Friday, July 15, 2016

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 7/15/16

      
  

   It's been another busy week here.  There were many projects I wanted to get to but never did and then there were projects that we did get done that took longer than expected.  I spent lots of time in the garden and it is starting to pay off.  I've got little cucumbers growing and the peas are starting to really climb the trellis. :)  Onto the savings:




~We had a big family birthday party on Saturday.  Jaysn and Rachel hosted it this time. :) Since we do everything potluck style, we had a wonderful assortment of food.  I brought a pasta salad, roasted chicken and a fruit salad, Jaysn and Rachel made Zuppa Toscana and a wonderful sweet potato dish, Heather made a huckleberry/peach pie and also a Death by Chocolate dessert and my cousin Jeremy made an amazing green salad that also had fruit, cheese and candies pecans in it.  We do eat well in this family! ;)
~I really worked my points programs this week.  I needed to get enough points for another Walmart gift card and I finally had enough to cash in for a $25 one.
~Sunday Jeff and I had planned on going to an auction but ended up staying home instead.  We spent the day watching movies and relaxing.  I figure we saved hundreds of dollars!  HA! ;)



~Monday I finished up making a batch of raspberry gin and got another batch going with more raspberries that I had just picked minutes before.
~Monday I also harvested peas, snow peas, lettuce and strawberries from our garden.
~We got a couple doses of good soaking rain this week so I only had to water twice.
~I cashed a $10 check that I got from Pinecone Research.
~The leftover water from the dog and cat's water bowls at the end of each day were used to water the potted plants and then the bowls were refilled with fresh water.
~I made some meatloaf with crushed up croutons, the leftover half of an onion and some seasonings.  I served it with yellow rice and we also had salads with it.



~I watched some shows online throughout the week.
~More loaves of bread were made this week and more croutons also.
~My hubby hauled home more free mulch from our town's composting site.  Hopefully this will help to lessen the stress on some of the plants in the side garden.
~I washed some Ziplock bags and then hung them up to dry.  My hubby uses these to take sandwiches and snacks in his lunch bag.
~Jeff ate a large bowl of fresh peas from the garden for a snack.  He shared a few of the pods with our dog Caesar who loves them.





~I did some grocery shopping early Tuesday morning.  I found another cheesecake marked way down, along with some marked down bread and some garlic cheese breadsticks at Walmart.  Winco had a marked down deli cheese tray and huge sandwich.  I took the big deli tray apart and packed all the cheese up into smaller bags.  Some of the cheesecake will be frozen for future treats.
~I stopped at Goodwill and found seasons 5 and 10 of Friends on DVD.  I now only need season 7 and we have the complete set. I also found a new Horseshoes game.  I bought that for our upcoming family camping trip.



~I did find some more clothes that actually fit me at Goodwill.  One of them was the half price color of the day.
~I used more coupons to get Ragu pasta sauce for .68 a jar and also to get a discount on more pectin.
~We had leftover deli chicken, leftover yellow rice and leftover fruit salad for dinner on Tuesday night...are you sensing a theme here? ;)
~Wednesday evening Jeff hauled home even more mulch from the town's yard waste and composting site.  Our side garden now has a nice layer of mulch on it which will help conserve water, help the plants not be stressed and also build up the soil.



~I borrowed lots of movies and books from the library.
~I printed off 2 gift cards that I earned at Swagbucks, $25 Walmart and $25 Cracker Barrel.  The plan is to use the Cracker Barrel gift card this weekend when Jeff and I go on our combined birthday weekend present to ourselves. :)
~Jeff and I used a B1G1Free Blizzard coupon that I got from Dairy Queen for my birthday.
~Since it has cooled way down here at night, I am able to just run the vent part of the swamp cooler to get things cooled down.  I don't like to leave the living room windows, which are huge, open at night when I am sleeping since we have a single level home.  It's gotten so cold at times that I have to get up and turn it off.



~We used the $25 Walmart gift card to help pay for a huge bonus sized bag of Pedigree dog food, a gallon of milk and a large package of Cotto Salami.  We ended up paying $4 out of pocket after the gift card was applied.
~We stopped at the thrift store that benefits the disabled in our communities.  We scored big time finding a brand new pair of Aerosoles sandals for Rachel and a brand new dehydrator for Heather.  I was pleasantly shocked to see the dehydrator marked at just $2.99!  I also found a few more clothing items for me and some other things.



~I was almost out of my natural hormone replacement stuff and well, those of you in menopause know how disastrous that is.  Luckily Vitacost is having a B1G1 1/2 off sale.  I ordered 4 bottles for the price of 3, got free shipping and went through the link at Swagbucks so I will get some points for my purchase.
~Friday I had to run errands and pick up Jeff's paycheck.  I stopped at a thrift store in the town that he works out of and found a brand new with tags Talbots fancy dress.  I got it for $1.50 even though it did not fit me.  I am going to resell it at a consignment store.  I also found a pair of shorts and a shirt there along with 2 books.






~I hit a church thrift store and found another shirt, a pair of shoes and some quilting books for my mom.
~Safeway had a few really good deals today.  I found chicken thighs for .89 a pound and bought 3 family packs.  They also had their 12 packs of seltzer or soda on a special deal at .99 each with a limit of 2 per family.  I then found Puffs tissues marked at half price and stocked up on those since we go through tissues like made with both of us having allergies.
~Jeff filled up my car with gas at the gas station with the cheapest prices for me.



~We are packing some snacks to take with us this weekend.  I can't see spending a lot of money on snacks from vending machines at hotels.  I know we will most likely  be hungry after the James Taylor concert since it starts at 8 p.m..  There is a refrigerator in our room so I am going to bring some crackers, fruit and cheese with us.  I'll also bring some drinks.
~Jeff transplanted some sunflower plants and some poppies for me.  They had volunteered in our gravel driveway and our neighbor, Uncle Bob, is going to be spraying the driveway to kill all the thistles for us while we are gone this weekend.  I'm allergic to the spray so he is doing it when I will not be around to breathe it.



~I stocked up on more Aloe Vera gel at the Dollar Tree.  I noticed they are starting to get all their back to school and Fall stuff out already which means they will not be getting any more of the Aloe Vera gel and sunscreens in.  I grabbed it while I could.
~I went through my basket of summer sandals and found a brand new pair that I bought on clearance a the end of the season last year.  One of my older pairs is getting worn out so I will be replacing them with the new pair.
~Friday evening I made breakfast for dinner.  We had sausages and oven pancakes with homemade syrups and fruit.





   I know that I made a lot of trips to thrift stores this week. Confession time...I have gained so much weight between menopause and my hysterectomy.  A lot of my shirts no long fit me and are hugging me close.  I am very self conscience about my weight gain and the way my body is looking right now.  I have mainly been in search of shirts that  will help camouflage my trouble spots.  I'm also still on the lookout for another pair of black boots that will not put any pressure on my foot and where arthritis has set in. I am hoping to maybe find the boots this weekend while we are on Spokane.  Be blessed everyone!









24 comments:

  1. You've had another great, frugal week! Your family get togethers sound fun, especially with it being potluck and everyone bringing something. That way, no one person is burdened with all the cooking, etc.

    I like your plan to sell the Talbots dress at a consignment store. Thrift stores are great places in which to shop, especially when one needs to replace ones clothes. Glad you are finding what you need and at good prices.

    Hope you are having a lovely weekend.

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    1. HI Bless! We did have a lovely weekend, thank you! Potlucks are my favorite way to entertain. :)

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  2. Welcome to the world of gigantic waist gains. It hit me really hard and I was so sad. Then the diabetes struck and I got the diabetic apple belly. Not all women gain girth after menopause. Not all diabetics get an apple belly. I'm just lucky. I got both. Why'd I have to be so lucky? Hahaha.

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    1. I'm so sorry Barbara...I'm with you on the waist gain! I've had to replace shirts, bras, underwear, pants and dresses. NOT happy about that at all!

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  3. I'm absolutely amazed at all you got done this week. It all makes me want to take a nap! ~just kidding~

    Have a great week!
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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    1. Awww...thanks Laura. I just do little bits at a time as energy allows. :)

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  4. I am amazed at what great bargains you find! Good job...

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  5. You have had a fab week. By purchasing clothes that fit you now you are maintaining a sense of style. The same is starting to happen to me. I was large to start with.
    I bought my boots from the Chemist Warehouse here in Aus. They have orthotic soles and are so comfy on arthritic feet and knees. They were also nearly half the price of the fashion boots.

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    1. Jane, those boots sound wonderful! I am still searching for another pair to replace the ones that I have nearly worn into the ground. I have arthritic feet and knees also. I hope you can find some nice clothing at great prices!

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    1. Thanks Jess! I hope you had a nice weekend!

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  7. Happy birthday to you two.
    Hope your weekend away and the concert are special times for you. I love James Taylor but I still picture him from the 70s!!
    When I used to travel a lot for work, not only would I pack my lunches (usually a loaf of bread and small jar of PB). If I was staying over two nights in one location, I'd also pack my small crockpot. Nothing says 'home' when you're on the road but a good homemade soup or chile. None of the hotels ever objected. And since I was on a per diem with no need to show receipts for my 'travel' meals, I made a little extra money.
    Nice job on the thrift store finds. I've got to admit, finding dvds for $2 each (our prices) just tickles me.
    My garden is in full swing. I canned some pickled beets this week that I grew. A local store had a great price on BC apricots so I bought enough for one batch of jam. My newest community garden has an orchard around the perimeter and one of the apple trees was ready for harvest. I picked a 5-gallon buckets worth. They're still sitting in the kitchen. Can't decide whether to dry them or make applesauce. Maybe a little of both.
    Everything I do these days is in small' batches. HA! So much easier then when I'd be at it all day long. And, truthfully, I can't do that much standing at once. I do it piece meal - wash the jars, go sit down; get the canning pot to boiling, go sit down; etc.
    And, honestly, it's just me and the dog and he only eats his kibble!! So I don't need jar upon jar of anything any more. Better close here. Cheers, SJ in Vancouver BC

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    1. HI SJ! We did have a great time at the concert. I was just amazed at the talent that James Taylor and all of the other musicians in his band are gifted with. :)

      Great idea on taking a small crockpot with you when you travel. That would be wonderful to come back to the room with a nice meal waiting for you after a long day!

      Good for you on all the canning and drying. :) You mentioned that you do canning in small batches. My cousin Marisa McClellan has a cookbook out called "Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round". She also has some other saazing canning books out. Here is a link to her amazon page https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marisa+mcclellan&sprefix=undefined%2Caps%2C227. She also has a blog: http://foodinjars.com/ where I have found some amazing recipes! I know she was greatly influenced by our grandmother who had such an adventurous palate and lived life to the fullest!

      Be blessed!

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    2. WOW! I have two of her canning books! Small world. SJ in Vancouver BC

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    3. SJ, it is a small world! So glad you have my cousin's books. Her blog is another place that she shares great recipes!

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  8. Another great week of wonderful finds for you! You do great.
    OK, I need to know how to make the berry gin. Have you posted about this? I imagine it could be done with vodka or rum as well. I am thinking gifts!!!!!

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    1. Cheryl, thank you and here is the link on how to make the berry gin. http://www.mountainmamaonline.net/2016/05/the-easiest-thing-i-do-to-prepare-for.html#more Deborah, the lady who's blog it is, generously shared the recipe awhile back and I shared it in a previous post. She is an amazing and talented lady. I'm sure you will enjoy her blog so make sure you make some time to check it out! Be blessed!

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  9. Another very busy week! I hope you had a great time enjoying your combined birthdays over the weekend!

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    1. Thanks Amy, we had a wonderful time and even did some thrift store shopping. ;)

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  10. You had an amazing week with tons of great deals. I want some cheesecake! :)

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  11. Your thrify ways never cease to amaze me! It is so exciting to be able to save money in so many little ways, it all adds up! :)

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  12. Thrifty Mom in Boise and SpicingUoIdaho, I have been trying to reply to your comments under your comment but for some reason it is not letting me. So Thrifty Mom, come on up and I will gladly share some cheesecake with you! SpicingupIdaho, it really does add up doesn't it? :)

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