Sometimes my friend Katy does a version of Five Frugal Things that’s comprised entirely of tiny frugalities. And this time around, I have a collection of these teensy savings, which only fellow frugal-minded hearts can appreciate. 😉
1. I picked up two hot chocolate packets
I know…only two! Someone was offering them on my Buy Nothing group, and while I would not have made a special trip for these, they were located right on my way home from school.
So, I did not waste gas picking these up.
2. I printed a bunch of paperwork at school
I had a lot of assignments/case studies/lab prework to do, so I stopped in at the school library to print them all.
Is this a large savings? No.
But hey, if I’m paying for tuition, I might as well take advantage of the free printing that’s included. 🙂
3. I sandwiched a few soap ends together
Bar soap is cheap, yes. But my waste-averse heart appreciates a save, even if it’s small, so I take my little soap ends and squish them together.
Or I piggyback one soap end onto the next bar of soap.
4. I reused my baked apple aluminum foil
I had a glut of apples because I think Hungry Harvest accidentally sent me more than I asked for.
So, I’ve been experimenting with baked apples in my toaster oven, and since the aluminum foil was hardly dirty after my first effort, I saved it and used it again.
I told you these were tiny savings!!
5. I walked to school a few times
This is a tiny savings because if I can walk to school, that obviously means the drive is rather short. So, it’s not like this saves me a whole lot of gas, or even wear and tear on my car.
But my leg power is cheaper than my car power. 😉 And at times when my school start time is mid-day, it honestly saves me time to walk.
How so? In the middle of the day, the parking situation at school is a nightmare, so it takes forever to find a parking place, and you always end up parking far away from the building.
So, walking ends up being quicker!
Bonus: I rescued something from the trash
When I was out walking I noticed one of my neighbors had set a tiered serving tray right next to his trash can on trash day.
I said, “Ummmm, NOT ON MY WATCH!” and I surreptitiously hauled it over to my house even though I had no use for such an item.
I cleaned it up, oiled the wood, and gave it to Miss Sonia, aka Miss Stylish, who could also be known as Miss Entertainer because she regularly hosts dinner parties for her friends.
Obviously, this rescue didn’t save me any money, but I know this item will get put to good use instead of going to the landfill. And when Sonia moves away with friends this year to start at a four-year school, she will be able to take this with her to her new house. 🙂
Lauren @ Middle Class Fire
Saturday 8th of February 2025
Why does reusing a barely used paper towel or store brand sandwich bag provide such a dopamine burst? Especially those freezer quart and gallon bags ;-).
Julia
Friday 7th of February 2025
I love the serving thingy you trash picked! Very stylish! I’ll list five little things. 1. Found a dime 2. Got a free (after rebate) candy bar from Ibotta. Candy will go in my kid’s Easter basket 3. Found a small plastic bin in the neighbors trash. It now holds my extra bags of coffee. 4. Working on using the body lotions that have collected over the last few years. My dry winter skin is grateful. 5. Made air popped popcorn as a snack this afternoon. Cheap and filling.
Cyndie
Thursday 6th of February 2025
I pick up drink cans every day. From walking the dog, the park, the church social, everywhere. I recycle them every other month and put the money in piggy bank for st judes children. I sent a check at Christmas for 116 dollars. U can do this also. It equals about 5 cans a day. Go for it.
Lindsay B
Wednesday 5th of February 2025
1. I submitted a $5 online rebate for buying Annie’s mac and cheese, which I would have purchased anyway.
2. I found a dime and a penny and picked them up despite the blisteringly cold temperatures.
3. Credit goes to DH for this one, but he cut my cell phone bill from $20/month to $10/month (using an MVNO through Spectrum). He also called and managed to keep our internet price at a reasonable level. Our year-long promo for $20/month was set to increase to $90/month, but he managed to get us something for $30/month. He put a reminder on our calendar for next year to call again and renegotiate.
4. I found the dregs of a previous conditioner under my bathroom sink, so I will make sure to use it up. I’m wearing my hair up in a bun most of the time right now so I don’t have to use my “good” curly conditioner all the time.
5. We reused birthday banners and decorations for our kiddo’s birthday. We also opted not to do an invited birthday party… he’s only three, after all.
I won't go in to detail, but this was a crummy week otherwise for several reasons, one of which involved a $1400 radiator replacement plus multiple taxi/uber rides while our one car was out of commission. And--worst of all for us-- all the chaos around federal workers, which affects our family in massive ways mentally, emotionally, and financially. We started out feeling bummed about DH having to commute to the office full time despite being hired as a teleworker (necessitating purchasing another car plus a huge reduction in time with me and our kids), but now we are wondering and planning for potential futures in which he is fired as part of the massive reduction in force that seems to be looming.
Heidi Louise
Friday 7th of February 2025
@Lindsay B, I am very sorry your family (and every other government worker family!) is facing these challenges. It should not be happening as it is.
Nikki
Wednesday 5th of February 2025
1. We made our meals at home. We brewed coffee at home. We made yummy gluten free muffins. 2. I went through my youngest child's closet. I took out a couple shirts to resell, but I also moved a bunch of shirts into rotation. No new purchases there. 3. I ordered pants for two kids from Old Navy. They were on clearance. I also ordered a new sweater for myself that was on clearance. It was about $80 for 7 pairs of pants and 1 shirt to be shipped directly to my house. 4. We enjoyed free entertainment this week, including getting new books from our local library. 5. My husband fixed the toilet that had an issue with the tank.
NOT frugal... I was going to sew up the side of a towel... and broke part of the sewing machine. The sewing machine is almost 20 years old and this is the first major problem. Not so bad in the grand scheme. My youngest was very upset. I had promised to help him make a teddy bear from scrap fabric after I fixed the towel.