Saturday 23 April 2016

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 23rd April 2016

I've spent most of the week pottering around our home sorting,  tidying,  de cluttering,  pulling weeds,  watering,  baking and cooking.  So much to do and so much fun doing it.    We might not have the grandest ,  biggest home but our home is our haven.  Mouth watering fragrances come from the kitchen and our girls love to guess what I've been cooking.  Fresh flowers cut from the garden bring joy to each day and elegance money can't buy.  Here's what I got up to this week -  

*  Made a batch of plain scones to take to the Cheapskates card making day.  I also took my raspberry jam to spread on top. Very yummy.  The rest of the scones were frozen for future morning teas.

*  Made a batch of pumpkin soup with a butternut pumpkin we were blessed with.  The leftovers were frozen in single serves for Winter lunches.

*  Gratefully received a shape punch and a couple of patterned papers from the swap table at the card making day.

*  Washed all the donated glass jars given to me over the last few weeks.  Now they are ready for use.

*  Ate homemade freezer meals two nights this week.

*  Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.

*  I bought another $7.90 cooked chicken.  This time I was able to get 21 serves from the one chicken.  I made a pot of chunky chicken and vegetable soup using the stock I made and any meat left on the carcass.  This gave me nine singles serves of soup.  When I peeled down the chicken I portioned the meat into 4 single serves for a sandwich,  and two lots of meat that will be put into a pasta bake that can feed the four of us..  I don't think I can stretch the chicken any more.  I did have another portion of stock leftover that I've frozen.

.*  Saved the bank statement envelopes.  The inside of the envelope is patterned and can be used for card making.

*  Gratefully received a petrol discount docket in the mail.  Thankyou Tania  xoxo

*  Gratefully received a few more jam jars from another friend.

*  Stocked up on TRESemme shampoo and conditioner.  It's on sale at IGA for $4.99 which is better than half price.

*  Saved the washing machine water for each next load.  Saved the kitchen water and reused it to swish out the sinks,  soak the saucepans and water the raspberry plants.

*  Saved the ribbon wrapped around a blanket Jessica bought.  Saved a couple of rubber bands wrapped around the junk mail.  Also saved a couple of bells and ribbons from the Lindt bunnies we are working our way through from Easter.

*  Organised my jam and relish jars stored in the shed.  I now have the jam jars separated into another box.  Relish jars smell quite strong even after they have been washed many times.  I don't like to use them for jam for this reason.  Now I won't have to dig around for jars when I need them.

*  Found a few more items to donate to the op shop.  Over at The Cheapskates Club I've set up a " De cluttering Tally Game "  Quite a few of us have the de cluttering bug again.  I thought it would be fun to keep a tally of how much we can remove from our homes and donate.  It's not a competition but a great way to keep track of the numbers.  I'm up to 33 items for the month.

*  Darren picked a pink rose for my bedside table.

*  I made potato cakes for lunch one day using about 2/3 of a cup of leftover mashed potato.  Very yummy.

 
Scones for morning tea
Chunky chicken and vegetable soup
In the garden
Potato cakes
Grocery special
Saving the envelope.

Jam jars ready for use.

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

20 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a very busy week. I love making jam too. I have made strawberry so far this year. Can't wait to make more.

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    1. I love homemade jam. I'll never buy store bought again.

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  2. You did very well. I'm impressed with how far you were able to stretch that chicken and the soup looks delicious!

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    1. Debbie, the soup is so tasty and has more chicken in it than what you get in a can of soup.

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  3. Dear Wendy, I love having a big supply of jars! I used a lot this summer and am working on restocking them. Also bottles.
    I had a really big week. It was good as I got a lot done. The biggest thing is painting my front fence. I hope to finish it over this long weekend. It is a big transformation!
    Our homes are our castles and sanctuary from the world for our families. We can make them lovely and thats the fun of it. We don't need a Mc Mansion to to that!
    Have a great weekend! It is sunny here so perfect for painting so I am getting this done! With love Annabel.xxx

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    1. Hi Annabel. You can never have too many jars if they get used. Looking forward to seeing more photos of your painting.

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  4. Hi Wendy,
    This weeks frugal achievements were

    Pickled marked down chillies and saved the seeds for planting out

    Hung all the washing in the sun to dry

    Rode to work every day

    Had as many no spend days as I could

    Saved the skin from a bought Pineapple to make Pineapple cordial

    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Hi Fiona, pineapple cordial sounds very refreshing.

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  5. Hi Wendy,
    I am new to reading your blog ... I love it ... your frugal task section has really got me inspired, I have a little blog and have copied your idea ... I put a link to your blog and gave you credit, hope that is okay. I love how you break things down into simple tasks that really add up! I have also been inspired by all your card making posts and have got back into card making ... been really enjoying it! Thanks so much for the inspiration! Anne

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    1. Welcome Anne. I'm glad you have been inspired to list your frugal tasks. I'm going to have a look at your blog to get more frugal ideas. It's great if we can learn and share from each other.

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  6. Yes, it's great to get inspiration and ideas from one another. Thanks again for all your work!

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  7. Wendy, I just love days when I can just 'potter around the house!' I'm going to check our bank statement envelopes and see if they have a pretty design inside, I have never thought of using them in card making. This week we propagated fig trees, rose bushes and I started making a batch of potpourri using fragrant rose's from my rose bushes. It's been a frugal thinking week and I have enjoyed it immensely!

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  8. I hadn't thought of saving printed envelope linings to make cards. What a great idea!
    Your roses are stunning!
    Blessings, Leigh

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  9. You have had an impressively frugal week. Good job spotting a future use for the inside of the envelope. The scones look scrumptious.

    This week I
    *used my air dryer instead of my electric dryer.
    * cooked 8 lbs of 29c chicken thighs and legs in my SC to use in future meals. Broth and shredded chicken now portioned and living happily in my freezer.
    *did not throw out any wasted food from my refrigerator. Hurray!! We are using or freezing said food.
    *OH repaired the Wonder Wand water attachment with a washer instead of buying a new one. He waters the potted plants and new starts with this and it was leaking badly. He thought he needed a new wand but I sent him to the hardware store, with the wand, and the clerk helped him fit it with the washer. Works perfectly. You would think it was his idea, he's so pleased with himself. Cute man!!
    * continued to cook out of my food stores. I almost had to go to the store for one item, but broke down and made the tortillas myself.
    *set up a paper recycling box from an idea I saw years ago. I cut two cotton strings to fit the length and width of the sides and bottom plus more. I layed them across each other with the strings going over the sides. The box is big enough for my newspaper folded flat and any paper to recycle. When it's full, I tie the opposite ends across it and end up with a paper bundle. Neat, easy and I'm very proud I finally put the idea to use.
    * BBQued some of the chicken legs and thigh I didn't cook for the freezer. When it was done we used the coals to grill pork loin.

    Happy weekend to everyone!

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  10. A very productive week for you!
    This week some new (my first!) preserving jars arrived in the mail and I put them to good use with pears which are really cheap to buy at the moment. I also have plans to do plums and pickled onions.
    I tried out another fairly recent purchase and a very special present, my grain mill. I found that freshly ground wheat is beautifully aromatic and wonderfully flavourful to bake with. I look forward to getting lots of use out of the mill.
    I made St Clement's cordial with some organic oranges a friend gave me.
    Made yoghurt and then made it into delicious labneh to eat with my homemade bread.
    Resisted turning on the heating and opted for extra clothes instead.

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  11. Hi I have just come across your blog and I love it and look forward to coming back more often.
    have a blessed Sunday
    Page

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  12. I had to smile when I read about all the meals you gleaned from your cooked chicken. Occasionally, I purchase a baked chicken from Walmart, they cost about $5. I can't beat the price with an uncooked chicken from the grocery. We get several meals off the baked chicken which is scrumptious, and then slice off pieces for sandwiches, then I cut more smaller pieces and make chicken salad, then the carcass is boiled and with what's left, I made a large pot of chicken soup with added carrots, onions, noodles, celery, and my own home grown parsley. That original chicken is stretched quite far.

    We've been growing our own vegetable bedding plants and have planted some seeds which are now coming up.

    My husband recently bought and installed a new basement door and storm door. The cost of each was $150. I don't know how much was saved from paying to have someone install, but I would imagine it would have doubled the cost. He removed the old door (92 years old and warped, cracked, and energy inefficient ---the door not him!), the trim around the door inside and out, and replaced the wood sill with poured concrete. The new security door looks great, is solid and weather-proof. We feel safer in our house now.

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  13. Hi Wendy,

    What a busy week you've had! It's so great to find like minded people. xx

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  14. Hey Wendy sounds like you have had a very frugal week what a great idea with the envelopes Our week went like this
    Finally got our washing Line fixed had been broken for close to 5 weeks its nice doing full loads of washing again rather than small ones to fit on clotheshorse

    Filled up the cookie Jar with Butter biscuits and different flavours Dark mint banana and Raspberry choc

    Reused Baking paper aftr baking cookies for greasing paper and relining the trays for more cookies

    Baked simple cheese and tomato scrolls using my pantry staples

    Ate from the freezer a few times this week - got the slowcooker on to make another 10 portions of stew to refill

    took advantage of Kmart summer sale and stocked up on $1 shorts and $3 tops all set for summer size wise for the boys

    Have a great week

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  15. Hi Wendy,

    Your scones were beautiful especially with your Raspberry jam. Wow, so many meals from one chicken, that's great.

    This week i made muesli slice, bread, apple crumble using old apples, cup cakes , brown sugar, choc chip biscuits and all meals from scratch. I cooked a chicken and used it for 2 meals, soup and cold meat.

    Saved water from the washing machine and showers and still picking things from the garden.Cleaned out things from home and kept pieces of paper/flyers from the junk mail to use in my card making.

    Have a great week all,
    Maureen

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