Five Frugal Things | chicken fingers
1. I used up my panko
I discovered a container of panko in my pantry that really needed to be used (those do go stale after a while; I think the oil in the crumbs goes rancid). Mine was fine, but I knew it didn't have a lotta time left.
So, I breaded a few chicken tenderloins to put on top of some green salads for Zoe and me.
I don't use panko all that often, so next time I'm going to throw the opened container in the chest freezer to extend the usable life.
2. I fried the chicken in reused oil
I had a container of oil in the freezer from the last time I fried tortilla strips, so I thawed that and used it for my chicken tenderloins.
And afterward, I strained it and froze it again.
Oil is fine to use several times (read more about that here), and I know a lot of people store it at room temp between uses. But it's so easy to freeze, and I have the space, so I figure, why not?
(I would probably not reuse, say, fish fry oil to make chicken tenders. But tortilla strips leave almost no flavor behind, so this combo was fine.)
3. I made a batch of yogurt
It's sort of funny that I still do this, because it seems like something that might fall by the wayside during a busy season.
But it requires very little hands-on time, and since I have made it so many times, it also requires almost no thinking.
So I just make a batch every few weeks when I am already going to be home for most of the day (like a day off from nursing, when I spend the day writing blog posts and doing homework.)
Once it's done, then I have plenty on hand for making overnight oats, eating with fruit after a shift, or making smoothies.
Here's how I make yogurt with no special equipment.
4. I got a $69.95 refund
Ok, so you know how I got that promotional offer for the pink scrubs? I forgot to cancel the membership deal that got me the discount in the first place, so then I got a $69.95 charge for a "VIP credit" that is good for a $100 or less item.
But I didn't love the way the Fabletics scrubs fit me, and also, there's really nothing on the site that is $100, which means the $69.95 isn't even a good deal.
I cancelled the membership, but thought I was stuck with that $69.95 credit. However, I googled and found out that you can request a refund!
I used the chat feature and got my refund secured. Whew. I will never order from that site again, largely because it's very annoying to use. It loads so slowly, it's almost like being on dial-up again.
5. I...
- went to the city-run gym, where I have an annual membership
- prepped overnight oats for my breakfasts
- made chickpea salad for my lunches, topped with some sautéed shrimp
I had no clue about reusing frying oil! Although the only thing I frequently fry are donuts (Greek yogurt + self-rising flour, shake in sugar).
My 5 frugal:
1. Happened to be at the grocery store when they were marking down their cut melons (they sell halves), so I got a few half price
2. Spent time at the two major grocery stores and one pharmacy creating accounts, so now I can utilize coupons and discounts.
3. Replaced a broken glass water bottle, so we are back to using those instead of buying water bottles when we're out and about.
4. If our grocery delivery had frozen items, they often include little ice packs in an insulated bag. I save these and utilize them when we're running long errands or playing pickleball.
5. Still using the Himalayan salt I had to grind with my little blender, mixing it with lime in my water for homemade electrolytes.
Wow, I’m going to be one of the 1st to post! I’m usually never this early.
Those are a lot of great food saving ideas!
My Frugal 5s:
• Free Summer Lunches: Continuing to get free lunch for my girls through the summer lunch program and eating up anything they don’t want. There’s no income restriction for this, and it’s open to all kids 18 and younger.
• Library Museum Pass: Took the girls to the local science museum, which was free admission for us all thanks to a library pass I checked out. It was a rainy day, so this was the perfect indoor activity.
• Summer Reading Rewards: My girls and I got to pick out a free item for reaching their midway reading goals through the library’s summer reading program. We got a clay hair clips craft, diamond art kit, and doddle and activity books. The girls had so much fun with these!
• Amazon Returns: While in town, I stopped by UPS to drop off a few Amazon returns (some gifts for a friend that weren’t quite right and boots in the wrong size). Got $140 back on my Amazon gift card balance!
• Walmart Returns: I'm also returning a few Walmart items today to get $20 credited back to my card. These are things we just don't need and I changed my mind on, like a clock, a scrub brush, and some toys.
1. A near frugal fail: I wanted a certain study Bible in giant print so I wouldn't have eye strain. A TV ministry offers it for $100, but I think that's way too high. I looked for a used one and found one via Amazon for $20-something. (To be fair, it was from a third-party seller on Amazon.) When I ordered it, the third-party seller was going to charge me more than $70 for shipping. No way! I took it out of my cart and cancelled. Then it said if I got a trial membership in Prime, the shipping would be free. OK, so I signed up and then put the Bible back in my shopping cart. Um, they still had the shipping charge on there, so I cancelled it again, or thought I did. Just to be safe, I called the credit card issuer. The Bible purchase had not been charged -- but Amazon was charging me something, even after I said I didn't want the Prime membership after all. Long story short, the credit card folks stopped the purchase, cancelled my card and are going to send me a new credit card with a new number. Then, I tried Thrift Books and was trying to get a discount coupon and no luck there. Oh well, maybe I'll see that Bible at a local store someday.
2. While on the phone with the credit card issuer, I found out that the 12-month zero percent interest deal I thought I had is actually a 24-month deal, and that I have quite a bit of money on my credit limit. This is good news, sort of, because I am going to need a way to pay for some more dental work.
3. Bought eggs for 89 cents a dozen at our store. Checked to see what would be the better size: large brown eggs, jumbo white eggs or extra large white eggs. (My homemaking teacher, Mrs. Krebs, would be so proud of me!) Guess what? All 3 appear to be the same size!
4. I received a letter from the IRS saying I owe more taxes than the Jackson Hewitt lady told me I owed. So I called JH up. Did not get any satisfaction over the phone, so I filed a complaint online on their customer service website.
5. Mr. Snuggles Dog hasn't been eating his dry food lately, so I poured some kibbles into a little cardboard container of a frozen microwaved dinner I had just eaten. I thought he might like the remaining cheese and mashed potatoes and chicken broth from the shepherd's pie; some cheese was melted onto the cardboard. Surely he would lick it out, I thought, as he's done before on other things. Uh, maybe not. Doggone it! This may have backfired: I can't find the cardboard dish. I think he ate it! (So far, he doesn't appear to be sick, but I'm closely watching him.)
Update:
I was turning out the lights and heard a scraping noise. It turned out to be Snuggles pushing the (very empty) cardboard dish with his nose. He had hidden it beneath a kitchen chair on the far side of the table, and was scooting it to another hiding place. Thank goodness he hadn't eaten it! I traded him a dog biscuit and put the container in the trash.
I can see him at it! 😀
Mr. Snuggles Dog sounds like quite a character!
You could ask a church if they have any large print Bibles. A lot of them handout Bibles. If they have a lot of older people, they might have some.
Our Salv. Army gives Bibles out for free, but this is a particular study Bible from an evangelist. I had another edition of it, but my late cousin "borrowed" mine and I never saw it again.
The size difference between each egg size is 1/4 oz, or 3oz per dozen. Large eggs are 2oz. For straight eating and uses such as adding to ground meat it doesn't matter, but if you're baking it can be the difference between success and failure.
I didn't know this about eggs. This is great information! Thank you!
Check on eBay for that large print study Bible.
Jana,
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
I did as you advised and I just got one for $34 with free shipping. From the description, I think this used copy may be in a lot better shape than the one I almost ordered. I would've never thought about ebay for books (Duh!), but this turned out great! Thank you again!
Let's hear it for the Commentariat!
I too was going to suggest eBay! I'm so glad you found one. It's my new favorite source for just about everything.
@Fru-Gal Lisa, Jackson Hewitt allegedly has a "worry free guarantee"-- so I would keep after them! The one and only time I allowed a "tax service" (H&R Block) file my taxes - I also got a letter that I owed money! NEVER AGAIN. Now I pay my financial advisor office to do them - and am happy to do it so I know they are done right.
Thanks for the info, Cheryl. I will use the phrase "worry free guarantee" in dealing with JH and see what happens.
@Fru-Gal Lisa - good luck and keep us posted!!
Cheryl,
I called the IRS and finally got a real live person, and a nice, intelligent one at that: Mrs. Garcia in West Virginia. She looked it up for me and it appears that the amended return is still in the stack of stuff to be processed later. She fixed it so that I don't have to write the big check right away (if ever), but I can wait until they look at the amended return first. Mrs. Garcia could not have been any nicer or more efficient/professional; I laughed and told her that she ruins the bad reputation of IRS agents being mean and snarly because she is so nice and helpful. So I feel a lot better about everything today.
I want to try making your yogurt I've never made it before. And eat we eat a lot of yogurt!
I just recently made fried wontons in a few inches of oil in a pot and I rarely do that. In fact, I have an old Small Fry Daddy that was used so rarely that it's buried in a cabinet somewhere. But, I too, strained the oil and put it in a jar in the back of the refrigerator. Since I have a whole package of wonton wrappers, I'll make them again and use that oil. And I used a recycled container to store that oil.
Here are my 5 FFTs
– i picked up a package of 6 reduced apple fritters at Walmart and shared 2 of them with our elderly neighbor. (She's alone, loves them and we don't need 6 apple fritters!)
– I used lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant from the garden this week in meals I made. We also shared the bounty of lettuce and tomatoes with our neighbor and my sister.
– I colored my own hair. Savings = about $100.
– I gave two clean empty peanut butter jars to a friend who can use them. I would have normally recycled them. My friend often gives food to people. Oftentimes the food is in glass canning jars and she asks for them back. But a lot of people don't. One man told her he'd been recycling the canning jars she gave him! Please remember – when somebody gives you a jar that could be reused please return it – especially expensive canning jars. Anyone who does any canning knows this. The jar lid is not good when it's used once (but I mark old used lids with an “x” and reused as a cover on jars. I just don't use them to can anything again) but the ring and the jar can be reused over and over.
– I saved potato, cucumber, banana and carrot peelings to go into our compost pile.
My sister who lives in town near us has a prime account. She lets me order things, pays for them, gets them delivered to my house and I just pay her back. That saved me a lot of money. And she likes it she gets the points on her credit card. So it's a win for both of us. You might see if a friend or a family member will let you do the same
I should try making yoghurt!
Frugals:
1. I made a batch of granola with Kristen's recipe.
2. I went running and swimming outside.
3. I cooked a batch of tofu and saved half for another meal I made later in the week. In the past, I've always ended up throwing half out because I never seemed to store it correctly.
4. I did a deep clean of my fridge. I threw out food which had gone bad and stored the rest in a coolbag. I was not looking forward to this task and am so glad it's done!
5. I cancelled a streaming service, and have also discovered the show 7th Heaven on a free platform. I'm not sure if I should count this as a frugal win - I'm watching more out of morbid fascination because it's so corny 😉
7th heaven is PEAK levels of corny. haha.
I can't believe the actors are able to say the lines with straight faces and that anyone took it seriously. I'm doing a rewatch of The Handmaid's Tale and it's a good break from the heaviness...although perhaps not dissimilar to Gilead propaganda 😉
I love 7th Heaven. It was one of my favorite shows back in the day. I was an only child. So, the large family spoke to my soul. My daughter's graduation from high party at Margaritaville turned from 11 people to five. Sad but frugal.
Happy graduation to your daughter!! Wishing her wonderful things in the next chapter!
thanks so much. i appreciate your kind words.
Most of mine are wedding related.
1. We went to an out of town wedding and signed up for the hotel rewards program. I haven't stayed at that hotel when I'm on the road but now I have the option if I don't want to search for a hotel for an overnight stay.
2. We got a couple of cards for a free appetizer on a future visit when we told our waiter that we were going to add the restaurant into our rotation after wanting to try it at home and never getting around to it.
3. I wore my grandma's jewelry and a dress I had from Thredup to the wedding and got a ton of compliments - free dopamine boost!
4. On the way home my husband and I shopped for 4 hours at a GIGANTIC international grocery that is bigger and more diverse than anything at home - and we have a lot of International grocery stores of all countries and sizes. We concentrated on what we can't buy at home, tried some new things, things we enjoyed from past trips and travels. It was quite a bit of money but still cheaper than visiting 10+ countries in one trip.
5. We opened a new joint account at a bank with better rates than our current bank.
FFT, The Annual Eat Your Weeds and Other Garden Stuff Edition:
(1) I made another stir-fry on Sunday. This time, in addition to another package of boneless pork rib meat (again, RFQS at Wegmans; I seem to be the only shopper at my Wegmans who knows what to do with this), I put in snow peas from the Regional Market, some of the older onions and garlic I'm trying to finish off, and--since my spring spinach is already going to seed--a generous fistful of lamb's quarters and redroot pigweed leaves from the gardens. And as I did so, I thought fondly of our Lindsey in Alaska, who also used to remind us at this time of year to eat our weeds.
(2) At the Regional Market on Saturday, I went berserk buying seasonal treats. In addition to the snow peas, I got asparagus, strawberries, and lettuce. I also found "small" free-range eggs for $1.50 a dozen--and these didn't actually look so "small" to me. (See Fru-gal Lisa's comment above.)
(3) The vendor who sold me the asparagus threw three garlic scapes in with the asparagus. I suppose I could have used these in the stir-fry, but instead, I draped two of them over my two surviving kale plants (still recovering from early rabbit damage) and put a third in my potato planter (where the woodchucks have been doing jump shots at the greens). No further damage so far.
(4) I'll be digging my own new garlic soon--all 16 lovely heads of it. I don't cut off the scapes because, when I put the whole garlic plants up in my attic to dry, the scapes keep growing for a while and eventually produce little bulblets that I like to use in stocks and broths. Besides, the whole attic smells wonderfully of garlic for a while, in addition to smelling wonderfully of the herbs I dry up there all year long.
(5) Finally, the Bestest Neighbors and I are amused by the fact that our street was used last year as a marketing tool in a real estate ad for one house and has just been used in another ad. Here's the first line from the newest ad: "One-level living on a cul-de-sac featuring stately homes and grand architecture." We're debating whether we ought to sell tickets for tours of our houses. 😀
You should sell tickets carnival barker style!
I still get a good laugh when I remember Lindsey's story of the night she went into the woods looking for her missing pig. She was dressed in a flowing pink nightgown and pink bunny slippers (Lindsey, not the pig) yelling "Martha Stewart! Martha Stewart," ...that being the pigs name! 🤣
I miss her animal antics and I miss her.
A.Marie,
Not only will garlic shoo away the woodchucks and rabbits, but I hear it's also effective for werewolves. Or is it vampires? LOL!
I think it is vampires.
-As I open cans of chickpeas, I've been draining and saving the goo (aquafaba is the official, delightfully silly name). It freezes well and is a great egg substitute in baking. I often halve recipes for our two person household; it's far easier to use aquafaba than half an egg.
--The vegetable and flower gardens are going gangbusters! There has been just enough space between thunder storms to water with my rain barrels, thus ensuring room for the next round of free water.
--My seed stash had become too unwieldy for the giant mason jar I had it in. (I blame the beans--so bulky!) I moved everything to the metal Ninja Turtles lunchbox that Dad gave me several Christmases ago, and everything fit with room to spare. Turtle power! 😛
--I mended my husband's work shorts. Because he always has a motley of tools in his pockets for his job, the corners are prone to tearing. I reinforced them with some spare denim scraps, which I always have from hemming my jeans up. (Pants that fit the way I like are inevitably made for someone 6" taller.)
--I've been redecorating using what we already have, specifically stained glass windows made by friends. We rented for so long (with the stained glass just propped carefully) that I overthought where to hang them permanently in ***OUR*** house, especially as it required drilling into our house's original 1890 window frames. Hanging 30+ lbs of glass is not for the faint of heart, nor hook! After much research and hook shopping, I finally went for it. It's such a joy every day to see the light streaming through my friends' beautiful art as it was meant to be seen.
Your stained glass art sounds lovely!
@N, I need you to come see me and reframe and hang a 3’x4’ stained glass window that I just inherited!!
Wowzer, that's ginormous! If it were me, I think I'd try to frame it standing and mounted to a wall, with lights behind (as brilliantly suggested below). That's a lot of weight!
N and others,
The stained glass sounds amazingly beautiful! Wish I could see it! But if anyone can't put it in a window, here's another idea:
I once visited a church that had moved from the inner city to the suburbs. They took the antique stained glass windows out of their old sanctuary to put in the new building. Those windows would not fit the new architecture, so they got someone to build frames for each window. Behind the stained glass, they installed lights. They hung these windows in an interior room that had plain white walls.
When they turned on the lights inside the frames, the biblical scenes depicted on the windows shone very brightly. The art just popped with the vivid colors; it was even more magnificent than it had been in its original setting (the old church building). The little brass plaques that said who had originally donated the windows were also displayed, and many dated back 80-100 years. Really amazing!
I don't recall what kind of lights were in back of the window glass, as I saw this many years ago. (Sorry.) But it was made so that you could not see the lights when they were turned on.
I had read about freezing oil and saw it here, too... Very cool.
My frugal 5:
1) I ordered cards from Etsy. Free shipping makes them cheaper than buying from a market.
2) I sprouted some plants from seeds that I've stored. I just hope to get something edible from them. I'm not much of a gardener.
3) I found local places that can replace a sliding patio door screen. Just the screen part needs to be done. I paid double the price nearly 15 years ago versus now.
4) I found some great deals on chicken, like BOGO. Even sausage was $2/lb on clearance. The dates were still good and they went in the freezer.
5) I used points to travel and saved $350.
Only minor frugal stuff-
*only turn AC on for a day and a half during the hear last week. We get by with ceiling fans,and window fans at night to cool down.
* using our pass for the city pool most afternoons.
*working on library reading program. Took two if my kids for the "read to shelter cats" program. Kids liked it, most cats were not impressed. But some loved it.
* binging Home Town on a streaming service my kid got for free through his college.
* a desk chair my son had been using ( which I had found on the side of the road) finally broke. Walked into Goodwill and found a sturdy replacement- only five dollars with discount. I usually never find what I'm looking for at thrift stores without a lot of visits, so this made me happy.
This post showed up in my inbox. It is not Thankful Thursday, but I am thankful
I don't think I have ever posted this early. Botox is actually helping my tremor so I can type almost like a normal person. But oops that is another thankful post. Sorry.
@Anita Isaac, you used capital letters!! Is it you or an imposter? Maybe that’s what you mean by “type almost like a normal person”.
It's me alright. But I never could pass the typing test at my job for a promotion. It just wasn't meant to be. (sigh)
I haven’t made your yogurt in ages - I just don’t eat that much yogurt any longer, but I loved the texture so much better than store bought. Yum!
Hooray for refunds!
My frugal things are grad party related. For context, we hosted an extended family party to celebrate my daughter's college graduation. She has celiac disease and must eat gluten free.
1. We cooked ourselves versus catering/ordering in/having it at a restaurant. In pre-celiac days we often did the Midwest trifecta of fried chicken, Italian beef and mostaccoli, but she can eat none of that.
2. Our menu included arrachera (tenderized skirt steak) which we got from the Spanish grocery store at a better price than Albertsons/Kroger.
3. We also had chicken thighs from Costco.
4. Gluten free dessert is expensive so we bought her dessert from the specialty bakery but got cupcakes from Costco for everyone else.
5. All the other food was safe for her and delicious. It is very important to me that my kids with food restrictions are able to enjoy our family celebrations without worry. Sometimes this means we bring them food when others host, but we try to host whenever we can so they can feel comfortable and included which is priceless.
1. My mom gave us some fruits, vegetables, and pantry staples.
2. I used over-ripe watermelon to make popsicles for my kids.
3. I made turkey soup from turkey bones, which I am eating for my lunch this week. I then made vegetable stock with all the vegetable scraps.
4. My son wanted to go see a steam train coming through our area. The shuttle to and entrance to view the train were free. We brought our own food and drinks.
5. My son had strep throat and broke his thumb this week. I also went to the dentist this week for a cleaning. Total cost of medical appointments and prescriptions was about $40. Not that everyone has this option by any means, but opting for the better insurance plan especially when you have kids is always frugal.
Did you see Big Boy? It came through a town near us (second time better half has seen it) not too long ago.
We sure did! We saw it in Buffalo NY!
Did you go see the Union Pacific Big Boy? My husband wants to take the kids when it comes through upper PA in a few weeks.
Yes we sure did! We saw it in Buffalo, NY. The lines to get on the shuttle and then to view the train were very, very long, so just be prepared with food, water, rain gear, etc.
FFT:
I went outdoor swimming every morning, I feel so much better whenever I do. It is easier in summer, with the long days.
I had expiring loyalty points at a shop where I am not planning to go yet until autumn (to find a mid season coat). I was able to purchase a gift card for the points.
I was gifted a cotton sweater with company for helping out at our company BBQ. It is very comfortable and warm.
I froze the sliced bread I bought, heal to heal to make it easier to get half a loaf from the bag.
I checked the freezer for odds and ends to use in meals. I use my freezer a lot for all sorts of things, such as the butter that was on sale. But also zest of orange and lemon, half a can of tomato puree etc. I try to throw out as little as possible.
Plus 1: I make slowcooker yoghurt on a weekly basis, half a gallon at a time. I buy new starter once a month and the yoghurt is soft and creamy. It is also very good for tzaziki!
Good morning everyone 🙂 Enjoying the cooler weather this week with windows open and draperies blocking heat during direct sun hours; the house temp is 64 now after windows open all night. No A/C costs for awhile.
I drain juice from veg cans into saved cottage cheese containers and freeze it. I put more in the container on top of the frozen bit until it's full, then use it sometime to make soup.
Made sandwiches to take along to a day long music festival.
Baked two batches of cookies (first batch disappeared very quickly) and a blackberry spice cake. Blackberries were $1.39 at Aldi and the perfect amount for a cake.
Aldi had family packs of chicken breasts at 50% off so I bought two packs. I leave some for other shoppers and only take what we need; there's no reason for me to hog the deals. I used marinated one pack during the music festival and grilled it when folks got home. Now there's tasty leftover chicken for more meals.
Registered for a free virtual presentation from Smithsonian so will enjoy that today with a cup of tea.
Started making glass pitchers of iced tea again now that summer temps have found us. I use the tall ones from Target with white lids, put in 4 teabags, fill with water, and leave sit on the counter for at least 4 hours (6 is better).
I make muesli with oats, raisins, nuts, & cinnamon. For about $2.50 I make a 1/2 gal glass jar of it.
Well, maybe I can start with your first idea to get my list started--
1. I saved the bread crumbs from slicing my homemade bread. I use an electric knife to cut the loaves, and then I scrape the crumbs up and put them in the same tin my grandmother used to store her breadcrumbs. Extra-frugal: I think it is a repurposed oat tin that she painted over and labeled. Extra-frugal: It makes me happy every time I use it. Happiness is frugal, right? (Good health and all?)
2. I made bread multiple times this week, I think. The last couple of weeks have blended together because of being so busy. At least once, I made sourdough, so no extra yeast needed!
3. I made buttermilk from store-bought buttermilk that was discounted.
4. My children had a piano recital on Sunday. I thought last-minute that I'd like to get flowers for their teacher, but we had no extra time to stop at a store. Instead, I asked daughter #2 to pick a bouquet from what we have growing around here, and the result was lovely.
5. I went shopping in my basement for my moving-out son. I found more than enough silverware, some random dishes and cups, a cast iron pan, etc. I also found a beard trimmer for another son who'd been wanting one. You know what? Watching that boy drive away was a little hard. This time he wasn't going away to school. He was just going away to live like an adult with an apartment and everything. But it's a good thing.
6. Asking questions when you don't know the answer can be frugal, right? My oldest is now an adult and moving out. He's money poor, and we can't help him. He's also wanting to do it himself, and I think that's good. We've taught him as much as we can about being responsible. What are the parenting new adults tips that y'all have for me (especially with regards to money and frugality) so that I don't become a nagging mother?
This is a case of me needing to follow my own advice, but could set a time each week to check out his money situation (just for 20-30 minutes). It could also be helpful if he set up automatic payments on bills/reminders to cancel any subscriptions. A lot of people recommend meal planning which could be useful, but I feel hemmed in by that. Instead, I always buy a range of ingredients for meals I know I'll want to eat at some point during the week. That way I'm not caught out at dinner time without an idea of what to cook.
The meal planning for him right now is tough because of his current (the next 3 weeks) apartment situation. And he's door-dashing during meal times so frequently-- he's been trying to figure that one out!
I think you hit on an important thing for frugality-- it has to be tailored to our own temperaments. I see this in me with dieting; if I tell myself that I cannot have a certain food, I get angry and resentful. If, however, I tell myself I cannot have it FREQUENTLY, then I'm okay with it. And usually I don't have it at all----but thinking that I can't do something makes me react differently.
I'm the same way - I can't stand being told I'm not allowed to have something, or have to do things in a certain way. It puts me in a rebellious mindset.
Is he unable to use a stove right now? I don't know the grocery store situation but maybe he could have cold food for a few weeks which is easy to assemble and doordash once a week.
LOL. He has 4 apartment-mates who leave dirty dishes piled up so that it is very hard to use the kitchen for its intended purpose 🙂
Situations differ and so do people. But we made an agreement with our adult kids that they would let us know whenever they were losing sleep over a concern. Not that we per se have to provide a solution, but it helps to share a burden and get someone elses thoughts/suggestions. This is relevant for finance, but also other admin stuff and "life stuff" generally.
It is amazing by the way how kids can provide a mirror to us too.
That last bit is wisdom.
Make sure he pays all his bills on time, even if it is just the minimum payment. Being even a smidgen late will adversely affect his credit score. Which in turn will bite him in the butt if he has to take out a car loan or a mortgage or apply for a credit card, or rent housing.
Also warn him about those deals where you pay zero interest; a lot of furniture stores advertise this. (So do other businesses.) You pay no interest for, say, 60 months. That's a long time! What they don't tell you is that if you are even one day late on one payment, the zero interest is cancelled and he'll have to pay interest from Day One onward. Often this interest is horribly high, like 24% or so. (Five years at 24% interest?!?!?!) But it is buried in the fine print and people don't realize what a scam this is. (Dave Ramsey once told the percentage of customers who get burned by this, I don't recall the exact number, but it is really high -- like maybe two-thirds or three-fourths of all the purchases made this way.) The best "zero interest" deal is to pay cash for the whole thing!
Absolutely nothing. My week has been a fine example of yesterday's post, about little frugalities enabling the large purchases. There have been two family emergencies which have required last-minute travel, which the World Cup and the Iran War have not made easier to less expensive. Thanks to the little frugalities, it's financially painful but entirely doable.
I thought of one thing: I sorted thru the flowers I bought, composting the dying ones and rearranging the survivors.
I am sorry for your emergencies. I wish you all the best. Sending you virtual hugs.
1. Used a hairdryer inside the house to clear screens of cottonwood tree detritus. My brother-in-law uses a leaf blower to his wife's dismay, so I appreciate my husband's quieter approach.
2. Friend left me some lemon icing that I used up in a quick bread batter. Husband loved the hard sugary crust that it created.
3. Finished documenting May financials. Notable: Spent $0 on going out to eat or takeout, $0 on gas for my car, and $430 on groceries, which is slightly less than the rolling year monthly average of $450.
4. Saved the natural juice from a can of peaches, to which I added strawberry-peach fizzy water and ice cubes for a refreshing mocktail.
5. Neighbor's tree landed on the metal roof of our detached garage during last week's storm. We both have high deductibles so we didn't involve insurance. Our neighbors paid $3,500 for the tree removal. Since the roof damage was minimal and on the side facing the woods, we're not going to spend any money fixing the bent edges. We're surrounded by large trees so every storm causes concern, although another neighbor's tree came crashing down in the middle of a calm, sunny day last year. Yes, our financial affairs and end-of-life instructions are in order.
Tell me more about #2: did you add it to the batter, did you need to adjust the sugar or cooking instructions, what other changes? This sounds intriguing and I’d like to learn.
WilliamB, I had around a 1/2 cup of icing. Since I typically use half the sugar called for in a recipe, I just added it to the batter and crossed my fingers. I did need to take the loaf out of the oven earlier than usual.
5 frugal things
1. Our cucumber plants are producing more than we can eat so I made 6 pints of refrigerator pickles.
2. My refrigerator pickle recipe calls for coriander seeds. Publix, Target, nor Walmart had them in store. Walmart would deliver a less than one ounce bottle for about $6 in 3 days, but I needed them much sooner so the cucumbers wouldn't spoil. DH made a trip to the local Indian grocery and bought a 7-ounce bag for $2.50.
3. Reused Mason jars, flats, and rings I already had when making the pickles.
4. Grandson enjoys uncrustable sandwiches, but he doesn't like the jelly part. I made about 10 homemade peanut butter only uncrustables for the cost of a loaf of bread and minimal peanut butter, which we already had in the house. Glad I saved that little tool that crimps and cuts out the sandwiches from when our kids were young.
5. Did a price comparison on a Father's Day gift to find the best price. Frugal fail is that it will not be delivered until Monday. Luckily, DH will not mind his present not arriving in time for Father's Day celebration.
Re: your #2, Beverly, my Indian grocery is my go-to for a lot of bulk spices. In fact, the quantities are generally more than I can use myself, so I share with the Bestest Neighbors and other friends.
When my son moved out he asked if I would phrase advice in this form: "Have you thought about...."
For example have you thought about opening a ROTH IRA? This way it's not "you should..." and it invites him to think for himself.
We have 3 moved out adult children now ranging from 26-31.
A friend gave us some good advice, that parenting adult children is a spectator sport. I often still think about how I would feel if my parents said or did whatever it is that I'm thinking of saying or doing to my kid. Most often that stops me!
We've said to our kids from college onwards that we aren't the leader but we will always walk alongside and we still say that today. It seems enough of an invitation that our kids come to us to talk over things they are considering.
Every kid in my life gets a full explanation of why they should open a ROTH IRA, my own kids, my friends kids, my nieces and nephews. If every kid would do this the moment they start earning and commit to maxing it out each uear, it would be life changing.
Thank you for this advice.
great advice. i love that phrase spectator sport. i will try to keep that in mind. i would have loved zozo to go to college outside nyc. but that is not what is best for her right now so i kept my big yapper SHUT,
We use our fry oil 3 times. I was taught to clean the fryer oil before storing. Filter thru a fine mesh sieve like Kristen pictured. Next, make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed into 1/4 cup cold water. Put oil and water in large enough pan to account for heat expansion. Slowly heat on low, stirring slurry. As it warms up, you will see the cornstarch come together, gathering any bits left in the oil. Let it cool. We store it in quart jars in the fridge with dates and what was fried. We do keep fish Fry oil separate.
I enjoyed yesterday's topic. I think of my tractor purchase like Kristen does her car. I park it in the tool shed, covered with a tarp to protect her from owls. She sips diesel and is so much fun!
Today I get my tires installed on my truck. By purchasing them online, making install appointment, I am saving $472 over the best in person quote I got.
I have been getting up pre dawn to water the blueberry patch so I don't intrude on the fawn that has made it his daycare. That same doe has used our patch for 4 years running.
I made a batch of yogurt yesterday. Strained a cup for fruit dip.
Invited the new neighbors up for dinner and a sit down at the pond. It remains about 15 degrees cooler down there. Invited them to our volunteer fire community dinner on Wednesday.
Mine is in the category of The More You Spend, The More You Save. Frugal? maybe, maybe not.
1. I finally figured out how to redeem my $ from TopCashBack (hint: it won’t work if DuckDuckGo is your browser) so I used it to preorder a brand new book on Amazon.
2. Saw that TopCashBack paused my $ from 2025 because of inactivity (I couldn’t figure it out—their directions were either unhelpful or didn’t work), so I “started a ticket” (which may or may not unpause things—who wrote their instructions with all those words which can be interpreted to mean different things??)
3. Ordered new Crocs (about to walk through another pair) and found a pair of teal, which I have been wishing for but couldn’t find, ON SALE! So, I bought them too and got free shipping.
4. Had to replace my iPhone SE3, chose a pre-owned iPhone 14. When did we stop saying “used”?
5. The neighbor girl couldn’t watch the cats and water the yard one weekend so my close neighbor friend did it and she wouldn’t let me pay her! I put cash in the envelope with a thank you note, and that silly friend MAILED IT BACK TO ME IN THE REAL MAIL! That’s $80 that would have either paid the girl or gotten lost in the mail!
About reusing frying oil, I recently started reading up on seed oils, which apparently are now Nutrition Enemy Number One. Seems that all the evil contained therein multiplies with reuse.
Sheesh. Who can possibly keep up with the ever-changing, always-moving target of “healthy” eating? (Not that I fry anything, but still…)
Apparently frying in beef tallow is much healthier. I found it at Costco for a very good price, and it's reusable, too.
The changing healthy food information can be frustrating. I've decided to stick with my own idea which is that the closer it is in form to how it shows up in nature, the healthier it is. I can "make" beef tallow; vegetable oils are much harder to make. This doesn't mean I won't do some processed things, but if it is a "this or that" situation, I choose the less processed.
1. We lost power over the weekend due to a large storm in the area. Our A/C that was already malfunctioning would not turn on after we got our electricity back. We had technicians come to fix it, and they made an offer on a new system that would also need our furnace replaced. However, our furnace is not old so we opted to go with the temporary fix until we can find another A/C provider that can replace the A/C unit without also replacing the furnace (I don't know much about it, but they have to be compatible).
2. Rescued some frozen berries out of the freezer and made pie after we got our power back. Also used up some milk and cream that had been in the fridge during the power outage.
3. I had a sourdough dough in the fridge waiting to be baked on Saturday when power was out. It was very close to being overproofed (falling flat) but I tried baking it in loaf pans on Sunday and it came out fine.
4. I'm proud of my husband for taking the time to learn how to fix an electric issue in our car, where the back hatch was no longer opening. He watched several videos on the subject and was able to figure out a fix so we didn't have to take it to the shop.
5. I've had a good streak of front loading washing machines not developing a foul smell in the gasket as I'm always careful to leave it open after a wash. Yesterday I noticed a thick layer of gunk in the gasket which I cleaned out and ran the washing machine empty with a washing machine cleaner on the hottest setting. This washing machine was second hand to begin with, so I'm happy it's held up so long.
I've found running a cycle of hot water (not whitest of whites - who wants a 2 hour wash cycle?) cleans out the washer pretty well also. I think washing with cold water doesn't do the job a warm/hot wash does. I always wipe the door and gasket after the last load. And yes to leaving the door open but I always account for kittens before starting the washer!
Mine tells me when it is "time to clean". But I end up running at least two spin/rinse cycles after using the wash cleaning packet.
1. I filled up the gas tank at Costco – even with Upside referrals it is the cheapest gas in town.
2. I cashed in some credit card point for a Starbucks gift card for my weekly treat.
3. I’m not sure what purchase triggered it, but Target sent me an email that my recent purchase came with 1 month of Apple TV. I signed up last night and we have a handful of shows we’ve been waiting to watch.
4. We had a new rain gauge installed when we had our sprinkler system turned on for the summer. The original one was missing (why didn’t the last company notice?) so this should help keep watering costs down.
5. I spent a lot of time in the car this weekend driving my son ref games so I made the most of my time. Walks around parks, errands I needed to run if they were close to the fields, and reading in my car. I packed drinks and snacks for both of us and just tried to enjoy the sunny days.
We went camping last week and there were many times that I was struck by the frugal nature of a lot of what we do.
1. For example... The plates, cups, and bowls that we use are ones that my grandma gave me back in our newlywed days 17 years ago. They're plastic, but they've held up great all these years. And I love that we don't have to buy oodles of paper products when we camp.
2. We stayed at a National Park and I was surprised by how cheap the campsites were! When we first arrived, it had just rained and was still sprinkling when we were setting up our tent and I was wondering, "Do I *really* like doing this? What do I think about hotels?" and then I learned that our sites were only $30/night. Thirty bucks! Absolutely yes, I do love camping!
3. The only meals we ate out were while travelling from MI to TN and back. We made all of our meals at the campground.
4. We did one "high ticket" excursion (a 3-hour river tubing trip) while we were there, but it was the cheapest of all of the things I looked up. Tickets to anything for 5 people adds up! But we chose it because it's what the kids wanted to do and it turned out to be tons of fun! (My vote had been for another excursion, but I'm glad I got out-voted.) We avoided all of the big ticket things that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge offer, which was just fine with my crew.
5. Most of what we did was explore nature, which was free. We had packed our own tubes (purchased from WalMart at home, along with water shoes) to take to various spots to tube down rapids, we swam, we explored... My kids are not big city people and it was a great vacation without breaking the bank.
Was it super hot? I am pushing for a Dollywood vacation. Kids and hubby say it will be too hot. They want Niagra Falls. I imagine they will win.
Niagara Falls (both the US and Canadian sides) and Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are all major tourist traps. So I think I'd vote with your hubby and kids, and go with NF as the one involving the shorter trip and the one likely to be cooler.
True , but I love tourist traps. If it is so hot why would tourist b at Dollywood? Hubby and I were at the Canadian side of Niagra Falls. A kitten was found at our hotel and Canadian Animal rescue came right away.
I donated to them for a long time. A really good organization. But Dollywood? My heroine.
I may have told this story before but on my way to college in Macon, GA my father and I stopped at a Kmart. They had a bazillion Dolly Parton LPs. I was ready to get them, but Kmart didn't take American Express. Boy did that save me a ton of money. I always paid the card in full. You had to back then. The dinosaur era. We also stopped at the huge tourist trap South of the Border. That is where my love of traps began I suppose.
Not to mention that I worked one summer at Disney World, got engaged at Disney World, taken the kids there twice. Would love to live in Florida just to get the Disney discount. Hubby doesn't like alligators, hurricanes and snakes. What a spoilsport. (sigh).
It was definitely hot! We spent one afternoon in the city and the kids were hot and grumpy. But it was also crazy hot at home in Michigan last week, too, so I'm not sure what's normal for them down in Tennessee. But 90 in June was a lot!
One tip, Anita Isaac... if you end up in Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge, check out Food City for groceries. They had great prices. You need a card to get their sale prices, but cashiers have a "tourist card" they will scan for you if you ask.
Thanks very much for the tip.
My son and I went to Dollywood on Spring Break as part of our NP trip. Very underwhelming. Would not go again. For reference, we are Disney people through and through but live close to Branson/Silver Dollar City which is the same as Dollywood without the Dolly. We prefer it. It’s owned by the same company as Dollywood. Dolly is just the theme figurehead, she does NOT run the park, etc. Just my 2 cents. 😉
Frugal:
Walking and riding bike for exercise while listening to free books from the Libby app or free podcasts.
Continue to get sympathy cards at THE DOLLAR TREE. ( I get nothing else there anymore because the pricing now is Whack!)
Trying to keep driving to the bare minimum.
Watching the World Cup games ( Dai dai!) for free on a free streaming app.
Saying yes to any and all freebies offered from other people’s gardens.
I freeze my Panko!!!
I'm not sure its been a very frugal week but I'll give it a go:
-purchased asparagus and rhubarb in bulk. Kind of a lot of money to drop now but per lb price was lower and we will have it after the season is over and not have to pay out of season prices
-blanched some produce that was not going to last much longer and tossed them in the freezer for another day
-Went to see Masters of the Universe on $5 Tuesday
-I used kanopy to watch an old movie that wasn't on an streaming services for free
Struggling to come up w/ a 5th
I want to try making your yogurt I've never made it before. And eat we eat a lot of yogurt!
I just recently made fried wontons in a few inches of oil in a pot and I rarely do that. In fact, I have an old Small Fry Daddy that was used so rarely that it's buried in a cabinet somewhere. But, I too, strained the oil and put it in a jar in the back of the refrigerator. Since I have a whole package of wonton wrappers, I'll make them again and use that oil. And I used a recycled container to store that oil.
Here are my 5 FFTs
– i picked up a package of 6 reduced apple fritters at Walmart and shared 2 of them with our elderly neighbor. (She's alone, loves them and we don't need 6 apple fritters!)
– I used lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant from the garden this week in meals I made. We also shared the bounty of lettuce and tomatoes with our neighbor and my sister.
– I colored my own hair. Savings = about $100.
– I gave two clean empty peanut butter jars to a friend who can use them. I would have normally recycled them. My friend often gives food to people. Oftentimes the food is in glass canning jars and she asks for them back. But a lot of people don't. One man told her he'd been recycling the canning jars she gave him! Please remember – when somebody gives you a jar that could be reused please return it – especially expensive canning jars. Anyone who does any canning knows this. The jar lid is not good when it's used once (but I mark old used lids with an “x” and reused as a cover on jars. I just don't use them to can anything again) but the ring and the jar can be reused over and over.
– I saved potato, cucumber, banana and carrot peelings to go into our compost pile.
1. I had 2 more marketplace sales
2. Went to week two of the Arts Festival in my city. There are new vendors each weekend. I bought a few small items to give as Christmas gifts. I spent as much as I usually would per gift but will be giving a handmade item and supporting an artist. Win win.
3. I didn’t have time to make a lunch before running out the door to work. I grabbed a banana and some pretzels to take with me. When I got to work a coworker had brought in some homemade baked goods so I was able to make it through the day without getting takeout.
4.Ate at home that same night, when I really wanted to push the easy button and get take out.
5. Borrowed some tools from work to do a project I needed to do at home.
Longtime reader, but only have commented a couple times in the past. Trying to be more intentional to share when I can. Great tip about reusing the oil, thanks!
Has anyone had success making non-dairy yogurt at home? I am intrigued at the idea, but I would need to make dairy-free. I’ll have to do more research, because it seems like it should maybe be possible.
My frugal activities:
• My husband’s primary job normally doesn’t have OT hours, but they had a rare busy season where they offered OT days to volunteers and my husband did three full extra days spread over three weeks. I set the extra money aside so we can be prepared when I need to replace my phone at some point (hopefully not right away). It has stopped charging in the port, so I have to charge it on a charging pad, and it keeps having other serious problems. The other thing I’m hoping to use the money for is to try and find a solid heavy duty stair handcart on sale or secondhand. We live in a third floor apartment and have always done our moves ourselves, but it’s been five years since the last one and we’re nearly forty now, with a possible move in the near future, and it seems wise to get some tools that will make moving a little easier, especially for my husband who tends to carry the heavier items.
• We cashed in Fetch points towards reward gift cards, and used those gift cards to buy tools and ramps we need to do our own car oil changes. I also read that car filters are more expensive because of tariffs and motor oil is going to become more expensive and have gaps because of many issues related to the war and limited production, so I’m planning to try and buy a little extra to cover us for the next few months.
• My husband has fluctuated a bit in clothing sizes over the last few years, and he was in need of some new shirts in his current size. I did a deep clean of our closet intending to donate items and found a few shirts tucked away from a previous time in years past when he was that size, so I didn’t end up needing to buy anything! I also mended a small tear next to the zipper in my favorite fleece Northface zip-up hoodie that I got on clearance for 90% off 17 years ago. Took just a few minutes and it’s good as new. My husband keeps having the crotch area of his pants developing large tears or holes (related to his work) which I do mend, but I’m looking into reinforcing the area with extra fabric or stitching inside at the beginning so they stop developing them easily.
• I’ve been super intentional about comparing grocery prices and looking for good sales to stock up on for the pantry or freezer. I mostly use the Flipp app to see flyers, looking at store website ads, and having my husband check while he’s out doing his side job. I have serious chronic health issues that has my husband doing the grocery shopping (masked) based on my lists, so sometimes this kind of planning can be kind of difficult when I can’t *see* things in front of me, but my husband has gotten pretty good at sending photos when he notices deals. We still mostly do our main pantry staples from WinCo and Costco, but some of the other options in our area have had some really good sales on specific items we like or could use. We got an extremely good deal on an on-sale large box of tilapia filets (40 individually vacuum sealed) from a local restaurant supply store and have been using that in a couple meals each week. We also visited our local Franz Outlet for their first Saturday $1 sale. We ended up with 14 packs of good quality buns and multi-grain bread for $10 (we normally buy 10, get 11th free, but they also had buns this month where it was a giant bag with 2 packs of 12 buns in it, so it ended up being extra bags), which is a good deal. They even have gluten-free options, if that’s something you need! I made a bunch of pb&j sandwiches for the freezer (I like to use multi-grain bread, creamy peanut butter, and good raspberry jam with seeds) do my husband and son can grab them to-go. I froze the rest in our chest freezer, and plan to make more sandwiches and things on buns this week, especially since we’re in a bit of a heat wave right now and I don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
• We’ve been having a heat wave this week in our area and we don’t currently have working AC, so it’s been rough. But I’ve been utilizing our blinds, opening windows at the right times, high powered fans we got on sale with rebates, cooling down with a quick cold water rinse, and of course lots of frozen ice, popsicles, and cold water.
• We discovered a local-ish drive in movie theater recently, and went as a family. It’s a really good deal per person and we got to see two new movies, including Project Hail Mary, which we loved! We’ve all read the book previously and loved it too. I packed us drinks and treats to enjoy during the movies. Because I’m immunocompromised, we haven’t been comfortable going to regular movie theaters, even with masking, so this was a nice treat for us. The non-frugal part was that our car had some battery issues on the way home (luckily we have a portable battery starter we keep in the car), and we ended up having to replace the battery fully the next day (after having it checked) which was not cheap. Thankfully we got home safely!
• My husband bought a small electronic part from a chain store and when we went to use it for its intended purpose, it was defective and wouldn’t work. My husband didn’t really want to bother with the return process, but I encouraged him to do it when he was nearby for another errand, and we got a refund of $11. And even better is that we ended up figuring out we didn’t need the part at all in the end.
• We also did our normal reading library books and listening to free podcasts. My husband had been using a music streaming service he had gotten a free trial on for a while, and my son had enjoyed it too, and both were attached to it when it came time to renew. I talked through the parts that they enjoyed about it and why in case it was something that really should stay. I did some research based on their preferences and ended up finding a way they could have those elements with alternative free options instead, and so they switched to that and we canceled the streaming service before it started charging us.
Overall we keep doing what we can to be creative and cut costs while lower income in a HCOL area, but we have some incoming not optional increased/huge costs related to various things that are causing us a lot of anxiety. Hopefully we can figure out ways to make them work. At least we live in a beautiful place, and sky views of clouds and sunsets are free. 🙂
We just got back from a trip to a huge discount food store where we got lots of treasures, including 1/2 bushel of peaches for $15!
I caught an error the cashier made that saved us $10.
We accepted an offer on our house, instead of listing it. It was a great offer and they want our house as is, so we save lots of time and money!
We went to a local state park to celebrate boy #4's birthday and had a lovely day exploring caves.
I resisted the urge to get pricey gluten free mixes (I'm new to this - trying it out this summer per my doctor's suggestion) and am waiting to get to my favorite bent and dent. They always have interesting things to buy for a fraction of the price!
Wow. That is fabulous. Congratulations.
Thanks!!
By the way, I don't know if you'll see this, but I'm also very grateful for Botox. I get injections in my jaw muscle so that I grind my teeth with less force. It's been amazing - no more cracked teeth and so many fewer headaches. It's amazing stuff, isn't it?
1. I took our van in for a free repair of a recall issue. While there I drank several cups of coffee and took a few granola bars. I didn’t feel badly about taking several because when we bought our van a month ago we were not offered a single refreshment despite being there for hours with a toddler while signing papers. While I had to drive to the other side of town for this, I completed the following errands on the way back home (numbers 2-5 below).
2. I had a free lunch of garlic knots from Toppers pizza. I recently had some points expire from their loyalty program so I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again!
3. I picked up my last birthday freebie, a coffee from a local coffee shop. I did tip!
4. I picked up some wrapping paper from Buy Nothing. I have no idea what it looks like, but I will regift what I don’t want. I haven’t bought wrapping paper in years but now that I have little kids they really enjoy tearing it off of presents so I am happy to have some for Christmas.
5. I happened to see that the peach vendors were in the Menards’ parking lot again! We bought some last year and they were spectacular. I was going to buy a reasonable amount (a peck? I forget) for $18, but then saw double that amount of “bruised and imperfect” ones for $23, so I went for the latter! My boys inhaled about half of them as soon as I got home.
6. I brought home some spinach, cilantro, and green onions from work before the weekend.
7. I made some Marry Me Cannellini beans using the spinach from #6 above and a can of evaporated milk I got from BN. Thanks for the recipe inspiration, Kristen!
I often make yoguut overnight. For me, having it in my gas oven (oven off) with the light on is just the right temperature and overnight works great!