Five (tiny) Frugal Things
I did not intend to make a collection of tiny frugal things, but when I sat down to write this post, I realized they were all tiny.
So...
1. I cut Chiquita's nails for the price of a Churu treat
Some of you kindly informed me that scruffing a cat is not the best way to get them to hold still for nail trimming, so I got some Churu treats and I was able to get Chiquita's front nails trimmed all by myself with careful squeezing of the Churu treat.
Hopefully she will become accustomed to this and it will get even easier.
(I recognize that it is equally possible she will catch on and decide not to cooperate. She is a cat, after all.)
The scruffing explanation: the tech at my vet showed me how to scruff a cat because apparently that is how they do nail trims at the vet. So I had no idea it was considered to be not-so-gentle. But at least we were not being any rougher than the vet techs were!
Hopefully the Churu treats will continue to work...
2. I used TopCashback for a Target purchase
I also used my Target debit card for my little 5% discount.
And I redeemed my existing TopCashback rewards for a Visa gift card because that got me a 5% bonus.
I'm just over here stacking up the 5%'s. 😉
(5%'s do make a very short stack, but hey, this is 5 tiny frugal things.)
3. I got my free birthday cookie
It's actually the first birthday freebie I've snagged this month: a free cookie from Panera.
I picked it up when I was already in the area, so no gas wasted. 🙂
4. I used some bacon and cheese from the freezer to make protein bites
I have to be at clinical and clocked in a little before 6:30 am. Which means I have to eat breakfast very early.
It's hard for me to be hungry during the 5:00 am hour, but I have to eat something because our lunch break is many hours in the future!
For some reason, though, the little imitation Starbucks egg bites (which are kinda like a mini quiche) are fairly easy to get down.
So, I found a partially-used bag of cheese and the last of a package of bacon in the freezer and I used them to make a batch of Once Upon a Chef's egg bites.
Odds and ends used up: win.
A protein-filled breakfast I can get down in the early morning: win.
I also usually eat a piece of toasted Dave's Killer Bread and some fruit, and that gets me by until lunch.
5. I installed an app to get points from a local coffee shop
They have kept track of my points using my phone number, but I had to install Cash App to redeem them.
Lo and behold, I had enough for $10 off my next purchase. Yay! That was worth checking.
Small frugalities here also:
Pet care: Cat mani/pedi at the home spa, with treats
Make do: Cut through a tube of hand balm to use up what was still inside. Used backs of prints to write down notes and lists.
Save electricity: Put hot water in thermos for later cups of tea. Ran laundry onsolar power. Line dried laundry.
Preventative maintenance: Polished shoes. Cleaned and put neutral balm on leather handbag and purse.
Lucky finds: 20 cents.
@JNL, I like your solar powered dryer!
@JNL,
What is the neutral balm you put on your leather goods? I've been watching a lot of reels on Facebook, where people find designer handbags at thrift stores, and bring them back to like-new with a product called Leather CPR....but that seems more like "bringing it back from the brink" than "maintenance". (I am not "into" designer bags myself, but I do enjoy watching other people revive used/dinged up items, including furniture). I have a leather "Healthy Back bag" that could use some TLC. Thanks!
@JNL,
Thanks for the idea to heat and store water for my tea. Brilliant!
@Liz B., I make my own by melting beeswax and mixing it with neutral coconut oil. 1 part beeswax and 5 parts coconut oil. One can use other oils too that don’t go rancid. Before I made it with..Google says it’s called kerosene in English? But it’s not the type one use in oil lamps, but here it sells in pharmacy's for constipation.
I use this on leather everything (except shoes. there I melt beeswax and just have enough oil to make it spreadable for maximum water-repellant effect), wood chopping boards, kitchen utensils and now, to moisturize the dog paws in winter 🙂
@Liz B.,
I more or less treat the handbags like leather dress shoes. For smooth leather (Note: not on suede and such) I simply use an uncoloured shoe polish, which I first try in an inconspicuous spot. I've noticed that treating your leather handbags in this way keeps the leather supple and prevents cracks. Over time, the colour in the corners will wear but I accept that.
While typing the thought occurs to me that I might also try the (colourless) leather protection stuff that came withour leather sofa. Hm. I may try that next time round.
PS I store handbags I rarely use (such as the black formal occasions one) in a pillow case in the wardrobe. Sunlight will eventually wear out leather also.
@Gunn from Northern Norway,
Beeswax is so versatile! The oil - you do not mean castor oil? It brings back childhoold memories of the medicine cabinet holding little else than castor oil, fish oil (for vitamine D) and bandaids. My mother would not even have aspirins in the house. She would put a wet cloth on my forehead when I had a headache
@JNL, I would think you could use cold-pressed castor oil too since it has a very long shelf life. I remember working in the pharmacy when «everyone» wanted to buy it to get long lashes, lol.
Kerosene (parafinolje in Norwegian) may well have another name in English, it’s obviously not the same used for lamps but a sort sold in pharmacy. For all I know it’s not common use, here it’s only pensioners using it for constipation.
Ah, yes. The wet cloth on the forehead, it was a remedy for many childhood ailments 😉
This week was a bit spendy, getting ready for summer company, but I did think of a few frugal things:
1. Listed a hardback book on ebay
2. Started a gratitude/goal journal using a blank journal that was a gift.
3. Saved my egg boxes, taking them to my kids who own chickens.
4. Used twine from last year to tie up my tomato plants.
5. Most of my flower garden is bulbs and bushes, so they come back every year. I'm enjoying my past years of planting, and not planting new flowers in my beds. Except petunias. I love them so I plant them in pots every year, that's my happy splurge.
--Languishing brown bananas and yogurt became chocolate banana bread for breakfast and snacks.
--My gardening friend had four hyacinths bulbs she had been given but didn't want (popular teacher gift, so she's already full up) and offered them to me. She didn't know what kind, so their colors are an exciting mystery until they bloom!
--As has become tradition, the last of the peanut butter jar became peanut lime dressing. A few tablespoons of peanut butter was thus transformed into enough dressing for one giant salad and three servings of noodles.
--While swapping winter and summer tops, I set aside pieces for the free clothes rack at a locally owned coffee shop. I dropped off three like new shirts for someone else to enjoy and came away with a pair of perfectly fitting cargo pants, which I'd actually been hunting for when thrifting!
--We replaced our living and dining room light fixtures a few weeks ago. The old plain fixtures worked perfectly, so we've been trying to brainstorm a reuse for them.* A friend who does haunted house set design was delighted to claim the fixtures for her next project. "Free" is always the preferred price when things are destined to be purposefully aged/splattered/made spooky!
*Habitat is overflowing with such fixtures--basic white square shade--for $2-5, so I don't feel bad sending ours on to more interesting adventures.
@N,
I've never tried peanut in a dressing, but it makes sense! I'll give it a try next time round.
@JNL, This is the recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/peanut-lime-dressing/
@N, yum!
Frugal things---
● redeemed my Fetch points to get moreeijer gift cards to use for groceries
● saved $5 off $25 plus had additional coupons for on sale items
● getting gas this morning & saving $0.15/gallon for April 15---TAX DAY
● saved $20 off Chewy for rescue dogs flea & tick meds & free shipping
● ordered cute little Hearth & Hand pot & dual dog leash from Poshmark & realized seller had multiples when my <3 didn't go away/SOLD & I message seller who made counter offer for additional pots added to my order, BUT when I said would accept offer (through messaging) seller decided not to give offer unless VENMO (not through Poshmark app) (which is against Poshmark selling rules & no way to be sure sale legit) so I didn't respond.
Frugal fail--
● I slow cooked box of pasta on stove that became mush & literally unusable to the point that I could barely get the water drained from the pasta pot. Which became Compost.
● I have been craving chocolate covered plain donuts & local bakery (73 years in business this year) really only place that has them, to $1.80/donut. They sure hit the spot, but man is that expensive.
@Regina,
Composting is never a fail- it's a gift to your garden! And consider the price of a donut worth supporting a local business. No fails here!
And now I want a donut.
@Regina,
Good call on not taking the offer on Poshmark. There are so many cons using Zelle and Venmo. So I just avoid buyers and sellers who don't do things by the book.
@Regina, Is it worth reporting the seller to Poshmark? Might save someone else some heartache.
@Regina,
Good call on refusing the offer. It is a classic scam to get your information.
@WilliamB, I have had no luck on Poshmark buying nor selling because it is full of scammers. One of them tricked me into sharing information and I lost $50. Luckily it was not more. Lesson learned. Definitely report the seller.
1. I signed up to get a Cerave sample. I'm hoping it comes with coupons as I've been using this brand for lotion and face wash.
2. I accepted some food from guests traveling through who couldn't take it with them.
3. Cut my husband's hair.
4. Used a bunch of our compost in a bathtub we turned into a raised garden bed. Continuing to compost, so we'll have more.
5. Sat outside and enjoyed the bright orange sunset.
A plumber quoted me nearly $300 to add a flexible hose extension to my sump pump discharge. Instead, I went to the hardware store and bought $7 worth of supplies and an employee told me how to do it. I’ll have to install it later this week, but it sounds like something I can handle.
I used a gift card from my birthday in January to buy supplies at the hardware store.
I used $10 of Target rewards on my recent order.
My garden beds are starting to need replacing. The 2x8 cedar boards I originally used have gotten very expensive, so I decided to try stacking some smaller 2x4 boards instead. It is less than half the price doing it this way. I’m not sure the smaller boards will last as long, but one of the things I love about gardening is experimenting!
Some of my wire garden fencing needs replacing. Instead of the rabbit fencing, I decided to go with the chicken wire this time. It’s a third of the price. I rarely see any rabbits in my backyard anyway. Just my mischievous young dog.
@JenRR,, in addition to an inexpensive plumbing repair, you now have a new skill! YouTube has lots of do it yourself fixes too.
@Book Club Elaine, Every time I fix something myself, I have more confidence to solve another challenge. I did it use YouTube to replace broken pieces on my dishwasher rack. The parts and company website contained zero instructions, so YouTube saved me!
@JenRR,, the hose extension is a piece of cake. You may need duct tape but that too is inexpensive.
Big not frugal week here.
Big stock up. 295 dollars
New tires. 1027 dollars. We knew the new tires were needed and had been saving.
Did get 10 percent off tires from searching for digital coupon code.
Cooked and ate at home.
Found mulch for 2 dollars a bag. Did the mulching ourselves.
Continue to use Libby and Kanopy for entertainment.
Found a book on my digital waiting list in the little free library down the street. I will read it and return it for someone else to enjoy.
@Stephanie,
Necessary purchases are never non-frugal in my book. You've prevented potential damage and worse still - injury.
@JNL, yes. True!
1. Some regular milk became slightly sour, so I made muffins with streusel topping. I usually use a milk without lactose for muffins and my regular recipe doesn't use butter. It was a yummy treat.
2. I mended a pair of pants and sewed on a patch that had blown off in the wind?!?!
3. I combined errands.
4. I made meals at home. We brewed coffee at home. We used up food.
5. I used my library to get a new book. We borrowed a movie. I also got a new audiobook through the Libby app for free with my library card.
@Nikki, Your wind sounds like ours, but the patch blowing off is a new one!
@Nikki, question…..I noticed you and Kristin both mention using slightly off milk to make muffins or pudding. The taste isn’t weird? Just wondering. Thanks.
Oddly, it doesn't affect the flavor. It also works great in baking, like in muffins or other breads.
Made some sourdough discard crackers.
I started a new job a while I am training I will be working more hours than when I actually start the job. We signed our puppy up for daycare at a rate of $99/month for the first month which will be most of my training if I do enough hours these first weeks.
Mended, washed, ironed, and replaced some buttons on our duvet cover and our bedskirt. They look all fresh and new for spring now.
Made two homemade birthday cards instead of buying them at the store.
Put down a ton of cardboard and free mulch from the recycling center to make a big garden. It was free but for the labor and hopefully will provide lots of veggies in the future.
1. Received numerous, fabulous items over the weekend from Buy Nothing: an entire pickup load of river rock, a winter coat, an ottoman, two Duluth Trading shirts for my husband, and a king-sized quilt. Also gifted several things and fulfilled a group member’s request for an item.
2. Called Renewal by Andersen to repair a couple doors under warranty.
3. Reorganized our mechanical/storage room using bins and shelving we already own.
4. Continued to scour the house for money (i.e., items to bring to the consignment store). Took in six items last week and nine more this week. Looking at our stuff in terms of cash makes it easier to part with something that is no longer worth keeping. If something was originally from Buy Nothing, I regift on that site rather than take it to consignment.
5. Accountant finished our personal and business tax returns. Paid $1,900 in Federal and will receive a refund of $800 for State. Ugh, but could always be worse.
In the last 8 years, I've gotten one free birthday food item from Panera. Every other year, it's been a coupon for a dollar off a drink or something dumb.
@Tammy, That's because they base it on your spending level, spend more, get more. Since eating there can be pricey, getting less as a freebie is decidedly frugal! 😉
@Bobi, Well, that makes sense. I don't ever go to Panera. LOL
Thank you for the egg bite recipe.
This week, I bought a bag of 2 dozen wooden eggs at an estate sale for $2. I passed them along to my DIL who decorated them for Easter. Much cheaper than using real eggs this season.
I donated to a fundraiser garage sale and helped set up. I came home without anything which made me happy.
Picked up my taxes from the accountant's office yesterday. There is nothing particularly frugal about this except they have been paid and filed on time. I won't be assessed penalties or interest.
All the usual things...
Wishing all peace, good health, and prosperity.
1. I realized switching some medications to a different pharmacy would save money. I switched 2 medications, saving us $340 per year.
2. I got a loaf of bread at a bakery for 50% off
3. I sauteed leftover spinach to go on homemade pizzas. I baked sweet potatoes my mom gave us to eat for my lunches this week. I used leftover milk to make farmer's cheese to go on pizzas.
4. Realized our library rents murder mystery games, which my husband and I love to play. We rented two this week.
5. Trying to spend as little money as possible (while having lots of fun) while home with my kids for Spring Break. We have gone hiking, taken classes at the library, watched a movie at the library, got ice cream and walked along the canal, we are going to the museum today, and are going to movies tomorrow. So far I have spent $40.
I am trying hard to remember to use apps. I did finally download the Lowe's app and had $5 there. Fortunately, my Ace Hardware just can use your phone number. They let me know I had $5 off there this past week when I was purchasing new drain pipes.
This weeks frugal:
We updated a bathroom this past week and the light fixture was fine, but the globes were outdated. I put new globes on it for $8 each and it looks like an updated fixture for a fraction of the price.
I bought 2 large boston butts on markdown for .99/lb. We smoked them all day Saturday and then divided them into meal portions for the freezer. Smoked bbq is one of my favorite busy nights meal. Great food in less than 10 minutes.
We got multiple quotes for the electric we need ran outside to hookup the mini-split. Prices ranged from $350-$820. An electrician suggested by a friend was $375 so we went with that. Glad we shopped around though.
I bought a stack of blue and white plates that I will use for Easter. They are very spring like and the whole stack was $4 at the thrift store which was cheaper than buying paper plates. I will donate them back when Easter is over as they aren't something I would normally use. I also bought material that coordinated on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $2/yard. for $7 I have enough for a table runner and napkins. Those I will keep and use forever. We are having a big group for Easter so I was glad to find the plates.
My DH's boss keeps chickens. We swapped some homemade jelly for fresh eggs for Easter baking and deviled eggs.
@Marlena, I (and the planet) love that you're using less expensive real plates over disposable ones. Brilliant!
Husband's work was throwing out a display shower head and ours's broke, so he took it home and replaced it.
Will be using the egg bites recipe (from above) as I took home quite a lot of leftover bacon and sausage from my scrapbooking weekend. And I always have eggs and cheese on hand.
Went for my first spring bike ride yesterday. Pedal power! No E-bike for me!
Used Kohl's cash that I had on hand to purchase some prizes for my scrapbooking weekend as I do not need anything. I got a duck watering can, an herb starter kit and bunny salt and pepper shakers for 50 cents. Saved $37.00!!!!!! (yes, very excited)
Almost finished with my scrapbook of a trip to Italy. Since I won't be going back anytime soon, I saw a friend was there this week. I will be sending her all my leftover stickers and papers to get it out of my house so she can scrapbook her trip. Clutter out!
@Maureen, I get almost as excited about getting clutter out of my house (especially when I can give it to someone that can use it) as I do about being frugal!
@Marlena, getting clutter out of the house IS frugal!
@Maureen,
Coulds you tell me about Sizzix? I was thinking of purchasing a used one to help with my stationary making. I know little about the machine or if it will jusitfy the cost.
@Mary Ann, I'm not sure I could give you information on Sizzix. I believe it is an older die cutting type machine, but I could be wrong. I do not use that machine and never have. I think that was before my time. I have a bigger electric cutting machine for my projects.
There are a ton of FB groups for scrapbooking, so maybe check to see what they say.
@A. Marie, if nothing else cathartic.
- Took advantage of free lunch provided by my employer
- Weeded the flowerbed instead of paying to have it done
- Cooked at home over the weekend instead of getting takeout
- Exchanged jigsaw puzzles with BFF. She and DH love doing puzzles, so they swap ones they have completed
- Received crested gecko supplies from our Buy Nothing group
1) Prepped extensively for a couple of interviews today. Getting a job would be very frugal, as we are about to start paying $3k/month for health insurance, otherwise. If it does come to that while we are still job searching, we have money in our HSA to cover us for quite a while. Thank goodness for financially conservative earlier me.
2) DS18 is on spring break, but working a lot & unable to go places with friends for most of the week. Today he’s going to a national park that is a day trip (Pinnacles) with friends, packing snacks & bringing his national park pass. The park pass was an 18th birthday gift from my parents.
3) I let DS18 choose one dinner “out” for spring break, and he wanted Greek food. DH picked it up, to save on delivery costs, and I added some extra gyro meat sides, so it can become multiple extra lunches. We will get 3-4 extra lunches out of the leftovers.
4) Received our Costco rebate of $354. I remove the cost ($130) from the total, leaving us with $224 to add to our side hustle total for the year.
5) Started our plants in the garden this weekend. Especially exciting as we have four volunteer red lettuce plants already growing! Bought the starters at Home Depot using a gift card. The gift card gave us grocery store rewards, so I stock up when that happens, and then use the gift cards as needed.
@Hawaii Planner, best wishes on your interviews!
@Hawaii Planner, yes, hope the interviews go great!
@E, Thank you! Much appreciated.
1. I took advantage of Briggs & Riley's lifetime warranty to get a rolling bag fixed. My local guy did it in one day, too.
2. I got a refund on flowers from the supermarket because they died quickly. The store guarantees a week.
3. I took advantage of Skacel's lifetime warranty on their knitting needles, getting a new replacement for the price of a stamp. A size 2 circular needle weighs almost nothing and new needles are $10-15.
4. I bought good spices very cheaply from a Penzey's sale. Their candied ginger is wonderful but pricy, so I'm buying a stash but by bit, as sales allow.
5. I negotiated a small refund and warranty extension for the d*mn Fulgor-Milano induction stove, that arrived broken and took them 3 months to fix properly. Don't buy that brand if you have any alternatives, folks.
@WilliamB,
Thanks for the heads up about the induction stove. My mid-60s built-in oven is, and has been for a long time, on the fritz and I am considering buying a small appliance to replace it. Now I know a brand NOT to get, thanks to you!
Frugal Fails:
1. Tried a recipe - cauliflower in a tahini-based coating - that was so bad I couldn’t choke down any of it.
2. Fronted the funds for some of my knitting group, to buy a giftcard for one who was DOGE’d. After I bought the card, someone decided to give cash instead. So not only am I out $50, but the person didn’t even apologize or try to find a solution to the problem. I’m hurt and outraged and pissed at being punished for trying to do a nice thing and trusting people.
Some recipes are just unsalvageable.
@WilliamB,
As a teacher, there have been many episodes of "Let's all pitch in" and several who never come up with the funds. I have been stiffed often. I decided to put this type of event in the same category as lending money to family. It is a gift not a loan. If I see any return, it is a bonus. If I can't afford the "gift" I don't get involved. It has saved me much heartache.
Also, I thank you for a generous heart. Karma always comes round.
@WilliamB, that sounds very frustrating. Group gifts are so tricky! Still, I hope the giftcard helps the intended receiver.
@WilliamB, I didn't know about that lifetime warranty on the knitting needles (great deal!) but probably because I buy brand new ones for .25 at retirement community thrift stores. If you have any close by, I highly recommend them for all types of really cheap craft supplies, often brand new in the package!
@Bobi, Thanks for the tip. Lord knows there's unlikely to be a knitting gadget I need but don't have (ha!) but now I know where to go if I do.
@WilliamB, @bobi I agree about the secondhand craft store run by hospice or a seniors group. There’s one called Legacy in a town I sometimes visit and I was just there. I needed thread in different colors for my mending and they were $.25 a spool. I got a dozen spools of thread for $2.50.
I had some small frugal things as well:
1. Using up the last bits of things before opening new ones - toothpaste, lip balm, hand lotion
2. Buying things when they're on sale for a good price - pantry staples, bar soap, lotion
3. Shopping at the dollar store for some things - they have good deals on canned goods, snacks, and jam, plus I got a little Easter candy cheaper than it would have been elsewhere
4. Baking my own bread and muffins
5. Reusing things - ziploc bags for my baked goods, a large shipping envelope for a trash can liner, and a scrap of paper for grocery lists
Those protein bites look like they make for a very tasty and filling breakfast, Kristen.
So much of life is doing things out of habit, without stopping to consider that they are frugal. So, this is a good exercise for me this morning:
*Health insurance - We have always paid top dollar for the best health insurance available through my husband's employer. That sounds unfrugal, but it really pays off in the long run. The cost of two prescriptions during yesterday's discharge from the ER was 93 CENTS. I'm sure bills are on the way but we will cross that bridge when we get there.
*Breakfast - This morning it was delicious, sprouted oats with walnuts and raisins and Yorkshire Gold tea. The oats and raisins were bought bulk. The walnuts and tea are so good that they are worth the price. Buying good tea keeps me out of coffee shops.
*Clothes - I really like quality clothing that lasts for years. I placed an online order at L L Bean last week because I've had no problem returning items that didn't hold up well after a season. And shipping is free both ways. Filling up the closet with cheap fast fashion is not for me and I believe it saves lots of money and frustration over the years. Since I retired five years ago, I have realized how little clothing I really need and how much I over bought throughout my working years.
*Cars - my fully paid off 2014 Honda Accord has 180K miles and it is starting to be noisy. It runs great and looks ok but the road noise is getting on my nerves. (Funny, I didn't notice it so much before driving a new rental car a couple of weeks ago.) Anyway, I'm working on developing a practice of gratitude, breathing a prayer of thanksgiving for this reliable old car. I've never had a car last over 10 years before so this is a wonderful gift.
*Yarn - I am knitting a baby blanket with 2 skeins from a huge tub of yarn I got from a neighborhood estate sale last fall for $5. This is the second blanket I've knit from this stash and there remains 11 skeins when I'm done. Very economical baby gifts!
@Book Club Elaine, my 2010 Element is making some chitty-chitty-bang-bang noises as well (nothing major structural/functional, just creaks and groans in the interior). At this point, I simply tune these out, but I think that the practice of gratitude for our ancient and venerable Hondas is a fine idea.
I feel grateful for my 2012 Sienna on the regular! So I'm right there with you.
@Book Club Elaine,
I drive a 1993 Camry that operates with a real old fashioned key and has windows that crank up/down. I just replaced the tires, had the engine and a.c. rebuilt. It is a reliable, fuel efficient means of transportation. I am 73 w/ some serious health issues so I have no idea how much longer I will be able to drive. It just seemed more reasonable to repair than replace, and that was before we moved to tariff-land. So I am on team old car!
@AZ Lynn, another advantage to keeping an older car is that everything is in the right place. No having to get accustomed to new technology. I would love to be able to hand roll down my car windows.
@Kristen, our other vehicle is a 2005 Toyota which is so beloved it just got a new paint job.
@A. Marie, I miss my 2004 Accord even after I sold it to an almost official family member. It got rear-ended during Covid so the buyer *did* get more from the "enders" insurance. But we both miss that car. It'd still be on the road were it not for the accident.
@Book Club Elaine, I drive a 2007 prius. 220,000 miles. Finally had to put money into it a year ago but figured if it went another year (it has) I wasn't out anything. So here we are still going down the road. I will spare you the parts
Regarding its imperfect appearance but drive your car til you can't! So worth it.
@Kelly, et al—
I got my late brother-in-law‘s Ford Explorer when he passed. It’s a 2003 and has about 220,000 miles on it, but it keeps on ticking. I paid my sister a dollar for it. I think of him every time I drive it. I even called the car Dennis after him.
@A. Marie, I thought yesterday that I would rather make a 2.5 hour trip in a new(er) car with a stitch more room but still holding onto the 15 yr old CRV.
5 tiny frugal, I like that!
Mine are:
- saved 5,50$ by putting gas in my car in Ontario instead of Quebec (I live right at the border and work in Ontario. In Quebec we still have to pay the carbon tax on gas, not in Ontario)
- trying ''to Good to go'' for the 1st time today. 5$ for a 15$ value. Excited to see what I`ll get.
- Needed a 6-foot foldable table. Tried FB marketplace first but found none at the right price. Found one at Walmart on sale for 40$ instead of 60$.
- Nothing planned for Easter apart from a family diner.
- Not upgrading my 15$ cell phone plan despite the company trying to entice me every so often with ''better plans fort just a couple extra dollars''.
1. I didn’t spend any of my own dollars while out of town last week on a work trip. I followed our meal allowance rules, which are generous, and I never felt like I was missing out. It was ‘helpful’ that I was too exhausted to stay out after dinner most nights.
2. I made sure to use my HSA debit card to pay my medical bills. Utilizing my pretax dollars is helpful, and putting the charges on my personal credit card to be reimbursed wouldn’t have been worth the credit card points once I paid the check fees for reimbursement.
3. I did a deep dive of the fridge and pantry before making my menu. My husband did a small Costco run, and he and my son were in charge of their menu while I was away.
4. Even though I put my Starbucks runs on the company card last week, I made sure to scan for stars!
5. I scanned all my receipts into Fetch – including a few that I picked up in the parking lot.
My husband ordered a new phone, and paid $10 for two-day delivery. When it was not delivered in two days I called and was able to get the charge credited back to our account.
I cashed in survey points for a gift card.
I re-glued a pair of shoes.
We saved all our gas points until it was time to fill the camper and saved $13 on the fill-up.
I filed the paperwork for our senior property tax discount, which should save us money next year.
If you can work on a cat without getting clawed to pieces, you've done really well!
1. Used gas buddy and filled up at a station across town. Wasn't as close as the supermarket's station near my house. But I saved about a dime a gallon in the process.
2. Got a book from the Little Free Library. Will pass it along after I read it.
3. A fellow Aldi customer let me have her shopping cart and didn't charge me a quarter. (She said it was OK. Must've felt sorry for me since I'm older. Gray hair rocks!)Then when I put up the cart, another cart wasn't attached to the chain. I attached the chain to both shopping carts and earned 50 cents.
4. Hired a lawn mowing service that charges less than last year's guy. They did a terrific job, too! So I signed on as a regular, every 2 weeks.
5. The usual: Packed my own lunch, made my own coffee, line dried my laundry and am wearing the stud earrings I buy at Walmart (a card of 50 pair is $9.99.) People compliment me on my earrings; little do they know I'm wearing fancy-painted plastic, LOL! But the way I lose earrings, this is the only good option for me.
*Added a few items of new-to-me clothing (for work) at goodwill half-off day.
*Found a dress for Easter at the same sale.
*Really wanted to eat out, but stayed home and used up some leftovers
*Making all coffee at home.
*Making my menu based on loss leaders.
I’ll have to check out churro treats. It’s always nice to have a cat influencing trick up my sleeve.
1. I cleaned up the garbage motorists have thrown onto our road, and saved the cans to redeem. I’ve noticed that more garbage gets tossed in the areas where the driver thinks they won’t be seen.
2. I found a big drinking cup from Walmart, with the tag still on it, among the garbage on the side of the road, so I took it home and washed it. It’ll be my water glass while I garden.
3. One of my kids is fussy about expiration dates on food. The milk had reached its date, but still smelled fine, so I used a Mr Clean eraser to scrub the date off the jug. Fussy child drank it with no complaint. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. 😉
4. We had baked tofu stir fry for dinner. Tofu has not gone up in price. I used the odd bits of vegetable left in the fridge. Half a pepper, a handful of mushrooms, half of a broccoli crown… Stir fries are a great way to avoid food waste.
5. I needed new running shoes, so I checked Nordstrom Rack and found a returned pair for $40. They would have cost $140 new.
Late to the party today, but here's my FFT, Passover Edition (revised/updated from a recent comment at the NCA):
(1) I was privileged to attend Dr. Bestest Neighbor’s Seder Saturday evening. DH and I have been guests at this since the early 1990s, with exceptions for occasional illnesses, the pandemic, and DH’s decline. Dr. BN puts so much effort and love into his personalized version of the Haggadah (he leaves out some of the traditional bits and includes several poems by the activist Marge Piercy) that it’s truly an honor to be there. And DH’s former role as the one to open the door for Elijah was duly remembered.
(2) I boxed up DH’s lead soldiers (he had a considerable collection of lead figurines, but most of these were farm animals/farmers rather than soldiers) and gave them to Dr. BN’s daughter, whose husband collects lead soldiers but is too disabled to have made the trip from MA for the Seder. I’m delighted to have these go to a friend.
(3) Dr. BN’s honorary goddaughter (the daughter of his late partner in family medicine practice) gave me some Red Cranberry and Rattlesnake bean seeds. (I was planning to live dangerously and plant these beans this year, since our city pilot “bait/trap/euthanize” deer control program this past winter was an overall success--but, alas, one of the neighbors saw two deer on the street yesterday, so we didn't catch all of them. Beans will have to be planted with protection or not at all.) In return, I gave the goddaughter some Egyptian walking onion sets, which have flourished in one of my garden beds since she gave them to me, and which she says she now needs more of.
(4) My broken rib has now healed nicely, and I’m getting the heck out into the gardens this week for as long as my aging chassis in general, the rib in particular, and the weather will permit. I pulled 2.5 buckets of weeds yesterday, and also have a much better idea of which plants are alive, dead, and alive but in need of removal.
(5) And, similar to @Becca C above, I'm using cardboard (a nice long trashpicked piece, in my case) on a garden bed I want to let lie fallow this year, and will throw some composted cow manure (currently on sale at Country Max) on top of the cardboard as soon as this gets wet enough. I'd love to be able to use free municipal mulch as a topping the way Becca is doing, but, alas, our free city mulch is of dubious quality. It has a certain "aroma" that takes some time to go away; it occasionally hosts some interesting fungi (including one called, I kid you not, "tapioca slime"); and it sometimes contains some other things I don't want in my garden (I'll spare you the details!).
@A. Marie, I’m so glad that your rib has healed and just in time for spring garden work. Passing along much loved items to just the right person gives such joy. It’s a world of difference from hauling stuff to a donation center. Well done!
@A. Marie, So happy that you've healed enough to garden! I don't know about you but I get extra pleasure when I can give things I don't need to friends who do.
Many of these I don't consider tiny, so kudos to all!
My frugal actions have been:
*suggesting homemade dinner at DH's daughter's home this week vs dining out or take away. They love to order out but so expensive. Even with me making most of the dinner, it's still a money saver.
*redeeming Meijer point for $1 off/gallon of gas. We saved $26 as dh filled a gas can as well.
* passed on our kind-of-newish king mattress to a friend of a family member who is moving to Midwest from California with only her car, kid and dogs. We needed an adjustable bed for DH so got twin mattresses on great sale and pushed them together. Finally got the large one hauled north to where she can get it near her new place when she's ready.
*received six large catmint plants in exchange for lamb's ear.
*listing more on eBay to try to offset the cost of our natural gas increase that's already being levied.
Have a great week!
I'm late commenting today! I had an oil change for my car scheduled this morning, so this is my first chance.
Speaking of which:
1. It's $48 and change for the local guy to check fluids, replace oil and rotate my tires. It was $99 and change for the dealer to do it.
2. When I bought dog food this last time, I got 10% off the price for accepting a new bag that had a tiny hole in it, which they sealed up with a "slightly damaged" sticker. This food is expensive, so a discount was good.
3. I received two free tickets to a movie in the town where I work, right by Costco, where I normally fuel up the car, so I left work at 2:30 and took my visiting sister, who came to work with me that day, to the movies. We ate packed lunches from home at noon and bought no drinks or snacks at the theater. I filled the car with cheap gas before heading home. Cheap fun!
4. I bought a trailing hummingbird-attracting plant at a nursery this weekend to refill my flower box. The coleus I'd had in there for a few years didn't come back this year. I got $4 off at the register because it was the last one of those plants.
5. I'm still getting mulberries daily off of my plants. I love free fruit.
The cat rescue foster mom we got our Dora Kitty from was so good with cats that she would sit cross-legged, put them in her lap with the cat's back against her belly, like holding a toddler, and trim their claws. She was some kind of miracle cat whisperer. Dora still cooperates that way and also is fine being cradled by someone, but she is an exceptionally good-natured kitty.
Yesterday I spent a long time in the kitchen making meals for the family, including a pot of lentil-kale-potato soup that used up the last of several ingredients and a gluten-free apple crisp that used up the last few apples, which were looking slightly wrinkled.
Also took advantage of a warm, breezy day to open the sun porch windows and dry a load on laundry on a rack out there.
Those protein bites look really yummy!
My Frugal 5's
1) Took my birthday girl and her sisters to go skating, a free event that was sponsored by the local orthodontist for the community. They had a blast!
2) To celebrate my girl's birthday week - We've had sweets for snacks, watched DVDs and played Nintendo switch games borrowed from the library. Also went to McDonald's for their happy meals and play place. Her sisters gave her free gifts or those of experiences. My husband got her a coloring book a couple months ago that she's been eyeing that we saved as a birthday gift. Also got a discounted unicorn lantern at Walmart, a Polly Pocket dog that was discounted off Amazon and a dog lego set off Ebay.
3) Will use things we already have at home for the dog theme birthday decorations.
4) Mended the holes in my girls' tights and underwear. Just need them to least through this season since it's still chilly here in the midwest.
5) Got a $25 gift card to Amazon for participating in a cancer research study.
1. Had 3 families over for lunch and cooked instead of ordering in (as my husband was pushing me to do). Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. I had 75% of the ingredients on hand already so I channeled some of the funds we saved to do a little easter egg hunt for their little ones instead (might be a little bit of funny mathing on that but whatever). I even figured out a dessert to use up some graham crackers that had been sitting in the cupboard for months.
2. My mind has been wanting to shop and I keep researching (running shoes, clothes, kitchen items, home decor, ways to organize) but I haven't actually bought. I think this is because deep down I know I don't really need any of it!
3. Shopped the sales for groceries and bought seasonal produce. I know it's more time consuming but I try to do hit the stores that are nearby other places I need to go. It doesn't always work out but getting raspberries for $2.50 vs $4 or oranges for $.50 a pound vs $1.99 adds up really quickly when you're shopping for four. Some of the things we buy are expensive but I will always do my best to stretch my dollars.
4. Exercising and losing weight without all the pricy "programs." Free version of the cronometer app to track, jogging/walking outside or using the neighborhood gym (included with our HOA fees so not free but not anything extra out of pocket, either), and youtube videos done at home with basic equipment I already have. My running plan was found online. No new shoes, no fancy equipment or gyms, no trainers or dietician...just me and what sometimes feels like a mountain of effort. The big payoff is actually that the weight loss should benefit my overall health. It's slow but I think it's working.
5. Library card and putting books on hold for my family.
Frugal persistence:
1. I spent another hour on the phone with an airline to get a refund through Paypal for a computer glitch that bought me THREE tickets on the same flight. I used one; got a flight credit for another; now I need a refund. It is for $483. How many hours would I have to work to make that after taxes? I am willing to put the time in.
2. I also went to Target to return an unused beach umbrella I bought in Florida. It was $17.00. It was $17 and that could be three days worth of food in my frugal week. As a retiree, I have more time than money.
3. Frugal DO: I have a small rice cooker. I am a big "button pusher" cook. I want to make meals as simple as possible. I usually make two cups of rice for hubby and me. I love white rice, hate brown rice, but worry about health. I was reading a great frugal video on eating for $1 a day. A member of the commentariat said to add lentils to the white rice. WOW!!! I did one rice cup of white rice, one of red lentils, and added an extra 1/4 cup of water. I pushed the button. Ta da!!!! Cheap, complete protein. I made it with Better than Bouillon Garlic broth. Delish and lunch for a week. I stuffed it into red peppers as well.
4. Frugal Don't: I put bargain tiny grassfed meatballs into my Vitamix to add to my lentil rice stuffing as ground beef. The blender exploded sending meatballs as far as the living room. Broke the plastic container. The persistence came with an hour of clean up. Sigh.
5. I resisted buying bread for several days until I had the time to use up some flour to make my own bread. I eat very little bread so I slice it up and freeze it for my morning eggs on toast.
@Mary Ann, as my Econ teacher used to say, time is our most precious resource. Better half is retired and has scored some awesome meats on mark down.
Frugal thing: tagging along to my husband's work trip to Poland edition!
1. His meals were covered by work, mine were not. So, I ate inexpensively for lunches by getting lunches and snacks at the grocery store. Unfortunately the hotel room didn't have a microwave or fridge, so I made the daily short walk to Aldi to get fresh bread (ugh I love European Aldis for their pastry cabinets!!!), yogurt drinks, salad kits, and fruit.
2. I worked remote, because what else was I going to do for 8 hours a day while my husband worked, LOL. Saved my PTO except for one travel day, and saved money on excursions.
3. I brought my Kindle with Libby books to entertain myself.
4. Our souvenirs were almost all food, including Polish vodka and Milka bars, all purchased at Aldi! I wasn't able to get my standard Christmas tree ornament, because the city we stayed in didn't have souvenir shops, and then we visited the Jewish quarter of Krakow (unsurprisingly low on Christmas decor!). I ended up getting a bookmark that I'm going to modge podge onto a craft wooden ornament. It was only $.67 for the bookmark AND my friend's postcard.
5. We stayed in a non-touristy area, so food was overall cheap. The exchange rate was in our favor, which helps!
6. We took a pay-as-you-want walking tour in Krakow. Way cheaper than the trolley tours!
I would love to see a European Aldi one day!
Okay, but how do you, singlehandedly, squeeze the Churu treat and hold Chiquita and her paw to press the paw pad to get the claw out and trim it?? We also use Churu treats to bribe Clark, but I have to kind of wrap his hind legs and middle in a towel, and hold him like a baby and have one of the boys feed him the treat in bits while I wrangle his paws. Inquiring minds want to know how you do this by yourself! I am impressed.
So, I squeezed it out bit by bit onto a little plastic plate and then while she was licking a bit, I'd clip a nail and so on. I think your method is probably better but Zoe wasn't around so I just made it work on my own!
@Kristen, ha, Clark would argue about my method being better. As excited as he gets about seeing the clippers (knowing a treat is coming), he mightily dislikes being turned into a "purrito" and I have to be very firm. I'm glad Chiquita was a good girl for her pedicure!
1. I Killed the grass on my parkway over the summer, intentionally 🙂 and now I’ve planted drought tolerant plants and added mulch. It was slightly expensive up front but I did it myself and now th parkway will require much less water over time! And it will look much better! Thanks neighbors for your patience 🙂
2. Cooked dinner and at leftovers all week/weekend.
3. Made and drank coffee from home.
4. Continued to line dry clothes as the weather is warm and dry. Im getting tired of doing this but I also don’t wanna buy a new dryer and have it vented through the attic! We’ll see how long I last 🙂
5. Ironed my husbands work shirts. It’s not my fav thing to do but I’m home right now and it’s a way to love on him and it saves a few dollars. It also makes me grateful when he drops them off at the cleaners! 🙂
5 Frugal Things
-I got a free seltzer with a coupon from a grocery store that I don't usually buy from, but had a few things I needed to get there anyway.
-We went car shopping this weekend, but didn't find what fit our needs/budget, so we're still looking. Frugal because we could've caved and bought something that would fit our needs, but is above our budget.
-I cleaned out the fridge so I can clearly see what foods we have to help avoid food waste.
-I redeemed Sam's Club cash on my weekly grocery order.
-I bought what is hopefully our last batch of wood heating pellets for the season.
-Bonuses- we continue to mostly drink coffee at home (my husband roasts our coffee and it's honestly hard to find coffee that I enjoy as much as his), and we eat exclusively at home (which is so much easier to do with two small children.)
Cleaned out the fridge this morning to get what needed thrown away into today's trash pick up. Saved two items of food that still smell and taste good in spite of the probable "best buy" date. Will be heated thoroughly when used to prevent any issues anyway.
Had some grape tomatoes from Misfits also in that category and will figure out a way to use them cooked.
Got a free medium pizza from my hearing aid company. They are big on customer appreciation!
Bought a bunch of plants today. Of the more expensive ones-the rhubarb and hollyhocks- I found the ones that had two plants in for double the money.
I found a chambray blouse/shirt marked down that looks remarkably like one I made for college. I hope it will not be too youthful looking but even if it is, I will enjoy it!
Hi, Kristen! Do you reheat your egg bites before eating? If so, what is your preferred method?
Many thanks!
I do! I just microwave them, which I believe is what they do at Starbucks too.
@Kristen, Thank you so much!
1. Started some serious cleaning out of the freezer. Have been feasting on wild salmon from 2021, coalfish from 2020 and other things that I’ve been hoarding because I’ve known that it would be no replacements. But now I started to worry that things would go bad it was so old.
2. Mended a wool jacket for my partner.
3. Knitted myself a neck warmer from yarn in my stash.
4. Sold our ridiculous large wineglasses. I didn’t check the size good enough when ordering, but apparently the lady who bought them was a wine connoisseur and they were for some specific French wine. I’m just happy I got what I paid for them myself. Will continue my thrift shop hunt for crystal glasses.
5. Speaking of thrift shops, it was announced ours will be closing in August so it inspired me to make two trips this week. I haven’t been in ages because it has sadly haven’t been any good after it got new management. New rules for sorting, pricing and near to non customer service now.
Anyways, I made some good finds: a bright yellow Craft running jacket for my partner, two beautiful Magnor (Norwegian brand) whiskey glasses (I will use them for water), a handmade basket for oils and condiments in the kitchen (remember making one like this in school) and wool neck warmer knitted in a amazing pattern I don’t t have the skills to make myself.
This week was spendy, but I think I managed to squeak in a few frugal things:
- I brought snacks on a recent trip so I didn't have to buy them while out
- My friends were happy to have a few dinners and all breakfasts at home while they visited, so frugal win for all of us
- I chose mostly cheaper options when we did eat out (it's Japanese food, so it's all healthy and delicious, and the friends were thrilled with everything)
- I obtained free bathroom products, food, and kitchen supplies through my neighborhood's version of buy nothing
- My friends are super fit people (in their 60s/70s!), so we were able to walk most places while we were out instead of paying for transportation
My 5 frugal things
– I found a long-forgotten gift card mashed in between cards in my credit card holder and discovered it had $34 still on it! I used it for a lunch date with some old friends from work this week.
– Hubby and I went to a free U.S. Air Force jazz band concert (that I saw announced in the Sunday paper) and invited another couple to join us. The four of us had dinner together before the concert and it was a wonderful evening.
– We’ve been paying more attention to our finances during the turmoil of recent months. So we moved some money to a credit union from our regular bank savings account and got a good special offer interest rate on a 13-month CD on the very last day it was available. Hubby wanted to move some $$ to another bank to kind of diversify. We are both retired.
– I went to Kroger on Saturday to pick up a few things we needed and used the double points digital coupon good Friday- Sunday to earn double gas points.
– In my quest to eat better, I again made a batch of oatmeal on Sunday that I will eat during the coming week. It's easier to microwave a bowl when I want it for breakfast. I usually pair it with a low fat yogurt cup and add protein powder to both.
I’m so happy to hear the treat trick worked for clipping Chiquitas nails! Just like us positive reinforcement works for cats too!
To do my cat's nails I have her on my lap and put part of my blanket over her head. I can then pick up her paw and do a quick clip. I can get all three paws (she only has three) in less than two minutes.
Those egg bites sound so good! I'm going to make them and pop them in the freezer. I never go to Starbucks (too frugal for that, so I'm not familiar with those.) The recipe said a serving is one bite, but it's only 150 calories, so 2 or 3 sounds like a better breakfast to me!
1. Went to a book club event and had juice and a cupcake, then came home and had cereal for dinner. My husband fed himself from the pantry.
2. Took off my makeup with reusable cotton pads that I wash and reuse.
3. Cleaned my whole house because I was expecting my parents this weekend and they canceled so I have a clean house and several empty hours. I consider this a gift although I’m sorry they’re not coming.
4. I was feeling very stressed out so I had a couple of mini chocolate bars that I got on mark down after a holiday, took a nap with my cat and felt better.
5. I had purchased two Easter hams, one to feed my parents and the other for the freezer, but I realized I was charged full price instead of the Raleys sale price of less than a dollar a pound. I will be going back tomorrow to get the difference refunded: $18 versus $50.