frugal

Money Diary: Day Two

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

6:45 AM – And we’re up! I feed and walk the dogs and again take a morning nap as I haven’t had an actual day off in years. It’s glorious!

9:15 AM – Up for the second time. I am feeling a little groggy so I make some coffee and some hash with whatever I can find in the fridge. In goes an egg, some cheese, some potatoes and leftover chicken. I try very hard not to be wasteful so I make an effort to use up whatever odds and ends are left during the week. I’m far from perfect but I always try.

10:30 AM – Head over to my bestie’s house. She’s fighting cancer for the second time so I spend time with her every day that I’m home. Today we watch trashy shows on TLC and Animal Planet, eat some snacks, and I drink the coffee that I brought in my thermos.  Her husband joins us for lunch and I head back home around 3pm.

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3:15 PM – Arrive home and it’s time to walk the dogs. Each dog gets a 20-minute walk even though it’s raining.

4:15 PM – I get a notice in my email reminding me that I have a payment for my animal credit card due. I have a specific credit card that I put only my animal related purchases on. If I pay each purchase off in 6 months there is no interest, so I make sure to keep track and pay off each payment as soon as possible. $236.23

 5:15 PM – Roommate gets home and we catch up since our schedules haven’t overlapped much lately. We talk about upcoming weekend plans and look at planning a trip to San Diego. I just got home from spending a few days there with my Godmother because she had surgery. It made me miss home, and family, so we decide another trip is in order.

6:20 PM – I’m not super hungry so I snack on baguette with goat cheese that I picked up earlier in the week.

7:00 PM – I spend the rest of the evening watching old X-Files episodes while my roommate paints. We all head to bed around 9pm.

Total spent: $236.23

My money diary, day one

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

Do you guys read the Money Diaries on Refinery29? I do and am kind of obsessed. I will spend literally hours reading through what people do and spend their money on. Is that weird? I don’t think so.

I mentioned a few months ago that I did a food diary for the Kitchn.com and LOVED doing it. So I think I will do my own Money Diary, maybe I will even submit it and see if they publish it too! The difference is I will post one day at a time. I won’t publish it all at once because I imagine that would be a very long post! So let’s start with today.

Day one (Wednesday)

6:50 AM – Ugh, dogs. I love them dearly but why must we always be up so early!? My roommate and her man are off to work and I’m off to walk my dogs. I make coffee and a piece of toast. I’m exhausted from a poor night’s sleep so I decide to take a morning nap.

9:30 AM – And we’re up. The dogs are playing and I drink more coffee. I watch a little bit of the Today show and get ready to go see my mom.

10:15 AM – Jethro (one of my dogs) and I head out to see my mom. We are going to get lunch and I am going to borrow her apple peeler. I walk Jethro around my parents’ neighborhood because we are a bit early for lunch.

12:00 PM – Arrive at Mom’s office. All her coworkers love to give my dog belly rubs and head scratches. He doesn’t mind. Mom and I (and Jethro) walk over to Cheese and Crack, and get some mac ‘n cheese to split for lunch, Mom pays because she’s awesome. Jethro enjoys meeting everyone on our walk over. Mom and I eat in her office and split a Coke from her fridge. I head back to her house to get the apple peeler and Jethro and I head back home.

2:30 PM – Walk the dogs, Red and Holden stayed home so they get a longer walk, but it starts to rain so we cut it short. I spend most of the afternoon hanging out with my dogs, putzing around the house, watching the X-Files, and munching.

5:30 PM – I finally make a smoothie to stand in for dinner. My roommate is at an event tonight so she won’t be home until later. The dogs and I enjoy a nice evening at home relaxing.

7:30 PM – Browsing guys on Bumble, dating is awful. I know some people love it but I really don’t enjoy it, and I certainly don’t think I’m good at it. I give up and work on some blog writing and other miscellaneous tasks.

9:00 PM – Roommate is home and we catch up on the day.  Final walk for the dogs and into bed (I feel like a grandma but I hate being up late!)

Total spent: $0

Finally home!

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

Yesterday was the travel day from Hell, literally.

It started with a 4am wake up call (East Coast Time) for a 7am flight. The roads were SUPER icy so my shuttle driver went slower than usual. I finally got to the airport, and got situated. They let su know the airport was closed, no inbound or outbound flights. So the plan coming in from LAX was not able to land. They were rerouted to Indianapolis. Ok fine, do I want to go to Detroit and then on to San Diego? No, that’s the wrong direction! So I wanted for our delayed flight (which ended up taking off about 10:30 which meant I missed my connection flight). Landed in LA at 12:45 (Pacific Coast Time) and go to collect my luggage (which was I was told would be available to pick up in LAX).

Ok, 30 minutes no luggage. So I go to the lady to ask, “it’ll be out in 30 minutes”…….ok fine I’ll wait. Mind you, I’m tired, hungry, and my dear friend Jessica has been hanging out at LAX for an hour now, after driving 2 hours to get me.

…..2 hours, no baggage. I fill out the form and tearfully go find Jessica. We have a nice drive (3 hours in the pouring rain, which never happens in SoCal!) and grab in-n-out on the way home. Finally, around 7pm we get home. I have now been awake for 18 hours. I am tired. I am crabby and emotional. I hug my Godmother and pass out.

I am telling you this, because normally this would have been an excuse to spend money on comfort items. Throughout the day I could have caved and bought coffee, a muffin, snacks, lunch on the plane, and many other things.

What did I spend money on? In-n-Out on the drive home. It’s my favorite comfort food, that I rarely get. We don’t have In-n-Out in Portland, so I only get it when I visit family in San Diego. It cost me $6.20 for a burger, fries, and soda. And it was worth every penny! I also intend to pay back my friend for the gas, but I feel good about that, as she rescued me!

Travel is definitely a difficult thing for anyone’s budget. If you don’t plan accordingly, it can really mess up a budget! This is just for day-of things, I am not even talking about the travel itself. I try my best to pack my favorite snacks so that I am not tempted to buy food, and drink the free crappy coffee on the airplane (enough cream and sugar mask anything!) I don’t spring for the upgrade, I don’t do any of the bells and whistles, and yet I always make it to my destination just fine! I did check a bag, which they lost, so I got miles for that. Still not what I paid for the bag, but it helps!

My point is, it’s possible to travel without blowing your budget. I’ll do a post on the traveling itself sometime, but today was all about the bells and whistles! I am still pretty tired from the circus yesterday so that’s why I just can’t tackle that yet!

What are your travel tips and tricks for saving money?

Self Care

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

I know we have talked about this before, and I know I’m not the only one talking about it. But guys, self care is SO important. We live in a culture of giving so much of ourselves. We give to our work, to our friends and family, to our coworkers, the community, our children, and yet so rarely to ourselves.

I truly believe that in order to be the best version of ourselves, we need to take better care of ourselves. This can mean different things to different people. My friend Heather does yoga each morning with her cats before her morning cup of tea. She posts beautiful pictures on her Instagram that definitely make me consider taking up yoga…..but then I remember that I hate yoga. Some people run, write, sing, swim, to each their own. Don’t do something just because it’s trendy, do whatever truly refreshes you!

So this brings me to yesterday. I was encouraged to work from my hotel room instead of going into the shelter. When I go out on deployment for work, often this means 16 days away from home, without a break. And I don’t know about you, but my body tends to revolt after about 10 days straight of working 12 hours a day. So my awesome boss encourages me to take a day in the middle of my deployments to wok from the hotel. I get to sleep in, take my time, and work from bed if I so choose. And let me tell you, it does wonders! Sometimes I think “oh I don’t need it this trip I’m feeling good”. …….Nope. I always feel better if I take that day to regroup.

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So this was my view yesterday. I worked from bed whilst enjoying smashed avocado with chicken. Think chicken salad but no mayo, just rotisserie chicken and avocado, maybe a little salt. It’s one of my very favorite things to eat, it’s easy on my tummy, and very nutritious! It’s fully of healthy fats and protein, so it fills me up and I don’t feel guilty about it! This is what self care looks like to me. (sorry if I sound like a broken record people, but I really believe this is important!)

What’s her point? You may be asking. I see articles on a daily basis about all the things I can buy to aid in my self care routine. Fancy pillows, Fancy tea bags and oil diffusers, sound machines and exotic bath robes. I don’t think you need any of it. You certainly can if you like, but self care doesn’t need to cost you anything!  The most expensive thing about yesterday was the avocado because they aren’t in season. Sure, I could have gone and gotten a facial, a massage, had my nails done and sipped a fancy latte. But I chose to stay in the cozy hotel (mind you it was 11 degrees, a high for the week!) enjoy my avocado smash, take a nap, enjoyed a hot shower and lazily drank my coffee. It was glorious. I still got my work done, but I was rested. I wasn’t rushed, I wasn’t in a hurry, it was so nice!

I realize that my work situation is a little different than the average individual. But do something special during your nightly routine, or your morning routine! Take a Saturday afternoon to slow down and pamper yourself! We can take care of ourselves without spending a fortune I swear!

January spending freeze

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

If you are anything like me, you PROBABLY over spent during December. Now, I am sure some of you were totally on point with your budgets and didn’t go a cent over (Go You!!) I am not one of those people. So for the new month and the new year, I need a fresh start. This is what brings me to the January spending freeze!

Now, I’m not going to cut out all spending entirely. So here is my list of do’s and don’t’s for my upcoming challenge month!

What I CAN spend money on:

Food – Nothing fancy, just good ole groceries. I am planning to budget about $70 a week for food but that is pretty reasonable for me. I know many folks can do it way cheaper than I can, but my health being what it is, I need to be very careful with what I eat. So I am willing to pay a little more to put good food in my body.

Gas – You know, to keep my car running safely.

Pet food/supplies/medication – I have three pets. Two medium sized dogs and one tiny geriatric cat (my #soulmate). I buy the dog food from Costco and it costs me I think $37 a bag which lasts about 3-4 weeks (when I’m out of town I board one of my dogs, and they provide food). Which reminds me to include boarding fees in this. My sweet oafish pit bull is a total love, but he still is 65 solid pounds of strength which is a lot for most people to handle. So I board him at the vet when I travel for work. The cat gets wet and dry food, three medications, fluids, and frequent vet visits. He isn’t cheap but I would do ANYTHING for my sweet old man.

Rent/Utilities – ’nuff said

Medical – Doctor visits, medicine, appointments etc. As someone with Crohn’s Disease, it is very important for em to see my doctor regularly and do as I’m instructed. This also includes any costs associated with prep for appointments (Yuck!!)

What I CAN’T spend money on:

EXTRA food – ie fun groceries/eating out/coffee out/you get the picture. Do I really NEED the fancy cheese? No. Do I really NEED another kind of smoked salmon? No. I will work on getting back to basics and cooking what I know, and doing so cheaply.

Booze – I am not a big drinker, but I definitely enjoy a drink in the evening a couple of nights a week (I prefer cider over beer or wine) and I certainly don’t need to be spending that money.  It won’t be a huge amount of money, but every bit adds up.

Concerts – Holy moly I way over did this part of my budget this holiday season. No concerts for me! (with the small exception of the Foo Fighters tickets whenever they go on sale!)

Clothing/shoes/accessories – Fun fact, I love clothes. I love clothe shopping and window browsing, all of it. And I certainly don’t need anymore clothes. So it seems like a great way to save more would be to spend less in this BIG category. I will not browse the Madewell sale page. I will not wander into Nordstrom just for fun. Nope, none of it. (This will likely be the hardest one of all but I am determined!)

Extras – you know that extra piece of chocolate at the grocery store, that pair of socks, a new toy for the pup, all those things that in the moment seem like such a good idea, but really they aren’t. I will do my very best to stay away from traps (I’m looking at you Target and Costco!) but even these can sometimes not be avoided. I go to Costco for dog food and I go to Target when I need things like laundry soap and Kleenex (or some other equally odd combination of items).

Some people do a fabulous job of accomplishing their goals long term, but for me I need short, attainable goals. I need one week, one month. Those are goals  I can get behind. It is easier for me that way to build up to the bigger goals. So I’m starting with no extemporaneous spending for January, I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes. Do you have any new years resolutions !?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite blogs

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

Like many of you, I have my favorite blogs that I read on a regular basis. Most of them, have to do with frugality, and most of them I have been reading for years! I may not know these people personally, but I feel like I know them from reading about their lives for this long. I hope you will check them out (alright I have the feeling most of you know them too!)

The Financial Diet is a great place to start. It has a whole group of contributors with different, interesting points of view. Multiple articles published daily share all kinds of experiences. From dating frugally, to inexpensive grocery ideas, it’s a great well rounded financial picture.

Frugalwoods is one of my very favorite blogs ever! Mr and Mrs Frugalwoods bought a homestead in Vermont not too long ago, and it is such a cool perspective! She genuinely makes me want to move to the middle of no where on a farm. They grow their own fruits and vegetables, heat their home with wood her husband has chopped, it’s amazing! They lived in Boston for a few years prior and I found that life interesting to read about as well! They have one little girl and another on the way so I am curious to see how this affects their life on the homestead.

The Non Consumer Advocate  is written by an awesome gal named Katy who also happens to live in Portland. I have been reading this blog longest of all. She works as a nurse and has two boys in college. She writes about her life, how she saves money creatively, and her side hustle of selling items she has purchased at local Goodwill stores. It’s a very relatable blog. (fun story, once I saw Katy walking down the street to the local grocery store and I made my dad turn the car around so I could say hi)

The Frugal Girl is another one I adore. Kristen lives with her husband and four kids and writes about daily life. She writes about grocery shopping, what they eat for dinner, what the kids do for fun, and family outings. I love it. She is kind and compassionate, and speaks with such heart. Because of Kristen I subscribe to Mighty Nest which I absolutely love. It’s a monthly subscription box, which sends you something that is eco friendly for the home. I have gotten glass water bottles, Tupperware, glass cleaner, sponges and dish clothes. It costs $10 a month and each thing you receive is worth at least $10. If you are looking for a cool gift for something this holiday season, I highly recommend it.

What about you? What blogs do you guys read?? Which awesome blogs am I missing out on?

Imperfect Produce

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

I have always wanted to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You pay a monthly cost to buy into the farm, and weekly, or bi weekly, you get a box of fresh produce delivered to your house. Such a cool idea, and a great way to be more involved in your community. But here’s the thing, I can’t really eat raw vegetables. They wreck havoc on my body (one of the joys of Crohn’s disease). So the cost of it has never been feasible to me unfortunately. It’s still cheaper for me to go to the farmer’s market and buy the single had of lettuce I need for the week, and my two apples and 6 carrots, or whatever it is.

But then I heard of a program called Imperfect Produce. It was started in the Bay Area as a way of rescuing produce that would otherwise be thrown away. Grapefruits that are too small, lumpy potatoes, misshapen pears, no one likes to buy cosmetically imperfect items at the grocery store, so it often gets passed up if it ever makes it to the market in the first place. Enter, Imperfect Produce. They collect the produce and deliver it to homes of people (such as myself) who would happily eat it. I don’t particularly care the size of my kiwi!

You can customize the size of the box, and the contents of the box. Don’t like parsnips? You can request never to receive any. Have six growing teenagers? Get the biggest box every week. In our house, there are only two adults and no children, so we get the smallest box, every other week. And it’s the perfect amount for us. It typically costs me about $12 for each box, which is definitely less than all the produce I would pick up at the store. I get to see online the weekend before the box is delivered what it’s contents will be. I can choose to discard any items that wouldn’t get eaten and we can add any extras. Boxes are delivered in the evening so that they stay cool.

Last night we received our box, which we receive every other week. It contained:

8 small funny shaped carrots, 6 small oranges, 2 pears, 3 kiwis, 2 apples, a lot of broccoli, 3 avocados, and 5 oddly shaped grapefruit. And I think I was charged $13. Oh, and an artichoke. Fantastic! Getting this produce delivered makes me especially eager to go through it, as it was already discarded once. Here’s the link Imperfect Produce Feel free to check it out and see for yourself! They aren’t available in all areas yet, but they are expanding.

There are other other organizations across the hungry who offer a similar community service. Hungry Harvest is another one. If you have any interest in learning more, I recommend doing your research. Different communities have different options. How do you save money on produce?

 

What I’ve been watching lately

/ thefrugalportlander / Leave a comment

We don’t have cable. You probably see it on literally every single “how to save money” list, lose cable. But we do subscribe to Netflix and Hulu which suits us just fine. We have access to everything we could want, and can watch it from anywhere. Seeing as the most basic cable package still costs at least $40 a month, $10 for Netflix and $7 for Hulu is definitely a bargain.  My roommate pays for Netflix and I for Hulu, so it ends up being really reasonable for both of us.

So I was thinking, what are some of the shows we have enjoyed recently that you might be interested in?

On Hulu, if you haven’t seen the Handmaid’s Tale yet, GO WATCH IT NOW!!! It is so good and so relevant, it’ll blow your mind. It’s shocking, but not at all gory. It’s graphic in what it does to your mind, but it isn’t what you think of in terms of typical creepy fashion.

On Netflix I’ve been watching a string of cheesy holiday movies. A friend of mine started a tradition a few years ago, of watching all the horrible holiday movies she could get her hands on. So I decided to follow her lead. I have watched, a lot, of terrible holiday movies. And let me tell you, it’s a fabulous tradition. They’re hoaky, silly, and fantastic.

Silly holiday movies at home, with my dogs, is a great way to celebrate and feel festive without spending a ton of money. It’s fun to go out and see all the things your town has to offer for the holiday season, but it is never cheap. So instead, this year I decided to stay in more. We are watching movies and making cookies and decorating with what we have. And let me tell you, it has been awesome!

Take advantage of those subscriptions! Watch all the free holiday movies you can get your hands on. And stay warm while cuddling up to your furry friends, or your significant other, and enjoy a warm cup of tea or coffee. It is possible to enjoy the holidays without breaking the bank.

Soup for days

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Have I mentioned how much I love soup? I could eat soup every day. And this week, I intend to do just that!

For the past two weeks, I have been in the Midwest for work. I have a unique (and totally awesome) job that requires I travel, a lot. I typically am gone 10 to 14 days per month. I love my job with every ounce of me, but by the time I get home from deployment, I need a few days to decompress. I usually have a day or two of overwhelming energy, I’ll clean and do laundry and grocery shop, then I crash.  Today I am crashing. All the work and stress and lack of sleep catches up to me and I just need a break.

So today I will work on the blog (hello!) put the finishing touches on my planner for 2018, and probably do a little more house cleaning. In between those things, I’ll rest. I will cuddle the dogs, snuggle the cat, do some dishes, and catch up on my sanity. I’ll read my favorite blogs and maybe finish the book I started on the plane.

And I have no intention of cooking all week. (I don’t plan on takeout either, as I just spent two weeks eating entirely, out. I’ll get reimbursed for those expenses, but it still takes a toll on my wallet in the meantime).  Saturday, as soon as I got home, I put (frozen) chicken bones in the crock pot to make stock. I added some celery and carrots that were on their way out and set it for 12 hours. About as easy as it gets. The chicken was frozen from the last time I bought a whole chicken. Sometimes I’ll make stock right away, and sometimes I put it in the freezer for future use. Then yesterday I went to Costco and got a whole rotisserie chicken (for all of $5!) and made a giant pot of soup! Fresh stock, fresh rotisserie chicken, the house smelled AMAZING! I added some veggies that we had on hand and wam bam, a literal ton of soup is ready! I put it in individual mason jars for storage, that way it’s an individual serving, and thus no measuring/spilling! 4 of the jars made their way into the freezer after they cooled, and 4 more are in the fridge.

I LOVE soup. And could literally eat it all day every day. So that’s kind of the plan. I have 3 kinds of soup currently in the freezer, so that’ll easily get me through the week. I also have (now 3) jars that are fresh in the fridge. I wanted easy and quick and cheap this week, so that’s exactly what I’m doing!

On a similar note, what is your opinion on chest freezers? Our freezer (attached to the fridge) is so small and is a wacky size, so it makes freezing anything in bulk rather difficult. Upon doing some research, Rachel (roommate) and I decided it would in fact save us money in the long run to have a chest freezer. I had been price comparing for a few months, and took the opportunity this weekend (excellent sales) to finally scoop one up. It will be arriving in about 5 days and we are so excited. Though dropping $170 is never enjoyable, I am confident that it’ll save us money on food. I always want to make a double batch of things like lasagne, soup, and casseroles, but as it stands right now we have nowhere to put them! So, in five days, we will! (I’m kind of a dork about these things so I am over the moon excited about our new chest freezer! My roommate just smiles and supports me. She isn’t big on cooking, but the idea of a place to store all those berries for smoothies is appealing to her!)

I’m excited about the prospect of a freezer full of soup. It’s cheap, filling, healthy, a total win/win/win situation in my book! Do you bulk freeze? What is your favorite soup?

Black Friday, or, the day I did no more shopping than usual

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So today is the day retailers shove down our throats all the amazing sales and deals on shit we (probably) don’t need!

But how do I really feel, you ask? Let’s discuss.

I saw some meme on Facebook that said something like “save 100% if you just stay home”. I mean, it’s true. If you don’t open those emails, if you don’t go to the mall, you are already saving way more than anyone who swiped their credit card today.

My mom used to send me links “Just in case there was something I needed”. But did I really need anything? Probably not.

How do I avoid falling for these sale traps? I keep a list of things that I need/want and keep an eye out for those things year round. If it goes on sale or I find a good deal, I’ll buy it then. For example, right now I have black Doc Martens on my list, as well as a pair of wooden clog sandals. One is appropriate for this season, the other is not. But, I am more likely to find sandals on sale during the winter, so I keep my eyes open. I may not find either of them for months, but I know to keep looking. Then, when I do finally purchase them, they will be at the very best price.

Of course there are so many things on sale, it might be to your advantage to look up whatever is on your list. Are you in need of new bedding, towels, or perhaps tires? All of these things tend to go on sale today (and this time of year) as well. So it would probably be in your best interest to do some research.

Can you get towels/bedding second hand at a thrift store? If you don’t care about everything matching perfectly this would be my first suggestion. People will often donate a whole set of something at once. Perhaps there are 3 of the same towel with matching face and hand towels, but not a full set. As long as you launder these items before use, there is no reason you can’t snag these deals! Comforters are another great deal at second hand shops, as they don’t get a lot of wear and tear (usually) so you can often get a great deal on new looking bedding!  As someone who doesn’t particularly love matchy-matchy bedding in the first place, this is a great resource for me.

Last year on black Friday I got new snow tires for my Prius. I had been desperately needing some as we have been getting some nasty storms in the Pacific Northwest and NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW. Additionally, we don’t salt or de-ice the roads in Portland. So snow tires or weather tires are really important to me in my tiny, slippery Prius. I got tires for 20% off which is a great deal when you’re spending close to $600!

For this year, I don’t plan on buying anything today. I may see if my underwear is on sale (did you know that apparently you are supposed to replace underwear yearly? I didn’t) as I am in the market for a few new pairs of undies. But if there isn’t a deal of them, I’ll continue to wait it out until they do go on sale.

What about you? Are you planning on getting anything in particular this black Friday?