1. I put in for a half hour of paid time
Brittany and I met up outside of work to finish up our evidence-based practice presentation, and the coordinator of our residency program had told us we were allowed to put in a clocking for a half hour of outside-of-class time.
So, that’s what I did. I will never say no to getting paid. 😉
We met up at Starbucks, and of course, I used a gift card for my drink.
The two of us are not 100% efficient when we meet up because we have to chat too (OBVIOUSLY). So we were definitely there for more than half an hour, but at least 30 minutes of it was paid. 🙂
2. I did not buy a new coffee maker yet
My very old, very inexpensive coffee maker is doing a weird thing where it stays on and running, even if you press the “off” button.
At first, I was thinking I should just go buy another one, but honestly, it’s working just fine to unplug it after use.
I do recognize this is a sign that the machine is probably on its last legs, but you know, I’m gonna just let it keep walking until the legs give out entirely. 😉
(Unless you can tell me that there is some terribly dangerous reason to use it as is; if so, I will reconsider!)
When this one gives out, I’ll probably buy the current model, which is less than $30. I’m not a picky person about my coffee!
Although, hmm, I think this one is more similar to mine, since it has the timer feature. But since I never use the timer feature, I don’t think I need the fancier model!
3. I’m trying to make my fleece jacket work
I bought an inexpensive cropped fleece zip-up to wear to work because sometimes, it gets a little chilly at the hospital.
I like it in every way except that it hangs onto hair like CRAZY. And this is mainly a Chiquita problem; I think the cat hair must have gotten onto it during the wash cycle, from the other laundry.
Anyway, while I was watching some school video lectures the other day, I painstakingly used packing tape to remove all the hairs from the jacket.
(A lint brush is not strong enough; I tried that!)
Then I folded it up and put it in the back seat of my car; my plan is to only put it on when I leave the house and to take it off before I come back in the house.
And I’ll probably just launder it by itself; I don’t wear it a whole lot, so it’s not like I wash it every day.
If this doesn’t work out well, I’ll shop for a knit zip-up on eBay, but I’m going to at least give this a shot first.
4. I used the minimum-allowable level of TurboTax
I finally did my personal tax return (!) and although TurboTax kept offering me upgrades, I steadfastly said no.
I can’t use the free version, of course, because I have a Schedule K from my S-Corp, but I used the most minimal version that I could.
I owed for federal, and I used a bank account to pay that (no fee). I got a refund from state, and I didn’t choose the early refund (a fee!) or the gift cards. A straight direct deposit works for me.
5. I planted some questionable basil seeds
This may be a fail; time will tell!
I had a package of pretty old basil seeds in my kitchen drawer:
Please see the sell-by date. Ha.
But, I sprinkled them in a pot of soil, watered them, and now I’m hoping for the best.
Germination time is 14-18 days, so in my Five Frugal Things two weeks from now, I should have some news for you either way.
Regardless, this is very low risk. If they don’t germinate, I’m no worse off than I was before.
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?
Source: www.thefrugalgirl.com…