All right, people. This is about to get real!
We here at The Kitchen Recessionista are no stranger to recessionary times – and for that matter recessionary behaviors. Over the years we’ve seen all manner of financial situations arise that we may not like, but not to worry – we’re made of sturdier stuff. We can – and will! – not just survive, but thrive!
So when it came to pass that one of LeeLee’s projects has temporarily stopped bearing financial fruit, we jumped into action. In full disclosure, as usual I had an afternoon freakout the day we were made aware of this drought, but by the next day we were both back in fine form and ready to face everything head-on.
This isn’t a 911 crisis. We’ve certainly survived on much less for much longer. But when one gets used to a source of income and then that income is placed on Pause, it ought to spark a moment to reflect. Which is just what we’ve done. And with that, we’ve made a few cuts, some of which I’ll log here (and some of which are ongoing and, I hope, will be logged next week).
1. I downgraded a fitness membership.
Over the past year or so I’ve really gotten into stationary rowing, and I’ve found a great home at Row House for such things. After analyzing how many times I go on an average month, I realized I could stand to downgrade to a lower plan, so I called up the front desk to do just that. Now, one unanticipated consequence of this was that they charged me on my new contract a mere TWO WEEKS after they charged me for my existing contract, but a polite (yet pointed) email to the gym got that rectified. Still, I’ll be keeping an eye on my bank statements for the next few weeks. Anyway – that’s a solid $30 a month saved without any change in my behavior. I’ll take it!
2. I combined a few of my gift cards for ease of use.
We all have these gift cards that are made up of odds and ends – a few dollars here, a $20 there. I combined some of my Visa gift cards to make them a bit more usable, AND I combined three Starbucks gift cards via the app to keep all of my coffee money in one place. Easy peasy!
3. I ordered some new shorts on eBay.
I am unapologetic about this fact: eBay remains one of my go-to shopping spots for summer fashion. There’s a certain style of shorts that I really like and that fits me well (at least, I think so! :)), but it is a few seasons old now and thus not easy to find on store shelves. No matter: eBay to the rescue! I can often find the perfect size, style and color for $10 or less, and that’s just what I did for two pairs of shorts this week. They’ve already arrived to the house and after a wash will be ready to wear!
4. My basement doorknob is showroom-new after a second repair.
Remember last week when I was bragging about fixing my basement doorknob? Well, that joy turned to sadness a few days later when the latch began to stick again, and I worried I’d have to have an expert come in to analyze things further. But then, a light bulb went off: Why not try a little WD40? I know, I know, many repair folks say not to use the stuff, but I say if you’ve got it, flaunt it. And that’s just what I did. And lo and behold, it worked like a dream! The doorknob now purrs like a kitten and opens so smoothly, I just can’t tell you. I’m thrilled.
5. I have put our cleaner service on hold – maybe temporarily, maybe forever.
In terms of money saved, this should probably be No. 1 on the list, but I’m including it at No. 5 because it is the most recent frugality of the week. Way back in 2017 or so, LeeLee and I gave each other the gift of a monthly cleaning service for Christmas, and while there’s been the occasional scheduling issue or broken trinket, it’s all been pretty stable for all these years – except for recently, when the company raised their prices (totally their prerogative) and the quality of service went down concurrently. This week, after the team was a full three hours late and scooted through in record time (and I don’t place the blame with the team — they’re woefully overscheduled!), I decided this was a luxury we could no longer afford, so I wrote to the owner to request that we put our service on hold indefinitely. This will save us more than a hundred dollars a month right off the bat! And I feel we can keep things tidy enough. Time will tell. ;)
What frugal things have you been up to this week? Let us know in the comments!
:)