This Week's Frugal Tasks

Darren and I have spent some time out in the garden every day this week.  So much is happening that we like to be out there observing and enjoying all of God's creation.  It's pure joy to see a seed we planted grow into a vegetable that feeds our family.  Excitement fills my soul to see fruit appearing on our little fruit trees.  Who needs a reality show when reality is happening in my own backyard.

Here's my frugal tasks for the week -

*  Planted more corn,  lettuce and bush bean seeds. I used seeds that I bought last year so no cost to us this year.

*  Dried all washing on clotheshorses under the pergola.

*  Went to a food /garden swap at a friend's place.  This was so exciting.  Everyone brings excess garden produce / plants or seeds to share with others.   A garden tour takes place with lots of information shared.  Afternoon tea is provided by all attending.  We bought a big bag of lemons from our tree to share.  We came home with 20 strawberry plants,  a Jostaberry plant,  bumble bee tomato plant,  pesto,  2 jars of tomato chutney,  some flowers and seeds.  I'm hoping to organise a garden swap in my street soon.

*  Fed our compost with food scraps and a few pages from our local newspaper..

*  Used the clean water from our showers to water the fruit trees. 

*  Used the watering can to water the vegetable seedlings,  fruit trees and other plants.  It might take a little longer this way but so much water is saved by using a watering can.

*  Sold two dozen eggs to a cleaning client.

*  Made some spag bol sauce and soups to sell to a cleaning client to help her extended family in need.  This extra money was added to my food slush fund to buy groceries when I see them on special.

*  Froze two leftovers from a mince pasta bake I made.

*  Accepted a few jam jars from a friend at church.

*   Bought 10 boxes of Lipton teabags on sale at half price for $2.34 in Woolworths.  I still have 12 boxes of Tetley for soy teabags that I bought from NQR for 69 cents a couple of years ago.  It lasts a few years past the best before date and as we don't drink coffee,  they will all be used in good time

*  Saved a cereal box liner and cut it up to go between foods that I freeze.  I used the cereal box to add two more page dividers to my price book.

*  Used the two light rule as much as possible.

*  Picked silverbeet from our garden to bulk out a mince pasta bake.  No one noticed it was in there.

*  Fed all our fruit trees and veg seedlings with a seaweed solution that was given to us.

*  Poured some saved water into the washing machine.

*   Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread.

*  Baked lots of luchbox muffins.  I will be selling most of them to a cleaning client.

Flowers Darren grew from seed

Peaches forming on our little fruit tree.

Flowers from the garden swap

Flowers on our strawberry plants

Strawberry plants from the garden swap growing in guttering

Part of our back garden

Our raspberries are looking healthy

Daisies we grew from cuttings

Our feijoa tree has lots of new growth.  Can't wait for the fruit.

Have you been out in your garden this week ?

What did you do this week that was frugal ?