Thrifty Thursday: Pinch Time

 

Thursday:  I'm so happy we have our porches.  Caleb really wanted to play outdoors, but it was damp and misty.  The porch, however, was dry and it gave us shelter while he played.  Again and again, I find myself grateful for the money spent covering that back deck.

John hasn't fussed yet and I'm glad.  We ate more leftovers for our lunch today.

Two recipes this week went flat on me.  I'll put it down to my being over tired from lack of sleep.  I was glad I had spaghetti sauce in the freezer that I could dump and heat.  It made a great supper and an easy one.

Friday:  We really combined errands today: dump, taking Caleb to meet his Ninny for an overnight visit, haircuts, grocery shopping.  

I bought flowers this week at the grocery, cut flowers.  I had a $2 off coupon on a bunch.  I didn't even look at any of the planters outside...but gee I wanted to!

I shopped from a short list I'd jotted down before we left home.  I didn't look at what was on sale except at the produce department.  I had loaded coupons yesterday onto my member's card and I grabbed a flyer of coupons I'd just received in the mail on the way out of the door.  I leafed through it before we checked out to be sure I hadn't missed using one.

I was so disappointed in the Kroger where we shopped.  For one thing, they've got new management and now the store is in an upheaval.  A messy upheaval at that.  No markdowns anywhere and what's more they completely did away with the reduced rack in the bakery section.  

We ate lunch in the same shopping center.  We brought leftovers home.  There are always leftovers these days!  

We skipped supper.  We went to church for our last small group program of the spring. 

Saturday:  We had a long and lovely ride into a small town in the foothills and ate lunch there.  It was a really good meal, and we always feel we've gone on a mini vacation each time we visit there.  It's just over an hour from home but it's a perfect retreat area for us.  I brought up to John again the possibility of spending a couple of nights there for a weekend away.  He was more amendable to that idea while we were in the area, but will he finally agree? 

Lunch yesterday was paid for out of our allowances.  Lunch today came from our Sanity Saver fund.  We won't get a chance to go out next weekend due to various family obligations, so I don't feel we've overindulged in eating out twice this week.

Supper consisted of leftovers for us all.  Caleb wanted cereal.

We sat down and planned out Taylor's birthday for next weekend.  I have most things on hand but need to pick up a couple more grocery items.  One thing we discussed was Cheetos.  The kids love them.  Katie said, "Just get the puffs..."  Now we all like the crunchy ones best and I nearly argued with her, but I said, "Well I think I will.  After all, the puffs take up so much more space on their plates, so they feel like they're getting a lot."  

Sunday:  Sam texted last night that he has onion sets and white eggplants to share if I want them.  I told him I needed to buy soil for my planters, but I'd pick them up sometime today.   So we went by Lowe's after church today.  I got one bag of the Miracle Gro Moisture control but noted that a bag of Sta-Green brand moisture control was about $6 a bag less.  We got one of each.  I told John I'd be curious to see how the two perform side by side.  

While at Lowe's, I bought another basil, some dill and another oregano.  I didn't see chives.   However, I have an online seed order that I mean to place this coming week that will give me chive seeds and more basil seeds as well as a variety of seeds such as Cleome, Cosmos, bachelor's Buttons, Snapdragon, etc.

I wasn't planning to buy anymore plants at Lowe's just yet, but as we were waiting in line, I saw the reduced-price plant shelf.  There was a pretty rose bush that looked a bit worn out, but I snatched it up and brought it home.  It was less than 1/2 price.

We went by Publix where I bought hot dog buns, cheese puffs and chicken breasts.   The buns and puffs are for Saturday's birthday party.  The breasts were on sale.  Not a great price but good enough compared to regular prices.  Anyone else finding they still don't know what their new price point for me should be?  I can well remember the days when we'd get good variety for less than $1 a pound and that was just 20 years ago.  Now I'm thinking a 'good price' typically is nearer $4 a pound if we're to have any variety of meats at all.  So anytime I find meat for less than that price, I consider it a decent buy.

As of today, I am fully at my limit for grocery shopping.  I have 9 days until we'll have a fresh supply of funds.  

Came home to make up a fast lunch of a Caramelized Onion and Mushroom salad with Steak.  I made my own blue cheese dressing from scratch.  The steak was a leftover that I'd frozen then thawed over the end of the past week.  One steak stretched to feed three generously on the salads.

We're headed out to seniors' supper tonight.  Katie and Caleb will eat a variety of leftovers from the fridge.  We are asked to donate to the dinner each time we have supper and I've no issue with that.  Generally, no one expects us to leave a huge donation.    

Monday:   Katie is home sick with strep throat.  She's keeping her distance, but I knew some homemade chicken soup would likely do her a world of good.  I had plenty of broth in the freezer, so pulled out some to thaw and doctor up with seasonings like carrots, onions, garlic, turmeric, parsley, lemon to make it even more nutritious and beneficial.  

I also had a couple of cans of frozen orange juice. Here's my reminder to restock that and Pineapple juice as well.  I mixed up a can of the orange juice for Katie to sip on today.  I can tell she's really sick because she's not even bothering to tell me she doesn't need it.  She just takes what I hand her and if I say drink, or eat, she says "Yes, Ma'am," and does it.

It's chilly and overcast outdoors, dreary as can be.  I opted to put the Whole chicken in the oven along with vegetables to roast slowly in the same pan.  I am feeling rather weary and worn myself and would like an easy meal for supper.  Yes, I could have done it all in the slow cooker, but we won't mind the extra warmth in the house today.  

Tuesday:  Made two batches of pancakes this morning.  I put half of the first batch into the freezer and then made a second batch.  One was flavored with lemon extract and blueberries and the other was just plain pancakes.  

Made chicken pot pie filling and split that between two pans.  The chicken didn't go quite as far as I'd hoped even though I was careful to serve up proper portions.  I got the meal last night, two pot pies today and the frame.  Since I won't be able to make chicken salad for supper after all, I'll need to plan in an alternative menu.  As well, since I made chicken soup for Katie yesterday, I'll also plan an alternate meal for that item on the menu.

With the new kitchen cabinets ordered and knowing that in a few weeks we'll need to finish paying those off, I want to cut back as much as I can at this point.  We have just ordered a kitchen sink faucet and a new stove hood.  We still must buy the kitchen sink, as well as a couple of light fixtures for the bathroom and the shower unit and flooring. And of course, there will be the contractor and the hardware and sundry other things that we aren't even aware of just yet.  We know the guesstimate for where this project is meant to land us in total, but things happen.  I hadn't planned to have to buy a new stove vent, even though I'm happy to have a new one.  Yes, we have the money for all of these things, but all of this spending makes me want to slow down hard on the spending in the months ahead.

I've spent more than my usual sum at Amazon on grocery items this time around.  I ordered all that I'll need for pickling, canning and jelly making in a quantity that ultimately has saved me money but is a heavy hit right away.  I know that these supplies will last quite a while.  However, I am also aware that I am now about 1/3 of the way through my food budget for June.  

I still have not done that big top up of the pantry I meant to do.  The 30 pounds of flour and 10 pounds of sugar I bought a couple of months ago is pretty much gone.  Time to start over again with that.

From this weekend forward we have an average of two birthdays per week until the end of June.  And with the end of June, while birthday slow down until we hit November, I must be aware that Christmas is literally getting closer, and I am barely halfway through shopping for that.

Then there is the higher cost of summer, period.  Gasoline always seems to rise in cost at this time of year, electricity is bound to be higher.  The sorts of stretchy slow cooking foods I typically love are far too heavy for the heat we usually experience here in summer, so we'll eat a little differently and that generally costs a bit more.

I have a lot of good reasons for feeling the pinch!  What I want to do this next week is to stop and look at all the areas where we are spending and cut back where I can, know where I need to continue to spend but proceed with caution, and just be aware of what we have coming ahead.

It's a lot to think about, plan for and prepare myself to handle, but it's got to be done.

Wednesday:  I received my monthly Subscription from Amazon.  This month, I added to my pantry: snacks (chips that were 37c an ounce bag), 6 cans of cream of celery soup, 6 jars of peach preserves, 2 boxes of k-cups, a bag of cashew pieces, a container of Worcestershire Burger seasoning.

I did make my lemon cake yesterday and it turned out just lovely.  I am so pleased with this cake recipe, which I've posted over on Blue House Journal Recipes blog.  I will tell you that in all the years I've been making cakes, one of the things I liked best was the lightness and tender crumb of boxed cake mix.  I never found that in a proper made from scratch recipe.  Well, this recipe has exactly that same texture and crumb.  

Now I will say this, I still think you can buy a cake mix and mix it up cheaper than you can make a cake from scratch.  But the great taste, lack of artificial ingredients and unpronounceable things is the main swap out.  I'm pleased enough with this recipe that I plan to use it again and again.

This morning, while we were eating breakfast, Caleb asked to go outside.  It's still overcast and cool and heavy outdoors, but he's been stuck inside for days now, and I told him as soon as housework was done, I'd go outdoors with him.  

Once outdoors, I was going to weed about the Sweet Gum tree bed and then plant sunflower seeds that friend Angie from church had just given me.  Did I get to those things?  I did not.  On my way to plant the sunflower seeds, I stopped at Baby tree's bed and weeded it out, then decided to plant some bulbs of spider lily and the daffodils I never planted last spring about Baby Tree.  Then I scattered some coreopsis and chrysanthemum seeds over that area as well.  I've never planted chrysanthemum before.  Truth, I saw the C on the name, thought the flowers looked like Cosmos and snatched up the package on my way to the register at Lowes.  I didn't realize until I was home with the packet of seeds that I'd in fact bought Chrysanthemums.  I cleaned up the bricks that we'd stacked at the Baby Tree bed last fall when we'd done the last yardwork at the town house.

Then the base of the Turkey Foot oak asserted itself in my line of vision.  Briars, weeds, mess in general...I went to work on that.  I needed fresh mulch but haven't any just yet.  I had three or four Amazon boxes on the back porch that were destined for the dumpster. I figured I might as well use what I have on hand.  I laid out the cardboard as neatly as I could and to hold it in place, I plopped some of the bricks on top.  I'll weight it down later with mulch or soil or something.  I'd planned for the longest time to make a flower bed on that side of the yard as it gets far more sun than any other section of the yard.  However, it's also one of the places where the grass is truly lovely, thick and velvety to walk upon.  It's been a 'Shall I?  Shouldn't I leave it alone?" sort of thing.

All in all, I worked my bottom off and my hips and legs were done in by all the bending and pulling and stooping I did.  

I've got both ground turkey and ground venison sitting on the counter thawing at the moment.  I want to brown up some of both and put them back in the freezer fully cooked for ease of use later on.  Helpful hint: someone shared that they always add a bit of beef bouillon powder to their ground turkey to give it flavor.  I've tried it a time or two and I have to say it does very work very well to add some flavor to what I feel is an otherwise bland sort of taste.

I have put two birthday presents in the Amazon cart.  That brings my total for this month up to THREE presents ordered for birthdays.  Honestly, I'm not sure I can manage a Christmas gift as well this month and that's the truth.  With the pile of birthdays I have over this six-week period, I'm thinking it might be July before I get back to Christmas gift purchases.  I have four or five more birthday gifts to purchase for June birthdays.

This afternoon I went back out with Caleb and this time I used up an entire bag of potting soil.  I finally got the last two tomatoes into pots, repotted a hibiscus, repotted the spider plant and Purple Heart which had grown through the bottom of the pot it was in, repotted the rescue rose...It's been a day full of puttering in the yard and soil.

Drew a complete blank for supper tonight.  John must have been paying attention when I made the extra pancakes.  He said "We'll just eat pancakes then..."  So we did.  He cooked eggs and sausage to go with them.  I'll not complain.  Anytime I can get a meal cooked for me these days, I hush up and eat.

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