That gorgeous friend up there isn’t necessarily related to my frugal activities lately, but darn isn’t she a beauty!!

So now, let’s see, what frugal things have I been up to lately?

• Tonight for dinner I made a “chickn” sandwich using odds and ends I had in the fridge/freezer. I find myself often not really interested in eating, which is a bit of a problem. I definitely feel worse if I don’t eat anything. So I pulled out some “chickn” from the freezer and popped it in the oven. Toasted up a frozen hamburger bun (only one left now!) sliced up a fresh pickle and got out the last lil bit of vegan fry sauce. I sliced the “chickn” and put it on the bun with sauce and pickles and LET ME TELL YOU, yum. It was delicious, cheap (I already had the ingredients on hand), and frugal because it managed to save a couple of items that could potentially have gone to waste. win/win/win!
• I stayed with my parents this weekend. In these Covid times, no one is traveling (at least I certainly am not). Going out of town to see friends isn’t an option. Heck, having dinner with friends isn’t an option. And that has quite frankly been really bumming me out lately. So when it was forecasted to be over 100 degrees all weekend (eww, that is WAY too hot for Oregon) my mom invited the dogs and I to come stay the weekend. Let me tell you, it was fantastic for my mental health. My mom and I made popsicles, ate too much cheese, sat in 3 inches of water in the inflatable pool, read lots, and just generally enjoyed out time together. I adore my mom and we are really close so this pandemic has been particularly stressful for me. I just want to hug her all the time. So we decided me staying the weekend was a safe risk to take for our own sanity. It also gave me some time away from my roommates, and gave them the weekend with the house to themselves. Win/Win!
• I did not go grocery shopping last week. I did stop into New Seasons on Saturday to pick up some Burrata to go with my mom’s tomatoes but that was it. I ate food I already had in the house and didn’t make any little trips to pick anything up. It was great to skip a week of grocery buying!
• I am slowly and intentionally trying to stock up on things that are important in my life while not taking up too much space. I am eyeing the sales and shopping accordingly. I just have a feeling that in a month or so, once everyone is “back” to school and fall weather hits that we are in for a walloping flu/covid season. Best start preparing now!
• In preparation for moving eventually, I went through my books and culled probably 80 books! I filled up grocery bags with them and stuck them in my truck. This weekend I drove around and deposited them in little free libraries all over the city. The books brought me joy at one point but I didn’t need them anymore so I hope they will bring joy to someone else!
• I shared/swapped food with a friend. I LOVE this part of the pandemic. It has brought out the sharing/trading community and I am here for it. My friend made scones and homemade pudding (drool) and in return I shared potatoes and stock. We both feel it was a winning trade so we are both happy!

What about you? What frugal things have you accomplished lately?