I cooked a turkey this week. Yes, I will be cooking a turkey next week, but that’s okay; it just means more meat this month! We enjoyed turkey sandwiches on French Bread with basil, tomatoes, and Italian dressing, as well as burritos with turkey, tomato rice, and lime ( I bought limes last week for .10 each).

I bought no food this week.

I cut my husband’s hair.

I cut the buttons off of a worn dress and put them in my button jar.

I mended a dress.

I made several Christmas gifts for my children.

I worked on a jumper for a daughter using fabric that I bought years ago.

I made French bread, Greek yogurt, and Italian dressing.

I made whole wheat crackers. I am still experimenting with the recipe, but I feel like it’s getting very close to being where I want it to be.

I started a batch of alfalfa sprouts. I bought a huge container of seeds in 2005, and when I want sprouts, I get out a couple of tablespoons to grow them.

I harvested green onions, Swiss chard, peppermint, and basil from my garden.

Ivory turned 7 months this week. I gave her some food for the first time. I blended some mashed potatoes for her. She loved them! (I haven’t bought baby food since my third baby; this makes the fourth child for whom I have not bought baby food).

My favorite frugal comment this week was from Miriam, who wrote:

“The flexible dog leash went broken. I did not have the heart to buy a new one (they are like 30€) even they were -15% off. Not now. So I saved the buckle of broke mechanism and sewed the leash using fabric of my husbands sturdy working pants that were torn beyond repair”

Way to go Miriam! What a great way to save!

What did you do to save money this week?

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25 Comments

  1. Can you tell us more about the clay necklaces? I recently stumbled across this site and have been enjoying reading everyone’s ideas. I am not very good at this yet, but did purchase Yardley Lavendar soap at Walgreens for 79 cents. I will use lining material, which I already have, to make a covering. I plan to try some embroidery on it. It will make a sachet for a Christmas gift. I have one in my underwear drawer and it makes everything smell so good.I also picked lettuce, a green pepper, and cherry tomatoes from our garden. I hope to improve as I continue to follow your blog. Thanks for all that you do.

  2. I won a $25 gift card that came in the mail this week. I moved the money on to a Amazon.com gift card. I was able to get some great stocking stuffers and some household products shipped for free.I stuck to my meal plan the entire week and came up with a few new recipes. I reduce our grocery budget this month to $100 for food and $30 for stock up items to offset the cost of a household repair.I redeemed a chili’s gift card on mypoints. I rarely shop online so I don’t earn a lot of points that way. However, I can earn 1-2 $10 gift cards a year through their daily e-mails. I picked chili’s because there is one near our home. We can pick up an appetizer or molten cake for a date night.I cleaned out the basement and put together a box of stuff to sell and another box of stuff to donate. I was able to shop our pantry for our Parish’s monthly food drive.My husband needed new glasses and they were very expensive, using up the last of our FSA funds. Luckily, I’ve been refilling my thyroid prescription every 3 weeks so I will have enough medicine to last until the end of the year when our new FSA funds kick in.While making plans for black friday shopping at Walgreens, I noticed that the deodorant wasn’t really a good sale price. I usually buy around 18 sticks this time of year. However, this year, I’ll buy some at Sams for cheaper. I’ll still be making the trip for toothpaste and a few other things but I won’t need to travel to as many stores as I normally do.We don’t do Christmas gifts in my house. But we do stockings. This year, each stocking has a $5 limit. I’m working on a few handmade items and hope to come in under budget.

  3. We had fun last week. We did a few frugal things:Traded my Armoire for credit at a second hand store. I go there each week to see what they have and also have a list ready with them in case something comes in.Bought 2 lamps, 2 stone garden bunnies, a metal flower and humming bird wall hanger at the thrift store for $5. I’m going to spray paint them and reuse them. I bought my last 3 candlestick lamps at the thrift store and loved them.We gifted our old kitchen table to a family we found on free cycle and purchased a new table that was discontinued and on clearance. I’ve waited a year for this table and saved almost 80% off of retail to buy it. We made bow and arrows from tree limbs my husband trimmed off our tree. My boys and I have had a blast trying to make a better bow with just tree limbs and gardening twine. We used some old bamboo sticks from my garden for arrows. I was amazed at how well they worked.After all the snow melted from last weekend we raked up the leaves and piled them in the garden. Today I’m going to turn the dirt over with a pitch fork then cover the beds with plastic. I’m hoping this will help to decompose all the leaves we put into the beds. I can’t believe I’m already getting ready for next planting season. Found everything I’ll need to make thanksgiving dinner in my pantry, I received a free turkey from a friend who raises them. A much smaller bird than what you would find in the stores.We ate at home every night this week.Baked banana bread, candied nuts, pumpkin spice cookies, molasses cookies, and started canning apple pie filling from a case of apples I received 3 or 4 weeks ago.I still have to pressure can banana squash, 2 batches of salsa and green tomato curry. ( I can’t believe I’m still canning in November!)

  4. Heavens!! I know women who would kill for a Kitchen Aide mixer. If you list them on Craigslist, they will be gone in a blink!

  5. Here is another lesson about dogs, even when they dig up and chew up: when you are home alone and someone nutty begins pounding on your door and shouting, the dog will leap out of a dead sleep and bark like a maniac and slam his snout against the window and scare off the person. (Then they cost you more money because you feel compelled to rewward him with a can of expensive wet dog food!!).

  6. This is my first time commenting but I just love reading what everyone has to say! I had a fairly good frugal week but I am learning so much more with this blog! Thanks Brandy! You are such an encouragement! My daughters were complaining that they had no clothes but their dressers were full so we empied everything out of the dressers and decided what fit. Very little! Then we went shopping at the thrift store! They were a little skeptical at first but they had a great time and we were able to buy them all the clothes that they needed within our budget, which wasn’t much! When twin girls go on a growth spurt thrift stores are a life saver!I mended two pairs of snow pants rather than buying new, saved myself nearly $60. I have talked the twins into sewing each other a present for Christmas. Nightgowns made out of an old sheet and material that I had on hand. They get the joy of giving, a sewing lesson and time with mom one-on-one. Win win win! Plus $0 out of pocket!I am cooking from the freezer and pantry this week. The girls and I have come up with a plan to make Christmas gifts for teachers, neighbors etc. from baskets that we have and baking that the girls and I do together using all ingredients that we have on hand already. Zero cost out-of-pocket and the kids get a cooking lesson or two. I have started a couple of Christmas gifts. I am making my son and husband pj pants with material that I have and I am making them hats and mittens by repurposing an old wool coat. I am using the tutorials that are mentioned on this sight for the hat and mitts and a pattern that I already have for the pj pants. Jennifer

  7. Let me see if my other one is breaking. I noticed it was wobbling and working really hard at the dough I made last night. I will use it for a few more things and make sure I don’t end up with none ahaha.

  8. I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by – Ivory is seven months old?!! Wow.I sold some china on ebay and needed extra packing materials for the boxes. I shred everything that had been building up in my to-be-shred box and put the shredding in plastic garbage bags. The bags made awesome packing material!I tried a new recipe – for cinnamon buns. I had never made them before. YUMMY! Although definitely a plan-ahead weekend breakfast.We ate all meals from scratch except for one work lunch when I treated myself to Thai food. I love Thai food : ) It is on my goal list to learn how to make my favorite Thai dishes.Am reading a library book from the 1970’s entitled “Possum Living: How to live without a job and almost no money” It is frugal reading with very specific instructions on how a father & daughter lived.Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!Libby

  9. I’m irrationally happy when I get to read these too … not a problem at all! Though my husband does wonder why I get so giddy…..:)Lea

  10. LOL Lisa….your “flops” sound very familiar and make me feel better…. It’s not just me!! Does everyone feel like they are running in circles with their hair on fire this week? I do!!! Take care everyone! Xo

  11. I saw your website mentioned on a facebook post and am BLESSED to have found your information! Thank You. We are having a run of a very tough 7-8yrs. I pray for a break in that but, so far…. not so much. Thanks so much for being a kind hearted person who wasn’t afraid to share your trials and successes! Kathy-Shingle Springs, Ca.

  12. It wasn’t really something I did, more just plain dumb luck, but I found my favourite deodarant marked down to $1 – it normally sells for about $12 (hence, I normally don’t get to buy it) so I really stocked up. I think I have a year’s supply of deodarant now. So when the zombie apocolypse strikes, heck, I might be reduced to eating peach pie filling morning, noon, and night (for some reason I bought two cases of the stuff a couple of years ago) but at least I won’t stink!

  13. I bottled 12 qts of pickled celery and onions. The celery was 45cents each so we bought 10. I will also be dehydrating the leaves and using the ends of the celery to add to my turkey bones. I’ve embroidered 3 tea towels for Christmas,still working on reindeer ornaments and I’ve mended several items instead of using them for rags. I also made a double batch of laundry detergent, a double batch of SOS mix (basic sauce mix I use for cream soups) and made some cleaners. I made a big batch of pie crusts and froze them. I will be using one on turkey day, one for my husbands “birthday cake” and using the others as needed.I made a big lasagna and froze leftovers for easy dinners or lunch, made an extra casserole for the freezer and since I was making a potato casserole for Thanksgiving, I put an extra one in the freezer. It’s nice to have “convenience” foods in the freezer.I stocked up on butter (2/$4), cream cheese and spaghetti. Have a nice Thanksgiving! Teri

  14. I love reading everyone’s frugal accomplishments. so many I have never thought of myself! I nearly went into a depression the week Brandy and her family were sick and there was no frugal accomplishments article!

  15. So grateful for this blog and you wonderful, strong, and creative women. My frugal accomplishments:About once a year, the Sam’s Club in my area puts out a Q enabling one to shop there without a membership for a 10% overage fee. Obviously, I have to be well-versed on prices. I was able to get about a year’s worth of several staples…and given a computer glitch was not charged the 10% (I did tell the cashier I should be charged at the beginning of the transaction). Made homemade chocolate sauce for my son’s birthday party on Friday.Came up with about 32 meal ideas based on what is in my freezer/pantry. We’ll be eating from this as much as possible so I can put everything I can into bulk buying this month since so many staples are at rock-bottom prices.Decided (after a bit of personal agony) that buying meat in bulk is not for us right now. Purchasing this would have meant a big cash outlay for the meat and a new freezer (which would have increased our electricity bills by $50/year). My husband may need surgery so no go for now. Anyway, if we had all that meat we’d eat it—and we want to eat more veggie meals.My sister-in-law earned a free turkey from her grocery store but didn’t want to keep it. My mother didn’t want it either…so I’m glad to take it!We are self-employed and do not have a Sam’s membership (can’t justify the expense). Sold item on CraigslistStarting collection old winter clothes to consignMade our own bread for 2 weeks in a row!Determined that my cold storage area is probably not a long-term solution…but nothing lost so that is good.Made my own window cleaner with vinegar and water; made laundry detergent, and cleaned my baths using baking soda and water.

  16. I am so glad you got a free turkey!We have a business membership to Sam’s. Since you’re self-employed you could get that one instead in the furture, should funds permit; it’s $35 a year instead of $40, plus you get extended hours.Sam’s Club had a weekend earlier this year where they offered a free shopping day without the extra 10%. You may be able to go there the next time they do that as well. http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/try-out-sams-club-this-weekend-without.htmlGood for you for making bread!

  17. Possum Living can be read onlinehttp://www.deeplyrootedorganics.com/downloads/PossumLiving.pdfI don’t agree with everything at all, but I think the core of the message is clear: You don’t need everything you think you need. Life can be lived on very little.

  18. Hi!Instead of going to a movie on Saturday I took my children to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie for a lecture on turkeys.The event was free. The park naturalist had actual models of turkeys and turkey parts.It was so cool .My children had a blast.After the lecture the park rangers were also going to lead a walk to locate turkeys on Presque State Park. We did not go for the walk.But the people who were going on the walk said the rangers walks were awesome.This was a great family activity.Pat

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