Frugal Friday

I was very excited about this week's Frugal Friday because I hit the jackpot big time in the savings department!  My husband took a job as a pastor of a new church back at the end of December.  We are right on Lake Ontario and this has been a hard winter.  So, needless to say, we haven't done a whole lot of exploring.  I mean, who wants to go out when it snows every single day! ;-)

Anyway, we decided to check out a local market called, Ontario Orchards.  I really wasn't expecting much.  After all, how much produce can one have in the dead of winter?  I was wrong.  What an awesome store!  Not only did they have a lot of fresh produce, but dried fruits, nuts, canning supplies, local soaps, maple syrup equipment, wine and beer making supplies.  I could have spent all day in there and I showed great restraint because I only walked away with two items.

Okay, now to get to the point and share my savings this week. 

$ I purchased a bushel of apples for $6!!  That translates into $.14 a lb.  Wowzers!!!  I'm in apple and frugal heaven.  So today will be spent merrily peeling some for the freezer and some for sauce.  And sharing some with a few friends.



$ They also had a 50 lb. bag of red potatoes for $17.  Oh yes, I am heading back to get that.

$ I clipped the bunny's nails myself.  And if you think this is easy, think again.  Clipping the nails of a squirming, unhappy rabbit is enough to drive your blood pressure up.  I finally got all but one done, and of course went too low.  Blood everywhere (poor thing)!  But I made a paste of cornstarch and water and viola! a cheap way to stop the bleeding.

$ I cut my son's hair and saved $15.

$ I'm doing my daughter's nails for her dance tonight and saving another $15.

$ Corned beef was on sale for $1.99 per lb. so I bought two packages and froze one.  I would have purchased more but it's really not healthy so I stuck with two.

$ Found a huge picnic pork roast on sale for $1.89 per lb. and bought it.  It was more than we would ever eat by ourselves, but I roasted it for our small group who meets here for dinner and Bible study.  So it fed 10 people that night, we had some for lunch yesterday and tonight I'm making pulled pork to use up the rest.

$ I didn't just save money, but made some money this week.  I had an Etsy sale, as well as selling some books at a ladies group I was invited to speak at last night.   They asked me to bring both of my devotional books which was a nice surprise.

$ I turned in my application to participate in a local farmer's market through the summer so that will bring in some income as well.

Now, to share two of my favorite books with you.  Both of these were gifts so they didn't cost me anything.  But I turn to them many times when I want some inspiration.



The first is Homemade: 702 Ways to Save Money and the Earth by Reader's Digest and the second is Loving Well on a Shoestring by Yankee Magazine.  They are packed with wonderful ideas, recipes, and ways to save money.

I love doing the Frugal Friday posts because it keeps me motivated.  For more ideas and inspiration, you can go to Rebecca's blog.