My mom found this vase for me for $3 at a garage sale. She also found a silverplated cake stand (that I plan on using for Thanksgiving) for $3 and a brand-new pair of boy’s dress shoes in the box for $3 for my youngest. I had planned on going to the community sales this year, but I was unable to go. She found a few things for me and I spent less this way.
I enjoyed an al fresco lunch outside in my garden in dappled shade. My vase is from here (affiliate link)
I harvested okra, green onions, serrano peppers, and eggplant from my garden. I heard that okra is best harvested small, and I was watching for the first blooms, but I missed them, and several of these were too woody to eat. I left even larger ones on the plant to finish producing seeds. It’s an open-pollinated variety, so I can save seeds to plant next year. I will be checking more often now and cutting them when they are no more than 4 to 5 inches long.
I cut roses from my garden to enjoy inside. My vase is from here. (affiliate link).
Our temperatures dropped below 100 F at the end of the week (38 C) and I opened the windows each morning to cool the house without having to run the air conditioner for a few hours. It’s still hot enough that the air conditioner runs at night, and my electric bill is going to be much higher this October than in years past (already the electric company has estimated that it will be at least $100 more than October of last year), as we are experiencing record heat. The continued heat has delayed my ability to plant my fall garden like I usually would, but I hope to soon.
I took the time to step outside to enjoy the beautiful sunset.
My algorithm sent me some ads for some clothes from Old Navy that I absolutely love. A couple were on sale, but the others were new fall/winter clothes, and they were full price. It’s too hot to wear them yet, and I know they have 50% off sales on a regular basis, so I refrained from buying anything at this time. I’ll wait until the sales come for everything. At the same time, with continually warming winters, I know the time to wear them will be very short here; I am beginning to wonder if I will need any winter clothes at all at this rate! Whatever I get is certain to last for years, since it will only be worn 3 months of the year.
A comedian that I follow on Instagram posted that he had a longer video of his act on YouTube, so I listened while making dinner, and enjoyed getting to hear a comedy show without the cost of attending one in person.
What did you do to save money last week?
How lovely that your mum could find things for you at the car boot sales.
I have not achieved much this week
We had flu jab and booked the RSV but the covid vaccine has not arrived yet.
I have packed the seeds I have collected from the garden. I have placed a bucket on the back step for spent tea leaves these are poured on the garden to improve the soil…The temperature is dropping but I will need to mow the lawn one last time.
Hubby needed a visit to the audiologist we got an appointment in 2 days! This is really good for the NHS The next appointment is 6 weeks away. The tests needed from cardiology were done 3 months ago and we are still waiting for the results. All we get if we phone is an answer phone but nobody rings back.
I made sauerkraut with an extra large cabbage I bought at the market and have also made Yoghurt .
Have a lovely week
Chris
Hi Brandy, may I ask the name of the comedian you enjoyed on You Tube? So much of the (so-called) comedy these days is just unpleasant to listen to.
I thought it might be easiest to send you a link. Here it is. This is his latest video.
I have some other comedians I like too; I should check YouTube to see if I can find them there too.
If anyone else boycotts GooTube, as I do, he can also be found on Rumble. Just search for Shamik Chakrabarti
I have been enjoying Nate Bargatze. He has clean jokes and is really funny. There are some clips on YouTube.
I was so sure Nate was the comedian Brandy was referring to. But I was wrong. I highly recommend him to everyone. Clean and relatable but never boring. Or mean. He does have at least two Netflix specials and was on SNL.
Melissa, I agree, he is one of my favorites to listen to.
Your flowers and garden are just beautiful. We are expecting frost tomorrow night so we picked the last of green beans, various peppers and green tomatoes. My step daughter was married over the weekend and we survived. I am exhausted. My husband loaded the last load of chairs to take back this morning and we have everything back to normal. We had family and friends stay and help clean up after the wedding and yesterday afternoon. It was beautiful and the weather could have not been more perfect for a fall wedding outside.
I was able to can 18 pints of salsa to restock our inventory using just ingredients from our garden or our pantry! I used empty pint jars that I had with brand new rings and lids that a friend unexpectedly gave me (10 package of 12 rings/lids) that were brand new. So not a penny OOP plus no trip to store to buy anything needed. And, my friend who gave me the jar lids/rings was pleased to get a jar of salsa! (During the year, I’ve gifted jams, etc to her!)
On Friday this week, I bought 2 five pound tubes of ground beef for $5 each ($1/pound). I have turned part of one tube into Hamburger patties that I flash froze to bring my inventory of premade frozen burgers back up
for next time we want to grill! Truly a money saver! My friends who have 6 kids were happy to reimburse me the $5 and get the other one
! She said we are really helping their food budget and I remember raising our 11 kiddos how being able to get a good deal on things we needed was beneficial to our budget! Now, at this stage in our lives, Hubs and I have more time to watch for and pick up good deals and are happy to share the bounty with family/friends who have jobs/little or big kids and hectic schedules. We can be the ones to help them the way we were helped over the years!
More quilts being dropped off to have quilting designs stitched on and somehow, I took some time to make a baby quilt for a shower in 3 weeks- https://pin.it/1GafLDH1B and then for fun, I tried a free pattern and made this wall hanging to give as a gift- https://pin.it/4zifAlAAM. Here’s another client quilt I did this week- https://pin.it/1t98KfqvU. Our website crashed for about a week but now is up and running!
We got the first $300 bonus (of the $900 we will get by December) from Chase Bank for opening a checking and a savings account with them.
I made cream cheese from scratch in the instant pot using just milk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. It was so simple – no temperature taking. And I got a gallon of milk on Flashfood for 39 cents . It made 2 batches (8 Oz of finished cream cheese per 1/2 gallon)! Here’s the recipe: https://wondermomwannabe.com/instant-pot-cream-cheese/
Still finding lots of meals we can make using only ingredients we have at home. Tonight we’ll have oven baked beef chimichangas!
Lots to do as the weather is much cooler here (today’s high will be 56 F degrees) We still keep bedroom window open overnight, but not all the way open! lol! And we enjoy sleeping under 2 quilts! In some ways, I envy your warmer growing season, but I realize that it comes with its own set of challenges!
Gardenpat in Ohio
HandmadeinOldeTowne.com
A neighbor brought me a box of food from cleaning out the excess from a cupboard in her pantry. It was mostly cans of Campbell’s basic soups (mushroom and tomato), Classico pasta sauce, but also some jasmine rice and a package of risotto, as well as several cans of Perrier Energize. This is an expired caffeine and yerba mate energy drink that Perrier doesn’t make anymore. I mostly use the mushroom soup as pasta sauce by watering it down a bit with the pasta water, and add split red lentils and chili powder to the tomato soup to make it more filling and tasty. So, this adds some quick lunches to the pantry. I hadn’t told anyone locally about going to the foodbank, but friends and neighbors have all been making sure that any extra food they have gets moved along to someone who will make use of it. Over the years, while I am careful to not be a mooch, I do talk about not liking food waste and loving fresh produce, so several people feel comfortable bringing me food, and know that I won’t take offence. While my neighbor was here, my cat came over to see what food was in the box. She normally lurks around the corner when people come to the front door, but she thought this was too interesting to stay in hiding.
I think that I will still call for a food pantry delivery later this week, when the monthly delivery happens, but this is likely the last month that I will do so. I had originally thought I would get it in November and December as well. The other budget cutbacks I made in August are paying off, and good weather is allowing me to spread my fall purchases and repairs out between now and the end of November, so I don’t think that is necessary anymore.
My electricity bill is very low for the time of year ($112 Cad). The furnace is on some of the time, but I have taken to turning all the lights out a couple of hours before sleep-time several times a week, and taking my laptop to bed to binge-watch YouTube and Prime shows, or read a book online. I let the laptop run off the battery these nights. My bill is about $28 less than in the summer, when I had a desk-top fan running wherever I was. The cat is not a big TV watcher, but she loves to curl up between me and the laptop these evenings.
My Guaranteed Income Supplement went down by $28 a month in July of this year, because COL adjustments in 2023 brought my Canada Pension Plan up enough that I was not eligible for as big a supplement, but my Old Age Security payment and GIS are scheduled to go up again by $12 a month at the end of October in a quarterly cost of living adjustment. It’s sort of like watching a tennis match at Wimbledon, keeping track of the changes to senior income!
For anyone wondering about these different pensions, Canada Pension Plan is based on contributions while you worked, Old Age Security is based on getting old and having lived in Canada a good part of your adult life, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement is based on being old, but low income, so it tops your income to a certain level. How much depends on how low your income is. I also get a modest Alberta Seniors Supplement, which is based on provincial thinking that the GIS is not enough. When I first started getting it, I received a whopping $16 a month, but it is now a very respectable $99 a month.
I love the finds your mother gets for you at garage sales. She has such a good eye for things that fit your taste and budget. I’m sure she has a lot of fun on her searches.
She always finds things! She is great.
Hi Elizabeth,
I also enjoy winding down with a book or show in the evenings. You probably already know this, but if you are using your laptop in bed, please be sure to put it on a firm surface like a tray or large format book. This allows the fan inside to work properly and not get smothered by the blankets. My husband is a computer repairman and he said that laptops run hotter inside due to the components sharing a smaller space than a tower computer. A fan that is blocked will dramatically shorten the life of the laptop overall and he sees this often with clients. Anyway, glad to read that things are smoothing out a bit for you!
Best Regards,
Rachel
Thanks, Rachel. I actually put the laptop on my bedside table, and lie on my side to watch it! So, it has the normal distance to the surface of the table, and the table is cool. I sit up if I need to change episodes or anything else where I use the keyboard. I appreciate you taking care of my laptop from a distance, though!
We have been warm, too, but a cool wave is headed our way, and it’s said we will drop to below normal, by possibly 15 or more degrees.
I’m waiting to plant my lettuce until it stays on the cooler side. I have collected the seeds from these two lettuces – one green, one red – every year for 3 or 4 years.
I bought sugar in bulk and was about to buy containers to store it in, when I remembered I had a large food-grade pail with lid. I put the sugar in huge Ziplock bags to double protect against moisture and to make cleanup of the pail easier when the sugar is gone.
A nephew wants a gas card for Christmas but he almost exclusively uses a brand of gas stations that I don’t have within 100 miles of me. To buy the physical card online meant paying shipping of almost $8 and a virtual card would have been complicated, since he is limited on his phone and apps. A relative who lives close to the nephew is buying the card and I will pay her back. She will also give him the card for me.
Although we are to reach 90 today, I turned off the air conditioning and left my upstairs windows open, with the safety latch set. The open windows upstairs will help draw warm air out of the house
I purchased three wardrobe replacement items on Thredup. I had shopper rewards and bought during a sale with free shipping.
I have worn a pair of pull-on Skechers around the house and yard for so long, they are starting to pull apart from the sole. I’ll keep wearing them until they actually do fall apart. I bought them on sale years ago.
I used the oven to bake three dishes all at once. I have a convection setting on my oven, which I use when using two racks for baking multiple dishes.
I’m looking forward to that cooler weather! I hope you get plenty of it, too, Brandy.
Happy Monday!
Frugal Victory
We are renovating a 5,000 square foot, 1917 house on the Sacramento River. The electrician remove the 60s mushroom lamp ceilings ( yes, really) and we ordered replacements in the craftmens/ American foursquare style after doing a lot of price checking and research. The 60s lamp were incredibly ugly in the space. Hubby was going to throw. From reading frugal blogs, I knew to research. One lamp was listed for $1400. They are vintage and handblown from California. Hoping you all benefit from my learning curve in selling, packing and shipping on EBAY very fragile items.
1. The large lamp I had UPS take car of completely. It cost $129 with additional insurance. The smaller lamps where going to more for the height. WHAT????
2. I watched youtubes, talked to UPS and UHAUL employee to save money. I bought the boxes, peanuts and bubble wrap from Uhaul. I bought the UPS Shipping with insurance on Pirate Ship. Such a good deal. the other three came to a total of $180. Lesson learned.
3. I was uncomfortable through the whole process and made some rookie mistakes in charging shipping. Being a perfectionist and people pleaser, bargaining and risk is never easy. Just do it, I learned. I saved some vintage artwork for history and earned a take home of $700.
4. I have two ceiling fans to now post and probably more items to come.
We were away for the long weekend and turned off the hot water heater and heat while we were gone. Every little bit counts. Mind you the temp was an unseasonably high 24 C when we got home-but I am sure the nights were chilly. My husband also fortuitously turned our water off-imagine his surprise when he turned it back on and the outside tap was running. Who knows how that happened( maybe some kids on a lark?) but luckily it did not run the whole weekend!
I was admiring a slant table that my friends husband had made for her-you lay on it head down to take the pressure off your lower back discs, neck etc. I tried it and it really took away my back pain so he made me one too-what a lovely gift.
Our daughter, who is adopted, just got her DNA results back-she is 84% British/Irish so not too much different from us-strangely enough. According to the health results there are no nasty diseases lurking in her genes-thankfully. I was amazed how many things they could predict from her DNA-her eye colour, wavy hair, prefers chocolate ice cream over vanilla-and the list goes on. It was very accurate in describing her.
On the drive home today we were lucky enough to spot 3 herds of antelope out on the prairie-and plenty of migrating snow geese. Have a great week everyone and here’s wishing all the Canadians Happy Thanksgiving today.
Our son in law’s dad passed away last year. Our SIL offered us his dad’s inversion table because Hubby has a bad back. We happily took it. It has really helped him. He does it almost everynight.
Hello, frugal friends from the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia! I am pleased to say we weathered the hurricane’s storms which blew our way with just a lot of debris like branches, black walnuts and leaves. Others down near the river were not so lucky. One of our sons’ clients lost their home and everything in it due to the historic flooding of the New River. The house was not right on the river but about 1/4-1/3 of a mile away. All that could be seen was about 6″ of the peak of the roof. Everyone was able to get out safely but I cannot imagine the loss. School was closed the day of the storms. Thank you for the prayers and concern. I was praying for Mountain Mama and others affected.
Speaking of school, two days before school started in August I was asked to leave the retirement world and teach third grade. The teacher shortage is a serious reality. In a moment of insanity I agreed. My state retirement is on hold until the school year is over. But I will get credit for another year towards my monthly retirement once I finish the year. I like my class but third grade is very different from kindergarten! I agreed to one year only. The money is being saved for a big trip to the UK next year.
I am still trying to keep to my frugal ways. Mr. Fix It is in charge of the housekeeping and occasional grocery shopping. He does not clean or shop like I do, but for a year, I can let a lot of things go. I do go grocery shopping on the weekends if necessary. This past weekend I got bread marked down to .39/ loaf! It’s rare to find a good deal. The local Food Lion still marks down their meat so I always check. I went to throw some things into the compost and found 6 small cucumbers. The vine is dead now due to the recent frost. I also found a few lettuce plants so I transplanted them under my little tunnel in one of the raised beds. I simply cover with a thicker row cover then a big piece of plastic from a mattress purchase a few years ago. It is much thicker than regular plastic. I also have spinach and green onions under it. Last year I was able to grow spinach the entire winter. I am hoping to repeat that this year.
Other ways we have saved include: cooking from scratch at home, canning applesauce from the apples we picked at the orchard last month, buying only what we need at the store, and enjoying free or low cost activities.
I have been put on a FODMAP diet for three weeks. Any suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated. I am finding it extremely restrictive and challenging to get enough nutrition every day. Thanks!
I was on the FODMAP diet for a while and agree about the restrictions. My husband found me the Monash University app to put on my phone although you may already know about it. You just go to the app, plug in whatever you want to eat and it tells you if or how much you can have of that particular food. I think the app was really inexpensive to purchase – like $3 or something. One example is beans – most beans are restricted but you can have a small amount of cannellini beans. Also, we looked online and ordered a FODMAP cookbook. Maybe your library system would have some.
The diet did help with some digestive issues I was having.
Marley – I was thinking of you, too, when I wrote my comment here last week and hoped you and yours were safe. Glad to hear that was true! 🙂
So glad you are safe, Marley! I was praying you were. We are moving to northeast Tennessee by the end of the year, so will be within shouting distance. Praying for all affected.
Your lunch spot looks lovely. I love tender okra, and generally harvested it at no more than 3″. All but two of last year’s sweet potatoes were used in a curry last week. It’s time to bring in this year’s potatoes, as they should be done curing now. All the houseplants were brought in, for the cold weather. Last year, we dug up one of the pomegranates, and brought it indoors in a pot, to see if if would bloom earlier once taken back outside, thinking it would have a head start. It didn’t. In fact, this year it didn’t bloom at all, so we’re no closer to getting ripe fruit. A few years ago, my husband placed a large rock in the backyard, to use as thermal mass, and planted one of our olives in front of it. It didn’t make it, so we’re now trying the pomegranate in that spot, and hope it thrives. Gardening is always an experiment! Two of the roses started in the spring, from cuttings I’d pruned, were still looking happy, and were planted in the rose bed. One even has a rosebud, which looks like it will soon open. A volunteer borage was transplanted. Last week’s harvest included peas, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, lemon verbena, green and noodle beans. I gathered zinnia seeds for saving. Making new covers for the decorative pillows on our bed has been on my to-do list for some time. I finally got around to sewing them, using a remaining quilt square, which matches the bed quilt. As there was only one, I cut it in half, and used thrifted linen fabric for the remainder.
I follow an anti-inflammatory diet and have been eating a lot of quinoa made in the instant pot lately. I really enjoy it. Maybe you might also?
I’m not sure if this was meant for me or Marley In The Mountains, but I do enjoy quinoa in a few dishes.
Kind of a slow week here, just work and home for us.
Renewed a couple library books that I wasn’t going to finish in time
Earned another free soda from a gas station
Sent in for a Menards rebate for $13.10
Ive been aggravated with Walgreens pharmacy for awhile, so I finally changed to Walmart. It will go from $41 every three months to $24, saving $17.
I paid an extra $300 on my truck payment.
Put green onions in water to extend their use.
Made sure to enter receipts on different apps to earn points.
Used Mcdonald points for a free happy meal.
My “vacation” was going to Gettysburg with my son’s scout troop. I stayed with one of the moms at a hotel (her treat) and we divided all the other costs among scout families. There will be some out of pocket but my guess is <200 for the 2 of us.
My son is detailing my car for my birthday. It cost me supplies but he is putting in the time.
I actually didn't need all the trail snacks on the hiking trip (20 miles over 3 days) because I talked to my Dr about adjusting insulin. So I have that for a future time. I spend a bit more to buy a package of 1 oz bags for portion control, but that's worth it.
I dried my basil and oregano and put up for the year.
Got a new book from the library instead of buying.
Replaced my 20 year old wheelbarrow that rotted. Not cheap but used my Amazon gift cards from my blog to pay for it so no out of pocket. Plus I'll have it for fall composting.
Potted up oregano starts for a neighbor.
Made homemade chicken noodle soup. Picked up egg roll wrappers and made 2 cookie sheets of egg rolls with extra carrots and cabbage.
Have a blessed week!
Robbie
Your mom has a great eye for bargains!
I had half as many friends as expected for Thanksgiving dinner due to illness – but – those friends should be able to come for Sunday dinner this coming weekend. Turkey, ham. stuffing and mashed sweet potatoes are already in the freezer so I will only have to make some mashed potatoes and a few other servings of veg – they are bringing dessert. I have still had leftovers today and I roasted more veggies and made a huge pot of a tomato/bean soup – added more odds & ends of veg and some faro at the end to bulk it out more. I have put about 5 servings into the freezer and have a huge container that I will work my way through this week.
I added more powdered milk, evaporated and condensed milk to the pantry, plus cans of corned beef and packages of quinoa that were on sale. I added fresh baking powder to my baking supplies and I’ve made large batches of vanilla essence (one batch with vodka and one with rum) – these will be given as small Christmas gifts this year as a number of friends are bakers and real vanilla essence is really expensive right now so I’m sure it will be appreciated. Friends who did make it to Thanksgiving brought a variety of bottles of mineral and sparkling water – and all of them are in very fancy glass bottles that I will keep for future use once emptied.
I don’t plan on going to the grocery store before Saturday so that will save a few dollars. There is a lot of food in the fridge that needs to be used up! Have a good week everyone.
1. I washed bedding today and dried it on the line. I also washed winter coats as my husband rides the electric bike to work and it’s 50 degrees when he leaves.
2. I planted kale and Brazilian broccoli starts, all given to me for free. We are still eating tomatoes and apples from the garden. I tip layered some raspberry canes to increase my berry patch.
3. I baked my sale quinoa flakes https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=jWb0sVFU6M in granola. I also baked bacon and gluten free muffins at the same time.
4. I’m subbing 3 days this week, which is a stretch for me, but I’m thankful for the income.
5. Using the library heavily for books to read to my grandson on Facetime. I took a bag of books to donate for the library book sale. Clutter out is always good!
Kara, I am intrigued by using your quinoa flakes in your granola. Would you mind sharing a recipe or how you swapped it out for something in your own recipe?
I like Old Navy clothing — that’s smart to wait for a sale.
We were camping the last two weeks. Our new camper gets much better gas mileage, so we spent less on gas. We mostly stayed at free dispersed campsites in the woods and hiked and read books for entertainment. We took some scenic drives and visited free museums and historic sites, and ate food from home. A wonderful, relaxing, and inexpensive trip.
At home I found my green tomatoes I had left on the counter ripened. We will eat them with lettuce from the green house. I still have chard and broccoli to harvest as well.
Yikes I made so many mistakes this month it was enough to cry over. Sugar cookie had a lovely cruise. MSC has a lovely tiny private island that she can enjoy with little security concerns. But then the problems started. We were stranded in Florida due to the latest hurricane. Our plane tickets were canceled. There was no evacuating going to happen. We stayed an extra 6 days in a hotel. I had enough foresight to get to Walmart and buy supplies before they closed. Those were some very stressful times. I spent about an extra 1 thousand before we made it home. Im just very happy I had it as there is no backup help at this point in my life. I’ve made two trips to urgent care in 3 days. Im very grateful my insurance agent has me in a plan where I have no co pays. My chest hurts so bad. Thankfully i have everything I need. I crawled to my favorite dumpster. Yes ,as sick as I was ,I went to look. In 7 weeks I havent been home much. The food situation is low. I brought home berries and meat. 12 lbs ground chuck and 13 lbs ground sausage. Money will be extremely tight the rest of the year. House taxes went up and car tires are needing to be replaced a year early. I honestly am grateful that I am back home and can cover our needs. I try to.plan ahead for everything. Price gouging wasnt something I expected to deal with. Sugar cookie got a happy meal with a miniature Croc shoe in it. Shes very happy.
Lillianna,
The thing that helps me the most when I have a respiratory infection in my chest is to make an onion pack. I don’t know if this will help, but here’s how I do it. I have two cotton rectangles that I sewed to put it in, but you could just use a piece of an old t-shirt, etc. I chop an onion and saute it in a little oil. I turn off the heat. Then I add about 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar and about a Tablespoon or so of flour (so it isn’t drippy). I use gluten-free flour so I don’t know the exact proportions. I put my two rectangles on a plate and fill my squares with onion. I put it on my chest. I have some ribbing that I stretch around me to hold it in place. I then fold a towel and put over the top to keep the heat in. This can be done several times a day. It has been miraculous for me. Also, our son gets asthma when he has a respiratory infection. This is really helpful to him. Good luck to you.
Thanks for the tip. I actually have a few stray onions I picked up this week. I will try this. My infection is no better and I have made another appointment to go see urgent care tomorrow . This stuff is wicked and it’s getting worse.
What a terrible experience for you both Lilliana – so glad to know that you are safely home at last. I hope that you will be able to give yourself a bit of a break this week and time to recover from the stress. Take care.
Are you a senior citizen? If so, look into Meals on Wheels or your local area agency for the elderly, as they offer free meal deliveries. Many food pantries deliver. Find out if you have a local branch of Food Not Bombs. Volunteer at food giveaways. I do, and volunteers get to take home a BOUNTY of food. Look at social media to see if you have a local food sharing group. Buy nothing and freecycle groups are also good for getting leftover food/fridge/pantry clean-outs, extra garden produce and more. You don’t literally need to be crawling into dumpsters to get enough to eat. Please don’t be that desperate. I don’t want you to get hurt.
Jessica , this is my hobby. Please don’t be alarmed. We have money for food etc . I find diving to be very valuable in our life. I pulled out a banana box full of cut pineapples and watermelon on one day. The next day was onions and brussel sprouts. Today was turnip greens , spinach and spring salad. Items are fresh ,usually in bags or other packages. They are placed in banana boxes. It honestly is rarely a dirty activity. Oh and I got baby potato’s. I see lots of soups in our future. I did crawl in for all the red meats. Usually , I can just reach in. I have an assortment of tools to fish items out.
The vase is beautiful , your mum has a lovely eye for bargains.
Thank you all for the thoughtful comments last week on our pregnancy, we appreciated them so much!
I have needed to sort the freezers out this week and we will have a no spend week to use items up. I had lots of fresh vegetables and have made reams of soup and we have made pizza, aubergine curry and veggie chilli (I’m veggie but my husband is not). We attended Surplus to Purpose which is our local food waste charity where items are very inexpensive, it is often excellent for tropical and other fruit. Bead is free so it is nice to make a bread and butter pudding after going.
We had a rebate from our energy company and put the money into premium bonds to be accessible as we may need it quite soon.
We re-started some light classes of Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube, I love her videos. I also recommend Lucy Wyndham Read for general exercise who has hundreds of videos.
Sending everyone good wishes for an excellent week.
Having a quiet lunch outside is one of my favorite things to do. We just woke up to our first frost today, so those are going to be ending for a bit.
I repotted some house plants that were on the verge of being compost and was able to save them. I planted off shoots of other house plants to add more greenery.
The vegetable garden was cleared, and what wasn’t needed composted. My fall seedlings are iffy. If anything, I am glad I tried. From the garden I roasted a butternut squash to make a risotto. I made chard and kale chips and will pull beets to make pickled red beet eggs.
I love the idea of adult advent calendars (cheese, snacks, tea or the puzzle kind) – unfortunately they are out of my price range. I made boxes from holiday cards and will make one for my husband instead.
Hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
1. I did some stain removal from clothes this weekend. I used Dawn dish soap and Hydrogen peroxide. I use an old toothbrush saved for this. Everything came out great. I hung the laundry to dry outside since it is still nice here.
2. Got my electric bill. It always shows where you are compared to other homes in the area and similar size. We used 316 KWH less energy than the efficient homes in our area. Hubby was impressed. I’m thinking about hanging it on the fridge like when the kids were in school and got a good grade.
3. My son came over yesterday to help my husband hang an antenna on our roof. We cut cable in February(after the Superbowl) and Hubby had put it in our eaves. He said we would get more channels if it was on the roof. He was right. We are getting another 24 channels for almost free. He had to get a few parts to put it outside and a grounding rod in case it gets hit by lightning. I was the ladder holder and water girl. I’m not big on heights so I wasn’t going up there.
4. The garden is still giving. Figs are still going strong. I picked 24 yesterday. I also picked lots of tomatoes, string beans, pole beans, basil and parsley. I pulled all of the cucumber plants and string bean plants. Plus a few tomato plants that were done.
5. I did a lot of cooking the last few days. I made a French onion soup in the crockpot with some onions that needed to be used. I made veggie stock with onion skins and veggie ends that were in the freezer in the other crock pot.. Some of the soup made it to the freezer and all of the stock. I made a batch of pasta fagioli soup. My daughter came over and helped me make 3 containers of apple/carrot/grape juice. She took one home with her. I made a batch of muffins with some of the leftover pulp. The rest was frozen for future baking. I made a batch of apple syrup from the cores. Hubby brought them to work for 2 of his coworkers. He also brings figs regularly. While the muffins were cooking, I put in 6 potatoes and a spaghetti squash for meals this week. I made 2 loaves of bread. 1 went into the freezer. I made hard boiled eggs. I currently have a bunch of chicken in the crockpot for easy meals this week. Planning ahead meals is going to be a must if I am working 3 -10 hour shifts.
The windows are open, the heat hasn’t been on yet, the oil tank is still ½ full from our fillup in May, the house is mostly clean, the puppies give lots of kisses and cuddles and we have yummy food waiting to be eaten. Life is good.
Growing up my parents used an outside TV antenna. My dad connected it to a pole beside the house so it could be turned. I have very clear memories of being sent outside to turn the pole and a my dad shouting “better” or “worse” through an open window. Ahh, those childhood memories!
We had the last few days of nice end of summer Seattle area weather, and now the fall rain and gray has begun. I enjoyed lots of walks outside to take advantage of the sunshine before the weather change.
The tiny couch I ordered from Ikea (with free shipping) arrived, and my sister helped me put it together. It is dark gray, and I added two red plaid throw pillows I already had. It looks so cheery and is very comfortable.
My car was in the shop for three days last week, so I took public transport to all the places I needed to go. Everything actually worked out quite well, even though I had to allow extra time for the trip (20 minute car trip vs taking two buses that took 60 to 90 minutes). I have a transit payment app on my phone, which I can reload when needed. I live near a small city near downtown, and the places I needed to go weren’t too far from a bus line. I was very thankful to have this option, otherwise I would have had to rent a car. Now my car is fixed and I am happy to have wheels again.
My new job at the spa is going well. My coworkers are very nice, and the atmosphere is relaxed. My massage therapy clients seemed happy with the service I provided, and left generous tips. Feeling very grateful.
On the food front, I was able to pick a large amount of greens (chard, kale and collards) for free. I blanched and froze most of them for later. I roasted a bunch of potatoes that were getting soft, and have been using them in meals. I cooked up a big pan of collards and unfortunately got distracted, so the ones on the bottom burned. I managed to salvage most of the pan and they taste fine. Safeway had broccoli and cauliflower on sale for 99 cents a pound, so I bought several pounds. Made roasted cauliflower soup (yum). Found some good 50% off deals on the clearance racks at Safeway (individual packets of trail mix and plastic mason jar lids). I always find good deals there. Bought gas at Costco, which is generally the least expensive around here, and I get cash back on my Costco credit card.
At the end of a very busy week, I was happy to sit on my tiny couch and watch Star Trek on my tablet using my discounted Paramount+ subscription.
Looking forward to reading about everyone else’s week.
I am digging up the dahlia bulbs and will store them over the winter, thus saving money in the gardening budget next spring. A friend brought over a roast (very small that I got on sale) that I had stored in her freezer. I am trying to not buy any groceries for the next two weeks but eat down the food in my small freezer.
One of the nurseries (out of town) had a very interesting two basket set, one for storing potatoes and one for storing onions. It has become prohibitively expensive ($150 plus $20 shipping). In the great basement clean-out which I have just started, I found a really nice round wicker basket with lid. It is just the right size for storing onions.
I also found a book I bought years ago on ebay. I never really knew much about the subject or where actually it was but the internet came to the rescue. I emailed a museum in New York State and they would love to have this 1901 book as it is about their area. I will donate it to them for the cost of postage. (I checked on ebay first to see its value and it isn’t much but it would be really useful for a researcher).
I had a battle taking a heavy compost recycling bin down the short hill to the curb last week. Before the city started picking up composting material, I had my own compost bin. I am going to relocate and restart my bin so I can eliminate having to get the city bin down to the street for the winter. I’ll use it starting again in the spring.
At least I’ll be able to use some of the rich, composted soil for my own garden.
My back lawn has been invaded by moss which I love. (It looks beautiful and requires no mowing). We had a heavy rainstorm about a month ago and the moss started growing. Some of it invaded the flowerbed so we removed that. I had 4 flowerpots by the door which had dying geraniums in them. I removed the geraniums, put moss on top of the pots, then placed a large Christmas ball and some pine cones on each pot. Free Christmas decorations!
Yes, gardening season is over, except for leaf raking (won’t they ever finish falling?), eavestrough cleaning etc.
It was an abysmal year for my gardening. Next summer, I hope to use ollas to reduce the frequency of watering.
Instead of raking leaves, I may have one last mowing of the lawn and catch the leaves, saving work and really getting a good start to my own compost bin.
We are supposed to get some snow next Monday, almost a week from now. Hopefully it will not stay on the ground.
Our Cdn. inflation rate for September has fallen to 1.6% — hopefully this will translate into some reduced food prices. Some things have tripled in price within a very short time.
There’s not much new here — Not much money to spend or to save. I watched old Bob Newhart shows on YouTube and greatly enjoyed the comedy.
I felt your sentence “not much money to spend or to save” deep in my heart. It just doesn’t seem like our money goes nearly as far as it used to.
Hi Alice,
I sympathize! Our money isn’t going very far for groceries, that’s for sure!
Off to a good start this morning-the drugstore had 20% off regular prices so I got a jug of milk. The grocery store had bananas marked down to 50% off. Finally after 15 years we have received full payment back on a loan to my ex BIL-it was a large sum and we had to get a lawyer/court to issue a wage garnishee but that is finally done.
Hi “I” — that must feel really good to get the loan repaid!
We are now a one vehicle family for the time being. My Kia Sorento’s engine blew up about a month ago. We finally was able to get it to a Kia dealership yesterday. We were told a new engine would run around $3000.
But once we got to the dealership, we were informed that the car was still under warranty and it also needed a few updates that are covered as well. I nearly cried with relief!
Wow! So happy for you!
Oh my goodness, what a blessing to find you were under warranty!
Love the sunset. It is beautiful.
The garden is still going on. We have not had a heavy frost yet, so we still have tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beets, potatoes, navy beans, and chard. We picked chard, thyme, carrots, and dug 4 hills of potatoes.
Made 7 pints of tomato sauce. Sliced 6 peppers for fajitas for the freezer and chopped 19 bags of peppers for the freezer. Chopped onions, garlic and cilantro for the salsa base made the former week. Added to the base and letting it meld.
We BBQ’d chicken and hamburgers for the week. Made BLTs for dinner one night and popcorn for another night. Crushed the thyme dried last week and put 4 more trays on to dry.
Spent two nights and three days in Moscow with my son, DIL and grandchildren.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Made split pea soup and Italian sausage gnocchi soup.
The vase your mom found is absolutely beautiful! I love that she keeps her eyes open for things that will help and bless your family while she is out! It is strange to think of your part of the country using the air conditioner still, because here in Chattanooga we have actually had to start using the heat just a bit, though I am trying still to use it sparingly as it has not been consistently cold as of yet. That may be changing soon, as we might be getting our first frost tonight.
On the frugal front, I hung laundry, made all meals at home, asked a friend to tutor me when having trouble in a class I am taking, accepted a cleaning job, and purchased a watercolor notebook with a coupon that made the final price just seventeen cents! Pictures and more on my blog here: https://jesuscallsmefriend.blogspot.com/2024/10/pennies-from-heaven_15.html
I hope all are doing well! I look forward to reading all the comments!
Susan M. In Chattanooga
It was 101°last week most days. This week is in the 90’s, the fall wind storm that drops the temperature is coming Friday, followed by a week in the 80’s and then the following week in the 70’s. It always drops quickly here in fall. It’s just been hotter longer than usual.
We are also still in the upper 80s and 90s here (north Texas) and I agree, it has been hotter longer than usual here too. Today we are finally looking at a high in the 70s and I was excited to open the windows!
I kept grandchildren twice last week. I mentioned in last week’s post comment that I’d had family over and made pizza for them all, I think, as well as a salad. The second time they were here one of the children requested boiled eggs. I contemplated the cost of eggs, lol, but did boil one each for them, pulled some pumpkin waffles from the freezer that I’d made earlier in September (or late August), as well as a small piece of smoked sausage (cheaper than hot dogs in the end). The kids ate all their food. I sorted through the fruit basket and discarded all but a few of the mandarins that weren’t edible. I put those mandarins on the table too. Then they ate those up.
John and I went out to eat one day while running errands. We ordered from the lunch menu and we always ask for water as our drink. He always gets a salad to go with his meal and I get fries. Then we pack up half of the entree (usually burgers) and the fries which we’d already shared and had that for supper. It’s well worth the cost of eating out when we get two generous meals from it! Not as cheap as homemade, no, but a decent spreading out of the expenditure. I mentioned we ran errands while we were: picked up mower blades and belt, mailed outgoing mail, picked up a prescription and ran by the bank.
We were home for the next two days. I made a banana pudding from the bananas that had ripened all too quickly. I saved the egg yolks after making the meringue. Those came into use on Sunday when I made a macaroni and cheese for supper. I finished off a bit of milk from a jug that was about to pass its usefulness and the egg yolks to make a custard type of cheese sauce for the pasta.
I visited my daughter after church on Sunday. They gave me a set of silverware that is the same pattern as one my grandmother had given me years upon years ago. Neither of us had a complete set but this further extends my set. I’d just been contemplating if I should buy a new set. I think the grandkids keep tossing forks and spoons in the trash when they are putting their paper plates in…Anyway, it was a welcome thing to be given the extra pieces. She also had a bunch of picture frames, two of which are the exact size I was looking for at Hobby Lobby! I need to have new mats for the two pictures but gosh the frames are a HUGE savings. She also had two lovely prints in beautiful ornate frames that will be perfect for my entry way wall. Oh and she also sent me home with two orchids (phalaenopsis) that she’d neglected. My husband asked if I could really bring them back and I assured her that mostly they needed regular watering and a bit of fertilizer. I love rescue plants!
Yesterday, I sorted out the linens in my chest. I have enough. I won’t buy more right now. I then sorted out my dresser drawers and closet. Again, I have enough. I won’t buy anything more. I also made bread yesterday.
Today we went to Sam’s and got my new membership cards. A few weeks ago, I came across a deal where I could join Sam’s for $15 for the year. So, we picked up the card, we bought two 25-pound bags of flour, finally found mozzarella (lacking in stores of late, who knows why). I had a budget when I went in, with a max spending number, and I am pleased to say that I did not go over what I knew I had to spend. We bought only things we truly needed that were best priced of all the stores where I shop. I won’t go back to Sam’s monthly. I don’t need to but I’m quite happy. We more than saved the $15 membership fee.
Tomorrow I plan to make a big pot of soup. We’ve suddenly gone from nights in the upper 60’s and mid 70’s to 38F. Generally it’s a more gradual cooling off spell and not sudden like this but there you are.
It is supposed to be below freezing in Kansas tonight. We picked our tomatoes green and I picked some basil to dry. I have a lavender plant. I may pick some of it tonight as well. My husband has been helping me cook at home. My son has encouraged us to cook at home as well. Although, we did have a date then took my son out for ice cream. It was a treat, mostly so I didn’t have to do dishes. I actually like our cooking better. My husband picked the rest of our peppers last night with his hardhat that has a light on it last night. I thought that was great! We went to a couple thrift shops last weekend. I’ve been wanting a pink sweater, but haven’t wanted to pay full price for one. I found a beautiful pink sweater from Talbots for 6 dollars in perfect condition at one of the shops we went to. I was very happy! When we went on our date I got a compliment on the dress I wore, from an inexpensive thrift shop. I’ve been on the look out for other dresses, but I haven’t found any really nice ones lately. I can wait and wear what I have. My son and I went for a walk on our land today. I was so happy to enjoy the day and be able to do it. I broke my ankle at the end of April and have been our of shape since. But I am working on getting in better shape, slowly. Walking was definitely enjoyable today. Maybe I will lose weight and wear my skinnier clothes. We will see.
Last week was filled with continued clean up from Helene. We cut and split wood every day. There were times I just wanted to cry seeing those 100+ year old trees broken and fallen like giant pick-up sticks. Amazing to think of what those trees have seen and all the storms they weathered in their lifetime. Some might be salvageable to mill for lumber if we can figure out a place to put them and others will be firewood in the future. There are many in our forest that are hung up high on other trees and we will have to use extreme caution in our woods especially when it is windy or when the snow falls. Still getting used to the changed landscape but staying busy and thinking of all the firewood we will have in the years to come helps as does being grateful my husband had so many vacation days saved up that he will still be paid for the 13 days he did not work. We also worked on digging some equipment out of the mudslide that occurred below our pond. The mudslide has provided us with a vegetation free, somewhat flat place to burn some of the brush when the weather is cooperative for a fire. In the spring, we will have to get our neighbor with heavy equipment to help us fill in the area of the slide and reroute the creek the mud fell into. We often trade things or work under a barter system with him so that saves a lot of money. The cleanup will continue for a long while but we will keep at it one step at a time.
We spent about $200 on gas for the generator while we were without grid power for 16 days but given the anticipated lower electricity bill hopefully those expenditures will even themselves out. We have a stocked pantry which was a blessing during all of this and will help us delay grocery shopping for a while longer. The garden has been harvested for the year except some lettuce, Swiss chard, kale and spinach which will hopefully overwinter.
In the midst of all the hurricane reporting, I forgot to mention a church fall bazaar we went to just a day or two before the hurricane. A church bazar is one of my favorite things – always good company, good food and lots of interesting treasures to discover, all for a good cause. This particular bazaar is at a huge church with items in multiple rooms/buildings and outdoors. I got some wonderful things including a silk Ralph Lauren scarf for $2, 2 leather belts for $1 each, a silk blouse for $2, bookplates and a blank journal for 50 cents each, a few books for 50 cents to $1 each, and 2 antique art frames for $1 each. I don’t see prices that low very often anymore so this annual sale is always on my radar and my mother and boys go with me so we make it a fun outing.
In other news, I auditioned for and got a part in an adaptation of A Christmas Carol to be held at an historic theatre. It is an ensemble cast of 4 actors portraying 27 different characters in total. It will be an interactive show with the audience seated at round tables enjoying hot cider and seasonal treats while the show takes place around them. I am so excited and so honored to get the part(s.) Adding to the excitement is that it is a professional (meaning PAID!) job. Very gratifying and it all helps the bottom line. 🙂 A silver lining of all this wood cutting and cleaning up was plenty of time to rehearse my monologue! Helped to have something to look forward to. Besides being monetarily compensated, the frugal aspects of this adventure included using knowledge I already had from living in London for half of my junior year in college, dialect and linguistics videos on YT, on-line searches for my monologue and my lifetime of enjoying British films/TV and plays. All those things helped greatly in the audition process which required speaking in multiple accents as we will do in the show for our different characters. We don’t always give enough credit to our life experiences, interests and passions in terms of education and attaining skills. There is so much to learn in this world and much of it for free just by being curious, asking questions, meeting interesting people and having interesting conversations. I have had so many wonderful experiences and been given so many opportunities in my life simply by being curious and just trying things. Might not be the most obvious frugal tactic but I think it qualifies. 🙂 Now, as long as I don’t drive my family crazy speaking in various accents throughout the day, all will be well. I was already prone to doing that but now it’s with a specific purpose. I’m already getting some side-long glances and good-natured eye-rolling but at least my boys really understand what Method acting is now. 🙂
Wishing everyone a wonderful week in your own little corner of the world. 🙂 Thank you all for your regular inspiration!
My husband is working damaged areas from Hurricane Helene, and he said all the tree lots around are just broken in half. Such a sad financial loss for so many people.
A Youtuber that I follow was reporting on more storm damage and the long term effects. So much damage to pecan trees (which take many, many years to regrow) and to the peanut crop (stock up on peanut butter now) and also to the cotton crop – the storm hit at the worst possible time. It isn’t just the immediate damage that people will have to deal with, but the roll on effect for years to come.
Yes. And so many will never be able to go back to their homes.
Yes, and if their homes even still exist. It is disheartening to see so many pink “Condemned” signs on homes. You start to get kind of numb.
Please thank him for me, Brandy! The outpouring of help, particularly by Samaritan’s Purse, has been humbling. I have seen utility trucks from as far away as Indiana. It really is heartwarming. 🙂
I am really sorry about your trees. It is just very sad. You mention about maybe milling some of the fallen trees. You probably already know this but you can rent portable milling machines. I myself have contemplated doing this with a birch tree. Best of luck with it. I’ve been wondering whether some of the hardwood saw mills or hardwood distributors would pay for your fallen trees. A friend of mine had a mature tree stolen from his farm — it was worth about $35,000 for the millable (is that a word?) wood.
Ellie’s Friend – Yes, we know about renting saw mills and our neighbor actually has a mill. My husband has also long wanted an Alaskan sawmill which is one that hooks up to a chainsaw. The problem is how to get to some of the trees. Many are in difficult to reach places like straddling creeks, on a steep hillside or hung up in other trees. Most lumber companies want to efficiently come in a take a stand of trees, not pick through what looks like a bunch of giant pick-up sticks that have been thrown about. But, we have already processed a LOT of firewood. My husband has cut some lengths that could be lumber and will keep working away at both those things. And, of course, some of it will just decompose and become soil for other baby trees to grow in someday. Such is the way of Mother Nature.
Mountain Mama Dawn,
I was excited for you when you said you got that part in the Christmas show! Then I read that it is paid as well! How exciting! I am happy for you! I always enjoy reading what you write.
Thank you, Tammy! I am very excited and we are having such fun at rehearsals. 🙂
I was wondering how you fared during the hurricane. Glad you are all safe. What is your Instagram name?
It is still hot in north central Texas even though it is mid October. A cold front is on the way today (Oct. 15) and things will cool to the lower 70’s for which I am grateful. Hopefully the A/C can be turned off.
1. I made some chili in anticipation of the cooler weather. I cubed some hamburger patties (which the husband overcooked), some leftover meatballs, and a small piece of meatloaf. I added a can of beans & chunky tomato sauce plus seasoning. It came out tasty. It is nice when you can create a new dish from leftovers.
2. The alternator went out on husband’s truck. He is a mechanic so he can replace it. I am encouraging him to look for a newer vehicle as his is 25 years old.
3. My condo in FL escaped the hurricanes for which I am grateful.
4. I will pay taxes for condo in Nov. In FL you get a small discount if you pay early.
5. Like most of the readers here we mostly eat at home. I make a cup of hot & the husband uses the drip coffee maker. We did go out to eat recently & used a BOGO coupon.
As I am semi-retired I find I do not need to buy much. I have clothes for work. Occasionally shoes & underwear wear out & need replacement. My husband’s closet is full too. Staying out of the stores saves money.
I cut my 14 year old’s hair. I took my high school senior’s homecoming photos and we did her hair at home instead of paying for these services. I helped clean up at the end of a food giveaway, and I was able to bring home lots of food again: slider buns, cookies, greens, yellow squash, salad kits, a huge bag of broccoli, some lemons and limes, jalapeno peppers, and some other produce. The strawberries were mostly bad, but I was able to sort through 5 1-pound boxes and get enough for 2 servings of fresh and 3 quart bags to freeze for smoothies. I also got free apples, chard, mandarins, white button mushrooms, romaine lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, cilantro, red onions, yellow onions, cherry tomatoes, peaches, bell peppers, salsa, more strawberries and broccoli. I continue using my library system to read printed books. I used Ravelry coupon codes to get free knitting and crocheting patterns, and I use their cloud storage to access them. On a walk, I did some curb shopping and found a like-new storage bin with lid, handful of Lego pieces, reusable totebag with the new tag still on it, and a bag of costume jewelry.
Unfortunately, the 14 year old forgot to take out his bottom retainer and realized it during first period at school. He put it into his backpack, and it broke. Replacing it was $550!!!!
I love your wall mounted glass vase. I have test tube magnetic vases that I filled with flowers and put on my refrigerator. Your photo inspired me to dig those vases out again.
On the frugal front:
I was presented with a new job opportunity, negotiated terms, and accepted the new role. It was a difficult decision, but sometimes the frugal life includes increasing income as well as decreasing expenses. I start next month.
HH completed his garden harvest before the first frost. Overall it was a poor season, but he had a bumper crop of butternut squash.
I accepted some peppers from my current boss. I diced, chopped, and froze them.
We did a terrible job of meal planning this week, but a good job of whipping up simple meals from the freezer and pantry. I continue to be very successful eating lunch at home now that I work in town and can go home for my lunch break. (My new job is even closer to home.)
I listened to the novel Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen using my gifted Audible membership.
I enjoyed reading everyone’s frugal feats.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/10/18/pawpaw-trees-climate-change/
Sunday October 20, 2024 Washington Post
Article — due to climate change and warming temperatures the pawpaw tree will replace apple and peach trees. Orchards now in Appalachia.