A friend shared this with me. Since many of you are commenting about how you are not happy with the current administration. As we know, money talks.

 

 

Hi,

 

The People's Union is calling for an Economic Blackout on February 28 to protest the Administration's attack on diversity in our country.

 

Here's a Newsweek article:

https://www.newsweek.com/will-nationwide-economic-blackout-work-2030187

 

Here's a summary of actions to NOT do on February 28:

 

WHEN:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28TH. from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

• Do not make any purchases.

• Do not shop online, or in-store

• No Amazon

• No Walmart

• No Best Buy

   Nowhere!

• No McDonalds 

DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON FOOD:

• Fast Food

• Gas

• Major Retailers

• Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF NECESSARY:

• Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary items such as 

(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)

•If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.

SPREAD THE MESSAGE

• Talk about it. 

• Post about it.

• Document your actions that day!

WHY THIS MATTERS!

• Corporations and banks only care about their bottom line.

• If we disrupt the economy for just ONE day, it sends a powerful message.

• If they don't listen we make the next blackout longer. 

• This is our first action.

• Our numbers are powerful. 

• This is our first action.

• This is how we make  history. 

AGAIN,

• FEBRUARY 28TH. ✊🏾

• The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.

A friend shared this with me. Since many of you are commenting about how you are not happy with the current administration. As we know, money talks.

 

 

Hi,

 

The People's Union is calling for an Economic Blackout on February 28 to protest the Administration's attack on diversity in our country.

 

Here's a Newsweek article:

https://www.newsweek.com/will-nationwide-economic-blackout-work-2030187

 

Here's a summary of actions to NOT do on February 28:

 

WHEN:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28TH. from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

• Do not make any purchases.

• Do not shop online, or in-store

• No Amazon

• No Walmart

• No Best Buy

   Nowhere!

• No McDonalds 

DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON FOOD:

• Fast Food

• Gas

• Major Retailers

• Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF NECESSARY:

• Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary items such as 

(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)

•If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.

SPREAD THE MESSAGE

• Talk about it. 

• Post about it.

• Document your actions that day!

WHY THIS MATTERS!

• Corporations and banks only care about their bottom line.

• If we disrupt the economy for just ONE day, it sends a powerful message.

• If they don't listen we make the next blackout longer. 

• This is our first action.

• Our numbers are powerful. 

• This is our first action.

• This is how we make  history. 

AGAIN,

• FEBRUARY 28TH. ✊🏾

• The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.

I am thinking of posting this on one of the Facebook frugal sites, so I thought I'd run this by all of you to get your feedback:

Pinterest -- I have a love-hate relationship with it. It's a good source for a lot of things, but sometimes the stuff isn't what it claims to be.

I like to read articles and blogs on ways to save in case I'm missing something. But  if they are true sites, they say the same thing, and mostly general stuff. I belong to a couple frugal groups on Facebook and there are people who post that they are new to this and want ideas on saving money. It makes me realize that there are newbies that some of these general statements are just that -- general and if one doesn't know how to do it to begin with, it could be overwhelming. I was thinking that perhaps things need to be explained more fully for those who don't know.

For example, there is almost always the topic of meal planning. That sounds great, but what if someone hasn't done that before, it could mean they don't know where to start. A frugal meal plan is going to look different than one from someone who isn't looking to save money. I think it should be better explained. Such as, figure out what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry, and  decide if you have to go to the grocery and supplement it. If so, what are things that are on sale that will go with whatever one has. Stick to your list and don't buy extra. Find deals like the loss leaders and digital coupons. If you have a little extra money and there are nonperishables on sale, stock up a little since grocery stores tend to have sales cycles, and try to build a small stockpile of things you like to eat. Most importantly, don't buy something you really have no desire to eat just because it is on sale. 

When you meal plan, try to fix enough of things for more than one meal. I know when I was working it meant some planning on my part, but I would figure out what I could fix ahead of time and then bake off when I got home from work. One of my coworkers asked me how I did it and I said I would often buy chicken on sale. If I got a whole chicken, I cooked it in the slow cooker. If it was a slow cooker I would add vegetables and spices so I could then have chicken broth.   If it was other stuff, I would brown in the pieces and depending on what I got, would then take it off the bones, then use the bones with some vegetables and spices to make broth. Then I would make casseroles, depending on what I had in my pantry and fridge or whatever I got on sale. I tried to change it up each week so we weren't eating the same casseroles, but it sure saved us a lot of money because I would then put these casseroles in the fridge and I could bake them when I got home from work, and if need be, add a vegetable and have our meal. I made a lot of soups and stews as well and would use whatever I had and since there was usually quite a bit, I could make more than one meal or freeze some for a day when I didn't feel like cooking. I bought cheaper meats and learned to love my slow cooker. It might mean prepping the stuff the night before and then putting it in the cooker that morning and turning it on, but what a relief to come home to a meal. I treated it like a challenge -- what can I make that is filling, nutritious, and cheap? 

Studying the sales is important. I read somewhere that grocery stores often do an 8 week cycle on stuff so putting away a little money and then stocking up on things that you like when it is on sale is smart. Plus, it is fun to shop your own cabinets knowing you are saving money. 

The next idea isn't really cooking and shopping, but planning is important. I admit I like looking through recipes and cookbooks and seeing different things. But in reality, I rarely made any of those fancy dishes. But I started with simple recipes that were good and then would tweak them. Then I would write them down. I have a love affair with index cards so I have a double recipe box with recipes that I use and have, in my opinion, improved upon. I learned that although I thought I'd remember a recipe, if I didn't make it for a while, I would forget all about it, then need a refresher. I went to the library and looked through cookbooks of simple recipes, not gourmet ones, and copied them on index cards for my try pile when I had the ingredients. If it was a good one, I kept the card. If not, I threw it away.

Figuring out what to do with things that are leftover is another way to save money. For example, if you make chili and don't have enought to have another full meal out of it, can you add some sauce and serve it over pasta and stretch it? A restaurant chain does this and calls it "chili mac" so if they can serve chili over spaghetti, why can't you? 

An important thing is use what you have. Even with egg prices on the rise, they are still a decent deal. My dear husband likes soft buns and I don't know why brat packages (bought on sale of course) have one less than the 6 buns, so what do we do with the bun? Of course one could use it for a sandwich, but then again, why not make an egg casserole? I often will do that -- tear up the bun into small pieces in a greased casserole dish, then do a fridge clean out of leftover cheese and vegetables  combined  with milk, and a two-three eggs (It makes a small casserole). I mix the egg and milk together, add the vegetables and cheese and pour over bread and refrigerate overnight. I bake at 350 for an hour or until a knife comes our clean in the middle. One can add meats or different cheeses to make this different. I like to add herbs to give it a different flavor, but it is a great way to use up what I have.

My other suggestion and personal goal  is to never have an oven that just has one thing in it. Ovens pull a lot of energy and baking one small thing isn't the most economical. Sometimes it can't be helped. But trying to fill the oven is always a good plan. For example, yesterday I  did a bunch of prep of stuff. I had our supper to bake at 350 and since I was going to put together dough for sourdough sandwich bread to be baked the next day, I had the flour out. So, I put together the ingredients to make cinnamon apple muffins. I also made dog treats. Each rack was full of stuff when I had the oven on. It doesn't always work out like that, but if it does, it is a good way to save money. 

My Papa always told me to never stop learning. He was a Depression Era kid and had me late in life. He said if someone wanted to teach me something, learn, even if I didn't think I'd use it, one never knew if it would come in handy. I'd say the same with cooking. I know the fancy chefs get all the publicity, but it is the person who can make a delicious meal out of what they have is a true gem. 

I learned a new word the other day: Grandmacore. If you aren't familiar with it, it's basically someone who does things grandmothers are usually known for like crocheting, knitting, baking, sewing, gardening, and stuff like that.  My DH looked at me and said that fit me to a "T."

I have a quirky sense of humor and read a columnist who has a webpage called Sean from the South. He wrote a column about  missing glass bottles amongst other things and I would have to agree. I remember all those wonderful glass bottles food and other items came in. Granted, shampoo probably shouldn't be in a glass bottle, but other stuff, well, in my opinion, should. I remember drinking soda pop and returning the bottles. My mom used glass mayo jars for canning because we had them. I know I latch onto glass jars of stuff I buy and reuse them because I like things in glass. You probably remember an email that was shared years ago about this lady at the checkout who was told by the young cashier she didn't understand recycling and the older lady talked about returning glass bottles so they could be refilled, reusing paper bags, and things like that. 

In my full grandmacore mode, I also have a button jar. I have cut off buttons off of clothes that are worn out or so badly damaged and kept the buttons. It is handy to have those extra buttons. I have been crocheting little gift card envelopes and I pulled buttons out of the jar today to sew on to them for the flap. I was thinking of a gal I worked with a number of years ago. The button on her khakis came off and I suggested we find a needle and thread to sew it back on and she said no, she'd just throw them away. I was shocked. I asked if she knew how to sew and she had no desire. I offered to sew the button on and was turned down. 

But many of these grandmacore things do save money. I reuse bottles and jars. I wash  my plastic bags and foil to reuse. I crochet and sew things. For example, I found some curtain panels at a thrift store for a room we are finishing in the basement. They are too long, but I will shorten and hem them so I will have curtains for around $5. 

Last year we planted tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and radishes and we enjoyed these fresh vegetables when they were available. We had a rhubarb plant and I used it to make a crumble as well as to make some jams and jellies, and we had both  mulberry trees and wild black raspberries and I picked those and made jam. We have a black walnut tree and I used those for some of my baking. I planted some herbs and dried them in the fall so I would have them to use this winter and spring.  Last fall I planned ahead, expanding our garden. We planted a couple of strawberry plants, two blueberry plants, some asparagus, and some garlic. Sure, these items cost money initially, but I'm hoping to be successful and getting some of this food in the coming years. I've concluded gardens are forward thinkers since blueberries and asparagus aren't supposed to yield a harvest right away. 

Since I mentioned baking with the nuts,  I've been baking our sandwich bread for over 7 months. My husband teases me how much please I get making a loaf of bread and then filling the house with the wonderul aroma of baking bread. Speaking of the oven, I went all out and bought a toaster oven so I could bake smaller things without heating up the big oven and having a large enery pull. I bake dog biscuits for our pups because they like them and it although we buy some commercial ones, the ones I bake are cheaper. I have to move the oven to the island to use it, but it is worth it. I'd like to explore making a solar oven this summer when the sun is overhead and hot. And we are discussing making a rain barrel to save money when we water the garden that we are increasing. 

I remember a friend talking about his mom and how she washed dishes in just a small amount of water in the sink. I asked him what he meant by a small amount of water and he said you know, less than half full of water. I'm thinking she was smart...didn't use a lot of the precious resource of water and still got things clean. She was frugal and as a result had a decent savings. Truly in grandmacore mode!

So, are you buying into the grandmacore? 

It seems like it is continous on groceries...But guess that is a given since we tend to eat.

Anyway, before Christmas it seemed like there were a few decent deals so we could stock up on a few things. Between the coupon savings, the sale prices, and the receipt apps, I'm hoping to save money. 

On social media different folks post about writing companies and asking for coupons. I've done so in the past so I decided to tackle that as well. I think of the ten companies I wrote, two kindly sent coupons. The rest said they don't send coupons and to check my local paper. Seriously? Our local paper doesn't do coupons anymore and a few years before, the coupons were pathetic. Seems newspapers could buy coupon inserts and there were different ones, some had a few coupons, and some had a lot of great ones. Our paper never did go for the really good ones. Anyway, I tried as far as the coupons and emailing companies.Land O' Lakes and Celestial Seasonings both responded and mailed me coupons.  I use digital coupons at our Kroger and County Market when it is for something I would pruchase anyway. I don't just buy something because I have a coupon. But the wins are becoming fewer and far between. 

DH and I are trying to eat at home and even then, with the price of groceries, it is expensive. We had bought some brats and buns and why these companies do no not communicate with each other is beyond me. There are fewer brats than buns. I refused to let the buns go to waste that were left over so I made tuna salad and we had them on the buns. We bought some bagels and same thing...we used each and every one of them. 

Today I had a small win at this grocery game...Kroger had smaller boxes of cereal on sale for $1.99. Ibotta was giving a $1 credit, so that box of cereal cost 99 cents and tax. Plus, I had 4 other grocery receipt apps, so hopefully a reasonable price. I used the Land O'Lakes coupon for 55 cents off and then got a credit of 65 cents on Ibotta. Not cheap butter, but saved money on something I was going to buy anyway. 

I have an Aeorgarden. It's a hydroponic garden for small plants. I had to bite the buttlet and buy replacements for my pods, and went ahead and got the lettuce ones, but now that I have them, I can reuse them and plant my own seeds. But, we had our first "harvest" of tender lettuce for a small salad this week. This first salad was a little pricey, but I figure as I use more of it and then replant, it will get more reasonable.

Since Lent is coming up, I'm counting on sales of tuna to continue. There was a sale today so I bought a few cans since DH likes tuna sandwiches. But I want to stock up so we have some on hand when the sales diminish after Lent. 

I continue to bake sourdough bread. I have a loaf in the oven as I type this. I used my starter and let it proof in the fridge overnight before baking. It's nice to be able to bake our own bread and be able to make it without yeast. Granted, yeast isn't super expensive, but one more thing we are saving on.

Last year we went to an orchard and bought apples. They had some that were not perfect and I bought them and made both applesauce and apple juice and canned both. With extra juice I made apple jelly and canned it. Between our eating it and some I gave away for Christmas, we got a decent deal. We've had some of the applesauce and it was nice treat with our lunch and it was great to be able to shop in our basement storage area. 

It is frustrating playing this game, because the deals seem to be less available. Are you finding the same?