Five (ok, nvm, four!) Frugal Things
Ohhh, man.
I got back late Saturday night from Lake Tahoe, had one day to get my life back together, and then dove back into three back-to-back twelve-hour shifts, followed by a new grad residency program education day.
So I am a little short on interesting frugal things!
1. I brought my refillable water bottle with me
I do have two Owalla bottles now (one was a gift and the other is from the Goodwill bins!), but I still regularly use my Fincon freebie bottle.
It's a perfect size to fit in the small side pocket of my blue backpack, so I brought it along on my trip and filled it at the airport.
No need to buy a drink, no need to throw away a drink container.
Speaking of Fincon freebies...
2. I used three Fincon 2025 freebies
I am very particular about the swag I will accept from a conference; only things that are actually useful and practical.
On my trip, I wore a tall pair of free socks I won at Fincon in Portland (I rarely wear tall socks so this was the first time I broke them out!)
I also used my convenient free hand sanitizer (it clips onto my backpack) so that my hands weren't dirty when I was eating finger foods on the flight.
And I used a box of free Fincon breath mints after eating.
3. I made an easy dinner plan
I did not have time to do a whole lot of shopping and prepping, so I pressed the easy button and decided to use my homemade frozen ready-to-cook foods (stuffed shells and burgers!)
Otherwise, this would definitely be a straight shot to Takeout Land.
Did I eat stuffed shells last week? Yep. Do I care about repeating a meal so soon? Nope. When you're this pressed for time, you can't be choosy!
4. I prepped breakfasts and lunches
Since this week is the new grad residency class week, I have to be at the hospital four days in a row (three shifts, then an education day).
So, I prepped a batch of egg bites (a dozen will last me exactly four breakfasts!), plus a batch of the Aldi copycat chickpea salad. That makes a very simple work lunch with the addition of some kind of protein (rotisserie chicken, sauteed shrimp, etc.)
Alllllllrighty. That's where my frugal things run out. 😉
I'm so impressed with all your food prep! Speaking of, I had a frugal fail where I made your granola, got distracted and forgot to add honey! That's what I get for multitasking! I'll still eat it though;)
My frugal things, post trip edition:
1. I had curry one evening which Past Me had made and left in the fridge for when I got back.
2. I haven't got any takeout.
3. I didn't buy lunch when I was out the other day despite being tempted.
4. I used my gym membership and went running outside(a short run during to ice!).
5. I used the library.
*due to, not during!
Personally, who wouldn't like some stuffed shells on repeat?! Yum. Yay for Past Kristen's good freezer decisions.
- Have not eaten restaurant or takeout food for over a week (actually not atypical but the amount of times I've WANTED restaurant food is noteworthy).
- Now that I limit myself to tea almost exclusively, I never spend $4 to "treat" myself to a good coffee.
- Car wouldn't start and it was resolvable at home (no mechanic).
- Back to driving the car to work which will save on gas over the truck.
- Going to enjoy a free pancake breakfast this morning hosted by a club at my school. Taking my own PB and plain yogurt bc I need a little more oomph than just bread and syrup to get through a morning with my brain and attitude intact 😉
- Didn't sign up for Peacock to watch Olympics, but able to record some events to watch later since we have YouTube TV access.
This week:
1. Culled out my book collection at work and put it on a free table.
2. Ate at home for Valentine's Day. We did go out for breakfast the next day, which is much less expensive.
3. Used my $80 Costco gift card at Costco and it worked! This was for turning in an old laptop to Phobio. You guys, this program works, yay!
4. Brought home some salad from a staff lunch potluck, had it for dinner with some chicken on top
5. I grew a LOT of jalapenos last summer, so I used some from my freezer stash to take jalapeno poppers to the potluck.
1. In honor of Lindsey in Alaska, I used an empty dog food bag as a trash bag.
2. Found a quarter in a parking lot.
3. Saved $7.50 at Safeway by signing up to be a member.
4. Went out to lunch on Valentine's Day. Brought our own container for leftovers. Paid cash to avoid credit card fees. Took home toothpicks from sandwich to use as cake testers. We did everything but lick our plates!
5. The home watch service (woman-owned - yay!) we hired to come to our house while we're gone discovered a frozen drain between the house and the street, exacerbated by the deep cold and a large tree root. We will owe her additional money for the extra visits she made to our home to coordinate with the plumbing company as well as the sewer company. The whole thing will be close to $2,000. But, as always, it could have been way worse.
Yes, thinking of Lindsey in Alaska. And of course thinking of Bee and JD as well. Sending hellos if any are reading!
Every time I eat a Sumo orange (which is daily at this time of year), I think of Lindsey. 🙂
--Valentine's dinner was bacon-wrapped venison steaks (free from my brother, the mighty hunter) and sauteed kale. My husband and I also had a lovely coffee date out ($15 including tip) at our favorite local place. All weekend, we spruced up homemade coffee with homemade chocolate whipped cream--our favorite cheap indulgence. We're both counting calories, so it really did feel QUITE indulgent!
--Out of one package of bacon, we got the aforementioned bacon-wrapped steaks; bacon to top portabello mushroom "burgers"; and a batch of Zuppa Toscano. The bacon, kale, mushroom caps, and other soup ingredients were all bought on sale.
--I found a pristine old-timey clothes wringer at Goodwill for $12!!! An older woman at the register asked if I knew what it was and was surprised that 1) yes, I did and 2) yes, we will use it. Rural living came with what we jokingly call "prepper lite" mode, where we refine our emergency backup plans with what we learn from each unexpected weather twist. Last year's pseudo tornado (86 mph winds!) and resulting power outage put "laundry backup" on the list! Our emergency power bank is reserved for the fridge and freezer.
--I passed on more DIY supplies to the friend who is working on her house. This was also a good excuse to straighten up and re-inventory my unruly "random house stuff" storage. I even rediscovered a few things I thought I needed to restock for upcoming projects, so yay!
--We now have a dedicated "House Library" (we're book people, so we've many libraries) thanks to a $20 Habitat Restore side table. It's a beautifully handmade solid wood piece--I suspect an advanced shop class project, given the handwritten initials and grades on different parts. I sealed it with multiple coats of varnish, added a drawer handle from my stash, and contact paper inside its one drawer. The side table now holds all of our house specific books--gardening, wiring, general DIY, etc.--on the bottom shelf and our house toolbox* in the drawer.
*We also have garage and workshop toolboxes. It's so much easier than hauling tools between places.
What a great idea! Love that you left all the school markings the table came with. Adding a drawer from your stash! What kind of wonderfullness is this? It sounds like a masterpiece.
I sae an oldfashioned metal laundry "plopper" on a wooden stick at our local thriftshop the other day, but resisted. I know after all that one can also use a clean rubber sewer plopper in case of an emergency. And we have a new plopper in the garage. Fingers crossed though that no alternatives to my faithful washing machine will be needed.
My late mother had a metal plopper, and a ginormous zinc cooking pan, and a clothes wringer. I remember playing housewife as a small child, washing Doll's clothes, and being cautioned about the wringer, and my fingers. Happy memories!
oops. came back to find the stop off place and finish reading today's posts. Reread your's and realize you had a drawer handle to add. Which is also wonderful, resourceful and frugal. Still an awesome project, and I still want one too.
I use a silicone Scrubba bag to wash smalls and a costume piece or two (because I foolishly like wearing a white shirt and apron for outdoor performing)when I'm camping.
--After probably a year of thinking I should just stop buying brown sugar already but being lazy about making it ahead of time and irritated when I have to mix the sugars individually when baking . . . I finally stopped buying brown sugar. I got a gallon jug of molasses awhile ago that I'll use to make it. I haven't done the math on it, but the internet assures me homemade is about half the cost of store-bought. Especially because I like dark brown sugar, and I can't find a store brand of that in the places I shop.
--Eldest requested a chocolate cheesecake for his birthday. This is probably the most expensive cake to make, what with all the dairy in it, but way, way less making it myself than buying something. Better, too. 🙂
--During Lent, I don't make cookies for my children's snacks at school. (Catholics are encouraged to make some kind of sacrifice during Lent as a way to re-focus ourselves less on the physical world and more on God. Children aren't required to fast or anything, but not having cookies at school seems like a pretty mild sacrifice. 🙂 ) I used to make savory spiced almonds a lot, and haven't in awhile, so I made some of those for them to take to school. Those used the free almonds from excess commodities and one of the egg whites left from making an insanely rich chocolate pudding on Valentine's Day that required five egg yolks.
--The other four egg whites went into meringue cookies.
--A friend's brother is running track for the first time and didn't have--and didn't know he would need--track spikes. They don't have much money, so I was delighted when I discovered that my eldest son's old track spikes fit him well and happily gave them to him. I'm always especially pleased when more than one kid can use sports shoes, because they really don't get much use during a season (especially the spikes, which are literally only on their feet for their races at meets) and they're expensive. It's gotten to the point that my youngest son's giant feet are too big for eldest's boy's shoes from when he started sports, but those shoes are big enough that my daughter's feet will never get that big, so I would have just donated those spikes anyway. Much better to give them to someone I actually know who will use them.
Wow, I didn't know you could make brown sugar! I'm going to look into it right now because that's what I use. I actually have molasses in the house! Thank you so much for the tip.
Its really easy:
I c light brown sugar = 1c granulated + 1T molasses
1c dark brown sugar = 1c granulated + 2T molasses.
If your recipe is finicky re sugar, use 1 and 2 T less granulated, respectively.
Here's an interesting fact: brown sugar used to be one step in the process to make white sugar, so brown was (slightly) less processed. Modern processing is different and goes straight to white sugar, so now even the mfgrs make brown sugar by adding molasses to white.
i am so impressed. i think you are a human encyclopedia and the secret quthor of everything on google.
I used to measure the sugar to molasses ratio, but I now just eyeball it. I pour the cane sugar into my brown sugar container, then pour it into my mixing bowl, turn the mixer on low and start drizzling in the molasses until it is somewhere between golden and dark. You can always add an extra tablespoon to a recipe for dark brown sugar.
You could consign future grown out pairs at Play It Again Sports if you have one nearby. It's also a good place to check when you need something that's not used often
Lazy Budget Chef,
I am admittedly negatively biased about Play It Again Sports....my DH took our son's very lightly used goalie hockey pads and helmet there to try and sell them - son does not play hockey on a team or anything, so it was mostly him playing in them on our front lawn or maybe on the driveway a couple of times - they were rejected as being "too worn". (eye roll). Just be honest, please, and say "we just don't sell much hockey equipment". I have had similar experiences in trying to sell my son's clothing to Once Upon a Child when he was younger. Not trying to dissuade anyone from trying it, but it did not work for us.
FFT, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah Edition:
(1-5) Yesterday, NDN1, CF, and I signed the paperwork for NDN1's admission to assisted living. This is so huge, and has been such a long time coming, that I'm counting it as all five things. Now NDN1 will get the care she so urgently needs, and CF and I will sleep a lot better at night.
I'll have much more to say about this as time goes on, of course. But it's going to be all hands on deck for a while getting NDN1 ready for the move. We do have a few days, since NDN1 needs to get medical clearance (she just had an exam by her PCP, but she needs a TB test) and since we need to get the room set up--but this will be a busy time. Still, I'm more than happy to pitch in!
Yay! I could hear your sigh of relief from here.
You are such a good neighbor- I hope things go smoothly for her move!
I'm so thankful for this! (What? It's not Thursday?!) On Sunday I visited a lady from our congregation who (I think) really needs to be not home alone. She's been "considering" her options for quite some time, but leaving home means leaving her life behind, I think. I'm not in a position to push, but I've been encouraging whenever possible.
Sad and also happy?
Relieved and whistful?
Good that this is now decided.
Oh my gosh, all the cheering!!! HUGS
Congratulations! I know this has been weighing on you for a long time.
So glad that she will have the support she needs. Kudos to you as a great friend!
We just moved DH’s folks into assisted living (after they both experienced “incidents” that made it necessary) and it was quite the process! Good for you for helping out.
Wonderful news! Congrats! I went on 3 kitchen fire calls last night with the volunteer f.d. and all three were elderly folks. One was so bad that it went to 3 alarm. You are such a blessing.
What wonderful, amazing news! So happy for you, CF AND your neighbor!!
Mazel Tov!!!!! What a blessing. So glad it went well.
Happy for you and your family. <3
You are such a good friend to her. And what a relief!
My mom improved a good bit after she went to assisted living because she was getting her meds and someone made sure she ate, plus having new friends around. At home she stayed in bed all day and ate nothing but corn flakes and orange juice.
Only one frugal thing: finally got my taxes done and submitted (after 8 rejects). 2k coming back and will go into my flooring fund.
1) For Valentines Day we went to a potluck followed by playing cards (Phase 10) with an eclectic group of neighbors. Lots of fun for the low low cost of $1 each (for the winners pot that goes 2/3 to the actual winner and 1/3 to biggest loser) and a contribution to the food. I made a new to me salad from the Cookie & Kate website (which never disappoints) and it was a hit. The ingredients were a mix of newly purchased and “use up stuff on hand”. https://cookieandkate.com/southwestern-kale-power-salad/
2) I washed, ironed and sorted through clothes - some will go to Goodwill, some to be consigned (I made an appointment for the latter 2.5 months ago).
3) cut some bougainvillea and put it in a small vase for a pop of color
4) using up leftovers and working down fridge and pantry in anticipation of a road trip later thus month
5) gave fresh herbs from my small garden to a friend on a post-surgery liquid diet (to help flavor her bone broth and stock)
-Reused envelopes and backs of prints to take my notes on. I have to jot down my thoughts before I can churn them into documents, emails and spreadsheets.
- Relisted some items, as recently I sold some other items that had expired and that I relisted. More patience needed (only for items that are too valuable to give away).
- Gathered several products I bought (B1G1) and did not use, to give away.
- Mended the string of my trusty gym bag.
- Repotted the surviving geraniums cutlings (3 out of 12 I think) into bigger pots.
Plus, cooked at home.
I went on a two day knitting retreat this weekend. I didn't buy any yarn. Or to say it properly, I didn't *buy* any *yarn*
1. Stayed at the hotel only one night, driving early and late so I don't miss out on the fun.
2. Bought most of my food and all my drinks at the supermarket, and had dinner leftovers for lunch the next day.
3. The retreat included gift bags, door prizes for all, take some/leave some tables, and a lot of swapping. I came away with a full set of crochet needles, 550 yards of merino sock yarn, 400 yards of stunning purple silk/merino, a needle felting kit, a book of sock patterns, a fix-it kit of three tiny crochet hooks on a key ring, and a few small odds and ends.
Not frugal, even using the $10 gift certificate: buying two knitting books, one of cable sweaters.hats/shawls-or-blankets (I'd happily make 3/4ths of them, a very high percentage), another of 200 interesting and/or wacko stitch patterns such as "cake or death", mushrooms, masked bandit (raccoons and trash cans), and a lots cool 2 color patterns.
I forgot the 1700 yards of shiny light purple boucle yarn. That's a short-sleeve sweater for one of my nieces. )The sock yarn will be socks, and the silk/merino will be a hood.)
I think you speak my daughter's language. She speaks in yarn.
That sounds like a great event! I wish I could have joined!
A two day knitting retreat sounds like the perfect antidote to the mid-February blahs!
1. My mom gave us breads, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cashew butter, fruit, bell peppers, etc. I used the over-ripe cherries to make a cherry bread. I used the over-ripe bananas and blueberries to muffins.
2. I picked up snow pants for my daughter for next winter off Buy Nothing. I also picked up clothes for her for next year off But Nothing.
3. I bought 50% off salads at Aldi. I also bought clearance Valentine's Day candy for my kid's Easter baskets.
4. Instead of going out to dinner for Valentine's Day, my husband and I cooked steaks we had bought at Aldi for 50% off and mashed potatoes using the potatoes my mom gave us. We juiced the oranges my mom gave us to make orange margaritas. We also took two hikes together in the snow. It was really nice.
5. The bottom rubber part of my son's snow boot fell off. My husband used Shoo Goo to glue it back on.
Even though I know that spending at an airport is a minimal percentage of what gets spent on the whole trip, I still find that I enjoy my trips more when I travel (relatively) frugally. As in, splurging on a meal out feels nice, but "splurging" on a plastic water bottle at the airport does not increase my enjoyment of my trip lol.
Nothing too exciting happening here.
1. I'm trying to do a better job of "catching" produce before it goes bad. I'm not perfect (and that's not the goal,) but we don't toss nearly as much as we used to.
2. Did an on-call shift on Sunday and stayed in-person even though I technically didn't need to, because if I stayed in person I'd get the higher call stipend. So I worked at a slow pace and spent lots of time with the patients.
3. Am mid-pushing through my/my daughter's/household laundry. Why is this frugal? Because we maintain small wardrobes. You know what no one ever says about having a capsule wardrobe? You have to do a lot of laundry!
4. We're moving at the end of April so I'm trying to be a thoughtful about eating down the freezer and pantry at least somewhat. I see lots of bolognese, frozen veggies, and quinoa salad in our future.
5. I had a meeting with someone at work (I guess our equivalent of HR?) to make sure I can use my vacation days at the beginning of my maternity leave in the spring. It has financial implications because my vacation days are paid at 100% and maternity leave isn't; I'm also using it as a strategy to lengthen my leave.
Yeah, about produce... I freeze any fruit that needs catching, to use in smoothies. There's been quite a bit of that recently.
Good luck with the move.
Hope you have many happy times in your new home.
1. Filed taxes early to get a discount on the online prep, saved $30+!
2. Put in an online order for staples we are running low on, which used up gift cards from the holidays and took advantage of sale deals!
3. Remembered a gift card with purchase coupon I had after I checked out at the grocery store, so went to customer service with my receipt and procured my $10 card!
4. Spring cleaning my house using mostly vinegar and powdered tide/hot water...super frugal and they work great!
5. Having regular leftover nights to clear out random containers of leftovers before they go bad!
1. Packed snacks and drinks for our trip to visit my sister and BIL. We did splurge and bought a treat when we stopped at convenience store to use the restroom and got 2 cow tales candy for $1.00.
2. Redeemed offer from Target for a free one-year subscription to the Target Circle 360 membership when I make $199 purchases this month. I ordered things for the house, gifts for Grandson's birthday, a potty chair, and a few other things we needed to get to the $199 spending.
3. We did not want to cook or get take-out from a restaurant on Valentine's Day, so I pressed the easy button and got a rotisserie chicken and bag of salad from Costco. Cheaper than take-out and provided us with multiple meals.
4. Used the sourdough starter I got as a gift from my company to bake two loaves of bread.
5. Turned off subscriptions for Amazon prime channels that I subscribed to during cyber-Monday sale.
My son and I just got back from a tournament weekend in Pheonix. Between airfare, hotel, rental cars, and eating out it wasn’t a frugal trip but we did have some wins AND a wonderful weekend. To top it off, my son’s team won their bracket!
1. We both packed water bottles to fill up at the airport and during the entire weekend. All the boys were on a “strongly suggested” healthy diet by their coach so asking for anything other than water at mealtimes wasn’t really an option.
2. My son spotted a Costco when we were returning the rental car so we were able to fill up with cheaper gas.
3. I declined all the additional insurance on the rental car – our credit card covered everything the rental company was offering so there was no need to pay for something twice.
4. I brought healthy snacks and Liquid IV from home.
5. The hotel had breakfast included and we made sure to bring fruit with us to the fields.
6. The moms that planned the downtime activities did a great job of keeping them free – a nice morning hike to warm up before an evening game, easy to pack table games, and of course hot tub time to relax the boys’ sore muscles. It really didn’t take much to keep a group of 15-16 year old boys entertained, they were just excited to be together.
Will have to try stuffed shells sometime! Even though I do cook a lot, I've never made them! But it strikes me that I could thaw them one at time, which is good for a single person.
1. I signed up with Comed to take advantage of variable rates. I don't mind running the dishwasher after 9pm -- or before 6am.
2. While I am staying at my friend's house, helping with post-surgery recovery, I am saving on utilities, food, and even gas, because I haven't been going anywhere! And I will run some laundry before I go.
3. My silver hair is beginning to take on a purple cast from the purple shampoo I've been using. I don't use it more than 2-3 times a month, but apparently that is too much. I'm going to dilute the shampoo I have left and use it more sparingly.
4. My friend keeps her house cooler than I like it. I'm going to go to Goodwill today to find a sweatshirt. I can use another, anyway.
5. This neighborhood has street parking restrictions like mine does. I moved my car to a legal spot a block away. Parking tickets are not frugal!
That purple shampoo does the same thing to my hair so I mixed it with the rest of a bottle of regular shampoo and don't use it more than once a week.
Made molasses ginger bread cookies for Christmas, a big hit.
will look into brown sugar deal.
Only four here too, and mostly not very frugal. . .
1. Got a haircut at a walk-in place and because I am a “senior”, saved $3.
2. A friend drove me down the hill to retrieve my non-frugal but non-avoidably-repaired car (She was going anyway, whereas Hubby would have made a special trip, about $15 in gas each time.)
3. While there, picked up a take-n-bake pizza and had a $3 off coupon.
4. While there, got a load of library books from the big library.
A load of library books always makes one feel wealthy!
Today is baking and dinner prep day! Woo hoo!
Egg bites, cross rib roast, pizza rolls (that wasn't on the list, but the neighbor wants to learn how to make them as her kids love them), double batch of ground beef, onions, garlic, Salt and pepper. Frozen in 2 cup amounts that can become tacos or taco salad, Italian sauce, stirfry or lo mein, taco soup, cheeseburger soup, I feel i'm having a Forrest Gump moment. Kale salad, cabbage salad and green salad. For community dinner tomorrow: I am taking Swedish meatballs, homemade egg noodles, kale power salad, roasted root veggies and apple slab pie.
We'll also make a double batch of freezer waffles and oven fry a pound of bacon.
Hi Lindsey!
1. I used gift cards I got for Christmas to stock up on household supplies.
2. Used another gift card to treat myself and two friends to take-out. I did spend $30 out of pocket but I got two meals out of mine and I got to treat two people who are very kind and helpful to me.
3. I was given a free theatre ticket, which would have cost $50 out of pocket. I did contribute $10 toward parking. Not bad for a great night out.
4. I made a dish for a potluck with all ingredients I had on hand except for one. At the end of the evening we all divided up the left overs, which made a nice lunch the next day.
5. I have turned the heat down in my house and stopped dripping the water now that the temperature has gone up above freezing most days.
On the road again...
1. A friend let me borrow a longer heavy duty extension cord they weren't using so I didn't have to buy a new one to run electric to my tent. I have solar panels too but it's better and quicker to charge my sound equipment with shore power
2. I got one month free when I joined the local Planet Fitness to work out and take long hot showers without worrying it will overwhelm storage tanks, etc. I opted for the Black Level which will save money because I can use the massage chairs instead of the massage booth this year.
3. I bought a 5 gallon jug of water that I can return the empty jug for a deposit for my camp kitchen. Not having to haul water=priceless.
4. A friend offered a couple of slices of pizza when he was setting up and testing his pizza oven. Free dinner!
5. I used the local library for wifi to do some business stuff and to create and print flyers with my show times.
you are such a treasure and beacon of light in the world. yay a chiquita photo appears. there are free exercise classes at my local library. i have been going to one since july. the other is only for the month of feb before the aforementioned class. the two back to back are rough but so much fun. they are dance based. i learned folk dancing in elementary school it is so much fun. during my youth i spent many a sat night at the 92nd st y in manhattan dancing the night away. the friend who taught me everything i know about investing gave me a ride home to brooklyn my first night at the y.
My frugal things are mostly food related, too. I went shopping today and with markdowns and my partner card (thanks to Son #2) was able to get some good deals on protein to portion for my freezer. I also made 8 breakfast tacos with sausage/egg/red bell pepper to freeze for weekend breakfast - this used up the rest of a package of tortillas, an almost wrinkled pepper, and 8 eggs. The other four eggs got boiled for either a quick egg salad sammie or weekday breakfast. Free things:
*walking at a nearby park
*book club meeting today where we get to meet the author
*CFA loaded a freebie breakfast sammie in the app for me to enjoy soon AND a friend gave me a CFA giftcard for V Day.
*sold another item on Ebay and shipped it right away
Sister and BIL had me over for dinner and sent me home with leftovers for another meal.
Same Sister and BIL just sold their 2nd home and had many nice household items to offer for free while I was at their home....It was like an upscale free pile! LOL. I went home with a few needed new to me items, and gave away what I was replacing to a neighbor!
Sold something on Poshmark, shipped in a re-used padded envelope I had on hand.
A friend over ordered on Thrive and shared with me 2 bags of pasta, and some assorted snacks they had extra!
Just noticed your hand sanitizer was from Plynk. I have some swag from them as well because I use their app for painless investing.
I love your frugal wins, Kristin! Whether it's 5 or less, or more, I love reading what you accomplished!
This week, I have had some small wins and they are:
1) I purchased boxes of laundry pods (many years ago) as they were on clearance. I'm now using them. I took some on a trip and it was so convenient.
2) I went to some parades last week and items were being thrown to the crowds. I scored mirror compacts, socks, t-shirt, cooking utensils/oven mitts/scrubbies and so much more. I shared the compacts with friends/family.
3) I signed up for a frequent flier card and was given 2 passes to a club lounge. I was able to use them. I saved $120.
4) Got great BOGO deals on fresh chicken.
5) There was a great clearance at an online clothing retailer. I haven't purchased in many years. I checked it out and got 8 items for $52. Such a great deal.
1. Took a free calendar to my friend's business. She had earlier mentioned how much she liked the 2025 calendar from my credit union bc it fit her notebook. In turn, she gave me some referrals to tree trimmers and computer repair guys from her small biz directory.
2. Reused some Vacation Bible School signs' metal/wire legs for signs I'm putting in my yard for some candidates, as early voting begins today. BTW, those signs can also be modified for garage sales.
3. Cancelled my RSVP to a church supper I no longer want to attend, this saving the $ I'd have to pay for cold, tasteless pancakes.
4. Took more items to Salv.Army thrift store, part of my spring cleaning and decluttering project.
5.Used an empty orange juice jug for brewing iced tea.
That was a '26 calendar I took her.
I haven't made egg bites in a minute. Maybe I will add that into my rotation this week!!! I got very lucky on Sunday night and after filling out a long application with my son we went to Little Caesars, the website said they were open until 11PM but they in-fact were closed and an employee was mopping. I asked if they had anything ready and she yelled in back for 'expired food' and handed me a pizza and a box of pizza bites. She said they throw out food at the end of the night to enjoy. Score. Very thankful. Other than that we are eating in. I may indulge in a bogo deal at Five Guys tonight and do drinks and sides at home.
1. With the exception of 1-2 coffees and a free meal out, I have eaten at home over the past week.
2. We purchased a basic top-freezer refrigerator. This is less expensive both now and hopefully in terms of future repairs.
3. I have worked on some reimbursements.
4. I asked if an organization that is flying me out for a talk would pay for flight insurance I had already purchased, and they said "yes."
5. I ate leftovers for lunch--the last piece of pizza and the last serving of a Budget Bytes recipe.
I actually had a decently frugal week...and remembered to write them down!
1) I had to buy underwear so I combed through the sale section that's where most of my purchase happened (neutral/black colors tend not to be on sale a lot so I couldn't exclusively shop sale only). I used Rakuten for $10 back. Additionally, I also used $40 in rewards to lessen my purchase price even more. For something that was needed, I feel good about this.
2) We volunteered at the community theater Friday night and got to see the show for free.
3) Walked home from the Harvard Sq market saving the T fare.
4) Purchased chicken at the market, B2G1 free.
5) Waited a day later to get husband's valentines candy for a couple dollars off. We had a full morning on the day off so were waiting to celebrate anyway.
Can you share where you went to the Goodwill bins (I know that was a different post). I keep seeing videos of these mythic bins and would love to check them out. I don't think I am that far from you.
This week I had two neglected sweet peppers that were chopped up for the freezer. I had a kitchen accident the next day and skewered my finger on a knife, so the chopped peppers and all the other home- prepared chopped veggies and cubed pork from the freezer came in handy for cooking supper. Used the supplies, including a finger splint, from the last time I stabbed myself and had to go to urgent care. This happens because arthritis is affecting my grip. Getting old is not for sissies!
Used the ever-handy rechargeable clippers to groom my long- haired cat, saving the $90 cost of professional grooming. She's a sweet natured kitty, which makes it a lot easier.
Turned some leftover plain rice from supper into delicious rice pudding with raisins. Got in some exercise for a good cause by doing a roadside trash clean up in our neighborhood. Too bad there's not bottle and can return laws here because I had a 33 gallon bag full of mostly those items.
Ouch! I hope your finger heals quickly!
You may have heard this recommendation, even though it seems counter-intuitive. Knives should be kept very sharp. They might cut fingers more deeply, but if you are using a dull knife, you have to push harder and are more likely to slip and cut yourself.
This is a wickedly sharp knife. It's kind of alarming how effectively it goes through my flesh! I think I need to get foam handgrips because the thumb of my dominant hand is fused by arthritis and my grip is not good. The hand therapist last year said such aids would be a good idea.
However it is, take care of yourself!
My Frugal 5s
- Used craft stuff we already had at home to make our girls’ Valentine Days box for their class.
- Brought the generic $1 box of 32 Valentine’s Day Cards for each of our 3 kids to give out to their classmates.
- Girls added a Valentine’s Day pencil to each card. The pencils were given to us free from church since they had too much and wanted to get rid of them.
- Realized we had extra Valentine’s Day cards and pencils that the girls can used next year and the year after.
- Made a Valentine’s Day Breakfast with food we already had and watch the Princess Bride from our DVD collection.
- Took the girls to the local playgrounds 3 times this week and watched tons of anime of Amazon Prime. Also read books and played games we got from the library. We made art and crafts with items we had at home.
- Used clothing I already had for my daughter’s Day at the Museum event at school so she can dress up as Julie Andrew’s as Mary Poppins. I’ll shorten the sleeves and tighten the waist for the skirt.
- Girls each got a handful of pjs my mom got from her trip to Vietnam that she shipped to us after she got back home from the states.
- Will be celebrating Lunar’s New Year by cooking lots of yummy Asian dishes with food we already have. I especially stocked up from the Asian grocery store in Phoenix, AR when we visit my brother in law and his family over Christmas and New Year’s there.
I'm glad you could take off and go skiing... I have a feeling you needed to get away for a while.
We are leaving soon for a cruise -- same reason. Our kids will take care of the puppies; we take care of our granddog when they go. But here are the frugal things about the trip:
*We'll be driving there, via our recently-purchased Highlander. Mileage is WAY better than our truck.
*I've already picked up some trip snacks.
*We only have one night at a hotel before we go -- and it includes free parking while we're on the cruise.
*No fancypants activities -- although we may hire a taxi to go see some Mayan ruins. Of course, food and regular stuff is free on the boat. Their coffee is meh -- so since we're driving, we'll have room to take a french press, a grinder and a pound of beans. (Yes, we are coffee snobs.)
And here is the best frugal part --
*A weeklong cruise for two on MSC: $668 and change, inc. taxes!! And when we registered, they upgraded us from inside stateroom to deluxe balcony. Darn, darn, darn. 🙂
Food prep is such a time and money saver!
This week I:
• Used some odds and ends for stuffed bell pepper (a handful of orzo, the bottom tub of ricotta like cheese, a half a tomato and onion)
• Remembered to stuff a reusable bag in my purse and used it for all my grocery visits
• Walked further to the outdoor produce vendors for more affordable produce (plus the exercise and got to support small businesses)
• The place I'm staying doesn't have adequate food storage containers, so I've been reusing large yogurt containers and such.
• Helped trim hubby's hair. It's not my favorite frugal task, but saves a good deal annually.
Recently I . . .
1) Interviewed for a job two states away. To keep the travel frugal I only ate meals out that the institution would reimburse, took advantage of the free hotel breakfast, promptly turned in my receipts so I wouldn't forget, brought tea bags with me so I could make my own free tea in the hotel room, and drove directly to campus to teach my classes on my way home (which means that my commute home from campus was technically reimbursed because they calculated my mileage based on my home address).
2) Knowing I would be out of town for a couple days when we usually grocery-shop, I went ahead on Friday and planned and grocery-shopped a bunch of easy meals. That at least took a little of the burden off my husband who was already caring for all the kids by himself in my absence.
3) I made sure today to catch up on the claims that have hit our health insurance. We have already had several unexpected major medical issues in 2026, but you really have to be careful about tracking what has cleared insurance when you are paying bills. It is so easy for a bill to slip through and get paid in error.
4) Seeing that we had paid our deductible, I went ahead and ordered my lymphedema sleeve. It was quoted 5X the amount I actually paid for it before the deductible. I knew some other charges would wipe out the deductible, and it wasn't an emergency, so I waited to pay for it on this side of the deductible.
5) Our microwave died on us. The first microwave we had in this house lasted 17 years. The second of course lasted 17 months! I did go through the process of trying to get a refund, but it was just out of warranty. So we used a Home Depot coupon that came in the mail to get a cheaper price on a replacement. My husband batched errands Tuesday and picked it up. He will install it himself tonight.
Haha, chickpeas ARE a protein source, so you are good there!
1. DH drove some historical, non-functional guns to an auction house about an hour away. They will be listed online and the auction house will take a reasonable percentage of the sales. I am so thrilled to have them out of the house and hopefully they will also be worth a little bit of money when they are listed in a few months.
2. I tried to redeem an offer on Aisle and nothing seemed to be working in the app, including support. I logged on to my account via the computer and submitted a support request. I would not have purchased a granola bar for $2.25(!!) without the free offer, so I am glad this will finally be reimbursed.
3. After a long hiatus, I received some money back from Rakuten. It takes a long time for this to add up since most of my purchases end up being 1-2% back from a small eBay purchases.
4. I previously purchased a $20 coupon book to support a local university sports team. I redeemed a coupon for $1 of free gas, and I have another $9 in gas coupons to use. I also redeemed a free car wash from using the local convenience store app but will use the code later as the car wash was backed up on a sunny weekend day.
5. I continue to use up free hotel soap samples, toothpaste samples (finishing the kids’ strawberry-flavored toothpaste was definitely taking one for the team), and travel sized hand lotions.
6. I happily opened windows around the house this weekend to air things out. Loving the temporary spring weather here.
We traveled to Virginia making breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, and a thermos of coffee for the trip. We didn't have that much luck on the way home, needing to stop at McDonald's for lunch. Breakfast sandwiches and thermos of coffee were brought for that leg of the trip as well though.
Lately I've started shopping my house as I have a bad habit of buying things, storing them, and forgetting about them. Since I've started finding them, I've made mental notes to use them and not buy more even if they are on clearance. So far I've found: copious amounts of command style hooks, scrubby sponges, SOS pads, Febreze plugin refills, snack type bars (Luna, Atkins, Kind, etc) that I can use for lunches, breaks, and snacks at work/home