Thrifty Thursday: Where's Soup Weather?

Friday:  Unlike me to clear the fridge on a Friday, but that's just what I did this week. I had myriad containers in the fridge, yogurt scattered over three shelves, breads tossed here and there.  I had to get it all organized.  Hence, I did not have to cook today.  I have something for all three meals, so I have decided to take advantage of my surplus and have an extra day off cooking.   Sounds pretty awesome to me.  Heat and eat.

I combined the tail end of a bottle of catsup and another of mustard with my nearly empty Barbecue sauce.  I'll play with this mixture a bit more, adding in some brown sugar and vinegar and perhaps some onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.  That will make a rather tasty barbecue sauce, although, Baby Ray had little to do with it.

The Apple Pudding Cake I made yesterday afternoon turned out pretty good.  I suspect I should have turned it off sooner than the three hours the recipe said to cook it, especially since I opted to use the brown sugar suggested as an alternate to the honey called for in the recipe.  The flavor of this is lovely.  We opted to serve ours with whipped topping, because that's what I had on hand.  All that said, I won't save this recipe. It was a nice recipe to try but not a keeper.

Saturday:  Up early to take the car for a service call.  We didn't eat breakfast before leaving.  Well John didn't.  I did at least think to grab a cup of yogurt and had that but by 10am I was hungry plus hungry.  I offered to walk across to McDonald's and get us a sandwich, which turned out to be a good thing.  One was full price, and the other just $1.  And after we ate, we waited for the car for the next four hours.

I had my book with me, so entertainment was at hand for me.  

We stopped by the grocery after we bought a late lunch out (brought home leftovers) where I picked up eggs, marked down bread, and two small pumpkins.  Each time I've gone in the grocery I've picked up a winter squash or pumpkin and added it to the wood dough bowl on my buffet.  It's an edible and fairly inexpensive autumn decoration that will last and has more purpose than the inedible gourds I typically buy to display.

Came home to find half a watermelon on the counter.  Sam stopped by and shared the last of his garden bounty with us while we were gone.  Tomorrow is October 1 and we're still eating fresh watermelon thanks to the heat we've had.  It doesn't seem quite right, does it?  

Sunday:  John, with Sam standing by, fixed the well, which went down at 11pm last night.  He had to run to Lowe's early this morning to buy parts for it.  I told him, "Get TWO, so we have a spare for the future."  He did.  The savings in doing it himself vs. having a well service come out and do it is substantial.  About $80 (for two of the parts) and a lot of nervousness, compared to $600-$700.  I think in John's book, it was about worth the $700, but he got it done.

The lunch leftovers I brought home yesterday pieced out my fried chicken dinner.  I'd ordered chicken tenders for my lunch.  Perfect.  The little ones loved the tenders rather than a bone in piece of chicken.  I had enough of the bone in pieces, I was able to pack up chicken and Macaroni and cheese for Sam and Bess to have later.  Not bad when luncheon guests suddenly double.

The house has been cleaned and we're going to enjoy the next few hours we have alone.  I'm going to think about my goals for this new month.  

Monday:  I paid absolutely no attention to the Target Circle Week, Amazon Prime etc. until I started seeing offers I couldn't refuse.  Target has a spend $50 get a $15 gift card on household items deal.  This sale used to be offered every January for two or three weeks at a time.  I always stocked up then and bought as near a year's worth of things as I could manage.   The last two years, they've not had it.   

Just as I did a few years ago, today I stocked up on aluminum foil, waxed paper, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, paper towels.  I did price checks to be sure I was getting the equivalent prices I'd get elsewhere.  I split my order into two transactions, both totaling just barely over $50 prior to taxes.  I've gotten caught with that before, where I'd be one penny shy of $50 before the tax and I'd lose the deal.  I wasn't chancing that today.  I was very careful to get the full amount in each transaction and earn my gift cards.  The cards will be tucked away toward Christmas/Birthday gifts.

I had a fantastic deal on toilet paper in my Amazon cart.  I lost it.  Why?  John had put something in the cart and just as I was about to click order, his part of the order disappeared.  It was something we needed, and I was waiting for him to find a replacement.  When he found the replacement item, the toilet paper deal had sold out.  In future, I'll just go ahead and order instead of waiting to batch items into one order.  Any of you who shop at Amazon are probably well aware of how seldom two items are shipped together anyway.  That only happens with Subscribe and Save items and not always then, either.

I took a small portion of ham from the freezer and baked it in the oven that was already heating for toast for breakfast.  I had enough ham to make a big Chef's Salad for our lunch and sliced the rest to put away for sandwiches later in the week.

Tuesday:  Remember that pantry stock-up list I had?  I knocked most of it out today and I'm not too shocked by my total.  I felt I did very well overall.

I bought honey at a local store.  I got two pints, one to open now and one for the pantry shelf.  This is unfiltered local honey, not the commercialized stuff.  While I was in this store, I noted a big toy Recycle truck, and asked the price.  It was more than affordable. I'll go back to get it for Caleb's Christmas.  I had him with me today, so I didn't want to get it right away.

We went into the local grocery where I priced the canned items I was planning to buy.  They were quite high, ranging from 99c to $1.29 per can for store brand and $2.19 per can for name brand.  I checked their price on Maple syrup and now know that their price is better than Kroger's on the 8-ounce bottle.  I'll go back and buy that there.  There was no Turkey Spam at all on the shelf and hasn't been since they opened so I don't think they plan to carry it.  I purchased a packet of toilet paper, moaning over the loss of the ones in my Amazon cart yesterday, lol, and then priced cornmeal. I decided to get a 5-pound bag of fine stone ground cornmeal.  It was $5.79.  I always have flour and baking powder on hand, so no need to buy cornmeal mix at a similar price for half the amount.

I'd gone over the sales for the discount store the day before.  I knew that canned items for the store brand basics was 76c a can plus 10%, so roughly 84c a can.   I decided to head back to Kroger where I found name brand green beans for 82c a can, Kroger brand corn and cream style corn for 89c a can, Kidney beans for 82c a can.  I priced their Maple syrup.  I got six cans of Turkey Spam.  I picked up cat and dog food, half and half, lettuce and some luncheon meat and bananas. 

I haven't knocked out the whole of my grocery list but I feel better about my pantry stock overall with the sale on Household items at Target this week and the food items I bought today.  

I did not price today nor purchase: shortening, olive oil, vegetable oil.  Mayonnaise.  I should stock up on most frequently used spices/herbs.  I need to do an inventory.  I know I need Onion powder, salt, and pepper but I don't think that is all I'm out of. Tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa.   I think beyond that I've got everything else.

Wednesday:  Katie found a small 16-inch bike at the dumpsters not too long ago.  It needed tires and tubes.  John looked up the price and argued for ordering a new bike for Caleb instead.  I argued for the tires and tubes.  My reasoning is that he'll outgrow that bike and need a larger one sooner than either of us can imagine.  I felt as a starter bike this one was just fine.  

The tires and tubes run about $56.  A new bike isn't much more than, but it just seemed so wasteful to me that an otherwise good bike should be tossed simply for worn out tires.  As it is, when we are ready to discard it, someone else can have the use of it extending the life for a good bit longer.

Not a big savings today, but it is a savings.

Thursday:  I took time to jot down my grocery expenses on my calendar that hangs above my desk.  Current plan is to place my weekly total on Saturday's square so that I know where I am in my spending this month.

Last night I was reminded of how low my fractionated Coconut Oil had gotten.  Went directly to Amazon and found a brand for 50% off that is both food safe and can be used as a carrier oil.  I ordered two bottles after pricing other brands and sizes.  I will put one in the pantry as part of the 'fats' I require on my pantry shelf.

Was happy to pull frozen French Toast from the freezer this morning.  I had slept in a bit later, due to an unexpectedly late night and worrying evening.  More in tomorrow's diary on that matter.

I was prepping tonight's supper and realized I had no pimento.  I did have red bell pepper in the freezer, so I diced and roast some of that in the pan prior to starting my meal.  It will substitute in just fine.  Note to self: add jarred pimento to my pantry stock up list.

And that is a wrap on another week of savings.  I'm well pleased with the progress made on restocking the outages in my pantry.  How has your savings week gone?

Meals this week:  

Saturday: we ate out and ate late.  Katie came in and made something for her and Caleb.  

Sunday:  Gramma's fried chicken, Mac n cheese, potato salad.   Supper was a variety of leftovers from the fridge.

Monday: Cottage Pie, Fruit Salad, Bread and Butter.  This was good, but it just wasn't enough.  Somehow, we were all still hungry after eating it. I think I needed to add in another vegetable and perhaps a dessert of some sort.

Tuesday:  Fish/fish sticks, fries, corn on the cob. Fail on this meal.  Katie and I had baked fillets.  Everyone disliked the fish, both the fish sticks and the fillets.  Corn and fries do not make for a great meal either. From now on, my fish is coming from Captain D's when I want it and I'm not pushing fish at family ever again.

Wednesday:  Pork Chops, Potatoes Au Gratin, Green Beans, Roasted Cauliflower

Thursday:  Arroz con Pollo, Green Salad, Pineapple slices