It’s Frugal Confessions Friday!!

Posted on | November 6, 2009 | 6 Comments

Happy Friday! If you are new to this series, check out the intro here.

Here’s my confession of the week:

I picked up the Martha Stewart November Issue free from work (someone with a subscription brought it in to share), and was really excited about making her bird feeders as a fun and frugal alternative to buying actual bird feeders. I got 2 pounds of free suet (beef fat) from Central Market, 5 pounds of wild bird feed for $1.89 from Kroger’s, and had the rest of the materials laying around the house. Last night I “liquified” suet, which admittedly meant I chopped it up into strips and left it in a big soup pot to check in once every twenty minutes or so while I watched a movie. This went on for a few hours, until the final time when I checked in on it…the kitchen was full of smoke and it had burned!!! The stench was literally like a big, burned hamburger. YUCK! I opened up the windows, the door, turned the fan on, set the pot of burned grease  in the yard (where it still is while I write this) and sprayed air effects all over the place. I also had managed to get grease everywhere because it bubbled and boiled while cooking (I know…this is kind of disgusting).

We had leftover hamburgers allready nicely made to eat last night for dinner…but I absolutely could not stomach them after the fiasco!

Now it’s your turn, share your frugal confessions of the week! I’d love to read them.

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Comments

6 Responses to “It’s Frugal Confessions Friday!!”

  1. Aurora
    November 6th, 2009 @ 2:14 pm

    Wow that would have been such a great project if it hadn’t burned!! I would like to try that bird feeder also, but after reading your story I’m a little nervous! How did you manage to score the free suet?

    My confession this week: often when I want to order something from Amazon (a CD, for example) and its under $25, I’ll try to think ahead to the next birthday or holiday I need to shop for, and if its something I was most likely going to order online I’ll order it early so I can combine the two and score the free shipping :-)

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    FruGal Reply:
    November 6th, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    Hello! You can get free suet from places that have butchers (or it is very, very cheap) because it is something that most butchers have no use for. Just ask at the meat department where you grocery shop.

    Also, great thinking on the Amazon shipping savings! Have a great weekend:)

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  2. Michelle
    November 6th, 2009 @ 2:36 pm

    This one isn’t mine its my fiancé’s, but your entry a week or so ago about getting the most out of your visit to the airport made me think of this.. He is finishing up his PhD in Florida, and I am here in Houston. So when he came to visit me last week (we try to visit each other about every 3-4 weeks) he didn’t want to have to pay $10 for a sub/chips/drink at the airport. So he packed himself a sandwich, made of all “Solid” goodies (aka no PB&J..you never know what TSA will say constitutes a liquid or gel) and chips and then just bought a drink past security.
    I see this as a 2-way win. He was able to save money buy “packing” his dinner and in case he was running late he wouldn’t have to worry about finding something quick to eat and possibly missing his flight.

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    FruGal Reply:
    November 6th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

    Great job for your fiance! You can also take an empty water bottle through security, then fill it up at a water fountain once inside of the terminal (I may have allready posted that…). Have a great weekend!

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  3. BluSky
    November 6th, 2009 @ 5:36 pm

    Did my grocery shopping at Costco instead of Kroger. Filled my prescription at Costco instead of the CVS down the street. Filled up my gas tank at Costco instead of Exxon. Total savings…don’t know :)

    Btw, if it makes you feel any better, I totally smoked up the kitchen about a week ago. It’s rather embarassing isn’t it?

    [Reply]

    FruGal Reply:
    November 6th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    Way to go Costco shopping! Also…yes, very embarassing (and smelly) to smoke up the kitchen. Have a great weekend!

    [Reply]

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