Frugal Friday Week #26
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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 #26
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!
Meal Highlights
Even though it’s still warm, I’ve been wanting comfort foods this week! We made a Beef Stir Fry using my Homemade Stir Fry Sauce. Tonight I’m making a White Bean Soup in the crockpot. We also had pizza, oatmeal for breakfasts, eggs and toast, lots of leftovers for lunches, and ate whatever random food my garden produced.
I also made a batch of Hummingbird Bread and Chocolate Zucchini Bread that we had for a few breakfasts this week.
I did not grocery shop this week, but I will have some new fruits and veggies from our coop this weekend so that will help refresh the fridge.
Shopping We Did
No shopping this week but I am watching for a few sales this weekend. Vitacost always has a sale over holidays. We also need all new mattresses to put in the camper and now is a good time to get those.
How We Lived Frugal This Week
I continued to pick some things from the garden (whatever it decides to come up with at this point we will take!), that helps to feel like we are having more fresh when we are eating mostly from the pantry right now.
I forgot to mention last week that I bought some new cloth napkins from World Market. Our other ones have been in use for at least 7-8 years now and were getting pretty holey. We’ve been using cloth in our home for well over 10 years now and plan on continuing to do so in the camper. The price has gone up to $12 for 6 napkins (I originally paid $10 for 6), but that still means I only paid $20 for all the napkins we’ve used in the last 8 years. (We had 2 sets.) Worth it in my opinion!
We went on a mini vacation this week but stayed with a friend. She requested that we stay at her home instead of a hotel so we gladly obliged. The kids had a great time and the only costs we incurred was the gas.
Blog Posts I Wrote
I’ve been working super hard on updating blog posts and putting out new ones so this *should* always be a big list from now on. In case you missed something this week, check it out.
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
- Free Printable Jar Labels
- Peach Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Canning Potatoes Tutorial
- Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Free Sewing Patterns for 18 Inch Dolls
- Corn Relish Canning Recipe
Looking Ahead to Next Week
We are working on preparing for a large yard sale so I’m guessing that will take up most of my week. Hoping for some cooler fall temperatures again but it doesn’t look like we will get lucky. We are also starting back to school next week!
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 now on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
Book to art club meeting at the library was on The Thirteenth Tale about an author who comes from a very dysfunctional family. The Starless Sea is next….a mixture of stories that start and stop. I love to read and can’t wait for Remarkably Bright Creatures. I love a variety of books…cozy, mysteries, Christian, thrillers, historical fiction, maybe a bit of time travel or fantasy, but the book should be full of wonderful characters.
Lots of canning here…..for gifts this week. Mostly tomato based recipes… spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and tomato juice. Made salsa years ago.
My son is getting his first paid holiday from his factory position so he is thrilled. Was cool here this week but 90’s for the weekend. Our meat is ready from the butcher. Not cheap to raise own meat. Have a good weekend 🌞
Oh I LOVED Thirteenth Tale. Have you read The Ten Thousand Doors of January? It’s one of my absolute favorites.
No, I haven’t read this other book. But I am getting exposure to other books in 3 book clubs.
The Thirteenth Tale (spoiler alert)
But I was so sad at how the ghost in the house was the author. It seems books saved her, plus the housekeeper and gardener.
I really loved Where The Forest Meets the Stars. This is a book I would not have read without our group. A past friend from my son’s childhood leads the art group. It is fun to do things with her now that we both are retired. We were in a needle felting class too. Love free events at library!!!
Glad to see you made your own stir fry sauce this week. I was checking out recipes this week and my goal is to learn how to do a stir fry.
We probably make that recipe once a week at least. It’s so good!
I cannot seem to remember what we ate this week. I did make beef vegetable soup in the crockpot and a sausage potato green bean casserole in the crockpot. Because of the heat I am not doing any baking but have made bread in the bread machine. This week I have been trying to learn to use a new sewing machine. On Monday we did some shopping ahead of the hurricane. Do wish that I had space for a garden so that I could do more canning.
Hi, this week has been tomato week or actually August was tomato month. I way over planted and now I have way too many. Oh, well, my frustrations are the neighbors joy because of all the tomatoes we have gifted them. It s really hot this summer in Missouri and I can’t wait for the cool days and nights of fall. Have a great weekend.
Great info, we are in between houses at this time. Closing on new house September 7th. Looking forward to smaller home and bigger yard. Organizing the new house and purging more this fall and winter.
Sounds like you had very productive week!!! I love stir fry and can’t wait to try your sauce. After we said goodbye to our daughter and grands (they live in France), we packed up and came to the mountain house for some R and R. I visited the Amish market a few times for fresh produce and planning on getting a bushel of red beets and string beans tomorrow to can next week. The peaches are coming to an end so if they have any I will pick some up to can. I continue to craft my stash and made fall themed notecard and box sets to gift for Thanksgiving. I also made 20+ Kids activity packs to donate to the vet and dentist office as “kids gifts”. The weather has been cooler over the past several days which is a welcomed relief!! I enjoy all of your newsletters and continued good luck as you prepare for the next chapter of your lives
Hi!
This week I have been away from home in San Sebastian, (Donostia) Spain. The trip was part educational (husband CME credits) and part vacation. I’m in the airport waiting to go home, and it was so nice to see “Frugal Fridays” in my inbox.
Hope everyone has a healthy, productive week!
My husband had his 91st birthday this week and wanted an old fashioned cake and frosting to celebrate with family, 9 of us gathered. A Starlight cake with Seafoam icing cooked in a double boiler was my gift to him.
Along with that this week I canned two batches of tomatoes, made corn relish, and 2 batches of jam, besides caring for my 6 hens, the garden and cooking from the garden also. Have been harvesting elderberries at a friends garden and making and canning the juice for winter jelly making.
Do love cooking and baking.
Happy birthday!`Big
That makes my heart happy!
Did a bit of clothing purging this week. Focused on organizing two rooms and one closet. The closet will hold my food preservation machine in bottom and future gifts on top. After many years of homeschooling, I am setting up a sewing/fiber and seed starting area in my house. This is all in one room. I am happy about this. Food this week was left-over meatloaf, salads, wraps, smoothies, etc. I bought some organic lentil/vegetable soup, in bulk this week. I also bought red quinoa as a protein substitute. Normally, very expensive, but got for $4 for more than a pound a nearby discount store. Red quinoa is good on salads. I bought some gardening 1020 H.D. trays for $4.00 off. End of summer sale.
This week I’m nursing an infection in my leg. Bummer. Last week we were nervously watching a hurricane.
Your photos are great! Have a good one.
I am so sorry you are having to nurse an infection. Hope you mend rapidly!
I always get the frugal feed the day after & feel like a day late & dollar short though I do read & love to try to post as well. So here I go…
Went to grocery store since had not been in over 2 weeks. good & bad. Spent about $300 (uugh) but got everything on sale & stocked up on items we need/use. Got gallon (local) spring water (drinking as better than filtered water now have in new house instead of nice well water), teens favorite pizzas (sale & coupons), Halloween candy (sale) that will have to hide from teen because Halloween candy goes quickly (at home & stores by October). Should not have to buy much groceries in coming weeks since stocked up & filled most space left in freezer, fridge & pantry.
Bought (another) metal shelf (on sale) to put in basement for remainder of pantry items. At old house only had 2 metal shelves in basement (have 4 now) & huge pantry upstairs (have small one in closet).
Had not been feeling well last week (still) & had not cooked much so one day got Subway for dinner & used coupon to get 3 foot long subs $20 (instead $30). Teen ate 1 1/2 subs & had remainder next day after school snack.
Found new large (different pattern) Swell snack container on Poshmark for cheaper than sale price so ordered. I like that these containers are medium sized (dinner salad, fruit) which is bigger than my Tupperware containers so that easier for some lunch items. I have 3 (after order comes) now & will only get 1 or 2 more if find different patterns. Teen likes that easier to use than Tupperware & less chance leakage (since throws in backpack).
Ordered Swell ice cream containers that had been out of stock & limited edition (sale) holiday tumbler (free personalization) 25% off site wide (for Labor Day) & redeemed $40 off rewards for total 50% off order. Teen borrowed my tumbler recently & liked so hoping enjoys one ordered for Christmas.
Been cooler this last week so no central air or fans. Heat back for holiday weekend so trying to only use fans if possible. Especially since just found out Consumers Energy having another rate hike starting October & now additional fee to use debit/credit card to pay bill, which is only way to pay online & no local facilities open anymore to take payment. With mail so unpredictable I don’t like to mail any payments. Need to get creative.
Returning products bought that ended up not using to help keep exspenses down & also declutter.
I am excitedly anticipating the start of college football this week, and have been planning meals with that in mind. All of our favorite cozy football foods have found their way into the rotation (chili, pot pies, sliders, giant hoagies, etc.). We had one day with the temps in the 70’s. It was very encouraging and I ran right out and bought some butter (it was on sale). Now I am ready to begin the baking season. I have followed along with the “Holiday Grand Plan” by Cynthia Ewer for several years now. It began this week, it is the best way for me to stay organized during the crazy lead up to Christmas. Finally, two of our nieces had baby girls recently and so I am finishing up baby quilts this weekend.
It is so nice that FF is back! I enjoy it so much. This has been a crazy week here as we recover from losing our earnest money on some land in Oklahoma and try to decide what is next.
We delayed an inground garden as we had planned to move and only planted onions, potatoes and corn in the ground. We did do containers for tomatoes and were blessed with some free-will pumpkins! However, our weather was much like yours and tree limbs fell onto our tomato plants and the corn was crushed. The potato and onions fared a little better but not much.
The pumpkins, both of them, were the clear survivors. As we ponder what is next, I plan to set-up my grow tent and the countertop planters for some much-needed herbs.
I also started keeping track of our meals in order to be able to meal plan a little better. Nothing worse than brain freeze when there are hungry littles, mediums and several bigs running around!
The chickens are laying fairly well and that is a definite bonus! That leads me to ask if anyone else is having difficulty locating wheat berries? Two stores in town that used to carry them do not anymore.
As I unpack the things that I need from our planned move I am finding curriculum that I no longer need, and I wonder if the readers have any idea where to recycle these. Most of the consumable books are intact as I copy pages for the kids to be able to repeat instead of erase. We only know two other homeschooling families and they are in the same and higher levels than mine.
Here is to a new week and more yard clean-up to be prepared.
My weekend will be processing more onions and green peppers, celery and onion while its relatively cheap here. Normally green peppers are not on the menu because of the price 5.99 for just one. When on sale in season you get it for 3 small ones in a pack for 3 dollars. My hubby got 10 large at a farmers market for 99 cents a pound. Came to 5.11 in total. Celery is usually 5.99 to 8.99 a bunch it was on sale for 2.49 a pound so I grabbed 4 bunches. Onions 6 dollars for a 5 pound bag. In winter they will be more. I enjoy reading your posts it is comforting to know others of like mind. What use to be normal to do is now called hording. I live in CB Nova Scotia and the winters here have a lot of snow so you need to be prepared. We get shortages to quite often as well. So it pays to have a stock pile of foods in the freezer and pantry.