Five Frugal Things -- Cold Weather Calls for Soup!
1. I took advantage of non-rainy weather to walk an overdue book to the library. It turned out to be bitingly cold and windy, but I persevered and adjusted my pace to rush the errand.
I added clamshell plastics recycling to my route and gave myself credit as if I'd traversed a blizzard. People talking about "romanticizing your life," but apparently I'm working to make "catastrophize your life" popular. Join in, it'll be super fun!
2. I took the remaining dregs of a Costco rotisserie chicken to create a batch of Mexican chicken soup. My Instant Pot worked overtime to cook both the black beans and then the chicken and broth, but it'll feed us for at least three days. Portland's pervasive "cold and wet" is still "cold."
I'd share the recipe, but it was a "bit of this, bit of that" situation.
3. I've been struggling to fix my vacuum cleaner, which was clearly hiding a clog. Mind you, I've been maintaining this appliance since 2001 and consider myself an expert on this specific model. However, it took me three (THREE!) lengthy repair sessions to locate the issue -- which was just a clog in an obscure spot, requiring removal of multiple parts to access.
It now functions as well as the day I bought it and if you spy me walking around with a spring in my step, you'll know why.
4. I stopped into Fred Meyer (Kroger) on my way home from the library to scope out their clearance section. After all, I'm rich with a $30 gift card, thanks to the American Red Cross! The produce clearance shelf was empty and the clearance canned goods were decidedly lackluster. I walked out empty handed with gift card intact.
5. I walked past a mother and daughter selling Girl Scout cookies and donated five dollars to their troop instead of buying a box. I don't love kids having to sell things to fund their activities, so I usually donate directly to the cause instead of having a small percentage of my dollars serve their mission.
There's a lot of profit made off youth fundraising that doesn't support the actual nonprofits. As I mentioned, it was cold and windy out yesterday and this kid looked miserable.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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I too usually just donate $$ to the cause (for Girl Scouts cookies and Boy Scouts popcorn and other organizations ) rather than purchase "stuff" or overpriced food I don't need. I have always disliked having to shake down friends and neighbors and the general public to support otherwise valuable programs. I understand the value of the PR and public facing aspect - but I don't like it.
I too usually just donate $$ to the cause (for Girl Scouts cookies and Boy Scouts popcorn and other organizations ) rather than purchase "stuff" or overpriced food I don't need. I have always disliked having to shake down friends, neighbors and the general public to support otherwise valuable programs. I understand the value of the PR and public facing aspect - but I don't like it.
When my daughter was in Girl Scouts, I was shocked at how little they earned per box sold. It’s great when someone donates cash! Though the cookies are expensive, at least they are a decent product. Boy Scouts sell overpriced popcorn that tends to be stale! There’s a reason the girls have an easier time selling their product.
It's so satisfying to fix an appliance!
1) Still lying low after recent dental surgery. Only left the house to mail eBay sales. Didn't feel up to other stops so it was a very short trip. I'm saving a lot of gas, at least.
2) Batch cooked some soft foods. Beef and bean burritos with gifted hamburger, dry bean cooked in the crock pot and frozen into portions, onions from the freezer, and can of tomato sauce. They turned out delicious. What didn't fit into the tortillas I had on hand got mixed with precooked rice from the freezer and turned into rice bowls.
3) My outfit today was almost entirely secondhand or old. Socks, pants, scarf, and hat were past Xmas gifts, shirt at least four years old, hoodie was a hand-me-down, down vest bought secondhand years ago. I made the apron I wore to cook when I was ten for a 4-H project. My other aprons are all hand-me-downs from family. Yesterday I got a giant box of good-quality work clothes from a family member who loves to shop and then declutter. Yay for free business casual clothes!
4) Most of the dishes and cooking utensils I use are gifted, thrifted, or hand-me-downs. Mixing bowls from my grandmother via a cousin, plates from a friend who downsized, even some trash-picked items that I rescued and kept in circulation.
5) Added a few more items to eBay. I made another sale this morning, so it's working.
Bonus: cut up pasteboard food boxes to make postcards to send to legislators. I have a lot of gifted stamps. I'm putting them to use to let my lawmakers know what I care about.
Today was cold and snowy, so it seemed like a perfect soup day. Just like Katy, we took some leftovers and changed them into soup - vegetable deer with leftover roast deer and potatoes, adding in home canned green beans, extra potatoes, corn, and carrots. I made a pone of cornbread to go with it, and it was honestly one of the best pots of soup EVAH!
We did some organizing of our food again today, and while going through the snack cabinet, I found 3 opened bags of pretzels (two were from our gingerbread house making party) so we made Chex Mix but just with pretzels and about a quarter cup of peanuts left from some mixed nuts (also found on the snack cabinet). It was also delicious!
For a late night snack (after the pretzels lol), I had some of the carrots that didn’t make it to the soup with a little cup of ranch dressing leftover from fast food.