It has been a busy couple of weeks in the garden, preparing jt for apring and also for my garden tour, which is this Saturday. I have three spots left for anyone who is interested in attending!
I decided to move some calla lilies in my white garden to a spot with more shade, where I think they will do better (there are other lilies growing extremely well there). These lilies were not very large compared to the ones in the shade.
To my surprise, though they were small, they had multiplied, and I got 2 smaller lilies and 2 tiny lilies to plant. I revamped my design slightly to accommodate 4 more free plants.
I pulled all of the honeysuckle out of my white garden and amended the soil, replanting some small roses that were struggling there in the poor soil, and adding others I had ordered ladt year that had come. This project took me two weeks. I thought it would take two days. The honeysuckle had multiplied and rooted all over. I moved some of the plants to the backyard and gave some away to a friend.
I dug up and divided mums in the garden, moving some to a new space and giving some to a friend.
I bought tomato plants. A couple of them had two plants per pot, so I carefully divided them and replanted them to have four plants for the cost of two.
I collected shower warm-up water and used it to water potted plants in the garden.
I havrested lettuce, snow peas, mâche, and garlic chives from the garden.
What did you do to save money the last two weeks?
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Good luck with your garden tour!
On the frugal front:
I recently saw a book of short stories (The Winter Bees by Jill Kalz) that interested me. After unsuccessfully searching for the book on the Libby and Everand apps, I purchased a used copy online from an independent MN book store.
The African violets that I propagated during the shut down and a small cactus given to me by DD1 are currently in bloom. I get a ridiculous amount of pleasure from seeing the small blossoms during our long MN winter.
I mended a seat cushion. I did not have the same color of thread but made do with what I had on hand. No one will notice.
I needed ink for my printer. I used to take the cartridges to Costco Photo to be refilled, but the the photo department is now closed. I read online that Walgreens does refills, but my location does not. In the end, I purchased remanufactured ink cartridge replacements on Amazon for a fraction of the price of new.
I printed several sympathy cards using card stock on hand and wrote personal messages inside rather than buying cards.
We attended the Minneapolis Home and Garden show. We stopped by Ace Hardware on the way to pick up a coupon for $4 off admission. The show was not what we anticipated so we were glad we did not pay full price.
On a warm day, HH and I spent an afternoon walking along the trails of a large public park.
I look forward to reading everyone’s frugal feats.
I noticed our grape hyacinths coming up yesterday, which is always a welcome sight. Honeysuckle is a challenge here, for sure. Last week, my husband and I cleaned up the garden, pulling up all the cages and plants. We then weeded our asparagus beds, and hope to get leaf mulch on them. Another day, we pruned all our fruit trees and the wine grapes. We’ve never gotten enough grapes to make wine, and really only had some for fresh eating one year, thanks to the critters. I’m happy these chores are done, and feel more ready for this growing season now. A batch of suet was made for the birds. Lettuce and arugula were replanted. I’ve been meaning to mention my experiments to overwinter the rosella and dwarf pomegranate plants. Though the rosella bloomed, after being moved into the house in the fall, it died over the winter. I’m happy to have gotten to harvest some small calyces. The pomegranate seems to be happy. Whether it will have enough of a head start to actually grow fruit this year remains to be seen. I’ve had several essential oils I no longer use. I gathered them all up, and decided to make soap for our personal use, to use them up. The batch I made last week used used fir needle, scotch pine, cypress, and a little geranium added for warmth. It smells like a winter forest. A future batch will likely use rose, jasmine and oakmoss. I canned up some more lentils. I redeemed a $5 off $15 coupon at Big Lots. I hope you found some good deals, and ways to save money last week.
Your garden is so beautiful! I’m glad that all your hard work pays off for you in beauty and food!
My frugal week:
– I combined price matching and loyalty point offers to get 4 heads of broccoli free.
– I got a loaf of bread free using Field Agent. I also did four other offers on the app, and earned over $20 for about an hour of my time (including commuting time to and from the store), which covered a nice lunch for me (it is extremely rare for me to eat out, so this was a treat), the bus fare, and also the cost of an uber to run another errand in extremely cold weather (another ‘treat’). So I was pleased with the reward for effort.
– I made macaroons (https://approachingfood.com/coconut-macaroons/) and then turned the remaining condensed milk into fudge (https://approachingfood.com/fruit-and-nut-chocolate-fudge-clusters/)
– inspired by a comment on an earlier post, I made hibiscus lemonade, using lemons I had gotten from flashfood, juiced, and frozen weeks ago, and some dried hibiscus that was gifted to me
– I used some unbranded conference swag (cute stuffies and notebooks), as well as regifting a Christmas gift, for my daughter to give as presents at parties. I also bought a two pack of LED drawing tablets and split it between the two gifts. I used packaging I already had and a recycled gift bag, and it looks lovely on a budget.
– I bought second hand skates for my daughter. They’re a bit big but I’ll just have her wear an extra pair of socks.
Looking forward to learning from everyone else as always!
Margaret – I mentioned the hibiscus lemonade a while back. I am so glad you tried it! It is delicious. 🙂
I used most of my grocery money the last couple of weeks to do some stocking up. The store nearby that is closing at the end of March had a warehouse and big pack sale. I ordered by email and had the order delivered for free. It included toilet paper, a 6-pack of boxes of tissues, a 24-pack of bottles of water, 10 lb of potatoes, 5 lb of carrots, and 3 lb of onions. Buying this size of packets seems to save half on the unit cost compared to sales on smaller packages. The only exception is carrots, where I would have been better to wait a week and buy 3 lb bags for $2.50 instead of a 5 lb bag for $4.99.
The next week I ordered plastic wrap, parchment paper and freezer bags from Amazon. I could get larger packages than are available locally, without getting into monster-size packages, and there was 5% off for 5 packages. The unit price is definitely better, and these will see me through to next winter. I can focus this summer on buying produce and not worry about freezer bags as well. Amazon has delivered the last few packages to my doorstep, which saves me the cost of a taxi to pick up larger or heavier items at the post office.
I ordered a lovely pair of good quality sheets, and got a $20 coupon that reduced the cost of the first purchase. These were something I badly needed.
I had my first physical with the new woman doctor in town. I was very happy with her. She took some time and was very thorough and pleasant. Since then I have followed up with a visit to the local hospital for lab work, x-rays and and an EKG, got a new prescription at the pharmacy, and will go back to the doctor to review the results of the tests next week. I’ll have a couple of trips into the city to see specialists as well. I asked someone new to give me a drive up to the hospital, and that worked out well. I like the local taxi driver, but she is very busy at the moment, and I want to have some alternatives in case she is not able to drive me where I need to go. I’ll be spending quite a bit more on transportation than usual this month, but I can get reimbursed for my trips to the city under the Alberta Seniors Benefit program.
I did my income tax return, and filed it the very first day they accepted returns this year. I got an express notice of assessment immediately. My income is modest, and deductions as a senior and for having a pension mean I don’t pay taxes. However, the tax return does need to be filed in order to receive a federal and a provincial income supplement (GIS and the Alberta Seniors Supplement and some associated benefits) and quarterly tax rebates from sales and carbon taxes. The last few years before my sister developed full-blown dementia, she had a terrible time doing her taxes, and would file them very late indeed. (This was very unlike her, though procrastination wasn’t.) It is always a relief when filing taxes goes smoothly for me! Not having to pay income taxes is a huge luxury for such benefits, but I remind myself of the forty-something years I worked and paid some considerable taxes so that other people could get these benefits.
I received a gift of a lb and a half of ground wild elk meat and made chili with it this weekend. I’ve been very lucky to have a friend share this with me. I’m glad her sons are good hunters!
It’s been a great frugal week in Houston, TX!
We enjoyed a beautiful weekend camping with the Cub Scouts; weather was perfect! I took snacks we already had on hand, as the pack provided most meals. We did stop on our way out of town at the Blue Bell Creamery ($1 generous scoops), which was a fun treat for the kids.
I’ve sold a few more things on FBMarketplace and Mercari. I think I may hire my oldest daughter to take pictures for me. That seems to be my biggest hangup. I can find things to sell, have no trouble shipping them, it’s just photographing them in decent light and listing them that hangs me up.
I stocked up on cheese when it’s was BOGO combined with $1.80 digital coupon at Randall’s. This brought the shredded cheese to #1.80/#, so I bought a year’s worth. I prefer shredded since it’s easy to use and freezes easily. My kids eat a lot of cheese.
I made breakfast cookies, pigs in a blanket, and pepperoni rolls.
Frugal fail: I tried to return some clearance meat from Kroger that I froze immediately without checking, and it was bad (once thawed). I no longer had the receipt, and the store manager would not refund me (clearance price was clearly marked on package). It was pork loins in marinade, easy to freeze, and I guess I should have opened then repackaged. Very disappointed in Kroger!
Enjoyed free donuts after church on Sunday.
I gave two sons a haircut.
I helped my youngest daughter clean out and organize her dresser, so hopefully she can put her clothes away herself.
A pizza place was having a grand opening, so I took the kids and we each got a free large pizza. It’s nice to have the leftovers, plus the kids ate it again for breakfast. Their pizza is more exotic (weird toppings) than what I usually make or buy at Sam’s, but it was still a fun treat.
Planning some fun and inexpensive spring break outings, looking forward to it.
I found a missing library book that I returned before they charged a fine.
The kids helped me rake the yard. We filled 6 cans with leaves on Thursday before the garbage men came on Saturday, then worked Sunday night to have the cans full again before Wednesday trash pickup. At least I’m not paying for garbage bags. We have several giant oak trees that are dropping leaves.
I put my youngest in the pack and play, let him scream (he was fine), and took a nap with ear plugs in with my bedroom door locked. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with work, breastfeeding, mom life, and trying to juggle everything, and a nap was just what I needed. It’s amazing how much just an hour or so of good rest can help.
Hope everyone has a nice, frugal week!
Your garden looks beautiful, as ever, and I am sure your tour will be another success. 🙂
*Here in the mountains of NC (zone 6a), the early daffodils are about 3 inches tall and I am having the wonderful surprise of seeing the many new varieties I planted last Fall as my birthday present to myself. I plant so many, I sometimes forget where I put them all. It has become a beloved tradition I look forward to every year – a gift that keeps on giving! Looking forward to seeing the alliums I planted later in the season.
*Most of the savings lately are the same old, same old (I feel like I keep saying that but it’s true.) No waste of anything, limited grocery shopping (only B1G1 free items and essential toiletries), eating from the pantry and freezer, gratefully accepting things given to us and making good use of them, mending and making do, practicing contentment, enjoying our home and property, and completing projects one step at a time. Sounds boring when written down but there is great satisfaction in keeping a steady course with what you know works for you.
*My youngest and I went to a performance by a local community theatre. We have both been considering auditioning with them in the future so it was part research/part fun. Also, a family from our homeschool co-op were performing in the play and it was fun supporting them in their endeavors. I bought the tickets ahead of time saving $5. Community theatre is a bargain, in my opinion.
*I sold $56 worth of items in my neighbor’s antique booth.
*Repaired an antique frame with my husband’s help. The molding on the inner portion was loose so he made splines out of wood to reinforce the molding and make it square. I was so impressed! It was a real professional restoration and not something I would have known how to do. I have installed a photo of my great-great grandfather in it my mother recently gave me. He was a well-known artist in his time painting murals in public spaces and private homes. I have one example of his work in my home and am glad to finally have his photograph up on our family gallery wall. No cost to me but time as I was given the antique frame from someone who was not going to repair it.
*Planned the month of March to take advantage of many free activities in our area such as museum exhibits, art contests my sons are entering, as well as Holy Week activities. Keeping my calendar organized definitely helps us choose activities which are important to us and worth spending our time and gas money. As Brandy has noted in the past, even free activities can have a cost and when you live rurally as we do, the gas can make an activity cost-prohibitive if too many occur in the same month. Being choosy helps us save money and identify those things we really love, not just time-fillers. We have PLENTY to do here, anyway. I do not know the meaning of the word “bored.” 🙂
*I have been unable to find used bee equipment so made a trip to a beekeeping supply store off the mountain. They make the wooden ware on site and, so, are cheaper than purchasing it many other places. To my children’s chagrin, I sorted through each piece, looking for the best quality they had (but, of course, stacked it all up neatly when I was done.) My husband does the same at lumber yards and my kids have stopped asking to go with Daddy when he is buying lumber “He looks at every single piece!” That’s right, children. Watch and learn. 🙂 )
* Hope everyone is enjoying a bit of sunshine and feeling the promise of Spring. 🙂
I love that you wrote “practicing contentment.” That is beautiful and so true! It does take practice to see the good, be patient and do the other things that lead to contentment and peace. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Brandy, I hope you’re doing well. What are you supposed to do with your tomato plants (cherry tomatoes) at the end of the season? Do you trim all the leaves and branches? Do they come back every year? Is there anything else I should know? Thank you!
Farhana, mine died when it froze in January. I removed them. If you’re in a warm climate, you can overwinter them, but rotating where you plant tomatoes every year is good to prevent your soil from getting blight.
I didn’t plant them. The people who lived here last here probably planted them. I want it to grow again and I just don’t know how to do it :(.
Tomatoes will need to be replanted every year. If you are feeling adventurous you could try replanting seeds from the tomatoes that grew before. What you get will depend on if the variety was a hybrid or not. For more predictability you can buy seeds or small tomato plants at your local nursery or garden center. They like a full sign spot in the garden.
Our garden is a washout this week as we have had 3 x average rain this month my feet sink when I walk on the lawn to feed the birds. All the water butts are overflowing. We harvested kale florets and carrots. We have been using beetroot leaves and parsley in salads. I need to order more bird food, this has gone up about 25% due to a bad harvest. I buy it straight from the farm and they deliver free the next day. Saved money by staying indoors .
I batch cooked coconut and apple cake from stock items. I made stock from 4 chicken carcasses I had in the freezer . I made a batch of baked beans, nut roast and yoghurt.
I sorted out the airing cupboard and wardrobe , looking for spare sheets I knew I had that I bought half price in a sale. I have the Winter Itch ( a form of eczema ) so I looked out some cotton vests to wear under my blouses.
I read 2 books from Borrowbox and borrowed George Monbiot new book.
I have sown broad beans indoors and they are now germinating and sorted my seeds . It feels as if spring is on its way
.
Cooked all meals at home. Cook once eat 3 times for some. Finished some leftovers from the freezer.
Hurry the government have bought down the energy price cape it should save about £200 this plus the warm winter should have helped to keep the bill down.
I recharged the batteries in the torches incase we need them and drained and refilled our drinking water storage.
Have a good week,
Chris
You’ve been working hard! Good luck with the garden tour.
I made a big pot of beans with a leftover ham bone, and it reminded me again of what a good value bean meals are. We ate beans with rice and cornbread for one meal, I made bean and cheese burritos for another meal, had beans as a side dish at two other meals, and I picked enough ham from the bone to make ham salad, which we had in sandwiches for lunch one day. *I filled out a survey for a $10 Amazon gift card. *I did a visible mend on a favorite pair of jeans and sewed a button back on a sweater. *This week I focused on stocking up on quick meals. I canned six quarts of chili. This is a favorite quick meal, and something we always take camping, so I like to keep it on hand. I also canned two quarts of beef stew and two quarts of beef stroganoff. I canned 2 pounds (7 pints) of chickpeas. I eat these for lunch about once a week, so I go through them quickly.* I made banana bread out of very ripe bananas, and baked two loaves of sandwich bread.*I noticed some volunteer arugula, chard, and a bok choy plant coming up in the greenhouse. I’ve never planted this early in there, but took a chance and planted some lettuce, bok choy, and arugula seeds. My husband set up my grow light inside and I planted seeds for tomatoes, peppers, celery, cabbage, broccoli, and chard. I also winter-sowed a bunch of flower seeds in milk jugs. They are sitting outside in the snow. I had variable results with winter-sowing last year, but want to try again.* We have an ATV we use for snow-plowing our driveway and the drives of a couple of neighbors. It’s 12 years old and had become almost impossible to start. My husband thought we might have to take it in for repairs, but came up with an idea to try, using a part from an old boat motor (we no longer own that boat.) It worked! Free repair and I’m so pleased.
I successfully completed my first mystery shop and got paid. I like that in my area there are hundreds of shops available every day, so anytime I feel like it I can choose one.
I sold a length of copper pipe and a metal spigot to the local salvage yard. These items were left at our house by the previous owners and we had no need of them. I like that they will now be used by someone else instead of being clutter in my yard. And the cash is great!
I’ve sold various things on FB marketplace, which has become a reasonably steady source of a little extra money for necessities or fun. A very few of the items are things we owned but no longer need. The rest are things I find for free on FB marketplace that need a little love and then they can be sold.
I’m watching my food budget carefully as this seems to be a category that regularly goes over, even though I’m quite careful already. We’re eating beans and rice 3 days this week (Mexican really, so prepared with some variation).
I brought home a piece of a salvia plant that broke off from my daughter-in-law’s bush. I will raise it and take it back to her when it’s ready to go in the ground. I love giving ‘free’ plants this way. I also have several cuttings of houseplants that I raise to use as gifts. With a pot from a free pile, or a thrift store pot, these make very nice gifts for almost no money.
I have gathered small gifts to send to relatives in England when my husband goes next week. The cost of postage is exorbitant. Not that the flight was cheap, but he had to go anyway so sending gifts along feels like a bonus.
I hope everyone has a good week, and that your garden tour goes well, Brandy.
That top photo is stunning!
I finished Iron Flame on Audible and started The Chemist. I had a goal of 1 audible a month, but this was my fourth in 2 months.
Found packages of ground pork for $2 off. Purchased 2.
My daughter made a tart and quiche at school, bringing home enough to share.
My husband found a Calphalon skillet for $3 at the Habitat Restore ($50 Amazon)
A local soap business brought the employees at the school a bar of soap and sample of laundry soap.
We also were treated to Krispy Kreme donuts one day.
Used codes at McDonald’s for 15% off.
Paid off 2 credit cards, caught up our real estate taxes, and paid half on my Perkins loan with my income tax refund.
Paid an extra $150 on my truck payment (with my tutoring job, I’ll be able to put $300 a month towards it to get it paid off this year)
Added another chicken carcass to the freezer to turn into broth
I had to break my rule about not buying books without reading it first and knowing I like it. We have a literary analysis due at the end of the semester and she listed about a dozen books to choose from. I had only read two on that list, so I’ve been eliminating ones by reading samples or synopsis online. I narrowed it down to Slaughterhouse Five and Beloved, so I purchased them to start reading and decide on one. I did look around for the cheapest copies, but was still out almost $20.
Our bedroom TV also went out. We found one at Best Buy for just over $200.
Beautiful photos. I love the snowdrops. Wish I was local so I could attend your garden tour.
Last week, I bought several pounds of asparagus on sale for $1.49 a pound. Made a big batch of soup. Ate some, shared some with my mom and froze the rest for future meals. I went back and bought more because it was really nice asparagus.
Made a large batch of meatballs from 2lbs of ground beef, and froze most of them. Started eating down the freezer because it was getting full. Using three old apples, the rest of a package of frozen blueberries and some dried plums, I made a fruit crisp to bring as dessert when my sister invited me over for dinner. I also brought an asparagus dish that my mom used to make (al dente asparagus topped with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds).
Cleaned tile grout in the bathroom using an Oxiclean solution and a toothbrush. It worked great. Found this handy tip on the Oxiclean package (which I apparently had never read before).
Found two puzzles for my mom for $4 each at Goodwill. One was fine but the other had about 50 pieces missing (yes, we counted, and it was only a 300 piece puzzle). Took that puzzle and the receipt back to Goodwill, and they refunded my money to a gift card. While I was there, found a nice dress that I can wear to my niece’s wedding this summer for $8. Used the gift card on that purchase.
Received my annual Costco credit card reward and put most of it away for later. I did take $20 to spend so I enjoyed lunch out at my favorite fish and chips spot and bought something small for myself.
Finished my mom’s taxes and my taxes too. We both get refunds. I am thankful for that.
Read books from the library. Watched YouTube and streaming services. Cooked at home. Brought food with me when I was out.
Have a good week, everyone.
I planted native honeysuckle and it remains well contained every year so far. I wouldn’t be surprised one day to see it taking over, though! I loved honeysuckle and its scent as a child, and used to love to get the nectar out of the blooms on the vines growing wild on the pasture fences. I know it can get aggressive, but I just had to have some.
I sewed a cute Easter pillow for a family member, using sale-priced fabric and some I already owned.
I washed and brushed my dogs instead of taking them to a groomer.
I found a lovely Le Creuset butter dish to replace mine, but it was $30.00 on sale. I bought an inexpensive stainless steel one that I don’t have to worry about breaking, and it looks nice, too.
I harvested some greens, thinned the last of the winter carrots and I’m watching the lettuce sprouted from saved seed as it grows steadily.
I’ve put up some more food as I’m eating some that needs to be used. I bought jar lids in bulk last year, and I’m glad I did.
I lucked onto some good finds at a thrift store – I bought a like-new thermos I’d needed, two like-new cardigan sweaters in very good brands, and a perfect looking pair of slacks, plus a complete set of graduated sized small pantry containers, just right for holding things like baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, nutritional yeast and the like. All of it came to $26.24.
As usual, I’ve cooked from scratch, saved warm-up water, kept the thermostats turned down when the weather was cool and turned off when the weather has warmed up, carried work lunches from home and mended seams.
What a busy two weeks you have had. Your pictures are so lovely. I wish I lived closer to come to the garden tour, I know in person it would be breath taking viewing it all at once.
– Cleaned out the fridge and made a list before grocery shopping so no duplicates.
– My husband broke up the garden with our tractor and sold our garden tiller.
– We cleaned out two rooms and had several donations to make to the shelter.
– Had to get a new car battery as mine died at the chiropractor.
– We had the family over for dinner and shared some plates with neighbors.
– I have been using the crock pot more to cut down on time and heating the house up. Side note – I have finally mastered dry beans.
– We have been having the windows open and the heat turned off.
– I bought some flower seed to hopefully have more flowers in my flower beds.
– My husband and I have been experimenting with new recipes to bring some variety to our life. Neither one of us are great cooks, but we keep trying.
– I ordered a flower magazine for $10 a year to get inspiration and just because I love flowers. I am calling it my early birthday present to myself.
– Continued to wash full loads with cold water and hang up as much as I can.
– The library received a bunch of new books in and I checked out 5 brand new books.
Thank you Brandy for this blog and the time you spend on it. This information is so inspirational to me.
Hi Brandy and everyone
You’ve had such a busy time in the garden. I hope your garden tour goes well. The photo of the blue and white vase and grape hyacinth is so fresh and spring like.
I’ve sold two more items on Vinted.
I used coupons in Lidl for a free brownie, free muffin and an item from their confectionary range. I chose a packet of mints as we like them on long journeys and we are going on holiday soon. I bought several jars of coffee on a deal, £4.99 instead of £7.
I used leeks and parsnips from the garden. We’ve sown seeds for peas, leeks, spring onions, cosmos and helianthus. My husband has dug out one compost bin and spread it over the beds along with the bulk buy of compost.
I cut up one big dog bed and made it into two smaller ones and made a new bed with materials I had already.
I made chicken stock from a carcass and have cooked once eaten twice several times.
I bought several fat quarters and a couple of balls of wool in the charity shop.
I’ve sewn some lavender sachets with home grown lavender and fabric from my stash.
A friend gave me a book she no longer wanted.
We received a small discount on dog food using a loyalty card.
We have cut down the hours we have the heating on as oil is so expensive. Happily our electricity use this month has been slightly less than this month last year and we have reduced our monthly direct debit by a few pounds.
I had a tooth filling at the dentists and need another one which is booked in for a couple of months time. I was given the option to pay for all the treatment in one go which I was able to do, I think it will be a pleasant relief next time to have that bill paid in advance.
I cut my own fringe.
Stay safe everyone.
Your blog is so very lovely. I spent the past month reading from your first entry to present day. It is a sincere joy.
I hope your garden tour is a spectacular success and that your weather is perfect!
5 client quilts all quilted up: https://pin.it/sG06KFyhO and https://pin.it/6wlUpzQt5, https://pin.it/72PLxVPgJ and https://pin.it/5tWTfWQQd, https://pin.it/4d4QHp8Pg , https://pin.it/AGBMcCND3 and https://pin.it/Jht6nzqjn.
I also finished quilting my totally from scraps quilt using recycled fleece blanket for backing and Frankenbatting from my scraps instead of batting from the bolt!
https://pin.it/5pkCGqyeD , https://pin.it/4LsNFANA4.
Made butterscotch banana muffins this week as a breakfast option. Also had eggs and toast with homemade jam for breakfast another day. Our oldest daughter hosted an open house in Dayton where they live for her sonwho leaves next Tuesday on a two year Church mission. They live on her schoolteacher salary and so her sisters and I helped with food. I made 48 slider and mini croissant sandwiches – Ham and cheddar, Turkey and Colby Jack and Chicken and provolone. All the meats came from Flashfood and none had been more than $1/pound. The cheese was the sliced cheese I mentioned last week from Flashfood that was about $1/pound. We bought the slider buns and mini croissants (about $15 total) I used my biscuit cutter on the cheese and meat so they fit on slider buns perfectly and saved the meat and cheese trimmings to be used in future meals! I also used some of the cheese slices (cut into quarters) to make a cheese tray! That probably used $1 of my cheese slices compared to the $9.99 at the store! Our daughter who was hosting picked up big trays of cookies on Flashfood the day before! Her sisters brought drinks- water and soda that they either bought as loss leaders (around Super Bowl time) or got free (best customer reward coupon- water). Had to smile as I heard how frugal they had each been!
We went on Saturday to our Discount grocery and bought a 20 pound box of Apple cinnamon seasoned bacon pieces and ends for $18!! That’s 90 cents a pound! I am cooking it all up, straining and saving bacon grease in a mason jar and will freeze some and dehydrate the rest!
Biggest savings? On our DIY laundry room remodel, we knew we needed new flooring. So, we pulled up the ceramic tile and subflooring we had installed ourselves about 20 years ago. It revealed a tile that was probably from the 1940’s- 1950’s. As we began pulling that off, we discovered original white oak flooring that matches what we have in the adjoining rooms!! So, we will just need to find a tiny amount to fit in the new doorway! That will save us a bundle over buying a whole rooms worth of oak flooring, especially because it is the 2-1/4” wide pieces that are 3/4” thick. Those are harder to find and pricier!
Actually, we had an even bigger savings! It was about that time for Hubs to check out new hearing aids for his moderate to profound hearing loss and I asked how he would feel comparing what his audiologist suggested with Costco. He did a lot of research and we went to Costco. He got incredible hearing aids that his audiologist offered for $6400 for just $1600!! That’s a $4800 savings and the batteries are rechargeable and come with charging station! The warranty was excellent and we aren’t giving up quality.
Well, that’s been our two weeks! Hope everyone out there is able to hang on or even get ahead a bit!
Gardenpat in Ohio
Amazing about the hearing aids! I haven’t noticed any hearing loss day to day, but going to some medical appointments, people sound very muffled, so it is probably time to have my hearing tested. If I can’t hear easily, I start to think about something else, and then I really don’t hear what they say! If hearing aids are in my future, I will definitely be checking out Costco.
Beautiful photos, Brandy. I wish I was close enough to do the tour and meet you! I hope it all goes perfectly for you. *Pretty quiet couple of weeks here. It is still unusually warm so we have enjoyed that. *Meals have included cheese bread “dunkers”, chicken salad, orange chicken over rice, a hodge podge hotdish using the leftover rice and veggies, leftover, soup. I learned from the Tightwad Gazette newsletters (30 years ago) a Universal Hotdish recipe that has served me well over the years, which I utilized this week. I had leftover rice and mixed veggies from a dinner. I had some leftover ham in the freezer from another meal. I made a white sauce (butter, flour, milk and some boullion) to bind it (can use cream of anything soup). I had some crackers that I crushed and mixed with a little butter and added to the top and baked at 350* for 30 ish minutes. It was delicious and fed us for a few meals. I felt really good about it. Waste not want not. * read library books, knitted and crocheted for fun. * One of my daughters is a talented plant lover so I passed on some flower seeds, as well as some seed starting products I had. She was happy. I was happy to get rid of some things. * My oldest daughter had all of us local family over for a birthday celebration for me yesterday. A delicious meal and good company. The grand kids colored a happy birthday sign for me. The gifts were wonderful: some yarn, some lilac soap (my favorite scent), some books, a new cutting board. And one of my girls painted a beautiful watercolor of our family. It is so lovely. I felt very loved and seen. * I hope everyone is well and all have a lovely week.
Happy Birthday Becky! Sounds like a wonderful day! Wishing you many more special days!
Thank you so much!
Good Morning!
1. I used a trim rim on my 1990 oven burner to cover my sweet potato pie. It worked beautifully. The crust was walnuts from a gift basket from our nut coop. (Diamond) Everything else was from the pantry. I have eaten the pie for breakfast this week. Luxury.
2. I melted chocolate bars for the first time in the microwave. So easy!! Break them up, add a little coconut oil and stir every 30 seconds. These are dark chocolate and I got them for 75% OFF. I needed healthy recipes so I asked on Reddit Frugal. I got some great answers: snicker dates, yogurt dipped cherry clusters, peanut butter oat cups, dipped fruit. Everything was from pantry.
3. DH loves Carnation Instant breakfast milk. We were out. I looked on Amazon and was shocked by its manipulative pricing. Wow, I need to be careful. 10 packets of chocolate mix would be 1.00 a mix. The variety flavors box would be 1.20 each. Walmart had 50 cents for each but the variety pack had an equally inflated price. I bought 2 boxes of each flavor for .50 cents each. What a savings.
4. I have put some research into an effective and reasonably priced beauty routine. I don’t do make up except for lip gloss. I never leave the home without sunscreen. I spend some money on flattering glass frames and that is about it. The one very expensive item I do not want to compromise on is the Dr. Gross Extra strength daily peels. They work really well on my face. I hate splashing my face with water. I clean with the pads and towels. These are quite expensive. $3.00 a day. So my compromise I use an inexpensive scrub and cleaner every other day in the shower. ( The research says scrub or peel daily.) Others online say they cut the pads in half. That makes them half the cost. I buy the 60 day packaging instead of 30 which saves 30 dollars. I joined the Dr. Gross online club that earns reward points – doing things like reviewing, birthday treat, etc. . . It is a luxury but it is doable for my budget.
5. I did NOT buy a red light skin machine on his website – yet. Wow ! $400 is the best says the research. Yikes. I was close to pushing the button, trying to justify it: extra reward points, I deserve it, I scrimp in so many other areas, it is hard to be an aging woman, blah, blah. I forced myself to give it 24 hours. I have already set this month’s budget. If I still want it (i.e. not need it) I’ll budget for it and wait for the best deal I can find in the coming months. So really, I have saved $400.
Hello, frugal friends from Southwest Virginia Mountains! March arrived like a lamb with it’s springtime temperatures and budding trees and daffodils blooming…way too early. We will be on the lookout for w return of winter weather towards the end of the month…out like a lion.
In frugal matters:
*Our electric bill came in $50 less than last month’s all time high. Thank goodness. Our efforts are paying off.
*We were gifted a homemade loaf of multigrain bread from our neighbor. She makes the most delicious yeast breads. I’m a lucky neighbor!
*I am taking a part time job as an in school tutor. The hours are perfect and the pay is great. This is through a program our state has started in order to help close the gap from the COVID years. I am looking forward to working with the children again.
*Our extension service is in the same building as our school board so after I did my employment paperwork I walked over to the Extension Service to see if I could get more free seeds for my future students. I was given enough for the first graders I work with as a volunteer, but wanted enough for the students I will be tutoring starting next week. I was allowed to take what I wanted! They had thousands of seed packets which did not sell last season. The seeds are still mostly viable. I use the packets for so many lessons in Language Arts, Math, Social Studies (Many packets have a map on the back showing planting zones.), Science, etc. I tie the seed packets to a book I love to read aloud. We alphabetize, sort multiple ways (color, fruit/veg, by edible parts,etc), find sight words, number studies, and find our state on the map, etc. In the end I have the kids design their own seed packet which must include specific information about a plant with a colorful drawing. It is one of my favorite units. I can’t wait! The Extension Service let me take almost 50 packets. Of course, in the end, each child gets to choose a packet to keep. This year they might get 2!
*We ate at home.
*Mr. Fix It and his brother went to Alabama to see their 90 year old mother. They took our hybrid Toyota because of the great gas mileage. I packed food for them to eat along the way plus snacks while there. His brother insisted on paying for the gas and paid for their dinners. They split the hotel bill.
*I stocked up on a few groceries for the month. I used my $2 rewards at Food Lion plus a few online coupons. I found lemons for .33/each. I bought 8 and made strawberry lemonade for a dinner I hosted with my neighbors. I made a baked potato bar using potatoes I bought on sale for .20/lb and baked in the crockpot then froze. I had a few simple toppings already plus my neighbors brought a couple others. It was a fun evening.
*We continued doing the usual things like using the solar generator to recharge devices, reading off the Hoopla app from the library, using cloth over paper items.
I want to mention a caution concerning taking biotin supplement if you are on thyroid medication. My doctors have me stop taking the biotin 3 days before any thyroid blood work as the biotin can throw off you numbers affecting your medication dosage. Just an FYI. I made that mistake.
Brandy, I would love to come to your garden tour if I were closer. I think you should invite someone from the water company to show them how you manage such a beautiful garden with so little water. I know your tour will be a huge success.
I wish my frugal friends a blessed and healthy week!
My best buys this week were 20 lbs of red potatoes for $5.94 and 5 kg of flour for $4.00 which was even cheaper than Costco. I bought all my groceries this week using loyalty points and a gift card to Costco. As well a kind neighbour gave us a $300 restaurant gift card for letting him store some of his stuff in half our garage-so that will be a nice treat.
It is -20 C here and already looking forward to my next trip!! Have a great week everyone.
The garden is so busy and there’s so much fun going on there! I hope all the new plantings do beautifully.
It’s been a busy week with my youngest home for spring break but:
I’ve been decluttering and found a bunch of useful things I’d forgotten about 🙂
Arranged for my daughter to watch our dog for free on an upcoming trip rather than send her to board.
Turned a couple of *very* old cake mixes into cake mix cookies – cookies go more quickly here than cake would and extras will be appreciated at my office.
Baked bread from supplies on hand
Gave my doodle’s hair a trim
Cut my husband’s hair
Your garden is just breathtaking! We are in the brown, dead stage of pre-spring without snow. Those peas look extra tasty!!
It is 66 degrees here today. Unreal. Usually February and March are full of bitter winds. This year we have 70 one day and 20 the next. I am looking forward to real spring. You are such an example of being a good steward and support for your husband. I have been trying to emulate you during this season of unemployment.
After nearly 3 months of job searching my husband has been hired! I am so grateful this blessing happened in this difficult economy. Also super glad that I don’t have to see another job application for awhile! Jobs in our city are running about 12.00 per hour starting out. We were blessed with a much better paying position with possibility for advancement. The downside to that is that my husband will have an hour and 10 minute commute each way. That while working a 12 hour shift. The second blessing is that it is a first shift position. Typically new hires have to take 2nd or 3rd shift. He starts work on the 12th. I have squeezed every penny to keep on top of bills. My deep pantry and freezers have been a huge source of comfort for us. We have really pared our life down to bills and gas. We’ve played lots of board games and basketball at home. Last night we took our kids on a walk in a near by nature reserve. The positive from this 2.5 month lack of work was I got to spend a lot of time with my husband. Over the course of the last 13 years we have had very little time together with him working 60 hours a week and me taking care of 6 children! It was nice to have some couple time even though we felt a little stressed. I just feel so much gratitude for the blessings I have received. Preparing myself to tighten up the budget to rebuild our emergency fund.
I’m glad your husband got a good job!
And thank you.
Congrats, about your husband’s job! 🙂
I cut my own hair – that is the ninth haircut since Covid started. Total savings – about $700.
I finished our park group’s article about sandstone quarries in early Calgary. The proofreader for our book
volunteered to proofread this article. He is meticulous so his help is very welcome.
I bought groceries on sale last week and used some of the savings to buy food for the community food pantry.
I won’t always be able to do it but could afford it this week.
I am slowly making an emergency preparedness kit. I have always wanted to have a water purification filter bottle.
I looked up one of the best brands and it happened that it was on sale at half price. I wanted to get an extra filter but
they were sold out (temporarily I’m sure). An extra filter costs $35. Another model of the water filter bottle was on sale for $44.
So for the minor difference, I got a second bottle (so have a second filter). In addition to 50% off, I got another 10% off as a discount plus free shipping. If I decide not to keep one of the bottles, I will give it to my nephew. who likes camping. as a birthday gift.
It also means I can filter out mountain water if I get to the mountains.
A new store wanted to sell our book. (We are down to 30 copies left in the stores). I, in turn, bought some mini jigsaw puzzles at half price
($7) for my great nieces from that same store. A volunteer delivered the books to the store and in turn picked up my purchases. He lives near me.
Three of my cousins (two second cousins in their 90s and a much younger first cousin) died. I am ordering 25 cards made from one of my photos. It will be a blank card so I can use it for many purposes. They cost $1 each as opposed to paying between $5-7 each for a Hallmark card.
It wasn’t a very frugal week. One of our scholarship applicants has a mother who’s a great cook and sells meals. To thank one of my friends who volunteers to do my regular grocery shopping, I bought four of the dinners for her. It was delicious butter chicken. She was going out of town so her husband could have surgery so the meals came in handy. Then one of my friends in her 90s (with whom I stayed when I broke my arm) was having family coming to visit from out of town and was panicked as to what to serve. As a thank you for when I broke my arm, I paid our friend’s mother to make more butter chicken. Everyone was thrilled.
Then an old friend is dying. I could not go see him but I had flowers delivered and had a long chat with him on the phone.
And finally I had chocolates sent from a store in Toronto to my friend who lives in Toronto. Some years ago I went to Italy on her buddy pass and stayed at her house in Italy. I like surprising her with the chocolates every once in a rare while. She always says the store makes wonderful chocolates. So basically it was repay past kindnesses time.
I watched the Andrea Bocelli concert in Chile on YouTube. It was of course free but excellent. I am reading an excellent book called the Spy Who Loved. I’m making slow progress finding the time to read.
Good luck with the garden tour!
Oh I love hearing about everyone’s spring adventures! We are still about 6 weeks from planting season here.
I think it was Gardenpat who suggested FlashFood. I finally tried out FlashGood for some veggies. Pleasantly surprised how good of condition most of the produce was. My husband is already hooked. I’m not sure if it’s because of the discounts, the fact it’s ready for him to pickup or both! Currently making dried apples for the kids to take to school for snacks.
I haven’t tried the meat yet but we will see.
Had extra milk this week because kids weren’t drinking as much so made mozzarella for the first time. Made an open face sandwich with it with the bread I baked and tomatoes I’d roasted and frozen last summer. Told my friend it only took 10 months to make a sandwich.
Splurged on strawberries for a school fundraiser and am attempting strawberry vinegar with the tops.
Took a class through LinkedIn learning at the library.
My son made the volleyball team at school. With gas prices going up, I’ll likely go to the library nearby and work instead of driving back and forth from practices. We did splurge on papa murphys on their Tuesday deal day to celebrate his resilience going through practice and trying out, even before he knew he made the team.
Working on taxes and I’ll get a credit as my daughter is a college student and my dependent as she lives at home. Refund will go to bills.
Got a surprise check for guest writing on a blog. So that’s a blessing!
And we are finally getting the good driver discount with our new insurance, which is so helpful, especially with a young driver.
Have a blessed week, everyone!
Robbie
I went to the thrift store last weekend to buy resell items. I made back the money I spent in two days. Any further sales will be profit.
I’m back at work with a busy schedule so I am trying to pack my lunch at least a couple times a week.
My lettuce, basil, kale, and dill are growing amazingly in my hydronics set up. I’ve harvest a few times and had delicious salads.
I’ve finally got a kid in middle school who is wearing uniforms! I didn’t have to buy school clothes!
I got a couple books from a colleague who was cleaning out his office.
I made a cup of tea in my office instead of going to starbucks.
Oh, I meant to day that I shovelled snow 7 times in 30 hours. I saved about $300
Good luck with the garden tour Brandy – I’m certain it will be a success – the work that you do, and the amount produced, while coping with all your water restrictions, is truly amazing.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the office and at home! With the beginning of Lent and Easter coming on so quickly, my workload is a bit heavier than normal – plus I’m working on a couple of projects that involve a fair bit of research – but it’s all very interesting and keeps me occupied.
I have done some grocery shopping – even made one trip to Costco – I have enough coffee for at least the next four months and I added to my cheese supply! I also bought a large pack of frozen sole – still trying to eat more fish and seafood and was pleasantly surprised at how much was in the pack. I will buy a different variety each time I go and slowly build up my supply. A friend and I stopped at a Loblaw store and I was able to get a package of cauliflower rice and a pack of salad, both at 50% off and I split a large pack of ground beef with my friend – again at 50% off! I was also able to add a few more non-food items that were on sale – including enough mascara to last me for the rest of the year. I use a clear on my eyebrows and black on my lashes and like to change them out every couple of months (due to some eye issues) so I wait for this sort of sale and then stock up.
I had brunch with two friends one day (at a Sunset Grill – best value for money in this city) and went to a book launch another evening with a friend, for the Hebridean Baker’s latest cookbook. Tickets were $40 but we got music, a talk and Q&A with him, some lovely gin & tonic, and a copy of the book. We ended up at a table with two ladies who had driven up from Ohio and were making a weekend of it! I used funds from my monthly allowance and thoroughly enjoyed myself! I like the freedom of a monthly allowance – I get to choose, and when it’s gone – it’s gone. Otherwise, all meals have been cooked at home and I’ve even had a friend up for dinner a couple of nights – nice to have company. I’m going to try and do a bit more baking later this week.
I paid all bills online for the month and I have been careful to leave extra in my chequing account as I’ve switched phone providers and I’m changing up my TV/Internet service so I know bills will probably overlap a bit in the next month so I will need to have some extra on hand until it’s sorted. My transit pass has been topped up, I have the grocery money set aside and I have my allowance so this month is organized. I even managed to still put a bit extra into a savings envelope so I am content.
I have been checking IKEA as I need some new furniture and I spent some time the other night going back and forth about what I actually need, and what I can rearrange of my existing furniture. I started out thinking that I would be spending about $2000 but with just waiting a bit – and taking the time to really think about what I need – I have it down to about $1000 in total. I have a small amount of investment money coming due in April so I will pay cash at that time. Delayed gratification really does work.
Can’t wait to hear all about the garden tour next week – hope you won’t be too exhausted!
I’m confused about your transplanting calla lilies at this time of year. Aren’t they starting to bloom? Can you dig up and transplant blooming lilies?
They haven’t bloomed yet. I decided to take a chance. They should bloom soon. Most are small and have not bloomed much where they are, so if they don’t bloom right now, that’s okay. These are small plants and I don’t think they are large enough to bloom this year.
Congratulations on the all the work on your garden. I hope the tour goes well. How lucky for some to be able to see it in person.
I don’t have a lot to report on the savings front. I did the usual: trying to use up what was in the fridge and pantry, borrowed books to read, wear sweaters to stay warm, knit from my stash, bundle errands when driving. We had family over to celebrate a birthday dinner and I was happy to send the leftovers home with them.
However I did spend time helping others. A friend who is chronically ill needed help catching up on her laundry. I picked it up and between another friend and I, washed and folded seven loads of laundry and returned it to her. We took out trash from her apartment. I helped another person who is ill with some grocery shopping and left a meal at her door as well. But helping others makes me feel as good as if I had been prudent in other ways. I am grateful that I could help others.
I think our acts of service can far outweigh any financial gifts that we give.
One year when I was ill for a prolonged period, a friend came over every week for a month and cleaned my bathroom. I have never forgotten that act of kindness. Since I was nauseated a lot of the time, having a clean bathroom was a real gift! Your kind gestures sill not be forgotten.
Kandace – I so agree with your last paragraph! Glad you were able to be of service. 🙂
I am enjoying seeing my teenagers find ways to use all of what we have. One of my son’s on his own, got the idea to cut the toothpaste tube. He got an extra two weeks out of the tube! They are also coming up with creative ways to repair items and make what they want.
I had my dentist appointment and found out using my water flosser really improves my gum health. Since I own the flosser this is free. I printed a small calendar and taped it to my bathroom wall so I can mark when I clean my teeth. The accountability really helps me.
I have learned I love using lettuce as bread. I have been walking with my neighbor and for the first time in 4 years loosing a few pounds.
Brandy, your cover photo brought a breath of spring into my gloomy weather world! Thank you! Would you please tell me what the last flower photo (the white with a bit of green, looks like it’s upside down) flower is? It is absolutely breathtaking in its simplicity and its complexity! Thank you! Wishing you a wonderful garden show turnout!
It’s called a summer snowdrop. It’s not a true snowdrop. In colder climates, they bloom in June. Leujocum Aestivium.
Thank you! It’s really quite lovely!
Aww, muscari and delft pottery! Could there be a more perfect combo?! That first image just brings me joy 🙂
I’ve been a little MIA between being sick, trying to take advantage of good weather when we have it, and having to scramble this week as we just realized (with a sickening pit in our stomachs) that one of our most reliable sources of expected income is no longer going to be coming through, which means we have to hustle even more these next couple of months until our flower farming season starts. Always something to keep me on my toes over here!
Here are some of our frugal wins for the week:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/05/weekly-frugal-wins-seasons-collide/
I will be praying you have peace as you rely on God’s provision for your income. I know the feeling very well and we have always made it without anything being turned off. Just keep doing your best. Hugs
Thank you for your kind comment, Renee!
I so admire your faithfulness and bravery in going all out with your flower business! Am sure your creativity will continue to bring you success. I enjoy reading your updates and wish you well! 🙂
– I have done a lot of work in the new garden over the last few weeks. I planted potted rhubarb, raspberries and a dwarf plum tree which we had brought from our old house out into the ground.
– I also ordered a lot of seeds. Mostly vegetables but a few annual flowers for the bees and butterflies that my son had requested.
– Brandy, I have been very inspired by your garden which is both beautiful and productive to try to fill mine with fruits and vegetables without it looking like an allotment! This year we are dealing with the existing beds round the edges. Next year we will dig some new knot-garden-type beds in the lawn. Eventually we would like to remove all the grass and have something that doesn’t need mowing all the time like clover. We get a fair amount of rain, so I want to avoid adding any non-porous surfaces like paving.
– We had a house guest stay overnight. We served one fancy meal and just ate our regular food the rest of the time.
– We visited a local museum we have an annual membership with. It’s mostly outdoors, so we haven’t been for a few months but now it’s warm enough to picnic (just!) we will go often. We always pack a lunch and snacks and don’t visit the cafe or gift shop. When our membership runs out in September we will consider whether to pick somewhere else instead… but I think we will stick with this museum as it’s so good!
– We save an amazing amount of money by not taking our children to paid outings and classes. Occasionally we will pay for something really special, but the default is to always pick the free option and bring a packed lunch. I remember the pressure when my oldest was a baby to take him to paid-for baby classes. We made it a family policy that we don’t pay for experiences our kids won’t even be able to remember and it has served us well!
– I ordered six pairs of tights for my daughter on a 3 for 2 but they only discounted one pair. I was able to email them and get the extra pair refunded.
Suzie, am not sure of your location, or if you are even in the states, but in the states most zoos and gardens (and even some museums) have reciprocity for their members. I (and many of my kids) join one garden and we get to visit many other botanical gardens for free. We used to do this with the zoos when my children were young. It’s a fabulous way to visit other places for free. Just a thought….
Thank you for the suggestion! We are in the UK, I’m afraid. Some organisations like the National Trust you pay once to get into all their properties but this museum is not one. I went to many National Trust properties as a child but where we live now is a weird desert of them!
Ate a tomato on March 2nd. Saved some of the seeds and placed on a moist paper towel, inside a ziploc bag. Planted the sprouted starts in pots today! Other tomato seeds that were saved last year and therefore dried are going to take a little longer but the Roma and Beefsteak are sticking their toes out. Planted into pots some rosemary cuttings which I had put into water to root. My geraniums are starting to flower so spring must be here.
I would love to tour your garden but 2,200 miles between us. Your guests are sure to be inspired.
1. I squeezed a tube of allergy cream to the end.
2. Took a family member to pharmacy where we realised the active ingredient in normal allegra and allegra for hives is same but they have a $12 difference, so we didnt buy the later.
3. Asked the pharmacist for medication for hives and she suggested benadryl instead of a doctor visit.
4. Squeezed lemon juice by quartering them, easy to use when needed and saves lemon spoilage.
5. Hand Washed and hung dry my families clothes every 4 days now.
6. Cook at home or eat frozen goodies from the grocery story.
7. Been shopping loss leaders.
8. Saved on car and home insurance.
9. Bought a workbook from library instead of buying.
10. Encouraging my sister to do her own work where possible. It causes anxiety otherwise for me.
11. Epilate my hair instead of salon wax.
12. Used half a blob of shampoo as I oiled my hair less than usual.
13. Walked to the grocery store. Planning to walk there daily as a form of exercise.
14. Ate all meals at home.
Brandys garden is a huge inspiration to me and I hope one day to have just an acceptable landscape. The neighbors on each side of me have huge messes that they don’t address. I’m trying to collect all the pinestraw ,leaves and pinecone. The broken branches off of pinetrees are plentiful too. It seems like for every good day I have ,I’m matched with a rain day and a sick day. I am so excited to have gotten a new mailbox hole dug. My mailbox is nestled in butterfly bushes. It has tons of bumblebees. I struggle each year with my love of those bushes and the mailman. I have a nice new mailbox being placed on the other side of my driveway and now I can enjoy my bumblebees each day. It’s taken me 3 years to get that hole dug. My cherry tree looks like it will be blooming this month. It only lasts 10 days but I love those pink flowers. I went on a shopping spree. No matter how much we bring in from the dumpsters , there are a few things I never have enough of. Spaghetti sauce ,tomatoes and tuna go quickly in my house. I ordered tuna at Amazon for 48 cents a can. I found tuna and tomatoes for 50 cents marked down at Kroger. A local salvage store had Spaghetti sauce for 1.00. I needed wet pet food for two of my elderly pets. The cat food isn’t a problem but the dog’s Kangaroo is $6 a can. I found a great Chewy deal and bought it for 50 % off. I haven’t spent any money in a long time. It’s a good thing too. It looks like one eyed cocker spaniel has developed glaucoma in her eye. She already has a cataract. I’m hoping her surgery will be less than 2 thousand. I feel like it’s raining on me. I’m fortunate that I do already have meds for her and that we can hold off to next month. Between my mom’s funeral ,helping my daughter get a car ,I wasn’t anticipating this. I’m so grateful that all my bills are current and we have everything we need. Meanwhile ,with no extra money. I have lots of time to dedicate to my yard. I have a bunch of tulips I think I can plant. I don’t know much about them but brought home a bunch of them that Trader Joe’s tossed out. Free flowers is a bonus. I brought home 4 more orchids. I must find a way to house them. My house doesn’t have much daylight. I need to create a greenhouse in my master bath.
Lilliana, I was struck by your comment you feel as though its raining on you. You’ve had such a lot to cope with and you’re doing so well. Please be proud of yourself. All best wishes to you.
Well said Brandy.
There is not (yet) much of a tradition in Australia and New Zealand to decorate our homes for Easter, but a few years ago I was tempted by a heavily discounted Easter wreath (pretty pastel eggs). I was thinking this alone was a bit bare, but instead of buying something new I have repurposed my 31 year old son’s very large Peter Rabbit plush toy. He’s now out of the sentimental toy drawer and perched on my window sill, hopefully giving joy to anyone who sees him. This became a tradition here during the Covid lockdowns, when teddies were placed in windows to cheer up those on their solitary one hour exercise walks. Put those expensive toys to use I say!
I considered making the drive to your area to take your tour, as a birthday present to myself. Alas, the timing wasn’t right on my end. Maybe next time, if you decide to do it again. I know it will go well and will be much appreciated and enjoyed. I hope you’ll share some photos, and your thoughts on the experience.
We’ve had quite a bit of rain and it’s been great turning off my sprinkler systems for extended periods of time. My rain barrels are full up, and I continue to catch shower warm-up water to re-use.
I harvested lots of oranges (various types) and sweet limes. I used lots and still had plenty to share with family and friends. (Many folks have orange trees of their own and most are bearing right now, but no one I know seems to have a lime tree and people seem delighted to receive the small limes.) I harvested a number of tomatoes from volunteer plants. I picked bunches of mint to enjoy in bouquets indoors.
I’ve continued to cut back on my use of the dryer. I’ve been making more and more dinners using the instant pot or the crock pot, and trying to time my cooking – as well as use of appliances – during off-peak hours. I keep the heater at 67 and am perfectly comfortable in a sweatshirt.
I made dog treats using ingredients I had on hand and recipes I found on Pinterest. I double-checked to be sure all the ingredients were safe for dogs. Much, much less expensive than buying them, and Miss J seemed quite happy with the results. 🙂
My brother- and sister-in-law treated me to a local chocolate festival. We had a wonderful day and I brought home lots of free samples to enjoy. I shared some w/ two adult sons when they stopped in.
I took advantage of Shutterfly “freebies” (pay only for shipping) and “unlimited free pages” specials to make some gifts.
I sold a large item I had no use for, on eBay. I was grateful for both the money and the space.
I exercised my free right to vote, in our free country. The satisfaction of participating was not just free but priceless.
I made red beans and rice with some ham that I had bought after Easter last year for 89 cents a lb. Then my husband made refried beans with leftover beans and added cumin and chili powder. He used a bit of the ham fat to cook the beans. He made enchiladas with leftover meat. My son borrowed movies from the library. We are being careful to use leftovers or freeze for future meals. I am treating us with meat on sale or mark down and use it before it goes bad. I am astounded at the prices of beef right now. I did buy l lb. of hamburger. It cost more at the register than on the tag. I was a bit frustrated, but felt sorry for the clerk and didn’t say anything. I don’t know if they would have changed it anyway. We ate some trout that was 50% off and used it right away. We all ate from one large piece, cut into thirds. I have chicken legs quarters that we bought for 68 cents a lb. We bought 10 lb. I will make a homemade shake and bake with half. The other half I will boil for broth and peel to use in recipes, such as enchiladas, quesadillas, Chicken Alfredo, chicken salad, and probably some soup. I still have two pumpkins that we bought for a dollar fifty in the fall. I hope to cook at least one this week. I am watching cooking videos on you tube to get recipe ideas that are frugal. We want to eat healthy, enjoy our food, and save money. I decide what I cook, mostly by what is on sale and what I have in my pantry and freezer. I did buy some processed food this week and was so sorry. I had one bag and it cost. way too much! I know I feel better physically when I cook from scratch and we save money. I hope to try and sew a rip in a dress that I love. I bought the dress for $1.50 several years ago. But I know if I fix the seam that is coming apart then I can get more use from it. It is a beautiful red dress and I love it! I’ve been shopping in my closet instead of actual shopping. Food and everything have rose. so much in price, I realize I really need to save where I can. My husband is supposed to get more vacation this year. But I don’t think we will be able to afford a vacation. Although I love to travel, I will be happy if we can cover our bills. I am going to try and pinch and save and see what we can do. I know our food budget is our biggest expense and we can save there. We have beans we can eat. I enjoy Mexican and Indian cooking. We also enjoy other asian dishes that use little meat and lots of vegetables. I have rice. I hope you have a lovely time at your Garden Show!
So wish I lived close enough to take your tour! Good luck with it. As always the garden and photos are beautiful.
On the frugal front, my car insurance renewal was coming up and the bill came with a 15% increase. In looking closer I found, given I’m no longer working, I was able to cut the mileage way down. This saved me $200.
On the non frugal front, my ebt card was hacked and drained of funding. I’d saved every month to have extra to use for garden planting and bulk freezer buy, but turns out I won’t be reimbursed. I plan to challenge this. On the frugal side, I was able to make pantry meals.
Combined vote drop off at library with book pickup to save on gas.
Combined replacing my ebt card with a Costco gas stop, saving .30 per gallon and a nail beauty supply store trip that sells 50% below retail. Only bought the nail strengthener I was out, of despite several brands on sale for $3.99. (I did my nails green for St Patrick day with polish I had, not sure I’m a fan of green nails, lol.)
Working to improve my writing via free flourishing posts online. I have an empty journal I want to fill out with favorite recipes, some family history, and anything useful to pass on to the next generation, but want to use a Spencerian script. So need to get good at that first!
Finally met w university clinic dr after testing to form a plan. It included a medication not covered by insurance, but she will enroll me in a clinical trial that will give me the medication for free! It’s taken over 10 years of jumping through insurance hoops to be seen by this clinic, so this was exciting.
Reading an audio library book while using warm compresses to treat my dry eyes (years ago at a garage sale I found a sinus heating pad that’s living a new life for this). I only allow myself book time if I use the heat on my eyes, so the reward gets me to do it more often. (Like I should.)
So looking forward to the time change this weekend. The trees here are already are budding for spring.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week.
I am late in posting this week. Brandy, your photo of the blue and white pot with the periwinkle flowers is exquisite. I hope your garden tour sells out. Your garden is wonderful.
The hard work you put into it brings forth an oasis of beauty in the dessert.
My frugal accomplishments this past week include the following.
**Chives and rosemary over wintered, so I won’t have to buy new seeds or plants.
** Worked early primary voting and primary election day. I will receive pay. Local restaurants provided lunch.
** Made a new friend that has similar interests and shared hobbies of scrapbooking and card making. We plan to have some crafternoons together to use our supplies.
**My husband’s 96 year old grandmother passed away. Her widower is 98 and is still in their home. He is in another state. We drove 9 hours straight there, to save on hotel costs. I packed snacks, lunch and beverages to save time and money.
**I brought upcoming birthday presents to deliver in person. Saved about $30 in shipping, and didn’t have to worry about theft.
**We stayed with Grandpa to encourage, comfort, and offer some respite care to my hubby’s father and aunt. Grandpa is legally blind, but still in his own home. My father-in-law lives 5 minutes away from him. They are going to let him stay in his own home and have a caregiver come in several afternoons a week to help out.
Staying with Grandpa saved us the cost of a hotel room.
Brandy, best of luck for great weather and a wonderful garden tour.
The bargains I bought this week included solid chocolate easter bunny candies for our neighborhood communty food pantry ($1 each) in case a mother could not afford treats for her children. I also bought 20 pounds of red potatoes ($5.49) and a 5 kg bag of flour for $4 also for the food pantry (Thanks,I). On this week’s flyer I’m contributing $20 to buy several jars of pasta sauce (Catelli) at the amazing price of $1.25 per jar and Catelli pasta boxes for $1.25 (at Safeway). My friend who volunteers to buy and deliver my food goes to the pantry weekly to clean the fridge and the shelves so she can easily pick up and take more food over. It is my way of thanking her and paying it forward. I will soon stop for a while. I cannot afford to do it indefinitely. This week I will also stock up my own pantry with Maple Leaf flakes of turkey, ham or chicken on sale at 50% off. (No Frills) Although it is high in sodium and additives, it will make good sandwiches and emergency food.
I have now shovelled the snow 9 times in about ten days – a record! I console myself with the beauty of the snow and the thought that any day now the Bald eagles that migrated will return and at the beginning of April the first Trumpeter Swans will stop over on their migration north. And around April 1st, the first male mountain bluebirds will return. Every day, when the sun shines in the yard, a bird called a Townsend’s Solitaire perches on a tree, basks in the sunshine and eats the dried up chokecherries on the trees. I enjoy watching it.
Brandy, the muscari in the blue and white porcelain are beautiful!
They have discovered a bald eagle nesting somewhere near Toronto – but they aren’t saying where in order to avoid people disturbing the nest. I was at a local bird watching area a couple of weeks ago on a walk and ran into a woman who said she had seen an eagle so perhaps that is where it is (but I’m not going to advertise it). It is very exciting because it has been so many, many years!
I keep a few of those cans of flakes of ham and turkey as well – handy to have on hand for the occasional quick sandwich – I like to add chopped up pickle to mine.
Hi Margie,
Thanks for info re bald eagle in T.O. I watched a video about it, and near the nest. It is heartwarming that they are back!
I had my free mammografia screening this week. (if you are old enough you get a free screening every two years over here) I almost didn’t go because the last time was so painful. The assistant working there was somehow very hard-handed and it was an unpleasant experience in many ways. But oh, this time the assistant running the machine was so gentle and very skilled that I was happy I went.
Gas went up to $148.9 per litre this week-and 2 new tax increases will be due April 1. On that note I picked up my brother and SIL and we went to visit my sister in the country and enjoy lunch and a Scrabble tournament. She also sent me home with a dozen farm eggs which I am sure we will enjoy.
She is just one year younger than me and turning 65 next month so we will be off on a Panama Canal cruise to celebrate. I am sure we will be able to see where the water levels have dropped. Our income taxes are pretty much done-although we both owe it is not as much as my husband first suspected.. Might as well wait until April 30 to file and pay. We will also file my 92 year old mothers for her and our daughter’s grandpa who passed away last year-hubby is the trustee.
Good luck tomorrow Brandy-I would definitely love to come if I was in the area. I was in LV 2 years ago but I think you were deep in the throes of construction and no tours then.
Hi Brandy, Great to read and catch up with your blog and readers. Lovely garden photos as always!
I have been trying to reign in spending in several areas. I have cut back on eating out substantially and focusing on going through canned and frozen food we have. I have also been doing small shops using coupons/sales/rebates to stock up on things for the lowest prices I can find. It is a challenge with the rising prices.
I have taken a break from Door Dash. I’m not sure it is worth it to do unless you can go at absolutely peak times. If gas went down again in price I would consider doing it more. Right now, I think staying at home and avoiding the wear and tear, time, and gas is more prudent. It’s been a shift for me but I enjoy being at home more.
My weight loss is stalled and I am not going to buy any more clothes. It’s not worth it to buy them new. I have a lot that are second hand. Some are baggy on me, some are more fitted. I will make the best out of all clothing for now.
I am looking into interest free cards to do balance transfers on to not pay interest on some debt I accrued in the last year. It’s been a juggling game, but I think I can continue to pay off the amount slowly over time if it doesn’t bear interest. I will keep being persistent.
In the home ownership segment of my life. My home owner’s insurance was set to go up by $4,500 a year. I got other quotes and found to change companies I would need updated inspections. I got a new inspection and had to make two small repairs. I have one repair done and am working on getting the second one done. I want to change this before the month rolls over, as my mortgage company increased my payment ahead of the insurance change in May. Frustrated, but working on changing the situation. Also, the insurance agent found better insurance on my car by about $80 every 6 months, I’ll take it as a small win.
Additionally, I scan receipts in two apps, Fetch, and Receipt Hog, I am almost at enough points to cash out $45 on Receipt Hog, and a $50 gift card on Fetch. Slow and steady wins the race.
Hope you all have a great week!
We have something called Foodnet where they give away food from local grocery stores that is expired. I used to not go because we are not impoverished and I felt bad, but now we do go because I think it’s okay to save the food from being wasted. Some of it does end up in the chicken coop but we’ve enjoyed fresh salad and stir fry lately. (We don’t buy vegetables much in the winter, we live on our frozen and canned garden food.) It is a bit hard to eat the stuff from the stores because it doesn’t have much flavor compared to our garden food. But it’s a fun treasure hunt when we go to see what exciting things we get. My favorite thing is when there is Trader’s Joe’s cheese but there are other good things. We got black forest ham. We also got potatoes which are starting to sprout so we ate the middle parts and we are trying to grow the skins. (I did cut part of the potato “meat” with it so they would have something to grow from.) Yesterday we went to the grocery store. I don’t go much except for milk products. (I couldn’t find any whipping cream at our high end store. Is this a thing now?) I bought several kinds of meat…chicken and a big pork roast for 99 cents a pound and ground beef on sale. (I made some hamburger patties for a camping trip out of some of it.) This was $3.99 which I know is a lot more than I used to spend, but it was less than any ground beef there (by far actually. Yikes) and it was easier to deal with fresh than our frozen stuff. We hardly eat beef anymore except ground beef because of the high cost but I found a roast for $4.99 a pound (ouch!) So for $7.50 I splurged and made a roast for the family. My husband loves roast and we have not had it for a long time. It was so good and I was sad that there was none left over but it was way cheaper than eating out or something. Plus, I put carrots and some of the free potatoes in with it and we had homemade whole wheat bread and butter. There were barely any seed potatoes at the store this year. I couldn’t believe the pitiful little display. It was about 8 inches across (maybe 10) and about 3 feet high. I said to the guy, “Is that it?” and he said it was all that they would put out that day. We took some but I tried to leave some for other people. I would have probably bought twice as much in the past. Hopefully, they will be able to get any. I went to Aldi and Trader Joe’s and found potatoes that were starting to sprout and bought some to plant. We will see how it goes. We usually plant lots of potatoes each year. I saved the itty bit sweet potatoes along with the big ones in our basement all winter. I am happy to say that I have planted them and I’m getting many many sweet potato slips. I sure hope we can get a very large harvest. My sister told me that they are very good for the garden soil so I hope to plant them all around it. They are pretty.
Kroger has hams on sale for .89/pound. I bought two, the limit. Cash is tight at the moment so I have kept our grocery bill down to about $75 a week for our family for 4 – using mostly things from our pantry and freezer.
We’re about 6 weeks from the last frost date for our area so we started a bunch of herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, dill) and some flowers. I’m so ready for fresh herbs again!