Five Frugal Things -- Voting!
- Portland, Oregon may have had just a single parks department measure in our election, but my husband and I dutifully filled out our ballots and I walked them to the county library! Walking ballots to the library is a habit leftover from when we had to pay for a stamp, but I still enjoy the ritual.
- I stopped into Fred Mayer on my way home to peruse their clearance priced vegetables and came home with a huge $1.50 bag of how do you say cucumbers. I immediately processed them when I got home, as some were broken in half. I then fixed myself a rather cucumber forward salad for my lunch.
- My daughter has come down with a nasty cold, so I assembled a quick pot of lemon ginger chicken soup using what we had on hand. (A Costco chicken, carrots, potatoes, fresh ginger, lemon juice, chicken bullion and spices.) I made enough to deliver a few servings, while also acting as our own dinner. Sadly not enough for leftovers as it really was rather delicious.
- I sold a Bose audio system remote control that I pulled from a free box last year. Not a big profit at $15, but . . . it was free! Part of why I sell items like this is that they're only useful to a specific subsection of passers by. How likely would it be for someone who wants this exact item to sort through this one free box? Keeps a useful item in use and out of the landfill.
Click HERE to see the eBay listing. - My friend Lise brought over two bags of apples from her tree, which is great as I can make pies for the freezer. Doing a favor for my future self!
1. I walked with a friend around her neighborhood and then stayed to chat until she needed to be somewhere.
2. My lunch included GF pasta bought on clearance, part of a can of tomatoes, part of a can of $.05 black beans, and a bit of leftover chicken.
3. Dinner tonight will be Impossible Burgers purchased at Grocery Outlet. I bake them in the toaster oven. They are easy and delicious.
4. I thought about stopping for groceries on the way home from yoga but there was no pressing need. If we run out of bananas I can walk to the closest grocery and buy a few.
5. We are using our library to access Ellis on hoopla!
1. After my trip I had some laundry to catch up on. I ran two loads in the coin-op machines down in the basement, but it turned out that one of the dryers I used didn't heat up or didn't run -- it took my money, though! So, instead of switching the wet load to another machine, I took it upstairs and hung it on the shower rod and over the radiators. It was dry this morning and I didn't pay any more than usual.
2. Last time I bought onions I bought a bag of Vidalia's, knowing I would have to preserve some of them. Today I chopped one and put it in the freezer. I sliced and caramelized another to use in French onion soup. The third, and last, I will bake this evening and have it in a veggie supper with green beans and mashed potatoes.
3. I saved all the onion skins to use in soup later (to tint the broth a deeper color). I do this in a cheesecloth bag, of course -- don't want them floating around in the soup!
4. Scanned a number of receipts to Fetch, two of which were finds on my trip.
5. Took a walk in the neighborhood today and picked up a book from a little free library. I noticed there were whistles in the boxes -- we had some unwelcome ICE activity in our city, and citizens are outraged. As they should be.
1. I purchased 20 cotton cloth napkins at an estate sale for $2.50. I've been wanting white cloth napkins for special occasions for forever and can never bring myself to pay for new and never find what I want used. I purchased 16 white and 4 coral color for everyday use. Just in time for Thanksgiving.
2. I sold another item on Ebay. I packaged it in a reused bubble mailer and it will be picked up tomorrow by USPS.
3. I walked with a friend two days in a row for free exercise.
4. I finished another library book on my Kindle.
Harvested remaining garden herbs from all the free plants I received this summer from Buy Nothing:
- Basil - made into pesto cubes for the freezer
- Rosemary - chopped and in the fridge for adding to various dishes
- Thai basil - uncertain what I'll do with it
- Sage - plan to fry it and serve with butternut squash
- Italian parsley - put it in the fridge
- Oregano - put it in the fridge
- Chives - chopped and dried
Great job on the continued updates to your blog!
- We're heading out of town Friday to visit my sister east of Cleveland and will be gone close to a week... Trying to use random food bits or remember to freeze things. Tonight will be easy pasta and salad.
-Received the new Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club book on hold from my library and have absolutely been loving it. Chuckling out loud and trying to read funny passages to my husband. Osman is a clever storyteller.
Picking up random groceries on sale to add to items I have to put in the little food pantry near us to make more of a meal, should someone need that. I keep a bag in my car and stop when I see contents are low. With freezes coming, though, I will move the bag to the garage and get back in the habit of taking with me.
I have been pulling items that were my parents and will bring to my sister as her grown kids have said they would like this and that. Out to someone who wants them...double bonus.