What have you done frugal Jan 15-21?

[babybugmama]

Another weekly...it's been awesome.

I made homemade barbecue sauce, no sugar...used what was in the house instead of going out and buying. We're having barbecue and coleslaw for dinner tonight.

I cut the heat down more (after getting a $200 gas bill). Put on more clothes. We still have stuck to bills, gas, and food. No extras.

I'm going to make hand soap from the soap chips (thanks to another thread).

Still making all my bread and bagels from scratch.

Still planning out menu's for the week to keep food bill down.

[bellini'smama]

We used leftover potatoes to make yummy (but not fat free ) hashbrowns this morning for breakfast.

Dh made a batch of muffins last night for us to eat this week. Dd loves them and ate half of one with her lunch. I even saved the rest of her lunch for her to eat when she gets hungry again for a snack.

We planned our meals for the week based on easy meals for harder days and more complex meals for easier days, so it will be easier to stick to it.

After reading other threads about not having to use so much laundry detergent, tried it with only a fourth of what I usually use and laundry seems fine! Washed three loads already today!

Love these threads!

[bellini'smama]

Oh and also bought popcorn to make on stove. It is so yummy and much cheaper than microwave and chips. I do miss chips though, any thoughts?

[babybugmama]

nuts? Carrots cut into small circles (I call them carrot pennies)?

[sarah_bella1050]

I bought a few thing in bulk this week like, beans, flour, and popcorn kernals. the beans (organic) were only $18 for 25lbs . I'm not spending any extra money besides whats absolutely necessary (even though I've been longing to get a haircut). Trying to make it until friday with the groceries that we have, but I'm not to sure how long that's going to last. Of yah, and I'm getting my house weatherized for free through pg&e, they're even fixing a hole in out wall that my dh was planning on tackling soon. I had to buy seventh gen dispables this week though, b/c dd got a staff infection, but it was cheaper then driving a half hour away to her dr and getting medication for it (it's almost gone now BTW).

Also, tonight when we came home late from the ILs house instead of ordering a take-n-bake pizza like I REALLY wanted to do I made chicken tenders on the George Forman grill I got for christmas. I heated up left over rice and steamed some broccoli to go with it. Dinner was ready in 15 minutes . I'll add more once the week progresses

[sciencemama]

Just squeezed 96 oz of juice from ruby red grapefruits and tangerines picked from my neighbors trees....they take cholesterol-lowering medication that interacts with the grapefruit so they told me to pick all we want!

Also, haven't bought any bread since I got a bread machine for Christmas.

[heathenmom]

I got enough Yule decorations at Michael's clearance sale for next year's tree plus the rest of the house for ..... drumroll please ..... $7 !!!

[lenore80]

Originally Posted by sciencemama

Just squeezed 96 oz of juice from ruby red grapefruits and tangerines picked from my neighbors trees....they take cholesterol-lowering medication that interacts with the grapefruit so they told me to pick all we want!

Also, haven't bought any bread since I got a bread machine for Christmas.

ooh, you are so lucky! Too bad for your neighbor's though.

[dharmamama]

Made my own bread.

Made my own yogurt.

Made my own jelly.

Not used the dryer.

Bought 50 lbs of flour for $15.

Namaste!

[babybugmama]

:!:
Where did you get 50 lbs of flour and was it whole wheat??? That's awesome!

[dharmamama]

It wasn't whole wheat. It was unbleached all-purpose flour. I also buy smaller amounts of whole wheat and mix the ww with the all-purpose for my recipes.

There is a place in our town that sells bulk spices and foods, and I bought it from them.

Namaste!

[*andiflipping*]

I borrowed the Tightwad Gazette from the library instead of buying it...After I am done reading it,I shall be back to post more

[CerridwenLorelei]

saturday

I made four pizzas from scratch

Silly me thought I would have two to freeze...not in this house

[justmama]

I have been purging all our closets to find things to sell or donate.

simplified Sara's diaper stash down to prefolds and pockets for when she visits daddy or when I need to put her in daycare in another month or so

recycled a sweater for yarn

found some pink/purple acrylic yarn at Wal-Mart on BIG sale that I can use for balls for Sara and doll longies for Madyson's dolls and maybe a sweater for Madyson's dolls.

still breastfeeding Sara(she's 1!)

stopped paying for juice boxes for juice break at Madyson's school and packed her a bigger thermos of juice(our juice is half-watered and I would give her water but apparently juice is like a status symbol in kindergarten and this girl made fun of her for having water one day. I don't like my baby to cry so she can have juice at school and water at home)

cut up an old recieving blanket for some more wipes to start eliminating our paper towel/baby wipe usage

reached for a cloth napkin instead of a paper towel when Sara's hands were full of soggy crackers Yay me!

pulled a small Little Tykes slide out of someone's garbage on garbage day in perfectly good condition. it resides in our playroom and constantly has 2 toddlers and a 5 year old scampering up and down it. I think it just needed a little love!

asked a friend about hand-me-downs from her daughter and was rewarded with 2 huge garbage bags full of clothing for Sara for free!

got a big bag of slightly overripe oranges(ie, a little squishy but still good) from the grocery store that they were going to throw out to put in my juicer for fresh juice for breakfast


I'm positive more frugality awaits me this week. I'll check in in another day or so!



Meg

[philomom]

-made a menu so we will eat in ALL week
-clipped some coupons for once and saved 7$ on the grocery run
-rolled the change in the house and came up with almost 20$
-returned a couple of unloved holiday gifts for store credit at Target

That's all so far, but me and the homeschool child are snagging a free luch at the dancer's studio tomorrow. You know the old "educate the masses on the fine arts" routine. They are serving pizza. Yum.

[PennyRoo]

You know how expensive cards are in a grocery store (like 3.25 or something, with a huge dollop of tax on top)? I have gotten into the habit of making our own cards, using stamps, DD's artwork, what have you. Over the past week I have sent out about 5 homemade cards (b-day, condolance, etc.), saving lots of $$ in the process.

Made a huge pot of lentil/potato curry which we have been eating all week, on top of rice.

Passed up a playdate invite over the weekend that would have involved a fair amount of expense (children's museum, lunch out) and invited said friend and child to meet at playground and come back to our house for home made tomato soup & grilled cheese sammies instead. Cost - zero.

Went the whole long weekend without spending a dime - borrowed movies from library, ate food we already had. That was a pretty big accomplishment for me.

[tofumama]

: I need to go catch up...these threads are great.

I also make our own playdough, which the kids are using now!

I'd love to see more recipes for all this great food y'all are making!

[acystay]

Originally Posted by bellini'smama

I do miss chips though, any thoughts?

how about baking cheddar chesse in the over for about 8 mins. Line a cookie sheet w/ parchment and lay small squares of cheese on the pan and bake at 350 . They will bubble up and turn gloden brown. let cool and consume.

[acystay]

I too am making our bread now. How awful to spend money on that! Although, I can't seem to find a good way to make this one bread from Henry's so I buy it, but I freeze and use what we need when we want it. 1 loaf lasts a month!

And, I'm back to making our yogurt again. So much easier too.

Umm oh we made homemade pancakes

okay fit happen and dh trying to slove it be back later

[acystay]

Okay, here's more that I'm doing:
* cutting dryer sheet in 1/2 to make the box last longer. I was hang drying things too until my rack broke a long while back. My goal is to clear out my laundry room this week and get it back together to hang dry stuff.

*I turned down thermostat when I left the house!

*Driving slower--umm I'm not getting a $214 ticket ever again so I'm still making a conscience effort at doing this

I think that's all for this week. Looking for some other tips!