I made Italian dressing using dried oregano, basil, and parsley from my garden.
I added cedar mulch to some of my pots in the garden. This will reduce my need to water as often, and will save me both water and time in the summer especially. I am now planning to mulch most of my garden as I am able to purchase mulch. Due to the continuing now twenty-six year drought and soon to be the lowest water levels ever at Lake Mead, further water restrictions are planned for August, as well as increased water bills–though I suspect they raised rates again this past month; my mom grows cactus and was out of town for a week last month, yet her water bill was almost double what it was the month before and she didn’t change anything. Mine was higher than expected, but hers was the real tell to me.
I did my usual water-saving measures of using water leftover in drinking glasses at the end of each day to water houseplants, and collecting shower warm-up water in a bucket each morning, which I use to water potted plants outside.
I took advantage of a rare cool day after a windstorm to transplant three tomato plants that had self-seeded to obelisks where they can grow and be supported.
I harvested coriander seeds, Black Mission figs, Meyer lemons, tomatoes, peppermint, garlic chives, and Swiss chard from my garden. I made two batches of fig jam with my figs.
I sowed seeds for green onions, Swiss chard, roselle hibiscus, watermelon, and okra in my garden.
I enjoyed several meals in my garden in the shade of my fig and psitachio trees.
I read The Seamstress of New Orleans, which had me hooked by the second chapter! My dad bought it at a library sale for $0.50 and my mom read it first. She kept telling me as she was reading it that it was so good, but until I started to read it, I had no idea it was going to be amazing! It’s a historical fiction piece that’s a suspense drama. I will be looking at the library’s apps to see what other books the author has written.
I started a new (albeit short-term) job working the election polls. The first two days of early voting were very quiet, so I had a lot of time to speak with my coworkers. Most everyone else there who was working was retired, and I learned of senior discounts at places I had forgotten about (like the grocery stores!) or hadn’t considered. One woman said she just always asks every place if they have a senior discount, and she often finds that they do, saving herself 10%. While I don’t yet qualify for them, my husband does.
Albertston’s had corn for $0.19 an ear (limit 8) on their app. They also had a $1 off produce coupon on the app. I got 8 ears of corn for $0.52! They also had eggs for $1.49 (limit 2 dozen) with an app coupon. There is an Albertson’s close to where I go for physical therapy, so I went after therapy to save time and gas. I also had my therapy reduced from three sessions to two a week, which will save money on gas (the therapy is covered by the insurance of the woman who hit me in the accident). I am still in pain, but somewhat less, from my car accident in March (and my car has been repaired).
What did you do to save money last week?
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I’m so jealous of your fresh figs! Where I lived before I had a beautiful big fig tree and harvested so many figs. Here in Michigan they don’t grow well because it’s too cold. I even tried one for “cold climates” and it didn’t do well.
How I saved money this week:
1. My daughter is moving across the country to start her first “adult” job after graduating from college last month. She’s found two roommates. They started a spreadsheet to divvy up who is bringing what. One girl has a table and chairs, another will be getting the couch, my daughter will do the tv and console, etc etc. My husband also found her a mattress on sale for memorial day for $350 which is less than what we had thought it would be. The whole move will be expensive (renting a moving van for the furniture, the gas there for both the van and her car, plane tickets for us to fly back after helping her move in) so saving money where we can will be good.
2. I just planted my garden yesterday. Tomatoes, green peppers, a jalapeño, snow peas, snap peas, and little finger carrots. I have so many critters in my yard that eat things that my husband got me a tall raised bed and built a top that has netting to try to eliminate some of that issue. And I have some veggies in pots on my patio though it doesn’t get much sun. Everything was grown from seeds I got from the library.
3. I haven’t purchased a book in years and I probably read 100 books a year. I have a friend who is always buying books and she lends them to me; I use the library for physical, audio and ebooks; and I have so many books in my bookshelves still waiting to be read. Currently reading one from my bookshelf and listening to an audiobook from Libby.
4. My library system has amazing programs. They have really great craft nights that I go to. I just went to an acrylic painting one and a calligraphy one. I’m signed up for a paper flower lantern one and a Sashiko mending one. They are also having Kristen Hannah come in town to speak as part of their author series and I have a “ticket” (free) to that.
5. Both my kids are home from college. My daughter likes cooking and often goes to the grocery store (our grocery bills definitely go up with them home). She’s not great at eating leftovers though so I make sure that I do. I always make sure to see what’s still hanging out in the fridge and eat that for lunch.
6. I’m mostly content and happy with “enough”. I have everything I need and don’t often feel the need to continually upgrade.
Elizabeth, I’m in South Carolina now after living in Maryland for almost 30 years and have the opposite problem where it’s too hot to grow lilacs (at least ones with a scent) and many varieties of spring bulbs. I had daffodils blossom for the first time here by planting them just 2-3 inches deep in late December because the cold air doesn’t get down to the 6 inches deep that I planted them in Maryland.
Your figs and tomatoes look so good Brandy! We are cutting a lot of our driving and enjoying doing things at home. When we do go to town we run all of our errands in one trip. I just stay in town until the next errand instead of going home and then going back later. We bought a small cooler so when we go out we can bring a picnic or go to the grocery store and put what we don’t eat in the cooler for later. When I go to the grocery store, I plan meals around what is on sale. That helps our grocery budget immensely. My husband was pleased with our last grocery run. I bought only produce that was on sale. I refrained from buying things that were not on sale. We also visited another store. I chose to use carrots in a recipe that called for sweet potatoes because the sweet potatoes cost so much. Later we found sweet potatoes cheaper at another store. So we will have some sweet potatoes. A couple weeks ago we bought some steak on sale. It was a treat. But we will not be doing that for a while now. We do have some hamburger that I got on discount. We are eating a lot of beans and produce…and feeling better for it! It saves on our pocket book and our health. We love ethnic foods! The recipes use a lot of produce and beans and sometimes a bit of meat or seafood. But just a bit. These meals satisfy my family without me having to purchase hunks of meat to serve. I hope to go to the store this week and buy beef liver. My family enjoys it and it is a cheap meat option. My son mentioned it and would like me to make it. So it is in the meal plan for the week. I put soups and Currys in the meal plan this week. As well as stir Frys. I am using things we bought on sale. I watch for sales and that is when I buy. My husband is happy with the way I shop. I am glad he is on board with shopping and eating the way we do. I have found that spices seem to be cheaper at an Indian store I like to shop at. I also can get good cilantro, mint, and curry leaves there and other vegetables. We found other ethnic stores that I like to shop at as well. But we do have a favorite mom and pop grocery store that has unadvertised sales on produce. I love that! I have been eating a lot of produce and drinking a lot of water. It shows in my skin! We are not buying a lot of processed foods. It helps are budget and health. We continue to use cloth napkins, towels and handkerchiefs at home. We decided that if we watch a movie we will get it from the library when we are in town. But we have been pretty busy just doing things around the house. We continue to enjoy the wildlife at our home and around it. I find a lot of joy in seeing birds, fireflies and deer among the other wildlife we see. I hope you have a nice week!
Last Friday was my last day to work until mid August. I’m so glad to be on break(I do have one class that starts at the beginning of June, but it should be easy). I added that book to my never-ending TBR list 😂
I ended up with small bags of chips and cheezits, spaghetti noodles, American cheese, ham, and individual cereals (passed those onto my teen and her friends)
I used points to get donuts for our vet office staff when I picked up my dog’s ashes. I also had a thank you card leftover from last year.
Made a big batch of meatballs. Had meatball sandwiches one night, spaghetti the next
Also received a pound each of ground turkey and ground beef
I canceled a reoccurring charge for a game daughter no longer plays
I watched all of call the midwife season 15 on pbs
Made sure to freeze leftovers
Had a $10 off Chinese food to a local place
I didn’t receive one item in my Walmart order so requested a refund
Brandy I am glad to hear you are starting to feel better after you car accident. Congrats on finding some short term work-every little bit helps. I too have worked a few elections for spare cash. Just the usual money saving things this week. I continue to buy Flash food bags of fruit and veg. Today I have my annual mammogram due to some changes I noted and my sister having survived breast cancer. Fingers crossed. As well I have a cardiologist phone apt on Thursday as a follow up to my chest pain on the cruise ship. I have been enjoying free entertainment and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs in the evening.
I’m glad you are recovering from your accident. The figs look delicious, ours are not as ripe yet.
I’m harvesting kale everyday, as well as arugula and parsley. The blackberries are ripe and delicious and I harvest those everyday.
I received a novel from buy nothing which I am reading and intend to give to my sister for her birthday in July. My other sister from the East Coast was visiting and I gave her her birthday present to take home with her. Her birthday is in November but I already had it and this way I save on shipping.
When ordering things online I often get on chat and ask if they have a teacher discount. Many places will give that. Neither of us qualify for senior discount yet.
I found three patio umbrellas for free on Facebook marketplace. They are faded but I was looking for them for the shading my garden and so they don’t have to be beautiful. Water is always an issue and a bit of shade helps. I am constantly trying to find new water saving tactics. My whole garden is heavily mulched, we get free wood chips. Veggies are mulched with rice straw.
Kara, I was going to mention to you and Brandy that there is a product called Soil Moist Granules. One package treats up to 50 10 inch basket planters, for example. I’m not sure how big your garden is, but this might help with containers and raised beds. I’ve used them with good success when we travel for extended periods of time.
I use a patio umbrella for shade when I’m gardening and a stand fan if it’s hot and there’s no breeze. It makes such a difference in my comfort and energy level.
May I recommend the last two books in the Louise Penny Three Pines series, The Grey Wolf and The Black Wolf. They are about fictionalized water disasters, but are scarily based on some possible realities.
Louise Penny pulls in current situations in what are sometimes very frightening ways.
Her newest book is just out, (not a Three Pines), a political thriller, co-written with journalist Melissa Fung. “The Last Mandarin.” I am expecting to learn much more about U.S.-China relations when I get it from my library.
Hi Brandy, I am not sure if you can do this, but it’s worth a try. When I file medical claims for reimbursement, I get a prompt on the site that asks for mileage claims for the visit. You may be able to claim the mileage (gas money) through medical insurance (hers or yours) and on your taxes for the year. Just a thought….
Your pictures are beautiful as always. I am sorry that you are still in pain from your accident. At least the person had insurance and it is covering your physical therapy. We have had rain here in Tennessee for the last week for a little over 3 inches all together. My garden and flowers are growing like crazy. I am very thankful for the rain as the spring we were using to get water from to water the garden had all but dried up. I cut some zinnias for my table. We had lunch at church this past Sunday. It was good fellowship visiting with others we don’t see that much. I visited with family this past weekend as we decorated the graves of our family. We put new flowers and clean around the cemetery. I have started writing in my journal of things that I am thankful for each day to help keep me from being overwhelmed. My husband and I walk each morning and have been having good conversations.
I requested the book you mention yesterday at the library. It should be here in a week.
At one of our lowest points (high debt, low income and overwhelm) I started keeping a daily gratitude journal and it was both enlightening and heartening. I’m glad you’re doing the same. It’s so helpful!
A really good reminder. Thank you.
That’s a great price on corn! Safeway had corn on the cob on sale on Friday for 50 cents each, and I thought that was a good deal over the typical normal price of $1.25 an ear. I bought some and made corn salsa.
Other grocery deals:
– Bought cherries at a good price with a digital coupon. They looked really good, but the taste was “meh”. Decided to make a cherry compote (just cherries, sugar, and lemon juice). This tastes much better than the fresh cherries did.
– Picked up a free pound of ground beef at the local co-op, which was their weekly free item for members. This store has several weeks of free items a couple times a year.
– A friend shared a dozen farm fresh eggs with me.
– Made the sponge for overnight sourdough muffins last night. My apartment fridge is acting up and randomly froze a few of my eggs – I am thawing them now and will use a couple in the muffin batter and the rest for scrambled eggs. My landlady will come check out my fridge this week.
Cleaned out my storage room and donated some things I no longer needed. Got out a portable AC unit a friend gave me a few years ago. Our past few summers (Seattle area) have not been very hot, so I haven’t actually used it. I am going to try it out to see if it still works. I have a feeling this summer is going to be rather hot.
Otherwise, just did the things I normally do. Went to the library, took walks on nearby trails, and admired the flowers in my neighborhood. Cleaned up my sewing area, where I had piled a bunch of stuff that needed to be put away. Watched streaming shows and YouTube. Went to a nearby craft fair where my sister was volunteering and just admired the things people were selling. Enjoyed the sun sitting outside on my patio on Sunday when the weather was beautiful.
Brandy, glad you are seeing some improvement in your injuries after physical therapy. I used to work in the front office of a physical therapy clinic. It’s no fun being in pain.
Have a great week, everyone.
Love your pictures, they are beautiful. I follow you all the time, but do not post very often. I wanted to let you know that some states give a discount on property tax for senior citizens. I was not sure that if your husband could qualify for this. We did the application and were approved.
As far as I know they do not, but property taxes are capped at 3% here. That and the fact that Nevada has no state income tax is also helpful.
Such lovely photos as always! That fig salad looks delicious. Am sorry to hear about your water bill and shortages. We are also in an area with a lot of water issues (north Texas), but definitely not as severe as Las Vegas. I hope the increases don’t hit too hard. It seems you are already doing so much, I don’t see how you can cut back much more!
Last week our grocery store had several great sales so we did some freezer restocking. We bought 10 lbs of chicken breasts for $1.77/lb , shrimp on markdown (which we cooked for fajitas that evening), corn on the cob 8/$1 (not as good as your deal, Brandy!), cheese for $1.99, and a box of ice cream sandwiches free after a grocery reward. With grocery prices being what they are, I am excited to find any bargains and try to stock up when we can. We ate most meals at home including grilled chicken & shrimp fajitas, grilled chicken breasts with corn on the cob, hamburgers with corn on the cob and french fries, chicken bacon pizza, and salisbury steaks with onion gravy, mashed potatoes & peas, and sandwiches with chips on a busy evening. We planted succulents in our patio garden to fill some empty space.
We went out of town for a short weekend getaway trip. We took snacks and drinks to save money on road snacks. During the trip we enjoyed delicious meals at a couple of affordable locally-owned restaurants. We stopped into a gourmet/specialty foods shop to look around right before they closed and planned to go back the next day when we had more time. That night, we had to run to the grocery store for a couple of items and found several of the specialty shop’s branded items on the clearance rack for 50-75% off! All were well within expiration dates. We did a lot of beautiful country driving and took advantage of free activities and sights. We did visit an estate sale while there, and unexpectedly ended up purchasing a piece of antique furniture and some French copper cookware for an exceptional deal. In our city, the items would have easily been 4x what we paid. The furniture is a piece that has been on a vague long term wish list – we knew we needed something for that spot but didn’t have a clear idea in mind until we saw this item and knew it would work perfectly. We spent a day over the long holiday weekend getting it moved in and into place.
We did more decluttering and cleared more items out of storage to give away to friends, neighbors, coworkers. We deep cleaned and reorganized my husband’s office to make it more efficient and comfortable. I did a video visit with my doctor for a known, recurring issue and saved $15 off the office visit cost. We reviewed our long-term budget and financial plan and made a few adjustments.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Hi Brandy and everyone
It’s good that you have a temporary job for the elections, every little extra helps! The water situation sounds very worrying, I’m sorry your bills are rising yet again.
This week I used broad beans, chives, oregano, leeks and rhubarb from the garden. I cut more flowers for the house and experimented to see how borage would last as a cut flower, it did fairly well. I don’t buy cut flower food but put a squirt of white vinegar in the water to keep bacteria down so the flowers last.
I cleared pots and replanted with seedlings, potted on more plants and rationalised a crowded greenhouse.
I mended a pyjama jacket and trousers for my husband.
I found a good deal on chicken breasts and batch cooked ‘marry me chicken’ and froze some. I made a malt loaf with ingredients on hand.
My husband has constructed a play structure and slide in the garden for our granddaughter. This wasn’t an insignificant cost but much less expensive than buying it readymade. He’s designed it so it will last for years and as she gets older she can still use it as a den or reading corner.
I used up the last money on a gift card and bought new summer sandals on clearance. There was still a bit leftover so I bought summer socks for my granddaughter.
Staying home to save petrol means I’m getting more done here which is satisfying. Always plenty to do!
Wishing everyone a good week.
I realized that the week before Safeway has its “first-Tuesday-of-the-month” sale, some of the prices are lower than at the first Tuesday sale. This seems to apply to certain brands of skyr yogourt and to ground beef. Then the prices go up for the sale. I pointed this out to my friend and she had noticed the same thing. I spent $62 this morning but saved $49 but even the $62 seems outrageous for the small number of items I bought and compared to last year’s prices.
I save money by not subscribing to various things. I do have two — one is to Amazon Prime for free shipping. I’m about to cancel it as I have bought everything I intended to buy. And I subscribed for the sales offer at a grocery store at about $24 per year (instead of the regular $99 per year) for grocery delivery. It is a great deal as it would cost me at least $30 per time by taxi to pick up the groceries. I’m not sure thought that I’d renew it at the higher price.
I have been thinking of some of your readers comments about how to save money when they already live frugally. This is precisely my dilemma. I don’t travel, I don’t eat out, I don’t bake, my meals are very basic (5-7 veggies per day, some protein — often cottage cheese, chicken on sale). A piece of fruit for dessert. My basic costs are food, natural gas, utilities. The house needs repairs; recently I subsidized in a major and unexpected way my dentist’s travel plan. My federal tax refund which was earmarked for my property taxes went to the dentist. My private insurance only covers a fraction of normal dental costs, let alone emergencies. Of course I should save for emergencies but there’s little room to save. I do buy extra food on sale to give to our neighbourhood food cupboard. I feel that no matter what kind of a bind I’m in, there are many others who have far less and much greater needs. I wish we could grow all of the beautiful fruits, vegetables and flowers that you grow, Brandy but we cannot do so in our province.
A disappointment was that of the 100 flower bulbs I got on a store credit last year not one came up. They were good bulbs so should have come up. I’m not sure what happened but now when I look at the neighbourhood squirrels I can’t help but notice how fat they are and I remember that during the Great Depression (and at other times) they were eaten. I think I’d rather try one of the many rabbits and hares that visit the yard. I have eaten rabbit before…My yard is predominantly shady except for a very sunny boulevard. The advantage is that the yard is 5º warmer in the winter and 5º cooler in the summer. We are supposed to have significant rain this coming weekend so I’ll put out several bucket to catch the rainwater and then use that for my plants in pots.
One thing I’ve been wondering Brandy is what you do for bread — do you bake your own? I am allergic to peanuts so have to have bread baked in a peanut free facility. I hope to start baking my own but am not sure if I’d really save any money that way.
I have been looking into a relatively new treatment here for injured tendons called shockwave therapy. It is relatively inexpensive and among other things is good for pain relief. I imagine that your pain from the accident is mostly muscle, soft tissue pain but I mention it because if there’s tendon pain it might help.
A friend this morning stopped by and she commented on how therapeutic being outside and gardening is especially in light of world events. I myself had just been enjoying the peace and lovely fragrances lofting on the air and thinking much the same.
I have several bread recipes on here and yes I do bake.
My mother grew up eating squirrel as a child; my grandpa caught squirrels, hunted frogs, and fished his whole life. He also had a garden and he had worm beds, which he used to make compost for his garden and to sell to fishermen (and use for his own fishing).
Keeping the squirrels from eating my tulip bulbs was a quest of mine this past year. Two things seemed to be helpful- planting them among ground cover and covering a section with chicken wire, at least until the plants came up and were about 6 inches tall.
We do bake our bread. It is more cost effective and it honestly isn’t hard. I have a recipe for sourdough sandwich bread if you’d like.
Hi Robbie! I would love to have your sourdough sandwich bread recipe please!
You mention that you live in a province so I’m thinking..Canada? Are you aware of the Federal Dental plan? I live in Ontario and I’m signed up for the Federal Dental Plan but don’t need it because the Provincial plan covers all my dental needs. Please look into the free dental plans.
to Rita,
thanks for the comment. Yes I’m aware of the Cdn. federal dental plan. The problem is that one doesn’t qualify for it if one has a private health insurance plan that covers dental. So I do have an insurance plan that covers dental (for about only $700 per year). If I give up the plan, then what I would gain by dental coverage under the federal plan I would lose because of other benefits such as my private plan coverage for prescription drugs, physiotherapy, travel insurance, orthotics, eyeglasses. At the moment, the prescription drug coverage pays for the cost per month of the plan. I’m looking into whether I can drop the dental component of my private plan and sign up then for the federal government dental plan. Also there is some help under the provincial plan that I may now qualify for but whether that also would disqualify me for the federal plan is still a question in my mind.
My vintage cope of Joy of Cooking has recipes for squirrel, opossums and the like. Baking your own bread can be very cost effective. Especially if you buy ingredients in bulk.
While Safeway is definitely the biggest chain store here, in my area it’s one of the more expensive stores. Right now they have 12oz pkg of bacon on sale for $8.99 and I got a full pound for $4.54 at Walmart. I use the grocery apps to find sale prices before deciding which store I will go to.
Safeway here also got caught increasing item prices for pickup vs in-store prices, so look out for that.
I often make soda breads using buttermilk and they are very simple, limited ingredients and no kneading – they might suit you.
Hi Margie,
Thanks for the suggestion! in the fall, I will try soda bread. Nice to see you posting again.
I’m not Brandy, but we also bake our own bread. It *can* be a moneysaver, especially if you’re able to find flour on sale etc., but more important to me is the quality and ingredient control. I know I can bake a loaf of artisan quality bread at home that isn’t loaded with preservatives (and who knows what else) for less than the cost of a cheap sandwich bread at the grocery store. You can also control your loaf size if you are baking for 1 or 2 people and don’t need a large loaf or have freezer space to save it. If you’re new to bread baking or think you don’t have time for it – or just want to try a new recipe! – I highly recommend Pane Casereccio – it is an Italian style no-knead bread. I mix my ingredients in the morning before work, let it sit for 6-12 hours while I’m out (you don’t have to time the rise and even if it overproofs you will be totally fine!), and then bake when you are ready for dinner. https://www.emmafontanella.com/the-easiest-no-knead-bread (I always use the “good” method instead of “best” and mine comes out great) or https://memoriediangelina.com/2012/01/08/pane-casereccio-homemade-bread/
Pam B
Thanks for the suggestion. This sounds really interesting and I’ll try it in the fall. (I don’t have air conditioning so try not to use my oven much during the summer).
I just picked up 1.234 kg of blsl chicken breast for $12.00 and a small container of raspberries for 1.49 and living lettuce for 1.49.
That is wonderful you are able to purchase and apply the mulch! I am piece buying bags here, as I haven’t found a reputable supplier that doesn’t contain a new crop of evasive weeds. Good news is, with bagged, I can work at my own pace and reuse the bag for weeds. But I digress! Thank you also for the book recommendation. The title alone grabbed my attention.
This past week, I made pesto from basil in the garden – I had an open jar in the fridge that spoiled and I was so thankful to have basil for the hail mary – as I had the meal started. I will make it from scratch in the future.
Signed up rewards points for the local hardware store. I was asked to enter my birthday month, and choose one that is not. I do this so each month if a worthwhile discount is available or treat – it doesn’t all pile up to be used within a week to thirty days.
Collected rain water in buckets to add to my rain can for future waterings. Collected warm up water for the kettle. Used gray water to water flowers. Our utilities are each going up another 8% starting this quarter. I stopped using the dryer as well.
I was given colorful annuals and a perennial for my birthday. This was very welcomed and I finally was caught up with the outdoor work for about 5 minutes beforehand 🙂 We weed by hand and use no chemicals due to the small wildlife – some days it can feel down right frustrating – but it really is great therapy to pull and dig and get the endorphins going.
Used free fitness and yoga videos to lose another pound.
Used our spot shampooer to shampoo a room. It took way less time than I thought it would and made the carpeting look so much fresher.
Hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
What a brilliant idea to put a different month than your actual birthday and spread the treats out! I’m definitely going to do this.
Oh those purple poppies are so lovely!
I took my 20 month grandson to the Children’s Museum. I chose today which was a half price day. I parked for free 3 blocks away, which I may have regretted. He’s getting heavy, but free was worth it.
I made brioche hamburger buns to go with my half price hamburger yesterday. I also made potatoe salad. I’ve been getting eggs from a neighbor, as I have give her many plant starts. Win-win!
Stayed home 4 days in a row, even though I was tempted to go out. I got a lot done in the yard! I just cut me first rose to bring inside and enjoy. I put asparagus ferns in the bouquet, my favorite.
Getting ready to grocery shop tomorrow. Planning on going to 3 stores for all the deep discounts. I’m lucky they are all close together.
Fabric spray painted my outdoor cushions. It makes them look like new. I had gotten a purple and gold couch cushion set at goodwill very cheap, because no one liked the color. I sprayed it navy blue and get lots of compliments.
Always am inspired by everyone’s frugal endeavors. I think we can agree that Brandy takes it to the next level!
Cindy, Good for you on spray painting the outdoor cushions. For anyone doubting it will work, it does do well indeed and what’s more somewhat waterproofs the material as well. The set I did lasted nearly 3 years.
So good to hear that you are feeling better after your car accident, Brandy. As always, your beautiful flower and fig photos are inspiring me. Here I continue to watch my tiny figs growing bigger. Picked my first small bowl of blueberries yesterday. Very exciting to me!
This week I cut my husband’s hair.
I collect the heels of the bread loaf along with buns that might be getting a bit stale in the freezer. The other night I laid them out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven along with my dinner until they were just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Let them cool and ran them through the food processor. Back into the freezer they went in their new form ~ breadcrumbs.
I placed a Walmart grocery order for the first time yesterday. The delivery was free, but I did leave a tip for the driver. Not sure if this is frugal or not, but as it is harder for me to leave the house for long periods of time, I figured it is money well spent. Saved a bit on gas and, most likely, impulse purchases as well.
To add a bit of variety to my days recently I took down the shower curtains and washed them and then did a very thorough cleaning of the bathtub and the rest of the bathroom. As I get older I’m finding this to be much more challenging. Feels great when it is done.
Continue to listen to books on Libby app.
Hello, frugal friends. Last week was just an ordinary week of work, garden, cleaning, and cooking. This week is the last week of school. With Monday a holiday and Friday an early release it should be relatively easy at work. I have decided not to do any long term subbing next year, just one day a week will help add to the savings plus keep me doing what I love; teaching. On the frugal front I finally planted out the vegetable and flower gardens before all this rain. Virginia has been in a drought for most of the year so the rain is welcome. I used my gift certificate at the local nursery to buy a few plants. I used few seeds from years past plus some I got free from the extension service. I did buy a couple of seed packets of carrots and spinach as I had run out. I harvested rhubarb, lettuce, spinach from the garden. I have given about 10 gallons of lettuce away and still have about 25 heads growing. All this from a plant that self seeded from last year. We have salads a LOT lately, but we are enjoying them while we can. I had a digital coupon for another free deodorant plus a free coupon for some Oscar Meyer lunch meat. I got the ham and made a few sandwiches plus made ham biscuits with homemade sourdough biscuits and froze them for later use. I will most likely donate the deodorant at some point. We are being more attentive to our driving and errands. Gas was $4.58 last weekend but is now down to $4.28/ gallon. I am really glad we opted for a hybrid vehicle as it helps with what we pay for gas. I cooked meals at home and shopped only loss leaders as needed. Thanks for the book recommendation. I will look for it at my library. Also, I always ask about a senior or military discount wherever I can. I also ask about a discount for using cash. Our local gas station gives a few cents off for using cash. I wish my frugal friends blessings this week.
Hi Brandy,
I can’t get over the shades of purple in the figs and then the poppies! I had no idea poppies came in that color.
I also package/transport figs in egg cartons. Mine won’t be ripe until fall though. Sometimes, I get a first picking earlier, but it’s always light.
We’re traveling in our small RV. I premade individual packets of overnight oats and will use those for breakfast on several mornings. I love having the refrigerator/freezer in our RV. It makes meals so much more convenient and easy to do on the road.
I’m so concerned about the water shortage and the predicted higher temps for summer with the inevitable wild fires. Good luck with your water usage and bills.
1. Last week, I hired my friend from church and he helped me clean out the garage. It was a major undertaking! Where did all this stuff come from? I loaded up the car with items to recycle and drove them to the proper places and unloaded everything. I had two big bags of glass bottles that were recycled at the city’s glass recycling trailer. I had a moving box full of soda pop cans that I sold to the metal recycling place. I took unwanted books to Goodwill for their children’s book giveaway (and got a discount coupon for my donation). Some friends who had just moved got such things as curtain rods, old lawn chairs, baskets and plant stands. Another pal got an old electric heater that didn’t work and will take it to sell with their pickup truck load of scrap metal. I have a few items that I will try to sell. The trash cans were so heavy that it was quite a feat to push them to the curb!
2. I removed some plastic shelves that I had put in my large closet hallway and reassembled them in the garage. Those shelves were trash picked at the apartment complex where I used to live. One shelf was cracked, but I use it on top where only very lightweight items are stored. The other shelves work great, esp. with the faux “milk crates” you get at stores (most of mine are thrifted or trash picked.) I was able to store a lot of items in them. Meanwhile, I re-arranged my closet hall/dressing room so that I could store all my shoes a lot more efficiently. I put a tall chest of drawers near the window at the end, we never look out that window anyway, and it freed up wall space. I nailed up a pocket shoe holder for all my flip-flops and sandals. Above it, I have a plaque that says “flip flop queen.” Which is true: I have dozens! Earlier we put up a curtain rod and draped a twin bedspread on it so that I have a cloth “closet door” concealing the storage area. I also got a long plastic bin, which had held wrapping paper, and put it under my bed for winter shoe storage. It works great and I didn’t have to buy anything new.
3. Last week, I had bought a ton of slacks at a thrift store bag sale. (OK, only 14 pair for $10 and change, but that works out to 77 cents a pair. Most were dressy enough to wear to work or church.) In addition to my regular laundry, I washed and line dried all those slacks during the holiday weekend. To make room for them, I culled some clothes from my closet. Things I haven’t worn in ages but are still good. Those items were donated to the thrift store that had the bag sale. Turn about is fair play!
4. Got out the sewing kit to hem some dressy slacks that are frayed at the bottom; they were a tad too long anyway, since I only wear flats these days. I may also cut off some torn khaki slacks and hem them to wear as shorts. Those weren’t from the bag sale, but had been on my closet shelf for a very long time. I’m also eyeing a house dress that has a floral pattern. I may cut it up and use it to reupholster the stool to my mom’s old 1940s dressing table. The flower design on the dress material looks like it could’ve come from that decade.
5. Gave away some large faded flower pots to a gardening friend. They’ve probably been in my garage since Methuselah was a baby, LOL. My friend plans to get some of that Krylon spray paint designed for plastic to pretty them up and put them on the balcony of her new apartment.
I planted annuals (herbs, flowers, peppers) from free seeds I got at the little free seed pantry. Some that I planted 2 weeks ago didn’t sprout, so I replanted with other varieties.
I rescued a lot of food again, though unfortunately one dish I made with some of it went off and didn’t taste right, so I had to compost some including a dozen eggs I’d received at no cost. Losing the eggs is unfortunate but I don’t want to get really sick.
The food I rescued included several containers of minced garlic, 5 packs of fresh pasta, a small amount of tomatoes, goat cheese, a mango, a bag of granola, a loaf of Italian bread, green beans, zucchini (there was so much), bell peppers, romaine, a few onions, bacon, soft cheese, hummus, breaded chicken strips, hot sauce, a pack of dried fruit, a family sized pack of cookies, two bags of roasted nuts, buns, popcorn cakes, a loaf of cake, bananas, berries, apricots, potatoes, spinach, a plantain, yogurt, mushrooms, cucucmbers, sealed protein powder, spices, and a bag of oranges.
I am always amazed by your rescue hauls! It is sad to think how much we throw away in today’s society, but nice to know at least some people are able to utilize it.
Now that I’m growing some herbs maybe I could make Italian dressing with them!
1. We had a graduation party with 3 other homeschool seniors. Doing it together made it more fun and we shared the load of decorating and food.
2. My daughter saved her giftbags for me to reuse.
3. I harvested a squash, onions, lettuce and herbs.
4. My husband reused a “disposable” pan for a dessert competition.
Pictures and more details here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/05/27/frugal-five-grad-party/
I just looked up your Italian dressing recipe! Do you ever use fresh basil and oregano in it, or only dried?
I use dried. It’s easier to measure and you can crumble it so it goes into more bites. It’s hard to cut fresh herbs small enough.
Brandy, I hate that you are still in pain caused by the wreck. Speaking from personal experience, physical therapy can do wonders. My insurance didn’t cover much so each visit was pricey and I needed a long time to recover. My therapist worked out my program and taught me what to do. I was able to do most of the work myself but saved my visits for the things requiring their help. I still do the exercises daily so I won’t have a relapse. It has been worth it. I am thrilled you don’t have to pay a large amount.
Thank you so much to everyone who encouraged me two weeks ago to face my procrastinated chores. I made a long list and then picked the worst to do. Years ago I planted a woodland garden in my front yard but about three years ago I was unable to tend to it due to health problems. It grew out of control with thorns, poison ivy, and weeds as high as my shoulder which brought in the ticks. It has continued to worsen each year. I arose at sunrise before it became hot, dressed in heavy sweat clothes, gloves, and a hat to begin clearing the undergrowth. I worked until it was too warm, headed to the laundry room to toss my clothes straight in the washer, streaked to the shower, and then covered myself in essential oils. Alas, after the fourth day, the poison ivy still got me. I was forced to stop a few weeks to await healing; however, over half of the area has been cleared, most of the landscaping plants are still living and have multiplied. When my husband was mowing the yard days later I met him with ice water and we sat in the cool shade in our favorite swing. We just sat there for a long time and then he said, “This is nice. I have missed being able to sit up here.” When I look out the front living room window I feel a sense of pleasure now. There is much more to do but it must wait. The first step has been taken. I appreciate the help getting started. Each week I will choose one procrastinated chore, no matter how small and tackle it.
This week’s procrastination accomplishment was to pull out the pots from the shed and fill them with volunteer flower seedlings dug from the walkways. They were arranged on the porch and around the yard. It was a labor of love not a chore I dreaded. The procrastination issue was to make myself stop doing the pressing chores and to instead choose to spend time creating something pretty for me to enjoy. It was difficult to pass by the beautiful flowers as we shopped. The prices are too high for impulse buys.
The main focus the last two weeks has been grabbing the Memorial Day grocery sales. Mushrooms were on sale again at Aldis so I bought more and paid closer attention to the savings. The whole mushrooms were $1.29 for 8 oz but the sliced were $1.69. I purchased the whole ones and used a food processor which made the pieces smaller. At Kroger I visually compared their mushrooms to mine. They claim to have 6 oz of mushrooms in each jar but I can shove about 16 oz in a pint jar. They soften after blanching and fit tighter. Those in tin cans have a metallic aftertaste so won’t ever be bought. A 6 oz jar of Del Monte mushrooms cost $3.99, the same size Kroger brand is $3.59 and if I only put 6 oz of mushrooms in a jar it would cost about $1.00 in mushrooms. For me, that much savings is worth the effort.
I used a coupon at Kroger and purchased two beef briskets for $2.99 a lb plus I was able to stack a $6 off coupon. They were HUGE! Normal price is $6 per pound. They were quite fatty so we sliced some of it off to add when grinding pork sausage later. Some areas had a thick layer (2 to 3 inches) of fat running through the middle of the meat. We cut those whole areas off and when my sons are home for vacation this summer, they are going to experiment with making beef sausage. The youngest loves to grill so one brisket will be cooked and the other saved for their next trip in the winter.
We also went to Priceless to get eye of round for $4.99 and then went to Aldi to get hamburger (73%) for $3.49. Both places were almost out so we didn’t get much. The eye of round has been canned for stews because it was a tough cut and the hamburger will be canned for taco starter (just pour over lettuce and add cheese).
We coordinated our trips to the different grocery stores so we could visit estate sales. I found a new Instapot for $7.50. The plug was hidden deep underneath the packing wrap so it appeared there wasn’t one which was probably the reason for the low price. A gold star goes to me for doing the deep search and finding it! I have since made my first pot of yogurt.
Here in Tennessee we finally got rain and it has been wonderful. The garden has tripled in size. We have harvested lettuce, spinach, garlic, onions, bokchoy, napa cabbage, blueberries, strawberries, snow peas, and chamomile. I have snipped the suckers off of the growing tomatoes, stuck them in the muddy ground, and some of them have rooted giving me two extra rows of tomatoes. Sometimes it works – sometimes it doesn’t.
Jeannie
I do the exercises at home too.
I was thinking about you and your drought situation. I can’t imagine what it’s like for you! We’ve had drought for five years and we have had a harder and harder time with our gardens. We have no water restrictions and so it’s REALLY different than you. I feel bad wasting water and I do try to go dump out half full glasses right out the door but mostly getting water is not the issue. It’s that we have such large gardens (we live on an acreage) that getting water to the gardens is rough. We are used to some rain in the spring but this year has been even less than the previous four. (We got three 3.5 inches recently and it was SO exciting!) I am introducing Hugelkultur to my gardens this year which really helps with water retention (and I’ve been doing Back to Eden for a few years. It’s finally staring to pay off. I don’t think I put enough wood chips, leaves, pine needles etc. down.) Anyway, I was wonder if you’ve looked into anything like that or if it would work in your area (I mean the availability of trees and arborist woodchips. With Hugelkultur you bury the logs, sticks and then compost and dirt but also you can put your kitchen scraps on it. It made me think of you burying your kitchen scraps.) I’ve seen videos about Back to Eden working in deserts and that’s why Paul Gautchi started it was because of a lack of rain. Anyway, I was just wondering. Praying for your water situation. It sounds awful. (Doing lots of frugal things like driving the small cars, not going places or combining errands. Went out the buy nesting bowls off of FB marketplace. It was a little further than where I was going so I stopped by a grocery store to grab some corn tortillas. I had brought some before but then checked Walmart when I was there and decided the first ones were a better deal so I ran in but I always check the meat section and found several things which were reduced. Our freezers are full but I feel like now is the time to buy it since gas just goes up and up. I am going to cook a little of the sausage meat because it was very reduced and I want to make sure it’s okay before I throw the other nine packages in the freezer. Recently, I had to get my money back from some bacon that was not good. This stored used to be more high end.)
Four inches a year is the regular amount here.
But it’s the snowpack in the mountains a few states away that makes all the difference.
The snow that falls in Colorado feeds the Colorado River and comes down to Lake Mead, which is our main source of water.
I saw a couple articles about restricting the flow of water out of Lake Powell to keep it up above its minimum operating level, which means even less water will be flowing into Lake Mead. I would presume that’s one of the reasons you are having more restrictions and higher prices, along with the lighter snow fall in the winter this past winter.
They are actually having to move water froma lake further upstream than Powell to make sure the generators in Powell keep running. That then comes down to Lake Mead.
We are predicted to be 20 feet lower than the all-time low that we were at in 2022. It’s concerning.
You can see water levels updated daily if you search “Lake Mead water level”–there’s an official site. I am sure there’s one for Lake Powell as well.
Wow, I can’t imagine. Praying for lots of snow next year for you all.
I’ve never lived in a drought-area, but have learned more about droughts from reading stories on this website. It has certainly made me more conscious of water usage.
Updating with new info on Thursdays, the website U.S. Drought Monitor has maps that show which parts of the country need more water, with comparisons to the past.
Thank you for the book recommendation! Just put “The Seamstress of New Orleans” on hold at the library. My mother has read some of the author’s other books and enjoyed them. Will have to put them on my list, too.
The crew from Lutheran Disater Services came last week and cleaned up some of the trees and vegetative debris in our creek left there by Hurricane Helene. No cost to us and the greatest benefit of their work is that our newly repaired driveway and culvert over the creek is no longer at risk of being destroyed in a heavy rain if that debris were to work loose. Since we heat our house with wood, the crew brought the trees up to our processing area and we spent quite a bit of time last week splitting and stacking it. We like to keep 2-3 years worth split and stacked so this helps a lot.
My youngest son, the artist, sold his art at the farmers market through our local arts council’s Youth Makers Market program. This is his third year of involvement with that organization and it has been very profitable both in terms of finances for him and experience. It was raining the whole time (which we desperately need so no complaints) so we worried there would be few customers. Boy, were we wrong! There were certainly fewer than if it had been a sunny day but people were there in raincoats and boots with smiles on their faces and encouraging words for the young artists. It was really wonderful to witness. He did very well considering. I also recently secured the Youth Makers program a permanent spot at our church’s big annual fundraising Country Fair. It has been going on for over 40 years but youth artists had never been involved to my knowledge. Last year was the first year the youth sold their art and my son did really well. The Youth have to follow the same guidelines as the adult artists so it provides a transitional sort of experience, however, the Fair did not charge them a registration fee. I made a presentation to the chairpersons and they agreed the Youth Makers can have a permanent spot at the Fair with the same arrangement till the end of time. Yay! It is something I feel called to be involved in even when my son ages out of the program. It’s just been such a good experience for him and I want to see it continue. He also achieved the next rank in his Trail Life troop and earned 6 badges. I love the way TL organizes the learning experiences for the badges and am shamelessly borrowing their format for some unit studies for my boys this summer. Might as well make one resource stretch as far as possible! He is also going to an Outdoor School at an Episcopal camp about 2 hours from us next month. It is a survival, backcountry hiking/camping, wilderness rescue educational experience with both classes and hands-on content. He is being sponsored by both the diocese and our church for almost 50% of the cost (and it is very reasonably priced to begin with.) This school will give him valuable leadership and technical experience for whatever he does in life but also opens the door for employment in the future as a junior counselor or permanent staff. So some immediate savings and laying the groundwork for a productive and secure future.
My oldest son was recently accepted into the Junior Firefighter program at our local volunteer fire station. He had to go through a somewhat lengthy process of acceptance and now is able to go to a fire and assist from the truck. He is so excited and we are happy for him. The more I learn about firefighting, I see how much of a brotherhood it is which is so helpful for a young man. While it doesn’t apply to him as a minor, the paperwork he brought home included information on pension and other benefits I did not know a volunteer firefighter would have access to. Of course, he would also gain valuable experience should he want to apply at a professional fire station, too. So, lots of work and planning for the future this week from firewood we won’t use for a couple of years to helping our boys gain experience and encourage their already strong work ethic and desire to serve the community. Seeing my boys developing skills that will serve them in life both spiritually and financially is a joy and we know it will pay dividends in the future. Hard work and a willingness to help others will pay off in ways they can’t fully appreciate yet but we can as we have experienced it time and again.
Have a lovely week, all!
My frugal party prep
Grad party panic is in full swing. Family arrives Friday.
Doing a lot of cooking prep and freezer meals for this week. We are planning pulled pork sandwiches, lumpia, pretzel bites, watermelon, cheese and crackers, and cookies. I hit the holiday weekend sales for bottled water and for soda for our guests. Keeping all the drinks in the garage so the kids stay out!
Made ahead breakfasts for company. Blueberry focaccia using some of the frozen berries that were still good, and cinnamon roll focaccia with my sourdough discard. Both are in the freezer and I’ll take out and frost the day before.
I’m borrowing extra tables and chairs from coworkers. I did buy a cheap yard sign at dollar tree for wayfinding.
Made beef broth in my crock pot with saved bones and veggie bits in the freezer. That is now in freezer and takes less space! The veggies were picked out and put in our compost bin.
Made apple cider over the stove for the first time. I did not have a pitcher I realized but used an empty distilled water jug from my cpap.
I made homemade bacon chicken corn chowder with leftovers and things in my freezer including the broth.
Cleaned out my freezer. There was depressing the amount of food waste (and waste of my time to prep and freeze things!). So much had gotten freezer burnt.
Made my husband homemade oatmeal cream pies cookies with caramel sauce for his birthday. I am springing for a speaker tickets for a fall tour, which will be joint father’s day and bday and my bday gift. We will not be traveling again this year so it will be our outing.
Wishing you all a great week!
Robbie
I walk an hour in the morning most mornings now from 5:30 to 6:30. I prefer it to walking in the evening.
I made peanut butter and honey sandwiches with an apple to take to work as I am traveling to different counties now.
Your flower pictures, especially the roses from last week, prompted me to cut my roses to display in various rooms of the house. Thank you.
I harvested 2 baby bok choy, 4 cucumbers, a few blueberries (I forgot to put netting on them and several birds were very appreciative of that), parsley and basil. There are several more cucumbers that will be ready to harvest by next week, the tomatoes have a lot of blooms and some small tomatoes, the peppers are producing but not ready to eat yet and the pumpkin, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds have sprouted. I’m going plant more of the latter two since not many came up .The carrots, which have never done that well for me, are showing promise and the green beans are flowering.
I received another 18 free eggs from my neighbor, whose chickens are really producing. She is giving them to her sister and brother and has sold a few dozen to her husband’s co-workers, but mine are free in return for the vegetable scraps and egg shells I give her to feed them. I made a bacon and tomato quiche and want to try a casserole with strawberries, cream cheese, heavy cream that I have frozen and some additional cheese, probably goat and/or ricotta. Yes, it sounds odd but The Bay Skillet in Ocean City Maryland makes a blintz omelet with strawberries, cream cheese and powdered sugar and it’s awesome. I’ll give a half dozen eggs to my daughter when she comes over tonight to pick up her various packages. They live in a 2nd floor apartment so it’s just easier all around for them to get delivered here. We don’t get porch pirates for some reason (maybe the distance from the street?) and I’m sure UPS and FedEx appreciate not having to lug these packages up the stairs.
I made chef Dwight Smith’s amazing meatloaf (recipe is on his Instagram account at chefdwightsmith, posted on February 27, 2025). If you make it, make sure you put the glaze on it! It’s very different from the meatloaf I usually make with green peppers in the mix but it’s delicious. I baked 8 potatoes at the same time to make and stuffed potatoes with sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, milk and butter using russet potatoes that were on sale at Food Lion. I love the potatoes you get at a steakhouse and decided to try making them like that using the recipe at Steakhouse Style Baked Potato – Tastes Lovely and OH MY! They are perfect! I still haven’t gotten around to stuffing them and setting the top part of the potato aside for potato skins because I just keep heating and eating one. I really should stuff the remaining four potatoes tonight because they are a nice meal option during our hot, humid summers. We were at a feel like temp of 119F/48.33C today so it’s started.
Several years ago I signed up to participate in a class action lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield when they were accused of collaborating with other health insurers to fix premium prices. I was covered by them for just one of the 13 years involved. Despite billions of dollars being involved, I wasn’t expecting much and that’s good, because I received my payout, a whopping $5.79 paid on a Visa debit card. Don’t spend it all in one place! I bought two patriotic kitchen towels from Kohl’s online for free in-store pickup. They were on sale and after using a 15% off coupon and my $10 Kohl’s cash, I spent a total of 74 cents and used the debit card to pay that. I couldn’t even buy 2 hand towels at a thrift store for that. I used another $4.98 to buy some credits for an online game I play and will leave the remaining 7 cents on the card because I don’t think there is anywhere that I’ll be able to spend that little bit, not even Kohl’s.
If you ever make purchases on Amazon you can add the card there and apply the .07 cents to an order!
Brandy —
You mentioned that you had some tomatoes that self-seeded. Will you please explain about the tomatoes self-seeding? Thanks.
I missed harvesting some cherry tomatoes (the plant was huge!) and they must have fallen. I found three tomato plants growing near where I had planted that one last year. I dug the baby plants up and transplanted them into new places in the garden.
I had my semi-annual plant sale this past weekend. The weather was nice and visitors were friendly and interested. It seems that people are starved for connection. because many wanted to chat and stayed around a bit. We put signs out in the morning for local traffic; I also have an email list of people who wanted to be notified, and I post on CraigsList. It was a good sale; we got rid of a LOT of plants and made some money. I find pots that people throw away, make my own compost & use cuttings and seeds from existing plants, so the only expenditures are my labor and water– it rains quite often here, and I also collect rainwater to use.
Other than that, just the same saving procenures!
We got rain this past week, that was a real blessing after being in an extreme drought. I didn’t water the vegetable garden all week. Things are looking good but a deer really pruned my plants so now I am covering with shade cloth at night. I am harvesting kale, chard, spring onions, radishes, a few strawberries and blueberries are just starting to ripen. My neighbor gave me 3 squash and a dozen strawberry plants to replace some that got lost in the weeds. They also dumped two loads of clear manure without any herbicides contaminating it ! That is a huge blessing! My garden is my happy place and with seasonal temperatures for the next week I will be out every morning working away happily!
Brandy, I love your photos on IG and your garden updates and photos here, you are such an inspiration to me!
I have cooked all meals at home and continue to shop the clearance section and plan my meals around my finds and what is in the garden. I cooked chicken legs and made broth and that made for several meals. I also cooked ground turkey that was marked down to make taco meat for bowls and sloppy joes over leftover rice. I am using frozen blackberries for my smoothies that are from last summer’s picking to make way for this summer’s picking! I always pack lunches for work and bring home compost from the family I work for, it is really adding up quickly! Between that and my manure, I feel like my garden has a good chance of doing well!
I have a wonderful stack of books from the library that I am thoroughly enjoying. My new find is the lone Brother Cadfael mystery in the local library system. My son read them decades ago but love this first book!
Have a lovely week each one of you!
Thank you to everyone who provided suggestions for me around batch cooking! I will take time this weekend to put those ideas into practice.
I guess my biggest money savings this week was on gas. I had a medical procedure with anesthesia and couldnt drive for two days. My friend who provided the ride to and from the facility refused my offer for gas money. My plan is to bake them a sweet treat.
It’s been two weeks since I last went into the grocery store. I’m very proud of that fact because it means I’m using up things I have here at home. The freezer is starting to look a bit bare, but there is purpose to my letting it get emptier. In the past everything was packaged up for feeding 2-4. And I now need to pack meats and vegetables and fruits for the freezer in quantities suited for one.
Staying home also meant I started working on things here that needed to be done. I’ve worked in the yard and in the kitchen this past week. I’ve decided a whole house declutter is needed after going through John’s things. I realized that he had very little…but I have a house full! So I’m letting go of things I don’t use, bought because I found them at estate or thrift and thought they’d be handy but never used. I was surprised that in clearing out the laundry and kitchen I got two bags of trash, and I’ve got a bin of things to donate (not surprised at that!).
I was short on things to wear for summer. I found a really well priced and cute dress on Amazon that is 100% cotton. Much amused as I was looking at all the complaints that cotton and linen ‘wrinkled easily’…Obviously young people left those comments! I thought cotton would be cooler for our hot humid summers. It’s already very humid here, since we’re having daily rain showers. No complaints. After the wildfires and the drought conditions we experienced earlier this spring, I am grateful for every drop of rain we can get.
I found a can of paint in my stash that is the perfect shade to paint my desk for the study/music room.
I broke down and bought a new mattress. I ordered it at Amazon. I got it on Memorial Day and even though it was on sale, I got another $100 off the cost which made it a really good deal. I made sure the height of the mattress worked with the sheets and mattress pads I had already.
I’ve hung clothes to dry (when it wasn’t raining) and made all my meals at home. I’ve already set my budget sheet for June and made sure that savings would also be a priority this month.
And I have finally finally got all of the legal legwork for clearing up death paperwork done that I personally can attend to. I can’t hurry agencies on with their end but I’ve done all I needed to do and I am so glad that is over and done!
So sorry about your husband. So impressed with your inner strength and focus! Take care.
Terri C I so admire your determine and courage to keep doing things. I know how wearying the death-related paperwork can be. I have found just getting through the normal routine so tiring that I have not tackled anything major. Your positive post gave me much needed encouragement this week.