Five Frugal Things ~ 11/30/22

 

No matter the circumstances, I have always had abundance in my life and all my needs met. It all depends on perspective I suppose and I have experienced first hand, life in a poorer country. I came back from that experience seeing my life through a new lens and I felt like nothing less than royalty! Sure, there have been some trying times but we've made it through, none the worse for wear. 

Here's a few frugal things I did this week~

1)  I used a long forgotten gift card to put gas in our vehicle.  There was just enough on it to fill up the tank!

this watch requires five batteries as each face is for a different time zone

2)  I watched a YouTube video to learn how to change watch batteries. I have several watches that have been sitting unused because their batteries were dead. I have put off having the batteries replaced because of the cost and the time and effort to drive to my favorite jeweler to have him change them. I ordered a pack of four batteries for less than the cost of having one changed. One watch down and several more to go. Unfortunately, not all my watches take the same type of battery so this will be a process for me that will take some time.

3)  I used some leftover lemon rinds, a few sprigs of rosemary and a sprinkling of thyme simmered in my tiny slow cooker as a natural air freshener.

4)  I took advantage of the loss leaders and digital coupons at Randall's and was able to get ten pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for .99 a pound, four pounds of bananas for .29 a pound and a free 6 ounce can of black olives.

5)  I refilled my bottle that I use as a facial toner (1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water).

I hope you had a frugally abundant week. See you next time!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (November 19 - 25)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's focus was storage or the laundry room so I continued to focus on decluttering the "storage" (lol) of excess and miscellaneous items. I am a self professed pack rat and work diligently to avoid crossing over into hoarder territory. Admittedly, I do have a hard time letting some things go. Sometimes it may take me several passes of an area before I can release something. A fact I'm not proud of.😊

What I'm watching/reading ~

Each winter holiday season I love to watch all the various versions of A Christmas Carol  and Little Women. It has begun! This past week I watched the 1994 version of LW movie with Susan Sarandon. 

I don't have a favorite version of either movie, I love them all!

Highlight ~

Thanksgiving of course! And...

a brisk walk in the park with my Dollface was one of the highlights of the week! It was a chilly, blue skies kind of day and absolutely beautiful! 

I hope you and yours had a most delightful Thanksgiving.

Thanks for always joining me here in my quiet little corner of the world. I appreciate it more than you know!

💋xo, 

TJ

Thanksgiving Blessings to You and Yours!

 

A Peek Into Last Week (November 12 - 18)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

It has been a slow but uneventful week here. With a few glitches thrown in 😆. But, we carry on!

Homekeeping ~ 

 This weeks focus was the office, desk and paperwork. I managed to wade through a stack of old paper and toss, file and shred most of it.

I continue general decluttering and organizing. 

What I'm watching/reading ~

I enjoyed spending some time reading up on some of the fascinating history and fun facts about the great state of Texas, where I was born and bred, on this site. I occasionally recall my ex-husband (may he rest in peace) saying I couldn't be more "Texas" due to the fact that I was born in Texas City, Texas. I had never thought of it that way, lol.

Garden~

snow peas

It always fascinates me to go out to the garden and discover the seedlings that appear seemingly out of nowhere! And the never-ending self seeding abundance of basil at my fingertips year 'round!

basil and blue skies

Highlight ~

This little secret garden pathway that developed organically is definitely one of the highlights of my week. I imagine fantastical, enchanted  garden loving beings using it in the twilight of the evening! 

I hope your week was filled with things that brought you joy! And I hope that every day of every year you find something to be thankful for, not just during the month of November or on the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving day itself. Each day is a gift, and that in itself is enough to be thankful for. May you have a wonderful, safe upcoming week!🦃

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

Five Frugal Things ~ 11/16/22

“Frugality is founded on the principle that all riches have limits.” 

~Edmund Burke

This last week I..

1)  trimmed my own hair, cutting about three inches off. I can now wear my hair down comfortably! When it is longer, I find it bothersome as it clings to my neck in the heat. I'm sure it's psychological but I feel hotter with my longer hair on my neck.

2)  I have not gone to the grocery store, opting instead to put on Tmy creativity cap and come up with delicious delights from our storehouses (fridge, freezer and pantry) of foods.

3)  I made my own ranch and Italian salad dressings to enjoy on the salads I am trying to eat more of.

4)  I harvested lots of green onions that I re-grew from store bought green onions many, many months ago. I only snip the new green growth so that I can "cut and come again".

5)  I continue to declutter and organize so that I am less likely to go out and buy things we may already have but that somehow became "out of sight, out of mind".

If you are on a fresh money saving adventure, I would love to hear how you are doing. Are you sailing right through it, or having struggles? Have you implemented new tips and tricks for saving money that you never have before? Please share, we're all in this together! ❤️!

Thanks for stopping by! 

💋xo, 

TJ

We Interrupt this Regularly Scheduled Post~

 ...for a little R&R timeout. See you next time!

📷: pinterest

 

Five Frugal Things ~ 11/9/22

 "When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears."

~ Anthony Robbins

I love this quote! I refuse to fear this economy or the future, and I am certainly not going to put a stake in the ground of lack and hold onto it for dear life as my "identity". I also refuse to hang onto the depressing news reports of gloom and doom and regurgitate them here to underscore the negativity. I will continue to do what is necessary to see us through this trying time but I am determined to focus on the positive, not poverty. I believe better days are ahead.

In the meantime, here are a few things I did to save money here and there...

📷:  internet

1)  I made homemade popcorn for our salty snack cravings. It is less expensive than the chips we often buy and fairly easy to make, as I use the Stir Crazy popcorn popper that I bought as a gift for my popcorn loving hubby several years ago. 

2)  I went to two nearby grocery stores to purchase the loss leaders offered in their weekly flyers that we could and would use. 

3)  I returned an item that wasn't the size we needed. Return shipping was free and I was able to drop it off at our nearby UPS location while I was out running another errand.

4)  I have changed the way I do laundry.  I used to divide up laundry into categories that resulted in more, smaller loads. No "category" has been harmed or ruined by combining with another category 😆. Working smarter, not harder and saving time, water and electricity in the process😃

5)  I have been rethinking the way I garden. I want to only grow things that I know I am capable of growing and that does well in our climate. While prices remain what they are, I won't be experimenting with unknowns, saving us on the cost of seeds (and occasionally, but rarely, plants), water and my time. When there is more wiggle room in the budget at some point in the future,  I may indulge in trying my hand at sowing and planting things I never have before, taking the chance on possible losses.  For now, I intend to sow only the seeds I have on hand and when they are gone, I will only purchase tried and true winners.

How have your money-saving efforts been going? Here's wishing us all much happiness, prosperity and abundance! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 29- November 4)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Hello again!  So glad you are here ❤️ I hope your Halloween was safe and fun.

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

Chicken Tomato Cilantro soup, baked potatoes with assorted toppings and ranch dressing. 

 blondies

Mostly, we enjoyed a lot of precooked and frozen meals that were easy to unearth from the freezer, defrost, heat and eat.

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's homekeeping focus was the living room, entryway, and front porch. It was the perfect time to remove our Halloween decoration and attack the mountain that grows from a molehill on our entry table.☺️

What I'm watching/reading ~

I am doing a refresh reading of Younger Next Year for Women by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.. I first read the original Younger Next Year, which I found at a thrift store before finding YNYFW, also at a thrift store. There are just some books I like to read and re-read to let the message really sink in. When it comes to the subject of health and wellness, I need all the refreshes I can get (especially the older I get)! I find it encouraging to stay on top of my health and take care of myself, regardless of how old I get and how it can sometimes be so tempting to sit in my easy chair and rock my life away, lol. NO! I plan on fighting the uphill battle all the way to the end!💪

Highlight ~

I am so thankful for being able to take advantage of the privilege of voting. And early! There was only a short wait and the entire process went smoothly. It was heartwarming to see very young first time voters and the very old and/or disabled, who made it by walker, cane and wheelchair. All were welcomed and accommodated! 

Did you vote early? How were the polls where you are?

*confession-I voted for the very first time at the age of 35 for excuses I won't bore you with. The moral of this story is...it's never too late!

I hope the upcoming week is a delightful one for us all~thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

Friday Fave #5~

 This week's fave comes from the kitchen! It's not glamorous but it sure comes in handy. I'm talking about instant milk. No, not that fat free stuff that most of us are familiar with and are loathe to actually drink (well, maybe that's just me). Don't get me wrong, I don't mind cooking and baking with the fat free variety in a pinch, but me no drink.

📷: all photos from amazon

The instant milk I'm talking about is whole milk and tasty enough that my husband has never noticed that I have replaced the milk of the refrigerated liquid variety in his hot cereals. (We were throwing out too much milk gone bad as he only uses small amounts to add to hot cereal once or twice a week. And I don't drink milk on a regular basis.) This milk is drinkable, even for me, on the rare occasion I get a hankerin' for a cold glass to go with a cookie (or four☺️), or to eat with my beloved granola! 

Since we don't use that much that quickly, I divided out the powder into 1 cup portions and (surprise!) put them in the freezer to make a cup at a time (1/4 cup milk powder to 1 cup room temperature water). NO MORE MILK WASTE! Hallelujah!!!

I bought mine on Amazon but I'm sure other retailers may carry it.

Do you use this product? What are your thoughts on it? I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo,

TJ

*this product is not sponsored and is not an ad~just a friend sharing with friends!

Five Frugal Things ~ 11/2/22

 

dollface

1)  I bathed my Dollface and did her nails. It saved not only the money for the service and the gas money to transport her to the groomer but also the time and her stress. We used to pay for a mobile service to come to our home to groom her but I figured that was money best spent elsewhere. 

2)  I baked the ten pounds of potatoes that I recently purchase for .29 cents a pound. This is a big deal for me as I usually put the bag(s) of potatoes in the pantry where they often take on a secret life of their own in the dark, out of the way place. My first reminder that they are still there is hubby telling me something doesn't smell right in there, lol. My "savings" is usually rendered null and void as I chip away the soft spots (and sometimes whole potatoes) and put them in the, always "baking", lasagna compost out in the garden. I soothe and comfort myself over the loss by reasoning that "at least they aren't completely wasted, they are building the soil!". They will be at the ready for use in all sorts of recipes and some will most likely find their way portioned out and into the freezer.

3)  It rained several days so I didn't have to water outdoor plants or the lawn on those days. I captured rain water in a bucket to water my indoor plants. 

4)  I washed and dried gently used zip close baggies for re-use.

5)  I saved butter wrappers for greasing baking pans to save on my baking spray.

How did your money saving efforts go this week? I would love to hear about them! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

💋xo, 

TJ