View Full Version : October Frugals
try2bfrugal
10-2-13, 8:01pm
I am happy to report in on my frugals -
- The off brand turbo oven is great. I have made chicken, roasted vegetables, and pork chops so far. It cooks quicker than the wall oven and uses much less electricity than our wall ovens (food cooks in less time with half the wattage). I just plop the food in, set the timer and temperature and 20 minutes or so later it is done. It is supposed to cook meat without having to defrost it but I have not tried that yet.
- Bought hair mousse on sale with a buy one get one for half off coupon.
- Bought meat and freezer snacks for the kids on sale from Safeway and saved about $25. Those two types of products are cheaper at Safeway on sale than anywhere else I grocery shop.
- Picked up a book from the library on paleo desserts.
- Tried signing up for our 2014 health insurance plan but the server seemed to be overloaded so I'll have to try again later.
early morning
10-2-13, 9:11pm
I was sorely tempted today to buy a bag of chips to go w/ my meager lunch. Instead I waited a couple hours and popped a bag of popcorn I had stashed in my desk (I have a microwave in my "office" classroom). Also fought off the urge to get an ice cream (!?!) on the way to check on my mom. I have no idea where these craving have come from. Generally, those aren't the sort of things I crave at all!! Have spent only $10 this month! (two whole days, lol!)
Tussiemussies
10-2-13, 9:32pm
No drive/no spend day for me, although DH got lunch from outside today, so he did spend. We had an issue with our precious dog on Tuesday late in the night and we had to bring her to the vet yesterday and buy special food for her. That doesn't bother me though we both feel we would do anything we could for her financially if we could. Luckily she seemed so much better today. Just keeping my fingers crossed that she will not have another episode. So that was a big spend for us financially and emotionally.
I also went to the chiropractor on Tues. night as I normally do so that was a spend, but I need it. One thing that is making my neck need adjustments is laying in bed reading from the iPad. The position I put my head in is not good. Does anyone else have this issue? This is my relaxation time and I don't want to read from a chair, and that also makes my head go down so that my neck is in a straighter position. If anyone has suggestions, I would like to hear about them...
No other spending but we will be hiring someone to replace the fireplace damper soon.....
My sister and her husband have been on vacation for nearly 3 weeks - home on Friday. I stopped by today to drop off something I had borrowed and found that their hot water heater had sprung a leak! Yikes! Called the co that installed it and then their son-in-law who is fabulously mechanical. He talked me through turning off everything I could and then he followed up with a visit to shop vac up the standing water. He told me about a water sensor that Menard's (or any hardware store carries) for $12 that sets off a fire alarm like beeping when water leaks. Wouldn't have done anything for them being out of town but a handy device to have for day to day life.
fidgiegirl
10-2-13, 10:31pm
Tussies, I have often thought we would see an increase in neck problems from iPad use. At school people place them flat or nearly flat on tables and then sit and look down at them. Not good.
One idea that springs to mind is maybe to use a mount in bed. I do not often use my tablet in bed because it is awkward to hold it. But with a mount (not cheap, be warned), you could fasten it to the side rail or headboard and position the device where you'd like it. You may be able to DIY something, or maybe your hubby could, sounds like he is handy. Here's just one company. (http://snakeclamp.com/Category/ipad-snakeclamp-stand-holder-bracket-with-flexible-goosenck-arm)
Also YouTube has a ton of vids when I searched it for "iPad mount for bed."
The clamp on this is for a wheelchair but you could find different clamps.
http://www.inclusivetlc.com/Images/Prod/362-02.jpg
I hardly ever wear make-up, but the new job I have means I need to some days. So, today I found a cheap way to buy a small amount mascara... Clinique has one called lower lash mascara. (Oy vey.) it's a small tube, a small brush, and half the price of regular mascara. I might actually use it up.
SteveinMN
10-2-13, 10:54pm
Off to a decent start this month. We decided to nix a sort-of-planned dinner with friends (which would have required a 70+ mile round trip of us); looks like we would have gotten wet in the outside activities anyway and it just felt like a lot of running around after a busy day. That probably sounds terrible, but we have many opportunities to get together with these folks, so missing one is not so bad. Food from the freezer and other leftovers for dinner.
Two cell phones arrived today. One is the phone T-Mobile "bought" me to replace my unlockable phone. Once unlocked (Friday), this phone will move to Airvoice and I'll take it off our T-Mo family plan. That will free up about $20-25/month. Once the T-Mo contract is done early next year, we'll add DW's phone. That will take our mobile phone bill from around $120-130 a month for us and DD down to about $40 for both of us.
The other is a cheap flip phone I bought for a few bucks on ebay. I'll outfit that one with another Airvoice SIM and give it to my mom. She will use it only rarely, but thinks one would be handy when she's trying to coordinate unschedulable pickups (medi-van, post-grocery-shopping, etc.) It should cost just a little over $3 a month. If it saves a few hours of waiting (or worry), it'll be worth it. Not a bad price for a phone we can throw in a glovebox, either.
No driving yesterday or today for me, but I will be out tomorrow; DW's car has to go to the dealer for a warranty fix and we're getting (free) flu shots in the afternoon. We did decide to make tomorrow a dinner-out date night, but we'll likely go to one of the inexpensive restaurants near the dealership/her workplace.
Tussiemussies
10-2-13, 11:09pm
Tussies, I have often thought we would see an increase in neck problems from iPad use. At school people place them flat or nearly flat on tables and then sit and look down at them. Not good.
One idea that springs to mind is maybe to use a mount in bed. I do not often use my tablet in bed because it is awkward to hold it. But with a mount (not cheap, be warned), you could fasten it to the side rail or headboard and position the device where you'd like it. You may be able to DIY something, or maybe your hubby could, sounds like he is handy. Here's just one company. (http://snakeclamp.com/Category/ipad-snakeclamp-stand-holder-bracket-with-flexible-goosenck-arm)
Also YouTube has a ton of vids when I searched it for "iPad mount for bed."
The clamp on this is for a wheelchair but you could find different clamps.
http://www.inclusivetlc.com/Images/Prod/362-02.jpg
Thank you so much Kelli for looking that up for me. You are so right in your observation about how people and children place their neck in order to read the pad. DH has been looking up some mounts too, we just want one that is sturdy enough to handle pressing all the letters/numbers....thanks again...chris
Tussie, my hubbie got me an ipad with a blue tooth keyboard cover that also has a slot to hold the ipad at an upright angle I think it was $99. It isn't as stable as the super clamp but it does 3 jobs!
I feel like I'm bleeding money most days. I am currently taking several different medications (first time in my life!) and spent $300 on a pair of glasses last night. So frustrating! I've been working hard at changing my diet and seem to be spending more money of food as well. On the plus side, I've lost almost 23 lbs and am feeling better than I have in a long time. Its fun to go back through old clothes and find things that haven't fit in a long time. It's like getting a new wardrobe without spending the money.
We did find a really great deal on potatoes for the restaurant the other day saving 25 cents a pound over what we've been paying. We bought 600 lbs and should be set for at least a month.
I am getting some more clothes for Charlotte today. Her Godmother's niece has a daughter about a year older who is doing the fall purge and Rose is going to bring over the clothes around lunchtime today.
Next Wednesday my friend's dad is going to come over and do a tinkering project with my kids and her kids. He is bringing over a ceiling fan he replaced and they are going to play around with taking it apart and fixing it. He is an awesome resource for homeschool stuff. By education, he is an astrophysicist, by trade a computer programmer and by hobby, an inventor and builder. He is fantastic with kids and the most patient human being I have ever met.
Zach got a random temporary raise this week as a thank-you for his hard work. The raise is for sure in effect for the next 5 pay checks, and if the company is still doing as well as they have been, it could be permanent. I opened his check stub last night and the raise is a pretty decent size. It completely made up for the lost hours when I was gone to take care of my sister and he had to go in late several days, plus a little extra. He also has several more side jobs in the works for some of our friends. Between the approximately 40% pay increase he has had over the last year and a quarter and the side work, we should be able to rebuild the EF and really work on paying off my student loan.
Tussiemussies
10-3-13, 3:50pm
Tussie, my hubbie got me an ipad with a blue tooth keyboard cover that also has a slot to hold the ipad at an upright angle I think it was $99. It isn't as stable as the super clamp but it does 3 jobs!
Thank you Merski for letting me know...I am going to research this on the Internet tonight!
Tussiemussies
10-3-13, 4:04pm
No spend/no drive day today...I need something from the store but DH will pick it up on his way home from work which helps. Going to have caesar salad with fake vegan strips that are coated, for dinner. We have all of the ingredients....
My dog is doing much better..
My husband will pick up some of my meds too while he is at the store. I saw someone post about meds. It is really hard. I can relate... I desperately need the meds I am on and we can pay for them each month, my dog is on a medication too. Between the two of us the medications cost us $500.00 a month, and that is with insurance too. I hope some day I will be able to get off them but it doesn't look that way now....I am very thankful for them though...
Not much else is new except Eddie Bauer was having a sale so I bought my husband a nice fleece pullover. It will go nicely with his eyes. Glad I caught a sale!
We are going to be weatherproofing the house for the winter soon which I am sure will cost us some money. DH also needs new tires on his car. They don't seem to last a long time with his commute (1 hr.) to and from work each way.
There always seems to be things like this, but I am thankful we can afford it.
... so I bought my husband a nice fleece pullover. It will go nicely with his eyes. Glad I caught a sale!
Aaaaaawwwwww! Tussie and Hubby sittin' in a tree, k - i - s - s - i - n - g.
Tussiemussies
10-3-13, 7:44pm
Aaaaaawwwwww! Tussie and Hubby sittin' in a tree, k - i - s - s - i - n - g.
LOL Jilly!!!
Oct 03
so far this month mostly just the usual
--Oct 01 make a large pot of pasta sauce, but didn't like it that much so Oct 2 turned it into chilli
and ate it on the 2nd and 3rd and then froze some
--two large cauliflower cooked puree and froze for later use.
that is all I can think of for now
No drive-no spend day yesterday, and no-spend day planned today. That's one nice thing about working insane hours from home...you're so busy you don't have time to shop or go anywhere!
Drove to church to serve a funeral lunch - then home to read/watch netflix/listen to the radio. Cut down some perennials. Cooked/ate hot dish (hello MN!). Now I can't wait for the rain promised for the weekend to continue the same.
My glasses broke when I was getting ready for church last Sunday. The spring broke on the hinge and the arm fell off. DH super glued it back on but now they fit too lose and I can't adjust them. I had to go to church without them while the glue dried. That was weird! Thank goodness I live 1/2 block away so I didn't need to drive. The glasses are at least 5 years old and I had already scheduled an eye appt. on the 21st. Guess I waited a month too long lol I hope the glue holds on til my new glasses arrive about a week after that.
bke and Azure: All this talk about buying glasses reminds me that I need to schedule an eye appointment. I usually go in August, but here it is October and I haven't called for an appointment yet. My insurance doesn't cover eye exams, unfortunately, so it's just one more expense with an unknown price tag. Fortunately, I don't think I will need new glasses, just another year's supply of contact lenses, which should be about $60.
I've not been around to post much lately because work has been super busy! I'm supposed to work 18.5 hours per week at my one job, but my colleague has been on vacation so I worked 26 hours this week, plus teaching 3 classes. Next week will probably be the same, which is exhausting, but it's temporary so I can handle it!
Took one cat and one dog to the vet yesterday -- hooray for combining trips! :) The cat's appointment was free because he's on a every-sixth-visit-is-free plan for his laser therapy treatments. The dog just needed a distemper shot so that was not too pricey. Of course, next month one cat and two dogs are due for annual exams so that will be a hefty bill.
Still managing to keep the spending to pretty much just the essentials. Of course, we're still overspending on groceries since I haven't yet gotten around to making homemade granola yet. And I've been slacking off on making beans in the crock pot and been relying on canned beans. But these things are pretty minor, I think.
The renovations on our rental property are finally done so we paid down a big chunk of our mortgage. We should be on track to have it paid off in another 4 years -- which would make 5-1/2 years total to pay it off -- not too shabby!
Otherwise just the usuals around here. Trying to keep driving to a minimum, electricity use to a minimum, and no unnecessary spending. Just got to keep plugging along!
Yesterday's frugal: checked on the daily mortgage rate for my refi and found it had gone down 3/4 of a point from when I originally started the paperwork, what, about a month ago? I locked at the new rate and don't plan to look back. :D
Tussiemussies
10-5-13, 3:51pm
Hit cdt, sounds like things are pretty much going great for you, now that you will be able to pay your mortgage off in 5+ years. That is fantastic. And you also have a rental property. That is so great.....
That is great Steve that you were able to get the lower mortgage rate!
try2bfrugal
10-5-13, 4:15pm
Yesterday we went out to our favorite sports bar for a buy one get one free burger lunch. I had healthy toppings and a salad with vinaigrette instead of fries to keep the calories down.
Our credit union where we have a savings account offered us $100 to open a checking account. We did that yesterday after lunch, so that was an easy $100.
We are getting part of our 2012 tax refund in I bonds, which are at better rate than most CDs right now. Getting them as a tax refund allows us to go over the normal annual buying limit.
We went Fresh and Easy and stockpiled some sale and coupon items. They have bananas for 19 each plus a $5 off $25 dollar total grocery bill so that's like getting bananas for 15.2 cents each or about 30.4 cents a pound.
For dinner today we will have roasted chicken on sale made in the energy efficient convection oven, bulk rice bought on sale in the energy efficient rice cooker, and a sauce bought on sale from Fresh and Easy, with a side salad and 2 for $1 small watermelon. I try really hard to keep the energy and grocery bill down but groceries are still one of our biggest monthly expenses. I need to keep plugging away at that.
I borrowed a couple of books on simple living from the library. They were okay, but the more books I borrow the harder is is to get any find any new, Earth shattering ideas I haven't already come across. I didn't see too much new in them. Today I book I reserved on convection cooking came in so I'll pick that up.
I received a free turkey baster and office supplies for doing product reviews this month.
fidgiegirl
10-5-13, 10:00pm
I had a bit of a frugal the other night. I was going out with some girlfriends at a late-ish dinner hour to a place where there were very few gluten free food options. So I ate dinner at home and just ordered tea at the restaurant. Neither of them was fussed, and I left the server a good tip. Normally I would have had a soup or something but the options were so limited, and I hated to ask my girlfriend, who was coming in from out of town and really wanted to go to this specific place, to change venues.
Did some money clean up today, and in the course discovered an (infuriating) fee, but the bank reversed it. Changed a few things around to make money stuff a bit easier (autopays and such).
My sister invited us out today for lunch, but I was too late in responding and she'd already gone to Chipotle. So in an accidental frugal, she just came over and visited, saving us the lunch outing when we already had food here.
This is obviously only marginally frugal, but I am seriously considering taking advantage of a Groupon for housecleaning. It's $159 for three two hour sessions and, quite frankly, I am still playing catch up from the craziness of running back and forth to L.A. To help my sister. I need to get things whipped into shape and it is my birthday this week, so I got some money from my dad. 6 hours of professional cleaning help would probably save me weeks of stress trying to get it all done myself.
Four pieces of clothes to consignment shop--two given to me a year ago and just now what the consignment shop needs. They can keep them 90 days and then I can use to buy clothes there (unlikely) or get cash. Took 5 big bags of recyclable stuff to metalworks place that pays for them. I made $2.35. Even though it made a big pile of those bags in our living room for over a month, I'm glad to put the money into our piggybank, which is where odd money goes.
Stella
Call it a Birthday present and go for it. With all you have had going on in the last while keeping your health and
sanity are very frugal................Sometimes we need to look after ourselves so we can continue to look
after the people in our lives.
You know the airlines say for adults to put on their masks before they put on the children's.
You have to be alive and awake to save the children. Mother speaking here...........
I think you are right danna. I decided to go for it. I really need to take a few things off of my to do list right now and this is a reasonably priced way of doing that.
Another frugal for today was something a friend told me about. Apparently you can get gift cards for a one year subscription to Netflix on eBay for $30. At $8 a month ($96 a year) that is a significant savings. I bought one and plugged the code into our Netflix account and it worked. We are paid up through next October. We were going to spend that money anyway, so it's really all savings.
Another quiet weekend at home. Ate one meal out otherwise lots of veggies from the garden and the farmer's market, eating down the freezer and feeling the need to keep a checklist of what's in the freezer! Pulled out a pork roast and found 3 (!) more - great deals but not if you don't eat them!!
Got a call from friends who own a small cafe asking me if I was around on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday to help them out - a bit of cash and good food - I'm your girl!!.
Read library books and watched netflix while I prepped crafts for a vintage sale coming up.
DH was reading the newspaper ads and said "There is nothing I need!!"" Oh happy day.
try2bfrugal
10-6-13, 10:50pm
I think you are right danna. I decided to go for it. I really need to take a few things off of my to do list right now and this is a reasonably priced way of doing that.
Another frugal for today was something a friend told me about. Apparently you can get gift cards for a one year subscription to Netflix on eBay for $30. At $8 a month ($96 a year) that is a significant savings. I bought one and plugged the code into our Netflix account and it worked. We are paid up through next October. We were going to spend that money anyway, so it's really all savings.
Wow, that is a huge savings. I wonder where the sellers get those from.
try2bfrugal
10-6-13, 10:59pm
I've been cleaning out clutter. We took many bags of stuff to Goodwill today for a donation receipt for taxes and I sold 2 bags of books at the used book store for $15.
I literally have thousands of books and I am trying to get rid of at least half. Many are on crafts, cooking, saving money, investing and DIY topics so they are a somewhat frugal vice.
Fun has been low cost - Netflix movies, dog park, bike riding, state park hike, local lake and gardens.
Oct 05--06
--Sat night went to a Church Turkey supper...with the works, coffee and dessert for $12.00
and it was delicious
--made a Beef and Gravy for supper then used the leftovers plus bones from freezer/celery/onion to
make a large pot of soup for tomorrow
--bought a small order of groceries and only spent $27.00 all specials and stockpiling...this included 2 pumpkins
will use then for decoration and then cook then up to freeze
that is all for now
-
Tussiemussies
10-6-13, 11:46pm
Today was a no drive/no spend day for both of us. We had planned on going out to eat but that fizzled when we had to pay our dogs expenses for the vet on Tues.
Next weekend is a honey and garlic festival. I am really interested in the garlic part of it but don't eat vendor food so I will basically just look around for ideas. So that should be fun. My DH has a three day weekend so we will go out to eat.
Still haven't had the damper fixed on the fireplace but are thinking we can do that soon.
We haven't been extremely frugal since we bought the house and have to put a lot of money into it. We knew that because we got it for a low price for a fixer.
Have to get back into ordering coupons for grocery shopping...
flowerseverywhere
10-7-13, 6:10am
DH is retired but did some contract work out of town. They paid him mileage, hotel and meals for three weeks. I went along and we made it into a nice vacation. The only cost was for what I had for dinner, (although i shared a lot of what he had, so not much cost) and I ate a late breakfast at the hotel provided spread so did not eat lunch, plus the cost of the weekend attractions we visited. I spent my leisurely days reading by the huge outdoor pool and taking nice walks. I took a quilt project and sewing machine too and got a lot of sewing done. It was fun and he had hesitated taking the job because he finds it lonely on the road. It turned out the job was very non stressful, they just had a fed regulation they needed to meet and dh knew exactly what they needed to get the paperwork in place. The company was very pleased and he has another offer to do the same in three months in another area that we wanted to visit anyway with lots of historic attractions ( our favorite). one of those lucky things you dream might happen. We will use the money for a European vacation we have always wanted to take. So now I get to plan a trip! Probably to Vienna or Prague. I feel so lucky.
fidgiegirl
10-7-13, 7:31am
How fab, flowers!!
flowerseverywhere
10-7-13, 10:27am
Just realized that his assignment in three month will be at same chain we stayed in last time. Since we put on credit card and get reimbursed we should have some free hotel nights plus cash back on our credit card.
Bought apples back for our neighbors who kept an eye on the house while we were gone. I picked them and they were cheap and delicious.
early morning
10-7-13, 7:30pm
Got a $985. check from the bank from refinancing our mortgage. Apparently they calculated something wrong on the payoff. Remembered to turn in my mileage. Ordered cat food from Amazon. Same price as Wallyworld, delivered to our doorstep, no shipping. Paid for it with DD's swagbucks earnings. Wore one of my "new" linen shirts to work today and received lots of compliments ($1 from a rummage sale!). Still wearing my summer shoes -for the third straight year of wearing them every single day at work - they are a fabric pair of Woolrich shoes with almost no back, that I got on sale at Gander Mountain for $25. I think I may be able to make them last another summer. Hope so, they're pretty comfy (although a bit hot) - we can't wear sandals so summer shoes are a problem for me.
Tussiemussies
10-7-13, 7:54pm
Flowers everywhere, it sounds like such a great time you had! It really worked out in your favor!
Early morning, that is a nice chunk of change that you got unexpectedly!
Hallelujah and a deep bow in the direction of Finland! My Nokia phone finally is unlocked. It only took six weeks and buying a replacement phone (for which T-Mobile paid). We are now free to take it on vacations (it has a GPS and maps you can use without mobile service) or move it to another carrier.
Interestingly, though, that may not be so necessary: DD visited a T-Mobile store to add more data to her smartphone. While she was there, the clerk advised her that our family plan could be migrated to one of their current plans and we'd save mucho $$ without extended our contract obligation. I knew T-Mo had cheaper plans than we were on, but I had a document from them stating our contract ran till next March so I was waiting. If they want to end the contract early, who am I to argue? :) Turns out DW and I will save about $60 a month on our service, which puts T-Mobile just above the charges from the other carriers I was considering. There's still the size of the network to consider, so I'm still thinking of Airvoice. But being long-time customers seemed to give us some clout with Customer Service. Now, at least, we don't have to wait to leave unless we want to.
Gardenarian
10-8-13, 7:48pm
Have to buckle down and get the new health insurance worked out. The way it looks now, we'll be spending 10-12 thousand less per year.
Otherwise, have not been very frugal. Not spendy, but not frugal.
I bought three tops at my church's rummage sale. I have more tops than bottoms, but I had realized I have a skirt and a pair of slacks I never wear for lack of a matching top. So the three "new" tops will make wearable outfits out of items that were just sitting.
My laptop died and I got a refurbished Dell on eBay for $229, free shipping. It's really great, far faster than my old one and I think of sturdier construction.
I bought a pack of cfl light bulbs that I hope will reduce my electric bill going forward.
I bought a powerful adjustable fan that I hope will let my guests feel cooler so they won't turn the a/c cooler every night and freeze me.
Reader99, can you share how you order something like a used/refurbished laptop like that? Sort of in the realm of your confidence that it would be a decent computer. I really need one, a laptop, to take with me to my volunteer gigs at the homeless shelters, but the costs of a new one, even a really cheap laptop, are beyond my means, and I cannot imagine trusting a used computer from strangers.
So, please help me overcome my reluctance, which is probably stupid, but I am quite the simpleton.
Tussiemussies
10-9-13, 12:51am
Didn't have a no-spend day as Tues. is my day for the chiropractor, which I really need. We did eat the bits and pieces left in the refrigerator and I spent nothing else today. My only driving was to the chiropractor. It's very cold here tonight so we have our precious dog, Nellie sleeping with her sweater on and then some blankets. I have a Mish-mosh of clothing on under my blankets. DH is never cold! No heat though...
I got a bunch of exercises to do from the chiropractor and I hope in doing them regularly that I can stop going so much, that my adjustments will hold.
try2bfrugal
10-9-13, 2:24am
One of our kids got a new smart phone on some kind of special he found online for 2/3 off the list price, plus a T-mobile prepaid plan at Walmart for $30 a month. I would like to switch us all over to the Walmart price type prepaid plans over the next few months. I signed up for the 2 year monthly contracts on our current cell phones before we got serious about being more frugal and cutting expenses, so I am waiting for the cancellation fees to either go down or expire before I can switch the other phones over and still save money.
I went to the local Grocery Outlet store tonight and stockpiled $90 worth of close out food on sale at about half off the retail price.
Reader99, can you share how you order something like a used/refurbished laptop like that? Sort of in the realm of your confidence that it would be a decent computer.
If I may pop in here...
For the last decade or so, refurbished computers are the only ones I've purchased. I've bought my Macs from Apple's Web site; there's an entire section of refurbs, and, with the exception of the color of the box they come in, they have been indistinguishable from brand new computers. No grunge, no signs of use, no leftover data from other users. DW's iPad was purchased at an independent Apple dealer; it was a trade-in for a newer iPad and the store had cleaned it up for sale. Box, documentation, everything. Even had a year of AppleCare warranty left on it!
IMHO, the key is to purchase the product directly from an entity associated with the manufacturer. Buy a refurbished Mac from Apple or an Apple-authorized dealer. Buy a refurb Dell from Dell. Typically, refurbs are available on the manufacturer's Web site. On ebay, the manufacturers usually are fairly well-identified.
Look for "manufacturer refurbished". There is "seller refurbished", but that can be riskier in that the seller may not have access to new parts or repair techniques or access to information about component failure rates, etc. It is less of a risk if the seller is a company which is authorized to sell that manufacturer's products.
You also can consider "lease return" computers. These are typically 2-3 years old, but these days that still means plenty of computing power. The risks there are older components (batteries, hard disks) which may have a limited lifespan and, therefore, may incur the inconvenience and expense of repair. Better if whoever is selling these has replaced the battery and cleaned up the computer, but that will come at a price.
I have bought computers used from individuals. It can be a really good deal if you know what you're looking for. I do. But I would not recommend this to newbies.
try2bfrugal
10-9-13, 1:38pm
Look for "manufacturer refurbished". There is "seller refurbished", but that can be riskier in that the seller may not have access to new parts or repair techniques or access to information about component failure rates, etc. It is less of a risk if the seller is a company which is authorized to sell that manufacturer's products.
That is a good tip, thanks. We also need a new laptop and I want to keep the costs down.
I have bought most of my iPods refurbished directly form Apple and have not had any issues. I don't know why I didn't think refurbished from the manufacturer for the laptop before now.
Reader99, can you share how you order something like a used/refurbished laptop like that? Sort of in the realm of your confidence that it would be a decent computer. I really need one, a laptop, to take with me to my volunteer gigs at the homeless shelters, but the costs of a new one, even a really cheap laptop, are beyond my means, and I cannot imagine trusting a used computer from strangers.
So, please help me overcome my reluctance, which is probably stupid, but I am quite the simpleton.
Your reluctance is very wise. Used electronics are rife with scammers and thieves.
I went to google shopping and searched. I wanted a laptop with Windows 7, so I knew I wasn't going to find what I wanted new at retail, they're all Windows 8 now. I ordered the search by price from lowest to highest. The first one was an eBay seller. Ordinarily I would hesitate to buy used electronics on eBay but this seller had 99+% positive with thousands of sales so I took the chance.
Today is my 35th birthday and we are taking our dinner to a park for a picnic. Bella made me pulled pork for sandwiches, which should travel reasonably well, and we will bring some honeycrisp apples we got today for free from a neighbour's farm. It's perfect weather for it and I want to get outside.
Tussiemussies
10-9-13, 6:01pm
Sounds like a nice birthday! Happy Birthday!
Thanks for all the used computer help. Just have to pull up my big girl panties and get on with it.
My frugal today is that I broke my toe over the weekend and hurt my back house cleaning (very dangerous...very), so when my last client of the day cancelled, I came home, intending to get something drive-through for dinner. Instead I went to Aldi and bought real food, fresh and frozen vegetables, hummous and berries. What I really want is cake, but I resisted and bought a second bag of berries.
Today was my second day helping friends in their cafe - worked hard for 7 hours but had a great bowl of soup and corn muffin for lunch. Then home for a nap before I went to church to serve dinner - came home with about a lb of ham and some cake(!). Made some cash and lots of good food!!
I am filling in for them in times of urgency so never know when I will work for them but that's OK - I'm lucky to have a flexible schedule and can help out as needed.
fidgiegirl
10-9-13, 9:49pm
Owwwww Jilly. Take care.
Tussiemussies
10-9-13, 9:52pm
Jilly, sorry to hear about your toe and back. You did great though food wise. Hope you feel better soon....
Chris, what a great day you had with so much free food!
Ouch, Jilly. That stinks!
My glasses broke again. The same arm. Now they are taped together. Just clear tape today. Who knows when I'll work my way up, or would it be down, to duct tape. Have my eye appt. on the 21st. Add another week for new glasses to arrive. About 3 weeks. My fingers are crossed that they hold out that long. lol
Made some banana chocolate chip bread yesterday to use up some over ripe bananas.
Cooked for 3 days in a row now. Woo that's some kind of a record for the past 6 weeks. I am not used to working 40 hours a week. And it was a insanely busy almost every day.
Darn, Azure, that stinks, too. Do you need your glasses to actually see, or could you get by with a pair of readers from the dollar store? From your picture, my guess is that the readers will be useless.
Tussiemussies
10-10-13, 1:35pm
DH had to pick up some things from the grocery store for us as we were out of some things. Those things, and he did't buy any frills just what we needed, cost approx. $75.00. That is just crazy for what we got. No other spending/no driving for me day. We did make dinner as a combined effort which was nice because we usually just grab things but I need to get back to cooking.
Azure hope your glasses get to you sooner than expected. Can you track them?
chrissieq
10-10-13, 10:05pm
Got a call from a friend today whose sister has a 1/2 share in a CSA - sister is out of town, friend is ill and she said if I was willing to pick it up, it was all mine! Got carrots, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, and several kinds of greens. What we don't want, DH will take to work to share with co-workers. Another day of free food!!
Yay for free food!
Jilly I have bifocals with the smooth lenses. Can't remember what they're called. Which is how they got to be 5 years old and falling apart lol They cost too much!
TM, I don't know if I can track them. They always say 5 working days. Usually they come in sooner rather than later.
Tussiemussies
10-10-13, 10:36pm
Yay for free food!
Jilly I have bifocals with the smooth lenses. Can't remember what they're called. Which is how they got to be 5 years old and falling apart lol They cost too much!
TM, I don't know if I can track them. They always say 5 working days. Usually they come in sooner rather than later.
Hope they do come in sooner...
Yay for free food!
Jilly I have bifocals with the smooth lenses. Can't remember what they're called. Which is how they got to be 5 years old and falling apart lol They cost too much!
TM, I don't know if I can track them. They always say 5 working days. Usually they come in sooner rather than later.
Transitional? Blended? Those insanely expensive ones?
SteveinMN
10-11-13, 9:31am
Progressive. Yeah, the insanely-expensive ones. ;)
Progressive. Yeah, the insanely-expensive ones. ;)
Yep, those would be the ones. But sooo much easier to adjust to than the traditional ones.
rosarugosa
10-11-13, 8:54pm
Those insanely expensive ones aren't all that expensive at Costco's (although still a lot more than a case of tomatoes . . .). I believe the pair I got last year was less than $200. It might be worth the splurge on two pairs, one pair with the cheapest possible options, just so that you won't get put in a crisis situation again. I would be lost without my glasses, but I always have my previous pair to use for an emergency backup (I have vision coverage and get a new pair every year or two, which does seem a bit excessive). They usually give you a deal on the second pair if you buy two pairs at the same time. And having a backup pair will virtually ensure you will never need them - LOL - such is life!
Wow -- everyone is doing so great with different frugals this month!
I worked a second week with extra hours. It was exhausting, but next week is a short week so I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity to make some extra cash. I just learned that my unemployment claim from the few months I was unemployed/underemployed was denied. Bummer! It wouldn't have been a huge amount of money, but every bit counts. However, I did just find out that I am getting a tax refund. I had filed an extension back in April so finally got everything in order with my accountant to file and it turns out I'm getting $4k back -- whoa! I have to pay my accountant $550, but it was so worth it this year! And, fortunately, going forward things won't be as complex so I consider this an investment. The refund is going straight to the mortgage -- win-win!!!
Other frugals have been the small typical stuff. I brought my lunch every day this week so no need to buy lunch or snacks. I've been trying to implement some hypermiling techniques when driving and it's making a difference in my MPG -- hooray! Frugal entertainment has been going to the gym, trail running, and watching things on Netflix. We were thinking about going away this weekend since it is a 3-day weekend, but decided to stay home and relax. We would have just gone to my in-laws country house so our only expenses would have been gas to drive there and probably one dinner out. Staying home will be fine though as we have about 200 pounds of honey to extract and I need to go for a long (18-20 mile) run. I'm getting ready for an ultra marathon the following weekend so gotta put in my miles!
One more frugal! We got our electric bill today and it was another credit! Our solar panels have definitely been doing their job this year!!!
I think that's all for now -- keep up the great work, everyone!!!
Those insanely expensive ones aren't all that expensive at Costco's (although still a lot more than a case of tomatoes . . .). I believe the pair I got last year was less than $200. It might be worth the splurge on two pairs, one pair with the cheapest possible options, just so that you won't get put in a crisis situation again. I would be lost without my glasses, but I always have my previous pair to use for an emergency backup (I have vision coverage and get a new pair every year or two, which does seem a bit excessive). They usually give you a deal on the second pair if you buy two pairs at the same time. And having a backup pair will virtually ensure you will never need them - LOL - such is life!
Well, unfortunately, I kinda brought the crisis situation about by going 5 years on the same pair of glasses LOL In all honestly, though, I did not realize it had been that long. Time has just been flying by the last few years with so much going on with the boys. I could have sworn I at least had my eyes checked more recently than that!
The nearest Costcos are about an hour away. Not sure if I want to order progressive lenses on-line, either. I'm debating.
At the risk of sounding like an ad: Target has a new movie feature called Target Ticket. It's sort of like Netflix or Hulu. you can buy or rent movies. If you have a Target Red Card you can get the 5% discount. And through Feb 22nd when you set up an account your can get 10 free downloads that you can keep! I will be checking it out this weekend for sure!
Just a heads-up that in looking at it that I do find the site kind of awkward to use.
Also at my store we have all kinds of clearance. If you have kids in college or going soon they have xl twin sheets that fit most dorm beds for about $5. Beach towels for $3. Lunchboxes 70% off. Backpacks 50-70% off.
Just thought someone might like to know.
fidgiegirl
10-12-13, 1:57pm
Hey, Azure, thanks for the alert on the deals. Always good to know. Sometimes when things go on deep clearance like that I like to buy them to donate to a local agency that outfits families with household items in times of crisis: Bridging (http://www.bridging.org/). We're taking a load soon. They take used things and they get the job done, but I think when it's towels or sheets, it would sure be a treat if you are in crisis to be able to have something new.
fidgiegirl
10-12-13, 3:50pm
We did a little garage saling and found some stuff we'd been looking for - a nice set of bowls with lids ($3) (ours is stained and cracked and ready for the garbage, but we didn't want to pitch it until finding a replacement), an insulated sleeve for our metal water bottles ($1), a little vintage gift for my MiL for Xmas ($4). We hadn't gone in a while so we had fun, even though it was a bit chilly. DH picked up one item to eBay.
Nice breakfast out for my in-laws' anniversary last week and my bday tomorrow. Now I have another restaurant to review on Twin Cities Gluten Free.
fidgiegirl
10-12-13, 4:32pm
Steve, who are you going with for your cell phone switchover? Why did you choose them? We're going to start investigating, but we do want someone we can use a smartphone with - though we don't have illusions of transferring over our current phones. We'd be starting from scratch. Thanks for any info you'd be able to share . . .
SteveinMN
10-12-13, 7:12pm
Steve, who are you going with for your cell phone switchover? Why did you choose them? We're going to start investigating, but we do want someone we can use a smartphone with - though we don't have illusions of transferring over our current phones. We'd be starting from scratch. Thanks for any info you'd be able to share . . .
We're going with AirVoice. They're an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Essentially, MVNOs buy boatloads of airtime from a big mobile carrier (in this case, at&t) and then resell it. Typically MVNOs don't operate independent storefronts, subsidize phones for purchase (some don't even sell them, really), offer global or 7x24 customer support, etc. As a result, they can price their offerings much lower than at&t/Sprint/Verizon/T-Mobile. If a person needs such services, they can pay for them. We don't.
I chose AirVoice because:
- at&t uses the same network technology as T-Mobile (our current carrier) but has a much bigger network. We've been enough places where T-Mobile phones showed no signal at all while at&t/Verizon phones did. At the same time, we can use our current phones. We won't have to buy different ones like we would for Sprint or Verizon (or their MVNOs).
- AirVoice has been around for years. There are cheaper at&t MVNOs, but I'd rather deal with a mature business. Support is based in the U.S. In addition, if your MVNO fails, you could lose your phone number -- a tremendous pain for us.
- I tracked DW's and my phone usage for a rolling year and we just don't use them much. Paying for huge/unlimited buckets of minutes and messages is a waste. Ditto for data -- DW's phone doesn't even use it and I don't use much because my phone can use WiFi if it's available and -- honestly -- I don't want to spend hours surfing on that tiny screen.
There is one other technical consideration. My phone is 3G on T-Mobile, but it would not be 3G on at&t. For stuff like email and some quick Web searching/twitter, no biggie. But when I use the phone as a hotspot for my laptop, 3G makes a difference. So moving that phone to AirVoice will slow it down. But I will have to retire my current Nokia phone someday. At that point, I'll buy a used at&t phone, which will work at the advertised speed right out of the box.
With the latest change in our T-Mobile plan, though, T-Mo comes within about 20% of what we'd pay AirVoice for similar service. DD would like us to keep the current plan until next summer, when she'll get a mobile phone paid through work. When the price differential between T-Mo and AV was $80 a month, I wasn't interested. But for $15 a month, we can deal. Besides, there is the phone data issue. But I've already set up one AV line for my mom so she has an emergency cell phone -- should run her about $4 a month. We'll just be flexible in when we move the other lines.
Hope that helps!
chrissieq
10-12-13, 10:07pm
Feeling like there is a huge log jam in our house - how to put things away when there are about 8 steps between where they are and where they ought to be? It's supposed to be a rainy couple of days this Monday and Tuesday so in my list of things to do is to break up the log jam!
I love to organize - it's so much of who I am - so I'm kind of beating myself up about how it has gotten to this point. On the other hand, nothing like a good challenge to keep me on my toes!
Had my niece and nephews here overnight and we spent this AM (with my sister) visiting a few garage sales and I bought a handful of things to sell via etsy and the vintage shop where I have a space - I tend to kick myself later about "why did I pass that (fill in the blank) up?" but know that I can sell what I bought so have to trust my gut.
rosarugosa
10-13-13, 2:05pm
CDTTMM: I would love to hear more about your solar panels. I used to hear that the payback period was too long to make them cost effective, but recently I've been seeing a lot of them in my area, so I'm wondering if something has changed in the cost/payback equation.
We took a nice walk today, and it feels as though that's the only frugal thing in my life lately! Actually, DH is working on some window painting/restoration, so if that helps us to avoid or postpone replacing windows, it will be a major frugal score.
We had the worst year ever for tomatoes, but I'm having some success at this point ripening the green ones in paper bags,and we're also freezing some of our basil.
DH is going to make a big pot of tomato sauce & meatballs tomorrow, and we're usually able to freeze a few meals when he does this.
On the minus side of the ledger we've got a dental crown for me, some medical co-pays for DH, and somebody needs to stay out of Talbot's for awhile!
Made borscht out of beets I'd fermented to make kvass. Yum to both, and no wasting!
Skipped buying a teeth-whitening kit and read up on DIY methods. Bought hydrogen peroxide and used baking soda I already had: total cost approximately $2 instead of $49. It takes longer, but who cares?
Pretty much everyone in our apartment building hangs out their clothes to dry. I'd noticed about ten items of clothing on the ground, underneath all the clotheslines, that no one had ever bothered to pick up. The amount of dirt and weathering on the clothes indicated they'd been there longer than we've been living here (almost two years). I collected them, discarded the ones that could not be used for rags, and washed the rest. Now I have a good selection of bike-washing and floor-wiping towels...all for free!
Asked a friend if I could "plunder" his garden for some cuttings from his wonderful assortment of succulents, herbs and ivies. I got six different cuttings and they're all doing well at home now. If I'd bought them individually from a nursery, they would have cost about USD $30. Instead, they were free! I used pots that had been left as litter by the landscapers of a hotel that had undergone renovations last year, and placed them on a plant stand that someone had left on the sidewalk, which I took home and cleaned. Brilliant!
DH and I have started cutting each other's hair. We're both now getting compliments on our haircuts, which we never did when we were going to salons and spending big, stupid money! Awesome...!
rosarugosa
10-13-13, 6:40pm
Selah: Cheers to you for cleaning up discards and putting them to good use - a double win!
flowerseverywhere
10-13-13, 8:38pm
My son is furloughed from the government so we are being inventive in helping them. We traded in our rewards points on a credit card for grocery cards for them. They are taking their free time to list some items on eBay. If this lasts more than a few weeks I have lots of other ideas up my sleeve to help them, and they decided to cancel cable, something they have been thinking of doing but needed this push.
I would love to do that by DH is not convinced due to sports.
Flowers, if your hubby is into sports, has he tried listening to them on the radio? I know it's not the same, but after being TV free for 10 years and growing up listening to baseball on the radio, I actually can't get into a game if I'm watching it! I even listen to hockey games now! I follow my Blackhawks closely. It's a free hobby.
I don't know what teams your DH follows, but if he follows hockey, the NHL allows radio stations that carry teams to live stream games online, unlike MLB. So, he would just have to find the station online for whatever team he's interested in. Season packages to listen to or watch other pro sports are available. The NFL audio only package is currently $30.
A possible option.
flowerseverywhere
10-14-13, 9:09pm
Thank you tradd. We are looking into Hulu, amazon prime, Netflix and espn3 which streams on our Internet connection for no extra charge. One of my kids has rabbit ears Hulu and Netflix, and the other has amazon prime and rabbit ears. Both solutions cost a hundred or so a year, not several thousands. Think of how much it all adds up as the years march by.
Another frugal, a new grocery store opened up so now I have two less than three miles. If I pay attention and shop the sales and go to the local farmers market I should be able to do pretty good.
chrissieq
10-14-13, 9:36pm
A no spend and no driving day - made huge headway in organizing vintage inventory!! Loaded the car with 2 huge bags to donate in my rounds of errands tomorrow.
Hope to keep my stamina up (and my hunger at bay) while I run errands tomorrow so that on Wednesday my only out and about will be a DDS appointment.
SteveinMN
10-14-13, 11:06pm
If I pay attention and shop the sales and go to the local farmers market I should be able to do pretty good.
I have had the nagging thought for some time that our farmer's markets are not that frugal. I don't have a price book or anything to prove it, just a seat-of-the-pants idea of what it costs to buy an item at the FM and what it costs to buy at the co-op and at a place like ALDI or one of the local warehouse-type stores. I realize I'm not quite comparing apples to apples (well, sometimes I am :)).
A quarter-peck of apples at the FM will run between $5-10 (!) for "firsts" depending on variety and if they're organically-grown. I'm going to guess there are 6-8 apples in that quarter-peck (no idea on weight since very few FM vendors sell by weight). That's around a dollar an apple. At the co-op, apples are $2.50-5 a a pound and I probably get 3-4 in a pound. About the same price, really. ALDI's apples are much cheaper, but they're never organic or local, and they stick to just a few well-known varieties.
Ditto for the free-range poultry and pork at the FM: not appreciably cheaper than the co-op for similar local meat. In fact, eggs at the co-op seem to be a deal (for free-range eggs) at $3.27 a dozen for large eggs. Can't touch eggs for under $4 a dozen at the FM. I've never priced eggs at ALDI, but the supermarket down the street here has never topped $2 a dozen in my memory. ALDI customers probably would blanch at the idea of $3 a dozen for eggs. Again, not quite the same product, but ...
I'll grant that the quality of the food at the FM is better than the co-op's because it spends less time in transit -- though much of it is not grown organically. There is no comparison in quality to ALDI/Cub/Rainbow and its largely-CAFO offerings, so I don't kid myself that the FM/co-op are in rip-off territory. And I'm happy to buy directly from the producers (or their families) and to support local businesses.
But I'm wondering if the relative expense of the FM here is an anomaly; that they're really selling upscale food in a town that supports upscale food quite well. Or if it's the short growing season here that makes getting the most money out of the short season necessary. Thoughts?
try2bfrugal
10-15-13, 12:26am
I have had the nagging thought for some time that our farmer's markets are not that frugal. I don't have a price book or anything to prove it, just a seat-of-the-pants idea of what it costs to buy an item at the FM and what it costs to buy at the co-op and at a place like ALDI or one of the local warehouse-type stores. I realize I'm not quite comparing apples to apples (well, sometimes I am :)).
A quarter-peck of apples at the FM will run between $5-10 (!) for "firsts" depending on variety and if they're organically-grown. I'm going to guess there are 6-8 apples in that quarter-peck (no idea on weight since very few FM vendors sell by weight). That's around a dollar an apple. At the co-op, apples are $2.50-5 a a pound and I probably get 3-4 in a pound. About the same price, really. ALDI's apples are much cheaper, but they're never organic or local, and they stick to just a few well-known varieties.
Ditto for the free-range poultry and pork at the FM: not appreciably cheaper than the co-op for similar local meat. In fact, eggs at the co-op seem to be a deal (for free-range eggs) at $3.27 a dozen for large eggs. Can't touch eggs for under $4 a dozen at the FM. I've never priced eggs at ALDI, but the supermarket down the street here has never topped $2 a dozen in my memory. ALDI customers probably would blanch at the idea of $3 a dozen for eggs. Again, not quite the same product, but ...
I'll grant that the quality of the food at the FM is better than the co-op's because it spends less time in transit -- though much of it is not grown organically. There is no comparison in quality to ALDI/Cub/Rainbow and its largely-CAFO offerings, so I don't kid myself that the FM/co-op are in rip-off territory. And I'm happy to buy directly from the producers (or their families) and to support local businesses.
But I'm wondering if the relative expense of the FM here is an anomaly; that they're really selling upscale food in a town that supports upscale food quite well. Or if it's the short growing season here that makes getting the most money out of the short season necessary. Thoughts?
I do have a price spreadsheet and the prices at our local Farmers' Markets vary by city. Our local FM is quite expensive compared to warehouse or ethnic markets, plus it isn't air conditioned. The last time I went it was 100 degrees out and I realized I shop for lower prices in air conditioning at my regular stores. If I drive a few miles to a lower cost neighboring city with lower rent prices, the FM prices are a lot lower, especially on organic produce, and they had a lot of organic produce to offer.
Lately I have just been shopping at the ethnic markets or local warehouse stores for produce because it seems just as fresh, the prices are very good, I don't have to remember to go at set hours. Plus with the regional warehouse stores I can get other grocery items like butter and yogurt on the same trip.
fidgiegirl
10-15-13, 7:56am
chrissieq, if you'd ever be willing, I'd love to speak with you more about your vintage business. I've seen your Etsy store before from a link from a past thread and it is so cute, and you talk about it quite a bit. DH especially is interested but we are a bit shy, I think, about acquiring enough inventory to keep it going, plus he is good at eBay and hasn't taken the time to learn the ins and outs of Etsy. Anyway, only if you're up for it!
rosarugosa
10-15-13, 7:57pm
Steve: I think the same is true of the Boston FM. I feel like the pricing philosophy is along the lines of "those city sukkas have good jobs and will pay top dollar." I only went to the FM 3 times this summer and mostly bought tomatoesand peaches. I don't begrudge the farmers the opportunity to earn top dollar; I just know better than to think I'm going to get bargains there. I also have to lug anything I buy home on the subway, so that restricts what I buy. I consider the FM recreational luxury grocery shopping.
A guy from my church has worked very hard this summer to establish a farmer's market here in our little town. I really want it to succeed. So I went almost every Friday and spent too much money. I tried to buy something from every vendor over a course of time. Some got more sales from me than others. Most of the stuff was kind of high in my opinion but most locally grown which I love. I did get a few duds, remember the yellow watermelon? lol But I think the local honey was a good price & the local maple syrup was pretty in line with most other places I've seen it.
I haven't heard yet if they are going to try again next summer. I hope so.
flowerseverywhere
10-15-13, 10:44pm
. Or if it's the short growing season here that makes getting the most money out of the short season necessary. Thoughts?
I live with a long growing season and the prices are close or lower. But one of the things I am concerned with is if we don't support our local farmers we will have no choice. The only choice we will have are massed produced food with lots of chemicals shipped long distances. I like to go to certain booths that I know where the food is grown and the taste is undeniably better.
SteveinMN
10-16-13, 11:15am
But one of the things I am concerned with is if we don't support our local farmers we will have no choice. The only choice we will have are massed produced food with lots of chemicals shipped long distances.
Totally agree. I just need to remind myself that I'm shopping at the FM for the quality of the produce and to patronize what essentially are local businesses, not to lower the food bill (because I'm not convinced it does that at this market).
Tussiemussies
10-16-13, 4:52pm
I wonder though if these local farmers are also using mass levels of pesticides. I would be thrilled to go to one if they had organic produce.
Tussiemussies
10-16-13, 5:02pm
Last night went to the chiropractor and am going to start going every other week. Am going to pick up a thick exercise mat, since we have all hard floors, and start doing all the exercises on the sheet he has given me. I think this will help my back to hold in the adjustment longer. DH picked up some of my meds yesterday so it was not a very frugal day, but a necessity day.
Otherwise no spend day today, no drive day today. have to get making some homemade food.
This past weekend DH replaced a cable on my car which the triple A person told us could be the culprit of some issues we were having with it. Now just to test it out and see a couple of times how it runs locally before going any further with it. I hope this is what the problem was since we are not prepared to buy a car...
Just eating what is in the refrigerator....didn't stop at DD for their ice tea last night, haven't bought any clothes, shoes, coats or PJ's which I really, really need. I had to skip the Columbus Day sales and wait until we have the cash. We only buy with cash.
That is all for now! Chris
SteveinMN
10-16-13, 5:04pm
I wonder though if these local farmers are also using mass levels of pesticides. I would be thrilled to go to one if they had organic produce.
I don't know about mass levels, but I'm sure the majority use some. There is one regular vendor there that advertises as "organic" (though no standard is specified) and several that advertise that they use "no sprays, no chemicals" (ignoring that the chemical dihydrogen oxide is necessary for plant growth >8) ). I've been trying to follow the EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php) when buying produce to help keep costs down, so I'll pass on the organic vendor's cabbage, but I'll get my collard greens there or at a vendor that at least claims not to spray.
Tussiemussies
10-16-13, 5:24pm
I don't know about mass levels, but I'm sure the majority use some. There is one regular vendor there that advertises as "organic" (though no standard is specified) and several that advertise that they use "no sprays, no chemicals" (ignoring that the chemical dihydrogen oxide is necessary for plant growth >8) ). I've been trying to follow the EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php) when buying produce to help keep costs down, so I'll pass on the organic vendor's cabbage, but I'll get my collard greens there or at a vendor that at least claims not to spray.
Sounds like a good approach Steve, staying away from the dirty dozen. At least it sounds that at your market you have some choices about chemical use. I wish vendors would advertise this information at their stand instead of having to ask...
chrissieq
10-16-13, 7:58pm
Preparing a lunch for memory loss folks and their caregivers (20 in total) to be served tomorrow at church - making homemade mac and cheese, green beans, sliced tomatoes and sugar cookies. Not counting the cookies (for which I used my ingredients), the meal will cost $21 of reimbursable expenses.
Otherwise walked to the USPS to ship two etsy sales, drove to the DDS for a checkup, and stopped on the way home for BOGO pork roasts and then to Joanne to get the supplies to fix DH's sport coat.
Tomorrow will be some driving but little spending - to church to serve food, hair cut appt (I've been going every 4 weeks but now that I am not working I think I am going to wait at least 5 weeks between) and then to the library for a board meeting.
I'm off work this week (had a week I needed to use or lose).
I needed more than one pair of thermal bottoms, so after checking out Target's website, I went to the store:
$16.99 each for Cuddl duds active top and bottom. I get the active as they are smooth on the outside, so easy to wear under any clothes. Luckily I got the last one in my size and color I wanted (black) for top and bottom. Being as I go as long as I can (usually December) without turning on the heat, and keep it very low when I do, these will be well worth the money.
http://www.target.com/c/thermal-underwear-intimates-women-s-clothing/-/N-55ws4#?lnk=intimates_leftnav_thermallnav_more%20in timates_3&intc=733664|null
Made a pot of my tomato-mushroom soup.
I had been looking, for the past two years, to replace a couple of pairs of camel-colored socks I'd bought from America. They are the only socks that match a pair of trousers and shoes I often wear for work. Apparently, this color is virtually non-existent in the Israeli hoisery market. On my husband's last trip to America, I'd asked him to get me some replacements. The store was out of them (!) and he didn't have time to look elsewhere.
I'd just been thinking this morning that I should take a picture of these socks, and send it to my mother so she could go out scouting for me and send me a few pairs. Postage to Israel from America is eye-waterinlgy expensive, so I'd been hesitating about asking her...I'd be reimbursing her more money for postage than I would be for the socks themselves.
Well, as luck would have it, today I was in a shopping mall in a nearby town, where they have, of all things, a scanning center/clinic associated with a hospital. As I was waiting for my appointment there, I wandered into a shoe store to have a look around. Lo and behold, there was a pair of my beloved American camel kneesocks, and fifty percent off at that! Total price: about USD $3, instead of the $20-odd it would have cost me to have my mother send me some. Score! :)
fidgiegirl
10-17-13, 6:49pm
Great scores, Tradd and Selah!
Here, doing ok, some wins, some fails. Today: birthday car wash including interior clean for free at The Downtowner (can use within a week of your birthday). Fail: Candy bar and also nuts. I spent about $5 on junk. Need to stock my cube with some better snacks, I guess.
Yesterday's score: Got a humidifier off CL for $5. Had to buy a filter for $6 for it, so all-in-all, still a good deal. Used it last night and it made a difference for the headache I've been waking up with daily, I believe from dry sinuses and nasal passages. I still had a bit of one, but not like they had been.
Also good from today: Passed on a glider rocker at a garage sale. I am not sure what furniture we want yet for the baby. It's hard to just pass on some opportunities that seem like deals, but if it's not what we ultimately want, then it's not a deal. Glider rockers are plentiful, there will be another opportunity. And if there never is, well, we have a rocker in the living room, and also other places to sit in our house. :~) The room s/he will have is difficult to plan furniture wise due to the placement of entrances and windows. We will figure it out, I'm sure, and probably change it many times in the coming years. :)
Kelli! How did I miss this fabulous bit of news?! Congratulations, I am thrilled for you. You guys are going to be wonderful parents!
Has anyone else started thinking about their Christmas list?
I recently found out that my goddaughter's family is going to be moving several hours away (due to her dad's job). Found out her mom is a huge letter writer like I am, also likes nice stationery. I have an unopened box of Crane paper, so that will be goddaughter's mom's Christmas gift. I'll add some boxes of Trade Joe's tea, as they won't have a store nearby. Goddaughter will be getting the entire set of Anne of Green Gables books. $26 on Amazon. Her mom was jumping for joy when I mentioned I wanted to eventually get her those books and said I could give them now. I'll throw in some craft supplies for the other kids.
Some homemade banana bread and a couple of coffee shop gift cards will round it out.
fidgiegirl
10-18-13, 3:53pm
Thanks, Azure!
Tradd, sounds wonderful, simple and meaningful. We've managed to pare down our Xmases, but they are still far from blissful in the gift department. Oh well, baby steps.
fidgiegirl
10-18-13, 3:55pm
Oh yeah, I had a frugal today, I went to Staples which got my gazingus pin brain just racing (loooooove office supplies) but managed to buy only a single pack of envelopes - only 12, not 100 even though the price per unit was better - we didn't need 100 envelopes. So I spent $3 instead of $15. I also wanted a single permanent marker, but could only buy them in packs, so I passed. We'll see them as singles somewhere else, and can survive with Sharpies until then. In fact, we probably would never HAVE to buy that marker ever.
Kelli, I had missed the announcement too. Congratulations!!! I am so excited for you!
I've my trip to NOLA 11/7-11/10. I'm being as frugal as I can be. Bought a pair of jeans, but that's pretty much it.
I thought I needed a new pair of shoes, but here's what I'm going to do instead. I'm going to wear my Chaco sandals I've had for several years. My only issue is that my left heel can crack something awful even after one day of wearing them in the summer. I'm going to take moleskin with me and stick it on my left heel each day. My friend and her DH live on a large acreage and we're planning on some long walks on the paths. I'm going to take my mesh summer athletic Mary Jane shoes that have a big hole from one toe. If these shoes get trashed more than they already are, I'll just pitch them. That will save me $100 in the Clarks shoes I was looking at online today.
If after the 31st paycheck, I decide I still want the shoes before my trip, I will revisit the shoes.
I've rediscovered Aldi. The one by me that seems to be somewhat newish has much better produce than I remember (it's been at least three years since I was in one). Will try to buy as much of my groceries as possible there. The only thing they really don't have is the apples & cinnamon instant oatmeal I like. I can get that at Target or Walmart for cheap.
My freezer is stocked with pork chops, chicken, and a bag of shrimp. Could stand to have some more veggies, but I can top off if necessary. Got lots of canned goods, too. I shouldn't have to do too much grocery shopping until the end of the month.
Yes, congratulations, Kelli! I don't know about the sharpies. In another few years, if my experience is any indication, little hands will be drawing Sharpie lines on walls and furniture. It's best to either throw away or hide really, really well.
Kelli, woo hoo! When is your baby due? Very exciting.
With my new job, I'll be working a gala next week. Being a hippie, I've never imagined purchasing a gown, so today I went to a local consignment store & bought what new would have been $700 worth of dress & shoes for $50. I'll need to get the gown cleaned, but it's nice, and I have two occasions to wear it in the next 3 weeks! First for work, then for an event I am attending. Next... Figuring out hair & makeup. This high femme thing is time consuming & could be quite pricey!
fidgiegirl
10-19-13, 8:58am
Thanks everybody, bambino is coming aboard in early April. I am starting to expand - still getting by with my regular pants and a band to keep them from falling off, but not sure for how long. So DH got me some clothes I can play around with making into maternity clothes from the Goodwill Outlet where you buy clothes by the pound, so it's low stakes for experimentation, and if it works out, I'll have a few items to use. He was pretty happy with his trip there yesterday.
We had girlfriend night last night and ordered in takeout. It was fun and my one girlfriend who just had a little one was full of advice and goodies for me. :)
gotta run! Hope to catch up some more later!!
Fidgie, I've seen the standard version Sharpies sold singly at Staples (in lots of colors). They're usually in some of a display in the middle of the floor, not on the Sharpie aisle.
SteveinMN
10-19-13, 11:45am
Haven't posted many frugals lately. Either they're becoming ingrained or there just aren't as many "wins" as there used to be.
- Kind of an accidental frugal: we often vacation with some friends of DW's over the four-day weekend created by parent-teacher conferences in Minnesota. Owing to another social commitment, we were in town until this morning. We chose to not go. Very small vacation crew this year, the weather is going to be ickier (gray now, rain/snow mix later), we've been to this vacation spot before, and we just would rather relax and do a few more things around the house to prepare for winter. I figure going down there and staying overnight in a hotel/B&B would have run around $150. I'm sure we'll find another way to spend that....
- Similarly, I passed on what likely will be the last farmer's market visit this year (tonight's frost will do in most of the crops). I realized there was nothing I needed to get; it all was money we didn't need to spend on food. We would enjoy the purchases, sure, but I still have some produce to work through and the items I would have gotten would have been just snacks and fun foods for us.
- Got an ebay purchase refunded through PayPal. I didn't look closely enough at the picture of what I was buying, so I didn't realize until I got it that while it was what was pictured, it was not quite what was advertised. I chalked it up to my being inattentive and commented as such in my feedback. The seller saw the feedback, realized his mistake in the listing, and refunded my money. Doesn't even want the item back (it would be a pain to sell for the correct application).
Frugal Mama
10-20-13, 9:18am
Thanks for the heads-up on the Netflix gift card on ebay. I had no idea! I just purchased on ebay. Thanks.
early morning
10-20-13, 10:36am
Congrats, Kelli! Exciting news! Not much in the way of new frugals here - just the same old boring stuff. Not that we don't have loads of room for improvement - we clearly do- but I'm doing about all I can w/o DH's help (not that he doesn't want to help, but he's disabled and hasn't had many good days lately). So I guess we need to just bite the bullet and pay to get some big stuff done. And DD and I need to learn more, so we can do more things ourselves. We have a huge backlog of projects and I'm sure we can do some of them without DH's help.
fidgiegirl
10-20-13, 4:44pm
Passed on a bath mat at Ikea yesterday. We already have two.
Passed on a treat at the coffee shop today, even though I wanted one. We had just had lunch and I wasn't that hungry, just wanted the sugar.
Did NOT buy more interfacing at JoAnn. I will need more, but want to use what I've already bought first. It's on my way home, I can pick some up anytime.
Trying to focus on NOT spending. It's going well. (Today, at least . . .)
fidgiegirl
10-20-13, 9:00pm
DH is making himself a cake for his lunch desserts. He likes to have a sweet bite every day, and sometimes (well, most times) we end up buying him costly cookies. He got a mix for $1 and the eggs and oil barely cost anything. He'll have enough cake for two weeks. He'll freeze part of it.
I've managed to avoid buying food on trips to the store this week. I stop in sometimes for beer or wine. (not frugal) I have a rule to always buy something for the cupboard, (food stash) even if it's just a can of tomatoes.
DH is making himself a cake for his lunch desserts. He likes to have a sweet bite every day, and sometimes (well, most times) we end up buying him costly cookies. He got a mix for $1 and the eggs and oil barely cost anything. He'll have enough cake for two weeks. He'll freeze part of it.
So much cheaper! And you can make cookies from the same mix by just eliminating two eggs and the liquid, right?
fidgiegirl
10-20-13, 10:40pm
Hmmm, not sure . . . we'll have to look into it!
Fidgie!!! I don't know how I missed your big announcement, but CONGRATULATIONS! Oh my--this is exciting! I am so, so happy for you! :-)
fidgiegirl
10-21-13, 8:11am
Thanks Kat. I'll be picking your brains and those of the other of the parents of small children in the coming months, hopefully you'll all be up for it! :)
Kelli!!! Congrats! I'm excited for you!
Kelli Congrats! You two already know how to work well together doing your house. You've got a great partnership for parenting already!
Took some frozen overripe bananas out of the freezer (ugh!!!) and made a banana nut cake with craisins in it. It was huge! So we cut and froze 2 quarters separately for company or hubbies sweet tooth, who ever arrives first! Not a huge fan of banana baked goods but this was tasty.
I picked up some 50% off Oetker/Shirriff cooked puddings a while ago and they have been a real boon. Made 5 donated pies for a church fundraiser supper at a minimal cost.
A suggestion - I made one cooked pudding for Thanksgiving dinner with a dollop of cream on top in sherbet dishes. DD1 suggested that the leftover of the dark chocolate pudding mix would be perfect for a fresh whole strawberry dip for a leftover turkey luncheon I was hosting the next day. I quickly shopped for the fresh strawberries. I served 6 large berries on a glass plate around the sherbet dishes with a small amount of pudding and a tiny dollop of cream on top and it was delicious, looked so elegant and perfect for reduced caloric intake diets. It could work well with other fruit
chrissieq
10-25-13, 7:02pm
Went to Ikea with DD yesterday and looked for rugs for her new apt. Of course, it got me really wanting a new rug for our bedroom. The current one is worn, tired looking and about 15 years old. Neither of us bought a rug.
Today at an estate sale I found a 6 x 8 foot rug that either of us can use - for $5!! It is in great shape and I will offer it to her first (since she has nothing on her floor) but will be happy to use it if she opts out.
I think this is the end of garage sales for the season - but I ended it with a bang!!
My cost of living keeps rising and my paycheck keeps dropping! This year it was losing my shift differential. The only thing I can really cut is food. So, I'm going to try and really commit to buying as little as possible at the store. I was shocked tonight to find fresh broccoli and cauliflower over $2.50 a pound. Fresh veggies are a stock item for me. That's not going to be sustainable! I bought frozen tonight. Something I never do. And hopefully, I'll be well enough next week to return to bicycling to work again.
Hmmm, not sure . . . we'll have to look into it!
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/desserts/cookies/cake-mix-cookies/
try2bfrugal
10-26-13, 2:09am
This month I have been to two library book sales. I bought 2 bags of books for $20 total. I have about 6 bags of books to sell at the half price book store so I am still looking at a net outflow.
I traded in a couple of DVDs for gift cards at Amazon.
I have been figuring out how to use my new turbo oven. So far I love it. It is made of glass so I can see all the food cooking without have to open an over door or remove a lid. It shuts itself off when it is done. Tonight I made roasted chicken, squash and onions. I just cut up the veggies, put a chicken breast on the rack and put the veggie chunks around it, and turned it on for 45 minutes. We have to think of what else to make but so far the chicken and roasted veggies turned out great. It is much more energy efficient than the wall oven and cooks twice as much in less time as my old roaster, so I think long term this will be a very frugal way for us to cook.
SteveinMN
10-26-13, 11:29am
Frugals this week:
- DW got a couple of bags of books for free from a friend of hers who has finished reading them. She's not sure she'll like all the authors, but at that price it's worth a flyer and they'll all get passed along in the end.
- Stocked up some more at ALDI. I find myself doing more and more shopping there. It really helped to find out that they offer their workers pay and benefits well above the industry average. I just wish they would carry more sustainably-produced meat. I'm still making trips to the co-op, especially now that the farmer's market is pretty much done for the year. Yes, it's two stops, but I usually can combine them on a day I'm driving around for other errands.
- Four no-drive days last week; two were no-spend.
- Just swept through the refrigerator for what must be cleaned out and was surprised to find that all but two items were leftovers DW planned to bring to work but forgot. Otherwise, we're doing much better on buying what we need and using what we buy.
fidgiegirl
10-26-13, 11:56am
We also went through our fridge and pantry, Steve. I need to buy little for the upcoming week to have some good meals. Trying to get back to menu planning so we have what we need on hand throughout the week and don't stress out and therefore purchase convenience foods. I think I will make a book up of blank planning grids (an invention of mine that works well for us) and then we can keep the old plans to look back at for ideas.
Speaking of: ideas for using up garlic salt? It's just sitting there on the spice rack taunting me. I'd like to use it up and move on.
I pulled out some peppermint sugar to use up in my teas. As fall has arrived my tea consumption has gone way up.
SteveinMN
10-26-13, 2:14pm
ideas for using up garlic salt?
I actually don't have any in the house; for the rare recipe I use that calls for it, I just make a mix of 50% granulated garlic and 50% salt. Close enough. But that doesn't help you now. :|(
I would either cut the table/cooking salt with it or use it in place of table/cooking salt as appropriate. We like garlic and I can't think of too many things I'd salt that couldn't handle a little garlic flavor.
ApatheticNoMore
10-26-13, 2:35pm
Speaking of: ideas for using up garlic salt? It's just sitting there on the spice rack taunting me. I'd like to use it up and move on.
soups, especially just a standard veggie soup, minestrone soup would probably work. Marinara (or meat I guess) sauce or anything cooked in that type of sauce - pizza sauce also (though personally I've never made homemade pizza). Just watch you don't oversalt stuff I guess. On veggies like brocolli and so on, although fresh garlic is better there. Ok now I want to buy some garlic salt or granulated garlic (probably the latter). I discovered granulated onion and it's great in such things (I add it in soups that already have real onions, can't easily overdo allums).
I guess my big frugal of the week was getting my current car repaired - 8.5 years old/93,400 miles. Cost of repairs was $1100 (shop told me to pay what I could now, $500, and the rest when I have it -mid Nov.) Saved a lot on a new car that would have been financed. Current car likely needs more minor work, but it's safe to drive and that's what counts.
Eating out of my cupboards and freezer.
flowerseverywhere
10-26-13, 10:01pm
I've been working on a series of no meat dishes as acceptably raised and processed meat is so expensive. I have a long list now of things DH likes enough to not miss the meat so we rarely eat it. Spinach pie, veggie quiche and a veggie ziti, cream of mushroom, split pea, black bean, french onion and minestrone soup, meatless pizzas and chili, bean burritos all make regular appearances on our menu. Tonight I made roasted butternut squash soup and cheese quesadillas. Even using good veggies and dairy our grocery bill is much lower than expensive meats. DH was also able to rid himself of cholesterol meds. It took a while to learn to make everything taste hearty and flavorful, but I kept trying recipes until I found keepers.
Tussiemussies
10-26-13, 10:06pm
I've been working on a series of no meat dishes as acceptably raised and processed meat is so expensive. I have a long list now of things DH likes enough to not miss the meat so we rarely eat it. Spinach pie, veggie quiche and a veggie ziti, cream of mushroom, split pea, black bean, french onion and minestrone soup, meatless pizzas and chili, bean burritos all make regular appearances on our menu. Tonight I made roasted butternut squash soup and cheese quesadillas. Even using good veggies and dairy our grocery bill is much lower than expensive meats. DH was also able to rid himself of cholesterol meds. It took a while to learn to make everything taste hearty and flavorful, but I kept trying recipes until I found keepers.
That is fantastic Flowers!
sweetana3
10-27-13, 5:08am
We like to have Indian dishes and found that leaving out the meat did not affect the flavor. I get a Tikka Masala sauce and add just vegetables. Potatoes, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms make a wonderful dish and filling.
rosarugosa
10-27-13, 7:48am
Probably our biggest recent frugal is that we haven't eaten out or gotten takeout in the month of October, and we're on track to make it to the end of the month without doing so.
I called to cancel the Amex card (the one where I signed on just to get the $500 in Home Depot gift card rewards). Rep told me she would give me a $175. statement credit if I didn't cancel just now, no other strings, so I agreed since card isn't up for renewal/annual fee until May 2014. I sat down and did a bit of a cost/benefit analysis on our various rewards cards. I don't see this one as being advantageous over our other cards, and given the $175. annual fee, I still plan to cancel, but I'll gladly take the statement credit before I do.
I would like to see how much of our holiday spending can be covered by our frugal hacks with things like cc rewards & deals. We're not very much into Christmas and have scaled way back, but it still seems to cost us a lot of money. Now I'll have that $175 to get me off to a good start!
early morning
10-27-13, 11:18am
Went to an estate auction of an old acquaintance yesterday morning. It was chilly (only got up to 40, and windy) but we spent $20 on things for our resale business, and with just a quick conservative estimate of resale pricing, I think we'll net over $300 on the stuff. It's a tad warmer today and sunny, so I put a load of wash on the line and I may have time to do another before I have to leave to go stay with my mom for the afternoon. Filled up my tank at the cheapest station last evening, so I don't have to hit an expensive on tomorrow AM. I have a seminar tomorrow so will get gas mileage, which is always appreciated.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.