Sunday, April 14, 2019

Frugal Happenings 4/14

Good morning to all.  Happy Palm Sunday to those who celebrate the Easter season.
It is a very windy, wet, gloomy and chilly day here.
This week we got to over 80* one day and had much lovely weather.  Tonight they are calling for flurries!!!  Old Mother Nature just can't decide!
It seems my allergies are going absolutely crazy!

The grass is green, the trees are leafing!  Tulips blooming, and the peonies have grown in leaps and bounds this week.  In one day - they popped up at least 8".  I swear we could have watched them grow.


This week we had that nightmare (that we all fear) happen.  I was out in the garage getting the mower ready and thought I would get something out of the freezer to thaw for dinner.  No problem - IT WAS ALL THAWED!!!  AS IN ALL BAD!  A GFI on the outlet had popped, thus turning off power to that outlet.  It could have been much worse.   I don't have to replace the freezer and that freezer didn't have the bulk of food in it.
It was just starting to get stinky!!!!  I got everything out and in the trash just 20 minutes before the trash truck came to pick up.  (I used my bin and the neighbors).  I was so thankful I didn't find it later - as all that meat would have set outside for a week smelling!
I lost a couple small turkeys, a ham, lots of shrimp and fish and some chicken.
I calculated what I paid - approximately $220 for all - regular price would have been about $400.
Our insurance will NOT cover any of it.  That sucks!
Lesson learned - check the freezer every couple days. (We are getting a new GFI outlet as well).

My frugal week:
  • Did a bunch of yard work.  Got the front flower beds all clean.  Raked all those gazillion sticks out of the yard.  Mowed the yard (the saga begins) - the front got done twice!
  • Got one rain barrel set up
  • Picked a lovely bouquet of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths
  • Got to air the house bunches this week.
  • Rarely had the heat on
  • Got the freezer all cleaned and ready for new purchases (what a smelly job)
  • Cooked a really small pork roast in crockpot
  • Cleaned all the window jambs this week (that part between inside and outside windows).  They sure got dusty and dirty over the winter
  • This was a good grocery deal week.  I got lots of goodies for continuing to stock up.
  • ALDI - had butt ham portions on for .65/lb.  I got 2 - each was $5 and some change.  (we prefer butt over shank).     8 oz. cheese blocks were 1.49 each.  Got a few to add to our cheese supply (we love cheese).  Cream cheese was .69/8 oz.  I added several of them as well.  Butter 1.99/lb.  (6) YAY!
  • KROGER - 18 count eggs/.99 (I got 2).  Fresh potatoes 10lb./1.99.  Maxwell House coffee - 3.99. (3)  Pasta - .49/lb. (6).  Green beans - .49/can (6).  Found a 1 pound bag of chopped walnuts for 2.49 (in the freezer now).  I also found a marked down rump roast (4 lbs.) for $9 - regular price $18 (Easter dinner). Fresh  asparagus - .99/lb. (3 lb.)
  • Did all the normal stuff and used all leftovers
Meals this past week:
Homemade pizza bites/rounds -  (made with older slider buns)
Taco salad
Cold sandwiches and chips (the day of freezer clean-out TIRED)
Goulash (added leftover taco meat as well)
BBQ non-breaded chicken tenders and salad
Pork roast, smashed potatoes and steamed asparagus
Pork/rice/cheese enchiladas (sort of)
 
Added filling and just folded over soft taco shells - covered w/sauce & cheese (EASY)

So there you have it.  Getting ready for spring/summer, cleaning (whether I wanted to or not), and bargain shopping.  That pretty much sums up my week.

What did you do this week?  Any deals?  Getting any yard work done?

May you all have a blessed and wonderful week.  Stay healthy and safe and frugal my friends.
Have a wonderful Holy week.
Blessings from our humble home to yours.


25 comments:

  1. Oh I am so sorry about your freezer. All that food and money wasted. :( Glad you were able to get it in the trash quickly.
    I have been wanting my husband to fix/design some sort of alarm on a thermometer that goes off when the freezer temp gets too low.
    Hope you have a blessed week.

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    1. Thanks Kathy. It could have been worse - so there is that!
      I now have a night light in the other plug in in the outlet to let me know there is power - We are getting a lighted GFI switch.
      They do make alarms to let you know if temps drop.
      Have a great week.

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  2. Definitely a nightmare! I would sit and cry. We're in our 'eat it down' period for our freezer. Tornado season and we have no generator. It's a good time to empty it and defrost/clean it. It should give me some extra cash to stock up the stock! We do keep 4 gallons of ice in there, just in case. That's 4 milk jugs filled with water.

    I got some stuff off my list that have been there far too long. I went through my spring decor and gave several things away.

    My husband had a lot of his meals at church this week as he was a catechist so that saved us a little and I ate from the freezer.
    Meals were: (that grinding noise is my brain lol!)
    Mexican pizza pie
    Chili dogs
    Spaghetti
    Fried egg sandwiches
    Freezer meals were pulled pork, taco soup, and Mac n cheese

    Not a very exciting or healthy week, but we didn't starve. I threw handfuls of fresh spinach in here and there!

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    1. Some of the things I lost were getting old as well - maybe God was telling me it needed cleaned out! I did cry a little - then surprisingly I got myself together and just took care of it calmly.

      Your meals sound good to me!
      I figure if we eat - and eat what we want - no matter about exciting. Not always healthy - but some weeks that is the way it goes!
      Have a good week.

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  3. Oh no ...I'm so sorry about your freezer Cheryl. I'm glad that you found it before it became too much to handle.
    You are a little ahead of us in weather for the Spring. I can't wait for the tulips and daffodils to bloom. We've had crocus's bloom but nothing else. Spring is so beautiful isn't it!
    Have a great week.

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    1. Oh yes, it could have been so much worse. A couple more warm days would have been horrible smelly!
      I love spring. Love seeing everything come back to life.
      Have a good one.

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  4. Oh what a mess, but so happy you found it before it got really bad and were able to get it picked up right away. Our weather here is so cold and rainy and it is hard to stay cheerful, we need the sun.

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    1. Sun sure does make a difference!!!! God's mood enhancer!

      I lucked out with the trash pick-up.

      Have a good day

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  5. I like how you put a positive spin on that whole disaster. Time to clean out indeed!

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    1. No need to cry over spilled milk. It is clean and ready to fill again.
      I was sad - but stuff happens!
      Have a good week - hope your hubs is feeling well.

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  6. I worry about our freezers too, so I put water filled empty milk jugs in them to freeze. If the power goes out, at least it maintains as a refrigerator for a few days with the ice blocks in there. Kroger had some good sales this week in my neck of the woods, too! I filled two carts. A lot of it was the pasta, which I put in food storage after repackaging.

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    1. That pasta was a great deal. I have lots and lots of long pasta, but got some macaroni.
      Good job on getting the deals!

      Good idea on the frozen milk jigs. I would have thought the turkeys (at bottom) would have helped - but shoot they were completely thawed. It obviously had been out a while.
      Live and learn!

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  7. OH NO. I am so sorry about your freezer and all of that wasted food. That is one of my biggest worries. When I was a kid, we went away camping for 2 weeks in August. When we came home as soon as we stepped into the house, it stunk like someone had died. Our freezer had died. My mom cried and cried over that. We lost so much and with 5 kids it was very tight. I hope you find some amazing sales to stock it back up fast.

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    1. I can't imagine what a huge loss that would be with such a big family. You just never know. Had it been dead of winter I would not have even know or had a problem - as that freezer is in the cold garage.
      It will get back slowly. Thanks

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  8. My Dad lives in Oak Lawn, Illinois (close to Chicago) and they had snow yesterday. I would be over it by now. LOL

    I'm so sorry about your freezer and losing the food. I've had it happen to me more than once and it is disheartening. It's great that you were able to get it off in the trash right away and it didn't have to sit for a week.

    Your meals sound delicious. I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Yeah, I think everyone is over snow by mid April! It is pretty here and blossoming more each day.
      Thanks. It is disheartening - but what can you do? Definitely lucked out with trash pick up!!!!
      Have a good week.

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  9. Cheryl, I am so sorry you lost all that food. I know that was a kick in the stomach. My heart really goes out to you.

    Frugal week-
    Lots of beautiful yard work for me too. Loved looking at all my nature babies blooming. My baby magnolia tree is blooming! I was so excited. :) No heat, windows open. Finished all my Spring cleaning. My home is beautiful.

    This is not frugal but beautiful. This past year I have had a lot of abuse in my life from two clinical narcissist's in my family. Even though I am trying to be healthy about it. All of the stress has hurt my self esteem. I have been going through a lot of anxiety, self-doubt, etc... My DH & I have been married for 25 years this past weekend. :) My DH saved some money for me to have a shopping spree. He told me I had to spend the money on that. I was not allowed to save it. He took me out this weekend and made me shop. I was still frugal. :) I did have my shopping spree. I bought beautiful art supplies, pretty things for my home and even some clothes. It was the most beautiful gift in the world. My DH knew I was not feeling special. That I did not feel deserving. This was not about using retail as self-love. Oh my gosh if you knew me that would never happen. It did really help. Today when I used my new art supplies I felt special using them. When I washed my pretty new clothes I couldn't wait to wear them and feel cute. When I look at my pretty new things for my home I feel like I made my home pretty and I am proud of that. It's been a long time since I felt special, cute, or proud. :) Best gift ever. I even told my DH I knew what he did and how much it meant to me. He had tears in his eyes. I did spoil him too. I budgeted carefully to buy him luxurious things he would never buy himself. I loved watching him happily using and playing with all his new things this weekend.

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    1. Love that things come back to life in the spring. The magnolias are blooming here as well - so beautiful.

      Kiddo DO NOT let others bring you down. They are the ones with a problem - not you. I understand, as I have gone through that before, and I finally figured they just AREN'T worth it!
      I can tell you are a kind person, your post exude that. I am so happy that your husband treated you to a fantastic day and gift. He sounds like a great guy and one who appreciates his loving wife! Happy anniversary to you both.

      I am glad your spirits are raised. Life is so much more than those who try to bring us down. As hard as it is - walk away! Your health and well-being will thank you.
      God bless.

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    2. Hope you had a wonderful anniversary. I am glad you had a great day shopping. Your husband sounds great. Don't let those kind of people get you down. Maybe look into finding a therapist for yourself. It helps. I had to cut a few people out of my life because they were not good for me and my family.

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    3. Amen sister. Some times we just have to make some tough cuts!

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    4. Thank you Cheryl and Making Cents. The kind words mean a lot. What is sad about the situation I did have these bad people out of my life. One was for almost a decade and the other one for almost two years! They came back like proverbial bad pennies. They came around during a huge time of stress. You know how that goes. I did get them out quickly. They still caused trouble, stress and a ton of damage. I am doing better and getting healthier every day. Setbacks suck. :) Thank you again for the kind words.

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  10. So sorry you lost all of that food, Cheryl. Glad it got taken away quickly. I, too, know what it's like to walk away from family members in order to take care of myself.

    Cheryl, I made your POOR MAN'S SWISS STEAK recipe for my dinner tonight - well, sort of. I used what I had on hand and covered the large beef patty with Cream of Mushroom soup, tossed in frozen peas and served over leftover rice. It was yummy! I have enough for another meal along with a salad. Other recipes to be tried soon. Thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. Oh good for you! Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing and letting everyone know a new way to fix it. I love that you used what you had. That is what is so inspiring about this little group - love the ideas!

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  11. So sorry about your freezer. We have had that happen before, too. It was a sad feeling!

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    1. Yes it is sad to see all that food go. Just glad I don't have to buy a new freezer. Thanks

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