Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

The heavy, wet snow we got yesterday is melting as the sun is shining. That sun is also keeping the furnace from cutting in much. Natural gas bill for next month should be a bit lower I hope.

I also hope that using small appliances like the electric roaster and toaster oven will bring down the electric costs as well. Especially since our costs for electric will be rising 5% starting April 1st. 

Got our extra medical insurance cost as well. It will of course be going up since we are aging. It went up for Harvey in June of last year, and is going up for me in May. It is getting pretty darn expensive, and I may look into the costs for other insurance, if I can find something that covers us for prior conditions. 

A few of the seeds I planted last week are starting to sprout. I am hoping to save just a bit this year on perennials and plants for my pots. Then next year saving a bit more by using one shelf on Harvey's set up with grow lights. Now if I could remember to save seed, that would even be better.

We were under overall budget for the month once again, but I was very close to going over on the grocery budget line. The fact is I probably will go over budget for the month of April. I want to stock up on items that are going to be very expensive due to transportation costs. 

Where we live in Saskatchewan, every single thing has to be transported. It either comes from out of province or from one of the four larger cities here. 

This, plus the fact that we live in a city where there is lots of oil and people can make a great deal of money does not make it inexpensive to reside here. Per capita, I have heard there are more millionaires here than anywhere else. Not sure if I believe that, but from the homes built and the vehicles driven I can see that many are not hurting at all right now. We did have a problem when the oil bombed, but things have picked up once again. 

I plan on stocking up on canned meats, fresh meat that is on sale (to build up freezer stocks once again), and things like flour, sugar, cheese, toilet paper, paper towels (for the messy things). If I can find olive oil with an extended use by date I will get a couple of those as well. Perhaps some instant coffee will make the list at some point as well. Prices seem to go up each and every week and that is concerning. 

Until the price of fuel falls (if it ever does) I think life is going to be tough for a great many people.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Oh my, the last few days of the month and now March is going out like a lion and hopefully not bringing April with it. Yep, we got heavy wet snow again, and the chances of snow on the Easter weekend are about 50/50.

Here is my menus for the upcoming week.

Monday

Pork stir fry using up the last package of frozen roast pork, a package of Japanese veggies and some added diced pepper. That will be served over rice.

Tuesday

Pork chops, mashed potatoes, and either frozen corn or frozen carrots.

Wednesday (April 1st)

Leftover pork stir fry and rice. Shopping so something I can just pull out of the fridge and warm up is perfect for today. Heavy on the pork this week.

Thursday

I have a few appetizers that need using up so the meal tonight will be using those up as well as perhaps some fried rice using up more of the rice made on Monday.

Friday

Soup and sandwiches. Probably Cream of Mushroom from the freezer and egg salad sandwiches.

Saturday

Steak in mushroom sauce done in the slow cooker, mashed potatoes, and a salad.

Sunday

Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, mixed veggies, mint jelly, and any leftover salad from last night. 

Lunches will be sandwiches, eggs, or leftovers. Breakfast will be toast or yogurt, or oatmeal. 

I have cookies and rhubarb crisp for desserts and plan on making a cake or puddings as well.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 I really don't know what it is about this winter, but I have been ill or not feeling 100% more than ever before. Heck I even managed to get through Covid times without being ill as often. 

Then once ill it seems to take me longer to get over whatever it is I have managed to come down with. Today was a tummy upset that kept me up most of the night, and tied me to the house. Bummer as it is Palm Sunday and I really enjoy this Mass. I will need to make a trip to the church to see if I can get some palms at some point this week. 

Now I was asked what we use to spray on the Maple bugs/Boxelder Bugs/Halloween Bugs so I will answer here just in case more are interested in that. We mix dish soap and water and that seems to help keep the infestation down a bit. A person needs to keep up with the spraying.

I was also asked about my mini computer. It can in fact be used as a desk computer, but you would need a monitor and a keyboard or mouse to make it work. I have mine hooked up to the television (that acts as a monitor) through an HDMI cable. Kris purchased a wireless keyboard for me to use with it. When I travel I take my Notebook computer from the desk and the mouse/keyboard combination. Or sometimes just the mouse. I have never taken the mini on a trip. 

Off to do a bit of knitting while the potatoes and carrots roast in the pan with the beef. 

I plan on visiting all of you after supper.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Tips for Frugal Living

 

Perhaps the best tip one can give and use is to be organized. Knowing what you have to work with and what you can substitute for items you don't have is absolutely amazing. Even with a well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer if you let things get out of control you waste good money. It took me a few years to learn this, but now for the most part I have this under control.

Instead of allowing food to spoil, chop it up and freeze it or if you have a dehydrator dry it. This year instead of allowing the potatoes we dug out of the garden to go to waste, I made fries and hashbrowns for the freezer. Yes, a few still went to waste but not as much as other years. We really don't eat as many potatoes as we used to. I also diced many a green pepper and got those bagged up and in the freezer. We just could not eat them all.

Rethink having meat at every meal. Since the cost of groceries has risen (especially meat) I have been introducing meatless meals, or meals that use less meat. Leftovers of the meals with meat are kept to be used in another meal or two as well. Leftover roast beef for example, a few slices can be used in soups, some can be thinly sliced again and used in a stroganoff meal (which can be eaten over noodles and the leftovers over baked potatoes). Lots of interesting ways to use up leftover roasts of any kind. 

Most times unless you are working outside, getting dirty and sweaty clothing (not underclothes though) can be worn for more than one day. This cuts down on washing loads.

Find things you can do for free in your city. I live in a very small city in my province and other than the library, walking tract, joining some groups like our Great Create and the Fiber group I recently joined there isn't a great many free things to do. Instead I do hikes around the city, and go to the two free movie nights at a park that we can enjoy. 

Definitely combine errands. Not only does it save you fuel costs, but time as well.

If you can do most of your bill paying online.

I have many free streaming services on my television, plus a mini computer which means I can stream even more free entertainment. Take advantage of those, where I live the winters are long, cold, and quite often stormy. This is our free entertainment, and since we do not attend the cinema our main source of viewing pleasure.  

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Catch up Friday

 It has been a day of slowly getting things done that I have put off for a bit of time. Getting those tasks out of the way that I just don't like to do.

I usually leave the dusting of the entire living room until the end of the month. I really don't know why I dislike doing this so much (I do dust the TV, the tops of the tables, the bases of the lamps, and the fake fireplace three times a week). Yet to do under the tables, the bookcase, and the few shelves seem to be beyond me until the last minute. I think it could be because I have to remove everything, wipe the shelves down and then dust everything I have removed. So much work, but I managed to get that done and out of the way. 

Made those cookies that were on the list to get done earlier in the week. Now I will pull out the shredded zucchini, and some of the other fruits and make a couple of loaves (perhaps even 4) tomorrow. Kris can take some home with him. While he does cook, baking is not something he does with any regularity. So sending him home with some in the care package along with some buns and ready meals will be our Easter gift to him. 

Kurt will soon be taking his students to France. I believe they leave on either the 1st or 2nd of April. Visiting the war memorials for Canadian soldiers. 

Off to get supper into the toaster oven. I used up some leftover carrots, a package of dried cheese, and what was left of the shredded cheese making the tuna casserole. We will have the leftover salad that I made yesterday to round out the meal.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

 Thrifty and Frugal

This is the last Thursday of the month, and while I have been thinking and working on new ways to be thrifty and frugal I seem to be stuck on the old tried and true ways. 

1.  Hung clothing on lines downstairs to dry.

2.  Making sure I have full loads in the washer.

3.  I have been trying to fit as much as possible into the dishwasher as well.

4.  Using up bits and bobs when knitting those mittens for Kurt's school.

5.  Turning off lights in rooms not in use.

6.  Making sure the oven is full before using.

7.  Walking for free exercise.

8.  Trying to get at least two meatless meals a week in.

9.  Harvey has been working on repairing some of the garden decor.

10.  Decluttering my jewelry.

11.  Saving the plastic bags and plastic veggie containers to use to plant on seedlings.

12. Putting off errands where I need to drive until I can do many of them together.

Life is getting a bit more complicated now that the cost of fuel has gone up. Also winter seems to want to stick around much longer than usual which means the furnace is running a bit more.  

Groceries keep going up and so I am going to cook up and freeze some kidney beans, black eyed peas, and some other beans I seem to have collected dried. Really thinking of adding another meatless meal at some point during the upcoming month. Showing Harvey the prices of meat since he came with me shopping has been an eye opener for him and I believe has made him a bit more open to the idea of meatless meals as long as they are filling.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

Quiet days here on the Phillips homestead. Perfect for getting things completed around the house. 

I have been slowly getting a few seeds planted to go under the grow lights. I have finished off the flowers (at least I think I have) and tomorrow will see a few herbs started as well. The next time I go shopping I will pick up some bulbs for the perennial bed.

My menu plan for next month is pretty much completed. I am hoping for not too many changes, though we may take a trip up to visit with Kris near the end of April which could mean a couple of changes will take place. Just have to figure out what will change when the time comes. 

The weather has been up and down lately, and once again the forecast is calling for snow come the Easter weekend. Actually it is calling for rain and snow. Keeping my fingers crossed that this changes once again before that weekend.

I am up to 18 no spend days, including today for the month. Tomorrow I pay bills, do some banking and get my medication. I then hope to finish off the month with no more spending. 

This year I am going to really try hard to put money back into savings as I do not feel at all comfortable with what is in that account right now. I like to have enough to last us for almost a year if the worst happens, at this point in time we have enough to probably last us 2 months at the most. Depleted pretty badly when we paid for our trip. If I can manage to keep expenses down I should be able to build that account back up slowly. 

These are the books I am looking through to see what homemade cleaners suit our lifestyle. Hope to find a few to add to my frugal household. 

We have also been busy taking care of our usual infestation outside of Boxelder Bugs also known up here as Halloween Bugs.

They have decided to visit so much earlier this year.

Off to make supper, and perhaps visit with a few of you before we eat.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.