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?

 

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?

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

Keep Moving

 

One of my goals this year is to do whatever I can to improve my overall health and wellbeing.  I am currently working on converting both my pantry and my long term food storage (LTFS) over to a REAL Food pantry situation.  Same thing with my deep freezer.  As I am moving forward in that endeavor I am trying to use up any prepackaged foods I still have with no intention of repurchasing those items.  When I make my grocery lists and do my shopping I’m being much more intentional and aware of the items I am buying.  I’m reading labels and really thinking about what I put in my cart.  Is it clean, healthy and of good quality?  What about the packaging, is it wasteful?  Is there something I can make myself to replace a particular item?

 

My activity level is another area I am steadily working to improve.  Riding the bus and walking to and from work as taken me to another level and added a new element of happiness to my every day.  Throwing in grocery shopping by walking and using the bus took it to an even higher level as I am able to really test my resourcefulness.  Surprisingly I am finding it a lot of fun to challenge myself in this way and the bonus is that I am able to engage with others a lot more.  I’ve had a lot of nice little visits with people as I’ve waited at my stop or I’m riding on the bus.  I find myself getting excited as I plan my days and routes with my work schedules.

 

I’ve always enjoyed walking, but when I can add a purpose to it I enjoy it even more.  I’ve often found myself getting bored with simply walking around my neighborhood even though I know the exercise is good for me.  By having tasks associated with it I find I get a lot more out of walking and it keeps me much more motivated.

 

Our emotional wellbeing is every bit as important as our physical wellbeing.  This is an important facet of my life that I work on every single day.  I pray.  A lot!  I write in my journal every day.  I touch base with my therapist every other month.  I practice the coping skills I’ve been taught.  I do not allow negativity into my life and I’m very rigid about this.  Life is far too short to put up with that kind of nonsense.  I recognize I have limited control, practically none, over the actions of others, but I have total control over myself and how I choose to handle various situations.

 

Most importantly I choose to be happy.  I seek joy.  I embrace simplicity.  I am a positive person.  I am content and grateful.  I care about others as well as our environment and I love animals.  I am taking care of myself.  I am kind, generous and faithful.  Every day I keep moving.