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.
I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight!
Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends!
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Hey y'all!
There's not much frugal about Thanksgiving weekend! We did eat leftovers, but we ended up eating out one night, because the frozen lasagna didn't thaw in time! We also took an impromptu trip to Kansas City on Saturday to visit Grandpa and Granny. I'm so glad we did. We're all getting older, and one never knows how many times we will all be together. All our kids from 16 to 26 piled into our little minivan. As the nest empties, they may not all be available to go next time.
I've made next to no progress getting ready for Christmas, but hey, it's okay this year. The important things will get done. It just may take longer than usual, and I may need more help than usual. I hope you're making good progress. Most of all, I hope you are enjoying each day and evening as you go. There's more joy in the process if we look for it.
Well, enough for now—on to my blessings and a bit of our thrifty life.
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~~~~~A Verse for You
“ I will bless the Lord at all times:
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:
the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears. ”
—Psalm 34:1-4 ~~~~~
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Here's my thrifty week!
- We ate lots and lots of Thanksgiving leftovers.
- I found nice ornaments at Hallmark for $6.99 and $7.99 each. I bought four. Not frugal, but it saved me from spending the energy I do have hunting for ornaments for the kids. We buy the kids a new ornament each year.
- We used our artificial tree that my husband bought sight unseen from a friend who was moving to Michigan. He paid her $25. We've used it four or five years now I think. It's a beautiful tree, and costed out over the years, it's really frugal.
- We ate delicious lasagna made by my friend Vana and frozen for us before I had surgery. Thanks Vana and Rich!
- We had many of the Thanksgiving menu ingredients on hand since I'd been buying ahead earlier in the month.
- I talked with my brother on the phone for an hour and twenty minutes the night before Thanksgiving. Remember how we used to pay the phone company by the minute? Thank the LORD for unlimited minutes on my cell phone!
- My dad made Digiorno frozen pizzas for us before we left KC. That saved us from buying dinner on the road for six adults!
- I had an echocardiogram done which insurance will pay for. Thank you God! The results were satisfactory to the doctor, but I need to pray for protection for my heart during Herceptin treatments.
- Insurance will pay for my Herceptin treatments, my blood tests, and my doctors' visits. Thank you LORD!
- We enjoyed beef stew brought to us for our freezer after surgery. Thank you Dena!
- We ate an odds and ends dinner of leftovers instead of ordering pizza.
- My daughter hosted an ice cream social for some friends. We provided peanuts, sprinkles, and ice cream. Her friends brought the other toppings.
- I met a friend at a local coffee shop. She kindly bought my cocoa. Thanks Beth!
Y'all have been so patient with me through this health trial.
Thank you very much!
God bless you all!
That's my thrifty week.
What are you doing in your home this week?
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ღLauraღ
...doing what I can with what I've got
where I am on a short shoestring budget!
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Have you started listening to Christmas music yet?
Last year, I reviewed ADORE by Chris Tomlin.
It's become a favorite. I worship with it year round.
Bonus!
It's currently available on YouTube
uploaded by Chris Tomlin. It's on my playlist.
It's in my car. It's on my computer. It's everywhere I listen to music!
Here you go! Take a listen!
I think you'll find it worth buying!
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Looks like a good week! And I agree with you about the ornaments... saving your energy is priceless and Hallmark ornaments are priceless as the years go by. Blessings your way!
ReplyDeletelove Psalms 34:1-4 .. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is coming for sure.. I agree, enjoying the day to day little things, is what really counts.. What doesn't get done.. didn't really need to be done anyway. SMILE!!
So happy you got to go visit grandparents. Know this made their day.. My grandkids are still coming for holidays.. But , I know any day , this is going to end.. Such a heart breaking idea.. I know their will be times , when they have their own families.It will change. Praying for Grace and Understanding. smile.
Sounds like your doing a good job.. Take it easy.. ask for help..[wish I was next door...I would so love to help you.]
Have a great day.
Happy Dance! So happy to come here and see your post this morning! We had three of our five kids and their families here for Thanksgiving and it was such a blessing. Our daughter's family arrived in Germany safe and with all their 12 huge pieces of luggage too. They are settling in and she is sending pictures daily by Facebook messenger. It comforts me to see things that were in their home here in their apartment there. They are working on getting the kids into kindergarten so that they can go to language school. Our two older boys, 29 and 37, decided to burn a debris pile in the back of our property and managed to set a huge oak tree on fire. Thankfully they got it put out before we had to call the fire department. Boys will be boys!
ReplyDeleteWe shopped around for new auto and home insurance and made a switch which will save us $300 yearly. Thanksgiving leftovers were frozen before we pushed them to the back of the fridge and forgot about them. We picked up some deals at the grocery store like 16 roll packs of TP for $3 and brown rice for 19 cents a pound. We are very well stocked on most things here so I am trying to be careful. I do so love to buy food at holiday time and it is easy to overdo it.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Dear Lana,
DeleteI am so glad things are going well for your daughter's family. I'm sure it must be a comfort to be able to see photos and see that they are safe. Your boys at home...not so much! But you're right. Boys WILL be boys. Mine like things that shoot, fire, and explode!
Great deals, too!
Happy weekend,
Laura
Sounds lovely and productive!
ReplyDeleteWe ate leftovers too!!!
And were so sad when they ere gone!
Take Christmas as slowly as you need...
And prayers continue!
Laura, this is a link to my Christmas song of the year. It blew me away with its purity and beauty.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUMDp-snTI
So glad you got to make the family trip. Sounds like a nice time.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is about Christ - gifts and get togethers can be done any time. Enjoy it together and for the season!
Sounds like you have been blessed with many wonderful friends in your life. Take care. Still praying for complete and thorough healing.
Continued blessings
ReplyDeleteGod bless you in your ongoing treatments. I'm so glad to hear of your successful surgery & recovery. Our God is an awesome God!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not in any real hurry getting ready for Christmas. I don't know who I think is going to do it!!
ReplyDeleteLaura, as I read your post all I could think of is that you and your family have been given the greatest gift this year, the gift of your life and being free now from cancer. I'm sure your family would agree that even if there are fewer material gifts this year, they have what they really wanted, wished and prayed for. I am glad you were able to spend time with family over Thanksgiving and that God has once again made a way financially for you and your medical treatments. Be blessed my dear friend!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, We have 3 large boxes sitting behind the couch - yes it's the Christmas decorations...and there they sit...as we have no children at home anymore I don't have the same excitement that I once did for decorating the house. We will do it, though, as its so pretty when we've made the effort and the little grandies will love it too. I think I'm a bit like Paula Kay's comment above, If I don't do it, it won't get done.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a lovely Thanksgiving !!! Blessings to you :)
We ate leftovers too...smiles. Keeping you in prayer, sweet friend. Oh, and we use Magic Jack, for $35 a year, we get unlimited incoming/outgoing via the computer. Its clear, no issues etc. Only, if the internet goes down, so does the phone, smiles. One of my favorite verses right now: 1 Peter 1:6.
ReplyDeleteBe Joyous, friend. smiles
Dear Linda,
DeleteBe joyous, yes. That's what I need to do. I had not thought of it as a joy as an action verb before. Well, that's not entirely accurate, but it just changed the way I think of joy. Sending you a hug, gently of course, and looking up 1 Peter 1:6. God bless you my friend.
Laura
Laura, you write the sweetest posts! I love that verse, and enjoyed reading about your thrifty week. You are amazing! and Yes, I've started listening to Christmas music. I never get tired of hearing it. Love, Henny
ReplyDeleteThey liked them. I was so pleased.
DeleteHave a great week.
Laura
I'm so late commenting -I'm so glad you were able to visit with your family. Sounds like a nice trip. It's always seems like a lot of work to put Christmas up so take it easy as much as you can. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteYes Laura, I do remember long distance-watching the clock and calling evenings and weekends for lower rates.
ReplyDeleteWay back in 1989 when my husband was in Okinawa, long distance calls were about $1 a minute. If you can remember how much lower wages were back then, those phone bills were a big ouch!
Reading your thrifty weeks brings back memories of younger days with three young children and a limited budget. You have so many wonderful angles in your life to be thankful for!
ReplyDeleteHello! I miss having young children. Mine are 16, 18, 20, all at home, and 26 on his own.
DeleteGod's been good. I'm glad I didn't have to fight this health battle when they were young.
I want to enjoy this phase even though I miss littles. My 20 and 26 year olds are decorating
Christmas cookies right now. It's something they are enjoying.
Be blessed!
Laura
Hello again dear friend! I am glad you were able to go visit family in K.C.. I sure miss seeing my dad this time of year. He would always bring his homemade salsas. I still have his recipes but it is not the same! Prayers always!
ReplyDeleteIt's the hardest time for missing loved ones. I want to focus on loving the ones who are still here better.
DeleteWell hello there!! It looks as though you had a good week. Yay!!
ReplyDeleteMy mom gets the boys a new ornament every year, so when they have their own families they will have special ornaments for their trees! Such a great tradition to have!
We finally got our tree up and decorated. I decorated a bit less this year as it seems we are very busy this month. Plus I don't want to dust all the decorations. Ha! ;)
I've been trying to eat from the freezer as we were blessed with an elk this hunting season. God provided and my hubby didn't miss!!
I'm so glad insurance is paying for your treatments. You are still on my prayer list!
Take care of yourself and enjoy this Christmas season!!
Hugs, Amy
Yes, Amy, that was the idea here, too. It's been a busy month for us, too. It seems they all are these days. I didn't decorate much.
DeleteWe received a bit of ground venison this year as a gift, but my son didn't get a deer himself.
I'm glad for your elk. Does it taste similar to deer?
Have a wonderful Christmas,
Laura
Hi Laura, I have just discovered your wonderful blog! Thank you so much. I am reading through it and presently enjoying that lovely song. Love and blessings, Wendy (NZ)
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Wendy! Happy Christmas season to you! I hope we will become blog friends.
DeleteLaura