September frugal ?

In some ways yes...

I have mending caught up except for a sheet that the wind ripped the hem out of while drying on the clothes line.

I picked eggplant

I dehydrated onions that was going to go bad. I now have 1/2 gal of dehydrated onions. I put the dehydrator out side on the front porch table, didn't heat up my house and cause the AC to run more, dogs and I didn't get sick due to the odor coming off them (can harm pets) AND I found it actually cut the time almost by a 1/3rd for what ever reason.

I turn off the AC every morning and open the house open. One to air it out and two to save on the electric bill. I don't turn it back on until the older dog (Miss Kira) is starting to pant and she does come to me to let me know she is hot.(about 77-78°)

I have lettuce growing in the garden from it reseeding it's self....saved me from having to plant lettuce even though I prefer leaf lettuce and this is romaine. FREE IS FREE.

I picked up Pumpkin spice creamer so I won't be going to Speedway to get a cup or have Hubby stop every morning on his way home to bring me a cup.The bottle of creamer cost the same amt of a cup at the gas station and I figure I can get at least 30 cups of coffee out of it. That's over $30 in savings. Yes I could just not buy it at all but life without an extra is hard to deal with.

We both have cut our consumption of coffee in half. IF not more for Hubby as I used to make 2 pots a day for him alone and it's down to every other day now. NO we don't throw out "old" coffee, we either drink it or use it in cooking.

Hubby is now filling his "16 oz juice glass" (read mug that was bought for root beer floats ) with ice before adding juice instead of just adding a couple ice cubes to the juice.Juice consumption has went down from a bottle every other day to every 4 days. He is also eating what ever apple is the cheapest to buy instead of his favorite in his lunch. He will eat in season fruit if it is "solid" enough to carry in his lunch box. Peaches and such don't do well. I don't buy a lot of canned fruit.

We have switched to water instead of unsweetened tea. I have went to not having my mug of hot tea at 2 for a glass of water. I image that will flip back as cooler weather comes in. BUT I have a lot of teas that I can drink(some I raised) so I won't be buying tea unless it is one that my girlfriend and I both have drank for years . Then we drink it once a week  so a box goes a long way and we take turns buying it for each other (unless we see it on sale and have a coupon)even though we are over an hour apart...at the same time. Keep the connection going strong.

We are going to plant fall onions with the fall garlic using the onions that are the size of pearl onions from this year's crop. I was told they would do better for us if I planted this fall instead of waiting until spring.

I went to the store on Monday (Labor day and it was stocked and not busy) and picked up fresh chicken breast for $1.69/lb I have stuffed it (5 different ways) and precooked it and shoved in freezer. I thawed hamburger I had and made 2 meatloafs , porcupine meatballs, 125 meatballs and meat for lasagna and stuffed shells and manicotti that will be in freezer by Monday. I also put in a Philly steak slider casserole and  4 oz thin slices of chicken for either sandwiches or stir fry. I froze red beans soup. I put scraps of chicken that I cut off the breasts I was stuffing to make broth for soup and chicken to add to jambalaya. I have smoked sausage and shrimp in freezers.Goal was to put 2 meals (correct serving size as we are trying to eat healthy and balanced) in the freezer of each thing. Meatballs we use a lot of in different dishes  I can get 10 meals (2 servings for dinner and one for Hubby's lunch ) out of the meatballs.

I canned 8 pints of spicy chili for Hubby and 8 pints of mild for myself and then had 2-12 oz jars on mixed chili for like Cinncy spag or nachos.This will last almost 3 mos and I made it from dried beans instead of ordering the cans of chili beans with sauce we prefer since it's no longer sold around here. Saved over $30 by doing that.

Our main problem out here in the boonies LOL, is when I am too tired(thanks to Heart failure) that I am not up to cooking and Hubby isn't always able with getting around for work in the evenings. If I have the entree done, he can handle the sides and dishes before he leaves.

At this point we are at $420 for groceries and eating out, 3 times eating out, once with friends who go to the Hong Kong buffet maybe every 6 wks. We had a coupon for 10% off  and then once fast food when we realized we weren't going to make it home in time for eat before Hubby had to go to work and then tonight is pizza from town (a treat) from our favorite place as Hubby is working Home Land Security all day and is already in town and I'm down sick. Nothing serious just enough to having me falling asleep in nothing flat but not staying asleep because I feel like CRAP. Already had the virus that is going around. I thought allergies but now since my allergy meds are not helping I got a feeling its a sinus infection that Doc thought was ending, I think it was just beginning.

Our health ins is changing. We are required to do certain preventive care and some activities to get it for free and they let us know it's changing it's policy but NOT what is changing except the preventive care remains the same. We talked about if it goes digital (they use fitbit) We will have to either suck up the cost to buy new cell phones and the bands or suck up the cost of the ins. Neither we can really afford at this time BUT the changes starts in Jan so we have time to save up if needed. Until Jan Hubby's company has set a program that everyone can do, it's eating more colors of fruit and veggies and more servings, drinking water and exercising more (steps to be exact) and weight goal through the holidays. Remaining the same weight counts.If you need to gain weight that counts also...it's not about losing weight but being healthy. Something as a retired personal chef I approve of and need to focus more on in my own life. I did get a list of the veggies and fruit for each color...and printed it off to see what I already had in the pantry and freezers and what I needed to look at getting put up to cover that activity Between what I have and what I normally buy, we are pretty well set except for fruit. .

I need to get back out in the gardens and clean them up, I saw blooms on a few plants the other day so I might get a second crop of tomatoes and such.

We have the last of the cash needed for Christmas gag gifts (almost 2 months early), and have started searching the internet once a week (otherwise we get sucked into pinterest for hours) for ways to give the cash that is different than what we have done in years past.

What have you done?