I found this great tutorial to make a wrap bracelet. I waited until I found a piece of ball chain & then went through my stash to see if I had the other items needed. In the first one I made, I improvised by using embroidery floss instead of waxed linen cord. In the second one, I used colored hemp & pearl bead chain stuff. I really like how they turned out.
Menu planning is one area where I am sorely lacking. Most days, we plan the dinner meal sometime after 10:00 in the morning. We're making way to many trips to the store and we're spending money on impulse items like crazy.
I have turned to the Internet in search of ideas but I wonder if half of these recipes are meant for people feeding between 2 & 3 adults & 2 teenage boys on a daily basis. Steak for 5 is not in my budget. We're lucky to get red meat more than once per week. Even frugal sites seem to be full of meals that are either too complicated or too hands on. I have CFS & FMS as well as other hidden illnesses. Some days I just cannot be in the kitchen for an hour or two prepping dinner.
So now, I turn to you...my few (LOL) readers. Do you have any tried & true frugal meals that are easy and kid friendly? Please comment if you do. I'd love to hear from you!
Today we went to just a few sales. I was feeling ill (getting used to new medications) so we cut our outing short. However I did manage to snag a few things.
I budget $20 for yard sales. I also take change along with me. The change is "free" money in our budget (we round up to the whole dollar) so it is like getting things totally for free! Today I spent $3.75 in change and this is what I got.
Today was a holiday for my nephews (they attend online school at my house) so we all had a lazy day. Jeremy was home & had some time to play games & just relax. We ate leftovers from Sunday's big dinner all day. I think I'm sick of ham for a while - good thing I froze much of the left overs!
I am looking for more blogs to follow. I'm interested in the frugal, hippie, homesteading, crunchy granola, & crafting blogs. Bonus for ones that combine some of my "loves". If you have any suggestions, please leave them here.
There was not a whole lot going on this weekend frugal wise. Or at least nothing that was not the norm for us.
Recently I have been wanting to make more from scratch items. I love making bread but really wanted to move beyond the bread machine and try my hand at something new.
A month ago, I started making artisian bread. Crusty Bread Recipe I have had good success with this bread. I took 3 different loaves to a get together last month & everyone enjoyed them.
Tonight I tried a new (to me) recipe for yeast rolls. Link to recipe I wanted something somewhat simple that I could use for our big supper on Sunday. My friend & I went to the grocery store & bought one package of Sister Schuster's Rolls. The package was $3 and change. I challenged myself to make something that was just as good (if not better) and for less.
I had to go back to the store for shortening (luckily just down the street and I only bought the one item!). We just don't have that on hand. From start to finish it was about an hour and a half maybe. I spent much of the time on other projects and just came back periodically to check on the dough's progress.
The batch was small, just 8 rolls, so I did not feel it was a huge investment if the recipe failed. Luckily the recipe worked well. The 5 people present loved them. I saved one roll for Jeremy to try tomorrow when he gets home. If he likes them, we will be making them on Sunday.
I think that the recipe cost less than a dollar. This is a big savings over the small bag from the store.
Tomorrow I plan to try a recipe for cheesecake balls. I thought they might make a yummy spring time dessert.
It is a lot cooler today than it has been in a while. I opted for jeans over shorts today & pulled out an pair. These were a gift from my mom more than 5 or 6 years ago. The zipper does not like to stay up. I had to find a way to keep these pants and so, for a long time, I had a pony tail holder threaded through the zip loop and I would loop this around the button. Today I tried a new trick & replaced the pony tail holder with a small key ring. This means I can wear a shorter shirt as the pony tail holder showed a little & the key ring does not.
This sort of a fix for me is second nature. It is normal for me to find a fix or just wear an item as is (they are clean after all) rather than toss the item. These jeans will likely last a few more years & will bring me a smile each time I zip them.
We went to a thrift store today - one having a 50% off everything sale. I spent $19 and change on 5 pairs of shorts for Jeremy & a pair of corduroy pants & a pair of capri pants for me. Jer is a big guy (6' 8" and 350 lbs) so finding pants for him at thrift stores is impossible. However, since short season is upon us, I am able to sometimes find things to fit him. I think I did really well. I only bought really needed items - Jer has NO shorts & I have one pr of capris - and stayed within a budget.
What thrifty thing have you done today?
A friend of mine, Kimbra over at Frugal Living With Five, is doing a 30 Day Frugal Challenge. I am rooting her on and thought I would post about her challenge. She is doing one thing per day that is frugal.
Today, I did a load of laundry. I used my homemade powdered detergent. I do dry my wash (allergies) but I hang dry things like shirts and bras. As I was folding this load I smiled to myself. This load contained some of my "rag bag" rags. These are used where most people would use paper towels. Yesterday my oldest nephew painted. His watercolor mess was wiped up with rags. The once white cloth now looks almost tie dyed!
Let's see what I can come up with for tomorrow!
Today I went to help my fiancee's mother start to clean out a closet. I say start because it is a huge project that is best split up over several weeks. We worked hard for a few hours & ended up with some things being given away. My friend & I both got a few things (crafty items!!) and there was a lot left for the yard sale we are planning for the first weekend in June. I did not go into this thinking of getting things for myself. I wanted to help and in return I was "helped" out as well.
What ways have you used to help other??
