Sunday: Last night we went to a neighboring town to spend Halloween with some friends. I noted that the gasoline prices were about eight cents cheaper there so I filled up the gas tank of the Jeep. I was really quite low on fuel so it was nice to be able to get such a good price on gas.
Maceo's final show of Huck Finn was today. I worked the boutique at the community theatre which entitled me to watch the show for free.
Afterwards I went home to watch my Bengals beat the Steelers, a game that I DVR'd. Then we went to Applebees for half-price appetizers and to watch the Broncos defeat the Packers and the Royals win the World Series.
Monday: I scheduled the bills to be paid today. I paid extra money on two student loans and on the mortgage. Also, all summer, a summer without air conditioning, I paid extra on my utility bill. I paid a flat rate regardless of what the bill was. I now have a fifty dollar credit on my utility bill but I will continue to pay that flat rate in hopes that I will have a buffer built in for the winter. Our utility bill always goes up significantly in the winter and I want to be prepared for that.
Additionally, we have begun to experience cooler temperatures and I find that I need to drive the chill out of the house. I turn the heater on periodically but primarily rely on a space heater in the room in which we are hanging out in.
Additionally, we have begun to experience cooler temperatures and I find that I need to drive the chill out of the house. I turn the heater on periodically but primarily rely on a space heater in the room in which we are hanging out in.
I made sausage and french toast for breakfast. It had been quite some time since I had made french toast. I need to do it more often. I think I will get pancakes on the menu and serve the remainder of the sausage with it.
Tuesday: I fried up some chicken the other day. Half of the fried chicken was served with some jasmine rice that Bishop cooked up. Today I used the rest of the chicken to make some chicken cacciatore. I used some diced green onions and bell peppers that I had in the freezer. I also threw in two whole tomatoes that I had tossed into the freezer to keep them from going bad. I served the whole shebang over the leftover jasmine rice. Yum!
I cleaned out the freezer and inventoried its contents. I had more meat in that freezer then I had thought.
I stayed home for most of the day which ensured that I made progress on household tasks while keeping my spending to a minimum.
I gave the laundry room a much needed cleaning. I found a bottle of detergent intended to clean washing machines. As my current washing machine is not functional I contemplated just throwing it away, getting something seemingly useless out of my space. However, just as I was about to trash it I realized that, regardless of what the label says, it is just detergent. I will be using it to clean the sinks and the dishwasher.
Wednesday: The least frugal thing I did today was fail to pack a lunch for Bishop and I before going to science and history groups. We generally pack a picnic to eat in the park between groups; however, today I had to settle for Taco Bell.
I did talk myself out of going out to dinner (It is just awful how often I eat out...ugh). Instead Bishop and I made some fantastic hamburgers. We didn't have any buns so we just used some white bread. We still have some ground beef leftover so I will need to make meatloaf or salisbury steaks soon.
And, finally, some good news ... the hens are laying!!!!
Thursday: I had to buy some groceries for Bishop's upcoming scout camping trip and decided that I really should make the shopping trip count. I assessed what was needed for projects around the house and for Bishop's emergency pack, added those items to the list and went shopping at WalMart. I don't shop at WalMart often but find that it is ideal when I have a wide variety of items to purchase. While there I purchased a dozen eggs for $1.29 by doing some price matching.
Otherwise I just stayed close to home doing a bit of deep cleaning in the kitchen and helping Bishop prepare for his scouting endeavors.
The temperature was quite cool today, overcast and rainy, but I managed to leave the heater off and simply rely on that one little space heater to knock out the chill.
Friday: I scrubbed the stovetop and venting with my homemade powdered laundry detergent. It cut right through the greasy buildup.
I also did some work on the front porch and did the laundry and I mended a pair of pants. Mending the pants has reminded me that I bought a trench coat for Maceo last week that I need to put new buttons on. I should get on that soon. I also need to get the boys coats to the dry cleaners.
Saturday: It was a slow and easy day. I relaxed and did some cleaning. I cleaned some ductwork and replaced a filter.
I turned off the heater as the day warmed up.
As the boys weren't home for dinner I opted to just have some ramen noodles. Bishop loves to have ramen noodles on hand but I purchased the wrong kind. Frankly, they don't taste great so I bought Bishop the kind that taste better and I will eat these. So eat them I did, some of them at least.
I made brownies as a snack today and turned the oven off a little early allowing it to finish baking with the residual heat while not utilizing electricity.
I ordered some photo cards for Bishop's service group to put in their Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I was originally going to order them through Walgreens because they had a 40% off sale on cards; however, just before I pushed the final button to make the purchase I decided to see if WalMart had a better price. They did. The difference was about 20 cents per card. I am so glad that I did a price comparison.
Beyond doing some housework I spent my time looking for inspiration. I took a look at a couple favorite blogs, Blue House Journal and Down to Earth, and I discovered a new one, g. Donna's.
I gave the laundry room a much needed cleaning. I found a bottle of detergent intended to clean washing machines. As my current washing machine is not functional I contemplated just throwing it away, getting something seemingly useless out of my space. However, just as I was about to trash it I realized that, regardless of what the label says, it is just detergent. I will be using it to clean the sinks and the dishwasher.
Wednesday: The least frugal thing I did today was fail to pack a lunch for Bishop and I before going to science and history groups. We generally pack a picnic to eat in the park between groups; however, today I had to settle for Taco Bell.
I did talk myself out of going out to dinner (It is just awful how often I eat out...ugh). Instead Bishop and I made some fantastic hamburgers. We didn't have any buns so we just used some white bread. We still have some ground beef leftover so I will need to make meatloaf or salisbury steaks soon.
And, finally, some good news ... the hens are laying!!!!
Thursday: I had to buy some groceries for Bishop's upcoming scout camping trip and decided that I really should make the shopping trip count. I assessed what was needed for projects around the house and for Bishop's emergency pack, added those items to the list and went shopping at WalMart. I don't shop at WalMart often but find that it is ideal when I have a wide variety of items to purchase. While there I purchased a dozen eggs for $1.29 by doing some price matching.
Otherwise I just stayed close to home doing a bit of deep cleaning in the kitchen and helping Bishop prepare for his scouting endeavors.
The temperature was quite cool today, overcast and rainy, but I managed to leave the heater off and simply rely on that one little space heater to knock out the chill.
Friday: I scrubbed the stovetop and venting with my homemade powdered laundry detergent. It cut right through the greasy buildup.
I also did some work on the front porch and did the laundry and I mended a pair of pants. Mending the pants has reminded me that I bought a trench coat for Maceo last week that I need to put new buttons on. I should get on that soon. I also need to get the boys coats to the dry cleaners.
Saturday: It was a slow and easy day. I relaxed and did some cleaning. I cleaned some ductwork and replaced a filter.
I turned off the heater as the day warmed up.
As the boys weren't home for dinner I opted to just have some ramen noodles. Bishop loves to have ramen noodles on hand but I purchased the wrong kind. Frankly, they don't taste great so I bought Bishop the kind that taste better and I will eat these. So eat them I did, some of them at least.
I made brownies as a snack today and turned the oven off a little early allowing it to finish baking with the residual heat while not utilizing electricity.
I ordered some photo cards for Bishop's service group to put in their Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I was originally going to order them through Walgreens because they had a 40% off sale on cards; however, just before I pushed the final button to make the purchase I decided to see if WalMart had a better price. They did. The difference was about 20 cents per card. I am so glad that I did a price comparison.
Beyond doing some housework I spent my time looking for inspiration. I took a look at a couple favorite blogs, Blue House Journal and Down to Earth, and I discovered a new one, g. Donna's.
Christmas Jar O' Change: The previous balance was $160.16. I added $15.35 to this account for a new balance of $175.51.
Home Emergency Fund: $0
52-Week Savings Plan: The previous balance was $984. I added $100 to this account. I can't say which deposits for the 52-week savings plan are represented with this $100 deposit. I shall determine that later. I am proud, however, that I did make this deposit a priority. The new balance for this account is $1084.
Home Emergency Fund: $0
52-Week Savings Plan: The previous balance was $984. I added $100 to this account. I can't say which deposits for the 52-week savings plan are represented with this $100 deposit. I shall determine that later. I am proud, however, that I did make this deposit a priority. The new balance for this account is $1084.
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