As I'm writing this post I couldn't believe how quickly this week has gone. Then I look back at what we've done and realise we've been quite busy. We helped Jessica move over two days this week. On Monday Darren and I took a trip to the beach at sunset just to get out of the house . Restrictions were lifted and now we can travel up to 25 km from home. It was lovely to see something different.
On Thursday I took my Dad into the city for his specialist appointment. It was slightly unnerving to be back on the road travelling at 100 km an hour down the freeway. We also looked after Luka for a day and enjoyed his little antics around our home and backyard. I even started sorting and wrapping Christmas presents.
Here's what else we've been up to -
* Made up 2 large foaming hand wash bottles for our daughters to use in their homes. The shower gel I used came to us for free so it didn't cost me anything to make it up and will save the girls lots of money.
* Sold lots of hanging towels on Facebook. I have just a few left if anyone is interested.
* Ate freezer meals ( leftovers ) a few nights for dinner.
* Made butter twice this week using the free cream I'd frozen. I think I have about 15 bottles left to use.
* Gratefully received quite a few tomato plants from my Dad. He grows them from seed for his own veggie garden plus spares to give to family, friends and neighbours. With the lockdown restrictions he hasn't been able to give them away this year. I thought I'd help him out and take a few more for our own garden. In return I gave him a zucchini plant and some flower seedlings Darren has been growing
* Picked a couple of large broccoli heads from our garden. I've blanched and frozen them for future eating.
* Saved the shower warm up water, drink bottle water and washing machine rinse water. All of this has been reused around our home as needed.
* Refilled and diluted the dish washing liquid.
* Gratefully received lots of glass jars from my Mum and Dad. They are the perfect size for jam making and gift giving .
* Dried all the washing on the line and clothes horses. We even changed our wash days if the weather looked better at other times.
* Used card stock scraps to make greeting cards.
* Cleaned the kettle with citric acid. To some this might not seem like a money saving tip. You can buy kettle cleaning liquid or some people use vinegar ( which didn't work for me ). Citric acid costs just a few cents for each kettle clean and leaves it sparkling.
* Made shortbread biscuits for our afternoon teas. I also gifted some for a present and they were very well received.
* Fed the compost bin every couple of days with our kitchen scraps.
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| Broccoli ready to freeze |
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| From our garden |
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| Butter making |
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| Christmas present wrapping |
This week I have been vigilant about checking receipts. This save us nearly $60. Then I returned some items mum had wanted and then changed her mind. This saved another $70. Finally I am using everything to its maximum potential.
ReplyDeleteThis is very quirky. My son is working far from home and has found petrol to be much cheaper out there. so every second day or so he fills his car and has filled a jerry can as it costs $1.01 a litre for fuel which is about 45 cents litre cheaper. He then dumps the fuel into the car on his way home.
It is so lovely to read that you have managed to expand your horizons a little. Victorians have done it tough.
How I saved $$ this week:
ReplyDeleteThe local farm store had cases (24ct) of bottled water on sale. About $1.50 off. I got 2 to store in case of power outages. (Our well runs off electricity.)
Our local grocery had a $20 "Fill a bag"produce sale (Stuff a bag with select produce items.) I went yesterday and got 2 large heads of broccoli so I will be blanching at least one for the freezer. I also got 2 acorn squash, 2 pints of raspberries, 2-2lb bags of carrots, 1 pineapple, 6 pears, 2 punts of mushroooms. The raspberries were over $5 each. So with them & the $4 pineapple and the $3 mushrooms, the rest was "free."
The sale lasted just 2 days so I went back today but they were really picked over. But I still came home with more carrots, a butternut squash, more raspberries, 4 avocados and they added bananas, so 2 bunches. Not as great of a deal today but all items we will use and enjoy. The bagged salad, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers didn't look as fresh, so I left those. I have our home-grown potatoes, tomatoes and onions. I should have gotten celery but I knew I would be running out of refrigerator room as it was and I had some already.
I have started Christmas shopping for our teenaged granddaughters. I follow the 4 rules of gifting: Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. This works great for us to keep the spending down. All 8 grands have birthday from Nov-May.
Have a lovely weekend. (We are having our first COLD winter blast this weekend. I'd much rather have your spring temps.)
Kay, you’ve had a great week. Could you please give me ideas on what you’d buy for your teenaged granddaughters as I’m having trouble thinking of gifts for our two granddaughters. Many thanks, Lorraine 💁♀️
DeleteDear Wendy, That broccoli looks so good! Very nice to get tomato plants and jars from your Mum and Dad. You will put them all to good use I know. You did have a really big week. Glad you can get around more freely and got in a trip to the beach. With love Annabel.xxx
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I have done much money saving this week but I am happy to report our capsicum plants are doing well and we have loads of flowers on our tomato plants.
ReplyDeleteDuring the week we sat down as a family and took turns coming up with an evening meal for each night of the week for four weeks. They range from Nachos to a roast, from leftovers to breakfast for dinner. All going well I hope to have a child a night helping prep and cook dinner.
Yesterday I helped my daughter clean out her room (again!) but this time I have a full car boot of items - clothing, toys, books - to donate to charity. I am rather impressed with her being able to detatch emotionally from so many items. She does have a small crate of items going into storage for keepsake and a small amount of toys in her room. My next goal is to arrange a secondhand clock radio for her so she can start getting herself up for school.
My eldest cleaned out his room too with the goal of "Tidy Room, Tidy Mind" as he heads into yearly exams. He even cleaned his window sill!!
Our middle child is BORED today due to rain and don't we all know it. I plan on getting him out in the garden and pull out some plants that have bolted and clean out some bird cages.
Hubby and I have begun talking about what to buy the kids for Christmas from us and from Santa. At this stage there is talk about being away for Christmas but later today, over a GF lunch with friends, that decision will be made and that will help us with a gift giving decision.
We are also planning on sitting down today and going back over our finances as our outgoings seem to have slowly crept up this year. With both of us working, we don't seem to be as mindful with our money as we were when I was not working. Embarrassing really.
Go the Mighty Panthers!
Have a wonderful week Wendy.
Vicky
I rarely comment, but I just love your blog and look forward to it. Thank you for being so faithful in blogging and sharing your thrifty tips with us.
ReplyDeleteFrom Florida, USA---Jane
Lovely that you have finally been able to go for a drive a bit further afield and enjoy sunset at the beach, Wendy. I'm sure that felt wonderful after such difficult lockdown conditions. We've had beautiful rain and a hailstorm here over the weekend so our water tanks are full. Once full, my husband diverted the water from the tanks to the gardens under our verandahs so the plants there got a good drink too.
ReplyDeleteOther savings this week:
* made all meals and packed all lunches at home; took our own refillable water bottles to work and school
* made a double batch of chocolate and yoghurt cupcakes
* happily received a homemade cake from my wonderful mother-in-law; froze for future afternoon tea
* picked spring onion and first two little cucumbers from garden
* hung washing on racks inside and on line in garage during rainy weather
* made a new card from the picture off an old greeting card, some recycled paper and ribbon I already had
* picked two bunches of gardenias from our garden to bring inside
* mended yet another pair of my son's shorts
I have started xmas shopping with some book purchases at Big W. These were for books on my son's wish list. I have found a couple of gifts at op-shop (a book about raising chickens for a dear friend and a brand new lightweight cotton top for my Mum). I have lots of soap in my present box too which will make lovely gifts.
Have a lovely week. MegXx
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I needed to read right now! Your tips are super helpful and easy to apply.
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