Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal  

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate the holiday.

Once again the weather is such that staying home is actually helping with my thrift and frugalness. If I don't go out I don't spend. 

1.  This week should see me adding 5 no spend days onto the number I have already been able to accumulate. 

2.  Fixed a pocket in one of Harvey's coats. 

3.  Using up items from the fridge freezer for our suppers (or what those in the UK would call tea, I believe).

4.  Used up one tin of Mint Salve to help with my arthritis pain, instead of using pain meds.

5.  Used up the remaining warp on my loom. Very little warp went to waste.

6.  Used up the rubber shelf liner as a no skid backing on the rugs I fashioned. 

7.  Using up leftovers from the fridge freezer.

8.  Baked two loaves of bread, and a cake for dessert this week. Stuffed the oven as full as possible so as to save on energy.

9.  Harvey is getting better at turning off lights in the basement when he is not in the room.

10.  Reading free or very discounted books on my ereader.

11.  Paid all bills online once again so no driving. 

12.  Walking in the house for exercise.

13.  Decluttered a few items this week.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek

 I am no longer really surprised at how quickly the weeks pass by. Rather I am surprised that Christmas is only a few weeks away. At least now the weather is a bit more Christmassy now. 

This is what it looks like outside right now.

We are having some lovely ice depositing fog, which makes me even more happy to stay home and work around the house. While I did spend money today I did not leave the house. Bill paying happened and it was all done online. No running around the city to the various places (well it would only be two places but one is on this side of the city and one on the other side of the city). No having to face the crazy drivers who seem to forget what driving is when it is icy and there is snow on the road. Really scary here the first part of winter.

Maebeme asked me if I had any lentil recipes, so here goes. All of these are online and are relatively easy to make. This is also one way we are beating rising costs. Lentils are a great source of protein and much less expensive than meat at this point in time.

Lentil Curry is one of our favs. Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup is another. I have also added a few lentils (like perhaps a handful) to Spaghetti Meat Sauce to stretch that out. I made a Brown Lentil Soup that was very good as well. Those are the best ones I have used so far. I did make a baked lentil meal, but that did not go over very well so never made it again. I also made falafels once and they used chickpeas and lentils. Not our favourite meal at all. 

I know people who make taco's with lentils and really like them so that will be the next recipe I try. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

 

Tidbits and Stuff

 

A day spent inside, baking bread, making granola and doing the usual household tasks normally done on this day. I did not venture outside at all. A lovely and quiet day here on the Phillips homestead.

This arrived last night.

Snow fell for most of the evening and into the early hours of the morning. Kind of a wet snow really, and so this morning when I woke up the roads had become icy. It really is nice not to have to head out for work, or to actually pay bills or shovel. Still I will be outside to pick up a parcel that is hopefully delivered at some point. But the roads being as bad as they are I am not too sure what I am looking for will really arrive. 

I continued on the straightening of the linen closet in the hall and picked up a few items in the hallway leading downstairs and put them in their proper place. 

There could be a bit of time spent in the sewing/craft room picking up a few items in there. I can never understand how that room gets so disorganized in just a few days. 

I am sleeping better and the pain in my back and hips has pretty much disappeared. Now that the temperatures are not going up and down in giant swings things will be much more manageable. It can now be controlled once again by changing positions or walking a bit every so often. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 My goodness these weeks go by so very quickly. This will be another week of using some of the stored food in the fridge freezer with a couple of meals using things from the freezers downstairs.

Monday

Ham pasties and the leftover tossed salad.

Tuesday

Lentil chili served over rice or pasta. Probably rice as I will need to make some extra for another meal this week.

Wednesday

Cream of Celery Soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

Thursday

Regular chili and toast.

Friday

Fish Fillets, rice, corn and peas mixed together.

Saturday

Using up the saved spaghetti meat sauce and making a small baked spaghetti. Served with salad. 

Sunday

Mini meat loaves, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and leftover salad.

Still waiting for the snow we were to get today. Nothing as of yet, but it is really dark out and the temperature has dropped considerably.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

I had a great sleep last night, but woke up to extreme pain in my back and hips. I have been rubbing mint salve in a few times today to relieve the pain. Good thing I have many a tin of that as well as some comfrey salve to use this winter. I think it might be a bad winter for my arthritis. 

Harvey saw how slowly I was moving this morning and said no sitting on a hard pew for me. I ended up watching Mass on the television live streamed. Not the same, but at least it was something. 

Quiet day here on the old homestead I have spent the day making plans for the upcoming year, finishing off the rugs, and doing some embroidery. As I have said before one of my plans is to make more from scratch and while it will probably take a bit more time, I will be moving to a simpler life. Simpler in that I will not be wasting resources, that items will be made with whole foods and not full of preservatives.

Simplifying my life to me means not only ridding myself of debt, but working towards a self-sufficient life.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

Not much in the way of projects completed, the pictures of those things will have to wait until next week. I did get a few things almost completed though so that is a plus.

This week was spent getting little things completed, like my calendars for next years monthly menu plans, and a few food items made to be used over the next weeks. Plus of course that big shopping trip and the processing of all the meat. 

I guess it is nothing to shrug ones shoulders at and say pfft nothing was really accomplished.

I got my yogurt made for the upcoming week. Love my yogurt maker as my instant pot is old and does not have a yogurt button. 

I peeled the apples and made apple pie filling. Only one container, but at least the bruised and softened apples did not go to waste.

That is something I am working on, no waste of food.

I also got some hummus made. Actually quite a bit of hummus, and some is in the fridge freezer to be used in later weeks.

I am very happy with how this batch turned out. So much smoother than the first batch I ever bad and the taste is awesome. So much better than store bought. 

Baked bread as well this week and will probably get more done tomorrow as well as make some Naan or another type of flat bread. 

Of course I worked on my various projects for Christmas and the house organization. 

Harvey bought some wine kits and then today he went and purchased the water he will need to use in the making of the wine. The place he bought the water (this is the only time we purchase bottled water) had some free items for those who spent in the store. He got a free iced tea and a free bottle of BBQ sauce. There was also a trip made by him to the Dairy Queen here in town with a coupon. He bought a box of Dilly Bars and got one for free. As those novelty items are fairly expensive and we love us some ice cream coated in chocolate these are a welcome addition to our supplies.

 

Spent some time on line looking up recipes to use up the leftover smoked brisket. Tomorrow I will be making a "Mexican Soup" and perhaps with the second pack I will make another of the recipes I found. Pretty sure there will be leftovers of the soup to be used up as well. In the freezer the leftovers will go. Building things up so as to take the time to visit with our sons when they are home for Christmas, or just when I don't feel like cooking.

As I have half a brisket left to cook, I spent time looking up recipes to do so with my slow cooker. They all look so yummy and all take anywhere from 8 to 10 hours to be cooked. So a fix it and forget it meal coming up eventually. And of course even more leftovers to decide on what to do with. 

Considering the cost of food I am really working on making the most of what we have by using leftovers to make new meals, or planning what to do with the leftovers I already have. Planning ahead helps keep items used and made the most of. I just have to remember what needs to be used and what I have in stock. 

While life is getting simpler, the lead up to that seems to be a touch more complicated. Still I can feel myself relaxing more and enjoying what treasures each day imparts. Life is good, if a bit more expensive.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Moving Towards Simplicity

 

Decluttering possessions is probably the easiest way to start living a simple life. Those possessions that keep us away from family or stop us from living a life based on our values, or in fact just deplete our bank accounts are not necessary. I do have many appliances, but most enable me to cut down cooking time and give me a chance to visit. 

I have also come to realize that I do not need two closets full of clothes and have been gradually ridding myself of those items that do not fit my body now and those that I just do not love. 

Slowly but surely I am removing myself from time commitments that also stop me from enjoying a slowed down life. I never realized how much time I spent doing things that did not fulfill me or enable me to take the time for a nice long walk or curling up with a good book.

Debt held us back from enjoying a simple life as well. We no longer have debt and that is so wonderfully freeing. Do what ever you can to lose that weight. 

It is amazing to me how much simple living incorporates frugal and thrifty living. I suppose one could have one without the other, but the stresses of a life full of things, of debt, of always trying to keep up with others really do not allow for a simple life. Letting go of those things or ridding ourselves of those things saves us money and allows us to rest.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.