I worked three days at a new (temporary) job this week. It is possible she will need me to fill in in the future here and there. We will see.
I took lunch from home two days and had lunch provided by a sales rep the third day.
I listened to YouTube videos for learning Urdu while separating seeds from stems from seeds I collected in my garden to sow in the future.
I was back and forth on buying any vinca seedlings at the nursery, but ultimately decided to buy some for one of the circles in the garden, as we had an open house for my daughter on Sunday, and even though it was hot and windy and everyone would be inside, I knew the circle would be a very prominent part of the view. I took my husband with me for the nursery’s Thursday 10% off senior discount. The nursery predominately sells four-inch plants, which are $1.49 each (on sale for $1.29 each) but the six packs were $3.89, making the plants $0.65 each before the 10% discount. The nursery only has a limited number of six-packs at the beginning of the season (which is June), so I always try to purchase those when they are available. I didn’t buy any for the outer row of the circle. I left it blank for now, but I have some old seeds for more white vincas, which I will sow there this next week, as well as in the front yard.
As I was telling my parents about buying the vincas at the open house, my dad started laughing about the senior discount. He thought at first that I said I had gotten the senior discount, and was laughing that he had a child old enough to receive the senior discount. My mom told him it wasn’t me; it was my husband–but then I pointed out to him that the nursery gives a senior discount at 55, so I only have 5 more years–and that that’s the senior discount I will end up using the most!
I made sourdough bread. I made Italian dressing for the pasta salad we served at the open house for my daughter.
What did you do this past week to save money?
I am an Amazon affiliate. Purchases made through my link give me a small percentage back. Thank you for the support of my site!
Your garden is so beautiful! I love the pictures you share.
This past week:
• I shopped Amazon Prime Day for household items only. Exciting things like deodorant and a shower curtain!
• I redeemed $25 in Mperks at Meijer. Found out Kroger has changed their fuel points program to also include groceries – this is great news! Redeemed my first $4 there too!
• I filled up for $3.79 per gallon.
• Cooked at home, shopped the sales and used the library.
• Finally planted some tomatoes.
We’re experiencing a heat wave, triggering Extreme Heat Warnings…..I will be spending most of my time inside! Have a great week, everyone!
I haven’t posted the last few weeks because life has been so busy!
Brought in extra income with longarm quilting business which is still coming in at a steady pace. https://pin.it/5p0v9tx0e. https://pin.it/3PmOX9nzY https://pin.it/2E0YHbmzD https://pin.it/2a4BmeoE6 https://pin.it/6Z4WVfRDy And I needed a baby quilt in a hurry so I made this one entirely of scraps- top, batting and even Minkee backing – https://pin.it/3wiKXHoE3 and https://pin.it/2aiDhm9Aj.
Have been buying Flashfood for myself, friends and family. Some of our regular buys have been 5 pound packs of BLSL chicken breast for $3.02 total (about 60 cents a pound) , chicken thighs for about 50 cents/pound and BL chicken. Thighs for 70 cents/pound. And I just got 8 packages of 85/15 ground beef in 1 pound packs for $2.99 (not as low as I’d like it but my friends were very happy! I don’t usually keep much of it for myself, but what I have kept, I’ve pressure canned: https://pin.it/3PVPYhEzg
I’ve also started making homemade whole wheat sandwich bread to be using more of our food storage while saving money at the same time: https://pin.it/2anAR6Pjh. I had forgotten how easy it really is to make and by storing the second loaf in the freezer after slicing it, it doesn’t get moldy before we can finish the loaf!
My best friend’s husband called me for help with her birthday present because she wanted her own pressure canner and needed to know make and model of mine. After checking on WM and Amazon for a base price, I went on FB marketplace and found her a brand new in the box Presto 23 quart canner for $85 (less than half the price, so Hubs and I made a date of it and went out to buy it and get reimbursed by her husband. For our gift to her, I ordered online the extra shelf for the canner so it’s possible to process a double batch with 16 pints at one time! It makes us so happy to see her and our other friends get more of a food buffer when prices are good and they have enough to put some away for times of higher prices!
It’s hard to imagine as our temperature starts to soar this week that fall and winter will be here before we know it! So we are trying to plan ahead and streamline our home and lives so that we can feel calm and warm as the winter comes through!
I appreciate so much all that I gleaned from you, Brandy and your readers. I learn so much from you!
Real exciting week over here, and by exciting, I mean did very little, lol. I had a large assignment due so I mostly focused on that.
Sent in for $7 in Menards rebates
Read and returned library books
My husband purchased a flat of tomatoes but he wasn’t eating them very fast. He cooked down the tomatoes and made a meat sauce. I put what we didn’t eat in the freezer.
Stayed home a lot, minus the day I went for a mammogram. It was covered by my insurance, so nothing out of pocket for it.
Son rearranged his room and cleaned out a bunch of stuff. He’s finally getting around to looking through the multiple computers my mother in law had so we can clean them off of anything important, and resell.
Listed items on Marketplace.
Kept air off as much as possible.
I have a string of expenses ahead of me, and had decided I would need to find someone who could help me with pruning back trees and shrubs at no charge. My neighbor across my back alley had come by to ask if he could store a large pile of dirt for a construction job he is doing behind my garage. I agreed, and while he was there I asked if he could help me with the pruning. He agreed cheerfully, and said he would get a buddy to help him. I told him I didn’t have any money, and he just waved the comment away.
I used a week’s worth of grocery money to buy meat and vegetables at my local store’s anniversary sale. I kept things sensible and bought chicken drumsticks and ground pork, a couple of packages of good quality frozen mixed vegetables, and a package of sweet peppers. A friend of mine had given me a large supply (18 lb) of ground beef which I had been relying on for meat. I am down to the last two lb, and was a little worried about whether I could manage to supply myself with any meat, so the timing on this sale was excellent. I do have a steady supply of eggs and six or seven servings of frozen meat from the food bank each month. I had also purchased a 2 lb pack of dried beans and a 2 lb pack of lentils the last time I was at the next town over, since it is half the price there. 2 lb may not seem like much food to people with large families but they go a long way in a one-person household. I feel much less concerned now.
With the next grocery money, I will fill in a few gaps in my pantry. I need to buy rice and diced or whole canned tomatoes, especially. I haven’t bought either in years, since there has been a very big backlog from neighbors clearing out pantry shelves and from the food bank. There is no sign of either of those things anymore, so it is up to me to provide them. I am really pleased with the progress I am making filling in the gaps in my pantry left by a winter of eating. I’m ahead of where I would normally be at this time of year.
I hope it was a lovely reception!
US Postage First Class stamp prices go up on July 12, especially important to note if you will have a big mailing, like a wedding.
I don’t ship many parcels and couldn’t quite follow the details, but I think package rates already adjusted in January.
Working on doing nothing in the heat here. Cleaned out the medicine cabinet and dropped off old pills at CVS drop-box.
We’ve had enough rain so I didn’t need to water my outdoor pots much. My rain lily is blooming; should rain 36 hours after the blooms fade. I had a small bag of organic fertilizer from a yard sale and my flowers are going strong this year.
Thank you, Heidi Louise, for the heads-up about U.S. postage going up on July 12th. After I read your post, I went to the P.O. and bought more forever stamps. Thanks!
I made my first ginger bug from bulk ginger I bought. I also food processed some for cookin, but mostly cut them into chunks and into the freezer. I use a knob for broth making and can use my hand shredder if I need ginger for a recipe late on.
.
Borrowed some cookbooks from the library for freezer cooking inspiration as I start freezer cooking for post partum with baby #8.
.
I have been diligent about being in the garden daily. I have been harvest a little but every day and staying on top of bugs pressure and weeds.
.
We have been house hunting with no good prospects. As our family is about to grow again we decided to room swap with our boys so the toddler is now with big brothers and our room will be cozy enough with just a bed, bassinet, and small corner cabinet (ahhh 1950s houses!)
.
Emailed the rose company I got my rose last year, it did not survive our weird winter/spring. They dont replace it , but give a store credit. I waited for mother’s day sale and only had to pay shipping again.
.
Took advantage of target buy $100 of diapers and wipes and get $30 giftcard. Spent the giftcard on clothes the few items needed for summer.
.
Waited to buy gas at Costco to get the cash back.
.
We watched and recorded our monarch butterflies’ life cycle. It was SO weird and neat to see the caterpillar turn into a chrysalis. I posted a reel on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HUgjwYBS3/
.
Not frugal, but grateful — Me (at 8 months pregnant) and my 2 oldest children were hit. He blew through the 4 way stop sign as we turned left. .. I went to hospital and was monitored, all seems well 10 days out now. … Because it wasn’t my fault we are getting out van fixed, do not have to pay our deductible, have a rental we don’t pay for, etc — but wow has it taken hours and hours to manage all of this. One thing I was unaware of is a settlement with insurance about emtional damage/loss wages etc…. we were advised their $amount is a low offer, but I do not know how to articulate the emotional stress of not only driving, but being 8 months pregnant and still in constant worry baby boy is really okay.
I’m so sorry to hear about your accident. As I was in one a few months back, I have been learning the same things.
I am glad you are all okay.
What a disturbing thing to happen Faith, I hope you, baby and family will continue to recover .
Hi Faith! Please check the recalls for Target wipes. It is a critical recall for Up and Up wipes.
After 4 weeks I have finished up my census work-which was some nice added income. I also have some PT childcare booked for Sept-Nov but July and August should be pretty easy. It has been cold and rainy lately-but when the rain stopped yesterday forest fire smoke blew in which is rather unpleasant. Definitely keepng the windows shut.
I picked up a large 2 lb bag of broccoli slaw for 44 cents the other day-I think I will whip up a salad to take to the Canada Day party we are invited to tomorrow. And maybe a chocolate cake too. Just received a call from the hospital saying they had a cancellation and my stress test would be brought forward 2 months which is great. It takes 5 hrs so DH will drop me off and pick me up to save on parking which I am sure will save us at least $25.
Hello! Hope all the US readers are looking forward to a meaningful Independence Day celebration this weekend! Performing in the longest running Revolutionary War outdoor drama in the US for the second season in a row means I am celebrating every day. We opened last weekend to great audiences and great reviews. My parents came to opening night and, in true frugal and sentimental fashion totally befitting her, my mother presented me with a bouquets of flowers from her garden. Prettier than anything she could have bought for me and very special. My biggest savings of late is finally after 15 years as a beekeeper deciding to purchase my own honey extractor. I have always had friends willing to do it for me or borrowed an extractor from someone. Now, with 12 hives, it would be much more time efficient to do it myself. Fortunately, the bee equipment supplier I do business with is having their 50th anniversary this year so everything is on sale. On an expensive item like a honey extractor, that means big savings. I am excited to pick it up tomorrow. Based on previous years honey sales, I should be able to make enough to pay for the extractor this season. My other Brody hen hatched out two more chicks so we have more fluffy cuteness and promise of eggs in the future at no cost and no work – Mama does it all. We, too, are experiencing warmer than usual weather and have no air conditioning in our home. However, with opening the windows at night and strategic use of fans plus pulling the curtains closed mid-day, we are just fine. Having no heat or cooling bills is one of our greatest savings we enjoy simply because of where we live and we are grateful. Thanks to all for the comments and encouragement! Have a lovely week, all!
Hi Brandy and everyone
Your daughter looked so lovely on Instagram, you must be very proud of her. I hope you enjoyed the open house for her.
We took our granddaughter on a free outing using our annual passes to visit the gardens and play park of a historic house and took a picnic lunch from home.
I redeemed a voucher for a big , free pot of kefir yoghurt. I inventoried the freezers and could see where I had gaps which needed filling and bought some reduced price packs of meat as a start.
I needed to replace my small hand held electric mixer, I need one because of my arthritic hands. I researched and found one I liked at £9 off the usual retail price.
We picked/ dug early crop potatoes, blackcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries, lettuce, radishes and flowers from the garden. I gave a bouquet of flowers to a friend.
I made chicken broth from a carcass.
I sorted through all my shawls and winter scarves and rediscovered a pashmina I had completely forgotten about which I like very much and will wear next winter.
Life has been busy and have missed posting so this is a couple of weeks catch-up! I worked 3 extra hours last week and every bit helps! My one family I nanny and clean for gave me compost, a bag of lemons freshly squeezed for my compost that I brought home and squeezed more and got 3/4 cup and lemon zest ( organic lemons), a stray potato and some diapers that their baby outgrew that I will use for a baby shower soon( also an organic brand)! Last week they had 5 good organic apples they didn’t want. I use any and everything people don’t want.
I picked cucumbers, a few tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes, dill and basil ,and a few green beans from the garden and blueberries from my bushes. A local park has nice blackberries( ours are drying up in the extreme heat), and picked 4 gallons that I froze and am using in my smoothies. A friend and I swapped some zucchini for a dozen duck eggs. Our small group Bible study had an end of the year cookout and someone didn’t want a plate of cookies and offered them to me! We have family come this month for a month and they will get scarfed up by the grands!
I am line drying all wash and reading gardening books from the library, walking at 6 am to beat the heat, keeping the ac off when possible and setting it at 78 if we need it.
Our biggest blesssing was my husband’s car was on the blink and the same issue cost us 6k in January. Thankfully it was under warranty and labor was covered and we had zero cost! I was incredibly thankful and also got an ultrasound result that was clear that I was worried about! So many blessings to be grateful for!
Hoping everyone can stay hydrated and cool in the brutal heat!
Jean, smart thinking on the re-use/gifting of the diapers. Right now that is the number one request of non food items at our local food pantry.
Hello, frugal friends. Brandi, I really enjoy your photos this week (and every week for that matter). My flowers are just now beginning to open. This week is the beginning of a serious heatwave, into the mid-90’s, which is unusual here in the mountains. Mr. Fix It and I will need to stay indoors as much as possible. This past two weeks found us across the state to help my sister try to get her house back in order after extensive repairs from mold. In order to do this unplanned trip as economically as possible we took food with us and stayed on base. I packed our lunch and snacks for the road along with breakfast casserole and homemade sourdough biscuits with the free ham lunch meat I got with a store coupon, pot pies, and fruit. Mr. Fix It had to buy a few things at Lowes and used his military discount. I scanned receipts on Fetch for points. This week I hung laundry on the line and meal planned with what we have here at home. I harvested kohlrabi, green onions, basil, parsley and lettuce from the garden. I made and froze pesto with the basil. My tomatoes are coming along nicely, but I am concerned this heatwave might affect the garden. I have all plants covered with netting and am watering as deeply as I can. I have some shade netting I will put out tonight hoping it will help preserve the garden. We have been battling a raccoon, first on our front porch at 4a.m. and now I believe the little guy has moved onto the garden in back. We have invested in some motion sensor lights and alarms which have helped. My hope is to be able to can enough green beans for the winter along with preserving squash and cucumbers. I have noticed that gas has gone down .80/gallon here in the past 2 weeks. I read books from the library, both on line and physical books. We had a couple of days of good rain. I collected rainwater in buckets as well as in our rain barrel which I used to water the window boxes and pots. I did the other usual frugal things like using reusable products, walking for exercise, buying loss leaders,etc. We were able to keep the A/C off until yesterday. I look forward to reading everyone’s comments. I wish everyone a blessed and frugal week.
Marley… about that raccoon ..I suggest you invest in a bottle of coyote urine. Wear gloves and dribble it where you need it. It’s not terrible smelling at all, just musky. Racoons are very territorial and you must run it out before he or she claims your property as their own, which includes marking the space with their feces. I remove that too and hose the area down to remove their scent. They will respect the coyote urine. Also use it at the access point if you can figure out where they are coming into the property from. Squirrels will also respect coyote urine. You can find it on Amazon. A little goes a long way
Sprinkle spices, especially pepper, where you don’t want the racoon to be. I cleaned out all the stuff we never used and added a dollar store bottle of cayenne. It truly drove the racoons away from around our house two years ago, and although they are still in the neighborhood, they don’t hang out around the house.
It was nice to read that you wisely treated yourself/house. I hope your daughter’s open house was a success.
I was able to pick small amounts of grape tomatoes and sugar peas for a few meals. I planted a small amount of extra to share with my mom who swore she wasn’t going to put in vegetables this year (thankfully she did). She’s better at growing bell peppers than me, so I know she will share later this season.
Stayed in majority of the week and then went out of town with a friend for 2 nights. Scored nice clean lodging on the outskirts of the town we wanted to explore. I was hoping we could walk to and from, but the road was not pedestrian friendly. We each packed breakfast and lunches. I choose to take in window shopping which was satisfying and took pictures of small garden (plantings) to use for inspiration. It was great to have face to face time with my out of state friend.
This week will be a heat wave, so I will use what rain water I have collected/stored for the outdoor plantings and pull blinds to keep the rooms cooler.
Wishing everyone a calm and productive week.
Congratulations to your daughter and what a beautiful place to have an open house.
I canned 11 pints of bone broth from leftover chicken.
Took my grandson to library story time and gym day, both are free.
Used my $1 off a gallon Fred Meyer points to fill up on gas. We are still at $5 a gallon 🥲.
I shop for my daughter and her family. She lets me keep the points.
Harvested broccolini seeds for next planting. My strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are coming in. My grandson is very happy. Picked lettuce, carrots, snap peas and beans. My garlic has cured and I have more than enough for the next year.
Made sandwich bread and French bread.
Zested and juiced clearance lemons for future recipes.
Continue to have a few hair clients, even though I am mostly retired. Everything is so expensive and I’m a saver.
Happy fugal week to all!
Open House for your daughter? Did she get married or buy a house? At any rate, congratulations!!!! Gas is $3.13, up from a low of $3.09 last week. I have been eating a lot of tomato sandwiches, canned salmon with cream cheese
on a bagel, cucumbers, fresh pink eyed peas, and watermelon. We are in a heat wave with heat index hovering around 110. My back yard, which stays wet, is actually drying out! The soil is still damp though. I did turn on the air. I had fought the urge most of the month. I went swimming at the National Refuge for $3.00. I have managed to walk an hour a day most days but have to do it at 5:30 am in the morning bc of the heat. I am now having to water my front yard roses, which get the full Western sun in the afternoon.
She is leaving to serve a mission.
Brandy: You must be very proud. I have always admired that facet of your religion. 🙂
Thank you. I am.😊
I hope her mission is everything she needs it to be.
Congratulations to you all.
Lea
Congratulations!!!!
Congrats on the work – always handy!
I kept the grocery bill low – just fruit & veg and eggs. Prepped a few different proteins from the freezer and once they were cooked, portioned them up into individual servings and put them back into the freezer. Combined with some frozen shrimp and canned tuna and/or sardines, I am set for the next couple of weeks – mostly being added to daily salads.
I did get two pkgs. of salmon (4 or 5 portions for me once cooked) and two pkgs. of mild Italian sausage – both at about 30% off so too good to pass up. I rarely buy anything that isn’t on sale these days – with a well stocked pantry I can wait.
Did some pantry re-organizing and moved a few things up to the kitchen to be used sooner rather than later. I’m going to dry can a few other dry goods over the next few days and get them tucked away.
Got two big loads of laundry done and hung up everything to dry so that saved $5 in dryer costs. I also did some hand laundry in order to save paying for a small load in the washer – $2.50 saved.
I had been given a lottery ticket and won $10.
I’ve been busy at the office so not much socializing. I had plans for tomorrow (Canada Day), Friday and Saturday but the very hot & humid weather has arrived along with some severe thunderstorms so a few things will have to be cancelled or at least postponed – which is a money saver at least in the short term.
Still enjoying watching the World Cup games on tv – huge game here on Thursday when Portugal plays in Toronto. We have a large Portuguese community in this city so there is a lot of excitement about it.
Happy Canada Day and Happy 4th of July.
I love seeing pictures of your garden!
1. I got my hair cut by a lady who is $7 cheaper than a previous hairdresser I’ve used.
2. Found 3 pennies in the road
3. Bought some discount plants
4. Got 2 cucumbers, a snacking pepper and cowpeas from the garden
5. And my big flop-I sold lamp on ebay with very little profit. Then it broke during shipping, so I refunded it and now made negative profit. All well….
Pictures here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/07/01/frugal-four-plus-ebay-flop/
That reminds me that I found a quarter on the sidewalk this morning. I used to find coins all the time, but this is the first time in years. I leaned over without any problem, but the I wasn’t so sure I was going to be able to straighten up again!
I cancelled my Spectrum mobile phone service, saving $18/month. I use a prepaid TracFone instead, and am happy with it. On Sunday afternoon, I attended the neighborhood block party and got a free meal —and also got to go swimming and visit with friends. Wore an old swimsuit instead of shopping for a new one. Took home a very small amount of BBQ brisket scraps, mostly the fat part, to put on the dog’s dry kibble and boy did he eat it up in record time! Meanwhile, Ollie’s Outlet has a sale going on and I bought a large supply of dog’ bones, 15% off. Ollie’s is the cheapest in town for those big basted bones anyway, so the added discount was a big help.
We have extreme heat warnings also in NY but I am a mile or less from Lake Ontario so feeling better here, still have a/c on however lol the heat makes me sick so we have brand new splits by Mitsubishi our others lasted 20 years from 2005 to 2025. We purchased new January 2026 and saved money then installed the units in March. Gas here is 4.19 and food prices are continuing to rise. We are lucky to have several Wegmans, a Walmart, Aldi ,Target,Tops within 10 mile radius. We are so very lucky to have adequate rain so we water only when necessary. Our farm markets have strawberries $7 at, cherries $6 and red raspberries $3 pint. Soon blackberries and blueberries will be available.
Brandy, I too am looking forward to the discounts when they come-I turn 50 this year. I never post, but here goes. Meijer had strawberries for $.99/lb and blackberries for $.50/6oz so I stocked up and froze most of them for smoothies. I checked the Flashfood offer and found a bag of 2 tomatoes, 12 avocados, and 48 mini peppers for $5. The avocados are mostly good but I might lose a few. I made a trip to a nearby Amish community that I have come to know over the years. I bought many pantry items, fresh potatoes, fresh blueberries, maple syrup and honey. I stopped at a farm stand that was selling squash for $.25 each and onion and zucchini for $.50 each. I was hanging my laundry outside but this heat wave is not motivating me this week, I shall try to get it hung early. I did bake two sourdough loaves together, freezing one for next week so I don’t have to heat the house any extra. I always look forward to reading everyone’s posts, I feel as though I know many of you!
Hello everyone and happy July! Here are some things I have been doing to save/earn money.
Harvested garlic, dill, onions, green onions, kale, lettuce, coriander seed, and various herbs. Froze and or dehydrated herbs.
Placed 2 sweet potatoes in a large pot months ago to start sweet potato slips. Took the slips off and planted but left the potatoes in the pot. Of all the pots on the porch, filled with green house flowers, the sweet potato vines coming from those 2 potatoes are the most lush and vibrant! They now serve as beautification.
While I use the dryer for most of my clothing, I do line dry jeans as they take longer to dry for the entire load.
Sold 2 items on FB after a clean out.
Made popsicles and fudgesicles with fruit and a box of pudding mix
Learned from watching/listening to YouTube channels while ironing or working around the house.
Found cookbooks at a yard sale for twenty-five cents each! Have enjoyed perusing them while watching the World Cup.
Made strawberry jam using Dutch Jell (purchased from local Mennonite store) instead of Sure Jell. Have made freezer jam for years with Sure Jell but it has gotten so expensive, as in $4.19 a box (which makes one batch of jam). I paid $5.94 for a container of Dutch Jell and this will make 7 batches of jam. That’s a savings of $23.39 for 7 batches of jam. The results were exact to my Sure Jell jam. I was very happy to make the switch.
As a family, we’ve decided to take turns each week coming up with an activity for all that involves enjoying summer. It could be watching a sunset, picnic dinner, making ice cream, going for a hike, star gazing, etc. I look forward to making memories together and not always being the initiator!
For Christmas, I gifted my ice cream loving family an ice cream maker (I found it new on FB for $20!). My kids have taken up ice cream making/creating. The ice cream is made in 20 min or less and involves no ice or salt. We can make a 48 oz tub size (normal ice cream tub size) for $2.61. The ice cream is also much cleaner, no gums, corn syrup, etc. Whole milk, cream, and whatever flavorings desired are the only ingredients. And it’s fabulous!
As per usual, I have shopped yard sales for clothing, stocking stuffers, gifts, and occasionally things to re-sell. This year I have even found shampoo, boutique/specialty soaps, a vacuum sealed 3-pound bag of large pecans (for $1.50), and parchment paper. Often these new and unopened items are part of an estate sale/yard sale.
Thank you, Brandy, for hosting this community!
What great info about the pectin! Thank you so much for sharing that. I’m sure a lot of people will benefit from it.
I’ve made homemade ice cream before and it was always more than yours, but prices of ice cream are now double what I used to pay. I need to try again.
Life has been busy, I forget how busy having a summer garden can be! I am picking cucumbers, zucchini, dill, basil, kale, a few green beans and blueberries. I have gone to a local park and picked gallons of nice blackberries. They will be coming on for another week at least, so I hope to get a few more gallons.
The family I nanny and clean for gave me several organic apples, a potato, a dozen squeezed lemons that I got another cup of juice from, a 8 oz package of organic bacon, and loads of compost. I bring them flower arrangements every week. They also were getting rid
of three packs of organic diapers that I will use for a baby gift next month!
I found a tarp at the dump that looked brand new and brought it home. I am reading library books and walking at 6 am to beat the awful heat we are having! I was able to avoid the ac for a few days before the heat wave started. I have sheets up across windows that don’t have curtains or blinds.
Blessings to all of you and stay safe in this heat.
I hosted a work get together at my house. I was going to get food catered but ended up making food and grilling. Expected to eat out a lot but in the end, we only went out once. Otherwise we brought food and snacks. Made dessert for coworkers birthday.
I picked up some books from the library. Using a free America 250 history curriculum with my kids.
Sold a few things on eBay and FB. Buying a used dresser and going to refinish it for my daughter, as I’d prefer solid wood to cheap particle board. Gifting hand me downs to some friends. Continuing to de clutter room by room.
I met up with friends at our local coffee shop. I splurged on my favorite coffee beans, while also avoiding another trip to the grocery store, since I was almost out of coffee at home.
I stocked up on strawberries for 99c. It’s too hot now so I threw them in the freezer to make jam next week. Batched baking bread, muffins and roast veggies and froze extras for the freezer.
I have a reusable menstrual cup but also invested in a pair of nontoxic period underwear. Avoiding single use products. Also bought something with a friend and split the shipping cost.
Used telehealth to get a medication, which hopefully prevented a surgery. This not only is the best health option but also saved several thousand dollars.
Avoided buying plants for my office, as several friends gave me extras.
Long time reader and first time poster. I am a teacher who has the summers off
So far this week I have done the following to save money
1). Sold 2 items on FB marketplace and earned $20 in the process.
2). Purchased 2 containers of organic strawberries for $7. I froze them for our (DH and I) daily smoothies and used the tops to make strawberry syrup.
3). Cleaned and organized the large freezer and fridge freezer. Found frozen jalapeño peppers from our garden from last year and will be making poppers with them. With the frozen cayenne peppers I plan to dehydrate and make a powder form from them
4). Went for a morning walk on a trail near us. Not a lot of people on the trail. Saw Paw Paw fruits slowly forming and making a note on the calendar to come back in August when they have fully formed.
5) We have a galvanized steel pool from Tractor Supply that was used yesterday. Thought we lost our floats but DH looked and found 2 of them,
6). Broke out the Wii to play golf with DH
instead of spending here is what I did
1). Sold 1 items on FB marketplace and earned $10 in the process.
2). Last week I purchased 2 containers of organic strawberries for $7. I froze them for our (DH and I) daily smoothies and used the tops to make strawberry syrup.
3). Cleaned and organized the large freezer and fridge freezer. Found frozen jalapeño peppers from our garden from last year and will be making poppers with them. With the frozen cayenne peppers I plan to dehydrate and make a powder form from them
4). Went for a morning walk on a trail near us. Not a lot of people on the trail. Saw Paw Paw fruits slowly forming and making a note on the calendar to come back in August when they have fully formed.
5) We have a galvanized steel pool from Tractor Supply that was used yesterday. Thought we lost our floats but DH looked and found 2 of them.
6). Broke out the Wii to play golf with DH
7). Participating in our libraries reading challenge. Logged in past days that I have read and can pick up small prize next week. For each day a book is read you earn tickets to put in a drawing for prizes.
Your garden is beautiful as always and will be a lovely background for the open house. I know you are proud of your daughter but will miss her while she is gone. We have been working in the garden in the early mornings before it get’s to hot. We have been under a heat advisory. We helped my bonus daughter can tomato juice and she surprised me with an electric canner. I am excited to use it. A friend gave us 16 ears of peaches and cream corn and I put it in the freezer. They have reopened a bridge that was being rebuilt between my house and town so we will save time and gas by not having to go the long way around. Our local grocery store had a 1 day sale and I got several bargains. Every bit counts.
Hello, Brandy! I have enjoyed your blog for many years. Would you be willing to do a post on how you use the roselle hibiscus that you harvest. I live in Lincoln, Nebraska and would like to try growing it. Thank you!
There are a lot of ways to make an herbal tea from it. It’s usually served cold, but some people mix it in with other herbs for a hot tea (anytime you see hibiscus on the pack of herbal tea, that’s it).
You want to make a strong herbal tea with it so that the drink is very red. I add a small amount of sugar, and squeeze in the juice of half an orange. I slice the other half of the orange and put the slices in the pitcher.
It’s grown in many places in the world, so there are other recipes put there, but it’s usually an herbal tea that is served cold. It’s very tart and tastes a lot like cranberry juice.
I always enjoy your photos! Thank you for sharing.
This week we:
* Harvested two cucumbers and one tomato from the garden – this is the first of the year for us and we were so excited.
* Our son started his summer job doing landscaping for a local college at $20/hr. He is so excited and pleased as it means he will be outside all day, won’t have to work as much this next school year and he’ll have some money for doing things with his friends this summer.
* Picked a bouquet of flowers from the garden for the house.
* Did all our own yard and garden work.
* Replaced buttons on several shirts and blouses – my mending basket was getting backed up and our son offered to help (he works in the costume shop and scene shop at University). We had a delightful conversation while working side by side for a while.
* I went with our daughter thrifting for a few items for her new apartment. We found a beautiful glass butter dish and a heavy, beautiful glass drinks pitcher at very reasonable prices. We’re still looking for plant stand but that’s not an urgent need and her “extra” plants can live at my house until she has the plant stand. She specifically wanted a butter dish with a knob on the lid and was delighted to find a beautiful one.
* A parishioner who owns a bakery brought us a loaf of delicious sourdough bread. Yum! We enjoyed sandwiches for lunch this week. It was delicious. One perk of being a clergy family is we sometimes are gifted delicious food and treats from parishioners.
* Made all but one of our meals at home and packed lunches – even trying a new to us recipe to use up some odds and ends in the fridge. Delicious and less expensive.
* My parents celebrated 68 years of marriage this week. They took us out to brunch to celebrate at my Dad’s favorite diner. Delicious and we got to hear things about their wedding we’d never heard – the large number of beautiful flowers were a gift from my great Aunt and were brought almost 200 miles by car in 1958 unasked (the two smaller bouquets on the altar were the ones my parents had bought), my Grandma and Mom made my Mom’s dress (which we knew) and used a roman window shade pattern to make the draping on the back of the dress (that was the part we didn’t know), and the cake came with the wrong color icing flowers. It was a lot of fun. Another fun fact: even after 68 years, half of their wedding party is still living. Amazing!
Thanks to everyone for sharing your frugal things this week and thank you, Brandy, for hosting.
I enjoy this so much.
Lea
Oops I lost my first post again. I gave myself another hair cut again. I calculated that I have saved $880 since I started cutting it myself.
What a great idea about the vinca. I previously saw it had taken over part of the alley so i’m thinking i could take a cutting of it.
Someone mentioned a photo of your daughter on instagram but I couldn’t find it. how nice to have a reception for her.
The Stampede is on again. I’m not up to going but I appreciate the fact that admission and rides are free on the Thursday evening (Sneak a Peak) before it starts on the Friday. In fact, for a couple of hours after the parade admission is free.
To save more money I once packed my own soft drinks, chips and orher snacks for the children I was taking and saved a lot of money that way because food from te concessions is expensive.
I bought 2 packages of 11 mini cucumbers each for $3.99.They are usually $5.99. I love having them as a snack.
They are so cool and refreshing.
I also bought 3 blocks of cheese normally $10 each and paid $6 for them so I saved $12. I put them in the freezer.
I would also like to use Flash food app but I don’t have a car so it would be prohibitively expensive for me to get to a store undoing any savings…
The Itoh peonies that I bought for $2 each (reduced from $80) started to bloom and the blossoms were shattered by a heavy rain storm. Fortunately some of the buds hadn’t opened and were safe. They are really hitting maturity now. And for $60 I bought 30, of whichi gave two away, sold another 6 for $20 each to raise money for the village of a friend in nepal that was destroyed by an earthquake. They are planted in four different locations — 11 are really thriving while 6 have just started blooming. 1 had to be moved (which peonies don’t like) There is a peony farm near our city and I was sent beautiful photos of the peonies by a friend who spent an hour and a half visiting it. What a great idea!
Apparently I missed an incredible showing of Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis two nights ago — how I would have loved to have seen them.
We each get $100 from the province plus a 25% increase in the federal gst tax rebate (now renamed the Canada Groceries and Essential Benefits). Every little bit helps. My main regular expense is now food. I really comparison shop and will delay purchases until an item is on sale. No Frills has sunbutter (a peanut free version made from sunflowers) for $2 a jar less than Safeway while this past week Safeway’s price for my favourite Skyr yogourt was $2 per container less than No Frills. Safeway puts it on sale until the day before its first Tuesday of the month sale with 15% off everything. So it’s cheaper to buy it on the sale before the sale. I like to get 4 or 5 containers of it as it will last nearly a month. Someday I’ll start to make my own yogourt – I bought a second hand Cuisinart yogourt maker a few years back but haven’t made a lot of yourt with it. I like Skyr yogourt because it is really high protein.
One of the really strong winds we had blew a small piece of metal fascia off the roof. As it was at the tall end of the house, I wasn’t sure how to get it back on. The problem was solved by my window washers/eavestrough cleaners who hammered it back on. This is the second time the little corner has been blown off – previously my roof inspector fixed it the same way.
It was on my Instagram stories, so it was only available for 24 hours.