Five Frugal Things | I appreciate you guys
Before we get to the frugal stuff, I want to say that I tried to respond to most of the comments on Monday's post, but if I missed yours:
Thank you so much for your prayers and love and thank you for sharing your stories.
You all are the kindest and best group of readers and I am so grateful for you. I wish I could give all of you a hug, especially those of you who are suffering from heartbreak too.
And thank you to everyone who sent me an email or a message elsewhere as well. I appreciate you!
There's a Sara Groves lyric that says, "Lord, help us wait in kindness.", and that is my prayer during this time, however long it might be. I don't get to choose my circumstances, but I do get to choose my response.
So, my heart may be sad, but it can also be kind, and I can still choose to find contentment and joy on this path.
I can keep doing the next thing while I wait in kindness.
And today's next thing is a five frugal things post.
1. I helped Lisey get the Erie app
Erie recently came out with a safe driving app that checks for speeding, sharp turns, sudden braking, and so on.
If you are a youthful driver and you get good driving scores, Erie gives you a $10 gift card every two weeks.
For a college student like Lisey, this is a happy prospect, particularly since she is a pretty mellow driver to begin with. Might as well get credit for good driving!
(Obviously, if you are sensitive to privacy concerns, this is not the app for you, as it uses GPS to monitor speeding and such.)
2. I started a college book return
Apparently, the bookstore listed the wrong book for one of Sonia's classes, so we need to send it back.
Luckily, I told her not to remove the shrink wrap until day one of classes, which means we are eligible for a full refund.
And I submitted an email for a prepaid return label, so the return will not cost anything out of pocket.
3. I helped Zoe with an eBay auction for some Converse
She's been wanting some black high tops, and since she's trying to stretch her allotted clothing budget, I helped her find an auction with almost no bids.
I showed her how to bid at the last minute, and we paid $20, plus $15 shipping. These usually sell for $60 new, so even with the shipping ($35 total), this was a good deal.
(This Q&A post explains the clothing budget Sonia and Zoe have.)
I am always so happy when I can help my kids learn some tricks for saving money because those skills are going to serve them for years in the future.
4. I retouched some of my kitchen cabinets.
I had the Benjamin Moore Advance paint out because I painted Sonia's nightstand.
(I need to take photos of it; I promise I'll show you soon.)
Once I finished the nightstand, I still had some paint left in my tray, so I used it up by retouching some worn spots on a few cabinets.
This is one of my favorite things about painting my own furniture: since I did it myself, it's super easy to fix dings or scuffs.
Here's how I painted my kitchen cabinets.
If you just want a post full of before and after kitchen cabinet photos, click here.
And in case you just want the color but it's too hard to click on the links above (heh), it's Cloud White, a slightly warm shade of white.
5. I made biscuits last night to use up some cream
I had bought one of those very large containers of cream, and it had been stored on the door of the fridge (one of the warmest places in the fridge).
I noticed the last quarter was getting slightly "off" smelling, and since that type of dairy product usually works fine for baking, I made cream biscuits to go with dinner last night.
I don't have the recipe posted, but it's the same one in this chicken and biscuits recipe.
Just bake them at 450° F for 15 minutes. 🙂
Bonus: I made a main dish salad for dinner because I found spinach and romaine that really needed to be used. So, it was a nice anti-food-waste dinner.
I always like it when I manage no spend days and I have had several this last week.
Batch cooking has saved me cooking when I was very tired.
I filled the car at the lowest price in the fuel cycle. I saved about 40 cents per litre (about a quart). I also had a voucher to lower the price a further 4 cents a litre.
I think that are the main efforts.
Brave AND frugal: I asked my husband to cut my hair. It's been almost a year since it's been cut. Not because of COVID, more because of the distance (90 miles) and time involved for me to get to a salon. My hair is long, and I keep it that way because it's low maintenance, but it is also very curly, which is a bit tricky. I usually have layers cut into it.
However, he's a handy guy, so I set him the challenge and he did some YouTube research, finally deciding it would be easiest to follow the instructions for self-cutting curly hair, but doing it for me. It came out better than I expected. I have low expectations anyway for anything beauty related, so no big deal if it hadn't. And then, of course, our daughter demanded a haircut too--her first ever at almost three--so he did her curly hair too, and hers looks really good, actually.
Hooray for handy husbands who don't mind becoming beauticians for a bit! So now I do all the boys' hair, he does all the girls', and we never have to pay for it or drive a ridiculous distance for a haircut.
Last week he made a key and this week he's cutting hair. What a guy! (Can't wait to hear what's next.)
It's hard to believe it's been seven years since you and your father painted your cabinets. I remember how much joy the change brought you. Your before and after pix reminded me, yet again, why the open shelf look is not for me - my kitchen would look just like yours did without the doors.
Frugality Chez WilliamB this week.
- Continued to use Shell gas rewards when buying gas, comparing that price to other stations' prices first. It's going to make more of a difference now: the location of my new job within my organization is 40 mi from my house, as compared to the previous 10. Worth it to be away from that toxic environment.
- Many meals have been designed around what needs to be used up the most. Tonight is going to be Tex-Mex night because some lettuce is on its last legs.
- I'm enjoying what little yield my veggies are producing. I have a long history of not being able to grow veggies so I'm pleased what what I have. I'd forgotten that cukes can have flavor as well as juicy crunch.
- In the past couple of weeks I've had two day-long trips, driving relatives to places. (One too old to do all the driving, the other too young.) In each case I packed all our food and drinks and looked for Shell gas.
- Used a coupon for a dinner (whole chix + 2 sides from a restaurant had made a mistake with a past order and insisted on being crazy-generous with its recompense) for dinner after one of the long drives. My plan to pick up the meal on the way home, and thus not be tempted to buy something on the way, worked very well.
- Carefully price-shopped for a handful of kitchen wants: 4 portion scoopers to replace my old ones which kept needing to be reset, poultry shears, and the like.
- Won a $25 gift certificate to a local bookstore from the public library's summer reading program.
Jealous of your cucumbers. Ours just burned up in the wind and heat this summer, no matter how much water I put on them. Garden-grown cucumbers are a revelation, aren't they? No comparison at all to commercial ones.
Another one, small but very satisfying: tonight's dinner of baked burritos used up many odds and ends, consisting as it did of the remainders of:
- a free jar of Penzey's Taco & Pico spice,
- chopped lettuce that was on its last legs,
- a bag of burito wrappers,
- 1.5 jars of salsa, when I had a half-jar languishing in the fridge, and
- a bag of grated Tex-Mex cheese.
I also used 1.5 lbs of 97% lean ground beef on sale for $3.85/lb.
-I returned items that were purchased on a credit card right away instead of letting them sit in the back of the van until ???
-I made some freezer to instant pot meals to keep us from ordering take out when time/groceries are running low
-My kids are doing cyber school so we avoided back to school shopping (ha!)
-The kid's great aunt wanted to send them school supplies and asked what we needed, instead of saying "don't worry, we're fine!" I told her what we needed and she sent what would be useful to us instead of random things we might not use.
-We got solar panels installed and the electric company replaced our meter so we are now LIVE!
I know you have your tried and true favorite recipe sources, but if you're feeling in a rut/adventurous, I HIGHLY recommend budgetbytes.com - the recipes are broken down by cost which is really helpful and interesting and I honestly have never made a bad recipe.
1. I made Super Seed Bars. I have been craving snacky food and since I seem to not be able to eat many tree nuts my old standbys of Lara bars and RX Bars are not a good regular option (and they are pricey and since I'm mostly home I don't need easy to pack snacks). Anyway, I was able to use sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds purchased on sale and in bulk. I am set for a few weeks for snacks, I made a double batch. I forgot to add the vanilla, further lowering the cost (oops!).
2. I saw an article in the Washington Post magazine about Nordic Pole walking. It uses most of the body instead of just the lower body. I'd like to try it but don't want to buy a set of poles immediately. We have two hiking sticks we purchased from LL Bean 25 years ago. I will adjust them to the proper height and use them to get a feel for it before spending money.
3. We finally did takeout over the weekend. We ordered food from the local Chinese restaurant. While I think it was safe I found I had not missed it as much as I thought I had. How is this frugal, I guess if it squelches the itch it may be).
4. I got the first dose of the shingles vaccine yesterday. I think it is better, and cheaper, to not come down with shingles. The side effects, which I was concerned about, have been minimal, just a bit of a headache. I used the pharmacy at Walgreens for the vaccine. Afterwards I picked up a couple of items and asked for the senior discount.
5. A friend of a friend was giving away her yarn stash. I have quite a bit of yarn but was low on some colors I needed. I was able to get a few skeins of yarn that I'll use up quickly for charity knitting/crocheting. I am working on a lap robe (nursing home donation), chemo cap (oncology center donation), and seafarer hats and scarves (given to the local maritime organization for Christmas gifts for those that are poor, cold, and not allowed off the ships, even in the best of times).
Maritime society? I’m curious about that and what area, what kind of ships?
1. I received notice that my internet service cost was going up $23 a month. I spent about two hours talking with three different representatives and was able to get the increase down to $5 a month. Instead of having to pay an additional $276 per year, I will pay $60 more per year.
2. I tried my hand at making a card using the blank cards I purchased a few weeks ago. I definitely need more practice, but it was good enough to send to my niece who started vet school recently.
3. I received a $5 anniversary gift card from Kohl's. I was able to combine it with a 20% off coupon and get two needed items for $3.05 out of pocket.
4. I had 28 no spend days in August. The pandemic is definitely making me save more money.
5. I redeemed $221.24 in statement credit this week. I always pay the credit card bill in full each month so this was free money!
6. And one more - I received an email offer for $20 off an $80 purchase at Bed Bath and Beyond. My daughter has a list of things she wants from there. Her birthday is in October, and Christmas will be here before you know it. I bought eight items that will work for both occasions.
Your #4 and #5 are impressive!
I'm not sure how frugal we are being lately. It seems like all I do is spend!
*I got a pair of sterling silver earrings shipped to me with free shipping and Kohl's cash making them $5. They are exactly like a pair that my sister gave me that I lost and perfect for work.
*I made stuffed peppers last night using my Imperfect Produce peppers, some ground turkey, and some leftover homemade enchilada sauce and my grown daughter was impressed. Cheap dinner!
*I bought a $5 box of Rit Dye and refreshed my work scrub tops (solid black). Not buying new scrub tops any time soon.
*I printed a free Fall printable and placed it in a frame in the spare bathroom just to add some pretty. Used all of the Fall decor stuff I already had - buying nothing new. Having the decor out makes me feel excited for Fall!
That's it for now - I'm going to look into that app for my 21 year old.
1. We too have enjoyed some veggies from the garden despite being a very lazy vegetable gardeners. Enjoyed some eggplant and zucchini. Herbs thrive in our garden, so that is where we save the most money.
2. I have been drinking mint tea from dried mint from the garden.
3. Made banana bread from dark bananas, and used up some leftover oatmeal from breakfast in the batter. Worked fine!
4. Getting chromebooks for distance learning from the school rather than buying them for our kids. No other back to school shopping either this year.
5. No clothes shopping despite having some "come back" bucks from the consignment shop where I usually shop. Feels like a frugal fail in not using them, but I would really just spend more than the coupon is for.
Too tired to think about how I've saved money, but .... thanks to you, I am now a devoted cream biscuit girl. I never kept heavy cream around till the pandemic but when yeast was hard to come by and I needed some quick bread recipes, I tried that. Yum. I also added cream scones to my repertoire and I couldn't be happier with the results. I never had the results I wanted with scones prior to trying this .... and it's so darn easy! (link: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cream-tea-scones-recipe). So thank you for upping my baking game!
Cream scones, yes! I use a similar recipe and add chocolate chips or nuts or dried fruit. So good!
1. I've been sewing and knitting a lot! It's absolutely not efficient as a frugal way to clothe oneself, but I do think it's frugal way to have a hobby, especially when you're trying to use up all the fabric you bought in the last decade and shoved under the bed...ahem.
2. I made a big bag of chicken wontons and 3 L (roughly 3 quarts) of broth for the freezer.
3. I listed my old textbooks on Facebook marketplace, but I think I need to put them specifically in a student group, because no one's biting.
4. Budget spreadsheets are THE BEST! It's so great, at the end of the month, to see where all the dollars went. When I was single, I found I could keep it in my head, but since I got married I see that for two people, physically tracking it, and talking about it, is really helpful.
I didn't comment on your previous post because so many had already expressed what I was thinking, but it's been weighing on my mind, and I wanted to add my two cents.
First, just letting you know that I'm thinking of you and hoping the situation resolves happily for everyone involved.
Second, as a teacher and a parent, I sometimes think about how it is basically my job to make myself obsolete. The better I do my job, the less I should be needed, and I think it could help to reframe the situation that way. As painful as it is, when an adolescent pushes their parents away and forges their own independence, it is a sign that you did your job as a parent correctly and thoroughly and also that they are now doing the important work of finalizing their identities. That is something that no one can do for them. I hope that when that work is done, you all will be able to build new relationships together that will surpass your wildest expectations.
Now five frugal things:
1. Ate at home from pantry and freezer for every meal.
2. Picked up electronic equipment from my work so I would not need to use personal equipment to teach virtually.
3. Turned the ac units off (except at night in our bedroom because divorce is NOT frugal! Ha!) and opened windows to take advantage of slightly lower temps this week.
4. Used the hose to water my plants on the porch instead of my rain barrel which would have been more frugal, but would have also taken me a lot longer, so I factored in the value of my time now that I am back to work and decided the hose was actually cheaper.
5. Gave my neighbor a birthday card I had picked up from a free yard sale table and a bouquet of flowers from my yard-she feels remembered on her birthday, and I didn't have to buy anything or go out to a store right now, so I call it a win on three different fronts.
Sending you and all the other readers healing thoughts during these challenging days!
I'm a retired teacher and just want to say that you worded that so well about teens/young adults forging their independence and finalizing their identities. Well put and hopefully will give Kristin and other parents some hope to hang on to when things are tough.
I'm trying for a "No-Spend September" with some of my new frugal friends that I found on Instagram.
1) Wasn't feeling well last night, but I found some frozen Mexican lasagna for the hubs for his dinner.
2) While making my veggie stir fry on Monday night, I pulled out the green onions and pulled off all the yucky parts, used what I needed and chopped the rest.
3) Chopped a head of red cabbage and since I didn't need all of it, I froze the rest. Froze some bananas for future smoothies too.
4) Was going to make my husband a Mexican lasagna dish for dinner, but since I wasn't feeling good yesterday and there was some already frozen, I froze all the ingredients for when I do make that dinner.
5) Eating leftover veggies for lunch so I'm not tossing them away. Tonight is grilled chicken salads!
6) Will be painting my dining room this weekend while the hubs works. That will keep me out of the stores and home not spending money since the paint was bought a while ago and I have all the supplies needed. 🙂
1.) Made pumpkin puree with the first pumpkin of the season. I haven't made anything with it but we did roast and eat the pumpkin seeds.
2.) My wife is teaching herself to sew and needed some elastic for making a nightgown for our daughter. Well locally it was around $1 a yard but I got her 20 yards of it for less than $5 online. The good news is that it's the same size as some of the cloth diapers we kept so she could, in theory, repair them should we decide to pass them on to someone else or in the off chance we have another kid (though that's at about 0% right now.)
3.) Took advantage of tax free weekend and bought some new blades for my mower.
4.) Bought something at Harbor Freight and ended up returning it. The whole thing was a mess (they screwed up the coupons, billing and were just rude) and I decided that it wasn't worth the aggravation and returned the item (in part out of spite but also because I didn't need the bad memory of it.)
5.) Got a surprise $25 coupon from eBay for being such an active member for 20 years (that sure scares me a bit) and I used it to buy a movie for myself that I've wanted to watch for a while.
1. I ordered some inexpensive fall pillow covers from amazon. There was free return shipping which was good as I disliked the quality. We dropped them off at Kohls Amazon return while out and they gave us 10.00 off anything at Kohls. I used it along with free shipping and 30% off to purchase a Christmas gift.
2. I started decorating for fall using what I had. The mantel looked too fussy for my taste so I redid it and then redid it again. I'm satisfied and have some lovely fall garland to put on facebook marketplace possibly along with other fall stuff I no longer want.
3. Garden is slowing down but I'm still dehydrating Roma tomatoes for use this winter. We love them in quiche, mac-in-cheese and on pizza. I'll look for more ways to use them this year.
4. I had asked on facebook if any local organization was selling mums. I got two responses assuming I would buy from one or the other. The prices were double what they usually are for fundraising mums. I feel guilty but I can buy huge ones by my sister's for 6.50.
5. My grocery bill has remained about the same even with the garden producing but I've been stocking up a bit for winter. Between what I've frozen and that small stockpile, our grocery bill will remain low this winter. And I was able to find kale seeds so planting kale where the beans were should give us salad most of the winter. As my dad would say "Let the snow fly! We'll still eat!"
I want to paint my cabinets so much, but my husband runs into everything with his scooter, so a paint job will not happen. It would make me crazy to see a fresh paint job all scarred up.
1. I cooked home-spice-rubbed ribs in the pressure cooker and added herbs and aged balsamic vinegar to the cooking water. Then I browned the finished ribs under the broiler and added a little black strap molasses to the de-fatted liquid in the pressure cooker and cooked it down to a sauce for the ribs. No needing charcoal, a long time in the oven, expensive seasoning mixes or bottled barbecue sauce.
2. I bought another Christmas gift on sale. We have grandkids, and there are birthdays at Thanksgiving and Christmas time as well. I like to get a head start on shopping, so I have time to wait for the items to go on sale, instead of being pushed to pay full price at the last minute.
3. I made five gallons of laundry soap. Homemade laundry soap works for me, thankfully.
4. I made a gallon of tea for drinking and a gallon for brewing kombucha, plus I cleaned out and re-started one of my two kombucha brewers. Kombucha is crazy expensive at the stores, crazy cheap made at home.
5. I got my primary doctor on the same page as me, and except for things like physicals, she is doing telemed appointments with me, although her office officially says they are re-opened and no longer doing telemed (why not?). I have a 90 mile drive each way to see this doctor. I'm very grateful that I sat down and discussed this with her.
1. Well, I *may* have sold a magazine on ebay for $30, or maybe it got stolen out of my mailbox, or maybe it's just entered the abyss that is the USPS right now. Waiting on a call back from the post office...
2. I'm only taking my classes virtually this semester, but still had to pay fees since classes at the university were meeting live. Campus closed last week, so I'll be getting a fee refund. As an adult learner, I never used the bus, gym, or other things the fees pay for, so it's nice to get that money back.
3. Really wanted something sweet, so I made no-bake cookies. Cheap, quick, and yummy!
4. Borrowed a library DVD for family movie night.
5. I've gone back to making homemade pizza for Friday dinners. Delivery was nice, but decidedly unfrugal.
1. My husband and I both received our flu shots, which are happily free with insurance. We're loyal about this every year, as he's... complicated if he gets ill (he has daily meds he HAS to take/keep down), and I take forever to get over anything. We're sick rarely, but when we are, we go all out!
2. I inventoried our deep freezer... again. I keep happening upon "last day" meat sales, on top of sale prices. Much as I dislike going over my intended grocery trip budget, I know intellectually that the stock pile will save us money in the end. Should another lockdown happen, it will also spare us panicking over supplies. We were fortunate to miss the first round back in March precisely because of this strategy.
3. Dinner will be mostly free thanks to our neighbor's tomato largess and generosity! Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are on the menu. Last night was also mostly free, thanks to venison steaks from Dad.
4. My husband's outdoor job is ridiculously hard on water bottles, even metal ones. I've made a habit of hitting my favorite Goodwill every few weeks to restock both his work stash and the supply we rotate in the fridge. I'll not pay $40 for a water bottle that's destined to be destroyed (I always look up brands/cost on my phone before buying), but I'll happily pay $2! This week's trip should hopefully have us set for a while.
5. I lucked into some inexpensive gifts for the holidays last night! I've a habit of trolling the clearance sections of online museum gift shops (The Metropolitan Museum of Art is my favorite), as I come from a proud family of nerds. We're all glad to receive gifts related to our interests, I type while drinking from an Egypt-themed mug! 😛
This week I had to redefine a personal relationship that had come to revolve around money. It was a hard, sad, necessary thing, and it will save me quite a bit every month. There's other support out there for this friend, and I hope and pray she will get her life together and move forward instead of staying sunk in the "gimmees".
Otherwise, I continued with the routine frugal stuff: My husband added Aldi to his Saturday chore list so that we can stock up on bread, thus saving us $6 a week. Every little bit helps. I pack my lunch, drinks and snacks to work every day, wearing my cute thrifted office outfits. Gassed up my car with a gift card, saving 16 cents on the fill-up. Bought groceries with a couple of coupons and saved another dollar. Mended another blouse, one I love that came from Goodwill but developed some tiny holes that require embroidery skills to repair in the delicate fabric. It looks good now.
1. Late last week had some super hot days where our energy company offered discounts for using less-than-normal amounts between 2-6pm. We were a little sweaty, but we saved over $9. (Our first day savings was shockingly low, which I think is because I was canning and it caused some fans to turn on for long periods of time. The second day was far more worth it.)
2. Behind my laptop is a large pile of green peppers from our garden! I've been slicing and freezing them for wintertime fajitas. This is by far the best pepper year we've ever had!!
3. My tomato plants are not rock star producers this year, but I'm enjoying tomato sandwiches for lunch everyday. I'm getting the "fancy" kind of Aldi bread ($2 instead of $1.29) but it's delicious and I figure that's pretty good for a week's worth of lunches.
4. Took the time to match up coupons/ad sales/Ibotta rebates at Meijer this week. I don't do this often, but it worked out for yesterday. I was able to buy some things at better-than-Aldi prices.
5. Made smoothies to go with dinner last night to use up a number of bananas that were past their prime.
1. Eating tomato sandwiches with publix tomatoes. Not bad...organic ones that were not ripe when I got them last week. 2. Bought odd dishes at thrifty. Blue and white. 3. More record albums 50 cents...1970s ones I could not afford back when. 4.blouses and slacks....for going into fall...st Vincent's. 5. Bought bucket and filled it with bathroom supplies for the needy including pretty shower curtain and hooks . Left at st Vincent to ve given out
I dunno if we are the kindest group of readers, we merely return what you seeded in us. While the topic of your blog is frugality— we have been receiving more than money saving tips, but a reassurance that not everything is about money. For years, YOU have been our inspiration for being better and kinder selves, no matter what life throws at us.
So, yeah.... when you wrote you are in pain, we cry with you and offer you support. I hope everything turns out for the best with the “coming to age” stint. Perhaps, this is what is needed now. Sorry you suffer in this.
Thank you; your comment really touched me. <3
I agree, this blog is the most kind and caring and respectful group of (mostly) women on the web! Kristen, your example sets the tone for this and I am so happy when I see new posts here! I love reading all the comments and am always uplifted!
For: the technology that allowed our family to watch my daughter and her fiancé get married outdoors in the PNW; that my toddler twin grandsons finally enjoy spending time in the backyard pool; for the app that has allowed me to sell unwanted CD’s and some old technology, which in turn has made me $$ and freed up mental as well as physical space; for my stocked pantry and freezer which meant I didn’t need to do a grocery shop this week; and for continued good health.
1) we also had a big salad (topped with grilled salmon) for dinner last night. Our CSA share comes today so it was good to use up some veggie backlog. Also much healthier than ordering a takeout burger, which was my first impulse after working late!
2) today I will clean and organize the pantry and make a list for a big fall shop. The COVID era taught me that I spend a lot less money when I stock up on pantry items once every month or two, and just go to the store for perishables every two weeks or so. Also, it saves time.
3) I am using the library more for reading books I don't need to own.
4) and also trading light fiction with friends. None of us are TV people so this is our quarantine entertainment.
5) while I really miss traveling to foreign spots, camping in our VW has allowed us to get away from home this summer. And it's certainly easier on the travel budget!
1. My friend gave me probably 40-50 lbs of apples from her family's orchard, I've already made a ton of applesauce and an apple cake and will continue to use them in cooking and baking for quite a while I'm sure!
2. I got 6 more books at the library from my list
3. I cleaned out a bunch of kids' outgrown clothing and shoes, some will get passed to younger cousins and some I can list to sell
4. I got a thermometer gun, I have to take my kids' temps every morning before school and this will definitely be easier than doing it orally, found one on an amazon deal for $18 which is much cheaper than a lot of others I've seen!
5. Borrowed the last book for my youngest kiddo's summer reading from a friend so we didn't have to buy it
I totally notice what a kind and generous group this is! It is one of the few groups on Facebook that I actually participate in. I really enjoy reading the comments - and that's unusual in these times!!
Kristen, I don't always say so, but I appreciate everything you post, even when it doesn't apply to me. I'm telling you, just the pizza crust and yogurt alone have been life changing!
One frugal thing is all I can handle this week. Making LOTS of tomato sauce from tomatoes ZG grew in the backyard. We're on our fourth batch.
Ohh, nice! That'll be lovely to have in the winter.
You are cared for, for sure!
1. I've stopped buying homeschool supplies for the year, and we'll use what we have now:) I'm learning to adapt curriculum plans when needed/let go of the fluff (which saves time and money).
2. Our community is coming up with all kinds of new homeschool programs. We normally don't do dance classes because we cannot afford them, and that makes my mama heart so sad. But I try to be content. This year however, there are homeschool daytime classes that are significantly more affordable, and have no recital hassles either:) So we hope to start next month!
3. Co-workers and neighbors have brought in or shared free produce lately. Such a yummy blessing! I froze green beans from our haul.
4. A friend started a low-key co-op this year that is free and does not involve teaching, which also saves time and money. I'm seeing a theme here:)
5. We get all our easy readers and curriculum recommended reads from our local library. No expense there! And since I work there, no fines too...yippee!
When we share our hard things, it does allows other people to share their hard things. And it helps us all. The difficulty is when our hard things are also private for our kids. Then we aren't as free to share and it can be SO lonely. From my heart, to everyone's heart that is hurting, blessings, courage and strength for you. I hope you can find one utterly safe person to talk to.
1. I cooked yet another zucchini for dinner. I have endurance, that is for sure.
2. I switched credit cards to one with a higher % cash back.
3. I printed a coupon for a discount on an oil change, and actually took the car in need and got the oil changed that same day.
4. I have decreased my veggie garden watering now that it is cooler. It is easy to keep the same schedule and not take the weather into account.
5. I received floss from my Buy Nothing group. And 2 lamps. Now each bedroom has a bedside lamp. In my world, a bedside lamp is not a necessity, so I have not bought them. 2 free ones came into my life the very same week, for which I am really thankful.
A repeat customer suggested a fabric bag for the banners that I make. I was so grateful for the suggestion. Now each banner comes with a bag. And she is getting a free one! Collaboration and community is so wonderful! https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricSpeaks Thanksgiving and Christmas banners are coming to the shop this month.
FFT, Fails and Wins in Dementia Care Edition:
(1) Fail: DH, while surreptitiously sneaking some late Monday evening ice cream (ahem), jammed the ice cream carton back into the fridge freezer awkwardly--so the freezer door didn't close completely overnight. Came down early Tuesday a.m. to find several items on the top layer of said freezer defrosting. Had to (a) throw away a few things and (b) make an unscheduled pot roast for dinner Tuesday night.
(2) Further fail: DH, upon encountering the single strip of masking tape on the freezer door with "KEEP OUT!" written on it, simply ripped this off and went after the sole remaining box of still-mushy ice cream. After I had a short but sharp loss of temper (those of you caring for relatives with dementia can surely relate), I taped up the door in such a way that even he won't be further tempted to get into it for the next 24 hours. Am considering next steps after this, including just not buying any more ice cream (he's gained 10 pounds this year anyway, mostly due to ice cream). Those with caregiver experience are encouraged to offer advice. (And as so many of you have already said, it's because Kristen runs a kind and sympathetic ship here that I feel OK with this encouragement.)
(3) Frugal win: The emergency pot roast was very good indeed (the first one we've had from this year's 1/4 steer).
(4) Further win: Am about to incorporate the pot roast leftovers plus assorted veggies needing to be used into a seat-of-the-pants beef minestrone.
(5) Win: A neighbor at the end of the street is having a lot of the cedar shakes on his house replaced. The carpenter doing the work is putting all of the debris on the street, including all of his scraps and miscuts from the fresh cedar. I'm picking up all these for kindling for this coming winter.
Sending hugs and prayers to you on the difficult care giving journey you are on!
A. Marie, my mother had early onset Alzheimer's and since I could not keep eyes on her every second of the day, the best thing was to limit how much of whatever she could get into. Does your husband like ice cream pops? If so, take all but one out of the box. Hide the rest in a box he won't look in and stash them in the freezer. Leave the box with one in it front and center in the freezer. That way he'll get his treat and have portion control.
Now, you might have to rescue the ice cream pop box from the trash to keep the ruse going, but it should work pretty well.
A. Marie, you are doing a wonderful job taking care of your DH. I read love and compassion in each and every word you write.
I took care of both my mother and my mother-in-law for each was impacted by cognitive disorders late in life. My mother was a dear for the most part. She did tell my husband that he looked fat in a turtlenecks, and she tried to eat paper napkins at dinner. Easy things to manage. However, my mother-in-law was extremely difficult and challenging... extremely.
You are on a life journey with no map, no compass or no directions. But you have the two most important things heart and humor. I wish there was something that I could do to help you, but all I can do is send positive energy (prayers) your way.
I wish you love and peace always.
Love your words and your sincerity shines
Sounds like you were an amazing caregiver
Ruby, the ice cream pop advice is genius. Portion control without making me feel like the Wicked Witch of the West. I'll get some pops on my next trip to Wegmans.
And thanks also to Madeline and Bee for their support. Bee, your mother telling your husband that he looked "fat in a turtleneck" was an eerie echo of something my mother told one of my father's cousins at my father's calling hours. I now recognize that this was a warning sign of the vascular dementia she developed not long afterward.
I love the ice cream pop idea. Or maybe fruit juice popsicles would work? (Although, that wouldn't trick me ).
Caring for someone with dementia, especially your romantic partner, is so hard. Such a loss of your "life" together. My heart is with you.
I have no caregiver advice for you, but I wanted to say that I can imagine how frustrating it can be, and I'm sure any of us would lose our tempers here and there.
All of us who read your comments can gather that you are a devoted and loving wife, and I personally have so much respect for the work you are doing with such love.
1. In the throws of prepping the house for sale. I’ve been hard nosed about what we will take.
I’ve had great success in selling on Facebook marketplace, offer up, etc
2. I’m reusing boxes to mail those sales
3. Hubby had foot surgery and is progressing ok
4. I gifted several pots of succulents to a friend cause I can’t take them with me
5. Using up all the odds/ends of personal care products
This has been a Little House on the Prairie week, frugality wise. (Thank heavens, not modern conveniences wise!)
1. Pulled, washed and processed 81 pounds of carrots.
2. Pulled over 100 pounds of potatoes, which are now lying on and under newspaper in our spare room to toughen the skins and make sure they are completely dry before storing for the winter.
3. Picked and shelled 12 quarts of peas, and then blanched and froze them for winter.
4. I have no idea why I planted kale, as neither the husband nor I like this green. I think this is what they call aspirational gardening, when you think if you plant something healthy that you hate, you will eat it. Nope. Husband happily picked and washed four five gallon buckets full of the stuff and took it to the bread line, where they will be able to use it in soups and stews. Even got a tax receipt but mostly I was pleased that someone would use it.
5. Picked our 16 pumpkins and washed them down with bleach/water mix and as soon as they have a few days to make sure they have cured, they go into our pumpkin storage place. We just finished the pumpkin pulp from last year in July, so they really last a long time.
I'm exhausted. The only thing left to clear out the garden (it was 36 degrees a few nights ago, so it was time) is pull everything from the greenhouse. The husband does that, since it is hard to move around in there with my wheelchair and I just can't stand up long enough to do hours of clearing out. Our other beds are all 3 feet tall so I can garden from a sitting position, which not only makes it possible for me to garden even when I am pretty ill, but the soil is about 10 degrees warmer than at ground level. That makes a huge difference in what does well in our very short growing season.
So I am thankful for a great harvest and for the raised beds my husband built and filled so many years ago.
Holy Smokes! This is all so amazing! I'm so inspired by your know how and dedication, all from a wheelchair, no less! It sounds like a ton of work but you must be so proud of your bounty - there's so much joy in growing your own food. Congratulations!
You seem really versed in garden bounty preservation, so here's a question for you: can I can cooked spinach?? I have a lot in the garden, and no space in my freezer...!
* can I CAN (canning**)
You cannot water bath can spinach, only pressure can. Here is a site that will give you the pressure readings to use. They are the most reputable site in terms of safety. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/spinach_greens.html
Before you go to a lot of trouble canning spinach, buy a can and see if you like it! I LOVE spinach, but canned spinach is so awful I’d just compost it!
1. I recreated a favorite stuffed poblano pepper meal for our Mexican food night. Since Covid, we have not eaten out in a restaurant in 6 months! When I look at menus online (just for fun) I GET SERIOUS STICKER SHOCK now.I don’t think we will go back to any kind fo restaurant eating other than a take out Greek salad here and there.
2. Mended a nightgown,Sewed a button onto an old skirt, Wore some old shirts with small holes in them,cause,well,Covid,I’m HOME.
3. Used up ALL the salad greens,tomatoes and fruit in the house before buying more. I like to toss greens that are almost ready to be done, into my soups.
4. Took ALL our own food to an airbnb getaway we took in Sedona.NO restaurants.just some nice hiking ,swimming in an isolated “secret” creek we know about. There were a few minor issues with the airbnb and our hostess INSISTED we take a credit for a free night! I tried to decline.. she insisted!!
5.FREE EXERCISE: I use my 30 year old Schwann bicycle, at least 3 times a week, my old treadmill (purchased on craigslist a few years back..) and youtube videos.We walk in local parks.This doubles as a “date” too.. my husband and I enjoy our time together on hiking trails and on park trails.
But..STILL missing my days of playing cards with 3 lady friends, my art studio Thursdays with friends, in -person book club and all the pot lucks..they were very frugal ways of enjoying life and added so much to my life.. maybe soon.... Praying for the end of Covid.
I love your #3. Teaching your kids those kinds of skills that can help them the rest of their lives and they can pass on to others.
1. Made chicken and rice soup with leftover rice.
2. Made biscuits to go along with said soup, but accidentally put too much milk in so I ended up saving the dough by making a whole bunch of biscuits...but I think we'll have them eaten up in a day or two.
3. Been working on shelling our beans from the garden.
4. Cooking mostly locally, which is a huge money saver over imported goods.
5. Gone a long time without dying my grays...and it shows
My kids would think that the extra biscuits was the best mistake ever! 🙂
I always feel the shipping is high in compare to the item bought. Maybe it should be a percentage of the cost of the item instead.
1. I picked up some glass jars (we freeze in them) and a kid's swim floatie off Buy Nothing
2. Sold a vintage belt on eBay and a roof rack my husband found at the curb on Marketplace- made $55
3. Got free flu shots at CVS yesterday- I bring my kids for theirs tomorrow
4. Made tons of homemade salsa using tomatoes from our garden, used the green beans from our garden to make a rice dish, sun-dried more cherry tomatoes from the garden, made zucchini muffins using a large zucchini from my aunt's garden, and roasted a large butternut squash to go with a roasted chicken
5. Put our gym membership on hold until December (we pay $80/month for a family membership). We aren't comfortable using the gym yet. But, we did buy a cycling bike off Amazon for $300. So, I guess it's a wash
1. Used up many veggie odds and ends in an egg skillet dinner
2. Ate all meals in (no takeout, yay!)
3. Ordered a bunch of new books I want to read from the library. They have curbside pickup (I just love the library <3)
4. This isn't exactly frugal but it's funny...my DH sold his old stand-up computer desk to a friend who paid him in cash (small bills). DH was worried about the cash having virus germs so he spread it out on his workbench and sprayed it with Lysol. There is something really funny about walking into the garage to see a large shelf filled with greenbacks!
5. Found out that a show I really want to watch is available on our Hulu account (which my daughter shares with us for free). I had ALMOST decided to bite the bullet and purchase the whole dang series used on DVD. Cha-ching!
What’s the series!? I need some new Fall-Winter shoes to watch!
Shows!
1) I'm taking part in Shelftember, which is essentially cooking from your stockpile and trying to spend $25 or less a week on groceries. I really don't have a very big stockpile right now, but I love a good challenge, so this should be fun. (My husband groaned at this. His comment, "Don't you already do this?? How much less can you spend?" Haha!)
2) I ordered some meat from a company that has free delivery if you order $125, so I went in with some friends. The company gave me a package of free organic chicken breasts. Yeah!
3) I'm taking some free online bridge courses with the American Red Cross. I am already an instructor, but this will allow me to teach a wider variety of classes.
4) My husband and I wanted to go out last Friday but not spend much. I packed a picnic and we headed to the park. It was good to just get out of the house.
5) A coworker knows I love Tupperware, and she gave me a brand new, still in the packaging, microwave steamer yesterday!
6) I sewed an eye hook on my pants after I put them on. Almost took them off and wore something else, but figured spending 5 minutes in the moment was better. Yeah!
I love your comments and can see your humor
Thanks- enjoyed
Thanks, Ana.
Kristen, you're a kind and genuine spirit and kids do teach us patience. Your blog shows us many things and we appreciate you and everything you've done and showed us! Hugs to you !
Here's the latest frugal five for me:
1) My job gave me $100 for grocery shopping. It was a nice surprise.
2) DS2 has been asking me to help him navigate purchases on ebay. I've showed him how to find auctions that will end soon, read carefully when it comes to descriptions, etc. When buying coins, I've told him about a ping test to determine if it's real silver. No fancy gadgets needed.
3) We thought the refrigerator quit working. It kept blowing GFI's. We plugged it in many outlets but no better. So, we started the process of discussing what we were going to do with all of the food and started to put the milk in a mini wine cooler. We decided to try to plug the fridge back into another outlet and voila' ! It started to hum.....Whew
4) Ebay gave me $25 for being a member since they first started! I got comic books for Christmas for DS1.
5) Since I've been wearing a mask that covers most of my face, I haven't worn full make-up. I'm saving alot !
--researched a quick fix for a slow running toilet and yay, I DIY'd it!
--all meals made from home this week
--darned a pair of flannel sweats so i will have a cozy "new to me" pair this fall
--rearranged my pictures/knick knacks to "refresh" my livingroom look
--exercised at home and walked during my lunch hour--maybe this isn't frugal but I like to boast!
FINALLY BACK TO WORK EDITION
1. Packed lunch every day
2. Made drinks at home and took them with me
3. Got 5 new shirts for less than 30 dollars on KOHLS app. Shipped right to me
4. Used slow cooker twice this week to avoid take out
5 CREATED very yummy baked potato topper to use up random quarantine buys
1 can Hormel no beans chili
1 can drained kidney beans
1 can drained black beans
1 can partially drained ALDI rotel
1 fresh jalepeno diced
4 shakes of chili powder
I cooked it on low in slow cooker for 3 hours. Could easily heat it up on stove or in micro.
Heat up and serve on top of baked potatoes or tortilla chips.
I will keep your family in my prayers and wish you strength through this trying time.
This week's five frugal things:
1. I cut the satellite cord! It was time. They wanted me to upgrade my equipment - which, incidentally, did not include a reduction to the already inflated price I was paying and would lock me into a new two-year contract. So, right now we have Netflix and YouTube. After a little research I plan on investing in an antenna and something like Roku or Chrome Cast. Any thoughts on what would be best? I'm not the most tech-savvy person around.
2. After cutting the cord, I decided to call and negotiate with my internet provider. Lowered my rate by $32 a month for the next 12 months.
3. Paid off the balance of my car loan early to save some interest.
4. I have a credit card that gives me 3% cash back on groceries and 2% on everything else. With COVID, I've been ordering groceries and pumping gas using a card, so I amassed a little chunk of change. It was available to use, so I applied it back to my card as a credit before paying the balance.
5. A little gift store I have worked for on weekends for 16 years has closed down because of COVID. It is the saddest thing ever for the owner. We had sales to get rid of most of the product but, of course, there's always leftovers. The owner gave me what she didn't want to keep to do with what I want. Some things I'll list on a local marketplace, some I'll keep, the rest I'll put aside for birthday and holiday gift-giving.
* Pulled all the rhubarb from the garden and made sauce with it. Gave me 15 cups, so a couple of Masson jars. Better than letting it go to waste!
* After waiting for 2 years, I finally got a sleep study done at the hospital. The alternative was to have it done quickly, privately, for 1200$.
* We have been trying use all the food in the freezers and pantry. August groceries were less than 400$, yay! (For 4, in Canada, so really cheap!)
* Picked up 5 pair of pants for DD at Goodwill for 15$ or so.
* Went to the dentist and the massage therapist this week. 500$ out of pocket now, but thank god for private health insurance (no, not everything is covered in Canada!), I should receive about 350$ back.
1. Local library had free bags of books sorted by genre, picked up 2 bags of sci fi for husband and son. Library said the only requirement was that the books not come back, so we will put them in the free little library at the park after reading.
2. Monday was my birthday, and we made a steakhouse feast for 6 at home for less than the cost of a single entree at my favorite steakhouse. Grilled sirloin, loaded baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, green salad, and cheesecake.
3. Leftover steak and mushrooms and a wrinkly bell pepper went into quesadillas.
4. DH has been organizing his shop and letting go of things he's realized he will never have time to fix. As fast as he decides maybe he could sell something I have been posting it on Marketplace and Craigslist and trying to get the items gone before he can change his mind. Stuff out, money in, and less stuff in his way.
5. Turned bread heels into 2 batches of croutons.
We had some non frugal moments (kitchen unexpectedly unavailable due to final remodel work), so we had takeout twice, but kept it reasonably inexpensive.
1) Continued to list & sell things on eBay, using repurposed Amazon bags for all mailings
2) Used garden produce in salads this week
3) Took advantage of a couple of Walgreens offers for $5 off and $4 off a $12 purchase - picked up extra toiletries we will need
4) Discovered a $25 eBay offer, for $25 off a $25.01+ purchase. What a deal! Used it to buy an item I'd never be willing to pay out of pocket for (expensive lipgloss) & just had to pay for the tax
5) Returned a couple of online items that didn't work out