Frugal Friday Wrap Up (a hodgepodge of several weeks)

   

Apple slices with warm caramel dip.

   I have been awful about keeping track of all my frugal doings lately.  I mean to get them typed out each day, but I get distracted and then "poof" that thought is out of my head.  Luckily I have been taking pictures of some things, so hopefully that will help jog my memory a bit...we can hope right? 😁  I'm still in a flare after all the fun we had with my sister's visit recently so Jeff and I have been playing lots of charades since I can't get the word from my brain to my mouth and sometimes, I can't even think of the word.  At least life is never boring for my hubby since he never knows when he will be playing "guess what I am thinking or trying to say" with me.

   Anyway, here are some of the things that I can and do remember:  *All of the pictures in  this post are of food...yes, we like to eat!  😉

Fast and easy dinner of spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread.

~My sister's flight was cancelled on her way here and she had to be rebooked on another flight.  That meant Jeff and I had to stay in Spokane for another 10 hours before her next flight arrived.  Jeff and I took advantage of the time by going to thrift stores and out to dinner.  We found some great deals.  Isaiah had been wanting a "puffy vest" as he calls it and we found him a red one that fit perfectly.  We also found some much needed pants and jeans for Steven.  I got 2 pairs of brand new Lularoe leggings, a Lularoe dress and Jeff found some shirts.  I had also been on the search for those body pillows shaped like a huge elongated "C" that are marketed as pregnancy pillows.  I heard that they might also be helpful to people who have fibromyalgia.  At one of the thrift stores we went to they had brand new ones, some in boxes and one "store display" model (which did not have a price tag).  I talked to the manager there and told her what I wanted to try to use it for so she gave it to me for $9.99 as opposed to the ones that were in the boxes marked for $29.99. God bless that lady for that amazing deal!  And yes, there are some nights where it really does help me sleep and others where I still need to stretch out more.
~Jeff found a bicycle seat cover at Goodwill.  I also found a brand new dress shirt for Bradley, a brand new Brighton brand purse ($7.99 and retails for over $300) and 2 shirts for myself.  Jeff found some tire chains that should fit my car so he can take the brand new ones that we have not used yet back to the Les Swab where we spent way too much money on them. It was Senior discount day so we got everything for 20% off and one of the shirts was a half off colored tag also.

Spinach, apple and feta salad with homemade dressing.

~I used a $25 gift card at Walmart to help stock up on a few things that we needed there.  I also found a summer pajama gown on clearance for $3, so I put that away for warmer weather to come.  We are now stocked up on cat food, dog food, kitty litter, and a few personal care items.  Jeff also picked up oil and a filter for my car and I found the last of the Christmas gifts that I needed for the grandboys.
~Jeff changed the oil and filter in my car.  It was overdue!
~We have been watching Christmas movies that I borrowed from the library.
~I made a chicken Shepard's pie with some pot pie filling that I had previously made and thrown in the freezer.  I added some leftover green beans, some French fried onions and another can of cream of mushroom soup to the filling.  I then made some red mashed potatoes, spread those over the top and added a layer of freshly grated cheddar cheese to the top and popped it into the oven.  It was so good!

Chicken Shepard's Pot Pie.

~Many good meals have been made with things that we have in the pantry, freezer and refrigerator and we have not had to pick up a ton of things from the grocery store lately.
~I'm so enjoying all the Christmas decorations that we have put up this year along with listening to Christmas music that I listen to via YouTube.  It is peaceful and pretty and really does help calm my soul.  It lifts my spirits too on the many darker days we are having now.
~While doing my big grocery stock up trip about 3 weeks ago, I was able to get a free turkey and put that away for a future family dinner.
~My sister brought me a bag full of vanilla bean pods that she grew in her garden in Tahiti so I will be using some of them to make homemade vanilla extract with.  I'll do some with rum, as she says that is the best, and try some with vodka, which is how I have always been done.  I have both rum and vodka on hand.
~Jeff was able to fix a strand of Christmas lights and the lights on a Christmas garland for me.
~I've been baking breads, pancakes and making us hearty meals.
~I have gotten into the habit of keeping a sweater on the back on my recliner to grab when I get a bit chilly.  I also have throw that I snuggle up under.  This way I can keep the heat down around 60F and still be very comfortable.
~As the weather is now colder, I have been raiding my tea stash and use each tea bag twice.  I have a huge assortment of teas and lots of apple cider mixes too.  These should keep me going for the entire season.
~Since sleep tends to elude me until the early morning hours, I have started watching the tv series "The Gilmore Girls" that I had bought previously at the thrift store.  It is nice to be able to lay in bed and watch something to help my mind calm down.

My version of a favorite Chipotle Pasta Salad from a favorite restaurant.

~For dinner on Thursday I recreated one of my favorite salads from a local restaurant.  I took one box of Suddenly Salad Chipotle Ranch, cooked that up, and added 1 stalk of cut up celery, 1/4 of a yellow pepper (diced) and a drained and rinsed can of black beans.  I also added some Cajun Turkey sliced up that I had gotten at the deli to boost the protein and also to make it more enticing to my hubby. 😉 ~I cut up the rest of the yellow pepper and froze it for future use.
~Safeway's Just4U deals have been pretty good lately and I have been taking advantage of them. I got a gallon of milk for $1.69, 2 cooking oils for $1.29 a bottle, 2 boxes of Cheerios for .99 each, free trash bags, free dishwashing liquid, and 2 dozen eggs for .99 a dozen.
~We were in need of more pancake mix, so I whipped up another container full.  I love this mix and it only takes me about a minute to whip a bunch of pancake batter when needed.
~I worked my points programs.

Homemade pancake mix.

   

   That is about it for now.  I'm currently listening to one of our little town's church bells playing Christmas carols.  It is something that I look forward to every year.  Tomorrow and Sunday is the big Christmas celebration here in town in the middle of the rolling hills of Palouse.  The towns all around us are doing the same.  It really is a wonderful time of the year!