An end, and a beginning

As I sit down to write this, I have already begun a new chapter in my life. My relationship has ended. My partner has just left, now for good, to a place of his own.  It is a split that is mutual, extremely amicable, and immensely difficult.  We both love and care for each other very much, and yet we believe that is right to part ways and explore different paths. 

When the decision was first made, I considered closing down the blog.  This blog has documented my efforts to create a frugal, green household and most of the things I did were for us, and often facilitated by my partner, as my best friend by my side.  In fact, he was the reason I began the blog in the first place, thanks to his encouragement and technical support.  After some thought, and the suggestions from reader Catherine, I realize that a lot of the things that gave me comfort will continue to provide me with joy and stability in this new chapter of my life.  I think I will especially use the blog to document my search for frugal luxuries, simple pleasures, and a quest to find peace, joy and abundance, beyond a consumerist lifestyle.

I truly want to thank all my readers for their support.  You are really the best.  This is an incredibly difficult time, but I’m finding reserves of strength and inner calm that I didn’t even know existed, and that I think have developed quietly and unknowingly during my practice of meditation, yoga and solitude.

I will be traveling nearly 3 weeks out of the month of July, which is interspersed with about a million other commitments in-between trips.  So you may see a few sporadic posts in July, and then a return to regular blogging in August.

I do apologize for the fact that some close friends will find out about this through such an impersonal format, but the challenging nature of the time has actually made me want to retreat inwards for a little while.

I’m fighting the urge to wax poetic on the beautiful moments we shared, how we fell in love, and how knowing him has changed me in so many ways.  But I will keep this to myself for now. Instead, I just want to remind everyone to enjoy and appreciate, as best you can, the bounty you have around you, because you never know when things might change to become just a memory.  Each moment is all we have. Let’s be mindful and grateful.  I am incredibly grateful to have had the years I did with someone so inspiring, so unique, loving, and passionate. Thank you, Josh, for everything you have given to me. I wish you all the blessings this beautiful life has to offer.

What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye.  But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” 

-Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Coping

I know you are all probably wondering where Saver Queen has been lately.  I think this is the first time that I’ve actually missed more than an entire week.  I just wanted to let everyone know that I have been having some personal difficulties lately, which have prevented me from blogging. I will update you later and will certainly be back blogging in the near future.  If anyone is interested in supplying me with a guest post on a frugal topic of your choice, please let me know.

In the meantime, seek out frugal luxuries wherever possible, and stay as mindful and present to the abundance at your doorstep as you can.  I recently enjoyed a yoga and meditation retreat. Afterwards, a friend of mine shared a story, recalling time spent in a park with her siblings as a child.  Their family owned very little, but a little picnic in the park was all she needed to feel free and filled with joy. I hope that all my readers can find joy in the simple beauty that surrounds us.  I will try to take my own advice, too.

I will be back to share more as soon as I can. Thanks for your understanding, and for your support.

Saver Queen’s summer salads

This past winter, my main trick for eating healthy and tasty food on a budget was to make a lot of hearty and yummy soups.  Now that spring and summer are here, I’ve moved on to salads.  Making salads that combine protein and veggies are easy. A few combinations and you have yourself an entire meal! The best part? It’s an incredibly frugal way to eat nutritious foods.

I found this one by googling for barley and discovered a great recipe from Whole Foods (see below).

Ingredients

3 cups water 
1 cup pearled barley 
1/2 cup chopped green onions 
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 
1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped 
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped 
1/4 cup avocado oil or canola oil* 
1 clove garlic, minced 
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

In a saucepan, combine water and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until barley is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain barley and set aside. 

Place green onions, red pepper, parsley, basil and mint in a large bowl. Add cooked barley and toss to combine. 

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, minced garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then drizzle over barley salad, stirring to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Saver Queen’s adjustments

I lacked lemons, green onions, red pepper and basil, so I subbed in green pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes and just used mint, parsley and bottled lemon juice instead. I also used olive oil instead of canola.  The recipe has 4g of protein per serving, which is not bad for a vegetarian dish! I have served this before with salmon, but it would also work well with a few other salads. 

I love digging out staples hiding in the pantry, like barley, lentils, and dried or canned beans, because they can usually be combined with whatever veggies you have around to create a great dish.  These frugal staples are not only cheap, they are tasty and nutritious.  It’s a great way to pull together a light, meatless summer meal that’s easy on the budget.

What’s your favourite summer salad?

Reducing a stubborn electric bill

Try as I might, I can’t seem to reduce my electric bills. I’m hoping you will have some suggestions on how to cut back on my electricity usage!  I feel like I am already doing the standard tricks necessary to lower energy consumption, so I would love some creative tips.  

Things I am already doing:

• Turning off all lights when not in use
• Turning off the drobo when not in use (I have a little trouble remembering to do this, and wish there was some sort of timer function)
• Unplugging battery and phone chargers when not in use, as well as other appliances that I use rarely, such as the dvd player

Things I am currently trying:

• Running the dishwasher on “air-dry” instead of “heat dry” whenever possible
• Hang-drying all laundry.  I’m putting the towels and other  potentially “scratchy” items in the dryer for 10 minutes when they are nearly completely dry and just slightly damp. This trick seems to work pretty well!

Things I would like to try:

• Energy efficient light-bulbs 

One of the problems is that we have an inefficient washing machine, drying and dishwasher. Since we are only renting, we had no input on the appliances and have to live with what’s here.  I’m hoping that my attempts at hang-drying the laundry and air-drying the dishes will help decrease the bill.

Please, any other suggestions would be much appreciated!

My new blog

Interested in the nonprofit sector and social media?  I’ve started a new blog called The Naked Nonprofit, exploring the new face of Canadian charities.  Feel free to check it out if you are keen on how nonprofits can improve their fundraising and public outreach campaigns with the use of social media.

More garage sale goodies

In addition to the Oster food processor, I thrifted some fabulous kitchen finds at recent garage sales and scratched several items off my summer thrift list. I thought I would share just how much you can get for so little, when you buy used. 

Here’s what I got last weekend:

1. Ceramic Tea pot (full size) - $2

2. Glass relish tray (looks like crystal but its weight gives it away as glass) - $1

3. Tea & biscuit tins (great for packaging gifts or storing tea or other goodies) - 25¢ each x 2

4. Men’s American Eagle sweater vest (never worn) - $1

5. Complete set of measuring cups - 50¢

6. Set of four ceramic soup bowls - FREE

7. Glass jar, suited for candy or crafts - FREE

8. Roasting rack - FREE

9. Metal frame and mat for 8×10″ photo- FREE

Total cost: $5

My best advice when garage sale-ing is to arrive early to have your best pick and circle around near the end, when people are starting to pack up.  They are usually more than willing to give you stuff for free, or for a reduced price. The freebies I mentioned above all came from “freebie” tables that were left to the whims of passers-by. The near-misses can be frustrating. I saw a man buy a milk glass vase for $2 - seconds before I got to it!

Here’s my updated thrift list:
 

• 9×9 pans
• pie plates
• popcorn popper
• mandolin
• food processor
• apron
• large tea pot
• measuring cups
• rice cooker
• hand blender
• cutting boards
• pizza peel
• canning equipment
• spice jars
• funnel
• patio chairs & table
• vegetable peeler
• toaster oven

Do you have any tips for going garage sale-ing?  Have you made any adjustments to your summer thrift lists?

My best garage sale find yet!

I love garage sales. It just makes so much sense, financially and environmentally speaking, to re-use what is already out there, instead of just assuming we need to go out and buy everything we want at full price.  

During the last two weekends, I have visited garage sales and found some exceptional deals. In particular, I am looking for good quality, useful kitchen items, some of which I mentioned on the thrift list. 

My best find, so far has been this Oster food processor, which retails for around $140 at Home Hardware, after tax.  I was skeptical when I were told that this food processor was “out of the box” and had “never been used,” but after taking it home and carefully inspecting it, I discovered that it was true: this machine was in mint condition.

My Black & Decker food processor broke after a little more than 6 months of use (I’m appalled) and we needed a new one, as we use our food pro regularly. I’m so glad that I held off buying a new one long enough to take a look at other available options.

The best thing about our thrifted food processor? It only cost $10!

What great finds have you discovered this spring?