I harvested Black Mission figs, Meyer lemons, Early Girl Tomatoes, and parsley.
I cut roses from my garden to enjoy inside.
I redeemed Swagbucks for an Amazon giftcard, which I used towards the purchase of a new toaster, along with the small credit I earned from the blog, as mine recently died.
My election duties had me working three days at a library, where they had an ongoing used book sale in the entryway. I found a Spanish/English dictionary and a German/English dictionary for $0.50 each. I had been planning to buy a Spanish/English dictionary soon, so that saved me a lot. I also found two children’s books that were $1 each. One is a book in a series that I have another from (found at a garage sale).
One of my neighbors passed away. His children were having a garage sale. Everything was priced to sell. We bought several practical things without spending much, including a large metal tool chest (with drawers)($5), a roasting pan with a lid ($1), staples, pushpins, post-it notes, paste wax, a bar of soap, some twine, and two ties ($0.50 each).
I sewed a little strawberry purse for my granddaughter as a birthday gift. I designed the purse myself. I used a zipper I had on hand that my grandmother bought on clearance years ago. I lined it with fabric I already had, and used a fabric scrap from another project to make the strawberry.
What did you do to save money last week?
The strawberry purse is adorable! I spent $3.18 on groceries last week, bread and eggs. I don’t need to buy anything else bc I needed to finish off my fresh vegetables I had in the fridge. Gas prices have varied so much depending on where I happen to be traveling. They were $3.53 a gallon in university town at Walmart but $4.06 a gallon 45 minutes south of there.
Such a sweet strawberry purse! I love that you got practical things at the garage sale.
We did our end of month bookkeeping, paying a bill and checking our insurance bill carefully-they overcharged us by over $300 earlier this year. I followed up on a refund I hadn’t received.
I read a manuscript for a $25 gift card. It took me about an hour to scan/read it and answer the questions.
I gave supplemental water to my food plants, using water from rain barrels. We have several winter squash starting and some tomatoes setting fruit.
I harvested blackberries, arugula, lettuce, rhubarb and kale. This is the time of year I don’t have to buy any veggies except carrots and potatoes, and much less fruit.
I found new zippers for 75¢ each at the craft thrift store.
I mended my granddaughter’s Bob jogging stroller. The seat was beginning to rip at the seams. It was bought used and had given excellent service the past 5 years.
A friend was having a large purge of her house and kindly let me take anything from her donate pile. I filled my car and have sold over $150 worth of things in the last few days. I still have more to list.
I’m just keeping on. Nothing big.
That purse is so sweet! What a great gift for your granddaughter.
Last week I did a lot of staying home. It was not very exciting but it was frugal. Here are some ways I saved:
– Sewed two curtain tie backs out of a half yard of linen fabric that I had on hand. They turned out even nicer than I had imagined.
– Mended the hem of a pillowcase and the edge of a blanket.
– Hand washed a pair of sneakers and insoles, and then put them outside to try on a sunny day. They looked and felt like new shoes the next time I wore them.
– Boiled some sour smelling dishcloths in water with baking soda, then washed them with a regular load of laundry. They smell much better now.
– Had my tires rotated for free at Costco, which was included in the price when I bought new tires there a few years ago.
– Printed out a few things at the library, including a few pages in color. Our library system gives each patron a $5 printing allowance each week – color copies are 50 cents, and black and white ones are 15 cents.
– Borrowed a stud finder from my landlady to figure out where to install shelf brackets in my storage room. I already sorted through everything in there, now I just need to put up some shelves to finish getting organized.
– Did all the things I normally do: walked on the trail, sat on my patio, watched YouTube videos, and cooked at home.
Hi Brandy and everyone
What a pretty bag for your granddaughter, the little strawberry is a cute detail. You had some great buys at the garage sale and the used book sale. So nice to find bargains!
This week we used spinach, broad beans,oregano and parsley from the garden.
I cut sweet peas, roses and poppies for the house and took a bunch of Sweet William to a friend.
I cooked a big moussaka with reduced price beef mince and froze some and made cherry and cranberry cakes with supplies on hand.
I used a gift card for a new swimsuit so no oop. I earned the gift card from a consumer research panel.
I bought a selection of greeting cards to suit different occasions on a deal. This is quite a money saver, I don’t seem to find time to make cards and they’re ridiculously expensive in the shops.
I emptied two big pots of spring bulbs and planted them up again for summer/autumn colour with plants we’ve propagated ourselves. I put the bulbs to dry and will replant again in the autumn.
A friend runs a little hat/ fascinator hire service and she asks for donations to a local charity. I found a navy fascinator to go with an outfit for a family wedding, less expensive than buying one and happy the money goes to a good cause.
We planted out two different varieties of squash, my husband built frames for them out of tree trimmings.
Have a good week everyone.
Penny – I LOVE the idea of a hat/fascinator for hire service. What a wonderful way for someone to share their collection and provide needed funds for charity. I have never heard of such a thing and think it’s brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
MountainMamaDawn, my friend houses the collection in a shepherds hut ( on wheels) in her garden and has fitted it out beautifully, so it’s great fun to visit.
I love, love, love the strawberry bag! The use of the zipper from your grandmother’s stash makes it a true heirloom. Your granddaughter will cherish it, I’m sure.
The most noteworthy money-related event this week was on the increasing income side of things. I was unexpectedly offered a job with the production team of “Horn in the West” – the longest running Revolutionary War outdoor drama in the US. My youngest son and I were part of the cast last year when they had a shorter than usual season (due to damage to the amphitheater from Hurricane Helene.) I had never auditioned for this show before last year because I could never make the intense schedule work with the rest of my life. It looked as if this year would be the same situation as they have returned to the 5 show/week schedule. I got a call from the production team asking me to take on the task of finding and organizing 2 ensemble casts – one performing 2 nights/week and the other 3 nights/week – and would I please perform given one of those choices. The pay will help a lot so I accepted. I am excited to be a part of this great show particularly during this 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I will get to hang out with some dear theatre friends and make more and have already learned a lot more about the pre-production side of things than I ever appreciated. So, if anyone is near Boone, NC this summer come see “Horn in the West” – we’d love to have you! Much less exciting than theatre but important, we took a hard look at our retirement accounts and investments and did some minor but worthwhile reorganizing. We are kind of the “set it and forget it” type of investors allowing time to do its thing but every now and then it is good to give those parts of your life a check-up. With the warming weather, we’ve enjoyed swimming and fishing at lakes and waterfalls with friends – some of the best free fun to be had around here. The garden is exploding, the clothes are drying on the line, we have lots of mowing jobs to do for neighbors and we continue to eat down our pantry with minimal grocery shopping. Little habits add up to a lot. Enjoy your week, all!
Your Theatre work sounds like lots of fun! Congratulations!
Thank you, Tammy!
Oh how exciting! Congratulations!
I haven’t seen “Horn in the West” but we loved going to Tweetsie and Land of Oz when I was little. I think this will be a good year to return.
I love that you incorporated generational items creating such a beautiful gift. Glad you were able to replace your toaster with well earned GC. I am currently saving my Bing points for GC to redo a small bathroom floor.
Brandy, I forgot to type I was happy to read your pain is less. I hope it continues that way for you.
This past week didn’t go as usual, with the holiday, extra appointments and so forth. Knowing I wasn’t going to stay on track, I made a list of small/quick catch ups to feel centered. I ate a more ice cream treats than planned and still lost another pound. Life is good.
There were 9 empty (garden pots) placed throughout our property. Some big, some small. Last year they were filled with annuals. This year, I planted chard seeds in 2, container Jalapeno seeds in one, Thyme (that needed divided) in 2 more and baby hostas in the rest. No extra money spent and they look great.
Hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
Such a cute purse! And congrats on earning extra money from the election work (I’ve done this a few times myself) and on all the great bargains!
Last week was fairly quiet for me as I had my first cataract surgery on Wednesday. Spent the time beforehand trying to clean the apt. as a friend was coming to stay and getting ahead at the office as I was taking a few days off. Everything went really well and I am grateful for our healthcare system as I chose the option that is completely covered – my only out of pocket expense was the $200 I chose to spend for some extra testing. Check up today and the second eye will be done next week. I stuck close to home for a few days so the only expense was a few extra food items for the friends who helped out.
Paid all my bills online for June so that is sorted. I totaled up my May grocery costs (food and non-food) and it was another expensive month by my standards but I did do some more stocking up. I anticipate June being a much lower spend as I’m trying to use up a lot of things from the freezer so that I can make some room for the fruit that I hope to freeze. First on the list was some rhubarb (a ridiculous price but I love it) – some was just cleaned, chopped and frozen while another batch was cooked first and then portioned up for freezing. I kept out a bit to enjoy with my morning yogurt. Next will be Ontario strawberries but I don’t think they wil appear for another couple of weeks at least as it has been a long, cool Spring. Also pricy – but delivious and worth the cost – especially come the Winter.
Here’s to another low spend week!
Adorable strawberry bag!
Our biggest frugal accomplishment this week was a local gourmet grocery store & deli that was closing. Stock was listed as 50% off, but the staff were giving things away and offering much larger discounts. We stocked up on a lot of pantry items and some household goods. Just for asking, I was given several of the store decorative display pieces (wooden French crates, picnic baskets etc) that I will use for organizing. We noticed the staff throwing a lot of usable items and food into the dumpster. We rescued some paper plates and items still sealed in the packaging. After talking to the manager and coordinating with a coworker, we were able to organize a donation of everything left in the store after it closed. We rescued 2 van loads and 4 carloads – over 1,000 lbs of food and several cases of paper goods – that will directly benefit those in need through our outreach campus. I am so glad I took the time to ask, because I suspect it would have all gone into the dumpster otherwise.
Other frugal things: We continued cooking almost all meals at home. We’ve enjoyed poulet rôti (roast chicken) with vegetables, deli-style sandwiches (lunchmeat was on sale), grilled burgers with corn on the cob, chicken salad sandwiches, Detroit style pizza, and steak au poivre with pomme frites. I baked chocolate chip cookies and made rice krispie treats for sweet treats at home and to use up some older marshmallows. Brought all of our snacks, lunches, drinks/coffee to work instead of purchasing. Batched errands to save gas. I did my own manicure/pedicure, as usual. We spent some time looking at our expenses to determine any areas we could trim. By changing plans and removing some unnecessary add-ons, we were able to trim our cell phone bill by over $60/month. I did a live chat with our electricity provider and switched to a plan which should save us quite a bit, especially as we head into the higher-usage summer months. A neighbor moved out and gave away quite a few things. We got a package of paper towels, several bottles of household cleaning products, a full bag of potting soil, a new pack of undershirts in my husband’s size, and a robot vacuum. We have tossed around the idea of a robot vacuum for a while, so this is a nice way to try it out. We sold a couple of furniture items we no longer need. We went to an estate sale and I found some nice work clothing in my new size. I have lost over 50 lbs since last July! I cleaned out my closet and brought a number of work clothes in my old sizes to the office, where I set up a rack for coworkers to “shop” from for free. I frequently receive compliments on my office attire, and my coworkers were thrilled to get new wardrobe pieces at no cost. I was very happy to see it all find new homes. Used our building gym, home equipment (resistance bands, small weights) and YouTube for free exercise.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Very kind and generous!
Pam B – Rescuing all of that food is amazing! 😁
Pam, what an amazing thing you did for your community by asking and coordinating to get all that food! Bless you!
I have been hired by Statistics Canada for a few weeks to follow up with folks who have not completed their census. The pay is $25.87 per hour for about 20 hrs per week. The work sounds pretty straight forward with me needing to phone or visit folks to help finish their census. The money earned will be added to my travel fund.
Cute purse!
Found some Nathan’s hotdogs for $3.48 a pack versus $5.97 at Walmart. Purchased 6
Also found Simply brand juice for $1.46. Purchased 4
I am decluttering the house while I am off work this summer. My last two semesters are going to be intense because I will have to take 4 classes each to graduate next spring. I found some near used candles. I put them aside to use on my wax warmer. I also found a new Airpods charger.
The window tint on my back window was starting to peel. I called the place we had it installed and they replaced it for free.
On my decluttering journey, I found enough fleadrops for the frenchie to last her the rest of the year.
Hubby went fishing and we put some more fish filets aside in the freezer.
Earned $4.05 Amazon Shopper Panel reward
Listed a few things on Marketplace. Im not going to hang onto them them long because the goal is to get stuff gone.
Got rid of several items listing for free.
Read and returned a couple library books as soon as I was finished.
After weeks of dryness, we are having huge rainstorms. I worked evenings to plant out lots of seedlings before the rains came.
I saved money on homeschool resources by buying used and buying non-consumable books that all my children can read.
Brandy, is your husband getting Social Security yet?
I wanted to mention a Part B hack for Medicare that’s been really nice — this is via Devoted, and the premiums are FREE for us here in southern CO. (We paid a little when we lived further north.) Not only do we have the usual benefits, but every month, both Husband and I get a $54 credit on a food/household debit card. It really helps with groceries, but you must spend it or lose it before the next month loads. I realize you’re still a ‘youngster,’ but this might come in handy in future years, even if he’s not quite eligible now.
We just got an order of mouthwash, deoderant, baby wipes, etc. delivered from Walmart — only we didn’t order it! I contacted them, and they said to just keep the stuff. Wow.
I planted greens in the bins kept on the back deck — they’re just coming to ‘eatness’ now. Our tomatoes survived some near-freezes. So did our roses.
Not yet; he isn’t at full retirement age yet, so the amount would be reduced. We have to wait a few more years.
I haven’t heard of any Medicare plans here that include groceries or free premiums in my state, but I will keep a look out when we have to make that decision for him in a couple of years. I don’t think there are options for either of those things here. I know they cut one of the insurance companies here this year. There were 3 or 4 options and now this one is totally gone. My parents had that one and they would get a toiletry credit that could be used on certain items from one place (but it was pricey, so the money didn’t go as far). They could vitamins and other things that way. But that’s gone now.
The phrase “full retirement age” doesn’t mean what it used to. I think it is a statistical estimating thing more than anything else at this point in time. You can start collecting between the ages of 62 and 70. Each month you wait, the payout goes up a little bit. That’s it– no magic at 67, except a tiny bit more than 66 and 11 months, a tiny bit less than 67 and 1 month. Medicare starts at 65.
As always, check with experts, especially when it comes to supplemental plans.
Yes. I looked at the amounts on the paperwork they sent us; there is a signifcant monthly difference amount between 62 and 67. It also affects how much I will receive once he passes away. Also, as long as he is still working, he can’t make over a certain amount (which is super low) once he starts collecting, or he will have to pay it back. So it’s not to our advantage at all for him to collect now, but to wait until he is at least 67.
My dad receives social security and works a fair bit. He has not been required to pay any back. So I just went and looked it up. Since he’s full retirement age, he doesn’t have to pay any back. It did say that if one does collect starting before 67, and one earns money, one does have to pay some of it back, over a certain earned limit. BUT it said that once one reaches full retirement age, the monthly benefit is recalculated to give you full credit for the withheld months.
I thought that was interesting.
My BIL gets social security and he has minor children and and each minor child receives monthly money from social security
Good to know about not paying if you wait until 67. I know people who told me recently they were collecting and working still but had run into this issue of making “too much”–but it still wasn’t enough to pay their bills.
Why would his minor children receive money? The only reason I have seen minors to receive social security is social security death benefits to minors, which only goes through the age of 15, and he would have to be dead for them to receive it (unless your sister has passed, so they get it that way?)
From what I read on what they mailed to us, him waiting until full retirement age will also benefit me, as I would receive a percentage of his benefits after he passes. Because we have a 13 year age gap, and given the average lifespan of men in the US (76) and the average lifespan of women in my family (88 to 96), I could easily have 20 to 30 years as a widow. So if we wait for him to take it, then it gives me more over a longer period of time.
What I couldn’t figure out is how to amount is figured if he dies before taking retirement. My assumption is I would be able to collect based on his age at death.
Brandy, When my BIL passed, before retirement age, my sister got his retirement. I think it was still figured on his ten highest earning years. Her youngest sons were also able to collect for awhile, as well. Of course, everything could change by the time you apply.
Once your husband is retired (collecting Social Security) you can collect for any minor children (up to age 18 or up to 19 if they are still in high school). Your husband could start collecting at age 62 and you would probably get money also for your 2 younger children. However I think you are smarter to wait until he is at least 67 to ensure that you get a larger benefit for what will probably be a really long time. Whenever he starts collecting if you have minor children you can collect for them as well.
I really wasn’t aware of this. My husband will be 73 when my youngest turns 18. I will look into it when he goes to collect.
Brandy, my children received SS money when their father was disabled and after he passed.
Brandy, if your DH is going to keep working, I recommend he wait until he is 70 y.0. to collect Social Security payments. The amount he gets goes up every year he waits by 8% a year IIRC. So waiting 3 years = 24% more. I don’t think you can get that high of an interest rate anywhere these days, so it would behoove you to live off the paycheck/ commission checks a few more years and then get the SS. As you noted, what he gets will affect whatever you would get should you become widowed, so carefully check in to this; SS does not pay the surviving spouse as much as the SS earner got. IMHO the only reason to collect SS before 70 is if you are very, very poor or very ill and unlikely to survive to 70. They will really cut your benefits if you get SS at 62, I think you only get half your regular amount, so I strongly advise against it.
That’s actually our plan.
What a cute purse and design! Love you have a sewing stash that goes back to grandma. Saving those items always comes in handy and makes an instant heirloom. That roasting pan will also be great for making bread. Such a good deal.
I’m making the appetizers for my nieces graduation this weekend and was able to buy most items on sale at a store I had to drive by anyway. I got Duke’s mayonnaise which was never a west coast item, so excited to try the legend.
Made strawberry lemonade from my Meyer lemons and a slurry of strawberries on sale I froze in cubes.
Repurposed some poles from an old exercise machine into hiking poles to use at an event at a hillside location.
Took photos for neighbors event at a beautiful 1912 estate, now art center. I have a new iPhone (switched carrier and got a better plan w phone). I’d never really tried out the photo features on this new phone. Turned out better than expected.
Got a refund on items not in my bag when I got home.
After a yr trying to get my social security payment back to the correct amount, it was increased, but not the right amount and no back pay, so still trying.
Thrifted blue plates and platter w scenes of American revolution. For 1 & 2 dollars a piece.
Got gas at Costco for $5.89 g which is substantially less than other places and the peanuts for the crows and squirrels ended up being a dollar less a bag than it showed online. Momma squirrel is so happy, she comes when I call and runs up to me expectantly. This makes my day. Nature is beautiful. She would and has taken peanuts from my hand, by I don’t want her to start thinking all humans are trustworthy, so enjoy her from afar. She brings her babies to show them off and enjoy she’s a proud momma who trusts me. Crows bring their babies too. Life is good.
I have a pair of crows nesting in the cemetery behind me and I leave out unsalted, unshelled peanuts. They spot them instantly. So fun to watch. And I only use Dukes. It’s a Southern thing 😊.
Yes, those are the same type I buy for my squirrels and crows. After trial and error, I’ve determined this is their favorite. They love to open the shells themselves. Aren’t they fun to watch? Crows can tell time too. Set a regular time and they will be waiting. If you’re late they will call you on it when you come outside. ☺️
For years I’ve heard about Duke’s from southern friends. I’m thrilled it’s finally come to the west coast so I can find out why it’s beloved!
Only Duke’s in this house, too, unless it’s homemade. But, I think my family prefers Duke’s. You can’t shake some things from childhood. 😁
I suggest you meet with a Benefits Specialist who focuses on Medicare. My husband turns 65 in August, but will continue to work until 67 with workplace insurance. I’m younger and need his private insurance. The guy we just met with knew Medicare inside and out and told us what we could and couldn’t do and what our options were. He answered questions we didn’t know to ask. A knowledgeable professional is the way to go, IMHO. The session was free to us.
I am planning to do this as well when we get closer to this time–which is not far off!
We cook at home to lose weight, feel good, and save money. I was happy to get chicken leg quarters for 69 cents a lb. It was in a 10 lb pack. We bought only the produce on sale. It helped our grocery budget immensely. We are using our produce before it goes bad. I found peaches on sale for $1.48 a lb. I love peaches! We have been too busy working to spend much money.
We don’t have a garden this year. So, I bought a tomato at the grocery store today. It was big and juicy and wonderful. However: It cost us $4.63. Oh my! One tomato! I must say though, it was wonderful and I haven’t been buying processed foods in packaging or anything with sugar. I’ve lost 45 lbs. The tomato was a treat. I am considering seeing if I can find any tomato plants somewhere at this late date. Next year I hope to have a garden. We are growing some basil in a container outside.
I bet your granddaughter is going to love that adorable purse!
I used the library. I recently discovered MelCat, where I can get books from libraries throughout the state. And my librarian told me if I can’t find it there to let her know, she can search/request books from across the country. How cool!
Found a dime! Redeemed Fetch points for a $25 Kroger gift card.
Shopped multiple stores for the best “cherry-picking” deals. Returned items left over from a recent project to Menards – $150 for the next project!
Filled up for $4.04 per gallon – best price at the time. The last two weeks I was able to get a $4 Ibotta gas rebate. Redeemed both.
Made all meals from home.
Got a free t-shirt for volunteering for Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build project. They also gave me a couple of free coffee coupons.
I am so grateful and thankful for this forum and community! I learn so much and enjoy reading all of the posts. Have a great week, everyone!
Brandy,
Almost everyone here has admired the lovely strawberry purse. I do too. I have been looking at about 200 photos that I found in the 195 boxes of papers I sorted from my father’s office from decades ago. Whenever I see myself in a photo, the first thought is “that’s a dress my mother sewed for me”. It makes me feel so happy to realize it was not just a sewn item but an expression of love. And your granddaughter will look at the purse, enjoy it now but in years to come will realize how much love went into that little purse!
We had heavy, unrelenting rain for about 4 days. before that it was hot like July weather. So thanks to the rain I saved money on watering. Alas, the high winds resulted in two trees that will need to be cut down. The tree cutter who is very reasonable has been called. So I won’t have saved any money!
I had a limited budget for bedding out plants this year – the poor plants had to survive snow, a late frost, drought, then heavy rain. It looks like my tomato seedlings survived. And the butternut squash seedlings. Right before the rainstorm, my friend’s brother planted beet, carrot and arugula seeds in my garden.
My entertainment costs are nothing. I watched some really interesting films for free on our National Film Board website. I researched an article using the McGill University digital archives – again for free. I watched some old obscure classic British films on YouTube. They were very funny.
I have been inundated with emails for 3 projects I’m trying to finish up but when it isn’t raining, i’ve watched butterfly battles in my yard, and have seen 2 ospreys circling overhead. I’ve tried to take photos but so far they are faster than I am. I missed seeing the moose and her calf that visited my yard – a neighbour told me about them. I saved money on pruning my bushes as they did it for me.
I am really pleased because the two roses I planted last year are thriving, although one was partially trimmed by the moose. We never had moose until about 5 years ago but they are losing habitat to development so they are moving into our area.
I am also really happy because last year a friend and I found a lovely garden up the street from me. i saw the most beautiful tree – it was some kind of Japanese lilac. my friend loved it too. I looked into how much it would cost and the cheapest I could find was $400. So I was at a nursery in the countryside when I saw a tree that had really similar leaves. It was $40 so I persuaded my friend to buy it for his yard and I’m really happy that it is thriving.
One of his roses that he bought on my advice apparently did not come back but I told him to leave it in the ground as it may come back and if it is on its own roots it will be fine.
I don’t have any money for other plants this summer. My mother years and years ago took a cutting off a neighbour’s rose that was huge and grew in her alley. It is like a Cherokee rose and I’m thinking of trying to propagate it and then plant a hedge with it.
I’m going to get my hummingbird feeder up. I hope any hummingbird in the area survived as it was very cold during the rains. I never use sugar anymore but have a bag of white sugar (the only kind to use for hummingbird food) for the humingbirds. it cost me $3 for the bag two years ago.
I was appalled at the price of shampoo at our local stores plus the fact that a lot of the shampoos were sold out. So I bought 2 bottles from amazon.ca at about half the price.
Love the photos each week, I always wonder what you will post with your garden! Blackberries and blueberries are just starting and I am making smoothies with them. The garden is in a between stage, the summer produce isn’t really coming on yet and the spring is waning with the heat building up. So far we haven’t used the ac hardly at all and only at night then, but with temps near 90 , I know we will need to use it some.
* Been making chicken meals with a marked down whole chicken. My neighbor dropped off some squash and I have made pasta salad with squash and other assorted veggies with some 4 yo pasta (gf). It was still good and will make it weekly till it is gone.
* I found 2 begonias on clearance for $2 that were a good size, and potted them up for my porch.
* My husband got $50 for 2 settlements that he followed up with.
* The family I work for who give me compost, gave me 6 perfectly good onions and 2 stale eikhorn sourdough loaves that I sprinkled water on and froze most of it! My compost is growing quickly and I am so grateful for it. I take fresh bouquets each week from my yard as a thank you, as they have no yard.
* I hope you all have a lovely first week of June!
Having commented that my garden rhubarb is not thriving I spotted some on sale, a good amount reduced to £0.79. I made three rhubarb crumbles, two to go into the freezer to take to my Father who is on his own. We are travelling to a wedding in August. Found a silk dress on ebay for less than the cost of dry cleaning an old outfit. Planning to pair it with shoes and jacket I already have. Sadly, we don’t have a hat hire business nearby like Penny! Drove husband to dental appointment as it is difficult to park in that part of town. We combined errands, stopping off at a factory shop to buy a wedding gift made on the premises. I do try to be frugal but we also make a point of supporting local businesses and producers even if it costs a little more. We are lucky to have a great farm shop nearby where they produce all their own meat. It is much higher quality than the supermarkets: we eat less of it and enjoy it much more. While we were in town we took the opportunity of visiting the Asian goods supermarket to top up on some items – we have Japanese family – and found a really good offer on large bags of Japanese rice. Can anyone give me tips on freezing okra? I love it but rarely see it. However, I can buy it fresh in quantity at the Asian supermarket and would like to have a go at freezing a supply.
I haven’t frozen okra myself, but imagine you could freeze it like any other vegetable by blanching it before freezing:boil for a minute, strain, then drop in ice water. Drain again and freeze on silicone baking mats so it isn’t one big lump. Then transfer to a freezer bag.
I have seen two accounts on Instagram now where women are making fascinators from woven round placemats. They’re beautiful, and inexpensive. The one I saw this morning uses the placemat, a headband, and large safety pins to make the entire thing. It’s unbelievably gorgeous. The account is casmir_si_pricomigdale. The one I first saw, who has several fascinators, is olgakurzova.
Here in north Texas okra is a staple crop! It grows incredibly well in our heat and is an extremely popular menu item here. I personally love pickled okra, but fried is probably the most popular choice. What Brandy suggested is the best way to go. Wash the pods, trim off the stems without exposing the seeds (or the texture will be awful & mushy), then you can slice or leave whole – blanche in boiling water 2-3 minutes, and then an ice bath to best preserve the texture. Flash freeze on a baking sheet and then bag them. If you plan to fry it, you can even pre-bread with cornmeal or breading of choice before you flash freeze. If you intend to use the okra in stews or gumbo where the texture is less important, you can skip the blanching and just freeze!
I place whole unwashed okra in ziploc plastic bags, then put the bags in the freezer. When I am ready to cook the okra, I remove the amount I want, wash it, and cook it immediately after. It thaws very quickly.
Hi G.
You definitely can freeze okra – up until recently frozen okra in the store was really inexpensive.
It’s great to add to soup.
I think brandy’s tips are spot on
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions about freezing okra. I shall give it a try! I usually cook my okra with Indian spices (Bhindi bhaji) or just with some tomatoes, onions and a final squeeze of lemon juice.
Our oldest daughter used our guest room as a hotel one night on her way to Maine with her husband. We kept her 2 dogs while they were away. They used us as a hotel on the way back too. They bought us a bottle of blueberry vinegar as a thank you.
Our son was traveling for work last week and we watched his cat too. He got us a jar of Vermont maple syrup as a thank you.
My friend and I carpooled to the library for a free cookie decorating class. We were each given 6 cookies and taught basic decorating. No one wanted to take the extra icing home from our table so I took all 6 bags home. There is enough to do at least another dozen cookies. The lady that taught the class told us it freezes great.
My friend that I carpooled with got Hubby a dark chocolate bar with chili pepper. They were talking about weird candy bar flavors on my birthday and she saw this and got it for him. I will not be eating it. She returned a jam jar to me, gave us some medicated patches from her FIL’s house and paid me for an amazon item I ordered for her. She doesn’t have prime and we do through Hubby’s work. I gave her a bag of lettuce from my garden.
I gave my neighbor a bag of lettuce from the garden too. We had a nice chat too. They invited us for the 4th of July for a BBQ. I will bring something homemade.
Our other neighbor is away for 3 weeks for work. The oldest son was at a soccer game with friends. I offered to have the little one (7) over to give mom a break. We worked in my garden, he played with the dogs, he sat in Hubby’s truck and we had Italian ices that I got on sale. He is a very sweet kid. They don’t have any family near by so I try to help out. I remember how hard it was with 3 young kids and Hubby traveling.
We planted a lot more in the garden. It is almost done. We bought 6 blueberry bushes and a bunch of strawberry starts for a new garden Hubby built. I called around to find out who had the best prices on blueberry bushes. The same size ranges from $75-$49. We went to the place with the $49 ones which is a family owned nursery. They charge a 3% fee for using a credit card so I paid cash. We used pots, fencing and hoses that we already owned many of which were garbage picked. Looking forward to lots of fruits and veggies. We have been eating lots of salads since we have so much lettuce.
I found a place in Alaska(going in August) on Airbnb to stay for 1 night. It was an inn so I googled it and found their number. So I called and booked it directly. It was $50 cheaper doing it that way. It comes with breakfast too.
I scrubbed my lunch box this weekend. I try to do it every weekend. Stays in good condition this way. I’ve had it for years.
I made protein banana nut muffins with 4 very ripe bananas that hubby brought home from work on Friday. I used silicone baking cups. I made my egg bites too for easy breakfasts.
Hubby made a double batch of our favorite Greek salad dressing since we were out.
A coworker of Hubby’s gave him a jar of pickled eggplant. We trade things back and forth since we both like to garden and cook.
Hubby was given a company hat.
I was offered leftover pizza for lunch. I happily ate it.
In the mail I received the library’s quarterly catalog. I have been looking at all of the classes I want to take.
Hubby picked up a prescription. They said it would be $67. He had them run it through GoodRX. It came to $18.
Hubby sold his 1988 corvette for more then we paid for it 5+ years ago.
While I was at the grocery store, I bought 2 packs of orange peppers from the reduced rack. I will slice them up and freeze for fajitas and sausage and peppers. Future me will be thankful. I found 11 cents at the store. I bought extra cucumbers while I was there too. My son buys pickles from the Farmers Market and gives me the brine when he is done with them. I heated up the brine and added the sliced cucumbers to it. I will let it sit for 2 weeks and see how they come out. I’m sure they will be good.
I ordered 2 bagel orders on TooGoodToGo. Each order was $5.99 verses $18. We aren’t picky on bagels. My daughter took most of them home with her. She lives in Maryland and can’t get good bagels.
I did the guest sheets and they are hanging up outside. Laundry has been hung out all week. The windows have been open too.
I’m using yarn I had to make a test knit. I got the pattern for free as a test knitter.
I rescued lots of food the past two weeks. I stock the community fridge with it, put some in the little free pantries (shelf stable items), and keep quite a bit. I’ve rescued everything from muffins and croissants to tortillas and instant and pre-cooked rice to all the fruits and veggies that a typical grocery store has, as well as a coffee creamer, sticks of butter, coffee filters, pre-baked pizza crust, meats and even a jar of coconut oil, individual servings of trail mix, a jar of pickles, a jar of minced garlic and a tube of garlic paste. I dumpster dived 3 plants and brought them back to life, they’re on my porch now. I curb shopped a well-known brand of hand mixer, a 4-slice wide-slot toaster, some cookware and utensils, a vera bradley tote, bed sheet set, clothing, books, disinfectants, spices, small storage bins, some school supplies, and reusable shopping bags.
I saw on you tube where a Mom who I think was in Ohio was taking her kids to a free lunch program at the hospital. It was very healthy food and lasted for the summer. Not sure if anyone else has it in their area.
I received a promotion at my current short term job-which means I will be working 40 hrs per week instead of 20-more $ for the travel fund.
As well we are paying a ridiculous amount for a private hip replacement for my husband next month-it is expected to take 2 years in the public system and he is in pain and struggling to walk. Normally he is very healthy-you can’t put a price on being pain free.
I saw one here at the local library.
Marybeth from NY – I would love to have your protein banana nut muffin recipe if you are willing to share it.