Five Frugal Things | Squishable Beets
1. I roasted my squishable beets
I am sorry to say that two large beets sat, forgotten, at the back of my fridge until they became so dry that they were squishy. They felt almost like one of those foam toys that kids love (you know, the one shaped like food).
Luckily, the beets were not actually rotten...just dry. Very dry.
My eat-my-fridge-down efforts left me with a veggie supply of those two beets and three carrots, though, so I was kinda forced to do something with them.
I sliced, oiled, salted, and roasted them, so, yay me!
Look: even before roasting, they were so squishable, I could bend the slices. Raw beets are not normally bendable. 😉
2. I went to a free concert
There's an annual outdoor September symphony, which is free to anyone, so I didn't even need my student discount to go.
Sometimes the weather is terribly hot, and I do not bother going, but this year, it was lovely! So I went.
I almost stayed home because I always have piles of homework that I could do, but I reminded myself that life feels more full when you do at least an occasional thing that is fun and interesting.
And I was really glad I went!
3. I packed some food for the concert
They have food trucks at the event, but I decided to just bring a peanut butter and honey sandwich plus some grapes.
And my metal water bottle, of course.
4. I used my roasted tomatoes and onions
I did this before my freezer inventory, actually! I had some roasted tomatoes and onions in the freezer; I think I'd roasted them to rescue them from nearly getting wasted, and then I stuck them in the freezer.
But the other night I thawed them, blended them up, added some milk and seasonings, and then I had a bowl of tomato soup.
5. I juiced my limes
I had some elderly limes in my fridge, so I grated the zest and froze it.
Then I juiced the limes and froze the juice in my little tiny ice cube container.
I transferred them to a bag, labeled 'em, and I will do my best to remember to grab them when I next need lime juice.
(I realize this is slightly counter to my freezer challenge, since I'm adding something to the freezer! But the other option was to let the limes go bad, and we can't have that. 😉 )
Lemons and limes add a lot of taste to all kinds of foods, so I like to have them on stock, fresh or frozen.
This week I
-- used the water of the de-humidifier to water some outdoor plants
-- made and canned several portions of pasta sauce for later meals
-- went to an exhibition in a nearby town, on free senior citizen transport and no entrance fee since I am a museum card holder
-- used a gift card to buy a slightly bigger lunch/cooler bag. It came with cool packs, of which I now have too many so I will give some away
-- used a store specific gift card for a scarf in my colour scheme
-- de-crystallized some honey
-- Freezer challenge: made an easiest ever banana bread using frozen bananas, and adding frozen oranic orange zest, and a handful of old and slightly bitter walnuts. The recipe used oats as well, which I always have on hand. The bread was so good, I am making a mental note to always zest and freeze organic oranges going forward. It was just the flavour that made the difference in this recipe!
1. I also had a "life feels more full when you do at least an occasional thing that is fun and interesting" outing that I was a little stressed about heading into, but ended up being really glad we went... we took a day trip to Lake Michigan when the kids were off school Friday. We packed both lunch and dinner (that was the biggest part of the stress - planning food when my time was short) and even avoided buying any snacks. Takeout for five is pricey, so I'm glad it worked out.
2. You know what my 10yo son enjoyed playing with the most at the beach? An empty Gatorade bottle that he found on a sand dune. I had initially looked for something fun to buy in the Meijer clearance section of summer toys, but I'm glad I didn't spend the money. He had a blast with that bottle.
3. I worked a lot of extra hours last week. I was looking for extra income and they were looking for extra help and it was a great match.
4. I said, "Yes, thank you!" when a friend asked if I wanted a couple of garbage bags full of clothes for my son. There were a lot of things he's excited to wear and we have a few things to pass on to other people.
5. I am also trying to use things from my freezer, so I'm really glad you're doing a freezer challenge! I might not go as intensely as you (though maybe I'll change my mind and I will), but I am looking forward to the frequent reminder to do it. I made a ham on Sunday and got out some pork to make pork chops on Thursday.
So true about going out to add to your life!
Frugals:
1. I looked after my friend's cat this weekend and stayed in her apartment. I was told to help myself to any of the food for meals which I did (and of course replaced anything I used up). When I was there I used the library, walked to a local park which had interesting wildlife and also went to a free swimming area. Another friend lives nearby so I met up with her there, and she brought some tea for us to share.
2. I went to a free cycling class for adults (I can ride a bike but I hadn't ridden one in a while and had lost my nerve a bit). There were bikes and helmets to borrow and the only cost was taking the bus there and back.
3. I bought a blouse from a charity shop.
4. I made a curry and saved the leftovers for lunch.
5. I baked a loaf of bread.
I really admire how you take on things you want to do, even if they sometimes may be intimidating for various reasons - like that cycling class, couch to 5k, and if I am remembering correctly - diving/jumping off of high platforms!
Thank you! I can't dive, but I jump off the platforms. I was kind of an anxious child and I decided to embrace moving out of my comfort zone as an adult - if I don't enjoy something I don't have to do it again, but I won't know unless I try (nor will I get better at something!). I'll try anything once 🙂
I admire you, Sophie!
Thank you! 🙂
FFT: Garden, garden, garden!
--I spent the long weekend tweaking my landscaping to make upkeep easier. Beds were combined, stones were moved, and a major workout was had!
--Thanks to friends sharing their garden thinnings, I planted:
- 20 day lilies
- Six deep red peonies
--Additionally, I ended up with 30+ surprise lilies! A former rental house is being prepped for demolition, and I asked the owner if I could rescue some of the lilies. He gave me his blessing so long as I didn't take them all (others had also asked). Apparently those lilies hadn't been split in ages, as digging in only one spot landed me with my giant lump of bulbs! There are PLENTY left to go around my fellow free flower seekers.
--I likewise shared some of my GIANT Asiatic lilies (some grow taller than me!) when moving/splitting bulbs this past week.
--I continue to share our bumper crop of cucumbers (I harvest 10-12 every other day) and green beans (1-2 gallons, same schedule).
I made a pot of soup from my neighbour’s home-grown carrots (which had languished in the salad drawer of the fridge for a fortnight, so quite bendy). POW! The flavour was immense. As a bonus, quite a few of them were “rude and amusing shapes” (a Blackadder reference) so there was built-in entertainment during the prep.
As Uncle Monty from Withnail and I would say, the carrot has mystery 😉
Ha! That really made me chuckle. Guess what DVD I’ll be watching tonight …
We've gone on holiday by mistake!
We've gone on holiday by mistake!
So many quotable lines! We always use that one when it’s raining and we’re camping. For anyone reading who hasn’t seen the film, it’s an absolute gem. I wouldn’t recommend the matching-the-characters-drink-for-drink game, especially the lighter fuel chugging!
I don't know why it posted twice, but it's a very quotable line! My friend and I repeated it a lot on a rainy trip to Wales!
Apparently you can switch the lighter fluid for vinegar in the drinking game, which is what they used during filming. Having said that, I don't recommend the drinking in general due to the copious amounts of it throughout the film 😉
I watched it again recently with my parents and it's always so funny!
I'm always amused by my carrots with "rude and amusing shapes." And I've also had a few X-rated tomatoes over the years.
We get giant carrots (one weighed over 1 1/2 pounds!) from our CSA. They are as thick around as my arm, and OMG they taste like . . . carrots!!! So intense! The commercial carrots we buy at the store don't really have much flavor and they aren't sweet and delicious like these carrots. I had pretty much stopped eating carrots because they didn't taste like anything, but the CSA carrots are delicious raw. I also made a sweet carrot souffle with the carrots and it was like eating sweet potatoes with no sugar added.
I love Blackadder! Blackadder the 2nd is my favorite followed very closely by #3. Much from that series has been often repeated by my family, including bits from Blackadder's Christmas Carol.
Great work on the good waste front!
My 5:
1. Inspired by you, I shopped my freezer and made my meal plan around the frozen meat I found. Ribs last night, shrimp and pork tenderloin to come this week.
2. I did laundry and only rewashed 1 load 1 time! I am the queen of letting it languish, so this was good progress that I'm celebrating.
3. Noticed that my daughter's university auto added health insurance. We provided the appropriate coverage documentation and got the $1.3k charge removed.
4. Bought some Califia farms Almond pumpkin spice creamer to diy my PSL.
5. Used my library/Libby app to keep myself entertained!
Not very frugal but we tried:
*I prepped a bunch of food for my family to eat while I was away for the weekend. It was so hot, they needed easy things on hand- no cooking or take out required.
*my daughter and son in law made simple dinners- no take out despite the temptation.
*I found cheaper gas- didn't save much due to the holiday prices.
*my entertainment for the weekend was both free and adorable- snuggling with my granddaughter. I got to play with her, and my son-in-law took care of a lot of outdoor tasks.
*on the home front, the garbage can I used for cat litter waste started shattering around the rim- I guess after 30+ years, it finally gave up the ghost. I found a big tin from Christmas popcorn in the basement to use instead.
1. Found a fancy dress at the consignment shop for an upcoming outdoor wedding. The wedding has a specific theme and I wasn't too hopeful to find anything close to it, but found just the perfect dress for the occasion and matching dressy sandals for half off. I used my store credit for selling my own clothes, which offset the price of the dress.
2. Picked up some perennials from my Buy Nothing group from someone who was thinning their beds. We've been working to establish new perennial flower beds in the yard, and these were perfect for it (especially happy to get some astilbes that I am trying to establish).
3. Grabbed a lotion and sun screen sample from my dermatologist's free sample basket, which I always add to my travel carryon pack or purse to have on hand when on the move.
4. Skipped our monthly Chewie cat food order as we had stocked up on it too much.
5. Fun frugal activity, learnt to play Mahjong at our friend's house this weekend!
Frugal things:
- Went to a consignment sale and purchased a few items for grandbaby that is due next month. Hard to pass up $1 sleepers.
- Used plastic containers we had on hand to carry the sand when we moved grandson's sandbox from the old house to their new house.
- Returned items purchased for vacation that did not fit well.
- Swapped our vacation car rental from Hertz to Alamo to save $200.
- Made a container of chicken salad that will go with homemade sourdough bread for my lunches this week.
Why haven't I ever thought about freezing lime or lemon zest? I usually juice and freeze old citrus, but I've never considered zesting and freezing. I know what I'm going this afternoon!
While I am recovering from COVID, I do enjoy this peek into what others are doing in their normal lives. I hope I feel normal soon! Only two more days on the dreaded Paxlovid.
This morning I will have toast for breakfast -- the bread is now thawing a bit so I can separate the slices. I will also open a can of pears and have some of those. I don't feel like eating most of the time, but this morning I feel I can.
Among the things I've done right -- ordering diapers. I have had almost constant diarrhea, and having throwaway pants is priceless. I also got Desitin for Adults, which I didn't know existed.
Hooray for Jolly Ranchers for mitigating the terrible taste in my mouth, at least temporarily.
I called my niece who is an internist, and she was very helpful and encouraging when I was feeling very low.
I distract myself by reading, watching TV (Shetland, on free trial), playing games on my phone. I'm too exhausted to do anything worthwhile. I will have a ton of work to do when I get better. I don't know how quickly my energy will come back, but I trust it will.
I am beyond the halfway point now in my Paxlovid regime, which is something I thought I couldn't do a few days ago.
Here's hoping for a speedy return to normal for you! Being sick is no fun at all. Glad you are seeing some slight improvements!
sorry you are ill. wishing you a full and speedy recovery.
Beth, I'm cheering you on to a full and speedy recovery!
FFT, Support a Canadian Artist Edition:
(1) I was delighted to find King Baby (a book for kids by the Canadian graphic artist Kate Beaton) in a Little Free Library Monday morning. I've always been sorry that Beaton gave up doing her Hark, a Vagrant! historical/literary comics (including some of the funniest Jane Austen cartoons out there, one of which JASNA BFF owns as a signed print). But she decided she wanted to move on to other stuff, and you can't argue with an artist.
(2) I couldn't find anything I really wanted in my local Barnes & Noble when I stopped there to check out the Labor Day sale, so I kept my wallet closed.
(3) Frugal fail/win mix: But after I got home, I ordered three more of Beaton's recent books from B&N online, using my premium member discount and collecting double stamps in the process. And at this particular moment in history, I'm very glad to support a Canadian artist!
(4) I made another loaf of banana bread on Sunday, since I had two more mushy bananas to use up. Judging by others' comments, it seems to be "Bake Banana Bread Week" among the Commentariat.
(5) And I sent the Bestest Neighbors off for their family vacation on Cape Cod with a carefully packed foam cooler of beef from my 1/4 steer for the Cape Codders, which I sold to them at my low price. No price gouging around here.
I made a beet pasta sauce once. It was hot pink and reasonably good. I think it was beets blended with ricotta, then lemon zest and maybe mint or basil and lots of black pepper.
My frugal things are back-to-school-related, since it's the first day here in Canada 🙂
1. We did not make a big deal of buying all new stuff. I picked up some fall clothes at the thrift store, and another set of reusable snack containers because I swear they have wee legs and run away but that's it.
2. We remain low on purchased snacks. I tried some recipes over the summer and found a few different snack bars or muffins that I can make here and there, plus pretzels and Goldfish. One day a week, we'll spring for the school lunch, but it's largely cheaper and more nutritious for us to send homemade food.
3. I've started the search for really good second-hand outdoor gear for rain and snow. My kindergartener is someone who needs to be outside a lot, plus we walk to school every day. People on Marketplace are sharks, I tell you!
4. (Not explicitly back-to-school) I stocked our freezer with 4-5 meals' worth of ready-to-bake chicken schnitzel. I've allowed myself the lifestyle inflation of buying pre-cut chicken cutlets, rather then butterflying the pieces myself because I Just Can't.
5. Stocked my freezer with a pureed butternut squash soup, and threw in some random things that needed using (the frozen end of a can of pumpkin, a potato from the back of the fridge, a cup of chickpeas left over from something else.)
1. I found out I can get a free Netflix subscription through my cell phone plan (T-Mobile) so I signed up for that. I also get free Hulu from them.
2. Managed to pull all the needed school supplies for my kids from my stash except for a single 10 pack of Crayola markers. We had everything else on hand.
3. Squeezed in one more visit to the trampoline park before our summer membership expired. We used it a total of 10 times, meaning each visit cost $7. Totally worth it for the rainy days and super hot/humid days.
4. Sold a total of 12 items this week. Net profit $70.
5. I realized I was overcharged $8 for two things at Michael's. I figured the items had been on the wrong shelf, but I popped back in to check. The manager let me know that they are having issues with self checkout machines not recognizing clearance items. He returned the two items and had be re-buy them at the clearance price. $8.48 back in my wallet.
After 15 years, my T-Mobile bill went up $5. However, they offered me free Netflix! I love my phone carrier and even the cheapest Netflix is over $5, so that blunted the pain a bit.
Way to go! Those are some great savings you scored this week!
My father in law would say the most frugal practice is to work like crazy. It took 3 days to do the finally clearing of my mother's condo to get her into a safe; no stairway; independent living. Thank God my little sister and her husband came for two days. The four of us filled at least five, two-yard dumpsters. We made three truckload trips to Good Will.
Second biggest frugal strategy: I will not store anything that remains unexamined, untouched or unused for five years. Does this sound like too long of a time span for you? I think I would be a world class declutterer if I kept to this commitment. Yesterday, I threw away my mother's 1947 sentence-diagramming homework.
Third big awareness: declutterring means you avoid over buying. My mom had over a dozen unused scotch tape. She would pick one up every time she went to the Dollar store. Gift Bags, tissue paper, postcards, stationary - many things we didn't donate because it deteriorated in storage.
The crazy thing is if you visited my mom's condo you would have seen a spotless, 1500 square foot home. She "didn't have a problem" because everything was stuffed in large closets and patio storage.
In the end, I learned a lot about what I don't want to do in the next 30 years of my life; I was of service to my mom; and I got to come home to a fairly well curated home.
my son is in tenth grade this year and won't thow out any of his elementary school stuff. he is a hoarder in training. boo hiss.
My oldest daughter was the same way, we took all of her "must keeps", had an art show when all the family came for her birthday party, gave them buttons to vote on their favorite, she could keep the top 12 that she could mount and put in garage sale frames. She had so much fun watching family and friends choose. The rest we donated to assisted living folks as a cheer up. She now does the same with her artistic kids.
Mary Ann, you sound a lot like CF and me as we did our round of cleaning out NDN1's hoarder house. We're still waiting for the junk removal folks to finish their work, and we'll have to get a deep cleaning service in after that. And, believe me, I'm not going to leave the kind of mess for anyone that NDN1 left for us.
It's great that you're aware of all this and are making moves to avoid the same thing for yourself in the future. When the time comes, I will dread clearing out my a mother and sister in law's place since they're hoarders.
Mary Ann, great work on the clearing out! Since you asked, I do think five years is too long to keep an unexamined, untouched and unused item. One year is good as it allows for all the seasons. After one year, you can reexamine whether an item deserves to be kept longer.
I think you are right. a one year review sound even better.
Mary Ann,
My in-laws were not hoarders, and my MIL kept a spotless home. However, they were raised both dirt poor and during the Depression, so anything "useful" was kept. After my MIL went to a nursing home, DH, our nieces and nephew and I cleaned out their house over a series of weekends. It was quite a shocker to find a set of dentures under the bathroom sink (spotless clean, mind you). I don't know if they were my FIL's or my MIL's, not that it matters. 🙂
1) We did a fun day trip, and kept costs in check minus a planned meal out at the end. We drove our electric car to Point Reyes, and did a free hike (Tomales Point), which was absolutely gorgeous. We packed our own breakfast, and a few snacks + water/electrolytes. We drove our electric car. We did have a planned meal out for a late lunch, and DH enjoyed the fresh local oysters & I had a cheeseburger + wine. It was a really fantastic date with DH exploring somewhere new near us.
2) Met a friend for a free hike yesterday.
3) Made a new to me dinner recipe (sheet pan BLTA salads). Used some of the leftover arugula, bacon & roasted tomatoes to make an omelette for myself + DS20 yesterday.
4) We bought a discounted Southwest voucher from one of DH's coworkers yesterday. It has an expiration date, so I swapped DS19's flight home for Christmas (booked on United miles) to Southwest. I got the miles back, and they never expire, so this felt like a better option to ensure we use up the Southwest voucher before it expires.
5) I accepted an offer on eBay to get 50% off promo boosting, and as a result, have sold a bunch of items. I typically don't pay for the boosting, but this certainly accelerated a bunch of sales, which is nice.
so glad you got to go to a concert and glad you enjoyed it. my birthday is this saturday and there will b lots of presents. we will go to a broadway show 25th annual putnam spelling bee. not sure when. the trip to the meet-up is one of my presents. yay . and bubba gumps gives me $25 credit. love that place so much, since we are landry members we never have to wait on line
spent the weekend in irvington. t'was not so bad. my youngest brother made dinner the whole weekend. he is an excellent cook. the stop and shop there has a lot of things you can't get in NYC. girl scout pop-tarts, delish but only as a treat.luckily hubbly and noah hate them. but i gotta keep them away from zozo or she would eat the box in one sitting. we definitely are not moving there thank g-d.
Happy birthday! Your last line sounds like a great early present - so happy for you that moving is finally off the table.
thanks so much. meant to say brother in law as i am an only.
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your presents and trip!
Sounds like a wonderful birthday!
thanks. i am excited to finally attend the meet up yay. Not all the events will take place on my bday but there is a lot to look forward to.
Happy birthday, Anita! Glad you don't have to move somewhere you don't want to go.
so am i. but hubby is being great about taking me places. like the park and the chinese take out. they have the best veggie lo mein.
Happy Birthday! Have fun with all of your favorite activities.
thank you.
YAYYYY for not moving!!!!
I second the YAYYYY!!
truer words were never spoken. thank you.
Anita,
Glad to hear your latest trip to Irvington wasn't so bad and that you are not going to have to move there. God answers prayers! Happy birthday! Whatever age you are... is the new Sweet 16! Sending hugs your way!
thanks. saturday i will b 72. my mom died at 50 and my dad was 2 months shy of 97.
my dad was 2 months shy of 98. sheesh.
Frugal:
Yet again, I saved or ate almost all the perishables before I left on a trip. Steamed and froze broccoli, snacked on lots of veg, etc. Only one head of lettuce to give away.
This trip will be low cost, modulo price of gas. One hotel stay at a chain where I have insanely high status, a zillion points, and included breakfast; rest of the nights at a relatives; taking dog with me so no kennel fees, just one night's pet fee; driving so gas + tolls only; packed snacks and drinks.
Saved a lot of money by combining store credit, coupons, gift cards, and an unexpected sale to buy 6-8 months' worth of 409 cleaner for about $1.50 out of pocket.
Moderately Frugal:
Stocked up on soda at holiday sale prices.
Bought new gas grill at lowest price of the year, which is Labor Day sale. Higher price at the local store (compared to big box) more than balanced out by included assembly, delivery, and ongoing service.
Nice save on the beets and limes!
1. When I went to stock up on bulk nuts, I was delighted to see that everything was 25% off so I went a little nuts stocking up.
2. The cashews were too salty so I shook them in a colander and saved the salt that came off them and used it in a savory dish.
3. Husband had a rare run of five days off. He suggested going out of town; I suggested a staycation. We saved money, saw friends and family, did some fun things, and got a few more house maintenance tasks off our list.
4. Husband spent an entire day at the Minnesota State Fair and brought a metal water bottle and some of his own food to avoid long lines, extra expense and unhealthy food.
5. Have kept our AC this summer at 77 degrees (vs. last year's 75) with one exception. When our niece cleans our house, we set it at 72. Her mom and two sisters also have their own cleaning businesses and they have all said how much they appreciate when customers' homes are cool while they work (hard).
MB in MN - I had a little giggle at the going nuts at the one sale nuts. 😉
Okay, I have to say that de-salting your cashews is next-level frugality. Yay, you!
I love your comment about how life feels so much fuller when you make room for fun and interesting things! That is definitely something to live by.
My Frugal 5s this week:
• Took free neighborhood walks for exercise.
• Kept picture day simple by having the girls wear dress clothes they already owned.
• Stayed home for the 3-day Labor Day weekend to save on gas, ate down our pantry, and enjoyed watching shows on Prime, reading library books, and just talking. We also had an amazing time doing a trampoline sleepover under the stars and helping my middle daughter celebrate her birthday by building a panda LEGO house together.
• Whipped up chocolate chip cookie bars for a luncheon using mostly pantry staples (just picked up a boxed cake mix and chocolate chips). They were so easy and a big hit, so I'm thinking of making them again for our upcoming church fall festival.
• Refreshed our wardrobes by mending items and shaving the pilling off older sweaters.
Frugal things, camping edition:
We're on a month-long camping vacation, which means some extra, planned expenses, but we're still being frugal when we can.
We're using a combination of the Love's ap, Kroger fuel points and the Maverick Nitro card to save on gas when we can.
We've managed a few nights free camping, including two nights in my husband's sister's driveway while we visited her.
Our current campsite offered a 3 percent discount for paying by check, plus an AARP discount so we took advantage of those.
We're using our America the Beautiful pass for free admission to National parks and monuments and any facility managed by the forest service, as well as half priced camping in Forest Service and BLM campgrounds.
We're cooking most of our meals and using up leftovers right away. We did take my SIL and BIL out to dinner as a thank you for hosting us.
Most of our activities are free: hiking and sightseeing. We hiked to some hot springs one day.
1. I cashed in some Fetch points for a Starbucks gift card.
2. I batched some errands, got gas at Costco, and made sure to drop off all returns. As expected, not all the pants I ordered for my grandma fit but I now know what I can order for her as needed.
3. I put together a housewarming gift for my in-laws and used a few things around the house to fill out the gift – a bottle of wine, a candle, a container of salt plus the gift card.
4. I repotted some plants around the house and planted a few cuttings.
5. I finished a book on Libby and then unsuspended a new Libby book. Always an audiobook on hand!
I never think to juice my lemons/limes before they go bad! Thanks for this tip.
1. Biked to our family clinic for the physical and lab orders I needed to finish off the paperwork for my nursing classes. I needed titers to prove immunity to measles, mumps and rubella, and a TB test. My NP was kind enough to give me a lab order so I could fill in my insurance and not pay out of pocket.
2. When I went to the Labcorp in Walgreens for the blood draws I also scheduled my Hep B and flu vaccine--again, I was able to use insurance for these, and I am very fortunate to be able to do so! It felt nice to get that all done at one spot. Saved gas, too. I would have biked, it's only 9 miles, but it was a Heat Advisory day here and getting taken to the ER for heat exhaustion isn't very frugal.
3. Grocery shopping with DH is a hoot. We have a rule that we will always check out our usual staples and stock up if on sale--and plan our menus around what meats are on sale as well. It's a little like a game show when we look at the receipt later. Doing this we've managed to spend just $1200 at the grocery store for the month of August, for a family of six that eats at home for every meal (or packs a lunch).
4. Sometimes my minimalism wins out and I got the urge to cull some of my books, acknowledging that I really do prefer to reread Miss Marples, not most of the Poirots. I found two more little free libraries on our route to the grocery store, so I was able to find new homes for a stack of books. DS#4 did a similar thing, but his older brothers were horrified that he was planning to donate the Bionicle books they had passed down to him, and those got reclaimed. 😉 Naturally I had to peruse the libraries and found two books I am looking forward to reading, a fair exchange for ten books, I think!
5. We found two new free streaming services, Tubi and Plex, and also found a beloved show from DH and my youth, Fantasy Island, that the guys all really did enjoy, so we have some free entertainment at our fingertips.
Am in the midst of doing a freezer clean out. Made a fish pie, with mashed potato topping, to use up various things from the freezer (fish filets, chopped onion and celery, a bag of shredded cheese) and two potatoes that had been languishing in the kitchen.
Used up a half cup of bran cereal and two banged up apples making a dozen apple-walnut-raisin muffins. Made chocolate pudding for a dessert and a pitcher of iced tea.
Shortened and hemmed three skirts and two dresses. One of the dresses used a small spool of thread given to me long ago by a neighbor.
Used a handful of paper coupons from the grocery store to knock $8 off the grocery total.
Gave my son a haircut and he helped me trim the cat's claws in return.
1. I had a Markeplace sale
2. I Had four sales on Vinted sale. It’s not a lot but stuff out.
4. I Will get a State Farm Dividend
5. Took the time to list more things on Vinted
6. Have a plan to make several meals this week to put in the freezer for an upcoming busy few weeks.
Frugal in the future- I finally took the leap and bought a battery operated generator for when the power goes out. I will use it to power a mini fridge if it looks like we won’t have power for a few days. That way I won’t be stressed out about my refrigerated meds. We had storms here and people are still without power three days later. I plan I using all of the money I make on marketplace and Vinted plus any additional unexpected income to pay myself back for this expense.
Trying to beat the weather clock, after the soaking rains, making our dirt road less dusty, today I am painting the white fence on our driveway.
I have an upright freezer in the shop that my husband used for misc. It's a nice freezer, I cleaned out the top shelf that was mostly dog bones. The second shelf was organ meat from various friends' wild game, I put in a full roaster and ground the cooked meat for cat and dog food crumbles.
The third shelf was filberts and walnuts, vacuum packed. I'm quite embarrassed that it has taken me 4 years to finally look at his freezer. I want to put the freezer in the kid's apartment office pantry area for their use. Some of the kids have tiny chest freezers in their apartments.
Frugal the past week:
We didn't travel for the holiday...stayed around the house, had a picnic with the grown kids, saved gas money.
ate out of the freezer
ate all the leftovers and odds and ends in the fridge
borrowed books from the Libby app (Theo of Golden was really good if anyone hasn't read/listened to it).
we've babied our riding mower that is 15 years old along this summer. It eventually will have to be replaced, but it's got us through another summer.
1. Mini - Freezer cleanout: I found a box of hot dogs from an Omaha Steaks gift box in the back of the freezer. Those were dinner one night.
2. Hot dog buns from the freezer were not yummy with the hot dogs, so they were toasted and dried and became bread crumbs. (We just used bread for the hot dog meal)
3. Leftover cornbread combined with said breadcrumbs and a leftover chicken breast (and stock from earlier chicken) became Chicken & Dressing.
3. Patience paid off. Instead of the $2000 water heater replacement by the plumber, a family member made time to install a $500 water heater from a big box store. Same warranty, lots of savings.
4. Replaced a worn-out crock pot with an upgraded version from the thrift store
5. I worked some extra projects to pick up some extra money this week!
as a kid, I don't remember my mom ever having hot dog buns, we just used white bread. I thought they were only sold at ball games. 😀
1. After having taken advantage of a Labor Day sale to buy a smart TV (so I could stream via Kanopy), I brought it home from Walmart, hauled it indoors by myself (it was 55 inches, no easy feat), unboxed it and attached the feet. I have to wait until Astound gets here to set up the new WiFi so I can run the streaming stuff. It also comes with 300 channels to stream free! Not bad for under $250! That will be my only cost other than paying for internet each month, which I already do anyway.
2. AC is set on 77 all the time now. With the window insulation, it's both comfortable and cheap. We had 31 days in a row of 100 degree (or higher) weather, then a day or so of "only" 90 degree, but now we're back in the triple digits.
3. Cannot find hide nor hair of TK, who usually mows my lawn for me. It's been 3 weeks. So I hired another guy and negotiated with him so I got a $10 senior discount. Still higher than TK's price, but my grass was getting into the "neighbors-will-complain-to-the-city" height. Ten bucks is cheaper than being issued a ticket. And the new guy came out within a half hour of my calling him.
4. Found out that the church I'm regularly visiting has a free game night/supper every few weeks for adults. In addition to their potluck Sunday dinners. Even with tithing, which I regularly do, this is quite frugal and gives me a very much-needed social outlet. Just sign up to bring some eats every few weeks and my friend says they don't care if it's not your Grandma's secret recipe. Or even homemade. Oh, and the church-y stuff is also excellent, so I will be moving my membership soon.
5. The new yard guy assures me that watering my lawn is saving me big bucks by not having to re-sod it. An AC company owner once told us the sun's rays reflect off brown/yellow dead grass, thus making everything hotter so that the AC will have to work harder. That's a major factor in a hot climate! Green St. Augustine absorbs a lot of the sun's heat and if your AC isn't cycling on all the time, you're not paying so much in electricity. (It may be September, but autumn seems a long time away.)
We get giant beets in our CSA sometimes and I like to make beet kvass. It's a fermented drink, and the easiest fermented probiotic drink ever--make sure your beets are grown organically. Beets are washed well in cold water and cut into cubes with the peel still on, placed in a jar with spring water and salt. The skin has the probiotics that help the beets ferment. I use an airlock on the jar, but you can just leave the lid loose and "burp" it twice daily because they produce a lot of CO2 while fermenting--you don't want exploding jars!
In about a week you have a deep red liquid in the jar with an intense beet flavor and a mild sourness--if it still tastes very salty it needs more time. I usually pour the liquid into another jar and refrigerate it, then add more salted water to the beets and ferment for another week or so, then combine the liquid from two batches. It's a very refreshing, mildly sour and very subtly salty beverage, it's supposed to be especially good for your liver (???), and contains a lot of probiotics. I love its earthy taste. If you are familiar with cold beet borscht, the flavor is very much like that.
The spent beets can go into a soup or stew. They turn white and don't have much flavor at that point--my kids thought they were diced potatoes--but they have good fiber for your gut.
Here's a funny beet story: When we serve red beets we always joke that they can turn your poop red (they really can!). My youngest daughter one time took one small bite of beet and then ran to the bathroom to see. ;o)
And they can turn your pee pink as well!
Every time I eat beets, I find myself wondering the next morning whether I didn't accidentally ingest a few of the red pencils I used to use for editing work back in the Dark Ages. 🙂
A. Marie, my mind goes directly to colorectal cancer.
I found two blouses for my mom at my favorite thrift store for 75% off, plus a mug for myself (which she paid for)-total was $5.08.
Was given the (new) book for my book club by the lovely owner of the bookshop-I took some books in to donate, and she said she wanted me to have the book.
Not doing a freezer challenge, as I don't have that much in mine, but I did eat a couple of things from there over the weekend.
My mom took me out to lunch on Friday. 🙂
Making my Starbucks drinks at home, with their bottled vanilla latte (the larger one)-I can add a bit of water and half and half and get 3 drinks from one bottle for the price of one latte at Starbucks. I only get iced drinks there when it's hot outside, so that has saved me quite a bit of money over the summer.
The tap water here is safe, but has lots of sodium. I can get filtered water for 35 cents a gallon at a place 2 minutes from where I live. Use my own gallon jugs and this is WAY cheaper than buying water at the grocery store!
I forgot to write about this when it happened! I went through the insurance service at my credit union and got a new auto insurance policy that was $95 A MONTH cheaper than what I had for better coverage! I also got a dividend check from my previous insurance company for $148 recently, which was very welcome.
Frugalities, moving version:
1. I packed minimal clothing for this overseas move to leave room in my big suitcase for all of the liquids the movers wouldn't carry. I did try very hard not to overbuy or buy anything large for the last 6 months, but nonetheless the suitcase is full.
2. I'm defaulting as much as possible to "eggs and toast", as I learned from Katy at the NCA vs opting to eat out.
3. I'm continuing to work as much as possible, and really more than usual, in the empty spaces within the next month. Thank goodness for a WFH job.
4. I'm doing all of my own cleaning. Again, thankful that this is not the same level of cleaning we would normally do for a rental, because I know they have cleaners come in every house before new residents move in. Just making sure nothing is disgusting.
5. I'm relying on the plane tickets provided by my husband's job to get me back. If I didn't think at all about money, I might just buy my own at this point with how ridiculous and last-minute their process is, but I know I will save thousands if I just comply with their processes.
Moving is NOT frugal, and there are a bunch of nonfrugalities that I could call out (mostly based on how much still has to be thrown or given away despite my careful planning), but I am focusing on trying to make frugal choices as much as possible.
Sometimes I take my bendable veggies and submerge them in water and park in the fridge for a day.
I hope you are starting to feel like you have a bit more time around the margins since dropping down to 2 shifts a week!
1. I picked up a Gizmo watch for my daughter on Buy Nothing.
2. We picked up fire wood, from camp sites that people had already left, while we were camping this weekend.
3. I made pesto using basil from our garden. I roasted green beans from our garden for dinner this week.
4. I am eating food from our freezers for lunch this week.
5. My mom brought us potatoes, fruit, chicken, and breads.
I don't think I have done anything frugal lately...but I did pre-buy a light fixture that someone will install for me on Thursday. And I do have plans to make my daughter a nice birthday lunch with a cake that day. And I did spend a very reasonable amount on this week's groceries. And I definitely am doing a great job of resisting on-line shopping. So yay for the little wins?
1. Bought discounted grocery items--raisin bread, packaged fancy salad kits, and steelhead trout (a luxury).
2. Combined a paper coupon with a sale to get some shredded cheese for a better deal.
3. Stocked up on reduced school supplies. $2 for sets of 20 Crayola markers? Yes please!
4. Accepted some free farm produce from my mom who picked it up on a trip--peaches, orange cauliflower, and a Hungarian pepper.
5. Continued wearing clothes for work that I still like, despite them being old.
6. Reading books from the library.
7. Used some very outdated (by several months) but still sealed sour cream from my fridge to make cornbread. It tasted great and I didn't get sick. I wouldn't risk serving this to others, but my stomach seems to handle things like this just fine!
8. Made a card to include with the baby shower gift I gave tonight. The gifts were from my stash, collected over time, mostly from Winners.
9. Melted down some crystallized honey that was in the cupboard.
10. Reused some of the gift bags from my stash as lunch bags.