Five Frugal Things ~ November 10, 2017

This past week, my frugal adventures were:

•  I took advantage of the wonderful November grocery sales at Kroger and used the opportunity to stock up several items in our pantry and freezer, in order to see us through the year, until next November.

•  I used coupons in a booklet I was given at Petsmart (because we adopted our cat from the local shelter) to receive free cat and dog foods.  I simply presented the adoption paperwork and the little flyer I was given at the shelter to the cashier, and she handed me the coupon booklet with many "freebie" coupons, and several money saving coupons, on a variety of pet supplies!  I still have some coupons for free items that I will use next time.

•  I washed and dried a sheet of foil that was only used to cover a cake in a 9x13" pan.  I also continued my habit of washing, drying and saving zipper style bags.  If they are easy enough to wash quickly, and haven't stored greasy items or raw meats, they are fair game to be reused, in my opinion!

•  used a coupon for a free container of cat litter,  saving us $7.99!

•  a $40 fee was waived for us on a service that we needed to have performed!  (Businesses have been lenient on certain things in this area since hurricane Harvey's flood waters devastated so many lives here.)

I hope this offers encouragement to you if you are attempting to save money for things you may need or want or just trying to spend less!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Five Frugal Things ~ September 15, 2017

Encouragement from an afternoon walk that Autumn temperatures will soon be on their way!

This week's frugal five are again, little things that all add up.  This week I:

•  used bubble bath that I had on hand to refill a hand soap dispenser when both it, and my large refill bottle, ran out.  I didn't want to make a special trip just for that one item (which inevitably turns into several items by the time I leave the store!). The bubble bath was thick enough that I ended up adding some water to it to thin it out a bit.

•  finished the last little bits of a few different products.

•  received several cents off coupons for, and a coupon for a free package of, cat litter.

•  transplanted plants that had self sown in out of the way places to brighten up bare spots in the garden.  Propagated a couple of plants from cuttings of plants I already own.

•  only ran errands on one day this past week rather than my usual couple of errand running days.

I hope you found some new ways to save money this week!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Five Frugal Things ~ September 8, 2017

sidewalk lined with flowers on each side~take time to savor the beauty all around you!

This past week's frugal efforts have been mostly about "continuing to's".  Things I do regularly, nothing new, major or out of the ordinary.

I continued to:

•  wash and dry resealable plastic bags to be reused.

•  rinsed fairly clean, but used aluminum foil to be reused.

•  hang and air out gently worn clothing in order to wear a second wearing.  We've had a few cool, low humidity days this past week. Combining that with wearing certain outer garments for a short time, allowed me to justify this.  Less wear and tear and breakdown of fibers going through a laundry cycle resulting in being able to own and wear the items longer, and not have buy a new piece of clothing sooner rather than later. (I usually only practice this during cooler and/or less humid weather. During hot, muggy, sweaty weather, clothes MUST be washed after each wearing no matter how short of a time I wore the item.)

•  create meals using items on hand, concentrating on first using items before they expire, rather than just cooking what I "feel like" cooking.  This is requiring a lot of thought, focus and prioritization on my part, lol.

•  strategize and think through online purchases.  I waited for, and used, a "25% off total purchase" Joann Fabric coupon to purchase some fabric I had been wanting.  I also took advantage of a labor day coupon code for 15% off my total online coffee purchase.

Little things that all add up! (Or at least help to offset those times out of our control, when we can't save money, or have to spend unexpected dollars due to emergencies.)

I hope you have been able to "stay the course" with your frugal efforts this past week, no matter how seemingly trivial!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

September Favorites

Since I enjoy seeing and learning about others favorite things, I thought I would post some of my favorite things for the past month. Let's get started, shall we? ;D

1) Pumpkin anything. In this case, pumpkin spice chai latte.

2) Time. To do things like explore my phone camera's features. 

 3) Licorice nail polish. But NOT licorice candy...ack!

4) Savings.

5) Seasonal flavors. Oh, and sweets. (Just in case it's not obvious by now.)

6) And last but not least...a concoction I can only believe in the depths of my soul was created by the diet demon's minions...

DOU'SSANT.

It's what happens when a doughnut marries a croissant and, well...ya' know.

 

 

These are a few of my favorite September things. So what are some of yours? I'd love to know!

 

Happy October!~TJ

 

 

 

 

Five Frugal Things

If anyone is peeking in here, I hope you are having a wonderful beginning to your week. We are experiencing some deliciously cool, sunny and NON humid weather! Love it!

On the other hand, I can so feel for those who have been devastated by hurricane Sandy because, living here on the Gulf Coast, we have our share of hits & near misses with those weather "tasmanian devils". God sees you all. Look to Him for comfort as many of us are lifting you up to Him in their prayers.

Remaining frugal minded this past week...

In the Garden~ I picked up a few more seed packets in the mark down bin at Walgreens. (We won't go into the marked down halloween candy that we bought. And ate.)

At the Grocery Store~  I've been stocking up the pantry with canned goods and other goodies to build up our stockpile that I've let run low in past weeks. It feels good having that type of "insurance" if need be. I think the recent hurricane put it back front and center in my realm of focus. And as much as I like having plenty on hand in case of emergency or unexpected company, I find that I tend to tap into a lot of that stuff to prepare comfort foods. And anyone that knows me knows I'm a bit fluffy so I have to watch that!
So...I also am making a point to stock up on some non-fattening stuff too:

 

In the Beauty Department~ I got out and used some leave in hair conditioner that I got with samples and I AM LOVING it! It made my hair so soft & less poofy! I may just invest in the full size of that stuff (especially since the samples came with a $! off coupon!)

 

 

In the Kitchen~ well...all the frugal meals & sales will take some time to make up for our new refrigerator & (finally!) dishwasher!!! I'm so excited!!! In the long run...I'm sure...they will pay for themselves. Right? I feel like I should say that ;)

 

In the Health Department~ I have been back on that treadmill! I had a daily goal of 30 minutes of exercise a day. Which I haven't quite hit this past week but I HAVE managed three days. 0-3. For me that's somethin'. And...I've been contemplating the big 5-0 coming up and asking myself how I want to usher that in??? So for three days straight, I have been eating well (no mo' halloween candy!) and when I have been tempted by my big bad sweet teeth (yes, I have more than one), I've indulged in fruit. Yay me!

 

Thanks for sharing my frugal five with me! 

 

 



Sometimes the Solution is Simple

After throwing out $9.50 (ouch) worth of coupons ($8 at Kroger & a $1.50 ECB at CVS) today that could have been used towards anything in their respective stores, and just wanting to kick myself for allowing them to expire before using them, I knew I needed a better way.

How does it even happen in the first place? Well, being the neatnik that I am (not), I tend to throw receipts & register generated rewards/coupons in my purse on the way out of the store. And there they float around awhile until one day, when I decide to either clean out/change out handbags. It is then that I find in my hot little hands one of those type coupons staring back at me, mocking me, expired.

I must, I tell myself, DO SOMETHING about this, for it happens all too often. So, I decide to keep them in my wallet, alongside the cash (since coupons are as good as cash, right? But only when we actually use them...) so they are in my face more often. 

Sometimes the solution to our dilemmas are simple. Whether we brainstorm them ourselves or ask for an objective opinion from someone else.

We'll see how this goes...

Feeling Crafty? Save $ @ Michaels!

Since I was planning to stop by Michael's today, this coupon couldn't have come into my sights at a better time!