Five Frugal Things | When cats eat cables
1. I sold an Apple laptop charger
About a year ago, our cat left some teeth marks in my laptop charging cable.
It wasn't enough to break all the way through the coating, but I figured it was only a matter of time before she took another bite at the cable. So, I got a backup charger, and just kept it in the package for such a day.
Well, my laptop died earlier this year, and I ended up needing to replace the whole thing.
That meant my brand new charging cable was no longer going to be useful. And it was too late to return it.
So of course I listed it on eBay.
And happily, it sold this week!
2. Zoe and I used a B1G1 Starbucks deal
After church on Sunday, she suggested we stop in at Starbucks. Both of us had gift cards in our Starbucks accounts, so our drinks were going to be free.
But as I was placing my order, I saw that my app had a buy one, get one free offer.
I was like, "Hold up, Zoe! Don't order yet! You can get a free drink when I buy one."
So then Zoe didn't have to use her gift card at all.
3. I got free eggs + cheap cheese at Safeway
Zoe needed to stop in for some makeup remover, and as we walked in, I remembered to check the Safeway app to see if there were any good deals.
It's been slim pickings in the deals of late, but I'm glad I checked this time because I got an offer for a dozen free eggs, plus an offer to get two 8-ounce blocks of cheese for $0.99 each. SWEET.
4. I got a discounted offer on a pair of eBay shoes
I've been wanting a pair of blue Converse for a while, so I scrolled through eBay and added a bunch of options to my watchlist.
(There's something about Converse that makes me want to buy a pair in every color. And since most of my clothes are so neutral, I can usually pair colorful shoes with almost any of my outfits. 😉 )
I checked my email after I hopped off the eBay site, and was surprised to see that I got a bunch of seller offers in my inbox! This has never happened before, but some auto-offer must be kicked off when you add certain items to a watchlist.
I chose an offer that gave me 38% off the original price, and I placed my order.
This pair I bought does need a set of new laces, so I ordered these ones from Amazon, and hopefully, they will be a good match. I'll let you know!
5. I...
- sold a nativity on Facebook marketplace
- sold a schoolbook on eBay
- ate some random meals to use up fridge odds and ends
- washed some old shoes to spruce them up
Frugal things...
1. I harvested a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and crowder peas from our garden this week.
2. I used some of the pepper harvest in a pot of spaghetti sauce and pulled some frozen blueberries from the fridge for a batch of muffins for snacks/breakfast this week.
3. Oatmeal and raisins languishing in my pantry made up delicious cookies for the lunchbox.
4. Fresh flowers cut from my yard are in vases all over my house. The money I spent purchasing the seeds has long ago outweighed the yield I have had from these flowers. They make me so happy & look so cheerful.
5. An unexpected refund from a doctor went straight to the credit card bill. Made dr's appointments for maintenance things such as yearly eye exams and the dentist since I have now met my deductible they will cost me very little out of pocket & help use flex dollars before the year is over.
Happy Tuesday!
It's wonderful isn't it how you can clean non-leather shoes in the washing machine?!
FFT
I happened upon marked down (sell by dated) meat, used some and froze some,
I bought a shirt that I had been having an eye on all summer, in the sale (50% off) It meets the "can I make at least six good combinations with what I already have" criterion,
We were gifted lovely Christa glasses by Mom, she was cleaning out closets,
I bought some perfume samples instead of bottles. Bought them? Yes, at 7,50 euros. I dare not tell you what an entire bottle costs, it is far beyond what I would be willing to pay and the samples will last me for half a year at least. The scents are exquisite,
Not my FFT but our son's: he replaced a lovely car that was going to need expensive repairs in the foreseeable future. And he bought another one that uses less gasoline and does not require repairs any time soon. A Mom-approved choice.
Autocorrect "sigh" crystal
@J NL, where do you buy perfume samples? Thanks!
@Jen,
I bought them from their own website (Xerjoff). It is an expensive brand and you will understand why they offer samples. I would definitely not buy an entire bottle.
—Our kitchen has been happily invaded by more free zucchini from the post office and more basil from our housewarming herbs.
—A local farmer drove around with his pickup bed brimming with surplus corn ears, giving them away to whomever crossed his path. He gave us eight ears! I had just picked up four free ears from a giant box at the post office, too. Our deep freezer is now at capacity and then some!
—Natural Grocer’s cage free eggs are $1.99 for members, but they were 99 cents this past Friday to celebrate the store’s anniversary. I needed to buy two cartons while in town, anyway, so score! I also received a free anniversary chocolate bar, which I shared with my husband.
—Our pantry had become unwieldy and wild, so I spent half an hour tidying and consolidating. There’s an Etsy shop that makes the most wonderful custom teas (KipersLilTeaShop), and I was delighted to rediscover an unopened tin. I thought I was completely out of her tea, and I had vowed to work through more of my store-bought teas before reordering.
—We have been buying spices in bulk (as in, by the pound—we go through them fast, too!) since the pandemic started. I washed and saved the large plastic containers for the recently emptied oregano and chili powder to use the next time we receive spices in giant bags.
—Frugal 50/50: Post-Covid fatigue is still kicking my bum, so I paid the local lawn service to tackle our yard. I’d rather that $40 went to groceries or gas, but I also value not exhausting myself for a lawn that I’m totally seeding with wildflowers and clover next year.
Skipped taking my kids to the local trampoline place on the weekend and took them bushwalking instead for some exercise. I saved $40.
Did you sell a nativity set from the treasure house? I thought I spotted one in the photos of the house.
My frugals are:
1. I made grain-free banana muffins with some very ripe bananas. I froze them and allow myself one a day as a treat, so I have almost two weeks of treats.
2. Speaking of colorful shoes: I had said that one of my favorite work loafers was losing a sole. It turned out both were losing a sole. Shoe Goo never holds all that long for me, so I knew I would have to replace them at some point. DSW decided to lure me back in after a long absence by sending a $30 off of $49 coupon. I went there, found a pair of cute and comfy leather loafers for exactly $49, used my coupon and got them for $19 + tax. They are bright magenta. I realized that all but one of my logo work tops can be worn with magenta shoes, and so can all of my work slacks. I bought just that pair, no more.
3. I used my mini-crock pot and my toaster oven yesterday to cook two meals without heating up the house with the big oven.
4. When I canceled my husband's vision and dental insurance through my work, I knew I'd see a small increase in my paycheck since my employer pays for my premiums but I paid for his. I didn't count on getting as much as $180 back in a refund of some past premiums, though. I got it yesterday and I was glad to see it.
5. I used my mobile app to deposit the insurance check, which is faster, easier, and cheaper than driving to a bank with it, especially since none are located near my work/home route.
Ooh, that is a really, really good DSW coupon!
@JD, As a techno-challenged single senior, I was able (after quite a few frustrating attempts) to teach myself how to do mobile check depositing! I felt like the smartest person alive! Isn’t it the best!?
I love, love, love mobile check depositing! It's so handy.
1. Used the library for two new books by two of my favorite authors--and managed to get one back during the 7 day borrowing period!
2. Our insurance sent us free screening tests, for something I'm at risk for due to family history, so I'll be using those this week and getting (hopefully) some peace of mind!
3. Have been doing a better job of keeping track of what groceries we have on hand, what actually gets eaten, so I don't overstock (and spend more than necessary). Hoping this reflects a better spending record this week!
4. Kids wanted cheesecake cups for dessert this week, and happily I had (sale-bought) cream cheese already in the fridge, the exact amount I needed!
5. Not exactly frugal, but my husband installed green lights around my desk after reading green lights can help with migraine frequency and severity. I feel a little like I live in the Emerald City, but if it cuts down the migraines, that would help me be more functional with no meds! 🙂
Okay, I forgot one: I finally bit the bullet and put my new supplements on Subscribe and Save at Amazon. I unlocked max savings, and it's so much cheaper than hunting for them at the grocery store, and less for me to remember when making lists!
One fail: I was so pleased when a 3 lb chub of beef that I was expecting to be $10 rang up for $6--that I failed to notice that the expiration date was for the day I was planning to use it. Normally, this isn't a problem, but when I opened it, it smelled...off. It looked fine, but smelled kind of like raw eggs, which is not what I think beef should taste like? Anyway, I put it in the freezer (to be tossed out on trash day, rather than sit in a hot garbage pail outside for three days) and luckily I had enough frozen burger patties to make tacos. Ugh.
Those eggs were a great stroke of luck, given the cost of eggs now. I had no idea how high it is, since our chickens have been laying and we haven't bought eggs in months. At the store in Taos on Sunday, I paid $5.49 for 18 "large" (in quotes because large is what medium used to be) store-brand eggs. Craziness.
Anyway. Frugal things, Taos Edition!
--My brother and sister flew into Albuquerque and we all drove to meet in Taos. It's about a three-hour drive from my house. I brought some almonds and water in the car with me, since it was lunchtime as I was driving and I did not want to be buying gas station anything.
--I travel like a peasant woman and bring food with me. This time of year, that means garden vegetables. Calabacitas, tomatoes, green beans, and dilly beans. I was glad I did when we happened upon the Taos farmers market and I saw how much that stuff would have cost to buy there.
--We ate lunch out the two days we were in Taos, but cooked our own dinners. Which featured my vegetables heavily. 🙂
--Thankfully, my siblings eat much like I do, so no one bought a bunch of junk at the grocery store when we stopped in the first day. We split the cost three ways, and I really don't need to be paying a third the cost of cookies or whatever that I won't (or shouldn't, I should say) eat.
--I considered getting a souvenir for my children there, but nothing seemed quite right, and do they need more stuff? Definitely not. I did find a watermelon WITH SEEDS--increasingly hard to find and the only sort I will buy--and brought that home for them, which made them incredibly happy. Consumable souvenirs work for us.
@kristin @ going country,
I'm intrigued... why do you only get watermelons with seeds?
This August our church has had an 'extra produce' stand for people to give and take for free (like another reader's post office is doing) and I took home a watermelon this past Sunday. It's been so long since we had a seeded one that I was initially surprised. Then I remembered that my children prefer seedless. More for the adults!
@Ruth T, They taste better. The best part of a watermelon is the center, the part with all the seeds. When they bred them to not have seeds, they bred them to have less flavor. In my opinion, anyway.
@kristin @ going country, I'm not a watermelon fan in general (despite my Tennessee origins). But I remember well how much fun my siblings and I had spitting seeds at each other--when Mom wasn't looking, of course. Another reason for buying seeded?
@A. Marie,
Also, if you get a really tasty one, you can save some of the seeds and plant them.
Frugal things
1. I returned a pair of pants that were a mile too long. I had never used "Happy Returns" before but it was super simple and I got my refund immediately
2. Finished physical therapy for now so I was finally able to request the credit on my account be sent to me
3. Made "super hero" muffins using an apple and carrots that needed to be used
4. Made meals from odds and ends in the frig and pantry over the weekend instead of getting take out
5. Did not renew a subscription to a streaming exercise service. I really enjoy it though so I'm hoping they will send me a "please come back" discount soon
My frugal things are mostly keeping on keeping on with all the daily frugalities lately. Our youngest dog required a trip to the vet that resulted in a temporary prescription for RX canned food. She refuses to eat it, so the unopened cans will be returned. She's been doing fine on eggs, baby food and toast while recovering.
Nice! Your Converse note made me think of a recent frugal fail. My husband was helping my 15 y.o. clean his shoes. They somehow managed to create large bleach stains on his navy blue Converse. I decided to be creative, and bought fabric dye to make them navy again. Except, that died the white rubber. So, rather than calling my losses, I doubled down & bought a bleach pen, so I could re-bleach the rubber back to original white. Except, the die was too strong for the bleach pen. So, now I've spent .... plenty, and still have awkwardly stained Converse. Don't be like me. 😉
1) Used a Friday Freebie & a $15 grocery store reward to pick up a few items we needed.
2) Sold a few things on eBay: a pair of pants, shorts, a makeup kit. It's nice to get them out of the house.
3) Processed a bunch of garden items, that had been sitting in our fridge. Picked all of the squash, roasted it, & pureed it for a future soup. Pickled four batches of jalapenos & peppers. Shredded a giant zucchini, and froze it, for future zucchini muffins.
4) Helped move soccer goals before & after games. This counts as my volunteer hours for our club, which saves me $100 off of registration. I need to do it another couple of times to earn enough for my second soccer player.
5) Arranged carpools, menu planned, ate leftovers, line dried the majority of our clothing, took free workout classes at the office, charged our electric car for free + ate lunch, breakfast & snacks there.... the regular stuff!
@Hawaii Planner, Hats off to your valiant Converse effort! : )
@Hawaii Planner,
Oh man! Your dedication to the project is admirable! Sorry it didn't work out as well as hoped.
@Ruth T, I really did try! Now I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the navy dye I have sitting around. Maybe another project will find its way to me. 🙂
@Suz, I really gave it a shot. The teen in question is unlikely to wear these, so I may have to give them away.
@Hawaii Planner,
Maybe you could give the teen and a friend a couple handfuls of permanent markers plus the bleach pen and let them go to town customizing them?
My youngest son is still having occasional potty accidents at night. I wanted to get some pads to put on his bed for when we go on our trip, but they were expensive. I wound up cutting the border off waterproof crib mattress pads. He is our last kid of three kids and they were tearing at the border by the time they got to him, so it's not like we were going to sell them. It's a perfect solution and I feel relieved we didn't have to plunk down $40 for a two pack. Using up odds and ends in the fridge, buying pants from goodwill, and eating garden veggies are my other four for the week.
Genius!!!
FFT, Clearance Edition:
(1) I got some good scores off the clearance shelf at Price Chopper, all because of damaged packaging: an Ortega 12-shell "taco kit" for $1.54, a box of raisin bran for $1.65, and (best of all) a quart of pure Vermont maple syrup for $8.75. Considering that a quart of NY State maple syrup (to which I am usually loyal) now costs $20 or more at the Regional Market, I was willing to go with the VT product this once.
(2) The Salvation Army superstore at the foot of my hill is having a clearance sale on summer clothes: Tank tops, shorts, and capris are all 99 cents each. I got a pair of capris and may stop back later in the week to look through the shorts more carefully.
(3) Also at the SA, I found a copy of the latest "The Great British Baking Show" cookbook for 99 cents. (The book prices at this SA are insanely low: 49 cents for all paperbacks and 99 cents for hardbacks.) Ms. Bestest Neighbor is a big fan of the show and greeted the cookbook with cries of delight. You can see why this SA is practically my home away from home.
(4) Like Kristen, I had an issue with my laptop charging cable, but I can't blame mine on the cat: The part of the cord near where it plugs into the laptop was showing old-age-related wear and tear (sort of like its owner). I've reinforced this part of the cord with some electrical tape and hope to keep the cable going for a while longer.
(5) And I continue to enjoy Butterfly World here while it lasts. I'm still not seeing any monarch caterpillars in my milkweed, but there's a trio of monarchs about to have a threesome in a buddleia bush as I write. So I continue to hope.
@A. Marie, Your #1 made me feel better about the $53/gallon I just spent to get four gallons of syrup. Our New-York-born family members cannot countenance a substitute for real maple syrup, and the Grade B is so much better than the Grade A even if I wanted to spend the money for it at an actual store, that I just steel myself and buy the four gallons about twice a year. From a Vermont company, though, I'm sorry to admit. 🙂
I'm a fellow Converse wearer so buying via deals is the way to go. Most of mine are getting to the ends of their lifespan so I am on the lookout for some new pairs.
1.) Harvesting a bunch of cucumbers. I think I will need to make some pickles or relish out of them as I can't eat them fast enough. Most of the rest of my garden is dead or past its growing season.
2.) Bought a pair of Vans which were too small so they are going back today via USPS.
3.) Eating out of the fridge and freezer. I would like more structure to my meals but I'm doing what I can with what I have! 🙂
4.) One of my pantry containers broke and Googling around says that Oxo knows about the issue so I emailed them hoping to be able to get a replacement lid. We'll see.
5.) Making it a point to use up things that I already have. Sounds simple but it's working for me.
This week, I:
-Went back to the register at the market and had them correct the erroneous price charged for my beloved melons. I got $5 back in my pocket for 2 melons. I had had a morning of frustrations so I really wanted to just walk out but decided to be patient instead.
-Didn't give in to my daughter's incessant requests for a new backpack. She has a wheeled one that she uses when we travel, a perfectly good one from last year AND a new one that my MIL gave her last year. When asked if she wants to return it since she already has two, she said she "LOVES it"s so we kept it. Now that the new school year is here, she says she doesn't think her books will fit in it and it's "too shiny". Nonsense. She's very persistent and very convincing but I flipped the script on her and started convincing her that it was the perfect backpack. She's using it today.
-We have a water bottle problem at our house - they all leak or don't fit in the cup holder or in the backpack or they're too heavy. It's kind of a pain. We had bought a new one for each of the girls in the spring. One started leaking. I thought we'd need a new one but my older daughter said she wanted to try one of my older water bottles that used to be too heavy. It's worked out great so far.
-Found a great deal on a new pair of sneakers for younger daughter online and had it delivered to the nearby brick and mortar location to avoid having to pay shipping.
-In the spring I picked up a few items from the free uniform exchange at the kids' school and now it looks like we don't have to buy anything except P.E. shorts and a t-shirt for my middle schooler. When I dropped off some items we had outgrown at the exchange yesterday, I saw that the pickings are slim so it's good we got what we did when we did.
And while it's not necessarily frugal, it will help our financial situation...I was offered a job after a former colleague reached out to me and encouraged me to apply to a position on her team. The offer was slightly more than what I'll be making starting in October in my current position so I let my boss know that I had an offer. He took it to HR and they beat the offer. My current employer has better benefits (PTO, retirement). I am not super enthusiastic about the work in either position but at least now I'll be paid more and don't have to go through the upheaval of starting a new job. It's ~11.5% more than what I'm making now for the same position. Definitely helps with inflation.
@CrunchyCake,
Well done on the job front! I'm impressed!
@Becca, Thanks! I've never done anything like this before...I wasn't obnoxious about it or anything. I just said that I received an offer and I was considering it but wanted to know if he had any insight about what the pay increases in October were going to look like. We've had a lot of turnover on our team this year so I think they were especially eager to retain me.
We are spending money this month. I am trying to stay calm about it. We can handle it.
Kids in town. Spoiling them a little. Kids going back to school. Big pantry stock up before school starts. Trips to visit my sick dad whew!
Frugal:
Dad trip: I did not eat meals on the road. Packed snacks and my big water cup.
Using online coupons in Kroger app. Shopping at Aldi when I can. Aldi prices not cheaper right now on many staples.
Purchasing on sale or clearance for son back to school. He had grown out of all the things. ALL
GOT A FREE MAMMOGRAM
I am excited for fall! Love fall!
FFT (if I can remember them)
1. A couple of weeks ago Target offered a $15 gift card when you bought $40 of household products. I met the terms by buying items I was in need of, then turned around this week & bought toiletries with the gift card for $2.65.
2. I finally re-joined our local YMCA through the Silver Sneakers program covered by my health insurance. $0!! And full use of the facility & exercise classes offered. I attended the first class yesterday.
3. I’ve been harvesting cucumbers & a few cherry tomatoes from the handful of plants I set out this year.
4. I also take advantage of our local farmers’ market at the extension office for any other veggies I don’t grow. (Very little room on my sloped suburban backyard.) I’ve frozen quite a bit of corn & green beans to enjoy this winter.
5. I returned the 2 pair of shorts that my husband didn’t like & got a refund of $64.
It hasn't felt like a particularly frugal week, but let's see what I have:
1. I stopped at Giant and bought several items on sale. The total was just over $50 so I was able to use a $10 competitor coupon.
2. I had two books due at the library yesterday but I was not going to be near there. Fines were abolished during the pandemic so I simply dropped them off today while I was near there. I try not to keep material, physical and digital, longer than I need it but I do appreciate the no fine policy. I suppose it saved me $.50 or some driving.
3. I continue to receive tomatoes and beans from a neighbor. I share fruit and other items with them.
4. I made a batch of granola. I had all the ingredients and it is so much better than store bought.
5. I went to Costco to return a couple of items. Let's not talk about how much I spent after that, though I did pick up some of the items on "sale".
@K D,
We use Kristen's no bake granola recipe. It's a great hit with the grown up kids, especially the sporty sugar-aware ones
I'm not very frugal... but I'm working on it.
My daughter needed a chair for dance with super specific parameters and anything I could find was $200+. I found a chair for $22 and then bought some fabric, buttons and thread for $13. Add an hour and a half of my time and the chair worked!
Yesterday was a horrible day at work, plus I had to sweep and mop the floors when I got home. Then I realized I hadn't planned for dinner! Oops. My mom lives with us and offered to treat, but I figured something out instead: egg salad sandwiches with crackers and fruit. As a bonus it was nice to not eat a hot meal in the 100+ degree weather we are having!
I always feel like giving myself gold stars when I manage to pull together a dinner without a plan. So...I am awarding you some gold stars too. 🙂
@Brandy, eggs for the win - always!!
I had same problem with my kitty people until I found chew proof chargers on Amazon. They are flexible metal and work great. Kitty tried once and completely lost interest.
I don't think I've been to Starbucks since COVID hit. Ours was 'drive thru only' for what seemed like forever and the line was always out to the road. I usually only go a couple of times a year, but I miss it! Perhaps I'll go back sometime this fall.
My FFT:
1. I froze some cooked sausage that we didn't get to as quickly as I thought we would. I also froze a lot of green beans from my garden.
2. I planted more fall crops in my garden. This is the first year I've really pursued fall crops and I've been trying to fill the gaps as soon as other crops are done.
3. I did really well with Ibotta this week! I got almost $20 worth of rebates on a $50 trip to Meijer. I got a couple of things for free and a few things had rebates that made them cheaper than Aldi prices. Then I got enough rebates to qualify for a bonus. I'm only 2 offers away from an additional bonus and now have over $40 to cash out.
4. I used my Kohl's cash before it expired. I replaced our grill tongs (our 12-year-old ones were rusting), got a beach towel on clearance, and some bermuda shorts for my daughter to wear to school. Out of pocket was only $6.
5. Yesterday I wrote myself a reminder to start the dryer after 7pm when we're out of the time of day that energy cost 1.5x. I hadn't gotten to laundry until early afternoon and would have paid the extra if I had started the dryer right away. Without the note I surely would have forgotten by 7:00!
Boy, do I love Converse.....I only have one pair in black, that I found at my local St. Vincent de Paul several months ago. $10, and in my size, so of course they came home with me!
My FFT:
1) Found two tubes of the super-fancy gum treatment toothpaste on the clearance rack at Kroger. $2 a tube, they usually sell for $6+. I use this toothpaste all the time - not usre if it's helping or not, but well worth continuing with it.
2) Gathered a ton of tomatoes from my garden. Will use several of them for shakshuka tonight (mint also coming from my container garden). The rest will be either eaten of frozen.
3) Received a new garden hose sprinkler thing (the kind that screws onto the water end of your hose, so you can gently water your plants or garden) on my Buy Nothing group. Our old one was broken by (we think) some people who did some exterior work on our house, but can't be sure. Grateful to the gal who offered me this new one.
4) Not frugal for me, but offered various school supplies my son no longer needs/uses (new boxes of crayons, colored pencils, Elmer's glue, etc) to my Buy Nothing group. Several folks are interested.
5) Used up aging carrots and orange zest from soft oranges in a belated birthday carrot cake for my hubby (his birthday is at the end of July). Also used plain Greek yogurt with a splash of vanilla extract in the cake, instead of the vanilla Greek yogurt called for in the recipe. The cake is delicious!
Have a great week, everyone!
Frugal things:
1. I made a conscious decision to not overbuy when at the grocery store. I cleaned out my produce drawer last week and was embarrassed at the amount I had to throw away. I would rather go the market a few times in a week (we live 5 minutes away), then let stuff go to waste.
2. I have made a conscious decision to shop via Poshmark and Etsy for some event outfits I need and decor options.
3. I picked up an extra shift at my side hustle. Not really frugal, but it brings in extra cash.
4. I have listed a bunch of stuff on Facebook Market place
5. I have stopped myself from buying replacement dining chairs and light fixture for my dining room until I get to a place in my refresh that merits it (though this also may be my ADHD meds stopping some impulsiveness).
I'm visiting a dying relative in New York City so there's not a single frugal thing to report. The best I can report is that I'm not the one paying for the lodging. This probably won't be the only such trip in the next few months - good thing I'm usually frugal.
@WilliamB, my sympathy to you and your family.
@WilliamB, I wish peace for your relative and sympathy for you.
@WilliamB, I think frugality is designed for stuff like this, to have the money when you really need it. I hope this time with your relative brings peace to you both.
I have found that regularly happens with ebay - if you put something on your watch list and don't purchase it within a day or so it seems like big sellers must have a way to auto send offers. Good to keep in mind if you aren't in a rush and don't have to have a particular listing!
Five Frugal Things
1) made marinara sauce (using garlic and tomatoes from my garden)
2) got my husband's prescriptions delivered (once I found out our local pharmacy delivers for free)
3) averted a costly (battery dead) car tow when the county trimmed trees (by talking to the tree trimmer and, basically, begging)
4) used old school ammonia to deep clean my stove top rather than buying fancy cleaners ( I know I know eco folks but ammonia is the ONLY thing that works, no matter how cool eco-friendly lavender and mint smell they do not get grime off the burners)
5) washed the HUGE down comforter in the washing machine (on gentle) and dried it outside on the deck railing (for two days) rather than paying the dry cleaner! BIG save and ready for the cooler months now--
I cooked on Sunday in spite of being desperately tired. (I think the spaghetti sauce will last us for several meals.)
We batched several errands when we "went into town" to attend the firing of the cannon at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. (Years ago honorary citizens of our town founded a Civil War museum in honor of their son who died in the war. The museum hosts some pretty interesting events throughout the year like a carol sing lead by 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery band at Christmas.)
I used wood fill and paint to repair damaged baseboards instead of replacing the baseboards. I wish I had learned this trick earlier in our home ownership journey but learning now is better than never learning.
I bought pineapple at Aldi for $1.25 each which seemed like a low price.
We attended a free concert at the summer music festival.
1. We meal-planned. Not sure if we'll make our plans work (we both got sick last week, which derailed everything) but every day is a new chance to try!
2. We got what we could at the discount grocery store, even though it was inconvenient to go. It saves so much money. The cost of groceries is mind-boggling these days.
3. I used half of the fancy souvenir stone-ground flour that I bought at a historic museum to make bread dough. It's a lot coarser than regular whole-wheat, so we'll see if it works! It's rising now.
4. We didn't get a chance to buy meat this week, so we'll have fish once and otherwise eat vegetarian. I don't mind, as I ate very little meat before I got married. We'll see how my husband does. 😛
5. I bought some fresh t-shirts on sale. Nothing fancy--just some basics from The Gap. My child immediately bled on one of them (she's fine, she just fell) and it's not quite prisitne anymore. That's why I don't spend a lot on clothes!
@Meira@meirathebear, I have a toddler who suffers from nose bleeds. Hydrogen peroxide is my go to dried blood remover. Just soak and scrub a little if its old. And then spray a stain remover and wash. It’s gotten it out of pretty much every piece of clothing she has wears. Just a thought 🙂
@Jenn W, thanks! I'll give it a go 🙂
Five frugal things:
1. Used up spotted brown bananas to make banana oatmeal muffins and banana sorbet. Sorbet was not a hit.
2. Stocked up on toiletries with a $10 off $30 in store purchase deal at Target. No scented candles were bought on this trip!
3. Found a brand new with tags on pair of black BCBG Max Azaria pants for work at Savers for $12.
4. I’ve been steadily using up cooking oil I saved from frying potato tacos last week.
5. Took breakfast and lunch to work 3 days out of 5.
Frugal/ not frugal?
We've been having a lot of thunderstorms. I hung the laundry on the line outside for about 20 minutes, but as the sky got darker and the winds were up, I took the laundry off the line and finished drying it in the dryer. Don't you know that of course the storm totally bypassed us and went north. (Laundry is done in off-peak energy hours, so weekends and between 7pm and 7am on weekdays).
My local Drugmart chain were having a points redemption day, redeem 50,000 points (worth $50) and get $65.00 off. My total was $65.96 plus tax (skincare + floss), so my total to pay was only $9.53.
Tomatoes from my garden, I haven't had to buy tomatoes in a while. I also just planted radish seeds, which if all goes well, I should have radishes around Sept 15th.
Left car outside in the rain to get washed.
The usual, drink lots of tap water, coffee and tea at home, 99% of meals home cooked.
Maybe the person who bought your cord also has a chewy cat. 😉
I found some pretty good grocery finds this week. Last Wednesday I found some fancy cheeses, more swordfish steaks and a pork chop all marked down on Manager's special at Giant. The pork chop was only 60 cents! I was brainstorming with my husband about how to use one pork chop (slice it thin and put it in a stir fry maybe?) And he was like "um...why don't you just put it in the freezer and wait until you've collected more sixty cent pork chops on manger's special?" Grr...the nerve of his accurate teasing! While there I used coupons plus store card to pick up three produce deals: 5 lbs of grapes for .97/lb, a 3 lb bag of 2.88 clementines and four ears of corn for 1.20. The grapes at full price would have been 17.21 but I paid 4.79! Does anyone actually pay 17.21 for grapes??? I also found beef bouillon for .79 on the mark down rack. I was pretty pleased with my haul.
Today I checked out the new Giant by my work that just opened this month. It's right next to the Aldi I frequent. I figured the Manager's specials might not be in full swing yet since the store is so new, but I was surprised! I found uncured bacon for 3.99/12 oz pack. It's 5.75 at Aldi, so I bought 8 packs and my freezer is now very happy. Then I found a ten lb bag of brown rice for 3.84 on the markdown rack! I also used a two dollars off coupon combined with a BOGO sale to get two boxes of granola bars for 4 bucks. Plus the register spit out another 2 dollar off coupon for the same granola bars and the special runs through September, so if we like them I will get more using the same deal.
I felt very happy with these Giant trips because while there both times I bought nothing but the sale items and some very specific things that are on my "not sold at Aldi" list.
@Becca,
Oh, how could I forget? I made my son a cheesecake for his birthday and as I often do, I mentally added up the cost of all the ingredients and came to a little over ten dollars. I was thinking this was a bit pricey for a dessert, but then I looked up what comparable fancy store-bought cheesecakes are going for and found some listed for FORTY-FIVE dollars...and this was a Walmart price, not Whole Foods or anything. Just...wow.
Let's see if I can think of five. Some are recent, but not this week.
1. I needed a replacement dish drainer because my current one was getting rusty. Store prices were between $17.00 and $23.00. I found a nearly new one for $2.00 at a garage sale. Yes!
2. Bought marked-down bread. I usually eat it toasted, so dried out doesn't really matter.
3. Picked raspberries off the bushes in my rental yard. Very yummy!
4. Decided to postpone some errands, so that I could batch them later and save some gas.
5. As usual, hung clothes to dry indoors instead of using the dryer.
This has really been a week of frugal fails as my cell phone is too old and no apps work on it & now no email. My laptop also died and Apple can fix it for $400 but cannot fix it after, so it is a roll of the dice.... anyhoo...
1. I picked up a second, easy mystery shop that was just 2 miles from my first easy mystery shop. First one was burger & fries, so I brought my tupperware and will have the fries for dinner tomorrow for homemade fish & chips.
2. As I wrote on non-consumer advocate, stayed in house on the Cape that bil rented for all of us. Between mystery shops, Swagbuck, sales & garden, etc. I fed 16 people appetizer, dinner & dessert for about $20.
3. On mystery shop today, I parked 1 block away to get free parking vs. meter (499 more of these & I'll have paid for my new phone!)
4. I did not join partner for a meeting that was being held at local brewery. I'll get the info from him & saved on beer & burger.
5. I made $5.32 buying candy bars via Swagbucks (in addition to getting 8 full-sized candy bars). I'm going to be the popular house at Halloween as I'm saving them up to give out on Halloween.
Side note: my mom gave me a pair of Superga sneakers that she got at a thrift store. I have to put in a plug, as I love my Vans, but these are SOOO comfortable. And, I pretend that I'm Kate Middleton when I wear them....
Cute shoes!
1. I foraged wild apples while camping this weekend. I made then into cinnamon dried apples. There are a lot! I will likely eat them on salads or in oatmeal next week.
2. I dehydrated some of cherry tomatoes from our garden and used some of our basil to make pesto, which I froze.
3. I used lentils someone gave us to make vegetarian tacos. I used limes I got on Buy Nothing to make a lime sour cream for the tacos. We stuffed ancho peppers from our garden with some of the lentils also.
4. I picked up water shoes, off Buy Nothing, for summer next year for my daughter.
5. I (politely) argued with a medical provider that charged me an extra $40 in co-pays. They refunded the money yesterday. It is definitely frugal to keep track of medical bills, although I wish America had a better system for this.
I am feeling super depressed and pointless about any attempts at frugality as we just had to take two kids for ER treatment after a bat exposure. Likely $$$$. Any tips from others about maintaining motivation when any savings seem almost irrelevant compared to the bills you are facing?
@Sarah K, I'm so sorry about the bat exposures and ER bills! We had a bat find its way into our house somehow this past week and I was incredibly grateful that our baby's door was closed, otherwise we would have been in the ER too. I'm so sorry that happened to your family, but I hope everyone is well and stays healthy.
Re: your request for tips, I don't have anything to offer that wouldn't seem trite. When so many things seem outside of your control, frugal-wise and otherwise, maybe it would help to feel like even something little and seemingly irrelevant, like a tiny frugal "win," is within your control? I hope others including Kristen will chime in with their thoughts and encouragement.
@Lindsay B, thank you for your kind comment. Having to give a bunch of shots to a baby who doesn't understand why would have been miserable - glad you dodged that bullet. 🙂
@Sarah K, I don't have any great tips but I did want to say I'm sorry this happened to you and I feel your pain! It's especially frustrating when you're hit with a big expense that's also unexpected. I like Lindsay B's tip about enjoying any small frugal wins that come your way too - in my book they earn extra gold stars in situations like this!
@Suz, thank you. Yes the unexpected aspect of it is frustrating.
Yay for great prices on cheese! Like all groceries it's so expensive these days.
1. I’ve been looking online for inspiration to help think about how to best arrange/use our home (we bought our first house in March). While it is helpful to see ideas online, I’ve also been feeling discontent with what I have. I’m trying to fight against this by doing some deep cleaning. In particular, dusting helped me feel better the other day… and today I finally got around to cleaning the grout in our bathroom. You should see the before and afters, blech!! Being content with what we have = being frugal.
2. Realized I am wearing Chacos that I purchased in 2009– they are still going strong and this makes me really happy! Although after I wrote this, I looked closer at the soles and they are starting to come apart… more than I realized, and I don’t know that they can be glued. Fingers crossed they will last several more years though!
3. Picked some elderberries locally, my first ever. I’m not going to make the ubiquitous elderberry syrup I always read about for colds/viruses, but will instead add them to either steel-cut oats or a baked treat like rhubarb cake.
4. Was given a book that I had already read via the library, and which I also didn’t like. I strongly dislike keeping that kind of thing, so I was able to exchange it at B&N for a book I actually wanted on foraging (yay!). Even though I had to pay $10 to cover the difference, I feel like it’s frugal to exchange a book I don’t want for one I really do want. If not frugal, at least satisfying.
5. Baby E is big enough to need a high chair as he starts solids… but when DH and I looked at Once Upon a Child, they all seemed to take up so much floor space! We ended up with a really nice booster seat that straps onto a dining chair but adjusts up and down. It fits Baby E perfectly and this way he can sit at the table with us for family meals. It was also half the cost of the cheapest & junkiest high chair, so that’s a bonus. More than being “just” frugal, it is super satisfying to be able to come up with just the right thing at the beginning rather than buying a high chair now then needing a booster seat anyway as he continues to grow.
6. Oh! And went into Target and saw umbrellas for a good price with a lifetime replacement guarantee. Ours are years old and falling apart! Checked the circle app and had a 30% coupon that brought the price down even more. Even more frugal: I didn’t walk out with the entire store, ha.
My most frugal thing this week was pre buying our Winter heating propane. When the company sent the offer I pulled out last years bills and figured out that we would save quite a bit of money by pre buying. It was quite a large amount of money up front, but I can rest easier knowing that there will be no big heating bills coming this Winter. I call the peace of mind a big win!
One of our tuxedo kitties loves cables too. Well, really she just loves to CHEW so I found a few toys she likes that are good for that and, as she's gotten older, the cable chewing seems to have lessened!
We...ate meals at camp this week, including freezer leftovers, used our golf card for very discounted golf nearby, have been eating produce from the garden instead of having to buy it, and ... I'm sure I'll think of a few other things!
I'm cracking up at the placement of your "innocent looking" kitty photo after the chewed up laptop charger image! Too perfect. LOL Cats are definitely lucky they are so cute!!