Frugal Friday Week #31
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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 #31
So I’ve started a 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!
Note from Merissa
I’ve had some comments recently about where we are going and if we are moving. I did share a podcast a while back, but it had a lot of rude comments, so I had to remove it. Here’s a brief summary of what’s going on!
We are selling our home and land and moving back into an RV. My husband and I both feel very strongly about simplifying life so that we can better serve our family and others. We will be doing ministry work but not through an organization at this time.
We are excited for this new transition back into tiny living and the adventures that await us!
Meal Highlights
We were traveling this week again…imagine that! Traveling so much before we are even on the road full-time. I guess it’s meant to be. 🙂
- White Bean Soup
- Bagel Sandwiches
- Chili Cheese Bowls (warmed up canned chili with cheese and corn chips)
- Burgers
- Leftovers
- Yogurt and Granola
- 2 Days of Wedding Food (Sub Sandwiches and Grilled Chicken)
Like I said last week, my meals will get pretty interesting now that we have little of our regulars left in the pantry and freezer. Got to eat up the random stuff!
Shopping We Did
We traveled to the big city this week (Denver), and I thought I’d go to Whole Foods since I hadn’t been there in forever. I ended up with 2 small bags of food…mostly some snacks, tea, and some specialty produce that I’d been wanting for a vegetable broth project. (I’ll post if it’s successful!)
I also stopped at my favorite discount grocery store in the world (Esh’s) on the way home. We got quite a few bags of things for the same price as Whole Foods :p. Mostly some new snacks, coconut aminos, and a few other things that will be nice to have as we eat up the random foods we still have at home.
How We Lived Frugal This Week
We didn’t have much time to live frugal or not frugal this week with all of the wedding fun! We did enjoy the food at the wedding, which saved us 2 days of meals, and were given some of the leftovers, which we turned into sandwiches for our travel days. Maybe that’s why I felt I could spend a bit on some groceries to bring home while we were gone. 🙂
In the coming weeks, I’ll be stocking up on a few hard-to-get things from Azure and our food coop before we begin our traveling adventures. I don’t want to get anything yet though, so I’m not determined to keep cleaning out the pantry and freezers!
Blog Posts I Wrote
- Eucalyptus Oil Uses – This is a great post to read if you have this essential oil in your home!
- Drying Pumpkin Seeds – I pulled our pumpkins from the garden this week to use. Here’s how you can make the most of the seeds!
- Methods for Preserving Flowers (and How to Use Them) – If you want to save some of your summer blooms for the winter, read this post!
- From Scratch Pumpkin Donut Holes – Seriously one of our favorite fall recipes! So crazy easy.
- Apple Danish Braid – This is a super delicious recipe from scratch that you need to try if you are having a brunch or get-together.
- 3 Ingredient Fruit Dip – A recipe from my Granny!
Looking Ahead to Next Week
Next week is finally a week at home again (I think!). This week I will have a big focus on packing more things up and continuing to use up what’s in the pantry and freezer. We also need to continue to sell any of the big stuff we aren’t taking with us.
So tell me….what did life look like for you this week? What did you do, make, or plan to do?
Another question….I used to do a lot of series’ on the blog like Making the Most with What We Have which showcased other families living a rural life…any ideas for future series’ you’d like to see here?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
Oh what an undertaking you are doing!
I lived in an RV my first marriage , with 2 large dogs…,
I will look forward to hearing all the good things that your new adventure will bring.
Many blessings
Kelly
We’ve lived in an RV about 5? times I think already. :p This will be quite a different adventure though so we are excited!
Love your snuggle buddy!
Good luck with your future plans.
He’s the best snuggle buddy! 🙂
So sad that people can post such rude comments about the podcast, don’t let it get you down, I love reading your blog and usually do every Friday! It’d be fun to make a series on a day in your life, like schedule wise, I know everyday/season is different. I know you also homeschool, so maybe just the tough how to’s, like how to find time to clean/cook/prep while still homeschooling with a regular daily schedule.
Thank you for your comment! I did have another request to talk more about homeschooling and how we fit that in to our schedule so I will work on that in an upcoming post/podcast.
I appreciate your updates, and they are inspiring!
Hi there. I’ve been following your journey for years and really love seeing weekly updates about what is going on in your life. Just the mundane. Your recipes and resources are great and the daily life content leavea me feeling more connected to your content. Kind of ties it all together to see how your recipes and frugality actually play out in a real life scenario. All the best with this new move.
This comment made me laugh because when I was writing this post up this morning I felt like everyone is going to start to get bored of the same old thing 😉 I’m glad you like the mundane!
Lovely family picture!! What fun adventures are ahead for you guys. Little jealous of the snow, it’s 38 in the morning here and mid 70s by afternoon. We are supposed to to back up to mid 80s for a week and then back down, just enough to confuse any veggies I am still getting produce from! I am freezer meal making this weekend. I no longer have a full house (college and the other grown and flown) so I am making small meals for my hubby and my mom. (i tend to eat mainly fresh produce and soup) I am stunned somehow awful people found a way to make rude comments about you moving? I literally cannot fathom the way some people behave and they shouldn’t be allowed in public, lol. The rest of us are cheering you on!!
I try to ignore the “keyboard trolls” but I had decided that I already had enough to deal with in moving and just stick with the positive comments now! It’s still (usually) warm here during the day as well up until yesterday. But then…this is South Dakota, it’ll probably be 70 again next week. 😉
My husband, adult son and me…this was our week.
Mon-burgers
Tue-sandwiches
Wed-Ramen noodles
Thur-hot dogs and baked beans
Fri-spaghetti with meat sauce
Sat- Chicken, rice and beans
My friend introduced me to you. Looking forward to hearing how your house-to-RV transition goes. It’s something many of us are considering!
I’m excited to share about it again…things are so different since we lived in an RV before. We can’t wait to simplify though!
Looking forward to seeing your new adventures in your RV! Thank you for the weekly motivation to look inward and live simpler.
I’m so sorry you have received rude comments about your upcoming plans. I think it’s so awesome that y’all are following God’s direction for your lives, and I look forward to reading about all of your adventures. You have been such an encouragement to me through this blog and your books! Thank you!
Thank you, we are so excited too!
I enjoy reading your posts on Fridays. It always inspires me to work a little harder at being more frugal, and using what we have. I must have missed a post somewhere along the way because I can’t recall learning that you are traveling or possibly moving? I would love to hear what’s going on if you have a post with your news that you could link to….
I’ll share more soon. 🙂 For now we are still at our homestead in the Hills.
Seems like you and your family had quite the exciting week. Best wishes to you all as prepare to start another adventure. Believe me, if you make it an “adventure”, your kiddos will always have positive memories, and will be on board with the many changes (Air Force Family here). My husband is visiting his brother this week and I am on a “Mom’s Vacation”…don’t have to cook, don’t have to clean, just sew, eat apples, yogurt, and sandwiches, and maybe bake some pumkin bread. Woo Hoo!
The Mom’s Vacation sounds amazing!
Congratulations on your adventures. Ignore the trolls.
Monday, I helped day for girls. Eighteen people were there so I saw more of the process of making pads and liners. Tuesday, quilting boxed 64 quilts for shipment. I have decluttered some paperwork, read some books, and tied some quilts. It’s raining here….apple festival this weekend and pumpkins next weekend. I probably will bake some pumpkin seeds again this year. Lots of cabbage……so we had cole slaw. Best wishes….
Just got a Flake Lover Flaker so have been flaking lots of oat groats into rolled oats to make porridge and apple crisp and cookies. Started aa new bag of oat groats that came free with the flaker and I’m finding a lot of hard oat kernel coverings that spoils the porridge because I have to spit out the hard shells. Any ideas what I should do to “clean” the oat groats?
I finally dropped off 2 boxes of books for the Fall Festival next week. Most of the week was physical therapy and meetings. Did do some more clearing out in the office room as we are trying to make room for a piece of exercise equipment in that room. We had pasta with meat sauce, parmesan chicken in the air fryer with Amish butter noodles, tonight Hawaiian chicken in the crockpot to serve over rice. Also made Shoepeg salad which will last for several days.
wishing you and your family the best..in the new travels..hope you keep blogging!!
I fully plan on it!
Looking forward to hearing about life in the RV. Best wishes and happy travels.
I have told my dtr about you as she and her partner are going to living in an travel trailer also with 2 dogs. They are fly fishers who guide in the UP of Michigan. I’m not sure I could do it but applaud those who can. I love all your postings and have both your books. My life is becoming simpler and I am slowly going thru 40 years of stuff. It’s definitely a journey but I find I’m feeling much lighter mentally as I purge. I am finally losing weight too as I’ve simplified my food and diet. I can’t thank you enough for all the inspiration you give me. God bless you in your new journey.
Thanks for sharing! I do plan on separating out RV Life posts on a separate blog but I will post the link here once I get that set up.
I try to read your Frugal Friday posts every week. I find that they inspire me to be creative with what I have and to be better prepared for the week ahead. It also helps me be motivated when it comes to meals. Thanks for still sharing!
I love your blog. I am learning so much. I appreciate your encouragement and inspiration. Thanks, good luck with your travels. Please keep up your great work!!
My gosh, I’m actually both very excited for your next adventure, but super-sad to see that you’re giving up your gardening/”putting up” home base, etc., specially, with tiny-home living, “you can’t take it with you!!” We converted a 25’x9’x9′ camper into a tiny home for my BIL to live with us and it’s been a HUGE learning curve, for us both! Not just from a storage situation but from a meal-planning situation (I meal plan and plan on 4 nights/week, with leftovers for lunches/dinners/whatever…). But SO MANY of your truly inspirational posts have been regarding gardening, storing, food preservation, etc.
While I’m thrilled that you’re endeavoring on this new adventure while your kids are young enough to remember, I hope you’re able to find enough diversity in posts!! Like, maybe some foraging posts? More hand-made products posts? Homemade Christmas Idea posts???
Many blessings, and best to you all!!! Have love being a part of this chapter!
We definitely have a lot of adventures before us and I’m hoping that even though I won’t be posting about my personal garden, I’ll be able to help/share with others that we meet along the way.
And never fear on the blog topics…I usually have dozens upon dozens of them milling around in my head at any one time. Like I said, I think this will also be a great opportunity to learn from others as well. 🙂
What a snuggly, cuddle-muffin kitty!
I’m diverting from sharing my week because of something lovely I read in the comments.
My heart lifted when I read the exchange between you and Kirsten about the “mundane”. Never worry; “Frugal Friday” followers are here BECAUSE the posts are about every day tasks and weekly updates. Sharing our recipes, cleaning, our adventures, and our ups and downs of daily life is comforting and helpful. Once a week, we get a taste of what it would be like to have a cup of tea with each other or a neighborly chat over the fence. We need that connection, because, as you know, it can get nasty out there on the internet.
Merissa, be good to yourself. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.
Thank you for this Susan. 🙂
Hi Merissa: I missed the original post about your decision to sell and go back to living in an RV. Just want to wish you all luck in your new adventures. I however will miss your posts about your garden, greenhouse, raising baby animals etc. Take care.
We definitely have a lot of adventures before us and I’m hoping that even though I won’t be posting about my personal garden/homestead, I’ll be able to help/share with others that we meet along the way.
“I used to do a lot of series’ on the blog like Making the Most with What We Have which showcased other families living a rural life…” I would be interested in seeing something like that! Right now my house is just about ready to hit the market. Not looking forward to showing the place when I am dealing with three large dogs (one a 6 month old puppy) two indoor cats, an autistic adult son and another son who works nights and needs to sleep during the day . . . . Appointment only for those wanting a tour! It will be snowing by mid November and usually the market stops completely until spring. Ugh! We all have our work cut out for us! Hang in there, Sequoia
We have busy for other people 4 out of 7 it’s time to take us now. It’s weird people never offer to help us. Oh well we had spaghetti and garlic bread (sauce out of a jar) and a coupon bofo for Chinese food. Love those coupons for food when we need them.
I really enjoyed this weeks issue; I need to spend some time going through previous weeks issues.
Thank you for all the EO tips; I’m going to make some for my upcoming Christmas Bizarre booth. That tells you what I’ve been working on this week; narrowing down crafts, home made products, etc. to sell at the bizarre. Buying the products is an upfront expense, but I hope to recoup my spending on what I sell. This is my first time, so I’m a bit nervous and have no idea how much stuff to make and what will be popular sellers. Wish me luck!
Dear Merissa,
I have started to take the time to read more of your blog and posts. I get them all in email and save them in a dedicated folder but never read them. I didn’t delete them because I knew I would want to go back and read them. Only now I have just started to really get into them and read them.
I read your bit about a podcast you did and how you removed it because of rude posts. What in the world? What kind of rude posts? I mean, seriously, I cannot find one objectionable thing you’ve ever written in any of your posts. I don’t necessarily agree with everything you write and don’t always like your recipes but for goodness sake, I’m not going to post rude things about it.
I must say, I admire your decision to sell your business and homestead and land and minister to others. It will not be an easy life but there is no one else that could really do it besides your family. I LOVED reading the bit about your love of paper books. I love digital books, I do. Because I am the weirdo who always carried two or three books in her handbag because you just never know when you will be in a situation to get some reading in. Digital books solved the problem of the weight of carrying around books, even paperback books. Plus most of my schoolbooks (just graduated with my master’s degree) were digital and the cost savings were unbelievable. But, like you, I love the smell of a paper book. I love that you and your family will take a day and seek out the local library and just read all day. I wish more people would do that with their kids. I work in higher education and the amount of college students who have just graduated high school and want great careers but have almost no reading skills is abhorrent so I LOVE that you make an event out of going to the library to read!
I will close now but I did just want to let you know that you have fans in Iowa.
Elizabeth