I sowed seeds in the garden for red noodle beans, okra, and Swiss chard (late but I decided to try anyway).
I harvested grapes, a few remaining lemons, sage, and a fig from my garden. The fig was the first White Marseilles fig from one of the small potted fig trees that I have been growing from cuttings the last couple of years.
I studied Urdu using materials I have on hand, including my lessons from my class I took last year, e-books from the library, and video lessons on YouTube.
I met with someone about a job (a short one that I will start tomorrow; it will likely be only a few days, as they just need temporary help, but they also want a backup person to call when needed, so it could be more in the future, here and there), did a small job for them that day, and then went to the airport (which was 5 minutes away) to pick up my daughter from a trip. Waiting at the airport, rather than driving home, saved me a lot of gas.
I stopped at the little free library in my neighborhood and got this book. I read all 435 pages in a less than 24 hours. It was excellent.
What did you do to save money last week?
I am an Amazon affiliate. Purchases made through my link give me a small percentage back. Thank you for the support of my site!
Traded a paperback book to the used bookstore. I now have built my account up to $17. That will come in handy later on.
Had to remove my front porch wreath when I saw a sparrow trying to build her nest in it. That happened last year, too.
Got some more eggs for 89 cents a dozen at the store. I’m all set for breakfast and egg salad sandwich lunches! Ordered a study Bible that usually costs $100 for only $27 with free shipping. Got it off eBay. It came yesterday and looks brand new!
Found an old blouse I already had that goes well with a pair of slacks I bought at the thrift store bag sale. (One of 14 pairs I got for 10 dollars.) Wore the pants and blouse today and people thought they were a matching outfit I’d purchased brand new!
Brandy, Congrats on another job opportunity! I have about 6 weeks of census work left to do-apparently our team is doing very well and more than half of our cases have been resolved. So far only one lady has been rude to me.
I think I will be off for August and then have a 3 month childcare job lined up for Sept-helping an 11 month old transition into daycare. I can’t really see that taking 3 months but time will tell.
I continue to save on fruit and veg using flash food-best prices this week include mushrooms and mixed greens for $1 each-I love anytime I can purchase for $1 or less as we all know $1 doesn’t go very far these days. Wishing everyone a very good and frugal week.
Beautiful skyline photo. Congrats on the job, I like those kind, especially as a caretaker – I hope you enjoy it and it is a long lasting relationship.
This past week, I played around with making a lemon balm and thyme tea. I concluded I prefer 2 parts lemon balm to half part thyme. These were picked from my herb garden.
I have 3 projects involving hardscape moving slowly in my back yard. I added 2 more bags of mulch, red rock and pea gravel to each with the limited amount of funds I could use right now. I picked up the hardscape returning from other errands to save gas.
My husband was out of town and I made the most of getting things done around the house as a means of entertainment along with watching a whole season of a tv show that would not have interested him. I was also able to get more part time work done (I get to work when I have time at my own pace) since I could set my schedule for me alone for a few days.
I planted more green beans and jalapeño peppers and a self sowed tomato plant got a protective small barrier around it (it is in a path way). Watered plants from the rain collection garbage can.
I hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
Hi J in PA! When I read your comment last week about Marivene’s memory living on, it made me smile. I ain’t on this blog when she was, but having seen many comments about her weeding method, I have been doing the same and thinking of her each time,🥰
Sadly, she passed away. Several readers wished her goodbye as she lay dying, and her daughter read her all the comments. We all learned a lot from her.
I think of her every time I weed my gardens. She was so full of great knowledge. I love reading your old posts and seeing comments from her.
Marybeth, it’s the same for me. Whenever I’m weeding in the garden, I think of her as well. Sweet memories, for someone I only knew online. But many people remember her fondly.
That is amazing to hear! Thank you so much for sharing that!
May she rest in peace. It is clear she is remembered graciously here. And the “ain’t” in my post was the dumb autocorrect.
She really knew how to communicate perseverance in my opinion.
I haven’t commented in a long while, but I am glad you are posting again since I don’t have social media!
I found free online Irish fiddle lessons. I was gifted a violin and a couple of months of lessons, which are over. I now have the basics, so I am hoping I can continue to improve using free resources.
We harvested 8 lbs of strawberries, and 6 lbs went into the dehydrator. Other than jam, I’ve found dehydration the best way to preserve strawberries. They are lovely as is, or I can rehydrate them for dessert toppings or baking.
We bottled the rhubarb wine we started a couple of months ago, and we moved some cherry wine into its second ferment.
I made two loaves of bread, a batch of crackers, and a batch of sausage rolls for the freezer (which results in enough for four meals for the two of us).
We puttered around here to enjoy the sunshine instead of dealing with the crowds of World Cup fans in town. We are halfway between two host cities, Vancouver and Seattle, so are hosting lots of visitors here for those two locations. We got lots of yardwork done and I made fancy iced coffees each day for us to enjoy on the deck. It was just as pleasant as going into town for a cafe and walk along the bay, and the yard looks better for it, too!
We borrowed a tool we needed instead of purchasing it for a single use. In exchange, we used the tool to do some work for the friend we borrowed it from. We also ended up with lots of free firewood from these tasks, which is stacked and curing for next year.
I cut herbs for drying – mint, thyme, sage, and rosemary. I also reorganized my herb storage so I can better see what needs to be restocked this summer growing season.
Usual savings — library books, craft projects using items we already own, mending clothing, and making our own entertainment. I made a card for a birthday instead of purchasing one.
I have an abundance of rolled oats, pasta and eggs. I don’t usually use many oats or much pasta during the summer, but this season I’ve decided to include breakfast for supper one night a week in my meal planning, and a pasta dish once a week for supper and once a week for lunch. Sadly, I don’t much care for pasta salad. I have, however, learned to enjoy spaghetti and angel hair pasta, mostly by exploring some pasta sauces that don’t have tomatoes in them. I also keep the servings small and eat the food while it is still very hot.
In the last year or two I have managed an abundance of other foods to the point where my supplies of these items are small to non-existent. Tackling the current situation will free up some resources to help me to get some vegetables and meat this summer and fill in a few gaps in my pantry.
Hi Elizabeth,
I used to make a cold pasta salad in the summer that I could keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. If I recall correctly, you cooked anddrained the pastam out a choped green onion, cherry tomatoes, frozen peas, parmesan cheese (the powdered kind), and mayo. I would actually take it to summer dinner parties. I’ve thought about making it in a smaller batch just so I don’t have to cook. it’s really quite tasty. the trick would be to get the cheese on sale to reduce costs. Doesn’t sound like much bt it was delicious. I can get the recipe if desired.
Eye checkup went well so one final sign off appointment towards the end of July. Still a bit limited as to bending and lifting so concentrating on a few small jobs instead of the major cleaning that I would like to get started. I’ve made a list of all the jobs I want to take care of – and I’ve broken them down into more manageable tasks and hope to get started this weekend. If it takes me the Summer to get through everything then so be it.
Kept grocery shopping low – concentrating on fruit & veg. I bought, prepped and froze a few quarts of strawberries and hope to get some more before the end of the week. They are so sweet so made sure to keep out some to eat with my yogurt this week. I also cooked up a pot of mixed beans, packaged up about half for the freezer and made bean salad from the other half. I am getting much more confident about using dried beans and grains which is definitely a money saver.
Used up more proteins from the freezer – mainly frozen shrimp and some chili that I’d made a few weeks ago. Didn’t buy any bread this week as I have WASA crisp breads to use up – also helps me cut back a bit on simple carbs. Went through all my fresh veg and prepped a number of things to use up this week so nothing gets wasted.
Continued to watch the FIFA games as entertainment and picked up 3 books from the library – a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction. The weather has been beautiful – mid 70’s F with a good breeze most days so I have tried to get in some extra walking and enjoy it. That’s a bit lower than normal for this time of year but no one is complaining. I did spend a bit of money treating a friend to brunch for her birthday – but this is a tradition that 3 of us follow and I hadn’t seen either of those friends for quite a few weeks so it was worth it – and much cheaper than a lunch or dinner.
July will be a rather tight month financially as I hope to make the final payment on a debt that I’ve really concentrated on paying off this past year. Once that is done I plan to take half the monthly amount and add it to my one last outstanding debt. Can’t roll over the whole amount as it really made things very, very tight this past year and I do need at least a few months reprieve. But it will certainly feel good to get this over and done with!
Good luck with the PT work Brandy and I hope that it will become a more regular thing for you.
Hi Brandy and everyone
Great news about the job, particularly if there may be some occasional work in the future. I think I also need to look into ways to bring in a little more income as well as continuing to cut costs.
On that note we researched pet insurance because our renewal notice made us wince. We found similar cover elsewhere saving £300 per annum.
We attended a wedding and wore outfits we already owned.
We have travelled quite a bit in the last fortnight and took a travel kettle with us, refillable water bottles, vacuum flasks and snacks. Refreshments ‘on the go’ gobble up money. The train company we travelled with will refund 25 per cent of the ticket price if you’re delayed more than 15 minutes, and we were, so I will submit a claim.
We have sown more vegetable seeds for successional crops.
We have picked raspberries, strawberries, carrots, radishes, lettuce, broad beans, spinach,mint, oregano, parsley and chives and lots of sweet peas. We gave a daughter a box of homegrown veg and flowers to take home.
I used two overripe bananas to make banana loaf cake.
The UK is sweltering in a heat wave so I am getting up even earlier as it’s the only way to get things done in the garden.
Gorgeous photos! Gas is $3.13 gallon at Walmart in the University town. I walked an hour a day, including near my ex husband’s law office (which is near a gorgeous section of the river) bc he is letting me use his office while I restart my private practice. I picked up a free book at the free little library in the park. I am trying to eat down my storage in my small refrigerator freezer so that ai don’t waste anything.
Great visual walking places are the best! Glad you’re getting up and running with your practice.
I wanted to make an angel food cake with strawberries for Father’s Day. The box mix had gone up to $6. I just can’t justify that, so I made shortcakes from scratch. Everyone loved them and I had ingredients on hand.
Used my senior discount for the ferry to visit a son.
Had to take my dog to the vet and asked if they had a senior discount. Ten percent, I’ll take it. Switched the dog to food that is still quality but is $10 less a month.
Harvested asparagus, strawberries, lettuce, chard, arugula and snow peas. Sowed more seeds for continuous harvest.
Bringing in fresh flowers to enjoy inside. Drying herbs for myself and gifts.
Making garlic scape basil for the first time. Switching out pine nuts for walnuts to save.
Happy frugal days to all.
When I was little, I thought making angel food cake was somehow magic. It’s angelic; the pan comes apart in two pieces; and Mom would turn it upside down on an old glass 7UP bottle to cool, which I somehow thought meant the flavor of the pop would migrate into the cake.
But shortcakes are very nice, too!
1. I did alterations on a dress that I’ve had for a while and always felt uncomfortable wearing because it was a bit low in the front. It’s a print fabric so would have been hard to find something that looked right to add in. I ended up cutting a strip off all the way around the hem and using that. It looks like it was made that way. It also had flutter sleeves, which aren’t my favorite. I ran elastic through the sleeve hem and now the sleeves look much better. Zero money spent.
2. I watered my garden with rainwater. We save hundreds of dollars doing this. When I pulled up borage plants today (they self seed prolifically) I cut all the leaves off and left them on the soil. I’m trying to make use of every scrap. The leaves will decompose and feed the soil.
3. Received more plums from my neighbor. I do not need to buy any food this week and I didn’t buy any last week. Produce from my own garden and gifts of produce from friends give us more than enough.
4. I am without a car for the second week. Today I rode my bike to the library, the thrift store ($1 sale) and to pick up a Buy Nothing item. I bought 2 pairs of Lands End shorts for $1 each at the thrift store. I will resell them.
5. I washed a toy that I received from Buy Nothing and put it in a tin I already had (the original box was quite beat up, but the toy was like new). My grandchildren like to discover what is new when they come to our house. Anything “new” is from Buy Nothing!
We are cooking at home. Grocery prices are so expensive, but eating out is more. Many times this week, my husband, my son, and I have chosen to buy groceries instead of eating out. I have been happy with our decisions on this. I have chosen to buy what is on sale. We planted beets and lettuce in a large container. I may repot some basil I am growing and try to sell some. We will try and grow other vegetables and herbs as well. It has been cloudy so we have not used the telescope that we borrowed from the library. We continue to use cloth hankies, towels, and napkins. I have been reading health books and looking at new recipes. I’m blessed that my husband has helped cook this week. It is so refreshing to not have to cook in the evening sometimes when I am tired.. We have been spending much more time at home so as not to use as much gas. When we have been on the road we have noticed, the roads are not as busy. We attribute it to people saving on gas. We are appreciating what we have already instead of feeling the need to purchase things or drive long distances. One of the nice things about being at home is we are accomplishing things at the house.
The frugal highlight of my week was a creative fix for something. The padding of my lawn chair cushion shifted so there was a hollow spot at the back of the seat part, near where it connects with the back padding. It was no longer very comfortable, and I tried to fill the spot with a folded blanket, but this did not really work. I unzipped the cover, and saw that the padding was made from 4 inch polyester batting. So, when I was running an errand near Hobby Lobby, I checked to see if they sold 4 inch batting by the yard. I figured it was a long shot, but the store did have 2 inch batting sold by the yard. I figured that would probably work if I doubled it up, so I bought a piece. I came home and cut two pieces to fit, layered them on top of one another, and zipped them inside the cushion. And it worked perfectly! I am very pleased with my inexpensive solution.
Otherwise, I picked up the free offering from the co-op this week, a single serving meat stick. Batched this trip with other errands to save on gas. Bought cherries on sale at Safeway. Last time they were not so flavorful, but these are delicious. Purchased two marked down packages of salad at Grocery Outlet. My sister gave me a piece of leftover BBQ chicken and a serving of pea salad, along with some sour cream and half and half she was not going to use. A friend shared some herbs with me. Visited with a cousin who was here from out of town. Received a small amount of money from my mom’s estate, and used part of this to treat a friend to dinner. This friend had helped me out a lot last year when I was sick.
The weather was very nice, so I hand washed a few things and hung them to dry outside. Laundry in the apartment complex costs me $4 a load, and we are discouraged from line drying laundry inside due to dampness issues. So I appreciate summer when I can hang up a few things outside.
Took walks on the nearby river trail. Printed out something at the library. Submitted forms for gas reimbursement to a medical appointment. Started watching a recorded online class I had purchased a few months ago, but was unable to watch at the time. Watched YouTube videos for entertainment. Picked up a free newspaper at the library. Cooked at home. Enjoyed inexpensive iced tea every day.
I finally read the comments from last week. Someone replied asking how I made kombucha. Here is a great tutorial. You need a SCOBY starter. You can purchase them online, or maybe check Facebook Marketplace to see if someone in your area has one to sell or share.
https://culturesforhealth.com/pages/how-to-make-kombucha
Tina,
Here’s another way to start by growing your own starter from a bottle of kombucha.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/05/how-to-grow-a-motherscoby-from-store-bought-kombucha/
I give my extras away or list them on CL for $5. Mine are made with organic tea and sugar.
Cara, thank you for the info. However, this only works if you can find RAW kombucha, as the article states. I have not been able to find raw kombucha at any stores in my area (Pacific NW) for several years. (Note: The article you shared is from 2010). The co-op where I used to be able to buy raw kombucha it no longer sells it. From what I was told by a store employee, there was a problem at one point where the alcohol content of a brand of commercial kombucha was over the legal limit for non-alcoholic beverages, which caused some issues. This led to some changes in how commercial kombucha was produced. From what I understand, something is added to the kombucha to stop the fermentation process so it remains under the legal alcohol limit. So what I can buy in the store here is not raw, unfortunately.
I too am always happy to share my extra SCOBYs.
Hi Tina,
I’m not sure where you are and that sounds like a ridiculous reason not to sell kombucha. I’m assuming it’s just in your particular area that the raw isn’t available because Azure Standard is also in the PNW https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/search/kombucha and sells raw,
GT’s is raw https://gtslivingfoods.com/pages/find-a-retailer
and also Kirkland brand is raw https://www.costco.com/p/-/kirkland-signaure-organic-raw-kombucha-16-fl-oz-8-count/100588180
1. We bought a new to us couch for $48.
2. I made some Goodwill purchases.
3. I harvested oka, eggplant, cucumbers, onions and squash.
4. I collected ac drip water and rice rinse water for watering plants
Pictures and ore details here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/06/21/frugal-four-new-couch/
Your pictures are beautiful as always. I am glad you were able to find a part time job. Extra money is always needed. Our community was blessed this week with a produce truck coming to town and gave away free produce to anyone who came. No financial questions asked. I got carrots, onions, cabbage, green bell peppers, and bananas. I have been processing them to the freezer and canning. I have given some to my extended family and my neighbor. My husband, his daughter and son in law and I went on an adventure this past Saturday to a flea market, antique stores and to eat for Fathers Day. I have been looking for a food mill and I found one. I was so excited. We have received rain this week and it has been great.
Brandy,
Congratulations on the job!
I was wondering if you do a lot of food preservation by dehydration. It seems you have a perfect climate for that and could just use screens in your back yard.
Here in S. FL I have to use a dehydrator because of humidity.
Thanks.
I don’t do it outside due to dust and wind.
I have read about people in warm climates who dehydrate on trays inside their car – in the sun.
Yeah, I have seen that.
But I wouldn’t want my car to smell like food. We don’t eat in the car; this would be really strong smelling.
I enjoyed The Seamstress of New Orleans that you posted about a few weeks ago. Ill add this one to my list also.
Pulled out all the chicken carcasses from the freezer and ended up 12 cups of broth.
I mended waitband on shorts, replaced a button on pants
My son took apart the living room AC unit and cleaned it.
I turned off air for several days as it’s been unreasonably cool.
Sold on two items on marketplace, made $30
The church across the road had a neighborhood party and brought over 2 bags of kettle corn.
There was a buy 2 get 1 sale on Amazon for books. I ended up with way more than I should have purchased.
Read and returned library books as soon as I was finished.
Stayed home a lot.
Hubby wanted to go to Golden Corral buffet for Father’s day. Holy cow, it was over $100 for four of us.
As the opening of the show gets closer (this Friday!), I have focused on ways to make the log rehearsal days and having to drive to town to the amphitheater each day as frugal as possible – bringing food and water from home, enjoying my breaks in the adjacent botanical garden or even taking a much-needed nap in my vehicle, taking care of necessary errands nearby before rehearsal or during a meal break, using hair and make-up supplies I already have on hand, dropping my sons off at the recreation center to work out and play basketball with friends while I am at shorter rehearsals – essentially anything to make the drive as worthwhile as possible and to keep as much of my pay from the show as possible by limiting any associated costs. I did receive a free meal from a local restaurant for filling out a survey and enjoyed that one night. I receive free tickets to shows as part of my pay. This show is providing several comps (complimentary tickets) so my family can come for free. I have also offered our new priest and his wife tickets, as well. I thought they might enjoy seeing a play which is so rooted in this area’s history as they recently moved here from out of state. The cast is also invited to dinner at a local inn this week – a wonderful tradition on the last night of dress rehearsals. Families are invited too which makes for a nice evening at no cost.
In non-theatre news, we heard from the assessor for the Forest Service regarding our application to the Timber Loss Relief Program. This program is intended to reimburse land owners for timber lost in Hurricane Helene. We weren’t sure if we had enough loss to qualify for help but our assessor determined we had losses valued well into the 5 figures. That would most certainly be of great help but I am not counting my chickens before they hatch, as they say. Now the Forest Service has to see how many applicants they have, the assessed monetary value of their loss and measure that against the amount in the fund. We should find something out by the end of summer, hopefully. If we get anything it will be well worth the time spent filling out and turning in the application and making a few phone calls. We continue to cut and split wood from trees felled in that storm and now have about 3 years worth of firewood curing. Best kind of insurance. Speaking of chickens, our chicks that hatched 6 weeks ago are growing like weeds and a second hen has just today hatched out two more. She’s not done yet! Hatching our own saves us an average of $5-6 per bird and we feel good that they are born right here and not at a factory farm. Plus, being barnyard mixes versus pure breeds, hopefully they have the best traits of both parents, be hearty and live long, productive lives.
Have a lovely week, all!
Hi everyone! Here’s my update from the last couple weeks:
• I scanned receipts into a handful of apps to earn points. I use Fetch, Receipt Pal, Receipt Hog, Ibotta, Copper, Receipt Jar and Coin Out. Please let me know if there are others that are worthwhile! (I have previously tried checkout 51 and Pogo, but those were not a good fit for me.)
• Filled up for $3.75 per gallon – best price at the time.
• Brought home leftovers from a picnic at work. That fed us for two+ nights.
• I’ve made a commitment to use up all of my hand and body lotion before buying more. I have quite a collection due to B&BW’s free coupons…..which I haven’t received in awhile, now that I think about it.
• Had a great idea for Christmas presents for my young adult children – Power Stations. Our power went off last week and I pulled out the two small ones we had purchased and used them for the first time. One ran a c-pap and the other ran a fan, so we could sleep. The ones we have were about $100 each from Amazon.
• We put up the hummingbird feeder last month and have been enjoying watching them.
• Used the library. Signed up for a 3 month Free Kindle Unlimited trial.
• Shopped at multiple stores while in town to get the best prices.
I like your power station idea for gifts.
If my Dad was still alive, (he had a horrible time buying gifts, as Mom had always handled it), I would suggest to him some kind of small size car battery jump starters, as ours are old and have very long thick cables. For grandchildren, head lamp flashlights. He liked practical gadgets that lasted a long time.
While gardening/ weeding I was able to transplant several volunteer tomato plants likely from compost. Cilantro is also coming up everywhere…. I’ll take every extra blessing I can find.
Used our abundance of eggs to make Sugar free Cheesecake, Lemon curd, brownies, crustless quiche, deviled eggs, mayonaise and omlets.
Started fermenting my chickens feed again, there was an abundance of food waste, lost along with normal coop clean-up. I supplement their free-range diet with organic feed so reducing the loss will save so much.
I used leftover butter wrappers (that I fold and store in refrigerator) to grease pans.
I added all used coffee grounds around the blueberry bushes mulch.
We ate all meals at/from home, read library books, listened to several sermons on our porch while watching birds and occupied ourselves taking care of the things that are already our responsibility 😉
I just want to say how much I enjoy your blog, Brandy – and also the comments of everyone who posts here. It is so inspiring.
Thank you!
I am glad to blog is back up. I hope to read and participate more. Your first picture shows very vibrant greens to what we have this year. We have had unusual weather; very slow to warm up, hotter days than usual, and very little rain. Our Farmer’s Market delayed opening on Wednesdays until after July 8th. I haven’t been as June is usually the start of produce. Before that it is baked and miscellaneous items on Saturdays. I have been working on canning some frozen items in my freezer. I canned a bag of cooked chicken leg quarters I bought 2 years ago on sale. I saw a you tube showing a woman storing many things that she uses weekly into jars to get rid of the packaging. I did the same thing in little spaces of time and was amazed at the space I gained. Its pretty too. I have been cleaning out things we no longer need or use. One evening I caught up on some sewing that had piled up. I was pleased how much I got done. A surprise was a dish cloth that needed a few inches of hem resewed at a time when I needed another one. Our 44 year old maple tree fell down due to a guy who cut/trimmed some trees for us filled some holes with sawdust and caused nitrogen loss in our yard. The tree did not hit anything! They don’t accept yard work where we take trash so we went to the place where the garbage goes. It costs $11 for 70 pounds. We do not have a truck but we knew if we hauled some bagged in our car with the back seat down we would definitely save quite a bit than have someone cut and haul it all. It would take them several trips. Good exercise for us too. One day when my husband went twice the same day we were only charged for the first one. We are at the point where it’s time to call someone. We are enjoying the benefits of caulking around the inside of our storm windows one day. Have a great week everyone!
Your garden looks beautiful. My celery didn’t make it so I planted more string beans in their place as I already had the seeds. I am harvesting lots of peas, sugar snap peas, lettuce, basil, and spinach. My daughter tried the first blueberry and by her facial expressions I took it that they are not ready yet. Lots of garden work has been happening in early mornings or after work.
My friend is selling her in laws home. The estate sale is over so she did an SOS to friends and family for the final cleanout. 10 of us showed up to help out. She told us to take whatever we wanted since everything was being tossed or donated. I came home with a car full of stuff to pass on to my kids, keep or sell. I will give her some of the money if anything sells. My office is currently a mess because of it. That is my job for this weekend. She treated us all to pizza for helping. I told her awhile ago to make an appointment with Big Brothers, Big Sisters as they pick up donations. The only things they will not take are large furniture, encyclopedias and food. Most of the furniture sold and the new homeowners said they would take whatever is left.
We had a very nice Father’s Day for my husband. I made him a nice breakfast at home. Our son took him to the range and lunch. They do it every year. Our youngest daughter came over and played games and treated us to dinner. She will take her dad mini golfing another day. Our oldest treated her dad to a baseball game when we are done there at the end of the summer.
Beautiful photos, as always! I, too, enjoyed Marivene’s comments years ago.
It’s been a great frugal week in Houston, TX!
The Chickfila near us had kids eat free on Tuesday night between 5 and 7. I got there a few minutes before 7 to be ready with 5 of my kids, who enjoyed a free kids meal, then traded the happy meal toy for ice cream.
I have been using up leftovers as well as I can. There’s enough ham to make into another meal, and I’m making French toast using forgotten bread bits tomorrow morning.
My friend who works at Randall’s called me about butter, 75 cents/#, that was about to expire. I really don’t need butter, but as she was nice enough to call me, I went ahead and bought it. I don’t want to turn it down, lest she stop calling about it. Some of my neighbors and friends are buying it off me, and thrilled at the price.
We enjoyed a playground I hadn’t taken the kids to in a while.
I went to Goodwill Outlet: you never know what you’ll find! It’s often a bust, but I found a like-new men’s Patagonia puffer coat, and lots of athletic clothing for the kids. I keep a laundry basket of clothes for the consignment store. Some things are too cheap to pass up, but I don’t need them. I use the credit for my older son and daughter to occasionally pick out items from the consignment store, as I prefer to thrift alone (or while the younger kids play in the shopping cart).
I toasted some stale tortilla chips in the oven to revive them.
Hope everyone has a nice, frugal week!
IG: Frewgalfamily_HTX
I accidentally lost this the first time I tried. here goes again My only expense this week was groceries. I spent more than budgeted at No Frills (a Canadian grocery store). I stocked up on quite a few pantry items. I get free delivery for orders over $30 (I bought a pass on sale for $24 for the year). The free delivery saves my spending money on a cab there and back (about $80 round trip). Almost everything I ordered this morning was on sale or had points or both. One offer gave points if you spent $20 on specific vegetables. Another PC optimum offer gave points if you spent $30 on specified fruits and vegetables. I should get double points. I had overlapping purchases of qualifying veggies and fruits (so spent about $30 to qualify for both sets of points). I bought fresh local asparagus – my treat to myself as it will soon be out of season. I bought fresh American strawberries for $3 for a pound. It is almost the only American product I’ve bought in a long time. Ice cream was on sale for $3 so I bought some for the strawberries. I have a month’s supply of yogourt that I bought on sale from Safeway last week. I got points worth at least $30 so that will be “free” groceries for next week or the week thereafter.
We receive a $100 grant from the province on July 1. I am entitled also to some retroactive pay due to a mistake that I caught. Both will be put towards the remaining tax I will owe on June 30th. Money in from one level of government then immediately out to another! sigh! My rhubarb is ready to harvest. I will be freezing it. My fruit trees hardly have any fruit on them. I am babysitting a friend’s tomato plants while she goes to her cabin. Both of our plants suffered terribly due to the snow, late frost, drought, the deluge-like rain and finally strong wind.
Hello all. So enjoy this blog, thank you Brandy!!
We are camping. We receive the 1/2 price discount, due to age :), so it’s only $8 per night. No ammenities, but we are having a really good time. Visiting with our son and DIL, and soon grands that have been away at camp. We are camping only 20 minutes from them, so parents are on their way to pick up. Frugal dinners included chicken enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. Cheese bought on sale and a jumbo pack of corn shells. My husband cooked a chicken several weeks ago so we picked and froze the meat. We also made brisket tacos. We’ve enjoyed 6 meals so far and still have a couple left. The non frugal part is diesel is $5.25 ($7 in California) and we needed to fill up once to get here and will need to fill up on our way home. Overall a reasonable time away though and all meals will be prepared with food er already have.
I’ll start by saying, I too read The Seamstress of New Orleans and I couldn’t put it down! Excellent book.
My son visited from out of town. He’s an electrician and he put up the lights John and I bought two years ago when we redid the kitchen and bath. That was lovely and has made a huge difference in finally finishing off those two rooms.
I cashed in Fetch points for an Amazon gift card. With a gift card I’d earned and this card, plus a credit I was able to order several items I need from Amazon paying only about $30. I also got a pair of Clark’s sandals for less than half price on Prime Day. I’ve worn a similar pair for years and years and knew they were very comfortable and very wearable. Loaded car up with donations again and then ran errands. I didn’t finish my errands that day, having miscalculated how late it was, how tired I was from my day’s work, etc. I went back out on Thursday. I had to go into the grocery to get a Key Lime Pie for my daughter’s birthday (special request) and I came out without picking up more than the absolutely needed items (namely flour and pie).
Hi everyone,
I am hoping everyone is staying comfortable with this heat wave.
I am on week 3 of my next 10-week class. It’s intense to teach a college course in 10 weeks but it does allow me to get in an extra term and a half in a calendar year. The extra money is such a blessing right now as my freelance work has largely dried up.
Tomorrow is my oldest’s birthday. We found a lovely dress for her at a store, insanely cheap, for a gift. We are making dinner at home, and she is inviting a friend over to join us.
Garden is growing slowly between the moles or voles and the baby bunnies in the neighborhood. Not to mention our weird weather! I am still trying. Tomatoes have leafed out considerably and we’re just waiting for them to flower. Beans are still slow, and carrots don’t want to even show.
Made homemade ice cream with some of the leftover whipping cream I’d gotten on flash food.
Making sourdough bread and English muffins. The muffins can be cooked on the stove, so not as hot, and the bread, I’m baking 2 loaves at once so I’ll be done. I’ll likely give the second to a friend to enjoy.
I have really enjoyed the Merlin app. I am getting to know the birds in my neighborhood just by listening to them! It is free to use.
Please be safe this holiday weekend.
Robbie
I rescued a lot of produce the past couple weeks, along with frozen food, meat, baked goods, and some dairy. Some shared some kept. I also rescued non-perishables including pasta, sparkling water, cat treats, Independence Day decor set, glass bowl & lid, and some pantry items like sugar and dried fruit.
Some nearby people were moving and I curb shopped household items, kids toys and clothing. Most was put in a free clothing pantry. I kept a roll of tape. Also curb shopping at a different spot, I found a new soldering set, phone case, trimmer/razor rechargeable set, first aid kit, two bouquets of flowers that are still going strong after almost 2 weeks, a pair of gloves, and a box of plastic cutlery.
I picked up my farm share of locally grown produce. I walked in the neighborhood and did a telehealth to avoid fuel use.