Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[slo]

Good Thursday Morning

Cheapskates like me love inexpensive things - LOL!

#1 - Dollar Greeting Cards - I hate spending a lot of money on cards - it makes me cringe when I have to do it. So, I love getting $1 greeting cards from the Dollar Store.

#2 - Costume Jewelry - I love to accessorize, so finding cheap inexpensive jewelry is always a great find. I’m always checking the clearance racks in stores and the children’s sections (I’ve found some fun items in the children’s section that an adult can wear) for a new item. I’m always complimented on my fun jewelry.

#3 - Gas Station Coffee - I am so grateful for gas station coffee when I’m on the road traveling to see my DD20 or somewhere else. There’s no way I’m paying what Starbucks wants for their coffee, so I go to the gas station where many have coffee makers that grind the beans before it brews. It’s good stuff!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Amen to bargain cards Slo. Dollar Tree often has a great card selection including some cards of faith which I appreciate. A package of 6 blank notecards is such a Tree bargain too.

My favorite applesauce jar is $2.49. A healthy staple that is multiple servings.

My 67 cent (Thanks to Surprise Points and a sale) throw blanket from Kmart years ago still gives me soft, cozy comfort today.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

BOGOF - I’m super grateful for the once a year sale at Victoria Secret - buy 3 get 3 free - then your coupon for so much off your purchase - free shipping - free gifts with purchase - it was an amazing sale and loaded me up for the whole year on lotion & perfume !! Hardly cost me anything and the free gifts were awesome !!! Plush blankets !!!

Shopping on Amazon and finding deals - I’ve gotten so great deals during prime on items I’ve been needing shockingly cheap !!

Store candy - love gummy bears and sour gummy worms - store brand is just as tasty as name brand but so much cheaper

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Hugs to you @TiggerTrigger

I hope life gets a little easier soon.
This time of year can be awful with softball. If you ever need to get something off your chest, or need someone to bounce a thought off of, send me a PM. I’ve got a lot of softball experience under my belt

Thank you! I really appreciate it. I'm hoping we get some more clarity after this weekend, but we'll see. At the very least, I may PM to share the situation. It's tough talking to local softball friends because people gossip and not everyone understands because many of us are in different places for a variety of reasons.

At the very least, you're probably one of the few on here that could appreciate a recent little victory in my softball life. Spikes marked down to $12.97!!! And I had a DSG gift card from all of the old gear I just traded in at a local SidelineSwap/DSG event, so it wasn't anything out of pocket.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

My fiber optic Christmas tree. It's white, about 30" tall, and has fiber optics so the branch tips light up with different colored "lights." DH bought it for me in 2021, when I had covid over Christmas and was isolated for 10 days. It brought me much happiness, especially when I learned he got it online for $15!!

I love these!!!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Comfy pair of well worn slippers
Watching the sunrise filling up my space
Being outside when the first raindrops show up, happened to me the other day

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I'm having a hard time thinking of singular cheap things, so I think I'm going to go with things that make our stuff cheap or cheaper.

Store brands - There are very few products where I have any sort of name brand loyalties. Unless there's an great manufacturer's coupon deal, the store brands are always cheaper. This saves me a lot of money.

Good RX/Helpful Doctors - DD17 has life threatening food allergies and has to carry epinephrine injectors. They are not cheap and they must be replaced annually. I rejoiced when generic versions of the Epi Pen came out, but my insurance decided they would only cover the name brand...which is still excessively expensive. With Good RX, I have been able to get the generic for a small fraction of what the name brand would cost with my insurance. Her allergist has tried to help with coupons in the past, but most don't do much. He never gives up. Since she's going off to college and will no longer rely on a school nurse for administration, he prefers the Auvi Q. It's always been out of the budget...but this time he got a really good coupon for me and I got it for a hair less than the price of the generic Epi Pen through Good RX.

Digital Coupons - I have the hardest time keeping up with paper coupons, but digital coupons ensure we're getting many of our most commonly purchased items for cheaper along with some freebies. I love that I just load them to my account and the discounts get deducted from my order at checkout. Bonus points for the app showing them for products when making an online order.

Honorable Mentions -

6pm - Some people know this...some people don't, but 6pm is part of Zappos, which is part of Amazon. Zappos has always been amazing for shoes and accessories. Every now and then, Zappos will have good sales (like the Brooks Levitates I found marked down to $17), but most times they move products over to 6pm and then add in a discount (sometimes a deep discount). Most recently, my mom bought me a pair of suede Birkenstock Bostons (birthday present) for $55 off. These shoes are currently selling full price on most other retail sites. Several years ago, I bought myself and the girls Keens Newports. I think the girls' were $12 each and mine were $15 (size larger and different color). Granted, I was able to fit into a kid size (Which rarely happens), but that's $110 below retail. I'll spare you all of my scores and will note it's hit or miss, but deeply discounted shoes, purses, etc. is a pretty nice thing.

Amazon - OK, not everything is cheap or good, but there are some tanks, shorts, sweats, and pants that I really like on there. They're not name brand, but they supposedly wear as well as the pricey brands and are huge budget savers.

YouTubeTV - It's not necessarily cheap and it's gone up in price since we first started, but it's still a tremendous savings over cable or satellite. I think the mobile options are also more user friendly, which is great when you consider the savings.

Birthday Coupons - I don't need anything, but it's my bday week and next week is DD17's bday week. So, we've been getting a lot of birthday coupons and freebies. She recently redeemed her bday gift from ULTA and I just got my annual coupon from DSW.

Good finds on eBay - I know there's some risk here, but sometimes it works out. I love bags, but don't like paying retail. DD17 also recently found one of her college text books on here (correct edition and everything) for $10, so it's worth a look to try and make things cheaper.

OK...I'll stop

 

[Tink-osophy]

3 inexpensive things you're grateful for

Staying in to watch a movie, especially with homemade snacks

Being able to walk places

Supermarket offers

 

[PollyannaMom]

Another vote for movies in!

Discount museum passes from the library - DS and I used to go to all different ones when he was little for a fraction of the cost

Flea market finds

 

[2010dvcfan]

Inexpensive things that's a harder one now a days.

1. quality luggage at the good will for reasonable prices
2. clearance school supplies I take up to the office for the teachers to give out to kids that need help
3. early bird dinner specials on the evening out

 

[SpaceMan5]

My never give up attitude - oh don’t get me wrong it may falter but it always remains

I always try to uplift others at times has become a massive fault of mine to my to my own detriment I shouldn’t live and learn but I still do it I see the good and others even though sometimes I probably should turn up blind eye but I always think there is good on others most of the time I’m not proven wrong

My ability to make friends - it’s amazing to me how people make assumptions based on just looking at you I try not to do that And I do find it frustrating that people do that people make assumptions about me all the time they don’t take the time to get to know me they just make assumptions I don’t do that and then they act all surprised when they find out that there are assumptions are wrong and it confuses them and they think that I am acting out of character because I am not going along with their preconceived assumptions I am grateful that I don’t do that! You can meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends by not doing that but you have to put yourself out there and try to put out there ! I have learned in life not everybody’s gonna like me and I’m OK with that have to have a reason and I’m OK with that too

I am a very organized person and I’m a very orderly person probably a little too organized and orderly I’ve learned to accept that in the fact that not everybody has to be like me took me a while but I finally have started to get there

Life is an evolving journey you go with the flow it is not always easy - that is what your friends are for !! I would say family but mine is very dysfunctional so I’m gonna go with friends

Very grateful for this thread helps to keep me well grateful !!!

Well said and thoughtful!

 

[SpaceMan5]

This is tough...I'm normally a pretty positive and optimistic person, but I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything right now, to the point that even personal positives seem to have both glaring positives and resounding negatives in this moment. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer.

Normally, I'd say it's my way to always see a silver lining, my outgoing and extroverted nature, as well as my abilities to find alternative solutions to obstacles. Hopefully, I'll return the normal me once my car drama has ended, my heel/ankle situation has fully healed, and everything is squared away with school and softball stuff.

I feel ya Tigger

 

[SpaceMan5]

#3 - Gas Station Coffee - I am so grateful for gas station coffee when I’m on the road traveling to see my DD20 or somewhere else. There’s no way I’m paying what Starbucks wants for their coffee, so I go to the gas station where many have coffee makers that grind the beans before it brews. It’s good stuff!

Say it isn't so slo I guess I am kind of a coffee snob. I am not the one to buy Starbucks everyday but when we go on 1-3 hr road trips I always have to get a Tall Flat White. All said in fun

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I second store brands. Dad and I truly enjoy and prefer a variety of Kroger (Ralphs out here) Brand products. We also get a few Target brand items as well. Of course, my favorite applesauce is Sprouts Brand Original Applesauce from Sprouts.

 

[bluecastle]

Inexpensive things:
I like to challenge myself to find inexpensive or free “souvenirs” when I am at WDW like magnets, clean paper items, like plates, bowls, and cups that say WDW on them, drink coasters (I love my black and white Mickey ones and one that I got at Oga’s Cantina, and park maps. (which I heard they don’t offer anymore?)

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Inexpensive things:
I like to challenge myself to find inexpensive or free “souvenirs” when I am at WDW like magnets, clean paper items, like plates, bowls, and cups that say WDW on them, drink coasters (I love my black and white Mickey ones and one that I got at Oga’s Cantina, and park maps. (which I heard they don’t offer anymore?)

You’re making me feel better about coming home with a bunch of tiki themed drink stirrers from the drinks we ordered at Trader Sam’s.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...and park maps. (which I heard they don’t offer anymore?)

I thought I saw them last time I was there (in March) but I haven't heard anything.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Fri, 8/9) - 3 coworkers you've been grateful for over the years

(If you don't have coworkers, please substitute another category you've been hoping I'd use someday.)

 

[leebee]

Say it isn't so slo I guess I am kind of a coffee snob. I am not the one to buy Starbucks everyday but when we go on 1-3 hr road trips I always have to get a Tall Flat White. All said in fun

It's so, @SpaceMan5 !! We have a gas station here in New ENgland (Irving's, it's a Canadian chain, I think) with a convenience store, Circle K. They ahve the fresh-ground coffee thing going. There are 3 types of beans for each machine (different roasts/types/seasonal flavor). You put your cup under the spigot, then tell the machine which bean you want, what size the cup is, and whether or not to leave space for cream, and it does its magic! The coffee is really good- my sister, who is a Starbucks addict, now gets her first cup on the way to work from Circle K (to justify getting her 2nd cup at Starbucks... but still!!!)

ETA: Store brands. Yes and no. I buy mostly name-brands for my soap products (Dawn, All, etc) as I feel they do a better job. DH will eat most store-brand cereals, but NOT Cheerios- it has to be the real thing, or don't bother. I am always willing to buy the store brand and will continue to do so, unless I truly feel the name brand "works" better.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I must be a coffee snob as I have never purchased gas station coffee - we have circle k here too - if I had to get coffee out and about it would be Starbucks I would never think gas station - too many people I know around my area have gotten sick from gas station food so I avoid them