What frugal things have you done today...part two - Page 5

[mom2alexandcalynn]

loving this thread!!
what does tp mean?? telephone??

[CerridwenLorelei]

not the most frugal

but the kids had dental today and in the afternoon ds#3 had OT in the town over ( about 32 miles so 64 round trip) so we did lunch out at the evil place today with dh ( don't flame me we had some really bad news on dh today and needed quick and cheap we will make up for it later) then kids and I went and used our museum passes for the rest of the day until time for ds appt.
We stopped in said town to grab the less $$ organic milk ( metropolitan town =more people=better prices than the few places here)



yesterday dh and ds talked about going out and we talked about ice cream but I found stuff for dinner that most of us would eat ( one SID kid so harder to fix for) and found some things to fix that 'sweet tooth" that I had picked up from farmers market earlier in the weekend...

[mamimapster]

Hi there,
Tp=trading post, and MDC area where people go to buy, sell, swap & gift others.

Our day:
1.I got a bunch of books out of the library today to teach me how to do basic car maintenance on our cars. each time we change the oil on our "rolling relics" it costs us about 25.00 each! Not doing it has the potential to be even more expensive. I am pretty sure I can get everything I need toolswise to maintain our cars for about 15.00, which means one set of oil changes would pay for everything.
2. library instead of buying books
3. dd's juice from home tho' I spent four dollars at starbucks for coffee & snacks
however, just this once maybe I can consider this a political act since starbucks is under heat from conservatives for supporting glbt people?
4. left car at library & walked to sb &park so I didn't waste as much gas.-also resolved to not drive to close grocery anymore and instead wheel food home in the laundry cart
5.washed & line dryed a load of clothes
6. combined a variety of leftovers to make supper (organic ww pasta w/green beans & tomato walnut pesto).
7. will be soon shutting everything down & going to bed! (I am a horrible nighthawk).
tomorrow awaits:

[root*children]

I rode the bus today... for the first time since I've had kids... they LOVED it! And it only cost $1.50 for us to get downtown and home. Downtown we went to the bank (depositing in the savings account is always a frugal thing, IMO ) and to go sign up for WIC. Then they played in the downtown pond and had a blast. It was so cool because even when we used to have our own car (now a 1-car family), the kids and I only used it to go places near the house, and never went downtown.

Also went to Lowe's intending to spend about $40 on stuff to help our new house, but left only spending $4 on stuff that isn't as pretty, but entirely functional and decided to have DH make the other things I wanted

[Bufomander]

It's 8:16 a.m. here...

*used shampoo that was on clearance at target, conditioner from big lots, and bar soap instead of body wash.
*dressed in garage sale pants (that fit both my husband and i), a button up that used to belong to my grandpa that i've had since college (i'm 29), a bra that's 4-6 years old (i'm working this morning so i don't have to wear a nursing bra), and a jacket that i've had for about 7 years that is a hand-me-down from one of my campers when i was a camp counselor.
*combed my hair with a pick that was my mother's when i was still living at home and let it (the hair, not the pick. well, actually, the pick as well ) air dry w/o styling agents.
* had some breakfast bars that i made on saturday -- a nice big pan that lasts us nearly a week, usually
* changed my daughter's cloth diaper and had a quick nak.
*am heading to work now, make a little bit of money, renew my books (i work at the public library) and see if i can find a book on cd for my husband to listen to while he's at work.
*will put some ice water in a bottle for me to take to work, that'll help me avoid the snacks to buy in the break room.

not too bad! it's nice to type it all out, i feel like a good person now!

[UUMom]

For nearly two months now, we're only using one car. Dh and I ae taking turns and most days my dh walks to and from work (8 miles total).

I have not gone shopping (other than for food) for anything at all for a few weeks, meaning not even a yard sale. I usually go to Saver's once a week or once every two weeks, but i haven't.

I have not had one iced coffee out all summer.

I dropped off some things at the consignment store the other day, and I hope to get a check from them next month. (They pay after they sell the items).

One of our children is going back to private school in Sept and every dime counts right now.

[HydeParkB]

My frugal think for today was posting some textbooks on half.com.

I'm also going to the middle eastern market over lunch break to by some bulk fenugreek.

[mamimapster]

1.My frugal things for today were: bringing my own bags to the grocery store (they give a little discount for byo)
2. Sticking closely to my list & not buying "extra" goodies at the grocery store.
3.Not eating out-only one small iced coffee. On my work days when I can in the car for 5+ hours it is HARD not to want snacks or goodies especially when i deliver to a restaurant or coffeehouse.
4. Cloth Hankerchiefs instead of kleenex for my sniffles (much gentler on the nose, too)
5. Soaked & cooked a batch of cannelini beans for pasta e fagioli, saved some $$ by not buying or using canned.
6. Dp brought home a bunch of leftover fancy-shmancy cheeses/dried fruit & oatmeal cranberry cookies from an event her work sponsored. I will be eating a super yummy lunch in my car tomorrow, and it will be totally free except for the bread & lettuce on my smoked gouda W/dilled havarti sandwich I CANNOT believe that they throw this stuff away when people are going hungry! When I worked there I would basically shoo away all of the catering people who were tossing stuff and pack it: some for us/some to take to our local women's shelter. One night after a large hospital party my car was sooo packed full of stuff that we went home, unpacked half and the car still looked full. When I got to the shelter one of the women working there literally started to cry as I unpacked tray after tray of fruit, salads, fancy cheeses etc. I was pretty embarassed actually, but I know all of those women had a very tasty breakfast the next morning. I wish there was a way to get more organizations to do this.

[root*children]

Mamimapster - how wonderful you have access to FREE gourmet food for yourself and enough to share!!! What a cool perk for a job
Where do you buy dried cannelinni beans???? I've searched high and low and can only find canned!

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by mamimapster

Dp brought home a bunch of leftover fancy-shmancy cheeses . . . I CANNOT believe that they throw this stuff away when people are going hungry!

I so agree! I used to be a teacher and the waste they force the kids to create every day is truly sinful. Even if a kid is lactose intolerant and will puke for days, they MAKE him take a milk to satisfy the government nutrition guidelines. Then the kid is instructed to throw it out, unopened. Tons of waste, every day, in every school. Made me crazy. I used to swipe cartons and drink them myself.

[mamimapster]

Originally Posted by root*children

Mamimapster - how wonderful you have access to FREE gourmet food for yourself and enough to share!!! What a cool perk for a job
Where do you buy dried cannelinni beans???? I've searched high and low and can only find canned!

Hey there,
Actually the free food is a rare occurence these days. Before our DD was born we both worked in separate parts of a major University w/teaching hospital attached, when we both worked there the free leftovers happened about once every other month when there was a big event for one or the other of us. Nowadays since I'm no longer working there, this maybe happens once a quarter (this was an end of summer quarter event). I was on my own and working full time when I was 16, so most of my first jobs were in food available situations (I managed a number of restaurants for 5 years). That way I knew if there was nothing else there would always be some kind of food. (not always great food, try being a vegetarian managing a fast food fried chicken restaurant!) :

Dried canelini beans I have found from a variety of sources: Goya, which is a company marketed to mainly "hispanic" clientelle sells bagged canelini beans, and those can often be found in mexican groceries,or the "ethnic' isle of big grocery chains. I sometimes get mine from a small itallian market near my house (can't remember the brand name right now). However, I also recently discovered that whole foods sells Organic Cannelini beans in their bulk isle for a pretty good price (around 2.00 per lb here). The dried ones are much more yummy IMHO! Happy Hunting.

[mamimapster]

(slightly off topic, but a folowup)
Oh, and I really do miss working there. The problem was that our schedules were identical, and we really didn't want our (3 mos old at the time) dd in daycare 40+ hours a week. I still cannot belive that a supposedly benevolent oranization employing 20,000 people didn't even have one daycare where moms could keep kids on site. I was offered an awesome part-office part-wahm job at a Non-profit at the time, with a grant that was supposed to be for two years, sadly the fund for the grant ran out of money in 9 mos due to the economy. So now you know why I'm hanging out in the frugal zone!
However, I am also trying to learn some lessons so that when we are less broke, and I am more gainfully employed (right now I'm only working about 8 hours per week), we will actually be positioned to dig ourselves out of the hole we are in. Part-time jobs where I used to work are few and far between, but I am applying for every single one I have any hope of qualifying for.

My frugal thing for today was that I went to the thrift and picked up 15.00 in repairable/sellable stock, as well as a cool new hippie hair scrunchie for .20, a patchwork doggie for dd .90, a HUGE box of popsicle sticks for crafts/making homemade popsicles 1.50, and lastly a cool long hippie skirt for myself for 1.00.
Hopefully by the time I'm done I'll be able to turn the 15.00 investment into about 80.00, which will pay half of the overdue electric.

[EricaLeigh]

Since reading TWG which I took out from the library & later requested & received from a local freecycle member, I have been comsumed by thinking about how I can be more frugal. I have often read this thread but never took the time to post my own sucesses. Hope I don't sound like I'm tooting my own horn. I make solar iced tea. Make my own chocolate syrup, which dh uses on a daily basis for his coffee. CD (but my dd has been using the potty & wearing undies for 6 days now!!!) Line dry laundry weather permitting...bought retractable line for laundry room, need dh to hang it up! Made homemade pancakes for breakfast this morning. I make my own granola. Baked bread & made a big pot of soup this week. I use half reccomended amount of laundry detergent, & vinegar instead of the softner. I vacume with my electrulux upright that I got from freesysle when my vacume died. I clean with microfiber cloths. Make own cleaning solutions, usually vinegar & water. We use cloth napkins & hankies. We usually eat one meal a week which comtains beans & rice Mexican style. I shop at Price Rite, which has awesome prices, & bring my own bags, (they charge for their bags, & you have to pack your own groceries). I always use my canvas bags when I shop for food. I recycle bread bags & produce bags & any other bags plastic bags that come into the house to pick up presents that the dog leaves us on the lawn. (I used to purchase doggie pick up bags) I purchase from the bulk bins at the hf store. Please check out your hf store if you bake bread. At mine they sell bakers yeast for $3.69/lb, so I get a snack size baggie full of yeast for a dollar! At the grocery store you get the 3 tiny packets for about $1.99. That's 3 batches of bread, my baggie lasts for a long time. I make pizza once a week homemade dough & I usually grill it, yum. I shread my own cheese that I get very cheaply. I get a huge chunk of Pecorino Romano for $3.99/lb from an italian butcher shop. I have received several perennial plants from freecycle. If you're not familar with freecycle search the internet for yahoo free cycle. I'd provide a link if I knew how : check it out. It is awesome. I wash sandwinch bags & foil to reuse. I shop for clothing at consignment & thrift shops. I'm starting a price book to keep track of low prices. So when they are low I can stock up. We got 2 antique oak dressers from a local radio show called Swap Shop. Where people call in to sell their stuff or tell the community what they are looking for. It is free to advertise on the show. We paid $70 a piece. We have been in our house for just a month now! No cable (not for the summer anyway). We purchased our house with a CHFA loan - lowest % rate avail. We need to replace our heating system so decided to change it compleatly from forced hot air to baseboard. After getting a few quotes that last being $11,750. We decided to swallow our pride & ask my Dad for help. He offered to do all of the baseboard & pluming for nothing if we could get someone to install the furnace ( he wasn't comfortable since he never did that part before). One of our best friends is doing this for free! My DH will be helping & learning the whole time. The supplies should be about $3,500. We got the seller to kick back $3,500 at closing for that purpose. Also the seller is renting the shed from us for (we signed contracts for 1 year he paid us $1200 at closing for this year). We have nothing to put inside the shed yet anyway. Also we will incorporate our water, to be heated by the boiler. And get rid of our electric hot water heater that is killing us on the elec. bill. That project will begin in two weeks. We started to remodel the downstairs bathroom since the toilet had been leaking for some time. I purchased ceramic tile for $1.00/sq ft (close out price) & my dad let us brrow the wet saw, & helped with the layout. Me & DH grouted & still have to tend to the walls which had wall paper that I pulled off. We got a free toilet from my DH's Pop, who just moved into a codo a month ago, & needs a special toilet do to his knee. He offered his to us for free. My best suggestion is to put the word out when you need something instead of running out to buy it. My DH needs a little more practice with this. Starting a compost pile since the old homeowners have been piling leaves behind the shed for some time. Already have usable compost. I use a diva cup & cloth liners that I made. I try to make homemade gifts when I plan ahead soaps, handbags, bath salts baked goods soup mixes & playdough mixes. We make our own wine & beer, which makes great gifts. We just had another relative call this week to have us come over & look at their old furnature that they are getting rid of. Plan to go this weekend. People with gardens often give away surplus veggies that they can't possiably use. I have so much love in my heart right now, I feel like there are so many great, giving people on the earth right now! They aren't all out to make a buck. We in turn have passed many out grown, no longer used or needed items to friends family & freecycle. It is a beautiful thing. I am very fortunate & thankful. I have been giving out gifts to these wonderful people who have made owning a house possiable for us. I know that this is more than what I've done TODAY, but thought it may spark up ideas in all of you! Sorry it's so long!

[Heffernhyphen]

Ladies and gentlemen . . . I think we have a winner!

[mamimapster]

Ericaleigh.....
Awwesome take a bow and then pass on your best granola making recipie. Please let me second the freecycle reccomendation! I mostly use it to pass on/recycle but it has also been great for things that I just didn't know how to get (like an entire case of armstrong linoleum to repair my damaged laundry room floor), and a replacement for a busted toilet tank lid on a rare 30 yr old toilet, tons of garden stuff too. I think that the link would be as follows: http://www.freecycle.org/ and then go to your local site and sign up!

Please cross some fingers for me. My frugal things for the day were spending NO direct money today, and making my first batch of yougurt with the salton yogurtmaker I bought at a thrift for 1.50. I actually passed up two yougurt makers at thrift shops before I bought this one, since it was the first/cheapest one I saw with glass jars (very inportant since I needed to make it kosher before I could use it), and all of it's parts intact. : so around 1am thins morning I will know if it worked!

Edited to correcet freecycle link.

[EricaLeigh]

Granola recipe

5 C. rolled oats
1 C. nuts of choice (walnuts, almonts, whatever you like)
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
1/2 C. sesame Seeds
1/2 C flax seeds
1/2 C. wheat germ
1 C. apple juice concentrated (thawed)
1/4 C. honey
1 t. cinnamin
1/2 t. salt
1 C. soy nuts ( optional)
1 C. dried cranberries(optional)

Mix all dry ingredients Except for the dried cranberries. Dissolve the juice concentrate & the honey by heating up stovetop or nuke it. Sprinkle on top of dry mixture toss to coat. Than spray 2 large baking sheets with oil of choice. Grab handfuls of mixture & wad it together in your hands, before placing it on the pan. This creates clumps (which I love). Bake for 25-30 minutes at 300, I rotate the pans halfway through so that they brown evenly. You only want it golden, not too brown or it will taste burnt. Time accordingly to your oven. Allow to cool add dried fruit (I usually let the individuals do this when serving since we all like different things- cranberries, raisins, or nothing at all. Make sure it is completly cool, store in an airtight container. Enjoy by the handful, on yogurt, in milk, on ice cream or however else you like! This recipe is one I have adapted after trying a few different ones. It contains no oil, but if you want to by all means add it to the liquid. This is easy add what you like. Substitute pumpkin seeds or orange juice don't add salt if you don't want to. Experiment, it's fun & you'll learn what you like.

Btw I made split pea soup for dinner & ww bread. My mom brought over a ton of movies. She belongs to one of those clubs, but none really for the kids. We watched one tonight when the girls were asleep. We have paint coming to us from our dear friends who just built a house a few months ago & have surplus paint. Another freebee. Soon we won't have white walls! Also our patio set & dining room set were family pass-alongs.
Mamimapster let us know how you make out with the yogurt maker. I've heard that you can use a heating pad!? If you don't have a yogurt maker. How is the texture, flavor?

[Bufomander]

August 26, 2005 11:11 a.m.

*finished reading a book that i got by trading books at a used bookstore
*cd'd my dd
*bf'd her to sleep for her nap in our bed
*ate bread from the bread machine and cheese bought with WIC
*dd and i stayed naked all morning (well, underwear and diaper)-- comfort and frugality all in one!
*waiting to shower until after i clean the toilet

[mamimapster]

Thanks sooo much for the granola recipie! it seems really simple. About how much granola does it make? Trying to figure out what size storage jar I will need for it once I'm done. I am so proud. The yougurt atcually took! I was worried because when I was a kid my mother used to make yogurt and 1/2 the time it turned into curdled milk, so I didn't think it would be this easy. it's plain right now and has a lovely creamy/tart taste since we used whole organic milk (on sale at WF for 2.79). The great thing is that now I'm going to start taking some of the odd preserves/bit of leftover vermont maple syrup and test flavors. The instructions said it was best to add after it was done, but the containers are full.

My frugal thing for today was to wrestle with the bank and get 85.00 of my money back. However, tomorrow I will probably have to give that money to the other bank, but when that's done we will close out all of the old accounts and have the Chase bank albatross off of our backs. I can't wait for this to be over. I hate banks. However, I did it to myself.

[Heffernhyphen]

Found Smirnoff Twisted Cranberry "Girl Beer" on sale for $4.99 a six pack and bought as many as I could with what I could scrounge out of my purse. Seriously, I was counting lint-coated coins. I'm set till red wine season returns.

[mamimapster]

Originally Posted by Heffernhyphen

Found Smirnoff Twisted Cranberry "Girl Beer" on sale for $4.99 a six pack and bought as many as I could with what I could scrounge out of my purse. Seriously, I was counting lint-coated coins. I'm set till red wine season returns.

:LOL
NOW that is the frugal highlight for today I don't usually drink, but I could use one of those right about now!