November Frugals

[early morning]

We've been struggling for a while now, but today I paid off our mortgage, got the bank to refund some "stupid" fees (stupid on my part!), and celebrated with small blizzards from DQ and fish sandwiches from McDs, which seemed a modest way to say "woohoo", lol. We're on track to get the emergencies we put on the CCs paid off by end of the year, we still have a small emergency fund (we could replace the furnace, gd forbid - or pay for a large car repair, etc), and DH's (minor, but still!) surgeries are hopefully behind us. Now if we can just get his teeth fixed so he can eat real food, and if I can lose enough weight to get rid of my sleep apnea, all will be much better. Here's hoping!

[Gardnr]

We've been struggling for a while now, but today I paid off our mortgage,

CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! Yahoo!!!!! Yippee!!!!! Yea you!!!!! Welcome to the club

[Gardnr]

I'm a quilter. I got 26 yard of 124" batting at 60% off There will be no shopping for me on Black Friday. I got the price today!!!!

[Tybee]

Wow, earlymorning, that is wonderful! Congratulations!

[SteveinMN]

earlymorning, ya did good!

My frugal today was taking a walk because I needed to get the steps in and stopping at the thrift store "just to see". They have some carafes which would work for our coffeemaker (which is indestructible except for the glass carafes); duly noted. I found a CD I think I'll like for all of 50 cents. On the way back I stopped at a restaurant to get some hot coffee for the cold walk home. I got it on the house because it was late in their day (a breakfast and lunch place) and the waitperson said, "Go ahead. I probably would have just tossed the coffee anyway; it's so late." It was still very good coffee, even better for free.

I do think that, for the first time in I-cannot-remember-how-long we will try to do a little shopping online for Black Friday. DW has literally worn out her iPad after several years of lots of use and a replacement she'd like is on a good sale at a couple of stores. If not, not. But if we can save 30-35%, why not? That amount, though, is not worth camping out in line at a store on Thursday or early Friday morning.

[Yppej]

Early Morning good for you!

I am off the coffee completely, down to 2 black and 1 green tea per day and my goal is to wean myself off black tea next. Water is easily the cheapest beverage for me at 50 cents per gallon rather than tap water so that is my long-range goal.

Got two small gifts for members of my tribe at work and I have one more to go there and one family member. So far I am on track with my monthly and Christmas budgets.

[Teacher Terry]

EM, congrats!

[rosarugosa]

That is great about the mortgage payoff, Early!
Good deal on the quilting supplies Gardnr.
Steve, I am always going the extra distance "to get steps" these days. It can get a little compulsive, but at least it's a healthy compulsion.
Yppej: Good for you on the shopping. Tea is pretty cheap and I'm drinking and enjoying a lot more of it lately.
We still have a turntable and LPs, but the TT wasn't working. I decided that we needed to either have a way to play the LPs or else the LPs had to go and we weren't quite ready to give them up. Investigation showed that a belt had disintegrated, and I was able to get a new one from eBay for $6.50. In addition, the platter mat was really warped and then it broke. Replacements were available from eBay, but $20 and from old TTs and I had no assurance they wouldn't be brittle and break easily like ours. I didn't want to throw good money after bad. Then I had the bright idea to use an album as a mat and play another album on top of it, and that worked perfectly!

[Yppej]

RR I love it when someone leaves a problem to percolate and a solution bubbles up.

[sweetana3]

I went into Joanns just to take mom to look at things for her. No one was at the cutting counter which was a true mystery. So I found some Xmas fabric I can use for 70% off or about $2.50 a yard. Also got some fleece for $2.50 a yard to make into cat toys for our local shelter.

The other basic fabric I want is not on 70% sale until Saturday so there is another trip.