Five Frugal Things | bras, beans, bonuses, & a book

Item #2 on this list does not start with a B, sadly. I was so close to perfect alliteration!

1. I used multiple small discounts on a bra purchase

I wanted a couple of black bras to wear to work under my scrubs, so I hopped over to Target.com because I already knew what style and size I wanted.

A few ways I saved a bit on my order:

• I went through TopCashback to get 2% back
• I used my Target debit card to get 5% off
• I got free shipping because my two bras met the minimum order amount for shipping
• I accepted a slower shipping option for a $1 credit

And of course, I will wash my bras in cold water and also line dry them to help them last as long as possible.

Small savings like this are not going to allow me to retire at age 50, of course. But I figure that if I approach all of life like this, the little savings probably do add up to something significant!

(This is the bra I like; probably not enough support if you are well-endowed but it’s perfect for someone like me. And no wires!)

2. I bought marked-down chicken at Whole Foods

Remember how I found some Whole Foods gift cards when I cleaned out my desk?

Well, I had to pop in there to do an Amazon return, and I looked to see if I could find a deal to use my gift cards on (because we know I always want to maximize my savings!)

I picked up a bunch of packages of 50% off Bell and Evans chicken (it was close to its sell-by date), paid for them with my gift cards, and put them in my chest freezer when I got home.

I don’t care if chicken is about to expire; it will keep just fine in my freezer.

I looooove having a chest freezer. It is so lovely to have the space to store things without worrying that they will get freezer burnt.

3. I made a duplicate version of Aldi’s bean salad

I have occasionally purchased Aldi’s little containers of chickpea salad, which cost about $3 for a one-serving container.

To me, that has never seemed like a very good price for what is essentially beans, edamame, dressing, and some veggies.

So, I googled for a copycat recipe, came across this one from Margin Making Mom, and I gave it a try! It’s a very good approximation.

The can of garbanzos* was $0.81, the edamame was $1.25, the craisins were $0.29, and the cost of the other ingredients was negligible. So for about $2.50, I have a big bowl of the salad, not just one serving.

Definitely a frugal win!

*I know dried garbanzos are even cheaper, but $0.81 is fine by me.

4. I borrowed an audio book from the library

My therapist, who knows about my spatial synesthesia, recommended Oliver Sacks’ book Musicophilia to me because she remembered he discusses synesthesia.

Sadly, my library only has this on audiobook, and I prefer to read physical copies of books.

I almost went on eBay and bought a copy, but I decided to go the audiobook route for $0.

Of course, I listened to it at 2x speed, which is what I almost always do when I listen to podcasts or books. Sooo, the 11-hour book only took me 5.5 hours. 😉

It was an interesting listen, but I was bummed that he didn’t talk about spatial synesthesia as it relates to music…just color and taste.

I really want to climb into other pianist’s brains and see how their brains connect the music on the page to the keys on the piano.

The way I think of it is hard to describe, but it’s almost like the keys and the printed music are meshed in my brain, even though the notes on the keys go low to high horizontally, and the notes on the musical staff go low to high vertically. My brain picks the printed music up off the page and lays it over the keys so that it sort of matches up spatially.

And I wonder if this is part of my synesthesia, or if it’s how most pianists think.

5. I opened a checking account for a $300 bonus

You know those bonus offers you get in the mail for opening a checking account with direct deposit? I could never take advantage of those because I haven’t had a direct deposit job since 1998.

But now that I work at the hospital, I do have direct deposit!

All sorts of wonderful bonus possibilities have opened up for me.

I did one that will give me a $300 bonus after I direct deposit $1000 in the first 90 days, and as soon as I get that one done, I have another $250 offer I will do.

Once the school year starts, I will be working very minimal hours, so these are probably the only two bonus offers I will do this year.

But next year after I get a nursing job, it’s game on again. 😉

I like this way of multiplying my PCT earnings; I’m putting them to work for me!

Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to this week?