Friday, May 4, 2018

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #127

Welcome to another 
Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage!
Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God. 

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage
Thanks for coming by today—or tonight!
Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends!

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Hello everyone,

 Spring is finally here! Hurrah! I think hope springs joyfully forth with the green leaves and grass, flowers, warm breezes, and sunshine! I feel a little stronger each day, and the birds' songs each morning makes me feel like life will be more normal as times go on.

 I hope you're feeling strong and energetic today. When it's so nice outside, and we can open our windows to fresh breezes, it's just so much nicer to get busy and do things. Yes, I'm balancing rest and work. If you find yourself with health challenges, you know what I mean. I don't want to just sit down and give up. I will keep trying—even if I don't catch up. ~smile~

 Well, enough chatter, on to what you came to read. This covers the last couple of weeks. I had treatments last week and didn't get a whole lot done. I tried to make up for it this week.
   
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Here's my thrifty blessed week (or two)!
  • I listened to music for free on Pandora. 
  • I used the handle of my toothbrush to push all the toothpaste up to the end of the tube to get a few more brushings.  Get more thrifty ideas  like this.
  • My husband and his friend tuned up the riding lawn mower and replaced the fuel pump themselves. They saved hundreds of dollars.
  • I made iced tea at home instead of buying it while I was out. 
  • I finished the Sockhead hat that I made with yarn that was given to me with needles that I bought with Amazon credit from filling out surveys at Opinion Outpost. Referral Link
  • I downloaded the Warm One bulky weight hat for free at Ravelry.com.
  • I kept adding water and ice to my iced tea that I brought home from the coffee shop after knit night and made it go further.
  • Amy and I shared a $4.99 foot long from Subway. We didn't have things on hand for a picnic lunch with friends.
  • I made a delicious cold salad with 2 cut up avocados, 12 oz bag of frozen corn, 1 can of black beans (rinsed), a chopped tomato, a chopped red onion, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one squeezed lemon, fresh ground pepper and coarse salt. It was thrifty, because I had all of the ingredients in my rather bare kitchen. I really needed to go to the store!
  • I listened to YouTube videos about how to list items on Ebay using their app.
  • I made iced tea concentrate. This is just very strong tea made in a quart jar. I boiled water and poured it over one plain family size tea bag and one Constant Comment tea bag. I left the bags in until it was really strong. After removing the bags, I let it cool, put a lid on the jar, and put it in the fridge. Whenever I wanted some unsweet tea, I filled my glass with ice, some of the tea concentrate, then topped it off with water. I like my tea a bit weak, but you can adjust it to whatever strength you like. It's inexpensive, and it doesn't take a lot of room in the fridge. 
  • I knitted another hat called Warm One with yarn given to me. I will try to get some photos taken to show you all some of my knitting projects. I'm primarily knitting hats right now. 

What have you done in your home this week?



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May you make the best of what you've got
however much or little!

When we are faithful in little,
God sees it.

ღLauraღ

...doing what I can with what I've got
where I am on a shoestring budget!

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Thank you all for writing to me. I read every comment. I truly appreciate the support you've all given me during my treatments. If you'd like a response to your comment, please make sure that I have your email. I'm not taking time right now to copy responses onto the blog. I am having trouble keeping up. Please understand. Thanks! Laura


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16 comments:

  1. Your salad sounds so good! I love your thrifty week and I always look forward to reading how save moolah!

    I made a quick version of chicken cacciatore by pouring spaghetti sauce over it. The next night I used the leftovers for spegetti but I shredded the chicken first.

    I used up most of a scrap piece of fabric to make a tea cozy for my tea partner and one for an author friend.

    I also download a infinity scarf pattern from Ravelry.com

    I resisted the urge to buy yarn. Money is tight so I really needed to ignore the notifications my JoAnn app kept sending me.

    That's my week! Have a great weekend!

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  2. Sounds like you have accomplished a lot.. Praying for you..

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  3. I found the world's most gorgeous oriental style teapot with six cups for $4.00. Seriously, it's beautiful!

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  4. A joy to visit and read some of your thrifty tips, such a good idea to make the tea concentrate. I will be making some shortly.

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  5. Hi Laura :) I love the sound of that salad, simple and so many textures. I also love the sound of bird song. I hear them outside my bedroom window when I'm having my quiet time and it's such a joy. And Laura, while I may never have gone through the kind of health struggles you have of late, I do have back problems that flair up every so often and really set me back. It takes weeks sometimes until I am up to speed again. Then my housework (that deep cleaning) sort of thing really falls behind. I have had to make peace with it all. I just do what I can during those times and don't sweat the small stuff. It's better for me to just find things to still be thankful for (what I can do) and not focus on what I can't do. I do get more time with the Lord, that's always a bonus !! Having asthma too, holds me back in some areas. I am quite affected by fluctuations in temperature and with humidity. I have just had to tweak my life accordingly and know I just can't participate in everything. Often I've had to let people down and cancel things...it's just life. I gave up trying to be a people pleaser many years ago. God knows my heart and that's all that matters. You are a sweet, precious lady Laura, with a very tender heart !! ~ Blessings to you and forgive all my ramblings. I just know what it's like to not to be up to speed at all times :)

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  6. Sounds like a great week.
    Continued healing and strength.
    Blessings

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  7. I always cut the tube of the toothpaste in two. Then you can put your toothbrush in and take really everything out. To close you just put the upper half on again. (you have to wring/wrench a little bit). greetings from a frugal dutch women

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  8. Laura, I always enjoy reading the thrifty things that others have done. Some of the things you've shared we always do at our house. Others are ideas I've never thought of. It's so neat that we can learn from each other. :)

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  9. I'm glad you had a good week. I don't know how frugal I've been, but it wasn't a bad spending week. I drove to visit my grandchildren for a few days who live 3.5 hours away. I took a friend out to lunch and bought the kids pizza on Friday night. (home delivery) It was all money well spent. :-))

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  10. Wonderful ideas for saving money . . . we all spend way too much when we get in a hurry and don't stop to think about our purchases.

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  11. Pretty! Thhis was ann incredibly wonderful post. Thank
    you for supplying this info.

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  12. i'm interested to see your newly knitted hat! :) also, i bet your salad tastes delish! :)

    xoxo, rae
    http://www.raellarina.net

    INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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  13. The tea concentrate is a great idea ... I'm always needing more frig. space. And glad to hear you are feeling better.

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  14. Good thrifty week for you my friend! I made sure to use up all leftovers and I too make tea concentrate!

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  15. Glad to hear you are feeling better!

    What did I do in my home this week?

    Well, another week of school. Some writing. And I just rearranged the couch cushions so they'll be more comfortable. It worked! :) It's the small things that are the big things in life.

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Thank you so much for "talking back" to me!

I read all comments and appreciate them.
Please make sure I have your email if you want me to respond or pray for you.

God bless you! This life only works with Jesus. The next life is a continuation of this one—make sure you spend it with Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God the Father!

Your blog friend,
Laura Lane
5 Year Cancer Survivor