Thrifty Thursday: It Adds Up

Friday:  Meals yesterday: Plain Toast for both of us

                                           Lunch Out.  We brought half our meals home.

                                           Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Sliced Tomatoes

Yesterday we went to the grocery store to pick up my prescription refill.  I did get a couple of BOGO deals that were well priced, and which went into the pantry.  I also got cartons of Orange Juice on sale.  I've been pricing the frozen concentrate, and this was about the same.  The cartons are dated for October, but I freeze them so we can just pull one out to thaw.

I did discover this morning that one was spoiled.  I'll take it back to the store and exchange it for another.

John went out to trim branches and left a load of laundry running.  Since he was busy, I took the opportunity to carry the whole load outdoors and hung them out to dry.  There was a nice breeze and plenty of sunshine.  I told John it's not a matter of saving money, though it does that, but it's because they smell so good when they are air dried.

I cleaned my closet this morning, and my house clothes drawer.  I have a bag of things to go to donations.  I threw some very well-worn pieces away.  I moved some of the things from the closet to the house drawer for next summer's use.  I tried on every single item in the closet except the most recently worn items and the sweaters.  I had four items I was undecided about and I've put them aside.  If I haven't worn them in the next few months, they'll get donated, too.  

This afternoon I went to StitchFix.com and looked at the selection of styles online and then I put my scheduled fix on hold.  The truth is I didn't see anything that excited me.  I saw more of the same styles I already have in three or four different prints and a lot of cropped tops.  I don't need pants, don't like the shoes.  In January, I'll revisit and see if I feel the same and if I do, I'll likely drop the subscription.  I'm ONLY paying a fee when I am due a fix, it's not a monthly fee regardless as some services charge.

John and I talked it over and I determined that what I liked most about the service was that I typically purchased a higher end product, and yes, I paid a higher price for them.  In actually going to a store, I'm prone to bypass what is currently in season and stick to clearance racks, buying a much lesser quality item.  I feel I need to change that.  Not to increase my rate of shopping but to stop buying out of season, super cheap items that seldom last.  Most of what I've purchased from Stitch Fix is still going strong and I've been with them for 3 or 4 years now.  And I frequently wear the pieces, too.  I've had only one or two that failed to look nice for the long haul and one or two that John shrank by tossing in the dryer when they weren't meant to go into the dryer.  The bulk of what I've bought is still in my closet and still going strong, a good testament to what a good investment higher quality clothing can be.

And mind you when I say 'higher quality' I still bought so called 'budget priced' items but instead of paying $10 for a shirt, I was paying $45 or so.  

It feels good to have the kitchen free of excess and my closet and drawers, as well.  I noted a couple of gaps in the closet I'd like to fill.  

Meals:  Sausage, Peach Muffins.  Donna DM'd me a link to a muffin recipe that inspired me to use my last two peaches.  They were very large peaches and at that point of ripeness where I needed to use them or lose them.  I didn't get a chance to make the topping from the recipe, but the base muffin recipe was quite good.

Tuna Pasta Salad, Saltines.  Though I was careful this was just too much for us.  Five hefty servings is what we got off a half recipe of it.  I'm glad it's finished but next time I'm going to make 1/4 of a box of macaroni and not 1/2 a box.  Four ounces should be plenty.

Cheeseburgers, Cowboy Beans, Fries. Burgers and fries leftovers from our lunch out yesterday.  I used the baked beans in the fridge to make the Cowboy Beans.

Saturday:      We spent too much for lunch today, which was meant to be a bargain meal.  We were hungry when we went in to pick up our sandwiches and we added to our cart.  The total took about half of our severely decreased entertainment fund.  We won't do that again any time soon if at all!  However, we did have a very hearty lunch when we got home, and we have leftovers.  

I went to Cato online to look for the pieces I wanted to get to piece out my wardrobe for the coming season.  I added everything I liked to the cart, but I had a plan.  I went back through and looked at the quality and styles and debated how each item would work in my current wardrobe and removed several items.   

I do not think I'm getting quite the level of quality I've gotten from Stitch Fix, but the pieces I chose are classic and will work well with what I have in my closet at present, but in future, I'll try to step beyond my comfort zone and look at other retailers.  But not right now.  If these pieces fit, I won't be needing anything further in clothing. I do need to get some shoes, and I'd like a purse and possibly a hat for winter but that's it.   

Overall, our afternoon and evening here at home has been very quiet.  John had a long phone call with his brother, it rained, and I finished my book.  

Meals: Bagel or Croissant, Ham and Cream Cheese

Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Pickles, chips, shared Brownie.

Cheese Omelets, Hash Browns, Toast (for John), and Mandarins.   

Sunday:  When we got home from church, I went right to the kitchen to work on a meal plan I'd started yesterday, Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas.  This recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin and a box of the black beans I have in the cabinet, both of which are expired.  I ended up with more than the recipe said it would make.  I've put one extra pan (enough for two) in the freezer and still have leftovers.  Currently I'm thawing a more tortillas so I can make a second panful.  This too will go in the freezer.   We had lunch, and we'll have two extra meals off this!   It honestly was not my goal to put food into the freezer, but you know if something is too much to eat then why not get ahead with a few extra meals?  

I'd promised John I'd not put so many heavy things in the dishwasher, which I hope will help with it pulling loose from its anchors under cabinet...But doggone I can't seem to get it full enough to make me want to run a load anytime soon.  Maybe I'll take some of the decorative items and the grates off the stove and put those in to fill it up.  

I made the Stovetop cookies this afternoon.  I glanced at the oatmeal 'best by' date.  It was expired.  So we'll just say I'm using up more of my expired goods.  

While I was making supper tonight, I went ahead and made up a batch of Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe filling.  That is now in the freezer and will be a meal for Katie's household after the baby, if not before.  I plan to add the buns and cheese necessary to make this meal when I give it to her, so she'll have it all on hand.  

I did not double the recipe as planned because I didn't take out enough meat and I only had enough mushrooms to make the one batch.  Are the mushrooms necessary?  They do add something to the dish, and they bulk it up.  I barely had enough of them for Katie's batch.

Meals:  Toast and Cheese Toast

Pumpkin and Chicken Enchiladas, Salsa...and nothing else. I figured with a box of beans and a can of pumpkin, and an onion and jalapeno we were getting plenty of vegetables in our diet.  And they are so hearty they filled us up!

Sausage and Potato Soup. I used the corned beef broth from the freezer in the soup, as well as the end pieces and 'bends' from the smoked sausage I buy for breakfast meat.  This was good but not great and I likely will stick to ham or just creamy potato soup in the future.  I made a small pot of soup and had only about a cup leftover.  

And yes, this means that I'll have to come up with an additional meal this week, but I don't mind.  

Monday:  Cleaning is still a very decent way to change your mind about what you think you need.  I confess I haven't been happy with my kitchen rugs now for months.  I wanted to get new ones when we redid the kitchen but I pushed it off as a non-essential.  There were other things I felt were needed more.  

Today I took the Folex cleaner I'd bought months ago and sprayed and scrubbed every spot on those two rugs.  They came up just lovely and while I'd like a new pattern, they look just fine now.  I can certainly use them for a good bit longer.

We had an appointment to go to this afternoon, but I made us lunch before we left even though we had eaten a late breakfast. 

I went into a store to make a purchase and searched and searched for my debit card.  Honestly, I came very near panic.  It happened I had another debit card to a very small account we've kept, so I was able to pay for my purchases.  When I got to the car, I systematically went through my wallet and lo and behold I found my card!  Why I put it in the place I did is beyond me, but thankfully I did put it in my wallet.  That saved a world of aggravation!

Meals:  Breakfast Sandwiches

Shared a Brisket Sandwich, Chips, Lemonade

Honey Garlic Pork Chops, Green Beans with Chinese Vegetables tossed in, Rice, Mandarins. I felt the other meal of Chow Mein was more trouble than I wanted to go to this evening, after working hard and being gone for a good portion of the afternoon. The Green Beans will include the bean sprouts, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots that I wanted to use up.  Later:  I still have 1/2 can bean sprouts and 1 can of water chestnuts.  I did try to use them up but there was just so much.

The Honey Garlic Pork Chop recipe was delicious.  I used a recipe from www.cafedelites.com. I forgot to half the sauce, so I truly had too much for two chops, but it was really good.

Tuesday:  John and I worked today.  If cleaning works wonders for making things look nice, then weeding runs a close second!  I weeded the Iris bed next to my shed today and boy did that make a huge difference.  It took me less than half an hour, but my leg muscles were screeching since I chose to do a semi-squat while weeding.  Ouch.  And pretty pleased with myself at the same time.  My legs weren't strong enough to even consider this in the past.

Indoors I sorted through things.  I set a few items aside, vintage pieces that I think might sell well online.  I have a big pile for donations and a small pile to go into the shed.  

Then I spent hours hanging pictures and plates on my two walls.  The one wall took a longer time and a lot of math to get things pretty much even.  I like it though!  It was worth the struggle.

We ate leftovers for lunch today.  I added extra water and made it more of a soup, which worked quite well.

Meals: Peanut Butter Toast

Taco Pasta 'Soup', Saltines

Pizza and Salad

Josh asked for a Meat Lovers pizza.  I had Italian sausage and pepperoni, but while digging in the freezer one more time looking for Mozzarella cheese, I came across a package of Calabrese Salami I'd picked up as a clearance item.  I set that out to thaw.  It turned out to have a little bit of spiciness to it, but crisped up like pepperoni on top of the pizza.  Glad Jos wanted more meat...which is funny because for the first six or eight years of his life, Josh turned pale each time we mentioned meat.

The kids each wanted something different.  Isaac wanted just plain cheese and Millie wanted Pepperoni and cheese.  I decided to split the dough in half then divided one half into thirds.  The kids each ended up with a small four slice pizza of their choosing, which made them happy.  Mine and John's was made on a sheet pan.  We have leftovers because we only ate two slices.

Wednesday:  I finished the kitchen work today.  My last task was to wipe down all the cabinets.  I'm happy to move on to a new job.

I tackled the buffet in the dining room.  I sorted out trash and went through the cabinets.  I've decided to let go of several pieces. More exciting however, was a find that I think will be pretty for Fall decorating.  And yes, I am thinking of fall decor already.  There's something in the air, y'all.  

I went through my napkins, set several aside to donate, and several more to reuse as cloths to wrap vegetables, lay atop salads, etc.  

I used placemats to drape across the arms of my two most often used chairs.  These look nicer than the hand towels I'd been using and have the added advantage of being longer, so John's rough elbows don't mess the upholstery up.

I put new candles and autumn napkins on the table. I was pretty upset to realize that one candle, though new, was broken in half.  I used cellophane tape to wrap the candle.  It was the 'magic' tape so it's completely transparent and no one will know until the candle is burned to that point.

I set aside some pieces I no longer want which will be donated, a few to go into the shed and a few more to sell. Am I serious about selling?  I am at the moment, but I'm considering my options before I start.  I do not want to rent a booth at the flea market.  I could go eBay or Etsy or Marketplace.  We'll see.  In the meantime, I am setting things aside for possible re-sell.

 I have a really good set of community plate.  In counting pieces today, I realized that some more are missing.  I don't know why they are missing.  It seems that these things are like socks that disappear in the washing machine.  WHERE do they go?  My suspicion is that careless children toss them in the trash along with their paper plates.  I believe I had several pieces in the shed that I'd set aside because I didn't have a full 12-pc setting of all the pieces.  Hopefully I can make up a full 8-pc. setting once more.

We have a second set of nice silverware that John really wanted, and I've found that it too is missing pieces.  As well because it's got such a heavy handle, they have proven to be 'jumpers'.  I mean that when we're walking across a room with one of those utensils on a plate, they tend to end up on the floor.  It's been aggravating to say the least because often it makes a mess if there is food on the plate. So today when I sorted through the various sets, I took the two cheap sets and put those in the kitchen for our day-to-day use.  If anyone tosses one of those many mismatched pieces, no harm/no foul.

Meals:  Yogurt and Berries for me, Toast and Cereal for John

Leftover pizza and a chicken tender each.  We were super hungry by the time we ate lunch today.

Italian Pepper Steak, Rice, Garlic Bread.  The steak proved too thin to make the garlic steak bites, so this was my alternative meal plan.  It was delicious.

Thursday:  And what did I do to 'save' today?  I didn't spend one single dime anywhere.  Not one.  

I got my order in from Cato and I'm happy to say everything fit just fine.  I am now fully set for clothes for the next few months.  I have sweaters, heavier blouses to wear if it's cool, lighter things to wear if it's warm.  All I need are shoes, both athletic and loafers or flats of some sort preferably in black.  I have booties and a lovely coat and purses.  I truly cannot think of anything more I could need or want. 

Today while out with Mama, I looked over the grocery lists I keep on my phone. I honestly could say that while I'd gone over the current week sales, I certainly didn't feel compelled to go buy anything at all.  

I feel good about what I've accomplished this week...and while I didn't do anything towards the #EveryBitCounts challenge, I'm going to keep it mind all through the year, not just for August.  My freezer is full.  My pantry is well stocked.  I have an abundance of food at present.  We have milk, eggs, cheese, and bread.  

The weather is considerably cooler today.  We're dipping into the low 60's range tonight which is rare for this time of year.  I've not yet seen any blooming goldenrod but it's standing tall and proud and ready to bloom.  The trees continue to change their tint from green to a more yellow tone.  The peach trees are turning golden...This summer is dwindling quickly.  But then there is a new season.

Meals:  Toast

Out with Mama

I don't know...something easy.  I don't have anything thawed except bacon.  I do have plenty of lasagna, chicken tenders, and entrees in the freezer.

Amazon Associates Affiliate Link:  If you place an order using my Amazon link, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.  Thank you!