Frugal Foodie

It's been so hot lately here in Central Illinois. Friday was cool with the temps in the upper 80s...it made us almost feel chilly! :-)

I know some of our friends are beating the heat by eating out. I don't want to succumb to that temptation. So, I've been perusing the Crockpot recipes to try and find some things that I can fix that won't heat up the kitchen.

Yesterday I put ribs in one slow cooker, but wondered what to fix. We have mashed potatoes and rice already so I wondered if I could find a recipe for a Crockpot.
I did find one that cooked between 6-8 hours on low and it was pretty good.

Oregano potatoes

8 potatoes peeled and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup water
3 T Oregano (fresh), chopped
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients except garlic in a slow cooker -- mix until evenly coated. Stir in garlic. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If potatoes appear to be dry, add up to 1/2 additional water while cooking.

Serves 6-8


This was pretty good and I had everything on hand. We have fresh herbs. I bet this could be changed up using a different herb.

So, I resisted the temptation of eating out and saved money and used what I had.

We went to the library and I checked out some more cookbooks for the slow cooker. Hopefully I will find some other great recipes as we endure this heat.

It was a nice start to our Friday -- the temps were a bit cooler and there was a nice breeze when we walked this morning. It has been dreadfully hot here in Central Illinois like it has been in most of the Midwest. Still no rain, but at least a few hours of relief.

After our walk I picked lettuce and washed it and put it in the fridge. DH picked tomatoes. We are starting to get some cherry tomatoes and a few larger ones. He waters every day to keep things going.

We went to the meat market the other day and I bought both ground chuck and sausage. Yesterday I sauted onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic with thyme and oregano (onions, thyme and oregano were from our garden) and mixed that with the meat and added oatmeal, some bread crumbs, and eggs to make meat loaves. I make a topping of worchestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, and ketchup. I made 4 loaves. One we had last night baked in a toaster oven. The other three are wrapped up and put in the freezer.

For lunch today we will have the leftover meatloaf on sandwiches. I think I'm going to get some herbs and olive oil and put them on some tortillas and make our own chips. And, I think we'll have a few of those cherry tomatoes.

I saw a recipe the other day for meatloaf that had 3 meats -- hamburger, sausage,and ground turkey breast. I wonder if it is tasty.

We've been out and about the past couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago there was a garage sale in our subdivision. We look forward to this couple's sales because they usually have good stuff marked reasonably.

This time was no exception. They had a metal kerosene lamp that had been electrified for $8. I asked if it worked and it did. I knew it was missing both the chimney and the shade, but figured for $8, I could come up with something. I also bought a couple of tablecloths and some like new jars for pasta.

As my summer quickly seeps away, we decided to go antiquing down I55. We try to do this a couple of times a year. We usually take a friend with us, but she was unavailable. My mission was to find a shade for this lamp at a reasonable price. We took the lamp with us so we could make sure we bought the right size.

The first two antique malls didn't produce the shade, but the third one had a possibility. I asked them if we could bring the lamp in and try it on...I thought it might fit, but didn't want to buy the shade and find it didn't. They said that would be fine and so we did and it did! The shade was $8. They not only sold me the shade, but wrapped it up and my lamp as well to make sure both made it home safely.

The chimney I had at home on another kerosene lamp. I figure I'll replace it when we find a cheap one sometime. But, I like the looks of lamp and it is sitting on the tablecloth that I bought at the garage sale for $2. We did see lamps very similar to this one at two different places starting at $75 so I figure we didn't get hurt.



In other searches, I have been looking for a mug rack. I found this oak one at one of the stores. It said handcrafted by someone on the bottom. I bought it because it was handcrafted, matched my kitchen cabinets, and was cheap. I know these mug racks aren't technically in, but a friend of mine gave me these Blue Willow mugs a couple of Christmas ago and I wanted to be able to display and enjoy them.

Well, yesterday's mail takes the cake so to speak!

Vista Print sent me an offer for 20 free birth announcements so I can share my joy.

Lovely.

Except...I don't have a baby and am not pregnant.

Not sure how I got on this mailing list. Of course a couple of months ago I started receiving American Baby magazine. I called the magazine subscription office and was told it was a free gift from some business.

Well, I am puzzled. I don't remember signing up for anything baby orientated so not sure how some business thought I would want the magazine and now the birth announcements. I give the magazine to friend who gives it to her daughter who is a new mom.

Anyway, I had a chuckle over the birth announcement offer. I don't believe I will be taking them up on the special deal though.

DH has been watering. We live in the Midwest and haven't had rain for weeks and weeks. There are spotty showers, but nothing substantial. He brought in some almost ripe tomatoes. He lost one because a bird or animal got part of it. It was probably looking for moisture. He keeps the birdbath clean and changes the water in it for the birds, but I think everything is thirsty. We are looking forward to the tomatoes though!

My mom was nosy. There is no getting around that. She always wanted to live on busy streets or roads so she could be where the action was. The last three places she lived, she got her way. We lived on a busy city street when we lived in town, when we moved to "the country" our house was on U.S. 51. Then when they downsized, they moved to another busy street.

When my great aunt died, among her things was a pair of binoculars. My mom latched on to those and used them frequently. They were next to where she sat on the couch and she would use them to look at whatever she thought deemed important.

I'm afraid I've become my mother. OK, I don't have the binoculars. We don't live on a busy street.

However, walking this morning, I was noticing what was in folks garbage cans. No, I didn't lift the lids. I haven't got that bad. YET. Friday is garbage day for our neighborhood, and it is interesting to see what folks have put out. One house had a box that once contained diapers and 4 boxes for beer. Wonder if the baby drives them to drink?

Another had lots of fast food containers, including a huge pizza box. Guess one can infer what their diet is like.

The garbage containers are kind of interesting too. One home has a neat garbage container with the address written in paint on the side. Bet their house is tidy too.

There are folks who no longer have lids. I don't fault these folks. I can't tell you how many times I've gone on the search for ours. We had one collector that didn't put it back on or inside, but threw it wherever it landed and if the wind picked it up...well, you get the idea.

I know why detectives often sift through garbage for clues...what one throws away tells multitudes.

We used to have a very limited recycling program and everything had to be separated in brown paper bags which were not returned. About a year ago, the city offered big containers and it didn't have to be separated. I know we recycle far more because there are far more items. I think we fill it up and there is less garbage.

As for our garbage, it would be kind of boring...usually bread wrappers and peelings.

Well, I've digressed here. Sorry. We live on a cul-d-sac and not much goes on here so I don't need binoculars, but I certainly have the nosiness gene! I'm not planning on moving, so I'll have to settle for checking out the open garbage cans and recycling bins.

It's only Thursday, but I feel like this has been a long, busy week. I'm not complaining by any means, but I'm tired.

Monday we wound up making a couple of trips to the credit union, a bank, then back to the credit union. Last weekend we received the flyer from the credit union stating they had a special account for those folks over 50 that paid a bit more interest. Both of us meet that criteria, so we decided to check it out. Seems one has to open another account within the accounts and put in a mimumum of $1000, but once you open it and keep the money in a couple of weeks, you can let it drop below the $1000. We had the money because with my husband's pension system, in July he receives the "thirteenth check" which is based on how well the investments the pension did over the year. It was for $1004. So, we opened the account to get a bit more interest. While we were there, we learned their money market account was paying .4 as opposed to the .2 we were getting at our bank. I have told DH that it no longer pays to be loyal to a bank. So, we drew out half of what we had in our money market at the bank and deposited it into the credit union's money market. It is insured so we feel safe doing that.

Yesterday we drove to St. Louis to visit one of DH's relatives. We had a nice visit and ate at a microbrewery in St. Charles. It was good. None of us drink beer, but the food was good and decently priced.

Today is errands and DH's allergy shot. I have a pork roast in the Crockpot for supper so that will be yummy and have leftovers as well.

I'm not posting this to bash or praise the president or any party...I was just surprised to find this real estate tax as part of the Obamacare.

It seems that if a couple has an adjust gross income of $250K or more, come January 1, 2013, any home they sell, they may be subject to a 3.8% income tax.

http://www.realtor.org/small_business_health_coverage.nsf/docfiles/government_affairs_invest_inc_tax_broch.pdf/$FILE/government_affairs_invest_inc_tax_broch.pdf

I guess I shouldn't be surprised about all the stuff they stick into bills as they try to pass them into laws, but I guess house sales and health care seem to be a bit distant. Guess not.

Anyway, just an FYI. We aren't close to the $250K adjusted income and we aren't planning on selling our home so it probably won't effect us. I do think I need to read what else is in this new law...in case something else effects us.

Gas prices in our town went up twice last week...to $3.55 by Saturday. We felt it was weird since the price of oil had gone down by the end of the week.

Saturday night we drove to a smaller town north of us -- less than 30 minutes away -- to eat out with another couple. Amazing, the gas prices were lower -- $3.29.

One would think the gas station owners are in a conspiracy in our city...especially since the two larger cities, one east and one west, either around 45 minutes away, are both cheaper. I realize we aren't in Chicago or on the coasts, but trying to figure out the rationale for higher prices is beyond me.

What are gas prices in your neck of the woods?

I live in Central Illinois. If you do not live in the Midwest and haven't watched the news, we are in drought conditions. Last night they said 56% of the country is in drought.

The corn fields around here are pitiful. It has tassled and we have had no rain. The leaves have curled and many plants are stunted in growth.

No, I'm not a farmer...I'm telling you this to tell you the next part.

I'm stocking up. We went to Aldi yesterday and I bought some bottles of oil, and some extra crackers, flour, and sugar. I predict grocery prices are going to skyrocket because of the corn crop. Today I'm buying corn meal to put in the freezer. The sugar and flour went into the freezer as well. I might even buy a little more beef to put in the freezer, but it doesn't keep THAT long.

The reason I bought some of these items...well here is my reasoning. Sugar -- I believe the price of sugar will go up because many things are made from high fructose corn syrup. When there isn't as much corn to make this corn syrup, sugar will be used and the demand will increase.

Flour -- people will start using flour in place of corn products.

Oil -- a lot of vegetable oils are made from corn and the lack of corn...well you get the picture.

As for beef, well, the price will probably go up because the price of corn will go up to feed those cattle.

Also on the national news was with the extreme heat, cows aren't giving as much milk...I wonder if we will see an increase in dairy products as well.

My pantry isn't bulging by any means, but I thought I'd pick up a few extra things to ofset major jumps in the coming weeks.

I'm going to 'fess up here...I feel guilty spending money on luxuries. I like a bargain, but I like nice things as well.

DH is retired. We are blessed he has a nice pension and Social Security. I work full time and have a good job and benefits.

We just returned from an 8 day trip to Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Niagara Falls. It was with a church group on a bus. Our hotels and tours were paid for, as well as some of the meals. We had saved the money and paid cash for everything except for one expenditure of $20. We had cash left over from the trip and put it back in the bank. DH bought a tie in Boston -- hence the $20 charge because they were closing down the register and didn't want cash. He bought 3 ties for $10 in NYC. I bought 4 packages of tea in Boston as a souvenir for friends (read less than $10) and postcards in each major city. We had a nice time and I'm glad we don't owe any money other than the $20.

Once a month we have massages. I rationalize them that they seem to help my arthritis. I don't see a chiropractor, but I do know I feel a lot better after. DH says the same thing. It is paid in cash each month.

I spend money on fruits and vegetables when I grocery shop. Very little ever goes to waste because we eat at home quite a bit. I try to hit bargains on other things.

I collect Blue Willow dishes. I did buy a couple of items and put them on the credit card, but I pay the credit card off every month.

Sometimes I look at the money we spend and feel guilty. I don't need Blue Willow dishes. I'm sure I could make it without the massages. As for the trip, life would go on without it. I validate the buying of fresh fruits and vegetables because I think it keeps me healthy. I only missed work this year because I had food poisoning, not from my food.

We have friends who constantly spend on things. They tell us they deserve these things. He draws a larger pension than DH. His home is not paid for. For years, when he worked, he made far more money than DH and I did put together. He bought a bigger house, a fancier car, and more things. His home is filled with them. He bought fancy jewelry for his wife. And the quest continues for buying more, more, more.

A few years ago we paid off our home. It was a goal that we had -- we intended to pay off the house before DH retired. His mom died and with the selling of her property (shared with his brother) we paid off the remainder of our home. We then used the money we didn't need for the house payment to pay off a vehicle. So, we didn't owe much money and started saving money. Then we could take a big trip like we did this year.

I cut corners whenever I can. I use coupons on the things we would normally buy; I make a lot of things from scratch. We buy used whenever we can. We pay cash for everyday items so we aren't tempted to overspend. If I do use the credit card, it is paid off as soon as the bill comes.

I still feel guilty when we do spend money, but I guess it could be called a guilty pleasure. Perhaps saving up for things is one of the reasons we save...but sometimes it is difficult to spend that hard earned money!

As a part of trying to stay healthy, DH and I have been going for morning walks. We enjoy the time together and feel it also helps our physical health as well as mental health to keep moving.

We walk around our neighborhood. It seems scary to see so many houses up for sale. I guess there have always been homes for sale, but usually not two on the same court at the same time.

In another thought, I get frustrated when I see folks not thinking of those who walk. One house always has cars sitting over the sidewalk. It's one thing if they have it because of doing something and move it by the next day, but these vehicles always stick out and it means walking in the street. One clown has this huge travel trailer that sticks out over the sidewalk and the hitch thing is rusted. I always worry I'm going to run into it and scratch myself.

A couple of weeks ago we were walking and a bull dog ran out of nowhere and started barking and snapping at us. We think it belongs to one of the folks who usually has cars sitting and blocking the driveway...we think the owner of both of these is a cop. Guess that speaks volumes, doesn't it? Fortunately a neighbor saw the dog and called it off of us, but I was truly frightened he would bite...he was barking so hard he was foaming at the mouth. He was a large bulldog and could have done severe damage.

There are some homes where the trees and bushes hang out over the sidewalk and snag as you walk. I know lots of people like yucca plants, but when it snags your clothes as you walk by on the sidewalk, it needs to be tied up or trimmed.

Although I'm grousing, I admit I enjoy the walks. I like seeing what folks are doing too. One house is getting a new roof today. We have had horrible heat the past few days and they were out early. I don't envy the roofers their job with this heat, but I'm glad the folks are getting a new roof.

I also like seeing what people have planted for their landscaping. Some folks really love to have flowers. We have seen quite a few tomato plants as folks strive to get that homegrown taste.

One thing I really like is as we walk, most folks wave as they drive by or speak if they walk by. It gives us a sense of community.

An aquaintance of ours has grandchildren. He appears to care for them, but every conversation he has about them, usually contains what major purchase he made for them or with them.

I don't mean to sound cheap, and I enjoy being generous with those I love as well. But I don't purchase stuff for folks for each time I see them, even if I see them a couple or three times in a week.

This person loves to shop and I think part of this scenario is the pleasure of shopping. But, I also think there is a competition there between the other grandparents...this person wants to be thought of as the generous one. Believe me, these grandchildren are not poor and are not doing without -- the parents have good jobs and take good care of their offspring.

I reflected the other day about my grandmother. She was kind to me and she often bought me gifts for Christmas and birthday. But, she didn't have the money to constantly purchase gifts. I didn't feel like I was unloved by any means. She gave me something else -- her time and attention.

In a way, I sort of feel sorry for this person because he must feel he has to buy his grandchildren's affection. The sad part, he can't afford all this spending.

We just returned from a vacation. It was a bus tour with a group from a church...the gal who organized it all is the youth director. It was a fabulous trip and we had a nice time.

She gave us a heads up almost 9 months ago...we figured she had something planned and had been saving for over a year...so, other than the $20 we charged for something, every single thing has been paid for as far as the trip. Our bus, hotels, and a few meals were part of the "package" and the rest was paid in cash that we had saved.

We visited Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Niagara Falls. We saw places where we started our country over 200 years ago. We also visited two memorials of tragedies that happened over 11 years ago.

Flight 93 Memorial

We saw the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, and the 9/11 Memorial in NYC. Both were sobering to think these innocents got up and went to work like normal and didn't return.

9/11 Memorial -- NYC

As we get close to celebrating our nation's birthday this Wednesday, let's remember all the heroes, sung and unsung.

In the Midwest, we had an early spring or should I say summer with high 80s in March.

One thing hubby likes is lemonade when it is hot. I don't mind making it and I'm amazed that some think it is a lot of work. I guess if I were making gallons at a time, it might be, but to make a pitcher of it ever couple of days isn't that big a hassle. And finding lemons on sale is a bonus!

I don't have fancy equipment. I bought this little squeezer a couple of years ago for $1 and it is handy because it fits right over the pitcher.






Lemonade:

4 small lemons or two medium to large lemons, squeezed. I roll them on the counter a bit to try and get as much juice. I also wash them before I cut into them.

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on tartness of lemons)

4 cups of water

Stir and serve chilled.

DH loves it!

It was on a hot Friday,June 15th evening 22 years ago DH and I said, "I do." And we did!

Today is our anniversary. We married on a Friday night because it was more convenient, and very reasonable.

We decided that instead of paying for a lavish wedding, we would go on a nice honeymoon and have money for a downpayment on a house.

We wore clothing that we we already had. We married in DH's mom's backyard under gigantic oak trees, and then had a small cake and punch reception at a small community center. We stayed the night in the house we had purchased -- our first night together because we had not moved into together prior to the wedding.

Do I regret not having the white dress and large wedding? Not really. The people who mattered the most came to the reception -- the wedding was just immediate family. I think most girls dream of the lovely dress and fancy stuff, but in the greater scheme of things, I preferred spending money on paint and curtains. Those things I saw every day.

I asked DH if he would do it all over again and he said, "Yes!"

When I was a kid, there wasn't a lot of money for new things. I kind of resented it because I didn't understand that there just wasn't the extra. But, my folks were smart...they bought second hand to save money and usually "traded up" when given a chance. Besides my dad working for a soda pop plant, they ran a used furniture store. I remember going to auctions, sales, etc.

Fast forward a couple of decades and here I am scouting flea markets, second hand places, and garage sales. I've found some good bargains too. I feel that not only am I saving money, I'm also "recycling" things by giving them a new home.

One friend of mine loves the same things and since we both collect a certain type of dishes, we are always on the look out for the other's pattern. Neither of us minds that is has been used.

Recently I've found some like new things and I'm tempted to purchase them for gifts. I guess I don't get the idea of someone thinking they are too good for used things. I'm not talking about abused or chipped stuff. I'd rather have a really nice dish that had been enjoyed before than a piece of junk purchased new.

So, what's the opinion of the SA folks? Is it OK to buy a like new item to gift?

Our pantry and freezer appear to be pretty full. I thought I would try to start using some of the stuff in both before going back to the store.

I used the last of the potatoes last night for mashed potatoes. I have kept leftover potatoes -- mashed and roasted-- so I thought I'd make potato soup for some lunches. I diced onion and celery and cooked them down in some olive oil. I then added some broth and then the leftover potatoes. When the mashed potatoes dissolved making the broth thicken, I then added about a cup of milk and heated it. Since all the potatoes were already cooked, I didn't have to simmer. This morning in another pot I made a small white sauce of butter and flower in another pot, added the potato soup and it thickened. It was pretty good for lunch with a sandwich and we have enough for another lunch too.

Before I made the soup, I used some of the roasted potatoes cup up in a frittata with eggs, cheese, and some other leftover cut up vegetables. It was a pretty good supper too.

Tonight's supper is using chicken that was in the freezer for oven fried chicken, cornbread, and rice, with a salad.

Fortunately I keep a well stocked pantry or some of our meals could be inventive, but it is always nice using what we have that I probably bought on sale.

I love healthy, frugal eating!

Have you seen the new Maxwell House commercial where the main character is holding a glass mug and gives it to someone to replace a paper cup and says something along the lines of we are fully capable of brewing our own coffee at home?

Way to go, Maxwell House!

I take coffee with me when I go to work in a Thermos. At home, I fix it so I can enjoy it.

A gal I work with was bringing her coffee with her, purchased at the local gas station. She told me it was only 99 cents. I asked her how often she buys it and she says every day. She then moaned about how tight things could be on certain weeks. I mentioned that if she buys coffee 5 times a week that is a least $5 a week and $20 a month. I think the coffee is 99 cents and then tax so it is probably over a dollar. I try to snag my coffee on sale and I bet I don't spend $20 a month on coffee. And I brew it at least 6 times a week.

They don't call it the latte factor for nothing!

Ever since I've been out of school for summer break, I've been trying to get some projects taken care of. Last week I cleaned the garage. I decided it was time to replace the miniblinds that came with the house when we bought it 14 years ago. For the past 14 years, I've washed and scrubbed them when I cleaned the garage, but they are so soiled, they looked bad. So, I thought I'd splurge and replace them.

I haven't purchased blinds for awhile and I can say I had sticker shock, even for the cheaper ones. I didn't want fancy ones, just basic blinds.

After visiting two home improvement places, I bought two blinds (one store didn't have the size I needed), a quart of exterior white paint, a pint of interior white paint, a brush, a furnace filter, a can of Pledge, and 4 caps for wheels for a wagon. We spent nearly $60 on this and I can say I was shocked. These are just little projects and $60 in less than 30 minutes! Ouch!

I painted the trim on the garage door and the regular door to the garage, and hung up the blinds. So, two more projects are completed. Last summer when I painted the trim, I used the paint I had bought about 12 years ago, but alas, the paint came to an end last year. I figure doing a little trim paint here and there not only freshens up the trim, it also protects the wood from the elements.

The caps are for the wagon I painted. Years ago my mom gave my husband a wagon to haul stuff around the yard. It has sat in the weather for these years and it was pretty ratty looking. I took a steel brush and tried to get the peeling paint and rust off of it and then I painted it with some paint I had purchased previously. It looks better, but it will never look showroom new...it is starting to rust out in spots, but I figure anything is better than having it look so bad.

I think I know why folks put off projects...not only because of the work, but also because of the expense. I realize this isn't a huge amount of money, but it seemed like we got so little for what we spent. But, I'm trying to look at it as an investment in our house by maintaining things.

The phone rang at 5:30 this morning. I don't know about you, but whenever it rings really early or really late, it makes us worry.

It was a prank call. I wasn't really happy about it either.

There's an older man who often misdials and leaves messages. If I answer the phone I tell him nicely he has the wrong number and he always apologizes. If he leaves a message on the machine and it sounds like he's expecting a call back, I usually call him back to tell him he got the wrong number and other person may not be returning his call. I don't believe he is misdialing on purpose. I know if it were my dad I would appreciate someone treating him with respect.

I think this other call is just a string of pranksters...a couple of months ago we got a call after midnight, it came up "private caller" and it was some gal screaming in the phone wanting to know if my husband was the baby's dad and if so, she was going into labor and he better get to the local hospital. After the annoyance of a late night call, I had to chuckle over that one...I got a lot of mileage out of teasing DH over it as well. They've called during the day and left similar messages about the baby and so on and do forth.

I am not worried about my husband having cheated so it's mostly an annoyance, but I'm not sure why folks like to make prank phone calls, especially early or late. They are sly enough to make sure the number doesn't come up on caller i.d.

Maybe I should be prepared for the next one...I have a whistle and I know how to use it!

Ever hear the slogan that talks about those who don't remember the past are going to repeat it?

I think there is some merit in this so I have been reading online and books one ways to save time and money. I ran across this book at the library: "Simple Country Wisdom" put out by Country Living. It lists 501 ways to simply your life.

It was a good read. Some of the stuff I've read before or I knew, but some were totally new. And many were ways to save some money as well as use what we have.

In another note, a friend emailed me he was going to use up some the meats and vegetables he had left over to repurpose in another meal because I have inspired him. Guess frugality is spreading!

It may seem I am driving my hubby crazy. Well, maybe crazier, depending on one's opinion.

Each meal I've been cooking, I have tried to estimate what it cost to fix it. I'm not counting the power for the stove or how much refrigeration, but the cost of the ingredients.

Sunday after church I fixed eggs, sausage, potatoes, toast. Coffee for me, and iced tea for him. I figure at the very most the meal cost $6 when you add in the oil and the butter. A similar meal at a restaurant would have probably cost $17 or more. I realize they have overhead and wages to pay. But, I figure that is $11 we saved by eating at home. All in all, the meal took less than 15 minutes to cook.

Supper the other night was a little pricier...we had sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken), chips, fruit, and iced tea. I estimated it cost between $7 to $8 total. And we had leftovers! Enough for lunch the next day so I figure that lunch if we figured in the buns and the chips cost less than $3.

Tonight's supper was a little more expensive than yesterday's lunch -- we had spaghetti (bought on sale), ground turkey, homemade marinara sauce, biscuits (homemade with homegrown herbs), a salad (homegrown lettuce), cottage cheese, and fruit. I think our meal cost around $8. And, we have enough leftover of the spaghetti and biscuits for a lunch.

Sometimes I feel like I spend a ton of money at the store, but then I realize a lot of times, I'm buying stuff to stock the pantry. I try to get pasta on sale and I have been putting it on glass sealed containers or putting it in the freezer. We hit two stores last weekend and in total we spent less than $90. Only one meal we've had didn't include meat that we bought the on this weekend trip.

DH has a very small area for a garden -- our backyard is almost all shade -- so he had herbs in pots and he has planted bell pepper plants among his other fauna in the yard. He has 3 tomato plants, lettuce, radishes, and basil planted in the small garden like area. Someone asked him why he was doing this and he said because it helps me out when I cook and he enjoys eating like a king!

A gal I know was kidding me about the cooking -- she says it is too hard to cook at home and eating out isn't that expensive. I wonder if she could eat as cheaply as we do...we certainly aren't going hungry and I figure a little time in the kitchen means money saved for other things.

Another person we know said brewing tea for iced tea took too much work. During the winter I get the electric kettle out and make iced tea in glass pitchers using tea bags. I let it cool down before I put it in the fridge. This summer I've made "sun tea" as well as brewed it. Somehow putting a few tea bags in some water doesn't seem that hard and I know what is going into the tea...no artificial sweeteners.

One friend has complained how short of money he is...they eat out every single day...sometimes twice. I'm not against eating out -- it is a nice treat -- but when I look at how much it costs, cooking seems a bit more reasonable.

Something I have been reading up on is saving money reusing things. I wondered about those plastic tags that come on bread wrappers and produce bags. I ran across this site:

http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/10-re-uses-for-those-little-bread-tags.html

I wonder if they really hold th socks together. It is worth a try, anyway.

I also noticed using one of the bags that produce come in to make a scrubber by putting a sponge inside.

We hit Aldi today and bought lemons and I have both a plastic tag and bag.

I just hate throwing stuff away that can be used from something.

What a month! I wish I could say it was expensive because we went out and bought luxurious items. Nope.

Because the end of the school is near, it seems this is the time we were hit up for retirements, weddings, graduation, and the like.

My job is different than most because I am not assigned to one building, but am "housed" in one place, but actually work in three others. We had people retire from each building and we were asked to chip in for gifts. My partner and I tried to explain to folks collecting money that buying gifts for four buildings was really getting expensive. We stuck to our guns, but got some dirty looks. I’m not saying we didn’t give anything, but one building wanted $25 each!

Then we had a couple gals at one building get married and we were hit up for shower gifts. I know I'm going to sound like Scrooge here, but I am beginning to think there was something really right about etiquette stating you get the showers on the first marriage...these gals have been married before and have households.

All in all, it was a pretty expensive month.

I think I counteracted a lot of it because we ate at home most of the time. Today was the last day of school and I had some paperwork that needed to be completed before I could start on vacation. I got to work early and did get it completed. I was so very tired when I got home, but nevertheless, made supper. It was baked spaghetti with leftover meat sauce and a salad and leftover green beans as well as cornbread. It really didn't take that much work or time, but I figured we saved money and I didn't have to venture out.

Hopefully we can get things back on track money wise.

As many of you know, I'm in education. My DH has been retired and is volunteering. In fact, he volunteers 5 days a week at 4 different schools.

Earlier this year he set up a time to work with two teachers at the same school. One decided the morning time wasn't working for her, so he agreed to come back in the afternoon which means he visits the school twice in one day to accomodate her. A lot of times he would stand in the hall waiting to come in so she could finish whatever she was doing...for the last few weeks he was waiting out there 15 minutes or more...I guess what is the most bothersome is the fact he shows up on time each and every week. Yet, she never seemed to be ready for him to come in.

Today he got to the school and signed in and went to the classrooms. Both were empty. He walked around thinking maybe they went to the restroom or the gym. No sign of these students or teachers. One of the teaching assistants saw him and said she thought the classes were on a field trip.

In our district you have to request a bus weeks in advance so this wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Yet neither of these two teachers could mention to him they wouldn't be at school on Monday or email me that they were going on a field trip.

He has felt that his time was not well spent going to these classes.

I just can't imagine treating a volunteer like this. Maybe I'm of an age where one appreciates it when folks give time and try to make sure they knew I was grateful.

Perhaps this is a reason people are hesitant to volunteer.

Fake? Really? How can a Farmer's Market be fake?
 
A few years ago we were at a local farmer's market. As I perused the green beans, the person at that table brought out a box to replenish the supply. The box looked strangely familiar -- very familiar in fact. It appeared to be the same box that our local grocery uses when stocking their vegetable bins.
 
I stepped back and watched. Other boxes were pulled out with other things like bell peppers, zucchini, etc. All seemed to be the same shape, same size. And the boxes -- all the same. The materials to divide seemed like the ones from the store.
 
I thought to myself -- this guy is a fake. He's purchased this stuff and is implying he grew it and selling it as his own. And he was charging far higher prices than the local supermarket.
 
Humbug.
 
Apparently it's not just happening in our little city, but other places as well. I read an article about these being scams.
 
Fortunately our local community college also hosts a farmer's market and I do think most of the folks who set up are bringing stuff they raised themselves.
 
Frankly, fake is frightening not to mention being a rip off when it comes to farmer's markets.
 
Debbie's blog: http://frugalfoodie.savingadvice.com/

All my life I have struggled with weight problems and self esteem. Recently I attended a workshop and this nice looking guy was very polite and kind to me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not looking for man -- I am happily married. But after this encounter, I questioned why this person seemed interested. I usually stay in the background because I don't like being in the limelight. And it is often better to be unnoticed because I don't want to be made fun of.

So, I have wondered why anyone would treat me so nicely when I am certainly not beautiful. And then it makes me feel even worse about myself.

DH and I have discussed how society has ingrained in us how beauty is so important. It seems we are judged so much on how we look.

Those shows where the little girls are dolled up to look far more mature kind of worry me because will this make these children struggle with their self esteem?

We ate breakfast with my brother and his wife and the topic came up where a former boss hired a good looking gal who had no skills simply because she was eye candy. This was a few years ago.

Some of the articles I've seen state that good looking people are more successful because people respond to them more favorably. Perhaps that is true in many cases.

Hopefully as I meet people today, I will look beyond appearances and accept them as they are. And maybe, just maybe, I'll accept myself as well.

It is darn warm outside here in Central Illinois. It feels like July instead of May. Yesterday was warm too. I know the farmers are probably delighted because some of them have corn coming up and we did finally receive some rain earlier in the week and the corn popping up will enjoy the hot sun.

DH pulled some radishes, green onions, and picked some lettuce yesterday for our supper last night. It was so nice to have fresh stuff. He hasn't put in tomatoes yet because he normally waits until Mother's Day weekend to plant...our weather pattern has been so weird with the atypical warmer weather, but he was afraid of frost. My brother planted his tomatoes a few weeks ago and is bragging about how great they look...one never knows.

Our herbs in pots from last year are all looking pretty good since they didn't die off. The thyme looks like it might be knocking on the door pretty soon since it is growing so fast.

Looking forward to a bountiful garden this year...and hopefully saving a few bucks besides. We figure the herbs not dying saved us some money.

Interesting magazine in the mailbox this week...with my name on the subscription address...

It was American Baby. Looks like a nice enough magazine, but I don't have any children, and at my age, I am not planning on having any. It was really bizarre receiving that magazine.

I haven't signed up for any free offers or anything so I have no idea why it appeared. I don't purchase magazine subscriptions because I borrow magazines from the library so it couldn't be a mix up.

I passed it along to a coworker who has a daughter expected...

I do wonder if I should be "expecting" this publication next month!

Most of my friends have phones that do about everything. Until about 3 months ago, my phone was pretty ratty looking and I had to charge it about every night. It wasn't because it was one of those phones with everything, the phone was just about done for. I looked into battery replacement and concluded it was cheaper to get a new phone.

Have you been phone shopping lately? All the different things and how disappointed the sales person was when I said my cell was for making and receiving phone calls. Period. Tried to sell me a memory card for photos and this and that. I need this for a data plan. He wasn't a happy camper when I said I don't need a fancy plan...I don't text, don't send photos, and didn't plan on accessing the 'net.

Many of my friends were shocked. No texting? Really?

I explained that our phone plan is bare bones and I wasn't going to get a more expensive plan to text. DH wouldn't text nor would my brother so I cannot see the extra expense. Apparently my friends think I am nothing short of weird.


Being pragmatic, I can't see spending more for something that I am not interested in using. It's just one more expense and I would prefer to not spend money that way.

So, no smart phone for me...guess my phone is kind of dumb and I use it as a phone...make and receive calls...kind of unheard of, isn't it?