Well, friends, I have no good excuse for my absence other than life has been absolutely crazy. I think it has been for many of us lately, no? But rest assured, my frugality has persisted despite the insanity (and occasional inanity). Here are some of my favorite frugal things over the past couple of weeks!
1. I canceled a magazine subscription – with vigor!
Ever since LeeLee and I returned from London in the summer of 2022, I’ve subscribed to Hello! magazine to stay up to date on all the royal goings-on. Even though the subscription is rather pricey, I’ve always written it off as an occasional entertainment expense and have never regretted it – until last week, when I opened the white envelope to see the face of our nation’s current first lady staring back at me. This was not a welcome sight. I subscribe to Hello! to get away from our national politics, not to entrench myself! And that single issue gave me the prompting I needed to ping the company and ask them not to renew me when my subscription came up over the summer. Reactionary? Not a chance. I’m not new to this sort of thing – back in the 1990s I did the same thing to Sports Illustrated when they published an ill-conceived hit job on my beloved Florida State Seminoles called “Tainted Title.” That time, I had the satisfaction of calling them up to cancel voice-to-voice (and then discuss with them again at length when their winback department called to ask if I would give them another try), but this time around I had to be satisfied with a sternly worded email. At any rate, that’s a couple hundred dollars in my pocket every year! I’ll take it.
2. We got an excellent BOGO deal on some green tea.
I’m a sucker for some green tea, and was absolutely thrilled to learn over the weekend that our local Harris Teeter was offering my beloved Bigelow tea on a buy one, get one offer! I drink at least one cup, and often more, a day for health, so this will keep me stocked for quite a while.
3. I called Marriott to dispute a charge (and won!).
LeeLee got home from a weeklong stay at a Marriott property recently, and several days later we got a charge for $27.84, which seemed incongruous, as the weekly total had already been posted. Turns out it was for a breakfast that LeeLee had been told was complimentary! It took some calling around, but $27 is $27 and I was not able to let that go.
4. I ordered two new pairs of eyeglasses on a low-cost eyewear site that came well-recommended.
Now, in fairness, I don’t have these new glasses on the bridge of my nose just yet, but I am excited at the prospect! When I lamented to a friend the other day that my current pair of glasses were broken-down and janky, she recommended Firmoo for a low-cost replacement. Ordering was simple, and the price was right – especially after a 20%-off coupon for being a first-time customer! I bought two pairs and the grand total came to $65 and change. I’ll be sure and update once they arrive!
5. We saved $100 at our vet visit this week.
It was time for Humboldt the Cat’s wellness checkup, so I brought him into our local vet kicking and screaming (well, he was doing the kicking and screaming – I was perfectly calm). A vet visit, no matter how routine, is always an expense, especially nowadays. So imagine my delight when our vet, after perusing the options for his wellness blood panel, uncovered one that was a good $100 cheaper than the choice we’d made before! In fairness, it is a newer panel, which is why the choice hadn’t been offered in the past, and it included all of the major health markers just as the old one did. Sold! The vet appointment total still came out to, well, a lot, but it was at least a lot minus $100!
What frugalities have you been up to this week? Let’s hear it in the comments!
:)
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