Saturday 22 October 2016

This Week's Frugal Tasks 22nd October 2016

I really didn't think I'd have much of a frugal list to share with you this week.  Time gets away from me and being frugal  has become second nature.  I don't feel like I'm doing anything special but our grocery bill,  household bills and bank balance tell me otherwise.  Being grateful for the blessings that come our way also forms part of our frugal lifestyle.  Here's what I got up to this week -

* Refilled and diluted the girls conditioner bottle.

*  Saved the shower warm up water to water our pot plants.

*  Picked silverbeet from the garden for a few meals.  It just keeps growing.

*  Juiced and froze more lemon juice.

*  Gratefully received some jars from family.

*  Gratefully received some groceries from a friend.

*  Gratefully received  card making supplies at the Crafty Mums Co op card making day.

*  Cooked all our meals from scratch. This included chunky chicken and veg soup using a frozen chicken carcass from a catering job back in May ( that job just keeps on giving.  Only 8+ carcasses to go )

*  Froze two single serves of leftovers.

*  Kept the heater off for a couple of days.

*  Avoided using the dryer all week.  The clotheshorses have been given a good work out with all the rain.

*  Saved a few pretty envelopes from my birthday cards.

*  Gave a few presents this week using items I already had on the present shelf and cards I'd made..

*  Gratefully received lots of patterned paper pads from a friend for card making. 

*  Gratefully received a recycled gift bag full of recycled ribbons

*  Sold a  few items in my Etsy store.  This was very exciting because it's my first order.

*  Saved the washing machine water for each next load.

*  Planted the lettuce seedlings I bought from the Masters hardware sale a couple of weeks ago. 

*  Gratefully received a couple of tops from Megan when she was cleaning out her wardrobe.

* Started buying my Summer wardrobe at the op shop and Kmart.  Darren,  Megan and myself get $150 each twice a year to buy our clothes,  coats,  bathers and shoes.  Being on a tight budget means we look for the best deals and only buy what we need.  Jessica now buys her own clothes because she works full time.

*  Saved a couple of envelopes for card making.

*  Got back into the habit of turning off the girl's power points when they are at school and work.

*  Fed the chickens lots of grass and weeds.

*  Sold five dozen eggs to friends.

* Dug up another 4 raspberry plants ( seedlings ) from our garden to give as presents ( if they grow ).

*  Sold a jar of relish to a friend.

 
Honey soy drumsticks cooking.
Chunky chicken and veg soup.
My Etsy Shop
Selling in my Etsy shop
Hand towels in my Etsy shop

In the garden.
What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

8 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy. Those honey soy drumsticks look good! Living frugal does become second nature and I forget half the things I do during the week! here's what we got up to:
    *Been cutting face wipes in half and making a packet last twice the distance
    * bought a roast chicken from woolies for $3.50 which was great for work lunches and dinners
    * Made all our dinners from scratch
    * Took lunches from home
    * Haven't used the dryer at all this week
    * diluted fabric softener
    * Bought branded 2L milk for $1.40, it had 4 days before expiry.
    * Bought pork mince half price
    * Only put the needed amount of water in the kettle before turning it on.
    * The longer days mean we are using lights in the house for a much shorter time.

    I've discovered that I've been spoiling my little one with home cooked meals. The only time we went out for dinner and she was underwhelmed with what she was given and just cried. There is nothing like home-made!

    Amy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy, that's a great price for a cooked chicken. Well done.

      Have you thought about filling your kettle in the morning, boiling it then filling up a thermos ? The water stays hot for hours.

      Delete

  2. We returned from our holiday rather broke! So I set about feeding us for the past 2 weeks on pantry staples and freezer supplies. I still had to buy milk, bread, fruit and some veggies, but on balance it has helped me to get back on track financially.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great job on feeding your family out of the freezer etc. I'm sure it saved you some money and made you feel a little better.

      Delete
  3. Greetings from northern Idaho, where it has rained all week. Very good to have a good soak going into winter.

    Being frugal is also second nature to me--I've had 7 decades of practice. Here are a couple of things I did this week to save money:

    (1) I didn't want to cook one night. Instead of going out or trying to throw together a simple meal, I opened the refrigerator and told them to graze. Nobody complained--everyone found something they wanted.

    (2) Last week I reported that we received a pirate costume as a gift. My daughter, who is 40 and developmentally disabled, didn't want to be a pirate. The costume included a red cape. She went to the dance last night as Little Red Riding Hood, wearing my red hoodie underneath the cape and Mary Jane shoes. I used wide ribbon to make a handle for a rectangular basket we had. I avoided opening a new package of ribbon by sewing two scraps together.

    (3) I needed two sympathy cards. I made myself go through my stash of cards and found one that was appropriate. I got the other at the dollar store for...$1. These cards were both $4 quality.

    (4) We have been cleaning the garage, off and on, for about a week. It's not a particularly frugal activity except for all of the stuff you find that you thought was lost!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maxine, I love the idea of letting the family graze. We do that Sunday night after me cooking all the meals during the week.

      I'm glad your daughter was happy with the costume in the end.

      Delete
  4. Hi Wendy, I love reading about your frugal weeks it makes me think aboit what I have been up to, my frugal week was small but it all counts, dried all the washing on the clothes horses, spent $2 on 3 raffle tickets this was out of the ordinary and won $50 voucher at the local butcher which was a lovely surprise, made all meals and took leftovers for lunches to work have only bought milk bread and fruit and vegies as needed for over a mth now, watered pot plants with the dregs in our water bottles,continue to take my home made coffee in my travel mug each day to work. Enjoy your week
    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wendy, It's always encouraging to read your frugal tasks posts. Your ornaments and hand towels are so pretty! This week I continued to build up my freezer and pantry with super-sale chicken drumsticks and dry goods. I also worked on some Christmas gifts and started new knitting project. Have a lovely week!
    Blessings, Leigh

    ReplyDelete

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