Five Frugal Things | two sales and a freebie
This week's edition starts out with two eBay sales. I'm never going to get rich off of the things I sell on eBay, but it does make me happy to send things off to people who want them. It's like low-stakes match-making. 🙂
1. I sold a Christmas ornament from the abandoned house
The abandoned house that my brother bought kind of looks like it was left at Christmastime; there are Christmas things all over the place.
(In case you missed it, he bought an abandoned house, full of stuff, and he plans to gut it, renovate it, and rent it.)
A dirty Lenox ceramic ornament was in a box of stuff I took home, and apparently, this one is from 1999. I washed it, photographed it on my tree, listed it on eBay, and it sold in a few days.
I love selling small things like this because it would be easy for it to get lost, overlooked, or broken if I gave it to Goodwill. This way, it's going directly to someone who wants it.
I wrapped it in saved bubble wrap, packaged it in a saved padded envelope and then I printed the shipping label on the backside of a school paper from the past semester.
There's another layer of reuse: I'd originally printed that school assignment on some old resume paper, because who brings in paper resumes anymore??
Might as well use it for regular printing.
2. I sold an old 20Q game
Zoe was cleaning out her room and found a little electronic 20Q game. It occurred to me that someone might want it, and sure enough, people were buying them on eBay.
I was surprised that it sold in less than a week! And I'm really happy it's going to someone who wants it. I'd be worried about it getting lost in the shuffle at Goodwill, just like that Christmas ornament.
3. I got a free pair of Eddie Bauer socks
They sent me a coupon for $10 off anything, so I popped in and picked up a pair of socks for myself.
$0 out the door and I was in the area already, which means I didn't spend any extra gas for my freebie.
4. I finished our yard cleanup
The last round of leaf cleanup we did was a little early; there were still some more leaves on the trees.
The last ones have fallen now, so last Saturday I finished taking care of the leaves. The yard never stays quite perfect-looking because leaves blow around from other houses, but I did at least get the majority of the mess cleaned up.
Oak trees are lovely, but they do drop a LOT of leaves. Yikes.
(Also: branches, sticks, and twigs.)
We mulched the leaves and we used the twigs, sticks, and branches to make a fire (a nice way to relax after a day of yard work!)
Our yard looks significantly tidier than before and we avoided paying someone to do it for us. Yay!
5. I used up some parsnips for my lunch
I did a fridge clean-out and found 5 Hungry Harvest parsnips hiding in my veggie drawer. So, I sauteed them, salted and peppered them, and added a fried egg on top.
And then I looked up the health benefits of parsnips so that I could feel self-congratulatory about eating them for lunch. Ha.
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to?
P.S. We're a little late getting this done, but the annual cookie-guessing contest will be up tomorrow morning. 🙂 First person to guess right wins an Amazon gift card from me.
The real health benefit of parsnips is that they will stay in the ground (and actually get better-tasting) waaaay into the winter, which means they are one of the few fresh vegetables possible in the dead of winter in northern climates. Same with leeks.
Anyway. Frugal things.
-- I was looking for a sweater I could wear at home (i.e., that I don't mind getting trashed) in place of my honestly kind of frumpy but beloved fleece, and in my drawer I found a pullover sweater I originally bought for my husband on thredup that must have been mislabled as to size. Definitely too small for him, but fits me. Plus, it's 85% cotton and 15% cashmere (hooray for natural materials) and I think I paid ten five bucks for it. Does no one wear sweaters anymore? They always seem to be in good supply secondhand.
--We went to get our Christmas tree last week. We always cut a pinon on a ranch managed by a friend. The pinon trees here are pretty small, so it doesn't require a dedicated tree stand. We use a metal bucket filled with stones. I appreciate not having to buy a giant plastic tree stand and then store it the other 49 weeks of the year.
--Youngest son requested pizza for his birthday dinner. I make the dough from my sourdough, the sauce from some tomato sauce that seems to inevitably come to us from our neighbor's excess commodities stuff (although it does need some doctoring to actually taste good :-), and the cheese from the huge block we get at bulk price then shred and freeze. It makes for a very affordable and delicious pizza.
--Eldest son gets bored and fussy if he's not constantly busy. So we gave him permission to work on one of the rooms in the abandoned adobe house we bought next door. He cleared it out and is working on chiseling off the old plaster. My husband is planning on teaching him how to re-plaster the walls, since it's been such a warm winter. Given our slow progress on fixing this house up, this might be the only room that actually gets habitable in a reasonable timeframe. 🙂 Maybe we can get the younger two boys to do the other two bedrooms and it can be a teenage boys' bunkhouse . . .
@kristin @ going country, Oops. Typo. I think the sweater was ten dollars. Oh! And I actually made playdough this week! And dyed it with stuff I found in the kitchen! I am very NOT prone to doing stuff like that, and I was so proud of myself I did a whole post on it today. 🙂
Oh, interesting about parsnips. I've never tried growing them; I think I'm the only one in my house who likes them.
I love the project you are giving your oldest son; such a great way to learn skills.
Lane Bryant sent me a $10 reward and I tried to use it online(for socks) and it would not work... So when the girl and I went to do some shopping I stopped in, grabbed a few pairs of socks and tried to use it.. not working.. None of the workers could find any exclusions as to why it would not work.. so they gave me a $10 discount and told me to try it again another time online and to call HQ if it never works.. Submitted that receipt to Ibotta and made a few pennies... Went through Rakuten the other night and the code worked so I got 4 more pairs of socks for $5.00 ship to store and a few more pennies kicked back...Since the girl wears them also this is a great win!
The tv in our basement room died, the husband is capable of troubleshooting and figured the problem so we are just waiting for a part to arrive via Amazon...
Went to a holiday party for a group I am a member... received 2 raffle tickets - 1 for being there and 1 for donating lotto tickets for the raffle tree! I won the tree. Since there were so many tickets and not as many party attendees I gave everyone a $1 ticket and a few dollars were won! I ended up winning $28! So I cashed those out and came away from the party in a profit!
Called the Oral Surgeon office last week and asked them to re-run my insurance to get an updated estimate for 2 kids surgeries this week. The amount due at surgery dropped over $300!! Score!
Went on the local BST page looking for a head wrap ice pack since I did not buy a 2nd set. 1 mom hooked me up with the long thin ice packs( she could not find the wrap) and another told me to pin tube socks at the toe and then tie the ends over the head-works great!
2 kids not eating last night meant husband and I went on a date to use the free Chipotle for 2 coupon we got as apology for a bad previous order!
I sold a used vacuum on marketplace. It was almost 20 years old, but we had the roller replaced and the electric cord replaced 4 years ago. I won a new vacuum from work and this older vacuum only did floors as there were no attachments for it.
There was a coupon in the local paper that if you bought $100. gift card at Texas Roadhouse, they would give you a $20. gift card PLUS a $10. gift card. We've already used $20. (since you can't combine the 2 bonus cards with anything else and they do expire in June). We paid cash on the balance.
Met a friend for dinner last night and ate in their bar area. They have appetizers for $5.00 a plate and we got enough for all of us to share. The food was excellent and it was nice to visit with our friend. And outdoors to boot (I'm in Florida).
All our presents were shipped early last week to our Northern friends, so no added stress or anxiety on my part. A great feeling.
Sold some Christmas crafts last week. Still working on my cards though! I love receiving Christmas cards. I know a lot of people don't send them anymore, but I love to send and receive.
Wow, I am amazed that you were able to sell the vacuum! Good for you.
1. Created teacher gifts using my cricut and spent maybe $5 on the supplies. Not a frugal fail, but a fail: I sent the wrong ornament to the wrong teacher. =(
2. I finally allowed myself to realize that I had a good amount of money in my checking that was NOT earmarked for anything. I decided that our upcoming Disney trip was worth the use of that money. It felt nice to "find" that amount.
3. My daughter needed an exchange gift for her twirling group's Christmas party. Again, we used the cricut and made a cute twirling tshirt. Again another fail: I ironed the design on backwards and had to remove it. Thankfully I was able to reuse the tshirt. I wasted one sheet of iron on vinyl.
4. My mother's health is declining and I wanted something special for my nieces and nephews (who are all young adults) to remember her by. I created a QR code that will send them to a recording of my mother (their grandmother) reading the Christmas story. I will cricut it onto key chains. I had all the materials on hand
5. A co-worker gifted me a set of color street Christmas nail polish strips. I've never tried these before and look forward to giving them a go.
@Jenelle,
I’m so sorry about your mother - the keychain is a lovely, lovely idea.
Color Street is a game changer. On my first go round, my nails lasted longer than a regular manicure, at about 40% less cost.
@Jenelle,
No 4.... almost made me cry. What a great idea!
Aww, what a lovely thing you are doing for your nieces and nephews.
@Jenelle, Such a creative way to honor your mother! I so wish I had a recording of my grandmother's voice. I have to say I am really impressed that you knew how to create a QR code and how to put it on key chains. I would not know where to start to do something like that!!
@Lindsey,
google is my friend!
1. Got two hams on sale (one for now and one for a future date.) The joys of having a chest freezer are many.
2. Did a little stocking up at the Dollar Tree before prices go up 25% after the first of the year.
3. We were making snickerdoodles and ran out of cinnamon. I really did not want to have to drive into town to get cinnamon and so luckily I remembered that I had some cinnamon sticks in the pantry. I sent one for a whirl in the spice grinder and sifted out the chunky pieces and we were able to finish the recipe!
4. Watching Christmas movies we purchased on DVD or Blu-ray years ago instead of hunting for whatever streaming service they are on. I am really feeling that streaming is becoming more and more of a sham every passing year.
5. Got a nice little Christmas bonus at work. Sure it was only $25 but still, $25 to spend on me is a nice thing indeed.
Yep, I can't imagine living without my chest freezer. It is fantastic!
@Battra92, yes,I noticed on movies that correlate with an upcoming holiday , that I want to watch, cost money to watch and are not free with the streaming service. Very annoying.
@Battra92, our Dollar tree’s price has already risen to 1.25 here in Houston.
1. My job is letting us work from home this week and next week (rather than coming in 2 days/week like we normally have to) so there’s some saved money on gas! Plus it’s much more enjoyable being at home, especially during Christmas.
2. I really restrained myself with gifts for my kids this year. It’s really difficult for me, my parents would go way overboard at Christmas and we’d have 20 presents each under the tree (they would go into debt for Christmas each year!) So every year it’s a struggle to stop myself from buying my kids a lot since that’s what was “normal” when I was young. I really don’t want that for them though, I want them to appreciate what they get and they really don’t need that much. So yesterday I was feeling that I didn’t get them enough and instead I made an excel sheet listing everything they were getting (from bigger items to stocking stuffers), including what I knew extended family were getting them. It was quite a long list when written out like that! And it stopped my urge to buy them more. It can be so challenging to overcome patterns learned in childhood so I’ll have to remember this trick for next year too.
3. One of the presents I wanted to get for my daughter was a doll bed or crib since she’s been very into putting her baby doll to sleep. I’d told my husband this and he actually remembered that I had my American girl doll and her accessories saved in a box in our attic and asked if a doll bed was one of the things in that box. I do have a bed so we are going to get it down today and clean it up (not sure what condition it’s in) She’s too young for the doll and the clothes but the bed will be perfect, it’s free and it’ll be wonderful to see her playing with one of my childhood toys.
4. This is a small fail I’m trying to turn into a win. My husband doesn’t bake much but he has one cookie bar recipe he likes to make every year. Every year he goes out and buys the ingredients for a double batch and every year he only makes one batch, so they sit in the cabinet all year and then he forgets by the next year that we still have a set of ingredients from last year. He did it again this year but I’m determined to use them up so I made a new cookie recipe that uses some of them, I’m putting some in my oatmeal, and I’m making a new dessert recipe on Christmas that uses some more.
5. My husband and I had a rare date night last weekend, my mom came over and babysat for free!
@LB, I totally relate to #2. My family would go crazy with gifts growing up and now I always find myself panicking that I didn't get everyone "enough." Usually I end up buying unnecessary last-minute addition gifts. This year I am trying hard to avoid giving into the urge. It's SO hard to rein in those ingrained childhood behavior/systems.
@LB, I get #2 a lot. My parents (well, my mom) bought a lot of little presents so we'd be opening presents forever. It really made Christmas very materialistic and in the end we never got anything all that special or amazing.
My daughter has been great in not really wanting a super big present. We didn't get her a ton of things and I know extended family will spoil her since on one side she's the only child and on the other they like to make up for not being there by buying stuff.
I'm trying to stress non-present traditions and emphasize church and religious practices instead.
@Val C., glad I’m not alone! Yes, I tend to do the stress buy at the end too but so far I haven’t this year and hope to keep it that way!
@Battra92, exact same, my mom would go for quantity over quality so we’d get a ton of small items. If we asked for a larger item she’d say “but I could get you 10 toys for the cost of that” or “but if I get you one big gift and your sister gets 10 gifts, you’ll be unhappy on Christmas” even if I assured her I would not be unhappy.
My kids are too young right now to really ask for anything and are delighted with anything they receive so it does make it easier to hold back. And yes, tons of extended family gifts as the only grandchildren (had to place very hard limits on my mom though, otherwise she would also buy them 20 gifts)
Kristen, that is so neat about the Christmas ornament. It's lovely and deserves to shine for someone.
My FFT this week:
1. Used some leftover spaghetti noodles to make a close approximation of lo mein for my work lunch. I was doubtful about how it would taste as it was just thrown together with stuff from the freezer and pantry, but it turned out to be delicious.
2. Used a 50 percent off coupon code to buy some dental chews for our dogs: a big savings considering we have three dogs who go through those things like beavers through saplings.
3. Saved $4 off groceries with store coupons.
4. We have some sliced sandwich ham and apples that need to be used up this week. Guess who has been diligently been having a ham sandwich with an apple for supper every day? I am not that fond of ham, but taking one for the team.
5. Received a free fleece vest from my employer, but it's way too big for me. It will fit my son, though, so I ordered a fun patch from an Etsy seller here in our state to cover the embroidered work logo on the vest so that he won't feel weird about wearing it.
--My husband's work bought the employees Carhartt outdoor coveralls and jackets for this winter, saving us minimum $200!
—-I borrowed a friend’s giant cooler so I could defrost our freezer, which was both icy and 2/3 full. I paid her back with the gift of an art calendar, as I’d ordered one too many for presents. (She works as a phone representative and likes beautiful images to focus on during difficult calls.)
—I’ve keyed many friends on to the local market that has an amazing meat clearance section for day-of items. Indeed, the market discounts all day-of items, which makes my inner hippie happy. (My stint working at a grocery store was eye-opening as to just HOW MUCH food is wasted.) We’re also trying to move most of our own shopping there, as the prices are competitive and/or it saves me gas and time going across town for Aldi.
—Petsmart had a $10 coupon in their app, so I stocked up on cat food. I bought the smallest size eligible to maximize savings.
—Frugal 50/50: Last month’s phone call to our car insurance to discuss additional discounts truly paid off, as our monthly bill (two older vehicles, plus renter’s insurance) dropped from $110 to $57! I’d feel far more victorious, however, if part of the difference wasn’t from realizing I had comprehensive insurance on my car (which is almost middle-aged!), not just liability like I thought. Our insurance with one car had always been so cheap—$45 even with renter’s—that I never thought to double-check. Oof, that was a fair amount of wasted money.
On the upside, downloading the company’s “drive safe and save” app not only knocked a nice chunk off our bill but has made me an even more mindful driver. I was never a hellion, but since the app grades your driving, I find myself competing to improve my score. 95% isn’t bad, but I want better! 😛
Oh wow, Carhartt stuff is a great company gift.
@Kristen, I know! I lucked into some insulated jeans in my husband’s size at Goodwill (so $6/pair instead of $60+) and he already wears thermal underwear, but the Carhartt gear will definitely simplify keeping him warm!
Let's see if I can find 5 things...
Well we've been using up leftovers from our party this past Saturday...I used up the last of some meatballs on a pizza, we've eaten some of the other items as snacks. No food waste going on here!
I sent out a 2nd billing reminder to a client who is notoriously late paying his bill each month...not frugal per se, but forgetting about it would be much worse!
I used about half "found" things around the house for last week's party snacks, from nuts and chocolate candies to dried fruit and crackers. I also used coupons at the grocery store for several items.
I avoided all the areas in Sam's of "premade" things yesterday. Otherwise I'd've spent way more because it's easy to get sucked into all that!
We've eaten dinner and lunch here every day the past week (except today when I'm going out to lunch with a friend. Lunch is always cheaper than going out for dinner!)
Good Morning Kristen,
I love the idea of your brother's house and your treasure hunt. Do you plan to make a before/after post of the the items you saved? I hope so, I would be fascinated by it.
@Anna Chan, I second your motion re: a blog post about the house. The next best thing to being in on something like this myself is hearing about someone else's.
Yes! I will do that, I promise.
My husband and I are on our first getaway together in three years, for four days only, so we will not watch our expenses very closely. However, all shops are closed except those selling essentials and also all restaurants and museums etc are closed until the 14th Jan. So we are not remotely able to spend a big deal. We have bought some takeaway to eat at our self catering cottage and we have splurged on fancy cheese, olives and wine to have drinks n nibbles on the afternoon of the shortest day. I never drink in the evening because if I do I cannot sleep. So this is a regretful indulgence because it would have been nice to eat out for a change. And it is a joyful indulgence because we are out together and the weather is really beautiful. It started freezing and the countryside is like a Christmas card!
1. Picked up an extra shift at work, which is nice because this almost never happens (and I only work as-needed).
2. Redeemed hotel rewards points for another 200 airline miles. No real money saved, but the points are essentially worthless since I almost never travel for work (we don’t stay in hotels on personal travel), and the miles have at least some potential.
3. Redeemed survey points for a $25 Starbucks gift card.
4. Had extended family in town for the weekend and they gave us homemade shortbread, pesto, garlic, tomato relish, farm eggs, and holly boughs. We sent them home with venison and a few other small sundries.
5. Working on a puzzle that I picked up free from the library’s puzzle exchange. It is really enjoyable and I love that there’s no due date.
6. At the last farmer’s market of the season, they were out of honeycrisp apples but had another variety that should also be delicious (Pazzaz) for less than $1/lb.
Various frugal fails:
1. Hubby sweetly served his family various meal items (pie, etc.) and often served too much. So we had some food waste when others didn’t finish their meals.
2. DH also realized we had been paying PMI that we didn’t need to for the last 4 years on a rental property. He had forgotten he was making extra monthly payments, and the PMI doesn’t fall off automatically at 78%, but rather at the original date that you were supposed to reach 78%. So we saved money on interest by shortening the mortgage, but we lost quite a bit by overpaying the PMI. But better to find out now than later.
The question game is 72 bucks on Amazon.
Whoa, what??
@Kristen,
Seriously! I went to buy one for my daughter after I saw your post. I’ve seen them recommended before.
I need a gift for January for her. I couldn’t believe it! $72!!!! Check there before listing on eBay, I guess!!! Maybe for collectible treasures from the house too.
1. Going to nurse practitioner for a check-up tomorrow. I believe it is frugal for everyone to have NPs take some of the routine business so doctors can deal with the more complicated issues.
2. As I will be in a larger city, I have planned out a route to do some shopping as well. A friend gave us a few disposable masks with a Christmas print, which I will use.
3. Put out some decorations we already had, stopping far short of a tree, but enough to remember the season and holidays from the past. Using some yard sale cloth Christmas napkins for placements.
4. We are calling the leaves we didn't rake mulch and fertilizer on our lawn. Your fire looks so cozy!
5. Grocery shopping carefully to find sales and plan for leftovers.
Here comes the annual "how badly can I guess the cookie maker" contest again! I always try to figure out who made which cookie, and I always fail, big time :)! I love guessing, though.
1. I bought a spool of elastic from Wawak online, and sewed a long, long piece of elastic around the bottom of a Lands' End fitted sheet. The old elastic had given way but the fabric is still good, and now the sheet tucks and stays under the mattress again. The spool was much cheaper per yard than what I have found at stores, and I have other uses for it.
2. I got a Christmas bonus at work and applied it to debt. This job I've had for four years is the only job I've had that gives bonuses, and I am SO appreciative.
3. I roasted several whole sweet potatoes to eat in meals later while I roasted a sale-priced turkey. The turkey will feed me a few times and the rest will be frozen for future meals. I spatchcocked the turkey, and it is absolutely right that it takes some muscle to cut out a turkey backbone.
4. I used gift cards to purchase food treats for my husband.
5. I got the welcome news that my auto insurance will cost about half the old amount I was paying, since I dropped from two to one vehicle, even though the one vehicle is newer and an upgrade from the two older ones.
Woohoo for cheaper car insurance! It's really nice to get savings on a bill that you have to pay repeatedly.
1. In a slushy parking lot, I found a face mask that had been run over multiple times. Rescued it, cleaned it vigorously, and now I have a like-new mask.
2. Was offered a free LED lightbulb with purchase of something totally unrelated and I said "Sure!"
3. Received $100 rebate on four vehicle tires.
4. Ordered toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap after "admiring" it at a friend's house. It's fantastic. "Typically" only two squares are needed for going #1 and only three squares are needed for going #2. Each roll is wrapped in colorful tissue paper than can be repurposed. No plastic - yay! Plus the company donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
5. Redeemed credit card rewards as statement credit. I do this twice a year.
I have seen so many masks in parking lots! I wonder if they are falling out of people's pockets or something.
@Kristen, I lost my very favorite mask in a parking lot. Just before I got out of the car, I went to tuck the mask into the side pocket of my cross-body purse and missed the opening and placed it on my lap instead. (How do I know this? Because I've done it more than once!) I didn't notice the mask had fallen to the ground when I got out of the car and when I went back to retrieve it, someone had already stolen - er, rescued - it.
Oh man, the mask-savers in your area are too fast! Ha.
I frequently get $10 certificates from clothing stores and I have found myself putting together whole orders just to use the $10. I got one from Macy's and started trolling online. I brilliantly thought of going to their "gifts" section and found they had a few food stuffs, so I ordered a jar of cashews. Very proud of myself.
I love parsnips! Also, I grew up in a parsonage and told several confused telemarketers that I lived in a parsnip so we couldn’t buy new windows/siding/water heaters.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
1. I picked up 2 boxes of Crayola crayons for 30 cents each on the Kroger clearance shelf. I like to include crayons in the Angel Tree gifts I donate each Christmas. These will be great for next year. I also got 2 cans of organic pumpkin puree for 50 cents each to make pumpkin bread.
2. I redeemed some points on MyPoints for a $25 Walmart card which I plan to use tomorrow for the last few groceries I need for my daughters' visits.
3. I saw this idea on YouTube on Frugal Jo's channel and decided to give it a try. She cut unused mouse pads to fit in her boots for extra cushioning. I had some pads from the Michael's boxes I got in the summer so I cut them and put them in my tennis shoes. They work great and have helped my heel pain quite a bit!
4. I signed up for a "settlement" from the Alpha Food company (plant based "meats") and received a coupon for a free product. One of my daughters is a vegetarian so this is perfect for her when we have roast beef on Christmas.
5. I used up some more hot dog buns my sister gave me for toast and sandwiches.
@BarbG, I like be Frugal Jo. Besides this blog she is my next favorite.
One of our kids had a 20 Q game and for the longest, I swore it had a listening device. Seriously, when I played with the kids, I would make them write down the answer instead of saying it out loud!! Great fun!!
1. Bought some Christmas wrapping supplies from The Dollar Tree (which has sadly already become the "$1.25 Tree" in my area) to supplement my recycled gift bag collection.
2. Refrained (so far) from buying last-minute panic gifts.
3. My husband and I are continuing our longstanding "no spousal Christmas gifts" trend this year.
4. Had two stores to choose from for a requested gift for my niece and chose the one with the lowest price and highest Rakuten cashback.
5. Sold an under-used Lululemon jacket on Mercari (which I had originally purchased from Mercari).
I think my first ever eBay sale was a Hallmark ornament that was worth a surprising amount of money. It was just one I'd purchased (maybe at half price) that didn't mean anything special. I think it was an older one of a many year series.
1. I use scrap paper 95+% of the time. Some of the pages are three hole punched, from old school work, so they're great when I print a recipe. If I like it I just put it in a notebook I keep recipes in. I am still using a black ink only laser printer that was a $30.50 floor model at Staples, purchased over ten years ago. It is wifi connected but it was a challenge to get it to connect when we had to replace our internet router.
2. I never buy packaging material, beyond packing tape. I save packing material that comes with packages and give it away when I have a lot of it. I recently gave away a bunch of padded envelopes and also a couple bags with air packs, brown paper, and the like.
3. I usually get socks when Eddie Bauer sends me a $10 Rewards coupon but used one a few weeks ago for trekking poles. If I'm not near the store I don't sweat not getting the Reward used.
4. Last year we ordered a skinny Christmas tree. It allows us to put it up in front of the living room windows without moving any furniture. It fits in a small box and is easy for one person to handle. I think it is a tree we will be happy to use for many years.
5. I ordered some at home Covid tests and they were delivered after a couple of days. I didn't have to run around to look for them. I'd rather be safe than sorry with upcoming get togethers on the schedule.
@K D, we bought a small tree this year that can stand on the antique trunk under our living room windows because our 11-year-old dog is now blind -- she has a genetic form of blindness called progressive retinal atrophy -- and putting up the regular (big) tree would have meant putting an obstacle in her way.
We are really pleased with the little tree for the same reasons you are with yours. Our old tree was at least 25 years old and starting to look rather worn. We bought it for $29 on an after holiday clearance sale, so we certainly got the good out of it. The new one was the display model, so no waste for the retailer after the season is over.
1. Partner and I love S&B crunchy garlic with chili oil (my favorite is a bit on a slice of cucumber as a snack) but it is not inexpensive. Swagbucks was doing a program that let me triple points, so I was finally able to make enough points to cover the cost of the jars (via Amazon gift card).
2. Will wait until January to cash out the rest of the Swagbuck points for the discounted gift card.
3. Filled out another survey and got a $10 Amazon gift card. This survey has let to me being in a focus group, which pays me $150 for an hour. MUCH better pay than my day job!
4. Needed a new French press. I was able to find a used Bodum on FB Marketplace for less than anything new, in the style that I prefer: metal and glass.
5. Bought some cheese at Whole Foods as part of their 12 days of cheese (30% off price with the additional 10% off for prime members). When I got home, I realized that it rang up at regular price, so I'll go back tomorrow to get a refund for the full amount. I free cheese & consumer protection laws.
I had never heard of the crunchy garlic! What an interesting condiment.
my daughter is obsessed with it.
1. Sold two books on eBay.
2. Usually when people come for an overnight visit, I buy special foods and flowers for the guest room. This week we had our first over night person for almost two years, just for an one night, and it was so cold out I decided not to go to the store. I put red twinkle lights on a small potted plant and put that in her room, to make it look a bit festive, and the husband ran red lights around the closet and door frames. And I made a meal from what was in the house---eggs, bacon, hash browns and a fruit salad. We had such a good time catching up that no one really cared what we ate. No extra money spent and we still had a great time. (It probably helped that on the way here she stopped and got two pints of fancy-pants ice cream!)
3. Library for books and a puzzle.
4. Entered a small local contest put on by a bakery and won bagels. You had to send them a dad joke. Mine was, "How do you get holy water? You boil the hell out of it."
5. We had a dollar a gallon off for gasoline, through our supermarket points. We waited until the car was almost dry and then my husband filled it and also two five gallon gas cans, which ended up saving us $25. When we'd driven enough, we refilled out tank with the fuel from the cans. It was well worth the pain of dealing with the gas cans.
@Lindsey, I would have felt very special if I stayed at your house and you had put up lights in the bedroom!
(Why do we say "amen" instead of "awomen"? Because we sing hymns, not hers).
Oh wow, that's an impressive amount of gas savings! Usually those don't add up to a whole lot. Good for you guys!
I like how the dad joke is relevant to the bagel-making process!
@Heidi Louise, I am writing your joke down for the next contest!
I love lights. One time I was in Seattle for a month having treatments. My husband had to go back to work half way through. When he picked me up we drove into the driveway and there was a full sheet of plywood in front of the garage with lights spelling out, "Welcome home, baby!" He had drilled the phrase into the wood and pushed lights through each of the little holes so it was a huge lighted sign. Then when I got into the bedroom, he had made a canopy for the bed (I was sort of bedridden for a few months) that had five different colors of lights woven through the velvet canopy. I had to reach up and I could turn on only one color of the lights or all five. I am a pushover for colored lights.
@Lindsey, How wonderful of your husband to create these lighted places for you!
The joke is well over fifty years old. I guess that is part of being a Dad joke.
FFT, "Get Me Through December" Edition:
This one is for those of you out there who, like me, are not feeling all happy and sparkly this holiday season. Although DH and I never made a big thing out of Christmas between ourselves, I am missing him--that is, the old him--terribly. It's my first Christmas without him in 43 years. But here's what I'm doing frugally to deal with it:
(1) I recently stumbled onto the song "Get Me Through December," by the Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster (Allison Krauss has also covered it). Free YouTube therapy.
(2) I am reaching out to those of my friends who are also dealing with grief and loss this season--and, partly because of the age group I'm and partly just because s**t happens, there are quite a few of these.
(3) Although Dr. Bestest Neighbor has said he doesn't want any presents this year, Ms. BN and I know him too well to believe this. And he and DH shared a love of Indiana Jones-style hats. So I'm going to box up DH's remaining hats and give these to him for Xmas. I've run this privately by Ms. BN, and she is delighted with the idea.
(4) Since DH's nursing home is a Jewish facility, I can't bring in non-kosher food (except for fresh fruit). But I continue to bring DH cut-up apples when I visit, and I'm looking into kosher sweets that I can bring as a present for the nurses' station.
(5) And as proof that I'm not quite down and out, I've just finished the annual Martha Stewart parody calendar I make for the BNs. This year, it's "A Year with [Martha and] Santa Claus." Let your imaginations run wild; I certainly did!
Aww, big hugs to you. I can imagine that your first Christmas apart is especially hard, and I am very glad that you have your bestest neighbors to keep you company!
@A. Marie, I am amazed at how proactive you are being to keep yourself going during this holiday season. Bestest Neighbors sound like gems.
@A. Marie, May you have miraculous friends this season to hold you close!
The Lenox ornament is beautiful!
My frugal things:
I remembered to use coupons in a couple of my purchases.
Mended a few things when the holes were still tiny.
I was about to take a shirt to the Goodwill, but I tried it on with a sweater and it looks great, so I've been wearing it a couple days in a row. I don't like the sleeves, which I think I can alter. So, it kind of feel like I have a new shirt!
I've been making quick breads for the neighbors and I'm using up some spices and other things I have that I don't use very often. I'm feeling a bit creative!
We are moving the day after Christmas, so no tree this year. A friend suggested I get a tiny tree or some rosemary from a florist. This gave me the idea to cut some juniper from the backyard, and put it in water. I've decorated it with three ornaments. So, we have a tree that we all are enjoying and even a few decorations make a big difference.
Work was tossing 8 graduation heavy duty tablecloths. I grabbed them for my nieces both who are having open houses this summer.
A local remodel was throwing away chairs from a local restaurant, some were in good enough shape to be saved but curses (!) they were throwing them all out. I did not want them but I didn't feel a dumpster should be their destiny. Hubs and his coworkers asked about them and they did pull out a handful of good ones to pass on. A score for mother earth.
I found the cutest toddler race car at Goodwill for 2.99. Snatched it up for the grand baby. It only has 1 button so it should work for her age.
Goodwill also had a Marpac Dohm original made in the good ole USA for 2.99, in excellent shape. Not sure if I will keep it or sell on Ebay. Mine is 30 years old so I figure one day it will not work. My ears ring so it helps having the noise at night so I don't concentrate on the ringing.
Home Depot was out of stock on all of the lights we were considering for the front porch. The gal who helped us was wheeling and dealing letting us get another model for the same price, a $20 savings. Much to our dismay almost all the house lights are sealed without replaceable lights. So once the lights go out you have to replace the whole fixture. I absolutely hate that.
I got a small bonus at work, I was thankful for that. I used it to buy discount restaurant gift cards for the kids.
I love pArsnips…cannot explain.
Frugal
1. Carefully grocery shopping and using what I purchase.
2. Seeing WESTSIDE STORY on a Tuesday. Five dollars ticket and free small popcorn on Tuesdays.
3. Packing snacks and water for road trip to Indiana …we only purchased gas!
4. Not doing very much holiday shopping.
5. Not participating in secret Santa at work. Bah humbug. They go all out. I don’t need to spend five days worth of gifts or bring home five days worth of gifts.
Happy holidays!!!
I love parsnips. We should eat them more often in this country.
Saved by not being able to hire my cleaning lady to clean this atrocious house because my daughter has Covid. (Talk about burying the lede....) On the other hand, my girl being sick shook some sense into me about what's really important.
Worried about my son going to visit my mom (who's been hospitalized with Covid twice) for Christmas in her nursing home when he was exposed to it, but my mom had an absolute fit about him possibly not showing up, and he's the only thing she's looking forward to, and so on, so I guess he will.
Concerned because I'm usually pretty sharp minded and decisive about things and lately, so overwhelmed (I need a new oil tank for $10,000) I can barely think straight and just go with the flow. Which is not me.
Oh my goodness, you guys have had such a rough go of it with Covid. Yikes. How is your daughter feeling?
Not great. Now my son has it too and my mom is devastated that none of us can visit her in the nursing home for Christmas. I even bought the little bottle of illicit Bailey's to palm to her! (Alcohol not really allowed but for heaven's sake, my mom is 78, has all her marbles and is stuck in a nursing home. You better believe I sneak her a little bit here and there.)
Aww, I am so sorry! Here's hoping you can visit in the new year.
Haha yes, I love looking up health benefits too:) merry Christmas!
Congrats on the sales!
I looked up the benefits of parsnips last night as I was looking at growing things and the antioxidants in those are astounding.
Here are my 5 for the week:
1) I found banana bread mixes for $1.49. I made one tonight and turned them into muffins. Savings-
2) I ordered a meyer lemon tree and used my CC rewards to buy it. The tree was free and will arrive in a few days, although it was predicted to be here in 2 weeks.
3) My job gave me a 16 oz jar of peanut butter for free.
4) Two years ago, we purchased deeply discounted movie tickets. Then, I found a gift card at the theater lying on the floor. It had about $17 left on it. We finally cashed the tickets/GC in to get 3 of us to see the new spiderman movie. We saved $31.
5) Pineapples are $1.47 in my area so I purchased one.
Yay for the cookie contest!
FFF:
1. Let’s start with a fail: blew the budget sky high on groceries this week. Spent DOUBLE my usual budget of $150. I will say though, with upcoming turkey leftovers, a rib roast I got on a major loss-leader sale, and a 10-pound bag of chicken quarters I can do just a small shopping next week.
2. Sold up a storm on eBay. My sales since the end of August are over $1500.
3. Cooked from scratch.
4. Started Christmas shopping in July ( I have 6 grandkids) and bought the last gift the first week of December. This makes it easier to watch for good prices and not have to worry about last-minute shipping if ordering online. Which I did, all except stocking stuffers
5. Fixed an electrical problem ourselves by buying and installing a new dimmer switch over the dining room table. It had suddenly started shutting off randomly and when I thought about it, I realized it was over 20 years old. About time for it to give up, I guess. Easy fix.
I'll swap your oak tree litter for the chaos that the (very tiny) eucalyptus woodland behind my back fence produces. I get leaves, twigs, small branches all year round! (It's the woodland that is teeny, tiny, not the trees, one of which is clearly many decades old and absolutely enormous!)
Where I am from (England) parsnips are a regular feature of a Sunday lunch where they are roasted alongside potatoes.
Where I live (Cyprus, the island in the south-eastern corner of the Med) they are almost impossible to come by.
I am, therefore, jealous of your lunch 🙂
My husband and I just got back from a vacation visiting out of state friends (a social distancing, use them or lose them PTO situation before Christmas.)
1. We played my free w ads Spotify playlists instead of a paid satellite subscription when we couldn't get a decent radio signal driving in the mountains (also yay for our cheaper unlimited talk text and data plan.)
2. We toured the Christmas Biltmore Estate at a discount because we reimbursed our friends buying our tickets with their member discount. A wine tasting was included and we all agree gorgeous Christmas decor + history + free wine = a grand day out.
3. After our visit, we drove to another city and did AirBnB for the first time. It was bigger, with free parking, and less expensive than the area hotels. We took advantage of the loft's kitchen and bought breakfast items at Lidl (we only have Aldi.)
4. We were surprised the museum with a Smithsonian partnership we visited had free admission except the fee to see a special Downton Abby costume exhibit (it is amazing!)
5. We decided to make it an early evening on Downton Day and picked up a couple of bottles of wine. We got the sale prices because my home grocery store shopper card works at its sister stores which I paired with an Ibotta because I remembered to skim through the app while in the store
1. I threw together a last minute meal of rice, an Asian-y onion sauce and friend eggs on top. I thought of you... Adding an egg makes it a meal.
2. Still haven't gone back to dyeing my hair and in fact have a buyer for my hair dyes.
3. Bought all my husband's gifts from ebay.
4. Found out due to scheduling issues, we won't be able to make it to a conference we had planned on. While we're disappointed, on the plus side, it'll save thousands of dollars.
5. Used à white nail polish given to me to mark our dishes, so they won't get mixed up with others
Aww, I love your #1!
And yay for not having to dye your hair. That'll save you time as well as money.