Category Archives: A Few Frugal Things

2-30-18 A Few Frugal Things

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on February 28, 2018 None comments

Strep Throat, Olympics and AC

(I helped my friend donate some stuff to the local thrift shop and kept a like new trash can. I finally got it set up in a kitchen station with cans for trash, laundry and recycling. I really want to have three perfectly matching cans but there is nothing wrong with these.)

A few frugal things

– I ended up with Strep Throat. I was able to get an appointment the same day at the Walgreens Clinic. The clinic visit and prescription were less than $23 combined and I feel so lucky to have AMAZING, FREE insurance though my job. I was paying $300 a month prior to this job. I am also thankful to get paid for the 2 and a half days I had to take off while sick.

– Staying home while sick also saved me money on gas, tolls and wear and tear on the car.

– We bought a bunch of groceries at the beginning of the month when family was coming to visit. We saved a lot of money during the visit by not eating out and then we had extra that we are still eating though now. We are making meals from what is left. Neither of us feel like going to the grocery store.

– We have been enjoying watching the winter Olympics. It’s free with our TV antenna and learning about the athletes has also been fun. I am a huge fan of the Canadian Ice Dancers Moir and Virtue.

– I used an old hose I found buried in the backyard to cover a cord that the cats could chew through.

– I enjoyed free lunch at work including a huge sandwich, chips, a cookie, and drinks from a local sub place. I didn’t finish and kept the rest in my purse and ate it on the way home when I was hungry again.

– I bought candy for class prizes and Valentine’s day cards from Dollar Tree. They are carrying a great new Travelocity line of cell phone chargers and I stocked up.

– I taught a workshop for other faculty and staff at work and although I only was paid as part of my normal work day, it is something else to put on my resume and I now have the workshop ready to go if I get the chance to teach it again (possibly for pay).

– I bought a solar light for less than $10 off Amazon. It seems to work well and I’m hoping that it will replace the light in our kitchen that is almost always on and will charge with the light through the window. I am experimenting with incorporating individual solar lighting in the yard and house to save more money.

– Spent a while price shopping plane tickets between airlines for a trip to visit my sister. Finally found a great deal including my luggage and seat and in-flight cable and snacks and drinks for $150 round trip. Even if it hadn’t included anything it was still the cheapest flight so everything that came with it is just a bonus. And the days and times worked great! So excited!

– We had some leftover milk in the fridge that was going to go bad so we made some instant pudding. A treat for us and less waste.

– We had a week left in the month and very little healthy food left in the house. We came up with a $50 grocery budget for the week and were determined to stick to it. We ended up spending $47 because we forgot sliced cheese for sandwiches and then we found a pack in the back of the fridge that family had bought when they visited.

– I also made blueberry muffins and egg salad from scratch to help stretch the grocery budget.

– I went to visit friends who were having a yard sale and they ended up giving me a bunch of stuff for free. That was fun and we got some nice clothes, cat treats and other small items.

Not so Frugal

– I paid to have the radiator replaced in my mother’s car. It was worth every penny for my mom to have a safe vehicle but I hadn’t budgeted for it.

– We continue to see a few fleas here and there on the pets. Not a huge problem but I wish we didn’t see any. We need to buy more flea treatments and it’s super expensive, plus I worry about putting chemicals on them. Over $70 spent this month on flea meds.

– I took pictures of stuff to list on eBay but I haven’t found the time to do the listings yet.

– Our poor kitty cat got sick and we had to take him to the vet. Not only is the vet 40 minutes away in gas and tolls but the bill was over $300.

– Found out a close relative is getting married in another state. Won’t be cheap to go but I know it will be worth it.

 

Extra Income

– I told the college I work for that I would consider substituting for other faculty who are sick and I get paid for it

– I finally got a lot of the lingering items I had bought to sell on eBay listed and I sold one older listing.

 

Harmful Chemical Free Living

– I did a lot of cleaning this weekend with rubbing alcohol as a sanitizer.

– I keep washing everything soft (pillows and bedding) in the house to remove any potential fleas. I use my homemade chemical free laundry detergent that is dirt cheap.

– I filled all of the hand soap dispensers in the house with a little Dr. Bronner’s concentrated soap and a lot of water.

1-31-2018 January and $100 Grocery Budget

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on January 31, 2018 None comments

(The Puppy loves his repurposed bed, that I made from a thrifted poncho, and sitting in front of the space heater.)

It’s FINALLY 2018! I say that because 2017 was a tough year and it’s exciting to have a fresh start.

A few frugal things

– I am trying for a use it up, make it do kind of month.

– We spent New Year’s Eve at our friends’ party mostly sitting by their fire pit and talking. Fun way to end the year.  I brought cookies that we had leftover. We ate dinner before going because they said snacks only but then they had tons of food so we ate again.

– We slept in the first few days of the year because it has been very cold for FL. We have not turned on the heat at all. We have stayed warm by wearing layers, using blankets, cuddling with the pets, using my heated throw blanket, occasional use of space heaters, and blocking off the sliding doors and fireplace with extra insulation sheets. We have also made a point of cooking and running the dishwasher at especially cold times.

– I spent the morning of Jan 2nd making a meal plan for this month and a grocery list. A lot of frugal people are doing a no spend January and while I’m not, I think I will do a Frugal January. Thanks to a lot of leftover ham, which will be divided into a lot of meals, and other remaining staples in the house, I was able to put together a $100 meal plan for the month. We spent $65 getting most of the groceries today at ALDI and $10 getting a few remaining things at Walmart Grocery. We ended the month having spent $95 on groceries and that saved us at least a couple hundred dollars in groceries. That money saved goes towards savings for a house down payment.

– We have been keeping warm and entertained watching TV at home and several of our favorite shows started again on the 2nd. We had to wait until the 3rd to watch them because we don’t have cable but I know the savings is worth the wait.

– I have been reading free kindle books from the library on my new Kindle that B got me for Christmas.

– My father helped fix some carpet that one of the kittens destroyed in our rental house so that we wouldn’t be charged when we move out.

– I finally found the extra wall paint that our landlords left us and put some in a jar to use for touch ups. This trick saves a lot of time, energy and money when it’s time to move out.

Not so Frugal

– One of the kittens broke the lid on my Yeti style water bottle that I used all the time. I did buy it from the thrift shop for a couple dollars but it might not be quite so frugal to get another lid. I do have another water bottle I will use.

– B broke the cord on the YAMAHA piano keyboard he got for Christmas. I bought the piano at a rummage sale for $20 so even having to replace the cord makes this a good deal.

– My coworker was kind enough to give us a pet water fountain. At the pet store they cost $70. The cats chewed through the cord so now we need another one. Still much cheaper than the fountain would cost new. This is not a great month for cords at our house.

– I bought B a PS4 charger thing at the thrift shop for $2.50 and it was missing a piece. They said I could return it but it’s a small thrift shop that supports a local food pantry and fights homelessness so I am not returning it.

– After a few cold weeks it has warmed up considerably and we started seeing a few fleas on the pets. I am washing ALL of the comfy bedding and rugs that helped get us through the cold. I will try not to put quite so many back out.

Extra Income

– I did another $10 online job

– Waiting for my $50 Credit Card reward card to come in the mail, I’m going to try to use it towards something useful

Harmful Chemical Free Living

– I am still looking for a new floor steam and swifter at the thrift shop. No luck yet but I know I will find them soon.

 

2017-12-27 A Few Frugal Things- Christmas Thrift Finds

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on January 2, 2018 None comments

I’m finally on winter break! Yay! It was a tough semester but I am trying to enjoy every day off that I get. This is the first year I get to decorate a fireplace (in our rental house) while we continue to farm hunt. Almost everything pictured was bought at the thrift shop/yard sales, on clearance or a gift.

A few frugal things

– We got all of the holiday grocery shopping out of the way at ALDI. All but a few small items that I had to get from Publix because ALDI did not carry them.

– Clearing out the garage and house by donating extra yard sale stuff, mailing my sister and nephew a box for Christmas, giving my friend some stuff that she had left at the house and donating a large baby toy from my nephew’s last visit that he had outgrown.

– I got to go to Universal Studios Theme park with my friend for her company Christmas party. They gave us unlimited food and drinks and desserts. Harry Potter World was AMAZING and free!!!

– I thought I was done with my Christmas shopping but I realized I needed one more small thing but couldn’t bring myself to go to the store this close to Christmas. I ended up making and printing an invitation to see Star Wars together that I will add to that person’s gift bag.

– We have been eating at home since we ate out too much during the last week of school

– Went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription that just so happened to be on a day when they were offering 20% off most of the store. My mom got some vitamins she needed B1G1 free and a few other things we needed all for 20% off and then I had some store points I don’t understand/didn’t know about and we saved over 50%.

– I wrapped the gifts for our family Christmas lunch in gift bags saved from last year and 2 red pails that my dad was getting rid of. I did buy 2 large rolls of wrapping paper from the thrift shop for .25 cents each that I will use to wrap the gifts for Christmas morning. One of the two rolls was labeled recyclable.

– B made a HUGE pot of chili before Christmas that we ate for a week!

– I am giving plenty of gifts that I bought at the thrift shop this year. It’s good for the environment and my loved ones care more about getting something they want than if that something is brand new.

– I forgot to give the little candle gifts I had purchased to my coworkers for Christmas and debated saving them for next year but we are hoping to buy a house before then and so I’m giving them to everyone else. More gifts now, less moving stuff around later.

– Amazon was having a crazy deal on Sonic toothbrushes which are usually crazy expensive and I was able to get two of them for $12 each!

– We made a huge ham dinner for Christmas day and then ate leftovers for days. Now that we are sick of ham I am going to make a huge pot of homemade Split Pea soup and then will use the other ham leftovers

Not so Frugal

– Christmas in general. However, I was mostly frugal. No debt for this Christmas or ever. I got plenty of gifts from the thrift shop, Dollar Tree stocking stuffers and most new items are from Amazon Prime which often beats the price of big box stores and includes shipping.

– We ate too much take out just getting though the last week of the semester. I didn’t make it to the grocery store the week before. I will try to plan better next semester.

Extra Income

– I earned $25 PayPal Cash for some online work

– Redeemed $50 Credit Card rewards, I’m going to try to use it towards something useful

Harmful Chemical Free Living

– I am still looking for a new floor steam and swifter at the thrift shop. No luck yet but I know I will find them soon.

I got this tree from a local thrift shop for $7 but we didn’t end up using it because of the kittens

I found these two Christmas hand towel sets for a few dollars each at the thrift store

The tree we did end up using is two triangle panels, it’s meant to hold Christmas cards but at least the kittens couldn’t eat it

12-14-17 A Few Fugal Things- End of the Semester

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on December 20, 2017 None comments

It’s the last week of class for the college semester! This one was rough because it started with a hurricane and that just seems to throw everything off. I’m proud of all of us for making it to the end.
A few frugal things
– I made the above 3 ingredient drop biscuits from items already in the pantry. The recipe is simple and works well. I made potato soup to go with it (in the pictures at the bottom using my new Instant Pot. I got a great deal on that Instant Pot of about $50 from Kohl’s after coupons, discounts and Kohls cash. There is a learning curve but I’m figuring it out and it does make recipes much faster.
– I did a much better job of packing my lunch for work and trying to bring snacks instead of buying overpriced crappy food on campus
– I bought chips and cookies for my end of semester class parties with my students. My students contribute too and so I have been treated to quite a few free meals including cinnamon rolls, bakery pastries, pasta salad and one student even ordered pizza for the whole class.
– I was also fed lunch at a small holiday party on campus and encouraged to take some food home too, which I did to feed B
– I thought I was going to have to buy more chips for the last class party but then a student left behind an unopened bag at the previous party and that saves me a trip to the store and some money. I still have tons of cookies left over and I will probably put some out at Christmas but I’m not sure how long I can save the rest. Maybe I should return them?
– I have found more Christmas gifts at the thrift shop. Luckily those I care about don’t care if their gifts are new or not (even though items must be vintage or like new) for me to consider gifting them. They also must be something I know the recipient would actually want for a gift, otherwise there would be no point.
– My mother needed a new coffee pot and I told her I would find her one at the thrift shop soon. I found one in perfect shape for about $3.50 which is soooo much cheaper than new. I also found her several shirts in the color she needs for work for $1 each. If they don’t fit her quite right she passes them on to her struggling friends. I love helping others in small ways like this and it costs me almost nothing.
– There is an Anthropologie skirt that I wanted that even sells on eBay for a high price. Hence why I didn’t buy it. I actually found the exact skirt at the thrift shop for $1!!!!!!!!!!! Now the question is, do I sell it or keep it? Hmmm, not sure yet!
– I went to a Faculty Development class even though it was a night class and the last thing I felt like doing. It was the last class I needed to complete another certification. While it doesn’t automatically lead to an increase in pay it is something that is taken into account when I apply for a new contract etc. It is also a certification that allows for more flexibility in my schedule which is always a bonus. It never hurts to build up your credentials and resume when it’s free!
– I am soon to get out our Christmas decorations. Although this year I can only put out the ones that the kittens won’t break or eat. Most of these decorations my mother gave me from my childhood and most of them she purchased from thrift shops.
– We are avoiding a family function this weekend for a variety of reasons. It will also save us money from having to drive hours there and then also the money of a pet sitter.
Not so Frugal
– We accidently left the hose on for 3 extra hours when adding water to our pool. Bummer! (We got the bill thankfully this only cost us about $20. Could be worse!)
– The pets still have fleas despite hundreds of dollars in flea treatments even though the problem is not nearly as bad. Not quite sure what to do at this point but we are still trying to figure it out.
– Our cat damaged the carpet in one of the bedrooms. It’s going to be a Christmas gift from my father for him to fix it for us.
– One of our other cats had to go to the vet leading to hundreds of dollars in vet bill. Thankfully he was cured of that sickness but is now sick again. Bummer! Hopefully this time he will get better on his own.

 

Extra Income
– I had another yard sale with my father and made another $100. Yay!
– I am off of work for winter break and plan on listing some of my great eBay finds from the past few months. I have needed to focus on my full-time job during the semester but this is a great project for long school breaks and as items sell it provides extra income the rest of the year. I need to stop expecting myself to be super woman because it is a good plan to buy things to resell during the semester and then list them on school breaks. It’s not like they usually sell immediately.
– I told my Dean that I would be willing to teach an extra class in the spring if she needed me to. It’s extra money every paycheck.
Harmful Chemical Free Living
– I am still looking for a new floor steam and swifter at the thrift shop. No luck yet but I know I will find them soon.

11-24-17 A Few Frugal Things Thanksgiving Edition

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on December 10, 2017 None comments

We went to visit B’s family for Thanksgiving. We had a great time and it was a frugal way to spend our break. We brought wine we already had, I made homemade peanut butter pies, and the cost to get there was gas and tolls. Once we were there we stayed with family and ate Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers the rest of the time.

A few frugal things

– Didn’t have to buy and make an entire Thanksgiving dinner on our own because our family provided it.

– We had everything besides a couple of LED lights off at the house for almost a week which will save on the electric bill along with the colder weather which means not having to pay for AC.

– My mother in law gave us two really nice new pillows and cases that match the bed set she gave us. She said they were expensive and I believe it.

– We were able to bring our little dog with us so that cut our pet sitter costs in half. We have awesome pet sitters but need to find new ones as they are moving!

– Several of the gifts we gave a family member for their birthday were thrifted. Glad to have a family who is open to both new and thrifted gifts 😊

– We went on a lot of walks, played card games, cooked and visited other family while we were all together so we didn’t pay anything for entertainment.

– We needed another set of King sized sheets for our new bed and I found a set at the thrift shop with pillow cases for about $4.

– I’m excited to set up our Christmas Décor but with the two kittens I’m not sure how much can go out without getting broken.

– I’m slowly acquiring Christmas Gifts when I find great deals. I already have several big gifts out of the way.

– I have been slowly purchasing flannel clothing secondhand to use to make a King size flannel quilt. I’m really excited about working on this project even though it will probably have to wait until winter break.

Not so Frugal

– I thought I found a great Thrift shop deal on some Polo shirts that B needs for work but, unfortunately, they didn’t fit. Glad the money goes to women and children in the community but I probably over spent.

– We got fast food and pizza at the start and end of our trip because we were exhausted. They completely messed up our pizza order so they are giving us a free pizza on our next trip. Still not frugal.

– Amazon notifications ruined the surprise of a new kindle for me for Christmas but I have been happily stocking up on new free kindle books and I can get even more free from the library. Having a kindle has saved me an insane amount of money on book purchases and no gas spent on trips to the library since the kindle books are delivered wirelessly.

Extra Income

– I have purchased several items that I believe will sell for a high value on eBay including a vase, oven roaster, and swell water bottle. I’ve decided I will wait until winter break to list them when I have time off of work.

– I keep relisting my current eBay listings for free and slowly they eventually sell.

– I am planning another yard sale with my father soon. Since I already have everything together from the last sale, this shouldn’t take too much time.

Harmful Chemical Free Living

– I am trying a new strategy for mildew in the bathroom which is always a problem in Florida. I am leaving a scrub brush and spray bottle in the bathroom of vinegar and I’m going to wash the shower with vinegar left over from soaking the shower head to start. Maybe this will eliminate the need for Tilex, which is one of the last remaining chemicals in the house.

– I put all of the harmful chemical cleaners left in this house in a plastic bin in the garage where the pets can’t reach them. I was pleasantly surprised by how few we have although I was surprised that we owned two jugs of bleach because I can’t remember the last time we used it.

11-12-2017 A Few Frugal Things – Cat Tower, Yard Sales, Thrift Finds

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 12, 2017 None comments

Our 2 young cats are scratching the furniture, breaking things and destroying our blinds. We figure at this point it could only help to get them a cat tower as a distraction. We priced them everywhere and Amazon was 1/3 the price so that is the one we got. B spent about 1 and ½ hours putting it together today but the cats are using it already.

A Few Frugal Things
– We moved a few months ago and there is nothing like moving and having to haul your stuff around to make you want to get rid of junk. The picture above is of even more stuff I added to the yard sale pile the night before. While I will never be a minimalist, I have been collecting stuff in the garage to donate. I was already considering if it was worth the effort to have a yard sale when I received a notice for a neighborhood yard sale where we live. I decided to go for it because it would save me from having to put out signs or advertise.
– We had the yard sale this Friday and my mother and friend joined me. Collectively we made about $175 which isn’t bad at all for stuff we were going to donate anyways. We also didn’t have any large items. It was all small stuff. We had fun, got rid of junk, got to hang out, got some exercise and made some money.
– We had to cancel the second day of our sale after some traffic events beyond our control. My father is going to try to have a Sale next Saturday so this is motivating me to go through the house even more to try to find even more stuff to sell.
– We also had some great finds at the other neighborhood sales. I purchased a black, knee length, winter pea coat that I have been searching for at the fantastic price of $3. I also purchase a Sunbeam kitchen mixer for $5 with all the accessories. I also got some great clothes from my friend for $1 each and a set of matching lamps for free!
– My mom needed toilet bowl cleaner and I had some I could give her so she didn’t have to buy it. We also needed more face wash and then I found a large, new container of it in the back of a cabinet. I needed tights for work in the cold weather and my mom found a pair for me that she wasn’t using. I love figuring out ways to get things for free that we would otherwise have to pay for.
– We have been cooking a mix of awesome and simple meals at home rather than getting take out.
– I found out at the vet that they now have some 3 year vaccines for dogs instead of every year and they are a lot cheaper, not to mention not having another vet visit to schedule or pay for.

– I found my sister a Baby Magic Bullet in the box for $8 so that she can use it for my nephew. Her and my brother in law use their regular Magic Bullet constantly so I bet they will use this one all the time too.
Not so Frugal
– I tried to drive my mother home and we ended up getting stuck in traffic for 3 hours before realizing that there literally wasn’t an option to get her home that wouldn’t take the next 8 hours when it should have taken 30 minutes. Luckily, I filled my gas tank as soon as we left or we might have run out of gas. But it also stinks to spend that money on gas and then have to waste it on traffic before heading back home to the house we just left to stay the night and start over in the morning. However, I am grateful that we all made it home safe and sound when we saw so many accidents.
– We spent hundreds of dollars fighting fleas on our pets and in our home after the hurricane. Thank god, we finally seem to have it solved but I have learned my lesson, I will go directly for the expensive treatments first in the future. This is one area that trying to save money just cost more in the long run.


Extra Income
– I made $100 at the yard sale.
– I sold a book on eBay that, no lie, I had been relisting with all of my other listings for at least two years.
– I bought a vase at the thrift shop for $5 that I think will sell on ebay for $80-$100. I love these finds!
Harmful Chemical Free Living
– The chemical free options for flea treatment didn’t work and caused so much chaos in our house. I’m still sad that we had to use some selective chemicals in the end but soooo grateful to have that plague *hopefully* over with.

 

 

Goodwill Outlet North Austin Shopping Trip, $1 Hydroflask!!

Posted by Candice@Shopahoicsavers.com on May 22, 2017 None comments

My husbands friend was coming over for a few hours this Sunday so I decided to leave the babe with him and go to the Goodwill Outlet in North Austin. Im trying to start selling more on eBay so the outlet is a great place to find items for my eBay store.As always you never know what you will find at the “bins” as people call them, but it is always fun! I also was able to take a few pictures of the inside to show what this brand new Goodwill outlet looks like. 

My first find of the trip was this super cute Lucky Brand shirt. I plan on selling this on eBay

This is a mens xxl Polo Club shirt. Ive been told before that ugly and big sells well on eBay so I am going to try with this strange hurricane shirt.

Victoria Secret Pink always sells super well and quickly so I picked up this shirt off the floor. It has dirt from the floor on it, but I think if I just wash it the stain will come out.

American Eagle Tank

I’m not sure if this is a dress or a shirt, but I thought it was cute.

I plan to list this Ergobaby infant insert on eBay or on a local Facebook site to see how it does.

Stella & Dot makeup case.

Motherhood Maternity Robe

A friend of my sisters is a few months pregnant so I picked up this dress for her. I am going to see if she wants the robe and this dress.

American Eagle shorts sell very well for me on eBay so I am glad I found this pair.

I also found a Nine West wrap dress, American Eagle khakis, and a few breast pads.

My favorite find of the trip was a 40oz Hydroflask! I was so excited. I own a 20oz Hydroflask and spent around $25 on it on Amazon. I spent $13 so each item was around a dollar.

Now here are a few pictures of the outlet.

 

 

 

Salvation Army finds 5/17

Posted by Candice@Shopahoicsavers.com on May 17, 2017 None comments

Wednesday’s are 50% off clothes at the Salvation Army so I picked up a few things!

 

I spent $9 total and I plan on selling the women’s Brooks Brothers polo dress for around $20 on eBay! So it will pay for the whole trip!

 

That time I bought a flat screen TV at the thrift shop for $20 – A Few Frugal Things

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on March 11, 2017 None comments

Yes, you read that right I just bought the above flat screen TV at the thrift shop for $20 and I’m very excited about it.

Here are some other frugal things recently

– I paid off my car this month! It was about a year early and in one lump sum. This increased the amount of mortgage we would be approved for as we continue to search for a new home.

– At one of the college campuses where I teach they are constantly offering free food. My work bestie and I have had pizza twice, Popeye’s once and we are having Publix subs tomorrow. So much fun!

– I bought the puppy a doggie car seat because he doesn’t want to stay in the passenger side of the car. It’s hard to drive with him in my lap and not safe because of the airbag. The car seat I bought him is pink because it was $5 cheaper. Technically, it was free because I had a gift card.

– On half off day at the thrift shop, I bought a few $2 Maxi Dresses and Skirts at the thrift shop (the same day I bought the TV) and I plan on altering one myself to wear to our friend’s wedding later this month. All of what I bought together, including the TV, was cheaper than buying one new dress!

– I was able to reschedule some faculty development work for today after I get off working my normal hours instead of having to drive 40mins each way on Friday. This saved time, energy, gas and toll money and it allowed me to combine a trip to my mother’s house with another errand so that will also be a big savings.

– We needed another doggie carrier for the puppy and instead of buying a new one I bought a bag of similar size at the thrift shop that is going to work great. He won’t be in it for long and I can sew in mesh sections if needed.

– My father moved last weekend and I spent a good part of Saturday helping him move. He gave me two nice, matching night stands (pictured above) and two lamps. I was able to help him find people to take his other furniture using Facebook Swip Swap groups. The people came and got the items, we didn’t have to move them and we avoided throwing more stuff into the dumpster.

– We are going to be moving in a few months and helping my dad move reinforced my desire to go through just about everything I own and get rid of as much stuff as possible. I immediately started grabbing things I no longer wanted and donated a trunk load to the thrift shop.



I'm a Swagbucks Influencer - Start Earning Now

– I got B involved in using Swagbucks and he has dived right in and is earning gift cards already.

– I continue to keep taking free faculty development courses for two certificate programs. This will eventually lead to a small pay increase.

– The puppy was having some stomach trouble and instead of an expensive vet visit we did our research, spoke to some friends and gave him canned pumpkin. He loved it and for about $1 a can it’s a huge savings.

– I figured out how to get 1.5% cash back through my PayPal debit card. The money gets deposited directly back into my PayPal account.

– I am now avoiding my debit card in favor of my credit card because I am paranoid about identity theft. The added bonus is that I receive reward points toward gift cards. Now I just have to remember to pay off everything I charge. 😉

– On the same note of identity theft, I also bought a paper shredded for $2.50 (see above) at the thrift shop and have been shredding our credit card offers. Also, since we know we will be moving in a few months I’m going to be shredding old paperwork etc.

– I am avoiding paying to mail some things to my sister and nephew who live in another state by meeting up with my mother who is going to bring them on her flight to visit.

– We met up with B’s mother at the farmer’s market and then went to a local art festival. The puppy behaved himself and she treated us all for lunch.

– My mother and her partner treated us to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Then we went to some thrift shops.

– While thrifting I found a new style cat carrier that I needed to take the cat to the vet in a couple of weeks. It was $6. She is also getting fixed at the local human society and that will be inexpensive. I am also getting her shot updates and getting her microchipped. All of this will be less than $100.

 

Income Earning

– I sold another item on eBay and listed several more

– I have earned another $25 Amazon gift card from some small online work

– I picked up another summer class for a total of 4 classes. These are outside of my full-time contract so all pay is extra.

 

Not So Frugal

– The boots I bought to teach in last semester, because I was having trouble with my feet, did their job! My feet are doing much better but the boots are looking terrible. I’m thinking about investing in a pair of well made, real leather boots to see if they will last longer.

– I am getting my wisdom teeth and I believe I’m going to have to pay for some expensive dental work. Thankfully I have free dental insurance but I’m not sure it will be covered. I’m trying to make it through the last month and a half before summer to schedule this.

– One of my tires blew and shredded on our way to the airport. We barely made the flight but thankfully we did. However, I now need another spare tire to replace it. I know I’m playing a risky game by waiting.

1-22-2017 A Few Frugal Things – A Frugal Trip to Austin

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on January 22, 2017 None comments

breakfast

A Few Frugal Things-

– We planned a trip to Austin to visit my brand new nephew!!!! By switching our visit from December to a 4 day weekend (MLK day) off of work in Jan we saved over $500!

– We booked our own hacker fare by flying there on Frontier and home on Southwest to take advantage of the best prices and times.

– We didn’t pay for any bags or snacks on the flight. We only took free personal item bags on the way there and we were able to bring a few extra bags home for free because of Southwest’s free bag policy.

– Instead of booking the closest hotel for $110 a night we price shopped and stayed a few minutes farther away in a Hyatt House Suite style room for $75 a night. We loved it and would definitely stay there again.

– The hotel included the amazing continental breakfast pictured above! So every day of the trip 5 people ate a huge hot breakfast included in the price. We also ended up with a lot of free fresh fruit including bananas, apples and oranges, free tea, creamer and togo cups.

– I forgot my toothbrush so the hotel gave me one. It was the second worst toothbrush I have ever used but I made it work for the weekend. They also gave us free bottled water at check in.

– Entertainment while we were there was not expensive either as it mostly consisted of spending time together as a family enjoying the new baby, trips to various thrift shops including the $1.49 per pound Goodwill and we also ate out a couple of times enjoying famous Austin tacos and BBQ.

– My mom made a huge pot of amazing split pea soup to feed the entire family while we were there and my brother in law made spaghetti and meatballs. My mom also made us ham and egg sandwiches so we saved a lot of money eating out and the ham was given to them by some friends.

– Almost our entire family sells items on eBay so it’s really fun to see what everyone is buying and reselling.

– We bought a Jeep brand carry on rolling bag at the Goodwill outlet for $2.99 to bring our purchases home.

– It was a horrible weather weekend during our trip so B ended up having to buy a jacket and I bought some sweaters (for $1.49 a pound at the Goodwill Outlet) and we borrowed some stuff from my sister and her husband. Still not even a small fraction of what we would have paid to bring more luggage not to mention the pain of hauling it around the airport.

– Because the hotel was like a little suite we ended up with left over paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, coffee, etc. I loaded it all into a bag when we checked out and brought it to my sister’s house. I showed her the bag of loot to which she replied “Awesome!” That’s why we are best friends!

– My dad got my sister a free sewing machine when a friend moved. I slowly and frugally bought her everything she needed to start sewing. With a brand new baby she doesn’t have much time but I taught her to use the machine and we made her reusable nursing pads that she liked a lot better than the disposables.

– We enjoyed free snacks and drinks on our flight home with Southwest but unfortunately their free cable wifi wasn’t set up on that plane so we didn’t get to watch free cable.

– When we returned to our car at the airport our tire was flat and after a short wait Airport parking services put air in it for free.

Not So Frugal-

– Traveling isn’t cheap but it’s so worth it!

– We blew a tire on the side of the highway on the way to the airport!!!!!!!!! Thank god we had an extra tire under the SUV and YouTube to show us how to lower it to the ground. We didn’t miss our flight but we did have to skip the cheaper satellite parking and park directly at the airport for almost twice the amount per day but this was a good call because we arrived at the gate as the plane was boarding.

– I now have no spare tire and need to get a new one. The good news is the ‘spare’ tire wasn’t a spare but a full sized tire.

– I finally mailed myself an ancient Milk Crate that I had bought in Austin a year ago and my sister had been storing ever since. I wanted to take it home for free on the plane but the ancient nails proved a deterrent. We underestimated the price of shipping. Oh well it’s a really cool décor piece (according to me, not B).

– We didn’t remember snacks for the flight home so I treated us to ice cream at the airport that actually was a very inexpensive snack before a long flight.

– I am very thankful that one of my best friends watched Gimli our puppy while we were gone and we paid her the going rate for in home pet sitters even though she said she would do it for free. He had two loving people to play with and take care of him and I consider it worth every penny. They even bought him snacks and a toy.

Extra Income

– I sold a couple of things on eBay right before our trip and had to mail them out at the last minute. I wasn’t excited about adding the post office to my list of stops but extra income is always appreciated.

– I made a mistake in the title of an eBay listing saying there were 7 books instead of the 5 listed and pictured and didn’t realize until after someone bought it. I told the person and they wanted a refund. I ended up relisting them for more money and they resold right away so I made more in the long run.

Chemical Free

– I had to bring some of my own products to the hotel like shampoo and conditioner. Then we used some of the hotel’s non-chemical free stuff. This doesn’t bother me because it was only for a few days.

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