Last Week's Thrifty Moves

We had been socked in with heavy smoke from surrounding fires for most of the week.  Our air quality was in the red and on Thursday we hit purple.  I didn't even know there was a purple, but I guess that is really bad.  There were a lot of last minute cancellations for school activities, games and practices which made it a bit hectic trying to get the girls picked up and home each day.  But we managed it and that is all that matters.

My canning funnel was the perfect size to drawer my template

Sunday morning I was a busy girl.  The oldest and I had made some berry jam the day before and I wanted to gussy up the jars a bit.  I used my pinking shears to cut circles out of a scrap of some red gingham I had and then I put them on using the rings.  I then made some cute labels on my laptop and printed them out using a sheet of leftover labels I had in my office supplies.  I think they turned out super cute!

I also used some items I already had in my sewing stash to finish a birthday gift for a friend of mine.  I also got busy making another gift for another friend.  I made some more little stocking stuffers too (look for that tutorial to be posted on Thursday).  So much fun!

Not a whole lot went on throughout the main part of the week really.  So not much to report there.

I made this cute little table matte of scraps

On the way home from a doctor appointment on Thursday I dropped off our water bill in the company's drop box.

On Friday my youngest needed a ride home from the library so I decided to make that trip count.  En route I dropped off a couple Amazon returns at the UPS store and all of our donation items at the thrift store.  At the library I picked up a couple books as I hadn't been for a while.  The Kindle is nice, but just not the same, you know?

After the library we headed off to Winco is it is close by and picked up the groceries we needed for the week ahead.  I also needed to get some spices from the bulk bin, garlic and dried basil, to refill my jars.  I got cornstarch (50¢) to refill that container as well.  I spent less than $25 on groceries which included a few stock up items and fresh produce!  Yay!

I made a new spice jar for garlic using a half pint canning jar I had and a lid from a container of parmesan cheese.  We use a lot of garlic when we cook so it makes more sense to do this instead of refilling the smaller containers.  Especially since I buy most of my spices from the bulk bin.  Filling this jar with a whole cup of granulated garlic cost me $2.85.  I filled up the pint jar that I keep basil in for only 39¢!

I finally finished my pan covers

Saturday morning I woke to orange air quality and I could see the sky.  It didn't smell smoky out, nor did it look it, so the school district made up for those cancellations and we got those games caught up in marathon fashion.  The parking lot at the high school was packed and every conceivable sport was taking place, which was actually kind of cool.

After dropping my oldest off at school for marching band I headed off to the mall, which is close by, to use a coupon for 20% OFF on a tube of moisturizer and another coupon for a free item I'd been sent in the mail.  I use the moisturizer as my face cream and it lasts quite a while.  When I got there the moisturizer was on sale $7 each!  I ended getting two for less than the price of one tube.  Score!

Since we were in the area we also stopped in at the Franz Bakery.  I spent $10 and picked up 7 loaves of bread a bag of hoagie rolls and a package of hamburger buns.  I don't think I'll need to buy bread for several months now.

I took the sliver of soap in our shower, got it wet as well as a new bar, and stuck the two together.  Now we'll be able to easily use up that sliver of soap and it won't go to waste.

We gave the chickens our kitchen scraps.  We also sold two dozen eggs to a friend.

How was your thrifty week?

Goals For September

August was super busy and went by so flipping fast I barely remember it!  The girls are back in school and we are back into the full swing of what is now our crazy life.  I thing that makes these lists that much more important to me if I am ever to accomplish anything other than going to work and chauffeuring children.

Started our annual purge

This is what I have planned for this month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Complete three Christmas gifts

6.         Go on a hike  still want to do this one!

7.         Learn to do something new

8.         Spring clean living/dining room

9.         Complete a small home improvement project

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Take donations to the thrift store

12.        Enjoy a Family Movie Nite or a Family Game Nite!

13.        Complete a retirement/motorhome project

14.       Replace the broken fencepost in the backyard

15.        Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or a meal

Recycled two spent candles to make a new one

We'll see how much I get done.  This is how I did last month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something I made a candle

5.         Do some investment cooking meal prepping!

6.         Go on a hike

7.         Learn to do something new Youtube videos!

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Complete a small home improvement project very small, but an improvement nonetheless

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Sell some things on eBay or Craigslist this isn't happening

12.        Enjoy a Family Movie Nite or a Family Game Nite! played Uno Attack

13.        Complete a retirement/motorhome project sewer line kit

14.       Donate something (or some things) to the thrift store got a good pile going

15.        Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or a meal

Not horrible, although I would have loved to tackle everything on this list.  Oh well, there is always next month!

Confession Time:  Okay, while I was purging the junk drawer I pulled out the corner trim tile that goes in our kitchen.  It popped off and has been MIA (well not really, I always knew where it was) for 12 years!!!  Yeah, I have NO EXCUSES.  I'm embarrassed to tell you it took me a whopping 2 minutes to fix that thing.  Two minutes!  That's right and that includes the time it took me to go to the garage to get the adhesive and then put it away when I was finished.

I shouldn't even get to claim this one as a home improvement project.  I hang my head....

Any major, or minor, projects tackled and accomplished?  Any vacations or road trips?

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!