Frugal Friday to wrap up the week.

The ways I have been frugal this week…

No grocery shopping

I am trying to clean out my fridge of leftovers. So I decided to not go grocery shopping this week. And it’s amazing how much food can come out of the refrigerator when really there is no new input. So this week has been great for saving money on groceries, and getting the refrigerator clean, and to make sure no food is wasted. I am guilty of having leftovers tucked in the back of the fridge with plans of using them in some way of the other (roasted veggies for wraps, sauce for eggs or pasta, rice for making fried rice etc.). Most times I remember them, and am happy to use them creatively. But sometimes I do forget. But a clean out like this week is great for not forgetting anything sitting at the back for too long, because the choices of food is much reduced with no newcomers from the grocery store. Now I am thinking I will plan a refrigerator clean out on a usual basis- every month or so? And save me some grocery money too!

I reused and repurposed partially used sketchbooks

I have a number of partially used sketchbooks from the time I used to homeschool my son. I love to see his childish scribbles and attempts at writing in those sketchbooks. But they also have a number of pages unused. So rather than putting them away for sentimental reasons, or getting rid of them because they are “used” (but not used up!), I just paper clip the used pages, give the sketchbook a title based on how I plan to use it, and start using the rest of the pages like I’m starting fresh. The paper clipped pages are still there for me to look back on if I ever feel like it. And I am still getting good use out of them. I am very tempted by notebooks, journals and sketchbooks when I visit a stationary or art supply store. But I am keeping that urge and my money in control knowing I have lots of paper at home to use up. 

Library Books

My need to read books is immense. It’s a part of everyday life, without fail. Which means, I am a big user of the Public Library…coz if I didn’t, I either couldn’t read much, or I’d be BROKE! So thank you Toronto Public Library for keeping me so well supplied with my drug of choice, all for free (Ok, I guess we pay in taxes, but still…)! I am returning and checking out books every week. And sometimes, I order them the moment I return them so I can have a book I refer to a lot for a LONG time, unless there are holds of course, in which case I have to share with other folks in my city. That’s ok…sharing is caring.

Using up frozen berries

We bought a BIG basket of wild blueberries at the farmer’s market at the Byward Market in Ottawa last summer. I had no plans for these berries as such. They just looked so amazing! I know that was not very frugal of me, but they were the best kind of blueberries for not a bad price. Well, we ate some them, and I froze the rest. Now I eat them in my bowl of cottage cheese and banana and pumpkin seed breakfast. I let them thaw for 5-10 minutes in my bowl before eating them, and they are OH SO AMAZING! The little pops of juicy coolness work perfectly in my bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and I feel happy that the berries are getting used up and appreciated!

I am also using up the frozen raspberries from my backyard from last summer. Because they are so very tart, they get used more for baking- baked oatmeal- or smoothies. 

Mending

My mittens are years and years old. They are my super warm mittens that come out in the dead of winter and keep me cozy. But you can tell they are getting old. From all the holes they are developing. That gives me a perfect opportunity to practice one of my favourite frugal skill of mending! I fixed the holes they were developing on the thumb, and now they are ready for me to deal with the next winter…How amazing. More money saved from buying new mittens, and more importantly, the landfill saved of these mittens ending up there any time soon!

Those are my frugal wins of the week. What are yours?

I will be taking next week off from blogging for March Break. See you after that!