Saturday 17 September 2016

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 17th September 2016

My frugal  list is not it's usual length this week.  I spent a fair bit of time this week crafting and watching tv.  I even watched the midday movie which is unheard of for me.  Thankyou for all your well wishes and prayers through my facebook pages, texts and the blog. I'm blessed to count you as thoughtful friends.   The doctor said I have a flu like illness but I'm now on medication and getting better.  God blessed me with a fairly quiet week to start recovering.

Here's what I got up to this week -

*  Picked silverbeet from the garden to eat with as many meals as possible.  I needed all the vitamins in my body.

*  Stayed away from the shops for most of the week.  I sent Darren up to get potatoes.  That was it.

*  One of our chickens started laying little eggs this week.  It certainly was the highlight of my week and made me feel happy.

*  Used a few lemons from our tree to make a lemon and honey drink.  This helped to stop my coughing.

*  Dried most of the washing on clotheshorses over ducted heating vents. 

*  Put the pot plants out in the rain for a free drink.  I also fed the fruit trees with Powerfeed.

*  Used what I had on hand to make more greeting cards.  Making the cards became my happy place when I didn't have the energy to do anything else.  Sitting on a soft couch crafting away is a rarity for me.  This was probably the only upside to being unwell.

*  Gratefully received two bottles of conditioner and one bottle of Argon oil ( for hair ) from some friends.

*  Found a pair of shoes at Savers for a wedding I'm going to next week.

*  Made a big pot of chunky chicken and vegetable soup.  It really is food for the body and soul.

*  Made 9 dress cards  and a handful of men's cards to sell

In our backyard
The raspberry plants are coming to life
Lots of silverbeet to eat
Color in the garden
Little eggs
Greeting card
What was on your frugal list for this week ?    

24 comments:

  1. Wendy, I've had lots of fun ànd inspiration from the many youtube tutoriàls on using up scrap bits and bobs to make card embelishments. Thought of you. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Thanks for your blog I really enjoy it

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    Replies
    1. I'll have to do some research on youtube I think. Thankyou for your kind words.

      Delete
  2. Hi Wendy,
    Good to hear that you are feeling better. The eggs look so good. I can understand them making you feel happy. Cheers, Jo

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  3. Wendy, so sorry you have been sick, we've been fighting a virus most of the week ourselves. I love your dress cards, glad you are able to work on your cards while you are recovering. Please take care of yourself.

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  4. This week I bartered my eggs for some lovely home-grown fennel. I also spent last weekend with my SIL who is very savvy and can make a penny scream for mercy.....very encouraging. We would both get up early, brew us a coffee and an egg on toast and chat 'all thing frugal' for about and hour over breakfast.

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    1. Frugal chats are awesome Phil. Much better than moaning about debts and money troubles. I look forward to reading everything you learnt.

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  5. Hi Wendy so glad you are resting as much as possible. Our bodies do tell us we need to slow down, as in when we become unwell. I really feel rest is the no.1 way we help ourselves recover. What a happy way to be productive while you are sick- card making!! A silver lining for sure! I love your dress cards - is there a pattern somewhere that I could access for the dress? Get well soon, best wishes Lorraine

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    1. The dress card pattern was from a website I think. A friend found it but I don't know where. Might be worth Googling.

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  6. Hi Wendy, so glad you are feeling better, poor girl. Rest is best
    This weeks frugal achievements are
    Watered the figs and agave out the front with the warm up water from the showers
    Made a batch of passionfruit butter from home grown passionfruit
    Made a loaf of sourdough bread and fruit and spice sourdough from home made sourdough starter
    Line dried all the washing
    Made a batch of healthy 5 ingredient muesli bars for the week ahead
    Worked on a baby patchwork quilt to give as a gift
    Made my lunch everyday to take to work
    Made another batch of laundry liquid
    Fed all our fruit and vegie scraps to the worm farm
    Cut down a 100 % organic cotton shirt ( bought at an op shop for $2.50) to make beeswax wraps
    Cleaned the house with home made cleaners
    Only turned on the dishwasher when it was full as a boot
    Waited until there was enough "light" clothes for the "white" load of washing
    Got to bed early every night to have a good nights sleep
    Finally did my tax on line

    I hope you have a lovely weekend and a better week next week, health wise.
    Fi


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    1. Thanks Fiona. I'm getting better. You had a fantastic week money wise.

      Delete
  7. Hi Wendy, I left you a comment last night but it vanished! Good that you are feeling ...eggs and spinach. Yum. Cheers Jo

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    1. Thankyou Jo, Unfortunately I didn't see the other comment.

      Delete
  8. I was blessed with a dehydrator from a nursing colleague. Worked an extra 5 hours. Made a money tree for my niece and her fiance. Had all the bits to make it so it only cost me the 10 $5 notes that I attached to it. We had a lovely time at the party. Dried the clothes over ducted heating.
    So glad you are on the improve.

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    1. A dehydrator is a blessing indeed.

      Thankyou Janine.

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  9. Busy week for Maxine in northern Idaho, USA:

    (1) I canned 11 quarts of pears and have another 6 or 7 to go.

    (2) Picked most of the apples and cleaned up windfalls underneath the trees. The windfalls have been taken over by the yellowjackets (you might call them wasps or hornets) and I got a really bad sting to go with the one I got last week. I plan to can applesauce and freeze apples for pies and crisps.

    (3) Gave away all of the remaining pears and am getting rid of apples as quickly as possible. One couple is canning for themselves, and feeding fresh fruit to their chickens (which they also call chooks).

    (4) Stopped up the main drain. The kitchen was jammed with dirty dishes and canning supplies when it happened. It was going to cost $275 minimum to get it cleared, and the only plumber with a 75 ft. snake was booked for more than two days. I cleared the drain myself with water pressure, and it went very well (doesn't always). Unfortunately, I had to cut out the plastic pipes underneath the sink to get to the cleanout. DH replaced them for about $10 worth of parts.

    (5) We have not irrigated the grass for 4 days.

    (6) I have been reading The Zero Waste Home. I have no illusions that I will ever get to Zero Waste, but I've picked up some good ideas that I can do.

    (7) I have frozen a lot of meat in the past week and have managed to wrap it all in bread sacks and produce bags.

    (8) Gratefully received 7 quart canning jars from a friend who dropped by for apples and pears. This was the year I sold my jars because "I'm probably never going to can again." Yeah, right.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It sounds like you've been very busy Maxine. Canning / bottling and jam making can be a busy season but worth it in the end.

      It might be worth putting bi carb, vinegar and a kettleful of boiling water down the kitchen sink drain every now and then. It helps to keep things clear.

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  10. Hi Wendy,

    So glad you are on the mend. So eggciting your chickens are starting to lay.

    I didn't post last week as i was busy with the invitations order i had to get done so here's the last 2 weeks:
    I cleaned the kitchen drains with boiling water, bi carb and vinegar, charged my mobile phone whilst in my car, made cards and cut my fringe and hair a little.

    Ds2 had a party to go to so he used a present from the present box and a handmade card. I also gave a present which was homemade Lemon butter, Wendy's washing powder and a handmade card.

    I mooed pumpkin scones, sponge, bread, ANZAC biscuits, choc chip biscuits, muesli slice, lemon butter and chunky chicken and corn soup. I made a roast lamb on farhers day which did us for 4 meals. I also did a cornbeef which made several meals.

    We were blessed to be given bread, rolls and cake and tickets to see 'We will rock you' which we saw last week.

    Have a great week, xxx
    Maureen

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    1. Maureen, you can tell you have men in your home. You do so much baking for them. I'm sure they enjoy it far better than supermarket food.

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  11. Hi Wendy. Your cards and flowers look very pretty! This week was really busy but I still managed to do some frugal things that I was happy with.

    I borrowed most of what my son needed for his school concert costume and bought rest of what was required at an op shop.
    Picking cherry tomatoes from garden and lots of baby lettuce leaves. Plus little florets of broccoli still emerging so eating those too.
    Friend gifted me some mulberries from tree in her garden. Delicious!
    Separated clump of day lilies given to me by mother in law and planted them out. Free flowers!
    Baked chocolate chip cookies for family afternoon tea. Froze some too.
    Filled my car with fuel at cheapest price I could find.
    Reorganised my freezer than made meal plan for week based on what I have in there so very little meat purchased.
    Put together a gift for birthday party my son has been invited to from what was already in my present box. No extra shopping required.

    I hope you feel better soon and have much more energy in coming week.
    Meg


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    1. Free flowers are awesome Meg. We try to take cuttings off our plants to fill in the gaps.

      Thankyou Meg. I'm getting better each day.

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  12. Hi from the UK
    The weather here this week has been in the 30s too hot to do alot but it has now dropped to 16C but still only about 1/2 inch of rain and none forcast for this week.
    This week I made 2 fruit cakes 2 almond cakes, and 2 loaves of bread all shared the oven with a joint of bacon. I have also made probably the last lot of dill pickle.
    I picked and dehydrated corgettes and beans.
    I have made 2 lots of ice cream 1 choc and 1 vanilla from yellow sticker cream ( 1/2 price)
    After many weeks of not knitting I have at last picked up all the stitches for the button band of my cardi, now I just have to finish it.
    I have draft proofed the stable door in my kitchen ready for winter
    I am awaiting the tiler to give me a price to retile the kitchen as the 40 year old ones are falling off.
    I have started to clear the greenhouse I freecycled the staging and donated some pots ready for it to be dismantled and started to clear the garden for winter.
    I have spent some hours putting together a family tree for my grandaughters home work, the teacher is demanding dates and places for births and marriages of living people which she is not getting, this is private data
    I hope your health continues to improve.
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm on the mend thanks Chris.

      30 degree temps are mild for Australia. In mid Summer we get into the 40's. Not nice and it's hard to do much except throw a salad together.

      You always have a great list Chris. I'm sure you feel great satisfaction.

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