I am stealing (borrowing?) the idea of a "5 frugal things" post from my favorite blog, The Non-Consumer Advocate! So, here are 5 things I've done in the past week which I think were awesomely frugal!
1.) My husband's aunt and uncle had to put their dog to sleep this past weekend. I wanted to send a little note to say I was thinking of them. Instead of buying a sympathy type card at the store, I just used a plain note card I had. They will appreciate I was thinking of them, regardless of the card.
2.) I was rummaging around in the freezer on Monday and found a small bag of deer liver my husband's father had given us. I soaked it overnight in the fridge in some salad dressing (made from the liquid from a can of olives and oil from a jar of pickled peppers). I then cooked it in the slow cooker with potatoes and onions. My husband loved it! I ate salad to use up some peppers that were getting shrivel-y.
3.) I baked a loaf of banana bread to use up some brown bananas.
4.) I am planning today to mend two pairs of my husband's pants. He is SO AWFUL at wrecking clothes! Part of it is his job (a welder) but also he is a bit of a bull in a china shop. ;) I use pieces cut from another pair of jeans with the iron on glue (stitch witchery) and then hand stitch around the hole to keep things in place.
5.) When checking my ebates account I realized I hadn't been credited for a purchase I made at the beginning of the month, so I emailed my order confirmation and got my whopping 55 cents credit! ;) Hey, every penny counts!
What frugal things have you done this week?
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
What We Ate This Week
So these new meal plan posts are going to span from Sunday to Saturday. This week I had a bit of a brain fart and chucked my receipts so I don't have a spending total (womp womp). I have bumped my grocery spending to 75$, but it does still include things like tolietries, cleaning supplies, and things like cling wrap.
Sunday - I had taken drumsticks out of the freezer for Saturday (we had a guest for dinner) but our guest ended up getting us pizza! So Sunday I cooked 2 packs of chicken drumsticks (for my husband), roasted broccoli, and made autumn lentil pilaf (from the Budget Bytes cookbook). I really liked the pilaf, and will definitely make it again.
Monday - Curried squash soup made from most of the delicata squash my husband's grandfather gave us from his garden. I still have 2 more left!
Tuesday - I just didn't feel like cooking (I had to run a ton of errands during the day and just felt pooped). I cooked two boxes of Annie's mac and cheese (bought by the case at the warehouse club) and added a can of drained black beans, scallions, a sprinkle of chili powder, and about half a jar of pickled jalapenos. It was quick, easy, and tasty!
Wednesday - Homemade shepard's pie. I make Happy Herbivore's easy mushroom gravy as the sauce and add TVP for the "meat". It was tasty and worked great as a leftover lunch for my husband 2 days.
Thursday - Another busy day of errands, another easy dinner. I cooked half a box of pasta and warmed up a jar of sauce with gardein meatless meatballs.
Friday - My first attempt at quiche! I usually just make frittatas because crust terrifies me, but I found an easy no roll out recipe in my beloved King Arthur Flour cookbook. It ended up a bit crumbly, but I think that was from the liquid from the filling. I filled it with cooked greens (the last bit from our giant pack for salads that was starting to look sad) and the last of the smoked salmon our neighbor gave us. It was fantastic and I will definitely be making quiche again.
Saturday - Big salad with homemade croutons (from some stale bread). I had the last of some pinto beans on mine, and my husband had some sirlion tip steaks on his that I got in the discount bin for 1.40! Meat makes him happy so I try to pick some up when it's steeply discounted.
This week I went all over the place for groceries. I picked up a few things at the dollar tree, some dressings at Ocean State Job Lot, some Earth Balance (I'm going mostly dairy free from some tummy troubles) at Wal-Mart, produce and clearance tea at my local grocery store, and a whole mess of things at Big Lots. Big Lots has honestly become one of my favorite places for groceries lately. When you first walk in they have a big bin of close date foods that are at least 50% off. I've pretty much filled the snack bin for my husband's lunches for under 3$! I can also get canned beans at a regular price that is the same as my grocery store's once every three months awesome sale. I didn't need oats straightaway but have been eating oatmeal every morning so I picked up a 3lb canister of organic rolled oats there for 2.50$! What an awesome price. Goes to show you that if you have a budget sometimes it pays to expand your horizons for grocery shopping. :) I don't have exact amounts spent at each store but I do have 8$ left in my wallet! I did go a little crazy on the Big Lots discount bin (because my waist line did NOT need those brownie batter brownies!) but I never get treats so it was a one time thing. I will be better about it in future weeks.
What did you eat this week? Did you find any great deals?
Sunday - I had taken drumsticks out of the freezer for Saturday (we had a guest for dinner) but our guest ended up getting us pizza! So Sunday I cooked 2 packs of chicken drumsticks (for my husband), roasted broccoli, and made autumn lentil pilaf (from the Budget Bytes cookbook). I really liked the pilaf, and will definitely make it again.
Monday - Curried squash soup made from most of the delicata squash my husband's grandfather gave us from his garden. I still have 2 more left!
Tuesday - I just didn't feel like cooking (I had to run a ton of errands during the day and just felt pooped). I cooked two boxes of Annie's mac and cheese (bought by the case at the warehouse club) and added a can of drained black beans, scallions, a sprinkle of chili powder, and about half a jar of pickled jalapenos. It was quick, easy, and tasty!
Wednesday - Homemade shepard's pie. I make Happy Herbivore's easy mushroom gravy as the sauce and add TVP for the "meat". It was tasty and worked great as a leftover lunch for my husband 2 days.
Thursday - Another busy day of errands, another easy dinner. I cooked half a box of pasta and warmed up a jar of sauce with gardein meatless meatballs.
Friday - My first attempt at quiche! I usually just make frittatas because crust terrifies me, but I found an easy no roll out recipe in my beloved King Arthur Flour cookbook. It ended up a bit crumbly, but I think that was from the liquid from the filling. I filled it with cooked greens (the last bit from our giant pack for salads that was starting to look sad) and the last of the smoked salmon our neighbor gave us. It was fantastic and I will definitely be making quiche again.
Saturday - Big salad with homemade croutons (from some stale bread). I had the last of some pinto beans on mine, and my husband had some sirlion tip steaks on his that I got in the discount bin for 1.40! Meat makes him happy so I try to pick some up when it's steeply discounted.
This week I went all over the place for groceries. I picked up a few things at the dollar tree, some dressings at Ocean State Job Lot, some Earth Balance (I'm going mostly dairy free from some tummy troubles) at Wal-Mart, produce and clearance tea at my local grocery store, and a whole mess of things at Big Lots. Big Lots has honestly become one of my favorite places for groceries lately. When you first walk in they have a big bin of close date foods that are at least 50% off. I've pretty much filled the snack bin for my husband's lunches for under 3$! I can also get canned beans at a regular price that is the same as my grocery store's once every three months awesome sale. I didn't need oats straightaway but have been eating oatmeal every morning so I picked up a 3lb canister of organic rolled oats there for 2.50$! What an awesome price. Goes to show you that if you have a budget sometimes it pays to expand your horizons for grocery shopping. :) I don't have exact amounts spent at each store but I do have 8$ left in my wallet! I did go a little crazy on the Big Lots discount bin (because my waist line did NOT need those brownie batter brownies!) but I never get treats so it was a one time thing. I will be better about it in future weeks.
What did you eat this week? Did you find any great deals?
Friday, January 22, 2016
A quick update
As I've mentioned before I'm a crappy meal planner. I make a plan of dishes to make but end up making other dinner because certain things need to be used up, etc. So instead of making a post of what I bought at the grocery store and what I'm going to make, I will start posting every Sunday with what I spent, what we ate, and what (if anything) got wasted. This blog is still new and I'm still trying to get in the groove with posting, so this is a step in the right direction!
If you are reading this and live on the East Coast where the big storm is hitting this weekend, BE SAFE! We are getting spared this time around but I know how rough a bit storm can be. Maybe some yatzee and an extra pot of coffee with cheer you up! :)
If you are reading this and live on the East Coast where the big storm is hitting this weekend, BE SAFE! We are getting spared this time around but I know how rough a bit storm can be. Maybe some yatzee and an extra pot of coffee with cheer you up! :)
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Thrifty wins!
Over the weekend our neighbor was out of state so we watched his cat. He is usually a little hellion but must've been lonely because he was so lovable! After work yesterday my husband went to drop his key off and while there my neighbor's friend stopped by. I'm not sure exactly what he does for work, something involving driving I think but somehow ends up with tons of close to date food. A few times my neighbor has given us some stuff from him, usually candy. Well this time my husband came back with a giant bag full! There were a couple bags of candy, but there were tons of other things too! We got two packs of smoked salmon, which is a favorite of mine but it's so expensive! I stashed it in the freezer and will pick up bagels and cream cheese at the grocery store on my next trip. My husband ate the crab legs and lobsters last night, plus I have a 1lb package of tuna salad (good for almost a week more!) I will eat for lunches. We also got a pound of american cheese, deli meat ends, strawberries, and a bag of shrimp. Not only is it great because it's FREE but it was also a bunch of things we usually don't buy because they are pricey. Best of all is that my neighbor doesn't like smoked salmon so he said he'd give us all that he gets, wahoo!!!
On another thrifty note, I saw this morning on Facebook that my local Goodwill was having an "all kids clothes for 1$" sale today. One of my best friends from elementary school is having a little girl in May and I've been trying to stock up on cheap clothes for her. First I hit the Men's jeans rack, because my husband burns through jeans like no one else. I found a pair of 7 for all mankind jeans in my size, and they were the color of the day, so 3$! I came home and found that these pants retail for 189$!!!! Talk about the deal of the century. They fit amazing and were a great steal. All because someone put them in the men's section (probably because their sizing is by waist size, like men's jeans). I also found 7 cute little things for my friend. On Friday my mom and I are hitting up another thrift store where all the baby clothes are 1$ so I think after that I'll be all set with a bag full for her. I also picked up a brand new copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" for my own bookshelf. I am not pregnant yet, but we expect to try in the next year or so so I figured since I saw a copy in new condition for 1$ I'd pick it up. Plus, if anyone I know gets pregnant first I can give it as a gift. :)
All in all, a successful thrifty day!
On another thrifty note, I saw this morning on Facebook that my local Goodwill was having an "all kids clothes for 1$" sale today. One of my best friends from elementary school is having a little girl in May and I've been trying to stock up on cheap clothes for her. First I hit the Men's jeans rack, because my husband burns through jeans like no one else. I found a pair of 7 for all mankind jeans in my size, and they were the color of the day, so 3$! I came home and found that these pants retail for 189$!!!! Talk about the deal of the century. They fit amazing and were a great steal. All because someone put them in the men's section (probably because their sizing is by waist size, like men's jeans). I also found 7 cute little things for my friend. On Friday my mom and I are hitting up another thrift store where all the baby clothes are 1$ so I think after that I'll be all set with a bag full for her. I also picked up a brand new copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" for my own bookshelf. I am not pregnant yet, but we expect to try in the next year or so so I figured since I saw a copy in new condition for 1$ I'd pick it up. Plus, if anyone I know gets pregnant first I can give it as a gift. :)
All in all, a successful thrifty day!
Monday, January 11, 2016
So I ended up hitting up my grocery store to get some great deals on pantry staples (pasta, marinara, large canned tomatoes, tuna, etc). Then I made a quick trip to the produce stand to fill things out. This week I had to go to the warehouse store for toliet paper and trash bags, and I am now so, so over budget! I'm thinking of moving my household goods to another budget category to make things easier. Funny enough, I write these meal plan posts and then end up making completely different things (albeit still with the ingredients on hand!). So, I've got $12 left in my grocery budget for the week but I'm going to try not to spend it. Honestly, I think I can make it until Thursday with the fruit on hand (the only thing I'm worried about). Onto the plan!
1/10 Sun - Freezer soup; used up box of frozen spinach, tomato sauce and shredded zucchini from the garden frozen over the summer, and a package of ravoli. Made enough for an army!
1/11 Mon - Huevos Rancheros Bowls (from the Budget Bytes cookbook). If it seems like a constant repeat, it's just because we love it!
1/12 Tues - Stir fry (cabbage, peppers, onions, celery, mushrooms) with udon noodles
1/13 Wed - Leftover soup from Sunday with homemade foccacia
1/14 Thurs - Curried chickpeas with brown basmati rice
1/15 Fri - Sloppy joes and the last of the fries from the freezer
1/16 Sat - My husband's cousin will be here for dinner so I'll pull out the chicken drumsticks from the freezer and serve with either mac and cheese or potatoes and a veg
Well, that sounds doable! If there are no good sales at the grocery this week I'll just stick with the produce stand for fruit and a veg or two. On the no spend front, I'm doing pretty well. They had some clearance candles at the warehouse store for $2.98 and without thinking I put one in the cart. Later on in my trip I put it back! I did slip and ordered a Harvey Prince perfume rollerball I'd been wanting with a coupon (just pay s&h). Each week it's getting easier. I'm also realizing I shop just for the high of getting a good deal and not because I actually need anything. I had an urge to check out TJ Maxx today but instead reorganized my pantry and a few cabinets and the feeling passed. I decluttered as I went and was even more glad I didn't give in go for a drive to the store. If I already have things I don't need in my home there's no need to bring more in! I'm hoping this weekend to put a few things on Craigslist. A little more cash never hurt anyone! :)
1/10 Sun - Freezer soup; used up box of frozen spinach, tomato sauce and shredded zucchini from the garden frozen over the summer, and a package of ravoli. Made enough for an army!
1/11 Mon - Huevos Rancheros Bowls (from the Budget Bytes cookbook). If it seems like a constant repeat, it's just because we love it!
1/12 Tues - Stir fry (cabbage, peppers, onions, celery, mushrooms) with udon noodles
1/13 Wed - Leftover soup from Sunday with homemade foccacia
1/14 Thurs - Curried chickpeas with brown basmati rice
1/15 Fri - Sloppy joes and the last of the fries from the freezer
1/16 Sat - My husband's cousin will be here for dinner so I'll pull out the chicken drumsticks from the freezer and serve with either mac and cheese or potatoes and a veg
Well, that sounds doable! If there are no good sales at the grocery this week I'll just stick with the produce stand for fruit and a veg or two. On the no spend front, I'm doing pretty well. They had some clearance candles at the warehouse store for $2.98 and without thinking I put one in the cart. Later on in my trip I put it back! I did slip and ordered a Harvey Prince perfume rollerball I'd been wanting with a coupon (just pay s&h). Each week it's getting easier. I'm also realizing I shop just for the high of getting a good deal and not because I actually need anything. I had an urge to check out TJ Maxx today but instead reorganized my pantry and a few cabinets and the feeling passed. I decluttered as I went and was even more glad I didn't give in go for a drive to the store. If I already have things I don't need in my home there's no need to bring more in! I'm hoping this weekend to put a few things on Craigslist. A little more cash never hurt anyone! :)
Saturday, January 2, 2016
The lure of the clearance section
Okay, that last post about a loose shopping ban? We're talking real loose. January 2nd and I already feel like a failure!!! I bought some clearance candles (.75$x2) and tulle (.25$x2) plus a tin sign (8$) for my kitchen. Yes, the tin sign has been on my lookout list but still! I also purchased a roof rake (used my Amazon points so it was around 18$) and 50 lb bag of bird seed (14$) but I consider those home expenses. I'm trying not to get too hard on myself. I will be better!
I'm also trying to go as long as possible before the next grocery shop. I may drop in tomorrow since my grocery has 3 day sales for the weekend and they had a good deal on shredded cheese. Then again...I have two small bags in the freezer! So here is a tenative list for my meal plan;
Sun : Potato Tacos, possibly with tempeh from the freezer (my giant bag of potatoes is starting to sprout! So lots of potato dishes this week)
Mon : Stir fry cabbage with black rice (trying to get it out of the pantry!)
Tues : Roasted delicata squash with onions and couscous (or potatoes?) on the side
Wed : Open faced tuna melts and green beans
Thurs : Mac and Cheese with mixed veg
Fri : Corn chowder
Sat : Pizza, made with homemade dough
All of these things I can make with what I have on hand. The grocery store is having a great sale (20 items for 16$, out of a certain list). We need some canned tomatoes and spaghetti sauce, plus more pasta. So I may stop by to get those sale items and some bananas for lunches, plus a bag of onions (I'm almost out). I can definitely get out of there under 25$. Last week after my post I made a trip to the warehouse store and ended up spending about 30$ more dollars, argh! They had some deals that were killer but it put me over budget. Hopefully with a small shop these week I'll make up for it!
I'm also trying to go as long as possible before the next grocery shop. I may drop in tomorrow since my grocery has 3 day sales for the weekend and they had a good deal on shredded cheese. Then again...I have two small bags in the freezer! So here is a tenative list for my meal plan;
Sun : Potato Tacos, possibly with tempeh from the freezer (my giant bag of potatoes is starting to sprout! So lots of potato dishes this week)
Mon : Stir fry cabbage with black rice (trying to get it out of the pantry!)
Tues : Roasted delicata squash with onions and couscous (or potatoes?) on the side
Wed : Open faced tuna melts and green beans
Thurs : Mac and Cheese with mixed veg
Fri : Corn chowder
Sat : Pizza, made with homemade dough
All of these things I can make with what I have on hand. The grocery store is having a great sale (20 items for 16$, out of a certain list). We need some canned tomatoes and spaghetti sauce, plus more pasta. So I may stop by to get those sale items and some bananas for lunches, plus a bag of onions (I'm almost out). I can definitely get out of there under 25$. Last week after my post I made a trip to the warehouse store and ended up spending about 30$ more dollars, argh! They had some deals that were killer but it put me over budget. Hopefully with a small shop these week I'll make up for it!
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