1. I ordered makeup-removing cloths
Sonia told me about these and I was intrigued. They’re a type of microfiber cloth that promises to remove makeup with just water.
I am very interested in reusable products that replace disposables (cheaper in the long run, plus they’re eco-friendly!), so even though I was slightly skeptical, I ordered two types; the original Makeup Eraser, and a knock-off (Erase Your Face).
I’m pretty impressed with how well they work, even to remove mascara.
(Though I have to disclose that the knockoff ones do not, in fact, erase your face. Mercifully.)
Normally I feel hesitant to wear mascara because it’s so annoying to remove, but now that I have these cloths, I’m happy to brush a little mascara on in the morning.
You just throw these into the laundry with the rest of your clothes, so they’re easy to keep clean. And I imagine they will last for a super long time.
By the way, Sonia said that the original Make-Up Eraser brand cloths are at T.J. Maxx right now for a really good price, so you might check there.
2. I got a free $10 bowl at Panera
I have no idea why, but Panera randomly put a free bowl into my app.
I was not unhappy about this situation!
3. I got two pairs of undies for $0.53
I have a Victoria’s Secret credit card that I pretty much never use (I got it eons ago), and they sent me a $10 “We miss you!” coupon, plus a coupon for a free pair of undies.
So, I used both of them when I was near the mall anyway, and I got two pairs for $0.53.
4. I got some free contact solution (inadvertently)
I stopped in at BJs to get some Clear Care contact cleaner, but they were totally out. I asked at the optical center to be sure I hadn’t just missed it, and the lady there gave me two free sample boxes!
Since sample boxes don’t last all that long, I stopped at Harris Teeter on the way home and picked up a Clear Care box with a $2 coupon on it.
While I was at Harris Teeter, I bought some eggs and canned tomatoes on a super good sale, and I got a rain check for a Smithfield pork butt that was out of stock.
5. I…
- scanned a receipt with Fetch for 300 points (if you neglect receipt scanning for a while, they send you a 300 point offer. At this point it’s purposeful laziness on my part!)
- did not buy Chick-Fil-A on my way out of class, even though it’s in the same building and my class lets out at 1:00 pm
- made dinner last night using a bunch of things I already had on hand
FreshLifeAdvice
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
Love the blog Kristen! These really inspire me to live frugally! Keep up the great work!
Christina
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
I have been using the microfiber cleaning cloths for some time and they are amazing. I got the first one, Erase Your Face, as as part of a gift basket and loved it. Since then I have found some knock off ones at Dollarama for 2.00 each and they work equally as well but are cut just a bit smaller. I keep a small stack in my washroom, a clean one for each day, and toss onto the laundry with towels. The savings from using these versus the disposable ones are huge as they wear well and last forever.
Faith
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
Did you see that Aldi has these makeup removing clothes on sale next week? I wonder how theirs compare.
Kristen
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
No, I had no idea!
I'm guessing they would be super similar, if not exactly the same thing. If you try 'em, let me know!
Suzan
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
I am very wary of microfibre cloths as they have been found to leech fibres into the water ways. I don't know if they have found a way around that yet.
1. I have stuck to shelftember an even when I didn't feel like cooking I have done so. 2. I still trying to reduce food waste by using what is in the fridge before it becomes a science experiment. 3. I have rinsed out bottles to use the very last of the detergent etc. 4. By doing the shelftember stuff I have found some gaps that I need to fill. I will be hunting for those items when I find them on sale. 5. Spring has sprung here and I have been trying to not use the air conditioner. So far so good.
a curious reader
Tuesday 21st of September 2021
1) I didn't spend money for a few days. This one seems obvious, but hear me out! I don't usually spend a lot of money day to day, but it still feels good to just not spend any at all. I have a separate sheet on my budget spreadsheet to track days where I don't spend anything during the month. I like to tally them up at the end of the month to feel good about myself.
2) this may be cheap rather than frugal: I have been battling a skin rash for a couple of months. I was hoping it would clear away on its own, but no luck. it's a fairly common skin rash, so I diagnosed myself on google and bought the required antibiotics for very cheap directly at the pharmacy rather than (a) paying to see a doctor to get a prescription and then (b) buying the antibiotics from the doctor where they are marked up a lot. I do the same with my differin - I got a prescription for it the first time, but ever since I just buy it at the pharmacy. Now, obviously don't do this with anything serious.
3) I've been sleeping without the AC on when my boyfriend isn't there. It's just about 90F at night. I'm happy the worst electricity bills for the year are behind us!
4) my cell phone provider billed me for incoming call roaming charges while I was abroad, even though I purchased a roaming package. Apparently the roaming package doesn't include roaming for incoming calls. I am extremely dismayed! I paid about US$40 for the roaming package, and the charges for a 30 min incoming call were around US$ 125. I contacted them and was able to get the roaming package refunded. I guess taking the time to sort this out was somewhat frugal, but it still stings.