My Uber Thrifty Month In Review - August

Financially speaking, August was a stellar month for me.  Unbelievably so.

I began the month by paying all of our monthly bills ahead of their due dates.  I'm always quite happy about that and feel a true sense of accomplishment.  It's not that I paid them on time; but I paid them ahead of time.  It really does do something for the psyche, let me tell you.  As soon as the monthly bills were done I completed my big financial goal by making the final payment.  It feels extremely good to have that paid off and behind me now.

Mid month I paid off the oldest daughter's orthodontist, just two weeks after she got them off.  He doesn't charge any interest as long as you make your agreed upon payments on time.  I made sure I did (ahead) and even doubled up a couple months which put me ahead of schedule.  I always want that extra cushion.  Two debt goals completed in one month!  Fantastic!

I spent $30 on school clothes (new uniform for the youngest, on sale) and less than $3 on school supplies (8 spiral notebooks, 2 pkgs. three ring paper).  Registration fees and yearbooks nearly killed me (gasp) but since I didn't have a big financial outlay of clothes and supplies I was able to manage it without too much trouble.

I spent $50 stocking up on lunch items for the girls and about an extra $50 over our regular budget stocking up on items for winter.  Extra meat in the freezer and canned goods in the pantry.

I topped off the gas tank in the car using my Fred Meyer rewards card and saved an extra 10¢ a gallon.

After all was said and done I still managed to fit in a thrifty date with my girls.  We celebrated my accomplished goals and the beginning of a new school year over hamburgers at Freddy's Steakburgers.  I surprised them with that at the last minute, which made it extra fun.

Despite the fact that my latest financial goals have been met I still plan to continue my thrifty ways.  I have more goals in mind and I know that maintaining my thrifty lifestyle is going to allow me to accomplish them.  So onward toward a thrifty September!

Make that an uber thrifty September!

Meal Prep - Week #3

Week 3!  I know!  Let's get to it.

Saturday morning I didn't shop and I didn't meal prep.  What?!!!

That's right.  I didn't need to, so how about that?  I had plenty of food in the house and I had stopped at Albertsons that prior Thursday to pick up something for a friend so I grabbed a few extra produce items while I was at it and called it good!

Sunday morning I put two cups of washed, rinsed and soaked pinto beans onto cook.  I put them in my slow cooker on high for four hours.  Then I put the girls to work.  The youngest browned and drained a pound of lean ground beef I had taken out of the freezer earlier to thaw.  Added a can of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and a packet of chili seasoning mix.  Then the oldest put the cooked beans in.  There was a cup leftover and she put those in the freezer for a future batch of taco soup.  Yum!

I removed the pork verde I had made in week one and put it in the refrigerator to thaw and made a batch of rice which also went into the refrigerator.  Then I took out two good sized frozen cod portions and transferred those to a quart sized Ziploc bag.  I didn't want to open a new bottle of marinade so I used Roasted Red Pepper salad dressing.  I wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not.  That went back into the freezer, I did not allow the cod to thaw.

That was pretty much it for the meal prepping for the weekend.  Not much work there.

Sunday - The oldest made a batch of cornbread from scratch and we had that with butter and honey.  We served it alongside the chili topped with a little grated cheddar.

Monday - We heated up the pork verde and the rice in the microwave.  My oldest made a quick garden salad with romaine, tomato, black olives croutons and dressing.  Dinner was on the table in 15 minutes, which was a good thing because cheerleader practice was ran late and my youngest was starving.

Tuesday - Leftover chili and cornbread.  Dinner was on the table in less than 10 minutes.  Again a good thing as the oldest had band practice until 5:30 and the youngest had a football game to cheer at until after 6:00.

Turns out the salad dressing was a great idea.  It turned out delicious!

Wednesday - I had removed the fish to thaw and marinade the day before.  I boiled a 7oz. package of pasta and cooked the fish in a cast iron skilled with some olive oil.  The pasta was drained and tossed with pesto and a touch of butter.  I also made a quick salad of lettuce and tomato.

Thursday - Leftover pork verde and rice became burritos.  Served with sour cream and salsa as well as leftover salad.  Total prep time was less than 10 minutes.

Friday - Nothing beats a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup to dunk it in.  I added whole milk to a can of tomato sauce and a teaspoon of dried basil.  Then grilled up some sliced colby jack cheese on whole wheat bread.  This meal was truly a lifesaver as I was an hour late getting home from work and my oldest needed to be back at the high school by 5:45 to march at the football game.

Saturday - So Saturday was my birthday and the beginning of Labor Day weekend.  I pulled steaks and a large handful of shrimp from the freezer to thaw that morning.  I made garlic mashed potatoes and a nice big salad to go with our grilled steaks and shrimp.  Ice cream was my dessert of choice.  The girls did the clean up.

We had plenty of leftovers each day for lunches and once again everything flowed smoothly.  Getting dinner on the table each night was a snap and I didn't worry or stress at all about what we were having or if I have everything I needed because I already knew.

The girls love that dinner is delicious, it hits the table fast, and there aren't a lot of dishes to wash up afterward either.  I'd say between fixing a meal, eating it and then clean up we are spending about an hour, maybe less.  And that includes preparing our lunches for the next day too!

At the end of each week we discuss how it went, what we enjoyed the most and take a vote as to whether to continue.  It has been unanimous each week.  We will continue.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

I was a busy girl last week, but I kept my wits about me and hung in there.  The reward for that was a three day weekend.  Hallelujah!  Boy, I was ready for that.

We stuck to our meal plan and I can't say enough about how well that has been working for us.

I got a free package of kitty treats in the mail and inside was a coupon for another FREE package.  Score!

I squeezed every last bit of toothpaste out of the tube before I tossed it out.

I used funds the hens earned from selling their eggs to buy two 50 pound bags of feed.  Now they are pretty well stocked for winter.

This week's freebies!

I downloaded another Friday Freebie from Fred Meyer.  Free Oreo candy bar to go with last week's macaroni & cheese.

I carefully crafted our shopping list and used a nice sized stack of coupons to spend the least amount possible on groceries for the following week.  I bought most of the items on sale or markdown too.

There was a sale on New York Strip steaks and I had a $2 OFF coupon so I picked up a large package with three steaks in it.  I wrapped them up really well and put them in the deep freezer to keep until Christmas.  Yum!

I composted the usual coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells and banana peels.  The chickens got plenty of produce scraps and some stale bread in addition to their regular feed and scratch grains.

My birthday was on Saturday.  We started out our day early with the Boise Balloon Festival.  The girls took me to Denny's for breakfast.  My Grand Slam Breakfast meal was free because they sent me a coupon.

I pulled steaks and shrimp from the freezer and we made a fabulous dinner that evening.  Complete with my grandmothers beautiful china which always makes me feel special.  I just love those dishes and her pretty glassware.  My dessert of choice was Tillamook Oregon Marionberry ice cream.

I was spoiled rotten with wonderful gifts too.

How was your thrifty week?

Happy Labor Day

Don't work too hard!!!

Purging Update - Continued Progress

All last weekend and throughout this week I've continued working on my purging project. 

Saturday I went through all of my paper, cardstock, craft paper, scrapbooking paper and office paper.  I got it all sorted and organized and got rid of a bunch that was damaged or ugly.  Into the recycle bin it went along with all the cardboard that comes inside a package of that stuff.  I tossed out the cellophane wrapping as well.  Much more streamlined now and I was actually able to get all of the paper, office paper and cardstock into one bin.

There is another set of drawers behind the vacuum cleaner
that is full of paper, office & school supplies

I went through the drawer under the TV where our overflow of office supplies ends up as well as where I store my 12" X 12" sheets of scrapbooking paper.  I tossed out three dried out glue sticks and combined a bunch of stuff to streamline it as well.  I also put several items I no longer want or need into one of the donate bags.

My office was purged of all paper that isn't necessary to keep for any reason.  While I was at it I went outside and lit a match to all of our shreddables.  I'm determined not to let those pile up again.  I'm a great one for putting them in a bag out in the garage and the last time I had two bags crammed full.  It took forever to deal with it and I swore - NO MORE.  So far I'm staying on top of it.

I purged the junk drawer which involved relocating items to their proper places.  Some things went into the trash like my small collection of twist ties.  Not sure why I was saving so many.  I kept a few and let the rest of them go.

While I was at it I checked through the kitchen utensil drawer.  The only thing I got rid of was a mini spatula.  Into the donate bag.

Even though I had recently spring cleaned under the kitchen sink I did it again and this time I got rid of those bottles of cleaning solution I told myself I'd use.  Hadn't touched them so out they went.

I went through the shelf next to the washing machine.  Mostly it just needed a little reorganization.  I did thin down the cat toys a little bit, however and tossed out the empty light bulb packaging.

Again not huge amounts of stuff going away, except for the copious amount of paper going into the big blue recycle bin.  Not sure what the deal is with us and paper.  Sheesh!

Retirement Goals - Update #3

It has already been six months since my last update!  Can you believe that?  My, oh my, how fast the time goes.  And how quickly plans can change too.

In my last update I was on track for debt elimination and the purchase of a second smaller home to retire into.  In fact, I was seriously planning to start looking for said home beginning in January 2018.  But now my retirement home is sitting in my driveway!  And I love her!

You all know about Laverne, of course, and how I plan to downsize (once again) and move into her and travel.  Once I made the decision to take the purchase of a second home off the table things have really changed for me.  In looking at my finances and crunching numbers, discussing my options with my closest friends and a lot of weighing the pros and cons I have a lot more choices open for me.

In five years my youngest will be starting her senior year of high school.  Crazy I know, but true.  Five years goes by in a heartbeat.  Right now I want to concentrate on the time I have left to be a full time parent to my girls.  I don't want to be looking for real estate, working hard to pay for that property and devoting all of my spare time to renovations and improvements.  I want to just be their mom.

For now I'll just be making improvements to our current home and the motorhome, which looks far less daunting to me as there isn't a whole lot that needs to be done to either one.  Our house needs paint and carpet and a few minor repairs that I'll be able to do on my own, no big deal.  The motorhome needs new tires and only two of those need to be done right away.  Also a couple minor mechanical things done, a new propane tank and gas lines and I'm thinking about upgrading the transmission as old motorhomes have a tendency for tranny problems.  I also want to spruce up the exterior and add some additional storage options. Suffice it to say, by the time I hit the road, she'll be ready.

Once I'm mobile I'll be able to do pretty much whatever I choose.  Not purchasing a second home has freed me up to the point that now I can consider retiring early at 62 instead of waiting until I'm 65.  Once my daughter is on her own and settled I can sell our house and move into the motorhome which will cut my monthly living expenses dramatically.  I'll also have the option at that point to work part time, or move south in the winter and work seasonally leaving my summers open for travel.  The added bonus is that no matter where my girls end up I'll be able to go and see them for visits.

So that is where I am at right now.  And of course, we all know, plans can change and often they do.  But for now, this is the plan.  And I am really, really excited about it.

Meal Prep - Week #2

Week 2!  Can you believe that already?!  Let's get to it.

Friday evening I took meat out of the freezer to thaw.  A package of Italian pork sausage and some steak.

Sausage & pasta sauce set aside for later in the week

Finished pasta sauce

Saturday morning we shopped.  I meal prepped on Saturday by browning the sausage.  I removed 1/3 of it and set it aside to freezer for pizza topping, then added sliced mushrooms to the rest of it and cooked that until they were tender.  I put a can of pasta sauce and 2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes into my medium slow cooker.  I added a large spoonful of minced garlic and a tablespoon of dried basil.  Once that was stirred together I removed a 1/2 cup of the sauce to use for pizza sauce.  I then added the meat and mushroom and allowed it to simmer on low for 4 hours.  .  I cooked up a pound of spaghetti, drained it, and put it into a bag.  The sausage and pizza sauce went into the freezer.  I also put half of the finished pasta meat sauce into a 4 cup container and put it in the freezer.  The rest was put in the refrigerator with the pasta.

Cooking the pasta

That was pretty much it for the meal prepping for the weekend.  Not too bad, huh?

Steak seasoned with fajita seasoning, fresh cilantro & lime juice

For fun I bought the street size

These were soooooo good!

Sunday - I pan fried the steaks which came already seasoned for Carne Asada and finished them off with a handful of chopped cilantro and a lime.  I heated the corn tortillas in a dry pan, sliced up the steak and served it with grated cheddar, sour cream and salsa.  Delicious!

Monday - We heated up the pasta meat sauce in the microwave and I warmed up the cooked spaghetti in a pan of hot water.  My youngest made a quick Caesar salad with romaine, croutons and dressing.  Dinner was on the table in 15 minutes.

Freshly made pico de gallo or fresh salsa

Inside each burrito

Tuesday - In the morning I cooked up a cup of rice, transferred it to a dish and placed it in the refrigerator.  That evening I made a quick fresh salsa of diced onion, diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, salt & pepper.   I used the leftover steak, some rice, leftover cheese and leftover flour tortillas to make Carne Asada burritos.  I served those with the fresh salsa, sour cream and some guacamole.  Dinner was on the table in 10 minutes.

Wednesday - While a pan of french fries cooked in the toaster oven I pan fried salmon burgers.  I also boiled up a couple ears of corn.  The burgers were served on whole wheat buns with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced pickles and leftover homemade tartar sauce.  Dinner was on the table in 20 minutes.

Spicy goodness

Thursday - As soon as I got home from work at 3:45 I put all of the ingredients for Thai curry soup into my slow cooker - coconut milk, shredded cabbage, water chestnuts, some Asian seasoning sauce, and a large spoonful of red curry paste.  I let that cook on high.  By the time I picked up the girls from their schools and made it home the soup was ready.  All I had to do was soak the mung bean noodles in hot water for five minutes.  I put half of the soup into a container to freeze for a future meal.  I added the noodles to the remaining soup.  It made for a super easy one pot meal.  Total prep time was less than 10 minutes.

Friday - In the morning I removed the sausage and pizza sauce from the freezer to thaw.  That evening I made a batch of pizza dough in the bread machine.  I prepared a pizza and put a crust into the freezer for another meal down the line in less than 30 minutes.  I served the pizza with a simple salad and the last of the spaghetti and meat sauce.

Rice finishing, chicken cooking & veggies - sauce included!

Saturday - I had picked up some stir fry veggies that were on markdown when I had shopped and used those to make a quick chicken stir fry.  Quick and easy.

We had plenty of leftovers each day for lunches.  Once again everything flowed smoothly.  I found that planning out and prepping 5 meals is more than enough for us.  It leaves Saturday free to use up any leftovers, prepare something else entirely or go out to eat.  I like having that flexibility.

Getting dinner on the table each night is, without a doubt, super quick and easy, with minimal dishes and clean up.  Stress free for sure and I definitely didn't feel like I was spending a ton of time in the kitchen over the weekend getting everything ready with only one meal to actually prep.  I'd say it was a success, once again!