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My husband just repainted our front porch, which means that everything that normally sits out front is currently residing in our back yard. Including this welcome mat, looking entirely worse for wear. Mind you, this was a curb find to begin with, although any wear is our own. You can see that it’s molting a fair amount of coconut “coir.”
My first thought was to find a used replacement mat, but then I began to wonder if it’s repairable. If I can darn a sock, then I can surely darn a welcome mat!
Do you have any ideas on how to keep this still functional item in use?
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I had my friend Sue over for a visit and assembled a small apple crisp for us to munch on with our tea. (She also brought bakery items, so we were fully set for sweet treats.) She mentioned how she never gets to go to other people’s houses, which reminded me that most people meet up in coffee shops, not one another’s homes. I prefer visiting at someone’s house as you get to linger without worrying that you’re loitering in a business. Just another benefit of extreme frugality.
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My friend who visited last week accidentally brought our spare key back to North Carolina. I might’ve told him to not worry about it, but it was on a special keychain. Today I received it back in the mail, although in an mysteriously lumpy envelope. It turned out to contain an additional three tea bags from hotels he stayed in after visiting with us, plus a handmade card from his wife. Perfect frugal gifts!
For those keeping track, this was one of the three keys that my sister just mailed back to us from NYC, as she repeatedly absconds with our spare keys! This key is having more exciting adventures then we are!
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I tried out a newly opened Popeye’s Chicken location to redeem a code I’ve been holding in my wallet for at least a year. For those who may not know, Popeye’s has a survey link at the bottom of every receipt, which then earns you two free pieces of chicken plus a biscuit with the purchase of a large drink. The drink alone is $3.79, (weirdly expensive, but I never order drinks so how would I know?) which balances out to a decently priced meal. I chose a lemonade/water mix, which was perfect for yet another hot Portland day. Cheap quickie food hack to keep in mind.
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My youngest’s partner keeps getting their deliveries stolen, so I told them to start ordering items to our house instead. Not only does this accomplish a safer landing spot for their packages, but it means I get to see both of them more often, so win-win!
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{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
Your ever-traveling set of spare keys reminds me of those old motel keys: they were always on a plastic keychain that said, “Drop in any mailbox. We guarantee postage.” Too bad you can’t have one of those made for your house! 😉
Funny frugal fail: I filled up a tall metal travel mug with coffee and added some milk as my “creamer.” Had it in my car Friday morning to take into the school where I was subbing. Left it in the car, and couldn’t go back out to get it. It was so hot Friday that when I got back into my car, the drink was still nice and warm. However, the milk had soured so I ended up having to pour out all that coffee. Yuck!
Using coffee grounds in my compost pile. If I just want one cup at home, I’ve been using my Keurig-like single serve maker, but for the larger travel mug, I got out the old 5 cup coffeemaker. (The single serve maker doesn’t brew enough for that purpose.) Anyway, in addition to java, the coffeemaker is churning out a lot of grounds and they’re all being used.
When I bought my little portable oven, I qualified for another 10% off coupon at Ollie’s Outlet. After the flooring and this, I should be buying stock in Ollie’s, LOL. But I can use that coupon for groceries!
Listening to radio over the computer. They’re doing a program about Paul McCartney! <3 ("Paul McCartney: Beatles and Beyond," produced for the BBC World Service. Not sure if it's online or not, but certainly worth the listen.) Sir Paul founded the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, which is housed in Paul's former grammar school — so cool! What a legacy: He saved the 1825 school building while giving the next generation of musicians a fantastic gift. I'm getting to listen free (OK, except for what I pay for internet), without paying for streaming or anything.
Did not turn the Center for Disease Control upside down by firing the person I just recently hired, thus causing unsolvable problems for the scientists and doctors, and no doubt horrible working conditions for the employees left behind. Another sad chapter in the seemingly never-ending saga of how the 34x Felon and his gang of idiots are ruining our country. (Get your vaccines ASAP before they're outlawed!)
Not sure I would want to be up close to that mat before a thorough washing. But for repair, maybe twine and a crochet hook? My mat like that simply rotted. I now use one of the recycled tire types. Bought new unfortunately.
We have also been meeting friends at cafes and restaurants. Splitting a meal with dh and drinking water keeps the cost down. I do like supporting our local small businesses, even with our cheap date tab. During covid we made a list of a few locally owned restaurants we hoped wouldn’t go under and would order a pick up from them every so often. They are all still in business.
Part of being frugal for me is just staying out of stores. I don’t really like shopping anyway. But happily spent hours with my niece wandering around while she shopped fornher birthday. I didn’t buy anything but lunch – another shared meal!
I mended two of my stash of grocery bags. They were swag gifts from a conference, but have the layer of insulation inside. I wasn’t sure they could hold up to the sewing machine, but figured it couldn’t hurt to try. We’ll test them out at the farmers market today.
I did redeem my red cross coupon for this last donation. In the past I donated them back to the red cross. The options did not overwhelm me. Mostly stores and restaurants I never go to. Redeemed for a hardware store, but I think I’ll go back to donating them. Not sure if the options are different in different parts of the country. I found the same at the coin machine. I used to be able to get a grocery store card (no fee), but that wasn’t an option anymore. Guess I’ll just be more intentional about using coins when paying with cash.
I will be very interested to see if that mat can be refurbished. No one would fault you if it had to go in the trash (gasp!) I would use lots of rattan cord and do a sew job along the edges. I would then get my paints out and freshen up all the flowers (are they flowers?) on it. Years ago I bought a welcome mat made out of some hard material like rubber or plastic. Every year it gets a spray paint job which makes it look brand new again. Shock and pleasantly surprise me with an improvement on this one.
And just maybe put it by the back door?
Also- if it can’t be saved, I bet it would make a pretty good weed barrier for a small area (covered with mulch, of course)
Ooh. That’s a good idea. I also feel like since it’s a natural material it would break down and not be so bad for the environment.
The weed barrier is a really good idea. I was about to suggest composting it, but Katy may not have a compost heap, so the weed barrier is better.
A.Marie, saw your initial and name, my mind immediately flew to my daughter in heaven , because her name is Amanda Marie. Sorry, just needed to put her name out in the world again.
It’s a beautiful name.
Trish, I wish my parents had gone with Amanda for my A., especially as in later life I had two friends named Amanda who died. (Unfortunately, my A. stands for Agnes, which is why I use the A.) And I’m so sorry about your daughter.
Trish, “… put her name out in the world…” That’s so beautiful. I’m so sorry Amanda Marie is gone.
Or just cut off the damaged parts to make the side and bottom straight, just a little smaller.
I saw something about using acrylic paints to update a rug like that.
Cutting off the damaged parts was also my thought.
Maybe seal the edges with paint?
I was thinking similar to this. Maybe cut it so it’s straight, then “seal” it so it won’t unravel with some type of glue… maybe hot glue would work. Somewhat like Fray Check works on fabric.
Try jute cording or twine…both neutral colors. I also like the idea of repainting the flowers. Please show us what you do with this mat.
Haha! Until you made this comment, I thought the green bits were moss. It’s Portland, after all…
My youngest took a stencil she made and would spray paint something on our old mat. She would do it every 2 years. I need her to do it again but she moved out. I will have to ask her. Thanks for the reminder.
I’d try adding some sort of heavy fabric binding to the mat or reweaving that section with cord. I guess you would trim it first and then glue a binding down before sewing it on by hand with an upholstery needle. Maybe a product to stop fraying could also be used? Seems like a lot of effort though.
Binding is also my suggestion using an old drop cloth. I have seen this done on utube and they use gorilla glue or even hot glue instead of sewing.
I thought you could use a carpet needle & some twine (you likely have on hand) and bind the edges.
I would also cut the worn out side a bit shorter and hem the whole mat, maybe with petersham or any other sturdy ribbing which is not fraying.
Good morning. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone.
1. I am dog sitting today for my daughter and son-in-law while they visit a little beach town nearby.
2. I cut up some hairy carrots, a sad onion and some celery my mom gave me and portioned it for future soups. It’s in my freezer. A gift to my future self ;).
3. I roasted vegetables I’d cut up and froze a couple weeks ago. I added crispy tofu, rice and some homemade peanut sauce and have enough leftovers for a couple more dinners. I’m still getting the hang of cooking for one. I used my airfryer/toaster oven for the tofu and veggies instead of heating up my large oven. Since most of the ingredients are cheap and some free this is a great savings and when I compare it to the cost of eating out it feels like an even bigger win.
4. I transplanted a few volunteer plants to other areas where I’d like plants/flowers to fill in for the weeds. I’ve done this for a couple years now and weeding is becoming less of a burden.
5. I found a penny on the ground at the grocery store. Yes, I’ve recently come into some money.
I’m working again this morning, so that’s frugal. LOL
My husband and SIL had a golf event last night, so I got to watch the baby. My son picked up dinner supplies for me – for less than $20 I made dinner for my son, myself, and my daughter to have when she picked up the baby. So much cheaper than ordering something for all three of us, and it was delicious, if I do say so myself. And I do.
I agree with you, Katy, about certain foods being for certain meals being hogwash. My hubby’s event was catered by a local Mexican restaurant, and he brought me a serving home, which I had for breakfast while working. Delicious! And free, which always makes it tastier.
While watching the baby, she needed an outfit change. We have a large bag of hand-me-down baby clothes in different sizes, so it was so nice to just be able to grab her a cute outfit out of there.
Oh, I thought of another long-standing frugal thing. I like to listen to music while at work – I have tinnitus, so the background music drowns it out somewhat. I use my free Pandora station all the time and also use it in the car. (I also listen to Christmas music year-round as I find it soothing and beautiful, plus it is not distracting to me, and you can’t find that on regular radio or on the Sirius for which I used to pay.)
I like the idea of using that mat as a weed barrier under mulch — once a new free mat comes into your life.
1. The little free pantry had great supplies yesterday. I brought home two loaves of raisin bread and a bag of frozen broccoli florets. I think this is my free pile.
2. I am finally starting to make noticeable progress on my free jigsaw puzzle, but I still believe there are pieces missing. If that turns out to be true, I will take it back to a little free library with a warning message on it. If all the pieces are there, I will donate it to a senior residence.
3. Today I will chop and freeze two and a half green peppers. Should have done that yesterday, but I forgot.
4. Sharpened my chef’s knife and it is quite a weapon now! It will be up to the job!
5. Found another receipt which I scanned to Fetch. Also saw that the one that was under review was accepted. I see that Fetch pushes lots of activities, but all I plan to do with it is scan receipts. I assume the accumulation of redeemable rewards will be slow, but that’s okay.
We have made many missing puzzle pieces with a cereal box. Slide it under the puzzle and trace. Then pull it out and cut it out. My daughter likes to try to color it like the puzzle. We pass puzzles around between friends and family. It works for us.
Ingenious, I never would have thought of that. Yay for a frugal and environmental save. Don’t they all lose pieces eventually? Aren’t the majority of incomplete ones thrown away rather than recycled? Awesomeness
We all have animals and if a piece is missing we usually find it partially chewed.
We just got home from 2+ weeks in the Baltic states, and so limited frugality…
1. In Vilnius, we took the bus to the airport, despite it being 5:30 AM. Based on my research, this cost €1.25 per person rather than the estimated $45-60 for a rideshare or taxi. We did, however, take a taxi back home in Boston….
2. While on our trip, one B&B did not leave us enough toilet paper. We went to the store, and the 8-pack was less expensive than the 4-pack, so my souvenir was 6 rolls of toilet paper. I did want to buy a tube of Marvis toothpaste (I both love their packaging and their flavors) but after seeing that it was more than €7 a tube I walked away. A frugal fail was buying the wrong type of coffee pods for the coffee machines at the apartments we had rented at the first stop. I dutifully carried those pods for the rest of the trip, hoping that one of the coffee machines used the pods we bought (they did not).
3. We only brought 3-days worth of clothing (each), and I brought laundry pods from home, which I had gotten free from various mystery shops. We have switched to liquid, but I still have some pods, which I save for travel needs.
4. Our house/cat sitter has the tendency to order groceries while she is here and then leaves SO MUCH FOOD (like 3 tubs of hummus that she seemed to only take one bite out of each). We went through all of it, deciding what we could still eat/freeze. As part of it, we gave away 8 bananas (neither of us likes them) to our local Buy Nothing group. We did eat chips, I froze an unopened pint of heavy cream, eating the bread, and the rest I’ll make into breadcrumbs, partner is using unopened sliced turkey in his salad for lunch, etc.
5. My partner usually works on Thursday, the day that the CSAs pick-up at the store takes place. As such, he always gets a free CSA box, which is fantastic, but since we got home on a Thursday, we were going to miss it. I’m friends with the owner, and I asked if there was a leftover box, could we please have it? (He normally gives them away.) He not only gave us that, but there was also a leftover box for the “corn & fruit” subscription. We ended up with 10 pounds of organic, heirloom yellow tomatoes (which makes our favorite “golden gravy”), a clambox of black oyster mushrooms, 2 heads of lettuce, 2 zucchini, 3 peppers, and an eggplant, as well as 12 ears of corn and 12 peaches. I’ll process anything that we won’t eat. We also were totally jet-lagged and so we went to pick up the boxes from the store at 3:00 AM, thus avoiding traffic, and using less gas.
Bonus 6: Someone was giving away a box of kosher salt on the local Buy Nothing group, as they don’t care for the size of the salt crystals. I’ll walk over, a 30-minute walk on our bike path, for $3 worth of salt…
My parents and grandparents were born in Lithuania so have been there many times, including Vilnius. Until my father taught my husband to make Cepelinai (I was not a good student when he tried with me), I used to long to go to Lithuania just to eat them. Now the husband makes them, which is a good thing since the relatives there have all died so I probably would not go back to see things I have seen about 35 times already. In fact, he is making them on Labor Day! I hope you had a good time there.
Dear Betta,
Do you know, that liquid washing detergent has a lot of chemicals added not for washing but for keeping the liquid from going bad? Powder, or any dry stuff, does not need any of these chemicals and has only chemicals nessecary for washing. Therefore it is more ecofriendly in itself.
I Germany they have now wash leaves which seem to be something like pressed powder. They are advertized as even more ecofriendly and are not heavy and easy to store. They were also tested and have good cleaning abilities. I think, I will try them next time I need to buy some product like this.
Unfortunately most laundry sheets seem to be a source of microplastics “The chemical that allows laundry pods and sheets to “dissolve” is called polyvinyl alcohol – also known as PVA or PVOH. PVOH is a sythnetic, petroleum-based polymeric plastic that “dissolves” in water – breaking down into smaller plastic particles called microplastics.”
We can’t win for trying, it seems!
Could you trim the mat into on oval shape?
I’d have a hard time spending $3.79 on a drink! It does feel good to skip the drink at restaurants like that.
Maybe your kid’s partner lives in my neighborhood. Last time I ordered something online, it was gone within 10 minutes of hitting the front porch. My neighbor had something stolen in the time it took him to walk to the front door after the delivery man rang the bell. I frequently find opened Amazon boxes when I’m out walking. Sometimes, the contents are still inside, if it was something boring, like fermentation weights, or o rings, or replacement blender lids. In that case, I walk it over to the intended address. One time, I found a whole computer desk, still in the box, that was too big for the thief to carry, so they’d stashed it behind a shrub while they went to get a cart for it. My husband and I carried it back to the owner’s house. It’s ridiculous. Maybe living in my neighborhood is a frugal hack, since I’m disincentivized from making impulse purchases online.
You need a neighbor like mine, who is 84 and retired so likes to sit at her front window and watch goings on. People we have told to stop by the house to pick something up have had her come out and demand to know who they are and why they are there. My friend said she waves around her cell phone and yells that she is calling the police if they don’t answer her questions. Sometimes we bring her salmon as a thanks for her policing on our behalf. Although we live in a very low crime area.
Ha! I might become “that” neighbor before long!
FTFT, Septuagenarian Edition:
I turned 70 yesterday and was lavishly feted.
(1) NDN1’s CF took NDN1 and me to our local Panera for lunch.
(2) The Bestest Neighbors had me and several other friends over for dinner. Ms. BF served a white bean chili as the main dish, and one of the friends made a flourless chocolate cake for dessert (chocolate at my request as the birthday girl; flourless because one of the other friends is gluten-free) that was to die for. Raspberries on top and raspberry sauce on the side. Nom nom nom.
(3) In between, it rained cards, flowers, and goodies from other neighbors.
(4) I also got an assortment of “This Is Your Life” emails–including two from besties from elementary school days, plus one from an old boyfriend who’s exactly 10 days older than I am. (I’d already sent him an irreverent “Hail, septuagenarian!” email on the 19th. And it’s good to be back in touch, even though there’s no question in my mind that we both ended up marrying the right people instead of each other.)
(5) And although I’d considered going thrifting today, the weather’s too perfect for me to tear myself away from my peaceful, sunny homestead–so I’ll spend the day answering the birthday communications and otherwise playing domestic goddess. I’ve got laundry to do, bell peppers to chop up and freeze (along with Beth W), etc.
What a wonderful day! May your best birthday wishes come true this year.
Happy birthday, A. Marie!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! I’ll be thinking of you as I chop those peppers!
Happy Birthday!! I’m glad you had a good day!!
Sounds like the perfect celebration, both yesterday and today. Happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday! I turned 60 this month!
And I turned 65! Happy Birthday to all of us!!
Happy birthday and best wishes for a great year.
Happy Birthday!
A. Marie, happy 70th! As I said over on The Frugal Girl, you are beloved on these blogs.
A. Marie,
Congratulations on reaching Septuagenarian status! Happy Blessed Birthday!
Happy Birthday! Today is my grandson’s FIRST birthday! He shares it with some awesome folk, you included. may your celebrations continue for the weeks ahead.
Happy Birthday! Celebrate and do everything on your wish list, A.Marie!
1) Helped a neighbor save a box of frozen food that was delivered while she was out of town. She sent me a panicked text yesterday. DH & I walked over to retrieve the box, and saw that it was wayyyyyy too big for us to store in our freezer. So, we chatted with our neighbor across the street. She had plenty of freezer space (widower who lives alone), and I loaded the freezer, while DH did some chores for her. Coordinated both neighbors together, so neighbor #1 can retrieve food from #2 when she’s back in town.
2) used the last of the yogurt in my breakfast, ahead of my trip to Tokyo for work. No one else will eat it, and it would have gone bad while I’m gone.
3) Ate leftovers for dinner, again. This is more because I’m really, really busy at work, but it also saves money.
4) Lined dried the majority of our clothes, which saves a bit of money, but most importantly, helps the clothes last longer.
5) Got started on my tax issue. (Got an IRS notice about a tax form that did not properly import from my broker and some dropped stock sales. OH GOODIE.) Despite not wanting to do this & dreading it, I did buy the audit protection with Turbo Tax in 2023, so this is all covered for free & I have a tax professional ready to help me solve it. Got all documents uploaded, created account, talked to the IRS, Turbo Tax, and then finally the audit people.
The problem with meeting up with friends in our home is that I have 3 very young children and our house is always a disaster…..
It would be good motivation to use more of my limited energy for cleaning though…
My best friend’s house is often a disaster. But for me, I don’t care what her house looks like. I just want to spend time with her. I would imagine that your good friends feel the same way.
I agree with BettafdV– These are children! By definition loud, messy, charming, and unpredictable.
And I am rarely around children and like to see their natural habitats.
I live in a disaster zone and it’s just me and DH. Bottom line is that we have TOO MUCH STUFF! Despite having worked as a secretary for 28 years, filing is NOT my strong suit and I tend to procrastinate the one chore that would make a huge dent in bringing order to the chaos.
I subscribe to the attitude of Roxanne (on TV), who famously said “Excuse the mess, we live here.”
I have to admit I use that phrase frequently.
Friends who come just move things off chairs and sit down for a yammer.
Anyone who would be critical would be advised to move quickly as they leave – so the door doesn’t hit them on the way out. Not that I have people like that in my life, other than my mom, and since I recognized that she will never be satisfied and I decided to not try to pretend to be something I am not, I have been far more relaxed when she comes over.
If it is made from purely natural materials, I would compost it. If you don’t have a compost pile yet, take this opportunity to create one and use the soil in planters next year? It is very easy. I compost all (uncooked, vegetable) scraps from the kitchen (and some from the garden, e.g. soft prunings etc) including coffee grounds and tea leaves. I store a little caddy under the sink and when it is full (every 3-4 days) I empty it on the compost heap. If you cover the heap with the coir mat, it improves the composting process by protecting it from the elements and from animals scavenging in it.
Also could be used as a liner at the bottom of large plant pots for drainage while holding in the soil.
I would go the simple route with the mat and vacuum it well, trim off the ragged bits, and then use a good glue on the back at the ragged spots to stop further unraveling.
My suggestions for resuscitating or repurposing the mat have all been covered here. My only other suggestion is to request a mat on your Buy Nothing group. I get great results doing that.
I don’t know what to do with the doormat. Usually I move older mats to a less seen space and watch for a nicer replacement for the high traffic area.
1. My mother donated a Life is Good t shirt to me, which had stretched out terribly width -wise. I laid a shirt that fit me on top of it, cut the wide sides off the Life is Good shirt, removed the sleeves, sewed up the sides and reinserted the sleeves. It fits perfectly now and I have a nice quality waffle weave shirt for fall!
2. I took in another T-shirt that had grown too wide, just a simple seam up the side. I also shortened it as it had grown long as well.
3. Picked so much produce this morning
4. eBay sales have picked up a bit and I’ve had steady FB marketplace sales. I meet people outside the Wholefoods which is less than 5 minutes bike ride from our house, so it feels super safe.
5. Homemade cake for my husband’s birthday today.
Love your sewing hacks. I have a few peasant type tops that I’d like to remodel to a style I’m more likely to wear. Perhaps just taking off the sleeves will give me a better idea of how to refit the baggy body. Hmmmm
Those mats will decay, so don’t put them in the garbage. I usually toss the old one under a bush in the flower-bed, where it acts as mulch, eventually breaking down completely. I second the recommendation to invest in a woven mat made of recycled tires. Mine is going on 20 years old and still looks new. It can be easily hosed off, and has stood up to freezing winters for years. (I do still have a coir met on the back steps that lead into our attached garage. It isn’t exposed to weather, so it lasts longer and when it’s gone, it will become mulch, too.)
Maybe someone in your Buy Nothing group has a burlap sack from a bag of basmati rice or even an old Fall decoration. That could be used to true up the corner and reinforce the foundation. Use some gardening jute ans thread and a large blunt needle and darn away!
It’s time to let the mat go!!
I rarely comment but I strongly agree with Heather!
According to this website coir may is organic so should be safe for composting or mulch around vegetables. No way to tell if the paint used for decoration is organic though. Fascinating process!
https://www.firstmats.co.uk/blogs/buying-guides/from-nut-to-mat-how-coir-matting-is-made
Did an inventory of my small freezer chest. Pulled out some ribs and baked them yesterday. Pulled out kimchi and made a pot of rice to go along with the ribs and had that for dinner with my daughter. Used the leftover rice and made fried rice using onion, the last of the carrots, frozen peas, eggs, garlic powder and soy sauce. Had that for lunch but remembered some frozen ham which I chopped and added. Also had one of my sale soda’s and some sale strawberries. Daughter and I drove to the hardware store where I bought a replacement screw for the thrifted handsaw. It was kind of pricey at $2.99 but better then a new handsaw. Next we went thrifting and I found a Winnie the Pooh and Tigger sweatshirt that looks new. I need a couple sweatshirts for winter and being a preschool teacher Winnie and Tigger are perfect. I also thrifted an apron (I don’t have one and I tend to mess my clothes when I cook) and a dish towel with pumpkins on it. Next we stopped at the dollar tree where I bought 3 packs of smoked oysters, a bag of cheddar popcorn, 2 containers of oxyclean (I bought one to use and one as a back up), 2 shakers of garlic salt (needed 1 and stocked up), and a lighter. Finally went to the grocery store where I bought potato’s, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries on sale buy 3 for $5 (they are 16 oz each), polish sausage for $3, vinegar, and eggs. We have a watermelon, apples and canned fruit at home. The freezer has fish, shredded chicken, ham pieces, shredded turkey, ground beef and a corned beef. I am tightening the reins on eating out and wasting food. Planning on sewing some children’s aprons for my classroom and mending some clothes this evening. I also need to make some tomato sauce with frozen tomatoes and packaging some cooked chicken I will take off the bone for the freezer. I love reading all the posts. It’s helping me stay in a frugal mindset. I have a big car repair which will mean I will need to use all the frugal ideas to make it this month.
Not much today. Yesterday, DH made an electric roaster full of his “toxic chili.” He calls it chili, I call it battery acid. He used about 15 cans of food from his BIL’s outdated stash we got recently (tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, kidney beans, 4 lb of venison burger we had in the freezer, etc.) He only had to buy the fresh veggies and that was less than $20; and a 6-pk of beer for $6. Ended up with 16 quarts. DH ate a quart, giving a quart to our landlord’s dad, kept out a quart to eat tomorrow, and froze 13 quarts. Right now, I’m not eating much of anything as I have a SEVERE toothache. Dentist called in an Rx, and may have to call in a refill since I can’t get seen until the 23rd. Jello and applesauce are my life until then. (I tried eating a PB&J and a banana – I would have rather died…so painful!
Melissa N. I’m so sorry about your toothache! That sounds miserable.
I might be out of line, but would show up at the dentist’s office at opening time Monday am. Much harder for them to put you off in person when you’re standing there crying. My dad was a dentist and he would never have let a patient, or even someone who wasn’t an established patient suffer for weeks. The 23rd is unacceptable. If that doesn’t work visit other dentist offices. There’s got to be a compassionate one somewhere out there
Well, maybe not Monday since it’s Labor Day. Maybe Tuesday?
I’m on a farm so holidays are much like other days….same routine, just no mail.
I’m with you on the farm/holiday thing, the advantage of having friends is I am reminded of the days when my regular Monday activities will be canceled.
I do like your idea of crying at the dentist office, though!
My son once took our dog to the vet – I guess he arrived with a very pale face, this 6’2″ boy/man crying with the dog in his arms. the vet took her in right away, thank heavens, even though they usually have a 6 week waiting list.
1. Still picking blackberries and freezing them. I don’t make jam so not sure what I’m going to do with them. I may give them to my cousin who does make jam.
2. Picking enough raspberries everyday for DH to have them in his porridge. This doesn’t sound exciting, but I have never grown berries before, and the plant that is producing was planted last year, and I thought it had died over the winter.
3. Still have not had a haircut since last December! It may be time though, as DH said this morning “you definitely have the Einstein hair thing going on”.
4. Have sold (I think) a fisherman’s type wool sweater that was given to me by an ex probably 35 years ago. It’s a men’s sweater that was always too big for me, and super itchy! Getting a few bucks for it, and getting it out of my house feels good.
5.Decorating my short term rental cottage with my own zinnias and dahlias.
@Allie, if your husband likes raspberries in his porridge, he might love blackberries! Also, I use mine in my morning protein smoothies. There is nothing like a blackberry smoothie (just don’t use a banana at the same time, as new studies show that a banana affects the antioxidant activities of berries)
Freezer jam is so easy to make I would try if I were you. I only started making it a few years ago and love it. And it would mix in well with porridge for you hubby. I use low sugar pectin and much less sugar to make mine
We are having 6 friends over tomorrow for a BBQ with our kids. It is much cheaper to have people over then to go out. Everyone offered to bring something so its not all on us. I will be using lots of garden veggies to offset the costs. All of the food was bought on sale or marked down. Raw veggies from my garden and dip with home popped popcorn will start us off. I had gotten a large pack of chicken hotdogs(several people don’t eat beef or pork) for $3.24. Buns were on sale for 89¢. Hamburgers were made when ground beef went on sale for $2.49. Buns again were 89¢. I made a cucumber and tomatoes salad. Corn was 10 for $2. My son is bringing homemade mac n cheese. A friend is bringing a quinoa salad. My daughter is making GF brownies. Another friend said she will bring a different dessert. Homemade pickles will be available as well as garden lettuce and tomatoes and cheese for the burgers. I have sauerkraut and condiments for the dogs. I brewed 4 batches of iced tea, 2 are regular and 2 are hibiscus. I will have my homemade raspberry syrup for whoever wants to add it to their iced tea. I also grabbed a case of Aldi diet cola because I know 2 of the people drink diet soda. Hubby’s homemade wine will also be available. I bought a bag of marshmallows to roast on the fire pit too. We will be eating off real dishes and using cloth napkins. We will have a wonderful time. The weather is supposed to be great. I added everything up and is cost less then $30. Not bad for 11 people.
Sounds so lovely! I hope you have the best time
Thank you. We did. One friend brought a 6pack of beer and a fruit platter. Another friend made a chocolate zucchini cake with strawberries and a bottle of white wine. No one wanted leftovers except my kids. My 2 elderly neighbors are coming over tomorrow so it will be very easy. One friend went home with tomatoes another went home with a spaghetti squash.
I can see why you took it. That is a really pretty design. Maybe after you figure out the repairs you can repaint it?
1. The blood donation took a bit of stuffing out of me, so I had a slower day. I was wondering all through the day why I was so TIRED – wasn’t until late in the day I figured out that donating blood always is a bit of an energy drain. So I sat and ate a bag of chips that I was gifted when donating, and felt vindicated.
2. Even though feeling drained, I did manage to fill an entire Excalibur dehydrator with halved prune plums and the other purple plums. I had my thumb braces on and a played a podcast of all the missed sessions of my favourite radio show (Q on the CBC).
3. I also finished picking the rest of the purple plums. One half of that tree is shaded by the other and the fruit is slower to ripen, which gave me a bit of a breather in the world of picking. The ones I got filled yet another box, so I have more plum slicing and either dehydrating or freezing in my future as I have two liquor store boxes full. eek.
4. Another Katy-bucket of blackberries was a ‘side-quest win’ during the plum picking. That area of the garden is going to need some Wonder James effort this winter to beat back the thorns, however for now I will revel in the biggest juiciest blackberries I have seen in decades.
We had a rare August rain that laid down a serious amount of much needed moisture, just at the perfect time to knock down a local forest fire, push up the storage in a big local lake that has been really struggling the last few years, and give all the wild (invasive) blackberry plants the perfect boost of moisture to plump up ALL the berries.
5. For my Grandson’s birthday we gathered at a local park where my clever Daughter Outlaw had booked the picnic shelter – which was actually cleaned up for us and had a sandwich board out stating that it was reserved for us. Good thing as there were others who came to use it (there are lots of other places at this park with tables that are shady, so they weren’t totally out of luck.
Bocce Ball was played, many bubbles were produced by some fancy (inexpensive) bubble machines, small children alternately cried and laughed, adult children mostly laughed.
By cleanup time the parents were pretty wiped, so my good buddy and I got to work sorting out the stuff, pulling the returnables from the trash, gathering all the bits and pieces and assembling so the work at their home would be less. All of my kids pitched in to schlepp everything to the various cars. A fun and happy time to gather to celebrate. I am saddened that my mom chose to not come up, although she had multiple offers of rides on different days – however that was her choice, even if she now is being a bit snippy about it. (sigh)
6. I got a text from the Insurance Company in our province warning me that I might not be able to get my license renewed if I didn’t pay my outstanding ticket. I knew nothing about a ticket!
I did some research and found a notice on their website stating that they don’t sent notices by text, so any texts could be considered a scam. Whew! I didn’t click on the link provided, mostly because I wondered at the phone number, as well as the fact I knew nothing about a ticket.
I too was fatigued after my blood donation. I got winded the next day on my 4 mile walk. I had to sit on the curb & rest a bit.
1. Saw free mulch on craigslist. Hubby took the pickup & got 2 small loads for the flower bed.
3. I redeemed a 75$ GC I got for taking a Zoom survey with an interviewer. I am going to get a gas card.
4. I got my cat sitter a GC. She wanted an Amazon card, so I used a reward I got for my blood donation. My “blood money”.
5. I worked 2 eight- hour days this week. I guess I got lazy during my semester off. I was exhausted. Some people think teaching is not tiring but it can be. Or maybe, I’m tired because I am old & I donated whole blood last week.