It's been several weeks. . .

since my last post. I offer my apologies. I am going through a difficult time right now -- something I have to do alone, and in my own head much of the time. This, combined with a schedule that leaves me chronically sleep-deprived, means that I have had little to say on the topic of frugal living, or anything else, for that matter. I hope you are not only well, but thriving!

About frugal living . . .

we continue to live somewhat frugally (big medical bills, but otherwise, we're keeping spending in check). The area in which I think our family does exceptionally well is discretionary spending. I am guessing that many of you excel in this area, too. Discretionary spending is an interesting topic for many of us. And it's interesting to the U.S. government, too. The Department of Labor and Statistics tracks information about consumer spending every year.

When it comes to spending, I define discretionary as non-essential and optional. I consider school costs, including required books and tuition, as non-discretionary. Here are the top 10 categories of discretionary spending that the US gov't tracks.

1) apparel products, related services of repair and cleaning (includes dry cleaning, storage and rental of clothing, jewelry and watch repair)

2) tobacco

3) entertainment equipment and services (includes sports equipment, hunting/fishing equipment, boats, and photography equipment)

4) alcoholic beverages, in home or out

5) fees and admissions (concerts, movies, live performances, sporting events)

6) vacations/leisure travel (includes lodging and travel expenses)

7) hobbies, books for leisure reading, toys, pets and veterinary care, backyard playground equipment 

8) television, radio, sound equipment and service, internet providers, computers and video games

9) gifts

10) food not consumed at home

So, for myself -- never spend in categories 2 or 4. In January, no spending in categories 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 9 (I don't count charitable gifts or tithing as category #9). We did pay the bill for #8, internet service (no cable or satellite TV), and 3 of us went out to lunch at Five Guys one Saturday, category #10. That's it -- aside from buying needed groceries, school supplies, and paying the non-discretionary bills (including tuition), our frivolous discretionary spending for the entire month of January consisted of internet service for the household and one lunch out. 

During this month, we also entertained guests once, at home, cooking from scratch. When out running errands/going to appointments, I have brought coffee made at home with me, or drank whatever freebies were available, and brought snacks or breakfast wrapped in a napkin to eat when hungry. I have made my own sweets, treats, and snacks from ingredients in the pantry. We watched movies on dvds or online, entertained myself with online sudoku and crossword puzzles, and leisure-traveled nowhere.  Fortunately, no birthdays this month for which to buy gifts. And I bought no clothing, jewelry, or hobby supplies. I'd say that 2018 is off to a good start. We can't really do anything about medical bills. One either needs medical care or they don't. Those bills are sinking us now; hopefully, in the near future, medical expenses will once again be next to nothing.

When I'm paying big, big bills, it sometimes helps to think of all of the ways that I am not spending.

The toppings and cocoa bar

So, those nice jars that I cleaned up last week. Here they are filled.

The kiosk where I saw something similar was selling funnel cakes or ice cream or something like that, which were topped with customer's choice from some nice jars. Those jars were filled with sprinkles, chopped nuts, granola, gummy candies, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. My thought in that moment was "wouldn't these be fun filled with sprinkles to add to toast, bread and butter, pbj's, waffles, yogurt, cocoa, or ice cream, just to fun-tize something which is otherwise sort of ordinary."

I had to take care to not buy anything that would just be eaten by the handful, so chocolate chips would not be an option, nor would granola (otherwise I would be refilling the jars daily). And I wanted to do this on a budget, so I scoured my kitchen (leftover candy canes anyone?), then went to WinCo for their bulk bin selection and low prices.

Besides the large jar in the center back filled with cocoa mix, this is what else I chose for the jars.

rainbow sprinkles

chopped peanuts

mini marshmallows

chocolate sprinkles

broken candy canes

flaked coconut

All set on a simple tray from my pantry. Now, who would like a piece of fairy bread?

Repurposed glass jars for something special

Do you ever see something in a store or at the mall that provides inspiration for your own interpretation of an item or set of items?

Over the holidays, my daughters and I spent a couple of mornings at our local mall, where I was struck with the appeal of some filled jars on a ledge of a kiosk. I won't give away what was in those jars just yet. Anyway, I thought "gee, I need to get me some of them neato jars." My two daughters were with me that morning and agreed that my idea would be awesome. Once home I found that I had 6 of these square Lemon Curd jars, which looked to be perfect for my little project.

The obstacle (as always with repurposed jars) is the labels, front and back and very well-adhered to the glass. However, these jars are square, which means the labeled sides would rest flatly in a shallow dish of rubbing alcohol. Just before heading out to run errands I placed 4 of the jars in a glass dish with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol. When I came home I used a metal scraper to remove the bulk of the label on the underside, and then flipped the jars over. After removing the paper part of the labels I continued to soak the jars for a little longer, until I could use a cloth to rub off any sticky residue. I ran the jars through the dishwasher and I now have 6 wonderful square jars for filling.

Come back on Monday to see what these are now filled with.

The rubbing alcohol is reusable. I put what was still in the dish into a glass jar to use another time.

Happy New Year!

Greetings, friends!

I woke up to this on Christmas morning!

It has been several weeks since I posted last. I wasn't ready to come back until this week. December was a bittersweet month. Some sadness, some joy. But January is here, and a new year of hope is upon us. Even without losing a friend or providing support for a family member's illness, December is always a difficult month for me. Life feels like it gets narrower in December. In contrast, January ushers in an openness and broad expanses of possibilities. And so, I am very grateful to be in the new year.

My January "Haul" 

This morning was Senior Discount Day for me. One daughter was home with me so the two of us did the shopping together. January's grocery shopping should be much more frugal than November's and December's. I took advantage of several coupons, stacked with discount on store-brand products, and spent $51.42. I'll also need to make 1 trip to Cash & Carry for a couple of items. Even so, I don't think I will spend more than $150.00 on food for the month. I spent a lot in December, so I hope to make up for some of the overspending in the early months of 2018. We're off to a great start! On the 1st, we went to Goodwill and I spent a grand total of 28cents (something for next Christmas), one daughter bought nothing, and the other bought a jacket (her money, not mine). And today, the daughter who came shopping with me treated me to lunch out. (We split a burger and fries at our local Shake 'N Go.)

I'm back to posting on my blog, but for the next few weeks, I will likely post just a few times per week. I hope that you had a lovely holiday and are primed for 2018. Happy new year!

A Hand-crafted Christmas Item

This is one of my favorite decor items that I have made. I did this many years ago and bring it out each Christmas. I followed something that I found in a magazine, so no credit to me for the idea. Anyway, The tree is embroidered using a chain stitch and zig zag stitch on my ordinary sewing machine. My machine came with about 4 or 5 different stitch possibilities, and I used these two.

I took a square of plain fabric and pieced together the border in blue around the square. Then I ironed on some interfacing to the backside to keep the fabric stiff for machine embroidery. Using a piece of chalk, I drew the outline for my primitive tree on the fabric, overlapping onto the border slightly.

With brown thread in the machine, I used a wide, but tight, zig zag stitch to create the trunk of the tree, periodically making the width of the stitch narrower as I ascended the trunk. Switching to forest green thread and changing the stitch to a chain stitch, I used both forward and reverse stitching to create primitive branches on the tree, and some needles along the trunk.

Once the tree was complete, I added a "pot" out of a square of print fabric that it attached with a tight zig zag stitch.

The ornaments and tree topper are buttons sewn to the plain fabric. I stitched on gold thread for the "hangers" for each ornament.

Finally, I made edge-piping out of red and white striped fabric on the diagonal, then sandwiched that in between the front and back of the pillow and stitched 7/8 of the way around, turned right side out, stuffed and hand-stitched the opening closed.

I share this idea because I think the primitive tree design, without ornaments, could be used to embellish a plain fabric for a table runner, napkins, or plain stockings for the holidays. It's simplicity is charming, IMO.

DIY mailing labels

Do you buy mailing labels? I'm guessing you don't either. I just make mine out of a 3X5 notecard (or similar-sized piece of paper), glue stick, and clear package tape.

I cover the back of a card with glue stick, attach to package, and address with a Sharpie.

Then I cover the whole thing with clear packing tape. The packing tape holds the card on, waterproofs the label, and seals the package shut.

DIY mailing labels have been working just fine for me -- never a hitch. Just sayin'.

Cheap & Cheerful for a Chilly Week

Saturday
turkey-vegetable soup
biscuits

Sunday
bean, rice and cheese burritos
peas

Monday
spaghetti and meatballs
peas
green beans
garlic bread

Tuesday
scrambled eggs
smashed potatoes
cole slaw
baked squash

Wednesday
lentil, sausage, and vegetable soup
Yorkshire pudding
applesauce

Thursday
fried rice with veggies, tofu, egg, and potstickers
canned pineapple slices


I hope everyone had a wonderful week. We've been trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Last Sunday we went to a concert of carols which was lovely. One daughter narrated. The rest of the week has been a bit harried and anxiety-provoking. Seeking help for a family member. Keep us in your prayers, if you can.

Have a terrific weekend!

Lentil Love

I spent a very long afternoon in a waiting room yesterday (for a family member, not me). Fortunately. they had free coffee and tea. I think I personally emptied their pot of decaf. I meant to grab a banana on my way out the door, but got side-tracked printing out a map. All I had to eat in my purse was a tiny candy cane and a few Tums. Not exactly gourmet dining. By the time we got home it was 4:30 and I had nothing made for dinner, or even partly made, and I was pretty hungry. Lentils to the rescue.

I worked as hard and fast as I could and managed to get a lentil, sausage, and vegetable soup plus Yorkshire pudding made by 5:45. I added some applesauce for everyone, and dinner was ready for the table.

So, what I love about lentils --

• they're fast, taking about 40 minutes, or so, to cook till tender
• they don't need pre-soaking
• they're high in fiber (and we know why that's important)
• they're packed with protein -- the Harvard School of Public Health ranked them above beef, chicken and fish for a protein source, to reduce the onset of major diseases
• they're a good source of folate and iron, two nutrients important for women's health 
• they're cheap 

I have another, similar appointment to attend on Friday. I think I'll plan ahead a little better.

Senior Shopping Day for December

A very full cart once again! I spent $95.66 on food. I combined coupons with sales, clearance, and discounts as much as I could. I even picked up a package of Lil Smokies for our tree-decorating party, the turkey bacon for Christmas day brunch and the ham for Christmas dinner. I think I did pretty well. We are now stocked on sugar and coffee, enough for about 6 months, and eggs enough to get through January. I'll make a stop at Cash and Carry later this week or next week and should be well-stocked for the month. I made one mistake. I thought the sale on peanut butter was good for natural as well as regular peanut butter. It wasn't. I don't want to return this for the regular stuff as one of my kids really prefers the natural style. I had a $9 off coupon for my total sale, so in my mind I'm just figuring that $9 covered the non-sale price on the peanut butter, bringing my cost per jar down to 44 cents.

Once again, the shopping exhausted me. Does anyone else feel on edge when they buy so much? As I was loading everything onto the conveyer belt to check out I felt uneasy about spending that much money in one go, and bringing home that much food. Now that it's home I'm glad to have it all, but the uneasiness of spending a lot at once is hard to take.

Five Fabulously Free Decorating Ideas for the Holidays

We'll be entertaining a couple of times over the holidays, so I'm in decor-mode right now. I thought I'd show you 5+ things that I did yesterday afternoon, without spending a single cent. You may have similar supplies at home. My decorating philosophy -- use what you have.

1) bowl of mini candy canes-- these are leftovers
that I had in the pantry, bought at Dollar Tree last year

2) cedar branches from our yard popped
into a vase for an evergreen "bouquet" table centerpiece

3) another bowl, but filled with tree ornaments--for the
living room coffee table, we'll put the tree in
a different room, but want decor for this room, too

4) a large bell tied to the door knob with a ribbon--this is
an auditory decor item, as well as visual

5) a red scarf as a table topper--this scarf is
from my own closet, something that I wear,
but due to its size and color it also makes a great table topper

bonus, I've shown this to you before, pillar candles wrapped in sheet music
 and tied with a red ribbon--I found the sheet music online
 and printed at home for the cost of ink and 1 sheet of paper

A Favorite Frugal Holiday Cookie

Our church's coffee hour servers work on a quarterly schedule. Once per quarter we each take a Sunday and prepare coffee, juice, and snacks or treats. My block comes up in December every year. Although this is a very busy month, I am always happy to work coffee hour in December. Making gingerbread men is a favorite holiday activity for me, even when I'm making them by myself.  Yesterday was my Sunday to serve. Saturday I baked the gingerbread men, then early Sunday morning I added the icing trim.

There are a lot of recipes for gingerbread cookies. Some recipes call for eggs, vanilla extract, and two to three times the amount of butter compared with the recipe that I follow. This recipe uses 1/4 cup of butter, no eggs, and no vanilla extract. As long as I have molasses in the pantry, I can always make these cookies. So, once again, I share this very frugal version of gingerbread men. Click here for the recipe.

Gingerbread men are a nostalgic holiday treat for many folks. My own grandmother was not the baking sort of grandma. Yet I still associate these cookies with a grandma's warm and fragrant kitchen on a cold December afternoon. I think several members of my church family must also have pleasant associations with them, as they were gobbled up quickly. Happy holiday baking!

Cheap & Cheerful Supers for the end of November

We did not roast a turkey for Thanksgiving, but chose to do a whole chicken instead. It was simpler and I had one in the freezer already. So our meals don't contain turkey leftovers! Scheduling-wise, celebrating on Saturday worked better for our family.

Saturday
cream of spinach soup
meatballs in thai peanut sauce
roast chicken
braised lamb shanks
macaroni and cheese
potato salad
dinner rolls
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
cranberry sauce
pumpkin pie
pumpkin cheesecake

Sunday
leftovers from the previous day

Monday
a mixture of leftovers combined into 1 casserole, plus leftover potato salad and mac and cheese

Tuesday
casserole of brown rice, lentils, chicken
random leftovers divided amongst us

Wednesday
chicken, rice, and pumpkin soup
cole slaw
fresh fruit

Thursday
corn and sausage souffle
oven-roasted sweet potatoes
broccoli


Today marks the beginning of the last month of the year. So much has happened in this past year. And there is so much left to do in this last month. One thing that has remained constant is home-prepared meals almost every day. I have enlisted help from other family members, and relied on more ready-made products. But in the end, we have delicious dinners on a very low budget. So I think we're doing well. I think that I'm happy with how the meals are turning out.

What was on your menu this past week? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

November 2017 grocery shopping journal

I have $221.68 going into the month for groceries, and a pretty empty refrigerator. November will be a very busy month for me, so I will need some easy to prepare foods. That will cost me.

Nov. 3. We need produce, cheese, and some easy to prepare supper foods. Cash & Carry is the spot for cheese at a good price, and they have okay prices on many other items I need. I bought 5-lb block of sharp cheddar (11.98 ), 5-lb bag of white rice (3.29 ), 5-lb bag of gala apples (4.15 ), 10-lb bag of small red potatoes (6.60), 17 bananas (49 cents/lb), 1 head cabbage (1.42 ), 1 large head of Romaine lettuce ($1.49), 4 #10 cans of diced tomatoes (2.40 ea ), 1 #10 can refried beans (5.98 ), 12-oz dried onions (3.77 ), 16-oz garlic granules (5.29 ), 5-lb bags of green peas, green beans, mixed vegetables (4.68 each), 4-lb bag of mixed Asian vegetables (5.88 ), 5-lb bag of beef meatballs (11.89 ), 5-lb bag of potstickers (10.58 ), quart of lemon juice (2.37 ), chicken soup base (3.17 ), 10-lb bag of carrots (4.07 ), 1-lb shredded Parmesan cheese (5.73 ), 3-lb block frozen spinach (3.08)

My daughters were both home when I drove in, and when they saw what I bought they were delighted. Lunches will be easy to make, again, and full of yummy items. Both daughters like having veggies and fruits to take for lunches. I forgot to get more tofu. I'll get that another time. If I'm going to buy prepared foods, like meatballs and potstickers, Cash & Carry is a good place to buy them. What I didn't buy at Cash & Carry was a 50-lb bag of sugar and a 35-lb box of cooking oil. I don't go through that stuff fast enough anymore. So I will be picking up smaller sizes of those items at Fred Meyer.

Spent - $117.50

Nov.7 Senior shopping day at Fred Meyer (10% discount on store-brand items and housewares)
I knew going in this might be expensive, and it was. I bought whole wheat saltines crackers, 2 boxes ($1.34/16-oz), natural peanut butter, 15-oz, 3 jars ($2.06 each), store-brand canned fried onions ($2.24--I normally don't buy these but make my own for green bean casserole, but someone else will make the casserole for me if I have the canned onions for them), 5 loaves of part whole wheat bread (80 cents each), bologna (90 cents), 2 packs cheap hot dogs (80 cents each), 1 package marked down Italian hot link sausages ($1.79), 1 turkey smoked sausage ($2.99), 5 lbs of summer squash marked down to $2 total (40 cents/lb), 2 packs tofu ($1.61 each), 4 cans of Campbell's mushroom soup (coupon + sale, 29 cents each), 2 cans c of chicken soup, (49 cents each), 11 lbs of raw almonds, year supply ($3.59/lb), 4 lbs assorted pasta shapes, (49 cents/lb), 2 large cans coffee, and 2 large cans decaf ($4.49 each), 64 oz soy milk ($2.51), 3 12-oz bags Seattle Best coffee (coupon and sale, $3.90 each), 10 half-gallons milk (89 cents each), 4 large jars applesauce, unsweetened, ($1.97 each), 4 cans green beans, 4 cans corn (44 cents each), 3 48-oz bottles canola oil ($1.79 each), 1 package whole wheat hot dog buns ($1.12), Uncle Ben's Spanish rice (freebie), 5 4-lb bags of sugar ($1.61 each), box of decaf tea bags ($2.24), 4 bags of marked down apples, 16 apples total, and about 2.25 lbs each bag ($1/bag, or about 45 cents/lb), 1 bag of 3 peppers ($1),  3 bananas (39 cents/lb), 1 chocolate cookie pie crust (80 cents). I bought a lot. So much that it didn't all fit in my trunk but I also loaded the back seat. I completely fill the grocery cart, and if there had been more room, I would have bought even more, I am convinced. We just needed a lot this time around.
Spent $149.13

Spent for the month, so far -- $266.63  That's a lot, but we are super well-stocked, now. I think we could get through a couple of months, if we had to.

Nov. 26. Sale on butter for today only at Fred Meyer, with downloadable coupon limit of 5. I buy 5 lbs for $1.99/lb. I also pick up 2 Friday freebies, a bag of Mother's Circus Animal cookies (will use for coffee hour at church on Sunday) and a package of Mentos candy. Total spent $9.95

Nov. 29. Low on fresh produce, so while out I stop at WinCo and buy 3 Fuji apples (98 cents/lb), 2/3 lb of broccoli crowns ($1.28/lb), 1  3/4 lbs red grapes ($1.78/lb), 1 bundle of celery (88 cents), 5 bananas (52 cents/lb), 1 cucumber (48 cents). Total spent $7.43

For the month, then, I spent $284.01, which is $62.33 over my budget for the month. I did buy a lot this month, so maybe I still have quite a lot in stock to carry me through a good chunk of December. we shall see.


What I bought:

Produce
17 lbs apples
25 bananas
10 lbs small red potatoes
1 head cabbage
1 head Romaine lettuce
4 #10 cans of diced tomatoes
12 oz dried onions
16 oz garlic granules
5 lbs green peas, frozen
5 lbs green beans, frozen
5 lbs mixed vegetables, frozen
4 lbs mixed Asian vegetables, frozen
3 lbs spinach, frozen
quart lemon juice
10 lbs carrots
5 lbs assorted summer squash
4 large jars unsweetened applesauce
4 cans green beans
4 cans cut corn
3 sweet peppers
2/3 lb fresh broccoli
1 cucumber
1  3/4 lbs grapes
1 bundle celery

Meat
5 lbs beef meatballs
5 lbs pork and veggie potstickers
1 package bologna
2 packs cheap hot dogs
1 package Italian hot sausages
1 large Polish sausage

Pantry
5 lbs white rice
1 #10 can of refried beans
chicken soup base
32 oz whole wheat saltines
3 small jars natural peanut butter
1 can fried onions
5 loaves whole wheat bread
1 package whole wheat hot dog buns
6 cans of cream soup for casseroles/meatballs and noodles
11 lbs raw almonds
4 lbs pasta
2 cans reg coffee
2 cans decaf coffee
3 bags better quality coffee
144 oz canola oil
1 package seasoned rice (freebie)
20 lbs sugar
1 box decaf tea
1 chocolate cookie pie crust
1 bag frosted animal cookies (freebie)
1 package Mentos candy (freebie)

Dairy
5 lbs sharp cheddar
1 lb shredded Parmesan
2 containers tofu
5 gallons milk
1/2 gallon soy milk
5 lbs butter

Pumpkin Cheesecake

We have a new holiday favorite in our house. I made a pumpkin pie, and my daughter made a pumpkin cheesecake. I'm afraid that the pie tasted rather ordinary in comparison to the cheesecake. I think we have a new holiday dessert.  This was a New York-style cheesecake, tall, dense, and very decadent. A nine-inch New York cheesecake makes about 16 servings, so this is also a great dessert for a large gathering. Sorry, no photos as we ate the whole thing!

Cheesecake tips --

• New York cheesecake recipes often call for a water bath. A water bath helps the cheesecake bake evenly, which minimizes cracking. Wrap the springform pan in foil before filling, then set in water bath for baking. The foil prevents water from seeping through to the cake when baking in a springform pan placed in water.
• If you bake until all but the very center 2 inches are firm, but center is still a tiny bit jiggly, the cake will continue setting as it cools. Shut off the oven, crack the door open, and allow the cheesecake to sit in the cooling oven for 30 minutes. The texture will even and it will be creamy throughout.
• To prevent lumps, use room temp cream cheese, not cold.
• Allow to cool before removing the springform ring. Run a knife all around, then undo the latch on the side of pan.
• Cheesecakes freeze well, if ungarnished. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp (70 degrees F) for 30 minutes before serving.
• Cream cheese goes on sale in November and December. You can freeze cream cheese, then use for baking cheesecake later in the year. For this cake, we used cream cheese that had been in the freezer for over a year. Still creamy and delicious.

Holiday table decor for free

from the front

overhead view

This is something that I try to do when setting the table for a holiday dinner. The "work" takes about 10 minutes for 6-8 places at the table, it costs absolutely nothing, it adds decor to the table which frees me from having to do much else for appearance, can be done ahead, it's fun to do, and it wows my family every time. My mom started me on this when I was a kid, so given a simple enough pattern, this is something that elementary school-aged and older kids could do to 1) keep them entertained while mom, dad, friends are busy in the kitchen, and 2) give them something to do to contribute to the holiday meal.

Holiday napkin folds

You can fold paper or cloth napkins. Paper holds creases better than cloth, but either work. I'll post a couple of these between now and New Year's. Some are easier than others. I think the most impressive napkin folds are the ones that stand up on their own. But there are some elaborate-looking ones that are super simple to do, as well.

This is the holiday fan. This one also resembles a turkey, so I made these for Thanksgiving dinner. It is basically an accordion-pleated napkin.

square napkin

fold in half

accordion pleat, about 1" pleats

leave about 3 inches unpleated

fold the pleated napkin in half, with the non-pleated section
 sandwiched in-between the pleated sections

fold the non-pleated section in half, on the diagonal

tuck the triangle of the non-pleated section into the
accordion pleats on the back side

Voila, 1 holiday fan (or turkey)

Hi there!

I hope you all had a great weekend! We celebrated a birthday last night at our house. I baked a cake and frosted it with cocoa buttercream frosting. I have to tell you about the cocoa powder that I used.

Has anyone here tried Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder? This was by far the best cocoa powder that I have ever used. Cook's Illustrated ranked it highly, recently.

This is not the regular Hershey's cocoa powder. It has a very intense chocolatey taste, and is very dark in color. I used less of this cocoa powder than I would normally use of Winco's baking cocoa or Trader Joe's cocoa powder, and the flavor was richer. I was very pleased. And do you know what? My daughter bought this cocoa powder for something she was making, and she said that it was on sale, at the same price as the regular Hershey's cocoa. I believe that, regularly, the Special Dark cocoa is more expensive than the regular stuff, but the sale price was a steal. I'm a fan.

Anyway, I'm finishing up a project, dealing with birthdays, holidays, and a bug. I'll be back to normal posting very soon. Have a wonderful day!