Feb. 2012--29 days let make this a really frugal month......

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Originally Posted by Stella

I freaking love my neighborhood. My next door neighbor had a party today to celebrate the birth of another neighbor's baby and the retirement of a different neighbor. The girls and I went there for lunch. Yet another neighbor had made four lovely homemade soups, posole, mushroom barley, white chili and a cold carrot ginger with artisan breads and a veggie plate. It was an excellent free lunch.

We snuggled the new baby and Cheyenne, who is really into anything and everything Japanese struck up a friendship with the retiring neighbor and his wife. He is from Japan. She is from France and is apparently an expert in Japanese (and French) cooking. The Japanese neighbor was teaching her a little Japanese. We have been seriously considering getting Cheyenne Rosetta Stone Japanese for her birthday so this friendship could be an excellent thing for her, as she would have people to have practice conversations with. I may also talk to the wife and see if we could get some Japanese recipes to try.

OT, but I seriously have the coolest neighbors on the planet. Everyone has some kind of interesting, awesome job or hobby. The retired guy was a perfumer for Aveda. Another is a specialist in antiquities. Two of them teach budgeting to high schoolers, college age kids and people who are about to be released from prison and one of them is a spiritual director. The conversations are truly never dull.

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I've learned a bit of Japanese from Pimsleur CDs from the library. It's a very orderly, simple language in it's structure.

Sold a book on Amazon. I don't have many listed, so I'm pleased with that! I went looking for some moisturizer for my face and was appalled at the prices! I have pretty normal skin but am developing dry patches between my eyes and hairline. DD did some research for me and asked some people on her makeup board. Got some recommendations for a big bottle of Curel for $5.50 - label says it's good as a face lotion. So far, so good! No sunscreen in it though, so that's separate. Still much cheaper than the facial lotions I was looking at.

Feb 06
Thank you for asking EarlyMorning I am okay...just taking it a day at a time
--groceries today and only spent $25.00...canned tomatoes .99 so stocked up and this included some bone in chicken breast for a Birthday dinner for Dsil
--line drying a load of clothes right now.
--Dd and I have been out a couple of times in the last week but just for a quick bite or treat and both times with 2 for 1 coupons
--still only buying specials that will be needed and using up pantry items
--had a pillowcase for a body pillow I was not using and made it into 2 pillow cases

reader99 thanks for the tip! I'll have to check that out.

Early morning, I can understand being more of a homebody in your situation. I'm actually kind of the opposite. I'm an extrovert who's home most of the time, so I need the extra social interaction during the evenings and weekends.

I was looking online at tools for teaching fractions and instead of buying some kind of math manipulative I hosted a playdough fraction party for the kids. We made pizzas and cakes and then I kept changing the guest list and food requirements on them. We'd have eight people, but Grandpa and I wouldn't be having cake, so we'd cut the pizza into eighths and the cake into sixths. Then Daddy would call and he and Travis would be late so we had to set aside 1/4 of the cake for them for later. Then we'd realize that we forgot to invite the next door neighbors and we'd squish it all back together and cut it into tenths. Stuff like that. It was a big hit and they got the concepts very quickly.

We are working on a project for a Valentine's Day treat for their friends that I posted about in the Valentine's Day thread. We're going to make paper hearts and an LED Love Bug ornament from cardboard and some spare LEDs and decorate their friend's door when they aren't home. The mom will be in on it, but the kids won't know who did it. We'll leave a treat and a note telling them they've been hit with the Love Bug and inviting them to pass it on. I got the idea from an old friend of mine who's neighborhood at the University has a similar tradition.

Kudos, all! Stickin' with it!

Here we are doing ok considering we are ramping up for our move. We sold our surplus flooring for $150 just now. Awesome! That ad sat on CL for a month, and then within 1 hour we got 2 inquiries and one panned out.

Making lots of meals from what we have on hand, though ironically, that has meant buying more food - like I wanted to make split pea soup out of some that we had in the cupboard, but had to go buy the ham, carrots, and soup base! LOL! Oh well . . . yummy soup . . .

Other good things in the works, but I'll wait until they come out to post. I don't want to tempt fate.

We had our church women's group potluck brunch today. It was a lot of FFF and the speaker was very inspiring.

Zach and the girls spent the afternoon rebuilding an old computer we had to use as a computer for the girls to use for e-mailing grandparents and basic word processing. The learning experience of rebuilding the computer was great and this will save some wear and tear on my laptop.

Feb 09
--Had an appt downtown so took the bus $3.60 but, no gas or parking...big savings
--shopped for birthday present for Dsis and got it on sale at a really nice story and they wrap up real fancy and ship for free...spent less
then if I had bought something cheaper and paid postage.
--used up yogourt that was due dated and frozen peaches to make 2 days worth of smoothies
--don't remember if I mentioned this one but over a week ago I finished a large container of shampoo with pump and the new large bottle I had
had no pump so I emptied it into the old one....been using the emptied one with water added since to wash hair
--cut bottom off face wash and have been using it for a week
--filled out a survery a couple of weeks ago and received a large envelope of coupons will use a few of them
--got 2 free samples of tissues in the mail
--eating leftovers for lunch that had been frozen in single serving after last weeks suppers.

DB took my Mom-check duty for tonight, saving me a couple hours and about 15 miles. Cut open a bottle of lotion and transferred the remainder into another bottle that would no longer pump. I really like this lotion from the dollar store, it's nice and thick. BUT, when it gets low, it's very hard to make the pump work!

Feb 10
--lunch out and used 2 and dine @Harverys for $9.99 Dd, myself and grandson all ate...my very favourite hamburgers anywhere even if they are considered fastfood.
--stopped at Chapters and read a bit and had a free sample coffee at Starbucks and was given a sample that is enough to make a pot free
--making almond bark using a very large chocolate bar--very good chocolate bought on 50% off after Christmas---going to wrap in little bags for ladies club meeting tomorrow.
--supper was leftovers from yesterday.

Darn it! I had a post almost ready to go, hit the wrong button and good by post!

It has been crazy busy around here. The windows in the basement have been replaced. Had the city DPW here to replace the water meter.
Brought Ian home last weekend & took him back.
Tyler had solo ensemble.
He had his audition for the Alma music program & was accepted. Yay! Got another $1000 scholarship. Double Yay!
There was a family birthday party in there. And a baby shower tomorrow.
Finally got through my colonoscopy. All clear.
Last night we were at the basketball game. At half time the boys XC team was being honored.
Tonight I was supposed to be with Tyler at a gig but we got part way to the show & got a call from the drummer. He'd been in an accident. Fortunately he was alright. His car was totaled though. So I am enjoying being home & relaxing. And I saved the $5 admission fee. However, I may have a house full of boys later.
Had orientation for my part time job. Worked/trained 2 mornings. I really think I'm going to like what I am doing. I've been working 6 -10 am. I really like working when the store is quiet. But I'm not so crazy about the getting up at 4:30 to get there by 6. I get a 10% discount. And I got a Target Red card which gives another 5% off. So to keep this post thread relevant.... I bought dogfood on sale & with my discounts and got it for $5 off. I also got Thomas the Tank Engine & Star Wars t-shirts ( so cute) for my nieces shower.
So the trick here will be not spending my entire paycheck & saving it for upcoming expenses.
I am not a super couponer so I was thrilled that I got $18.35 off my groceries at Meijer yesterday using coupons. Including Toms of Maine mouthwash for $.42.
Took water to work & a tangerine for a snack. Hope to continue doing so.
Partially dried a comforter and have it hanging to finish drying.
Got 2 10 lb bags of chicken thighs & legs at $.49 lb. Divided them into smaller portions. Got 2 packs of sirloin & a pack of stew meat on clearance. All of those are in the freezer. I'm so happy to have discovered that early Saturday mornings are the time to go pick up the discounted meat at the local grocer.