View Full Version : March 2015 Frugals
Wow, for the first time I'm starting a Frugals thread! I'll start it by giving a very modest frugal effort DH and I made, which was to give a family member the gift of medical marijuana lotion to ease her neck pain. She has her own medical marijuana card, though, and it's all legal to buy here in Washington, so it's all good. Since her medical insurance doesn't cover it, and she is trying to declutter her own home, we felt we could give her something she truly needed, wanted, and would consume. We saw her yesterday and when she put the lotion on her neck, she got virtually instantaneous relief. It was great to see the tension on her face ease as the pain dissipated. I'm not sure if that qualifies as necessarily frugal, because there was no discount on it, but we knew it was something that was fairly priced, of excellent quality, and something she would use...more along the lines of simplicity, plus allowing her to spend her own money on other needs besides medication.
Hey Selah, that is really interesting; I had never heard of topical marijuana treatments before!
I'm going to re-post my post from earlier today here, since I had posted on February, hope nobody minds!
Like so many in New England, we've been spending virtually all our time indoors either at home or work or in transit between the two. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny Saturday, and we went for a great walk in Lynn Woods, which we haven't been able to do as often as we could last winter. While we were there, it occurred to me that lots of folks were probably at the mall or someplace like that for similar reasons, but probably getting less pleasure at much greater expense. Bonus: we didn't come home with anything but smiles and some images on our digital camera, no superfluous stuff!
We are having a quiet Sunday at home. Zach decided to work on some to-do list stuff this weekend. Yesterday he hung a microwave that he got for free from a house he was working on. It was in very good condition and ours has been on the fritz lately. He also built a can holder for canned goods in some wasted space behind a basement wall.
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There is a good sale on ground beef this week at a small, local market where I have been finding some good deals on meat. I'm going to stock up later this week.
Other than that, we are just having a quiet simple day. We went to mass last night, so today we are reading, going for walks, playing cards and listening to music.
LOL. That picture is upside down, but I'm not sure why.
Stayed home all day and all meals were made with leftovers! That's always a budget bonus. I have beef broth from Friday to make into soup tomorrow. Leftover fresh (gluten-free) bread crumbs to use to make crumb pancakes for breakfast in the morning. Lunch is leftover-leftovers from today. :D
I've not posted frugals in a few weeks -- been surprisingly busy.
Been eating up what's in our chest freezer. And it turns out there's some stuff in there that might be beyond human consumption. One badly freezer burned pork chop became a little treat for the dogs a few nights ago. An ancient bag of frozen green peas became dinner for them last night along with some rice and the last of the dog food. They'll have some more peas and rice this morning and I'll buy actual dog food this afternoon. They seem perfectly happy to eat this stuff up, thankfully! Also found a bird seed/suet cake so that went out in the bird feeder. I swear there is another one somewhere in the freezer, if I can just find it...
Still trying to eat our way through the giant pasta stash. Finished off a black olive fettuccine the other day that had an expiration date of 2008. Not the best pasta ever, but I can't be sure if that was because it was really old or it was just not that good to begin with. I suspect the latter, which might be what led to it languishing in the pantry for so many years. Covered it with generous amounts of pesto and cheese. Which will pretty much make anything edible. Also polished off a box of gluten free pasta in the form of homemade mac-and-cheese. Again with the cheese. Can't really go wrong! I started in on a jar of homemade kimchi that was gifted to us last year. It's gonna be a challenge to eat all of it, but I'm determined. My dearly beloved heads back to NYC this morning for an entire week so this gives me a chance to eat all the random things.
Made a dozen chocolate-stuffed scones last night. Those will not be a challenge to consume. :D
Convinced the dearly beloved to switch from the higher priced Republic of Tea decaf green tea bags to the lower priced Bigelow decaf green tea bags. He brews an entire pitcher and then drinks it as iced tea. Fortunately, he does not have the same tea snobbery that I have and is perfectly happy with this change. I will likely negate money saved there by buying more high-priced fancy tea for myself. :|(
In non-food related frugals, have managed to keep the house at 58 degrees F nearly the entire winter. There were a few really cold days when I kicked it up to 60 degrees, but otherwise, keeping the temperature low. I keep the Snuggle Safe pads heated for the cats and the dogs seem quite comfortable.
Yesterday, we built some beehives from some donated supplies. Once we got into the project we realized why the supplies were donated as pieces were warped or missing. But we improvised and managed to make everything work. (It's always good to have some basic woodworking skills!) The hives are destined for a beekeeping project in New Jersey.
We ran out of laundry soap today and we are making our own. We had steel cut oats for breakfast using the milk/water mix Ishbel suggested in the hot cereal thread. It was delicious. Lunch was quesadillas with refried bean dip I had made on Friday. We are making a point of being better about leftovers. That bean dip lasted through three meals for 9 people and cost about $3.
Zach is doing a quick side job for our elderly neighbour tonight. It will pay $100, which we will put into the jar we have for our trip fund. I found a $5 bill in the laundry that will also go to our trip fund.
Dinner tonight is mushroom and chicken quiche and a salad using leftover chicken. I'm going to make a few extra pie crusts to freeze for pot pies.
I am using up the last of some free coffee I got from a neighbour who is giving up coffee. It's lasted me almost a month. I also made challah bread dougg. It's rising right now. I will make a loaf of bread and a batch of cinnamon or caramel rolls for tomorrow's breakfast. Tomorrow is our 12th anniversary, so it will be nice to have a little treat.
Tonight I am roasting a chicken for dinner. I'm going to make a chicken casserole with the leftovers of that chicken and another one for a quick dinner in Thursday night, when Cheyenne has guitar.
I have some potatoes that need to be used up so I am going to make mashed potato cakes for breakfast tomorrow. I love those.
I am on my neighbourhood's 50th anniversary committee and I am researching licensing for an outdoor movie night. I think it might be in reach for our group financially. A free will offering will probably cover it. That will be some good frugal fun this summer. I'm also in charge of organizing an arts and music event with neighbours who are artists and musicians. I'm super excited about that too.
Welcome back, Stella. How is your sister doing?
Thanks Rosa! She is doing OK. She is deciding whether or not to have a risky surgery, but she is overall starting to find her new normal. She has an amazing caregiver now, so that has been s huge load off our minds. Thanks for asking! I've missed you all!
Dh and I have come to realize that if we don't buckle down and get serious about saving money we will never be able to retire. We are both starting to feel our age and are finding the physical demands of running the restaurant are really catching up to us. So, I am back and more determined than ever to save money.
We started doing a pizza carryout business in the evenings on top of our usual schedule. This has added about 50 hours a week to the work schedule. I am working 7 days a week and dh is working up to 17 hours a day. One of the up sides to this is that we're not spending much money. No time to go out and play and 90% of our eating is done at work. My grocery bill for the last 4 weeks has been right around $30.
I've been playing the on-line sweeps again and have one several small prizes lately: 4-5 candy bars which ds will be happy to indulge in, a package of cheese, and a jar of peanuts.
I stopped at Walgreen's last week and purchased 2 deoderants for 34 cents.
Spent some time this morning entering coke rewards points on line too. A customer gives me all of their points and in turn I share the rewards with them. We recently received coupons for 4 free 12 pks apiece.
Happy 12th Stella! Glad to see you back!
Went to the thrift store .. bought a book and paper cups... with points accrued ... paid a total of 8¢!
I've been thinking hard if there have been any frugals beyond the usual this month...
There have been plenty of no-drive days; unless I have a few places to go (or a long distance to cover) I don't even like to start the car when it's this cold. One benefit of not driving is that I make fewer supermarket runs than I used to. Most runs were to pick up something we'd run out of faster than expected or to pick up an advertised deal, but that's been tempered by the time and the dollar or so in fuel it takes to get there and back.
The dog continues to be an "un-frugal" but it's really nice to have her around, so... At least we found a good kibble for her that's a few bucks cheaper per bag than what we were buying at first. And we've given up on buying toys; she's just not interested. I'm sure we could spend much more money in search of something that rings her bell, but if she's not worried, we're not worried. :)
Wow BKE, it's been a very long time - nice to see you again!
I'm finding that owning a dog is not particularly frugal although so worth it! We bought a toy guaranteed indestructible before we picked him up - he had it chewed apart within an hour! I think the ball that was attached is still around so I can't really claim he destroyed it. Now his toys of choice (OK the only thing I offer him) are stuffed animals from the thrift store - no beanie baby types cause those beads end up all over, ribbons etc removed, the first thing he does is rip out the eyes and spit them out then stuffing everywhere. I did make dog biscuits this week but decided we could forgo a dog bone shaped cookie cutter. He can't tell squares from a dog bone shape.
Besides the unconditional love and plenty of laughs, I mostly appreciate the demands of walking him every day - this AM we were out in 6 degrees below - both bundled up and ready to go for a good 20 minutes.
Chris, some of m dog's favorite toys are: Old socks tied into knots, a plastic bottle with a couple of stones in it(it makes a lot of noise when he chases it around the house or patio in the summer). He also likes plastic water bottles without a lid as they make a "nice" noise. Tennis balls seem to hold up pretty well too.
Thanks RR-it's good to be back.
My morning coffee was free. It was a sample I received in the mail. Does anyone know how much a bag of coffee costs at a Starbucks coffee shop-not the grocery store? It occurred to me that I have a gift card and buying a bag of coffee to drink at home would be a frugal way to use it.
I have had a bag of those laundry soap tablets laying around the house for over two years. They were free so I picked them up but really prefer liquid laundry detergent so I never got around to using them. The other day I dissolved a few of them in an empty detergent jug. They work so nicely as a pre-dissolved liquid! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.
Yesterday was a no spend day. Today I must buy gas for the car. I am determined to make this my only spending for the day.
I figured out how to save $25 in parking charges for an upcoming day-trip to Seattle by doing a little online research and figuring out how to park for free at a shopping mall and take the bus in. Also, DH and I have already saved hundreds of dollars by getting some much-needed dental work at a dental school. I may also be picking up some extra work as an editor for a manuscript, so that could lead to some regular side income as the author is fairly prolific.
Our Tuesday Morning store is going out of business (which is sad, indeed) and they have everything on sale for 20% off. I already have a glass electric kettle I've purchased from them (twice over the years - one met with a tragic kitchen accident and went to appliance "heaven") that I absolutely love this kettle. When I checked the shelf they had one more, so I purchased it. Total $31.99 (plus tax). While looking at a trendy kitchen shop last night while out of town, I noticed the same kettle for $79.99. So much for a great deal-of-the-day. I'm off to a very slow start in March for it being a "shopping month" - one kettle and a pair of much needed slacks from Goodwill.
BKE: I think it's about $12.00 a pound at Starbucks. My MIL buys her coffee by the pound there and has been very pleased.
We have loads of frugal fun on our docket this week.
Tonight we are going to a friends house for a whole family slumber party. We are going to have homemade pizza and the kids will watch a movie while the adults hang out and play cards. In the morning, we will have an egg bake and go to mass at their church. In the afternoon we are picking up a couple of the kids' friends and taking them to an abbey to help the monks with their maple tapping for their maple syrup festival later this month. There is free hot cocoa and pastries.
Monday is Cheyenne's 11th birthday. 11! What the heck is that madness? The weather will be nice so we are going to try to get outside.
Tuesday we are meeting a group of other homeschool families at the free zoo. We will throw a few bucks in the donation bucket, but it's much, much cheaper than the other zoo.
Next Monday we are getting together with a few other homeschool families for a belated Pi Day party. We will have pizza, pie and some math activities. It should be fun.
I bought an almost brand new jacket from a local charity shop yesterday for the bargain price of £7 ($10.50) - it's brown cord, shaped in at the waist and fits like a dream. Today I went to a jumble sale with a friend of mine and for the princely sum of £1 ($1.50) I bought a dress, a skirt and four tops. I also splashed out on a cup of tea and a slice of cake whilst I was there :-)
Thanks again RR!
Today is a no spending day. There isn't much else to report.
Stella, I think your family sleep over sounds like a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy yourselves.
It been a busy week and I was tempted to get take-out for dinner after hitting the gym this evening. But I didn't. I came home and made some butternut squash soup from the freezer (that has been in there since 2008!) and a hunk of homemade bread. It was actually quite a delicious meal and I'm glad I resisted the urge to get take-out.
Ate up another package of pasta from my infamous pasta stash. Gah! It was a spicy red pepper infused angel hair pasta and I now understand why I didn't eat it sooner (another package of pasta with a "best by" date from back in 2008) -- it was so spicy I could barely eat more than a few bites at a time. I'm glad it's gone now. Only seven pounds of pasta to go!!!
Bought dried cherries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds to make homemade trail mix. Way too many snacks being bought at work as of late. Hopefully this will help!
Made a batch of chocolate chip scones last night. Didn't really work out quite as I had envisioned, but they still taste pretty good. I suspect they won't last more than another 2 days!
Lots of food related frugals, but not much else. I'm sure there are other possible areas for frugality...will have to examine my habits and see what opportunities I can find!!!
Ali: excellent score, especially if you needed those items!
CDTTMM: We succumbed to takeout last night - Kelly's for clam chowder, fried fish, scallops and shrimp, so not cheap either! However, this was the first time we got takeout in 2015, so I'm not going to feel too bad about it.
For actual frugal news, I just changed our electricity supplier from National Grid to ConEdison, with a rate change from .16 to .11 per KWH, so I think that's a win. It's a fixed rate for 22 months with no early termination penalty if a better deal comes along. I changed my Mom over as well.
Saved 10 cents per gallon when I filled the car with gas yesterday! And got free dog-sitting from some friends who agreed to watch my three pups while I was in NYC for the day. Plus came home with 3 dozen free farm fresh eggs from the farm's chickens yesterday. Woo-hoo!!!
A real frugal (amidst a bunch of someday-not-very-frugal): neighbors of ours "inherited" some furniture from a parent who was moving, so the ripple-effect furniture was placed on the curb for free. DW spotted a dresser/sideboard which she thinks will work very well (with minor modifications) as a changing table/place to store grandchildren's supplies. Yes, it looks like we will be grandparents; DD and DSiL just told us Monday night. :)
Other frugals:
- had an onion-soup recipe that calls for sliced cooked chicken. We didn't have any on hand but really wanted to make the soup. I looked at the price of frozen factory-farmed chicken breast slices -- and bought a rotisserie chicken instead, which provided the required chicken as well as enough for dinner for us, lunch for me, and bones for soup someday.
- found a kibble for our dog that is better nutritionally than what she's been eating and about a dollar a pound cheaper, to boot. It also has the virtue of being semi-local, being manufactured in Wisconsin.
- AT&T discontinued the plan I've been using on my phone. I'm not comfortable dropping a level yet because some months we use the phone a lot. So I moved to the next plan up, $5 a month more, but with unlimited minutes and three times the data. And an auto-pay discount that erases the $5 a month higher price. So more service for the same price. Not a bad outcome.
- lots of no-drive days. Those long ago stopped automatically being no-spend days. But at least I'm not moving the car...
Blackdog Lin
3-10-15, 9:35pm
I ended up having to run to "the city" by myself yesterday as DH wasn't up to going and it needed done. I spent the entire hour-and-a-half drive there thinking, since he wasn't with me "ooh, I can stop and shop here. Ooh, will have to check out there, haven't been there in years. Ooh ooh there's that place I've read about online with all the clothing bargains. Gotta check that out."
I didn't shop ANYWHERE except the necessary reasons (2 stops) for the trip. I even had stuff to drop off at Goodwill, thought I should go in and wander through, and couldn't talk myself into it: "what exactly do you need Lin? Well, since you asked.....nothing. But thanks for asking. Why don't we save the time and money and not go in after all. Fine."
I was pretty proud of myself. And gassed up the car at 10c/gallon less than what it is at home as an added bonus.
And today thought I should go to the store for veggies, didn't want to, so came up with a menu for tomorrow that will utilize the giant head of cabbage in the crisper that needs used at any rate. (anyone tried that skillet thing they call crackslaw?)
Awful glad to hear from both bke and Stella - welcome back.
early morning
3-11-15, 11:25pm
Life has not been frugal lately so I'm looking for the little things.... DH was able to fix the diverter in the shower so that we can actually USE it again. DBIL is in hospice and we've been there a lot so I've been trying to eat before/after going to visit at least SOME of the time, although eating with family is an important thing and we are not in a position to eat at anyone's home during this time. Glad the snow seems to be over, so the urge to get another set of rims and snow tires for my poor little tractionless car is receding. Hopefully I can find a good deal over the summer so as to be ready for NEXT winter. Getting out of the lane was a real challenge this winter. Now we need gravel badly, and drain tile around the barn, and, and, and... *sigh*. Got my taxes done for free today, though, which is wonderful. Mom treated for lunch today (since we got her taxes done too!). Sold a few things at our antique booth. Bought coffee after visiting tonight using a gift card DH received for Christmas. Little things, but better than no things!
rosarugosa
3-12-15, 4:59am
Early: Sorry that your DBIL is so sick. Spending more on meals right now is certainly justifiable under the circumstances.
Because I've had the same smartphone for so long (since October 2012), I've gotten discounts from Verizon that amount to $25/month. My bill is down to $80. Since my Galaxy S3 is still chugging along fairly well, I'll keep the phone until it really starts getting wonky.
Not really a March frugal, but I paid about $130 in the fall for a 3-in-1 (fleece liner zips into a water-resistant shell) Columbia jacket from the online REI outlet. I saved at least $125. My, did it prove its worth this winter when it was so cold. I was nice and warm. My other winter coat is a wool swing dress coat I've had for about 8 years. Not exactly warm for those arctic days.
I've been buying lunch out at work much too often lately. On the plus side, as a result of some OT (they now pay it since the beginning of the year), I have a semi-decent emergency fund/savings account now. I also sold some warehousing services to a customer (temporary thing) and I'll be getting $800 commission before taxes. It doesn't pay out immediately, but I should have it before my week-long trip to NC in late May.
SteveinMN - congratulations on the coming grandchild! Will make the holidays fun with a new baby around.
lessisbest
3-13-15, 4:37pm
Temperatures have been above normal by 10°-15°F all week so NO heat used (woo hoo), not even from the solar panel. Should help save on the utility bills.
I snipped off 4 sprigs of rosemary from my plant I used indoors over the winter and they have rooted. I'll finish some preparations in the garden and plant cool season crops tomorrow. We'll also reattach the rain barrels (9 units for a 1,000-gallon capacity) tomorrow and then pray for rain. We are desperate for some precipitation around here.
I was finally able to turn off the heat yesterday, even though I'd had it set very low, anyway. Supposed to be at least 50 here each day.
Rediscovered Aldi for grocery shopping and saved mucho dinero.
Cancelled my membership to Massage Envy ($60/month), so I can put that towards my cc debt.
Went through my clothes and realized I don't need anything new aside from a pair of jeans and some underwear.
Took my jar of change in to be counted - $60! Paid for today's hair appt with something left over.
flowerseverywhere
3-15-15, 4:14am
So much positive stuff to read in this thread. Congrats to Steve and great job everyone.
Grew a a bunch of native plants from seed and am putting them into the beds. I am trying to convert my yard to a certified wildlife habitat so have been gradually replacing the bushes and flowers. Wonderful entertainment to have beds full of bees and butterflies.
Joined an an informal birding club. We get together at various venues within a few miles from my home and it has increased the amount of birds I can identify. Again, wonderful free entertainment.
I was was given a Fitbit (like a pedometer) for my birthday from my kids. I have really increased my walking every day. Saving in gas and better for my health.
SteveinMN
3-15-15, 11:07am
Thanks, everyone!
Baby-related frugality continued this past week as DW bought a used pack-n-play-type thing and a couple of books she read to DD as a young'un (she gave them away years ago so she bought used copies). DW and DD also are awaiting the city-wide garage sale at one of our richer suburbs to pick up other needed items. We don't plan to duplicate everything the new mom and dad have in their house, but between grandbaby and the children of other family friends, there will be a bunch of little ones running through this house (literally) soon.
The prospect of becoming a grandma also has ignited in DW a desire to retire "early" to have more time to care for the grandbaby. She's decided to start saving some of the money she's been spending on getting her hair professionally colored and eating out frequently with coworkers in favor of banking it for the future. I certainly will not argue with that if being able to cycle back is what she really wants. We're going to start talking about the choices we get to make in maybe going to one car, staying in this house versus moving to a condo, etc.
One of the local supermarkets has been running buy-one-get-one-free specials all month. Sometimes the "deals" really aren't deals because the price of one item is so high. But some of the prices are good for stocking up, so we've been doing that for items we use anyway.
I've also started culling more albums from my collection. Some of them made my first cut many months ago, but I realized I haven't listened to them since their "audition". Obviously I cared about them less than I thought. Time to make someone else happy with them...
rosarugosa
3-16-15, 6:12pm
Congratulations, Steve! I think it's so smart to explore used options for baby things, although you can certainly take my opinion with a grain of salt since I only mother cats. It seems like babies are an opportunity to go all-out crazy with the spending. I heard of baby-wipe warmers and actually thought it was a joke, until i heard that someone at work had them on her baby registry.
I've not been feeling like I have much to contribute in the frugality realm lately. I got my annual bonus at work and did a bit of spending. Then I pulled out my calculator, and I actually put 14% of gross into my 401K, and 73% of the net right into savings. I sent a check to the local humane society. I wanted to do some food splurging, but instead of going out to eat, we ordered some smoked and frozen salmon from Seabear, stocked up on frozen cod, scallops & almonds from Costco, and bought some good stuff at the Winter Farmers' Market yesterday. There were a few other small purchases, but all in all, I think we were reasonably prudent as far as splurges go.
I had the day off today, and I spent some of my time completing two online courses through my company's wellness program and signing up for phone coaching with our new wellness vendor. This will gain me $175.00 in wellness incentives, and I recently completed another wellness component that will pay another $100.
My recent efforts at consigning some items only netted me $11.20, so I'm not sure that's really a worthwhile endeavor. I would definitely do better to focus my efforts on not buying unnecessary stuff in the first place!
A frugal for special occasion clothes: a friend has loaned me a fascinator-style hat for the wedding next month. Goes great with my $16.99 dress from Ross, my $13.99 clutch from Charming Charlies, and I already had the shoes, so my mother of the groom outfit costs less than $35.
My brother gave me a $50 Amazon gift card for my birthday (thanks, brother!), and to my astonishment, when I went to my account to apply the gift card to my gift card balance, there was another $50 in there that I'd forgotten about! So I had $100 to spend, and was able to get a glass grinder for my new stained glass hobby...the last big-ticket item I needed to be able to do my own pieces the way I want to do them. Whoo hoo!
rosarugosa
3-18-15, 5:09am
Lainey: How amazing that you could put together a great outfit for so little!
Selah: What a pleasant surprise!
rosarugosa
3-22-15, 6:08am
I finally have a couple of frugals to report:
I had signed up for some free samples awhile ago and had forgotten about it, but yesterday I received 3 teabags in the mail. I'm not in BKE's league, but it's a start. I think the real frugal here is that I'll be able to try 3 new flavors without buying boxes of teas I might not like, which is something we did recently and I do not recommend!
My sister came by and wanted to go to Ocean State Job Lot for K-cups. DH asked me to pick up some Bob's Red Mill Muesli. It is a good price there, plus they were having a 20% off sale on all Bob's items, so I bought a few bags to stock up, also some couscous and bulgur wheat.
A debatable frugal: I had consigned some items for the first time ever, and earned the princely sum of $11.20. I went to the store and left off a few more items. Instead of taking cash, I found a really great necklace for myself and a nice cosmetic bag that will be part of my DSIL's birthday gift. So I ended up spending $5.06 over my $11.20. I really like this little shop and want to see the owner succeed more than I want $11.00, so I was actually glad I found things to buy instead of taking the cash. So if I get to do some fun shopping and support a small local business and swap some things I don't want for some things I do, then that feels pretty good to me.
Blackdog Lin
3-22-15, 10:31pm
rosa - yes. What a win win frugal for you!
Checked my electric bill online to discover that for February I used 16% less than February 2014. :)
Now, to work on the gas bill (heat/hot water). I suspect the gas bill is more influenced by my long showers/long baths. Took a lesson from the Frugal Queen blog and set a timer for 5 minutes for my shower this morning. I was just getting out when the timer went off. This is more a game than anything else. I don't need to be this frugal, but the more I save, the more I can put towards my credit card debt.
Tussiemussies
3-23-15, 3:09pm
Tradd, good for you, I just couln't do five minutes in the tub or shower...
This winter I hardly used my car, maybe once or twice, been home pretty much except for our occassional outing to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant. I bought some winter sweters all on winter sale, even telliing DH what I wanted for Christmas, which was all needed sweaters and as ll on sale. Bought most of his items on sale....I am talking about Christmas because it is pretty much the is the last purchases that I have made.
We have bumped up using a menu and eating most of what we have. Unfortunately, though I soaked a coule of pkgs. Of dried beans and never got to make the soup, but at least they are cheap!
This week nothing has been new, just happy with our electric bill...chris
ApatheticNoMore
3-23-15, 3:22pm
Tradd, good for you, I just couln't do five minutes in the tub or shower...
me either, good thing there's plenty of water ... um er uh ...
But it was to the point where when I couldn't sleep one day I actually did an exercise of thinking of 3 good things I enjoyed that day, and my warm bath made the list (maybe it even topped the list). >8) (well it was a workday ...)
Good job Rosa! That is exactly the kind of thing I do. Don't think about the volume of freebies-just have fun with each one.
I received a fruit roll-up in the mail this week. It's not the kind of thing I would buy but ds will enjoy eating it as a little treat.
I have started making popcorn "old school" as my son calls it. Meaning on the stove in a pan instead of buying microwave popcorn. I'm surprised how much I enjoy it and it is much cheaper and healthier too!
Today should be a no spending day.
My morning coffee was something that had been given to me by someone who decided they wouldn't use it. It wasn't the best I've ever drank but the price was right.
Changed our car insurance and increased our deductible. Saving $100 a month (4 drivers, one of whom is an 18 year old male).
lessisbest
3-25-15, 3:44pm
Final shopping day for groceries in March.
$125.00 budget (for 2 adults)
$ 95.60 spent in March
--------------------------
$29.40 remaining for March
$85.96 remaining for the year
$43.83 remaining from 2014
Dh trimmed my hair for me. It's a bit shorter than I wanted but the price was right and hair does grow as we all know.
I have started making popcorn "old school" as my son calls it. Meaning on the stove in a pan instead of buying microwave popcorn. I'm surprised how much I enjoy it and it is much cheaper and healthier too!
I really don't like microwave popcorn and hadn't had it in several years but received a free sample bag and popped (nuked) it the other night. Yuck, nasty salty and no popcorn flavor.
Threw it out and even the birds and squirrels wouldn't touch it.
I'm "old school" all the way. A little coconut oil, mixed kernels, a little sea salt, garlic.
lessisbest
3-26-15, 4:01pm
I really don't like microwave popcorn and hadn't had it in several years but received a free sample bag and popped (nuked) it the other night. Yuck, nasty salty and no popcorn flavor.
Threw it out and even the birds and squirrels wouldn't touch it.
I'm "old school" all the way. A little coconut oil, mixed kernels, a little sea salt, garlic.
We are "old school" too, although we use an air popper or a stove-top whirly popper, instead of the now common microwave. It's amazing how we get accustomed to one thing or another based on "convenience".
I just read a list of "7 Foods You Should Never Eat. EVER.", and the list included microwave popcorn. Why? - PFOA (a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic) which can affect fertility, are a cancer risk and affect kidney functioning, along with too much salt and trans fats.
Another thing to avoid is using a homemade version of microwave popcorn by using brown paper bags. The bags are made from recycled paper and can have metal in it, which can arc in the microwave and cause a fire. The recycled paper also has inks and dyes that aren't considered "food safe". Paper bags are not always stored the same as food products, especially that trip from the recycling bin, so they can be exposed to pesticides, rats/mice, and any number of things. Don't consider them a good substitute for commercial microwave popcorn.
Tussiemussies
3-26-15, 4:10pm
Thanks Float on for the information. I knew about the microwave popcorn you buy in the store, but wasn't aware of the paper bags...my DH keep using a plastic bowl and lid which I consider just as bad. Using a glass bowl would be best, one that has a glass top. Have to pick one of those up...
rosarugosa
3-27-15, 5:10am
DH makes popcorn (1/2 c) on the stove in a pan with some olive oil (1 tbsp) and then we grind some black pepper on it after it's popped. He's low sodium, so we stopped adding salt and I was surprised to find that I don't miss the salt. I love the flavor of olive oil, so that's probably why.
Thanks Float on for the information. .
Lessisbest had that great info. I didn't know that about paper bags either, course I never tried it. Actually I didn't have a microwave until about 10 years ago and I'll probably get rid of it this fall. The kids use it some. I never do.
Yep, we're old school popcorn people, too. I love making a huge bowl of popcorn and just eating it for dinner some night. Definitely not the most well-rounded of meals, but it's oh so good!!!
Not many frugals to report over here. Our friends/neighbors were going out of town and offered us their CSA share this week. All we had to do was pick it up. Lots of greens: arugula, kale, chard, bok choy, spring greens. We'll use the last of it up today. Hooray for free food!!! I'm roasted some potatoes this morning before I go to work because they really need to be eaten and I am afraid they'll get forgotten otherwise. And if I have time I'm going to make a quick frittata with the remaining spinach, the last of the eggs, and some shredded cheese. And my dearly beloved claims there's nothing in the house to eat because we're out of bagels... But he's been sick all week so I'm going to pretend that he's simply delirious and didn't know what he was saying... :~)
Was in NYC last Sunday to teach abeekeeping class and my friend once again offered to dog-sit. Saved myself $100 over sending the dogs to doggy day care for the day. Hooray for dog-loving friends!!!
rosarugosa
3-28-15, 6:33pm
DH finally decided to make his own pizza dough today, and for the price of a bag of flour (we had all the other ingredients in the house), we got enough dough to freeze for our next 5 pizzas, and he made a loaf of bread tonight to go with our dinner of poached cod, spinach, risotto and some nice chardonnay. I'm so lucky he's such a good cook and enjoys cooking. Fine cooking is a great skill set to have - or to marry!
Cdttmm: nice score with the TSA! I love arugula. All my salads this week had arugula and mint in them, and it elevated them into something spectacular.
lessisbest
3-29-15, 6:45am
Tuesday Morning is closing and I found some really nice cloth napkins for $3 per package. I purchased two packages of 12 napkins (one set was white and the other set red). With a niece getting married the end of May, I dug through my stash of crochet thread and found all the things I needed to crochet 12 white lacy napkin rings and matching coasters to place under glasses. I also went through my sizeable collection of doilies I've crocheted over the years and found 3 that would be added to the gift. Hubby and I went to Hobby Lobby and found a beautiful box (50% off) to store the napkins, napkin rings, coasters, and doilies in. I also purchased kitchen towels at a much discounted price and added 7 knitted dish rags. I'm mostly out my time, and not too much money, but it's nice to give heirlooms that will last generations.
Lessisbest, what a nice gift!
10 cents off per gallon of gas with my loyalty card when I filled up yesterday. And the tank had less than 1/2 gallon remaining when I went to the gas station so I feel like I really maximized that frugal moment!
Homemade pizza for dinner and plenty of leftovers for the next few days.
fidgiegirl
3-30-15, 4:24pm
Hi friends!
First of all, congrats Steve!!
2nd, bke!! You're going to work yourself to death girl! I hope you can get some help with the pizza deliveries - or does that negate the profits? I worry that at that rate retirement won't matter because you'll be fizzled out before it gets here. :( But I do admire your deals and resourcefulness, as always. :)
Hoping to join up with all you again here in April. I am on spring break and have had a day to myself to do some thinking, and one of the best things for keeping me on the straight and narrow is this thread, which I've missed. I am planning to go half time next year. While I will still make good money, actually the same amount I made when I first started teaching and working full time (wow!) it's still half of what I'm making now and I need to flex my frugal muscles again. Mainly I need to retrain myself away from "I deserve it" kind of thinking. I have been blowing a lot of money on lunches out, coffees and muffins, etc. Being able to work half time will be such a bigger treat than any of that, especially if I can get a bonus day of daycare.
I will start with a small win. I was going to go out for a coffee this morning, but made one at home.
I will have some non-wins later, especially in the area of food waste, boo hoo, but no use dwelling too much on that except to try better next time. Actually, I do have a question about that. Those of you who have the cavernous fridges they are making now - how in the world do you keep stuff organized and so you can see it and remember you have it? We lose things in the back and waste them. :(
I have a few things to do to my car (headlight, wiper blade, refill washer fluid). It's nice out now, I think I'll go out and do them. That'll be a savings.
Also selling/giving away a few things on our neighborhood FB group. Won't be a lot of $$, I'm more interested in seeing it leave the house.
This week I also plan to take some time to look at recent spending and see if I can get back in the tracking habit. I was awesome at it for a long time, then stopped and have had maaaaaany attempts to restart, none of which have stuck. I wonder why that is.
Talk soon!
ApatheticNoMore
3-30-15, 4:32pm
Actually, I do have a question about that. Those of you who have the cavernous fridges they are making now - how in the world do you keep stuff organized and so you can see it and remember you have it? We lose things in the back and waste them.
a note in front of the fridge (stuck on with a fridge magnet) saying what's in there. The trick is to remember to update the note. I don't have a cavernous fridge, actually it's a small (but not mini) fridge that I have to clean and reorganize just to get the weekly groceries in there, but it's still easy to forget.
rosarugosa
3-30-15, 7:47pm
Great to see you again, Kelli! I have no frugals to report today, but had to say hello!
Hi friends!
First of all, congrats Steve!!
Thanks, Kelli!
Those of you who have the cavernous fridges they are making now - how in the world do you keep stuff organized and so you can see it and remember you have it? We lose things in the back and waste them. :(
I don't know as our refrigerator is "cavernous" but it was the biggest one we could shoehorn into its appointed location in the kitchen (22 cu ft).
What works for us (well, me) is well-defined locations for what's in there. All the vinegars are together. All the condiments save pickled food are in one location; all the pickled food (we really like pickled food) is together on another shelf. We have a "meat drawer" and all the meat I'm using in the next few days goes in there -- unless it just won't fit, in which case it goes on the shelf right under the meat drawer. Leftovers from meals go onto the second shelf on the right. That way I can look there for dribs and drabs. Lots of see-through containers, so little guessing about what's in there. It works for us, in no small part because DW rarely has to do anything that messes up the order. :)
frugal-one
3-31-15, 1:25pm
"Actually, I do have a question about that. Those of you who have the cavernous fridges they are making now - how in the world do you keep stuff organized and so you can see it and remember you have it? We lose things in the back and waste them."
We just got a big refrigerator and I LOVE IT!!! Everything is not piled on top of each other so it is easy to see what there is. We have wasted very little since we got it. I always had trouble with the side by side remembering or finding what I had. The drawers and shelves on this refrigerator are clear so it is very easy to see what is available. It cost a bit more but has saved in that we use what we have now. It is not buried. It was one of the best decisions!!
lessisbest
3-31-15, 5:14pm
I don't own a cavernous refrigerator (a side-by-side WITHOUT a water dispenser or ice maker), but I do keep it tidy and organized with baskets and other containers purchased at the Dollar Tree, and keep like-kinds of things together. Items not used frequently are stored towards the back, and new leftovers and things that need used quickly in front. One of the larger containers has coconut flour, almond flour, homemade gluten-free baking mix, and Pamela's Baking Mix. Another container has nuts, various seeds, and goji berries. I divide the food in the freezer in plastic baskets too. Since I vacuum-seal many things using a FoodSaver, I freeze them flat in a single layer and "file" them in a basket. I can easily remove a basket and "flip" through it to find what I want or determine what I need. I have a vegetable/fruit basket, breakfast meat basket, chicken/fish basket, beef/pork basket. The drawer on the bottom is a "catch-all" for odd items. The narrow top shelf is filled with lunch items.
rosarugosa
3-31-15, 8:16pm
Steve: that's interesting, we have never refrigerated vinegar. That goes in the cupboard at our house.
fidgiegirl
3-31-15, 10:22pm
Thanks all for the ideas and the well wishes. Useful!
Last frugal for the month of March, although it's not really something new, but a solid day-to-day habit. I've been making pots of tea to drink and bringing them to work in my various travel mugs. But I've recently "invested" in some high quality loose leaf tea -- much more expensive than the stuff I usually buy. I've found that I've been able to get as many as three pots of deliciousness out of the tea leaves. I can steep them a second and third time without the bitterness or weak flavor that I get on a second or third pot of the cheaper tea. All this (unsweetened, green) tea drinking has certainly helped me stay well-hydrated!!!
[QUOTE=cdttmm;201274]Last frugal for the month of March, although it's not really something new, but a solid day-to-day habit. I've been making pots of tea to drink and bringing them to work in my various travel mugs. But I've recently "invested" in some high quality loose leaf tea -- much more expensive than the stuff I usually buy. I've found that I've been able to get as many as three pots of deliciousness out of the tea leaves. I can steep them a second and third time without the bitterness or weak flavor that I get on a second or third pot of the cheaper tea. All this (unsweetened, green) tea drinking has certainly helped me stay well-hydrated!!![/QUOTE
I have an electric kettle I use for boiling water and the minimum amount I can make in it is 2-cups, so I make my first cup of tea with fresh-boiled water, then I save the tea bag. I place the remaining hot water in a Thermos to use later. The hot water has other uses than just a hot beverage, so I always pour any extra boiled water in a Thermos. After I've used the tea bag twice, I place it in a container in the freezer. When I want to make iced tea concentrate I'll use the used bags + 1 new bag (something strong) and make a tea concentrate using 4-cups of boiling water, all the used bags + one new bag. When I need a glass of iced tea I'll add the tea concentrate to a glass of water plus ice. Tea concentrate takes up a lot less space in the refrigerator.
Instructions for the perfect cup of tea:
1. Add freshly boiled water to your mug with the tea ban in the mug.
2. Brew 2-minutes.
3. Remove bag.
4. Add milk.
5. Wait 6-minutes, or until the tea reaches 140°F.
My last frugal savings in March was when hubby and I used the rest of our fuel points for March to get gas last night. We fueled two cars from one pump and saved 10-cents per gallon.
Steve: that's interesting, we have never refrigerated vinegar.
It's entirely possible the vinegars ended up there because we didn't have enough of the right cupboard space (tall bottles, lots of fixed shelves). The fridge, by comparison, had lots of room.
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