May frugal accomplishments

I was inspired by Carrie from with all that I have been given to keep a running list of my frugal fetes throughout the month.  I didn't start this list until May 19, but still found more than enough to fill a post!

1.  To decorate for a ladies' brunch, we used the flowering stems from a sage bush in my pastor's wife's yard for pretty and fragrant bouquets.

2.  My husband and son get haircuts every 4 weeks.  The franchise location where they go mails a $5 off coupon every other month.  I collect extra coupons from neighbors and from freecycle contacts.  This month they were both able to get $5 off their haircuts.

3.  On a walk through my university town, we spotted a discard pile outside of one of the apartment buildings.  In it, I found a Swiffer duster and a new dustpan.  Both came home with me! 

4.  About once a week, I walk to our town's Little League fields.  While I pick up litter, I check out the recycle bins for Coke lids to earn Coke rewards.  Since the concession stand sells Coke and Powerade products, they are always plentiful.  On average, I get 40 lids to redeem for free Coke products.  It is my son's job to enter these codes.  In turn, he is able to order a coupon for a Powerade.

5.  I need to make fruit skewers for my son's school dance.  Initially, I thought about buying platters with a luau theme.  Instead, I've decided to use containers that I already own (and have lids).  My daughter made some paper umbrellas using stirrer sticks and scrap paper to decorate the fruit.

6.  Hanna received a very nice pair of red dress shoes from a neighbor girl.  They fit her narrow feet well.

7.  Recently, I began listing things for sale on a local Facebook group.  I sold several things at very fair prices for a total of $58.

8.  At the end of a master gardener plant sale, I was able to score 8 basil plants for $2.

9.  A friend of mine is pregnant with twins and collects Willow Tree figurines.  I bought one that depicts an expectant mother from the FB sale group for $5.  At Hallmark, it retails for $33!

10. I made a second batch of laundry stain remover.  This time, I learned that it is important to put the ingredients into the bottle in the order listed.  (The baking soda never dissolved and stuck to the bottom of the bottle.)

11. This is a frugal trick that I do often, so I will only mention it this first time.  I add a small amount of liquid soap plus water to refill the foaming soap bottles in each of the bathrooms.  I've used the same bottles for four years now.

12. I have been saving all plastic berry containers in anticipation of picking cherries, blueberries, raspberries at the local orchards.  We will be visiting my parents at their campground at the end of the month.  My son wants to pick fruit and sell it to folks at the campground for a small profit.  He did this before to save money for a church fundraising project and the campers loved it.

13. My daughter's teacher is retiring at the end of this school year.  I made a gift for her based on an idea I saw in Family Fun for around $4.  (I can't find a link, but the idea appeared in the May issue.)

14. From Coke rewards, I got coupons in the mail for a free 12 pack and a 20 oz soda.  These are nice treats for picnics, ball games, etc.

15. I didn't have enough energy efficient light bulbs to use in a new kitchen light fixture.  Since this is used heavily, I switched out some bulbs from lamps that are not often used.  I plan to eventually switch these bulbs as well.

16. This is my favorite time of year to exercise outside.  Nearly every day, I walk around my neighborhood or ride my bike around town to complete errands.  I have a basket on the front of my bike and a platform over the rear wheel that can hold a surprising amount!

17. At Kohls', I was able to combine a $10 off coupon, a 20% off coupon, and a sale to get a pair of sandals for my son for $5.69. Original retail price was $28.

18. I found $2 on the side of the road while on a bike ride.  I'm having fun stuffing shopping carts at Aldi with quarters for future customers.

19. At my library, several pots of tomato plants were sitting next to the outside trash can.  The librarian said that they were fine to take, so I put 5 plants into my bike basket.  They are planted in an old wash tub, so we will see if they produce.  They had been neglected before I rescued them for the trash.

20. We hosted a small BBQ on Memorial Day.  The only thing I bought outside of my regular groceries was a box of frozen hamburgers.  We used drinking glasses, cloth napkins, and silverware instead of disposable.

21. I chaperoned a field trip for my daughter's class.  Since parents cannot ride on district school buses, I recruited some fellow moms to carpool for the ride.  We shared the gas and parking costs.

Keeping track of all of these cost-saving measures motivated me to look for even more!  I look forward to posting June's results as well.