View Full Version : May 2016 Frugals
Here's a new monthly thread for our daily/weekly/monthly/occasional frugal activities! Post away my friends! :cool:
I paid all of my copays in full this weekend for my knee surgery March 1. I use a CC for the miles and I pay it in full EVERY month. Love my free plane tickets :)
And my dentist bill and my physical therapy copay.....
No interest. Free miles. Win Win! Oh, and the hospital gave me a 2% discount for paying in full. I'll take every penny I can get! free money:cool:
Hey Gardnr, It never occurred to me that you could pay medical bills by cc; that certainly opens up some possibilities (unfortunately, better to not have medical bills). I hope your knee is doing well.
Gardnr, smart move paying by credit card. I'm a fan of earning the miles, too, and getting free plane tickets. Alas, I discovered that my eye doctor doesn't take AmEx so no miles on my trip there last week. Darn. At least my prescription hasn't changed, which turned out to be frugal. I already had a stockpile of prescription lenses so only ordered what I need to get me through until the prescription expires in a year. Eventually I'll cough up the money for new glasses...I think I'm going on about 6 or 7 years at this point...
Saved 10 cents per gallon on gas last night using my loyalty card. Woot!
Drinking lots of tea from my stash and still bringing it to work every day. I was going to upgrade one (or more) of my travel mugs to a fancy Kleen Kanteen version when they were on sale last week, but I forgot. Oh well, guess I'll just keep using what I have. :D
Got another summer teaching gig. That ought to help with the summer cash flow problems! And it looks like I'll be getting a full complement of classes for the fall semester, too. Of course, that could change up until the week before school starts, but I'm going to hope for the best!
And I'm back with more to add -- woo-hoo!!! Used coupons when at the vet clinic to get two free doses of flea/tick meds for my dogs. I think they are something like $4-$5 per dose so a few bucks saved. And managed to combine the trip to the vet with a stop at the eye doctor to pick up my contact lenses. Of course, they had only received one of the two boxes I ordered so I'll have to go back, but at least I don't have to be in a rush to get there. Then I stopped at the grocery store and took advantage of a special for Teacher Appreciation Day, which saved me ~$3 on the few items that I bought. I wasn't planning on grocery shopping today, but since I was driving right by the store I figured it was worth it to stop.
Tomorrow is our annual Spring Fling at the college for the students and I had forgotten that I agreed to do academic advising for 90-minutes in the middle of the day as part of the event. Got an email reminder about it today and realized that this little extra effort tomorrow will pad my next paycheck nicely.
Oh and I got asked back for the fall to teach a special class on professional etiquette to students in a transitional program. I was very flattered because it meant that my current students must have really said some nice things about me!
Garage sale time - woo hoo! Spending a few hours with my sister in the AM to go to neighborhood sales . Have to miss a big one on Saturday due to a previous volunteer commitment - boo hoo.
Have a few meals of leftovers for lunches from a volunteer event last night - including strawberry shortcake and a gelato bar.
My part time post-retirement job is winding down for the summer. Looking forward to no drive/no spend days. I have frequent no spend days when I'm working but need to drive there.
Have purchased what I think will be enough compost/manure mix as well as soil to supplement gardens - long overdue. Using transplanted hosta and sedum to fill in garden areas. Have a good friend who has offered some grasses. Some seeds, annuals and tomatoes and we will be ready for the upcoming wedding in our backyard.
Our department got the go ahead to expand work from home days to once per week on a pilot basis this summer. I'm especially pleased because I was one of three supervisors who collaborated to pitch this proposal. If a summer pilot goes well, it is typically adopted as regular practice, so I am optimistic. Why is this a frugal? It will save me $10 in commuting costs per month, so $30 over the summer, but more importantly, it will save me 24 hours of commuting!
early morning
5-7-16, 8:30am
So tired - too tired to spend money, lol. Pushed one of DH's Doctors to move up an outpatient surgery so it and all followup would be in this fiscal year; he has met his out of pocket so all of his medical bills are paid in full until July 1. They did, and it's done, saving about $1200. Scheduled our eye Dr. appointments (need new glasses) again before July 1 - different insurance but I only pay for it every other year, since they will only pay for glasses one time per year anyway! that saves another $130 per year.
Rosa, your work from home day sounds great - I hope the program works out for everyone.
Wanted to just say that this whole thread is very inspiring. Creative and fruitful frugal activities, large and small. Please keep posting them!
It will be frugal next winter. Bought 27 organic tomato, 8 kale, 1 cilantro and 14 organic pepper plants yesterday. $190 now. Who knows how much savings through the winter.
I spent $32 on organic food seeds in March. I have cucumbers x2 cultivare, eggplant x2 cultivare, delicata and spaghettie squash and zuchhini growing in the greenhouse.
I make and freeze ratatouille and we enjoy it as Italian spiced soup or pasta sauce or chili flavored soup or chili w/beans. We love this stuff and I make enough for 1/week: http://www.salon.com/2010/08/07/ratatouille_recipe/
We can salsa, tomatillo salsa, habanera salsa, hub makes habanero pineapple salsa (dang we can't grow pineapple in the northwest).
I chop/freeze all types of peppers, beans, blanch/freeze kale.
I tracked my produce last year but have no idea how to cost it out for ultimate savings. I don't really care. It's organic and it tastes fabulous!
Made a quick shopping trip to BJs last night. Good timing, too, as I had several coupons that expired yesterday. Got free bagels plus saved a few bucks on stuff we regularly eat. Was also able to use my $20 rewards that I had earned since December. Good to know that at this rate we should earn about $50 in rewards each year, which off-sets the difference in price between the basic and rewards memberships. Fortunately, over the summer I'll have a bit more time so I'll be able to go to the BJs that is closer to work. They may have additional items that we would normally buy that I can pick up there for less than we would spend elsewhere.
Stumbled upon a free lunch being offered yesterday at work. A real bonus since I wasn't intending to be at work that long and I was starving so it definitely saved me from spending money on whatever I otherwise might have bought to stuff in my face!
We have our second set of Air BnB guests coming today. I'll be interested to see how this whole things works out long-term.
I thought I had more to report, but can't think of anything at the moment. Hope everyone else is enjoying frugal success!
not so frugal but super enjoyable. $65 dinner/cocktail evening at a going away party last night. Great times and worth every penny. It's not a restaurant I choose to attend d/t cost, but fabulous none the less. I have very few social outings as I am highly selective.
Not a lot of action on the frugals thread this month! What's up, everyone? Has the spring made you lose your frugal ways?!? :D
Of course, I don't have anything new and exciting to report. It's just the same daily stuff we've come to know and love! But I'll share anyway in the hopes of keeping myself motivating and, perhaps, entertaining all of you! :~)
I've been swimming with a Masters swim team at the YMCA since the end of December. When I joined I was told that we pay in advance for each 8-week session and that the sessions start based on the day you join. Okay cool. I was also told that I would be alerted when I owed for the next 8-week session. They have my mailing address, email address, and phone number, so I figured someone would be in touch. I like the coach and the team so figured I would continue past the initial 8-weeks. The 8-week mark comes and goes and nobody contacts me to pay for the next 8-week session. I keep going to practice figuring that one day I'd have a chance to stop at the front desk and inquire. But practice starts at 6:30am and ends at 7:30am. I needed to be in a college classroom to teach at 8:00am so there wasn't any time after practice and I seemed to be incapable of getting to practice extra early. But I'm thinking that I'll hear from somebody, they'll tell me how much I owe, and I'll just drop off a check before or after the next practice. Nothing. Finally, at the end of April I get an email about the fact that my initial 8-week session had ended on February 28th and that it was time to sign-up for another 8-week session and a vague reference to how I could set up monthly recurring billing. No info about how much I owe for an 8-week session or how much I would being paying monthly if I chose that option. The semester comes to a close and I don't have to rush out after practice so I stop by the front desk to get everything squared away. I ask for the aquatics director since she was the one who emailed me, but was told she wouldn't be in for another hour. I figure my question is pretty straightforward so I tell the person at the front desk that I want to pay for Masters swimming. She looks up my account and tells me that I had last paid in December. Yes, I know that. In an attempt to clarify, I ask when that session ended so that we could figure out what date I owe from. Now, of course, I got an email about this so I know the answer is February 28th. But I'm told that I paid for 2 months -- December and January. I try asking another way -- does the 8-weeks start on the day you sign up so that if I signed up on December 28th it ends on February 28th? I'm hoping she'll realize this and say -- right -- you owe for Feb 28th-April 28th and then if you want to sign up for April 28th-June 28th you can do that, too. And then she'll tell me how much I owe and I'll pay in full and be on my way. Nope. I get major attitude and an exasperated response that "the aquatics director will call you." Ummm...okay...just trying to -- oh right -- GIVE YOU MY FREAKING MONEY -- so drop the attitude and provide me with something resembling customer service, please. Ugh. So I left. I'm still waiting for the aquatics director to call me. Where's the frugal in this? Well, I guess I'm just getting to swim with the team for free. That's pretty frugal. But I feel bad about it because it has never been my intention to not pay. I figured that when they told me I'd be contacted when I needed to pay for the next session that it would actually happen. But perhaps getting my $800+ a year isn't really a high priority for them... Of course, when the aquatics director finally gets around to calling me, I'll happily pay what I owe for the previous session and for the current session. So in the long run it won't be frugal, but at the moment, it feels like I've saved myself $260.
Other than that piece of excitement, we have our second AirBnB guest staying with us this weekend. Well, actually, it's the first guest, but our second reservation. Our first reservation, which was for last weekend, canceled at the very last minute. It seems like all is well, but I guess we'll just have to wait to see if/when she posts a review what she has to say. If this whole AirBnB thing works out for us, then it could mean an extra couple of grand each year. I guess we'll just have to see how it plays out. Anybody else doing AirBnB?
Today will be a frugal day! Flats of marigolds and petunias are on sale for $10.99. Historically these have 50 plants. I mix the marigolds in my food gardens-nature's perfect beautiful insect repellant-and mostly I dont' get tomato worms:cool:
And the petunias? Well I never cared for them. But every summer since mom died I have planted some because she loved petunias.
Well, I am a quilter and a hoarder of scraps. Decided this was not a good thing and have cut up a whole box and a big shopping bag into useable pieces. If I don't want to make the charity quilt, I am going to give the cut pieces and instructions to my guild group to sew on. Have a few more days of cutting to go and it will be in good shape. Two trash bags already out of the house in scraps,shreds, and junk.
rosarugosa
5-14-16, 10:08am
I haven't had much to say because I haven't been too impressive in the frugality arena lately! I just bought a backpack from LL Bean, and time will tell if this was a frugal or not. I take the train to the bus every day on the way home from work (DH drives me there in the morning). The Green Line train at rush hour is pretty hideous. Now that the weather is better, I thought I might try walking to the bus. It takes me 25 minutes at a good clip, and I walk through the Boston Gardens, Boston Common and past two historic cemeteries, so it's pretty picturesque. However, my heavy pocketbook and my heavy tote bag (made WAY heavier on the days that I bring my laptop home) are killing me, even when I take the train. So I'm hoping the backpack will be kinder to my shoulders and encourage me to make the walk more often. The primary payoffs would be increased exercise, happier shoulders and decreased stress, but I could ultimately realize a net savings on train fare.
I read in Women's World magazine that a great time to go grocery shopping is Wednesday morning, when stores typically mark down their meat products. I told DH about it and he gave it a try yesterday. He came home with a big smile on his face, saying this hack saved him about $10 on our usual expenditure on these foods. We are having some friends over for a chicken dish he loves to make and the savings are going towards the cost of the dinner party.
I got a $50 Amazon gift card from my employer for being "Star of the Month" (!), and am spending it on some "delicates" and towards a gift for a friend who just had a stroke--yikes!
Well, I am a quilter and a hoarder of scraps. Decided this was not a good thing and have cut up a whole box and a big shopping bag into useable pieces. If I don't want to make the charity quilt, I am going to give the cut pieces and instructions to my guild group to sew on. Have a few more days of cutting to go and it will be in good shape. Two trash bags already out of the house in scraps,shreds, and junk.
Hoarding? I had no idea keeping my scraps was hoarding. We quilters see quilts in those tiny pieces:cool: That said, if a fabric piece get's too small for reshelving at the end of a project, it gets cut into it's largest useable size in my scrap management system. 1.5" square is my smallest keeper (if you're wondering). If it's bigger than a 5" square but smaller than a FQ, it goes into my single 'working pile' to be pulled out at the beginning of each new project.
Hoarding? I had no idea keeping my scraps was hoarding. We quilters see quilts in those tiny pieces:cool: That said, if a fabric piece get's too small for reshelving at the end of a project, it gets cut into it's largest useable size in my scrap management system. 1.5" square is my smallest keeper (if you're wondering). If it's bigger than a 5" square but smaller than a FQ, it goes into my single 'working pile' to be pulled out at the beginning of each new project.
I'm unapologetically guilty of hoarding fabric, especially since prices for good quality cotton have gotten prohibitive. I attended a guilt gathering once where a woman showed her quilts made from "crumbs"--teeny fabric pieces used in painterly fashion, laid down and stitched over to make colorful collages. It opened up a whole new dimension for me.
sweetana3
5-20-16, 12:11pm
It is a fabric hoard when it takes over. I could not use my closet (could not open the door), could not get to boxes of fabric or my books that I needed and could not find pieces and parts of in process items. Now I just don't bring it into the house and try to have much more going out. Still a pile but being used now.
I have a bunch of fabric for my "someday" quilt. Most likely I will just end up donating it. I like the idea of quilting, but pretty sure I lack the patience for it.
On the frugal front, I'm trying to decide if I should purchase some red canna lilies, the one called President. This is it: http://media.highcountrygardens.com/media/catalog/product/cache/3/image/500x/cdd56dd0d7347dc27aa421c918b212c4/c/a/cannapresident_6.jpg
I have a new open spot in front of my kitchen window and I think that would look great there, in a patch of sun to delight me while I wash dishes. I already have some orange cannas I could move there but they don't appeal to me as much as the red ones.
That's one gorgeous flower, all right!
That's one gorgeous flower, all right!
I know, right? We're saving up for a home project but these little purchases are hard for me to resist. I'm finding all kinds of ways to justify it. Like... these plants multiply! And they're so easy to grow! And they will be so cheap if I find them at Lowe's or Home Depot!
Water goddess, Buy them- even just one! When we bought our house 40years ago we had only $50 left in savings after closing....I bought daffodils and hyacinths. I have given away many, many daffodils from that original purchase and the pleasure they've given me over the years (of course I added every year....) were worth the $10 at the time.
I know, right? We're saving up for a home project but these little purchases are hard for me to resist. I'm finding all kinds of ways to justify it. Like... these plants multiply! And they're so easy to grow! And they will be so cheap if I find them at Lowe's or Home Depot!
There should always be room in your budget--even if just a little--for beauty.
Meezer_Mom
5-20-16, 9:10pm
What Jane said. :)
Thanks guys. To be fair though, I do indulge in my quest for simple beauty on a regular basis. This past spring I bought a number of red camellias, lemon trees, and the Australia canna (photo below). Costco has great prices, eg. the canna was a bag of 8 bulbs for $11, 4' high lemon tree was $18. and the 5' tall camellias were $17. I did not find the President bulb locally but did find it online at directgardening.com, 8 bulbs for $30 including shipping. The other online sources were sold out. I'm going to think about it, I might decide to wait until next year and see if Costco brings some in. $30 for 8 bulbs is pretty high.
Here's what I bought this spring:
http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/images/Product/medium/canna_australia.jpg
http://robertasgardens.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/a/carrizo-meyer-lemon-1.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2340/2259846467_f17c96aecc.jpg
rosarugosa
5-29-16, 7:25am
I'm on vacation for the next week, and I want to really challenge myself to have an enjoyable week at minimal cost. Last year we spent over $600. on restaurant dining during our May vacation, and I don't want to come anywhere near that figure this year! DH will be working for most of the week, so that might make it a little bit easier to exercise restraint.
Mom & I recently won $50 in gift certificates to a local small diner-type restaurant, so we're going to eat there one night. We wanted lobster yesterday and got steamed lobsters from the grocery store for about $15.00, took them apart at home and made a beautiful lobster salad, accompanied by mojitos with fresh mint from the garden. So we spent about $20. on gourmet dinner & drinks at home (we already had the Brazilian rum, sugar & mint so just needed to buy limes and club soda).
I have $100 in gift certificates (birthday gifts from April) to the local garden center, so I would like to plant my containers with annuals and should certainly be able to do that affordably.
I got a great-fitting new pair of NYDJ jeans Friday at Nordstrom Rack. They retail for $124, but were priced for $30, and when I got to the register, they were marked down to $13.50. I used a credit card that had a $25.00 credit balance from redeemed rewards, so the jeans didn't cost me anything out of pocket.
I think that's it for now.
We are on a 5d vacation. I've cooked all our meals in except for breakfast Thursday (the cheapest meal out right?)!
Today is hubby's birthday. He wants Sushi for dinner so we're going out at 4PM when they open. It's a great splurge for a fantastic hubster:cool:
rosarugosa
5-29-16, 8:56am
Gardnr: The occasional splurge is the perfect way to go, especially for a special occasion like a birthday. :)
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