Five Frugal Things | Will write for $2500
1. I started the process of applying for a hospital grant
Part of the tuition reimbursement program at my hospital is grant-based, and that requires the usual scholarship/grant hoop-jumping.
Luckily, I'm good at this after all my previous scholarship applications, as well as my divorce paperwork and name change paperwork.
I made a folder on my computer's desktop to hold all the documents, and now I have a little collection going, including my RN license, my college acceptance letter, and my course of study.
I'm just waiting on some transcripts to arrive, and I also need a signed paper from my clinical director.
Of course, an essay was also required, but that was honestly the easiest part for me!
This up to $2500, and that's enough to motivate my frugal heart. 😉
2. I used a Panera gift card for a cheap dinner
On Friday, I did something similar to the recent Firehouse subs night; I had a gift card that covered almost the whole meal, so I only paid $5 out of pocket.
My sandwich came with a very thick piece of bread on top, so I saved part of that and stuck it in the fridge overnight (it had mayo on it!)
And then I toasted it in a pan to eat with my breakfast eggs.
3. I offloaded my red onions
This isn't frugal for me, but it was for someone else.
Hungry Harvest sent me EIGHTEEN red onions. Eighteen!! Geez.
So, I listed them on my Buy Nothing group because there's no way Zoe and I will get through eighteen red onions, and I don't really like red onions that much anyway.
(Normally, I customize my Hungry Harvest to avoid this type of problem. But I was at work and missed the customization window!)
Incidentally: food almost always goes quickly on my Buy Nothing group, so if you need to offload some, list it! It probably won't go to waste.
4. I made a use-it-up pasta salad for lunch
I combined:
- the last of the protein pasta
- the last few cucumbers
- a small container of salad dressing from a Panera salad (they always send too much dressing!)
- the last piece of Colby-Jack cheese
- a Hungry Harvest avocado
- some of the parsley left from when I made falafel
And I also added some pepperoni and tomatoes that I bought that day.
It is so satisfying to clean out the fridge this way!
5. I...
- made some chocolate pudding to use up the last of the milk
- sautéed some wrinkly apples to eat on oatmeal
- made a batch of roasted carrots and beets, because it would be easy for me to ignore the Hungry Harvest beets until it's too late!
I basically did them like these roasted carrots, figuring it would work out fine. And it did.
I'll make this a frugal list from the last couple of weeks since I haven't chimed in for a while.
1. While at the zoo on a day off of school, Sam's Club had a tent where they were offering really cheap memberships. We had let our membership lapse a few weeks prior (we always stock up at the end of our year, then take a month or so off to save $). These promos never apply to people who have had memberships before when you try to do it on your own, but this employee was happy to do it for me. We ended up getting a Plus membership (free shipping!) for less than the cost of a regular membership, which is helpful since we're 45 minutes away from a Sam's Club.
2. We went out of town for a few days and packed food to cook all of our meals once we got there.
3. We stayed at a state park "lodge" (aka probably the former park ranger's house), which is the most expensive state park option, but cheaper than renting a house that's not at a state park. Especially when you throw in that it's on Lake Michigan's shoreline.
4. I used Kohl's cash to buy boring things like sweatpants for my daughter since Goodwill didn't have any in her size.
5. We did get a number of things from Goodwill, though - sweatshirts, sweatpants for other kids, and a costume.
Kristen, on our drive home Sunday we passed a Goodwill Outlet and it was one of those places like you stopped at with Katy! They were closed on Sundays and it probably would not have been a good idea to go there with my whole family, but it was fun to see in person what you had written about just a few weeks before.
@Ruth T, would you be willing to share the name / location of the state park you stayed at on Lake Michigan?
@Ruth T, I had never heard about the Goodwill Outlet until Kristen wrote about it. Turns out there is one in our town. We stopped by on the way home Saturday, but we didn't find anything of interest.
@Jean C, It was Mears State Park in Pentwater. 3 bed, 2 bath, full kitchen, back deck, grills, fire pit... it's really great! It has a dune you can explore right behind it. It's a bit dated, but was really clean and the kitchen was really well stocked with cooking items.
@Ruth T,
Before Covid, I used to go to the GW Outlet (The Bins) frequently. There was a small store near me which closed in 2020 and never reopened. I would find wonderful things. I sold some of my finds, and some I kept for myself. It was an adventure in thrifting.
I don't think that I would bring young children along with me. It can be a bit chaotic. When the new bins are rolled out and permission is granted, there is a huge rush as everyone begins digging through the merchandise.
Also I would recommend that you bring a bag with you as well as gloves and hand sanitizer. If you are sensitive to dust or other airborne allergens, you may want to wear a mask.
Gas is $2.67 here and $2.78 where I work.
Frugal fail as I cleaned out the fridge and there were several things I hadn't used. Will try better with what I got in Saturday's Misfit box. I got chicken salad at Aldi and gave myself a talkin' to, that if I buy it, I have to eat it. The one with jalapeños was $.40 cheaper than the regular and it is not too hot.
I was so tired Saturday and Sunday that rather than unload the Misfits box, I stuck a spare frozen "Creative Ice" gel pack in it. The box is well enough insulated that that made for a cheap cooler. I use the same gel pack in the insulated bag I use for the milk I get on Sundays.
I have been able to make four meals from my Domino's meal from Friday night. And the lava cakes are so rich, that I cut them in half to eat with ice cream. The ice cream was $2 cheaper than usual. I have finally settled on the one I like best that comes in a gallon pail and of course it is the most expensive but still cheaper than pseudo half gallons (56 ounces).
With the cooler weather, I've been looking on eBay for flannel pj's. It is true that if you put items in your watch list, the seller offers it at a lower price. The first pair I got yesterday are really cute, with ruffles at the hems. Which is okay, but I am 4'10" and will have to shorten them by taking a tuck around the leg. Usually with jersey knit, I just cut them off because after all, they are just pjs.
What a satisfying pasta salad you made!
- Went and spent time with 2 people at the same coffee shop back to back so I just ordered once! (Then helped my mom pay for treats for neighbors going through some stuff so we ended up supporting the local business well and my saved $ on my own purchases was turned into and opportunity for generosity).
-Appreciating good skillets and kitchen tools as a frugal win. Even if they are higher quality and a bit pricey, the right tools make cooking more joyful, are less likely to stick/burn, and last hopefully "forever."
-Did not have any unexpected $$$$ bills this week which have been coming a lot recently so I'm gonna count that as thankful and frugal.
-Wear my child-sized Adidas shoes every chance I get. Frugal and COMFY!
-Thanksgiving cactus in bloom - frugal beauty.
@Heather Mar, small feet can be a blessing or a curse (need a wide or narrow size, W for me). Upside is I've been finding more W widths in the children's section.
--My husband and I are already planning next year's garden! He asked what I had in mind for next season; I handed him my seed inventory notebook and told him to make a list of what he wanted. I added it to my own list and started working on succession and companion planting plans. I still have an embarrassment of seeds, so there's no need for more. I did spent $10 on sale netting to foil the &$(#^# cabbage worms next year, but that's the only expense anticipated thus far.
--Our irises are the housewarming gift that keep on giving. I just split another group to fill an empty spot by the herb bed. I will be splitting the tiger lilies that came with the house to fill in spots where mowing is a pain.
--Bonus garden frugality: While doing fall clean up, I came across several sunflower seed heads. A severe storm took out my sunflower wall at summer's end, so this was a happy discovery! I sprinkled the seeds around their destined bed to get a head start on next year's flower wall, though I'll of course plant more because my seed stash includes fun sunflower colors. 😉
--As is tradition, I used my monthly $10 CVS Extra Bucks to stock my husband up on work snacks. The nuts and popcorn he likes were already on sale, plus coupons, so I only paid 39 cents for a decent munchie haul.
--I downloaded the Purina app after reading that it automatically offered generous pet treat coupons to new members. Our feline trio knows to work my husband for excess treats, so the discounts were much appreciated. ;P
--For the low, low price of $5, my husband and I bought the BIGGEST pumpkin we've ever had from an intrepid preteen farmer. Last night, we spent two hours sitting on the kitchen floor drawing test faces on notebook paper, cleaning, carving, and debating our pumpkin's placement in the yard for peak visibility. Our (completely indoor) feline trio gathered round while we were in the kitchen and seemed much amused.
@N, for the umpteenth time, I’m wishing we were neighbors! (And it still tickles me that your town has the same name as the town down the hill from me.)
@N,
I gave up on trying to grow cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts because of the cursed cabbage worms. I tried an organic BST spray, BUT you have to re-apply every two weeks (or more often if it rains), and cover every leaf surface every time. Let us know how the nets work next year.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, HUGS
@Liz B., I'm netting an entire bed dedicated to brassicas, so here's hoping! I'll be sure to report back.
FFT, Miscellany Edition:
(1) A widowed former neighbor has finally put her house down the street on the market. (She moved to a smaller house all on one floor a while ago, but she’s needed some time to get organized for the sale of the house here–especially as her late husband was a hoarder.) She left one thing behind in her yard that I wanted: a small white stone statue done by her late brother-in-law, who was a talented sculptor but a trial to his family in other respects. My friend didn’t want it and readily agreed that I could take it. It’s now in what’s becoming the “statuary museum” area of my gardens, where it joins my curb-picked Buddha and the Hebe (she’s the cup-bearer to the Greek gods) that DH bought at a flea market many years ago.
(2) I got down to the Salvation Army superstore for “multiple tag colors 50% off” last Wednesday, to Clothes Mentor last Thursday, and to Second Time Around yesterday, for the first thrifting I've done in ages. Some good finds at all, including a pair of HOKA sneakers at the SA for $7.50 (a slight bit of wear on them, but they’re my “test drives” for deciding whether I want to buy some HOKAs new), and a NWT Columbia rain jacket and a couple of other things at Clothes Mentor with a "$10 off $50" coupon.
(3) I went to the Regional Market last Saturday and came home with a plethora of produce: two Honeynut squashes (Honeynut is a cross between Butternut and something else, and a perfect size for one person), tomatoes, green beans, carrots, beets, and a dozen free-range eggs (from one of the folks who do a few eggs from a few chickens, not a big-time egg raiser)–for a total of $16.
(4) I'm planning to spend as much of today and tomorrow as possible putting my yard and gardens to bed for the winter. The forecast is for rain for most of the following week, starting with an inch and a half on Thursday.
(5) And, given the forecast for Halloween plus the fact that the number of trick or treaters on our street last year was 0, I’m going to put out all the lights in front at dusk on Friday and hole up in my office at the back of the house. Anyone can call me Halloween Scrooge, but I’m not going to shell out for candy that’s not likely to be used (and that I might be tempted to eat).
I also am not giving out candy because I’m gonna be at work! I won’t get home until after trick or treat hours are past.
@A. Marie, I love the Regional Market. We went to a wedding in B'ville a few weeks ago, and made sure to get to the Regional Market before the wedding. The farmers and sellers have such good produce there. Have not been to another Farmer's Market that can compare to the Regional Market. I miss it so much that whenever we are in the area, we make sure to go.
@A. Marie,
I just had my first honeynut squash. They are just right, as you said, for one, and quite tasty.
@Maureen, dang, I'm sorry I didn't know you were going to be in the area! (Of course, that might have been the weekend I was at the JASNA AGM.) And I too love the Regional Market, despite the facts that some of the buildings badly need renovation and that Saturday parking is a nightmare if you don't get there by 8:30 am. I'm looking forward to when the market goes into holiday mode; the smell of the fresh Christmas trees and wreaths is intoxicating in the best way, and there's usually a guy in Shed C playing carols on his tuba. 🙂
@Kristen, and A.Marie,
Same here. I'll be at work for Halloween, so I will rope off my porch and put up a sign saying to go to my church's Trunk or Treat instead. (It is located close to my house.) I collect and save candy all year round, getting free candy from the bank or a restaurant that gives it with their check, and then take my stash -- a whole bucket full of random candies -- in for the Trunk or Treat project. Last year, I decorated my car and participated in person -- using items I already had, I didn't buy anything new. This year, I'm happy to let others give out the candy for me instead. I also brought them a bag of candy from Ollie's Outlet.
But I wonder: instead of candy, wouldn't it be better to hand out something like chips, raisins, animal crackers or food for SNAP (food stamp) families who aren't getting their benefits this November? Too late to change course now, but I wish we'd known that the government shutdown would continue, so that we could've done something to really help those folks.
I have seen a lot of discussion on social media about the SNAP/Halloween idea, and the general consensus seems to be that it would be better to let people just enjoy Halloween as a non-stressful, kid-centered holiday, and donate the food to pantries in your area. That way you're still helping people who need it, but the kids can just have fun getting treats without having to take on the stress of getting food to feed themselves/their families.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
I live in a little neighborhood. Most of us have lived here for 20 - 30 years. We all had children around the same age when we moved in. The kids grew up, but the parents never left. On Halloween, we often gather in someone's driveway, and we hand out buckets of candy to a handful of children that pass by.
This year one of our neighbors who coordinates Blessings in a Backpack at our local church has asked us to bring food items to help those in need. My husband and I have been asked to bring 10 jars of peanut butter.
Here is more info on this program. It is designed to alleviate childhood hunger. https://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/
1. Saw the Julia Child exhibit at the Minnesota History Center with my sister and a friend. Delightful. Got the senior discount, saving a few bucks. Went out to brunch afterward where I redeemed an offer of free pancakes when celebrating my belated birthday. Brought half the order home in my trusty container and ate that for breakfast the next day.
2. Cleaned out the garage workshop with my husband and gave away a bunch of things to Habitat Restore and Buy Nothing. Took the rest to metal recycling and household hazardous waste. Didn’t even know we owned some of this stuff!
3. Received a 20% off coupon for a future Habitat Restore purchase, on account of my donation of various home renovation items.
4. Found an unopened tube of Bert’s Bees lip balm in the park. Sometimes it actually pays to pick up trash.
5. Picked up a free container of paint at our county’s ReUse Room that is very close to the existing color in our garage workshop. Painted the section that sorely needed it and harmony is restored.
@MB in MN,
I would love to see the Julia Child exhibit. She was such an interesting woman. I recently read her autobiographical book, My Life in France. Although I knew her life story, I enjoyed it just the same.
@Bee, and speaking of late bloomers (as we were doing yesterday), Julia Child was one of the best. She didn't start teaching cooking till after she was 40, and The French Chef didn't hit the airwaves till after she was 50. Also, I love her and Paul's love story.
@MB in MN, Have you seen Julie and Julia? That's a really fun film!
@Sophie in Denmark, I just rewatched it! So good.
@MB in MN, sure does. once at the old world trade center i found a book of stamps on the floor. a whole book. i was there to do a mystery shop at the borders books.
@MB in MN,
I so wanted to see the Julia Child exhibit when it was in Cincinnati! Glad you enjoyed it.
@MB in MN, I used to love going to the Minnesota History Center when I lived in St. Paul. At that time, entry was free so I went often. A Julia Child exhibit sounds like so much fun. Too bad I don't live there any longer.
Not that you need to spend the time on this, but just tossing it out there: I always have thinly sliced pickled onions in my refrigerator: water, vinegar, salt, a bit of sugar, heated until boiling in the microwave and then put the sliced onion in. You can follow a recipe the first time and then just wing it. I love these in salads, but they're also very useful when you want just a bit of onion but don't want to slice a whole one, like in a pan sauce. Onions also freeze really well diced, either cooked or not.
Frugal things:
--Winter coats are always a challenge with my sons. They do not like puffy parka-style coats. They do like the Carhartt-style lined canvas jackets, though, and I have discovered that Walmart sells a Wrangler version of these for $35 that all of them will wear. It's not the absolute warmest, but it's warm enough for their everyday wear. Also, the canvas top layer is less likely to get ripped than nylon. And anything they will actually wear is warmer than nothing. 🙂
--We now have four of those Wrangler jackets for each male in the household, but the younger two boys are wearing jackets this year passed down from their older brothers as they grew out of them.
--Middle son is on a week-long FFA cross-country trip. So of course he informs me two days before he leaves that his jeans are getting too small. Ugh. I cannot just "run to s store" here. I need lead time for online shopping. However! Miracle of miracles, I had in the boys' hand-me-down bag not one, not two, but FOUR pairs of jeans his older brother outgrew fast enough that they were still in good condition.
--Same son also informed me about three days before this trip that the hand-me-down flip phone we got going for him specifically for these sorts of trips was not working. This was not something we could replace in time for this particular trip. We did have a smart phone waiting to be put into service for my husband that we considered letting son have, but in the end we decided to still have my husband use that and get another flip phone for the middle son. He hates phones anyway and doesn't want a smart phone, and we don't really want him to have one. Also, a flip phone is $58 dollars. For very occasional texting and calling, it's good enough.
--My sister and her boyfriend stopped here on their way home from Kentucky, where he boyfriend helps run a climbing camp for disabled people every year. They helped close down the camp, and my sister brought me a bunch of food from the kitchen they were going to throw away. Commercial sized cans of chickpeas, black beans, and tomato sauce, as well as a big bag of jasmine rice. I will use it all. We also got a bunch of pasta from our elderly friend yesterday when my husband brought him his yearly calabaza (a type of local winter squash we grow every year and the seeds for which originally came from this elderly friend). Free food is my favorite. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, thanks for the tip about pickled onions. I'm going to try this.
@kristin @ going country, Do you have a tip to not have your freezer smell like onions when you freeze them? I only attempted freezing fresh (diced) onions once and I just could not deal with the onion smell every time I opened the freezer.
@Geneva, I just have them in a zip-top bag specifically for freezers, which I believe have thicker plastic, and I've never had a problem with the smell. You could also use a screw-top jar to really contain the smell. I have to use plastic in mine because for some reason glass always breaks in my freezers, but you could use a canning jar if that works in your freezer.
This post on using up items in the refrigerator spoke to my frugal heart. Since I cook only for myself, I can be creative. A pasta dish that tastes flat the first day gets perked up with shots of sriracha sauce. When the salad falls flat, I add vinegar and mustard to the homemade salad dressing on day two. If my oatmeal is bland, I add dried apples (apples gifted from a friend's apple tree and dried in my 50-year-old dehydrator) to it. Thanks for your inspiration, Kristin.
Yep, exactly! If you are just feeding you, it's ok if something goes a little wrong. 🙂
I went through my fridge this morning to see if I could put off grocery shopping until Friday and I can! I rescued half a tomato, some kale, some olives, and the rest of a block of cheese. I am currently doing a freezer clean out in preparation for Thanksgiving, so I am working my way through some of that, too. Today I will also:
*set up a free oil change and tire rotation for my car
*take some stuff to Goodwill that is cluttering my garage
*walk (free exercise)
*coffee, dinner and entertainment in the form of a puzzle at home
I would have gladly taken those red onions off your hands - I love them and they keep for a loooong time.
I’ve discovered that I really like pickled onions. That’s what I would have done!
My FFT:
1. I had some older onions sprouting so I looked it up. They can be planted. I peeled off the excess onion and separated the sprouts then planted them shallowly. The sickly yellow tops have turned green and they are straightening up so I feel hopeful.
2. I had ingredients leftover from making a party mix for the at-risk kids my church helps, enough to make a new batch. Except I didn’t have the M&M’s. I remembered no one at work eats the little packs of them that come in the mixed candy bags we buy for our candy bowl, so I took the party mix to work and dumped a bunch of the M&M’s in there. Now the M&M’s are getting eaten and I didn’t have to buy more.
3. I went to the local festival and got the free fish fry plate instead of paying for a food truck meal. My county bills it as the world’s largest free fish fry and it probably is. Two fish filets, beans and hush puppies, all cooked by volunteers.
4. I took my car back to Reasonable Mechanic instead of the wildly overpriced dealer for the oil change.
5. I have switched health and drug insurance plans for next year. This should save me almost $150 a month. My new internet plan is saving me $35 a month.
@JD, people DON’T EAT THE M&Ms!? Whatsa mattah with them? I am a die-hard dark chocolate eater and even I struggle to resist M&Ms.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana and @JD, I don't get it about the M&Ms either. I've often said that for my last meal, I plan to have a gin and tonic in one hand and a bag of M&Ms in the other. 😛
@A. Marie, That works for any meal for me!
@Sophie in Denmark, I spit on my phone - thanks for the laugh!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Peanut M&Ms are my absolute favorite candy. I never buy them for Halloween, because I would eat them all. Every. Last. One.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, and all:
All I can tell you is that something is seriously wrong with these people. I love dark chocolate best, too, but I have to stay far away from regular M&M's or I will devour them.
I have to confess I don't eat peanut M&M's. I have never liked roasted peanuts, although I like peanut butter and boiled peanuts.
We have been out of town a lot this month, so not really all that frugal.
However, we went to a wedding this past weekend. I pulled a dress from the closet that is too big because of weight loss. It felt comfortable compared to the last time I wore it. But I will wash it and see if I can get rid of it somehow since I have no intention of going back to that size.
Husband's suit fit, and it was still in the plastic from the dry cleaner, so he was all set too.
We purchased a small coffee maker to bring with us on trips and it broke over the weekend so we had to purchase coffee as our daughter doesn't drink coffee. Guess we will have to go on a quest to purchase another small, inexpensive coffee pot to bring with us.
Will be paying a bill today to get a 4% discount on it if it is paid by 11/1. You know that's a good discount.
Will also be ordering pictures from Shutterfly as I have a 50 free prints and free shipping.
@Maureen, Starbuck’s instant coffee, Via, is very overpriced but just as good as dripped coffee. If you can stand spending for the coffee, it might be less than buying a coffee pot and the small hassle of hauling it along.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Agree on the Starbuck’s instant coffee. My colleague and I would take it to China with us when we went for work as it was the easiest way to get coffee in the morning. Given that we were in a foreign country, tired, and working hard; the expense seemed justifiable.
FFT:
1) We have a yearly contract with our HVAC company that includes twice-yearly maintenance. We had an issue that we called them to check out. The technician found the drain line was clogged and he said it should have been found during our yearly maintenance, so he fixed it without a charge.
2) Our garden is still producing cherry tomatoes. I used some to make chickpea salad for lunch this week.
3) I'm still working on cleaning out flowerbeds that our yard guy was going to charge a lot to do. I ordered a weed killer that is supposed to kill crabgrass. I priced checked the weed killer and found Amazon was 75% cheaper than Home Depot.
4) We're continuing to work with our insurance company to get reimbursed for expenses related to the tornado damage. Their adjuster didn't include the fence damage even though it was part of the claim. Thankfully DH had taken pictures of the damage as evidence of the damage for our claim.
5) The usual stuff like bringing breakfast and lunch to work every day instead of eating out.
@Beverly, good for your diligence and DH’s photos. Insurance companies specialize in shirking when it is time to pay a claim. I believe they train their people to wear down the customers. (What? me, cynical??)
1) Credit card comes with Apple TV subscription, so we cancelled Netflix & are watching Ted Lasso.
2) Booked a hotel for girls Greece trip, and took advantage of a double dip offer - $250 statement credits & I should be getting $100 cash back. I will need to verify that the $100 cash back clears as well. The reservation also comes with a $100 hotel dining credit, and free breakfast.
3) Made a large sheet pan + chicken sausage dinner on Saturday & it was delicious & yielded a lot of leftovers. We will have the rest for dinner tonight.
4) Asked DH to make Persian rice on Sunday, knowing that we had two freezer dinners that needed rice. On Sunday, we had the rice with a tomato/garbanzo bean/beef dish & yesterday had it with a chicken & veggie curry. Using up freezer leftovers for the win!
5) Packed carefully for my upcoming trip to avoid needing to check a bag. We are flying Southwest, and while it used to be free, you now have to pay & I most certainly don't want to do that. I hate checking a bag anyway, and avoid it (almost) always.
@Hawaii Planner, tell us more about Persian rice?
Oooh, I have seen this in a Cook's Country magazine and it looked SO good!
I have been replenishing my pantry.After Covid it was stuffed, and we ate it down, but lately, feeling like it may be a good idea to replenish so I am shopping sale flyers and Winco to beef up supplies a bit. We still have a lot of dry beans stored.
As inflation/recession or WHATEVER comes down the road, it is always good to have food in the pantry purchased at YESTERDAY’S prices.
When I was a young married girl with a baby and a husband who worked all day and was in school at night, we had to be VERY frugal. Our parents were not in a position to help us with education . Their help with babysitting, love, and dinners at their house was always a very valued resource however!! . So we did it mostly ourselves..and those frugality skill have stayed with me all my life, even after we graduated and got decent jobs.. so I never waste and I ALWAYS shop sales or resale. Frugality and living beneath our means is an ingrained habit, and it helped us retire a few years early.
Biggest frugalities lately: We do not go out to eat hardly ever.If we do it is simple breakfast or lunch with coupons or specials we find. But,I happen to LOVE my own cooking, and cooking is a HOBBY , so setting a pretty table, putting some music on (free) spotify and enjoying a happy meal together is easy.
Most of my hobbies are cheap or free.I meet with friends at their community clubhouse to do arts and crafts day (scrapbooking etc.) I take free watercolor classes on youtube and practice here at home.I play cards weekly with neighbors, we take turns hosting and making a lunch.
I ride my bike, my husband and I hike our local mountains. I use our treadmill which I purchased on marketplace wayback for my 65th birthday.
Life is good. Keep it simple.Practice gratitude. My philosophy. Oh,and I PRAY.Often.Daily. For everyone.
1. My mom cleaned and conditioned our ancient leather couch (actually a hand me down from my parents) and a leather chair which we bought at Habitat for Humanity Restore a few years ago. The finish was flaking off the couch but the conditioning seems to have helped. Hopefully we have some more years with each of these.
2. I finished the last of some tea. Even as a tea drinker it’s easy to end up owning too much tea.
3. I picked up two extra shifts. I usually just work one day a week, but it was enjoyable and I appreciate having additional income while DH is on furlough as a federal employee.
4. I brought home extra crushed red pepper packets from work. It’s not as much a frugal thing as it is avoiding food waste. I use them to refill our container at home.
5. I had my covid shot for free while I worked at the clinic yesterday.
6. I finally rescued what I could of a pepper that was starting to mold in the fridge. The others are wrinkling up and drying, but at least they are not rotting. I still want to deal with them soon.
7. This feels notable so I am mentioning it. I’ve been using some precious kid-free time to go to a local coffee shop where I often get a scone and a breakfast sandwich as I enjoy alone time and get a few things done on my computer. I was all set to go this morning, but decided to eat my own scrambled eggs and drink my own coffee instead.
I have not tried roasting beets but really like the golden ones so will give it a try.
1. The dog threw up on a couch cushion which left a stain even after Hubby did his best to promptly clean it up. I remembered our floor steam cleaner could be turned into a handheld upholstery steamer and gave it a try. You can only see the stain now if you know where to look.
2. Decided I had nothing to lose by trying the upholstery steamer on a mystery carpet stain that was there when we bought the house. Success so onward to carpet stained we know we caused.
3. Mended 4 small holes on items I’m not ready to let go of.
4. Worked out an at home exercise program and created a tracking system to try to make it a habit. Doing better.
Frugal fail: We usually have almost no food waste but recently have been tossing quite a bit due to not liking it or it spoiling.
I hadn't roasted them before either, but I was operating on the principle that almost every vegetable is good roasted!
@Kristen,
I love roasted beets. I roast them whole, and skin them afterwards, usually - with gloves! Roasting them whole helps keep the good juices inside, for more flavor. I lightly oil them before roasting.
@JD, that is a great tip - thanks
I'm very impressed with you using up all those vegetables!
I made a batch of homemade yogurt and baked two loaves of sandwich bread.
I thinned the lettuce and arrugula in my greenhouse and used all the thinned baby leaves for a lunch salad.
I turned the last of my garden tomatoes into pizza sauce.
I waited until Shutterfly sent me a bunch of stackable coupons before I ordered the photo book of our vacation this past summer, which brought the price down from $115 to $28.
Did you see the Gilmore Girls Panera bread commercial? It was really funny!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP4cF5IBuFM
My frugal things:
1. I got a flu shot paid for by work.
2. I worked some overtime.
3. I baked the blueberry shortcake Sookie makes on Gilmore Girls (I had all the ingredients).
4. I baked an apple crumble.
5. I got a really well-made knitted sweater secondhand.
6. I picked up my new glasses, which were expensive but an investment in health!
7. I went to classes included in my gym membership.
Glad to know I am not the only one who saves that extra piece of bread or toast when taking restaurant leftovers! I never leave anything behind!!
Had a $2 off $10 Publix coupon, used it on a bag of cat food - and that was the only thing I purchased!
Found a penny on the ground
Shopped in freezer and made my meals for week from what I had on hand.
Had some leftover in my food budget this week so I donated to Feeding America as there is a lot of need right now with Govt shutdown employees not getting paid and SNAP benefits ending. Instead of being mad or complaining about what is happening in our country, I'm trying to take action and do the next needed thing.
1. I had a work trip last week requiring international travel, and as it was fairly close to where I'm from I tacked on a weekend trip for a short flight to go see my family, paying for the flight with points I've been collecting with my travel CC.
2. My hotel breakfast was quite nice, and I made sure to eat enough proteins so that I wasn't very hungry at lunch time and was able to get by with lighter food until dinner with my family.
3. As souvenirs to my family, I brought several small Trader Joe's tote bags which are inexpensive, light, but very nice to use. Everyone loved them.
4. To be able to pack as many treats from my home country as possible, I bought vacuum bags and vacuum press-sealed my puffy sweaters and coats to fit it all in one suitcase, not needing to pay for an extra bag (and just made it with up to one kilogram extra weight!).
5. My husband's office closed a while back, and one major frugal win was a free laptop we were able to bring home (as in my FF list a couple of weeks ago). This week he also brought home a standing desk for his home office and a new home office chair for me, which is much more ergonomic than my last one.
Not much to add today....
I need to use up milk before I travel, so I'm going to make peanut soup and hot chocolate today (not together, however!)
Several cheeses to use up -- I'm going to make "fried cheese" which is just heated in a frying pan, and eat it with pita bread.
It will be a very dairy day.
Sure wish hungry harvest delivered to my area. Nothing comparable in my area that I can find.
1. Modified a costume I had into a Labubu costume (because I think they are creepy) for a Friday night party. I put together a cute fairy costume with items we had in our costume closet for a performance the following night.
2. I used plastic box strapping that came on a delivery in place of plastic ridge line boning to shape a historical shirt collar.
3. Tied a knot to close the hanger hole in a couple of dry cleaning bags and used them as trash can liners.
4. I found an open source machine embroidery program while I was researching one to buy. I'm going through the tutorials now and hopefully it will fit my needs. If not, I'll be better prepared to know what I do and do not want in such a big purchase.
5. More of the same: Eating leftovers, filling sports bottles in the fridge for drinking, and repurposing bread, grocery, packing bags for trash can liners and pet pickup.
This list of FFT is all big stuff, stretching my normal boundaries, taking me out of my normal circles, and many other cliches. . .
1. I took my “new” car to the mechanic I’ve been going to since 1983 in Big Town (where I lived when it was much smaller). The bill was $3500 (the car is 21 years old), and HE TOOK $1000 OFF as a thank you for the steady stream of customers I’ve sent and my loyalty through the years. He said he should have done all the work for free, an opinion with which I severely disagreed. He’s selling his business, and I’m trying to not panic.
2. I finally got fed up with inexpensive watches that are too shoddily made to be able to change the batteries. I went to a mall in Big Town (such a culture shock!), looked in 4 jewelry stores, saw all the watches were similar and paid $235 for a pretty, light-fueled watch instead of the $500 that the first store showed me.
3. Shutterfly has stopped working with DuckDuckGo, so after using them since 2012, I found PhotoAffections. THEY GIVE YOU 85 FREE PRINTS PER MONTH!! I guess they hope you’ll buy more merchandise and also tell people.
4. I “won” a $25 Amazon gift certificate from Elisabeth! “Won”, because there wasn’t much competition; they couldn’t use it in Canada, so I don’t feel as if I stole from her. 🙂
5. Some friends gave me a $25 Starbucks gift-card, so did some guilt-free luxury spending while in Big Town— $18 for one drink and a package of Via Instant—holy cow!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I use PhotoAffections for my Christmas cards. They already are reasonably priced and you can also get Groupons. I'm a fan too!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Many of the people that I have counted on for much of my adult life have begun to retire. It is one of the hardest things about getting older.
My mechanic has passed his business on to his son as has my plumber. My eye doctor and veterinarian have closed their practices and moved closer to their children. My accountant sold out to BDO. I try hard not to get upset, but it is hard to find people that I trust fully.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Thanks for the tip about PhotoAffections! I will check them out!
And I know what you mean about losing your mechanic. Mine died suddenly, sadly, a week after he retired, and his son, who had worked with him, refused to run the business for a couple of years. He just let it sit, because of the shock and the fear that he would end up like his dad, working hard for years and dying before he could enjoy his retirement. He has finally reopened, and I can thankfully trust him, as he helped his dad from the time he was old enough to hold a wrench.
It has been far from frugal in our house this month – I’ve been at the vet about twice a week since the first week of October because our pups have been dealing with kennel cough. We had an emergency vet visit because the youngest ended up with pneumonia. Apparently, there is a really nasty virus going around that is making pups sick even with vaccinations.
1. I have a cough too, so I’ve been soothing it with homemade Starbuck’s Medicine Balls. I keep all the ingredients on hand since everyone in the house swears by them.
2. The Great Freezer Clean Out continues! I’ve enjoyed being creative. I only have to use one freezer item per meal but it is making an impact.
3. I cut open my face wash container and put the remaining product in a small container in my travel toiletries bag.
4. I finished a book and grabbed a new one from my never ending TBR pile.
5. I rearranged some home décor to give the house a new feel for fall. More candles, blankets, and pumpkins in our main living areas gives very cozy vibe.
1. I used some left over steel cut oats to make a big pot of oats, almond milk, cinnamon, and apples. My daughter, myself, and my husband have been eating it for breakfast.
2. My husband purchased all of the supplies to change the oil in my car, which is at least a $50 savings
3. We cancelled our Peloton app membership after the prices went up. Found out we have access to a free similar app via our YMCA membership. Savings of about $360/year
4. I picked all of the tomatoes and carrots from our garden before it gets too cold.
5. I roasted the pumpkin seeds from carving pumpkins
I love beets! Every which way….
Good luck with the scholarship. Hopefully it is not just 1 person can get, allowing multiple recipients to share the wealth. I'm not pressuring teen to do many scholarships for next semester as they just get used first for tuition instead of State College gaurantee.
Frugal things---
● called garbage service to discuss additional bill sent to me last month because received email saying my service was going to stop if bill not paid by end of month. Even though I paid for year in advance & shows paid until date. Customer service was very helpful & immediately removed charges after looking at my previous paid invoice. It was the fact that I should not have to pay additional $42 now when I paid for full year of service. Rates always increase each year my bill comes & I am not paying increased rate now & next year. My neighbor (same service) just paid her bill ( for 3 months) & it was $126/$42 month.
● neighbor came & leaf blowed my back yard (teen helped) while I was gone. Got leaves to curb/road for free city pick up
● Aunt sent Halloween gift card for pizza for us. Domino's has Large pizza with up to 7 toppings $9.99 so we picked up pizza after grocery shoppin. Teen ate half pizza before getting home, luckily I ordered 2 so I could have pizza & leftovers for lunch/snack
● Saved $0.10/gallon on gas ($2.99)
● Got FREE plug in multiple outlet extension cords when Consumers Energy came for appliance recycling pick up.
Frugal & fail---
● we have to pay $250 tuition for out of district costs even though we live in state & state school part of State College gaurantee. State paid $250 towards tuition & we owe $250 while majority of tuition paid by teen scholarships.
● bought Keurig Mott's Hot apple cider cups (on sale) because only way to get because I can't find packets anymore. I don't have Keurig but thought the apple cider might be like hot chocolate where I could just dump into cup & add hot water. Inside those little K cups are mini coffee filters I saw after I dumped into my cup & added hot water. Looked the same, didn't taste the same. It was gritty like coffee grinds. 🙁 I have a french press that I will try with but if that doesn't work I will probably return other unopened boxes because not sure if Keurig worth money/counter space.
I have no idea how the grant process works; I'm hoping there are multiple recipients!
@Regina, I was able to get Alpine apple cider packets from Amazon a couple of years ago.
Although shops try to influence us in adding Halloween to our list of holidays, we stick to St Martin's on 11 Nov. when young children collect sweets in their neighbourhood by going from door to door, singing, with lampions. By 12 yr old kids do not get sweets any longer, but some accompany younger siblings so their parents can stay at home. I remember the fun of making our own lampions, in school or at home. I still love crafts.
@JNL, it's always fun to hear about the different seasonal holidays in different countries. I hope that St. Nicholas Day is still popular in The Netherlands too.
@A. Marie,
Ooh yes! Including the rhymes and the mixed spice "speculaas" cookies and the big chocolate initials 🙂
1. I read your Post which is starting my frugal list cause I always enjoy that.
2. I made a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread last week and I've been slicing off a thin piece every day and toasting it with Chunky peanut butter for breakfast.
3. I washed a cold load of laundry which I'm about to hang up on my inside dry rack. Just too humid outside and unfortunately I have neighbors who are pot heads and I don't want my clothes smelling like that.
4. I will be having left over chicken wings that I grilled this past weekend and rice for lunch. My lactose intolerance is showing it's ugly head and I do always crave dairy. And, then I suffer.
5. I steamed clean my screen porch with a Bissell doubleheaded steamer that I got on buy nothing. Used it several times now and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, can't imagine why people would get rid of it but, I appreciate it.
Blessings to all on this Tuesday.
I enjoy our Buy Nothing group, too. I've gotten wonderful useful things, including food, from others. I got a bag of fresh kale recently that I dried into kale powder. I add it to almost anything I cook.
Frugal fail:
For the very first time since 1980, a batch of homemade yogurt failed. Could be related to the sudden power outage while heating or my impatience by adding the yogurt when the thermometer read 123° instead of 120°. I didn’t think it would be that sensitive.
Oh no! Can you at least use it in smoothies?
@Kristen, it tasted icky. And I no longer make smoothies since they spike my blood glucose. Sob.
My timing was off yesterday. I pulled all plastic ware out of the drawers and pantry shelf, piling on the large farm table in the kitchen. About then the internet guy shows up. We had a good laugh. I filled 3 large donation boxes and he eyed them, he has a young family, they pack 5 lunches and snacks daily. He hauled them off like He won the lottery. I smiled because it saved me a trip to town.
Gathered up wrinkly potatoes, carrots, onion, the last tomatoes and green beans off the vines and made a huge pot of beef stew. Put 8 quarts in the freezer and one to the neighbor.
Listed 3 crab pots, 2 ocean fishing poles and a caddy of gear.
Took 3 fancy ladies watches and a huge assortment of Swarovski Christmas ornaments from our many trips to Austria to visit hubby's family. I kept a dozen to display in a curio side table in the formal living room/library. A favorite family owned jewelry store sells consignment items.
Saddle soaped my leather reading chair that sits on the back porch for star gazing, reading and bird gawking. I put a fleece blanket in it when fall arrives to keep it clean from kitty and pup paws. it's my favorite quiet place.
My parents got married on Halloween 60 yrs ago this week.
I am hosting a ladies tea with her brides maids and will serve a mini wedding cake. Their favors will be Mini mums in sugar pumpkins...all home grown.
Barn basketball league starts tomorrow, I am making my power brownies and pots of apple cider. I signed up for score team this year.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, I love your party for your mother's bridesmaids.
And Oct. 30 would have been DH's and my 46th anniversary. We didn't have the nerve to get married on Halloween itself, but the Bestest Neighbors did--at their present house, back in 1987. Ms. BN's maid of honor carried a plastic pumpkin full of candy instead of a bouquet.
Wow! Very impressive, like usual!!
I have wanted, for awhile now, to join a Buy Nothing group, but am super-worried about giving strangers my address. As a single woman living alone, that has stopped me.
Would it be possible for you to do a post, Kristen, on this aspect of Buy Nothing? Thanks for considering!
Boy, I know I wrote something about this at one point but I can't find it!
This aspect of a Buy Nothing group does not bother me, and here's why.
Unless your house is in a secret location, people know your house is there, right? They probably drive by it every day; I know that's true for mine.
Also, anyone from anywhere can get on Google maps and look at houses, neighborhoods, etc. The fact that there is a house at 123 Oak Lane, Anytown, CA is not a secret.
And it's not hard to find out who is listed as an addressee at most houses either. So, at baseline, our houses and sometimes the occupants of those houses is ALREADY public information.
If you give away, say, a bag of clothes on your Buy Nothing group, the only thing that changes is that someone could know the person who lives at 123 Oak Lane is in possession of a bag of used clothes.
This, to me, does not signify an increase in danger at all. I don't think it makes you more likely to get robbed or stalked. Now, if you were listing jewels or designer bags or something, ok, yes, that could increase the danger. But that's not what we do on Buy Nothing groups. 😉
Does that help at all? I don't know if I addressed your specific concern! Speaking of: it might help to make a list of specifically what you are worried about, so that it is not just a vague "that doesn't seem safe". Once you've specified your fears, you can assess the safety or lack thereof more easily.
@Kimberly, I understand your reluctance. As someone who had to deal with a stalker many years ago, I act like I'm in the witness protection program. I am active in my Buy Nothing group. The more active you are, the more people you get to know and trust. Keep in mind that you only provide your address via a private message to the individual you select to receive your item. You have control over who (whom?) you select, so you could limit that to females or offer to deliver to someone instead. Sometimes I look at their Facebook profile to get a better idea of who I'm dealing with. Since I'm such a fan of Buy Nothing, I would enjoy any type of post about it.
That is also a very good point; you only share the address with the one person who is receiving your item.
@MB in MN,
I know many people that are concerned with this. However, I also like to point out that most Buy Nothing Groups are hyper local. You are giving to your neighbors and friends. I have gifted things to our local librarian and to someone I have met when walking the dog. If you follow the rules, other members cannot see your address or other contact information.
@Bee, thanks for pointing out the hyper local aspect of Buy Nothing. That's another key reason why I, as a very careful person, feel safe.
To make you feel even better about one of your frugals, I will mention that my sister and I went out to lunch last Saturday. She got chocolate pudding for dessert, and the price was $14.00! Yikes!
Well. I will consider my pudding to be extra delightful then. Ha.
I made pickle relish, garden cukes, green tomato salsa verse, stuffed cabbage soup, carrot soup and pickled red cabbage. Used garden veggies and veggies from CSA.
1. This morning I used a coupon to get Snuggles a bath and nail clipping at the doggie spa. They weighed him, and he's gained 10 pounds since being adopted. No wonder I couldn't lift him! He fights me whenever I try to trim his toenails, and since he has black toenails, I can't easily see where to cut them without hitting a blood vessel, so I figure the doggie spa was cheaper than getting this done at the vet's. Snuggy's toenails were growing into claws, they were so long!
2. Washed a load of clothes and held my breath, hoping the plumbers fixed the drainage problem. They did -- no back-up. Big sigh of relief.
3. It's about to rain again and it'd be dangerous to drive on wet roads, as two of my car's tires were old and bald. A few months ago, I could only afford to replace the back two and now it's the front pair's turn. Last week, I called the Firestone place (where I trade, and have for years) and they found that the warehouse only had two tires of that same size/model left in stock. So they'd ordered them for me right then, so all 4 tires would match. The tires arrived today and after taking Snuggles back home, I grabbed my book and ran out there, figuring it'd be at least an hour's wait. It wasn't: Before I finished the next chapter, the job was done! Got home before it rained, but it'll be safer to drive even on rain-slicked roads. Having a wreck is definitely NOT frugal! (Don't ask me how I know....) Frugal bonus: my tires were on sale! (Fun fact for you Fixer Upper fans: this Firestone dealership used to be owned by Jerry Stevens, who is Joanna Gaines' father and was Chip's employer, and is the place where they met.)
4. Shopped at Aldi's for groceries that are cheaper or not available at my store. This includes milk, some cheese calzones, the spreadable butter, and blueberry muffins. Quietly told another shopper that our 12-pack cases of water are cheaper ($1.99) than the case she was buying ($3 and change). She thanked me.
5. Got out the special water pitcher that has a filter, and am using it, because the city is putting a very strong disinfectant into the drinking water and it smells strongly of bleach. Will use that until they go back to normal.
Your salad looks yummy! I'm inspired to eat more greens.
My Frugal 5s+
• Brought grapes I already had at home to my bible study brunch since I volunteered to bring fruit. Also brought a bag of cutie oranges at Walmart.
• Was given some leftover pizza from the teen lockout at church so that was free lunch for us that day.
• Made semi homemade pizza at home using frozen bread dough from Walmart. Would like to learn how to make actual pizza dough at home one of these days. Had enough leftovers to eat again for dinner tonight.
• Got about $40 from Facebook litigation in my PayPal account. Will transfer to my checking.
• Paid for 2 vehicle registration renewal online instead of mail which would've cost the extra postage. Also got 2% cash back from using my credit card.
• Washed our 2 vehicles at home instead of going to a car wash. Took 2 hours and lots of elbow grease to get all the dried on bug guts, dirt and grime off them.
• Tried to sand a patch up hole in our garage wall but sanded way too much so I will have to redo it again.
• Fix a couple broken blind shades with a piece of plaster and hot glue.
• Replace AAA batteries that I got on sale from Walmart to our carbon monoxide detector, small flashlight and a toy remote.
• My youngest was Star Spotlight and had a poster to decorate so we used things we already had at home like stickers, jewels, glitter glue and crayons.
• My girls wore what they already had at home for their school theme week.
• My girls reused their dress up clothes for Candypalooza at church last Sunday and will also use them as their Halloween costumes.
• My girls and I have been playing Super Mario Party Jamboree, a Nintendo switch game and also, watching the Harry Potter 8 disc DVD set we both borrowed from the library through their interlibrary loan.
1. I didn't buy my daughter a new (new to us) Halloween costume. She is two and yes she would get a kick out of being a cow, she has a costume that will be fine.
2. I didn't buy Halloween candy. We have no streetlights so no one ever comes to our street. My husband and I just end up eating it.
3. Laundry success. I saved my white shirts from tomatoe stains and marker stains.
4. We cooked chicken. Chicken was on sale so that is the meat all of our meals are based around.
5. I used my Henson razor which uses $.05 blade refills. The expensive handle has more than paid for itself.
6. We cooked burgers at home instead of buying the In n Out I really wanted. My husband does make quite excellent burgers.
This is a good time for me to list, even though I'm always late, because I sort of feel like I've been bleeding money for the last 3 months.
1. I've managed to fully avoid purchased plastic water bottles while we've had guests these last 4 weeks, both for myself and for the guests (we keep the sealed plastic ones that hotels sometimes give us for guests and refill our own).
2. In contrast to some previous hosting periods, this one has been relatively low on nickel and dime spending (eg, temples, random "extra" experiences) because of the constitution of my guests.
3. I saw someone refer to it as "Crocktober"; definitely has been the case in my household, which has helped us immensely with eating in and using up little bits of things.
4. While more on the "bringing in money" side rather than frugal, I have been able to work nearly a full time schedule this whole month since my guests are quite low maintenance and happy to keep themselves entertained while I'm working.
5. I truly can't think of a #5. I'm so glad to have friends and family that want to come see me (and, let's be real, the country I am living in), but I will be glad to get back to a more typical, frugal, athletic lifestyle. Will be settling in and making myself available for work over the holidays so my colleagues can enjoy some time with their own loved ones.
Chiquita’s little paw resting on your arm as you are typing is very cute !
My five frugal things
1. I used my YMCA membership that I often forget about to go for a little indoor swim
2. For someone else- I gave away an overnight bag to someone I. My local buy nothing group that wanted it for her daughter
3. I went on two short hikes
4. I packed 90% of my work lunch yesterday
5. I used a price match with my contact lens delivery service to get a significant discount. I also opted for the basic “included” pair of glasses that came with my insurance plan instead of buying anything fancier.
I'm feeling decidedly off, but that may be the 2nd shingles vaccine I got yesterday, which is my first frugal thing...
1. I had to go to primary care doctor for something else, so I asked if they could do the shingles vax while I was there and they could! Our insurance covers vaccines fully. No, nothing is free, somewhere along the line it has to be paid for.
2. I queried a bill from our health insurance and got it removed.
3. We switched our water bill to come from our bank account since the city is beginning to charge for credit card payments.
4. I rode my e-bike to the post office. E-bike gets charged at my husband's work.
5. Texted my nephew to encourage him to open a Roth IRA. Not frugal for me, but super frugal for him. He told me it was one of his goals this year. How I wish we'd known to open one for our kids as soon as they started earning money around age 12. So if you have any kids in your life, look into a Roth IRA!
All those onions would have had me making French onion soup!
I'm one batch of tzatziki away from eating everything in my produce drawer! (I had a cucumber I just couldn't bring myself to put in the vegetable soup.)
My frugal things this week are mainly food related:
1. I used the fronds and stems of my fennel to make a green sauce that I use on pasta and sandwiches
2. I used the sad cabbage and carrots in the crisper to make a batch of kimchi
3. I strained a batch of runny greek yoghurt through muslin and saved the whey to use in smoothies, pancakes and porridge.
And two finance;
1. I contacted my insurance providers (health, pet and TPD/life) to update my bills to annual which gives me a discount and cuts down on processing fees.
2. I went through and cancelled my paid subscriptions. I’ll be going back to listening to free podcasts, watching free to air tv and taking walks for entertainment (when I’m not with the baby in the garden).