1. I made a serious use-it-up dinner
Just Lisey and I were here for dinner on Sunday night, and I made a meal that used up lots of odds and ends.
I had:
- one ripe avocado
- one ripe tomato
- 4 old-ish corn tortillas
- the last of some romaine lettuce
- one ear of corn (Hungry Harvest sent me a random single!)
- the last of a bunch of cilantro
- the last bit of a container of sour cream
So, I made a shrimp taco salad, and I mixed the sour cream with a little mayo, some milk, and some chipotles (here’s how I keep chipotle peppers handy in my fridge) to make a dressing.
I love it when so many random things come together!
2. I fixed a tea towel
Oh hey! We’ve seen this in many Five Frugal Things posts before.
Towel seams: they’re always coming apart.
But they are an easy fix, and as long as you mend the seam promptly, the towel is usually no worse for the wear.
3. I tried Get Upside
Usually, I get my gas at Royal Farms, using my Royal Farms card, which gives me a $0.10/gallon discount (and also I earn points that can be used towards things at the Royal Farms store, like fried chicken or chocolate bars.)
But I was cleaning out apps on my phone and I came across the Get Upside app, which I’d installed and never used.
I checked to see what was available, and I saw an offer for $2.92/gallon at a gas station that’s right by my house. So, I claimed the offer, used a credit card that gives me 5 points/dollar on gas, and now I’m waiting for my Get Upside credit to hit my account.
I think the introductory offers are better than the usual offers, but we all know I am not opposed to using something for the introductory offers and then letting it go. 😉
If you are new to Get Upside (like me!) you can use this link or offer code 97N2J to get an extra $0.15/gallon discount (and I get some kind of extra discount too.)
4. I rescued some wrinkly apples
I had a few forgotten apples in the back of my fruit drawer, so I peeled and sliced them, and then sauteed them in butter with cinnamon.
And then I put them on top of my oatmeal; so good!
(Here’s how I make one serving of microwave oatmeal.)
5. I raided the Safeway markdown shelf
Sometimes the clearance shelf at Safeway has absolutely nothing I need or want. But sometimes, the opposite is true!
We needed band-aids, and there were tons of 50% off boxes there, plus several boxes of cereal and some body wash. Sweet.
I love that they marked these dented boxes down instead of throwing them away!
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to?
Lina
Monday 26th of September 2022
I think, I really have been quite good with lunch boxes during the last weeks. But it can be quite tiring. See, I am working in an industrial area where there are not many options for eating out. Which is good because it motivates to bring lunch boxes. On the other hand: There is no competition between the restaurants. So their prices are all on the same level. I try to cook a lot for dinners on weekends and on weeknights, so that I have leftovers the next day(s) . Problem is that I am regularly working long hours, so comes Thursday I am often too exhausted to cook a meal. We have a garden, which is good because we grow a lot of veggies and berries. But that means also that our freezer is full with our harvest - not much space for frozen lunches. What are your tricks/advices for time-saving lunch box cooking? I should mention that I am not a big fan of sandwiches. ;)
suellen roley
Wednesday 21st of September 2022
Cleaned out my footwells and back seat in hopes of finding missing work badge/missing part of my car charger. No luck there but found 27 cents. LOL. Bought some 'trim to size' floor mats and some car garbage containers in my quest to stop driving a rolling trash heap.
Donated finally the stuff that had been riding around in my trunk since JUNE to a local non-profit thrift store that works with troubled teenagers.
Have been splitting larger quantities of snacks into zipper bags for work snacks.
Lindsay B
Wednesday 21st of September 2022
1. Found $1.25 at the grocery store- a bill in the parking lot, and the quarter in the change at the self-checkout.
2. Finished the last of the peaches that I bought that ended up being not delicious at all. The first batch was great, but these were… bleh. But I took one for the team and prevented food waste.
3. With family in town and available to watch baby E, we were motivated to do a few house tasks. While we spent a fair bit of money on ceiling fans, DH and Dad were able to install them and they should reduce our AC use in the long run. DH also installed a new entryway light fixture that I found at Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $20, and it looks much better than the previous dining-room style chandelier.
4. Got my flu shot, which is a) covered 100% by insurance, and b) gives us $25 in flexible spending rewards. Most importantly, it helps protect Baby E since he can’t get his flu shot for a month or two.
5. Didn’t need to buy any clothes for Baby E as I realized we had what we needed on hand- he just skipped the 12 month size right into the 18 month size!
Jennifer
Wednesday 21st of September 2022
I got Upside a year or so and have already cashed out $20 twice. I regularly find 8 and 9 cents off which adds up. Circle K is running a sweepstakes called Toss and Win - just Google it - and I won .30 off a gallon of gas. I needed 18 gallons, so I saved the $5.40 AND used Upside to get $1.36 in my Upside account!! Double dipping at it's finest.
Nikki
Tuesday 20th of September 2022
1. I made our meals at home. I love the slow cooker on busy days. 2. I dug through a box of clothes to find the right size for my growing child. 3. I found a used Halloween costume for the same child. 4. I cut my youngest child's hair. 5. I used a giftcard to get some coffee.