August Frugals!

[happystuff]

Researching how to do sourdough starter so I can make my own sourdough bread.

I've had my own starter for... hmmm.... now that I'm thinking about it, it must be 10 or 15 years now. I've almost killed it several times, but it's hung on - lol. If I recall correctly, I used the very basic version found in the Tightwad Gazette to create mine. And the general recipe I used is also from there.

Good luck! But be aware that it's like having a "pet"... needs to be fed, used and cared for.

[SteveinMN]

Our last week or two have not been frugal.

- the cr@ppy-refrigerator's freezer had a lie-down last night so a good chunk of what was in it had to be tossed. Some raw food will be cooked and refrozen. The silver lining is that a good amount of what was in there was odds and ends -- a third of a loaf of bread we hadn't finished, bones/skin/trimmings which eventually would have become chicken soup, a few chili peppers we use sparingly, etc. And we have another freezer downstairs that still works like a champ. I'm thinking the key to freezer "insurance" is to never keep both freezers full. I know they keep cold better when they're full, but this way we can switch between them if we have to and not have a near-total loss.
- got the bill for DW's urgent-care visit a month ago (which led to the Dx of exhaustion). Out of network. A cool grand for the visit and tests. They told her to call them and they'd figure out what they could do about submitting for insurance. If we get nothing out of that, I think we're well past the medical deduction for this year...
- got an estimate to repair DW's wedding ring, which, apparently, had been hit hard enough against some thing(s) that one diamond fell out and another cracked (hardest material known to man; how do you not remember doing that?).
- spent the weekend at a friend's cabin. Because I'm eating ultra-low-carb, I brought some food I could prep and eat for myself. I also bought the shrimp for shrimp dinner. But I got to drink all kinds of expensive scotch I never would buy on my own and the rest of the visit didn't cost any more than fuel (see below). So I'm calling it a fun weekend at the cabin.

There have been some bright spots:
- our cabin host raided his garden before arriving and brought lots of veggies which went uneaten. He wanted guests to take them home, so I scored eggplant, leeks, peppers, and onions, and could have brought home a ton of tomatoes (except that our neighbor keeps supplying us). I have to manage the swell of produce at this time of year; it all looks so good but we can only go through it so quickly.
- 49 mpg on the trip up and back from the cabin. (!)
- some more rebate checks came in.
- we had to replace a special-format LED bulb via warranty. It came in a couple of days agao -- a two-pack. So we won't have to be without a bulb when the next one (of 8) blows.
- I chose not to renew some Web site memberships, opting for their "free" tier instead. It's good enough for what I do with them.

Ugly, ugly month financially. *sigh*

[rosarugosa]

I had said I would report back on my Thred-Up experience. I ended up earning $9.94, which is better than nothing, but I don't think I would bother again. The effort wasn't particularly onerous, but the gain was so minimal, I don't believe it was worth it.
I did recently redeem my earnings from TopCashBack, which I think is a worthwhile site. I got about $28.00 from that one by just clicking through their site when making online purchases. I've earned a little over $60 in the 1 - 2 years I've been using them, so it isn't ever going to make me rich, but it is pretty effortless.

[Yppej]

I had a similar experience selling used DVDs. I only netted $9.00.

After my unfrugal August it's good that so far September is on track. I am considering some home improvements including new windows in one room. Since I have no cell reception at work DS will call some contractors this week to see if they offer free estimates. They are local guys with good BBB ratings and no complaints with the state agency that licenses contractors.

Has anyone gotten laminated windows? Our motivation is greater security since as we understand it to recoup costs in heating savings takes decades, although the windows are old and drafty. If it's too much we are also thinking about security film. Has anyone installed that? Were you able to do it without getting air bubbles?

With the opiod epidemic I have seen an increase in panhandlers and other desperate folks so this has been on my mind.

[SteveinMN]

If it's too much we are also thinking about security film. Has anyone installed that? Were you able to do it without getting air bubbles?

We had security film installed. It went on invisibly (some of it; some of it was frosted to obscure) and has held up for more than a decade now with only the slightest bit of pullback in the corners. That's one of those projects for which I would regret a halfway job every time I saw it, so we hired it out to someone with lots of experience avoiding air bubbles rather than DIYing. Of course, filming the glass is a waste of $$ if the handlesets and locks are easily defeated, so I'd spend a few dollars on that (DIY is fine there) to beef them up if need be.

August frugals:
- I got a check back from my oral surgeon; apparently I overpaid somewhere. $25 and change back.
- I found a lot of meat we actually will eat in the soon-to-expire bin at a supermarket I don't usually go to but was convenient for some other shopping. I scooped it up and put it in the (downstairs) freezer. The upstairs one is still on probation...
- ... although the tech came out to look at the upstairs fridge, said after three minutes that there was nothing else he could look at, and did not charge us for the visit. "Call us if it happens again." Uh huh.
- Apparently if you fill out the survey on your Target checkout receipt often enough you get invited to their on-line focus groups. And if you participate in enough of those, they ask you to review products for them: products which they ship to your home and which are yours to keep in return for an honest (and segregated) review on their Web site. So a TV wall mount awaits our installation. This has the benefit of making it impossible for grandkids to pull the TV down on them and lets us tilt the TV easier for when the sun comes into the room at a certain angle.
- This week's project is to round up all the hazardous and hard-to-recycle stuff around the house; the city is collecting and I volunteered for a shift this weekend in exchange for bringing in one load for free. I am hopeful it is not still summer by then...

[Tybee]

Yesterday after a lovely afternoon of free swimming in glorious Lake Michigan, we stopped at our favorite abandoned apple tree and picked two more bags of apples. I am cutting them up for pies today and have a bag and a half left and six gallon bags of apples already in the freezer for pies.

On the unfrugal side, bought a new violin bow and a new violin because my brother talked me into both. As a rank beginner, it's hard to think this will improve things too much, but it is wonderful to be learning a new instrument.

Car broke down last week, serpentine belt and airconditioner tensioner, so that was four hundred dollars, which in the world of car repair is not that bad.

Kind of unfrugal, but it was an old violin, I offered lower than list price and they accepted, and it is a 2001 car, so that's pretty frugal.

[Yppej]

Thanks Steve. DS is still researching options and I gave him your feedback.

I have been avoiding temptation lately. I did not beat the 90 degree heat by going to an air conditioned store yesterday although I had money in my pocket. Today I did not stop at the liquor store to soothe myself for the commute from hell. I looked up the price of kitchen renovations and crossed them off the estimate list for if/ when we have contractors do something with the windows.

I worked a half hour of overtime.