Category Archives: A Few Frugal Things

2019-07-01 A Few Frugal Things- Summer Pot Garden and More

I have slowly been building a summer pot garden. So far my plants are doing fairly well. It’s hard to grow in pots because they get dry so fast in FL. I am collecting rainwater to water the plants with. I am also reusing yogurt containers like the ones below as pots.

– I have also purchased some pots secondhand and I am shuffling the plants I have to put them in the correct size pots if I can.

– I wanted a summerish wreath for the front door and found one for $2.99 at Goodwill after not liking the $30 brand new ones at a regular store.

– We wanted some stools for our counter. Dad happened to have some extra ones he wasn’t using and gave them to us.

– I am back to work for the summer which means that we have been planning ahead more for groceries. We meal planned but still probably spent too much on groceries. We are trying to eat fairly healthy though so I guess that’s the trade off.

-I visited the local animal shelter because I was in the area. They sell really nice pet beds for $5 and Kong type toys for $1. I stocked up and the pets are enjoying them.

– We continue to enjoy the pool and jogging in the neighborhood for exercise.

– We are about to have a bunch of family come visit. A huge advantage of having extra bedrooms and a pool is saving money on hotel rooms and entertainment when family visits. Not sure this always saves us money with extra people in the house but it saves them money.

– I was sent a coupon for a certain pet food website that I’m not very happy with. The coupon didn’t work so I contacted customer service and found out that they send out the same code multiple times but you can only use it once. I told them I was going to cancel my order, because I actually was going to use another site and ended up getting a $21 discount.

– Amazon mailed my conditioner in a too small box with some heavyish shelves. Of course the bottle burst and the shelf box was damaged. They sent me another conditioner and gave me a $5 credit. I HATE having to contact customer service but I’m polite and truthful and sometimes it pays off.

Not so Frugal- 

– We realized that we are spending $30 more a month on electricity this year than last year. We are using our air conditioning less and have no other huge drains on electricity so this is quite strange. I think they might have raised the rates for our electric company. We only have one option in our area and we are already very careful so there isn’t much else we can do.

– We have gone out to eat a few times to celebrate going back to work. I regret nothing.

4-13-19 A Few Frugal Things- Pool Day!

We are so lucky to get to spend the day by our pool. The dogs enjoyed it as well.

Frugal Things

– We bought some food and drinks at the grocery store for a nice day and dinner rather than eating out.

– Our puppy trims his own toe nails, so strange! But it saves us $ and torture (for him and us) of going to the groomers.

– I declined additional work meetings that I didn’t have to be at. Saving me gas , tolls and travel expenses.

– We are trying cheaper dog food for the 50lb puppy. He was very underweight when we adopted him and so he doesn’t need the expensive weight loss food our adult dog needs.

– I got a lot of needed small household and grocery items at Dollar Tree. I got rubbing alcohol, minced garlic, dandruff shampoo, cat treats, stain remover, etc.

– I bought some new work clothes for a few dollars at the thrift shop that I really love. This has inspired me to go through the rest of my teaching clothes and get rid of what I’m no longer wearing. I don’t have time yet but I’m looking forward to it.

– We found a new pet sitter who is a LOT more affordable. Hopefully it works out.

– I wanted to get the dogs new bones that don’t scratch the floors, that aren’t choking hazards, and last. Benebones are our usual at $13 each. I saw some at Publix that looked similar for $5 each and decided to try them.

Extra Income

– I continue to sell items on Poshmark even though I don’t have much time to list more until summer break

 

04-07-19 A Few Frugal Things- Dogs and Booking a Cruise

The pups have been making sure that we all get some exercise. We are glad they are feeling a lot better. 

Frugal Things

– I found generic Allergy Medicine Claritin, which I take every day for $13 for a year supply, a huge savings over $20 for 90 days if it works

– Selling more items on Poshmark, I have so much fun with it and I’m making decent money on thrifted items

– The dogs being back on Trifexis is important because it’s way more expensive to treat a flea outbreak or heartworms than to prevent them in the first place. We love our fur kids.

– I had to help run a meeting at work and WAY too much food was ordered. My colleague divided it up and sent me home with a big foil pan. It was enough for 3 BBQ meals.

– We went hiking with my brother and our collective 4 dogs. He sent us home with water and snacks. We wanted to get take out after but resisted.

Wild berries! Anyone know what kind?

– Spending time in the Florida Sun and visiting with family, it’s free and good for the soul

– Our vacuum is a $20 thrifted Dyson, it got clogged but I know how to fix it and it will run great again. If it doesn’t I got another Dyson vacuum for $14 that also works.

– We wanted to go to dinner and a movie but there was nothing at the theater we wanted to watch. We decided to go to happy hour at a restaurant near our house. Unbelievably cheap prices for drinks and good food. We walked 5 min home and got some exercise.

– Our cats continue to use their Cat Genie litter box which has saved us so much money. B fixes it when it clogs. One of the cats has been chewing on the extension cord. It took me wayyyyy too long to find a heavy duty replacement but I did and a cord cover and it saves us so much time and money over traditional litter.

– I’m still bringing my coffee, breakfast, snacks and lunch to work.

-We went to a reasonably priced local restaurant for our Friday night date. We used a free appetizer coupon and took advantage of happy hour. Still not cheap but cheaper than it could have been.

– Living in Florida means that going on cruises can be very affordable vacations for us but like anything else you can easily spend double what you need to. We compared and compared and compared prices and ports and cruise lines and found a great deal. We are leaving from the closest port so no additional travel expenses and we will figure out how to get there so we don’t have to pay a port fee. We didn’t choose the idea destinations as we are more interested in sailing on the ship (and eating!). We are forgoing the expensive drink package and will bring some drinks of our own. We picked a 4-5 day trip so that we don’t have to pay a pet sitter even longer. No doubt vacations cost money but we saved ourselves at least $1,000 by booking this way. This trip will also double as a birthday and celebration trip.

– We booked a weekend trip to visit my sister, her husband and my nephew. We will stay with them so we avoid the cost of a hotel and rental car. We are leaving from the closest airport so that we don’t have to park there and we are only staying the weekend. We are only taking backpacks we can put under the seats in front of us so we don’t have to pay for baggage. We will do a lot of fun activities while we are visiting.

– We waited to watch the movie On The Basis of Sex until we could watch it at home rather than the theatre. We are huge RBG fans and feminists so we appreciated the movie.

– I have been watching a lot of streaming TV shows while working on Poshmark and grading for my day job. I am thinking of getting streaming cable for $16 a month with a DVR but haven’t had time to look into it yet.

Not So Frugal

– The dogs were both sick and our vet was in the middle of an emergency so we tried a new vet open til 10pm, the price was very affordable for 2 dogs, they will now refill their Trifexis for fleas and heart worms and the vet recommended a new dog food we can buy at the grocery store vs. the pet store prices and inconvenience, vets are never cheap but at least they are well again and we got great information.

Extra Income

– I have been selling more items than ever on Poshmark but I know that will slow down as I won’t have much time to devote to it until the semester ends.

– I don’t have time to list much on Poshmark but I’m still sourcing inventory, washing it and organizing it so that when I have more time to list and pack items for sale I will have plenty to list.

– My second job didn’t need me again this month but Poshmark has picked up the slack so far and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the break.

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– We continue to clean the house in eco friendly ways. That does make it harder to get rid of mold and mildew for long.

3-12-19 A Few Frugal Things- Vet Visits and Spring Break

We are officially more than halfway through Fall Semester and on Spring Break. Unfortunately, while we started break having fun with some friends who live nearby, then our poor little kitty got very, very sick. We had to take him to the pet ER and he was treated and sent home with orders to follow up with our regular vet. He was not doing well at home but it got us through the day and a half until our regular vet opened. He still had to be hospitalized but at 1/4th the price of the pet ER. We are really hoping he will be okay!

 

Frugal Things

– I continued to bring my breakfast, coffee, water and lunch to work every day with few exceptions.

– I continued to wear my thrifted business casual wardrobe. I proudly tell my students that most of the items cost $2.

– I found a really nice pair of Nike running shoes for B at the thrift shop.

– We accidentally ended up at a farmer’s market we happened to drive past. We were able to purchase some produce and incorporate it into our meals to get us through the end of Feb saving us money on groceries.

– We have been buying minimal groceries and so far it’s going well. We still need to do a big grocery shop but we are doing well using up and eating what we already have here.

– I got too sick to attend a work event. This actually saved me money on gas and tolls to get there and back but I would rather not have been sick.

– B’s car was still not fixed after having the mechanics replace a $200+ part. The same auto shop wanted $300 more to *try* to fix the car again. Needless to say, we were not happy about it. B was able to purchase and replace the suggested parts for about $100. This was a $200 savings!

– I went on a work trip to IKEA and I was able to pick up some items for family members. I was also given a couple of gift bags each including organic coffee, a USB light, dark chocolate, a coupon and the bag itself. They also fed us free Swedish Breakfast.

– We wanted to get together with my brother when his wife was out of town but didn’t want to cook or go to an overpriced restaurant so we went to our local mall to hang out and eat. It was fun and we didn’t spend much on food or other items we didn’t need.

– Our friends had us over for a BBQ and we brought beer and wine but they fed us tons of food. It was fun to see them and play with their new baby.

– While we are spending time with family and friends over spring break but we aren’t going on a big trip which is saving us a ton of money but also has left time to rest and recharge and relax.

– We are taking advantage of the lovely Florida weather to take the dogs out and about for exercise.

 

Not So Frugal

– Our poor kitty is so sick.

– B finally fixed his car himself but it still cost us over $300 in the long run.

– I got a migraine so bad that B had to drive almost an hour to pick me up from work and go back with me the next day. This probably cost at least an extra $10 in gas and tolls.

– Our little pup needs a prescription refill for Trifexis. He is otherwise so healthy I do not want to take him to the vet but need the prescription. Hmm, what to do! There is a shot clinic that travels but all of their locations are at least 40mins away. If we can wait 2 months until summer we would probably be able to do the shot clinic.

 

Extra Income

– I have had some good sales on Poshmark in the past couple weeks. I am on track to my goal of $500 profit by the end of the school year.

– eBay has changed some of their policies lately that I’m still trying to figure out.

– I got good news about my second job. My boss left but it turns out I met his replacement at a social event.

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– We don’t have much trash at the house but have a lot of recycling. We are trying to reduce both but it’s a long process. I am trying harder to decline plastic bags and straws when out and about.

2-10-19 A Few Frugal Things- Mid February

I can’t believe that it’s already over a month into Spring Semester!

Frugal Things

– You can see in the pic above that we bought some great Christmas clearance candy at CVS for 75% off, we are counting this as our Valentines gifts to each other LOL I am a chocoholic so chocolate would be purchased in our house anyways but this was about $1 a bag and much cheaper than regular price.

– In the heat of the FL summer, I often think that I have too many sweaters. However, we are still experiencing a cold winter and my sweater collection has proved adequate but not excessive for work teaching.

– I continue to bring my work lunches and put up with my work mini fridge that keeps defrosting. The fridge was free from someone who moved out of the office so I can’t complain too much. I’m hoping not to have to replace it.

– Emptied two old conditioner bottles to go out with the recycling tonight. If I don’t like the conditioner for hair, I use it for shaving or when I know I’m not leaving the house.

– We meal planned and grocery shopped for two weeks at ALDI and Dollar Tree. We spend about $100 a week on two people and 5 pets for groceries, pet food and household items. I would like this to be less but we are also trying to eat even healthier (both humans and pets) so this has increased our spending a bit.

– Took my dad to lunch when he was having a really bad day. We went around 3:30 and could still do the lunch special. A small appetizer, meal and chips and salsa were only $8. We had leftovers to take home.

– We are going to a nice but chain restaurant for my brother’s birthday. Turns out I get 10% cash back with my BOA debit card and I joined their email list for coupons.

– We are making really great oatmeal with the 50% off real maple syrup that we purchased at Christmas time. I have been adding old frozen berries and fruit. It’s probably freezer burnt but you can’t tell in this recipe. I personally love oatmeal packets but this is still so easy and so much cheaper that it isn’t worth spending more.

– We considered going out to eat and to a movie this weekend but decided to stay in and cook at home instead. We watched a movie on Netflix. I’m thankful that we love being at home. Staying home is a huge money saver!

– I purchased a gift for a child relative after a medical procedure. It was free shipping through Amazon and I used a Swagbucks gift card. He is the sweetest thing and I’m sad he will be in pain even though it’s the best medical choice possible after his parents consulted multiple doctors.

 

Not So Frugal

– B’s car broke down in an expensive area. We followed our gut and risked driving it to a shop we liked that we suspected would be cheaper and for $260 it was fixed the same day. We did decline the extras and just got the repair done.

– I purchased the Dollar Tree version of Tilex shower cleaner for $1. It spilled on the minced garlic I had just purchased. I wish I could find a replacement! It’s one of the few remaining harmful chemicals we keep in the house.

 

Extra Income

– My sales on Poshmark are going great. My new strategy of only buying items that will sell in the $30-40 range is working out too. I am starting to list items soon after I purchase them because then they don’t seem to pile up as much. I have sold 4 items in the past week.

– I keep doing online work and I plan on using the small payments together to buy a lighting kit for better Poshmark pictures.

– Sold two pairs of Birkenstocks that I bought at the Goodwill Outlet Bins for $1.49lb. See above picture.

– My part-time job keeps giving me work on a monthly basis. I didn’t expect to have more work until the summer so I am pleased.

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– We watched The Devil You Know on Netflix and B is finally letting me get rid of his one remaining Teflon skillet. Cast iron, stainless steel, copper, glass and ceramic cookware is what we use

– I am also trying the below Aluminum free deodorant. I love the smell but it has a scratchy texture not smooth like other deodorants.

1-05-2019 A Few Frugal Things- Christmas and About to go Back to Work

(In the picture- He was very cold. We can’t wait for FL weather to return to normal. His sweater was purchased at the Goodwill Outlet bins. Even dog clothes can be thrifted!)

We had wonderful holidays that included 4 different visits from family in the month of December. We had a very fun and relaxing winter break. Now I am getting ready to go back to teach for Fall Semester tomorrow.

Frugal Things

– Although we do purchase some fun Christmas gifts we do a really good job of also asking for and buying practical gifts as well. I know a lot of people opt to skip gift giving but I personally LOVE it.

– When our relatives came for Christmas day, we purchased the bulk of the Christmas dinner and breakfasts and lunches for almost 10 people. However, everyone else also contributed. My MIL gave us money towards the groceries (not expected at all but very much appreciated), bought all of the alcoholic drinks for our celebration, and brought us expensive coffee and chocolate.  My mother helped by purchasing a few grocery items we forgot and helping me clean up the house constantly. Everyone helped cooking Christmas dinner so that was completed quickly.

– I did have a decent number of people to buy Christmas gifts for but I spent several hundred dollars less than I budgeted by buying some items ahead, using Amazon Prime to find the best deals, getting lucky with Target clearance, stopping at two wonderful closeout stores near the house called Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Old Time Pottery. We were able to purchase exactly what everyone asked for at about half the price we expected. I do almost all of my shopping at normal thrift shops but there are some really nice discount stores around here.

– I purchased slippers for a relative for $23 for Christmas. Then we found a nicer pair at ALDI in their houseware section for $8. I returned the first pair.

– My Aunt and her BF treated us to a really nice dinner for New Year’s Eve.

– My mom and I went to Super Target and their Christmas clearance was up to 90% off. I was able to purchase a few remaining gifts, stocking holders that I had been unsuccessful in finding secondhand for 90% off, and I also purchased a Christmas Kit that had my expensive EOS products for clearance prices. EOS is never that cheap!

– I purchased new clearance kitchen rugs for $12 that don’t show pet hair when you walk on them. Our old ones were memory foam in dark navy from the thrift shop that showed every speck of dirt. I realized I was washing them more often then necessary because they looked crappy. I buy very little brand new because we have great luck at thrift stores but these rugs will save me a lot of money, time, water and energy over washing rugs that don’t need to be washed.

– I saved Amazon gift cards from my birthday and Christmas and Swagbucks and I was able to buy a new phone because mine is starting to go. I’m excited about the new phone and it’s a practical purchase since I use it for work.

– I go back to work on Monday and I’m very ready. I had a back to work faculty meeting and they fed us lunch.

Not So Frugal

– It’s not frugal to have 4 sets of company in one month but there are certain things we did to make it more affordable including using our own dishes instead of buying disposable, only washing full loads of laundry (like sheets), not needing to use the AC because of the cold weather, making most meals at home, buying groceries from ALDI, etc. It was frugal for our family because they didn’t have to pay for a place for us to stay together.

 

Extra Income

– I continue to do small online work

– I am purchasing items to sell on eBay and Poshmark but now only items that will sell for over $30. The reason is that I don’t have enough time to list all of the items so I might as well focus on the items that have the greatest profit margins.

– Fingers crossed I am hoping to teach some extra online classes in Jan.

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– I was able to purchase reusable bags that were Christmas themed for .50 cents each. We got one for everyone and it worked out great because they were able to take their gifts home in them if they wanted or they could give them back to me to pack up for next year. This created much less waste and saved me a lot of time not wrapping.

 

11-1-18 A Few Frugal Things- We adopted a puppy!

We adopted a puppy from our local shelter! He came fully vetted and fixed for the price of his adoption fee. I consider money spent on our pets worth every penny! He can’t believe how many toys we have in this house! He is playing with all of the toys our older dog ignores and all of the free toys from the shelter. This is really the reason I am so behind with posting because puppies are a lot of work!

Frugal Things

– We have been shopping less since we have a new puppy that we are cautious about leaving home alone but we have been getting outside more and taking lots of walks which are good for the puppy and us

– It’s starting to cool down in Florida so fingers crossed our electric bill goes down

– I took my mom to the airport for her trip to visit my aunt, frugal for her and we enjoyed spending the time together

– The puppy needed a crate and I called all local thrift shops with no luck. Mom and I stopped at our local one anyway on the way to the airport to shop and they had one for $5! That’s a $75 savings over the pet store for a much nicer crate then the one we were going to buy.

– We have a new to us thrifted shower curtain ready to be hung up to replace our current mildewed one, we always have expensive looking shower curtains that match our décor that we always buy for $1 at the thrift shop

– I was craving cake so I made one from a box mix I picked up for $1 and icing I also bought for $1, I added 2 extra eggs that were nearing expiration. Yay!

– We started watching the show Mars free from home

– I have to renew a prescription but it’s free with my free through my job insurance. I don’t take it for granted in today’s world of expensive healthcare.

– We had my mom’s birthday dinner at the house. We grilled burgers, made French fries, and made margaritas. We have lots of leftovers and it’s much cheaper than eating out which my Mom dislikes. It was nice to spend time together.

– I used a gift card I got for free through Swagbucks to buy a wall stud finder, an ergonomic bone for the puppy and a shower seat for my aunt. Overall, I’m pleased with all purchases almost for free.

– I think I need to sew some more dog beds for the house because the new puppy is so much bigger than our current dog, fortunately I have more than enough sewing supplies to make it a free project

– Still bringing my coffee, breakfast, lunch and refillable water bottle to work. This is a huge savings.

Not So Frugal

– I believe someone tried to scam me on eBay. They bought Legos from me and then claimed they were fake. I reported them and will have to pay for a return but hopefully my report will stop them from doing this to anyone else. Did I mention they sell Legos on eBay?

– We did buy some new toys for the new puppy but I say still cheaper than replacing furniture from chewing!

Extra Income

– Wrapping up some extra classes I was teaching online

– Still doing some small online work for extra money

– Getting ready for our neighborhood’s garage sale. We live in a small community off of a very busy road so we were very busy last year.

– Sold another pair of Overalls on Poshmark for $45 + Shipping

– Sold a set of 9 planet drinking glasses for $40 + shipping

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– We cleaned the house and garage today without the use of harsh chemicals. We use rubbing alcohol for a counter sanitizer.

– I have been using a sort of doggy dry shampoo on the dogs to clean them. It’s a huge time and energy and water savings and it’s supposed to be soothing to their skin. Oddly enough they seem to like it.

 

 

10-15-18 A Few Frugal Things- A Kitten and Trader Joe’s Stock Up

 

 

Frugal Things

– We finally made it to Trader Joe’s 10/5 to stock up on some harmful chemical free products at their great prices. However, this never feels frugal at the time because the store isn’t convenient to get to so I buy enough for 4-6 months at a time but it saves us a lot in the long run. See pic below to see the household items we stock up on.

– We resisted the urge to go to Shake Shack by Trader Joe’s for lunch and then I wasn’t feeling very well so we didn’t go shopping after which would have been fun but did save us money

– I really feel like I got a great deal on the laptop I bought. It’s not a super cheap one but it’s making my life so much easier with all of it’s features and saving me a lot of time at work.

– We have started watching the show Harlots on HULU. Who needs cable?

– We stopped at half off day the thrift shop the day before we went to visit my mother and we were able to buy her some really nice hand towels, wash cloths, a new with tags rug and memory foam rugs

– My mom needed to visit a sick family member and we were able to buy her a ticket on a discount airline out of a local airport, she won’t pay for a bag or seat and will travel light which saves us a lot of money

– I finally got to visit Dollar General Market because I had heard that it was even cheaper than ALDI. I personally didn’t find it to be that cheap so I’m glad I wasn’t missing out on anything but they did have 50% off their clearance and I found a few small things. The half off didn’t ring up at the register so they had to fix it. I’m glad I was paying attention.

– B did a big shopping trip at ALDI that should get us through the rest of the month

– I continued to use my almost empty eye liner for much longer than expected. I try to use every last bit of everything I buy.

– My mother is coming to visit on Tuesday for my birthday and I’m excited about it. We want to go see the new movie A Star is Born and Tues nights at the nice local theater is only $5 a ticket.

– I gave my friends some gifts today when we got together for lunch, two friends I gave eyeshadow pallets that I purchased on clearance for dirt cheap and my other friend I gave some adorable little baby toys include a soft baby book with lots of ‘cat’ tails

– My mom is still having printing trouble so for $14 I purchased an ink cartridge for my old LaserJet 1100 printer that she can plug into her laptop. The printer is no frills aka Wi-Fi but that seems to be the best way to go at the moment.

– My work is having a stray cat problem. It should not be normal to see stray cats. They are not wild animals. I was able to find a rescue to help us TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) the cats but one day the custodians ended up with a kitten that needed a foster. I found a bottle feeder for the kitten but not before I purchased some stuff in case we had to keep it for the weekend. I was able to return everything for a full refund which saved me about $50. Good deed done and no money spent. See adorable pic of our puppy and the kitten above.

Not So Frugal

– It’s still very hot in Florida so our electric bill is still a little over $200 but hopefully this is the last month

 

Extra Income

– I had a really great bundled sale of 2 items on eBay. I stand to make just under $60 on the items that both had been listed for over a year. The person left great feedback so that was a great profit. My eBay strategy is to relist all items that don’t sell using the free listings that eBay offers and EVENTUALLY I find that everything sells.

– I went through my death pile of items I have not gotten around to listing and pulled out items that I don’t think will sell or aren’t worth listing. I’m going to sell them at the yard sale we are having next month. These are items that will do better at a yard sale than online.

– I love having little side hustles! Even making a little extra money besides my regular full time job makes me happy and one step closer to our goal of buying a farm.

– We went thrifting and our best find was Furbys! We will see what they sell for on eBay.

– I have been earning a ton of Swagbucks through these pop ups for email lists. I did one for Huggies for 50 SB, one for Suiteness for 100SD and one for Tablespoon for 40SB. That’s a great reward for signing up for email lists. Of course, I use a junk email address.

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– The pic below is of the household items we stock up on at Trader Joe’s. Harmful chemical free products can be expensive but not Trader Joe’s brand. It’s kinda an open secret that their toothpaste is Tom’s of Maine in a generic package for 1/3 the price.

 

10-25-18 A Few Frugal Things- Car Accident :(

I was in a minor car accident on my birthday. I decided that the scratch on my car was not enough to call the other driver’s insurance company. She was very nice and owned up to making a mistake. Yesterday, she mailed me a $100 money order and a $25 restaurant gift card. Karma is real!

 

Frugal Things

– I have been going to local rummage sales and neighborhood yard sales. So much fun! We have been able to purchase some of the things we have been looking for including things to sell in our online business, storage, video game stuff for B, gifts for our nephew.

– The weather has gotten a lot colder here in FL which will mean huge savings on our air conditioning bill. We can smell the neighbors backyard camp fires which is lovely but also makes me want to get a fire pit.

– We aren’t traveling for Thanksgiving which is a huge savings. Nor are we making a huge Thanksgiving meal for 2 people so we are planning to grill steaks. Not buying and cooking a huge meal will be a huge savings for us and we will still have a great day.

– It’s hard to leave the house with a hurt puppy so we are saving money that way.

– B has been cooking great meals at home so little eating out.

– I had free pizza lunch at a work meeting and there was extra for me to bring home to B.

– My sister and nephew and bro in law have decided to visit FL in Dec. They can’t stay with us because of the puppy and allergies so they are getting a hotel. I love having them stay with us but this will definitely save us money. They can’t fly with their stroller so I am going to buy them a cheap one at the thrift store for their Disney visit. They have a relative who works at Disney so they will be getting in for free.

– Our dishwasher disposal and hot water heater both stopped working and our landlord got a plumber out the day that we called. One of the only perks of renting in my opinion.

– My dad lent us his pressure sprayer, ladder and leaf blower so that we could clean off our pool deck. It looks great!

– A bunch of our outside light bulbs went out at once and they weren’t cheap to replace on Amazon but I randomly found a 6 pack of the light bulbs we needed at Publix for about $11.

– I needed to donate our leftovers from our yard sale, I was going to load them in my car and take them to the thrift shop but it turns out the Vietnam Veterans are collecting donations in my area on Monday so I called and now I only have to put everything outside the garage.

 

Not So Frugal

– The puppy hurt himself at doggy daycare and was having a hard time walking. We were very upset but they paid for his xrays and took him to and from the vet before we even picked him up. He is slowly starting to do better. He needed to be able to stretch out so this led to purchasing a bigger crate for him ASAP rather than waiting to find one second hand. Walmart had them for a good price but they were out of stock everywhere so they sold me their floor model for 10% off. We also bought more toys to occupy him when he can’t run and jump around. We almost rushed the puppy back to the vet when he decided to get up and walk over to us. He still has a long way to go but is getting better every day.

– Also because everything seems to happen at once, we are concerned that the pets have tape worms. Fortunately, the medicine is cheaper on Amazon with free one day shipping so we were able to treat all of them the next day for about half the price of the pet store and not vet visits involved.

 

Extra Income

– We had our annual neighborhood garage sale and in 2 days with only small items I made almost $200.

– I have had really good luck purchasing items to sell on Poshmark and eBay at local yard sales and rummage sales including Lilly Pulitzer items, Johnny Was and Coach.

– I pursued an online teaching gig since this summer that didn’t end up working out. I’m bummed but there is nothing I can do.

– An exciting opportunity presented itself at work and I was going to do it for free but it turns out I will get paid for it.

– I have earned some more gift cards through Swagbucks that I used towards some things we needed online.

 

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– I have been continuing my advocacy of Sustainability at work and we are trying our best to be sustainable at home.

A Few Frugal Things- A $20 Dress Form and New Laptop

We walked to a yard sale in our neighborhood and I bought the above pictured dress form for $20. It was covered in a lot of fall crap but underneath was an expensive and adjustable sewing dress form that I am using for my Poshmark/ Ebay sales pictures and will be able to use for my sewing projects as well. This dress form would have cost well over $100 to buy new.

Frugal Things

–  This week things really picked up at work at both of my main jobs. And then my laptop died. I don’t like having to rush through a decision about which laptop to buy but I didn’t have any choice and I think it turned out okay. It’s never frugal replacing a laptop but by ordering it on Amazon I saved $500 over purchasing one immediately at Best Buy, I didn’t go with the cheapest option because those laptops only seem to last a year or two, instead I got a slightly better one and hopefully it will last a little longer because I really don’t want to have to go through this process again. So far I love it!

– I was able to rent a laptop from work until my new laptop arrived

– We have been eating at home, mostly thanks to B who has been cooking

– We finally found a new dog groomer for the pup’s nails and glands, this is frugal because if he gets a clogged gland it’s very expensive and, frankly, it’s not worth the money saved to fight him for hours to do his nails at home

– We carpooled with friends to a Burger Battle from local restaurants, our tickets were half off through a deal B found and no gas expense either

– Our local thrift shop gets the Disney lost and found ever few months and I did some great Christmas shopping for very low prices

– B cut his own hair and my hair

– I wanted to order pizza for everyone for a work meeting and I was able to get work to pay for it so I didn’t have to. We ordered pizza from a locally owned place and it turned out great. They were willing to give us a similar deal to a chain place that is usually used whose owner has expressed beliefs that I cannot support even if the money isn’t coming from my pocket. Took home 2 leftover slices for a snack.

– My mother gave me a keyboard and shirt when I visited her so I didn’t have to buy the keyboard and she fed me dinner

– We are keeping our Cat Genie unplugged when we aren’t home so that we only run it when it needs to be run, saving us money

– Decided not to leave the house Sunday, this saves time and money and instead I got ahead at work

– I found B a new pair of running shoes at the thrift shop for $1. Shoes are usually outrageously expensive.

– Mom was having some eBay printing trouble and I was able to sort it out for her online and she was able to print her shipping labels at work.

– We visited my Mom to help with her printer and cell phone issues and it turned out to be a much cheaper trip then we thought. We thought we would have to buy her a new cell phone to get it to work as a WiFi hotspot (the only way she can get internet at her house) but they helped us at the store so we didn’t have to. Then we went to eat and I downloaded the Moe’s Ap and got her meal for free. Then we bought her printer ink and it was cheaper at Walmart than anywhere else. Then the $7.50 printer we got at the thrift store worked so she could return the $40 printer she purchased.

– I really need to get to Trader Joe’s for several of their harmful chemical free products but unfortunately have not made it. I’m making due without but I’m almost out of toothpaste so I will have to go soon. This is frugal because I’m using up every last drop of product I have

Not So Frugal

– Replacing a laptop is never cheap but I’m happy with the one above that I bought

– I bought a $10 in the box printer from the thrift shop for my mom who needs one but unfortunately it doesn’t work. We are going to return it. Unlike Goodwill, they only do returns on electronics which is fine.

Extra Income

– I have continued to earn some small online income

– My 2nd contract job has been renewed and I am happy for the extra income even though it means a lot more work for me, partnering with a friend who has the same contract to make things easier

– I have sold several things online that were listed over the summer

– I need to list more items for sale but I just haven’t had the time

– I did end up listing and selling the below rob that paid for the new dress form! It sold one day after listing.

 

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