Frugal Friday: Purpose Driven Savings

.Saturday:  Off to see the Kids!  John asked me the afternoon before what we'd have for breakfast.  I made muffins Friday evening from two bananas that ripened rather quickly.

John likes to stop several times on the way.  I'll say this for his new Yeti cup, the coffee bought in Perry was still hot 2 1/2 hours later when we stopped in Hazlehurst.  He told me to take a sip, and I was shocked.  It was as hot as though it had just been brewed!  John told me he's so convinced over the value of the cup now that he'll gladly spend money on another one for me.  I reminded him we had another one right here at home and I'd just get rid of all the others which don't even come up as a close second to the Yeti.

I brought along a meal to share with the kids: lasagna and chocolate cake from the freezer, a bag of romaine hearts from the fridge.  I'd taken out the lasagna on Friday and put in the fridge.  It and the cake were frozen solid.  I didn't think ice was necessary.  Indeed when we arrived at Sam's the lasagna was still frozen!  We had a rather late dinner since it took over an hour to thaw and heat through in the oven.



I packed a snack for the ride home and brought along bottles of water to drink on the long drive.

I'd suggested John buy supper out, very inexpensively, but he drove right on through the last town with that possibility then asked "What do we have for supper?"  I explained that my plan was in the town behind us and I guessed he'd have to make do with what we had at home.  Our late dinner and early snack had pretty much covered any need I felt of eating.

Sunday:  Friday, when I took the lasagna from the freezer, I also took out a whole chicken.  I let it sit at room temperature for several hours but it was still frozen when I put in the refrigerator that evening.  It still had ice inside when I took it out Sunday morning to roast. 

I used the mayonnaise roasted turkey recipe to roast the chicken.  It smelled wonderful as it cooked and had a great flavor.

Friday I used the last of the buttermilk.  Well, I used the last of what I meant to use and then I filled the quart bottle with milk and left on the counter for 36 hours.  I now have another quart of buttermilk ready to use.

I took hash brown casserole from the freezer and heated in the oven next to the chicken. 

I made salad Friday to have with our meal and then decided it was unnecessary.  I used that and all the toppings I'd put together mid-week to make our salad. 

I worked the second trial day of my new housekeeping routine.  Honestly, I do like this new plan!  I now have the guest room as neat and nice as our room, dusted and everything. 

I put all my projects in a cardboard box on my craft table so they are contained and now strown about the room.

Washed a full load of clothes and hung on the line to dry.

Washed a full load of dishes and let them air dry.

Went through four modern day magazines.  Honestly...If Mama didn't just hand them to me, I wouldn't bother to read them at all.  They're nowhere near as interesting and informative as my vintage magazines.

I had Quiche for supper.  John was not interested.  I made him chicken sandwiches with leftover chicken.

Made his work lunch and set up oatmeal for early morning.

Monday:  Got up far too early, threw back the bedcovers and then headed straight to the AC to turn it back up to 75 for the day. 

Made our breakfast.  Packed John's lunch.

Started day three of my new household routine.  Yes, I do like this very much indeed!  Today I vacuumed the entire house, then went to work on the main living area.  An hour later I was all done.  I made the bed which had been airing the full time.

Went out to feed the pets.

Checked trash but decided after all it didn't need to go to the dumpster.  I had room to spare in the can still.

Watered outdoor plants.

Repotted the poor little ivy and set it on the front porch where it thrived last summer.

Gathered water, the last of the books for the Women's club sale, and my cash to pay for lunch out with Mama.

We went to Hobby Lobby.  I wanted a couple of items to help fill out the entry way wall in the living room.  I had a list, which I left at home, but I wanted only a few items and found them all easily.  I didn't have a 40% off coupon and the woman instructed me how I could download from the website onto my phone.  I always feel so behind times when I explained that I don't have a data plan with my phone.  She must have felt terribly sorry for me because she gave me the discount which meant the fabric I bought was reduced a ridiculous amount.

I found the fabric I made valances with for my bathroom full length mirrors.  I have valances on them because otherwise the noise is nearly unbearable in that room due to all the hard surfaces.  I've been wanting to make a room darkening blind for the bath with the same fabric but couldn't find what was leftover.  I shall most likely find it right away now because I bought two yards more of it today.  I hope to cover the bench under the window and recover a pillow on the chair in my bedroom with the same fabric.  That's why I bought two yards.

Took Mama out to eat.

Eventually, after a rather long drive I headed back home.  I stopped at the discount grocery on the way.  I picked up dianthus, petunias, salvia four packs and a geranium hanging basket.  I also bought our favorite all beef kosher hot dogs, a smoked boneless turkey breast that is sliced for sandwiches and our favorite turkey breakfast sausage which I only buy when I happen to go into that store.

Dropped off books at the library.  Grateful that is the last of the lot to go there.  I have two bags to go to Goodwill, which I will take over later this week.

Hung the items on my entryway wall.  It looks rather nice.

Made myself a single cup of decaf coffee.

Put coffee grounds about the soil of the blue hydrangea.  I need to repot that this week if I've enough soil to do it.


Tuesday:  Woo Boy!  I am tired, with a capital T.  I just put dinner in the oven and am very mindful that this must be moved to priority status.  I need to thaw the night before, prepare before I begin the daily work and household routine.  I was so weary when I came in and I just didn't have a ready to use meal.  I now have meat thawing for tomorrow's meal and will mix up my meatloaf tonight before shutting the kitchen f.or the night.

Up early this morning.  I had the daily routine pretty much done by the time John came in, except the bed was still airing and I need to sweep the kitchen and bath.

Our dinner today is a Leftover Makeover dish.  I took chicken I roasted on Sunday and made a Ritz Chicken casserole.  I used the last of a jar of yogurt in place of the sour cream the recipe required.  I put English peas (frozen) into the oven in a small covered enamel pan.  They will steam once they get hot.

Potted all the plants I bought yesterday.  I only mention this because in the past I didn't always pot up everything I bought.  It was sheer laziness on my part and an unwillingness to mix odd plants in a basket.  This year, I'm mixing anything leftover when I've potted up things.   I did have to remove some bulbs from pots in order to pot the plants.  I plan to plant these on Friday during my yardwork time.  They are nice healthy bulbs and I don't plant to let them go to waste.

I am now ready for phase two of the yardwork.  It's nice to recognize I've progressed.  I will purchase two shepherd's hooks and hanging baskets to go in the rose bed.  This will fill in the space nicely and  add interest to what is otherwise a neat but green  and brown space.

I painted the café set.  I got so frustrated with my first can of paint.  It spluttered and dripped and ran and often just sprayed out propellant.  I persisted and managed to use up the paint but what a mess!  I used my thinking cap and put on the latex gloves John had got me, so no paint stained hands.  I remembered to take off my glasses before getting started, too.  I'll need a fourth and possibly fifth can of paint to finish this off.  The paint I'd bought was pricey, roughly twice what I'd pay for it at Home Depot or Lowe's.  I'll be sure to buy it there this time.  Still, so far I'm in for $18 on that café set and I sure can't buy a new one for that price!

Cleared things meant for the shed and took them to the shed.  Follow through on these tasks is usually my main problem.  Today I followed through!

Pulled the items I wanted from the shed for the front porch.  I need to go back out there and get a few items.  I won't do that today, however.  I pulled a piece from the yard to use on the front porch.  It's unique and I think, once I do what I want to with it, it will be a fun and creative statement piece.  Tammy L....Keep your eyes peeled!  I think you'll like it!

Cleaned both porches and brushed debris from the patio.  I must make a note to pull my blower out of the shed the night before my porch day and to charge the battery as soon as I get up.  That's why it was bought, so I could just blow the debris and dirt off the porches and patio.  Beats the blisters the broom gives me.

If I do anything else this afternoon, I will work on pillow covers for the patio chair cushions.  I'd love to paint those pieces but I will need quite a bit more paint.  I have limited funds right now and don't want to draw any off the savings I've been making.   I'd much rather save to fill those sub-accounts because if things change with John's job, we might well need that funding in place ahead of time.

Wednesday:  We ate a light breakfast this morning of peanut butter toast.  It was nice to have bread in the house once again.  I really enjoyed that toast!

We took off trash, took an item to mail, picked up our mail from Tuesday on our way out.

John needed work boots.  We went to Academy to look for the sort he wanted and he found two pairs.  I thought one pair, the lesser expensive pair, just looked cheap and like plastic.  I convinced him to buy the boots with the real leather uppers.  He wears his work boots 2-3 years average so why not have the better pair?

We both got a few clothing items.  For me, inexpensive tank tops.  I bought three colors but two white ones.  Why?  Because a white tank top is a BASIC piece in my wardrobe and gets the most wear.  I'm over buying just one of something that I know full well I really need two of.  White tanks and tees for instance.  They are classic pieces and go with everything. 

John found two shirts he liked and purchased them both.  He buys few clothes overall and pretty much wears the same colors.  These shirts are the wiki-cool type which wick away perspiration and dry quickly.  I think he'll find them very helpful in the hot months ahead.

We went to The Fresh Market.  John gave me a gift card he'd gotten for Christmas and forgotten to use.  I had a coupon and a gift card from The Fresh Market.  My total at the end of the shopping was 29cents.  I didn't buy a lot of meat though I did pick up some more of the hamburger on sale.  Instead I purchased the items we'd normally have bought for a between pay periods trip: produce, a little dairy, some bread.  Not having to pay a big sum out of pocket was nice.

We came home.  I'd remembered to turn up the AC early in the morning hours and John had flipped off ceiling fans when we left home, too. 

We went outdoors this evening.  I watered plants, tightened up some screws on the so-called windmill thingy I'd bought for the flower bed and used the blower to clear the patio of debris.  John added drainage holes to some big flower pots I was given.  We sat on the porch and enjoyed the breeze.

Thursday:  John out early this morning to trim trees.  I did Bible study, light housework and mixed up a batch of waffles from scratch. 

Must make a note on that recipe to half it.  We ate generous amounts of waffles and I still put 18 in the freezer this morning!  Nice for future warming in the toaster but that was a lot of waffles.

Made the patio cushion covers.  Making the ties took the longest portion of time but do you know it took me two hours start to finish this time, cutting out, sewing, stuffing and finishing off.  Not bad!  They look nicer than the old cushions though these were shaped differently so required some little more work than the other set.

Prepared dinner while I sewed. I put potatoes and corn on to cook, made coleslaw, put a meatloaf in the oven. 

I used some pineapple tidbits in the coleslaw.  I know that sounds odd, but we eat at a place on the inlet of Mantanza's Bay in Florida and they put pineapple and mini marshmallows in the coleslaw.  It's quite good.  I skipped the marshmallows but the pineapple was nice and it's a refreshing change.

Repotted some snapdragons this morning and moved some dahlias.  Two of them from last summer had returned and hopefully will do something.  I've got a bunch of lilies and gladiolas I thought I'd plant in the planters we just put drainage holes in.   Tomorrow I am going out to get some mulch and will try to find hibiscus to put in the big pot on the patio and something for the strawberry pot.  I noted petunias coming up in the pot where I moved the Dahlia.  I made sure to leave them.

John hung my pictures in the back entry.  I put one of those disc hangers on one of my Tole trays.  I'll get more of those so I can hang the rest.

Prepared John's work lunch.  Set up breakfast oatmeal so I can simply pour and stir in the morning.

Used the last of the pineapple up tonight. I mixed pineapple and cottage cheese for John's work lunch.  I mixed the last of the can of tidbits with some flaked coconut and orange segments for a variation on ambrosia which was quite nice with our chicken sandwiches for our supper.

Friday:   Packed John's work lunch, made our breakfast oatmeal.  We were up well before 4am this morning because John had to go into work an hour earlier than usual.

Ran a full load of dishes after John left.  I filled empty spaces with dish drain plugs, coffee pot and filters and baskets.  When the machine stopped, I opened the door and allowed the dishes to air dry.

Fed cat and dog some roast beef that we ignored in the fridge.  It was meant for sandwiches but we never ate it.

Pulled items from the freezer for my lunch today: Mixed vegetables and leftover rice, Chicken potstickers.  Yum! Chinese takeout right here at home.

I had all sorts of plans for today but I got sidetracked in more ways than one.  First was the unusual rising hour.  I didn't sleep well knowing the alarm was going off even earlier than usual.  I guess eating at the early hour I did caused my blood sugar to rise and fall quickly so I fell into a hard sleep right here in the chair while I was trying to work on Swagbucks.  I didn't wake until 8:30am.  It was already hot outdoors when I went out to feed the pets.  No yard work for me today.  No desire to go spend money on more things for yard as planned either.  I may well do it next week but not today.  Instead I am making bread, and yogurt and replacing some pictures I'd framed for the laundry with something more vintage and just generally puttering about the house. 

Completed the work up of bills and balancing the checkbook.  My little savings grew further this week by an added $10 as another sub-account was pre-filled.  I now have all the money required for our next car insurance renewal on hand.  I will add to our vacation fund when I see what our total check is this time, so that will be an added savings this next pay period (Monday).  And then my focus will fall on saving to pay the house insurance in full.  I'm so very pleased with the way this has worked out!

I've also taken time to do a deeper study of a lovely book I've been reading for added Bible study.  It's helped a great deal to reassure me about this hard prayer I've been trying to pray.  I think I will find the prayer time going along better.

What did you do to save this week? 

For those who ask how I remember what I do each day, I keep track on a daily basis.  I'd forget a great deal if I didn't  and I still don't remember to account for all I do in my desire to make the most of what money we have.  If ever you wonder if you're doing anything, try to keep track of what you do each day that you know saves money and just see how well you work!