Frugal Friday

Here is a list of things we have been doing to save money the last few weeks.

1. The garden is closed. I spent weeks upon weeks either blanching, chopping, freezing, canning or dehydrating this year’s bounty. I have heard a lot of people say that they did not have good luck gardening this year. I honestly think this was our best year yet. I currently have about 170 jars of preserved food and a freezer full. I am grateful to the soil and sunshine that made this year such a success.
2. Last week, one of our chickens disappeared. I was concerned, as we have just a few coyotes around and once I actually found a fox sleeping under a tree in our yard. My husband on the other hand refused to believe the worst. A couple days went by and Frog (that’s her name) reappeared for a meal only to disappear again. This went on for a couple more days. Finally, Eric decided to really give the yard a thorough look over. What would you know, Frog had built herself a nest under the electric meter and she had 21 eggs! She was brooding, hoping that she could mother some little chicks of her own. Since we don’t have a rooster, that was never going to happen. With the predator wildlife all around us, she needed to go back to her coop. She was either the luckiest chicken ever or she was definitely living on borrowed time. So, with some ingenuity and courage, Eric moved that girl back to the coop and brought the eggs inside. She is pissed to say the least and has been ranting and raving for a couple days. The other chickens, who have spent the last 2 years tormenting her, are a little scared and huddled together in a corner, just letting her do her thing. Moral of the story, we got nearly 2 dozen, organic eggs.

3. I signed up for the 2021 season for Sitka Salmon Shares and saved $50 by committing early. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a huge savings, but it is money saved for something I was going to do anyway.

4. I got my flu shot. Flu shots are free with most insurance and worth the effort. I know some people don’t believe in them. I on the other hand am a firm believer. I opted out of the flu shot once in 2003. I spent Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve that year on my deathbed vowing never again. I get that shot like clockwork, every single year.

5. I cashed in some credit card points as statement credits. It’s amazing how fast those points add up and how much money they can become.