Friday, August 21, 2015

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #43



Hello!
It seems this thrifty week centers around food. Perhaps that's because food expenses are the most flexible of spending categories.  In our budget, it's the only flexible category, because nearly all our day-to-day living expenses must come out of it. Do you find it that way at your house, too?

~ I saved a bunch of money by purchasing some curriculum on ebay.

Harvest Lane Etsy Shop
~ I saved my husband money because the things I bought totalled about $110 and didn't cost him a dime. I used my PayPal credit that I earned selling things from my Etsy shop, my ebay, and Homeschool Classifieds. Thank you Jesus!

~ I served red beans seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, minced onion, and chili powder for supper. I added a can of tomato paste about an hour before serving. A pan of cornbread and butter rounded it out for my family.

~ Amy and I made 7 1/2 pints of Dill pickles with a $2.50 mix and some vinegar and water. Amy grew the cucumbers. Nothing else is really growing in the garden this year.

~ We've eaten a lot of cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches.

~ Thrifty Trim Healthy Mama tip—use light cream cheese, cucumber slices, and half a Joseph's Lavash bread. Oh yum! I always sprinkle on a bit of salt, too. I tried using green pepper strips instead. Who never told me? Delicous!


~ Last night we had Kai Si Ming from the Trim Healthy Mama book for dinner. It's a soup made with ground beef, cabbage, onions, and spices.  It was thrifty, because I used ingredients I had on hand. I only bought the cabbage. Sometimes being thrifty is as much about using what you have as it is about saving money.

~ I bought some candles at the thrift store, tapers two for twenty-five cents and boxes of birthday candles for twenty-five cents. I also bought Amy a new purse at the same store for $1.50.

~ I ordered a new review book.

All in all, it was a pretty good week. We've had to do our fair share of making do so that we could make Amy's birthday nice. We do what we have to do. How have you been thrifty this week?

I do hope you'll talk back and let me know.
Blessings,
Laura

10 comments:

  1. Laura,
    So happy that the Lord provided you with your home school needs..
    Great finds at the thrift store..
    We have had a pretty good week too.. I found chicken leg qts for 34 cents per lb. , Skinless/boneless chicken breast -3 lb bag for 4.99. Grapes and squash for 99 cents a lb. I got 4lb bag of sugar for $1.00/if you bought $25 purchase. I didn't really need the meat, but bought it anyway for the freezer.
    Hope you and family have a blessed weekend. Judy
    Happy birthday to Amy.

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  2. a good post Laura!
    Mainly I saved by cutting out a few car trips, eating out of the fridge, instead of buying other food.

    When the towels need refreshing, not washing, I take them out and line dry them. they smell clean, and warm, and dry much better due to not having them in the air conditioned house. One day this week, I left off the window unit all together, that is the first time that has happened recently. It has been so hot and humid.

    I also keep a bucket under the window unit, I have been using that water to scrub off some of the vinyl house siding. I pour in some vinegar, and a couple of small squirts of blue dawn dish liquid. I scrub it with my outside broom, and it really helps cut down on that green algae that tries to grow on the vinyl. I water my plants on certain days outside with the water too. Water and sewer costs here are very high, so this is a big savings. We pay for sewer for all water used, whether or not it goes down the drain.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  3. Since you asked, (wink) I sold back my Freshman books--needed money for gas in the car. Not complaining or griping, at least I had something to sell back or a way to make extra money. Things are so tight here....again, not complaining.

    Have a beautiful day, Laura. Blessings

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  4. I understand, Linda. I've got to try to sell some more things on ebay or somewhere. I'm short because of birthdays and school starting.

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  5. Sounds like you had good sales this week Judy. Congratulations. I hope to be able to buy groceries next week. Nearly all the grocery money went to birthday parties and gas this week.

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  6. You're come up with some terrific, creative alternatives Annie. You are a gem to your family.

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  7. Right now I am trying to do an at home manicure instead of going to a salon,

    We have had thrifty weather, enough rain to keep everything watered and cool for this season so the AC has needed to be run very little. I love this kind of weather :)

    Happy birthday to your daughter.

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  8. Food in our house takes so much of the budget. It is a real challenge to get creative and cook cheaply! Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!

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  9. Food is a big expense for a family I well know. Not so bad now that it is just hubby and I, but I shop the sales and stock up when things are a good price. Looks like you are doing a great job of being thrifty Laura! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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Your blog friend,
Laura Lane
5 Year Cancer Survivor