Sunday, August 5, 2018

Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage #133

Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage!

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Dear Readers,

  The challenge to save money is never ending it seems. Sometimes we take a break, but the challenge just waits for us to embrace it again. As we approach school starting again, do any of you have any suggestions for keeping the back-to-school costs down for either homeschooling or traditional schooling families?

 God bless!
 Laura
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Here's how my family has been thrifty lately.



  • My new friend, Phyllis, is going to help me learn to make socks that fit. As it turned out, the cable was coming out of one of my needles. Just out of curiosity, I called Knit Picks. Kara, a real person, answered the phone after a couple rings! They no longer sell my wooden needles, but with only my name and address, she was able to confirm that I bought them directly from the company. She told me she'd replace them with the color I preferred! I chose the Majestic needles size 2 with a 32" cable. That's the same size I had before, but a gorgeous purple color. What a wonderful blessing! What a terrific warranty!  I told her what happened and that I couldn't remember when I bought them. She still replaced them. Thank you Knit Picks. Thank you Jesus! I'm not an affiliate, but after this, I'm thinking about it!


  • A couple of friends gave my Amy money so that she could go to church camp.  It changed her life. Thanks Sonya and Deborah!
  • Fried a little dry oatmeal in butter and added leftover pancake syrup and cinnamon. 
  • Poured a quart of almond milk in a jar for the fridge. Pushed air out of the carton, and put the rest in the freezer. We never go through a whole carton before it's questionable. ~smile~
  • Still using my second/second hand talk and text phone to save money. Yes, it was a hand-me-down from my son to my daughter to me!
  • My Amy was given a gift card. She decided to use it for a giveaway on her blog to help bring attention to the great need for ChildFund sponsors.

My Amy's giveaway ends 8/22/18.

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.

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God bless you all!
 Laura
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12 comments:

  1. Hello, I think you are right as soon as I get a bit over the budget we feel it! So it is always something I need to remind myself to do! Very thankful we are so blessed to have as much as we do!
    Hope you are getting stronger and enjoying the summer!
    hugs, Roxy

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  2. I love your thrifty posts. You are so much better at being frugal than I am! I need someone like you to coach me. :) I host these little girl craft parties at my home and I have been trying to use craft supplies I already have on hand, plus since I don't charge the girls, some of their moms have been providing the snacks. As for back to homeschool, sigh. My son takes expensive online classes which we love. I guess we save a little by not buying new clothing that he doesn't really need just because it's a new year, and only replenishing supplies we truly do need. I try to buy his text books used instead of new. Thankfully, his science teacher has decided to go textbook free this year so that's nice. And for one of his grammar books, we are reusing his big sister's book, even though she wrote a bit in it. She used pencil so I can erase her answers before he sees them. That saves us $30 right there. I hope you're feeling well. Happy August!

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  3. Just yesterday I was thinking how much I miss the back-to-school shopping that I was involved in over the years---first with my own kids and then with my little grandkids. Now the little ones live too far away for me to be part of it---and the older ones have outgrown school shopping with Nana. How life changes. Enjoy every moment of it and I hope you are feeling so much better- xo Diana

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  4. How awesome that the company is sending new knitting needles!

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  5. I never knew you could freeze almond milk,mine usually gets poured down the drain so will be trying that. How sweet of your daughter to give up her luxury so another child can have what it needs. Be Blessed friend!~Amy

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  6. The needles are beautiful and what a great company.

    My biggie is that I earned $100 in Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks in July. We have not been eating out much and had 60% of our July budget for that leftover. That leftover money goes into an envelope for a vacation or weekend getaway.

    Lots of projects got crossed off the to do list around here last week. No real money spent but lots of our own labor. We are trying very hard to keep our house ready to go on the market when God shows us where He would have us to move to a smaller house.

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  7. Love the needles, I would just sit and stare at them and not get anything done. Good on the blessings and savings.

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  8. I love your thrifty posts, Laura! They're so inspiring! I need to get around to doing one of my own again soon. As I've told you before, I never remember to write down my thrifty happenings, so, therefore, aren't good at keeping up with the posts. I will try to do better. I love the purple needles and, yes! Wow! What a great company!!! That's amazing! Thanks for always inspiring me! Love you, friend! <3

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  9. Laura, thank goodness for reliable companies and generous friends!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  10. Wow nice blog. New reader here. I love this series... looking forward to ereading more.

    Love those needles... so blessed. AND a new washer??? WOW

    My washer was also gifted to me. A friend of mine was given one when her daughter got a new one. The daughter in turn gave her old washer to her Mom, my friend. Then I got my friends old one. So it was already 3rd hand. That was back in 2006 or 07. Still running. Always on cold, full capacity. Love friends. ;)

    Used leftover pickle juice and made free watermelon rind pickles... So delicious. Who knew?

    Dehydrating surplus for the winter... mini mallows for hot chocolate, watermelon honeydew and cantaloupe, blackberry leaf tea and strawberry top tea, minced garlic etc

    20 dollar bag of peeled fresh garlic cloves... 1 quart jar dehydrated minced garlic, 1 qt jar garlic in oil, 1 qt jar garlic pickled. And a pint of roasted garlic.

    Canned coleslaw hamburger and bacon.

    Got 3 new Tshirts for the boy off the clearance rack for school.

    My hydroponic indoor farm has been producing many seedlings, basil, chives, savory, beet greens, mustard greens, tomato plants all from seed and I shared a brown tomato (kumato) with my neighbor... soon to gift a few more when they are big enough.

    Not really frugal but consolidating my spices to see what I have/need and ended up getting a large quart jar of leftover basic seasoning blend. And some empties to experiment with more flavored salts etc. ;)

    Thinking about making gummies, throat drops and yogurt bites with the dehydrater. Making new swiffer cloths. And rags. And more canning. Especially pectin... almost out. LOL

    Thats it for now. Love the site. I will try to read regularly. Pinning it so my followers can see it too. Namaste

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  11. I stopped buying things that I knew she would only do a few things and be done with it or duplicates. I bought paperbacks used or from half price whenever I could. I don't recommend too much on the internet, because it is distracting. It is hard to manage when they get older. Mine started college in high school, and is away this year now that she is old enough. Coupons for Hobby Lobby and Michaels and dollar store! Goodwill sometimes has craft stuff too, because people don't finish their projects (me). Buy gently used clothing on Etsy. My daughter does, and she is so stylish. Barter. You do something for someone and they do something for you.

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Your blog friend,
Laura Lane
5 Year Cancer Survivor