I tried a new oil company. They quoted me a price and I prepaid for a set number of gallons. Then they delayed delivery until the price went up and say I owe them money. I am fighting this.
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I tried a new oil company. They quoted me a price and I prepaid for a set number of gallons. Then they delayed delivery until the price went up and say I owe them money. I am fighting this.
Yeah, that stinks! I have stayed with our slightly-higher priced company because they have been reliable and will send someone 24-7 if we run out of propane, as we are on auto-delivery and it's their problem to fix if we run out. I would really like to support our more local company but have heard of problems with late deliveries and people being out of fuel for a short time. Not that we'd actually freeze, but running out involves shutting valves, relighting pilots, etc - a real PIA at our place.
It's hard to be frugal in this pandemic, since I have to order more than I often NEED on Amazon to get free shipping, and curbside pickup at some stores also has minimums... plus I'm in this terrible holiday mindset that we should just get what we want, because - CHRISTMAS! PANDEMIC! Which is stupid, but cheaper than therapy, lol. So we've been eating better (more expensively) and replacing things that are only marginally broken... Sheesh.
BUT- I scored a lovely Lenten rose yesterday at TJs for $10, much cheaper than at the nurseries here. I'll add it to my collection outside in the spring. I bought two there last Christmas, and they've done beautifully. I got my first one at a yard sale several years ago, and now I'm hooked. That's my frugal for the day/week/month - a cheap plant, lol.
I don't know if all TJs do this but ours puts a cart by the exit door full of less than perfect plants for free during senior hours on Sun and Wed mornings. Each customer is allowed to take one or two plants as they leave until they are gone.
I will admit that I've never comparison shopped for home heating oil. We have been using the same company for many years. We like them, we trust them, and we can count on them to show up ASAP in a crisis.
Early: I've been of a similar self-indulgent mindset recently. I've taken advantage of some good sales to replace clothes for DH, who does actually wear his stuff out, so that seems fairly reasonable, but other purchases have been less practical. I'm also crazy about Hellebores, and I now have 4 different varieties in the garden. How do they fare indoors while you await planting season?
The issue with the oil company should be resolved now. One of my headlights burned out and I went to an auto parts store and they installed it for me, cheaper and easier than the mechanic's.
rosa, our house is fairly cool, which I think helps with them. Last year I just stuck them in a north-facing window and watered when they seemed dryish. They don't like to dry out indoors, apparently, and get floppy. If you see that, water them!! :~) I put them out in April or May, I really don't remember. They kept blooming and were really pretty through the summer. They grew a bit over the summer, too. I am hopeful that they will bloom soon - if they do I'll try to post a pic.
Thanks for the tip, pinkeytoe - I'll ask if our TJs does something similar.
Hellebores! They give me a such a strong “English garden” vibe.love them! They are so romantic faerie/gothic like with those pale green or grey or black flowers. Some are rose colored too, but those are less interesting to me.
mine don’t do terribly well, but my neighbor across the street has a whole front garden of them, huge and healthy. I think they like her Northern exposure.
I am old. I have long time frugal habits that die hard. It is always a marvel to me, these modern things that I have not encountered in 10-20-30 years! bought two of them recently via online.
thing one: new comforter for a bed. It is all polyester and is supersoft. I have just one like it from a thrift store, but I thought the thrift store one was a one-off and I got lucky. I did not know this is the new standard. See, this is part of what I was complaining about in a thread days ago about online shopping where you cannot feel the product.
I have not purchased new a comforter or quilt or duvet for 30 years. They all came from the alley (before bedbugs) or thrift stores or hand me downs from my mom. So now I feel like buying a couple of these to hoard, and before the predominant style changes!
thing two: under shelf, battery operated lights. Wow!!! I tried a cheap one on our bookcase shelf at $14.95. Wonderful light and so easy to turn on/off. I remember when we built these bookcases, we looked into hard wired tiny lights and good lord they were hideously expensive. Now I can have the same effect for low dollars.
Both of these are a game changer in my life.
Oh wait, this is a frugality thread.
Well I cut up a thrift store comforter, got out the sewing machine and sewed up the raw edges. I now have four soft pads for our little dog to sleep on.
My face is painful, red, itchy and bumpy where the mask covers it. This is not the type of acne I had as a teen or during perimenopause. I do not want to go to the doctor mainly because I could catch covid there, but it is also a frugal because I have not had any medical appointments this year so if I went I would be hit with a $400 deductible. My physical is in January and I am hoping to hold out until then when I will not have any out of pocket costs thanks to Obama.