Here's what else I got up to this week -
* Fed the compost bin with kitchen scraps.
* I went into Savers op shop to donate a bag of bits and pieces. Instead of being given a discount stamp on my card, I was given a 50% off storewide voucher. So I made the most of the offer and bought four pairs of jeans, three tops, a jacket coat, three gifts and some bowls for my kitchen ( the same as I already have ). I paid a grand total of $47. The jeans were new or near new and well known expensive brands. Two of them retail for $120. The jacket was near new and also a well known expensive brand that retails for $270. YEP !!! I'm happy !!!
* Filled up my car with petrol at $1.17 per litre.
* Collected more feijoas from our tree.
* Reused and washed a snaplock bag. Reused bread bags, freezer bags and shopping bags as bin liners and to store food in the freezer.
* Found a few meat bargains in the supermarket. I even found salmon at 50% off. This will be a treat for Darren and I when the girls are not home for dinner.
* Baked lots of pita chips.
* Gratefully received a jar of olives, a bottle of soft drink and some chocolates from our ANZAC day lunch visitors.
* Sold a card in my Etsy shop last week.
* The family all ate leftovers for dinner the day after ANZAC day.
* Sold one dozen eggs.
* Did the usual water saving tasks around the home.
* We had the showers recaulked this week. So for the last few days we've been having baths with a little shower hose attachment. I think we've saved some water by doing this.
* Kept the heater off as much as possible. I've made sure the curtains are open when the sun is streaming through the glass ( free heat ).
* Made two batches of double strength Miracle Spray. I wouldn't want to run out.
* Saved a box and ribbon from an item Jessica bought. I've cut up the box and will use the patterned cardboard to make a couple of men's cards.
* Picked lettuce from the garden and used the last of our tomatoes to make a salad that fed us for two meals.
* Baked ANZAC biscuits for ANZAC day. I doubled the recipe and froze the rest of the dough to bake at another time.
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| Homemade chunky chicken soup. |
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| ANZAC biscuits |
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| I'm still enjoying the feijoas. |
You've had a good week Wendy.
ReplyDeleteI can always remember Nan saving everything. She would even wash and reuse gladwrap. I always remember her buying items in bulk when they were on sale too. She walked to and from the shops as well with her jeep. I have fond memories of standing in her jeep whilst she pushed me along on the way to the shops. So much I should have asked her back then.
I started a new compost bin with chicken manure and bits of their bedding. I've also double cooked meals for the freezer. Had the kids home yesterday so gave them a cooked lunch to fill them up on good food and food which leaves them fuller for longer. Rode my bike as much as I could in order to leave the car at home. Plus my everyday frugal ways.
Enjoy your weekend.
Kylie
My grandma had a jeep and would give me rides in it too. She recycled before it was trendy.
DeleteI noticed our local fruit and veg shop had great specials this week, I snapped up potato's at 79c/kg, onions at 99c/kg and apples at 1.79/kg. I will menu plan around these items next week, I had to grab them while I could!
ReplyDeleteI bought a second hand dryer in excellent working condition this week for $80. I haven't owned one for a few years, but I have needed it at times, so when I spotted it I couldn't resist. I still hang clothes inside in wet weather to dry, but they always feel damp, I will use the dryer for 20mins or so to finish drying them.
All meals cooked from scratch, all lunches taken to work.
Great price on the dryer Cheryl. They do come in handy at times.
DeleteBy double strength MS, do you put twice the ingredients in the normal amount of water?
ReplyDeleteYes that's right Joolz.
DeleteI picked up my first day of sub teaching since my husband got sick midway through last year. I finally feel he is OK to leave on his own. We have been living on his part pension for all of that time. A few days of teaching a week will allow a little movement in the budget, especially as rates will be due soon.
ReplyDeleteI made a delicious, rich chicken stock out of bones collected from various chicken meals and frozen. I put half into a ziplock bag and reached for the sharpie to write on the bag. I obviously didn't zip it closed properly as the stock ended up all over the kitchen floor. Note to self, check, check, check that the ziplock is closed properly. We still have half but this is not lessening my disappointment.
Jane it is good to read that Bluey has improved so much.
DeleteI'm so glad you are able to work again Jane.
DeleteGreetings from northern Idaho USA, Wendy. I've had a good week, too. Unfortunately, I was ill for 4 days, so I couldn't go anywhere and spend anything! (always a silver lining, LOL).
ReplyDeleteOther than the usual frugal stuff, this is some of what I did:
1. Listed and sold a used washing machine for $100. This was left behind in a rental we once owned.
2. Returned a "universal fit" plumbing item that didn't fit, LOL. Refund: $12.71.
3. Dug up a dwarf bridal wreath spirea and sawed it in half to make two bushes. Dug up a fancy heuchera (coral bells with burgundy leaves) and divided into 7 pieces. Nothing beats free plants.
4. Made a batch of Miracle Spray. I keep giving it away and turning on my friends and relatives. A friend told me that after using it, she stopped having sugar ants in her kitchen. We think it's the eucalyptus oil.
5. Decided (for several reasons, not just $$$) not to go to a charity auction, barn dance with live music and prime rib dinner. Saved $110 by not buying 3 tickets as usual.
It occurs to me I have only used one or two Zip-Loc bags since before Christmas. I am mostly reusing bread bags for the refrigerator and freezer and grocery sacks to line waste baskets.
I hope you are feeling better Maxine. I agree about the silver lining too. Great saving on the auction too.
DeleteI have been picking up curling ribbon (and the burst balloons tied to the ends) on my beach walks the past few years, Wendy. I bring it home, wash it off and reuse it on gifts. At our place this past week:
ReplyDelete* filled up car at $1.08 per L (with 4c off supermarket discount)
Was very happy I did this as next day it was over $1.30c per L!!
* got $20 off with loyalty card at little butcher/organic grocery so
stocked up on some bulk items (whole almonds, spelt flour etc.)
* using some homegrown fruit/veg in meals & for snacks (baby spinach,
lettuce, mandarins, basil etc.)
* made my own almond meal and breadcrumbs (from crusts) in processor
* friend gave us a lovely bunch of their homegrown bananas
* used gift cards for hardware shop to help buy a little mulcher to make some of our own mulch for garden.
Have a lovely weekend.
Meg:)
If frugality were a contest--and it isn't--you would surely win for picking up curling ribbon on the beach, washing it and reusing it. You go, girl!
DeleteAgreed Maxine.
DeleteI started doing it because I couldn't stand the thought of the ribbon winding around turtle's flippers or sea birds wings or the scrappy burst rubber of balloons ending up in the digestive tracts of sea creatures where it's not meant to be. Meg:)
DeleteI emptied out the compost from one of my tumbling compost bins and have been using that in the garden. Added food scraps to the other tumbling compost bin. I have been watering my snowpea seedlings, lettuce, silverbeet and beetroot. Planted some more lettuce seedlings. Created a perennial 'onion' bed planted with spring onion, society garlic and chives. Weeded around the lemon and mandarin trees. Did lots of weeding in the ornamental gardens. Did my CPR refresher and had my flu injection. Found a vet for our new puppies. Spent Anzac day afternoon with friends and neighbours. Found $100 on the ground in the shopping centre in the city and when I handed it in to centre management was given four free coffee cards in appreciation which was nice. They mustn't give the cards out very often because the staff at the Coffee Club had never seen the cards before. I have also been spending time unpacking and rearranging.
ReplyDeleteFree coffee is a wonderful reward Sherri.
DeleteWhat a great week you have had Wendy. We stuck to mostly leftovers this week and i drove my partners work car on the weekend to run some errands as his company pays the petrol and tolls. This save us petrol in our personal car. I also baked your choc chip muffins for Anzac day and did 1/2 hour market research in exchange for a $50 coles myer voucher which will be used for groceries.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask can you use the Miracle Spray for wiping down ceaserstone benchtops and the kitchen table etc or will it streak?
Thank you have a wonderful week,
Samm
I use Miracle Spray on my stone benchtop. Just don't use too much and also use a microfiber cloth. Sometimes it streaks and sometimes it doesn't. Please don't use on any timber.
DeleteI really must make these pita chips. They sound like a great snack for the children to take to school.Thanks Wendy.
ReplyDelete