Thrifty Thursday: Free Water

 

Friday:  We got the new washcloths in the mail today.  I've had some cheap white washcloths for the past two years.  Well...they were white ages ago.  I'd grown quite ashamed of them to be honest, so I ordered new washcloths.  They are grey.  My towels have grey in the stripes.   A dozen washcloths of good quality for about $12. 

I also got the two new velvet pillow covers which means I now have pillows on my bed once more since I borrowed those on my bed to go into the living room.  Those were about $14 for two.  I've ordered the exact same set twice before and know they are far better quality than the price suggests.  I just can't find my other set.  No clue where they are, so I needed two more.

Those were purchases I made last week.  Today I made two more purchases.  I needed shoes for winter, specifically I needed black shoes.  I decided a classic loafer would work best and looked at all sorts of shoes online for the past three months trying to decide which to buy.  I finally decided upon Easy Spirit, a brand I knew to be good quality.  I was in luck...Labor Day sales, coupons from Microsoft Shopping and a Rakuten rebate of 3%.  

I also ordered a new leather purse that was 50% off.  Again, Labor Day sales, Microsoft coupon and cash back...And shipping was free on both the items.  The shoes and the purse came from my personal account funds.  It's a small account but I keep putting a little aside to supplement my allowance for seasons such as this when I need wardrobe items but can't quite stretch 

With the black sweater I ordered earlier this week ($5...Thank you to those of you who order through my Amazon link, I had a small gift card I could use), I am now set for the fall/winter months ahead with my wardrobe.  

I was digging about in the freezer looking for another item and found the fish fillets that I'd 'lost' a couple of months ago.  

I put a quart of 15 Bean Soup in the freezer. 

It was so hot I had to go out twice, but I watered all the potted plants this morning.  It rained late this afternoon and again early evening.  Free Water!  Hopefully that will be enough to make all the plants happy once again.

I planned to make some Chai Tea Spice mix to go in my coffee, but when I opened the freezer later this afternoon, I found a package of Gingerbread flavored coffee.  I'll use that up first.

Meals:  Sticky Rolls, Sausage Patties

Fish Tacos for me.  John ate lunch out with his friend and former work partner.

15-Bean Soup, Pigs in Blankets (leftovers).

Saturday:  Did we do anything to save money today?  Not much...But then we didn't spend any either so there's a savings there!

Cereal with Bananas and Toast (John), Peanut Butter toast with banana (me)

Roasted Chicken, with apples, potatoes, carrots, onions.

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (small one made with frozen homemade dough.)

Sunday:  Today I received another set of pillow covers.  I know why I ordered them.  I thought, based on the pictured product, that they'd go well with my winter bedspread. In fact, once I opened and unfolded them, I decided they must go back.  I've already got the QR code in my inbox so I can wander over to UPS and send them on their way.

I asked John if he'd like to go out to lunch with me today.  I offered to treat him to lunch.  Something we typically do is order Water to go with our meal. And yep, the water is free.  So is the lemon we ask for to go in it. 

John wanted coffee.  I've learned that a less expensive Iced Latte is easily had by purchasing a bottle of Starbucks coffee drink and getting a cup of ice and a straw.  It's about a $1 savings so nothing to brag hard about but a $1 saved all the same.  I get the Starbucks brand because it is carrageenan free, unlike other brands that might cost a little less.

Cheese toast.

Mexican

Chicken Sandwiches, Pickles, Chips

Monday:  Sweet and simple today.  I made easy meals and kept Caleb.  John convinced him to take a bottle of water that had been sitting on the lawnmower for a couple of weeks and 'water Gramma's plants.'  I don't know how the plant will react but later this afternoon he decided he didn't care for the orange juice I'd poured him, and he went out the back door with it.  When asked what he'd done with it, he said, "I watered one of Gramma's plants...I didn't want to waste it!"  Oh....Okay.  I guess frugality starts young, huh?

Meals:  Bagel for John, Croissant for me, and Fried Eggs courtesy of John

BBQ Country Style Rib, Corn on the Cob, Coleslaw

Shepherd's Pie, Cucumber, Green Salad, Bread and Butter.

Tuesday:  I don't have sandwich meats on hand, and I wasn't inclined to spend too much time in the kitchen since Caleb wanted to be outdoors and John was a little antsy about him being out alone.  Personally, I think it's good for him to be out alone, but I do keep an ear tuned to hear him talking to the cat or dog or singing or tramping up and down the steps.  

I tried to get some of the compost out of my can, the one that I'd been 'saving' this year to use rather than dump fresh items into it...It was terribly full of roots, and I discovered that the roots were from the grass underneath it.  Ugh.  It made it all but impossible to get any compost dirt loose. I also noted what isn't breaking down well: pecan shells, peach pits, avocado skins and eggshells.  I know the eggshells do good so those will keep going in but I'll crush them before I compost them in the future.  But the other items will no longer be going into my compost.

I had enough soil to fill one raised bed planter.  I'll have to get more soil, and I'll use the fresher lot of compost for the next bed when I get the soil.

That was pretty much it for me today.  I pulled meals from the freezer.  Everything tasted as though it were lacking something today.  Not a stellar meal day.

Meals:  Pumpkin Waffles, Bacon

Spaghetti a la Diable, Green Peas, Peaches.  The spaghetti was from the freezer.  

Chicken Nuggets, Oven Fries.  

Wednesday:  I don't know where all my energy and ambition has got off to, but it has left the house.  On the other hand, though I really should make a trip to the grocery store...I don't wanna do that either.  So, there's a savings in that.  At least putting it off creates a savings of sorts.  I'm going to have to go sooner rather than later.  The cat is already fussing because she's noticed how low her food is...I'm down to one onion and two small potatoes. We're by no means about to starve, not with our pantry and freezer, but I can't even think how to cook without onions...and Sassy will never let it go if I run out of her food. 

That's one thing I currently have no extra of.  I need to remedy that.  I've learned I can't store it outdoors not even in food safe bins on a pad.  It molds.  I'll have to store the buckets of pet food indoors.

I'll make supper tonight from the leftover chicken.  There are so many possibilities of what I might make I can't make up my mind!  I'll have to figure it out.  The temperature has started to drop a bit so I can do whatever I'd like.

This morning, I sat down with my check register.  I worked with the budget for September, reconciled my balances, etc.  My balance at this point looks a good bit better than it did last month. Thank goodness for that!

I received my new shoes today.  I opted for a classic tasseled loafer.  The plan is to wear those this winter more than I do athletic shoes.  I want to elevate my look just that little bit.  I still want athletic shoes because they are so darned comfortable especially if I'm walking long distances or must be on my feet for longer than usual.  But I'm pleased with the quality of these leather loafers. 

Yes, I opted for a good quality shoe, in leather, which I hope will last me several years.  They were on a great sale from Easy Spirit for the Labor Day weekend.  

I also received the black cotton sweater that I ordered from Amazon using a gift card and getting it on sale...That cost me a whole $5.05.  It is a perfect fit and is lovely and heavy, very well made.  I'm very pleased to add that to my wardrobe.  I can't name the number of times last year I stood before my closet after I'd got dressed and said, "I wish I had a black sweater...".  Now I have one!

Meals; Cheese toast

Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Chips

Chicken Noodle Soup

Thursday:   Due to the hectic schedule for tomorrow, John volunteering on Saturday, and church on Sunday we decided today was the day to strip the bed and bath and get that done.  John hung the sheets and towels out to dry.

I went out this morning to feed the cat.  The gardenia bush has burst into bloom all over again.  I clipped several blossoms and brought them indoors.  John especially loves Gardenias as it's one of the few flowers he can smell.  I always try to have some indoors when they bloom.

I got myself in gear this morning and headed out to the grocery before noon.  John stayed home since he planned to mow today.  I had a light breakfast but found myself quite hungry, so I ran by a fast-food place and got a small portion of food.  You don't always have to buy a full meal.  5 chicken nuggets, or a piece of fish will help fill a void without costing a fortune or filling you up too much.  Bonus, it's generally well under $5.  Extra points if you brought your water bottle along. It beat going to the store feeling hungry.

And it worked!  I was careful with purchases today.  I won't lie and say I spent a little.  I don't really think you can go into any grocery anymore without spending a chunk.  I'm averaging around $125-$140 a week right now.  It's not the amount I want to spend but it seems to be the way it's working out.  I asked myself today if that had become a set point amount, that weird thing that happens in the brain where without paying attention one automatically has a mental cut off for spending at a certain amount.  I would say "No" at this time because for the past two months all I have done is fill-ins for the most part, so things are weirdly random, not a flowing list of routine items.

Today I bought non-food items: charcoal at John's request.  He wants it on hand for 'just in case'...and 16 pounds of cat food.  I've determined that it's worthwhile to buy the larger bags for the savings but with one cat and one dog who are small animals that means storage.   I thought I'd use my food safe storage bins, and I'll stack them in the corner next to the back door.  Not ideal.  I don't like to have food buckets sitting out, but it will work for now.

The rest of the food included a 5-pound bone-in beef roast (cut in half) and 4-pound bone-in Boston Butt (cut in half) and a family package of full priced boneless skinless breasts.  The two roasts were from the clearance section.  They looked fine.  But when I opened them to divide, I got a little whiff...it wasn't spoiled meat.  I've never bought spoiled meat at this place, but it didn't exactly smell fresh.  I'm sure it had a lot to do with the packaging because it had been re-wrapped, and the old wrapping was encased in the new.  You know how meat will leak just a bit as it sits. 

I gave it a good hard sniff test once it was out of the wrapping and it smelled just fine, but something in my mind said, "Maybe I should just pay full price..."  Truth the cost of the meat full price was ridiculous as meat is these days.  I paid over $4 a pound for the chicken breasts.  The beef roast was $2.75 a pound and the Boston Butt was $1.65 a pound.  Finding any meat for those prices is nigh on impossible.  My budget is larger than it was the last two months of summer, but it's still not a large one.  I hesitate to say, "NO!" to any clearance priced meat.

One thing I found sadly lacking today was clearance priced produce.  I had apples at home already and the mushrooms looked iffy.  The only other item available was some weird looking type of greens. I turned and walked back to the produce department and got potatoes, onions and tomatoes.   We have canned fruits, mandarins, and apples.

I didn't walk down most aisles.  I said I would buy some things to make next week easier with Caleb.  That turned into ONE thing which was a box of corn dogs, something I recall just now I said I would make from scratch.  But then again, I'll have Caleb...Anyway, that was my splurge for Caleb's week here next week.

John gave me money on the way out of the door and said, 'Get something for YOU'.  I thought of getting an iced coffee, but I didn't.  Instead, I bought a box of breaded shrimp.  I have had such a craving for fish.  I've eaten fish four times in the past week, and I am still craving it.

That's my grocery shopping done for this week. I will stop at Kroger to pick up milk for the freezer on Sunday.  From that point, it's my hope to NOT shop again until later in the month...but we shall see.  I ran out of potatoes, onions, cat food this week and I'm low on milk and eggs at present.  So, no promises on not shopping but no plans to shop either.

I hope you've had a good and productive week.  I'm not sure mine was all that productive but it was good!

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