Monday, March 18, 2024

My Tireless Retirement – Week 102

 


After a nice relaxing weekend I hit the ground running once again.  Sunday I did go outside and clean out the chicken coop adding all the soiled pine bedding and manure to the compost bin.  I spread out a deep layer of fresh pine shavings inside the coop.  I also gave the hens the last of the mulched leaves I’d saved in a trash can for them to have this spring when it starts to get muddy in their pen area.  They got those mulched leaves all spread out and made it very nice for themselves.  They seemed to have a good time doing it too.

 


Last Monday I was up bright and early to pick up a 3# package of extra lean ground beef on sale at Fred Meyer.  I was waiting for a good sales price on ground beef so I could use it to make and can some chili con carne so I had added that item to my grocery wish list.  It worked out perfectly that it was on sale last week.

 


One of the feed stores I use is located next door to the strip mall area where Fred Meyer is located so I stopped there on the way home and picked up a new bale of Timothy hay for the bunny.  Timothy hay has leaped in price another $4 a bale since the last time I purchased it, but she is cute so I’ll keep feeding her (wink, wink).  She only goes through two bales of hay a year which makes her my least expensive pet to feed.  Nonetheless, the rising prices on hay, feed and cat food has dramatically affected this year’s pet budget.  I’ve had to double my pet budget this year.

 


Since I didn’t work or have any other plans for Thursday I made up that extra large batch of chili I was planning to make and got it all canned up.  By the time all was said and done I added XX pint jars of wholesome and nutritious, not to mention delicious, chili to my LTFS shelves.  Even better, I know exactly what is in that chili because I put it there.  REAL Food for the win!

 


While the chili was cooking in the slow cookers (I wanted the beans to par cook before I canned it) I manage to finally get outside and give the apple tree a much needed preliminary pruning.  I had two oversized limbs that needed to be removed, but every time I’ve scheduled myself to get that taken care of it was either snowing, raining or the wind was blowing like crazy.  I will still need to cut up those limbs and clean up my mess as time and weather allows, but it feels so good to finally be able to look outside my kitchen window without the constant reminder that I have a task still needing to be taken care of.

 


Ways I Saved $$: 

Other than the ground beef I purchased for the chili I canned last week all of the other ingredients I needed were already had on hand in my pantry and freezer.  I also had the canning supplies already on hand as well so no additional purchase were required to complete that project. 

I trimmed up and steamed some asparagus I had purchased a couple weeks ago and vacuum packaged it for the freezer.  This is the best time of year to buy and put away some asparagus as it is in season right now.  I reused vacuum bags I had used in previous years to seal other vegetables.  Additionally, I washed out another gallon size Ziploc bag as well as a sandwich size bag and reused them for freezer food storage.

 


Once again, I am happy to report there was no food wasted this week.  Any food scraps that didn’t go to the bunny or into the broth bag I keep in my kitchen freezer were given to the chickens. 

I rode the bus to work and back home all four days I was scheduled.  I only drove twice last week to run some errands.  I didn’t think it was very practical to try and bring home a bale of hay on the bus.

 


Things I Used Up: 

I finished up the bag of pine shavings I had in the garage when I cleaned the coop out.  I’ll need to replace it this summer so when I clean out the coop again and prepare it for winter next fall I’ll have some. 

When I did my canning project I used up quite a few things I had squirreled away in my deep freezer and pantry – homemade vegetable broth, some cans of tomato sauce, chopped and frozen peppers, the tail end of a bag of frozen red onion and a yellow onion that had been sitting in my fridge for a while, the last of a jar of jalapenos and a small can of green chiles.  I also polished off the last of the pinto beans I had in a half gallon food storage jar that I’d had in the pantry for some time as well as three packets of chili seasoning.  I do not plan to repurchase the chili seasoning, but instead plan to make my own from now on.

 


I finished up a half pint jar of homemade sweet relish using it in a small batch of deviled ham I made up for a couple sandwiches.  In the process I used up a can of deviled ham that was nearing its best buy date as well as the last few slices of a loaf of sourdough bread.

 


Meals I Prepared: 

It was another super easy week of meals for me last week which was very helpful with so much going on around here.  There was still some taco filling left from the week before so I began my meal plan last week with nachos using chips I made from corn tortillas I had in the refrigerator.  I pulled out two servings of minestrone soup as well as two servings of a macaroni & beef casserole with asparagus on the side from the freezer.  I used a can of deviled ham to make a couple of sandwiches with.  I made salads using lettuce, grape tomatoes and green olives and sprinkled sunflower seeds and a few crispy chow mein noodles on top.

 


It was definitely a busy and productive week for me and I’m very happy with all that I was able to accomplish.  With the weather warming up and the sun shining I am excited to be able to get outside and tackle a few projects outdoors.  How is your weather where you live?  Has spring finally begun to arrive?

 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Stretching My Food $$ - Servings & Portions

 


One of my strategies to keeping my grocery budget very low this year is by strategizing my meal plans in order to be able to make the most of the food I purchase and keep any food waste as minimal as possible.  A big part of that is to know how many servings are required and what an actual portion size is.

 


After becoming an empty nester I have discovered that it doesn’t take a lot of food to feed me delicious and healthy meals on a daily basis.  It has taken me a little bit to figure out how to properly manage that too.  Since I was a young child I’ve not been a big breakfast eater.  In fact, I much prefer to eat a brunch or lunch and then an evening meal, so just two meals a day.  Sometimes I’ll eat just one.  I’m also not a huge snacker so this makes meal preparations really easy for me.  I often find that if I make one large meal a day I can actually divide it up into two meals and I’m pretty much good to go.

 


When I cook I will typically make four servings.  I will consume one serving, put one away for a leftover meal that same week and freeze the other two to eat later on.  When I make my meal plans I focus on using up the items I already have before purchasing something new so I minimize any potential food waste.

 


Keeping my serving sizes in check not only helps me to maintain my budget but it also helps me maintain my health by not overeating.  Often I find a typical serving size may be too large for me so I will cut it down.  I find this especially true with carbohydrates like rice, pasta and bread.  I tend to eat much smaller amounts of those than the average person.

 


How do you manage portion sizes?  Do you, or have you ever, weighed or measured your food?  Do you find food waste to be a struggle at all?

 

Friday, March 15, 2024

My Garden Season Has Begun!

 


I know I’ve mention many times that I am not a terrific gardener, but I still want to keep trying.  I had some modest success last year with the new raised bed garden I put into my backyard last spring and I did learn a lot.  I knew I still needed to work on the soil quality and that I’d want to add more nutrients to the soil so all winter long I have dumped the bunny’s litter bin into the raised beds.  It has added a nice combination of manure, hay and wood pellets.  I plan to turn it all into the soil this month once the ground warms back up a bit.

 




As I’ve already shared I only have a $100 budget this year for my yard and garden.  I want to add another raised bed in the backyard to extend my gardening space so that along with some fruit tree spray I need to get is going to take up a fair bit of that budget.  In order to pull this off I’m going to have to be resourceful.

 



Part of that resourcefulness means using seeds this year instead of purchasing plants at the garden store like I did last year.  I was actually quite disappointed with those plants because I didn’t get a lot of yield from them.  The bell pepper plants never did get any fruit and didn’t get flowers until September.  I’m hopeful that the seeds I planted will make for better plants.

 


I wintered over a couple plants from last year
and they're coming back!

I had saved yogurt cups to make seed pots with, but I didn’t buy a lot of yogurt so I definitely didn’t have enough.  I supplemented with one package of peat pots.  I’m also trying something new this time around by using some plastic storage bins I had in the garage to make mini greenhouses.  That along with the grow lights I’d purchased a couple years ago seem to be working rather well so far.

 


I’ve planted bell pepper and tomato seeds as well as a nice variety of flowers.  My fingers are crossed that I can actually do well enough for them to make it into the ground in a couple of months.  I also have some seeds leftover from last year as well as new ones I purchased last fall to direct sow into the garden.  Now all I need is some warmer weather so I can get outside and dig in the dirt.

 


Have any of you started any seeds for your garden yet?  What are you planning to grow this year?

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

NO Bad Days

 


How can we go through life with no bad days?  Is it even possible?  Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control.  Sometimes awful things happen.  Is this idea even tangible?  I believe that it is.

 


In 2023 I made a choice and committed myself to having no bad days with no idea if it was even possible, but I was willing to try.  As of today, I’m still going strong.  The really neat thing about all of this is that the person I used to be is not the same person that I am now.  I’m a much better version of myself.

 


To say this goal has been life changing would be an understatement.  I am happier.  I am far more content.  I have a far brighter outlook on life in general.  I worry less.  I don’t suffer from the effects of stress.  I rarely experience anxiety and if I do it is mild and short lived.  Making decisions has become easier.  My mind is clearer.  I make better choices.  I feel better.

 


If we are open to seeing the good and focus less on the bad it is much easier to navigate our day.  Instead of focusing on what is wrong with a situation, I focus on what is right.  By developing new habits and new ways of looking at things our attitude will change.  Our perspective begins to change.  We start to see things differently.  We begin to feel differently too.

 


On the whole life can be overwhelming.  Sometimes it feels” too hard”.  I know.  I’ve been there, but not anymore.  Now, I take each day as it comes.  Just one day at a time.  Life doesn’t need to be taken on all at once.  By breaking it down into smaller pieces, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, life becomes more manageable.  By changing my attitude each day becomes better.  No bad days.

 

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

My Tireless Retirement – Week 101

 


Wow!  Holy cow!  I had a great week! March has definitely come in like a lion on all fronts.  We started off with very windy, stormy and snowy weather.  It continued to snow and blow pretty much all week, not spring like at all!  Nonetheless my week was still amazing!

 

I didn't let stormy skies keep me from my mission


Winco is located across the street from our courthouse


I think this is so cool!

One day last week, even though I had the day off and in spite of the weather, I hopped on the bus, went downtown and walked over to Winco to do my “big” grocery shopping.  I came home with a few things strategically placed in my backpack and the rest of it divided up between two shopping bags.  I even stopped along the way to admire the scenery and snap a few pictures.  I was super excited to score another pot roast on markdown for my upcoming canning project.  It was a doozie too, four and a half pounds!

 

I made it and I had a surprisingly great time! 😀

Not a bad haul!

This purchase alone made the trip worth it!

On New Year’s Day I treated myself to something I have wanted very much for a long, long time.  A ticket to Shen Yun!  Sunday the 3rd was the day and oh my gosh, it was wonderful.  Worth every penny and I absolutely loved it!  The performance was held during a snowstorm, of course, but I made it there with no problems.

 

I loved this show so much!!


I made the trip even more worth it by loading my glass recycling into the truck before I left and then on the way home I stopped at Albertson’s and dropped it off in the big collection bin they have in their parking lot.  Then I went inside and picked up my prescriptions at their pharmacy before going over to the seafood section and grabbing a pound of frozen and vacuum sealed salmon fillets that I got with a digital coupon for only $4.79.  Another score!

 

This movie is fabulous!

Tuesday I went to the cheap seat movie theater and saw The Boys In The Boat.  Oh my gosh, that is a great movie.  I heartily recommend it.  If you have the opportunity to go to Shen Yun I recommend that as well.

 

A new journal I made using a spiral notebook


I used some lace to make a pocket
on the inside cover

In between my work schedule, my social schedule and my housekeeping tasks I did get in some paper crafting and started making myself a new daily journal with a vintage sewing theme.  I may be using this one for my journal in 2025, I haven’t quite decided yet.  If I do this would definitely be the earliest I’ve made one in preparation of a new year.  Regardless, it has been a fun project to work on.

 

I got this for $4.79!

Ways I Saved $$: 

I made my trip to the Shen Yun performance really count by also combining it with a few errands – dropping off the glass recyclables, picked up my prescriptions and used a digital coupon to add a on pound package of salmon fillets to my deep freezer. 

I took advantage of the Tuesday $2 a seat special at the movie theater.  I did not buy any snacks or soda, I did sneak in a water bottle and a granola bar. 

My hair grows really fast so I trimmed my hair saving myself a bundle plus tip on a trip to the salon. 


My BFF hooked me up!

I decorated for Easter using only items I already had on hand. 

Gas prices leaped another 10¢ a gallon here, literally overnight.  I kept my driving to a minimum and combined errands as much as possible when I did drive someplace.  The rest of the week I used the bus.  I’ve even inspired my boss to start riding!  Yay!

I had no food waste last week.  In fact, I can’t think of anything that was wasted around here including my time.  That’s pretty awesome!

 


Meals I Prepared: 

At the beginning of my week I had one leftover meatloaf meal in the fridge, one serving of chili con carne leftover from the previous week, a can of clam chowder from the pantry, a container of  minestrone soup and one of beef barley soup from the freezer, two frozen servings of leftover pasta that I had made in February, four low carb dinner rolls that I buttered and toasted in my mini electric skillet, as well as two servings of taco filling in the freezer and some leftover corn tortillas in the fridge, plus I made fresh green salads as well as steamed asparagus to go along with all of those meals.  It was a delicious week and no additional cooking required.  Perfect for a very busy and full week.  Go me!

 


I hope everyone is doing well.  How has your week been?  Did you score any great deals at the grocery store?  Seen any good movies lately?  Is your weather as crazy as ours has been lately? 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Stretching My Non Food $$ - Soap

 

For a number of years now I’ve been stretching my various soaps in ways to extend the use of them.  Through trial and error I’ve been able to do a variety of things without affecting their overall performance.  I’m sure I’ve managed to save quite a bundle of money over the years, especially while raising my family.

 


Liquid soaps are easy to extend simply by adding water.  I’ve used a lot of different hair products in my lifetime and for me I find the inexpensive brands such as Suave, White Rain and VO5 to be every bit as good as the more expensive brands.  In fact, maybe better as I seem to not have a residue build up with the less expensive products.  Several years ago I discussed this with my hair stylist and she gave me some really good insight.  For one thing, most people use way too much hair product and use it way too often.  I had been having trouble myself with an irritated scalp and her suggestion was to wash my hair less often and to just simply rinse my hair with warm water in between shampoos to keep it fresh.  Once I started to do this my scalp was much happier and my hair was just as clean, shiny and healthy looking as ever, maybe even more so.

 


One day I noticed how thick the shampoo and conditioner I use is.  It was so thick that it was actually difficult to get out of the bottle at times.  I started using distilled water and watering it down bit by bit.  Not only did it come out of the bottles easier, but it lasted a whole lot longer without affecting how it worked at all.  I also used smaller amounts each time and again I had no problem lathering up my hair or conditioning it to help with tangles.  Now I always water down my shampoo and conditioner and use a pump bottle to dispense just the right amount I need to clean and condition my hair.


I turn one jug of laundry detergent

 

into two!  It's like magic! 😂


Similarly I do the same thing with liquid laundry detergent.  I still alternate between my homemade laundry detergent which I use most of the time and then occasionally I run a load using a commercial detergent.  For me it seems to make my homemade detergent more effective.  I think this is true of any soap or cleaners we use in our home.  I take an empty detergent jug and fill it halfway with liquid detergent and then the rest of the way with tap water, then give it a good shake.  I use the regular amount and my clothes are clean and bright.

 


When it comes to hand soap the biggest savings for me is to use foaming hand soap dispensers and refill them with my own solution.  I’ve been making it for years and years using shower gel I already have on hand (picked up for FREE with coupons from Bath & Body Works) and it works every bit as well as if I’d bought a brand new dispenser at the store.  I use a heaping tablespoon of shower gel stirred into a cup of warm tap water and it makes the perfect amount to refill one dispenser.  If I use regular shower gel I just mix two tablespoons into the cup of warm water to get the right consistency.  As someone who washes their hands a lot I have to have a good soap and this works really well.

 



Another thing I’ve been doing for years and years, I wash my dishes by hand almost all of the time so I use a concentrated version of liquid dish soap.  My brand of choice is Palmolive Ultra, but there a few others out there to choose from.  I buy it in the really big jug as it tends to typically be the best price, ounce per ounce, and refill a pump dispenser that sits at my kitchen sink.  I find that one pump of the soap is more than enough to wash up a small sink full of dishes.  For a larger load I’ll use two pumps.  It definitely takes a lot less soap to get your dishes squeaky clean than one might think.

 


I still use bar soap in the shower and whenever the soap is down to a sliver and is getting hard to handle I get out a new bar, get it nice and wet, get the sliver of remaining soap nice and wet and stick the two together.  It allows me to use up the last of the old bar without any waste and is much easier to handle in the shower.

 

A shot of my linen closet a few years ago when I got most of this
for $1 on sale and with coupons
Not likely to see those kind of deals anytime soon

Soap isn’t getting any cheaper, in fact quite the opposite.  In a nutshell, to save money, I use only the amount I truly need, I am mindful not to be wasteful and I look for ways to effectively extend the life of my products.  I’m sure there are a lot of other ways to save money on soaps and cleansers.  If you have a great idea that works well for you be sure to share it in the comments so we can all learn from each other.