Last Week’s Thrifty Moves

I finished stitching an embroidery sampler to put up for sale in my Etsy store. 

I sold some things I had listed on eBay and listed several more items for sale. 

I rode with a friend to the store to pick up a few grocery items on sale at Fred Meyer.  It saved me a little gas.  I stocked up on bread from the markdown bin, grated cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. 

We thoroughly enjoyed watching my oldest perform in her first middle school band concert Tuesday night.  It literally gave me goose bumps watching all those talented kids.  The music was beyond excellent.  Admission was free. 

I made a big pot of Italian white bean soup in the slow cooker using items from the freezer, beans and tomatoes, that I had put away for future meals. 

I used a gift card and my Good Sam's membership to purchase a heated water line for the RV.  Once it gets cold I'll plug it in and we won't have the worry of frozen water.  I also purchased a flush apparatus to clean out the holding tank and filled one of our propane tanks for $1.99 a gallon, again using my Good Sam membership.  Regular price for propane is now $4.99!  Yikes!

 

I recycled a toilet paper tube to use as a cord minder for my iron. 

We went to Harvest Night at my youngest daughter's school.  She won me a pie pumpkin in the pumpkin bowling event.  I was thrilled! 

A friend and I spent the day touring tiny homes in Boise's historic North End.  Our tickets cost $20 each and benefitted the Boise High School Chamber Orchestra.  A worthy cause and wonderful adventure.  We had great fun! 

We watched our favorite TV shows on Hulu for free. The youngest and I crawled in bed Saturday night and watched The Addams Family on Amazon.  And giggled. 

How was your thrifty week last week?

We Had This Little Issue

About a month after we moved in I discovered our holding tank wasn't as empty as I was led to believe.  Unfortunately the previous owner failed to empty it out and the waste solidified itself to the bottom of the tank.  That's right - petrified poo.  It was only after we began using it that the sensor started to give these weird and inconsistent readings. 

To rectify the problem we'd have to take the RV back in to have it cleaned out and be homeless for a week while they pulled the tank and some poor soul would have the privilege of chiseling out all yucky stuff. 

Or… 

We could live with it and allow it to soften up and flush it out after a couple of months.  Fortunately there hadn't been any foul odors and the toilet was fully functional so I decided we'd give it a try. 

Leaving the tank closed allowed water to accumulate and soak things and every few days I'd pull the lever and drain it.  I'd also run a hose down the potty to encourage things to move along, which they did - somewhat. 

With winter fast approaching I was becoming more concerned about this situation because I don't want to have to deal with this during the cold winter months.  After a little research and watching a video on Youtube I decided to purchase the Valtarra RV Hydroflush apparatus. 

It works! 

 

Unfortunately it is clear plastic so you can see how well it works too.  I've seen things I never want to see again.  There was a bit of an urp factor at one time.  Surprisingly there was no odor to speak of, thank goodness, while it did it's thing.  You hook it up and let it go until the water runs clear.  Then you are done.

 

Here is the link to the video if you are interested in how this works.  It is available at Camping World and also on Amazon.com for around $20.

Thrift Stores

Animal rescue thrift store.

I truly appreciate thrift stores.  Over the last several years I have both purchased and donated more items than I could ever begin to count.  I try to donate and shop at a variety of thrift stores that assist various causes.  One of my favorites is a shop dedicated to healthcare and finding homes for stray cats and dogs. 

 

 

There are a multitude of reasons to shop at a thrift store.

·         Saving money purchasing used over new.  Although, I have purchased an awful lot of brand new items from thrift stores, especially clothing.

·         Thrift stores provide training, employment and aid to a lot of important community causes.

·         Shopping at a thrift store is an excellent way to recycle and keep usable items out of landfills.

·         I prefer it to yard sales for the simple fact that I save gas since I'm not driving all over the place.

·         You never know just what you might find.  It always changes on a regular basis.

·         It's fun!  We like to call it "Treasure Hunting". 

 

Do you shop at thrift stores?  What great things have you found?

Next Week's Meal Plan

Even with a tiny kitchen I can whip up a great meal.  Nothing is better than sitting down together as a family to eat a nourishing and delicious dinner.  So this what I have planned for our dining pleasure next week. 

Sunday – Pork Verde, Steamed Rice, Garden Salad

Monday – Bean & Bacon Soup, Garden Salad

Tuesday – Bacon & Egg Sandwiches, Garden Salad

Wednesday – Waffles, Scrambled Eggs & Fruit

Thursday – Macaroni & Cheese, Peas & Carrots

Friday – Pork Fried Rice, Cabbage Salad

Saturday – Leftover Buffet, Pizza or Dine Out 

School Lunches: 

Monday: - Verde & Rice

Tuesday - PB & Honey Sandwich

Wednesday - Soup

Thursday - Tuna Sandwich

Friday - Mac & Cheese 

I based this plan off of items I already had on hand and items on sale at the local grocery store.  School lunches also include sides and a beverage. 

What delicious things are you fixing for supper this week?

Baked Potato Bar

 

What happens when you have a little leftover chili, some cheddar cheese and a box of broccoli in cheese sauce?  You make a potato bar. 

I baked the potatoes in the microwave, then reheated the chili and broccoli in cheese sauce in ramekins.  Set out with butter and sour cream everyone gets to top their own potato. 

 

I cut my spud in half so I could do two different sets of toppings.  Delicious!

 

The kids enjoyed preparing their own combination of toppings for their potatoes.  Do you do potato bars for meals.  I think they also make a great buffet for entertaining too.

Last Week’s Thrifty Moves

Sunday my friend brought me her Sunday paper and coupons, once again.  I cut out a few coupons and perused the ads.  There were several really good buys last week. 

I did quite a bit of grocery shopping last week, both on Sunday and Tuesday, taking advantage of several good buys and loss leaders.  I also saved quite a bit using coupons I'd clipped from the Sunday papers and my favorite online coupon site.  On Friday I did a little "stock up" shopping at Albertsons with their store coupons - sugar $1.88 for 4 pounds, chocolate chips $1.68 a bag and butter for $1.88 a pound. 

I bought a pork roast from the markdown bin.  I plan to make pork verde with it for supper soon. 

I sold several items on eBay and listed a dozen more to sell on Monday.  On Wednesday I listed a bunch more. 

I finished another gift project, although I haven't decided who this is for exactly.  Then I started another one. 

We watched TV for free on Hulu.com.  We watched a movie on Amazon. 

I made more soap refill solution for our bathroom foaming soap dispenser. 

I bought six Halloween and Thanksgiving greeting cards to send out at the dollar store for 50¢ each. 

 

I chopped up all the peppers given to me by my landlady and froze them.

I bought three Christmas gifts at the dollar store. 

I replaced a missing button on a pair of pants and mended a tear in another pair. 

How was your thrifty week last week?

Halloween Touches In Our Tiny Home

With our tiny home comes some tiny décor.  I'm usually not big on decorating for the holidays but for some reason I felt like doing it this year.  Probably for the simple reason that I actually had the time for it.

 

 

My cute little boo ghosts sit on my windowsill above my kitchen sink.  I found them at a thrift store last month for 65¢ a piece and just couldn't pass them up.

 

 

 

I bought the pumpkins at the dollar store a couple years ago.  My mother gave me the scarecrow.

  

Our electric jack-o-lanterns.  For lack of a better place they are hanging out on the couch on top of our printer.  I invested in these guys about five years ago and I love that all I have to do is take them out of the bin, plug them in and flip a switch.  No muss, no fuss.  I'm not much for the whole pumpkin carving thing and thankfully neither are my girls.  But we love our "pumpkin family".

I've had these Halloween cut outs forever.  Since my son was a little boy.

This little guy I picked up at a dollar store about ten years ago.  You put a tea light inside.  Super cute!

Even the bathroom gets a little something.  Witches!  My mother gave me these lovely ladies last year.

The girls love these cute little guys.  A gift from grandma.

Of course every home should have a black cat. This one is a year round decoration.

Do you decorate much for Halloween?