Five Frugal Things | The Mad Hatter sold!

1. Mr. FG’s costume finally sold

Remember how we did an Alice in Wonderland theme in 2019?

Well, normally I sell our costumes the following year.

But 2020 was…not a good year for costume-selling.

(2020 was not good for a lot of things, let’s be honest.)

Anyway, my Queen of Hearts costume sold earlier this summer, and this past week, the Mad Hatter costume sold too.

I’m now $70 richer, and I no longer have a huge hat hanging in my closet!

When I went to package it up, I felt very grateful that my past self had saved a huge Amazon plastic shipping bag because it was perfect for wrapping up this costume.

2. I sold one of the girls’ bikes

When I was in the shed recently, I realized that one of the bikes we still had was way too small for either Sonia or Zoe.

I know bikes are a hot commodity right now, so I listed it on Facebook Marketplace, fielded eleventy-hundred, “Is this still available?” messages and lots of detailed questions about the bike, and eventually, someone came through and bought it for $175.

Yay! Less clutter, more cash.

And considering that Lisey, Sonia, and Zoe all used the bike, getting $175 for it feels pretty good.

3. I zested an orange before eating it

I really love to put orange zest in my one-serving microwave oatmeal, so before I ate an orange the other day, I removed all the zest and left it in a bowl to dry.

So now I have enough zest for several bowls of oatmeal in the future.

Interestingly, you can buy bottled orange zest. But if you are a person who eats citrus fruits, it’s awfully easy just to make your own zest.

I use my microplane grater to make quick work of it, but before I had one of those, I just used the fine side of my cheese grater.

(Ok, I just looked at the page for the microplane grater that I have, and oh my word, it comes in so many fun colors now. The eggplant purple one!!! I do not need more than one grater, I do not need more than one grater…)

4. I bought a used histology book

My main anatomy and physiology textbook is online, but it’s also recommended that we buy a histology book, which we will use in A&P1 and also in A&P2 (which means renting makes no sense!).

I found a used copy online for a really good price, and it came still in the shrink wrap, apparently unused.

I love it when I can find practically new stuff for a secondhand price.

5. I fixed a duffel bag

Mr. FG got this as a freebie way back when he used to work in warehousing, and we’ve used it for lots of trips.

The top got a little rip, though, and I knew if I didn’t fix it, it was going to just rip more.

So, I got out my sewing machine and did a little zig-zagging.

It’s not beautiful, but it’ll work just fine for future travels!

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