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I hosted an extended family dinner at the house, as a pair of third cousins were in from out of town. My mother and step father ordered pizzas, but I still shouldered the work to ready the house, do the dishes and generally manage the occasion. (Who’s ready for dessert?”) I put out appetizers and baked up a mixed fruit crumble; (free apples, free figs and store bought frozen mixed berries) that I served warm with vanilla ice cream topping. Somehow it was about as much work as if I’d actually cooked the meal. However it was a fairly frugal meal for nine people, so I’ll call it a win.
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My sister and I drove up to visit our father at his cabin on Mt. Hood for the day, but left the house early enough to fit in a trip to the Sandy, Oregon Goodwill store. I bought a small $2.99 Robert Maxwell bud vase and my sister scored a new looking Garnet Hill flannel robe for just $7.50, which was a bargain as they sell new for $100!
I did not buy this “Hello, Gorgeous” upside down pineapple mug. Although I did jokingly text a photo of it to my husband, writing that it could be a ” ‘Welcome to the neighborhood’ gift for new neighbors.”
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I picked and ate lots of red huckleberries around my father’s cabin, all the while pretending that I was a contestant on the TV show “Alone.” I kept handing berries to my father and sister, telling them that “It’s important to get enough vitamin C to survive the harsh winter months.”
They indulged my nonsense.
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• We brought leftover pizza slices up to my father’s cabin.
• My step mother gifted me a jar of homemade fig jam.
• My sister actually bought me the above Goodwill vase as a hostess gift.
• My neighbors are out of town, so I’ll be watching over their house and wheeling in their bins.
• We had a huge rain storm, so I held off on watering all my outdoor plants.
• I helped my sister gather rocks next to the cabin, as she’s a NYC earth science teacher and is always looking for varying rock samples for her classroom. -
No foraged Lear Jets.
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{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
Since pineapple are a symbol for “swinging”, that would be quite the invite to the neighborhood if you had purchased and gifted that mug;). Thanks for the laugh!!
You learn something new everyday. I won’t ask how you acquired this knowledge 😉
I found out what it meant when a friend of mine checked into a “pineapple” hotel with his children and twice in the first hour passed nude people in the hall. After complaining to the desk, they indicated the pineapple motif and acted like he should have been aware of what it meant. He got his money refunded and left after telling them that it was never mentioned on their website or when he made the booking.
I got 4 pineapple outside door mats on clearance for less then $1 each. I offered them to my kids and my daughter told me what pineapples mean. She told me I can’t put them by the front door. So I have them by the back and side door. None of the kids want them. My kids teach me things every day.
And here I thought the pineapple was only a symbol of hospitality – the non-sexual kind!
Well, MB, that’s what it used to be, but it seems the world has moved on.
And here’s a Jane Austen-related thought (hey, I can bring JA into almost anything): General Tilney (Henry Tilney’s tyrannical father in Northanger Abbey) has extensive gardens and greenhouses, including a “pinery”–a special hothouse for growing pineapples. He humble-brags that it produced “only” 100 pineapples the previous year. But what was he really DOING with those pineapples?? He may be even more sinister than we thought!
OMG I have one on my front door mat! I can’t imagine what my neighbors who are “in the know” are thinking…
This is hilarious!! I know what to gift all my unsuspecting friends and family now!!
Oh no the poor, innocent pineapple has been highjacked. I think it’s the upside down pineapple that is a symbol of “swinging”. A regular pineapple is, indeed, a symbol of hospitality, it has been since the mid 1700s when only the VERY wealthy could afford them.
Well, so much for ever again wearing my shirt with giant pineapples all over it outside the house, lest someone think I belong to the geriatric swingers club.
Traditionally a pineapple was a symbol of hospitality. That’s why they were carved on the newel post of staircases in fine homes, so that guests saw the motif upon entering the house.
Hospitality’s got a whole new meaning these days!
I’ve seen pineapple butter molds (wooden ones). Since not too many Victorians of that era here in the Midwest, I’m going with hospitality. I think I may even have one but not hospitable to wake up a been cranky better half to check right at this minutes.
My four-poster bed that’s 36 years old has upside down pineapples on the tops of all four posts…! Geeze…
Wink!
I’m glad you’re having wonderful family adventures.
1. I am just now eating an open face egg sandwich. A neighbor was going to throw out eggs that were past the carton date so I was happy to take them. I also used the last Swapple, an ill conceived GF “waffle” that was 75% off.
2. I helped a relative declutter her wardrobe and came home with a few shirts that I may keep. I also came home with a couple boxes of Yogi brand herbal teas.
3. Giant Food had coupons for $10 worth of reward points when you buy $10 worth of produce. I used one last week to get organic grapes free, after points, and one yesterday to get salad and nectarines free, after points. I have one more coupon for next week.
4. We worked together in the yard on Saturday and removed a dead rose bush and a dying butterfly bush. We planted replacement plants and used compost from our composter to enrich the soil.
5. The weather the past ten days has been delightful and such a welcome change from very hot days. I have spent as much time as possible outdoors.
Love fig jam o a charcuterie board! My parents had a huge huckleberry bush when I was growing up, and we picked A LOT of berries. Sadly, it’s no longer, but I love huckleberries & it’s not like you can buy them at the store.
1) Listed a bunch of stuff on eBay & sold three things this week, which is always nice. Speaking of upside down pineapples, one of the things I was selling was an Old Navy shirt that belonged to dS17. I always check ebay & see if the item is worth selling, or if I should donate. It was listed as a swinger shirt, because it too had upside down pineapples… My teen had refused to wear it.
2) Used a couple of coupons at the grocery store to drop the prices a bit (iBotta offer, Friday freebie, free loaf of bread with $15 spend, Ben & Jerry’s coupon, etc).
3) Bought DS17’s Christmas gifts at the local sporting good store, while they were having 50% off camping gear.
4) Bought DS18 lunch at Subway using a gift card, and they were having a BOGO offer, so I also got a free foot long sandwich, which lasted me for two lunches.
5) Did the usual menu planning, eating things from the garden, figuring how to expand meals for our ever unknown number of teen diners, packed drinks & snacks for myself when volunteering & for dS17 at a far away soccer game.
It’s nice that you and your sister are getting so much time together. Life is so short. That vase is beautiful.
1. I used a coupon and a reward to take $12 off a bag of dog food at the pet store.
2. I used $10 worth of Meijer Mperks rewards to get $1 off per gallon of gas. I filled my car up and two gas cans I use for mowing the lawn. I saved $19 if I factor in the difference between Meijer gas and cheaper Costco gas. So actually saved 86 cents per gallon. Tightwad math is the only kind I like.
3. I sent a baby gift with my brother-in-law who will be visiting family in Germany. This will save on the cost of shipping.
4. Today I’m baking a birthday cake for my sister. Tonight we’ll go to dinner where I’ll pay with discounted gift cards.
5. The usual stuff. I clean my own house. Mow my own lawn. Do my own weeding and vacuum and put chemicals in my pool. It’s a huge savings because I consider hiring some of this done every year. I’ll keep doing it as long as I’m physically able and spend that money on travelling instead.
Hello! Here is my 5FT:
1. I used $40 off my groceries in loyalty points.
2. My sister dropped off large plastic bags that are great for garbage. They are from her workplace and are available to staff. She regularly delivers so I never need to buy garbage bags.
3. Hung all laundry up to dry.
4. Made 3 birthday cards from my stash of paper craft products.
5. I am the neighbourhood re-seller and have quite a few followers on FB Marketplace. My neighbours regularly ask me to sell their stuff for 50% of whatever the profit is. I listed and sold a good number of items this week. Extra bonus of free exercise to walk and drop off “Funvelopes” of money to my lovely neighbours.
6. Attended a birthday bash for a neighbour. The event was catered and the host insisted we take enough food home to enjoy the next night for dinner.
7. Did not purchase anything except for groceries this week.
Your #5…sounds like a great side hustle you have going on there!
This week had a lot of out-to-eating going on.
1. Friend took me out to lunch for helping him navigate retiree health insurance.
2. Went to brunch with a friend and the portions were ginormous by anyone’s standards. Brought leftovers home in my own container.
3. Was having a rough day, so I took myself out to eat. Uncharacteristically, I added iced tea and a blueberry muffin to my order for a total of $30 after tip, which is a lot but it helped me reset and was cheaper than a therapist.
4. Friends came over and treated me to a yummy sandwich from a local deli. They were also cheaper than a therapist.
5. Went to a free native plants class at my library. Then picked up books and movies that were on hold.
What a fun adventure for you and your sister! Did the big T storms hit up at the mountain? I went to a fancy schmancy neighborhood garage sale event and picked up a few “upgrades”. During a T storm last month, the thunder was so intense it shattered my mudroom bath light fixture. I found one (antique) for $1.
I am a quilter and someone was de-stashing. I picked out enough fabric for $25 to make 4 queen sized quilts ($2/yd vs $14).
I found an antique pyrex bowl for .25. I bought a kevlar/waterproof dog bed for $1. Not that the pup gets to use it as the cats have claimed it as their own.
On Saturday we had severe t-storms from 9 am – 10 pm and there was another fancy schmancy garage sale in a gated community. Yep, we went. I rescued a wool granny square blanket, I ended up helping several garage sale hosts move their furniture inside. It was wild. I was soaked clear thru and I didn’t care!
One guy was so thankful he sold me a pair of insulated coveralls for $10 – they are new for $249 on sale. Yay. Picked up 1940’s embroidered tea towels for 6/$1. Listed them yesterday, sold in 2 hours and will ship off today. I also picked up a bag of misc. golf items (huge tote for $10). Will list items this week.
Friday I put my dry roof cleaning granules (enviro friendly) and was happy to see the rain on Saturday. One horrible chore complete!
Bought cheap milk ($1/gal), made yogurt, made a batch of granola, picked plums for mixed plum jam (holiday baskets).
What is a Kevlar pet bed?
I only know the material as part of very very expensive bulletproof vests.
Seems your cats are planning something?
Cats are squatters. Anything and I do mean anything is a kitty toy. Some day they likely will rule the world. I’m sure they have a paw or two in the AI business. We all know that cat pictures/videos are the sirens of the interwebs….
1. One of the reasons I read frugal posts is to spur me into action. Your postings on gleaning remind me I have yet to check the fig trees down at our ranch. I am heading down there to talk to the carpenter. I changed my clothes into grungies and will go foraging. There is a pear tree to check as well as several fig trees. Sigh! this is not my favorite thing to do but I promised myself once I retired I would get better about picking. I’ll be busy Win fall . We have 5 acres of pecans that I must convince hubby to mow and shake. I splurged for an automatic nut cracker. It is is one by one but I can sit in my garage and listen to audio books while I crack.
2. I made Greek yogurt and put it in my fab Hatrigo strainer. It was too thin, so I re-poured the whey back into the strainer for a second round of draining.
3. I bought a year long subscription of Babbel to improve my Spanish. The danger of getting the better monthly price is that I don’t use the service. Credit moi for practicing everyday. I have a very solid base since I used Spanish most days in my teaching career but my grammar is horrible. I promised myself if I do Babbel for a year, I will travel to a Spanish speaking country to immerse myself. Currently, I am speaking Spanish to our carpinter and he has been very gracious correcting me.
4. I picked up 5 salad plates of my grandma’s china, Franciscan Apple, at an antique store. As part of my food reduction plan, I eat on smaller plates. I have broken most of these and needed to replace. They were 25% off and have not one chip. Excellent.
5. I keep a donation bag in my closet. When it is full, I take it took a thrift store. minimizing stuff through thoughtfull “things” curating keeps me for buying more “stuff.”
1. I was happy when a person from our town library called and told me I won the raffle for a $50 Mobil gas gift card! It’s a Summer Reading Raffle, one raffle ticket for every book read. There is a variety of gift cards available, from gas cards to gift cards for local stores and restaurants. The gas card is particularly helpful right now as our bills are paid but we are cash poor at this point.
2. I was sick all last week so I stayed home = no money spent.
3. DH went to the grocery store for a few things we needed and only bought store brands and BOGO. He has easily adapted to the frugal lifestyle and takes joy in telling me about the deals he gets.
4. We had $4 off at CVS and while he was there picking up a prescription, he used the electronic coupon and bought me a bag of Dove chocolates because I wasn’t feeling well.
5. Our town and surrounding towns are on critical alert for Eastern Equine Encephalitis from mosquitos so I am going to the doctor today to see if this is why I’m feeling like I do. Co-pays are now up to $40 but I don’t mind this to keep up with our health.
Fingers crossed you are not infected. We’ve had this in our area in the past and it’s nothing to mess with.
Thank you Jill. Me too.
EEE, West Nile virus, Lyme disease…the summer “fun” just never stops any more. Christine, whatever you have, I do hope it’s not EEE (or any of the others, for that matter).
Thanks A. Marie. I went to the doctor today…she doesn’t think it’s EEE but she is testing me for 3 tick borne illnesses including Lyme. So just keeping my fingers crossed it’s not that but just a nasty summer virus.
1. Tomatoes are going crazy and I needed to use them up. I made a large pot of sauce and a chicken brushetta pizza. My son came for dinner when he heard what we were eating. I have enough sauce for 8 more pizzas. Dinner tonight will be leftover pizza. I used garden parsley and basil for the sauce and pizza.
2. I dehydrated more thyme, oregano, basil and parsley. I haven’t bought any from a store in years.
3. I made 3 quarts and a pint of dill pickles with cucumbers and dill from the garden.
4. Hubby power washed all of the shelving units from the basement.
5. It has been raining lots this last week. The new sump pump is doing it’s job because the basement has had no water. I haven’t watered the garden or pots because of all of the rain.
6.Paid all of the bills online. Worked on our budget for the rest of the year. We still haven’t had to touch the EF with any of the projects so we are very happy.
7. Hubby got a box with a lot of brown paper in it surrounding a smaller box. I cut it all up and put it in a storage bag to use for fried food/bacon. I refilled Nespresso pods. I made iced tea with teabags, sugar and lemon juice. My kids did their laundry here and hung it on my clothes racks because it was raining out.
I giggled at your comments to your dad and sister about the berries and vitamin C. I would so say that because ai love any excuse to forage berries and muscadines! I have been known to do foraging in my work suits if I spied blackberries growing wild in side of the road!
As usual, excuse typos… lol
1) Scored some items I had been on the lookout for when the thrift shop I volunteer at had a one day pop-up sale.
2) Have been using up random pantry and fridge stuff to avoid food waste. Tried some new recipes
3) Not frugal but mentally healthy- had a professional carpet/upholstery cleaner come to address stains that are now unavoidable as we care for an elderly relative.
4) Enjoying a friend’s CSA produce box while they are on vacation
5) Trying a finger splint to give a trigger finger tendon a rest in hopes of avoiding more heroic measures. Too much gardening and weeding perhaps?
1. Eating from the garden, adding only protein from our freezer to make a meal.
2. Before a friend from Minnesota flew up to visit, she asked me to tell her what I wanted her to bring because if I did not, she would decide on a hostess gift for me. She lives near an Ikea (we don’t have one and I have never been in one) and I know they carry these terrific bag clippy things that are wonderful at sealing open chip bags, sacks of bread, and even remain pliable if you use them for things you are putting in the freezer. So, she brought me 3 boxes of clippy things. I will use one of them as part of my sister’s Christmas gift because she is always complaining about twist ties. Asking for gifts I will use is frugal. (I was torn, as usually she brings chocolates…)
3. This friend is 20 years younger and with her help (and the help of our pick up), husband pulled two dead honeyberry bushes out of the ground. Frugal because I did not have to call someone to remove it, as it was a job the husband could do alone.
4. It is in the 40s at night and 50s during the day, so every single day I process something for winter eating. Canning, dehydrating or freezing, something is put by before I go to bed. I am done with 12 hour marathon sessions, so now it is a few hours at a time.
5. Years and years ago I bought a very large gold nugget from a local miner. I mean like 45 years ago. I brought it to a local jewelry store and the owner was positively beside himself at the size and shape of the nugget. This week the price of gold hit over $2,500 an ounce. I sold it for $4000—not just the weight but that shape made it even more valuable. I think I paid $300 for it in the heyday of small family gold mines (river sluice box mining, not the industrial mining). I thought someday I would have some fine piece of jewelry made from it, but at this point I am giving away or selling gold jewelry I have collected over the years, not acquiring new stuff. Gold nugget jewelry is a real Alaskan “thing.” I was at a play in New York City once and a stranger asked me if I was from Alaska because I was wearing a nugget bracelet and he had traveled here and was familiar with nugget jewelry.
Wow. Lindsey, what a story your #5 is!!
My mom used to wear a pendant that was basicaly a big heavy splotch of gold. My grandmother had it made by having her gold charm bracelet melted down. Somehow that just offended me–taking something pretty and having it made pointless. My mom left it to me, and i was going to have it remade into something beautiful, but story of my life, it disappeared after Mom died. Sigh. The last time I saw Mom I was about to take her jewelry off as she was in a coma but my brother said no, what if she can sense it? Fine. Now of course it’s stolen and gone forever. sigh.
Rose,
That totally SUCKS that someone stole your mom’s necklace. I have no idea if someone in a coma can sense anything being removed (such as jewelry or clothing, for example).
Regarding your No 3 (jealous of your No 5 ): I use clothes pegs to seal any food packages. Just fold them down a couple of times and stick a peg on it. Also works for the freezer. Just saying, in case you run out of Ikea clips
(There was supposed to be a smiley face after the jealous of your No 5 and after “Just saying, in case you run out of Ikea clips” but somehow after I hit submit the emojis were gone!)
Hanging onto that gold nugget definitely paid off! Like money in a high yield account or investing in the right stock. Great story.
Lindsey,
Gold nugget jewelry – I remember rings in particular – were a big thing here in my area (maybe all over the Lower 48) back in the 1980s. I briefly worked at fine jewelry counter in a department store back then (I was in college), and always thought the nugget rings were kind of ugly. I suspect an Alaskan gold nugget necklace would be quite pretty.
Cool finds, those berries look yummy! Was just thinking, what’s going to happen if you ever actually get a Lear jet? Random thoughts whilst knitting!!!
FFT, Mr. Fix-It Saves the Day (and More BFF Visit Stuff) Edition:
(1) My elderly, temperamental garage door opener (it’s sort of like me, actually) did a Code Blue on me Sunday morning, and I couldn’t resuscitate it myself despite heroic efforts. So I called DH’s and my friend who can fix almost anything (I think I’ll call him Mr. Fix-It from now on), and he outdid himself: He took the motor apart and performed open-heart surgery on it. It’s working, yet again–and bless him, yet again.
(2) Fortunately, JASNA BFF had plenty to keep her busy (she’s the chair of JASNA’s annual essay contest, among other things) and didn’t mind our being grounded for a while so that (1) could get taken care of. Having a visiting friend who doesn’t *have* to be entertained constantly is another blessing.
(3) For Sunday dinner, I made a “caramelized lemon chicken” NY Times recipe, since BFF loves lemon in all forms. It got a wee bit scorched since I forgot to tent it with foil in my distraction over (1), and it also didn’t taste quite as lemony as we were both hoping. But it was quite edible nonetheless, and it also enabled me to use up the remains of a jar of aging lemon curd.
(4) I dropped BFF off at the train station this morning. Naturally she used her Amtrak senior discount, as I do when I go to NYC to see her.
(5) And I packed a box of books (mainly purchases for her three grandchildren) to be sent to BFF via USPS Media Mail tomorrow. This is a lot better than her having to lug them on the train.
This is the most delicious lemon chicken of all time. It’s a little bit of a faff but worth it:
https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/5665/silver_palate_lemon_chicken/
Media mail is still a good deal if you’re mailing in the US. Years ago, I packed up a box of some books my kids had outgrown to send to my pen pal in Ireland whose grandson was very sick at the time. When I arrived at the Post Office counter, I was informed media mail could not be sent internationally. I had to pay the full price and that box was heavy, being full of books. Still worth it IMHO for a sick little boy.
1. I picked more produce at the house of a friend who is away for 2 weeks. Peaches, apples, strawberries, melons and sooooo many tomatoes. The dehydrator is running.
2. My husband volunteered at the local golf course and received a coupon for a free round of golf with a cart! He has a date scheduled for another volunteer shift. This will make this hobby of his free, as the clubs were either gifts or long ago paid for.
3. I have 10 Santa Barbara daisy plants that need too much water for my garden. They are looking sad at the moment, but I dug them up and put them in free pots with free compost. I’ll water them (with water caught from washing dishes) until they look better and then I will sell them.
4. I made plum jam a few weeks ago and we gave a jar to 2 of my husbands work friends. They both loved the jam, the plums were from our tree, plum jam does not require pectin, so the only cost to me was the sugar. One of these friends was also grateful for the free compost that we picked up for him in the spring, he says he’s had the best tomato crop ever.
5. I picked up free used coffee grounds at Starbucks, which will go in my garden beds along with some free compost (from the city). Everything’s looking dry and some extra water and some compost will really help.
My DH is quite sick with a very bad ear infection, so I made a big pot of homemade beef-mushroom-veggie soup for his lunch. Also cooked some ground beef for the dogs, which sounds wildly extravagant but they get 2 tbs. sprinkled on their kibble once a day. This ensures that our previously malnourished puppy eats well, as she has a marked preference for beef. Also made a loaf of gluten-free bread from a mix and used up some less than spectacular apples in a berry-apple crisp. I made cheese toast for my lunch with the heels of a loaf of bread and had the last three prunes as a side. I actually like prunes, so this was not a hardship.
1. Friends came for dinner the other night. I made tacos from pork I had in the freezer. I cooked it for 8 hours in my crockpot to avoid cooking and creating too much heat and electricity. I also made a fruit crumble from ingredients I had on hand. They brought the ice cream.
2. Turning my air conditioner off as the heat hasn’t been so oppressive.
3. Bought a bunch of loss leaders, mixed the very endsk of 2 kinds of coffee to make a cup, water from home and line drying some
things.
4. Watching episodes of “Til debt do us part” on youtube.
5. It has been an expensive summer due to car issues and dental expenses. I use my cc for the travel points I get. I pay it off monthly. I get anxious when the balance nears $1000. The balance is now $4500. It is going to have to be a frugal autumn to pay this off. I feel so discouraged when this happens because it makes me feel like I can’t get ahead.
The occasional high CC happens. I find the frugal gene will kick in and it won’t be painful to pay off. We’ve never had a formal budget, seems we just know.
You’ll get back on track rebecca. Like Selena says, your frugal gene will emerge, and you’ll be back to where you were.
Sorry for the typos. I am writing from my phone.
5 surprising frugal things:
1) My neighborhood is literally fit to burst with all of the plums, figs and nectarines coming through! I have been gleaning fruit and having fresh fruit as a snack or dessert!
2) I bought a food dehydrator for $5 at a garage sale. Free plums= free prunes, dried apples and dried figs!
3) Not so frugal : I bought Pomona’s pectin for jam, and boy has it gone up in price. But a less sugar jam from fall berries is worth it.
4) Very Frugal: I saw a house in Irvington that was for sale- so beautifully done, perfect size and on a perfect street in Irvington. But the cost, oy vey. But I did talk to my broker, who very gently led me down.
5) I bought ‘best by’ dated beef at Target- 2 steaks, two chuck cubes for stew. Into the freezer for 3 of the packages and I grilled one of the steaks- enough for two meals!
1. My friends were written about in the newspaper. Our little newspaper was bought by a really ugly local businessman, has declined in quality, and it is horrible! Instead of buying a copy or having to subscribe to the online edition, I went to the library (a block from my job ) and read it there for free. I’m not going to put a single penny in that ugly businessman’s pocket, not if I can help it.
2. The refrigerator I bought from Salvation Army works fine except that its inside light had apparently burned out. The old, “dead” refrigerator is still in my garage awaiting being hauled off. Instead of buying a new appliance light, I unscrewed the lightbulb (actually, two of them, as it turned out) from the old ‘fridge to use. However, it turns out that the new(-to-me) fridge’s lightbulb was not really burned out, it had just come loose during the move, so I’m still using it. I just had to screw the bulb in a little better. Stored the other 2 bulbs for later use.
3. Instead of buying a gallon jug of tea, I brewed my own — a big pitcher full of tea. Teabags are cheaper!
4. Signed up for more substitute teacher dates. Today, I worked in an elementary school. It was too hot (102 degrees F.) for the little kids to go outside and play and their indoor recess period was pure bedlam. Later, I told the secretary it was like herding cats and she said, “at least it wasn’t as hard as herding FERAL cats!” LOL!
5. The office staff asked me if I’d like to take some PTA snacks home with me. They didn’t have to ask twice! I got a can of soda and a small bag of potato chips. Free groceries I’ll accept any day! This school district’s PTA members are really getting into stocking up teacher’s lounges with goodies; this is the second time this week I’ve been offered snacks. Thank you, PTA mothers!
Love your #3! I am a tea fiend and I am mystified as to why people buy ready made tea. Freshly brewed tea is so delicious and tea bags are much less heavy than ready made tea bottles. And yep, so much cheaper.
Curious mind wants to know – those rocks fly home with her or did she ship them?
Re: “Alone” – they are family, they know you lol.
Foraging for fresh and free food is just the best thing! It’s also part of my 5 frugal things this week:
* The wild blackberries are starting to ripen in our region and we have been able to pick some already for using on yoghurt and in smoothies. Not enough for jam yet!
* Made banana bread with bananas that were overripe. We are not vegan but the recipe we like best is a vegan one. I have a friend who is vegan, so I froze two slices for when she next comes for a coffee.
* I sold some of my teens’ used school books, not for much at all but it all counts towards the cost of the new school books. Also, I’m just happy they don’t end up in the recycling bin. As always I mailed them out re-using packaging and bubble wrap from items that were mailed to me.
* I won a 100 Euro voucher at work. There were various options for clothing outlets etc but nothing appealed to me so I took one for Tesco and will use it towards groceries. A very welcome win as food prices are still incredibly high.
* I ordered loose Rooibos tea (I cannot get it locally) and was sent a small taster freebie packet with the order.
* For our recent wedding anniversary I baked a cake, decorated it with berries arranged to look like flowers (inspired by a Pinterest pin) and we went on a free local hike. We like to keep things simple but next year we have a milestone anniversary and will probably be going out for dinner with the family for that.
This is the recipe! https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vegan_banana_bread_37216
I tweak it a bit for my family: I leave out the sultanas (no one likes them) and use chopped hazelnuts or walnuts instead of pecans (I don’t add them to the dough but sprinkle them on top instead). I also add a bit of cinnamon in addition to the mixed spice.
GK: I love that you saved two slices of banana bread for your friend. Small and kind acts make the world go round.
Happiness multiplies when shared! Cake counts as happiness, right??!! 🙂
Happy Anniversary to you both!
Thank you very much!
A friend treated me to breakfast at a local place that has “BOGO” brekkie on weekdays, and then she gave me her leftovers to take home.
I curated said leftovers into 2 lunches.
Our in office weekly Instacart delivery had an extra bag of items we did not order. Office manager reported it to them, and they told us to toss it. I happily saved from the trash: 2 cans of (Name brand! HA) black beans and large Lindt dark chocolate bar !
Added more brown bananas from office to my freezer stash.
Used Upside to get 13 cents/gallon back on my gas fill up.
Reading library books.
We’re house sitting in So Cal right near where we lived for 42 years. We moved in 11/2020
We were dinner guests of my BFF since jr high and her husband and another night golf golf friends.
I hit my favorite thrift stores and scored some holiday decor for Fall
Read a book I downloaded.
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