January 2014 Frugals.........

[Azure]

I feel so much better this afternoon. Had my hair done, trimmed and retouched the color. I use the Aveda Institute about 25 minutes from home. I cannot color my hair at home. My gray is very color resistant and I just do a terrible job when I try. I know that it is pretty vain of me but I just feel so much better when my hair is colored. The gray just washes me out. And my hair strands are sooo fine that without the color it is very frizzy & fly away. So for $53 plus parking I think it is a good deal.

Gave my last $2 cash to the homeless guy at the intersection.

Not a frugal day at all today. DH is driving Ian south to school and I am driving Ty north to school. Break is over and we want to get them back before the really bad weather hits. Going to miss them but the food, water & electric bills should be dropping lol

Tomorrow should be a no drive no spend day except for what I put in the collection plate at church. Then I will come home, put on my jammies and watch the snow fall.

[Simply Divine]

This week, I saved a lot of money grocery/toiletries shopping by buying almost everything as store brand.

I also activated my TracFone and won't have to pay for cell phone service again until Dec. 31. This saves me $460 this year. It's also a better phone than my previous one, go figure.

I asked my favorite store to restock a makeup item they had missed for over 5 weeks instead of pay an extra $3 next door. I can wait.

[new2oregon]

For any of you people that sell online and need shipping supplies like envelopes and tape etc. I buy from valuemailers the seller is threerb on ebay. I sell on ebay and get free boxes at dollar stores and grocery stores, Post office has free boxes for priority mail, I try to recycle get free packing peanuts and bubble wrap where i can.

[danna]

Jan
04
--no drive, no spend
--house is clean, Christmas is put away
--supper was a great beef stew with veggies and dumplings with plenty for tomorrow, beef was in freezer and bought really cheaply
carrots/potatoes/onions last of stuff bought really cheap in fall and corn from the freezer
--washed/dried two loads of clothes weekend cheaper hydro

[Stella]

I used the ham bone and some of the leftover ham from my great-aunt to make a big batch of baked beans. They were fabulous. I am going to serve some tonight with oven fried chicken and freeze the rest. My dad, Charlotte and I had some as a snack yesterday, they were that yummy. The rest of the ham I used in a ham and rice soup that we will eat today for lunch.

Today is Epiphany and I want to make a treat. I have a loaf of French bread that is dried out, so I am going to make my Calvados bread pudding. It's delicious and inexpensive.

Since it's supposed to be really cold today and tomorrow I am not going anywhere. We are going to hole up in the house and hibernate.

[TMC]

January 5 - So pleased with my frugal days. Had some friends over last night, whipped up some buffalo chicken dip with ingredients on hand, made a cookie plate with some homemade cookies out of the freezer and cut up some celery and carrots that needed used up with ranch dressing, Voila, party time.

Today I baked up some sourdough english muffins and gluten free blueberry muffins for breakfast this week. I keep sourdough alive in the fridge and I have tons of blueberries to use up.

Dinner is roast chicken, rotisserie style, roasted white and sweet potatoes, broccoli. Lunch was homemade soup out of the freezer.

No spend day yesterday, today I will stop at the store with a very specific list, right now just salad greens and milk. WooHoo!

[early morning]

Grouped errands carefully today so there was no unnecessary driving. Have another load of laundry drying in the house. Bought a large bag of salt cheaply for the porch and walkways - need to get it into containers.

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks TMC, for reminding me that I did do a frugal: cheap entertaining. Had a couple friends over to watch the playoffs last night. My first food idea was my fabulous glorified cheese dip - but that would cost over $10.00 in ingredients. Decided to raid the fridge and pantry for ideas and remembered that I'd bought cream cheese on sale over the holidays, and it needed to be used anyway, and there were tortillas in the freezer etc. Ended up serving a nice little snack platter that we all enjoyed with tortilla rollups and marinated olives, cheese and veggies - and the only money I had to spend on it was $1.60 for leaf lettuce and green onions. A frugal win.

[TMC]

Thanks TMC, for reminding me that I did do a frugal: cheap entertaining. Had a couple friends over to watch the playoffs last night. My first food idea was my fabulous glorified cheese dip - but that would cost over $10.00 in ingredients. Decided to raid the fridge and pantry for ideas and remembered that I'd bought cream cheese on sale over the holidays, and it needed to be used anyway, and there were tortillas in the freezer etc. Ended up serving a nice little snack platter that we all enjoyed with tortilla rollups and marinated olives, cheese and veggies - and the only money I had to spend on it was $1.60 for leaf lettuce and green onions. A frugal win.

And I'm sure a good time was had by all. Party on.

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks for the good wishes - and a good time was indeed had until the second half. When my beloved team BLEW A 28 POINT LEAD!!! JERKS!!! SPITWADS!!! UNDEPENDABLE JERKWADS!!!

Sorry. At least we ate (and drank - had to drown our sorrows ) well, for little bits of money, in the spirit of frugality and Simple Living.

sigh.