Frugal Friday Week #13
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I always feel like I post many how-to’s and not many “real lifes”. Although I do try and incorporate that into my newer posts, I’ve often thought that it might be even more helpful for my readership to get a better glimpse inside of what our simple/homestead/from scratch/frugal life really looks like.
Frugal Friday Week 13
So I’ve started a new series called Frugal Friday and need your help. My idea for this series is to share some of the projects/recipes/things we worked on this week and, in general, just what life looks like.
I need your help because I’ve tried something similar before, and I gave up after a while. I got bored, felt like no one was reading it or cared, and I moved on to other projects. So what I need you to do each week is to share what your week looked like in the comments section. I think it could keep us ALL accountable and may serve as an encouragement to others!
So let’s dive right into this week!
Meals We Ate
This week was a lot of making one meal (like a big batch of White Chicken Chili) and eating leftovers and very boring breakfasts like eggs. I may or may not continue this section for the summer…or perhaps just add the highlights? We eat a lot of thrown-together, non-structured meals in the summertime based off of what is growing in the garden. Yes, highlights….that’s what I’ll do from here on out. 🙂
Shopping I Did
I made a small order for Vitacost this week, taking advantage of the 15% off sitewide that they were offering along with other stackable discounts. They don’t have the sale anymore but it looks like they will be having it again starting on the 1st.
I also ordered a few vitamins that we were out of.
Outside Projects We Worked On
We finally got our tunnel greenhouse finished AND planted. It was extra windy this week so that delayed us yet again but in the end we finally got it done and all of the cabbage and broccoli has been planted. I also interplanted the rows with lettuce, tatsoi, mini broccoli and cauliflower, and peas so that we will have things to harvest in a few weeks as well as some other plants to fill the empty spots until the cabbage gets much bigger. I love it!
Inside Projects We Worked On
I started one major deep purge now that I have surfaces cleaned up. It’s going to be a long process but I like to do this once a year to really clean out the excess in our home. I talk about this in my Slower Living book. I also have more of a step-by-step guide in my 31 Days to Simpler Living ebook that is really helpful if you haven’t done a major cleanout in a while or ever! I’ve only started in the living room but have boxed up 4 boxes of excess so far for our rummage sale.
Blog Posts I Wrote
I didn’t get nearly enough writing done this week like I wanted to, but I did update a few of our favorite posts that use cabbage (I must have had cabbage on my brain all week!).
- How to Make Coleslaw From Scratch – this recipe is so easy!
- Easy Steak and Cabbage Recipe – even though this requires a marinade for the meat, it still takes very little time and is a great summer meal.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
Next week looks absolutely beautiful AND we will be at home all week so that means it should be a big work week for us! The goal is to work on setting up the new garden as much as possible. We are taking a little break one of the days though to hit the trails. Nice weather makes me want to adventure!
So tell me….what did life look like for you this week? What did you do, make, or plan to do?
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to the 100-acre farm and ministry on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
where do you get the coffee bags
They were throw-outs from a coffee roasting company.
We are in the crazy season of high/middle school spring sports. I usually have two track meets going in different directions and lots of time in my car. This week I made a big batch of “not-so hot pockets.” I just my regular pizza crust recipe and made 3 flavors. Cheeseburger, pepperoni pizza, and sausage gravy. They travel and freeze well!
I look forward to reading your emails so much! Thanks for sharing part of your life with all of us.
I’ve been making gluten free oat muffins weekly. Made up my own recipe. I had no idea, up until reading your idea, that you could dehydrate zucchini. I added that to my muffins, yum. I also read that you can make flour out of zucchini and replace a 1/3 in your recipes calling for flour. Definately going to try that this year. Unfortunately I used up all of my zucchini. I can’t wait for more to start growing in my garden. Thank you for your post. Have a blessed week!
I am really enjoying your little view into your life each week.
maybe you already have explained about your greenhouse but could you direct me to it or tell us again. directions for making it? how soon can you plant in a green house like that?
I haven’t gone over this greenhouse in detail yet. Let me see if my husband took pictures of building it so I can post! I can plant here in a greenhouse in April (typically can’t plant outside until June 1st in my area).
Retiring in 33 days from teaching jr. high math for 32.5 years! 🙂 Purging & cleaning classroom as well as the school things I have at home. Trying so hard not to bring a whole lot home.
My husband has started our square foot gardening section in our backyard. We have not had one since we moved 2 years ago!
Please continue your Frugal Fridays, even through the summer. I would love to hear about what you create from what is available in your garden & fridge. I know I will get some inspiration!
Your posts are always so comforting to me.
Thank you.
We have a small garden — 12 raised beds 3’x6′ each. We are both disabled and retired, so we value doing a bit every day then relaxing. Currently up in the garden are peas, garlic, onions, shallots, asparagus, chocolate mint and Lettuce. We have been eating asparagus for a couple of weeks now and loving it. Today my husband and I arched a 14′ cattle panel over one of the raised beds. Soon it will be supporting cucumbers, squash, beans, sweet potato vines and Malabar spinach.it will be a yummy summer!
This week I tried making another sourdough loaf. I messed up the recipe so it was a bit dense. Trying again today! I spun some yarn and sewed some quilt pieces together and then had to unsew them as the seam allowance was off! Started knitting a loose cowl that is cotton so should be a good transition piece between seasons!
Happy Friday Merissa !!!!
I always look forward to your emails…..please continue with the Frugal Friday!!!! I am a newly retired RN, and looking forward to getting my home in order and simplified. I did start that process this week by defrosting/cleaning out our larger freezer to make room for the half of cow we got;…found some treasures…..like a bag of raspberries that will be perfect for making jam with a friend. Also on my “list” of things to do is to go thru my closet and PURGE!!!!!! I must have at LEAST 15 pairs of tennis shoes that need to find a new home. So that is what I have been working on here in the North Woods of Wisconsin………
I hope you and your family have a wonderful summer, and you have much success with your beautiful garden. Please don’t discontinue the Frugal Friday post, as I look forward to them very much. I’ve been following you for years and am very inspired by your books and posts. Please keep up the great work!
Wow the show you got to enjoy of the northern lights! We had a glimpse of them here in southern Iowa! Enjoy your post! My garden is waiting in the bag, haven’t had a chance to plant yet! Can’t wait!
I love the tunnel greenhouse, especially reusing the coffee bags for the pathway. Fantastic!
I’m looking forward to trying out the coleslaw recipe – we enjoy cooking out, but I’m finding more and more often the deli offerings of coleslaw and potato salads throw me off. I’m guessing they are adding something for flavor that I’m sensitive to; this looks simple, tasty, and safe. Thank you!
Hello! Things have been pretty slow for me at this time. But I enjoy reading the frugal Friday blogs.
Merissa, what gorgeous pictures of the Northern Lights!! I appreciate your Frugal Friday posts. They inspire me to be a better steward of the gifts God gives us. Like less food waste! We have been re-purposing so many food items, with intentional using so we don’t throw anything out. This week, we have done well! For example, we used vegetables that were roasted and left over in both scrambled eggs and pork that was previously cooked and defrosted for dinner.
Also, I bought and have read your book- well done!!! I’m going to pull it out and read again.
Hi Merissa,
Things have been rather wet and chilly this week in East Tennessee. Consequently, this 81 yo woman has been relegated to doing some of the freelance computer graphics for my job and deep cleaning in areas of the house that get a lot of use, like the office, kitchen, etc. Every morning I have gone down the hill to open up the small greenhouse tunnel I set up a few weeks ago tending to the plants I have there waiting to go out in the front and back gardens and then going back down in the evening to close it up from the chilly temps. I also bought a Greenstalk planter I have to set up for some of my peppers and cherry toms, along with other salad goodies. All the activity up and down the hill between the two gardens helps alot with weight loss and exercise much needed for these old bones. Sometimes it just feels like there are not enough hours in a day. I thought by this age I would be more sedentary but, find that the only time I can stop is when I just can’t physically move anymore and am forced to stop and recupe. I absolutely love being out in my gardens, in the sunshine and and the joy putting up all that work when canning time comes around for goodies from the garden. There is so much pleasure in being able to accomplish having healthy food in the pantry. I hope that your upcoming week will also be productive for you.
Hi Saundra! My name is Susan. Great post! I’m in a time of mourning this year, as we all go through and I find myself occasionally getting mopey about aging/loss. At one of those moments, your post reminded sad is okay but moping is useless. I’m not a whiner by nature, yet we all need a loving kick in the behind once in a while. Thanks for unintentionally giving me one when I needed it.
My week was nice as a part-time Nanny and helping their toddler with possible autism progress with his development. It’s very rewarding as a Nanny, even though I would absolutely love a chance to live like you do someday, Marissa. You are an inspiration to me!
Maybe I can someday AND be a Nanny also, but as I inch more to 60, I rather JUST have a garden, chickens, 2 goats an house to care for, while writing some books of various subjects that concern me like this Autism epidemic of sorts on our children., as well as some creative writing..
I would love to homestead in some way like you;
AS I am almost 55, my fiance is 61… and needs to figure this out, retirement $ wise and finding and figuring this more homesteading way of life! He’s 61, and talks of house flipping one more house for that extra $ into retirement first too. Or on side While we can have that “right” homestead situation…
Oh. As far as garden, I started spinach, carrots, etc in a tarp style enclosed garage of sorts. Not quite a green house but works to start the veggie growth. Our Italian neighbor has a nice garden area with a green house that is nice to be near. We live in a sort of suburbs around a large lake near Syracuse NY. Not as wide open with land as a rural environment, like we’d prefer. Some day though; with blessings ahead!!!
God bless to you and your family Marissa.
Jen
Loved the northern lights pictures!
Hi Merissa:
Please keep these frugal Friday posts coming. I find it so interesting to find out how you manage to live in such a beautiful and remote area. Those shots of the northern lights are fantastic. We had some here in Calgary but unfortunately those nights were cloudy and the lights could not be seen. We are expecting a very warm week next week so I plan to get my two veggie patches cleared out and ready for planting now that the ground has finally thawed out. I have starts ready to go outside but it is too early so I’m hoping that I can repair and put up my temporary greenhouse. The greenhouse was badly damaged in windstorms last summer. I started watermelon for the first time ever and that tray of seedlings blew away so someone got free watermelon. Oh, it is also book sale season here. I plan to donate and attend a couple of used book sales that some charities put on to raise funds for the needy. Rounding up books that I don’t want/need anymore is my usual way of starting my own annual purge.
Thank you for the beautiful pictures of the aurora! Absolutely breathtaking.
Thank you so much for the pictures of the Northern Lights they are on my bucket list, the girls looked like they were having fun. We celebrated a birthday with homemade coleslaw, bbq and such, cleaning up the property this week and working through some events. Have a wonderful and blessed weekend
I always enjoy reading about your family’s life, especially showing that living simply really is possible, and happily! My daughter and I have been working on going through our apt, thinning out layer by layer, paring down from a large house. The last few weeks were spent going through a storage unit, finding homes for things. Reminding ourselves that we aren’t losing our things, we’re blessing others with them, to use and enjoy. Love your continued inspiration and encouragement, Merissa!
I got a Wondermill grain mill several weeks ago so have been experimenting with using freshly ground wheat and grains for my baking. My bread has not been great the last couple of times I made it as it is heavy and doesn’t rise the way it should. It tastes OK but I haven’t found the right recipe yet so will try again next Friday which is my usual baking day.
We were busy working on our first chicken tractor to get the first group of hens out in the pasture. Hoping to finish it this weekend! Looking forward to better egg production and lower feed bill and a fertilized pasture!
Hi, Love the tunnel! And the Aurora lights are magnificent!!
I Planted some more strawberry plants, potatoes and onions (I’ve never done onions b4, so we shall see). Lots of fun with the grandchildren and we tried the Amish MeatLoaf, very tasty :0)
This week was the once yearly trash “event” in our town where the garbage men will take large items. It it is a great time to find items for free. There is lots of trash but many people put out perfectly good items because they know lots of people go curb shopping. We got rid of our old water heater, a clapped out grill, and an unfixable Bunn coffee brewer to the curb shopping metal
scrappers which was awesome. Off our property and off to be recycled while making the scrappers a bit of money. win win! I found a sturdy Plano shelving unit and rocker glider. both were items I was wanting to obtain and I found them for free! A scrub and a wash and they are good to go.
Sorry I havent written anything for a couple weeks, been super busy with calving,work, and trying to get people lined up for some jobs that need to be done this year. The snow is finally gone except the snow piles that were pushed up in the yard. Sounds like by next wednesday its going to be close to 70!!!!!! Actually got started on the yard raking and cleanup,got piles but my small wagon that i use for yard work is still sitting in a snow bank!Hope your week is a great one!
I am enjoying more time of home industry as I transition back from working a small window cleaning-gardening business! I love your posts as we have much in common!!
Along the way, the hobby of op shopping (thrift shopping) is such an enjoyable learning experience as I learn about antiques and vintage items that can be bought for so little!
Have a beautiful rest after that good week!
Your tunnel greenhouse is awesome! What a great thing to have; I’m sure you’ll be loving it for a long time. This week, after almost 8 years, I finally found someone to add window trim to the vinyl windows and get them painted. One of the downsides of living in a small town. And trying to find people to work post-COVID shutdowns. Rather trying. But it looks great and I’m truly thankful. Weather is super warm today (upper 80’s/Pacific NW) but will be back down to the 60’s in 2-3 days. Back to the rollercoaster! And, yes, I think highlights are exactly the best way to go! ❤️
We had my daughter’s wedding last Saturday. We did an appetizer table for guests to snack on while the photographer took pictures of the wedding party. It was a huge hit, but we still had lots of left overs. So this week while my daughter was honeymooning, I was busy putting stuff in the freezer. I was able to get seven sandwich bags of strawberries, three batches of bananas for bread, four batches of mashed potatoes, two bags of mushrooms, and three batches of broccoli, measured for soup. I measured things in small portions for the two of them. It’ll be nice for her to have things in the freezer; starting out can be tough.
Hi Merissa.
The auroras must have been breathtaking! Thank you for the pictures.
I laughed at your comment “very boring breakfasts like eggs”. Oh my goodness, I love eggs! Never, never boring for me! It’s funny how one person’s “happy food” is another person’s “boring”.
This week was easy garden-wise. The leaves of my garlic plants are flourishing. Hopefully the heads will be as robust as last year. Temperatures this winter were constantly up and down, so I’m not sure if they had enough dormancy to develop.
With weather patterns changing, I’m experimenting with growing nutritious wild plants in containers. I started a “weed garden” of lamb’s quarters in an elevated “veg trug” bed, gotten from my local freecycle a few years ago. Lamb’s quarters are delicious and thrive in the wild, so I have a bunch popping up from seeds I tossed into the soil last fall. I also transplanted some foraged wild garlic into containers to see how well it grows in “captivity” and how useful it is. My conventional garden now has has beets, spinach and beans coming up. Simple, quick meals this week: meat, vegetables, various grains.
Especially thankful this week for a friend I’ve had since second grade (we are in our 50’s). She is a vegetarian, but occasionally under stress she drives straight to Burger King for a crispy chicken sandwich. Hearing her confess over the phone with a mouth full of chicken always makes me laugh till the tears roll down my face. She used to feel guilty afterwards, but now on those days I eat no meat to “balance the universe” for her. What a blessing to have each other!
Praying for you and your family always. Thank you for the devotional download. Unfortunately I can’t find it on my computer. Is there a way I can get it again?
Hi Susan, send me an email ([email protected]) and I’ll send you the devotional again.
And on the boring eggs comment….it was a slight to a comment that I had a few weeks ago about how our food all looks so boring and plain. LOL
Love your weekly posts…very inspiring!
I thoroughly enjoy your posts. I need to comment more often though! Thank you for all you do.
What beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights, & what a great experience! Thank you for your photos of it! Amazing!
I have had a rough week with just alot of pain…also, we have an ongoing dispute regarding a medical billing error that I had to spend multiple blocks of time in advocacy & research on…the 2 things of chronic pain & stress over the billing error ordeal has made this a very difficult, tiring week. However, I managed to stay on track with faith, family, farm, & work priorities; some of my household priorities I had to give myself a little grace on, because as we all can relate to, it is possible to accomplish just about anything, but we can’t do everything!
Faith priorities….we went to our church on sabbath, & we did a set of family devotions nightly. I also made time for visits during the week with widows.
Family….it is important to us to have a family supper nightly & help each other do the work at our home that needs done day to day, so we made time for that each evening. Our prayer time was important, & we made time for conversation daily. It seems like that’s so basic we shouldn’t have to make time for it, but we are all so busy we do have to be intentional about making time to disconnect from distractions & connect with each other.
Farm….egg collecting, cleaning, packing, & selling is a part of each day. We got 9 new pullets, but we had a predator attack that killed 7 pullets we already had. We had poultry meat pick-ups 2 afternoons this week. We now have 2 meat bird flocks in production; alot of time is daily devoted to care & protection for them from predators. We made it to over 100 subscribers on our YouTube Channel called Twin Oaks Farm Poultry. In honor of that milestone, we gave a donation to the local FFA chapter. I did stay on schedule making & uploading YouTube videos; I found it very hard to stay on schedule with it this week, but I kept praying & working until I got through it!
We plowed the garden, planted some flowers, & did some dirt work to improve drainage near our meat chicken barn. I got to work with 2 of my favorite dogs for a client this week; it is the best kind of work, because I love it, so it seems like fun.
Work….in addition to running our home & farm enterprises, we all have off-farm jobs. We all kept our work schedules. I also volunteered to write a bio for the local fair board for this year’s fair book – it is about the local community fair’s parade marshal for this year, it is my husband’s grandfather, so it’s extra special getting to write it up. I struggled to get it done, but I did meet the deadline & turned it in today!
Household….we are trying to declutter & rehome stuff we’ve accumulated. I did work on that project, but it makes me feel a little overwhelmed, so progress started but halted. I will just try again! Several homeschool trips & projects were part of this past week, & I am enjoying it while it lasts – we have high school age kids still in homeschool, senior & sophomore – it has been such an awesome part of our family life!
That has pretty much been my week. In this season, I feel like I am working our business most of the time – in the chicken barn alot of the time, or in contact with our customer base, or promoting across our social media platforms. Meat chicken farming is a hands-on & high maintenance enterprise.
My favorite thing was planting geraniums around a cross yard sculpture we have out by our driveway. I love flowers. I am looking forward to planting my porch window boxes this next week. I also went to a painting class & painted a barn picture this past week, & that was very relaxing; I enjoyed it very much.
Love reading what you are doing each week. I worked 50 hours this week so didn’t get as much done as I would have liked. My cold crops are doing well. I harvested leaf lettuce and garlic this week. I have been hardening off my other seedlings in the hopes of getting them planted this weekend. Thanks for keeping us all motivated!
April, and, sometimes, May in Maine are typically cold and wet. I ran outside after work the other day, when the rain had stopped, to finish planting the asparagus.
Strawberries will be going in next week. I’m hoping to enlist my husband to help me unload 8 cubic feet of soil before it starts raining today. Otherwise it’s going to be a long process ( I tore my rotator cuff).
Other than some standard crops, like lettuce, tomatoes and beans, I’m trying to focus on long term plantings, like fruit trees and asparagus.
You ask for us to write what WE did this past week….hmmm…Trying to get back into crafting again….making cards….painting….working on that, to me…very itimidating Cricut machine…someone did come and help me last weekend so that was very eye OPENING ..not only love doing crafts…but go to shows to sell our “wares” haha…also not feeling well some, will be glad to go to dr Tues (along with 3 trips to Atlanta for my husband and upcoming surgery) but all the while, always can fit in ….planted seeds for herbs…some flowers and getting ready to plant the garden items my husband has planned…Wow on your night sky shows…how lucky you are…I DO enjoy your posts, emails, tips and news….Here’s to next week !
Mainly reading and working over here. Trying to figure out soultions to my very poor mental health. It has just been very extreme this past week, so been looking into natural ways to combat it.
I’m in a homemaking group on FB where we do Frugal Fridays. We just list 5 frugal things we’ve done.
I also follow The Frugal Girl & she does Five Frugal Things on Fridays. Maybe keeping a short list will make it easier to keep it going?
Here’s my list for this week that I shared in my group.
1 – Husband & I went out for our anniversary & used a gift card that had been given to us.
2 – Free entertainment: went to the library twice this week for books to read with my grandson & to play games. They have board games & he loves to go there & play.
3 – Free gym: Husband & I use a yoga mat to stretch every day & walk in our woods for exercise.
4 – I refreshed some potting soil & used old pots for my spring/summer containers on my front porch
5 – I shopped the Bath & Bodyworks sale & bought hand soap for $2.95 instead of the regular $7.95 price
Wow, the aurora is beautiful! Do you usually see it this much in the spring, or is this year more?
This year was the first year in my life that I’ve ever seen the aurora here. We’ve seen it twice this spring so far.
My husband and I were Mystery Readers for our granddaughter’s elementary school class. We purchased the book for $8.49 and then donated it to the class. An important piece of our frugal lifestyle has been nurturing old and relationships with family and friends. The experience of being the surprise readers was priceless for us.
This week my family has been having mostly favorite meals. We are going gluten free on Monday. The kids are not thrilled. I was diagnosed with either gluten intolerance or celiac disease back in November. It has taken me this long to get my husband onboard.
Spring showed up one day this week and the next was summer! We have been working very hard on the farm, fixing fencing, putting up new gates, mowing every 3 days, weeding around the yard, getting ready for bark mulch, planting dahlias and summer cutting flowers.
The orchard is in full bloom. I’ve been collecting cardboard at new construction sites for placement between the raised beds in the garden. The arborist hired by the electric company will be dumping tree debris that has been ground that I will use between the beds.
This time of year we eat very simply. Slow cooker meals, I prep lettuce fixings (chopped veggies) in quart jars that will keep for 4 days. Easy! Any leftovers go into a stir fry dinner.
Made a big batch of yogurt and batch of granola for easy breakfasts. Made snickerdoodle bars for the handy neighbor who helped me lift the 300+ lb gate, definitely a two person job!
Sounds like a very productive week for you! Great use of time! My week was not as productive but there were sick neighbors to care for so hopefully with everyone on the mend this week may be better. Love reading the frugal Friday posts and the Monday post too. Hope you have a little time this summer to blog. I understand if you don’t though. Have a Blessed week!