I feel like I’m finally getting my frugal groove back. I still am doing some decidedly unfrugal things like using disposable dishes and such, still taking it easy with the household task that I hate most- dish washing- and am using disposable diapers for Anneliese… but am being pretty good about being frugal in all other ways. Including still exclusively cloth diapering Rose. Here’s what I did frugally this past week:
- I made homemade, flax based, vegan mayonnaise.
- I made chicken salad with homemade mayonnaise and leftover chicken.
- I made homemade almond milk.
- I used the leftover almond pulp and leftover quinoa to make chocolate chip cookies, which, thankfully, were a hit!
- I made homemade vegan cheese sauce using homemade almond milk.
- I used leftover boiled potatoes to make scalloped potatoes.
- I sewed to fix curtains for our bedroom.
- We reorganized and discovered books and clothes and tablecloths we’d forgotten about.
- I was going to get Rose’s ears pierced, then talked to someone on the bus who does it herself at a local shop for 10 dollars cheaper than the cheap place I was going to do it at, for the same quality, so will be doing it there instead.
- I made a lentil, rice, and veggie one pot meal for lunch.
- I used up veggies in my fridge, even the semi raunchy looking ones, before they spoiled.
- I gave away two kitchen items I no longer need, so that my friends can get things free.
- I got a free bottle from a friend who no longer needed it, to use for my breast pump.
- I started compiling a database of cheap stores in the area to share with a local frugal group, which other people can contribute to as well
- I made an order from AliExpress.com, which has cheap stuff with free or cheap international shipping. I ordered a self winding watch for myself, since watch batteries never last long on me whatsoever, kids watches and wallets for the boys that look decent quality but were still pretty cheap, a CZ “engagement ring” since I lost the diamond on my engagement ring a few years ago and wanted an engagement type ring but didn’t want to pay a lot- total cost for this one was less than 5 dollars, plus two credit card sized gadgets as presents for my husband, since I never got him a birthday present and am always looking for something nice for him. Other than my 11 dollar watch, everything else I bought cost between 1 and 5 dollars total.
- I melted down a few wax candles that I couldn’t use, to make a scented candle, in an empty can.
- I went shopping at a sale, stocked up on frugal produce, buying pretty much only what was cheapest, as well as cheap rice.
- I started on a cushion cover for our ripped la-z-boy cushion.
- I foraged some wild mustard (from my next door neighbor’s yard- don’t worry, I’m not hiking around).
- I set up buckwheat to cook overnight to make porridge so it would be ready first thing in the morning for breakfast.
- I made a Cuban lentil and rice dish for lunch.
- I made horseradish and beet sauce.
- I made homemade lice preventing hair detangler (this recipe, with rosemary tea and some vinegar in place of the water).
- Mike and the kids foraged rosemary.
- I repurposed leftover buckwheat porridge into cookies.
- I ordered lockable small spill proof small containers from ebay (from a seller with free international shipping) to use to send homemade yogurts and puddings, etc… for lunch for my kids, as well as smaller ones still for sending homemade condiments and dipping sauces.
- I repurposed leftover mashed potatoes into shepherd’s pie.
- I opened a giant can of peas that I got for dirt cheap at the scratch and dent store, used some to make a side dish, and used some more to stretch the ground turkey for the shepherd’s pie, then froze the rest to use at a later date.
- I repurposed leftover rice to make fried rice.
What did you do to save money this past week?
