Cleaning Tip

I saw a tip recently that i tried.. rubbing alcohol works greats for cleaning mirrors even my flat screen tv screen.

January 2016

Goodness it's been awhile since I posted on here, life has just been so busy.  Since my last post in August 2015 we found the Lord and our life has taken a new direction.  We now go to church every Sunday which we love but it's taken even more of my time.

I am now working between 35 to 40 hours a week different hours most weeks so it's been a challenge that I have often failed with providing healthy home cooked meals, we have done a lot of fast fooding which is not healthy and definitely not frugal.

I tried getting back in to couponing getting the Sunday paper for the coupons, found that it wasn't paying for itself at $15 a month so we cancelled it last week and I just use the digital coupons put out by Krogers now.

Late summer I did a lot of canning from my garden which produced a bountiful of tomatoes.  I am looking forward to planting another garden this year.

In late August we traded in my truck for a new Honda Civic Hybrid which is saving us tons of money on gas cost.  I fill up once a month now instead of every 10 days or so.  A tank of gas will usually last that whole month unless we use my car for traveling to church which is about 100 miles round trip.

Our insurance cost went up this year another $35 a week Ugh! the government sure knows how to keep the middle class poor.  I am so thankful that I have a job to help defray these rising cost.

Today I am making a big pot of ham and bean soup which cost about $7 to make.  I found hams on sale last week $3 for one and $4 for another.  I'll be cutting up the second one today and freezing it for later meals.

I'll try to get back on here more often.. I am still being frugal just forget to put it on here.

God Bless All My Frugal Friends.

Anna

Peaches

Today I am blanching 50 peaches.  Aldi's had them on sale this week for 19 cents each.  Krogers had them last week for 89 cents a lb. so far I have made 9 pints of peach jam, blanching peaches this morning to make more jam tomorrow morning before heading out to do chores.

I will make more jam tomorrow and what is left will be made into canned peaches to enjoy this winter.  Peach peels will be cooked down and the juice will make popsicles with.

I figured out my cost including canning lids, sugar, peaches and pectin (jars are recyclable) $1.79 per pint of jam.  That's darn good savings.

Anna

Product Review

Just bought these today..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Safe-Silicone-Ice-Pop-Makers-Popsicle-Molds-Freezer-Ice-Cream-Maker-Mold-/291517297171?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368


It says that the lids seal tightly.  You are to fill them with juice, pop, etc. and freeze.  I filled with peace juice that I made from skin peels, sugar and pectin and poured in the mold, turn upside down and the weight of the liquid popped that lid right off.  Bought at Family Dollar for $5 for a set of six.  No problem though.. I thought the design wasn't right so I just got out a sturdy thermal cup repoured and set them down inside the cup problem solved.  The brand I bought is Handy Gourmet.  It would have been better if they had designed it with a cup holder type thing and used the way I did but still it'll be a fun treat for us to use and I will buy more for my family for gifts.

I mentioned in a post last week that my sister's mil was getting rid of all her kitchenware items and my sister gave them to me yesterday.  I completely filled up my SUV so many wonderful wonderful items.. I can hardly bare to put them away for the yard sale.  A lot of rubbermaid, Corningware baking dishes, dishes which don't sell well here I gifted to my new next door neighbors who have just moved in and are struggling financially.. had him go through a few boxes I had on the porch for things they might be able to use.  Went over our monthly budget with a fine tooth comb today.. we are buying a (leasing) new car this weekend, test drove it today.  Honda Civic LX great gas milage.  I'll be trading in my 15 year old truck for the down payment which will reduce our monthly payments from $221 to $149.  I hate giving up old blue but she has seen better days and needs a lot of work done on her.. new brakes, new muffler, window won't roll but half way down then fingers crossed that it goes back up, transmission is showing signs it may give up the ghost, rusted out bumper.  It's 4Wheel Drive which I will miss.  The new car gets 32 mpg.  I did my research called our insurance company to make sure it didn't drastically change our rates up $10 a month.  I under budgeted my paycheck since some weeks rarely but some weeks I only work 18 hours instead of 24.  The upside is no more stress about unexpected repairs to the truck windshield wipers work weird too.. if you spray to clear the window off it won't turn off for over a half hour, they said about $300 or more to fix it.  Whew!

I found a lot of clearance meat at Krogers Friday 3 pork loins which I cooked all at one time on Sunday so lots of sandwich meat.  They were $4 or less for each one.  Got a pack of chicken leg quarters for less than $4 which I plan to cook tomorrow and freeze for later meals.  I'm thinking of deboning it after cooking.  Pack of center cut pork chops were also around $3.50 and may cook those tomorrow too and freeze.  I try to cook ahead when I have time so we have food ready to thaw and eat on days when I am working.

While at my sisters last weekend saw a nut tree on their property, found out yesterday it's a hickory nut tree so will be gleaning as much as I can of that and using those this winter (will freeze after cracking the nuts).  Another group said they are great for making substitute pecan pie and fudge with.  Also saw my sisters neighbor has a tree loaded with apples and she is going to ask if I can have them, so will take all I can and can them up.  With the added expense of a new car payment free is a good thing.  I am truly blessed that my sister has this wonderful property in the country with free produce for me that she is more than generous in giving me.


My nephew was gifted with a older crossbow.. this one looks like a rifle, very deadly.  My sisters friend who gave it to him took him to a indoor sporting range and taught him how to use it.  He also gave him a big target thing to shoot in so my sister and I spent yesterday afternoon with him learning how to use it too.  I am not a big fan of hunting but need to know the skill for survival.  My nephew and his father know how to process a deer or other game, nephew is 15 and in boy scouts.

I resubscribed to the Sunday paper this month to get coupons this weekend I found $8 of coupons that I can use so the newspaper is paying for itself and paying me to get it with the coupons.  It is $14.99 a month so I have to save at least that much to warrant getting it.  I was able to get a box of hair color last week for 50 cents after the coupon and in store sale.

Hope everyone enjoys my newsletter and happy frugal trails.

Anna

Dog Biscuits

Today I made Pumpkin dog biscuits using rice flour, canned pumpkin and eggs.  Not the most frugal but a little cheaper than buying it at the stores.  One of my dogs is allergic to corn and I have to buy fairly high priced Made In The USA biscuits $7.99 at Petco.  This recipe said it would make 75 biscuits but I only got 59 out of it.  I used a pizza wheel to cut them, maybe could have made them smaller but still 59 is at least cpl. weeks worth for my girls.  I'll allow to air dry at least 24 hours before putting them in a container.  I have made biscuits before and they got moisture in the container and molded.  I'll be watching that very carefully and may have to either freeze them or use the moisture packets I bought.

Price on this will go down in the fall when Pumpkin goes on sale.  I also thought about using fresh sweet potatoes cooked, mashed and added that would be cheaper too.

The main thing is the rice flour is a better healthier choice for my dog with allergies.

I may even think later about making homemade dog food adapting this recipe a little with meat pureed in it and vegetables and freezing it.  I would have to check with my Vet and perhaps get a vitamin supplement.

Anna

Frugal Target Practice

My nephew and I enjoy target shooting with BB guns.  I was picking up clay disc 8 pack $8.99 refill pack of 60 $10.99,  First set had the stakes you put in the ground, second pack is refills.  Anyways I was talking to a employee who suggested blowing up balloons and tying them to a frame of some sort he suggested making one out of pv pipe.  What a grand idea and one we will implement soon.  In the meantime though I bought water balloons, they didn't hold up well on the grass oddly enough but what did it was great fun watching them splash when we hit them with a bb.  Such fun times to share with my 15 year nephew.  Next up is bow and arrows.

Anna