Five Tiny Frugal Things
Sometimes my friend Katy does a version of Five Frugal Things that's comprised entirely of tiny frugalities. And this time around, I have a collection of these teensy savings, which only fellow frugal-minded hearts can appreciate. 😉
1. I picked up two hot chocolate packets
I know...only two! Someone was offering them on my Buy Nothing group, and while I would not have made a special trip for these, they were located right on my way home from school.
So, I did not waste gas picking these up.
2. I printed a bunch of paperwork at school
I had a lot of assignments/case studies/lab prework to do, so I stopped in at the school library to print them all.
Is this a large savings? No.
But hey, if I'm paying for tuition, I might as well take advantage of the free printing that's included. 🙂
3. I sandwiched a few soap ends together
Bar soap is cheap, yes. But my waste-averse heart appreciates a save, even if it's small, so I take my little soap ends and squish them together.
Or I piggyback one soap end onto the next bar of soap.
4. I reused my baked apple aluminum foil
I had a glut of apples because I think Hungry Harvest accidentally sent me more than I asked for.
So, I've been experimenting with baked apples in my toaster oven, and since the aluminum foil was hardly dirty after my first effort, I saved it and used it again.
I told you these were tiny savings!!
5. I walked to school a few times
This is a tiny savings because if I can walk to school, that obviously means the drive is rather short. So, it's not like this saves me a whole lot of gas, or even wear and tear on my car.
But my leg power is cheaper than my car power. 😉 And at times when my school start time is mid-day, it honestly saves me time to walk.
How so? In the middle of the day, the parking situation at school is a nightmare, so it takes forever to find a parking place, and you always end up parking far away from the building.
So, walking ends up being quicker!
Bonus: I rescued something from the trash
When I was out walking I noticed one of my neighbors had set a tiered serving tray right next to his trash can on trash day.
I said, "Ummmm, NOT ON MY WATCH!" and I surreptitiously hauled it over to my house even though I had no use for such an item.
I cleaned it up, oiled the wood, and gave it to Miss Sonia, aka Miss Stylish, who could also be known as Miss Entertainer because she regularly hosts dinner parties for her friends.
Obviously, this rescue didn't save me any money, but I know this item will get put to good use instead of going to the landfill. And when Sonia moves away with friends this year to start at a four-year school, she will be able to take this with her to her new house. 🙂
--My husband went through his clothes unprompted, which means my friend with three TALL teenage boys received a bag of "new" jeans.
--With great effort, I have resisted the siren song of emails for bulb and plant sales. I planted so much last year--most of it free from friends--that I don't even remember all of it! We need this year to take photos of everything in bloom and double-check what is where before we add anything, *IF* we add anything! It pays to remember that my gifted irises and daylilies will need split up in a season or two.
--I followed through on my plans to repaint our trim and shed during our unseasonably warm spell last week--Habitat Restore second-hand paint for the win! We want to change the colors of our outbuildings, but that's at least a year and several hundred dollars in paint down the road vs. just sticking with the gray and white--which turn up at Habitat frequently--for right now. It's worth the effort to keep things maintained and looking nice in the meanwhile.
--Related to the above, this year's house goal is the bathroom. We'll replace our TINY medicine cabinet with just a mirror when we have the TINY bathtub replaced this fall. (I'm a petite 5'4" and don't even fit--the tub is TINY, CAPS required.) Meanwhile, we're stashing and storing supplies, including our new Goodwill mirror! I happened to have a few extra minutes and stopped in unplanned. What did I spot but a 24" circular mirror--exactly what we wanted!-- for $5 because it was the half price color.
--Also bathroom related, we bought a new light fixture for the mini makeover. I found a $100 fixture in our style, "used, like new" for $24 on Amazon. Yesssss. After inspection--it's in perfect shape--it was also tucked away for this fall.
--The local contractor who will be doing the work stopped by to view the job site, my sketches, and the materials we already have on hand (tile, mirror, wood paneling, flooring, etc.--woot, Habitat Restore!). Since the area is small and he will only have to supply the labor and non-flashy parts (think cement board, etc.), he's only charging $500 for the materials and will do a professional trade with me (I work in graphic arts) for the labor. We've had this (licensed!) contractor do several small (paid!) custom jobs around the house before and really enjoy working with him; I'm delighted to have built up such a rapport. We both think we're getting a screaming deal with this trade, which is how it should be. I'm so excited for this fall and an actual, adult-sized tub!
@N, that is a fabulous list! I have trouble resisting plants and bulbs. Costco had a huge selection of bulbs last week. I bought 2 bags of Caladiums. They will not be put in the ground until late March, but they are ready to go. Was this frugal? Not really, but they were a good price.
@Bee, I am NOT one to judge bulbs on sale. Enjoy your Caladiums!
@Bee, @N, in my Book of Rules for Frugal Living, neither plants nor books count. And sometimes yarn doesn’t count. Fresh vegetables don’t count either. (Better quit while I still have any money left!)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, love that you have a "Book of Rules for Frugal Living" if only for fun. I may just have to think about how I would write my own.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thank you for the very best belly laugh I have had in a week or more. My rules align with yours on books. When I find a new to me author I like, I go back to read their earlier books which are often no longer available at the library.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, it would be interesting to see readers’ frugal rules.
@Bee, I agree, that's a great idea!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I draw the line at buying (or planting) non-edibles. I have a lot of native woodland plants - aka they just come up. And I can't wait until the acreage restoration we contracted comes to bloom (will be a year or two). Fifty plus years of no maintenance, one must be patient. But my hard rule was to *not* touch the walnut trees. So many cut down because they are "messy" and grass is near impossible to grow around them. The wildlife will be happy and since I'm close to retirement, I'll have time to gather and crack.
1.) Sold another item on eBay. Not a lot but earned some "pocket money" as I call it. Generally speaking, when I sell something I don't want unless it is a big ticket item, the money generally goes to funding my hobbies or things like that.
2.) Had a bit of a "dinner dilemma" the other day and nothing was out and just not feeling up to making food. I bought a take and bake pizza from Aldi for $5. Cheaper than takeout and still pretty good.
3.) Got a pile of stuff to donate to Goodwill or maybe sell. I went through and cleaned up a whole bunch of stuff. I find when there is less clutter, it helps me to not be stressed as much so I don't fall into some of my bad habits.
4.) Was going to buy an over the door closet hook at Walmart but stopped at Dollar Tree first and low and behold, they had one there for $1.25 vs whatever Walmart was charging. Now the Walmart one *is* nicer but not that much nicer. Besides, it's not something we'll see much and it doesn't have to be particularly fancy.
5.) Cancelled Netflix. Honestly, I would've done this years ago as their original content is insulting at best and we'd gotten to the point where we don't watch it any more. We may start it back up in a couple months but we don't need it.
@Battra92,
We're looking at canceling Netflix too, due to their recent price increase. I only watch TV when I fold laundry, so I could live without it. But my husband and kids (near and far) still use it occasionally, so I'm not cutting it out yet. I won't get rid of Amazon prime, as the free shipping for so many things still pays for itself easily. ( Honestly, in car parts alone!)
@mbmom11, I've had Netflix since 2010 or so. I had the basic plan at something like $11/mo before it was cancelled and we were put into the cheaper ad-tier plan. To get anything without ads now is $18 a month. That is just way too much for me!
If you want good content for free without ads, 100% go with Tubi. I fully expect Tubi to keep growing because this year they got the Super Bowl. Right now it's free and the ads aren't even horrible (and I hate commercials!)
Netflix is the giant and thus they never do any sorts of discounts. Luckily their content took a huge nosedive over the years so no major loss to me to not have it.
Honestly, I think the best method right now is "churning" where you have a subscription for a couple months, watch everything and then swap for another service. Rinse and repeat.
@Battra92, I don't even know when we cancelled Netflix, it was so long ago--easily a decade or more. My husband and I realized that we had gone several months without touching it and decided to cancel. There is so much quality content on YouTube, including old movies (DK Classics rocks), radio plays, and documentaries, that on the rare occasion we do feel like watching something, we're not wanting for choices. We play ambient videos more than anything, as the cats like the background noise.
@Battra92, The last time we had Netflix, we were getting DVDs in the mail. LOL
@Tammy, I remember watching Homeland on Netflix DVDs! Now it's streaming on multiple online services -- but you can still buy the DVDs....
@Battra92, we cancelled Netflix a couple weeks ago also. We used to watch it alot, but it has been a long time since they've had anything great.
@Battra92, I agree on Tubi, and Pluto TV also - both free and have lots of content!
@Battra92, we signed up for HBO so my husband can watch "the dragon show" a while back. I was looking for something to watch over the weekend and could find nothing I wanted to watch. I asked my husband why we even have HBO anymore - we got a really good deal for a year. I'm looking forward to getting rid of HBO at the end of the yearly subscription.
@Battra92, We cancelled Netflix back around when the pandemic started; like you, it was mostly because of their original content. Disney+ had just started up, and boy did that save us on sick days. We are down to Amazon (with a Paramount+ subscription because of Star Trek and Criminal Minds, also Macgyver) and Disney+. If it weren't for the fact that Disney is about to launch Daredevil Reborn, and that our youngest really likes a lot of the content on Disney, I'd cancel it, too.
@Battra92, I’ve been enjoying Tubi! I bet they’ll start putting parts of it behind a paywall. Until that happens, I’ll make the most of it.
@Karen A., Disney is the Bluey channel mostly. I'm not a Marvel or Star Wars fan at all so I don't watch it. We got both D+ and Hulu for $3/mo for a year otherwise we wouldn't have it.
@Battra92,
Hubby and I have Max right now cause I wanted to watch "And Just Like That" and now I'm watching "The Pitt". He's watching some other show. At the end of February we will switch to Paramont Plus for season 2 of "1923".
@Battra92,
Insulting at best? How so?
I've been re-watching The Kominsky Method, and realized I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it the first time. I realize we all have different tastes.
@Battra92, We canceled Netflix several years ago because we jusy were not watching much. Now we are happy with the content found on Kanopy and Hoopla. Both are free with library card. As an added bonus, there are no ads on these library channels.
@Battra92, Dollar Tree has come a long way in their offerings -- even though they did add that 25 cent increase. I have plenty of over the door hooks from there & you're right - they work just fine!
1. DH has been sick with bronchitis (and possibly a sinus infection). He decided he wanted a 12 hour Mucinex product so I walked to Wal-Mart to buy a package.
2. I stepped in soft dog poop on my walk yesterday. I then used the few remaining small snow piles I encountered to clean the bottom of my shoe.
3. I met up with a couple of friends last night. It was a no spend event.
4. I cut up and baked some potatoes that had been around for a while.
5. I'm wearing layers so we can keep the temperature a bit lower in the house.
@K D,
Shame on the owners who left the dog poop
I don’t have a dog and I hate having to clean it up in my front yard
One owner let his dog have diarrhea less than two feet from my kitchen window
So inconsiderate!!!
@K D, I was out for a walk one day, winter, snow on the grassy areas. I didn't notice dog poop on the sidewalk, I slipped in it and went down like a ton of bricks! Thankfully nothing broken, I picked myself up, and the next 30 minutes of my walk was spent scraping my shoe on the snow/ any grassy area I could find. I still had to give them a wash once home. # very annoying.
Not on my watch - hehe!
1. I found out that water softener pellets are cheaper at Sam's than at Walmart. They're a couple of less dollars, and the bag is slightly bigger. I bought one bag, and will get them there from now on. I'm part of the (lousy) sort-of-new-widows' club, so am slowly having to learn home maintenance stuff.
2. While I was at Sam's I filled up my car with gas. That day it was 19 cents cheaper than the gas station closer to my house.
3. I signed up to take a cheese and crackers tray for a meeting at work. I was fully planning to buy a pre-made one to save time, but saw the prices of them and decided to make my own. I already had crackers at home, so just bought cheese slices and arranged everything on a tray I have (which I think was a wedding shower gift from many years ago). I think it looked pretty, and was all gone when I went to collect the tray at the end of the day.
4. Really wanted a sub from Firehouse on my way home one day, but drove home and ate toast with butter and jelly instead. The jelly was part of a Christmas gift from a coworker. It was delicious, I got just as full, and I'll have a sub another day.
5. Realized again that taking a minute to do something for someone is free and has an impact. Last week at work there were half-sheets of paper set out, for anyone to write a note about a coworker they appreciate. I wrote a few (and there was only room to write a sentence or two), and the reactions I got from the people I gave them to made me cry. I wish I'd written more of them.
@BJS, That's so sweet about the appreciation notes! What a lovely idea.
@BJS, regarding your #1, so sorry to hear you’ve joined the “(lousy) sort-of-new-widows’ club” you surely never wanted to be a part of. Bless your heart as you push forward navigating home maintenance issues. One day at a time. You have my respect and my prayers.
Aww, I love your number 5!
@BJS, my heart dropped when I read your #1. I'm so sorry you're in that club. Given the actuary tables, I may outlive my husband, too, and I take notice when you and others post about your new reality.
We were traveling the last couple of weeks. My “deal of the trip” was found when we were thrifting with friends…. a designer “little black dress”, tags still on for $8. I thought that was a great deal, but blue tagged items were 75% off that day, so I got it for $2!
Hoping I can come up with 5:
• I’ve been wanting a cookie press, but not bad enough to buy one. Went thrifting with my daughter & found a Williams & Sonoma one new in box for $5.98!!! Retail was $49.99
• Still turning the upstairs heat down to 64 when I’m up & about. Was sleeping at 67, but tried 66 & it was just fine
• Daughter bought me some local, organic tea blends for an early Valentine’s Day & they are exquisite
• wanted to grab a burger & fries, but finished up some leftovers in my fridge- much more healthy & less expensive
• Past Diane took the time to fill out a class action lawsuit paperwork. I had forgotten about it, but it popped up in my email that a disbursement was pending. I remembered that someone in the Commentariat had problems with an online debit card, so I passed on that option- thanks to whomever it was!!
@Diane, That was me! But my latest and much bigger class action settlement of $376.37 came as a check with a cover letter telling me to "deposit it promptly" -- which I did!
I wouldn't have to be told twice!
@JDinNM, I hope that was the BCBS one. I would love to pop that into my travel savings!
@Diane, No, it was Allstate. Also insurance, though, so keep your fingers crossed! Insurance companies seem to be favorite targets for class action litigation these days -- for good reason.
@Diane, And I think it's going to have to go toward fixing a frozen outdoor pipe. I'd much rather use it for something fun!
Did you put hard sauce in your baked apple? The one time we made baked apples according to my husband's grandmother's (very old) recipe, the hard sauce in the middle made it almost too sweet to eat. (Hard sauce is pretty much like a thin buttercream frosting that's put right in the hole in the center of the baked apple, FYI.)
--A gallon of milk I opened had started with the little separation blobs right off the bat, which my children will drink, but mostly when it's heated. And then one child told me the very next day it was starting to taste a bit off. It tasted okay to me still, but I decided I'd better start using it in bigger quantities. Between oatmeal, a double batch of chocolate pudding, pancakes, cocoa, and a double batch of muffins, I used up the remaining 2/3 of it in one day.
--I found a foil-wrapped package in my refrigerator freezer that I thought contained a ham bone but was in fact a whole cooked meatloaf. I, um, have no idea how long that had been in there. It was pretty freezer burned, but I was not happy about the idea of throwing away that much meat. It was mostly just very dry, with a bit of a not-fresh taste. I salvaged it by chopping it fine, frying it in a bunch of freshly rendered tallow, adding ham stock, salsa, and a lot of taco spices, and then putting in rice, shredded cheese, and sour cream to make something like Spanish rice. Success.
--My eldest son's birthday is next week, and all he asked for when the grandparents wanted to know what to get him was clothes. Good timing, because he just grew again, and they'll get him things like nice sweaters or work vests. So I just have to buy the boring things like jeans and t-shirts and socks. 🙂
--We have had three new lambs born so far this winter. None of them are males--a.k.a. meat for our freezer--but the females will be ready to breed by next year, so they will eventually provide food for us. And we have one ewe left to deliver, so there's still a chance for a ram lamb or two.
--Last week was spirit week for homecoming, and I actually managed outfits for every day of the themed week for all my children from what we had on hand. I'm not usually great at that, but I was pretty proud of my creativity. And also my ability to actually find what I needed. 🙂 My favorite was my middle son dressing up as our UPS guy for "dress like a celebrity." Our UPS guy is for real a celebrity here in our very rural county, especially among the children, for whom he's pretty much like Santa Clause, and it was such a good costume--khaki shirt, khaki shorts, official UPS label cut off a package we had received, and the black stocking cap and reflective sunglasses our particular UPS guy wears in the winter. That costume won the kid a giant box of Nerds, which happen to be his favorite candy.
@kristin @ going country, I love the “UPS guy as local celebrity” costume!
@kristin @ going country, What a great costume!
I had never heard of hard sauce! The name made me think it had alcohol in it, but I guess I was wrong.
@Kristen,
So interested to hear the school Sonia will be choosing! She is so into fashion/style - will she make it her career or keep it as an interest?
@JNL, I would also be interested in an update on Miss Sonia!
I think it will always be her side interest, although the degree she wants to pursue is related to art history and museum studies, so it's possible that a museum-related fashion job could be in her future!
@Kristen, My daughter & I went to the YSL museum last year while we were in Paris. Being a docent in a spot like that would be dreamy!!!!
@Kristen, Fashions (clothing) comes under the heading Textiles in museums and most museums have that department. So Ms Style could have her choice of where to live if she pursues that interest as a career. She should!
Also, Sonia is gorgeous.
@ErikaJS, Caution! Paid work in museums is very competitive. To work as a textile curator or fashion manager, she needs a college degree in textile studies or fashion design, and plenty of frugal living practices and skills. Museums have their pick of skilled volunteers, so the professional staff is chosen very carefully. I learned this from looking for museum work with my history MA degree.
@Kristen,
Wish her success! She has the inclination and she has been brought up with planning, focus and determination ;-). Arts are important, they lift the soul and enrich our lives.
Frugal side note: On BBC I once saw how ancient fabrics were cautiously freshened up by freezing them - which is also my prefered way of freshening up woolen hats etc at intervals during the winter season.
January was quite a spendy month and I am happy to celebrate small wins 🙂
1. I cooked some chicken with what we had ( a not-great orange and some lingering herbs.) Hilariously, I was watching cooking content online and some person opened her video with, "sometimes I like to challenge myself by cooking dinner with ingredients I have in my home." How do you think other people cook dinner? It made me laugh.
2. I made a tray of chicken breasts into breaded schnitzels for the freezer (raw; we cook them when we need a quick dinner.)
3. Mr. B and I went to a house showing, not because we can afford to buy but so that we can practice thinking through decisions without pressure.
4. I brought my lunch yesterday even though I was VERY tempted not to.
5. Once again, took a cab home to save my sanity yesterday, which is infinitely cheaper than buying a second car.
@Meira@meirathebear, well, let's cut the video person in your #1 some slack by assuming that she meant "ingredients I *already* have in my home." But I agree that the original remark is funny.
@A. Marie, you're right, I do think that's what she meant! She went on to say that she came up a dish which consisted of jarred marinara sauce, a pound of ground beef, and dried pasta (you can imagine the final dish.) I applaud her efforts to be a cooking influencer, but it also reminded of me of when I was a kid and would host an imaginary cooking show while making, I don't know, scrambled eggs.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), When I was 4 or 5, I tried to make spaghetti by breaking up some noodles and putting them in a glass of warm water. Needless to say, no one offered me my own cooking show....
@JDinNM, haha you were ahead of the curve! My role at that age was licking the spatula.
@Meira@meirathebear, that #1 is hilarious even if, as I did, one assumes she meant what's already in the house. Does she go shopping every single day???
It's not very frugal, but I'm making homemade granola and muesli for my husband. I think it comes in close to the same price as a box of cereal, but this way I can control what goes into it. Nuts, oats, dried fruit of choice, spice adjusted accordingly. However, I think per serving it's cheaper.
*Tracked my food spending last month, to help me more aware of where the money goes. I was more careful about those extra trips for just one thing which always turns into any $40.
*Bought the Valentines candy I need for a class party on sale. ( I need it to be individually wrapped and nut- free, so I'm reading labels and watching prices. ) The Target app and red card helped out with this.
*Went to Aldis yesterday to get cheap plain Seltzer for my husband at work. Saves much over the sparkling water at other stores.
Wow! Great save on the tray! It looks nice.
My FFT:
1. I gave my husband a haircut.
2. We are done with the whole carpet ripping up, resanding, and finishing of hardwood in our living room thing and needed a rug. We went to a couple of places, but eventually purchased one from Ollie's. They have great prices on rugs to begin with and I had been saving my 15% off coupon just in case we got a rug there. It saved us almost $30.
3. Using our library - books, audiobooks, music - all of it.
4. We carpooled while my husband's car was in the shop. We discussed renting a car, but in the end just did a lot of family drop-offs and pick-ups all together. Bonding time. 😉
5. I made a couple of rounds of beans in my instant pot last week. I needed black beans for one recipe and white beans for another and it's cheaper to use dried beans.
This week both husband and I faced our pension situation (we emigrated from our home country to the UK, both having lived and worked / paid into the state pension for some years many years ago). It's been one of those things that we've felt was insurmountable and scary and we'd be flat broke in our late 60's...
But a very fast informational video told us that no, actually, we are in line to be able to purchase back some of those missing / incomplete years at a very, very steep discount due to having been both working overseas during that time and assuming all is as it seems, will both qualify for the complete / very nearly complete state pension! The form took about... 5 minutes to complete for each of us, maybe? Now, HMRC may well have further questions and need evidence for some of what we've submitted and this will involve a bit of detective work, but... what bigger return on an investment of well under 20 minutes could there be?
The mental relief is so good too. I didn't realise how sort of anxious I was about it until it was straightened out.
Yay! What lovely news.
1. Made it home safely from Arizona and avoided medical or funeral expenses.
2. Brought our own stainless dishes, cups, flatware and cloth napkins to hotel complimentary breakfasts.
3. Took two hard-boiled eggs from our hotel’s breakfast to make egg salad. The bananas we took to-go ripened very quickly, so we saved those for making banana bread at home.
4. Reduced our auto insurance premium by putting one of our vehicles in storage status for the five weeks we were away.
5. Saved money by suspending our garbage/recycling service while we were away.
@MB in MN, Your #1 made me laugh. Perhaps I can count the times I have my learning driver drive to the grocery store with me as frugal...since so far, we've survived and had no crashes. 😉
@Karen A., I'm glad I brightened your day! Stay safe out there.
Here's some tiny ones I do on a regular basis:
1. Make coffee at home
2. Wash Ziplocks baggies (unless too old, greasy or had raw meat in them).
3. Feed my cat meat scraps (like chicken skin)
4. I also reuse aluminum foil if it's not too hard to wash.
5. Reuse the back of my son's old speed drill papers to make lists on.
I’ve been collecting chicken bones in the freezer, and yesterday I made stock from them.
If I see a penny, I pick it up!
I pick up the trash people throw out along my country road. Any soda/beer cans get added to my bag of cans that I return for the deposit.
I found a perforated serving spoon on the side of the road and now it’s in a drawer in my kitchen.
I put a visible patch on a throw pillow, and I think it adds character! The pillow still functions as it should.
With you on the foil, I regularly reuse clean foil, but I stop short of following Amy Dacyczyn's practice of washing it. 😉
@Bobi, Original Amy D. fan here. IMO, it's much easier to wash/dry/store foil than plastic bags. I deliberately buy heavy duty foil so I can reuse it more times. I lay it in the bottom of the sink when I'm rinsing dishes. By the time I'm done rinsing dishes, anything stuck on the foil comes off easily. Balance it on top of the drying dishes and dries in no time, unlike plastic bags.
@Dicey, we have hooks under our cabinets that are specifically for hanging bags to dry.
@Dicey, a stocking stuffer from the Bestest Neighbors a few years ago (they are good at environmentally friendly stocking stuffers; see my comment below about the rubber mesh soap scrap bag) was a Tinkertoy-type contraption for drying plastic bags and suchlike. I laughed at the time--but I use the thing every single day, for drying not only plastic bags but Tupperware/Rubbermaid/etc. plastic containers. It occupies an inconspicuous corner in my kitchen.
I like the tiny frugal things focus this week
- I sewed a button back on grandbaby's outfit
- Cancelled ESPN+ when we dropped Hulu Live
- Had nachos for dinner when we really didn't want to cook and were tempted to have takeout
- Made homemade waffles from scratch to use buttermilk that was soon to go bad
- Signed up for annual company party which will provide dinner. Shopped in my closet for something to wear so no out of pocket expenses for us to attend.
Oh, I feel like tiny frugal things are fun to look for.
--When making tomato soup I found several odds and ends of onions that DH and DS#1 had not used for tuna burgers, so I chopped those up and used them. I also found a very elderly yellow bell pepper, and not having time to cook it and freeze it or anything, I just cut it up and had it with homemade lemon dressing with my lunch. Very good it was, too.
--Cleaned my copper kettle with just white vinegar and salt. I can't believe I'd forgotten this, and was actually eyeing some copper cleaner on Amazon. The shame of it. Now my kettle is proudly on the trivet by the stove, prettying up the kitchen.
--Repurposed some boxes from the garage and a plastic basket that wasn't being used to organize the pantry.
--Kroger had a coupon for eggs, 18 for $3.99. While I saw some shoppers getting 5 cartons at a time (it's one of those "use up to 5 times coupons), I know our family will not use up that many eggs before they go bad, nor do I have the freezer space for freezing eggs. So I just got one extra carton.
--Using the backs of old homeschooling worksheets for my note-taking for chemistry. I prefer unlined paper for writing, and unlined notebooks are hard to find.
--Library books!
--Finally deleted the Amazon shopping app from my phone; this has really cut down on my "window shopping" habit. I also deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts, as they just inundated me with ads.
@Karen A., you had me at "a very elderly yellow bell pepper." Thank you for my afternoon giggle! 🙂
I totally would have grabbed the tiered tray - it can be used for so many things, not just entertaining! And I do the same thing with soap. I stopped buying shower gel when I found umpteen bars of soap in my late Hubby's dresser drawers. So I've been slowly using them up and mashing them together when they get small. Other frugal things for me lately are combining errands on one trip, using a gift card for a free outing to Starbucks to journal, getting $2 books at Goodwill, and finding a $5 file cabinet (with free dividers) and getting all my files in order. Sometimes the small wins are the most satisfying.
Bought 2 packages of underwear that are normally $20/package for $3.
My younger son has a birthday coming up, and I usually buy him dress clothes for Easter and so he has a nice outfit for the year at his birthday. I found a sports coat for 60% off in his perfect size (he's hard to fit). The pants were also on sale so I felt ok about the shirt being full price (he prefers Brooks Brothers dress shirts for how they fit him and they're expensive to buy).
Bought cereal and some chips on clearance. Dh likes cereal and we aren't big chips eaters, but he likes some every now and then.
I did my monthly trip to walmart to buy the items there that are cheaper. I hate WM and try to only go once a month. They did have baguettes on sale for 27 cents each. When they have those I put a few in the freezer for busy nights...use them for garlic bread or french bread pizzas or whatever.
Cooked at home and all the usual stuff...also attended a free concert in our city.
That's a cool tiered tray. If I found one like that, I definitely would also give it to my younger daughter. She's the one extrovert in our family and loves to have people over.
Here's some bigger and smaller ways I've been frugal:
1. My latest internet bill arrived, $20 higher than usual. I made the phone call and they reduced it back down for 2 more years. Twenty dollars a month for 48 months is a fairly good sized frugality.
2. I was about to put a pair of slacks in the washer when I noticed the hook at the waistband was coming loose. I sewed it back firmly before washing so I didn't lose the hook in the wash and have to try to find it, or more likely, buy a new one because that hook would have simply disappeared.
3. I put a chicken carcass in the crockpot and let it cook for about 36 hours, then pressure canned the rich, deep gold stock. It's so much more convenient to just open a jar than to have to wait for stock to thaw. I love that the stock comes from "waste" product.
4. I bought local-ranch beef fat at a good price and rendered enough tallow for about a year. It keeps well in the freezer. Buying pure already-rendered tallow is expensive.
5. Our last hurricane, Helene, blew a 5' piece of new trim off my house from the edge of the roof. That's the exact same spot that Idalia had blown off the old trim (and blew it clean away - I never found that piece). This time, I found the new trim still in the yard, but the spot it came from is 25 or so feet off the ground. I'd had no luck getting anyone with a ladder that tall to put it back up, so I finally called the roofing company who had put on the new trim when they re-roofed my house. They sent a crew that was working about 30 minutes away from me, once they were done for the day, to my house, and they climbed up there with their special ladder and put the trim back on, nailing it securely this time, for free.
@JD, tallow is shelf stable once completely rendered. You can melt it, put in jars, and it's good on the shelf for 12-18 months (if you don't want to take up freezer space). Doesn't have to be canned in any way (water or pressure). Just kept in an air tight container.
@JD, thanks for the inspiration in your #1. Spectrum just raised my Internet bill again, and the next time I'm in that part of town, I'm going to bring the bill to the Spectrum customer service desk (I'd rather do this than spend forever on hold) and do my best impersonation of a little old lady on a fixed income who's thinking of switching to Verizon Fios.
@A. Marie, I used to read a blogger that had Spectrum and hated them so much that she always referred to them as Speculum. 😉
* Received a check for $376.37 from a class action settlement. Have no idea what this was about but the letter implored me to “Please deposit promptly.” So I did. Don’t have to tell me twice.
* Filled two prescriptions for $0 at CVS and then
* Bought $16 worth of 2 Pantene hair products for 38 cents using the “buy 2 get reduced price” and ExtraBucks coupons and the ExtraCare monthly bonus. Receipt says “Today you saved 98%” AND
* “Saved $43.66 year-to-date (that is, for the month of January 2025) AND
* “You get another $3 ExtraBucks Reward coupon for purchasing the 2 Pantene products” for … 38 cents.
$3.00 for 38 cents? That’s a better rate of return than I’m getting in the stock market.
I love this game.
And to jump the gun on Thankful Thursday, I was relieved to see that the inside of Kristen's toaster oven isn't THAT much cleaner than mine....
Hehe, no, it is definitely not sparkling clean in there!
@JDinNM,
Lol, ours is a mess on the inside.....any thoughts on how to clean off all that burnt on splattery stuff? Our current toaster oven came from my in law's house after my MIL passed away, and it was already well "broken in".
@Liz B., Google tells me not to use regular oven cleaner, although people say you can use it on the glass door, just not the "insides". For "insides", people recommend warm water and dish soap or a small amount of baking soda, and washing the crumb tray separately. Or you could just buy a new one! Fast but not frugal....
I have been cleaning And organizing my home And finding duplicates of things I bought because I wasn't staying in top of stuff. Hopefully this project will help me avoid future unnecessary purchases.
I bought a six-pack of Philadelphia cream cheese last fall at Sam's club. I have 3 packs left and it's nearing the best buy date. So I am making a cheesecake today - a tremendous sacrifice. Haha. It will also use up some cream that has been languishing in the fridge.
Used up some plain seltzer water by mixing it with flavored water enhancers I had in the pantry for cheap "soda".
Found a few tubs of clothing in the garage that now fit again, so I expanded my wardrobe for $0. I don't normally hold on to clothes that don't currently fit. I don't even know when or why I packed those away!
I made homemade Valentines using mostly supplies I already had. I did buy some stickers though. Some of us do a little valentine exchange at work because it reminds us of being kids. And I will mail a few of the Valentine's to friends.
@Lorraine, Your #1? Yesterday afternoon I decided to corral and organize all the face and body moisturizers/lotions in the bathroom cabinets. Yikes! What was I thinking? WAS I thinking? I think not!
@JDinNM,
Lol! Sometimes, I think I *stop* thinking when I see a good deal!
Frugal.
Mended a jacket. Did not buy new.
Cooking and eating at home. Used GOODRX coupons for prescription refills. Continue to use library app for books. Continue to make hot tea drinks at home.
Let's see....
1. I paid off both of our apple watches which will save interest and reduce my monthly phone bill.
2. I paid the 6 month premium on my car insurance which is offered at a reduced price as opposed to making monthly payments. And since I am used to paying this monthly it puts cash flow into my budget which I intend to put toward paying off our phones and will reduce our phone bill even more.
3. I got an estimate for a concrete patio. We already have an estimate for a wood deck but over time this would require maintenance, repair, etc. The concrete option would only cost $500 more and will give us a patio that will require little to no maintenance. I will pay for the patio in cash.
4. I have been in the process of creating a dahlia bed outside of my garage for the last 3 years. I bought some new roots to plant from Costco as I know that they are hardy and produce great flowers that return every year. I purchased and planted some at a rental house we had before so I have good experience with these. They are on sale so I am hoping to score a few more before the sale is completed.
5. Garden season is in full planning mode and I will be placing my order for seeds here soon. Starting a garden from seed is far more economical than purchasing seedlings so I try to start as much as I possibly can in this way.
Great save on the wooden tiered tray which is about $20+ new without the dishes.
Frugal things---
● used my FREE Hallmark card to get teen Snoopy Valentine's card from me
● went to local cosmetology school for my haircut (& cut off 12 inches of hair) $15 (wash & cut which included thinning my hair somewhat)
● FREE 8x10 photo from CVS (TMOBILE rewards)
● continue to use dripping water (when necessary) to water plants & flush toilet
● FREE PRINTS has Valentine's special on magnet photo strips & I ordered 4 for $11 (+ tax) to give a quick & easy pictures
Frugal fail---
● TMOBILE gave me a free (2) magnet photo strips plus $2.99 shipping but FREE PRINTS has a Valentine's special with magnet photo strips so TMOBILE promo code will not work to make cheaper than FREE PRINTS special.
FTFT, The Long Winter Edition:
I really shouldn't be whining about "the long winter," since we haven't had it nearly as rough here in Central NY as they've had it in Buffalo and points west, and in Watertown and points north. But still, I'm getting weary of it.
Nevertheless, here are my FTFT (revised/updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA, as usual):
(1) I've been getting upper-body workouts from shoveling out the ends of my driveways (I have two; it's a long story) after the city snowplow deposits a fresh load of slush in them as it goes by. This usually happens right *after* my snowblowing wizard has left for the day. 🙁
(2) In between bouts of dealing with NDN’s furnace (which again went wonky) on Sunday, I managed to make a batch of “No @#$%!! Sugar in the Cornbread.” The cornbread used up an elderly egg (Lord knows I don’t want to waste eggs these days) and some milk that was going sour.
(3) I also managed to make a bean and sausage soup, freely adapted from an old Martha Stewart recipe. The soup used up turkey stock and sausage from the freezer, plus several cans of veg. (The canned peas had a best-by date of December 2022, but I’m not dead yet.)
(4) I ran a long-overdue load of cold-wash laundry Monday morning and hung it on my Antiques Roadshow drying racks. I was down to my last pair of clean winter-weight socks.
(5) And on my most recent trip to Ollie’s, I found a perfectly good winter coat (men’s small) stuffed into a shopping bag and abandoned in the parking lot, along with a brand-new funnel. The coat, on a sniff test, reeked of gasoline; evidently someone was filling his gas tank from a can and slopped some gas on it. But I brought the coat home, aired it out for a couple of days, and have just washed it with the other laundry in (4). I’ll donate it to a thrift. And, heck, I can always use another funnel.
Aww, I love your coat rescue!
- I sold another one of my son’s old Transformers on eBay. We still have a bunch of them that my daughter doesn’t want to sell despite not playing with most of them for years. Hopefully, she can be swayed soon!
- I am getting ready to start my seeds (indoors) for my garden. I have a stockpile of saved seeds and seedling containers. It’s fun to see how long seed packets last. Some of my saved seeds date back to 2016! It takes a long time to get through a 100 cabbage seed packet.
1. Returned a car part that didn't fit my car, even though I despise going to the store where it was purchased.
2. Cooked up apples that weren't being eaten before they were only good for the deer.
3. Didn't buy a bunch of "I could use that" stuff when I went to a liquidation store. I DID buy some deeply discounted Bonne Maman jams and Brita filters, however.
4. Spent a lot of time getting discounts applied to a purchase I was trying to make online. The person on the chat was able to apply the percentage discount and I just received an email that my shipping was also refunded. Altogether, $90 back in my pocket.
5. I found a long expired gluten free cake mix in the pantry, but made it anyway. I added 1/2 tsp of baking powder just in case the raising agent in it was weak and they came out fine. Made chocolate frosting and my husband was absolutely gleeful to come home to cupcakes on a random Monday!
Good Morning.
1. My Aunt gave me about 100 greeting cards she had collected from the charities that asked for her donations. I sorted through them and made the card file I have been dreaming of creating since I retired. What a luxury to have cards organized by sentiment. I donated the overly sappy or super religious ones. They are not me. I trimmed the great graphics from the cards that were too overtly a plea for money or from organizations that were too political.
2. Inspired I pulled out my 30 year old Creative Memories scrapbooking cutters and card supplies. I started making new cards or embellishing those I have. Very cost effective and creative.
3. I bought a round ottoman from a buddy ( faux shearling, very cute) 50% off. I bought a discount tray to put on it and my coffee and remote control are FINALLY off the floor when I watch tv. What a luxury! the previous "make to" would dump my coffee when I used the recliner feature on my chair. I would forget it was there.
4. I continue to eat persimmons and oranges from the farm.
5. I have stayed on my food plan for 30 days and lost 4 and a half pounds. My protions are much smaller which is saving lots of money.
Funny, I was thinking of the tiny ones this week as well.
- Watered my plants with the water from cleaning produce.
-Often move thru the house only w ambient light.
- Added a handful of mushroom stems to some stock.
- Dressed a salad w leftover take-home dressing from Chopt.
Pro Tip for any restaurant: if you ask for the dressing on the side, they give you more dressing *and* it's easy to take home.
Bigger ones:
- Rescued soup I stupidly made with bean-cooking water. I cook my beans in heavily salted water; that water is for making rice, not drinking as stock.
- Restaurant Week; lunch, of course, it's cheaper. For $25 I got 3 arancini w chunky tomato sauce, 10" pizza of my choice (garlic chicken), and 3 fresh beignets. Tipped on full meal price, naturally.
- The rest was so filling that I didn't touch the pizza. It's now frozen in pieces, for 2 meals later.
- My dog needs to gain a few pounds so I'm supplementing his food with cooked chicken. Did I buy chicken special for him? Of course not! Especially not canned chicken, which is too salty. I simmered ground chix I bought a couple of years ago on deep sale, and saving the stock for other uses.
- Looking at the used books for sale every time I go to the library. They're always particularly well stocked in Jan/Feb. For $10 I got a puzzle, 3 hardbacks, and 4 paperbacks; the haul included some gifts for others. (I have about 5 years' worth of unused books in my collection; somehow that number doesn't seem to diminish. I can't imagine why...)
Deliberately Not Frugal:
Buying a new book every time I go to the new local bookstore. I'd rather support the store than buy used. I have a mental list of books I want, buying just one per trip.
My husband cleaned out his closet this week, too. He gave me a big pile of flannel shirts. By the time he is done with these they are too worn to donate, but I cut off all the buttons, then cut off the good material from the backs and fronts. My plan is to one day make a flannel quilt from all his old shirts.
I visited the local Salvation Army in search of linen material for summer sewing. For $16 I was able to purchase two extra-large garments which yielded several yards of lovely linen. I've already made a pair of summer trousers from some of the fabric and have enough left for another garment.
My husband replaced the gaskets around our wood-stove doors.
I cut off a pair of too-short pants to make shorts.
I cleaned out the freezer and made what we call cowboy beans -- three kinds of leftover beans, onions, half a pound of ground beef and half a can of tomatoes leftover from something. There was enough for lunch the next day as well.
@Cindi, I admire your "cowboy beans" recipe. But I must also confess that the name put me in mind of the infamous campfire scene from Mel Brooks's movie Blazing Saddles. Those who have seen the film will know what I'm referring to. 😀
@Cindi,
Wow. Wonderful to hear how you repurpose clothing to new clothing. Quality fabric is getting rare and rarer to find.
@A. Marie, Now I will think of that too! LOL.
@Mary Ann, I have to comb through a lot of cheap polyester to get to good stuff, but some days it really pays off. Buying virgin linen is very expensive.
I need to work on savings this month because I am going on a mini-vacation to Paris soon!
1. I did not get takeout after coming home late last night despite being exhausted, and instead bought a frozen pizza.
2. I brought a packed lunch to work yesterday and drank coffee there. Hopefully this is not negated by my buying lunch and coffee today (I wasn't able to go home as soon as I planned).
3. I borrowed books from the library about Paris.
4. I got some fancy handcream which was reduced.
5. I made payments on loans.
@Sophie in Denmark, Paris! Ooh la la!
@JDinNM, I've been to France before but not to Paris! I'm very excited!
@Sophie in Denmark,
I've been to Paris once, many years ago. It's an incredible city....so much to see and do....and (happy sigh) the patisserie! Have an amazing trip!
@Liz B., Thank you! I will definitely check out the patisserie!
I discovered a place that buys overstock grocery and household items, so I got canned cat food for $15/case (24 cans) versus the $21+ via Amazon or Chewy, so I got five cases. That'll last us a bit with the four cats.
I cooked and ate my meals, except for one Chinese takeout meal, but even that meal was $15, and I got three meals out of it (one went into the freezer), so it was not too bad.
I found three new-to-me sweaters at the thrift store. I've lost nearly 30 lbs. over the past several months and had to replace all my clothing, which I've done 99.9% via thrift stores. (New underwear and bras only--the rest have been thrifted!) I even found a summer dress in my new size (100% cotton!). I'm sad that all my linen dresses from last year will no longer fit this upcoming summer, but they're selling online, so there's that. (They were also thrifted.)
I forgot to take one of my OTC allergy meds and didn't notice a difference in how I felt, so it's been a week already without it, and I'm doing fine. I may need to restart it in the spring, but for now, I'm not buying and taking it.
For several years, I was able to walk to work. It may appear that walking to and from a workplace doesn't save much, but when we looked over our monthly expenditures, we realized the savings was significant. I was grateful for the opportunity to walk to work - to feel healthier, save gas, and enjoy the outdoors on my way.
At different times during the years different family members have needed an iPad and used mine for a while. When they are able to get their own device they return my old iPad. There are apps for all sorts of stuff left over from previous users on my iPad. Last night I clicked on one and was able to watch a new movie free. It seems that streaming services allow multiple devices on an account and this old iPad is on multiple accounts, some currently in use, some not.
Someone gave me chocolate. I like chocolates.
I like cotton clothes in spring. H & M generally has cotton things and right now I found a few things I will enjoy on their marked way down racks. A crisp white button down shirt for 6.99? Yes please. A pack of soft cotton socks for 2.99. I can do that. I’ve noticed it is currently ok to wear socks with sandals, alrighty, I can embrace comfy weird fashion. A pair of cotton wide leg pants that aren’t way wide for 7.99? Ok. I love all the pockets and it feels nice not having my legs squeezed by skinny pants. Fortunately I don’t have a full length mirror so I don’t have to wrestle with whether they look good or not. I will never see myself in them so that is not my problem.
I don’t really like eggs all that much so right now I don’t make myself eat them for added protein.
I’ve made a game of finding the funniest snarkiest comments in the news so I can laugh at all the crazy. More free entertainment. Yesterday the winner was “Oh honey. You're sitting in a puddle of your own drool.” The day before it was “Delay, whine, lie. Blather, wince, repeat."
I love that funny tray. I guess you could use it on the counter to hold fruit/garlic/etc. It would certainly use up a lot of space!
That was the reason I didn't keep it! It's just too big for my space.
But I certainly didn't want to see it hit the landfill.
Rather than squirt cologne on neck and each wrist, I now put it on my neck and immediately rub my wrists on the neck! Same result with less waste!
@Nancy Lavely, that's a great way to do it!
Go Sonia!!
100th Day project for my kid's school. I like to reuse cardboard box for post boards instead of going out & buy a new post board. Also last year proud to say the project was done the recycling way. We cut out pieces of newspapers (had to be 100 of something) & just pasted them on to the cardboard as the number 100.
1. I’m continuing to work through the remaining quarter cow in the freezer. We now have mostly cuts that we don’t normally use so I’m looking up recipes to use everything up. It’s led to some fun meals.
2. I drove over to my grandma’s house to celebrate her 88th birthday with her. I brought over a puzzle that I had already done but I knew she would enjoy. We had a fun couple of hours putting it together and getting in our girl time.
3. I shopped the end caps for toiletries that we needed to replenish. I’m willing to try new brands while trying to find just the right products for my son’s skin and hair – he takes after his father in complexion and hair so I’m still learning what’s best for him since it’s different than what’s best for me.
4. One of my coworkers gifted me her “special edition” water bottle that everyone in our office received before an event. My son lost mine over the summer and I was really disappointed I didn’t have it while on vacation. I didn’t have a back-up water bottle and my coworker wasn’t using hers so she left it on my desk.
5. Future Frugal Thing – My son is registering for high school classes this week (how did this happen so fast!) and I am working with him to set up his schedule so that he will be eligible for post-secondary classes his last two years of high school. Getting college credits in high school will help keep the cost of college down just a little bit.
Loved this. Tiny and small are relative and a savings is a savings. It all adds up.
I always think that it isn't so much as being frugal as, for me, it is a form of preventing waste. That headset helps steer my decisions and, more importantly, makes it easier to make the choices that will be a wise use of my money, and time.
There's a local blog that lists a variety of things for free (the facebook marketplace here is problematic) and I keep an eye on it once or twice a day. I've picked up a few small items along the way. I do have to factor in location and time to pick up and get back and whether I need to pay for bus or other transportation (So that does limit whether some smaller items are worth it).
On the other hand, I've taken to listing items in my pantry with one or two month expiration or best by dates and offer them up for free because I know I can't possibly eat them. OK, maybe not a savings in terms of dollars, as already spent...but in terms of waste? A win. Someone has some decent food that THEY won't have to pay for and I won't be tossing anything away (I am re-evaluating pantry as I go forward based on some health issues where I am now not eating as frequently or as much and this changes how the pantry is being used.)
I've also instituted a new approach to spending on clothing, which is asking myself if I really will have an opportunity/need to wear whatever it is, regardless if it is on sale. I am at a point in life based on both my age and lifestyle, where I really do not socialize or go out much at all for entertainment purposes where I need to dress up. I have enough basic pieces (pants, tops, sweaters, scarves (tons) with some really special accessories that I have absolutely no need (items are in excellent, like new condition) for anything new. In fact, I often come upon something I've stored in a less accessible place, so that I haven't worn it in awhile and it's like finding new clothes! This covers outerwear as well as I've bought investment pieces over the years (I've got a winter coat that looks like new. It's 20 years old, still in style, and I paid, wait for it, $60 at TJ Maxx in 2005.) When you purchase wisely (and don't change sizes) and with classics in mind, clothes last a long time.
This may not seem like tiny but to not even look at the dozens of sale catalogs I get via snail mail and the dozens of emails per day with deals...really I am saving because I don't even let myself be tempted.
The other thing, again, not so tiny, is that I do a regular review of what I do/don't watch on the streaming services I've signed up for and keep in mind as to whether I will want to keep paying for monthly. (I have two services I pay for annually because I watch them ALL THE TIME.) The other thing I keep in mind? How much do you really think you'll want to watch, or have the time to watch, all the stuff coming out? I still have netflix and it has great stuff but...I rarely get around to it, and it just increased iI ts prices so...bye bye.
When I do buy online, I always check to see if there is a cash-back option for the purchase. Sometimes, it's only small amounts (1 or 2 or 3 percent) but...if you do that for say your regular groceries, it adds up.
I also check out lawsuits that I may be eligible for based on items purchased in the past. Now, this is not a regular $ in sort of thing, however, over the years, I've had checks that totalled close to $500. That's not small change and even if it were, if there is a way to get some money back, I'm doing it. Those periodic checks, whether $10 or less, add up.
(I have the time to check otherwise I wouldn't and I have alerts for notifications so it's a lot less time.)
Getting small repairs made at home is something I focus on especially for items (clothing, etc) used regularly.
Lastly, I"ve set up a system where I note what items I am adding to the pantry with date in/expiration dates. I've now got this on a digital spreadsheet and it helps immensely to plan ahead to use and not waste. (You can do a visual inventory, which I do for monthly anyway, but for making decisions about the value of a weekly sale item, it's invaluable to remind yourself of what you already have. ) This is important because yes, I am enticed by some very good sales and I need logical ways to resist!
Deals where you don't expect them.
For whatever reason, I have a variety of subscriptions, etc where periodically I am given free stuff (six months of a streaming service; free food; etc.) I take advantage of those where it makes sense and I set up alarms to ensure I don't forget to cancel and/or to use by an expiration date. This is kinda fun because I really enjoy freebies that don't require any purchases or work! (I get two free streaming services, for example, with annual membership to Walmart+ and Instacart, which I save by having anyway. So it's a big number for a freebie with those two.)
I work 3 days a week at daycare in a larger facility that also has a gym with showers and lockers etc. The days I work I go in early, use the gym for free then I shower before I go to work. I'm working out those 3 days and save water at my home. Win-win
A little FYI for you all that "sandwich" bars of soap to make sure you use it all.....Take all the slivers and place them in a container with a bit of water. After a day shack the container up. If they seem too solid still add a bit more water. Once you get it right you will have liquid soap that you can pour or place in a reusable pump bottle.
I have a small 1/2 cup tub that is air tight in which I keep all my slivers in. I add as the slivers become available. Once I have a few I add a bit of water to start the process. I can not recall the last time I did not use all the soap scraps due to doing this for so long. It takes longer now due to me being the only one in my home yet I do always have soap to add to my pump bottle when needed.
Another option if you want a bar of soap instead is to heat the soap up. Soap has a very low melting temperature and can be soften in a microwave then poured into a mold. I would however use a glass container to do such so not to create a bar of soap with micro plastics within that I will be using.
@Terri, I've done the microwave softening trick with soap scraps. I always add a little water, and then put the scraps into the old soap mold I bought from the Miles Kimball catalog a generation ago.
But a couple of Christmases ago, the Bestest Neighbors gave me a little rubber mesh drawstring bag for holding soap scraps--and I then use the bag as a scrubber. Works like a champ. And, really, whatever soap reuse method works for anybody is good.
@A. Marie, I have a mesh bag, too. Bonus is that it acts as an exfoliator. My skin (I use it on my face, too) is noticeably smoother afterward.
What a fun list!
My son needs some new skates and I refuse to purchase them new. I tried all my friends and no one has the size I need; today I stopped in a local consignment store and I think I found the perfect pair. I can't return them, so I had them put them on hold until I can take my son in to confirm/try them on. They are a fraction of new skates and, since I consign items at this store, there's a good chance I won't have to pay much for the skates with store credit factored in!
I cut my husband's hair again. (His idea.)
I used small amounts of penne, macaroni, and fusilli in a pasta bake. Now I have 3 large mason jars available to use for other things.
While I was cutting up vegetables for the pasta bake I chopped and froze two onions. It's so much easier to be able to take a little onion from the freezer when I just need a small amount. Not frugal exactly, but time-saving.
I asked for a phone appointment for a routine doctor visit. That saved me a two hour drive in each direction.
1. We used our YMCA membership 3 times this week for my husband and I to work out and for the kids to play/swim.
2. We used our museum membership this weekend for my daughter to have a play date with a friend
3. I made banana cake for my kids using over-ripe bananas
4. I got Italian sausage and breakfast sausage 50% off at Aldi
5. Our kids were of school for Lunar New Year. My husband and I can work from home, therefore did not have to pay for childcare for the day.
I use a tulle fabric bag to put the soap ends in
I am a sewer so my friends will be getting these as pert of their Christmas bundle of small presents this year
1. When getting gas yesterday, I remembered to use my rewards to get 30 cents off per gallon.
2. Also stopped at CVS to stock up on some toiletries, and cashed out on at least $25 worth of coupons and extra bucks not counting BOGO half off.
3. For a party, compiled a veggie tray with pitas and hummus and some veggies that really needed to be used from my crisper, and some I got on sale.
4. Came home from the party with lots of new-to-me books, when a friend was decluttering her books getting ready to downsize.
5. Used up some old bread from the freezer for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner one night.
1. I sold my old computer (after wiping the hard drive). It was a very old computer, so I didn't make a lot, but after the fees, I was left with enough to pay for a week's groceries. Not bad for something that would have been trash otherwise.
2. I found my portable charger/battery pack which I hadn't used in years. The cord turned out to be damaged, and I was all set to buy a new one, but then I remembered I had an old phone cord that might work. It did, and my portable charger is back in business with no money spent.
3. I wasn't feeling well last week and wanted Jello to eat. I made lime gelatin using ingredients I already had instead of buying the ready-made version.
4. When I last bought groceries, I did not buy any eggs because they just didn't fit into my budget. Instead, I have found and tested several recipes for gluten-free baked goods that don't call for eggs. Since that's the main thing I use them for, I'm now better able to avoid buying eggs when the price is too high.
5. I found an iron-on fabric patch that I plan to use on a torn sleeve. I bought it a few years ago and only used part of it. I'm glad I saved the rest. I am truly terrible at sewing, which makes it challenging to repair clothes, but ironing is something I can handle. The patch won't look pretty but at least it should be functional.
Mine will likely be all, or mostly, food-related.....I did a Kristen-style meal/food prep on Sunday. 🙂
1. Leftover Costco rotisserie chicken was pulled off the carcass, and used for dinner last night - which also used up leftover refried beans, yellow bell peppers that were looking wrinkly (DH sauteed them in a bit of olive oil with onions), sour cream and tortillas we always have on hand. So, sort of a warm chicken wrap thing. It was delicious.
2. Chicken carcass went into the crock pot with some celery, onion, and two very old and sad carrots, and now we have lovely homemade broth.
3. I took a very expired lemon pound cake mix from Aldi (past dates by almost 2.5 years...yikes!) and made the lemon coffee cake recipe on the box, but added a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the mixture. (I smelled the mix before I added everything to it - it smelled just fine, no rancid or off-odors). I added the rest of the free fresh blueberries someone on my Buy Nothing group had gifted to me. (Her church gets Whole Foods donations on the second Sunday of every month; she shares whatever is left with our BN members, because her church is fairly small and WF gives them a TON). Baked per instructions - it took a bit longer in my oven than the directions stated, but that's not unusual.....YUM. DH and I demolished it in no time.
4. Regifted three unopened, fancy-pants rounds of Brie cheese that I had picked up at the above Buy Nothing WF giveaway. I don't care for Brie, and thought my co-workers would want some - but they didn't, so I gave it away to some folks in my Buy Nothing group. Food not wasted, no cost to anyone (except maybe gas to drive to my house to pick up).
5. Continuing to eat my free lunches at work. It's so nice to get a big, fresh, yummy salad at the salad bar, without having to prep everything myself. Ha.
Made a pan of chicken enchiladas from fridge odds and ends: grated cheeses, old corn tortillas, some leftover carryout tortillas, sour cream, and cream cheese.
Made a batch of chicken broth from the chicken carcass.
Made a crock pot full of split pea soup from broth plus odd vegetables.
Mended my choir robe. All our church robes are old (40 years?), but would cost about $200 each to replace, and I am the designated mender. Even at their age they look good!
Prepared lunches for DH every day. Saves $$ and gives him a larger, better quality, more satisfying lunch.
Bunched errands yesterday morning after working the night before (and two nights before that). Had a hearing aid appointment (cleaning the devices, checking my ears for wax. None!) which is included in warranty. Did WM shopping between getting home from work and appt. Essentially stuck to the list, although I did get some organizing things for our treatment cart at work. (It's a source of contention w "too many cooks in the kitchen." Nobody returns stuff to the original place, or "I'll just put some of this here so it will be handy," and then it's "handy" in forty-two different places. I'm a "one place only" girl.) Then did laundry at the laundromat. Found a penny, which was funny because there are numerous quarters involved there.
Caught a mouse on the indoor back porch. I love my little varmints but I'm not particularly happy at finding holes in the packaged pantry goods. On top of that, it wasn't even a normal mouse, but a deer mouse with a very white belly.
Saved the corrugated wrapping from two "tea and toast" sets I ordered to match a snowman chocolate, or tea pot. They were NOT cheap, but were wrapped in recyclable corrugated wrapping that I can reuse on packed china.
Stopped at my favorite car repair to ask about replacing the windshield wiper on the back of my vehicle. The guy came out and looked at it and suggested I stop at an auto parts place and they'll put it on for free. I have no idea what happened to it, but the whole blade is gone. Anyway, they could put it on for a labor charge, or I could stop at parts store and just pay for the part. Sweet!
My tiny 5 frugal things:
1. found 4 pennies in the self checkout
2. washed my twin size comforter in my washing machine instead of taking it to the laundry mat
3. got gas at Costco which was .15/gallon less than other stations
4. dh got the store brand Pam at the grocery store and then I had him buy a couple for the stockpile at Aldi. It's a .30 savings at Aldi for each can.
5. Not frugal by any stretch but extremely helpful...scheduled my knee surgery for June 11th. Looking forward to having a knee that doesn't hurt. Hope to schedule the other knee this year to take advantage of reaching my out of pocket deductible and getting it done before Medicare kicks in.
@auntiali, Good luck with your surgery!
You also have time to look for equipment to borrow or buy on sale: A tall toilet extender and a walker, for instance.
I do the "soap piggyback" too, but I call it the "vulcan soap meld". (Star Trek reference for you young'uns).
We were traveling this week, which is decidedly not frugal. However, we still managed a few frugal items:
-We filled up with gas at Sam's Club whenever possible, recently it's been 20-30 cents cheaper than other locations.
-I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the car, to avoid buying lunch when possible. Fortunately, peanut butter and jelly is my son's favorite meal right now, so no complaints there!
-I cut my husband's hair, and will likely cut my son's this week. This saves $$ every time and saves time as well.
-I paid a medical bill same time and received a 20% discount for early payment.
-I ordered a part to *hopefully* fix our washing machine, a $150 part is much cheaper than a new washer!
Little things add up over time.
1. Hubby’s boss is having their kitchen redone. He offered us his wine fridge for free. Hubby has always wanted one so he said yes. It holds 48 bottles. Good thing we make our own wine.
2. I filled up my gas tank today. It is 6 cents off on Tuesdays so I try to always fill up.
3. I found a dime on the floor at the gas station.
4. My prescription came in the mail. I do it through my insurance. I get a 90 day supply free. I used to get it at CVS for $10. I save $40 a year and the gas and time going to get it.
5. I signed up for a $5 rebate. I entered my receipts on Fetch, Receipt Hog and Ibotta. I have the heat set to 62 and I have a sweater and blanket on me while I read my favorite blogs.
I went thrifting today with a friend, and there were several great bargains on some nice things, which I didn't need, so I didn't buy them. What were they? I can't remember, so clearly I had no need for them whatsoever!
I have a Golden Retriever who goes through some dog toys. I bought some stuffed animals at the Goodwill for $1 each. Now he has 4 new toys at a big saving from buying them at the pet store. My husband wanted to order takeout on Sunday because we were both tired, but we made oven-fried chicken, homemade fries, and broccoli instead, and it was better than takeout! I started a what we have list on the fridge next to my grocery list so I can meal plan more efficiently and use things up. My Birthday flower bouquets from January 21 are still brightening up the house, just getting smaller. 🙂
1. Needed cold soft drinks for a potluck. Had no ice so stuck them in a snow pile for half an hour. Cold snow plus -17 degrees cools things off quickly and for free.
2. Trimmed husband's hair.
3. I am getting IV iron via five appointments, each several days apart. They always give me a bottled water, which I bring home and add to our earthquake readiness stash.
4. I was prescribed gabapentin, which was totally useless for me. This week the vet prescribed it for Houndini, the elderly pound hound that is slowly moving toward his last days. I had never discarded the gabapentin so now the dog is using it up.
5.Dropped off more toilet paper rolls (they stuff them with straw for the tiny rodents), towels, newspapers and empty and label-free prescription bottles, all at the animal shelter. Cleared space and made me feel more organized.
1. I walked to the post office between rain storms.
2. Leftovers for lunch.
3. Reused shipping materials for said shipments.
4. Making soup tonight from our save-it-up veggies in the freezer. A little leftover ham and a handful of white beans will make this extra cozy for dinner. (it’s raining!)
5. I started several shrub clippings for planting in my spring garden. I hope they take. Free, in any case, from my neighbors.
Our house has a bank of south-facing windows that can really heat up the room. The outdoor shades we have are around 25 years old and rotting on their rollers. Today we found discontinued shades at a big box store for slightly less than $9 each. What a steal! We feel as though we hit the jackpot! The final ticket was $27 for three outdoor shades.
1. I was scheduled to bring meals to 2 different friends the past few days who have recently had surgery. I packed them in washed takeout and aluminum containers saved from previous meals to give them, and delivered them in boxes from Costco I've saved from previous shopping trips. Also used up various ingredients in the pantry and fridge in making the meals.
2. My husband has been eating chicken salad sandwiches for lunch recently because he is trying not to eat processed meats. The first container we bought from Costco was $12 so I bought a rotisserie chicken for $5 and made a comparable sized container for much less, and also used up appropriate ingredients we had on hand at home (apple, celery, mayo). Then I made several containers of chicken broth from the carcass!
3. During Black Friday I bought some fairly pricey makeup to try while it was on sale. Well, the initial delivery never made it to me, despite being marked as delivered. I waited another week and checked with neighbors but it never turned up, so the company kindly resent me another package that did arrive. Then, yesterday, the initial package (oddly!) turned up in my mailbox, so now I have 2 of each product to use.
4. My son asked for a certain brand of black shorts as he had outgrown his old ones. I did not realize how expensive athletic black shorts can be nowadays! I looked on Poshmark and found the same brand and size he wanted for about $12 less than I would pay buying new. It arrived and looked pretty much new to me!
5. Gave away some very specific subject magazines on Buy Nothing, hung laundry to dry, batched errands, did another survey that yielded a $15 gift card of my choice.
I added more brown rice (already cooked) to leftover fried rice to stretch it for the next day's lunch. I save vegetable parings to feed to my chickens, for soup stock or feed the compost. I use the library instead of buying books (mostly). I'm retired, but I substitute teach. I also reuse clean foil and wash out plastic bags....
Cooking for myself.
My best frugal thing is having money and no time. Thankfully I work from home with ZERO chance of going into an office. I've let it be known that if somehow they found an "office" for me, I'll be retiring.
Work, aging parent, helping cousin for my aging aunt (see previous post), life stuff leaves me little time nor enthusiasm for retail therapy.
A dine out dinner provided that night's meal, lunch the next day, and last of the leftovers for tonight's dinner (burger topping and half ingredient of a side dish). Meal planning isn't easy, nor is meal prep/cooking. While Katy might blanche at our dining out, it works for us. AND that is the key - finding what works for you and your family (when kids at home).
Glad you saved a useful item from the landfill. I didn't see much, if any, recycle of that tiered serving tray. Perhaps some day I'll find a unit to handle taters (HG or purchased), onions, and HG garlic. Have a tray for onions and garlic but during harvest season, a repurposed cat tray cover serves to hold HG potatoes. Whatever works doesn't bother me.
1. I bought new stage make up for my performing season.buying refills instead of packaged pots was much cheaper even with the one time purchase of a metal palette to put the refills in.
2. I sewed several organizers and bags with stash fabric for the gear I need to take with me when I travel to perform at a show.
3. Mended a bunch of clothes. Still have more in the queue.
4. Made yogurt. The pup is greatful.
5. Shopped the house for items I can use/repurpose as camping gear.
We turn the water heater off except for a few hours at night. Dropped my electric bill almost a full 50$. Way more than I expected.
I love the knitted heart you have. So cute!
My Frugal 5+
1) Used candy and dress up clothes we already had for my kids’ 100 day school celebration. Also have a box set aside for my girl to decorate for Valentine’s Day for her class.
2) Started a return on Amazon for bins that were the wrong size and set aside a box to ship them back in. Will wait to drop off at UPS the next time I’m in the area.
3) Got a new battery for the truck at Walmart. Our’s truck wasn’t starting in negative degree weather. It was the most inexpensive one around. Also got a free installation, battery disposal and 4 year warranty included.
4) While at the Walmart, my girls and I picked up some food for my husband’s birthday.
5) Decorated for my husband’s birthday with things we already have like banner, ballons and homemade notes.
Tiny frugal wins, I like that!
* Went on an online app for new clothes, got some in the virtual cart and... deleted the app. I don't need new clothes!!
* Keep eyeing the puzzles on Facebook Market place and resisting buying them since I still have many to do at home.
* 1 year old niece birthday this weekend. Got her animal crackers (on sale), a new bottle of kids bubble bath gifted on Buy Nothing, and I used an old gift card from the baby store to get her new clothes (on sale, of course)
* Used a gift card I received for my birthday to treat myself to sushi, going out with coworkers at lunch (I only eat out in social contexts, this is on of my 2025 resolutions)
* Used a coupon for half-off nachos at the movie theater. It was well worth the 3$ spent.
Love the walking to school!! Even though it's not a ton of immediate frugality it's sooo immediately helpful to the environment as it cuts down on noise, exhaust, and potential accidents. Plus it's one of those things where there is a ton of potential for the savings to add up with repetition.
1. Took some plastic shopping bags (a big wad of them!) to the used bookstore bc their quarterly sale is tomorrow. Reduce-reuse-recycle -- I'm getting them reused. Good for the environment, and helps me declutter, even if it may or may not be frugal for me. But....
2. On the way out, I noticed they loaded up their "free-take one" pile with books they can't sell. Many were large-print books, so I took an armful. Also got some repair manuals which I can donate to Habitat ReStore and a similar charitable thrift store specializing in DIY stuff. Did I mention everything was free?
3. Finally bit the bullet and went to a local store and ordered replacements for the circa 1964 ceiling light fixtures that are hanging down from the ceiling like loose teeth. While not inexpensive, they are LED lights so it will be cheap to operate.
4. While there, I picked up some free calendars -- a desk blotter calendar and a huge wall calendar. Will give the latter to a friend for her small business, as it is designed for writing down project deadlines and such.
5. Got paid for freelance writing!!!! It was a very short religious piece for a church denomination's devotional booklet. Before you get overly excited, my pay was a mere $20 and the editors had received it a long time ago, during the pandemic quarantine. But, hey, it's $20 more than I would otherwise have and hopefully my writing will brighten someone's day.
I cut my husbands hair, and my son hair. Recently I have teach my husband to cut my hair.
I colour my own hair.
I wax myself.
I buy things in the supermarket with yellow sticker.
I buy clothes for myself and my son in charity shop.
Here in Ireland is an App called Adverts " I take all his toys for free there".
I do my own nails.
I don't buy expensive mask for hair and face. I use different oils.
Sometimes my friends give me their clothes that don't want and I still use them, I don't mind.
1. We made our meals at home. We brewed coffee at home. We made yummy gluten free muffins.
2. I went through my youngest child's closet. I took out a couple shirts to resell, but I also moved a bunch of shirts into rotation. No new purchases there.
3. I ordered pants for two kids from Old Navy. They were on clearance. I also ordered a new sweater for myself that was on clearance. It was about $80 for 7 pairs of pants and 1 shirt to be shipped directly to my house.
4. We enjoyed free entertainment this week, including getting new books from our local library.
5. My husband fixed the toilet that had an issue with the tank.
NOT frugal... I was going to sew up the side of a towel... and broke part of the sewing machine. The sewing machine is almost 20 years old and this is the first major problem. Not so bad in the grand scheme. My youngest was very upset. I had promised to help him make a teddy bear from scrap fabric after I fixed the towel.
1. I submitted a $5 online rebate for buying Annie’s mac and cheese, which I would have purchased anyway.
2. I found a dime and a penny and picked them up despite the blisteringly cold temperatures.
3. Credit goes to DH for this one, but he cut my cell phone bill from $20/month to $10/month (using an MVNO through Spectrum). He also called and managed to keep our internet price at a reasonable level. Our year-long promo for $20/month was set to increase to $90/month, but he managed to get us something for $30/month. He put a reminder on our calendar for next year to call again and renegotiate.
4. I found the dregs of a previous conditioner under my bathroom sink, so I will make sure to use it up. I’m wearing my hair up in a bun most of the time right now so I don’t have to use my “good” curly conditioner all the time.
5. We reused birthday banners and decorations for our kiddo’s birthday. We also opted not to do an invited birthday party… he’s only three, after all.
I won't go in to detail, but this was a crummy week otherwise for several reasons, one of which involved a $1400 radiator replacement plus multiple taxi/uber rides while our one car was out of commission. And--worst of all for us-- all the chaos around federal workers, which affects our family in massive ways mentally, emotionally, and financially. We started out feeling bummed about DH having to commute to the office full time despite being hired as a teleworker (necessitating purchasing another car plus a huge reduction in time with me and our kids), but now we are wondering and planning for potential futures in which he is fired as part of the massive reduction in force that seems to be looming.
@Lindsay B, I am very sorry your family (and every other government worker family!) is facing these challenges. It should not be happening as it is.
I pick up drink cans every day. From walking the dog, the park, the church social, everywhere. I recycle them every other month and put the money in piggy bank for st judes children. I sent a check at Christmas for 116 dollars. U can do this also. It equals about 5 cans a day. Go for it.
I love the serving thingy you trash picked! Very stylish! I’ll list five little things.
1. Found a dime
2. Got a free (after rebate) candy bar from Ibotta. Candy will go in my kid’s Easter basket
3. Found a small plastic bin in the neighbors trash. It now holds my extra bags of coffee.
4. Working on using the body lotions that have collected over the last few years. My dry winter skin is grateful.
5. Made air popped popcorn as a snack this afternoon. Cheap and filling.
Why does reusing a barely used paper towel or store brand sandwich bag provide such a dopamine burst? Especially those freezer quart and gallon bags ;-).