My Recent Frugal Accomplishments While Super Busy

My life has been quite busy lately. That means that I can't necessarily do all the frugal things that I used to do. But fortunately being busy doesn't mean that frugality needs to go out the window. Here's some frugal and very frugal things I did recently.

Free guavas!

Frugal Shopping



Bought shoes for myself and clothes for Lee, as well as professional quality colored pencils and a drawing tablet heavily discounted on a Black Friday sale.

Bought some treats for us while out on a trip at a scratch and dent store.

Stocked up on a few more groceries from a scratch and dent store a different trip.

Took advantage of price war sales and bought quark cheese, sliced cheese, and peanut butter really cheaply.

Stocked up on cheap gluten free bread at a discount store.

Frugal Food

I've been pretty good about packing homemade lunches in advance while going out.

I made a compote out of sad grapes and apples.

I made a roasted bell pepper salad out of some really sorry looking and wrinkly bell peppers.

Made homemade paneer cheese.

Foraged mallow, sea beet, lambsquarters, salsify, and wild allium and cooked some yummy dishes with them.

Used leftover salad made with foraged greens and other veggies and cooked it up into a yummy sauted dish.

Made homemade pizza, both gluten free and regular.

Free Things

Got some free guavas at the market that they were throwing out because they had a soft spot.

Took the kids on 2 terrific trips via a new train line that is temporarily free.

Needed a second opinion on Rose's autism diagnosis, but the doctor who was recommended to me was out of network and cost nearly 400 dollars and insurance would only pay me back 195 of it, so I tried to see if I could get through my health insurance and was told that the next available appointment at the clinic covered by my insurance is in March and that wasn't soon enough because I am trying to get her switched to special ed and they can't until they have the second evaluation. I called them up and pleaded my case and they managed to fit us in last week, zero out of pocket! (Unfortunately the doctor that I saw didn't help us in the way we needed, so I'll still go to the private doctor, but now at least I know it was because we first exhausted our other options.

Other Frugal Things:

Lee's fixed sweatshirt

Lee's brand new sweatshirt was made with weak seams, and after only one wear the seams on the pocket came out, so I sewed it by hand attempting to look as if it was done by machine, and I think I did a pretty good job!
When Rose saw that I was sewing his sweatshirt, she asked me to fix her favorite skirt that she ripped while in school that day, and I did that as well.

Been careful to calculate my day's errands in advance in advance to see whether a daily pass or individual bus fares are cheaper and bought tickets accordingly.

Collected bottles, even ones that I didn't use, but brought home from the city, to return for the bottle deposit fee. Got over 10 dollars cash just for that.

Went to a discount movie with my friend for a girl's night out on national movie day.

No, I didn't do all these frugal things in one week, or even two. They were over the course of three weeks. But I'm ok with that. I don't need to "out frugal" anyone else, I just try to fit frugality into my life however it works for me.

What frugal things have you done lately? What are your tips for fitting frugality into your busy life?