A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #145

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Hello dear reader,

  

  Contrary to last week, it does not feel like fall this past week. We've had a couple of nice days, but we can't turn off the ac for any length of time. It's supposed to be in the high eighties again this week. But, before we know it, we will miss warm days, so I'd better enjoy it while I can. Here are some of my thrifty acts lately.

• Ham and beans and cornbread from scratch is always a money saver. I bought one pack of ham hocks for about $5, and I put two of the four into the freezer for another meal. I figure the whole meal for six cost less than $5. That's pretty thrifty.

• Shopped at Aldi. That's the best way I know to save on groceries.

• A kind young barista at Starbucks gave a free cup of tea. Why? I don't know. I just accepted the blessing with a thank you.

• I used a $2 coupon on my salad at Moe's on knit night.

• I mended two dresses. They will last another season.

• I've decided that I will wait a bit longer to shop, because I've been losing weight with Trim Healthy Mama. I might as well buy a smaller size next time! So, maybe that's thrifty, too. I'm doing what I can with what I've got where I am. ~smile~  

• I received a free refill on my iced tea.

• The big deal this week is that I have cleared, with the help of my husband, a lot of real estate in the garage. I finally felt well enough and it cooled off enough to tackle it. We still have lots of boxes that I haven't unpacked and a lot of miscellaneous junk that shouldn't have been moved in the first place. So over the last two Mondays, we've filled our large trash can twice and now have a trunkful of things to deliver to the rescue mission. I estimate that we have cleared about fifteen square foot of clutter so far. You know how I count that. Yes! Real Estate Investment!

• My Lowell bought 80/20 ground beef at $1.99/lb from the butcher. Terrific sale. He bought ten pounds. They were frozen in one-pound packages. We also bought 2 pounds of sausage from the same butcher.

• I used one pound of beef to make spaghetti using a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, mad hatter peppers, fresh basil and oregano from the garden, some dried herbs, and jarred garlic. The family used the last of our spaghetti noodles, and I ate mine over some riced cauliflower to keep it Trim Healthy Mama friendly.

• I fried a sliced banana pepper from the garden, scrambled some eggs, and added the leftover spaghetti sauce on top. Sounds crazy I know, but it was delicious!

• Eggs and oatmeal stretched our budget.

• Someone gave my daughter a scholarship to the Christian college student retreat this weekend.

• Eating at home saves money. 

  Well this weekend, I'm going to get my husband to pull out my Fall tote. Maybe if I decorate, Fall will come. ~smile~ I'm hoping to try some new recipes this week. If I find some we really like, I'll share them. In the meantime, check out my Home Cooking. You'll find recipes for some of our favorite soups and other delicious dishes. 

  Be blessed and focus on the good God's put in your life.

  "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Laura
Redefining Laura

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