View Full Version : July Frugals....I am back so I will start!!
July 02
Happy Canada to us all....I have been here reading but, have had a really hard, sad winter will post separately when I am up to it.......
Now for frugals....I need them...lol
--Chicken dinner from legs and thighs bought on sale, with enough for supper tonight in crock pot.
--Chocolate pie, made with a pudding mix, milk, Greek yogurt and a couple of packets of cocoa mix in a
chocolate crumb crust (from freezer) served with sourcream/brown sugar and fresh local strawberries.
Mostly to use up and was delicious. Not much leftover but, sent some home with dsil
--only using a/c when really needed and mostly in the cheaper hydro hours
--only washing dishes,clothes and using dryer in the cheaper hydro hours
--decluttering AGAIN and cleaning out excess food storage AGAIN.
--all spreadsheets caught up (they got behind over this winter) and ready to keep that way!!!
That is all for now...hope everyone has a good month.
Thank you! I am doing more cooking at home. We've been going out a lot, as my stamina is low, due to treatment. And, my work contract hours were cut in half, so my income is down. When I feel up to speed, I love to cook!
I was doing pretty well with bringing tea to work as well as lunch, but between yesterday and today I've hit the vending machine three times! Argh! A grand total of $3.75, so not a ridiculous amount of money, but I really don't need to eat peanut M&Ms!
Been confining our driving to only what is necessary. And we've been eating at home and entertaining ourselves by watching "Mad Men" on Netflix.
It was overcast this morning when I left for work and the forecast was for cloudy and rainy all day. I closed up all the blinds and set the thermostat to 78 degrees. The sun is starting to peek through the clouds so I'm glad the house is closed up and hopefully the A/C won't turn on as a result of my diligence. I've found I have to set the thermostat to 75 degrees over night though in order to sleep. It's just too darn hot and muggy otherwise. Of course, at work it's so cold I have to wear layers in order to keep from shivering!
Nothing big planned for the 4th of July. We used to always through a party at our house, which always ended up being quite costly, IMO. We can see the fireworks from our deck so no reason to go anywhere or to spend money. Just hang out and have a relaxing evening at home.
early morning
7-2-13, 9:00pm
Hi, danna - we have missed you and hope things are getting better for you. I don't feel particularly frugal - I'm at a conference in DC - but all expenses will be reimbursed plus we get $71 per diem so I will come out ahead by quite a bit, still we are being as frugal as we can with taxpayer money! Big plus - water taxi from conference to hotel is cheaper AND more fun!! Other than that, not much happening on the frugal front.
flowerseverywhere
7-3-13, 7:38am
Danna, hope things are getting better.
I have been cooking more vegetarian meals and found an Indian grocery where I can get some items I need much cheaper. Between that and the farmers market I should be able to not spend a fortune for good healthy food.
Through diet in the last six months I have lowered my cholesterol so I don't have to go on medication. Frugal to avoid the expense of medication and more md visits.
Cooking at home each night with the intention of having decided by lunch what I'll prepare for dinner - and tomorrow's lunch! Freezer and pantry fairly well stocked so groceries are mostly fresh produce and loss leaders.
Posting lots of etsy items - a friend was cleaning out his mom's house and offered me all his sibling's clothes from the 50s. It's a lot of work to wash, line dry, iron, photo and post but they are so fabulously vintage. And has saved me a tremendous amount of time and gas running around to garage sales to buy stock for the etsy shop - like they fell from heaven!
chrissieq, if you feel comfortable sharing your Etsy shop link, that would be cool. If not, that's ok, too.
flowers, excellent work on the avoidance of meds. Amazing how healing - or harmful - food can be.
early, so fun about the water taxi!!
Speaking of running around, we did run around to two salvage shops today. We are looking for hinges and glass doorknobs. We ended up getting door hinges 2 for $5 at the second shop vs. $20 each at the first shop. As for glass doorknobs, DH is going to order some on eBay for a good price that he spotted. We are fixing up a door that was used as a replacement but didn't completely match because they used shiny hinges and it has no knob.
I read this article and thought it was in keeping with our ongoing discussion of frugality, which helps me so much to stay on track. http://www.wisebread.com/frugality-and-the-myth-of-self-denial
We went out to lunch with a friend, so fun.
Went to JoAnn to pick up just a very few things and used my teacher discount card to save about $2.
Our house project is costing waaaaaaay more than expected, so we've canceled our Yellowstone trip for this year. I expect this will save us $2000 or more. :( I am sad, though my back has been bothering me so not sad to give up the drive. Instead we will still visit a friend on the SD border and hit three state parks next week. We'll get a few stamps in the State Park Passport and see some parks we wouldn't likely have otherwise seen.
Chrissieq your shop is cute and I favorited it and saw that you saw mine aunthattiesattic
iamdavidspersonaleconomy
7-3-13, 11:00pm
Yesterday I was at Publix getting dog food and vegetables. I saw that my favorite luxury coffee, Caribou Coffee was on sale for $6.99 (reg $9.99) for 12 oz. I spent about 10 minutes thinking about this purchase. I already had enough starbucks coffee at home which I got at Costco for about $10 for 32 oz. At least enough to last me until I go to costco to buy some more. Even better, I can get Folgers 48 oz for about $12 at costco.
So...
Caribou on sale: $6.99/12oz= $.58/oz
Starbucks: $10/32oz = $.31/oz
Folgers: $12/48oz = $.25
Even though this coffee tastes good and I would save $3 off of the regular price, I left it at the store. I am glad I did. I like starbucks and I like folgers, there is no need to pay twice as much for a little better coffee.
That is my daily frugal from yesterday.
-DO
Chrissieq your shop is cute and I favorited it and saw that you saw mine aunthattiesattic
My shop is quinntrading. Merski, am enjoying yours too. It's always fun to see a new listing and see it's from a shop that you have a connection to!
July04/13
Nice to be back and see how well you are all doing!!
--I have been growing my hair longer so not as many cuts and not as many dyes...lots of savings. Surprisingly not the need for daily washing as short hair.
--Dd, grandson and I have managed to do all the yard work this year...it is good exercise/saves a lot of money; and it may not suit our fussy neighbour but, we think it looks fine!
--ate up all the leftovers and need to cook tomorrow.
--trip to Costco today but, followed the list and only bought what we needed.
A dear friend brought back two lovely bras for me from her trip to America. (Industrial-strength, pretty bras are NOT readily available in Israel, which has a lot of very thin, beautiful women!) The problem was, the cup size was correct but the band size was one size too small. Instead of waiting until that mythical day when I might lose a bra size in weight, I ordered a set of "bra extenders" from America, for about $6.95. This will allow me to wear the two new bras AND one older bra that I had "outgrown."
Hi! I am new to this thread, and I love reading everyone's frugals. :-)
-I planned this week's menu around food we already had and things that were on sale. Made for a low grocery bill, and some leftover cash to spend on anniversary/4th of July fun.
-Freezing leftovers. I'm always optimistic that we'll eat them right away, but that rarely happens, and we end up throwing a lot out. Trying to make better use of the resources we have.
-Turning off lights/appliances that people aren't using. A constant thing that may not be helping that much, but is somehow quite satisfying.
-Gave away an old TV on Freecycle. Freed up some space!
-Sold a dress on eBay
Kelli, I used to have back problems... for about 8-10 years, off and on. I think what really cured them was Zumba! It really keeps all those muscles loose and everything moves easily.
Frugals - free (except for gas) mini-vacation at a friends' lake cabin. Brought all our food from home, out of the freezer I was wanting to turn off, and was able to turn it off after packing the cooler. Plus a lot of what I brought is already prepared so it's quick and easy, a mini-vacation for the cook as well.
DD and I made a birthday gift for a friend of hers who is having a party this month.
DD is participating in a couple of bookstore summer reading programs, as well as the one from our local library. For tracking book titles and reading minutes she'll get a free book from one and credit toward a purchase from another. Browsing at the bookstore is great, free entertainment for a hot day. I always have a pad of paper and a pen in my purse for writing down titles to source from the library.
Welcome saverchic.
The end of June and beginning of July are never very frugal for me. Both boys have their birthdays, so now that that is over I've got to make up a bit in the budget. Listing things on Craigslist and adding more things to our Etsy store. Cooking at home more. The chickens are happy and still making eggs daily and so I've had enough to sell a few cartons every week (pays for their food).
DH works a couple of evenings at the outdoor theater and that lets us take part in the area pass exchange so we try to see a few shows for free.
Glad you are here saverchic....great place
--my mircowave has stopped working, I checked if I could fix (not likely), call repair place and the charge is a minimum of $65.00 (not going to happen)
so I am researching and checking out all of them and waiting for a good sale. I do use it a lot to warm things up which helps use leftovers and save electricity.
--fried up some leftover quinoa and had it with an egg for breakfast...very filling and stays with you.
--signed up for on line emails from Sears and received a $10.00 in store coupon,
Welcome, saverchic!
It has been brutally hot and humid here the past few days, which has meant the A/C has been running pretty regularly. Been trying to keep it at between 76 and 80 degrees F and we've been diligent about closing up the house, so that helps.
We went for a 23 mile road bike ride yesterday evening and afterwards I was pretty tired and suggested grabbing some takeout for dinner, but my dearly beloved gently persuaded me that we should just cook at home, which we did.
We've been eating a lot of beans and rice lately, tasty and cheap! We use the rice cooker to make a huge batch of Spanish rice and then reheat the leftovers with beans and cheese on the grill so that we don't heat up the house using the oven.
Been getting many hours of cheap entertainment via Netflix this summer. We've been watching Mad Men and are just starting season 2 so we have a few seasons to go. We've also been watching the original Star Trek series, which is always fun!
Today we put up our blueberry net. Our blueberry bushes are loaded with berries so we should get a good haul this season. Can't wait for them to ripen!!!
Not much else to report. Pretty quiet around here!
Hello everyone. Welcome back Danna and welcome Saverchic! Not much to report here. We've been riding out the heat wave with our fans, and I'm glad to hear that temps should be somewhat lower next week. It seems like we've been spending a lot on groceries, but we've avoided takeout or eating out, which are always temptations when it's really hot out. So even expensive groceries are relatively cheap compared to those alternatives. We did take advantage of another sale on lobsters at Market Basket. They seem to run lobster sales for all the summer holidays, so Labor Day lobsters may also be in my future :) It's cheap money for lobsters, but still not the cheapest dinner option. It's money well spent in my book though!
I can't think of a lot of frugals here lately. I've stocked up on sales at grocery stores so I guess that's more frugal than buying "just in time". But it sure doesn't feel frugal when we hit three digits on the receipt! My car is going in for service Tuesday; time to service a couple of belts. It'll be a major service stop (100K miles) but it sure is cheaper than waiting until something breaks. Some no-drive days, some no-buy days. But, otherwise, spending money to save money.
try2bfrugal
7-8-13, 7:39pm
Today I turned bottle in for the redemption value at the local grocery store. We had relatives visiting for summer vacation so I have a big pile of soda, wine and beer bottles to turn in.
Next I went to the library and bought some business and simple living books for a a dollar each at the library sale, plus checked out a stack more. Somebody turned in a bunch of grow your own food in small space books, plus a book on making garden items from recycled material.
Next I stockpiled a bunch of loss leader sale items from the grocery stores. I try not to buy a lot of canned food, but it is nice to have some on hand for quick meals. The local grocery store had DH's favorite chili on sale for $1 from $2.50. That is a much better rate of return I can get than in any investments these days. I also stocked up on soup on sale, and even got a $2 coupon back.
Managed to avoid the vending machine at work today -- woo-hoo! And even though I really wanted to stop for ice cream on my way home from work, I didn't. :D Instead, made some cheese quesadillas at home and then checked on our beehives. Added another honey super to the one hive that is producing well -- hoping to get 100 pounds of honey from the two hives this season! Spent the evening mowing the lawn and doing a little weeding until the mosquitoes got too bad. Ate leftovers for dinner and surfed the interwebs for a little entertainment. Overall, a good, solid, no-spend day!!! Tomorrow should be equally as frugal. I have to go to work, but will bring my travel mugs with tea, my water bottle, and some snacks. Lunch will be a rice cake with peanut butter and honey. This has become my go-to lunch at work because I can keep a little stockpile of everything in my desk drawer so there is no need to plan out my lunch every morning. I only work three days a week in the summer so I don't mind eating the same thing for lunch all three days. Of course, once the school year starts and I am working five days a week, I might have to come up with a new plan!
I realized today that I've been doing a great job of not buying anything unnecessary since my job change (and pay cut) this spring. No clothing purchases, even though I was previously convinced that some things needed replacing. No hair products, instead I've been diligently using up my stockpile. No books, although I did ask for a few for my birthday later this month. My biggest weakness has been meals out, but even that has totaled under $60 over the past 3 months. Feeling pretty good about flexing my frugality muscles!
Good morning
--Saturday I hit many yardsales, too many but, was very picky and only bought things I really needed or really loved (My new rules).
A mat for under computer chair only $2.00, two beautiful bed cushions in in lovely shade of grey $1.00, 10 sewing patterns unused for resale $2.00,
set of three large Pryex bowls for $2.00, set of 4 fancy facecloths with tags and tied with ribbon $1.00 for a gift, gift cards $.25,
hand knit booties (so cute look like little artisan boots, hard to explain..hehe) new only $.50 for a gift, and really not needed but lovely
6 bone china made in England cups and saucers $6.00. These might be to keep, sell or gift, they make a lovely container for a small arrangement of flowers.
This is a fun morning with Dd and mostly frugal way to get a shopping fix, since it is only a couple of months in summer and I barely go near a mall these days.
All the mall prices just seem so high after some of these amazing buys.
--received a free mascara regular price $7.99 + tax in the mail just for sending the request online.
--I have been shopping the sales, price matching and using coupons for all groceries and the totals are way down. Also, being super careful with not wasting food.
DO - I would of had a hard time passing up the Caribou sale. I love mixing beans and always add another bag to the stash. Caribou is my favorite.
Tomorrow won't be frugal - must get the boys eye exams and I know one of them will need glasses. He's an 'instant and stylish' kind of guy and I'm going to have to put a $$ limit on him and I don't think he'd be happy waiting for mail-order glasses.
I've had my Etsy shop on vacation mode for a while - but getting it full again. I was averaging $700-$1000 a month on there and I really need to get that income back.
Still listing and selling some things on Craigslist as well (feels good to get the studio cleaned up).
Gardenarian
7-9-13, 12:38pm
I've been working too much to spend any money. Which is good in its way but not how I want to be spending my summer!
I finally have some real frugals:
- Sorted out the account ID mess that was keeping me from using the St. Paul Public Library/Zinio e-magazine checkout. When my current magazine subscriptions expire, I will not be renewing. I'll be reading them through the library.
- Kicked the thermostat up a couple of degrees in the morning. It just doesn't need to be as cool as it is when the A/C is running (76*). Saves a little electricity...
- DW bought a retractable clothesline. Some month when it's not raining/about to rain/just rained/95% humidity in the shade :confused:, I'll put it up and we'll be able to dry some items on the line instead of in the dryer.
- When she bought the clothesline, DW also bought a food vacuum sealer. She really liked hers until it stopped vacuuming. She forgot that I'd fixed the old one (well, it sucks for me). So she hasn't even opened the new one; she'll bring it back this weekend. Good thing -- the reviews I read on this model indicate it either works really well or is total junk. Why risk that?
Just learned that I'll make an additional $480 teaching in the fall semester over what I had planned. Woo-hoo!
Managed to avoid the vending machine at work again today by bringing an extra snack with me to work. Need to make up some yummy homemade trail mix that I can keep in my desk drawer for when the afternoon snack cravings start. Will try to do that this weekend.
Not much else to report. Hope everyone else is having a fun-filled, frugal July!
You are all doing so well!
I have some bigger and some smaller frugals to report.
1) I was able to re-order my entryway furniture (yay!). I saved $200 on it and will get $200 in "rewards" (store gift certificates) to use when it arrives, too. It is currently on backorder, but I noticed yesterday while checking the status that the price dropped almost $200 on it. I called Customer Service to see if they would do a price adjustment for me, and they said yes. So after applying my coupon code, they credited my order another $170. Not bad for ten minutes of work on my part! :-)
2) DH had a small home improvement project to work on (framing a doorway). My FIL has a piece of wood we could use, so we only needed to buy two pieces instead of three. Saved us around $20.
3) The 4th of July weekend was a lovely frugal affair. DH had four days off work. We visited my dad and spent a lot of time out on the deck. DH grilled burgers and dogs, and I made him a special meal of barbeque baby back ribs (which I bought during a buy one rack, get two free sale). We also had corn on the cob ($2.50/dozen) and some lemonade I got for free. DD and I also made a flag cake with fruit we got for free and had bomb pops I got for around $1 after coupon.
4) DD outgrew her size five shoes, and we needed to get her some size 6s. I talked DH into buying her just one pair. He wanted to get her two, but she really didn't need two. Savings: around $12.
Now back to reality! :-)
Donated blood and was able to ride round trip downtown on the bus on one fare. Spent lots of time baking/cooking for a church program for folks with dementia which will be reimbursed. Walked with a friend and shared my huge crop of lettuce. Cut the grass - love the electric mower cause I can start it without a hissy fit!!
DH will take the car tomorrow so when I serve at church I will bus. Otherwise a no spend day - two in a row!!
Watching "The Killing" on Neflix making my $8 per month useful.
fidgiegirl
7-10-13, 10:23pm
Hi everyone, I have enjoyed catching up on the frugals. Kat, so glad you were able to get your furniture finally. Danna, great garage sale finds. Maybe DH and I will go out tomorrow.
Steve, glad you got the magazine thing worked out - I think the libraries in our area make e-lending services far too difficult to use - actually, it could be the services themselves since it is so consistently hard for people to figure out. It took me several attempts, and I consider myself relatively skilled. I even refuse to help people try to set them up anymore, and my fulltime job is technology integration. I always refer them to their library staffers for help. :(
All you Etsy-ers, I am considering setting up a shop along the lines of "vintage pet shop" where we could have animal stuff. But maybe it's better to just stay general, like chrissieq's and Merski's shops, to have more options for stuff to list. What do you think? The great thing about setting up a project like an Etsy store is that if I get it all set up and going and learn how to do it, I can show DH and he is fabulous about the follow-through. We're good that way together. I'm kind of trailblazey with things like that, and he's a finisher, which I am not. :)
We have a huge home project going on so my mind is turning to moneymakers to try to cushion the blow. Ultimately it will save us even further damage and will enhance the comfort and beauty of our home (sounds like a commercial!) but man I hate having to shell out for something so boooooooring as remediating rot.
We went on a mini vacation to South Dakota and western MN. We were going to go to Yellowstone, and I had estimated (on the generous side) about a $2000 price tag for that trip. We decided to cancel in light of the house project. :( This was disappointing but I didn't want to end up with potentially more debt (see the HELOC thread, yes, we are even considering taking on debt for this project, yuck) for a trip we could do next year. Our mini trip, about four days, cost us about $200. Big difference in cost and also in the type of experience, but we made some good memories and I'm happy that we didn't go the Yellowstone route. I would have felt icky about it the whole time anyway knowing that we didn't really have the money to be doing it at this time.
Well, sorry to bombard you with such a long reply. That's what happens when I check out for a few days! :)
iamdavidspersonaleconomy
7-11-13, 6:55am
DO - I would of had a hard time passing up the Caribou sale. I love mixing beans and always add another bag to the stash. Caribou is my favorite.
It was very difficult. I was holding it in my hand, staring at it for not less than 5 minutes. Now I am out of regular coffee and will use my $2.50 off coupon at Costco for 3 lbs of Folgers bringing my 3 lbs of good coffee for less than $10, compared to 2/3 lbs of great coffee for $7. I like my decision, but it was tough at the store.
When I left the hospital, they gave me a voucher for 20 free birth announcements for DS. They came awhile back and look really nice! I used one of the newborn photos I took myself. I decided not to send too many out, though. Stamps are expensive, and I think most people on my list would just toss them. So I am really just saving a few for his grandparents and his baby book.
Made banana bread yesterday out of some bananas that were past their prime. I took some chicken out for dinner, too, and found that I was missing one ingredient for most of my chicken recipes (annoying!). So I just seasoned the chicken instead, browned it in my Dutch oven, and finished it off in the oven. So, so good! I used up a couple of cans of beans from my pantry for a side. I will be taking some deli ham out of the freezer for sandwiches for lunch today. Not sure what dinner will be yet--maybe tuna and noodles?
Later today I hope to finish up my menu plan. DH and I hope to head to the grocery store tomorrow. With two kids under two, we really only want to go to one store...so I will go to the one that price matches and accepts all my coupons. :-)
July 11
--free 1.75 litre of good orange juice with coupon
--a few fresh fruit and veggies on sale and that was all for groceries.
--I have let my hair grow out all one length and now the longer sides cover most of my gray so only colouring hair very 8 weeks.
--also, longer hair doesn't get oily so fast, only showering and washing hair very 2-3 days....save water and products.
--again leftovers from supper for lunch
--bought a new mircowave and got it on sale....for me I think it saves money and effort when rewarming food.
--really not wasting any food...yeah
Thats all for now
Well, I went over budget at the grocery store by $3. Annoying, but I made up for it by using a coupon when we went out to eat after (eating out was a planned and budgeted expense).
I've been focusing on using food before it goes bad. The lone celery stick, the last few slices of bread, etc. Those are things that used to get away from me, but I am getting better. I have about a half a gallon of whole milk that is getting close to date, too. I am thinking about making some ice cream out of it as a special treat. It's been really hot here!
The other day, I stopped at Goodwill for quarter day. I found two pairs of very nice shoes for DS, two shirts, and a pair of pants for me. I was especially excited about the pants. They are White House/ Black Market brand. I could never afford them new; finding them for a quarter was unbelievable.
Other than that, same old boring stuff. Just been trying to stay on top of the housework and get a little organizing done here and there. It seems like one or both of the kiddos are always awake, though, and it is hard to get stuff done when your children are that little (six weeks and not quite two), especially when one of them is a nursing baby! I am trying to be kinder to myself this time around; I am just enjoying our time together here at home, doing domestic things as frugally as possible. I don't even attempt shopping without DH anymore, so that helps, too! :-)
Blackdog Lin
7-12-13, 10:58am
Same-o same-o around here too on the frugality front. Today's lunch will be.....frugally interesting. Found in the freezer 2 c. of leftover beef stew, not really enough to do anything with, but then remembered the c. of zucchini/tomato dish, and then remembered the few c. of ham/green beans/potatoes. Intend to heat it all on the stovetop (to not have to use the oven too long), add herbs as needed, then bake it with biscuits on top. It SHOULD work.....:)
early morning
7-12-13, 10:39pm
So how WAS lunch, Blackdog Lin? DD and I hit Aldi yesterday- they had much nicer veggies than usual so we bought a bunch. Spent $135 for 1 weeks for 2 adults and one week for 3 adults (I was out of town most of last week), which I thought was terrible, then DD informed me that had actually been 3 and a half weeks since she'd been, so I felt a LOT better! We had 2 loaves of artisan rustic Italian bread gifted to us last week and had planned to freeze one (in slices). Didn't get around to it and the last half of the last loaf got really hard. Stuck it in a bag with a slice of store-bought wheat bread last night, and by breakfast time it was back to its normal half-crunchy half-chewy goodness! Mowed Mom's yard tonight and she gave us some money which will go into the "coffee when we're out" fund. Paid DS's hopefully LAST tuition bill for his undergrad. Saved 35$ by paying it all at once instead of breaking it into payments. Since he only needs 2 classes that was more easily do-able, lol. Wanted a treat tonight, so we made our own frappuccinos with coffee cubes - great use for dabs of leftover coffee- and flavored creamer from Aldi. They were wonderful! It should be nice tomorrow, so - hopefully - clothes on the line! It's been so rainy here I've had to dry in the house, and even once resorted to - *gasp*- the dryer! :~)
Consignment store, clearance rack, Talbots fully lined Irish linen capris, $1.
Woohoo.
SteveinMN
7-13-13, 10:28am
Yesterday's frugal: For whatever reason, the chrome toilet paper holder in our downstairs bathroom was missing the roller. Rollers are a dime-a-dozen -- except for this kind of TP holder, apparently, which kind of reverses the normal telescope-out-to-fit. Instead this one requires the roller ends to telescope in. I bought a telescope-out roller and applied a hacksaw and Surform rasp to it so the ends were big enough to accommodate the nibs that applied tension to the original roller setup. TP now rolls off that holder just like it should. $1.06 to fix a (mildly-)vexing problem.
We also made an ALDI run yesterday to stock up. We have a college friend of DW's and his toddler (!) son visiting this weekend, so the schedule and budget will be a little off. The day's entertainment should be a free-/low-cost local park/zoo. Tomorrow is a free concert at the same park, featuring a jazz band run by a former co-worker of mine. I just hope the rain holds off....
try2bfrugal
7-13-13, 11:00am
We went to the first movie of the day at the local theater, which is the lowest price showings on Thursday. On Friday we went out for lunch with a 2 for 1 Entertainment coupon.
I ordered a low flow shower head to try out from Amazon and three more LED bulbs that were on sale for half price. I paid for the Amazon order with credit card rewards points and money leftover from a gift card for switching to Uverse, so it only cost me $10 out of pocket.
I made my own orange vinegar cleaning solution by letting orange peels sit in vinegar in a Mason jar. I think someone posted that idea here.
I noticed some of my clothes are actually fraying, so I think that means I have been doing a good job of letting them wear out rather than replacing them before their time is up. It has been hot so the drying racks have been put to good use. I can get a few cycles of clothes done in a day because they dry so quickly out in the sun.
We are still looking at houses for downsizing. That is our next really big frugal.
For groceries, I'm stockpiling loss leaders each week and getting the fresh produce from a local Hispanic market. The produce prices are still about about 75% less than the local Safeway.
Keeping up with the usual frugals here.
We got our electric bill and still have a credit from the electric generated by our solar panels, despite the hot, humid, cloudy, and rainy weather, which has resulted in more A/C use and less solar electricity being generated.
Been cooking and eating at home pretty consistently. Although, the pantry and refrigerator are looking a little bare, I managed to pull together a salad and cheese quesadillas for lunch and a frittata for dinner. My dearly beloved leaves for NYC for another four days tomorrow morning so I'll put off grocery shopping for a few more days and get creative with eating whatever odds and ends are in the house.
The weather got a little better over the past few days so we took advantage of the opportunity to do some gardening, mulching, mowing, and weed whacking. Frugal activities in the sense that it kept us from going anywhere and spending money unnecessarily. :D
Finally remembered to submit the last receipt I had for expenses at my previous job. Will be happy to get reimbursed the $500+ that they owe me. Now I just need to remember to follow up with my accountant about my taxes to see if there is any possibility I over paid and will get a refund (I filed for an extension, which is why this is happening in July and not April like it normally would). Trying to be more assertive about following up on these little financial matters. :)
SteveinMN
7-14-13, 12:01pm
We have a college friend of DW's and his toddler (!) son visiting this weekend, so the schedule and budget will be a little off. The day's entertainment should be a free-/low-cost local park/zoo. Tomorrow is a free concert at the same park, featuring a jazz band run by a former co-worker of mine. I just hope the rain holds off....
So we had fun with a toddler (and his dad) at the zoo. Dad drove, so yesterday was a no-drive day for both of us. We packed sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, so there was no need to partake of concessions. We did make the recommended contributions to the zoo for all of us; considering we were there for at least three hours, it's cheap and educational entertainment; well worth it. We all came back to nap. Dinner was lettuce wraps (eat with your hands!!). We enjoyed ice cream and a bonfire outside (branches downed by recent storms) and watched fireflies, which neither DH nor I can remember seeing in St. Paul in a loooong time. Pretty cheap FFF even if we're F in only an informal sense.
Our guests depart today so we can clean and rest up. Being our age and having a three-year-old around is work! Though it probably would be less work if we were better set up for it as far as what the kid can reach and damage (or hurt himself with). We're learning! :)
Sounds like a fun weekend, Steve!
Most of my recent frugals have been in the way of shopping. There were some things I've been hoping to buy, but I didn't want to pay full price for any of them!
The first thing is new undergarments. I really, really needed them. Mine are so old and just falling apart. I had some picked out, but they were pretty expensive. Then they went on sale for 66% off, so I bought a bunch to replenish my stock. They are good quality and should last a long time.
The second things is new cookie sheets. I had two, and they were second hand when I got them ten years ago. I budgeted $20 for two new ones...and then the ones I wanted went on sale for $5 each! I was able to get 4 for the same amount of money, which made me really happy since two never seemed to be enough while baking cookies.
The third thing is some new dishcloths. Again, I've had mine for over a decade, and they are more holes than cloth! I really wanted some nice microfiber towels, but holy cow! They are expensive. I had some highly reviewed ones on my Amazon wishlist...and then yesterday, the Gold Box Deal of the Day was those exact towels! I was able to get 36 towels for $16 instead of $40. Free shipping, too! Originally priced, $15 only got you 12 towels. So I am pretty stoked. They come in 3 different colors, so I can use one for the kitchen, one for the bathroom, and one for general cleaning. Sweet!
Finally, I bought some clothes for DS for next summer from the Children's Place yesterday. Shipping was free, and after the coupon code I had, each item (either T shirts or shorts) were $1.19. Even Goodwill is $2.38, so stocked up! The clothes are mix and match, too, which is nice. I also ordered a Yo Gabba Gabba shirt for DD's birthday. She has been asking for a Brobee cake; this shirt has Brobee sliding down a rainbow. I think she will like it, and it was only $3.
Other than that, same old boring stuff. I've talked DH out of eating out twice now, though he did take me on a proper date Monday. I'm not gonna lie--it was pretty nice to eat hot food and get through a conversation! :-) So $35 well spent, IMO.
Tussiemussies
7-17-13, 11:12am
We had a staycation and DH worked on the house the whole time so we didn't go anywhere. We decided on the last day to go to our favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, which is not frugal, but we just love their food. And we enjoy the service too.
I hardly ever drive my car anymore. I have not been going out much. I went to meet a friend at a diner awhile ago and in leaving my car wouldn't start. DH and I thought it was from the battery not getting any charge from driving it so little. so we have the AAA service, which has saved us enough times to pay for it. They are pretty prompt too. This person really knew what he was doing and was able to tell by some testing that there was some corrosion on one of the hook ups. He brushed it all off with a wire brush and my car was fine. Have not driven it since then though so we will see if it starts.
Have been trying to make a big effort to eat all the food we buy. Unfortunately I just had to throw out some strawberries which were organic. They don't last to long since no one buys them much.
On his vacation DH refurbished the front deck. He saved the bottom decking and used paint that was meant to fill in cracks and then put up white railing, the deck is dark brown. It looks fantastic, actually more like a porch now. DH is so good at fixing thing and working on house projects. He is a DIY all the way!
Chris
Mixed up my first batch of shampoo and rinse from the book Plastic-Free (each is 1 c water to 1Tbs baking soda and apple cider vinegar respectively, with a few drops essential oil lavender to keep dandruff from coming). I was using perfect shampoo for me before, but it came in a plastic bottle and that's not perfect. These new batches I keep in glass bottles. DH and I have accumulated enough plastic and metal over the last month or so to take to the recycling place, which also pays for the plastic things. DH is really on board now with many SL things, so we are not looking to things that cost anything to keep ourselves amused--meaning no eat out at all and Netflix keeps us from no movies at all ever. "Ever" means this year which is our last on, while he still works part-time, to save for retirement.
try2bfrugal
7-17-13, 12:31pm
We went to Mimi's with a coupon for brunch. It was a nice date, but the food wasn't that good. The potatoes were just some weird processed, vaguely potato-like weird goo. We decided we'd rather eat at our favorite mom and pop brunch place next time and support the local economy while eating real food.
Our entertainment over the weekend was looking at new downsized houses, so except for gas that has been frugal and will be a long term money saver. We also watched a couple of Netflix movies.
I changed Netflix from 3 to 2 DVDs out, so that will save a bit of money each month.
We've had some food-related frugals here lately.
DH set up a new personal computer for one of his co-workers. She offered to pay him, but he refused payment as he just wanted to help her and her husband out. She said she couldn't let him go without any payment (though that would have been fine with us), so she brought him several packages of meat in exchange for his services. 1.5 pounds ground beef, 4 butterfly pork chops, 5 enormous brats, a seasoned cut-up chicken, and 6 ground beef patties. I put most of it in the freezer but did use the ground beef to make two meals--a cheesy noodle casserole and some taco meat. DH is planning to grill the burgers and brats this weekend.
That same day, our neighbors brought us a bag of produce from their garden. They brought cherry tomatoes for DD, jalapenos for DH, and cucumbers for me. I used some of the tomatoes and the peppers for tacos last night. The rest of the tomatoes and some cucumbers will make a nice snack. I plan to chop and freeze the rest of the peppers for use in chili later; the rest of the cucumbers will be used for cucumber salad.
Bought 20 pounds of ground beef for 1.79/lb--as low as it goes here. I had to buy it in bulk to get that price, though, so I'll need to bag it up for the freezer soon. Now I just have to watch for a sale on chicken!
I hope to get some baking done this afternoon. I'll make a loaf of bread to repay my neighbor's kindness and will make some bread for our family, too. I need to chop up a couple of green peppers before they go bad, too, and try to use up some salad fixings. I also have some returns to make to the store and some phone calls that will hopefully result in refunds/credits. We'll see how those pan out!
DH received his profit sharing check yesterday. We will have to think about how to best put it to use. I know for sure he will be getting a treat--maybe a season of his favorite show on DVD or a couple of comic books. That guy works so hard and never complains. Can't wait to pick something special out for him! :-)
ETA: Forgot to mention that I claimed 2 free $3 credits for Amazon Instant Video--one for DH and one for me. Along with some popcorn, it should make for a nice cheap date night at home in the future!
A petsitting client I just started a lengthy assignment for left me a big ol' bag of food and drink that she didn't want to throw out or let get rotten during her absence. Very helpful and delicious...she left a big container of homemade gazpacho. Yum!
Saw a post on an Israeli English teachers Facebook group of a lady who'd left the profession and wanted to get rid of her old (but still current in the eyes of the Education Ministry) EFL textbooks. Picked up a bunch of them today, and took the remainder for a friend who is setting up a volunteer EFL program for Ethiopian Jews who have moved to the area.
Went to a local thrift store and picked up two blazers (one linen) and a beautiful top, all for about $15, which are perfect in terms of the modesty requirements for my job teaching at the religious school this year. Woot! Seriously, those items would have cost me at least $120 brand new, so I'm very pleased.
try2bfrugal
7-20-13, 2:23am
Our big frugal this month was selling an extra car we weren't using. It was old so we didn't get a lot for it but we will also save annually now on insurance, repairs and registration.
Oooh...nice frugal, try2befrugal. Must feel great to get that unused car outta there! :)
Yesterday, a friend of mine came over for a visit. She brought a small gift for each of the kids and a big box of clothes and shoes her kiddos had outgrown. She helped me with the kids all morning and then proceeded to buy me lunch with enough leftover for dinner. (I know, great friend, right? I am truly blessed). I am already thinking of some ways I can repay her kindness. I might make her a couple of things off her "to make" Pinterest board. :)
So DH and I had leftovers for dinner and then had family movie night with DD. We watched a movie on Netflix and improvised for movie treats. DH wanted to run to the store and get popcorn, but we had mini marshmallows instead, which DD loved.
It is really hot here--like 100 degrees. We've been staying home as much as we can but do need to get a light bulb for our fridge. While we are out, I think I might ask DH if we can take DD to Burger King for an ice cream cone. They are only 50 cents this summer! I also have three things to return. Hopefully we can get that done, too.
SteveinMN
7-20-13, 10:09am
I think it's been a long time since I recounted frugals. I'm not sure if that means we've been busy or there just haven't been many new frugal activities.
- The air conditioning went off last night and the windows were opened so we could enjoy nature's air conditioning. The excessive heat is gone. Until the next wave arrives. :(
- We've been using things we've unearthed as we declutter and reorganize. One is plastic designed to go on car headlamp lenses to prevent breakage. I bought it a couple of years ago, but procrastinated because I had to clear up one set of cloudy headlights before applying it, autumn arrived (have to install at 70* or higher), the kit was in the garage and I was not, one car was here but the other wasn't, blah blah blah. I do need to get to a dollar store to get a spray bottle (we don't have enough of them that I trust in the house) but the temperatures are right without being ridiculous and I'm letting myself be -- er, driven -- with the notion that if I don't get the film on and a headlamp is damaged, I have blown both the cost of a replacement headlamp and the opportunity of avoiding the damage. Sooner is better.
- I had a home-maintenance purchase to make at Menard's. This time I remembered to bring the merchandise credit from an earlier purchase and a gift card we received. That saved me $85 on the purchase.
- I'm just saying 'no' to tempting purchases. I've started year 4 with my mobile phone. I passed on buying some software on sale; I saved more money not buying it at all and I really didn't need it. Last time I was in a thrift store, I didn't even leaf through the LPs. Besides, it makes little sense to bring stuff into the house when we're trying to get stuff out of the house.
- I've been feeding us out of the refrigerator and freezer again. I really want to empty the fridge so I can give it a good scrub and declutter. But that makes a lighter grocery bill.
try2bfrugal
7-20-13, 11:31am
Oooh...nice frugal, try2befrugal. Must feel great to get that unused car outta there! :)
Thanks, it does feel good. I wasn't sure whether to post in decluttering or frugals. Besides saving money, it was a quick way to get rid of 5,000 pounds of stuff!
Blackdog Lin
7-20-13, 9:25pm
I'm happy for you, try2bfrugal, and envious. We have DH's "hot rod" setting in the garage gathering dust. He hasn't even been behind the wheel of it in over a year, while meantime we pay taxes and insurance on it (not to mention the room it takes up that could be put to much better use.)
But can he let it go? Noooooo!
rosarugosa
7-21-13, 3:47pm
Well this past week hasn't been very frugal for us. We were on vacation, went to NH for 2 nights, saw three concerts, ate out a few times, and did some planned shopping in outlet-land. We did use a "free" hotel night from our Priority card (there's a $49 annual fee, so it's really a $49 night, but the room would have cost $115 otherwise, so still a substantial discount). Tomorrow is back to work and back to the normal routine, so I'm going to try to be diligent about getting back on track. There was one night that we were going to get take-out before going to the show, but DH bought cold cuts and rolls instead, so I think he scores some frugal points for that one.
Another thread has me thinking about rating enjoyment against money spent, and it's true that we often get more enjoyment from the no or low-cost things. I need to keep that in mind more often. However, when it's 95 degrees in our house, and we want to go out to eat in air-conditioned comfort, taking a walk in the woods doesn't really do the trick. I was so glad to wake up to normal weather this morning!
Hi there
I have been here reading and being very frugal....just haven't got myself on to tell you in the last while
--sold to items on Kijiji that I had bought cheap and made a few $
--bought 2 wool sweaters, 1 blouse and a 3/4 length wool coat all for $5.00 at yardsales plus a box of quilting patterns/fabric and batting for $20.00
now I just have to get busy and do some for gifts and selling....
--been eating a lot of fresh fruit and veggies because there are in season and good prices
--a deodorant that was reg. $4.49 on sale $1.99 then used a $2.00 coupon, =Free I do love that word
--2 loaves of bread with coupons for Free---
--Between sales/coupons/and price matching I have really been keeping the groceries low.
That is all I can think of for now.
Well, I've been saving money by spending money...>8)
I was microwaving this morning when I heard a big clunk inside it. The glass tray (working fine for months after I'd managed to chip it) let go all the way. I now had an ex-tray. #*&^%! The microwave is seven years old and is not one of those disposable brands, so it is worth keeping (last microwave spent 22+ years with me). I didn't feel comfortable patching the pieces together for further use. So -- time for a new tray. I've seen trays at thrift stores -- it would be cheeaaaap -- but I didn't want to idle the oven while I looked for a usable tray. So I called around for a replacement. The best anyone could offer was $25 and 3-5 business days shipping or $35 and 2 days shipping. Ugh. One nearby place I called deals in used appliances. "No, we can't get parts. But we do save the trays when we have to trash the microwave." A 10-minute car ride later and ... score! They have exactly the right tray in their pile. $20 + tax and I get to take it home now. I don't know as I would have driven across town on the hope that they had a good tray. But it certainly was worth 15 minutes of my time!
Another errand was picking up a larger camera bag for my business. I've been looking for one that can handle two bodies, their lenses, and paraphernalia, but they either came with wheels because they were so big or they cost upward of $100 new. A marketing company closing out their old equipment on craigslist was selling just what I was looking for -- for $15. Plus 2/3 of a gallon of diesel to get there and back. :cool:
Other frugals: aspirin at the dollar store (way cheaper than even generic at a drugstore or discount store); switching off the car while waiting several minutes for the train to roll by; passing on a couple of items I could have bought at the grocery store ("we don't really need that"). Dinner tonight is leftovers. And we're enjoying nature's air conditioning today -- sunny and 77 degrees!
Today I scored a like new, black, all leather backpack at the Recycle Ann Arbor warehouse for the princely sum of.....$1.00! Even if I don't end up using it I can try to sell it on Craigslist or at the consignment shop in town :)
fidgiegirl
7-23-13, 6:51pm
Bryce saved our business $50 by calling the city to ask why we'd been levied a particular fee - and we will have it credited back.
I went to Aldi and picked up a few items over lunch. Their yogurt is pretty yummy, I ate one at lunch time, and got a Fage plain yogurt for only $3.29 I think and some pesto and some sweet potato chips and nuts and olives and it only came to $13. Aldi is right next to work so I should try to stop more often. There is not a ton I can eat there but there are a few things.
We are prepping our house for painting and yesterday a (very good) friend offered me the use of their power sprayer - wow! The east and west sides of the house are sprayed and scraped. The north side is mostly covered by an overhang so it's dirty but not chipping away. The south side is mostly brick so little work there.
We hired my brother-in-law to do the second story painting and we will do the first story, garage and all the windows. Our unemployed nephew will come along for some cash in his pocket. But then there are the little ones - 12, 10 and 9 - also coming. I have a few small chores - mostly weeding - that I will give them some $$ so everyone walks away happy. And DH and I will be thrilled because it will be done!!
I have planned breakfast and lunch for 2 days, dinner for one - easy things to prepare and quite a bit of it can be done ahead of time so I don't call out for pizza or go to Subway.
We bought Sherwin Williams paint over Memorial Day and they were out of gallons so we got a 5 gallon bucket for the price of 4 gallons! We weren't sure if we needed 4 or 5 so we will buy an empty can to put the extra in for touch ups. Of course I can't lift it so DH will take it in on Friday to have them re-mix it for us. We have brushes, rollers, drop cloths etc galore so no new purchases there. My brother in law even owns scaffolding so if he feels it will be helpful, he will bring it along.
i have no idea what it costs to have a company do this job but this has to be WAY cheaper!! Wish us luck!!
try2bfrugal
7-23-13, 10:45pm
I went grocery shopping at the discount warehouse and saved $89 off the retail store prices. They track the savings on the receipt and the retail prices are accurate, so shopping there really does save that much on just a week's worth of groceries. I have to bag my own groceries but I view that as an extra calorie burn. DH worked on the business while I shopped so I think we used our time today well.
We aren't going to have dental insurance any more after this month so I had my teeth cleaned today while I was still covered. Our group plan is ending and the private insurance plans we looked at were not cost effective for us.
We cancelled the car insurance for the car we sold last week and won't have to pay the registration fee that was due in two weeks.
For product reviews this month so far I got a free $100 camera bag.
fidgiegirl
7-23-13, 11:19pm
chrissieq, I'm sure it will be a huge savings. I hope the littles do a good job weeding! No cash payment until it's done! ;)
I'm going to a baby shower this weekend, and found two darling cotton blankets, a handmade baby quilt, a pair of new pirate Baby Legs, and a brand new, tag-still-on cotton dress outfit, all at Goodwill. Total: less than $20. Woo hoo!
Mom is going to a baby shower and a friend had stored a fabric book and made a class sample diaper bag. That with my mom's handmade crocheted washcloths and baby toy, total cost $7 or so.
I love it when it all comes together.
It about killed me to go into a department store yesterday to get exercise pants. Good thing it was quiet, no one bothered me and I found what I wanted. Even better that they all were on sale when I got to the cash register.
Aldi is right next to work so I should try to stop more often. There is not a ton I can eat there but there are a few things.
Kelli, there is a reasonable amount of GF food available there, depending on what you eat... I go there almost weekly to stock up on produce. They've had organic apples and potatoes for the past few months, and they recently began stocking organic lettuce (price is less for that at Costco but on weeks when I don't need anything else at Costco, it's a lot closer). Their prices on melons, cauliflower, and other produce are almost always the best in town. This time of year most of our vegetables come from the garden or the farmers market, but I still go there occasionally. Other things I sometimes buy there: plain rice cakes, kalamata olives, frozen peas, goat or neufchatel cheese. Some of their more specialized products, such as the kalamata olives, I suspect are the same as TJ's product but with a different label and a lower price.
flowerseverywhere
7-25-13, 7:03am
all you crafters/woodworkers/hobbyists know what I am talking about when I mention my quilt fabric stash. I was determined when we moved last fall to use up as much as possible. I just finished my second king size quilt top this month, and one is actually quilted. I am making the backs too out of scraps so with all stuff I had in the house except for batting (which I got 40% off) I have two beautiful wedding presents. I have made several dresses for my granddaughter and her doll as well, super cute and of course she looks adorable in them. Luckily her mom appreciates anything handmade that I make.
I was going to go to a national quilt show on a bus trip next year with my quilt guild, but then I realized when I got the itinerary for just one full day at the show it would cost me $1000 when all was said and done. A really astounding amount of money for someone who will pick up a penny on the sidewalk! It would have been fun but just way to pricey and they also were going to stop at a lot of quilt shops and like I mentioned, I have enough fabric.
fidgiegirl
7-25-13, 7:34am
Rosemary, yes, in terms of whole foods, there is a good selection. In terms of processed, I bought some sweet potato chips and seriously, I can tell NO difference between them and Terra brand. They are delicious. But I bought some imitation Chex cereal a few months ago and blech. Hit or miss, I suppose!!
Everyone is rockin' the gifts!
flowerseverywhere, boy do I understand about quilt stash. I have about 12 kits cut up from stash for charity quilts. I keep finding garage sales and such. Even an estate sale where every piece was $1 no matter how big. I was buying it and gave some away to friends.
I have got to stay away from fabric buying and get some friends over to work on the scrap stash. We could turn out another 4 or 5 tops and backs from just the tiny pieces I have in boxes.
chrissieq
7-25-13, 10:23pm
I'm with some of you re: fabric stash. I decided that no matter how inexpensive or how cute - no more fabric until I start working my way through what is here. Also need to do some serious weeding, donate it, and feed another sewers need to own! That said I did buy 5 hand stitched quilt blocs for $1.00 at a thrift store this week - will probably pass them on to my sister who quilts.
I had been throwing change (coins) in the center armrest of my car for a long time. Months, at least. Stopped at the store for groceries on the way home tonight and I dug all the coins out of the armrest. I ran them through one of the coin counting machines in the store and ended up with nearly $18! I only had to put in a few dollars for my purchases on top of the coin counting proceeds.
fidgiegirl
7-26-13, 12:01pm
Tradd, score!
The fabric, stash, isn't it a strange phenomenon? I have to actively fight it with fabric and now with yarn. I knew of this issue from early childhood with a seamstress of a mother (at first I put "a sewer of a mother" and then realized why it didn't look right! Oops! :0!). So when we were going to make charity quilts for our Girl Scout Gold Award project, we simply put a tiny blurb in the community newspaper and were flooded with pleeeeenty of fabric. I knew there were ladies out there just itching to unload some of their stash for a worthy cause, and I was right. :) We made 50 quilts! We were busy little bees!
Kellie, We're doing a sewing-based project with DD's Girl Scout Junior troop for their bronze award. Since it sounds like you have long been involved with the organization, I wonder if you might be interested in talking with them some time? Perhaps about the projects you did/what you got out of them, why you stayed with G.S., ...? Just an idea, only if you enjoy doing that kind of thing!
Laundry hanging outside, possibly drying. Entertainment today: weeding the garden and being with new dog. Watching cats and dog settle in - fascinating and so much faster than I expected - actually easier than adding another cat, I think! Eating at home. Friend coming over this afternoon.
fidgiegirl
7-26-13, 1:36pm
I'd love it, Rosemary. I have some premade programs that I've presented or it can be an informal chat. I traveled to two of the four World Centers and worked at the one in Mexico so that is a special part of Girl Scouts in my heart, as well. Let's email about it.
Hey! We haven't run our dryer in about a month! The line drying season was long in arriving here, but it's been glorious since it began.
Glad it's going well with puppers.
We just trash picked garden edging for our parking pad space! We had priced some at Menards and for the crappy quality and relative non-cuteness, we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend on it. This stuff is plastic, but it's super cute. Some of it is broken and it's tangled up with weeds, but that's just some elbow grease and clipping a few broken pieces off. We can fix it up well enough to work and be so cute! I will try to post pics when it's done. Very happy. Our parking pad needed this vertical edging. The sunken landscape timber edging doesn't delineate well enough and it just looks sad most of the time.
try2bfrugal
7-27-13, 1:48am
Hey! We haven't run our dryer in about a month! The line drying season was long in arriving here, but it's been glorious since it began.
Good work on the dryer front. When I was growing up I was embarrassed that we couldn't afford a dryer. It took me a while to go back to line drying clothes by choice.
Now I feel dumb when I used to use our dryer to dry clothes on 100 degree days when they could have dried outside in a half hour at no cost.
fidgiegirl
7-27-13, 1:39pm
LOL, on the dryer score, I think I spoke too soon as our clothes on the line got rained on and now we have to get ready for a vacation, so in they will go. Oh well, we did pretty well while the streak lasted.
We went up to my parents' last night to drop off the dogs and used a gift card to get a cheap lunch on the way, then went in to my mom's fundraiser at the county fair and also paid for fair admission. The fair sucked, I wish we hadn't even bothered. But oh well.
On the way home we stopped at some outlets that we rarely hit because we almost always have the dogs with us when we go by there. I was happy with the clothes I got for work, and DH got a few things. They weren't priced rock bottom, but quite a few were 80% off, so that was pretty good. I'm pretty well set for a while with clothes.
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