My Frugal Week - April 26 to May 2

Saturday:  A very relaxed day for us.  We don't normally do much on Shabat and we do even less when John's worked Friday and Shabat evening/night.   I had no clue what I'd make for breakfast but decided upon Breakfast sandwiches.  It's quick, easy, and filling.  I depress the middle of a piece of bread, place on a cookie sheet and break an egg in the middle.  I put cheese slices on a second piece of bread.  I bake at about 400 until the egg is fully set (I like them well done) and the cheese melted.  This morning I topped with cooked sausage, too.

Made sure the AC was set at daytime temps.  It was.  I'd forgotten to turn it down last night, which is a good thing.

I put a turkey breast in the crockpot to cook.  I'd meant it for dinner but even after a week in the fridge the thing was not fully thawed.  Looks like Sunday dinner...

Which meant I had to cook dinner.  We always have a splurge meal of specialty cut steaks when we go to the meat market.  Not cheap but it's a once a quarter treat for us.  However the side dishes were inexpensive or salvages.  One big baking potato, halved between us.  The remainder of the bag of salad that John brought in from work.

I poured the broth off the turkey into a gallon sized pitcher.  I put that in the fridge so the fat could congeal on top.  I'll skim it off and then pour into a jar for the freezer.

I discovered this morning that the onions had started to go bad.  I peeled them all, salvaged what I could of them.  I made onion rings from some of those slices, put the rest in the fridge to use in cooking over the week.  I used the saved pancake batter to make the onion rings.



Sunday:  John made omelets for us this morning.  He's far more economical than I with ingredients.

We took off trash when we left for church.  We also went by post office and posted a couple of things.

We stopped at Lowe's to try to buy casters for John's amp.  No luck.  We will have to order those from the musician's site.

Today we bought the first two of the blinds we've planned to buy to replace the el cheapo ones.  We used house funds to buy these.  I put them in the two dining room windows that catch all that morning sun.  Great for drying clothes, not so much for keeping the house cool come summer.  The next set will likely go in the west facing living room windows.  Would I like to have all my windows done at once?  You bet!  Can't and so I won't whine about it.  I hope eventually to replace all the blinds in the house with these better quality wide plantation slat shades.

John treated me to lunch out, using his allowance, and a long drive home.

We agreed we were done spending after lunch...and agreed that we'd not be eating cold cereal for dinner or breakfast since milk was low.  That way I can stretch it out through Tuesday.

Came home and discovered I had just enough bread to make two sandwiches for John's work lunch Tuesday, and just enough cat food to get us through Tuesday.  Tuesday is the target day to pick up needed grocery items.  That's the day John picks up and deposits his check.  We'll actually go shopping for all other grocery needs on Thursday.

We had turkey sandwiches for supper tonight.

I spent the afternoon/evening researching vacation sites.  Woe is us, we can't go until the very time when every one kicks into summer rates.  We will alter our plans and find a different place to stay.

Monday:  Used the last of the Challah loaf from Friday's Shabat evening as our breakfast bread.

Went to the pantry for a 'shop at home': flour, coffee, evaporated milk.

Made biscuits to go with our dinner and planned overs for John's breakfast in the morning.

Made John's work sandwiches with the last of the bread.

Washed a full load of dishes in the dishwasher.

Tuesday:  Packed John's lunch and made his breakfast.

Had Harvest Day this morning.  I recalled as I wrote out bills that next pay period is that dreaded short one.  I set some money aside to help with groceries next pay period.

Went to town to pay bills and then over to next town to bank.  I don't usually use that branch, but was just using ATM this week anyway.

Went to the Market Dollar General as I needed to pick up some personal care items and could also buy milk, bread, cat food there as well.

I wanted a specific cookie at the store but couldn't find it on the shelf.  I didn't buy an alternative but just skipped cookies altogether.

Stopped to look over the Easter Candy 'specials'.  They weren't reduced very much despite being in Easter foils.  The woman who stopped to look as well said she thought she'd just take her sweet craving home, lol.  I did the same.

I thought I'd buy lunch out but truly could not think of one place I'd like to eat.  I came home and reheated leftovers.

Foolishly went to store quite hungry...I decided to buy a soda to help keep my blood sugar up.  I noted they offered a canned drink for $.50 and a bottled drink was $1.79.  I opted for the canned soda.

I thought I was out of fresh produce except apples.  I just didn't want an apple, but then remembered the frozen peaches I put up last summer.  I partially thawed and ate some of those as my fruit today.

I went outdoors and gathered a homegrown bouquet of flowers.  Fragrant and lovely with roses and honeysuckle.

I kept meaning to tie the running rose to the trellis but I had no hose.  I recalled a conversation with John on Sunday when I told him that sometimes I just needed to start with what I have.  What I have are lots of those little plastic zip ties, so I used some of those.  Discovered that I have about 8 new rosebushes from that running one.  I'll be digging those up to replant elsewhere.

I have a huge bunch of wire grass that just came up in the flower bed.  It's gorgeous.  I would love to move it but not sure it will survive.  I found a smaller bunch behind another rose bush and was able to transplant it to a pot.  Fingers crossed it does well.

Was emptying flower pots this evening and discovered one that had chrysanthemums coming up in it.  I left those in the pot.

Wednesday:  Clipped, sorted, organized coupons.

Washed a full load of clothes and made sure to time the dryer (it was another rainy morning here).

John washed a second full load when he came in from work.

That was about the extent of this day.  I felt unwell and just indulged my need to rest

Thursday:  Grocery day.  We took off mail to be posted, took trash to dumpster.

We went to Aldi first.  My list was extensive due to company coming to visit, and a shortened grocery list previous pay period.

Stuck hard to my list at the second grocery store, but did allow for a splurge: green beans.  The grandchildren love green beans and I thought the fresh beans would be less expensive than canned ones.  A full pound of beans were $1.49.

John chose a sub sandwich for lunch.  I have this need for a hot meal but didn't want to spend all evening in the kitchen.  I was able to make a quick Alfredo Turkey and Broccoli pasta.  I had prepared Alfredo sauce in my pantry (jar) and just needed to cook the pasta.  I steamed broccoli in a steamer pot placed in the pasta pot while the pasta cooked.

Friday:  While John was at a work meeting, I prepped food for the weekend.

I ordered a new canister for the knives but in the meantime I needed a suitable non-tipsy container.  I am using an old coffee tin in the meantime.  It's ugly but works.

Prepped food towards weekend meals.  I did something I seldom do:  I had no hard and firm plans in place. I sort of thought I might go pick up take out chicken at the local place and just make sides, but I did go a little over my grocery budget this week.  We have plenty of meat on hand...I decided to make a meatloaf which is a good meat meal to extend to feed a crowd.  I took out meat to thaw.  The rest of the menu just fell into place from there.

I made up an easy chicken pot pie meal for supper.

John brought in take out for our midday meal.  Bless that man!  I'd been working hard since he'd left home and needed the rest break.  We had leftover chicken tenders which I went ahead and made into sandwiches for Sunday's work lunch.

Put peaches in fridge to thaw for cobbler tomorrow.  These are peaches put up last summer.  I had some for supper Tuesday night when John worked.  I prepared them as Grandmama used to make them for me when I was a child: sprinkled lightly with sugar, dressed with a little 'cream' aka evaporated canned milk and eaten while still slightly crispy with ice.  Still as good as it was all those years ago.