Category: Frugal Life

Paint It, Find It, Fix It

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Frugal LifeLeave a comment

Remember when I painted the back of my bookshelves to match the curtains? Well, every time I looked at it, it didn’t look gold it looked like a sad beige, which will never be in my home.

It was just so one dimensional and sad looking. I mixed up some paint. It’s the yellow that I had with brown that I also had.

After I finished this paint job it was still looking too one dimensional. I decided to try wiping stain over it but apparently I had used all of my stain. I found some burnt umber acrylic paint and added water to it to thin it out quite a bit. I just used a sponge brush to wipe it on and then immediately wipe it off. I wanted to give it a “it was used in a cigar smoking room” effect.

This is exactly what I envisioned.

Now it makes me happy when I see it.

I have been missing a 4×4 piece of wood on the corner of the front flower bed for a while. I don’t know what happened to it. Donny might have taken it to use for something but I really don’t know. I have to drive by this empty lot on the corner of the street that leads to the entrance of our neighborhood and the loop every day. I saw a piece of a 4×4 just laying near the curb. One evening when Donny was driving I told him to pull over so I could grab it. He didn’t know what I was talking about so he had to do a u-turn. He pulled into the middle turning lane and I jumped out. He was yelling “hurry hurry a car is coming”. I had on flip flops and was doing my best not to get run over.

It’s a pretty busy intersection but I got it safely.

It fits and it didn’t cost a thing.

Our saucer swing broke. The middle circle came out so it was just the outer fabric circle left. We couldn’t use it because you would just fall through if you tried. I didn’t want to buy a whole new swing this late in the summer so I decided to redneck fix it. I bought 4 rolls of Duck brand tape and got to work.

Does it look exceptionally appealing? No it does not. Did it actually work? 100% it did. It cost less than $12, much much cheaper than a new swing. I’m most likely going to change out the swing next year anyway so this was a quick inexpensive fix. Don’t sleep on the powers of Duck tape.

I have been looking for a table for Hannah’s room to go where the 6ft tall teddy bear resides. I hit up 2 estate sales because on the website both looked like they had something that might work. They didn’t but I did find some candles and a goofy frog for cheap.

When I get some free time I’m going to repaint him. He’s a bit faded.

Last, but not least, it rained on Saturday and a little tiny bit on Sunday.

The temperature dropped when the storm blew in. It rained for several hours and thank goodness the neighbors know I’m a little strange because I danced in that rain. Our grass is getting brown and we needed this so badly. I do love summer so much, but when it nears the end of August I’m ready for some respite from the heat and am looking forward to Autumn.

Fix It

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My belief is that if it breaks or there is just something wrong you try to fix it yourself. If you read hear you already know about the dryer I got in the storage auction for $23. It’s been over 4 years and I’ve only had to replace the latch switch and belt. As I was putting the final load of towels into the dryer the timer knob wouldn’t turn. I pulled it off and tried to turn it using pliers but no go. After some googling I found out that it could be a cracked knob or the timing mechanism. I removed that and took it to Nipper’s to see if they had the replacement parts.

ALWAYS take pictures so you know which wires connect where.

When I got to Nipper’s Mr. Nipper himself was at the counter. He’s kind of gruff, but is always so helpful and knows his stuff. He had the knob in stock but said he’d have to order the timer. He asked me if he could see the timer and took one look at it and said that it wasn’t the timer because it looked good. He grabbed some pliers and wrenched the part where the knob connects and told me that older GE dryers can sometimes stick but my knob was definitely cracked. Put my old timer back in and put on the new knob and it started right up. $37 spent instead of having to buy a new dryer.

I noticed a smell coming out of the drain on the side of the sink that our dishwasher was on. I had done a drain clean and that worked for a bit, but there was something else going on. I emptied out the cupboard and the hose that drains water from the dishwasher to the sink pipes was SO gross. There is no way that I could stand to know that was there and not do anything about it.

Just look at that hose. Disgusting. I took it outside and used the jet spray to clear out as much as I could. After that I poured half a bottle of mint oil cleaner down into it and left it out in the sun turning it over after about 30 minutes. That got a lot of the gunk out. Next I poured bleach down and left it again. I need to get inside the hose with something to scrub it. I found an old fishing rod and that seemed to do the trick. After several rounds with the rod, more cleaner and bleach it looked so much better.

There were some areas that I think were just stained because I could not get those parts clear but I’ll take it because it’s a vast improvement from what it started out looking like.

I will always and forever try to fix something myself because YouTube and Google are pretty amazing.

Summer Sandal Dilemma + Mini Thrift Haul

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I purchased a pair of the two strap dupe Birkenstocks 4 years ago from JC Penney. I think they were around $30. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the double strap sandals so that’s why I just picked these up on sale to give them a try. I ended up loving them and wearing them almost every day during the summer. Well, they were getting quite worn out. The sole had come out of the left one and they were cracking.

Obviously they weren’t genuine leather, but for being what they were they lasted a lot longer than I thought they would. It was time to replace them so I started looking online. I really like the White Mountain footbed sandals. I have a pair I got almost 3 years ago that are still going strong. The leather is thick and it took a while to break them in, but now they are so comfortable.

White Mountain does carry the double strap sandals, but since I was getting them to take on our trip and I was going to be walking quite a bit in them, I knew I probably wouldn’t have time to break them in. I did a little more scrolling and landed on the Birkenstocks. I had heard that they last 10+ years, so I bit the bullet and ordered them to be shipped to Journeys so I could just go pick them up.

They were cute. They were comfortable. They were, however, not genuine leather. I guess I just didn’t read the description as well as I should have when I was ordering them. Now, I’m not opposed to non leather shoes. It’s just when you pay $117 for sandals you expect them to be leather, not Birko Flor. (fancy way of saying vinyl) So I did a little research on the Birko Flor and this is what I found.

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So, I’m paying a whole lot more for these that are going to last the same amount of time as my cheapo ones from JCP. That didn’t sit well with me at all. I’m not a brand person and only chose the Birkenstocks because of how long they last, well, the leather ones anyway. I did a little more googling and saw that Kohl’s (one of my least favorite stores ever) had a pair that were leather and on sale. I drove to Kohl’s, tried them on and immediately said YES. So comfortable. Fit me better than the Birkenstocks. (I think they are narrower and just fit my food better)

No break in period and I was able to walk all around Galveston in them. I’ll say that’s a huge win. Plus, they were only $37! I love a good bargain. I was able to take the other ones back to Journeys to return them with no problem.

Yesterday Hannah was wanting to go to some thrift stores to find add some pieces to her wardrobe that would work for layering. While she found quite a bit, I only came home with 3 items.

I found this round mandala printed throw, table cloth, wall hanging, I guess it can be whatever you want it to be. I just have it here for now. I love it because my favorite colors are yellow and orange.

We needed another laundry basket because my second one cracked and it pinches me when I use it. I like using to because it just seems to get the laundry done faster. I wasn’t looking for one, but I saw this and since it was only $1.99 I grabbed it.

It looks brand new and feel sturdier than any I’ve seen at the store. I thought the label was different than any I’ve seen.

After a quick Google lens search, it turns out that it’s a vintage laundry basket that goes for a pretty penny on EBAY. Who knew.

Last, but not least, I found a orangey red top that I’m wearing today with my wide leg jeans. (yes, I washed it when I got home)

Comfort is the name of the game.

Best Thrift Find Ever

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We have been looking for a new couch. It’s ironic that my husband works for a high end furniture store, but I still haven’t found “the one”. No greys. I wanted an earthy type that fit our vibe. I loved our old Ikea couch, but it has since been discontinued. I really liked the couch we have, but the cushions had gotten smooshy. We had decided to get the cushions redone. To actually do it correctly it would be over $100 per cushion. Well, today I went to my favorite thrift store. I was looking for a certain size frame. I didn’t find one that would work, but on my way out I spotted THE COUCH.

I can normally spot high end products, so when I saw this piece I knew immediately that it was a good find. I dropped my bags and immediately went and sat on it. Holy cow it was so comfortable and looked like it had just come off a furniture showroom floor. When I say it was immaculate, it was. I started flipping the cushions and was shocked when I saw the brand.

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I called Donny and told him what I had found and when I told him it was a Massoud he said, “get it”. It’s a high end furniture company and their stuff is built to last. Y’all it was only $125!!!!! Not the several thousand dollars it would have been in the store. It was perfect. The right colors, the right size, just everything.

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It’s just so perfect. Donny called the guys who deliver for his store and they met me, picked it up, took it to our house, unloaded it where it needed to go and hauled off our other one. That service did cost more than the actual couch, but oh so worth it.

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For some reason it looks a lot darker in this picture, but it’s a rust, yellow and mix of other colors.

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O’malley loves it too.

I did actually pick up a few things before I found this beauty.

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They extended nickel book month so I dug through the many bins and found these. I even found one of my favorite childhood books.

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This cute bird candle was only $1.

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A heavy weight cherub tea light candle holder for $1.

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This cute bracelet was $2.

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I love this little guy. He is a bit Halloweeny, but I’m still going to put him on my outdoor shelves. He was only $2.

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And last, but not least, I got 4 placemats for 50 cents each.

I’d say, all in all, it was a very good thrifting day.

Oh, and one of Donny’s customers were getting rid of their Massoud couch because they just wanted something new. I bet you anything it’s the one we bought.

Whataweekend

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On Friday Jackson graduated from high school. I cannot believe how fast time flies by. I know that he will cherish his time at East Texas Charter School and that him going there was the best decision ever. Small class size, teachers that truly care and an amazing superintendent that kept the school in tip top shape made for an amazing 4 years.

The students get to pick their first and second choices of who to stand up and speak about their time at ETCS. Jackson picked his favorite teacher Mr. Damoude.

It’s so interesting to hear about each graduating senior. I’ve never been to another school that does this. There are no valedictorians. Each student has a chance, if they choose, to speak after the teacher gives their speech. Jackson did not want to.

There were a whopping 29 graduates this year.

Group shot before the hat toss.

A proud dad who unfortunately had to go back to work right after this was taken.

Proud mom and sister.

Jackson’s best friends. Two of them will be also heading off to Kilgore College in the Fall.

We have a tradition that when it’s your birthday or another special event, you get to pick whichever restaurant you want to have dinner. Jackson’ picked Rotolo’s. I loved it because they have cauliflower crust pizza. That was the last meal I have eaten because I got sick.

Right before we were about to leave I started having floaters in my eyes. The headache came right after we got home so I went to bed early. Saturday morning I woke up and felt like I couldn’t get out of bed. My body felt like it was made of lead. I still had a horrible headache. I ended up sleeping all day.

Sunday I was feeling a little better so I made a quick Aldi run. When I got home my stomach and back were cramping so badly. I was also coming down with a UTI. The fatigue was also back in full force. I asked Donny to pick up so AZO and cranberry juice. He knew that I was not eating sugar so he picked me up the only zero sugar he could find. I highly recommend NEVER getting this juice. My whole body puckered and seized up. I tried diluting it with water and stirring in some honey. Nope, that didn’t work at all. Hannah didn’t know that it was awful and had the same reaction.

I went to bed early on Sunday night and by Monday I still wasn’t feeling well. Now let’t throw in a sore throat and my TMJ acting up. It’s like my body’s check engine light came on. I slept most of the day, again. Today I feel like I’m at 75% which I’ll take over the previous days.

To make matters worse a skunk sprayed a possum right outside our patio door on Sunday night. If I hadn’t known better I would have sworn it had sprayed in our kitchen. It made Donny so sick to his stomach and gave me another headache. So that’s how the weekend ended.

I am ready for some good days ahead that’s for sure.

Cream Cheese + Mini Thrift

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Frugal Life, Recipe, thriftingLeave a comment

Today I made cream cheese from scratch. It was SO easy! There are only 3 ingredients: whole milk, lemon juice and salt. That’s it. Here’s how I made it.

Pour 4 cups of milk into a heavy pot. Heat over low heat and stir, stir, stir. You want it to get to 190 degrees.

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Once it has reached 190, take it off of the burner and pour in 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice. It should start to form the curds. If it doesn’t add a little bit more juice.

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Stir it around and then let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to cool off a bit.

Next put a dish towel in a colander, set it in a bowl and pour the mixture into the cloth. Let it drain and then give it a good squeeze. I made the mistake of squeezing it dry. Leave a little of the whey water in it.

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The above picture is before I squeezed it out. Once you have it squeezed, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. (you can also add anything else you like in your cream cheese) I used a little blender and blended it for a couple of minutes.

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It was so good. I ate some on a skinny everything bagel. It just tastes so much fresher and not a chemical as the store bought cream cheese. The longest part is just getting the milk to 190 degrees.

Jackson and I had not really had a thrifting date in a while. When I picked him up from school on Wednesday he suggested that we hit 2 of our favorites. We didn’t find anything at the first one we went to. The second one I found 2 books that I really wanted to read. The hardbacks are only 50 cents so I didn’t feel bad about buying them. I also found 3 cute little mushrooms that I’ll use outside once the weather is better.

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I also picked up a shower caddy. I have never bought one before because our shower head is above the shower insert and it’s not level all the way down. This caddy is the exact one I would have bought if I thought it would fit, but I didn’t want to pay 30 bucks for a brand new one only to find it wouldn’t work. I was surprised that it works really well and I only spend 4 dollars on it.

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I can’t wait to reorganize the shower now.

Baby It’s Cool Outside

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Today I had planned to go out into the shed and unpack my cooler weather clothes. Unfortunately, Donny stayed home with a migraine and I was also not feeling well. I think there is something going around. It could also be that my foot caught on the chefs mat in the kitchen night before last and I face planted narrowly missing whacking my head on the kitchen table. I am a bit sore today.

The mornings have been getting colder. One morning there was even frost on the windshield. Right now my closet is geared toward summer. I’ve been living in old sweatshirts that just didn’t get packed away. I find that if I don’t get dressed, in actual clothes I would be seen outside of the house in, I am way less productive.

Wednesday, when Jackson got home from school, he asked if we could go back to Big Thrift Store to see if there were any more concert tees. I was still on the lookout for a trivet to replace my broken one. I actually found one.

That’s all we found there, so I asked him if he wanted to stop by Goodwill. It’s on the way home and sometimes they have some good stuff. I found a a vintage Foley rolling pin for $1.99.

This cute metal star that I hung in our bathroom. It was only 99 cents.

I am always looking for jeans for Hannah because that’s what she wears to work. I found her a great pair of Maurice’s jeans and then I found the cutest pairs of jeans for me.

I didn’t realize how blurry the last pic was, but they fit like a glove and are going to be perfect for Fall and Winter. I also picked up this waffle weave shirt that I love because it has banded sleeves. It’s so cozy.

I took this cute picture of Milo today. It’s so hard to believe that he was once this very feral scared cat. He came to us when he got hurt and almost died. He now loves to be held and gets separation anxiety if he doesn’t know where I am. I’m so thankful that God put him in our path.

Pack It Up

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Donny and I have a pretty traditional marriage. He works full time and I am a housewife. It wasn’t always like that. We both used to work very long hours at the same place. We realized the kids needed me home so in 2016 I became a stay at home mom. We make one income work by being frugal and not living beyond our means. Since I was a little girl I have always been frugal. I think I took after my dad in that aspect. I have love thrifting and antiquing since I can remember. My mom always told everyone that if it looks old and weird, give it to Stacy because she’ll love it.

One way we save a lot of money is having Donny take his breakfast and lunch to work. It saves about 75 dollars a week, plus it’s healthier. Today for example I made him a breakfast scramble with bacon, eggs, red pepper, onions and hot sauce.

For lunch he had left over spaghetti and meatballs for the night before and a spinach salad. Luckily he’s not very picky and will eat leftovers. I always try to cook extra so that he can have it for lunch.

And some random things. I thought I was going to have to throw away our side door mat. With all the rain we’ve had the patio flooded and this things was soaked. It was so wet it turned almost black. I threw it out into the yard so it would get some sun and dry out and it seemed to have worked.

Mylo is still living his best life. He sleeps in the house, wants to be held all the time and had his first kitty snack today, which he loved.

It’s hard to believe that I took over a year for him to not be afraid of us.

When Jackson and I had to run to Walmart today I couldn’t resist getting Wrigley, the neglected dog next door, some treats. That poor sweet dog gets NO attention from his owners. He hasn’t had a bath in 4 years and they never brush him. I’m going to try to brush him from over the fence tomorrow. He’s going to be so excited for his new bone.

I have one more load of laundry to fold and then I’m going to bed. Tomorrow I need to mow and do some yard work and it’s going to be HOT!

To Birk or Not to Birk

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I needed a new pair of brown sandals for summer. I knew I wanted footbed ones and I was pretty much dead set on these.

The only problem was I wanted more of a strappy sandal. Birkenstock has few choices, so I started googling. I found the brand White Mountain. I don’t care what I’m buying, I am always going to read the reviews. It seemed like Birkenstock devotees really liked the White Mountain sandals. I found a pair that I just loved, leather and very strappy. I ordered them and they came in today. They were also on sale and because I had never ordered from them before, I got a code for 20% off.

They are so comfortable. I know you are supposed to break them in, but I wore them to Kilgore College today and out to dinner with the family. Still super comfy.

The reason we went to Kilgore College was because a dear family friend signed his intent to be the mascot for the school. I will from now on be calling him Ranger Keaton. We are so excited for him and it gives us a reason to go to the football games now.

The have all been friends since we moved to Longview. Such a great family.

I also made a new thing (because I don’t really know what to call it) for the wall. Jackson and I had found these kittens that were attached to this copper colored bronze plaque (?).

I unscrewed them and put my retro Be Cool on the plaque part.

If you can’t tell I like unique, kinda weird, things. And yes, I like clowns too. Well, certain clowns.

Sand, Paint, Done

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It has been so rainy here lately. I have been waiting for a sunny, not too humid, day it seems like forever. I checked the weather channel last night and it seemed like today would be the day. I could finally finish the last two chairs. I saved the two most rusty pitiful ones for last. Luckily, since I was painting the bases, all I had to do was sand of the rust and chipped chrome.

It was a messy job, but it came off pretty quickly.

The bases only take one coat with a little touching up where I missed any place. They dried quickly.

The chairs take 2 full coats. They have to dry completely and then they get flipped over for two more coats on the back and underneath.

While I was waiting for them to dry I decided to go ahead and paint our plant stand. I got it at an estate sale 6 years ago. It started out cream, then I painted it vintage teal. Today it became warm caramel.

I got all of the chairs put back together and I think they look really good. Would I rather have not had to sand and paint them? Yes. Would I have wanted to spend about $100 per chair. No way. They were made in 2000 so I think they are holding up really well. Plus they are super comfortable. I purchased them for $2.50 a piece and I figured I used 1/2 a can each of the spray paint. So for a total cost of $9.50 I think I got a heck of a deal with a little bit of elbow grease.

A smaller table would probably fit better, but I absolutely love this drop leaf antique one. I was cleaning out a rental house and the previous renters had just left it. I told the owner how much I liked it and she said, just take it. Free is good and I just love the design of it. So, $38 for a dining set is a pretty good deal, even if we don’t actually have a true dining room. Just make the best of what you have. Always works for me.