Thrifty and Frugal Thursdays

 Thrifty and Frugal

My goodness the weather has certainly changed. We got a bit of frost last night and today we will get more. We are covering the ground cherries to see if we can actually get a crop or at least a few that we can dehydrate and use during the winter.

The usual frugal happenings on the old homestead. I am putting up whatever I can in preparation for the winter, heck pretty much in prep for whatever is going to happen.

Clothes are being hung on the downstairs lines as the weather has not really been good to hang items outside. 

Errands once again are being done together as much as possible. 

My exercise is still walking and I managed to get the same or just above number of steps all month. This month I will add another 1k to the total and hit all those the entire month.

Organized and tidied the sewing/craft room.

Organizing the chest freezer (that still has a ways to go). 

We were under total budget last month, but I am doing a bigger stock up this month so I am hoping to be at budget or just a tad under.

Moved money into the savings account. It wasn't a great deal, but it was something.

Using up all leftovers in other meals to feed the two of us, or eating smaller amounts for my lunch. 

Cooked some ready meals for the freezer.

Will be doing some baking to use up a few things in the chest freezer. 

Working on the yarn stash, and planning some sewing to use up some of my fabric. 

Used up some embroidery thread working on the quilt blocks. 

Mended a small shrug that I knit years ago and never got around to repairing.

Now the unfrugal things. Spent way too much on groceries today, and missed a few items off my list. My back got sore so I did not want to be heaving bread flour or sugar into the cart. I can manage until the next time I go shopping. I also bought a new hand mixer. I didn't price check with other stores, just picked up the one I liked in the store. My old one the beaters were starting to rust (it is about 40 years old) and I will put it aside to use when making lotions and potions. 

Our finances have taken a real beating this quarter, mostly because of what is happening in the world. This makes it even more important that I keep to my budget as much as possible. I also have an eye appointment on Monday and I am pretty sure I need new lenses. I just hope they can put them in the frames I already have. Frames are actually what cost the most for me. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

I have closely been watching prices rising, mostly because of the cost of fuel to ship things. I am also noticing more and more Canadian goods on shelves, which is a very good thing. There are times that I wish I lived in a bigger center with more choice, but I will continue to save costs grocery wise where and how I can.

So far the thrifty and frugal things I am doing is making the most of the harvest. I have frozen carrots, and beans. Dehydrated herbs, scraps from onions (ground to make onion powder), and have started to freeze tomatoes (the skins will be dehydrated to make tomato powder). I have made pickled onions, relish, Cowboy candy, salsa, and chili sauce. The way the tomatoes are coming in I will need to find something else to can with those as well. I even froze some corn on the cob!!!

Soon I will be making pumpkin puree as well. I will also be dehydrating lavender leaves. 

Life is just one big harvest right now.

I am using the appliances to cook more of our food, and hope to get used to doing that a great deal more. 

I made a great many ready meals for the freezer and am going to be making a few more. These are in tinfoil containers that I can throw into the toaster oven to reheat.

I am only purchasing meat that is on sale, and trying to stock up on canned meat that is on sale as well. 

I purchased a make your own K-cup and will soon give up purchasing the ready made ones. I need one more plus the paper filters so I can make some ahead and store in airtight containers to save time.

I refashioned one dress into a skirt, and the other dress into a top and skirt (it was a very long dress). 

Walking for exercise and watching what I eat so as to keep up the weight loss.

Not turning on the heat as of yet. It isn't that cold when I get up in the morning that my robe and slippers won't keep me toasty.

Mending some seams and hems, fixed a few buttons, and patched a pair of Harvey's work pants. 

Hung clothes on the lines.

The air conditioning hasn't come on in a couple of days which is great.

That is pretty much all I can remember right now. I will share pictures of the garden processing perhaps tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

 

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

Since I have not been feeling that well, things are really being used up around here. My fridge freezer is slowly dropping, and the crisper was getting pretty darn empty here. 

I did go shopping today, and rested a great deal once home. I wanted to get out and get that done as we are being told we were going to be getting freezing rain later today. That after snow.... I made it home before any real snow started.

1.  Meals have been made this past week with what we have on hand in the fridge, freezers, pantry, and cold room (that's where we have our potatoes).

2.  Harvey made more wine for the summer.

3.  A picture frame was made from his bit of lumber downstairs. 

4.  My electric bill has dropped by $5.00 as I am using appliances to cook more, and making sure lights are off in rooms not in use.

5.  Mended a pair of boxers, darned a pair of socks, and fixed a hem on a pair of pants.

6.  Working on making more from scratch and getting meals into the freezer by making larger batches. 

7.  Trying to find reusable K-cups that will fit my machine. I also looked a machines that use both the cups and a pot. 

8.  Put $75.00 into my savings envelope.

9.  Added $5.35 to the coin jars.

10.  Doing the regular frugal and thrifty things like hanging clothing on the lines downstairs, using up craft supplies, and making sure the doors are using the draft dodgers.

Still tired, and I even had a bit of a sleep after shopping. I then spent the rest of the day working on projects, doing a tiny bit of decluttering, and walking when I needed to. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty Thursday

 

Well, after one day of lovely sunshine, we are back in the dreary, cloudy days. Still, days like today get be busy doing things in the house, and that is always thrifty.

Fixed the waistband on a pair of jeggings. 

Cut up all those old bits and bobs of clothing that was not suitable to donate into useable quilting fabric.

Working on the embroidered rose quilt square. Using up bits and bobs of embroidery floss in doing so (well the yellow any way).

I made 2 meals so far this week that were meatless. Tomorrow will be a fish meal, which while not really meatless cuts down on our red meat intake.

Darned a pair of socks. 

Harvey ripped up his old threadbare pj bottoms and now has new rags for downstairs. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.