Five Frugal Things | Ugly but delicious
1. I made an ugly grilled cheese sandwich
The two heels from our loaf of 100% whole wheat sandwich bread were left, and they were skinny!
I used both of them to make an unaesthetic grilled cheese sandwich, which was still delicious.
I shook the crumbs out of the empty bag, aired it out, and stuck it in a kitchen drawer to use when Hungry Harvest sends me things like unbagged celery.
2. I did not join the National Society of Leadership and Success
I have gotten a "nomination" to this society each semester at my BSN school; it looks all official-like, and it specifies that you have to pay a one-time fee of $95 to join.
They promise graduation honors, access to scholarships, an online job bank, and more.
But I did a little poking around, and the whole thing seems rather ridiculous. I read that they send it to anyone with a GPA of 2.8 or higher at some schools (which makes this a very non-exclusive club).
Also, the scholarships they give you access to are apparently very broad, and as I have written before, those are the most useless type to apply for.
The graduation honors are silly too, because my school literally says on its website that if you have a 3.5 or higher, your diploma and your announcement at commencement will say so (with cum laude, summa cum laude, magna cum laude). So the "graduation honors" are pretty useless.
Anyway, I did not pay the $95, and when a classmate asked me about it, I told her what I'd found out. So she is saving herself the $95 as well.
3. I changed my air conditioning filter
I know I will still use AC this month and next month (intermittently in October, I hope!), but after that, my AC will probably lie dormant until April.
(I have oil-powered boiler heat.)
So, this filter change should be the last one until next spring.
(In case you didn't know: regularly changing the filter helps your air conditioning system work more efficiently. A fresh filter offers less resistance, and that lessens the workload on your blower motor.)
4. I switched to debit for an auto-pay bill
The company was switching payment systems, so they needed an updated card, and apparently with the new system, there's a 3% charge for using a credit card.
The fee for a debit card is 0%, though, so I opted for that.
I use my credit cards for basically everything (for the rewards!). But when there's a surcharge, I go back to debit because the credit card rewards aren't usually high enough to balance out a surcharge.
5. I got a little pair of tongs for $1 from Goodwill
My main pair of tongs are very long, which makes them great for grilling. However, they are a little unwieldy for indoor cooking.
I do have another type in a shorter length, but I don't love this style; they always feel a little bit insecure, like I'm going to drop whatever I'm lifting (such as a chicken cutlet in hot oil).
My new pair should be way more convenient!
1. DH wanted to check out the Aldi that is in bikeable distance, so we did that. The Aldi, it turns out, has lactose free ultrafiltered milk, which I prefer, and much cheaper than Fairlife at Kroger or Meijer. I didn't need milk today, but DH can stop there another time when I do need it. Our youngest came with us, and per the agreement we have when he bikes to a grocery store with us, he got to pick out a snack. He was happy to find cheese puffs (without artificial colors) for 1.99. In his words "they're less zesty than the Simply Cheetos, but still good."
2. The Aldi is conveniently next to a Goodwill, and DS#3, who has lost a lot of weight, found some sweatpants in his new size. I also found him an Old Navy sweater and a Nautica sweatshirt, both in very good condition. I also found a delightful Lands End fleece full-zip sweatshirt--these go for about $45 dollars, and all the fleece and sweatshirts were under $6! DH found a pair of sweatpants for himself as well, and all told we got five items for $30. Not bad at all.
3. I have a little tip that I'm sure most frugalistas have figured out--the women's clothing sections in the thrift stores never thrill me. All the styles are very outdated, at least in our area. So I stayed in the men's section and that's where I found my fleece. A medium fit me just fine and it will be a great outer layer for biking in the fall and winter. IME men's clothing is sturdier as well and lasts longer.
4. When we got home I noticed that the sweatpants DS#3 had gotten had a rip along a seam at the knee--even for me that's an easy fix and it took me five minutes.
5. I saved the biggest frugal for last. We received a bill for the ambulance that transferred DS#3 from one hospital to another (per our request as the hospital the EMTs took him to when his hemoglobin was 5 and he couldn't move was not the hospital where he wanted to receive care), but rather than just pay it DH did a little digging and found that our insurance did indeed cover that ambulance ride, that the company had a contract with our insurance but then tried to charge us the amount they were contracted for. Twenty minutes of figuring things out online and we saved $800. Always question!
Good catch with the insurance coverage!! And still so thankful on your behalf that #3 is getting stronger!
Thank you! He is doing a lot better.
1. I sealed all of the seams, and around the lights and storage doors of my RV. That was the last piece of the puzzle to stop all of the leaks!
2. I visited my Dad and got a sound system lesson. Up until this point I turned everything up very loud and just went with it which isn't a good idea.
3. I picked up a bolt in my tire and the tire place patched it for free! Guess where I'm going to get new RV tires before I move on to the next show?
4. I got a free toothbrush and toothpaste from RESCU's (Renaissance Entertainment Service Crafters United) table of toiletries since I'm running low and need to replace my toothbrush.
5. More of the same while I'm at this festival: topping off cooler ice with the ice maker to make bags last longer, bringing my travel mug for discounted coffee, using grocery bags as trash bags, going to a donation dinner on show weekends, and big donation breakfast on Mondays that keeps me full all day long
Excellent catch with the insurance coverage!!!
Karen A., loud cheers both for the excellent catch in your #5 and for DS#3's improvement!
hooray for you. teaching your son the ways of the frugal folk.
You can “blow out” or vacuum the filters to prolong the life of them. You may get a few more months out of them.
We have done this with the ac/furnace ones and in a pinch the car air filter.
I do recommend replacing them when needed.
1. My husband bought me an eReader tablet on massive sale as an anniversary gift this summer (I’ve just used my phone previously, but I’ve been trying to use my phone less often for various reasons), and it came with a free trial to their ebook subscription for three months. I usually read almost everything from the library as ebooks, but I’ve been reading lots of books and comics for free through this trial instead with no holds or waiting. Even my husband and son have found some books and comic series to read on it. I have a reminder set to cancel it before it renews this month, and then we will go back to library books. I still vastly prefer our library systems (we are part of three!), but there were some items on the trial that my library didn’t have available currently and I learned of some new series browsing that I didn’t know before. I put holds on items at my library I want to read later.
2. We bought two secondhand items online for good low prices after waiting a while: one a pair of pants for me that I had wanted for a couple of years and resisted buying until they were no longer available (got for a better price now), and the other a gift for our son for Christmas. I’m also preparing a few used items myself to sell online for the first time.
3. I’ve been working on sewing some handmade items for Christmas, plus extras I’m hoping to sell. I’ve also mended a pair of leggings that got some holes and tears along the waist seam when washing. It only took five minutes and they’re good as new.
4. My husband ended up with an unexpected free unopened bag of name brand coffee, a bag of potatoes, and a bottle of white wine through his job, which he brought home. We haven’t bought coffee in years, so that will be a nice treat once the cold weather comes. The potatoes I used for normal cooking. I’m still deciding what to do with the wine since we don’t drink and don’t usually use it in cooking either. It might be gifted to someone else.
5. My husband bought motor oil and oil filters this spring earlier than needed in anticipation of it going up in price because of certain global situation we’re unhappy about, and that was a good plan because the prices have nearly doubled since then. He just changed the oil in his car, and plans to change the oil in my car in the next week or so when it’s time. Related to the same unfortunate situation, we’ve been trying to drive as little as possible and looking for the best prices we can on gas. Thankfully my husband’s car is a hybrid, so some savings on gas, but definitely wishing it was a full electric car right now.
--I caramelized another whole bag of onions in the crockpot to restock my freezer stash of onion cubes (I freeze them in a silicone tray). They're a must during soup season!
--Another free summer squash will make use of the leftover caramelized onion juice in the crockpot--I'm making garlic zucchini soup tonight.
--After months of patient hunting, Habitat Restore finally delivered a pair of curtain hooks that match a pair I previously found there. Both pairs were $2 apiece, and our living and dining room windows are now suitably fancy. 😛 I love dressing up our 1890 jewel box of a house.
--I detailed my 1989 Buick yesterday. $2 car wash down the street (love rural car washes--just a pressure washer in a shed for $1 a turn), followed by a thorough wipe down and vacuuming inside. I even busted out our upholstery cleaner, which I bought second-hand specifically for spoiling my car.
--Said loyal steed gets an oil change and two new front tires today at our awesome local mechanic. Not cheap re: tires, but definitely a worthy expense.
N, your care for your trusty Buick puts me to shame. I admit that Nellybelle the 2010 Honda Element looks like a working truck, inside and out. I should indulge her similarly soon. (Does your Buick have a name, BTW?)
Your Nellybelle sounds glorious and loved, no sarcasm!
Wilhelm Friedrich von Buick was a true "Granny only drove it on Sundays" car when I bought him for $1000 ten years ago; I've done my best to maintain him as such. I also over-compensate for all the wild things I've asked of him over ten years--hauling house supplies, paver stones, buckets of free landscaping rock (with old blankets protecting the seats), driving through 15" of snow and black ice, etc.--by giving him regular car spa days. 😛
N, what a great idea to use the leftover onion juice in soup! I'm going to remember that one.
We are on an anniversary trip in Utah & then Las Vegas.
1) stocked up on groceries for the hiking/Utah portion of the trip. Stopped at Costco and picked up prepped meals & some easy lunch/breakfast options, plus wine.
2) Used my national park pass to get into Zion, and DH also got in for free, which I didn't know. I priced out the national park pass and it paid for itself this year without DH, so now it's even a better deal.
3) Packed our lunch for Zion yesterday, including the pretzel bun sandwiches in the Costco deli area, which were easy & delicious.
4) Using a few leftover supplies from my fridge that my friend intentionally left for us so they wouldn't go to waste.
5) Rather than stopping at the brewery in Zion, DH didn't have his physical ID (in California, you can use a digital ID), so he couldn't get in. He's almost 60 ;), but Utah has strict alcohol regulations. We drove back to the condo & enjoyed our wine we'd purchased earlier in the week.
Bonus: had a fabulous day hiking together!
I understand that there’s a rather distasteful photo on the national parks pass. Sadly, that’s why I’m holding off on getting my lifetime pass now that I’m eligible!
Okay, you made me look. The good news is you can purchase a sleeve to cover up that part of the pass. I’m restraining myself from sharing my unvarnished opinion.
Oh! Thanks! I think I could have fun with a satirical sleeve! 😉
Some states are downright annoying when it comes to ID. My state sent out stickers one year and the 3rd world state adjacent to my state would not accept it. The worker flat out refused to turn the ID over to see the state embossed renewal sticker. Said 3rd world state has not raised their minimum wage since the feds did in 2009 so I shouldn't have expected much effort.
1. We went to a book sale at our library. While there we rented a metal detector. The kids and I have been having fun metal detecting.
2. My mom gave us fruit, eggs, soup, cookies, and bread.
3. The cover of our hot tub got a crack in it. We realized it's still under warranty, which will save us $600.
4. Scheduled our COVID and flu vaccines.
5. I took my cat to a cardiologist 2 hours away, which is not frugal. But I brought my own lunch, coffee, and water. I visited free botanical gardens while I waited for her.
Corrine, how great that your mom gives you food every week. I hope your cat is okay.
Thank you! My cat has some cardiac issues unfortunately, but she's on some medication so hopefully it helps. My mom volunteers at a food cupboard and is able to bring home the leftovers, so she always brings us some! Its great and we are very appreciative.
wow. i feel for you and your cat. Could not have been any fun for either of you. Hoping for good news.
My frugal activities this week involve a lot of second hand shopping:
1. From Facebook marketplace, I bought a plant stand, a replacement indoor basketball hoop for the teen that can't sit still, and I'm picking up some pyrex baking dishes and two shirts for my daughter today.
2. We had visitors this weekend with some dietary restrictions so there was a lot of random food here - we've eaten all the leftovers.
3. We went thrifting with said visitors, and we got: a replacement bedside clamp lamp, some pyrex/anchor storage containers with no lids, a replacement dog food scoop, and for fun a $2 lavender wig.
4. I packed breakfast and snacks for the baseball tournament and we did not stop for lunch on the way home (we had so many leftovers!)
5. I realized I forgot to get two ingredients for a planned dinner, and instead of going out to buy those things I just changed the dinner idea.
I am the bread heel eater in the family, and I always shake out and reuse the bag!
My son was also nominated to that organization. My son joined before we discussed it. We had a talk about it later, and he won’t be renewing or paying for any extra services.
For a split second I thought you were saying you nominated your son to join you in the rarified air of the National Society of Loyal Bread Heel Eaters : )
The title of this post describes pretty much everything that comes out of my kitchen. Possibly my most frequently-used caption on my pictures of food is, "It isn't pretty, but it's delicious." 🙂
I dropped my husband from the gym membership and saved $60 a month. Since we moved he is not willing to drive the 60 minute round trip.
I do not pay the copay at the Drs on demand. I know I have reached OPM. The receptionist doesn't.
We have a wonderfully funky hidden set of wall shelves behind a large table that folds down from a wooden cabinet of walls. I finally have a display case for all the inherit Franciscan apple China and Arthur Court grapevine serving war from my wedding. I staged it all and now need no other art for the room.
Deliberate Luxuries:
1. a massage when I ran away to the beach on a mental health break
2. a few pieces of CABI clothing from the outlet. They are my favorite. I am heavier than I have been since I was an obese teen. The first task of an eating disorder clinic is to stop one from restricting. I have gained 15 pounds. I was tempted to not buy clothes to fit this body. But I went all through my teens years dressed embarrassingly with ill fitting clothes that made me ashamed of myself. I am dressing this body fashionably and with clothes I love.
1. Sold 17 items this week on ebay/mercari/vinted. My total after all shipping and fees: $121.08
2. Redeemed a bunch of accumulated points for gift cards. Got a $50 Visa GC from mypoints and a $25 Amazon GC from Fetch.
3. I signed both of my boys up for free lacrosse skills sessions. The league has these every fall, and my boys usually end up waitlisted because they fill up fast. I was super early this year, and got them both registered.
4. Redeemed a bunch of Stop & Shop gas points. I had enough to get $1.30 off per gallon. I waited until my car was on E, and was able to fill up my tank for $40 ($2.95/gallon). A savings of $17.58 according to my receipt.
5. Received two class action settlement payments. One for $7.64 and one for $37.42.
**Frugal Fail: I purchased a lacrosse jersey for my oldest son because the league said it was required for winter. I later found out that the winter league is an extra cost that I wasn't planning on (thought it was included with the winter skill sessions). Anyway, now I'm stuck with an $80 jersey we won't use. It hasn't arrived yet, but if it isn't personalized with my son's name and number, I'll try to sell it to another parent on the team. I felt less awful about this once I realized another team parent did the same thing.
1. Went to the Farmers' Market and bought cauliflower, artisan bread, watermelon and a cream-colored pumpkin. Brought my own tote bag.
2. Received a tip from the pumpkin vendor to rub the pumpkin with cooking oil and cayenne pepper to deter critters from nibbling on it.
3. Had a marathon meal prepping session with my husband: roasted tomatoes, roasted carrots, veggie stock, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, and crispy baked tofu. Everything went into separate mason jars.
4. Received a thank you card. Cut off the front, wrote words of appreciation on the back for our housecleaner, and clipped it to the cash we give her.
5. Repaired fringe on an area rug using string that I received on a gift.
1. I made yogurt at home.
2. I found a coupon in my email that applied to a birthday gift my son was purchasing.
3. I've been working to not over-buy groceries. My fridge looks fairly empty right now, but that's ok. We have enough.
4. While I haven't commented on the freezer challenge posts, I am actually joining in and trying to eat down our freezer contents. (We will need to move our two chest freezers at some point this fall or winter, so that gives me some motivation!) And one of the times I went to see what was there, I found that they had gotten unplugged. Ugh! I only had to throw away about $20 worth of food, but the rest of it that had thawed I was able to use right away. Thankfully, one freezer kept almost everything completely frozen and we caught it before the other lost too much.
5. I packed a lunch when I had to take my daughter to an appointment 45 minutes away in the middle of the school day. She got Subway, but I was happy to eat a discounted salad with leftover chicken. OH! ALSO! I remembered that there's a new-ish law (at least in Michigan) that part-time employees earn PTO. I was initially bummed about having to miss 3 work hours, but then I remembered that I should have PTO. My boss and I looked and I had accrued 12 hours! So I used 3 hours for her appointment. Yay!!!
This is always a challenge for me!
1) I (barely) managed to get through a day at work without buying any snacks or drinks! I ended up bending the rules by getting a Diet Coke on the way home, but it wasn't at work so I still succeeded...
2) when I bought my aforementioned Diet Coke I managed to NOT also buy a snack which, for non- GLP-1 taking Ginger is a major feat.
3) I've stopped taking my GLP-1! It wasn't giving me results, and is just so expensive.
4) I didn't stop and get dinner after work on Saturday I wanted to, but when I called home my husband reminded me we had left overs. I also didn't stop for dinner on Sunday, but I stopped and tried to surprise my husband with a snack, and bought one for me too. that ended up being my dinner. so that 1/2 is a fail
I recently bought some short tongs like yours, and I had no idea how useful they’d be! In my case, I got them at an estate sale for 25 cents. At that price, I’ll pick up things that I might not need, and I was lucky that I needed these and didn’t know it.
-Our gym was advertising free personal trainer consultations at the gym. I took advantage of one session where the personal trainer showed me around some machines I've been wondering about, explaining best form and how they worked.
-At work events, my company often orders too many freebies that end up staying in the office closet for a long time. Our receptionist emailed us about extra first aid kits, so I was happy to pick up one for the house and every car.
-Used up leftover rice and sauce that nobody was going to eat as leftovers to mix into rice cakes. Also been using leftover potatoes as grilled smashed potatoes that have been a hit (reheating boiled potatoes never taste as good as frying them).
-Carpooled with a friend to an evening out.
-My husband did some basic plumbing work himself (had to do a lot of Youtube watching first) but was finally able to clear a very clogged sink situation in a double sink bathroom.
-Another big kudos to my husband noticing we've been overcharged on our car insurance. We've had some back and forth with them to clear up our account after our teens were added on to it although they don't have a permit or license to drive yet. Finally, after suspecting we were still overcharged, it turned out one of our teens was listed twice. We had removed the first instance but he was also listed there as an adult. The insurance finally cleaned up the data and paid us back over $2000 in extra charges. Crazy, but pays to check your bills carefully!
let's see how many I can come up with...
1. A co-worker volunteers at a food pantry and they were gifted a huge bag of powdered sugar where the bag was cut, so they bagged it up and i was given 2 of the bags. I will use in my holiday baking. They also had extra bags of buns which I ended up feeding to my chickens.
2. A friend gifted us a box of pears from his tree. I ate them and also baked with them. Delicious!
3. hubby saw in a flier that Home Depot had 15% off on select garage doors. I went to the store with my receipt and I was able to get back $800 on our purchase!!!
4. I used Kohls cash ($20 gifted to me from a store error) and got 3 bath sheets for free!
5. Our daughter brought us leftover food from their camping trip....veggie pizza and ham & swiss sliders and an apple fritter. Yay for free food!
I received a class action settlement of $37. Most welcome, it's one of those months -- two birthdays, property tax, condo insurance. I also found two pennies, which are always welcome, too.
I sold a pair of workout pants on eBay -- my first sale in a while, because I was on "time away" while I was sick. This morning I got a request for a measurement on another item, so there may be another sale in the works.
I was given a frozen chunk of hot dogs --3 lbs! They were all welded together, so I thawed them enough to separate and wrap in two-dog packages. Then they went back in the freezer, for future meals.
For a long time I've been plagued by excessive phlegm in my throat, which I've been trying to treat as an allergy. On a tip from a friend, I looked into acid reflux instead, even though I don't feel any burning sensation. Lo and behold, my free cure has been hydrating first thing in the morning, sitting upright for at least an hour after eating, and cutting off food three hours before bedtime. What a difference!
I planned to make a mushroom quiche yesterday to use up Swiss cheese. But when I looked for mushrooms in the pantry, I couldn't find them, though I was sure I'd seen a can a few days ago. Turns out, I must have seen a can of mushroom soup instead. I changed my plan, using bacon bits to make a classic quiche Lorraine. I also used evaporated milk from the freezer instead of half and half, and it turned out great.
I had the same silent acid reflux and it was so surprising to figure it out! Mine has gotten 75% better and I am so thankful.
my dr gave me Voquezna, it is strong expensive and worth every penny. i hope you check it out. i am not connected to them. only a satisfied customer.
Bread bags are my preferred hand protection device for cleaning up the back yard after the dogs: sturdy and no holes like plastic grocery sacks tend to get.
I got flu and Covid shots for free this week through my insurance. One year before I retired, I had to pay $90 for a flu shot, which makes me extra appreciative of better insurance.
Throughout August and the early part of this month I routinely froze in single serve portions the last two servings of what I cooked for dinner. Been enjoying those and not having to cook this week.
1. I was given two home grown tomatoes. I’ve been enjoying them the last few days.
2. Reading a book that my brother loaned me.
3. I have been walking on my meal breaks at work. Good for my health and helps clear the brain fog on these long work days.
4. The side seams of my cloth purse split. I sewed them up using several strands of embroidery floss in a matching color. It did the trick and it’s not terribly noticeable. The purse will survive another season.
5. I had another sale on Vinted and listed a few more things.
Sometimes "ugly" sandwiches are the best kind. 😉
Made 2 loves of sour dough bread.
Helped a young neighbor friend put up corn. Next is marinara. She will do it at my house as I have the set up and tools.
My favorite vet helped vaccinate the cattle and he gave my pups and cats their rabies, workers and booster shots saving me several trips to his office.
In my house ugly food is "rustic". Ha!
I love the bird on the windowsill!
Frugals:
1. I went to a driving school which had a free question and answer session. It will be very expensive to actually take the lessons, but I'm glad I went and got the information. I am also rather anxious about driving in general and I think it helped.
2. I went to see my friend at a bookshop where she works. I bought a book to support the store but we had some coffee for free. I considered buying lunch while I was out but waited until I got back. My parents said when they were younger there was an advice column which included the phrase 'don't be a chump, Ginny!' and now I think of it whenever I'm tempted to spend money foolishly haha!
3. I baked some more banana bread. I made all of my meals at home (apart from one evening when I was busy after work) and was halfway through cooking something when I realised I was out of pasta. I could have quickly bought some more, as the shop is nearby, but I modified it with lasagne sheets. No one else was eating it so it didn't really matter!
4. I am planning on going running later for some free exercise. Hopefully writing it down will help to motivate me 😉
5. This is slightly gross but fruit flies showed up in my kitchen and I made a flytrap which seems to be working. I used an old sauce jar, put in some honey and water and put some clingfilm on top with small holes in.
3.
Good luck with driving! I was pretty anxious when I started, but it got much easier with time.
Thanks! I have horrible spatial awareness so have always been leery of it. I don't want the fear of it to control me though, and it would be good to have the skill. I did manage to drive a truck around a field once!
good luck. you will be fine driving a truck is a huge accimplishment.
I'm taking inspiration from you and trying to make better use of my credit card offers and points. I always use the points for gift cards of things I use (like groceries or coffee shops I already go to,) but now I'm trying to pay attention to smaller offers. As long as I spend them on things I would buy anyway, I figure I'm not falling for anything.
1. I got high quality second-hand snow pants for my kid on Facebook Marketplace, 66% off the retail price! Now, to find a jacket.
2. I used two credit card offers, both to get statement credits. Both saved me about 15% on thrilling things like nursing pads and sunscreen. Might as well.
3. We gratefully received a large amount of hand-me-down clothes: some things that I lent to my nephew and got back, some from a cousin, and a few things from a neighbour.
4. We held my daughter's birthday party in the park, ordered pizza, bought lots of snacks at the discount grocer, and used a gift card on a lot of the napkins/plates/cups/gift-bag items. It was successful: the kids had fun, the parents relaxed, and it wasn't wildly overstimulating or expensive. We did pay to have a room in the community center just in case in rained, which raised the price, but I figure we save on rent from having a small house without a yard! Would do again.
5. We got more takeout than usual this week. Alas. But if I had not batch-made food for the freezer, we would have gotten more! Looking on the bright side.
I had lots of birthday parties like that as a kid and they were great!
Me too. My birthday parties were always in our back yard, which worked because my birthday is in late spring. We would make candy necklaces, play dress-up, have a costume parade, and have pizza and cake from a mix. I get the appeal of doing it at a bowling alley (trendy when I was a kid,) laser tag (trendy when I was a pre-teen,) or a dance studio (apparently the trend now?) but it's expensive and I find it overstimulating. My kid and her friends are 4-6 years old. All they want to do is play anyway!
My birthday is in late summer so we would usually have them in the back garden or a park. We were usually on vacation on the actual day, so would celebrate on the beach, and then I had my party a couple of weeks later 🙂
Keeping entertainment costs in retirement at a minimum.I have a paper crafting group that meets at my house once a month for fun and camaraderie while we make our scrapbooks and cards together around a large table,everyone bring s a snack to share.There is an art studio nearby that charges $25 a day to meet there!! My house=FREE!
Playing cards with 3 neighbors every other week, we share hosting duties, having it in our home on a rotating basis.. and can walk to each other’s houses! FREE! Hostess puts out small snacks.Cards=fun.Friendship=priceless.
Joined a social group for women age 60+ and we meet for games, canasta, bagel dates and more. Game days are free, we meeting a local library community room. Bagel dates are low cost.
Movie day at our local smaller theater is $5 Tuesday.I love to see movies in a real theater once a month if I can!
LIBRARY DAY:: Always a great date with my husband! FREE!!
Once a month Meditation Group: 8-10 ladies I know meet in each other’s hoes once a month for a couple of hours of spiritual discussion and to share a group meditation.Sometimes we share reiki healings.
Walks in several local parks are free, good for my mental physical and spiritual health and quality time with husband: Discovery Park is 1 mile away, San Tan Mts. are just 7 miles away, Riparian Preserve 4 miles from home. In Arizona there is ALWAYS somewhere in nature to enjoy.
Our library also has free culture passes for when we wish to go tot a local museum or botanical gardens.
Other: In these rising price times,we are eating from freezer and pantry.I have stocked up when prices were lower and on sales..so we have a good supply going forward and I don’t have to purchase at inflated prices for a while,anyway.Also eating more vegetarian meal: Beans and rice,cuban beans,lentil entrees and stews, baked beans and cornbread, with my harvest farmbox we are healthier!!
I love all the fun frugal entertainment!
I love grilled cheese sandwiches, no matter what they look like! My Jr High school cafeteria made them with dill pickles inside while cooking and I have made them this way ever since. Yum.
1. For the past few months I have had pain in my hip and knee. I finally googled it and the most likely culpret is hip flexor tightness, rather than the complete knee and hip replacement I considered (silly) I would need. Well, they had exercises for that, and everything seems to be getting slowly improved. I would have mentioned it to Dr next visit, but then there would be tests and PT and I wanted to get it before all that since I am now on a high deductable Medicare plan. Here's hoping!
2. Same thing for a shoulder pain. I think I have been holding my phone for too long and now I am cutting myself off hour long video binges. It might be an easy fix!
3. I have decided to work more towards a no maintenance back yard rather than a perennial crazy garden. It gets so out of hand and I am into my 70's so I am going with ferns, giant leopard plants(winter flowering), oak leaf hydrangeas (summer flowering), pittisporum bushes and bromeliads. That will save me a bunch of money in the spring when I can't help myself buying more flowering plants. Just the tried and true. I am going to try!
3. My son got a free University dental hygene cleaning. Since the regular dentist wanted $400 for the initial visit, I feel this is a great thing. He is already booked for his six month return.
4. Continue to clean rather than buy. It's free and I find lots of good stuff I had forgotten about. Most is donated, but some I keep.
5. Just a funny one. I donated to the Historic Preservation garage sale, and my next door neighbor very happily bought 2/3 of what I donated! I couldn't believe it!
Free university dental hygiene cleaning is such a score!
$400 for an initial visit is outrageous. While I don't live in the same city as Beth W., I am in the same state. No dentist in my area charges anything near that amount. And it is your regular dentist doing this! Time to find a new dentist as what a gouge.
I wasn't around yesterday so most of my freezer challenge will be some of my five frugal things
All our meals this past week came from things in the freezer. I used up chicken, flatbreads, veggies, biscuits, etc.
I signed up for pet insurance. I have never done this and normally do not think it would be frugal, but pretty sure my new puppy will end up needing BOAS surgery for her breathing so I'm taking the gamble that the insurance will pay off since right now it isn't a pre-existing condition. I'll reassess when she's a year old and see how her growth/breathing are.
Made two kinds of jams/jellies with fruits and peppers from the freezer. I had the jars so basically only paid for lids and sugar. These will be coworker and neighbor gifts for Christmas.
Used some leftover pieces of a cutter quilt I used to make a quilt jacket in the past to make sleeping pads for the puppy's crate. They wash/dry much more quickly than a blanket and are more comfy.
Combined errands into one trip, borrowed books free with the Libby app, gave DH a haircut, trimmed the cats' and the puppy's nails, and all the regular stuff.
Not frugal in at all: the puppy (food, toys, shots, etc). She's adorable, but the first year of a pet is expensive.
Made soup using many leftovers: steamed broccoli, pico, salsa juice[1], leftover salty bean-cooking liquid, and carrots. Also beans, quinoa, and cauliflower, in case you were wondering.
Virtue was rewarded: The swag bag for buying a class at the local street festival was worth the $35 to me (the useful coupons and discounts alone were more than that). They gave me the bag - of course I chatted with them - then I went online to pay. But there was no way to pay as the remaining classes were full. When I went back to them, they said keep the bag anyway.
Roommate brought back a bunch of useful leftovers from the sponsored fishing trip he went on. Plus a whole bunch of fish, natch. I'm going to experiment with smoking fish.
[1] The tasty liquid you get when you strain too-thin or too-wet salsa and pico. I strain it because I don't like the liquid for dip and because the stuff goes bad faster when it's that wet.
A few frugal things this week:
1. Picked up a brand new base layer set (long underwear) for skiing from my local buy nothing group.
2. Incorporating more freezer foods into meals this week, including a beef roast and a vegetarian Quorn roast purchased for last Christmas that have been languishing in the bottom.
3. Submitted my receipts for reimbursement from the school PTO for things I covered over the summer (I usually forget and end up just covering the bill myself).
I have had my AC unit for 6 years. I change the filter quarterly. Only once in that time have I purchased a filter at full price ($25). the rest of the time I have been able to source them from $3-$10 from thrift stores. My guess is people purchase the wrong size and then donate them. I found 3 last week. I'm set for a while.
I made apple juice and applesauce from Buy-Nothing group apples.
I found 16 wide mouthed quart jars at Goodwill for 49 cents each.
I'm finally making a pair of pants from fabric that has been in my stash for some time.
I sold some kitchen tools I no longer use on FB Marketplace.
FRUGAL FAIL (not really because my aging body will be grateful) I'm having slide out shelved installed in my kitchen.
We're still on our month-long camping vacation. Working out of a smaller refrigerator in our camper van means using up every bit of food. We've had some very creative but still good meals
There have been a lot of blackberries where we've been camping so I picked a bunch and made jam, refilling some canning jars we've emptied along the way.
I went into a grocery store to buy ground beef and lucked into a bunch of marked-down premade burgers. I bought them, chopped them up and cooked them and used the meat for tacos, spaghetti, and soup.
We're making good use of our national parks pass to visit a variety of parks, refuges, monuments, etc. for free.
Our idea of a good time is going for a hike or a walk on the beach or sitting beside a lake enjoying the sunset. All free.
No option for auto debit from checking - no card or fee involved? I am leery of using/keying a debit card online.
We have an annual flee market about 90 minutes away that runs for a whole week so all my frugal wins are from there this week 🙂
1. Got a whole cardboard box full of old magazines from the university up here north. I’ve seen they have been selling online so I will list them for sale after I’ve enjoined reading them this winter.
2. Found two brand new Finlayson cotton dresses in my size that reminds me of my grandmothers «housedresses» and a red 100% boiled wool jacket that I’m now loving after spending two hours removing the black embroidery on the sleeves.
3. Bought two bags of brand name clothing for $20 and will list them for sale online after washing. Hopefully I’ll make enough to buy myself proper winter shoes for walking the dog.
4. Have reserved a table at a two-days Christmas market this year selling handmade items such as bags and pouches so bought a cardboard box full of vintage linens for $10 so I have some «new» fabrics 🙂
5. Got some nice unused handknitted items that will make great Christmas gifts (found also some at a small flee market a couple of weeks ago and I’m still baffled that these things get donated to sell for next to nothing).
Five Frugals, within 3 categories
LITTLE ROAD TRIP:
1. Some friends invited us to park in their driveway in an exclusive beach town where every parking space is numbered and paid for via an app. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)
2. When my friend and I decided ice cream was in order after a long beach walk, we opted for ice cream sandwiches from a quickety market instead of going into a ice cream shop.
3. Instead of eating out, we bought food at the grocery store and ate at home.
TOTAL PAIN IN THE HINEY TECH TROUBLES:
4. The blog platform keeps changing and jerking me around. They said it would be $165/month for assistance to FIX WHAT THEIR ROBOT WRECKED ON MY SITE! When I protested, I got the price dropped to $145. (Am I supposed to be happy about this "savings"?? Never mind. Getting all worked up doesn't change anything.)
JUST BUSINESS:
5. An organization ordered some of my notecards and I found a discount online AND was able to get 6% on TopCashBack (Thank you, Kristen, for telling me about TCB)
P.S. We went to a Goodwill, learned that they no longer have fitting rooms, so I put back the 3 pair of jeans that might have fit me. No try, no buy! So there.
Just yesterday I discovered that the Goodwill I used to frequent with my kids no longer has fitting rooms. They do offer returns now, though, so you take the stuff home, try it on, and return it. Which is significantly more of a hassle!
The grilled cheese may not be a work of art but then again, it's just a meal made by you in your home. No harm, no foul.
My frugal 5:
1) I purchased trip insurance, which I have never done. Due to weather issues, I decided to buy it. Well, I ended up filing a claim for a refund due to a close relative's passing! I was refunded 100 percent.
2) I decided to save money by not making any purchases on the days that I am not working. And I am bringing lunch on work days.
3) With my youngest not in school anymore, I don't pay for gas to/from the train station.
4) I decided not to pad the pockets of large corporate retailers. Instead, I save money by purchasing from small biz on eBay. I got a food disposal for 30% discount by doing this.
5) We lost heat and AC due to internal failures in our furnace. The furnace is 26 years old. Although the HVAC company felt a new furnace was warranted, I went with repairs at 80% off the cost of a new one. Now everything is working.
Exactly. I'm not cooking for some picky celebrity; I'm making food for me!
at least they could repair it. sometimes they can't. you had a huge frugal win!! congrats.
1. No grocery shopping this week! We are only eating what is in the house.
2. I scanned a receipt that someone left in a cart at Target and was surprised with 1200 points!
3. Our older dog was put on prescription food so I took the unopened bags of his old food to the Humane Society.
4. My company offered a treat (up to $10) on our company card if we completed a survey. I used that option for my Tuesday Starbucks.
5. I started drying the nasturtium seeds that have started to collect under my plants – no need to buy seeds next year!
Our frugals:
we did not buy groceries but ate down what we had,
I found empty cans and a 1 eurocent coin,
I unsubscribed from a newletter, eliminating temptation,
I borrowed books from the library, and bought an old detective second hand (hard cover, 1 euro),
I took a bag of clothes and books to the thriftshop, for a new owner.
We will be stocking up again this week.
Food doesn't have to look good to be good. Goes for many things. 😉
1. Among others the banana slices that go into the smoothie I had today. I had more avocado and spinach from the freezer too.
2. The kitchen cleaning spray I didn't recall having and that after a good wash looked less dusty. Will use up this time.
3. Better looking though: the jeans I found on a good sale. Will be very useful in the winter.
4. Four whole wheat buns on sale.
5. An abundance of local pears. I apparently was a good pear year.
Have a good day. 🙂
Oxo tongs are the best. My first pair lasted 20 years. Great find!
This week I:
- volunteered with a local community theater and got to see the show for free
- took the T to the show instead of driving (my husband gets it free from work so we only had to pay for me). With the increase in gas these days I likely came out ahead on this one.
- paid in cash at the italian bakery to avoid the 3.99% fee for a card
- purchased 4lbs swordfish to put in the freezer at 20% off. Had to get down to the pier (took the T again) to get it but in total it was 40-50% off at least compared to the farmers market or grocery store.
- did my volunteer shift for my monthly credit on the Composting service.
The grill cheese sandwich still looks yummy to me!
Our Frugal 5s
• Saved an additional $20 a month locking in a great rate for the next three years just by calling our internet provider! That brings the cost down to $49.99 instead of $69.99 per month.
• Participated in the free week of Organized HQ (a digital platform and annual online event dedicated to home organization, decluttering, and stress-free household management) and got some great ideas and freebies.
• Borrowed an audio book, Buy What You Love Without Going Broke by Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni, and an ebook Playing with FIRE by Scott Rieckens, through Libby.
• Enjoyed a relaxing weekend hotel stay with swimming and hot tubs. When rain canceled our mountain plans for hiking and driving, we pivoted and had a wonderful, cozy weekend indoors.
• Ate down food from the fridge and freezer, restricted eating out to just once a day during our trip, and fully maximized the hotel's all-you-can-eat breakfast. Plus, used candy we already had at home for the girl's in class celebration.
• Rewore clean-ish clothes more often during the cooler months to save on laundry loads, and kept the girls in clothes they already owned for school dress-up days.
• Kept the heat at a comfortable 70°F (down from 75°F on warmer days), utilizing a small space heater and a blanket warmer to stay cozy in the cooler basement bedroom.
1. Got my credit card bill in the mail and there were 2 charges I do not recall making. Called the 800 numbers listed by the company name. It appears my former Roommate From Hell has been at it again. She --or someone who knows my old email address and street address and unlisted phone number -- had 2 retail memberships in my name. Both charged me $16.95 per month, and both had the same "on hold" music. One was a clothing company for obese women, and the other an online bookstore. I called both companies and told them I do not recall signing up for any reward bonus membership club and to please cancel my subscription and refund my money. Also, to please put fraud alerts on my account. Both companies, which I think are two branches of the same corporation, said they will comply. I also told the clothing place that I was petite so anything larger than a Sz. 10 was not an order I placed; RFH is close to 300 pounds and wears a 5X. She also used to work at Microsoft and I believe she hacked into several of my online accounts and changed the passwords so I cannot get into my old Facebook, LinkedIn, yahoo.com or Gmail. Anyway, I thwarted her latest scheme. And saved myself about $35 a month in the process.
2. Received the wrong color/pattern of curtains in the mail last spring. Contacted the company and they said don't send them back, we'll credit your account anyway and send you the color you ordered. Gave the wrong-colored stuff (it's very pretty, just doesn't match my bedroom colors) to my friend Monica, who moved into a senior citizen housing complex. Today, I got to visit Monica and see her duplex apartment. It is gorgeous! A brand new building in a new development! Her duplex looks like a little brick cottage. The curtains go well in there, covering the mini-blinds that came with the apartment, and she is very happy.
3. Monica then came over here and helped me re-pot a sickly house ivy plant. We used what I had around the house: a larger flower pot from outdoors and soil from a hanging basket whose plant died in the heat.
4. Got to watch some free streaming TV on my day off today -- the tail end of a BBC production of Pride and Prejudice (I thought of you, A. Marie!), and some old black and white episodes of Dark Shadows, the 1966 soap opera/horror story. Can't believe what all I've been missing all these years!
5. Frugal fail: The city water dept phoned me and said they detected a faucet continually running. 80 gallons an hour! Went outside and found that I hadn't completely turned off a spigot in the back yard. It's hard for me to turn off with my arthritic hands.
4.
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I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with fraud and the water issue but I'm glad to hear that it sounds like you got the fraud under control. I was researching online and it looks like a Faucet Grip or an outdoor faucet handle with auxiliary wrench might help.
Vacation frugals:
* the captain of our whale watching boat told us about gas at the local tribal fuel center, which saved us $1.25 per gallon
* we ate free breakfast at the hotel during our stay
* we stopped by Walmart to buy sodas and water. We carried water with us on all our adventures
* we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast when traveling from one location to the next and got water to drink. On the way out, we filled the cup with ice for our travel cups and cooler
* we had our daughter and SIL pick my car up from the airport so we didn't have to pay $14 a day to park. Our flight was during morning rush hour so they couldn't drop us off before work. Our son will pick us up when we return.
* we purchased a senior lifetime national park pass before the trip. Lifetime pass was the same price as a regular yearly pass. Small perk for being old.
I found out that the local tribal fuel center had cheaper gas when I was traveling cross country too! If only we had one closer to us. I would definitely take advantage of it.
Can I think of 5?
1. Took a hint from Kristin@GoingCountry and used leftover broth/sauce from a green Chile pork dish to make flavorful rice, which I then combined with a bit of ground beef, spices, and cheese and filled dried out tortillas to make toasted burritos. Simple and delicious!
2. Borrowed books from the library.
3. Went to a free symphony concert in the park. Not frugal--this was in the city an hour's drive away.
4. Accepted a free spaghetti squash and two small pumpkins from friends' gardens. Have been greatly enjoying the spaghetti squash with garlic butter, but I have to learn how to cook/use the pumpkin.
I guess I only have four this week.
For regular bills you can set up the payment to come out of your checking account. Electricity, gas, water, utilities, phone/internet. There is no fee.
Your new tongs look just like the ones from my childhood. A great design! Are you planning to attend your BSN graduation?
1. A frugality and gift for the mind. Our "professional development" day Monday was given to us as optional relaxing or wellness activities and time to just work! A free Monday evening with no pressing work to do! Nobody had to spend time or energy creating or presenting workshops that nobody wanted to do.
2. Stretching my Chipotle meal from Monday for 3 lunches.
3. Spent Saturday with my mom, who wanted to buy us lunch and also brought some amazing pimiento cheese from a place near her house.
4. Free coffee on Monday.
5. Going to skip the equal exchange wholesale order this round (I order with a friend). Really all we "need" is chocolate, so it will save a bunch of money to defer that purchase to the next order.
I don't know if I will; two of my girls also have graduations this spring, and I am guessing we are gonna have some overlap.
Also, I hate this school so I feel a little uninspired about walking!