Free food turned out to be a bit of a theme for this week’s frugal living! Here’s what we’ve been up to …

1. We proudly used a gift card to help celebrate LeeLee’s birthday.
LeeLee turned the big 5-0 (!) last weekend, and we enjoyed several days of festivities to commemorate this blessed event. We kicked off the weekend having dinner with a couple of friends at one of LeeLee’s favorite restaurants, Landini Brothers, before going to see “A Christmas Carol” (which they had also purchased tickets to in a happy turn of events!). I was happy to treat everyone in order to toast my beloved spouse, of course, but we did have this $50 gift card to Landini that we’d received awhile back as a thank-you … so … I added it to the check folder along with my debit card. I’m tempted to add “and nobody was any the wiser” to the end of that sentence, but that would be a lie – I told everyone at the table, as we all do love a good deal!

2. We brought home some leftover gourmet cake from a holiday party.
In keeping with the birthday theme, we enjoyed a slice of Yule log AND a slice of red velvet cake on the big day itself thanks to our attendance at our neighbors’ holiday party the night before. They always buy soooo much food, and as the evening wound down our hostess insisted we take a couple of slices of cake home. We protested meekly but then acceded to her request – and I’m so glad we did! 

3. I scored a (nearly) free pizza with a gift card.
Our team at work had its virtual holiday pizza party this week, and as a result $25 gift cards were sent out to all of us. I converted mine to a Papa John’s card and ordered a large pizza with a passel of veggies, which fed LeeLee and me for two meals. If not for the delivery, the pizza would have been free, but alas delivery put me just over the card’s value. Between that and the tip, I paid a grand total of $9.52 – still a great savings!

4. A bag of coffee found its way to us via Rotation.
Our friend Denise – who, you might recall, is my partner in crime when it comes to Rotation – dropped off a bag of Colombian coffee that didn’t suit her, and LeeLee had it in the coffeemaker within literally 24 hours! It suits him just fine and will go to great use.

5. My library book habit has been plentiful.
I do sometimes wonder how much money I’ve saved in a year by using the library as faithfully as I do. As I type this now, I’m too lazy to do the calculation, but I know we’re in the hundreds of dollars at the very least. Right now I’ve got a new-to-me Jenny Colgan Christmas story (“Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop”) that I’m devouring to keep me in the holiday spirit! Got any new recommendations for me?

What sorts of frugal things have you been up to lately? Let us know in the comments!

:) 

From holiday parties to erroneous medical bills, our frugality has run the gamut here this week! Here’s what’s been cooking (hint: It’s leftovers).

1. Holiday parties = free dinners!
This has been a week of holiday parties, and with that comes free food. LeeLee and I have munched our way through the week at one party after another, and as a result our grocery bill has been so very small indeed as the days have ticked by. Of course, all this socializing has made us completely exhausted, but again I state: Free food! I’ll never be too old to enjoy free food.

2. I refuted a miscoded medical bill.
So there I was at lunch the other day with my dear friend RayRay (who also happens to be a faithful reader of this blog!) when I began to lament the passel of medical bills that had just arrived through my mail slot, a second go-round of billing after LeeLee’s recent knee surgery. “I’ve already PAID all these people!” I exclaimed in despair. “What else do they want?” RayRay replied that I needed to go through each bill with a fine-toothed comb, which is something that I know but don’t always remember to do. Lo and behold, as I went through our latest bill from the anesthesiologist I realized we were being charged for a “Cardiovascular procedure: Insertion of catheters to evaluate and treat abnormal heart rhythm.” As the heart is nowhere near the knee, I knew at once this was incorrect and called the billing company to inform them. They agreed and said this was probably a miscoded bill and to “disregard,” which keeps $106 in my pocket. But my question is – would they have disregarded my $106 check had I mailed it in? I think not. Anyway. It’s all done now and I am grateful to RayRay for the most timely reminder!

3. I returned an Amazon order on time.
Recently I bought a canvas runner with the thinking I would need to replace my original runner after our 12-day-long construction work in the back yard was done (the crew had been using it to walk through our house to get in and out of the yard), but it turns out the original runner wasn’t nearly as damaged and dirtied as I worried it might be. Thus, the replacement wasn’t necessary, so off it went to the UPS Store for a free return.

4. The Leftover Revolution continues!
When we haven’t been at holiday parties, LeeLee and I have been enjoying our plentiful leftovers. From leftover chik’n and veggie pasta to leftover taco soup to leftover tofu-scramble tacos, we’ve not gone hungry and not gotten bored! The Leftover Revolution is real, friends, and it’s something we can count on in this transitory life.

5. LeeLee was given a new Starbucks card – which went straight into the family account.
LeeLee was recently a guest speaker at a local college, and as a thank-you the instructor sent him a $20 Starbucks gift card, which was certainly not necessary but completely appreciated! When we get these cards, we add them to my Starbucks account – and then we keep them in reserve for when we travel together and need a little pick-me-up. It’s always more fun to get fancy coffee drinks for free!

What have you been doing on the frugal front this week? Let us know in the comments!

:)

Well, I say, I’ve gotten all off kilter with my posting lately! Thanks for sticking around and loving me anyway. I’m just crazy about y’all! :)

It’s been a fun and frugal week for the most part – once you back out the Monday-morning expense of a new battery for LeeLee’s car. I swear to you, if it’s not one thing it’s another! But we are so grateful to be able to pay for such things – even if it means we need to tighten the ol’ belt a bit for the rest of the week!

1. My dad took me out to dinner – twice!
Now, let’s get one thing out of the way right up front: I am not in the business of mooching off my father! But sometimes, he insists on paying, and he is as least as stubborn as I am. This week he’s been in town for work, and TWICE I’ve gotten to meet up with him for dinner, which is a treat each and every time! Both times, he insisted on picking up the tab, which was not at all expected nor desired but much appreciated nevertheless. He’s a good egg and I hope he comes back to visit ASAP.

2. I’ve just put out my Buy Nothing-acquired holiday decor!
This is a frugal thing many months in the making. Earlier this year, a neighbor posted two strands of illuminated candy canes (suitable for lining one’s sidewalk) on our Buy Nothing group, and I snapped them right up. Finally, this week, the time came to put them out along our sidewalk on their maiden voyage, and let me tell you, they were worth the wait! So dang cute. I’m so grateful!

3. I picked up a new puzzle from a neighbor.
Speaking of Buy Nothing: Another neighbor listed a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle the other day and I threw my hat in the ring for it and won! I have a bit of a Thing about not paying for jigsaw puzzles (with very few exceptions) since I can get so many from both our Buy Nothing group and our puzzle swap shelves at the public library. Yet again, my policy paid off! And don’t worry: I’ll definitely put this one back into Rotation as soon as I’ve finished it.

4. Public transport has been our friend this week.
It’s so funny how we can go weeks – sometimes a month or more – without needing to take the bus or the Metro anywhere, and then suddenly we’re taking it all the time. Twice this week I’ve caught the bus to the train station (once with LeeLee, once by myself), and both times I’ve been thrilled at that surplus SmartTrip card balance I stumbled upon the other day! (We’ll leave out the moment on Sunday evening where I stepped off the bus and straight into a hole in the ground, which was obscured by some grass, and twisted my ankle, tumbling to the sidewalk.)

5. I got my covid vaccine!
LeeLee and I returned from vacation in August with the dreaded covid, so we were a bit delayed in getting our wintertime shot, but this week we’ve done just that. The pharmacist said we timed it just perfectly after our illness and before our holiday parties/travel/etc., and I’ll rest easy in that knowledge! Why frugal? Well, first of all, insurance paid for it, thank goodness (as opposed to the last time where we had to pay out of pocket due to the timing and then fight with insurance for the better part of a year for a refund!). But also, staying healthy is definitely a Frugal Thing. Good health means fewer doctor’s visits, fewer medications, and less time off work, all of which yield more money in my pocket at the end of the day. Plus – it just feels better to not be sick! I’ll take it!

What frugal things have you been up to this week? Let’s hear it!

:)

Between a recent marathon and The Election That Shall Not Be Discussed Right Now and a restorative trip home to visit family, it’s been a busy couple-three weeks. But though I haven’t been posting as I ought, I’ve still found plenty of ways to be frugal! (How have you been behaving the past couple of weeks? Let’s hear it.)

1. I used some rewards points to get $10 off my bagel order.
Every month or so, LeeLee and I order a baker’s dozen of bagels from one of our favorite local shops, the Chewish Deli. This time around, I was presented with a surprise when I got to the checkout: We’d earned enough rewards points to knock $10 off the bill! This turned a $24 tab (including tip) into $14 — I’ll take it!

2. I got a sweatshirt to wear to my marathon start line for … $7.99.
So often before longer races, I stand at the start line freezing only to begin to swelter by Mile 1 once the blood starts pumping. Rather than wear a trash bag with a hole cut out for my head (which, I will admit, was a go-to of mine for years), I’ve taken to using either old worn-out long sleeve shirts from my collection OR purchasing a “new” one at Goodwill. This time I elected to do the latter, and I was warm and toasty while I waited for the race to begin! And bonus: All the discarded outerwear that runners left along the course is scooped up and donated to local shelters and charities.

3. I stretched my Monday Chinese takeout to three meals.
LeeLee wasn’t home for Chinese takeout last week, so I did something I don’t normally do: I ordered kung pao tofu AND lo mein, and as a result my takeout lasted for three meals. Not too shabby for a $35 tab!

4. Our friends graciously paid for a dinner out!
A couple of our dear friends were in town for the aforementioned marathon a couple of weeks ago, and we all convened for dinner after the race to toast our accomplishments and swap war stories. To our surprise, when the check came, they insisted on paying! (Funnily enough, on the car ride over, LeeLee and I had also agreed to pay for them.) They swore that we paid last time, which maybe was the case and maybe not, but regardless we were so grateful for their generosity! (And we’ll definitely pick up the tab next time. You heard it here first!) 

5. We’ve been doing a considerable amount of “shopping the pantry” the past couple of weeks.
We’ve had an embarrassment of riches accumulate in our pantry and freezer, and I’ve decided to put them to the test a lot lately. Some notable concoctions: Tofurky ham with scalloped potatoes; chik’n divan; ramen with veggies and chik’n patties; and more!

6. I transferred a hefty sum from an old Metro card to my current one.
While our friends were in town for the marathon, LeeLee and I dug up a couple of SmartTrip Metro cards that we’ve had on hand for them to use (and keep) to get to the race and to keep for their sightseeing afterward. I decided to log into my SmartTrip account to add a little bit of funding to both so they wouldn’t have to hit up a kiosk. Much to my surprise, I had a balance of $248 on an old, expired SmartTrip card that was just sitting there doing nothing! So after I added a jaunty $10 to each of their cards, I transferred my $248 from the old card to my current card. At my current usage rate, this will easily pay for a year’s worth of Metroing for me! (And even better? Much of this $248 came from work transportation benefits pre-pandemic that I’d just never used. So it’s truly a gift!)

7. We have yet to turn the heat on.
Much to LeeLee’s chagrin, we haven’t turned our furnace on for the season yet, but not to worry: It’s been so unseasonably warm that even he admits we haven’t been suffering too much. This week I replaced the furnace filter in preparation for colder weather, but I’m hopeful we can stretch this heatless period for a little bit longer! Can we make it to Thanksgiving? Who knows? We’ve already broken last year’s record of Nov. 1, so everything from here on is gravy!

What have you been up to the past few weeks? Let us know in the comments!

:)

Library hauls, app cancellations and — yes — more found money … it’s been a solid frugal week! Here’s what I’ve been up to.

1. I found another 50 pence under the bed while decluttering!
This is long past “getting weird,” but I must admit it’s tremendously fun to be rewarded almost every time I work on decluttering the bedroom! This time wasn’t as lucrative as usual, but I’m not complaining; 50p is 50p! I plunked it into our “international currency bowl” and am awaiting the next treasure hunt.

2. The library has yielded a bumper crop this week!
Does this happen to you, too: I feel like when one of my longtime library holds comes through, they all do! This week’s haul was a heavy-duty one: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s memoir, AND a biography of Judith Jones. I’m not sure I’ll get through them all before they’re due back, but I’ll give it my best shot!

3. I returned a comforter set that didn’t quite work.
The day before LeeLee went into surgery last week, I engaged in a bit of retail therapy online, shopping for something we needed anyway: A new comforter set. I found what I thought was a great option over at Target, but when it arrived home I realized the cover was partly faux silk, a texture I really don’t enjoy. So … back to the store it went! I haven’t found a suitable replacement yet but I’m determined not to panic-shop!

4. I reached into my pocket and found … $20.
While I may have only gained 50p in international currency, I did reach into a newly washed pair of shorts to find $20 US! I was thrilled. I’ve tucked it in my wallet for safekeeping.

5. Thanks to a calendar reminder, I canceled Apple Arcade with one day to spare.
You may remember my Great Laptop Mishap of 2024, where I unexpectedly had to buy a new laptop after I completely ruined my old one. Well, with this new MacBook came an offer of three months free for Apple Arcade. I took them up on it but wrote down the expiry date in my planner, and lo! That date arrived on Oct. 22. I popped over to the App Store and canceled with 24 hours to spare before I was charged. Let’s hear it for Past Hope!

What have you been up to on the frugal front this week? Tell us in the comments!

:) 

Friends, you get a bonus Five Frugal Things to kick off the week because — as you will see below — last week was a wild and crazy ride. LeeLee had knee surgery last Tuesday, which threw the whole week into (understandable) disarray, and only this morning do I feel like I’m finally coming up for air a little bit! Meanwhile, this poor little ol’ FFT was just hanging around waiting to be published. So … here we go. Without further ado!

1. It’s been PBJs all the way for weekday lunches, baby.
As it happens, I have a surplus of peanut butter in the cupboard, purchased for some volunteer tasks I’ve been up to. In fact, when I did a pantry audit last week I discovered I had not one, not two, but THREE different half-full jars of peanut butter, lined up one after another! This will not do! Thus – PBJs have been on the menu early and often in our weekday repertoire (including for lunch on the day of LeeLee’s surgery!). Nobody’s complaining.

2. I used up some gift card odds and ends for an Amazon purchase.
I know, we all have our feelings about the behemoth that is Amazon, but one thing they do right is letting me gift myself store credit with bits and bobs of old Visa gift cards. Thus, amounts like $6.86 and $22.92 have gone to good use in my Amazon account, helping me defray the costs of LeeLee’s ice packs for his surgery and a new variety pack of my favorite protein-packed Immi ramen.

3. We took a trip to New York City two weekends ago (not frugal), but used hotel points (frugal).
In the days before LeeLee had to check into the hospital we decided to have a “surgery-moon” in New York, taking in not one but TWO Broadway plays as a treat. Now, Broadway plays are not frugal and neither is New York, but we did find ways to cut corners where we could. The most lucrative was using hotel points to pay for half of our stay. Marriott has a program where guests can use points + cash to pay for their hotel room, and that’s just what we did. With as much as LeeLee stays places for work (and thereby collects a goodly amount of points), we did have enough to use for the whole trip if we wished to – but we’re saving for some big adventures over the next year or two and felt it was wiser to just cover the more expensive of our two nights with points. A second perk: Our favorite hotel has a free breakfast, which you can bet we availed ourselves of each morning!

4. We had our parking validated at the hospital after LeeLee’s aforementioned surgery.
Yes, yes, I recognize this is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the surgery – or even the copay! – but I’ll totally take it. The hospital parking garage was going to run us about $25, but the wonderful nurse cut through that nonsense with a validated pass. I’ll take a savings of $25 any day of the week!

5. Have I told you about my cheese bag?
That is one of my favorite sentences of the month, I’ll have you know! But it’s true: I have a cheese bag. For months, I’d been blazing through plastic Ziploc bags to hold my packages of opened sliced Chao cheese. Then, a month or so ago, I came to my senses and asked, “What am I doing?” Thus, I labeled a bag “Cheese Bag” and it has become my dedicated, well, cheese bag ever since, saving money and the Earth in the process.

Before I close, I want to say a very special thanks to my dear friends, some of whom read this blog, who helped LeeLee and me so much last week. Whether it was offering to sit with me in the hospital to checking in on us when we got home to offering to work from home while LeeLee was a fall risk to sending over incredibly generous Uber Eats gift cards, you all helped us in ways we didn’t even know we needed. Thank you so much.

Now: What frugal wins have you had this week? Tell us in the comments!

:)

Friends, I apologize for my silence on these pages over the past several weeks. Life has gotten rather busy and my time management skills took a minute to adjust! But I’m back now – just in time for a rousing rendition of Five Frugal Things. You’ll get more than your money’s worth this week – I’ve been saving a few extra for you!

1. I found 20 more euros under the dresser while decluttering.
OK, this is getting to be a bit much at this point – but I’m not complaining! I’m not sure where all these euros are coming from – we are not a money exchange around here – but I can only assume that after our international travels, when international currency loses its value day to day, things fall by the wayside. No more! As I collect these I’m putting them all in one designated place, and the next time we visit overseas we’ll live like royalty. ;) 

2. Papa John’s sent me a 50% off promo code, and I snapped it right up. 
I’m sure this promotion is all over the country, but here in the DC region when one of our sports teams wins a game by a certain amount, Papa John’s sends a coupon code out for half off. Well, in their last week of regular season play, the Washington Nationals won a game by five runs, and here came Papa John’s with their usual offer. I had a hankering for pizza when LeeLee was away for work, so I grabbed it at once!

3. I’ve renewed my focus on using cloth napkins.
I know I’m not alone here – it is SO EASY to fall into the habit of using paper towels for generally everything. But it’s not great for the environment, nor is it great for my wallet, so I’ve made a point to get back to using cloth napkins for meals. Bonus: It adds an air of festivity to the proceedings! :) 

4. I dropped off my Old Navy returns before the deadline.
I recognize that this is a Frugal Thing that should be table stakes, but given the busy-ness of life it isn’t always so. So let the record show that I returned my Old Navy items, which were the wrong size, to the store before the deadline and got my refund with no problems.

5. I took myself on a date to the ballpark for a song.
After LeeLee and I went to the ballpark in mid-September for a Washington Nationals game, I had a hankering to go again! But as we remain on a bit of an austerity plan, I didn’t want to pay top dollar (or even middle dollar if I’m being honest). But a $15 ticket in the 100 level, just behind first base? Now that’s more my speed. I brought my own lunch along – a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with chips and Oreos, if you must know – as well as an empty water bottle for filling up once I got into the park. And the cherry on top? I had a $15 gift card for the park concessions, which I redeemed for a beer, costing me $7 with tip. Not a bad day at the ballpark, price-wise! We lost, but who cares? It was a fun afternoon nevertheless.

6. Our electricity bill was lower year over year!
Oh, happy day! I do love to see we’ve burned fewer kilowatt hours year over year, and this month’s bill absolutely delighted me. Our AC hasn’t gotten nearly as much of a workout now that the temperatures have dropped, and we’ve worked hard to do all the other energy-efficient things like turning lights off when we leave a room, etc. Evidently it’s paying off – I’ll take it!

7. I got several new dress shirts on Buy Nothing!
I’d been in the market for a new white long-sleeve dress shirt, and not one but THREE became available all in one week! Even better – they fit perfectly, and look pretty darn good I must say! So now I’m all set for the fall and winter seasons. Whoohoo!

8. I ordered four free covid tests from the government.
It’s that time again! Go to covidtests.gov right away to pick up four covid tests to add to your arsenal. It beats buying them for full price (or any price)!

Catch me up on what I’ve missed in the comments!

:)