The Frugal Friday File 2021, week 12...

 

Successes:
1.  Payday...yippee!

2.  We have a new 3,000-gallon water storage tank as of a few minutes ago.  The previous tank had a critical fail (leak) develop in its wall.  Replacing it was not cheap, but I had been setting money aside for it, knowing that it was inevitable, so it is not a devastating blow nor one that had to be paid on time with interest.  Having a water well requires regular maintenance, but happily Carey can manage most of it, and we don't have water bills to pay.  I heard recently that water bills from the local water service company can run several hundred dollars a month in our area.  I was shocked.

3.  I received four lovely letters in the mail recently.  The price of a stamp is SO worth the joy it brings!

4.  We are having breakfast for supper tonight.  The eggs are fresh layed and free from our non-sanctioned neighborhood chicken wrangler.  The fig preserves are a real treat that I am looking forward to on fresh hot biscuits.  The preserves were a barter from a dear friend.  In exchange for my homemade masks, she sent me delicious homemade fig preserves.  My favorite!

5.  I recently discovered that our library offers Kanopy streaming of movies, documentaries, etc.  Nice to have another frugal option for entertainment.  These days I am missing movie-theater popcorn however.

Thankful Thursday...

 Thankful that I got my first dose of vaccine exactly a week ago.  I was exhausted the first day, but whether that was a reaction to the vaccine or a reaction to the general stress of getting up early and getting to the location in the next town over, finding parking, walking to the center, walking the maze with the other injectees, walking back to the car, and then going to work for the rest of the day I can't really say.  

Sunday I had a great burst of energy/motivation and cleaned out a smallish dresser that we had sitting under our living-room television.  It was full of files and miscellanea which I went through and determined everything but one single item, was shred worthy.  I took quite a large box of old medical statements/records and bills and bank statements to the car.  Then I enlisted Jared to help me move the empty dresser to my work office to store supplies in the ladies' room.  While we were there I dropped off the shredding in our locked shred bins at work which were being picked up this week and shredded on site.

All in all a very productive weekend.  I should get vaccinated more often!

What I'm (not) reading Wednesday...

 I've been slow to pick up books lately, and quick to put them down.  Must be a season I am going through.

I'm still reading The Liar's Club from last week's post, but it doesn't keep my attention.  It is a memoir.  I've been picking up a lot of memoirs lately.  Next time I will have to remind myself that I really don't find the memoir genre all that appealing on the whole.  I'm interested enough in other people to want to peek into their lives, but not interested enough to put my life on hold to read about theirs.  What does that say about me?  

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

 

Frugal Friday File 2021, week 10...

Successes:
1.  New breakfast recipe worked great all week.

2.  Carey worked an extra day for a co-worker, and will work an extra day next week as well.

3.  I've been hitting the pan of both my foundation and eye shadow for ages.  Using the makeup brushes with just the right wrist action, I keep managing to pick up enough to do the job, and I'm pretty sure I will get another month out of both.  

4. I never did end up purchasing anything that was in my Amazon cart last month.  Since then I've ordered a new medic alert bracelet to replace a broken one, and I now have another personal item sitting in the cart waiting...waiting...waiting...  

5.  Ugh...my hair looks atrocious, but I'm holding strong on staying out of the salon.  Extremely happy that the color has been natural for years; at least I don't look like a skunk with a big white stripe down the middle.

Today is Tuesday...

 I found a new fast and super easy breakfast at The Creative Bite to take to work with me to have at my desk.  (You may remember that I don't like breakfast first thing in the morning, and I absolutely have to just grab and go with no morning prep.  Not a morning person and always cutting time too close.

Start with glass jars that are roomy enough to allow for some expansion during cooking...you don't want messy egg all over your microwave.

In each jar, place 1/4 cup frozen hash browns, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, and 1/4 cup cooked meat of your choice (cooked and crumbled sausage, bacon, ham...or be creative with leftover meat or veggies).  I used bacon for this first run.  You can adjust the measurements and ingredients to your liking.  I lined up my jars, and made an assembly line.  I put a Tablespoon or so of Picante Sauce in the bottom of the jar before layering the other ingredients.  At this point, cover the jars with their lids or plastic wrap, and pop the jars in the fridge for several days.

In the morning you open the jar and crack an egg or two on top, put the lid back on, and head to work.  

When you are ready to eat, remove the lid, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then cook for another 30 to 60 seconds or till done to your liking (depending on your microwave strength, it could take shorter or longer).  It was really easy, good, and satisfying.  And a whole lot cheaper than the store-bought brands.

Having it ready to grab in my fridge keeps me from stopping and spending money or skipping breakfast altogether.

The Frugal Friday File 2021, week 9...

Successes:

1.  Feeling pretty good about last month's cutback on ordering.   Though I slipped once,  I'm okay with that.  Right now I have several things in my 'cart,' but things I want to think about awhile and may or may not eventually order.  Last month's goal helped me realize a pause of a few hours, days, or weeks before clicking 'submit order' isn't unbearable.

2.  Donated $$$ to our local food pantry.  Because they partner with the big nearby city food pantry, each $1 donated equals $7 in purchasing power, which means more stock on shelves going to our local citizens in need.  They can get 7 times the food with my cash donation, compared to if I dropped off an equal dollar amount of groceries purchased at retail.

3.  I renewed my drivers license yesterday.  It had expired last October, but due to pandemic, the state had extended all expirations until this April.  I tried to renew it before the end of the year, made the appointment, showed up, but they would not accept my copy of birth certificate, had to halt process until I was able to retrieve original from safe deposit box.  Now I am set for another eight years without fear of being ticketed for driving with expired license and the fines that come with it.

4.  Made Carey my kitchen attendant while I was making an easy and low-cost meal earlier in the week.  I think this brings him up to four meals that he can handle on his own now...quite an accomplishment.  (Several years ago he told me that he will be one of those men who dies within a few months if their wife passes away first.  I told him of course he will...he would starve to death!)  He is planning to retire this coming October, so grocery budget may not stretch to carry-out as often.  Since I will still be working, our roles will be shifting a bit, so I'm getting him prepared.  :)

5.  Staying home most of the time, and consolidating errands when I have to leave the house.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

White Dresses: A Memoir of Love and Secrets, Mothers and Daughters

by Mary Pflum Peterson