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