Five Frugal Things | ginger sugar oatmeal
1. I used my ginger-infused sugar
I bought a box of dried ginger recently because I find it to be an oddly addictive little treat.
I finished it after a few weeks (all on my own because Zoe does not share my dried ginger appreciation) and I noticed there was some ginger-infused sugar left in the bottom.
I thought this would be a nice little addition to some spiced tea, but I have none at the moment.
So, I made a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon, raisins, shredded carrots, orange peel, and vanilla, and I used some of the sugar to sweeten it.
There are some tiny bits of ginger left in the sugar too, and they added a nice flavor to my oatmeal.
I fully recognize that this saves me almost no money, but it was a satisfying save, and I knew you guys could appreciate it! 😉
On a related note: if you like raisins in your oatmeal but you hate the way they become puffy while cooking (Meeeeee! That's me!), try stirring them in right before you eat the oatmeal.
So. Much. Better.
(Note: Here is how I make my no-packet one-serving microwave oatmeal.)
2. I deposited a $0.03 check (!!)
In keeping with the tiny frugal things theme: I had a funny experience of getting a check worth three cents.
It came to me because apparently, after I closed my Chase savings account, I got three cents of interest deposited.
It is super silly that they cut me a check for this because I know they spent way more than $0.03 mailing it to me!
But I figured that since it was already here, I might as well deposit it. And it was entertaining to see the "You've successfully submitted a $0.03 deposit!" message. Ha.
I'm rich, you guys!
3. I finished up my soup even though I was tired of it
I had one more serving of chicken noodle soup left, so I ate it for dinner on Saturday night, despite being less than enthused.
4. I put the rest of the spinach in the freezer
My bag of spinach was about to get slimy, so I threw it in the freezer, in its original bag.
It needs absolutely no prep prior to freezing, and once frozen, it's super easy to take out and add to a smoothie.
I suppose you could also add it to soup, or to something like Marry Me Chicken/Chickpeas; for those applications, it doesn't matter if the spinach has been frozen.
5. I made some overnight French toast
We had a little too much random bread here, so I cubed it and made a batch of the Pioneer Woman's overnight French toast.
This has very little in the way of nutritional value, but it is a delicious and easy treat for when you've got bread odds and ends!
The French toast looks delicious. I'll need to try that, even though we rarely have leftover bread. I'll sacrifice a fresh loaf and see how it goes.
Frugality:
*With the blizzard last Monday, I canceled class. Saved gas and did not have to drive in it.
*I had my sons shovel a neighbor's driveway. Exercise for the boys and saves the neighbor money.
*my sister offered her old car to us, as we now have more drivers at home. So husband and sons drove 600 miles to pick it up. And caravaned back the other 600 miles.
* They were going to do it in one day, but sanity prevailed as they started getting sleepy. A cheap hotel room is more frugal than am accident.
* When I went to the DMV to register the car and switch the title, the nice staff member told me that to save money, to have my name on the title. Apparently, giving the car to a blood relative means the taxes would be $15 instead of $100. Done and done!
* Husband went to add car to our already expensive car insurance, and it wasn't good news. It would increase it by about 70% ( the curse of having multiple teens drivers). However, the insurance agent took some time, rewrote the policy under some different manner as we are long time customers who pay in full every time, and instead the cost went down by 40%! We will do a better job of reviewing insurance costs in the future. The agent told us not to touch our house insurance - she looked at that too and it wouldn't get any cheaper.
So we're saving a lot due to great customer service.
Oh, I also got $6 back from girl scout cookies. I bought a box of the shortbread cookies. One stack was good, but the other stack has a weird smell ( my kids said like playdo or paint) and they tasted gritty. We only tried a few and threw the rest away. So I wrote an email to the company that baked them, and they refunded my money!
I appreciate that you went right to the manufacturer and they took care of it without getting the Girl Scouts involved.
Your fabulous agent probably already checked, but if any of your teen drivers get good grades or have completed driver's education, it can also help lower insurance. You usually have to submit proof paperwork, but it's proven worth the trouble for us. We have three sons ages 20 and under on our insurance, ouch! We have found that insurance companies don't always volunteer info on available discounts; we have to ask specifically.
We did not buy a lot of food on the long trip home[1]. Instead, we had access to the airline's lounge for the 7 hr layover #2, which worked well.
I pulled out my rusty negotiating skills. I don't mind paying a bit extra in an undeveloped country; neither do I want to be a sucker.
Found vanilla pods for $15 for 6-7 pods!
A friend picked me up from the airport. He brought my dog, too, calling himself the "dog chauffeur".
My niblings each decided they wanted me to knit them something, desires I can satisfy from my existing stash of bits and bobs.
[1] Not a complaint, merely an objective description. Just comes with the territory.
I love that your friend brought your dog when picking you up from the airport.
Sweet to bring the pup! Our DS1and his family spend a month in France each summer and my DH brings their pup, which we watch, to the airport pickup, too.
I recently bought a new full length mirror for our bedroom. I decided to move my dresser yesterday to accommodate the mirror. Which meant moving a book case out of the bedroom. On the bookcase, there was a wooden box that was gifted to me after my aunt passed away. I hadn't looked inside the wooden box since it was given to me. I've been on the hunt for a ring dish, so when I wash my hands or do the dishes, I have a safe place for my engagement ring. What was inside the box? You guessed it, a crystal ring dish! The ring dish is now above the kitchen sink, the bedroom is rearranged, the bookcase is now resides at the front door, I purged more books, and I now have a spot to store my sewing machine. 🙂
The last 2 curtain panels are completed. My 86 year old Mother was itching to try out the machine. So on Sunday, she came over and completed them. ( I was going to do them, but she asked if she could try the machine!). It was amazing to watch her go! I'm super blessed to have her still, and she is active!
I baked a cake using frozen berries, we will have it tonight.
Ginger is a preventative for vertigo. I eat a piece every day for that reason.
I did not have the most frugal week. Our granddaughters came for a few days and we either ate out or got takeout each day. However, we went to our local art museum and botanical garden and paid nothing extra because we are members. We bought a stack of books for next to nothing at our friends of the library used book store. Our entertainment one day was playing Mexican train at home. Dessert was two flavors of ice cream I got as birthday freebies. We had a wonderful time.
I also have an 86 year old mom who is still active and sharp, and I am so thankful!
It's a great feeling, isn't it?
Happy Tuesday! Frugal moment from Friday: A student fell asleep in class. Apologized. Said he was gonna stop for coffee but didn't. Another student commented that "those coffees are up to like $8!" I said great news, remember it's tea Friday and I have black tea available (my first block gets a little tea station each Friday), so you don't have to spend $8 and can use my supplies for free! Building frugality appreciation in the next generation 😉
(Side note: oh my gosh at the number of teenagers who regularly drink specialty coffees or energy drinks daily or regularly blows my mind!)
I like your Tea Friday for the students 🙂
Heather,
It has been years since I have commented here but the thoughtfulness and loveliness of your offering students a tea station made me smile and my heart sing. Teachers like you teach so much more than school lessons and your tea station will probably stay in their memories far longer than you’ll ever know.
Never thought about adding shredded carrots to my oatmeal, great idea!! Thanks!
Frugal things:
--My husband wanted to do a seafood fry on Friday. The shrimp he fried were a big bag of them my friend gave me when she was making room in her freezers for her beef. It was really nice, prepared wild-caught shrimp, not the cheap stuff, which made me happy. High-quality shrimp are good, free high-quality shrimp are best. 🙂
--The lard he used for frying was mostly saved lard from a previous frying of . . . something my husband fried--not fish, because the lard didn't smell like it--and the lard that rendered off the last pork shoulder I cooked. Not that lard at the store is that expensive, but I appreciate re-using it before it goes to the chickens.
--We butchered our two wethers (castrated male sheep) and got over a hundred pounds of meat in the freezer. They were big and fat, so not only is the meat good and plentiful, but now they won't be eating the hay we have to buy. It was clear they were eating more than their fair share. Greedy things.
--I've never used a car wash. My car is really dusty now, though, since we never get rain anymore and I drive on dirt roads a lot. It's going to be hot again this weekend, however, so I can set my younger two kids lose on my car with the hose and a couple of rags. They won't detail it or anything, but they'll get the dust off and have fun doing it.
--Hair cuts by me for all! Except the eldest boy, who prefers to keep his very thick and slightly curly hair longer. His requires more skill to cut than I have. Amazingly, a friend of mine opened a salon in the old gym in our semi-ghost town, so my son goes there to get his hair cut. He just has to walk a hundred yards. This is the only convenience our "town" of 12 people offers. 🙂 He also has to pay twenty dollars for his haircut every month, but it's his own money and it's worth it to him, so that works for me.
It's seems to be the style now for teen boys to have a mop of hair, slightly disheveled. I finally made one of my teens get a haircut- you couldn't see his eyes. He was not pleased, but it's a bit better now.
It is the style, but his hair is not that. Neither my husband nor I can handle that disheveled look, so he either has to get regular haircuts to keep it neat, or I cut it with the number three guard. We made a deal with our kids like ten years ago that they can have any haircut they want when they can beat their dad arm wrestling. We did this kind of as a joke when my middle son was four and wanted a mohawk, but we still remind them of it. And my husband is crazy strong, so none of them are likely to be able to accomplish this feat before they leave home. 🙂
When I say his hair is "longer," I mean longer than a number two or number three guard, which are the options I give my sons when I cut their hair because my competency begins and ends with buzzcuts. So basically, his hair is long enough that he has to brush it, but it's nowhere near his eyes, thankfully.
That recipe is not called overnight french toast, that is bread and butter pudding! A traditional pudding here in the UK, one of my childhood favourites.
--I dropped more clothes off at the coffee shop's free clothes rack. It helped keep me in free pants while losing weight (20+ lbs since Christmas), so I'm glad to return both the pants and the favor with a few extra items. Everything was clean, in like-new condition--my worn clothes get banished to gardening or morning hike duty.
--Since I kept my old wardrobe, there's no need for new clothes. I worked hard to fit back into my favorite pants!
--Ditto for my husband, who has been dropping weight at his new job. When he mentioned his current jeans being too loose, I pulled an old pair out of storage, and lo! They fit perfectly again.
--Petsmart had a bonus points offer that equalled $10 off. That, combined with a $10 coupon I had, meant a proper restock of our boys' wet food. Previously, I used Petsmart's introductory autoship offer to save 35% on hard food and litter.
--I branched out into homemade tortillas and naan last week. They were glorious! These definitely lend themselves to cooking in bulk, so I'll make sure to do a double batch, at minimum, next time so I can freeze most of them.
great job on the weight loss!
Thank you! 🙂
Would you care to share what you've been doing to lose 20 pounds since Christmas? Any tips are much appreciated!
I've been hiking a minimum of four mornings a week--I'm up to just under 5 miles in an hour. In December, my husband's doctor requested that we go up to four meatless meals a week to improve his numbers. We already did three meatless days, and meat was always more of a side than a feature in our house, so it wasn't a big change. It's not unusal for us to do up to six meatless days in a row by accident. I read up on meatless protein sources (not fake meat or tofu--my husband has to avoid sodium) so that we feel fuller, longer. Yay for lentils! 😛
In fairness, I think it also has to do with my body finally adapting to early menopause. My metabolism tanked last year no matter what I did, but everything seems to have evened out for the moment. I'm on hormone therapy, vitamins B and D, and a mild antidepressant/sleep aid (the sudden, unrelenting insomnia was a **RIDE**). With the weight loss, I finally feel like I'm (almost) in control of my body again!
Congrats on your weight loss and also, making homemade tortillas and naan! I think eating the highest quality bread stuffs are one of the keys to eating less of them because they are so much more satisfying than store bought.
good for you on the weight loss. YAY!!!!
Kristen, I loved that you used the gingered sugar leftovers and deposited a $0.03 check ☺️
I drove a friend to same day surgery yesterday morning (super, super early), and I drank coffee at home and avoided the temptation to just get it at the hospital while she was in surgery. It would have been easier, but I’m not about easy 😂
I made the most fabulous kitchen/ bathroom floor and grout cleaner.
7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 white vinegar. Mix throughly (it will bubble up) and spray (or dump) it on the floor and scrub with a long handled brush. I leave it on for 30 minutes, then wipe up with rags. The next day I just pass a mop with just clean water over it a few times.
I am diligently using up random veggies before I head to Costco today. We’ve been eating a lot of carrots.
I’m really trying to avoid excessive, short trip driving, given gas prices. I make sure to fill up at Costco whenever I’m there, regardless of gas tank fullness.
I used a Christmas gift certificate to have the interior of my car detailed. This is one of my favorite treats ever! I took out cash from my credit union ATM for the tip (no surcharge). I gave the guy a nice tip, because I’m frugal, but not cheap!
I do not like raisins, but strangely enough, I eat them in raisin bran. In anything else...yuck! I think it is because I grew up with raisin bran.
This week I bought new packages of cheesecloth at goodwill, and it was senior day (over 55) so DH was with me and I got 25% off. Ended up being $1.25/pack.
I bought a new roll of green frog tape for painting for $2.50 also at goodwill (this is the second time I've found a new roll of paint tape. That is something we will always use).
We got .20 cents off per gallon of gas which made gas still very expensive, but less than it would have been. We've tried to combine trips and really watch our driving.
I bought chicken on sale and put some in the freezer.
I saw the barilla protein pasta on a great sale, and at your suggestion that it may be better than the others, I tried it. DH and I couldn't tell the difference between that and regular pasta so I bought a few more boxes.
Bonus: used $3 in cvs bucks and a $4 off coupon so I got my hand lotion for $3 and change instead of $9.
1. I got sick last week do saved money by staying home. Not my favourite way to save money!
2. I watched a film I own on dvd.
3. I bought another film on dvd for the equivalent of 50p.
4. I went to a potluck lunch at work and everyone brought treats to share.
5. I used my gym membership and went walking and swimming outside for free exercise.
*so saved, not do saved!
1. I won a perfect attendance award in my judo class. They gave me $25.
2. My daughter had strep throat last week. We have $0 copays with my employer's insurance. The medicine cost $7.
3. I picked up some clothes for my daughter off Buy Nothing. They will fit her in a couple of years.
4. Dehydrated some over-ripe grapes and a mushy tomato.
5. We went to a pancake breakfast and hike of a sugar bush this weekend. My daughter needed hiking shoes. I dug around in my shoe bin to find hiking boots that used to be my sons.
Where do you buy ginger like that?
IME most supermarkets have it, Asian groceries definitely have it, and Penzey's has not one but two amazing versions. Asian stores are the cheapest; Penzeys the most expensive otoh it's already in small bits.
To chop, it helps to put some sugar on the cutting board because the ginger gets sticky. This sugar will also be ginger-flavored.
My frugal things this week:
1. I sent my husband to the grocery store, which means he only buys what's on the list. No extras. Sticking to the goal of not overstocking the pantry.
2. I cleaned out my shoes and gave away some old ones on Buy Nothing. So I contributed to someone else's frugality and kept worn shoes out of the landfill.
3. I called the mail in specialty pharmacy to tell them AGAIN I had a copay card and my sons injectable should be no cost to us. This cost a lot in emotional energy but led to money saving.
4. My son wanted to go our for ice cream last night, but I made a chocolate snacking cake instead.
5. I went away for a girls night last weekend and packed some adult beverages to enjoy on the hotel patio, instead of spending more money out. It was in the 80s (!) and we were the only people poolside. It was lovely. I also packed a banana and energy bar for the next morning.
FFT, Almost-Spring Miscellany Edition:
(1) I've been having an email discussion with my financial advisor about this and that, now that we're almost into April. Among other things, I learned that the non-IRA account I have with him includes a money market fund that's earning 3.5%, which is a big improvement over the zilch my bank savings account is earning. So I'm keeping only enough money in the bank savings to meet the bank's minimum, and moving the rest to the money market fund. (Hey, I'm late to the party on this one, but I've finally done it--and I don't have the additional hassle of opening a whole new account somewhere else.)
(2) I'm getting down to serious work on my upcoming "Jane Austen and Thrift" presentation for my local JASNA region in April. I'll probably be doing a "FFT, Chawton Cottage Edition" here in the near future. (Chawton Cottage was where JA spent the last 8 years of her all-too-short life, rewrote three novels, and composed three. And she, her mother, her sister, and their friend Martha Lloyd lived there very frugally.)
(3) The weather and the a.m. daylight have both finally improved enough that I can resume my morning bottlepicking walks. I came home with $1.10 worth of containers today. (And if NY State *ever* got around to increasing the container deposit, that would be $2.20.)
(4) I continue to batch errands with my trips out to visit NDN1 in her assisted living facility, given the spiraling price of gas. Fortunately, a lot of my usual stops can be combined with these trips.
(5) And NDN1's CF and I continue the cleanout at NDN1's house. We're having a Zoom call with NDN1's nephew Thursday evening to decide on next steps there. (He's the president of a small college down South, so he's acting as Zoom host.)
Whenever I fix a regular size recipe of something for only me, I feel very blerg about it by the time I finish it up, even if I freeze it and spread out the experience. Wins for me this go round involve money:
*I closed a non-used credit union account and got $26 and change back which went right into my wallet as I barely ever have real cash on me.
*The escrow account for my home loan was analyzed and I got a whopping overage check PLUS lowered house note to the tune of $451 a month. !!
*I did my taxes yesterday and instead of paying this year I will get a refund. I will tweak my witholding so I get closer to even next go-round, but this was better than the last two years where I had a huge tax bill.
*sold a pair of earrings on Ebay
*Been eating the contents of my freezer, but will restock this week
and
*I have successfully stayed off Amazon for pretty much everything lately, opting to shop in person as I batch errands. (:
Sounds like a big win with the escrow account adjustment!
1. Grateful that we had some food in our freezer when we returned from Arizona. I had forgotten that I had frozen three kinds of homemade soup and had a pizza, egg rolls, veggies, and bread, too. Next year I'm going to take pics of our freezer and pantry to help plan meals for the first few days back home as life returns to normal.
2. Husband found a huge plastic bag (for paper towels) on our street. Will use it to line our kitchen trash can.
3. Found a Nerf dart on a walk. Will slice open and use it to cushion a noisy metal piece on our dog's portable crate.
4. Walked inside the shopping mall on a chilly day. Being able to fit in my clothes is frugal, and I dislike clothes shopping (actually all shopping except groceries).
5. Went to Tare Market, a zero waste store in the Twin Cities. Bought some sesame oil in bulk. I learned that I can donate five containers each time I'm there, such as plastic yogurt containers, takeout containers, glass jars, pill bottles, etc. that they sterilize and offer to customers for bulk purchases. They also have large receptacles where I can bring hard-to-recycle items such as toothpaste tubes, floss containers, plastic cards, razors, snack wrappers and sneakers.
I'm green with envy over your #5, MB. I'd love to have such a store near me.
1.This week is my Mom’s birthday. My gift for her is preparing several meals to be taken to her at her nursing home. The nursing home meals are not the tastiest so I am making her favorites and freezing the leftovers so she can have those in the future. This makes her very happy and helps me with my goal of not purchasing anything but necessities.
2.My friends got a new TV and they brought me their “old” one, which is much bigger than the one I have -and have had for about 20 years.
3.Had two more Markeplace sales.
4.Borrowed the book I am now reading from my SIL. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict. It is good so far. I also enjoyed her book Carnegie’s Maid.
5.Brought some clothes to the thrift store near my Mom’s nursing home and they bought quite a few things. I have had more success selling at this store than at the one closer to my own home.
- Bought gas at Costco when I was nearby for my PT appointment
- Hubby and I went for a drive on my day off and had lunch at a restaurant that we'd never tried before that has been in business since 1938. After lunch, instead of exploring and shopping in the downtown area, we went to see the only remaining covered bridge in the county that was built in 1904. Since we didn't shop, we weren't tempted to spend money on unnecessary items, and we got to enjoy a little adventure instead.
- Continued baking bread for ourselves and our kids. Grandson loves "Nana toast" with peanut butter
- We did not get takeout over the weekend
- Brought my lunch to work everyday
1. I did a volunteer shift on Monday night and Chick-Fil-A offered a free meal to the group leader after volunteering. I picked up dinner for myself (for free) and treated my son as a thank you for volunteering with me.
2. I’m still working from home this week which is saving on gas.
3. I took my son jeans shopping (he wasn’t having luck at Goodwill) and had to ask American Eagle for a price adjustment after checking out since they didn’t give me the full 70% off. Old Navy gave me the online price which was even better than the store sale prices. He ended up with three pairs of jeans for less than the price of one!
4. My husband and I went to a themed birthday party over the weekend where costumes were encouraged. I found a character that I was able to pull a costume from my closet. I had to get a little creative and it was a side/lesser character but I was really proud that my costume wasn’t expected and no one else was dressed as the same character.
5. I’ve enjoyed some downtime working on a puzzle from the library while listening to a book on Libby.
1. I made a bath mat from a towel I received as a wedding gift 25 years ago. It was super simple. I made sewed it like a pillowcase with right sides together of the towel and some pretty home dec fabric. Turned it right side out and top stitched. I am going to make two matching for the sink and the shower. Then I am going to embellish a few hand towels with the same dec fabric. High fashion no one will probably ever see.
2. I spent nearly four hours sawing branches of bushes Gone Wild that were hanging on the roof and fence. Better to remove then then having to pay damages to the house. I can barely move this morning.
3. I took a friend to a Celtic concert. I did not have time to clean the inside of my messy car. I cleaned the front half - driver and passenger. I replace the rubber floor mats with the nice ones that came with the care. Now I just have the back half to clean once I get my skis out. I cleaned the outside two days ago using my garden hose. Running through the car wash is no longer a budget item - it might be the hardest thing I have let go.
4. I don't know if I have mentioned it but someone recommended to me the Fly Lady. I let go of the house cleaner. She cleans house in zones. It has worked out beautifully. Last week was the bathroom zone. Everyday I cleaned one thing deeply - Toilets Monday, Bath tub Tuesday, I accompany this with a quick daily tidy 15 mins a day. It is working!!
5. I read Project Hail Mary a year ago and recommended it to all my friends. I loved the book. I had planned on making a date night with hubby but budget doesn't permit. I bought a Tuesday discount ticket today for half price plus a discount. $7.00 and I am really excited!!! Don't tell me what happens.
Oooh, I love found money. Last week I walked into a 7-Eleven and there was a dime on the floor, of course, I picked it up. A few days later, on an unplanned trip to the emergency room for the first stitches in my 69 years, I found another dime while waiting to be taken to the pack to be sewed up. I added those to my Mason jar, finally completing my collection of $5 in dimes and proudly took the dimes and a roll of pennies to the bank. Not much, granted, but all if ot was coins I had picked up while out and about on daily errands. Truly found money.
1. Mr. B's been getting a ton of free moving boxes from work and various stores.
2. We scoped out cordless stick vacuums, picked one, and decided to wait until it's on sale. We still have my old, corded, very heavy vacuum to use in the interim.
3. We finally bought the matching ottoman to our couch, on sale. We paid what it would have cost 5 years ago, which given inflation, is not bad! Al
4. Dug out the rest of my maternity clothes from last time and I think I should be able to get through the rest of the pregnancy without buying anything, especially with the weather warming up.
5. Not necessarily frugal for me, but I made a big bag of hand-me-downs for some friends whose baby is turning 1. I gave them things that I wouldn't miss if they went astray.
That reminds me of a frugal fail I made this week. I found a handheld vacuum cleaner in a charity shop and was so pleased...and then took it home and discovered it needs to be charged in a car, which I don't have, so I need to buy a special plug! Oh well, it still costs slightly less than a new one..
1) Inventoried my freezer & am challenging myself to use up one "odds & ends" item a week. This week was grated zucchini from last summer's garden. I made a 1/2 zucchini casserole to go with some grilled chicken. It also used up other fridge items that needed to go. I'd spice it up a bit more, but it served its purpose.
2) Charged an expensive course for work on my personal credit card. I will get reimbursed with my next paycheck. I earn rewards on my card, so it's a fine tradeoff for me.
3) we coordinated drop off & pick up for DS19 at the airport (no ride share), he took the bus from the Denver airport to school (free with his student ID), & I sent him with food. On the way home, he shared an Uber with friends, as the timing of the bus & finals & the flight didn't work out. I had ordered him some food for the flight, but United didn't deliver it. After a quick form to request my money back, I did get a refund.
4) I'm planning a reasonably frugal girls hiking trip starting tomorrow and have been closely managing the budget. I'll report back when I'm done, but so far, so good with sticking to the budget I set.
5) Submitted the last of my "health & wellness" reimbursement for work. We get $480/year & I've now submitted expenses against all of it. 3 massages + a gym monthly membership.
1. I got a faire participant discount on a handmade thing I bought as a Christmas gift. I gift shop year round for unique things. Working Ren faires makes it easy to also shop small and handmade.
2. I got a soft pretzel for breakfast on a show day for a tip since I work here. Not the healthiest, but a better port in the storm since I didn't get a chance to eat my overnight oats that day.
3. My instep was spasming despite doing all of the stretches and things that make it calm down. I got the half off rennies rate at massage therapist friend's booth and tipped her very well since she's been been giving me a free squeeze in exchange for hawking her services this show.
4. Asked for help at the T-Mobile store because I was having issues with my smartwatch. They fixed the issue the or free and for the first time ever I didn't feel like I got scammed because they didn't try to force me to buy new or upgrade.
5. Ate leftovers for dinner on a day where I didn't feel like cooking outdoors on a rainy day to resist getting fast food
Your oatmeal sounds delish!
My Frugal 5s
- Got a $25 Costco cheesecake, couple of bananas, a few tomatoes and green peppers, green onions, clove of garlic for free at my church’s food pantry because they were too ripe or starting to go. We finished the messed up cheese cake within a week, diced and froze the 3 bell peppers, gone through 2 out of 3 tomatoes so far, put the green onions in a jar with water, and store the garlic away for future use. Still need to go through the bananas.
- Was blessed with stir fried noodle lunch when I volunteered.
- Got bags of free leftover popcorn at the end of my girls’ school Books & Bingo event that they couldn’t sell.
- My youngest girl won a bingo and got a free book.
- Got 32 free new to us books when we exchanged our 32 used ones that the girls didn’t read anymore.
- Put out our Easter and spring books we already had for the girls to read. Also our 70+ collection of Berenstain Bears books that I got as a lot off EBay used years back.
- Got out Easter stuff we already had in preparation for Easter. That includes baskets, plastic grass, plastic eggs, previous egg dyeing kit, decor.
- Put together a collection of items like small trinkets, toys and crafts that we already had at home for the girls Easter basket. The only thing brought was a stack of twistable Crayola color pencils that was used and in very good condition off Amazon which was a few dollars less than new.
- Mended my girls’ holey clothing with the new hand stitches I learned like the blanket and back stitch.
- Touch up paint the walls and ceiling in anticipation of possibly selling our house. Also cleaned the bathroom baseboards.
- Also filled 100 Easter eggs with candy from holidays past for our church’s Easter event. Had leftover candy which we’ll donate too.
– I reused foil that I had used on a casserole to cover leftovers I reheated in the oven. I also keep small sheets of used foil to clean off the gas grill before I use it. When I have a lot of leftovers, I often reheat them in a covered glass pie plate at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. The food gets hot but doesn't dry out and it's not soggy like it sometimes gets in the microwave.
– I figured out how to save FG’s cilantro-lime dressing to my Pinterest account. I used the “share” button in the post and Pinterest came up as an option. I never tried that before! Yippee!
– I picked up some marked down raspberry coffee cake from Walmart and put it in the freezer for later.
– I made a week's worth of oatmeal for breakfast. I try to eat oatmeal 3 days a week. I find it easier to make it one day and keep the rest of it in the fridge so I can just nuke a bowl on the other days. Since it's already prepared, I have no excuse not to eat it.
– I saved a perfect-sized 12 oz. squeeze bottle and lid from a pepper sauce to use for a small amount of sauces, etc. (maybe Cilantro- lime sauce?)
– I mistakenly took a 2 lb bag of hamburger out of the freezer and thawed it when I only needed a pound. I cooked the other pound of meat and froze it to use later in tacos, spaghetti sauce or something else.
It just occurred to me that I can probably freeze kale! I buy big bags of chopped kale because it’s cheaper than buying it whole, but it’s hard to get through it before sliminess happens.
The overnight French toast looks like… bread pudding?
Yes! I have often frozen kale and collards from our garden.
NOT frugal: took a road trip and filled the gas tank AFTER it went up $1.29/gal
FRUGAL: cousins bought my dinner
NOT frugal: I bought cousins’ breakfast - HOW CAN 3 BREAKFASTS COST $84??? (I never eat out - can you tell??)
FRUGAL: I drove near many Trader Joe’s on the road trip and did not stop at any.
FRUGAL: took a friend on a day outing and she insisted on me driving her car (2007 Mustang convertible!)
FRUGAL: a friend (from this blog!!) is sharing some sock yarn with me! THANK YOU, KS!
NOT frugal: another friend from this blog told me about a hand-held coffee grinder and although our old one is still functional, I bought one. (It can’t last forever, can it? My husband got it in the 1970s. . .) THANK YOU, N!
congrats on your three cents. when i sold some stock i got dividends after and i just left it there. it is infinitesimal but after 20 years or so it may be something. heh. plus if they charged u 3 cents you would be ticked. my zoe attended her first day of regular school and it went super well. they took away science and math and gave her art classes. so, she wouldn't have too much pressure. she was able to pick up her high school ring. we get 4 tickets to graduation. she has to have a ticket. that is nuts why does she have to have one? and she gets to go on the senior trip to six flags in nj. she missed the senior overnight trip but this one should be fun.
Anita, I'm so glad your Zoe's first day went well!
Strange for a frugal list, but I just came back from Europe from my sixth trip in the past year since my mother's health deteriorated more severely in May 2025. Three of the trips were combined work trips, three have been "vacations". This past trip I had already purchased to celebrate our birthdays when a new health crisis made it fortuitous that I was there to visit. Our Christmas trip also coincided with a health crisis. So, my frugal tip to anyone with elderly loved ones far away is to book regular trips in advance, so when an emergency happens you are less likely to have to buy last-minute airline tickets.
I stayed in a hotel near the train station to be able to reach my mom's hospital more easily. More costly than an airbnb where I usually stay, but this way I was able to enjoy a large hotel breakfast that tied me over lunch most days.
Bought some presents and goodies to bring home, which I price compared just like I would at home.
Wrapped presents with reused gift bags, tissue, bubble wrap and kraft paper, even fashioned a homemade gift box from cardboard we had at home.
We grilled too many Brussel sprouts to eat even as leftovers. I chopped them up into smaller pieces and used them in a brown butter pasta sauce with chopped shallots flavor. It was delicious and all got eaten.
Bought chicken at manager's special of 30% off as the use by date was near, and made sure to use it right away.
Edit! "used them in a brown butter pasta sauce with chopped shallots for flavor."
Kristina,
Love your advice of booking regular trips in advance! It's good that you're able to visit your mother. Fully support your hotel over Airbnb decision which better supports the local economy, doesn't take housing from locals needing rentals, and not only lets you have a delicious breakfast but can be more relaxing because you don't have to grocery shop, cook, clean.
Thank you! Yes, I try to book a hotel whenever the situation allows. Traveling with the whole family is harder because it's almost impossible to find family rooms in hotels in the city I visit. I have also been lucky to find an apartment outside of the airbnb platform that is someone's primary residence, and have agreed to a private arrangement while they are on vacation.
Oo your fancy little "ginger carrot cake" style oatmeal sounds absolutely delish! What a fun way to use up that ginger sugar and pep up a familiar breakfast at the same time. Also, may I just say that I SALUTE you for eating up your soup leftovers even though you were getting tired of it!! That is hard to do and I often wish someone would congratulate me for things like that (#adulting). Not wasting food is so good for our planet and it's good for the pocketbook too of course! Cheers to you. 🙂
I am expecting some nasty inflation not far down the road, and happen to have some cash to spare on household stock up so I went online and used my Sam's Club membership which is free to me from my son's workplace, and pick up is free too..so I ordered some household supplies,about 6 months worth of t.p. ,cleaning supplies (I use minimal supplies,such as scrubbing bubbles for bathroom and the lysol gel for toilet, that's about it vinegar and water on all else.) Purchased some tomato sauce in bulk, honey, kitty litter was on HUGE sale so stocked up on that, some chicken broth powder, rolled oats, and a few other essentials.I am replenishing only what I know we will use and feel good about that.Prices will only go up.
Am carefully monitoring car use.Am retired so I don't need to go too many places,I group errands VERY carefully these days..gas just went to 4.99/gallon in Phoenix!
Continuing with all my self care habits, to stay healthy mentally, physically and spiritually.Cause being STRONG is a good frugal thing. I walk, spend time outdoors on my patio with good books from cloud library, I cook all meals at home,I pray,meditate and do positive thinking all I can. I get good sleep and keep a regular schedule.I spend time of uplifting hobbies, such as music,art, cooking.
Madeline, your self care habits are awesome. Well done to you. I did giggle, because the way my cursor was positioned, I thought the last thing you were focused on were uplifting hobbies including "choking" instead of cooking. It really threw me for a loop!
Try that spinach in an omelet or scrambled eggs -- with a little onion, it's great.
Oh, and soup, too. Just chip some off and dump it in.
1. I used a coupon from my local coupon book for a free muffin with a coffee purchase when I was out for some cherished alone time.
2. I completed a survey through my professional organization for a $10 gift card.
3. I picked up two bags of discounted fruit from the local coop for $2 each. This included a lot of apples that were already on my list so that was a bonus.
4. I used shopgoodwill.com to purchase a second scooter for our family for a much better price than for a new one. This one appears to be new in box!
5. I found a bunch of needed clothes at Goodwill. One of the items had an oily stain, so I politely asked if they could reduce the price and they did. I know the stain will come out fairly easily. Finally, I picked a 10% off coupon up on the way in from the parking lot, which saved me $3.40.
6. After several years I finally transferred a prescription from Walmart to a local pharmacy as I am trying to support more local businesses. Turns out it was also much cheaper– I paid $6.50 versus about $17.
Kristen, I also struggle with finishing that last bowl of soup. So hard.
1. I took a very chilly walk this morning, but what made it worth while was finding a quart of milk at the little free pantry. It's the one thing I thought would force me to go to the grocery. Now I'm set. It's not lactose-free, but there's always my dairy pill.
2. I also picked up a newspaper that I noticed hadn't been picked up for several days. I can use the newsprint in many ways.
3. Today's lunch was left over from a restaurant meal. I don't eat out often, but this was a family occasion that I couldn't turn down. This was my second meal of leftovers from that one order.
4. I'm reading a good book by Linda Castillo, who writes Amish murder mysteries. I got the book from a little free library. A good find.
5. I'm hand washing an abandoned scarf I found draped over a fire hydrant. I will probably donate it.
Every once in a great while I have a craving for candied ginger. I chop the ginger into little tiny pieces and toss them in granulated sweetener (I use monkfruit or Erithrytol, but sugar is fine, too) Then I lay them out to dry on a piece of parchment covered lightly with a paper towel. You could use a food dehydrator or place them in a warmed oven turned off, too. The sweetener (and sugar) are hydrophyllic, so they will pull water from the ginger and the air. I stir the ginger pieces daily and spread them out again. Eventually they dry out. The ginger is mellower but it is still a little sharp, and chewing just a few little pieces is very satisfying.
Found 3 packages of pork shortribs on deep sale, so got all three for $15–original total price $45. They're in the freezer for pulled pork sandwiches sometime.
Bought an organic whole chicken at Aldi for 50% off so $8 and chicken for the week 🙂
Needed a book for bookclub, and of course, all library copies are checked out (currently 528 holds for 154 copies). I'm hold 480 and need to read the book by mid April so I gave up and ordered it on Amazon where I was pleased to learn we had a credit which covered the price of the book.
Finished all containers of frozen soup for my lunches so there's a pot bubbling away on the stove now--mirapoix, cabbage, carrots, barley, spices, water. I browned the onions to add color and depth.
A non-frugal occurrence happened today when I got home to find two kittens each with a roll of tp torn up and spread all over the rug. My son hadn't shut the cupboard securely and they had a heyday! On the other hand, it was pretty inexpensive entertainment for them. I got the 32 roll package for $15, and they destroyed about 1/6 of each roll, so less than eight cents per kitten 🙂
Switched back to traditional Tidy Cat non-clumping litter which is proving to be cleaner, less out of the box mess, way less dust, easy to scoop the box, and much less expensive. I got three box fills from the $7 bag vs. one box from clumping litter priced at anywhere from $9 to $17. I only got the $17 kind once when it was on sale for $13 and didn't think it was worth it. So thank you Tidy Cat!
1. I've been on a buy nothing giving spree lately; gave away a big box of plastic takeout/food containers (mostly collected from when friends brought us meals last summer after my husband's kidney transplant), a large 8x10 rug we changed out in our living room, pool noodles, an old printer, a magic kit and some college t-shirts (specifically given to someone who knows my Canadian school here in Texas). I really love it when the recipients really need/want/enjoy the things I am gifting...feels like stuff matchmaking, haha.
2. Sold a couple of hockey jerseys that my husband didn't want; money in and clutter out!
3. Sold several special occasion dresses to a new consignment store in my area, and made $20.
4. Dropped off several bags of clothing to our local charity which specifically distributes clothes to those in need.
5. Used Upside for gas and a local restaurant after my account sat dormant for a while; earned enough back to cash out the money in my account (had to be over $15).
- made chicken tortilla soup and used up some fridge odds and ends.
-instead of running out to the store for dark sesame oil, I created a reasonable substitute from tahini, avocado oil and soy sauce at home. The recipe needed only a little...did a passable job!
- hung laundry instead of using the dryer.
-making medical abbreviation flashcards instead of buying them...hoping the act of writing them out will help with memorization!
-I found a $22 Anthropologie candle at the thrift store for $4! And a Cornwall mug for 69 cents and a Gap tank top for 75% off (final price $1.49).
-I went to the quilting session at my retirement community yesterday and got to use a sewing machine for free to make 2 napkins from my small fabric stash. The ladies were SO nice and encouraged me to come back again. I have more fabric, so I can make some more napkins.
-I mended a sheet with leftover fabric (and sewed on two buttons for my mom).
I don't comment often, but I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions! You all are helping me become more frugal, which means a lot to me.
I am obviously late in commenting on this post but some of these ideas were genius in my opinion. The oatmeal with the addition of the ginger sugar, carrots, etc is on my list to try. Such a switch up on fruity oatmeal! Do you make scones? Candied ginger ones with clotted cream are delicious. The British owner of a B&B knew how much I loved hers and would send me off with a few!
My other “why didn’t I think of that” is freezing the spinach before it turns. I have sadly tossed it in the past.