Each week my goal is to complete 2 frugal tasks each day with a total of 14 by the time Saturday comes around. My week started really well and I was on track for a record amount of frugal tasks. Then I woke up with a really sore throat and the rest of the week was spent resting when I wasn't at work. Oh well, I had good intentions.
Here's what I did complete earlier in the week -
* Picked, blanched and froze three heads of broccoli from our garden.
* We've started using loose leaf tea in our cuppas. Although we still have about 2 years worth of tea bags, loose leaf tea works out cheaper than the teabags.
* Donated a couple of bags of unwanted items to Savers and received 2 x 20% discount vouchers.
* Refilled the dishwashing liquid pump bottle and diluted it by 30%.
* Refilled the foaming hand wash pumps with homemade liquid ( diluted shower gel ). Mostly we are trying to use up our bars of soap stash but the main bathroom ( guest bathroom ) has a pump bottle.
* Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness. I've found a way to fit all four bread tins into one oven which is saving 1/2 an hour of electricity. After 12 years of using two ovens, this was a lightbulb moment. I guess we never stop learning new ways to do things.
* Darren desperately needed a new pair of jeans for work and volunteering because he's lost so much weight. Thankfully he was able to get a decent pair from Savers and used a 20% off discount voucher.
* Defrosted and iced a small whole orange cake from the freezer when we had a visitor over one night. Having baking in the freezer is such a time and money saver.
* Saved water where possible, kept light off and turned the heater off when the Sun was shining.
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| Sharing a pot of tea. |
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| Picking bonus broccoli florets |
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| Penstemon flowers in our garden. |
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| One of our potato plants growing. |
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| We still have some flowers in our Winter garden |
I had a fun few minutes chasing down petrol. Fuel went up by 43 cents a litre while we were out. Eventually we found some a few kilometres down the road. Will filled a jerry can so my car could be filled too. Since it costs over $100 to fill Wills car at the lower price it was huge saving for him. I shopped with Will which meant I saved a lot of time and money. It was lovely to have my boy home as he happily helps me with heavy jobs. Since I am the man of the house I really appreciate that. I am working hard at reducing the over filled freezer.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
The flowers in your Winter garden are lovely, Wendy. In our garden, there are self-seeded zinnias blooming in different colours. These have sprung up from seeds of flowers I grew in Summer. Free plants! It's rainy and cold here in Brisbane today, and even if we weren't in lockdown, we'd be staying home where it's warm and dry anyway. Here's my list of frugal things of late:
ReplyDelete* using ingredients in pantry, fridge, freezer and garden to cook meals and snacks
* meals have included lasagne, soup, honey & soy chicken, fried rice, mini sausage rolls and chicken pie
* used 500g chicken mince, which I bought heavily discounted, to make mini sausage rolls and filling for chicken pie. Used frozen veg in pie too. Able to freeze half dozen extra sausage rolls and half of chicken pie for future meals
* added silverbeet, spring onion and herbs from our garden into meals
* planted out two pots of salvias, which I grew from cuttings, into my garden.
* borrowed library books for myself and my son to read over school holidays
* put together a little gift for my lovely neighbour with things from my gift box
* saved wrapping, cellophane and ribbons from flowers I received for my birthday
* unravelled beginnings of a wrap I started knitting years ago (and will realistically never finish) so that I can use beautiful yarn in a scarf for a friend who's birthday is coming up in August.
Although the weather is rainy and cold, we have rugged up in extra layers and haven't used heating. We've been going to bed early and reading under the covers where it's warm and toasty.
Stay warm and have a lovely weekend!
Meg
I planted six sweet potatoes from last years crop that had started to sprout. Also made and froze 12 tubs of tomato sauce made with tomatoes, onion and garlic from the garden.
ReplyDeleteWe are currently halfway through our fortnight lockdown here in Sydney. With that, it has made life easier not to go out and spent will-nilly. I confessed to my better hald over the weekend that I am a spender. He already knew that but the guilt that has been lifted from my shoulders has been incredible. Not quite a dirt little secret but a reality check for myself.
ReplyDeleteDuring the past week I have dried clothes in our gorgeous sunshine, shopped from the pantry and freezer first and only purchased items we really need. We have been making our own bread and my husband used wholemeal flour on a basic white setting in the bread maker and it turned out perfect. So now that's the setting and the flour we will continue to use.
My car is running around with the petrol light on (not running around but those errands for essentials) and I refuse to buy any until pay day. Our other car has almost a full tank so we are not stuck should we really need to go out.
I have listed loads of items on Marketplace as well as beginning to stock up for a trip to a local charity shop.
Our kitchen sink tap broke and thankfully Hubby is very talented. We nipped to Bunnings and purchased a new one which he fitted himself.
We won't be using the oven tonight so I am going to mix up a MOO oven cleaner I found on Cheapskates and give the oven a really good clean. I am thinking it might need a second cleaning as it is shocking!
I used the kids three Get Creative vouchers from the Govt and purchased them some art and craft activities. We normally go away each holiday camping so we are all a little shell shocked at being kept at home. These craft activities should help keep them from underfoot!
We picked up our three free trees as part of a green up Australia campaign and have finally decoded where to plant them for maximum effect. One will be for looks and the other two will be part of a native border hedge between us and the neighbours. We will need to purchase maybe another two or three plants.
I had a sleep over in my daughter's room last night. We watched Smurfs and ate snacks that she had baked.She is missing her friends and the sleep overs that were planned.
A few weeks ago we replanted our strawberry plants and they have started to flower. They must be very happy in their new homes.
I purchased a new doona cover last week at Spotlight for 40% off and yesterday after Bunnings, Hubby and I snuck into Spotlight to buy some car upholstery for his project in the four wheel drive. It was also 40% off!!
I know there are loads more but my cuppa is calling me. Speaking of which, loose leaf tea tastes so much nicer and I like the brewing process. Feels more organic than jiggling a plastic infused teabag.
Vicky
What is the ratio you use to fill your foaming soap dispensers with shower gel? I have some gel I don't like to use in the shower but it would be fine in Dh's bath as hand soap. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteOne part gel to four parts water.
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