Super Thrifty Ways To Lower My Spending

 

There are so many ways I have done things to lower my spending over the years and now it feels even more important that I continue to do these things.  The more I reduce, recycle and reuse items the better I feel overall about the impact I have on this planet and the reward for those actions it that I buy a whole lot less and thereby spend a whole lot less.

 

Reuse Bags 

Even though I shop with reusable shopping bags somehow I still end up acquiring plastic grocery bags.  That’s okay because I use them to line the mop bucket I keep under my kitchen sink to collect my trash.  They are the perfect size for this application and because I’m super mindful about waste and trash (most of my waste ends up composted or in the recycling bin for curbside pickup) I typically only need one bag a week.  Plastic produce bags are the perfect size to line my bathroom trash bins I keep in the cabinet under the sinks.  Ziploc bags of all sizes get washed, rinsed, dried and reused.  Only the ones that held meat or have worn out get disposed of.

 

Food Storage 

I use glass containers and mason jars to store my food whether it be pantry staples, home canned items or leftovers.  They last longer than plastic, clean up better and best of all they don’t leach any harmful toxins into my food.  I use glass juice bottles to hold filtered water or iced tea.  Snapple bottles are used whenever I make pancake syrup or vanilla extract.  Plastic water jugs or juice bottles get refilled with tap water and stored in the garage to use to flush toilets or wash hands in the event of an emergency.  I also take them camping or traveling.  The plastic juice bottles freeze well and can be used as ice in my cooler.  Whipped topping containers get saved and used to send home leftovers with guests.  I have a couple of them set aside to use as molds to make my suet cakes (rendered fat, scratch grains & meal worms) for the chickens.

 

Fat 

To maximize the longevity of oils I purchase at the store I use rendered fats like bacon grease, pork fat (lard), chicken fat (schmaltz) or beef fat (tallow) that I keep in a mason jar in the refrigerator and use that for cooking.  This is a byproduct that otherwise would be tossed out and I’m not willing to throw away perfectly good cooking fat when it can be used.  Instead I use my oils to make dressings, marinades and other applications where using my rendered fats isn’t appropriate.  Butter is used for breads, some baking and for vegetables.  I find however, that I use my rendered fats the most.

 

Soap 

Soap is an easy one to economize with as most liquid soaps, including shampoos and conditioners, are highly concentrated.  I am able to cut most of my liquid soaps, especially my shampoo and conditioner (using pump dispensers) as well as laundry detergent (save an empty detergent bottle, fill it half with liquid detergent and the rest with water, give it a good shake) easily in half by cutting it 50/50 with water.  I make my foaming hand soap solution by stirring in 1 to 2 Tbs of shower gel into a cup of warm water and refill my dispensers.  I use bar soap in the shower instead of shower gels and I use a small amount of shower gel to shave my legs with instead of purchasing shave gel.  With all of these various uses one bottle of shower gel typically will last me a year.  Two jugs of 50 load size laundry detergent lasts me over a year.  I put my concentrated dish soap in a pump dispenser and find one pump is plenty to wash a sink full of dishes.  I typically only refill the dispenser about twice a year so a refill size jug of dish soap lasts about two years or longer.

 

Cooking 

These days I find it is much easier to economize in the kitchen when I am cooking.  I typically make two or three meals per week for supper and it feeds me all week.  Leftovers are reheated in the microwave and eaten for suppers and lunches and I supplement with simple meals like eggs on toast, soup or a sandwich.  I try to be mindful of portion sizes and not cook more than I can eat in a reasonable time.  If I find I do overcook or that I’m getting tired of eating something I freeze it which comes in very handy when I’m feeling lazy after a busy day to pull something out and heat it up.  When I turn the oven on to bake I try to make a few things (like granola, a cake and cornbread, rolls, biscuits or bread) rather than just one so I only have to heat the oven once and mess up the kitchen once too.  It feels like a more efficient use of the oven and my time if I make a few things.  Then I can divide, wrap and freeze my baked goods in meal size portions for the freezer.  I don’t cook or bake nearly as much as I used to, but in this stage of my life I’m okay with that.

 

As a rule, I think we tend to way overuse most products and are often too quick to toss things into the trash.  That is simply wasteful and not a good use of our money or the time we spent earning that money or even the time spent purchasing that item.  By focusing on being a good steward and lessening my impact on this earth with better and more mindful practices I’m able to spend a lot less money and time because I need to purchase far fewer items.  By purchasing less stuff I feel much freer too.

 

My Passion Project - I'm Back Girls!

 

I know that dolls aren’t for everyone (weirdos), that’s completely okay, and I don’t care.  I happen to LOVE them.  Not all dolls, mind you, but there are certain ones that tug at my heart.  Those are the dolls I seek out to rehabilitate, redress, sell or add to my collection.  And admittedly, I haven’t done very much of that in the past ten years.  Thankfully for me, that has changed.

 

My assistant, she is less than helpful 😂

Throughout the years I have acquired many, many, many derelict (well played with and then neglected) dolls by various means.  Thrift stores, yard sales, antique shops, online auctions, you name it.  I’ve always been on the hunt.  My passion is the Crissy Family Dolls – Crissy, Velvet, Mia and friends and that is what has been occupying a fair bit of my time lately.  I’ve been making up for lost time by pulling out the derelict dolls I had accumulated shortly before allowing life in general to takeover and consume me.  Now that I am make ME a priority it is game on!

 

These girls arrive in various states of neglect and disrepair, ratty hair or really bad haircuts, filth and crime, including some mold and staining, not to mention previous owners attempts at cosmetology or tattooing.  Missing eyes or limbs.  Let’s not forget that awful dog that thought this doll would make a good chew toy.  No!  Bad doggie!  Some are downright scary.  But, once one of these dolls has been transformed and saved from the landfill it fills my heart with so much joy.

 

I made the ensemble for the doll on the left

Along with rehabilitating these girls I really enjoy sewing for them.  I’ve made many an outfit for my dolls over the years and as time has progressed I’ve created my own patterns and made them new outfits that are unique, one of a kind.  One of my favorite creations is a set of jogging pants with a hoodie as well as the button up the front camp shirt that pairs well with blue jeans and hiking boots.  I took a Cinnamon and gave her overalls and a back-to-school backpack filled with school supplies and a lunch.  She is stinking cute!

 

I made this choker & bracelet

Original shoes for these dolls are scarce and rather expensive when I do find them, but I do love the hunt for ones that available from other sites and will fit them.  I’ve managed to find and buy cowboy boots, hiking boots, snow boots, sandals and dress shoes.  My most favorite are the cutest little lace up sneakers.  I’m learning to make my own shoes as well.  Let’s just say, it’s a work in progress.

 

I have other dolls in my collection and an entirely different set of derelict dolls I plan to work my way toward.  As I do these transformations I’ll be giving updates and letting you know how I progress (whether you like it, or not).  In the meantime I’m just having fun and enjoying the process as I get back into the swing of things.

 

Vintage Cookery - Delicious Oatmeal Cookies

 

I’ve been making these cookies for years so I thought I’d share this recipe I copied out of one of my mom’s old cookbooks eons ago, tweaked it a bit to make my own and worked with it until it was perfect, and voila!

 

These are great as is or I will often spruce them up a bit with raisins, dried cranberries and/or chocolate chips.  At Christmas I like to add a teaspoon of cinnamon and some chopped apple. So good!  I hope you will give this recipe a try.  Enjoy!

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 218

 

Time flies when you are having fun!  And I am!  Now that I am in full retirement mode I am finding great pleasure in doing all of the things.  Even making my bed, doing the laundry and cleaning the refrigerator has a whole new feel to it these days.  Last Friday I did get myself busy in the kitchen and got some eggs, milk and cheese “processed” for the LTFS.  I whipped up the eggs in my mini blender and put those up in Ziploc bags and into the deep freezer as I anticipate a slow down this winter in backyard egg production.  I had extra milk nearing its date so I put some of that away in the freezer too.  Then I grated up and sliced two of the two pound blocks of cheese I had in the refrigerator.  The slices are for more immediate use and I was able to stash four packages of grated cheese in the freezer.  Then I got everything tidied up, reorganized and restocked.  It felt good to have that all done.

 

For easy meals and to continue working on my “squirrel stash” in the kitchen freezer I pulled out a readymade meal of pork stir fry with rice and some taco meat.  I used the taco meat for tacos and taco salads.  I also hardboiled some eggs for making deviled eggs and egg salad or to slice and add on top of a salad.  From the garage deep freezer I pulled a four count package of mild Italian sausages.   It was an easy and delicious week of meals.

 

My new property tax assessment from the county arrived in the mail and once again it has taken a giant leap.  What is the county trying to do?  Give me a heart attack?!  It has been an ongoing problem in this area that property taxes price retirees out of the homes they worked so hard for.  As it sits right now, between my homeowners insurance and property taxes, my monthly bill is now the same as my monthly mortgage payment was when I bought my home in 1995.  Disgraceful!

 

Over the weekend I worked on transforming my Subaru into my adventure mobile for the summer and fall which was super fun for me.  I also packed it with my clothing and camp gear so I am ready to jump in and take off at any given time.  Both the truck and the car got some preventive maintenance as well.

 

I harvested some rhubarb

Monday I went outside and worked in my garden adding some mulch around my plants to help hold the moisture in the soil.  I finally got the hosta replanted in its new home underneath the pear tree.  I’m so glad I pulled it up and potted it to winter over and then got it planted in a much better shady spot because it is doing better than ever.  After pulling up a big pile of weeds and the rosemary plant that sadly didn’t survive my attempt to transplant it, I got cleaned up and headed off to the Antique Mall just to wander around and see what they happened to have.

 

Tuesday I harvested and froze some rhubarb from my garden before going upstairs to start work rehabbing another doll after finishing up the one I had started over the weekend.  I’ve got dolls lined up all over the guest room at the moment.  Later that afternoon I treated myself to a milkshake from a neighborhood restaurant and then took it on a nice long walk through the hood.

 

I discovered a fabulous digital coupon deal on ice cream at Fred Meyer for $1.99 each up to five containers so Wednesday morning I headed off ahead of the heat and picked up five plus a twenty four count of cones.  Now I’m planning to have friends over for a little ice cream party and I’m sure there will be enough leftover to enjoy throughout the summer.  I used funds leftover in my Fun & Leisure budget to finance this little expenditure.  All for under $15!  Yay me!

 

Thursday was more of the same thing, puttering inside the house and outside too, plus more doll rehabilitation.  A little touch of sewing thrown in for good measure.  And that was that!  Another happy week in retirement!

 

No & Low Cost Summer Fun Ideas

 

When times were tough (meaning I didn't make that much money) I was always on the lookout for no and low cost ways for me and my family to have fun, especially when I was saving for something important like when I adopted my daughters or when I took my children to Disneyland.  During those times day trips and camping were low cost ways for us to go out and have fun, get away and still enjoy some vacation time without blowing the budget.  I would get tickets on Free Museum Day and we’d go to the old penitentiary or the historical museum.

 

Bike rides, picnics, hiking and nature paths, as well as going to the park and just playing on the swings were common things we did.  Our city offers self guided PDF brochures I can print off and use for walking tours through various parts of town.  I’m one of those weird history buffs who loves to visit old cemeteries.  Ghost towns and a packed picnic lunch were also on the list of fun things to do and there was always an old cemetery to visit.  Our city also offers free events like car shows, arts & crafts fairs, live music and tons of other types of entertainment.

 

With my friends we’ve enjoyed a handful of Happy Hours at area restaurants and bars.  This saves us quite a bit of money on food and drinks when we want to get together and go out to eat.  We are also taking turns hosting get-togethers at each other’s homes to cut costs further.  We still have a low budget movie theater too and “tightwad Tuesday” allows me to go to the movies for only $2.00.  I’m getting reacquainted with my DVD collection and searching for free streaming movie options.  Whenever we find a good one we let each other know.

 

With the price of fuel so high right now my luxury item this summer will definitely be gasoline.  Who would’ve thought that fueling our automobiles would be a luxury for many of us?  I want to still go camping and take some daytrips, but with the cost of fuel so high it adds to the price of each adventure considerably, even with a fuel efficient vehicle.  Needless to say the majority of my Fun & Leisure budget will be going toward supplementing my monthly fuel budget in order to make things happen.

 

Additionally, I plan to make and enjoy a lot more food from home and over the summer to cut down quite a bit on eating out, even Happy Hours.  If I decide to hit the town during the daytime I’ll most likely get an all day bus pass to go wherever I need to go.  Our bus system offers a $27 cash card for $20 and I can use that to buy my bus passes.  If I use the bus once a week to run around or do some errands that cash card would last me two and a half months and a lot of money on fuel as well as wear and tear on my vehicles.

 

So that is the plan anyway.  What are some of the things you’ve got planned for the summer?  How are you cutting costs on these activities?  Please share so we can all learn from each other and get new ideas.

 

I'm Just Doing My Own Thing

 

It has been two weeks now since I left my part time retirement job and I am settling into my new routine rather well.  Simply put, I do whatever I please and I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.  I’m just doing my own thing without reservation.  I don’t care what someone else might think and that includes myself.  I no longer have a set of rules I need to follow.  I have quieted that voice inside my head that insists I need to be productive and accomplish something every single day in order to “earn” my leisure time.  I literally told it to go pound sand.

 

I go to bed when I’m tired and get up when I’m not and I’ve been sleeping like a log.  The only thing that wakes me up these days is a hot flash and I’m able to go right back to sleep in record time.  I feel rested and if during the day I get sleepy Jack and I will take a cat nap together.  He is showing me how and he is a very good teacher.  You can learn a lot from a cat.

 

I’m allowing myself to watch TV and enjoy it whenever I please.  I’m reading, working my crossword puzzles, writing more and gently planning my future with no particular timelines or deadlines.  Sometimes I just sit in silence.  I’m enjoying my coffee, tea, ice water and really good food at a leisurely pace.  I’m in no rush.  To do anything.

 

Within the first twenty four hours I dove right back into a passion project I haven’t touched since I accepted that job.  I’m back to working on my vintage doll rehabilitation and I’ve been busy giving these lovely old dolls a second chance.  So far I’ve finished one that was in progress and completed two more dolls and when I’m ready I will list them for sale in my Etsy shop or on eBay.  Until then they can sit and smile at me while I continue to work on their pals.

 

I’ve puttered in the garden, played with the kitties and the chickens, played cards, visited with my friends, gone out to lunch, done the laundry, puttered about the house, trimmed my bangs, packed my car for a camping trip, gone, hiked, walked and ridden my bicycle.  I’ve checked the mail, paid the bills, updated my spreadsheets, made a grocery list, went to the grocery store and to Cash & Carry.  I’m moving right along - at a leisurely pace.

 

Never in my life have I left a job without giving notice.  I didn’t do that this time.  I’ve always carefully considered the impact my leaving might have, especially with regard to my fellow co-workers.  I definitely didn’t do that this time.  In fact, it was the worst possible timing with people on vacation, a sudden family emergency and my scheduled commitments to planned activities.  I did it anyway with no reservations.  I walked away.  For the first time in my life I put myself first.

 

I’m no longer allowing someone to be abusive to me and someone else to allow it to happen.  Instead, I chose to take care of ME.  My heart is light, my mind is clear and I feel nothing but pure relief.  I have absolutely no regrets.  Mentally and physically I feel strong.  I’m moving forward with renewed spirit and determination.  I’m doing things for myself only.  I’m just doing my own thing and I’m happy.

 

 

Does It Work? 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

 

To get more creative in battling the rise in grocery prices I am open to trying all kinds of different ways to make that happen.  There are a lot of people using a variety of strategies to keep their dollars in their pockets and still feed themselves and their families.  One of the ways I discovered is the 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 – 1 Method and it intrigued me.  Especially as it is a method that can be tailored specifically to my own needs so I came up with my own way to utilize this and I’m going to give it a solid try this month.

 

What I figured out rather quickly is that this method requires me to really think about what I truly need and how much quantity I should actually purchase.  As I am focused on mindful spending this year, I find this really helpful.  It makes sense  for me to try it this month, based on what I already have on hand, as follows:

 

The beauty is that I can rearrange this list however I choose to based on what I actually need.  One month I may need to purchase more dairy or pantry items, while I may not need as much starch or protein.  This month I actually do not need any protein so I may decide, if I need something else, to purchase two additional items from another category.  I can make the protein category into an “extra” instead.

 

I hope this makes some sense, but the overall goal is to get out of the grocery store by only purchasing a structured 15 category items.  Now, you can make the rules however you choose so if I say I am going to buy tomatoes I can get as many as I need, as that is a category.  Does that make sense?  So my list may look like this:

 

I still have room to add three more things to my list

Regardless of how well this works out, I do think it will be a fun way to change things up and hopefully, in the process I can save on my overall grocery spending.  I will let you know at the end of the month how well it turns out.  Feel free to try it out and let me know how it works for you too.