What Did You Do Frugal Today??

[Songberries]

Anna - you could probably just rinse the potatoes, then cook them, that will keep them from turning brown. You wouldn't really need the lemon juice, if you get the starch of of them.

I have a bunch of errands to run today, I hope I don't forget any! We just remembered to take out the garbage can, I'm glad I noticed before the garbage truck comes!

Carol

[OSI]

Emmalee-

Thanks for the tip on the sauce, signed up for it. I love to use that on Salmon Steaks.

This weekend: Bought a cornstick pan made out of iron, Made In The USA for $1.00. It had rust on it and I tried everything to get rid of it. Zud, CLR, and dh even used his dremel tool. I talked with our Quality Control Mgr. here at work and he told me something interesting. He said eating rust won't hurt you. rust is iron. He said the proverbial rusty nail, it's not the rust that hurts you but the organic materials on the nail, ex: dirt, grass, etc. that causes lock jaw. I didn't know that. He said to make a batch of cornbread, cook it and throw the cornbread away and then season the pan and it'll keep just fine.

As I mentioned in a previous post, it rained here in Ohio all weekend. I washed my clothes and hung up in the basement to dry since I couldn't use my outside clothesline It is still raining here.

Here's a tip I learned on here but put to another use. I mixed 1 capful of fabric softener to 32 oz. bottle of water (wrinkle releaser) and spray my oriental rugs with it and also my cloth furniture. The whole room smelled great and 2 days later, it still smells really "clean" in my front room


Songberries-

Thanks for that tip-ya know I think I did forget a step. I don't remember rinsing them, just patting them dry-oops!
Anna

[leasmom]

Dd said yesterday that this was the best birthday she ever had...and it was the one with the least amount of gifts and frills! Last year I took her to a horrible placed called Fun Adventures. I paid $75 for the rental deposit, $55 for the rest. That only included the plates, etc. and 1 pizza and 1 pitcher of Soda. So, of course this one family ended up eating up the 1 pizza, so I ordered 3 more. Then it was $25 for the tokens for the entire table. And the same family ended up using up all the tokens instead of the kids!!! On top of all that there wasn't hardly any games for the kids to play...it was mostly empty. Dd's gifts...I don't even remember what they were, they weren't very important apparently. But, I know they were kinda high. Then her pictures on top of that, around $100...it was ridiculous!!!

This year, her pictures came to $50. That's her own birthday pictures, plus two of her and her cousins together and one of her cousins by themselves. I am paying only $30 of it and my sister the rest when they come in 3 wks. So, that's pretty good!!!

I feel great that I did it a little wiser this time, because like my sister told me, It's not what they got that they remember, it's that you did something special for them that counts!!!

Today: I am going to go cancell the layaway I had for dd. I didn't know they had two walmarts here in Pueblo, so we had put up a layaway at the one that near the edge of town. So, I'm going to get my $8 back from it-LOL!!! It was for dd's birthday and since I already got her things and found other things like pants much cheaper at yard sales, I am cancelling it.

I have to take dd straight after school to her Sprited Kids group, so other than that, nothing today!

[jdd]

Well DH came back from his trip with about 60 pounds of Albacore!
Needless to say I have a lot of canning to do!
So being frugal, I got jars and lids for $5.49 a dozen at Win Co (They were 7.99 for the same at Wal Mart), so I got 4 dozen pint/widemouth jars. Also picked up a Turkey Fryer at Lowe's for $20! Were still need to get a propane bottle.
So I will be sterilizing jars and canning tonight. DH will get a propane bottle on his way home from work and we will get it all started tonight, and can outside while we cook dinner on the grill.
I have been told by a few reliable sources to can the fish outside.
Was told, if you do it once in the house you will never want to again!
So we will do some of it plain with a pinch of salt, some with jalepeno and a dash of oil and some asian with wasabi, a dash of sesame oil and ginger.
I'm looking forward to having fresh tuna for quite awhile!
We won't can all of it. Some will be steaked out for grilling and smoking.
Aside from that it will be laundry in cold and some dishes by hand.
Gotta get my youngest DS ready for the first day of school on Weds. So cleaning his room and getting his desk organized and stocked up with the supplies I bought through out the summer at the dollar store and Wal Mart. Also going through his play clothes, and getting rid of things he has outgrown or has just worn out!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!
Janet

[Songberries]

Anna - your welcome!

Janet - have fun with all that tuna, yumm!

Leasmom - being frugal for a birthday is not easy, and it sounds like you did a great job!!

Carol

[OSI]

Wow Janet-

That is alot of canning! Wish I could send you all the jars people keep giving me. I never say No because ya never know who may need them down the line. I don't can much anymore just jams and fruits but I keep all my equipment just in case. Seems like everybody is really getting on to the "frugal train" here lately, good job to all.


I should've mentioned last week. One of the ladies in our offices son's school does this program called "Script". they get local businesses to sign up. Ex: Lowes buy a gift certicate/card from the school for $25.00, Lowes gives the school 4% of the $25.00. I am buying my Christmas gifts (what little I have left to buy) and also my gasoline (Speedway) so the school benefits and it doesn't cost me a bunch of extra money. We use $25.00 worth of gas avg. weekly for our truck so I buy 2 cards every 2 weeks. I bought my sister and her family $20.00 gift certificates to Donatos in increments of $5.00 and will get her Blockbuster video cards sold in increments of $3.79. So instead of buying something they may not like, they can have dinner and movie for family night on us and the school makes a little money for their programs. You all might ask your PTO's about starting a program like this.

Anna

[tamip]

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!

Carol, just last week I ordered Not Just Beans and Tightwad Gazette (only the 1st volume so far). I also found Miserly Meals at a local bookstore. I'm hoping to get my order this week!! So, eventually I'll get Miserly Moms and the other two volumes of the Tightwad Gazette.

My boy's have eczema as well, and hubby is allergic to everything, so I'm sure this homemade detergent will be great. I was using Tide Free, and only a minimal scoop per load. So, I was spending 8.99 a month. Which, I don't think was too bad, I just felt I could do better.

I am very happy with the homemade detergent so far. I does take getting used to not seeing a suds, but, my clothes are getting clean. I can tell because I have two little boy's and I watch their clothes to see if certain spots get out- and they do!

Tami

[jdd]

Welcome Tami!!
Off topic, but where in Hollister?
I moved from there almost 3 years ago. I used to live right off of Union and HiWay 25!
Small world!
Janet

[tamip]

Hi Janet!

Wow- small world is right! No one ever knows where Hollister is- and you actually lived here? Cool.

We live a couple of blocks passed Albertson's (used to be Lucky's). Where do you live now?

Tami

[Songberries]

Tami - I'm glad you are going to be getting those books! You will love them, they're kind of inspiring! They make great refrence books too. I used a highlighter in mine, and post-it notes!

Carol