View Full Version : November Frugals
flowerseverywhere
11-1-12, 8:09am
well I hardly posted last month so thought I would start this month out
found three grocery stores near our new house, this morning went through the ads and have a list for each one when I am in the area of the store. I am slowly rebuilding my pantry and with the recent scenes from the East Coast disaster I am being especially mindful of having easy to prepare food on hand and building up our water supply.
Resisting the temptation to get some garden plants, they are on sale now but I really don't know what grows well in our zone 9 through the winter. I am bicycling around old neighborhoods to see what thrives. What I need to do is find a garden club, often you can get perennial divisions that way for free.
Riding my bike more and more. Last year I did 1500 miles and I think I will pass that this month. Good for my health and my pocketbook. although I will be shopping for a new bike in the spring most likely. Still way cheaper than auto transport.
Wow! It's November already, isn't it?
DH and I took the munchkin trick or treating yesterday and then ate supper at a friend's house. I made a grocery list and menu plan, but I also hurt my neck and can't turn my head. So I won't be driving to the store today. Instead, I will work on my 2013 budget line by line (inspired by heydude on another thread). I think I will nap while the baby is napping. Lunch today and dinner tonight will be leftovers.
I need to be here this month....was mostly only reading posts in October
--starting out great so far...balanced the cheque book and updated all my spreadsheets so I am ready to go.
So far this year I have kept to my budget, only gone over a little in a few areas, but way down in some will need to do some adjustments for next year.
Have not spent the amounts I was setting aside for larger projects in the house (I really do need a new bathroom floor) but, have kept up really well on
regular maintenance. Now that I have turned 65 and all the pensions change I will have about $150.00 a month less coming in. But, I did know this and
I am prepared to live on it or get a little part time job to make up the difference.
Was hoping today would be a no spend but, Dd has just gone out with her grocery cart to check out the stores for discounted Halloween candy...that could
be bad for my diet but, proably not the buget...lol
Figured out we can make our house into two parts: living room/workspace, which runs the width of the house, shut off from kitchen, edroom, bathroom. I was inspired byTrent Hamm's writing that to spend less each year than the year before is good for retirement savings. We have solar modules, so our summer electric bill is about $6 a month, but in winter, we have to use space heaters and the cost comes to something like $160/month. That was using 3 space heaters to heat a small, drafty house.
Had unexpected expense, taking a trip to visit friend in nursing home, who's in and out of dementia. We wanted to go while she'd still recognize us. But we NEER spend stuff like that--it was 12 hours each way, to do in 4 days total. i researched motels that take 4 dogs, and found only Motel 6, but it is real cheap, plus we get senior discounts. Drigin with 3 large and one middle-sized dog worked because they cooperate (one rides on the floor, the other on the seat and one up front on my lap when I'm not the driver. It was really worth it--our friend did recognize us and got clearer the longer we were there--we quickly noticed that if there was something to focus on, she perked up. So although it was an added expense to take the trip, we did it for under the $400 it would have cost me to fly. She's the woman who raised me and is 89.
For the trip we took two lightweight bedspreads to put on the beds at Motel 6 so our dogs could sleep there and we didn't have to take dog beds.
We also took a 3 gallon bottle of water from home so the change of water wouldn't make any of our dogs sick. Allthis is the trunk of a Prius.
Took 2 clothes to consignment shop (making room for living in half the house--took others to women's shelter), and put the $200+ from other's I'd taken over the summer into mortgage.
By living super frgally, we've paid our smaller mortgage down from $80,000 to $23,000 and if we can keep up this pace 9i mean EVERYTHING goes to mortgage except that trip), we can pay it off by mid-May. This will leave us with our other mortgage of $150,000, which we can never pay off, but having refi'd, we pay only $800 a month compared to a lot more before--an amount whichever of us survives the other can probably handle.
Went together to a free seminar of lawyers who specialize in estate planning and as part of that get an hour and a half of free law help to look over our living trusts and wills to see if they're right, given new laws in New Mexico and the fact that the guidelines we used were from out-of-state lawyers.
Not much to report so far, except that we found a grocery store that is significantly cheaper than the one we'd been using when we first arrived. We're spending about 20% less on our weekly groceries than we were before we started shopping there, so that's happy news. Also, the weather is getting cooler so we're using less electricity on air conditioning (but more on lighting because the days are shorter), but that's not an intentional shift, just a natural one.
studentofecology
11-1-12, 2:34pm
Today, I'm going to fix the brake on my bike, which will cost money, but not as much money as continuing to drive the car to work.
A house on the way to school put a huge, wood shelf by the curb. I'm picking it up (hope it's still there) on the way to pick up kids. Painted white and with some good brackets, it will be great in the cabin for lining with things we do not frequently use (stow in baskets for the little items). While we still have plenty of space and it's not bursting at the seams, I've been looking for ways of using vertical space in there, so we can keep our floorspace clear!
I'm pretty certain that we even have white spray paint already there and that FIL and husband had bought a few extra brackets that are in the pole barn, for another project they were working on. ;)
Oh.. and at the neighborhood Halloween potluck, our neighbor made us bring home extra food, so dinner is half ready for tonight. And school has a free Astronomy Night (bring your binoculars) with the local Astronomical Society being there - free for kids and parents. So..there's 3 frugals for me on this 1st day of November.
Gardenarian
11-1-12, 3:26pm
Thanksgiving will be potluck at the neighbors, which makes so much sense - and will be fun.
Making an Xmas list for dd (checking it twice) so we can find deals now instead of waiting till last minute. She needs some high-quality technical hiking gear, and a pair of riding boots - so it will be a challenge!
It's soup season! Lots of soup plans this month.
Will buy some pumpkins today (always cheap after Halloween) and great for soup (and pie.)
I am planning my next quilt top and it is going to be entirely from fabric I already have. I will have to buy batting for the quilt but I won't buy fabric or thread!:)
I'm excited to report a lucky frugal for today! I needed to buy another box of probiotics and more OTC allergy medication. I got an email with a 25% off coupon for CVS.com and since I would have gone to CVS and bought the CVS brand versions of these two items anyway it was a total win to simply order from the website instead! Plus, I discovered that I was able to buy a box with an entire year's supply of the allergy meds when buying online as opposed to a box with a max of 30 pills when buying in the store. I don't actually take the allergy meds year round so the 365 pills should actually last me between 2 and 3 years. Buying the higher quantity was already cheaper on a per pill basis plus the 25% off means that I just paid 11 cents per pill as opposed to as much as 50 cents per pill when buying in smaller quantities. Woo-hoo!!! Plus, I spent enough to get free shipping so win-win-win!
SimplyL that astronomy night sounds like fun!
Today was my weekly women's group at church. It was my small group's turn to bring treats so I brought Halloween candy. I am going to save some of this candy for Christmas. We got too much candy when it was only the big girls trick-or-treating. Now that four of the five are trick-or-treating it's kind of crazy.
larknm--I love your creativity at looking at your home in a new way. DH and I have been doing the same. We are thinking of adding on a bedroom and bathroom to the main floor so when we are retired and struggling with stairs, we can still live here. We'll just shut off the upstairs. Will it be expensive to add on? Yes. But it will be much, much cheaper than buying another house!
Hmmm....frugals. Well, my neck is feeling a little better, so I got the grocery shopping done. Came in under budget and stocked up on sale items. Also visited my in-laws last night for dinner. Had a great time with them and DH's aunt and uncle, who were visiting from out of town.
Didn't get around to looking at the budget. That is on my to-do list!
I received a settlement check for $15.04 from Farmers Insurance today. I dont remember the details but I know its legit.
Today will be a no spending and yesterday was as well.
I took the buttons off one of my husband's worn out shirts and cut up the good parts of the fabric to make quilt squares.
For Nov 01/12
I am looking at all the food Dd and I have managed to accumulate with sales/coupons and freebies and this is the month to spend very little and use a lot up.
--Dd did not get any chocolate on sale good thing if we would have just eaten, a bad thing if we would have used it for Christmas baking
--did decide to go out for a few groceries to fill out what we already have but, only spent $22.00
--made ground chicken tacos for supper from stuff we had and have enough leftover will be served with rice and beans tonight
rosarugosa
11-3-12, 8:17am
I believe that I only went into a store once in October, and that was the Target trip for nail polish and baking powder with DH who gently steered me away from any browsing. Imagine if I could do that every month! DH does all the shopping for necessities; otherwise I would have to go shopping for food, etc., but I've clearly come a long way in terms of frivolous shopping. Right now I'm building up my allowance stash again post Sept vacation. We'll be spending some time in NH this month, and I'll want to have some extra cash for that trip, so I'm being pretty disciplined in the meantime.
Well...the last 24 hours have NOT been frugal.
First, DH fell down the stairs and broke his foot. Now, of course we are thankful that a) he wasn't holding DD when it happened and b) he wasn't more seriously hurt. However, it did require a trip to the doctor with x-rays, so we had to pay a hefty co-pay and full price for prescriptions (since he hasn't met his prescription deductible for the year). We will have more to pay when the xray bill comes, and we are wondering where this leaves him work-wise. The doctor wanted to cast it, but DH refused since he works in a factory and cannot work with a cast. So basically, DH's plan is to just work with a broken foot. We'll have to see; I really think he should take some time off, but he says it would be unpaid time that would really hurt us financially.
Then Charlie, my little orange tiger, urinated on DH's coats. This is bad for two reasons--1) we are concerned about Charlie's health. He had a blockage in his urethra last year and almost died. He was in the vet hospital for a week, had to have surgery, etc. Then while he was there, he got worms. It was very traumatic and painful for him, and it was very expensive, too. I don't want to see the poor little guy go through that again. 2) I need a new coat myself, and we cannot afford to replace my coat, DH's work coat ($150) as well as his leather coat all at once. I tried to wash his coats right away, so we'll see if they came clean. I'm going to call the vet this morning, too, regarding Charlie. Poor fella.
So...yeah...potential loss of income AND potentially sick pet. Blah! The good news is that this all prompted me to get started on our 2013 budget. I am actually making three monthly budgets--one for when DH and I are both working, one for when I only get one paycheck in a month (which happens sometimes as a contracted employee), and one where I am on maternity leave and not working at all. That should cover most scenarios we will face in the coming year.
SteveinMN
11-3-12, 10:02am
Oh, Kat, I hate days like that, and not for just the non-frugal aspects of them.
It is good that DH was not more badly hurt. If he cannot go to work with a cast on, however, could he at least immobilize the foot with, say, splints and an elastic (ACE) bandage? Or just the ACE? I'm not a doctor (though I worked for a couple years ago), but I'm guessing the more DH can immobilize his foot, the faster the healing.
rosarugosa
11-3-12, 10:06am
Kat: So sorry about your DH and Charlie. Good luck getting through this.
fidgiegirl
11-3-12, 10:27am
Oh Kat, what a crappy day!! Don't those things always come in groups?!
My friend's cat peed on my coat last winter, and it came clean by washing immediate. I want to say I used a lot of vinegar in the wash load. Hopefully you can salvage them, and that DH gets on the mend soon (not to mention Charlie :( )
flowerseverywhere
11-3-12, 11:58am
Kat, hope DH is OK. What a bummer.
got on the frugal food wagon last week. Did some dried beans in the crockpot and made a big pot veggie chili and Minnestrone with homemade cornbread and bread. Then put some on sale potatoes in the crockpot for baked potatoes so we have had combinations of those foods all week. Found a farmers market nearby so I can get veggies and fruits at an excellent price. Those combined with homemade breads and dried beans are the basis for our meals these days. We will have some chicken tomorrow, but one chicken breast makes about four meals for us when combined with veggies and potatoes. If you weight chicken breasts these days they are 9-12 ounces so they really are 2-3 servings even for meateaters.
I am making the few christmas presents we give out of scraps I already have. I am ready to put a baby quilt in the mail to my best friends grandchild, all made with scraps and it came out just so adorable. I am sorting through scraps right now to decide what I can make. The internet is chock full of free patterns and ideas as well as the large stock in my library. Now to do it!
Oh Kat! What a pain-in-the-butt day! Praying for you.
This weekend has been semi-frugal. I went shopping at Aldi yesterday and got two carts full of groceries for $150. Well, minus the space the little kids take in carts. Last month I got our grocery bill down under $400 for our family of 8. I was pleased with that.
We did go out last night and hire babysitters. The event was free, though, and it's rare that we pay for babysitting. This morning I walked up to a new, independent breakfast place that just moved into the neighborhood with a friend of mine, We had a nice breakfast. I like eating out once in a while, but it's much cheaper if it's just me going with a friend versus all of us going out. I spent $12 including a decent tip. We also saved money by walking.
My frugal action for today is that I am not going anywhere and not spending anything. I am still researching what kind of new sewing/quilting scissors; they will be an expense but I intend for them to be of a quality that they will be of use to my daughter after I am gone.
Thanks, everyone for your kind words and prayers. It was a crappy day--one that just went on and on and on. I was about in tears by bedtime! LOL DH is getting along okay. He is in pain but is still working. He actually works in a warehouse with no heat right now, and he said it is a huge blessing. Apparently it is so cold that his feet go numb and he can't feel the pain. ha! His coats came clean, too, and the vet said just to watch Charlie very carefully. He is sensitive to stress and she thought maybe he just sensed the stress of the day and took it out on the coats. He has been using his litter box since then, so hopefully he will be okay.
stella--isn't Aldi's awesome?! We have one here, too. We have shopped there over the years and have only ever gotten a few things we didn't care for. It is so cool to get a cart full of groceries for like $60 or whatever.
Well, DH and I had a lazy day at home yesterday and napped when the baby did. Can I just say I love naps?! Then last night we went to a family dinner at my mom's and picked up some leftovers from Thursday's dinner at my MIL's house. I don't think I will need to cook today, so I put the ham bone I was saving for ham and bean soup in the freezer so I can use it at a later date.
Today we have church. Lunch will be leftovers, and the rest of the day will probably be spent at home napping and playing with DD's new train set.
Kat, I just wanted to extend healing thoughts to your husband. Tomorrow the 5th will mark 2 months that I've been dealing with a broken ankle (2 bones). Ankles and feet are difficult to heal. I talked to a guy yesterday that thinks he broke something in his foot and its been over 6 months and he is just starting to feel a little better. I'd suggest he elevate it with ice every opportunity. I did three weeks bedrest with my ankle above heart level to avoid surgery.
The kids have been at a youth retreat all weekend - it's been nice to not be asked 'what is there to eat' every 20 minutes but I did send DH grocery shopping last night and he went way over budget. Oh well, at least I didn't have to try to push a cart while using a walker.
early morning
11-4-12, 12:01pm
Kat, I'm sorry your crappy day - glad it's in the past now! Hope DH's foot heals quickly - some people mend more quickly than others, according to my Dr. I hope that your DH is on the fast-track to mending! (((Kat & DH))) Last week we ate at home entirely, except for three days at work, where lunch was provided for trainings we were doing. Free lunches are always nice! Yesterday my Dsis and I set up at a flea-market, and moved quite a bit of stuff we've had lying around, thus putting a bit more in our big trip fund, yay! This morning I used up some potatoes that had bad spots and made a skillet of potatoes and eggs for breakfast. We've been diligently working to keep from wasting food this year. I can't see much difference in our expenses, especially since food just keeps going up, but there is a big difference in our fridge clean-out results - as in, we don't throw out very much at all, compared to past experience. Although it's chilly, I have laundry on the line, and will just finish it inside as needed. DH's jeans may not get totally dry; most everything else will. Although we have only a few years left on our mortgage, fidgie's re-fi comments have motivated me to at least see if it makes sense for us to re-fi. That's on next week's agenda...this coming week is already totally jammed. I hate weeks like that, but sometimes they just happen anyway>:(. Ah well, some of it will be fun!
Yesterday, while I was @ Target looking for new kitchen rugs, I stopped by the "small electrics" section to salivate over the stick blenders--as I really want one.
I came very close to buying one but put it back and walked off. I don't face a lot of moments like this and it was tough--bc I could really use it. But I did it.
fidgiegirl
11-4-12, 4:16pm
Hi everybody, and happy Sunday . . .
This has been a mixed weekend of frugals for me, interspersed with decluttering.
First, I did take an inventory of the freezer/fridge, and should be able to pull together meals this week without a big shop. There are a few items I'll run out to get for DH today. He went to deer hunting opener this weekend, no deer, bummer. No deer = no meat. :( Oh well, he and DFiL had fun even if it was full of mishaps.
My girlfriend was in town so I did have 3 restaurant outings, but one was just a dessert and she paid for one of the meals so I guess about $25 total? Not bad, all told, and I won't see her until Xmas, so that was a worthwhile expense for me. She stayed here at the house which was fun.
Was out running errands yesterday and drove past Dragon Star grocery and decided to duck in to take a peek. I think we have a new meat source, people! The meat was fresh (looks like they butcher it there) and very reasonably priced. I have started making the dogs' food and there are plenty of choices of organ meats, and meat for DH and I would be about half the price we're typically paying now. Plus there is a location on my way home from work, so that works out well - it's not out of the way to go there. That place is HUGE. Enormous. I was amazed at the size.
I spent $100 on an AllClad saute pan (yikes) but it was marked down from $225 and I expect it to last for life. Now two other nonsticks are going in the garbage. $100 works out to between 3-4 hours of life energy and I find that investment to be worth it for a daily cooking tool that will last forever.
Off to put a simple beef soup in the crockpot and finish up the cleaning and a bit of laundry. DH always likes the house clean when the week begins, and he usually does it himself. I don't want him to come home from 4 hours in the car and feel compelled to clean the house. Also we'll have a nice soup all ready to go for dinner.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends!
Kelli, Dragon Star is about twice the size it used to be and they seem to have successfully eradicated the old-fish smell that greeted you when the electric-eye door swung open. :sick: It's a much nicer place now. Shuang Hur (on University) is pretty good, too, though I don't think their prices are quite as good as DS; further east in St. Paul, Golden Harvest is smaller but offers a wide variety of attractive-looking food, too.
Last couple of times I've been in Dragon Star, the produce did look fresh (and didn't look or smell bad). They seem to have upgraded the meat/poultry. And I do think they cut at least some of it on premises -- I find it hard to believe anyone is selling some of those pork parts case-ready. The dairy and fish looks like it always did; I'm still not convinced the fish is absolutely the freshest in town, but a selective shopper should do okay and lots of Asian groceries in town do a far worse job of monitoring their frozen food. And the prices look really good. It may be worth my while to shop there instead of ALDI for the items I don't buy at the co-op.
We went to the homestead. Husband helped FIL with electric gate. I brought scraps for goats, a watermelon to contribute for family dinner. Came home with pounds and pounds of Satsuma Oranges, overripe bananas (a relative received permission to bring the ones his store can't/won't sell home), a dozen eggs, fresh baked cookies, and we went to annual folk festival and brought home some corn grits (polenta). And then, we made a swap with a relative with something we did not need for a television with dvd player that will fit in our nook that husband built for the cabin so we can watch holiday movies at night with hot cocoa, when we go up this season. So.. today after church I made a few dozen banana nut muffins, fresh egg noodles, deviled eggs.
fidgiegirl
11-4-12, 5:37pm
they seem to have successfully eradicated the old-fish smell that greeted you when the electric-eye door swung open.
Almost . . . ;) It's nothing I couldn't get past, but it ain't Kowalskis . . .
fidgiegirl
11-4-12, 5:38pm
We went to the homestead. Husband helped FIL with electric gate. I brought scraps for goats, a watermelon to contribute for family dinner. Came home with pounds and pounds of Satsuma Oranges, overripe bananas (a relative received permission to bring the ones his store can't/won't sell home), a dozen eggs, fresh baked cookies, and we went to annual folk festival and brought home some corn grits (polenta). And then, we made a swap with a relative with something we did not need for a television with dvd player that will fit in our nook that husband built for the cabin so we can watch holiday movies at night with hot cocoa, when we go up this season. So.. today after church I made a few dozen banana nut muffins, fresh egg noodles, deviled eggs.
What a haul! What do you plan to do with the oranges?
Fidgie - I'm looking that up at this moment. There's - a lot..
Thanks for the tips on DragonStar - have been there before, and the fish odor was intense. Will go back now that it sounds like they've cleaned up. Have also been to Shuang Hur - they had some good prices on produce. Nice to get a change in the dead of winter from the usual procession of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage; there they usually have bok choy and other greens that are fresher and a LOT cheaper than in the supermarkets.
This weekend...
DD and I went for a horseback trail ride. I got a half-price deal on Groupon and she absolutely loved it. So it was definitely worth the discounted price.
We had fun folk dancing at our church's annual harvest festival, with great live music. An inexpensive evening of fun and fellowship.
We had family portraits done today with a coupon. We do this about every 3 years because that's about as often as I can muster the energy to get everyone out the door looking picture-ready at the same time. That will finish off what I needed to do as far as holiday expenses.
...so it was not a no-spend or no-drive weekend but our activities were rewarding.
Now we're having some good frugal fun: a "pajama party" as we watch a movie from the library as the sun sets early on this first day back to standard time...
A frugal weekend over here -- hooray! I worked a consulting job yesterday that earned me the equivalent of 3 days worth of pay at my regular job and they paid me on the spot!!! That money will make a nice contribution to my retirement fund. :D And apparently the group liked me as they invited me to their annual dinner on Monday night and I got an email today from the woman in the group who was my contact person and she said that everyone enjoyed the session yesterday so that is great news! I would be thrilled if this turned into annual gig for me.
Today was a pretty low key day. I went out for a nice long trail run and my partner has been spending the day reinstalling the software on a relative's laptop. We're having soup from the freezer for dinner.
We finally broke down and turned the heat on the other day. But I figured out that, unless we have a ridiculously cold spring, we should only need to use the heat for 160 days this season. Not too bad. We keep our heat set at 60 degrees most of the time and the other night when my partner turned it up to 62 degrees in the bedroom I was way too hot so, clearly, we're used to keeping it on the cool side. Last year I invested several pairs of SmartWool socks and a pair of fleece lined slippers from L.L. Bean. Quite possibly some of my best purchases ever.
Blackdog Lin
11-4-12, 8:38pm
Not much to report, but I enjoy reading all the threads. It helps keep me focused on my trying-to-be-frugal ways.
I am proud to report the the fridge contains no leftovers - got them all used up, even the 1/2-cup of leftover taco meat that was in there (a tasty little addition to this morning's breakfast pizza). Finished the leftover pico de gallo on the leftover green salad yesterday, which meal included sandwiches using the leftover loose-meat.
We start fresh with tonight's meal of grilled chicken thighs and Mexican rice - we will eat this meal again tomorrow night and I sincerely hope I don't have to come up with any plans for leftovers of this stuff. Using up the last of the garden produce is progressing well - down to 15 red-or-reddening tomatoes (cleaned/peeled and used 6 of them in tonight's rice) and about 3 cups of the Juliets. Oh, and 5 Fugi apples I bought last week and forgot to get used - was gonna fry them, but we probably wouldn't eat it all, and then I thought if I made apple muffins I could freeze them and we'd eat them over the course of the next couple weeks. So hoping to do that tomorrow.
Other than not wasting food, we haven't left the house since Friday night (went a whole mile to friends house), so no gasoline days (the golf cart doesn't count, does it?) :)
I only need to find a polite way to tell DH to PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, IN THE MORNING. He lives in a pair of denim shorts and not much else, all day long (at home, I mean) and these chilly mornings we wouldn't have to turn the heat on (or up so much) if he'd just put some clothes on! If I can figure out to put on socks, and a sweatshirt or jacket.....why oh why can't he?
fidgiegirl
11-4-12, 10:29pm
Oh Blackdog Lin! LOL about your hubby and his shorts! I wouldn't be polite . . . just tell him! :laff:
Oh Blackdog Lin! LOL about your hubby and his shorts! I wouldn't be polite . . . just tell him! :laff:
Blackdog Lin -- I'm with fidgiegirl on this one! Just tell him to put some more clothes on because it's likely just a habit he's gotten into and just like any other "bad" habit sometimes all we need is for someone else to point out how dopey it is and we can then set about changing it!
***Off topic***
Blackdog Lin, whereabouts in Kansas are you? (If you don't mind sharing...) I'm flying to Wichita this week because I'm speaking at a conference in Hutchinson, KS. I've never been to KS before so I'm really looking forward to it.
Blackdog Lin
11-5-12, 10:28am
Dopey is right. But sometimes one needs to pick one's battles. :) You're right, I just need to at least mention it to him, how dopey it is.
cdttmm: sorry, we're 2 hours east of Wichita and Hutchinson. I'd invite you for a cup o' coffee if we were closer. If you get a chance - you probably won't, I realize - just east of where you will be are the Flint Hills, which are just lovely for a drive. Miles and miles of low rolling prairie.....absolutely beautiful in a non-spectacular kind of way.
try2bfrugal
11-5-12, 11:53am
The electric company online site has an estimate that our usage will be $65 lower this billing cycle than a year ago. If that amount holds over time, that would be $780 in a year and over 9K in ten years. I estimated the new energy efficient TV and using drying racks would save $600, so it is even better than I thought. I have quite a few more Kw and gas saving projects in the pipeline, so it will be fun to see how low I can get the energy bill.
Enjoying everyone's frugals!
SimplyL--I am so jealous of all those oranges! This is a great time of year to make pomanders or orange marmalade! Save the peels, too--you can burn them in your fireplace, use them for potpourri, or use them to freshen your garbage disposal. Plus, the zest is really yummy in recipes like this one: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-orange-muffins-10000000225100/ The sugar makes them a bit crisp on top.
Not much to report here. I found a coat I liked on sale at Kohls. I bought it on sale with an extra 15% off and earned $20 in Kohl's Cash as well. DH has been eyeing a sweater, so the Kohl's Cash will be used for that. The coat is colored but can be worn with black gloves I already have.
Yesterday was leftover spaghetti for lunch and leftover roast with roasted potatoes and salad for dinner. I will try to be proactive about dinner tonight as well.
try2bfrugal: that is some impressive savings on your electric bill -- go you!!!
Everyone is doing such a tremendous job on the food front -- keep it up!!! That is definitely one of the areas that we struggle with the most in this house. We enjoy cooking at home, but sometimes we don't plan very well or are just downright picky about what we want to eat. But we've gotten much better. For example, yesterday I cooked up a huge batch of chick peas in the crock pot. I am usually really lazy and just buy canned beans and chick peas, but we can buy them dry from the bulk bins so I'm starting to wean myself off my canned beans habit! And I lucked out with the timing yesterday because my partner was supposed to leave for NYC last night, but ended up staying home. So we had to make dinner (I was scheduled to go out to dinner, but that plan got changed, too). We pulled out a summer vegetable and split pea soup from the freezer, which was an easy and frugal meal. But when we heated it up it seemed like it was a batch with very little in the way of split peas so I grabbed a container of the "just made" chick peas and added them to the soup. Turned out great and was still a very frugal meal! I think today I will make black beans in the crock pot. It's so nice to just have them on hand in the freezer for whenever we need them.
Aside from the bean making...I'm going to make a concerted effort to eat up the last of the salad greens and the last of the bananas before I leave for Kansas tomorrow. That should minimize (or hopefully eliminate) the food waste that happens while I'm gone.
My other big frugal for the day is that I'm going to send around the obligatory Christmas gift email to my mom and my brothers. We always celebrate Christmas together, but despite my best efforts we've not yet given up the gift giving ritual. So my email will just be the usual reminder that we are limited to spending $25 one each person. How is everyone else doing in their planning for the various upcoming holidays?
I am having company today. My friend who I hang out with on Friday nights is coming over with her new baby and our friend from high school, the one who is now a Jesuit priest, is coming too. He's bringing a pizza for lunch and I'll have fruit or a salad. I am really looking forward to this. It's always fun to get this group together.
A friend is going to stop by this morning and watch the kids so I can vote. Free babysitting is always good.
A neighbor had a smallish electrical problem and asked Zach if he could take a look at it tonight. He is going over there after work. He doesn't think it's a huge fix, but probably an extra $50.
Leftovers for lunch and dinner
But a definite non-frugal--taking cat to the vet for probable bladder infection.
But a definite non-frugal--taking cat to the vet for probable bladder infection.
Hope your kitty is okay, Florence! I am with you on the non-frugal aspect of cats and vet appointments. I took my two 16 year old cats to the vet this morning. Nearly $400 later... Thankfully, I budget a large sum each year for veterinary care. Them kittehs of mine are precious. :~)
florence and cdttmm--hope your furbabies are doing okay now!
Yesterday I made a return to Wally World. $10 back. Then I took DD over to look at the Christmas stuff. She loves the music and lights! I resisted temptation to buy anything, which is hard for me around Christmas time. Everything is so sparkly!
I have a huge family and Christmas is always stressful because no matter what I do, the powers that be insist we buy for everyone. With the new baby coming, we are kind of broke. I suggested doing a name draw for the kids this year instead, and for the adults, I am going to force paperwhites. I found a big bag of bulbs at Home Depot for about $1 per bulb and will use some rocks from the dollar store along with some nice containers. I have some pretty Christmas ribbon leftover from years past that I can tie on, too.
Today I am going to a book fair with my MIL at the hospital. We may walk if it is nice enough. Should be good FF if I can avoid buying something. I am a sucker for books for DD--she loves them--so I may buy her one!
florence and cdttmm--hope your furbabies are doing okay now!
Thanks, Kat! Just waiting to hear back with the results of the blood work and urine tests. I have to take all three dogs for their annual check-ups next week, so this is just going to be a month full of vet expenses, but it's all good.
Did manage to have some frugals yesterday including finishing off a half-gallon of apple cider. I'm the only one who drinks it in our house so sometimes it ends up going to waste, but not this time. I put the last of the mulling spices in a tea bag and heated the whole apple cider up on the stove top with the mulling spices. It was so tasty! At first I was disappointed that I had finished off the little jar of mulling spices thinking that I would have to buy more. But then I realized when I read the list of spices that I have all of those things on hand and can just mix my own! Awesome! (Yes, it's the little things around here!)
Stopped at the pet food store on my way to the gym last night and used a $10 rewards certificate that I got in the mail. Managed to spend exactly $10.48, so only had to pony up $0.48 in change from my pocket for a few weeks worth of cat food. Also realized that the pet food store is hands down the cheapest place to buy the canned cat food we use so I won't be buying it anywhere else from now on!
I was going to try to go to the grocery store to take advantage of a few sales before heading to the airport today. But I realized that between the amount of money that I would spend in gas to make the trip plus the added stress of making for a very hectic morning that I would be better off just skipping it. Of course, now I'm just using the extra time to surf the SLN forums so...
try2bfrugal
11-7-12, 12:28pm
My project continues to be reducing our atrocious energy bills by going around measuring everything with the Kill a Watt electric meter. We changed the settings on a TV and that lowered the energy cost to run it by over $200 a year. We started air drying the dishes in the dishwasher and realized they dry pretty quick that way anyway since they are very hot when the washing stops. That will save another $100 a year. So my ten year savings will be over $3K. I still have probably 50 or more little things to do to knock it lower but it will take time to replace some of the PCs, light bulbs, outside fixtures etc.
I figured out as much as half our daily energy costs may have been food related - cooktop, dishwasher, freezer, oven, etc. because we do try to eat at home and cook from scratch as much as we can. So we have to focus on cooking in bigger batches, more one pot meals, more crock pot meals, etc. to get that usage down.
Tussiemussies
11-7-12, 12:42pm
My project continues to be reducing our atrocious energy bills by going around measuring everything with the Kill a Watt electric meter. We changed the settings on a TV and that lowered the energy cost to run it by over $200 a year. We started air drying the dishes in the dishwasher and realized they dry pretty quick that way anyway since they are very hot when the washing stops. That will save another $100 a year. So my ten year savings will be over $3K. I still have probably 50 or more little things to do to knock it lower but it will take time to replace some of the PCs, light bulbs, outside fixtures etc.
I figured out as much as half our daily energy costs may have been food related - cooktop, dishwasher, freezer, oven, etc. because we do try to eat at home and cook from scratch as much as we can. So we have to focus on cooking in bigger batches, more one pot meals, more crock pot meals, etc. to get that usage down.
Hi try2be, we are also working to cut down on our electric bill. One thing I read about is what they call vampire energy. The items you leave plugged in, appliances, TV when you have them turned off they still drain a certain amount of electricity! We have been keeping up with unplugging for about a little over a month and we'll see how the bill looks. Another two biggies are the clothes dryer, I will be installing a clothesline in our new home, and blow-dryers. I wash my hair and let it air dry. It works best if you shower awhile before going to bed, plus it keeps your hair healthier.
If you have children who never turn off the hallway lights, you can install a motion detector that goes where the light switch is...we also have some lights on a timer and put our Christmas tree on a timer.
Please post more that you find out as I would like to get our bill as low as it can go...:)
try2bfrugal
11-7-12, 1:08pm
Tussiemussies - I will get to the phantom energy eventually. Those are great ideas. For now I am still a newbie at this and working on the the major items like stuff that uses 100 or more watts when on. I did stop using the dryer a few weeks ago. I was surprised how easy it was to use the drying racks. That made a huge difference in the bill. The motion detector lights are on my to do list for inside and out.
Last month we used 50% more electricity than we do now and we still have many projects to try to cut the bill further.
flowerseverywhere
11-7-12, 1:28pm
I have a gadget call a Kill-a-watt that I got years ago for less than $20, we periodically use it to see how much energy something uses. It has paid for itself many times over. We have lent it to half a dozen people who used it as well and they saved.
Biked today to the pool and took a shower there afterwards. Then I remembered my library book was due so renewed it before I got a fine. I hate paying a "stupid tax" like a library fine.
Tussiemussies
11-7-12, 2:23pm
Tussiemussies - I will get to the phantom energy eventually. Those are great ideas. For now I am still a newbie at this and working on the the major items like stuff that uses 100 or more watts when on. I did stop using the dryer a few weeks ago. I was surprised how easy it was to use the drying racks. That made a huge difference in the bill. The motion detector lights are on my to do list for inside and out.
Last month we used 50% more electricity than we do now and we still have many projects to try to cut the bill further.
I wish we could start a thread for saving on each utility, I bet there a lot of great things people here do.
Spent the day setting up DD's school's book fair, had fun talking with friends and perusing the new book titles (which I will request at the library). I made a big pot of minestrone soup and some foccacia which I took for the volunteers to have for lunch (with reusable bowls and spoons) and we'll have the leftovers for dinner.
Returned a book to the library as it was due today and I could not renew it because someone else has a hold on it. Returned on time=no fine.
I am continuing to cut out pieces for my next quilt using fabric from my stash.
Got my monthly haircut today because the price is lower on Wednesdays.
Great ideas for saving on the electric bill. I need to work on that, too.
Florence--I would love to see photos of your quilts some time. I am a new quilter and not very good at putting together quilts from fabrics that aren't produced in "collections." It would be helpful to see how more creative folks quilt with what they have. I never know how to use scraps or mix material from different lines.
Did laundry yesterday using homemade laundry soap and our drying rack. Never went to the book sale as DD woke up with a runny nose and a fever of 102. Poor thing was so miserable! I hope she feels better today.
My plans are to work for awhile this morning and then throw a pork roast in the crock pot. I have a doctor's appt. scheduled during DD's nap time, so my MIL is going to come over while I go. So...pretty boring day!
fidgiegirl
11-8-12, 7:03pm
Rosemary, I love it when people do those kinds of things! So thoughtful! And those book fairs are nothing easy to set up. Kudos to the fundraiser people.
Kat, hope the peanut feels better.
Florence, maybe sometime we could see pics of your quilts. Would love to!
Skipped the Costco run tonight because no list. Went to Goodwill because for whatever reason I'm in a shoppy mood. I spotted a lamp I liked with no harp and no shade (which we have just learned are expensive) for $10! Pass! Also, this Goodwill is carrying a lot of brand new stuff. In the past I've seen new items there but they were always Target clearance that didn't sell. Now, it is CLEARLY new stuff. I know Goodwill's thrifts are there to earn money, not recycle items, but I was disappointed to see this. I like to thrift partly for the environmental benefits. So, whatev, I won't be back to that one - all that PLUS the parking lot situation was crap. Oh well, kept me from spending any money.
All the talk of the Kill-a-watt reminded me that I saw something a while back at the library about having one for checkout. So I boldly asked about it at the circulation desk today and now have one sitting in the kitchen. Will try it out! Woohoo!
Went to Whole Foods. Not frugal, but oh so good . . . I got two cold teas from Traditional Medicinals. DH and I are nursing colds. Interesting that I balked at the price - about $6 for each pack - even though I know I love the one (Throat Coat) and know it brings me relief. So I would have spent just as much on drugs that may or may not have worked, or just suffered.
Ok, DH is at conferences, I am going to clean up the kitchen and prepare a crock pot meal for tomorrow and make myself a roast beef sandwich on my fave GF bread from Whole Foods.
Speaking of lunch meat . . . those of you who make it, how do you slice it? Or do you just use hunks? Thinking of doing this for DH since spotting the cheaper meat cuts at Dragon Star. Less crap in it and cheaper, too. Advice appreciated . . .
I'll see if I can post a couple tomorrow. I've not posted pictures on this forum before but I'm sure I can figure it out.
Frugals for today:
Didn't go anywhere so no money spent
Leftovers for dinner
Fidgiegirl, I slice cooked chicken and turkey for sandwiches by hand. It gets tedious. I freeze it in small portions because we don't eat a lot of sandwiches. My parents eat a lot of lunch meat and we, along with my brother's family, gave them a meat slicer for Christmas one year. They cost about $70-90 I think. They love it and use it for the large pieces of cheese that Costco sells as well.
Leftover minestrone for dinner again tonight, which worked well as I was putting in more book fair hours this evening.
I went to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods today (they are located close to each other) and managed to stick to my short lists aside from a box of California clementines, the first I've seen this season.
Thanks, fidgie! I think she is feeling a little better.
Nothing new or exciting here. Just been staying home since DD is sick. I did manage to squirrel away a couple hundred dollars out of my paycheck for Christmas. I also scrounged up $61 cash leftover from our budgeting envelopes last time. I need to get to it quickly because if I leave it sitting too long, DH will find a use for it. :-)
Dinner at home tonight. Salisbury steak, potatoes, and corn. Pudding for a treat.
ETA: Forgot to add that I spent a little of my saved allowance for some pretty costume jewelry. I'd had my eye on it for awhile, and it was 30% off clearance price with free shipping. Yay! Not a need, of course, but it was nice to buy myself a little something. The price just made it better! :-)
We're almost a third of the way through the month -- time flies! So a few frugals to report this week. I cancelled my trip to Kansas so saved myself about $300 between the rental car and the hotel room. Bummed that I wasn't able to go, but it was for the best. Made up some black beans in the crock pot today. Used vegetable stock instead of water this time and it seemed to definitely add flavor. Of course, it wasn't homemade vegetable stock so I'm not sure the extra flavor was worth the few bucks I paid for the stock, but it was still cheaper than buying canned beans! Also mixed up my own spices for the Mexican spice mix jar that we have. The jar came as part of a collection of spice mixes and included a "grinder" that fits on the jars and you can take it off one and use it on the others. We hardly ever use the European and Asian spice mixes, but use the Mexican spice mix all the time. We were bummed when we were starting to run out until I realized that that the spice "mix" is simply cumin, coriander, and crushed red pepper. Um, duh, we keep all three of those spices on hand so I just starting mixing up new batches every time we ran low and putting them in the spice mix jar. For some reason this makes me feel very clever. (Hey, what can I say, cooking is not necessarily my strong suit!) Had a very cheap dinner of popcorn while we watched a movie on Netflix. We were planning to run a bunch of errands today, but ended up putting them off because it was so nice out and we both wanted to go out for a run. We'll still have to run those errands and spend the money, but at least we'll have waited one extra day and as a result we will probably be able to better plan those errands and add other things to the list so that we can combine even more into one trip.
We got our electric bill in the mail today. Still don't owe anything as we're working off our credit from the solar power we generated this summer. We should get at least one more month out of the credit, maybe two. We've gone 7 months without paying an electric bill -- pretty exciting! Got my CVS.com order in the mail today and in the box there were some free samples of multivitamins, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and lotion. Not the brands I generally use, but I can use them when I travel as they are all travel/sample size. Free is good!
Today was not super frugal as we did get Lebanese take-out, but we will get a couple of meals out of it, so it wasn't a total loss. Plus, it's yummy. We also bought ourselves new pillows as our old ones are flat, which I think has been the cause of my neck trouble lately. That is actually a reasonable expense, though. Old pillows go in book nooks, so they are still used.
I went to make my list for this coming week for groceries and I need bananas and maybe milk. Score! I am pleased with that.
We are taking the kids to the Children's Museum this weekend with a membership. They are going to be so thrilled.
Other than that, nothing especially earth shattering here. I went to my women's group at church yesterday, which was some good FFF, but that's about it.
fidgiegirl
11-10-12, 8:28am
cdttmm, I'm interested in learning more about solar. We have a great spot for some panels on this house, and I have heard MN has as much solar potential, if that's the term, as Arizona! But I am wondering how the initial installation can be worth it over time if it's as expensive as I fear. Notice that none of this is based on hard numbers :)
Also I think the spice mixing thing is great! Since I went off gluten I am noticing more and more what's in these kinds of convenience foods, and feeling a bit duped over the years. For example - pumpkin pie spice. So expensive! But it's stuff we already have in the cupboard. So from both a frugality and a "stuff" perspective, I'd much prefer to use the spices we already have, especially because we make maybe one or two pumpkin pies a year.
Blackdog Lin
11-10-12, 11:43am
Yesterday I mixed up my first ever homemade taco seasoning. It was too easy, and used spices I already had in the house. Haven't actually used it yet, but it smells right. :) And I put it in a mason jar topped with the green top from an empty parmesan container - saw this tip online and was tickled I had something to use it on. It really does fit perfectly.
Next up is homemade ranch dressing mix - I've found a good recipe I'd like to try. Really enjoying the thought of having these mixes on hand that don't have all the additives.
Just general frugals otherwise. Did the weekly grocery shopping yesterday and only spent $37.00 to fill in the chinks in the fridge, which felt pretty frugal. But DH has forbade me from buying any meat items for awhile - we're thinking about getting half a beef and need to make room for the possibility. Enjoying staying home, puttering about the house and yard, and cooking good homemade meals for us.
flowerseverywhere
11-10-12, 1:27pm
used up all the veggies in my fridge last night in anticipation of going to Farmers market today. I made a stir fry that came out very good and we have leftovers for lunch. I did well at the Farmers market, I'll add some homemade bread to a big pot of soup and the fresh veggies we'll be eating. We also biked there, so no gas or car wear.
For one of our frugals we decided to eliminate all alcohol from our lives. We didn't drink much but when you track you get astounded at how expensive it can be. Especially if you buy alcohol outside the home. We don't miss it, and when we are with friends they don't question why we are sipping water. We actually had colored drink bottles so no one even asked what was in them.
I made homemade blueberry muffins and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Zach and I have been discussing pantry strategies. Our family size has grown significantly over the last couple of years and we are tweaking things here and there to see what works now. Blackdog, we have been thinking about getting a quarter of beef. We are thinking of getting a bigger freezer and ordering both beef and pork directly from a farm, buying some whole chickens and stocking up on a couple of turkeys after Thanksgiving. My neighbor knows an appliance repair guy who refurbishes used appliances and sells them, so we are going to call him and see what kind of a deal we could get on a larger freezer. We are considering getting a small second fridge for the garage too. I've been pricing meat and I think this is a good way for us to go.
I'm thinking if we get the pantry pretty well stocked and the freezer pretty well stocked, I can actually get away with only going to the store every other week. I use the more perishable produce first, the lettuces and other greens, bananas, and the less perishable or frozen produce the second week, like oranges, apples, squash, carrots, frozen veggies. I've been trying this out and it's working pretty well. By the weekend after the first week, anything that needs to be used up can be juiced or tossed in a smoothie or soup. I think, even factoring in the cost of the meat and pantry stock-ups, I can get the grocery bill between $300-$350 a month for our family of 8 even with a fair amount of organic food. I looked it up and the USDA thrifty plan for a family of 4 is $625 a month and we have double that number of people.
Zach is on a huge budgeting kick now that we have predictable income. Almost our entire adult lives we have had widely fluctuating income from month to month. It's amazing to actually know what is coming in. He wants us to go back to the envelope system for some of our expenses, like gas, family entertainment, household stuff and date nights. Anything left in the entertainment envelopes goes into a trip fund.
Dad decided that he's just going to give me money for the kids for Christmas, since I can make it stretch farther than he can. We'll add our expected budget and pool it. I asked the kids what they want and they were no help at all.
Cheyenne wants an orphan. :) It's sweet, but the way she said it made it sound like the altruistic version of a little girl asking for a pony. "I have space in my room and I'll take good care of her!" Instead, we are going to donate some money to a charity that gives Christmas gifts and meat (they only get it once a year) to an orphanage in Honduras and some more money to an orphanage run by a friend of ours in Vietnam. She also wants to buy materials to make a bed for her AG doll.
Bella wants a toy sleigh and a ride on a real sleigh. They have wooden sleighs at thrift stores all the time around Christmas for a few bucks and they have a free sleigh ride in town every year. She wants to help the orphans too, so that will be part of her gift.
James and Travis don't have nearly as much stuff as their sisters, so we are going to spend $100 on a train set/train table combo at Costco. That leaves, well, almost all of the money we have budgeted. I'm waffling between getting a secondhand piano and taking the kids to a waterpark hotel. I'm going to ask our friend who used to repair and tune pianos for any information she might have. I have a friend who was able to get one free from freecycle and just paid to have it moved and tuned. He said that pianos show up on freecycle often, so that might work for us too. Christmas will be under $500 for all of us.
My final frugal is that someone gave me a bunch of cloth diapers for Travis. He is showing a keen interest in the potty, but in the meantime, I think cloth might help him feel the need to go more easily. It will also save us some money on diapers, which is always good. Charlotte and T wear the same size diapers, so they might work for her too.
Stella - check out Wargo Nature Center for sleigh rides. I've heard that they are fabulous. Also, consider a digital piano. We bought one last year and it is perfect for us: it never requires tuning; we can use it with headphones which is great when someone is watching TV or sleeping; DH is fascinated by the possibilities of what can be done when it is hooked up to a computer (not that he's done it yet). Costco often carries them, and because of that I suspect there is a fair supply available used on Craigslist. :)
My frugal today: went to the last weekend of the farmers' market before the winter weather is forecast to hit. Got great deals on winter squash, cabbages (including my new favorite savoy), etc.
fidgiegirl
11-10-12, 7:16pm
Keys 4 Kids (http://keys44kids.com.s143987.gridserver.com/)is another piano resource. They are on Grand Ave by Treadle Yard Goods.
It is 68! I can't believe it! Rosemary, we didn't make it to the Farmers Market once this year! I can't believe that, either.
Fidgiegirl, maybe you could hit the farmers market tomorrow! Last day of the Sunday market, I believe - you might want to check the schedule. I'm cooking up the 3 huge bunches of kale that I got for $1 each right now...
fidgiegirl
11-10-12, 7:44pm
Ooh! We just might!
My crock pot black beans came out great yesterday so today I decided to make a black bean dip to eat with tortilla chips. I looked up a bunch of recipes online, but I am always really bad at actually following recipes and I wanted the dip to be as simply as possible because I hate buying a bunch of ingredients for one recipe and then never using stuff up. So I decided to just follow my instincts for the most part and threw a cup of the black beans, one tomato, half an avocado, some olive oil, and spices in the blender. I pureed the whole lot and it came out great! Well, it needed salt, but otherwise it was fantastic. So I ate half of it for dinner tonight and will eat the other half for lunch tomorrow. Such an easy recipe that uses stuff I usually have on hand -- total frugal win!
My other exciting frugal for the day was going to the garden center to buy the first bag of bird seed for the season and discovering that I only need to buy 2 more bags before I get one free -- woot!!! I haven't fed the birds the last two winters, but it's something I really enjoy doing so I got out all the bird feeders yesterday and bought seed today so that I could start getting everything set up. I am always tempted to buy brand new feeders because they are so shiny and pretty in the store and mine are all scratched up and have a bunch of obvious repairs (held together with duct tape and baling wire). But the birds don't care what the feeders look like -- they are just happy to be fed! And, really, replacing all my bird feeders would cost more than what it will cost me to feed the birds all winter (I have a lot of feeders!). I felt extra frugal today, though, because I have one feeder that is in really bad shape and I was almost ready to just toss it. But then I realized I could make some modifications and still use it, which is good because the thing cost me about $50 when I bought it. It is the type of feeder that looks like a little house that you can hang from a hook or a tree branch. We used to have a pole in the center of our yard where we hung plants in the summer and bird feeders in the winter, but the pole is no longer, so now we hang the feeders from two trees. But this particular feeder is missing one of the pexiglass panes so it no longer holds the food the way it supposed to. On the ends of the little house there are suet feeders and I realized that they were simply stapled on to the structure. I took a needle-nosed pliers and pulled the stapes out. Now I have two additional suet feeders! So I loaded them up and then rigged up ways to hang them from tree branches. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can rig up a little stand to put the feeder on so that I can turn it into a makeshift platform-type feeder. I think I'll fill it with black oil sunflower seeds, which will hopefully keep the squirrels happy and, therefore, away from the feeders with the more gourmet blend bird food.
Feeling pretty clever and pretty frugal today!
Blackdog Lin
11-10-12, 9:12pm
I envy y'all with your big-city farmer's markets. I wish we had access to them.
In the interests of frugality, having to completely revamp this next week's menus. DH picked the broccoli tonight in anticipation of our cold snap tomorrow - we got about 10 lbs. of the stuff, so were pretty happy with our first try at growing it.
And for some unfathomable reason, he doesn't want me to freeze any - he's insistent that we just cook and eat it all this week. sigh. ok. I'll replan our meals. (though we are giving a meal's worth the the woman who gave us the seeds - that'll get rid of a 4th or 5th of it.)
So tomorrow night broccoli w/cheese sauce, to go with the hamburgers I had planned. Monday, steamed broccoli dressed w/a butter-garlic-brown sugar-soy sauce thing I found on AllRecipes, to go with the shrimp-n-garlic-pasta thing I was planning on creating. And hopefully finishing it off Wednesday - maybe I could figure out a cream of broccoli soup? Cheesy broccoli soup? Any ideas?
Will be peeing green all week. :)
P.S.: cdttm, we must have been posting at the same time. Congrats! on your bird feeder fix. It's such frugal fun to figure out a fix that works without spending money!
flowerseverywhere
11-10-12, 10:59pm
trying to figure out what to do for my grandchildren for Christmas. They have older cousins so have lots of clothes given to them, plus their other grandmother loves to shop. They have tons of toys. I could get them a nice gift but it goes against my grain with all the unfortunate and suffering people in the US and the world.
DH and I decided on no gifts, and my sibs and I are going to chip in to get one of us DNA tested. We did some geneology and kept hitting dead ends so think we might be able to find the path of our ancestry. For about $40 apiece it will be some fun I think.
Stella--I want an orphan, too! :-) I know there are some places online that allow you to donate towards the cost of an adoption to help out the people who want to adopt them. Reece's Rainbow comes to mind. Just be careful if you go to the website. You'll want every kid listed! ;-) We see free pianos around here all the time...so if you go that route, you might *still* have money leftover! :-)
Blackdog Lin--that is a lot of broccoli! But you have come up with a lot of different ideas to eat it. Not like plain steamed broccoli for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! LOL I'd definitely make some soup. Yummy! Broccoli casserole (like with rice, cheese, and chicken) or broccoli slaw/salad are some other ideas.
DD is still a little under the weather, so there is really nothing new to report. We've just been staying home. DH had to work overtime yesterday, so the peanut and I stayed home. In the morning, I threw a pork loin in the crock pot and made a honey glaze to pour over it. DH, who is not a huge fan of pork, loved it. DD doesn't really like meat, but she scarfed the peas and potatoes I made to go with it. The plan is to BBQ the leftover meat and make homemade BBQ pork pizza (though DH liked the eat so much, I may not get to do that).
Our Sunday mornings are much less stressful than they used to be since our new church has a later service (10:30). So I think I will make us all a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. DD needs some protein after snubbing meat the past couple of days!
Tussiemussies
11-11-12, 9:49am
Hi Blackdog, Saw your broccoli post and thought I'd share a few ideas.
You can steam it, chop it and mix it in with macaroni and cheese
Make mashed potato pancakes and add some to the mix maybe with some chopped carrots too
To roast it you have to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over it and it is fantastic roasted, the lemon juice gives a little sugar so it will roast right
Broccoli in stir fry is always really good
Good luck eating it all, you really had a great harvest with that!!!
SteveinMN
11-11-12, 1:04pm
Weekend frugals: DSD moved into her new house today (yay her!:cool:). Moving typically is not a frugal process, but we were able to donate some household items she can use that we no longer can, so at least we could downsize a bit. Our utility bills will downsize a little, too, from her moving out. There's nothing wrong with that. (DSD is not a spendthrift -- once she knows what something costs. If it's Other People's Money, though, ... I suspect the first couple of electric bills after leaving on all the lights and the furnace will lead to some changed behavior.) To feed the movers (she's young enough yet to have friends who can lift and push and shove :) ), we made a beef-and-bean chili. Even at the cost of chuck, it was still less expensive than Plan B, which was takeout pizza.
Trolled craigslist over the past week and found some more water filters for our faucet, at half the store price. This batch likely will keep us going until mid-next year, giving me time to find some more cheap ones.
And I spent about two hours chasing down some new (and, in one case, "slammed") charges on our cell phone bill -- $15 a month's worth. Time well spent once you add it all up.
More frugalness today -- woot! Ate up the leftover black bean dip from last night for breakfast. Yes, and odd choice of breakfast foods, but who cares? :~)
Went out for a trail run in the gorgeous fall sunshine today. Kept me off the computer for a few hours and when I came home I ate tortilla chips and the leftover half of an avocado for lunch along with a handful of almonds. Then I promptly laid down on the couch and took a nap!
Figured out how I could fix up my broken bird feeder. I was planning to go to Home Depot to see if I could buy a piece of pexiglass that I might be able to cut to put in for the piece that broke. Then I realized that the whole purpose of it being pexiglass was so that you can see how full the feeder is. Since I'm no longer hanging it up I can just open the top and see how full the feeder is so I used a piece of lightweight cardboard instead. Sure, it will get wet when it rains or snows and will disintegrate, but I have lots of cardboard so I can replace it several times over the winter if I need to and it will always be free!!! I found a little step-stool in the garage and it was the perfect size to make a little stand for the bird feeder. I wanted to use a bungee cord to hold it in place, but couldn't find one the right size. So I just tied it all together with some twine. It looks totally ghetto, but the birds don't seem to mind! :D
rosarugosa
11-11-12, 8:26pm
I most definitely do not want an orphan for Christmas! :)
Bought a long-sleeved jersey online from LL Bean. Sale & reward coupon brought price from $20 to $7 and shipping is free. That was a good deal, but for the most part I've just not been spending money except on groceries and other necessities, and that is even better. Went for a 3 hour hike in the woods today and found a geocache. Free outdoor fun on a beautiful fall day.
Blackdog Lin
11-11-12, 9:13pm
Found a recipe (on Pinterest, where else?) today for beef-n-broccoli. (1) DH LOVES the Chinese restaurant beef-n-broccoli; (2) the recipe uses common ingredients in our pantry; (3) the recipe ingredients SOUND similar to the flavors at the Chinese restaurant; (4) everything needed I have on hand, and don't have to go to the grocery for (serendipity: have stir-fry beef, a carrot, and 4 green onions. The universe is smiling upon me - any other time I wouldn't have ALL these things at the same time); and (5) I would never have thought of this as a way for using up the broccoli if not for running across the recipe on Pinterest.
Gonna knock his socks off tomorrow, and am giddily very excited about this. Will have over brown rice. By golly, healthy even.
Simple Living: we can get excited over the smallest of frugal/healthy living ideas.
:)
Rosa: good on you for your 3-hour hike. I so want to get into exercise (in my retirement), but haven't been successful so far.....
rosarugosa
11-12-12, 6:11am
Lin: I hope your DH is properly wowed! Hiking in the woods is strangely addictive. We love it - the fact that it's good for us is incidental :)
flowerseverywhere
11-12-12, 3:58pm
rode my bike to the pool for a nice workout. Hung clothes on the line this morning. carpooling tonight to a meeting. And of course eating all meals at home.
Yesterday was not a frugal day. Had to take Charlie back to the vet, and the bill was $75. Ouch! I am glad, though, because a) he does not have a blockage (only a bladder infection, which, don't get me wrong, is still awful but not nearly as serious) b) we had the money and c) $75 is a lot less than we paid last time he had these problems (which required surgery and several days of hospitalization). The blockage is still a concern, though, so we will keep a close eye on him and hope for the best. We love the little guy like crazy and don't want him to suffer.
DD and I are sick again, so we'll be homebodies for the next few days. My laptop computer died, and I don't think I will be replacing it right away. I can get by using DH's computer for awhile. It isn't convenient, but we need to save our money for the new baby coming.
Otherwise, same old boring stuff. Cooking at home, leftovers at lunchtime, napping for frugal fun, etc. Might take a trip to the dollar store today.
ETA: Forgot to mention that DH moved warehouses for work, and the new warehouse is much closer (a three minute drive vs the old 15 minute drive). We'll save on gas and he could walk or bike to work in the summer.
Amaranth
11-13-12, 12:58pm
Kat, hope everyone heals quickly!
Stella, would second the digital pianos. If you do get a regular one on freecycle, it’s worth it to have the tuner look at it before moving. Several friends have discovered that some they got for free and paid to have moved could not be tuned without an expensive rebuild.
Like your daughter’s ideas of helping out orphans. For the orphanage that your friend runs see if they can be email penpals with a couple of the kids near their age at the orphanage. If they focus on different aspects of daily life in each letter, they could have an extremely positive impact on the children’s English vocabulary development as well.
Some of the people here involved with China or Chinese adoptions might be able to help more with this. One thing that some of the Chinese orphanages with school age children who are academically normal are trying to do is enroll them in better quality schools. As I understand how the Chinese school system works, children bond with their classmates and their families and this determines many of their adult connections and opportunities. If a child is in a school with middle class children, they will have many more opportunities due to the other children’s parents. If they are in a school with mostly other orphans and a few impoverished families, there is pretty much no way any of the children/families can help each other. From what I understand, tuition is fairly low—perhaps US100. But children also must buy school supplies, uniforms, other clothes, toiletries, school meals, food dishes, etc. So all together, someone estimated to me that the total minimum might be around US600 for the year—or a little more if you made it possible for children to go on class trips or stay over the holidays with a classmate’s family. (Please someone post if you have other info or more details.) So several families might want to go in to support one child at a better school. Here again writing to them by email or letter can be a good vocabulary builder. If you do letters, they would need money for return stationery/stamps.
Another project could be if you wanted to join the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Then you could have a girl over once a week for fun and mentoring. The children are usually from single parent households where the mom works full time for a low wage. It’s important to ask for a child who is a good match for your household. For yours I’d try for one who is academically normal or higher, not ADD, and is interested or potentially interested in things your household likes to do. If a child would like to spend a lot of time doing something in which you have no interest, it’s better if they wait for a family that’s a better match.
I’ve also known of families to get foster care licenses and have a child or sibling group from a local orphanage over on weekends and holidays. So that might be another possibility.
If you sponsor a child from ChildFund, the girls could have an ongoing correspondence with her. Try to get a girl about 5-7 so they could follow her all the way through school. If you choose a child from Mexico, Dominica, Guatemala, or Ecuador, it’s not too hard to find help learning to write/read the letters in Spanish and it the future you could potentially visit them. If you chose someone from India, usually everyone is learning English at school, but visiting would be significantly more difficult. Some of the children are orphans or only have one parent, but more often the family is in a situation where they would be in Headstart if they were in the US and the sponsorship makes it possible to have/attend a village school, medical care, eventual job training, etc. The cultural differences can be real eye openers. While the girl might be happy to receive a doll as a gift, the Best Present Ever might be a hammock to sleep in or a mosquito net. Although they have sponsorships in the US, they don’t seem to promote much interaction with individual students—probably due to privacy issues.
But you know I can see your daughters saying “Mom, an orphan followed us home. Can we keep her, Mom, pleeeeeease?” Wonderful that your children enjoy their situation and want to share it.
Thanks, Amaranth!
Well, we ended up having to take Charlie back to the vet. I got him some food while we there, so it was another $65. Ugh. Anyway, those of you who were around last year might remember that we went through this same thing a year ago--taking him to the vet a million times and then ultimately being told he was blocked. I expressed my concern to the vet that he was in the process of getting blocked, and he said there isn't really anything that can be done about that. He's already on the special food with clean litterboxes and a moving water fountain. He will either block or he won't block. We just have to wait and see. UGH! I just hate to see him go through this AGAIN! We almost lost him last time, and the poor little fellow is so miserable. Anyway, the vet told me if he blocks again, they will do the PU surgery to alter his plumbing so he won't block anymore. He said that costs $300-$400 on top of the week-long hospitalization and bladder surgery that would probably be required, too. So DH and I are trying to prepare financially for that possibility. I hope that this is only an infection, though, that will clear up with medication. Again, not because of the money, but because I'd hate to see him go through all that again.
So we've been cutting corners where we can. I went grocery shopping yesterday and came in $35 under budget even though Thanksgiving dinner was included. Felt pretty good about that. I have to make some goodies for a bake sale at my dad's nursing home today, so I am making a double batch of pumpkin muffins. Some will go to the sale and some will be frozen for Thanksgiving dinner.
I am going to call my bank this afternoon, too. They have a 10-year mortgage offer that would raise our monthly payment by $17 but allow us to pay off our loan four years early. I don't know if we qualify for it (since we would be a refinance), but I am going to find out. Four years is four years!
try2bfrugal
11-15-12, 11:27am
We have been good this month about making meals at home. We unplugged the big freezer and spare fridge to save on electricity and so far that is going well. I am finding it easier to manage the inventory of one fridge / freezer so we have had less food waste lately.
On Wednesdays I have been shopping at our new Sprouts store when they have the overlap day honoring sale prices from the current and prior weeks ads. I bought several grocery bags full of meat, produce and organic produce for under $40 by just buying the loss leaders. This morning I will soon have several crock pots going plus rice in the rice cooker with veggies steamed on top, so that should last us for self serve meals for at least a couple of days.
We have continued to work on lowering our energy bill. We are starting to get motion activated, battery LED lights for outside and inside so the lights go on when someone walks by and go off after there is no motion for 30 seconds. All of the batteries are rechargeable batteries that are supposed to be good for 1000 charges can be recharged with one of our solar chargers. I also have some solar reading lights I charge during the day on the drying racks outside with the clothes and then use at night for office work and reading. In the lamps and fixture lights we are replacing all of the remaining incandescent bulbs. It is pretty cool as outside the new outdoor bulbs use less than 20% of the electricity of the old bulbs and yet light up the yard much brighter. The electric company's online system estimates our previous electric bills were 50% higher than our next bill is expected to be based on our current energy usage, and that we haven't even had all of our energy saving tactics in place for the whole month.
SteveinMN
11-15-12, 11:49am
We unplugged the big freezer and spare fridge to save on electricity and so far that is going well. I am finding it easier to manage the inventory of one fridge / freezer so we have had less food waste lately.
There are times I think I would love to have a separate freezer -- and times when I come across items in the refrigerator freezer that I'm not sure about. I know I could mark things better. But I still don't think we'd get through food in the amount of time it should remain frozen. Better to stay with the regular freezer and not worry about rotation.
I made a nice score at the local grocery store yesterday. I needed a couple of items with which we didn't quite make it through the week and by shopping there I can leave the car in the garage. This store marks down their meat sharply a couple of days before the sell-by date. I picked up about 16 pounds of beef and pork steaks and roasts for no more than $3 a pound. :cool: I know this is not the grass-fed free-range meat we usually buy, and I still refuse to buy chicken this way, but it's just sitting there. They need to sell it and, at $3 a pound, I'll buy it.
I'm going to try something different with a lot of this meat, though. Usually when we serve meat it is free-standing (e.g., piece of meat, vegetable, maybe a starch) or an ingredient in a stew or hot dish ("casserole" to you non-Minnesotans ;)). This time I'm going to try cooking it and then portioning out for other meals (pulled-pork tacos, stir-fries, chuck for chili, etc.). It's hard to find some of these items in 8-ounce portions, but if I cook and repackage it myself, a bunch more quick recipes become viable. Best of all, it makes the menu not so meat-centered.
2 days at home, went nowhere, used no gas, spent nothing
Leftovers for dinner
Best of all, the weather has been cool enough to leave the a/c off but not so cold that we need to run the heating! Yea!!
I'm only $444.70 away from my goal of $19,000 in savings by the end of the year and it's not even Thanksgiving!
Tussiemussies
11-16-12, 12:32pm
I'm only $444.70 away from my goal of $19,000 in savings by the end of the year and it's not even Thanksgiving!
Fantastic! Glad for you!:)
Off topic but I was wondering if anyone has heard from Stella. She hasn't been around for a few days. I hope all is well with her.
fidgiegirl
11-16-12, 10:59pm
I'm only $444.70 away from my goal of $19,000 in savings by the end of the year and it's not even Thanksgiving!
Awesome job, SQ!
Kat, I was reading in Dr. Pitcairn's book, which we have been using to make food for the doggies, about some homeopathic remedies for urinary problems in cats. Might be worth a look. Of course he always start with "change their food" to homemade, and not sure where that fits with soon-to-be two teeny ones in your house, but FWIW, thought I'd offer it up.
I guess we are being pretty frugal here, but not glamorously so. Just the same ol' not going out to eat and all that jazz. This weekend is a beautiful free of EVERYTHING weekend and hoping to spend some time taming the house - laundry, decluttering, bulk meals, and of course, my book. :)
rosarugosa
11-17-12, 8:17am
Kat: Good luck with Charlie!
T2BF: Congratulations on your electrical consumption project; it sounds like you're getting some impressive results. I've been thinking that I would like to start trying out LEDs, but haven't taken any steps yet.
Steve: I vacillate on the freezer question myself. It sounds like a lot of folks on the forum put them to excellent use. I'm just not convinced that we have the discipline at this point to make one worth our while.
Yesterday and last Friday we had pizza at work, and at the end of the day there was a ton of leftovers. So I brought home the equivalent of an entire pizza last week, and this week I brought home some slices, a bunch of rolls, and a pile of butter pats. I was about to throw away the butter during cleanup, and realized that would be crazy since this is something I use every day. Since most of us travel to/from work on the subway, the key is having some way to package the stuff to make it transportable. I had a box of baggies and some grocery bags. Baggies & containers at work = ability to take advantage of free food when the opportunity arises! I also gave bags to my co-workers so that they could take stuff home. So this was a frugal win and saved a bag of rolls, butter, a large tossed salad and 3 pizzas from going to waste.
flowerseverywhere
11-17-12, 8:33am
Steve and Rosa, I used to have a freezer and it really saved us a lot of money but it was a lot of work to do so. I would routinely on a weekend spend a day cooking huge batches of lasagna, soups and stews and freezing family sized batches and smaller containers for my mother in law. I used to bake as well and freeze batches of cookies, cakes, pies etc. I diligently watched the sales and had a huge garden. I also had teenagers in the house who were always hungry. We never ate out or got fast food. When they were at the end of their university years and living in apartments I would still cook and bring them several weeks worth of frozen foods- it saved us a ton of money. Now with just two of us I don't think I would benefit nearly as much.
Rosa, your post about work made me remember when I was trying so hard to pay off the house- we had a nickle deposit on cans and people would throw them away in the trash. It made me crazy so instead they would bring them to me. I cashed some in then decided to go to the boss and set up some bins and ended up donating the money to charity. They still do it in that office today 15 years later! I always took home food after parties etc.
Had several no-spend days this week. Planning to make that a regular routine, minimum 3/week.
My freezer use is seasonal. I turn the freezer off every year in June and turn it back on at the end of September. Our freezer is in our garage and so it would run a lot in the summer if we left it on. This also allows for regular defrosting, which is needed, and cleaning out the freezer. So I stock it with items from the garden and farmers' market in the fall, and use it to store leftovers and cook-ahead meals in the holiday season. In the winter it's very convenient to have lots of food on hand for days of bad weather, when it might not be impossible to go to the store but is definitely unpleasant to go out unless necessary, such as when the temps are stuck below zero (Fahrenheit) for a few days. In March we begin seriously eating down the freezer, and so our food costs are well below budget for a month or two until I can fit all remaining items in our kitchen above-fridge freezer.
My goal is to start emptying our small 1/2 freezer the day after Christmas so it will be empty for spring cleaning and refilling. Have had one for over 20 years now and have found it very useful and even convenient when we couldn't get to the store. I'm certain that it saves us money.
Off topic but I was wondering if anyone has heard from Stella. She hasn't been around for a few days. I hope all is well with her.
I'm here! Thanks for checking on me. It's just been a busy week. I got a bee in my bonnet to rearrange the furniture in my family room and living room. I needed a change with the shift towards winter happening.
Thanks for the suggestions about the Christmas gifts. Great ideas everyone!.
I have swtiched this week to mostly cloth diapering. The diapers were free from a friend who's son was recently potty trained. That is saving us quite a sustantial amount of money. I had resisted because Zach, who does the laundry, rebelled a couple of years ago when I last tried it. He changed his mind, though, and we have been keeping up pretty well with the laundry. He's still not a fan of them, but he's not a fan of spending $50 a month on diapers either, and frugality has won out. I still use disposables at night and when we are going somewhere.
I also joined a once-a-month playgroup this past week. The kids loved it and I had a nice time talking with the other moms. That was some good FFF.
My Dad took me out to eat last night and we went to Costco. He bought food for the food shelf and I got some stuff I needed. He ended up insisting on paying for my groceries. That was a nice treat. He bought the turkey for Thanksgiving. We got a pretty good sized one, so I'll have leftovers for freezing. I did splurge later on in the evening, though, and go to a movie with some friends. I see maybe three movies a year in the theater, though, so I'm OK with that.
My rearranging of the furniture did a lot to help me feel better about my house. I used a lot of small-space principals and I have that room working overtime. :) I do have a few things I need to buy for that room, but it is currently comfortably functioning as a school room, a play room, a nursery and a storage space.
I am going to have Zach build me a table like this. (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQMNs5GVr90/UB8fCqWIJwI/AAAAAAAANKY/niAhWkmfnO0/s1600/table+after3.jpg) for the kids for studying in the family room. I am currently using the card table, but it takes up more space than I'd like. I do need to buy a bookshelf for school and toy storage and I have one picked out at IKEA that is $130. It's the same one I have in the living room that has held up pretty well for 8 years now and it can be bolted to the wall, which is important in a room used by toddlers.
I have the basketball hoop in that room and the foosball table, both of which were freebies, plus some balls and riding toys. Those are on the opposite end of the room from the side with the crib and reading nook for obvious reasons. :) The crib fits neatly into a space on one side of the never-used fireplace, so it doesn't take up any room at all. I think I am going to keep her in that room as long as she fits in a crib or toddler bed. That should get her past the stage where she is likely to eat legos or other small toys that her much-older sisters have stored in the girls' bedroom.
That's about it.
early morning
11-18-12, 12:58am
Good deal on the cloth diapers, Stella! Spending lots of money to throw away poop just never made much sense to me! Around here, frugality is hit and miss at the moment. Some things are the same - we try to keep the heat down and wear warmer clothes, eat at home, not waste food, etc. We have spent more eating out this month, for birthday celebrations, but we mostly stick to local places that aren't too expensive, and do lunch instead of dinner when possible. I just got a $50 gift card from one of our local, upscale for this area eateries. Four of us went there for lunch to celebrate DD's 30th BD. I put the charge on my VISA (points, you know!) and debited the check book as I always do. When it hadn't posted to our bill after 10 days, I called the restaurant to find out what had happened - there was a glitch in their cc machine, and 78 tickets had not posted on that day. Since I was the only one who called, they sent me a gift-card! I didn't expect that at all, esp not such a large $ card!! But I am grateful and we will use it! I also will be getting 2 $10 VISA cards- in three months- for putting my ATT bills on paperless. I pay on line anyway, and get email notices, so that's not a problem, and a little extra money is always nice. Put two loads of wash on the line this morning, and will put out the rest tomorrow. Had our holiday get-together with my cousins. We stopped buying gifts for each other years ago and take turns coming up with a holiday activity. Today we went to the "Best Hometown in Ohio" for 2012 (Greenville, home to Annie Oakley, and for us old timers, reporter Lowell Thomas) for the Holiday Horse Parade! The weather was nice and warm and we had a great time checking out some of the shops. I didn't buy anything that wasn't food (coffee is food, right??). Cheaper than buying knick-knacks and crap for our cousins and a heck of a lot more fun!
Hey all! Didn't know where to post this. Being a little envious of the off-site connections that some of you have made gave us the incentive to meet up in Central Massachusetts. Herbgeek, Cypress and I met up for coffee and pastries. I instantly felt a bond with each of them. They are very lovely people. If there are any more central Mass. SLers let us know. No specific date has been set for the next meeting but I think we'll be having one...just not regimented and regular.
We finally bought a good Miele vacuum cleaner to replace our awful Kenmore. DH bought it in Worcester at a vacuum cleaner store that also repairs. The frugal lesson for us is to pay extra for something if it will last longer and do a better job. Oh that German Engineering! It's chrome yellow which was the color of DH's Porsche 914 (used) when we were dating another outstanding piece of German engineering that unfortunately couldn't pick up pet hair on the upholstery:idea:
fidgiegirl
11-18-12, 12:26pm
Fun, Merski!! :)
Hey all! Didn't know where to post this. Being a little envious of the off-site connections that some of you have made gave us the incentive to meet up in Central Massachusetts. Herbgeek, Cypress and I met up for coffee and pastries. I instantly felt a bond with each of them. They are very lovely people. If there are any more central Mass. SLers let us know. No specific date has been set for the next meeting but I think we'll be having one...just not regimented and regular.
I'm in Western MA so depending on when and where, I would love to join you at the next get together!
I'm right on the edge of the 413 area code. We met up in Hardwick- how far is that for you cdttmm?
fidgiegirl
11-18-12, 11:09pm
O. M. G. you guys. I just reviewed our tracking data for the last six months and almost crapped myself to see how much we are spending on groceries.
June = 356.25
July = 492.77
August = 397.86
September = *crying* 847.55!!!! This included $300 at Costco. Holy buckets!!!!!!!!!
October = 453.76
OBVIOUSLY we haven't been doing tracking all the way - the 3 questions - or we would have noticed this hemorrhaging immediately. I asked DH to GUESS at how much we'd spent, and he guessed $250. But he wasn't even that shocked at these numbers. Ack! I am freaking out!!!
When I calculate it out into hourly wage, though . . . that's like 15 hours a month, or 7 each. And then I'm fine with it. But I think that's a hole in the RHW use - I'm finding I'm ok with levels of expenditure when applying the RHW math, but truly not ok with them overall. And if our goal is FI, well, the more money in the bank, the merrier. All the little dollar signs should be having a little party in the BANK, not in our bellies.
Must work on this. Perhaps when I'm over the shock I'll be in a better spot to make some decisions to stem the bleeding. Meal planning? Less stocking up? Argh!
try2bfrugal
11-19-12, 12:10am
O. M. G. you guys. I just reviewed our tracking data for the last six months and almost crapped myself to see how much we are spending on groceries.
June = 356.25
July = 492.77
August = 397.86
September = *crying* 847.55!!!! This included $300 at Costco. Holy buckets!!!!!!!!!
October = 453.76
OBVIOUSLY we haven't been doing tracking all the way - the 3 questions - or we would have noticed this hemorrhaging immediately. I asked DH to GUESS at how much we'd spent, and he guessed $250. But he wasn't even that shocked at these numbers. Ack! I am freaking out!!!
When I calculate it out into hourly wage, though . . . that's like 15 hours a month, or 7 each. And then I'm fine with it. But I think that's a hole in the RHW use - I'm finding I'm ok with levels of expenditure when applying the RHW math, but truly not ok with them overall. And if our goal is FI, well, the more money in the bank, the merrier. All the little dollar signs should be having a little party in the BANK, not in our bellies.
Must work on this. Perhaps when I'm over the shock I'll be in a better spot to make some decisions to stem the bleeding. Meal planning? Less stocking up? Argh!
We noticed the same thing about Costco. At the end of the month going there never really seemed to help the grocery budget. Maybe we bought too much stuff we didn't need? We went there this month and kept it to $75 and that included movie tickets. Actually for two adults I don't think your grocery expenses are that bad. (Well, maybe the $847 month one was if that really was just groceries.)
fidgiegirl
11-19-12, 1:05am
Thanks, try2bfrugal. That helps me feel a bit better :)
I am thinking about some projects. I have the day off tomorrow for a Saturday I worked a few weekends ago and going to spend the day sewing. Some mending is in order, plus I think I need a new set of pads. Mine are starting to fall apart.
I was looking at some vinyl online because we are composting and recycling more, but this means more garbage cans around the house, and frankly, I can barely keep them all straight. So I found some images online and am going to cut some silhouettes from vinyl of a leaf for compostables (mainly kleenex or tissue paper, not wet stuff, that we put in the back yard bin or freeze until we can dump it at the drop site), a recycle symbol for recyclables, and a trash can for trash. I need to pick up a few more cans but I think I'll just get the cheapest ones at Target. It's interesting how we need different sized cans in different rooms. Well, ok, long story short, I was pricing vinyl online for this project, and then remembered that my fave little arty, junky reuse store (http://www.artstart.org/artscraps-reuse-store/) has sheets of sticky backed mylar in several colors, including black. Good enough! Will make a trip, maybe even tomorrow! No shipping, bigger pieces, instant gratification. :)
The dollars do add up quickly at Costco. I just buy the same old stuff there, though, and think we do save overall, because it keeps me out of the other grocery stores longer and it's stuff that we eat daily - mostly produce. When a produce item comes in too large a package there I usually buy it at Aldi in the off-farmers market season (e.g. broccoli - we can't eat those 3# bags of prepped broccoli before they start to get black spots on the stems, but Aldi sells 1# of broccoli crowns for about $1.29 every day).
Kelli, Do you know what triggered the month of big costs - was it guests, entertaining, stocking up, items that weren't groceries getting logged as groceries? If I recall correctly you were feeding a lot of people for a while because they were helping you on your house.
I'm right on the edge of the 413 area code. We met up in Hardwick- how far is that for you cdttmm?
Hardwick's only about 30 minutes from me! Yay -- so excited to find other SLN members who are so close!!!
fidgiegirl
11-19-12, 2:11pm
Well, I analyzed it all a bit more closely. It fluctuated, I think, because we were on vacation. In the Big Whopper month, we had a fish fry for the family, so there were some costs there. We haven't gone to Costco that often, so that's good. After my initial freak-out, I can see that we went in May, September and November. So that's good.
We have lots of positives in the food department: we rarely waste, and we eat well. DH isn't very invested in reducing the food bill, because he really values good food. And so do I. HOWEVER. I don't think I value it to the tune of $500 a month!
November and December are shot for working on food bills. We're hosting Thanksgiving with my side, and will host a day of Christmas, too. We want this. I'm reluctant to let people bring too much of the food because of my gluten issues - much prefer to prepare it myself so I know it is safe. But perhaps I'll take them up on their offer to bring food, maybe a dessert and I can make a second one, since we'll need two anyway, and then I won't care if theirs has gluten or not. Or drinks are pretty much safe, as are veggies/fruit.
I was thinking maybe a "meatless Monday" approach to reducing our bill. We eat meat daily, and really wouldn't need to in some of our staple dishes, like taco bowls and pizzas. We could easily sub beans or veg.
rosarugosa
11-19-12, 8:51pm
Kelli: Just out of curiosity, do you lump in paper goods, toiletries, etc. with groceries? How about pet food? I can't bring myself to bother tracking these separately.
Blackdog Lin
11-19-12, 9:24pm
fidgiegirl's post about her grocery expenses got me thinking, so went and looked it up on my Quicken. In 2012 we've averaged $323.00/mo. for groceries only. And we do do 3-4 Sam's Club runs a year, which this figure includes. Does that seem average, or high, or low? There are just the two of us.
I keep separate categories for paper goods, pet expenses (including food), cleaning supplies, household necessities and the like. Since we only buy that kind of stuff at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club, not the local grocery store, it fairly easy for me to separate out the different expenditures when entering on Quicken.
Also got to thinking about the pet expenses. The adorable one has so far cost us in 2012 $588.62, which includes food, meds, vet visits, everything connected to her. Not bad, and thank goodness we can afford it - she is worth many times that amount in what she gives back to us. :) I just wondered what keeping a beloved pet cost these days.
SteveinMN
11-19-12, 9:54pm
Okay, I looked at our grocery expenses, too. For us, it's groceries, cleaning products, vitamins/supplements for two people, and some entertaining. No pets; no dining out (that is a separate category and running an average of $30 a month), no alcohol. Our average monthly cost is about $410 a month. That's higher than I thought it would be but not as bad as I feared. I remember a thread not long ago in which someone linked the USDA's (?) average budgets for people and I thought then we were hitting the lower end of that scale. So maybe we're doing OK. I know we're not eating poorly, we're not eating out, and, at the moment, I have a full freezer (lots of cooking options). 's okay.
Rosemary
11-19-12, 10:07pm
For 2 adults & 1 preteen child we average $300-350/month on groceries. Probably closer to the high end this year with the increase in grocery costs. I know that I could reduce it if needed, but we eat high-quality, high-nutrition food and this spending is in agreement with our priorities.
awakenedsoul
11-19-12, 10:23pm
fidgiegirl,
Sometimes my Costco bill shoots up, too. It's usually when I'm replenishing my stockpile. Overall, my average is 50% lower on groceries. It took a while, though. Those large packages last a long time. I also analyzed my food spending, and my highest expense was fresh fruit. Now that my orchard is producing well, I'm able to supply my own fruit from August through January. My goal is to do that year round. I need to add a few more trees that will produce earlier, like cherries, nectarines, etc...
I spent a lot this month because I finally had the cheap Home Depot shower kit removed and replaced with porcelain tile. Phew! It was a big expense, but it will last forever. No more grout that looks like dirty toothpaste. The guys that did the work were so exact and detailed. I'm so happy with this purchase. My budget for it was $3,000. It ended up costing $3,300, but I had $500. extra set aside, just in case things went wrong. I also value eating well. It's such a pleasure, and I also love cooking and baking. My winter vegetable garden has been eaten by some visitor, but my fruit trees are making up for the loss. I may try planting more seeds and see if I can still coax some winter veggies...
I had a nice no-spend ten days, but that is because I was too ill to leave the house. However, it gave me time to go over my expenses and some changes I made a month ago. The combined electric and gas heating bill arrived yesterday and it was only $80, when the tenant in the upstairs flat told me that it would be over $200 and that it would increase to more than $300 during the coldest months. I have an excellent chance of avoiding bills that large. I put some foam tape around the doorway and will be looking for some plastic sheeting to tape over the huge and leaky windows here.
Extra fleece clothing, hat and a blanket are making the 56 degree settings work and I can hardly express how empowered I am feeling about making this successful.
My advantage health care plan went belly-up, but that is most likely because it was a great plan with a low monthly cost. I found a new one and whilst it covers much less and costs $60 more each month, it will do very nicely.
The smarter-than-me cell phone is gone. I needed it whilst time I was homeless during the divorce mess, and I now have a pay as you go phone. 120 minutes for $20. Nice.
fidgiegirl
11-19-12, 10:54pm
Well, all, compared to your numbers I feel ok. We do include our paper products, which is only TP and the very occasional paper towel or napkin pack purchase. (Mainly we use cloth for those needs, but some things are just too gross or sometimes we have a party and not enough cloth napkins around). Pet food is separate and has shot up since we started making it, though I did make a batch today with beans and pork hearts and oats for a lot less money than what I had been making, and they'll still love it.
I was thinking that some of our expense could also be because of my gluten free needs. Though I don't think we get too many substitute foods, they are expensive when we do. Also, we have Whole Foods within walking distance, and often pick up fill-in needs there, but then that ends up being the fill-in need + a few chocolate bars or some other treat . . . and treats ain't cheap at Whole Foods.
pony mom
11-19-12, 11:52pm
Today I bought my Christmas cards----6 for $1. I only need that many to send out to my yearly recipients; my overstock of older ones can go to new people who haven't received them before. I don't know why I worry about sending the same card to someone two years in a row but I do. Now I don't have to store any extras. Used to send out a lot more, but stressed out every year about it and am much happier just sending out a handful.
Bought grapeseed oil for less than $3 to use as a natural moisturizer. So far I'm liking it. Will use up my Avalon Organics Lavender stuff (love it but looking for a cheap multitasker) after applying the oil. Recycled two glass dropper bottles for storing it.
Well, this is always an unfrugal time of year for us, and I have decided to accept that. Not that I am going to go hog-wild, but I am determined not to let it stress me out. It is what it is.
This past weekend, DH and I took DD to a city around 45 minutes away. The idea was to get out of the house. We had a nice drive and a cheap lunch. We also took DD to Toys R Us, which was really fun. Monday I made cube steak and gravy in the crock pot, and we've been eating leftovers. Yesterday DD and I did a little Thanksgiving shopping, and because she was so, so good in the store, I rewarded her with some Hello Kitty bubble bath (the head comes off and doubles as a bath toy, which she loved). Then we came home and made a Thanksgiving turkey from her little hand and footprints. So cute, and we had everything we needed. I let her play in the paint for awhile (washable and nontoxic, obviously) before supper. The result was a very happy but very dirty baby!
We are in the process of refinancing our house. It won't cost us a dime, and we'll save four years off our loan in addition to thousands in interest.
I have some time off work coming and plan to use it to do frugal things--mostly cleaning and organizing. One thing I really need to do is organize our photos. That will take a lot of time but not a lot of money.
Good morning..I have been here reading but not posting, mostly the usual frugals
---inventoried and defosted the big freezer (should have done it earlier in the year when it wasn't so full, will need to remember that next time) sorted it all into different items on each shelf.
--one I wrote on another post a week back was that I had written a nice email to Sunbeam about how over a year ago the handle on my 3 year old crock pot had broke off into the food, I was only asking if they could get me a replacement handle. Low and behold I got a very qucik response that they would be willing be send me a simliar pot out (not identical because they don't seem to carry that one anymore). It arrived yesterday and it is new and beautiful and 100% FREE.....Great service and I do not need to replace it now. I had a small older one I use for somethings but, I really had liked this bigger oval one for large batches and roasts.
Thats all for now.
try2bfrugal
11-21-12, 12:09pm
We just got the latest energy bill and we are down almost $100 a month from a year ago between gas and electricity. Our energy use is starting to get below average for our house size and number of family members, instead of higher than average. Next month should be even better because some of the changes we made were not in place for all of the last billing cycle and we have many other simple changes still in the queue we plan to implement for this month.
I used to think we would have to downsize or get solar panels on the roof to get our energy bills this low, so this has been a nice surprise what we have been able to do with just some better energy habits and some relatively inexpensive energy saving stuff from places like Home Depot and Amazon. It is kind of cool when we walk around the house now in many areas inside and out where there are motion sensor LED lights that turn on when we enter an area and turn off on their own 30 seconds after we leave. They all run on rechargeable batteries that can get recharged with either an electric or solar charger. It is sunny here most of the year so we should be able to use the solar charger most of the time which means the LED lights will use zero electricity to run most of the year.
Our last big week of the year is over at work. I'm exhausted and way behind on everything else in life but financially we're in a little better spot than expected and for that, I'm thankful.
I am spending my day doing laundry, submitting a ton of points for coke rewards thanks to my parents, and several codes at foodservice rewards.com.
I recieved a $25 American Express gift card the other day-sweepstakes!
I sold the Ipod shuffle to a customer for $30. She's giving it to her daughter for Christmas.
I've recieved several free coffee samples in the mail as well as shampoo and conditioner.
My parents brought me a gallon bag of shelled pecans and several sweet potatoes. They're in town for 2 weeks. I'm going to make a sweet potato casserole with a pecan praline topping for dinner tomorrow.
Dh bought and installed a new sump pump himself saving us at least $100 if not more.
We had my parents over for dinner last night. I bought 2 large pizzas for $17.28 using the bogo card from school. Not a bad price for dinner for 5. By doing this I saved a trip into a larger town to dine out with them saving gas money.
I went 4 days without even leaving the property last week. That never happens.
Tonight we're going to rent some movies. Tomorrow we'll probably go out for breakfast but will cook dinner for ourselve at thome and spend most of the time relaxing. We haven't had a day off together as a family since Christmas of last year!
SteveinMN
11-21-12, 5:01pm
Today's frugals:
- For Christmas (shhh! don't tell) my mom is giving my brother a TV for his bedroom so he can watch TV (his primary activity :() in bed if his chronic illness is really whomping him that day. Rather than camp out for Black Friday, though, or just spend the money at the big-box store, I found a little-used one-year-old HDTV on craigslist for maybe half the price of a new one. It will fill the bill perfectly and leaves some $$ for a wall mount -- which I also will find on cl.
- I took our vacuum to the shop. It's 9-10 years old and, as a vacuum-store vacuum, has outlasted any number of "plastic fantastics" I bought before that (that's frugal in itself). A telescoping wand had died from overuse. The tech at the shop suggested bringing in the vacuum to see if he had a part on hand which would replace the broken one (rather than order one from Simplicity). He did, and the price was way lower than what I would have had to pay for a new part. The new part is light gray, not charcoal like the rest of the hose, but it's not like I show off the vacuum cleaner. And, at this point, that vacuum probably is good to go another 10 years.
- I did splash out a bit and bought a plastic packet of small-engine mix at the hardware store. I have Sta-Bil and two-cycle oil for our snowblower, but I absolutely hate having to do the conversions for a whole gallon of gasoline from the huge quantities listed on those containers and then trying to measure out 1-1/3 tablespoons or such. The snowblower is the only small-engined tool we have, so we don't buy much gas for it. Now the mixing is done, it didn't make a mess, and I started up the snowblower just to make sure it works before I really need it (that's not frugal, either). If we go through more than a gallon of gas in the snowblower, I can always mix the stuff in the garage. Or buy another packet.
fidgiegirl
11-21-12, 8:07pm
I used to think we would have to downsize or get solar panels on the roof to get our energy bills this low, so this has been a nice surprise what we have been able to do with just some better energy habits and some relatively inexpensive energy saving stuff from places like Home Depot and Amazon. It is kind of cool when we walk around the house now in many areas inside and out where there are motion sensor LED lights that turn on when we enter an area and turn off on their own 30 seconds after we leave. They all run on rechargeable batteries that can get recharged with either an electric or solar charger. It is sunny here most of the year so we should be able to use the solar charger most of the time which means the LED lights will use zero electricity to run most of the year.
I'd be interested in learning more about these. Do you have an Amazon link? I'm having trouble imagining them, but they sound really cool.
bke and Steve, rockin' it!
Here, DH got me a nice little frugal surprise for $5 on CL.
Before:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8206412377_8f07efbb98.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/8206412377/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/8206412377/) by fidgiegirl (http://www.flickr.com/people/7733846@N05/), on Flickr
After:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8207502428_e53f06a069.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/8207502428/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/8207502428/) by fidgiegirl (http://www.flickr.com/people/7733846@N05/), on Flickr
We have been wanting a candle holder for the fireplace but didn't want to buy new, and candles are expensive. So this was his little treat for me today. He has a good eye for lines but didn't like the original color so did a quick spray paint job. What a sweetie.
Our monthly grocery costs for 2012 so far average $373/month for one middle aged woman (read calorie needs about 1500-1800/day) an 18 year old woman/girl, a 16 year old cross country/track athlete and a 14 year old grew 11" in past year boy. I do my primary shop at Aldi, for things like produce, bread, cereal, butter, chicken breasts, spagetti sauce and stuff like that. I use a local, independent grocery for organic coffee, beef, eggs, soy "cheese," whole grains, lentils, organic spices. I use Shop N Save for stuff I can't find at the other stores like lemon jello, tapioca, kale, just one potato--if that is all I need.
Pet costs for 2012 so far: $20/month. This includes commercial cat food and cat litter for two cats. They have not been to the vet for a couple years. They are inside cats and healthy so far. Every time I take them to the vet for vaccines, the vet wants to draw blood....."just to see."
I know that the research for humans is that if you draw "routine labs" (CBC, Chem profile, urine analysis, liver enzymes) for 100 healthy people that about 7-8% of the labs will come back "abnormal." Many of these folks are not sick, but if "routine" medical management occurs, will develope side effects from the treatment. So, until my cats get sick, they can stay home.
And yes, I do take the teens into the MD for yearly check-ups, but that is because they are mandated for children who participate in extracuricular activities. Yes, if you are on the Scholastic Bowl team, you must have a sports physical. (SIGH.)
try2bfrugal
11-21-12, 10:28pm
I'd be interested in learning more about these. Do you have an Amazon link? I'm having trouble imagining them, but they sound really cool.
At Amazon do a search for Mr. Beams products. They have quite an assortment of all different types of motion activated lights and I think they are all highly rated. Amazon carries some other motion sensor brands but we have not tried any of those so far. For the regular lamps and fixtures we are switching over to all energy saving light bulbs. It is too bad that more of these kinds of products are not sold in the big box stores.
Suggestion to the Moderators: If this forum had an Amazon affiliate link, forum members here could buy the products through the link and the forum could make a percent of the sales on socially responsible products like these. Amazon even has a store option that can be set up with sustainable living products like LED lights, clothes drying racks and of course the YMOYL book.
Tussiemussies
11-21-12, 10:58pm
Great idea try2b
fidgiegirl
11-21-12, 11:35pm
Very cool, thanks for sharing about the lights, try2bfrugal.
Fawn, would love to get down to your grocery levels!
rosarugosa
11-22-12, 6:31am
t2bf: I favor the idea of an affiliate link, and there are also quite a few books that would be appropriate. But then again, there's the thread about the warehouse workers . . . modern life is complicated!
My aunt is visiting for Thanksgiving and wanted to take us out to dinner last night. When she let on that she was choosing the from the restaurants I shower her online based on the dessert menu, I said, we have time to make dessert, so what is your favorite? She chose carrot cake, and in about 15 minutes we had the layers in the oven. I did not want either the calorie or quantity load of restaurant dessert, especially the night before Thanksgiving... plus, I know that she really watches her budget in general and dessert in restaurants is so costly. The cake cooled while we were out and by the time we got home and I had frosted it, everyone was able to eat again.
More no-spend days than usual this week. DD's been off school so we've taken walks outside, done some crafts, and met up with friends.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Great TV score, SteveinMN! Rosemary, love that you made carrot cake for your aunt. That was really sweet.
I didn't feel like cooking last night, and neither did DH, but we managed to make some mac n cheese from a box and served it along with some fruit. Not the greatest meal ever, I suppose, but DD liked it.
Today we are cooking dinner, and my DH's parents are coming over. This is the first year we won't be spending the holiday with my family, so I am a little sad. BUT I really do have the best in-laws on planet. They are like parents to me also, and I am really, really, REALLY thankful for them!
This morning I was naughty and did a little online shopping. An outrageously cute kids' clothing store (with outrageous prices to match) was having an extra 30% off early bird specials plus I had a 20% off coupon plus I earned store "cash" to use in January (during the after Christmas sales). Oh, and I got free shipping, too! I went ahead and ordered some jammies for DD. I just got done sifting through her next two sizes of clothes yesterday (the ones our friend's daughter has outgrown), so I know that jammies are something we will need for her (jammies always seem to be something she needs...the hand-me-down jammies we get (though we appreciate the generosity) are usually in horrible shape...they must not hold up well from washing or something). So...yeah, I spent some money, but they are adorable, very good quality (i.e. the ones she has outgrown from this brand still look new), and cheaper than even Wally World jammies. They fit DD well, and if we have a nother girl down the line, she can wear them, too! So...not really sorry! ;-) I will use the store cash to further fill in her wardrobe gaps or maybe buy her something special along with some bigger sized clothes. OR I can buy something for the new baby (if we know the gender) by then. These types of deals are really the only way I enjoy shopping!
try2bfrugal
11-22-12, 1:23pm
t2bf: I favor the idea of an affiliate link, and there are also quite a few books that would be appropriate. But then again, there's the thread about the warehouse workers . . . modern life is complicated!
There is the warehouse issue, but my kids and their friends have had jobs at local stores and many of them aren't treated any better. I think the main the issue right now is the over supply of labor and the under supply of jobs. There is no financial incentive for employers to treat people better when there are workers lined up to take any job no matter how hard or low paying it is. Not buying from Amazon isn't going to solve that problem. We have many friends with white collar jobs who are overworked and haven't had a raise in years, and their jobs are probably even more unhealthy because they are sitting at a computer all day hardly moving at all (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html?_r=0). And those are the ones who still have jobs.
Many of the items we have bought simply are not available at local stores. We have looked. Many of the bulbs, batteries and chargers and other items we wanted are just too specialized. So I think ordering from Amazon and using 10+ kw less of electricity a day for the next 30 years is overall the most socially responsible choice for us.
It would be great if the forum could get money from our purchases and encourage others to make similar purchases. I don't think most people have the time to research products like these on their own but an affiliate store front could highlight a select group of some high quality sustainable living products.
Not sure if it's exactly frugal, but I've been doing some stocking up. Work reimbursed me for my brokers license exam and application fees (came to about $450!). I took about $100 of that and bought toilet paper, some toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant), household items (laundry detergent, etc.), and some canned goods. At the very least, I won't have to haul this stuff over the winter when the pavement is icy.
We had a good Black Friday frugal thanks to a tip from Kelli. Zach and the girls woke up at 4:00AM and went down to the Minnesota History Center for their Black Friday opening of their Then and Now exhibit. They gave free Historical Society memberships to the first 50 families and we got one! They also got a free winter hat. They had a good time, although they did get pretty tired by the time they headed home. The membership is worth $70 and gets you into a ton of different places across the state. I've already been looking up fun holiday events we might want to go to. There's a Christmas at the Farm event at a historical farm that might be fun and it's free to members. My kids are history nuts, so this will go a long way.
I have my final Christmas plan in place and it's going to be pretty reasonable. Dad is getting each kid one bigger gift and mom is filling in with the smaller stuff/stocking stuffers/materials for making things. Zach and I are going to take them to the water park and climbing place at the community center I used to work at ($32.50) and the MN Transportation Museum's Santa Train ($51 for everyone). The train ride includes free cocoa, cider and popcorn, a tour of the museum and a tour of the shop where they restore old trains. They are going to love both of those gifts. All totalled, for five children I am spending $85. That is pretty good, and all without stepping foot in a store on Black Friday. :) I may use the money I had budgeted, but won't be spending on renewing our Science Museum membership.
fidgiegirl
11-23-12, 2:03pm
Stella, I am tickled that it worked out for you! We were way too lazy to get out of bed! :)
Sat Nov 24
---spent a few $16.00 at a local Church but, got 6 unscented "PartyLite Candles, a lovely real pottery little bowl with a really nice pattern in purple and green, my favourite
colours, tea and goodies to eat here, and raffle tickets....supported the church, had a nice outing with Dd, and got a call that I had won a Big Basket of Chocolate goodies.
--I also, did a little on line shopping at Reitman's...free shipping and $30.00 off $150.00 ending up with 3 pair of my fave jeans (reg. $50.00 in store), 3pair of shorts, and 3 pair of capris and 3T-shirts. Some things for me and some for gifts.
--Went to Mark's Work Warehouse to get their buy $100.00 in gift cards and get a $20.00 free. They were also, having an extra 20% off everything this evening (like after 5:00 p.m.) but it was just too busy to be there. But, I figuered out what people were doing, going earlier and being ready to cash out by 5:00 p.m. so I will know for future reference.
--large pot of soup from broth, leftover BBQ pork, pasta, lentils and chick peas...............lots of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
flowerseverywhere
11-25-12, 10:09am
Anything I am giving this holiday season is from materials I have on hand. I have made a quilt, and am working on doll clothes and a quilt for the doll to match the little girl's quilt I made her. DH is on the bandwagon and is making a few things in the workshop for our two grandchildren. They have so much we don't want to add to the plastic toy extravaganza.
The last few weeks I have been riding my bike on Saturday mornings to a farmers market- those purchases become the basis of my meals for the week. $20 or so for two saddlebags full of fruit and vegetables are not only good for us but good for our pocketbook and we are supporting local farmers. Adding some rice and beans and homemade breads cheaply makes a lot of good meals.
We hosted Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure if that was frugal or not! It meant that we didn't have to drive anywhere, but it did mean that we provided more of the food. Of course, we also got the benefit of the leftovers. :D I'm just glad we hosted because it meant that we felt compelled to deep clean our house, which we did ourselves as opposed to paying someone else to do it, which I was on the verge of doing! It also helped me to get a few things organized so that I can make a list of little household things that we should probably buy and now I can watch for good deals to do so.
We're not big on gift exchanges so, fortunately, we'll skip the holiday shopping madness that many other people will get sucked into. Instead, we'll be spending a weekend in NYC going to the Central Park zoo, walking through FAO Schwartz and down 5th Avenue enjoying the general festive feel of the season. The choir from my alma mater will be singing a Christmas Vespers program at St. Bart's church and I splurged and bought premium seats for us to attend. It's something I've always wanted to do so I don't feel bad about spending money to do it.
Aside from that, I still need to buy a plane ticket to visit my family over Christmas, but I'll try to use my frequent flier miles to get a freebie.
Not much else in the way of frugals. Just the same stuff we always do. Keeping the heat low in the house, cooking at home and trying to eat up leftovers when we have them, combining trips when possible, and all the other standard stuff. Yep, nothing too exciting over here!
Stella, I am tickled that it worked out for you! We were way too lazy to get out of bed! :)
Thanks for the tip! The kids had a great time and we've already used the membership once.
We finally used up all of the Thanksgiving turkey. I made soup with the last of it. We didn't even do anything creative with most of it. I baked a bunch of bread and we had sandwiches.
Kind of a weird frugal, I had half a head of lettuce, not nearly enough for us for salad, but James has been requesting "Dinosaur Lettuce" for breakfast every morning so I've been feeding it to him a few leaves at a time. Weirdo. :) It's better than throwing it away, though.
Zach and I, as I have mentioned before, really like our date nights, but lately we've been staying in and reading together, cutting back our date nights by about half. I'm really enjoying it. We downloaded an e-book on our iPad, the first in a series I've been wanting to read, for $5. I was surprised Zach wanted to read them with me (it's not his usual genre) but he's been having fun with it too.
This weekend Zach and I tackled a bunch of unfinished stuff in our room. I don't know if you remember, but we built our room just before Travis was born (like, literally finished it that week) and there were some details that have just not risen to the top of the to-do list since then. This weekend Zach used some scrap wood we had and framed out the window and the window case. It looks really nice and the materials were free. I sewed a curtain that actually fit the space from a pretty sheet I had bought at a thrift store for $1.99 and had enough material leftover to make a skirt to go around some storage shelves I have that are very useful, but not at all pretty. They look much nicer now.
The old curtain, which didn't fit the window at all, will now be used on the washer and dryer closet. I had previously had a pretty shower curtain on that closet, but then my actual shower curtain ripped, so I borrowed that and never replaced it. I also found a curtain I had bought to use as fabric for $1 at a thrift store and I am going to use it in the family room on the closet Zach's Dad built me. I'm not ready to put closet doors in that room until small people are old enough not to pinch fingers. That has happened too often recently as it is.
I have been on a cleaning, organizing and decorating kick (haha, what's new? :) ) and I decided to do some shopping at home. I set a pretty pedestal bowl I had on a placemat on the table and put a bunch of pinecones in it around a pillar candle I had. It looks cute and festive, although I'll probably go out and pick some of those red berry things that grow on trees to dress it up a bit more. On my sideboard I put a pretty crystal candle holder on a plate and surrounded it with some plastic Christmas balls I had. I put that on another placemat. It looks cute enough and it was free.
OMG..................Look back at my post of being nice and spending money at the Church Tea...
I won a Great Big Basket of Boxed Chocolates worth est. $120.00/$150.00
Will use most of it for gifts and company...oh yes I will eat a little...lol.......none of it is on the diet I am
trying to follow. Have given it to Dd to keep in her place so I can't get at it....lol
cdttmm ---isn't it sometimes a blessing to be the hosts and feel forced to do the deep cleaning...
cdttmm ---isn't it sometimes a blessing to be the hosts and feel forced to do the deep cleaning...
Absolutely! It's why I was insistent that we host this year even though neither of us truly wanted to! I knew that hosting would force us to deep clean the house and it would be worth all the stress and craziness!!! :~) And it's so funny because now we both comment at least once a day, "I love how clean our house is. Let's keep it this way FOREVER!" LOL -- we'll see how long it actually lasts!
Not much for frugals happening around here other than trying to eat up the leftovers from Thanksgiving. My partner is off to NYC today for work so I am toasting him the last of the bagels that were bought for the crowd for breakfast over the holiday weekend and sending him on his way with a cream cheese covered bagel for breakfast. I'm off to Texas tomorrow so I'm going to try to eat up some leftovers and freeze the remainder before I head out. My beloved will take the dogs with him and my friend will come to check on the cats while we're both away so no need to pay for kenneling or a pet sitter. Always a lovely savings! :D
Turns out my extended family is going to celebrate on December 23rd instead of the 25th this year. That will actually mean I can probably buy a less expensive plane ticket as I can fly different dates than I had originally anticipated. Woot! This has been the year of travel and I will be happy when it is over.
Not too much going on around here. I managed to keep the weekly shopping to less than $35 which was nice.
We did a private dinner for 20 people last night. It wasn't a big money maker but every little bit helps.
I spent some time organizing and labeling my stash. We get several 5 gallon buckets a year for work from purchasing pickles and mayo. These are great for long-term storage.
Today is ds turns 13! I promised him I would buy him pizza for dinner and I spent the morning baking him a cake. I have several very inexpensive cake mixes and frostings in the stash so it was nice not to have to remember to buy one or check for ingredients to make one from scratch.
Hmm...haven't posted in awhile! Enjoying everyone else's success, though! :-)
Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous. We ate on the leftovers for a few days.
Bought a few needed maternity items the day after Thanksgiving (online) on sale and and additional 30% off (free shipping to boot!).
Planned on going to two grocery stores this week, but the first I visited had already price-matched nearly everything from the second, so I just did it all in one shot. Came in $30 under budget and made a meal plan based on what was cheap.
Speaking of, I made a fabulous beef stew yesterday along with some homemade bread. The bread turned out really nice. I followed the bread tips you all gave me, letting the bread rise a little longer in a warm oven, and it came out much, much better. So thanks, everyone, for the baking help!
The course I was scheduled to teach was cancelled. That, coupled with my university's winter break, means I will not be paid again until late January/early February. This was unexpected,, and so a little scary, but November was a three-paycheck month for DH, and we have a little money set aside, so we'll be okay. Just need to buckle down. Most of our Christmas shopping is done, and we have a little put away for the rest. There are plenty of free and low-cost things to do to celebrate the holiday season, and this unexpected break from work will give me more time with family. I am thankful for that!
The home refinance went through, too, and the interest is less than 3%. Though we will pay an extra $17 a month, we will pay off our home four years sooner and save thousands in interest. I'm really happy about that and proud of the progress we have made in terms of paying the balance down. Can't wait to own my home in ten years! (hopefully sooner!)
Try2bfrugal, eating more food raw also helps. However some nutrients can be gotten more easily from cooked food such as lycopenes. You also might enjoy a good quality solar oven.
Anyone for Fidgiegirl: Does anyone have suggestions for homegrown herbal throat/cold remedies?
Grinders: We have been given some spice jar gifts with built in grinders. Is there a way to get the grinders off and reuse the jar and the grinder?
Older freezers and refrigerators: Some of these use a lot of energy. It’s worth costing this out to see if there are savings overall.
Stella: “I can get the grocery bill between $300-$350 a month for our family of 8 even with a fair amount of organic food.”
Wow, that’s 1.25 to 1.46 per person per day for food. You could run circles around the 1.50 a day for food challenge.
Fidgiegirl, do you have a Trader Joes near you? Their GF Pasta is a lot more frugal than WF.
Anyone, Do you have some favorite warm winter drinks? Especially looking for nonalcohol ones, but others might enjoy them, so any ideas would be appreciated.
I have just discovered mint tea. It is quite delicious.
Went to Costco today and bought 3 items. Frozen blueberries, soymilk and Tostitos artisan chips black bean and garlic. 3 items, $21. Ok, lemme get this straight. Costco is supposed to be a good deal?
Went to Marshall's and spent $70. on some running clothing as all I currently have is rags and it's cold out there! @ Mart-mart I spent $10 on a case for my new iPod and also bought a bunch of groceries.
I was out all day, spending and spending. I really resented it. So I think I did spend less than I normally would have bc I don't do it that often and it really seems foreign to me.
bunnys, I am guessing that you now have enough frozen blueberries, soy milk, and chips for at least a month. Yes, many things at Costco are a good deal, better than supermarket sale prices and higher quality. Not everything.
Frugals - mostly just not spending. Also trading a friend some sewing time for German lessons for DD.
awakenedsoul
11-30-12, 6:10pm
I don't need to buy much at Costco for next month. I still have plenty of food in my stockpile and from the garden. Looks like all I'll be getting is soy milk, dog food, and coffee. I'll pick up raw milk at Sprouts and raw cheese at the Farmers Market. I still have persimmons and guavas from the orchard. The oranges and lemons are ripe, too. Luckily, those can stay on the tree. Homegrown zucchini is in the freezer, and I still have 7 Cinderealla pumpkins I harvested sitting on the porch. Now I've got to check my eggs and be sure they are still fresh. Looks like I'll need to freeze those for winter baking. I made Mexican rice and had that with the leftover Thanksgiving chicken and some raw cheese. Delicious!
catherine
11-30-12, 6:13pm
Yes, many things at Costco are a good deal, better than supermarket sale prices and higher quality. Not everything.
I've never been to Costco. But the now-defunct Johnson&Johnson Band-Aid factory, about a mile from my house, is in the process of becoming a Costco. If that weren't bad enough, right across the street a BJ's will be opening up.
Should I be alarmed or thrilled? I tried the bulk shopping thing back in the 80s and I think I spend MORE money, not less.
Yes, Costco is much cheaper but I've read articles that say people consume more when they buy in bulk. I bought a 16oz bottle of vanilla extract from Costco like 8 months ago. It is 1/2 gone! I would never have used 8 1 oz bottles of vanilla extract in that much time. I swear, I think the vanilla extract fairies are coming out @ night and partying in my spice cabinet. Or else, it's evaporating...
I am absolutely certain that many families with many people in them can get benefit from Costco memberships. I just don't think it's for single-woman, single household resident me. Also, I try not to buy a bunch of stuff anyway. I actually only went in the Costco for the blueberries and soymilk. One impulse buy in there today raised my expected bill by 50%
And Catherine, if I'm any indicator, I'm spending more money rather than less.
fidgiegirl
11-30-12, 7:41pm
We do have a Trader Joe's, but don't go often. I have enjoyed their pastas in the past. Thanks for the tip!
We're going to make taco bowls tonight. All we need is a bag of tortilla chips.
fidgiegirl
12-1-12, 12:20am
Went and picked up a railing for our attic tonight off CL - $25 for an oak railing with spindles. Will keep someone from falling off the ledge in the attic, anyway, even though we're not going to finish the attic.
Yes, Costco is much cheaper but I've read articles that say people consume more when they buy in bulk. ...
I heard something on the radio that is similar. If people buy large sizes or bulk snacky-type food, planning to stockpile it, practically all of it is consumed in six days. Can that be true?
Jilly--that's the number I heard. Six days. Within six days they're so sick of those Tostitos Artisan Black Bean and Garlic chips that they just stuff them in a cupboard and then forget about them until they go stale. Then they throw them out and go get more @ Costco. I've been working on a bag of sweet potato fries for more than 6 months. I'll eat them. I'm too cheap to throw them out.
But I know when I buy a lot of anything @ Costco, I consume more. And I've got the vanilla extract breath to prove it!
rosarugosa
12-1-12, 8:51am
It probably depends on what you buy. I can see increased rate of consumption with something like snack foods. This could perhaps be managed better by taking the large package and breaking it down into smaller bags/containers at home. The frozen berries we buy there are way cheaper than we could get them anywhere else. I wouldn't mind if we ate more of them because they are so good for us. In fact, we've been buying twice as many because I'm encouraging DH to add them into his diet, and he is. I think we really save money on the berries, kitty litter and coffee beans.
Amaranth - warm winter drinks. Besides the obvious (coffee, tea, chai, cocoa), I sometimes simply add hot water to about 1/3 mug of fruit juice, or add a spoon of buckwheat honey to a warm mug of water. My favorite hot tea is a rooibos chai with a little unsweetened almond milk. Spiced apple cider is also good - I prefer it diluted with water. My family always made Gluehwein on New Year's Eve, and I've been contemplating making a nonalcoholic version with some grape juice diluted with water. I think the recipe would be pretty similar, without adding the sugar that always went into the wine.
Gluehwein
4 each orange and lemon slices
1 quart burgundy wine
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick broken into 3 pieces
sugar to taste (try about 1/2 c)
Combine in saucepan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until flavors are well blended. Serve as is or mixed with sparkling water.
Rosa--oh absolutely. Those snack foods and boxes of 48 count Snickers and all the frozen processed foods are the culprit.
Plenty, plenty of good deals on stuff that is prohibitively expensive in the grocery store. Best example in my opinion is the bakers yeast. I bought a 2lb bag for like 7 bucks @ Costco. I keep it in the freezer and it will last me for years--and it costs nothing compared with buying those little packets @ the grocery store.
For me, though. I don't think there are enough good deals to warrant a continued membership. I will let this expire next summer and then have a friend who will let me come in with her.
rosarugosa
12-1-12, 12:04pm
Bunnys: That's a good idea about the yeast. Back when we were using a bread machine, it never seemed to be saving us money, and I think that was due to the cost of the yeast packets. If I can get DH to embrace bread making on a regular basis, we should try the bulk yeast purchase. In fact, I had no idea you could freeze the stuff; so that's a really useful bit of info.
We do share our membership with DSIL, so if you can go with a friend, then that's a perfect solution, as long as you can resist the Snickers!
Those warehouse club memberships can be used by someone outside of the family that purchased it? I never knew that. Maybe I could continue to try to find a friend who has one of those memberships, one who would be willing to let me tag along on one of her shopping trips. I sure would love to save on cat litter and a few canned goods.
fidgiegirl
12-1-12, 3:46pm
Well, DH has stopped me from running out to buy a compressor and nailer today. We'll get one at some point (I think our tool borrowing capital is just about spent with family), but will wait for a deal . . .
rosarugosa
12-1-12, 4:00pm
Jilly: In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not sure exactly what the rules are, but DH & DSIL have the same last name, and you can get two member cards on a membership, and I would never go by myself, so we got the second card in her name instead of mine.
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