Frugal Friday File 2018, week 35...

Successes:
1.  I filled up with gasoline at a station that is 20¢ less per gallon than others in the area, plus 10¢ less still if you use their brand loyalty card, which I did.  An easy $6 savings since I was working near this particular station this week.

2.  I went into JoAnn's today.  I succumbed to some impulse purchases as soon as I walked in the door.  Not part of the frugal plan, but they were on clearance.  I needed some new cutting blades for my paper cutter, and they were buy 2 get 1 free.  Thanks to using the store app coupons, I received 40% off one regular priced item, and 20% my entire order.  Total savings $18.67.

3.  

This is what Rudy left in my path the other night.  He was either trying to (a) keep me contained or (b) cause my death by tripping.  If you can't tell, it is a long row of his toys lain end to end, plus one of my Birkenstocks to top it off.  He has never chewed shoes previously, so he got in trouble.  The strap shows definite damage, and may rub uncomfortably from here on out, time will tell.

I need shoes with a lot of support, and I wear Birks morning to night, from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning till I slip into bed at night.  The tile floors and cement slab the house is built on (not to mention every other building and store I frequent) are not kind to my high arches and dodgy knees.  It has been a long time since I have purchased a new pair of Birks, and some of my favorites are looking pretty tired.  So I used the chewing as an excuse to look at new ones, at least new to me.  

I went to Ebay and searched Birkenstocks in my size.  I found a black, closed-toe pair, lightly worn, very inexpensive with low shipping cost, and they can be worn to work.  I found a pair of sandals like new and in my favorite style, less than half the cost of new, and free shipping.  Then I found a new pair in a style I've never seen before...I fell in love...and I paid full price.  Doy!  But at least the shipping was also free on that pair.

Really, it was all Rudy's fault!  

We've made up now.  No hard feelings.  In fact, he is sleeping across my legs as I type.

4.  I worked three full days even though it was not what I wanted to be doing this week.  Ah, well, it will pay for those shoes.  ...sigh...

5.  The electric bill has arrived and actually went down a little.  Usually this is our highest billing period of the year, and this year it has been SO hot.  We are still hovering around 100°F, though today was only 96°.  That the bill went down a little, rather than up a lot, was a pleasant surprise.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  *pizza
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  late lunch, skipped supper 
Tuesday:  pancake and a smoothie
Wednesday:  *Chinese
Thursday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Friday:  Dublin Coddle

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Chin Up, Wilbur!

Aaaarrrrrrgggg...

So far, this week has been...challenging...enraging...demoralizing...depressing...

I hate, hate, hate having to watch everything I say around friends and family who do not agree with my political views when they have no hesitation about voicing their opinion.   And then I really hate slipping up on my resolve herewith and it causes a rift in our relationship.

I hate, hate, hate commuting!  I mean it this time.  I am NOT working out of town anymore!

I hate, hate, hate making idiotic and embarrassing mistakes.  Let's just say I found the intercom beyond my abilities today.  Unfortunately it wasn't an inability to send a message...I just sent a smart-ass response to the wrong person.  **eyes rolling so far up in my head!**  Oh, did I mention the 'wrong person' was the boss...and he was in the middle of a meeting with a client.  

O. M. Geeeeee.  It's only Tuesday!

Frugal Friday File 2018, week 34...

Successes:
1.  We love breakfast for supper, and it really is frugal.  However, it always seems that when I decide to make waffles, I'm out of milk.  So when I saw a recipe for a homemade pancake/waffle mix from Kathryn at Do It On A Dime that used dry milk in the mix, and thus only required adding a cup of water and an egg to make batter, I knew I'd be much more likely to make more breakfasts for suppers than to fall back on take out.  

When I was rooting around in the pantry on Saturday and found a forgotten bag of instant dry milk, I realized that I had all the ingredients to make a batch.  I put the mix recipe on What's Cookin' 4 Miles North of Nowhere.

We enjoyed our 'breakfast' Saturday night, then I froze the leftover waffles on a cookie sheet.  Once frozen, I moved them to a Ziplock bag, and took them to the kids on Sunday.  They can pop them in the toaster, and have a favorite breakfast in a flash.

2.  Made sure all bills were paid on time before my work week started and fatigue set it.

3.  Work.  Sleep.  Repeat.

4.  No shopping of any kind.

5.  So thankful for a car that gets good gas mileage.  Even with all the driving I did this week, the needle is still far from 'empty'.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  Breakfast for supper: waffles, eggs, bacon
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, creamed peas
Tuesday:  slow cooker roast, potatoes, carrots
Wednesday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Thursday:  *friends night out
Friday:  late lunch, skipped supper

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Frugal Friday File 2018, week 33...

Successes:
1.  Received another work call; an employee's spouse was transferred, and she is leaving pretty imminently.  They are located in the neighboring town that I said I wasn't going to commute to anymore, but this branch has been really great to work at in the past, so I'm compromising and booked three days a week for the next three weeks.  I did say I could be flexible due to a medical issue with a coworker in that branch.  It's one I have struggled with myself, so I know how unpredictable and debilitating it can be.

2.  The amount of work I've had this year has been hard on my limited work wardrobe.  I finally caved and ordered some new black slacks as well as navy ones.  I also ordered a few tops  and a scarf which will replace some in my closet that are starting to look more washer worn than I am comfortable going to work in...we are expected to maintain a professional appearance.  Everything was 50% off.  Now my closet, which has been needing a good clean out for awhile, must be attended to sooner rather than later.

3.  I made a new casserole recipe which was pretty awful.  We ate it anyway, but the leftovers were not saved.  I'm not THAT frugal.  :)

4.  I went out to eat with a friend, and we both had salads.  I ordered my dressing on the side and used the old dieting method of dipping the fork in the dressing before spearing each bite of salad.  There was WAY too many lovely fresh lettuces and cucumbers to finish.  Since the greens on my plate remained undressed (!) and would stay crisp, I brought them home to make a side salad for us at another meal.

5.  I was looking around the pantry this week to see what needed to be used up, and I came across a bottle of peach flavored syrup to make flavored beverages.  I brewed a pitcher of tea and am now enjoying peach iced tea.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  *dinner out with Bobby
Sunday:  Burrito Casserole (worst Pinned recipe ever!)
Monday:  *Chinese
Tuesday:  *friend night out
Wednesday:  *baked potato
Thursday:  Spanish rice w/ beef
Friday:  Shrimp Salad

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Frugal Friday File 2018, week 32...

Successes:
1.  We were going out to a place we like for a late lunch/early dinner (not frugal) on Wednesday.  I remembered before we left home that they have put a Little Free Library out front of the cafe.  The first time I saw it, I didn't feel right about taking a book since I didn't have any to leave in exchange.  Today I picked up a couple of books from my already-read pile before we left home.  

I love the idea of little free libraries, and I want one, but we live in a semi-rural area and on a cul-de-sac to boot, so I don't think it would see much traffic if I had one.  I happily deposited my two donation books today on my way into the restaurant.  And the frugal part of this story is that on the way out of the restaurant I found a mystery paperback that caught my fancy to take home with me.

2.  Aestivation - prolonged torpor or dormancy of an animal during a hot or dry period.  As opposed to hibernation.  That's what I'm doing.  Hiding from the heat.  Staying home.  Watching free craft tutorials on Youtube.  And movies on Netflix (which may not be free, but at least I'm getting my money's worth on the subscription).

3.  Getting a head start on Christmas gifting/crafting.  I'm making plans and lists.  I've requested an all homemade gift exchange among the family this year...not sure all will want to do that, but it's okay to mix it up.  My quilt group is also doing a handmade exchange this year, so I'm working on that as well.  A good portion of all gifts will be done with supplies on hand.

4.  Using free printables to replenish Yahtzee! score cards.  We play Yahtzee! often, lately at every family supper.  And last week we were down to using the remains of a pad from the 1960's.  My kids were amazed as they handed me a partially used score sheet, all foxed and somewhat brittle around the edges, with my maiden name written in elementary cursive.  :)  I don't need to make a pad out of the ones I'm printing, but I have plenty of free chipboard and a jar of padding compound from when I made these, so I might as well.

5.  Vacation planning.  Keeping it as frugal as possible.  Meal planning and pet arrangements are a major consideration in the process.  Can't we just stay home?

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  *Tex-Mex
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  Bacon Ranch Tortellini Salad
Tuesday:  leftovers
Wednesday:  *dinner out
Thursday:  leftovers
Friday:  *burger

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

I haven't been reading anything lately, and have been wanting something to spark the desire again.

Susanna Kearsley is a favorite author.  While I haven't loved all of her work, her The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden are favorites and are on my read-again list. 

Bellewether is her newest book...just out this week...and long awaited as there were some delays.  I paid full price for the Kindle version and started it immediately.  

Saturday snail mail...

Just checking in to document a couple of cards I made this weekend.

Card #1:

This is a shaker card filled with coins in the 'jar'.  It's a belated birthday card for one of the boys.  I included a check inside the card.  When I give them cash, check, or a gift card, I try to put at least a little imagination into the presentation.  

To see a couple of other ways I've presented them with cash as gifts, see here and here.

Card #2:

Caitlyn needed a card to take to a birthday party tomorrow, so I made this one for her to take.   I was multitasking when I was making it, and I'm not 100% happy with it, but she thought it was fine. 

Frugal Friday File 2018, week 31...

Successes:
1.  I was out of multi-purpose cleaner in the master bath.  I could have gone and made some, or retrieved some from another part of the house, but there was a container of a liquid hand soap that I don't really like sitting on the counter, so I poured some of it in the toilet bowl and brushed as usual.  Soap is soap, and the ones I don't like for one purpose  get used for another.  

2.  I scheduled 7 new days of work locally for next month.  

3.  The pantry needs reorganizing desperately.  Rotating some of the lingering stock out will  help neaten things up as well as be frugal.  Tonight we will be having salmon croquettes.  Maybe in the next few days there will be tuna casserole, tuna salad sandwiches, some kind of curry to use up the bottle of curry sauce (and fading vegetables in the fridge)...  

4.  Staying home shutting out the heat.  I don't glow.  I sweat...copious amounts of sweat.

5.  We have a water well.  That means that there's no water bill climbing when Carey waters the trees by non-stop slow drip to try to keep the stress of this dry heat from causing damage.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  leftovers
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  *chicken
Tuesday:  egg on toast
Wednesday:  Chloe's b'day supper at Kasey & Beau's
Thursday:  Taco Salad
Friday:  salmon patties, sweet potato fries, green beans

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)