Fourth Frugal Friday of October 2024
Welcome to Frugal Friday!
My Frugal Week
I sold two items on eBay this week.
I measured & processed clothes for Bailey this week.
I mended a pair of pants that had a hole in the seam.
This is a three day snapshot of our electric usage from last week. 17.60 kWh on Saturday is pretty low and I'm tickled with that. I would love to have more days like that, but running the washer or the air conditioner runs the bill higher. Not running the air and wearing clothes more than once helps save money.
Bailey was gone over the weekend to a friend's home and thrifting while I stayed home. I decided to get busy using up the many apples we have here and started by adding them to my crockpot on Saturday morning.
By Sunday afternoon they were turned into six half pint jars of homemade apple butter. The only cost to me was for the lids as both the apples and jars were gifted to me at various times.
The slow cooked apple butter made the whole house smell good and reminds me of Fall. This is just the beginning of some Christmas presents I'll be making this year.
I had an appointment with my diabetes doctor on Monday. My last A1C was 4.9, which is good, but we discussed my having low blood sugars lately.
Afterwards, I went to Gordon for a curbside order of black olives. I have found their prices have gotten high lately, but the black olives are still a good savings for my household. Plus there is no impulse shopping by not going into the store.
I also stopped in at Whole Foods & Walmart for a few things.
Walmart has their peppermint Soft Soap right now for $1.00, so I bought twelve of them for my gift closet. They will make a nice Christmas gift paired with something homemade.
I also found two boxes of Post-It Notes on clearance for $1.50 or 30 cents each. These are going into my gift closet too. I'll be making Post-It note covers for these like the ones in this photo:
I also have some magnets I could glue to the back for people to put them on their refrigerators too. Some of those designs even have a space for a pen or pencil.
Speaking of Christmas, I looked on eBay to see if I could find an asked for gift lower in cost than the retail version of it, which I did and the seller had a "make an offer" button, so I used that he made a counteroffer and in the end I saved $8 off his original asking price. It doesn't hurt to ask. I have another gift I’m waiting to hear back on after submitting an offer.
As I mentioned before, Bailey spent the weekend with a friend in Oak Ridge and they went to six different thrift stores. She is always so thoughtful and looks for clothes for me that she thinks I can wear.
I was just telling her last week that I need a pair of fingerless gloves to keep my hand warms as cold weather approaches and look what she found:
She also picked me up six new to me shirts and two pairs of pants.
My old Swing-A-Way can opener has been giving me a lot of trouble lately even after trying to repair it after watching a You Tube video. I was having a lot of trouble opening some cans even having to pry the lids off some of them, so I knew it needed to be replaced.
So, I've been doing my research and looking for old new stock Swing-A-Way on eBay, and finally decided on the EZ DUZ IT Can Opener, which sells for $9.95. I've had it for about a month now and it works great. I thought I would mention it just in case you might be in need of a new can opener.
Saving Money on Entertainment
The Magic of Ordinary Days is an older Hallmark film from 2005 about a pregnant out of wedlock, educated young woman who is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer during WWII. The characters are very gentle with one another, which I found refreshing.
Amazon Prime wanted $4.29 to rent this film, even though I am an Amazon Prime member, so rather than pay that amount, I watched it for free on Plex TV.
What I've been Reading This Week
Bailey just finished reading Set Boundaries, Find Peace ~ a guide to reclaiming yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab, so she gave it to me to read.
Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here.
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.
BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27
The Magic of Ordinary Days is a terrific movie, and I love the title. I use it often to describe the days that just fell good, but aren't the big events. I've never made apple butter but in years to come if my apple trees ( small now) produce, maybe that'll be a new hobbies to add.
ReplyDeleteMaking apple butter is rewarding and then you get to gift other people with your work. :)
DeleteIt is great that Bailey shops for you, helping you out. I may need fingerless gloves this winter.
ReplyDeleteThank you. They definitely come in handy when typing, Linda.
DeleteSounds like the gift closet is going well. Yum on the apple butter- that will be well received.
ReplyDeleteI used my fingerless gloves last week when I went to an outdoor event! It sleeted that day and got super chilly!
Brrrr, they are good for days like that, Cheryl. :)
DeleteThanks for all the tips! I love all your ideas for gifts. Those post it covers are so cute, and I'm going to check to see if our Walmart has the peppermint soap. So much cheaper than bath and body works. The apple butter sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI would love to cut out some of our streaming services, and I hadn't heard of Plex, and that movie sounds sweet.
Hope you have a great weekend.
You're welcome, Kathy. Exactly what I was thinking on the soaps, so much cheaper than Bath and Body Works! I think you will like the movie. And hope you have a great weekend.
DeleteSuch lovely gift ideas! I have to try some of the peppermint Softsoap. Apples were on sale for 79c/lb, so I bought about a lot and made apple cookies & apple sauce. I love how Bailey shops for you. Hope you both have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ms. Gee. Apple cookies and apple sauce sounds delicious! Bailey is a keeper! LOL I hope you also have a wonderful weekend.
DeleteThe Magic of Ordinary Days is one of my favorite movies! Good ideas for gifts. I'm looking to pick a few things up for Christmas for my kids. I'm very grateful that they're content with whatever we can afford and they're happy to receive anything.
ReplyDeleteI love it that your children are content and happy to receive anything for Christmas. Bailey is the same way and she knows that I do not mind any thrifted gifts from her as she finds some of the best stuff second hand. We need to make that more normal than we do now.
Delete(Little Penpen) This post is full of goodness! I’m going to look for the peppermint soap. I’m going to check out the book and the movie. You and Bailey are a dream team!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Penny. You are so sweet. :)
DeleteIf your new can opener ever goes South on you(why is that a derogatory saying anyway? lol)try an OXO branded one, like what we got. They may cost a bit more but are nice and sturdy and have wide grips.
ReplyDeleteAnd a 4.9 A1C is great and in the normal range!! If you are having low blood sugars they need to adjust/change/discontinue some of your meds. I was on 4 meds in PA but after I lost the last 50 lbs. the doc here took me off all of those drugs but kept me on the injectable to help me lose some more weight. He considers me in remission as all my numbers have been in the normal range for more than a year now.
Congratulations on that accomplishment!! It's huge.
Thank you so much, Sluggy. That means a lot to me. You’ve come a long way on your journey too. One year out in the normal range is amazing! Great job!
DeleteYou are always such a frugal person. I have some apples that need to be used so perhaps apple butter will be made very soon. Thanks for the kick in the butt about that.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you, Jackie. You, my friend, are amazing. You knitted over 300 pairs of mittens this year and stay very busy being productive. 💕
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