Five Frugal Things | when you don't trust yourself
1. I earned a $20 reward
I have a GAP-branded Mastercard that I rarely use, but occasionally they send me offers like this one:
I know they're trying to hook me into using this as my daily credit card, but I prefer my other ones.
Still, a $20 return is too good to pass up, so I used it for five everyday purchases, and now I'm just waiting for my reward to hit.
2. I shipped back my rental book
I read the required chapters, took the test on the material from this book, and then carefully looked ahead in the syllabus, where I discovered that we are done with this book. So, I decided to ship it back right away.
I'm way ahead of the return deadline, but I'd rather be way ahead than late.
3. I cancelled the month of HBO
Continuing in a similar vein: while I was sick, I paid for a month of access to HBO so that I could watch the second season of The Pitt.
And immediately after I finished the last episode, I cancelled the membership.
I know I could set a reminder for some time closer to the due date, but what if the reminder pops up while I'm at work, and then I forget to cancel it when I get home?
Basically: I don't trust myself. Ha.
Also: part of being an adult is knowing when you can't trust yourself, and then adjusting your life accordingly. 😉
4. I got a bottle of Maui Moisture for $4
I remembered that I hadn't checked my CVS app recently, so I opened it up and found some ExtraBucks in there that needed to be used.
Soo, I bought a bottle of shampoo, used a 30% off coupon, and added my ExtraBucks in.
I ordered online (the prices are better online), selected in-store pickup, and I will grab it next time I drive by that store.
5. I was too busy to spend money
As a frugal strategy, I do not recommend this because it's not a great way to live. But lately, I have spent very little money because I have very little time to spend. I don't have time to shop or go out to eat or go to a movie or go on a trip, so, I am saving money. Ha.
I go to work, I write blog posts, I go to the gym, I do homework, I cook my meals, and I manage life stuff like bills and house cleaning. Dull, but inexpensive.
I haven't even been to the symphony in a while! (I've been busy, plus the persistent Friday shifts make it difficult to go.)
This is the routine with tiny frugalities I do each Saturday morning:
1. Instead of opening all of the mail, I put my unopened bills in their spot near my computer, then open and pay them once a week, that way I only think about the bills and budget for one hour a week, and I never accrue late fees.
2. I pay all of my bills online from my checking account. My banking platform shows me my spending trends, and that's helpful. I also don't have to pay any postage this way.
3. I open my bills with a free letter opener sample mailed to me years ago. I cut off the return envelope flap and use that to make my weekly grocery and CVS lists. I still have paper bills mailed to me, because DH would not be able to do it online should something happen to me.
4. After I pay the bills, I log onto the Harris Teeter site and "clip" any coupons I want to use. I go to "my specials" and note the sales of things I normally keep in stock, then I inventory the pantry, fridge and freezer to see if those items are getting low.
5. I cut out local competitor coupons and put them in my shopping envelope. HT takes them. 🙂
Something about this routine keeps me calm and feeling on top of things.
It is very handy to "cluster" these type of things, set time aside, and afterwards have headspace for other matters!
Agree! I need to implement this idea more at work now. Especially with emails.
Your routine is very smart!
Those are great ideas, Momma Jo! Thanks for sharing.
I like your routine! I might try something similar.
Don't forget to open envelopes you don't think contain a bill. I got an almost $800 settlement check that came in an envelope that looked like junk mail.
Good tip Selena!
Also, sometimes I get something that looks like a check but its a scam. They are getting trickier these days.
In the same vein, I usually take back library books that I finished reading pronto. It makes me restless to have them sit on my shelf until the reminder from the library comes in.
This week
- my husband and I dived into the changes that the new law on pensions will bring about, and planned a call to discuss the implications on my pension. As my beneficiary I asked him to attend that call also
- I transferred part of my savings to a higher interest account. Not all, because the account is frozen for a year.
- Further to one of your readers blog responses on hibernating geraniums, I collected a number of sturdy paper bags for later this year. Normally I would start to take shoots now, and they would sit (and sometimes wither) on my upstairs window sill. This autumn, I will give it a try shaking the dirt of and putting them in paper bags. I hope the experiment will be succesful, I am looking at an abundant hot weather proof geranium as we speak. It would be great if I could keep these plants! (And isnt it wonderful how we can exchange experience on many topics)
- I've been making sun tea and slowcooker yoghurt again.
-We've been filling up our car at the cheapest station and as usual I cycle to and from errands around town
-Daily outdoor swimming for fun. Morning heaven!
What country are you in? Not sure what new law on pensions you are referring to.
That is the Netherlands Joyce, no worries!
A mildly funny one: when I went to a certain store, my purchases were *exactly* equal to my gift card ($25.98, for anyone who's counting).
I bought produce at a Chinese supermarket. It has more variety and better prices, too bad it's not close.
In the past couple of months I opened two credit cards for the benefits and deals: Amtrak and United Airlines. I set a notice to cancel the UA card in 11.5 months, before the annual fee comes due.
A week after I opened the UA card, I needed to make a short-notice trip on UA.
I also closed a couple of cards, one of which had an annual fee.
I took advantage of a Penzeys sale to get discounted gift cards and free vanilla. I'll use the cards during future sales.
That was some very precise spending!
Thanks for the note on the credit cards. It gave me the activation energy to look up how that affects one's credit score. My spouse plays the credit card game for the benefits, and it's been a nagging worry of mine that our credit will be severely damaged once we close them out. I looked it up, and it could be impacted, but if they are all paid off and we own a home by then it shouldn't matter.
Occasionally I'll add a month of Netflix or Prime (such as when I had a recent minor surgery and 2 weeks of recovery) and always cancel immediately as they don't restrict access until the end date. Fun fact: I worked in the collections department of a credit union once upon a time and I can't tell you how many accounts went negative because people forgot about their $4.99 Netflix subscription.
My frugals:
• Mended a sock. I wear toe socks and this is a special pair for exercise, so I'm happy to mend!
• I shared a cab instead of riding solo home from a walk event
• Swapped out books at my favorite coffee shop. I meet friends there once a week for coffee and games, so it's a big win.
• I rescued a book out of the recycling bin at my condo complex. I think a tenant moved out and unused items first get placed aside, and then into trash or recycling.
••I am moving this week and have some clothes that are not coming with me. They are clean and folded and also will be placed in the trash room. There is one non-profit but it's difficult to get to. There is a 2nd hand system here where clothing items left in the condos/hotels are taken to villages, sold at 2nd hand stalls in the night markets or online.
• A pair of dark chino shorts somehow got covered in fuzz. We had some leftover sports tape from a an old injury, so used that to de-fuzz them.
• I have taken up painting (on paper) but can't take them all with me and mailing 'home' is expensive, so I kept 2 and the rest were cut into bookmarks and placed in the books I swapped. I hope it makes someone's day!
I'm also camp "Don't trust myself." Be it car registration or taxes, it's taken care of ASAP so I can't forget! I've the same with assignment deadlines throughout my life.
--My husband ordered a new pair of work shorts, which arrived missing the fly button. ("Used, like new," eh?) Since the shorts were otherwise fine, I sewed on a new button saved from a previous pair of pants.
--I'm rebuilding the rails for our back porch, and I *REALLY* wanted decorative solid wood finials for their top corners. Guess what I found at Habitat Restore for $3 each?! *fist pump* Pairs normally sell for $25 and up.
--Re: rails, I ordered the wood last week, knowing it wouldn't be done until this week (small town festival season). Yesterday, the lumberyard owner asked if I'd mind wood that had been cut already (another person ordered too much) so long as he altered it to the measurements I needed. Apparently some people are sticklers for using only brand new boards? I'm not, which saved me money and the owner unnecessary waste.
--For $2, Habitat Restore also supplied a 20 X 48" board with finished edges. I upholstered it with a large scrap of purple velvet and installed the now-headboard behind my office couch, which is actually a tri-folding matteress/guest bed in disguise.
--We hosted friends Saturday night. Dinner sides were assembled from the garden (coleslaw, caprese salad), and I told them to bring a cooler so I could send them home with more garden goodness from the freezer. They'd recently been sick from takeout lettuce, so they were glad.of vegetables they could trust.
1. I made hummus. We love the Ithica brand hummus made with olive oil but it is pricey. I had all ingredients so I borrowed a food processor from a neighbor and made a batch. We are happy with the results. The chick peas were obtained for 5 cents worth of points at Giant as was the lemon. The tahini I bought on sale. I am sure I will continue to make it.
2. I resubmitted an OTC purchase for FSA reimbursement. I thought it was included with another submittal but it appeared to have fallen through the cracks. It was quickly approved and the funds will be direct deposited into our checking account.
3. A while ago I accepted a package of frozen burgers from a friend. We're not big beef eaters so they were languishing in the freezer. I looked at the nutrition information and most of the calories are from fat. I cooked them like ground beef so I could drain fat off then added condiments and spices to make sloppy joes.
4. I bought a large seedless watermelon. After cubing it I shared some with a neighbor. It's a lot of fruit for $4.99.
5. We explored a new hiking trail in a county park in a neighboring county. There was no admission fee.
KD - I'm a hummus lover also, but in our new country (Portugal) it is very hard to find tahini and when you do it is prohibitively expensive. So, we bought a 2 kilo sack of sesame seeds and now we make our own tahini! It's really quite easy to do and sesame seeds are cheap. Just thought you might like this tip. 🙂
Hmm…this week I
1. Kept up the free gardening of weeding and de-vining my existing plants,
2. Made coffee at home,
3. Ate leftovers,
4. Made stock from a chicken carcass,
And 5. Used a window fan to reduce moisture after showers in my now mold-free bathroom.
I haven't seen The Pitt because I get medical anxiety and am not big on body horror, but have been told I'm a lot like Mel, because I'm sensitive and love animals, which I took as a compliment!
Frugals:
1. I stayed in a friend's flat whilst looking after her cat and was told I could help myself to any of the food. I used some of it for meals.
2. I went to a wonderful free museum in the town there (although I did pay for a special exhibition and bought a picture of a cat from the gift shop).
3. I took a train to the beach, which was inexpensive, and brought lunch and a bottle of water with me. I did buy a coffee and an ice cream but they weren't very expensive.
4. I visited a local swimming lake with a friend. I paid for a ticket but we brought our own food and drinks (again, we treated ourselves to coffee and shared a cake!).
5. I was tired when I got back to the train station after cat-sitting. I was tempted to take a cab but instead I took a local train and walked from there, which isn't very far.
Hi Sophie, did you ever go outdoor swimming in London? I saw The Pond (on Netflix probably) and the water and the people looked so relaxing.
Hi JNL,I haven't made it there yet! I last went to London a few years ago to see Lauren Graham, but there wasn't time for swimming. Maybe next year!
Hi-Thanks for mentioning The Ponds. I hadn't heard of it, and I was pleased to add it to my watchlist on Apple TV. Amy
Although I have never seen a picture of you, I do have an imaginary concept of you in my head that is rather like her!
Ha, thanks! Cats and swims, indeed. But I am less travelsome* than Sophie, much as I always love to hear the reports afterwards.
* It is not an actual word I believe but it sprang to mind and I decided I like it. It gets across eagerness and enthousiasm to travel.
Travelsome is an excellent word!
Well I do have glasses and long-ish hair!
@ Sophie , I am same with the "medical anxiety" , I watched season 1 of The Pitt - but could not watch more than 2 episodes per day - as it all was so real to me!
I think the first episode pretty much started with someone vomiting, and I REALLY hate seeing people throw up, even when I know it's pretend.
We did not make it past the “de-gloved foot.” As soon as we heard the phrase, we were like “nope, nope, nope.”
I’m not actually all that squeamish, but I don’t consider it entertainment to think about such injuries.
Oh man, that is not a phrase I need to know. I'm relieved I didn't see that episode!
I have had a Gap/Banana Republic/Old Navy store charge card for 20 years. I've refused to switch to their real credit card. I always pay the balance in full, and this has saved me a LOT of money over the years - in rewards, on shipping, on extra discounts. Since my kids were born, I spend far more at ON than the other stores. If you read the labels you can find mostly cotton pieces, which will last.
1. Cut up a rug gripper to fit a kitchen drawer. Now the contents don't run amok.
2. Made my own eyeglass cleaning cloths out of a flour sack dish towel.
3. Cut a piece of cardboard to create a sturdy bottom for a reusable grocery bag.
4. Fashioned a headband out of a bandanna rather than acquire anything new to keep my hair back.
5. Received a charity mailing that included a self-addressed stamped envelope. Since I donate online, I put a blank label over the address and will reuse the envelope for something else.
Yes, those little things add up. I think I'd buy 5 things to get $20, too. We basically put everything on our credit cards for the month and earn points we use for gas discounts and at Walmart.
Here are my FFTs:
– I picked a ton of tomatoes from our garden – we ate a lot and we shared them with my sister and a few neighbors.
– I got cards printed by using a discount coupon from Vista Print. My son, a geologist, sells rocks and minerals at various rock shows. As an experiment, I thought sets of cards with some of his best “rock” photos might be a nice rock-related addition for him to sell at an upcoming show. I’m also going to paint him some “Santa” rocks. I painted a few last year and people loved them. I found the idea on Pinterest and I got really good at it.
– I bought 4 low plastic tubs to use in organizing our garage upright freezer. Stuff gets lost in there and even though I try to keep an inventory of what's in there, it's still hard to find things. I want to think about what kind of organization makes sense. I'd appreciate any advice. Then I'll choose a day when it isn't 100 degrees outside to get it done!
– I joined a fiber arts group that meets at our library weekly. It's been fun meeting other people who craft and it's 2 hours I can crochet, cross stitch without the interruptions and distractions at home. I’ve already completed 2 simple projects. Plus people bring things to share or swap and show and tell things. I showed everyone a lucet I found in a shop a few weeks ago and nobody had ever seen one before. It's an ancient tool used to make cording for projects. I'd seen one once before and regretted not buying it. This time I did. I'll learn how to use it sometime!
– I waited til Friday to get a few things I needed from Kroger in order to get double gas points on my purchase. My purchases pushed us over 300 points and my husband was able to get 30 cents off a gallon when he filled up his truck. Every little bit helps.
Joyce, I recall someone here or on The NCA blog used color-coded bags to organize their freezer - e.g., red for meat, green for vegetables. Maybe you could use your bins in a similar fashion.
What country are you in? Not sure what new law on pensions you are referring to.
Oh, good idea! Thanks.
There are lucet tutorials on Pinterest. That's where I learned how to use mine
Thanks. I will look. My lucet came with simple printed directions, but I might need a visual.
Joyce in Arkansas … I use various containers to organize my upright freezer based on shelf size (height X width). I have some plastic baskets, some wire baskets I ordered from Amazon specifically for freezers, and some boxes. What I challenged me was what to put in the various containers. I finally settled on a box for ground meat, one for fish/seafood, one for pork (not ground or sausage), one for beef, one for chicken, one for sausage, one for odds and ends, and one for fruit. I use the shelves on the doors for breads, dairy products, and frozen vegetables. I was trying for what do I grab frequently and turnover quickly on the door. I have one section of a shelf set aside for homemade soups & broths. I also have a small basket for gluten-free baked goods. I can easily pull that out and look through it for a treat.
We've just been up to our normal stuff here:
-Making meals & eating at home. Eating lots of leftovers. Menu planning & coordinating items, to reduce waste.
-I've been spending a lot of time trying to understand my options for when I leave work & the best way to optimize that.
-I combined a day of PTO with a three day company closure for a vacation, to minimize PTO usage.
-Similar to Kristen's win, combined CVS rewards, coupons & offers to save on some sunblock, which we always seem to need.
-My dermatologist told me that I needed to move to SPF/UPF shirts vs relying on sunblock when I workout out outside. I ordered a few options on Amazon using a gift card, and will return what doesn't work.
My favorite sunblock shirts are fishing shirts. Columbia makes decent looking ones for women. I pick them up at thrift stores, garage sales. They wear like a silk shirt but resist bugs and block the sun and have a vented back placket.
Trick for cancelling a free subscription: After signing up, cancel it immediately. You still get your free period but don't have to remember to cancel the subscription.
I immediately cancel free amazon prime subscriptions now because once I missed the deadline and got hit with a monthly fee. Amazon gives me 30 days free at least 3 times a year.
As noted by my post last week, my overwhelming schedule sent me the opposite direction from you into extravagance. I think the difference is you have a very set routine. I am in brand new situations where I can not predict what the next day will bring. Emotionally it is jarring and the patience to wait for the perfect purchase or to notice a cheap alternative just isn't there. However, using people's advice last week ( little by little), I have frugalities this week:
1. My father is safely in a senior village. I have asked Life Alert to send me the prepaid envelope to return his beeper. Dad won't have access to his mail yet and I don't want to be charged. I am now saving 19.99 a month since I was paying the monthly fee.
2. I brought a lunchable to the oncologist's office while my husband had his appointment. I felt totally stupid eating in front of people during their trying circumstances but it was lunchtime and I didn't want to buy a candy bar like I did the previous time.
3. I prepaid the Steinway Company to tune my piano on their website. They have never scheduled me and won't return my calls. I have alerted PayPil and this week will call BBB on them. Who would think?
4. I kept to simple meals of grilled cheese and salad. Hubby doesn't mind repetition and the ease of it is soothing ( pre cut cheese which is more expensive but a lot less expensive than dining out.)
@Mary Ann, it is really hard to find a piano tuner these days. There are 2 semi-local guys, and getting them to return phone calls, much less drive up the hill to our little town feels like an ordeal. I played on Sunday and the piano set my teeth on edge… thought about having the guitarists tune to match the messed up piano! I wouldn’t have thought to contact Steinway directly (ours is a K Kawai) but now I know to NOT do that. Thank you!
I have a tuner that's been tuning my piano since I bought it, and I dearly hope he doesn't retire any time soon. Ha.
My tuner is a blind chap who was a teenager when he began tuning my 1850's cabinet grand. He has trained his nephew and two sons, bless him! I saw 2 grand pianos free this week at estate sales.
That's a lot of stress and upheaval all at once, friend! And I cheer you on with your Lunchable. You cannot be a good support to others if you are starving.
Meeting your needs is paramount right now in your situation. Think of it as putting the oxygen on yourself first in order to right the ship. If help is offered for you to decompress, jump at it!
1. Returned a squeegee to Lowe's and got a $7.51 refund. It turned out that the box of window film had a little squeegee in it for us to use when we put that on the west window.
2. Indoor TV antenna does not work very well with the insulation in the window. Bought a longer coaxial cable at Salvation Army for $1.99 plus tax, $2.15 total. Found out it would not work because the square antenna I have has its cable permanently attached, so I brought in the old rabbit ears from the den TV. Was able to watch Jeopardy last night. (The things I do to get free TV!)
3. Bought 2 half gallons of Blue Bell Ice Cream the last day it was on sale, thus saving close to 4 bucks. In our hot 100 degrees summer weather, ice cream is practically a necessity!
4. Was given a little jar of Half and Half to take home after a neighborhood get together yesterday. The neighbor lady who hosts the block parties invited several gals over for coffee. She doesn't do dairy so a guest brought a jar of creamer but didn't want to take it home. Instead of discarding it, they asked if anyone would like it and no one else did so I spoke up right before they were about to pour it down the drain.
5. Line dried the laundry, once again taking advantage of the summer heat.
6. Meanwhile, Snuggles and I got up early to have breakfast on the patio before it gets too hot and humid, so he is wagging his tail to tell you all hello.
Hi, Snuggles. Boxer/whippet mix Johnny and I say "hi" back.
William B., Snuggles is wagging his tail to tell you and Johnny hello right back atcha. But now he is returning to chewing his bone.
Good morning, Snuggles! Kisses to you, num,num, num.
I don't think you need to worry about your judgement, Kristen. You seem to do fine in that area. So if my next rant is not appropriate just delete it. I am 81, bedfast and wear a pacemaker, etc. I am so very lucky to have a wonderful husband and a best friend who take amazing care of me. I want to compliment and thank all of the members here who do so many things to help their older friends and family. You are true angels . Please don't fail to keep up the great work. Kristen, it goes without saying you are an angel for pursuing nursing. I read this first thing every morning and I apologize if I have overstepped . Thanks to all of you.
Sending you a hug, Linda. Your message is very sweet.
Thank you, Have a great frugal week!
Aww, this is so sweet, Linda! I'm so glad you can be a part of our community here, even from your bed. Isn't the internet wonderful?
It certainly is.
This isn't a rant, Linda-it's a lovely comment! Take good care-Amy
Thank you.
FFT including things I did and things I "encouraged" hubby to do:
* Made menu plan and grocery list based on the Publix sale ad, particularly focusing on the BOGO items
* Continue to weed the flowerbed myself instead of paying someone to do it
* Hubby got out his ladder and with the help of our son, cut down the dead tree limb instead of paying someone to do it
* While ladder was out of the garage, we cleaned the massive amount of leaves off that had collected on the roof and in the gutters.
* Cooked meals at home and baked bread
Not so frugal to me:
* While on the phone with our daughter, I heard grandson ask for milk and she told him they were out. Grandson was home sick and to keep pregnant daughter from taking sick toddler to the store, I took the new carton of milk just purchased to their house. I just have to remember to purchase more milk before we keep grandson on Friday!
1. LLBean sent a 15% off promo code for its card holders, so I ordered $40 bath towel for $9 using BeanBucks and free shipping, of course. (The only credit card we have is LLBean because for years that was my go-to for clothing, and now you get credits for all the usage in the form of “BeanBucks”.)
2. A friend has an incredible garden and shared tomatoes and zucchini, enough for me to pass along.
3. I ordered a book using zip books through library—if a book is older than a year and still in print, patrons can order it, Amazon sends it, and after reading it, the patron returns it to the library, which pays for the book.
4. I froze leftover coffee in an ice cube tray and used it to make a blended coffee the next morning
5. Going to a graveside service down the hill today about 10 miles from Big Town, so I’m taking a friend who doesn’t want to go alone and an ice chest to get groceries afterward. (She can catch a ride with someone else heading back to our town if she doesn’t want to go grocery shopping in Big Town with me.)
What a great deal on the towel! And you know it'll be a lovely, fluffy one.
I did not get that promotion although I did get a 10 dollar off coupon. I use LLbean now instead of Chicos. It takes forever for my beans bucks to hit. But today's shirt was free.
Whenever I need shirts or sweaters, after checking my favorite resale shop, I look on the L L Bean website. They are certainly not low priced, but they have 100% cotton, which is impossible to find in my area, and most items last much longer than average. Last year I returned a cotton top that was badly pilled after wearing just a couple of months and they refunded my money. I'm hooked.
1. I mended an apron.
2. The HVAC guy just left the house after giving our system a yearly review because not having it die on the coldest day of the year is priceless
3. I made hummus and granola instead of buying it from a deli.
4. Replaced a washer in our kitchen sink plumbing at the plumber's suggestion when we asked him for an estimate on replacing the whole thing when he was here to do something we couldn't DIY.
5. Idea shopping in thrift, regular, and online stores for the new to us RV with out buying because we're on Phase 1 - repairs. Once we get into the Gear and Decorate Phases I'll use the ideas to shop the house for stuff to use/repurpose for the RV
Kristen, I like how you foresee the future and take action right away to avoid consequences.
My Frugal 5s
• A generous friend gifted me a fresh harvest of homegrown zucchini and cucumbers straight from her garden.
• I scored two rompers for my youngest at Walmart marked down to just $1 each, adding to our growing stash of discounted summer clothes for the girls.
• We bought school supplies early to beat the rush, dodge potential shortages, and snag seasonal discounts. By reusing last year's leftovers, we only had to buy the few missing essentials.
• My family and I visited a local water park on their $8 discount day and spent a few hours making a splash.
• We are getting ready ahead of time for our cross-country trip to visit my mom. We are relying mostly on items we already own—like clothes, toiletries, sleep gear, and entertainment—while planning to buy snacks locally to avoid pricey last-minute convenience stops.
My partner was listening to a podcast that explained that stores are concerned that families will have less to spend on 'back to school' purchases, and if they don't get the initial sale, they may lose out entirely. As such, stores started stocking/promoting the back-to-school items starting in JUNE!!!
That's interesting to know!
My area pulls a school bus in front of all the Walmarts and people donate school supplies. It does very well. There are lists in the store of what is needed in each class.
Reusing last year's leftovers is the key to back to school shopping. Especially when the kids get older. They might need a handful of crayons but not a new box. I'd pay my kids 10% MOL of what we didn't have to buy (PE shoes excluded). It reinforced bringing home school supplies and keeping them in a place for the next school year.
1. I turned a tiny bag of cheez-its and a tiny bag of Halloween pretzels into bread crumbs. It made less than half a cup but added a dash of flavor.
2. I batched errands and had my son do the driving to get practice in.
3. I knew we wouldn’t get through all of our CSA produce so I prepped and froze a bunch for future meals.
4. My husband rendered his own beef tallow while smoking meat this weekend.
5. I finished another Libby book and quickly unsuspended another.
My son hasn’t needed much for school supplies the last couple of years. So much is done on school provided devices and what he has needed I’ve been able to find around the house. I decided that since he doesn’t need supplies, I could provide supplies for students in need. My son and I found a charity collecting school supplies and purchased what 10 kids would need. The back to school deals helped keep this frugal and made sure I could purchase good quality supplies.
1. I picked up some food (oatmeal, popcorn, snacks, coconut water, etc.) off Buy Nothing.
2. We decided to book another cruise for next year. We booked directly with the cruise line, who was offering a sale, and then transferred the booking to a travel agent. The travel agent gave us 4% back on the booking price and $200 in on board credits. We then paid for the cruise using the cruise line's credit card. The credit card had an introductory rate of 70,000 points if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and then 4x points for any amount spent on a cruise, therefore this will save us another $1,000 on the price of the cruise.
3. We are going to see a play this week. This theater allows food and drinks, which they also sell there (and my kids always want!). I purchased snacks ahead of time and will bring water.
4. I am eating leftovers for lunch this week. My husband is eating greens from our garden for lunch this week.
5. I dehydrated some left over tomatoes
I'm sorry you haven't gone to the symphony lately. Once you are part time perhaps. I am thinking of adding HBO to my streaming lists. Not sure. Cause of the kids I have so many. Plus, I could never give up Hallmark. What would life be without When Calls the Heart.
On weeks when I don’t feel frugal, all I have to do is read this post to realize, I AM frugal. Every day, in many ways! I:
* Make my own coffee, and in the afternoon, use the leftover to make an iced coffee with a scoop of protein powder.
* Hang my laundry in the sun to dry
* Visited my son who sent us home with 3 dozen eggs from his generous chickens
* Ate veggies from the garden
* Read books from the library
* Sold a chair on Marketplace, and when the came to pick it up, offered me $10 for the blanket I had on it. I didn’t need the blanket, I have plenty, so that worked out!
* Picked up my meds at the pharmacy, and the one that was $243, had gone down to $78.
And I’m off to put my sheets on the line to flap in the breeze and sunshine!
I remember well when I was finishing up my bsn, working, farming, momming, it was insane. I found zero time for fun. But, it passed in a blip and I still look back in wonder as to how the heck I did it.
Now in my first summer of retirement I have been to outdoor concerts, parades and reunions. Reconnecting with people beyond my farming community.
This week is freezing,canning , dehydrating and freeze drying stuff from the garden and orchards.
We had a rogue bee swarm collect in a lilac bush. My friend/hive mgr picked it up and gave it a home.
Thankful that I bought my diesel in December...
Continue to grocery shop once per month. Making sun tea, cold coffee, sunrise yoga.
-Promptly submitted travel statement for reimbursement after recent work trip.
-Packed most of my travel food to minimize eating out.
-Processed several returns before the return windows closed. (Trying to get shoes for son, still no luck yet)
-Made soup to strategically use up food on hand, even though it's not really soup weather.
-Agreed to cover a few extra days at work.
-Submitting tuition waiver forms for my grad classes each semester, and working hard to make good grades. Approaching the halfway point of the program!
-Park walks, home strength training, and community volleyball are all free (though I happily pay team fees when the competitive leagues are in session).
-Rocking the simple lifestyle over here with old cars, thrifted clothes, bare nails, and eating leftovers... 🙂
PS - Kristen, you're juggling a lot, so I'm thankful to hear that you're able to move to 2 shifts a week for now!
Forgot to mention that my rental car for the work trip was a new black Honda Civic, which of course made me think of Kristen. Felt very sporty compared to the 2004 Civic our teens drive...
My area pulls a school bus in front of all the Walmarts and people donate school supplies. It does very well. There are lists in the store of what is needed in each class.
Did you have a sunroof too??
No sunroof...
I have a few to share....
1. Food bank extras I was given: cookie bar, hand pie, 3 zucchinis, makeup (16 things total)
2. We went to a stag and drag for our son's friend. We helped them make food and cleanup. We were sent home with a tray of macaroni salad. While we did spend $$ there, we did win a kate spade purse (worth $300) and hubby won a 250th anniversary special edition american ruger rifle (worth $700).
3. Used a BOGO coupon on pizza order and saved over $17.
4. I was gifted a $15 gift card to my favorite chocolate store, just because 🙂
5. A co-worker no longer has chickens, so she gave me her extra food, egg cartons and bedding.
This week, I:
-dehydrated some zucchini purchased at $1/lb
-picked 10.5 lbs of blueberries for eating fresh, jams, and pie fillings
-bought my shampoo bars at a buy one get one 70% off deal
That's about all I can come up with.
How do you end up using the dehydrated zucchini?
- I'm working on making a new kitchen sponge out of some old scratchy curtain material found on a porch awhile ago that I cut into strips. It's gotten to the point of ridiculousness because I have to seal the cut sides off with a lighter before crocheting the sponge to avoid little fibers going everywhere, but at least it keeps something out of the landfill awhile longer.
- I've set a "no ordering" policy until we move.
- I picked up the abandoned travel coffee mug from the entrance to our neighborhood (it sat for over 2 weeks). Not sure if I'll keep it, but it can go to my husband's work as an extra if not.
- I'm using up the bottles of "clarifying" and medicated shampoo in my shower instead of buying another tube of my daily shampoo in anticipation of saving room in my suitcase.
- I reminded my spouse that we can wait just a little longer to check out books from the new-to-us, more extensive library after our move instead of ordering everything in his shopping cart now.
I told the NCA group yesterday that a storm had knocked out my power, and I was waiting to hear when it would be restored. Well, it was restored 8 hours after it was lost, which was bad news for the food in my fridge. The freezer is okay, but from the fridge I have to throw out: milk, eggs, cream cheese, salad dressing, meatballs in marinara sauce, celery, peas, mayonnaise, and bacon bits. It could have been worse. I was making do until grocery day on Saturday.
I don't know how to spin this as frugal except to say I will utilize the food in my freezer as much as possible, and I still hope to stick to the plan to grocery shop on Saturday. I may do a little eating out, as there is still plenty of money in that bucket, and it would be nice to treat myself a bit after such a stressful event.
Today I have been reading and watching Emma, and Daisy Jones and the Six. The weather is cooler and there is no need for air conditioning.
I was very glad I had a portable charger so could stay connected to friends and family.
I feel like 8 hrs is ok for a fridge during an outage, especially if you don't open it much. Maybe I just live life on the edge, though.
PD, I'm with you. We had a 12-hour outage two years ago and didn't lose any food. The Internet said to toss after four hours. No way! If you don't open your fridge or freezer, you might be better off than you think. Smell everything before tossing anything. We're vegetarian so we didn't have any meat, fish, or fowl to contend with.
I'd give mayo an extra "sniff" - especially if it had been open for a while (and a long hard look at best use by date). But I too think the food was okay.
We had a 28 hour power outage. We ran the generator once the better half got up (think early - 4:30 am) and I'd shut it off when I went to bed (10:30 pm). The frig door was not opened during that time.
But I understand erring on the side of caution.
I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you have a cooler or coolbag? I always store food in there with an iceblock when I have to clean my fridge (I haven't had any power outages but same principle).
I packed lunches every day for work, ordered water as my drink when hubby and I had a restaurant date, ordered some books I needed from Thrift Books, waited for my Spotify audiobook listening hours to reset instead of paying for more hours, and waited for another audiobook to show up on my library Libby app. When I got the notice that it was available, I had forgotten how much I wanted to buy it a few weeks ago. Patience is frugal!
I have such a low tolerance for credit card stuff. I have two- an AMEX that earns me Hilton points, and a Visa card from my credit union that’s cash back. Over time I got rid of store cards.
I started writing what i spend during the day in small notebook.
Sounds like you're handling this busy season well, but I'm sure you'll enjoy having fewer shifts!
1. I cut open my BB cream and got 2 more uses out of it.
2. We're eating veggies from the garden.
3. I saved $50 by signing my son up for his homeschool credits early.
4. My husband got some free stickers for his Bird Bingo! lol
5. He bought a couple items at the bargain store and also picked up a sweet potato from their free box.
More details and photos here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/07/25/frugal-five-freebies/
Now that you have cancelled HBO, you need to get a month of BritBox so you can watch The Other Bennet Sister. It'sooooooo good.
Great reminder that being frugal isn’t about being perfect—it’s about knowing yourself and creating habits that make good choices easier. I especially appreciate the honesty and practical approach. Thanks for sharing! AFFJ
Last week I went to 2 free entertainment library programs about area revolutionary historical women.
Our Monday walk took us along woods and a river. I knew there were picnic benches overlooking the river, so I suggested we bring our drink and snack to enjoy the view and company after our walk. One person so kindly brought delicious homemade granola bars for everyone and has since shared the recipe.
Removing one car from our expenses: registration, insurance, repairs. I suggested to my husband that I did not feel comfortable having him drive anymore. He agreed. (I pray I don't get to that stage.) We are giving the car to my daughter, who needs to replace her 20+ year old car.
Eating at home. Coffee from home. Water from home.