This Week...Beyond Money 5/9 - 5/15

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* I fed the bunnies weeds, scrap produce and tree prunings.
* Trucker got me some manure and peat moss at a good price at auction.

Cooking/Groceries:
* We made a quick meal of quesadillas and soup one evening. We used a carton of salvage-grocery tomato soup. It was too heavily seasoned and not quite enough for the two of us. I added a baggie of frozen tomato sauce from the freezer (unseasoned; from the canner tomatoes I got from my farmer friend last year). It made the seasoning appropriate and was filling.
* I made a pasta, ground sausage (manager's special; $1.50/lb), and greens (seconds from work; turnip greens, Swiss chard and radish greens) dish with tomato sauce. It made enough for dinner and ample leftovers for work lunches; out of pocket cost: $3.25.

Fun:
* We went on a couple coffee dates, $3.18 with our travel mugs.
* We went out for our monthly pizza outing with our friends. We met up during the end of happy hour so we were able to order discounted items. We got the seasonal pizza since that was 30% cheaper than regular price during happy hour. It was a great evening, as always.
* We used the library for books and movies.
* We went to my hometown for their community yard sale. My sister was off work so she walked around with us all day. We rarely get to hang out with her, so it was perfect. Afterwards, we had dinner with two of my sisters, my parents and my Grandpa.

Frugality:
* When we went picking, we were very good about avoiding personal purchases.
* The exception was a tool chest for Trucker. We have been shopping for one for 2 years. A new one would cost hundreds of dollars. We found a nice used one for $75, but we were in Chicago with no way to get it home. While we were picking, we found a beautiful old tool box from the railroad. The guy who sold it to us actually worked at the train yard right down the road from our house and snagged it when they were getting rid of it. It is so pretty. It is rugged and the color compliments our color scheme. It is so rich in history and is as beautiful as it is practical. The best part? We got it for $20.
* I used a shampoo and conditioner sample. It was enough for the entire week.
* I picked a bouquet of wildflowers. It is a simple arrangement, but smells amazing.

Waste Reduction:
* I composted lots of things.

Work:
* I packed a lunch each day I worked.
* Trucker got a free lunch at his job.
* I was able to take home lots of seconds produce from work. It would otherwise have been composted. It is nice to find new recipes to make with the veggies so I can tell people at the farm stand.

Future:
* We went to a community yard sale. We got lots of fun pieces for the booth and spent relatively little.
* Trucker spent 6 hours rearranging the booth. It is good to freshen it up sometimes. It is much easier to shop in now, as it is U shaped with two entrances instead of P shaped with one.

Health:
* I continue running at work. I'm regaining my lung capacity and strengthening my heart. It is great. I love the interval training of adding some sprints to farming.
* My farming appetite has awakened. I'm eating constantly. I'm not gaining or losing weight, but I am building some muscle.

Community:
* One day the delivery at Trucker's job was several hours late. They had to stay late to put it away once it finally arrived. I knew they'd be frustrated, so I decided to bring them something sweet. Starbucks was having their happy hour for half off frappachinos. While I never go to Starbucks. I figured this would be a nice little treat for them. It cost about $10 to get a drink for everyone.

How was your week?