Fruit Flies

Spring is here! And with it our annual invasion of fruit flies (groan).  Last week we arrived home to discover we had been invaded.  My darling oldest wasted no time in setting up the fruit fly trap.

She grabbed an empty Snapple bottle out of the cupboard and poured about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar in the bottom of it and set it on the kitchen counter.  By morning the issue was resolved.  No more fruit flies buzzing around, but quite a collection of them in the bottle.  Ewwww.

Nothing quite like good old fashioned ingenuity to tackle a pest problem.  Sure beats a bunch of expensive chemicals and pesticides, especially in your kitchen.  Ever tried this?

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

It was another wet and rainy week here in Boise.   Except for Thursday, which was sunny and hot, with temperatures nearing 90!  How crazy is that?!

First thing Sunday morning I put a batch of meat sauce in my slow cooker and let it cook on low all day knowing it was going to be another project filled day.  After a pancake breakfast we started a load of laundry and then we each headed off to finish our various projects.

The girls had some final clean up on the gutters and they also spring cleaned the front porch getting rid of cobwebs and a layer of winter grime.  It looks very nice.  I finished up some of the motorhome projects I had started the day before and then cleaned out the cabinets.

I moved some of our camping equipment into the motorhome and three boxes of stuff I had collected and was storing in the closet under our stairs for the retirement house.  I am literally shopping the house for additional items as well.  No point in buying things I already have.

I started making a first aid kit for the motorhome with items I picked up
mostly at Dollar Tree and a plastic container I had out in the garage

Monday I went back to work so I could get some rest - ha, ha.  My poor hands were so stiff and sore.  But before I left I put a huge pot roast in the slow cooker.  What a wonderful aroma to be greeted with when I came home.  I cut up the last of a bag of potatoes, an onion, the rest of a package of celery and six carrots to add to it.  An hour later dinner was served!

I stopped in at Fred Meyer to pick up something and found quite a few markdown items.  So I loaded up.

Tuesday I had to run to the post office as I needed stamps and didn't want to use my leftover Christmas stamps (I'm weird like that).  Afterward I swung by Albertson's to pick up two jars of mayonnaise for $1.99 each since it was the last day of the sale and we are on our last jar.  I also grabbed two tomatoes and a bag of baby spinach.

I cleared out the crisper drawer and made a nice big salad using up most of what we already had - the markdown greens, the last of the markdown snow peas, the last of the cauliflower and broccoli, a handful of baby carrots.  I then added some of the spinach and one of the tomatoes I bought.  My youngest made more homemade Ranch dressing.  She consumes it by the bucketful and puts it on nearly everything.

We heated up the leftover meat sauce and boiled up a new box of penne and invited a friend over for dinner.  It wasn't too shabby for a bunch of Tuesday night leftovers, if I do say so myself.

Not a bad haul

Thursday was our busiest day.  On the way home from work one of the companies nearby makes molding and had just filled up the "FREE WOOD" bin they have set up in their parking lot.  I grabbed the youngest and the truck and we headed on over to take a look.  We picked up quite a bit of molding and some boards for projects as well as board ends to burn in our firepot in the backyard.

Trader Joe's

My oldest had a robotics meeting so I decided to use that time to get some errands run before I had to pick her up.  First thing was to get the car washed and vacuumed out.  I was so happy to get all that road grime off the car after all of the rain we have had.  After the carwash we headed over to Trader Joes to pick up some fresh produce.

Dollar Tree

Albertson's

I did some bargain shopping after that.  First, I stopped into the dollar store to pick up some things on  my list for the motorhome and I took a quick tour of the grocery section.  Pop Tarts and vanilla wafers somehow made it into the basket.  My girls are so spoiled.  Then Albertsons for butter and clam chowder that were on sale.  Then back to BSU to pick up the kid from her meeting.

On the way home we stopped into ShopKo to return something I didn't need and to pick up a set of throw rugs on sale for $14.99.  When I paid for the rugs they handed me a voucher for $10 on my next visit, no minimum purchase required.  Score!

Saturday I decided I had better get myself back on track with the early morning grocery shopping.  I was seriously talking myself out of it when my oldest came downstairs and asked me if she could go with me.  Rather than sleep in (her favorite weekend task) she wanted to hang out with her mom!  Let's go!

Fred Meyer

We started out with a stop at the dollar store to pick up a few toiletries she needed and a couple items on my list for Laverne and then off to Fred Meyer to pick up a few items on my grocery list.  I found some more great markdowns in the produce department as well as some cream cheese.

I spent the rest of the day on motorhome projects.

My oldest made a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.  They were fantastic!  She is such a great little baker.

Our Friday freebies!

In all of my crisper drawer clearing out the chickens got quite a few kitchen scraps which always makes them very happy.  They loaded us up with eggs again last week.  I hardboiled half a dozen and made egg salad.

Teaser photo!
What on earth could I have planned for this?

I ordered a free Energy Savings Kit offered by the power company.  I'm excited to find out what is in it.  And heck, it's free!

I washed out a couple of ziploc bags to reuse.

How was your thrifty week?

Goals For May

April went by in an instance and most of it was cold, wet, rainy and even snowy.  We did manage, however, to work a few things in between rain and snowstorms but it was tricky.

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.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Do some investment cooking

6.         Go on a hike

7.         Learn to do something new

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Spring clean the kitchen pantry

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Go through and organize camping equipment

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

13.        Refinish motorhome cabinetry

14.       Clean garage

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

While most of these seem a bit repetitive, and they are, they also help me stay the course and get the things done that need to be done around here.  They also help me not to forget to have fun.  Having fun is a pretty important part of life, if you ask me.

Painting

This is how I did last month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone I did both

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Do some investment cooking

6.         Continue walking outdoors - three times a week rain, rain and more rain

7.         Learn to do something new

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Spring clean the chicken coop

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Prune fruit trees rain, rain and more rain

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

13.        Complete a small home improvement project gutters cleaned!

14.       Complete a retirement house project

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

Me and my rattle cans!

Not a bad finish to April really.  Now I'm looking forward to May.  I have a lot of plans so we'll see what happens and how much I actually accomplish.  How about you?  What is on your list for May?  And how was your April?

My Future Plans With Miss Laverne

I've made a monumental decision recently.  After a lot of discussion with my family and my closest friends I decided that purchasing another home to retire in probably isn't the best thing for me to do.  There are a number of reasons why I have come to this conclusion, not the least of which is my health (it irritates me that that even has to be a consideration right now) and quality of life.

In purchasing a home I know that I will be completely tied to that home for the duration.  I would spend the next ten years renovating it and getting it ready for my retirement years as well as working like a dog to get it completely paid off before my retirement date.  All of my spare time outside of work and my current home would be spent on this endeavor.

I also know myself well enough too that once I did retire, despite my desires to travel, I'd always be worried about my home while I was away.  So I probably wouldn't take as many trips as I would like.  As time went on I'd probably become a complete homebody.  I know this because I already have these tendencies.  I worry about things while I'm away.

My heart's desire has always been, ever since I was in my twenties, to own an RV and travel around the U.S.  I've always wanted to live in one full time and for awhile I did that, just a few years ago.  For the most part I really enjoyed that, except for the fact that there was no travel during that time.  It really taught me a lot about what that kind of a lifestyle would be like.

My children are going to grow up and do their own thing, as it should be.  There is a really good chance that neither one of them will end up staying in Boise.  The girls were actually worried about me being here alone and how that would make me sad, bless their hearts.  I've assured them that regardless of what they choose to do, Mom will be just fine.  They have to live their lives.

So when I started talking about retiring into an RV everyone within my circle was extremely supportive of that decision.  They all know me well enough to know that I'd be completely happy and content in a tiny home on wheels that would allow me to move with the seasons and seek out warmer weather.  I could also visit my kids regardless of where they settle.

When I came to this conclusion the RV goal quickly shifted from being a "want" item over to a "need" item.  Now granted, I didn't need one right now, but when the opportunity presents itself and you can afford to do it, then you do it.  Right?

After crunching the numbers to see how this decision would impact me financially, as you can imagine, it made quite a difference.  For one thing I'll be able to retire with a lot more money.  But what really surprised me was that I could retire at 62 if I choose rather than needing to wait until 65.  Possibly even earlier.  Wow!

So now you know more of what really spurned me to make my purchase of Miss Laverne.  Stay tuned for how we plan to make her into my retirement home.  It is going to be a really fun ride!

Pun totally intended.

Poor Man's "Fillet-O-Fish"

Eating out, especially fast food, is probably not the healthiest choice.  Last month my girls took the leftover funds from our dining out and entertainment budget and invested it in some frozen foods that are not part of our normal regime with the idea that it would be much less expensive and possibly healthier than eating out.  As a result this is one of the meals we came up with.

Homemade Fillet-O-Fish Sandwich

4 fish sticks

1 slice cheddar cheese

1 hamburger bun

1 Tbs. tarter sauce

Lettuce

Bake the fish sticks on a lightly oiled baking sheet until crispy about 20 minutes at 400°.  Place fish sticks side by side and lay cheese on top, return to oven just until the cheese melts.  Place lettuce on bottom of bun and top with fish sticks.  Add tarter sauce to top half of bun and place on top of fish sticks.  Enjoy!

I used to make these all the time back in my poorer days and I have to say it was nice to have one of these again after so many years.  I used homemade tarter sauce and whole wheat hamburger buns this time around.

If you enjoy a good fish sandwich from time to time this is an easy, thrifty and pretty tasty option.

My Uber Thrifty Month In Review - April

I began the month by paying all of our monthly expenses ahead of their due dates.  I made a sizeable payment toward my debt elimination goal too.  I cannot believe how close I am to having this all paid off and how far ahead of schedule I am too!  Yesss!!

So far his has been the year of buying shoes.  Last month I purchased two more pair for my youngest.  Her daily tennis shoes needed to be replaced and she also needed track shoes.  Fortunately both pair were on sale and I got a $20 rebate on my purchase at check out.  I used the rebate to purchase a pair of denim shorts and a pair of flip flops for her for summer.

The oldest found two pair of jeans and a pair of denim shorts at a thrift store along with two tank tops.  She is completely outfitted for summer now for less than $20.  Unfortunately we weren't so lucky with the youngest so the rebate really made up for the lack of thrift store finds.  We were able to pick up a pair of shorts and a pair of flip flops for her with only a few dollars out of pocket.  So far this year we are coming in right at $160 on clothing for all of us thanks to gift cards, coupons, sales and thrift stores.  And we have managed to replace quite a bit.

I didn't spend much on groceries last month as we were a bit overstocked with food.  I also used up quite a bit of the frozen leftovers I'd put away in the kitchen freezer.  Meal prep was kept quite simple and we had very little food waste.

Amazingly, as most of you already are aware, I came across my new home.  An older motorhome was purchased mid month and within less than a week the Idaho Transportation Department mailed me the title.  She is all mine!  I had budgeted $15,000 for a down payment on my retirement home.  I decided to change those plans and used half that amount to purchase the motorhome.  I will most likely be moving into her sometime in the future.  In the meantime, however, we will use her and enjoy her as our "vacation home".

I did spend some additional money to upgrade a few things and make the motorhome more usable for me.  I used a couple gift cards to help offset some of those expenses too.  Additionally I took advantage of my Amazon Prime membership quite a bit as well to get quite a few supplies at a great price with free two day shipping.

I did buy some fuel last month.  Not only did I need to put gas in the car - twice!, but I put gas in the motorhome and topped off the truck.  I used my rewards points on my Fred Meyer card to help lower the cost of those purchases.

So that pretty much sums up my month in a nutshell.  Perhaps not uber thrifty, but fairly thrifty nonetheless.  I guess it all boils down to perspective, but he motorhome investment, at least for me, is pretty uber thrfty.  I couldn't be happier about that.  😆

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

It's May!  Holy cow!!

Sunday was a big Laverne project day and I was in heaven!  I can hardly wait to finish it up so I can share it with you.  Look for those posts starting next Thursday. 😆

I used a Home Depot gift card to pick up some supplies I needed which included a smoke detector, very important feature, to replace the one that was missing.  I got it installed and because the fire extinguisher is also missing I took an extra one I had in the garage and set that it in the motorhome as well.  I even wiped all the dust off of it.

I also did some cleaning and vacuuming along with a lot of exploring of all the many storage spaces inside.  I'm still amazed with all of the storage in there.

Tuesday evening we enjoyed my youngest daughter's spring orchestra concert.  It was really lovely.

Wednesday was my daughter's track meet so we didn't get home until after 7:00.  So dinner, homework, bedtime, just like that.

Thursday was a catch up day for me.  After dropping my daughter off at the university for a three hour robotics meeting I swung through the library and dropped off a book I finished.  Then headed home to get the laundry done, dinner cooked and still managed to fit in a small motorhome project before I had to pick up the girl.  Then to bed early.

I saved another lid off of a jar of grated romano cheese and put it on an old jelly jar I had in the cupboard.  I added it to the retirement house stash of kitchen items.

We continued to prepare delicious meals all week using items we already had on hand.  I may have been a wee bit overstocked on food.  But I'm sure we'll manage to get it down to a more manageable level in rather short order.

Our breakfasts got even thriftier than my 18¢ egg muffins.  I pulled out a package of English muffins I got for free at Winco a few months back which dropped the price to 10¢ each, the cost of the cheese I bought on sale.  How about that?!

We made pretty wise use of our food so the chickens didn't get a lot of kitchen scraps last week, but they did get some.  They still kept us well supplied with eggs.  I sold two dozen eggs to a friend and we put that money aside for their next bag of feed.

Once again I did not do any of my usual grocery shopping last week.  That's two weeks in a row!  However, I put the girls in charge of food for the weekend and gave them what was left in the dining and entertainment budget to do with as they saw fit since my Dominos ordering was a bust the week before.  They went to Fred Meyer and picked up frozen chicken nuggets, corn dogs, fish sticks, frozen pizza, tater tots, fries and ice cream sandwiches.  They justified it with the fact that it was much less expensive then fast food and would last the weekend (probably longer I would think) without needing to go anywhere and interrupt my workflow.  I can't argue with that logic.

Here's a teaser pic!

Friday, thankfully with no other commitments, I was able to head home after work and spend the evening working on my motorhome.  Saturday was a HUGE Laverne project day.  I spent the entire day on her and enjoyed every minute of it.  Have I mentioned I can't wait to show you all what I've been up to?

The girls took care of the household stuff and even cleaned the gutters!  I worked myself into complete exhaustion before eating a meal of homemade mac & cheese, grilled chicken sausages (from our freezer) and a wonderful green salad with homemade Ranch dressing.  Wait a minute!  What happen to all that frozen junk food?

How was your thrifty week?