Friday 26 October 2018

Frugal on Friday

On this particular Friday, I thought I would join in with Fiona, over at Stay Home Instead, and list some of the frugal things I've managed to do over the last little while. I enjoy reading about the frugal things that other people do in their daily lives as there's a wealth of ideas for saving money among them. 

I regularly visit Fiona as she posts a list every Friday (I think she is a very organised person!) On Saturdays, I pop over to read Wendy's frugal ideas at My Abundant Life and I also like catch up with Kath's list too that she posts on her blog Four Miles North of Nowhere.  Here's my own list:



A fresh loaf of banana bread. 

1.  Made banana bread to use up two over-ripe bananas in our fruit bowl. I froze most of the slices. A piece of nourishing banana bread makes a nice alternative to toast at breakfast time.


Pre-loved linens drying on the line.

2.  Found some pretty op-shop linens for less than $10.  There are six little cotton napkins, each embroidered with a little cross-stitched rose, that we will use here at home. The two longer panels of fabric, decorated with beautiful Australian native flowers, are actually old curtains. I plan to make cushion covers out of them. I think they'll make lovely gifts!


A sweetly-stitched heart.
(Design by Charlotte Lyon at House Wren Studio.)

3.  I have been steadily stitching different little motifs onto tiny cotton bags ready for Christmas giving. I have had a stash of these bags, which I bought for a song at Reverse Garbage, years ago. With a little embellishment, and a pretty drawstring ribbon, they are perfect for gifting soap, seeds, hair scrunchies and other tiny gifts. Some motifs I have stitched have been free and others, like Charlotte's, I have paid a small amount to be able to download. I know I will use her designs over and over again.


 A home sewn skirt.

4.  I finished sewing this simple A-line skirt using fabric I already had in my stash. The only thing I had to buy was an invisible zipper. I used the pattern I made from an old skirt. I absolutely love the tiny white flock of birds flying all over the most gorgeous sky blue. I have worn this skirt several times already!


A gift for a friend.


5.  Wrapped a birthday gift, Furoshiki style, using dyed fabric I had in my stash. (It originally came as a large remnant from my local community centre.) My son then created a handmade card using craft supplies we already had here at home. (I find a pot of coloured marker pens comes in very handy!) This saved having to purchase wrapping paper or a card.

I think it is really good thing to think mindfully about the things we do, not only to save money but also to re-use and re-purpose resources. While I doubt I'll be organised enough to post a frugal list every Friday, I may do it periodically just to remind myself that it is a priority in our household.

I'd love to hear what you've been up to on the frugal front at your place.

Meg












22 comments:

  1. That heart motif is so cute Meg.
    I too love reading about frugal tips. I read Wendy's frugal ideas. Belinda at Frugal Workshop also does a weekly post called Frugal Friday. I will check Fiona's blog. Thank you.

    My most frugal thing is taking homemade lunches to work. It saves a lot of money. :)
    And I do a lot of DIY stuff around the house.

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    1. You are very frugal in the way you source and fix things for your home, Nil. Your new-to-you sofa was a really good find! We take packed lunches too and it is such a saving! Meg🙂

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  2. that curtain fabric will make some lovely cushion covers! I love to get home made gifts - so much thought and love go into them!

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    1. I think handmade gifts are lovely too. I like being able to make things from pre-loved fabrics like doilies and cloths and curtains! The flowers on the curtains are very detailed and the names of each are also printed on the fabric. I think the recipient I have in mind, who loves plants and botany as much as I do, will really love the cushions. Meg🌾

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  3. Those are really sweet and special gifts, Meg. I especially love the heart. I do a lot to live frugally and to help the environment. I ride my bike, take the bus, grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, have vintage and antique furniture, and cook and bake my meals from scratch. I also knit my own clothes and gifts, and make soap for my family.

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    1. Your soaps and knits are so gorgeous, Stephenie. I am sure they are very happily received as gifts. I love the little heart motif too, very simple to stitch and so pretty. Meg 💕

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  4. I love all your op shop linens Meg and I find them hard to resist when I see pretty bits and pieces in the op shops. Your embroidery is so pretty. I try to live frugally all the time, and as I think it's such second nature now, it's hard to remember what I've done recently. Probably taking in and remaking summer clothes....I've dropped a couple of sizes over winter, but don't want to go buy new clothes, so I've been remaking what I have.

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    1. I love sifting through op-shop linens, Nanette. There's usually a treasure or two to be unearthed. It's great that you can adjust clothes for changing size ... I haven't learnt how to do that yet. Meg🙂

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  5. Meg, you did a good job on the skirt. I bought a book on Furoshiki a while back as I have a friend who wraps all her gifts in that style. Saves on wrapping paper.

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    1. Thanks, Chel. I would like to learn more Furoshiki too as I think it's a lovely way to wrap gifts. Meg 🙂

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  6. I love the curtain fabric, that’s going to sew up beautifully, and that skirt!!! Love it! I haven’t done much of anything that’s frugal lately, but I love reading about all the things others are doing 😀

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    1. I think the curtain fabric will sew up nicely too, Cheryl. If I get time on weekend, I might mmake a start on turning it into cushion covers. Meg🌾

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  7. I love the idea of a frugal list. It would be interesting to look back over in the future. That skirt is so pretty. I too love the fabric.

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    1. I've had the fabric for a long time, Cherie, and I just love it. Blue and birds are two favourites so this fabric is very "me". Meg:)

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  8. As they say every little bit helps, and your saving are adding such joy to gifts.

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    1. I think every little bit helps too, Marlene. I think it's often small amounts saved, over and over again, that add up. Meg:)

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  9. I love those panels of fabric, they will look really pretty as cushion covers. What a brilliant idea to fabric wrap a present, two gifts in one.

    My most frugal thing at the moment is eating really cheaply and saving lots of money while I do so :-)

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    1. I really enjoy choosing fabric, for wrapping, that suits the recipient. I keep an eye out at op-shops and community centre for remnants. It's great that you are saving money on food, I always feel we could do better on that front here. Meg 🙂

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  10. I love that skirt Meg. Your frugal doings are all sweet..I love hand made, so much more authentic than something you can just go and buy. My latest thriftyness is probably raising nearly all my vege plants from seed, with just a few bought from the market as I'm running late this year.

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    1. Growing from seed is really frugal, Anne. I am slowly building a little seed collection from my garden; this morning I gathered some Spring Onion seed; but still feel I buy too many seedlings. Meg:)

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  11. I've found your blog Meg. YAY !!! I love to hear about all your frugal tasks. Well done to you.

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    1. Thanks, Wendy. I get quite a lot of ideas from you!! Meg 🙂

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