Five Frugal Things | a medical watch discount

1. I ordered a watch with a discount code

When I mentioned that I needed a watch with a second hand for nursing school, a reader let me know about the Speidel brand of watches that are made specifically for medical professionals.

The watches aren’t terribly expensive as is, but I found one that was marked down (because of course).

Then I clicked the button to sign up for their email newsletter, and I got another 10% off.

2. I got some free fluorescent bulbs

Someone on a Facebook group was getting rid of some, which was very fortunate timing for me because several of the bulbs in my basement boiler room are on their way out.

I’m delighted to not have to buy any!

3. I paid cash for knife sharpening

I had two knives that were very dull (one being a paring knife I’ve had since 1997!), plus I had a paring knife from the abandoned house that was pretty dull.

So, I stopped by the knife-sharpening truck that’s in my area once a week, and I got them sharpened.

The price was $5 cheaper if you pay in cash, so OBVIOUSLY that’s what I did.

And now I’m gonna have to remember to be a little more careful with my knives. I’ve probably developed a carelessly cavalier attitude towards them because they’ve been so not-sharp.

(I know that sharp knives are actually safer because they don’t slip and slide. But still: I’m gonna need to be mindful as I adjust!)

Relevant: maintaining items that I already own is ultimately cheaper than paying for new items. And it’s better for the environment.

Also, also: cheap items are frequently not worth maintaining or are not possible to maintain/fix. But if you buy good stuff to begin with, it’s usually possible to fix/maintain it!

4. I made yogurt and whole-wheat bread

These are classics for me!

And while both of them do require a lot of time from start to finish, they don’t require a whole lot in the way of hands-on time.

So I’m hoping that maybe I can keep these two habits going even when I start school. Maybe on a day when I’m studying at home, I can pop in and out of the kitchen and get some yogurt and bread made.

Here’s how I make yogurt, with no special equipment required.

And here’s how I make whole wheat bread.

5. I fixed a hand towel

I have entirely lost count of how many times I’ve done this for my kitchen and bath towels. These end seams seem to come apart so often in the wash.

And it’s important to catch it and fix it promptly because otherwise the small problem morphs into a larger one.

Happily, it’s a super quick fix; it takes more time to get the machine out than it does to do the actual fix.

And I am grateful I know how to do these easy fixes; they’ve extended the life of my towels so, so many times.

Like I always say, if you want to save big money with your sewing skills, learn how to mend! You get the most bang for your buck that way.

Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to lately?

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