So, ironically, the audio is a bit harsh in the very beginning but it gets fixed for the rest of the episode! It's been a long saga trying to find a mic that worked for our setup but I think we finally did it..... so long as I plug it in correctly!! 😂

The Tightwad Gazette was often controversial for tips like the flower and decorations tips. It certainly made it interesting and thought provoking. Why not store the decorations/sold flowers to reuse the next year. My parents and grandparents, who are now in cemetery plots and a muasoleum were part of the waste not, want not generation. My fathers mother went through 2 national depressions (1919&1930s) and many recessions. The Great Depression had more impact because of its length, but she was very thrifty regardless of good or bad times. Over the years, I had been given about 5 13” black & white TVs. Though I watch tv I never wanted or needed one in every room, lol. I had a yard sale and sold them for the going price in my area $10-$15, I think. A woman stopped by who was visiting family for a week. She bought every single tv. And she had many more in her car. I gave her a questioning look and she smiled and said that black & white was still highly valued in her area of West Virginia and she could sell those $10-$15 TVs for $25-$35 and people would be happy to pay it. She said that visiting yard sales that day and the Saturday before would more than pay for her trip, sightseeing and restaurant meals. This was 1995, so prices are difficult but I remember thinking how smart she was. Plus, it saved them from the landfill.

My mom went a step further. She taught us to love pancakes with no syrup. To this day my fav meal is pancakes with an egg on top…no syrup. On occasion she did make syrup using brown sugar, but we had already gotten used to no syrup. Mom had lots of frugal ideas which I still use.

Thank you. What a great job you've done on your home. Very warm and inviting.

I use to receive Amy Dacycyn's Tightwad Gazette Newsletter and have her books too, she was amazing. This is a good syrup, also my mother made one that was 2 parts brown sugar to 1 part water, boil until it starts to thicken, add a little butter, delicious! I use to be part of a woman's circle, we would recycle used flowers from cemeteries and used greeting cards to make new cards and items to take to shut-ins and nursing home people. We had a blast and it brightened their day, no real money involved.

take the flowers, yes, if they are in good enough shape and are not on the graves like you showed.

I would have no problem, zero, to be exact, with reusing decor/plants from a funeral home and/or cemetery. These decorations, etc. could not be used any longer, so, I'd just be prolonging the life of something someone else paid for. Win win!!! 💙👍

Mom made our pancake syrup. I didnt eat pancakes with storebought syrup till i was 12 on my cousins farm in WV.

My mom taught me the same things regarding going to yard sales and thrift stores for furniture and household objects. I agree with you, her home had no theme, but always warm and inviting. A little bit of sanding and paint/stain can go a long way. More memories are made with this shopping method too; time, place and who was with me at time of purchase and refurbishing. As far as the cemetery flowers...eh, I'm on the fence too! It feels weird, but you brought up good points! Maybe would feel better if I made wreaths with them and re-gifted. But would I want to say where they originated? Lol

Lol...I'm not too sure about the cemetery flowers. A lot of times the flowers are faded from the weather. So, I'm not sure how to reuse them. But it's an interesting idea. I love going to yard sales, thrift and antique stores. My husband and I have been married 47 years and have very few brand-new items that we have purchased. I have tried the pancake syrup from the Tightwad Gazette and was very surprised at how good it was. I will be using this from now on. Maple syrup is so expensive. I love the challenge of saving money. I'm looking forward to seeing what recipe you will use next week. You inspired me to relook at my Tightwad Gazettes. 😁 BTW I loved the flag idea.

I think I'd pass on lifting decor from grave stones. In the case of your cemetery, the pile of trash being on the side of the road not in bags, it's less obvious to me what it is doing there and comes off as just garbage, hopefully the folks who take care of the grounds cleaned that mess up quickly. Most folks probably wouldn't run into that, the weather making a mess if things. So someone would be picking up dying flowers and christmas decorations directly from stones. Mm nothing compares to real maple syrup. It's like going from store honey to fresh honey. This is a very cool recipe though, I bet my grandma would enjoy it! She's definitely a Butterworth or Aunt Jemima fan

No cemetery flowers ugh. Seems eerie to take gifts to the dead!

How long does it keep? Do I need to refrigerate it afterwards ? I have the tightwad gazette and it does not say

My frugal, late parents would be glad if someone benefited from their discarded grave decorations. I encountered death for the first time at age three. Many of my loved ones have passed over the years. And I've been am end of life care giver three times. Death is a normal part of life. The person is being birthed into the hereafter. I'd have no problem recycling funeral home discards if I needed that option.