In My Home This Week: Savings Now And Later On

It looks like just so much trash really and technically that's what it is.  I save the end pieces and outer skins (not the papery skins) from onions, the root end and leaves of celery stalks, and odd pieces of carrots including tops and tips to season stock.  I'm making something from odds and ends that normally might be thrown away.  It's one of the ones I try to make the most of the dollars spent on food in my kitchen.


Saturday:  Just before sundown last night I earned a $25 gift card from Swagbucks.

Used a bucket with a broken lid to store potting soil.  Ants may get in it but they can't do any real damage and it will keep it from spilling all over the porch.

Ordered supplements and went through a Swagbucks Shop and Earn e-store.  I don't know why I've failed to do that in recent orders but I'm determined to make my shopping count for as much as I can!

Took note that MyCokeRewards is offering double points on all bottle caps November 3 through November 5.  This allows me to get 150 points rather than the usual 75 allowed weekly.  I am saving for a gift card to Walmart which will cover a portion of my household shopping and diabetic supplies (test strips).

Reheated leftovers of the Moroccan Spiced Chicken for dinner.  Added butter beans and coleslaw to extend the skimpy leftovers.

Today's slaw was prepped ahead yesterday.  I grated broccoli stems with a bit of cabbage and a carrot.  Another good use for broccoli stems is to save to slice into stir fry or fried rice.  And of course you can always steam and make into broccoli cheese soup.  In the year ahead I mean to try and use every bit of food that comes into my household and get the most I can for my food dollars.  It will take a lot of thinking, planning and most of all doing.  I can plan and think all I want but unless I actually do it I've gained nothing.

Felt a scratchy throat starting up.  With John unwell just now it is a cinch I have been exposed.  I took Zinc, Vitamin C and am spraying my throat with the Pro-Silver.  I feel much better than I felt last night  and that's just a few doses in with the Pro-Silver.  I'll keep it up for a couple of days to insure I fully head off the symptoms.



Sunday:  Rough start to my morning, despite the extra hour of sleep.  I skipped making a cooked breakfast and we ate peanut butter toast.  I made toast in the toaster.

Went into town to pick up a Sunday paper for John.  I figured the Crossword would entertain him somewhat.  I took off trash as I went.

Keeping it easy today.  I've plans to do quiet work and no hard work.  I believe rest and liquids will now benefit me more than pushing myself.

John continues to take the store brand mucus relief/cough suppressant. I am taking Vitamin C and Zinc and using the Pro-Silver.  I do feel it's halted the progress of this mess into my chest.  I am hoping to avoid getting as ill as John has been with care now.

It is rainy today.  Bonus is that the containers under the roof line are filled with water, which the pets use as their drinking water.

Took time to go over the bill box and make sure that we were good on all the bills.

Dinner was a leftover makeover:  Meatball heroes, which used up the last of the meatballs and sauce I made for spaghetti squash last week.

Monday:  A miserable day overall with lots of rain and lots of coughing and fever.  Ugh.  I am so fortunate I can rest right here at home.  Light housework was all that was required and all that it got.

I napped, took Tylenol, more Vitamin C, sprayed my throat with Pro-Silver and drank lots of water today.

As it rained, I moved the back porch plants to sit under the portion where water runs off roof.  I was able to fully water all without using one ounce of well water.

It got muggy and uncomfortably warm this afternoon, and it made me feel very hot,  quite a stretch from the chills earlier.  I turned the AC down 1 degree, just enough to make it kick on and run a few minutes.

Made soup from a variety of leftovers: corn, chili, a bit of Sloppy Joe meat.  It was quite good and I had enough leftover to put a bowl in the freezer for a future time.

Cashed in Swagbucks for $25 gift card.

Ran a full load of dishes today.

Put down time to good use and looked through vintage magazines for new art for blog, worked on year end summary and resolutions for the year ahead.

Ate the last of the salad made over the weekend for my supper tonight.

Vapor rub and Eucalyptus oil on my chest, Vapor rub on the soles of my feet...These are my remedies for the common cold.

Tuesday:  Miserable night.  Very thankful for the nice hot shower this morning.

John had a work meeting.  I prepared and ate oatmeal for my breakfast.

Rinsed and stacked dishes.  When I have a bit more energy I'll put them in the dishwasher.

Made a proper meal today.  I thawed meat over the weekend and felt I really must prepare it today.  Fortunately there were enough sides from Saturday's dinner that cooking meat was all I needed to do.  I took the potatoes I diced and put in water on Friday on to boil and mashed those.  Glad it was a very easy meal to put on the table.

Received two frozen dinners as test products.  They came in a neat little cooler that will be worth reusing.

Opened mail this morning from yesterday.  My $25 gift card came, a reward for allowing a home health service to come in and do an at home examination.  I applied it to my account online right away.  I hate to misplace a card and seem to do so even if I'm being very careful with it.

Coupons in the mail today as well.

Convinced John to take the prescription antibiotics he was given for his oral surgery.  He looked up the drug online and it is also meant for respiratory infections, which I am pretty sure he has.

Wednesday:  Shifted chairs about in the living room.  Mama has a like new swivel chair and ottoman that she doesn't like.  I asked if I might have it.  She told me two weeks ago to get it anytime I wanted it.  This is a huge blessing, as it replaces one of the broken down chairs (the oldest one) and gives us much needed additional seating (the ottoman) in our living room.

The swivel chair with ottoman Mama disliked and hadn't used in two or three years is a nice piece.  I'm very grateful for her giving it to me.

John's partner from work offered to pick up the chair for us in his truck.  I knew he'd never take a bit of money for his time or gasoline but I was pretty sure he'd happily accept a bag full of those North Georgia grown apples Bess bought.  I have tons yet, even after giving about half back to her and was more than happy to share with someone so willing to do us a kindness.

Debbie came with her husband and I was more than happy for company, for all that I am sick.  I stayed well away from her, but we had a lovely conversation.  Her faith is strong and sure, always a nice bonus in a friend.  She's had a sort of roller coaster year as well.  It was good to talk and discover that our husbands were 'on the same page'  in their thoughts and to remind ourselves of how many blessings we have despite the tough year we've each had.  She was good medicine for me and I hope I was a comfort to her as well.

John wanted chili mac, and I knew he wanted the spicy bite of the chili to help with his cold.  Well, I had just an ounce or so of whole wheat fusilli but it made up enough to really stretch that chili.  I had a serving size of chili mac for each of us leftover, too.  And the store brand of the chili powder was some spicy stuff.  Just right for opening up stuffy heads and chests.

Just a few doses in and John is showing marked improvement with his illness which went deep into his chest.  I am continuing to dose with vitamin C and Vapor rub.  Mine has not gone deep into my chest but I do have an irritating cough and ache all over.  I am drinking lots of fluids and checking my blood sugars regularly and am going to keep resting until I feel better.  The housework, I've noted, has done nothing but wait on me anyway.  So what is my hurry?

We had problems with our well yesterday morning and had to call our well service  for help.  We had enough cash in the small home repair envelope to pay him in full.   We didn't have to take money from savings nor write a check from our account which is strained due to the short pay period.  Now I do truly have to replenish our at home repair envelope but what a blessing...I know John was very happy.

Thursday:  Put together a quick breakfast this morning that took little effort on my part.  I had a bad morning and this was just what I needed.

Made lunch from scratch.  The meal wasn't on my menu plan but nothing has been this week.  Honestly I've been flying by the seat of my pants making whatever I can from what I can thaw out the quickest.  Dinner was baked in the oven today, a one dish sort of meal with a side dish of Brussels Sprouts.  I've been tempted and tempted to ask John to go to town to buy something but have come up with several easily prepared meals that are not too tedious on me in preparation nor clean up.  There was enough of the main dish casserole to serve another two servings.  I foresee that weekend meals will be very easy indeed on me.

Thawed more meat for the weekend ahead just in case we needed additional meals.  If I don't use them over the weekend, I'll use them very first part of next week.

I spent the day taking it very easy.  I had a rotten morning with this cold today, but by evening I felt almost normal once more.

John has been after me about what I want for Christmas.  I found two books today that I knew were keepers as they were about favorite authors.  I told him I wanted them, he told me to order them. Christmas for me is done.  Now to get on his list and knock that out.

Friday:  Sent John off to work with breakfast and a packed lunch bag.

John had an oops moment this morning and spilled coffee on the chair and his work clothes.  He did a quick change and I decided that after all today was a good day to strip the bed and the chair and wash slipcover, sheets, mattress pad and towels.  With a small load of clothes as well it equaled four loads today.  Ugh.  I don't typically do that many loads a week!  I had to use dryer since the humidity levels were very very high again today, too.  Double ugh.

I made what was meant to be a quick trip to town this morning to pay the electric bill and drop off another bill.  I stopped at the shop and was pleased to discover I had earnings.  I made enough to cover rent for 3 months!  I was so pleased.

I spent several hours Monday night looking at eBay sales for dishes I really wanted for holidays this year.  In the end, I opted to buy six salad plates and use a set of glasses I already own.  Today in the flea market there was two shelves of exactly the stuff I'd sat dreaming over this week...for $3 a piece.  I couldn't afford all I wanted of it, but I could certainly afford salad plates and glasses for four.  Not having to pay shipping on these dishes is what made it such a bargain for me.  And if I can this coming month I'll pick up 4 more of each.  That's Christmas and Thanksgiving tables done for under $20 allowance.

I'm enamored with these ornate pressed glass pieces at the moment.  So much so that I bought clear plates to use for Christmas and the amber pieces for Thanksgiving.

I needed to cash my check and decided to go to the next town over to use a branch bank.  I promised myself if I felt okay and not too drained I'd go over to the big yard sale site.  So glad I did.  I found a Simmons Beauty Rest steel headboard and foot board for $10!  This is the exact bed I've wanted for my guest room.  I'll paint it, of course, but I mean to copy the decorative painting on the two mid panels so I can keep that feature of the bed.  I think my happy carried me all the way home and while I was tired when I returned I thought it an excellent treasure hunt day.

The bed is a little rusty and will get a new coat of paint.  This is the detail on the headboard and foot board panel that I want to copy to preserve on the newly painted bed.

Washed a full load of dishes in the dishwasher.  Hand washed the dishes I bought today and the salad plates that arrived in the mail.

Received a free book in the mail.  This is related to diabetes and I wasn't looking for it at all.  I hope it will prove to be an asset.

Other items in mail, $5 and $10 off purchase cards from a DIY store.  I plan to use them to purchase mulch and shades for our bedroom.  I also found a dime in one envelope and a forever stamp in another mailing.  I have a valuable coupon from a favorite dress store, and a percentage off at CVS card.  Then Katie sent me an envelope jammed with coupons.  I feel as though mail has been a real blessing this week!  

Tempted though I was, I did not buy a meal out today.  Instead I came home and heated tomato soup and had a cheese sandwich.

So it's been a mixed week in my household but it's been a week with many blessings to balance out the hard parts.  I'm glad to wrap it up and call it done.  Here's hoping next week we're both well (we ARE better!).