Frugal Friday Wrap UP

  I'm toying with the idea of doing a regular Frugal Friday Wrap Up post each week of things I have done to save money each week.  I started a journal where I write down some of my saving ways but I also have a website with a few wonderful and like minded friends where we share how we save each day.  :)  I find it motivational, especially on those days where I wonder about my "contributions" to our family financially, to keep track of things like this.

   I thought I would kick things off this Friday with a few of the ways I have saved since the beginning of January up to this point.

~cooked up a spiral sliced ham that I bought at half price to take to a family potluck dinner
~used leftover ham for other meals
~used the ham bone from that to make split pea soup
~freezing some of the split pea soup for future meals
~had a potluck dinner here at our home
~darned my wool socks that the cat had again found and chewed holes in
~saved more socks from the sock eating cat today
~cashed in for $45 in Walmart gift cards via Swagbucks
~used the Walmart gift cards to buy groceries and pet supplies 
~made 5 loaves of banana bread with over-ripe bananas
~sent some of the banana bread with Josh on the plane since they do not serve breakfast on his early morning flight
~took advantage of the Happy Hour prices at the hotel Josh and I stayed at to get drinks for $3 each and a B1G1 for a penny dinner special (we stayed at a hotel at the airport since he had to be there by 3:45 in the morning and our weather has been making for icy roads)
~brought home the rest of the shampoo and conditioner from the hotel
~had free coffee, tea and breakfast at the hotel
~used the hotel pool to go swimming
~made multiple loaves of sourdough bread
~used leftover bread to make croutons
~bought books, birthday gifts for the grandkids, sweaters, athletic wear, dvds, etc. from the thrift store
~went to the after Christmas sales and stocked up at their 75% and 90% off sales...big cans of nuts for $1.50, boxes of ziplock bags for .53 each, and a few other things
~Jeff changed an electrical switch that was going out in our house
~borrowed lots of books and dvds from the library
~Josh treated us to lunch and bowling
~used moose steaks (given to us as part of a Christmas present) to make stroganoff with
~froze some freshly made tortellini and ravioli for future meals
~stocked up on hard cider and wine at Trader Joe's for about 1/4th of the price I would be paying in our area
~making a double batch of laundry soap
~stocking up on marked down meats and freezing them
~watching some TV shows online that we do not get with our DISH package (planning to drop DISH in April when our contract is up)

As my Grandma Used to Say... I'm Puttering

   Our Josh is still here visiting, but the whirlwind of activity has slowed way down and I have been blessed to be able to just stay home yesterday and today.  I so needed the break from the go, go, go! ;)  Yesterday I was pretty much in slug mode and all I accomplished was doing the laundry and making Josh's favorite meal for him.  He must have really loved it because he thanked me for making it, told me it was just the way he remembered it and he liked it best over anyone else's version and he had 3, yes 3 helpings and finished it all off!  :)  To be fair, his daddy and I both did get some before he claimed the rest for himself. ;)

   Josh and I spent a quiet morning together and now he is off to see his brothers, grandparents and hopefully his cousin before he and I head out tomorrow afternoon.  He is also getting yet more body art (another tattoo) done.  Tomorrow morning he will be packing up and then going with his dad to a doctor's appointment and then, when my hubby goes back to bed so that he can work later that night, he and I will head up to Spokane and stay the night at a hotel right at the airport since he has the early morning flight out.

    Since tomorrow will be a busy and long day for me, I am spending today puttering as my grandma would say.  I have cleaned the kitchen, strained some homemade citrus cleaner and have bread going in the bread maker.  Later I will fold some laundry and then pack my suitcase so I am ready to go tomorrow afternoon.  In between all this, I am doing my points programs, reading blogs and yes, even trying to be more consistent with my blogging here.  My grandma, who was not in the best health for years, used to break things up into smaller "tasks" and putter, getting things done at her own rate while resting in between.  I realized today that in some ways, I have become just like my grandma, having to take more time to rest than I would prefer, but still managing to keep things running.  Goodness I miss her...so before I start crying (because I miss her like crazy and still have not gotten through the whole grieving process even after 31 years), I will end this post here.
   
 

The Tipping Point

   I am loving having my Josh home on leave.  It has been so good to have him here!  This trip he has been really trying to focus on just having time with family.
   We are all extremely close and Josh has been trying to make sure that he spends lots of time with his brothers, sister-in-laws, nephews, grandparents and us.  Since he has been home, we have either done something as a whole family or with as many people as we can each day and Josh, in addition to that, has been trying to spend one on one time with everyone.  We have been bowling, had a huge potluck dinner with the grandparents that live here, went out to lunch, went out to dinner and had everyone here today for the Seahawks playoff game.
   As of yesterday, my cousin took a look at me and said "you have reached your tipping point".  He was referring to my health.  He could see that I was totally exhausted and told me that I needed to rest.  He knows about my health issues and, as with the rest of our family, is very sweet and protective of me.  I told him that I just needed to make it to Thursday, and then I could collapse. ;)
   I have been doing so much better since my surgery, so much so that I had forgotten how bad my "crashes" can be when I overdo it.  Well, yesterday and today have shown me that I still need to pace myself.  I focus all my energy on when I am with my family and then kind of collapse into an exhausted lump.  But you know what, it is worth it.  Being able to enjoy my family all together again is priceless.  Nothing means more to me than them.  They are my world!  
   Josh is here until early Thursday morning when he flies back to Virginia.  So until then, I am going to enjoy every moment I have and then I will take several days to recover. ;)
   

Happy Family Having Our Josh Home on Leave

The New Year is Off to a Frugal Start and Using What Have

   It's the start of a new year and it's time to buckle down and redo our budget again. Jeff and I were talking about some of our goals for this year and how we wanted to be better stewards of our money and be able to give more to causes that we support.  We also want to live a healthier lifestyle so that we both will be around for years to come.

   In looking over our budget, we realized that now that we have paid off one of our larger bills, we can roll the money we had been putting towards that bill onto paying off our credit card that we used to pay for my surgery.  We can also increase our charitable giving.  Currently we give to Positive Life Radio and want to also start giving to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  

   Jeff and I want to be better about watching what we eat and also about not wasting food.  I need to be work harder at "reinventing leftovers" and making them into new dishes.  I invested in some of the disposable aluminum pans (I get them in 3 packs at the Dollar Tree) and freeze leftovers in them, either as complete meals or with things like sliced turkey and gravy that we can have as is or make into turkey pot pie.  We also need to be better about eating more fresh salads from the greens that we grow.

   My cousin Jeremy gave us a pressure canner for Christmas and I would love to learn to use it to can vegetables that we grow in our garden or are able get at really good prices.  I have done water bath canning of fruits, jams and pickles and look forward to learning this new skill.

   
   I've been shopping sales, using coupons and have built up quite a stockpile of things that we use on a regular basis.  I have enough shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and antiperspirant to last us for at least a year and still share with family and friends.  I can check these items off my grocery list for a very long time and that frees up money to stock up on other items we need.

   Some of the money freed up by not having to buy the items I just mentioned will be used to stock up on things like butter, frozen vegetables that we can't or don't grow, frozen concentrated juices and meats like chicken, pork and shrimp since we are blessed to have hunters in our family that supply us with venison and elk and some salmon and halibut.  Our 2 big freezers are pretty full at the moment and we will be enjoying good meals made from their contents.

  I'll admit it, I like to look nice and am finding that the older I get, the more "help" I need when it comes to looking like I am awake and not tired. ;)  I finally consolidated all my "back up" cosmetics that I have found work well for me into one drawer.  I realized that I do not need to buy any more eye shadow, lipstick or pressed face powder in the near future.  I just have to shop what I already have.

   The other day I realized I was almost out of my favorite face moisturizer that has sunscreen in it.  Since I am not out in the sun much at all during this time of year, I thought about all the sample sized moisturizers I have in a small basket under my sink.  I got them out and am going to use them on days that I will be at home or indoors for most of the day. Four times a year I get a Walmart Beauty Box for $5 filled with samples and even some full sized products to try.  Most of the time these boxes also include moisturizers.  I should be good on moisturizer for a long time and I will only use my moisturizer with sunscreen on the days when I will be outside. I should only need to buy one bottle of my moisturizer with sunscreen this year as I spend more time outside this Spring and Summer.

  I'm looking at this year as being one of learning new skills, growing more in our garden and preserving it, using up what we have and enjoying all we have been blessed with.  

   

Below Zero

Caesar and Rufus Love Their Gifts

My cousin Jeremy bought Rufus and Caesar gifts for Christmas.  Can you tell they loved them? ;)  Caesar has now devoured his "bones" but Rufus continues to toss his toy mice all over the place!  Rufus and Caesar say thank you Jeremy!