My Frugal Birthday Week!

My birthday was on Wednesday this week. We decided to go hiking along the Bold Coast in Cutler. Not frugal, but for my gift, we did go out for lunch at a restaurant my son recommended. The Nook & Cranny, in Baileyville. It is actually rated one of the top 5 in Maine; highly recommend! At $32, it was quite reasonable, and the seafood crepe was delish. For gifts, I received cash, gift cards and a hand painted family tree from my artsy daughter. 💗

Isn't it lovely???

I did have a birthday freebie on my McDonald's app, which I used to pick up a chicken sandwich. Sadly, I no longer live in the land of loads of birthday freebies, but I still wouldn't trade locations!

On the way to our hike, we stopped at the Mardens in Calais, and I used the rest of my free gift card, so it felt like another little gift. I picked up some cereal, pasta, snack mix and crackers.

I cut my husband's hair, as I have for the last 34 years.

I picked more wild blueberries, green beans and zucchini.

We have a naturalized flower garden area on our property, which we have affectionately named "Aunt Hazel's Garden," since she started it over 50 years ago. (Free sign painted on an old cupboard door by my daughter, Abby). We have been trying to add shade loving wild flowers, which we find in the woods. Some of our neighbors have also shared some flowers with us, which we've planted in various locations. 

Morning Glory and Hollyhock from Belinda

My husband needed some stain for the outside of the sauna he is building on our property. On Amazon, it was $45 for 1 gallon or $180 for 5 gallons ($36/gal)  I searched for better online deals, and ended up finding a sale at Blaine's Farm & Fleet, and even paying for shipping (5.99), it ended up being $32/gal. It's always worth your time to search. 

How did you save money this week?

Frugal Friday Update

This week I picked about a quart of blueberries in the field down the road. (I asked permission first.) Considering these are $4/pint in the store, I saved about $8.00 These are wild, Maine low bush blueberries, which are much smaller than their cultivated cousins. I love them for muffins and pancakes. I spread them on a cookie sheet before I freeze them and put them in a Ziploc. They don't clump together this way.

I've also been picking our cultivated raspberries, which are technically free since a neighbor gave us the plants when he was getting rid of them. These are my favorite fruit...LOVE them with cream and a little sugar.  It's been dessert pretty much all week. 

I've also harvested green beans and greens for salad--spinach, chard, beets, arugula and cilantro. The garden has been slow this year, but we should be harvesting more soon. 

A neighbor gave us 3 pounds of pork ribs from a pig he slaughtered. I cooked them in the slow cooker for 8 hours with a dry rub recipe I found online, and they were SO GOOD. Fall off the bone tender. We got 3 meals out of them. Thanks, neighbor!!!

I used a free $25 gift card from Mardens (for those not in the know, Mardens is the Maine version of Big Lots) to pick up some groceries. The gift card came as a result of participating in a promotion they are running. There are 14 stores statewide, and if you visit 7, they give you a $25 gift card and a Marden's travel mug. If you visit all 14, you get $100 and a goodie bag,  I have until the end of 2026 to hit 5 more stores, but I don't know if that will happen or not. Driving to them just for the promo would not be worth the gas. Deals at Mardens aren't as good as they used to be, but I did pick up:

26 ounces of peanuts-$3.99

a loaf of whole wheat bread-$2.49

6 bagels: $2.49

In our town, we have a local "swap shop" that an individual manages. Basically, you can pick up and drop off usable items for free. I stopped by on the way to a friends camp and picked up a half box of coffee filters, a vintage cookie jar, 2 books, a full pack of diapers (for when the grands visit) and a Longaberger magazine basket with a plastic liner. I also dropped off a couple of books. I conservatively estimate these items to be worth at least $50. 

I also hung clothes on the line and walked at least 2 miles every day. 

What did you do to save money this week? 

How I've Saved Money Lately

I don't know that volunteering is really considered saving money, but the organization saves money by not having to pay employees! I have been volunteering as a camp nurse for over 20 years. Living Waters, in Weston, Maine,  is near and dear to my heart as I went there as a camper back in the 80s. This is my way of giving back, and in exchange, I don't have to prepare or clean up meals for a whole week, which is a great perk, in my opinion! If you have children, most camps let your kids attend free while you are working. If you are nurse, it's something to consider. Many, many camps need medical staff,  and some pay a modest stipend. 

I love eating what I can harvest myself. This is a picture of a recent lunch when my family was home: Smelts (caught by my son & husband) and Fiddlehead Casserole. Both the smelts and fiddleheads were harvested in late spring and frozen for later use.

While our family was visiting from out of state, we shared many meals together (47, to be exact) , making 99% of our meals at home. I saved money by stocking up months ahead of time and then utilizing the pantry and freezer. The photo below is my husband and grandson carrying water to put out the campfire after a hotdog roast, which ended with smores, of course.

Before family arrived, we did a renovation of our 2nd bath, replacing a single sink with a double and also replacing the toilet. we painted and added a new mirror and lights. Doing the work ourselves saved hundreds of dollars. (I'm grateful my husband is handyman!) We bought everything for the project on Amazon (except the toilet and paint) and took advantage of free shipping, no small thing in rural Maine. 

I get outside everyday and take time to enjoy creation. It is the best therapy and walking is excellent exercise.

We traveled locally during spring break, going just a few hours north to Northern Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. I used points for a free hotel night and did free activities like hiking and visiting local sites.  This is the mill that shares international sites in Madawaska, Maine and Edmunston, NB.

Pussy Willows are free decor. They were my mom's favorite harbingers of spring.

What have you been doing to save money in this economy?

 

Two Unusual Ways I've Made Extra Money

Greetings from snowy Maine. I have been enjoying the winter months and a slower pace. We have been back in Maine seven months now, and I while I have not yet committed to a full time job, I have been trying to pull in some extra cash each month. I discovered a couple unconventional ways to make a buck, so I thought I would share them with you! 

I accidentally happened upon medical research studies while searching for locations where I could have a colonoscopy completed near my home. I found two different companies that were offering payment via gift cards to take part in research trials regarding colon cancer screening. I signed up for both of them. One entailed getting a blood draw, and for the other I had to send in a stool sample. For both, I needed to meet certain criteria (age, health history, etc) and I needed to have the colonoscopy already scheduled. Neither company actually pays for the colonoscopy itself, but my insurance covered this. 

The first is called "the colon screening study," and they sent me a kit about 2 weeks before the colonoscopy was scheduled. I had to collect and return a stool sample via Fed Ex overnight delivery, so I did have to make sure I could send it on a day that was guaranteed to get it there within 48 hours. They paid $50 when I returned the sample and another $150.00 after they got the results of the colonoscopy. There were dozens of choices for gift cards, which was really nice. Here is the link if you are interested. 

The second company is Science 37. They actually sent someone to my home to collect a blood sample about 2 weeks before the colonoscopy. The man who came was an EMT and was very professional and fast. No issues at all. I am still working with the surgeons office to get the results faxed, but I have no reason to believe I won't be paid. They are giving $250.00 in gift cards. Here is the link.

A second unconventional way I am making extra money is signing up for bank and credit card accounts that give you a bonus for opening an account. I have done this periodically in the past, but found this channel on youtube, which took it to a whole other level! (John, who creates these videos, is taking a little break, but I am hoping he returns soon.) In the last 10 months, I have made over $3000.00 signing up for different accounts. Most banks require you to do a direct deposit and some want you to complete a number of transactions and keep the account open for a certain period of time. Most can be completed online. Banks are always changing these bonuses, but you can always search "what banks have the best sign on bonuses" to see what is currently available. I opened accounts with both Chase and Citi. 

While I was living internationally, I focused on credit cards that gave good travel bonuses, but now that I am home, I am all about the cash! I recently signed up for the Capital One Quicksilver card, which gave a $200 cash bonus for a $500 spend (then I used my referral link to sign my husband up for the same card to get an extra $150!). I also signed up for the Chase Freedom Card, which also gave a $200 bonus for a $500 spend. Neither has an annual fee. Here are my referral links if you are interested:

Capital One

Chase Freedom

I have also: collected bottles and cans along the roadside (these are returnable for money in Maine), completed several online surveys, done some mystery shops with this company, sold some items on facebook marketplace and ebay, and taught first aid and CPR classes as an instructor with the American Red Cross. 

I'd love to know what you do to make extra money.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from MAINE! (a 2021 recap)

 

Greetings from Lakeville, Maine, our now permanent home as of June 2021. It's been quite a year for everyone it seems, and we are no exception. One of my goals in 2022 is to post regularly on this blog, going back to my frugal roots, but I woke up this morning and thought, "Why wait?" So here I am!

As most of you know, we spent the last nine years living in Hong Kong. In the fall of 2020, our contracts were up, and we had to make a decision as to whether or not we would sign again. We loved our jobs and our life in Hong Kong, but there were several factors that led my husband and I to mutually decide it was time to "come home." Our children were all back in the US and grandchildren were/are coming, the situation between Hong Kong and Mainland China was/is changing and Covid changed so much about being able to travel--that is to say, it basically shut down travel for us. So, we shipped 7 boxes, packed up 6 suitcases and headed back to Maine!

Here's a visual of our last few months in Hong Kong, because pictures say so much.

The wet market where I shopped regularly.

My last pineapple bun (no pineapple used!)

Saying goodbye to our school.

Frangipani flowers--so fragrant!

Trail behind our apartment that led to the mountains.

Our farewell dinner with beloved colleagues. 

I do miss Asian cuisine. Spring rolls at Ruam. 

A hike to our favorite beach.

Ham Tin Beach

Tea at the Peninsula Hotel with my fellow school nurse. 

A view of Victoria Harbor from the 103 floor of the Ritz Carlton.

Afternoon tea at the Conrad Hilton.

Chinese New Year lanterns on Lee Tung Avenue.

While there are things we do miss about Hong Kong, we have not regretted our decision to move home. Mike is currently working part time (every other day) at East Grand School in Danforth, about a 45 minute drive. I am doing a little bit of "per diem" work as a nurse while I figure out when/where I want to go full time. We are looking forward to having the whole family together for a week at Christmas.

So until the new year, I leave with some more visuals that made coming home wonderfully easy:

One of the first snows.

Looking out the cabin window on Thanksgiving day. 

Impromptu trip to Myrtle Beach to visit a friend.

I'd never seen the loons with autumn colors.

My beloved camp, Living Waters, where I volunteer as a nurse each summer.

Home sweet home.

Our road.

Duck Lake

Foraging Comb's Tooth and Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms.

A drive along Some's Sound.

My husband and son at the Smash Up Derby/Springfield Fair.

Riding in my Father in Law's Model A on a visit to Michigan.

Family Reunions

I was able to work for the Maine Army National Guard youth camp this summer.

Sunset at the cabin.

This is what it's all about.

Tell me what you've been up to


I'll be back in 2022!