Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Want to up your frugal game? Join one of our challenges.
User avatar
MackerelCat
Posts: 7258
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by MackerelCat »

Thursday used to be the night we ate out, but I pulled things together today and made a lovely supper out of what was on hand:
1. Roasted chicken from a marked down family pack bought in October and divided up into freezer bags
2. Carrots with coriander to use up the last of a bag of carrots
3. Baked apples with brown sugar and cinnamon to use some too tart apples
4. Corn on the cob from the freezer
5. Mac and cheese from the blue box, but I made only half the package because only DS eats it
6. Chocolate pudding made with powdered milk from the pantry

I also juiced a bowl of tangerines that were too sour, added a little bit of sugar to the juice and mixed it in with some reconstituted orange juice made from concentrate. We had two sweet red peppers looking a bit wrinkly, so those were diced up for the freezer.

So no eating out and zero waste. Tomorrow I will probably make a really small apple crisp to use up the last four apples. They are big apples, so it ought to work.
Mackie
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by HappyDaze »

Mackie, you are doing great, that is a fantastic meal!

Eating out is so very expensive, now more than ever. I had wanted to take DD and her SO out for a meal for his birthday in February but I think I'm going to cook a nice meal for him right here. Even if the meal costs me say $30, the 3 of us can't go out to supper for that.
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
User avatar
MackerelCat
Posts: 7258
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by MackerelCat »

HappyDaze wrote: Fri Jan 13, 2023 5:53 am Mackie, you are doing great, that is a fantastic meal!

Eating out is so very expensive, now more than ever. I had wanted to take DD and her SO out for a meal for his birthday in February but I think I'm going to cook a nice meal for him right here. Even if the meal costs me say $30, the 3 of us can't go out to supper for that.
You can't even get crappy fast food for $10 a person any more. Eating at home is way healthier and economical, plus it usually feedsxa family for several more meals.
Mackie
User avatar
MackerelCat
Posts: 7258
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by MackerelCat »

Unexpected household expense: $28 on eBay for three teaspoons in our flatware pattern after DH sent one down the garbage disposal. The pattern was made in 1998 and discontinued a few years ago, so the spoons are getting hard to find. Our stock of them was already mysteriously low. I suspect a few have accidentally wound up in the trash.

Supper tonight used up a pack of bacon approaching its best by date.
Mackie
User avatar
MackerelCat
Posts: 7258
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by MackerelCat »

Everyone's latest challenge reports are so good! The year is off to a promising start.

I sat down with the budget book and receipts yesterday. The food challenge is going great: we are averaging $85.50 a week, while eating down stuff with a looming best by date and freeing up some space in the freezer.

Food waste has been zero. Still have 3/4 of a tank of gas in my car.

We have eaten out once this month. Otherwise I have successfully talked/cooked DH out of the notion. It just costs too danged much to go out to eat.

That is the good news. Due to a Series of Unfortunate Events, the household fix or replace budget, which I keep at around $100 a month, is well and seriously busted: $334 already in January. It had been running around $15 a month in expenses for a couple of months and then Fate laughed.

Except for DH's birthday meal out next month, I think the January challenge can easily go through February.
Mackie
User avatar
Jackielou
Posts: 13425
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: Purposeful and Frugaling in 2023

Post by Jackielou »

You are doing so well.

It does seem like things all break down or need replacing around the same time.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
Post Reply