Don't you love it when you solve a problem and save money while doing so?

About 10 years ago, I picked up this floor mat for the door to the garage at Kohl's for basically free. I had a $10 off coupon (back when that was a thing) and the mat was $9.99. I had to buy one small clearance gift wrap bag to make the purchase $10 or over. I spent 25 cents on the gift wrap bag at the time. Anyway, we've now had this mat at our door to the garage for 10 years. It has served us very well.

Recently, however, the backside rubberized surface began to deteriorate, making the mat slide around on the vinyl floor. It's become something of a hazard for all of us. I've washed the backing, tried to brush off deteriorated bits, and air-dried to no avail. The mat still slipped around.

After some research to determine the best way to restore a non-slip surface, I decided on some Mohawk Rug Griper tape. I compared prices around the internet and found it at Target for less than other retailers (including Amazon). I added a roll ($7.69) to an order I was already placing. In the meantime, I cleaned both the floor and the back of the rug one more time.

When I opened the roll of Rug Gripper and peeled the backing off of a corner, I was really unsure if this would work. It didn't feel sticky enough to adhere to the rug back. I cut 3 strips and tried to apply them to the back side of the rug, as the instructions advised, only to have the tape keep peeling off. I finally just decided to place the tape onto the floor, matching up to where I had intended it to be on the rug. I pressed the rug down firmly, and just like that our slip-and-slide rug remained in one space no matter how I tried to walk, hop, skip, or jump on it.

Anyway, a "repaired" rug backing saved me the cost of buying a new door mat. It's unlikely that I'll get another $10 off coupon to a store that sells inexpensive floor mats or rugs. I could perhaps buy a second hand one at Value Village or Goodwill for $6 to $8. But those would also be older and would lose their non-slip backing at some point int time. It's more likely I would spend $20 or more for a new entry mat. So for $7.69 plus tax, my rug now stays in place again. And I have some rug gripper tape leftover to use on another rug at some point.

I am trying to solve a variety of household problems this month. This is so satisfying. They're all small problems, but very satisfying nonetheless.

Are there small household problems that you've been working on lately? What have you tried and what has worked?

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the First Full Week of January

Thursday's salad -- Citrus-Cabbage Slaw

Friday

• olive pizza (we ran out of pepperoni)
• steamed carrots
• roasted frozen broccoli cuts
• leftover Christmas cookies

Saturday

• leftover shredded beef (from New Year's Day) and potato hash
• pumpkin soufflé (made with pumpkin that I processed in November)
• frozen peas, microwaved
• fresh tomato wedges (a very mediocre tomato, very disappointing. What did I expect from a tomato in January?)

Sunday

• bean and cheese burritos in homemade tortillas, homemade salsa
• canned green beans
• Cole slaw

Monday

• spaghetti casserole
• steamed frozen cauliflower
• fig-applesauce

Tuesday

snacky dinner  -- Epiphany

We take our tree down on Epiphany every year. But before we do, we have a snacky sort of dinner in the living room next to the tree.

deviled eggs, crackers, sliced cheese, sliced chicken, dried fruit, tangerines, pickles, celery sticks, green pepper strips, gold foil wrapped chocolates -- I looked through the pantry, fridge, and freezer for odds and ends, and this is what I came up with.

Wednesday (my easy night. Tuna melts are an easy and somewhat hot meal. I try to do one easy night a week.)

• tuna-avocado melts (on fresh home-baked ww bread)
• smashed purple potatoes with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, butter
• frozen mixed vegetables, steamed
• apple wedges

Thursday

• beef and vegetable stir fry, with frozen broccoli cuts plus fresh mushrooms, celery, and carrots. (Before slicing the beef, I trimmed the fat off of it then diced and rendered the fat to save for cooking fat later.) 
• brown rice
• citrus cabbage slaw -- shredded cabbage, thin-sliced celery, chopped orange segments, sesame oil, soy sauce, chive blossom vinegar, ground ginger, crunchy chow mein noodles
• gingered pears (these are the Asian pears from my neighbor that we chopped and froze in late September. We still have a lot of frozen fruit to use this winter and hopefully into early spring.) 

Thursday's salad is a winter staple in our house. It's inexpensive, seasonal, and easy, but it's also very flexible. I shred or finely chop cabbage, slice a stalk of celery thin, and segment 1 orange then cut each segment into bites. The dressing is a mixture of toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and vinegar to taste. Just before serving I toss with either chow mein noodles, sesame snack sticks, or sliced almonds. To turn this into a main dish salad, I add some diced cooked chicken. If what I have is tangerines and not oranges, I use two small tangerines. This salad also works with canned mandarin oranges. It's a delicious salad and a nice alternative to traditional Cole slaw.

I don't do a full menu plan a week in advance. Instead, I plan two to three days of dinners as the week progresses. I look over the previous few days and see what foods we should add in for the next two or three. It helps me round out the nutritional value of our meals across the week without having to sit down and plan for all seven days at a time. 

What was on your menu this past week? Do you plan meals as you go, a week at a time, or a few days at a time? What has worked best for you and your situation?