The Frugal Girl

DECEMBER 27, 2023

I used some frozen milk to make cinnamon bread to give I wanted to give a loaf of bread to my neighbors (they’re the ones who let me borrow their lawn equipment and helped Lisey with car repairs) but I was short on milk. So, I thawed that and made two loaves.

Frugal 198

Frugal Christmas Leftovers Hallmark 198

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 1, 2024

In so doing, I took out the second-hand bookshelf that had been riding in my car for a few weeks. Then I randomly decided to vacuum out and wipe down the inside of my van, since like most other things in my life, it had gotten a little messy over the semester. And then I was like, “Hmmm, well, I do already have the extension cords out.

Goals 130

Goals Painting New Year's Vacuums 130

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 11, 2024

And when Lisey saw it, she said, “How did Chiquita afford that car? I don’t take baths, really, so when Sonia was filling up the tub for a soak, Chiquita was very confused. And maybe a little concerned. Sonia did a little photoshopping with the one photo. Probably with dirty money, from all the crimes she’s committed.”

Thankful 237

Thankful Hawaii Chiquita Flights 237

The Frugal Girl

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Thank goodness it happened when I was almost to my car!) I got my shoes repaired On one of the days last week when I got dressed up, I wore a pair of heels and as I was walking back to the parking garage, the rubber heel tip disintegrated and fell off.

Frugal 190

Frugal Repairs Shoes Cookies 190

The Frugal Girl

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Makeup, jewelry, a fancy car, the latest tech, tchotchkes 9. fancy cars, etc are the norm for many. Luckily, my little is starting to enjoy some of these activities – like picking the peaches from our tree, grocery shopping, baking/cooking, and gardening and I love spending time with her doing these activities too!

Virginia 183

Virginia Kids and Family Library Frugal 183

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 8, 2024

I wear these in the car, where only I see them. I pulled out some black thread and did a quick hand-mending job; since polar fleece doesn’t fray, it’s super easy to stitch it up by hand. The fix is not perfect upon close inspection, but who cares? Function is the most important thing.

Frugal 140

Frugal Painting Machines Sewing 140

The Frugal Girl

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Zoe, in the days before safer car seat straps I feel a little sorry for the dudes in my class; this has to be so much harder for them! We have five exams in the first six weeks of this semester, so I’m gonna be a pretty busy test-taker for a bit here.

Thankful 201

Thankful Car Seats Health and Beauty 2018 201

The Frugal Girl

OCTOBER 30, 2023

I guess I am just not interested in cars. But if I really had to, I could do youth hostels again, I suppose. What’s one thing you aren’t remotely tempted to splurge on? I do drive, but not very often. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?

Green And Frugal 205

Green And Frugal Home and Garden Lunch Lunches 205

The Frugal Girl

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

I think I could have gotten discouraged in my 20’s when I was chipping away at student loan debt and a car loan and in my 30’s when I had two kids in day care. We no longer had car loans or a mortgage in our 40’s (now 50’s as of this summer!)

Iowa 166

Iowa Friends And Family Sale Boys Son 166

The Frugal Girl

MARCH 4, 2024

He diligently maintained our car and our house, doing all the work himself. Even when we’re getting worse gas mileage because we’re towing the travel trailer, camping is still on average $100 per day less expensive for us than traveling by car and hotel. My mom cut coupons and sewed her own clothes and mine, as well. I ran the numbers.

Green And Frugal 178

Green And Frugal Kids and Family Hotel Frugal 178

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 9, 2024

I”m not at all, zero percent, truly never tempted by cars. We enjoy the time together so much, it’s a very worthwhile splurge for us! What are you not remotely tempted to splurge on? Both of our main vehicles are 10+ years old. Our farm truck is thirty years old! I dread the day we need to buy a new vehicle.

Oregon 187

Oregon Home and Garden Kids and Family Money 187

The Frugal Girl

DECEMBER 11, 2023

In my 20’s, I finally had a “real” job and wanted to buy a newer car. This allowed us to build equity pretty quickly and that benefitted us greatly when we moved in 2022. What’s an embarrassing money mistake you’ve made? I decided to get a loan even though I had the money to pay in cash. for anyone curious ?

Money 193

Money Kids and Family Frugal Parenting 193

The Frugal Girl

DECEMBER 18, 2023

I had two older siblings, but my sister passed away in a car accident in 2000 and my brother passed away from MS in 2020 so now I’m an only child. Note from Kristen: Ginger asked me to block out her friend in this photo, which I did with my poor photo-editing skills. My dad passed away in 2022 and my mom lives in Oregon.

Texas 130

Texas Oregon Recycle Recycled 130

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 29, 2024

Two “small” ones come to mind- my first car & first motorcycle-owned for a while, did a few small repairs & sold for what I paid. My kids both have chronic medical issues that are costly & require much budgeting. Don’t even talk to me about retirement! I’ll be working until I die in the harness😊 5.

Arkansas 180

Arkansas Frugal College Kids and Family 180

The Frugal Girl

JANUARY 22, 2024

I have always been an ardent declutterer (to my husband’s chagrin–once I accidentally threw out an automobile registration while cleaning out the car!), I try to mend things more often, even if my needle skills are pretty lame. and among my favorite Frugal Girl posts are the decluttering/cleaning before and afters!

Rent 180

Rent Son Frugal Home and Garden 180