I harvested cherry tomatoes from the garden.
I sowed seeds for red noodle beans and Armenian cucmbers in the garden.
I collected shower warm-up water and used it to water potted plants in my garden.
I repaired two irrigation leaks in my garden.
I gave my boys haircuts.
A woman in a local garden group is moving and needed to sell her potted roses. She had roses that sell for $50 to $109 each online that she was selling for $30 each. This was an incredible savings I bought several roses from her, and she also gave me 3 small lilac bushes for free. I will give one lilac to a friend.
What did you do to save money last week?
In that second picture – the cherry tomato radiates wonderful brightness like the sun without the heat or burn.
We experienced a heat wave and this time we used our blackout curtains to keep the house cooler during the daytime. It worked well. I bought a set using Bing points traded in for Amazon GC.
I worked out in the yard during the early hours to weed, water, and such, and I thought of Marievne pulling a bucket of weeds daily. There is much contentment for me to be “playing in the dirt”, I missed it when it got too hot to be outside.
I stopped using the dryer as much (again) – and used plastic hangers to dry clothes.
Swapped extra garden produce for produce I didn’t have and also made a small batch of pickles. Been using reclaimed, warm-up, and rinse water to help keep the beds watered.
Have not sewn (consistently) in the last few years, during the heat wave I took some time to reteach and work on simpler patterns to get some of the rust off the brain.
Hope everyone has a calm and productive week.
Your cherry tomatoes look wonderful!! What a great deal on the roses!
We are eating fresh strawberries from the garden….so good. I made enough strawberry rhubarb jam for us to have 2 jars and each of my adult children to have 2 jars. Later this summer I will use my raspberries to make more jam for each of us. We helped my Dad chop up a huge amount of green onion tops to dehydrate. This should provide several jars to use in stews, spaghetti sauce and soups. My Aunt came for a visit and brought some misc items with her to see if any family members could use any of it. I got a nice metal plate holder, some yarn, some fabric, a package of brand new tissue paper and several other useful items. My daughter got a brand new still in the box wooden shelf. So nice of my Aunt to think of us. I finally found some decent grocery prices on items I really need using sales with coupons. Only a few items, but every little bit helps out. The guys in my family went on a fishing trip for Father’s Day so we now have lots of fish in the freezer plus was had a fish fry for Father’s Day which was delicious. Our daughter and her family are moving and they gave us a wheel barrow and a laundry sink they no longer needed and didn’t want to move so my husband went and picked them up in his truck. My 16 yr old niece was looking for summer work so my father asked her to paint the ceiling of their covered patio. This is a huge job and I could tell my niece was over-whelmed but didn’t want to turn down work or say no to her Grandfather so I offered to help her out with this project.
I can’t say I really saved much money this week-other than by not shopping! I donated some pantry items to a local food pantry. I did save $15.75 by going to the mountains on a free admission day. I enjoyed watching the Stanley Cup playoffs for free-even though my team did not win.
Our mayor is expected to make an announcement today about when outdoor watering can begin again-hopefully soon as it is stating to get warm and dry although rain is expected on Thursday. Brandy I was so thankful to read on instagram that your girls are all safe-what a scare and a good reminder that all children should learn to swim. Wishing everyone a safe and frugal week.
This summer, I was gifted a half share (every other week) at the CSA I have been a part of in the past. Due to financial constraints, I decided not to join this year. The farm owner extended this offer to me, which is very kind. It is a huge blessing and I greatly appreciate it.
My niece is getting married the first weekend in July. My mom and second sister and I all went in on a gift together. After looking in thrift stores and not finding what I wanted, I ordered an outfit online, and used a discount code and a $10 gift voucher. The outfit is suitably fancy and does not require shapewear underneath (yay!). Second sister and her son are coming in from out of town for the occasion so it will be fun to have everyone together.
Someone on NextDoor wanted to have two pairs of pants and a skirt hemmed. I offered to do it, and told her she could pay whatever she thought was fair. She ended up paying me $80. I was pleased.
My ex and I reached a financial settlement in our divorce. Now I can make some decisions about my future.
Other frugals:
– Used a $5 off $15 purchase at Grocery Outlet.
– Registered early for a class I am taking to get an early bird discount.
– Printed out my free pages at the library.
– Made jam from a 3lb bag of frozen mixed berries, which I bought for $10. It made good jam, so I will do this again.
– Made a big batch of soup from $1.49/pound asparagus.
– My mom shared some magazines with me.
– Read books from the library. Also found a couple books at a free little library.
– There’s a rose campion plant next to my patio. One of the stalks got bent so I cut it off and put it in water indoors. So pretty.
Brandy, I saw your post on Instagram about the boat trip. Glad your daughters are safe.
Tina: Congratulations on reaching that finality – it makes a true difference in the ability to move on and move forward. Even the most civil of divorces are emotionally taxing. Sending you positive energy as you move forward into a bright and fulfilling future.
Thank you, Ava.
What wonderful savings on the rose bushes. That peach color rose is beautiful. We are going to start canning tomatoes this evening. My step daughter is coming over to help and we are going to divide them out. I have cooked green beans, squash, okra, potatoes, and carrots out of the garden along with a roast for dinner. We had potatoes, green onions, cucumbers and zucchini for Sunday night supper along with grilled chicken with the family. We go down to the garden two or three times a day and pick things. My sunflowers are blooming. We have been shopping sales for meat and have been doing pretty good with putting things in the freezer. I have been trying to put up all I can, as prices are still high at the grocery store. I am liking working from home as I can cook and do laundry on my breaks. Thank you and everyone for sharing ideas and life events with us.
Oh boy, those tomatoes look so good! Mine are just starting to bloom. Can’t wait for fresh tomatoes!
-I went to a U-pick farm and with the help of my daughter and grandkids, 20# of strawberries were picked. They were $3/# and worth every penny! The store strawberries are nothing like farm fresh picked strawberries. I made a fresh strawberry pie for hubby (his favorite and he usually gets 2 a year when the strawberries are in season) and some strawberry scones. I froze the rest of them to use for syrup and jam when jars empty. I cooked the tops that were cut off when cleaned and cooked them up with some water. Strained them and canned 5 pints of strawberry syrup from the juice (all from something that would have been thrown!).
-I canned 8 half pints of blueberry jam (unfortunately one broke in the canner so I am down to 7) from the last of the blueberries in the freezer from last summer. I also canned 12 pints of blueberry syrup. Now we are ready for fresh ones that will come in July that were ordered from the local co-op. I would usually be out, but with having no microwave for 8 weeks, I couldn’t quick thaw them for my yogurt in the morning for breakfast so we had extra.
-I am harvesting radishes, kale, lettuce, and kohlrabi from the garden. Some things are looking tough from all the rain. A couple more days and then it looks like we will have a week with sun and no rain. Yeah! We have had about 3 inches in the last week and I know there are some places in Minnesota with much more.
-Strained off my dandelion oil. I made dandelion salve from the oil.
-I spent $5.50 at the thrift store. I bought a pair of Sonoma jeggings with the tags on for $4.50 (retail tags said $32.00) and a small ironstone oval bowl for $1.00.
-I also went into Goodwill, I had a 25% off coupon on housewares and this is where I find the best deals on canning jars. I got a dozen quart jars, 6 pint jars, and 6 half pint jars for $9.60. A dozen quarts or pints in the store new are over $20 now. This was a good deal, I got over $40 worth of jars for under $10.
-We drove an hour away to watch our grand daughter march in a parade with her marching band. We packed a lunch and drinks. The only money spent was gas. It was a beautiful night (one of the few without rain). Their band took first place in their division. And the parade lasted 3 hours. There were 20 marching bands.
-We continue to drink sweet iced tea made with discounted tea and bulk bought honey, homemade kombucha made with discounted tea, or homemade fruit flavored water. We are not buying any carbonated beverages, juices, or any other beverages. These have just gotten too expensive, even for special occasions. Plus this is much more healthy for us.
-The only money spent on groceries was $9.75 for a gallon of milk and 2# of butter.
Have a great week! Stay cool. Praying for those that are dealing with flooding. We have had a lot of rain in central Minnesota but we are dry here.
To quick thaw blueberries, just put them in a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes. Works great!
Great tip, thanks!
Hello from Washington state. This week was a very busy week in the garden. We have a huge yard with a lot of old growth cedar and fir trees as a result there’s plenty of raking and clean up every year with fallen branches and needles. Thankfully to take yard waste to the dump is free! 4 loads of trimmings and branches went to the dump and it’s looking pretty good around here. I was given raspberry plants and prepared a plot for them with posts and wire. I may not get many berries this year but I’m hoping next year is will be good crop. Cleaned out one of storage sheds and donated things we no longer used to charity. Always look forward to Brandy’s posts and reading everyone’s comments 😃
Gaila in the NW
Gas has ranged from $2.79 at SAMS in a university town to $2.99 on the coast. I went to coast for required CLE but it was paid for and ai made sure to stay under the limit for meals and gas. I took food with me in a cooler and ate sandwiches in my room, except for one to go appetizer. Breakfast was provided at the seminar. I usually walk on the beach in the evening after my classes but it was double red flags, beach was closed and the fines were heavy ($500 a piece) for those who disobeyed and the sand was stinging bc of a storm way out in the Gulf. I swam in the hotel swimming pool instead. A friend of a friend with her family stood in ankle deep
Water and were fined $1500!!!!!! That is not frugal so I didn’t go near the Gulf water. I found beach tshirts on sale for $2.00 a piece for my family. I somehow pulled a back muscle and have been resting as much as possible. It has made sleeping, walking, working, etc. difficult. But it is slowly getting better. I had my free Pap smear (insurance paid) and scheduled my mammogram. Doctor said next year, when I go on Medicare, my Pap smears are every other year after that, unless there is an issue. WOW!
Chopped garlic scapes from my garden and started drying them so I can then grind into powder.
I bought 2 Flashfood bags of produce filled with tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers and onions. I chopped the onions in food processor and froze some and dehydrated the rest! My pantry and freezer are happy with this addition!
Made 2 meat loaves, using FF ground beef and chopped onions. Made peach crisp using previously home canned peach pie filling and pantry staples (after I made up a new batch of brown sugar! ).
Started filling my new freecycle cabinet in laundry room with pasta, baking ingredients and other dry goods. I repainted the solid wood cabinet with leftover white paint we had.
Meijers had a 2 day sale on 2 pound cartons of strawberries for $1.49 so I bought 12 (24 pounds total). A recently widowed friend mentioned that she hadn’t seen me post about this sale until 8 pm the final night so she missed out,
So I surprised her by bringing 2 cartons to her at Church.
I had another widowed friend who had just gushed over my pink/black scrappy use-it-up quilt when I made it and I stopped over to her house and surprised her with this quilt as a gift to her. Neither of these things really cost much of anything to do, but seeing their smiles was priceless! I am grateful to have a loving husband still alive and that we find ourselves in a situation where we have enough to be able to share.
Finally the heat wave relented and we got some rain.
Keep cool and stay positive!
Gardenpat in Ohio
I’ve used garlic scapes to make a lovely pesto, if you’re looking for a different use. I freeze it. I hadn’t thought of drying them!
Hello, everyone!
I haven’t posted in a while. We recently returned from a trip to Italy, so I’ve been trying to get back into the groove of things. We took the trip to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday, but also met up with relatives who live elsewhere in Europe. We rented a car, so we were able to stay in different areas. Honestly though, the driving utterly terrified me! We utilized ferries and buses when we stayed in the coastal areas. Bus tickets were only $1.50 a ticket for trips about 45 minutes away. If I recall, ferries were only $3 a ticket. We rented a home in Tuscany during part of our stay, and enjoyed all the beautiful fruit trees and flowers on the property. There was also a supermarket relatively close by that we had fun exploring. I really wish I could’ve brought more stuff back home with us. The prices were so much better there! I also purchased olive oil, jams, and honey at local farms. I had some delicious eggplant meatballs at one restaurant we went to (a Stanley Tucci favorite) and have found a recipe that seems to match. I’m looking forward to making them soon. https://thenaturalnurturer.com/vegetarian-eggplant-meatballs/
Here a few of my frugal tasks:
— I needed ice for a cooler for an event, so rather than buying bags of ice, I made my own batches ahead of time.
—I signed the kids up for our library’s summer reading program. They got one free book upon registering.
—Cooking easy meals, and using my air fryer, instapot, and electric skillet. Haven’t used the oven in a very long time. I found a great deal on portobello mushrooms and intended to make my usual mushroom stroganoff, but made this soup recipe instead, and was glad I tried it. It will go in our rotation….very delicious! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17897/hungarian-mushroom-soup/
—Signed up for a free print subscription to Woman’s Day magazine courtesy of an offer from Mercury Magazines.
—My daughter received two bottles of body wash that she said was too strong for her skin, so I made several bottles of foaming hand wash with it.
—Bought my daughter some dresses on EBay that she will need for school performances next year. Both were new, very nice dresses, and the sellers accepted my lower offers! I paid around $10 each including shipping.
Have a great week!
How lovely you were able to add some more roses to your garden, which seem to do so well there. We have lots of tiny tomatoes right now. It will be a happy day when the cherry tomatoes start to ripen. Last week, I placed an online order for some needed things, using a coupon code for 20% off, and went through Swagbucks for another 10% cash back. They then sent a 25% off code, and I placed a food order, again going through Swagbucks for the additional 10%. It’s hard to beat 35% off these days. Gas prices were $3.39 close to where I was working, but I was happy to fill up for $3.03, closer to home. I’ve not had luck growing black-eyed susan vine from seed, but there were dozens of little volunteers, where I was working, so I brought home a few to try. They seem very happy to be out of the gravel, and are already making flower buds, so I’m hopeful. Just after finally sitting down Friday, after finishing dinner and outdoor evening chores, a strange noise came from the bathroom. Running there, I found water pouring out from behind the vanity. Thankfully, J was there, and got the shut-off valve closed. Apparently, the hose to our faucet deteriorated and blew out, and is not fixable. Sigh. This is the second bathroom faucet that has fallen apart from deterioration (entirely different faucets), in the almost 16 years we’ve lived there. We have the oddest water challenges. My husband harvested our onions and garlic. I harvested chard, basil, cucumbers, purslane and the first eggplant. I turned the basil and purslane into pesto. We harvested our potatoes over the weekend, which was the nicest looking harvest we’ve had in several years.
Wow! You’ve already harvested your potatoes! Ours is always a late summer (August) crop.
Yes, they don’t last in this heat and humidity. So happy we had a good harvest this year!
Sometimes the most frugal things is NOT buying something. I rarely go to Kohl’s but they were having a final, final sale. Beautiful decoratore vases for $4.00 a piece. they were in a basket for me to give as gifts. Also, two planting hanging pots for $4.00. there was also cute note cards for $1.50. I am standing in line and realize I have a still full gift closet and plenty of stationary makings of my own. It doesn’t matter how good the price, if it is going to just take up space. I put the basket on the extra counter and left.
Good deals though were abundant at Grocery Outlet. I had pretty much given up on the store the last two months of school. Winco was cheaper and the usual bargain basement finds were picked through. I am also put off that G.O misleads you on the pricing – choosing the highest price of something – not even the Amazon price of something. But GO redeemed itself Tuesday.
1. Jack Link Extra tender beef jerky – $12.99 a pound. This is unbeatable for our favorite brand. I am a backpacker and traveller while trying to get enough protein. This is gold. I bought 12 packs.
2. two 6 box tree top fruit/veggie pouches. Perfect for the car qand my diet. .97 a box.
3. Cracker Barrel double sharp grated cheese. 8 oz $1.99 Extra sharp is hubby’s favorite and I can use less of it for my diet with more taste. Cracker barrel is the best brand.
4. 3 pounds of Ground beef for $7.00.
5. Ouie yogurt. This is outrageously expensive and comes in little glass jars. I bought out four 4 packs for 1.49 a pack. Hubby loves these as well. Now, someone here tell me how to make a top for these jars so I can use them again. 🙂 So far I cut parchment and use a rubberband.
6. Lots of frozen veggies for 1.99 a pack. Some are even total meals.
Being totally transparent, I have a rather luxuriant summer going on. Friends gave me a wonderful stay in Bath, Ohio for a long weekend for practically nothing. I used a Southwest voucher to get there; a family member found an extra room for me at a lake for a week and I just need to bring food and use gas to drive there; and it looks like my friend and I are going to take a four day sailing course in San Diego. The price includes board and certification. We were going to stay in a hotel and just tour around but this came up and it is within budget. Then there is a 16 day backpack through Tahoe in September. So I save where I can and splurge on good deals and priorities. I am lucky that this season of my life allows it.
They actually sell lids for the oui yogurt jars on Amazon.
This company makes their yogurt in small glass jars and they sell all different coloured lids so that you can use them afterwards. I’ve ordered many as I use them for all sorts of things (especially spices) and they just send them through the mail.
https://riviera1920.com/en/
Perhaps they would work for your jars….
I don’t know how to make lids but Amazon has all kinds of options. Some are really inexpensive. Search for oui jar lids.
I use the yogurt glasses for candles. I melt down candles from garage sales for the wax and just buy the wicks.
I found the lids on Etsy.
Yoplait sells reusable lids that are the correct size for those glass jars for a few bucks. My MIL also gave me some of the nice wooden ones at the holidays once. I use them to store homemade tea blends.
It’s been a great frugal week in Houston, TX!
I’ve been cleaning here and there, just in little spurts as I can.
We went to a swim team end-of-season party, where food and popsicles were provided. No cooking or cleaning for me!
I’ve bought the Jimmy John’s sub bread (.50/each) several times, as there is a location I can stop at when running other errands.
I bought a $10 Strider balance bike that I sold the next day on FB marketplace for $20. Small amounts add up, I hope.
I cleaned out younger daughter’s dresser and have a basket ready for the consignment store.
I bought Sam’s reclaimed chicken, such a good value!
It looks like there are quite a few good July 4th sales around us. I’ve been (barely) able to stick to my $500/month grocery budget, but it’s tight! We typically eat from the pantry and freezer the last week of the month. Then it’s fun to look at the grocery sale ads once my new budget amount kicks in.
I took the toddler to look at animals at Petsmart, with no intention to buy. Way cheaper and cooler than the zoo, and he was happy. Cheap thrills!
I got a library book we requested.
I bought bar soap at Goodwill Outlet. It’s $1.49/#, I think this is cheaper than stores. There’s no way I could make soap myself inexpensively.
We used our Wendy’s key chain ($3/each; I bought 5) to get free Frosties. Ours don’t require a purchase, and I’ve probably used them about 15 times so far this year for the kids. They are the junior size, but that’s plenty. It’s fun to try the seasonal flavors they have, too.
Otherwise, there hasn’t been much going on around here, but at least I’m not spending a lot of money!
We did lots of cooking. We have beat the heat and gas dollars by staying at home in the air conditioning. I know that the electric bill will be more next month and maybe more the month after. It has been so hot out. We continue to use cloth napkins and handkerchiefs. We are careful to freeze any food that we are not going to eat so that we can have it another day. My husband is as happy as me that we are eating at home. I remember when we first got married. He told me, “You are saving me money.!” I was. With cooking at home and frugal habits. Now I tease him and tell him that he is saving me money! We are both being frugal and my son is doing such a good job of turning off lights when not in use. We are all a team. I’ve enjoyed listening to music on Youtube. I look up new recipes online.
Hi Brandy and everyone
I’m so glad your daughters are safe after the boat fire, that must have been very distressing.
The saving on the roses was good, you can never have too many roses!
I mended a dress this week and weeded out t shirts which are looking too faded/ stained and cut them up into cleaning rags.
We picked spinach, broad beans, lettuce, courgettes and raspberries and Sweet William for the house. I made elderflower cordial.
We lifted the garlic and it’s drying in the sun. We are having hot weather at last so I close curtains in different rooms as the sun moves round.
I used up the last pack of frozen courgettes from last year to make soup.
I used a coupon to get a pack of twelve mini choc ices free and stocked up the freezer with meat on deals and reduced( yellow) sticker packs of meat.
I batch cooked beef mince and froze some.
I used a coupon to get double supermarket loyalty points when I bought petrol.
I washed bedside rugs, the label says dry clean but I’ve been washing them for years with no problem.
I took one of our dogs to the vet for jabs and when I checked the bill at home realised I’d been double charged for an item. A quick phone call sorted it out. I’m checking everything these days, especially supermarket receipts before I leave the store, it’s surprisingly frequent I find an error.
Stay safe everyone.
Sent off for $2.75 rebate from Menards
A few tree trimmers post whenever they have some sought after wood. Hubby went and picked up a truck load of oak wood to use in grilling, saving a bunch from buying a bag of it at Ace Hardware whenever he wanted it.
Made $15 on Marketplace
A neighbor was having a yardsale and hubby made $80 on a spare ladder
I sign up for product review and I was able to try Blue Bunny Twist ice cream. I got one pint for free.
Hubby finished a job and received a $200 tip
I picked up my Mother In Law on Sunday to celebrate my husbands birthday and when I took her home, she sent back food…canned veggies used for eggrolls and eggroll wrappers, sausage patties and juice.
I finished The Black Witch on Audible, and started the Iron Flower
Found bags of nectarines and 10 ounce packs of blackberries for 1.98 each. We got 2 each.
I found mini hot sauces on clearance at Walmart for .25 each. I picked up 4 Spicy Sweet chili ones for me to keep at work(my favorite next to Buffalo), and 8 different ones for everyone else.
I posted this under last week’s, but was very late so I’m updating it a bit to share here. I hope that is okay. I’m so glad your daughters and friends are okay after the boat fire! That must have been very scary. So glad that everyone is safe.
Our weather is quite warm – we hit 100 for the first time a couple of days ago. Summer is officially here! We are keeping blinds closed and curtains drawn, fans going as needed, to keep things feeling cooler. We turn our central air up to 77 while we are gone during the day, and 75 when we are home. If we are home during the day, we leave it on 76. We have found that if we turn it any higher during the day, our west-facing bedroom warms up too much – usually 1-3 degrees warmer than the rest of our condo – and won’t cool down sufficiently at night to be comfortable. We have been in the pool a few times recently, which is a nice relief from the heat.
We attended the wedding of a friend’s daughter and enjoyed a lovely evening with friends at a beautiful historic hotel. We had dinner beforehand in the hotel’s restaurant. The restaurant had a happy hour special with many menu items discounted to $5 or $10, so we were able to get a full, delicious meal quite inexpensively at a place we had been wanting to try. Win win! We saw several couples we have not seen in a while at the wedding, friends that had moved further away, so it was a nice time to catch up.
We have been cooking and eating almost all meals at home. Brisket tacos, chicken & shrimp fajitas, grilled salmon, brats with sauerkraut, poblano turkey burgers, homemade pizza, along with many other meals I cannot recall at the moment! I made honey buttermilk bread to use up some buttermilk we had left over. I cut my husband’s hair, and did my own manicure and pedicure. I did get my hair cut, but my salon sent out a free service add-on special by email about a week before my appointment, so I was able to add an extra service that I would not normally get (conditioning color gloss) onto the cut for no additional charge. I did tip my wonderful stylist on what the additional service would have cost. That was a nice treat before the wedding. Store sales included finding marked-down brisket, cube steak (for chicken fried steak), flank steak, salmon filets, and pot roast for 50% off, and whole chickens for $5. All of those items went into our freezer for future meals. I bought boxed macaroni & cheese mixes for .27 cents each on a weekly sale. We kept a couple (they are good when someone in the house is sick), and donated the rest. Crackers and cereal were purchased on sale and one box of cereal ended up being free after a store digital coupon. This week I see that brisket is on sale $1.87/lb and corn on the cob is also very cheap, so we will pick those items up. One of our neighbors moved out over the last week and gifted us with all the stuff they didn’t want to move or throw away. We accepted a palm tree and a small succulent, multiple grocery bags of HBA products (we will not have to buy body lotion, deodorant spray, or hand soap for at least a year), and a new heated throw blanket. We needed a new heated throw as the one we have is several years old and very worn, and our larger electric blanket was stolen during a break-in at our storage unit earlier this year. The neighbors also left some new children’s games and pokemon cards that my husband took to his office and gave away to very happy coworkers for their grandkids. We also gave away several other plants and pots, some potting supplies, tech items and phone cases, and quite a few bottles of shampoo and hand sanitizer.
I am off work (starting tomorrow) on medical leave for another hand surgery. I will be glad to have it done. It is carpal tunnel surgery, and my dominant hand was done several weeks ago. I had immediate relief from the constant numbness and tingling after the surgery, so I am very ready to have the other hand done. I am thankful for health insurance. I am thankful that I have a full department of great employees, which will give me peace of mind while I am out. It is the first time in 20+ years that I have been able to take time off without still working and responding to emails. I am looking forward to it, even though it isn’t for a “fun” reason.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week and stays cool.
Hi all, wishing you all a very peaceful week. Brandy, I’m so glad your daughters are safe.
We have a new rescue cat. All was going well and he had settled but he has just peed in our spare room and the smell is phenomenal! Apologies for bringing it up but does anyone know any products that might help? I’d be very grateful! The room is unusable at present and the heatwave is not helping!
I am having a party of sixteen people at the weekend for my birthday more as a way of seeing lots of folk we haven’t seen for ages. I have gone through my cupboards to use up items to make sweet treats for it-flapjack, rocky road as well as birthday cake. We will play games with the children and hopefully the nice weather will last.
We are having a student from Saudi arrive to stay for a month the day after to homeschool him and teach intensive English lessons. Not done this before but the remuneration is good and I think it will be fun! We hope to learn a lot from him as well as vice versa. The company we’ve used usually has students with weekly stays so we were a bit flummoxed by this being a month but we’ll do our best to ensure he has a lovely time! There are excellent resources online but if anyone has any faves please do let me know! Thank you.
Wishing you all a very frugal week!
I found Zero pro odor remover works well. I’ve tried many, many products.
So helpful! Thank you Cara!
What company are you using for the exchange student? It’s something we’ve considered, but I was never sure what company to use. I’ll be curious to hear your experiences.
Allyson – I was a host family for years. I lived in Canada in Vancouver BC at the time. And English language schools are a big deal up there. Friends had hosted and suggested doing it. I searched on ‘language schools’ in my city and then called them to see if they were accepting new home stay host families. I’ve since learned that many high schools and colleges/universities have exchange programs. Most of our students were placed for at least a month but one was there for only a week. We had two that stayed with us just short of a year each. We were paid by the school and not the student. I liked not having to collect money from our students. And the formal teaching was done in the classroom. I thought it was a great experience.
I’m in England and we are using Influent (who work with hosts in lots of countries). I’ll let you know how it goes!
We’ve been using Nature’s Miracle successfully for years. Have yet to find anything that works better, but you need to saturate the area and allow it air dry as the enzyme eats the odor causing bacteria as it dries.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KQXK6WQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi Jenny, this is a late reply but thought I would comment anyway. You will need an enzymatic cleaner to remove the urine. Even if you are able to remove the smell, sometimes cats will still smell it and re-mark the spot. (Source: I work in a vet clinic and this is what we tell our clients.)
I visited two thrift stores this week, in search of some bookshelves for our study/library that we are in the process of remodeling. The prices in thrift stores are quite high in my area! The prices were almost comparable with retail. I did find a vintage cookie press from the 1960s with all of the attachments for $6.00. I have wanted one of these since you have written about yours on your blog, but they are quite expensive on eBay. I am excited for the holiday baking to ensue! We are continuing to make upgrades to our home with purchasing material each week as the budget allows and doing the work ourselves. Thankfully, my husband has almost every tool he needs to complete this job, but we are looking for a paint sprayer, hopefully one to borrow, but if not, we are looking at purchase options. I have not purchased soda in two weeks. This may seem small, but I have a very bad diet coke habit that can get quite expensive! We continue to eat meals at home and bring lunches to work instead of eating out. Summer school ends tomorrow, but the extra money is being used for the upgrades and to pay down debt, so I didn’t mind working the extra sixteen days. For the rest of my summer vacation, I plan to stay home, organize, clean, and just enjoy my new deck and porch. Everyone have a safe and happy summer!
Ooh, how nice! The vintage cookie presses are so nice. I like that they are not plastic. I prefer my vintage cooking tools.
I’ve recently started hearing about “tool lending libraries”, where you can check out various tools – sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee, but I would guess less expensive than purchasing. You could check to see if such a thing exists near you!
Last week my granddaughter came to visit. She is 18. I have not seen her since she was about 10 or 11 months old. It was WONDERFUL! We found some lovely things to do with her locally, and she spent time with cousins, aunt, and uncle who live in the area and met her half-sister in person for the first time. Everyone was intent that she have a good time. I budgeted extra funds so we could take her out to this place and that but didn’t end going to half the places we’d planned because her schedule was so packed with family visits. It all went by entirely too fast.
I waited until they had arrived to pick up a few grocery items, making sure there was nothing they wanted especially. We had a picnic lunch one day and Mexican another which is always inexpensive and so reasonable.
I went to the grocery today to visit the reduced meat and produce sections at the local discount grocery. I got tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, bell peppers, and green onions today plus four packs of a good quality chicken thigh. One of the packages had a $1.50 coupon on it that the cashier caught and pulled off so I paid something near 50c for four huge thighs! I’m relying more and more on that store’s reduced-price items and then filling in with whatever (if there are) sales items from other stores. We are eating out of pantry and freezer a lot lately, and sticking to my grocery budget is easier but we still pay more than most people do despite cutting out all the extras.
Hot weather here of 100F for the past week and more to come. Also not raining so I’ll be saving any dishwater and water from glasses etc., to help me keep potted plants watered. Also pulling curtains, not using the stove but microwave, toaster oven, and slow cooker to make meals. It helps a lot to not turn on that stove.
Okay, I’m stumped — what is “reclaimed chicken” from Sam’s? Marked-down?
It has been hot for the Colorado mountains here, and humid. (80s…I know, I know. Pathetic, after reading it was 110 at your place, Brandy.) I picked our first cherry tomatoes this week; the plants are in bins on the upstairs deck, so ‘animules’ don’t get to them. Planted some greens near where the drainpipes run off — we’ll see if they take.
We’ve been stopping at a wonderful Amish discount grocery — best bargains, so far, have been a wheel of Swiss cheese ($2.19/lb for a 5.5 pound wheel) and Jimmy Dean sausage, 9 oz for 79 cents. (I bought 10 pkgs) Other bargains helped me cater a lunch for a pastors association for less than $3 a person: ham and chicken sandwiches, two kinds of soup, carrots/celery. (Okay, the pound cake for dessert made it a bit more — but I paid extra on purpose, to help out the friend who was making them.)
I also traded four hours of appraising for two wonderful quilts who I couldn’t get out of my mind. I’ve also bought several books on Ebay for either 3-for-1, or much reduced prices…and usually free shipping. Ebay advice: if they say they’re open to a ‘best offer,’ ALWAYS make one.
Brandy, so glad you’re back on the air. I miss you when you’re quiet. Thank God the girls and everyone else are okay…they will remember the boat fire for as long as they live. Our youngest was visiting friends when their house burned down…she escaped okay, along with everyone else, but lost everything she’d brought with. When we picked her up at the airport, I had to feel her all over to make sure she was ok. (She was slightly embarrassed, but I just needed to know she was okay.) I’m guessing you felt the same relief, too.
My guess it was a spell check replacement for “rotisserie”. I was wondering the same thing and actually googled to no avail.
“Reclaimed chicken” is what our Sam’s calls the rotisserie chicken that doesn’t sell the day before. They cut them up and package them into containers sold for $3.98: you get either 4 breast and wing portions or 6 leg quarter portions. It’s in the refrigerated section.
I only find them in the mornings; they sell out, and it’s while supplies last.
Cindy,
Where in Colorado is this Amish grocery if you don’t mind saying?
Congrats on getting more roses – you are an amazing gardener so I’m sure they will thrive.
I have company coming this weekend so I am working on giving my apt. a good clean. With working mornings and the heat I do try to pace myself. I finished cleaning out my bedroom closet and discovered a bin full of first aid supplies that I had forgotten about. So glad I found it before I purchased duplicates. These items have now been moved to a more appropriate location where they are front and centre!
I then finished sorting through all my wrapping supplies – Christmas and general – along with cards, ribbons etc. They are now organized and in two of the drawers in the new dresser I bought for the living room. I will add some tape and scissors so all these items will be in one spot – and again – much more accessible. This will ensure that once again, I don’t end up buying duplicates!
Put together a side table that I had purchased – it actually turned out that there were two tables in the box – so now I have two lovely tray style occasional tables. I can remove the tray top and fold the legs so one can be stored away easily when not needed.
I took advantage of a 7 day free option to watch a BBC documentary channel but cancelled after the 7 days and did not take advantage of the half price offer for the next three months as I just didn’t think there was enough of interest to me. I also cancelled my PBS subscription (under my Prime membership) as I’ve now watched all that I want for now.
I checked my Amazon cart and found that there were discount coupons offered on two items – I’ve placed an order for an emergency hand wind radio $15 off and two fire blankets with $5 off. I’ve been going through my emergency supply cupboard to see what I have and what I need and these two items were top of the list so I am pleased to get a bit of a savings. I wish I could link to your account Brandy but it still doesn’t seem to be an option from Canada.
Yesterday was payday and I found that I had $25 left in my allowance and $20 left in my grocery envelope from last month – so this money has now gone into sinking fund envelopes for future use. I then took out money for this month’s groceries (still under my usual allotment) – gave myself my allowance and took out money to cover the four birthdays that I will be going to this month! Bills will be paid online on the first of the month and this month’s big ticket item is a trip to the dentist tomorrow to have a major filling repaired. I believe that I will get 80% back on my insurance and whatever amount it turns out to be – half will go to additional debt repayment and half will go to savings envelopes. Keeping busy and staying out of stores really does help to save money!
I hope all your Canadian readers have a wonderful Canada Day and enjoy this long weekend!
So glad everyone was safe with the fire!
Our big news: my son completed his Eagle Scout project! So I have space back in my garage. I hope his soccer coach is pleased. He finished and delivered the project but the coach was unable to see in person before he went to scout camp.
With some of the wood scraps he built some storage in the garage for fathers day. I’m proud of him for his creativity.
My husband traveled to Kansas to check in on his parents for father’s day. It was a long weekend but the good news is driving a hybrid vehicle he only had to fill up one time! So that was a blessing.
I’m almost a month out from surgery and recovery has been bumpy. I finally left my home the first time this weekend, and that was to ride along for adult supervision for the Eagle project build. I guess not leaving the house also means I’m not spending too much at the farmers market either!
My garden has not done well with the lack of attention because I can’t bend or lift yet. I did harvest a few garlic heads. It’s also been unusually hot, so I’m trying to figure out what seeds I can easily throw down and grow with better luck. ☺️
Had a medical setback.(postsurgical infection) and my husband has been wiped out from the shingles shot so we haven’t really cooked the last 2 days. He has made pasta and I ate bread and olive oil. (Not the most well rounded meals, but we both will feel better soon, I hope.)
Wishing you a good week.
Robbie
Looking forward to seeing photos of the new roses!
On the frugal front:
We needed replacement 9V batteries in our fire alarms. I bought a multipack of Amazon lithium batteries. Evidently, lithium batteries need to be replaced less frequently saving money and the hassle of every 6-12 month chirping. (Why does the chirping always start in the middle of the night?!)
We spent a rainy Friday night at an impromptu get together at our friend’s home with three other couples. We brought a snack and played cards. I made Chex Mix using items I had on hand.
We harvested lettuce, cilantro and asparagus from the garden.
I have completed my first month of full time work and haven’t gone out for lunch even once. This is old hat for all of you, but is a big accomplishment for me.
Since my job is only one mile away, I only filled my gas tank once this month. When we drive other places, we take HH’s company car. While we pay tax on personal miles and a small monthly fee, all gas and maintenance is covered by his company which has saved us thousands over the past 25+ years.
I saved 10% on groceries using DD2’s employee discount and $0.24/gallon off fuel with grocery rewards.
I purchased two pairs of dress pants on clearance at Kohls for $12 each for DD2 to wear to her internship. I purchased 4 pairs of clearanced earrings for $6 total. I will save them for advent calendars.
DD2 worked at a food distribution event and was sent home with surplus produce at the end.
I won a kalanchoe plant playing a game at a baby shower.
We enjoyed watching the swimming, diving and track and field US Olympic trials on NBC.
I look forward to reading everyone’s frugal feats!
Wow-some generous parents at our school gave us $325 in cash and gift cards at year end. We will share some with our daughter.
Those cherry tomatoes look great! And how wonderful to get more roses at a good price.
I saw your Instagram story about the boat fire, and I’m very glad your daughters are safe.
I harvested cherry tomatoes from my parents’ garden, which I’m looking after while they’re away. I also found some good deals at Kroger this week with their Fourth of July sales. I’ve been trying some new recipes from Budget Bytes to help me get more creative with low-cost cooking. I also tried a wacky cake recipe, but unfortunately, that one didn’t turn out well and had to be thrown out. I was sad to have wasted the ingredients, but at least they were relatively inexpensive ones.
I have started hanging up my laundry to dry again, since we always use more electricity at this time of year. The air conditioner and the dryer seem to be the biggest energy users in our house, and the air conditioner is the more necessary of the two.
I’ve lost a little weight, so I tried on some clothes that were previously too tight and found that they fit again. I did not need to buy anything new.
I hope everyone has a good week.
What a lovely surprise for you, “I”!
I am loving the fact that we are receiving three or four days of rain.
It has been a very expensive spring for me: two trips to the dentist, (ouch and ouch), 1 roof inspection after a wind storm tore off part of the fascia board, three lengths of garden hose (50% reduced), 6 taxi fares to and from three medical appointments, 1 visit by my tree treechopper (he’s returning once the chickadees have fledged), and to obtain some new summer clothes when my clothes bought on sale last year disintegrated beyond repair. I have also had higher than usual grocery bills as I have been buying extra food on sale to donate to our community food pantry.
I ran into my neighbour (I rarely see her because she is mostly in her backyard). She offered me any water I needed for my annuals or other plants.
They’ve installed rain barrels. I planned on doing the same but the rain barrels sold out before the pickup dates – probably because of extra demand because of the hot weather and drought we had last year. It was lovely that she offered me some water but I had enough rain water saved up that I could get by as long as it rained this week. Still I appreciated her kindness.
I hired a friend’s brother to mow my lawn. He has been at loose ends because of retirement and somewhat depressed. I see him improving steadily! The yard is very shady so most of the lawn does not need mowing very often. He also does other chores for me. This past week, he planted the remaining perennials for the alpine scree bed which is on the intensely sunny boulevard. It has taken years for some of the plants there to thrive. The plants were chosen because they were supposed to be short or ground covers. So far I have a penstemon and alpine dianthus plants that are tall and huge. Everything is blooming! I should only have to water the boulevard once or twice a summer as everything is supposed to be drought tolerant. He also planted the perennials for my back rock garden. I was going to do it myself but I decided my balance isn’t quite good enough. Putting in this very small rock garden some years ago means that I or anyone else did not have to mow on a steep hillside. It is like a reverse rock garden because on top of the slope is the level back patio. He also weeded out my raised garden box. He misunderstood my directions and planted the seed potatoes in it instead of the carrots so I’ll just buy the carrots, I think. One thing I’ve noticed is that he works really hard and fast.
During three weeks of water restrictions, I did 2 loads of laundry (my washing machine is water smart), two loads of dishes in my water saving dishwasher, and had two very needed showers (with my water saving shower).
I used two cases of bottled water (with a bit of it going to water my tomato plants) and will put two cases in my emergency pantry. I delayed planting some of the annuals and rock garden perennials because it was easier to keep them watered in their flats than planted but finally with rain predicted everything got planted just in time for the rain.
It is one of the very best seasons for wildflowers blooming in the Rockies. Perhaps it is all the late snowfall we had but the wildflower meadows are unprecedented,, I’m told. It is our long weekend, Canada Day, here. And then on July 5th, Calgary Stampede starts. There will be a lot of holiday traffic so I tend to avoid the highways. A lot of Calgarians go out of town during the Stampede so it is quiet n the neighborhood.
It s also quiet because our male pheasant was caught by a hawk. The pheasant had a good life but we all realized that with eagles, hawks, owls, bobcats and coyotes in the neighborhood, we realized that he was living a charmed but short life. Still I miss seeing him strutting through the yard.
I bought the extra links of garden hose so I could have enough for my wooded backyard. There was a fire in the nearby woods this week
and fortunately it was seen by someone across the river who reported it. The fire department had a hard time putting it out but managed to do so.
I have part of the hose set up and will finish it after the rain.
Brandy, David Austen UK has a rose photo contest with very handsome prizes. Perhaps you could enter one of your photos?
To the Canadians, Happy Canada Day! And happy 4th of July to the rest!
P.S. It looks like our broken feeder water main will be back in operation on July 1st. Yay!
So glad that your water restrictions should be lifted in a couple of days – it has been a tough few weeks for Calgarians – and good news about the rain to help keep the gardens going.
Going to the Stampede is on my bucket list – one of these days… I do enjoy watching the events on the TV each evening.
My mother passed away in March. With all the donations made in her memory to the public library we are installing a Little Free Library at a local park. Today I was at thrift store that was having Flash Sale. All children’s books were B1G2free. I purchased 15 brand new books for $1.25 in total. Had already purchased 15 fun paks with crayons and stickers for 90% off at liquidation store. Librarian is in charge of actual installation at the park and I’m not sure of the timing but I’m gonna be ready with inventory to fully stock it with items for all ages. My mother loved the library and this will be great memorial to her. So glad the librarian thought of it.
TCR, I’m sorry about your mother but what a wonderful memorial!
Sorry to hear about the loss of your mother, but this is a lovely way to honor her. I have been a Little Free Library steward for 6 years, and it gives me a lot of pleasure to see books come and go in my own LFL and others’. Great idea to stock up on thrifted books for it!
I am so very sorry for your loss, TCR!! I think that the Little Free Library is a wonderfully fitting tribute to your mother and will truly be an ongoing testament to her love of reading and the library. What a special way to honor her and to benefit many others!
This week has been a doozy! We got our replacement roof, covered by insurance. We are shopping for house paint colors now, which we will do ourselves. While we are now on our 2nd batch of samples, it is more frugal to take the time now to select the ‘right’ color than to paint a whole house and hate it!
I made 2 batches of gooseberry jelly from our gooseberry bushes. My parents sell produce at a farmers market, I accepted some odds and ends that did not sell. I made pickles, as well as pickled some cauliflower and hot peppers. I also made ratatouille subs and canned 2 quarts of peaches. It is not much but it is better than nothing. I used to purchase a peck of peaches from the Peach Truck but I was blown over the price increases over the last 2 years so have not done that. Last year, I purchased some some a local farm that were sold as ‘ohio’ peaches but I saw the employee moving them out of a grocery store style box that said ‘georgia’ so I will not be doing that again. If we have to eat pears instead for a year, we will!
There was definitely no saving money last week. As I sit writing I’m actually sitting on my cruise ship. It will be several hours before it leaves port. Miami is very hot too. I reviewed my bills carefully to make sure everything is covered correctly since everything will automatically pay while I’m away. This made me nervous for some reason. In reviewing bills I found a $112.00 streaming service charge that sugar cookie bought. Apparently she only had to click on it. I have our TVs password protected so I wasn’t happy. In addition ,I found 3 smaller services totaling $20 a month. I need to have my son double check these clicking options. I’m packed food for my trip. I had a new water bottle to travel with but, I couldn’t find it anywhere. Sugar cookie struck again . At least she tells me the truth. Otherwise ,I could have searched for days for it. I do not buy drink packages on the ship. As example the package for soda ,coffee and water is $560.00 for a 7 day cruise. That is NUTS. The same package on Carnival is about $60.00 for 6 days. I’m meeting up with a friend in Honduras for lunch. Life is wonderful. It is so wonderful to hear native Italian and be able to speak with them. I collected many pallets more of strawberries and cotton candy grapes this week. I.passed them on to the neighborhood children. I got two cases of Little Debbie’s too. One morning I stopped at Hardees to pick up my father sausage gravy biscuits he requested. The nice manager gave them to me ,6 of them with extra gravy. I’ve been bringing extra fruit to them too. I’m listening to a lovely jazz band. Soon it will be time for a nap. Traveling brings out my aches and pains. I started checking uber /lyft fares ,early this morning. I knew that as soon as I arrived at the ship , I would be allowed to board. I saw a car for $6.50. I grabbed it and off I went. I am under my budget for the trip ,which is nice. Have a great week friends. My health continues to decline. Each trip ,I wonder if this will be my last.
Have a wonderful trip Lilliana – I will look forward to hearing all about it when you get home.
Lillianna, how nice you can travel on a budget. I have gone on a cruise only once. I bought a drink package (non-alcoholic) but the water tasted off so this ruined the taste of the iced tea & ice for me. Like when you travel to a different country or state & the water tastes different. It was a waste of money to pay for the drink package. I was glad to return to my condo w/ my filtered water! I agree the drink package is a big scheme to squeeze more $ from the passengers.
It seems the travel industry puts extra charges on everything like resort fees, extra fees for baggage on airlines, parking fees to park in the hotel lot, etc.
Not money saving, but… Our church is going to start a memorial rose garden. My grandmother died at the end of last year, so I am going to sponsor one in her name. I am looking forward to browsing the catalogues and choosing one she would have really liked, as she loved gardening. I am planning to choose one with a beautiful scent, probably yellow. I have to see whether they are all supposed to be standard roses or not, though, before I can pick.
I saw a post the other day by a lady who said she always grabs vintage casserole dishes when she sees them at thrift stores or yard sales and uses them when she brings a meal to someone! She said often they are cheaper than disposable ones and the family can either keep for themselves or pass on to someone else who needs a meal in the future!
That’s a great idea!
Jojo Loveable
P.O. Box #5.
Vancouver, B.C.
T8P 1P6
Brandy, I miss your posts! I hope you are having a pleasant and productive summer, and that all is well with you and yours.
Hello, just wondering, is this blog still active? Are you alright and just moved on?
Been super busy!