My Frugal week

My $20 kettle

     I can see a trip to the Bulk Barn is in my near future. I have been writing out a list of things that I am running out of, and I should start picking up some ingredients for Christmas baking next month.  Maybe I will go on Wednesday (Seniors get 20% off).  Otherwise, I have not been grocery shopping since the beginning of the month. I have been fixing meals from the pantry and the freezer, and my SP has been picking up the really good bargains from the weekend flyers, and sliced bread from Weston's day old bakery shop, since he is out and about town anyway.

Garden: I have not picked up gas for the lawnmower yet, so have not been able to cut the lawns. I brought in all the tomatoes that were left. Some will ripen inside...the green ones I may fry. I thinned out some more carrots. The really small ones will go into homemade soup, and the larger ones are in the crisper ready to eat. I picked what will be the last of the broccoli and beans, added those with some carrots, for last night's veggie dish. I tore out the tomato and broccoli plants for the composter. If we get a sunny and dry day, I will pull the rest of the weeds. There really are not a lot....I must have done a fairly decent job of it over the summer.

Savings: As already mentioned above, I have stayed out of the grocery stores. Milk and coffee were purchased this week with a Shoppers gift card that was bought last month before I went on my travels to the States. I picked up a new kettle at Home Hardware for 40% off (it cost $20.30 with tax) Our kettle finally died completely, and we were using a small pot on the stove, which uses way too much hydro. I have also been using 40% off coupons for Michael's a couple of times this month to get much needed supplies for making Christmas gifts. We have only needed to turn on the furnace a couple of times in the last two weeks; otherwise, we keep it down to 62-65 degrees. Wearing sweaters and slippers helps. I am still able to line dry my clothes outside.

Diy: I have a good supply of kidney, pinto and black beans in the freezer. I cook dried beans in the crock pot during the day, and then divvy them up into smaller containers for the freezer. I make a huge crock pot of soup that lasts us all week. This morning I made my homemade "cream of..." soup mix for the pantry. I made 6 cups of Bisquick mix for the fridge and I quadrupled my homemade taco mix because I had run out. Tonight I will make Chili sin carne with some of those beans I mentioned and 2 tbsp. of the taco mix. My time has mostly been involved in making cards to give as Christmas gifts. I'll soon have to turn my attention elsewhere. Bye for now.