday flavors approaching best by date -- because my arthritis has been so wretched that fiddling with the homemade pods was more than my hands could stand. Every now and then I will spend a little for something a bit easier.
@A. Marie,
Have you ever tried stevia? It's a much healthier sugar alternative. You can get it in packet and liquid form. Trader Joe's has a bottle for something like $7 and it lasts for months, even if you use every day. It also is quite sugary so you really don't have to use much at all.
I wish so much that I liked stevia. But sadly I always experience an odd aftertaste, which apparently not everyone experiences.
@Kristen,
Our Lafayette is always on the alert for flying insects. We always know when *something flying* has entered our house, because he becomes very alert, and watches it very intently. I don't think he's actually caught anything...yet.
@Liz B., @Karen A., and @Kristen, two of DH's and my six cats over the decades were dedicated insect hunters. So much so that they wrecked a pair of living room lampshades apiece in going after moths and flies therein. (Frugal fails.)
And thanks to all for the coffee and sweetener suggestions. I think I'll stick to buying good/socially responsible coffee at our local coop when it has 10% off for members sales. As @JD says, and as @Rose has said in the past, life's too short to drink bad coffee.
@A. Marie, We switched to xylitol. It tastes just like sugar but is gut-friendly, unlike a lot of sweeteners. It's a little pricey, but if you're just using it for coffee, it's lower in calories than sugar and quite good for you.
@Irena, stevia is just a plant with super-sweet leaves, but it leaves an unpleasant aftertaste for me.
@A. Marie, and eat bad food!
Sometimes I don't get you people. Food (and drink) is supposed to be enjoyable and pleasurable. Don't "take one for the team" by eating something yucky because it's there. Toss it and find something better. Value yourself more.
If the food has good nutritional value and the taste is not really awful, I'll eat it even if it's not tip top prime. But I am not about to soldier through, say, a dry doughnut or freezer-burnt ice cream!
@A. Marie, At our respective ages, I would not worry about artificial sweeteners. We could shred and eat old car tires at this point, secure in the fact we will be dead before any poisonous effects take hold. (P.S. Stevia has such a terrible after taste, I would rather lick old tires than use it. All I can figure is that it is like how I taste cilantro as soap---not everyone gets a stevia after taste.)
Hahaha, not the old tires! I wish I didn’t get the after taste but I do. Sigh.
@Rose, well, I did toss the last of the IHOP coffee into the composter. (And I'd be grateful if you didn't use the term "you people"; it has unpleasant connotations for me. I hear it as the usual prelude to a group being shoved into a corner and belittled.)
@Ruby, Thanks for the tip about coffee's at Ollie's. I shop Ollie's quite a bit, but the one time I got coffee pods there, I wish I hadn't. Not sure what brand but they got donated to the break room coffee stash.
@Lindsey, I get that Stevia aftertaste also, and i refuse to have my daily coffee taste anything but delicious! So, I use real cane sugar in the raw, just a smidge.
I do wish that I had fast drying, straight hair. In this summer heat and humidity, I feel like mine is untamable and looks like Hagrid’s - the giant from Harry Potter movies.
I really only have one frugal/unfrugal thing. My husband’s nephew is retiring after 30 years of military service. His last post was in Hawaii. The entire family is invited to his retirement ceremony and a week long family reunion is scheduled.
My husband and I used our sky miles, credit card points, and other rewards to make the trip doable for us. The entire family is staying together in 2 condos near the beach. This was a trip 6 months in the making.
Unfortunately, Delta Airlines’s issues has made it impossible for us to make Wednesday’s ceremony. After 3.5 days of trying to reach our destination, we finally called it quits.We were not going to make it until Thursday and everyone leaves on Sunday morning. It didn’t make sense to fly 5000 miles for 2 days.
I am extremely disappointed. I have spent several hours cancelling reservations and trying to get refunds. We had prepaid for many activities. I find myself referring to this website a lot -
https://www.transportation.gov/
airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard
Although we won’t be left whole, we are trying not to lose too much money. Even so, we can never get back this special time that we have lost. The good news is everyone else made it but us. They were all booked on other airlines.
Wishing everyone peace, good health and prosperity.
@Bee, I'm so, so sorry about your canceled plans. What a bummer. I have friends that took a family trip to Europe and I'm hoping they can make it back. I don't know what airline they used. What a huge mess. I always book with Delta so I'm glad I had no vacations scheduled. I'm disappointed to hear that they are not reimbursing their customers as they should.
@Bee, I'm so sorry this happened to you and your DH. What a disappointment! And I wish you luck with getting back money, points, etc.
@Bee, I am so sorry about you missing this trip and all the aggravation it caused.
Something similar happened to my son and DIL regarding getting to my brother's memorial service. They were so disappointed. And my DIL had to be very proactive to get their airplane fares back.
Remember the days when you could count on the airplanes going ?? Not all that long ago.
@Bee,
Oh, I am so sorry about your ruined travel plans! What a bummer! I think the secretary of transportation has said he'll make Delta cough up the money the stranded consumers spent, plus he's going to give them a great big fine. But that is little consolation when you missed a big event. Esp. one set in Hawaii!
Oh Bee. That is SO disappointing. I'm so sorry to hear of this.
@Bee, Oh Bee, I'm so sorry. How hard to spend all that time and energy and not get there. Wishing peace right back at you. (& ps, my hair is straight and dries fast but somehow looks like Hagrid's anyway with all the humidity)
@Bee,
That's terrible! I'm so sorry! My granddaughter had to miss her first ever international trip last year to Norway because passports are being processed at a glacial pace and hers didn't come for months, even though they requested and paid for expedited service. My daughter absolutely cried over not being able to take her daughter with her - it was a combined business/pleasure trip and my daughter had to go anyway - and I was close to tears myself, so I can imagine just a teeny tiny bit of the disappointment you and your husband must be feeling.
@Bee, The Crowdstrike mess had untold numbers of victims. I saw multiple people crying in airports because it caused them to miss a once in a lifetime trip. Sorry to hear you were one of them. 🙁
@Bee, Oh, that just stinks! A friend of mine had the same problem, she was registered for the National Eucharistic Conference and her flight got cancelled the very morning she was scheduled to fly. She ended up driving from Virginia to Indiana! Yikes.
@Bobi, @JD, @Suz, @Karen, @Kristen, @Fru-gal Lisa, @A. Marie, @Jill A.,
Thank you, all! It was unequivocally an absolute mess. I have never seen our airport like it was on Sunday. Hundreds of bags in baggage claim without owners, airplanes without crews, shell shocked employees, and thousands of weary travelers.
Most companies and individuals have been understanding. I think that we just had terrible timing, but I don’t think that I’ll plan a trip that requires flying anytime soon.
@Bee, That is just no fun. I'm sorry.
@Bee,
Ugh, I'm so very sorry things worked out the way they did. Besides the money lost, plus the frustration, etc etc, it's time missed with family. I hope other, less far flung opportunities will arise, so you can spend time with family members.
In a related story, a friend at work's brother in law was travelling from Sweden to see my friend and her husband, as he does every other year. They take a vacation together, and my friend jokes that her BIL has seen more of the US than the average Swede. Anyway, he had delay after delay getting here, spending at least one night at the airport (I think in London?) on the way here - and then had delays and cancellations delaying his trip back home, spending the night at JFK airport in NYC. I believe friend said he flew United for at least part of his trip back and forth.
I feel lucky our trip to Boston went smoothly!
@Bee,
So sorry you missed the event. Of all the airlines, Delta was the worst in terms of cancellations and delays (still going on today).
Depending on where you live, and where you are going, you may have few options in terms of airlines to choose from. But it's important to know which airlines have the best track records overall.
I work for a business travel newsletter and as early as last Friday, we were issuing bulletins about delays and noting that Delta was the worst in handling the situation (not all of the problems that they are still having are from the software issue. Delta has other issues that have them still so far behind in terms of dealing with passengers from last week.
There is a web site called FlightAware.com and it and other web sites track flights and airlines in terms of delays and cancellations. Today, you really have to pay attention to what airlines are doing in general and not just prices of mileage / points in their programs when determining who to fly. Additionally, when you are looking to book a flight, you can see what equipment is used and there is usually information on its on-time percentage.
There are a lot of good free newsletters that cover consumer air travel issues, concerns and can educate you about the history of an airline. Also , pay attention to news about airlines (although most traditional media coverage not all that complete in terms of info or timely. Hence following certain web sites online.)
There is so much today that can negatively impact air travel and sometimes you just can't prevent or change anything. Getting your money back in no way compensates for missing the event. But this bad experience shouldn't deter you from air travel forever. It just takes a lot more knowledge and patience to deal with airlines today. (I've been involved in covering airlines since 1991 and you are right, as there was more consolidation, more problems. Delta and United have bad records when it comes to dealing with stuff that happens (computer meltdowns are not new, just nothing as widespread as last week).
The DOT (Department of Transportation) puts out free monthly reports that list how airlines do in terms of delays, cancellations, lost luggage, etc. It might be worth your time to check that out. There is also information available for individual airports.
@Irena,
Thank you for taking the time to share this information. The DOT’s website has been very helpful. It is really hard to believe that an airline that is the size of Delta has not developed an effective customer-centric response for problems such as these.
My husband travels at least 35 weeks a year. The company that he works for uses Delta as its preferred airline vendor. So he always has tons of flight miles and “priority status.” We also live in NE Florida which is Delta territory and other choices are not plentiful. Thus, we end up flying this airline more often than not.
I must say Delta has been quick to refund our points and the cost of the ticket. The family was meeting in California and flying to Honolulu via Hawaiian Air. Although we bought refundable tickets, HA is giving us some pushback. They have issued us an airline credit but not a refund. They claim this was a voluntary cancelation. I will work on that more tomorrow.
@Bee, am so sorry. that is such a bummer.
@Bee, I’m so sorry this horrendous thing happened to you. Not just a cool trip but a whole family get together for a meaningful occasion in an awesome place. Geez.
@Bee,
"Voluntary cancellation"? Did you voluntarily mess up the computer system? Did you voluntarily opt out of going to see your family in a one-time-only event? Good grief!
If all else fails, contact DOT Sec. Pete Buttejej (or however he spells it). He was on TV news this evening very upset about Delta; he said he's heard reports that there were more than 100 stranded passengers waiting in line at Delta desks and only one Customer Servicer person staffing that desk. He said that is unacceptable, and he seemed livid about the whole Delta mess.
Meanwhile, I can't wait until someone invents the transporter machine, like we see on all the Star Trek episodes. That way, Scotty can instantly beam us over to those coordinates and we can bypass the airlines entirely!
Just wanted to say I’m working with an awesome therapist who has been using the IFSM model to help me with anxiety. The work is a little strange at times (I talk to the part we are working with as a person), but I am noticing a general decrease in my anxiety! I find it quite fascinating!
I chose to leave my job recently (toxic boss, terrible manager, unsupportive hospital system that’s making many poor decisions, all in the name of profits). This was done after much careful thought and planning. So I’m really focusing on keeping all expenses low as possible right now.
Eating 95% of meals at home, shopping at my beloved Aldi, packing lunches when we head to the beach, not buying much in general. As a naturally frugal person, this is easy for me, but takes a bit of work for my husband! Our son is 18 and he pays for all his clothes (he loves thrift stores), most of his car insurance, gas for his car, and his spending money, so I suppose that’s a frugal win right there, while also teaching him responsibility. I’d rather treat him to experiences than material things at this age.
I feel like you really have to suspend disbelief and presumptions going into something like this...although maybe in IFS terms, you have to ask a judgmental/skeptic part to step aside. 😉
@Kristen, yes, totally!
Naming the “parts” and asking “permission” from them has been… interesting!
However, I’m open- minded, and it’s helping!
I have a frugal hair item too!
1. I had DH trim my hair. I've been growing it out since the Unfortunate Pixie Cut of 2021, and it's finally long enough that I assured DH he was capable of trimming off the scraggly ends. It helps that if I air-dry my hair, it's a bit wavy, so it's pretty forgiving. Now all six of us get home hair cuts!
2. Relatedly, I gave everyone else haircuts the week prior. And when I did, I noticed that my shears, which I have had since I don't remember, seemed a little dull. So for my birthday I used Amazon points to get a neat little pair of shears that are silent! They don't make that snick-snick sound that some of my more sensitive clients cringe at. Nice and sharp, but have rounded tips so I think I'm less likely to poke anybody.
3. I actually did a good inventory of the food we had on hand and did not overbuy at the grocery store. I planned well and used some red lentils I found, as well as a box of veggie broth we bought way back when DS#1 was in the hospital on a liquid diet, and used those to make one of our favorite soups. I used up a bunch of cut up produce in a delightful noodle salad I had to hide from two of the kids in order to get my fair share. 😉
4. I did NOT fall prey to Amazon Prime Day. I saved up my points and applied them to a few things I'd had on my wish list for weeks (two new-to-me Miss Read novels, mainly) and my barber shears. Then I studiously ignored Amazon from the 16th to the 17th.
5. I found a less-expensive but just as good version of the dressings DS#1 needs for his wound (which is closing wonderfully, but still needs dressing). For reference, he needs silicone bandages, and while I think he could use 4x8 size, he prefers 4x10 for more coverage. The ones that the doctor's office used, I had been able to find, but were very pricey (to be fair, the doctor did warn me about that!). but I poked around on Amazon and found a different brand, we tried it out, and it worked just as well. This will save us $200 a month or so, I'm not kidding.
@Karen A., I'd love a recipe for your red lentil soup if that's possible. TIA
Also, WOW on the savings for the bandages. Good for you to look around & find
a great savings!!
Laurae
@Laurae, Here is the recipe, I adapted it from this: https://www.peanutbutterrunner.com/lentil-cauliflower-and-kale-vegan-power-soup/
Note: I double this and cook it in a 6 quart crockpot. If you're using the stovetop, you would bring everything to a simmer and then cook for probably 30 minutes, until the lentils and cauliflower are cooked through. I have never done it on the stove, though!
1 large yellow or sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with juices
1 small to medium head cauliflower, florets chopped
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 1/4 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water (or six cups total of broth, if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste (I usually put in about five or six good grinds from my pepper grinder)
1-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste (optional, add after cooking)
Chunk everything except the lime juice into the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 4-6 hours. I like my lentils and cauliflower very well cooked. Stir occasionally if you feel the need. This is really good on top of basmati rice, too.
@Karen A., what are the new hair scissors you bought? I'm in need of a new pair also & would be interested in checking them out. 🙂
@Karen A., sounds yummy, definitely going to give this a try.
@Regina, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CWXLY5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Hope that link works for you! They have some rubber inserts in the fingerholes, which made them a little tight for me, but the inserts were easily removed.
@Karen A., I am a cynic and very picky about my reading, but I have the entire collection of Miss Read's works and turn to them when I am really stressed out because they transport me. She also wrote for Punch, under her own name, and was quite acerbic. She eventually succumbed to dementia but I was lucky enough to hear her speak and actually speak to her years before she became ill. It turned me into a fan girl.
@Karen A., I am glad to see other ladies are like me and they skip the expensive trips to the salon. I cut my husband’s hair about every 5-6 weeks and every other time, I take a seat and have him trim my long hair. Shortly after we met, I mentioned that I needed to trim my hair. I had been growing it out from a really frumpy short haircut. During the scam virus scare in 2020, I just let my hair grow out and I just pinned it up. When it got longer, I put it in a ponytail and just trimmed a little of the ends. He told me that he could do it for me and I said ok. He had real hair shears, a cape, hair clips and good combs. He sectioned my hair, established the guide and trimmed each layer. He did a great job. I offered to cut his hair, but I couldn’t use his lefty shears, so he ordered me a good pair of sharp hair shears from Amazon. I was amazed at how much better they cut than the sewing shears I had used. He sharpens his hair shears himself, and he said that he would sharpen mine for me when they need it. I watched a number of YouTube video tutorials on how to do scissors over comb hair cutting. The first couple times I cut his hair were not great, but my haircutting skills have improved with practice. I get compliments on the haircuts I give him, so I think I am doing pretty well. He likes my hair long as much as I do, but I hate having it in my face and on my neck in the hot weather. So every morning I have him braid my hair for me. He does a great job and I get compliments and asked how I do them. I tell them that I have a seat on the stool and have him braid my hair for me. I tell them it is part of his duties of being my husband. I enjoy the pampering. It is frugal and I love the bonding time. Rather than just buy new shears, you could look into sharpening the ones you have if they are a decent quality with high carbon steel like the ones we have. They weren’t cheap, but a worthwhile investment.
Bought my kids vitamins on Prime day. I buy a bottle a month so I know it was $4 cheaper.
Found jeans that looked brand new at Goodwill for school for the oldest, a brand new looking book for his upcoming birthday, and found a huge bag of play balls that I had been looking at on Amazon but would not pay $40 for, for $5.99.
Cut both kids hair at home and picked up their weekly breakfast and lunch from school.
Used a 30% off one item coupon at Ollie's to get a pack of much needed pillows.
Found toilet paper on clearance because the bag had a small tear.
My husband's family is helping do the labor with some much needed house repairs. They don't take money for the work, but we'll get them to take gas money for making the drive and we supply food and drinks.
Used up produce before it went bad.
@Jess, hooray for discounted toliet paper! Why flush money down the toilet?
@Bee, I am finding the new "wavy edge" toilet paper Charmin has put out to be strangely disorienting. I am conditioned after many decades to expect a straight tear.
These are the kinds of over-investigated inventions that make me think we could cure cancer if we just tried hard enough.
@Heidi Louise, I just...what? Why? To what purpose? I had to Google it and found this article, and call me cynical, but I *think* the author got paid by Charmin to gush about how "obsessed" she is by the scalloped edge on her butt wipes.
https://www.allure.com/story/charmin-ultra-soft-scalloped-toilet-paper
@Heidi Louise, When I saw the commercial, I thought "what a ridiculous idea!" Clearly a first world issue!
Wow. No way in hell are writers allowed to accept money for writing about a product in a legit magazine. It's a fireable offense. That said, "samples" are always acceptable. (I remember the years Fisher & Paykel were begging me to write about them and I mentioned a sample, heh. No free dishwasher for me. In the end, it's not worth losing your job over.)
And I say this as someone who is slightly obsessed with scallops, even since I had a new stainless range hood made about 15 years ago and insisted it be scalloped like in the 50s/60s.
@Rose, Apologies for the assumption. In any case, she seemed to be way too excited about fancy toilet paper.
@Karen A., no biggie. People who haven't work in the magazine business would likely not know the deal, especially in these days of sponsored posts, advertorials, etc.
We are having unusual weather: rain off and on with high temperatures only in the 80s; a lot of the day in the upper 70-degree range. Some of you may think that’s uncomfortably hot, but here in the South, July usually brings triple digits with early morning lows in the upper 70s or 80s. It’s nice to trade the blazing sun for a cool, cloudy day! Feels like spring or fall, getting to enjoy the outdoors all day, not just in the early morning. We are supposed to have unseasonably cool days all week, and so happy about that! Esp. since I turned off the AC, something I’ve never before done during summer.
1. Follow-up report: Earlier, I had walked down to the home of the neighbors who hosted the July 4 party and put a thank-you note in their mailbox. A couple of days ago, the wife rang my doorbell, said she loved my “sweet thank-you” and invited me to come swim some afternoon! We talked for a while; I have a new friend!
2. Later, she brought me some leftovers from the cookout, some bread, grilled (but now frozen) hotdog wieners and mustard. She said they had way too much left over, and wanted to share.
3. Put all my plants outside so the rain would water them.
4. Picked up a friend who lives in an apartment. She did her laundry here, and also helped me fix up the covered patio. She climbed the ladder to nail up some clear Christmas tree lights (hey, they’re not being used in the summer!) and a string of old patio lights (from 20 years ago) that I’d fixed. (I shouldn’t climb ladders as I have vertigo.) We moved the furniture around and cleaned it off; it had several layers of Sahara dust from that dust storm that blew in. Afterwards, we ate lunch on the patio (the calzone sandwiches from Aldi that cost $2 and change, microwaves in 60 seconds, pretty cheap eating for so much food!) and yesterday evening, I was able to go read my book and relax on the patio.
5. My patio is brilliantly frugal, IMHO: the furniture consists of a long rectangular glass-topped outdoor dining table and 6 chairs from Salvation Army (bought for under $100 back when I first bought the house); my grandmother’s vintage chaise lounger (inherited); a side table which is actually a round metal plant stand ($2 garage sale item) with a repurposed microwave turntable (from my dead microwave) as its glass top (fits perfectly!) For decoration, I have some old planters (half-filled with fallen leaves to save on potting soil) replanted with transplanted coleus and spider plants and stuff from the yard. And, lastly, a sign brought over from our older house that says “This home is open to God, sunshine and friends.”
@Fru-gal Lisa Our weather forecast for the week is the same as yours. I too am enjoying the cooler temperatures and finally some rain. I do not enjoy the usual triple digit summer temperatures in the South.
@Fru-gal Lisa, A new friend?! Lovely. And clearly a kindred spirit in the thoughtfulness department. Like attracts like!
@JDinNM, my thoughts exactly about @Fru-gal Lisa's new friend. And I admire the brilliantly frugal patio she describes in her #5.
@A. Marie,
Well, I guess I am an "underconsumption" person -- didn't realize this is the new trend with Gen Z. I was into underconsumption before underconsumption was cool. But I don't watch Tik Tok.
And to you and JD in NM, thanks. Due to the rain, it hasn't been feasible to go swimming, but next week's weather is supposed to revert to our hotter-than-you-know-where Texas summers. Will let you know what happens.
I wish I could get cheap haircuts again. Alas, too far to drive. Also my hair takes forever to dry.
1. I am finally biting the bullet and moving all my stuff out of my 10 x 15 storage space. This is gonna be a mega-pain to deal with but not paying $475 a month will be nice.
2. I bought a few more bits of summer clothes on sale. I wanted some more cotton maxidresses; I tossed a bunch of them because they were so shabby.
3. I decided to try handwashing my cotton velvet slipcover. Score! Came out nicely without having to pay some enormous fee to a dry cleaner.
4. I made Swedish meatballs that were so delicious my kids fought over the leftovers.
5. I didn't sic my dogs at the deer that ate my unripe blackberries. The deer run faster anyway.
@Rose,
On your #5, I am reminded of a book I once read, called "White Trash Gardening" supposedly written by Rufus T. Firefly. (Mike Benton was the actual author). IIRC, he recommends playing a battery-operated radio, tuned to a conservative talk show, around wherever you don't want deer. If the human voices don't scare away the deer, he writes, the sheer lunacy of the callers' conversations sure will! ROTFL!
The book is out of print, having been published during Bill Clinton's administration, but it is hilarious AND it has some good gardening advice. It's like the Tightwad Gazette: if you ever run across it at a thrift store or used book store or garage sale, buy it! You'll be glad you did.
1. I stuck to my budget for my son's birthday gifts. One gift I found was on clearance, which helped!
2. I've been using up a lot of meat from my freezer.
3. We went to the zoo (with a gifted membership) and packed our lunches. We also have the experience package this year and since we didn't go with friends this time, we did ALL of the experience package things at least once.
4. I vacuumed my van and bathed my dog - both at home for free.
5. My son wanted pumpkin pie for his family birthday party and I made it using clearance pumpkin from a previous end-of-season sale.
@Ruth T, I think I need to vacuum my dog and bathe my SUV...
@JDinNM, this made me laugh
@JDinNM, Hahaha!
None of you have ever vacuumed your dogs? You have to have a canister vac or similar, but dogs tend to love it, seriously. Except for my dog who bit the vacuum in panic...
@Rose, Nature abhors a vacuum. But not nearly as much as my dog does....
FFT, the moving edition
1) I cleaned the deck at the house that will soon be put on the market. I got estimates for $175 to $200 to clean it, which is not terrible since it is huge, but they couldn't get to the job for 2 more weeks. I was impatient so I decided to do it myself. DH found some wood cleaner when he was clearing out the garage. It took me two sessions to do it but it looks so nice now.
2) Realtor suggested that the house would look better in pictures with fresh mulch. I finished one bed yesterday but have to get more mulch before I can finish the rest. This effort is definitely sweat equity as I was drenched in sweat by the time I was done.
3) While packing up for the move, I found two certificates from Costco. I was near Costco while dropping donations off at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, so I stopped in and used my certificates to cover most of the bill.
4) We decided to go with a much cheaper solution for water stains on the garage ceiling of the house that is to be sold. Long, long ago, our DS left water running in the tub all day, it overflowed and dripped through the ceiling in the garage. One painter gave us an estimate to fix the damaged popcorn ceiling and paint the garage that was $3000! No way was I going to spend that kind of money on the garage. We used the other painter that has a daily rate of $165 to patch only the affected area. Not as complete a solution but hopefully enough to satisfy potential buyers.
5) The vanity light in one bathroom was old and brass colored which did not match the rest of the fixtures. I looked at buying a new light but ones that would fit the space were over $100, so I bought $15 worth of primer and paint and sprayed painted it satin nickel. Not a perfect match to the other fixtures, but still looks better than faded and discolored brass.
@Beverly, Kilz Upshot works great and can be used by anyone.
@Beverly, standing on a ladder and soaking the water stains with a sponge and bleach cleaner will work to fade water marks on a ceiling. You may not want to try this if the garage also has a popcorn ceiling, though. It worked great on three tiny spots on our den ceiling that our awesome plumber deduced were not caused by a plumbing leak but probably by rain from a massive storm that blew in through the eave vent.
@Rose, I have used this product. I does work well and it is so easy. My daughter didn’t put the top on the blender before turning it on and the strawberry sauce stained the ceiling
@Bee, Oy. I don't know how many times I've used it over the years. For whatever reason, both my upstairs bathrooms tend to leave water stains on the ceilings below. Currently, I have a new toilet ready to install in one (as we think it's cracked) and as for the other I do not even want to think about it. That bathroom has literally no ventilation at all; the thought was that cold well water was condensing on the toilet on hot days (no ventilation!) and dripping, but it seems not to be happening this year. SIGH. I wanna order one of those light tubes with ventilation and have the handyman install it. for right now I think I will use my can of Upshot and pretend nothing's happening la la la *aimless whistling*
You need to have your dad make you a sink cover out of a piece of old wood or even if you come across an old cutting board at a thrift shop...then you put it over the sink when doing your hair and you're good to go!
Also, you make me regret when I could have grown my hair in naturally...it's beautiful.
frugal this week: the VA is getting DH a new knee brace after his last one fell apart, so that's a major plus (and they cover all his arthritis meds and appointments).
it's a bit cooler so the air isn't running 24/7 and we were able this weekend to do things outdoors that were free (parks/walking).
Ate all our meals at home except the one planned outing (hadn't been somewhere nice in a long time so we made reservations and all).
Bought blueberry, fig, raspberry, and a blackberry plant at walmart for $3 each on clearance for end of season. I'll baby them through the winter and plant them in spring. That will give me 2 figs, 2 blackberries, and the other two fruit bushes in a couple years which is all we will need.
I bought an old rotary phone (like the black, office, rotary dial type phone) at a restore for $5. I spent $5, but I've wanted one for about a year to put on a table in my entryway and they are always $75+ when I see them at antique stores so I was thrilled with the find. My son figured out how to take the dial off to replace the phone number from the old funeral home in the middle of the dial to our phone number.
Got audiobooks from Libby (library), got regular books from the library, bought new wool yarn at a yardsale for $1/skein,clipped the dog and cats nails at home, bathed the dog (not the cat ha!), and gave DH and my son a haircut.
@Marlena, I got this mental vision of your DH, son, dog and cat listening to audiobooks and knitting while waiting for their respective haircuts...
@Chrissy, it's more like they're hiding before I get ahold of the next one LOL
Frugal stuff
Went to work. I'm feeling a bit mentally exhausted at the moment, but I'm going to work to make that money!
Turned in my academic participation form. I work for a university and we are allowed to take classes for free. I'm working towards my masters and I remembered to turn in my form for the upcoming fall semester. I do need to buy books, so it could cost me money, but at least tuition is paid for.
Packed my lunch all week. It's been a lot of PB&J, but I'm not going out.
Went into Goodwill and found some new artwork for our walls at home. For $6, I was able to get two unframed printed canvas scenes of the beach. The previous owners left a few screws in the walls, but I don't trust they are in studs, so I'm trying to find lightweight decorations. Also bought candles, which I do not need any more of, but why not? Live a little!
And a frugal win/fail at the same time. Did a menu plan for the week, then completely ignored it and did my own thing all week. Still only went out once, but now I have produce on the dangerous side because it wasn't eaten last week. Sigh.
@Angel, wow, good for you for taking advantage of those classes!
@Meira @meirathebear, Thank you! I'm taking them one at a time because I'm really in no hurry, but time is going to go by anyway. Who knows? I might need that Masters in the future!
Last fall a neighbor gave us a bunch of firewood from trees he was clearing on his property. This week we split and stacked about a cord of wood -- only 3-4 more cords to go. We primarily heat with a wood stove.
The garden is starting to produce. We're eating peas, zucchini, a bunch of herbs, green onions, chard, and lettuce.
I attended a quilt show with a friend. We talked about going out to eat beforehand, but ended up eating lunch at her house instead. We didn't have to find a restaurant, wait in line, or pay the tourist prices charged around here.
We've been wanting to do DNA tests, but I put off buying them until Prime Day. Ancestry.com had kits that normally cost $119 on sale for $49 each.
I boiled all my dish towels and napkins this week to refresh them -- I learned to do this from Kristen!
Why do they make sink tops like that anyway? It's not like you need a sink big enough to climb into - what you need is a sink with a place to set things down.
1. I had been pricing stick blenders and saw that they have sure gone up since I got my now-defunct little Hamilton Beach stick blender decades ago. I bought one on prime days, since I knew the normal prices. It wasn't quite the bargain they claimed, but it was still a bargain.
2. Not on Amazon, but I re-stocked an item I have to order online and got $6 off from Capital One shopping.
3. In anticipation of - or should I say dread of - the possibility of another hurricane, I am eating down my deep freezer instead of filling it up. I'll start re-stocking in the late fall, when hurricane season is over. I'm also canning things like broth, stews and soups instead of freezing them.
4. During my sister's visit we enjoyed cucumbers and squash from my garden. We had cucumbers nearly every day.
5. We've finally started having showers again after a dry spell, and my load of microfiber cleaning cloths and mop heads got caught in a hard rain while on the line. I put them through my manual wringer, which gets out a lot of water, and hung them on the rack inside to dry instead of using the dryer.
@JD,
In answer to your question, I think that men design most plumbing fixtures. Not only the problem with sinks, as you describe, but also with those shampoo niches in shower stalls. They are designed for small to medium-sized bottles of shampoo, not the economical, large bottles most of us use. And don't get me started on public restrooms! Men just don't get it, which is why more women need to design things.
I was intrigued by WilliamB’s recommendation of the “Core Power” high protein shake in last week’s discussion of ways to increase the amount of protein in your diet, because it uses Fairlife protein and I have been using/drinking Fairlife’s high protein, low sugar, non-fat milk for years and appreciate not just its taste and nutrient content but also its long shelf life. But I had never seen the protein shakes in the dairy department, so I went looking for the RXBars that had also been recommended by various readers, and it was there I found the Core Power shakes. They were $3.28 each at Walmart, which is a better price than some others are charging, but I found a distributor on Amazon where I could get a monthly order by subscription for $2.21each. So I’ll try it out for a month or two, because they taste great and getting 26 grams of high quality protein (plus 25% of Vitamin D RDA and 50% of calcium RDA) for only 170 calories and 6 grams total sugar (no added sugars) sounds pretty darn good.
The RX Bars, on the other hand, seem to be cheapest at Walmart: a box of 10 for 16.98 (about $1.70/bar). That was less than I saw on Amazon or on other sellers’ sites. So I got a box of 10 assorted bars and am trying them out. They strike me as tasty and with 12 grams of protein a useful dietary supplement, but the texture seems very “gummy”. If I have to spend a lot more on dental floss, maybe they won’t be all that frugal.
HP is giving me 6 months of free ink service (worth $180) with the replacement printer I bought from Best Buy on sale for less than $100 (with free next day delivery). So the replacement printer is functionally free and I won’t have to buy ink until next year.
I used my coupon for $5 off $15 of produce at Sprouts the day it was due to expire, and got some organic strawberries and spinach.
And I got $55.47 of various items I needed at CVS for $28.97 using a combination of coupons and rewards, saving $26.50, nearly half.
@JDinNM, I commend you on getting *any* deals from HP and Best Buy. Not easy.
@A. Marie, Ya gotta strike while the cursor on your computer is hot because "deals" tend to disappear very quickly. "Oh, did we say that was in stock? Perhaps we could interest you in ... this other shiny object? Hmm?"
Good for you for bringing all your food! I find it hard to do when I work long shifts. I need so much fuel when I'm working, it feels hard to predict (those 5 am snackies...)
1. That said, I DID bring enough food on my last long shift, but that's only because my supervisors bought us lunch and dinner...and a 5 am snack lol. So my modest meals were just extra.
2. Yesterday, I found two freezer-burned chicken breasts in my freezer. I turned them into baked chicken katsu and no one could tell.
3. I found a wide-mouth jar of unsure provenance* under my mom's sink and took it home to use for bringing iced milk tea around. You GUYS. I'm so late to the Millenials-like-to-drink-from-jars but it's so good! It's actually leakproof! And dishwasher safe! *it says "hot peppers October 2018" on it so I assume my MIL gave it to my parents.
4. I put a bunch of books on hold at the library. I love the public library.
5. We tried pretty hard to keep our daughter from getting used to lots of packaged snacks. Just little cheesy crackers. It used to feel much less convenient, but I'm used to it now. It saves so much money--it's applesauce and homemade popcorn, frozen blueberries and Goldfish crackers, things like that. I occasionally make mini-oat-and-date-bars but honestly I've been to tired lately. It's not Instagram-worthy, but it's cheap and healthy,
We bought minimal school supplies. I always keep any useable leftovers from the previous school year, then have my kids go through their new class list at the end of summer. That way we only buy what we really need.
We’re taking advantage of an offer for free puppy sitting, so we can visit family. The summer is almost over for us (kids start Aug 12!) and we’ve just been at home puppy training, so it will be good to get in a last minute trip.
Our puppy is teething and loves to chew. Cardboard is a free leftover in our household. Cereal boxes, corrugated cardboard, he enjoys them all and it saves our un-free stuff from damage.
I’m happy my past self held onto old bath towels. We go through several a week cleaning up puppy water spills (he is messy!), drying puppy fur and feet, etc. It’s nice to take care of it all with one dedicated laundry load a week.
We’ve been eating down the fridge and snack cabinet every week. My kids hate it, but I know if I restock before that, they’ll gravitate towards the new stuff and our grocery bill is insane as is. The shelves do get bare and we have to get more creative the last day of two, but everyone is still fed well.
@JenRR, I put a rubber boot tray under our dog water & food dish. I helps to keep any kind of mess adleast contained until human clean up is available.
@JenRR, I have a small bath mat under our dog water dish, it seems to help a lot!
@Regina and Hannah, I have a lid from a large Rubbermaid storage bin under the dishes. It catches a lot of water, and worked well for my last dog, but this one likes to snorkel and put his paws in his dish!
1. I love to have friends over for dinner but we are counting every penny. I decided that I could still share what we had since in this world we live in community is so important and even if I don't love inflation right now, we still have so much to be thankful for. I made chili with the last of the ground beef from our freezer, peppers from my garden that we grew, chopped and froze, the last of the chili beans I made from dried beans and froze, cornbread from my pantry, green salad from odds and end that needed to be used, and macaroni and cheese from my pantry. All were fed and it was simple and frugal and we had a lovely time.
2. I returned a rug that was defective and once that return goes through I will take advantage of a sale price on Amazon to purchase a rug for 1/3 of the price I paid for that initial rug.
3. I meal planned and batch cooked this week. We had lots leftover from Sunday's meal and I pulled a chicken from my freezer and put it in the crockpot for chicken tacos later in the week. These types of meals will feed us for multiple days and can be used in salads, bowls, chili over baked potatoes or spaghetti. No fuss and healthy. Gotta love that.
4. I went through all of my coupons and such to find some Old Navy cash that I will use in August to purchase some jeans and back to school items for little to no out of pocket cost to me.
5. Coffee at home. Staying home to avoid gas expense of going out. Taking advantage of $5 intro class at local Parkour gym for my son. A big grocery stock up is coming and I am perusing sale flyers and venturing into Aldi to try and stretch my dollars as far as I can.
Yay for finding bargain prices for things you needed!
My FFT:
1) Safeway is featuring a new health app feature to sync with my Fitbit and give me bonus points for free produce as I accomplish my steps and good sleep. This week, I redeemed another $7 of credits for free produce (which was already on a list leader sale).
2) Date night with MrA at the local mini golf. It's decent, the cheapest in town, and never crowded. And cheaper than a meal out.
3) Food after the date at Wendy's. A $1.50 cookies, an app coupon for $1 junior bacon cheeseburger, and two keychain Frosties.
4) Used the Sam's app to check price and availability for eggs and heavy cream while I was hitting multiple stores on errands. I love that about the Sam's app.
5) Used a paper coupon for the first time in forever! At $1.50 off our regular trail mix, sure!
@Dorinda & 3 boys, Thank you for the info on the Safeway app! I already have that app and already reach my goals with my Apple Watch so should be a good way to get some discounts.
@LB, yay! I hope it works for you!
When I first set the health section up, it kept giving me $10 off $35 coupons and such. They're all stackable (though it will take off the coupons for the lowest total basket amount before it takes the coupons for the higher basket total), so I waited until a good sale week (butter at $2/lb and soft drinks at $4/12 pack) and racked up the savings.
First up, I really liked the increased protein entry from last week. I went out & bought cottage cheese, which i have been enjoying with salt, pepper & tomatoes from the garden. Yum.
1) Used a $5 rebate at the grocery store, and a $25 Amazon gift card. I used the Amazon card to buy college dorm supplies for DS18.
2) Took my 21 year old nephew for a completely impromptu trip to Las Vegas. Used United credits for the flights, and free hotel rooms to cover most of the trip. It was fabulous & totally worth it.
3) Responded to an offer on Buy Nothing, and a neighbor dropped off a case (18 packages) of Kraft Mac & Cheese. We rarely buy it, but my teens love it. That will last us a good while. Also gave away 4 dresses & a new wallet on BN, and picked up kale & a gorgeous head of lettuce from another neighbor. Traded for plums that a friend gave me & asked me to hand off.
4) Made lunches for DS18 for work. DS17 & DS18 are both working and it's their last week of summer employment. DS17 is doing after care this week, and earning bonus money on top of that.
5) DS18 took his college math placement test & scored highly, which means he can start a semester in and skip trigonometry. This will help him in registration, but also saves us from needing to pay for a class that he already took in high school.
1. I ordered some books and got a discount for ordering over a certain amount.
2. I went to a fancy hotel with my friend and she had vouchers which gave us each a free massage.
3. I got some stuff which is cheaper here than in Denmark which I can take back with me.
4. Have saved money on food this week.
5. I used a reusable water bottle instead of buying a single use one for my trip.
@Sophie in Denmark, are you in Germany? Just guessing due to your comment about it being cheaper.
@SK in Norway, the UK 🙂
You put more effort into your hair than I do--I have no intrest in straightening
my hair. Of course my hair doesn't need any help there. 😉 I go 2-3 years between haitcuts & get mine done at beauty school by last semester students. Since no one does the donate hair anymore I'm trying to figure out that part as I (mostly) always donate my 12+" of thick hair. Maybe those places that make wigs for cancer patients might be an option.
Frugal Things---
● Another free slushie (Monday) @Meijer (Mperks coupon available to clip Sunday before & day of only)
● used free slushie reward
● got groceries during buy $75 get $10 off & bought/stocked up on pork baby back ribs (on sale $2.99/lb save $1/lb) for freezer & used my birthday (5% off total) reward
● free 8x10 photo at Walgreens (T Mobile reward)
● FREE PRINTS 2 free magnetic photo strips (T Mobile reward) & offered additional (same) for $5. Now I have magnetic photo strip pictures of teen on fridge & to slide in family holiday cards.
● 20% off cute "Please close the gate" sign
● returning curved metal trellis purchased (didn't look as close as others already had & smaller)
● got second rain barrel hooked up using already had extensions (got on sale)
● used coupons off product & $3 off $15 coupon then used earned (store) cash to pay for product ($20 product for $0). Cashier/manager had never seen $0 total before--I had to explain how I did it.
● normal temps this last week (low 80s) means turned off air conditioner until this last weekend when humidity so bad I was sweating within 20 minutes of working outside in shade. Open window at night except tonight & tomorrow as Canadian wild fire smoke very noticeable.
Frugal Fail---
● I went to go purchase our (upcoming) fair passes & decided to only get some daily passes (usually get weekly punch card which is really cheap) since teen will be busy with school. I assumed that they would be discounted (as early passes usually are) & was surprised when the daily passes were normal price (plus 3% credit card fee). Oh well, at least we don't have to wait in entrance line to pay to get in.
My Five Frugal Things…
1. Mended the toe of my shoe where the mesh had pulled back. Was able to take colored thread to match and sewed it back together. You can tell it has been mended only if you care to get on the ground and stare at my shoe but really who does that. lol
2. The smoke detector started beeping in the middle of the night indicating a low battery so I bought more batteries to change them all. Realized I had replacements batteries in a drawer so returned the bought batteries. Savings for me and batteries out of the drawer. Fortunately the store I purchased them at is on my way home from work so no out of the way trip to purchase or return.
3. Went out of town for a long weekend so skipped grocery shopping the week before and made sure to eat up everything in the fridge. The morning of our trip the remaining fruits got made into a delicious smoothie.
4. We generally travel with another couple and us girls like to do a puzzle in the evening after a day of adventures. We had forgotten to pack one so popped into the Dollar Tree and was able to get a 500 piece one for $1.25. Surprisingly it was quite challenging but we managed to finish it before the weekend was over. Bonus that it was in a small square box so easy to bring back home and pass onto other friends of ours.
5. Didn’t buy any souvenirs during our trip so money saved there.
**also found 18 cents while on vacation so into the found money jar it goes.
Frugal hasn't been easy as we finally moved into our Arkansas home & I'm trying to get organization things I'd not had in our rental.
-Used Gas Buddy to get cheapest gas on trip back to Missouri home. 30+ cents a gallon is significant.
-Cut husbands hair.
-Used up leftovers & hauled some back with us.
-Discovered sugar ants in MO home & made my own version of Terro. They are chowing down & hopefully will be gone in a couple of days.
-Shopped Prime Days, added things to cart then reviewed them before actually ordering, thus saving $75.
@Jennifer G, will you share the recipe for homemade Terro, please?
You look happy and vibrant in those photos!
- My morning dog walk produced curb finds of 3 Sterlite bins of various sizes in good condition and one photo type box. Perfect for upgrading my recent garage cleaning and organization.
- We haven’t washed the outside of our 20 windows nor any screens since buying this house in March 2023. It took me a long time to do the first one as it is they are different from types we have had before but I’m making progress on doing the downstairs ones myself. We may have to hire someone to do some of the second story ones though.
- My husband is getting the unused upstairs shower plumbing fixtures fixed up so it would be nicer to use. Again, going slowly to make sure no old plumbing is damaged.
Is your hair naturally curly? We straight-haired girls would like to yell at you to appreciate what what we wish we had!
When nothing of note takes place, I resort to reciting my normal frugal items.
1. Made bread
2. Made yogurt
3. Read library books
4. Listened to podcasts
5. Kept my old car running
So, my hair is smack dab in between straight and curly. Which means it needs a little help to go solidly in either direction. I either need to straighten it a bit, or put some products in it to help the waves not be frizzy.
@Kristen, Same. When I was younger my hair was stick-straight; then I had kids (two of whom have very wavy hair, almost curly, two have straight hair) and my hair is now in between.
What a week it's been!
1. Thanks to CrowdStrike taking down the majority of the world's economy last week I was able to get some overtime.
2. My daughter's summer camp is right near a grocery store that we don't shop at because of its location being way out of our way. Well now it's not so I'm checking for deals there and got some split chicken breasts for $1 a lb.
3. Went to Five Guys with my daughter and her friends and ate nothing but peanuts and some fries. I also used a bonus on my credit card. Five Guys is way too expensive but I'm okay with not eating. My daughter got a burger that was $10!
4. Opened a CD on some cash I am not planning on spending. 5% is a great rate if you don't want the risk of the stock market (S&P is up 17% YTD so pick your options depending on what you want to do)
5. Starting some accounts to put away for future plans like trips and such.
@Battra92, Five Guys is outrageously overpriced. Their burgers are not above and beyond better than Culver's or other non-Mickey D type places. Fresh cut fries don't warrant the price either. We can get two cheeseburgers and a large fry special for $15 at a local restaurant or $20 for two cheeseburgers, fries, soft drink at another local place. I think the last time we ate there (and decided not going back) it cost us $36 for two single cheeseburgers, one fry, and two soft drinks.
I'll see if I can get to five today:
1. We are eating up assorted leftovers from our vacation and I think I might be able to skip grocery shopping this week, or at least do one of those bag over the shoulder hauls.
2. I've been suffering terribly from migraines lately, and my doctor wants to start me on a preventative med. It's cheaper than the one I take "as needed," and it's eligible for free shipping refills instead of needing to be picked up in person, so fingers crossed that it works. It's also supposed to help with insomnia, so I'm really hopeful for some relief from a couple problems.
3. I've been using up some very old lotions and face creams from when I got sucked into one of those pyramid schemes in my twenties and have discovered that paying any amount of attention to my skin at night (even if it's using twenty year old creams) is having a positive effect on my complexion. Vanity...who knew?
4. Not sure it counts as voluntary, but these constant migraines have meant I'm eating less, drinking less wine, and generally have no interest in going out, so it is saving me money, I suppose. It's even saving on laundry because some days I don't even get out of bed. I'm really digging for the silver lining here, in case you couldn't tell...
5. Made all our meals on vacation in our rental house, so we had only slightly higher than usual food spending-higher because I bought a few more treat foods that I don't normally indulge in like juice and potato chips, but we ended up with lots of leftover snack type foods, so my kids are probably set for summertime treats.
@Becca, Would love to know the med. My migraines have been awful- I blame it on the weather. Hope you start to feel better
@Diane,
I was taking imitrex but insurance limits you to nine doses a month, which means you can only have 4 1/2 bad migraine days per month. Yeah...no...
So now she is trying me on a low dose of amitriptyline. I'll let you know if I get any relief from it. I've only taken one pill so far.
Took a stay-cation last week with the intention of cleaning house but that did not happen. However, w exception of taking Molly to be groomed (she is the floofiest beagle mix dog I've ever seen and cannot control it by myself) and going shopping during that time, the car stayed parked. Went to Hobby Lobby to look for watermelon themed summer items that are currently being used to decorate the nurses station where I work. (It's a self appointed task I enjoy and gets a lot of compliments.) I should have known better. I had to laugh at looking for items two seasons behind them. Fall/Thanksgiving and Christmas abounds there. I still have a couple of Christmas/winter decor items out in my living room that haven't been put away.
Batch cooked Friday night so have avoided "driving through," relying on the choices I have in the fridge.
Used up lots of veggies I had on hand before they became compost to make egg roll in a bowl. Also used up plums in two plum cakes. One is to take to carry-in meal/nursing meeting today. I got several fruit items in Saturday's Misfits box but did not have fridge space for them, so I kept exchanging daily a frozen "creative ice pack" in the insulated box until I could get the fruit used up. Worked pretty good.
Hi Kristen - Definitely NOT being critical of your frugal open-box hair straightener purchase, just wondering why you want to straighten it at all? You have SUCH beautiful hair…
well, mainly I use it on my bangs. I rarely straighten the rest of it. But the short bangs tend to go every which way, and they're not even behaved enough to work with the rest of my hair up. So I give them a quick pass with the straightener and they are more cooperative that way. 🙂
1. I sewed buttons back on a jumper and while I was at it I sewed a hole in my daughter's stuffed animal.
2. Picked up some fishing lures off Buy Nothing for my son.
3. We used our Transportation Museum membership this weekend. It ended up being a day they were also having a large car show. The car show was hosting a raffle, which we entered $1o in tickets for. We ended up winning 2 baskets. Each was worth about $60 in gift certificates/items to restaurants near us! We also used our YMCA membership this weekend for a special event they were having (zip line, bounce pillow, rock wall, etc.) and we used the outdoor pool/splash park.
4. Pureed some over-ripe fruit to make popsicles for my kids. Cooked a ham that we purchased on sale during the holidays and then froze. I am eating leftovers for lunch this week.
5. My husband purchased an upholstery cleaner for me during Prime Day that was on sale for $80. I have already cleaned 2 sets of couches and 2 sets of outdoor furniture. It was costing me about $150/year to get my one set of couches professionally cleaned. I made my own cleaner for the upholstery cleaner rather than buying the brand name kind, which is costly.
Cute necklace!
1. We use handmade soaps from a small business. It’s pricier than grocery store soap, so I often wait for a 20% sale. This month I used the sale & they were offering 2 free sample products. Worth it to wait sometimes:)
2. We are getting better at using our Costco membership for savings and not impulse purchases. Saved a lot this last weekend, on gas, toilet paper, & laundry soap.
3. We try to bring our water bottles everywhere in summer. When we haven’t that’s when we might hit up a drive through for a cool drink/treat. We don’t have a/c in our car.
4. We were bored at home the other day, and I wished I had some extra money in the budget to hit up a craft store. But using what we had made for a great impromptu project. We had a little bit of glow in the dark fabric paint leftover from a project, fabric paint markers that I forgot we had been gifted, and 2 white pillowcases. My girls were happy to work on their “new” pillowcases.
5. We all picked the summer reading prize of free ice cream & had a free family dessert with those tickets:)
I totally understand not having space on my counter in the bathroom. That's why I LOVE these: https://amzn.to/3SjTK7s I know it's spending extra money, but it saves knocking them off and having to replace in the future.
I get too frugal at times, and it takes having to replace something to make me learn my lesson, haha.
I found some tassels at the fabric store for 10 cents each and have used them as a pendent on my necklace AND earrings. That's a deal!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
@jodie filogomo, alternatively, have such bad OCD you need to put the curling/flatiron in your purse every day to ensure you don't have to go home from the office to check on it, like a friend of mine.
Have I turned my car around and driven back home to make sure I unplugged mine?
MAAAAAAYBE.
Ha! I think she eventually took my advice of taking a photo of the curling iron every morning showing that it was unplugged. Originally I said to include the day's newspaper as proof of life, but I think she ignored that snotty remark.
We don't really talk any more because the crazy way she lived her life just bugged me too much even though I liked her. Like having to lie down with her kids to get them to sleep every night when they were eight, for instance. Sigh.
-after much researching on YouTube I managed to de-mat my cat. Last time she had mats we had to go to the vet, $$$
-I decided I am going to quit an expensive beauty habit for now (gel nails). I loved the way the look but felt like my nails needed to breathe.
-continuing to drink way less alcohol (have gone from 1-2 glasses wine daily to maybe twice a week). Annoyingly I have GAINED weight after cutting back but I am sleeping much better.
-my summer job location has no temptations around it- no cafes, stores, etc. So I am not spending money on extra snacks/shopping.
-have stayed home a lot using the stuff I have already paid for (sports equipment, being close to water, etc). Very satisfying
Lots of my savings have been on food. I made mango jam, 12 large , a 2 liter mango vinegar ( some off it , I will reduce into a glaze) next is mango chutney. I have grilled 2 larges pumpkin, and froze the slices. I had some Irish potato leftover, I have a potato/ smoked fish salad tonight. I filled some dates with cream cheese , honey and added pistachio. I have made some tzatziki as side dish with my salad, and going to make some spring rolls. Vegetable, fruits, fish, homegrown or home fished, honey is a swap I made . Yogurt is homemade, cream cheese too. I think I bough sugar, dates and pistachios, and the Irish potato, they don’t grow here.
1. I went for a haircut this weekend since it had been about a year since my last cut. It ended up being cheaper than I expected so I was very happy.
2. I’m still plugging away at books I already have in my to-read pile. The wait list on my library holds spans from 4 weeks to ‘several months.’
3. We went out for dinner with friends on Saturday (far from frugal) but my husband chatted with the owner as we were leaving and he left the restaurant with a container of soy sauce. He said it was the best soy sauce he ever had and the owner was so pleased with the compliment.
4. I’m focusing my meal prep around our CSA boxes. We’ve eaten an impressive number of yellow squash in the past two weeks but no one has complained yet.
5. I managed to get gas at Costco this weekend. Costco is just enough out of the way (and the lines are ridiculous) that I normally opt for the Upside app for a deal, but I filled up while I was picking up a few things.
@Geneva, sauteed yellow squash makes an excellent taco topping and in fajitas as well. The local Chinese restaurant uses yellow squash or zucchini in some of their meals. I like it with potatoes and onions - cooked in a pan on the stove or grill.
I got four...all food related apparently
1) Got free/discounted items at the farmers market for volunteering.
2) Used up some eggs we froze that we got previously on the flashfood app instead of buying new eggs before our delivery tomorrow. However, frozen eggs are not our thing. We like eggs to much and the texture is just off. Maybe we could use for baking but not for just eating. You don't know unless you try right.
3) Dehydrated some peppers and squash before they went bad.
4) Got a cupcake carrier and a mystery puzzle from buy nothing.
I purchased our baby's next carseat on Prime day. We had researched a few safe models and bought the one that went on sale. (I've been planning this purchase since Prime day 2024.)
I didn't buy other items that went on sale during Prime day. (A book or two spent time in my cart, but I don't have enough spare reading time right now).
We bought a computer during the Costco "summer sale" (same day as Prime day). I'm not sure this will work out as well as I hope. I need a new work laptop and it was such a good deal that a lot of people bought it . . . and shipping was delayed. I need the laptop now and may soon wish that I had paid full price for an item that would ship immediately.
We dropped off some baby clothes/items at the local resale store. If they accent any of our items, I will get some store credit.
I mended a sleep sack.
I billed a client.
My husband and I spent the weekend completely reorganizing and cleaning our garage, which was the final step after multiple passes through to dejunk it. We spent only a few dollars on a handful of screws and washers and a set of casters.
Took a load of stuff to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore and another load to Goodwill after that. Did no shopping at either as we are in "crap out of the house" mode.
I shampooed, conditioned and brushed out both my dogs. Stopped at Aldi on my way to therapy yesterday and stocked up on English muffins and raisins. I eat largely vegetarian and had a pack of three veggie burgers that were nothing special used as a sandwich. Combined them chopped up with lots of odds and ends of frozen veggies, diced tomatoes and grated Parmesan to make a messy but delicious casserole for my lunches.
I can only think of a few things this time.
- I batch cooked in order to have several dinners ready for this week and one extra in the freezer.
- Bought some clothes I needed when they were on sale at Old Navy.
- Borrowed a book from the library.
Oh, I remembered another one - I did internet research to figure out how to remove a couple of mats from my cat's fur without having to take him to the vet or groomer. I've had cats all my life but this is the first time I've had to deal with mats. I'm being careful to keep up with grooming him now so it doesn't happen again.
FFT:
I repurposed an audio cabinet into a liquor cabinet to free up pantry space. $0 spent.
I continue to purge items from our home by listing on Buy Nothing or donating. It continues to amaze me all the stuff we have accumulated in 43 years of marriage.
I am still in sticker shock over some of the grocery prices in our new town; but I now know where Aldi & Walmart are located, so I’m hoping that buying there will cut down on this expense.
Our new Medicare plan is basically the same as our old one, but with lower co-pays. Yay for an extra $20 in my pocket if I need medical care.
I did spend money during Amazon Prime Days, but bought the 2 extra car seats needed for grandchildren at 20% off.
Still trying to adjust to a new home in a new town/state. We have had to spend money, but doing so as frugally as possible.
1. I'm now able to start picking beans from our garden and we're incorporating them into our menu.
2. My sweet next door neighbor is trying to downsize on her flower beds and I've been the recipient of many perennials for my flower beds. She has brought some over twice, plus once I've gone to get some.
3. We needed some fill dirt for low spots in the yard at camp. I called the township in that area and they brought us 3 loads of free dirt. they're re-doing a road right near our camp, so this was perfect timing.
4. two different friends helped me out with allergy meds for our one dog, saving me substantial $$ (over $450)
5. I was invited to breakfast at a friend's house this past weekend. I took her a (discounted) rose bush as a hostess gift and she sent me home with a cucumber and zucchini from her garden. We were also gifted 2 zucchini and 2 yellow squash from another friend. Stuffed zucchini is on the menu tonight.
6. Using coupons and rewards, etc at the stores this weekend, I saved $48!!
I thought I was a failure for last week but thought of some redeeming measures. For failures hubby's brother was visiting from California so we took him to lunch at the "world famous" (my words not theirs) Hot Dog Johnny's in Buttsville NJ. Drive in hot dog stand. Too long a ride - 45 minutes - but good and unfortunately expensive. Next was driving to my sister in law's house down the "Jersey Shore" so gas spent and time spent in traffic. We had a bbq there and said goodbye to visiting brother and our neice who is going off to California for a new traveling Physical Therapist job. She makes helmets for kids and fits artificial limbs for people who need them. Daughter was home so we were able to make some of her favorite meals from scratch.
Savings: I was sick but didn't have to go to the doctor's office as I was able to find out what the problem was by phone calls to two doctors.
Got 2 Dr. Suess books from Kohl's for $3.99 each and they will go in my Toys for Tots stash for November. Also got a Roblox toy from Walgreens on clearance to go into the same stash.
While it cost money in gas and a hotel stay I did get a 24 hour mini vacation as hubby took daughter back to her home.
Tonight we will have Rana Lobster Ravioli that we bought on sale. The zucchini are coming in like crazy so I have found some recipes that will use them up.
@auntiali, please forgive me--but Buttsville, NJ?? ROFL.
@A. Marie, It's actually Buttzville, but I'm not sure if that's better or worse.
No lie, when I was a kid, I thought The Garden State on NJ plates was a sarcastic joke. Practically all I ever saw of the place were refineries and giant fuel tanks, and it all smelled bad. It wasn't until I was an adult that I figured out a state wouldn't put a joking slogan on license plates.
This will be my frugal things, travel edition.
1) We packed lunches for the flight to California and bought nothing in the airport.
2) We indulged in local, excellent pizza when we got to LA, but it was still pretty cheap for takeout for six. Then we grocery shopped for the next couple of meals to eat (along with leftover pizza) at our homeexchange.
3) We planned our 2nd day LA activities with a balance of being frugal and enjoying ourselves. So yesterday we got local, delicious ice cream, but kept it simple (everyone got one scoop, no sprinkles—seriously our oldest, if given free rein, would order a single $25 ice cream).
4) We also went to a free park a short walk from our home base. Then we visited La Brea tar pits, which our nerdy family really enjoyed, and we thought worth the parking and entrance fees. We finished the day with a scenic drive according to a route we found on the internet.
5) Oh, and I had lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. She chose a restaurant owned by a friend of hers who surprised us by comping our meal!
Your natural highlights are stunning! Whichever products you use to shampoo and condition is making them glisten. I’ve always wanted straighter hair but I drew the curly card. Others compliment it but I feel like Raggedy Ann on humid days.
I use Maui Moisture shampoo and conditioner. 🙂
your hair is gorgeous. and thanks for the chiquita photo. would love to see a shelley photo.,
1. We made all of our meals at home. We brewed our coffee at home. We had lots of odds and ends lunches.
2. I mended a pair of pants.
3. I accepted a "used" sweatshirt from my alma mater. It looks like it was never worn. I'm so excited.
4. We used the library to get books and movies. My husband returns them, so I don't have to do extra driving.
5. I hauled my son's school instrument in for yearly repairs. The school pays for all regular maintenance. (This instrument is cheaper to rent through the school.)
Is Chiquita helping? Or does she also want some hair styling? Haha!
I called silver in my hair "Free highlights". But now it's mostly silver/gray. I was hoping for white, but I think it will get there, eventually. I can't fathom spending hundreds of dollars dyeing my hair, sitting in a salon for hours at a time, and exposure to all of those chemicals (I have a lot of chemical sensitivities). Plus, with darker hair, roots begin to show fairly quickly. I've never had to worry about that.
You look "MAHVELOUS".
Yep; I'm too cheap and too lazy to dye mine. Ha.
@Kristen, I actually LOVE going to the salon once a month for roots and a trim. I have no daughters so it is a chance to listen to the younger women talk a bit about their lives and hear some of the young people slang. My personal stylist has a family member with problems just like one of my family members and comparing notes and commiserating does me a world of good.
@Kristen, and Jan,
Same here.
I have a sign (thrifted) in my bathroom, "Silver is the new blonde."
Your haircut looks great and you look beautiful in your dresses.
My Frugal 5’s
1) My 2 girls attended a free 3 day space camp at the library which was hosted by our local science museum.
2) Brought school supplies early to beat the rush, on sale and mostly generic brands. Will also be reusing mostly last year’s supplies.
3) Kids had free lunches at the park this summer.
4) Ate leftovers in the fridge.
5) Return shampoo and conditioner for a credit.
1. I found a penny while I was using the free vacuums at the nearby car wash.
2. My iPhone from 2016 (given to me by my parents when they upgraded) has started to really struggle, despite my having had a new battery installed about two years ago. I was able to purchase a refurbished one from Back Market (I think it was mentioned on this website, or NCA) for much less than refurbished via Amazon. Fingers crossed it works out well– there’s a 30 day no questions asked return window, and a year’s warranty. I was also able to find a coupon online to save $25.
3. I finished a partial bag of waffle mix that had been open for about 2.5 years. The waffles tasted a little different due to being old, but weren’t bad. I also finished a jar of pickled green tomatoes that had been hanging around for too long. I could have composted it, but I had the time and capacity to slowly use it up and avoid food waste.
4. We spent two nights with a friend of mine who overstocks on food and always needs help to eat things before they go bad. She buys everything on sale and gets a lot of produce from her dad who is a prolific gardener. But there’s only so much food one person can eat! We were happy to “help” eat some items, and she also kindly sent us home with some chocolate she didn’t prefer. Send all the chocolate this way, please!
5. My friend also let me tag along to Costco and restock on some of our pantry essentials that are much better priced there, like pesto and feta cheese.
I'm honored I got a mention in a regular post, lol I kinda tried on how I look today, but, "tried" still means a solid colored shirt, simple gray pants, my gym shoes and my Vincent Van Gogh sunflower's necklace (which charmingly my 3 year old decided "your friend Vincent Van Gogh made"). and yes I am at work.
We are seeing the results of our gardening efforts. We pulled the garlic a couple weeks ago from two raised beds. I am seeing tomatoes starting to ripen, and my basil is growing like crazy. The basil plants came up on it’s own from seeds that fell off the plants last year, resulting in over 30 plants. More than we need, but we will use it for making sauce, pesto and in fresh salads. I love the smell of basil.
We have been picking blueberries since the end of June, plus black currants, blackberries and gooseberries. We have over 20 gallon bags full of berries in our freezer! Plus we have made over 10 batches of wine with the different types of berries. It is more than last year, but once we get it kegged, it will last a long time.
Wednesday I gave my husband a haircut. He needed one, we had been busy the last couple weeks, but finally I said that I need to give you a haircut. I got out my bag of tools and he took a seat and I cut his hair and trimmed his beard, plus his eyebrows were looking bushy. I enjoy doing it for my husband, I am very picky about his hair, and I want him to look handsome for me. After that it was my turn. He trims mine every other time that I cut his. Mine is just above my elbows and he trims off about an inch or so just to keep my ends neat. I like keeping my ends neat, I see other woman that go too long between trims, and the split and uneven ends are not attractive. I think because I cut my husband’s hair, I tend to notice other people’s hair more now. In this hot weather, I have him braid my hair for me each morning. When I am working in the garden or doing other chores, I like my hair out of my face and off my neck. So I rarely wear my hair down in the summer. I get compliments on the haircuts I give my husband as well as compliments on my different braids. So our frugal home hair care is definitely not a compromise to save money.
Our bees went through a dry spell in July, but now that the golden rod is in flower, I see the workers landing at the hives loaded with pollen and I put rocks in a birdbath so that they can get water close by. The goldenrod produces a nice amber color honey, and I love the smell and the flavor. Soon it will be time for hubby to start cutting and splitting wood. It saves us thousands in heating bills, plus the wood ash is great fertilizer for our garden.
We don’t skip on quality or consider ourselves misers, but we don’t waste our resources frivolously.