FRUGAL

My brother called (always know it's bad when he calls instead of texts) Daddy was not breathing well and the nursing home sent him to the hospital... Covid test came back NEGATIVE. He has a UTI and pneumonia, still bad for a 93 yr old man. He improved to the point he could talk (which he doesn't do much of anyways) without losing his breath and hasn't improved in the last 5 days. Hubby and I are getting a text once a day of the status he is at.

I reused canning lids for dry goods, I write a capital D on it in magic marker.

I bought Tattler canning lids, I was told to practice canning water first as it has a learning curve as you can't fill the jars as much and be careful of how tight the metal band is.I am canning tomato sauce this week so I figure to do a couple different size jars with water and see how it goes. I had a person who is going into assistant living give me her canning jars. I gave the regular mouth quarts to M and kept the wide mouth (M doesn't use them) for myself.

I reused a piece of foil 5 times. I used silicone covers for my bowls instead of plastic wrap. 

Son 2 needs to borrow the truck (Red is now it's name) while his car is in the shop... he is trying to get it scheduled so it works with my doc appt in the same area to save both of us money.

Son 2 left his change bag in my car when he gave it back. He finally told me to keep it as he didn't want to brother to change it in at the machine in the grocery store. I bought 3 food saver bag rolls, 3 lbs of Almond flour and a miracle grow universal feeder for the pump house hose from his change. I have 2 cents left LOL. It was over $75. Daughter 4 told Son 2 next time to meet her when she picks up her son at school and she will take it to the store and give him back half. I told him to ask the VFW that he is an officer for if they wanted to buy the change.

I now wrap the green onions I harvest in a dish towel instead of a paper towel. I pick what we are eating each day. 

I turned ceiling fans and floor fans on where Wilbur lays when the house is at 80 (he is old and can't handle the heat, Rascal is a year younger and black but he hunts for shaded spots instead of the sun like Wilbur)and not turn the AC. Cheaper to run 110*fans* that 220*AC*I also close curtains that are on the side of the sun.If it's to be hot 75 and above in the mornings, I don't open the east curtains,I'll open the west instead. and then around 1 pm when the sun gets to the west side I close them and open the east side. That way I am not turning on lights or using the oil lamp to see.

Last night and tonight the night temps are in the high 40s or low 50s. The furnace was turned on when I went to bed and Hubby turned it off at 7 when the outside was up to 60. We will do the same tonight.IF we get the house up to 75 with sun light during the day, it will hold around 62-65 thru the night without the furnace.

Our electric bill was down $25.

Our summer fill of propane was 50 cents/gal cheaper.(300 gals for 1 tank.) We buy a set amount at a certain price each fall. If its higher we still don't pay more but if it's cheaper we get the cheaper price at the time of the fill. We have enough credit for 2 tanks to be filled... but it was a really warm winter for us. So we will ordered the set amount again (4 tanks or 2000 gals)and use the credit to help pay for it.

E came over and helped put up barb wire (he gave us the wire in exchange for watering his 2 horses) He also gave us some clips to fix the wire fence we have along the pond side of the land.I told Hubby to pick up some plastic zip ties for the rest of that fence. Cheaper than metal straps and it holds the dogs in.

I submitted a claim on the RRA medical acct we still have from Hubby's old employer. By the end of this year we will have that closed as there isn't much left in it. 

A friend lost my PH/moist/light meter and replaced it finally. I now can check to see if something needs watered BEFORE I water. Saves water and my time.

I told Hubby we were out of carrots, celery, heavy cream,half and half, buttermilk, almost milk, fresh fruit (H another Amish neighbor gave us some strawberries). I asked Hubby if I should use what we have stored in pantry as canned, dried or frozen and he thought about it for 2 days and decided we would not eat it because he fears of a second and possible third round of the virus and loss of income as this month he has not made enough to pay the out go and had to use saving to cover it. July will be the same (it's the "down" month along with the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's day). 

M is giving me head lettuce and I have leaf lettuce coming in. I have radishes, turnips and green onions coming in. Kale,baby spinach are also coming in. The Swiss chard did not grow 😕😞

Yesterday morning we went to the store. Those that didn't have mask were making sure they were practicing social distance. The store didn't have arrows (said it didn't work anyways as most forgot to follow them). Kids told me to plan on 2 hrs in store. We spent 1 1/2 hrs. I had to walk slower than normal to stay at social distance even though I had a mask on.

I went through and got veggies and fruit. I had several coupons and things were on sale. Hubby checked out with that cart while I did the meat and dairy.I had coupons for all the meat and it was on sale. Dairy, I focused on expiration dates at least 3 wks out even if it meant I paid more. Means I won't have to go back except for a gal of milk and I won't have something going bad within a week.

I bought my tomatoes from N who we bought the house from. He has a green house that he uses to start his plants and then opens it up when it gets warm. His plants are IN GROUND. His tomatoes were a bit more than the store but I try to buy from the Amish as first I know where it's grown and how and two is supports the community.

Still we saved 25% almost 26% on the total and have points for fuel. Hubby uses the fuel points for Red (Chevy truck) and Jeep. 

I prepped produce for salads including fruit salads.

I will prep meat Monday(tomorrow) so the packages they came in go straight out to the road with the trash. That will pretty much stop the running to town for something because I side tracked and forgot to thaw something and put in marinade and then put it on to cook.

I have made a list of 30 different salads and we have all the ingredients to make them. I started the list with the salads we eat at our favorite restaurants or fast food places. Added a few of the "bistro" salads that I have ate at Son 2's. Watch about 2 wks from now we will run out of lettuce since the storm destroyed what I had planted for next month.I need to find a different pot to put lettuce and one to start Swiss chard in.

 I made a list of different meals we can eat that I can have at least half prepped if not all the way prepped.

We have a township clean up day in a couple weeks. I told Hubby we have some things he was going to take to the dump that we needed to gather them and take them on the clean up day for free. We also will have scrap metal to go to the scrap yard, we won't get much out of that but better than paying for it to be taken away.

I have 8 medical bills coming in with another 5 within 3 months and a large vet bill within a week or so... money is very tight.

How are things on your end?