11/6 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the day:  I had a lot of intentions today - but ended up taking a nap most of the afternoon.  I still need to do a bit more cleaning before the contractor's come to finish-up.  I did cook up an entire bag of brown rice - froze several meals worth in sandwich bags and made confetti rice salad for the next couple of days.  I used up some more odd bits and pieces and it turned out pretty well.  I also found several more McDonald's codes and ended up "winning" 60 more Coke Rewards points.  So, I ordered my daughter a magazine subscription and ordered my husband 4 coupons for free single Minute Maid/Coke product. 

More 11/5 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the day:  Pictured are the grape? tomatoes from my garden.  I am going to leave them in the window sill this week and hope I can add them to a salad sometime this week.  In the crockpot - I have a big batch of soup cooking - chicken broth, chicken bits, onion, cabbage, last of my organic carrots, a bit of pumpkin puree, a little bit of left over mashed potatoes/gravy from KFC, left over herbs from a bread dipping kit, and a bit of frozen seafood chowder.  I have another 8 sandwich bags of pumpkin puree.  The roasted seeds are gone - yum.  I also have a lasagna in the freezer - used up goat cheese and other cheeses etc.  I also baked 8 chuck burger patties and froze them.  I made chuck burger crumbles and froze them in 2 sandwich bags for quick meals.  I got a family sized package of chuck burger for $2.39 with the chicken I purchased.  My daughter and I had a yummy chicken salad sandwich for lunch with the chicken, leftover arugala (organic for $1 a tub last week) - on wheat bread.  We also had cake mix cookies (strawberry) with white chocolate morsels - we need snacks :)  Most of them are in the freezer - because they are delicious.  Very easy too.  I have pumpkin custard cooling now.  I have 2 bags of puree in the fridge - I plan to buy some oranges - and make pumpkin/orange muffins from another recipe I found.  We got some cleaning done -need to do a lot more.  But, we are heading to the thriftstore to see if they are having their 50% off sale and to see if we can get a few more inventory items knocked off our condo missing items list :(  We also plan to go to Barnes and Noble to get a book for 50% off and some coffee - I have a gift card and membership card.  We are also going to have a light dinner at PF Changs - Happy Hour Specials - I have a gift card and a Warrior card that will get another 10% off.  Will probably stop at Victoria Secrets to get a few more free pairs of panties.  Will stop at Wal-mart to use up last of the gift card to gas-up.  I also plan to finish out my grocery shopping for this week.  I am going to try to stay with $50 - and still eat healthy for the 2, 3 of us.  I have a $5 off $30 Aldi coupon.  Also, in the mail today, I got some Kroger coupons - including one for a free dozen of eggs.  I also got a free sample/coupon of feminine products.

11/5 Expressions

Sometimes you don't fully appreciate something until it goes missing.  Pictured above is breakfast I cook today.  I am in post repair/renovation clean-up mode - although clean-up has not really started yet.  I wanted to do some grocery maintenance - and since I had a bit of olive oil, boiled red potatoes, 1/2 a red onion in the fridge and a bunch of eggs, that was breakfast.  Just before typing this post - I got an automated call from Chase Freedom - my card number had been compromised.  Someone charged $29.99 at "friendfinders" . . . so, that charge will be removed, my account closed - and a new card will be sent to me.  My crockpotted chicken leg quarters are cooling in fridge - and then I will remove the fat.  Then I plan to make a soup in the crockpot.  Before baking the pumpkin in the oven to make puree and roasted pumpkin seeds, I am going to look for something else to bake to utilize as much heat as possible.  Also, it is cold this morning, the heat will be much appreciated by all :)  I place an orde at Office Max that was $0 out of pocket after rewards.  My husband is in Office Max at his location now to buy a printer.  He waitied quite a while to get one - he bought an ink efficient one today.

11/4 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the week:  The kitchen is pretty much back to being operational.  Monday, they will do a bit of touch up work.  Tomorrow, I need to clean, clean, clean.  I also miss eating a home cooked meal.  After guitar lessons, we stopped at a local supermarket with the best meat prices.  I got a 10 lb bag of leg quarters for $6.90 - and half of them are in the crockpot cooking now.  The dog will get some, the broth will be used for soup stock (minus the fat), and I may cook at few in meals.  I also need to round out the rest of the inventory we need to buy for condo.  I ordered a sofa sleeper matching chair on Overstock.com - with discounts and free shipping - I got the set for $727 - plus will have $36 in my "O" account to spend next time - and used my 1% back credit card - so, I should be able to order a $25 Gift Card after this purchase.  We are going to wait to purchase the refrigerator.  The condo association will take the current sofa sleeper/chair/fridge for a local charity auction.  I am going to cull the pantry again.  Any opened item/old - will be dumped in the trash or compost.  I hope to consciously keep track of what I have in there and start using it up.  It is great that we are in the fall/winter season - so, lots of soups will be made in the crockpot.  Tomorrow, I plan to do some extra food preparations - cook the last pumpkin, perhaps make pumpkin custard, a soup, salad, and ??? depending on what I come across.  My daughter and I plan to have a nice sushi meal with a Restaurant.Com coupon.  It cost me $2 for a $25 off $35 gift certificate and I got a few mypoints and a few cents back on my credit card. 

11/3 Expressions

Frugfal deeds for the day:  I got a refund check and a nice freebie magazine - I think Style.Com.  No washer/dryer/stove yet - but counters and tops are back in place.  Unfrugal deeds:  the condo evaluation has been completed.  We need to replace the sofa/bed and chair and also the refrigerator - yikes - more unplanned spending and need to do some painting :(  We will be busy.  I am keeping my eyes open for a big sale :)  When it rains, it pours.  The roofing guy is going to re-shingle the roof on our townhouse on the day the tenant moves out - he must need money asap too.  So, money will be flying out the next couple of weeks.  This weekend, I hope to do some heavy duty cleaning since a lot of dust has accumulated just about everywhere due to the kitchen repair/remodel. 

11/2 Expressions

Nothing got done today.  Tomorrow is suppose to be the day - everything gets put back and it is suppose to be done.  See, I used the word suppose twice - because they were suppose to install my appliances yesterday.  We are running out of clean clothes - need washing machine now.  But the hot water is nice :)  I can't think of being frugal - I do know we need to do a lot of cleaning this weekend.  Everything seems to be coated in dust.

11/1 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the day:  Okay - hot water heater is back in commission - sadly - not the washer/dryer/stove . . . some lame excuse - I think they ran to another job.  Oh well, hot water means a lot right now :)  I got my Staples paper rebate.  I get paid tomorrow - good thing because the roofer will probably start the roof in a couple of days at our rental.  Things are just rolling along.