Easter – Frugal Things Every Day

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar

There are so many Dollar Trees and Family Dollar stores closing across the U.S. I don’t know how many of you shop either place but I bet you have used them for some products at one time or another. Here is just one of the articles in the news:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dollar-tree-family-dollar-closing-list-locations-where-are-they/

You can find many more if you just google for information.

I panicked the other day when someone posted online that our Dollar Tree was one of the ones closing and that it was already permanently closed. However I knew that there was one in the next town south of us. I decided to check it out myself and not take someone else’s word for it. I had a return to drop off at our local Fed Ex place. Dollar Tree is in the same plaza.

I was relieved when I got there to find that it was not only open but jammed with people. So I picked up a few of the items that I regularly buy there. The lines were long but I was patient and chatted with the cashier whose line I usually go to. I asked her if that store was closing. She told me no that it is one of the highest earning stores in the U.S. However she did tell me that the prices would be going up soon to a maximum of $ 7.00. Here is just one of those articles:

https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/shopping/dollar-tree-increases-max-price-in-stores

Since prices will be going up soon, it would behoove people to stock up on some of the things that they regularly buy there to get a small stockpile of those items.

These are some of the things that I buy there almost all of the time: Scotties tissues, greeting cards, thank you cards, and blank cards, security envelopes, organizing baskets, deodorant, makeup, combs, Q-Tips, gift bags and wrapping paper, plastic forks, spoons, and knives, shelf stable milk, pasta, bags of frozen peppers and onions to make quick omelets, White Rain and VO5 shampoo and conditioner, Plackers, first aid gauze and tape, peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, sticky notes, blank notebooks, pencils, candy for the grandchildren, and reading glasses. Just recently I found out that they carry John Morrell smoked sausage. We used to have that in our grocery stores in Arizona and it was a good brand. So I bought a package to try it. It was just as good as I remember. So we now have a few packages on hand. I use it in red beans and rice but there are many other ways to use it.

If there are things that you buy there on a regular basis that I have not listed, would you please take the time to leave a comment and let us all know.

I will be taking a small amount of money from our savings to pick up a few of these things before the prices go up.

As a side note, we are having family for dinner on Easter Sunday. I will be cooking a leg of lamb that I bought on sale in January. We have a favorite recipe from the 1960’s that we use and love.

I want to wish all of you a Happy Easter. Enjoy your celebration.

I love Easter, not only because of the Resurrection but because I love having family and watching the grandchildren enjoy their Easter baskets. It also makes me believe that Spring may finally stick around. Unfortunately, my family in Eastern NY will not be able to come this year. So I have already sent my granddaughter’s gift.

However my son, DIL, and West will be joining us. I was going to cook a turkey dinner but Hubby wants leg of lamb. He loves Australian lamb and you can only find it on sale at this time of the year. Instead of paying $ 9.99 a lb, I found it on sale this week for $ 6.49 a lb. I bought 2 boneless legs of lamb. The semi- boneless are on sale for $1.00 less per lb. However, I felt that it was worth paying that $1.00 per lb to get boneless.

I purchased a 6.98 lb. one for Easter dinner. The other one which I will save in the freezer for a few months was 5.73 lbs. The larger one will feed 5 of us and give me leftovers for the week.

I have a special recipe that I will share with you on how I cook it. I have made this almost every Easter since we got married.

1 boneless leg of lamb( or you can use one with a bone)

Olive Oil

2 Tsps. Salt

3 Tsps. of Oregano

1 Tsp. Pepper

2 Minced Garlic Clove

2 cans of Beef Consomme

16. oz of Tomato Sauce

Brush the lamb with olive oil and put in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt, oregano and pepper. Add the garlic, consomme and tomato sauce to the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for about 2 and 1/2 hours at 325. I use a meat thermometer to tell me when it is done. We like it medium rare between 130 & 140. if you like it rare then roast it for less time or more for well done. Then thicken the stock for gravy.

This is so incredibly delicious that Hubby wants me to cook it today. But he is just going to have to wait until Easter.

I will serve this with rice with the gravy on top. We will also have broccoli and a tossed salad. I am hoping to make a bunny cake for West. I used to make one when my kids were little. So if I can find the recipe, West will get one.

I had a list when I grocery shopped this morning but I ended up buying more than what was on the list. I actually spent $143.97. When I see a good deal on meat that I didn’t have on my list, then I stock. Especially with beef prices going to rise quickly because of the floods.

So I purchased 2 Porterhouse Steaks at $ 5.99 a lb.
They will get grilled soon. I also saw Eye Round Roasts on sale at $4.69 a lb. so I got 2 (This price has already risen.) Top’s also had boneless chicken breasts at $ 1.69 a lb. But my inventory tells me that I have over 75 lbs. of chicken in the freezer. So I skipped it.

The rest of my order was some more Lay’s chips for Hubby to have with dip while watching the game tonight. I also got some very expensive Delicious Apples because Hubby wanted them to add them into his coleslaw mix. We were down to 2 SF Jello and I eat this for a dessert or snack sometimes so I got a bunch. I got mushrooms to go with the steak and a cucumber for salads.

I had $ 479.54 left in my grocery budget before today’s shop. I now have $ 335.57. I will not be doing shopping for quite a while unless I see a great meat deal.

I have never been one to know how much money I have in the grocery budget and go spend it all each month. I try to have money leftover to roll so that when I see meat deals like I did today, I can buy a few to put in my freezer and use at a later time. The one thing I hate is having to buy something at full price. So I try to avoid that although it has happened when I really need something for a recipe.

Today has been busy. Hubby spent some time with a pest control company representative deciding whether to hire them or not. They will set traps for the voles that are digging up our lawn, get rid of bee’s nests, and ants and any other pest that we get like spiders. I hate wolf spiders. The rep just came back and while he was gone we did some research. So we hired them for the season.

Because it snowed one more time since our last car wash, I used those coupons to get a free car wash again today. Now all of the salt should be off it until next winter. I also tanked the car up again getting $.60 off a gallon using supermarket points.

Have you planned for Easter yet? Feel free to leave a comment and share your plans with all of us.