2024 October Frugal Things

1.   I cooked up the bones from several turkey breasts and made broth.  I got two quarts of good broth.  Then I did a final look through the bones and got enough bits and pieces for a nice pot of soup.  Basically all free.

2.  We inventoried the cupboards and freezer so that we know what we have.  We will now base meals on leftovers we have.

3.    I made a large batch of cinnamon rolls (13) using refrigerator potato dough.   Cost was less than $2.

4.   We went to Canada for the Shaw Festival and paid for our hotel room with points.

5.   Now that we are out of the rv I have been baking more:  whole wheat bread, rye bread, English muffins, pizza crust, cinnamon raisin bread.  Each cost me less than a dollar to make.  Quite a savings.

2024. Buying and Eating: November 1-15

 Allocation:   $390  

Cushion:   $898.80

What We Ate:  creamy pasta and sausage, winter squash, yogurt and fruit;     PBJ (2);     Scalloped potatoes and ham, bananas and milk, winter squash, garlic bread;     Ribs, cheesy rice, mu’s tossed salad#3;     Fried bologna sandwich, popcorn;     Asian wings, fried rice, tossed salad #3;     Italian meatloaf, baked potatoes, green beans almandine, salad;     Stuffed pepper soup and salad;     Spaghetti and meatballs, Italian green beans, Italian cheese bread (3);     Beefy French onion casserole, ramen salad, cheesy creamed corn;     Frittata with toast

What We Bought:  

Aldi:  half and half, sour cream, broccoli, California medley, Asian blend, peas (2), gala apples, cabbage, Roma tomatoes.      $15.55

Aldi:  cottage cheese, mushrooms.  $3.98

Aldi:  bagels (2), butter (6), juice blend, carrots (2#), cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup (4)$42.05

Total     $61.58

Eating Out:

$22.28. Breakfast with Mike 

YTD   316 days

Total    $2808.06     $8.90/day     $4.45/person/day

Grocery   $2029.61       $6.42/day     $3.21/person/ day 

Eating Out     $777.45       $2.46/day      $1.23/person/day

 Remaining Allocation      $305.14

2024 More From the Tightwad Gazette. Number 4

Some  more ideas from the Tightwad Gazette:

 1.  Fresh veggies in the winter for sandwiches, stir fry or salads can be grown easily and cheaply at home with water, seeds, and a jar.  Sprouts are easy to grow from most dried beans and some seeds, and they are quick and inexpensive to grow.  They are also very nutrition packed.  It’s easy to grow a wide variety if you have jars and a windowsill.  Google it.

2.  When running errands around lunch or dinner time, my husband and/or I might start to get hungry before we can get home.  To avoid a spur-of-the-moment meal out, we keep a small stash of snacks in the car ( crackers, nuts, fruit leather, breakfast bars) to tide us over.  This has saved us many a meal out and the resulting cost.

3.  A nearby grocery store publishes a get your flue vaccine shot from them and they  will give you a free groceries coupon.  Guess where we get our vaccinations.  Every dollar of free food helps the budget.

4.  Hair conditioner is essential for my longer hair but I keep the cost down by only using a pea sized amount that I work through my hair after I am done rinsing.  I then comb my hair, leaving the conditioner on my hair.  A bottle lasts a long time.  (16 months so far!)

5.  I cook a lot with dry beans because they are a very economical source of protein.  To speed the process I soak them overnight, drain and freeze in one cup quantities.  The soaking softens them and the freezing breaks the fibers.  So, when I am ready to use them they cook up super fast.

2024. Household and Personal Care: October

 Household

Fall door decoration (40%off).    $9.00. Holly Lobby 

Under by   $21

Personal Care

Under by $30

YTD 

Household.  $1.52  over

Personal Care.   $156.57. Under

2024 Buying and Eating: October 16-31

 Remaining Allocation:  $348.66

Cushion:  $640.77

What We Ate:  quiche, mu’s tossed salad #3, applesauce, mixed vegetables;   Creamy pasta and kielbasa, lemony garbanzo beans, everything bagel half;     Tuna patties, peas, cheesy potato rounds, salad;     Leftovers from restaurant meal;    Huevos rancheros, rice with salsa, salad, apples and caramel;     Creamy eggplant pasta, mixed vegetables, salad, garlic bread;   Ham and cheese sandwiches with chips;     Asian pot stickers;     Bean soup and homemade bread;     Quiche, German green beans, three cheese rice;     Corned beef sandwiches and four bean salad;     Southwestern bean and rice pizza, popcorn;     French onion beef casserole,  three bean salad, barley salad;     Hue is rancheros and cheese nachos;     

What We Bought:

Sanders:   Romaine lettuce, bananas, Italian bread, sweet peppers (4); yogurt (2 qts ), kimelwick rolls, potatoes (10#)     $14.47

Giant Eagle:  flour(20#), white sugar (16#), brown sugar (3#)     $11.88    Holiday prices.

Total bi monthly grocery   $26.35

Eating Out:

Lunch going to Canada.   $20.41.    Aunt Millie 

Dinner in Canada.    $21.59.       Lebanese restaurant 

Joyce birthday.   $16.75.       Red Hawk Grill 

Mike lunch.    $1.69.      Sam’s  

Mike lunch.     $3.84.     Taco Bell 

Total bi monthly eating out.   $64.28

Bi weekly total.    $90.63

New cushion amount.    $898.80

YTD    301 days

Total   $2723.20     $9.05/day     $4.53/person/day

Grocery    $1968.03     $6.54/day    $3.27/person/day

Eating Out    $755.17      $2.49/day      $1.29/person/day

2024. Linus and Such: July-September

 Linus blankets:   15

Operation Gratitude Scarves    12

Wash cloths for friends:     20

Blanket for Beatrice

Pet blankets   5

Chemotherapy caps     16

$14   For 14 skeins of yarn    $1/skein    Salvation Army 

$8.00 for 7 skeins of yarn  $1.12/skein  Good Will 

$4.49 for seven skeins of yarn.    Goodwill.    $0.64/ skein

$22.54 for 23 skeins of yarn.        Goodwill.    $0.94/ skein

$1 for 1 skein of yarn. Finders Keepers thrift store

Free from my buy nothing group.    56 skeins of yarn

$ 34.82 for 30 skeins of yarn. From goodwill.   $1.16

$7.  For 7 skeins.   Goodwill.    $1/skein

YTD 

Pet blankets.    11

Chemo Caps.    33

Linus Blankets.    56

Operation Gratitude.    62

330 donated skeins. 91 skeins for $108.03.      $1.18/ skein on average 

2024. Frugal Things in September

 September was the month of frugal grocery shopping at Amish salvage/ scratch and dent stores. Here are some of the deals we found:

Cake mixes.    80 cents.         I use them to make biscotti 

Sugar.    $1.50 for 4#.         I bought all 16 pounds they had

Vegetable oil.    $5.50 for a gallon.         The best price I have found for awhile 

Coffee.  $2.99.  For Starbucks and Peet’s.          We bought 27 pounds to last the year 

Green beans.    25 cents a can.       A great deal!

Pears, peaches, mandarins,   pineapple        90 cents a can.  Up from last year but still good 

Whole cranberry sauce.    10 cents a can.       I will make cranberry-horseradish sauce for meat with it 

Bamboo shoots and baby corn for 55 cents a can         For stir fry 

Wax beans, carrots, beets for    60 cents a can

Cooking spray for $1.19 a can

Poppy seed dressing for 50 cents          Great with regular cabbage and carrot salad 

Coleman’s mustard powder, a pound     For 10 cents        I want to try making specialty mustard 

Pasta for  69 cents a pound, a great deal and we use a lot

Mashed potato flakes  for $1.50 for 26 ozs.     I use them to make refrigerator dough for rolls.

Minced clams for 99 cents a can      To make chowder and clam sauce for pasta 

Apricots for 69 cents a can       Lovely to cook with pork or chicken 

Tropical fruit and applesauce  99 cents for 23 ozs

Spaghetti sauce for 89 cents, including two Rao jars !!!   Great for a quick meal 

Salsa   59 cents a jar         We eat a lot of Mexican 

Teriyaki sauce and soy sauce for 50 cents a bottle       We also eat a lot of Asian food

Blanched, slivered and sliced almonds   50 cents a two ounce bag.        Yum! 

Quick breads, pumpkin and cranberry for 59 cents a box         Great for the holidays 

Taco shells    10 cents a box      Great for tacos and taco salad 

Sun dried tomatoes   20 cents a jar   Couldn’t resist 

Cocktail Sauce for 50 cents a bottle       Great with Lenten shrimp specials 

Greek black olives   99 cents a jar!     Unfortunately they only had one jar 

Chopped dates for 79 cents for 8 ozs        All set for holiday baking 

Lime juice   For $1       Great to use all year

Garbanzo beans in a #10 can for $2.99       A useful ingredient in Italian and Indian cuisine 

 Oatmeal for 99 cents        Good for granola and no bake cookies

Green chilies at 20 cents a can for Mexican food 

Spinach for 40 cents for Italian soups 

Corn Chex for 1.80 and cheerios for $1.60   To make Chex mix

Maple pecan and cranberry almond cereal for 25 cents a box       A great snack

Corn tortillas (30)  for 35 cents       Enchiladas. Tostada, chips

Pinto beans and split peas, dry  for 80 cents a pound     Soup for the winter 

Minute tapioca for 80 cents for a great and nutritious dessert 

Soba noodles for $1

Cumin seeds, 7 oz  for $1        Great for Mexican 

Fried onions for 50 cents        A great topping for casseroles 

Brownie mix for 90  cents      I like box brownies better than from scratch which are too cakey