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Friday, October 29, 2021

Frugal Frugal ~ October 29, 2021



Welcome to Friday

My Frugal Week


Last Thursday evening we had a bad storm come through our area. During the storm we heard a loud noise and the whole house shook. Turns out a tree fell in the storm and landed on our front deck and stairs. We’ve asked our handyman Timmy to take care of it and he will when he has some extra time. 


Last Friday we were up early to go to a church yard sale where I was able to pick up some fabric, cloth napkin, dish towels, apron, and Minnie Mouse potholder. They didn't have any prices on items, but were accepting donations for a missionary instead, so we filled up a box of items and gave them a nice contribution.


Also pictured are three reusable cloth sandwich bags, which we picked up on Saturday for 50 cents, two Rubbermaid bowls and one pitcher, and a hand held shaker cup. 
  

One of the items was an Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner which you fill with vinegar and water and then run in the microwave for 7 minutes. Honestly, you can do the same thing with a glass bowl, so no need to go and buy one. 


On the cleaning front we took down the bathroom curtains this week and washed them. I steamed them before Bailey put them back up and they look so much better. 

I’ve been deep cleaning lately since I can see the dirt so much better now. The nurse at the eye doctors office said more people say they can see the dirt so much better after eye surgery than anything else.

I cleaned out my closet this week to get some sewing projects out of there, so I can work on them this week. The fabric I bought at the church yard sale would make a good large casserole potholder for Thanksgiving. 

On Wednesday I had a doctors appointment and left early to get some errands done. I took my car in for an oil change and one of my headlights was out, so they replaced that for me and aired up one of my tires that needed it since the cold weather started. 

Earning Money

I listed one item for sale on eBay this week. 

I cashed in my Checkpoints for $3.00 in Amazon gift cards this week. It's been hard to do this app since we haven't been driving during the pandemic as much as we used too, so it was good to be able to use this again. 

Avoiding Spending

I couldn't avoid spending money as I had the oil changed in my car and a headlight replaced.

Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen

We’ve been doing the usual things, keeping a check on the leftovers. Checking the fridge every day before making new food. I soaked a two pound bag of pinto beans this week and made homemade chili with that. This chili will last us several days of different meals, which makes this such an affordable option. 

Meals This Week

Friday: The last of the Taco stuff. It was good while it lasted. 

Saturday: Pork Chops, Fried Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions 

SundayI had chicken in the refrigerator to thaw and I was going to make BBQ with it, but Bailey requested Sticky Pineapple Chicken again. I served this with rice and corn on the cob. 

Monday: For breakfast I heated up the last of the rice and added some cheese for protein. It tasted great and is such an affordable meal. Many people the world over eat rice as a staple in their diets. It is an inexpensive way to fill your family up without it costing a lot of money. 

We also had chicken left from Sunday dinner, so I served that for dinner with corn on the cob and baked potatoes.  

Tuesday: We ate lemon pepper tuna sandwiches for lunch and then made pizzas for dinner for movie night. 

Wednesday: Hamburgers, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions

Thursday: Homemade Chili

Friday: Chili Tacos

Recipe of the Week

Cheddar Muffins

This is a good recipe to use up any leftover mashed potatoes you may have on hand. 

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 & 2/3 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons diced chives
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine beaten egg, cheese, vegetable oil and mashed potatoes.
Combine remaining ingredients & stir in potato mixture just until moistened.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes.


Saving on Entertainment

We cut cable TV back in 1998 and have never looked back. There is nothing wrong with having cable TV if you can afford it, but most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, have very little retirement savings, student loan debt, credit card, and other consumer debt. Entertainment is something that you can do for almost free, so if you are looking to save money there are plenty of resources to entertain yourself without spending too much. 

What I've been Reading This Week

60 Comforting Fall Meals to Make from Southern Living

Freebies


- Another birthday freebie this week was this half gallon container of ice cream from Publix. I just can't get over them offering a big container of ice cream to people on their birthdays. 

- From Stedi.org, which is a substitute teaching resource, here is a Harvest Activities Book. It's 23 pages of fun activities for children.

- A base was stolen in the World Series, which means you get a free Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell on Thursday, November 4 all day, in-store, online, or in the app. 

That is all the news to report on our frugal week in Tennessee. Thank you for dropping by, 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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18 comments:

  1. A couple of years ago one of my sons gave me the angry mama cleaner as a gag gift. I admit it is a less messy way of cleaning my microwave than my old way of putting vinegar water on a sponge and letting it steam the microwave clean. I don't get burned now!
    Years ago my mom had eye surgery and was very disappointed afterwards. She said she looked in the mirror afterwards, and the surgery gave her wrinkles.
    Btw I made your Sticky Pineapple Chicken recipe and we loved it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh Anne, that is so funny abut your Mom. LOL

      I'm so glad you tried and loved the Sticky Pineapple Chicken. It is Bailey's favorite dish.

      Delete
    2. Yes, it gave my mom wrinkles as well!

      Delete
  2. Ice cream is the best possible freebie! :-)

    For the leftover rice, sometimes I make a rice omelette, which is popular in Japan. It's pretty much exactly as you'd expect - rice with eggs. Try that sometime with leftover rice & see what you think.

    We had some frugal wins as well, but balanced with an expensive long weekend. It was all worth it, and we save for our splurges. We had some amazing meals out on our trip, and then also treated my parents to lunch as a thank you. I feel so lucky to get the time with them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so sweet, I'm so glad you got to spend time with your parents. :)

      I will definitely try the rice with eggs as tht sounds like something right up our alley.

      Delete
  3. Sounds like a good week. So glad the damage wasn't any worse to your home. That had to be scary.
    Have a good weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cheryl yes, it was pretty scary, but we are so glad it didn’t hit the house.

      Delete
  4. Oh wow, I'm sorry about the tree, but I'm so glad you weren't hurt and that it didn't make a hole in your roof.
    Sounds like a great week. Lots of good buys, and your meals sound so good. We really like the sticky pineapple chicken too.
    Hope you have a fun weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kathy. I’m so glad you all like the Pineapple Sticky Chicken too. And yes I am so glad the tree didn’t hit the house.

      Delete
  5. You had a great week. I don't know if I would want to see the dirt better in my home... I sometimes think I see it too well.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, that is so true, Jackie. I’ve been cleaning like crazy because I can see it so much better. LOL

      Delete
  6. I am glad the tree did not do more damage. We will be getting the freebie at Taco Bell. Thanks for that info.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Linda. And you’re welcome about the free taco at Taco Bell.

      Delete
  7. Bummer on the tree falling!!! I’ll bet that was scary! I’ve never seen the little Angry Mama before. I also didn’t know the vinegar and water cleaning trick. I need to remember that next time I clean my daddy’s microwave (he never wipes up spills and splatters).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was scary, Bailey came running into my bedroom when it happened to ask me if I heard it.

      I’ve cleaned up a microwave for a teacher before because I was bored one day when I didn’t have any students. They look so much better when they are cleaned. LOL

      Delete
  8. Belinda, I am glad the tree didn't cause worse damage. That you & Bailey are safe.

    I love the Minnie Mouse potholder

    I love rice so much I will eat it every single day. Rice is my favorite food.

    I can't even remember the last time I had cable TV. A few years back, I think during the recession, our cable company gave us free cable TV for a year due to an error they made with our billing and some repairs they had to do. We did have cable Internet but not TV. It was a very generous gift, DH & I never watched it!

    Frugal week- Last week I wrote my DH lost his job when the owners decided to retire. What a huge change in our life it's going to be. Luckily, we are frugal. We realized after the shock, grief wore off that we have so many options. We decided to move out of State & start a new stage of our life. My DH wants to move back to the coast. He worked hard at one job for pretty much all his life. He deserves this.
    We have started preparing for our move. Hopefully will be moved by the end of the year. We are doing it frugally with common sense, lol. Wish us luck on our next journey. It's really exciting, overwhelming and scary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Safyne. Oh my gosh, I am so excited for you all and your move! It sounds so exciting! I wish you the best of everything as you begin this new journey. :)

      Delete

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