Friday, May 20, 2022

Third Frugal Friday of May 2022


Welcome to Friday! 

Quote of the Week

Life is full of unexpected endings that make way for new beginnings. That which is meant for us will not pass us by. We must build and grow daily, accept the choices others make, and be ready when new opportunities come our way
My Frugal Week

Last weekend on Friday and Saturday we went to multiple yard sales. 


We found an Omega 8006 juicer that sells for $284.59 on Amazon at a church yard sale for $5.00! I’ve always wanted an Omega juicer since it is the one Dr. Fuhrman recommends. We both love church yard sales for this very reason. 

I am in love with this juicer. I think I juiced every vegetable I had in the refrigerator. 


This is a cold press juicer so it’s not as destructive to the vegetables as a juicer than runs hot. I saved my pulp too to either use in salads or I’m looking into making some breakfast “cookies” for our yard sale mornings. 


We also found this set of six new old stock Pier One Asian style dipping/sauce bowls for $3.00. They are black on the outside and blue, green, red, and tan on the inside. These will be perfect for when we serve soy sauce with egg rolls. 


Pyrex Portables 4.5 quart casserole dish with lid and insulated bag for $2.00. I already have two of these in a smaller casserole dish and I like them because they have lids with them, which makes them easy to store food in and reheat leftovers.

Saving Money on Sewing

Bailey had a pair of sleep shorts from Torrid that needed mending. The material isn’t very high quality considering the price we paid. She has some other sleep shorts from Target that were cheaper and higher quality material. I did the best mending job I could in several places hoping they will last a while longer as this is a favorite pair. 

We were speaking about the cost of thread on the Living Simply Facebook group recently. I bought this Gutermann thread (100% polyester- 547 yards) from Amazon along with a spool of black thread in a pair for $10.93. I used the white thread for mending her shorts along with a dress for her business that had a split in the seam. 


I also used some HeatnBond UltraHold on a pair of shorts she tie-dyed for her business. The hem had come out all the way around the leg, so the HeatnBond worked well for this type of repair. I also used the new to me iron we picked up at a yard sale recently.

Decluttering

In cleaning up my parents old bedroom I found several coins. I found twenty dollar coins, $4.65 in change, and a two ounce silver coin that my Dad told me to keep. That was $46.42 worth of money. We also found some unused stamps that no longer stick

I found some VHS tapes in there too and offered those up for free on our local Facebook group. Surprisingly they were gone the first day

Saving Money on Shipping

Mom needed me to mail a couple of packages to her in Michigan. For cheaper shipping rates I use Pirateship.com to mail packages. I print the labels here and schedule a pick up as well. 

For these packages I used UPS to ship and scheduling a pick up on their website cost $6 verses the $21 UPS wanted on their website to pick up here. 

Of course, if I know I have a package coming from UPS or FedEx and put it outside with a sticky note on it, our drivers are always great to pick them up too at no extra charge.

Joy of the Week

I did some weeding over the weekend near the bottom of our steps leading out to where we park our cars. Our yard is filled with wild daisies right now. They bring me so much joy every year.

Update on Mom

I’m not sure if you read this in the comment section last week or not, but my sister and her husband came down to pick my Mom up and take her to Michigan to live with them for the time being.

Mom with her new neck brace

My sister is a trained CNA and will be able to help Mom so much more than I can,  and we didn’t like the care she was getting in the rehab center, so we are looking at this as a win-win situation. Her plans are to come back home once she is better. 

Of course, my heart is broken, but I’ve done my best not to let her know that as I want her to get well. I know what it is like being separated from family by miles like this and I’m trying not to think about that. My sister is trained for this, so I know it’s what is best for Mom right now. 

Meals This Week

Friday: Chicken Tenders, Egg Rolls, Corn on the Cob.

Saturday: Submarine Sandwiches after a long day of yard sales

Sunday: Egg Roll in a Bowl, Egg Rolls, Steamed Broccoli. 

Monday: Chicken Fajitas, Roasted & Smashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli. 

Tuesday: Movie Night, which means homemade Pizza!

Wednesday: Better Cheddars, Roasted & Smashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli.

Thursday: Hamburgers, Pasta Salad, Onion Rings


Recipe of the Week

One of the ingredients I use in my kitchen is Lawry’s seasoning salt. My grandmother always added it to her lasagne and I do too. It’s a delicious alternative spice and satisfies the “something different” element.

Back in the early 1980s my Dad took several of us to Lawry’s The Prime Rib restaurant located at 100 Ontario Street in downtown Chicago. 

I can still remember the carts of Prime Rib they rolled out on a silver trolly cart and allowed us to choose the cut we wanted. Also, their famous original spinning bowl salad was really something to watch as the waiter had it spinning about two feet up in the air.

Eventually the restaurant closed its doors in Chicago, and although they have three other locations in the US, I will always remember the Chicago restaurant fondly. 

Roasted & Smashed Potatoes 

Ingredients:

Yukon Gold Potatoes (as many as you need)
Vegetable Oil
Butter
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Scrub potatoes well and cut into desired size. 
Spray baking dish and potatoes with vegetable spray.
Sprinkle with seasonings, stir well and cover with aluminum foil. 
Place in oven and bake for one hour.
Take dish out of the oven, remove foil, and slightly smash potatoes with a potato masher or meat chopper
Place a pat of butter over each potato and place back into the oven without the foil. 
Check after 10 minutes or so to check for desired crispiness.
Enjoy!

These were a big hit with Bailey and me and we will definitely add them to our regular menu. 

Freebies

This week I picked up a free chocolate chip cookie from Chic-Fil-A, and a free small sub from Firehouse Subs as birthday freebies. 

How was your week? Any frugal wins or fails to share with us? Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. We would love to hear about your week in the comment section.

Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~
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15 comments:

  1. I hadn't read about your mom moving - and that statement about mailing to her took me by surprise. I am sure you will miss here a lot - but it sounds like a good situation for all, especially at this time.
    You sure got some great deals!!! Fantastic.
    I love Lawry salt - it has been a staple in my life since I was at home. Mom loved it too.
    I hope you have a great weekend.

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  2. How nice that you have a sister that can take her. It is very hard to care for a sick elderly person. Great deal on those church sale finds!

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  3. So glad you all banded together and found a solution for Mom. It's warm now here in Michigan so she will love it. Have a great weekend.

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  4. How wonderful that your sister could take your Mom for awhile. That gives you a bit of a break and Mom will get great care.

    Wow, you got some wonderful bargains garage sale shopping.

    God bless.

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  5. Taking care of someone is hard and with your sister knowing how to help your mom that is great.

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  6. We have not had great experiences with rehab either and my Mom has been in there twice in the last year. What a blessing that your sister can care for her.

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  7. I hadn't read the comment either. You're making head decisions, but also heart. Knowing she'll be well cared for by family even though you'll miss her is best. Your sale finds were phenomenal. The pyrex was my favorite of your wins.

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  8. The juicer was a great find! WOW! I love yard sales! I am glad your mother is getting good care from her daughter instead of the rehab.

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  9. Great picture of your Mom! Hope that she will recover well from the surgery.
    Thanks for the tip about pirateship. I hadn't heard of them before.
    Great finds at the yard sales. What a fun memory at Lawry's, yum on the prime rib.
    Have a great weekend.

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  10. Your mom looks great! I hope she does well at your sister’s and recovers quickly. Great yard sale finds! You seem to find the best stuff!!

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  11. It must be a difficult transition for everyone, but sounds like the right thing for your mom. Sending you good thoughts.

    Great deals at the yard sales, and what a steal on the juicer!

    We had a few frugal wins, but it's a pretty expensive season for us at the moment.

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  12. Belinda,
    I am sorry your Mom had to go to Michigan. I remember your sister was a CNA. This is a win-win like you wrote. I hope she gets better soon and can be back home. I know this must be so stressful and hard on her.
    I love all your finds.
    Normal frugal things here and not so normal. I adopted a new puppy, lol. You know that's not frugal. :) She is so much fun and has brought such joy in our home after losing our sweet girl. DH & I were really struggling with the loss.
    We went to the shelter just to say hi to the dogs but our puppy bonded with us. It costs $300 to adopt a puppy! The shelter was very grateful DH & I didn't blink an eye dropping that kind of money. They were having a adoption day where all the adult dogs were $25, but puppies were excluded from that price.

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  13. Great yard sale finds!
    If you have a chance I would love to see a photo of your wild daisies. Take care, Arlene

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  14. Hi Belinda,

    Great finds at the church yard sale. Taking care of aging parents is so hard for the family. It's great that your sister is able to take care of your mom and that you don't have to worry about rehab.

    Have a great day.

    Lisa

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  15. Lucky you! What a deal on the Omega juicer. I happened to be looking at them yesterday, as my less expensive juicer is getting tired. You gave me the thought to check online, and I found a like new Omega juicer (used 4 times) nearby for $200. Nothing like the deal you got, but a heck of a lot better than the $360 retail price. It's great to have other family that can help out with your Mom.

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