I was asked if I cook my rice first for the lazy cabbage rolls. Well I did this last time, but usually I don't. You just have to use more tomato juice (tomato soup/water mixture if you choose) if you are using raw rice.
So what thrifty things have I been up to this week.
1. Cut down on the amount of potting soil I needed. I am not filling as many baskets or containers this year...well at least I hope not. I have gone from 8 of the largest bags you can buy to 5 bags. And I actually think that next year could be slightly lower.
2. I did not spend as much on flowers and greenery this year. Over the years I quite often would spend well over $600.00 on plants to beautify my yard... This year I am down to about $300.00. I know this sounds really high, but I do love to be surrounded by colour after 6 months at least of blah. I am hoping to overwinter a couple of plants along with the lemon trees.
3. Using up all leftovers. Even Harvey has gotten behind this as he has seen how prices are rising.
4. Made my own spray to get rid of maple/box elder bugs.
5. Entertainment has been watching Netflix, Disney+ (youngest shares this with us) and Prime.
Those are just a few of the thrifty habits I used this week.
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
God bless.
You're on the right track with regards to adopting thrifty habits.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing really well Jackie. We too are trying to create our new garden with lots and lots of colour in without spending a fortune. G has grown a lot from seed or cuttings and we make our own compost at the allotment to bulk out the bought stuff. Most bags of compost are now peat free and the prices are shooting up. I'm sure your garden will be beautiful. Would you share some photos at a later date please? I would love to see it x
ReplyDeleteYou always impress me with your thrifty ideas. Things i never think of but every little bit helps. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteI haven't decided what plants to buy yet but need to get on it. It won't be much and I've also decided no mulch this year. That is compared to about 6 bags.
You are doing great! I made the mistake of adding way too much cabbage to my egg roll in a bowl dinner this week (it was 3x what it called for, & I was just distracted & added it all, vs parsing out what I needed). I've been dreading those leftovers. :-) I served some over rice last night, which definitely helped. We eat a lot of leftovers, but I have to remember to make smaller batches of some meals, as they just aren't as good on the second go round.
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie,
ReplyDelete...kudos to you...I love seeing people's thrifty habits...I'm naturally frugal and love to see new ways to make do and use up things...
~Have a lovely day!
i was very disappointed in the plants this year. Large amounts of dirt and small spindly plants. I am going to seed almost all my own next year. Paying for dirt is not my thing.
ReplyDeleteI bought some cabbage - I hope to make your casserole sometime this weekend. I've been craving it.
ReplyDeleteWe have learned, when it comes to potting soil in planters, that buying a bag of 'good' soil (Miracle Grow for instance) and mixing it in with last year's soil ends up being cheaper and we don't see a difference in the plant growth. Of course it's a tad messy to do the mixing but worth it in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of cutting down on potting soil. I'm with you when it comes to pretty flowers. I've planted some perennials over the years and I now save my dahlia bulbs at the end of the season. My dad used to do this, so I'm doing the same so I can replant it every year. That saves me from buying new bulbs every year and we still have lots of pretty flowers all summer for the vase. My gladioli have started to pop up this week, so I'm looking forward to more pretty flowers. Hope you & Harvey have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteGood work on all your thrifty measures.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds really good! Good for you! xx
ReplyDelete