View Full Version : July 2015 Frugals
Time to start a new monthly frugals thread. Post your frugals here!!!
Okay, I'm going to kick this off because June was decidedly NOT frugal for me. So here's what is happening on this first day of July.
Even though it seems like there is very little food in our house, I am going to delay, delay, delay on grocery shopping. My SO is in NYC for work from now (Wednesday) through Sunday morning. So it's just me for a few days. I've already hard boiled the 8 eggs we had on hand and will turn those into egg salad for egg salad sandwiches. Those sandwiches will be eaten on the remaining 6 hamburger buns that I bought for when my mom was visiting and we were grilling veggie burgers and such. I've got mayo and mustard on hand, but no celery or regular white onions. I'm just going to use some Egyptian onions that we have growing in the garden instead.
I've got some rhubarb and some frozen strawberries that will become a crumble along with the last of the oatmeal, some shredded coconut, some walnuts, and a little coconut flour. Probably an interesting combo, but I'm sure it will be more than edible.
I've also got some leftovers from last night's dinner, a package of tofu that I can make into something, two oranges, and a few handfuls of spinach. It's going to be a random assortment of meals, but I don't care. I just want to eat up what we have and not go shopping until absolutely necessary.
I'm going to hold off doing laundry until tomorrow when it is supposed to be sunny and I can line dry everything. I've got the A/C off and the house closed up for the time being.
Trying to think of other ways to really crank up the frugality this month!!!
I'm new and saw all these threads. Is it that you post what you did each day?
Freshstart: The rules are pretty loose on this thread (assuming there are any). We post if we have something frugal we did that we want to share, or even to conduct a lessons learned sort of post-mortem on why we weren't as frugal as we should have been in a certain situation (that seems to be my specialty!)
So jump right in! I think anything goes as long as we are kind to one another :)
Freshstart: The rules are pretty loose on this thread (assuming there are any). We post if we have something frugal we did that we want to share, or even to conduct a lessons learned sort of post-mortem on why we weren't as frugal as we should have been in a certain situation (that seems to be my specialty!)
So jump right in! I think anything goes as long as we are kind to one another :)
sounds good!
I was procrastinating yesterday and going through a bunch of old emails from school. Good thing, too, as I found a PD opportunity that starts today! It is 2 half-day workshops about online learning and course development. I love this kind of stuff so I signed up and I'll get paid $100 for attending. Woo-hoo! When you break it down it will only work out to about $12/hour, but this is the kind of thing I would have totally done for free. Plus, the other people who are attending are good people to know on campus so I'll be building social capital as well -- invaluable!
My not frugal moment for yesterday was when I was forced to drive over to my beekeeping mentor's place to buy a new screened bottom board, inner cover, and outer cover for a hive. I went to the apiary to combine two colonies -- one of which supposedly didn't have a queen -- and lo and behold, they had successfully raised their own queen! So I needed more equipment -- $62 worth. Now, of course, through honey sales it will likely pay for itself by the end of the season, but it's always painful to have to outlay cash when you hadn't planned to. Fortunately, I had paint and a paintbrush on hand so I was able to avoid buying anything else for this little last minute project.
Hope everyone is having a frugal start to the month, although between Canada Day and Independence Day, I'm guessing some of us are spending more than we might like as we celebrate these summer holidays!
early morning
7-2-15, 7:36pm
Took one of the outside kitties to a vet in another town to be neutered and to have a bad foot abscess treated. It's not too far out of my way to work and saved us about $75 over the vet we generally use, so worth the effort. I was about 10 minutes late to work but had pre-approval and worked through part of lunch to make it up. Finally contacted Amazon about a purchase that wasn't up to snuff, and got a full refund with no need to mail back the item, which will be donated. Trying to make it another week before a grocery run. I think I'm gonna have to do some baking this weekend to compensate! Watching free DVDs from the library (season 2 of Orange is the New Black) for entertainment. DD and I are going to a family reunion in Frankenmuth later this month so I'm trying to not spend anything extra before then.
iris lilies
7-2-15, 11:57pm
As a newly retired person I'm getting back into frugal ways. I signed up for two cooking classes and sounded really fun and practical for me (one on Asian noodle dishes, and another on salads.) Now sure, I could get this info from cookbooks, but these are inspiring in areas in which I need to expand my repertoire. But they are not cheap.
But the frugal thing that happened was that I carefully considered another cooking class being held at a neighborhood restaurant and decided that I'd never make any of those dishes, so I didn't register for the class after all. At one time, when I was working, I would have felt a bit of an obligation to support a neighborhood endeavor like this since it's new for them. But I need to spend money according to what I value, and this menu just was not it.
Big health scare thing that turned out OK for the time being was our excuse for awesome but expensive lunch splurge on Wednesday. Oh well, always a work in progress. Looking forward to a simple, mellow holiday weekend.
rosarugosa, health scares are an acceptable reason for expensive lunch splurges in my book! Glad to hear all is okay!!!
Successfully eating from the pantry and refrigerator this week. Made egg salad and it came out great. Made a strawberry-rhubarb crumble and it came out okay. But both will get eaten. Got some free snacks during the professional development workshop at work yesterday (oh the little things!).
On Monday, I will finally get the payroll paperwork filed so that I can get paid when I substitute teach Tae Kwon Do at the gym. For the past year I've just been filling in when asked and not getting paid, what was I thinking? Mostly it came down to the fact that a group of us were supposed to set up a meeting to fill out paperwork and the other two people could never get it together. I should have just taken the initiative, but I wasn't that worried about it since I was filling in 1x per month at most. But it turns out that soon I'll be taking over 4x per month and I definitely want to get paid for that!!! It's not a huge amount of money, but every little bit helps.
Going to give the three dogs and three cats "pedicures" today (aka cutting their nails). I'm so glad I can do this myself. The hassle of taking them to the vet and paying to have it done would be ridiculous. It'll take me less than 30 minutes.
Can't think of anything else to report at the moment.
Time for me to jump big-time on the frugal wagon, once again, now that I am off work due to the foot thing. Called work to find out when my short-term disability kicks in, but the HR person is gone for the weekend and I only got a minimal answer - it kicks in after six days or something. But the store assistant manager didn't know if it was six days after the accident, or the first six days I was scheduled to be back. The HR person should be back on Monday so I will get that all squared away. I have learned that I am not a very patient person; I want answers, I want answesr NOW, I need control, I have to plan and I can do none of these things right now! And I need to stay OFF my foot! Yesterday it didn't feel so bad at all, so I was putting a tiny bit of weight on it as I was crutching around but today I think that was a mistake, as it hurts quite a bit more, and in a different way.
Anyway, back to frugals: I spent a ton of money on vacation, because I "assumed" I would go back to my usual existence of working hard, making my jewelry, and finding other ways to conjure up cash for stashing. My house mate is apparently actually finishing moving out today (he ended up paying for the second half of June while I was away, as he hadn't moved out completely). So for the time being I am going to be out my extra $350 per month until I put a new Craigslist ad in and find yet another house mate. Even if my short-term disability kicks in soon, I think it is only 2/3 of a normal paycheck. I have a thriving vegetable garden that I can't, on my own, get out to so that I can harvest things, but hopefully my daughter is going to come over today and help with that. My refrigerator and cupboards are full right now, and I have 99% of the jewelry supplies I need to get started producing for the fall line. I have a healthy (for now) emergency savings account that should allow me to weather this, but it is hard on me physcologically to see the balance dwindle without being able to add to it. The other scary thing money-wise is that I have run out of money in my Wholefoods provided Wellness account so any other doctor bills I incur will have to be paid out of pocket until I hit the deductible, which is pretty high...And I thought I was going to be completely out of debt by the end of fall!
I need to remember this too shall pass, and it isn't the first (or last) time that life rears up and bites me in the proverbial a**. At least I have an emergency account!
early morning
7-3-15, 12:06pm
SiouzQ, I'm sorry about your foot! When I had a fall several years ago and broke both my arms, I was soooo glad that I had signed up for short term disability with the duck people! They were really great and I called them directly - no need to go through HR, which was helpful, as our HR people are nice but totally overworked. Neither of my adult kids have disability - DD lives with us, and my son is totally living paycheck to paycheck - we are his disability backup *sigh*. I find that frightening, but looking back, I worked for 25 years with no disability ins of any kind, there was nothing affordable out there then. And I am amazed by the number of people who don't have any sort of savings or emergency money available except credit cards. Our E-fund isn't near large enough, as it's our only savings, but it's a lot better than nothing! Which leads me to my somewhat frugal for the day - cheap plants. I have several free or close to it shrubs/flowers and a tree and today is planting day. I don't spend nearly enough time on my yard or flowers, but I can say I don't spend much money either, and things look pretty good overall!
File this under "It could have been worse" frugal choices. We have moved into our new home and it's taken awhile for us to get the place furnished adequately so we could have visitors come and visit comfortably. We invited four family members over for the 4th of July. The original plan was to spend $70 on doing a delicious take-out BBQ from a local restaurant. Instead, DH spent $88 on buying a grill, and $20 or so on food we can cook ourselves. It cost more in the short-term, but now we have a grill that will last for years, instead of a memory of one meal.
One bit of GREAT news is that I FINALLY got a job! It's a temporary, part-time one, but the pay is good and it's at a wonderful organization that only seems to hire people who have temped there before. I start next week and can keep my other (insecure) job until I inevitably get canned from it--they are trying to replace human beings with computer software programs, and layoffs are rampant now--it started three weeks ago with my husband losing his job there.
Happy Independence Day to those of you in the U.S.A.! Hope your celebrations are frugal and fun!
I'll be hanging out at home today attempting to get more landscaping done, firewood stacked, and house cleaning completed. I didn't get to the pet pedicures yesterday so that's on the list for today as well.
In frugal news, I would have loved to claim yesterday as a "no drive" day, but I can't. I had to drive to the post office to mail my passport renewal application since I'm headed for Canada in August. Sadly, I am such a procrastinator that I had to pony up an extra $60 to have the thing "expedited" so that I would be sure to have it back in time for my trip. Ugh. Not frugal. Good thing I only have to renew it every 10 years...
Okay, right, frugal news. I hung a load of laundry outside to dry yesterday. Go me! And I went through two big plastic tubs of broken and battered beekeeping equipment and was able to salvage more than a dozen frames for various sized hive bodies. Decluttering and being able to repair things I need, WIN! Turns out there is another giant plastic tub of similar stuff upstairs in our garage. Guess what I'll be doing today? ;) I'll also be building the last of the honey supers and painting the four of them, with paint and paintbrushes we already have on hand.
Continuing to eat egg salad sandwiches. It's a good thing I like egg salad or this might have gotten really boring. I also discovered a batch of butternut squash soup that was in the freezer. Apparently we made it and froze it in. . . 2008. What?!? Well, it still tasted good as dinner last night and I have leftovers for today, too! Also, added the plain yogurt I found in the fridge to some of the rhubarb-strawberry crumble. Good combo; I'll be eating more of that today, which should result in reaching the end of that yogurt container. The yogurt with the expiration date of April 30th... I was almost ready to toss it, but the sniff test, followed by the taste test, told me it was still perfectly fine. No use in wasting perfectly good calories!!! :D
Still keeping the A/C off. It's been so nice there's been no need for it, but I do have to be diligent about closing the blinds and putting the awning out over the deck as we have huge south-facing windows there and the house will heat up quickly if I don't do these things.
Okay, I think that's all for now.
As I may have mentioned before, my role on the Frugals thread is to make everyone else feel better about how well they are doing, comparatively speaking. So yesterday was allegedly "National Fried Clam Day," and we had to celebrate. But today we are totally committed to a cost effective dinner at home!
The comments from SiouzQ and Early Morning remind me that the lack of an E fund started me on my frugal quest in 2007. We had a series of financial crises ranging from $400 - $2000. (broken tooth, radiator valve replacements, leaking oil tank, car repairs, more car repairs) come in rapid succession. We paid with HELOC checks, and it dawned on me that at nearly 50 y.o. with decent paying jobs, we should have some money set aside for things like this. Eight years later and despite our many indulgences, we have more savings than we've ever had before, no debt (mortgage paid and zero balance on the HELOC), and all this despite a significantly lower household income (DH only working part time).
Lots of folks have shelled out big bucks this weekend for the Grateful Dead shows in Chicago, but we just listened to the show last night online via a free stream posted by one of the tapers. There were also options to watch on Pay Per View or at local movie theaters, so I guess that could be considered a small frugal.
One of our friends who it a bit of a scavenger/tinkerer stopped by yesterday and gave me a couple of pieces of costume jewelry he had come across in his travels because they had "those bugs" I like. I could tell they were something special, and I looked online to see what I could find out. It is Ermani Bulatti firefly jewelry and there is a similar brooch currently offered on Ebay for $240. I'm watching it to see if it sells and for how much. I'm thinking I should maybe try to sell the brooch and keep the other item, which as a smaller mateless earring probably wouldn't have much value. I would of course give the money to our friend (maybe take a small fee if I take the time to list and sell). This is a friend who could always use the money. Not sure what I'll do yet. It's a lovely pin, but huge and probably not something I could wear ( a little too large and fancy for me).
We are planning a quiet weekend for the Fourth -- quieter than usual because our new-to-us dog apparently is not a fan of fireworks and firecrackers. Despite gorgeous weather, the windows are closed and the A/C is on. :~)
Our house guest(s) have gone home. Our food budget last week was stretched a bit as we were feeding three instead of two for a week. But there were a couple of nights when there were more guests than house occupants. One of those nights was frozen-pizza night (we stock up when it's on sale) with carrots and celery we usually have in the house). Another night was an international conglomeration of leftovers: Korean noodles (left over after a sad attempt at soup), pizza sauce from the freezer, some Greek yogurt and half a can of "Italian-style" diced tomatoes to gussy up the pizza sauce into a spaghetti sauce, and some leftover veggies on the side. Not the greatest meal ever but surprisingly harmonious for getting rid of leftovers. And the last night our guests were here, I made chicken soup from frozen chicken bits and bobs (saved from other recipes), an onion, some garlic, some ginger, and celery, with a take-and-bake loaf of French bread I found in the freezer. I was kind of hoping the extra visitors would bring some fish back from their fishing trip, but apparently the pickings were slim. :(
This coming week will be spent on prep for some knee surgery I'll have the following week. Movement will be limited for a couple of weeks after that, so I'm trying to stock the pantry and freezer with food that doesn't need a lot of prep. Our week-long guest offered to come back to help me handle the stuff I usually do at home -- like cook/wash dishes/launder/mow the lawn/water the garden -- that I'm not sure I'll be able to do for a bit. She likes being at our house and it will cost us only the fuel to get her here and meals while she's with us. It will be a help and likely less expensive than buying takeout meals and paying to have the lawn mowed. I anticipate plenty of no-drive days ahead, too. Should be a good chance to get to some projects that always seem to get pushed because I would rather do something more (inter)active.
Beyond that, it's life in a holding pattern until I see where I am after surgery. Goodbye, summer....
DH and I went to the Goodwill store yesterday and got: 2 pan lids, one amazingly high-quality deep frying pan, a beautiful linen top (for me), a radio/CD player boombox, and a little gizmo that functions as both a key ring and an eyeglass cleaner (!), all for less than $30. I love the Goodwill! Not to mention, if I hadn't attended the free job training classes at Goodwill, I never would have met my job coach there, who personally recommended me for the university temp job I just got. Go, Goodwill! :)
early morning
7-4-15, 3:06pm
Finally, a really nice laundry drying day! I've been holding off on washing some quilts and DH's jeans (it's not jeans-wearing weather in DH-world, so they weren't needed...) because they are hard to dry in the house, so those are all washed and on the line, along with two regular loads of clothes. Mended several items, updated my Quicken (gack!) and paid some bills on line at the last minutes, avoiding late fees AND not using stamps. I really need to get my head straight and stop procrastinating and being lazy in general! I've stopped using the allergy tabs I have - they seemed to really add impetus to the "too tired to deal with..." syndrome of mine. I'll try another brand and hopefully avoid the same general sleepiness/tiredness I've been having. It's hard for me to be frugal when I'm too lazy to get off my duff and DO things!!
Selah, great scores at GW and way to go on the job! Sorry to hear your DH lost his, hope he finds something soon. Your new place sounds wonderful!
One bit of GREAT news is that I FINALLY got a job! It's a temporary, part-time one, but the pay is good and it's at a wonderful organization that only seems to hire people who have temped there before. I start next week and can keep my other (insecure) job until I inevitably get canned from it--they are trying to replace human beings with computer software programs, and layoffs are rampant now--it started three weeks ago with my husband losing his job there.
congrats on this!!!
SteveinMN, good luck with your knee surgery. Bummer that it may take over most of your summer, but I'm sure it will be so much easier to navigate the various life hassles it will bring during the summer versus a Minnesota winter!
Yesterday was a no-drive day! Woo-hoo!!! Of course, I'll have to drive today because I have a Tae Kwon Do class at the gym and I'm teaching.
Got some more firewood stacked yesterday. Good, free exercise. I really wasn't feeling motivated to do it, but I discovered that the wifi extends far enough that I can set up my iPad at the woodshed, listen to Spotify, and stack wood. That little discovery made the task much better. I also got the last of the honey supers built, all 4 painted, and I gave a hive body that was just repaired a fresh coat of paint while I was at it. Then I put together 10 honey super frames. I still have another 25 or so to build and hopefully I'll get them done today. Feels good to be getting those projects finished.
Was super organized and remembered to soak the black beans overnight two nights ago, which meant that I could throw the beans in the crock pot yesterday and have black beans within a matter of hours. Into the freezer they went for future meals. While stocking the freezer with black beans, I discovered some frozen chick peas, which I took out to thaw and will use in a salad today or tomorrow. And I found a ham steak from who knows when. Took that out to thaw and it will become dinner for two dogs, who will be very happy as a result!!! I also found 2 more pounds of butter. Apparently I went on a butter buying binge at some point as I have 6 pounds of butter in the freezer and a pound in the fridge. We really don't use that much butter so I'm not sure what I was thinking!
Ate the last of the butternut squash soup for dinner, but realized that I have several containers of cabbage soup and several containers of lentil soup in the freezer as well. Plus, I have everything on hand to bake loaves and loaves of bread. Not sure why I ever thought it was going to be a challenge to go a few days without going grocery shopping. It's amazing how your brain tells you there's no food in the house when you're missing just a few key things: milk, mozzarella cheese, ice cream. :~)
I'm also down to the last rice cake from a package that had an expiration date of nearly a year ago. Apparently when properly stored, rice cakes don't go stale. I'll eat that last one today with some peanut butter. I've been eating them for the past few days and this allowed me to finish off the last of a jar of jam that was likely going to languish in the refrigerator until it became a science experiment. I get a strange satisfaction out of finishing off food that might otherwise go to waste. Anybody else feel that way?
Today's supposed to be sunny and hot. Sounds like a good day to hang laundry on the line.
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Fourth of July!!!
Wal-Mart had a rack of discounted food items this morning, including six 24-oz. packages of Pamela's Gluten-Free Baking and Pancake Mix - expiration March 2016 - reduced to $3.50 - reg. $6.93. It's one gluten-free "convenience food" I do keep on-hand. I purchased all 6 packages.
We had a Frugal Fourth, spent some time with in-laws and ended up having lunch with them (stuff on the grill), then had a quiet evening at home with DH listening to Grateful Dead stream online. Came in under budget on groceries today, and took a great walk in the woods for entertainment. I ordered something from LL Bean online to put away for DH's August birthday, 25% off, then an additional 15% off, then applied a $10 coupon, so got a $45. item for about $18. Sale ends tomorrow.
I thought of a couple more! I signed up one of our credit cards for a 5X points promo in gas & groceries for August & Sept. I also bumped up our automated monthly savings number a little bit, since we clearly have a bit of wiggle room (see National Fried Clams day post, etc.) I hate to take money out of savings but clearly am not too adverse to spending surplus cash if we have it. So I think raising the bar a bit will be a good thing.
DH also got a $50. visa card for one of my employer-sponsored health challenges (he's covered under my plan). I want to make sure we use as many of these opportunities as are presented to us.
early morning
7-5-15, 7:49pm
Does buying pizza at a local chain with a 50% off coupon qualify as frugal? How about if you bought 4? :|( This is our very favorite pizza. Every year on the week of their founding, they have coupons for a percent off for every year they've been open. This is their 50th anniversary and so - half off pizza! They are a real treat, so I have leftovers from two in the fridge for lunches, and two more in the freezer for later. Heated in the toaster oven, they're almost as good as fresh! They are cut in small squares so I can pull just as much from the freezer as we want, be it dinner, or just a snack. My only other frugal for the day was another load of clothes on the line. I have a load in the washer to hang out tomorrow - but they are calling for rain the rest of the week.
Does buying pizza at a local chain with a 50% off coupon qualify as frugal? How about if you bought 4? :|( This is our very favorite pizza.
Favorite pizza? Then, yes. Definitely yes!!! :D
Last year, I lugged some small tree trunks that had been cut by the highway department up to the woodshed. They've been seasoning in the woodshed since and are now nice and dry. Yesterday, I started to cut them to the correct size to fit into our outdoor wood-fired boiler in preparation for the winter. I decided to cut them by hand with the bow saw. Free wood. No gas used in the chainsaw. Excellent workout. I only got about half of them done before I had to call it quits. I'll finish the rest today or tomorrow.
Made a huge batch of wild mushroom risotto yesterday. Froze 7 containers (each enough for 2 servings), ate some for lunch, and have one serving left in the fridge. My SO arrived home from NYC, but decided he didn't want risotto, so we had nachos with black beans for dinner last night. He has to go back to NYC for work tonight, so I can put off grocery shopping for a few more days. Woo-hoo!!!
Picked the first three cherry tomatoes from the garden the other night. YUM! I love tomatoes fresh from the vine. Can't wait for more!!!
Temps are supposed to be in the mid to high 80s all week, but I'm determined to go as long as possible without turning on the A/C.
Went to the bank to deposit a rent check yesterday and discovered I had forgotten to deposit an expense reimbursement check from work. Not sure how that happened, but there's another $102 in the account now!
Tussiemussies
7-6-15, 9:15pm
My husband was on vacation this past week. He wound up doing a lot of incoming work from his side business and also working on our new powder room, it's far from finished...we ate out twice and got take out once. We didn't go to any functions but for a nice long drive one day. Don't know if you could call it a vacation for him but it was income producing and he enjoyed just being in a home atmosphere and sleeping in a little. So it was extremely frugal!
I bought a thermos and coolbag at the grocery store today so I can save money buy bringing my own lunch and coffee to my new temp job, which starts this week. The thermos is of good quality, and the coolbag has gel inserts sewn into the lining that can be chilled overnight, so I don't need to buy those blue packs that always get my food wet. Before I checked out, I grabbed a store circular and tore out a 10% off coupon. Not much, but I saved $3. The far bigger savings will come from brown (cool) bagging it to work!
Smart buy on the thermos and coolbag, Selah. May they get daily use going forward!
Not much to report over here. Finally had to turn on the A/C for a bit today because it was getting a bit too humid indoors. I checked the weather and saw that we were going to get some thunderstorms so I saved a few pennies by not watering my garden and letting the rainwater do it for me. I have three plastic storage totes that need a good scrubbing and I decided I'd let the pounding rain give them a free pre-wash so I put them out on the deck before the storms started. We have well water so it's not really much in the way of a cost savings, but it is more energy efficient in the sense that I get to expend less human energy on these things!
Still eating from the fridge and pantry. Fired up the grill last night and grilled the ancient ham steak I found in the freezer. The dogs were very, very happy with their special treat!
I had an appointment to get a "known traveler number" so that I can qualify for TSA pre-check when I fly. It was about a 50-minute drive to get there and the appointment was at 11am. So I was very tempted to stop and buy lunch on my way home, but I resisted. Probably saved myself $8-$10 as a result. Woo-hoo!
Tomorrow I need to book my hotel and register for the beekeeping conference I'm attending in August where I'll be taking my Master Beekeeper exam. I decided to drive to Guelph, Ontario rather than fly because it will be much less expensive. A bit of a hassle, as it's about an 8 hour drive, but much less expensive than flying.
Big frugal of the week. My SO is going to Portland, OR for a 2-week vacation to visit some friends. He is a bit challenged by the discomfort associated with flying, but really needs a vacation to decompress from his job. I managed to find him a first class, round-trip plane ticket that I could "buy" with my Delta Skymiles + $11.20 in fees. The actual price would have been ~$1400. He was going to try to buy a coach class ticket on United and then upgrade using his United miles, but they have always made this process very challenging. I told him that I'll use his United miles at some point to fly to one of my races instead since I can more easily tolerate sitting in coach (partly because after racing all I do on the plane is sleep so I don't really care where I'm sitting!). He was pretty excited because he usually only takes a trip 1x per year and this will definitely make it more enjoyable for him.
Tussiemussies
7-7-15, 9:33pm
Hi cddtmm,
Your Master beekeeping conference sounds so interesting. I have an allergic reaction to bees or I would try and keep them too. You will have to fill us in about it...
Great that you were able to help your SO to have less anxiety about the trip....
rosarugosa
7-10-15, 7:44pm
I always want to contribute to this thread, so while I'm not always the most frugal person, this thread helps me be more frugal than I would be otherwise. DH reminded me that I took my lunch to work every day, and he is right - I bring my lunch (and breakfast) to work every single day without fail. I am disappointed if they bring in lunch for us, or even when we occasionally get taken to a fancy Back Bay restaurant. I am much happier with my salad from home, so I am awesomely frugal when it comes to brown-bagging it at work! :)
DH made pizza at home tonight, so that was yummy and frugal.
Both DH and I ate lunch and dinner from home every day this week. Having a menu for the week really helps me keep on track.
Bought a $5 Crock pot at a garage sale this week - I have a 35 year old one that works just fine but is smallish - I cook for a group at church every month or so and have wanted a larger one. I've borrowed from neighbors in the past but decided for $5 it was worth it.
early morning
7-10-15, 11:39pm
WTG on brownbagging, rosa! I take lunch every day. Sometimes it's an odd mix of leftovers, sometimes just a baked potato w/cheese. Whatever we have. Lunch out is reserved for special occasions. Like Tuesday - I had a dentist apt in the morning and was going on to work after lunch, so DH drove into town to meet me after the dentist and we went to a newish local eatery we'd not tried. It was awesome. With tip we spent $24 total for both of us, and I sent half of my very large portion home with DH. DD and I split it for supper, along with a piece of toast each. It was a nice treat, and not too expensive, since it was actually 4 meals. And nice deal on the crock-pot, chrissieq!! My new (well, 10 yr old) one has a busted handle but works fine, so we added a makeshift handle and it will do. But if I can find a nice one for $5 or so, that would be great! I do take it places, so handles are very useful!
ApatheticNoMore
7-11-15, 2:26am
I'm getting nearly perfect in bringing in my lunch as well. Although when I wasn't perfect I'd ocassionally realize I hadn't made lunch and pick something up at TJs before work, because no you don't want to rely on the restaurants within walking distance of work (dreadful), and you don't want to drive again until it's quitting time either - 10 minutes each way to the car and then nightmare traffic to get anywhere. I don't think I've every driven in the middle of the work day once the entire time I've been there except if I had to leave early. They give us a free lunch once every 3 months or so. I am not disappointed. I don't know what I'd have to be to not be happy for the change of pace of free restaurant/food truck food 4 times a year, but I could see how it could get annoying it if happened every week or something. My lunch is almost always a salad, a substantial salad as well with all the goodies. And I bring a small breakfast too. And often some small meal/snack for mid-afternoon. Yes figuring out what is even carry-able sometimes requires some thought (remember 10 minutes to get to the car - so whatever I bring needs to be toted a bit and I'd prefer not to make multiple trips).
Great job, everyone! It's always so inspiring to log on and see everyone's posts about their daily frugals.
Even though it is summer and I should be off from work, I had to go to campus on Thursday for a meeting about a leadership program that I co-lead. I ended up spending the entire day on campus. Fortunately, I planned well and I brought lunch with me as well as plenty of snacks! Of course, I ended up having to go back to campus on Friday because one of the key people I needed to meet with was not there on Thursday. That was annoying, but meeting with this person meant the potential for another part-time contract position so it had to be done.
So with all this driving to and from campus, I was able to combine trips and stop by the vet clinic to pick up the prescription dog food. And then I was able to stop at one grocery store and get the things from the list that are least expensive at that store. I'll make a special trip to BJs for a bigger shopping trip today. Unfortunately, BJs isn't close to anything else so that's always a bit of a special trip. I try to limit it to once every 6-8 weeks.
Been trying to be very aware of the weather so that I can open up or close up the house accordingly. We've used the A/C very little so far this year -- mostly just on the days where the humidity makes it an uncomfortable level of "sticky" indoors. Wish I could get as organized when it comes to doing laundry and line drying it, but I'm not there yet. Some days I manage to plan it well, but often I just resort to using the dryer.
Fed my dogs a hunk of beef shoulder from the freezer for dinner last night. They were quite happy with the special treat and I was quite happy to get this ancient hunk of meat out of the freezer.
Got a dozen eggs, plus some carrots, a huge bag of salad greens, a bunch of basil, a bag of dandelion greens, and a bag of kale free from the farm where my SO works. And a friend from work gave me two dozen eggs as well. Woo-hoo! Nothing like free food. We ate the salad greens last night and today I'll make a frittata with some of the eggs and the dandelion greens. The basil will become pesto, likely for the freezer, and the kale will become kale/black bean/avocado salad tomorrow. I'll probably hard boil a dozen eggs and make egg salad for sandwiches next week, too.
Can't think of much else to report at the moment. Keep up the great work, everyone!
July 11,2015
I am back after a very long and expensive couple of months....thank goodness for money put away for such times in life
Would these hard times not be so much worse if the money isn't there to get us through it.
So now I need to re-build the fund and I will.
* I have to say that one of my best frugal's is my Dd who coupons, price matches, surveys, points etc.......all of it to gets us cheaper food
even free sometimes.......We both prepare food at home from scratch ,use up food, preserve food, butcher and package larger meat pieces to get the most of everything we b
--Large pot of chicken soup yesterday from veggies and a chicken caucus that were in the freezer enough left for at least today
--frozen bagel from the freezer for breakfast.
--deal of the week was nice lean Sirlion tip cap off steaks for $2.99 a lb. bought 30 lbs for Dd and I to split, we have not had much beef lately
so we will enjoy and make it last.
--Okay I am not sure this one is really the best deal I think in forever....because I have been away so much I did not get around to gardening so decide to
check out the last garden centres that were open. OKAY for $22.80 I got
10---- 8 INCH pots of herbs and flowers and one large hanging planter (ORG. $24.99) 2 Extra large plant cages and 2 smaller ones and now drum roll
9 yes 9 24 inch by 12 inch trays of mixed succulents that had been price (org $24.99 each) for $1.00 each. They had 9 so I took them all.
I will be able to fill in a large area along my driveway with these and a few pots and then spread them around in the coming years. Great buy...almost free and they
were still in great condition.
--using up tea from the back of the cupboard
--booked train tickets for next weeks trip and had enough points to get oneway free....love free
Will be eating down the freezer and pantry for the next while and not buying more....of course unless it is an amazing buy for stockpiling we will use.
For us Stockpiling is still one of the few ways to save money.
After a year or two of putting it off, I finally cancelled my very old e-mail account, which I was paying $8/month for.
I also switched our life insurance from monthly payments to an annual payment, saving $80 or $90/yr in fees. I plan on doing that with our car insurance policy when it comes due too.
I amended our tax return and we're getting $80 back. I've switched my husband's 401K investments so he's paying less in expense ratio fees.
I've also recently discovered Aldi. I'm a little obsessed with the place.
Can you tell I'm a teacher? I only get things like this done over the summer.
Someone left 2 cucumbers on my doorstep. They must have noticed all the weeds and no veggies in my raised beds in the front yard (not gardening myself this year).
Watching the neighbor's cat and earning $10 for the weekend.
July 11
---Went to buy much need bags of top soil at Loblaws it is usually 5 bags for $10.00 they were out of their brand, but had
another for $1.49 a bag so brought 10 bags and 3 jars of peanut butter was on for $3.00 each and a few other needed items all on sale
Total bill was $34.56 and for a bill over $30.00 I received $3.00 in points.....good haul
--other then eating what we have that is about all for today.
freshstart
7-11-15, 9:39pm
After a year or two of putting it off, I finally cancelled my very old e-mail account, which I was paying $8/month for.
I also switched our life insurance from monthly payments to an annual payment, saving $80 or $90/yr in fees. I plan on doing that with our car insurance policy when it comes due too.
I amended our tax return and we're getting $80 back. I've switched my husband's 401K investments so he's paying less in expense ratio fees.
Can you tell I'm a teacher? I only get things like this done over the summer.
so many thing you did are ones I need to do, haven't done a single one. You can tell I'd be a terrible teacher. As a nurse, I was great at prioritizing, making a plan and actually do everything on it but it never translated into IRL for some reason
My eggplant did not survive the heat. I went to our local organic nursery at opening time yesterday. They had a nearly full flat. Price? FREE. She was so gracious and happy that she wouldn't have to toss her babies into the compost heap!
so many thing you did are ones I need to do, haven't done a single one. You can tell I'd be a terrible teacher. As a nurse, I was great at prioritizing, making a plan and actually do everything on it but it never translated into IRL for some reason
I'm much better at planning at work than at home, too. Not enough pressure, and not enough of a deadline at home. Knowing school starts in 4 weeks motivated me this time.
Hi everyone,
I haven't been posting lately because I just haven't been frugal, sorry to say. I started thinking about how I'd soon be working more hours soon and that seemed to justify a lot of time-saving but money-spending behaviors. Like being too tired to cook, so we order pizza instead, for instance. But the busy season at work just hasn't gotten busy yet, and I've been getting sent home early every day because of lack of work. So now I'm facing a real need to put my frugal skills to the test.
My 22 year old son is wanting to find an apartment before he starts school in the fall, and it's looking like we'll barely be able to afford that. I've been planning go back to school also (while working) to finally finish my English degree. But I must get him off to a good start first, so I'm starting to feel like that will never happen. Kind of depressing. But maybe this is the kick I need to get back to managing my money better than I have been. So I'm spending today trying to come up with ideas. And I suppose I should do some housework while I'm at it.
A little slow on the frugals over here. Made a shopping trip to BJ's the other day, but went well-armed with a list and coupons. Didn't deviate from the list except to buy contact lens solution and that was only because there was a coupon in the flyer when I got there, which brought it to a price I was willing to pay. Grabbed two coupons and stocked up on enough contact lens solution to last 6 months.
Made a huge batch of egg salad from the dozen eggs we had from the farm. We ate egg salad sandwiches on bagels, which I had bought at BJ's. Probably would've been cheaper to bake our own bread, but that would have required additional planning! Last night I experimented with a new recipe for a kale/black bean/avocado salad with lime dressing. It was a hit and if we had more kale, I'd make it again tonight! Instead, I'll finally get motivated to make the frittata with the dandelion greens that are hanging out in the fridge.
Almost done stacking the firewood for the upcoming heating season. It provides a lot of free exercise, but I'm always much happier when the job is done.
Been tinkering a bit with doing some updates and general clean-up on my laptop to keep it running. It's a Dell that is at least 8 years old at this point and is clearly winding down it's life. I keep thinking, "one more year." I hate replacing technology, even though I know something new will be more efficient in a variety of ways. Still, I'm gonna hold out as long as possible...
Pretty hot and humid here these days, so the A/C has been running more than I'd like. I've been trying to keep the house closed up and keep things as comfortable as possible so that we only have to turn the A/C on to sleep at night.
Trying to keep on with the frugals over here. What about the rest of you? This thread has been quiet...
Doing a good job of eating all our meals at home. But I just realized that I have to go to work tomorrow for the second part of the professional development session I'm attending this month. Which means I need to bring lunch. I need to figure out what that's going to be so that I don't fall into the trap of just buying something less than satisfying from the cafeteria. I will, of course, be bringing my travel mugs with green tea and my water bottle. Fortunately, a meeting that I was supposed to go to today was rescheduled for tomorrow so I'll actually be able to combine those two things into one trip. Woo-hoo!
Been eating cherry tomatoes out of the garden as they become available. Usually only a few each day, but fresh tomatoes are so yummy!
Sold a gallon of my honey to a restaurant for $3 per pound more than I usually charge. Score! And just put in a proposal to lead a day-long training in October. I asked for $1080 for the day, which is the most I've ever charged. We'll see if they say yes...
Got a new BJ's circular in the mail and cut out the coupons I will use on my next shopping trip.
Figured out how to load cash on my faculty ID at school for use in the cafeteria. I have avoided doing this thinking that it's just as easy to swipe my debit card. But it turns out that if I load $50 to my ID, then I get an additional $5 credit. So I figure I will do it at the beginning of the semester and see how long I can make it last. $55 for the whole semester would work out to be less than $3.50 per week and I'd be pretty happy if I could get down to that level of spending during the semester. But those blueberry scones at the on-campus Starbucks call my name on a regular basis...
rosarugosa
7-15-15, 7:37pm
Cdttmm: You're doing us proud! That's good because I certainly haven't been too impressive recently. I did some shopping & we ate out last Sun, although I've been good since then. I also decided I would cover the dinner out from my allowance instead of the household budget, so that assuages my guilt somewhat. The weekends are obvious more of a challenge for me. I'm taking this Fri off from work, so will try to challenge myself to a frugal 3-day weekend!
Why, thank you, rosarugosa! I'm not sure that's entirely true, but I'm doing my best to stay on track this month!
I was running late this morning and almost thought about bailing on bringing my own lunch/snacks/tea/etc. to work today. But instead, I just decided to be late. Which isn't very professional, I know, but this is a summer faculty training so I knew nobody was going to be too upset at my late arrival. Of course, when I got there it turned out that at least half of the group didn't even show up!!!!
Anyway, since I brought my lunch, I was able to use up the last of the almond milk in a chocolate protein shake and the last 2 "dinosaur egg" sized avocados that were overly ripe. There were snacks provided at the training so I also scored some trail mix and granola bars. I almost hit the vending machine in the afternoon, but held off. When I finally got home, I ate some more of the strawberry rhubarb crumble that has been in the fridge. There's only about 1-1/2 servings left so that will get eaten over the next few days. I do need to remember to consume the last of the dandelion greens, the carrots, and the applesauce. And the bananas I bought at BJs have gotten very ripe, very quickly so there might need to be banana chocolate chip muffins in the near future.
I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes in the garden this evening. Perhaps they'll go into a dandelion green/carrot/tomato salad tomorrow...
Sold a jar of honey to a student today. That wasn't planned, so a welcome surprise! Plus, they told us that our pay for the professional development training went up from $100 to $150. Woo-hoo! Always nice to get a little extra cash here and there.
Beautiful weather today so no A/C!!!
Our son and daughter-in-law are having a baby (and our first grandchild!) in early September. I went to garage sales today and bought many pieces of baby clothing - all in great shape - for a total of $4.75!!! Also some great Texasware divided lunch room type dishes for the upcoming family reunion and neighborhood picnic so we can bring reusable dishes - .50 each!
Otherwise sticking close to home, reading library books, cooking 95% of meals at home - the usuals.
rosarugosa
7-17-15, 6:38pm
Congratulations, Chrissieq! Sounds like you scored very nicely on the baby clothes. What is Texasware? Probably not big in New England, but I've honestly never heard of it.
Day 1 of 3-day weekend - didn't spent a cent and had a glorious day at home, mostly working in the garden. It was sunny and in the seventies, which most people agree to be perfect weather. Also got a new gas meter installed, so we'll see if that resolves our gas bill situation. It was a very satisfying day. Will be collaborating with DH on a beet/strawberry/arugula/goat cheese salad for dinner, a favorite of ours. (Collaborate means he'll do all the chopping and significant work, and then I'll put it together in a bowl and drizzle olive oil on it and grate some pepper on top.)
Congratulations on the impending birth of your first grandchild, chrissieq!!!
I like your version of "collaboration" in the kitchen, rosarugosa! Wonder if I can get my dearly beloved to go along with that plan such that he does all the significant work. :~)
No drive day for me today. Stayed home and did some prep work for the upcoming semester. Then did a little work in the garden. "Harvested" a huge batch of catnip and hung it to dry for the next several months. The cats will be ecstatic over the winter! Hardboiled a dozen eggs to make into egg salad tomorrow. Ate up the last of the dandelion greens as part of a salad. Still need to turn the basil into a pesto base and freeze it. Aside from a few carrots, which I'll likely finish off tomorrow, we did a good job of consuming the bounty from the farm. There's more to come tomorrow, too!!! I've been trying to eat down the freezer, as well, and the biggest challenge at the moment is the applesauce I made and froze a four years ago. I've just been eating it, but tonight I came up with a convenient way to use some up. The bananas I bought at BJs last weekend got very ripe, very quickly. I decided to bake a loaf of banana bread. Okay, let's be honest, it's chocolate chip banana bread. :D Anyway, instead of using vegetable oil the way the recipe called for, I substituted applesauce. It's still baking so I can't say for sure how it will turn out, but the batter was tasty! :~) I subbed in coconut milk for the sour cream because I don't usually keep sour cream on hand. I also subbed in honey for the sugar because we have a lot of that around here!
Weather was beautiful today so no A/C. And it looks like it will be that way overnight. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so we might be back to using the A/C some due to the humidity more than the heat.
Congratulations, chrissieq! Ain't impending grandparenthood terrific? :)
Not many frugals here as I recover from knee surgery. We've had a steady stream of house guests, so we've (well, DW and DN[iece]) been in one grocery store or another quite a few times in the past week or so and the A/C has been on much more than usual. There isn't much other buying, though, so there's that. And my car hasn't moved since my surgery and likely won't for another couple of weeks yet. That'll save some $$.
Got about three inches of rain last night so watering the garden has been a non-issue. Now if only the rain would drown whatever it is that's chewing up our collard greens....
That's about it. Mostly sleeping and reading. Try me again in a week or thereabouts.
freshstart
7-18-15, 2:29pm
Feel better, knee surgery is no picnic
rosarugosa
7-18-15, 3:03pm
Yes Steve, I hope you make a speedy recovery!
frugal-one
7-18-15, 3:03pm
Speedy recovery SteveinMN!
Tussiemussies
7-18-15, 9:11pm
Steve, Hope you heal up quickly...
Happy healing to you, Steve, from one gimp to another! I am going stir crazy over here with this AirCast boot. Yes, I can walk without crutches, but it throws my gait off so bad that just limping around stores getting shopping done is exhausting. The novelty factor has done worn off...and I got five more weeks of this. So enjoy your down time, that's what everyone is telling me!
SteveinMN and SiouzQ., I hope both of you recover quickly! Here's my frugal tip for both of you -- follow your dr/OT/PT's advice perfectly. If the instructions are to stretch daily, then be sure to stretch daily. If you are given specific exercises to do to aid your recovery, then do them. Proper recovery is far more frugal than botched recovery!!! :cool:
Went to a going away party for a faculty member at work who is headed off on a sabbatical for the next year. I'm not much into work-related parties as they generally seem to be focused on drinking alcohol, which I rarely do. And this one was being held off-campus at a total dive of a bar in the middle of nowhere. Ugh. But I went because this is the same faculty member who I got a colony of bees from early this spring after they were attacked by a bear and the person organizing the party just became the interim VP of academic affairs. So I figured for political reasons I should probably show up. I bought one beverage -- a ginger ale with lime -- and made that last 2 hours while I talked to a bunch of colleagues that I genuinely like. Total cost: $2.00 (including a tip for the bartender) and gas money.
Picked up my first paycheck from teaching a Tae Kwon Do class at the gym. That is definitely not going to be a huge money maker, but I figure I might as well get paid when I do get asked to sub as opposed to just doing it for free.
I realized I missed the required number of debit card transactions last month to get the higher interest rate on my checking account. So made sure to use my debit card instead of my credit card when I paid for a few things online yesterday. I've not done a detailed analysis to see which is actually the better deal: the higher interest rate earned by using my debit card or the airline miles I get by using my AmEx card. I'll have to figure out the math on that and see what I learn.
Made a frittata with eggs and dandelion greens from the farm last night because that was what my SO requested. He brought kale, goat milk, and goat butter from the farm as well. Good think I didn't stop to buy milk yesterday! Today I'll attempt to make kale chips out of the kale.
Last but not least, I opened a Vanguard account yesterday! I did it so that I can roll over a 401(k) from my previous job. I think I have everything I need now to finish and submit the paperwork to make this happen. Very excited!
freshstart
7-19-15, 12:47pm
Last but not least, I opened a Vanguard account yesterday! I did it so that I can roll over a 401(k) from my previous job. I think I have everything I need now to finish and submit the paperwork to make this happen. Very excited!
I LOVE Vanguard, they are so helpful, they don't try to upsell you to managed funds when an Index fund suits your purposes. Lowest fund fees. When you have a certain amount invested, you get free sessions with a financial planner, I found this immensely helpful. You probably already know about all the Bogle books and forums
Thanks, all, for the good wishes. I thought I'd mentioned the surgery, but maybe not. Was kinda busy leading up to the operation. ;)
Yes, I plan to be very good about getting back on my feet. Today so far has been particularly good; I actually walked to and from a Little Library about three blocks from the house. A few minor trips through the house for water refills, etc., and I'm ready to sit for a while. But it's nice to feel that going through the operation was not in vain. Was kind of wondering for a few days....
rosarugosa
7-19-15, 5:19pm
I rolled over DH's 401K from a prior employer to Vanguard, and we've been very pleased. From everything I've heard, they can't be beat for low fee index funds.
Steve, You did mention that knee surgery was in your future, but I wasn't quite sure when. Glad to hear you're making progress. SiouzQ: Glad you're making process as well!
I kept my commitment to myself to keep it frugal over this 3-day weekend. We came in within budget on groceries, and our great dining experiences for the weekend were done by us at home. The new gas meter appears to be recording usage as we would expect it to. Hopefully we'll be able to get the gas company to give us a credit on last month's bill without too much hassle, but their customer service was really deplorable, so we'll see.
It's really, really hot here, so we're hanging out in front of the fans. I think we'll just plan on a cold, easy dinner, perhaps sandwiches tonight.
A few little frugals here and there over the past few days.
First, went to the pet store to buy cat food and cat litter. The cat litter had a $5 off coupon on the bag so I bought 2 bags and saved $10 over what we would normally spend. But I kept the receipt because I've never really compared prices on this stuff before. We always go to this locally owned pet store because, well, it's habit. But I discovered that if we buy the exact same cat food and cat litter at Walmart we'd save almost $65 per year. I really dislike some of Walmart's practices, so if it were only for the $65 I'd probably not do it. But when I started really looking online to compare prices on other items and it turns out there are a number of other things that we could buy at Walmart as well. If each item over the span of a year would save us ~$30, then we'd be looking at saving closer to $500. Plus, I can order everything through Walmart.com by linking to it through skymilesshopping.com and get 2 airline points for every dollar we spend, which would probably work out to about 4,000 airline miles in year. And I could simply do in-store pick-up, as opposed to having to wait to have it delivered, which is not a hassle since there is a Walmart on my way to the gym. But I really dislike Walmart so this is a huge dilemma for me...
Moving on. Made the kale chips and they were a huge success! I ended up making them on the grill because using the oven would have just added to our A/C use. They were very easy to make and extremely tasty. I can't believe people would actually pay to buy them pre-made because it takes very little time and kale is generally very inexpensive!
I have accumulated quite the stash of tea again. So since I've finished off the tea that I had been drinking daily for the past few months, I'm now challenging myself to drink up some of the other stuff. I like green tea with a hint of mint. And I have loads of green tea. Turns out, I have a whole lot of mint growing in the garden so I'm going to harvest some of that for green tea with mint drinking happiness. Score!
Been doing a very good job eating up the produce and the eggs we've been getting from the farm. Still have a few carrots and two pieces of frittata in the fridge so will eat those later today. I've also got some goat's milk to use up. I used some this morning to make a protein shake, but need to use up the rest in the next day or so. I've also got 3 bananas, 8 eggs, and some coconut milk that should get used up. Perhaps more chocolate chip banana bread! :D
I really dislike some of Walmart's practices, so if it were only for the $65 I'd probably not do it. But when I started really looking online to compare prices on other items and it turns out there are a number of other things that we could buy at Walmart as well. If each item over the span of a year would save us ~$30, then we'd be looking at saving closer to $500. Plus, I can order everything through Walmart.com by linking to it through skymilesshopping.com and get 2 airline points for every dollar we spend, which would probably work out to about 4,000 airline miles in year. And I could simply do in-store pick-up, as opposed to having to wait to have it delivered, which is not a hassle since there is a Walmart on my way to the gym. But I really dislike Walmart so this is a huge dilemma for me...
So what's more important to you? Saving $$ or preserving your conscience? ;)
I understand that some folks in rural America do not have much of a choice but to shop at Wally World. I can understand that people may choose to shop at Walmart because it is accessible via public transportation and alternatives are not.
But Walmart "saves" you money by shunting costs off to others. They are in a position to bully suppliers -- and the public. All this for $40 a month and some air miles. Spending money at Walmart vindicates their way of doing business. You can choose to agree with it or not, but shopping there takes you off the moral high ground.
But Walmart "saves" you money by shunting costs off to others. They are in a position to bully suppliers -- and the public. All this for $40 a month and some air miles. Spending money at Walmart vindicates their way of doing business. You can choose to agree with it or not, but shopping there takes you off the moral high ground.
This. Thank you, SteveinMN, for reminding me that I have personal values that are far more important than saving a few dollars every month. If saving a few extra bucks is that important, I will find another way to do it.
This. Thank you, SteveinMN, for reminding me that I have personal values that are far more important than saving a few dollars every month. If saving a few extra bucks is that important, I will find another way to do it.
This place needs a "Like" button. :)
freshstart
7-21-15, 10:18pm
This place needs a "Like" button. :)
It does!
I won't shop at Walmart either, but where I live I have many, many other options. I usually just wait for a sale somewhere else. Have you tried Amazon Pantry? they are reasonable for other things bought in bulk, but I have not checked pet prices there. Or if you've been so loyal to the local store, maybe they would price match Walmart? not the greatest deal for them but if it keeps you as a loyal, regular customer, they may see the value in it
awakenedsoul
7-22-15, 8:42am
Now that I have a car again, I'm reminding myself to combine my errands to save gas. Yesterday I went to a knitting group at Panera. I rarely eat out, but I bought a bowl of soup and had a piece of baguette for under five dollars. I stopped at Sprouts on my way home and picked up a few groceries. They had cantaloupes, three for a dollar. Went to the gym and swam. That $15.00 a month membership is the best investment I've made in years! I'm using it every day. It's really helped me to rebuild muscle and has reduced my pain greatly. Made a salad with homemade dressing for dinner. Did laundry with homemade laundry detergent. Hung the washing out to dry on the clothesline overnight. Slept with the windows open for fresh air. I turned the ceiling fan on and that combined with the cool breeze provided a natural decrease in temperature in my cottage.
Spent last weekend with my father. He had ordered a box of meat from Omaha Steaks. We had those for dinner with fried potatoes and sauteed onions. They were delicious. I was impressed with all that he got for $100.00. I may place an order with them for my stockpile. I don't eat meat often, but the steaks were superb.
Have been focusing on cleaning and organizing the home. Got the vacuuming done yesterday, and today I'll polish the furniture. I've been using homemade cleaning products. Made arrangements with Blue Shield for my new health insurance. Called in for the paperwork I need for Dial A Ride for the six weeks after my surgery. It feels good to get organized and prepared.
On the Walmart thing - see if your current store will match Wally World's price.
Ultralight
7-22-15, 9:23am
For the first time in -- I dunno -- 15 or 20 years I went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (the evil empire) yesterday. Don't get me wrong. I came out of there feeling like I needed a shower and a confessional.
But I did save a few bucks, some gasoline, and wear & tear on my car. Other than these reasons, I rationalize it this way:
-I am just a workin' man. I can't afford "ethical" places like Whole Paycheck or Traitor Joe's
-I am a minimalist, so it is not like I go there and buy a bunch of cheap plastic crap made in China. I bought bananas, flour, PB, preserves, broccoli, asparagus, beans -- things like that.
-At this stage in the game, I am not so sure much of anything we do as consumers is going to bail us out of this pickle we're in... except ceasing to consume, or maybe dramatically reducing our consumption levels.
-I am 36 and I have only $15k saved for retirement and I do not pay into social security. So every time I go to Wal-Mart to buy groceries I can gamble away a few more dollars in my Roth IRA.
Thanks for the suggestions about price-matching. I hadn't considered asking about that at the pet store.
Off to a solid frugal start this morning. I made 18 muffins -- banana chocolate chip. I really needed to use up or freeze the bananas as we were getting fruit flies in the kitchen due to the bananas being so ripe! Fortunately, I know that freezing bananas usually results in them getting "lost" in my freezer for far too long. So even though I didn't want to use the oven and heat up the house, I decided I needed to just get it done. I substituted honey for sugar, applesauce for oil, and coconut milk for sour cream. I used up the last of the walnuts and chocolate chips so I'll add those to my shopping list. The muffins turned out great! Now if I can just keep myself from consuming all of them in the next three days... :~)
For some reason, buying vitamins is like this money-sucking black hole for me. Now, let's not debate whether vitamins are actually good for you or bad for you or whether they do anything at all. I've read the studies, I know the arguments on both sides. Ultimately, taking vitamins seems to improve my chronic health conditions so even if it's just due to the placebo effect, I'm probably not going to give up vitamins any time soon. But, my oh my, do I seem to stockpile the darn things!!! So I made an Excel spreadsheet that shows which vitamins I'll take every day for the next 6 months. It's a rotational set-up that really only makes sense in my mind and I acknowledge that! :D I printed it out and taped it to the inside of the cupboard door where I store the vitamins. Then I stashed a pen in the cupboard. Now I'm all set to mark off my vitamin use for the near future. If I actually follow the calendar, it means I'll have worked my way through the stockpile in 6 months. Hopefully, this will prevent me from adding to the stockpile during that time and when it's over I can reassess whether to continue buying vitamins. (I have been known to spend ~$50 per month in vitamins so this little exercise represents using up ~$300 worth of vitamins in a timely fashion.)
Had the windows open and the fan in the bedroom on last night and it cooled off the house enough that I'm hoping to be A/C free again today. I have been diligent about closing up the windows, pulling down the blinds, and putting out the awning and those small steps make such a huge difference. The indoor temperature is at 72 degrees F right now and it should stay comfortable throughout the day, although by this evening it will likely be up to about 78 or 79 degrees. But that will be for just an hour or two before I can open up the house and cool it off overnight again. I've found that if I move the fan from the bedroom to the great room during the day and keep it running pointed in my general direction that I feel comfortable longer. Why hadn't I thought to do that sooner?!?
Stacked the rest of the firewood yesterday. Well, the last of what has been delivered. I think we're due for one more delivery, but I'm hoping we can put it off until October. We've got enough to last at least 1-1/2 seasons so the remaining delivery is really to create a longer term stockpile. It won't fit in our woodshed so I need to stack it in a less convenient location. I'd rather wait for the cooler fall temperatures to do that, hence my desire for it to now get delivered until October!
We had a tarp covering the wood, but the tarp has several giant tears in it. I'm going to see if there's a way to repair it or if it's just bound for the trashcan. I'm hoping I can salvage it as I'd rather not throw it out if it's still usable in any way.
That's about all for now. Hope everyone else is having a frugal July!!!
Now that dd's wedding is behind us, we are back in frugal mode. Trying harder to utilize food that we already have. Every other weekend, I cook a large pot of dried beans, lentils or chickpeas so that I have jars in the freezer for quick meals. Last night we had bean and cheese tacos.. Made a guacamole salad with last of two avocados, garden tomato and lettuce that needed to be finished up. Desert was a large mango languishing in the fridge, cut up and tossed with yogurt and topped with sliced almonds. Back in ridiculous hot weather so the AC is blasting even though we keep it at 81. It hasn't rained in three weeks so I am saving water again from the shower to water plants.
freshstart
7-22-15, 3:31pm
Have been focusing on cleaning and organizing the home. Got the vacuuming done yesterday, and today I'll polish the furniture. I've been using homemade cleaning products. Made arrangements with Blue Shield for my new health insurance. Called in for the paperwork I need for Dial A Ride for the six weeks after my surgery. It feels good to get organized and prepared.
you got a ton accomplished!
freshstart
7-22-15, 3:37pm
For the first time in -- I dunno -- 15 or 20 years I went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (the evil empire) yesterday. Don't get me wrong. I came out of there feeling like I needed a shower and a confessional.
Lmao. In your case, using them to your benefit, saving gas, cost of groceries and being able to add to your Roth, that sounds fine to me.
If it makes you feel better, here's a commentary that Whole Foods ain't so great:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/24/1396100/-Think-Whole-Foods-is-a-ripoff-It-s-worse-than-you-thought?detail=facebook#
rosarugosa
7-22-15, 8:24pm
Awakened: I had intended to comment on another thread, but I'm sorry to hear that you'll be needing surgery. I guess the silver lining is that you always keep in shape so you're sure to be diligent about your post-op therapy and make a speedy recovery! Wishing you well.
ApatheticNoMore
7-23-15, 12:08am
If it makes you feel better, here's a commentary that Whole Foods ain't so great:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/0...tail=facebook#
it may not be (although *some* of the suppliers are quite ethical companies) but there may be truly ethical alternatives like co-ops and so on available to shop at. Never trust anything that's a corporate model all that much (as opposed to worker or consumer co-ops etc.), but some find Costco an alternative to Walmart that doesn't make them want to shower afterward. I don't judge, but unless I'm taking a massive guilt trip for the entire messed up nature of everything and making myself depressed, I have some spontaneous urge to support things doing good.
Tussiemussies
7-23-15, 12:28am
So sorry awakened soul that you will be needing surgery. Like another poster mentioned, you are in great shape and take such good care of yourself, that your recovery will go by quickly...christine
SteveinMN
7-23-15, 10:57am
I am just a workin' man. I can't afford "ethical" places like Whole Paycheck or Traitor Joe's.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, there are practical reasons people may choose to shop at Walmart. But your comment about "can't afford 'ethical'" reminds me of a conversation DW and I had shortly after we married. She went to the food co-op with me and was a little shocked at the price of some Colby Jack cheese she wanted to buy (nothing fancy; there are fancy cheeses but this was not one of them). "Isn't that kind of expensive for Colby Jack?" "Well, this is what food costs when you pay your workers a living wage, treat cows humanely, and don't make taxpayers pay for your pollution or your medical plan."
I don't want to range too far off-topic in this thread, but believing that one cannot afford to do better than to shop at Walmart (and the other big-box stores; none of them besides Costco is exemplary) lets them win. And companies which do spend money on living wages/health care/tuition reimbursement for employees and use sustainable practices and treat their suppliers equitably lose the sales that let them continue to be in business. Which leaves us with abusive companies who have enough of a monopoly to dictate their terms.
Back to being frugal.
Ultralight
7-23-15, 11:13am
As I mentioned in my earlier post, there are practical reasons people may choose to shop at Walmart. But your comment about "can't afford 'ethical'" reminds me of a conversation DW and I had shortly after we married. She went to the food co-op with me and was a little shocked at the price of some Colby Jack cheese she wanted to buy (nothing fancy; there are fancy cheeses but this was not one of them). "Isn't that kind of expensive for Colby Jack?" "Well, this is what food costs when you pay your workers a living wage, treat cows humanely, and don't make taxpayers pay for your pollution or your medical plan."
I don't want to range too far off-topic in this thread, but believing that one cannot afford to do better than to shop at Walmart (and the other big-box stores; none of them besides Costco is exemplary) lets them win. And companies which do spend money on living wages/health care/tuition reimbursement for employees and use sustainable practices and treat their suppliers equitably lose the sales that let them continue to be in business. Which leaves us with abusive companies who have enough of a monopoly to dictate their terms.
Back to being frugal.
SteveinMN: I actually think that this discussion is very related to frugality, so unless others complain I see no reason to refrain from this angle of the topic.
This is going to sound cynical, and it is also going to be a bit of "playing devil's advocate." But what I have observed is that when people make a living wage they often use their discretionary income to buy things like big screen TVs, SUVs, and a bunch of cheap plastic crap made in China. And when people do get healthcare through work they still pound McDonald's often. It is not like getting health insurance means people eat more broccoli. The tuition reimbursement is an interesting thing because I think that the vast majority of things people study in colleges are detrimental to our environment and our society -- business and law come to mind. haha.
And the sustainability issue is a sticky one. Wal-Mart does lots of "green" stuff. So do the other stores, but it is just a gimmick. There is sustainable ("I recycle and turn off the water while I am brushing my teeth!" and then there is sustainable ("I am Daniel Suelo, I live in a cave, don't use money, and live on wild berries!").
Take for a minute this idea:
Suppose everyone that shopped at Wal-Mart bought the stuff I bought (not that I am some savior, but just as an example). I bought:
-A couple kinds of fresh fruit
-A couple fresh veggies
-A tin of baked beans
-Peanut butter
-Jelly
-flour (to bake bread)
-veggie burgers
That might have been everything. Now if this is what everyone was buying at Wal-Mart, wouldn't Wally change the way he does business?
awakenedsoul
7-23-15, 8:06pm
you got a ton accomplished!
Thanks, freshstart. After a recent visit to my Dad, I am putting more hours per day back into my home and garden. (My parents have always done that.) It's rewarding, free, and makes me feel good. I like being proud of where I live, instead of feeling guilty and behind. Making lists is really helping me to stay focused.
awakenedsoul
7-23-15, 8:09pm
Awakened: I had intended to comment on another thread, but I'm sorry to hear that you'll be needing surgery. I guess the silver lining is that you always keep in shape so you're sure to be diligent about your post-op therapy and make a speedy recovery! Wishing you well.
Thanks rosarugosa. I've been going to the gym every morning to prepare. I think it really helps if you have strong legs and are in shape. I've had a lot less pain since I started using the machines every other day. On the other days I swim and/or do Pilates or Yoga at home. That $15.00 a month gym membership at 24 Hour Fitness has been the best money I've ever spent!
awakenedsoul
7-23-15, 8:14pm
So sorry awakened soul that you will be needing surgery. Like another poster mentioned, you are in great shape and take such good care of yourself, that your recovery will go by quickly...christine
Thanks Tussiemussies. It's funny, when I asked the doctor how long it would be before I would be able to work, he answered, "Six weeks. For you, probably longer, since you're not in very good shape." I chuckled, because I have been busting my buns at the gym. Normally people say the opposite. But, I think he meant my mobility. It's terrible. I'm lean and muscular, but my flexibility has dropped dramatically since I've worn away all of the cartilage. He said my hips are really bad...they're bone on bone. So, I will do the physical therapy and go with the flow as far as healing. I usually heal very quickly...
awakenedsoul
7-23-15, 8:17pm
For the first time in -- I dunno -- 15 or 20 years I went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (the evil empire) yesterday. Don't get me wrong. I came out of there feeling like I needed a shower and a confessional.
But I did save a few bucks, some gasoline, and wear & tear on my car. Other than these reasons, I rationalize it this way:
-I am just a workin' man. I can't afford "ethical" places like Whole Paycheck or Traitor Joe's
-I am a minimalist, so it is not like I go there and buy a bunch of cheap plastic crap made in China. I bought bananas, flour, PB, preserves, broccoli, asparagus, beans -- things like that.
-At this stage in the game, I am not so sure much of anything we do as consumers is going to bail us out of this pickle we're in... except ceasing to consume, or maybe dramatically reducing our consumption levels.
-I am 36 and I have only $15k saved for retirement and I do not pay into social security. So every time I go to Wal-Mart to buy groceries I can gamble away a few more dollars in my Roth IRA.
I understand what you mean. Everybody has a different situation. I'm not eating organically right now, because I've got to make sure I have enough money to pay for my upcoming medical bills. I am growing some organic food, though. We're in a drought, so we can't water the way I did several years ago. I think all of the small changes we each make do add up over time. You do the best you can, with what you have and where you are...
freshstart
7-23-15, 9:33pm
There is sustainable ("I recycle and turn off the water while I am brushing my teeth!" and then there is sustainable ("I am Daniel Suelo, I live in a cave, don't use money, and live on wild berries!").
I am finding it difficult now to figure out where I will land on this continuum. When i worked, I often got many of our groceries at a co op, especially produce and wonderful meat (from farms where all the right stuff is done to the animals). It was around the corner from my office. Now it's about 18 miles away, I cannot drive so have to annoy another person to go, and I would be over-budget on everything once I receive disability payments, then 18 miles home. It worked very well when it was close, i had the income to shop there, the food was wonderful and good for the planet. That's not gonna work or even make sense anymore with the change in my financials. I won't be at Walmart but really how much better are large grocery chains? I vote green, used to try to buy green as much as possible, my beliefs are green, it's my execution that does not measure up to what I claim to believe. I will never ever live in a cave eating berries yet I'm in a murky, gray area that I don't like but also have so much else going on, this is not making it to the top of my list.
awakenedsoul
7-23-15, 9:50pm
Just read through all of the frugals here. Wow! This thread is so inspiring, you're all such excellent writers. It really helps me to hear how everyone here is saving money each day. It's a great discipline.
Today I went to the gym and swam. It's so much easier to drive the five miles to the gym than it was to take the bus. I used to have to take two buses and walk uphill for about five blocks. Because of my bone on bone hip joints, it was draining. Also, we have very hot summers in the triple digits. Now I can zip over there in 5-10 mins. I combine errands tp save gas. It feels so good to drive my mom's little red VW Beetle. It's such a cute little car, and it only has 26,000 miles on it. (It's a 2001.) My neighbors are all smiling, yelling and giving me a thumbs up when they see that I have a car now. It's sweet. (They watched me schlep my shopping cart/bike trailer to the bus stop for the past year.) I've been eating leftover homemade meatloaf with potatoes and gravy. I found a great recipe and used veggies, cheese, and herbs that I had in my stockpile I just cooked up a batch of mashed potatoes. I got 10 lbs. of them for a dollar at Vallarta. Such a deal! I also bought onions when they were on sale at the same price. It's a good feeling. Carrots were three lbs. for a dollar, so I'll sautee up some of those, too. I also made a big salad with homemade oil and vinegar dressing and fresh basil from the garden.
This morning I got up on the ladder and cleaned all of the dust and cobwebs off of the outside of the house and the porch. I've got to finish up tonight. I'm glad I have a small house! I'm really pleased with the effects of all of the mulching I did last winter. My garden looks so healthy, in spite of the drought. the soil is like a forest floor, over the weekend we had a nice rain. I'm so glad that years ago I planted drought tolerant plants and mulched over the lawn. It's sad to see all of the brown, dry lawns around California. Some of the plants I got for free in 1998 are doing fine with very little water. (periwinkle, Japanese irises, four o'clocks, hollyhocks, herbs, and amaranth.) I've got a few pots of begonias and trailing miniature petunias strategically placed. I'm able to use grey water to keep them healthy and happy. It really looks nice and I'm pleased. I've been making compost tea, but the dog has been drinking it instead of her water. I was wondering why the level kept going down...
Wow! This thread is so inspiring, you're all such excellent writers. It really helps me to hear how everyone here is saving money each day. It's a great discipline.
Agreed, awakenedsoul! The monthly frugals threads are hands down my favorite posts on the Simple Living forums!!! Coming here and posting regularly and reading what everyone else is doing makes me feel so happy because then I know there are other like-minded people in this world!!!
Yesterday was my birthday -- so happy birthday to me! My SO was still in NYC for work -- he got back last night -- and I'm off from work for the summer so I got to spend a lovely day just hanging out at home. It made for a very frugal birthday -- ha!!! I worked in the garden a bit, vacuumed the house, did some laundry and hung it on the line to dry, experimented with a new recipe (Honey-Quinoa Breakfast Bake), watched part of the documentary The Smartest Guys in the Room on Netflix, went for a 6 mile trail run across the street in the state forest, and finally went to the gym for a Tae Kwon Do class.
After my TKD class, I stopped at Friendly's (New England/east coast folks will be familiar) and bought an ice cream cake (my guilty pleasure!) that said "Happy Birthday" on it. Went home, ate homemade pizza and grilled zucchini made by my dearly beloved who endured a ridiculous traffic-filled drive to come home and celebrate with me. We enjoyed this deliciousness while watching an episode of "The Flash" and called it a night. It was a damn fine birthday. :D I got a pair of very fancy Warby Parker sunglasses as a birthday gift and today we're going to continue the celebration by going to drive a few Teslas just for fun! Well, that part is simply a coincidence. A friend is having a summer customer appreciation party for his business -- apparently this is an annual thing and it's supposed to be pretty epic -- and so they are getting a handful of Teslas for people to drive. We always get invited to this party, but never end up going. But this year seems like the perfect year to attend!!!
In other frugal news... Getting cherry tomatoes from the garden every day -- so delicious! Been continuing to eat from the pantry and fridge for the most part. Amazing how long I have managed to keep this going. The honey-quinoa breakfast bake was a bit of an experiment and it didn't turn out great, but it's edible. I had to to substitute Craisins for frozen berries and pumpkin seeds for nuts, which was probably too many substitutions in a recipe I'd never tried before, but it worked okay. It allowed me to use up the last of the goat milk, which was likely going to not get consumed before it went off, and a cup of (dry) quinoa. Considering that I have 4 lbs of quinoa in the pantry, I really need to find more ways to eat it up! I think the biggest flaw in my experiment was that I opted to bake it on the grill as opposed to the oven -- trying to minimize the whole heat up the house factor -- and, well, it's just hard to control the temperature on the grill. But, the results of the experiment are edible even if they are not fantastic. I'm good with that -- learning experience and all! :~)
Beautiful day again today so no A/C. Woo-hoo! This is the most non-July-like weather I can remember, but I'll take it after the crazy winter we had!
Aqua Blue
7-24-15, 10:43am
My frugals for the week include: organic chickens for $1/pound. they were close out, I bought 8 and froze them. I had the first one yesterday and it was wonderful, honestly tasted like chicken. Also got some delicious peaches for $1/pound. It is hard to find much in the way of food for $1/pound anymore. I also got a pampered chef 9x13 stoneware pan for $2 at a garage sale, a wall mount mirror for $13 that I intend to cover the frame with shells. I did one before and it fell off the wall and broke, but I liked the look so much I want to do it again(but I will do a better job of mounting it. Yesterday at a garage sale I got a nice pair of essentially new sandals for 75c and a Readers Digest piano book I had been hoping to find for $2. I love yard sale season, but am glad it is only the summer, there are just too many good buys.
My frugals for the week include: organic chickens for $1/pound. they were close out, I bought 8 and froze them. I had the first one yesterday and it was wonderful, honestly tasted like chicken.
That's a great deal on organic chicken, and I know what you mean by the flavor. Since I've started eating organic chicken, supermarket chicken has seemed like a tasteless sponge.
I've been enjoying everyone's posts, though I haven't had much to say for myself. After a month of falling away from frugality, I'm happy to say that I'm back on track!
I'd say my biggest thing is that I've changed my career plans just in time to avoid going back to school and spending thousands on a career that may not have been right for me. Circumstances helped; money's been too tight to save for the tuition, which has skyrocketed in the past few years. I'll be revamping my craft business, which fizzled out due to lack of time to work on it. Also, I needed some time to figure out which direction to take it. I have all the supplies and materials, so it shouldn't take any money to start it back up. I'll be still working at my factory job in the meantime. I don't like it and it's hard on my body, so the sooner I can leave, the better!
I've been trying to get away from buying food at work. Three days a week, caterers come in with hot food and that can cost $3.25 to $5.50 per day, which adds up. I've been bringing in leftovers instead. However, we have a little self-service store at work which is a little too convenient. It's way too easy to buy candy in the afternoon when I'm tired and easily tempted.
I just made a gallon of broth out of two chicken carcasses I had in the freezer. I also have enough cooked chicken bits taken off the bones for a noodle dish tonight. Also, I'm enjoying lots of veggies from our CSA box. This might be the last year we get the boxes, though. Once our son moves out of the house, it will be way too much food for two people to get through, even with a half share. But that's okay -- the farmer's market is a quick walk away.
This is going to sound cynical, and it is also going to be a bit of "playing devil's advocate." But what I have observed is that when people make a living wage they often use their discretionary income to buy things like big screen TVs, SUVs, and a bunch of cheap plastic crap made in China. And when people do get healthcare through work they still pound McDonald's often. It is not like getting health insurance means people eat more broccoli. The tuition reimbursement is an interesting thing because I think that the vast majority of things people study in colleges are detrimental to our environment and our society -- business and law come to mind. haha.
People making far more than living wage buy cheap plastic crap made in China and eat at fast food joints, too. I don't see those as reasons to keep workers' wages near poverty levels. It's not like that paltry amount comes easily earned, either, what with employers setting work schedules not known to employees until mere days before the work; the hours carefully chosen to avoid full-time wages and benefits; and with megamergers continually reducing staffing.
The Walmart model is great if your last name is Walton, but it isn't very good for most of the people whose efforts provide that wealth. And that negative effect stretches way beyond the confines of Walmart property. Read the story of the pressure Walmart put on Vlasic (http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know) to get an idea of the effect Walmart has had on commerce in the markets it occupies. I worked at a manufacturing company that everyone here would recognize; we, too, had to play Walmart's tune if we wanted to sell in their stores. And, at their size, how many companies can afford not to?
The Walmart model continues to put pressure on competing businesses and manufacturers and enforces a race to the bottom. Manufacturing moves off-shore to lower labor costs, laying off dozens or hundreds of employees who then need to find other work -- and may not find the vocational training they need (tax cuts! wasteful government spending!) or jobs in other industries that also are racing to the bottom. Companies which choose to treat their suppliers and employees better no longer can let their business model be their differentiator because the almighty dollar counts so much more.
Goodbye to savings; goodbye to purchasing durable (usually expensive) items; goodbye to sending your kids to college so they can get the piece of paper now increasingly mandated by employers offering higher-than-poverty wages. When an entire economy is based on greater and greater consumption, not being able to keep consuming at high levels becomes an issue. Not saying our economy should be consumption-based, but it is -- and changing that is a far bigger structural change than avoiding shopping at Walmart.
Suppose everyone that shopped at Wal-Mart bought the stuff I bought (not that I am some savior, but just as an example). I bought:
-A couple kinds of fresh fruit
-A couple fresh veggies
-A tin of baked beans
-Peanut butter
-Jelly
-flour (to bake bread)
-veggie burgers
That might have been everything. Now if this is what everyone was buying at Wal-Mart, wouldn't Wally change the way he does business?
I don't believe it would. Economy (of scale) dictates buying from as few suppliers as possible, putting more pressure on smaller-scale producers and/or those who cannot amortize their costs (living wages, health insurance, etc.) over so many tons of product. The way transportation and fuel are paid for in this country does not encourage locality; it can be cheaper to ship produce off-shore for processing and back to the U.S. for less than it can cost to buy it from the farm in the next town.
Which do you suppose is Walmart's choice in that situation? When you live and die as the "lowest price", you continually are looking to cut the corners and streamline to the detriment of other factors. That's not what sustainability is about.
Henry Ford was smart enough to pay his car assemblers enough money to buy the cars they were making, generating worker loyalty and a market for the product. When a worker in the U.S. loses his/her job and no longer has enough money to shop at Walmart, what does Walmart sell?
Ultralight
7-24-15, 2:19pm
People making far more than living wage buy cheap plastic crap made in China and eat at fast food joints, too. I don't see those as reasons to keep workers' wages near poverty levels. It's not like that paltry amount comes easily earned, either, what with employers setting work schedules not known to employees until mere days before the work; the hours carefully chosen to avoid full-time wages and benefits; and with megamergers continually reducing staffing.
The Walmart model is great if your last name is Walton, but it isn't very good for most of the people whose efforts provide that wealth. And that negative effect stretches way beyond the confines of Walmart property. Read the story of the pressure Walmart put on Vlasic (http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know) to get an idea of the effect Walmart has had on commerce in the markets it occupies. I worked at a manufacturing company that everyone here would recognize; we, too, had to play Walmart's tune if we wanted to sell in their stores. And, at their size, how many companies can afford not to?
The Walmart model continues to put pressure on competing businesses and manufacturers and enforces a race to the bottom. Manufacturing moves off-shore to lower labor costs, laying off dozens or hundreds of employees who then need to find other work -- and may not find the vocational training they need (tax cuts! wasteful government spending!) or jobs in other industries that also are racing to the bottom. Companies which choose to treat their suppliers and employees better no longer can let their business model be their differentiator because the almighty dollar counts so much more.
Goodbye to savings; goodbye to purchasing durable (usually expensive) items; goodbye to sending your kids to college so they can get the piece of paper now increasingly mandated by employers offering higher-than-poverty wages. When an entire economy is based on greater and greater consumption, not being able to keep consuming at high levels becomes an issue. Not saying our economy should be consumption-based, but it is -- and changing that is a far bigger structural change than avoiding shopping at Walmart.
I don't believe it would. Economy (of scale) dictates buying from as few suppliers as possible, putting more pressure on smaller-scale producers and/or those who cannot amortize their costs (living wages, health insurance, etc.) over so many tons of product. The way transportation and fuel are paid for in this country does not encourage locality; it can be cheaper to ship produce off-shore for processing and back to the U.S. for less than it can cost to buy it from the farm in the next town.
Which do you suppose is Walmart's choice in that situation? When you live and die as the "lowest price", you continually are looking to cut the corners and streamline to the detriment of other factors. That's not what sustainability is about.
Henry Ford was smart enough to pay his car assemblers enough money to buy the cars they were making, generating worker loyalty and a market for the product. When a worker in the U.S. loses his/her job and no longer has enough money to shop at Walmart, what does Walmart sell?
I feel like you are asking me to keep helping to build this house of cards because the moment we stop building upward the whole thing crashes.
July 24
---cut up and froze rhubarb and nectarines bought on mark down yesterday...new practice is to buy little bits of many things to freeze
that way it all gets eaten without having to push to eat it up
---made rhubarb/strawberry chia seed jam using above mentioned rhubarb and strawberries from the freezer...yummy and healthy
--Dd did her magic at the grocery store and came home with $45.00 worth of groceries for $16.00...I help organize so I get to take credit...lol
---cleaned out my purse, emails, and fridge ......life feels better.
--sorted out pantry to see what needs to be used up and came up with a new recipe that uses some up for tomorrows supper.
rosarugosa
7-25-15, 7:57am
Yes, Steve! I am fortunate to have the luxury of factoring my ideals into my spending choices (and I acknowledge that this isn't true for everyone). So I often vote for Costco, and I've found that I can buy US-made products more often than you might think (Not Your Daughter's Jeans, Hatteras Hammocks, Maine Woolens, Nordic Ware, etc.)
I never, ever shop at Wal-Mart, but I've always been quick to admit that I don't like Wal-Mart so this isn't exactly a hardship. I'm like the kid who gave up peas for Lent. :)
Nice to see you Danna, it's been a while!
I'm like the kid who gave up peas for Lent. :)
This made me LOL, literally. :D
We went out of town for a little over 5 days. I have not been to the store yet. I am cleaning out all the food, making up meals as I go. Seems I need to shop tomorrow, as we are at the very end of food around here. That means it's been 3 weeks since I shopped (Before July 4th). YEE HAW!!!
3 returns to the store.
Sold off several odds and ends- made $150. Hoping someone will buy my son's loft bed, that he no longer fits, but is in great condition. Will be another $100.
Only drank water the entire vacation, saving over $5-$8 a day in drinks (Why are basic drinks so expensive???)
awakenedsoul
7-25-15, 10:48am
I've been spending more time at home again, and I really like it. Yesterday I swept all of the dirt and cobwebs off of the outside of the house. I trimmed back the hollyhocks and locust tree. It looks so much better! I fed the vegetable garden some compost tea. It's a small plot, but is very lush, healthy, and green. The plants are bursting with life. Cleaned the bathroom with baking soda and vinegar water spray. Mopped all of the floors, and it feels much better around here. I paid the balance on my doctor visit for my hip replacement. The consultation and xrays came out to over $1,000. Fortunately, I had budgeted for it. I've only had to pay $108. a month for my health insurance the last few years, so it was worth it to pay cash for a top specialist. Now that I have a PPO, my monthly payments will be four times what they used to be. I may switch back to the PPO at the lower rate in Nov. I'm still eating up the leftover grass fed meatloaf, potatoes, and gravy. I've been making salads again every afternoon. It feels good to eat well. I did splurge on a couple of tubs of gelato from Sprouts. They were on sale, though. It's nice to have a treat now and then. I picked up an ant guard at the Feed Store. I made a batch of hummingbird nectar. The hummingbirds are so sweet...I love watching them. Had to spend $300. on a consultation with a lawyer. My elderly father's housekeeper has been stealing antique furniture, heirlooms, and more. It's a mess. She is really taking advantage of him. I'm hoping my brothers and I can get her put in jail. My father wants his independence, and doesn't see how she is taking advantage. It's like a cult. So, that has been stressful, but it feels like money well spent. Life after 50 presents a whole new set of challenges and changes.
Experimented with making homemade chocolate syrup (think Hershey's chocolate syrup style) to use for topping ice cream and making fancy frozen coffee drinks. This was not for me, but rather my SO, who likes chocolate syrup on his vanilla ice cream and fancy frozen Starbucks-style coffee drinks. I will not buy Hershey's chocolate syrup because the first ingredient is HFCS. I had found a different chocolate syrup that was not made with HFCS and had been buying that, but the package design is flawed and it kept leaking chocolate syrup all over the shelf in the fridge. In a DIY-inspired moment, I searched online for homemade chocolate syrup recipes and found exactly what I was looking for. Easy-to-make, with basic ingredients (sugar, cocoa, salt, vanilla, water), and now we have intensely dark chocolatey syrup cooling in a jar on the counter before it goes into the fridge. I suspect it won't last long and I'll be making more in a few days!
I feel like you are asking me to keep helping to build this house of cards because the moment we stop building upward the whole thing crashes.
Not at all. I mentioned in another "Walmart" post of mine that I know some folks have fewer (or no) good alternatives to shopping at Wally World. But no one walks into a big box store, purchasing either $15 of unprocessed food or $800 of "junk", without casting their votes with their dollars. In the case of your shopping list, there's probably little (or nothing) you couldn’t purchase at another store (smaller, more local, whatever) for little more than you spent at Wally World. You may not have "fed the Borg" much -- but you did feed it and the big-box consumption model on which they build their business. If you really want to not help build the house of cards, you need to buy what you need elsewhere.
ApatheticNoMore
7-25-15, 6:47pm
Not at all. I mentioned in another "Walmart" post of mine that I know some folks have fewer (or no) good alternatives to shopping at Wally World.
yea parts of the midwest have more co-ops per mile than anywhere probably, it's a LOT slimmer pickins in much of the country including here, and there may not even be a costco if it's the middle of nowhere. EVERYTHING is location dependent really.
If you really want to not help build the house of cards, you need to buy what you need elsewhere.
I appreciate giving up though, I give up certain things out of exhaustion, I can't be everything to everyone. I can't always make the most responsible choices and keep my own body and soul together just because of the sheer time drain it often represents to do so (often going to multiple stores etc.). I mean maybe if I was a housewife or something with an empty schedule, but I wouldn't know. I will say that once upon a time when I worked part-time it all seemed doable, but not now. The second wind is wanting to support good things again after having given up, when you don't care if you'll always be forever making imperfect choices out of exhaustion sometimes. Do what you can.
July 25
Thanks rosarugosa it is good to be back it has been a long couple of months with very little in the way of frugal.
--yardsaled and spent a total of $21.00...almost too much to list some really good sales 15 red glasses for $4.00 will be able to resell, 8 Sonoma lunch plates and tray for $2.00 brandnew will be a
gift for Dsia and a box of wooden train tracks/accessories that will go great nephews., and much much more it was a really good day. The main good sale was a young couple who got way too many wedding gifts and obviously are shopaholics all new stuff and selling cheap.
--the yardsales were all in circle with the library on route so did returns and pick up of books and a DVD that I watched tonight....free
--
Meezer_Mom
7-26-15, 6:37am
Hi Folkses! Been a long while - too long. Have been dealing with many things and, while I haven't exactly been dropping bank on luxuries, I haven't been saving either. So I'm committing to myself to do better. I'm single and my needs & wants aren't many. I'm reviewing things I've done in the course of my day and asking myself HOW could I save a little or a little more? Today I did a little shopping - picked up the Kroger freebies, cat food at Target (with coupon), checked and used Ibotta before I went and kicked myself for not also checking Target's Cartwheel because I could've saved $1 more on some breakfast food. Lesson learned. Went to yoga and realized I am using quite a bit of hand sanitizer at the gym. Found a homemade recipe online. Have all the ingredients. The next bottle I'll make. If it works for me, I'll start pricing out some inexpensive aloe vera gel and calculating how much I'm saving vs. even getting the large bottles and refilling my to-go's. Am also nearly done with my current sudoku puzzle book. Can I do better than $4.99? Online isn't a solution because it's one of the things I want to do off-line, plus I don't need a printer. Maybe I'll put out a request on FreeCycle and see if people have a book or two they don't want. That's a thought.
See you soon. :)
rosarugosa
7-26-15, 8:02am
Hi Meezer_Mom: I bought an enormous bottle of hand sanitizer at BJ's a few years ago. I don't use too much of the stuff, but I expect this bottle is more than I can use in my lifetime and it was only about $5.00. So you might want to check if you belong to any of the warehouse clubs. It's hard to imagine that making your own could be cheaper than that.
rosarugosa
7-26-15, 10:17am
This is turning out to be a very expensive month for us, but I have one good frugal thing to share. Yesterday, we attended a performance of Romeo & Juliet in a beautiful cemetery in the next town. I had really wanted to go, and this theater group does great productions for really reasonable money ($20 - $25 tickets). They got a grant from the city and were able to offer the show for free, but solicited donations. We gave what we would have paid for tickets, and still considered it an enormous bargain. Now we can't wait to go back to explore the cemetery, so we found a new place to enjoy!
early morning
7-26-15, 11:18am
Lately, frugality for us has meant limping from one unwanted but necessary expense to another, without going into debt, thankfully. Had to put tires on two cars, put money aside for a new furnace (haven't actually bought anything yet but will have to make a decision soon), had to have a curtain drain put around the barn. I prepaid the year's propane (which was LESS than last year, but still a huge chunk). We have workmen coming later this summer to repair the roof over the kitchen (roofer did not flash around the vents) and re-mortar two basement foundation walls (which are laid up of grey-heads). Our computer is failing, and the washer and dryer are both very cantankerous and can't be depended on to do their jobs without constant supervision, oversight, and much cajoling. But - in a tiny ray of sunshine - yesterday DD and I visited the local (and quite strange) nursery and Paragon catalog outlet and got two new cotton shirts, a pair of cotton pants, and DD bought a satin-y robe ala Phryne Fisher, for a grand total of $7.00!
Meezer_Mom
7-26-15, 11:20am
Thanks for the suggestion, rosarugosa. No, I do not belong to a club warehouse. I'm single. Refill-size may be more economical than making my own but I haven't yet broken down costs. The first batch will nonetheless be cheaper since I have all ingredients on hand and they're just kind of sitting there.
rosarugosa
7-26-15, 12:03pm
Meezer_Mom: Just a thought. Sometimes there is something satisfying about making something yourself, monetary considerations aside, so I hope you're pleased with the outcome :)
Early: That is crummy, although kudos for staying out of debt. We've had car expenses, medical expenses, a furnace repair, modem and laptop replacements. Sometimes it seems like these things come in an avalanche.
We have a Walmart a half mile from the house and a regional chain grocery (HEB) three blocks away. I mostly shop at the HEB and will buy organic if it is reasonable. I have never noted that WM is any cheaper on the few times I have gone in to look around. Maybe the HEB matches their prices though since they are huge competitors in this area. It always amazes me how inexpensive basic, real food from a grocery can be - some dried beans or lentils, brown rice, bag of onions, garlic, other fruits and veggies, a dozen eggs. The bag of yellow onions I just bought was $1.89 which is great since we go through a bag a week. Just finished a book called The American Way of Eating and the description of working in the produce fields really made me think about how hard some people work so that we can have food so easily.
Tussiemussies
7-26-15, 4:51pm
We have been very frugal, except me ordering the Urine Reader. My husband is still working to complete our overhauled bathroom and is doing such a good job. I call him their renaissance man since he is well versed in many things that he taught himself by reading from the DIY network and U Tube. Other things he is really an expert at is Photoshop which he uses at work and is self-taught for the most part. And weather forecasting, he found a Doppler online that he uses, now I use it too. A great way to predict what is happening with the weather. I am very amazed by him!
freshstart
7-26-15, 10:50pm
We have a Walmart a half mile from the house and a regional chain grocery (HEB) three blocks away. .
I had never heard of HEB. living in NYS. I thought the person telling me about it was teasing, because calling someone a Heb is so derogatory around here, so I was all, "yeah, nice try, and the gas stations are all called Honky?" but it was real, it cracks me up.
July 26
Health scares that turn out okay are good reasons to splurge!
---smoothie for breakfast berries, banana, yoghurt all from the freezer and needed to be used.
---volunteered and brought my own bagged lunch
---simple pasta for supper
---
-
Meezer_Mom
7-27-15, 4:14am
How's Everyone doing today? :)
Here, I did OK today. Don't yet need the hand sanitizer so I'll do that by mid-week. Spent a couple hours getting papers in order: matching receipts to my debits, submitting an Ibotta rebate, doing some surveys.... Then I headed out for some errands.
The bus pass system at the local store was off-line so I mentioned that to the bus drivers and asked if I could ride comp for each errand, the last getting me close to a subway where I could reload for the week. Made no sense to use the pass on the final leg home because the weekly becomes cost efficient when there are at least two rides per day. So, I pulled out my $1+ for that ride home to extend my pass by another day but the fare box was jammed so that driver said "no money" after the dollar was already in. OK! Put the coins back in my purse. Much appreciated.
Needed TP and searched online for best price this week. As a single with limited storage, I get 4 packs; room for two. I like Charmin Ultra Strong. It looked like Bed, Bath & Beyond would be best price AND I have one of their usual 20% coupons. Didn't get there before It closed so I went to Rite Aid. Noticed its Home brand has a comparable and on sale 2/$5. Looks comparable so I'm giving it a try.
Also went to Denny's. Haven't yet printed out the 20% off coupon I was just emailed but kept my order to $11+ 15% tip. (They really need to allow scans from coupon email.) Anyway, while there I was reading through today's BookBub offers and saw a book on Hemingway that I hadn't yet read. $1.99. BUT I checked the library first. They have it and I placed a hold. Yeah!
So, saved $6 on bus, $3 on TP and $1.99 on book not bought.
Til the 'morrow... :)
Teacher Terry
7-27-15, 12:37pm
I wanted to start a new thread for this but just realized I have never done one & don't know how. Anyways, I just found out that VEterans & their spouses can be buried or cremated for free in veterans cemeteries across the country. Just find the local veterans cemeteries in your state & click to print the online application. They ask for a few copies of paperwork & you mail it directly to them. Talk about saving a lot of $!!!!
awakenedsoul
7-27-15, 3:26pm
Teacher Terry, If you go to the category you want, (like Frugality. or Family and Relationships,) and hit the tab that says "Start New Thread" (or something like that...) it will bring up what you need. I have Research for Life which is another way to get free cremation. You donate your body to science and they take care of all the costs. It's in my trust. Saves a lot of money. That's a huge expense for many families. Also, you can have an obituary done on line, instead of paying the inflated prices they charge at the local newspaper. My dad didn't know that, and he wished he had.
Today I made some popcorn on the stove and topped it with melted herb butter and parmesan cheese. I used fresh herbs from the garden. Later on I will make a batch of pizza dough and pizza sauce. This morning I went to the credit union and deposited a check. Skipped the gym today so that I stay in my weekly mileage allotment. I'm being very careful about how much gas I use. I'll do a set of Kundalini Yoga in my living room since I didn't get to use the weights at the gym. I'm going to wash the windows with vinegar water spray and rags. They are really dusty. Later on I'll do some knitting while I listen to a Dave Ramsey podcast...
Well, it seems like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new laptop. Mine is very rapidly giving up the ghost and despite my trying every possible trick to keep it going, it looks like I'm going to have to just admit defeat. I considered buying used or refurbished, but after hours of research I've decided it's best to just buy new. I'm going to wait a few days so that I can get in take advantage of an upcoming deal. Feeling grateful that I'm not in a situation where I have to buy under pressure and can do the necessary research and deal-seeking.
Keeping up with the other usual small frugals. Eating at home, focusing on using up produce from the garden, and getting creative with meal planning and recipes. Limiting the driving as much as possible and using hypermiling techniques to keep gas consumption at a minimum. Practicing thermal adaptation and keeping the A/C use to a minimum.
Keep up the great work, everyone!
I bought a flat sheet for my bed yesterday. Luckily, It happened to be 60% off its regular price. I could have gotten a better deal on a complete sheet set, but then I realized that I would just end up with a fitted sheet and two pillowcases in the closet, since I really didn't need those things yet. Pillowcases last years longer than sheets at my house, and I end up with too many sitting in the closet.
The frugal part is that I bought it to replace our one and only flat sheet that we bought in 1992. It had worn out so badly that it had rips all over it. It was hard to not end up tangled up in the thing.
It got me thinking about how very rarely we need to buy things like that. Our newest bath towels are from 2003. They're not pretty, but they still do the job!
Meezer_Mom
7-27-15, 8:21pm
Stacy, I also hate replacing things too often. Pre-planned obsolescence is the downfall of civilization. That said, I try to keep two sets of sheets and two sets of towels. I rotate them weekly. One set of sheets is from 2002, one set of towels from 2000.
July 27,2015
---watching a movie from the library again
--=reading 10 new magazine type cookbooks from yardsaling on Sat. .$.10 each reg $10.00 each 2 are new and will be used as gifts.
--leftover soup from the freezer for lunch
--housecleaning as exercise....lol
awakenedsoul
7-28-15, 9:59am
Today I'm washing my linen sheets in homemade laundry detergent and cold water. Will use white vinegar bought in bulk for fabric softener. They dry really fast on the clothesline! I use two top sheets instead of one fitted. That way I can switch them each time, so both of the sheets last longer. Linen is expensive, but it's very durable. The homemade pizza came out really well. It's an inexpensive and delicious meal. I've got enough dough and sauce leftover to make seven more pizzas! I found a list of PT exercises on line that are used after people have hip replacements. I'm doing them each day in preparation for the surgery. It feels good to be proactive. I want to get my leg muscles as strong as possible. Today I'm going to my knitting group at Panera. I'll stop by the gym on the way home. Having a new to me used car has made my life so much easier. I'm waiting for the carwash coupons to arrive in the mail, then I'll go have my red Beetle washed. It's got leather seats... a real luxury. Today is our watering day, so I'm going to get outside while it's still cool and give all of the plants a drink.
An exciting frugal win yesterday! We have loads of basil growing in a container so decided we would make pesto to eat with pasta, cherry tomatoes (also from the garden), and the remaining fresh mozzarella that was leftover from making homemade pizza last week. But, I had used up all the walnuts (which we use instead of pine nuts when we make pesto) in the chocolate chip banana muffins last week. We did have a whole lot of roasted pumpkin seeds, though, because I accidentally over-bought a few weeks ago. I did a quick search online and discovered that pumpkin seed pesto is a thing! We figured we would experiment and save ourselves a trip to the store and -- WOW! -- the results were amazing!!! To make this a double-frugal win, we also didn't have garlic on hand, but we have some volunteer garlic bulbs growing where we had planted them 2 years ago. It's way too early to harvest normal-sized heads of garlic, but we pulled up one anyway -- it was tiny -- but it was a very strong variety and so this tiny head of garlic with three little cloves to it was plenty of garlic for our pesto experiment.
Feeling very frugal over here!
Jul28
---1 last slice of bread from freezer with PB and chia strawberry/rhubarb jam for breakfast
---nachos with some precooked steak from the freezer for lunch
---pasta/leftover broccoli/shrimp for supper
---again exercise was housecleaning and yardwork
Tussiemussies
7-28-15, 11:50pm
For me I had another no drive day and eating at home. I am trying to lose weight so my portions are much smaller now. I hope this will help our huge grocery bill. I am working toward being 100% vegan, and I haven't started cooking the beans and rice and other cheap meals yet, so that should help out a lot.
Making my own drinks always, fresh ice tea with lemon and fresh, usually, pink lemonade. It is so much healthier, and since we use stevia instead of sugar we can custom fit our drinks...
DH is still working on finishing our newly remodeled bathroom, he is going to put the plumbing in this weekend, so it should be much easier for him to finish everything after this. We have saved so much money by having a contractor demo the room and my husband doing the rest. I am so glad this bathroom Will be new now.
Our 30th wedding anniversary will be next month and we are working on deciding where to go to dinner. At first I wanted something very special, now I am considering a pretty tea room we went to once before. That would save us a nice little chunk of money!
Awakened soul, sounds like you are doing great in preparing for your surgery....
All of the OP who are cleaning their homes are giving me the incentive to get going on mine....
Christine
SteveinMN
7-29-15, 12:03pm
Our guests have gone home. All of them. (Ahhh...) Back to frugals:
- DW and I were taken out for coffee twice while our guests were here. It's not something we'd normally do, but it's a nice treat. Our guests also bought some groceries and cooked dinner for us last night, finishing several bits and bobs in our pantry. Not having to cook is a treat for me! I like to cook, but a night off is nice, too. ;)
- DW finally dogged her way through the county's reimbursement process for a conference she attended and for mileage incurred between buildings. It turned out to be worth several hundred dollars, which our bank account was happy to see.
- The hot humid (for here) weather we had finally broke last night, so we're enjoying nature's air conditioning -- and should be able to for at least another week. :cool:
- I finally drove my car last night for the first time in more than two weeks. I wouldn't have but DW wanted to pick up a parson's bench that was advertised on craigslist and it wouldn't fit in her car. I also managed to carry the bench out of the seller's house (along with DW) so I guess my knee is doing alright.
- Our neighbor brought over some cucumbers he'd grown; we traded for some pickled cucumbers, string beans, and carrots. Lacto pickling is in full swing here as long as I can get fresh produce! Given the prices I've seen on lacto-fermented pickled goods in the grocery, it's much cheaper to DIY. In another month or so, dehydrating starts in earnest -- sweet potatoes for the dog, herbs for us, and whatever else looks interesting.
- Over the past few weeks I've purchased some groceries that we didn't get a chance to cook. That will be the basis for this week's menus. It won't go to waste.
Glad to hear your knee is doing well, SteveinMN! And great job on all of the frugals during this time -- it would have been very easy to have a pity party and just blow a bunch of cash!
My SO went back to NYC for work yesterday so I made up a list of all the random things in the fridge and pantry that I can eat in an attempt to continue to avoid the grocery store. Of course, then I went grocery shopping last night. But, it was well-planned out and FREE! In organizing a bunch of paperwork, I found a $25 reloadable VISA card. It was something I got from work last year, but I never used it. Turns out you had to go online, set up an account, and activate the card first, which probably explains why I never used it -- such a hassle in so many ways. Anyway, it comes with a whopping $5.95 monthly fee that kicks in 30 days after you activate the card. What a scam! So I decided I had better use it up ASAP. I was going to the gym anyway, so stopping at the grocery store on my way home meant I wasn't making a special trip. I checked the sales flyer and my grocery list and picked out 4 items (fresh mozzarella, half-and-half, green tea bags, and canned green chiles) that we will always use. At the cash register, the total came to $24.77 -- so close! -- this leaves me with a whopping $0.23 to spend within the next 29 days so that I can go back online and close out the account, avoid the $5.95 monthly fee, and never have to think about this silly thing again. of course, I'm totally thrilled that I got free groceries!!! :D
One of the things on my list of foods to eat up was the honey-quinoa breakfast bake experiment from last week. Sadly, I just couldn't do it. I made it through about half of it, but it was just so, so bad that I couldn't bring myself to keep eating it. I truly hate wasting food so this makes me feel like a frugal failure. Into the compost bin it goes -- I hope the worms enjoy it!!!
Today's supposed to be a scorcher with temps in the mid-90s and high humidity. Hoping that I can keep the A/C use to a bare minimum. Fortunately, I shouldn't have to run any of the major appliances today, which is always a plus, and I can keep the house closed up. It's past Noon and the indoor temp is at 74 degrees. So far, so good!!!
Going to a potluck lunch for work on Friday. There was a sign-up sheet so people could choose what they wanted to bring. I volunteered to bring the plates and cups. I hate using disposables -- seems like such a waste. But I already had some disposable plates and cups on hand so I figured I might as well bring those as opposed to having to figure out what to make for food to bring.
awakenedsoul
7-29-15, 4:35pm
Everyone's doing so well with their frugals. Great reading.
tussiemussies, Thanks for the encouragement. The tea room sounds really nice. We have one here, too. I went there once and loved it. Oh, and 30th Happy Anniversary!
cdttmm, You are so busy and productive! I'm always amazed at how much you've accomplished. I just got back from the gym. Today was the day I do weights. I ran into a former ballet student there. We talked for a while. She's a beautiful girl. I really like the social aspect of the gym, as well as the health benefits. I've met so many nice people there. We're all regulars. Yesterday I swam for a half hour. There's a man at the pool who is 92! Walked the dogs and ate reheated homemade pizza. I warmed it up in the toaster oven that I bought at the Salvation Army. The used appliances that I purchased there several years ago have served me really well. I had to turn on the window air conditioner (also bought lightly used, from the SA,) last night. Normally I keep the windows open, but my German Shepherd has taken to barking in the middle of the night. I think there are racoons out there, visiting my vegetable garden. So, I closed the window and turned on the air. At least we got some sleep. Today I bought a lot of fruit on special at Vallarta. They have incredible deals every Wed. I got watermelon, papaya, sherbert, and Braeburn apples. Only paid .20-.50 a lb. for the produce. Tonight I'll make homemade tacos. I bought the tomatoes today, at .50 a lb. Just finished a load of laundry and hung it out on the line. I washed it in my homemade liquid soap and baking soda. The hot sun disinfects everything as it dries on the clothesline. I'm going to do some more knitting this afternoon. I'm working on another cotton/linen tank top. This heat is wiping me out! Time to relax...
Tussiemussies
7-29-15, 5:49pm
Awakened, you are amazing with how much you get done in a day -- so inspiring...have you noticed in your garden that raccoons seem to be eating your fvegetables? German Shepards are such regal dogs...
Another hot and humid day here, which means I didn't do so well when it comes to not using the A/C. Oh wait, what am I saying? I didn't have it set to the arctic temperatures that many people do! I had it set to a very reasonable 78 degrees and it probably ran for less than an hour today.
Ate up some of the leftover grilled zucchini that was languishing in the fridge as well as the remaining mushroom risotto. Also had some vanilla ice cream with my homemade chocolate syrup on top -- wow was that ever tasty!!!
Picked two very large handfuls of cherry tomatoes before the afternoon thunderstorms hit. Those will likely be devoured tomorrow at some point.
My fabulous cat, Jones, decided he was going to chew on the power cord for my laptop today. He did this once last week, too, but this time he managed to sink a tooth into it and damaged it. As I've mentioned previously, my laptop is rapidly approaching the end of its life, so the cord damage means that now it won't charge and the battery is so old it will be drained of power in about 45 minutes. Ugh!!! Fortunately, I located the old power cord that Dell had replaced for me way back when the computer was still under the service plan. The connector on that cord is slightly flawed so the cord will just disconnect from the computer of its own volition from time to time. So not a great fix, but it should get me to August 13th which is when Dell projects my brand new laptop to be here!!! Woo-hoo!!! I ordered the new laptop first thing this morning and I'm so excited to actually get it. I'm a little bit bummed that I was forced into getting Windows 10 (I wanted to get Windows 7.1 Pro), but the price was right so I'm gonna just roll with it. Considering that this new laptop cost about 1/5 of what I paid 8 years ago for the laptop I currently have but has nearly 8 times the memory capacity, I'm pretty sure I will be very happy with my new toy!!!
Spent most of the day working on various retirement account updates and financial planning. I have a 457(b) and a 403(b) plan available to me at work that I haven't been taking advantage of because there is no employer match. But I ran all the calculations and it seems that my income from this job will now be high enough to really benefit from the tax-deferred nature of those accounts. I was previously just throwing all the extra cash at the remaining mortgage on our rental property -- it's not as though I was off on a wild spending spree. Wouldn't want to have my frugalista card revoked!!! :~) When I'm on campus tomorrow, I'll go to the HR office and get whatever paperwork I need to complete in order to get signed up.
Discovered that Stop & Shop is running a promo for their Peapod grocery delivery service. They'll give you $15 off your first online purchase of $75 (or more). The delivery charge is $9.95, but the in-store pick-up charge is only $2.95. There's a Stop & Shop just two blocks from my gym, so picking up the groceries is easy. So, it's really $12 off a $75 order. But, it you schedule pick-up on Tuesdays or Thursdays they take $2 off your order, of course, I'm not sure they'll combine the two discounts, but I'll give it a shot. Considering that I go to Tae Kwon Do at the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays this whole deal seems like a no-brainer! I'll have to report back as to what happens with this once I actually make it happen.
I'm almost out of blank checks in my checkbook so needed to order more. Was thinking about just going through my bank, for ease, but when I tried to do it online the system kept freezing. So I did a little Googling for other options and discovered I could order 150 checks from VistaPrint for $13 -- that includes shipping. Score!
Okay, think that's about it for today. Hopefully there will be more to post about tomorrow!!!
awakenedsoul
7-30-15, 11:40pm
Awakened, you are amazing with how much you get done in a day -- so inspiring...have you noticed in your garden that raccoons seem to be eating your fvegetables? German Shepards are such regal dogs...
I noticed today that it looks like someone keyed my car. There are scratches around the back plate. I had this problem with my last car when it was new. Same neighbor I've had trouble with for years...looks like my German Shepherd will be sleeping outside, next to the car from now on. I should have listened to her and gone out there.
freshstart
7-30-15, 11:56pm
my mom and I are not driving, so our cars had to be keyed in our driveway. Mine's bad enough that I see swatches of steel so eventually I'll probably have to do something about it. I do not care how it looks, just want no rust so I'll buy a little paint and sealer and see if my dad can glop it on there better than me. Sad if it's neighbors, low crime, nice people. I also left my car unlocked once accidentally, my iPod, my briefcase with work laptop in it (so screwed if they had taken this, with HIPAA), my work BB, none of that touched. They took my nursing bag, which had dressings, enemas and suppositories in it, adult diapers and what I think they wanted- tons of syringes, except they were oral ones, like you use on a kid, no needles. It does my heart good, some potential drug thing did not happen and they have a lifetime supply of constipation products instead, lol
awakenedsoul
7-31-15, 6:58pm
Today I ate leftover tacos and homemade pizza for meals. I really don't even consider eating out anymore. Cooking and baking at home have become second nature. I made a batch of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. I baked a dozen, and put the rest of the dough in the fridge. My neighbor is out of town, so I've been feeding her horses and goats for her. It feels good to help her out. The other night my hot water stopped working. I've only had the new hot water heater since Dec. Fortunately, it was just the pilot light. My ex came over and lit it for me. That was nice of him. (I probably could have done it myself, but have learned to accept help and say thank you.) I try to help others whenever I can, too. Yesterday I went to the carwash and used a coupon for $7.99. They do an excellent job. I'm determined to keep this car clean and free of dog hair! After that I went and swam at the gym. Today I will stay home and do the physical therapy exercises that I learned on line. I heard back from my doctor's office, and they will send me a letter so that I'm eligible for Dial A Ride. That's a huge relief! I've been waiting for this for a couple of weeks. The van will come to your house and pick you up. It's only a dollar each way. I won't be able to drive for six weeks after my surgery. This way I can still go to knitting, to the gym, and to run errands. We have a great bus system in this area.
I hear the stationary bike is great for rehab. After 2 weeks I'll be able to use the pool and jacuzzi, too. A lot of the members are post surgery. This morning I added up my July expenses. I was over budget because of a few large items. (I paid my car insurance for the year, my trash collection for the year, and spent $904. on the hip doctor and xrays.) Once I worked it out monthly, though, I came in just under budget. The trash co. gives you one month free, if you pay for 11 months. My HMO was only $109.00 a month, so it was still cheaper for me to pay cash for my doctor's visit. I'll keep the new PPO until Nov. and then probably re enroll in the HMO to save money. I'm so glad that I built a fat emergency fund! Budgeting and tracking really takes time and discipline. I always feel a sense of relief when I see the numbers, though. It feels good to be conscious of my spending and saving.
freshstart
7-31-15, 7:59pm
the Dial A Ride program is awesome! I wish we had that here. So many poor old people with no one to help, they had to pay for medical grade transportation to the MD and it was really expensive.
you sound so prepared, good for you
awakenedsoul
7-31-15, 8:31pm
the Dial A Ride program is awesome! I wish we had that here. So many poor old people with no one to help, they had to pay for medical grade transportation to the MD and it was really expensive.
you sound so prepared, good for you
Thanks freshstart! Yes, I'm really impressed with Dial A Ride. I always see their van parked outside of 24 Hour Fitness in the morning. We're lucky that we have it here. I'm all for taking advantage of services like that. My dad has a friend who can no longer drive. He's elderly. He had a car accident, and they took his license away. Now he has to take Luft to play bridge. It's expensive to do that every morning.
I used to take two buses and then I walked up a hill for about 10 mins. to get to the gym. I can't see doing that in the 100 degree heat with two hip replacements. This will be ideal. A neighbor of mine is in a wheelchair, and she uses it. You just have to call them the day before to make arrangements.
freshstart
7-31-15, 9:39pm
that would be a good volunteering thing, when I can drive, I'm willing to even go in with the elderly and act as a second set of ears, an advocate. This is waaaaay down the road but rides are so important. I bet you have to pay more in car insurance to take strangers around, maybe not
I would call the ten min hike up and ten back, my workout, lol
Hi All. It's been a better - not necessarily perfect - week. Am eating mostly at home but am still giving in to 7-11 chicken wings when I pass the store on my way back to my place. I need to break that habit and put something positive in its place. I did post a want ad on freecycle for a sudoku book; no response yet. Tomorrow is going to be a run-around day that can be no-spend if I want: yoga, free 7-11 slurpee and a free new-to-me movie in the park.
Tussiemussies
8-1-15, 5:23am
Just got the books, "Good and Cheap", and "Eat Vegan On $4.00 A Day." I quickly looked through so far but saw that the vegan book tells you how many serving to get out of a cooked item and how much money each portion is. This will quite an overhaul but I am looking forward to it since our grocery bill are astronomical!
Awakened, sounds like you are such a great researcher! Great news that you will have the van service to use and that it is so cheap! Everything sounds like it is falling into place, perfectly!!!
I did post a want ad on freecycle for a sudoku book; no response yet. Tomorrow is going to be a run-around day that can be no-spend if I want: yoga, free 7-11 slurpee and a free new-to-me movie in the park.
Can you get free sudoku online?
Hi freshstart, I gave up my printer a while back. Seldom used; inks kept drying up. The few things I need to print I do so from the library. I want a book but, gosh, they run about $6. I could spend it but I'm putting out feelers for anyone who maybe bought some and gave up the game. If I don't hear from anyone by mid-week, I'll go shopping. Those prices though tend to be set and newsstands don't have coupons. Drugstores around here aren't carrying but a few mags.
there must be a cheaper source for these, do you have Big lots, or Ocean State Job Lots, those kinds of places? I've seen puzzle books there but never looked too close. Amazon?
awakenedsoul
8-1-15, 6:55pm
Awakened, sounds like you are such a great researcher! Great news that you will have the van service to use and that it is so cheap! Everything sounds like it is falling into place, perfectly!!![/QUOTE]
Thanks, tussiemussies. There's a lot of helpful info on line. Also, several of my friends have had hip replacements. Today I went to the Salvation Army and I bought a used pair of crutches and a walker for $16.00. I'll donate them back once I'm finished with them.
This morning I went to the gym and used the machines. I'm still eating through the leftover tacos and homemade pizza. I listened to Dave Ramsey while knitting my tank top. I should have it finished by Tuesday. It feels good to be knitting from my stash of yarn. It's like free entertainment, and I get to wear what I make when I'm finished.
This afternoon I'm going to work on my music and clean the bathroom with baking soda and vinegar water. I bought a mop at the Salvation Army, too. I love those bargains!
This afternoon I'm going to work on my music and clean the bathroom with baking soda and vinegar water. I bought a mop at the Salvation Army, too. I love those bargains!
what type of music do you do?
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