Frugal Friday - Frugal Things We've Done the Last Few Weeks
We've had a very weird fall - lots of people in and out visiting and staying with us, lots of schedule "stuff" all over the place, and getting ready for a huge life change in the spring with John leaving his current job and heading into Internship. I feel like we've been caught in the whirlwind and there hasn't been much of a pause. I've finally realized that no matter what there's always going to be something "weird' or "unusual" going on - and that's just the way life is right now.
We've been trying to work on being frugal in spite of the circumstances and trying to host more people for meals and fellowship time in our home. That's been a challenge but it's been a good challenge!
In that vein, here are some things that we've done over the last few weeks to be frugal:
* Picked more veggies from our garden - green peppers and tomatoes.
* We received an "extra" box of veggies from our CSA.
* We enjoyed a bonfire and potluck dinner at our CSA's farm - which was a wonderful time enjoying food, games, hay rides, a bonfire and live music.
* Attended a fundraiser at school and had the kids faces painted and they got to play for a while with their friends. We got to visit with the other parents. It was also a really good time.
* Checked out several books and movies from the library.
* Chopped up the lilac branches we had trimmed off the bushes this year so it can season over winter for next year's fall bonfires.
* Cut up and froze many, many green peppers.
* Received a quart jar of each of the following: applesauce, sweet dill pickles, bear meat, and spaghetti sauce from a houseguest.
* Fed all of our guests from our regular grocery budget and/or what we had in the house/pantry rather than doing something really out of the ordinary.
* Made up a list of homemade Christmas gifts to make for our family and a few friends this year and started making a few things.
* Cleaned my coffee pot so it works better and the coffee tastes better.
* Cleaned my clothes washer as well.
* My daughter came home from a birthday party with a new teddy bear - the party had been at Build-a-Bear.
* Purchased a fun notebook for part of my son's Christmas present for $0.90 on clearance.
* Made homemade whole-wheat sandwich bread.
* Baked muffins, scones, and biscuits.
* Tried 4 new recipes.
* Updated the budget books.
* My mom sent us three items she had made for us using the fabric she bought while here in September - a jumper for my daughter, a fleece pull-over for my son, and my Christmas dress (made from fabric I've had since high school). We need to take in my dress and my daughter's jumper a little around the torso, but otherwise they fit lovely!
I personally think cleaning out and donating the crazy amount of things that we don't need anymore falls into the frugal category too and we've been doing a lot of that these last few weeks. Our furnace room is almost presentable now - it's the only "real" storage area we have in our house and we are hoping to have a humidifier put on the furnace this fall before winter sets in. We're at a point where I wouldn't be embarrassed to have a workman come in!
What have you done to live frugally the last few weeks?
