It's finals week
I am currently working on learning four chapters' worth of material for a regular exam (#8 for the semester) which I need to take this week, and then on Monday, I have a cumulative final.
Normally we only have two chapters of material for each exam, so four chapters is feeling like....a lot.
I don't know why they set it up this way; perhaps a trial by fire to weed people out?
I read yesterday that only 50% of people nationwide pass Anatomy and Physiology 1 on their first try, and I am not surprised, especially if students are taking it in conjunction with other classes.
Anyway! I've been busy studying, and I don't even know if I have five frugal things to list. Lemme see what I can come up with.
1. Zoe, and I worked on leaf clean-up
I paid Zoe for her time (this is an above-and-beyond chore since we have a zillion oak trees!), but it was still way cheaper than hiring someone else.
And I'd rather pay Zoe anyway.
2. I found a $20 discount code for a gift.
I can't tell you what it is because the recipient sometimes pops by here. 😉
3. I got some deals on an Old Navy order
Both Lisey and I needed some new masks (pretty sure they will be required next semester too!) so I ordered two packs from Old Navy because I love the ear adjusters.
I had a $38 credit, mainly from taking advantage of the Old Navy credit card reward offers, and I added a few other things to my cart to bump my order up to the $50 free shipping level.
4. I used a Starbucks credit to get hot chocolate after tree shopping
We went out and bought a Christmas tree last night, and it's sort of a tradition for us to go get hot chocolate afterward.
I had a $10 Starbucks card in my account from my Erie YourTurn Rewards, so I used that toward the drinks.
5. I filled up my gas tank at Royal Farms to earn points
Their gas is usually a good price, and if you pay with their card, you earn points which you can redeem for things like a free family pack of fried chicken or free chocolate bars.
Ok! Nothing earth-shaking, but I made it to five.
Although I majored in political science and economics in college, I took Anatomy & Physiology as my biological science. I remember that it was an especially difficult class. Good luck with finals!! I know you will do well.
As far as 5 frugal things. I just don’t have anything. I could make a list of five frugal fails. T’is the season! Blessings to all.
Good luck on your exams! You'll ace them, not that any jitters will let you think that. 😉
—Our recently bought onions started to sprout, so I cut the entire bag up to caramelize in the crock pot. They have since graced soups, pasta, pizza, and sandwiches.
—There will be more crock pot action today when I use it to roast beets that are starting to go soft. I *MUCH* prefer using the crock pot to leaving a pot on the stove or using the oven, which always makes me nervous even when I've set umpteen timers.
—Between coupons and sales, I was able to get three Hallmark cards (future birthdays), four containers of bleach wipes, two containers of hand sanitizer, a four pack of men’s razors, and a big bag of floss picks at CVS for $9.
—My latest Goodwill treasure is a Bodum teapot/press for $2, as opposed to $32 new! I’ve been using it almost daily since its acquisition. The press even handles super fine loose teas (as in, so fine that a tea egg is useless) and is less fussy than filling tea bags.
—We decorated for Christmas using the same items that we have for several years now. Nearly every ornament was a gift from friends and family, and the few that weren’t still have memories. Even the newly married “We’re so broke” plastic ornaments still have a place of honor!
Good luck on your exams! I'm sure you will do great.
1. I purchased Target gift cards during their annual 10% off sale last weekend. I load them to my account and use them as needed during the year.
2. I gave my son a haircut.
3. I made a big pot of lentil soup and ate it for several days with various sides.
4. We replaced some light fixtures in the house & my husband did the installation vs. hiring someone. He's good at these type of repairs and very safety conscious.
5. The usual, walking or biking for exercise, making most meals at home, and reading books and magazines from the library on my Libby app.
Kristen, I took A&P at technical school in the 1990s while brushing up on my computer skills, mainly because the class looked interesting. It was hard -- the nervous system about did me in -- but it was so fascinating and I wound up with the highest score in the class.
For frugal stuff, I hemmed and mended jeans for my son and am working on saving an old quilt by "re-covering" it with new fabric bought on sale. Made black bean-chicken chili for my work lunches this week, with a side dish that used up the last of an open bag of quinoa-grains mix. Used some manager's special beef bought in October, which past me had the foresight to thinly slice before freezing, to make a big pot of beef-barley-veggie soup for our suppers this week. Darned a sock for myself using a baby food jar as a darning egg, although I did later finally spring for a wooden darning egg for myself at last!
Wow, I am so impressed you did A&P just for fun!
I love science and probably would have studied something like biology in college if I had been any good at math. So A&P was right up my alley.
1. I went to Costco for food items and then stopped by the nearby mall to return slippers and jeans. I stopped briefly in the Eddie Bauer store and used a coupon on some trekking poles. They were half price and the coupon made them half off that price and they had been on my want list for a long time.
2. We have eaten meals at home except for I did take out with a friend one day last week.
3. We are looking into getting a robotic electric lawn mower for next year. It would cost about what we pay a lawn service for one year and it would be much better for the environment.
4. I walked with friends one day and then we enjoyed an almost warm afternoon sitting outside and chatting afterwards. I picked up one of the friends on my way to the other friend's house.
5. I have been lowering the heat a bit in the house earlier in the evening (a couple hours before bedtime). If we find it chilly we have plenty of blankets.
Early last year there was the great toilet paper shortage. We were not impacted since I tend to be an over buyer but I did think about trying reusable toilet paper. Then this summer I started hearing about another shortage. Nudged by that, a couple months ago, based mostly on a desire to be eco-friendly, I cut into small rectangles the remnants of an old tee-shirt and sweatshirt. I put them in a container, in the bathroom I usually use, and added a lidded container for used wipes. I call them wee/pee wipes and I am happy to be using them. I add the dirty wipes to a laundry load of sheets or towels. They take up almost no room and the fabric does not fray so there was no sewing involved. I use them only for wiping urine.
@Mary Kay, I made wee wipes last year out of an old pair of flannel PJs. So thrifty! I like your suggestion for using non-fraying fabric instead.
@MB in MN, I brought up this same idea with my husband and I thought his head was going to burst into flames before he choked out that he is 73 and so will likely not be living that much longer and does not intend to spend a moment of the time he has left using reuseable wipes. So now when I want to torture him, I bring up the topic again. Luckily, he has a good sense of humor!
@Lindsey, I'm kinda with your DH on the subject of reusable wipes. As my part-Southern mother would have said, "That just pulls my pucker strings."
@Mary Kay, we cloth diaper and this is how we potty trained our oldest daughter. One wipe is easier to understand for a 2 year old than 2-3 squares of tp (esp. when it's soooo fun to pull at the roll!) When the tp shortage started, we switched completely over to that. We just throw the used wipes into a wet bag and wash with our diapers. Ours are all worn t-shirts or destroyed kids clothes. (We use tp or wipes for #2).
@Lindsey, so funny!
@A. Marie, as a northern gal, I've never heard that before. It's quite a saying!
Good luck with your finals Kristen! I am sure you will succeed as you do seem to prepare yourself for those very well.
I am happy to report that also last week I had no foodwaste at all!
I stuck basically to the same menus as last week. They taste nice, are easy to prepare, provide me with plenty of vegetables, enough proteins and some starchs.
Key for not having foodwaste is a nearly empty fridge for me - just filled with the amount of food I will be needing during the week.
Not an achievement on my side - but as I do not celebrate Christmas I have zero spending there.
Last week we celebrated Chanukka - but that's about food, lightning candles and socialising. No exchange of gifts really specially now as there are now more kids involved.
Tomorrow I will get my booster vaccination. For the last two weeks I have been in my private lockdown with no socialising in the evenings. I only leave the house for walks with the dogs, the office and the occasional grocery shopping.
Well, that is very budget friendly 🙂
I hope your booster goes smoothly! I felt under the weather for about 48 hours after mine, but now I'm back to 100%.
@Lea, we just got a book from the library about Chanukka! My son is very interested in learning about the holiday!
Good luck on your studies and exams! Such a sweet pic of your cat looking at the Christmas tree - I love to turn the lights off and be mesmerized by the tree, too. On the topic of Christmas, here's how I keep ours simple:
1. Tree: Free tree from the Christmas tree farm where my husband works. Same decorations as last year: clear lights originally purchased from the thrift store, a couple dozen ornaments from my childhood, and an old metal minnow bucket for the tree stand.
2. Inside Decor: None except for a never-lit decorative candle from childhood.
3. Outside Decor: Two garden pots in which I arrange the saved birch limbs, dogwood branches and eucalyptus stems from last year. Fill in with scrap tree boughs from the Christmas tree farm.
4. Cards: Repurpose fronts of cards received in previous years to create homemade cards and adorn gifts. Cards are mailed using my stash of envelopes purchased for pennies at a thrift store years ago. Some card fronts I send as postcards to save on card stock and envelopes. Only send cards to the elderly and those who could use some extra cheer (in 2020 that included EVERYONE). I never purchase cards with glitter or foil as those are not recyclable.
5. Gifts: Only give to a few of our nieces and nephews. This year we're giving cold hard cash, a massage gift certificate, and a family membership to a museum. I package them up in fun, free and creative ways and typically include a favorite baked item as well.
@MB in MN, I'm pretty sure glitter cards were invented by the same people who invented modern shoes! I received one once. It went straight in the garbage before it ended up all over our house.
@Jenni, same here. When we receive a card, we peek into the envelope and if there's glitter, we don't even pull the card out. We read the inside to make sure we're not missing out on any news and then toss. Such a waste.
@MB in MN, I cannot stand glitter cards. One year I had a client send me a holiday card that in addition to glitter on the front, had loose glitter inside. I opened it and it went all over my office. I was picking up random pieces of glitter for months. I have no idea what she was thinking. I didn't even open her card this year, it went straight in the trash.
I haven’t taken anatomy and physiology but hearing you describe it, I can’t imagine taking that as part of a full course load! Good luck on your final!
1. Made a big dent in freezer leftovers lately. I try to freeze leftovers once they’ve been in the fridge a few days and it doesn’t look like we’ll eat it in time. I started to get a backlog of single serving meals in the freezer though, especially since I cook every night and usually have leftovers, I haven’t really needed to use the freezer meals for lunches or anything. Last week and this week though I somehow hadn’t cooked meals with many leftovers so I was able to use them for lunches. Nice to have freezer space now and have ready to go lunches.
2. We met up with another family for Christmas photos. My husband has a nice camera and enjoys photography so he got it setup on a tripod and took their photos and then our family posed and they took the photos for us. Probably not the same quality as a professional photographer but still pretty good and we just wanted something for our Christmas cards. Plus we hadn’t seen these friends since pre-Covid so it was great visiting and the kids enjoyed playing together.
3. I signed up for a dependent care flexible spending account late this year to pay for my sons preschool. I’d never used it before and normally you sign up at the start of the year but because of Covid they allowed late year sign ups. I had signed up for the maximum amount, not realizing i actually wouldn’t use it all in the year and you lose whatever you don’t use by the end of the year. It wasn’t a huge amount but I was still disappointed I did that, especially because the purpose of signing up was to save money. I just found out I need to pay an enrollment fee now though to save my daughters spot for January, and this leftover amount perfectly covers that so I won’t lose anything! This wasn’t really my doing but I’m glad it all worked out.
4. I’m not really a very crafty person but I did get into needlefelting over the last year. So far I’ve made 2 little animals to put in my kids stockings and I’m going to make something for my sisters too. I’m getting them other gifts as well so it doesn’t really save a lot but I already had the supplies and I think they’ll appreciate that I made them something since that’s not something I ever do!
5. Our dog has been having some health problems lately (he’s almost 10). Nothing too serious but still requiring vet visits and medications. It’s adding up but we started a savings account for him when he was a puppy because his breed is prone to health problems (bulldog) and pet insurance was very expensive for him because of the breed. Given that he hasn’t had any health issues until now, I think the savings was the cheaper option than paying pet insurance for 10 years but I guess we’ll see how things end up.
@LB, it is a great idea to have an account set aside for your pup. I never have thought about doing that, but it is smart!
Good luck on your exams! I feel confident that you will pass!
My recent frugalities:
1. I keep a stack of really cheap old white washcloths for my daily bathroom quick wipe downs and sometimes other jobs. One of the cloths developed what looked like a great big bite out of one edge; how this happened, I have no idea. Instead of tossing it, I cut the wonky edge off and hemmed it on the sewing machine. I have a smaller cloth, but it's still quite usable.
2. Judging by the tree prices I'm seeing around here, I am really glad I bought an artificial tree a couple of years ago!
3. I am pulling out my decorative gift boxes with magnetic closures again this year, to "wrap" Christmas gifts. It's so much faster and I don't have to worry about wrapping paper.
4. Every year, I'm also glad I bought LED outdoor light strands at some after-Christmas sales a few years ago. They are more reliable and use so little electricity. My tree came with LED lights, as well.
5. I'm getting ready to decorate the house, pulling out items such as my 42 year old nativity scene, a piece of Christmas-themed crewel work I made around that same time, the musical snow globe one of my kids gave me almost 20 years ago, the shadow box with a Christmas tree inside made out of my mother's old costume jewelry, which I made about 15 years ago, and of course, the bird ornament I picked out myself at a store when I was about 11. Obviously, I don't run out and buy a lot of new stuff to decorate with. It's frugal, and the old things mean more to me than new décor, although I sometimes have to replace or add something with a newer item.
Oh gosh. I wish I had known that fact about people not passing A&P. That class was the bane of my existence as a psychology major. Then I went on to get a Master's and now a Ph.D and that class remains the hardest one for me to pass to date. That probably also goes with that not really being my forte in any way shape or form but here we are. 🙂
We decorated our tree yesterday: I had bought two strings of lights last year on end of season sale, and cobbled together two working strands from prior use, which was enough that I could cover the tree and didn’t have to buy more this year!
Our tree is an artificial tree we bought via Craigslist for $50, 10 years ago. It’s kind of a pain to put together, and my husband suggests a new fake tree each year he has to take part in helping assemble it, so I task the kids with it 🙂
We had to fly for a family funeral, and I found 50% off on airport parking by booking ahead of time.
I did a big grocery run last week so that we would have food in the house when we got back from our trip and avoid unplanned takeout.
We did our kids’ big Christmas presents as family activities on our big vacation over Thanksgiving - less stuff to buy for Christmas, and those turned out to be their vacation highlights!
Ooh... So much studying! Glad you took time to get a tree and enjoy hot cocoa in the midst of that!
My five frugal things are varied this week.
1. We paid $50 for a share of food locally that was worth way more than $50 worth. Now I'm busy eating up lots of things that I wouldn't regularly buy. And I found a friend to split the food with, so that should help the cost too. Downside: preserving so much extra food that was on the verge of going bad used up way too much sanity. I regret picking up that food share.
2. I was frugal with my sanity as I prepared our team Christmas supper. I checked with my coordinator to see how much budget I really had and I used that budget happily instead of using my energy trying to find rock bottom prices on everything.
3. Got free doughnuts after our football team won! My kids were happy with that one.
4. Gave DH a haircut.
5. Picked up poinsettias for 1.50/each and used those for neighbor and school office thank you gifts! Perfect!
Good luck on the exams! You'll do great!
1. I used two of the birthday freebies I've received so far. At IKEA, I picked up a pillow for myself and a toy that will be gifted. Using the free $10 they sent, I paid just $1.07 for both items. I got another toy at DSW using the $5 they sent. I would have paid a little over $1, but it rang up incorrectly, and no one knew how to fix it. The manager gave it to me for free.
2. I sold $35 more from the Michael's clearance boxes I purchased to resell. This brings my total profit so far to $80. I still have more to sell.
3. I took advantage of the 10% off Target gift cards over the weekend to get all the cards I will need next year for little treats to send to my daughters.
4. I went to a different Kroger for their grand reopening to pick up specials and was handed a free quart bottle of chocolate custard when I walked in the door.
5. My Medicare Advantage plan includes a free gym membership. I would never pay for one but signed up today. The cost would have been $35 per month plus a $99 application fee.
6. An extra one - I got these freebies using Sprouts digital coupons: mayonnaise ($6.99), energy bar ($2.50), red lentil pasta ($3.99), a meat snack stick ($2.79) and a bottle of oat milk ($6.49).
And I found a nickel while walking with my sister. All in all, a great week!
@BarbG, I also got the Sprouts meat snack stick and black bean pasta, forgot to include those in my five frugal things! All the other freebies were sold out though unfortunately, will have to try next week.
@LB,
Good luck! Sometimes they are hard to get.
9 exams? Whoa, that's a lot!
My Frugal 5 :
- Taking 4 extra shifts at work this month, even if I don't feel like it
- Free exercice : walks, at-home videos\Youtube, elliptical, weights, etc. I'm well equiped at home, yet I've spent thousands in gym in the past 20 years... Not anymore.
- DD is asking for a cellphone (she's 12). We are not against it, but she needs to work for it, a.k.a extra chores on top of her regular ones+regular allowance+asking money as gifts on Christmas and birthday, to amass enought money to pay for her monthly package. Looking at the cheapeast one, No data, but unlimited texting and phone calls for about 15$\20$ a month.
- Getting together with a girlfriend for our birthdays. We decided against gifts, but will instead splurge on a family raclette. Yummy! Will split the cost.
- Entertainment still pretty darn cheap : library books, board games at home, Netflix, the occasionnal yoga class (10$).... hmmm, that's pretty much it.
ps : Kristen, everytime I read one of your post, no matter the subject, I always feel peace emanate from you. You just seem so healthy in every way, stable and peaceful, I admire that.
Good luck on your exam(s)!!
Four FT (and one Fail), Odds and Ends Edition:
(1) I made the latest in my series of soups from odds and ends in the fridge (2/3 jar of spaghetti sauce, half of a 40 oz can of kidney beans, etc.), plus a beef/venison stock. The Bestest Neighbors tried making some venison they were given in their Instant Pot-type cooker; it didn't come out that well, but they let me have the bones and the liquid for the stock. And the soup came out great.
(2) I've forgotten who posted this tip here, but I re-lined my old LL Bean bedroom slippers. I used a pair of alpaca shoe liners that DH and I bought long ago at an alpaca farm to support the operation. (We llove llamas and alpacas.) Fantastic!
(3) I made my annual Xmas house decoration from some boughs I found on the curb (trimmings from the bottom branches of someone else's tree), plus the big bow I save from year to year. A lovely swag, for $0 (my favorite price).
(4) I got a clean dental bill of health at my latest cleaning. Since at my age I always walk into my dentist's office expecting to hear that I need a crown or other drastic action, this feels like saving a grand or so.
(5) Good thing, too, since here's the Fail: The high winds of the last two days knocked down a *big* section of the wooden back fence DH installed over 20 years ago. My yard man is going to replace it, and I'm lucky that we are predicted to have a warm spell next week for him to do it in--but more needs replacing than I realized at first glance, and this is not going to come cheap. Oh, well, what's an emergency fund for?
And P.S. to preceding: Adding my good wishes to everyone else's for Kristen on her exams. But I'd bet a few Jacksons that she'll pass with flying colors (and I'm not even a betting woman!).
THank you for continuing to post, despite your school load.
1. Trimmed husband's hair.
2. My brace makes it hard to do a decent job on my one foot so I usually pay for a pedicure. I had an appointment but when the weather dipped to 35 below at our hour, I cancelled the next day's appointment. The husband suggested I let him do the job and, despite some misgivings, I agreed. He did a great job and it saved us a lot of money.
3. Had a bunch of eggs piling up so after eating turkey every night for a week, we switched to a week of egg dishes. Things are finally under control and we can go back to normal eating without focusing on no food waste.
4. Someone gave me a cookbook on gluten-free baking, although I cannot imagine why. It was not a gift, just a passing on of an item, so I sold it on eBay for a tidy sum.
5. In cleaning out a drawer I found a Starbucks card I'd won in a local contest. I don't drink coffee so I am giving it as a Christmas gift to someone who loves their flavored coffees. She will be thrilled and I am happy to have a no-cost Christmas gift.
Between the two of you helping each other out, you guys don't even need salon services! 🙂
Kristen, you have your exams going on AND you are still posting??? You are a super hero! Years ago when I needed to take A&P, a friend of mine who was a year ahead of me in the program advised me to take physiology a semester ahead of anatomy. Was I ever glad I heeded her advice! I know you will do well. Get some rest and if you need a day or a week off from blogging, please take it, guilt-free! BTW, I love the picture of your kitty cat looking at the tree. So .... cat-like.
Frugal stuff ... went with a group to a hockey game Sunday. One of the group members had free tickets which she graciously shared with us. My only purchase was a coffee (to stay warm--but they didn't have any creamers, boo!) so it was an inexpensive day. Let's see. Yesterday I went to the matinee showing at the movie theater to see the C.S. Lewis movie that is out. Still pricey but worthwhile. It's a very cerebral movie and perhaps not for everyone, especially if action/adventure is your thing. It was more of a movie to make you think than to entertain you. I can't think of any other frugal activities beyond the usual boring ones.
I do feel kind of proud of myself that I have not missed a day of blogging since the start of the semester. Ha.
(at least, not to my knowledge!)
But I might break my streak tomorrow; I think I might try to finish up Exam 8 studying and then take that online.
I didn't even know you could separate A&P; at my school, they are taught together over two semesters.
@Kristen, quite possibly you no longer can separate them. I graduated from college in 1987. Many things have changed since then ☺️. The professors for both classes were notoriously bad and it was helpful to be able to tackle the classes individually.
I can see why they may have switched to doing them together. Basically, we spend a week learning about, say, the anatomy of the skeletal system, and then we spend a week learning about the physiology of bones. It would probably be more confusing to do them in separate semesters!
1. Our petrol/gas has risen sharply over the last few weeks. So even if the car is a little low and I see cheap petrol I buy it because I am saving up to 70 cents (AUS) for a litre/quart.
2. I am trying with food waste but often losing.
3. I keep telling people that there is a lot of food in the house and we do not need to eat out.
4. At this point I am stuck.
Good luck with the anatomy exams. They can be tough.
Kristen, I just love your kitty looking at the tree photo. Don’t you wonder what he’s thinking about this new thing in his house?
I’m pulling for you for your major exam though I know it will go well. Preparation is the key to success in any endeavor and clearly you are a champ at that skill. Can’t wait to hear that you’ve passed and can enjoy a nice break.
Our two grown sons and their families have requested a switch from "stuff" to experiences and/or consumables for Christmas. That is a frugal win at least five times over: we save on time spent shopping in the shops or online, save on gas, save some sanity trying to come up with the "perfect gift" for each one, save on gift wrap. And they can use the memberships, tickets, etc. throughout the year, thinking about us while they do. In some cases we can even go along to the experience. It’s such a Merry Christmas win.
A&P was hands down my hardest class in nursing school...so the good news? After this, it's a cake walk. The class did knock our nursing class of 90ish down to about 50ish. Hang in there! (Fun fact: Our A&P prof was one of the people who was on the research team for the modern defibrillator. Brilliant, brilliant man, but tough teacher.)
1)Well, I suppose it was inevitable, but my husband caught Covid at work (he's a teacher.) Mercifully, it's been very, very mild. He is vaccinated, as am I, but I tested negative and 1 week in, I still have no symptoms; however, it has put us in quarantine for 10 days AGAIN. (Sometimes, it feels like this will never, ever end...sigh) BUT, on the frugal side, my son delivered groceries and refused money and my neighbor dropped off her famous Zuppa Toscana, so there is a plus side. Also, glad to have it behind us before the family all arrives for Christmas!
2)I used $35 in Office Depot awards to buy some supplies for the CPR classes I teach.
3)We cut a free tree, and although it's a bit scraggly, it's a 7 foot balsam fir and smells divine! Advantages of living in the woods.
4)I went shopping on my "gift shelf" for a wedding gift for a young lady who volunteers at the camp where I volunteer in the summer. It will only cost shipping. I wasn't invited to the wedding....but who doesn't love presents?
5)I painted a small table that sits beside our front door with leftover paint from some project eons ago. Wasn't even sure it would still be OK, but it went on fine and adds a bit of "pop" to the entry.
@Tricia, Was your prof named Gust Bardy from UW?
Good wishes for excellent retention coming your way from New Mexico . . .
I sadly had no fantastic frugal victories this week. I also did not spend like crazy either.
Stay the course frugal friends…
A truly dotty saving: I have a small cloth bag, white with French rurals frolicking, in black. The handles were worn to frayed rage so I cut the white cloth handles from a free gift bag I didn't care for nnd sewed them on. In comes my husband "Oh but that bag you took the handles from is a favorite of mine--I got it in Taos NM, at that conferance" So I searched up and downhill to find the matching twill ribbon which I knew was somewhere...Finally...success.. and I sewed new handles to the butchered bag. Does this count as frugal?
Good luck with your course !! And then you can enjoy the holidays 🙂
1. Using up food and not wasting much at all. Roasted some vintage veggies: potatoes, carrots, softening red pepper, onion with the bad spot excised, plus last of the marked down organic mushrooms. Very tasty.
2. Enjoying reading a bunch of old Cooking Light magazines my friend was getting rid of and even trying to cook a few things -- was able to pull everything from my freezer, frig, or pantry.
3. Used a gift card from work for a Starbucks iced coffee -- delish but I still like my own cheesy version 😉
4. Husband replaced a leaky old faucet himself, saving $$$ and plumber fees.
5. And . . .all the usual stuff -- wearing all the old clothes and shoes, eating in mostly, bringing my food and drinks to work, not buying stuff except for groceries, etc.
Will do holiday shopping this week and will try to stay vigilant!
Not a frugal but a support A&P comment. I took A&P my sophomore year of nursing school 2 semesters (8 hrs) /17 total hrs each semester. Just thinking about it-yikes! I have no doubt you will make it with flying colors.
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1. I picked up prenatal vitamins off Buy Nothing (I am still nursing my 3 year old!). I use a specific prenatal vitamin. So, this saves me $50.
2. Aldi didn't have what I was looking for to make lunches for myself this week (tofu), so I used up some whole wheat pasta, home-made pesto, sundried tomatoes, and olives that were in the pantry.
3. We need a new hot water heater, as the current one is old and also installed incorrectly. We spent time researching prices and deciding on a tankless vs tank. The plumber comes soon to install it.
4. I returned our library books on time. I have been enjoying our local Little Libraries because I don't have to worry about returning books or late fees.
5. My husband traveled for work last week. He gets money to spend on food when he travels. He will use the money for groceries instead. So our grocery bill this week was only $60.
Good luck on your finals Kristen!
I can only recall a frugal fail this week: I bought a book only to discover I had put it on hold at the library a few months ago and forgot about it. It was so popular it literally took months to get to my reservation.
We did cook our own meals however, as usual.
Oh man, I have done that before and it is so annoying!
Five frugal things is going to be hard this week: 3 kids got second covid shot, and the 2 adults got the booster in a matter of 48 hours.
1. Didn't get to go grocery shopping as planned on the day I got my booster (a lot of things did not go according to plan). Instead of eating out we had PBJs with fruit and veggies for dinner.
2. Didn't buy glasses at my eye doctor (insurance doesn't cover glasses), but got my new prescription to purchase them somewhere else for cheaper.
3. Purchased most Christmas gifts ahead of time so that I didn't feel rushed into buying the fastest thing (which generally is more expensive in my experience). Children helped make gifts for respite care provider and teachers and aides.
4. Thrifted several baskets for my basket wall, spending about $30 on 7 baskets.
5. Decorated our home with Christmas decorations we already had plus some paper chains that the kids helped me make. We have a home that would look really good with fresh pine boughs and other Christmasy things, but have chosen to be content with what we have and enjoy simple crafts with kids.
Your Christmas tree is just lovely! What a pretty shape.
Hang in there this busy, tiring month! God’s got you.
1. I'm currently snacking on as I type. raw pumpkin seeds tossed in olive oil and Everything But the Bagel seasoning from the Halloween pie pumpkin I used to make Thanksgiving pie. So good!
2. I made some unexpected tips filling in for a No Call No Show at one of the hot chocolate booths for a few hours during the Yuletide Village event I perform at.
3. Used the surprise extra cash to offset the cost of the metal lantern filled with fairy lights I planned to buy from one of the Yuletide booths so I can see where I'm going in the dark and as an advertisement for that small business booth. They also extended me a small courtesy discount which was unexpected.
4. I wrapped all of our Christmas presents in boxes I save and reuse in my box of gift boxes and paper bags, cloth gift bags I made from leftover ribbon and scraps of fancy costuming fabric, and a couple in wrapping paper I've had forever and rarely use and paper bows I made (all fully recyclable here if I can't stick in back in the gift wrapping box for reuse next year.)
5. With all of our gift shopping finished, I don't have to step foot in a store for anything other than groceries! I'll probably do an Instantcart Aldi order for that when needed to further resist the tempation to buy any cool extra things like 50 million clever Special Buy cheeses
Hahah, your first sentence could be read to mean that you put the seasoning in your pumpkin pie. That would really be something! Imagine sesame seeds, onion, and garlic in your pumpkin pie.
What do you perform at the Yuletide village?