It’s been a while since I talked about thrifting and frugality, so here’s a quick rundown of some frugal “wins” from the last week.
1. Homemade chicken stock
Almost every time we buy a rotisserie chicken, we turn it into homemade stock. No fancy mirepoix needed — we just put the bones in a slow cooker, cover them with water, and turn it on low for about 24 hours.
Bonus: I had a points deal and got $2 back on the chicken itself!
2. A free Patagonia hat
While we were visiting my parents, Indy spotted a like-new Patagonia hat washed up on the shoreline. It likely blew off while someone was boating but it looked like it came straight off a store shelf!
Indy earmarked it for John and said he would give it to him for Christmas. Then he changed that to gifting it for John’s birthday. And then he couldn’t wait a single second and the instant John walked in the door, he proudly brought it out as an “early birthday present.”
Bonus: John was just telling me the other day how he could use a new hat.
3. Buying things with reduced stickers
I’ve talked about this before, but we aim to buy as much as we can of reduced items at the grocery store. The big wins tend to be bread, fruit, and veggies. This week I grabbed a bag of pre-cut veggies at 50% off — they made for a quick lunch because I didn’t have to chop or peel anything. I steamed them in the microwave and they were delicious!
Bonus: The tomato was also 50% off because of a blemish.
4. Picnic lunches
Family adventures almost always mean picnic lunches. It saves time and money. After our recent surfing trip, we tailgated a picnic of sandwiches, fruit, veggies, chips, brownies, and sparkling water. And when I drove to New Brunswick last Sunday, we picnicked in the car!
5. Grocery store points program
I am a HUGE fan of the PC Optimum program. Shoppers had a weekend deal: spend $60 and get either $20 or $30 in points. I assumed I’d get the $20 (those mystery offers tend to always award at the lowest tier)…but ended up getting $30! I promptly used those points for their cash value at the grocery store in town.
6. Shopping sales
I never head to the grocery store without a list and I never head to the grocery store without first looking at the sales flyers. We stock up on loss leaders and sale items whenever possible. This week we needed potatoes, and I knew exactly which store had the best deal!
7. Borrowing books from the library and Libby
I rarely buy books. In fact, I’m mostly at the point where I only buy books from people I know (consider this your reminder that Sarah’s book is available for pre-order!) or books that I’ve already read that I really want to mark up and be able to keep on my shelf.
Everything else…I get for free! I’ve read 100 books so far in 2025 and I haven’t purchased a single one. But I have definitely done my part to support library quotas at our local branch!
8. Thrifted fishing cooler
John and Indy needed a cooler for ocean-fishing trips. Thankfully, they found the perfect one at a thrift store; thanks to a return credit, John essentially “made money” on the purchase.
Bonus: they happened to see prices on new coolers at Walmart that same day — wowzers! Thrifted was the way to go.
9. Blundstone warranty replacement
John’s dressier Blundstones wore out prematurely, so we submitted a warranty claim. Blundstone approved it and shipped out a free replacement pair. This is the third time they’ve honored a warranty for us over many years. With boots that cost about $250 CAD, that kind of customer service keeps us loyal. (Not sponsored, but if anyone from Blundstone is reading…message me!)
10. Home-brewed coffee
I don’t spend much on drinks, but during the school year I average several café visits a month. So far this month I’ve spent…zero!
I’ve been brewing at home which is very inexpensive. That said, one of my fun goals for the year is a monthly café visit, so I’m hoping to break this streak soon.
Bonus: I always buy my coffee, filters, and creamer on sale.
And that’s a wrap. Now it’s your turn.
- Tell me about your frugal wins lately!
- Have you ever had a company honour a warranty in a way that made you a lifelong customer?
- When’s the last time you had a picnic?
Header photo by Michelle Spollen on Unsplash
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I made chicken stock from a roast chicken carcass in my slow cooker last week, too. I normally keep the offcuts of celery, carrot and onions in the freezer until I’m ready to make stock and add in a bay leaf and some parsley from the garden. The last time I had a picnic was when we were in Wales, and they were some very scenic picnics.
Wales looks like a picture perfect place for picnics, Melissa. All those beautiful castles and sprawling grounds. It screams PICNIC HERE to me.
Sort of frugal win: I had 20% off purchase at Target ( because I’m a teacher) And I saved it to see if there was something pricey we needed from there- no dice! But I did use it to stock up on boring things like lunch box foods, kitty litter, and kids vitamins. I also got another $5 for health/beauty purchases. Then my 5% red card discount. Not the most exciting frugality!
Hey, boring things add up! And it’s the boring things that are more common in our day-to-day. I’m happy to keep things boring since it hopefully means there wasn’t an expensive purchase that needed to be made. So I’m happy for boring purchases. And hooray for some perks of being a teacher. You have an incredible hard job and that’s wonderful there was a monetary reward <3
I like to buy groceries on sale too, yesterday we paid 1.8 BRL (0.3 cents) for 1.5kg of potato and super good quality too. I also bought the tickets to Peru using points and cash, which turned out to be a good deal. I like doing these to not feel wasting with little bit of research.
Wow! Those are some VERY inexpensive potatoes!!!
YES about the chicken broth! It is super satisfying to make something nutritious from something you’d otherwise just throw away.
Exactly. It’s so low-touch, too, with the slow cooker. I used to make it in a pot and it had to be monitored. The slow cooker is superior in every way.
You’ve got some great ones, Elisabeth!
During our stay in Zurich for the summer, we get a special 3-month gym subscription – CAD 300 each for unlimited visits and all the classes. For Swiss standards that’s a real bargain, and we make the most of it!
When I read you comment I immediately felt guilty because I have not been to the gym in MONTHS. (Though we paid $300 CAD total for two of us for a year!)
Once the kids get back to school we’re hoping to get back into the routine of going, but it does hurt a bit to know I’ve paid for something I’m not using over the summer. It is more appealing to go when the weather is awful and we can’t walk outside.
Cha-ching! It’s so satisfying to find something like the hat that you end up using for years. My equivalent is the Swiss Army knife that I found in a parking lot at college that I still carry in my purse to this day.
I can’t even imagine how much money I would spend without the library. It definitely frees up funds to buy books written by people we know, and that list is growing (currently SHU, soon to be Nicole, and someday Suzanne).
I’m Team Homebrew for coffee, but I can’t wait to break out some bills to have coffee with you in person! Our coffee budget is very liberal since my plane ticket was free (thank you credit card points). And it wasn’t just “regular free”, it “cost” half the points that my SF and BC trips “cost”.
YES! I can’t wait to order Nicole’s book. Even if it is not safe for Elisabeth I will be buying the book!!!
And a second all-caps YES that we are 100% going to my favourite coffee shop. Hopefully multiple times. In…a little over two weeks. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT BIRCHIE? It still feels like a bit of a dream.
The good news is everything you spend in Canada is actually much less in USD. Nova Scotia will also be much cheaper than BC. And my little basement room costs $0/night 😉
Hooray for points-only flights. Such a win. Over that coffee we’ll have to discuss some ways for me to up my travel hacking game.
I would say my garden, but is it really a savings since it cost so much to set up in the first place? I mean, who knows. All I know is I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with!
It is an interesting consideration that gardening is definitely NOT free. Seeds, labour, all the tools and materials to build and maintain the space.
BUT, you’re offering local pollinators a place to thrive. You don’t have to consume fossil fuels getting to/from the grocery store, you’re likely limiting your consumption of other things since you can “shop” your own garden.
I bet at the very least it’s cost neutral, and definitely a huge win for the environment. So all the gold stars and also very genuine sadness I don’t live closer. I would be the friend that willingly takes many tomatoes off your hands!
Despite being an author, I rarely buy books (except those written by friends), and I love the library, wherever I am. In Canada, the federal government offers authors the Public Lending Rights program, wherein authors get a bit of $ for each hit their book receives in an annual survey of public libraries across Canada – it adds up! And authors receive a most welcome cheques in February each year.
I’m so glad that authors get support based on library usage, as well! As they should.
The library, for sure! I know someone who reads over 100 books a year AND BUYS THEM ALL FROM AMAZON. I mean… I can’t even fathom spending that much. I also went to a used bookstore last week and found a book I’ve been looking for, for $3.
I also spent zero dollars on school supplies this year, somehow! I guess my daughter repurposed her old supplies (either that, or she isn’t doing any school work or taking notes in class, ha ha… oh wait that’s not funny…). She did need a special calculator for statistics, but my son gave her his old one.
Well, Jenny, you know I am beyond proud you bought a book at a thrift store. Hooray!
I cannot imagine buying that many books. I know it’s a source of joy for some people and I know people who love to have hard copies on their shelves. As a quasi-minimalist, this does not appeal to me at all, so I am in love with the library.
I think it’s interesting how we all have our splurges. Like, I don’t want to buy new books, but I do want to travel. One isn’t a better use of money than the other if we’re equally happy with our choices. We all have different fiscal priorities and it’s very interesting!
That’s great for spending $0 on school supplies. I’m hoping for the same. Our elementary school has a school fee system where we pay something minor ($40?) for the year and that covers all their school supplies. I LOVE it. Our daughter has to bring paper, pens, and a zippered binder all of which we already own. Hooray!
The last picnic we had was at a park. We had errands to run that day, so we had a picnic instead getting fast food.
I just wrote a Frugal Five post yesterday, so instead of repeating myself here, here’s a link: https://practicalwalk.com/2025/08/25/frugal-five-10/
Loved your post! And you had great wins, ranging from pennies to fixing a broken fridge!
Those are great money saving tips. I also just use the public library for all of my books. I’ve never bought a rotisserie chicken, but that’s a good way to make some ‘free’ broth. Most of the things I do like that are for healthy alternatives (less sugar and salt) but they also save money, too. I make my own dry soup mixes (for recipes that call for cream of soups), dry Italian dressing (like Good Seasons), dry onion soup mix, and Shake-n-Bake mixes. I also make my own bagels and waffles and freeze them and only make homemade granola.
I would love to hear more about your dry soup mixes! What do you use for “cream of” soups? Please tell me more!
The library is my biggest source of savings! I read about 100 books per year and it’s rare for me to buy a single book during a calendar year. We also check out hundreds of kids books! I do buy kid’s books but we still mostly read library books.
We also look at sales fliers before Phil grocery shops. I only buy fruit that is on sale typically. We rarely eat out so that saves us a lot of money as well!
Yes! Eating at home is a huge cost savings. I know people say you can buy the most expensive things at the grocery store (cuts of meat, organic fruit and veggies) and it will still end up being cheaper than eating out! In addition to the meals, taxes, and tipping…there’s the cost of gas to get there, too! Though sometimes the convenience of eating out is priceless!
I’m seriously inspired by the chicken stock! Do you freeze it in those containers once it’s cooled down? I am squeamish with meat in general, but my daughter LOVES chicken with bones in it (go figure!) and I’ve been wanting to make broth.
We spent $$ on this, but we just hosted a combined 1st and 4th birthday party for my two boys which definitely saved money (just one cake, pool rental, etc.) AND saved mental sanity on my part (not doing 2 parties).
I love our library and they will even purchase books they don’t have if you request them!
I do freeze it in those containers, but I also tend to leave some in the fridge. I use it up pretty quickly in soups etc.
A combined party sounds genius; in addition to the savings, it means only having to plan once!!!
See I’m currently on the fence about saving money at the library. We’ve had an awful spell of lost kids books or damaged books lately. I’m sure it’s definitely actually cheaper than buying all the books but also I am tired of paying for books that have disappeared or gotten accidentally damaged. Part of me is convinced this is a failure on my part to manage the books properly, but also there have been fluke accidents resulting in damage and books that have been found in incredibly weird places six months after I already paid for them. Sigh.
I love the hat find! Last summer we found a giant toy dump truck on the beach. I told my son it would have to stay on the beach so the rightful owner could get it back, and then I noticed it had seaweed growing on it!!! There had been a big storm the day before so it had probably gotten washed back in after being lost a long time before. He was very happy to get to keep it and it’s still going strong.
https://gumbo-lily.blogspot.com/2012/10/cream-soup-mix.html
I use that recipe and keep it in a mason jar for when I need to make it. Takes 5 minutes on the stove top to make the soup.
Thank you so much!
I’m curious about your Italian dressing, too.
Nice work! I think you and I are thrift sisters. I used to always make stock from bones and I would even keep carrot tops or the outside layer of the onion or whatever and throw that in too. I used to be the one at Thanksgiving taking home not turkey meat, but the turkey carcass, in a bag. It’s like gold! I also love the library, and I cannot even remember the last time I bought a book; it was probably as a gift for someone else.
As you know, Smartwool has a great customer service, and I also have a pair of Darn Tough socks that cost an arm and a leg (about $30 a pair) but dry fast, don’t stink, are light AND they have a lifetime guarantee. I even told them I was traveling and they made me cut up the socks and send them a photo and then they just credited my account.
John SWEARS by Darn Tough. They are his go-to socks and have been for years and we can confirm their guarantee is rock solid.
I’m laughing at the picture if you carrying home a turkey carcass. And I’m laughing because it could just as easily be me 😉
I always feel guilty when I throw away a chicken carcass. We don’t have a lot of freezer space for broth or bones, and I don’t have a slow cooker, so I would have to do it on the stove. I should make the time though. Not even for the money, but ethically, if I’m going to eat animals I should make sure that none of it goes to waste. Ugh. We’re having vegetarian tonight for sure.
I would say my biggest cost savings currently are:
We own our cars, no car payment. This is very likely about to change.
Our health insurance is currently free through my husband’s work.
Library for most of the books I read, though I do sometimes purchase a physical copy and I have an audible subscription I want to cancel, but cannot until I use all of my credits.
I rarely buy salad dressing, I make my own. Is that a savings?
Anything made at home is almost always a cost savings; and if not a cost savings, than usually made with more healthful ingredients which is a whole other side of the coin!
No car payments – Woot, woot!
This is impressive. I hope that fish cooler didn’t smell like it was a fish cooler. The hat – what a great find. I love that he couldn’t wait to give it to his dad. So sweet.
We have gotten replacement parts from Kohler, and that has kept me loyal – although TBH we don’t exactly shop for sinks and faucets very often.
Tonight I ordered a new pair of running shoes on a new site I’d never heard of before. The shoes are used – but basically they are returned for size issues and are older models and they are certified to be in new condition. They come with a 30 day trial. I love my last pair of running shoes so much that I was about to pay full price, but these were discounted. I’ve done a fair amount of thrifting this summer and I still need to blog about it. MOst of the dresses worn (4 of the 5) in our family portrait were from thrift stores.
Curly had a home game last night and I planned to go straight to my writing meeting, so I stuck my dinner in my thermos. Not exactly a picnic but we don’t order pizza from concessions and almost never stop to get food while we’re out and about. So, translation – no fast food.
It really was so cute when Indy gave John the hat. He was so proud of his find and it’s a really nice hat to boot! Definitely something John would have gravitated toward in a store but the price of this hat was much more appealing 😉
Good luck with the sneakers! I know a lot of people turn to eBay to repurchase their favourite running shoes over and over.
Damn, the warranty replacements you’re getting out of your Blundstones is astounding! Usually things ‘break’ for me right after the warranty runs out. LOL
I really enjoy the frugal posts because even if the wins are small, there is always something to be frugal about and it all adds up!
Blundstone has a lifetime warranty on workmanship, so this happened to be covered (I wasn’t convinced it would be, but e-mailed them to try…and it was)!
I have another frugal post coming soon; stay tuned 🙂
Mhm I ordered some ice breaker base layers on sale because I don’t want to buy them in winter. Not sure it was the right stuff but I ordered for now and have 30 days to figure it out.
I also foraged some blackberries lately. And harvested a bunch of herbs that are currently drying.
Also lots of coupons used in grocery shopping.
Ohhh. Wild blackberries. Yum AND free. Double win.
I really loved reading this today. You are so inspiring to me! I also always look for sales at the grocery store, where I seem to spend the most money on produce, so sale prices usually win and determine what we will be eating that week.
I never purchase coffee outside of the house, and I am down for a picnic anytime, anywhere!
I know I’ve used a warranty on something in the past, and remember it being so WORTH it, but I can’t recall what that is right now. (Menopause/covid brain!)
I love that Indy found that lovely hat. I just read on social media from a friend yesterday how her husband found a great ball cap, that washed up on the beach. After a quick wash with their laundry in the machine, it was as good as new. Apparently, I need to get to the beach when I need a new hat!
My parents have found all sorts of things washed up along the beach of the lake. It’s easy to lose things while out on the water and it’s going to end up on some shoreline! (The ocean is a bit more of a stretch, but the lake has a fairly limited geographical area). It was VERY exciting for Indy and he was so very proud to give it to John. Can’t beat the price.