So next week I am hoping things are back to normal and on track. Getting on with what I could this week was the only thing to do! It was a week of "do the next thing!"
Some of the ways I saved money and built up our nest were...
Andy used two days off the road to fix cracks in the walls and repairs. (In Adelaide wall cracking is an ongoing problem!)
I called into an op shop and found a stack of six gorgeous cut glass plates for $2. These are so lovely for serving just about anything! I also found a glass cake stand for $2. I was really pleased!
I filled up the car at $1.06 per litre.
I washed the "good" pillows. We have two feather pillows that are the favourites. I wash soak and wash them then they need tumble drying for several hours. This re fluffs them and they are like new. They smell fresh and feel better. They are the only thing that a really hot day will not dry.
I picked peaches. There is a tree in the lane that leans over and all the peaches fall to the ground. The birds just started on them so I took this as the signal that it's now or never. I picked 3 buckets full.
We have just started eating them fresh and they will be our fruit for the next week or more. In the evenings I slice them up and squeeze a little lemon juice over them and a sprinkle of sugar. In the morning this is the nicest breakfast!
Plus now I have peaches for peach pies, poached peaches and peach cake... all of which I can freeze to use during winter.
Knowing this I cleaned out my freezer in readiness. It always amazes me how much room is created in a clean out and re arrange.
Plus this resulted in an easy dinner with pasta sauce from the freezer that I used up. Domino effect...
I gave Lucy some of the peaches this afternoon and she was very pleased.
Brandy (The Prudent Homemaker) always talks about gleaning food. She takes every opportunity to collect fruit or whatever is available. I have always done this too. When I lived in the country every year we took a drive in March to a far off dirt road with the hugest apple tree. One of my friends also visited that tree every year. I would make a years worth of stewed apples and apple pies from that days fruit picking! We had a similar place to pick figs. Those days didn't just save money they were so much fun! Driving home with boxes of apples I would have a happy heart thinking of all I could make!
Lovely Colette sent me photos of a lemon and orange tree that overhang her yard and she is allowed to pick this fruit. Thank you Colette I loved seeing this! How wonderful and healthy does this fruit look!?
I also notice Colette has some vegies growing... lovely sunny backyard and garden. Very nice! (thank you so much Colette)
How did you build up your home and save money this week? I really hope it was a good week! Such a lot can happen in a seven days. I really want to feel like I am making up ground in the next seven!
Have a wonderful weekend! xxx
Annabel so sorry to hear you're our of pocket on the new van. But I guess it was going to happen anyway. You've had such a wonderfully productive week and I am drooling over those peaches and cut glass plates! My week has been productive in different ways. My 15 year old daughter and I have had lots of bonding time, and we're today in full swing baking and decorating mode for her birthday party tomorrow afternoon which has a Downton Abbey theme. Home made sausage rolls, home made caramels in waxy paper, a cake shaped like a Victoriana hand mirror and hairbrush (!) and salted caramel parfaits are all on the agenda, with ribbon sandwiches being a last minute task for tomorrow. Whilst that sounds like a lot and it sounds expensive, we've spent under $100 for 13 girls, including party favours of little hand mirrors which we've painted with pearl paint and embellished with resin cameos. They look gorgeous. It just goes to show what you can do with a bit of imagination. Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteMimi I am so in love with your ideas for the birthday party! I see you starting a massive trend. Even now my 20 something year old daughter would love this! It is such a stylish theme and I think all the girls will be in love with it.
DeleteAlso it is just elegant and classy. I cant wait to see this cake. Actually as many photos as possible.
Not having a teenage daughter anymore I think this theme would make a wonderful afternoon tea or other celebration. We all would love to be invited to something like this!
Honestly the whole idea is divine. I hope everything goes beautifully tomorrow! xxx
Fabulous ideas as always Mimi! xo
DeleteHi Annabel
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear the news about the van but hopefully things will improve this coming week. I love the thought of a fresh start and each Monday brings one. This week I went back to work and worked four days so soon I will have an income coming in again. One which I will be very grateful for. This past week I feathered my nest by
* I got two months free subscription to Quickflix and have been watching free movies and documentaries. I will cancel it when the free subscription runs out.
* I cooked all meals at home and took a packed lunch to work each day.
* I called into Woolworths on my way home for some fruit and they had 4 stuffed BBQ chickens going out for $6 each. I bought them and stripped the meat from the bones when I got home and froze it. Then I boiled up the carcases to make broth and froze it in cup fulls.
* I made bulk fried rice and froze it in serving sizes suitable for our family
* I bought ham reduced and froze it for pizza making
* I cleaned out the pantry
* I bought petrol for $1.02 per litre with a discount voucher
* I found some meat in the fridge which was past it's best and fed it to the dog for two meals saving me having to open him a new can of dog food for a day
* Found a gift in the "present box" for DD's friend for her birthday
I hope you all have a good week
That is a really good week Mel. You have reminded me to make fried rice. I love fried rice!
DeleteWow to getting petrol for that price! I thought I did well until today I saw $1.03, that is the cheapest Ive seen so far. Doesnt it make a difference!
I love it when I see marked down chickens or meat. Cooked chooks are so useful. So many possibilities!
I think taking lunch to work is a huge saver. Maybe healthier too. Well done! I am so pleased for you about being back at work! xxx
Those peaches sound lovely! We are in a peach growing area of the USA but it is winter here. I think there may still be some in my freezer though! I love them sliced on top of a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLana if I freeze some pies etc I will get to enjoy peaches in winter. We are at the opposite ends of the spectrum! I make peach cakes today and they freeze very well. Tomorrow I will do something else or they will ripen too fast for me!
DeleteSorry to hear about Andy's van. At least it is sorted and you can move on and look forward to next week.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great list this week Annabel. Those peaches look so good!
Unfortunately we cant get cheap fuel here yet, and that is so wrong...
My feathering this week;
~I organised all the bills into a folder, I have been trying different methods, but the folder method works best for me. Like the one from Simple Savings.
~I started to work on my organiser, putting in important dates etc. I am using it in conjunction with my homemaking folder.
~I started my bible study journal; I need to get my day started with God first and foremost.
~I started exercising again, with a daily walking distance of 3-4 kms.
~I continued on with my decluttering in the spare room.
~I made bread, bread rolls, and Naan bread instead of rushing to the shops to purchase items.
~I made biscuits
~I cooked from scratch all week
~Baked kale into chips
~Baked Zuchinni into chips
~Boiled the kettle in the morning and put hot water in thermos for the day. This cuts down time boiling the kettle.
~Picked rhubarb, grapes, cucumbers, capsicum, celery, kale, tiny tomatoes from the veggie garden.
~Exchanged eggs for some rockmelon and cucumbers from a friend
~Sold excess eggs
~Four no spend days
~Reading frugal blogs for inspiration.
~Line dried washing
~Saved water from pre dishes for pot plants
~I prepared vegetarian meals
~I washed all the bedding yesterday, love the smell of fresh linen.
Wishing you a lovely week,
xTania
That is a wonderful list Tania. No its not fair about the fuel price. Having lived in the country most of the time I know that frustration. At least if you have to come to the city you can fill up for a cheaper trip home.
DeleteYour garden is producing so much! Added the eggs to that it is fantastic.
I am happy about your planner! Getting all the dates etc into there is a good start. When I am home, like today, I treat my planner like your list... every time I take a break I write in todays page all the jobs Ive done. Today I have a really good list! It makes me feel like I am getting somewhere!
It is a nice day here but I know it will warm up next week. Im gardening while I can and planted the roses Mum gave me.
Thank you for your inspiring list. xxx
Hi Annabel. You could make peach jam if you have too many peaches. It's like having Summer on toast. Peach cobbler is a great and frugal dessert too.
ReplyDeleteDear Wendy,
DeleteI will try peach jam... I once made peach and pear and that was gorgeous (and pink) Jam makes nice little gifts too.
Today I made peach cake... tomorrow cobbler I think. Dont want to waste one so its an every day task until they are all used up! xx
Well it has been a week to "feather" my nest in the truest sense of the word! We welcomed our precious first grandchild into the world last night. She is adorable and we are completely besotted!
ReplyDeleteI also found cheaper fuel and filled up - not as cheap as you ladies have found it, but certainly cheap for us here in Northern Vic! I saved 14c per litre on the deal also and stocked up on Quilton TP. We had been buying 2 ply Aldi, but it seems to be not a good batch again and ends up better value using the 3 ply Quilton at the end of the day. :)
I also made a lot of other savings this week. I bought clearance clothing at great prices. One pair of pj (winter) pants with a pair of bedsocks was a grand total of $2 instead of $20!! I bought some babywear today also at half price. I will be hitting the op shops looking out for cute girly dresses as well now we know we have a girl. :) we were pretty certain it was a boy! (although she did not find out)
I continue to keep using up our freezer and pantry supplies and have not spent very much on groceries this week. I bought granny smith apples 1.2kg approx each tray for 99c each and also some capsicum marked down to 99c a tray as well at our local f & v shop.
Congratulations Kaye! You not only feathered your nest you expanded it! I am so happy for you. My turn next!
DeleteYou will have a lovely time finding gorgeous little dresses!
You would have to say that was a very big week! Now you have a new chapter in your life! Big hugs! xxx
My congratulations too Kaye , how exciting, so pleased for you and family., have fun buying those cute clothes :-) xx love IK
DeleteHI Annabel , pleased you could turn the van problem around, so to speak. Wow all those peaches, must be plenty of action at your place hehe.
DeleteWell done! Also to everyone else , a lot of busy bees here . My week gone has been more people busy.Catching up with my inlaws and 2 older friends. One came here , and she looked so lovely , I think she really enjoyed coming over. The other I visited , and we had a lovely catchup. Ladies where age is of no consequence in that we can talk and share ideas without judgement, just lovely. Little grandchildren visited on and off most days, dinners shared, and a fair bit of cleaning and tidying up after these little ones ;-)
Three gifts were wrapped with cards written, one posted , others waiting for timing before posting. Some wardrobe sorting into capsules , still continuing this week. And lots of planning and writing in my new diary planner.Gosh that is a job in itself for me, ( more detail ), and hopefully some more discipline.Have a good week ahead! Love Maria xx
Hi Maria, thank you! Soon I will be having the little visitors and my days will have changed!
DeleteI hope your diary/planner helps you as much as mine helps me. Today (Sunday) is planning day. It helps me be realistic about my week for one thing. I have two birthdays this week, Mums and Lucys!
Im still working on peaches... today I poached some to freeze.
Have a good week. I hope for my week that it is just back on track and onwards and upwards! I need to give my wardrobe some attention too.... xxx
Congratulations Kaye. Please pass on my best wishes to your daughter. How exciting, another girl in your family. xoxo
DeleteThanks Wendy! My husband is feeling rather outnumbered by all the females! :-)
DeleteThanks everyone for your kind wishes. IK, a big hello to you and thanks. xo I'm looking forward to being a doting grandmother!
DeleteDear Annabel, I'm truly sorry for your situation with the van. Here's to hoping all falls into place as you Andy need! The peaches are gorgeous! It appears in spite of your struggles you stayed with it and had a productive week. Thank you for sharing, and thanks to everyone who posts. Everyone is so encouraging and resourceful it just makes my day :)
ReplyDeleteIt really was a week of "do the next thing" here as well. I'm asking for prayers for my eldest daughter. She's 21, she's really struggling with some things and its been an unsettling few weeks now. Thanks to all who pray.
-I cooked from scratch
-Made a batch of stuffed peppers and froze some
-FINALLY got a new computer with a giftcard from Christmas 2013 (you read the year correct!) and cash. This is a huge relief, especially for my husband as he also keeps the home and business books
-Cleaned out laundry room from top to bottom including 9 cupboards and 3 drawers, it is ready to be painted :)
-Put together another box for the thrift store that 100% benefits the domestic violence shelter. This makes me soooooo happy
-Was blessed to meet my savings envelope goals for a third week in a row. Thank God.
-Added a little item to my gift stash
-Inventoried all toiletries/hygiene items to see where we need to build back up
-Got a free tube of toothpaste with a coupon, YAY!
-Read frugal blogs for inspiration, got a wonderful idea for gorgeous face washers from Wendy. I cannot wait to make these!
-Started a new bible study
-Meal planned for next week
-Planned a big cook and freeze day, wish me luck!
-Started decluttering master closet. Major hot spot. Bad stuff ladies....watch for my distress signal :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend/week!
I will pray for your daughter Colette. Worry over a child is the worst. I had worries at different times with the girls and they both came through it thank you God. So I understand the worry.
DeleteIt was great donating to the thrift store. Our unused things are worth good money and can really help charities, shelters and good causes. It helps us too. What a good result!
I am so glad you have found Wendy! Several people have commented that one of their biggest helps is to read frugal and encouraging blogs. I am the same. Wendy is one blogger that I read every week. It just helps. It gets our minds on the right things!
Good luck on your cook and freeze day! I love that. This is a big saver as realistically there are always days were cooking is going to be impossible.
Well done Colette. Thank you for sharing. Everyone is loving reading what others have been doing! xxx
Hi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful inspiration it is to read all the comments! Thank you for posting them. Mimi, your party sounds as though it will be beautiful!
Tania, I just went and had a look at your pantry on your blog....your list was so inspiring. You are blessed to have such a great space to manage your food supplies.
Kaye, a granddaughter! Is there any greater joy?
This week I cleaned out our two bedside tables, and the top of our wardrobe in the spare room. These jobs took three days, but it felt so nice to get everything pulled out and sorted.
Today my husband is fitting some shelves in the wardrobe where he can store his camera gear. He's really pleased to have the space to plan and fit out for his needs. I don't miss the things that I donated to the Op Shop. I'm loving just having what we need and enjoy in our home. Love Helenx
I need to do our bedside tables too. Mine is ridiculous, I accumulate so much so it is "handy" for me. Now yours is done I know you would be enjoying the improvement. Plus jobs like the shelves for the camera gear are really good. Its customising our homes to suit ourselves. This makes things work so much better.
DeleteHave a wonderful new week. I have big catching up aims this week! xxx