Monday Message

"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)

I get my groceries once a month. For those who go more often, you have been watching the price go up but let me tell you when you go once a month it seems to be a very huge shock. It isn't that I am not watching but watching is one thing, paying is ouch.

We have a budget like everyone with a set dollar amount and I feel like I stay at the mark but get half as much and the higher they go the harder I have to work.

We do pick-up for groceries which is good for many reasons. When I am putting the order together (like I said, we have a set dollar amount) I can delete as I need to, plus rearrange my menu planning. So then it is Russian Roulette if you even get those things and that is another juggle to the menu. Some things they can substitute, others you can't get at all. While I hate doing it, I am thankful I can do it and that I have skills which is where the harder work comes in.  

Finding the more frugal recipes and making our bread items, cooking from scratch - it can all be a work out. Each month that passes with big increases the less one can get, the further you must stretch things. I feel like I have been frugal but I think being even more frugal may be the theme for this year.

That being said, I want you to still be trying to get in a little extra, granted it is way harder at this time but try to get one thing extra, like a bag of pasta, or flour, or bottle of oil, or bag of beans, or rice...basic things, not fast food things as they cost so much more.

Look at the things you are getting and ask, can I make it myself? Can I substitute something else? For example, instead of boxed cereal how about rice, or oatmeal, or toast, or muffins, or pancakes (one can make a lot of pancakes for the price of a box of cereal). Just something to think about because I feel it could be a stretch before things get better.

February is finally here. Soon it will be time that we could plant veggies and such. Think on ways you could grow things. If you don't have the spot to grow, check out container gardening.

https://www.thespruce.com/vegetable-container-gardening-for-beginners-848161 - here is a good place to start.

https://thefrugalgirls.com/recipes-from-my-kitchen - do some searching for frugal recipes.

http://mennoniterecipes.blogspot.com/ - they have great recipes, this is where I got the platz recipe from. It's one of our family's favorites.

https://iowasue.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_22.html - has suggestions on using things up.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2018/11/monday-message.html - ideas on stocking the basics in your pantry.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2018/04/monday-message_23.html - I find my frugal recipes in old church cookbooks.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2013/11/monday-message_11.html - in here I cut up towels that were old to use for wash cloths.

We need to use everything to its fullest.

What celery I have leftover I dry for later use, this saves it from having to be tossed.

When you are about to use an orange, grate the rind off and dry. This you could just dry on a dish and when dried, save it in a jar and use it in recipes calling for orange rind or to add flavoring to a recipe. Orange rolls come to mind...

Orange Rolls

I take out ¼ c. water and replace it with orange juice. Add dry ingredients (which is my jar of bread mix). I add two Tbsp. grated orange rind and follow the directions till dough is raised. Then roll like for cinnamon rolls, spread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then cut with pizza cutter to get 48 squares, or as close as you get, layer four squares on side in sprayed jumbo muffin tin holes, let raise then bake at 400 degrees for ten to thirteen minutes. Watch close, you want them gold not burned. Take out and frost while hot.

Frosting

Two cups powder sugar

One tsp. butter

One tbsp. grated orange peel

One fourth cup orange juice

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-message.html - there is lots of bread enhancer ideas in this blog. I feel being able to make bread is high on the list of skills we need to have.

Two things I have worked on was this beaded stitch marker. I did one then was never able to do it right again. So after many try and fails, I now understand how to do it. The directions were very offsetting to say the least. Because the beads stack, you can't figure out when they say this is the same bead as this one four rows back. Once I chose to ignore when it talked about that, which was about half the directions, I was able to do it successfully so I consider that as a skill I wanted to accomplish.

The other was that I was able to finish this skein of yarn completely. I had to let it dry before I twisted it. So I spun this from fiber to make this yarn, I have more I want to develop on this skill.

I am knitting another scarf using yarn I made that will be in an upcoming post.

Missy wants to know what skills are you working on? She also reminds you to be looking for more frugal ways of living.

Look for ways to save money on everything. We all know to turn lights off when we leave a room. It is time to look for more frugal ways of doing things.