DG's frugal journal

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Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Saturday am

I haven't posted for a few days. I have not done much, just maintain. Not normal for me to be this sluggish. The eye has continued to ache although it looks fine. Mild body aches and a bad knee. Well, I put on my big knee brace at night and it has meant reduced swelling during the day. A puzzle.

I have really had a struggle determining the best way to handle the new back patio. I am surprised at that. I have a number of options and I seem to not clearly see the solution. Frustrating.

The leaves are falling fast and furiously. Next week, I will feel better about my eye and ready to risk dust. So get out the leaf blower and get it done, at least momentarily.

I am waiting for my first of the year, $5 off coupon from Home Depot. Maybe it is good that it has not arrived. I had planned to have all the termite poison stakes in by now, but I have been indecisive. So I still have quite a few unplanted.

Taking personal stock of self. Weight is about the same, but muscle tone is down due to being lazy. I considered starting group dance lessons today, but I am feeling tired from a poor nights sleep. Well, hopefully good meals will up my energy levels.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Monday am

The immediate in the way of the important. But how important was that other stuff anyways? I do want to have the handyman build another shed and windows for the south end of the porch. But the leaves are falling and that feels more urgent at the moment. Now that my eye injection should be healed, I feel that I need to deal with the leaves. This week, leaves. A good stay at home, frugal project.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Wednesday am

Filled up all my available trashcans with leaves. Did one ditch area and half the south section of the front yard. And there are still a lot of leaves to fall. Of course, there is the north front yard and the entire back yard. But they will wait until later.

I am glad that there is nothing I must have at the store for meals. The weekly ad flyers are already in the trash. I have a final avocado to eat and tonight is chili which will use up a can of hurricane beans and a can of chopped tomatoes. Another frozen hatch pepper and a pound of my on sale ground beef. Frugal eating can be so tasty.

Tomorrow will be the final pot roast with pinto beans (cooked from dry, 79c/lb) and Brussel sprouts. another healthy meal. It is supposed to remain cold another night after that. I am thinking I may need the furnace. sigh. It was going to happen eventually. I don't know what I will cook. Look through the freezer and see.

It is time to put up the plastic curtains on the front window. And put a towel over the small kitchen window. Cover the rest of the windows up with a bit more stuff. This should be an interesting experience. I could put plastic up on the back porch windows, but it looks like we will only have about 15 days of cold weather for the entire winter, January and February. That may not be worth the cost. As long as I can keep the central house warm that should be enough.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thursday am

Temperature drop was as expected. House has stayed nice and warm, but it will slowly drift down and need the heat. Tonight is pot roast. And time to get a whole turkey from the freezer. I am ready for turkey. I used an ace bandage last night instead of the brace on my knee. The previous night, something got irritated by the brace. I may have put the ace on a bit tight. My lower leg seemed a bit puffy when I woke up. Fine now and the knee is doing great.

Not an outside day, it seems. So some sewing is on my mind. I did not like the material I saw at Walmart, so I will continue to look around for the right curtain fabric. I need to rethink the use of the old socks. I intended to make them into draft stoppers, but I am using towels and I have a lot of towels, so I really don't need them under doors. Well, this will be a brain teaser for sure. Good time to declutter too.

The cold weather seems to start at the beginning of the week days and end on Friday next week. My walking neighbor only walks on weekdays, so not walking next week most likely. She is the one who is a bit depressed and talking while walking is helpful to her, but she draws her lines about walking. So be it.

I haven't started any garden plants. Last year, I toted them in and out of the cold and they still died from late blight. So I will not do that again. Lesson learned. Weather here is sneaky. A couple of volunteers have popped up. They are on their own. The azalea I bought on the clearance rack are blooming nicely. The 3 I saved from the street have buds, so we will see. Other flowers are doing their thing now and them without much care. I am into building right now.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Friday am

Heat is turned on and came on once yesterday during the day. I did use the crockpot to roast a pot roast and that was enough heat to keep the house warm. Only about a 10 degree delta though the day. And the house cools with a 2 hour delay apparently. Last night, it never got below 67F, so the heat never came on. The house was set to 65F for sleeping. I now have it at 69F and the outside temperature is 44F, so the delta is 20+ degrees and the heat has come on several times. It is behaving according to the mathematical model. Excellent.

I will add the plastic curtains to the living room picture window before the next cool down and see what that does. That is where the heat loss is coming. I can feel it when I walk into that room. Also put up the shutters on the northeast windows. We have an estimated 3 weeks of winter. By mid February, it should be over.

By mid February, I should have thawed and cut up both whole turkeys in the freezer. Probably cooked the breasts and thighs and be back on chicken, fish and ground beef skillet meals. Finished up the turkey bone soups as well.

I started making my planting trays by cutting up saved cardboard toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Continue to work on that. I don't feel the need to get out the plants early, so no planting for awhile. Taking care of plants requires time and right now I am into building things.

I should have the back patio finished this weekend, weather permitting. That will be nice. Another bunch of leaves raked up I hope as well. More termite poison stakes put in. always lots to do.

The drippings off the pot roast along with the beans will make a bean soup. I plan to add a bit of turkey bacon to it as well. So that will be dinner tomorrow. Janet has been an inspiration for being more creative in the kitchen. She is amazing.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by alliesmama4 »

Dgflorida wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 8:04 am Friday am

Heat is turned on and came on once yesterday during the day. I did use the crockpot to roast a pot roast and that was enough heat to keep the house warm. Only about a 10 degree delta though the day. And the house cools with a 2 hour delay apparently. Last night, it never got below 67F, so the heat never came on. The house was set to 65F for sleeping. I now have it at 69F and the outside temperature is 44F, so the delta is 20+ degrees and the heat has come on several times. It is behaving according to the mathematical model. Excellent.

I will add the plastic curtains to the living room picture window before the next cool down and see what that does. That is where the heat loss is coming. I can feel it when I walk into that room. Also put up the shutters on the northeast windows. We have an estimated 3 weeks of winter. By mid February, it should be over.

By mid February, I should have thawed and cut up both whole turkeys in the freezer. Probably cooked the breasts and thighs and be back on chicken, fish and ground beef skillet meals. Finished up the turkey bone soups as well.

I started making my planting trays by cutting up saved cardboard toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Continue to work on that. I don't feel the need to get out the plants early, so no planting for awhile. Taking care of plants requires time and right now I am into building things.

I should have the back patio finished this weekend, weather permitting. That will be nice. Another bunch of leaves raked up I hope as well. More termite poison stakes put in. always lots to do.

The drippings off the pot roast along with the beans will make a bean soup. I plan to add a bit of turkey bacon to it as well. So that will be dinner tomorrow. Janet has been an inspiration for being more creative in the kitchen. She is amazing.
Thanks Dg.. I have never been a cook but I am working at it more and more and enjoying the activity and saving more money.. Good luck with your creative eating.
Janet Alliesmama
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