View Full Version : May frugals/no-spend days
Howdy folks,
So I thought I'd kick off a May frugals thread... I want to try and rack up as many 'no-spend days' as I can this month.... ok, so maybe not quite 'no-spend', as my work and evening activities often require a dollar or two to be handed over here and there... but definitely 'minimal-spend' days... like under $10... I also want to see where else I can cut down on the wasteful consumption... so here goes! I hope you'll join me! :~)
Hope you're all having a nice Friday!
Lucas
Hey Lucas, good to see you again. I think we might be in a similar place - unlikely to ever be the at the very apex of frugality, but steadily moving in the right direction from the mindless spending days.
Yesterday I was in Talbot's at lunchtime and I tried on a sweater I had admired in the catalog. I liked it, it fit me, good color, and with the sale and my two "dividend reward" certificates, it would have cost me $6.00 instead of the (admittedly too high) $79.99. I came so close - and then reminded myself of the abundance of nice sweaters that I already owned and the fact that I not only didn't need it, I didn't really want it all that much. I would have been buying it for the 5-minute "something new and pretty" rush, so I was pleased with myself for resisting! So it was a no discretionary spending day for me.
Hi there rosarugosa... yes, I'm all too familiar with the "5-minute something new and pretty" rush... well done for not giving in! I have to keep reminding myself that happiness comes from not reaching for things outside myself... i'm still a work in progress too.... hope you're having a good day...
I should have read this before running out and actually SHOPPING today. I don't do it often and I don't often regret my spending but I do wish I had spent more time thinking before I spent money this morning! I'll try for some no spend days too this month, though I can't start until Thursday. Traveling and spending is already known!!!
iris lilies
5-3-14, 6:11pm
ok, I'm in.
I'll commit to 3 no spend days this month. That's hardly any and if I can't meet that goal, I'm in trouble.
Here's my daily tally:
This week: No spend 5/5, 5/6, 5/8--and that's about right, I can usually count on no spending 3 -4 days per week in normal times
This week: no spend 5/13, 5/14, 5/15, 5/16 - 4 days so far. Work is a little frazzled right now so that keeps me on the straight and narrow: work, come home, sleep, work, come home, sleep etc. I'll be spending money today and tomorrow.
Much of my "no spend" ability is due to DH paying all of the bills, so I personally do not write checks.
Last week: I forgot to record days, but I think it was a good 3 days that I spent nothing. But it was my birthday and we went out to dinner and then took advantage of 10% off on my birthday at the discount liquor store, so 3 cases of wine added up to a few hundred dollars pretty fast.Will pay better attention this week to details.
This week: May 26 - June 1: May 26 no spend, all I did was dig iris and get dirty' no spend May 27'.
Don't know how I'll do on the no spend days, but will try to keep up with my usual frugal activities and add new ones when I can.
Made a risotto last night with ramps my dearly beloved brought home from the farm. Will make a frittata worth the remaining ramps and eggs from the farm today. Ramps are too expensive to buy and I've never been able to find them wild, but free ramps?!? Bring 'em on!!! :D
Watching True Detective with the HBO Go app for frugal entertainment.
early morning
5-4-14, 5:02pm
I don't have very many no-spend days, although I have a lot of no discretionary spending days. I'll try for 4 totally non-purchasing or bill paying days. We have an antique booth and do flea markets off and on. One of the pluses of that is that we have a great excuse to yard-sale and attend auctions. Which is, of course, also one of the chief negatives, lol. I have found some wonderful stuff for our personal use, but I'm going to have to be much more careful, or much of our profit is going to be eaten up by my "deals". Not to mention the space and clutter issue - *sigh*. So far this year's non-resale purchases have been mostly for replacement items (brand new towels to replace some very worn ones, a spatula because I broke one -for example) or things that were on my list to purchase, (specific rocks for a plant tray, outdoor solar lights, folders, folios, books). But I can see that I'm going to have to rein myself in - not to mention DD! BUT I spent less than what 2 of the towels would have cost (and I got 4, plus lots of other stuff).... so I'm justifying my purchases as frugal!:~)
Hi there folks...
I'm on course so far to make today 'no-spend' day number one... I hear you earlymorning - I reckon frugal purchases are just as important as non-purchases (does that make sense? :confused:)... I mean that getting a good deal on necessary purchaes probably results in just as much overall saving as choosing not to buy non-necessities at all...
Sounds fun--count me in! I haven't done this before and am wondering if we're supposed to "count" how many days we're aiming for as no-spend before starting? Am considering signing up for The Compact and this will be a good challenge for me to wet my feet. :) Thanks for starting it, lucas.
Teacher Terry
5-5-14, 5:01pm
I have found now that I am working from home I have a lot more non-spend days then before. I probably have 3-4 days per week where I don't spend $. Also my need for nice clothes has went way down. I now have tons of empty space in my closet.
I updated my budget Sat for the month of May, and I was excited to see that I would be able to put an extra sum in savings this month. I never even said it out loud, but by the end of the day realized we have termites. So I'm trying to be positive about having this money to put toward termite treatments! :(
A friend and I were walking to the home of another friend for a dinner party the other night. Her place is extremely difficult to find, and we had to wander through a kind of rabbit-warren neighborhood to get to her place. We came across a dumpster that had a giant pile of old clothing and bed linen outside of it...at least ten large garbage bags worth of clothing. It looked like someone had cleaned out an elderly woman's apartment. In the pile, I found two gorgeous, vintage woolen coats. One, a wool and mohair blend, had an Austrian label in it, saying it had been made in Vienna by a certain company, complete with the company's street address on it. It fit perfectly, and all it needs is a good dry cleaning, some fraying seams tidied up, and perhaps a new lining put in. It even had a pair of matching gloves in the pocket!
The second one had been made in Israel but had obviously German styling to it. I'm guessing these coats are from the fifties or sixties...perhaps when the original owner moved to Israel, she may have brought the first one with her, and purchased the second one later. Very cool, and they will be invaluable this winter...I only have a light raincoat and a heavy American parka to wear, but Israeli winters call for something in between, just like these coats.
I have found now that I am working from home I have a lot more non-spend days then before. I probably have 3-4 days per week where I don't spend $. Also my need for nice clothes has went way down. I now have tons of empty space in my closet.
Love this! I am just exploring minimalism and have started a (slightly revised) version of the 333 Project (http://theproject333.com/) where basically you pare down your wardrobe to 33 items to wear for the next 3 months. It's fun! And I'm amazed that since starting this last week I've yet to wear the same thing twice (I work at home too, which makes this somewhat easier). Love that empty space in the closet--freeing!
Howdy folks,
yesterday I spent..... $0.... wooohooo!.... Today I had to pick up some lunch stuff on the way to work, so today won't count... roll on tomorrow! Its a good lesson in the need for planning... not planning for what I'll need, and covering those needs in a frugal way. is a recipe to wind up wasting money... like they say, failing to plan is planning to fail...
Important to have targets to... so I'm setting myself the target of 12 no-spend days in May... bring it! :~)
Hugs,
Lucas
Great find, Selah. Do you ever get any feeling that passers-by would disapprove of you taking things from dumpter areas like that? or is it considered just a good way to get things recycled?
Hi, Lainey. No, people leave things outside dumpsters precisely because they want to offer them to the community at large. It's a little different to be seen digging through a dumpster, but most people leave things they want to give away neatly folded up or stacked next to the dumpster. In this last case, there was SO much stuff, it looked like they just emptied a lot of bags they must have filled up in the apartment or house they cleaned out. On the other hand, Israelis will say things like, "oh, it was perfectly good but I didn't need it, so I left it out for the Ethiopians," referring to the newly arrived and generally impoverished Ethiopian Jews who arrived in Israel and are living in a kind of public housing. Since clothing is now fairly cheap in Israel, Israelis have become more fashion conscious and are not at all into vintage clothing--instead, locally, they like to buy new clothes every year, especially around Passover time, which just finished recently. The buying of new clothes often triggers major wardrobe and home cleanouts, so the dumpster-adjacent diving is at its peak season right now! :)
After having three months of expenses (Feb. - dad in hospice; March - dad passing away; and end of March/April - dog into the vets for 5 days with pancreatitis). I have always been frugal, but am leaning to be more so with these expenses hitting all at once. The dog is now currently on insulin (vet called in prescription and told me that instead of paying $99 for a vial, the presc he's calling in will cost about $29). The insulin is actually $25 with a 30 day supply of syringes for $12. The vial will last me a month. I do have to check her urine glucose and if we can keep it down, the dosage can change or it may be eliminated. The pancreatitis is often found in middle-aged to older dogs, more commonly in females and females that are spayed. My dog is 8 and a spayed female. She still isn't quite right but is doing better. She is on a bland diet as well.
Going downstate this weekend for Mother's Day and to finish off with the amending of legal paperwork for my mother. Gas will run me about $80-100 round trip. It's a 4-1/2 to 5 hour drive for me, plus $8 (round trip) for the Mackinaw bridge. While I'm there, I'll be helping mom by getting up on the garage roof and spraying it with Ultra Dawn and water to kill the moss, may have to also do some scraping to make sure it comes off. BTW, the moss killer also works on lawn moss. Recipe for it is 4 oz Ultra Dawn to 1 gallon warm water. (I know some people also add in vinegar and salt, but the 1 lb of salt would definitely kill the lawn as well).
To stay frugal, like I do most days, I bring my lunch and drink to work daily. Eat out of the freezer and pantry for dinner as much as possible. Restock on sale items (food) that I need. Make homemade cleaners for around the house, so don't need any supplies in that arena currently. Will be having a garage sale Memorial weekend and possibly the weekend after that. I then plan to continue with at least once or twice a month to have yard sales until most (if not all) of the items sell -- I have items from self, friend, sister and mother. I may even try posting on Craiglist some of my sister's brand-new clothes with tags on as these should fetch more money than in a yard sale.
dumpster-adjacent diving is at its peak season right now!
Hi there folks,,,, I love the idea of peak-season dumpster diving... when I think of some of the wasteful purchases I made in the past, only to wind up depositing unused items on the curb a week or month later.... well, at least I can say I was a generous benefactor of my local dumpster diving community at one point in my life... :|(... thankfully I'm not so wasteful these days....
Anyway, this week I'm learning that getting really frugal requires planning... yesterday I intended not to spend a cent, but I forgot that I had a breakfast meeting and... pow! - $29.... oh well, I'm on course for zero expenditure today thank goodness...
I hope you're all having a nice thursday!
You're really doing well, debi, especially considering everything that's been happening this year. And that's quite a Mother's Day present - moss removal! Good for you for keeping it together and moving ahead.
Well $1200 later, we are living within the benevolent moat of soil saturated with pesticides surrounding our house. But not to worry, it's only toxic for termites and safe for people and pets.
I'm thinking no vegetable garden this year. :(
I guess we're still probably better off with Termidor and without cigarettes. I'm trying to see my cup half full, don't you know. Of Termidor, cause it's only toxic for termites.
Sorry, this probably belongs in the Angst Forum. It just frustrates me, because we've tried to garden organically, and now that feels pretty pointless.
What do mean we have no Angst Forum? Moderators???
ApatheticNoMore
5-9-14, 9:38pm
Well $1200 later, we are living within the benevolent moat of soil saturated with pesticides surrounding our house. But not to worry, it's only toxic for termites and safe for people and pets.
I'm thinking no vegetable garden this year.
I think there are less toxic ways to get rid of termites now, apparently is says you can do it with heat or freezing and possibly other methods. I dont' know if any of them are as effective but non-pesticide termite removal would be my first thing to research if I owned a house and it had termites (the second of which isnt' true, because the first isn't :) ). But that doesnt' help you now. Oh I doubt any way of getting rid of termites is "no spend".
Hi there rosa!
termites.. what a nightmare... no matter how much we may love mother nature, she is also a cruel bitch sometimes... I hope you're not too stressed... :doh:
I did have a no spend day today. I was going to buy some picture frames, but I am too tired. I would have had a no spend day yesterday but I had to pick up $2 worth of photos from Walgreens for a school project.
I was so, so tempted to order pizza tonight. My spring allergies kept me up a lot last night and Zach went to do some electrical work today on our friends' DIY kitchen remodel. These are the friends who always help us when we need babysitting, so he is doing it for free. He didn't get home until 7:00 and I was really tired. It would have been easy to just call it a Mothers Day present to myself. :) Instead I cooked up some sausages and peppers. It tasted just fine.
Well done Stella for not making that pizza purchase! it's funny, the more I work on being frugal, the more I realize that I need to plan ahead in order not to save money... sometimes circumstances intervene - like if something wackly happens at work and I have to stay all evening - and it is difficult to stay 'spend-free'.... of course, I do have the option of just going hungry, but i'm not quite prepared to go to the length of starving myself... by the same token, sometimes circumstances change in unforeseen ways and I find there's no need to spend money (like when I went for dinner the other night and my cousin insisted on paying the bill).... anyway, I'm on course for another no-spend today... the first of this week...
i hope you're all having a nice monday!
Hello simple friends,
Well, I managed to go 'spend-free' yesterday, and I'm pretty sure I'll manage the same today (will be staggering straight home from the office, without much reason to spend), so that will take me up to four no-spend days so far this month...
Hugs,
Lucas
Well, laundry and an overwhelming craving for strong fresh coffee meant some money leakage from my wallet today... my no-spend day count for May remains at 4 days so far...
Hello my minimalist friends,
I'm glad to say today was my fifth no-spend day this month... it's reassuring to see that bad spending habits can be changed when you put your mind to it... im still aiming to rack up 12 in May altogether.... when I've worked though my accounts, I realized that I spend an incredible amount of money just on coffee each month and year... the daily trip to the cafe on the way to work - it all builds up - especially living in new york and being easily tempted by gourmet $5 coffees... not this week! living and learning... I hope you're all well...
Total no spend days so far in May: 5
Hugs,
Lucas
Teacher Terry
5-16-14, 4:35pm
I am having an entire no spend week but not exactly by choice. My oldest son had to take my car to pick up my youngest son's big, old dog halfway across the country so he can come live with us. My youngest is traveling for work so no longer able to keep him. Normally my hubby only works p.t. so I could use his car but his job is going full speed. I could go somewhere at nite when he gets home but by then I am tired. However, I am getting completely caught up on cleaning, laundry, etc:|(.
Hi there Terry... a week without spending is something to be proud of, even if it didn't happen entirely deliberately! You've obviously got internet access, so i'm sure you could have blown some funds from the comfort of your front room had you wanted to... as for me, groceries and a completely unnecessary coffee shop 'incident' ('spice pumpkin muffins? I have to have one!') meant I laid out some cash today... so my 'no-spend day' tally for May so far remains at 5 days...
I hope you've had a nice friday...;)
rosarugosa
5-17-14, 7:35am
Lucas, when you don't indulge at the coffee shop, what is your alternative? Do you make coffee at home and take a thermos, or can you make coffee at work? I always make and drink coffee at home before going to work, but I'm not someone who wants to drink coffee throughout the day, so that strategy works for me but wouldn't be for everyone.
This hasn't been a totally frugal week for me because I was on vacation, but I did have a budget established for recreational spending, and we stayed within that budget. I did do some recreational shopping with my sister yesterday, but we went to Savers and Salvation Army. I scored two good books for $4.00 at Savers, and a perfect pair of jeans for $8.00 at SA. The jeans were a major score! We did a lot of walking in the woods for entertainment this week, so that was fun & healthy & free.
Terry, I am disappointed that I didn't accomplish more in the way of window washing and yard work this week, but my husband is working this weekend, so I still have some time left. Good for you for being so productive! I did get the closet cleaned out this week, so that was one good accomplishment.
ToomuchStuff
5-17-14, 10:08am
I haven't been paying attention to it, but do track all my spending. Not as many as I would like, in part due to a lot of little (minor) fix its here and there. May 1,2,4,7,11, 12,13 were all no spend and some of the others between were little things that will get reimbursed later (online ordering or light work pickup stuff). This week, I have one that could cost, unless I figure out how to do it safely, alone. A racoon fell with a limb off a neighbors tree and put a hole in my garage. The racoon lived and appears to be making a nest in the ceiling of the garage (built for a model A in the late 20's), so I am trying to figure out how to get it out of there. (patching the hole will cost, but I am more worried about medical from a po'd racoon)
If I name it Rocky, do you think I could chase it out with a Gideon's bible? (some on the radio as I was typing this, LOL)
Teacher Terry
5-17-14, 1:18pm
I have no clue why I thought I was not spending $ this week. I am paying car gas, hotels, meals, etc for my oldest to get the dog. Then I get a call that when my other son took the dog to his vet for shots he needs to be sedated to have bacteria removed from his ears from pond swimming & meds but the vet did not have time to do it so of course I have to do it when he gets here. This will probably end up being an expensive week. I guess delusions are free:|(.
rosarugosa
5-18-14, 6:09am
Hmmm, lots of critter related expenses: termites, raccoon, dog . . .
Good luck, Toomuchstuff and Teacher Terry!
May 18
I have been here and trying to be frugal...mostly...about 6 no spends this month, BUT no critters here (so far no reappearance of last
years Drain Flies, keeping my fingers cross on that one)
I have not been feeling well for months and finally have been to the doctor and had CT of sinus (had none of the usual pain but had severe
postnasal drip, bleeding, very tried and vertigo when laying down) Results yesterday are that I have a polyp, major congestion, infection and blocked air pockets, I
am a mess. She prescribed an antibiotic and Prednisone and getting an appointment with a Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I do not like to take either but, can't go on feeling this way.
Life is not fun and it is very hard to be frugal when you are so tried all time.
--I have been making small batches of soup (pea, veggies, from stuff in freezer and fridge) frugal and healthy
--Still using up and not buying anything much these days.
--Still only buying mostly only fresh fruit, veggies, milk and really good items for stockpiling
--Still using the library for DVD's and books. Lastest has been the first Season of "Mad Men" I can't believe I never watched
this series when it was on TV...it is really good. And, the First Season of "Call the Midwife"...excellent series.
And, two new books. Really it is so hard to believe people buy and then store this stuff when you can get it FREE.
--Dd gave me a Wine gift card for Mothers Day, she like to joke she caused me to drink so now she can help with that...lol
so I picked up a box, but the frugal is I won't drink any for the ten days I am on meds...that is one way to save money....hehe
That is all for now have a good day~
early morning
5-18-14, 1:01pm
danna, I sure hope you feel better soon. thanks for your posts - I think of you as my quiet inspiration. You have dealt with a lot these past years but you keep on and always seem positive, makes me see that I too can deal. Discouraged today for no more reasons that usual, just not dealing well at the moment, (updated my check register, maybe that's what did it, lol!). I don't think I have ANY no spend days this month, although I should only have to put gas in the car today. Should have done it yesterday, but I didn't look at the gauge until I was well past the cheap station :|( and I have to go to my mother's again today anyway. So that's my goal, ONLY gas for the car. But I'm taking DH with me, and he will want to buy me coffee out, and it's hard to say no because he gets out so seldom. (The money comes from the same pot so even though he spends it, I still count it as "spending"...)
Thank you early morning
It has been a hard many years and they don't seem to be getting any better with sick family....so I feel I need to keep
myself well and up for them. Some days are harder then others as you know. OMG looking at the cheque book is always a downer
I am so glad for what I have learned here and the support/inspiration of you all.
Hi there friends,
Rosa! How are you? Yes, I've been making coffee at work instead of wasting money in the cafe lately... a step in the right direction! Danna, I hope you're doing ok... I find it very hard to be disciplined when I'm feeling unwell... I really hope it gets better quick... being ill just sucks in every way... I'm sending you a big hug!
As for me, I didnt have any no-spend days over the weekend... I'm not too worried about it, but it has made me look at the way I sometimes spend money out of a misplaced sense of 'social necessity... a few friends of mine were having dinner in friday, and invited me along... I had eaten well and wasn't at all hungry, but I ordered food and ate anyway... afterwards I asked myself, 'why?' I was just in the mood to hang out and have a chat, and I could have easily just ordered a drink and skipped the food, but I instinticely took the menu and got dinner out of a feeling of wanting to join in... I think it would be a good practice for me to try asbtaining from the meal (unless I really want it), in situations like that...
Hugs,
Lucas
May 19...Stat holiday here and stay in all day...read, watched a movie, cooked and cleaned...No spend=lovely day
Go Danna! I could do with a day in... today was a hectic day for me - work non-stop followed by taking care of some commitments at my local zen center... just got home, and it's after 11pm... time to collapse! Thankfully I was too busy to spend any money today (though business mor eoften results in money being spent, rather than saved, in my case)...
May no-spend days so far: 6
I hope you're all having a nice evening!
Lucas
rosarugosa
5-21-14, 7:28pm
My latest frugal is going to be a seasonal one. Now that mint has become a must in my daily salad, we've been buying it on a regular basis. This week there is enough in my garden for me to start harvesting and using, so I shouldn't have to buy mint again until November.
May 21/21
--Yesterday was wraps with some chicken/rice/lentils and some toppings and enough leftover for tonight
--company from out of town this afternoon so when I was making two sour cream coffee cakes to donate at
Charity event for seniors home tomorrow night I a made an extra for us and the company, (sour cream was
on sale this week and I had butter in the freezer and lots for raspberry jam for the middle.) It was lovely
with tea and had an enjoyable afternoon with an old friend I had not seen in years.
--shingles were delivered and the big boxes are now sitting on my roof....Rain willing they will start to put them on tomorrow.
Got several estimates and hope I have gone with the right one....they came highly recommended and so far I feel good about them
rosarugosa
5-21-14, 8:48pm
Danna, Your wraps and coffee cakes sound delicious! Good luck with the roofing. We got a new roof last year and have been very pleased. We had a ton of rot under our roofing shingles and we're probably lucky the roof never fell in on us!
Howdy friends,
Hmmmm.... I've been getting pretty good at 'bulk preparing' food at home, so that I'm not always ordering in at work... so that's going well... but I can definitely do with looking at other areas where I could dial down the expenditure... it only takes one moment of exhuberance to undo all the money saved in a week or more of frugality...
Anyway, I'm glad to say today was another no-spend day for me, so I'm up to seven far this month...;)
May no-spend days so far: 7
Hugs,
Lucas
So far for May, I have brought my lunch to work daily. No take-outs, no drinks, etc. I bring my own unsweetened iced tea from home to go with my lunch. If I wanted, I could have coffee at work. Those who drink it pitch in about every 3 weeks for a can to be purchased. I have my two cups at home prior to driving in.
Getting ready to have a yard/garage/rummage sale (whatever you want to call it) to gain back my polebarn which is packed with boxes of stuff. My mother, sister and some friends all told me that they don't want any proceeds from what I sell. So hopefully I can sell most of the items on Friday and Saturday. If not, then I'll keep having these sales at least once or twice a month. This may help bring down the credit card bill or pay to have the riding mower repaired. I'm thinking carburator problem as it starts and one can drive it, but when you shut off and go to restart, it won't start. There' s a newer battery in it from last year so it's not the battery and I also checked it on a battery charger.
I've also been trying to put an extra $50 aside at least biweekly to once a month towards the purchase of another vehicle. I currently am driving a 2001 Ford Taurus. Back in October a deer hit the front passenger side. Of course because of the vehicle's age, they totalled the car. I told them I'd keep it and got a small check. I've had a front wheel alignment on it, two new tires (and probably need the other two tires in the near future), plus there was that $625 bill when the car overheated while downstate when my father was in hospice. I could put all of the saved money towards the credit card bill and zero it out, but then I have no cushion should I need to purchase another vehicle.
I will say that I've been paying an extra $100/month toward the mortgage and that should be paid off within 1 to 1-1/2 years. I thought about refinancing, but the bank tacks on closing and other fees which amount to $2,000 - $3,000 more. I'm thinking that I may be ahead when paying extra towards the principle.
Anyway I am definitely not spending as much money this month as I have, so that's good news.
May 22
---Busy day and out a lot Dd and I picked up supper with coupons 2/for the price of one only $5.00 each, a bit of a treat.
That is all I can think of for now. Oh, I had some of the leftover coffee cake for breakfast not healthy but frugal....lol
A mix of frugal and not so frugal over here. Still been making a pot of tea every morning and bringing it to work in my travel mugs to drink throughout the day. Trying to do the same with lunches and some days I'm successful, other days not so much.
Went to see Godzilla in 3-D yesterday. Tickets were $23 for the two of us, but I had movie passes from work that brought it down to $8. I also had 2 packages of peanut M&Ms from work so we had those as our movie treat instead of buying overpriced popcorn!
Trying to eat from the pantry as much as possible. Need to make some beans in the crockpot this weekend to help facilitate that.
Hi there frugal friends,
Like Debi, I'm definitely not spending as much money as I might otherwise... I find that trying to rack up 'no-spend' days ahs a positive effect on my mindset, making me less inclined to splurge even on days when I do have to spend on other items... I haven't managed any new no-spend days over the last few... partly because of general life chaos and bad planning (forgetting to get things I will need with the weekly grocery shop)... ANyway, my tally still stands at seven, so I think I'm unlikely to make it to my target of 12 for May (i'd have to spend nothing for five of the remaining eight days of the month - feasible, but very difficult). Anyway, I'm still determined to make at least 10 for May....
I hope you're all having a good Friday...;)
No-spend days in May so far: 7
Hugs,
Lucas
May 24
Less spend are definitely good too Debi!
--Some groceries today....eggs 1.88 a doz so bought 4 they are good till June30 and I will pickle some I find
then a quick protein when I am really hungry. Bought 5 lbs of lean ground beef and made a very large meat loaf and
added a can of puree chick peas to stretch it out we had this for supper and there is a nice amount for leftovers.
15 large meat balls to freeze and 5 small bags to freeze.
Also, bought a nice chicken on sale and roasted it have tomorrow with gravy from the drippings. Already cut up and will freeze some for a later date.
All the carcus has been put in the freezer to had to soup later.
Today was a good day to do all this cooking it was actually cold here so it warmed up the house and it is suppose to be warm the
rest of the week so we won't need to turn the oven on.
Have a great weekend....I have forgot to add up no spend but, there have been a few and some spend less days too.
rosarugosa
5-24-14, 6:13am
Hey Danna: Eggs are typically good for 3 -5 weeks beyond the marked expiration date, so you should have a bit of time to eat them. I LOVE eggs!
Debi: That is exciting that you are getting close to the end of your mortgage.
Cdttmm: How did you like Godzilla?
Lucas: Thanks for keeping the thread going this month. Do you do salads for lunches, or do you require something more substantial? I have daily lunch salads from home down to a science, but I know my DH does not think much of salad for a main course, so it wouldn't be satisfactory for everyone. I really enjoy salads, so it doesn't feel like deprivation to me.
I ordered theater tickets last night for Into the Woods, which sounds like it will be absolutely wonderful. How is this a frugal you ask? Well after Book of Mormon, tickets for anything seem downright cheap! I am also planning to order tickets for a Ratdog/Chris Robinson concert, but I figure that we save where we can so we can afford to spend on things that are important to us. These both fit the bill (and tickets for both events will still come in cheaper than a pair of BOM tickets)!
Market Basket had lobsters on sale for Memorial Day weekend, so we had inexpensive and delicious homemade lobster rolls for dinner last night for less than half the cost of buying them out.
This concludes today's episode of Rosa's Extravagant Frugals!
I had a no-spend day yesterday and will have one today, too. I've also cut down on food consumption over the past two days, but all of this is just because I've been under the weather! Oh well, whatever gets you there! :)
Thanks rosarugosa about the eggs that makes sense....
Sitting here trying to talk myself down from some of the leftover coffeecake for breakfast....frugal does not always meet healthy...hehe
Oh well it does need to be used up...........
May 24
---did not go yardsaling this morning so no morning spent and no gas
---no cooking had chicken and salad for lunch and meatloaf sandwich for supper...all cooked yesterday
--finally had a nice warm day and I got flower pots planted they look very pretty and did not cost a lot.
last year I had dug up a bit of ground cover (one that gets a little yellow flower) and tucked some around
the edges of the flower pots and in no time they became nice trailers on the sides....Free
--watching a movie from the Library...Free
Mostly frugal day yesterday. The weather was pretty nice so we took the dogs to the state park across the street and went for a 5 mile trail run. Of course, they came back wet and muddy so we bathed them and cut their toe nails. We made homemade pizza for dinner and have leftovers to eat today. I need to start a pot of black beans soaking as we used up the last batch from the freezer the other night. Our neighbor came by to borrow our tractor yesterday and brought us a dozen eggs and a dozen duck eggs as a thank you. Tomorrow I'll use half of the duck eggs to make a frittata with local asparagus. We'll eat that within a day or two and I'll make a second one later this week.
The weather is supposed to be wonderfully sunny and warm both today and tomorrow. Good weather for bees and for checking the hives. That will be on the agenda for tomorrow.
awakenedsoul
5-25-14, 2:44pm
Better late than never...this month has been frugal except for the $420.00 I had to spend on fixing the toilet. But, it was worth it, and I had the money in my emergency fund. Just hung the laundry out on the line. I washed it in homemade laundry detergent. Lots of rags (instead of paper towels,) and flannel squares (instead of t.p.) The couch I bought for $60.00 at the Salvation Army yesterday is working out well. Did some research, and it's either from the 1940's or 1950's. It's very well made. Have been bringing in homemade cookies to my knitting group on Sundays. I have all the ingredients in my stockpile. I used to go to another group at Panera. This way I save bus fare, (I can bike there,) and I don't have to buy anything to eat. (It's at a yarn shop.) Made some compost tea to feed the garden. The manure was free from a neighbor. Boy, does it make a difference! The flowers look glorious! Really healthy and happy. Have been walking around the track each morning or evening. I used to drive to a local park to run the dogs. Now I bike to this school and save the gas. It's only five mins. away, and a really nice atmosphere. Picked up a tap class to teach at the Senior Center. If I get 20 people, I'll make $70. for the hour. Am working on the publicity for that. Love hearing about everyone's frugals...
I cancelled an identity theft policy, and am going to change to a cheaper dental plan and drop my short term disability next month at open enrollment. We have things in order that the short term is no longer needed and we have various id theft from other venues for free. This adds up to 145 a month saved. Little things really add up.
May 25
Not a no spend for sure.....
---filled up the car with gas at Loblaws .02 cheaper a litre and also, got $.81 as a rebate towards groceries. I hadn't filled up since last month.
---Ontario asparagus was $1.99 so bought some of that...too yummy and 1lb of raw large shrimp were on for $7.99 so bought 2,
I am the only one that eats them so these will make me many meals. Used the above $.81 towards this order....every penny
helps...lol
--I bought 8 pieces of red cedar fencing 1/2" by 5" by 5' and I am going to try and make a couple of raised beds out of them. Not
the best thickness, but good wood for it and at least they will be a start. Enough for the two boxes cost $33.00 way less then I was
looking at paying a handyman to make them.
I took before pictures of this very sad backyard, hopefully I will have some good after pictures later in the summer.
--While I was out I was close to a fancy coffee place I had a coupon for a free Latte, got that and enjoyed while I shopped....Free is a good thing.
Blackdog Lin
5-26-14, 7:29pm
Not a deliberate frugal, but it'll save us a substantial amount of money. Got a notice from our long term care (nursing home) policy company that they are raising their rates.....wait for it.....80%!!! Almost double what we're paying now. So it was a no-brainer to cancel them. Too bad, I would prefer to keep them, but no way I can pay that kind of increase. I've decided to just be glad we'll be saving $130.00 a month.
ApatheticNoMore
5-26-14, 10:59pm
Found a toaster oven lying near the curb while taking a walk (free for the taking). I've long wanted a toaster oven but whether it really works well enough to keep, I don't know, I mean free and lying on the curb is kind of a roll of the dice - can't really expect it to necessarily work. It isn't entirely broken though, it is producing heat, but I'll have to test it to see how it works to heat up food. And it was as dusty as death. :)
May 27
---Yeah my roof was done yesterday and going with as much as I know (which I am sure could be a lot more..lol)
I am very pleased this company was on time, professional, neat and did not add on any new work/charges.
We have had a torrential down pour this evening I so far it looks great. They tell me the better ventilation system they
have used will decrease my cooling and heating....I will take that!
--Finished all the meds I was on for Sinus infection today and they do seem to have worked which is giving me a whole new
level of energy. Yeah!!!!!
--Had a very nice free lunch today from the Seniors home that I am on the auxiliary, it was a lovely treat and nice to get such a
heartfelt thankyou. We do raise and a lot of money.
Hi there frugal friends,
I've had a rollercoaster few days with work and a visit from an ex-girlfriend, which brought up all sorts of old uncomfortable emotions… it also brought up a hefty lunch bill yesterday..:|(
Anyway, it's been good to read everyone's posts and see how you're all doing…
Apatheticnomore, did the toaster oven work out in the end? I'm contemplating buying a brooiling tray, as we don't have one at home, but I want to make sure I get a good deal..
Rosa, yes indeed, I have become a big salad man… I usually include some form of protein in the salad too though… I've discovered that, in New York you don't necessarily save a lot of money by making your own lunches, as decent ingredients are so expensive… the alternative is worse, though, because buying lunch in generally means cutting back on nutrition, as you dont get decent proportions of veg and protein when you get something pre-made… the key is seeking out the good quality, reasonably priced food stores...
Hi there Danna… it sounds like you're on an upward trajectory after a couple of little bumps… sinus infections are no fun! How are you feeling today?
As dor me, my noble aim of notching up 12 'no-spend days' this month is a little off course - I'm on course to hit eight entirely spending free days today…. I'm still aiming for 10 this month, though, so that means two more this week!
No-spend days in May so far: 8
I hope you're all having a happy wednesday! ;)
Teacher Terry
5-28-14, 7:22pm
I actually have had about 12 no spend days this month. However, I now have a $1000 mutt between the trip & hefty vet bill. Good thing I love that dog:~).
I had a no-spend day yesterday, and even got a refund for a product that wasn't working as it was supposed to. DH cut my hair last week and am getting lots of compliments and am being asked where I get my hair cut and colored! People are surprised and happy to hear that I just use a combination of two henna colors, and our own Conair scissors to get the look. My hair color's secret formula was given to me by my former hairstylist. He'd run a top-end salon in Manhattan years ago, then for whatever reason (most likely drugs), he'd lost everything and came out to Pahrump, Nevada, to "get a fresh start." :confused:
Now we're really going to up our home salon game by treating ourselves to an actual hairdresser's cape--up until recently, we'd been clipping a shower curtain I used as a dropcloth for my hair coloring around each other's necks during our cuts. Hot, sweaty, and not very effective! Oooh, fancy...talk about lifestyle creep! :)
A few little frugals to report. Filled up the car with diesel at the cheapest station around. Saved about 7 cents per gallon over going to the (slightly) more convenient station. Ate the last piece of asparagus frittata for lunch today and will make another one tonight or tomorrow. Ran an errand on the way home from work so that I wouldn't have to make a special trip some other time. Ordered 200 tea bags of one of my favorite teas online. It was 30% off and I got free shipping so it was worthwhile. I love good tea, but I don't like paying full price!!! I usually buy loose tea, but for some reason this brand gets better customer reviews for their bagged tea so that's what I went with. I was accepted into a weeklong academic conference this summer and I applied for financial aid since I work at a community college and won't get any funding through my school. They awarded me 50%, which is the maximum amount of aid they offer. This will save me $325 -- good deal!!!
Way to go, cdttmm, on the 50% off tuition deal!
Last for May
--I have bought nice red cedar 5' by 6" and made 2 raised garden boxes myself cost of $33.00 and I realized I
have the wooden frame of a queen size bed that will make another one (not food grade but, will use for flowers and gourds) FREE
Bought a roll of Weed control cloth at Costco and it is covering most of the back yard just need to get mulch to top it. $34.00
Emptied compost bin and made a lovely flower bed were it was and moved bin to new sunny location.
10 bags of soil for $20.00 will need more for the 3rd bed and mulch to cover weed cloth but, way way less then I thought it was
going to cost and the back yard is starting to look like something of use. Very pleased and bonus grandson has been helping and
that really is good for both of us.
--when I was getting the soil they had starter plants marked down and I got brussels sprouts, and three types of tomatoes
4 plants of each.
--lots of exercise and sleeping great from it.
--Corn for 10/$2.00 not our own yet but, was really good and been filling up on that for the last couple of days, bought more
local asparagus at $1.99 and it was yummy!
--yardsaling yesterday and got a beautiful vintage pure lambswool scarf Ralph Lauren made in Scotland for $2.00, 2 little Le Causent casserole dishes $2.00
(these are on the internet for upwards of $50.00 each OMG people must be crazy to spend that they are just 8 oz size),
8 beautiful linen napkins for $2.00, a 2 litre Juice glass container with lid for $.25, a necklace for $1.00 & a purse notepad/pen Free, a winter hat/scarf for $1.00,
and 5 garden/cookbooks for $1.00....Grand total of $9.25. Great stuff that I can use or resell.
--started to sort clothes I have for summer, way late doing it and realize I need very little for the season...needed a pair of flats with covered toes
for volunteering and got a great pair of KEDS runners at Costco for $23.00 should last many seasons.
--needed a birthday gift for great nephew and got lucky and found a cute Oshkosh demin shorts and top at Costco for $9.97 frugal except
I bought a second one for the second one as a for now gift...they were so cute! I don't see them often and I am going to visit my sisters in June.
Watching out for train specials to get a good price on the tickets....fingers crossed on this one
See you all in June it is hard to believe it has past so fast.
Wow danna, you're on a roll!
cdttmm, I think we may have discussed this before, but I forgot: where do you buy your loose teas online?
cdttmm, I think we may have discussed this before, but I forgot: where do you buy your loose teas online?
I usually buy from Rishi Tea, which is the loose tea I drink about 80% of the time. I buy bagged tea from Harney & Sons, but I usually buy it at Barnes & Noble because with a membership card I can get it for less than buying it online from Harney & Sons. I also buy bagged tea online from Mighty Leaf because I can't seem to find their tea I like in any store. But I only buy from them when they are having a sale and free shipping. :~)
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