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.

   

PTSD

 

   PTSD is a strange thing.  You think you are doing so well and have things under control when something triggers you again.  You may not even realize how bad it is until the depression and anxiety take over once more.  This is what happened to me and I slowly withdrew from the world for a bit. 

   At first I did not realize what was happening but I found myself sleeping a lot more than normal.  I was "hiding" out in my bedroom for hours on end during the day or evening.  I was irritable and easily overwhelmed.  I had a deep sadness just under the surface that I could not figure out.  On the outside, I projected a happy attitude and smiled and laughed, but that sadness was still there and I just tried to ignore it hoping it would just go away since I had no idea what had caused it...or at least I tried to convince myself of that.  I tried to just pass it off as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

   Today I finally faced up to what really was going on...PTSD had reared it's ugly head again.  I had tried to stuff my feelings down and not have to deal with all those emotions and painful memories that had been triggered by a recent court case that involved a friend, someone that I loved and trusted.  This person  knew about my past and that I had been molested as a child by someone known to my family and that it went on for years.  This person was someone that I stood behind when he was accused of this same awful crime himself because I could never imagine him doing such a thing...then he plead guilty and admitted that he did it and that he was "sick".

   Some of the details were published about what he did and I'm sure that many were left out since it went on for years.  We also found out it not the first time he had been accused of such a horrible thing.  He lied about that and was not charged because there was not enough evidence to support taking the case to court in that instance.  He lied to my husband and I about why his first wife left him and had us feeling sorry for him...now we know the truth.  He lied to his now wife, who is a dear friend, about this case too and he also lied to us.  

   I have been trying to be as supportive as I can of his brokenhearted wife who has had her whole world turned upside down.  My heart is also breaking for his victims and I am so proud of their bravery for speaking up and thankful that they were believed and their pain and truth not brushed aside so that they would continue to be abused and suffer the physical and mental toll that this takes on someone.

   While doing all this, I forgot to, or maybe I even made the unconscious decision, not to deal with my own feelings of betrayal and the ugliness of what happened to me as a child that came creeping back in to my mind.  I have been in therapy in the past to help me with this, but I refused to go "deep" because I was not ready to go there yet.  I don't know if I ever will be.  Instead I try to help others deal with those same feelings and make sure that they know it is not their fault...that they were victims because I know all too well that feeling of thinking that somehow it is our fault for the abuse, and it is not.  

   I am now facing this thing in small increments, as my mind will allow.  It is like having all these doors that were shut tight where the bad memories have been locked away for years, and now slowly and carefully opening them, being careful not to let things "spill out" uncontrollably.  I have to "tools" now to be able to deal with these things, but only in small amounts, and then the doors must be shut again while I process and recover before slowly opening the door again and facing even more.

   I'm doing small things, that bring me great joy and comfort, to help distract me from all that is going.  It gives my mind a much needed break and helps me to feel safe.  That is why I shared the picture of the jar full of dried orange slices at the top of this post.  The simple act of creating these small slices of beauty help calm me.  Not only are they pretty, but they smell amazing too.  I am working on something that I will be sharing in a future post where I use these in a creative way that is also helps to make my home that cozy, calming and yes, even funny and silly, place to be that I so need.

   

   

Peter Pan and Wednesday Morning Thoughts and Plans

 

   When my alarm went off this morning, I found myself in that strange place, you know the one.  Remember that line in Peter Pan where as Wendy and her brothers are going home she asks Peter where she will find him again and he says something to the effect of between sleep and waking up? That is where I am right now.  Somewhere between sleep and waking up.  Not a bad place to be honestly.

   The world is waking up and I can hear the cooing of the Mourning Doves along with the songs of the other little birds.  The sound of Mourning Doves takes me right back to my childhood and is so comforting.  It reminds me that I have a brand new day ahead of me and I get to choose to make of it what I want.  

    The rain is just beginning to gently fall and the sound of it pattering on the metal roof is another sound of comfort for me.  I was finally able to coax Caesar back up on the porch and out of the rain with the promise of some treats.  He, Doofy and I are slowly getting a start on our day and easing into it.  I think we are all happy to have the outdoor furniture set up again so we can all be out here together even if it is currently 48F.  Thank goodness for soft, fluffy and warm robes and hot coffee to sip on to keep me warm. 😉

   My plans for today are to meet a dear friend for coffee here in town in about 45 minutes.  We are meeting at the little coffee shop that one of my sweet neighbors owns.  Donna and I have not had a chance to get caught up in ages and I miss her.  We homeschooled our kids together for 9 years, taught at the Homeschool Co-op that we helped organize, our kids were in a Praise and Worship band together and we even took a vacation and bonded over tetanus shots after stepping on rusty carpet tacks.  We've been there for each other as our children grew up, got married (not to each other), two of our children got divorced, devastating miscarriages, joyful births of grandchildren and both of us with major health issues.  We are the kind of friends that can months or even years without seeing each other  but will pick right back up where we left off.  We are also the kind of friends that would drop just about everything to be there for each other if needed.  Those kinds of friendships are rare and I treasure mine with Donna.

    Well I see that I have 2 minutes before I need to hop in the shower and get ready to go.  I'm looking forward to spending time with Donna and then it's off to get the shopping done so that I have everything I need for Steven's baby shower and to feed my crew that will be here starting tomorrow when my mom arrives.  I love knowing that soon most of my loved ones will be here together again. Hopefully it will not be that long before my dad and brother Fritz an come for a visit also. 😊  Be blessed!

Frugal Doings Mid and Late October 2015

   Since we now have some major medical bills to pay off once more, I am in super frugal mode once again.  We did raise the limit on our credit card to pay for all of this and in the long run, that is going to save us money too since getting a personal loan was going to be about the same interest rate and other ways of financing it were going to cost us way more in interest.  So here is what we are doing to save, save, save!

~paying for the hospital bill in one lump sum and being given a a 10% discount for doing that
~our credit card gives us reward points for using the credit card and the debit card, I will be using the points to cash in for gift cards for Christmas gifts this year
~I'm spending some of this "down time" making Christmas gifts for family and sent one of those gifts home with my parents who were just here helping us
~I'm trying to constantly run my points programs in the background while I am am on the computer
~I recently signed up for Pinch Me and got some great samples in the mail along with a coupon for a full sized Tidy Cats Clumpable Cat Litter
~cashing in a Swagbucks to get Walmart gift cards that I then use to help pay for things there.  I just cashed in and used $65 worth the other day
~weaning myself down off my pains meds after my surgery, they are not cheap and I don't want to become dependent on them
~my hubby bought a large used chest freezer from a friend for $75 since we were running out of room in our big upright freezer to store all the venison and garden produce
~my parents were here helping us and my mom cooked up a storm leaving us with lots and lots of leftovers
~my DIL Heather had made us a lovely dinner and sent it home with us right before my surgery
~my son Jaysn and DIL Rachel brought us out pizza, pop and candy after my surgery and then Rachel stayed with me that night when Jeff had to go to work so we watched a dvd that we already own
~borrowing more books and dvds through the library
~doing my Disney Movie Rewards points thing
~getting some free groceries as part of our volunteer work (Jeff is doing this by himself today since I cannot do any real lifting)
~my parents bought us some foam padding for our couch and we used some discount coupons to help pay for it
~getting rather creative with items in the pantry and trying to use them up before they go bad
~looking up some old stock certificates to see if they are worth anything
~since I am grounded from driving while on my prescription pain meds, that saves money on gas for my car since I am not running around as much
~combining errands and things so there are less trips to take into town anyway
~taking advantage of freebies and samples
~using heated up rice bags instead of an electric heating pad...I think they actually work better
~watching shows and videos online
~learning new skills via Youtube
~using an insulated coffee mug at home to keep my coffee hot longer
~my parents gifted us a beautiful night time print by Herb Ka'ne, one of my favorite Hawaiian artists, I went to high school with his daughter Jennifer
~took 2 leftover Italian Sausages, some kale from the garden, 3 potatoes, and onion and made those into Zuppa Toscana 

Recent Frugal Fashion Finds

Dooney and Bourke brown leather purse



I love yard sale season almost as much as I love thrift store shopping and this time of year I can combine both of them and find some amazing deals!  Every now and then I find a fantastic deal like the Dooney and Bourke brown leather purse that I recently thrifted for $3.99, and yes, it is authentic. :)   Don't you just love when you find something that you have been wanting for a long time but refused to pay retail prices for?  I know I sure do.

Tod's dark brown leather purse (not sure if this one is authentic but I love the style and the leather is buttery soft)

I am a self admitted purse addict, I just can't help myself!  I know my mother is rolling her eyes saying "How many purses do you need?". ;)  And she would be right, but still!  I scored the Tod's purse for $2.99.  Both purses were found at a local thrift store.  Some of the other purses I have found lately were actually from a huge .50 for each item, yard sale that I went to about a month ago.  I found so many wonderful bags there and left a lot of them behind.  However, I did come home with several cross body style purses by Nine West, Sak and a hand tooled leather bag in a deep teal color.  I also found some Summer type purses, wallets, photo holders and a cute little girl's bag that I will be giving to a friend.


Cobalt blue dress

It is wedding season and I was needing a few more more dresses for the 3 weddings that we have coming up.  I found the lovely cobalt blue dress at the thrift store for $3.47 and it was brand new with tags still attached.  I also found another brand new dress there with the most beautiful trumpet type skirt.  It is just so pretty and feminine.


Brand new dress, with tags attached

The dress above was a yard sale find.  A woman who owns a consignment shop was clearing out some of her overstock inventory that she had stored at her house in anticipation of a move.  I paid $5 for this gorgeous dress that she had bought when another formal wear store was going out of business.  I love the color and the fit of it.


LL Bean long winter coat

Now is the time to pick up winter coats and clothing.  If you shop off season, you can find some amazing deals like I did with the wonderfully soft and warm LL Bean coat that even has a hood.  I feel in love with this the minute I saw it.  It was another great score from the lady who owned the consignment store's yard sale.  Since it was the last day of the sale, she only charged me $1 for it.  The tag, from her her store, had it listed for $75, which is a fraction of the cost brand new.  This coat shows absolutely no wear so I don't think whomever was the original owner wore it much at all.  This will rank up there with one of my all time favorite finds.

Do you love to hunt for treasures at yard sales and thrift stores?  If so, now is the time to go.  The thrift stores in our area are filled with so many wonderful things that people have donated due to Spring Cleaning or, in our case, college letting out for the Summer and students donating.  Yard sales are in full swing and every weekend is a new adventure!
Happy hunting and I hope you will find some wonderful buys!

Bradley and Isaiah's Button Frame Gift

 

Bradley helped me make a gift for his Mommy and Daddy for Christmas. 

Bradley picked out the buttons and Grammie glued them onto the picture frame that she found at the thrift store with some craft glue.

Grammie also made a picture collage of Bradley and Isaiah that she was able to get at Walgreen's for free after coupons.

Bradley proudly presented the gift from he and Isaiah on Christmas morning to his Mommy and Daddy who absolutely loved it.

Good job Bradley!

 

Recycled Wreath

 

I had an old Christmas wreath that had seen better days and decided instead of just tossing it out, I would rip all the stuff off the grapevine wreath base and use that to make a new Springtime wreath.  

After digging through my supplies, I found a bag full of leftover silk ferns, flowers and even boutonnieres that I had made for my son Christopher's wedding. :)

I spent the next hour cutting, arranging and hot glue gunning ferns, flowers and bouttoniers to the grapevine base.  I really like the way it turned out and it cost me nothing to make! 

 Another huge bonus to all of this is that every time I look at it, it brings back memories of the day Chris married our sweet Heather and they started their own family. They have now gone on to bless us with our first grandson Bradley and our newest little grandson that will be making his grand debut in late July. :)