January 2015 frugals

Relaxing day at home for the most part. Had to go to the gym this afternoon as my Tae Kwon Do school was having a rank test and one of my students was testing. So I took advantage of the fact that I was already at the gym and got in a workout and a shower! :D Made a huge batch of hard boiled eggs this morning. Will make some of them into egg salad tomorrow so that we can have egg salad sandwiches on homemade bread. Making nachos for dinner tonight, per my dearly beloved's request. Using black beans that I made in the crock pot and froze and canned green chiles that I bought on sale several weeks ago. Drinking a pot of black tea throughout the day, the tea was from my stash (that never seems to diminish all that much...). It's been cold and rainy here today, with freezing rain for a good portion of the day. It's made being outside not very pleasant so I'm happy to be able to spend the evening at home enjoying dinner and some entertainment via Netflix.

Got our first rent check from our new tenants. Hooray! Here's hoping they'd like to rent from us for a very long time!!! :D

Oof, not too much to report, but I always enjoy reading everyone's posts as they trigger small things I may have forgotten I've done. Now that we're back to America, I've been quite diligent about searching for coupons for the handful of name-brand items we like to use, and routinely save $3 to $6 on every grocery bill. I scored a nice deal on generic Nexium by getting a 42-day supply for less than $10, even though it didn't ring up that way at Walgreens. Since I had the mailer that listed the price and the amount in the box, the clerk kindly rang it up himself for $9.99 instead of the $22 that came up automatically on the register.

I am not eating meat at lunch anymore, which saves us money on lunchmeat. Also, I've given up coffee and drink tea instead, which has cut our coffee bill in half and accordingly reduced our milk consumption (I was a "cafe au lait" type from the get-go!).

I've also nearly completely cut out processed sugar (read: my three-a-day habit of mini Reese's peanut butter cups, YUM, is now a thing of the past), so we're saving a few bucks every couple of weeks that way. Nothing exciting, just chipping away here and there, and trying to be healthier, thinner, and richer!

No restraint whatsoever was exercised at the Winter Farmers' Market, but we had fun and got some great things to eat. We like supporting local vendors. Good thing it's only once a month!
I squeezed a bunch of old, squishy looking oranges and was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful juice I got from them. Food waste avoided and I really enjoyed the juice.
I had been seriously eyeing some balsam-filled draft blockers for our front and back doors, but instead I rolled and tied up a couple of throws into cylinders, and those are serving the purpose quite well with no money spent. The colors match the rooms they are in, so they look pretty decent.
My employer is offering a $100 gift card incentive for completing an 8-week fitness challenge, so I registered for that.

I have postponed tomorrow's planned meal for a day since I realized we have just too much in the way of GOOD leftovers in the fridge. A large sausage patty, 1/2 of (an expensive) steak, a container with over a cup of taco meat-n-beans along with the lettuce and cheese to go with it, 1 1/2 Indian fry breads, a small bowl of rice-n-peas, and another small bowl of green beans. While much of it COULD be frozen, then I'd just have to think and fret about later how to get it used up - so am gonna have smorgasborg tomorrow. It feels thrifty and easy.

Any my glasses strap broke yesterday (I guess I have a weird nose, glasses won't stay up) and I decided I would have to go out of town and try to find a replacement. Instead I found an old one that was way too long and never did work, I brainstormed about it, and ended up cutting a big chunk out of it and hand-sewing (very ugly-ly, but it's holding) the ends back together. It worked! It's not as nice or comfortable as the ones I usually use, but it will get me by nicely until I can order a new one.

I read my way through the month and so appreciated all of the tips, links, and support I found in the January Frugals thread. As some of you do, I also heat only rooms I'm in, in spite of a whole-house gas heating system, but last month was cold and I got carried away with heat, so I'm bundling up better this month and keeping the heaters off more. I always keep my heater off at night (and have been reading that one sleeps better in a cool room), but I have an electric mattress pad I turn on an hour before bed and turn off when I turn out the lights to sleep. I don't believe this is a huge energy drain and I adore getting into a toasty bed, which stays warm because of my wool and down blankets and my 2 cats who like to cuddle with me.

Like many of you, I'm working on using what's in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. I was planning to make a big pot of soup with my marginal veggies, but got busy with other stuff (like earning $$ :-) ). My biggest savings this month has been buying very few packaged foods--focusing on the basics like beans, legumes, rice, whole veggies and fruit. Eating vegetarian (closer to vegan, actually) is my ongoing biggest act of frugality. Healthy & yummy, too.

Frugals lately

1 Used up points accumulated at groceries for a total of $80.00 in food of course I still used coupons /price matched and bought on sale.

2. Part of that order was a 23 lb leg of pork….the nice butcher cut it into 4 pieces and then I deboned them frying the bones and freezing 3 to use later and using the one to make a large pot of split pea soup. It was very good and made many servings.
Was able to get 6 roasts and 2 pkgs of pieces to freeze and use later.

3. Cut open the bottom of a makeup foundation and was able to use for a whole week.

4. Watching Season 1 of “Twin Peaks” from the library….I had forgot how crazy and ahead of it’s time it was.

5. Have eaten 2 veggie meals this past week and had every little waste used any leftover for lunches

There have been more but that is all I can think of for now.

Finally getting in some frugals:

- "Musgovian" chicken soup, the contents of which were described in the leftovers thread in Food;
- got a crate for the new dog off craigslist. The crate is less than a month old -- the dog they bought it for already grew out of it, but it will be fine for ours;
- We're getting a "lifetime license" for the dog. It's the cost of three years of regular licenses, but a 10-year-old inside dog ought to be able to go at least three years. If nothing else, we don't have to take the time to renew every year.
- I've been moving my "junk mail" email address to a new provider, which has triggered some "welcome" emails and discounts.

Kinda nice to be at least a little on track.

We are on the mend from the flu! Everyone is still sniffling and coughing, but we feel much much better; thank you to those of you who offered us well wishes!

We've started Operation Clean, Organize, and Declutter at our house, which has resulted in finding two missing leg warmers (for cycling). As these were from two different pairs and of different sizes this resulted in not needing to replace two pairs of leg warmers. We also found two pairs of pants that we had purchased for my oldest to grow into, but now that DH has lost weight we think they will work for him instead. DS#1 also found two pairs of missing shorts and declared that he no longer needed us to buy him new shorts (or new-to-him, as they would have been).

My new Kindle arrived (not frugal, but we had an older Kindle 2 die on us); while it doesn't fit exactly into the case from my previous Kindle Paperwhite (which was passed to the child whose Kindle 2 died, and he ponied up $13 to buy a new case because he didn't want pink), it fits well enough to protect it if I am taking it somewhere.

We've been working our way through leftovers despite how we may feel about the original meal. Even the picky eater is doing his best.

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3. cut open the bottom of a makeup foundation and was able to use for a whole week.

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A great reminder danna. I had forgotten about doing this a few weeks ago: I could not squeeze a single drop more out of my tube of BB Cream (I use daily as makeup), but by cutting it open I had a full 2 weeks more of product in there. Did the same with my hair-styling product and found another 3 applications to use.

I've really have enjoyed reading this month's thread. Lots of great posts here. One nice thing for us that happened was that my husband entered a contest with our grocery chain and won I think in mid-Dec. $250.00 worth of gift cards! That was nice to have around holiday time! Haven't been driving anywhere. Got a nice gift card from Eddie Bauer from my Mom at Christmas and am saving it for spring/summer clothes I may need, I will wait for a sale though. Been very good at eating what is here in the house and not ordering out or going out to eat like we used to! Thinking about summer gardening!!#

Lunch provided at work yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Saves a little money and a little time. I could have gone into work early today and had a free breakfast as well, but decided the extra hour at home was more than worth it.

We got a gift of Honeybell oranges for Christmas and they arrived last week so we've been eating or juicing them. Trying to stay out of the grocery stores as much as possible until we can eat up some of what we have in the refrigerator and the pantry. It always seems like one big trip to the store results in follow up trips for something else we decided that we wanted/needed/were out of.

Got word from the vet that our beloved dog does not have a simple kidney infection, which is easily treated with antibiotics, but rather is likely in the very early stages of renal failure. <Sigh.> Tough news. So we need to switch her diet over to a prescription diet that is designed for dogs with decreased kidney function. They gave me a few free cans as samples and I've been supplementing that with white rice and raw eggs (since we have both in abundance). Might as well save a little bit now because I'm sure the recurring bill for the prescription food will be high. Oh well, this is why we're frugal in all the other areas of our lives so that we can spare no expense when it comes to the furry four-legged children!

I've been using up all the random samples of shampoo that I've collected over time to wash my hair. I think they are finally gone now. Saved a little money and decluttered -- what a win-win situation! Also trying to be more mindful of the amount of just about everything that I'm using. Might not save a lot on any individual occurrence, but we all know that over time that stuff really adds up!

I'm enjoying reading this month's frugals, too. Over the weekend my boyfriend and I did a ten mile hike. I was nervous that it would be too much for me, but I was fine. We brought beef jerky, dried apricots, dried cranberries, and plenty of water. I was wiped out afterward, but treated myself to an extra cafe au lait. (I had saved the leftover homemade espresso in a jar. I keep it chilled in the fridge.) That gave me the energy I needed to make us a nice dinner. My boyfriend had brought over two frozen turkey breasts, a package of chicken, and a pound of ground beef. He wants to stock up my fridge for me. I won't have to buy any meat or poultry this month! That will save a lot on the grocery bill. I baked a loaf of french bread and have been making him sandwiches for lunch to take to work. I cooked a meatloaf and that will be cheaper than lunch meat. Made a big salad with lettuce, spinach, and arugula from the garden. We didn't spend any money, but had an exciting and fulfilling weekend.

I had auditions on Monday and Tuesday. Because I took the bus, I didn't get home until 9:00 p.m. I was so glad that I packed plenty of food...especially those meat loaf sandwiches! I can see why people overspend on snacks at places like 7/11. It's so tempting if you're hungry and busy. I took the commuter bus down to North Hollywood. It's only $5.00 RT, which always feels good. It's a twenty minute walk to the dance studio. It's free exercise, and it warms me up for my audition.

I almost didn't go because of my age. I forced myself to go, anyway. There are several parts for women 40-60 in one of the shows they're doing. None of the older women go to the dance calls. Dancing with the 20 year olds is brutal! I felt like I was going to start crying, and I really wanted to leave. But, I knew the director/choreographer from Juliet Prowse's act 28 years ago. His smile, twinkling eyes, and encouragement got me through it. I met some really sweet girls and enjoyed chatting with them. I limped back to the bus stop. My backpack was heavy and full of tap shoes, character shoes, knitting, bottled water, and meatloaf sandwiches ...

awakenedsoul, I love reading your posts, your life sounds amazing! Nice of BF to stock up your fridge, too. cdttmm, sending best wishes for your dog's health! Not much frugal here. Got a price on a new furnace *choke, choke* - I think we will double check prices on another make. This company has been quite good with repairs and maintenance, but we are not married to them, lol. Frugals - not to many, sad to say. Hung some wash inside, ate leftovers for dinner, taking coffee, lunch, etc as always. Picking up more bills for DH's eldest brother, (nothing huge!)- so I need to concentrate on our frugals to offset those.

early morning, Thanks. I love reading yours, too. Yes, having a BF who stocks us up on groceries has really helped my budget. Food is one of my largest expenses. I hope your furnace lasts a long time. That's a big purchase.

We finished up the turkey breast that I roasted on Sunday. I used it making sandwiches for my boyfriend's lunch this morning. The french bread recipe I use makes enough for two loaves. It's so convenient having pre made bread dough in the fridge! He leaves at six in the morning, so we have to be organized. Having coffee at home together saves him money. He used to pick up a cup at 7/11.

Yesterday I took the bus to the gym and rested my tired muscles in the sauna and jacuzzi. I'd forgotten how much that helps my body. I plan to go again, today. I also swam a little, and will try to increase that again. Later on I'll knit the heel on my second sock. I should have this pair done in a few days. I've got to darn a pair that I made last year. I try to rotate them so that they last longer. I love the feel of good wool socks. They are so warm, soft, and comfortable!

I've got meyer lemons falling on the ground in my backyard. I've procrastinated far too long about picking those. Today I'll juice them and freeze the juice and rind. It's nice not to have to buy lemons at all.

I picked up a Britta water filter pitcher over the weekend and have been using it. My neighbor suggested it. We have very hard water and my pipes are the old galvanized type. I used to refill water jugs at the water store. Using the filter is much cheaper, and is easy to do. I can pour the water into my five gallon jugs. That way I won't have to lug them around in my shopping cart or on the bus.

Ooh you are so lucky with the Meyer lemons, Awakened. I have been growing them from seed currently have about 20 little lemon trees; as soon as I get back to SC, they will form basis of a lemon hedge.

Joined a really fun neighborhood group. 40 people in my neighborhood participated in a dinner group. The home it was to be in ended up with eight people altogether. The hostess made the main dish (stuffed chicken breasts). I was assigned potatoes and made potatoes au gratin. Someone made a delicious salad and someone dessert.

It it was way cheaper than any restaurant and the food was outstanding. Way better than any restaurant. We plan to do this every month. Next month I will host in my home. I think I will make vegetarian lasagna and homemade bread. I will ask for a salad, dessert and for a bottle of wine from the three couples coming. We will also get a few bottles of wine.

Great way to bolster your community connections. Ad the food was really good.

Flowers: Your dinner group sounds wonderful!
Awakened: We've used a Brita pitcher for many years and have been very happy with it. The filters are reasonable at Costco and they go on special there occasionally for a 10-pack.

Awakened, I love hand knit wool socks too. Not cheap, but definitely worth it.

I am am retired but just fell into a job teaching quilting and working in a fquilt store up to sixteen hours a week. I can bike or walk there and since the weather is good here I can almost do that every day. I plan to put the money in the grandkids 529's as I have everything I need.

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Originally Posted by rodeosweetheart

Ooh you are so lucky with the Meyer lemons, Awakened. I have been growing them from seed currently have about 20 little lemon trees; as soon as I get back to SC, they will form basis of a lemon hedge.

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I've never thought of growing them from seed. That sounds like a beautiful hedge! I planted a grapefruit tree along my driveway. It's a standard size, so eventually it should fill that whole side area. Once it's mature I'll have hundreds of grapefruit each year!

rosarugosa, Thanks for the tip. I'll wait for them to go on sale. I'm really happy with the pitcher. It's so much easier than lugging around those huge bottles!

flowerseverywhere, The quilting job sounds great. Yeah, hand knit wool socks are really special. I just washed some of mine, and a few pair have small holes in the toes. I think it's from all of the hiking and walking that I do. I saved the yarn, so I can darn them up today. When the yarn matches, you don't even notice where they are darned. I've got a pink antique wooden darning egg that I use. A friend from a knitting group gave it to me...

Question - I have a yankee candle jar that my SIL gave me. Starfruit and orange. I LOVE the smell of it. But the wick burned down in the center so it won't burn any more. But there is so much wax left in the jar. What do I have to do to be able to keep burning it? TY!

Azure: I would try digging a little well around the wick, then lighting the candle and tilting it while it burns for a bit so the melting wax flows away from the wick and doesn't immediately drown the flame. At that point it should be OK.

Cold and snowy here in Western MA today. So we're enjoying a quiet day at home. No drive, and no spend, unless you count the checks I wrote out and will mail on Monday. :D Yesterday, got a free banana at work (it was Friday afternoon and they were trying to get rid of the extras) and then I got a free snack-sized bag of Goldfish crackers when I stopped at the vet to get the new prescription dog food. Those are some tiny little frugals, but there still frugals so I figured I would share! Another one from yesterday, I had a student who came by looking to buy a jar of honey for her mom. Told her I would bring it in next week. I filled the jar today and checked the bucket to see how much I have left. Looks like only 2 or 3 more pounds. Can't believe it's almost gone and it's only January!

We had let the thermostat creep up earlier this month from 58 degrees to 60 degrees. I think I've gotten us back down to 58 degrees. Of course, more cold temps are on the way so it might go back up again. But even 60 degrees is pretty darn good so I can't complain too much!

My mom called yesterday for help with locating a cheap ticket to fly to Montana to see her brother and SIL next month. I managed to find one almost $100 cheaper than what she had found so she asked if I would just buy it and she would send me a check. I was happy to help out and I was able to put it on my Delta Skymiles American Express card so will get double miles for it since it was a Delta airlines ticket.

Discovered that I have some tea in my stash that when blended together is significantly better than either of the teas on their own. Need to try to remember that so that I can use up some more of my stash. My friend and I met up at a local tea house last week to plan some events for our Tae Kwon Do school and the tea there was so outstanding that I have been thinking about it ever since. But it is quite expensive and I need to hold it in reserve as a treat and not let it become a regular experience!

Went to 2 free classes this week that were AWESOME. Thursday it was to learn more about my I-pad and this morning it was Pakistani cooking. I am inspired. I loved the food! Anyone have any good cookbook or recipe recommendations?

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Originally Posted by frugal-one

Pakistani cooking.

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Oh yum! One of my favorite dining experiences was a little house with 4 tables that was a Pakistani restaurant. Our party of 12 took up the whole restaurant. We asked the chef/server/owner to bring us his favorites and it was wonderful.

I took the bus to Sprouts on Thurs. and bought what I needed. The bill was only $15.00, which felt good. They had red peppers on sale at 3 for a dollar. Granny smith apples and Braeburn apples were only a dollar a pound, so I stocked up on those. I'll make an apple crisp this morning. I've got the butter on the counter softening, and all of the other ingredients I need are in my stockpile. I baked snickerdoodles last week and still have dough in the fridge. They're delicious with coffee or yogi tea.

This afternoon my boyfriend and I will eat up the cold fried chicken that I prepared last week. He wants it in his salad. I've still got plenty of salad greens growing in the garden. I'm going to make another couple loaves of bread, too.

Yesterday I juiced my homegrown meyer lemons for about an hour. I have two more crates left to go. I'll freeze the juice and use it throughout the year for lemonade. That way I don't have to buy juice at the store. It's also handy for cleaning. Bf went on another nine mile hike yesterday in the mountains. I opted out this time, needing to rest my body from all of those auditions and bus travel. We met up later instead and had a relaxing evening.

Today we'll work in the backyard, cutting up a dead tree and trimming some of the others. I need to finish knitting the toe of my sock and then I'll have a new pair. I darned all of the holes in my other hand knit socks, so they're ready to wear all winter. The darning comes out really nicely with the matching sock yarn. It's softer and more pliable than darning thread.

How's everyone else doing?

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Originally Posted by awakenedsoul

I took the bus to Sprouts on Thurs. and bought what I needed. The bill was only $15.00, which felt good. They had red peppers on sale at 3 for a dollar. Granny smith apples and Braeburn apples were only a dollar a pound, so I stocked up on those. I'll make an apple crisp this morning. I've got the butter on the counter softening, and all of the other ingredients I need are in my stockpile. I baked snickerdoodles last week and still have dough in the fridge. They're delicious with coffee or yogi tea.

This afternoon my boyfriend and I will eat up the cold fried chicken that I prepared last week. He wants it in his salad. I've still got plenty of salad greens growing in the garden. I'm going to make another couple loaves of bread, too.

Yesterday I juiced my homegrown meyer lemons for about an hour. I have two more crates left to go. I'll freeze the juice and use it throughout the year for lemonade. That way I don't have to buy juice at the store. It's also handy for cleaning. Bf went on another nine mile hike yesterday in the mountains. I opted out this time, needing to rest my body from all of those auditions and bus travel. We met up later instead and had a relaxing evening.

Today we'll work in the backyard, cutting up a dead tree and trimming some of the others. I need to finish knitting the toe of my sock and then I'll have a new pair. I darned all of the holes in my other hand knit socks, so they're ready to wear all winter. The darning comes out really nicely with the matching sock yarn. It's softer and more pliable than darning thread.

How's everyone else doing?

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You must be somewhere warm.

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Originally Posted by Tiam

You must be somewhere warm.

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Yes, Southern California. Our summers are blistering, but the rest of the year the temperature is ideal. It's nice to be able to spend time outside.

How's the weather in Oregon? I'm guessing it's raining...

The frugal that almost wasn't: LL Bean gives $10. promotional certificates for every purchase over $50 during the holidays. I have one of these, and another $10. certificate from my LL Bean visa, and they were doing 10% off for MLK weekend. The promo certificate expires in early February, so I was searching diligently for something to buy last weekend, figuring it was a good window of opportunity with the 10% off deal. I had a nice fleece shirt in my online shopping cart that was only going to end up costing me $11. out of pocket. I went through the trouble of logging in and entering certificate numbers, promo codes, etc. But I couldn't quite click "submit," some feeling was holding me back, so I went upstairs and looked in my closet at my fleece shirts. I have the IDENTICAL shirt in cranberry, blackberry, blue and sea foam, and I have similar shirts in various other colors. I actually have 11 fleece shirts (not counting fleece jacket-type-things, and I had nearly persuaded myself that it would be a good idea to buy another one! So yes, I am a crazy person, but I'm pleased that I managed to step back from the brink.
In other news, we were well-behaved as far as groceries go this weekend. We took a walk in the snowy woods for fun, and we ate wonderful healthy food all weekend, all prepared and consumed at home :)

Congrats, Rosarugosa . . . so hard to resist a bargain even when there's no need there. That's why I have to be very careful going to my favorite thrift store. I only go on their half-off days, but that makes it even harder to say 'no'! If you're like me you will also wear those 11 fleece shirts til they are threadbare, i.e. for the next dozen years.

I made a huge pot of curried lentil soup today, salvaging some marginal veggies. I put 12 jars in the fridge which will be lunch for 2+ weeks. I was also frugal at TJ's--no splurges (e.g. desserts). Just the basics.

Enjoying a frugal day at home due to the snowstorm. Our travel ban has been lifted, but most everything is closed due to the snow so there's no where to go even if we could get out of our driveway!

Instead, we attempted to bake cinnamon rolls this morning, but the dough went all wonky in the bread machine and I had to improvise a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread as a result. Good enough, but not great. We'll eat it, though, so no waste. I'm cooking a whole chicken that has been in our deep freezer for...almost 5 years (yeah, long story). The chicken, along with some white rice, is going to serve as cheap dog food for a few days while we wait for the prescription dog food order to arrive at the vet clinic. I could have just bought a bag of dog food, but I figured it made sense to use up this chicken that we're otherwise never going to eat.

Next I'll hard-boil some more eggs since we've got plenty of them. And perhaps make another frittata since the last one was a hit. Need to use up the more than 2 dozen eggs that came from the farm. Nobody expected the chickens to keep laying at such a high rate over the winter -- fine with us -- it means we benefit from the free eggs!

Aside from that, we're just watching episodes of Marco Polo via Netflix and hanging out. I was hoping to go to the gym later, but just got word from my Tae Kwon Do instructor that even though the gym is open our class is cancelled. Guess I'll take this opportunity to finally set up my bike on the indoor trainer instead!

And, of course, I need to do some work to prepare for class tomorrow as I'm assuming school will be open and I'll need to go to work!

cdttmm, That's a great idea: using the chicken for dog food. Glad to hear you have so many fresh eggs, too.

Today I took the bus to a knitting group at Panera. I just ordered a cup of tea. It was fun seeing all the ladies and admiring their hand knits. It's a 15 min. walk to the cafe from the bus stop, so that was good exercise. I worked on a hat I'm making my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. The first pattern I tried was not what he wanted, so I'm saving that yarn for a sweater. This new pattern I got for free on Ravelry. It uses four different colors of sock yarn. I had lots in my stash, so I won't have to spend any money on this gift. I hope he likes it. If not, I love it, so I'll keep it!

Stopped at Sprouts on the way home and picked up some more of the apples on sale at $1.00 a lb. I also bought some dill. It's cheaper to buy it in bulk, and refill the spice jar at home. I use it in my salad along with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, basil and tarragon.

Made a tuna and noodles casserole yesterday. I keep all the ingredients in my stockpile. Finished eating up the homemade apple crisp and am still baking snickerdoodles from the last batch of cookie dough. My boyfriend loves having homemade cookies in his lunch. I like having a couple with a cup of yogi tea in the afternoon.

I plan to do some housekeeping this afternoon and tackle my overstuffed, messy closet. I'm going to donate a lot of the items I don't need. That will free up some space.

On Sunday, my boyfriend brought over his electric saw and a super long extension cord. We cut up a dead tree that had fallen down during the last storm. I put some of it out in front of my cottage as free firewood. It was gone in an hour! BF picked up all of the huge pine cones that were laying in the backyard. I stacked them in the wheelbarrow and will use them as borders for my flower beds. It looks so much better.

Hubby spent 4 days last week in Las Vegas for a Trade Show. He didn't blow even one red cent on gambling and his company paid for the trip. What a frugal trooper!!!

The only shopping I've done this month was to Big Lots last Saturday when they had a 20% off sale store-wide, which is stock-up time on several items.

It's been a frugal week, so far. Yesterday and today I took the bus to the gym and swam. I used the jacuzzi and sauna, too. Since I bought my membership in advance, it doesn't cost me anything. (The price I paid works out to $15.00 a month.) I've been making french bread regularly, and eating lots of sandwiches. Yesterday's were cheddar and salami, today I made some tuna fish with sweet pickles.

I'm almost finished with the sock yarn scraps hat that I'm knitting for my boyfriend. I am so pleased with it! It really has a lot of color and personality. I showed it to him in the beginning stages and he said, "I will definitely wear that." I did some clearing out in my closet the other day and will continue today. I'm working in small doses. I'm glad I have a little closet.

Last night I did yoga, worked on my music, and got to bed early. It's nice to have things you enjoy doing at home that are free. I paid my property taxes and home insurance. It's a relief to have the money set aside in an account. I remember when I was younger those bills would send me into a tailspin. I plan ahead now.

Tomorrow we are going to Venice Beach. Should be fun! The weather has been gorgeous. We are spoiled in California...

It's been a very frugal past few days, because I've been either inside working or resting, or going to class or other appointments. No interest in shopping, and the apartment is pretty much "done" for decorating, so now it's nice just to settle in. I am turning my attention to how to get my lazy butt motivated to go out and exercise. Couldn't I find some kind of barter arrangement that would let someone exercise FOR me? :idea:

Did an inventory of the kitchen freezer (where I keep my dribs and drabs of leftovers) tonight. Found (1) cooked chicken thigh in some sort of tomato-based sauce, and (3) small bags of cooked green beans, and (1) bag of cooked cabbage shreds, and (1) large bag of creamed garlic carrots, and (3) bbq'd pork rack ribs. I have a potato and onions in the house, frozen corn in the freezer, celery languishing along with 1/2 qt. of home-canned tomatoes in the fridge, so.....kitchen-sink stew tomorrow. I also came up with two more menu ideas to finish using up the rest of the leftover items I found in the freezer. I'm excited to get the freezer cleaned out and start fresh again. And all so frugal.

My frugal of the week was to forego a checked back on my trip to see my new granddaughter. Bought a tiny roll on bag and managed to get everything in there, including work computer, and saved 50 dollars in luggage fees.

awww congrats on the new granddaughter!

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Originally Posted by Azure

awww congrats on the new granddaughter!

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Thank you so much, Azure, she is a sweetie, that is for sure. And after three sons and a grandson, a whole new world. I have already bought her a dress and am contemplating shoes to match, little cowboy booties!

Cowboy booties would be AWESOME!