Frugal Friday with a hint of gratitude!

It all started 2 years, 10 months ago. We had just moved into our new home here in Alabama. One problem... our stuff wasn't coming for another 2 weeks. So, like a good little housewife, I tell my hubby I will do the laundry in the kitchen sink and hang it in the bathroom to dry.

Well, the bathroom got a little cramped. So, I hung it in all the bathrooms. Still not enough room for a family of five. Not to mention the puddles on the floor since my wringing them out by hand obviously wasn't good enough. Plus, because they were so wet and there was no wind inside, they were taking a couple days to dry.

Time for an upgrade!! A clothesline outside. Perfect. They only took half a day, which gave me time to wash another load by hand.

After my arms started getting stiff, the laundry started backing up. So we had one trip to the laundry mat, where I took full advantage of it and did five loads!! Whew!!!

Back at home we had another few days before the machines came, so I was back to doing a few more by hand.

When the machines were connected I continued to hang laundry out on the line. But, one month later the birds began eating berries!!! And where do you think the lovely aftermath started to fall??? Yes, on my whites!!! No more clothesline.

However, missing my clothesline I decided to get one and hang it in my laundry room (otherwise known as the mudroom down here in the South). I love the feeling of saving a little bit of energy here and there. Plus it makes my laundry room smell that much nicer. I do a small load every day and hang it out. Takes a day to dry without the wind and sun, but I just take it down and distribute it while my next wash is in. By the time I am done delivering the dry clothes to their proper rooms, I am ready to hang the next load on the line.

This may seem tacky to some, and if it does just let me know and I won't bring you into the mudroom. However, for those willing to be a little more frugal and save some energy, the frugal tip for this week is...

Hang out your laundry!!!

By the way, it is a double line. I couldn't possibly hang a small load from family of five on one line!! But if you fit it just right, it fits on two!!

Now, time for a hint of gratitude. I have been enjoying everyone else's gratitude posts. I thought I would just mention a couple from recently...

I am grateful for compost. Yes, compost. Besides it's beneficial nutritive sources for our garden, it makes me less weary of wastefulness. I found this lovely spouting onion in the bottom of my fridge yesterday. Look, it has a hook!!

However, instead of throwing it in the garbage and feeling guilty about wasting food, I discarded it into my compost pile so it could give off all it's lovely vitamins to our soil for next year!!

Second, I am grateful for tacky shoes...

Yes, I find these tacky. However, because of my ankle injury some time ago (you all have seen the lovely pink tape I have been sporting on my ankle) I had to get orthodics made for my feet. Due to the space they take up in my athletic shoes, I had no choice but to get some cross trainers. My question... Why don't they make more than one style of cross trainers??? They had some CUTE running shoes at the Mall. But, these were the only option (okay, they had a solid black pair, but that brought back some memories of working in fast food that I didn't want to embark on). So, I will be sporting my flashy white cross trainers at the gym and on certain outings!! Why am I grateful?? Because my hubby didn't even scrunch his 'budget' eye brows when we had to pay for the orthodics and new shoes. I am thankful for him and his wonderful employment and education .... when I do the math, it all boils down to God's bestowed blessing of intelligence on my husband and his teachers. I am so grateful for those things and more right now!!!