Then Tuesday winter was back and we lit the fire again.
Wayne's Dad will be here next week so I've been busy making jam and lemon butter and baking goodies for him to take home.
There were blackberries, raspberries and mixed berries in the freezer so they were all made into lovely jam. If you've never made jam, or have always thought making jam was hard or a real chore, trust me when I say it's not. Hannah has been making jam since she was nine, that's how easy it is. Bought jam, no matter how good it is, just doesn't compare to homemade. (The blackberry jam was too tempting and we opened a jar as soon as it was cool enough and had it on toast for dessert - very yummy).
Very gratefully accepted a packet of pickling spices, a large jar of Vegemite, some garlic and shallot pastes, mouth-watering Lindt chocolates, apple cider vinegar and some linseed meal, all good boosts to the pantry.
I spent a lovely day with the card ladies, laughing, talking, drinking tea and eating. We even managed to make some cards!
Added to our pantry with some herbs and spices and new jars (20c each from the new ADRA op shop in Boronia - an amazing bargain!) and new labels I made.
Started the September/October/November shopping lists to cover December and January. Also added extra to build the stockpile. At the moment most things are sitting at the usual (for this time of year) 5 - 6 months, but without sounding like I'm fear mongering, or a crazy doomsday prepper, I would really like to have at least 18 months of the basics on the shelves by the end of the year. I'll need to rejig our budget and scrounge some extra cash from somewhere, but I believe it's a part of my job to ensure that my family is prepared for hard times. Having lived for three years and two months without a regular income, I know how important it is to have at least a basic stockpile of food, toiletries, medicines, cleaning supplies, clothing, seeds and basic household items.qa20
Cooked all our meals from scratch.
Caught the shower warm up water and added it to the washing machine. I think this summer will be dry, and water will be even more precious, so I'm starting our own "water restrictions" now. Then, if the summer is as dry as I think it will be, we won't be shocked if water is suddenly scarce. And if it's not, being more careful with this very precious resource won't hurt and may even show an improvement in the water bill.
Filled the car just before petrol jumped 40 cent a litre and used a 4c off voucher.
Completed a 4 week Flybuys challenge to get a bonus 10,000 points. It was HARD! I rarely spend $50 a month at Coles, so to do so every week really was a challenge. I made a list of things we used that we buy from Coles and followed the half-price sales. Each week I went over the $50 by no more than $3 and we now have washing soda, laundry soap, dishwasher powder and oven bags to last two years and cheese, flour and sugar have been added to the stockpile. The plan is to cash in the points for a gift card to use at Christmas time.
What did you do to save money, time and energy this week?
(I'll put photos up tomorrow, I need help with them today)
I too have learnt how important a stockpile is. My dh lost hos job 7 weeks ago and has only just started work again last week. That first pay packet was very exciting!! During the time he was off i used our stockpile and emergency fund to get by. We didnt go into debt as we had money put aside. All bills were paid and we had food on the table.
ReplyDeleteLast week i made no bake lemon slice. A huge hit with hubby!
I cashed in flybuys points and used them to buy christmas gifts which have been put away. Im not liking this cold weather in melbourne however i have noticed some little buds on various trees around the place. Not long til spring!!
I'm so glad he has a new job Rebecca, it is so stressful not having a regular income. Congratulations on being wise enough to think ahead and plan for emergencies, and for surviving without going into debt - in today's world when debt is the norm, that is quite an accomplishment :) I'm saving my Flybuys points too, for Christmas. They pay for the treats we enjoy over the holidays without impacting our budget. Glad the lemon slice went down well - it's so quick and easy and it freezes. I often make three or four at a time, cut them into squares and freeze in "morning tea" portions - then if unexpected visitors arrive they only take a few minutes to thaw. And I agree about the cold weather - today has been miserable, I've been rugged up with the fire going flat chat and my hands are still cold. I'm waiting for spring too :)
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