Meet a Reader | Shannon
Hello, everyone! Today, we're meeting a reader who does almost none of the cooking at her house. Her secret? Marry a chef!
Here's Shannon:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am an empty nester who works as a nurse. I live with my husband, who is a chef, and several four-legged children.
My situation might be a tiny bit different from other readers because my husband is a chef and that really helps our food budget. He does 98% of the cooking, I do 1% and the grocery shopping per his list, and 1% we order out.
I have crocheted/knitted/embroidered since I was a child. I have done some sewing, but I prefer working with yarn, making items to keep you warm.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I'd guess about 13 years or so. I believe I have been following you since shortly after you started. I graduated LPN school in 2008, and my husband gifted me my own laptop (before we had just a family desktop) so that seems about right.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I'm going to be honest, it's something I struggle with, especially since the kids have left home.
Though I do struggle to be frugal with large amounts, I try to save when grocery shopping by buying cheaper cuts of meat, in-season produce and buying in bulk. I also try to save my dollar bills and change.
Because saving the earth is important, I try to buy whatever is needed at the thrift store (for example, ugly sweaters for a party are just a few dollars at a thrift store and chances are pretty good no one else has it).
On a different saving note, I sometimes make gifts (hats for example) and work on them while watching TV.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
We have just always tried to stay within our means.
5. What's your best frugal win?
One of my favorites was finding a pair of brand-name dress shoes, brand new, in a thrift store for just a couple of dollars. They retail for over $200!
Here are the shoes. The stool is over 100 years old. My great-grandfather made it.
Another frugal win is this handmade king-size quilt, with my wedding year found for only 10$ (half-off day).
This is the back of the quilt. It broke my heart that someone got rid of it after all that work their aunt did.
I am in the (very slow) process of restoring this century-old hand-sewn quilt topper (with guidance from a master quilter). When I finish it, she will quilt it for me.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Smoking for years..so much money wasted.
(German reader Lea said the same thing!)
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Good pillows, and good shoes.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Keeping up with the Jones's.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I would make a couple of car payments. I just bought a used SUV and traded in my early 2000s car.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers.
Shop thrift stores, there are some great deals. And try to follow the one in, one out rule.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
Without giving away too much, I live in a historical town that offers so many low-cost things to do, no matter what the season.
_________
Shannon, thanks so much for participating! I think it's so great that your husband does so much of the cooking! I know sometimes chefs get so weary of cooking at their jobs, they don't want to do any cooking when they come home.
Do you ever feel a little self-conscious doing any of the cooking and serving it to a chef? I think I might feel worried my cooking wouldn't be up to snuff. Ha.
One more question: what type of nursing do you do? And if you've tried multiple types, what has been your favorite?
Here's hoping Aunt Jeanne doesn't read this blog.
@Bobi, I had the same thought--especially as Aunt Jeanne's city is the same as mine (OK, the secret's out). In fact, I Googled her, and she still seems to be very much alive. Uh-oh...is there any way of redacting this photo?
@Bobi, I view it as an awesome thing. The quilt is bringing joy to someone instead of sitting in a closet. My mom makes quilts and I struggle so much with what to do with them after we don’t need them. We only need so many blankets and it feels wasteful to keep things we don’t need.
@A. Marie,
Perhaps the marriage has been dissolved and the niece or nephew didn't want to keep the reminder around
@Linda, that's exactly what I thought. I probably wouldn't get rid of it unless it brought bad memories of some kind...
@Linda, That's what I thought, too.
The couple the quilt was made for probably got divorced. Believe me, it's hard and painful to know what to do with things like that. My wedding ring? I still have no idea what to do with it. I can't bear to get rid of it but I'll never wear it again. Photos, other things inscribed to both of us...
That 100 year old quilt is gorgeous!
My friend was lucky enough to marry a chef!
@Rose, the quilt my husband and I have on our bed was made 21 years ago by his mother for my husband and his ex-wife. When she died 8 years ago, her sisters gave the quilt back to my husband. I love it because his Mom (who died 7 yrs ago at 95) made it. It’s inscribed to Charles & Jan, and I’m totally good with that. It’s a beautiful quilt, made by a wonderful woman.
I'm glad to think of that quilt finding a new home where it's used and enjoyed! I agree with you about shopping in thrift stores - I too have found a couple of my favorite pairs of shoes that way. It helps to have not-the-most-common-sized feet!
Hi, Shannon,
Being married to a chef would be very nice, and at the same time, as Kristen noted, might be intimidating as far as attempting my own cooking. But if someone else cooked well for me almost all of the time, I'd deal with the intimidation!
The dogs are very cute! And I hear you on the occasional struggle with frugality. Good going on the shoes!
I once had a quilt made by an extended family member. It was one of her first quilts - she pieced the top and an experienced quilter did the quilting on it. I later gave it away. That sounds so bad, but the quilt top was made in colors that suited the maker's style, not mine and ... it was made of double knit. The entire top was made of double knit patches. The quilt weighed a ton, was too hot, hard to clean and it was too big for our bed. I finally donated it to a small church's bazaar, where it raised over $100 in a raffle. The family member got better at quilting and fabric choices as time went on, thankfully.
@JD,
My hubby and I have several of the quilts his grandmother made (she passed away more than 10 years ago) - some of them are absolutely beautiful, but one is made from polyester fabric from the (best guess) 1960s-1970s. Maybe from old clothes they no longer wore at the time, I'm not sure. It's super ugly, but is fortunately more of a lap throw size. 🙂
We follow the one in one out rule for small appliances 😉 Everytime I think I might "need" a spiralizer or a pasta maker I have to think about which other small appliance I'd get rid of. So far that's really worked to tame some impulses!
@Julie, That's a great idea!
Thanks for sharing, Shannon! The panic button made me chuckle!
Shannon, your pups are so cute. The white one has such striking eyes! And your crocheting is beautiful.
I am a bit envious that you get help with the cooking. It's nice that you do the shopping, though. That's a huge chore.
There may be a number of reasonable reasons to have given away that quilt. If Aunt Jeanne reads this, she’ll know it’s in a place where it is loved and valued, and even its date is significant. Perhaps that’s the best outcome under whatever the circumstances are. The antique quilt is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
@Jem, that's a consoling thought. Thanks. And I very much enjoyed Shannon's post in general.
That antique quilt is really beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Shannon, welcome to the "Meet a Reader" club! I enjoyed your post and your pics. Kudos on doing your part to save the earth. The quilt is lucky to have you as its new owner, as you will appreciate and use it. Enjoy your day with your beautiful pups and a chef-made meal!
@MB in MN,
Thank you. It's a splendid club.
Shannon, I have a burning question! Since you're married to a chef, and you don't eat out much: what is the food you order when you do eat out?? I'm so curious!! 🙂
@Sarah C.,
It's hard to eat out when your hubby is a chef, usually we order/eat out whatever we are craving.
great pictures. love the crochet. I used to knit and crochet but I have a hand tremor that makes it hard. I followed the one in one out with clothes and shoes when I was single. because I had a very small closet. Now my two kids and my hubby hang on to everything. thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading your post.
@Anita Isaac, If you would still like to knit, you could try loom knitting. Might be easier to handle.
@Amie, thanks very much. may try that.
This is off-topic, but what is the brand of harness on your dogs? We're looking for a new harness for our dog and those seem promising.
@Danielle Zecher, they almost look like Rabbitgoo. Hands down the best harness we have ever used. You can leash them from the back or the front (for pullers). Mine are many years old, are worn frequently and have held up well. Plus very reflective at night. I purchased from Amazon.
@Mar,
I had to look it up, but you are right. My dogs did outgrow them, buy went to a smaller doggie who is still using it. I did find that one did fray more but I just snipped the threads.
I would rather someone loved and used a quilt I made, than to find out it was living in a closet because the recipient was afraid to pass on my gift. Love your dog pics!
Your dogs are gorgeous! I love how they sit together with their paws crossed over each other's. My dogs do the same thing and it's just the cutest thing. Love it when dogs cuddle up with each other.
Love the afagan , what is the pattern ?
@Diane,
I do belive it's a bobble, crochet an even number, 5 double crochet in a stitch, single crochet,repeat across, single crochet across for row 2, repeat pattern. Make sure the bobbles sit on top of each other, if they nestle your edge will be super uneven.
I used to save five dollar bills. They added up nicely for summer “fun” money. Since most everything now is “cashless”I got out of habit. Good job saving ones and change!
Very nice to meet you!❤️
I have never thought of restoring a quilt! I have a very old quilt from my family that an aunt was using as a moving blanket. Now I need to YouTube this!
My advice would be to find a master quilter to help guide you. They can tell you a lot about the fabric and stitching. Really quilt restoration is fascinating.
I want a panic button of my own--that's great!
I enjoy knitting and have gifted friends and family with different knitted items, but realistically, I know that not everything will be used or kept, and I suspect the same is true for the maker of the quilt. Styles and color preferences change, new gifts are acquired which replace the old .... I think it's ok to move along previously loved items for someone else to enjoy.
Thanks for posting, Shannon!
A friend of mine, an artist, not only restores damaged old quilts, she finishes half-finished ones she finds at garage sales and such.
As someone who's written extensively about textile history and is a collector myself, it is really kind of depressing how little the world values women's work.
Another friend of mine takes old damaged "cutters" with embroidery and makes them into quilts, or lavender bags, or similar. Yet another friend takes old moth eaten sweaters, felts them, and sews them into cute little cat toys filled with her home-grown catnip.
My own daughter unravels old sweaters, dyes the yarn, re-spins them on her spinning wheel, and then knits them into new things.
(she tried using her wool carder on our new long-haired kitten and said how well it worked on his mats. She then said, "Maybe I'll become one of those weirdos who spins their cat's fur into yarn!")
@Rose, I love those examples - your daughter is especially impressive, working from the ground up (carding wool to spinning to dyeing to knitting)!
@Rose, a few years ago I sent in my saved rough collie's fur to an artisan on Etsy. She spun the fur, called chiengora, into beloved keepsakes. We all got a soft heart and bone, made from her fur, to remember her by.
@Rose,
Originally I thought I would have to cut it up and save the "good parts". It is linking me to a part of my families history, and my great grandmother, and I'm so glad it can be restored.
@Molly F. C., Such beautiful way to memorialize your pup.
I just had to Google Aunt Jeanne and I think she`s some sort of writer.... In 1997, she would have published ''Naked as we stand''.
Here's what I found on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1834061.Naked_as_We_Stand?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=O6oYrcIpzS&rank=1
Cool!
To follow up, no I don't feel self conscious when I cook, because I make a few things that he doesn't (like lasagna). He enjoys cooking, so we decided early on he would do the bulk of it. And to answer the other question, I work in a hospital, so on the frontline of this pandemic. Before that I worked with the elderly, and loved it, but needed a change.
Such a fun read, Shannon. I always love to see the pets, too. They make a home look cozy, and yours look pretty special.
I have several friends whose husbands are chefs and in every case the hub prefers to do the cooking. And it’s not just the wives and kids who benefit, the chefs love to prepare holiday dinners for the extended family. So lucky!
Thank you for sharing.
I love the stool that your great grandfather made. What a special treasure!
I cannot imagine being married to a man that cooks. My husband is helpful in so many ways, but he just can’t cook. He has tried. He just doesn’t have a knack for it at all. My son used to say that, “Daddy makes everything Cajun style - blackened.”
It was very smart to marry a chef. After four plus decades of cooking I am a bit tired of it, although you do get to make what you want.
I too both knit and crochet and like to make things to keep people warm. It is so helpful for me to belong a to a group that is like minded.
I love your green take on consumption.
Hi Shannon, nice to meet you!
It must be so nice to never have to think about the next meals!
Very impressed by your crocheting. What was the most difficult crocheting project you've ever done?
The quilts also look lovely; like you, my heart broke for this poor aunt who must have spent days on this ginormous piece!
I loved your idea of thrifting Christmas sweaters not just for the money but also to make sure no one else would be wearing the same one at the party 😀
That panic button is so awesome!!!
Thanks for sharing <3
Hello Shannon, I totally resonate with you on living with a chef. It comes with wonderful perks, but can be intimidating. My husband used to work in restaurants when he was younger, and he now cooks 95% of the time. It used to be a 50-50 split, but it became clear as our family grew that he thrived cooking under time pressure (always a need in families with two working parents) while I was busy with our young children. He also makes the most gourmet tasting meals even when we just have carrots and onions in the pantry. That said, sometimes I do miss cooking! I bake more as my outlet and have taken over other chores. We do tend to spend a bit more on groceries than I would like as my husband really values the ingredients he uses and sometimes makes a big cooking project, but I regard it as any other hobby really. In return, we save on not eating out as much, as most restaurant meals just aren't worth the expense. We also save on not buying a lot of kitchen gadgets. In our 25+ years of marriage, we still use the same good quality kitchen knives, pots and cast-iron pan we bought as newlyweds. Turns out you don't need that much more.
When I quit smoking, I had an app that calculated how much I saved. Believe me, in Massachusetts it added up very quickly as taxes on cigarettes are very high. For the first couple years, I put that money towards a "reward" - a new handbag, or something else I would not normally buy myself.
Heartbreaking about that quilt. I often wonder if things I gift will wind up that way. I have become increasingly picky about to whom I gift handmade items, but it's hard to know. Thank you for rescuing these quilts!
I enjoyed this interview very much and really appreciated your honesty about how hard it is to be frugal sometimes. Over the last 10-15 years I researched minimalism extensively because I wanted to "live small". My husband and I are now full time RV-ers. (I was one of Kristen's Meet The Reader when she first started this series.) Anyway, minimalism can be defined in whatever terms each individual views it. I'm discovering it's the same with frugality. When I did my interview, I wasn't sure if I'd "qualify" to submit to a Frugal blog since I admitted to not being very frugal in my 20s and 30s. I, like you, always stayed within my means and I always found the best deals, etc. But I didn't rack up a gigantic savings account or retirement fund and I didn't deny myself very many (small) luxuries until I got more serious about frugality. But I'm seeing that there are many different types of frugality after reading all of these Meet The Reader posts (including yours) just like there are many different definitions of minimalism. Again, I appreciated your statements about your brand of frugality. I love those quilts and your panic button! Thank you for sharing!
Quilts just aren't everyone's thing; it's ok to give away something you don't use or like. Maybe they thought someone else would love it; the niece may also have died. I have never liked quilts even from a very young age; I appreciate the skill and time but they are just not my thing, I came home once to find my beloved bedspread was gone and my room re-decorated with a quilt and curtains made by my beaming sisters who did it as a surprise birthday present with colors I never would have chosen. Inside I was devastated but I smiled and said wow thank you. My mom pulled me aside and told me I was selfish (only she could see I was pretending to be happy) I was 12
I was stuck with that bedroom decor until I was employed and one of my first purchases was a burgundy doona - the color I had always wanted.
It's ok to get rid of a quilt or any other gift.
BTW love the dogs; they adorable!