Cheapskate Saturday...what can/will you do today to save a dollar and/or a tree?
I'm going to an estate sale really!
Yesterday I was reading about all the things you can do with used coffee grounds. One of them was to put the grounds on Hydrangea plants, the soil loves it. That's my cheapskate tip for today, reuse those coffee grounds.
Have a great week-end!
Quote:
1. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights. 2. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse. 3. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.
4. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.
5. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
6. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.
7. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
8. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds. 9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.
10. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.
11. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.
12. Rub coffee grounds on hands to get rid of smells from chopping or cutting up pungent foods.
13. Make a used coffee grounds sachet. Fill old nylons or cheescloth with dry used coffee grounds. Hang in closets to absorb odors.
14. When you need an abrasive cleaner, coffee grounds can be used. Be careful of any surfaces that might stain.
15. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.
16. Got a fireplace? Sprinkle wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep from becoming engulfed in the plume of dust ashes create when you need to remove them.
17. Dye fabric, paper or Easter eggs. Simply add used coffee grounds to warm water and let sit a bit to create a dye.
18. After you give your dog a bath, rub coffee grounds through the coat of your pet. Coffee grounds are said to repel fleas. 19. Keep bait worms alive by mixing coffee grounds into the soil before you add worms. 20. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds.
Rosey ~ your chicken cabbage recipe sounds good. I tried the one with the turkey and grapes etc ~ that was yummy.
Isabella ~ I’ll trade you ~ I don’t mind sewing
CK ~ sorry to hear of your aunt’s troubles ~ she is lucky to have you nearby to help her. Cute picture of Sissy.
Bobbi ~ way to go on accomplishing your goals for the day. Thank you for sharing the coffee ground tips. A cold shoulder from Dr JA is ok by me ~ I’d just as soon not have to have any interaction at all with him.
Lynn and Zoe ~ how are you doing? Miss you.
Donna ~ were you able to be that little ray of sunshine and stay away from that cake? Hope the weather cools down for you. How is GM? How are SamCat and Sabrino? Way to go on the 4# loss
Freda ~ hope you have a good weekend at work and that the weather cools down for you too.
Rie ~ hope you are having an awesome time camping. So glad for your son that he got into that program of study. There should always be a need for someone who knows how to do stuff with computers.
Marie ~ hope your work pace is letting up for you. Hope your arm is feeling better.
Carol Sue ~ is the grandson the same one you mentioned the other day? Hope he stays out of harms way. On the topic of doctors ~ this comment came from my BIL who is a doctor ~ that it is not helpful to the patient for the doctors to yell at the nurses ~ because then the nurses are afraid to call the doctors and it is the patient who ends up suffering. The nurses you had should not have said negative things about your doctor in front you, but if he was nasty to them, I can’t blame them for their feelings. He might be awesome, but that does not make it ok for him to be nasty. Sorry ~ I can’t help my feelings on that topic.
K3 ~ hope that next storm just fizzles out, or goes in a direction away from you. Glad there hasn’t been anymore trouble with those mean neighbors and their dogs
Mary ~ thank you for sharing with us what you are reading. I have thought along the lines of what you mention with the desserts ~ sometimes I am successful at it, sometimes not. I try to stay away from that kind of stuff when I can, and just eat it at a party or gathering. In those situations, I feel better in control, because I don’t want to look like a pig in front of people. Glad you are feeling better.
Ginger ~ I can kind of identify with your husband and having to deal with the public at work. Most people are pretty nice, but the few who aren’t make you not particularly enjoy having to be around people.
Hi Lily ~ glad to see you back.
Am2 ~ sorry the heat got you up in the middle of the night. Hope you can rest better tonight.
Cajun ~ hope your neck is feeling better and that the heat is letting up a little for you
Red ~ hope your treadmill test went ok.
Andi ~ sorry to hear of your son’s injury ~ hope he heals well. You both hang in there.
Deelee ~ your lamb dinner sounded really tasty. Glad you got to enjoy the company of your son and his girlfriend. Hope your DH is hanging in there ok with his treatments.
The sun has been trying to come out and has finally made it. I’d better quit fooling around and get the laundry started. Hope you all have a good weekend.
1. Wash and hang laundry ✔
2. Wash floors and tidy the kitchen✔, living✔ & dining rooms✔
3. Clean bathroom✔
4. Unpack (finally) ✔
5. Hem DH's jeans
6. Alter MIL's slacks
You see, I know myself. As I alluded to on Friday the sewing did not get done. So, Gayle, I'm sending the pants to you, lol, and I'll do your bathroom.
Bobbi, I don't drink coffee, but all those things you can do with coffee grounds is amazing.
Mary, I've been skipping desserts in restaurants for years. It's not that I don't like them but they add an unusually high dollar amount to the bill and I also don't order soft drinks for the same reason. (There's my cheapskate tip of the day.) They just add so much to the bill and of course they are nutritionally empty. If I see a really good dessert on someone elses plate I'll make note of what it was and try to recreate it at home for a special meal. For some years now (when I'm good, hehe) I try to eat desserts only on the weekend as a treat. I keep really special things (high calorie) like cheesecake or carrot cake, etc for when I'm entertaining a large group so there won't be so much left over.
Another lovely day here. The weather predictions were for an unusually warm summer and they were right. Last summer was horrible so we were due this nice weather.
I'm doing a little domestic drudgery while I watch the last of 2nd season of Downton Abbey... I'm so much enjoying it!
Gayle - but, of course, I was a ray of sunshine at work! It's actually pretty easy, because I tend to enjoy people and am, um, like, a little irreverent, which isn't all bad. I did NOT touch the cake! I'm waiting for these huge globs of fat to miraculously fall off, though... isn't that what's supposed to happen when one quits eating sugar?
Any word on the complaint about Dr. SnippyBritches? And thanks for asking about GM. She's okay, I think, hanging in there. Sabrino and SamCat are both quite fine. Sabrino is letting me pick him up, with a tad more cuddling each time. We're not there yet, but we're making progress! SamCat is purely wonderful, a true specimen of kittenhood.
Bobbi - any news on the house sale? Did your realtor sober up enough to start setting up some lookers? Gawd... seems like that would be grounds for breaking your contract with him and moving on to someone else! Good luck!!
That's it... the allure of Downton Abbey is stronger than 3FC.... sorry about that ♥
Feeling better each day but not quite well, mostly very tired. We went to Costco (my first time out for a few days!) and I was exhausted by the time we were back in the car. I had planned to do some grocery shopping (at regular grocery store) too but was just too tired. So I'm back home resting.
Just ate 1/4 of a large apple..so so good, sweet and refreshing!
Retiredone - Most of those fancy restaurant desserts aren't worth their cost and calories, I agree! But there are a few that are very tasty...Beaches Restaurant has one I really love. Usually we only go there with family so I think of it as special. I don't think I could take the temptation of making one and having it around though so if I have dessert it is usually in a restaurant. I'm spending too much money but at least it does restrict me somewhat. I'm like Glynne I am not so likely to make a pig of myself in public...LOL...I usually share with dh.
Bobbi - We always use to put our coffee grounds in our compost but then we got a Keurig and we are too lazy to cut it out of the K-cup! Besides the smell gives me a headache....
Slmn11 - I agree about carrying them out, not just talking. I always said that's why God made children smaller than parents.so in those formative years at least, we can pick them up and put them where they need to be. Mine tended to be smaller and light which helped but we did have one who kicked and fought us so that it was still difficult at times but we did it and he turned out ok. I was quite the disciplinarian I guess, might even be found guilty of child abuse today, but they are turned out pretty well..and even though I have one who still has some issues with me, I know they all still love me, even that one. But now I don't know that I could do it all again. I have a feeling if I had to raise a child now I'd be much more lenient just because I'm old and tired.
100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle (paraphrased somewhat)
Eating because it's there - stop automatic eating. Tell yourself this magic line:
I DON'T EAT FOOD JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE.
Then catch yourself during those times when you reach of food simply becaue it came into your life of vision.
Learn how to ignore food instead of chasing it. For example: practice walking past the doughnut box or the grocery store samples without taking even a small taste. (WHAT?!!!) Do this everywhere you go, even if it looks good. Remind yourself you eat for two reasons: to fuel your body or to appreciate flavors. You DO NOT EAT just because the food is there.
If I'm So Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight by Brooke Castillo (paraphrased)
Self-Care Tool#3 Be Good Company
Sometimes we complain how others treat us, but how are you treating yourself? Do you like hanging out with yourself, do you give yourself enough attention? how do you talk to yourself? Do you really want to be around someone who talks negative about you all day? Yet we often tell ourselves you are fat, you are ugly, what's wrong with you, I don't like you, you have no wilpower, you are disgusting, dumb, need to get your act togher, lazy, will never be thin...
THIS IS NOT SOMEONE YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH
You can feel joy by remembering how wonderful YOU are. You won't NEED anyone else to tell you because you tell yourself every day. Some of us don't acknowledge ourselves and forget that our Creator doesn't make anything less than fabulous. Learn the skill of creating your own joy. Give yourself credit for everything you have done to survive. Give yourself a pat on the back and compliment yourself as you get out of bed, shower, look in the mirror...she is not talking about making things up, but thinking about the things about yourself that you do like and talking about them to yourself. Celebrate the truth about you. Enjoy being alone, because it gives you time to connect with yourself. Be great company to yourself and when others come it just adds to the party.
It is not arrogant to like yourself. Liking who you are is not about taking credit for being fabulous. It is just noticing and appreciating that you are by design and you are not the designer.
Dancing for joy, even if it is sitting dancing. Lost 3 pds this week. That's 16 pds for my 1st 3 weeks. I actually believe I can do this for the 1st time. This eating 5 small meals a day really works. I was doing it because the book said it raises metabolism, now I'm doing it because it keeps me from feeling hungry.
Bobbie: I'm glad you finally got your sewing done. That is one thing I never could master. I got a D in home ec. the semester we had to sew. I had to put the zipper in 7 times ! LOL! I'll pass along the coffee tips to my DD, nobody here drinks coffee.
Jess: Big congrats on not eating the cake.
Gayle: There's nothing like a happy daughters visit. I miss mine. I talk to and face book DDK, But DDL lives away from here with a phone that rarely workand no online service.I haven't heard from her for 7 wks so I just wrote her and sent her stamps-asked could she just drop a line and let me know she and the kids are still alive. How nice that you are so close to your mom, cherish that.
Last edited by healthyginger; 07-14-2012 at 08:43 PM.
Reason: forgot something
Happy Weekend everyone. its still rainy here. not too much going on. i just picked up the mail and got my books i won on e-bay. i like to read books that are a series. and i love mystererys and mayham. so i found the whole set of kay scarpetta books by Patricia cornwell . also went shopping with my dd. i found beach towels on sale for 2.99 and if you cut them in half(as they are so long) you get 2 towels after i hem them. i was pleased with my find. also we used our last pkg of moose burger so needed to get some burger. was shocked at the prices. a bulk pkg of beef burger was $16. have you found that your meat prices have increased or is it just here. also love fresh cherrys and bought a bag in spite of the fact that it cost me $11. ouch,i will enjoy every one. i received my 1st ss check. i was elated to have some money ofmy own. altho i paid quite a few bills with it,bought our perscriptions and afew groceries, it is still agreat feeling. congrats on all who are loosing and staying on track. i woke up in the wee hrs last nite and was hungry, and there next to my dh chair sat a tub of wall mart cheese balls. need i say more. Tootsie and i enjoyed them too. im sure i will pay for my oops. hoping your evenings cool and peaceful. rosey
Just a quick hello to all as am still in exercise mode for the morning. Need to work again today but it'll be brief. Had to pop on and say to Maryea I really enjoyed the post about the readings this morning, especially needed to read this today: "Learn the skill of creating your own joy. Give yourself credit for everything you have done to survive."
The advice about learning to walk by food and ignore was very good. I practiced things like that during my major weight loss and have somehow gotten away from doing those kinds of exercises and they really help. Will be implementing this in some manner in my new plan.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,394
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Bobbi - What you put in your soil with your hydrangeas dictates whether they will bloom blue/purple or pink. Acidic soil ( coffee grounds) will make them bloom blue, alkeline soil (lime) will make them bloom pink.
I also wanted to answer your question about reading library books on your computer. If your library has a program of lending e-books, you go onto their website, sign in by entering your library card number, and download the e-book. It will then appear in your downloads. You can open it and read it from there. At this point, I transfer them to my e-reader and read them from there, but someone who didn't have an e-reader could read them from their computer, and a laptop would be more convenient.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,394
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Gayle - I agree with you about nasty doctors. Yelling at the nurses is not going to make them to co-operate. I don't think my doctor yelled at the nurses or treated them poorly. From what they said about him, it seems that he was a stickler for them doing things the way he wanted them done and when he wanted. I can't imagine him yelling or being mean to anyone. One nurse said he was anal and wanted everything done HIS way. Well, he was the doctor and wanted what was best for his patient. I asked the nurse why I was awakened at 4 AM for labs and my roommate didn't get her labs done until 7 AM. The said that my doctor wanted the results to be available to him when he came in at 8 AM every morning. He was just very particular about things and it annoyed the nurses. I can understand the nurse's point of view. They have a lot of other patients that need care, too and they have too much to do. As a patient I saw it as him wanting the best care for me, but I often wonder what he's like as a husband....is he that demanding at home? LOL
Carol Sue...thanks for the tip on blue hydrangea, e-book downloads from the library. Will check into it some day when I have a little time.
Rosey....when we used the last of our wild game burger I made my own. Some of the game meat that is odds and ends I freeze into packages and mark 'stew'. I thaw out a package, take the time to cut off all the sinewy icky stuff and grind it up. Then purchase a beef roast on sale, cut off all the fat, grind that up and mix together with the game meat. I usually get 6-8 (8oz)packages to re-freeze of ground meat. Sometimes I'll buy a pork roast when on sale, it takes an hour to cut off all the fat but the end meat is pure pork. We can eat a pound of ground meat easily but in my cheap-skate mode I started freezing it in 8 oz. packages. Then when I made a recipe that calls for one pound of burger, I re-constitute TVP in beef bouillon and mix it into the ground burger to expand the meat to one pound. TVP has no taste to it, it taste like beef burger if you constitute it in beef broth. DH knows it's in there but can't tell which is the real meat or the TVP. Anyone that doesn't know what TVP is, Textured Vegetable Protein. We buy it at the organic food coop but I see some grocery store carry it also. Don't try to eat it by itself, BLAND.
Donna, it's a dead market for homes in our area and I don't worry about it. I'm prepared to sit on our house for a couple of years because we're not backing down on our price. And we have all the time in the world to sell it. Hopefully someone else will buy the townhouse DH insisted on putting a retainer fee on. Stairs, no way
Ginger...either you have the patience and knack for sewing or you don't. I loved sewing in home economics, loved the cooking even more. I can still remember some of the first items we baked, hot baking powder biscuits with butter and honey. Yummy. We also scored grapefruit, drizzled with honey/red cherry and put under the broiler. Unexpectedly good. I loved the part about setting a proper table with linen, folding the napkins and the proper way of setting the silverware next to the plate. I still go behind my dd and turn the blades of the knife toward the plate. I don't think they teach that anymore in the schools.
Amara...in learning the skills to create your own joy, sometimes that's hard when you live with a grump. Even tho I love DH dearly, he's usually in a grumpy mood. I was talking to DD a couple days ago about her dad's usual funk. I think growing up as a single kid spoiled him for life. He gets so frustrated that he can't hunt like he used to. (not physically, money wise) Rosey...you know what I'm talking about here. I am very good at ignoring him and his constant scowl.
I copied off a cartoon in the paper about a guy sitting on the back steps with his neighbor. He said to him, "Opal's mad at me. Neighbor: What for? DH: I have absolutely no idea. She never tells me why shes' mad at me. She just gives me the silent treatment. That used to bother me, but now I just look at it as a mini-vacation."
I can relate.
Mary...I'm not alone, have DH 24/7 but some times I tune him out. Sounds like I don't like being married, I do. Just not 24/7, I need my own space.
Quote:
Enjoy being alone, because it gives you time to connect with yourself. Be great company to yourself and when others come it just adds to the party.
I have raisin cinnamon bread in the bread maker today. I never buy raisin bread at the store, too expensive. Now DH can have all he wants.
Yesterday for my frugal Saturday tip? I shopped for as many items as I could get at the Dollar Tree. Great buy on vinegar, Uncle Ben's rice, lid with mesh to cover spattering meat/bacon, lite Italian salad dressing, canned salmon, Italian bread crumbs to name a few. Oh, I almost forgot the jigsaw puzzles, pick up a couple...only a buck each.
Glynne...how's it going today? Too hot to exercise in your area? Take my advise, don't.
Isabella...I see you're making progress on our road trip. I've finally in Colorado, took forever to get across Nebraska.
Hello Gals. Another lovely day here. I am so loving the summer.
I finally got that wretched sewing done. MIL will have her pants to wear to the wedding and DH's jeans are ready to wear. It took most of the morning by the time I went to MIL's for a fitting before I cut anything permanently. I ironed her jacket, blouse and pants as well as her eyesight is bad and she didn't even realize there were any wrinkles in the clothing.
Bobbi, I made a "meat" loaf from tvp just the other day. I used a meat loaf recipe that I had and subbed the tvp for the ground beef. This particular recipe used bread cubes, eggs, shredded carrots, onions and milk so it held together quite nicely. I also soaked the tvp with a bouillon cube. From what I can remember about the taste of real meat loaf this one was reminiscent of the real thing.
I ate so much yesterday I thought I was going to be sick. I hadn't planned on this of course. We had a very nice dinner (lunch) with dessert and I was feeling quite full and contented and planned on skipping supper or just eating a piece of fruit. Then we visited DH's brother and SIL and she decided to invite us to supper and had made a vegetarian spaghetti especially so we could eat with them. Well, of course we stayed after she went to all that trouble for us. DH was hungry and enjoyed his meal and another dessert but I could not finish the spaghetti or the cheese bread. She served a nice tossed salad before the meal and I ate that but even then I was beginning to feel overly full but I soldiered on and started on the large plateful of spaghetti but had to push back the plate before it was all gone. Needless to say, the dessert was politely refused but by then I was almost groaning in pain (not out loud). I was still feeling full at midnight. My stomach must be shrinking as I seldom leave anything on my plate. I skipped breakfast this morning to give everything a rest but ate dinner.
I've got to get on the bike in a few minutes as I've got a ways to go before I reach Colorado Springs. I might make it by Christmas!
Hi everyone. i just tried a new "hungry girl" recipe and i really liked it so im going to share.
canolli french toast bites
1 ww hot dog bun(or low cal ww bread)
3 T lofat ricotta
1 pkg splenda
1 capful vanilla
2 t mini choc chips
sprinkel of cinammon
egg beaters
mix cheese,chips,vanilla,splenda,cinm
fill hot dog bun
cut into 4
dip in egg beaters
brown in pan with cooking spray
serve with sf syrup
228 calories
it was so yummy,i ate half with coffee,felt like eating a fancy deseart. rosey
It is a nice sunny day right now ~ was rainy earlier.
Has been a busy, tiring couple days, but good ones. Sara and Maddie showed up here yesterday around noon ~ Sara wanted to get out of the house and have a break from her DH (not dear at the time). He is out of work, but continues to spend money they don’t have with no regard to mounting bills etc.
We went to the library, then went to a movie she had wanted to take Maddie to (my treat ~ didn’t feel like I was bad ~ I hadn’t been to a movie since the “90’s) We saw Ice Age ~ Continental Divide. It was cute and just the fun we all needed.
Then, Sara had been invited by a friend to visit, so she picked up DGS Corbin to go with her. I told Sara she could leave Maddie here over night if she wanted to. Corbin is 14 and at an age where you can have nice conversations with him, so I though that would be a nice chance for them to get to visit.
Maddie and I had fun ~ watched TV, played games, baked brownies. Fun, but tiring. She behaved nicely. We went to bed ~ she has seen my C-pap, but not been with me when I wore it. She told me to put it on, so I did, then she told me to take it off ~ that I looked like an alien ~ LOL.
Carol Sue ~ in response to your comment about your doctor: “I can't imagine him yelling or being mean to anyone.” I hope your doctor is as nice to the nurses as he is to you. I have seen it happen though ~ a doctor will just have finished taking a nurses head off and then go in to the patient and is all sweet as pie ~ the patient doesn’t have a clue what he is like to the nurses. Like a Jeckel and Hyde.
I’m sorry, I will try to spare you all any further of my growling about the dr’s.
I’d better quit procrastinating, gotta do some getting ready to go back to work stuff. Hope you all have had a good weekend.
really!
Dancing for joy, even if it is sitting dancing. Lost 3 pds this week. That's 16 pds for my 1st 3 weeks. I actually believe I can do this for the 1st time.
Big congrats on not eating the cake.
dr’s.
