93...Free!

This morning as I canned more salsa, I listened to several finance experts on the radio. My toes curled a bit. Then, I asked several friends what they thought about the current economic outlook. My toes curled a little more. Then, at dinner, my husband and I discussed our own financial resources. We agreed on a plan. For the remainder of the year, we will try to spend as little as possible, challenging ourselves to buy what is necessary and putting off "extras." Although we live a fairly frugal lifestyle anyway, the specific challenge..."93 Free"...or 93 days free of spending anything that isn't necessary, is new.

In that spirit, I'll be trying to post a reflection on each day of our "93...Free!" Hopefully, this will include tips and ideas that others can use as well. Since Christmas falls into this time frame, I'll be posting Christmas ideas.

93...Free
Day 1

I didn't spend any money today, but I tried to get creative in saving some. "Dump Soup" was the result. The last several days' worth of cooking and canning has resulted in our fridge being filled with odds and ends:

* cooked hamburger
* half a cabbage
* chopped onion, tomatoes, green peppers, celery (from making salsa)
* corn (cut off some corn-on-the-cob we had a few nights ago)

I basically emptied the fridge into my crockpot and added beef broth (frozen, from previous leftovers), chili powder, Worcesterchire sauce, and salt. The outcome? "Dump Soup!"

We added a little grated cheese and a few tortilla chips. My husband asked to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It might not be the 'purtiest thing, but it tasted good! Our neighbor gave us some Asian pears to round out the meal.