Third Frugal Friday of August 2026

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday

Each Friday here at Frugal Workshop, I love sharing the frugal wins, quiet savings, and simple strategies that helped us stretch our budget over the past seven days. It’s a gentle look back at the small things that make a big difference. 
When Bartering Doesn’t Work
I had an incident happen last week that I want to discuss. Back in June I made a barter arrangement with someone in exchange for garbage service, outside hose repair, roof repair, and weed eating and mowing in exchange for some of Dad’s equipment downstairs. It was a good deal for both of us if he had kept up his part of the arrangement. 
First off he wanted to change our Monday arrangement to Friday. I said no as that is a prime yard sale day in summer, but he had already stopped coming on Monday as he made an arrangement with someone else for another job. Then he backed out of the hose and roof repairs, and when I asked him to work on the lawn, he said he couldn’t for two to three months. Sigh. 
I’ve been burned before by people coming here and thinking they can take advantage of me. He already took a great deal of the equipment and was not fulfilling our agreement. So, after discussing it with Bailey I asked him to bring the equipment back and I would pay him for his services he had done so far. He was not happy, but I can sell the equipment for more money and get the repairs done that way, which is what I plan on doing. 
The moral of the story is that sometimes bartering doesn’t work. Bailey told me I shouldn’t have let him take the equipment before the work was done and she is right. I feel bad but I can’t let someone take advantage of me either, so this is what was going down last Friday when I didn’t post. I gave him his money and wished him the very best. Lesson learned the hard way.
My Frugal Week
Last week I used a $5.00 off Bealls reward when I was buying some Skinny Syrup. 
Monday afternoon I took a tumble backwards and fell onto the concrete floor downstairs and one of Dad’s machines fell onto my foot and leg. I went to urgent care and nothing is broken, just scrapped up and bruised. My doctor has an ace bandage on it for now. 
Earning Money 
I sold my Reel Lawn Mower on Facebook Marketplace for $50 this week. I bought it to mow our yard and then realized it wasn't powerful enough to do the job, so I made the decision to sell it. I only paid $40 for it, so I made a good deal. 
On Sunday I measured and processed fifty-five clothing items for Bailey’s online shops. We barter this with each other and exchange my work for her paying the Internet bill each month, which she has to have for her business. It’s a win-win for both of us. 
I received a payout of $35 from a class action lawsuit I had joined for something I had purchased in the past. It takes so long for one to payout that I don't even recall what it was for now. 
Yard Sale Saturday
Last Friday I went to a yard sale and picked up:
Brute garbage can $2.00Cat Condo freeS Hooks 25 centsBlender Shaker Bottle metal inside 25 centsHangers 50 centsTwin Size Bed Platform Frame $2.00Oyster Food Chopper $1.ooWooden Clock $1.00Aveeno Body lotion 25 centsDove soap 3 pack $1.00
Freebies
I was dropping off some trash the other day and found a couple of freebies at the garbage dump. Someone had left some brand new brake pads, which I brought home for Bailey to sell as they are worth $74.95 of the Napa auto parts website. 

I also found a couple of welcome mats and this air stepper fitness machine. We already had one of them upstairs in Bailey's room and now we have one downstairs too.  I put a walker in front of it to hold on as I'm not too steady on it. 
That is my week in a nutshell. How was your week?

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.

Belinda 🫶 💕 Homemaker at Heart 💕 ~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27