* Gratefully received two bunches of rhubarb, a small bag of passionfruit, lots of cardstock and cardboard at the Crafty Mums card making day.
* Froze lots of plums that were given to us. I've frozen them into 1.5 kg bags to make more plum jam later in the year.
* Picked a handful of raspberries each day. These have been frozen to make muffins.
* Stocked up on Pineocleen disinfectant, Glen 20, hair gel and Saladas ( a treat ) all bought at half price.
* Bought petrol at $1.15 per litre
* Bought lamb chops at $7.99 kg. I've portioned them into single and double chops and froze. This will make meal planning a little easier. Sometimes we don't know who will be home for dinner.
* Picked about 600 g of strawberries from our patch.
* Saved the shower and washing machine water.
* Due to the cooler weather we didn't have the cooling or heating on for many days. Yes, it was cold enough to put the heater on but due to our heater needing a service and parts, this wasn't an option. We even dug out blankets a few times.
* Donated two bags of clothes to Savers and received a discount stamp.
* Filled in a form for compensation due to our freezer failing ( it had a melt down - hehehe ). Hopefully the cheque will arrive next week.
* Sold two dozen eggs.
* Megan made a batch of raspberry and white choc muffins using our raspberries.
* Picked one tomato each day. Hopefully we'll be picking lots more each day. I'm busting to make another batch of tomato relish.
* Carried muesli bars and a bottle of water in my handbag when I was out and about. I've avoided cafes and shopping centres by doing this and saving a small fortune.
* Darren fed the compost bin with kitchen scraps and grass clippings.
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| A blessing |
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| From the garden |
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| In the kitchen with Megan |
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| A delightful afternoon tea. |
We are empty nesters in our upper forties living in California. We have a store called winco that is similar in price to aldi. I shop there weekly but my problem is trying to fit Costco into my budget too. I would love to just go to the store once a week for $80 and get rid of warehouse altogether . My shop includes food and toiletries. Do you think $350 a month is reasonable?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Colette
$350 a month is reasonable if you are feeding a family. In Australia I've found Costco to be dearer on most things. Bi carb was the only really cheap item that stood out. Stockpiling the half price specials really helps to lower the food budget.
DeleteWendy,
DeleteAre you still able to feed your family for $250-300 a month? Does this include toiletries?
Thank you
Colette
Yes I do Colette. Some months I spend under $200 and other months I spend $260 - $270. At the moment I'm spending just over $100 because I stockpiled lots of basics for our Summer months. I used my grocery slush fund to stock up. Now the slush fund is being topped up with the leftover grocery money
DeleteI still budget for $270 a month no matter what. The $270 includes basic toiletries and cleaning ingredients but not makeup.
Thank you so much😊
DeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so good! What will you be making with the rhubarb?
XOXO
Vicky
I think I'll cook it up with a couple of apples then freeze for cobblers.
DeleteHi Wendy, The plums are a big blessing!
ReplyDeleteThis week I had a few set backs but it was still a good week saving wise. Lately I have found I get a lot done on weekends and that helps. Even if some days are less successful than others it all averages out!
I am looking forward to it being autumn. I love that time of year when the heat is past us! Have a good weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
I hope you find out what's biting you Annabel.
DeleteMelbourne has had a very mild Summer this year. do love Autumn for the beautiful gardening weather. It's a season to get everything ready for Winter.
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteWell you've had a wonderful week and doesn't the weather help.
Wow , your petrol is cheap over your way, we are nearly $1.30
The last few weeks have seen me cooking/baking lots of things and stocking up the freezer, Picking in the garden and cooking all meals from scratch.
Using tank water for the garden and in the washing machine, sewing and mending. I finished some craft projects like my Teddy bear, bean bag and art smock.
Also attended the card making day which saw me receiving lots of goodies and making Plum jam from the plums I received.
I received an order for 2 cards and have cleaned out my card making stash.
Have a great week,
maureen
Maureen, the mild weather does help to get things done. You should come on over to live in Narre wWrren. Everything is cheap here.
DeleteThis is a really nice blog, I adore any woman who can come out of the rubble to make something, I myself support my family, by remarketing products we buy from isellus@outlook.com, they sell goods at production value and we buy at an advantage and resell. They offer a wide range of products from iPhones to antiques. email and start making cash on the side.
ReplyDeleteThankyou Madaline.
DeleteVery much need to follow your example with avoiding cafes, great list Wendy & always so consistent
ReplyDeleteKaren, the cafes don't really appeal to me. I'm a tea drinker so I don't like paying $3+ for a teabag, water and a few drops of milk. Most bakery items sold in cafes are mass produced and to be honest with you - I can make better.
DeleteHi Wendy! How does donating bags of clothes or toys to savers work?!? Thanks
ReplyDeleteThey have a discount card. Every time you donate a bag of clothes etc, they stamp the card starting at 5% then going up to 10% 15% 20%. Then when you buy something you get a discount starting at 5%. It really encourages people to donate and buy.
DeleteHow lovely ... free rhubarb! Cobblers are so yummy and I've made an orange and rhubarb cake before too that is quite nice. On the frugal front this week, it was mainly petrol where we saved because the price here in Brisbane finally came down and I filled up and topped up at $1.19 per L. I also bought some milk powder this week to make our own yoghurt, fingers crossed it works out okay. I plan on making a plain yoghurt and swirling some jam through it. (That's if it works out!) Meg:)
ReplyDeleteMeg, I hope the yoghurt works well. Just make sure you use full cream powdered milk and follow the instructions.
DeleteMy week has seen me stretching my money. Because fuel is not cheap in Colac I only drove to Geelong and then caught the train to Melbourne for my specialist appointment saving fuel and the cost of parking as I can park for free at the railway station.
ReplyDeleteI packed my lunch and snacks rather than buying them.
Hopped off at Footscray and visited Savers and bought a dress for Caitlin to wear to her cousin's wedding for $10 saving at least over a hundred dollars.
I made some instant Latte mix instead of buying the sachets saving at least $10 as I already had the ingredients as I make hot chocolate mix for my girls. I will start taking a thermos of hot water with me when out and about saving me from buying coffee.
Cook meals at home and baked a few muffins.
Have a good week frugal peeps.
The dress you bought is beautiful Janine. Caitlin certainly looks happy in it.
DeleteHello from Arkansas, U.S.A. This week I ate all meals at home! Hooray! I carried snacks in a cooler while I was out running errands so I wouldn't be tempted to eat out. It's an easy way to have healthy snacks, so that is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteI'm especially proud that I saved on a plumbers fee by purchasing a toilet auger for less than $6 at Walmart, watching a you tube video, and unclogging our toilet by myself. A wash cloth was flushed by mistake.
Weather has been unseasonably warm lately. It was time to apply grub killer to our lawn. I take care of lawn care myself, so that is at least a $40 saving! Good exercise too.
Other money saving included freezing leftovers and eating the last of our turkey soup for lunch today.
On another note, I planted spinach and radishes in my little, square garden. The seedlings are just beginning to resemble plants. We hope to enjoy some organic spinach before the weather turns terribly hot and summer is upon us again.
Wishing your family a wonderful week.
-Ellie
Ellie, I'm sure your snacks were tasty too.
DeleteIs a toilet auger also known as a plunger ? If so, they are handy to have. When I'm cleaning people's homes I sometimes have to dig around in their bathroom cupboards to find one to unblock their sinks and showers. Well worth doing every now and then to keep the drains healthy.