Frugal Foodie

Why is it so many things need mending lately? Last Saturday night I spent a couple of hours mending a quilt. So many of the pieces had separated so I tried to mend it before I washed it.

Tonight I sewed seams back together on one of those cloth grocery bags.

In the past couple of months I have mended some socks, sewed in some buttons, and even patched a sheet.

I am sure mending has saved some money since I did not replace any of these items.

I wonder if many continue to mend things...I am sure the SA folks do, but I doubt if a majority who aren't frugal do. What do you think?

Today I worked with a fifth grade classroom and we measured out the ingredients for white bread to put in the bread machines I bought.

Personally, I don't use a bread machine anymore because I have worn out three. It is just as easy to mix the ingredients and let it rise in the baking pans. But, I don't have an oven at school I can use, so I make do.

I had everything ready this morning when the kids arrived and they asked, what are we making? Are we cooking?

It was kind of sad when I worked with the two different groups that how many admitted they had never baked or cooked anything with anyone in their family. I showed them a glass measuring cup and explained that was for liquids, then a plastic measuring cup for solids, and measuring spoons.

They washed their hands and we read the recipe. We talked about where flour comes from, and what yeast does. I acted dumb and said if the recipe calls for 3/4 of teaspoon of something and I don't have a teaspoon with that, what can I use? They had no idea. One kid said just guess. I said I had a 1/4 teaspoon and they figured out if we filled it three separate times, it would equal 3/4. I congratulated them on their problem solving.

To say that the aroma of bread baking was popular in that end of our building is an understatement.

When the bread finished baking I sliced it and buttered it and took it down to the class while it was still warm.

It didn't take long for it to disappear. I asked them to compare and contrast the bread we made to the bread they buy at the grocery store. Most of them said this was better. One said they liked that it was warm. Another said she was surprised we could make bread out of so few ingredients.

But one little gal said this, "This bread was better because it was made with love."

I stopped asking questions right there. It was a good experience and they enjoyed eating their "homework." And if it means they have a sweet memory, that's all the better.

Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch!

OK, let me explain...our school has been adopted by a church. The nice folks at the church decided to provide lunch for no other reason than they wanted to. So, they baked cookies which were wonderful, and had sandwiches, chips, and pop and tea. It was really nice of them.

I had taken peanut butter and saltines for lunch today so they will hold over for tomorrow for sure.

The best part is these folks stayed there and visited with us so we could thank them in person.

Currently I have two bread machines whirring away in my kitchen. No, I have not gone carb crazy...I bought both machines used and need to see how long it takes to make a loaf of white bread. I intend to take them to school and make bread with some of the classes. So many of our students have no idea that bread can be baked...if you ask them where bread comes from, they say from the store. It is sad they have little concept of how bread is made.

We had our usual Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs, sausage, cheesy grits, and toast today. I have leftover sausage so it will go into another dish this week. Probably a fritatta. I have a stew simmering on the stove for tomorrow night's supper. We had leftover pork roast from last night's supper. There's enough stew for supper and a lunch or two. I figure we will have some of the bread that is currently being baked. I plan on giving away the second loaf.

Our church will be getting a vicar in June. In our denomination, a vicar is like an intern or student teacher who works for a year learning the ropes. The ladies guild put out big plastic tubs and are encouraging us to help fill the pantry for the vicar and his wife and soon to be born baby. I think it is a lovely gesture. It reminds me of when I married almost 23 years ago. The staff of the school I worked with went in and bought a toaster, a paring knife, and a recipe box and they all included recipes, then they filled a laundry basket with canned goods and nonperishables. It was so thoughtful and practical. A few years later one of the ladies I worked with was getting married and she and her soon to be husband were going to buy a house. I bought bags of groceries to help fill their pantry instead of some of the fancy cookware she registered for. She was disappointed. She was polite, but I could tell she wasn't thrilled. One of the other teachers who was like a second mom to her told me she thought it was a great gift and she would appreciate it a little later. She was correct...after they ate all the cans of soup and pasta and used most of the stuff, she went to the store and tried to replace it. She later told me she didn't realize groceries were that expensive and that was over 15 years ago. I suggested to her then she needed to check the grocery ads and buy things on sale and stock up.

The hubster has been busy in the garden. He planted herbs and has also planted green onions, lettuce, radishes, and carrots. He said he's thinking of getting tomato plants this week. Tonight it is supposed to be pretty cool, but temps are going to be in the 80s starting Tuesday.

We hit Walgreens after brunch today. They had some things on sale that I also had coupons for. A couple of things we didn't need, but decided to stock up since they aren't going to go bad. Plus, I found a couple of things to put in the pile for the vicar's pantry. According to the receipt, we saved almost $30 with specials, coupons, and the loyalty card. Other than a couple of things I bought for the vicar's pantry, everything else was stuff we use. I will never achieve the Extreme Couponing success as they do on the television, but figure if I save a few dollars here and there, I'm doing decently.

It is sunny and a lovely day for all the mothers and grandmothers to be celebrated. Hope your day is wonderful as well.

On HGTV there is a new program where two families compete by having garage sales. They put out tons of stuff and get primo prices. Not sure how realistic is it for "reality TV", but interesting to see what they reuse and redo a d put out.

That being said, we went to some garage sales last weekend and most were, well pathetic. I am almost shocked at what folks think others might want. So many had clothes and most of the clothes were pretty tired looking. As for goodies, the term slim pickins comes to mind.

I know not every sale can have things that interest me, but I wonder if folks think ahead and realize in order to make money, they have to have some stuff to sell to make up for the ad and the trouble.

How are the garage sales in your area?

A friend of ours has a daughter in law who is a buyer for a department store. She bought some tins of teas and opened them and served them for some meeting, After the meeting, she has no use for the remainder.

My friend knows I like teas, so he gives them to me.

Free is good.

However, I do have to report I think some of the labels are misleading.

One was titled "get young." Well, I am all for that. I brewed a cup and although it tasted a bit medicinal, I thought it would be worth it so see the years roll off. Can you believe it, not one person commented about how much younger I looked.

Last night I drank some that had the name "Get energized." I was a little concerned about drinking it in the evening in case I started moving around like the Tasmanian devil. I must say, I had a very good night's sleep.

Perhaps the labels are just the opposite....if so, I'm not drinking the "Get young" one again and I am staying clear of the one with the claim of getting thin!

DH and I have been grocery shopping for the past two nights. We do Aldi one night and County Market the next. I usually look at the grocery fliers from both places, plan a menu, and then make a grocery list. I think we spend a lot on groceries, but we eat a lot at home and most of our meals usually have leftovers for either another meal or for a lunch or two.

A lady I know doesn't go shopping until they are totally out of everything. It's kind of odd -- she seems proud of that fact, but then admits they go to fast food places to tide them over.

She thinks I'm rigid because we have a schedule for shopping. But, I like to know we have food in the house and plan a menu.

She has admitted they are having money problems. I wonder if her pell mell attitude to shopping and cooking is also her attitude in saving and investing.

Meals for this week include:

roasted chicken tenders
scrambled eggs and grits
sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken)
baked turkey breast
tuna cakes
turkey (left over) and couscous

The next item has nothing to do with money, but I was highly amused. A lady I work with has a small farm and horses. One horse leans on the fence and has loosened the wire to the extent he can put his head under it, stretch it out, put a leg through, then another and another and gets out of the fence without tearing up the fence or hurting itself. And you ask, where does this traveling horse wander to? The front yard because the grass is longer and hasn't been grazed. Guess he thinks the grass is truly greener (and longer) on the other side of the fence!

I knew last night that I would be arriving home a little later than usual since I was going to attend a workshop in another town about an hour away and wondered what to fix.

It was supposed to be rainy so I thought: SOUP!

We had a little pork roast leftover from the other night. And I had some tomatoes that were getting a bit squishy, some leftover mashed potatoes, some leftover green beans with their liquid...so I sauteed an onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, added some tumeric, basil, and paprika, added the tomatoes and meat and green beans and some water and let it simmer for about an hour last night. A few minutes before I turned off the heat I added this small bit of elbow macaroni that was left in the jar -- not enough for a meal, but too much to throw out.

It was a good meal to heat up and service with crackers and a fruit salad and there was enough for DH's lunch tomorrow.

Yesterday we did get to the bulk food store run by Amish and I bought some cheese, sausage, and some spices. Their spices are far more reasonable than those in the grocery. I commented the dried mustard in my cabinet was purchased when we married which will make it 23 years old come June 15. We didn't spent a ton, but I felt like we bought some things we would use.

We stopped at a local store and looked around the gourmet food section. DH was shocked at looking at the jars and packages of spices and spice mixtures and the prices of $8 to $15 after buying similar things in less fancy packages at the bulk food store.

Today, after church, we hit Walgreens for a few of their specials. I even had a couple of coupons to put towards the purchase and with the mark downs and coupons, we saved over 25% on our purchase.

All in all, we didn't spent a huge amount either day, I feel like my shelves have a few more necessary items, and I most certainly did not go in debt. I would say that was a success.

I have perused many money saving or frugal living sights and so many say to buy in bulk. I get that it can save money, but I wonder where to put a lot of this stuff.

We don't belong to a warehouse store because we found two things: we really didn't save all that much after paying the yearly fee and we were tempted in buying things we really didn't need.

I try to keep things on hand and I have blogged that I keep my pantry fairly well stocked. For paper items I try to use coupons and hit sales and keep stuff on hand.

There is an Amish run bulk foods store near us called Beachy's and I really like utilizing it. They have a huge assortment of herbs and spices which are more reasonably priced than the grocery or speciality food stores. And, one can buy different flours and grains in smaller and larger quantities. I enjoy making bread and like experimenting with flour. I bought a half pound of rice flour to see if we liked the bread it made. And the storage isn't as much an issue since I am not buying huge bags of stuff and not using it all.

I am curious, do you buy in bulk? Are you realizing a huge cost savings if you are? And, where are you storing your purchases?

I am a public school teacher in Illinois. Unfortunately, our state legislators have not made sure our pension funds have been funded like the law says and have, in fact, raided them to pay for pet projects. As a result, our state is having major issues with finances. One topic is to do away with the cost of living raises, or not have them take effect right away. With the teacher pension, one had to reach a certain age before they would kick in. I am not sure about the other pension funds.

A friend if ours is retired and he is worried. I am not sure if worried is actually a strong enough word.

When he worked, he had a position where he made good money for many years. He bought a big house, traded cars often, and traveled extensively. He and his wife did not do without.

He counts on those yearly raises...he said he isn't sure what to do if they don't come...he admitted they owe on their home, cars, have a personal loan and credit card debt.

He was truly grousing and going on and on. But one thing we did notice is they aren't cutting back. They are planning two trips and eating out almost every day. The spending continues.

His finances scare me.

The sad thing is he made good money. I really wonder where they are going to end up. It would be different if he made little and health made him retire. But, there isn't any use to try and talk to him...he feels he deserves to have all the nice things he has purchased on credit.

Yesterday we went to the library and I snagged a magazine I had not seen on the shelves before..."Mother Earth Living." It has some cool recipes and money saving articles.

One article outlined that old fashioned cooks cook with a budget in mind. The example is they serve pot roast instead of filet because you can use a cheaper cut of meat. They use what they have and try to make things stretch.

I thought this really described many of us on SA blogs.

I found a slow cooker recipe I really want to try:

Tuscan White Bean Soup
2 cups dried white beans such as great northern
6 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste
1 T chopped fresh rosemary for garnish

Rinse beans thoroughly and place them in a 7 quart slow cooker along with water, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf. Either with an immersion blender or put in a blender or food processor, puree until desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary.

There's something to be said about being comfortable in a rut. There's the familiar feeling of course. And, sometimes it is easier than making a chance.

I've decided my cooking is sort of in a rut. I seem to be fixing some of the same meals over and over.

Last night I fixed a vegetable fritatta and instead of regular toast, I made French toast. It was good, DH loved it, and it was different.

I think I need to pull out some recipes and try something different in the next few weeks.

When DH and I were first married, Mr. Clotheshorse would never look at marked downs or clearance racks. Last week, he was in Kohls and found a pair of dress slacks for less than $6....originally over $60.

So, have I trained him well?

Ever notice how many bottles of water are on a grocery store shelf? And now flavored waters are a big sell.

Yesterday someone posted on Facebook on making flavored waters. I decided to use one of the recipes because I had the ingredients.

10 cups of water
1 apple cut up in chunks
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks

Mix together and refrigerate overnight.

Well, I tried it and it is pretty good. And fairly reasonable.

I was thinking it would be good if I made tea with this flavored water a d probably more reasonable than fancy tea bags or mixes.

I have been grousing most of the evening. We came home from the regular grocery store to fill in its some items we couldn't get at Aldi last night,. It was $26 for bananas, raspberries, bell peppers, lactose free milk, 3 cans of tomato sauce, and whole wheat bread.

It just seems like we got so little for $26.

One of the local food pantry's reported their giving is up 17% since so many folks are coming in for food.

I can certainly see why.

I know we can afford it, but when your bring in two small bags of groceries, one wonders how families afford to eat.

I am basically fighting with myself. I sat in a meeting and two of the ladies I work with were talking about what they are doing. One is doing a craft project and is looks costly. The other wants to do the same project and plans to buy the materials. Another lady sells Thirty-one bags so these two bought a couple of them each.

At lunch, they both went out. I brought leftovers.

When I came home I asked my husband what is wrong with me. I felt jealous. I don't even know why. I don't want any bags and the whole idea of spending the money on a costly craft project really doesn't appeal me. In fact, there isn't anything I need or want. And I liked my lunch. So why did I feel jealous?

It's been muggy and sticky today and warm. We are currently having storms and the north part of town received large hail. Tomorrow is supposed to be really cold.

DH is chomping at the bit to start gardening. He loves gardening and he loves eating his homegrown produce.

I'm ready to growing our own as well. Good flavor as well as saving money.

We had an inservice day for the elementary schools in my district. Every teacher had to move to another school after lunch and it seemed like all of them were trying to figure out where they were eating lunch.

I took my handy lunch bag with peanut butter, crackers, apple, and a Thermos of water. I got to the location, ate my lunch, and could relax.

I am sure by the end of the week, many of these will be complaining they are running short on money. It wasn't an exciting lunch, but saving money and not having to rush made it worthwhile.

I received many positive comments on the new hardwood floors. I will say this week has been very busy trying to get the house back in order after the installer finished on Monday. We are so happy with the new flooring and now that things are starting to settle down, I have discovered a few things.

1. This made me truly go through many of our possessions and decide, do we need to keep this? Are we really using it or enjoying it? We donated a couple of pieces of furniture, plus some rugs, household items, and some clothes. This made me let go.

2. I threw away some items that should have been thrown away before. I was raised with the depression era mentality that one shouldn't throw stuff away in case we need it. Some of these items couldn't be reused by anyone else and truly needed to be pitched. It was emotional guilt keeping that from happening. Guess the new floors made me rethink the possession.

3. I washed up everything that could be washed before putting it away or up and it made me appreciate all the nice things I own and how fortunate I truly am.


I spent part of Friday night after the weekly trek to the grocery cleaning and finishing up. I like having a tidy house and that made my evening feel fulfilled.

Part of yesterday was spent fixing some things for meals for the week. I will say planning for meals while trying to put the house back together was a challenge because I was physically exhausted, but we've come so far with eating at home and saving money, I didn't want to get off track.

Our meals for this week:

Sunday:

Brunch: eggs, sausage, toast, grits, fruit salad
Supper: sloppy chicks and chips and fruit salad

Monday:
Lunch: peanut butter and saltines and an apple
Supper: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, fruit salad

Tuesday:
Lunch: leftover meatloaf and potatoes and green beans
Supper: Beef and barley vegetable soup, cottage cheese

Wednesday:
Lunch: leftover soup
Supper: chicken tenders, sweet potatoes, salad

Thursday:
Lunch: leftover chicken tenders, sweet potatoes
Supper: vegetable fritatta, cottage cheese, fruit salad

I'm not sure on Friday yet, although I'm sure lunch will be whatever is leftover in the fridge. It is usually my clean out the fridge type of lunch so I may have a smorgasboard of this and that.

We reached our goal for saving up for hardwood floors and after a couple of weeks of price matching and asking people for advice on which companies were good to work with or not...we bit the bullet, ordered the flooring and set to motion the "joy" of packing things up so furniture could be moved.

April will see the anniversary of our buying this home 15 years ago. The home is paid for and soon after we bought it, we replaced the carpeting in the family room and then the dining room and hallway as we saved up for it.

Due to wear and tear the carpeting was starting to show it's age. Plus, we both have allergies and it was recommended by the allergist to replace carpeting with vinyl, laminate, or hardwood. We decided to go for the hardwood because if we would ever desire to sell the home, we figured hardwood would be a bigger selling point. So we saved a little longer and finally reached where we could afford the job.

Due to the fact we are not "handy" we have to pay for installation. We figured it was cheaper than major medical bills after we injured outselves. :-)

Anyway, the flooring guys came Tuesday and started. One had an accident and hurt his thumb so he wasn't there Wednesday and the other one worked solo, putting our "adventure" behind. But, they anticipate finishing tomorrow. They did get the dining room finished. We donated the entertainment center to a local charity opening up the dining room quite a bit. We bought it almost 23 years ago and felt it had served it's purpose.

My photos aren't the greatest and I don't have things put away since some are blocked into another room, but you can see the difference in the flooring.

Someone posted on Facebook the other day about Dave Ramsey saying, "You are not entitled to anything until you save enough to pay for it."

Not sure we are entitled to new flooring, but we did save for it.

Before:




After:

Well, here in Central Illinois we are getting snow. Lots of it. And blowing and then it is supposed to freeze hard tonight. Gosh, those weather forecasters are just full of good news.

DH and I went to church...it hadn't started yet. We got home and had brunch and it started. Big, wet, flakes.

We've been out twice to shovel. We learned our lesson a few years ago that it is far better to go out and shovel a few times than try to move many inches of heavy, wet snow. One person on Facebook told me to wait and then admitted they don't shovel. I am assuming we will have school tomorrow, so I need to get out of the driveway.

Other than my complaining, I need to count my blessings as well. We are in a warm shelter...we have plenty to eat, and I can change into dry clothes after coming in from shoveling.

And, spring is coming...right?

We did our weekly grocery shopping. We spent around $100. We have the same things for breakfast so I didn't include them...DH has cereal and I have yogurt and take a Thermos of coffee with cream to work. I also take a piece of fruit in my lunch. Someone told me at work they are too tired to cook after school and I said I was pretty tired too, but making things ahead after figuring up a weekly menu sure helps.

Menu
Saturday night - pork loin roast, sweet potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, green beans, fruit salad
Sunday brunch - scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, cheesy grits, fruit salad
Sunday supper - Sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken), chips, cheese, fruit salad
Monday - lunch - leftover sausage and grits
Monday - supper- Yankee pot roast with carrots, mushrooms, onion, and celery, boiled potatoes, cottage cheese
Tuesday - leftover sloppy chicks
Tuesday - supper - chicken stew and crackers and cheese
Wednesday - lunch - leftover chicken stew
Wednesday - supper - leftover pork and gravy, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit salad
Thursday - lunch - leftover beef and vegetables
Thursday - supper - chicken and noodles, salad, cottage cheese, fruit salad
Friday - lunch - leftover chicken stew
Friday - supper...treat...we are going out. :-)

Fortunately DH doesn't balk too much about leftovers for lunch and if I rework something for leftovers into something else, he won't complain. And he loves eating at home.

I am in a quandary. Well, not a major mix up by any means, but I am really not sure how I feel about what happened this evening.

My husband is retired from the public library. A coworker who was also retired died suddenly and we attended the funeral visitation tonight.

There was a large turnout and I'm glad for that because I think it is reassuring when people take the time to comfort the family.

The funeral home had an area that was in the center of the place that was not walled off and it was like a refreshment stand. I'm sure the price of that was included in the price...we priced funerals a few years ago when dh's mom was dying...and this place was pretty expensive.

I guess what I'm confused about is the fact the grandkids were acting like it was a party...screaming, laughing, hitting each other and carrying on, all next to those of us in line to pay our respects.

Granted, I didn't expect them to be crying and in a state of deep mourning, but everything they said or did was about "them." I wasn't trying to eavesdrop...it was just right there in the open.

Maybe I don't understand how society has changed. When I was a child, I was expected, at a funeral visitation, to be respectful of the deceased as well as those who were saddened. I know life goes on, but why in the world would a funeral home set up a refreshment bar, and television out in the open while those who waited could witness this? I live in a fairly conservative Midwestern city.

Any thoughts?

We were watching HGTV today and a rerun of the Love It or List it was on. The designer was given $15,000 to put in a bathroom, male two rooms, update a kitchen and do a few other things. We thought that was a low figure for all that work. Well, they didn't get the bathroom or updated kitchen and had to fix some structural problems. We just looked at each other and said how could someone even claim to try and do the original work for such a low price and not reuse stuff?

It amazes me how these home improvement shows love to tear out stuff and tear it up. Years ago when we bought new kitchen cabinets, the contractor removed the others and our neighbor took them for his garage.

I have sort of ruined the Love It program for DH...I pointed out the predictable turn of events....the homeowners give the laundry list of what they want remodeled, and all the things they want in a new house....the hosts always say they can work these miracles, then say later there isn't enough money for the remodeling or the new house. The homeowners hate the decorator and get snarky, and they hate the first two houses, but love the third one shown. I kind of wonder how much of the conversations are scripts and if the story line is written ahead if time and the viewer just thinks these things are happening. Guess I am skeptical.

First of all, I'm starting with a rant...I am so tired of hearing people around me griping they don't have enough money. I know so many sites suggest you find friends who share your views, it is extremely difficult to find folks who share the same views on money...I think I have two friends who are as frugal as we are. The rest...well, they say they are saving money, but rely on credit to pay for things and then whine when things get tight. I hate to lose friends, but it would be more fun if we shared the same money views. It is refreshing to communicate with the SA "friends" because we all have the same goal: use what we have to best benefit for us.

One couple in particular gripes about being short on cash, yet they eat out at least once a day. We sometimes get together to eat and I suggested we trade off and fix something at our homes and have the guests bring something to save money. After all, the real reason we get together is to socialize. We even tried it with our having the main dish and asking them to bring something, but that's as far as it got. I'm not saying one shouldn't ever eat out, but usually the stuff made at home is as good or better than what you can get in a restaurant.

I hear people I work with complain about not having enough money and feeling the squeeze, yet they go out and get something for lunch and stop and get drinks on the way to work or send someone out to get pop or tea. This happens almost every day. I'm sure they haven't added up how much they spend and although a dollar here and a couple dollars there doesn't seem like much, it all adds up.

I have been trying to think of some of the ways we save money and compiled a list of 25. There are probably more, but I can't think of them. Do you have any to add?

Ways we have been saving money:
1. Using the library for books, magazines, and DVD’s
2. Eating at home and using leftovers Cooking from scratch whenever possible (I have a Crockpot and know how to use it! 
3. Mending
4. Brew my own coffee and take in a Thermos
5. Brew our iced tea
6. Take a container of water for lunch instead of buying a bottle each day
7. Buying pre-owned things (not only good for the pocketbook, but good for the planet)
8. In the summer, DH grows herbs and tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, and green onions
9. Pay our credit cards off each month – and do not charge anything we cannot pay off
10. Save money in accounts for things like Christmas, vacation, and mad money which is whatever big project we are saving up for
11. Take care of the items we already own
12. Buy Christmas cards after Christmas for next year
13. Only run the dishwasher and washer with full loads
14. Try to fix things instead of replacing them
15. I shut off lights when I’m not in the room
16. We weather-stripped doors.
17. Grocery shop with a list
18. We do not hit the mall for entertainment. We go to the store for the things we need and leave and we try to hit sales.
19. I made a lot of our Christmas gifts…I like to cook and bake and bought cute baskets and napkins and gave these as gifts.
20. Buy staples on sale whenever possible and put in pantry…then use them!
21. We used to exchange gifts with another couple and it was getting pricey…we bit the bullet and asked if we could either set or limit or discontinue…the couple agreed to just exchange cards.
22. Reuse things like plastic bags and foil whenever possible. I try to use glass lidded dishes whenever possible so I don’t need to use as much foil.
23. I try to make some of my cleaning supplies…I have been making our own window cleaner and a friend gave me the recipe for laundry detergent. It is scary how much we pay for products that contain so much water!
24. Reuse things like the backs of envelopes we received for lists and a great way to store coupons for the grocery. This also allows us to shop more than one place and make a list for each place to find the best bargains.
25. We use the freezer…I try to keep homemade chicken broth on hand and we buy meats on sale, then “shop” the freezer.

Yesterday we spent big money. We wanted a new mattress. We read Consumer Reports and went out to comparison shop, we decided to bite the bullet and buy a very expensive, but well rated mattress that appears to help DH's arthritis.

We discussed it beforehand, but there was still a bit of sticker shock. It is one thing to read up and think about it, and it is another to see that price. We decided it is worth it to buy quality.

We go to pay and we write the check. DH asks if we have that much in checking, and I show him the register. He was pleased and afterwards said forgot we had extra money.

As we drove away, DH said he realizes why we have been eating at home, eating leftovers, buying used or doing without. I said exactly...we can buy nice things when we save up by cutting costs other places.

Today in the way home from church DH said he bet we saved over $15 by eating at home for brunch instead of going out.

He's got it!

It's rainy and windy and just a great day to stay inside. I, of course, took liberties with the Carpenters' song and changed it to Sunday because that is what today is...Sunday. A few folks have complained about the rain, but not me. We need that precious precipitation. After being in a drought last summer and fall, rain is glorious and wonderful and if I have a choice, far better than snow and ice.

After church we came home to fix brunch and then I did some cleaning. I paid a couple of bills and I'm getting ready to finish up the straightening and organizing in the kitchen.

Before church I put a small chicken in the Crockpot to cook with some vegetables and herbs. When it finished, I used the meat to make a large casserole of chicken and dressing (at least two meals there this week) and froze the remaining broth. Last night's meal of pot roast will make up quite a few meals this week for lunches and then beef and noodles for a supper.

DH is hoping the rain replenishes the ground so when he plants his vegetables and herbs, they will take off and look great and also the moist soil will help the farmers.

I mopped the floors and put some rugs in the washer. Anyone know if there is anyway to repair or replace the rubber backing on rugs? The rugs still look great, but the backing is starting to wear away.


So, I'll be humming along and changing the song!

Fun Friday Frolics you query? OK, I made it up.

Today was super busy at work and then after supper we hit the grocery store. We did not need much because we hit Aldi last night and bought most of our fruits, vegetables and some meat. Tonight was cottage cheese, bread, and raspberries since Aldi didn't have them.

DH went to the local meat market and bought a chuck roast which I am putting in the oven overnight on low heat. Makes a fabulous pot roast. We got over three meals over the last one. So much of the stuff we are buying makes more than one meal for us.

Yesterday I had a meeting and only two of us stayed in and consumed the lunches we brought from home. Mine was pretty decent considering it was leftover bits and pieces...it was different as well as cheap and I had a chance to get a lot of work done on top of it.

Another coworker was talking about weekend plans. She was amazed that we have a large breakfast after church. She seemed shocked that someone would make scrambled eggs. How difficult are scrambled eggs? Sheesh.

Menu is made up for the week and food is bought. Now if only a chef would come in and fix it so I could relax!

Last week sort of got away from me. Saturday night we received a phone call that my husband's aunt had died in the morning and the funeral was the next day at 3 with visitation at 2. What made us uneasy was the weather forecast ... freezing rain and ice in our neck of the woods.

DH wavered back and forth. He wanted to go, but the weather was frightening. We decided to wait and see and make the decision at noon since it was a two hour trip. At noon it was cloudy, precipitation had almost halted. We made the trip.

DH was glad we had the chance to go. His aunt has been a fighter the past few years, but he wanted to have the closure as well as support his uncle.

The pastor did a wonderful service. This couple had been married 67 years. And to say they were the perfect example of how to love would be an understatement. At 91, DH's uncle was always loving and kind and watched out for her. She, in turn, did many things to help him. What a love affair, even to the end.

Anyway, I'm glad we had the opportunity to go. It just made the week a blur as I caught up on other things and fought a bug. Another weekend has come and almost passed and I'm asking myself, am I ready for Monday? I certainly hope so!

I was reading the Saturday Evening Post and they had a recipe that I think I may be using this week. I have two after school meetings and one evening meeting at school, so it looks quick and easy as well as a way to use the eggs I caught on sale this week:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of fresh vegetables, chopped
4 slices of bacon, chopped
4 eggs
1/2 milk
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat broiler.
In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside. In an oven proof skillet (I'm using cast iron) heat the olive oil and saute' the vegetables. Remove the vegetables when they are cooked through. Cook the bacon until crisp and then add the vegetables and make a flat layer. Pour over the egg/milk mixture. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until almost cooked through. Put under broiler for a minute or two until browned,and the remove, add the cheese, and put under the broiler for a minute or until cheese melts. Either cut into wedges or scoop out and serve.

Cheap and easy, don't you think?