Five Frugal Things | work, work, work
1. I picked wineberries
These are basically a weed, which means they grow without me doing a thing, and there are quite a few of them in the backyard here.
Wineberries are a little like raspberries, but more tart, and more sticky on the outside.
We know I'm not about to say no to free berries. 😉
2. I survived A/C cycling
I am signed up with an energy-saving program through the power company here; you get a discount for signing up in exchange for them cycling your A/C off and on during times of super high demand. This helps reduce stress on the grid, and I get a credit each month. Win/win.
The cycling doesn't happen very frequently, but this past week, it happened multiple days in a row! My house didn't get that warm; it was mainly just a little more humid than usual.
Luckily, the cycling was over by bedtime, and the cold, dry air started blowing again.
3. I ordered a sturdy nursing clipboard
I used to have a foldable metal one, but somehow, I lost it at work. It's annoying to be without a clipboard, so I read a bunch of reviews on Amazon, and I picked the more expensive model because it seems more durable.
I don't want to buy this multiple times, and I fear the $8-$12 versions would break on me. In the long run, it's more frugal to buy an item that will last, and it's also more ecologically responsible.
I used my Amazon Visa reward dollars for the purchase, so it was $0 out of pocket.
I will 100% be putting stickers on this thing. 😉 And I'm excited to have a storage area for report sheets!
4. I remembered to submit work time for the residency prep
Remember how I said that this week's residency program required a 75-minute online class? We were given permission to put that in as paid time, so I logged on and added it.
Every little bit helps, as we frugal people know. 🙂
5. I worked, and I packed my food
By the end of today, I will have worked almost 65 hours in the last seven days. So, I haven't had a whole lot of time for anything very interesting in the frugal department!
But, despite the way my shifts lined up so close together, I did prep all my breakfasts, brought all my coffee from home, and packed all of my lunches.
Sooo, I earned money by going to work, and I did not spend any money at work. That is not creative or interesting, but it IS frugal. 😉
Your packed meals are so appealing-especially compared to typical cafeteria fare. I bet your coworkers are envious!
My frugal:
* paid bills on time to prevent being charged late fees. I even paid property taxes ( ouch!) in person so no stamp or online convenience fee needed.
* go to the pool using our summer pass almost every day. Kids cool down and burn energy. ( I huddle under my big hat and watch from the side. )
* buying some newborn baby clothes from thrift store. My daughter thought the baby would be on the bigger size and has mostly 3 month sizes. She is dainty, though, So I got to buy a few newborn things. I even found a newborn pajama from my youngest daughter ( 13yrs ago) in a storage tote which looks new. I'm trying not to walk by the new cute baby things in the stores. Even as petite as she currently is, she'll grow, so used is just fine.
*moving our travel date up a day to save over eighty dollars on a hotel room when we go visit the baby.
* youngest wanted puppy chow as a treat on the Fourth, and it was cheaper to buy a box of cereal and have him make it than buy it. So he got more kitchen practice- he also made homemade chocolate ice cream and edible cookie dough to celebrate.
Not frugal: I couldn't find the small shield part of my inspantpot after washing it. I even went through the garbage disposal ( yuck) and garbage (yuck^2) . So I ordered some replacements. Then in the morning it was sitting on the drain rack oh so innocently. (I know I checked there multiple times!) So I hope I can return the extras.
gotta ask–what in the world is puppy chow??? I'm think it's not a bag of Purina....
It is a snack mix, you use Chex cereal to make it.
Also called Muddy Buddies - chex, chocolate, peanut butter, coated in powdered sugar.
Isn’t that always the way it goes? As soon as you buy a replacement, the item you’re looking for shows up in a very obvious spot. So frustrating!!!
I just spent days hunting for any one of my two (2!) pulse oximeters. Could not find either one. So made a trip to CVS Sunday morning and bought a new one. So of course I more or less immediately found the original two. Which for reasons I can't begin to remember (assuming there even was a reason) were sitting in a basket on a table outside in the yard.
Haha! Well, you might need to quickly check your oxygen levels while gardening…and you need both oximeters so you can compare your results on both hands simultaneously so as to reduce time away from gardening. It makes perfect sense.! 😉 But look on the bright side: now you can simultaneously check your levels on two hands AND a toe, so that’s something…
I'm trying to picture the "shield" part of your Instant Pot? I'm wondering if mine has one. Also, I can't count how many times I've replaced something, and then found the item in question! Including my driver's license. (eye ball roll at self.)
Hi Kristen! What color clipboard did you order - or rather, what color will Snoopy stickers look best with?! I am thinking that you're getting closer to August, and being able to work fewer shifts.
May and June were expensive months in ways expected (travel, graduation party for two of my kids) and unexpected (our dog suddenly became sick and passed away, and car repairs). I'm hoping that July will be easier on the wallet. Thankfully I have savings accounts to draw some of the money from and did not have to pay for everything out of pocket.
As I am typing this, I remembered that I have to buy a new iPhone this week. Any frugal suggestions from the commentariat? Thanks in advance!
As for the phone need, it's one area that being cheap really doesn't pay. We've had multiple used phones from eBay that die in about a year. If you're intent on used, get a refurb right from Apple; otherwise, get a new one.
Beth, I am thinking that too, and also just recently my very frugal son told me that it's not worth going cheap on the phone and that I should spend the money on a decent new one. I was just checking to see what other frugal minds think 😉
I just bought a refurb from BestBuy and the battery ALREADY needs to be replaced because it was at 79 or 80% when I bought it. I didn’t think to ask about that. Sigh.
We buy our phones at Walmart... we have ATT prepaid plan... phones are $50 and last a good 4-6 years... in 15 years, we (hubby and I) are both on our 3rd phone!
We’ve had success buying the certified refurbished iPhones (usually from Amazon). We always purchase a few models ago and make sure we use screen protectors/cases. If you want longevity, I wouldn’t recommend putting it in the washing machine (ask me how I know)…
Thanks for this tip ahout refurbished phones - and washing machines 😬
Yes I also do certified refurbished, on eBay! They have a good return policy in my opinion. In 2024 I bought a certified refurbished iPhone 15 for $600. The 15 was the prior year's model, but for some reason the manufacture date was only a few months older than when I bought the phone, so it was basically new!
The most important thing is the ability for the phone to be able to take updates - particularly security updates. I bought a new iPhone - even if I deleted every picture, text etc. on my old phone, it did not have the storage to take updates.
And a pox on Otter cases these days - my old phone's Otter case had plastic over the face of the phone. New "cases" do not. I am not in love with the "swipe on" face protector.
Apple also sells refurbished phones (and other devices).
I'm sorry about the loss of your dog/pet/family member.
Thanks so much 🫶🏻 Kate was our bestest pup 💖🐾🌈. She was just turning 14. I'll be celebrating and crying over her for a ling time to come.
So sorry for the loss of your dear dog. Our Sunny (Bestest dog Ever) was waiting for your Kate at the Rainbow Bridge.
I lost my dog June 1st. Someone dropped her close to my house and she was with me 10 years. My heart misses her every day.
Sorry for the loss of your beloved pet -
I'm very sorry about your dog 🙁
We've had good luck with refurbished iphones (even going back several models) from Amazon or Simple Mobile/Mint Mobile. We rarely buy new and use tactical grade cases and screen protectors.
I’m so sorry about your sweet pup. I hope your memories bring you peace and eventually joy again.
I've had good luck with refurbished iPhones from backmarket (.com I think). You can see what the battery range will be and they have an excellent warranty. I think I've done three phones in total from them. My other suggestion, like others have mentioned-- don't cheap out on a case! I had to replace a phone that was un-mendably broken because I had it in a case that didn't protect well from falls.
I agree about not cheaping out on a case. We get OtterBox cases for our phones, and have never had phone breakage or damage issues.
Sorry about your doggo. May he rest in peace.
I'm going to be working 7 (yes SEVEN) days in a row. Luckily I only have to work 8 hours per day because I have a doctor's note for the screwed up trigger finger (without the doctor's note it would be anywhere from 10 to 12 hours per day). For those of you who haven't heard (can't remember if I posted about the surgery here or at NCA) I had to be back at work 12 hours after the surgery was done, got two paper cuts across the incision during that shift, and then the incision got infected. I've already done two weeks of 8 hour days, and got a second doctor's note yesterday for another 4 to 6 weeks.
I'm wearing one black glove on that hand and am jokingly saying that "I'm in my Michael Jackson era"....gotta laugh or I'll start crying!!
That sounds terrible! I’m sorry that your work doesn’t seem to be very supportive of your healing process! Check with your doctor, of course, but when I was healing from surgical wounds this year, I used organic coconut oil (from Aldi, of course!) and it really seemed to help with healing. It relieved pain and itching too.
I've been using Safeway Select triple antibiotic ointment and it has helped with healing the incision. Tylenol for the pain if necessary. And no my work is not supportive of ANYONE who has health problems or injuries. February 26 2027 I will be out of there!!
Hi Kristen, I am a tad surprised that your hospital expects you to buy your own equipment? I seem to recall scissors too?
We had a non-frugal week, unless you count putting items in shopping baskets and then emptying the baskets again. I felt stressed and deflated and shopping therapy felt very tempting. However, I went out swimming instead.
I also removed my pinterest account. I increasingly disliked the feed, and also did not cook as many recipes as I expected when I started.
Then, I bought a bagful of depreciated library books (a bag ful for 5 euros). And I will be picking up a book I put on hold, later in the afternoon.
I made it to 5 after all!
Yes, there are some things that are nice-but-not-necessary, such as a clipboard, that we buy ourselves. And of course, stethoscopes we buy ourselves. I wonder how this varies by country!
That is a gorgeous lunch spread!
--I have a bad habit of setting my gardening tools down as I move around the yard and then having to find them again. Thus, I spray-painted the handles hot pink courtesy of a $5 can from the same lumberyard/hardware store where my husband works. The boss gives me my husband's employee discount, hence the cheap paint and other DIY supplies.
--I fixed a rotten board on our back porch with a new replacement (delightfully cheap wood--see above). Now I just need a long enough break in our thunderstorms/humidity to repaint the whole thing.
--The thrifting gods continue to be kind. For 50 cents each, I found an enameled colander (my preference for harvesting vegetables) and a DVD of "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."
--I used a spare black bedding to make a cover for our oversized reading chair. The Lane Bryant chair was free from a friend, practically new, and COMFY--it's just pale yellow, which is a go-to with three black cats! It's new "cover" just required tucking everything in strategically--fitted sheet for the chair body, velour blanket for the cushions--so the sheets can revert to sheets again if need be. It looks so nice that I scratched "chair cover" off the household "eventually" list.
--Several t-shirts are on their last legs, so I popped onto ThredUp to see if they offered free shipping for the holiday. Lo, I discovered a $10 credit I knew nothing about that expired the very next day! After the $10 discount and free shipping, I paid $7 for two "new" shirts for me and a future birthday gift that's actually new with tags for my sister.
I celebrated our cooler weather this morning by opening all the windows and turning the ac off! 🙂
The area is having a drought so I'm back to showering by getting wet, turning off the water while scrubbing, then rinsing off in cool water–better for the environment, better for me.
I've become my parents by turning off lights when leaving a room.
I closed some vents and shut some doors to cool fewer spaces in our house during the the recent heat.
In relation to the heat and it's destructive capabilities, I canceled a trip this week which would've taken me into fire country. I couldn't come up with a single reason to go somewhere with fires very close by, smoke filled air, and that would cause me lots of worry and stress! So saved my airline points, hotel cost, shuttle fees, entertainment and food money. I'm good with staying safely at home 🙂 I'll travel in other seasons.
I'm going to free events at our libraries.
Of course, cooking all of our meals at home.
And the ultimate freebie–reading lots of library books!
Oh! Also mended a ripped out pocket on a linen sundress (I'd caught it on a drawer handle). Amazingly, I had a near match on the almost peach-colored thread so it even blends well.
Yay for dresses with pockets!
I am currently wearing my favourite summer dress - its only flaw is not having pockets!
I find it frustrating that so many women's garments have no pockets - or faux pockets as I call them. No pocket = no purchase by me.
Wineberries make great jam/jelly! I remember as a little girl, trekking across the fields to the edge of our farm to pick them. Of course it was always the hottest part of the year, and we got insect bitten and itchy, but we looked forward to it every year! I still pick from a patch at the edge of our neighbor's woods, with their permission, and if I just make up my mind that I'm going to be hot (long pants, long sleeves) for an hour, it's all good!
gosh 65 hours is a long working week as an ex teacher we had long hours but a lot of them were spent at home preparing and marking
* Using my 1$ stainless steel water bottle every day (from garage sale - like new)
* Picked up an extra shift this week
* Using Flashfood a lot lately
* Gifting and receiving from Buy Nothing
* Loading my Kindle Ereader with daily free Kindle books, using public library and picking up books from free piles
Definitely wise to invest in something high quality!
Frugals:
1. Biggest frugal win ever - I borrowed a relatively large amount of money from my parents when I moved overseas and, as of last week, I finished paying it back! Now my only debt is my student loan 🙂
2. I am home for a few weeks and I am able to save money on food and drink.
3. I went to yoga with a friend earlier and she bought me a coffee afterwards. I walked to and from yoga rather than taking the bus.
4. I bought some hayfever tablets, which are a lot cheaper here than in Denmark.
5. I paid money into my emergency fund account.
My impression is that you are in a pretty stable situation, money wise and in the daily rhythm of cooking and exercise. Good for you Sophie! And enjoy your stay with your parents.
Thank you! 🙂 I order takeout sometimes but not as frequently as I did in the past.
Yay for being (almost) debts free!
Thanks!
Congratulations on paying off your parents!!! That's so awesome and worthy of celebrating!!
Thank you so much!
So well done on paying off that loan, Sophie! That's got to feel so good. I hope you enjoy your holiday. I am watching lots of Wimbledon! Take good care-Amy
Thank you, Amy!
Congrats on paying off major debt.
Thanks 🙂
We had a small bowl of nectarines that no one was eating, so I used them in a pan of baked oatmeal that did get eaten.
Used some scrap fabric to add a little gusset to the seams of the slightly too tight sleeves of a thrifted dress and to patch a worn-out sheet for its second life as a drop cloth.
My new glasses had uncomfortable nose pads and rather than drive an hour round trip in heavy traffic to the optical shop, I replaced them with a kit from the drugstore, which required a bright lamp, a magnifying glass and a lot of patience with very tiny screws.
Used a handful of paper store coupons to buy a few more nutritious food items for my adult son, who has been eating far too much ramen to stretch his money lately. My favorite local grocery store does a monthly mailer of coupons based on our shopping habits, which is so nice.
It's still hot here, so I rack dried a load of laundry on the back porch.
1) We've been really lucky not to need the A/C lately & have just been opening our windows & using fans.
2) We took DS19 & 9 friends to Lake Tahoe for the 4th of July. We had three free rooms, brought snacks & bought a dinner. Everyone had a great time, and the teens split the gas to get there together. I also gave them my hotel rewards card to swipe when exiting the parking garage, so it would be free.
3) Used miles to get DS19 to Seattle for a family trip. The first class seat was less miles than economy, so first class it is. He will enjoy the treat, and hopefully get a meal/snack out of it.
4) Used United credits to offset about half of the costs of my flight + DS19's flight to Denver for move in weekend. Bonus points that I booked DS19 on my flight (broke them into two one ways, as I'll be flying home a few days later & he won't), which means he gets my baggage allowance, which is two free checked bags per person.
5) Made lots & lots of meals at home, got creative with leftovers, kept everyone fed.
Good job going to work AND bringing food! You kept the train on the track.
My husband sold our old fifth wheel hitch and some other miscellaneous trailer accessories on Facebook Marketplace.
He erected a shed behind our garage to hold our snowblower and a few other items. He used a gift card for part of the shed purchase, and floored the shed with lumber recycled from the deck railing he replaced a few weeks ago.
I painted our bedroom and bathroom. The paint was expensive, but it looks great, and I saved a lot doing the work myself.
My husband removed the toilet tank to make painting behind the toilet easier and discovered a leak. After an attempt to fix it failed, we ordered a new toilet tank -- expensive, but half the cost of a new toilet. I scrounged up some gift certificates to pay for part of the cost. Now we're using the guest bathroom while waiting for the tank to arrive.
Twice this week we ate fish my husband caught for dinner. The second fish was a huge trout, and I was able to save all the scraps from around the bones to make Kristen's fish cake recipe later this week.
Kristen,
Hello! I'm curious about the power company's program where the cycling goes off and on. How much money do you save by signing up for the program?
Thanks!
For me, it's a $10 credit every month during A/C months, plus the chance to earn extra credits by lowering usages on high-energy demand days.
Wow that doesn't seem like much of an incentive.
I'm still in a spending money to save money phase. Doesn't feel very frugal, but Botox to save my molars from tooth grinding will be in the long run!
And so will the new A/C unit when we resell this house. And we have seasonal allergies, so having a place of respite when the ragweed blooms will be a huge blessing.
Otherwise! We have been swimming at the local county park (free) for fun, to grow swimming skills and as a reward for lawn mowing.
I picked up new pants for boy #1 who suddenly grew out of everything this week. I'm really enjoying the teenage years - it's delightful to watch him grow.
And I'm hopping up to bake bread and a dessert for dinner instead of buying them and taking advantage of the cool morning. Nights in the 60s in July! Amazing!
Oh! The new pants were thrifted and in very good shape. Should last until his brothers don't need them.
For your work items, consider getting some durable name labels. They make ones targeted towards children for clothing/water bottles/etc that are pretty sturdy and not very expensive. You could put your number or email on them for more important items. Plus all the fun ones too!
1. Neighbor brought over a delicious meal. I washed the two foil pans and will reuse them as I don't own an 8x8 baking pan.
2. Brought our boombox and an outdoor chair to our county's fix-it clinic. Both were able to be fixed and saved from the landfill.
3. Made a quick, colorful and frugal salad out of chopped red cabbage, shredded carrots, raisins and honey-mustard dressing.
4. A bunny was gnawing on our wood siding so we placed deer netting along the base of our home in the section that the bunny can reach. Unattractive but effective.
5. Signed up for a movie theater's rewards program that offers a $5 movie and free popcorn on Tuesdays. Took advantage of this promo and saw The Sheep Detectives with my sister. We loved it! I booked our tickets online and her ticket was $5, too, even though she's not in the rewards program.
I had a very similar folder/clipboard when I worked in the hospital doing occupational therapy. A normal day would be seeing patients on different units and floors. I loved keeping my most used forms/education sheets with me.
We have thornless blackberry plants that have really spread and the fruit is starting to ripen. They are tarter than blackberries. I'm hoping we can harvest enough to make a few jars of jam.
My frugal things:
* Made more refrigerator pickles using cucumbers from the garden
* Made pasta sauce with cherry tomatoes from the garden
* Made baby back ribs and baked chicken wings over the holiday weekend because those were BOGO at Publix
* Hand stitched up a stuff animal that the dog has chewed on. Grandson brought it to me saying "uh oh" because it was spilling beds. A few minutes with needle and thread and it no longer making a mess
* Watched the fireworks display from our front yard so no money spent on gas
* The usual: cooked meals at home, brought lunch to work every day, and baked bread.
July 1st, we officially became residents of the River House. It is a dream realized, beautifully chaotic. I have a theory that the best things in life happen at the very same time as the most challenging. It is my high power's way of reminding me to stay in the moment. The very week we moved in, my 95 year old father steeply declined mentally and physically. My 91 year old mother needs someone to live with her for at least another two weeks. We are selling a rental and our home to pay for the renovation. We won't go into what my husband and other farmers are going through right now.
So. . . not frugal. However, again, I have found ways to help others so I am in the cycle of frugal:
My father refuses to leave his house until his beloved 1911 player piano and rolls are safely transferred to my son who is in Michigan and has nowhere to put it. I called Dad and told him I had arranged long distant movers to bring the piano to me in California. He cried with gratitude and is now moving in to a senior village on Thursday. The cost of nearly $2,000 is worth it.
In order to have a place for the player piano, I need to donate mine. NOBODY WANTS to pay for pianos moved. There are 40 free ones are Facebook Marketplace. I have finally found a charity that will find a family for the piano if I pay moving costs. We are now scheduled for mine and my in-laws piano to be moved today. That is $700. I feel it is worth it. Music is super important to me and I like to think it is giving another family a chance to share in it.
I took my mom to a lawyer so that I will become co-trustee. If she declines rapidly like my father, she will have no funds to go into a care home. I will need to sell her condo quickly. She feels much more secure and is doing well.
I like to think that all of us who try to be frugal are really just a big circle of people. Sometimes we are in need. Sometimes we can provide. Glad I am part of the community.
I am very moved by your willingness to fulfill your father's wishes, even though it is expensive for you, you have to sacrifice your own piano, and it doesn't make sense for your son. I commend you!
I love your thoughts about the circular community. If only everyone could live this way!
Gosh-that is so much to handle at one time-so sorry. You are a good daughter.
Congrats on moving into your river house, Mary Ann! I would love to hear the player piano churn out a tune via its rolls. So sweet of you to make your daddy happy. Send him and your mom hugs from me! Hope he likes his new place.
Not a lot that's creative or interesting over here, either. Baby boy is 5 weeks old, so we're still very much waiting for the dust to settle, though things are coming along nicely.
1. We've been mostly managing to cook at home. Sometimes that means jarred soup or oven-ready lasagna, but takeout has remained rare. Part of that is because my 4 y/o is in a pickier phase right now so we have to cook for her anyway; once we're doing that we might as well all just have pasta and peas, you know?
2. Baby boy has a TON of pink and purple sleepers that were hand-me-downs from his big sister (that were hand-me-downs from a friend of Mr. S') I have bought exactly zero baby clothes. We don't hold with "pink for girls, blue for boys" and are quite happy not to spend extra money.
3. One of my aunt's friends gave her a bag of old clothes and my SIL and I each took a few things. I got three loose-fitting t-shirts, great for this time when my body is changing a lot.
A big frugal fail: I had to buy a nursing pump on short notice. Pumps are covered by my insurance and you can get the prescription retro-actively...but my employer changed insurance providers before I could get to my doctor to get the prescription and submit it. There's no way the new company will pay for it, since the cost was incurred before we switched. Trying not to be too hard on myself about that.
If you were covered by any insurance at all, you should submit to that carrier. Most insurance companies have timely filing deadlines of 60-180 days. And usually have a few levels of appeals if they denied the first submission. Give them a call.
Your new insurance will not pay if it was before your start date.
I'm not in the US so things might be a bit different for me 🙂 The old insurance won't cover it because the prescription was written after their coverage ended; the new one won't cover it because the spending happened before their coverage started. It's unfortunate, and I wish I'd had the prescription in hand when I left the hospital just in case...but I actually DID have a pump; it just broke suddenly and I needed a new one the same day.
Congratulations on your newest little one! I'm also postpartum with a 5-month old. It sounds like you guys are transitioning well, or as well as can be expected during such a huge change! And yes to all the grace with food. In my house, I call everyone being fed a win. One day we will have more energy to work on our oldest's food pickiness, but now is not that season. 😉
So true. I keep reminding myself that these are the times when our careful spending and saving pays off and we can spend more freely. And oh boy we sure are!
I know you are not in the US but......when we toured the home of Thomas Jefferson, (third US president in early 1800's), they told us baby boys then were dressed in pink and girls in pastel blue. The pink was the baby version of a red power tie. 🤓
Yes!! It used to be the opposite, because pink was seen as bold, because it was like a junior red (the colour of soldiers' uniforms in England) and blue was associated with gentleness because of an old association between the colour blue and the Virgin Mary in Western art.
Your new clipboard made me smile. My mom was a nurse. She gave me one of her special 'nurse clipboards' when I was a kid (80's). It was ugly dark-grey metal BUT it had that magic storage box with compartments behind it. I have always loved organizational tools, so, of course, I LOVED that clipboard. At the time, it was so unique that all of my friends were jealous because of the storage box. ROFL I'm happy to see the newer version keeps the usefulness, but is also cute.
1. Picked up 3 pairs of shorts for my son off Buy Nothing
2. Paid my garbage service for the whole year, which gives a discount
3. All my lunches this week are from my freezer
4. Used snap peas from our garden in a stir fry for dinner
5. Will be using herbs from our garden this week to make pasta sauce
Frugal doesn’t have to be interesting. I suppose that’s part of the ease and beauty of it all.
I don’t necessarily have five frugal things as a whole, though I’m very proud of myself. I had last minute company this weekend and my menu changed and I didn’t buy a single thing for the meals. Everything I prepared was from scratch with things I already had in my larders. I purchased some hotdog buns because they were on sale and was originally going to have hot dogs but my son smoked a pork shoulder I had thawed. We used those hotdog buns as they’re just a different shape. That felt really good.
Mom would serve spaghetti a day or 2 after we had hotdogs and the unused hotdog buns were always made into garlic toast.
Oh, the AC cycling is interesting. I wonder how the power company differentiates between the HVAC use of electricity and the, say, alarm clock use of electricity. And honestly I did not realize this was a thing in non-rural areas. We have a similar thing ("control" because it's radio-wave controlled) for irrigation well motors in that we are signed up on three days a week to have the electricity off if peak heat and thus use for residential/business AC coincides with our irrigation use. But it's super easy — off or on, no differentiation.
Yesterday was my day off so I went by "Salvation Armani" (Salv. Army store). Almost the minute I walked in, I saw a darling purse. It was a Chico brand, which is a ritzy designer store here, and it was only $19.99. Big and roomy with a nice woven design and it looks brand new. I've been needing a new purse, so it came home with me. Not sure if that's frugal or not, but....I now have a new-to-me Chico purse!
Coworker brought pizza to work Sunday. Free lunch. Customer wants to bring me a pair of blue jeans she thinks I can wear.
Coworker's sister went to 4th of July concert, ended up on 3rd row, got out her cell phone and started videotaping The Jacksons. (Yes, as in Jackson 5ive.) I've been promised a peek at the cell phone footage. Free!
It was really hot yesterday and my AC was struggling to keep up. I didn't want to set it any lower so I went to the library in the hottest part of the afternoon. Took a bag full of books to donate to their book sale, so that helped in the decluttering project. Worked on a crossword puzzle and an online jigsaw puzzle. When my computer session was up, I spied a book I wanted to read on the Lucky Day shelf: "Nobody's Girl" by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Checked it out and took it home. Started reading it and need to finish and turn it in within 7 days.
I'd finished a Danielle Steele large print novel over the holiday weekend, and had hoped to give it to my older friend who is in assisted living. Turns out she's already read it. So I traded it in to the used book store and my total is up to almost $30 now. I think I bought the book at Goodwill for 20% off their usual cheap price for paperbacks. So I made a tidy profit!
When I phoned my friend, she let me know that our mutual friend Shirley has been diagnosed with dementia and had to go to a memory care facility. Like me, Shirley has no family. Please pray for her!
@Fru-gal Lisa, I am sorry about your friend, I pray all goes as well as can be epxected.
Thank you. The home she's in is still letting her participate in the church choir; they drive her to rehearsals and services in back. So she at least has one enjoyable thing to look forward to, at least for the time being.
Hubby and I are about to go on vacation. 2 nights hotel on points (accumulated by his work travels) 2 nights staying with relatives and 1 night hotel paid out of pocket. This will be a great week without spending a fortune on accommodations. Also planning to being a cooler of food and drinks along, so minimal restaurant and convenience store purchases.
I have not been up to very much.
I am making sales on eBay, but as I am selling clothes that my sister can no longer use, it is not enriching me! I am, however, keeping an item here and there. With her blessing. I have finally finished listing everything, so that's a big relief.
I am eating down my freezer and pantry. Sometimes that means buying something to finish a recipe, but I'm trying to keep that to a minimum.
I am not buying clothes, even thrifted ones, as a rule, but I am pretty excited about two pairs of cute patterned (new) socks I bought at Goodwill.
I am in a cycle of placing holds at the library, picking them up, reading them and returning them. I am always doing at least one of the above. I am also in the same cycle with little free library books. I never lack for free reading material.
1. I needed new stakes for my tomato plants (the planters aren’t wide enough for cages) so I used two reflective driveway markers I found in the garage and a long branch I found in the woods behind our house.
2. I got a sourdough starter going and I have been making crackers with the discard – the recipe calls for just butter, starter, and EBTB seasoning.
3. I have some Amazon digital credits so I put the expiration date on my calendar – they expire right around my birthday and I’m planning on buying myself an e-book for my birthday.
4. Our weekend was unexpectedly frugal – my husband and son were both feeling under the weather so the holiday weekend was filled with streamed movies, lots of World Cup, cooking at home (and keeping those meals basic). We did miss a pool party on the other side of the metro, but our neighbors lit fireworks on the “not road” (an abandoned subdivision planned road that we use for walks) so all was not lost.
5. Leftovers for lunch, coffee at home, books from the library, keeping the shades closed, combining errands …. all the normal frugal activities.
I took my Zozo to heathers the Musical on Broadway for her high school graduation present. Tickets were $39 each. I belong to TDF a program that offers discount ticket to members. I love Broadway shows. Have been going since I was about 8. Saw Maurice Chevalier at 77. Missed Joel grey in Cabaret. He was sick and Bert Convy took his place. My high school senior trip was to London and I saw a bunch of shows. I saw Ingrid Bergman. Saw Liza Minnelli in Chicago and the Rink. I was able to see Joel Grey in Good Time Charlie and The Grand Tour.
My two kids have seen a few shows. The Little Mermaid, Once upon a Mattress with Sutton Foster, a show about Louis Armstrong that I forgot the name of. We visited his house in Queens that is now a museum. We had so much fun.
Let’s see if I can get to five…
1. Made coffee at home.
2. Made all meals at home.
3. Am patiently waiting for my car to be repaired and trying to limit the number of places I need to go until then which cuts down on spending sort of naturally.
4. Stayed in the house during the worst of the heatwave. My electric bill probably won’t be all that frugal, because my husband and I put four more window AC units in, but I’m finding that I’m just completely intolerant of humidity now. It’s probably hormonal because I remember feeling this way when I was pregnant during the terribly hot summer of 2012 (which is incidentally when we purchased most of our window units, and all but one are still working, so maybe there is some frugal here…) Anyway, my hot flashes were just unbearable and any amount of sweating was aggravating my healing radiation burns, so something had to give.
5. And this one is sort of a frugal/not frugal: I bought two red light therapy devices that are designed to wrap around a joint like your knee. They were each originally 120 bucks, but were marked down to 20 each (maybe because of prime week? I dunno.). Anyway, I bought these because I figured they had the most flexible design for treating multiple parts of my body. I’m hoping for some help mostly with nerve regeneration in my feet and knees, but I’m eagerly reading claims that it helps calm inflammation in joints, heal surgical scars, reduce lymphedema, regrow hair, and even help support thyroid function. Since I’m dealing with all these issues now post-cancer treatment, I’m trying to keep realistic expectations and not think of red light therapy as a miracle cure-all. But if it does even a tenth of the things it can supposedly do, it’ll be 40 bucks well spent. If nothing else, it enforces some self-care time because I can’t really walk around with red light panels strapped around my feet. Makes for a good excuse to skip vacuuming…because I can’t really claim I’m trying to save electricity this summer, now can I?
Sending you all good wishes for healing, Becca!
I have had odd hot flashes at night and was disappointed to see that self-help comments online all referred to menopause, which I am past. I did pick up a few thoughts, one being the effects of diet late in the afternoon or evening, which I am watching for. Sugar, caffeine, and potato chips seem to connect to when I overheat at night. Best to you!
Yes, caffeine is a trigger for me too, but I’ve noticed it’s better if I drink my coffee iced or room temp.
I went through two pregnancies sans A/C - late July and late August babies. Both were hot summers. I just dared anyone to comment on my attire/hair style for the few times we went out to eat. What helped me power through was all my ancestors - who mostly had six times the babies I did.
I’ll award you a million gold stars, but they’ll have to be the virtual kind because ain’t no way my hormonal a$$ is setting foot in an un-air conditioned space these days. I even ran the window unit in my classroom all winter long this past year. When the kids complained they were cold, I just told them to put another shirt on because I couldn’t exactly take mine off… 😉
Picking peas, spinach, salad green and so many berries from the garden. The freezer is full of raspberries to last the winter.
I paid for my house insurance in full, which is not cheap, but I don’t have to pay any administrative fees and the cash back I get on my credit card is a nice small bump.
I errand combined a bunch of tasks and had an exhausting ninety minutes getting all the car required stuff done.
I found out a vaccine I need is 80% covered through my extended work benefits, so I booked the shot.
I painted my kitchen with a mistint coloured paint which was the shade I was looking for. This is the first and quite possibly the only time that will happen! Less than half price for high quality paint so I was happy!
I am working at a campground this summer for 5 months. Getting paid and a free full hookup campsite.
I always get a little envious when people talk about picking/foraging for things in their neighborhoods. We have nothing like that and I so wish we did.
I'm not sure I had too many frugal things this week. It was hot. Stayed in most of the week. Let's see...
-Shopped the #dollardeals at Neighborhood
-Processed peas, peaches, and potatoes bought in bulk
-Skipped the week for the milk order as we still had some from last week
Thats about all I can come up with.
Jaime, you could try looking on fallingfruit.org. People post things that are on public land that are edible, for example apples, serviceberries, grapes, elderberries, etc. You might be surprised!
Thank you so much for this resource! I will check it out.
Some weeks I have a short list, some weeks I have a longer list! Lots this past week.
1. DH accepted some on-the-edge grapes and some steel cut oats from an acquaintance he knows through local volunteer work. I previously met this gentleman through community choir and he would try to get choir members to take salvaged food and vegetables from his overloaded car after rehearsal. I was the only one to ever take him up on it that I know of.
2. I salvaged some oranges from work before the weekend. They had been there for at least a week and a half and were on the edge.
3. I continue to use a loaner vehicle from the shop while we wait for replacement suspension springs for our 2021 Honda van. It’s frugal in that I don’t have to rent a car.
4. My frugal friend graciously let me stay at her house for some much needed R&R (well, me and the baby) while she was out of town. She also graciously let me eat meals from her freezer and pantry. I’ve enjoyed taco salad, butter chicken, homegrown asparagus, homemade sourdough bread, and ice cream. Most importantly, I’ve really enjoyed not cooking!
5. I’ve been able to source some much-needed things via eBay recently. We have a Europe trip coming up (tickets bought with miles from credit card promotions!) and I have been able to buy two different sets of packing cubes and a new pumping-compatible nursing bra. I’m still working on finding some other items. Like Katy @NCA, I’m trying to only buy things used when possible. It’s cheaper and it supports someone’s small business. I do have to check fairly well that I don’t end up with an Amazon drop shipper, though, as that has happened several times. So far it seems like narrowing my search to sellers in the USA helps, and also making sure they have actual photos of the item versus just using stock photos.
6. I found a dime in self-checkout. I also found a Zeiss lens wipe in the parking lot.
7. I got a free bag of a popcorn-like snack via Aisle.
8. I thought the wild raspberries growing along our fenceline were done, but I went out to pull a few weeds and found at least a half cup.
That was so kind of your friend to let you and your baby stay at her house and eat from her freezer and pantry. Hope you got tons of rest!
I engraved my clipboard, I took it to a trophy shop and they did it for a few bucks, plus it looked good. I had one that I put stickers on, but it disappeared in the E.R.
I picked a gallon of cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onions, carrots and beets. Pickled the beets, made Bolognese in the Insta-pot with the rest. Mom is not the best eater, but she loved the sauce.
Picked tart cherries will pit and freeze today. Picked a gallon of blueberries, froze. Picked the strawberries, made freezer jam.
Quilting friend offered me a bolt of linen that she bought in Turkey. I am going to make her a shift dress out of it as a thank you. She lost her dream house in a wildfire and spent several months in several countries teaching and filling up a shipping container with antique furniture, textiles and art.
I bought a projector at a moving sale, told the guy I wanted to use it on the big barn door like a drive in. He sold me a solar powered inverter and came out to set it up. We are going to use it for 4H club movie nights for the rest of the summer. A safe place for the kids to gather, swim in the pond, play barn bball, corn hole and volleyball or badminton.
BGF, your last one sounds like fun. Can I please join your 4H group? LOL!
That's a smart idea to have your clipboard engraved! I needed one for my job but fortunately, it was never lost.
Can one of your clipboard stickers be one that identifies you, so someone can return it to you if it's lost again?
I took a road trip yesterday and, after dropping my son off at his new digs, took him grocery shopping, then made a sandwich out of his new groceries to eat on the long drive home instead of stopping for fast food. I also made sure to fuel up in South Carolina, where the gas is cheap, rather than here up north where it is 30 cents more!
And this afternoon I'm taking my other son out for ice cream with the coupon he earned through his library summer reading program!
Ha, wellllll, there will be a Snoopy sticker, and everyone on my unit knows my belongings are all Snoopy-coded. 😉
Your packed lunch looks delicious! I wish my lunches were as good as yours.
This Week's Frugal 5s:
• Celebrated at home with the family by grilling hamburgers and using up groceries we already had, watched a favorite movie on DVD, and spent a beautiful day swimming and paddle boarding at the local lake.
• Looked after a friend's garden while she was traveling. I’m return, she gifted me with an amazing haul: two jars of homemade applesauce, fresh lettuce, chives, basil, cilantro, and a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers.
• Kept up with our "eat down the fridge" goal, utilized the free summer lunch program in the park, and saved food pantry leftovers that were destined for the dumpster.
• Kept the girls stocked with library book holds, downloaded a few magazines and a book for myself on Libby, and utilized our own stash of movies and board games to survive a rainy day.
• Used an invisible stitch to repair a torn stuffed animal, extending its life. Good as new!
I appreciate you pointing out that sometimes it's more frugal in the long run to buy the sturdier/more expensive option the first time.
My frugals:
• Froze extra pancake batter in ice cube trays to use for next time (thanks for the idea!)
• Chose the 'saver' car for a ride to my doctor. It's further out so the bus doesn't run that way. I had to wait about 10 extra minutes on both ends, but saved money overall.
• Piggybacking off that- the specialist doctor works at two sites, so I was able to get my two follow up appointments at the closer office
• I sent my nephew a Visa gift card through Amazon as he graduated. It came with a pop-up offer for prime free for a month, so I agreed, and then promptly went in and cancelled- which still allows me the benefit of it for a month, but I won't be charged next month. I've been watching movies and reading books that aren't available on my library account. This has been helpful as I'm restricted from swimming and sweating for two weeks and going a bit batty.
• I bought a dishsoap refill with the idea that overall it will be less plastic items and as it was bulk it is cheaper overall per unit. It didn't have a zip close (probably part of the cheaper cost), so I used a free rubber band from my rubber band ball to close it.
Tell me about this pancake batter in ice cube trays…how do you use them later? Do you let them thaw first, or can you just plop a frozen cube on the hot griddle? Would that actually work?
Work, work, work - welcome to my world lol. Imagine working 65 hours (for more than one week) with an infant/infant and 3 year old. I will admit that some of those hours happened after the kids were in bed.
I eat all mine meals from mine Organic Grown Gardens
When I've wanted to make a purchase this week no matter how small, I've taken the money I would have spent and transferred it from my checking into my savings acct instead of making the purchase. For example, this morning I had promised my daughter chickfila for breakfast. I started to get an iced coffee for myself with her meal for an additional 2 bucks but I opted no to and instead transferred 10 bucks into savings. I made coffee at home.
Also, I am minimizing food purchases. So far only soent about 200 on food this montj including groceries and eating out. My goal is to eat food we already have in the freezer and pantry before going shopping. And only buying groceries I really need like fresh milk, eggs or produce as we run out.
Good for you!