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Saturday, October 5, 2019

My Frugal Week ~

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Even though fall is upon us and the leaves are falling, we are still having summer like temperatures here. This week broke several records with two days reaching 100 degrees this week. Last night at 7 o'clock it was still 90 degrees here. We've been running our air conditioner as if it were summertime.

This week I was able to work everyday, which will be wonderful on payday. As usual I packed my lunch and brought water every day. On Sunday I made vegetable soup, which I brought with me each day. It's cheaper and easier than buying lunch out each day. 

To save money, we've eaten all of meals from home this week and I've been making more plant based dishes both for financial and health reasons. With the heat this week we've been having a lot of salads for dinner, October beans, baked sweet potatoes, and plenty of raw vegetables like baby carrots, peppers, and cucumbers.  

I took out my produce drawers this week and washed them well and returned them to the fridge. One apple in there had a bad spot and leaked juice all over and was a sticky mess.  I'd been meaning to clean them out anyway, so this was perfect timing. Getting rid of the bad apple helped save the other apples from the same fate, which saves money. 

My car alerted me that one of my tires was low on air pressure this week. Lucky me, I was subbing in the auto shop at school the day that happened. (what timing!) One of my friends pulled it into the shop and filled the tire for me. 

Last weekend we earned extra money for pet sitting three dogs. 

This week I've watched several YouTube videos that taught me something I needed to know. I'm blessed and grateful that we have such a great resource right at our fingertips. 

This week I watched This is Us on Hulu. We only pay 99¢ each month for our subscription, which was a end of the year/holiday special last year. Hopefully they will offer the same deal this year.  

My daughter and I are planning a trip in November, so she can attend the wedding of a friend. We've been saving money since she first heard about it and we are looking forward to the time away.

On Friday I took my car to the tire shop to get it checked out for our trip. They rotated my tires and filled them up, and aligned the front end. It was also time for an oil change, so I had that done and had a new air filter put in, so the car is ready for our trip in November. 

How was your week?

Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~
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30 comments:

  1. Good week! We finally got our fall weather and it happened overnight.
    Sounds like you had a lot a good days and working all week was a blessing.
    Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl. I'm thrilled for you that fall weather came for you finally. I hope you have a good weekend too.

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  2. We are in money saving mode at our house too. We are finally feeling the fall season here in Indiana and that means soup season! I'm so glad you able to work every day this week. That sure helps when you have something extra going on like a trip. Have a great week!

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    1. Oh, I'm so happy for you that you finally have cool weather, Nana. Even though it's still hot here we've been having soup too as I;m ready for it! LOL I hope you have a great week too. :)

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  3. It's definitely cooled off here in the bay area, at night. It's still supposed to be warm during the day, but I've changed from shorts in the morning to pants, so that's how I'm judging. ;-)

    You've reminded me that I need to clean out my fridge & the fruit/veggie drawers. I need to clean everything out so I can make a menu for the week ahead!

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    1. So glad it has cooled off in your area. I'm ready for it!

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  4. Our state doesn't know what season it is. Monday topped 85, and I'm wrapped in sweaters-but refuse to turn on heat yet-and extra warm socks. "influencers" aside, I think YouTube is one of the best resources out there to learn new things and skills. love your blog Belinda-nice post again.

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    1. Thank you so much, Sam. That means a lot to me. I agree on YouTube, one of the best resources for us.

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  5. The upside of having to do so much for Mom is that it leaves me little time to do anything that requires spending money. I thought I had a flat the other day, and went to the tire store I use. It turns out I only had 2 low tires, so they filled them with air and sent me on my way. I figure they did not charge me anything knowing I will be back to buy new tires from them when they are needed. I did feel obligated to tip the guy who checked all the tires and filled the two low ones. Still it was so much cheaper than buying a new tire.

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    1. Oh that's great, Anne. I'm glad you didn't have to buy a new tire. It must be the change in weather as my daughter's low tire pressure came on this week too. It gives me anxiety when mine comes on.

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  6. Hi Belinda,
    You had a great week, it sounds like! Good work on all fronts. How do you make October beans?

    We have some very last-minute guests this weekend, making meal-planning a bit of a challenge. But we're coming up with good meals with what we have and very limited extra spending at the store. I had some extra in the grocery budget, so at least the additional food is covered. We'll be back to normal on Monday. We considered eating out for a couple of meals, but in the end thought that cooking at home would be more relaxing and save the most money.

    I envy your summer-like weather. We are in fall, cool to chilly days and nights.
    Have a great weekend!

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    1. The October beans are sometimes called Cranberry beans, Lili. I soak them overnight and then put then in my pressure cooker in the morning with an onion and 1 tbsp of salt per pound of beans and let them cook for 85 minutes so they are good and soupy.

      Kudos to you for not eating out with your guests being with you. That takes real determination sometimes.

      This morning was a little bit cooler and I am so grateful. LOL I hope you have a great weekend too!

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  7. Your tire problem was convenient. lolz
    It's finally cooled off here. I am sure Hubs will turn on the heat the moment I leave for my trip. ;-)

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    1. Ha Ha, it was convenient, wasn't it, SLuggy? LOL

      My ex used to turn the heat on immediately too, ugh. I want to enjoy being cold. LOL

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  8. Again, I really love receiving your emails. You inspire me!

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    1. Thank you so much, Arlene. That means a lot to me. :)

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    2. Busy week. You've done so well this week. Looking forward to your wedding trip in November. DH and I have had a week of various appointments and will again this week. First cool dqy 10/7, but in 4 or 5 days,the temp will rise again.
      -memphis metro

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    3. The temp will rise again, Anna. But I can tell a little bit of a difference this weekend, so I'm happy about that. Sounds like you were busy too. I hope you have a great week.

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  9. You had a great frugal week.

    It’s slightly cooler here, so hopefully this will help to lower the electric bill. I try not to use AC too often, but the past several weeks were unbearably hot.

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    1. They certainly will, Nil. We are looking forward to lower electric bills soon too.

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  10. What great timing to be subbing at the auto shop when your tire was low. you had a great week. I hope you cool off soon.

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  11. Sounds like a great week! I would love to find a pet sitting gig!

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    1. Pet sitting jobs are the best, Penny. You get to love on the animals and they hopefully, love you right back . :)

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  12. Monday 10/7's high is 71*. Thursday 10/10's high will be 87*. We've had 80* Thanksgivings, so nothing surprises me in Memphis Metro along the Mississippi River.

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    1. Oh my gosh, no, Anna. My grandparents lived along the Mississippi river in western Kentucky and it was so humid there because of the river. Hot, hot, hot. It's cooling off for you all there and here too. I'm especially grateful for the cooler weather

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  13. We can't plan on driving anywhere in the winter in Northern Nevada. You'd think being in the high desert we wouldn't have that challenge. End of Sept. we went from in the 80's one day to 36 the next day and then it snowed! Yep, snow! Weird. Trying to plan for everything we need plus Christmas needs and presents taken care of early. My immune system is bad so I get sick if anyone even looks sick around me. I will try to stay out of stores between Thanksgiving and through the end of the year as much as possible. Or go only early in the morning or late at night if I need stuff. Luckily most of our stores are 24 hours a day around here. That and hand sanitizer and just being super careful. I can't afford to end up in the hospital. Sounds like you are getting things done too. Glad you get to work so much right now. That makes it very nice. Love to hear about things you and your daughter get at sales or what you sell. Would love to see pictures of your daughter on your blog too. She must be a great kid / adult and so frugal already. Sounds like you are teaching her right! Take care.

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    1. Thank you, Crystal. She is a good person and I'm very blessed to have her in my life. She is very frugal and she wants things in life and is working very hard to accomplish those things. She has even taught me a lesson or two. Snow already in September is early! I do like the colder weather though.

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  14. That is wonderful that you were able to work 5 days that week. I hope you have a great time on your vacation. We went away for a long weekend and it was wonderful.

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    1. How neat, Marybeth. I'm glad you had a wonderful time. I'm excited about our trip and am looking forward to it.

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