Meet a Reader | My Aunt Kathy!
You guys, today we have a special Meet a Reader guest...my very own Aunt Kathy!
You may remember that last year at school, Lisey lived with my aunt and uncle, and this is that aunt. I was delighted when she volunteered to do a Meet a Reader interview.
She's married to my dad's brother, and she and my uncle are both from South Dakota.
If you've been here for a while, or if you've read some of my Kristen Prompted posts about my grandma, you know that she holds a special place in my heart.
My grandma has been gone for many years, but visiting my Aunt Kathy feels a little like visiting my grandma...she is just such a homey, welcoming sort of person, and like my grandma, she always insists on feeding you.
(Lisey fondly recalls how there was always chocolate cake and cookies at Aunt Kathy's house!)
Something that always impresses me about my aunt is that she can manage to pull together a meal for a bunch of people while making it look effortless. I aspire to her level of skill!
My aunt is very good at traditional domestic tasks, but she's also not afraid to get her hands dirty. My uncle built this lovely house they live in, and my aunt was there working along with him.
My uncle has worked with a lot of people over the years, but he says my aunt is his favorite work partner; he says she somehow always seems to know what he needs to be handed next. 🙂
Anyway, enough from me. Here's my aunt:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am fortunate to be related to Kristen and I have been enjoying getting to know her lovely daughters. I’ve been married to a wonderful man for 54 years.
I grew up in the Midwest, and because of my husband’s job, I have moved 9 times. One learns many things when one has a limited income and moved from state to state.
I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom and raised 3 children. So I sewed many of the children’s clothing when they were young.
I cut their hair and I still cut my hubby's hair. I baked and canned to keep the pantry supplied.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
Only a year or so, I’ve known about the blog for many years, and I agree with all of your advice that you share.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
Saving money was a learned gift from my parents and then from my in-laws. When I was a little girl and helping clean up the kitchen after dinner, my grandmother saw me throw away some leftovers. She said to me “A woman can throw away more by a teaspoon full than the man can bring in by the
shovel full.”.
As an 8-year-old girl that made me think, and it has stayed with me all these years. My parents and my in-laws lived through the great depression, the dirty 30s, and WWII. So I was able to glean all the wisdom that they shared with me. They had some really hard times in their lives.
My advice is for your young readers to go to their grandparents and glean from their wisdom.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
The “why” is that now in our retirement years we have a savings and we can enjoy travel and giving to our children if they are in need.
We learned to live on 70% of our income, 10% went to the church, 10% went into saving and 10% stayed in the checking account for those times when the taxes or insurance payments come due.
5. What's your best frugal win?
We use a credit card almost all of the time, but we never buy more than we have in the bank to pay off the full amount every month. Again, one can really waste money paying interest or late fees, or overdraft fees. So it is a win, win situation, saving money.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
We made an investment on the advice of a good friend, and in my heart and mind, I knew it was not a good investment. So we lost the funds on that decision. Listen to your heart and mind.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
I live out in the country now and I really enjoy the wildlife and the birds. So I spend many $$ on bird seeds and corn for the deer that come to feed.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Clothes and having my nails done. I enjoy finding a good deal in thrift shops.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I would give half to a well know charity or the church to help a needy family. The rest I would put in the bank to save for an emergency when one happens, as they always do.
10. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
We live in one of the biggest fruit-growing areas of the country and we have several vegetable farmers, so I still can and freeze all that I can use in the winter months.
I am also able to buy sides of beef and put it in the freezer, so I can enjoy great pieces of meat at a very reasonable price.
_________________
Aunt Kathy, thank you so much for doing this! I am really happy I got to share you with my readers. 🙂
Aunt Kathy,
What a wonderful blessing you are to your family and the world. I'm glad Kristen has you in her life.
I love that you combine ways from the past, canning, and modern day life, using a credit card to pay for purchases.
So good to meet a lovely family member of Kristen's!
Aunt Kathy, I think you and I have a lot in common: Depression-era relatives, a pay-it-in-full-every-month approach to credit card use, bird feeding and thrift shopping as hobbies, and bulk-buying beef. Maybe some day I'll master getting all components of a meal on the table at the same time, too. 🙂
Oh, and that Corning Ware dish you have tucked under your arm in the first photo? I have the same dish!
Hi Kathy! Your potholders are used daily here on the plains of New Mexico. Your skill at sewing has traveled far and is much appreciated by someone who doesn't have that skill. 🙂
I actually remember my grandmother showing me how she wanted the leftovers saved too. She saved everything, even at other people's houses. One time when I was about 8 she came to our house for dinner, and she was helping my mom clean up - she poured leftover pickle juice into a plastic drinking cup (not sure what the plan was for it next). Well it was right next to my opaque plastic drinking cup of iced tea. I made the terrible tasting mistake of grabbing that cup instead and still remember the shock!
Thanks for sharing your story with us! Your home is lovely and it's so great that Lisey has such great family to live with.
Suz, leftover pickle juice can be used in potato salad, along with some mayo, mustard and cream...
@Suz,
Leftover pickle juice is good to marinate chicken.
Hi Aunt Kathy! You remind me of my favorite aunt, Aunt Elaine. She always had pickles in the house, which was something my mother never bought. It's so nice to have a special aunt.
No one in my extended family was frugal, though. Except for my maternal grandmother, my ancestors all grew up extremely poor in New York City, and the attitude was, "Might as well party now, because who knows what will happen tomorrow."
@Rose, You share an interesting aspect of poverty. In a federal study done many years ago (can't remember the year), one of the challenges of helping people was that mind set. Very poor people don't save for tomorrow.
@Kristina, George Orwell wrote about it in the 1930s.
Hooray...so great to meet you Aunt Kathy. What a blessing your are to Kristen and her girls and now to all of us! Thank you for sharing your wise insights.
Your pantry is wonderful. I love it when my canning decorates my house as yours does, all fresh colors. I love living in an area that has so many farms too. Your pot holders also add art to the home. I was wondering how you managed downsizing your canning. I have 6 boxes of regular mouth quart size jar I will probably never use again. I got rid of 3 boxes, however it is so hard to get rid of them. (FYI I have a smaller family now and arthritic hands, it is too difficult to use them. I replaced them with regular pints and wide mouth.)
Thank you for sharing
@Amy, Freecycle? Thrift store? Church rummage sale?
@Amy,
If there's a Buy Nothing group in your area, consider offering your canning jars there - any canning jars that are offered in my local BN group generate much interest, and find a new home without any difficulty.
@Rose, This gave me a little "kick in the pants" and I have 3 boxes of Regular and 2 of jelly jars in my car to drop off at the thrift store today. Basically I was trying to figure when and writing it out made me realize that I can let them go. I replaced them with enough wide mouths. The last 3 boxes are going to my niece.
@Liz B., Unfortunately our BN group isn't that active. I wish it was.
How nice to meet you! I am glad you have Kristen's family to spoil and take care of!
The Premium Saltines tin box on the end middle shelf of the pantry photo made me smile. My parents had one, some sixty-seventy years ago, and I think I recall seeing one at my aunt's as well. When I was little, we would occasionally have Campbells chicken soup with crackers for lunch, and my father's (must have been depression-era) treat on the side, white Karo syrup on white bread. I can still remember the taste.
@Heidi Louise, I was going to say the same thing! My mom still has hers and I have the 90s version of one, which is not nearly as nice. I also have a Charles Chips tin from the 50s and I love the idea of keeping these in use!
@Jan,
Lol, I have the same Premium saltine tin as is in the photo, and a Charles Chips tin - both were my parent's before I "inherited" them. (My dad's name was Charles, lol).
@Liz B., I feel like we are twins separated at birth. 🙂
So nice to meet you Aunt Kathy! I feel like you are such a blessing for Kristen and her family.
Like you, we spend money on bird seed because we so enjoy watching them out our kitchen window.
My grandmother, Mom, and MIL canned all sorts of things but the most I've managed to do is refrigerator pickles. Maybe it's time for me to pick up this skill!
Hi, Miss Kathy!
You are just the kind of person I can picture as being Kristen's aunt. I learned thrift from my depression-era parents, too, and that sort of learning does stay with you. I love the jars of canned goods, with the pretty colors and shapes. I also admire that nice big pantry! You and your husband built a nice house, and I can imagine your canning habit probably helped inform the size of the pantry when the house was built.
It was lovely to meet you and thank you for joining in!
She really has the best pantry! SO much space.
@JD,
That pantry is a treasure hoard!
What a wonderful post! My parents were both the youngest of 6 children and 3 of my 4 grandparents passed long before I was born. I always regretted not knowing my grandmothers in particular. It's therefore been extra special for me to see my mom and my mother in law interact with my sons and create memories with them. I love your approach to life and frugality, thank you for sharing.
I loved reading about Aunt Kathy! Thanks so much for sharing. I am very impressed with all your canning especially.
What a pleasure to read about someone with traditional homemaking skills and values! Kathy, your house is perfectly gorgeous, classic, and inviting. Thank you for reminding readers that trends are irrelevant, and that thrift and common sense make for a good life. You speak for many rural folks in "fly-over country".
So nice to meet you Aunt Kathy! Would you share your chocolate cake recipe? No pressure!
@Stephanie, What Lisey is remembering it my chocolate zucchini bread, It can be baked in a bundt pan.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
3 oz of unsweetened chocolate melted
3 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
3 c sugar
1 1/2 cup salad oil
3 c grated zucchini
I also always put a splash of vanilla in my baked goodies
Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside
Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs together until creamy. Add the melted chocolate.
Stir in the zucchine and the dry ingredents. Pour into loaf pans or a bundt cake pan well greased bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes or until a stick come out clean. Enjoy
@Kathy Burge, Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It accomplishes two lovely tasks for me...getting more veggies into my 7 year old and it gives me another recipe for the many bags of homegrown shredded zucchini that are stored in my chest freezer. God Bless you!
I just LOVED your post. Thank you so much for sharing with us. What a joy 🙂
I am so impressed that your husband and you built that house with your own hands. And boy, is he handsome.
My lovely Grandmother had pails for scraps and unwanted leftovers; the chicken pail under the kitchen sink, and the pig pail out on the back porch under the cement sink. They were taken to the animals every day. It was a great way to 'recycle'.
Thanks Aunt Kathy, you are a blessing.
I would be curious as to the average price per pound of beef for half a cow in your area in 2022. We are getting half a cow to split with my in laws, and while it maybe higher quality meat, it still feels very expensive to me.
@Heather, I need to call again for one, The last 1/2 was $2.79 per hanging weight. A half of a cow is usually between 400-500 pounds. So I put out about $1200.00 but I get beautiful 3 lb roast, all the steaks that you can think of and 250 pounds of hamberger. It is all choice cuts and fresh. You can't find a steak under $8-9 now days in the stores. So it is very worth it. I know that today the price will be higher, but I am still going to get one.
@Heather, my hanging weight price this year for 1/4 steer was about $2.30/lb., and my cut-and-wrapped price worked out to about $3.84. I don't know how these compare to supermarket prices in your area, but for me, they're a win/win.
Great to meet you! I am trying to decide whether to buy a pressure canner. I mostly can jams and chutney in a water bath, but the pressure canner is faster and holds more, and uses less water. Any advice?
@Kristina, I was scared to use the pressure canner at first, but that is the only safe way to can green beans. Once I used it and found out how safe they are and how many jars of beans I can get in there at one time it is a big time saver. I can get a bushel of beans here for under $20 and that will give me almost 3o pints of beans. That is sure cheaper then the supermarket beans. I can the rest of my fruits and tomatoes in the hot water bath. As long as you get a good seal on the jars it is safe to save for several years on the shelf. That is if they don't disappear before that.
@Kathy Burge, crazy question- from the photo, one jar of beans looks different. Just a different batch, year, type of bean? I know to look for leaking, visible mold, bubbles, loss of seal, bad smell when opened… do you have any canning horror stories? I’ve only canned a few times, did pretty well, would like to do more, but my Mom’s two stories echo:
1. Families drop dead from botulism after eating home-canned green beans!
2. Families blown up by pressure cookers in kitchens!
Can you tell that my Mom did not like to cook and keep house?! Lol. She had other talents and interests.
Aunt Kathy, I LOVE your potholders! Any chance you would write up how you make them? I am an 83 year old great grandma but still looking for ideas and recipes. I, too, still try to be frugal and make the most of everything. I love to cook, sew, but no longer do much gardening. I did clear out blackberries growing near the house this year. We had just moved in here but next year will take advantage of this free fruit for seedless jam and pies.
@Vivian, They are made from all my scraps of fabric. I chose a simple quilt square pattern that is anywhere from 10-12 inches square and just layer it with batting and either hand quitl or machine quilt. Add a binding and they are ready for church fund raisers or gifts.
Hi Aunt Kathy!
I feel like you are someone I already know. Must be that midwestern practicality shining through. 🙂 My parents were born in 1927 and 1930 and I was raised with a save-it, mend-it, make-do mindset. I'm very grateful for that--it seems natural to approach my finances frugally. I tend to forget about being raised that way until I have a situation to remind me of it. Recently a coworker looked at my lunch and said, oh, you have grapes in that container--I thought you had coffee. I was using an empty plastic cappucino mix container as storage for my grapes and the concept of reusing containers for another purpose seemed like such a novelty to her. For me, it was a logical choice--why throw it away when it can happily live another life and stay out of a landfill, too?
@Kris, You are right I grew up on a farm in South Dakota and we live off the land and canned everything. I am proud of my parents for giving us such an honest wholsome life. I just invest in 6 chickens and I am now getting eggs. I can't stand to pay $3.50 for a dozen of eggs.
I don't think Kristen knows this about me, but when I am on mission trips, my team members nicknamed me Martha Stewart. I am always looking for a better and more frugal way to do something. I can now see Kristen smile at my nickname.
Everybody needs an Aunt Kathy!
What a great Meet a Reader! Thanks for this!
I was wondering what different fruits were available in your area? And how did you get in with local farmers? Farmers markets maybe? We have a local farmers market but the produce isn't much cheaper than the grocery store, just better!
Dear Aunt Kathy,
Your lovely personality shines right through this blog post. Reading of your life, I had the same feeling that I get from certain kinds of literature: a sense of calmness and that of feeling better for having read it.
Thanks, Kristen, for the great idea of sharing her.
Nice to meet you, Aunt Kathy. I have serious envy over your pantry!
Aunt Kathy, your pantry reminds me of the one from my childhood. Would you share your pickling recipe for the yellow beans please? I’d love to add beans to my canning list for next summer.
Aunt Kathy, Thank you for sharing! Your pantry is a dream - I have never had a pantry, only cabinets. I guess this is one of the many perks of building your own home, which is lovely and so impressive as well.
Aunt Kathy,
You have the most appetizing canned goods ever! So pretty! My parents lived through the great depression, they taught me a lot. So thankful for them and that knowledge. Waste nothing!
Martha
It was nice to meet your Aunt Kathy. She has wonderful frugal skills.
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Aunt Kathy! I appreciate how you have loved Kristen so well over the years. What a beautiful gift.
You are right that there's much wisdom to be gleaned from our grandparents! Mine have all passed, but one thing I love about my weekly Bible study group is that it's 80% retirees (I'm in my mid-thirties). I appreciate the intergenerational aspect and getting to learn from such wise women.
Your canning shelves look beautiful!! I'm so thankful that my mother-in-law taught me how to can. It's something I hope to pass on to my kids someday.
I loved the your wisdom that comes from knowing and experiences…I especially liked what you said, Kathy, about finances. The simple 10/10/10 and living off 70% is easy to remember and so sensible.