Let’s see…what frugal things did I do yesterday?
1. I made yogurt.
I don’t always make everything from scratch, but homemade yogurt is a serious mainstay at my house. No matter what else is going on, I make a gallon of yogurt nearly every week.
So cheap, so tasty, and so simple once you do it a time or two.
(and since I’m on time 4549485738495 or so, it’s really simple.)
2. I packed a lunch for Mr. FG.
While he showered, I packed him some leftover chicken noodle soup, plus a bottle of water, a container of pistachios (from Costco), a banana, celery with peanut butter, and blueberries (Aldi had them on sale this week).
I used reusable containers, of course. They are my fave.
Oh, and when I put the soup away the night we ate it, I portioned some out for his lunch. That way in the morning, I could just grab it and throw it into the lunchbox. Somehow, that seems way easier than portioning it out in the morning (even though logically it’s the same amount of work!)
3. I went to Costco while I was close by.
Costco isn’t suuuper close, so I try to hit it up when I’m already going to be in the area. While the girls were at a class, I dropped by Costco to fill up on gas and also to buy a few things (mainly frozen fruit for smoothies).
And I got gas while I was there, of course.
Costco’s gas prices are almost always the lowest in the area, but making a drive to save on gas is usually not ultimately frugal. But if I have to be there anyway, then I always opt to fill up.
(Here are my favorite things to buy at Costco.)
4. I revived wilty lettuce.
A head of green leaf lettuce from my produce box arrived in slightly wilted condition.
So, I filled my salad spinner with cold water, tore the lettuce into pieces, immersed them in the water, and 10-15 minutes later, they were fresh and crisp.
I’ve done this quite a few times before and I can never quite get over just how well it works.
Or how fast.
5. This and that
I heated up leftovers for lunch, didn’t buy anything except necessities at Costco, used a rewards credit card for my purchases there, and cooked dinner at home.
Your turn! Add your own Five Frugal Things in the comments.
Tony
Monday 13th of February 2017
Packing lunches has saved me sooo much money over the years. Making the taste good is an ongoing challenge though. Hopefully I can improve that with the tips I've gotten from this blog. One thing that really saved me some time, was discovering that I can make lunches and dinners in bullk on the weekend to save time during the week when I'm busier. My food saver is an awesome tool for freezing bulk meals that still preserve the flavor and taste fresh.
Katy
Thursday 26th of January 2017
1. Ate someone else's leftovers, who is going on a trip. 2. Took mostly buses this week (as opposed to taxis which are more expensive here). 3. Resisted the temptation to buy a coke. 4. A friend gave me some clothes, mostly ones bought used (I live in Africa and they're actually used clothes that don't get sold in other countries then get shipped here and sold here at used clothing markets). 5. Got this really good book free for my kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Road-Emmaus-What-Message-ebook/dp/B00200KF62
Stephanie L
Friday 20th of January 2017
Since I can't drive anymore my husband did a referral for me to rideshare service. I got $50 in credits for being a new customer and he got $10 in credits for making the referral.
I took a pair of work shoes in for new heels and a far lower cost than New shoes.
A coworker Wants to have "errand day" where she can drive me to target or wherever for things I need. It will be great to spend some time together out of the office and also save me some money on transportation.
Kristen
Friday 20th of January 2017
What a great friend!
Linda
Friday 20th of January 2017
It has been a busy week.
1. Monday morning I went to our K-Mart that is going out of business. I bought a set of 3 canvas prints for my bedroom and 3 tops. After using my reward points the total was just a little over $14.00. 2. While at K-Mart I found a set of bunk beds that had been marked down from $200 to $159. Then there was a 20% discount on top of that. I also had found a battery powered truck that had also been reduced. We had already planned on purchasing one for the youngest grandchild. So we spent a little over $300 for this items. A real win in my book. 3. I cooked all week at home and took my lunch everyday from left overs. 4. Besides the two trips to K-Mart on Monday, I only drove to work and home the rest of the week. Big savings on gas. 5. I began another grandson's blanket I'm making that I'm making for his upcoming birthday.
On another note, I have begun gathering my ideas for homemade birthday and Christmas presents throughout the year. With my large family we have birthdays almost every month.
It's been a good week.
Diane C
Friday 20th of January 2017
Lisa, Re #5, if you love your car, please don't do that! Oil breaks down over time as well as with mileage. Check your owner's manual. There's a reason they say X months or Xk miles. The cost of blowing an far engine exceeds any savings from skipping regular oil changes. I have a little concern about #4 as well, but I live in a climate that doesn't get snow, so I'm no expert. I do know that rubber breaks down over time, so please do a little google-fu to be sure your tires are safe.