Last of June First of July frugal

Used Listerine, apple cider vinegar and water to dissolve callus on feet and hands..even Hubby is now doing this.

Used geranium essential oil mixed with safflower oil for muscle pain. 

My ENT told me to quit using tissues for my nose bleeds (at least once a day for 2 wks) and use TP that it would stop it faster. Not only did it stop it faster... after 2 days I haven't had a nose bleed since. He thinks I was allergic to the lotion in the tissue as it was not a bad bleeder.  Generic saline spray a couple times of day (can't do nasal rinse as they cause headaches) and things are good in that area.

Ate lettuce, radishes, strawberries and onions out of the gardens, peas out of M's gardens and tomatoes out of N's hoop house.  Covered blackberries and blueberries with bird netting .Have small green paste tomatoes, beans have blooms , onions are starting to have dried tips but I don't think the Brussels sprouts are going to make. Battles with bugs every day. Started getting blackberries about a hand full a day. M gave me zucchini.

Put up electric fence to protect sweet corn from deer and coons.Thought if we shocked them now they would leave it alone with the corn started making.IT's on solar power instead of our electric.

Our township had a clean up day that accepted any trash our normal trash didn't take in weekly trash pick up (no commercial or hazard stuff and 8 tire limit) we took enough that would have put 1 layer across the floor of a single car garage. Since it was OUR trash company I asked what we saved ...around $250 of extra charges.We kept enough cardboard to finish the air barrier in the last 2 attics.Cardboard was over whelming. 

Sent in medical claims to RRA for reimbursement.Since I already paid these bills I will put the money towards Aug bills( which includes the propane order for winter heating) as we just paid off July that needed checks written and the rest is auto withdraw.Last month we had to use household money to cover the business bills... Mid June to mid July is a slow time without a pandemic and Mid Nov to late Jan is another one. Hubby made half of what was needed so that wasn't bad.He is picking up one time haul jobs to help fill in the lack in the steady work.

Bought clothes from ThredUp using a discount code, finding pants that actually fit me without hemming or taking in. 

We bought a $4800 motorcycle for $3200.... we were looking to upgrade and hadn't found anything we liked and in our price range( cash not loan) as the bike we have now was good for Hubby to take back and forth to work when he was in the factory  but not really comfortable for us to do any riding. We both have license and have rode since we were kids. Son 2 was going to trade his in as he went to a Honda goldwing trike (bad knee) and sold us his for what they were going to give him for trade in. Since we both have been on this bike we know it will work for us. We hope in a few years he will upgrade his trike and we will get to buy the one he just got. We already started that kitty. LOL We can ride the bike to go see his parents, if we go some where with them we always take their car as neither can get in and out of our car very well (Jeep is small) and they can't climb up in either truck.We can use it to visit the kids or go riding with Son 2

Hubby asked why I was using the kitchen porch clothes line on such a nice day instead of the yard clothes line . I had him stand at the kitchen window and took down one of the shirt off the line. The sun blasted him in the eyes. Blocks the sun out of the kitchen and keeps the house cooler. I keep an old white shower cloth curtain that I hang on that porch to block the sun from the dogs water to help keep it from getting as hot also blocks the sun from the bedroom. We check the morning temp... if it's going to be lower than 76 we turn off the AC (we only run it in afternoons and evenings) and open the windows to allow the cooler night air to come in. I've shut the windows and curtains on days of NO breeze and kept the house around 78 doing that without the AC. until around 1 pm.  I always check the windmill to see where the wind is coming from to know which side of the house to open.Yard clothes line is for towels, bedding etc that are too big for the kitchen line.

I still would like to have 24 cans of mushrooms (or 12 large), 14 cans of spinach and 2 gals. of apple cider vinegar.IF I get fresh apples and fresh pears this fall and  3-4 pie pumpkins we will be in great shape. I still am cooking down last year's tomato juice for sauce. I even have essential oils, etc to make my own hand sanitizer and cleaners as I KNOW this pandemic is going to last at LEAST another 6 months (they all last at least a year if not 2 yrs) and things are most likely turn worse this fall rather than better. I am now seeing majors order masks to be worn by ALL when in the city  when people are out. I think we are headed for another shut down.

I took some masks that Son 2 had that was too big and he wanted ties instead of elastic and remade them for him. He had some ribbon that a friend of his gave him as she sews and I used it for his ties. NO money for either of us.

I use my meter to gauge how much to water the gardens. Helps to not over or under water. Saves water and electric running the pump. I don't pay for water or sewage but we are very careful as the water table dropped really low last year and a few around us had to pay for water to be hauled in as their wells were not deep enough. 

I use the air fryer to bake and I use it OUTSIDE so it doesn't heat up the house. It will raise the temp in the kitchen 10 degrees. I used the grill for meat and some of the sides, been eating more cold meals than hot anyways. I have about one more week of salad and then I will have to wait for it to grow again as the heat wave is going to bolt what I have. Ham salad, chicken salad, chef salads, cold meat in tortilla wraps have been pretty common.I did grill some extra meat last week and tossed it in the freezer to be reheated in the microwave if needed. We have taken to eating our dinner on the kitchen porch and morning coffee on the deck (west side of house).

I put lemon peel and slices in the dehydrator. I put lemon zest and slices in the freezer and I juiced the last of the lemons and froze the juice in a ice cube tray.

I chopped what was left up and put it in the gardens. 

I found Tattler wide mouth rings AND  regular mouth. Had to wait as they were on back order but they have finally came in. I was told to practice canning with them with jars of water as you need more head room and you don't tighten them as tight as a regular canning lid... sounds like a learning curve but that is okay. If I decide I don't care for them I already know who I can give them too that already uses them.

I finished dehydrating the butternut squash from last fall. 

We watched fireworks from our porch as the neighbor down a few houses set some  (not big ones) off for the kids in the neighborhood since our local ones were cancelled. My brother sent a video of the ones he was at.

Hubby found spinach for 54 cents/ can and mushrooms for 64 cents for 8 oz can and cannellini beans for 56 cent/ can and bought enough to finish the pantry. YEA!!!!

How is it going for you?