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The Kitchen Recessionista

So, here we are, in a recession. Let's eat!

Five Frugal Things.

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I’m taking a page from the playbook of Kristen at The Frugal Girl and jotting down some of my frugal wins over the past week or so! Unlike Kristen, I doubt I’ll write this up weekly, but a little evaluation now and again never hurt anybody, right? So here we go.

1. We’ve enjoyed many leftovers.

Earlier this year, I came to a realization: If I make heartier, leftover-friendly meals once or twice over the weekend, I can stretch those meals out over our weeknight dinners to take the pressure off me in the evenings after work. I don’t know why it took *checks calendar* 20 years to figure this out – before now, we’d always used our leftovers for lunches instead, and made a lot more two-serving meals on the weekends – but better late than never, I say. So far this week we’ve enjoyed leftover pizza (with a fresh salad) on Monday from lunch out on Saturday, as well as jambalaya last night, leftovers from Sunday. Given that we order Chinese takeout once a week from our favorite spot, that leaves me only one weeknight meal a week to be responsible for, which comes at a great relief in these busy times!

2. I scanned some receipts into Fetch.

Sometimes, I wonder whether Fetch is worth it; it takes an age to garner enough points to convert to gift cards! But seeing how each receipt scan takes about five seconds, I feel the work is worth the eventual reward.

3. I mailed our eclipse glasses out for donation.

This isn’t so much frugal for me as it will be for the next user, but I loved this idea so I’m sharing it here. Several groups are organizing eclipse glasses donations for children in Latin America to enjoy the August solar eclipse, and I chose Eclipse Glasses USA as my donation program of choice. (Astronomers Without Borders also offers a donation program.) It makes me happy that these glasses will get another use right away!

4. As usual, I’m knee-deep in library books.

It’s a good thing our nearest branch is right in my neighborhood, because I’m forever blazing a trail to and from the library to pick up or return books! I’ve waxed poetic about the beauty of local libraries in these pages before, but it always bears repeating (and during National Library Week, at that!). I’m very lucky in that our local library system has an abundance of materials, from the latest hits to old favorites and plenty of as-yet-unknown treats among the stacks. Between their hard-copy books and their electronic materials (I make considerable use of the audiobooks!), I’m never without something to read. In fact, this week I’m reading Caster Semenya’s “The Race to Be Myself,” and am listening to “The Lager Queen of Minnesota,” both from our local library.

5. I put some items into Rotation and received some back in return.

Now, I don’t think I’ve said much about Rotation in these pages, and as I write this it occurs to me I should probably write a longer post about the joys of Rotation. But essentially, it comes down to this: My friends and I have a pipeline of items forever shuttling between our homes, from borrowed items or co-owned items (my friend Denise and I went in halvsies on a steam cleaner early in the pandemic, for instance) to giveaways. This week, I’ve received a brand-new bag of coffee that Denise couldn’t use, and in the meantime I’ve sent two books and a jigsaw puzzle her way. In short: Rotation is the best. I’ll write more about it soon!

What have you been doing to keep things on the frugal side lately? Tell us in the comments!

:)

Get Out of the Kitchen: Goodwill.

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Friends, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  You know when you’re walking around a store, and they come on the intercom and say, “Attention, Goodwill shoppers”?  They’re talking about LeeLee and me.  Well, at least sometimes, in part.
Often, after we drive through the donation station at our local Goodwill, we pop into the store itself and take a look around.  And even on the days when we don’t bring any products home, we’re suitably entertained, that’s for sure!  First of all, it’s amazing what some people will donate (and, obviously, what other people – including ourselves – will buy).  It’s also quite a study in trend bubbles that have burst – think the George Foreman grill, bread machines, quesadilla makers, and more.  (For the record: We are the proud owners of all three of those products.  And we use them!)
But perusing the Goodwill merchandise isn’t just a sociological study for us.  No, I can safely say that we’ve picked up pint glasses, dishware, picture frames, an Army jacket (for me), and even a Jos. A. Bank suit (with the tags still on) at the store!  And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  What’s more, our purchases are made at a fraction of the original cost of the items.  (LeeLee’s suit, for instance, ran us a grand total of $35.)
Now, don’t get me wrong; we buy a lot of our items new, and some items (shoes, etc.) I can’t wrap my mind around buying at Goodwill, though I know they’re perfectly fine.  But Goodwill is a great place to go to fill in the gaps, and/or look for unbelievable deals!  The trick is to go in with an open mind – they may have 50 glassware sets, they may have none – and a willingness to check back frequently.  LeeLee and I find ourselves in our local Goodwill about once a month, and we almost always stumble upon a good deal.
And if you don’t get what you’re looking for the first, second, or third time, that’s OK – the browsing is a treasure hunt all on its own!

:)

Get Out of The Kitchen: The Spring Farmer’s Market.

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I know, I know – I’ve waxed poetic about spring’s arrival in practically every blog post so far this, um, spring.  But we had a WINTER, y’all – a winter filled with snow and ice and sleet and bone-chilling wind and brisk mornings that made my ears burn while on my morning run.  So I hope you will forgive me for celebrating the change of season a little more than I usually do!

Now that the asparagus and my beloved ramps are back on sale in Market Square each Saturday, I know the new farmer’s market season has begun.  Spring greens, fresh honey, even a few strawberries grown in greenhouses all around the region – some of my favorite fruits and veggies in the world are available right now, ripe for the picking and ready to be used in the week’s meals.
I love returning to the market after a winter away.  Every autumn, I swear that I’m going to attend faithfully throughout the holidays, but I confess I never do.  I may pop in once or twice during the winter months, but I never seem to keep up with the market the way I can during the other three seasons of the year.  Somehow, coming back in April and May, seeing the market teeming with vendors and customers alike, makes my pulse quicken a little, gives me a little burst of energy.  There’s something about watching the community come together as they have for the last 200-or-so years that is just an incredible sight to behold, and I’m so pleased to take part in the ritual.
This time of year, I buy as many rail-thin asparagus stalks as I can, using them any old place – to roast, on the grill, in a sauté pan, boiled, cooked with pasta, and so on.  The same goes for the aforementioned ramps – they’re incredibly easy to use in place of (or in tandem with) onions or garlic in nearly any recipe you can think of.  (I also love a good old ramp biscuit!)
If you’ve got a nearby farmer’s market, now is the time to get out there to scope out what’s in season!  Do you have a favorite market or spring veggie?  Tell me in the comments!

:)