Thrifty Thursday- No Stores No Extra Spending

     

I have to give DH applause. He did really well not rogue shopping this week. He's grabbed a bit for lunch, but mostly at Kwik Trip where at least he's getting a banana with whatever hot food he grabbed. ( I cringe if I think about what he eats some days, but then I'm the one with the weight issue.) Pup needed dry dog food and we needed juice for him, but there weren't any of his "deals" this time. My daughter went to Sam's and Aldi and texted for me to give her my list. That filled a few holes without DH or I wandering and buying things we don't need. No stores, no mindless tossing into the cart. Overall, not much savings, but not much spending either so winner thrift week. Here's a couple highlights.

• DH was flustered at how much our house insurance went up considering we've not had a claim in forever. Of course it's due to the cost of building supplies going up, but the percent has been each year for multiple years. Not sure what we'll hear back, but he started the process to have the insurance guy look at all details. We've been good customers so I think he'll find us some relief.
• As I wrote Monday, paid tuition in full so avoided any fees.
• Saved time and gas, thanks to our daughter, by her getting the things we needed when she stopped. 
• Used an Applebee's gift card for Sunday game food. I was perplexed that the bonus card didn't have a pin so couldn't be used online. We need to use by 2/28/22, so plenty of time for an easy dinner out. There's $23 balance on the gift card too. Yielded Monday lunch leftovers.
• Used my down time to sleep, but also do some surfing for tidbits to add to blog. I felt productive rather than just like a sloth. 
• Used social media for good to salvage bland soup. Now I have a new trick if adding some acid. My soup was a steal at $3.75 for likely 6-10 servings, depending on size (10 cups). I feel for you that have people that don't like soup. I can't find anything so delicious for so little money. I ate same night, froze two containers of at least 2 servings, and sent same with DD1.
• Followed menu plan so far, and it does seem to be working. I'm using things that need using up and should have a low spend (for us) grocery month. I did switch and use macaroni instead of rice in last night's hotdish as DH is less a rice eater than me and will have Tuesday's rice as part of Fridays leftover night.
• I did do some shopping though. DH really needs new underwear. Kohl's had their Croft and Barrow Hanes dupes on clearance for $13.50, but I had both $10 in Kohl's cash expiring on Monday, 1/17 + email for 30% off. I got free shipping as well, resulting in 12 pairs coming later in the week for under $12. Fingers crossed he won't care about off brand but for those savings, he shouldn't.

     Despite being "isolated" loosely, the week went fast. I could have been more productive and used my time better, but I figured best not to tempt fate or my fortune at not being really sick from Covid, by being overly active.  I avoided taxing the health care providers and that's a good thing. How are you saving money this week? Have you done any online bundling to maximize buying for a need?

December 9th-Thrifty Wonderland

     

     First, I'm so excited to get to hear my daughters concert one more time, but  in the cities at a fantastic venue. It looks to be  a full house, masks and proof of vaccination required. We've not gone anywhere yet where that is required, so plan to get there early for parking, and the process. This is not thrifty, tickets, parking, gas, but likely this will be the last Christmas concert for my daughter if, fingers crossed, she's in Spain next year. Also after  s*%t  show that was 2020, I'd have mortgaged my house for this opportunity. The college has to cover the venue costs, the coach buses, hotels, and meals for the students and staff, so every penny is needed. Apparently the concert in the cities is a big deal for the alumni to her college. Neither DH, our other kids, or I are alumni so don't know much about this, but I know a work colleague who did her undergrad there was at the concert two years ago. 

     Non-thrifty tickets aside, I've had some good low cost and free cheer to start my December. 

• Our daughter got two guest tickets for the concert last Saturday so that saved the $44 we would have otherwise had to spend-and we put that towards tonight.
• The hotel did still have a very adequate, if not  gourmet, breakfast to start our day in Sunday.  We ate a bit later than DH normally does, but as I can't eat right away and we both wanted to lay in bed a while, this worked well. This meant we did not need to stop for anything on the way home.
• We also had plenty of leftovers and stuff in the freezer to fill us up once home.
• On Monday, my daughter and I went to Sam's Club and popped over to Kohl's for me to round out my Christmas shopping and burn my about to expire Kohls cash. I found 20 ounce rounds of Presidents Brie Cheese at Sam's for $6.99, a terrific price. ($8.97 Walmart for 16 oz., and $5.99 for 8 oz. at Target). I also priced frozen meatballs at just $2 a pound for a 5 pound bag, but will compare to Aldi on Saturday before buying. 
• I used the Kohl's cash, buying three gifts for the grand sum of $4.49. I was mistaken though on the pajamas I bought for my mother-in-law, and the were not on sale. What is never not on sale at Kohls? She is hard to buy for as I mentioned last week, but she should like them.
• We got some very fluffy snow on Tuesday. I let pup really have a good snoop around on his walk. I chatted with  a new neighbor girl and one of the girls from next door who was helping her shovel her driveway. They both wanted to give Pup some love.
• That same day I got a text from a friend that she had an extra ticket to the highschool Band and Orchestra combined holiday concert. It was wonderful. I was contemplating going anyway, but her text sealed the deal-and I got to visit with her before it started, and in between the set-ups. Seriously, if you want to hear some good music for cheap entertainment, pay attention to your local highschool and colleges. I was rushing to get there, but made it on time.
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• I've earned another $5 Target card through MS Rewards. Since I still have no idea if my son will make it home, I think I will order through Target something I think he'll like and just have it delivered. If he does make it home, I'll ask him to bring it along and I'll open-if it arrives before he leaves that is. 
• Made massive batches of both soup and goulash and we've been eating those. I made a Kwik Trip stop for a few essentials, but basically, stretching out another week of grocery shopping which helps me use what we have while making space for my holiday food.

     After the concert tonight, we have nothing formal on our calendar until Christmas Eve. I'll concentrate on  finishing a few decorating touches and gift wrapping this weekend, maybe a few treats if I power clean my kitchen first. I've got my vacation/change of flex days sorted as will have two full days before Christmas Eve off, plus two days and New Years Eve off the following week. I don't have to feel like anything is a rush rush, and that is my favorite kind of thrift-having time to spare. 

My Wednesday Pantry-The $3 Meal Results

      As background, I did an under $9 shop last Tuesday night and with my haul, attempted to make three full dinners that would feed  myself and DH with leftovers, a family of four perhaps, with two adults and two children, or one person, with options to tuck away for future meals-basically-four portions. I'll start out saying, all three meals would easily fit into our life on a regular basis. I'll make some tweaks as the sodium needs to come down. To read about my full shop and initial plan, go to My Wednesday Pantry-$3.00 Meal Planning post. For the most part, I only used items I bought in the $8.81 shop, but allowed a bit of oil and seasonings I had in the house. Most of my seasonings are the $1 versions bought in Dollar Tree, Aldi, or Walmart and I used very little, but if you had none of these items,  these meals could still be made. 

     I'll reiterate that this was for fun, a self imposed budget challenge, meant to stretch my creativity while harnessing in the over indulgent spending I have done on meals out of the house for the last two weeks. As you'll see from my summary of the overall  nutritional details, there are many faults. Had I allowed the use of milk, eggs, flour, and butter, I could have cut the flaws considerably. As for meal prep, for things that were individual items (toastie dogs and grilled cheese), I only made what DH and I would eat, so have  the ingredients for the other two portions uncooked. With that out of the way, let's get going.

Meal one:

• Toastie Dogs- we each had two, made with a slice of bread, one hotdog, and three cheese cubes. While the package says a serving is 1 hot dog, I don't think that is realistic so I converted 1 serving=two hot dogs. 
• Roasted potatoes-8 potatoes per tin, 2 tins, 4 potatoes per serving
• Steamed carrots-peeled and sliced 4 large carrots, which made 4, 1/2 cup servings

Toastie dogs were my favorite school lunch as a child, and none of my kids really liked them.It was nostalgic for me to bring into this plan as I never have reason to make them, even though hotdog's were not my first choice to buy. DH loved the potatoes! I rinsed them before tossing them in a touch of olive oil, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. We should have had 4/4 potatoes servings but DH devoured them! He also ate all the carrots. 

Meal two:

• Cheesy Pasta Bake- mac and cheese according to package, but used a bit of pasta water instead of milk, no butter or margarine, and stirred in the can of cream of chicken soup, 1 tsp each of pepper, garlic and onion powder.,14 cheese cubes (2 ounces), topped with bread crumbs made with 4 slices bread. 
• Steamed carrots-same as meal one
• Canned Pork and beans
  
  
  

DH loved the pasta bake. He said it tasted like  restaurant mac and cheese and was surprised the base was from a box. He ate two portions of it, but we both only had one serving of carrots and beans. I was not impressed with the Aldi beans. Way too much liquid, and all the flavor was in the liquid. Chef Owing had an idea to cook hotdog slices in the beans. I could have done that and cooked down some of the sauce and they might have had a heartier taste. Even had I pan fried the beans to cook down liquid they might have been better, but I just zapped them in the microwave. 

Meal Three 

• Chili (more like Chili soup)-sauteed two carrots, In small pieces with a bit of vegetable oil, garlic, onion powder, paprika, and  cumin, added two cans of undrained chili beans to build all the flavor Added one large can crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, and probably at least a tablespoon of chili powder! Added more pepper to taste and let this simmer for half an hour. I let it get cold, then reheated it later. I think chili tastes better if it cools down and then is reheated. 
• Grilled cheese sandwiches-4 cubes of cheese melted between two slices of bread per sandwich.

DH could eat grilled cheese sandwiches everyday if he allowed himself, and he ate two so if we had been feeding four people, someone would have not had one. (My butt sure could have passed!). The chili was more like a chili flavored tomato bean soup than a true chili, but tasted good. The carrots sort of acted as a bit of sweetener to cut the acidity of the canned tomatoes, but wasn't really noticed in the  bowl. I suppose they added a few more vitamins as well. The chili made enough for four + hearty bowls. I'm freezing two generous portions.

     What would I have leftover, assuming four portions were made of everything? Two small carrots and two slices of bread. That's it. Yes, four people could be fed easily, but likely no seconds for bigger eaters. This was actually good for me, as I sometimes eat more before my stomach has told me I've had enough. I honestly can say, I had plenty with limiting my plate to a single portion of each. I converted all serving sizes to fit four servings-some smaller, some larger. For a household with two adults and two younger children, this seems like it would work well.  Since only feeding two of us and with DH eating more than one portion of somethings, there are four hotdogs,  8 slices of bread, 16 cheese cubes, 1/2 can pork and beans, 1 cup of cooked carrots, 1 portion of pasta bake, and at least three cups of chili. 

     The chart above shows the nutritional break down in total of each meal in terms of calories, protein, sodium and fat. The biggest offenders to sodium was the soup and hotdogs. I could have easily made a white sauce instead of the soup, and had I found turkey hot dogs, or a lower sodium version, that might have helped there. It was a fun challenge and the number nerd in me got to do some math equations to  figure out the mix of all the ingredients. I'd be happy to try something like this again. Let me know in the comments if this would be of interest to you.

Thirfty Thursday-Important Things

      Not a lot of thrifty n the money area, but I am concentrating on all the little things and seeing that they do add up. It applies to time, resources, and money. I am getting older so I can appreciate that special moments, even if short, need to be appreciated and savoured. Using things to the last drop, the last spoonful, finding an alternative,  and so on, collectively will keep stuff, or less stuff, out of landfills or thrown before used. Here's my  weekly recap of where I made the best use of my time, resources, and money.

Time

• I like helping to throw birthday parties that require no house cleaning before or after!  The minimal time I spent shopping for and preparing food was practically nothing and I had a whole day with all my siblings, daughter, and assorted extended family members.Remembering who wasn't there (mom, dad, my sister, and several brother-in-laws), made the specialness of being able to be together all the more so.
• I was so happy to have my daughter join me for my Friday night shopping excursion. having her along makes the mundane fun-and we love a good poke in the Indian gocer, Trader Joe's, and a new to me Target. 
• While a bit out of my way, I stopped at the only liquor store in town that is independently owned. It was recently bought my my sisters friends brother. She just moved back to town, needed a job, and voila, now she has one. I got a quick catch-up with her as a bonus. I babysat for her frequently 40 years ago and likely haven't seen her since my sisters wedding 38 years ago.
• Took advantage of the flu shot clinic combined with an office day on Monday, saving a trip to the office or a trip to the clinic; it was a time saver. 

Resources  

• My daughter and I both passed on buying any of the plethora of cute and spooky Halloween stuff at Target. No money spent and not adding to our "stuff."
• .My daughter joined me for an interesting scrounged supper on Monday. We used up things already open and a very ripe avocado. DH had leftovers for the weekend when he came home. 
• I had found inexpensive plastic table cloths in red and blue check. While I think they were meant to be use and throw, we wiped them down, and folded them back up to use again. I had my sister take as she sets up multiple tables in their heated garage for Thanksgiving. (Bonus to reusing, I don't have to store them and she won't need to buy any.) No other decorations were needed-nature provided the rest.
• I brought home from the office odds and ends of  notepads, post it note stacks, pencils and pens rather than restocking from the supply cupboard. I believe in using things up even when it's not my money, directly, paying for new things.

                                        Money 

• One splurge I did make for my office was a desk lamp. However, it was from the college stuff, on clearance form $14.99 to $6.00. I'm noticing late afternoon it gets very dark already and more light was needed. The side lamp I had behind me wasn't putting light in the right place. 
• The red and blue checked table cloths mentioned above, were also on clearance for 75 cents, originally $3. The clips will be reusable even when the  table cloths are beyond reuse. 
• We don't use a lot of bottled water as we prefer to just fill a reusable insulated bottles,  and I still had plenty in my cooler left on Saturday anyway. I sent  a dozen bottles that never went in the cooler with my sister, who like to have them on hand in her house. This saves her a few pennies, plus again, I'm not having to find a place for it.
• I should have shared this last week, but this is a gadget DH will get good use out of. It retails for $39.99, but I bought at the silent online auction for $32, plus got a $20 gift card for a local pizza place. While we've done pizza's on the grill, this will both help more even cooking, and save risk of dropping the pizza when trying to get off the grill since he'll have this great big peele. While an anniversary gift for him, I think the whole extended family will enjoy at the lake. 
  
  
  

     Lots of little experiences, use it ups, and reuse were the themes for the week, I guess. When you are trying not to spend a lot of money, there are not huges savings anywhere. But this is where I tend to plug leaks in my cash flow-second guessing whether I need something or not, using something again. I popped in a picture of my office for now. Th bulletin board is an old ripped version, covered in a 40 cent remnant; the desk lamp is the one mentioned above. The coffee cup warmer was a birthday gift a few years ago form a sister, and it has been great, not leaving half filled cold mugs sitting when I get buys or distracted. This is good enough for now. How have you used things up, spent your time well, or saved money this week. 

Thrifty Thursday-Closing Out July

     Another month of Thursdays is in the books. I can't say it was a strong July in  the thrift department in areas other than resources, but not a bad month. We really need to keep plugging away at the tasks in  the house and make the most of the remainder of summer as I'd like a calm fall.  Here is my summary of the thrifty positives for the week.

Time

•  My great nieces party was a good day. I spent longer there than intended. With my daughter the youngest grandchild, we now have the next generation on a regular rotation of graduations for decades.  
  
• I mentioned in my Tuesday joys, I let myself sleep in. Still feeling a bit under the weather, I stayed home from Trivia, and actually slept for an hour after work before watching some Olympics last night. 
• Speaking of the Olympics, I am enjoying watching them-but I have to remember to not stay up too late. As I said earlier, we root for everyone. I felt so bad when a Chinese gymnast went back on the floor to wave after his  performance, but apparently that was an automatic .3 deduction.(You can't go back as the next gymnast may be already starting their prep). It may have cost him the gold medal-all for being excited. I was relieved for him that he won silver, with a ,4 score below the gold winner from Japan, so the error of going back to wave didn't cost him the gold. 
• I got more cleared out of the "to be office" closet, but need some help moving a few things. My daughter offered to come again this weekend to help. 

Resources  

• I made use of last week's produce by either freezing or cooking up and then either eating or freezing portions. 
• We've got another bag of good clothing and assorted other items for donation.
• I cooked up 1/2 the bag of dried chick peas. Wish me luck as I've never used dried chick peas before. I plan to use 1/2 for homemade hummus, and the other half to include in chili, though daughters has already been asking for more curry! It looks like the bag, which my daughter bought for around $2.50, will yield at least 8 cans worth of bans. Even a tthe Aldi low price of $ .69, dried beans are less than 1/2 the price. I usd the slow cooker so time and energy cost was minimal. 

Money

•  No trivia for me, last week, but learned they won 2nd place and earned  a gift card. We usually just apply any winnings to the tab for the following week, regardless of who plays. 
• I'm still just feeling listless, so trying to stay very hydrated. I'm drinking loads of water, which is free  (after water bill) from the tap.
• With the stuff to dispose of, we are adding to our regular garbage and hoping to avoid getting dumpster, though we will eventually need one to get rid of a mattress and carpet. I'm hoping by disposing of things through regular garbage, we can get the smallest dumpster or even the dumpster bags.
• I found a new, full box of regular canning lids and rings in the laundry room I didn't know I had. Now I definitely will have enough to get through caning jam this year. 

    It was a week again of just spending on items that are needed or on gift for others. We didn't eat out or do take out the last seven days, which is good as the week before was high. We have a family dinner out on Sunday to celebrate what would have been my parents 74th anniversary on August 2nd. We still keep the tradition and go to their favorite restaurant, but it's not an inexpensive place. What wins did you have this week? Like me, are you finding ways to save money are few?

Thrifty Thursday-Can't Pay for Rain Edition

      Still no rain to speak of and the haze from fires in Canada is creeping more south with each day. A colleague who lives way up north had to cancel both an outing on the lake and an elders picnic. Well, they moved the elders picnic inside the tribal community center, but not the same as a picnic. That's just lunch!  I'd like nothing more than to hear a good thunderstorm and the patter of rain, but rain is something not for sale. Finally the city added a lawn watering ban between 11:00 and 6:00. I wish it was more restrictive. I don't get to decide that, but I do get to decide what I can spend my money on, what I do with my time, and how I conserve resources. Here is my summary of the thrifty positives for the week.

Time

•  A good happy hour followed by games at my sisters was a good place to spend my Saturday.
• With DD1's help, we tackled some of the hardest to deal with clutter in her old bedroom and the office is on it's way. 
• I almost bailed on Trivia since so few were able to make it, but then thought it still would be fun. Well, we had the "youngsters" come, and it was fun-and we won!  I bought a round-which was cheap since three of our six couldn't even drink beer or seltzer, lol. 
• I got caught up with a few  graduation and other cards that needed to be mailed for events we were not able to attend. 

Resources  

• DD2 brought yet more produce home yesterday including sweet potatoes, both diced and chunked, a kabob kit, fresh salsa, and veggies and dip. We sure are eating a lot of produce. It amazes me how much  of the items are cut and then packaged and sold in grocery stores like that. I understand some people may have limited time, kitchen space, or decent knives, but how hard is it to peel a  sweet potato, or slice a zucchini, onion, and peppers? The price as it would have been in the store is on the container and  woah! There was a container that looked like it had an onion and perhaps a punnet of mushrooms.It was labeled "steaker toppers", and was priced at $5-plus the plastic container to dispose of. 
• Last Friday she distributed 10 bags of produce to people who would use and saved from waste.
• Daughter and I have been eating the leftovers for lunch. My fridge is overflowing and I fear though there may be potential waste so on my list for tomorrow.
• While many things had to be thrown from the old bedroom, there was a lot of good stuff such as  winter coats and warm jackets, like new jeans plus movies and books to donate. My daughter did that on my behalf as she practically passes a Goodwill on route to work, saving me both time and gas money. We'll have another load this weekend. 
• She had a few finds of items and gifts forgotten about (or were hidden by clutter) that will work well in her house now.

Money

•  I already said above, but our team won $30 in beer money for next week's Trivia. 
• With the cleaning, I found some treasures! In a box of old cars, I found 5 good postage stamps, a $20 Walmart gift card, and a $40 Target gift card. Never just throw cards and envelopes! 
• I did a top off shop and had a few things specifically needed-yogurt and deli meat. I happened on a clearanced refrigerator case and got three packs, 14 oz each of Hillshire Farm turkey at $2, 66% off, and four Oikos Greek Yogurts at   $ .50 each-these sell normally for over a dollar and even  compared to Aldi price it was a deal. I also grabbed some little  snack packs at $ .75 each as good for throwing in a bag  rather than purchasing a snack out and about. They are really small though so maybe not a great find. Lesson learned, clearance is great, if the item are things you will  use and is still a good price for quality/item. It can be easy to get lured into buying because of the discount, but that's still spending money on items not intended. 

     The local sweet corn is starting to come in. A friend posted on Facebook that her parents farm will have their regular corner set up starting tomorrow-it's really delicious! I'm sure they have irrigated so the lack of rain shouldn't hurt the crops, but I do feel bad for the added costs they'll face. How about you? How did you spend your time, use your resources, and spend money wisely this week?

     

Thrifty Thursday to Start July

     Time to buckle up for the bumpy ride that may be the second half of the 2021. Things are opening, despite the vaccination goal not being met by today. I think pretty much every state now went ahead with the July 1 opening goal if they hadn't already. I still keep my mask handy and know with the variants, there are people at risk. Things are open and that means more places to spend our time, add to the stuff we accumulate, and spend money. Meanwhile, in my little world, I'm still tiring to be economical as we close the year  with my time, resources, and of course our money. Here's my recap.. 

Time

• Did I make good use of my time off last week? Well, I was able to jump back into work full force and had a bit of vigor and energy. It was time well taken even if I didn't do as much as I originally planned. 
  
• Spend hours on a rainy day purging my closet again with the goal of reducing by at least two, but hoping for  four, items of clothing for every new to me item I bought in the last year. I have done other purging, but this was a super purge.
•  DD1 dropped the clothes off for me as she works only about a mile from a Goodwill, saving me time. She got the receipt with the coupon for me as well! 
• Most of my trivia playing friends couldn't make it, and we got there late to a packed brewery. As we had to stand at the counter to pal, my daughter and I only played the first half, but then went for a short walk to  the river. I gave myself  permission to end an activity that while normally gives me joy, was not last night, but spending time with the girls always is. 

Resources  

• I used four frozen bananas to knock out some bread for weekend and to put in the freezer. 
• I used up quite a few odds and ends lingering in the freezer and refrigerator to avoid waste such as  1/2 bag of frozen meatballs, two fish fillets, a handful of pepperoni and odds and end cheeses. 
• Purchased two shirts and two bottoms, new to me, at thrift stores. All were in perfect condition and once washed and worn once, no different than bought brand new. 

Money

• It's my own money, but we got back $640 in medical reimbursement from my eye glasses. We already paid the bill with the others in June so this went right into savings. 
  
• DH had a earned perk deposited today as well into our bank account. 
• With eating down the fridge and freezer, I bought very few groceries this week, only necessities. Avoiding waste is great for cash flow and environment. I even sent DD2 with a watermelon that didn't get used the previous weekend to her friends lake cabin-saving her a bit of money and contributing to the food (even though the family said not to bring anything.)
• DD2 took leftovers three days this week for work. She has a smaller appetite in single meals, but is a healthy snacker, so the  small leftover amounts were perfect for her lunch, accompanied by yogurt, fruit, and carrots and hummus, any of which she might eat on a break. .
• No take out or meals out in the last week. 

     Nothing was a huge win, but also no savings were burdensome-just the regular things of life. Trying to stay on top of food waste is my biggest challenge and I'll continue to out effort there. It might mean oddly creative meals, but if we are fed  healthy meals with items we like, what does it matter if they are untraditional? How about you? What ways did you save or make good use of time? Are you open to eating  odd food combinations as aprt of a cleaning out the food stores effort? 

Thrifty Thursday

      It's been a  an Ok week on all of my  thrift areas and I I have already written extensively about some of them. I've got a nice fiscal one below to share. I didn't  blog yesterday-nothing interesting happening in my pantry and no new real recipes to share so took a day off. Here's a few highlights  of where I feel I used my time, resources, or money well. 

Time

• Of course listening to my daughter's concert was a great use of my time!
• My daughter came over on Tuesday to listen to the  Chavin trial verdict together. I also had a meeting streaming through my ears through work. It has been an emotional time, and good to be with others in person and virtually.
• A house in a very attractive price range came up for my daughter. I had to drop some things off at the post office and took a swing by. Here it turns out it is adjacent to the house DH grew up in from the age of 14 onwards when his family first moved to town. Let's just say the cute pictures inside and out, were very creatively photographed. DH was well familiar with the house and said it should be a hard pass-was maybe worth 75% of the asking price. Basically it was  a postage stamp size, but with the number of rooms, each would have been  tiny and nonfunctioning. There was literally no lot and a yard is a must for her. My daughter saved the time not looking further and not letting the price pull her towards a house that ultimately would be a huge settle. 
•  Chatted with my son yesterday. He had been on a project "in the desert" for several days doing a commercial. Work is picking up for him, though most in his age group are not yet vaccinated, so all sets have the detailed protocol for Covid in place, and are testing daily. Because his schedule fluctuates, he is hoping the J&J comes back quickly as scheduling the second dose would be difficult with a varying schedule. 
  
• I got all the  put off appointments scheduled for after May 8th, the two week vaccination marker. The exception is hair-I will go in next week for a no frills chopping through the place DH get's his haircut, which is no appointment, but you can check in online, and not wait inside. I desperately need to color my hair again, but want the bad ends and the excess length  gone first. This cut will take likely 10 minutes or less, but I'll go back to my regular place later in the spring. 

Resources  

• I finally cooked up the  bag of dry pinto beans bought last month-the last on an Aldi shelf. It made a massive amount which we had Tuesday with burritos. I sent to containers home with  my daughter, froze two more containers, and will have leftovers for a few lunches. For my first time cooking pinto beans, I think I did ok seasoning wise. 
• While someone would have bought them eventually, I feel good about increasing my daughters wardrobes with second hand items from the church sale, and buying second hand planters for my own use. Saving raw materials is a fiscal and an environmental win. 
• We had multiple leftover meals and so far, minimal food waste. 
• When repotting monster plant, two  arms of growth broke off. I put them in vases of water and they appear to be staying green and should result in a couple new plants. 

Money

• Garage and  estate sale-bam, for the money win! My daughter and I when walking the dog decided we really want to avoid fast fashion as much as possible I know I want a new dress, and it might not yet be practical to  thrift for one as that would require multiple visits, but minimally when I buy, I will make sure it is not so trendy that I don't want to wear for multiple years. 
• Found a dime out walking-was on the ground near where pup did his business. Yeah, I disinfected it before it went in the  Croissant and Baguette fund tin. 
• And the biggie-my daughter received a $1,500 scholarships through a professional organization of which I am a member. She applied both  for her freshman and  sophomore year and didn't get one, so neither of us were expecting. Coincidentally, it is the exact amount of both a fall Cuba trip she is contemplating, or the  extra fee for the specific study abroad program she is is applying to. 

     The message on Monday that she received the award was a good way to start the week. I think it pepped her up her final week of classes before finals and final projects next week. If you remember what that was like, anything to boost energy and excitement when a semester is coming to a close is  good. We splurged on take out once, but it was pretty reasonable and yielded lots of leftovers. I had some donation spending this week as well and happy to do so. Having the good fiscal wins is a reminder of the many blessings I have in life, and the ability to give is one of those blessings.  How has your week been? Any big wins or is slow and steady a winning way? 

Thrifty Thursday-Out of the Deep Freeze

      My sincere sympathies for anyone living in states or countries and are experiencing weather that has been too much for your power systems and road care. We've had over a week of multiple digit negatives at night, biting wind shields, and day time highs barely reaching 0F, but our infrastructure is made for these winters. Sure, we'll all grouse, but its rare to lose power, but the black ice can create havoc on our roads as well, so there are sanding trucks even when there is not snow and ice. I pray it is resolved for you all soon and stay safe. I've stayed snug-having been grocery shopping  and a few other pick-ups last Wednesday. I've only ventured out for Pup's walks. The last two days we were at 7 and 9 and the sun was out and it felt  nice in comparison. This weekend we are above freezing, so the thaw, snow, rain, freeze, and thaw again  dance of approaching spring in Minnesota begins. With going no where, I've had to make the most of my time, resources, and money in my own home. Here's my thrifty recap. 

Time

• I spent several hours looking through and marking with post it notes recipes I want to try from both the cookbook my son gave me, and the cookbook that  my youngest daughter got from her grandma. She'll take it to her first real home  rather than a dorm room, along with a couple others I've tucked on my shelf for her. I've been in a cooking rut and hope to find some things to jazz up our dinner table.
•  My older daughter stopped briefly after work on Tuesday. She showed me a couple photos of the dog they cared for on her weekend, and picked up a package she had delivered to my house as she wasn't sure when it would arrive. She didn't stay for dinner, but it was nice to see her in person. 
  
• Had a text conversation with my son and a text and quick phone call with the youngest. I'm doing pretty well with the empty nest, and it helps to know my kids still want or at least are willing to  keep in touch. 
• I baked  Valentines cupcakes and cut out paper hearts, just because I wanted a little cheer. DH brought cupcakes to his mom and she appreciated them. 
• Made use of  items I already had, foot and face masks, deep hair conditioner, to pamper myself a bit on Monday. I had to work quite a bit of the day despite it being a holiday, but the self care helped make it feel like a day off. 

Resources  

• I didn't have a no waste week-found black beans lingering in the refrigerator, but that was the only casualty. 
• Made a successful crockpot soup/stew concoction with broth from the Thanksgiving Turkey, bits of leftover and new vegetables, already cooked chicken, and the remaining  cup or so of pasta in a box. We both ate well for supper Saturday, and then I had a portion for lunch on Monday, and froze another. Using up so many remnants made this a very resourceful meal that was tasty and comforting on such a cold night. 
• We made use of leftovers for Tuesday dinner, and 1/2 batch of chili from freezer for last nights dinner. I think on the Living Simply Facebook group Carol refers to these freezer meals as assets. It sure was nice to have a meal ready to pull out of the freezer. 
• DD2 had wanted Berry Cheerios when she was home, but didn't finish the box. I was in a cereal mood Sunday mid-morning, and thankfully, she had closed the bag tightly when she last ate them in early January and they were still fresh. (we have a waste problem with cereal going stale before the box is finished)
• Another lurker, a cup of oatmeal from the last box, but needed space for the new cylinder. It was too much for one meal (my late breakfast/lunch, but I cooked it all and saved for myself on another day, and as little treats for pup. He loves oatmeal, but we only give him a round tablespoon or so at a time.,

Money

• Redeemed  Microsoft points for another $5 gift card
• Didn't drive anywhere for the week, Friday to today, saving gas and wear and tear
• No Valentines gifts for each other in the  commercial sense but, I made a nice dinner and used construction paper I had for the heart decorations. DH cleared the snow, at home and at his mom's, then made us both cups of tea mid afternoon.
• With it being so cold on Monday, my daughter and I didn't get take out coffee-she actually wanted to stay home after she had been gone all weekend, and her early morning trip to work out at her gym. So while I didn't get to hang out, we saved money on not getting coffee out.
• The house insurance and umbrella policy was due last month. DH had paid by credit card so we get the points. The Visa is due a the end of the month, so DH will transfer to our main account, from the account we use to make monthly deposits for  annual and semi-annual expenses. We started this after we paid off the mortgage, so minimally we put 1/12th of our property taxes and insurance each month. Also, when we paid off a car in 2012, we made payments to ourselves in this account, and have not stopped doing so, even though we make our current no interest car payment from our regular cash flow. DH gets a monthly car allowance that covers the bulk of that payment, which will be paid off by the time he retires. 

     As is the norm in 2021, we are not seeing big financial wins, but we're not bleeding money either. You may remember our expensive fall with the  water heater and then the  under kitchen/outdoor leak. We don't forget how all of a sudden thousands can run unexpectedly from a bank account, so these uneventful months on the house side are gifts. I've found more than enough to keep me busy and moderately amused this past week. Even if we weren't in a pandemic, with it being so cold, I doubt I would have wanted to leave the house much anyway. With a warm weekend predicted, I plan to get out and about-meaning, walking in places not right outside my door step. It will feel like a vacation after my homebound stay. How about you? Have you had any weather related expenses or burdens? Are you able to keep yourself busy as we now are at the year mark for all intents and purposes of the pandemic in the US?

Frugal Friday Instead of Thrifty Thursday

We were really thrifty this week-no unexpected spending. We did well using leftovers for meals, the usual packing of lunches or DH coming home sometimes (though not all the time to my annoyance). Despite last Saturday being my annual sisters day, spending was less than I have spent other years. Perhaps since we stayed a bit more local, when I saw cute thing in the shops, I paused before buying, knowing if I later decided to, I could come again. Much of my thriftiness was in spending less than I might otherwise spend, but I guess that is what being thrifty is-spending only what you need to for necessary and enjoyment. Here were some of my frugal successes.

• For the breakfast out Saturday morning with the girls,DD1 treated me and DD2, but I gave her the 15% off coupon I had. It was very sweet of her and it was to thank us for helping her get settled in her new place. For the cards night, I bought the Papa Murphy's, but my sister had discount coupons that I could use. 
• I resisted the craft fair's overwhelming amount of beautiful things, only buying two bars of goat milk soap for DD2 to try out for $3.00, and a plate of krumkake, her favorite, for her to take with to a friends later that afternoon..
• DD1 and I shared a glass for the wine tasting event we went to between shopping and poker night, each getting to try 8 different varieties before choosing our favorite. She got to keep the wine glass included with the tasting.
• Enjoyed a phenomenal  choir festival concert at a nearby college for free. DD2's choir was one of the featured choirs, but we also heard the  Minnesota Boy's choir, and two of the host colleges choirs. For those of you trying to watch your entertainment budgets, look and see what is out there in your communities for free or low cost. The concert really was a good way to end the weekend.
• DH wanted to go out for a burger after the concert, but I suggested just having chicken cordon bleu's and potatoes at home since we would still need dinner for our daughter once she got back. He was begrudgingly OK with that. 

It's bothering me how much DH wants to go out for dinner lately and at least twice a week he's eating out for lunch. With the holidays coming and the unknown, it is befuddling to me. If  we spend money going out to eat, I think it needs to be planned as entertainment and not just as regular meals. He seems to be enthused about my savings challenges and when extra money can be socked away in an account, but has seemed to forget what has to be done to make those financial wins happen. I'm sure he is going to suggest going out tonight or tomorrow. When he does, I'll figure out where it can fit with the $100 target for the month. I might have to humor him to keep him from going rogue! We already have dinner plans after a play at the end of the month at a nice restaurant with a large group. 

How is your November shaping up so far in the thrift area? Who has had some big wins or are you, like me, a slow and steady thrifter for the week? 

Watching the Loose Change

I like a good deal and I like getting good value for my money. I'm not patient though to go through adds regularly and match coupons and offers, nor do a invest much time in sourcing the best price for everyday items. I could be better about stockpiling ultra bargain priced products I know will get used. I hope to do more of that over the next year since just recently changing my grocery challenge philosophy from monthly targets to an overall annual target. I appreciate simple meals that are tasty and made with inexpensive ingredients, with occasional splurges. I bring my lunch from home 90% of the time, though indulge DH in his more frequent lunches out and use the school lunch program for DD2. I like to think I am thrifty-not a cheap skate. I like to give generously to causes and the community that I feel make a positive difference. We treat ourelves to the occasional meal out and first run movie in a theater. I like my girls night and a happy hour drink or coffee with collegues. We give gifts to family and friends. Still, I enjoy seeing our savings grow or at least see our money invested into our priorities.To these ends, I look for ways to be frugal, some weeks better than others. Here's a recap of some frugal wins in recent weeks.

• I bought a huge package of chicken drumsticks, I think 13 or 14 in the package for under $5. After dinner, there were still 9 left. Four will be cooked into broth and deboned for chicken noodle soup, and the others for a chicken hotdish. Both the soup and hotdish will yield leftovers for future brown bag lunches or another dinner so potentially as many as 4-5 meals from the package.
• Creative brown bag lunches save me time and money. Before grocery shopping Wednesday night, my kitchen was looking a bit empty, usual lunch suspects missing. I got creative resulting in meals like a melted cheese and apple sandwich on skinny round breads with a makeshift salad of shredded carrots, craisins, and celery. Another day was leftover salad, that I added  undressed coleslaw cabbage to add back some crunch. It takes me just a few minutes to scour what looks like bare cupboards and fridge and create something that will keep me going through the day. It might be at my expense, but  but there is a running joke in the office to guess what creation will appear in my lunch. I say, let them laugh while they are working past 67. 
• I filled up my nearly on fumes gas tank with a $ .15 of per gallon discount, timing it after my grocery shop. $2.10 isn't a fortune but it off set the morning coffee  I had  for a coffee meeting. 
• DH  did the annual maximum contribution on our Roth retirement fund for both of us on Thursday. With us both over 50, we can put $6,500 each. This is after taxes, so once we draw down, we will not face any taxes on the interest earned. It will be important to have some untaxed long term savings to bridge us as needed while I still work and DH retires. This expense was offset with the planned $13,000 from last years savings as part of this years financial priorities. 
• I did an inventory of various gift cards with balances. I'll make a plan on how to use them instead of cash to help top up savings in April and May. We have $15 in Target, $25 in McDonald's, $45 in Green Mill, $25.71 in Caribou Coffee, $10 in NAPA auto parts, $25 in Kohls,  $50 in a local bar and grill, and $25 in VISA. $220.71 that we can use as cash, reserving funds for savings. 
• Discovered in a box I had set aside a shirt I had bought at a rock bottom price in the brand and color scheme our nephew/God son loves. It was bought for Christmas but then we decided to give him a skateboard because at the time, I was stuck for ideas to go with the shirt as not much fun to just get clothes when you are 10. I'll find something to go with the shirt or just give him $11 with some movie theater candy, keeping the average between Christmas and his birthday more in  line with what we might otherwise spend since the skateboard was a bit of a splurge. He is saving for some new sports gear, stuff I couldn't begin to pick out so money would be a good gift I think. 
• Bought DD1's best friend from high school a baby gift combining clearance and Kohl's discount. Baby's do not care if things are previous year fashion. I bought in a 12 month, perfect for next late winter/spring. She knows she is having a boy, so I found Mickey Mouse character clothes and  books (I always give books as part of baby gifts), and spent under $12. I have some spa product to throw in for mom as well, of course bought after Christmas sales. 

There's my recent attempts to watch my funds while still living a full life. It is easier  to save money if a person socially isolates themselves. Granted, when trying to tackle debt and get to a place of norm, it probably is a necessity to pull back from the world, and only focus on not spending. More power to those that are winning that battle. 

Five and Five: A March Progress Report

I haven't taken a good look at my frugal wins in comparison to my budget busters recently. More than half way through March with spring on our door step, seems as good a time as any to reflect. I'm focusing on things that could perhaps have been avoided or done differently, and things I was successful at doing differently, not just the regular course of life such as wedding and shower gifts and daughter now driving. However, taking advantage of on-line deals saved money on the wedding/shower from, and insurance is drastically lower for good students, so we tok advantage of our daughters smarts. 

Let's start with the bad and get it over with.

Clogged Sink Fix- $319 later and I have a functioning sink. That is good, because I have been limping along for far too long. Reminder to self, to do more to keep it from clogging in the first place.

New Vacuum- At $148 including tax, not on sale and not part of the planned spending. I am using household maintenance and appliances for both these two costs, so the money is there. However, those dollars would have been better spent on repairs or enhancements that add or keep value, not maintenance, but life  and dirty homes are like that.

Extra Gas- I split my first Friday off into to afternoons due to work reasons. I also did not have any telecommuting days as I've been playing catch up since missing so much work in February due to illness. Combined, this meant two extra trips into the cities, costing a minimum of $13 in extra gas, and if the federal mileage costs are accurate, $69.44 in total care expenses at $0.56 per mile.

Food waste- Just plain and simple, too much. I had done  a medium shop in mid February, and so many items never got eaten or used up, shoved to the back of the refrigerator. This month I threw cottage cheese, moldy lettuce, slimy spinach, and orange juice as a few examples. As hard as I try, we seem to have more still than I think is acceptable.

Shower planning and a second glass of wine-Well, I didn't need any wine, when I met my sister n law to plan our nieces shower, but I had tow glasses.It was already a day where I left for work at 7:00, and wouldn't be home until nearly 10:00, so decided to indulge a little. Still $6.75 a glass, at a pizza pub, might be a bit steep. DH was happy with the pizza leftovers at least.

And the Wins-

Thifted brand new dress pants- At $8.99, a pair with tags still on, priced in the store at $50 came home with me. My work wardrobe is quite lacking these days, and these are a good neutral gray that will work with the transitioning weather.

Made use of wedding shower leftovers-As much a frugal win for DD1 as me, we ate up the food leftovers, and I am buying back unused items that otherwise might have gone to waste.

No baggage check fees- another frugal win for my off spring, as DD2 ended up not having to pay checked luggage fees as she carefully packed to fit in a carry on size. It could have cost her $80 extra for her trip expenses, and instead, she came home with that money. 

No late fee-DH noticed VISA added a $27 dollar late fee. We are not late with bills, so called, and no questions asked, was removed and credited.  

Skipped lunch delivery last Wednesday-This was happenstance, but the office team ordered lunch one day, and I must not have been around. I happily joined them with my own home packed lunch. I still had the camaraderie without the hefty cost. 

How about you? Where were you able to keep expenses at bay, and where did you find dollars leaving your wallet quicker than you would have liked? 

Rice Three Ways

A few weeks back, I was making something with rice, and thought I was going to be short. DH picked up rice among other things, buying a massive 5 pound bag. Because of storage, I normally buy  two pound bags, as a mishap with a large bag turned me off the bulk savings. I hadn't opened it, as I ended up with just the right amount still in my rice jar, so it sat unopened, flat, on a shelf until yesterday. With trying to stretch my grocery and household budget under $350, my goal to the end of the month is to stay within $103 for groceries, borrowing from the grocery side for the household items still needed. It was time to put the massive rice purchase to work.

Cheesy vegetable soup over rice: I had  loads of carrots and onions, and some celery that needed to be cooked up. I threw two onions, four wilted and smallish celery, and six carrots, all diced, in the crock pot with my last 6 bullion cubes, and 6 cups water, lots of black pepper, and garlic powder. When almost done, in went four smallish peeled and diced potatoes. One third of the mixture was taken out, pureed, and put back to thicken up the soup, along with the last cup of Colby-Monterrey jack cheese.. I served this, ladled over bowls of rice, for a hearty vegetarian soup, that didn't get sticky since I cooked the rice separately. I'll eat this a few days at work. I know it is carb rich, and lacks much protein, but we"ll eat with fruit and have enough servings of protein for other meals.

Rice Pilaf with vegetables: To go with some Italian meatballs, tonight I'll saute an onion in a few tablespoons of butter, then add 1 cup of rice, two teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning,stirring until the rice starts getting a little toasted. I'll add two cups of water,  a couple teaspoons of salt, half a bag of mixed vegetables, bring to a  boil, stir, turn down to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. 

Chicken, broccoli, and cheese hot dish: I'll make this dish ahead for Wednesday,Three cups of prepared rice, 1 cup of diced chicken, 16 ounces bag of frozen broccoli, 1 can cream of something soup (I think I have cream of mushroom), 1 can milk, salt, and pepper, and the last of the mozzarella cheese, all mixed together, then baked, covered, for 45 minutes to heat through. The moisture from the broccoli as it thaws and covering keeps it from drying out. If it does, I can make a quick white sauce to pour over. (I'll reserve a little rice for a rice crust quiche for Friday)

This will stretch our groceries for this week, and let em get to the weekend with a decent balance to do a medium shop for the last of the month, reserving a bit for milk, eggs, bread, and fruit for the last week. One week eating a higher amount of rice than usual might be dull, but hopefully the variation is enough to look like entirely different foods. I plan to make a batch of chili this month, and will serve with a heaping side of rice to stretch a bit farther later in the month. It's also time to give my daughters tomato risotto another try. Do you use rice in your cooking? Are there any favorites I should give a try this month? 

 

Po-tay-toe, Po-tot-oh What to do with them all?

I still have almost 1/2 a bag of a 10 pounder of potatoes bought right before Christmas. While I have kept them in a dark place, I fear they need to be eaten this week or they will soon be bound for the garbage can, and that is just not the direction I want to go and as yo can see, some are already sprouting. Potatoes of some sort will be my choice of side dish this week. Please add your ideas in the comments below. 

Helen Soup, known to most as Potato Cheddar, is a family favorite, first made in 1993 when an older colleague, Helen, shared her evening meal recipe. A particularly cold and wet fall, and a new job that added 15 minutes to my commute, with a traveling DH, and a 2 and 4 year old at home, meant my hands were full. Inexpensive, hearty, and easy was the dinner game plan. This soup is easy, with four cups diced carrots, four cups diced potatoes, cooked in 8 cups water with 8 stock cubes and 2 tsp of pepper. Remove half the soup to puree with a blender or hand mixer, pour back in, and add 1 cup shredded or cubed cheddar cheese. I still have cheddar from my Christmas shop, and a buy one get one on 2 pound bags carrots yielded a bounty there as well.

Parmesan Potatoes-Dice 4-6 medium size potatoes. Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. When coated, toss in a mixture of  1-2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, watching until they get crispy, and turning at least one time. 

Home Fried Potatoes are so good, my mouth waters thinking of these and a great use of leftover baked potatoes. I'm intentionally creating leftovers by baking up a bunch in my microwave. For a medium potato, dice 1/4 medium onion and fry in a tsp of butter, for a good onion to potato ration. I seem to have four leftover potatoes a lot, so usually 1 onion, 4 tsp of butter, cooked until the onion is translucent.  Add the cold, diced baked potatoes, and cook on low to heat the potatoes through. Turn up heat to get a good fry; turn gently to fry the other side, add salt and pepper to taste. 

Good old mashed- with a tsp of butter, roughly 1/2 ounce of cream cheese, and a1/2 ounce of sour cream (or plain yogurt), whipped in per potato. A five pound bag of potatoes for a holiday will have at least a stick of butter, a package of cream cheese, and a 8 ounce tub of sour cream. This method works great for reheating, or keeping warm in a crock pot. Not low cal, but a small portion does the job. Alternatively, I'll whip with just skim milk at times.

Potato Patties were a favorite as a child if we had an abundance of leftover mashed, and were getting sick of them that way. My mom would crack an egg in the potatoes, add salt, pepper, then form in a patty shape and fry on both sides in a little butter. When I do this, naturally as I do to most of my cooking, I add a ton of garlic and Italian seasoning, and if I have any cheese remnants, I'll throw that in as well. 

We'll be eating a lot of chicken this week, along with hamburgers, Sloppy Joe's, and eggs. Carrots will be the vegetable of choice due to the sale mentioned above. some of these potato sides can be frozen, like the patties and even the mashed potatoes for next week if we get tried of them. The humble, yet versatile potato.  What's your favorite way to serve?