DG's frugal journal

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Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thursday am

I thought some more on the trellis. I figured out a way to span the larger walkway by using a T pcv piece in the middle. This is getting to be an interesting thinking project. I wonder how it will look with both a curved archway and a square off one in the same garden area. Well, not now. Now it is just learning to walk a bit.

Did some deep cleaning in the kitchen last night. Was in a mood. Not a common one.

Yesterday, I got a package of turkey smoked sausage on a clearance sale. If I had known it was marked down that much, I would have gotten 2. Oh well. Sausage is expensive compared to most meat and not that healthy. But I have a can of sauerkraut and I figure hubs would like that with sausage for Father's Day. Steaks are on sale at save a lot. Cheaper than a roast. So I will pick up a package of them on the way back from the big Walmart. I want hose repair kit from there. It is generally cheaper there than at Home Depot. Probably pick up some softener salt. It is cheaper there as well.

We may get rain today, but I am not counting on it. Probably have to turn on my irrigation lines. The electric bill was high, probably do to the well pump. Grump. The yard guy is done and paid off. He wants cash. The handyman wants cash too. Cash does not get tracked and so income can look a lot lower. If they want to cheat the government of income tax, it is their problem. I will pay them as they like and frankly cash is easier than a check. We get checks free most of the time. But the fewer we use the better it is. I use my credit card a lot. I get points back.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by alliesmama4 »

Dg I too am having sauerkraut and kielbasa this week-end. I love it. I am not big on hunks of meat but do like the occasional smoked sausage.

Hope you do not overdo the working and walking and your knee stays in healing mode.
Janet Alliesmama
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Sunday am

Well, I walked Thursday and Friday and it was a bit much. Grateful that I am not walking on the weekend. Well, healing is 2 steps forward and one back. I should have listened to Janet, but I am muleheaded about this kind of stuff.

I have given thought to how I am going to recycle the baby pools I bought on end of summer sale several years ago. I had planned to put planters in them, put some mulch at the bottom and as a result extend the growing season for tomatoes and peppers. Well, it just didn't work out. However, I have now built raised gardens that are more functional. So after thinking, I realized that I could recycle the pools in a unusual way. There are a number of examples of rain barrels that are not hooked to roof gutters. They collect rainwater by the use of a collector on top that looks like an upside down umbrella. After some thought, I realized that I could use these several pools to collect water for a rain barrel out in the yard far from the house. And I know exactly where I need one. I love recycling. Of course, this project is a ways off thanks to my knee.

I have raised the house temperature one degree to 83F. I did this primarily because because we hare having very warm nights and the ac comes on late at night. I blows cold air on me and wakes me up chilled. One degree and it doesn't come on. We will leave it like this during the day unless it becomes uncomfortable. We use fans most of the day and at night. I prefer fans actually.

Not doing much interesting these days. I did repair sewing although there is a bit more I can do on the summer quilts. We won't need them until cooler weather. A sheet is enough in the summer.

The purchase of ground beef on sale really makes me happy. We have already used up the first 5 lb roll. I cut the roll and immediately place them as patties in the freezer in reusable pint containers. Easy to take out and then we each have a burger or meat for a stir fry meal. With the sale on diced tomatoes and beans, I am stocked up for an estimated 6 months at 2 cans of diced tomatoes a week. The beans are for the hurricane season. Easy to eat and nutritious if the power goes out. I have enough beef fat left in the skillet after dinner to cook breakfast eggs and turkey bacon the next day. Feel frugal good. Hub's recommendation that I decrease the amount of coffee grounds when making coffee has worked out fine. Tastes a bit like hot water to me, but he prefers it. It is frugal and he is happy. He has 2 cups of coffee in his large sippy cup. The first cup is with the pot still turned on. Then we turn the pot off, but the coffee is still hot for his second cup. I don't really like hot coffee, so the warm coffee is good enough for me. Less heat in the kitchen. I also turn off the skillet just before the end of cooking. I let the residual heat finish the meat. Works out well. A little less wasted heat in the kitchen.

Hubs did the monthly summary and says we are living within our income. I haven't looked at the details yet, but I will later today. We normally use rechargeable batteries in various things like the ac thermostat. And I usually recharge them using the solar recharger, but right now it is cloudy, so we are using the grid. I also make solar tea about twice a week. I cool it down and we have nice cold tea in the late afternoon when it gets really hot. As the normal summer cycle starts, it is sunny until 3 pm and then it rains. Perfect for using solar power.

The dry, hot May has resulted in the figs not producing well. Most are dropping off early. The plants look healthy, but no fruit.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Tuesday am

Knee is feeling very good. Almost normal. I took a short walk, but I have changed walking shoes and these irritate my feet a bit. I have decided that my favorite shoes were not doing my knee a favor. So I am using other shoes and I sense they are more supportive. If my knee stays this good, I will be able to dance in July.

I am a bit annoyed. I bought cans of tomatoes at Winn Dixie on sale. I checked Walmart prices online and they were more expensive. However, when I actually went to the store, they were 10c cheaper than the Winn Dixie cans. However, the WD cans were an ounce bigger and I got redeemable points. So probably about the same price in the long run. Still, I like to make an informed decision.

I am close to the 5000 points for Walgreens, $5 off. We get 300 points for hubs prescription and he has a lot of them. I expect within a month, it will happen. They almost always have gum on sale and I can buy it free with the coupon. I like chewing gum.

Today, I color my hair. It is with the cheap, but brand name stuff. It seems to work ok. Not a huge color difference, just enough to keep the grey a bit hidden. I did buy another on sale sausage. I figured out why they were on such a good sale. Just a couple of months from expiration. Oh well, works for me. Today, I cut up another 5 lb roll of ground beef. Tonight, we have stir fry. Turns out hubs must have broccoli in his stir fry or it is not Chinese. So I bought a couple of bags of steamable broccoli. There is cheaper out there at dollar tree, but it is lower quality. And that makes a difference to hubs. So 88c for 12oz, instead of $1 for 16 oz. I am disappointed in the dollar tree frozen green peppers. Almost all onions. I may have to make other choices in that product.

I am rethinking my archway trellises for the front garden. Could be interesting. Well, time to think about it more. I won't be doing them until after the July trip.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Wednesday am

Another roll of ground beef is converted into hamburger patties and in the freezer. I am out of oregano in my shaker, so I need to put some in from my recent bulk food visit. I couldn't get the leaves, they were out, so we will try to power. Hubs like oregano on his morning eggs. I am trying to use more herbs in the food. Keto can be boring for non cooks like me. The herbs help.

Not much planned for the week. My hair is colored. It came out pretty even this time. The coloring product is very cheap,$2.97 at Walmart. It is a darker blonde color and it actually come out a mild red blonde which is ok. It covers the grey very well and evens out the color which is what I want. After a few washings, it gets lighter. I intend to try a lighter shade this summer. See what color I get.

I got another package of turkey bacon out of the freezer. I put it under the filtered water pitcher and as it thaws, it cools the water. I don't put the water pitcher in the refrigerator because I don't like cold water. Hiccups.

The overcast weather has kept the house temperature down. The ac hardly comes on at all. The house humidity is up a bit, but not as bad as last summer. However, hubs bought a small dehumidifier to use in the office room in case the humidity goes up a lot. It does annoy me when he buys more stuff without asking me. I am trying to decrease stuff and he is working against me.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thursday am

I am being inactive. Never feel good after an eye injection. I declined even a short walk this morning. Even the tummy is blah.

Knee is better most of the time. The ac started coming on too often. Hubs turned it down to 82F. I was annoyed. I reminded him that the cold air blowing on me chills me and I don't feel good anyways. I said he could have been considerate and at least told me. I turned it back up and the ac went off. If he wants it on during the day, I will agree to it.

I mopped my bedroom floor yesterday morning before the eye appointment. The floor seemed gritty. I am cleaning here and there. Dust is always a problem during the dry season. Hopefully, now that the wet season has started, I can clean things less often for dust.

Today, we will be eating ground beef again, probably Mexican style. I have a bit of Italian style diced tomatoes to put on hubs scrambled eggs this morning. And he and I will get tomatoes in the canned tomatoes with peppers tonight. I like to get veggies every day, but not the same way.

Tomorrow, I will head down to save a lot for fresh veggies and discounted meat. Not today, just feel under the weather from the injection. Winn Dixie has fresh salmon on sale. Although it is expensive even on sale, it feels important health wise to have it occasionally. I am trying to be more methodical with food choices. Making sure that we have berries once a month and fish every 2 weeks etc. Keto life style is not perfect eating and I don't believe vitamins are the solution, variety and fresh foods can keep the health problems away.
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