Frugal Things the Past Few Weeks

We have really been busy the past few weeks doing a number of frugal things now that summer is ending.

Hubby and my son finally hung the Shaker Style Cabinets in my laundry room. We got such a great deal on these. First we used about $138. in Home Depot gift cards towards the purchase price. I got these gift cards for 80% of the cost about 3 years ago. I hang on to cards until we need something. Then because of a delivery issue that was Home Depot’s fault, they credited us $ 127.01. So these large beautiful cupboards only cost us $ 180.30 including tax out of pocket for the both of them. I really needed the storage space for my laundry products and for some cleaning products that we keep handy. I had drawers under my old washer and dryer. But the new ones don’t have that function. We have hardware on order. I am on the hunt for liner for the shelves, then I can load them up with all the things and decorate the room.

Our tomatoes have been really producing. We have had enough to share. We still have many green ones on them and more blossoms. There have been lots dinners of BLT’s and grilled cheese and sliced tomato sandwiches. I may have to can some for sauce. They seem to be ripening all at once now. They have saved us a fortune over buying them. The cheapest that I have seen them here is $2.99 a lb. Plus mine are organic.

I received $ 6.54 in rebate money. On my last grocery order they substituted 2 $6.+ cans of meat with 2 $ 8.+ cans of meat for the $6. price. Score!

We got our electric and natural gas bill 2 weeks ago and it was only $8.00 more than last year. Considering we had company and it was a lot hotter this July and August, we were happy with that.

Hubby and my son are going to finish a project in the basement. We need large sheets of materials. My son built a trailer that he hauls behind his van so they will be able to fit what we need on it. That will save us the delivery charges. I am very excited to see this get finished.

My grandson came to visit for three days. My back has been giving me “fits” so my plan to take him bowling and to play miniature golf got postponed. Instead we spent an entire day from early morning until about 8PM in the evening playing “Ticket To Ride”. That is such a fun game.

He and Hubby watched “Ninja Warriors” on Friday night. My grandson belongs to a Ninja gym and competes so he was happy to watch this show.

I cooked things that he enjoys like chicken strips, homemade pizza, etc. for dinners. I also made sure that there was plenty of Hershey’s ice cream.

We were invited to our friend’s home a couple of weeks ago for a party. We did not go because there was going to be lots of people there and the Delta virus was spreading like crazy in this area. We wished we could have gone. This was two years in a row that we missed it because of the viruses. She had a second party this weekend and gave us a jar of her homemade pickle dip which is delicious. She also gave us a container of brisket, pulled pork, and stuffed jalapeno peppers all wrapped in bacon all slowly cooked in her smoker. All of the food is scrumptious and has and will make a total of 6 meals for us. She is such a good friend to think of us. We will pay her and her husband back by sending many homemade soups to them this Fall. They love my soups!

I purchased another 100 count roll of Forever Stamps before the price went up.

We changed the furnace filter and put our Green Gobbler liquid down the kitchen sink on the 1st. The filter gets changed when it is dirty but the liquid gets done the first of every month. I hate paying for Roto Rooter.

We have been mostly eating from our pantries. Very few items have been purchased the past few weeks. I only look at the loss leaders in the sale ads now. When we see something that is a great buy, we get a few. We also have made sure not to waste any food. Every morsel gets eaten.

Our 3 month water and sewer bill came and was $63.00 less than last year’s for the same period even though it was hotter weather. I believe the savings was because of all the rain we have had. Our sprinkler system senses when it is raining out and does not turn on.

Our landscape company, on their monthly maintenance visit, trimmed one of our larger trees so that the branches would no longer hit the roof especially when it is very windy. This is not something they have ever done for us before. We were happy because we were going to hire a tree guy to do it.

That is about all we have done except the usual that we do all of the time. What have you done frugally over the past few weeks?