Frugality this week

May is the first month that I will be living on my new income. It will be hard getting used to, but fortunately I have a little wiggle room because of money in my savings account. I also received a statement from Ontario Hydro that shows me that my electricity usage is slightly up from my most efficient neighbours since the start of February. How can that be??? I thought I was doing very well. As a result of this news, I have been checking around the house looking for other ways of cutting down my expenses.  First off, I will have my son pack up and move his growing cabinet to his apartment. I discovered that he has a grow light inside the cabinet that is on, because he is presently growing cactus from seed. I thought the cabinet was just holding petri dishes, pots and growing medium in storage. I bought a second power bar with a surge protector from the Thrift Store this week. I have all the computer components on one bar so that I can turn everything off at night. I have also put all the TV components on a power bar and  I am also turning off the aquarium light when I go to bed.  I am trying to hang all of my laundry outside now that the weather is improving. Tomorrow, on the first of May, we start our summer hours with Hydro One. This means I also have to reschedule some of my daily tasks so that electricity is being used less between 11 AM and 5 PM (the direct opposite of winter hours) so that I am being charged  less. Between 7 PM and  7 AM still remains the lowest hydro rates, as well as the weekends. 

So these are my frugal tasks this week.....

I fed the outdoor compost bin my kitchen scraps. 

I called a friend on Thursday who I have not seen since my husband's funeral and we went shopping together. I first went into the Hardware Store to buy an 8 piece painter's set and 2 packages of electric outlet covers.

10 covers for $2.97  I have several to replace.

 Tray and liner, 9 1/2" and 4" roller frames,  and two rollers for each. At 45% off, it only cost me $5.97

 I bought some more plastic clothespins and a sheet of coloured rhinestones for card-making from Dollarama. Besides the power bar I bought at the thrift store, I also bought a set of brand new drapery holders for a bar I was given. I used a 30% off discount card on those purchases. I can now hang two sets of white cotton draperies in the upstairs windows in the front of the house, that my SIL gave me. I spent $41.80 on groceries, including two gallons of white vinegar for my weed control. 

I made soup from veggie stock I made.

I used my yoghurt maker for the first time yesterday to make all this yoghurt. It turned out beautifully. I will sweeten and flavour it with my failed "strawberry jam" that I made last summer but it didn't set up.

 Made with whole milk I bought on  Thursday that was 50% off the regular price. 

I made a Mother's Day card, Father's Day card,  four masculine birthday cards, and a couple of birthday cards with butterfly cuts from my new Cricut cartridge. 

 I made more laundry powder, washed a few loads of laundry, used vinegar in the rinse water, and hung on the clothesline to dry. 

I turned off the furnace for a couple of days when the weather was nice. 

I did a few hours this week pulling weeds and pruning shrubbery. 

The lawn mower is not working. I looked for and found the business card of the small engines repairman that Rick used. I also have the repair manual, so I will call him tomorrow morning to see if he can fix the machine and give it a proper tuneup and blade sharpening. 

A dear friend is coming one day this week to give me a much needed boot in the rear-end to help me get some lingering  issues cleared up. I have let my anxiety take control lately, which has resulted in my putting my head in the sand and hoping things will resolve on their own. I have run out of steam and she will stoke the fires to get me back on the track. She has been making a list of what needs to be done, and together we will tackle it. 

Tonight I have made a cabbage roll casserole which makes a lot of food using only one lb of ground meat. I will be able to freeze some for future meals.