Work Smarter and Harder

 

      I think most of us have heard the expression "Work Smarter, Not Harder".  I have lived by that for most of my life, however I now believe that we all must be working harder as well.  Everyone I know is facing some kind of financial hardship or uncertainty.  For Jeff and I, we were hit with some unexpected costs including medical bills, higher taxes owed, car repairs, and of course, inflation causing the costs of everything we buy to go up in price.  Here are some examples of why we need to work smarter and harder that Jeff and I have been dealing with and doing for a few days now...

   

   Well, our weekend was eye opening, busy, and not at all frugal. UGH! 😟  Jeff's car is proving to be a huge pain in the tushy, a major time sucker and a money pit.  He was not able to get things fixed like he wanted after two weeks of trying, bought new tools to work on it, broke tools while he was trying and hurt himself numerous times.  The skills and tools needed to fix that thing are not in his "wheelhouse".  That thing is a money pit and I finally had enough of it and told him so. He reluctantly jerry rigged the thing back together and told me he would just drive it until it dies.  (He was able to return the new parts he bought back to the store, so we did get that amount refunded to our debit card at least.)

   After the car debacle and me finally losing it, he got busy in the gardens finishing some projects that he had on his list of things to get done.  The fruit trees are now fully pruned and that was a huge job.  We have 2 pear trees, a huge of cherry tree, a very old apple tree, and 3 newer plum trees.  He also cleared out the raspberry patch of the old canes and worked on the raised beds.  We are trying to grow more this year to preserve, eat fresh and to share with others.

  Sunday we worked on the taxes. 😧  We got a very unwelcome surprise in how much we owed the Federal Government. The only "bright point" is that we are getting back $22 from Idaho.  That will not even make a dent in what we owe to the Federal government.

   With all of the added expenses it is time to buckle down even more.  While Jeff has been tackling getting the garden ready for this coming growing season, I have been doing my part as well.

   I decided that despite the fickle Spring weather, I would start hanging out the laundry on the line again.  Lugging the heavy laundry baskets full of wet items though is really painful for my back and neck.  Jeff suggested that I use the heavy duty garden wagon to haul the laundry baskets.  Wow, not only does it help to not have to carry them myself, but it also puts them up higher so that I do not have to bend over as far to get the items to hang on the line.  Yes, I do freeze my fingers off in the morning hanging things out, but I get to take them back down later in the day when they are all dried. I do love the smell of line dried clothing, sheets and bath rugs.

   I went through the big chest freezer and found a gallon sized bag of cook pork taco meat.  I used 1/3 of it to make a thick and hearty taco soup.  It is a favorite of ours.  Jeff and I were able to get 3 meals out of it and still freeze some for a future meal.  Next, I went through our refrigerator, got it organized and prioritized what needed to be used up ASAP.  Lastly, while in the pantry, I made a list of the items that we needed to restock.  I am amazed at how quickly we are going through canned veggies, but at this time of year, I guess that is to be expected. Now to menu plan based on what we have and what needs to be used up.

   The free food grade buckets that we have been getting from Safeway were all washed and dried.  I emptied some packages of sugar and a big bag of flour into them so that they would not get "buggy".  Flour is something that we go through rather quickly since I make most of our bread and I will be needed lots of sugar for jams, jellies, syrups and pickles come this Summer.  I don't want to have to run out to get some or pay the ever-increasing prices that I am seeing each time I am at the grocery store.

   My project for this afternoon is going to be planning out the garden beds and making a list of what seeds I need to get started in the green house at what time and which will just need to be directly sown into the garden beds when the weather is warmer.  I know I want to get those tomatoes started in the green house soon so that I can have larger plants that will yield fruit sooner and longer.  Later in the week, if the weather allows, I will be washing out all of my pots and hanging baskets so they are ready to be planted up. 

   I am realizing more and more that with my increasing pain levels and limitations due to all the health issues that I have, I still have to work smarter and harder.  I cannot and will not let this stop me from doing what is needed.  Jeff is also dealing with increasing pain from his own health issues.  He feels the same way that I do about getting things done.  We need to find work arounds and ask for help when needed IF we cannot do it ourselves.  I told our kids flat out that we are getting older and are going to be needing their help getting some projects done around here.  Luckily for us, they are all amazing people and are willing to help with just about anything.  Our oldest 3 grandkids also pitch in and help where they can.  We are so very blessed!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/17/23 and 3/24/23

    

   

   Coming at you with a 2 week Frugal Friday Wrap up.  Yes, I have been lazy and yes, I have been dealing with fibro flares, bad back pain and trying to get too much done and not pacing myself.  No, I still have not learned how to pace myself and I may never learn.  No one to blame there but myself for that one. 😉 As I am finishing this off and writing the intro to this post, Jeff is still out there working on his car.  I am beginning to really dislike that car with a huge passion.  He broke another tool while working on it this week and it is taking up weekend time, days after work, etc..  This is a busy time of the year for getting the gardens ready and I need his help.  My back is getting worse, so I am not able to do even the same amount that I was last year.  No, I am NOT happy about that at all.  Having my body betray me like this really bothers me.  I need to get on with the post before I go into a long rant...so here it is:

Week 1

Weekend:

~Saturday Jeff worked until 2 p.m..  While he was at work, I did laundry and worked on a few projects around here.

~Saturday night found us at Chris and Heather's celebrating with family and friend for Bradley's birthday. :)  We had homemade pizzas, salad and lovely desserts.  

~Heather sent us home with cookies and cupcakes.

~I took 6 pounds of rice over for Isaiah to use in his new crafting business.

~Bradley and Isaiah showed us the videos they made (it was hilarious) of why they "needed" their own rooms.  Apparently, it was a very convincing video because they got their wish and are no longer sharing a room. 😉

~Sunday Jeff and I got caught up on our shows that we like to watch.

~We headed into town to get some things at Harbor Freight, including some pop up lanterns that our Steven is obsessed with.  He keeps wanting to play with mine, so we got him one of his own as a present for an upcoming birthday.  We also picked up a tarp and some batteries. 

~Grocery Outlet is right next door, so we popped in there a got a HUGE orange pepper and a mango drink for me.  We got out of there for $1.53...big spenders we are. LOL!

~We decided that since we are not finishing a gallon of milk before it goes bad, to just not pick any up for awhile and use the powdered milk that needs to be used and rotated for a bit. 

~I made chicken salad sandwiches for dinner.

Monday:

~Steven came over to spend the day with me since he is on Spring Break.  He and I worked on a Kiwi Kit building some fun things together.

~My stomach was acting up for a good part of the day.  I think I overdid it on the sugar over the weekend.  I should know better by now.

~Steven helped me get everything ready and measured for split pea soup.  I threw a ham bone in there too and let it cook all day in the crockpot.  Delicious!

~Ginny (cat) got lots of lovies since Steven spent a good amount of time outside with her in the back porch and walkway area.

~Jeff picked up my medications from Walmart while he was on his lunch hour.

~I got the sheets and the mattress protector washed.  I also washed the sheet I keep over the recliner in the living room since the cats love to lay there and they shed so much.

Tuesday:

~I briefly Facetimed with Josh and Lauren as they are finishing the packing up of their home in Las Vegas and getting ready for their move to the Ogden, Utah area tomorrow.  I wish I could be there to take care of the kids while they got things finished up.

~I whipped together a quick dinner of thinly sliced beef strips, onions, mushrooms in a brown gravy sauce and served it over mashed potatoes.

~Uncle Bob's son came over and let me know that the sons all agreed to honor Uncle Bob's wishes to give Chris some of the big tools in the garage that Uncle Bob had told them all he wanted to go to him.  I am so thankful that they did agree.  I know that Uncle Bob would be so proud of them for doing this.  I called Chris and made arrangements for him to come over Wednesday to get them.

Wednesday:

~I borrowed another movie from the library.

~Jeff picked up some chicken thighs that were on a digital coupon sale at Safeway for .77 a pound.  He got two big family packs.  He also picked up a cabbage that was also on sale.  I will divide up the chicken thighs into Ziplock bags and freeze them in smaller portions.

~I got a letter in the mail from my health insurance company telling me that I so have vision care for a year with my insurance policy.  Time to book an eye appointment and get some new glasses because I know my vision has changed.

~Dinner was leftover split pea soup for Jeff and I had a cabbage salad with some ham from the freezer.

Thursday:

~I finally got to sleep in a bit.  I have been totally exhausted and stressed.

~Jeff had bowling league, so I just had a snacky kind of dinner.

Friday:

~Steven was here with me so my little helper and I headed into town to visit G-pa and to do some shopping.  Steven snagged a bag of popcorn from G-pa's workplace. 😉

~Our shopping trip was one to stock up on needed things and groceries.  We found most of what was on our list, but left some things behind because the prices were just too high.

~We went to Goodwill and I found a shirt for Steven that was the half price color tag.  I also bought some new in package underwear for Jeff and a bag full of assorted canning jars.

~Once we were home again, we had lunch and then headed down to the park.  We ran into a nice young family that we had met the previous Summer and had a wonderful visit with them.  Steven was thrilled to make a new friend!

~Dinner was baked chicken thighs and potatoes.

~I finally divided up the boneless skinless chicken thighs and froze 5 smaller bags of them for 5 future meals.

Week 2

Weekend:

~Jeff worked on his car for most of Saturday and ran into all kinds of problems.

~I made 3 loaves of banana bread with some overripe bananas.

~I also made 2 loaves of homemade bread.

~Saturday night we had grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.

~I got all the laundry done and was even able to hang the sheets out to dry on the laundry line.  What a joy it was to finally be able to crawl into line dried sheets again.

~Sunday morning found us making a run into town to buy a butane torch to see if Jeff could expand the metal enough on the pipe under the car to break it loose.  Well that did not work, but he does now have a cool new toy to use for other projects.

~We made another stop at Goodwill since I was looking for a hummingbird feeder.  We found one for $3.99!  That sure beats the price of a new one.  I also found a smallish chopper that also has a small slicer that it perfect for slicing potatoes, cucumbers, etc. and saves me from having to get out the food processor.  It also makes quick work of cubing potatoes, onions, carrots, and so much more.  Additional find were a really nice quality knife, a new in package Kwikset doorknob and lock set for $5.99, a heavy duty plastic tote for more storage and keeping things together, a large serving platter in the old Greek Key Haviland china pattern (this in a pattern that I currently have other pieces in and was handed down through my family for generations) for $3.99, a set of 3 Pyrex glass ramekins and another item I cannot put out there as of now since it is a gift.

~Jeff and I both worked in the gardens clearing out the raised beds, him pruning our pear trees, and making plans on how to help control the chaos of our blackberry bushes.

~Sunday's dinner was breakfast for dinner.  I cut up some smoked sausages and pan fried them.  I also fried up 2 eggs for Jeff and he had toast on the side and I had a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel.

Monday:

~I had a rough night of sleep full of pain and nightmares.  I decided to take it easy for the day and just do small things that make me feel better and that will not put me into an even deeper fibro flare than I am currently in. In other words, I decided to be very good to myself. 😊

~I puttered around and looked at some of my misc. china and glass collections.  I came across my Spring plates that I use for decorative purposes and got those up in the kitchen and took down the Winter themed ones and got those put away.

~Dinner was chicken and herb sausages with broccoli cheese rice and crisp baby carrots.

Tuesday:

~Another rough with very little sleep.  I got 3 hours total if I was lucky.  Since I had a doctor's appointment, Jeff called into work and let them know that he needed to take me there.  Between my fibro flare, very little sleep and thick fog, there was no way I was going to be able to get myself there safely or without having a panic attack.  Jeff is going to be making up the hours by going in early and staying a bit later.  Luckily, they are really good about things like this.

~So, yet another "ailment" or condition to add to my long list of health issues.  Apparently I  have scoliosis.  He could see it in my back and then the x-rays confirmed it.  My lower back, near my tailbone, is the worst part of it. No arthritis though, which surprised him and delighted me!  Hey, at this point I will take any "wins" I can get. 😉This explains the cracking, popping and pain. He recommended swimming and hydrotherapy.  If we can get our hot tub fixed, he said that would be great for me.  I have had back problems since I was a child. My doctor is going to resubmit a request for an echocardiogram since the murmur is still there and I may have been having heart palpitations.  It is hard to tell since anxiety also can cause this.  Hopefully the insurance company will approve it but, according to my doctor, my health insurance company does not like to pay out for anything.  I am going to look and see if I can find one that is still affordable but is easier to work with.

~I hung the laundry out to dry on the laundry line.

~An easy dinner was in order, so I made Little Smokies in BBQ sauce, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, and a homemade coleslaw with carrot ribbons in it also.  Very good and made the hubby a very happy man!

~Jeff picked up my prescriptions from Walmart on his way home from work.  Between that cost and a medical bill that came in for some of his stuff, we had to put some other planned purchases on hold for the time being.  That's life though and I am just thankful we are in a position where we can do that.

Wednesday:

~Jeff took the leftover Little Smokies and some of the rolls for lunch.

~I walked down town to the library and found some really good books to read.

~I stopped by our little convenience store that also has booths selling all kinds of interesting things.  I found a quilting book for my mother on the sale table that I am sure she will enjoy getting inspiration from.

~I pruned some more of our trees.

~I got some blackberry bush starts going in an old tote with drainage holes.  These will be shared with family members.

~For dinner I made an Italian inspired meatloaf that was stuffed with mozzarella cheese.  This was served with butter and garlic noodles and some applesauce.

~Needing to do something creative again, I started crocheting some of the dishcloths that I have been wanting to make.  They are pretty quick to do and I can whip them out while watching television.  It helps me to feel like I really am accomplishing something while sitting down.

Thursday:

~This was a high pain fibro flare day.  I had cereal for dinner.  I also napped.  Nothing got done.

Friday:

~Another high pain day.  Jeff got home from work and baked up some frozen pizzas for our dinner.

~I watched some TV shows.

~Jeff and I went over our budget yet again and found more ways to cut costs.  With all the car repair expenses stuff, along with some medical bills coming in, our checking account is quickly becoming depleted and that scares me.  Jeff only has 3 more weeks of his bowling league and should be getting some money back from that, so that will help.

   These past two weeks watching the banking industry implode has really brought home the importance of trying to get debt free, having a well stocked pantry, having seeds on hand to grow food, and having the tools one needs to do home and car repairs, gardening, and preserving.  I am glad that I have been listening to those nudgings from God to get prepared.  We would be in a world of hurt if Jeff and I both were not on the same page about all of this.  Be blessed and keep getting your homes in order.

   

Worldwide Banking Woes and Setting Ourselves Up Get Through the Hard Times

 

   I am sure that everyone, no matter what country they live in, is be affected by the worldwide banking crisis that is going on, as well as inflation, and corruption in governments and in the banking world itself.  I have been very uneasy about all of this for awhile now and to see it playing out is really scary.  The debt that our government here is taking on and laying on the backs of our grandchildren and great grandchildren to pay off, while bailing out the "rich" and politically connected, is just criminal in my mind's eye.  Banks are collapsing and if we are seeing runs on them and I fear that will only get worse.  Now it seems the international banking community, along with our Federal government is doing everything that can think of to try and stop the bleeding, but I think it is just a "bandaid" and that the "blood" will soak right through.

    Jeff and I had a long talk about all of this and are trying hard to prepare for the continuing downturn in our economy and the really tough times ahead.  In some ways, I do think we are better prepared mentally to get through things because we have lived in poverty (yes, poverty) before and developed skills that helped us cope with it and thrive during those times.  Here are a few of the things that we have done in the past and/or are doing now to set ourselves to get through what we know are going to be rough waters ahead. Grab yourself a snack first though. 😊

~We are not keeping extra funds in the credit union.  Yes, it is FDIC insured, but there is not enough in that fund to pay for all the banks that are going under as it is.  The odds of us getting our money are very slim as more banks go under and deplete the FDIC funds.  We only keep enough in there to pay our bills.

~We have been buying "tools" needed to work on our cars, expand our gardens, help with processing, preserving and storing food to keep it fresh and not waste, along with needed clothing items.  Some of these are bought new, and others, thankfully, we have found at the thrift stores.

~We stocked up on garden seeds for both growing fresh veggies and also flowers as pollinators.  I have enough seeds here to last us a few years at least and to share with our family and friends.

~ Jeff modified our greenhouse that he built to make it possible to both start seeds earlier in the Spring and to protect plants longer in the Fall.  We also bought a tarp to lay over half of the greenhouse roof (or more if needed) to help shade the plants when it gets really hot in the Summer since I try to use the greenhouse then too for the heat loving plants.

~We are making appointments to get our eyes checked and get new glasses while we still can.  At this point, most of my costs are covered under my health insurance plan and Jeff's covers a good portion of his.

~In the past, we ate out of our garden and had lots of big green salads, green and yellow wax beans, tomatoes, spinach, kale, herbs, onions and fresh fruit from our fruit trees and bushes.  We will put even more focus on doing this and preserving even more this year.  All the while, we will continue to share with our friends and neighbors.  We all need to be looking out for one another.

~I continue to stock my pantry with long term food supplies and canned goods.  Pasta is also stocked up along with flour, sugar, salt, yeast and spices.  

~While there are some of my favorite foods that I would love to be able to buy and have on hand, some of them are too expensive and/or that money is needed somewhere else.  I am tweaking recipes and substituting some ingredients for others.  I have done this for all of my teen and adult life, so this is not something new.

~I honestly believe that attitude is everything in helping get through tough times.  You can wallow in self pity, or you can look at all that you are blessed with.  You can be creative and still have wonderful celebrations with very little cost involved.  Potlucks, picnics, camping, going swimming, a walk to the park to play ball, taking a trip to the beach, river, or mountains are all fun for us to do.  

~Make your home a haven and a comfortable place to be for yourself and for friends and family.  I am adding a hummingbird feeder to my front porch area this year.  I love watching them come to feed on my hanging basket flowers and want to attract even more.  This is something that I have wanted to do for years and just never did.  This year I made it a priority and found a nice feeder for just $3.99 at Goodwill.  Those hanging baskets full of flowers, they are either recycled ones that I plant flower starts in or ones that I buy when they are marked down on clearance and Walmart.  They attract bees, hummingbirds and add beauty that is needed to keep me focused on how blessed I am.  I need flowering plants in my life!  My back porch is place to gather in the Spring, Summer and Fall until it gets too cold to be out there.  It is another room in our home and I have a nice table and chairs out there, a glider swing that I load cushions upon it to make it more comfy.  There is always a basket full of soft and comfy throws in the living room to cuddle up under.  I have lots of tea and coffee on hand to drink hot or cold.  Use those beautiful china plates, cups and bowls.  Use you pretty glassware and fancy silverware.  What good is it if you just have it stored away in a drawer, cabinet or box?  Use it!  If it has been passed down through your family, all the better.  Your grandparents, great grandparents and possibly even earlier generations would be so happy to see it being used and enjoyed!  

~As for entertainment at home, we have a roku and have some streaming services that our kids share with us.  Jeff and I also have a huge collection of movies, series and music on hand.  There are board games, card games, puzzle books and puzzles.  I also have lots and lots of books to read and share with our kids and grandkids.  There is a set of drawers full of crafting supplies and coloring books.  My grandson Steven gets into it often and I love that. That is what it is there for!  We also have a fire pit that we need to start using again, and hopefully can get the hot tub running once more. 

~Paying off debt is a priority!  We want to be in the best position NOT to owe anything to anyone.

~I am going to get back to sewing and crocheting again.  I have some fabric here at home that I have found at thrift stores and will be using some nice soft sheets to make things with.  I found some all cotton yarn that I will be using to crochet dish rags with.  Believe it or not, I found it at the Dollar Tree in the craft section!

   I'm sure I have missed a few things (if not more), but fibro fog and pain are all too real today and taking a toll on me.  I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass. 😉 I am hoping that by sharing what we are doing, it can help others and also keep a record of all that we are doing now for future reference.  Please add your comments and ideas of what you are doing.  I would love to read them and maybe this will help others in our little community here in blogging land too!  Be blessed, keep preparing and keep trying to see the positives in life!

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/10/23

   

   Here it is at the end of another week.  This one seemed to fly by.  It was our 38th wedding anniversary on Thursday so Jeff I reminisced about all the blessings we have had together and about the close knit family that we have created.  Little did we know when we stood up at the alter so many years ago giggling what was in store for us.  😊

   Now onto the not so nice stuff.  Today a second bank failed...Silicon Valley Bank shut down by regulators in collapse (nypost.com)  Wells Fargo also had what they said was a "computer glitch" that had many people waking up to find that all or most the money in their account was gone.  The failure of the SVB means that all funds are frozen for the time being.  There are both FDIC insured funds (up to $250,000) and ones that are not.  Businesses that have their money in this bank have found that their employees that were due to be paid today out of some of those funds now cannot be paid.  People are panicking. If they do not have cash on hand, a well stocked pantry, an emergency fund (that was not in that bank also), etc., then they are in a heap of trouble.  I don't for one minute believe that the funds will be released on Monday.  Bank runs have already started and many people, who were warned ahead of time, pulled money out of this particular bank and out of others.  Luckily Jeff and I have been preparing for this kind of a situation by paying down our debts as fast as we can, stocking our pantries, keeping cash on hand, and getting supplies that we need for the gardening season.  Bank runs, inflation, lay offs and such will just continue.  Then there are all the natural disasters from the huge amounts of snow and communities being cut off, tornados, and flooding all within the past few weeks and into today.  We need to be as prepared as we possibly can be.  Now onto the frugal doings...

Weekend:

~I cut up the roasts that I bought the day before.  Out of the two roasts, I got the following: 3 packages of stir fry meat, 4 packages stew meat, 1 package of 3 small steaks, and 3 packages of 2 each large sirloin tip steaks.

~I took one of the packages of the stew meat and got a nice stew going in the crockpot. for dinner. I served it Hawaiian Sweet rolls and some homemade applesauce that I pulled out of the freezer.  We had the leftover caramel apple pizza for dessert.

~I cooked up the last of the scrapple and 3 eggs (for Jeff) and we had that for lunch.

~I took a nap on Saturday after lunch.

~Jeff and I finally got my haircut.  I feel like a new woman again. 😉

~Jeff took me out on a date Sunday for our anniversary.  We went to the Mad Greek restaurant.  It is one of our favorite places to go.  I brought home some of my meal and had it for dinner later in the evening. Some people might recognize the name of the restaurant from the news as it is the place that 2 of the girls that were University of Idaho students and were murdered worked and where the "alleged" murderer was known to have gone to.  It was eerie to see the candles outside that were burnt at night as a vigil to all the innocent lives that were taken.

~After leaving the Mad Greek, we went to Goodwill and set a limit of $20 to spend there.  Our Goodwill now gets donations from Target.  I was able to find a nice bathmat for our master bathroom (the old one is falling apart) for $5.99, an 11 pack of underwear for $5.97, a bra (which was the color tag of the week, so half price) for $1.99, and some liquid hand soap (also half priced) for .99.  In addition, we were able to use a 20% off coupon on one item.  We spent just over $15 with tax.  Not bad and all the items were brand new.

~We picked up the rest of our grocery needs from Winco.  It was a very small shopping trip because not much was needed.  We should be fine for the next 2 weeks other than having to pick up more milk and some bananas next week.

~Our entertainment for Sunday evening was watching "Wakanda Forever" while munching on some popcorn here at home.

Monday:

~We had leftovers for dinner.  

~I had a long chat with one of Uncle Bob's sons and he showed me around the house and what they had done to it so far.  I helped him come up with a realistic price to sell the house for since the price that they thought they would start at, knowing that they would have to come down from, would make it so people would not look at the house to begin with.  I have been following the housing market in our area for awhile, so I know what is selling and for what price.

~I've been reading some books that I borrowed from the library.

Tuesday:

~Jeff had the day off so he worked on making a screened window for the greenhouse on the opposite side of the other one.  This window will be high up so that the hot air can escape when the temps are really high. It got so hot in there last Summer that it ended up melting some of the plastic trays that I start plants in. YIKES!

~I pulled a nice big boneless skinless chicken breast out of the freezer to thaw for dinner.  I also got some pulled pork out to use for dinner Wednesday.

~A HUGE red bell pepper was cut up and most of it was frozen. 

~I made fettuccini alfredo for dinner and added the thinly sliced chicken breast, along with some of the diced up red pepper to it.  It was amazing!

~Jeff and I watched "The Ark" together.

Wednesday:

~I had the leftover fettuccini alfredo for lunch.

~Uncle Bob's son Alan came over and gave me a birdbath that belonged to his parents.  I had expressed interest in buying it, but he just gave it to me.  He also gave me a bunch of cement pavers that were much appreciated since we were going to have to buy some to finish a project we have here.

~I watched several shows on Youtube and Paramount during the day.

~Jeff and I watched "Survivor".  I am so thankful to our kids for sharing their subscriptions with us so we can watch it.

~Dinner was pulled pork that I had pulled out of the freezer combined with some BBQ sauce served on the last of the hamburger buns, baby carrots and some canned fruit.

~I baked 2 loaves of sandwich bread.

~It was Bradley's 11th birthday!  How can he be this old already?  I started my blog right before he was born.  He is such a special, kindhearted, smart, handsome and yes, sarcastic young man.  I would not want him any other way!

Thursday:

~It was Jeff and my 38th wedding anniversary and he left little love notes for me around the house to find when I woke up.  He has been doing this for a few years now for special occasions and it is something that I look forward to and get such a kick out of!

~I made some krab salad for dinner.  I really enjoy this salad and it is so costly to buy it premade and only takes me about 10 minutes to make it here at home myself.

~Jeff finished off the last of the pork loin roast when he got home from bowling.

Friday:

~Jeff went into work early, is working through lunch and working half an hour later to make up some hours he is missing since he works a shorter shift this Saturday.

~I spent the morning following the news of the banks closing and the effect that is having on the stock market and other banks in general.  Ten more are at risk of closing also.

~After the news of what is going on with the banks, I quickly took inventory of our medicines, personal care products, etc.  I know we are good on food, but those other items are ones that I know could use some topping off.

~Jeff is picking up 2 pizzas from Safeway for $2.99 each for us to have for dinner tonight.  Easy peesy!

   My dear friends, buckle up...we are in for one heck of a bumpy ride.  Since our family is getting together tomorrow to celebrate Bradley's birthday, I am going to talk to the family about what our plans will be to help one another out and who has what resources.  I really do want to make a master list to help us all out so that we can share and no one goes out to buy something that someone else already has equipment wise. I already have raspberry and blackberry starts promised to Heather and to her mom Tammy.  I'm going to see if I can get some strawberry plants from a friend since some of mine need replacing.  I'll work out a trade of some sort with them also.  

Be blessed all!

  

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/3/23

    

Saturday:

~Jeff fixed our sliding glass door handle.  It had come loose.  He had to replace the long screws.  Well, the screws he had on hand were too long, so he cut them down to fit perfectly!  Saved buying a whole new handle set or new screws.

~Jeff ended up not feeling well in the afternoon, so he headed to bed and slept through the night.  I scrapped our original plans for dinner and had leftover lasagna and some homemade bread instead.

~We facetimed with Josh and family.  Our Tate is a bundle of energy and due to the bad weather, was not able to go outside to burn it off.  Poor kiddo just kept putting on his shoes and his parents kept trying to distract him.  Our princess Peyton had a wonderful time watching her G-pa make faces at her and we got the biggest smile from her.  Oh how I miss those grandbabies.

Sunday:

~We woke up to living in a snow globe!  It was so pretty and we needed the moisture that it brought.

~Jeff and I spent some time folding a mountain of laundry.  It reminded me of how abundantly blessed we are.

~I got started to have a panic attack and usually I would ask Jeff to take me somewhere to just get out of the house and stop the panic attack in its tracks.  Instead, I talked myself down and made a plan on how to handle my anxiety.  Saved money on gas and the shopping that we would have done if we had headed into town.  As for the panic attacks, they are happening more frequently again.  I know what is causing them though, so that is helping me to cope with them better.

~Due to my increasing panic attacks, Jeff and I had a long talk about how to reduce my anxiety levels and came up with a plan to hopefully help me without resorting to increased medication.  Some of the circumstances causing me stress are not ones that I have any control over (health issues with lots of my loved ones, some with not much time left here on earth), but I can limit my exposure to other things that are prevalent in the news that are also stressing me out.  This week will all be about watching things that are fun distractions for Jeff and I for the most part on TV and social media.  I am also planning to read more and spend more time in my bible and in prayer.

~Dinner was leftover Kalua Pig, some pok choi that I grew last Summer and froze, all served over a bed of rice.  It was a wonderful "comfort" meal.

~I made out a menu plan for the week based on what we need to use up first and what we have on hand here.

~Jeff helped me with the pantry organization and cleaning out some items.  I also spent some time refilling the sugar and salt containers and the oatmeal container that I keep in the kitchen for easy use.

Monday:

~Early start to the morning for both Jeff and I.  He woke up around 4 a.m. and could not get back to sleep.  I heard him off and on out in the living room as he got himself breakfast and later, ready for the day.  I dozed off and on during that time and then got woken up again around 7 a.m. by our neighbors running their trucks for half an hour.  I tried to just go with the flow at that point.  I got up, had coffee and spent some time reading my bible and in prayer.  It felt good to spend that extended time with God this morning.

~I was getting a bit antsy so I headed into town to do some shopping.  I found some brand new socks for a certain grandson, new in package underwear for me, and 2 shirts for me at Goodwill.  One of the shirts was half off and I got 20% off on everything else since it was also senior discount day.

~I ran into Heather's mom and grandma at Goodwill and we shared a quick hug.  I love those ladies so very much!

~A stop at Walmart was also made to get bananas for Jeff.  While there I also found 1 pound packages of ground beef for $2.83 each.  I bought all 3 they had.  I found Tajin for $1 each, Kerr canning jar lids (on clearance) and more canned lunchmeat.

~Once I got home, I made a zucchini squash casserole with some that needed to be used ASAP.  

~My neck, hip and back were hurting like crazy so I sat down to rest for a bit.  I decided to reward myself with a nice blackberry infused vodka and tonic.  The infused vodka is some that I made with some of our blackberries.  Oh is was so good!

~Some ground sausage was gotten out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator to thaw.  I will make some scrapple with it later in the week.

~We were about 4 months ahead on our cat food supply for our indoor kitties, so I cancelled our bimonthly delivery from Petco for this month.  That money will be used for another bill instead.

~Leftover lasagna was for dinner for Jeff and squash casserole for me.

Tuesday:

~I finished the squash casserole for both lunch and dinner.  It really is one of my favorite comfort foods.

~Dinner was bratwurst and homemade sweet potato fries all cooked in the air fryer.  I also served crisp apple slices on the side.

~No going anywhere for the day, so no money spent on my part.

Wednesday:

~Jeff took the rest of the leftover lasagna for lunch.

~I uploaded digital coupons onto my Safeway card.

~A trip down to the library was made to pick up a book I had on hold there.  She also had another movie I ordered in waiting for me and was able to let me keep the 2 other movies that I had not had a chance to watch yet.

~I made scrapple for dinner.  We had about 1/3 of it and the rest will be for another meal or meals.  Jeff fried up 3 eggs to go with his portion.  I sliced up a tomato and added some crunchy baby carrots to go with mine.  We both also had some canned pears.  It made for a very filling meal.

~I went through my spices above the stove to take a mental inventory of what I had there and also refilled the finely ground pepper shaker with more pepper from my big jar.

Thursday:

~I watched some videos on YouTube about dehydrating different veggies and also about pressure canning.

~Breakfast was the last of the sale priced cinnamon raisin bagels with some peanut butter .

~Jeff took a sandwich and a leftover bratwurst with him for his lunch and dinner since he has bowling league on Thursday nights. I had a bratwurst with sauerkraut.

~I had leftovers for dinner.

~Jeff picked up cat food, bananas, and 2 bars of Zote soap at Walmart.

Friday:

~I helped one of Jeff's coworkers find some tulip bulbs online that she has been hunting for.

~It was my shopping day and I was on the hunt for bargains on meat.  I set myself a budget and prayed that I would be able to find some good deals.

~My first stop was at the Grocery Outlet.  I really scored here!  I found the large sized packages of the little smokies sausages for .99 a package!  I got 4 of them and told some nice ladies shopping near me about the deal too.  I bought 4 packages and they got the other 4.  In this day and age, we all need to be looking out for one another.  I also found some breakfast sausages, 4 packages of the refrigerator cinnamon rolls, a huge box of Corn Pops cereal for $1.99 and a few other small items.

~Next stop was Safeway where I picked up 2 large sirloin tip roasts that were on sale for $3.99 a pound (there was a limit of 2), 2 2 pound blocks of Cheddar cheese for $5 each, a pork loin roast for $3.99 (it was in the marked down meat section), 2 large spinach and mushroom pizzas for $3.99, Power Ade for .89 each and a large package of toilet paper for $5.

~Grocery Outlet was my final shopping stop.  Here I bought a 6 pack of the 2 gallon sized ziplock bags, snack sized ziplock bags, 2 large packages of pasta, fabric band aids, greeting cards, pop tarts for Jeff in his favorite flavors (this will be part of his anniversary gift), steak sauce and something else I can't seem to remember at the moment.

~I swung by the Department of Motor Vehicles for pick up a form for my doctor to fill out so I can renew my handicapped parking placard.  

~I made an appointment for later this month with my doctor to get my bloodwork done and to check in on how I am doing on my medications.

~Dinner was the pork loin baked alongside some season potato chunks, green beans and Hawaiian Sweet rolls.  We ended up with leftovers of the roast, potatoes, and rolls.  I also baked up a dessert caramel and apple pizza.  We had leftovers of this also.

~Jeff picked up my sleeping medications on his way home.

~We watched the 2nd part of Survivor from Wednesday night, La Brea, and Ghosts.

A Frugal Friday Chat

    

    I thought it might be nice to have a chat, and a frugal themed one at that.  Go pop yourself up some popcorn and get yourself something to drink...I'll wait. 😉 Don't forget a cloth napkin to wipe your buttery fingers off with.  You do not want that all over your computer keyboard.

   So we got some good news!  Jeff got a raise at work!  After taxes, it works out to about $100 more a month.  The bad news...inflation has risen up faster than his raise will cover.  Good news...we are very experienced at stretching our finances and planning out how to purchase needed items without putting them on the credit card.  Case in point, we needed a new battery for the truck.  Jeff shopped around and found the best price for a good battery with a 1-year guarantee.  He bought it and will take the old battery in to get his $25 core charge back.    Luckily this paycheck has less coming out of it for regular bills so we were able to get the battery replaced.  Next month he will buy another ton of pellets for our pellet stove to keep us warm for the rest of the cold weather season and hopefully give us a good start for the next heating season also.  We needed the battery in the truck so we could use the truck to haul the pellets.

   I've gone back to using our local library again.  I was able to borrow some movies and books.  Both of the books were cooking related.  I do love me a good cookbook!

   Speaking of cookbooks, I have had a certain one on my Amazon wish list for years.  Low and behold, I found it at the thrift store, along with a pepper grinder that has been on my "look for at the thrift store" list.  I also found another Taste of Home cookbook and a book on home remedies and supplements for .50 each at the library book sale.  It just made my week!

   I've been picking up non GMO, Organic and Heirloom seeds for my garden, along with some of the cheaper seeds.  I know I can seed save from the Organic and Heirloom plants.  I seed saved from a bunch of plants last year and am hoping that I get a good germination rate out of them.  The goal is to expand my garden even further.  Jeff has been picking up free buckets from Safeway bakeries each week.  This is a great way to get free containers to grow plants in and we can always use more buckets around here for out in the gardens and for food storage in the house.  Steven and I are going to try to get some cold weather crops started next month in the greenhouse.  He will be with me for 2 days over Spring break.  

   Jeff and I had been trying to figure out how to finance a trip over to the Seattle area for a long weekend this Spring to see my baby brother Eric and his family, and also one down to see Josh, Lauren, Tate and Peyton after they move into their new home in Utah.  Josh will be deploying at some point and we want to get over and see them before that happens.  I've been trying to set aside $100 each month towards the trips, but we had to skip a few months due to everything else costing so much.  Anyway, I got some fantastic news.  My nephew Cade will be playing in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival with his high school jazz band!  My brother Eric, my sweet SIL Christie and my other nephew Eli are coming over to see him perform.  Not only that, but my parents are coming over to see him perform also!  We thought we would not get to see my parent until the Fall since that is when we had a trip planned to go and see them.  The Jazz festival is held at the University of Idaho and draws talented students and big name Jazz musicians from all around the world.  When I was in the University of Idaho Jazz Choir (oh so many years ago) our choir won and we got to sing back up for Diane Reeves in concert.  That is one of my favorite memories and I am so happy that now my nephew will be performing and doing workshops just like I did.  Maybe, just maybe, he will like the college enough that he will decide to go there after graduation from high school.  Here's to hoping that will happen.  It would be so nice to have him close to us.  So we will have a good portion of our family together again.  I have not seen my baby brother and family since Josh and Lauren's wedding.  We keep in touch with one another, but I miss that "face to face" time.  I also can't wait to hug my parents again.  Last time I saw them, I could not stop hugging my mom and my dad and I had such deep conversations.  I love spending time with both my parents and, as they are getting on in years, I want to make every moment with them count.  We will do a big family dinner or lunch together and do it potluck style.  I don't want my parents to feel like they are obligated to pay for all of us to go out to eat.  In the past, that would not have been a big deal financially for them, but with the cost of the hotel stay and travel expenses, along with their investments not doing as well, they need to cut back on expenses too.  Same thing with my baby brother and family.  He survived the last round of layoffs at Microsoft, but he realizes that he too may be cut in the future.

   Jeff and I are carefully looking at the sales ads and stocking up on the loss leaders when we find them at a super great price.  Recently Rosauers had Cosmic Crisp apples for .89 a pound.  We stocked up on what we could reasonably use for the next month or so.  We eat a lot of apples and pears.  Since apples were cheaper, we got those instead of pears this time.  We continue to pick up canned meats like chicken and tuna.  Both are wonderful sources of protein.  When fresh meat is on sale, we will buy that, divide it up into smaller meal sizes and freeze it for using later.  Cream cheese and hard cheeses are only bought when on sale.  I do buy cottage cheese, but shop for the best prices on that too.  If I find a salad mix on sale that I like, I look at what is in it and try to plan one growing the veggies needed to go in it, along with stocking up on the other goodies it might contain.  I am able to recreate so many of our favorite dishes just based on looking at it and the flavors I taste.  Luckily I have a really good taste pallet and know flavor profiles for most dishes.  My upbringing gave me that gift since I was blessed to experience and enjoy foods from all over the world.

   We were plunged into an arctic blast of frigid temperatures, so I made some homemade soup.  I decided that I wanted to make something filling, creamy and comfort food like.  I wilted some celery that was diced up in some bacon grease.  When that was at the desired softness, I sprinkled some flour over that and cooked the flour off so it did not have any of the raw flour flavor left.  From there I added the liquid from a can of diced potatoes, a can of corn, and some water to get it to the desired consistency that I wanted.  Chicken bullion was added, freshly ground pepper, the can of corn and the can of potatoes.  I let that simmer for a few minutes and then added some of the chunked up ham, that I had frozen previously, into the pot as well.  I topped that off with some milk to add to the creaminess.  Jeff and I each had a big bowl full and it gave me leftovers for two more lunches here at home.

   Jeff came home Wednesday night with a huge blessing from work.  They had bags of wood pellets that had ripped open in transport that they could no longer sell.  The company Jeff works for just totaled them out and let Jeff and another one of his co-workers have the bags for free.  Jeff brought home 4 bags and his co-worker also took 4 home.  That is 4 less bags that both his co-worker and we have to pay for to keep our homes heated.  It is currently just 9F outside as I type this, so we will for sure be going through a bag of pellets within 24 hours with this cold snap.

   Chris dropped Heather, Bradley, and Isaiah off at our house Friday night and headed to a dinner meeting here in town.  I had made a big cheese lasagna and Heather baked some French bread and whipped up some herbed garlic butter.  She also brought ice cream for dessert!  Everything was delicious and the company could not be beat! 😉  Time spent with our family is what Jeff and I cherish the most.

   I slipped on some ice Friday afternoon and managed to do a ninja cat move mid air so that I did not break anything.  I am however now the proud "owner" of lots of scrapes, bruises and a sore neck, hip, back and butt.  It could have been so much worse and I am very thankful that I got away with as little damage as I did.

   Lots going on here in our lives and homes, but I am making sure to take time out to rest.  I am also trying to make sure to appreciate all that we have been blessed with and treasure each moment with family.  None of us are promised tomorrow so we need to focus on there here and now and be totally "in the moment".  Be blessed!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Good Eats at Home and some Random Thoughts

 

   Well hello again!  Jeff and I have been battling some leftover sinus issues after having the nasty virus that went around here. We are finally feeling a bit better.  Thus, the reason for my absence.

   I had Steven here with me on Monday since it was a school holiday and both his parents still had to work.  We had a wonderful time and made bread and cookies.  He is such a smart little guy and spelled potato and tomato by sounding the words out!  Proud Grammie moment.  Auntie Shannon even came over after she got off work in the morning and brought him a doughnut and some bacon.  It was so much fun to see my grandson just light up when he saw her and again when Jeff got home and Steven ran out to greet him.  Steven and Jeff cuddled until Rachel came to pick him up.  My hubby was such a happy G-pa and kept talking about how much needed that time with his grandson was.  Melted my heart...

   Jeff and I are trying our best to eat at home and enjoy some of our favorite meals at a fraction of what it would cost if we went out.  I have been doing a mental math breakdown of the cost comparison and let me tell you, we are saving so much money!  The food I cook usually tastes a lot better too.  Here are some of the meals we have had lately...

Sweet Italian sausage, sheet pan roasted sweet potatoes,

and fresh and juicy pear slices.  YUMMY!

Thick cut bacon and tomato sandwiches, baby carrots and bread and butter pickles.  The bacon was a gift and the bread is homemade.

Pork steak and creamy rice casserole served with green beans on the side.  I think we also had crisp apple slices that are not shown.

Burgers with tomato and avocado and homemade French fries that were cooked in the Air Fryer.  Avocados were on sale for .50 each so I bought 4 of them and have been greatly enjoying them in many ways.  They are a real comfort food for me.

   You may have noticed that the plates are all different.  I love having a nice selection of plates to choose from.  I rotate them according to season and always try to have a mixture of plates that can go in the microwave and others that can't.  What can I say, I really enjoy eating off pretty plates.  It is the small things like that that just make me smile.

   Be blessed my friends and stay warm with this polar vortex taking over much of the United States and parts of Canada as well.  Prepare as best you can for the hard times ahead too.  Most of all though, make sure that your faith is strong.