frugal friday - october

There have been some circumstance changes and some opportunities that have opened, so I really need to buckle down for them!

• No Spend Days: 7
• Grocery deals: free bag of Kroger salad with coupon, $1.49 box of Cap'n Crunch, BOGO free can of pumpkin (2 for $1.75 each), free Too Good No Sugar yogurt with Kroger coupon, $1.19 So Delicious yogurt, $1.49 jar of Bertolli Garlic Alfredo sauce, $1.99 10oz snacking tomatoes $1.59/each Smart Ones meals, free 14.1 box of Barilla Al Bronzo Fusilli with local store coupon
• Money made outside of my job: 
• DoorDash: $57.72
• Ebay: $17
• Other: $10
• I scored a fully functional basic sewing machine at a local crafty thrift store for only $15! I've wanted to pick up machine sewing for so long but was holding out for a deal
• I got an email from my health insurance that said I had $60 one week and then another $20 in rewards. I'd rather them just take that off a bill, but I redeemed it for Mastercard giftcards - I used the giftcards to make payments on my electric bill
• When back at my dad's one weekend I packed up a box of old inventory that I wanted to get listed, brought it home, and listed it. Either it sat back home, got donated, or I listed it and sold it. Either way it needed to move!
• A catering event at work rewarded me with a couple salmon filets and a large container of mushroom marsala (oh my god, this was so, so good)
• I went up to visit family and my dad's girlfriend fed me dinner while I was there. It was very tasty!
• My Kroger Cashback had a balance of $5.75 so I sent that over to my PayPal account

I'm still decluttering! I feel like I've been doing this forever and my belongings don't dwindle. What is happening?

• One heeled sandal of the pair, two plastic plant saucers, his ceramic treat jar - chewed up by the piranha that is Ogden
• Mini sewing machine - sold on Facebook marketplace
• Package of buttons, NWT bralette - sold & shipped with recycled polymailers

Frugal Fails:

• 3/4 of a loaf of bread molded, unfortunately
• I had to cancel my endoscopy appointment because they called me 6 days before the appointment and dropped the bombshell that they wanted a $750 deposit. Even if I had that in my emergency savings, this is not what I would use it on.
• I lost 96¢ on an Etsy sale because of Offsite Ads. I promptly went into my settings and opted out of these.

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link love

recipes I'd like to try: creamy vegan green chile casserole // tvp lasagna soup // garlic buffalo tofu sandwich // vegan irish stew // popped lentils with mashed potatoes // Polish dill pickle soup // potato garlic soup // lentil sloppy joes // orzo puttanesca 

Lodge has new DOLLY PARTON CAST IRON PANS! 

I'm loving this Mokuyobi Dragonfly Camp Bag.

Here's a great tutorial on how to make figure 8 bows.

Definitely check out my friend Jess' recipe club, thyme & butter!

Recently a (very well) targeted ad introduced me to Jiby's leash badges!

Here's a bunch of free e-cookbooks centering around mushrooms.

_________

Photo by Carol Romão on Unsplash

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

empties #27

It's been a while since I've used up some products. I only wear makeup on special occasions now, so I don't go through nearly as many products as I used to. I'll be marking the non cruelty free products.

Thayer's Facial Toner* in Rose Petal// I picked this up on clearance forever ago, but these are big bottles! I liked this toner and would definitely buy another bottle. I liked that it wasn't greasy or drying.

Dr. Teal's Nighttime Witch Hazel Facial Toner // I am the target market for this gimmicky stuff. I straight up do not need the burden or clutter of two different toners, so I won't buy this again.

Tree Hut Coco Colada Sugar Scrub* // These little scrubs from Tree Hut are affordable, easy to find, and non-greasy. I love them! I usually wait for a sale or clearance to make them even more affordable. I would and am going to buy more of these.

Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap* in Daisy // I'm working through a backstock of hand soap right now (when Ulta used to run their 3/$10 hand soap sale) but I like this brand and plan to add it to my next Grove* order. I especially love their Fresh Cut Grass scent.

Whim by Ulta Beauty Banana Body Wash // I don't think the Whim collection is really a thing anymore at Ulta, but if it was I'd buy this again. Banana anything is always a hit with me. It lathered well.

Mary Kay Paint the Sky Lotion // not cruelty free // I got this forever ago as a gift and finally used it up. I don't support MLMs, so I won't repurchase even through it was a decent lotion.

Bath & Body Works Hemp Seed Oil Hand Lotion // not cruelty free // When a neighbor moved she set out a box of free things and I snagged this. I work in food service and wash my hands and change gloves a lot so my hands get dry. This was a decent lotion, but B&BW isn't cruelty free.

Pacifica Wake Up Beautful Super Hydration Sleepover Mask // This mask was super thick and I loved it. I'd wake up with my skin glowing. Sadly, I don't think this is available anymore.

Bath & Body Works You're the One Hand Lotion // not cruelty free // This was a gift from a while ago. Like I said about the Hemp Oil tube, I go through lotion like crazy.

Ogden is obsessed with chewing up my lip balms (so much so that I've gotten decorative boxes for my nightstand and coffee table to secure them) and here are his latest casualties. Lip balm is one category where I buy for effectiveness instead of if the company is cruelty free because I have chronic dry lips and consider this more of a medical issue.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo // This left my scalp nice and tingly. I like Paul Mitchell products and once (if) I use up all the other shampoos I'd buy a full size.

Jason Apricot Scrubble // For a bit I had a hard time finding a good chemical exfoliant so I picked this up at TJMaxx. It took a fair amount of rinsing to get it all off my face, so I ended up just using it for my hands. I think I'll avoid any type of scrub for my face.

L'Oreal Wonder Water // not cruelty free // I bought this on a whim, not even thinking about the face that L'Oreal isn't cruelty free. Which sucks, because this was quite the wonder. This made my hair nice and silky. I have since replaced it with Garnier Fructis Glass Hair Water*.

Derma E Overnight Peel // I used this occasionally and really didn't see much difference. I kept it around so long that it eventually went off and I won't be replacing it. 

NYX Total Control Pro Foundation // I believe this was a Walmart clearance find. I just never really could get it to blend so I eventually gave up on it. It was very thin as well.

Lanolips Balm Banana* // At the height of my horrid chapped lips I was trying any balm I could get my hands on. While this definitely helped, it was just so sticky. I'd buy it again, though, if I needed it.

Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream* // When Covergirl finally went cruelty free I was so excited to use this BB cream again! I had used it when I was younger and liked it then. It still works well for me now. It's lightweight but buildable without becoming cakey. I'll keep buying this!

Ulta Makeup Brush & Sponge Cleaner // This was fine. It's cheap enough that I'd buy it again if I needed it. I admittedly don't wash my brushes like I should, so maybe I'll add that to my cleaning routine.

 Nip + Fab Viper Venom Blurring Shot // I loved Nip + Fab products but not only are they hard to find, they go off so quickly!

Pacifica Perfume Roller in Indian Coconut // My favorite scent by Pacifica. I don't think I'd do a rollerball again, but I'd definitely purchase a spray bottle of this!

Tarte Maneater Mascara // This brush was just okay. I've used better. This came in a palette and I'd use this again if it came in a set, but I wouldn't spend the money on a full tube.

essence Get BIG! Lashes Mascara // Love this! It's buildable and doesn't clump. The brush is really nice for separating lashes. I have two new spares already in my vanity.

lash flex Thickening Mascara // cruelty free status unknown // I couldn't tell you where I got this. An ipsy box maybe? The brush was nice and once the formula dried out a bit, I liked it. Who knows where to buy it again, though!

Mary Kay Satin Lips Shea Sugar Scrub // not cruelty free // This was a decent lip scrub, but I stopped buying from MLMs.

All of these were fine (cruelty free status unknown). I don't think any of them blew me away enough to buy them again, but then again I'm not the biggest fan of masks in general.

Another empties post wrapped up! I'm slowly going through more products.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

frugal friday - september

I've been writing these but somehow keep falling off mid-month. September came through, though!

• No Spend Days: 6
• Grocery deals: free bag of Kroger salad with coupon, 98¢/pound zucchini, 58¢/pound yellow onions, 78¢/pound potatoes, free brioche roll at Lidl with coupon, $2 markdown bag of salad
• Money made outside of my job: 
• DoorDash: $66.50
• Other:  $57
• Labor Day weekend turned out to be a four day weekend for me and I utilized some PTO to cover the days, I didn't shop a single Labor Day sale, and my car didn't move the entire four day weekend
• I've begun my journey of trying to unearth some chronic health issues and my doctor submitted the OTC medication that I was using via pharmacy/insurance and saved me 18¢ per pill
• After my (copay free!) doctor visit, I met my dad for lunch and had a coupon for the restaurant in my email and saved him $10 off the bill
• My best friend and I have "family items", which are things that we share instead of spending the money for each household to have one. So far we share an immersion blender and a trifle bowl! Bonus - the trifle bowl we got for free from another friend who was cleaning out a home, and the immersion blender was a cool $9.99 at Lidl
• While pricey, Ogden's annual vet visit wasn't a frugal fail because a yearly check up and updated vaccines will hopefully save many dollars in vet bills down the road! A less than $75 vaccine is going to be a lot cheaper than treating Leptospirosis
• A friend at work was helping a friend sell wine at an event and he brought me a bottle of blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar (pictured) 

• I went back home for my niblings' birthday party and spent some time with my great uncle afterward and he sent me home after a couple hours of great talk with some homegrown sweet potatoes and end of season tomatoes!

I'm still decluttering! I feel like I've been doing this forever and my belongings don't dwindle. What is happening? It wasn't a great month for getting rid of things.

• my practically new pair of sandals, the power cord of one piece of a lighting kit, a couple books (luckily thrifted) - chewed up by the piranha that is Ogden
• Arbor press I never used, a pair of leggings, Hey Arnold! New Season 1 DVD - sold on Facebook marketplace & eBay
• Four metal straws - given away on Facebook

I'm still trying to work through a lot of the freezer and pantry.

• Nature's Own Perfectly Crafted White Bread is so good to me that I actually finished a loaf of bread before it molded. Well worth the $4+.
• I made a large pot of black bean soup and used up some portobello caps, roasted red peppers, three cans of black beans, jalapenos, the last of a carton of vegetable broth, other meals used up a bag of Beyond chicken tendies, bottle of Zesty Italian dressing, and a bottle of ranch I didn't really care for, and some the last of my giant bottle of ketchup!

Frugal Fails:

• I lost two cucumbers to the bottom drawer of the fridge (out of sight, out of mind, now moldy)
• Bought a log of goat cheese at Wegman's for $4.29 and then noticed Lidl had them for $1.99 😑
• My coffee table (a little $23 deal from Amazon) literally fell apart when I put my feet on it one night so I'm on the hunt for a free one on Marketplace

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*