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I worked the last couple of days and brought my own food both days even though there was nothing that exciting in the refrigerator. Black beans with carmelized onions and hot sauce paired with tortillas make a delicious lunch that stays well within budget while keeping me stoked during my 12-1/2 hour hospital shifts. Add in a couple pieces of fruit, some hard boiled eggs and too much coffee and I’m a happy (and sated) non-consumer.
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I was careful to cut open plastic food bags from the top so they could be reused for dog poop. Although I don’t have a dog, (see the aforementioned 12-1/2 hour shifts) my friend Lise does, and she’s always happy to give my plastic bags a second life.
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I took advantage of yesterday’s unseasonably warm weather to pull out my second-hand Bissell rug shampooer and freshen up my garbage picked porch rug. Not only was it grubby, but it featured a mysterious stain that may or may not have come from a neighborhood cat. I’d been eagerly waiting for the convergence of warm weather plus free time to cross this task from my to-do list. The rug now looks crisply clean again, and was the perfect outdoor activity for this indoorsy gal.
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I sold a small thrifted table through Facebook Marketplace that I’d relisted at least four times. It was a piece that I would’ve been happy to keep as it had a small footprint and was cute as a button, but in the end I’d rather have the money. I’m sure to come across something similar soon enough, and the next double tuition payment is looming large. I also happened upon a free pair of mildly mildewed chairs that should clean up quite nicely for resale. (Seriously, there’s almost nothing that I haven’t been able to rejuvenate with my rug shampooer!)
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I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.
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.”
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We’ve been given so much free food and an amazing home made cake. I blogged about it, foraged, menu plannned and now it’s all coming together.
1) I had yogurt “coming out of my ears” as my grandma would say. I had gotten a bunch of it for free through ibotta and my sister had done the same but then started the keto diet. She gave all her suddenly inedible yogurt to me but there was no way I could get through it all by the expiration date. I scooped it into ice cube trays and froze it for smoothies, which will extend its life by about 2 months.
2) Did 2 mystery shops on my lunch break last Thursday which earned me $70. I had to go into 2 really high-end purse stores and rate the customer service. I could not believe that the purses I was looking at were around $3,000. I’m sure they could tell that I had no clue what I was talking about and I did have a hard time not letting my jaw drop to the floor when discussing the price, lol.
3) Doing a shampoo/conditioner trial through one of my survey companies. They sent me 2 bottles of each!
4) Katy reminded me of another one – my husband and I purchased a ton of biodegradable poop bags when we got a puppy 1.5 years ago. The stash is now coming to an end and I have been doing everything I possibly can to avoid buying more. My sister had opened a gift that had those bags of air in it and I asked if I could keep them, cut off the top, and have been using those. My husband recently joked that I have turned into a bag hoarder, but why buy more bags when people throw out plenty?!
5) Frugal Fails:
– my husband and I have a strict rule: we will NEVER pay cover to get into a bar. We feel as though since we will be buying drinks the bar will make enough $ off of us through that and there’s no reason to pay just to BE somewhere. However it was my sister’s bday on Saturday and she guilted us into paying $5 each to get into a bar, although it was fun.
– made a big batch of chicken lemon rice soup in my Instant Pot. I had converted the recipe from a Crock Pot recipe but it turned out terribly. What a waste of all the ingredients!
Colleen, that is a terrific idea, to cut the top off of those plastic air-filled bags and reuse them! I’m borrowing your idea! Our county in the Bay Area has pretty much banned plastic bags, so I really miss having a stock of them to reuse, although I completely support the ban.
I don’t go out much anymore, but as a musician who used to gig almost every week, the cover charge goes to pay the band. So if you’re going to bars with live music, that’s how you’re paying to hear the band. If the bars don’t have live music, I have no idea why they’d have a cover charge.
Karen – I wish they would ban plastic bags around me!
Cathy – I should have specified. We will gladly pay cover if there is a band or a comedy show or something of the sort. In this case, it was just a DJ playing music. They are able to charge a cover because this is “the place to be” on a Saturday night in the town that I was in.
Karen, we have two large dogs and to clean up the yard or when out walking I use my bread bags as well as hamburger/hotdog bags etc., for cleaning up after our fur babies.
We use the bags the newspaper comes in for dog poop. I tie off the open end and then cut the bag in half. Each half bag is big enough to hold that which the two generate each morning. There’s a woman in the hood who’s very insistent that one should buy the flushable bags, but I can’t see buying something to throw things away.
Those so-called flushable products (wipes, bags) aren’t. They block up sewer systems and are a bane on the environment. Same with so-called biodegradable plastic bags. They just break down to micro plastic and are worse for the environment because they can’t be filtered out.
Don’t forget tampons..I didn’t believe that tampons were such a culprit until I witnessed the clog of my neighbors septic tank who has 3 teenage girls. Tampons were rolling like hundreds of little miniature cotton buoys. I guess they do biodegrad after awhile, just not sure it’s fast enough.
1. I’m traveling for work again. As is my usual habit, I’ll be working to save at least half of my per diem.
2. We picked our first pumpkin yesterday. It was perfect.
3. We roasted a piece of pork purchased on sale. It was dinner last night and will also be banh mi rolls tonight for the family while I’m away.
4. We made brinjal pickle with homegrown eggplant. I gave a jar to my sister.
5. We spent yesterday mostly in the garden prepping for autumn planting and saving seeds for next summer. Seed saving is very frugal.
I had to google “brinjal pickle”, and now must try it. I’m always looking for a new way to preserve eggplant. Do you know how long a jar will last (refrigerated?). Also, can you use any variety of eggplant?
FFT, “Love Among the Ruins” Edition:
(1) DH and I went for his evaluation at the local medical school’s geriatrics clinic last Tuesday–and my fears for him were confirmed: He does have early-stage dementia. But the staffers at the clinic were all wonderful, and I came away with a boatload of suggestions for getting DH to various local memory care programs and other activities (most of which I had no idea existed).
(2) We went to the senior complex just down the hill from us on Friday afternoon to check out the drop-in part of one of these memory care activities. Not only did we fit in without awkwardness and have a very good time, but I regard the fees for the formal programs as a bargain. I’ll be taking DH for a pre-screening for the formal programs tomorrow. Wish us luck.
(3) I’m starting to talk with my employers (at the small NYC publishing company for which I telecommute) about cutting my work time back to 25 hours/week so that I can devote more time to DH’s care. (This is the minimum I can work and still keep my benefits.) I regard having absolutely wonderful employers as another bargain.
(4) Our friends and neighbors have our backs. The responses to the emails I’ve been sending out about DH have been heartwarming. I count this as yet another bargain, since I’m going to need all the help I can get over the long haul.
(5) Finally, Saturday was the 40th anniversary of DH’s and my first and only date. (We celebrate this one in preference to the anniversary of legal wedlock, 1.5 years later.) I made a pork roast with part of our 1/2 pig, plus Slovak-style dumplings (DH is of Slovak extraction), and we celebrated with a maximum of gratitude and a minimum of sadness.
A. Marie, thank the gods you have such an intelligent, together attitude about helping your husband through this. You have my admiration and best wishes. Our family struggled right along with a relative’s dementia, and one’s attitude makes all the difference. We had to remember to keep recognizing the person as a still beloved person and not her/his condition. We also got a lot of value out of memory groups.
A. Marie, I am so sorry to hear that your fears have been confirmed. I wish I had something helpful to offer, but if you believe in prayer know I have added you to my prayer list.
A.Marie, sending good thoughts your way. I’m glad you have a support system during this difficult time.
I am in awe of your proactive efforts to plan for the future. I’m so glad to hear you have resources for the care he will need. I don’t have anything really to add that hasn’t been said already but your attitude is admirable. This is the tough part, please find time to carve out of your schedule for yourself. Easier said than done, I know. Caregivers often decline in their own health during these tough times. I will be thinking of you often.
I have to agree with that sentiment. I have not been taking care of myself (carer of a young adult with disability). I’m paying the price now. Take time out, take help that is offered, listen to your body and mind when you are finding it too much. There’s no Oscar for ‘Most Independent Carer.’
Mande, I think about your situation often. I know someone who has two children with autism. They are 5 and 9. I drove by her house treat or treating for Halloween. They had the only house in her neighborhood with the porch lights off. Her kids can’t handle the stimuli of the frequent company and the doorbell ringing constantly. I saw one of her kids beating on the window from the road. I wanted to go offer help but knew I would make it worse because the kids don’t know me. Simple things like this, can turn a calm night into a hellish experience for the whole family. The mother seems like a saint, and I hope she is ok, but I suspect she is exhausted. I hope you have plenty of support. Being a mom is tough on a good day.. hugs your way!
Thank you.
Trust me, she’s not a saint and neither am I. We are all just trying to be good parents like everyone else. I fail fairly often but I keep trying!
Praying for you!
Sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis. Is he a veteran? Does your town have hospice (they’re not just for end of life, but also help greatly with other things). Also, dementia and alzheimers patients see black rugs as ‘holes’ and think if the step on them, they’ll fall. If there is door you don’t want him to open, get a small black throw rug and put in front. My cousin realized this with my aunt and once they did that, she stopped leaving the house during the night. My mother also stops to look before stepping on a dark rug and will sometimes test it.
My thoughts are with you.
When my Dad was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, I went to a class at my local library to learn all I could about it. The most important thing I took away from it was that the dementia patient’s intelligence and emotions remain intact. This was invaluable to me in caring for him. I always listened to him with respect and involved him in conversations. Also gave him lots of compliments since his emotions were still there, too.
Hugs to you and your DH, A. Marie. And I’m guessing there’s a pretty good story behind that “first and only date.” Hope you’ll share it with us someday.
A. Marie – Congrats on your anniversary!
Regarding your husband’s diagnosis, I wanted to mention a book I’m currently reading about treatment/therapy for cognitive decline, that was recommended to me by a friend whose mother has dementia. It’s called “The End of Alzheimer’s” by Dr. Dale Bredesen. I’m about halfway through it so far, but am finding it very informative and I hope, useful. My husband has a family history of Alzheimer’s, so I worry a little about the future and try to stay informed about current research. Anyway, on the off chance that the book might have any information helpful to you, I thought it was worth telling you about. Good luck with everything, and as others have also mentioned, be sure to take care of yourself too!
A. Marie, I’m sorry for your beloved husband’s diagnosis. You two are in my thoughts. It’s encouraging to hear of the resources and support available to you both.
In that vein, you might look into solid, research-based nutritional therapies that can help improve or delay deterioration. May I point you to a wonderful evidence-based site, where all the current content is free, and they’re not pimping vitamins, supplements, snake oil, etc.? Please check out nutrition facts.org. You can search by condition and read and watch the blog posts and short videos.
Wishing you both the very best possible outcome.
Thanks to each and every one of you for the kind thoughts, support, and suggestions. You are the best!!
As Mand says of herself, I’m no saint (although she and a neighbor of mine who has an adult son with severe autism are two of my personal heroes). I have my impatient and despondent moments. And I’m well aware that DH and I are only just starting down this road. Still, I haven’t done a complete freak-out yet, and I’m hoping not to.
Also, a promising update on my #2 above: The screening and interview this afternoon went very well (the more I see of the folks at this senior complex, the better I like them), and DH will be trying out both of the programs this coming week to see how he feels about them. He’s more dubious about the arts-based one than about the “brain power” one–but the program directors and I did our best to reassure him that he wouldn’t have to wear a tutu or paint like Picasso or anything. (Humor is one of the things I’m counting on to get us through this passage.)
I read a really interesting Wall Street Journal essay in November that was adapted from the book “Spectrum of Hope: An Optimistic and New Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias.” The author is Gayatri Devi, the director of Park Avenue Neurology in New York. It really caught my interest because of her statements (shortened here) “Many people have the idea that Alzheimer’s is a one-way street to inexorable decline…But the reality of the disease is very different…I see Alzheimer’s not as a single disease but as a spectrum disorder with a wide range of symptoms, responses to treatment, and prognoses…Some patients do, in fact, improve with treatment, and many patients stay stable.” I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ve put it on my list (my mother-in-law has dementia, so this type of information is becoming more and more important to me).
Virtual hugs. I can definitely feel the love for your DH in your post. <3
Sorry to hear of the dementia diagnosis. Glad you’re getting help early on!
Marie please check out the book Alzheimers what if there was a cure by Dr. Mary Newport a neonatologist. It’s an interesting read! As the grandaughter of an Alzheimwrs grandmother and a caregiver to memory care patients I wish you the best of outcomes.
((BIG HUG))) A. Marie – caregiving is a hard and rewarding thing to do.
1. Got a good deal on chicken. 10 pounds for $1.94! It was bone in chicken quarters, not my favorite cuts, but for that price I will make it work.
2. Put said chicken in crockpot today. Think I will add eggs noodles to it and have a savory chicken noodle soup. Might save a bit for chicken salad sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.
3. Kids are out of school for spring break this week so that automatically saves us gas money. The school handed out free skate passes for the local skate place and since we own our own skates, it will be free fun.
4. I’m picking up my free Friday download of tortilla chips at Kroger. Not sure what I’m gonna do with these yet but I’m sure I will think of something.
5. I don’t have a number 5, but I haven’t had to reload yet so I am a happy commenter!
Jennifer – 1+4 = Chicken Nachos in our house. Yum.
Chicken nachos?
For sure! We love chicken nachos, I have plenty to do that another day.
1. Went downstate for our grandson’s birthday. Checked Gas Buddy before we left (each way) to find the cheapest gasoline options: a station about 50 miles from here that had a much lower price than the stations in our town (plus I had a $1 off coupon) for the way down, and Costco down there for the way back (32 cents per gallon cheaper than up here).
2. Bought grandson’s birthday gift at a locally owned toy and hobby shop up here – I try to shop local whenever possible. The wooded pirate ship kit was like nothing he’d seen before and he promised to send a picture when he’s done building it. His excitement was priceless.
3. Brought all our breakfast/lunch foods for the trip down and the trip home, and before leaving I put a frozen meatloaf in the fridge to thaw so we’d have the supper meal waiting when we got back – just had to make a quick salad and vegetable to go with.
4. Besides that, we’ve pretty much been staying home (super frugal!) and working on the shower repairs.
5. Picked up the freebies (Cliff bar and chocolate egg) when we did our very minimal grocery shopping.
1. My husband and I are just getting over being sick. It made for a quiet weekend. We only ventured out for a walk on Saturday. Yesterday we toured a historic site with friends (no admission fee).
2. I too have an over abundance of yogurt. There must be yogurt wars going on. I’ve had numerous Chobani coupons and the grocery store freebie is often yogurt. I have not paid for any in months.
3. A couple months ago we switch the state we get our E-ZPass transponders from. We had $40+ on our NJ account. It has yet to be refunded. I sent a message to them this morning. Calling last month accomplished nothing so this time I tried a different approach. Of course I am nice and polite, while demanding attention. I also asked for the $1 monthly fee we have been charged long after this should have been taken care of.
4. I downloaded an audio book to my phone, courtesy of the public library. That way I can listen in the car and at home. The library never ceases to please.
5. A yoga teacher friend gave me Ayurvedic advice on staying healthier and fighting coughs. She recommended oil pulling and also making sure my skin is not dry. Low risk actions worth trying.
If the yogurt is plain yogurt, you can make yogurt cheese. Simply strain it in a colander lined with a (not terry) dish towel. You can use the strained liquid, if you want. The resulting yogurt cheese is good with crackers, or pita and zatar (middle eastern spice blend).
1. Another poop bag hoarder here. If it is plastic, big enough to pull over my hand, and has no holes, it is saved for picking up after the dogs. We recently found locally produced dog food in 70 pound woven plastic bags. Not only does the food cost half the price, the bags are sturdy and fit our tall garbage cans!
2. Wrote a polite letter of complaint about a food product and the company sent me a coupon for a replacement.
3. Did a mystery shop that was a pain, requiring lots of photos, but it brought in $50. We use our mystery shops as our pin money. No shops in a month means next month we will be doing without any extras. Works for us.
4. Had half a gallon of milk that my husband was convinced was about to turn, although I could not taste anything. That is a lot of milk and our freezer had no room for freezing so we had pancakes and I made hamburger gravy. My husband loves it but it is not the healthiest so I only make it about twice a winter (not a summer food, too heavy!). Ate pancakes for brunch and hamburger gravy for dinner on Saturday and Sunday but the milk was used up instead of wasted so worth it.
5. Had to bring something to a gathering. We had cream in the fridge so I made British style scones and homemade clotted cream. Added two jars of jams I canned last summer from my garden’s berries. It was a big hit and I used things I already had.
Lindsey, your #5 sounds wonderful. I bet it would be a big hit wherever you took it! Teddie
can you please share the directions for homemade clotted cream?
I followed the recipe from this blog. THe hard thing is to find cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized. https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/how-to-make-clotted-cream
Glad to be getting back on the frugal bandwagon after months f being ill. I have had many frugal challenges such as higher than usual medical bills, utility bills ( due to being at home so much and having the heat up higher than usual – I just couldn’t take cold) plus some food waste due to lack of appetite and energy.
My five frugal things.
1. We were fed at work and I was able to take home enough left overs for tow more meals.
2. Been saving on gas because I have only been driving back and forth to work.
3. Stocked up on library books to get myself through.
4. Friends also brought me movies so I had some entertainment.
5. I lost a good deal of weight but did not buy any new clothes. I know I will put some of the weight back on., Although hopefully not all of it!
I am glad to hear you are feeling better. You were missed.
Thanks Bee.
I try my best to keep the heat down but it makes my achy joints hurt so bad. We all have are things we bend on and this is one for me.
Welcome back! Glad to hear you’re feeling better.
Oops typos! I was typing as quickly as I could so I could post before I got booted.
Awesome chairs and rug (and I adore your front porch…it makes me swoon because there is nothing better than a lovely front porch)…
1. I made meals entirely from my freezer, fridge, and pantry….meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peas, bbq baked beans…and I shared with my son…he was highly pleased!
2. I went to a local thrift store and purchased two summer skirt suits, in excellent shape, at $2 a piece!
3. I read a book from one of the free library postboxes, that is in the local laundry mat.
4. I took a nap…that was the best thing of all…lol. I am getting old when I love naps…shrugs.
Uh….I forgot #5. which was I cleaned my house and beat my rugs with a broom…like my granny used to do…lol
Cindy, I have an old fashioned rug beater (thick wire, red wooden handle). I’m not sure who gave it to me, but it’s great for beating the area rugs. I take the rugs outside, drape them over the deck rails and beat away. Works better than the vacuum cleaner, especially on the small rugs (which the vacuum tries to suck into itself). Clean rugs, good exercise, and a great way to get my frustrations out. Triple win!
Awesome!
I love hearing about rug beating, brings back memories, thanks ladies.
I’ve had a couple lunches lately of oatmeal with banana because I had a couple that were going to go bad otherwise. Cheap, healthy meal and no food waste!
The dog poop bag idea is genius. Love the reuse even though it doesn’t help you any.
My frugal advice for today is, don’t stack your washer and dryer. Technicians won’t service stacked units and delivery men won’t move them, unless you buy both a new washer and new dryer. Had an expensive week hiring three different companies to unstack, move, and install new washer and old dryer. Units are now side by side in the basement rather than stacked in the pantry, in the future we can replace the washer or dryer as needed without the expense or drama. No need to match them.
This is why I just have a very basic washer and dryer. I pray that they run forever. No high efficiency, no front load, and no bells and whistles. Thanks for posting this because I never even considered this problem.
Help? Am I dreaming or did Katy post something about how to season old cast iron pans sometimes in the past few months? I can’t find it, I need it, and maybe I imagined it… Does anyone have a link?
I remember a discussion about seasoning, but I think it was in comments. If you have a self-cleaning oven, stick the pan in when you run the cycle. If you have a fireplace, stick the cast iron in there.
If you have neither (I have neither) I’d try sticking it on the barbecue, on hot, or right after you start the coals.
When everything has burned off, season it with oil, and let it soak in before you wipe off the excess.
Please, correct me if I remember incorrectly!
Thank you!
I also reuse plastic bag for doggie poop. Although I always request paper or bring my own bags, I still have too much plastic. Most grocery stores in Florida ignore consumer requests to not bag in plastic especially Publix. You can not escape without at least one plastic bag. Sigh…..
1) It is that time again… I have been making an effort to use up all the odds and ends in my refrigerator and freezer. Tonight I will use a 1/2,cup of Lima beans, a couple of carrots, a few green beans, 2 cups of chicken broth, and leftover turkey to make a turkey pot pie. Yesterday I used a chicken carcass to make broth and chicken and rice soup. Tomorrow night I will be using up some frozen pasta sauce. Food prep the rest of the week will continue this way….
2) I sold two items on eBay this weekend. I was out of small boxes, so I had to get creative with my packaging. No extra money was spent.
3) My daughter has been here for two weeks. Although she was here primarily to care for me after my illness, she also helped me to clean out my closet. It was nice to have a helping hand and another point of view. We made a short list of things that I needed to round out my wardrobe. But best of all, she donated the items that I didn’t want to my favorite thrift store.
4) I am catching up on my paperwork and paying bills. As always, I am using my bank’s Bill-Pay, so no postage costs. I am also really under budget for the month.
5) A friend sent me this month’s selection for our book club so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. So kind!
I’ve been blogging my frugal accomplishments every day over at my blog, but here are some of the highlights:
1. We used a bonus check and another unexpected check to pay an extra $3,000 toward our mortgage principle. I did some research and if we continue making extra payments that we have been since the beginning of this year, we will pay off our mortgage in 3 years and 2 months.
2. I used the rest of the money from the above mentioned checks and bought insulation for our attic and an Energy Star rated electric clothes dryer. The stars aligned for us and I was able to use a 10% off coupon on both of these items. I’m sooooo looking forward to the lower electric bills.
3. I pulled up a bunch of paving stones from our postage stamp yard, adding about 20 square feet of gardening space that will be used to grow vegetables. I gave the paving stones away on our buy nothing group.
4. I have been wanting to some beautiful but flowers to put in a vase on my dining table, but have been loathe to purchase them. I cut a bouquet of camellia flowers off a tree in front of our condo. The tree has thousands of flowers on it, so the ones I cut will not be missed.
5. I’m picking up a 40-pound case of chicken breasts from Zaycon Fresh on Thursday. They were on sale for 99 cents a pound, so they were a great deal for me. I’ve been clearing out our freezers to make room for the chicken and I’ve been crowd sourcing ideas for what to make with the chicken. I wrote a whole blog post about it, if anyone has ideas, let me know!
Chicken breasts in the crock pot with one can cream chicken soup for every 2 breasts. Cook on loiw for 8 hours. Shred or cut the chicken and serve over biscuits. Easy Chicken pot pie!
This was one of my son’s favorite dinners when he was growing up except we put it over rice. Our family name for this concoction was chicken glop. There was seldom any leftover.
I remember reading on a blog that cooked chicken can be “shredded” using a stand mixer. It can then be frozen in portions, and used for tacos or whatever chicken is used for. It’s easier on the hands that way, but I’m vegetarian so I haven’t tried it!
Yes, the stand mixer works well for this. Love to do it this way.
Oh, and it can be done with a hand held mixer too. That’s what I have. I love the nice looking kitchenaid stand mixer but I don’t have the counter space. I bought a Breville juicer some years ago. It takes up so much space. I paid so much for it that i just can’t part with it.
1. Hanging my laundry outside between snowstorms.
2. Haven’t turned my heat above 65 degrees in spite of bitter cold winds with last two snowstorms. Wearing thermals under our clothes and sweatshirts around the house allows us to do this. 60 degrees at bedtime.
3. Had another couple over for dinner the other night. The idea of takeout pizza was thrown around between DH and I earlier in the week, but decided on a crock pot full of home made Boston Baked Beans and another crock pot full of pulled barbecue chicken to be served on store brand rolls. They brought a cake for dessert. We splurged on beer and wine. Nice part was I didn’t have to cook while entertaining them.
4. Went to the grocery store and spent $21 on staples (and 2 bags of store brand potato chips, 1 used for entertaining…see #3). At that point I hadn’t grocery shopped for 2 weeks. Eating down the freezer and pantry.
5. Using points, got a full tank of gas at the cheap-o gas station near our church for 42.25 a gallon. Average price is $2.59 around here.
$2.25 a gallon! LOL
1. We had been getting Domino’s once a week for our movie night treat (cheaper than taking the kids out to eat, actually), but after getting orders screwed up twice in a row, DH said we should just get frozen pizzas and be done with it. So after gym time on Saturday, we took the kids to the store and they got to pick out what they wanted–i got grocery store sushi, which i like better than pizza–and everyone agreed it was great. We paid less than we would have for Dominos, because we also grabbed some fun dessert stuff for Sunday.
2. Sunday I made beef stew in the crockpot and the family’s favorite bread–it only has water, salt and flour and yeast and it’s not sourdough, but they love it. Takes me about 20 minutes to make and bakes in 40 minutes. We had the second loaf with dinner tonight when I realized i was out of instant mashed potatoes to go with the chicken. I need to remember my family would rather have bread and butter for a side dish than mashed potatoes.
3. After reading about dog poop bags, I realized how much we save by not having a dog.
4. Went to the library and picked up new releases to enjoy this week. I pink purple fuzzy heart the library.
5. My husband works for the military and that gives us access to the fitness center on the military base; we’ve been going there three times a week and getting great workouts in with the kids, and it’s free!
Recipe for bread please?
Yes, recipe please! Nothing like homemade bread…and the easier and faster, the better.
It’s a super easy recipe that I learned when I was making communion bread for our church. As long as it’s not blessed I figure we can eat it for dinner!
I shape it into round loaves and flatten them a bit with my wooden bread seal, but you could probably make it into baguettes or just round loaves, flattened.
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 envelope instant-rise yeast
2 tsp salt
6-7 cups flour (I use white flour)
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then add salt and the flour ((I start with four cups, stirring with a wooden spoon), until the dough forms a ball and starts to “clean” the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour sparingly as needed so it doens’t stick to your hands. When the dough is smooth and you can poke it with your finger and leave a hole–it’s ready to be shaped.
I divide it in half, shape into two balls and place each in a 8 inch cake pan, lined with parchment paper. I use a pan to flatten each ball, then set to rise for 15 minutes. I use my prosfora seal to press a design into the top, then prick five times with a toothpick–making sure the toothpick goes through to the pan bottom–after it’s risen.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake about 40 minutes, brushing lightly with water in the last 10 minutes to help it brown. You could brush it with butter after baking, too.
This isn’t a sandwich shaped bread–we slice it and have it with butter and honey. It’s very soft, dense, but gosh, the family loves it.
1. Used up a pork roast in freezer from holidays whcih we did not cook.. to host my church’s Social Supper on Saturday.Fed 9 people! They all bring side dishes.Incredible conversation and fun right here at home. The roast was purchased at a big sale too. .frugal date night!
2. Walked 2 houses down to join 3 friends for Hand and Foot cards . Brought a Mexican casserole,using up freezer items (see #1) , a half pound of ground chuck and some old corn tortillas made for a great lunch.
3. Keeping our travels local lately.We’re retired and have time, and not feeling like spending.. am just not in the mood to go far..at least not yet.. maybe when 110 degrees hits in Summer it will be a different story (although I am ok with heat it bugs my husband..)
4. Today my clothing consists of a thrifted blouse and a pair of Zenergy yoga pants I got at consignment store for $5 each ( a couple of years ago!)
5. Signed up today for Medicare advantage plan vs. regular Medicare, and am receiving many more benefits — including a free health club membership! Water aerobics here I come! Also made a friend of my insurance agent.We spent an hour talking about life, woman-stories, kids, cycles of life, etc.. I do believe some of my elder wisdom helped her navigate a tough week she is having.And I enjoyed her company!
I did not and will never buy a gold toilet or even a gold necklace!
I LOVE playing hand and foot!!! I used to play with my sister and her family whenever I visited. Oh how I miss her.
Never heard of it. How do you play hand and foot?
4 decks of cards are needed. Each person gets 2 piles of cards (a hand and foot) and chooses which one to use first.
Direction link below.
http://www.gocampingamerica.com/blog/how-play-card-game-hand-and-foot
actually, i think my sister had 8 decks of cards….maybe it’s because so many of us played at once. the great thing about this game is that you can be just about any age to play.
– Used $13 Kohl’s anniversary gift and $20 Kohl’s cash for birthday and Christmas gifts (instead of anything for myself!)
– Have eaten all my leftovers and the last of a bunch of foods to not have food waste
– Had a free month at a new boot camp and really used it. Tomorrow is my last day there and I probably went four times a week for a month!
– Sold a few things on eBay and FB…clutter out, money in!
– Daughter needs orthodontic work also. We get $200 off for a multi patient discount and close to another $200 if we pay in full which we will to get that savings too. Kids mouths are expensive!
FFT Travel edition:
1.- spent three nights in Denver for DD’s volleyball tourney. Hotel not frugal (although could have been worse) but we brought snacks with us and assiduously avoided any incidental charges
2. Downloaded library books on my phone’s kindle app to avoid buying a book for the flights
3. Used public transit to/from airport and walked everywhere
4. Ate two meals/day at fun, inexpensive local places and avoided wildly overpriced fare at convention center (home of tourney) completely
5. Older Daughter drove us to and will pick us up from airport saving parking or taxi/rideshare charges
1. A friend and I are going to take advantage of a new “free” health club opportunity offered through our insurance HMO. We have decided to swim together to keep self disciplined.
2. Cleaned out a drawer and found extra items that I now don’t need to replace including extra straws and napkins garnered from various fast food visits.
3. We are skipping a luncheon meeting tomorrow which will save us a few $$.
4. Went to bargain grocery store – scored 99c strawberries and other good deals.
5. Birthday month seems to be March! Baked a cake for a friend’s special day and found a sale book about Chicago where she grew up. Card from my stash featured Colonial Williamsburg where she hopes to vacation this year.
5. What a thoughtful gift and card!
These are actually frugal fails, cleverly disguised at frugal wins:
1) Found some local young men – friends of my kids who have moved out – who were delighted to be paid a shocking amount of money plus ground beef from the freezer I’m cleaning out to move a ton – probably more than a literal ton – of furniture and boxes to a storage unit, around in the house for staging, and onto the front yard for Buy Nothing Group pickup.
2) Unloaded a whole lot of stuff in the Buy Nothing Group. In spite of my initial reservations, every single person was delightful. Note to self: awkward or abrupt fb messages do not the measure of the person describe. Have unfortunately not yet found a charity that will come load up the items people asked for but did not pick up, but surely the flea market look is a fashionable choice for a yard.
3) Had a contractor specializing in my style of home and a realtor both walk through the sparkling clean house today. (Pay no attention to the SHOCKINGLY large amount of cash I handed over to a cleaning service to get the house from “moving dusty furniture around in every room” to “sparkling clean.” It would have taken me a month, at least, to do the same amount of work.)
4) Found a coupon code online to bring the price of the pet-sitter down by $20. It’s still about twice what I would have paid a neighborhood kid if I could have found one available, but alas they all grow up and get real jobs or move away.
5) Hallelujah, there seems to be no need to outfit the house with gold-plated toilets in order to put it on the market. Though they’d probably be cheaper than the things we will likely have to buy or fix.
I know that you are glad that this huge project is coming to an end. Preparing a house to be sold is not easy and is extremely stressful. Congratulations!
1. PBS has been running their spring special shows and money drive. A lot of the shows are about healthy eating and beans are always featured so it got me wondering what are the cheapest healthy foods and where to buy them. I noticed Aldi and Dollar Tree have pinto beans for 50 cents a pound, black beans and great northern beans are $1 a pound. Brown rice is 50 cents a pound at both places. Large eggs are around 60 cents a dozen at Aldi. Carrots, onions, and bananas are inexpensive too and health. I really like popping my own popcorn and it’s cheap, not sure if it’s healthy though. I’m trying to figure out more things that are healthy and cheap.
Sweet potatoes are generally inexpensive and filling.
Whole white potatoes are also wholesome and filling. Make sure you eat the jackets! (It’s the deep fat frying that will get you every time!)
I was reading some charts online about the most nutrient dense foods, one was calculated per pound of that food and one was calculated per calorie. Since I’m intersted in cost per pound I stuck with that one. It showed most greens packed the biggest nutrient bang per buck so I guess I would just look for the best deals I could find on fresh or frozen. The only canned food I might want to include might be tomato products and fish. Sweet potatoes rated pretty high on cost per pound nutrient density and white potatoes scored about three times the cost for nutrients even though white potatoes are usually much cheaper than sweet potatoes per pound. It’s all pretty interesting.
Thank you for the price quotes from Dollar Tree and Aldi’s. I never thought to shop for dried beans at the Dollar Tree. I will now. I don’t have an Aldi’s near me unfortunately.
I didn’t know either but Katy is always buying them at Dollar Tree!
Such price differences between the Us and Australia on some things! I bought a kilogram (just over two pounds) of black beans for $4.99 the other day and thought that was a good deal. Would love to know if the other Australian readers can get beans cheaper and where?
The black beans in the US are turtle beans, is that the kind you buy? Or do you buy black gram beans from Mayanmar? The type of bean and where it’s grown could be the reason for the price difference.
Mand,
I’m in Sydney so I’m guessing my beans would be even more expensive than yours!!
Melissa
Tia, if you have a Kroger near buy go check out their bulk bins. The prices widely vary. I get quinoa there because it’s much cheaper than what they sell on the shelf. I have noticed various beans, seeds, and grains that are shockingly lower in price than the shelf.
I loooove the idea of reusing plastic bags for pet waste. Right now I use paper sacks to do the litter box so they’ll degrade at the landfill, but I think that’s also a good way to give single-use plastic at least one more use. It’s becoming harder to find plastic bag recycling places, and I even try to limit plastic when possible!
This week:
1. I’m recovering from surgery. I’m thankful that I work in the education sector and have this week off without having to use my paid time off or taking unpaid days. And that means more money in my pockets. 🙂
2. I’m staying entertained while housebound with free movies I rented from the library. I checked out the entire LOTR trilogy and need to get to movin’ on that one.
3. We blew through our takeout budget for the month last weekend. I had surgery on Friday and was unable to cook or do anything for a few days. Hubby was overwhelmed (he’s not the chef of the house), so we opted for takeout. It’s not perfectly frugal, but we did manage to cut the cost with coupons that I saved for just this occasion.
4. I took advantage of free ice packs the hospital sent me home with, instead of defrosting/freezing a bag of peas as a makeshift ice pack.
5. We successfully got our grocery bill under $50 last week, so fingers crossed that we can be on budget! I hate that March is a longer month, which means we have to stretch the money a little further than usual.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Walmart recycles plastic bags. Don’t know where you live but in the Northeast, Market Basket recycles plastic bags.
Get well soon!
1. A few more of my ebay items have sold. These sales have been small and I’ve made a few mistakes with shipping costs. However the extra money in my pocket is more than the amount if I would have NOT listed the items. It also gives me hope that I’ll figure Ebay out soon and start to profit a bit more.
2. Decided to visit the Goodwill Outlet over the weekend to stock up on some items for Ebay. I have a nice inventory to sell now and in turn, make some extra money for our family.
3. Over the weekend, we stopped at Chick Fil A for a milkshake treat. We were disappointed that they did not taste as they normally do. I sent a message to their Facebook page and the owner graciously took my feedback and will be sending out a few coupons in the future.
4. I traveled a bit for work last week and the vendor who was sponsoring the event picked up the tab for an open bar and dinner after. My colleague and I both have small children, so we saw this as our “spring break” and decided to celebrate a bit more than we normally would!
5. Yesterday at work, we held our largest event of the year and lunch was included. We also were able to bring leftover cookies home!
1. Found great deals on peanut butter and cheese at Kroger
2. Found water bottles at the thrift store for $1
3. Added two new hardbacks to my gift stash that I found at a used book sale
4. Received $15 for simply using my credit card last month(I pay it off each month)
5. Found out that my perennials made it thru winter so I will not have to replace them
1. Today I wore my Freecycle green shoes that I painted black with a permanent marker to work.They are not only comfy but look really good too.
2. I brought my own lunch, a freezer burrito; delicious and filling
3. I drank water from the water cooler and made my own tea with bags I buy at the supermarket, instead of buying the expensive coffee at the boutique style cafe downstairs
4. I cooked a fast and frugal dinner for the fam
5. I did some extra optional work in my lunch hour instead of going to the mall with my colleagues. Not only was I not tempted by anything at the mall, but I actually made some money.
1) I decided to eat lunch out yesterday, but my co-worker bought my lunch – I think he was happy for the company. Win-win!
2) I stopped to get creamer this morning and bought 3 frozen entrees so I can eat lunch in, here at work.
3) I cooked a package of polish sausages and hubby has been happily eating those with hot dog fixins for dinner each night.
4) The box of trail mix bars I bought for a few dollars at Big Lots last week has come in handy for an afternoon snack.
5) I continue to take care of my slacks and thrifted tops. I love my frugal wardrobe!
Fast Five:
1. Bought no new season’s clothes.
2. No packaged or takeaway foods.
3. Washing dried in sun.
4. Dried windfall apples.
5. Making a quilt from thrifted fabrics.
I have to admit I am kind of jealous of your unseasonably warm weather. It has been unseasonably cold here. I am really ready for KY spring to begin.
1. I had four eggplants to use before the expired and so I cut them up and roasted them. I will freeze them for later use.
2. Made rice for meals this week. I plan to make rice ball like the ones from Trader Joe’s-super easy to make and delicious. I am attempting to use up non-vegan items in my house and will use the last block of cheese for there. I am also making a Cuban dish called Arroz con cilantro (rice with cilantro). I bought three bunches of cilantro for a great price from the Indian market over the weekend and made cilantro paste and froze it in an ice cube tray. I know some folks despise this herb, but I am a fan.
3. I will also make pinto or black beans in the pressure cooker tomorrow for more meal preps (I am traveling for work next week and want to save the automatic food per diem by bringing food from home. I also was able to book a hotel with a kitchenette. I always love when that happens!!)
4. I also use recycled bags for poop patrol (my dogs are worth every cent to me and more…maybe they save me the price of therapy in this insane times 😉 ). Just a note (knowing the point is to NOT spend, but Dollar Tree sells poop bag rolls although I have never used them so they may not be as high quality as our recycled bags).
5. My boyfriend and I worked on a rather large plumbing issue at my house this past weekend. I’ve mentioned previously, but I bought a $9000 historic abandoned home some years ago and have been slowly and frugally renovating/restoring it. I had major problems during the dang Polar Vortex that hit us in January. One of the laundry lines froze and the old, brittle pipe split into many pieces. It was warmer this past weekend so we are replacing many of the old lines with Pex pipe (removing the yucky PVC). I have no idea how much I am saving, but I have been ripped off by plumbers in the past and know I would be paying more than I want. On the other hand, there would probably be a whole lot less tears shed if I hired someone.
I should really start with this tag: Excuse the typos. eee
Your house sounds fabulous!
Thanks! It has it’s ups and downs (sadly, in the “why didn’t I just buy a condo” downside right now, but I do love the old Shotgun house. I used to blog about it if you are interested in the story behind it, but I am not the most disciplined blogger. However, there are photos there! I just need to update it soon. http://girlwestend.blogspot.com/
Gina: Awesome blog! I also went through post divorce hell (and job and recession hell) and ended up in a much smaller house!
Gina, I just read your blog and found it very interesting. I loved the before and after pictures of your bathroom. Inspiring! I will continue to visit Westendgirl in the future. Your style of writing is very unique. Wondering if you have ever considered writing a book…perhaps even a memoir. Just a thought.
Made a super cheap super thick soup last night. Had leftovers plus cornbread for dinner tonight.
Said no to two things I wanted but didn’t need at Costco today. Kids and I (4 of us total) split the hotdogs and drinks for lunch today and added some goldfish that we just bought in the store. Baby picked them out for his potty training reward. Ha!
Ordered a lot of 20 plate hangers on eBay. Lady came down in price to $16. Got 2 platters and 4 plates hung up from my grandmother’s china. It’s beautiful to get it unboxed finally. Listed the other 14 hangers on my local Varagesale.
Picked up a second-hand genuine Coach bag from a local gal for $20. And honestly I did need to replace one of the two purses that I have. Went to the coach store today and bought cleaner and conditioner for another $20. This bag is a beauty. My kids and I each got a free spray of perfume/cologne while we were there. Both smell great!
Printed off another $5 off any purchase coupon for Staples. Picked up some free ink pens. Printed off a 20% coupon for one item at Alta Beauty and picked up an orange concealer for my dark circles. It only came to $4. Didn’t buy anything extra although, I’d love to, especially at Alta.
Great deal on the coach bag!
Do you mind telling where you find those $5 staples coupons?
They send me a lot with my email address. It goes to a tab called “promotions.” My husband uses my email address when he orders from them for work, so I might get a few more than most customer’s do. BUT…Check your receipts, because often there are coupons attached to them too. I went in with one of m $5 coupons around back-to-school time, and picked up some free stuff, and then there was a $5 coupon for back-to-school stuff, so went back and got more and still there was another $5 on the receipt for the free stuff.
Thank you ! I’ll keep an eye out on my receipts.
1. My husband brought home a box of pastries that was left over from his work. Normally he picks up munchkins on his way home once a week, but he brought these instead.
2. I had a snow day yesterday, so I baked some brownies from a box mix that had been in the pantry for a while.
3. I also made chicken noodle soup from left over rotisserie chicken we had earlier in the week. I used up half a bag of frozen peas/carrots from the freezer, half an onion that’s been in the pantry for a while. I didn’t have any small pasta for the soup, so I broke up some angel hair into small pieces and it worked just fine.
4. I was able to stack load to card coupons and actual coupons at the grocery store and got 11 containers of yogurt, 2 boxes of hair dye, a package of baby wipes and a bag of coffee for $1.39. I then submitted my receipt on Ibotta and got $2.50 back. So I got paid $1.11 for all of it.
5. I picked up 6 organic baby food pouches for a total of $2.40. My store had $1 doubler coupons in the flyer this week, so between the coupons I already had, the doubler coupons and the store sale I got a great deal. I know the pouches aren’t the most frugal, but they’re great when we’re on the go with my son.
*Frugal fail*
Bought a package of pricey steak as a treat and completely forgot to put it in the fridge. Remembered it after more than 24 hours. Face palm.
Nice score on the groceries with the coupons! My local Kroger does not allow coupon stacking, and they never double coupons (they used to, years ago).
1. Stayed home this week using no gas, no mileage on the car, no shopping or eating out temptations.
2. Made brownies from a box; made shepherd’s pie for hubby tonight.
3. Since I was home this week, wore no makeup. Feels good.
4. Reduced number of times I do laundry. I noticed our water bill was creeping up last month.
5. Turned down the heat; spring will be here soon. I’m in the south and it really should be here by now.
I love that idea for bags, and saving them for a friend–that’s commitment.
1. I often buy the school lunch when I sub because at $3, it’s such a deal. I often refuse the drink that comes with it because I don’t often drink liquids with meals. But then I realized if I take the orange juice carton home, I’ll have to buy less orange juice. I’m sort of conflicted, though, because all those little cartons are not good for the environment, my frozen juice has less impact. What would you do?
2. Diluting dish soap and/or Bronners with water for the hand pump soap dispenser in the bathroom.
3. Taking said school lunch and stretching it into two lunches because she gives me so much food.
4. Finding abandoned pencils and pens in the classroom and bringing them home. Also keeping them in my backpack for the occasional kid who didn’t bring a pencil.
5. Paid my library fines! They were under $5, and they never make you pay it when it’s that low, but I wanted to support my library. They give me such enrichment at such a good price.
Mand,
Beans, housing, cost of living in general!!
Turtle beans. But beans on average cost about $5-$6 a kilogram around here.
I just checked, and $5 AU is about $4 US. And a kilo is about 2 pounds. So you’re paying about twice what I can get beans for, on a good day. I hope that makes you feel a little better!
Based upon the info, beans in Australia are approximately $1.76 per pound in US dollars and measures. I cannot purchase dried black beans for much less than that where I live. I am amazed at the prices in other parts of the US.
Thank you! That’s all really interesting and makes me think that actually it’s all about the same really
If housing prices are a guide then you’d have some of the most expensive beans in the world!