I harvested Metki and Indian Snake cucumbers from the garden.
I harvested a zucchini and used it to make a zucchini cake.
I read an e-book from the library called The Great Divide, a historical fiction piece about the building of the Panama Canal.
I limited my trips and combined errands whenever possible.
I canned a batch of sweet pickle relish using cucumbers from my garden.
My mom found a marble-topped table for me at an estate sale. They wanted $75 for it. She bought it for $10, and my dad did some repairs to the legs. She went to several garage sales and found three small blue and white ginger jars for me for $3 and $5, and a blue and white vase for $5.
Someone in a local gardening group was selling three seedling curry plants (in one pot) for $10. I jumped on the deal (they are around $60 each online for the same size, plus shipping). I will separate them into separate pots when it cools down in the garden.
I accepted a 40-pound bucket of wheat from someone who was reducing her food storage, and will grind it in my grinder for a friend.
I baked biscuits and French bread.
I harvested red noodle beans and two types of eggplant (the round ones were given to me by the woman selling the curry plants).
What did you do to save money the last two weeks?
First of all, I’m flabbergasted that your mother bargained a $75 table down to $10. She gets the gold medal for this week.
Secondly, I was wondering how you were doing on your water conservation. Have you been able to keep your usage below the required level this hot summer with your large family and large garden?
I know! She is amazing!
I cannot keep the water amounts below the new lower conservation levels. I was losing too many plants. I am still using much less water than before (33% less) but I need the fruit my trees provide, and I lost a lot of fruit trees this year. I do a ton to conserve, but I have a larger lot (.24 acres) than the average .10 to .16 and a lot of people, and I don’t just want rocks with a single tree and a handful of bushes for my landscape. Thankfully, we get a lot of that water back in food.
Have you considered a gray water system from your clothes washer and showers.
Yes, but they are illegal here.
Your zucchini cake looks like a piece of art! Just beautiful! And the salad and biscuit pictures make me just want to gobble them right up!
In money saving it has been a bit difficult the past two weeks. The first week, on the very first day of school, my van broke! Great amounts of steam pouring out from under the hood and all the dramatic things! We took it to the shop at our local college, where students in their automotive program do the work under supervision of their teachers, and the rates are a little less than other places around. We also receive a 10% discount since our family works at the school. Every little bit helps, especially since the second week of school our oven broke beyond repair! Just the needed part alone would be hundreds, even if my hubby was able to install the part himself. Given that the appliance was 14 years old, we decided to put the dollars into a new one instead. A silver lining was that the stores were still having Labor Day sales, so I was grateful for that! I also was quite shocked when I received an additional $50 off the price simply for asking! And then free delivery! I tell how that discount ended up happening on my blog in more detail here: https://jesuscallsmefriend.blogspot.com/2024/09/pennies-from-heaven_01063304883.html
Let’s just say I will never fail to at least ask ever again! I have been without a stove or oven now for a week and two days, since the Wednesday after the oven broke was our cities large trash pick up day. Once a month we can put out large trash and it is picked up for free, paid for by our city taxes. The store the new appliance is coming from would have charged us $50 to haul the broken stove away, so my husband and I made sure we hustled and got that broken stove down to the road in time for pick up! It did mean I also lost the burners to cook on-%they were still working and I “could’ have kept using them for the week while waiting for the new stove delivery—but $50 is $50! I have gotten by just fine using the microwave, instant pot, and crock pot. I even baked a loaf of bread in the crock pot! There are more things listed on my blog. Looking forward to reading what others are up to and REALLY hoping this week does not bring us anything else breaking! I think I am done for awhile now! If the vehicles and appliances would agree, I would agree!
Susan M. In Chattanooga
Hi Susan M.
It may be prohibited in your city, but the day before bulk pick up here, men go around in trucks picking up the metal to sell to recyclers. We asked one for his number and now just call him if we have a bunch of metal. Another option is to list it on free items CraigsList as metal for recycling. We got rid of an old AC unit that way.
I earned a free fountain soda from a local gas station.
At the same gas station on Friday,
I picked up a free Starbucks Frappuccino for the teen. (They have Freebie Fridays)
Earned $5.65 from Amazon Shopper Panel Rewards.
Used points to get a happy meal from McDonald’s one day I was hungry.
We get hot fish and chicken from a grocery deli that’s usually delicious,
but it was not good. Hubby called and we were told to bring in our receipt, and we would get another order for another day. He picked it up on a day I had tutoring training, and it was its usual quality.
Earned $3.50 in Walmart cash
Made $50 on Marketplace
Earned a whole .10 on Ibotta
Was given 6 apples and a bag of grapes.
Will receive $60 for my 2 hour tutor training. It starts the 16th. The additional money will go towards my truck. I’m hoping to get it paid off in December.
Read and returned several library books.
Started my last Audible (The Abominable) in my library. I might have to up my membership to get more credits.
April, I laughed over ‘a whole 10c on Ibotta’. Often enough I don’t earn anything but like you I use the app anyway and take those dimes as they come. They eventually add up. It’s just not a quick earning platform for those of us who buy ingredients and not snacks.
That a tummy week !
Finished 3 more client quilts- https://pin.it/2URcb2arI and https://pin.it/5HMmTJMsR and https://pin.it/7v9IjvOMy. I also made a baby quilt for a sweet couple who were able to adopt a baby after waiting over 4 years- https://pin.it/1lC6o4pel and https://pin.it/6oB2wQLYI.
We went to our daughter’s house for a Labor Day BBQ and were able to bring 3 packs of hot dogs and 30 premade (from Flashfood ground beef) hamburger Patties, so all I needed to buy were buns to go with them! I found the buns on sale that morning for 99 cents each with no limit so I bought 7 packages ( $6.93) and that was my OOP contribution to BBQ with 30 people!
Got the unexpected news that my nephew had passed away unexpectedly (complications from diabetes that was not tended well by our 48 year old nephew😞)on Labor Day and so we drove up to Michigan for the funeral. We booked a hotel for Thursday and Friday night with the funeral taking place on Friday afternoon. We paid for 3 rooms so some of our adult children who were close to this nephew could go without a huge drain on their budgets.
I canned 8 more pints of beef chunks and precooked more ground beef into sloppy Joes and froze them. Taught an instant pot cooking class and discovered a recipe one of our daughters added to our board of rice pudding. Oh my, it was delicious!
Weather is beginning to cool which we love. Time is passing so quickly now. I guess that’s part of growing older.
Gardenpat in Ohio
Sorry about your nephew.
Very sorry to hear your nephew passed away so young, I am sure he will be missed
Prayers and love being sent your way, Pat. 🙂
1. Had my family picnic this weekend. It is local for me. Sister #3 offered to pick me up as she was driving past. I then offered to pay for parking. We packed our lunch, snacks and drinks. A cousin ended up bringing 3 3 foot heroes that he made so we ate those for lunch instead. I brought bags of cherry tomatoes and people gladly took. My sisters took lots of figs. Another cousin made 4 peanut butter pies and I had a slice. I had gotten summer clearance at Stop and Shop for 90% off. I bought all of the kites at 70¢, 2 kickballs at 50¢ and 6 boomerangs for 30¢ each. The kids loved them. Some of the adults were flying kites too. Several of my cousins offered me money but I told they I got them for 90% off. They were impressed. A few people from another group came over to watch us fly kites and we let them join in on the fun. Later they brought over a goodie bag for my cousin’s 4 year old daughter. She is the only little girl in the group. She was very excited. The weather started out gross, light rain, but got sunny by the afternoon. People came as far as Florida. It is the same day every year and its been going on for over 60 years.
2. Hubby and his dad went upstate apple picking. It is a tradition for them. I packed them a cooler with drinks and snacks. Hubby treats his dad to lunch as its his birthday this week. The apples are $1.25 a pound upstate verses $16 for 1/4 peck here. Hubby only got 50 pounds of apples since we have so much applesauce still from last year. With the kids moving out we don’t eat as much. My son already came and got some apples. His dad got 100 pounds. That man loves apples.
3. My daughter had a wedding upstate this weekend. Her and her fiancé turned it into a weekend getaway. I am dog sitting for them. I love all the extra puppy kisses.
4. We cut the cable cord earlier this year. Hubby was able to watch football with the antenna on CBS and Peacock. I had found a special for the year for $19.99.
5.Our neighbor turned 75 the other day. I brought him a bottle of our homemade wine. I put some ribbons on it that I had. I grabbed a birthday card from my card stash. My favorite thrift store sells card bundles for 12 for $1. His family came over to celebrate. The next day his wife texted me if we wanted some leftovers so I said yes. I gave her a bag of tomatoes as a thank you.
6. The garden is kicking my butt. I have fruit and vegetables all over my kitchen and dining room. I need to make more pickles. I have spaghetti squash curing. I need to shell beans and go through the basil and parsley I dried today. I picked 1.5 5 gallon buckets of vegetables. I have tomatoes in all shades on my counters. There are 4 bags of different apples on my dining room floor, I need to do something(again) with the figs. I need to dehydrate the swiss chard, I need to blanch and freeze the string beans. We are so grateful for the food I’m just tired after a long weekend.
7. I made chicken stock from some bones. I made multiple pots of sauce from garden tomatoes. I made several loaves of bread in the bread machine. I saved seeds for next year.
8. Windows are open, laundry is hung outside, bills are paid. The pantry and freezers are full. Life is good.
Love this! “ Windows are open, laundry is hung outside, bills are paid. The pantry and freezers are full. Life is good.”
I agree, #8 says it all. 🙂
Your mom did so well – I’d love to start collecting some blue and white pottery – I have some ideas on changing things up a bit decor wise in my apt. so this is something on my wish list. 40 pounds of wheat – that is amazing!
I am a bit behind schedule with my Fall preps as I had another flare up of a respiratory illness (not Covid) that really wiped me out. I coughed so much that my ribcage was just aching. I’m feeling a lot better now but really trying to pace myself as I don’t want another relapse. But – staying home for 5 days certainly saved money! I didn’t have much of an appetite but having more than enough supplies on hand made resting up an easy decision.
I have stocked up on various sized canning jars and I continue to work on getting dried goods packed away. Rice, beans & pasta have all been done so baking supplies are next on the agenda. I did go through all my herbs and spices, topped up jars and made a surprisingly short list of what is needed for Fall cooking.
I bit the bullet and spent about $250 on two mattress toppers – one a 3 inch foam one and the other like a thick duvet. I can’t afford an expensive new mattress just yet but had to do something to help my aching joints as they do NOT enjoy my very firm mattress. I am pleasantly surprised at what a difference these purchases have made to my sleep. Sometimes money does need to be spent.
Grocery purchases have been mostly dairy, bread, fresh fruit & veg. I have made soup and salads and “things on toast” for meals – haven’t really felt like big meals so I’ll roll with it for now. I went through the freezer the other day and I am making good progress at cooking things and putting prepared meals back in there for quick meal prep over the next month. All our programs start up again this week so it is very busy at the office (a church) and I begin my volunteering tomorrow night so having the main part of a meal all ready to just be reheated makes a huge difference.
I picked up two BP meds and a new Epi Pen this past week and only paid $3 in an admin fee – all covered thank goodness. I was treated to an early birthday lunch by a friend on Friday and then met my theatre group on Saturday for a very reasonable curry lunch followed by “Life of Pi” – and excellent production and the first play in this seasons subscription – seven shows all paid for last April.
Good luck to all of you who are harvesting and preserving your gardens – it is an incredible amount of work and you are all to be commended!
I know my friends can use it, and I have plenty of my own. Plus, she doesn’t want the bucket back, so they can keep that, too! I just ground 25 pounds for them as they have found it cheaper to make their own bread, so I figured as soon as they finish that, I wil grind this for them and they can store it in the bucket. I kind of want to get them a gamma lid for it, if they like the idea. I like one for my own flour.
That is very kind of you Brandy to do all this work for them – I’m sure it will be most appreciated.
I think friends serve one another. We can all help one another.
Love this. If everyone thought this way the world would be so much nicer.
Hello Brandy! While you are talking about grinding wheat, what is your preferred kind of wheat for baking bread at your house? Do you use fresh ground wheat for biscuits/muffins too? I recently got a Nutrimill (while it was $100 off with free shipping this summer) but I haven’t used it yet. Do you order wheat for grinding or do you buy that product locally?
And – have you ever ground popcorn for cornmeal? I think the Nutrimill will also do that..
Thank you.
I have a Nutrimill, and yes, it can grind corn for cornmeal.
I don’t use 100% whole wheat for most things, as it can make for very heavy, dense loaves. I usually use partial whole wheat. But for things like roti, I use 100% whole wheat.
I bought a lot of wheat in the past and bucketed it, so I won’t need to buy wheat for years.
GK, you might want to consider Hard White Wheat to grind for bread making, Soft White Wheat for baking and things like pancakes, biscuits, etc. You can also sift the bran out of your freshly ground flour and save it in a jar to add back to breads, oatmeal, etc., just let the flour cool down first after grinding. Amazon carries some wonderful fine flour sifters, not too expensive. I always dump my freshly ground flour into a very large bowl and stir it occasionally until cool. Hard Red Wheat can also be used for bread baking but it can be a bit bitter and is usually used together (half of each) with regular bread flour. You’ll love your Nutrimill.
I made some vegetable broth using up scraps that were stored in the freezer.
I picked many pear tomatoes and am sharing them with friends and neighbors.
While assisting at the food box handout, I was able to bring home figs, which turned into 4 half pints of jam. I was also able to bring home some raspberries, which I froze whole.
I sold a small piece of art for $60. Another artist is interested in trading some of his art for mine, so I hope to make that work.
I finished the long task of making a sweater from scrap yarn. It requires two colors per row and each row is a different color. I sewed the ends in as I went along to save it from being a really long finishing project. I just need to wash and block the sweater and it is ready to wear.
We attended a neighborhood potluck, which adds variety to our meals.
I also rehung some art in my art, which makes the space feel fresh.
What pattern did you use for your scrap sweater? I knit and crochet and have yet to make a sweater. I enjoy knitting socks the most and crocheting blankets!
The salad looks yummy. I’m happy you and your Mom received good deals. For Labor Day, my husband cooked our dinner on the grill. I prepped eggplant, potatoes, and mushrooms, and he added corn and pork. I blanched and froze lambs quarters. My husband replaced the pressure switch for our well, which went bad. I was able to can a small amount of tomatoes. We’re still awash in pawpaws, and shared them with several people throughout the week. We received a bag of cucumbers from a neighbor, which was much appreciated. I made a pasta dish with our caramelized onions and eggplant.
Last week I was home sick with Covid so very little money was spent. This weekend the neighbour brought us 2 fresh zucchini and I picked up a large box of bananas for $3 on Flash Food. Today I baked and froze banana bread and muffins.
This morning I ordered a Good Food Box-40 lbs of fruit and veg for $40. I will pick it up at a local church next week. I am also expecting a friend to stay with us next week on her way home from her daughters in BC. I expect she will bring some fresh fruit and veg from the garden there so I think we will be well stocked.
On a not so frugal note I went in this morning to have my teeth cleaned, polished and flouride- a heart stopping $ 307. Clearly I am in the wrong field. Apparently my dental benefits are used up for the year.
My husband and I are back to work after the summer break although I did miss one paid day due to being ill.
I – Glad you’re feeling better! 🙂
Brandy, that salad looks scrumptious! Our weather is turning and it is in the 60’s to low 70’s. Our average frost is September 25th, so it is coming. The garden is winding down.
Week 1
-I canned 5 pints of venison chunks from some rump steak left over from last fall. I will use it by dumping it in a pan and adding some water and then make a gravy and it will be venison chunks and gravy over mashed potatoes. Fast food!
-I canned another 14 pints of green beans. Now I wait for tomatoes.
-I dehydrated more camomile, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, basil, sage, parsley, thyme, and oregano.
-All my carrots were harvested, about 5# are in my crisper drawer. I have an ice cream bucket of small ones that will be peeled and chunked and canned.
-We dug 1/2 a row of potatoes, got about 15# for fresh eating.
-I made rolls and cinnamon rolls from scratch, well mixed in the bread machine and then formed. With only the 2 of us I make a loaf, split it in two and make 1/2 into dinner rolls and 1/2 into cinnamon rolls.
-I canned 4 pints of applesauce from apples that had fallen on the ground. I also canned 2 pints of pear juice from the peelings and cores of pears used to make a caramel pear pie that I gave as a donation for an auction.
-I finished cross stitching a baby bib (for my gift drawer) and I have started a second one. I had all the supplies and the pattern in my stash.
Week 2
-9 quarts of apple juice and 11 pints of green beans were canned.
-I roasted a large bowl of cherry tomatoes, blended them up and froze 2 containers of roasted tomato sauce.
-I got enough tomatoes to make and can a half batch of my salsa. I had the shredded zucchini and chopped peppers in the freezer and onions from the garden. It made 4 pints. I now have 7 pints on the shelf. I need to make a couple of full batches. I will look into purchasing some tomatoes this week from the farmers market.
-I fermented some hot red peppers from the garden and made some fermented hot sauce. It has a nice bite!
-I got my fall decorations put out. Nothing new was bought, I used what I had. It looks so nice. I LOVE fall, I just hate what follows, the cold and snow.
-We plugged in the extra freezer to get it to cool down. It has been unplugged most of the summer. Our beef will be ready to pick up this week from the meat market.
Have a great week!
The biscuits look delicious and your mom is a star at garage sale shopping!
1. I bought a Baby Bjorn bouncy seat at a yard sale for $15 and sold it the next week for $65 of FB marketplace. It needed the cover washed, that is all.
2. I shopped at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital thrift store and bought 5 things at $5 each. Every piece a needed piece.
3. I returned 2 items to Trader Joes that we didn’t like, and used the cash to buy 2 salads to eat while I was at my parents. They don’t cook anymore, and I was on my way home from a week away or I would have brought food with me. I was happy to use the money from the returns.
4. Picked up clothespins, a poster mailing tube and hand soap from Buy Nothing. I gifted shelf brackets, a hoodie and seeds. I love my group.
5. We found a good financial advisor that charges by the hour instead of a percentage of the total investments. It saves so much money and is all we need. I scheduled our zoom meeting with him. For all of the downsides of zoom, it does let me access people and meetings that I otherwise would not be able to access. I’m grateful.
That cucumber tomato salad looks so good!
I wanted to order some things from Amazon so I got a one-week Prime subscription for $1.99. I used Brandy’s Amazon link when ordering the items. I also went to Whole Foods and purchased a couple things on a sale and scanned the Prime code to get the discount.
Bought a nice top that I had admired earlier in the season on clearance at Macy’s for $5. I think the regular price was $30. My computer mouse died so I bought a corded one at a thrift store for $4. Received a $300 credit card award for charging a certain amount on my new CC in the first three months. Paid for my expensive car repair by check, saving the 3% my mechanic charges to pay with your credit card (this is what he is charged by the CC company).
Made a creamy salad dressing/dip and put it in a squeeze top ketchup container I had just emptied. Made iced tea and put it into my 30 ounce Starbucks reusable cold cup which I bought about 8 years ago and partly paid for with a gift card. I can make 30 ounces of iced tea for 10 to 40 cents depending on the type of tea I use. I drink this every day in the summer.
Mended a sweater. Scraped out my deodorant container, which gave me enough for several more days. Listened to the radio, CDs and free podcasts. Watched YouTube for entertainment. Read an ebook from the library. Bought greeting cards at the dollar store for 50 cents (best deal in town).
Looking forward to reading everyone’s comments.
Thank you so much for using my Amazon links! I truly appreciate it!
Brandy, would you please share what type of grinder you use to grind your wheat? My son has a load of wheat berries that need grinding.
Thank you.
I have a Nutrimill.
We have been working outside in the cooler weather. I watched seed saving videos. I have been cooking more and freezing bell pepper from the garden I have been sitting on the porch in the evenings reading library books. My husband has been cutting limbs and mowing fields.
Gas is $2.46 gallon in college town in some places. It varies all the way to 2.75 gallon. I cooked at home and walked around neighborhood. Eggs are terribly expensive. $3.77 for a dozen large at Aldi! The extra large were 6.05 for a dozen in south Alabama town where I work!!! No thank you!
It’s so interesting to see gas and grocery prices from other areas in the country. I’m in Washington state, near Seattle, and there are high taxes on gas here. I am happy when I can get gas for under $4/gallon. As for eggs, the best price I have seen is 2 dozen at Costco for around $7. The eggs I really like from there, which are not always in stock, just went up from $6.89 to $7.29 per 2 dozen. They have another kind which is slightly cheaper. The 5 dozen pack is a better deal, but I can’t use that many eggs. I will have to check that price next time I am there.
I was thrilled to see a new post tonight. It makes me smile . I think that the blog makes me feel so less alone . Its like having neighbors. Funny thing about getting older is all the older people are passing on. I wish I had words to make things better than they are but I’ve left one difficult season to just land in despair. I’m trying hard to find peace. My despair makes me feel uneasy and I want to shop. I’m trying hard to not shop online. My childhood sweetheart never married. He’s not well and I am spending time caring for him. I don’t expect him to make it. My daughters apartment is 3 mikes away. I’m able to sleep there and spend my days with him. I bought clothing for him. I bought Boost ,water and soda. He won’t eat much so I’ve been picking up his favorites. There’s nothing thrifty about that. But ,I only buy for him and I’m eating at my daughters place. I’ve utilized every coupon I can find to offset the cost. I’m very grateful that I don’t have to pay parking at this facility. I stay 3 days and go home one night. Thankfully my gasoline usage is about the same. My four year old dryer broke. My son googled the problem and successfully replaced the part. That part was around thirty dollars. I was so happy he was able to do that. Each evening when I leave my friend , I go by my two favorite dumpsters. My favorite items have been an expensive bottle of olive oil and strawberries. I’ve accumulated a nice stash of feed and am grateful for all the items I have collected. I’m tired and stressed. The stress makes my head even wonkier. I’m not sure why. I took a bunch of stuff to the dump and by mistake tossed out a 90 day supply of a prescription. I’m going to need a refill and not sure how much that will cost me. I had issues with a trip planned in December. The cruise line lost my reservation. I disputed the charge with my bank and got the money back. I was really annoyed by this. But it worked in my favor. I rebooked and paid 400.00 less than my original fare. I needed gas before driving home from the city. I put 2 gallons in the car and filled up when I got home. Gas was 3.79 in the city but 2.79 locally. I look forward to reading all the posts. Fall is in the air and it makes my heart happy.
Lilliana, I am glad that you get to spend time with your childhood sweetheart and serve him at this time.
On the note of lonliness: my parents have always had older friends. I have too. I knew years ago that one day that would be an issue for me, and it is becoming one for my parents as their friends are all passing away.
I remember thinking in my 20’s that it would be wise of me to make younger friends at some point. At that age, it seemed unfathomable, but this year is the year where I have begun to do that. Perhaps I’ve become old enough 😆 that younger friends are adults as well now (something they wouldn’t have been in my 20’s). You’re going to be busy with your friend for a while.
But next year, when things are in a different place, perhaps you can meet some younger friends.
I found mine while volunteering, and then friends of those friends, and then friends of THOSE friends.
I certainly wouldn’t have expected it.
But friendship is important, and doing things with those who are near (and not just online; I miss those long distance friends very much) is really a nice change. The laughter and activities in person make a difference. I hope you can find that. I think we all need it.
Lilliana, I just wanted to say that you are a kind, sweet person for taking care of your friend. My husband and I have lost a number of people in the last year so I totally understand what you are saying. I always enjoy your posts and dumpster diving expeditions.
Lilliana – You are certainly one of the most resourceful people I “know” and that has gotten you through hard times in the past. I am sure it will now, as well. And God bless you for caring for your lifelong friend. You must be such a comfort to him. 🙂
I echo Brandy’s comments about having friends of all ages. I always have and I think it has helped me continue to grow and learn and look at the world with fresh eyes regularly. We are all more influenced by when we were born than we think so have different perspectives that are interesting to consider. Sending hugs and love as you navigate this season of life. 🙂
I echo what Brandy said Lillianna. Take care of your friend now (and it is very kind of you) but take care of yourself later. I know someone who is 87 this year and she always says the that one of the smartest things she’s ever done is have friends from many different age groups – it keeps her young. At my church I am always surprised at how old some of the people are – they volunteer, socialize with many different groups and keep as active as possible and it really makes a difference. Know that people are thinking about you.
I love that you shared this.
I wasn’t expecting to make younger friends this year, but it’s been just what I needed.
-Called DollGen when $2 off digital coupon didn’t work. They sent $5 gift card which I used to buy greeting cards which I love. -I check a friend’s mailbox for her regularly, she gave me $50 gift card to Red Lobster as a happy. My sister and I used it for a great shrimp lunch.
-Got another BOGO free club sandwich from Honey Baked Ham. Going tomorrow for another. 4 meals for $11.
-Bought $75 flip-it bookshelves for only $22 at local 🎯liquidation store, using in bathroom for storage.
-went online for $20 credit for missing satellite tv channels. (For myself and then a few days later for my sister).
-my nephew was able to diagnose and make a car repair I needed.
-Got tons of toys at 🎯liquidation store for 91% off, will use for sister’s grandsons and also for donations to St Jude hospital toy drive.
-my brother has annual cookout at his farm shop first weekend in September. I don’t go cause I don’t enjoy being outside for that long. Nephew brought me a huge platter of BBQ plus sides. Think I had for 3 meals and then threw rest away cause I was sick of it.
-Water bill went up 25% but since it’s now only $20 a month I guess I can’t complain too much.
$20! Wow! Just to have water here is much more than that! Water rates here are outrageous.
n the last 2 weeks I have made Sauerkraut, pickled beetroot ,cider apple vinegar with windfalls, sourdough bread and fairy cakes ,apple cake and dried apples ,its been a kitchen week. I have harvested beetroot raspberries lettuce 20lb of apples and made a small amount of hay which I will use as mulch in the colder months. I have sown winter cabbage, broad beans and lettuce and collected seed from the plants in the garden. I really could do with some rain.
One of our water butts has cracked so we are going to take the bottom out of it and use it as a compost bin but first I must remove the tap and pipe spigot
I have been looking for a handrail as hubby ended up in the flower bed again. I am finding it more difficult to get him up but there was nobody else around.
I have rung the carpet cleaner to clean hall stairs and landing carpets. The laundry has been dried outdoors. I am using borrowbox from our library for books. For UK readers I have found that Superdrug pharmacies recycle the blister packs from drugs and also Rymans to recycle pens and pencils.
Hi Chris
Thanks for the info on Super drug recycling the medicine blister packs, we have one in town which I will use.
It is only the superdrug pharmacy you can look them up on line. It worked well when I tried it.
Hi Brandy and everyone
Your Mum got a great deal on the table and nice that your Dad fixed the legs, team effort! Your curry plants were a good deal too, plants at nurseries are getting so crazy expensive. Seed swapping etc is the way to go.
In the last two weeks-
I’ve sewn a button back on a handbag.
Baked raspberry crumble bars, chocolate crackle bars and oatmeal ginger crunch cookies. I reduce the sugar in the recipe.
We have been gifted apples and tomatoes. Our garden has yielded sweetcorn, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes, lettuce and mint. I am still able to pick flowers for the house.
I have frozen lots of bags of tomatoes and sliced apples for winter.
A daughter is expecting our first grandbaby and I found a lovely fleece blanket in a charity shop. A friend found four hooded baby bath towels on Facebook Marketplace for free and snapped them up for us. It is a trend in the UK and probably elsewhere that new parents will buy equipment new which needs to be safe like car seats, cot mattresses etc but are very keen to reduce their consumer footprint by borrowing, accepting hand me downs etc. Coincidentally this also saves money. One of our daughter’s friends invited us over ( with her Mum who is my friend) for coffee and to pass on some equipment and lend some too. We were astonished at the volume of lovely clothes, toys, kit etc she offered. It’s rather like a
huge lending library of baby things! We are so grateful and now know the few small gaps we need to fill before the baby arrives.
Coffee was on a deal so I stocked up for my husband. I used a voucher for a free bakery item and 10 per cent off my shopping.
Stay safe everyone.
A grandbaby on the way! How wonderful! 🙂
Yes, we’re very excited!
Ginger jars are one of my favorite things to come across at thrift stores. Those were some great finds by your mom and your cake and vegetables are making me excited for my next meal. Your photography keeps me inspired.
I dug and gave away a large grouping of Siberian Irises. The clumps kept, I thinned to single plants and planted in new spots.
I sowed seeds albeit a little late but I should be able to harvest spinach, lettuce, daikon and carrots before late fall.
Made your granola and have made it several times in the last few weeks. It has been delightful for breakfast and snacking.
Hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
I love ginger jars, too. I have a 160 year old jar that was inherited from a great aunt and I just treasure it.
We just got back from our first vacation in 18 months to visit our daughter in Los Angeles. Like I said in a previous post, there is just no inexpensive way to spend a week in LA but we did our best.
We reserved standard rooms in nice hotels. One hotel, Palihouse, in Santa Monica upgraded us to their penthouse for no additional charge. I really had wanted to stay in this hotel because it reminds me of old English hunting lodges. Well, our jaws dropped to the floor we walked into this huge apartment suite.
I think it was so nice of the great hotel to do this for the three nights we were there. After our stay we looked up the price of the suite of the hotel had we paid extra for it. It would have been over $1000 per night. I thanked the manager for doing this but will send a thank you card, too.
We bought our own bottled water from Trader Joe’s for .17 a bottle. Also purchased all our snacks there. Our daughter had us over to their new condo for dinner one night. We went to the Happy Hour at a restaurant for two meals. We don’t drink but the food prices were reasonable. We ate primarily at various ethnic restaurants like Thai, Mexican and Japanese as they tend to be lower in price.
For entertainment we did lots of great people watching (free), visited the Hollywood Forever cemetery (especially because I wanted to see Toto’s memorial), went to the inexpensive Hollywood film museum, and the best farmer’s market I have ever been to. I’m not into buying stuff on vacations but the weather was hotter than I imagined so ended up going into a Marshall’s to get a sale rack linen shirt.
I have been reading free library books. I loved Demon Copperhead, The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Searcher (a not too grisly Irish murder mystery).
We started making yogurt along with our usual sourdough bread, granola, kimchi and sauerkraut. My husband is trying to perfect homemade oatmilk and oatmilk yogurt for me.
I am going through my fabric stash and trying to use everything up.
I found a new dentist who seems much better and alot less expensive than the other one I tried.
This week is my birthday and we are going out to a French restaurant with a gift card that my husband was given several months ago. I’m sort of at a point where I don’t want more stuff:)
The best week possible for all of you!
The decoration on that cake would convince even the most skeptic person to eat zucchini cake (I like it but know many who think zucchini does not belong in cake! 🙂 ) Beautiful!
*We’re feeling the pinch of higher prices and less money a little more acutely at the moment. My husband got a merit raise but it is not keeping up with inflation – a story I am sure many of you are familiar with. We have been brainstorming ways to be extra cautious with money till the end of the year and I have been impressed with my boys’ responses and actions. They both pay for their cell phone plans and this month, for the first time, they paid my husband without being asked. 🙂 When we were out thrift shopping, my oldest son insisted on paying for a blouse I was considering purchasing. My first instinct was to say, “No, you need to save your money” but I realized I should not squelch his instincts to be generous, even with his Mama. He has done things like this before but it has been a while so I think he is taking our conversations to heart. I wore the blouse to church Sunday and he smiled every time someone complimented me on it. I know he’s mine, but he’s a sweet young man. 🙂
*I have seen a real increase in my boys’ understanding of the value of money this year as they have both made more money from their various jobs than they ever have before. They consider their purchases carefully and comparison shop like professionals. They follow in our footsteps and buy almost all things used but, when not possible, they research thoroughly and I require them to write an on-line review of the item (sneaky homeschool mom getting in the LA and typing practice there. 🙂 ) I know some parents don’t talk to their young children about money but we always have and I hope they will benefit from it.
*My husband taught himself to make frames for all the antique family photos I have been adding to a gallery wall. He made a jig so that he can create any size frame without having to measure everything every time. My eyes glaze over when he starts to explain the math to me so I am VERY glad he is skilled in this area. He made a frame with spalted maple with cherry splines and one that was the reverse and they are beautiful. I used one with an acrylic my youngest son (the artist) painted. After he practices some more, he may approach the local arts council which recently installed a frame shop as a possible source of selling frames. We shall see!
*Garden is producing almost more than I can keep up with which is good. I think I may turn into a tomato. 🙂 I always miss them the most in winter.
*Sold $50 worth of outgrown kids items on FB. It all helps!
*Artist son continues to make about $80-90 per Saturday selling his art at the local farmers market. Not bad for a 12 year old! The Youth Makers Market there is a great opportunity but is limited in space. There are about 50 children signed up but only 15 can sell on any given Saturday. The arts council has been trying to come up with additional opportunities for the kids to sell their art, one of which is the local Buskers Festival next month. They are also planning a Christmas market at the arts council. My son is already signed up for both. I also had an idea I am pursuing with our church. We have a big Fair in October (this is the 45th year) that is our main fundraiser for local agencies. It includes a juried art and craft sale. I have gone to the board of the Fair with the idea of including young artists. Obviously, too late for this year but might offer local young artists yet another venue to promote and sell their art in the future. You never know unless you ask (which is a good frugal philosophy, too. )
*We bought oldest son a new mattress. He has needed one for a long time. He kindly put it this way – “It’s like sleeping in a taco.” 🙂 It had been handed down I don’t recall how many times and he is the second biggest person in the family so, in the interest of health and back comfort, it needed to go. We also wanted him to be able to use my husband’s grandparents antique bed which he inherited last year from his uncle. That bed is a different size than the one he had so another reason for the purchase. We bought it at a local discount warehouse. I didn’t think they would consider a cash discount since it was already discounted but they did! Again, you never know unless you ask. 🙂 He is sleeping soundly and my MIL is thrilled he is using her parents’ bed.
*On my daily walks up the mountain with my dog, I am grateful for the fresh, crisp air and the subtly changing leaves. A change in season always inspires me to consider how I could be doing things better and to be grateful for things I enjoy – this group being one of them. Happy (almost) Fall, all! 🙂
Parents like you and Brandy have really given your children such a great start in life and teaching by example is always the best.
Thank you, Margie! I certainly hope so.
Oh, Brandy, almost forgot! Thank you for the mention of the book about the Panama Canal. My dad was stationed there with the Air Force when I was 12 and 13. It was a fascinating place to live at a very impressionable age and I have so many amazing memories of our experiences there. I have reserved a copy at the library for me to read and have ordered a used copy for a Christmas gift for my mom. Am sure she will appreciate it very much. Thanks for helping me with my gift shopping! 🙂
I spent $86.00 at Safeway and saved $74.00. It was on the monthly Tuesday sale. I do not eat beef very often but I bought a very small roast on sale for my Thanksgiving dinner. It was $28 and I saved $34.00. A friend went to the farmers’ market and picked up carrots, apples, patty pan squash, spinach, etc. for me. I am snacking on the lovely carrots. We had a great visit outside. She previously had bought meat on sale for me but she forgot to bring it. I’ll get it soon. My other friend made a rare trip to Superstore where she bought Tide detergent at a great sales price. At No Frills, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup was 0.99 cents per can but Superstore had a case of 12 cans for
$10.99 (so 92.5 cents per can). My friend bought a case for me. Superstore matched the No Frills prices on some other items. I am watching the amount of sodium I eat. As the canned soup is high in sodium, I’ll use a can to make a casserole which I will then freeze in individual portions to split up the sodium content. Our second history book about our park was printed last Thursday.
The wasps have been formidable around here. I sprinkled some peppermint oil in the area I was sitting and it seemed to work. The temperature has fallen and it is nice and cool outside but smoky from forest fires. I can hardly wait till the smoke and wasps disappear.
I went to our newest hospital on an urgent basis a couple of weeks ago about my poor knee that was excruciatingly painful. I now have an appointment for the assessment clinic in a couple of weeks. Yay! It cost me a small fortune in cab fare to travel so far away but it was worth it to get the referral and to at least enter the process. Because of our health care, the actual visit, consultation and tests cost me nothing.
One of the ER doctors discussed Ozempic for speeding up weight loss prior to knee surgery (if I have knee surgery). Because of my many allergies, I am loath to take it so am studying what foods might create a similar effect.
We are back on total restrictions for outside watering for two and a half more weeks while further repairs are done to the feeder water main. I am glad that rain is predicted for tomorrow or the next day. My garden was a bust this year — most of my tomato blossoms were blown off during a high wind storm, the pear tree had no blossoms, the cherries had few. The flowers were beautiful. I saved money on outside watering as for most of the summer we could not do so — or at the most for a short period when we were allowed 2 hours of watering per week. I watered some things by hand (which we were allowed at one point). I lost 3 new roses plus a new apple tree.
note to Margie from Toronto: I’m not sure if you saw my post on the last blog but I suggest if you have amalgam fillings that you have your dentist check for cracks under the fillings. Two years before I retired, my dentist found one such crack and then others. We were able to split the repairs and new porcelain fillings between my last two years of benefits. It cost$10,000 of which I only had to pay $2,000 (over two years). If the cracks aren’t repaired then root canals become necessary.
check to
No Anne I didn’t see your comment. Over the past few years my dentist has replaced most of my old fillings – because of cracks so that has been taken care of thank goodness. I actually have a decent dental plan (since I don’t qualify for the very limited federal coverage) although it will be a very small refund for some major work that they want me to consider – implants. I am going to think about it long and hard – I wear a permanent retainer after adult jaw surgery and braces so that helps to keep things stabilized so I’m not too worried about movement. And frankly – I’m taking a vacation before I give me dentist another dime! 🙂
I too bought some of those mushroom soups – and – tomato – but like you I use them mostly for cooking so the sodium is dispersed over a few meals.
The last two weeks have been eventful for us as a family. We had an unexpected cancer diagnosis and an unexpected $5K bill. Frugally I think those two things qualify as whoppers. Never you mind our faith is strong and although our earthly eyes cannot see the road ahead we trust the One that can.
To get us in line to cover that bill I immediately made shifts to our budget plan to cover only the necessities until that bill is paid which thankfully will be by September 20th. I cut grocery spending quite a bit and am thankful to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer to lean on over the next few weeks. I planned meals so that I know exactly what needs to be purchased when I can go the grocery store and reviewed sales to see where I could pick up necessities at the lowest prices possible. This allowed me to feed our family of 4 for $80 for a week. Given ever rising grocery prices I am quite happy with this. I used accumulated fuel points to save $0.30/gallon on gas and combined all of my errands.
With regards to coming medical expenses I am grateful that we have access to a local oncology hospital so all treatment is handled in one place. It is only 15 minutes from our home so we are saving time and money not having to travel into the city for the myriad of dr’s appts that we have to attend. An additional money saver is that all dr’s at this location are in network with our insurance provider so our out of pocket cost should be minimal.
I used a coupon to order my dog food through Chewy saving 20% plus a trip to the store. I also took advantage of rewards at CVS to purchase toiletries that we needed.
Temperatures have begun to cool a bit and we are supposed to get some rain later in the week. I found a new recipe for Cowboy Soup with 30 grams of protein per 2 cup serving. I will be making a batch this week and enjoying getting my protein in as well as having a comforting soup meal. Brandy I think this is the perfect time to make a batch of your fresh bread to go alongside.
I purchased half a bushel of peaches and half a bushel of apples. I spent two days canning and stored away 13 pints of peach jam and 14 pints of apple butter. I had all the items I needed on hand so the only cost was the fruit itself and I had that budgeted.
For some reason, when money is tight I feel the urge to purge my house of unneeded items and clean. To that end I have been organizing, sorting, and giving away items that we no longer need or use. Anything that I can sell we are listing on Facebook Marketplace but otherwise Goodwill, hand me downs to less fortunate families, and worn out junk to recycle or trash when appropriate. I am happy to be doing this task as it gives me somewhere to focus my energy and my mind and less clutter means less stress for me.
Cheers to the week ahead my friends!
So sorry for your troubles Angie – but it sounds as though you are focused and determined. Good luck to you and your family.
I am sorry to hear of your current struggles, Angie, and send healing thoughts and prayers your way. And, I agree with the statement about felling an urge to “clear the decks” when unexpected expenses come up. I think it’s a way to feel more in control of things that feel somewhat (or completely) out of our control.
Happy Tuesday.
I am not in an very tight/ frugal stage of my life. I am taking this first year of retirement to accomplish some bucket list items that will be more difficult as I age. I have used a chunk of 403b money to prep for two big trips: a 14 night thru pack around the Tahoe Rim Trail and an Antartica Exploration trip for my husband and myself. However, in addition to these extravagances, I am maintaining frugal habits.
1. I am out of checks. I only write about 2 a month. I called on the phone to switch to an alternate checking account at the same bank which offers free checks. I saved $34.00
2. I had Poshmark mail my balance in a check for free. I had EBAY put a tiny amount on my debit car. I collected $30.
3. I chose refunds rather than vouchers on two training/ clinics. Refund: $350
4. I sold a silver set after receiving three purchase offers. I took the largest melt offer but save the small sugar cube tong to send to Replacements, Ltd. Difference in price is a positive $25.
5. I am eating strange combo leftover meals so I will buy no food until after the thru pack. Just finished making a partial batch of yogurt out of nearly done for milk that will last me until I leave on Sunday.
After these two expenses, I plan to NOT touch my 403B for 7 years. By then it will have really increased and help with inflation.
Is thru-pack similar to back packing?
Thru-packing is backpacking for multiple days on a trail.
So. Nice to see a new email post from you and to read everyone’s comments. I’m always inspired by everyone’s thrifty efforts.
This week I canned and frozen any nicked or small potatoes from my garden. The rest are curing in the garage. I made peach jam to use up peaches that were ripening faster than we could eat them, and a small batch of pear sauce from the last 4 pears. I chopped and froze a bunch of peppers from the garden and filled two net bags with the onions I harvested.
We ate fish my husband caught.
With slightly cooler temperatures I was very happy to return to using my oven. It still warms things up considerably so I’m trying to get all I can done int the early morning hours. This week I made granola and bread. Homemade bread tastes to good! In summer, due to heat I just buy loaves of standard bread but it was nice to return to homemade.
I mended my husband’s jeans. I ‘invested’ $7 in iron-on patches for jeans and pants and so far have mended my own, my husband’s and four grandchildren’s pants with just a portion of a patch.
In order to break in new shoes, I am wearing them around the house, getting my feet accustomed to them. I’m trying to move away from wearing athletic shoes all of the time.
I received my last items for my fall/winter wardrobe. I shouldn’t need anything else for this year.
I refilled my soap bottle at the kitchen sink which emptied the jug I was using to refill. I swished it with water and have watched two sinks of dishes with residue soap from that bottle.
Cut toothpaste tubes open so I could use the rest of the toothpaste in the two. Last time I did this I had enough toothpaste to carry me through two or three weeks of brushing my teeth.
Made yogurt.
Cooked all meals at home.
Decorated for autumn using only what I have had on hand. Nothing new. It’s all looking so pretty.
Brandy, I had some of those little white eggplants last year and I like them best of any eggplant I’ve ever had. It seemed to me the flesh of them was almost creamy in texture and the skins are nearly as bitter as purple eggplants. I would like to grow some of them again.
I love blue and white pottery. The great room in my house is done in blue, yellow and white, and blue and white porcelain and pottery go well with it.
Hurricane Debby wiped out all of my raised bed plants except the okra, which was on the highest ground. There was almost a foot of rain in one day and water stood for several days around most of the beds, which killed the plants. I am picking okra every day and getting the other beds ready to replant. My neighbors and I have consulted with an engineer about draining the water to a large pond on the back of the neighbors’ property to keep this from happening again and again. There are several reasons why the flooding has just started occurring, one being that a hurricane last year (not Debby) wiped out many of the trees that absorbed much of the rain water. The engineer gave his advice for free and my neighbor already owns the equipment we’ll need to construct the drainage swales.
I ordered a calendar with large squares that will accept pencil and erasures. I dislike using my phone for a calendar and I dislike glossy calendars that require ink pens and/or have tiny squares. When this one arrived, the front cover was torn and some of the backing paper peeled off. I contacted the company politely by email, including pictures, and they are sending a new one, free to me.
I planted green onion ends to regrow in a clay pot. They are doing well.
A repairman was able to repair my dishwasher for a reasonable price. I’m glad I called for repair instead of just buying a new one. These days, we are so often told to just buy a new appliance, because the repairs can be as expensive as buying a new one.
I got an unexpected refund and put it straight into savings instead of splurging with it.
I hired a man to grind up a huge pine stump in my yard, left from last year’s hurricane, and I let him know to leave the chips, which I am now using as mulch. I saved by getting the mulch and not paying him to haul it off.
I mended some slacks.
I sewed a soup cozy for a little gift. The fabric had been given to me.
I am reorganizing my closet and donating or tossing anything I no longer wear or want to store “in case I need it.” Organizing is very frugal for me. Once I clean out an area, I am loath to refill it with “stuff,” so I don’t go out and buy that “stuff.”
I used persimmon puree from the freezer to make a persimmon baked pudding.
I keep my thermostat on 78 deg. F, even when the house gets warm in the afternoons. I’m looking forward to those few autumn days when I will need neither heat nor a/c!
I have used calendars with squares large enough to write on since my children were young to help us all keep track of school and family activities. Now it’s invaluable to help my husband, who suffers from dementia, keep track of what is going on. All appointments and activities are written in. He checks it throughout day. It makes his life seem more organized and less frustrating. I use a blue highlighter and put a diagonal line through each day as it passes (because you can read through a highlighter). Changes or corrections can be made using white-out. You can fold the picture back and attach it to the fridge using 3 magnets with pincher type clips along the top.
I had reached the end of a box of salt, except there were a few large lumps. I opened the box up, put the lumps in a plastic bag, and used a hammer to break them up. This will save me buying new salt for a couple of months, I think.
I have been making changes in my very small living room. I usually sit at one end of the couch with my feet up along the couch. I changed which end I sit at, and moved the side table too. I also took out the box I had on the floor for the cat to play with. It all gives me a much more open view. The cat enjoys the extra space to sprawl, and is sending extra time climbing all over the couch and looking out the window from a higher perch.
She often sits or sleeps on a pillow on top of side table overlooking the front lawn. Great bird-watching. There is extra entertainment for both of us since a small red squirrel has taken to jumping from the caragana bushes to the lilac shrubs and back. The pillow is really ugly and worn, though. I found a soft corduroy cover from an old dog bed in the basement, and have used it on the pillow. It was bought in a color that goes with the decor, and looks very nice. Apparently it is very comfortable, too. She didn’t hesitate to start using it.
The big accomplishment has been going through the six shelves in a hall cupboard, and getting rid of things I no longer use. I am halfway through shelf #6. Though it is intended as a linen cupboard, I use it for more general storage, including hobbies, household maintenance items, outdoor pastimes and travel items, house repair materials and tools, and some memorabilia. I have much more space now. It makes it faster to find things that I use only occasionally. It also gives me room for new things for this different time in my life.
The cake and the salad both look delicious. I have had a busy two weeks. I went to my son and DILs house each week. The first for four days, the second for 3. I am going to start just going every other week beginning next week. I have a lot to do at home. Both weeks when doing laundry, about 80% was dried on the clothesline.
Week 1 – Gave DH a haircut. Got two heads of cabbage for 48¢ a pound.
Dried thyme and rosemary. Canned 7 pints of applesauce. Used Honeycrisps apples that were given to us, so did not have to add any sugar. Made zucchini fritters to use up some of the multitude of zucchini we have. It was yummy. Made BLT pasta using tomatoes, onions, basil, and chard from the garden. One of DH’s favorite summer dishes.
Picxked zucchini, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, onions and herbs as needed.
Week 2- This was the week I was 3 days and 2 nights at my son’s house. He was at a men’s retreat with their church.
Made chow mein, coleslaw, zucchini fritters, and gnocchi soup.
Made pizza sauce for the freezer using tomatoes, onions, peppers and basil from our garden.
Was able to see my second son while visiting my eldest. Picked carrots, green beans, onions, bell peppers and dug a hill of potatoes for him. Also took 3 containers of homemade salsa for him. He lives in Seattle, so we don’t see him as frequently as our son that is geographically closer. He stopped by his brother’s house and got to visit with us and the kids. Was so nice to see him.
While visiting, we went to the Whitman County fair in Colfax on Friday. My 20-month-old granddaughter loved the goats and sheep. The next morning we went to the farmer’s market in Moscow, Idaho.
I drove home on Saturday late afternoon, missing traffic due to going in the opposite direction from football fans coming for a game. On Sunday, we picked our first ears of corn, they were tasty, but not really quite ready.
I am staying home this week, and doing a lot of garden work. As my DH says, it is “harvest time.”
Great harvest photos!
On the frugal front:
HH harvested jalapeños, froze jalapeño poppers, and pickled jalapeños seasoned with home grown garlic.
Our modified pantry challenge continues. We rescued croutons. hot dog buns, cod fillets, hash browns and mixed vegetables all on the verge of freezer burn to cobble together a tasty fish sandwich meal. HH made a yummy sheet pan dinner using left over chicken and less than fresh sweet potato, russet potato, red onion, and carrots seasoned with home grown garlic and the last of the seasoning packets from his 2023 Advent calendar. I made Pork burrito bowls using frozen leftover pork, home grown lettuce and peppers, 2023 home-canned salsa, near expiration sour cream and cheese, and pantry rice and beans.
Our cabin neighbor gave us homemade potato salad and fish fillets. My mom and her husband brought a lot of food and beverages to the cabin but did not want to take the leftovers home.
We paid our internet bill and bought college football tickets using a credit card that offered bonus rewards on these purchases.
I combined manufacturer’s coupons and Walgreens deals to purchase diapers, cosmetics and antiperspirant for less than the original cost of the diapers. The diapers are a gift for my cousin’s wife who just had a baby boy.
We had a beautiful week of cool, low-humidity days. By opening the windows at night and closing them in the morning, we were able to avoid using the AC.
I waited until Monday to fill up my gas tank rather than higher-priced Friday and used the Upside app to save a little more.
I look forward to reading everyone’s frugal feats.
Wonderful garage sale finds! I’m so happy for you. * We just got back from a 14 day road trip with my husband. During the middle of the trip we visited our daughter in Connecticut. We had money saved for the trip, and enjoyed every minute. As wonderful as it was, it is nice to be home and get back to our normal, peaceful routine. * I spent time in the car working on knit and crochet items for Christmas. * I am reading a book from the library.* While still on the road, I placed a Walmart order to be picked up the evening we got home. We had given our milk, bread, and fresh fruit and veg to our daughter so we needed to replace the basics. I was grateful to not have to go into the store when we got home. * Had the family over for dinner for Sunday. I did pulled pork. I used one fresh small pork loin, then added some I’d frozen to make enough to feed the family. My daughters each brought yummy sides. Simple icecream sundaes for dessert. Grandkids loved it. It was so nice to see everyone and distribute the souvenirs we had collected on our travels. *Saving lots by staying home this week. *It’s back in the 80s this week, which is warm up here for September, but we have managed to keep the A/C off. * Hope everyone has a great week!
Grocery store had General Mills cereal on sale for $1.88; regular price six dollars a box and up, and these were the smallest ones. I bought Cheerios as probably the healthiest choice, using the coupons the store has been giving me for several weeks, for $1.31 each. They will be put away until the next food drive.
Weather has been wonderfully cool, AC is off, and windows open.
Husband mentioned he could use a new hoodie sweatshirt. I started figuring and I think his current one is thirty years old, so I guess he can have one.
Most of my flowers are done blooming for the year, except for the self-seeding purple-red morning glories that worked their way into most of my flower pots. Last spring, I dumped out the soil from all the pots and mixed it together with some fresh stuff, and the morning glories spread from there. For a quarter or so for Dollar General seeds planted several years ago, they sure keep on going!
Remember that registering to vote, researching candidates, and voting carefully, is prudent and frugal, as well as a right and responsibility. A student of mine, traveling in Greece, was scolded by a Greek woman she met on a bus for not voting in the previous election. “Don’t you know that what the U.S. does affects the whole world?” I’m sure that student never didn’t vote again, and I think of that woman and others like her.
I got free mandarins that were a bit past their prime, and I juiced them. I also got a couple of bananas and oranges, 10# of red delicious apples, a loaf of organic sprouted sliced bread, a pack of my youngest’s favorite snack crackers, a bag of honeycrisp apples, a jar of minced onion, 3 boxes of whole grain pasta, 1 box of gluten-free pasta, 20# yellow onions, 6# gala apples, several bags of sweet bell peppers, a bag of kale, a bag of peaches, a pack of grape tomatoes, 8 cans of diet cola, 2 bunches of broccoli, 2 # of strawberries, 5 green peppers, 2 dozen organic cage free eggs, 1 # asparagus, 1 potato, a pack of bratwurst and a pack of ground chuck. I volunteered at a food distribution and there was a lot left at the end. I came home with about 5# of Swiss chard, ready to bake pizza dough, several salad and fresh veggie kits, a pack of frozen pork ribs, several loaves of different bread, hot dog and hamburger buns, a box of cookies, lemons and limes, green beans, green peppers, eggplants, yellow squash, zucchini, jalapeno peppers, donuts and an angel food cake. I redeemed library summer reading club coupons for a free Tim Horton’s beverage and free soft tacos and bean burritos from Taco Bell. I curb shopped a new travel mug, a new pair of corded earbuds, a box full of seed starter pots with the seeds and soil included, a pack of Ramen, microwave popcorn and partial packs of diapers and menstrual pads (I donated the diapers to the little free pantry as I have no babies/toddlers). On my neighborhood walks, I found over $2 in coins. I participated in a clinical trial survey and got a $50 amazon gift card. I used it to buy my child’s birthday gift.
Not so frugal was the $740 payment I had to make for my upcoming surgery’s anesthesia. The rest of the procedure is covered because it’s a re-do of previous failures. Yes failures PLURAL. It will be the 7th surgery on this site in less than 2 years.
We have been continuing to be up to our ears in apples, from our farmer neighbor. I have been drying lots and making fruit leather and sharing with my daughter and her friends. I still have two more 5 gallon buckets to use up this week. There will still be more coming in September and October. I have a glass top stove and have heard this past year that they can crack when canning. In the past I have canned on it without issue but now am afraid to do so. Has anyone heard about the safety of glass tops and canning?
We are finally using a gift from my daughter and SIL for a 3 day getaway near Charleston. It is a gorgeous inn and the breakfast comes with it, we had a free pass to the Middleton plantation gardens next door. They are gorgeous and we walked all over the grounds this morning. It was perfect weather, cool and breezy and overcast so that we never got hot. We have split meals and gone to down home restaurants. I would have packed food but my husband wanted to eat out, so I try to make it affordable. We haven’t done a get away other than 2 nights at a friends cabin this spring, in about 4 years so I am enjoying it.
Our garden is only producing green beans right now, but I have been planting more beets, lettuce, chard and kale and transplanting as I thin things out. Hoping for bumper crops this fall and next spring!
Hoping everyone has a lovely week and enjoys the fall weather!
Yes. Your glass top stove can crack while canning. Mine did last year. It would have cost over $1,000 to fix, so we ended up with a new stove. I will not can on it. I purchased a Ball electric canner, and now use that for all my canning.
Three Rivers Homestead cans on her glass cooktop every single day. You can see her videos on YouTube. I don’t have one myself, but apparently it must be safe because she truly does can something every single day.
Our XL chest freezer is absolutely full, and we have a fridge full of leftover food from a party and also of vegetables – so I am trying to figure out how to play food tetris so nothing goes off, without resorting to eating cabbage for breakfast! Nice problems to have! (We live in the UK and canning is not popular here. I keep wondering about trying it, but the jars are very expensive.)
My son has just gone dairy free, like me. He is feeling much better. But he is sad that he cannot each cheese and yoghurt. When I went dairy free, I tried a few “alternatives” but wasn’t impressed, so I just adjusted my diet to eliminate pseudo-dairy foods except for almond milk for cooking. But he wants to try some. Thankfully they are plentiful on the ground, but I am suspicious about the nutritional value of them vs the expense. Still, we don’t eat a lot of cheese-based meals because of my diet, so I can afford to buy them once in a while to make him happy.
Our local homeschool group is changing time and location, and will be much more inconvenient for us. We have been going for a year and my children haven’t really made any real friends, so this is a nudge to rethink our options. I like having a group to go to, but maybe we need to look around and find a new one. There is talk of a co op starting up in a church 45 minutes drive away, but three of the potential mums (including me!) are about to have babies, and driving 45 minutes each way every single week seems like a lot to me. Unfortunately we live at the lower edge of the sort of catchment area, so if we hosted it at our house or church (which I would LOVE to do!) some participants would have to drive 1h30 each way, which I don’t think they would be keen to do! So we would presumably lose them. But I am thinking of offering to host a social meetup for the kids to play and the mums to discuss things in person. I really like these families, although I don’t know them well, and would love for my kids to make friends with others of our faith in the context of a regular group meetup. It’s hard to make these decisions, though.