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cdttmm, sounds like your visit to the arctic north was fruitful. You escaped just in time, the temp is going to plunge overnight. Boo!
Made some chili from bits and bobs in the freezer. Turned out perfectly! Now to replenish the frozen bean supply.
Exchanged an Xmas gift I didn't think I would use for a third crock pot, which we will use and had been debating replacing since our third died a few months ago. We got a cute red one with a latch on lid! Awesome if we are going to a potluck.
fidgiegirl -- the sub-zero temps, due to the windchill, were a nice reminder as to why I moved to the East coast! I thought of you while out running on Christmas Day...I passed a Little Free Library and you were the first person that I heard about them from so it made me think of you! I hope you and your DH are staying indoors and keeping warm during the current super cold spell!
A few other frugals before the end of the year. I'm going to make up a large pot of cabbage soup and freeze some portions for future meals. Wow, cabbage is cheap! I need to remember that in the future! I'm also going to make some more fruit leather from homemade applesauce I had in the freezer. Tomorrow I'm going to visit the garden center where we buy our bird food because I'm pretty sure that I get a free bag of bird food with my next purchase so if I buy a bag and get a free bag then we should be set for the winter because I'll supplement the expensive bird seed blend with good black oil sunflower seed, which is much less expensive per pound and most all of the birds we attract will eat it. I'm also going to make a trip to Macy's to return then gift from my MIL. Not sure what I'll use the store credit for, but I'm sure I'll be able to find something useful! Also going to stop by my eye doctor's office to pick up my new contact lenses, which means I can then mail in the rebate form for buying a year's supply of lenses.
Not bad for a few end-of-year frugals. :)
We had a fairly frugal Christmas. Our whole family gave us cash for gifts and we used it to build a pretty cool play loft in our basement family room. It came to about $300, which divided among 6 kids is pretty reasonable, actually. As homeschoolers in the far frozen North, it is getting daily use. Zach and the big girls built it themselves. I'm going to try to post a picture. It was pretty cool.
Testing the photo
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I used the leftovers of the Christmas ham last night to make my Grandma's ham loaf with mustard sauce. So, so good. I used the ham bone and the rest of the ham to make Senate Bean soup. We will have that for dinner tonight with homemade bread. I love that soup. It's so simple, so cheap and so good. It makes over a gallon of soup, so I will freeze some of it.
I'm on a soup kick this week. I'm also making my friend's famous tomato basil soup for lunch this week and a batch of beer cheese soup on Friday. It's probably the below zero temperatures that are making soup seem so appealing. :)
It's good to see you back, Stella. How is your sister doing? We've been on a risotto kick for probably similar reasons to your soup kick, although it's not quite as cold here. DH prepped a pumpkin, which is in the freezer and soon to be pumpkin risotto. Plus, anything risotto sounds so glamorous! :)
Hi Rosa! My sister is doing OK. She has finally kept a caregiver for longer than a month, so the stress level is going down. She is going to be starting a treatment soon that could possibly offer her some hope and she has gained back some of her arm function. That has been hugely helpful. She is in a bit of an emotional funk after her fiancé, who broke up with her when she was paralyzed, briefly came back and then disappeared again. Needless to say I am hoping he just stays gone. :)
Pumpkin risotto sounds delicious!
Hi everyone. I have been so negligent this last 6 months. It seemed like we no more than became debt free and the world caved in around us. Anyways, dh and I have decided its time to suck it up and get back into saving, saving SAVING!
Here are a few frugals from the past few weeks.
I managed to get 24 bars of bath soap, the only kind dh uses, for 42 cents a bar. Regular price is over a dollar.
I used my coke reward points during their end of the year special to obtain coupons for 25 free 12 packs. Yeah, that sounds like a lot but we'll drink it or share it. I also received a $25 target gift card. I'm saving that until there is something we really need like socks or cleaning products.
I bought my prescriptions a week early allowing me to achieve enough points at Rite Aid to receive 20% off during 2014.
We went to Chicago for Christmas and spent a ton of $$$ but saved a lot at the same time by buying used books, movies, and music.
I'm going to start the new year off right by entering sweepstakes. 2014 is the year to see how much we can save.
Stella, you guys sure do know how to get value out of every cent. That loft is wonderful. Would not mind having one of my own.
That loft is awesome, Stella!
My husband had the flu earlier in the month. We saved $10 on our ER co-pay by paying at the time of service. p.s. he's feeling much better now :)
Had a $10 off $10 coupon for Kohl's and used it to buy 8 birthday cards. Only had to pay taxes and I think I'm set for 2014.
This month I have used Mperks coupons for $10 off, $20 off & $5 off total shopping trips.
My DIL bought some decals of owls and flowers for my granddaughters bedroom. I made a quilt and pillows to match from my extensive scrap stash for Christmas. Well her birthday is coming up and DH decided to make her a doll bed. In a flash I decided to make a mini copy of her quilt and pillows. They have much less detail but are coming out awesome. All out of scrap wood and scrap fabric.
did our year end financial review and found a few places we could simplify our finances a little.