Five Frugal Things | tea, masks, and food rescues
Happy Tuesday! Time for your weekly dose of five frugal things.
1. I've been making iced tea.
This is so, so much cheaper than buying pre-made tea.
A box of tea bags costs about $3, which is about the price of one of the bottle gallons from the store. Definitely a money-saving option.
Plus, this way I can make it decaf and just lightly sweetened. It's a perfect summer beverage.
2. I rescued all the bread ends.
We had a bunch of unloved heels stacking up, so I made a batch of PW's overnight French toast. That's always my go-to when I have bread to use up.
I tried a small pan of it with coconut milk last time, and it tasted just fine.
So this time, I just made the whole pan with coconut milk instead of milk. Heavy cream and butter don't bother Sonia, so the milk was the only sub I needed to do.
(This is a good example of what I was talking about yesterday: try it on a small scale and then use those results to determine the future direction you'll go.)
3. I saved my kale and spinach.
They were looking a little wilty, so I soaked them in cold water until they were re-crisped.
It is seriously magical to watch greens freshen up after a cold water bath.
I used all the kale in this salad:
And I froze the spinach for smoothies.
I already used some of the spinach in a smoothie along with some pineapple and bananas that I'd frozen. Yay me!
Here's how I make my smoothies.
And here's my review of the Vitamix.
4. I made cinnamon bread instead of buying cinnamon bagels.
The girls like to eat bagels for breakfast and we were out, so I almost picked up a bag.
But then I remembered I was making garlic pull-apart bread for dinner, and when I do that, I always have half the bread recipe left to bake as a loaf.
So, I made two loaves worth of the egg bread recipe, and I made one half into garlic pull-apart bread and I made the other half into cinnamon bread.
5. I made myself a mask.
The N95 masks we have (purchased last fall for Sonia's allergies) unfortunately have a vent that lets out air.
I could tape it up to fix the problem, but I decided to try making a fabric mask to wear.
Sonia and Zoe made some in this style:
But I tried one on, and it hurt my nose (even this long after nose surgery, my nose is still sensitive to pressure).
So I tried a contoured mask pattern and my first one was WAY too small for me.
I did some more searching and found a pattern that comes in size Large. This is the Hello Sewing face mask in a large.
Luckily, the tiny one fits Sonia, so it'll just be an extra mask for her.
FFT Rabbit addition
Our son raises rabbits with 4-H and also shows his rabbits through ARBA shows. This year has been tough. Not only has COVID 19 shut down our 4-H in person meetings and Summer fairs but there is a fatal rabbit disease spreading through the US. Rabbit Hemoragic Disease RHD. And while it is currently out west it has pretty much shut down rabbit shows for a while. So we are using this time to spruce up our rabbitry (where the bunnies live) and increase our rabbit bio security in case the RHD spreads to Pennsylvania. So on that note...
1. We were able to purchase some really nice great condition cages from a former 4-H young lady. Great “new” cages for us cheaper than new ones and $ for her for college.
2. We sold our old cages to another 4-H young lady
3. Traded 3 old cages to a friend for some sewing projects I need help with
4. Sold 10 rabbits to downsize till all the plagues pass us by.
5. Was given 40lbs of rabbit food by a friend, put a new screen door in the rabbit room to keep out mosquitoes that can transmit RHD, continue to dry herbs and flowers to treat rabbits in the winter, took advantage of all pulled weeds for bunny snacking, and enjoying watching and playing with bunnies for free entertainment
The not so frugal but rewarding stuff. Rescued two bunnies that were just going to be set loose in our city because the owners didn’t want them anymore. Word to the wise, rabbits can live 8-10 years, they are not a “starter pet” they like lots of attention, and they will chew your wires and cables! We were able to rehome the one bunny. The other is a big Flemish Giant who is currently very happy digging burrows in our backyard. (In a very large covered pen). She is staying with us.
Oh wow, that sounds like a very challenging problem.
I hope your bunnies stay healthy.
Thanks, us too.
I made face masks for our entire family but we come in three sizes small (my daughter-in-law) medium (myself and my daughter) and large (my husband). Because they are in three sizes I made each persons mask in an individual fabric so when you go to the box beside the door that holds clean masks you just need to look for your fabric to grab the right size.
Smart idea!
I thought maybe the large would be too big for me, but I figured well, it could fit Mr. FG then.
But the L is actually a little too small for him. I'm going to have to add more fabric to the chin area when I try to make one for him.
Hah! just finished commenting on your last FFT post & can add a few more this week
1. Playing word games with my niece & nephew online for free
2. Home movie nights with sis - sat watched to Sir with Love - love that film & made spaghetti with meatballs using one of my many cans of crushed tomatoes found in pantry tidy-up
3. Lovely long phone catch-up with a friend tonight
4. Reading books I already own but hadn't got around to reading
5. For my job I have to do a certain amount of continuing study each year & got on to a free webinar course that is very relevant & will knock off nearly 50% of the amount required, it runs on a few Saturdays but I get to watch it in my jammys & sip tea at the same time
1. Saved a broken hair tie for making masks. Also pulled apart a few masks I had made to reuse the elastic because I don't have anymore and it's hard to find in the stores.
2. Found some additional running shirts at an online second hand store
3. Thanks to a grocery store problem, I saved $30-$40 on meat products that I had ordered that they couldn't fulfill. So for the next 1.5 weeks we are going to have less-meated meals (or fewer meated meals. I'm not sure which yet).
4. Repurposed some flannel fabric to make a feltboard wall so my kids could play with felt letters and numbers. We've been having our oldest make CVC words and change one letter to make the new word we give them. (Change one letter to make TAP into NAP)
5. Made iced tea, bread, coffee meals at home.
1. Picked up some shorts, for my son for next summer, off Buy Nothing Group
2. Made homemade liquid laundry detergent using soap nuts
3. Picked the first batch of snap peas from our garden and foraged for Juneberries this weekend
3. Listed a suit my son wore, to my sister's wedding this weekend, on FB Marketplace
4. My favorite sandals broke. Someone in a FB group I am in offered me a similar pair for free
5. Used a gift card from Christmas to buy take-out dinner my family
Corrine, please share your soap nut laundry detergent recipe, i bought the nuts and followed the directions but mine doesn't turn out right... feeling like a frugal failure!
It was very easy. I used 12 cups of water and 30 soap nuts (I doubled this though). Boil together for 1 hour. I then poured it into a laundry detergent container I already had. It seems to be working great.
1. The freezer-stocking-up continues. I used the end of our roast chicken to make chicken broth and made a batch of vegetable broth. So cheap! So easy! So much better than what's at the store!
2. I met a friend for a socially-distanced tea, which required a long drive and buying bubble tea, but I paired it with a large grocery load from a nearby store that sells thing I can't get closer to home. Hopefully we won't have to make the drive for a few weeks.
3. I started knitting myself a sweater out of yarn from a failed project, instead of buying more.
4. I've been making iced tea, too. I bought a box of barley tea from the Korean market. It's wonderful. One of my former students introduced me to it--it tastes like toast.
5. I found a good price on face masks. My province doesn't have an issue with supply lines, and as of August, when I start working in a hospital, I'll be high risk for contracting COVID. Because of that, we decided to pay for the disposable ones, which are more effective and will hopefully make me less of a vector of disease.
1. I did get my hair cut, and while not necessairly frugal, it will save me headaches as my hair gets very thick when it gets longer.
2. I set up recycling stations here at home to prepare for a trip to the recycling center every week or two. We live in the county and there is no curbside recycling pickup.
3. All of my household has been really good at encouraging each other at not ordering food, buying unneeded excessive shopping, etc.
4. Limiting and planning our trips to towns. We live in the county and live a minimum of 10 miles to any small town with a grocery store.
5. No frugal per se but we have been fostering an abandoned kitten (she was 10 days when we got her) and the "forever" home that was set to take her last week had a massive change of circumstances, so we had a family discussion and decided to add her to our family.
I have always made iced tea and the quickest easiest way is in the microwave. Put 4 to 5 tea bags in a covered quart sized pot of water. Cook for 5 minutes. Makes a gallon of tea. I add about 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, but the farther south you live, you will probably add more! Lol! God bless sweet tea drinkers everywhere!!
Frugal 5:
Bought a marked-down basil plant and potted it up. It revived!
Got a start of a thornless blackberry bush from my daughter.
Looked up crack chicken recipes on Pinterest and used the recipe that called for the least chicken. It was wonderful!
I've read that you can use t-shirt fabric for earloops on masks, and since I can't find more elastic, I'm going to try it.
Freezing a container of celery tops, carrot peels, etc. and when the container gets full, I'll make stock.
I make iced tea year round, too, and grew up that way. Instead of sugar, since my husband is diabetic, I brew dried stevia leaves right in with the tea (I use loose tea). We've switched to Red Rooibos tea, which is naturally caffeine-free.
Nice save on the produce!
1. Used Swagbucks to save $25 on a birthday gift for a family member.
2. Spent a nice weekend with a family member and we didn't eat out once. Everything was cooked at home.
3. I mentioned to her that I am the last person I know who hasn't read "The Five Love Languages" and she promptly loaned me her copy.
4. Checked one of my husband's prescriptions - he has a $15 co-pay with the VA - but this turned out to be available over-the-counter in the same strength, and I can get it for about $5 at the store. I won't be refilling this one, just buying it OTC.
5. I got a $25 check from my insurance policy for having a mammogram. All I have to do is go online and put in the place, date, and prescribing physician, and they confirm it and send the check as direct deposit. Easy enough.
And 6. My work place covers the employees' dental premiums completely, although I pay my husband's premium. Our company was given a 56% discount for one month's total premium, due to no one being able to see the dentist during the virus shutdown. My bosses passed on the 56% discount to the portion I pay for my husband and to another employee who pays for his wife and kids, as well, since the business received the discount on all the insured persons, including the non-employees. This is my frugal thing, because I pay the bills here at work, and I am the one who brought this up to them when I saw the new bill amount. My bosses are good guys, and they immediately agreed with me.
1. All entertainment is essentially free. meeting friends for walks and/or visits, meeting my knitting friends weekly, meeting a friend for a pack-your-own lunch. Everything is outdoors and physically distant, and masks worn except when eating.
2. I am still reading e-books borrowed from the library. I was able to do curb-side pick-up of new material last week. Included was A beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It was definitely worth watching.
3. Most of our fruit, besides bananas, has been high prep but reasonably priced: watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe.
4. Working away at our large pile of brush that resulted from cutting down a long hedge. I have bagged some of it and we are buying a chipper to help deal with some of it. Yard waste bags and the cost of the chipper are about 30% of what a dumpster would have been. We will have the chipper for a long time and get "mulch" when we use it.
5. For variety I have been streaming yoga and Pilates videos. I still do an occasional live streamed class from the studio that I hope will reopen (not frugal but an investment in the local owner and teachers during this tough time) but I wanted more so have turned to recorded videos. Staying fit is good for physical and mental health (and usually the budget).
I used a pattern that looks the same and found I need a size mens.... I think the pattern sizes are skewed as I had to I crease the mens size to fit my husband and father. I hope that make you feel better about having a "large" face (which you do not!!)
That makes sense; maybe this is a women's L?
I apparently have a teeny tiny face, as the ones I’ve just ordered are children’s 7-12years!
Hi! This is my 1st list of FFT. I don’t think I have five but here goes:
*Received my first Imperfect Foods box, and I used some of the produce in dinner last night. So much fun! The quality was great and I’m excited to use food that might have gone to waste.
*The huge lazy Susan thingacabobber that was my pots and pans storage broke. I tried arranging the cabinet without it, but there was a lot of wasted space. However, I had an old 2 shelf Target shoe storage unit in the garage. It fit in the cabinet perfectly and I can actually get more pots & pans in there and access them better than I could before!
Thank you for your blog! I really enjoy reading it for your positive attitude, good ideas, great community, and love of our Lord. 🙂
I don't think I have 5 but:
1. I freecycled a bunch of old but good conditions items to keep them out of the landfill
2. My husband gave my 4 boys haircuts
3. I baked buns and bread to avoid having to buy them! (5 kids, 4 of which are boys....they eat non stop!!)
4. I downloaded a kindle edition of a new book I wanted (only 99 cents!! and no materials required!)
5. I've been hanging ALL my laundry on the line!
Look at that...I did have 5!! lol
Used an old Visa gift card to pay for an expiring membership that I do use. It covered only six months, but I will be in better financial shape by then and can pay for the rest with actual cash.
Realized I did not often wear a cute pair of thrifted cotton jersey summer pajamas because they stretch and develop clown pants crotch, so a little altering has made them comfortable to wear.
Used some cool Contac paper from my stash and some cardboard boxes to make a paper tray and pencil box. Free desk organizers for the win!
Used coupons to score some free treats for the family at the drugstore and saved $5 on a much needed new computer mouse.
Am using up some too bright lipstick by mixing it with foundation and making a lovely cream blush.
Lol! Clown pants crotch! Thanks for the snicker!
I used a too bright lipstick by putting the bright one on the top lip and a neutral on the bottom lip and blending. It dulled the color nicely and stretched the life of the neutral lipstick.
I do have to laugh at your choice of color for the mask. I have noticed you are not a bright color wearer and your house is very neutral and even your cat is in neutral colors. And now your face masks are in gray. I, on the other hand, must have Hawaiian in my ancestry because I love all their designs and colors. Now, that it looks like masks will be around for some time, I ordered a wardrobe of them in Hawaiian fabric.
To each girl, her own. 😀 😀
Well, even Sonia chose gray for her mask! The idea was that it would match any outfit. And Sonia has a lot of colors in her wardrobe. 🙂
I'll have you know that I have a bright coral t-shirt on today. Heh.
But you are not wrong; I do gravitate toward neutral colors.
1. Daughters needed pajamas and I needed t-shirts. Looked on costco.com and saw that they had $20 off when you purchase 5 clothing items so I added a well priced outfit for my older daughter too and scored the deal. On a whim, checked my purse and found a costco gift card I had for some reason or other and saved a bit more.
2. Husband was able to get a refund on a cancelled hotel stay we had booked for the fall. We're actively using that credit card to use up the credit.
3. Saw that my husband had ordered a toy that we already have and was able to cancel it before the order went through.
4. Bought rice, cereal, oats, hemp seeds, and cacao powder in bulk quantities to save money. We use it all up over time and luckily have space in the higher cabinets in my kitchen. Reused jars and containers we already have to portion out the goods.
5. Made the kids help me organize our craft supplies to remind ourselves of what we have available and also to drive home the point to the kidlets that we REALLY don't need more art supplies.
I received an iced tea maker from a distant relative at my bridal shower many, many years ago. At first, I had thoughts of giving it away. I wasn't much of a tea drinker and don't really like kitchen gadgets.
Well, I tried it out, and my husband I both got hooked. I've been making tea almost every day since. I've worn out two or three tea makers over the years, and so am on my third or fourth one. Sometimes in the summer I make two pitchers a day. I almost always have tea bags on my grocery list.
A few years ago I told the person who gave it to me what an effect it had had on my life. She got a kick out of the story!
That is such a fun story!
I have been sewing masks too. My daughter likes to contoured one like you made for yourself. I had the same nose surgery as you two years ago and my nose is still sensitive too. I have made masks for myself in the style your girls made, but just made them quite loose.
We returned some items to Home Depot. I am VERY diligent about returns.
I'm picking produce from the garden first thing in the mornings when it's at it's best, and it's still cool.
I made a crumble (I guess a cobbler in American English) from rhubarb that was given to me, plus the last 2 tiny apples in the fridge, and the last few strawberries from the freezer. My husband said it was the most delicious crumble he has ever eaten.
I repurposed some cotton pillowcases into tea towels. They were vintage pillowcases from my aunt, and I would never have used them as they were. But they came apart to make 4 beautiful tea towels from the 2 pillowcases.
I am making a fabric bunting for my daughter-in-law's classroom, similar to this one, but colorful. https://www.etsy.com/listing/828237205/banner-bunting-garland-celebration?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1 She mailed me the fabric. I love that we can be close and collaborate on projects, even though we live across the country from each other. Frugal for her because I don't charge family 🙂
Have a blessed week!
I had one frugal thing this week that topped all my usual stuff of not wasting food and mending things: I finally gathered up all my grocery coupons, special offers, newly discovered leftover game pieces/prizes that the store had extended the end date for because of the virus (in the pocket of a jacket I must have been wearing while shopping) and made up a grocery list for the husband. He qualifies for the 10% once a month elder discount and we had some gas rewards that could be used for discounts on food. When he went through the line, the total was -.79. Yup, they owed us 79 cents. The clerk called over the manager because he did not believe the total. We only buy catsup and cream cheese in name brands, all the rest were generics or meat/produce. We ended up getting over $40 in food, plus 79 cents. I've had better savings in other things, but somehow this gave me a bigger thrill!
The other big savings was that I had given a friend several hundred leek transplants, after my seed starting got carried away. This week she brought over a huge container of chicken enchiladas; I swear she makes the best I have ever eaten. It was enough to feed us for three dinners and a lunch, so by making tuna sandwiches for lunches and her gift for dinner, I didn't cook for three days. Saved money, time and, best of all, clean up.
I think your grocery shopping trip was absolutely thrill worthy!!!! I love to save money at the grocery store too.
Cheers on your name brand ketchup. One thing I just can’t do without. 🙂
1) Our neighbors who were moving gifted us their white board that needed a good cleaning. I have some magical white board cleaner, which I used to make it look like new. We already have a white board in the same size, so I listed this one on FB and it sold in an hour!
2) We have decided to pull our youngest out of daycare on Sept 1 (assuming we can safely keep him there until then) until concerns of the virus are past. I am graduate student, so I have a flexible schedule and can keep my fellowship while juggling kids at home in the fall. This will eliminate our largest expense, which is helpful since our business income looks like it will be cut in half this year. It is also one fewer possible infection exposure to worry about.
3) They boys and I are going to Costco this afternoon. I will stock up on items like yeast that keep well and were in short supply in the spring. Our plan is to be able to shelter in place for the fall if we have too. We are not keeping a stockpile of food. But buying extra containers of yeast and tuna will keep me from having to do my quarterly Costco run in the fall.
4) I finished working through all the Austen works on Librivox. I started when the pandemic hit as an emotional coping mechanism. A chapter or two of Austen at a time was like a mini vacation from what has been a very scary time. I have now added a bunch of modern books to my library audiobook hold list.
5) I drafted a July budget. We usually budget but didn't in June. We had very little income during the month. Knowing we would have to pull cash out of savings to make up the shortfall anyway we just decided to spend as little as possible. And things kept changing. Were we going back to daycare? Would the kids have 0 cavities or 12? Would we have to do a lead abatement in our house? Things felt so up in the air. It was freeing to just let expenses fall as they may in June knowing we were spending as little as possible and that we had the cash to cover whatever we needed. But now I'm ready to get back to budgeting because it feels like a step back to normal (normal for me means not making decisions primarily based on the pandemic).
As a proud Life Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), I'm immensely cheered by your #4. (No fooling, it pulled me out of an emotional slump this afternoon.) And if you or anyone else would like to check out JASNA, just go to the website (jasna.org). Kristen, I assume you don't mind this PSA?
I definitely do not mind it! I had no idea that was a real thing and I am off to check it out now.
I hope this cheer carries you through the rest of your afternoon. <3
1. Our neighbor gave us two zucchini. I found a recipe that will use the two leftover ears of corn from last night and gouda cheese I purchased for 1.20 a lb.
2. Lunch today was Taco Bell's free chalupa box. My husband picked it up when he did a tiny pick up order at Lowes.
3. Joined Panera's coffee club which I won't be charged for until September. It will give me unlimited Panera coffee for the whole summer.
4. The 1.20 a lb grated gouda cheese came from a discount grocery store. We've already used it for two meals this week: incredible mac n cheese and chicken quesadillas. I packaged most of it in 2 and 3 cup bags for the freezer.
5. Asked a friend if her golfer husband could give me one golf tee. My little fairy garden with a wizard needs a prop. The golf tee topped with a marble will make a great crustal ball. Also, my chicks and hens are producing babies so I'm going to re-pot some today to fill a spot on the porch.
Be safe all!
I am definitely not a tea person, but I just made some iced tea yesterday with some Vietnamese white tea--a gift from my MiL, who is most assuredly a tea person. I sweetened it for my children with the syrup left from a jar of peaches I canned last summer. I use a medium syrup for canning fruit, so the proportions of sugar to water are almost the same as that of a simple syrup. And of course, it has the additional benefit of tasting like summer-fresh peaches, which is always a bonus in tea.
I made the tea in my 4-quart measuring cup (covered with a bowl), even though I have a teapot (also courtesy of my MiL). I really hate washing that teapot. Something about the curves . . .
Ooh, I bet that tea was so good with the peach flavor. I love peach tea.
1. My husband and I went in with my oldest daughter and our son to purchase a beef. We slaughtered and butchered it ourselves saving 100s of dollars. Our freezers are full.
2. I took my granddaughter to get her a few pairs of shorts and some summer shirts. We found a terrific sale at Penny’s and I also had some rewards points for money off.
3, We have not ate out in weeks. I have cooked all meals at home.
4. I requested a plan review on my phone bill which has saved us almost $200 a month.
5. I found some fabric at an outlet store to begin a quilt for my new great-granddaughter coming in September. I use the fabric I already have on hand for the rest of the quilt.
1.) Doing some home repairs myself instead of hiring someone. I will be replacing a toilet for my grandmother this weekend most likely. Sure beats paying a plumber.
2.) Returning an item that I bought because "it was a good deal." Turns out I really didn't need it. I'm good about not doing that most of the time but had a slip up. Oh well. At least I can return it easily enough.
3.) Avoided going to restaurants on my week off. It was actually nice to just relax and not be spending money. Still wishing I could take a big trip or something but that's not happening.
4.) Bought the more expensive sunscreen and saw first hand how well it worked by forgetting to get the insides of my legs which burnt up. But yeah, the old zinc oxide stuff really does work better than the dollar store stuff.
5.) My wife had been wanting to try the whole Instant Pot thing for a while but they were always a bit too expensive to justify. I found one on clearance for half price and she's hoping to try out a bunch of different dishes in it. We'll see how it works out.
Keep us posted on what you think of the Instant Pot!
I love mine! It's my second one. 🙂
I use it almost everyday.
Tip: Soak beans, drain, and freeze half for another day. Just put the frozen beans in the pot with water.
FFT:
1) I have not gotten a hair cut or colored my hair since February. I have decided to go grey (GOMBRE!). I've been coloring my hair since my early 20s (my first grey hair appeared when I was a teenager). I just turned 50, and decided I can rock the silver.
2) I haven't purchased gas since March. We have two grocery stores within 1 mile of our home, and we don't have anywhere else to go.
3) I completed a survey through an organization to which I belong, which netted me a $10 to Amazon, which I can use to offset my subscription to Acorn
4) We ALSO have been making ice tea! We just throw 5 teabags in a picture and fill with cold water and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours. Not using hot water reduces the tannins/bitterness, so we don't use any sugar, although my partner does add a splash of lemonade to his.
5) I walked to the more expensive grocery store to purchase their loss leaders. I spent $25 but saved 19, which I thought was good until I read Lindsey's post!
I am also letting my hair grow and the gray grow out.. gonna be two tones soon.,.,the box color won’t just go away..plan to cut off the dark ends after Covid..we’ll see..this whole stay at home thing is a grand experiment!
I love all these women embracing their grey hair. It's such a social injustice that men are seen as "silver foxes" as they age, but women are indirectly told it's not beautiful. I bet you both look amazing!!
I too decided to go GOMBRE! I call my grey hair “wisdom highlights”
1-Signing up for a one year Zoom membership to save 30% off the monthly price.
2-Making coleslaw rather than buying a tub of pre-made.
3-Mending a t-shirt that is way too new to be already falling apart and not ready for the rag bag
4-Starting to make Christmas gifts
5-Using odds and ends in the kitchen. It must have worked because we are $200 under budget for June (a first!!)
I buy LARGE bags of kale and freeze a portion to use in frittatas. Works great.
1. I had a loaf of bread to use up and made the French toast casserole for dinner tonight. Hopefully the kids will like it!
2. I way overbought on grapes so I washed them all up this morning, removed the stems, and put them in to freeze. Frozen grapes are a favorite healthy treat in our house!
3. We did a beach day a few days ago as a family, drove there and back in one day so no hotel costs (about 3 hours each way) plus we packed lunch, drinks, and snacks so we wouldn't have to eat out. Other than parking ($10 for the day) we did treat the kids to ice cream on the way out at the end of the day but even then a full family day was very inexpensive.
4. I cleaned out more stuff to declutter and donate, trying very hard not to replace things without thinking!
5. I found two coupons and used them to get more laundry soap, didn't really need it quite yet but didn't make sense to let the coupons expire and it will keep!
1. Needed a GENTLE online yoga class. A friend is doing some but is charging a fee..I would like to support her but we are retirees on a budget .. soo.. found out our local rec center is putting up gentle yoga and other videos on youtube for free. The 30 minute gentle yoga was PERFECT! (I shared my friend’s link though..)
2. Eating vegetarian at least 3 nights a week.Have stocked up on beans lentils and rice and pasta, for Covid, so we are using some of it and saving on meat and also our health.
3. Not spending any money on gas as we are not GOING anywhere. One trip per week, .4 miles to Trader Joe,that’s it.
4. I share a Hulu account with a family member who gets it free from work and is allowed to share it with I think up to 5 other people! I get the ads but I don’t care.It’s free!
5. Discovered PBS.. duh. A free channel with many wholesome shows I enjoy that are not violent. I DO watch some violent (Narcos) and murder mystery type shows on Amazon but sometimes I need a break! Call the midwife is my fave PBS show, as I was a labor and delivery nurse back in the day!
6. Reading cookbooks for fun and planning interesting meals. Trying new recipes. Using up every morsel of groceries and cooking ALL THE MEALS at home= big savings! EVen though we only went to lunch a “few” times a month, it was adding up!
FFT, Working My Way Out of a Trough Edition:
(1) DH's Alzheimer's has taken a sharp turn for the worse in the past 2 weeks. I got his previous 7/28 follow-up appointment with the geriatricians moved up to this Thursday (7/2). Wish us luck. But I figure that finding out what may be going on is a Frugal Thing in the end.
(2) Just had a brief and surly pity party--but was pulled out of it by (a) Amanda's Jane Austen comment (see below), and (b) Dr. Bestest Neighbor coming over with a big bag of cherries he and Ms. BN had picked at a pick-your-own place near their Lake Erie cottage. The universe will provide.
(3) Before a light shower started here, I pulled enough red-root pigweed, lamb's quarters, and purslane out of my garden to serve as the greens to accompany a shrimp stir-fry for dinner tonight (along with some snow peas that were planted intentionally). Every time I go to our Regional Market in the summer, I see the one farm that works with the local Southeast Asian population putting out neat bundles of the pigweed and lamb's quarters--and what works for them should work for me. Live and learn, especially from different cultures.
(4) The shrimp was purchased frozen and on sale from our local Price Chopper (an Upstate NY chain). Wouldn't want anyone thinking I'd completely lost my mind.
(5) Am about to go fish a load of laundry out of the front-loader and hang it on our assortment of drying racks (a few of which are over 70 years old). This is so much Standard Operating Procedure by now that I usually don't mention it, but it's good to keep the record straight now and then.
I'm so sorry his Alzheimer's has gotten worse. Hugs to you guys, and I hope the appointments offer you some help.
I'm sorry to hear about your DH. I follow you here and on NCA and always enjoy your optimism and pragmatism (and all things JA -- who is my cat's namesake).
My thoughts are with you. I know being a caregiver is so difficult and scary. I hope you both can find some peace.
1. Started separating our compost from the rest of the trash and are making a compost pile.
2. I made leftover rice into rice porridge (water, milk and sugar). My daughter likes it for breakfast.
3. We were given a free kitten. If anyone has information on feeding a cat without store bought cat food, I'm all ears!
4. To make the cat feel comfortable, we got a cardboard box and put an old pillow in it.
5. Same ol', same ol'...eating at home, cooking beans weekly, filtering our own water, etc..
Keep in mind that cats require Taurine in their diets as they cannot make it themselves. All commercial cat food sold is required to contain it, so if you make your own you'll need to supplement the Taurine which you can buy online at places like Chewy.
I love your five frugal things of the week. I have also been trying to watch my budgets so here are my five frugal things of the week.
1)Making my coffee and iced coffee at home every day. No more coffee shops on the way to work.
2)Eating all of our meals at home. We haven't been out much since the middle of March.
3)Canceled magazine subscriptions we no longer want.
4) Started meal prepping a bit more, so we don't buy so much extra food.
5)I started freezing my own fruit for smoothies.
These have just been small changes, that have saved us a bit of time and money. We're just trying to be a bit more mindful of what we have at home.
This photo of you in the gray mask is awesome!!! I also made french toast casserole with my bread heels last night! Great minds! Any chance you are selling your masks? Does Sonia have an Etsy store? She soooooo could! I just love her knitted creations! Love your blog! Love your blog!
Great minds do think alike, apparently! 🙂
I'm not selling masks and I don't currently have plans to do so. I'm not fast enough at it to make it worth my while, and I think dealing with shipping would make them too expensive to be reasonable for customers. Better to buy one locally from someone near you!
Sonia is working on getting an Etsy store up. I'll post the link once its available. : )
So glad you enjoy my blog. I appreciate your enthusiasm!
Your mask looks great! Nice work!
1. Today is my baby's 2nd birthday. (Cue the tears. My final baby has turned 2.) I made and decorated her cake myself. It turned out really good!
2. For something fun today, we spent the day at the beach. There's a local Christian campground we love to camp at and we went as day guests and swam at their lake. We packed our lunch (they aren't offering lunch items at the snack place right now) but bought ice cream and a t-shirt because we are happy to support them. It was a super fun day for the whole family and we were able to do all of that and add on a donation for less than a trip to the aquarium or children's museum.
3. The last 3 days have included side dishes with food from our garden.
4. I found kid-size masks for $4 at Meijer and have been checking for new patterns each time I go. That's the best price I've found and I believe that my oldest will need to have some at school in the fall, so I'm trying to get ones that she'll enjoy wearing (you know, as much as a 6yo can enjoy wearing a mask). Last night's find was pink with unicorns. Yay!
5. Graduation parties have begun. We have a box of graduation cards rather than buying individual ones. Such a better deal.
Oh, and I had already planned to buy a case of baby wipes at the store ($17) and saw that they were running a special that you got $5 off instantly when you bought $20 or more in baby wipes. So I got an additional package that put me right over the $20 and ended up being free.
The masks look great!
Here's the fab frugal five:
1) Got an email for a free bagel & cream cheese, although I just wanted the bagel Savings- $1.20
2) My job has free fabric masks with the company logo on them, so I took one. I think it's washable too. Savings- $10
3) Used gift cards at Target today. Savings- $23
4) I found a free sub & drink coupon at a local shop while going through a drawer. Savings-$10
5) I have this thing with having my clothing smell good. Those tiny drops that are added to the wash really rock my world. The issue is the price. I keep putting a package of them in my shopping cart, only to take them out due to the price tag. I'm saving serious $ but it really makes me sad! Savings- $12
I got this from a friend, definitely worth reading.
OSHA Regulations on Masks... thought this was interesting.
I am OSHA 10&30 certified. I know some of you are too. I don’t really know WHY OSHA hasn’t come forward and stopped the nonsense.
Okay so upon further inspection OSHA says some masks are okay and not okay in certain situations.
If you’re working with fumes and aerosol chemicals and you give your employees the wrong masks and they get sick you can be sued.
• N95 masks: are designed for CONTAMINATED environments. That means when you exhale through N95 the design is that you are exhaling into contamination. The exhale from N95 masks are vented to breath straight out without filtration. They don’t filter the air on the way out. They don’t need to.
• Surgical Mask: these masks were designed and approved for STERILE environments. The amount of particles and contaminants in the outside and indoor environments where people are CLOGGING these masks very Very quickly. The moisture from your breath combined with the clogged mask will render it “useless” IF you come in contact with Covid and your mask traps it You become a walking virus dispenser. Everytime you put your mask on you are breathing the germs from EVERYWHERE you went. They should be changed or thrown out every “20-30 minutes in a non sterile environment”
*Cloth masks: do not filter anything whatsoever. As you exhale you are ridding your lungs of contaminants and carbon dioxide. Cloth masks trap this carbon dioxide the best. It actually risks health. The moisture caught in these masks can become mildew ridden over night. Dry coughing, enhanced allergies, sore throat are all symptoms of a micro-mold in your mask.
The CDC wants us to keep wearing masks. The masks don’t work.
Wash your hands. Sanitize your hands. Don’t touch stuff. Wash your phone. Don’t touch people. If your mask gives you security wear it, just know it is a false sense of security.
Here is an article from Stanford scientists about cloth masks: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/stanford-scientists-contribute-to-who-mask-guidelines.html
I think of the advice to "cover up your coughs and sneezes" that we've all heard. Would some PPE do a better job of containing your sneeze and cough droplets? Sure. But it is still commonly accepted that coughing or sneezing into your sleeve is better than coughing or sneezing into the open air. So wouldn't it make sense that covering our mouths and noses with a mask would help to keep large droplets from dispersing?
Also, consider that people who are immuno-compromised (think of people undergoing chemo) are routinely advised to wear masks when they need to be out in public. If masks offered no protection, doctors would not recommend them for cancer patients.
Lastly, as a Christian, I believe that I am supposed to obey the government unless they're asking me do something sinful. My state government requires masks, and so do all the stores and offices here. So, even if I wasn't convinced that masks were helpful (and I do think they are helpful), I would still wear one because wearing a mask is definitely not sinful.
Also of note: Pence, McConnell, and other Republicans are encouraging mask-wearing: https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-with-exception-of-trump-now-push-mask-wearing-2020-6
Excellent reply. Living in NJ we wear masks.
You are, possibly the nicest person ever. Carolyn doesn't want to know what I would respond to her.
I wear a mask to keep my germs to myself. And because I am a considerate person, even if I am not nice.
Interesting article about types of fibers to use in homemade masks: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200424081648.htm
Also: A fresh new article about materials for masks: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0016018
Wow, what a helpful article! Thank you!
I found this article and the one on the same site about the amount of filtration provided by different fabrics helpful. https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/diy-homemade-mask-protect-virus-coronavirus/
They link to studies done by the University of Cambridge on different fabrics and different scenarios such as extended wearing and effectiveness of masks for children compared to adults.
1) took one of my husband's (he no longer fits) 100% cotton buttoned down dress shirts and will use it to make at least 6 masks.
2) bought a pair of fabric scissors to make masks using a 50% off coupon.
3) found matching thread in my sewing basket to make mask.
4) bought 17 pounds of pork shoulder and 4 pounds of ground pork for 99cents/pound.
5) bought 20 pounds of spaghetti pasta for $9.97.
We used old cotton works shirts for masks too! I was very happy to be able to repurpose that fabric.
1) Had leftover smorgasbord on Friday as we were going out of town on Saturday and didn't feel like cooking. Heating up the leftovers was better for our budget and the environment. Win-win.
2) Had a friend feed our cats while we were away.
3) Stayed only one night instead of two. We planned our driving time around the event so we only needed to stay the night of the event.
4) Had potluck for dinner at the event. It was a very small gathering of family only and everyone brought something.
5) We didn't take the kids to any entertainment venues while we were out of town. The gathering at the cabin by the lake and my cousin's dogs were enough entertainment.
Let’s see what FF I can come up with.
Ordered burritos this week for lunch using a gc from my husbands employer. Husband and I shared a HUGE burrito (instead of each ordering one) and we ordered a frijole e queso for Beamish Boy. Still had to pay $9 for the tip but I’m ok with that.
Doing my own pedicures and skipping manicures. I was a Bi-weekly nail salon patron but even though they have opened back up here in CA, I don’t feel safe going into one. I’ve saved a LOT of money and I’m not sure I will go back.
The garden is starting to produce - is there anything better than eating out of your garden?
Writing letters to friends for entertainment. I love getting and sending letters.
Coming up with fun things for Beamish Boy and his friends to do via distancing. Cookie decorating zoom is scheduled for next Friday and I think I’m going to try and set up a s’mores night. Poor kiddo is missing his friends but is also scared to go back out into the world.