Five Frugal Things -- Summer is so Berry Sweet!
1) I had a few unscheduled hours yesterday, so I headed over to my secret spot to forage wild blackberries for the freezer. I probably should've gone during the cooler hours of the morning, but this was a spontaneous decision and logic has no place in many of my choices.
I filled my trusty milk jug twice over. The sound of running water is always so relaxing.
I place the berries in a large bowl under running water to encourage the grassy bits to float to the top, then I drain and freeze them on a single layer. (You can see that I set them on a silicon mat.) Lastly I pour the berries into zip-top freezer bags.
2) I also come across various odd items in my decidedly urban nature spot, such as beer cans and random items such as this golf ball:
Of course I brought the beer can home for the 10¢ deposit and will take the golf ball to the city's public golf course when I next pass it by.
3) I stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home to get cash back for the gas station, as paying in cash earns a 35¢/gallon discount.
I bought a single 23¢ banana.
Oh, minivan -- you do love gasoline!
I also grabbed a water bottle from the top of the garbage next to my car, as well as a seltzer can than someone had thrown from their car. That net me an extra 20¢!
"Watch the pennies and the pounds'll take care of themselves" and all that.
4) Not all berries made it into the freezer, as it would be shame to not enjoy a reward for my efforts. I followed this recipe for "Any Fruit Crisp," but cut everything in half as it was just my husband and I.
That's a miniature pie pan, but the dimensions are hard to convey without a frame of reference. I cooked it a few minutes longer than necessary, as I ran into a friend in front of the house while setting the yard debris can out for pickup. It was still absolutely delicious.
I informed my husband that "dessert is being served in the backyard" as it was a lovely evening and we scraped that pan clean!
5) I wrote that "The sound of running water is always so relaxing," which may have not been completely truthful, as I listened to Jane Austen's Emma while gathering fruit. Not sure how much running water I actually heard.
Of course, the audiobook was from the library's free Libby app.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
"my husband and me" not "my husband and I."
Anyone who is confused, take the other person out. "It's just I" or "It's just me"? For "my husband and I" or "my husband and me"? For I or for me?
I posted earlier today, but I have a few more to add:
1. While out on our errands, I swung by BJ's to grab a bag of lemons (they are the best price of all of the grocery stores), and I used the BJ credit card to get 3% back. My AmEx gives me back 5% on groceries, but not at big box stores. While there, like Katy, I grabbed an empty seltzer can that was on top of the garbage, but alas, I live in a $.05 state. BUT, I also grabbed a receipt, and it netted me 5,000 SWEET points on Fetch. We rarely buy name-brand items, so I almost never get more than 25 points.
2. Went to the grocery store for our weekly shop ($31.00), and bought baby spinach on markdown (not Taylor Farms or any other subsidiary). Due to mystery shops and free CSA that my partner gets from work means our weekly grocery is usually around $35.
3. Maybe 4x a year, my partner and I like going to our local diner and getting BEC sandwiches with tater tots. With the crazy prices, though, this "treat," with coffee, tax, and tips comes out to about $40. But, we just paid $500 to get a part changed on our oven, so instead, we bought 2 lbs of tots ($2.99), we had bacon in the freezer (on clearance), cheese and eggs are free from mystery shops. We then stopped by our local bakery whose prices are really low, and bought one large sub roll for $50. I have a bag of coffee that a student from Mexico gave me (it is really smooth coffee), so instead, breakfast will cost us about $2, saving about $38.
4. I made a batch of iced tea, using a pack of Harney's & Sons, that I had given to me (I took my students on a tour of their warehouse a couple of years ago - so this tea is far past its "best by" but I'm sure it will be fine.
5. It is a lovely day here in New England - windows are open, and laundry is drying outside. \
==========
Frugal Fail: cost to fix the oven was almost $500, and it is the 3rd time that we've had to replace this one part. Our Nutribullet also died, and property taxes are due. Sigh....
Also, fruit crisp is one of my FAVORITES (part of my last-meal menu, if we get to choose), and your blackberry version looks DELISH!
You are so lucky to have found that secret spot. I don't know of any wild Blackberry places but if I did I'd be making crisps on a regular basis.
1. I made a maple custard using some of the eggs my boss gave me and some real maple syrup. Sprinkled with a few dashes of nutmeg on it for a finishing touch.
2. I started a library book A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst. Non- fiction. I grabbed it to get another sticker and raffle ticket for my Summer Reading Bingo card at the library because the square I want to cover requires a book with a picture of the ocean on the cover.
3. I'm also reading the two recent New Yorker magazines I borrowed from the library.
4. I hung two loads of laundry outside because the weather is supposed to turn rainy starting tomorrow and lasting a few days.
5. I walked the newspapers I share with a neighbor up to her house on the next street. On the way I stopped and chatted with another neighbor. Socialization and exercise all in one.
I love that other people are enjoying their libraries' adult summer reading programs!
I was watching Emma on Amazon Prime when the storm outside intensified and the power was suddenly cut off. Three hours later it's still off. I have a window open so I don't suffocate!
I will probably lose some food. No estimated time for the power to be restored. The outage is widespread, more than 1300 customers without power in my area alone.
Before this happened, I made a run to the post office and library, and I'm just grateful I didn't get caught in the storm.
With nothing working, and the skies too dark to read, I took a short nap.
I have seen neighbors moving branches to the side of road. I'm glad that as a condo dweller I don't have that responsibility.
I probably won't be able to post this, but I'll give it a try
It worked! I don't understand technology at all.
I'm so sorry you're without power, hopefully you won't lose too much food.
I always love to see the majestic pines in your photos (like at the gas station). So beautiful!
1. Saturday I got a manicure and a pedicure using a gift certificate I received at Christmas. I then met my husband and brother-in-law at my mom's house where we had a picnic on her back patio. She supplied all the food and we supplied all the work. She's 85 so that's the least we could do. She sent me a text later that night thanking me for doing up all the dishes too, I guess she hadn't expected that.
2. I trash picked an apple from the breakroom trashcan. The top was slightly bruised, but my chickens won't mind.
3. The library director showed me pictures of some display fixtures another library had posted for free. The library is three hours away from mine. The fixtures new would cost around $9,000. I got my husband to agree to drive over with his truck and trailer and get them for my library. I get paid for the day to go with him, and we get paid mileage. Win win all around.
4. Over the weekend I sold 5 items on eBay. Nothing too big, but I enjoy the tiny streams of extra money. I of course reused packaging. I even printed the labels on the backsides of already used paper.
5. Rode my bike to work and back. While cycling I found a box cutter in excellent condition along side the road. I gifted it to my husband. It was heavy metal and made in the USA.
I have an “any fruit coffee cake” in the oven right now. I’m using the last of the sour cherries. I use the recipe from the BHG cookbook, and I’m embellishing with sliced almonds.
You’re lucky to have found berries that aren’t too seedy. I have an endless supply of tasty berries here, but the seeds are huge!
I can’t see or smell smoke from the fires, but my eyes are burning and watering anyway! I guess I’m very sensitive to smoke. I sure hope everything calms down!
I picked blueberries, strawberries and cucumbers. I have enough cucs to make 4 quarts of dill pickles. I will pick beans, kohl rabi and a cabbage for dinner.
Soaked a load of dirty farmer work clothes, washed and hung on the line.
Changed the oil in my lawn mower, gave it a good scrub.
Filled in the claw marks on my back door left by my brothers dog, let it sit for a few hours, sanded and primed. I will paint it tomorrow.
Washed the windows on the road facing side of the house.
Set roomba to vacuum while I worked outside. I steam cleaned the floors when I got in from chores.
Going to attempt a knee blow out mend job on my favorite jeans.