Five Tiny Frugal Things -- Backyard Plants
Today's blog post is going to lean heavily into tiny frugal things and I went nowhere and basically did nothing yesterday. Mind you, this is no confession, instead it's a content admission.
1) I went for a slow evening walk with my friend Lise. Why slow? Her daughter is dog sitting an absolutely enormous snorty pug and this poor pup has to pee every ten feet.
2) I polished two pairs of boots that I need to get listed on eBay. I used a paper napkin to spread saddle soap on the Frye boots and now have minuscule bits of torn napkin essentially glued onto them. They're currently on the front porch and am hoping that the afternoon sun will warm them up enough to loosen the bits and pieces.
3) I came across Terence Conran's The House Book at the Goodwill bins a few weeks ago and although I didn't buy it, I did put it on hold at the library. I remember poring through this book early in life and thought it would be an enjoyable revisit.
I'll be picking it up at the library this afternoon!
4) I lined another of my hanging baskets with thrifted burlap and planted it with my rooted spider plants. I'd have done another one, but I ran out of potting soil.
This time I barely sewed the lining into place, which cut down the hands-on time by around 90%.
5) My backyard potted plants are absolutely thriving, even the varieties that should've died off over winter. These are the fuchsias that I got for free from last year's neighborhood cleanup event! (Planted in a Buy Nothing group whiskey barrel!) Hardly even starting to bloom, but that's a shady backyard thing.
How shady?
This shady!
Luckily there is some late afternoon sun for photosynthesis!
The plant on the far right is chocolate mint from a friend. And yes, it really does smell like chocolate!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Big trees, aside from beauty and providing animal habitats and oxygen, are such great boosts to keeping utility bills down. Shade is good.
Just a comment that I noticed the blue Jiffy brand muffin mixes at my grocery store are $1.25 now. I think they had always tried to keep them under a dollar and am very glad they didn't shrink-flate the boxes to keep the price low. As you may know, they do not advertise, just have kept selling for almost 100 years. A new "flavor" is coming out next week: Hot Honey Corn Muffins. They introduced Honey Corn Muffins a few years ago; this one has a touch of "Hot", some kind of chili powder or pepper.
Jiffy has been our brand since I was a child! By me they sell at Dollar Tree for 75 cents a box.
I bought a box at Aldi a couple of weeks ago for 72¢. I'll be using it tomorrow for corn pone pie. I made the chili today. Love Jiffy.
Shade is good. I'm reminded of the summer on my grandparents farm when my grandfather noticed my cousins pestered me when I was trying to read. He found a slightly bent willow tree and he fashioned some wooden slats for me to step up on and a little plank seat and I enjoyed my "hidden" reading room all summer! Trees are great!
That man knew love is a verb! What a lovely thing to do for you, he really knew who you were and what you needed!
He was a real jewel! I attribute my love of all things in nature to him! I followed him around the farm asking a million questions and I thought of him the day I received my horticulture degree. Love you Pop Pop.
Today is the last day of school!!! Made a batch of scotcheroos for the class. Used discount butterscotch chips from the cheapo grocery.
Ds and I are simultaneously getting allergy shots. I've been trying for most of my adult life to get a doctor to understand that I'm a snotty mess. Up until recently they give me that cockeyed, lady you just play at farming look and suggest otc meds. I'm so grateful that the tide has changed and I can get them. If we have to drive to town, might as well double down.
I sold the wagner ware skillet!
Finished Caesar on PBS. A cautionary tale for sure!!!
Vaccinating calves today. Saving the vet bill and stress of hauling.
Enjoying a cuppa in a thrifted mug, water boiled in a thrifted pan, tea from All-dis! (Aldis, lol)
It is so nice to find a school that still will let students enjoy home baked goods. Our district no longer allows any celebrations in the classrooms.
Beware! Unfortunately the ides of March have passed.
I've been plugging away at paying my bills and trying to add to savings whenever I can, but other than that, I cannot think of any actual frugalness worthy to share. and I guess that is okay, too. 🙂
A day I can stay at home is a beautiful thing!
Today I had to finished the fridge task at my daughter's house and do some food shopping for guests.
I used rainwater to give some of my veggies supplemental water (not leafy greens).
I picked some berries in our backyard.
I washed sheets and hung those out on the line, along with a quilt that is getting some air.
I tidied in the fridge so I know what needs used and I ate leftovers for lunch.
I walked with my neighbor which is always a delight and she drives the 7 minutes to the lake because she has a dog.
I planted 2 more free-to-me lavender plants.
I have a FB marketplace meetup scheduled for later today
I do love the simple things of life.
I love a shady backyard! We have both sun & shade, depending on which side of the back patio we are on, and I like the flexibility to move around, depending on the temperature that day.
1) Defrosted frozen leftovers for a wild party animal Friday night. 😉
2) I get $150 in StubHub credits 2x/year through my credit card. Didn't have a use for this first half, so bought & sold Giants tickets. Made $60, because I apparently chose a dud. I use that to offset some of the cost of my credit card. I carefully track the rewards & benefits each year to ensure we are getting our money's worth, given the fee.
3) Had to give a lot of blood yesterday & treated myself to a sandwich out afterward. Used a coupon & a $2 reward, paying for the rest with a gift card, for no out of pocket spending.
4) Evaluated a cheaper climbing gym membership for the kids. The option we have is still the best bet, but I did research to confirm.
5) Read more free library books on my Kindle.
I'm also having a lazy day, having stayed up late to watch the final episode of Colbert -- and (sigh!) Paul McCartney, my one true love! No more CBS for me.
My frugals:
1. Read all the advice columnists and Andy Capp (comic strip) online. Why buy a newspaper subscription when you can get them for free?
2. Put up some storage shelves in my newly-cleaned out garage. Handyman wanted to build me some shelves out of wood. (Which he'd have to buy.) I said no; I have something better: Years ago, I found some discarded plastic shelves by the trash dumpster at the apartment complex and I've been using them for storage ever since. I can put them together by myself. One shelf has a crack in it but I put that one on top (to hold only lightweight items like tarps and trash bags). These shelves are taller than I am (5'7). I first had put them up in my town house laundry room; until yesterday, I had them in my closet/dressing room area, but I like them better in the garage.
3. We also put up some other old DIY shelving beside them. This one is only maybe 5 feet high. Both are like building Tinker Toys or Legos! But great storage. Esp. when paired with those faux milk crates you can buy at Walmart. (Most of mine are trash picked or thrifted.)
4. Redid my front porch so that I have 2 lawn chairs out there. Also changed from the Easter wreath to the red, white and blue one.
5. Air dried the laundry.
I also stayed up to watch Colbert. No more Paramount/CBS for me. I will also be emailing them daily to let them know what poopy boot lickers they are.
Exactly right. No more CBS.
Your shady lush backyard is lovely. It reminds me of my grandmother's backyard in East Texas. She had hanging baskets & flowers. It rains a lot (usually) there and there are lots of big trees. As a kid, we would sit on the patio amidst the greenery in the evening.
Your backyard looks as if it would be so pleasant to spend a summer afternoon there.
1. I hung two loads of laundry outside.
2. I potted the annuals I didn't use for the cemetery baskets in pots I already had in the shed. I have one in front of the house and one on the back deck. I also planted marigold seeds from last year's flowers in the front of the house. Everything else in the garden are perennials or Raspberry bushes which come back every year.
3. I shook the dirt out from some bulbs and they are now drying in the sun. These were in pots that I had received as hostess gifts for hosting the potluck dinner at my house back in March. Tulips and mini daffodils and an Easter lily which I will plant this fall.
4. I found a Mason jar in the shed and cut some flowers from my yard to put in it for my friend and neighbor who is celebrating her birthday today. I walked them and a card I had on hand up to her house to avoid using the car.
5. I was out doing errands yesterday and swung by the library to pick up a couple of books, one which I had on hold. Speaking of the library, the Friends of the Library book sale I volunteered at last week made about $2000 which goes towards the many programs the library sponsors. Plus I live to see the books, puzzles, CDs and DVDs reused again and again. This library is a gem in our small town.
1) My daughter loves yogurt pouches, and eats one for breakfast every day. I’ve tried other breakfasts (cups of yogurt, oatmeal, toast, etc) and she barely touches them but will consistently eat yogurt in a pouch. I have many issues with them though, namely the cost, the trash they generate, I can’t find any that are non-dairy yogurt and I’m trying to move our family away from animal foods, and they are lacking in other nutrients. I just remembered the kids used to have refillable food pouches when they were babies. Sadly I got rid of them but I’m going to try to find some more for free or cheap and experiment with making non-dairy smoothies to put into them. This way I can also slip in some fruits and veggies. This is a frugal experiment that could turn into a fail. I figure even if she rejects the concoctions I make, maybe I can at least still fill them with regular yogurt and resolve the cost and trash issues.
2) Related to above, I got a book from the library called Nourish about plant based nutrition for families. Now that I’m firmly established on a plant based diet, I can focus more on getting the family there (I became overwhelmed at first, trying to make too many changes at once for all of us!)
3) I’m making the cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party tomorrow rather than buying them. I found the kids are actually more likely to eat cupcakes made from a box mix too, maybe because they are smaller and don’t have the giant glob of frosting on top so a little easier to eat.
Husband read somewhere that with cupcakes with too much frosting, cut them in half across the middle and put the top half under the bottom half to make the frosting like a filling. Makes sense, though sometimes I just want the frosting....
My daughter does this.
I make our cupcakes as well. Clearance box cake mix $1, I got a ton of cupcake papers from a yard sale free box, and the icing $1.50. Eggs from our chickens. So much cheaper than bought.
Yogurt pouches are filled with microplastics. No bueno.
I stayed home today, too, but I did venture into the alley and found a camera bag containing a camcorder and accessories. It's a Sony Handycam, and of course quite dated, but it looks like it's in excellent condition. It looks like a lot of people are selling them on eBay and I don't know if anyone is buying. But I'll give it a try -- after I come home from next week's vacation.
I'm heading to the Carolinas on Tuesday, after the holiday, to visit my sister. She is in an independent senior living facility, and she has reserved a room for us there, only $100 a night. I say us, because a friend might go with me, but she hasn't fully committed yet.
This will be road trip, and I'll try to make it as frugal as possible.
I signed up today for low-income discount with my electric company. I qualify, but I was surprised they didn't require documentation. I'll see how it plays out.
For those who visit North Carolina we are home to the world's largest natural habitat zoo. The animals and plants are truly amazing!
Tempting! I'm afraid we won't be be going any farther east than Asheville, though, at least on this trip. I'll remember this for another time. Thanks!
Wow, my mom's senior condo has a room for guests that is only $20/night. it is just two twin beds (no bathroom) but most guests spend their time with mom and the price can't be beat....
Great find with the camcorder! good luck selling it, after your road trip!
Yes, that's a great price!
I loved that Terence Conran book! Our library doesn't have that book anymore, but I put three of his other books on hold.
1. Husband borrowed a friend's telescoping tree trimmer and removed the deadest branches that it could reach. We received a bid of several thousand dollars to clean up four of our huge oak trees, which we declined, so we decided to do the ones nearest the house on our own. Branches and bark drop during every storm.
2. Made an almond poppyseed quick bread. I was originally going to make cherry pecan bread but the cost of ingredients made me hesitate, so I used the same recipe and swapped in almond extract and poppyseed that I already had on hand.
3. In the ongoing saga of the money pit that is our house, this time it was the bathroom sink drain. Husband cleared everything out and it still wasn't draining, which meant the problem was with the pipe in the wall that leads down to our mechanical room. He couldn't get the ancient flange(?) to budge, so we needed to pay someone to cut a hole in the vanity, remove the old narrow metal pipe, and replace it with a larger plastic PVC pipe.
4. Returned the commode liners that I never used. Just in the nick of time before the return window slammed shut. $18 back in my wallet.
5. Sister came over and shared some delicious green grapes with us.
A good friend whom I haven’t seen for months had a doctor appointment in the next city over. To save on gas and parking I took the bus in to see her. We went out to lunch and picked a simple, comfy Thai restaurant as they had very reasonable combination plates. After lunch we visited a free art gallery.
My husband and I went hiking today. We have an inexpensive state park pass. Aside from all the beauty and fresh air we stuffed our faces with wild salmon berries.
At our protest yesterday (many people showed up!) an older woman ( well, older than me) complimented me on the shirt I was wearing. Little did she know I made it from a $3 piece of material.
Since people have been discussing their cake mix tweaks, I wonder if anyone has ever tried this idea. My grandma swore her pie crusts were light and flaky because she always used Sprite or 7up instead of water. Haven’t tried it myself but have always been curious (only make pie at Thanksgiving).
I just love your backyard, it is so inviting.
I went on a excursion with the neighbor and her 5 littles. We were searching for glass terrariums for the 3 oldest kids. We found 2 aquariums and a glass punch bowl plus a cake cover. The oldest took measurements of the punch bowl and designed a lip to glue down to secure the cake cover. She used her dad's 3-D printer. She's 9! Scary smart, reading at high school level. I let her borrow my Lucy Maud Montgomery books.
We went hiking our woods and found miners lettuce, several mosses, ferns and stones. Layered sand, pebbles and rocks, then soil mixed with peat moss.
Got my tower fan out of storage.
Got out my solar oven.
Friend from Japan is staying with us, he got back from his medical conference in Texas and is taking me for dinner at the beach and a nice sunset stroll. A good friend lives on a private beach and I pay her in sour dough bread for access.
I love chocolate mint and I grow it every year.
1. This is my frugal cruise addition. We went on a cruise last week. We left out of NJ so we saved on not having to get airfare. We took a car service that our son in laws parents own. They only charged us gas, tolls and tip for the driver. It was much cheaper then paying to park at the pier. We didn't go during prime season so the cruise fare was cheaper.
2.We brought a bottle of wine and a 12 pack of soda on with us. Yes you are allowed. We did not buy a drink package. I believe Hubby bought 3 drinks and I bought 1 all week. Otherwise we had water(brought refillable water bottles), coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch, milk, hot chocolate, or juice. All of that is included.
3. We did not buy food on Bermuda. We went back to the ship for lunch and dinner. We wanted to try 2 of the specialty restaurants so we did them at lunch which is half the price of dinner. I also used the onboard credit that we got free to pay for them. Both meals were fabulous. Hubby got a glass of wine with one on the last day. The sommelier kept refilling his glass because he had open bottles that he didn't want to get tossed.
4. We booked our next cruise while on board. We had to put $100 down for each person. We will receive it back in on board credit. We received a free room upgrade because we are in their loyalty program. We will receive a free bottle of wine on the next cruise. We also got a great price. We now have next years cruise booked that we were going to take anyway.
5. We were invited to the Captain's Welcome party. It is free alcohol, sodas, appetizers and desserts. They only serve these desserts at this event and they are so good. My favorite was the cheesecake bites covered in chocolate. I had a strawberry daiquiri and hubby had a martini. We both got a soda shortly before the party ended and took it back to our room.
6. We each got a glass of free champagne at an art auction. We each got a glass of champagne on the formal night. We drank them with our dinner.
7. I didn't get a Wi-Fi package. I didn't need it. I used the app to message hubby and there are phones all over the ship so I used those when he was in the room. Hubby's job paid for his WIFI because they wanted to be able to reach him. I used his phone when I wanted to call someone or use WIFI.
8. We saved money buy not doing a lot of extras. We didn't do ship excursions. We either walked or took a bus to where we wanted to go and paid an admission fee. Cruises charge a crazy amount to do their excursions. We didn't pay for extra classes on board. We did lots of free ones. Most of our meals were eaten at the main dining room or buffet which are included. We didn't buy a new wardrobe to wear. We have plenty of clothes already. We only bought one souvenir, a magnet. We did get lots of prizes for playing games and doing activities on board. Our room steward also left us lots of extra chocolates when he found out we like chocolate so I brought them home and gave some to my kids. We used the shampoo, body wash, conditioner and lotion that they supply on the ship. We are not picky. We brought medications with us from home so that we didn't need to buy any. We took our own pictures or asked people to take pictures of us. We didn't do the photo package.
9. Our kids shared watching our dog. We came home and our son left the next morning on a work trip for a week. We are watching his cat. We always watch each others pets.
We had a great time and didn't feel like we were deprived or missed out on anything. We can't wait for our next cruise.
Thanks for the tips on doing a cruise on the cheap. I've been thinking about doing one through Costco and start with a 3 day cruise that would leave out of NJ. I would probably do all the things that you did. Again, thanks.
We booked through BJ's so we will be getting an extra $50 gift card next month.
Reading your description of the Bermuda cruise makes me want to go back. We did many of the same frugal choices as you to keep the price down. We ate all meals on the ship mostly at the buffet...delicious food...took buses around the island and left out of Boston being Massachusetts residents. Easy peasy and no airfare. I loved it so much I cruised there 4x. Glad you had such a good time too.
Thanks. I love Bermuda and would happily go every year.
Your yard is just lovely, Katy.
We're in the midst of what's forecast to be two weeks of rain, so I stayed home today. Gave my dogs a quick bath because many things are blooming and they are itchy. It helped.
Because my brain does not function first thing in the morning, I portioned up five single serve containers of cereal with some raisins sprinkled on top to just grab and have with coffee. Used a packet of powdered milk to make pudding for my family. Added a serving of steamed broccoli and canned peaches to a skimpy frozen meal for a much healthier lunch. All these foods were bought on discount except the powdered milk.
Trimmed my own hair yesterday to stave off a salon visit, though I did find a coupon in the free weekly shopper put out by the local newspaper. It's good until next month.
Your yard is really looking summer-ready over there! I love all your plants. How do you like to use the chocolate mint? I've never been sure about that plant as it seems like the flavor would be pretty distinctly different from regular peppermint . . .
My week was pretty frugal and I stayed at home til today.
Monday a huge tree fell onto our Main Street and took out the power til 11 a.m. the next day. We have a solar powered Jackery generator (it's small) so hubby set it up for the router and the tv to watch Jeopardy and then run the fridge all night.
During the black out at 4 am I went down into my basement with a flashlight to get some paper towels. Dropped the flashlight, tripped over the line of hubby's shoes and landed on our old school heavy duty folding chair. I got two black eyes and skinned my knee. Fortunately my daughter was sleeping on the couch down there as it was cooler so she eventually heard me and helped me get up. My daughter is deaf without her hearing aids in.
So I stayed home for most of the week not wanting to go out with my black eyes.
Went out today to Urgent Care cause I thought I was getting pink eye. I gave them an hour and a half and then walked out of the exam room as they got enough of my time. I think my eyes are ok now.
Then to Walgreens to pick up an order and on to Kohls to pick up an order. Sent hubby in to pick them up. We drove in a loop to do all chores.
Hubby made chili in the crock pot with the $2.99/lb ground beef that was on sale. Limit was 5 lbs. He wanted to make Jiffy corn bread but instead made corn bread with Jiffy banana bread mix in it. It wasn't bad....
1. My neighbour is having a celebration of life for her mother, and I offered to bake something for her. I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a $2.97 CDN bag of Nestle chocolate chips which is super cheap at the moment. Chocolate chips can be over $6 a bag here.
2. Sold another item on Marketplace, a clothing piece that I liked but wasn't really my style. DH said it made me look like an old lady. I'm 64, I thought I was one. Buyer was thrilled with it, picked it up promptly and didn't haggle over the price.
3. Sold the two wool rugs that were my Dad's that I paid hundreds to have cleaned. What I received didn't cover the cost of cleaning, but at least they are staying out of the landfill for now. The buyer was thrilled with them.
4. My neice asked DH to make a cribbage board for her to give her hubby for Father's Day. My DH made one out of scrap wood. Looks great.
5. One of my Airbnb guests left blue ink on my white leather chair, so I googled how to get it off, and used Rubbing alcohol and a few Q-tips to dab it clean. Worked quite well, and I didn't use any expensive cleaners.
Hi Allie,
I’ve been purchasing my chocolate chips at Costco. Saves the hassle of trying to find them on sale. It seems they only are on sale around Christmas. I’m also in Canada.
The ones from Costco aren’t “ FairTrade trade” but are created from cocoa that Costco grows in Ghana.
I found that information out years ago in the Costco magazine.
T
I dunno, those huge bags of costco chocolate chips were the siren's call for the Roommate - I had to 'have words' with her when I discovered her with a cup (or more) of chips, sneaking out of my pantry. It was one of the few things she did that both annoyed me and surprised me, however all humans are individuals and she was mostly a gem. She moved out to a different local city, a couple of weeks ago, and will be starting her new job in a few days - I'm so pleased for her as she is well enough to be spreading her wings again. But the chips? Yeah, those are MY secret stash, thank you very much! LOL
Having that amount of chocolate chips would be deadly for me! I have been known to mix them with peanut butter for a snack, and can't have the temptation.
I love the shade you have! We have similar shade in the front of our house. 🙂
1. I made my nieces kindergarten graduation card yesterday out of paper we have at home. I cut a scene out of an old Little Golden Book from my childhood that was torn and had some stains. It turned out so cute! I gifted her a marker set taken from my personal overstocked art supplies and I intentionally chose all her favorite colors. I gifted her some stickers to color too. She was thrilled!
2. I made 3 different types of tea today from tea bags. My teen appreciates options and I appreciate not buying canned/bottled drinks.
3. I shopped my freezer/pantry for weekend meal planning. We will be laying low this weekend. It's hot (97 here today), places are crowded, and not to mention- gas and alllll the things are expensive.
4. We've been enjoying family game night once a week with our family members who live in our neighborhood. It's so much fun and we have the best time. No money spent as everyone has dinner at home and we just enjoy the games and laughter.
5. I found out my sons medical insurance now offers him $25 per month in free produce along with his $25 a month in free personal care/pharmacy items. We activated his new benefit yesterday and will be ready to use that on our next grocery run. Every penny counts!
My backyard is almost completely shaded so I understand.
1. I returned the EarthLink so I don’t get charged $400.00.
2. Got gas for $3.83 but everywhere else is was $4.09 a gallon. It always goes up on holiday weekends around here.
3. Went for a checkup at doc before my really good former employee insurance expires on June 1st.
4. Made baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and I have a hot dogs, watermelon, and chicken in the freezer. I use sandwich bread for the $1.00 hot dogs from Aldi bc I grew up during the era when my grandma refused to buy buns. Works for me as an adult also.
5. I managed a hour walk between storms and now am sitting by my window I paid for watching it rain and enjoying the breeze. The air is off. I have been working on my home office also.