Frugal Friday! Week of August 22-28, 2021

 

Hello Frugal Friends!

How are you this week? I hope you and your family are doing well! It has been a very busy but good week for us. The college where my hubby works started this past week, so while my daughter and I have been doing homeschool for a number of weeks already, it was his first week back in the classroom and therefore our family is trying to get into the swing of the new routine. 

So—on to my frugal endeavors for the week!

*My first savings is what I choose NOT to buy. There are sometimes advantages of a long line at the store! It gives one time to think over their purchases! There I was at Walmart, with a package of freezer containers in my hand—when I realized I probably didn’t REALLY need to purchase more containers. And my basket at home where I store my plastic containers was already pretty full, with no room to hold more containers if these new ones were empty and not holding food in the freezer. SO, I decided to put them back in the shelf, and just see if I could gather up containers that I already had at home. And you know what? I have found that I have plenty of containers already, so no need to purchase more.

*At the same time that I put back the freezer containers, I also decided to put back a sign that I was going to buy. I love this sign—it is adorable! But I realized that what I liked about this sign is it looks reminiscent of a chalkboard, and I actually have leftover chalkboard paint from a previous project. Plus, I have plenty of white paint, and I knew we could find a stray board lying around. . . I may not make this EXACT sign, but I will make SOMETHING. I have several ideas floating around in my mind, and will run them past my hubby and see which he prefers. The plan for this sign is to go above the new door that we enclosed our breezeway with. It will be outside, but will be underneath our carport so it will not matter if it is waterproof or not, as it will never get wet. So—I also saved $ by deciding I could make my own sign.

*We had our furnace serviced. This cost money, true, but I do believe that keeping it cleaned and serviced twice a year will help make it last longer. And furnaces are definitely NOT inexpensive to replace! I already know that our furnace is 13 years old, and was not a super high quality one to begin with, so the serviceman told me we were doing good to have gotten it to work well this long. 

*I saved more tomato seeds from the few tomatoes left in my garden. The picture shows my seeds fermenting the several days needed to get the coating off of them. I watched a video clip on YouTube earlier this summer to learn how to do this, and it was easier than I thought. I should not have been intimidated by doing it.

*I picked some spearmint to try and get it to grow roots and therefore start new plants. I am still waiting to see if any new roots develop.

The leaves I picked off of the plants I dried on a plate and added to my jar of dried spearmint. I will use this in herbal tea, which I enjoy when the weather turns cooler.

*I started some collard seedlings. In my area, these will grow into the Fall and even continue to grow during the winter.

*We made a trip to a local apple orchard. I purchased two bushels of apples to eat fresh, dry some, and will probably make some apple jam or apple fruit sauce for over pancakes and waffles.

I USED to purchase six bushels and can our own applesauce, but sadly the prices have risen so that it is no longer a real money savings for me to can my own applesauce, as compared to simply purchasing it already made. Yes, it does taste better than the store bought, but my time is limited so I need to decide where to spend it. The prices this year were the highest yet, but still a big savings for fresh apples. In my area, the least expensive apples at the stores are around $4.00 and higher for a three pound bag of small apples at Aldis. But purchasing these two bushels, it worked out to .67 cents a pound, which is a lot less expensive. Of course, to have a true comparison one would need to factor in cost of driving, since the orchard IS farther for me to drive to than my Aldis, but we also really enjoy the trip so consider it as a mini vacation.

Well, that was my week! How was yours? I would love to hear about it!

-Susan

Frugal Friday! Week of August 15-21, 2021

Hello Frugal Friends!

How was your week? We had rain, rain, rain!  And when that was finished, we had a few more days of rain!  I believe it was from tropical storm “Fred,” and it looks like there are several more tropical storms “out there.”  We will see what they develop into, and I pray for people to not be hurt or lose homes and businesses!

We had a good week. Last weekend my daughter and my niece played music at our church.  Which starts us out on the frugal activities from this week!

 *My daughter and her cousin played two pieces for church, one for the offering and one for special music.  It was such a blessing to hear them sharing their music and their talents developed by hard work with others.  I pray that the music they shared was a blessing to whomever heard them! If you would like to listen to their pieces, you can find them at the following links: 

Offering

Special Music

You might be wondering how this is a “frugal activity.”  Well, church was free for everyone to come to, so I figure we all had a free “mini concert!” :) 

*I mended five wash cloths.  These are rather “newish,” but right away some of the hemming started to come undone when they were in the wash.  I had collected a stack of five wash clothes in my hemming pile, so I FINALLY sat down and did that job.  It didn’t take long, and we now have five more wash cloths back into circulation.  The longest part of the job was the fact that they were three different colors, which meant three thread changes plus one broken needle when I tried to sew over a very thick portion of the hem.  But at least the job is done now.

*I accepted a free orchid from a friend. It was a gift to her, but she has found that her cat simply will NOT leave it alone.  And while orchids are not technically poisonous to cats, it does make them vomit if ingested.  So—she decided the better part would be to pass the gift on.  Since my cat doesn’t really have much interest in plants, and since it ISN’T a poisonous plant, I happily accepted it.  Isn’t it nice that if we cannot use something, we can pass it on to someone else who can enjoy or benefit from it?  I like to think that the things I have donated to thrift stores have helped someone’s budget or perhaps made them smile.

*I returned two pairs of shoes that I had bought for my daughter—one from Amazon, and one from a local store but they hadn’t had her size in stock so the needed size was shipped free of charge to us.  We loved the way both pairs looked—but sadly neither one really fit well or felt comfortable on her feet.  So back they went!  This is frugal because if I had waited too long, I would not have been able to return them and get my $ back!  When you have hard to fit feet, you just have to try a lot until you find something that works.  As the expression goes—if the shoe fits—WEAR IT! 

*I made peach “freezer jam.”  We had some peaches left from our little semi dwarf tree, and while the first peaches we had were luscious, these last ones have been a tad on the mealy side.  They are not spoiled—they are just a little disappointing when you chomp into them.  So I decided to turn them into freezer jam! I do not use sugar, so I chopped the peaches up into small pieces, placing them in a sauce pan.  Then in the blender I threw in probably six or so dates, pitted and cut in half, two tablespoons of cornstarch, and a cup of water. I blended up this mixture until it was smooth—the dates, cornstarch, and water, and then poured it into the chopped peaches and simmered on the stove until it thickened up.  This is the same method I use to make any fruit “jam.”  Not exactly a traditional jam, but it works on toast and the dates add a nice, sweetness to the fruit.  I have made apple jam, strawberry jam. And blackberry jam all this way.  But it has to be frozen, as it does not have the needed ingredients to be hot water canned and stay shelf stable.  I also use this type of a “jam” or fruit sauce over pancakes and waffles—yummy!

*I had a free bone density screening thanks to my husband’s employer. I also was able to have a free hearing test.  All I had to do was sign up for these at the recent Wellness check that his school did, and so I signed up!  Bone density has been an ongoing problem for me, but happily all my hiking in the woods with my daughter seems to be improving my bone density, so that was a happy surprise!  My hearing is always on the poor side—I am partially deaf—but I do try and check to make sure my hearing is stable and not getting worse.  So far, it has been very stable which is good.  My doctor has guessed that I could have even been born with my hearing loss, and just never had it discovered until I was an adult.  One thing I have definitely learned is I do more lip reading than I realized I did.  This past year of COVID, with people wearing masks, it has often been difficult for me to understand everything they are saying, both because of volume but also being able to watch their mouth. I never thought I did any lip reading at all, but while I may not “officially” lip read, I depend upon watching people more than I knew!

*I finished a baby afghan.  Crocheting is one of my hobbies, and while I do not have a lot of time, I do like to have a project on-going.  I make these for our local “Samaritan Center.”  The Samaritan Center uses them for their baby layette program.  They put together a baby layette consisting of a blanket or afghan, some baby clothes, newborn size diapers, and some formula.  These kits are taken to our local hospitals in Chattanooga, where they are given out by the social workers to mothers who are in need for even the basics for their new baby.  I am happy that I can help in a small way, and I hope the mothers and their baby’s can feel the love that goes into each baby layette!  This is frugal—I hope—because I finally posted on my FB page about my making these blankets, and asked if any of my local friends might have some leftover skeins of yarn in soft, baby colors.  I am hoping that some of my friends will, because that would help me continue to make these.  As you can see, I try and choose designs that work well with little snippets of yarn, so I do not have to have a lot of just one specific color. So far, none of my local friends have said they have leftover yarn, but a couple of my long distance friends have expressed that they wish they lived closer and could share some that they have with me!  One never knows unless one asks, however, so I figured I might as well ask!  I am thinking I will also post about my doing this on a local “Buy Nothing” FB page, and see if anyone might have some yarn to share.

Well, that was my week!  How was YOUR week?  I would love to hear about it and how you save money and bless your family and others!

~Susan

Frugal Friday! Week of August 8-14, 2021

 

Good Morning Frugal Friends!  

How was your week?  I hope all is well!  We have definitely shifted into a “Back to School” feeling around here, but it does NOT feel like Fall! Our weather is still quite warm, I wear shorts almost every day, and I am looking forward to cooler weather coming so my daughter and I can start hiking the trails again with more pleasant temperatures.  

And speaking of back to school—since we ARE back to our books (although SOME ONE around here often continues on with her Math and Science books during the summers since she loves those areas so much!), my daughter reminded me this past week that we should do our “Back to School” pictures while it was still the beginning of the school year. So that starts off my list of frugal things from this past week. . . 

*We took our own “Back to School” pictures. NOT that there is anything wrong with having professional pictures taken, and I would LOVE to get some really nice pictures taken of my daughter, but well, sometimes something is better than nothing! So for this year, we at least TOOK back to school pictures, so I figure I at least get half credit for effort! ;) 

We decided to take them out in our little woods, which is not exactly where we normally go hiking as it is just a tiny section of woods in our back yard.  But it looks just the same as our beloved trails that we hike at just one mile down the road, so I figured it would do in a pinch! 

We were trying to think of creative poses, and at one point my daughter suggested we leap into the air for an action shot.  Well, THAT was a hoot!  You should have seen this 56 year old mom trying to leap into the air at just the right time as the camera counts down!  On second thought, you are actually blessed that you DIDN’T witness that!  And then we dissolved into peals of laughter and that didn’t help with picture poses at all—but it DID help with hilarious memories! 

My daughter picked out the above four photos, and posted them on social media along with this description:  “Hiking, climbing, leaping, and generally tumbling joyfully into a new, exciting school year!” Our pictures may not be the best posed or edited, but my daughter’s description of our homeschool makes my heart happy!

*I had a free $5.00 coupon to use at Staples, so used it to purchase 20 notebooks at .25 cents each. I didn’t even have any tax to pay! My daughter will use a few in her school subjects, and I usually have one notebook going at my kitchen desk for things such as shopping lists, etc.  The rest will go into our supply stash, so when someone needs something during the school year we can just go to our shelves to “shop” instead of paying full price later in the school year when things are NOT at the back to school sale prices! 

*I received a coupon for a free full sized item from Bath and Body Works.  I was delighted!!!  I have had the occasional coupon for a small travel sized item before, but never have I received a coupon for a free full sized item!  My daughter and I had fun sniffing a bunch of them in the store before I finalized on the above item. I wouldn’t complain if they sent me these coupons more often!

*I cut and dried Lemon Balm.  I hope to use this to make some herbal tea.  This is my first year growing Lemon Balm.  I have it in a container so it doesn’t take over my yard, but I am kinda wishing it would flourish a bit more.  Not sure if our extreme heat has done a number on it growing more, but while it is still alive it is not exactly putting on a lot of growth for me to cut. I should read up more on growing it.

*My hubby and I each earned a  $25 gift card to our local grocery store from the college that my hubby works for, in exchange for participating in the back to school  wellness check. Since we are covered under the college health insurance, when we stay healthy, it ends up costing the college less for their health insurance.  So they give nice little incentives to encourage people to participate in healthy lifestyle things. I REALLY appreciate this!  Not only did we each get a free health screening—which included a complete blood panel for us, but then in addition we received these gift cards.  The college owns this grocery store, and it is a large vegetarian grocery store, with a nice large bulk food section where you can find things that are hard to find at other stores.  I will save the gift cards and use them to purchase specialty products that I cannot find cheaper at other stores such as Aldi’s. 

*I found strawberries at .99 cents a pound at my Aldi’s.  I bought three trays of them, which we enjoyed eating fresh and we also had strawberry shortcake several times!

*I picked garden tomatoes.  Sadly, our garden is about finished and these may be the last of the garden tomatoes until next summer.  I sure enjoyed what we got!  There are a few more out there, but some of them seem to spoil before coming ripe.  I have LOVED the taste of the “Carbon” variety of tomatoes that I grew this year, but I have not been impressed with them seeming to spoil quickly.  For taste they are the best I have ever eaten though, so I will probably try and grow them again next year, but I need to find a way to squeeze in another variety as well. . . 

*I bought a thrift shop book for .50 cents.  I also found some small bowls for .40 cents each that the style of it goes nicely with the other serving dishes I already had.  I thought I could use these small bowls to hold toppings for different meals such as chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, etc. 

Well, that was my week—how was yours? I would love to hear about it!

~Susan

Frugal Friday! Week of July 25-August 7, 2021

 

Hello Frugal Friends!

How was your last two weeks? I hope they were  good! Are you out enjoying the sunshine, or hiding from the heat with the AC going? We have been doing a little bit of both! 

Two weeks ago was my mommy’s birthday!!! So, our family as well as my brother traveled to stay the week with her. I had not been able to see my brother in several years, so it was extra special that he was able to fly in from Arizona to join us! 

*Frugal traveling—our family was able to drive, and we packed our meals to take with js, so no eating out along the way! We were also able to drive, so even with gas prices higher than they have been earlier, it was still less expensive for three of us to drive than it would have been to fly.  Plus, added bonus that we had our car to drive while there and did not need to rent a car!

It was good to be in my home state once again!

My beautiful mommy!

She had many beautiful flowers blooming in her yard. I enjoyed taking pictures of them.

*I went for lots of early morning walks on their street.  This is a picture of one sunrise, over the top of their barn.  My parents had this house built before I was in kindergarten, so literally my entire childhood took place on these ten acres.  Much has changed--but much is still the same.

Don’t let that smile fool you! My brother only LOOKS innocent! Trust me, he is anything BUT! ;) 

Our first full day there started out great!  My daughter enjoyed playing on my mom's organ.

Then we had a problem.  The electricity went out! Fortunately, crochet does not take any electricity, and I had brought along some baby blankets I am making for a local center that puts together a baby layette kit and takes them to the local hospitals.  Some new mothers have nothing--and I mean, NOTHING to start their baby out with.  I am happy I can help out in a little way.  I hope they feel the love that goes into each baby blanket or afghan that I make.

*Since there was not a lot we could do at my parent's home, and the air conditioner was of course off without any electricity, we all piled into the car and headed to a metro park that is not TOO far away from my parents.  We "thought" we were going to buy tickets and all take a boat ride on the lake, on a motorized boat that they operate there.  Well, plan B didn't work, as we found out they are now only operating the boat Thursdays through Sundays, and we were there on a Tuesday!  So on to plan C!  My brother offered to rent a paddle boat.  You rent them for the hour.  The large ones seat five people, but we had six in our family. . . Happily, when I asked, we were told that we were welcome to go out for a while, then come back in and change people in the boat and go out again.  So that is what we did! 

These are the boat choices!  Aren't they adorable???

Since we were going out twice, we went out first in a swan, and then when we came back in we switched to a duck!

After the boats, we went inside the nature center and looked at the displays there.

Happily, by the time we got back to my parent's house, the electricity was back on.  Yay!

*The next day, we went to Frankenmuth.  This is a quaint tourist town with roots going back to German immigrants. There we met up with my aunt and uncle, and we all ate lunch together to celebrate both my mom's birthday as well as my aunts and my dads--they all three have July birthdays, and get a special meal at a restaurant there.  I had looked ahead of time at the menu online, and had an idea of a salad that I could eat, as I have food allergies and have to be very careful.  My daughter does as well, though not as severe as mine.  So I had also brought in a small cooler with some foods that were safe for us to enjoy, along with the salad we bought there.  It was a fun time seeing family that lives far away, and also not being afraid that I was going to end up sick from the food. I ALWAYS travel with my own food! 

After we ate lunch, we toured the shops downstairs.  I don't EAT anything they sell at the bakery, but they sure make pretty food!

They also sell all kinds of lovely this and that!

I enjoyed looking, but I was also happy to leave the pretty things there, especially after a peek at the price tags! ;)

We also enjoyed petting some of the horses that were waiting to take people for a ride.

Our family also toured around in a store there by the name of Bronners.  It is a Christmas store, and sells not only Christmas trees, but also Christmas ornaments from literally around the world.  If you can imagine it, they probably have it! Seriously!

My brother sweetly offered to purchase an ornament for my daughter. She considered a music ornament!

She looked at many different ornaments, but in the end choose one that had a science theme.  Then she discovered that my brother had also purchased her a space one in addition, because he had noticed she had really liked it as well.  That was thoughtful of him!

*On the way home we stopped at a store as my mom wanted to pick out her own birthday cake.  Well, we discovered this store had a penny horse ride!  The store even gave you the penny that the ride cost!  At first I asked my daughter if she wanted a ride, and she was shy about it since she IS kinda old!  Well, that doesn't stop my brother!  I told you he was a trouble maker! 

As soon as Uncle Brian rode the horse, my daughter looks at me and says "I will if YOU will!"  Well, I cannot let my daughter miss out on an opportunity to ride a horse, can I?  I mean, we don't have horses in our grocery stores back home in Tennessee. . .  It really IS amazing how much fun a person can still have for one penny!

I KNOW what you are thinking!  You are wondering where the proof is that I rode!  Well, you know, I couldn't take a picture of myself, right? 

But my brother did!  So yes, yes I did! ;) But my hubby was so embarrassed by our shenanigans that he didn't even stay in the store waiting for us--he scooted all the way out of the building and waited for us in the car! Ah well, he just doesn't know what fun he missed out on!

So THAT is what I have been up to the past two weeks!  Traveling to, spending time in, and traveling back home from Michigan.  It was priceless to see and spend time with family.  Not everything went perfectly, but we laughed when things went wrong and ended up creating treasured memories!

And it didn't have to cost a whole lot to do it either!

What did YOU do to save money and bless your family these past two weeks?  Have you spent time with family that you do not normally get to see this summer? I hope you had a chance to!

~Susan