View Full Version : Feb. 2012--29 days let make this a really frugal month......
Feb 01/12
I am planning on making this a really good frugal month
--had to re do mortgage in my name only and got 3.10% for the next two years and what I have left should be pretty much paid by them....
--got a new blouse sort $10.00 org. $30.00 it is a nice print that can be wore with black, brown or purple pants so I will get a lot of wear..I have lost a few lbs so something new is nice.
--leftover pasta for supper
--stopped for a few things at the grocery store and only spent !0.00
early morning
2-1-12, 11:04pm
How are you doing, danna? 3.1% sounds like a really good deal! I'm in - I really need a this to be a frugal month!! Dsis bought my dinner and paid my way into an art exhibit, since she wanted someone to go with her. Poor cat was at the vet for 3 days (just needed a urine sample but she was non-compliant, lol)- vet only charged for the urinalysis, no board. (Of course they've received a LOT of my money lately...) Still taking lunch, coffee, water, etc to work. Hung a load of laundry in the house - I've managed to develop some arthritis in my left hand making it difficult to hang things outside when it's cold. Wanted a coffee on the way home, but didn't stop, just had some when I got here -DD almost always has a pot on.
I'm always in though I may not post my doings. My lunch frugality finally rubbed off on Boss who pointed out to me that she brought her lunch and didn't buy coffee out and saved $$. I told her great job! Soup party this weekend at our house. People bringing appetizers and desserts and asst. bevs. We will make 3 soups and 4 loaves of bread. Great frugal party to throw. Selling really well on etsy and saving that money. BTW I saw the most beautiful short animated film about reading and the love of books. Since so many of you know the pleasure of the library, you also may want to see it moonbotstudios.com
Mighty Frugal
2-3-12, 1:13pm
I REALLY wanted to buy my lunch today-but I compromised. Made a cheddar and romaine lettuce sandwich on multi-grain bread and bought a small chicken and wild rice soup.
Taking boys to movies tomorrow but we will bring our own snacks (it's allowed)
I am trying to shed my Xmas pounds so have been eating mainly fruits/veggies and a little protein all week so saving some $$ there!
Rather than rushing off to Chapters to buy 2 books I've wanted for a long time I ordered them used on Amazon and will wait a couple of weeks (family books-Family First by Dr. Phil and 'How to talk to your kids so they will listen'. Had recommendations for both of them)
Just trying to be as frugal as we can to save as much as we can!
early morning
2-3-12, 9:41pm
Got my $50 rebate check from my credit card. Had to buy a new headlight bulb, but got it put in for free (which I can do myself, but my wrist is acting up and I didn't want to drop the danged bulb). Sump pump that moves gray water from washing machine and dishwasher stopped working - but just needed the float guide adjusted, so it's fine, now. The basement floor is pretty wet though - and it hasn't even started raining yet! ;) Picked up more library books, always lots of FFF!
early morning
2-4-12, 9:43am
This morning I melted down the deodorant ends I'd been saving and refilled an old container - new, free deodorant! (well, not really free, I paid for those bits that anchor the product into the holder, after all!) DD and I have a ton of errands to do this morning, so we made a list, to be sure we don't forget something important. Hopefully it will keep us on track, lol. I really don't like to run errands on weekends, but some places aren't open on my way home from work, and some things I need help with. I am thinking that tomorrow I won't have to leave the house, yay!
We are taking the kids to Home Depot this morning for their free woodworking workshop. The girls love it and James will have fun hanging with them and Daddy. I am going to take Travis around and look at prices on some stuff.
The coming month or two is not going to be especially cheap as we are going to be doing some home improvement projects and buying some furniture, but we'll do our best to keep costs down. We've gotten a couple of different windfalls in the space of about a month and we're taking a bit of that to do some work on the house, which is just at an age (50 years old) where it needs a little maintenance and TLC.
Zach's dad, who is a carpenter and cabinet maker, is coming next month for spring break and he and Zach want a project to work on together. I need to figure out what would be best for them to do. A week of free labour from a carpenter/cabinet maker and an electrician should be put to good use.
I am thinking of having them do some work on my long-despised pink paneled family room. It's the only room in the house I still really don't like. In addition to the 1960s wood paneling, painted salmon pink by my mother who had either been drinking or temporarily lost her otherwise fabulous sense of style, it has weird outdoor sconces and oddly placed lighting. It also has a strange, unnecessary half wall in a kind of random spot and no closet in spite of the fact that it's right off the back entrance to the house. I have been assured by Zach that this is not as complicated a set of problems to solve as it seems to be. I am thinking of having them drywall, wire in some sane lighting, tear out the extra wall and build a custom closet. Those fixes are more labour intensive than expensive, but they should make a dramatic difference in the space.
As much as possible Zach will involve the girls as a school project. Of course, there are definite times they will not be allowed to help for their own safety, but there are also some good learning opportunities in there.
i am doing a similar thread in the challenges posts; but share your savings wherever you wish; maybe mine will end up being a blog lol
I freaking love my neighborhood. My next door neighbor had a party today to celebrate the birth of another neighbor's baby and the retirement of a different neighbor. The girls and I went there for lunch. Yet another neighbor had made four lovely homemade soups, posole, mushroom barley, white chili and a cold carrot ginger with artisan breads and a veggie plate. It was an excellent free lunch.
We snuggled the new baby and Cheyenne, who is really into anything and everything Japanese struck up a friendship with the retiring neighbor and his wife. He is from Japan. She is from France and is apparently an expert in Japanese (and French) cooking. The Japanese neighbor was teaching her a little Japanese. We have been seriously considering getting Cheyenne Rosetta Stone Japanese for her birthday so this friendship could be an excellent thing for her, as she would have people to have practice conversations with. I may also talk to the wife and see if we could get some Japanese recipes to try.
OT, but I seriously have the coolest neighbors on the planet. Everyone has some kind of interesting, awesome job or hobby. The retired guy was a perfumer for Aveda. Another is a specialist in antiquities. Two of them teach budgeting to high schoolers, college age kids and people who are about to be released from prison and one of them is a spiritual director. The conversations are truly never dull.
early morning
2-5-12, 3:47pm
Stella, that is awesome - sometimes I envy you your life, lol. But I'm a bit reclusive, an introvert who has to be very extroverted at work - when I'm home, I kinda hole up and am not really sociable. So great neighbors would be mostly wasted on me :|(. And I am sure you add as much to your neighborhood vibe as anyone! Yesterday had a few frugals - managed to buy only one thing that wasn't on my list (apparently my favorite candle scent from Wally's is being discontinued, as it was on clearance-so I bought a 5-pack). DD will probably sell it to DS, though, for my birthday, so I'll get my money back. Fixed a big pot of chicken chili for dinner and for lots of leftovers for lunches. Made potatoes and eggs for lunch, we have about 8 dozen eggs in the fridge, and pass them out to family and friends frequently. These silly chickens are egg-laying fools! Hung another load of laundry in the house. Started making a jacket from a cool sweatshirt I never wear; hopefully I will finish it before summer. I can't stand sweatshirts, they are way too hot. Jackets, I'm ok with! Keeping up with tracking our spending, now if I just kept up with the filing!
I freaking love my neighborhood. My next door neighbor had a party today to celebrate the birth of another neighbor's baby and the retirement of a different neighbor. The girls and I went there for lunch. Yet another neighbor had made four lovely homemade soups, posole, mushroom barley, white chili and a cold carrot ginger with artisan breads and a veggie plate. It was an excellent free lunch.
We snuggled the new baby and Cheyenne, who is really into anything and everything Japanese struck up a friendship with the retiring neighbor and his wife. He is from Japan. She is from France and is apparently an expert in Japanese (and French) cooking. The Japanese neighbor was teaching her a little Japanese. We have been seriously considering getting Cheyenne Rosetta Stone Japanese for her birthday so this friendship could be an excellent thing for her, as she would have people to have practice conversations with. I may also talk to the wife and see if we could get some Japanese recipes to try.
OT, but I seriously have the coolest neighbors on the planet. Everyone has some kind of interesting, awesome job or hobby. The retired guy was a perfumer for Aveda. Another is a specialist in antiquities. Two of them teach budgeting to high schoolers, college age kids and people who are about to be released from prison and one of them is a spiritual director. The conversations are truly never dull.
I've learned a bit of Japanese from Pimsleur CDs from the library. It's a very orderly, simple language in it's structure.
early morning
2-6-12, 10:53pm
Sold a book on Amazon. I don't have many listed, so I'm pleased with that! I went looking for some moisturizer for my face and was appalled at the prices! I have pretty normal skin but am developing dry patches between my eyes and hairline. DD did some research for me and asked some people on her makeup board. Got some recommendations for a big bottle of Curel for $5.50 - label says it's good as a face lotion. So far, so good! No sunscreen in it though, so that's separate. Still much cheaper than the facial lotions I was looking at.
Feb 06
Thank you for asking EarlyMorning I am okay...just taking it a day at a time
--groceries today and only spent $25.00...canned tomatoes .99 so stocked up and this included some bone in chicken breast for a Birthday dinner for Dsil
--line drying a load of clothes right now.
--Dd and I have been out a couple of times in the last week but just for a quick bite or treat and both times with 2 for 1 coupons
--still only buying specials that will be needed and using up pantry items
--had a pillowcase for a body pillow I was not using and made it into 2 pillow cases
reader99 thanks for the tip! I'll have to check that out.
Early morning, I can understand being more of a homebody in your situation. I'm actually kind of the opposite. I'm an extrovert who's home most of the time, so I need the extra social interaction during the evenings and weekends.
I was looking online at tools for teaching fractions and instead of buying some kind of math manipulative I hosted a playdough fraction party for the kids. We made pizzas and cakes and then I kept changing the guest list and food requirements on them. We'd have eight people, but Grandpa and I wouldn't be having cake, so we'd cut the pizza into eighths and the cake into sixths. Then Daddy would call and he and Travis would be late so we had to set aside 1/4 of the cake for them for later. Then we'd realize that we forgot to invite the next door neighbors and we'd squish it all back together and cut it into tenths. Stuff like that. It was a big hit and they got the concepts very quickly.
We are working on a project for a Valentine's Day treat for their friends that I posted about in the Valentine's Day thread. We're going to make paper hearts and an LED Love Bug ornament from cardboard and some spare LEDs and decorate their friend's door when they aren't home. The mom will be in on it, but the kids won't know who did it. We'll leave a treat and a note telling them they've been hit with the Love Bug and inviting them to pass it on. I got the idea from an old friend of mine who's neighborhood at the University has a similar tradition.
Kudos, all! Stickin' with it!
Here we are doing ok considering we are ramping up for our move. We sold our surplus flooring for $150 just now. Awesome! That ad sat on CL for a month, and then within 1 hour we got 2 inquiries and one panned out.
Making lots of meals from what we have on hand, though ironically, that has meant buying more food - like I wanted to make split pea soup out of some that we had in the cupboard, but had to go buy the ham, carrots, and soup base! LOL! Oh well . . . yummy soup . . .
Other good things in the works, but I'll wait until they come out to post. I don't want to tempt fate.
We had our church women's group potluck brunch today. It was a lot of FFF and the speaker was very inspiring.
Zach and the girls spent the afternoon rebuilding an old computer we had to use as a computer for the girls to use for e-mailing grandparents and basic word processing. The learning experience of rebuilding the computer was great and this will save some wear and tear on my laptop.
Feb 09
--Had an appt downtown so took the bus $3.60 but, no gas or parking...big savings
--shopped for birthday present for Dsis and got it on sale at a really nice story and they wrap up real fancy and ship for free...spent less
then if I had bought something cheaper and paid postage.
--used up yogourt that was due dated and frozen peaches to make 2 days worth of smoothies
--don't remember if I mentioned this one but over a week ago I finished a large container of shampoo with pump and the new large bottle I had
had no pump so I emptied it into the old one....been using the emptied one with water added since to wash hair
--cut bottom off face wash and have been using it for a week
--filled out a survery a couple of weeks ago and received a large envelope of coupons will use a few of them
--got 2 free samples of tissues in the mail
--eating leftovers for lunch that had been frozen in single serving after last weeks suppers.
early morning
2-10-12, 8:46pm
DB took my Mom-check duty for tonight, saving me a couple hours and about 15 miles. Cut open a bottle of lotion and transferred the remainder into another bottle that would no longer pump. I really like this lotion from the dollar store, it's nice and thick. BUT, when it gets low, it's very hard to make the pump work!
Feb 10
--lunch out and used 2 and dine @Harverys for $9.99 Dd, myself and grandson all ate...my very favourite hamburgers anywhere even if they are considered fastfood.
--stopped at Chapters and read a bit and had a free sample coffee at Starbucks and was given a sample that is enough to make a pot free
--making almond bark using a very large chocolate bar--very good chocolate bought on 50% off after Christmas---going to wrap in little bags for ladies club meeting tomorrow.
--supper was leftovers from yesterday.
Darn it! I had a post almost ready to go, hit the wrong button and good by post!
It has been crazy busy around here. The windows in the basement have been replaced. Had the city DPW here to replace the water meter.
Brought Ian home last weekend & took him back.
Tyler had solo ensemble.
He had his audition for the Alma music program & was accepted. Yay! Got another $1000 scholarship. Double Yay!
There was a family birthday party in there. And a baby shower tomorrow.
Finally got through my colonoscopy. All clear.
Last night we were at the basketball game. At half time the boys XC team was being honored.
Tonight I was supposed to be with Tyler at a gig but we got part way to the show & got a call from the drummer. He'd been in an accident. Fortunately he was alright. His car was totaled though. So I am enjoying being home & relaxing. And I saved the $5 admission fee. However, I may have a house full of boys later.
Had orientation for my part time job. Worked/trained 2 mornings. I really think I'm going to like what I am doing. I've been working 6 -10 am. I really like working when the store is quiet. But I'm not so crazy about the getting up at 4:30 to get there by 6. I get a 10% discount. And I got a Target Red card which gives another 5% off. So to keep this post thread relevant.... I bought dogfood on sale & with my discounts and got it for $5 off. I also got Thomas the Tank Engine & Star Wars t-shirts ( so cute) for my nieces shower.
So the trick here will be not spending my entire paycheck & saving it for upcoming expenses.
I am not a super couponer so I was thrilled that I got $18.35 off my groceries at Meijer yesterday using coupons. Including Toms of Maine mouthwash for $.42.
Took water to work & a tangerine for a snack. Hope to continue doing so.
Partially dried a comforter and have it hanging to finish drying.
Got 2 10 lb bags of chicken thighs & legs at $.49 lb. Divided them into smaller portions. Got 2 packs of sirloin & a pack of stew meat on clearance. All of those are in the freezer. I'm so happy to have discovered that early Saturday mornings are the time to go pick up the discounted meat at the local grocer.
One quart of homemade chicken stock, and one of beef stock, to go into fridge for another day.
rosarugosa
2-12-12, 9:06am
I think I’m ready to talk about what’s been going on in my life, and I need to do this if I’m going to continue any meaningful dialogue here. I’ll try to give you the short version! DH was diagnosed with renal cancer on 1/4. MD said it was due to smoking and that the most important thing we could do for his long-term well being was to STOP. His left kidney was removed on 1/19. He is doing very well and the surgeon feels that he is cured, although they will monitor him closely. Surgeon said cancer was early stage and low grade. So we have been smoke-free since 1/8/12. I haven’t really talked about it here, but I’ve been a veritable chimney for the past 38 years, so quitting is a pretty big deal. I’m sorry it cost us a kidney in terms of getting our wake-up call, but I’m hoping we can look back on this someday and say that it saved our lives. DH went “cold turkey” and I’m using Nicorette gum.
So on to frugality! After mentally processing the diagnosis on 1/4, my thoughts immediately turned to the impact this would have on our budget. We are fortunate to have a good health insurance plan through my employer, and we have an annual out-of-pocket maximum of $1500. per person. I quickly realized that we spend over $1600. on cigarettes in the course of 5 months, so covering our medical expenses would not be an issue. Since his testing began in December, we’re looking at about $2000. in out of pocket costs, because we have to cover the 2011 deductible and some out of pocket as well.
Our food costs have been a little higher lately because DH is the cook and I’m a rookie at grocery shopping, etc. Under the circumstances, I think we’ve exercised a lot of restraint. My Mom also bought us dinner a few times and has insisted on paying for my Nicorette and some other misc expenses, so that was a huge help as well. DH seems ready to resume the cooking and shopping now, so we should get back to normal with these costs.
So ultimately, not smoking will be the biggest and most important frugal imaginable for us, and of course, the monetary savings are almost the least of it in terms of benefits.
OMG Rosa what a shock! Glad to hear he's feeling better and that you took the plunge together as a team to quit smoking....I hope that pays you back in health 2,0000 fold. My mom quit smoking because she broke a rib (so she DID inhale) doctors told me 10 years later that that extended her life and the quality of her life even though she had COPD. Hugs to you both.
rosarugosa
Thank goodness for at least it being early stage and low grade....I am glad they will be following up and you need to be aware of any new sypmtoms...there are really good sites to
make yourselves knowledgable about this fairly uncommon cancer.
Under the circumstances you have exercised a lot of restraint. I will keep you both in my thoughts..
I freaking love my neighborhood. My next door neighbor had a party today to celebrate the birth of another neighbor's baby and the retirement of a different neighbor. The girls and I went there for lunch. Yet another neighbor had made four lovely homemade soups, posole, mushroom barley, white chili and a cold carrot ginger with artisan breads and a veggie plate. It was an excellent free lunch.
We snuggled the new baby and Cheyenne, who is really into anything and everything Japanese struck up a friendship with the retiring neighbor and his wife. He is from Japan. She is from France and is apparently an expert in Japanese (and French) cooking. The Japanese neighbor was teaching her a little Japanese. We have been seriously considering getting Cheyenne Rosetta Stone Japanese for her birthday so this friendship could be an excellent thing for her, as she would have people to have practice conversations with. I may also talk to the wife and see if we could get some Japanese recipes to try.
OT, but I seriously have the coolest neighbors on the planet. Everyone has some kind of interesting, awesome job or hobby. The retired guy was a perfumer for Aveda. Another is a specialist in antiquities. Two of them teach budgeting to high schoolers, college age kids and people who are about to be released from prison and one of them is a spiritual director. The conversations are truly never dull.
Stella, if I remember correctly, you live in Minnesota, right? My brother and SIL live in Minnesota, and you guys do have the coolest people in the world living there. The first time I visited with my mother and my four kids, one of my brother's friends offered to host a party for us!!! And the most amazing thing was, she had just gone through a bad divorce, had an hour each way commute to her new job in Minneapolis, had two young kids and was completely overwhelmed--and she STILL opened her home to us! I never forgot that. And that's just typical of all of the friends of his I've met.
If my kids didn't live here in the NE, I'd consider moving to MN.
early morning
2-12-12, 2:57pm
(((rosa))) best wishes to you both! tobacco can be a nasty master. On the frugal front we had to buy a new freezer, but we checked around and I'm satisfied that we got the best deal we could. A used freezer was not considered this time, since we can't move one in, and the old one out, ourselves now. This not-doing-it-yourself is hard for me to accept, and makes me feel very insecure, and poor! DH likes not having to do things, but not that he CAN'T do things if he chooses. The trials and tribulations of life in general, lol. Other than that, it's pretty much the same old, same old.
Rosarugosa. You and you husband are in my thoughts and prayers. I was a smoker for 25 (plus) years, and quit about 3 years ago. If you need additional support or someone to talk to, I'm always here. I never tried the patch, just cold-turkey. Several failed attempts. Torture...
Rosarugosa
I forgot to add; first it is great if you both can and are quitting...
But, my understanding is that they do not know all the causes of renal cancer...my DH had never smoked in his enitre life and neither had I so he
had not lived with it in his home in his last 47 years....
They are looking at smoking, drinking, chemicals, processed meats (seem to be really looking at that one and DH would have lived on them).
rosarugosa
2-12-12, 6:26pm
Thanks for the good thoughts, folks.
Danna, My mom was just telling me something about a link between bacon and pancreatic cancer. Of course, people have been eating bacon forever and many of them lived to a ripe old age, so who knows. We don't eat all that much bacon. I know of three other people who have had a kidney removed for renal cancer, and two never smoked, so it looks like a 50/50 split in my immediate radius. Well, we know the butts weren't doing us any good, and they sure are expensive, so quitting has to be a win either way - we both feel better already and it's only been a month. And I think it was good for us psychologically - in the course of this ordeal it was something positive we could do that was within our direct control.
On the frugal front, I'm about to dissect a rotisserie chicken to have for dinner with a salad I am making, and will prepare some extra for lunch tomorrow. On the not so frugal front, we've gotta start limiting our trips to Trader Joe's, but what a fun place!
((((Rosa))))) What awful news! You and your DH are in my prayers!
Catherine, yes I am in MN and I love it here. I grew up here, so I am probably a bit biased, but I have found a lot more sense of community here than in other places I've lived. What an amazing experience with your brother's friend!
I was needing some grown-up time this weekend and Zach was very kind about accomodating me. Friday night I went to my friend's house and we went to the chapel at our church that is open 24/7 and had some quiet prayer and meditation time. It was fabulous. I love my active life, but once in a while it is so nice to have a place to sit and just be still. It set exactly the right tone for the weekend.
Yesterday the girls had their girls' club at church. We played games and sang songs and they decorated Valentine's Day cookies. It was good girl time for them. They really look forward to that each month.
When we got home a different friend of mine came over we went out for lunch, just the two of us. We went to an ethnic restaurant and each got their signature appetizer and I got a cup of tea. Totally worth the $6. Both of us were nice and full and we had a nice time talking.
I helped her organize and declutter her kitchen, which was fun for me and I know was helpful to her. That and teaching her how to plan meals was my Christmas present to her. Her Christmas present to me is free babysitting.
Zach watched her kid, who has fallen way behind in school and had a ton of work to catch up on. His dad isn't around and he responds much better to male authority figures. She has been having some discipline problems with him lately, but he respects Zach, so Zach was able to keep him on task. He sat at our dining room table for almost 12 hours doing homework breaking only to go to the bathroom and eat. When we got back I helped him with some literature class homework and my friend taught my girls how to knit on one of those round knitting looms. Cheyenne is making a hat for her teddy bear and Bella is making a hat for James. I think this kind of unofficial bartering saves us all a lot of money.
Rosa, I skipped over your post earlier--I just want to send you my hugs, too!! You are so fortunate that the doctor caught it early! Sounds like you have every reason to be optimistic at this point.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Feb 12
--line dried one load of clothes on rack
--cream sauce, frozen veggies, can of mushrooms, frozen shrimp, sour cream, spices and pasta made an amazing supper with lots of leftovers for tomorrow
--sorting all my fabric and trying to use as I go pieces of leftover sheeting is making 4 pillowcases and 12 napkins all in my favourite colour purple and really for free
--made a cover for my cell phone for when it is in the purse...it was starting to get little scatches.
--made a head band (for do facials and such) for Dd and myself from the wide elastic I had cut off an old pair of jogging pants...cut the rest of the pair up into dust cloths
Today is cleaning day. Considering that three members of the family had a stomach bug yesterday, it's going well. I did some pantry cleaning and I am planning to tackle the freezer and fridge this afternoon. I am working on a third trimester/post-partum plan for food to minimize take-out and fast food and I'll need the space.
I am going to confess that I am not going to be quite as Susie Homemaker as I have been in past pregnancies and my plan does not include making a bunch of freezer foods myself. I have enough on my plate with homeschool and Zach's upcoming graduation. I am going to get some reasonable-ish convenience type foods for tired days. I already ordered two dozen handmade Vietnamese eggrolls from a nun at my church. That will be $30 and would make about 3-4 meals for everyone. That's cheaper than eating out.
I am also going to get some stuff from the butcher shop like different kinds of sausages, preformed burger patties, premade meatloaf and meatball mix, roasts I can toss in the crockpot and sliced stir fry and fajita meat. I'll get some frozen stir fry and fajita veggies and some sweet potato fries from the freezer section and indulge in some time savers like cole slaw mix instead of whole cabbage and other already chopped veggies. I'll start getting some shredded cheese versus shredding it myself. Those kinds of foods are not that much more than what I would normally make and way less than take-out. I've found through trial and error that some of that prep stuff makes a big difference when energy is at a premium. We eat better foods when we eat at home, so that is a consideration too.
I had a big bag of dried bread pieces in the pantry today. I'm going to use it up for a special Valentine's Day breakfast of chocolate cinnamon bread pudding. I cannot eat it, but everyone else in the family will love it.
rosarugosa
2-13-12, 8:36pm
Ummm Stella, chocolate cinnamon bread pudding sounds yummy!
It's looking pretty good too Rosa! I got the inspiration from a recipe from the Alsace region of France, but modified it a bit based on what I have on hand. It's going to be hard not to be able to eat any of it.
flowerseverywhere
2-14-12, 3:57pm
Rosa, sorry for the hard times.
On the frugal side since my super shopper neighbor took me shopping and showed me the ropes I have been saving about 40% over what I used to spend at the grocery store. I am getting a pretty complete price book now so can take advantage of real sales. We only have one car, line dry clothes, almost never eat out, use as little paper products as possible etc. etc. so this particular saving will be a big one for me. We don't have much more to cut.
Made a heart shaped Pizza for dinner tonight, dough from scratch. DH will get a good laugh when I take it out of the oven. A cheap way to have fun.
I have been sewing every day and making items to put away to sell on etsy in the fall. I figured it would be worth my time if I had multiple items to sell. So far I made 4 really cute aprons with matching potholders, and sold two of them to friends when they stopped over. I have several orders as well. I don't plan to do a big business but on rainy or cold days when I have no car it is good to have projects to do.
I have wanted to drop cable for a long time and I think I may have convinced DH to do so. I almost never turn it on and he does some watching of sports, but neither of us are interested in the rest of the programming. I am not sure why it is so hard for him to drop but I think he will now.
Originally posted by Stella.
I had a big bag of dried bread pieces in the pantry today. I'm going to use it up for a special Valentine's Day breakfast of chocolate cinnamon bread pudding.I'm with Rosa. Yum!
rosarugosa
2-15-12, 6:11am
Flowers: That is excellent on the grocery savings. I've been amazed at what we've saved by switching to a less-expensive grocery store, at least 20% with no other alteration in our shopping behavior. We got rid of our cable several years ago. I don't watch TV, so DH is the one who made the decision and called the cable company. He continues to be proud of decision. If I had done it, he might not have had the same degree of buy-in.
I don't get frugality points this week I'm afraid, although I have been bringing my lunch to work. I bought a new suit yesterday (I have a corporate job). I did get a $270. Talbot's suit for $98. because I had some gift cards and they were having a sale. It was a good value and something I'll get plenty of wear from. I'm paying for it from my allowance, so that's always "legal" since it doesn't impact the household budget.
Rosa, so sorry about your DH's diagnosis -- glad they caught it early, though!
Temperatures have gone back up into the -5 C range, so I took the bus this morning. It was cold, but definitely more tolerable than -15 C! Pushing the envelope a bit on the transportation budget, so will be good to cut out that expense.
lhamo
flowerseverywhere
2-15-12, 8:22am
I got a notice in the mail yesterday the local beauty school will do haircuts and shampoos for $5. I think I am going to give it a try. What is the worse that could happen?
We did our Love Bug thing yesterday and in addition to hitting the girls' best friend's house we dropped a few annonymous Valentine treats into the mailboxes of a few other neighbors. I know at least some of them don't know it was us. It was good FFF.
Another neighbor brought over Valentine's Day cookies yesterday and stayed for a while to chat. That was nice. More FFF.
Our dinner last night was very fun and the people who put it on sent Zach and me home with the extra food. We have pasta, bread, salad and cake for dinner tonight. I might have to have something lower carb than that, but everyone else can have the leftover food from last night.
Today Cheyenne is sick so we are not having school. Poor kid got maybe three hours of sleep. I'd imagine there will be a lot of napping going on today.
flowerseverywhere, I've gone to a local, well-known beauty school for hair cuts. They do an excellent job there and an instructor is required to sign off on each step of the process. So it takes a lot longer, but I get excellent cuts there - something that doesn't happen for me most other places because of the difficulty of curly hair.
Stella, hope the sickness leaves your home soon! My daughter is sick today, too.
Dried beans were on sale 25% off this week at the local supermarket. I stocked up - about 20 pounds! We eat a lot of lentils and beans.
Otherwise, just the usual stuff - eating at home is our biggest frugal. We eat amazingly well for our food budget. Yesterday at DD's afterschool activity, which went until 5:30, I heard 2 other parents talking. "Do you know what you're having for dinner?" one asked. Neither parent had made plans. One commented that she might order a pizza, though they'd had purchased sandwiches the night before. She had also commented to me earlier that she hated McDonald's toys. My plans were made and dinner was ready less than 15 minutes after we got home - leftover goulash from the night before, oat bread I had baked that morning, and steamed green beans and kale. I estimate that the batch of goulash cost $16 - made with grass-fed beef - and that made 7 servings, or about $2.30 per serving. So the meal was under $3/person - far less than any purchased "fast" meal, not to mention far healthier and tastier. And a better environmental option as well, compared to the vast amount of disposable wrappings that are used.
Mighty Frugal
2-15-12, 1:21pm
Well. my dh and my 'Valentine Treat' of take out Chinese food gave us 7 meals. At $35-that isn't too bad for an 'extravagance'!
Here is my big frugal. Esprit (I LOVE that store) is closing a shop at a mall here. And everything was like 80% off. And I didn't even walk into the store. Because I knew if I went in, I would walk out having spent a few hundred dollars. Which I do not want to do because:
1. I have enough clothes
2. I have gained about 10lbs since Xmas and refuse to buy clothes at this weight
3. I am part of the SLN
Thanks Rosemary! I hope your DD feels better too!
Mighty, I think your splurge sounds pretty reasonable. Good job on resisting temptation!
We are crafting with recycled materials today. It all started when we were looking at these kits (http://mymakedo.com/) as a possible birthday present for Cheyenne. We got the idea from the gallery of making tubes out of rolled up junk mail paper and building with it. Bella and I dismantled a magazine and decided to make a marble run. Meanwhile James got in on the action and started trouble. He loves pointing at pictures of stuff in books and telling people what it is, so we made him a "James' favourite things" collage with pictures of cars, puppies, kitties, a watch and a ball. He is wandering around excitedly barking and meowing at his collage. Then a glue stick ran out and Bella wrapped it in paper to make a "Larry the Cucumber" doll. She's going to paint it green and stick google eyes on it.
Feb15
--Groceries today that only came to $12.00...buy one get one free frozen veggies again already on sale for @2.47 a bag
--mostly still eating from freezer and pantry and only buying extras to fill out meals.
--making calls and filling out forms to see what may pension, Old Age Security and CPP will all work out to for when I turn 65 in 8mths. not great amounts but enough to get along with...good to know
--still thinking about and looking for a small part time job..
fidgiegirl
2-16-12, 12:00am
Just a quick hello. Not feeling too frugal this month as the money just keeps funneling out and out and out with the house. Moving Friday, so the big expenses will settle down. If we can stop spending on huge stuff for even a few months, we'll replenish pretty quickly.
We have been doing a pretty bully job of eating down our stores and we'll have a bit to move, but that's good. We won't have to restock right away, and since we're moving so close, there's really no point in starting over with food. I'd say that's our biggest one!
Oh we did put money toward a dining room table and 6 chairs off Craig's List for $200. It's a 1935 table and the chairs are original to the set. Some surface water damage, but can be repaired. For $200, you can't go wrong. Even if we find one we like better down the road, we can easily resell. It's rectangular, which I REALLY like, because we can easily butt a square card table or two up against the ends to expand if needed at holidays. And it will seat 8 even without that. So in the immediate future, it will meet our needs well.
Rosa, thinking good thoughts for you and DH. Congrats on the quitting and hope it's going well.
Stella, hope everyone is feeling better now. What's the story with the bread? Sorry if I missed it. Are you off carbs or just not sitting well? Sorry if too nosey but wondering if I have another GF associate here on the boards! "Associate!" Ha, that one just tripped off the fingertips!
G'night, all. Wish us good luck on tomorrow's marathon of finalizing packing and scrubbing our new bedroom. One final splurge for Friday: MOVERS!!! Yipppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
Yayyy!!!!!! Fidgiegirl your house looks great and it was very right to do all that work before you moved in. Hope you plan something for you and your fella after you're completely moved in and before you collapse exhausted on the bed! ;)
Wow! Everything is looking sooo nice!
Kelli, the bread thing is because I have gestational diabetes. I really want to stay off of insulin, so I've gone really low carb for the most part. I feel so much better when I'm not eating a lot of bread and sugar that I might try to make this a more permanent change.
I posted this in another thread, but I got my eggrolls today and got a surprise gift from a friend of $20 to take the kids out for something fun this afternoon. I have the boys down for an early nap and we are getting things cleaned up, so we can have some guilt-free fun. Zach should be home in about an hour.
Rosa, I am sorry to hear about your husband but glad that it was caught early.
Got my first paycheck in about 21 years today! $62! lol And happily I make more than minimum wage! $7.75/hour. I really like what I am doing. Everyone has been nice too. I've been working 2 weeks and been shopping 3 times. :|( I have been marking down prices and know where all the 70% off deals are. lol But really, the shopping has been pretty planned. Dog food & groceries mostly. Oh, and cold meds. :( Today I bought 3 bags of snow melt on clearance. And 4 sets of 2 mittens for $.60 each. (Tyler wears them for running) Also got myself a pair of those cleats you hook to your shoes/boots so you don't slip on the ice. So we'll be set for next winter. Plus I got myself a shirt for $1.80.
One thing I'm not crazy about - getting up at 4:30 am to be at work by 6. I really like starting work that early. But 4:30 comes way, way too early.
Frugals: Found out we will save a ton of gas money & $15 in entrance fees because Tyler's indoor track team will not be travelling to Grand Valley to compete tomorrow. YEAH!
I have $.57 left in grocery money until payday on the 24th. I also have about $1 in bottle returns. I am going to give it my best shot to not go over it.
I forgot to thaw something for dinner yesterday. After much debating about what to do I remembered I had some frozen spaghetti sauce & some meatballs so decided to make meatball sandwiches. DH wanted them on sub sandwich bread so he went to the store & bought some. I'm not counting that as going over because he paid for it himself. ;)
Been taking lunch & snacks with me on the days I work.
rosarugosa
2-18-12, 7:21am
Thanks, Azure. I'm glad you are enjoying your job; I was wondering about that. Now the trick will be to make sure that you make more money from Target than they make from you :)
So yesterday was a planned indulgence that I feel fine about because it was pre-medidated mindful spending. I took the day off for a vet visit in the AM, but had told DH that I wanted to take him out to lunch (from my allowance cash stash). So we went out for a nice lunch to celebrate the fact that he is doing so well and that we have been cigarette free for over a month. It seemed like we were due for a little bit of celebration. (We don't go out eat very often and hadn't taken ourselves out since early Nov when we were out of town for some concerts).
We also went to the Salvation Army store and dropped off three bags of stuff, and I bought a pair of pants for $2.50 to use for fabric to make draft blockers for the front and back doors. That will be a frugal as long as I actually make them! I also saw our good friend who works there and told him I am in the market for a salad spinner and a stovetop percolator. He says they get these items often and he'll be on the lookout for me. (I'm totally sold on the concept of second-hand shopping, but there are very few thrift stores near me).
I cleaned the fridge in the afternoon. Having extra time on a Fri was a good opportunity to do this since we buy groceries on the weekend, so fridge is the least full on Fri. Gave myself un-frugal dope slaps for all the stuff I threw away. We clearly have condiment issues because nobody needs seven different types of mustard going at once. We also buy designer jams and condiments from places like Stonewall Kitchen that are crazy expensive, and we never seem to use them up before the expiration date. I'm really vowing to improve in this area because this is truly a stupid waste of money. :|(
Rosa, jams can go bad only if they're moldy but certainly can go past their expiration date. Why not pour a little boiling water into the remaining jam to make sauce for ice cream or pancakes? That's an Amy D. kind of thing. Glad to hear about your smoke free month. Has food been tasting better? I've heard that from friends who stopped smoking. Be well!
early morning
2-18-12, 11:13am
Great news on the no smoking front, Rosa! DH did that about 15 years ago, and it was really rough on him -and me too, lol. And I second what Merski says - we use up lots of things well past the expiration date - it's not like the product can read the carton and say "well, yippee, today I get to start poisoning people":~) -KWIM? The dates are useful info, but no more than that for most foods. And you can always heat them up, if you're worried about bacteria. Frugally, I took lunch and dinner to work for a couple days last week when I stayed in town to attended a free evening lecture series/taping of a PBS show about generational dynamics with Chuck Underwood. FFF!! And since I was staying after work, I got a lot of filing, etc done. Worked on my own time, true, but it's DONE.
Was all hyped up to pay for, myself, training supplies a woman whose dog I'm training will need. She is well-off, I am not, so I'll figure we can do without unless she wants to buy them.
chrissieq
2-18-12, 10:21pm
We have been volunteering at church for the Wednesday night church meal for a few months. The cooks are contractors - I may think the price for a family meal is a bit steep but we serve many families which makes me think that between work and other commitments, it makes sense for them - and they are great people to work with. They are very committed to using local, fresh, sustainable product. And from a frugal standpoint, anything that volunteers want to take home -beyond our dinner- we are welcome to. Sometimes, they just can't re-use so it's you guys take it or we toss it.
On Wednesday, we brought home 18 meatballs and more cake/cupcakes than I choose to admit. We both had meatballs through the week as dinners for one while one of us was out for meetings and tonight I threw that last 7 in a tomato sauce for spaghetti night. Delicious and cost effective!
But mostly what I get out of the experience is the interaction with families and the kitchen staff/volunteers!
Congratulations on your first paycheck Azure!
Last night we had card night with our friends. We hosted this time so we could put the baby boys to bed early. They were tired. The older kids, ours and theirs, watched movies while we played spades. It's always a good time.
The friends we played cards with are our neighbors and also go to our church. They went to the Saturday evening mass and told us that there isn't child care today. Their daughter offered to walk over this morning and take the little kids over to their house while we go to church. It doesn't save us money, but it does save us a huge amount of hassle. I love that girl. She is really good with the boys.
The friend I spend Friday nights with got the new baby some clothes. Her aunt gets a lot of Gymbucks from Gymboree (rewards dollars) and she gave them to my friend. Since my friend's kids have tons of clothes she used them to buy some cute little baby girl clothes for Charlotte.
rosarugosa
2-19-12, 6:46pm
Merski & Early: I think you are absolutely correct, but DH is a stickler for those dates. I think the really important lesson for me is to not buy all that stuff in the first place since we clearly don't eat it. I would be better off keeping my wallet closed!
Chrissie: Free food is an excellent bonus for your volunteering efforts!
Lark: I think you are right to leave the spending to the more affluent owner, unless she wants to reimburse you.
Stella: Your card night sounds like FFF indeed.
I helped Mom with some decluttering today, and she gave me a salad spinner that she hasn't used for years, so that was a frugal score. I also had a frugal repurposing recently. Our office is moving to electronic files, so we have all these file holders that people used to have on their desks but don't really need any more. I brought home a nice heavy metal one with my manager's permission, and I put it in the cupboard to hold baking dishes and pans, etc. in a nice neat fashion, since they previously were just in a jumbled pile. I think I might bring home another one.
DH made a yummy chicken stew today with enough left for two more meals, and groceries came in within budget.
Rosa, why not keep these jams & jellies all on the same shelf with a magic marker sell by date written on the lid and then you can use them up better. I do agree that not buying them in the first place is probably better. You could also look for those teeny tiny one serving jars that you'd get in a hotel with your toast. That might work...
Made noodle for the first time ever yesterday. I don't think I rolled the dough quite thin enough but DH really liked them. Served them under hamburger stroganoff.
For DH's birthday I searched for quite a bit before I found a recipe that he would like that I actually had all the ingredients for since my pantry is running a little thin. We had blueberry buckle for birthday cake. Had some leftover cool whip in the freezer to serve with it. No gifts though. When I ask what he wants he always says nothing. So that's what I got him. Not that I had any money for a gift any way lol
I put bean/kielbasa soup in the crockpot this morning then realized that it would be done cooking too late for dinner tonight. Instead I guess I'm going to make grilled ham & cheese and smoothies for dinner.
rosarugosa
2-20-12, 8:50pm
My friend that works at Salvation Army called to say he has a salad spinner and a stovetop coffee pot. I'll pass on the salad spinner unless it's better than the one Mom gave me or unless she would like hers back. I would like to try to learn to make coffee on the stove and stop buying overpriced crap from Farberware.
So I had never thought of this as a shopping strategy before, but I think it could be a winner. I mean how many people have their own personal shopper at the Salvation Army Store? :cool:
Rosa, that would awesome, having someone on the inside like that!
I made pancakes for a Mardi Gras breakfast today and for lunch we splurged a bit and had nutella banana sandwiches. Dinner will be the hoisin beef lettuce wraps I was supposed to make last night.
This afternoon we are decorating soup cans to make pencil cups. I think James' and mine are going to be robots. I have no idea what the girls are going to do. It appears to involve flowers and beads we got at the surplus art supply store the other day.
early morning
2-21-12, 8:28pm
Yesterday was a thrift store sale day. I spent $23 and got a dressy jacket, a top for work, a set of grill tools for DH (his tongs broke last year) a Pottery Barn king-size linen duvet cover in the most awesome dark red, a lovely soft yellow throw/blanket, a quilted pillow sham, a brand new throw rug, several vintage sheep (of the Nativity variety from Italy, for my old sheep collection) a hand carved little wooden dog, a book on pattern fitting and sewing techniques, and a #1 Ladies Detective Agency book I didn't have. It was a really fun day, too. Went to IKEA afterwords for late lunch and had the meat-ball special for $2.99. Yum!
rosarugosa
2-21-12, 9:42pm
Stella: I recently bought Nutella for the first time and DH loved it. I'm not crazy about the taste of hazlenuts, so we found a chocolate almond spread at Trader Joe's that I think I'll like better.
Early: Sounds like you got a lot for your money!
I brought my lunch to work yesterday & today (including "spun" lettuce in both meals). DH got oil changes on both of our cars today, so it wasn't a no spend day, but it was certainly a day that didn't involve any frivolous spending.
fidgiegirl
2-21-12, 11:10pm
Rosa!!! THANK YOu for sharing your file organizer/baking pan trick! We actually bought a pan holder designed for such nonsense and it is too big for the designated cupboard. However, we can pick up a nice heavy metal file holder at any thrift store, and it will last a lot longer and probably do a better job, since all we want to use it for is flat pans, and the other was made for shallow casseroles and such as well.
Thanks again!
flowerseverywhere
2-22-12, 9:38am
Monday two friends came over so I could help them with sewing projects. One bought a big pan of chicken noodle soup and left the leftovers. So I had chicken noodle soup for dinner too and DH froze the rest in little containers for his lunch to bring to work. Yesterday I went to MIL to help her with some things she is too old to do and she made me a big pot of chicken noodle soup (it tasted almost exactly the same) which I had for lunch with her. She sent home a bag of baked goods which I froze in small packages. So I had a lot of food for no expense this week!
When I was helping MIL clean out her attic and she sent me home with boxes of stuff to donate - it helps at tax time and she just can't part with stuff. I have no problem parting with stuff, I love lack of clutter. Also, I keep telling her that my theory is there is probably enough stuff in the world, but the problem is distribution. I have too much of x, she has too much of y and someone else has too much of z. If we all donate it to charity that resells it it keeps tons of stuff out of the waste stream and we are all happy. I did find some valuable stuff that she didn't want so called my BIL who is out of work and trying very hard to get a job to check it out- he may be able to sell it on e-bay. They are really good people and need all the help they can get.
I already mentioned this once this morning, but we're selling our house right now so organizing and making things look nice is really important right now. That said, so is saving money. I've actually found a ton of different ways to spice up the rooms in my house with stuff I already have. I covered my ugly ottomans with a nice blanket and put them at the foot of my bed. I folded another blankets and put it over the tears in the couch, and it actually looks like I planned it haha. I've also been covering random boxes with adhesive paper from the dollar store and using them to decorate and hide random items. So far so good!
Stella: I recently bought Nutella for the first time and DH loved it. I'm not crazy about the taste of hazlenuts, so we found a chocolate almond spread at Trader Joe's that I think I'll like better.
Try Justin's Organic spreads-- AMAZING STUFF! Our whole family is addicted to the chocolate hazelnut, and I'm planning to try the others next time we're back in the US.
I bought 4 jars of the chocolate hazelnut spread to bring back to China. And when that's gone I will splurge and order it through iherb. It is that good....
lhamo
rosarugosa
2-22-12, 8:36pm
Kelli: I hope that works for you; it would make me feel good to know that was a useful tip.
Flowers: It sounds like you're doing the same type of work with your MIL as I'm doing with my Mom. Keep up the good work!
Rose: I love it when I can solve something creatively without spending any money.
Lhamo: Thanks for the tip on the Justin's. What other flavors do they have? I also was interested in the food expenditure graph you shared on the other thread; I would say we're on the low side as well.
I've been very virtuous about bringing my lunch every day, and I actually like my salads better than the ones from the salad bar at work. I think some of their ingredients have gone downhill in quality, probably in an effort to keep prices down. But we're taking Mom out for a belated birthday dinner Sat night, and that will more than offset my lunch savings by a huge margin. That is her gift though, we don't buy her a physical present. My sister & BIL will also be there. We aren't able to all get together often due to work schedules, so it will be nice.
Thanks for the tip Lhamo! I'll have to try that. I love chocolate and hazelnuts. I looked it up and they have it at a Target nearby. Cool!
Rose, good luck on your house sale!
Dad went on another spree of buying stuff made at Monasteries. I love when he does that. He ordered chocolate stuff for the kids at Easter. He's done this the last few years. We've agreed that it's better to get them a few high quality handmade chocolate items than go all out on large quantities of cheap candy. Zach and I will get them something else, but it does save us some money that Dad buys the candy.
He also ordered two kinds of apple butter, three kinds of preserves, three kinds of creamed honey and two kinds of mustard. We should be set on those for a while.
Other than that it's pretty much business as usual around here.
Hi everyone! I feel like I'm ready to come back and participate again after my little hiatus-I hope you'll have me! I wrote a post in the open forum detailing what I've discovered about myself so I won't bother with any details here.
To those of you who are facing health issues, I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through. My thoughts are with you.
Fidgie girl. Congrats on getting the house done so quickly! I hope the move goes smoothly for you.
Stella-you continue to impress me with your kind and thoughtful actions towards others. Your positive attitude is inspiring. I'm really going to work on playing a much more positive roll in the lives of thoses around me.
Azure-does your son go to school in Alma or is that the name of the school? . Where exactly do you live if you don't mind my asking. Obviously, only if you feel comfortable sharing. Its taken me 10 years to admit what state I live in-lol!
I guess my frugal for the day is that I've been working too much to spend money! We fired an employee for stealing (no I didn't do her bodily harm although tempted-lol!) and I've been picking up extra shifts while training her replacement.
In the process of this we re-evaluated how we do things and decided by changing our schedules a bit I can work in the kitchen one day less a week and spend it waiting tables instead saving about $50 a week in payroll plus whatever I make in tips.
flowerseverywhere
2-23-12, 3:01pm
BKE great to see you back here.
I am making dresses for my new granddaughter. I have been determined the last several years to use up my fabric stash by making quilts and I probably have used up over half the fabric I had. I went to MIL's house and she had a stack of old smocked and embroidered dress patterns in a box that I have borrowed. I want to make smocked dresses and I can't find fabric I like that goes through the pleater so I am making dresses with a smocked insert using an old piece of batiste I have combined with cotton florals. They are really coming out cute and total expense is 0. I am even making piping for them using some old cording DH had in the basement (it was cotton so I shrunk it first) covered with fabric to match the dresses.
Flowers, my mother hand smocked some dresses for my DD when she was a baby. I still have them. They are so gorgeous. Your granddaugher will be the best dressed baby around :)
BKE, it's good to see you again. He will be going to Alma College in Alma, Michigan. We live just a few miles SW of Lansing. I had no idea you were in Michigan :) . My mother's family used to live in the Harrison area.
I am pleased with myself. I did go over the food budget but only by about $.32. We are out of all vegetables except 2 onions and some frozen spinach which I use for smoothies. 1 cup of milk left. I cup of flour. 1/2 cup of rice. Out of oatmeal. Nearly out of margarine. Only a few slices of lunch meat, etc etc.
There is a cup of milk left because I learned I can replace milk with 1/2 c of evaporated milk & 1/2 cup of water which is what I'm going to do for dinner tonight so Tyler can have the last of the real milk for his cereal. I am making a chicken & biscuit pie which is where I'm using the milk substitute. No chicken stock left so I cooked up some legs/thighs for the meat & stock. And went over by the $.32 to get the frozen peas & carrots to go in it. And using up the last of the jiffy mix for the biscuits.
My grocery budget is going to be really tight again tomorrow & I'm low on so many things right now that I am worried it may be too tight to get all I need.
Oh! I just found out I will be able to buy nice fresh brown eggs from Tyler's team mates mother. $2 dozen.
No spending for the last 2 days.
Ian just learned that he got the summer internship in Germany. PAID internship! I think it will be a good experience for him. I won't get nervous about it til the last few days before he actually takes off.
Wow its a small world isn't it Azure? I was curious about the school because you've mentioned the music department a couple of times and my ds is into band. He's only 12 so college is a few years off but was curious non-the-less.
Dh and I had our first child-free evening in almost 2 years last night. Dh wanted chinese food and then to go to the casino for a while. We were lucky to win just enough money to pay for the dinner we had including tip and the coffee we had later while waiting to pick up ds after his event. So it was basically a free evening out! I had fun. I dressed up and felt good about myself. It was nice to have alone time with dh.
We stopped at a new discount grocery last night to check it out. Very basic and kind of disappointing but it will be handy for things like milk and juice which were definitely cheaper than at other places.
Between the fact that I've been working too much to think about spending, and the fact that last night was a no-cost night out, there is still enough of last weeks budgeted money left that what I earn this weekend in tips will basically go straight to savings!
I had a little run in with a wierdo while playing scrabble on Facebook so I have deleted the info I posted here about where I live. I figured better safe than sorry.
early morning
2-26-12, 1:53pm
Ugh, bke, hope your weirdo goes away for good. One reason I stay away from all on-line interactive stuff. I'm a coward at heart, lol. This was a pretty frugal week, with no extra spending. Knock wood, nothing broke, no one became ill - not even a cat!! - or needed a rescue that tapped our resources. My cousin gave me a 5# bag of cornmeal, so I refilled my cornmeal canister and put the rest in baggies in our new freezer. I was able to wait for a sale on the freezer, thanks to a friend who allowed us to stash about 300#s of beef in his family's freezers. I'm going to go haul it all home this afternoon and take him some fresh eggs. We saved about 10% on the freezer price, wrangled free delivery even though we are a bit outside the free area, and they hauled off the old one. Most importantly, THEY lugged the old one up the steps and the new one down. It took a while to find one that fit the available space and wasn't frost-free. DH and DD still had to move the electric box because the cord was about 2" too short, but since it was surface mounted, not a big deal. Otherwise, I've been hanging laundry out AND in the house, eating odd pantry meals due to no freezer, and taking commando showers to save water and electric. Going to a free symposium Friday on local and public history, and wondering if I can justify another Master's... it's a fascinating program! But honestly, by the time I'm done I would be 60, I love the job I have, so I guess this would be a luxury degree. The information gained would be useful, but not something I truly need, and some of it I already access on my own, but. . . I love to learn new things in the company of others who are doing the same. Stop me, before I learn (for $$$) again! ;) Hmm, I wonder if I can get a grant...
rosarugosa
2-27-12, 9:18pm
BKE: A scrabble-playing stalker? Truth is stranger than fiction.
Early: Good deal with the freezer, and surely there are worse vices than an education addiction!
I had a no-spend day and brought lunch from home, featuring my favorite food - salad.
Dinner out for Mom's birthday Sat was less expensive than budgeted, and we all had a really nice time. Mom had called and given me this very sweet, convoluted bit of logic explaining why she should pick up the tab when we went out. I told her "nice try, but we're taking you out for your birthday, so you'll just have to sit on your hands when the check comes; you're not allowed to pay when people are taking you out for your birthday." She said she doesn't often get to do anything for us girls, and I said that it must have been my phantom adopted mother who went with us to all those MD appointments and sat at the hospital with me while DH was having surgery, and took me shopping several times and bought my Nicorette for me . . . I'm really lucky to have the best Mom ever, and I'm glad she stuck around long enough for me to be grown up enough to realize it and tell her so. I was quite a prize in my teenage years! :devil:
Ending up the month with lots of frugals and home made meals. We've been eating out of the freezer and cupboards. Hubbie experimented and made a porter soaked oatmeal bread that came out great. A good month overall.
bke I am so glad you are back! Thanks for your kind words!
We are heading into a really spendy time where we are doing some smaller remodel projects and outfitting the kids rooms to make things more functional when the new baby comes. I made a spreadsheet, did research into what everything we need is going to cost and worked up a really thorough budget. I wrote up a schedule of everything we need to do and a week-by-week timeline of what needs to be done when. Hopefully having a specific plan will help the projects go smoothly.
FIL comes next week. A big frugal savings for me is that Zach and his dad are both construction professionals. A weeks free labor from an electrician and carpenter/cabinet maker is going to save us some serious cash.
Another thing I am making a budget for is homeschool stuff. I am involving the children in this since I am letting them have the rest of the school year to work on their own projects. Cheyenne wants to take a carpentry class and a cake decorating class and Bella wants to do indoor rock climbing. Both girls want to do some sewing, cooking and knitting projects and they want to make a "Secret Knock Gumball Machine" project they found that releases gumballs only if you know the secret knock.
Both girls have saved their allowance for 6 months and now have over $100 each saved. Originally they wanted to go to Wisconsin Dells, but that just isn't a possibiliy time-wise right now. I have talked them into going to the Water Park of America instead and just go for the day. It's $30 a person versus $200 for the hotel in WI. We'd probably just have Zach take them. Waterparks are not as much fun when you are 30 weeks pregnant. :) That will leave them money for other things and will still have the Wow factor that I was hoping they would get from saving their money for so long.
Also, although it is a long way off, the kids have come up with a really cheap, fun idea for Halloween next year. They want to make coordinated costumes for all of the kids so they can be breakfast. Cheyenne will be an egg, Bella will be bacon, James will be a pancake, Travis will be orange juice and Charlotte will be a plate. The costumes will be made of felt and recyclables. I hope they still want to do that come Halloween because it sounds like fun!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.