After a weekend working on the chicken coop, we decided to go look in person at a local store that had a chick delivery… just to “go see.” Let’s just say it took some serious willpower to leave the store without any chicks, regardless of the unfinished status of the coop…

As the build gets further along and looks more “coop” like – nesting boxes! Chicken sized entrance to the coop! – it’s more difficult waiting to take home fuzzy little chicks. We definitely do NOT have a setup yet that would work for chickens though, so I’m being patient……

Friday’s Frugal Five

1. A neighbor who lives a mile or two from us knows that we’re in the process of building the coop and getting chickens for the first time, so they offered up a small coop with incubator light for the chicks when we first bring them home.

This is one of those items that they don’t need at the moment (no babies for them this year) and something we won’t need for more than a couple months, so it’s a perfect item to share between neighbors.

2. We also headed to Molbaks, a local plant nursery, this past week, and I spent less than ten dollars there, which has to be a record. Some people browse clothing stores. I browse plant stores.

Better yet, the blue corn seeds (and compostable seed pots) that I purchased won’t even be growing in our yard this year, but at my parents’. They have better west and south facing garden spots, so I’m going to see if I can do better this year. The corn we grew last year was AWESOME, but small and only a few, so I’m taking a chance with a better garden outlook.

3. I’ve continued to pay for the gym near our house (under $18/month) through Covid, but I haven’t been back yet even as they’ve reopened. Perhaps once the kiddo is vaccinated I’ll feel more comfortable going? We shall see.

In the meantime though, our new work gym was completed last spring at the very start of Covid closures, so I haven’t been able to work out there either. Finally, last Friday, I decided to sneak in (with permission) and promptly spent the next five days on the elliptical there for 30-45 minutes at a time, plus stretching and some weights. Outside workouts are nice and all, but I have so missed the gym.

4. My gas tank was actually under a quarter tank (I try not to have it drop below a half for the most part), so I used our grocery rewards to get sixty cents off my fill up. My car only holds fourteen gallons of gas and I don’t drive that much or that far, so a single tank lasts a while.

Even if gas were half as much or twice as much, the cost wouldn’t affect me greatly, but it’s nice to get some savings from time to time. We are able to afford to live near work and can walk to basic services (and bus or long walk to many more), so gas prices don’t make a real difference in our lives.

As much as I’d love gas to be much more expensive for the environmental impact of people being more mindful with their driving, higher gas prices tend to impact those who have to drive long distances for affordable housing. As with many (most) things, individual choices are great, but there are so many societal and structural pieces to every story.

5. Ever since he bought the Trager grill months ago with his second stimulus money, the husband’s been grilling at least two or three times a week. Having partially prepped meals during the week has been awesome, and the food he makes is so good. Plus it means days I can work out after work instead of worrying about dinner.

It’s the beginning of asparagus season too, so we’ve been eating a lot of that off the grill. It will be a bit yet before we get to pick it from our own yard, but we spotted the first couple asparagus heads this week! It’s hard to beat asparagus eaten within an hour of picking. If you’ve never eaten it that way, find a way. It’s a completely different deal.

Exercise Update

Like I mentioned above, Friday through Tuesday were spent at the work gym. Seriously, I can’t even explain how good it feels to be back. Over the weekend the kiddo joined me on the drive in and did a “workout” of his own while we were there.

Saturday and Sunday were also both chicken coop work days, but not intense ones. Wednesday was a walk around town, and Thursday was a long hike through the woods.

If you’re a gym person, are you back, or are you waiting still?