Frugal Friday File 2019, week 10...

Successes:

1.  I've had a big jar of dried pinto beans in the pantry for years...well...let's just say a long time.  I figured they were so old that they might never soften up completely.  But I had nothing to lose, so while I was in the kitchen preparing dinner Tuesday, I also rinsed the beans and put them in the slow cooker to cook overnight.  I was dicing some ham for a quiche, so I added some to the pot of beans.  And I found some leftover sausage in the fridge, so I sliced that and put in with them too, along with a couple of tablespoons of bacon drippings also found in the fridge.  In the morning they were perfectly tender.  I let them continue to cook for the rest of the day on low.  They were SO good...maybe the best I've ever made...or maybe I was just really hungry as I hadn't eaten all day.  Hurray for no food waste!  :)  

2.  After coming to my senses last week and not ordering more coffee online (when I already have some in the pantry that needs to be used), I'm happy to say that I now have a bottle of cold brew coffee concentrate in the fridge, and I have been making and enjoying a large glass of iced coffee every morning.  No $ spent.  No food waste.  And my pantry is looking less crowded bit by bit.  :)

3.  Lots of individual servings of home cooked meals were prepared for the freezer.  Carey has lots of variety to take to work with him this week.

4.  I'm catching up on laundry today.  I choose to only buy machine washable garments, so we have no dry-cleaning costs.  I would love to have a clothesline, but crazily our POA has a rule against them.  I could probably get away with it, since it would not be visible to neighbors, but I can just see Rudy pulling the clean clothes down and destroying them.  So instead I clean the dryer vent with every load so it runs as efficiently as possible, Carey cleans the vent hose regularly, and I take clothes out and hang them up as soon as the dryer buzzes to prevent wrinkles...most of the time...for clothes anyway...for sheets and towels, I sometimes leave them sitting in the dryer for days.  :(  Just keepin' it real.  

5.  I'm working all week next week.  Happily I will be at the branch near my home, so no commute.  :)  

Saturday:  Chicken Curry
Sunday:  Sunday family dinner at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  Beef & Vegetable Stew w/ cornbread
Tuesday:  Quiche
Wednesday:  Pinto beans and Cornbread
Thursday:  leftovers
Friday:  *burger

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)