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Friday, June 30, 2023

Fifth & Final Friday of June 2023




Welcome to Friday! 

My Frugal Week

We finally had some rain this past week and we definitely needed it. Then on Sunday afternoon we had a thunderstorm and lost power for about six hours. I was grateful when it finally came back on that night.

We have a new to us Internet service provider, so I'm hoping my Internet connection will be better and I can comment easier on blogs and Facebook.  


Bailey bought an embroidery machine this week. The lady who sold it to her included all the looms and software that she bought when she first purchased the machine. Bailey is wanting to add to her income sources, so will be on a learning curve for this new endeavor. 

We went to a church yard sale last Friday. We've been wanting a couple of those blender bottles and we found two of them at this sale. we also found a Tervis handle for the Tervis cups we already have here. 

On Saturday there was a swap meet at one of our local parks. It was like the Trade Day event we go to monthly where people bring items and pick up items they need or want for free. We brought several things with us and ended up with several clothing items in return. 

Afterwards we went to a thrift store sale where clothes were selling for $5 per bag (Walmart size bag). Bailey was able to pick up 28 pieces in four different bags, so $20 for the lot or 71¢ per item. It’s great to be stocking up on inventory during summer yard sale season. 

One of the clothing lots Bailey bought a week ago included several pieces in my size. As we went through the clothes I tried on the ones that I liked and found two new to me shirts that are exactly the style I like, the material I like (cotton/poly blend, no rayon/viscose for me as it’s too clingy), and are in my size. I love it when that happens.

Sometimes we find after we buy items that some things need repairs or mending. For example, this week there was a button missing from a pair of pants, with a hook and eye clasp also, needed to fasten them. It only took a few minutes to sew another button to make them sellable. 


I used up a box of Yogi herbal tea the other day and noticed the inside was so beautiful that I decided to cut it up for book marks. They could even be colored if somone wanted to do that. 

When I went to the doctor last week we discussed several of my medications and I let her know that I wanted to take less medicine. Home health has noticed that my blood pressure has been running low, so she cut down on those and was able to eliminate another one as well. That will definitely save some money.

I refilled my cleaning spray bottles with a splash of concentrated Lysol and filled the rest of the way with water. I also added water to my Dawn dishwashing detergent bottle when I filled it up this week. 

This Weeks to do List

Daily Kitchen Tasks
Wash Eggs
Laundry
Kitchen Laundry
Steaming & Processing

Noteworthy News

Amazon’s Prime Day will be July 11th and 12th this year. Normally I don’t pay attention to this sort of sale, but I’ve had a power bank on my wishlist for a while now, and they are advertising one for this sale. So, I’m going to take a look at it and make a decision at that time. 

Freebies

We were gifted several big cans (12 ounces) of Starkist tuna this week, so in order to use up this gift and save money, I decided to incorporate the tuna into our menus. Normally I use  tuna for tuna salad or Tuna Pate, but we are out of cream cheese, so the tuna pate will have to wait. I do have a tried and true recipe for tuna macaroni salad though, which I’ve included as the recipe of the week. 

I received a free copy of the latest Good Housekeeping magazine in the mail. 


Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen

The cost of living is hitting people really hard these days. Grocery prices continue to rise all around the globe. We gave up buying steak and roasts several years ago due to the cost and might only buy those things now for a special occasion. We do still buy hamburger, but we have cut way back on that as well and only have it a few times per month. 

One way we save money in the kitchen is watching portion sizes too. For example, I had a package of chicken breasts that weighed 20 ounces, so I split it into two packages, which gave both of us a generous five ounce portion for dinner. 

One night I used a one pound package of extra lean ground beef bought on mark down for $5.40. I divided that up into four, four ounce portions, which was enough for two dinners for both of us, and made each serving only $1.35. 

Bailey went to our local grocery store to pick up some cream cheese since we had so much tuna on hand, but walked out of the store without it when it cost $5.00. We will simply do without some of these extras with their exorbitant prices. 

Meals This Week

Friday ~ Chicken Fajitas with Onions & Peppers, Corn, and Cantaloupe. 
Saturday ~ Chicken Stir Fry, Asian Rice, Green Beans & Onions.
Sunday ~ Sunday Chicken, Baked Apples, Macaroni and Cheese. 
Monday ~ Tacos, Corn, Honeydew Melon. 
Tuesday ~ Tuna Salad with Peppers, Carrots, Honeydew Melon. 
Wednesday ~ Chicken Stir Fry with Rice, Broccoli, Dragonfruit. 
Thursday ~ Hamburger Steaks, 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans, Steamed Kale. 

Recipe of the Week

I’ve been making this tuna macaroni salad since we lived in Pikeville in the early nineties. It’s a great way to use up the tuna we have stored in our pantry and it’s a great, refreshing summertime salad. 

Tuna Macaroni Salad


Ingredients:


1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small can of tuna, drained and flaked  

1 cup sliced celery  

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained  

1/4 cup chopped red pepper  

1/4 cup sliced green onions  

2 tablespoons pimientos, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Lettuce, if desired


Directions:


Mix mayonnaise and tuna together.

Add macaroni, celery, red pepper, onions, and pimiento.  

Season to taste with pepper and salt .  

Refrigerate and allow to chill. 

Serve on lettuce leaves. 


Saving on Entertainment

We picked up a game at a yard sale last weekend called, A Game of Cat and Mouth. This was a really fun game and works for kids, teens and adults. The game involves 24 balls and two magnetic kitty paws that catapult your balls to your opponents side. The game is made by the makers of the Exploding Kitten games, which are so much fun. This would make a great Christmas present for someone on our Christmas list. 

On Saturday I guessed the Wordle with only two tries! I also did the Spelling Bee on this day, which was also fun. 



What I've been Reading This Week

The Ten Plant Based Burger Recipes You Need to Try


Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 


I hope and pray for each one reading here that we are good stewards of our time, talents and resources and that we have a very productive week. Fulfilling our roles as keepers of our homes is so very important to our wellbeing



Belinda
Mortgage & Debt Free
~ Living within our Means ~
My Linktree

~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~
Proverbs 31:27



28 comments:

  1. I need new blouses since I am gaining inches, if not pounds. Some rayon I like, some is too clingy. Tuna was a boon! I think I will make tuna salad tomorrow or a tuna macaroni salad. Have you heard anything about susie@persimmon collage? You may not know her. She had an infection on a swollen leg and that was the last I heard from her.

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    1. Thank you. 💕 I’m not aware of Susie, but I’ll be sure to check out her blog. I hope she is OK, that sounds worrisome. I hope you are doing well too. 😊

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  2. WOW what a week you have had. Great buys and finds.
    You might try making tuna patties - I do that instead of salmon. It is milder and cheaper. Make them the same way. They are great as a meat item for a meal or on a sandwich.
    Hope you have a great holiday!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl. I will definitely try the tuna patties. That sounds like something right up our alley Thank you. I hope you have a great holiday too.

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  3. (Little Penpen) yay for the new blouses. I know exactly what you mean about the rayon. Plus it’s hot! I hope you can continue to decrease your medication. I wish we could get internet in our rural area. We are still using a hot spot from our phone. Grrr!

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    1. Thank you, Penny. Yes, Rayon is hot! We used a hot spot for a long time, so I feel your pain. Maybe this administration can get the promised Internet to all rural areas as they have promised. Time will tell for sure.

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  4. I don't know if you have Ingles in your area but they have Philly cream cheese for 1.98 this week and I have an iBotta for 1.25 back on up to five.

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    1. Oh my gosh! Thank you for letting me know. We have an Ingles in Georgia, which isn’t that far away! You’re the best, Lana.

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  5. Trying this again and if there are two comments please delete one.
    I dislike rayon also. I like clothes that breathe and to me rayon does not.
    Your tuna pasta dish sounds delicious and I might make it for our lunch today. Thanks!

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    1. Only one comment came through, Anne, so you're good. Yes, rayon does not breathe. If you try the tuna pasta I hope you enjoy it.

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  6. Hi Belinda, wanted to let you know I finally got the cranberry beans you mentioned. We enjoyed the Pasta e Fagioli I made with them! I make Angel Hair with Tuna & Parmesan. Super easy, just cook angel hair, drain, stir in some butter, flake in a can of tuna and toss with parmesan. I think the recipe also calls for a shake of dried parsley for some color but I don't usually use it. $5 for cream cheese is ridiculous! Aldi dropped their price by .20 back to $1.39 in my area. I have noticed a few prices dropping. Hope you have a Happy 4th!

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    1. Oh, I’m so glad you tried the cranberry beans and enjoyed them, Bobi. The tuna dish sounds really good, we will have to try it soon. That’s a much better price for the cream cheese at Aldi! Kroger has it cheaper I think, but it’s a bit far to drive there. I wish we had one closer. I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July too. 😊

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  7. My adult son got the Cat game for Christmas. We too love to play it. My 4 year old granddaughter loves it also. Rare a game can be played by a large age group. Deana

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    1. Yes! It is rare for a game to appeal to so many age groups. It is a lot of fun to play. 😊

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  8. Sounds like a good week! Great job on the yard sales. Glad you were able to find some clothes too. An embroidery machine sounds so cool! I'm sure that Bailey will be able to design some neat things for her inventory.
    Thanks for the recipe. I don't have a single can of tuna left in my pantry as I opened my last cans trying to tempt a sick kitty, but we ended up having to put her to sleep as she had liver cancer. :( I told dh that once these cats pass on, that I wasn't sure I wanted any more pets; it is too hard to say goodbye.
    Wishing you and Bailey a very Happy 4th of July. Are you going to see fireworks or have a cookout?

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    1. Kathy, I’m so sorry about your sweet kitty. It is so hard to say goodbye to them. We are taking ours to the vet this morning for his ear. We took him on Saturday, and the vet gave him a steroid shot, but said he needed surgery on it, which they scheduled for this morning. I don’t think it is actual surgery, but they will just drain it again. After these cats pass away I don’t want anymore outdoor cats either for a variety of reasons, but I will love them and take good care of them as long as I have them.

      We won’t have a cookout on the 4th, but will go to see the fireworks as that is Bailey’s favorite thing to do on the 4th. Do you have big plans for the day? I hope it’s a terrific holiday for you.

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  9. I make a pasta puntanesca, whatever long pasta I have on hand, spaghetti, linguine, etc. Add diced fresh or drained canned tomatoes, capers (but diced dill pickles work in a pinch), tuna, black olives is what I use but you can do green too. Top with parmesan

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    1. Nicole, that sounds delicious. And has several of my favorites in it such as black olives. Yum!

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  10. I hope Bailey loves her embroidery machine. What model did she get? I have a Brother Disney model. It is old but I love it. I buy a lot of my machine embroidery items off of Amazon. You can save a lot.

    I am a big paper crafter. The majority of my paper stash is from boxes I cut up. I make a lot of bookmarks from packaging too. My last move I threw away all of my saved packaging and took all my expensive paper. You know I regret not taking my packaging and getting rid of the expensive paper. I see we have the same Pioneer Woman scissors. :)

    Tip for Amazon. If your power bank is from a no name company look to see if you can find a similar bank. A lot of times the no name companies sell the same product using different names. You can get a listing with a cheaper price and a coupon code too. I do this all the time. I save so much money.

    I am shopping Prime Day. The day it is announced is when the deals start. I keep a wish list of items. When they go down to my price range I will snag them. It is a good way to stock up on beauty products, vitamin's, etc... I got one of my expensive vitamin's last week for over 30% off and coupon codes. They allowed me to use the code multiple times so I could stock up. If you have a FSA account or your insurance gives you discounts on OTC health items you can get an even bigger discount.

    Oh my gosh I can't believe cream cheese in your area is that expensive. I paid like $2 for mine last month.

    I love Wordle too. I screamed the first time I got it in 2 guesses.

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    1. Oh my gosh! It is so great to hear from you! I have wondered and wondered where you were! (I’m going to need you to check in more often LOL 😂)

      I’ll have to ask Bailey which model it is, it looks like a sewing machine if that helps any. 😂

      Thank you for the great money saving tips for Amazon. I’ll be sure to use them especially on the power bank if possible.

      Wordle is definitely fun. 😊

      I hope you have a wonderful of July. So did you all move? Is your dh retired now or still working? It’s so great to hear from you. I’ve missed you.

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    2. Hi! Thank you for thinking of me. That means so much. I have been busy with two puppies, the nightmare move & just all of it, lol. I missed you too. I love my two girls and they bring me so much joy. They are starting to get out of some of their puppy habits like eating my garden, my electric cords, jumping over fences to go visit people. DH & I had to install a fence extension on our existing fence. It cost us over $2,000. Our whippet mix jumped over it within two days. It is over eight feet tall. Thankfully our neighbors came over and told us. They gave her love while we retrieved her. She loves people and has to go see everyone.

      We didn't get to move. The home we were going to buy was destroyed during Hurricane Ian. That shook us up and kind of spooked us. We keep looking and the homes in our price range keeping getting snagged up within hours. It is so competitive. It is really challenging trying to buy when you are out of state. The housing market is insane. I can't believe how insane it is. There are listings for destroyed hurricane homes in the $200,000 price range. There is no way. DH & I don't mind fixing a home up but that is not fixing up. That is a total rebuild for an insane amount of money. There is no way we are doing that! :)

      We looked at California. DH Is from California. He does want to move back. We were looking in the Northern California area. A home that is similar to mine is over two million dollars. My home is listed at $120,000 because I am in a low COL area. That is a huge markup. That is not happening either. We are not paying two million for a home, lol. It has been frustrating.

      We decided to stay in our home for the time being. We are going to get a travel trailer and do some traveling. That way we can take the two monsters with us (Puppies) :) We can decide which ocean state we want to move too.

      Luckily DH's job stop pestering us about the transfer. Where he is at now they really want to keep him. I wish he would retire. He would be bored and antsy. He is one of those guys that will work till he is in his eighties.

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    3. Thank you for the update. Your puppies sound so cute and hopefully they will grow out of the puppy stage soon. That was nice of your neighbors to watch the puppy until you came to get him. I hope the fence extension has helped him to stay home. The housing market is unreal right now. Our realtor told us we needed to have everything in order including a bank loan to even bid on a house, but like you said they get snatched up instantly just about. I wish you the best of luck on your search. Northern California would be such a nice area to live in, but like you said very expensive too. I do hope the best for both of you and your puppies. 💕

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  11. Sounds like you had a great week! As for the cream cheese, I have found that Walmart's Great Value works fine in recipes like the sausage cream cheese nacho dip that I make. I really can't tell the difference between it and Kraft and it is also at least half the price. It may work for tuna pate also.

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    1. Thank you, BaggysMama. We have used the Great Value brand in Tuna Pate and it does work well. We are going to Walmart soon, so I’ll be sure to check the price of it then. Hopefully it will be cheaper than $5.00. Your sausage cream cheese nacho dip sounds delicious! Feel free to share your recipe with us. 😊

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    2. It's really simple. Brown a pound of either ground beef or pork sausage (I use mild but any kind will do) and drain. Put two eight-ounce blocks of cream cheese in either a slow cooker or a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the meat and a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (undrained). Heat it until it's all melty and stir it up well. I suppose you could also do this on the stove if you are careful not to scorch it. Serve it with tortilla chips or whatever you like. You can also add anything else that sounds good to you like maybe corn or shredded cheese. I just stick with the basic recipe. It can be made as hot or as mild as you want depending upon the type of sausage and Ro-Tel you use. It's not something I make often because it is soooo not great for you but I do like it a few times a year. I've never tried it with lowfat cream cheese so I don't know how that would work. If meat wasn't so expensive now I might experiment with lowfat but I don't want to make a batch of something that I won't eat.

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    3. That sounds delicious. I can see saving it for a special treat. We will definitely have to try it sometime. Thank you for sharing your recipe. 😊

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  12. A friend on Facebook loves wordie...maybe I should try one Day to figure it out. Your tuna salad is almost the same as mine but we add peas. Weird right?

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    1. Peas actually sounds like a good addition. I like it because it’s so refreshing on a hot summer day.

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