With the latest being vaccines likely not until well into spring according to the CDC,not Trumps fairy tale version, life is going to continue to be a a slow, deliberate, and cautious pace for me. I have as much want as the next person for my old life again, but more so for my kids. Even DD2, who is on campus with friends, is feeling the stress and strain of the disrupted campus life, made even tighter the last few weeks with the explosion of cases on college campus. Our biggest Minnesota college, which deferred move in by three weeks, is now filling the campus housing. We'll wait and see if cases rise again in the metro area. Still, I am determined to keep us focused on our long term goals which maximizing time, our world resources through avoiding waste, and improving our spending habits, as part of my tools to get us there, It may even mean investing in us, in myself once and a while. So here is my list of where I was thrifty with time, resources, and money in the past week.
Time
- I am not much of a crafter, but I used to do a little bit of embroidery. I had attempted to do an embroidered pillowcase before DD2 was born, cute with a Noah's Ark theme. I finished it, about the time she was 10! I sort of set it aside. Well, I decided I would dip my fingers back in the water and bought myself some new hoops, needles, floss, miscellaneous items in a kit. I ordered a pattern book and flour sack towels as well. I'm waiting for them to come, but I thought it would be a nice activity on rainy days, while having sports on TV, and for our week at the cabin.It wasn't a huge investment, and the items I had were not in good shape any more. I held off buying a new basket as I have a gazillion tote bags I can use.
- We enjoyed our short night outside watching the band demonstration and performance.Did I say how much I feel really bad for young people? This was their first and only performance, parade, concert of the marching band season.
- As the song goes, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. Well, we got to enjoy a paved parking lot and have live church for the first time since March. Everyone was spread out and communion was done in little prepacked individual containers.
- DD1 brought over her panini press. We had a nice lunch for the football game with the grilled sandwiches (each of us designing our own), air fryer fries, and roasted vegetables. It was an attempt to recreate a sports bar and grill meal and I think we succeeded.
- I enjoyed the gift of second summer and took pup out to the Regional Park where I grew up for a long walk. It might have been a bit too long for him-he was spent when we got home, but tail wagged the whole drive home. He loves getting out and about too.
Resources
- In preparing meals, I've intentionally built off of leftovers and items that need using up. We had turkey brats one night as the hot dog buns needed eating, leftover buns used for garlic toast the next day. I reserved two brats to use as part of stuffed peppers. I left a cup of pasta sauce out of the crock pot to use for what I thought would be homemade pizza, but instead tried a new recipe (Next Wednesday) for a pizza bake.I also have a lot of roasted vegetables made on Sunday and either tonight or tomorrow night, I'll make a cottage pie, using brown gravy and a handful or two of frozen meatballs. I don't even know if any of this weeks meals were on my plan, but we've had some variety.
- I finally used the last of the $5 bag of mozzarella bought in April. I had frozen in smaller amounts, but it was a lot of cheese to go through.
- DH weed wacked and cleared some spots around the yard. I have the perfect spot now to transplant the lily that my friend dug from her yard this spring. I've kept it in a pail not knowing where I should put it. It will go on the left side of the garage-I'll plant on Saturday.
- I used a $1 brownie mix (reviewed ingredients), flax eggs, and a past it's prime banana and made vegan brownies on Sunday. We all had a couple then, and since, plus I froze over half the pan. I was planning to send them with DD2 to take ot her work, but I forgot. She normally uses apple sauce, but I thought why not-there wa s nice chocolate banana flavor and they were super moist!
- This isn't a savings, but it is a convenience and saves us writing checks, as we switched this summer to our church offering to be automatic payments. It helps us budget as we have just one lump payment per month, with the option of adding more for additional giving or needs.
- I got a $5 Kohls perk in the mail for an anniversary.I'm adding it in the event I decide to stop when we are out and about, but I won't make a special errand to spend and we do not need enough other things to get to $75 for free shipping. Sometimes passing on perks is the right way to save money.
- I found a press and play musical song book for the baby of DD2's old choir director for 45% off and free shipping if we did the slow shipping, which worked just fine. His parents go to our church and they also live across the street form my friend, so we'll get it to them somehow. She's only a month old so lot's of time before she'll press the buttons herself.
Time-Since I’m up early with the kids anyway, I grocery shopped at 7 am this week while I was already out. Only downside is that Aldi doesn’t open until 8:30 and I was home by then. Saved $15 or so with my rewards apps and found some ground meat marked down to 2.99/lb. I picked up a shift at work Tuesday night to help prep the store for a huge virtual visit with our new district manager. Things went so well that by boss ended up gifting some of us with $10 Starbucks cards, which will pay for a treat during much needed girl time tomorrow with my daughter. My son’s new job has had some perks this week too-HR person bought them Five Guys for lunch and brought five cases of water for them, a driver brought them coffees and his boss said lunch was on him today and tomorrow, saving on what he takes for lunch from home. Small wins but it all adds up, I guess. JoAnn
ReplyDeleteThe time before any one else is up is the best. Good savings on your grocery order-$15 is nothing to sneeze at. Sometimes the small perks come when needed most.
DeleteI love the visual of your exhausted pup wagging his tail all the way home. THAT'S when I want to get a dog!
ReplyDeleteI know! My youngest is really missing her dog. She said if she had one in the dorm she would feel much better.
DeleteI have renewed my sewing by buying a serger. But, sewing is not a hobby with me.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you not see it as a hobby? I'm curious.
DeleteNot a new to me hobby, but....I *DID* break down and spend some money on card making supplies. I ordered some pretty fall paper and a stamp for cardmaking from an online craft store, which I went to via a link from a dear friend's blog. She gets a small commission. As I was going to buy these items anyway, I figured why not go through her? And, actually, since shipping was free, I figured ordering saved me the money spent to make the 25 mile drive to the nearest craft store to by similar items.
ReplyDeleteI never, ever managed to finish an embroidery project.
As for rescuing food--About three weeks ago I gathered some apples off the ground of our old place. I had a box left after making applesauce. This morning I realized some are rotting. I will go through them after I finish my coffee, tossing the rotten ones out to the chickens (they attract deer as well) and using the rest for apple turnovers. I have also decided that I am heading out to pick the very last of the blackberries, even if all I do is put them in a zip-lock bag and tuck them in the freezer. It just kills me to see them go to waste...
I have some scrap book/card supplies I bought on clearance to pass to a trivia friend. I still have them to give her when I next see her. good use of the apples!
DeleteI remember doing a couple of embroidery projects as a kid. I'll bet I would like doing that again, but I'd probably never finish it either, LOL. I think I'm going to buy some candle making stuff. I learned how from a friend about 5 years ago, then DD really wanted to start making them, when she had her college apartment, so I gave her the supplies. Some soy handmade candles would go well with my neighbor Christmas gift of vanilla extract.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.betterbee.com That's where I get my candle making supplies. I've never made paraffin or soy candles, only beeswax, though. I mostly use the acrylic tea light cups with wicks, which I order from here. I also have a silicon pillar mold, with wicking, and the silicone 4/votive mold, but overall, I find I get the most bang for my buck with the tea lights. You can buy beeswax from them as well. That said, these supplies work perfectly well with soy and paraffin.
DeleteI have ordered some supplies from Amazon, but it's hit or miss with quality. One thing I haven't been able to find for several years is wood wicks which crackle when they burn. I found them once, tried them, loved them, but now, they are elusive!
Good luck with the candles. As my daughter is the primary candle lover along with me, and sh eis vegan, I probably wouldn't use bees wax, but then, I can't see myself making candles. I will buy homemade ones though in little farm stores. Love them.
DeleteSo, again, as a vegan, I am curious, is she in the no honeybee products camp? Some vegans I know approve of bee products, because they are made BY bees, not OUT OF bees, others say no, because there is a chance you might get parts from bees or other insects in the products.
DeleteShe is a no animal product or by product vegan, mostly because she isn't a fan of beekeeping and taking the product from the bees. I can't say I have an opinion or interpretation view one way or another, but she is not an "in your face" vegan so I respect her view and opinions and reason for her choices as they hurt no one.
DeleteI'm not sure why they call it "beekeeping." You can't really keep them when they decide to swarm! All you can do is hope you are there when they do, watch where they land first, and place them in another hive. You can't really keep bees unless you plan to be home for about 6 hours straight to watch the hives during swarm season. All ours swarmed last spring. I see them pollinating the flowers, so I know they are out there, but I haven't seen any hives in the woods. Ah well, I figure we did our part to help the honeybee population in the U.S. No bees, no food.
DeleteI think we are going to be waiting quite a while until we have a vaccine, or one we can trust anyway. Right now we can't even trust the FDA or the CDC since Trump controls them too. Stepping down off my soapbox before I get into political rant mode lol.
ReplyDeleteI decided at the end of last year that I wanted to spend this year dabbling in arts and crafts, it's all new to me but I picked a good year to do it with so much time spent at home. I made a rule for myself that I would only use things I already have or things I can get from Dollar Tree (they have a surprisingly good arts and craft section now). I've stuck to the plan so far :)
I laughed about sending your husband to the store. I don't know if you were following yet when I sent my husband with a list for just a few veggies and he came back with tons of stuff. They can't be trusted lol. I did manage to use it all up and have had zero waste so far.
Sounds like you are doing great, keep up the good work!
Just like the quilt, I like the idea of giving towels or pillow cases with some embroidery to my children.
DeleteProvided it's crafting that you enjoy then it's very soothing. I'm not at all talented but like to have a go at making bits and bobs. Arilx
ReplyDeleteI think embroidery would be soothing and that is why I invested a small amount for new supplies.
DeleteGood for you for ordering something that might soothe your soul. I figure during these times we are all spending so much less money by going virtually nowhere that some different expenses on things that help keep us sane is worth it.
ReplyDeleteEven our vacation will be minimal additional expenses even if we get take out more. I am happy I decided to buy them-now I can't wait until they come.
DeleteI really enjoy embroidery when I have time. Yeah time what is that? Still enjoying all the veggies I got free at St Vinnies.
ReplyDeleteI have been making some new, or at least more meals we have less frequently using up all our produce. It is so nice to have the obunty right now.
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