The Real Frugalist

05/31/2026

Somebody always pays… and lately, it feels like it’s you and me.

Explore the often-overlooked consequences of economic decisions on everyday life. Understand the balance of progress and responsibility.

05/31/2026

I am not paying 8.43 per pound for bean sprouts!

05/31/2026

Got my weeding done today, brought some dirt up around the turnips, and put the straw down. It always feels good when a bed goes from looking like “someone should really deal with that” to “well look at me being responsible.”

Then we took a little road trip down to Stonewall Farm in Dover to buy annuals — some for me and some for a friend. I got hers delivered, had a wee visit, and then came back home.

The original plan was cheese, crackers, and pepperoni on the deck, but the weather was not exactly cooperating, so we adjusted. Which is a nice way of saying we parked ourselves on the couch with a big glass of Prosecco and watched Case Histories.

Honestly? Not a bad Sunday at all.

A little work, a little flowers, a little friendship, a little cheese, and a little bubbly.

That’ll do.

05/31/2026

How does that saying go about early to bed and early to rise?

My internal clock decided we were awake at 4:45 AM and ready to go. I’ve given up fighting it and just go with it.

Another chilly morning chased me under the electric blanket with my cup of coffee. Forty-one degrees on the last day of May is just mean.

Anyway, I really need to do a bit of weeding today. My own fault. I took the covers off one garden bed too soon and then didn’t plant it right away. Sigh.

If I take off the cover, plant, cover the bed with row cover, and then add straw when the plants come up, life is much better in terms of weeds.

Did I do that?

No. No, I did not.

I am my own worst enemy sometimes.

Ah well, it’s not that bad. Will I get it done today? Maybe. Maybe not. The flower garden needs some of that same attention too.

Weeds wait for no woman.

I’ve got to do it soon.

Frugal gardening lesson of the day: do the thing when the thing needs doing, or the weeds will happily accept your invitation.

05/31/2026

We raise our own chickens, so we haven’t bought eggs in a very long time. But I happened to notice recently that eggs are back down around $1–$2 a dozen in some stores.

That makes eggs a great cheap source of protein again — and honestly, one of the most versatile foods you can keep in the house.

You can make:

Egg foo young
Quiche
Frittatas
Egg salad
Deviled eggs
Breakfast burritos
French toast
Breakfast casseroles
Fried rice
Egg drop soup
Homemade noodles
Angel food cake
Custards and puddings
Pound cake
Meringues
Cream pies
And about a hundred versions of “what’s in the fridge?” eggs.

Eggs are one of those foods that can stretch breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert if you let them.

And if you’ve got backyard chickens laying like they’re trying to make rent, even better.

P.S. If you raise chickens and you have not read The Egg and I… seriously, it’s a must-read. You will feel seen, judged, and possibly personally attacked by a chicken.

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What’s your favorite way to use up a lot of eggs?

The Egg and I

05/30/2026

Ok…I’m not going to whine about doing the dump run and grocery run in the pouring rain.

But I really want to.

As long as you understand that, we’re good.

I have no idea what I’ll be up to today, but “not much” has my vote.

Today we celebrate my 12-year-old grandson’s birthday. That boy has the most wonderful sense of humor, is sharp as a whip, and if I ask him, he’ll help with whatever heavy task I’ve got going.

You can tell he’s been hanging around me because he said, “I want to plant something.”

And honestly? That might be one of my favorite things. You can keep the fancy gifts. Give me a kid who wants to put his hands in the dirt, help his grandmother, and grow something. God bless his soul. When I planted my three sisters bed, I explained it all to him…made him come out and look. And he stood there and listened to my ramblings.

And I have this habit of dancing around the kitchen to 70’s folk while I’m cooking. He’d been gone for a week on a lovely vacation and I was just doing my thing. He looked at me, a huge smile came across his face, came in for a hug and said “I love you Grammy”.

05/29/2026

I have always said that if I write something down, I remember it better.

My coworkers used to laugh at me because I still kept a notebook on my desk. I wrote down bits of conversations with candidates — I was a recruiter for 25 years — pieces of projects I was responsible for, lists of things I had to do, and whatever else I needed my brain to hold onto.

My mother-in-law shared that tip with me a very long time ago, bless her soul.

And it turns out, she was right. It’s been studied by neuroscientists even.

Writing things down actually engages the brain differently than typing does. It slows you down just enough to process what you’re hearing, choose what matters, and put it into your own words.

Imagine that. Grandma knew before the neuroscientists confirmed it.

It does make me wonder, though, with so much heavy computer and tablet use in schools, whether we threw away more than paper and pencils.

Sometimes the old-fashioned way works because it makes your brain show up for the job.

05/29/2026

Good morning! It’s almost June, and NH weather thought to itself, “Better keep everyone humble.”

It’s going to absolutely pour rain, and at certain elevations in the mountains, there may be a foot of snow. Not here, thankfully — but still.

That is peak NH nonsense.

One minute I’m over here planting nasturtiums and thinking about tomatoes. The next minute, the mountains are apparently trying to cosplay February.

Forty-one degrees by morning here.

And on a personal level… I don’t want to be cold!

05/28/2026

And yes, I save spaghetti sauce jars.

Not because I’m hoarding trash, thank you very much. Because glass jars are useful.

I use them for sourdough starter. I use them for leftovers. I use them for dry goods. And leftover salad keeps so much better in a glass jar than it does sitting in a sad plastic container getting weird in the back of the fridge.

My canning jars…those are for jams, relish, and bread and butter pickles!

A jar can turn “I’ll probably throw that out tomorrow” into “oh look, lunch.”

05/28/2026

When it comes to convenience, you are paying a premium. Choose your battles wisely

Discover the balance of convenience vs. cost in frugal living. Learn how to choose shortcuts wisely and save money in the kitchen!