? Frugal Things
The question mark is because I doubt I'm gonna get to five. One reason: I don't know if I have enough material. I'm gonna be scraping the bottom of the barrel here!
Another reason: I'm typing this up super quick before a work shift, so I might run out of time.
But I at least wanted to get this up so you guys could have a spot to share your wins with each other!
1. I bought a bigger pack of chicken thighs
I got the big pack of thighs at Aldi because that pack was cheaper per pound.
I trimmed and cubed half of the package to use in bourbon chicken, which I made last night after work.
And I trimmed and froze the other four on a baking sheet, then transferred them to a plastic bag once they were frozen. That way I can easily thaw a few for a future meal.
2. I colored over my scrub bleach spots again
I do this every week, honestly! My favorite pair of black scrubs has some small bleach spots on both the pants and the top, and I just scribble over the spots with a Sharpie every time I wear them.
(The Sharpie doesn't stay black enough after a trip through the wash.)
3. I continue to pack my food
Not exactly an innovative item to list, but here we are. 😉
I'm still chugging along with the whole not-buying-food-at-the-hospital thing.
I keep thinking I should figure out the cost of some of the lunches I pack so that I can know if I am actually saving money by doing this!
Probably I am? But I don't know for sure.
Ok, that's all I have time for. I gotta run to work. 😉
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?
(and clearly, it's ok if it's only three. 🙂 )
-I had a pre-paid car wash cards that gave me 5 washes for the price of 3. Managed to 1) not lose it and 2) used it up before it expired
-had a dental appointment and no issues, I take really good care of my teeth
-made homemade cookies instead of buying. Probably costs more but is healthier
-got a free repair on a pair of glasses
Considering how busy you are, all frugal things are a win! Give yourself credit where it's due. 🙂
FFT, Birthday Month Summary
--I used a $10 birthday credit at Victoria's Secret for new underwear.
--ThredUp offered a $5 credit for my birthday month. I needed a new sweatshirt (thrifting taught me that older Gap sweatshirts are awesome/well-made) and only looked at items under $10; the $5 credit covered shipping.
--My husband made a venison roast (free from my brother, the mighty hunter) as the centerpiece of my birthday dinner. The roast fed us for two days, and there were ample drippings for making rice--two dinners' worth of rice, to be exact! (Egg and sauteed veggie rice bowls, then oven-roasted root vegetables and rice.)
--After dinner, we watched "The Maltese Falcon" from our movie collection. We had hot cocoa (Penzey's mix gifted from a friend) with homemade chocolate whipped cream and kettle corn (free at the post office--someone left a bunch to share, with a sign saying as much).
--Our favorite local coffee shop doesn't do birthday freebies. However, when my husband and I went in for a celebratory coffee date, we discovered that I'd won December's drawing for a free drink. Thus, I still enjoyed free caffeine on my birthday! I have the Starbucks app, but I'm seldom near one on my actual birthday (the closest is 30 minutes away), so I miss out on their free drink offer
--My husband's presents were all deeply thoughtful: hand-carved hair sticks for when I'm working and need it out of my face; the world's biggest roll of Gorilla tape (I'm the handy person in our house, so I was genuinely excited for this); a beautiful luna moth shirt and a dark green flowing skirt; and the short story that "Mothra" was originally based on, which was only translated and published this year!!!
Could you share the author and name of the Mothra story? I remember watching the movie on a small black and white tv when we were first married in the mid-60s. Seems so unsophisticated now, but we enjoyed it. Had no clue that it was based on a story.
There are actually three authors, so here is a link to make it easy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1517920019
I was raised by Godzilla, Mothra, and company on VHS, so it was neat to read the original story. I was also gifted the translation of the first "Godzilla" and "Godzilla Raids Again" when they were published a few years ago.
ABSOLUTELY brag on the lunch packing because that is SO EASY to toss to the side when you are tired, when you are uninspired, when you are bored of doing it!
House trapped a lot due to the recent storms and extreme cold temps.. easier to stay in and not face the temps and risk a painful headache..
Since everyone was home and not out gallivanting..
Lots of cooking!
Used the large pack of pork chops I bought on markdown months ago.. smothered porkchops in gravy with veggies and carbs on the side.
Chicken and Chorizo burrito bowl night with beans and rice
Oh another freeze day off work and school? That would be an oven roasted pork shoulder, tossed a box of scalloped potatoes and a homemade corn casserole in along side to continue the oven adding heat to the house.
Non food- I had been needing to buy some new work clothing.. a friend asked if I wanted her Torrid dollars... She transferred them to me. This stuff is spendy but the discount and ship to store helps. Tried it all on when I picked up and returned some for not working, exchanged a few for better size( they rerung at same discount price AND shipped to home for free! ) Then they told me I still had some discount codes and due to weather had extended the dates.. I was able to grab a few items in store with store price, discount codes AND additional 10% off from picking up online orders. Worth waiting to buy things in the end.
Jess,
I love Torrid! I agree, it can be spendy.....I had to stop getting their emails about sales and such, because it was just too tempting. Ha. 🙂 On the other hand, I've scored some excellent clearance deals from them over the years. So nice that your friend gave you her Torrid $!
--I oversalted the oatmeal I made on Friday to the point that my husband couldn't eat his. Rather than throw away the cup or so that was left, I made a dessert on Sunday to incorporate it. Something like a fruit crisp, except the top wasn't crisp because it had cooked oatmeal in it.
--I found my youngest son's only presentable hoodie. It had been missing for a couple of weeks and I was afraid he had lost it at school or something. But it turned up when I was looking in one of our trucks for something else. He wears it a lot, and I did not want to have to buy him another one.
--I am not driving to my middle son's basketball game today. This will save me over 200 miles of driving. I'm really not going because I have to take my daughter to her First Communion class today, but it will save me the gas, and wear and tear on the car. (I still feel bad I'm not going, though, because he plays JV but will have to wait for all the varsity games to finish before coming home on the team bus, which means he won't get home until probably 11 p.m. Tired boy tomorrow.)
--I cleaned out our smaller chest freezer that had been empty and unplugged for several months so I could transfer all the stuff from the bigger chest freezer in preparation for bringing home the whole cow from the butcher. The smaller chest freezer is one that we found at the abandoned house next door we bought. It's at least forty years old. I was afraid it wouldn't work when I plugged it in. But it did. Whew.
--My husband changed the oil in my Honda. He didn't bother for a long time because it used to be that getting an oil change at a Jiffy Lube or something was just about as cheap as buying all the stuff and doing it ourselves, but not anymore. So he does it for all our vehicles.
--He also built a burner outside to burn all the waste oil we have here. The previous owner of this house left a fifty-gallon barrel of old motor oil on the property, along with a smaller five-gallon one, and we could not figure out how to dispose of it easily. Other than siphoning it off a milk jug at a time and bringing it when we go to town, which is far from convenient. I was very apprehensive about an oil burner, figuring it would release oily black smoke and be generally horrible, but it didn't. He built it initially in our pasture burn pit, but now wants to move the whole thing into our semi-enclosed shop and run the pipe through the roof in there (there's already a hole for one, because the previous owner had an oil burner in there--hence the giant barrel of oil) to heat the shop. It would be nice to get a positive benefit from all that nasty old oil. And get it out of that barrel that's been sitting by the house for, um, seven years.
I had a bit of money left on a Visa gift card I got for Christmas 2024 but was having trouble using it most places. I saw that Aldi makes it very easy to split payments and was able to use it all up.
Cooked up some wrinkly apples my son requested when he was home on break but never actually ate.
Remembered to add coupons on the app before going grocery shopping.
Today I’m picking up a prescription at CVS and will use up the reward money on my account on something else while I’m there.
Lots of hanging clothes to dry inside instead of using the dryer.
Made Rice Krispie treats with Christmas-themed cereal my husband found on the clearance rack.
Frugally snowed in:
1. Found some readers online for about $16 for four, bought them for DH, who was looking at them in the store for a lot more $. We'll see if they last.
2. Made chicken broth with some bones I'd frozen and a bag of kitchen scraps (onion peels, garlic peels, carrot peels), a bag of 2 year old oregano, and some other herbs in my spice cabinet. I haven't made broth in a while because it takes so long, but I had all day to do it.
3. Found some baby clothes of my now adult kids. Washed them, wrapped them each in tissue paper (from my bag of folded tissue paper to reuse) with a note on them. I even found a pic with her parent wearing one of the shirts to include. 🙂 Mailed them (reusing a box) to my granddaughter who has one of those lifelike baby dolls. I think she will enjoy them and the only cost was postage, which I print out at home using my postal scale. Oh and packing tape, which is a staple in my house, since I dabble a little on ebay still.
4. I took down a wooden folding screen used to hold photos, filed the photos in an album, and listed the screen on Buy Nothing. So many replied that I drew a name and the recipient was happy. I'm working on updating my home environment to reflect my life now and stop looking back at old photos and being sad that the raising kid stages are over. I can look in the albums from time to time but not every day.
5. Eating down the freezer. When I run out of sliced bread, I'm using flour tortillas. Made croutons (Kristen, you are my inspiration) with old hamburger buns from last summer. I rarely throw food out, but I need to really use it up and not let it be lost forever in freezerland.
There is no way that buying a similar lunch would cost less than what you pack, unless your caf is heavily subsidized. Maybe you could buy something cheap, fried, starchy, and not very nutritious, but that's not a like-to-like comparison.
Pretty good week for me, and my list is a good working definition of anti-climax.
1. Found and fixed two mistakes on a credit card statement, $270 total (stir and I forgot I'd prepaid an order, interest charged because bank didn't transfer money on time).
2. Found and fixed mistakes from a doc statement (solo practitioner, new system), $675.
3. Fixed $5 drug store glasses.
4. Bought two new books for $1.32 + exchange credit at B&N.
5. Made Joe Yonan's Indian Lentil Stew using what I had on hand: green lentils instead of black, regular chick peas instead of split, mayacoba beans instead of kidney, and heavy cream instead of vegan.
Cheap, fried, starchy and not very nutritious - what a great way to describe most ultra processed foods😀
WilliamB,
I 100% agree that a similar meal to what Kristen packs would be *at least* $7-8 at the cafeteria in the hospital where I work. Probably more, because they weigh all produce from the salad bar at a rate of $7.71/pound; things like cherry tomatoes, cottage cheese, and pretty much any kind of fresh produce adds up pretty quick. Oddly enough, they also weigh things like the taco salad they serve on Taco Tuesdays, and the "fancy" salmon or chicken big salad they serve on Wednesdays (same $ amount, $7.71/lb).
There is no way that buying a similar lunch would cost less than what you pack, unless your caf is heavily subsidized. Maybe you could buy something cheap, fried, starchy, and not very nutritious, but that's not a like-to-like comparison.
Pretty good week for me, and my list is a good working definition of anti-climax.
1. Found and fixed two mistakes on a credit card statement, $270 total (stir and I forgot I'd prepaid an order, interest charged because bank didn't transfer money on time).
2. Found and fixed mistakes from a doc statement (solo practitioner, new system), $675.
3. Fixed $5 drug store glasses.
4. Bought two new books for $1.32 + exchange credit at B&N.
5. Made Joe Yonan's Indian Lentil Stew using what I had on hand: green lentils instead of black, regular chick peas instead of split, mayacoba beans instead of kidney, and heavy cream instead of vegan.
Dunno why the dup post, feel free to delete. Sorry, y'all.
The last place I worked before retiring in 2023 had an employee rate at the cafeteria of $5 for breakfast and $8 for lunch. It was not particularly healthy food. I just kept packing my meals from home.
Also been frozen in, which meant no going any where and no spending, with lots of cooking from home. Made it to the grocery store yesterday and knocked $3.50 off the total with paper and digital coupons. Bought two trays of yellow-sticker fresh meats and broke them down into components for four meals. Put gas in my car -- $10 -- after not needing to do so in January. Found the new e-book for book club through the library.
That reminds me - we also filled up our car, at the cheapest place in our region. It made a difference of 14 cts per litre, not bad at all.
Even if you are not saving money on the cost of your lunches, your lunches are likely more nutritious than buying them at work!
1. My mom gave us fruits, vegetables, cookies, eggs, cereal, chicken, etc. I used the over-ripe blueberries she gave us to make muffins and pancakes. I used the over-ripe apples and pears to make apple, pear sauce. I used some of the Cheerios and some random dried fruits and nuts from my cupboard, to make Kristen's granola. I used some over-ripe mixed fruit to make smoothies and popsicles.
2. I used Italian sausage I got at Aldi for 50% off, along with homemade vegetable broth, dried beans, and sweet potatoes my mom gave us, to make black bean, sweet potato soup. We ate this for dinner for 3 nights with bread my mom gave us. Total cost was about $5.
3. I listed a standing desk for sale on Marketplace.
4. A friend gave us a bunch of soap they made.
5. We went on a playdate to a museum we have a membership to. The membership gave us free parking and rides on the carousel and train. We brought lunch and water with us.
I am certain you are saving money. Our hospital food was not inexpensive, plus yours is most certainly healthier. On occasion I’d have to buy lunch (overnight, unplanned call) and I also disliked having to wait in line for it. I never had much time to eat
I don't think I have FFT this week, either. (I feel I've reached the statute of limitations on "bundling up, chowing down, and staying home.")
But I do have a question for the Commentariat about a frugal fail: I made a batch of cornbread over the weekend that disintegrated on its way out of the pan, for whatever reason. (I was using a new-to-me brand of corn meal and a bigger-than-usual cast iron skillet, both of which may have had something to do with it.)
Anyway, I'm trying to think of something to do with the cornbread crumbles. Apart from cornbread stuffing (the holidays are over, folks) and some sort of breakfast casserole (all the online recipes I've found for these sound like death on a plate), I'm not coming up with ideas. Suggestions are welcome.
We would probably just add the cornbread crumbles to a glass of milk and eat it that way. My dad liked to have it with buttermilk.
How do you usually eat cornbread?
I think you could use it as the starch to go with soups or stews (I like ladling the stew over the starch); or crumbled over dishes such as Mac & cheese, baked squash, or chicken chili casserole.
Crumble, mix with egg and cheese, and waffle.
Cornbread pudding, either sweet or savory.
I found this promising list by searching "leftover cornbread."
https://www.southernliving.com/leftover-cornbread-recipes-7554145
Look for cornbread salad recipes. Some sort of salad vegetables, beans, corn, dressing and then the crumbled cornbread functions as a grain/crouton. You could add additional protein for a meal. It sounds strange, but I've had it and liked it.
I used to love a dish that was essentially brown stew Shepard's pie but with cornbread on top.
So I'd refill the skillet with stew, cook it, then make a crumble situation with the crumbs and toss that on and then broil for a few minutes. Maybe add some shredded cheddar on top to give it a bit more hold. It would be delicious!
I've used up crumbly cornbread before by just frying it in lots of butter until browned and crispy, and then eating it with fried eggs. Alternatively, I suspect you could mix eggs right in--maybe with grated cheese, green chilis or salsa?--to make a sort of casserole/bread pudding kind of thing.
A now departed restaurant here used to serve a little skillet of barbecued pulled pork topped with a cornbread crust. It was awesome.
If you like to drink buttermilk, you can mix some into it.
I'd cook up some black-eyed peas -- or Texas chili -- and use the crumbles on top/stirred into that. (One or the other, not both at the same time.) I often just used canned goods for a meal like this, and I heartily recommend Wolf's Brand Chili as the best can of chili out there.
Better half has added corn bread to pancake mix
Breakfast cereal---- add maple syrup or brown sugar and milk. Yum!
- I proudly wore my mended sweatpants. I hadn’t worn them in a while, and honestly it made me happy to wear pants I’d “saved”.
- When people asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told them practical things, and thankfully they weren’t determined to give me pretty things instead. It would sound strange to some people, but I was so excited to get my new wheelbarrow. It’s lightweight and folds, so I can hang it on the garage wall in the off-season. We have no floor space with both cars in there.
- I’m planning to use Christmas and bday gift cards to buy some things I need for this year’s garden.
- I’m enjoying free nerdy entertainment … putting together my wheelbarrow, planning this year’s garden, and keeping up with my precipitation observations.
- I hope this doesn’t sound too mean, but when my 11yo daughter decided she didn’t like half her clothes (they do fit) I told her we weren’t going to buy anymore this season (especially since I doubt it will be long until she outgrows everything). She wears the same 3-4 outfits and does the laundry unprompted midweek so she can wear everything twice a week.
Your last comment does not sound mean. You're teaching her to be practical and reasonable. Those are things a lot of people are unable to be, which winds up causing them a lot of heartache and trouble.
I wonder if she's going to grow out of them soon if there would be value in style alterations?
It might be fun for her to learn to dye things, use paint or bleach pens to add a design, or to cut the clothes in an artful way to make them more fun. Or sew on patches!
If the clothes wouldn't be worn anyway, there isn't lost cost, and it would be fun skills to learn and she might want to wear them if she got to art them up!
JenRR,
It sounds like you are doing the right thing instead of allowing her to act like an entitled spoiled brat.
Take it from a teacher: So many parents would cave in to the kid's demands....and the result is they'll have a lil' monster prima donna on their hands real soon.
Thank you. I know I’m doing the right thing, but I guess it feels like I’d be perceived as mean/neglectful/whatever for “making” her wear the same three outfits on repeat when we can afford more. Truly though, I’m mostly annoyed she refuses to wear her non-favorite clothes even at home, and am not going to buy more when she has enough. Her way of dealing with this, and making sure she always has clean clothes, has been to start doing laundry herself. She’ll do the entire load of family stuff, so I won’t complain about that! She will outgrow everything soon enough and actually need new clothes then.
PS - Her clothes are mostly sweatpants and tees with artwork, so I don’t think we can do much editing. That is an interesting idea, though.
I alter those types of clothes all the time!
Tees can be tie-dyed (or just dyed) even if they have screen printing on them. They can be artfully cut up and tied in various ways, and worn over tanks or long sleeved shirts. You can get a bleach pen or sharpies and draw cool designs on them.
Sweatpants can be dip-dyed to look ombre. You can draw on them with colored sharpies or fabric paint. You can cut slices down the front or sides of the legs and 'weave' them into a design.
I get all my clothes from the thrift store, so I've gotten very good at fun alterations to take a boring tee to my favorite shirt.
I don't think it's mean to limit her clothing purchases, and I don't think it makes her a brat to not want to wear all her current clothes. I would wonder what happened though - is it a sensory thing that is hard to manage, are people making fun of her clothes, etc. Depending on that answer, it night help you with what's happening. The fact that she's willing to do laundry SO often makes me wonder if there is something more significant going on.
I don't know where you are located, but a middle road might be taking her thrifting to see if she can get more options on a tiny budget.
You are correct, she is not a brat. I think she’s just maturing and developing new fashion opinions. It’s not like she’s throwing tantrums about wanting more clothes or complaining about doing a midweek wash. I don’t think anyone was making fun of her about the clothes she won’t wear. They are pretty standard for kids that age. She has always been very particular about her clothes, like since toddlerhood, so I was assuming she’d just simply changed her mind or gotten bored with the other stuff. She has OCD so that might be contributing to the situation. You have given me some things to think about.
I have kids who do the same thing who don't have OCD. When I take time to listen (and I don't always, to be honest), I find out that they have specific reasons they don't want to wear certain things. The tag bothers them. The fabric makes them feel sweaty. It pinches here. That sort of thing. We have several (including me) who can't seem to tolerate polyester.
Not mean at all! A good life lesson for her!
She’s my kid that loves fashion and decor, so I’m trying to practice some balance with everything.
- I changed my Hulu subscription to remove Hulu live now that college football season is over.
- I scored 6 boxes of blue icicle lights and a 9x12 rug from our Buy Nothing group. The lights match our outdoor Christmas decorations so I'm excited about that. The rug needs to be cleaned since an elderly dog had potty accidents on it. I'll use our carpet cleaner to clean it before putting it on the covered porch.
- Did not get takeout this last weekend. We stayed home during the cold snap and ate things from the freezer and pantry, including making baked potatoes with potatoes that were about to sprout.
- Baked two loaves of bread, one for us and one for our daughter and her family. Hubby dropped off the loaf when he was in the area for a doctor's appointment.
- Made a batch of no-stir granola using recipe from Kristen
Getting back into commenting regularly now! All mine are baby related.
Ordered a sleep sack on eBay instead of Amazon, saved $27! None of the sleep sacks we already had from Facebook Marketplace/Amazon suited Miss Poppy. She wanted one that wasn't a swaddle, but all of the ones we already had like that were too big, so I had to track down a tiny sack 😀
Went to a free baby story time at the library. She's three weeks old, so this was entirely for me to get out of the house LOL.
We collected a bunch of random bottles to see which ones she preferred. Poppy made her preference clear, so I found 27 bottles in a lot on FB marketplace for $25. The seller asked if it was twins because it was so many bottles. No, my child just eats 10 times a day and I refuse to buy a countertop bottle washer.
Hounded the supplemental insurance provider to get our $250 newborn benefit. I signed up for this insurance just for that benefit, so I'm going to get it! But they also paid out $1200 for my two hospital stays, which was a nice bonus.
Pumped 90oz of milk last week, so we didn't have to buy that much in formula! (Plus all the free antibodies I created!)
Frugal fail: owe the IRS $5000 for 2025. Whoops, forgot to increase our automatic withholdings from my husband's new job in 2024. At least we got the interest on that money last year (as I'm trying to comfort myself...)
As long as your irs event doesn't cost you extra, that's not a fail even if it is startling.
Congrats on baby Poppy!
Let's see:
- made yoghurt, granola, vegetable broth, and canned carrots
- ate at home every day but one one day we had takeout; the gents rejoiced greatly
- brought meals to work today, including breakfast
- I will receive a mileage compensation for today's trip
- several loads of laundry on solar power, and I even managed to dry one load on the balcony washline.
- was gifted kept a jar of homemade brandied raisins. The raisins will probably be used in a cake, or pudding. I kept the bag so I in turn can pack a homemade gift.
I still find chargers and cables that gave not yet been marked with my black or white sharpies. But I am happy to say I am spending a lot less time matching appliances and cables than previously.
1) Arranged for DS19 to take us to the airport tomorrow, which will save around $75 vs a ride share.
2) Bought a Costco rotisserie chicken & made that into two dinners - a tzatziki protein bowl & lemon dill chicken patties, both of which were delicious. Didn't have panko for the chicken patties, so I blitzed up 1/2 a bagel as the binder. Worked fine. Served the patties with the leftover tzatziki, which was also a fabulous addition to that recipe.
3) I'm in charge of booking activities for our Greece trip in June with my sister + BFF. I discovered that if I installed the app, I would save $30 ($10/each, as we are dividing the cost).
4) Found a frugal way to transport our hiking backpacks for our trip. The backpacks are not carry on size, and you also wouldn't want them just checked directly, as they have a lot of zippers & a waist band,etc that might get caught up on the luggage equipment. I emptied out our ski bags (20+ years old for mine, maybe 15ish years old for DS19) & those fit the ski bags perfectly.
5) We get to check two bags for free (the backpacks) with my United status.
I would love to get the chicken patties recipe, please!
Thanks 🙂
I would love to know details about your Greek excursions. We have a trip there in September and going through the cruise ship is very expensive.
It never occurred to me to freeze chicken thighs like that. I’ll have to try it.
My dinner last night had some frugal elements. (1) I made pasta sauce from homegrown tomatoes. (2) I served homemade bread. (3) We spread homemade plum jam on the bread. (4) We had home grown canned pears for dessert.
It feels good to see all that home canning pay off. There are some weeks in the summer when it seems like that’s all I do!
I suppose that frugal item number 5 can be that I resisted the lure of restaurant food yet again.
1. At the local bakery, I bought two "fresh yesterday" cookies for the price of one fresh cookie. Still delicious.
2. Found a white bandanna in a parking lot. Washed it for my husband to use as a do-rag.
3. We eat a lot of raisins so we buy large bags. The price has reached a whopping $7.39/bag at Target. On sale for $5.99/bag so I bought two.
4. Found a few items at McGary's Discount Groceries in Tucson. Kinda underwhelming.
5. Reviewed last week's grocery receipts and noticed that I spent $12.79 on a bag of eight buns. Yikes! I thought the price was much lower so I brought in the receipt to get an adjustment. Not only was that the correct price last week, but they went up to $15.99 this week. Two dollars per bun?! They're the size of an English muffin. I think I'm just going to stop eating.
I've been watching a You Tuber who says that many stores do not ring up the same price as what you see on the shelf. I'm going to start watching it a little more closely.
He also claims that some stores put a higher weight on their meat than it actually is, so he recommends weighing your meat before buying it.
I did a pickup grocery order almost two weeks ago, which included a giant head of cabbage -- larger than my own head. So I have been getting creative about incorporating cabbage into our meals. I still have almost half of it left, so cabbage will continue to play a role in meals this week. Thankfully, cabbage keeps well.
I traded with a friend for some yarn to knit a red hat.
I paid for one month of Peacock ($10.99) in order to watch the Olympics. I'm counting this as frugal because we don't have any other streaming services, and I will cancel this after the games.
I downloaded some more free books from the Gutenberg project to read.
I never thought of freezing the individual pieces of chicken but that is a fantastic idea.
Went to the gym with my fella which saves me a membership
Made my lunches and the dogs food
Made my husbands lunches
Honestly, packing lunches is such a tiresome chore (but sooo worth it nutritionally and financially) that it should count triple!
Mine:
1. Relatedly, I've been doing a better job of packing my lunches lately. It's been helpful to have nuts and frozen fruit around to pack as snacks, plus having a huge batch of something in the freezer to chip into pieces and dump into a container. Elegant, no. Effective, yes.
2. I've been doing a better job of walking and taking transit. Just didn't have the energy in first trimester, and I find that reframing my "the transit is so delayed that I might as well walk" into "hooray, I get to fit a walk into my day!" is somewhat helpful.
3. Read an article yesterday about how much people use food delivery apps. We only use them a few times a year. Between the cost, the decline in quality, and the dubious food safety, I'd rather boil an egg and put some raw veggies on the table. Reading that made our weekly carry-out pizza and occasional diner meal look like small potatoes by comparison.
4. We keep trucking on with the bread machine. That thing has paid for itself many times over at this point.
5. Finally found a way to get good tea at work without buying it: powdered milk. I avoid non-dairy creamer and I work at so many different sites that leaving a carton of milk in the breakroom fridge doesn't make sense, but I also can't carry milk with me. So now I just have three little ziplock bags in my lunch bag: tea, powdered milk, and sugar. All breakrooms have a kettle, so I'm set!
If you want to bring real milk and are able to use a fridge at work, my mum would always pour a small amount into a bottle and take that to work with her. There's a lot of dairy and non-dairy work at my office but I've always remembered that tip!
*milk, not work! Can you tell I'm tired?!
I would like to, but I work at 3-4 different sites over the course of a week and commute by foot/public transit. I've tried a few different ways with fresh milk and it just doesn't seem to work. If I ever get an office to myself at a single site, my first indulgence will be a mini-fridge and kettle!
Ah, that makes sense! Good idea with the powdered milk!
No frugal things to add but thought a Sharpie Rub-A-Dub Permanent Laundry Marker might help with your scrubs. You can find it on Amazon.
I use it to mark my Mom's clothing as she is in a facility and laundry gets lost.
Long-time reader of your blog!
I'm positive even if your lunches are not cheaper they are far more nutritious than hospital cafeteria food. It is always surprising to me that hospitals would not have better food as you think nutrition would be front and center.
Ally,
I can't speak for every hospital, but in the hospital where I work (as a dietitian), the cafeteria is a retail operation, with the goal of making money. While some healthful foods are offered - there's a well stocked salad bar, a yogurt/fruit bar in the morning, hot cereals, a make to order deli sandwich counter, and if there's enough staff, a make to order smoothie counter - there's also pizza (with cheese, veggie, and /or meat toppings), a grill where burgers and fries are offered, and a hot food counter that has entrees/starches/vegs on offer. If they stopped offering the huge omelettes stuffed with cheese/veg/breakfast meats, bags of chips, bottled iced coffee, biscuits and sausage gravy, there would be an uproar, mostly from hospital staff members. Foods that have even a whiff of health are often skipped over or given the side-eye. What doesn't sell is not kept on offer. Its all about the money.
1. I managed not to buy any takeout for the whole of January.
2. I baked bread.
3. I used my gym membership.
4. I stayed in at the weekend apart from one freezing walk.
5. I got a lot of food on sale at the supermarket.
@Sophie - your number 1 is huge! Well done, you! Wish I could say the same!
Thank you! I did get lunch out a few times and I went out for dinner with a friend last week, but I'm still proud, as there were several evenings where I really didn't feel like cooking!
1. I finished all the paperwork and phone calls for the copay card for my sons prescription injectable. It was a pain, but a Tier 4 prescription costing $70/month.
2. We are on the search for a new dentist as ours now charges the full cost upfront for out of network dental insurance. Then they're supposed to reimburse you. Screw this. $450 for a routine cleaning with x-rays.
3. We all have cabin fever after weeks of winter weather in the South. I really wanted to get out of the house last night so we went to Costco instead of out to dinner. It probably cost more but will last much longer than one night out.
4. I used my grocery store points at the not-closest gas station for $0.90 off per gallon.
That's all i have this week!
Made a giant pot of vegetable soup using dribs and drabs of stuff from the fridge and pantry, plus the cabbage in it was given to me. Froze some for later and sent some next door. Frugal only in the sense that a tidy, less full space is freeing, cleaned out my dresser drawers and donated to a local thrift store. Started reading a book my husband received as a Christmas gift. He enjoyed it and I am so far. When I finish, it will be read by our son and a friend. Exercising with neighbors at our clubhouse using videos people have brought. Signed husband’s truck up for unlimited car washes while it was on special and price will not change. If go twice a month, it will be worth it.
1. I used 50% off meat from Aldi in two meals this week. I picked them up when I saw the discount and stashed them in the freezer until I needed them.
2. I transferred some cuttings from their jars of water to a new pot. I had a nine-foot pothos vine that has been propagated into two gifts and one new houseplant for me.
3. I found a recipe for Breakfast Cookies in one of the cookbooks I checked out from the library. I had everything on hand to make them (except for pepitas which I picked up on my grocery run) so it was a nice treat that used a bunch of pantry odds and ends. It was the only recipe that I found exciting in the cookbook, so I wrote it out and returned the book to the library.
4. I picked up a pair of readers from Dollar Tree. My overall sight is great, but I’ve reached my 40s and they should come in handy for detailed cross stitch.
5. Husband and I had a date night in on Friday. I made soup that used up the last of a few packages in the pantry/freezer plus homemade chicken stock, we snacked on the last pack of microwave popcorn and streamed a new release that was free on Amazon Prime. Dinner and a movie but we didn’t have to leave the house!
I have one.......
After receiving an email from Spectrum that my mobile plan was going up to $40/month (from $30/month) on next billing cycle -- which they were ONLY increasing the price of "single" line plans -- insert eyeroll here as I get frustrated that there are never deals for "single" line mobile plans!! Also, I feel $10/month is a BIG increase!
I digress...I switched to Visible Wireless -- My Sister had switched a month ago and told us about her savings and so far no issues (she chose them over Mint as they support Apple watch) - so I jumped at their $19/month promotion! It remains that price for the first year, then it goes to $25/month -- still a big savings!
On top of that - I used her referral code and got us both a $20 credit - so double win!
Cheryl, I'm with you: I am super annoyed at all the "friends and family" type plans that leave out single people. You pretty much are being penalized for not having a family or buying in a group. That just isn't fair. Phooey on the cell phone companies, and all other businesses, that do this. There oughta be a law against this!!!!!!!!!!!!
I once tried getting on a group plan with 2 other teachers (who were engaged to each other). It worked great for about 3 months. Then at semester's end, the romance ended, the other 2 moved to opposite ends of the country from one another -- and I was left without a cellular plan.
I can't stand how all deals and basically life in general are geared towards couples. Getting a hotel room is automatically cheaper (unless you get a room with a single bed and some places don't even have that), phone plans and streaming deals are geared towards couples and, on a bigger level, it is much, much easier to buy a house as a couple than as a single person.
1. We made significant progress on debt reduction last month.
2. With a couple of exceptions, I have eaten at home and/or packed my lunches for the past week. We ate out twice (intentionally) one day.
3. We made a budget for February.
4. Later today, I plan to go to Dollar Tree for Valentine's Day cards for nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.
5. I returned some jeans that didn't fit.
Do you buy your deli/sandwich meat at Aldi? What kind do you buy? I pack sandwiches often for work but Grocery deli meat is soooo expensive!
Thanks!
I get my deli meat at Aldi and its good and much cheaper! They have the plastic containers of ham and turkey (similiar to the "hillshire farms" brand). They also have sliced deli style assorted meats in ziploc bags that are a little more expensive, but still cheaper than my grocery store! And I LOVE their sliced cheeses, they have a nice variety and by me the price has been going down, its now down to $1.49 a package!
I discovered in Dec my Aldi had ~4 lb uncured hams for around $4.50/lb that looked the same visibly and ingredient-wise as the $6+/lb uncured deli ham except not thinly sliced. I bought two and divided and vacuum sealed them and put them in my freezer. They still had some last week and I expect more will come closer to Easter.
Better for a household of 2 than the larger, bone in ham.
Going shopping today in the big city (Costco), haven't been since Dec 10.
Turned a small white board into a permanent calendar for the kitchen.
Hired a crew to trim my huge apple tree and cut up a huge oak tree that fell from the neighboring farm, wiping out the fence.
Invited a friend for a high tea lunch tomorrow. Mom will enjoy the one on one visit.
Consider buying a fabric paint pen from a craft store to color in your bleach spots. It's a one and done I use all the time that's well worth the couple of bucks for the fabric paint pen.
1. Keeping the chill off during our cold snap by snuggling under handmade afghans in the evening on our first level with our resident Mistress of Hygge - our dog. That's more fun than doing extra work on our slightly warmer home office on the second level.
2. I printed 2 free practical crochet patterns that will use a big skein of yarn I bought when I picked up crocheting again and has been sitting around for years because I didn't know anything about yarn when I bought it. (Also I decided not to do the planned project.) I won't have reliable access to wifi when I hit the road and learned that printing patterns is best.
3. I added several free travel related apps to my phone to hopefully save some money when I'm traveling away from my bubble.
4. I created an airfare alert for my Tournament of Roses Parade performance trip. Here's hoping our local college football teams do not do well enough to go to the Rose Bowl so the airfare is lower! I'm not sorry about that at all since it isn't my Alma Mater.
5. Eating from the pantry and freezer to avoid the majority of the city who forgot how to drive in snow since last winter
"Mistress of Hygge" - thanks for the laugh!
1. I used the last $4.28 on a gift card when I bought groceries yesterday, plus $7.70 in credit card points, to save nearly $12 off my order. I like to make sure small amounts like this don't get forgotten and go to waste.
2. I also bought the bigger package of chicken because it was on sale in addition to being a lower cost per pound to start with.
3. I stocked up on pantry basics because my pantry and freezer were looking very empty after January. This will ensure I have all the ingredients I need to make cheap meals.
4. I made an inventory of everything I have right now to help in meal planning.
5. I bought bar soap and breath mints from Costco.com using a gift card. I'm now well stocked for several months with no money out of pocket.
I haven’t commented in awhile, so today seems like a good day.
Kristen, you are definitely saving a Lot of money by packing your own lunches. I never ate in our hospital cafeteria in the latter years because they went from home cooked food to a vendor that served the awful, highly processed foods that I can’t stomach. Money in my pocket, healthier food in my belly!
My frugal:
My daughter has lost an impressive amount of weight and gifted me a beautiful, warm, barely used winter coat. I love that thing and of course can feel a warm hug from her when I wear it!
I canceled Apple TV, almost never watched it, and don’t miss it.
I helped my mother in law fill out an application for reduced or possibly free care from a recent hospital stay. The social worker dropped it off, with very little instruction to an 88 year old hard of hearing, stressed out woman. It was complicated, but I think she qualifies and if so, saved her a lot of money. She hates to ask for help, and is so proud, doesn’t want to accept “charity”. The “Greatest Generation “
As always, getting my reading material from the library.
Our supermarket occasionally sends e coupons for freebies and some decent savings on things you buy frequently. So, I used a $6 off an order of $60 (which doesn’t take long) and $1.50 off a jug of Oatmilk.
Cleaning out a travel bag and found $13 in one of the pockets.
Rarely buy meat anymore because we have quite a stash in the freezer, so we are trying to eat that down. Including a lot of deer meat from this falls harvest, as well as part of a moose that my husband helped my nephew get out of the woods. And we shared some with our son, who didn’t get to hunt last fall.
A very, very NON frugal, having a new year, new deductible, had to pay $900 in medication deductibles at the pharmacy for 2 very expensive but necessary drugs for each of us. Ugh.
Don’t know if I’ll make it to five this week either, but I guess it’s frugal to just be at home too like I’ve been this last week 🙂
1. Sold a big serving plate for $60 that I bought at a thrift store for $10.
2. Took the money earned from working New Year’s Eve at my old job and bought stocks (or more correct index found/EFT). It made me feel very money wise, lol.
3. Took this week grocery shopping in Finland since my partner went cross-country skiing not far from the border on Sunday. Was good savings on ground beef, deli meat and dairy.
4. My partner is working long days this week so dinners is vegetarian or soup so not to have a heavy meal too late. It means cheap meals too.
5. I’ve tidied my sewing room, at least so I can use it, after I was at a sewing club a couple of weeks ago. Have plenty of pre-cut things so have started sewing some of them so I can hopefully sell handmade pouches and such at markets this year.
I picked up some free tangerines from two sources. One was very tart but one was pretty tasty.
I bought a bunch of embroidery thread from an estate sale for $5. I did NOT buy a hobby box which I did not need even thought it was a really good price.
I bought ingredients for cupcakes instead of buying bakery cupcakes.
We ate from the freezer.
I made chicken stock.
Missed last week, so I'm going to combine.
Frugal things---
● Saved $0.60/gallon on gas with discounts
Frugal fail---
● gas went down $0.50/gallon 2 days later
Frugal things---
● spent $100 & got $10 off on groceries
● $5.99/pound for Porterhouse steaks at Save-A-lot & picked up 12 nice thick steaks for freezer
● Meijer has pork chops $1.99/pound, so picked up another package & separated into servings for freezer
● Meijer has buy 5 save $5 & picked up pizzas for teen $3.99 each Digiorno Carnivore (all meat)
Frugal fail---
● most everyone at work has tried/eaten at local pasta place few doors down from office so it was -20* & I was going to be only one home for dinner so I splurged & got late lunch/early dinner from pasta place. $28 later for chicken alfredo with 1 breadstick & small mini loaf of bread with garlic butter in mini container was disappointing. Wasn't anything special & honestly have had better.
● continued polar vortex temps (Santa can take back his weather anytime) utility bill increased $100 more (but better than getting sick or frozen pipes)
● Big croissants molded after 3 days, so squirrels & birds get them.
● teen hit another deer last night (but less damage this time). 2nd deer in less than 6 months.
Regina, I think they make whistles for car bumpers. They cause the deer to run away. Deer can hear them but humans cannot. (Sort of like dog whistles). You might want to invest in one for your teenager's vehicle. It'd likely be cheaper than a car repair.
Same here, same here. But that lunch looks awesome so you should definitely celebrate being able to pack nutritious and delicious lunches everyday!
1. I'm leaning into baking during the cold season, baking sourdough bread and desserts. Also helped my son make homemade churros.
2. My husband is also leaning into the season by soaking dry beans and slow cooking them and making homemade broths.
3. Used very little on gas this past month as we haven't driven much of anywhere, staying mostly at home in the snowstorm or taking walks.
4. Made sure to use my CVS extra bucks before they expired.
5. Picked up a free puzzle from a neighbor, to start on after I finish my current one.
It's my day off and I'm running errands.
1. Returned an electric space heater to Ollie's Outlet. I'd purchased this one after having my gas space heater/fireplace disconnected. Sadly, although it was supposed to look like a log fire in a wood-burning stove, it was houses in cheap plastic, not metal, and it was so small, it would've gone great in a little girl's playhouse. Too small and cheap-looking for my home! (And if a frugal person says it looks too cheap, you KNOW it's bad!) The photo on the box looked a whole lot nicer than the actual product, and I was hoping it'd look good in the den or living room. It didn't. So I took it back. Anyway, the clerk at Ollie's was just as nice as she could be and I got $81 put back onto my credit card.....that's $77 (or was it $75?) + sales tax....right away!
2. Instead of going out to eat, I used my Aldi pizza cooker and fixed myself a nice (frozen) pizza for lunch. (If any of you have access to Amy's Margarhita Pizza, get yourself some -- it is out of this world delicious!)
3. Computer is on the blink -- won't let me enter my PIN -- so I'm here at the public library reading the blog and writing to you. Guess I should set up the new (refurbished) computer I bought last June -- I've procrastinated doing this for almost a year now.
4. Took some plastic shopping bags to the used book store and grabbed up some kiddie books (including StellaLuna!) and comic book samples from their free pile on the porch. Took them to a Little Free Library in the slums. Those families don't usually have cars and therefore can't visit the used book store, library or LFLs outside their immediate area. I figured they've read all the stuff in the LFL during the winter storm and might like new(-to-them) material.
5. Instead of Valentine's cards or candy, or trinkets she won't have room for in her tiny quarters, I'm taking some large print romance novels to my friend in Assisted Living. Obtained them from Goodwill, LFLs (in good neighborhoods, not the slum one) and the free pile at the bookstore.
Thank you for your book redistribution efforts!
It's so thoughtful of you to share books with those who can't get to the library! Thanks for doing that.
Hello! Have you considered using clothing dye and re-dying your scrubs black? Just a thought! The sharpie is super quick and easy too!
It strikes me that your silicone baking mat looks so beautifully clean. I say this because mine is yellowed and stained, and I worry it's releasing something harmful into the air/my food. Do you use yours only under a certain temperature?
This week I:
- Used the last of a restaurant credit I had.
- Walked to the restaurant.
- Ordered a batch of books I've been wanting for years (Spanish version of the Earth's Children series) from used bookselling sites.
- Had only a pudding on a 7-11 date when I really wanted the more expensive strawberry pastry.
- Bought 6+ bags of nuts for under 50 cents, as I happened to be in the aisle when an employee stuck the sale sticker on this roaring deal. There are lots of other deals to be had in the commissary right now as they seemed to have way overbought on Christmas candies and baking items. Though it feels wrong, I think it's also a frugal choice to avoid buying up these things as my body doesn't need all that sugar, and the baking goods are likely to just get moldy or ruin during our move.
You can count not being late for work as frugal.
1. I managed to get through January without spending on anything but food and some snow removal.
2. I shoveled my sidewalks myself and did manage to -bit by bit- dig out of my driveway from the plow snow mound. I did have to pay someone $50 to dig my car out. I was parked down the hill from my house because I knew my street would be impassable for days (and still is very dicey). I look at the expenditure on the car as a frugal because it enabled me to get to work and is less expensive than the paying for the physical issues that could have happened if I had done it all myself.
3. I ate all of my meals at home for the month.
4. I had been keeping my heat low and staying toasty with a heated blanket before the Arctic Blast hit. This will, hopefully, help even out the gas bill because I have had to increase the heat to keep the pipes from freezing. We haven’t been above freezing in over two weeks and I had to make the trek to my car in -11 temperatures the other day. Yikes.
5. My entertainment has been reading, watching The Pitt and rewatching the West Wing on a streaming service shared with a friend.
My frugal 5:
Made a pot of chili using pantry and freezer ingredients.
Bought a much needed wallet at the Goodwill Outlet Centre aka the bins where everything is $1.25 per pound CDN
Found a new to me Discount Grocery store where every Tuesday seniors receive 25% off
Sold a couple of items on Poshmark
Still eating apples harvested from my tree in September, they are holding up nicely in my fridge
I was inspired to try your bourbon chicken recipe and it was great !
Hey, there are textile marker pens. They are not expensive. Maybe they color the spots more permanent. Every week seems a bit of a hassel. We used them to paint things on shirts to make costumes for the kids.
Best Silke
I'm glad you mentioned work lunches, because I was thinking about your grocery spending algorithm post. You said that you're in a stage of life when convenience is something you're able to pay for willingly now sometimes. When you mentioned not feeling totally prepped for your 3 work shifts this week, I thought, this FG deserves to buy herself an affordable hospital caf meal! I know it's a streak and a goal you've held, and you've done AMAZINGly well! But most hospital cafeterias these days seem to have decent food that can be nutritious and tasty if you choose well. The hospital I frequent has Chipotle -style bowls sometimes, and one time I had a delicious Korean style bowl, always for less than $10. Since we like all the toppings, people like us get our money's worth. So idk how feasible a cafeteria lunch is during your work shifts, but it was on my mind to share the consideration to potentially occasionally buy your lunch.
1.Shopped at Goodwill and found three items I will put up for sale. A Cubs hat, an Easter collectible, and a cartoon plate from Restoration Hardware. Taking baby steps here. So far I haven't had a nibble on eBay. I also bought a Scrabble game which was quite new and had all its pieces. And a set of three travel candles which I will either gift or keep.
2. Used my flex card from my Medicare Advantage plan for the first time. I bought $33 worth of bladder protection pads (which were half price) and got them for free. The half price was still worth it because it leaves more on my flex card for other things.
3. Continuing to eat out of my freezer and pantry!
4. Got bread and onions at the little free pantry.
5. Continuing to walk every day at the community center, keeping up my fitness routine in this inclement weather.
It been ages since I posted but new year has me feeling like I want to get back to making a conscious effort to be frugal!
1. I got my monthly book club book on the library app, free to listen to!
2. I did some rearranging in my house for some free redecorating. Freshens everything up without spending any money!
3. My youngest is going on a very expensive school trip in a few months so to offset the cost we've both been volunteering for a program that knocks off $100 per person for each shift worked. We've covered $1200 just by working volunteer shifts.
4. My nieces are new big sisters and we wanted to take them something to celebrate, so my daughter dug out some of her old American girls and cleaned them up to take to them.
5. My gas fireplace was broken and my partner researched how to fix it, cost $25 for the replacement part instead of $275 for a service call!
AEW, that's a good new year list!
-I feel a little weird about this one but here goes: my dad turned 80 yesterday and I wanted to get him something. It occurred to me that he's probably received less gifts than anyone else in our family and I wanted to get him something nice that he'd like. But he's not really a "stuff" kinda guy - he's pretty content. I mentioned it to my mom and she was like "he really doesn't need or want more stuff." So I didn't buy him anything. I baked him some chocolate chip cookies (which he loves) and my husband and I took him out to dinner midweek, which is something we don't usually do because life is busy. Frugal reminder that sometimes people just want to know that they are loved.
-I used my reward points to get an iced tea on Jan. 31 and now I'm working on a No Tea Buying February. Four days in! I've been making tea at home instead.
-I don't know if this is saving money or not...my daughter likes Poppi brand fruit punch soda. I see it at the regular grocery store for $7.99(!!!) for a 4-pack. I saw it at Grocery Outlet for $1.99. I don't usually buy canned sodas for our home but I picked up several packs. So did I save money or did I spend money that I wouldn't have otherwise spent? There's no way I would have spent $8 for it.
- I asked the postal worker to weigh my in-laws' anniversary card before I mailed it. I would've put two stamps on it. He said one was enough.
- I did not buy a pink porsche or redo my landscaping or renovate my bathroom or remodel my kitchen or get my nails done or hire a house cleaner, which is all stuff that I kinda want to do.
This is possibly the worst frugal things post I've ever written - ha!
1. I picked up a free Sbux drink thanks to a gift card I won in their most recent Starbucks for Life online game. I drank most of it while I took the van through a free carwash (earned through points at our local convenience store) to wash the road salt off, at least for a few days. I also picked up some free parmesan bread bites using points from Dominos that were about to expire. To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy the bread bites so I think I won’t worry about it next time.
2. I mended quite a few kids’ books.
3. I found a few gifts for my boys’ birthdays via Marketplace and also Once Upon a Child. I love being able to buy things used. I wrapped these gifts in pre-used wrapping paper in good condition that I had previously saved. The boys are at the age where shredding wrapping paper is almost as fun as the gift itself.
4. I picked up a free pound of coffee, thanks to Sbux stars I won in their game recently. I usually drink coffee at home.
5. I took one for the team and finished some fish that I didn’t prefer on a salad for lunch today.
1) decluttered some books and will earn £12 for doing so! I’m on a mission to increase my emergency savings in 2026 - I almost got made redundant last year, which sent me into panic mode and made me realise I don’t have the standard 3-6 months earnings saved!
2) claimed ‘delay repay’ for a train that got cancelled last week due to flooding here in the UK. £136 will be making its way back to me and straight into emergency savings!
3) used electrical tape to mend a couple of charging cables - my partner already had the tape so it didn’t cost me anything.
4) finally got a replacement cordless vacuum for free - I ordered a refurbished one two months ago and it had a faulty battery (would only keep charge for literally five minutes!) It has been an absolute saga to sort out with the company but I’m glad I stuck to my guns rather than giving up and just buying a new one!
5) resisted the temptation to ‘treat myself’ and order takeaway after an awful day yesterday, and had a cheap freezer meal of chips and Quorn chicken nuggets instead! Freezer meals are an absolute godsend for days like that.
I got a chuckle at your cute planter with the face because at first glance it looked like it had a leaf growing out of its nose. Obviously I am very easily entertained!!
Three frugal things - and you managed to get them into a post and posted before work! Yippie! Good doesn't have to be perfect. 🙂