Five Frugal Things | ummm, I worked?
I feel like almost all of my "frugal" efforts in the last week have been just me going to work. Ha. After I clock out tomorrow, I'll have finished my six-12-hour-shifts-in-7-days streak.
This hasn't left much time for anything besides eating and sleeping.
But hey, I dooooo get paid for going to work. 😉
I'll list off some work-related frugalities since that's really all I have to choose from right now.
1. I made two kinds of soup before work
I mentioned that I used my last two sets of rotisserie chicken bones to make broth last week, and I used those to make some chicken noodle soup and some Zuppa Toscana.
These made for very easy work lunch meals; I just pack a serving in a Pyrex bowl and microwave it in the lunch room.
I have consumed a whole lotta chicken bone broth in the last week, so my body had better be happy with me. Ha.
2. I wrote down some post-work dinner ideas
Since I thought about this ahead of time, I was able to come home and just throw together my pre-planned easy ideas (like cheese and bacon quesadillas).
Post-work takeout dinners are expensive, of course, but also, lots of places are closed or almost-closed by the time I get off of work. So it's hard to make that happen even if I want to!
3. I prepped breakfasts ahead of time
I made a batch of egg bites and also some overnight oats with protein powder added in.
This way I don't have to think on work mornings; I can just grab and go.
4. I bought a cat scratcher pad at Aldi
These are not a regularly stocked item, but a couple of times a year, Aldi has a section of pet supplies in their Special Purchase aisle.
When they do, I usually buy a cardboard cat scratcher because Chiquita loves these.
(Shelley has always just ignored them, so no point in buying one for her.)
They're usually about half the price of a scratcher from anywhere else, so both Chiquita and I are made happy by this purchase. 😉
5. I used a United Healthcare card to buy my groceries
I discovered that I had a $150 prepaid card as a perk from United Healthcare (which was my health insurance in 2024).
So, I took it with me to Aldi and used part of it to buy my groceries, and I'll likely use the rest next week.
Interestingly, I also got a $74 check from United Healthcare as a health insurance premium rebate. Apparently, they are required to refund the premium amount that they don't spend on healthcare costs.
I will cheerfully deposit my $74, thank you very much. 😉
That's a whole lotta work hours in one week!
1. Averted a plumbing expense by troubleshooting and fixing a leak ourselves.
2. Recommended our snowplowing service to a neighbor and we will both be receiving a $10 discount.
3. Best deals at the discount food store: banged up box of herbal tea for $1 (20 bags), 2 lbs. of strawberries for $2.50, 12 oz. containers of raspberries for $2, 16-oz. container of mozzarella pearls for $1, and a brick of cream cheese for $1.
4. Transferred the contents of all of the little tinted sunscreen tubes and sample packets into a small, empty lip balm jar. Much easier to apply.
5. Received a lot of leftover Jimmy John’s veggie sandwiches from an event. They got soggy and it was hard to finish them so I popped them in the toaster oven, which helped with the texture. Another solid, no waste effort!
@MB in MN, I love this tip on Jimmie Johns! I will remember it.
That's a whole lot of hours! I hope you have time for a good nap now.
--My freezer stash of caramilzed onions was completely depleted, so I prepared 3 lbs of onions for the crockpot. (Slice the lot, throw in a tablespoon of butter and some oil, and stir once an hour for 6-8 hours.) I froze the results in a silicone ice cube tray that has 1/4 cup portions--perfect for throwing in soups or thawing for pizza toppings, etc.
--I made curtain tie backs for my office for free using spare cup hooks and wide ribbon that I'd saved from who knows what. We had been using ribbons with Velcro ends, but they were starting to wear out.
--The okra and green beans have hit their stride. We've been enjoying them fresh and still have plenty tucked in the freezer.
--I moved a few flower bulbs around the yard to where they'll do better--their previous neighbors got bigger than expected and shaded them out! I also split several clusters of tulip bulbs and planted 30+ "free" bulbs.
--We had a pair of memory foam pillows that never kept their shape, becoming squishy lumps. Using a pair of stained pillowcases, I sewed new cases for the stuffing/memory foam shreds, adding a tuft in the middle to help keep the stuffing in place this time. This task kept me entertained during a HOT afternoon when I couldn't tend to garden chores. Fresh pillow covers hide the modified stained* stuffing cases.
*Rather than have a receding hairline, my husband shaves his head. He's gorgeous (those eyes!), but all the oil, sweat, etc. that would normally be absorbed by hair ends up on his pillowcase instead. Thus I gradually dye our pillowcases darker and darker until there's nothing more to be done but repurpose them.
@N, I love that you make a large pot of caramelized onions. I need to try out your method!
@N, @Beverly - me too! That sounded so good that I just got back from buying a 3-lb bag of onions...
@N, What a great idea! I never thought of caramelizing onions in the crockpot. I'm gonna try that too because I have no patience and usually wind up burning them. Thanks for the tip!
@N, Caramelized onions are one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Do you cook them on Low or High in the crockpot?
@Karen A., I knew I forgot a detail! I caramelize onions on High, but I also have a 70s-tastic crockpot (avocado green, baby!) that's a beast. Use the setting you feel best on your crockpot and pick a day when you're around to keep an eye on it, especially since it does need the occasional stir.
@N, I put our crockpot on the back porch, to reduce the stench in the house. I also use about half a stick of butter and no oil, but I have over 40 pounds of butter in the freezer that I bought when a local store fridge went out and it was briefly a dollar a pound.
@Lindsey, in AK? If it is, I've missed your posts.
That's a tiring week. I'm guessing you sleep a lot that first morning you don't have to get up for a twelve-hour shift.
Let's see what frugal things I can think of . . .
--Preserving tomatoes a bit at a time. I made a few pints of tomato puree yesterday that I'll probably can today. I don't get enough tomatoes at a time to do big canning sessions, so I just do smaller batches in my regular stock pot whenever I have them cooked down.
--I got a bunch more pears from the lady who owns the coffee shop in the village. With those, I've so far made about a gallon of pear sauce. Much appreciated with the cold that went through our house with accompanying sore throats.
--Our elderly neighbor has a pile of old cedar fence posts that she said we could have for firewood. Well, half, anyway. My husband cuts them and leaves half for her and brings half home. Fence posts at least don't require splitting, which is nice. And these cedar ones burn really well.
-My husband and I don't often read the same books, but when I didn't have anything to read, he thought he had one I might like. I did, and I appreciated not having to find or buy anything myself. (It was "Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar," by Emily Ruete, for anyone who is curious.)
--Continuing to do laundry in the bathtub as I wait on my washing machine to be fixed. I hang it on the line, too, which is key because I can't ring the clothing out as dry as a machine spins it, and it would take forever to dry in a dryer.
My washing machine is FINALLY ready to be picked up--it took two months to get it fixed--but after two nights of bad insomnia, I don't feel a 200-mile drive today would be prudent. So I'll wait until tomorrow to go get it. I did tub laundry yesterday, so we should be okay until then. 🙂
@kristin @ going country,
Have to ask...do you not have a laundromat near where you live? My back would hurt so badly if I had to bend over a tub to do wash. Would cost more in time/energy than I would spend at a laundromat.
Our apartment building's laundry was revamped and out of commission for a month years ago. Not a fan of public laundromats but there was no way I could wash sheets, towels, and the like in my bathtub. (FYI: I used to use public laundromats for years before I moved into an apartment with a laundry on site. I also lived on top of a laundromat and across from one where I made friends with the owners and long before having them do your laundry for you as a service was available, I paid them to do mine--I was working 14 hour days at the time and 7 days a week, so it was either that or dirty clothes for a month. No, thank you. Years later, when they redid the laundry again, and closed it down, I had enough sheets, towels, underwear and the like to change out ! Lots of laundry time when it reopened!)
@Irena,
Not Kristin, but from her descriptions of where she lives I guess that her closest laundromat is probably a creek…
@Irena, Nearest laundromat is 90 miles away. I did go there when I was in town anyway, but it's too far to be a regular thing.
@Becca, No creeks where I live. The stock tanks filled by windmills would not have gotten my clothes very clean. 🙂
@kristin@going country,
Touché.
I don't have much.
1. I am eating Lara Bars that are beyond their Best Used By date. They are practically hermetically sealed and fine.
2. Meals at home except for eating at a Ukrainian restaurant while in DC. It was a new experience for a friend and me.
3. We have a dying pin oak tree in our front yard. We will pay to have it cut down and will have two maples planted in November. We paid for larger tress and will pay for their transport and planting. The price to have two trees planted is less than twice the price for one. We are looking at it as good both for the environment and the curb appeal. Not frugal but ...
4. I ordered Once Again almond butter and Tom's of Maine toothpaste from Vitacost. They are quite a bit cheaper than in the local stores. I like Once Again because they are employee owned and their products come in glass jars which are great for reuse. I used TopCashBack to get a 4% rebate on the purchase.
5. I ordered Covid/Flu tests from Sam's Club. I gave the tests we had to a neighbor and they used them. I will be able to submit the receipt for FSA reimbursement. I also stopped at the local pharmacy and received a Covid vaccine which insurance covered.
Which Ukrainian restaurant, KD? I'd love to go next time I'm in DC.
@Beth (in VA),
Ruta. It is in the Eastern Market area.
@K D, Thank you!!
@K D,
Do you take advantage of the frequent 20 to 25% off vitacost sales and also individual brand sales? I time my shopping to do so (You need $49 in an order to avoid $8.95 shipping.)
I recently saved something like $120 on an order (SCORE!) with careful shopping. That includes individual brand sales, coupons, and site sale of 25%.
I stock up on the most expensive items from my pantry that way.
The prices on the same items, if even available locally, are soooooo much higher at the retail stores and even Amazon Fresh.
>>I get my monthly subscribe and save from Amazon Fresh orders this week.
You really do save, which matters even more as the cost of food, cleaning products, etc continues to rise.
>>I continue to shop sales and prudently stock the pantry.
And freezer.
>>I got a sale price ($99) for three years of a magazine "service" that includes access to almost all of the various subscriptions I had to magazines. It's online and it isn't always the easiest to read and clip, but it is HUGE in terms of savings.
(We are talking several hundred dollars if you count not renewing when multi-year magazine subs ended.)
I still wish I could find a way to pay a lot less for my daily subscriptions to the NYTimes, Washington Post and a few other national and international papers that I need to read (print, online) for work. At least the cost is deductible when I do my taxes.
I continue to take advantage of one-off promos for limited time to some streaming services and pay annually, rather than monthly, for the three that I use ALL THE TIME. I still pay less per month than what it would cost in transportation and fees to go to a single movie. Stopped going to movies during covid and never went back. Not an issue as everything eventually turns up online anyway. I don't need the "viewing experience" anyway as more and more folks talk and eat (smelly) through movies, spoiling the experience.
I continue to do annual renewals for Mint for my cell phone service for my two phones. (Learned about Mint from Kristen's posts!). I barely use the 5GB included in my $15 a month + tax (but paid on annual basis) because I am not out that much and use WiFi in the house.
Would still love to find a way to replace my cable company streaming service. I've looked at Sling, YouTubeTv and some other options and the plans just don't have the cable networks I'm interested in. I pay $85 a month ( the list of fees beyond the service is ridiculous but there is nothing cheaper locally)> plus internet (currently on a promo fee).
I've re-evaluated the "cost"/benefits of the current credit cards I have. The banks issuing these along with the hotel, airline, etc. that have in their name, run periodic big point/mile options to take them on. Unfortunately. I don't travel enough to make it worthwhile long term to switch from the no fee and low fee ($59 and $95 a year) cards. However, there is a new option to gain the equivalent of $750 in cash account credit with only $95 a year fee. Subtracting that $95 from $750 gives me a savings of $655. The caveat: They come with an upfront where you need to spend a total amount over a three, four or six month period. That is critical but we use the cards to pay things like insurance, utilities, etc. and that ups our spending (to be paid off each month, of course, otherwise you lose money with interest!).
If you travel a lot for pleasure or business, there are some seriously good offers out there with the premium cards from Chase, AmEx, Citi and Capital One. There are the equivalent of thousands of dollars in savings on all types of products and services. (The fees are high...$895 a month for Sapphire I think, just upped.) BUT..and this is big, depending on what you can pay for each month with your card, the sign-on bonus (As much as 125,000 points/miles, equivalent to a round trip in business class internationally and multiple award flights domestically) and perks can save you far more than the annual fee.
(I know this because I work for someone who is an analyst of all kinds of travel related expenses, etc. and he just finished a detailed review of the various perks.)
Again, you need to carefully evaluate which of the perks, beyond using miles/points for hotel and airline ticket award travel, that you would use.
A couple and perhaps someone else in the family using the same card can really rack up some "savings."
(FYI: I am writing strictly from my own experience. Nobody is paying me to promote this info.)
If you rarely use credit cards or rarely spend much in a month, these are probably nonstarters. But there are now ways to pay rent, as well as a mortgage and if you do each month, you can really really rack up savings. Again, you don't want to use cards unless you pay off each month because interest rates are just killer. (I had a card that was something like 5% for decades. It's now 15% for best customers. Yikes!)
@Irena,
I never order from Vitacost unless there is a 20% off offer and I apply other offers when they are available. I always spend enough to receive free shipping. I usually get a bit of a rebate from a cash back site as well and use a credit card that gives 3% rewards on online shopping.
I am able to read the Washington Post and many magazines at no cost through our library. I could also do so for the New York Times but I have been paying a low rate for that since 2020 and I don't mind supporting them.
@K D,
I also read many of the magazines I used to subscribe to via my library's Libby app. I can say, too, that I went to cancel my NYT subscription (digital only), and they countered with a dirt-cheap offer of - if I remember correctly - $1/week for the All-Inclusive subscription (I had a separate Games and NYT Cooking subscription, in addition to the newspaper. Except it's not a "paper" in the true sense of the word. Ha.) So much cheaper, though it's only for a year...I'll have to decide what to do when my year is up.
@Liz B.,
My experience with the NYT is that if you call them or use the chat feature, they will renew your promo rate. I’ve been on a new subscriber rate for five years now. They will only renew for 6 months but it worth the trouble.
@Liz B.,
I just finished my $1/week full access subscription and converted to six months of full access for four people at $2/week. Someday I may check out what the free library access offers but as long as the NYT keeps offering a good deal I'll keep supporting them.
1. Last week I biked a total of 43 miles, all to get to somewhere I needed to be or run an errand. I’m not a math person, but DH assures me that this has saved on gas and wear and tear on the truck. Plus, fitting exercise in without needing a gym.
2. Convinced DS#3 to drive me to the grocery store and combine our errands so I don’t have to go to the grocery store again this week.
3. While at the grocery store, of course I visited the discounted produce cart, and scooped up past-their-prime organic bananas for 39 cents a pound. Frozen, these are great for smoothies. Also picked up a bag of tomatoes for tacos, which will be a treat, as we don’t normally have those.
4. Library books; I’m enjoying the new selection at the new-to-me-library I’m stopping at on my commute to school. I just finished “The Language of Kindness,” by a nurse-turned-writer. Harrowing, but wonderful. I also found another book by Jennifer Worth, the author of the "Call the Midwife" series: "In the Midst of Life," about her experiences with dying patients. It sounds grim, but it's actually a lovely read.
5. Batch cooked some quinoa for easy breakfasts. Partly to use up the quinoa, which nobody but me likes, and I don’t like it all that much, but also to avoid buying more oats just yet. The quinoa porridge turned out surprisingly tasty!
6.. Repaired my backpack. It’s a Jansport, and I could have sent it in, but I am currently using it nearly every day, and I don’t have a backup. The tear was just along an inside seam, and easy to do. I opted for the “obvious mend” aesthetic, so I could see where I was stitching. It looks quite spiffy.
6. On a short bike ride this morning, I found a perfectly good long-sleeved, fleece-lined UnderArmour top, in my size, along the side of the road. It’s currently getting a baking-soda bath, as whoever owned it previously used a very strong-smelling laundry soap. (Update: the baking soda and vinegar rinse worked a bit, but it still smells of scented laundry soap. Any ideas from the Commentariat are welcome!) I had just been pondering what longer layers to wear biking when it finally gets colder, and I think this will do the trick. Even if it doesn’t fit me, it’s likely to fit one of my sons! That makes two roadkill clothing items I’ve rescued this year.
@Karen A., The clothes I get from Thredup have a very lingering scent. I always wash them with unscented laundry soap and hang them outside to dry, and they still take a couple of washes to get the smell out.
@Karen A., Both of the books you mentioned sound great! I just added them to my library holds.
@kristin @ going country, Thanks! Once this rainy spell is done, I will try that.
@Beth (in VA), I hope you like them! Both are by English authors, so obviously the healthcare setting is different (and Jennifer Worth's nursing career was in the 1950s-1960s) but the sentiments and experiences are, I think, universal.
@Karen A., old fashioned "dew bleaching" - leave it outside, over night for at least 2 nights. Works wonders on my smelly, sweaty riding clothes.
@Karen A.,
I have had good luck using the Dollar Tree brand OxyDol (generic OxiClean)to remove odors from fabric. I soak for a couple of days.
@Mary, Thanks!
@Karen A.,
I got the thrift store funky smell out of a purse by putting a tissue with a bit of essential oil inside the purse and the putting the purse in a plastic bag with another tissue with essential oil. I left it for a few days, then put it out in the sunshine for a few hours. It completely took the smell away. You might try something like this
@Karen A.,
Can't wait to read. Thanks for the recommendations.
@Karen A.,
I’m imagining another cyclist ripping their shirt off while muttering something like “Darn it! Every time I hit the five mile mark, my sweat starts smelling like Tide…”
@Becca, Ha! There was a marathon in our city this last weekend, so I wonder if it was a visiting jogger who just ripped it off and tossed it out the window.
@Karen A., I enjoyed that book by Jennifer Worth, too.
@Lisa K, It is so good. I recommended it to a fellow classmate who wants to work in hospice.
72 hr work week??!!! OMG! So glad that's behind you.
Hmmm...frugal things...
1. I mended two holes and one pocket tear in my very loved almost 31 year old flannel robe that I intend to keep wearing forever 🙂
2. doing the Make Meals from the Pantry thing again and refusing to buy more food until this is mostly used up (except for the urgent things).
3. found 4 random crackers in 2 leftover sleeves in the pantry so those and some veggies were afternoon snack yesterday.
4. made pizza for dinner last evening using up the ham and mozzerella. I like to get a large package of ham slices at Aldi and freeze them in 5 separate bags of 6 slices/bag to prevent spoilage, and also to not get tired of eating ham. It's a nice surprise to find them in the freezer 🙂
5. made a large pot of collards and beans with a container of pintos left from last winter. I'm the only taker on this yummy meal, so it'll last me for lots of lunches because I freeze it in pyrex containers.
And the non-frugal...
continue to buy a very expensive but very healthful food for our cats because they deserve to eat well, too--and our 19 yr old elderly miss vomits unless she eats kitten chow. What kind you ask? Purina Live Clear (pick your flavor and dietary need).
@Beth, We are a Purina LiveClear Allergen Reducer family here. Considering it keeps myself and DS#3 from getting allergy attacks/needing allergy medicine to enjoy having a cat, it's worth it!
@Karen A., ditto! It makes the grumpy cat's coat better to manage too, coincidentally.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, I was just thinking that Clark's coat seems less staticky than when we brought him home. He still sheds--we call it "stealth-shedding", since we never see any fur on, say, our bed, or floating in the air, and the only cushions it sticks to are very specific ones on the dining room chairs, but when I vacuum, there is TONS of fur. I do brush him every day; I have to bribe him with treats since the Commodore objects to the insulting implication that he needs assistance with his daily ablution!
@Beth, a 72 hour work week is not an anomaly if you work in IT. I regularly worked those long weeks after my oldest was born. My mom watched my kiddo (read: pick up at my house in the morning) which lends credence to it takes a village. I'd work the 8 hours in the office, pick up the kiddo, then work after kiddo was in bed. Better half could and would change diapers. Also did early morning duty as he's a morning person. I am a night owl. We did what worked for us.
These days if I work those hours, it is from the comfort of my own home. I think how well you rest depends on if your work is physical or mental (read: desk work).
Still wildly spending over here, but trying to be intentional!
*made a sweet homemade gift to add to a bottle of wine for a friend who is taking another job
*made lunch AND dinner at home yesterday even though take-out did sound good...
*I troubleshooted another issue with my washer and don't have to call out the repair guy again
*joined a free virtual support group for widows that goes for the next 6 weeks
*I've been shopping my house to "redecorate" for fall and freshen up my spaces.
**My wild spending includes a sizeable donation to my friend's son who is going to Spain to play soccer, 2 new pair of scrub pants, groceries, and paint for my latest project.**
We are on a Babymoon (last trip before baby) this week!
1. Many popular Babymoon destinations are resorts or expensive beach towns. We went to Michigan instead! The weather is very nice this week.
2. Used a Burger King coupon that came in the mail while traveling. I like they have impossible burgers.
3. Brought milk, coffee creamer, breakfast foods and snacks from home in a cooler instead of shopping at the tourist-inflated grocery.
4. Brought some leftovers in a glass container to the AirBnB from our first breakfast stop, and I will likely use the same glass containers to bring leftovers home from the last dinner 🙂
5. Booked a dog friendly AirBnB, so we don't need to get dog sitting.
6. Keeping activities simple: relaxing, walking around, enjoying the lake views. There's not a lot of ticketed events we want to do here! Instead, putting our time and money into one of our favorite activities: trying local wine. Most wineries are dog friendly and the weather is perfect for eating/drinking outside. [for the record, I'm not actually drinking wine, just smelling it due to being pregnant LOL]
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, My son and daughter in law are expecting and are going to do their babymoon in Bali. They live in Singapore. I am old fashioned and don't know where this "babymooon" idea came from but personally, I'm not a fan. But I hope you enjoy your time on your trip.
@auntiali, I have to agree re: "babymoon" as well as "push presents" (which I find extremely abhorrent).
I work 12s as well and you really cannot do much after work. I have never worked 6 in a row but my nurses do. Meal planning is the only way I get through working 12s.
Wow, Kristen, six 12-hour shifts in a week? Even if I were your age, I'd be prostrated!
Now, FFT, Grad School BFF's Visit Edition:
(1) During a friend's visit, of course, there's always somewhat more spending than usual. But I did try for frugalities whenever possible (especially as I was in the middle of a modest cash flow crunch). Plus, GS BFF generously treated me to two of our meals out; she said she's celebrating the acquisition of two well-paying clients (she's an executive coach).
(2) BFF also went out to dinner with other friends on two evenings. I don't know these other friends well, so I declined those invitations with thanks.
(3) Free activities included a visit to the little Stickley furniture museum located on the top floor of a local library that used to be the old Stickley factory. We also visited DH's grave, on a spectacularly sunny fall day. BFF agreed that DH (whom she did know well; we were all students together almost 50 years ago) is in a "happy place."
(4) On Sunday afternoon, BFF, I, and two other friends/neighbors visited my former neighbor who's now in a local nursing home. (This is the British lady who, as a schoolgirl, sent a wedding present to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947.) She turned 92 last Friday, so we four took her cards and a fancy cupcake, wore party hats, and made a fuss over her in general. We all enjoyed it thoroughly.
(5) And on Sunday evening, the four of us were joined by another friend for a potluck dinner. I made what I call "Not Your Mama's Meatloaf," since it includes BBQ and Worcestershire sauces. (I used 1.5 lb. of hamburger from my 1/4 steer and 1.5 lb. of meatloaf mix I found Reduced for Quick Sale not too long ago, plus two large slices of Panera tomato/basil bread from a loaf that JASNA Panera gave me.) BFF made a tomato and cucumber salad, and the other three brought mac and cheese, an apple cake, and wine. Again, a splendid time was had by all.
@A. Marie,
Visiting in the nursing home is just what I would expect of you! You are always kind. Nursing home residents get so few visitors.
@JD, well, I've had a bit more nursing home experience than the average bear. I expect that you could say the same.
I would burn out so fast on that schedule!
Both my cats ignored any kind of scratching post - the side of the sofa was much more preferable 😉
My frugals:
1. Funnily enough, I line-dried some clothes after writing about how I usually use the dryer the other day.
2. I used some bananas which were about to go bad in banana bread.
3. I used my gym membership.
4. I packed a lunch for work.
5. I have a water bottle which accidentally got neglected with some water in it. I gave it a really good clean with denture tablets and now it's as good as new!
When you work that much, you have to find the frugalities wherever you can.
My FFT:
1. Once again, I cut the end of a tube off to access the surprising amount of contents left inside it. I use a binder clip to close the end of the tube.
2. I went to Aldi for the first time in a long time and found someone had pushed their cart back into place, locked it, and left the quarter just hanging out there. No one but me was around, so it became my quarter, as did the dime I found on the ground under the carts.
3. I was pleased to see that Aldi had better produce selections this time, so I saved some money there on produce, even the organic produce.
4. Instead of paying the hair-raising price for gluten-free tortillas, I made my own. It's a little cassava flour, 2 tbsps. of oil, water and salt, and I bought the flour on a good sale through Otto's website. I bought a 15 pound bag and keep the extra in the freezer.
5. I have kept my thermostat at 78 downstairs, from 78 to 82 upstairs, I shut it off and opened the doors during the recent cool weekend mornings, I use the pressure cooker, crock pot or toaster oven instead of my stove's oven in warm weather, hang clothes to dry instead of using the dryer, wash my clothes on cool or cold almost every time, and take "Navy showers" to save hot water (DH was a Navy vet, so we had to call them Navy showers). I also pack my lunch of leftovers all but maybe three work days out of the year. It adds up over time and allows me to make less frugal choices elsewhere on things that matter to me.
Bonus: A co-worker told me his future in-laws grow a lot of Seminole pumpkins, which I've tried but always either planted too late in the year so all the pumpkins froze, or they just produced male flowers. I said I loved them but haven't grown them successfully. Today he brought one to me. I really enjoy eating them, so this was great.
@JD,
Wow, that makes me wonder about making low carb tortillas, which are also very expensive and seem to have a very short shelf life. I always get them and put them in the freezer. I'm going to Google that!
@JD, I had to look up Seminole pumpkins, and they do indeed look like good eating (in a convenient smaller size, too). Me, I'm keeping an eye peeled as usual for porch-decoration pumpkins that might be good to eat. These usually go out on the curb after Halloween.
1. I made pasta sauce for dinner to use up a bunch of odds and ends in the cooler.
2. I found a place that would sell me the one tire I needed to replace on my car instead of insisting I needed to buy 4.
3. I got a 10 dollar coupon for getting my flu and COVID shots at a CVS in A Target. I used it to buy a dress that I can wear several ways and will be good for travel.
4. I went to the participant party the festival threw for us - free dinner! I didn't win either of the two items I bid on with mild interest at the silent charity auction but I did tip heavily in the charity's tip jars placed throughout the party.
5. I had breakfast at the weekly faire participant flea market. The price is a your choice/donation to cover the cost of the food
I finally got it together to do a return for something I'd bought for eldest child for university that he did not end up needing... it was taking up space AND was not cheap, but inertia stopped me. Once I did it, it took about 10 mins, plus a 10 min walk to the delivery pickup point... so... what was wrong with me??
Listed a very nice, but not useful to me cellphone printer gadget on various sites at a good discount. I won it in a competition, so it is brand new, sealed in the box and Christmas is coming! Fingers crossed it sells soon.
I've said it before on here but when I work overtime, it feels far more impactful than buying Aldi ketchup or meeting up with a stranger to sell something on FB Marketplace for $10. Still ... no harm in doing both and overtime is few and far between these days.
1.) Got myself a deal on underwear. I know it's not exactly glamorous but there was a good deal on it and I needed some as a lot of mine was wearing out.
2.) Before going out with the family (and some friends) I found a discounted e-Giftcard online. I only saved a couple bucks but it was like zero work involved.
3.) Stocked up at the local grocery stores on some sale items.
4.) Line drying clothes while I still can.
5.) Got a year of Paramount Plus for $30 total. My wife wanted it pretty much exclusively for South Park. I don't watch it but she does.
@Battra92,
I don't have Paramount or Disney or anything so I don't know their normal prices, but holy cow, $30 for a year sounds amazing.
@JD, yeah, in general if you look around and don't have a constant subscription it's pretty easy to find deals. They are all trying to get as many customers as possible since people keep dropping them. You just have to be a little creative sometimes.
@Battra92, That is a GREAT deal for Paramount Plus. Their plans start at $8 a month. We have it for the access to Star Trek (Original, Next Gen, Deep Space Nine...none of the lens-flare new stuff). It's one of our very few subscriptions.
I love when you can do things ahead of time and save yourself time and trouble. Cooking ahead or extra does that. I make a dinner menu each week. I plan it based on what I have in the freezer and what's going to be on sale at the store. I adjust as necessary but basically it keeps me organized for meals.
Here are my 5 frugal things:
I picked up 2 books from local Free Little Libraries to take on my monthly visit to see my 96-yr-old friend. She loves murder mysteries. I also dropped off books she's read.
A very favorite pair of simple cotton shorts I've probably worn around the house for 10+ years got very worn out and started to rip in creases across the front. I patched them from the inside with iron on patches. If needed, I may fuse fabric to the outside to jazz them up. With the patches, I can probably wear them for another couple years!
I used half of a discounted loaf of French bread I had bought, cut in half and froze to make garlic bread for dinner one night.
I've decided to try making half recipes of some dishes to reduce leftovers. There is just my husband and I. I freeze some leftovers. I often give leftovers that linger more than a day or two to my sister, who has said she'd take all our leftovers. We've probably fed her for a whole week at a time with our leftovers. It feeds her and nothing is wasted. But there's sometimes even too much to share with her. For example, I made a half recipe of a cucumber/chickpea/olive salad because after a few days, the cucumbers get soggy. So I'm going to try this out and see how it works for some meals.
I used fabrics and items I had to make a Fall-themed pin for my friend. We are amping up our creative juices by swapping pins we've created. I used a few small pieces of foil, leaf-shaped confetti I have in a candle display on our dining room table. I poked a hole in the top of each little piece with a needle and stitched it onto the pin I created from fall-colored fabrics to look like falling leaves.
@Joyce from Arkansas, those are some excellent creative juices to be able to see the potential of items you already have and make a pin for your friend - the falling leaves motif sounds so pretty
@Suz,
Thank you! It's fun to do and this is the second one I'm working on. I have quite a stash of fabric and sewing items. But this idea just jumped out at me as I walked past the diningroom table. I had just come back from Hobby Lobby and didn't find exactly what I was looking for.
My Misfits order was not up to par, plus was missing the ginger root I had ordered. At least a third of the items were not available at time of sending. One of two zucchinis was broken into four pieces but not wet or slimy. I was already refunded for the unavailable items and after I told them about the missing ginger and the zucchini, I was refunded for that also, The zuke is actually still useable, so will shred it and bake mixed in cornbread with some onion and sour cream. I don't order every week, but I'm beginning to recognize a pattern for when the most problems occur.
Since I was out with a bum knee, I didn't leave the house much at all, so saved on gas. That said, gas is $2.89 here in town.
I bought my Uncle's electric lift recliner and my nephew, niece and brother brought it to me on Sunday. They removed the loveseat to the curb where the trash men picked it up today. (My "side" was showing it's age.) I did not have to shop, and I paid what is fair but less than for new, of course, to avoid conflict with my family. And I have a new to me recliner!
I reused fall decorations for the Nurse's Station.
The integrated usuals, chai latte at home, bunch errands, distill drinking water, not using AC, windows open.
@Chrissy, $2.89/gallon for gas makes me gasp with envy. $4.99 is the cheapest here.
How do you make chai latte at home?
My kitten loves those scratchers also. Right now, Big Lots has the cheapest I can find. I saw where they sell a tool to cut up old boxes and make them, but for now I just buy them.
Last week DH tore a ligament in his knee. I got Covid when I took him to urgent care. That has made this a pretty frugal week since we haven’t left the house. Before I got Covid, I got a few frugal things in…
#1) We are remodeling our sunroom that had a built in bookcase. I sold the bookcase on FB for $100
#2) I bought a Nora Fleming platter at Goodwill for $4. I always buy these when I see them because they’re usually a discontinued pattern. If it is a piece I already have, I sell them because people collect them. I sold that platter for $50.
#3) We ate premade meals from batch cooking that were in the freezer this week. Made for nutritious meals with no effort which is great since we were both down. I’ll need to restock a lot of these meals when I’m better
#4) we had covid tests on hand from when you could order them free from USPS. I also keep a good supply of cough medicines and misc things on hand. I stock up when I see them on clearance.
#5) we went to no stores or restaurants the entire week so that was very frugal
Wow, 72 hours worked in 7 days is crazy! I would be exhausted.
1. Our HVAC company came out to perform a checkup. The technician did a free minor fix for our drainage line issue instead of a costly repair.
2. Baked two sourdough loaves using starter I got from a coworker. We ate one loaf and shared the other with daughter and grandbaby.
3. DH and I attended my company's picnic. Not only did we get a free lunch, but I won two significant prizes: a beach tent and a heavy-duty folding wagon.
4. Made homemade pizza dough, using Kristen's recipe, instead of getting pizza take-out. We had leftovers for dinner.
5. Used an Amazon credit I earned by picking slower shipping to purchase a book that was not available on Kindle Unlimited or at the library.
Funny, I buy the flat scratchers, so I can turn them over. I just did this yesterday. It made me smile, because it's like getting two scratches for the price of one.
This one can turn over too!
Funny, I buy the flat scratchers, so I can turn them over. I just did this yesterday. It made me smile, because it's like getting two scratchers for the price of one.
Five frugals at about ten days post surgery:
1. Picked up my farm share and u picked some herbs, figs and tomatoes despite my husband’s admonitions not to over do it.
2. Over did it, so I slept in the next morning, one of the perks of being on medical leave.
3. Felt better, so turned the u picked tomatoes into a salsa that my children inhaled.
4. Jenga-ed the fridge several times to get all my single serve yogurts to fit better.
5. Used the stairs for quick and cheap exercise. I’m finding that elevating my heart rate moves my lymphatic fluid out of my arm most efficiently.
We've had a full house with all kids at home for a while so we've been spending a bit more than usual, but a few frugal things come to mind:
1. At TJs, refrained from buying some fruit I normally buy: apples as we have so many pears from our backyard tree, fresh berries as I am trying to use up a stash of frozen berries. I did, however, fall for the felted pumpkin (telling myself that it will prevent me from buying as many fresh, decorative pumpkins).
2. My husband cleared a clogged sink.
3. Always wash exercise clothes in cold water and line dry. This week, I also put them in a vinegar soak to freshen them up and stop odors.
4. Some free or low-cost fun to make up for more spending on other fronts; kayaking with my son on kayaks we've had for years, which require hardly any maintenance compared to many of our neighbors who have power boats or sailboats; backyard BBQing and baking cookies; taking walks in new places; watching a rented movie at home.
5. I'm always tempted to buy new tea with fun packaging, but I've been resolved to use up my old tea stash first.
@Kristina M.,
I'm the opposite, buy more natural/organic pumpkins that can be eaten by wildlife after than inside cute reusable pumpkins. Of course I have a few already that I reuse every year for 15+ years.
@Regina, we do buy fresh pumpkins for the outside and donate the uncarved ones to an animal rescue where pigs and cows like to play and eat them!
I guess I have a thing for pumpkins of all kinds 🙂
glad things are going well for you. you so deserve it.
Your soup looks yummy!
Frugal things---
● did a P&G buy $20 get $10 giftcard & submitted online. Was accepted in 5 days & emailed $10 giftcard
● my neighbor's dad funeral was last weekend & instead of flower shop flowers I took a nice big flower pot & planted a huge mum into planter with a card. Total $9
● using what already have, eating down pantry & freezer, only buying items needed that are on sale
● No AC, only tower fan until it rained Sunday night & cooled to 70* (no fan)
● gave teen haircut & rescue dogs haircuts (3 pounds of hair on floor that got composted) saved $115+ (dogs)
Frugal fail---
● since I need to get new phone certain apps not working (need update my phone can't do) I missed out on 3 photo magnets $3 & 10 free photo prints. 🙁
@Regina,
Forgot to mention--
Homeowners Energy efficient tax credits will go away December 31, 2025. Please keep receipts for--
windows, storm doors, insulation, new funrance/AC/boilers
to submit with your taxes.
@Regina,
Thanks for the heads up. Wonder if they'll consider a metal roof as insulation and therefore eligible for this?
1. Received a property tax rebate from our state
2. Attended my annual gynecology exam. Preventive health care is always frugal. These exams are also $0 with my health insurance.
3. Picked up a wrapping paper tote, that was also full of wrapping paper, off Buy Nothing.
4. I tore a hole in my favorite black athletic pants. I ended up finding a pair of black Lululemon athletic pants at Goodwill for $5. I also get 15% off at Goodwill as a healthcare employee.
5. I used over-ripe strawberries to make strawberry pancakes for my kids and strawberry smoothies using homemade yogurt. I used over-ripe pineapple to make popsicles for my kids.
That's a lot of work! I'm not surprised you had no time for anything else.
1. Did not buy any food, but cooked from the pantry.
2. Made a white bean and spinach soup, although I didn't have any white beans and used pintos instead. It was delicious. Had leftovers for lunch the next two days.
3. Have been baking a lot, now that the weather is a little cooler. Making bread, biscuits, muffins, and cakes instead of buying any baked goods.
4. Used a $30 gift card from Chewy to help pay for my cat's usual order of food and litter.
5. Still babying my old smartphone to make it last as long as possible, fighting the urge to replace it every time it seems annoyingly slow. When I use it less, it works better, and it's better for me to spend less time on my phone anyway.
@Elizabeth M,
Bonus number 6, I just found out that I won $10 in a raffle! Free money is always nice.
Mostly the same-olds:
1. Library books
2. Homemade yogurt
3. A friend made a Costco run and brought me some basics (I paid her of course, but didn’t have to have a membership or drive 40 miles)
4. A friend brought me boysenberries—which I promptly inhaled.
5. Frugal for another friend—I gave her all my XC skis because I cannot wear the boots anymore due to this blasted idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in my feet. I guess it is frugal to let go of things. . . tryna be mature here.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Whoa! My boysenberries finished bearing this spring. Were these fresh?
1. I picked up two rotisserie chickens on Friday because they are $3 off on Fridays. I pulled all the meat off the bones, chopped it, and froze it for future meals.
2. I used one chicken carcass to make stock for some upcoming meals. I froze the other one to make stock with once my bag of veggie scraps is full again.
3. I just finished an audio book from the library that was fantastic - Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. My current Kindle book is one I purchased using delayed shipping credits on Amazon and my physical book is one I purchased from Goodwill. (I usually have three books going at once).
4. I brought in an almost full container of spearmint teabags into my office. I wasn’t a fan of the flavor but I didn’t want them to go to waste.
5. I’ve been freezing lots of veggies from our CSA but the freezer is starting to get overly full. I pulled out some ready-made meals for dinner to make space (and save me time), and made croutons/bread crumbs with the bread I froze for just those purposes.
We were on vacation last week, so this will be vacation themed:
1. Food-We cooked some of our meals to eat at our rental (breakfast-3/3 times, lunch 2/4 times and dinner 1/3 times). With a group of six, this is a significant savings!
2. Food-When we did eat out, we used gift cards that we received or bought at a discount from a big box store. We also did not consume alcohol when dinning out (for those that do drink)
3. Lodging-We rented a place from a very generous friend at a very steep discount
4. Entertainment-We chose some inexpensive activities (hiking, walking on the beach, window shopping)
5. Entertainment-We negotiated a discount on our one expensive group activity (jet skiing) by paying cash
6. Transportation-We drove our older hybrid Camry to/from our vacation destination. Over 6 hours of driving cost less than a half tank of gas!
1. Paid my electric bill with my Discover Card because the latter has a deal, about to expire (on Sept. 30), where you get 5% cashback for utility payments. Every penny helps!
2. Paid off the Discover Card (via phone) the next day because its APR is much more than 5%. No gotchas for me!
3. Signed up for some senior citizen free lunches. Which are actually sales pitches. Which I will say "no" to. But I will enjoy the free meal at a fancy restaurant. I'm also looking forward to a community lunch at my church; cost of meal, $3.
4. Eating out of my pantry and freezer as much as possible. We stockpiled a bunch of stuff during the pandemic quarantine, and kept on stocking up afterwards, and it needs eating.
5. Cleaning out closets and "remixing" my outfits. Mix and match = a frugal fashion skill! Results in "new" outfits, or rather new combinations of what I already have, and I didn't pay a dime for any of them. Mix and match = maxing out your wardrobe.
Also, this is not especially frugal but it is appropriate for this group:
Since I'm no longer subbing, I went to our church's ladies' Bible study group. The topic they are doing this time around is on being thankful! Several participants said they make gratitude lists, and of course, I usually join in on this blog's Thankful Thursdays.
Well, the group is free but they buy study books. Frugal/not frugal.
@Fru-gal Lisa, Depending on the study I often find them used online....amazing that a "consummable" study book meant to be written in can often be found for 1/2 price or less with few to no writing in it!!
1. I finally dug out my slow cooker after years of not using it. I’ve been tired of making meals recently and wanted to figure out some more dump-and-go meals, even though most of my staples are large pots of soup. I made a nice bean and veggie slow cooker soup from Budget Bytes, and then my DS aged 3.5 wanted to help make cornbread, so we made that too.
2. I had my dental appointment today and came away with a clean bill of health. I did spring for some sealants on my molars to help prevent cavities. They charged me for two, but I’m pretty sure they did about 6 teeth total. I was able to pay with our health rewards account.
3. I filled out a quick survey for my professional organization that should result in a $20 gift card. I rarely get these so I try to do them immediately. I think my last one was a year or even two years ago.
4. We spent the weekend with a friend of mine. There is a great outdoor zoo with local animals that is completely free, although I donated $20 since we have enjoyed being there several times and I want others to be able to enjoy it as well.
5. We’re trying to use some of our older frozen venison now that we had a recent influx of frozen fish and venison from my uncle. Today’s dinner is a red cabbage, venison, and rice soup spiced with dill and caraway that we love. Cheap and easy.
"I worked and worked and worked" is such a wonderful frugal thing! Recently I . . .
1) Booked a home exchange for my upcoming conference. Mama and I will be staying in the guest room of a host family. We won't have access to the kitchen, but I wouldn't have had access to a kitchen in my $700 (for several days) hotel room. It is well worth the 700 "guest points" I will pay for the stay.
2) I batched errands this morning, which included returning a library book, picking up a prescription (the prescription was $0, and I used the $3 coupon and $2 extra care bucks on the receipt toward store brand antacids), returning Amazon pants that didn't fit one son, and picking up an athletic physical form from our pediatrician for another son.
3) I applied for another job yesterday, and I worked on a proposal for a year-long fellowship. I'm so tired of the academic job hustle, but here we are.
4) My husband and I went for our annual physicals this morning, which we will submit to my university's wellness program. They were already covered through my insurance, but the wellness program pays us a bonus for doing that annual visit.
5) I picked up a ton of books at my university library when I went for a meeting last week. The week before I had fought the powerful urge to just order a bunch of books. I do have one book I really, really want to own, but I waited until I returned those Amazon pants so I could use the credit. I will also submit the receipt for reimbursement through my tiny "research funds" budget with my university.
The frugal “systems” you have created over the years, and continue to use, are saving you money even while you work!
1. I am returning to my habit of once a month trip to a wonderful farmers market about 45 mins from my home. The variety and savings on fresh produce is unmatched. I make a trip and have fresh items for the whole month. Cheaper than the grocery store and the items we buy last so we waste less.
2. Restocked laundry detergent, softener, Oxi clean etc. with a sale and gift card grant. Broke it into two transactions to save even more $$$. We are well stocked now.
3. Used a free voucher for a iced coffee at 7Brew this past week on the way to visit the hubby in ICU.
4. Used a gift card to save on my purchase of dog food this week and took advantage of grand opening sales on the purchase as well.
5. I have been wanting some dried hydrangeas for my home for years. I have tried in vain to grow them but the deer have eaten my poor bushes 🙁 I have thought many times of buying faux flowers but they are roughly $20/stem which is just nuts. I stopped into an antique store this week and one of the vendors was selling dried hydrangeas from her yard for $2/stem! These are huge flowers so 10 stems & $20 later I have a gorgeous bouquet in my living room 🙂
Woah! That's a lot of hours. Hope you catch up on rest on your days off.
My Frugal 5s+
~ My friend invited me and my girls to carpool with her to the church event so we got to do our monthly date and saved on gas. Made my cast iron cornbread for the church potluck with ingredients I already had at home. We ate so much yummy food there that our bellies were full and had extras for the next day. We also got to go on a hayride.
~ Call my internet provider and got another year's extension of $10 off per month the current rate.
~ Call my previous siding company and are waiting on them to come fix the siding. There's a corner piece at the top below the roof that keeps falling off when it's windy. Will post any savings update on future posts.
~ Had a free consultation with the same realtor that helped us buy our house 9 years ago since we're thinking of selling it. She looked over our house and will give us an estimate of its current market value and will let us know what would be worth fixing. She also said to hold off on doing anything major without getting an estimate and checking with her first.
~ Did an at home dance party. Girls prep the food with things we already had like nachos, popcorn and salad. They decorated the house with their lanterns, neon lights and blankets. Also danced to songs we found on YouTube for free.
~ Kept in touch with family though text messaging and phone calls.
My kitties adore those kinds of cardboard scratchers just like Chiquita does! It's nice because it keeps them from scratching other areas where they might be tempted. Aldi seems like a perfect place to occasionally pick up some pet gear, when they have it. Their prices are awesome!
Ooph, that is a wicked schedule! I did that during c0\/!d, so hard!
I had a fantastic estate weekend, bought a come along, pruning sealer, 4cansof new spray paint for a specific project, a set of refrigerator dishes and a leather lazy boy recliner that matches my other one all for $20. Plus the son delivered it all.
I canned 100 lbs of grapes into juice.
Made a batch of skyr.
Canned 54qts of thick tomato sauce.
Found a new to us chicken next to the chicken crawler, must've been dropped off on the county road. She is quarantined for now so we can observe her.
Whew! I hope you get some good sleep over the next few days!