tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post4801564918539001192..comments2024-03-28T15:22:23.142-04:00Comments on Blue House Journal: Frugal Friday: Last Week of Springterricheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-48471909748453579862017-06-17T21:21:26.573-04:002017-06-17T21:21:26.573-04:00Hi Terri, I've been using peppermint oil in wa...Hi Terri, I've been using peppermint oil in water (about 10-15 drops in 8 oz of water in a recycled, well cleaned, hair spray bottle) and use it to repel ants, mosquitos and gnats with very good success! It's frugal, non toxic and smells good if you get it in your hair haha! Or just dab a bit of peppermint oil behind your ears as Carolyn recommended doing with the vanilla! I'm a nut for peppermint oil and often add a few drops to plain water (very good for the tummy) hot or iced tea, and sometimes to a cocoa smoothie! That little $8 bottle (8oz) has lasted me years. A true frugal luxury 😉.<br />Love Tracey<br />XoX<br />P.S. Like Lana, we've had too many bad experiences with fast food so rarely indulge these days...that said... we've gotten to be quite good at having items on hand to whip up our own burgers very quickly should the cravings occur! I usually keep pre-baked potatoes on hand for a quick side of hash browns, fried potatoes with onions, or English baked potatoes (they are cut much like home fries but the baked potatoes are brushed with oil, salted and baked for 20 minutes in a hot oven). Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-65468290340386161952017-06-17T16:19:48.402-04:002017-06-17T16:19:48.402-04:00Terri ... Can so relate to your frustration with b...Terri ... Can so relate to your frustration with biting gnats. When they're really awful here we put a little vanilla extract behind our ears and surprisingly it really does help keep them away. We tried Skin-So-Soft but unfortunately they weren't offended by it. Carolyn @ Our Gilded Abodehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18201649173159755166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-61116626581869206792017-06-17T11:22:25.570-04:002017-06-17T11:22:25.570-04:00Lidl opened here this week. Big savings on Bonele...Lidl opened here this week. Big savings on Boneless skinless chicken breasts at 1.29 a pound so I bought 18 breasts. No added junk and the one we grilled last night was delicious. I doubt I will be a regular shopper there as the organics that I buy at Aldi were not available and prices in general were higher.<br /><br />Hubby needed shorts as his are all frayed around the hems. Bought 4 pairs for $48 at Kohl's that are regularly $36 a pair. They fit well and he likes them.<br /><br />I have gotten seriously bad food poisoning at Burger King twice. I just can not do it again. Too bad as those Whoppers are sure good.Lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380649410508372279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-47268922740420512092017-06-17T02:19:10.256-04:002017-06-17T02:19:10.256-04:00Each time are at Aldi we try to look around good. ...Each time are at Aldi we try to look around good. We have found many things that at first we didn't know they carried. Ours still has not had any vegetarian chili though. Also no cheese popcorn if that is where you found yours. It is nice that they mark down some produce occasionally lower than the sale price it was supposed to be. This week it was blueberries. They are to be a pound for $1.29 but they reduced them for days at 99c each. Also red grapes were reduced. Nice! :) One time it was bags of potatoes and another green peppers. When we notice it and it drys well we get extra. We will freeze some of the grapes too for penny grape cycles soon. :)<br />You said quite a while back John wanted you to try to Really deepen our pantry. A year or mores worth of food. Are you still working towards that goal? That will take up a lot of space. We try to keep a pretty good pantry but our house gets hot and so we have to watch. We have learned how long cans really keep here etc. Each home is different. Just when we relax and think we will not keep much extra something comes up to spur us to not cutting back too much. I hope you have been able to find places and the $ for adding more to yours if that is still your goal. SarahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-90868568180569884892017-06-17T02:17:34.339-04:002017-06-17T02:17:34.339-04:00It's funny--my husband, Rob,does the same thin...It's funny--my husband, Rob,does the same thing as your husband. He often gets hungry for something and then just proceeds to make it. It sure is handy when I'm in a hurry--sometimes I hint around that it would be nice if he was in the mood for ......whatever he likes:) I'm not picky, sometimes just hungry and in a hurry--so glad he can cook. I'm sure you appreciate it when your husband cooks, too.Beckyathomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11105835394158145451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-44266890516614661472017-06-16T22:53:00.353-04:002017-06-16T22:53:00.353-04:00Hi Terri,
Our thriftiest doing was selling some t...Hi Terri, <br />Our thriftiest doing was selling some things on EBay. <br />I've spent time getting our home back in order and that, in the long run, makes life thriftier as we know what we have and don't need to rebuy things we already have. <br />We did our own yardwork (many of our neighbors hire it done). Cooked all meals at home except for Nina's birthday supper, I also piddled with Swagbucks. Rhondahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07898829593961271218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-57390125072576627282017-06-16T16:56:14.144-04:002017-06-16T16:56:14.144-04:00We had a very frugal week, for which I am grateful...We had a very frugal week, for which I am grateful. Despite the horrid heat/humidity wave we're having, I managed to cook dinner every night this week. I did most of the prepping in the cooler (ha ha!) morning hours. We had Sloppy Joes & pasta salad, Cashew Chicken wraps & cold veggies, Taco Salad, Chef Salad, Hot Dogs & green salad, & tonight we're having green chili enchiladas & green salad. I got a big box of spring greens at Sam's last Saturday and no way I'm wasting those delicious things!! I also made some yogurt, milk, & blueberry popsicles, which taste wonderful in the heat. <br /><br />I made 2 summer pillow covers for my relaxing chair. The original covers are nice, but they're a *hot* fabric next to my skin. I found some upholstery fabric that's sturdy cotton for $7 yd. I only needed 1 yd. so I consider that a bargain.<br /><br />I got a $10 off $10 coupon in the mail so I bought my brother a polo-style shirt for $9.99 and found a wonderful bracelet for a friend's bday for $5 (marked down from a crazy $50!). I thought I would've paid only about $20 for it normally so I'll call it a 75% off deal! So, for $5 and some change, I got 2 birthday presents done. I love it when that happens!<br /><br />Despite the heat, I've kept my thermostat at 78. Any higher and the humidity is overbearing.<br /><br />I'm busy with lots of embroidery. I'm working on flour sack towels and some quilt squares. I'm also assembling the 50 State squares into a quilt. My mom started it. I'm not nearly as good as she was so this will take me a long time in case you wonder why you've read me posting the same thing many times!!<br /><br />I just finished reading the Seasons of the Heart series by Janette Oke. Joshua Jones is the main character. I absolutely loved it and recommend it for anyone's summer reading. Inspirational and set in the early 1900's.Debby in KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10678580135625880717noreply@blogger.com