* Sold 1 dozen eggs and one jar of jam to a cleaning client.
* Made a trip to the Dandenong Market and bought 4 bags of pita bread for $3. This is about 1/2 the price of supermarket pita bread.
* Made scones for last Sunday's afternoon tea I hosted. I served them with homemade jam and whipped cream. The rest of the scones went into the freezer for future occasions or morning teas at home.
* Bought a few roast beefs for $7.99 kg and mandarins for 69 cents a kilo..
* Added more stock to my blog shop. I now have handmade cards for sale with more to come shortly.
* Gratefully received a few glass jars from my SIL.
* Made a new type of card using supplies I had on hand.
* Gratefully received a parcel from Annabel in the post. It was just wonderful to open up the apple green colored goodies that brightened my day.
* Picked a bowlful of lemons from our tree.
* Made a batch of laundry powder. I then mixed it with the last box of supermarket laundry powder I bought in a bargain hamper.
* Jessica made more veggie soup for her lunches. She also made a lemon slice using our lemons.
* Cooked all meals from scratch. Darren and I did have afternoon tea out twice this week but we paid cash from our treat fund.
* Saved a few gift bags and ribbons from presents.
* Refilled the kitchen detergent bottle and diluted it by 50%.
* Made chicken stock in the slow cooker from a chicken Jessica bought last Sunday.
* Fed a few bread crusts and handfuls of grass to the chickens.
* Saved the washing machine rinse water as per usual. Dried some clothes on clothes horses. Dried some on coat hangers in the bathrooms ( ducted heating ) and the rest went into the dryer. To help offset the dryer costs, I kept the heater off for a few hours here and there.
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| Drying the umbrella but Princess had to use it too. |
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| Roast beef dinner. |
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| Chicken stock in the slow cooker |
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| Twist and Pop card for sale in my blog shop. |
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| Inside of the Twist and Pop |
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| Cogs and Gears Z Fold card for sale in my blog shop. |
Hi Wendy, Your new cards look lovely!! I find I achieve a lot more when I write a list too. I jot a quick list down each morning in an old exercise book. Here's my frugal list for the week:
ReplyDelete* filled up car at 99C per litre (with the 4c discount)
* used up lots of freezer meals I had when didn't feel like cooking
* started knitting a set of washcloths(for gifts)with yarn I already had
* planted some lettuce seedlings in garden
* made all hubby's work lunches with leftovers and what was on-hand.
* dried all our washing in the sun
* using hot water bottles to warm sheets at night
* had our main air-con unit deep cleaned so it runs more efficiently during Summer to come.
* took some cuttings of rose geranium I have growing in garden so that,
come Spring, I will have free plants to put into a new garden bed we
are making where our son's old sandpit used to be.
Have a lovely week, Wendy! Meg:)
Meg, that's such a great price for petrol. It's gone up to $1.29 in Melbourne.
DeleteI made my first batch of liquid laundry detergent this week, and have been using it to see how I like it.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know how you go.
DeleteThis has not been a thrifty week. We have moved to our vacation home while our house is for sale, but we've been back doing a little painting and yard work. We have mostly eaten take-out food for dinner because I don't want to mess up the kitchen, nor take the time to clean it thoroughly afterward. Gotta keep this place looking good! (And a home-cooked meal sounds divine).
ReplyDeleteI bought a clothes horse for the vacation home and used it once before we left. I estimate I will have to use it 75-80 times to break even...but that is less than two loads a week for a year. I could have put up a clothesline for le$$, but I wanted this for my next home, too.
I received in the mail two Lowe's 10% off cards because I changed my address. (Lowe's is a national home improvement chain of stores). I'm saving one for when we buy a screen/storm door and sent the other to a friend, who is replacing her front door. (She would do the same for me).
Now I have to tell you about my son. He and his fiance live in a very ritzy resort area. They are planning their September wedding. Their landlord also manages a special events venue with a minimum charge of $2,500, and up to $8,000, just for the location. He is allowing them to be married there and to have an outdoor reception at no charge. Plus, my son asked if they could rent or borrow tables and chairs, and he graciously offered them at no charge...and even threw in the tablecloths! Friends of theirs offered the loan of (Christmas) twinkle lights, and another friend will flip the burgers at the reception barbecue. Fiance bought a dress on clearance for $250...and the list goes on. Since I know my son has not had a frugal bone in his body, I must give credit where it is due, to his lovely future wife. BTW, this is a first marriage for both and he is 39 and she is 44. Ain't love wonderful???
Maxine
How exciting for your son and future DIL. So many blessings coming their way for the wedding. Quite often people will give a service or help with the wedding instead of a gift.
DeleteI've heard of people buying table decorations etc on Ebay for bargain prices then selling the items after the wedding. Some even make money.
Hi Wendy, what does SIL mean? Cheers Julee.
ReplyDeleteSister inlaw
DeleteI have had to return to work full time recently and am not able to do as many frugal tasks as I would like. I am now the breadwinner as my husband has retired. does not mean I've not kept up my frugal ways, I just can't do as much sewing, preserving and gardening as before. I still menu plan, Moo, and cook from scratch and I am trying to save for a newer car. My workmates call me 'stingy' because I don't buy coffee or lunch. Last weekend I preserved olives from our garden. I also made some saddle dressing for his saddles etc. using some of our beeswax (we have bees). Yesterday I did the monthly Aldi shop, with a list of course. Tonight we are having roast chicken and veges. For dessert are having your muesli slice which I reheat in the microwave and have homemade custard with it - delicious!
DeleteSorry Wendy, I forgot to put my name to the last post. Cheers, Julee.
DeleteJulee, don't worry about those who knock your frugal ways. Being frugal often highlights others shortcomings. You know you are doing the right thing and being wise with what you have. In the long run you'll be far better off. I'll direct you to a post I wrote almost two years ago when people thought wrongly of my family.
Deletehttp://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/we-are-not-poor.html
Thanks Wendy and Sonia for your support. I do get a kick when I look at our growing account that we have started to buy a new car. I do have have to laugh (in my head) as my workmates always check out what I have for lunch. Quite often it is leftovers, homemade yoghurt with home preserved passion fruit, homemade muffin and fruit. Yum! Cheers, Julee
DeleteHi Wendy, What a great week you had.
ReplyDeleteI do love your cards.
We did our groceries this week using a coles gift card i earnt from doing some market research. Was nice not to have to touch the grocery funds. Used the line to dry most of the clothes and used blankets on the couch at night to save on the heater being on.
Our house is so cold and then come summer it is very hot. We are thinking about putting in Air Conditioning as last summer was too hot. Come Christmas i will be 8 months pregnant so i think it will be needed. Will just have to cut some costs to pay for it. I also babysat on Friday and Saturday night which was great for some extra money.
I know i have asked you about it before but any tips you can provide going from two down to one income would be great. Any must dos before the bub arrives i.e stock the freezer with food etc. I still have 6 months so am trying to save as much as i can however feeling a little anxious to be living off just my partners income. Still plenty of people do it.
Thanks Wendy, have a lovely week.
Samantha
Hi Samantha. Please keep in mind that air conditioning costs a lot of money to run. Also you can't cool the whole house at once, only areas. We have evap cooling and didn't notice much of a difference in our Summer electricity bill. Systems cost between $3000 and $5000
DeleteWe have always live on less than one income ( in total ). I stopped full time work about 3 months before Jessica was born. I didn't go out unless it was for groceries or baby shopping.
The trick is to start living on the one income now. Depending on your partner's income, you might get a family payment from Centrelink. Have a look on heir website to get an idea of how much you could get. Add this amount to your partner's income and live on only that. Bank the rest into an online savings account lie ING or similar. It should be an account that is a little hard to access so you don't spend it easily.
Rewrite your family budget for the new amount cutting here and there as needed. You'll be too busy to go out often, coffees and cake , magazines etc. Only you know what you spend your money on. If you start with a bare bones budget, live on that for a month or two and see how you go . Adjust where you need to.
Stock the freezer with ready made meals in single and double serves. There might be times when your partner is out and you need to eat. Stockpile heavy items like tins, flour, sugar etc and toiletries. Going shopping with a baby can be challenging. I didn't like using the trolley for a newborn so I had to fit the items under the pram ( which was big )
Babies don't need all the whiz bang fancy gizmos that magazines and other Mums tell you you must have. My Mum and I made all the bedding for the cradle and cot. Sheeting in Spotlight is quite cheap. I used cloth nappies for home and disposables for going out.
If anyone offers to pass on secondhand baby clothes, please accept them
Dear Wendy, that's a great week. Your cards are eye-poppingly good! I love that your daughters are involved in your frugal tasks as well. My own daughter is the same. It's a good feeling to be passing on that knowledge, isn't it. Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteYes I'm very glad my girls can be frugal ( at times ). They like to look for a bargain. Megan loves to get her work clothes from Savers.
Delete