Four Frugal Things (and one not-frugal)
1. I installed GasBuddy
The main reason I wanted GasBuddy is for the price comparison feature. I sometimes get my gas at Royal Farms, sometimes at Sam's Club, and sometimes at a Shell gas station, using Get Upside for a discount.
But in order to decide where I want to fill up, I want to get an idea of the current prices, and the app is gonna make that easier for me.
2. I sold a book and my last ornament on eBay
I was a little surprised that my final Christmas ornament sold after Christmas! I'd figured it was a lost cause.
But nope, someone wanted it!
I also sold a book I'd already read.
3. I bought my maternity/pediatric book at a discount
We have to buy this book online because there are online assignments we have to do (quiz-type things). Otherwise, I'd totally buy a used paper copy.
There aren't a lot of ways to save on online textbooks, BUT if you go through the school-specific portal my college has with Lippincott, you can get a discounted price.
I almost forgot about this, since months have passed since I purchased my original nursing school textbooks. Luckily, I remembered in time!
4. I got some more silver Christmas balls from Buy Nothing
Someone posted another bag of basic silver Christmas balls, so I picked them up.
They're a lot like the original bag I got, which is lovely!
I usually decorate my tree with quite a few personal, random ornaments, but I think it makes the tree look a little more cohesive if there's also a collection of silver balls hung all over.
So, I'll be all set for next year.
5. (fail) I paid $6.99/pound for strawberries
This happened on Christmas Eve actually; I went to Safeway for a few things and picked up some berries which were supposed to be on sale for something like $3.
For some reason, my strawberries rang up at $6.99. Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to get that corrected, but since it was Christmas Eve day and I knew the employees were already at their wit's end with the long lines, I let it go.
And then funny enough, they turned out to be terrible strawberries. Look how white they are on the inside!!
And here compared with a more typical strawberry:
It's ok, though; we ate them all, and one $6.99 pound of strawberries is not gonna do me in. 😉
Don't you just hate those little annoying things? The other day I bought three bags of chips at Aldi and two were the same price, but one was slightly more because it was a larger bag. The cashier rang up the more expensive bag twice and then the cart she gave me had no quarter in it, so I was out .85 cents on that trip and it annoyed me to no end! But I just couldn't bring myself to go back and complain over .85 cents.
@Becca, I saw on Instagram the other day where someone had made 3D printed quarter that said Aldi on it that had pull tab on it so could pull back out. Pictures showed it fit in cart slot & pulled back out. Person had attached it to key ring.
@Regina,
That is brilliant because I am so over the cart sharks at my Aldi.
@Becca,
Aldi redeemed itself for me today because I found holiday themed frozen pizzas for .49 each. I bought 8 and was sorely tempted to buy the lot, but decided to let someone else have a win too. When I was at the register, the cashier squealed "Forty-nine cents!?!" And then the young security guard came and asked me where I found them saying he had a little boy at home who loved pizza. While I was bagging my groceries, he came to proudly show me his little stack and told me he had bought the rest of them. He was grinning from ear to ear, so I felt good about sharing the deal. I also bought a bag of peppermint yogurt pretzels for .29 cents because after Christmas clearance is for real at Aldi. 😉
@Regina, if you have a drawer of mystery keys at your house, a key with a round top the approximate dimensions of a quarter will work on the Aldi cart locks.
The last time I was at Aldi, I lost two quarters in cart locks when they did not turn loose and I no longer had that handy old key on my key chain. Grrr. The locks get damaged at our Aldi by thieves who think the boxes actually store quarters.
When I used to get a Christmas tree, I only put silver, clear, and blue on it. Loved the look!
Frugals for Christmas:
1. I only wrap in brown kraft paper, bought in a gigantic roll many years ago to seal the backs of framed pencil drawings. The brown makes the ribbons be the star of the packages.
2. Cut old Christmas cards into small randomly sized pieces, punch a hole, and attach a ribbon to use for package tags.
3. Reuse good ribbons—you can "iron" them on a light bulb or the edge of your woodstove, but quickly, because they are usually made out of junk that will melt.
Other Recent Frugals
1. Did NOT have to drive to big city 85 miles away in order to get laptop battery replaced!
2. Found drip pans for electric stove in smaller city 35 miles away that were 1/3 the price of the online versions.
3. Found insurance (required by gallery where I teach drawing lessons) for $400/year instead of the $500 I'd paid for the last 21 years. Weird, but true, and I'm glad the old company quit selling that type of insurance, or I would have not gone looking.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, thanks for the tip about “ironing” ribbons! I didn’t know that and have so much as my MIL loves to wrap presents with an abundance of ribbons 😀
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
A curling iron works well, too.
I really appreciate Gas Buddy. We usually need to drive at least half an hour (in a couple different directions) to do our big shopping, and, while prices are usually less expensive in one town, sometimes there are big surprises. It's no fun to get to where the gas is usually cheaper on a nearly empty tank and realize that gas is actually 15 cheaper at home.
This week I brewed coffee at home, made most of our meals, ate leftovers, helped my daughter mend a shirt, and went on a thrifting adventure with my family.
1. The consumption of leftovers continues in my house. I am grateful for the savings and for the fact that I have not cooked every single day through Christmas.
2. I purchased some white Christmas lights to replace ones that had stopped working for 50% off.
3. I took advantage of a pottery barn sale to score a new duvet cover and quilt for our master bedroom. I am very excited about these as I know they are made with quality and will last for quite a long time.
4. I waited for after Christmas to purchase a lounge/pajama set an some bike shorts to work out in from Aerie. This saved me 40%.
5. Not frugal. I threw away all the Christmas cookies that had not been eaten along with the remaining cheesecake. I consider this frugal since it will keep me from eating them and prevent my gaining wait, getting sick and having to spend money on medication and doctors. I had no one to give them to since everyone I know is on the same health track.
@Angie, I froze some batches of our cookies (about a dozen to 16 count), which I will bring out of the freezer from time to time. I knew it would be horrible to keep them out all at once, so I'm hoping we can enjoy them over a longer span.
@MaryG, I thought about doing that but with raw cookie dough in a tin pan. Hungry Howies has big chocolate chip cookies baked inside pan that is put in oven. Since I got circle tin pans this time I thought might try with extra cookie dough. I ended up using extra sugar cookie dough to make giant cookie on cookie sheet that then put into ziploc bag that kept fairly good frosted.
@Angie, I looked a quilts at PB for the guest bedroom I'm redoing but couldn't pull the trigger. Good to know that they are good quality that will last. I may go back and look again.
@Angie, cookies in a large plastic bag and a rolling pin creates great cooky crumbs for substitutions for graham cracker crumbs in that pie crust. they freeze in the bag they were crushed in and come to your rescue later.
Like you, someone else is all set for Christmas 2024 🙂
FFT:
* we bought marked down beef and artisan sourdough bread/buns
* we were gifted some vegetables that are part of last and this week's menu
* I knitted from knitting yarn I was given
* we reused a lot of shelving we had kept from I can't recall when
* I remembered to wear my old worn clothes when doing chores. Which was good because they are now stained with grease and paint
Plus I read a library book, again.
We did a serious lot of decluttering last week, and now we have several items to either sell, give away, or bring to the tip. And we have identified several more once this haul has been moved out. Easy does it.
And what I often forget, but is most certainly frugal: we checked the rain pipes for leaves today, before
tonights expected gale. Fortunately no leaves, pipes were unblocked. I would hate it if our neighbours were to have water damage because we failed to check the pipes (both our roofs go into a downward pipe in our garden.) Excessive rain is forecasted for tonight.
I also went into the garden and took in some loose buckets and lighter furnature as they should not be sent flying in a storm.
I signed up for a weight loss group (6 week program) and wasn't paying attention to the email newsletter they sent. I had a 10% off coupon that I could have used. Which kind of sucked because it was expensive. Lesson learned. I think I am going to enjoy it though. I did two sessions (diet) with my chiropractor last year and it was just so extreme. I think this plan will stick with me in the long run.
I did find some Christmas clearance items though and picked them up for gifts for next year. And my son who was shopping with me commented on some candy he wouldn't mind seeing in his Easter basket. Lol! He's 13, so he knows all about how it works. So, I picked up the majority of that as well at a discount. Although it doesn't seem like you get much of a bargain on candy anymore.
I picked up about forty pounds of ground beef at a really good price. About twenty for the freezer for hot dishes, three for meatballs on New Years and the rest were made into hamburger patties for the freezer.
Sounds like your New Years is starting off on the right foot:) Cheers!
@Jackie, The term "hot dishes" makes me smile. I'm from Michigan ("casserole") but one of my best friends is from Wisconsin ("hot dish"). I have a recipe for tater tot hot dish, so that's what I call it when I make it and I always enjoy the Midwestern-ness of it.
Congrats on the ground beef stock-up find! I need to find one soon.
@Ruth T,
One of my sisters lives in Minnesota, and "hot dish" is a thing there, too. 😉
@Ruth T, Oh, that's funny. I never even thought of it as being a Midwestern term. It just means I need to travel more:)
--Husband and eldest son went hunting last weekend (no elk came home with them, boo), and son needed a really warm coat for the cold mountain weather. He ended up taking my wool coat, along with my very warm alpaca sweater my sister brought home from Peru two decades ago. It's nice he can wear my stuff if he needs it, so we don't have to buy him these things while he's still growing.
--I packed the hunters' food, as I always do. This time I made them a foil pack of leftover ham and potatoes with lots of butter--they always need a lot of fat when they're sleeping in the cold--along with jerky, etc. And instant coffee+powdered milk for my husband and the last of some cocoa mix I had made awhile ago for my son. I always think as I'm doing this that I should ask my husband just buy freeze-dried food in packets or whatever, which is what I suspect most people do, but of course I never do.
--Eldest son is working this week, building fence not too far away from our house, and needs lunch to bring with him. I did buy deli meat for him to make sandwiches, which is not cheap, but I do make the bread for the sandwiches. I also made some cookies for him to take with him. Cookies are the best portable, calorie-heavy snack, particularly with peanut butter and nuts.
--I've been diligent about starting the woodstove first thing in the mornings, so the furnance isn't running so much. The wood my husband cuts is free; propane is not. And the woodstove heats the house much better, actually.
--Time to give haircuts. I hate cutting hair, but with six people, four of whom need their hair cut every month, it's a significantly frugal thing.
@kristin @ going country, Wow, my son would NEVER have worn a coat of mine...well, ever. Not as a teen, not now. His sister did take over his outgrown black leather moto jacket though.
@kristin @ going country,
The food you packed for your son and husband sounds really good. I would have eaten that over freeze dried packets any day:) And good for your son with the coat. I think my son might have done the same.
I need to venture into cutting my family's hair. Maybe that is something I will work on this year.
@kristin @ going country,
We canoe and camp a lot and make all our own instant backpacking-type meals. I'm happy to share ideas if you want some - granted, freeze-dried ingredients are not cheap, but still much cheaper than the pre-made meals!
@kristin @ going country, Propane is through the roof, price wise, apparently. My neighbor gets a delivery every month, while I am still working my way through last year's firewood delivery because I use the woodstove that heats the entire house.
@Rose, Well, he wouldn't wear it to school, but no one was going to see him on a mountain the middle of nowhere. And it was like 10 degrees. He needed the wool.
@Jackie, When I say "cutting" I actually mean just buzzcuts for the boys and straighforward trims for the girls. I'm not about to go into much scissor work.
@kristin @ going country, Giving my family haircuts is the one consistently frugal thing I've done for the last 24 years. I first cut my husband's hair, per his request, the week before our wedding. I had never cut hair before but he said, "I saw in your Tightwad Gazette book she tells you how...could you please?" He hated going to barber shops or salons and having strangers cut his hair. So I did, with a pair of kitchen shears, and he liked it well enough, so i've been doing it ever since. And since we have all boys, it's pretty much the same cut for everyone, with allowances made for hair texture, preferences, etc. My second son went through a phase where he wanted hair "like Luke Skywalker's", by which he meant kind of a mullet.
And it saves time and gas, too--no driving to the barber shops! I have always told my kids as they get older that any time they WANT to go somewhere to get their hair cut, I won't be offended, but they always look at me funny.
@Karen A., My oldest has moved on from Mom cutting his hair, and I am not sad at all because it is my least favorite frugal thing. And the last time I cut his hair, I did mess it up a good bit. But I felt a little better when he went to the barber when he came home from college, and she took off his "signature sideburns" without asking. He was not happy.
@Jody S., To clarify, I was not happy that she made a mistake and made him unhappy (I like his "dashing sideburns," as we call them), but I felt good in the sense of "even professionals make mistakes." I'm not sure I clarified.
@kristin @ going country, I paid $20 for my youngest to get a buzz cut a few weeks ago. I think I'm going to check out some videos and look into getting a good pair of clippers. It would pay off even if I just cut his hair.
I trimmed my little dogs hair for years until she passed. She didn't have the most beautiful hair cut, but boy did it save me a lot of money over the years. My sweet neighbors got a new puppy a couple of months ago and asked where I took my dog to get her trimmed. I told them I trimmed her all those years. They said they would hire me. Lol!
As much as I love strawberries, I won't buy them when they're not in season, since (1) they're expensive and (2) they have no taste.
@Mary, me, too. I scour the weekly HEB ad for what's in season and usually on sale. And sometimes I buy frozen fruit, but only blueberries.
Yep, when strawberries are white on the inside I stop buying them until they're in season. My kids (and I) adore strawberries, but it's not worth it unless they're good!
Sigh...not feeling frugal here, except maybe in small ways. Planning a trip that will be both fun and challenging, and that always involves money.
But:
1. Using homemade turkey broth for my lentil soup today. Froze the gizzards, neck, and bones from our Christmas turkey for the next round of broth eventually.
2. NYE was low key, we watched movies we mostly had on hand, played games, and had homemade snacks at home and no booze.
3. We discovered the cat adores chasing Nerf bullets after they're shot out of a gun, so using what we already have on had to amuse and exercise him. It is really funny to see him pick one up in his mouth and walk around with it like a cigarette. He looks like James Dean. Don't worry, all Nerf play is supervised so he can't chew them to bits. He mostly bats them under doors and goes bonkers if you try to take one away before he's done with it.
4. I have a bunch of library books loaded on my Kindle for the trip, and a couple of Austen paperbacks to take with me, and that should hold me over. I hope! My friend tells me there is a wonderful secondhand bookstore where we're staying on our vacation, so...I must remain strong.
@Karen A., The thought of the cat chasing the Nerf bullets really amuses me!
@Karen A., I too like your tale of amusing the cat with the Nerf bullets. If you happen to have a laser pointer in the house, that's a reliable kitty toy as well.
And, of course, I also like your taking some Austen paperbacks on your trip. JA is reliable in all situations, from travel to labor and delivery (or so I'm told about the labor and delivery by a 92-year-old JASNA friend, who read JA while in labor with all of her kids).
FFT, Into the New Year Edition:
(1) I used the bones from my Xmas Eve Two Fat Ladies (TFL) lamb dish, plus some lamb, duck, and beef bones I’d previously tossed into the freezer (another TFL trick), to make what I call “Old McDonald’s Stock.” (“With a baa-baa here and a quack-quack there…”) I think this stuff is even better than straight beef stock for making barley soup.
(2) I drove the Bestest Neighbors to the airport on Sunday for their annual theatre trip to London, and as usual, they gave me various perishable bits and bobs from their fridge. I used most of the baby carrots and some chopped basil in the barley and mushroom soup I made with some of the Old McDonald’s Stock. I added some leftover tomato paste and a generous slug of red wine left over from Xmas. And I shared this soup with my next-door neighbor (NDN).
(3) I’m riding a *really* hot thrifting streak right now. (As we thrifters know, the most wonderful time of the year is between Xmas and MLK Day, when unwanted Xmas presents and year-end donations hit the stores.) So far, I’ve found the following, all in excellent condition: (a) an LL Bean fleece bathrobe; (b) three pairs of LL Bean jogger pants, with good pockets (the pockets are causing Katy at the NCA to have pocket envy); and (c) a pair of black Brooks Addiction walking shoes (men’s size 7 extra wide) that fit perfectly. My quest for truly comfortable walking shoes sometimes resembles the quest for the Holy Grail, but I think that this pair is in Grail territory.
(4) The neighbor on the other side of my NDN hosted a grand New Year's Day open house yesterday afternoon. He and his partner were truly kind and attentive hosts, seating NDN at the dining room table first and making sure she got a nice plate with a little bit of everything.
(5) And the hosts didn't forget me either. At my request, they saved me all of the lobster shells from the grilled lobster tails for a future lobster stock. And because the lobster tails weren't getting much love for some reason (they were admittedly a bit messy to eat, but that's never stopped me!), I got several extra tails to take home along with the shells. What a breakfast I had with those this morning!!
@A. Marie, Ever made cock a leekie soup? (I apologize if I've asked before. I can't remember who I recommend things to.) Chicken, barley, leeks etc, topped with dried prunes to serve. Don't laugh till you've tried it!
@Rose, no, I have never made cock-a-leekie. I have, however, made more than my share of jokes about its name.
@A. Marie, Try it. Even with the prunes--and I'm a person who squints angrily when I see raisins in savory recipes.
People always laugh about Scottish food but much of it is truly delicious.
@A. Marie, Thanks for the thrifting tip! I've spent much more time yard sale shopping than thrift store shopping, so I haven't picked up on that yet. But my patterns are changing and I need the thrift store deals!
@A. Marie,
Cock-a-leekie...teehee...
@Rose,
I only squint angrily at raisins when it's in a cookie I thought was chocolate chip. 🙂
@Liz B.,
Indeed. Chocolate chips > raisins.
@Becca,
And anyone who disagrees is just plain wrong. I said it.
@Liz B., Or mint. Yes, I like raisins. I like mint. But I don't want mint in my fruit salad because I want to taste fruit, not mint. My mother made a truly delicious rice pudding, but I don't want raisins in it. Picky, picky.
But the prunes in chicken soup are delicious.
@Rose, Thank you as a Scot! I take it you have tried Cullen Skink? So many recipes were influenced by the association with France including the language.
Cuts of meat are different to English ones too:as in gigot chops.
@A. Marie, LOL!
Having completed my year-end inventory of refrigerator, freezer, cupboards and pantry, I have concluded the only groceries I need for the entire month of January are a loaf of bread and a carton (maybe 2) of eggs.
Or maybe “A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou beside me singing in the wilderness.”
My new-to-me used RAV4 got scratched up in a parking lot, but my next door neighbor suggested some rubbing compound would fix it so I will give that a try instead of paying someone to detail the car. Any tips from the Commentariat?
For the entire month of December I kept my grocery spending to $231.49, including not just food but also household supplies and dog treats. Am going to try to beat that for January. Fingers crossed!
Had a few very reasonable co-pays for the hospital and specialist for my year-end cardiac ablation but all the “surprise!” out-of-network bills for thousands of dollars have … disappeared. So I’ll be getting off pretty easy, all things considered. I have to say, it’s worth your while to sit on these medical bills for at least a couple (or more) weeks because all of mine were either zeroed out or reduced by two-thirds or more, once my insurance company finished with them. Of course, it helps to get insurance pre-approvals, and the hospitals and health care providers have people on staff (sometimes with the title of “scheduler”) who deal with that for you.
And for reasons I cannot fathom, I received in the mail a sale brochure for Jockey scrubs for medical personnel. They look … lovely, a beautiful shade of blue, and very comfortable, but they seem very pricey compared to, you know, pajamas. There were coupons for a big % off. But I will resist the temptation to save 30% on something I still don’t think I will have a use for.
Happy New Year! I'm off to pick up my dog at the kennel where I had to board her for a few days. She loves it there and I hope she won't be disappointed to come back home.
@JDinNM, If the rubbing compound doesn't work, figure out what color and color number your car is and buy a small auto paint marker to touch it up. I think color numbers are generally on the inside driver's door. Of if you already know your car is Champagne mist in a 2018 RAV4 you can just google for that number.
When I got sick over the holiday weekend, I needed a special OTC medicine. Local CVS and Walgreens (which both deliver, or say they do) did not have. Instacart did not have.
Checked CVS online and Amazon. Amazingly, the most expensive of the three different types I could use, was almost 50% less on Amazon. So even though it won't be delivered till Wed (I would have paid for special delivery as I was unable to get up, get dressed and go out to get anything.), I ordered and will have for "inventory" for future. (I ended up needing something because my normal stockpile of frequently used OTC items were all expired! Reminder to check."
Then, I decided to stock up on other missing items. Interestingly, CVS would not deliver or ship to me! What? Nothing weird in these OTC. Amazon, FYI, asked for ID (my passport, I don't drive) to place the order for the one Cough/cold medicine.
It took a few minutes of checking for products and prices but I ended up saving 50% on another item, ordered via Amazon. Then, I got a buy one, get 50% off product on CVS and used a $3 promo brand coupon and $3 bucks and the item cost under $5 (free ship because I am an extra care member. So, all in all, substantial savings to start the new year.
Did not shop any post-holiday sales this year because of being sick. So I saved that way too! Indirectly.
FFF and O T (five frugal fails and one thing)
1. Threw out lovely whole loaf of ciabatta covered in mold.
2. Was planning to grind up all old hard holiday leftover cheese and make into cheese sauce. Threw them all out as cannot deal right now.
3. Son has not assembled new log rack so no firewood ordered yet. Used $$$ wood from convenience store.
4. Splurged on good bottle of champagne for NYE to share with Daughter. Fell asleep and she drank it all, grrrrr.
5. A good friend listed for sale a few items that we mutually collect. I told him I wanted to buy one of them and he replied, "You already have one."
1. Paid for some of restaurant Christmas dinner using discount gift cards (37.5% off) bought on FB Marketplace.
@Rose, your friend said you already have one!? Does that mean friend did not/refused to sell item to you?
@Regina, He did refuse because I DO already have one! You know the brain fog is bad when your friend knows your collection better than you do.
@Regina, I guess that was a frugal save in the end, but if it had been anyone else selling, I'd've bought something completely unnecessary.
@Rose,
Sigh, I hate when bread goes moldy so fast....a friend brought over a delicious meal for us shortly after my knee surgery, including a sizable bag of pita bread from her favorite Middle Eastern grocery. It was delicious, and I meant to put the excess in the freezer....but I was too late. Sigh.
Strawberries that are white like that usually have more taste if you cook them. Not a lot, but some. The last ones we bought were terrible, so I chopped them up and added them to the blueberries in a pan of baked oatmeal.
My frugal five:
1. Did a lot of looking around on Poshmark and bought, at a very good price, a washable winter coat and a wallet, both really needed.
2. Gave DH a haircut over the weekend with a bonus eyebrow and beard trim.
3. Read a couple of free Kindle books over the weekend.
4. Mended all the stuffed dog toys, as the new pup keeps ripping ears and limbs from her plush pals. Also sewed up a tiny tear the tiny terror put in the edge of the living room rug. She's actually a very sweet dog but is still in the busy mouth stage of life.
5. Used the last of the free pumpkin and chopped prunes to make breakfast muffins, and picked some walnuts out of a bag of trail mix to add just a little crunch to the muffins. So yummy!
I'm starting to put up some Christmas stuff, planning to be done by Epiphany.
1. I wound up my outdoor lights and cut strips of paper from a freebie notepad, writing on each strip where the lights go, then taping the strips around the lights. These LED lights are several years old and they all still burn. They were worth buying.
2. I bought two farm-fresh chickens from a local farmer. I spatchcocked one and sealed it uncooked and flattened for the freezer then cut the breast meat off the other to use in a crock pot meal today. I cut the rest of the second chicken into pieces and sealed the cut up pieces for the freezer, to bake or fry later. I threw the necks, backbone, tails and bones from which I stripped the breast meat into the crock pot and cooked them overnight to make a nice broth that I will use tomorrow. The chickens didn't come with giblets or I would have used those too.
3. I searched around the internet for a walking foot for my sewing machine, finding prices ranging from $55-70. On a whim, I called the little nearby sewing store and they ordered it in for me for $43.
4. Frugal for me, not by me: I was the happy recipient of a new vacuum from one daughter and a new Roku TV with a paid Netflix subscription from the other daughter, which means I no longer have to pay to replace my dead vacuum and TV myself.
5. Frugal fail but a rescue - I had been looking for comfortable, long-wearing, real leather work boots to wear in the yard, especially for gardening and shoveling, and found some at one-third their normal price online at a leather goods site, looking under the category of women's boots. I placed the order then noticed the style was also sold as men's boots. I found that the sizing for this style was only in men's sizes, which meant I had ordered the wrong size for me. I immediately contacted them. They couldn't halt the order even though I had just placed it, but waived the return fee for me. Unfortunately, their smallest size is a men's 7, too big for me, so I can't take advantage of the sale price. I received the package, printed the return labels and will send them back today to get my refund.
If I were you I would take receipt & pictures of strawberries back to store & ask for refund (& scanning price difference law). Make sure you have ad/proof of sale price to show since possibly new ad & week later.
Frugal things---
●got take out Sunday night using gift card found while cleaning, unfortunately my discount code did not work though so paid full price
●found Arby's curly fries (teen favorite) at diffetent/not usually go to grocery store. Bag of fries was twice as big & less money---so bought few for freezer
●been eating at home (except New Years Eve) out of freezer & pantry
●used Christmas gift card to pay upcoming bill since intended use I already did just before receiving gift card
●former groomer offered to groom rescue dogs (saving $15 compared to cheapest groomers have checked out)
●found New Pampered Chef Large stoneware muffin pan while looking at thrift store waiting for dog groomed. Mine had gotten broken while moving & finding reasonable replacement has not easy so was very happy 🙂
●I decided that I was going to order few items on My 31 Outlet Sale that can use in upcoming years for planned events that will need these for & so (tried to) order online yesterday. (So much for No spend January--maybe) but kept giving me repeat on check out (& charged holding amount to credit card(s)) & did not give me confirmation. Luckily I called my seller & she is going to try to figure out today what happened. I told her I don't need 6 or 7 orders---only 1 (maybe if can get confirmation) OR I may be getting none the way it looks. Luckily all were $1 hold amount that will fall off next week if no order processes.
@Regina, I agree about the strawberries. I was going to suggest that as well.
Chewy offering free $30 gift card with $100 purchase (limit 3 orders) until 01/15/24.
NEWYEAR (code)
@Regina, thanks for the info about Chewy! My subscription shipped yesterday, and the order was over $100, but payment was 12/31. I'm going to check when it comes in tomorrow, and see if they included a gift card. If not, I think I'll call them and see if I can sweet-talk them into giving me one anyway. Can't say yes if I don't ask!
Frugality is not my great focus during the holiday but some of it always creeps in:
-Made Christmas returns promptly despite long lines, as I know it's easier to return something when it's fresh on my mind. My kids mostly want clothes for Christmas these days, but sometimes it means that a size or fit isn't quite right.
-I had the exact same thought with my Christmas tree as Kristen; it needed some plain ornaments to give it a "backbone" with all the other random keepsakes. After Christmas I found some large white ornaments on clearance. My Buy Nothing Group is not very active but this was quite a good deal also.
-All Christmas wrap and holiday cards/gift tags were bought on clearance after last Christmas; however, next year I will opt for Kraft paper from the dollar store.
-My kids advent calendars were from Ikea this year, which came with a couple of gift cards in addition the chocolate. I took the kids to have free meatball meals at Ikea, saving the other gift cards for when we redo their bedrooms this year. The trip to Ikea was also timed for an airport run when we were passing it anyway.
- Did pretty well measuring the amount of Christmas food we needed with some leftovers but not too much. Always love a few days of not cooking after the holiday, but also hate to throw away any of the food.
Bonus; remembered to pick up some forever postage stamps before the price hike in January.
One sort of frugal fail for me, although more of a change in circumstance.
I completely overspent on groceries this week, in anticipation of an operation on my foot that will keep me off my feet and require me to make very easy microwave meals while having no help on hand as my husband was suddenly called away for a family emergency. I was luckily able to reschedule the operation and now have all these easy (overpriced) meals on hand. Oh well, still helpful on a busy week.
1. I over-bought green grapes (only came in 2-lb. containers) for Christmas charcuterie boards, so I put the remainder in a stockpot along with strawberries, apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cloves. Cooked it all down and have used it in yogurt, as chutney, and as a fruit spread on toast. I think I might put some in a quick bread, too.
2. Negotiated with our new HVAC provider to receive $5,000 in discounts and rebates on our new furnace/heat pump/AC system. While it’s been a challenging first month in our home, my mantra to all of our issues is: “This isn’t Gaza, this isn’t Ukraine, this isn’t fill-in-the-blank, this isn’t anything compared to the utter misery that millions experience day after day around the world.”
3. When the technician told me he tossed the furnace filter from the old furnace, I asked him to retrieve it since we had just changed it a couple weeks before the system was replaced.
4. With our recent laptop purchase, I bought my first ever service plan knowing that technical issues take me out of my comfort zone and make me exceptionally cranky. The plan has already paid off as I used the remote support line one late night and then when I had to bring it into the store for further troubleshooting (for an issue that I created – ugh). Part of me loves technology while another part of me thinks that a stone tablet and abacus would be best.
5. I am a poop bag magnet! As in empty bags, not full ones. I found my third roll of bags on the ground in the park, and we haven’t even used up all the bags from the two rolls I found earlier.
@MB in MN, KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS FOR FURNACE/HVAC FOR TAXES. You can claim tax credits/reductions on your taxes (including installation). Then check online with your utilities company & manufacturer for rebates for furnace/HVAC also.
@MB in MN,
I feel like this might be the only place in the world where one can brag about being a "poop bag magnet." 😉
@Becca, LOLOLOL!
I feel you on the strawberries. When I catch a mistake in store, I likewise gauge the employees' day and the line behind me vs. a few dollars. Once I'm home, I have a $5 rule for whether a mistake is worth bothering customer service the next time I'm in town. If the goof is $5 and under, I very rarely pursue it unless I've an already planned trip to that store in the near future--the time to make a special trip for >$5 negates any gains. Goofs are the exception, in general, so an "Oh, well" once every few months isn't a budget breaker.
Anyhow, FFT!
—I transferred two different paint cans to glass jars. One was a nearly full quart can that all but collapsed when I started to hammer the lid on (I’m not that mighty, I promise!); the other was my office’s wall color, which had just enough left to fill a little jam jar. Waste not, especially custom colors!
—After Christmas, Target’s app had a 50% off coupon for all their brands of turkey. The turkey was all I bought and was well worth snagging a 16 lb bird for $12! We cooked it for New Year’s Eve and still have much turkey in our future. I'm about turkey-ed out, in truth, so I'll be deboning what remains this afternoon for the fridge and making homemade mushroom soup for dinner.
—The only other post-Christmas sale I hit was on ThredUp, which was finally offering free shipping with no minimum. I bought the only thing I needed—-a new-to-me pair of jeans—-for $10.
--The next day, ThredUp emailed that my January birthday treat was $10 off a purchase, provided I spent a minimum of $15. I chose a second pair of jeans ($15.99 - $10 gift code), and the shipping remains free because ThredUp will bundle the purchase with my previous order. Two new-to-me pairs of jeans for $16 total is a good score when I've consistently struck out at the local thrift shops. (Skinny leg cut everywhere! Some of us have thighs and calves, darn it.)
—Chalk up another home hair cut, plus weekly oil treatments to keep winter brittleness at bay—the air is so DRY! I wear my hair long, so half a shot glass of oil left in for a few hours (perfect for doing housework or online chores) keeps it from becoming a tangled, broken mess this time of year.
1. A friend was in Uganda in December and sent me a picture of an unknown green plant when there, teasing this year Christmas present. Today I got it and she had bought fresh vanilla that she’d then dried herself.
Best gift of the year on so many levels!
2. Had another couple over for «pinnekjøtt» dinner (salted and smoked lamb ribs), and they had brought with them so much it made for another dinner for us. They wanted to prepare the meat themselves and didn’t want the leftovers.
3. Our trip to NYC is getting close so I finally dared to book the hotel room. The airline company has been changing our flights so many times that I haven’t wanted to do that before (the cost was so much higher for a refundable room), but now the departure date is so close they will have to pay if they change it again. Writing this as frugal since I got enough hotel points for our week that I get two free nights I can use at a later date.
4. Cut my own hair. Got a pair of thinning scissors from my mother so it was done in no time and with much less stress than before.
5. Booked the City Pass in NYC that will allow us to get in the Empire State Building two times in a day to see the view both in daylight and in the evening. It was costly but saves us about $60 in entrance fees on the attractions we want to see.
If anyone has other tips on how we can save money/be frugal in NYC I would be much appreciative. I didn’t anticipate how expensive the dollar/everything would get in the year since I booked our bonus point trip so now our only splurge will be the hotel room.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, How exciting to be getting closer to your trip!
My frugal note is the same for anyone traveling: Have good shoes and be in good shape for walking. I think NYC would require a lot of walking.
Would never have thought of looking at the same view at night and in the day time.
I've never been to the Empire State Building! Top of the Rock, yes.
Comfy shoes, yes. Use mass transit. Avoid tourist traps. Go to museums. Go to the TKTS counter for theater seats, same day. (So be flexible.) Think about a boat trip (could be just the Staten Island Ferry) depending how cold it is. There's something special about Manhattan from the water. Parks! The High Line and Central Park. Food: take a look at the below map and embrace the deli. Bagels and pizza are required at least once.
https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-inexpensive-affordable-restaurants-food-nyc
@Gunn from Northern Norway,
If you like art take advantage of free days/ hours at museums : https://www.nyc-arts.org/collections/35/free-museum-days-or-pay-what-you-wish/
Double check the actual days and times as this is not 100% accurate.
The Guggenheim is incredibly busy on free nights, so either book ahead or skip. In general the smaller, more niche museums are relatively empty, exhibits can be completed within the free hours and some are fairly expensive for the size, so I recommend focusing on these. The Morgan Library is in an incredible building and worth a visit even if you are not interested in the exhibits.
@Rose and @Heidi Louise, yes, absolutely about good walking shoes. I have weird feet so half the suitcase will be filled with shoes :p
Thank you Rose for the link! I’ve tried googling but got mainly old articles so many of these eateries I’ll be adding to my phone’s map.
I didn’t know about TKTS counter for same day tickets so that I’ll be definitely checking out.
@Jadec, thank you for that! I’ve read about the free days but as we’re not quite used to crowds living here we do I had written that off. But I will check it out again as I hadn’t thought about the smaller museums, that’s a great idea!
@Gunn from Northern Norway, If you want to shop and you happen to be downtown, try this place. I've bought some amazing bargains there over the years.
https://www.c21stores.com/
It was and is right across from the World Trade Center and was destroyed on 9/11. It reopened a year later.
Please do not patronize Strand Books. Everyone who worked in NY book publishing knows they sell stolen books, which hurts the industry badly. People like to crow about the low prices, but that's because publishing employees steal boxes of books and resell them. Of course Strand knows about it and doesn't care. Usually people get angry at me when I mention this.
Museums: I grew up with the American Museum of Natural History (as did my kids--I remember my four year old son panicking about going back because the Neanderthal Man diorama scared him so much--and of the course the Met Museum, the best art museum in the world. The New-York Historical Society is right across from Natural History, so that's easy, and they're both across the park from the Met. The Tenement Museum is another favorite. If you go to the outer boroughs, the Queens Museum offers a stunning selection of Tiffany glass as well as the Panorama of the City of New York (originally made for the 64 World's Fair) which is amazing.
https://queensmuseum.org/exhibition/panorama-of-the-city-of-new-york/
@Gunn from Northern Norway, In the theater district, try Ellen's Stardust.
https://www.ellensstardustdiner.com/
Everyone I've ever taken there has loved it. My favorite: the old Miss Subways posters on the wall. I always took my kids there for Take Your Little Brat to Work day since I worked two blocks away for more than ten years.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, Good, but if you're here on a cold day, IDK.
https://www.circleline.com/nyc-sightseeing-cruises
@Gunn from Northern Norway, And sorry to leave 50 comments in a row but I keep thinking of things: Roz Chast's book Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York is not only delightful but a fabulous introduction to Manhattan. Available on Kindle, too. I highly recommend it even for people not planning a trip.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, we liked the Hop On Hop Off bus, if it’s still around. You pay one fee and can ride around all day, getting on and off as much as you like.
@Rose,
I didn't know that about Strand Books. I've never shopped there, and now I never will. Thanks for the info.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, I would say, if you have the chance to try a potato knish from a deli, do it! (It's one of my personal NY fave foods).
@Liz B., Knishes! Beloved food of my childhood! I think places selling them are becoming rare, which is a real shame. Maybe I should start an annoying hipster "knisherie" in Williamsburgh or something.
I've gotten to where I don't buy out of season produce because it seems to always disappoint! Plus its pricier. I'm on a "no spend month" for anything other than groceries or home repairs this month, but I am still being frugal in those regards. Today I bought zero Christmas markdowns, wine, or other things not on my list!
*I also got free ornaments from my buy nothing group!
*I returned two grout stain pens to Amazon that weren't quite the right color - that's a project I don't have to do right now anyway so I have time to find exactly what I want. Amazon is good about returns.
*Son #2 got a free turkey from HEB, so that's thawing in my fridge to brine and cook next week. I already have the brine mix and roasting a turkey is so easy. We all love turkey potpie, turkey soup, turkey sammies...
*bought a pound of ground beef for tonight's taco dinner at 25% off
*currently reading my $2 book from Goodwill that I will pass on to a friend at work
*earned $$$ working this past weekend in holiday pay which will help me repair my falling backyard fence
@Gina from The Cannary Family, I noticed you said "HEB," and that spells Texas. If you are in the Waco-Temple-Killeen area, wait until school is out for the summer and then check Heart of Texas Goodwill to see if they will do their Friday book thing again this year. Last summer, any kid of school age could visit a Goodwill store on Friday and get one free book from the store. This promotion ran all summer, from the time school let out until the first day of school in August. No word if they're going to repeat it or not, but if they do, it's one of the best frugal fun things for families that we have in this area.
Slowly packing up the house has led to lots of donations to Goodwill, a few gifting opportunities to friends, and a donation of a knife block with knives to my workplace. I’ve also sold a few items on FB Marketplace that I knew were worth the effort. My son did find me crying when I sold his little table and chair set – he’s 5’8” now and much too tall to use it.
I’m still chipping away at the freezer and pantry for a majority of our meals so our grocery bills are staying low. I’m really pleased at what I’ve managed to put away in the freezers over the summer with our CSA. So many of our meals have included fresh tasting veggies even in the middle of winter!
We kept our winter break activities low cost – a few sleepovers with friends, time outside since the weather was so nice, activities we already owned (movies, books, games), and an unexpectedly fun activity of disassembling Lego creations to pack while listening to podcasts!
I switched from an FSA to an HSA so I needed spend down my remaining dollars before the end of the year. It was hard to bring more items into the house when I’m trying to get the house ready for a move but I made sure to purchase what our family will need in the coming year and nothing that would go to waste with the possibility of use.
I completed all my preventative doctor visits this month. I really waited until the last minute for a few of them, but they got completed before my insurance switched over.
@Geneva, it surprised me how sad I got when selling my kids' twin beds after they left home. I guess it just reminded me of all the nighttime tucking in.
The holiday season is rough for retail workers and they do not control what the register rings up the product for. (I used to work retail and the number of women that would throw a complete tantrum like I controlled it is astonishing). Unless you have to carefully calculate every single dollar, times like this it's much better to let it go.
Frugal wise:
1. I was looking through the 50% off after Christmas clearance at Walmart and the store manager came up to a woman that was working on the shelves telling her look what I found stuck in the back of the personals. It was a 3 1/2 foot inflatable ghost and pumpkin from Halloween. He scanned it and it was $1.68 and she said if you put it on the shelf someone would buy it. He's that's going to make a great deal for someone and put it down and I popped up with "Hey I'll take it!" What actually makes the story better for me is that I suffer from absolutely horrible social anxiety, so bad my husband couldn't believe I had actually said anything. So that's a win on two counts for me.
2. I got some Christmas pj's for my toddler half price. He needed pj's anyways and I do not care if he is wearing Christmas pj's after Christmas.
3. Gave my oldest a haircut at home.
4. My oldest got his own library card. He was annoyed with our books being combined on Libby so we got him his own card. He hates reading but could listen to audiobooks all day long.
5. Made apple bread with apples that were needing used.
@Jess, Love the Christmas Ghost story!
@Jess, Congratulations on your double-win!
@Jess,
That's a crazy-good deal on the Halloween inflatable! Right place at the right time!
I like thinking of your Christmas ornament being sent out to someone who will enjoy it, (guessing these are dated or collectible ones), because theirs was lost, or accidentally put out on the curb with the tree last year, or broken by a child or spouse or pet. It did what it needed to on your trees, and now is moved on.
Racking my brain for frugal things. First would be minimal food consumption while sick. But since I'm better, I'm about to eat the insulation out of the walls. 2) Made egg roll in a bowl using up bits and bobs from the fridge. Should have been eating that as it has a lot of fresh ginger, garlic and onions. 3) Gas is $2.54 and I will get some in the morning after work before going out of town for medical appointments. 4) Hung a blanket over the inside back porch door and over the closet door off the bedroom. The whole back of the house on west side was added on w/o insulation and not over the basement so it is rather airish. 5) I think I mentioned this last week, but I got my free COVID tests from the post office, both orders of four. Yes, I can do them at work for free. But it's a little handier if ill to do it at home rather than get in the car and drive fifteen miles to work.
The usual, chai latte or tea at home, minimal shopping so no impulse buying, pack supper for work, thermostat set at 68'F.
As for out of season strawberries, there was a mention of cooking them, but I have found that hulling, slicing, spreading on parchment paper on a baking sheet and roasting them (Pinterest it) makes them very tasty.
Hello! It is raining buckets today, so I'm in my happy quilting place.
*used $1/gal discount to purchase 5 gal diesel for my neighbor's tractor. He refuses all kinds of repayment for help, so I sneak it in with tractor fuel, bar chain oil, dog treats and a dinner or two.
*Received not yet expired natural peanut butter from an elderly friend. The nieces made doggy treats. They put 4 dozen large dog bones in my freezer and took 2 doz each home.
* I sowed my walla walla onion seeds, saving about $8 over buying sets in the Spring.
* I paid my neighbor to box scrape the driveway (1/2 mile), he just bought the scraper, needed practice. I paid for the fuel and 4 batches of his favorite cookies, delivered over a month.
The week started with a big storm, so it was easy to not spend money. We couldn't go anywhere.
1. We sold our old couch.
2. We ate up leftovers.
3. My husband and I used a gift card for dinner out.
4. We enjoyed free entertainment... and bowling which is neither free nor cheap.
5. I used leftover decorations for my child's birthday celebration.
6. I listed some items for sale online, but nothing has sold yet.
FFT:
1) DH and I installed the new microwave instead of paying $150 for installation.
2) DH and I stayed home for NYE and watched a movie on Amazon using credits I earned for slower shipping.
3) Finally gave up on our washing machine and ordered a new one. I did a lot of research and price comparison and decided we definitely didn't need a "smart" washer (not sure why that is even a thing). The one we purchased was on sale, had a Rakuten rebate, and will be delivered tomorrow.
4) We did not pay to have the old washing machine hauled off. For $50, we're willing to haul it to the street ourselves.
5) New Year dinner was black-eyed peas and collard greens that were on sale BOGO.
-logged all my hours +driving time for my job, the small reimbursements do add up
-served a bunch of languishing crackers, olives, etc as an appetizer for our guests on NYE. This was mainly stuff we were gifted and I don't really eat that kind of thing myself. Our guests didn't really eat it either but then at least I could throw it away, having tried
-ate free soup at work
-have skied on my season pass 6 times now (have to do 10 for it to "pay off" versus buying daily tickets)
-not frugal - backed my car into my house. Big scrape on car. Small bit of paint/stucco chipped off house.
Hopefully I can be a little more frugal now that Christmas has passed!
1. Got a cheap flight back
2. Made Kristen's granola with ingredients I already had
3. Remembered to renew library books just in time
4. Saw a new year's firework display from home rather than travel into the city
5. Bought some food reduced at the supermarket
My daughter was pre-med and the books were expensive, including online books she needed for molecular genetics and high level chemistry courses. She was able to electronically "rent" some of these books, which helped a lot.
I went to school in the 70's in an allied health field (OT), and even then some of the texts cost between $300 and $400 with only modest savings if you could find them used. Sometimes the used texts were of no help because the publishers frequently updated the texts with new and different material. I spent many hours in the library reading the library copy of texts I simply could not afford to buy. I'm amazed that my kids spent less on books than I did back in the day.
I used a coupon from Similac and paid $6.99 for a $37 container of formula. Similac got my info from my baby registry (which I don't love) but they have sent some free product and a few really great coupons.
I reimbursed the remaining money spent on formula through my new FSA plan.
We got a free "preview" of a local park. We've never paid the $10 entrance fee but we walked over to ask questions about the lake/swim complex and where told we could come in and look around . . . I think we will rarely go to this park because--swimming aside--it isn't better than the many free parks in our area. (Plus swimming is an extra $17 fee!)
This isn't really "our" frugal win, but I list it because I helped someone else have a frugal win. We relisted a stereo for free after it failed to sell in 15 months. The new owner is thrilled.
I ate leftovers for lunch.
Unfrugal: after a round of stomach flu, neither of us were interested in the fancy foods we made for Christmas dinner. Some got thrown out but the toffee was given to friends.
Am I the only one who thinks those strawberries are the ideal color? I prefer them pale on the inside like that, LOL!
1. I picked up a kid's chair off Buy Nothing to go with my daughter 's table/chair set after one of the chairs broke.
2. Used up some items in the freezer and refrigerator (frozen vegetables, bacon and sausage, frozen Hello Fresh meals) to make dinners and lunches this week.
3. We spent no money on activities for the kids last week during Christmas break. We used our libraries, a gift card they received for Christmas to paint pottery, and our YMCA membership.
4. Realized there was an error with my kid's summer camp registration, which resulted in a $200 refund.
5. Listed some items on Buy Nothing.
1. Used up some coupons expiring at the end of December for a free car wash and free ice cream at McDonald's that were in my son's fundraiser coupon book. The car wash was worth $22!
2. Made myself available to work on New Year's Day, AND was asked to work, which is time and a half pay at the hospital! Lately I've been cancelled a lot due to low patient census (I work as a PRN OT), so it was nice to get a shift with higher pay, since I don't know when I'll be called in to work next.
3. Used almost all my birthday freebies sent to me last month. A few I weren't able to use due to time constraints or needing to buy something else to get the birthday item free, but I think I did a good job, netting free or almost free drinks, meals, lotion and gift cards.
4. Used my $10 Kohls' cash before it expired at the end of December to buy some new socks, and found that the price was discounted online vs in store so I skipped the long line at the checkout to order it online from home. The discounted price made it completely free!
5. Got another email inviting me to finish the potato chip study I took part in earlier in December. The payout wasn't very good for the price of the chips (I would not break even or just earn less than $1); however they increased the payout so I would make almost $4 per study on top of covering the price of the chips, so I picked up the needed items to evaluate while I was already grocery shopping.
6. Shopped 70% off Christmas items at Target, mostly for fun food items and used my birthday 5% off AND a $5 birthday gift card to knock the prices down further.
7. Fail: I forgot to use my coupon for a free bag of salad before the expiration date on 12/31. It was valued at $5.99. Oh well.
I know it is first world problems but I HATE when I buy expensive produce (especially berries) and they turn out to be trash. This has not been my most frugal few months, to an embarrassing point actually, so I am gonna try and use our little group as my accountability.
1. No/low buy January- reasonable parameters for myself to help reset our spending
2. Eating at home-while this is the MO most of the time, when I am at work it is really hard to come home after a long call and eat what is in the fridge. Especially when all your pilot and medic want to get sushi.
3. FB Marketplace- I still have house decor plans but I am making it my concerted effort to find any replacements from thrift stores, estate sales and the Marketplace
4. Side hustle looking- I am getting bored on my days off and I need a new side gig that is not a traditional bedside hospital job
Mended son’s favorite well worn adidas joggers. The stripe down the side needed tacked back down.
Made chicken noodle soup with three frozen rotisserie chicken carcasses. We are for two days off of this one pot.
Did not have time to make any holiday cookies this year so saved on ingredients.
Went to matinee to see BOYS IN THE BOAT and did not get any theater snacks. Popcorn and a soda combo is now almost 15 dollars! WHAT??
Movie was good! True story!
Reading free books on Libby. Listening to free podcasts. Walking the dog for exercise.
not much this week...will scrounge to find 5 things...we just didn't leave the house much this week.
I bought a new vacuum this week. Ordered online and used some target rewards...I sent my son to Target to pick it up and they had an upgraded vacuum for me. He explained I ordered the regular, not the "pet" one (that was $70 more), but then they realized they didn't have the regulars...their inventory that said they had 7 was for the "pet" so they told him to just take it. That's a win since I have a very hairy cat.
I've stayed out of thrift stores and the grocery this week.
I bathed the dog and clipped her nails at home. Same for the cat (nail clip, not a bath!).
I had ordered the free covid tests through USPS and they came Saturday. I ordered some for my parents and my grown kids also cause they never do it when I send them the link so I did it for them.
I think that's all. Just been a very slow week. We were exposed to Covid on the 27th so we have stayed home for days just in case...we didn't want to spread it if we got it. I think we have dodged it (the other two friends that were exposed got it a couple days ago). My mom was exposed somewhere else and the day she got her free tests in the mail was the day she started feeling puny and came down with it, so those came in handy.
@Marlena,
It never occurred to me to send the free Covid tests to my three sisters (my mom lives with one of my sisters). Great idea, I will do that if there's another offering of free tests!
@Liz B., they have free tests being offered now through usps
https://store.usps.com/store/results?Ntt=covid&_requestid=377312
My FFT:
I did not enter a store from December 23 until Jan 2, so there were a lot of frugal saves there! I always buy marked down wrapping paper and decor whether I need it or not. But this year I was determined to keep “using up what we have”
I used veggies left over from the veggie tray to make a soup.
My husband (a retired meat cutter) bought a really nice roast, which he deboned and cut into two beautiful steaks. So, from one roast we have two steaks and a soup bone for a great price.
I have been wanting a console table for the living room for a long time, but could not bring myself to pay furniture store prices, nor buy junky “put it together” pieces. So, I have been patiently watching the marketplace for what I want. I found just the piece, but didn’t want to pull the trigger on Christmas Day. Two days later, they dropped the price, and I bit! Got it for the exact amount of money I got as a gift from my MIL. Picked it up today, and it’s perfect!
While picking up my new table, got gas on the way for 20 cents a gallon cheaper than here in town.
Happy, frugal New Year to all!
1 - I made turkey stock from the Christmas turkey carcas.
2 - I saved all the onion, celery, garlic, carrot, etc odds and ends from other holiday cooking to put in the stock pot vs cutting up new ones.
3 - I wrapped all presents in paper/bags I already had.
4 - I returned the two items that needed returning/exchanging in 2023.
5 - I bought less preferred coffee from the grocery store, vs take-out coffee, for the coffee drinker when his preferred coffee beans were unavailable.
1. Packed lunch for a day off errands.
2. We're purchasing a lot of new clothes, but mostly shopped Goodwill, Ross and Tjmax.
3. Passed some clothes to our teens that didn't quite fit us.
4. Doing fetch rewards for receipts.
5. Bought coffee, breads, and lemon bars all on clearance.
I didn't think I had much frugality this week, but reading everyone else's posts reminded me of some I'd done.
1. Returned a duplicate book and a too-large pair of dressy pants to Amazon. Didn't have to wrap, tape, pull off stickers or anything. Just carried them into UPS and they did it all. I know I've probably paid for that in Prime or the costs of some things, but this time of the year, it's just great to walk into UPS and be out in less than 5 minutes!
2. Made hubby go to the home medical supply store to pick out which elevated commode seat he wanted, as he didn't like the one I bought, and insisted I should have spoken to the employees to find something else. Well, just as I'd told him, they didn't have more than was on the shelves, so he grudgingly sat and searched through Amazon's selections til he found what he needed. Frugal because--we had enough Amazon points to cover the whole thing. $92, and because an hour of MY time was not wasted!
3. Since this one worked for him, I ordered another one for the other bathroom, and the pants refund I had put on an Amazon gift card kicked in for $17.32 off, making it $74.85 for the two.
4. Dishwasher has been on the blink for almost 2 weeks, but with all the expenses staring us in the face this month, I can't see even calling a repairman just yet Service calls are so high! So I am washing them all by hand right now. The commercials may say that using your dishwasher and whatever detergent there is saves water, but they conveniently forget it costs electricity.
5. I did have to buy 3 rolls of wrapping paper this year, because I am down to dibs and daubs of previous years' papers, which will only cover small gifts. But I also cut up my old Christmas cards and used the stickers sent out by charities to make gift tags. I even had some tags left from last year that didn't get destroyed.
6. My pastor's parents live just down the street from me, and they got so many goodies from church members, they just couldn't eat them all. So she called and asked if I wanted some, and as I don't bake, you betcha! Half of the bundt-sized lemon pound cake is still in the freezer for later, the chocolate chip cookies and some extra wrapped candies we had went to a single mom in our gifting group who had not been able to buy stocking stuffers for her boys, and we finished off the peanut butter balls in no time. Frugal for all involved.
7. My hands always get extremely chapped and raw in the winter, even now, when I am no longer a working nurse. I've tried so many hand lotions, and there are a few good ones out there, but they've never been enough for my hands, and I am allergic to the ones that contain lanolin. I heard Vaseline, plain old petroleum jelly, is supposed to be the best thing ever and it's true! I put it on every night at bedtime, and my hands are softer than a baby's bottom. A 13 oz jar is only $3.19 at my grocery store whereas a 6 oz tube of my former favorite is $13.
We use Gas Buddy all the time! We get gas points at Harris Teeter which work at BP stations and then look up the cheapest BP station near us each month.
My frugal this week: 1. Our Dollar Tree closed, sadly, so I've been looking for inexpensive birthday and sympathy cards. CVS emailed me a one day only $4 off anything, so I bought my mom a birthday card for free.
2. I sold some goblets on FB marketplace. They had happy memories of using them growing up, but have been sitting in my cupboard unused for a couple of years.
3. Eating down the freezer this week: ate burgers that are close to their sell buy date.
4. Was gifted a microwave popcorn popper a while back, so popcorn is my current tv snack.
5. Was gifted some potpourri for Christmas. With three cats, they would have quikcly turned into cat toys and a mess, so I gifted it brand new on BuyNothing.
1. I was able to spend a little of our health rewards money before 2023 ended. Each year it’s basically unavailable until we meet our deductible, and after that we can use it like HSA money. It’s nice to try to use it when possible.
2. I tested negative for Covid twice, after being exposed accidentally at work to a positive case. I used our “free” tests received from USPS.
3. Finally finished a tube of hand cream (after cutting it open to scoop out the remains, of course). I’m also one application away from finishing a hair oil that didn’t work for my hair, by using it as a post-shower body moisturizer. It will be nice to have a little visual space in my toiletry cabinet.
4. DH went grocery shopping last time and forgot to use a coupon for free vegan mac and cheese. I saved the receipt and customer service was kind enough to provide the refund. I was able to return a few other small items at the same time.
5. DH will drop some returns (unwanted Christmas gifts for Little E) at the UPS store while driving home from the office today.
6. Oh, and I found a hardback copy of a library book on potty training that I wanted, instead of buying it used.
Frugal fail: we’ve had some post-holiday food waste from things we weren’t able to freeze or cook before going bad.
(Happy New Year, by the way)
Take the receipt for those strawberries back to the store! If they were mushy and bad (which they obviously were), and you didn't get the sale price to begin with -- I'd take them back. In fact, I've done this many times. You could use the money -- or a replacement pound of strawberries -- couldn't you?
If you're honest, Customer Service recognizes this. Really.
Ugh! I went to buy a bag of oranges that someone must have put in the wrong place. I thought they were. $4.99 (bad enough) but since I was only buying a few things in self checkout I happened to look at the receipt when I was walking out….$9.99 for a bag of oranges! I didn’t need them that bad! Luckily, I was still in the store and just got a refund.
Thanks for the reminder about Gas Buddy. I am really not good at paying attention to gas prices. I used to have Gas Buddy but my old phone could not handle having very many apps so I ditched Gas Buddy at some point, but I have a much better phone now and can handle adding an app. 🙂 So now if I can just remember to look at it!
1. I made a beef barley soup. We raise animal and garden produce.
2. I made an apple walnut pie with free apples and walnuts.
3. Listened to free audiobooks on Libby app.
4. Sew and tie with donated supplies for disaster relief.
5. Trace liners and carrying pouch for days for girls with donated items.
6. Got 10 lb chicken leg quarters for 79 cents per pound.
7. Been using less laundry detergent. Laundry seems to be more clean.
My mom wanted food pantry items for Christmas. We went to Aldi's and Dollar Tree for food and beauty items. She was thankful to deliver a trunkful of items to the food pantry.