Some weeks are not as thrifty as others. It's not because I'm lazy or can't be bothered, it's because all the thrifty tasks are up to date and there's nothing left to do.
I write down all my thrifty tasks as I complete them. This week I got to Thursday and my list had 4 tasks written down. Other weeks, I'm a powerhouse on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with an impressive list to share. Oh well, it all balances out in the end.
I will say that this week I had a few weak moments. I'll confess that I did use my clothes dryer to dry a few loads of washing. On those days I was so busy and tired that throwing just about everything into the dryer was the easiest option. Also, the really cold weather played havoc with my hands and I couldn't face using clothes pegs on the clothes horses.
Here's my smaller thrifty list for the week -
* Fed the compost bin with kitchen scraps. Come Spring time Darren will be emptying the compost bins onto our veggie garden. We haven't bought compost or garden soil in many, many years.
* Fed bread crusts, grass and weeds to the chickens.
* Made another batch of soap. This batch is a men's one that smells like Cool Water Aftershave. Darren loves the fragrance and even Megan said she'd use it.
* Gratefully received a bunch of flowers and some lemons from a cleaning client. She's also a long time blog reader.
* Saved the washing machine rinse water and shower warm up water.
* Dried some washing on the line when we had a mild day on Friday.
* Made up a bottle of surface spray with dishwashing liquid and cooled, boiled water. I use this to do most of the cleaning around our home. That's why I make one every 2 weeks.
* Froze all meal leftovers. Nothing goes to waste in our home. Leftovers are eaten for dinners ( only ) on very busy days.
* Recharged mobile phones, battery banks, shaver, the cordless stick vacuum and other electronics during the day when the sun was shining on our solar panels. We are hoping to see a small change in our power bill because of this.
* Shredded lots of paper using a paper shredder my Dad gave me early this year. The paper will be used in our chicken coop or compost bins.
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| /Flowers from a friend |
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| Shredding paper |
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| Beef mince pasta bake |
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| Cool Water ( type ) men's soap. |
The soap looks great Wendy and good as a mens gift. When I am on top of the cooking and gardening etc. I like to work on cards or gifts. But also sometimes I am just tired and need a rest! Yesterday was one of those days! Also I have been learning new things mostly on You Tube. I dehydrated a lot of celery from the garden next to the fire. I hatched more chicks in the incubator. Today more are hatching under a little Bantam ... she has 15 eggs so I am hoping g most hatch! I have done a few things each day in the garden... I use any sunny time this way as most of the time it has been raining. But a little bit everyday really does work. I filled two big pots that came from my Uncle and I can grow veggies in them now. Love the extra growing space. Have a lovely weekend! xxx
ReplyDeleteYou sound very productive.
DeleteHello Wendy, I always look forward to, and enjoy, your posts. You are so inspirational!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that you fed the veggie scraps to your compost bin and haven’t needed to buy compost for years. I have a twin tumbler compost bin from Aldi that I have tried to use but the scraps don’t break down very well. Would you be able to give me some tips please. Thanks Sue
Compost takes months to break down... be patient...
DeleteHi Sue. Make sure you have a good amount of dry and wet in your compost. In colder weather it does take longer to break down. I haven't used a tumbler but there are some good gardening YouTubers I watch. Self Sufficient Me is an Aussie. Huw Richards is in the UK. He's great at explaining things.
DeleteHi Wendy. Your soap does look great and I imagine it smells good too! We've all been unwell this past week and, although better now, still feeling very low on energy. So my list is shorter this week:
ReplyDelete* had freezer meals or toasted sandwiches and soup when we felt like eating
* did two big loads of washing once we had sunshine to dry it all
* received two juicy lemons from a friend:)
* wrote up xmas gift list - I want to make some patchwork cushions for several people and can use pretty fabrics in my stash so I watched an online tutorial on how to make these
* rested and slept in warm beds with Winter flanalette sheets, heat packs, extra blankets and socks on!
Tonight, I am making enchiladas for dinner to use up some roast chicken we didn't eat when feeling unwell.
Have a good week!
Meg
I'm so glad you are all recovering Meg. The sunshine is good isn't it. Great for the soul.
DeleteHi Wendy, have been reading your blog for a long time, always interesting. Have tried various recipes and changed some to suit us. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThankyou Kate. Most of my recipes are easy to change to suit budgets, seasonal and taste.
DeleteHi Wendy, I don’t comment very often and wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your blog. Lots of good information and it helps me stay motivated to do what I can! Thank you for the time and effort you spend. Hilogene in Az.
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much Hilogene
DeleteGood morning Wendy! We've definitely not had a frugal week as my tiny dog and I were attacked by another dog during the week. My hand got some punctures but is all ok but tiny dog has almost lost a leg and is not out of the woods yet! I tell this story to remind everyone how wonderful it was to have emergency money to access when needed,it certainly lessened the strain.At the time the other owner of the off leash dog said they would cover costs,but I think they too will be shocked and we are yet to see how forthcoming they will be when presented with copies of the bills. Hoping we all have a better week .
ReplyDeleteGosh Jenny, I hope you both recover well. Such a nasty thing to happen but so glad you had some funds tucked away.
DeleteJennyP, have you filed a police report, and have you filed with your insurance company? They will then deal with the owner of the other dog.
DeleteHi Wendy, I have been reading your blog for some time now and just wanted to thank you for all the tips and hints and recipes and motivation you provide. You are truly inspirational. I just wondered if I could ask you a soap question please? What do you call that soap cutter that makes the fancy pattern on the soap? I would like to buy one but I don't know what it's called? Margie
ReplyDeleteHi Margie. I'm not sure what the cutter is called. I bought it from Aussie Soap Supplies. Look under tools and it will be listed there with a photo.
DeleteIt looks like it has been sliced with the side of one of those old cheese graters, maybe you could find one in an op shop, look like the size of that soap side with a handle on top, they probably have a proper name.
DeleteI love your blog! I’m just starting to catch up on your postings, as I’ve been in the hospital & physical rehabilitation facility for emergency surgery and recovery.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what the US equivalent of the 617m2 measurement of your property was. Thank you.
Hi Louise. I hope you are recovering well.
Delete617m2 is 0.152464 of an acre or 0.0617 hectares according to Google. I hope this helps.
Your soap looks amazing Wendy! Very professional.
ReplyDelete