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Oh my gosh, bke!!!!!!!! That is AMAZING!!! Congratulations. All your hours of sweeping online have paid off.
Here not much to report, well, wait! I did get a new bike with lots of goodies on sale. Since I sold one of my vintage bikes a few months ago, I'm considering that money to have gone toward it, so I got a good deal in the end since it was already marked down $200. I rode it tonight and enjoyed very much!
cdttmm, I was reminded that YOU had inspired me to try something, too! Grooming a dog! Haven't done it yet, but requested a book from the library, watched some vids online, and going to see if my mom will let me try on one of her doggies. We'll see! My parents are getting kind of slim on money so if I could do a passable job, I'm sure they'd like to save the $$ on grooming. They won't care if they look perfect, just so they stay relatively clean and the hair is out of their eyes. Any resources you know of would be appreciated! (I hope I'm remembering correctly that it is you who knows how to do this . . . :) )
bke - wow, wow, wow!
We're hosting a farmers' market dinner this weekend that we offered at our annual church auction. It coincides with the end of the harvest from our garden and so the timing is perfect. I'm going to the farmers' market today but about half of the food will be even more local than that!
LOL Rosa, I think Bella still wants to dress up as a monster for Christmas, but Cheyenne might not join her. Bella loves her costumes!
Thanks everyone! This is such a funny win. Ds is 11 yrs. old and a straight A student but the thought of going to college is as torturous as having to hold his mother's hand in public. He'd almost rather die! For me, it means that I can retire asap without the guilt of not helping with college. Its always in the back of my mind that I won't quit working if ds needs financial help with school.
I guess my frugal for today is that fact that I took the sweepstakes papers to the bank and had them notorized for free.
Sounds like you got some good stuff from your friend Stella! Things like Lincoln logs and Legos make the best toys!
Azure-I don't know what to say except that I feel for you and your family. Stay strong. I agree that accepting the money was as much a gift to your inlaws as it was to you.
At the beginning of the summer my dad payed for a car repair to give Zach and me a chance to build up our EF after his lengthy unemployment. I have been paying him back a little here and a little there and had paid back about $250 of the $900. Last night he told me not to worry about the rest. I tried to insist and he told me that he's probably got another 20 years left in him and there's plenty of opportunity for give and take. I was planning to give him more this weekend, but now that will go to savings.
Super-fabulous!!! So happy for you I am. Enjoy!Quote:
Originally posted by Bke.
I have spent the morning on the phone with my accountant and an investment specialist because I have won $26,000 from Unilever and Family Dollar stores!
So I've been doing some heavy-duty thinking and philosophizing about frugal/simple living. I'm a ponderer, and
here's what I've been pondering:
I really like the Mr Money Mustache Blog (despite, or partially because of, the oh so silly name?)
I've been thinking about what he posted about how being a producer is so much better than being a consumer. It can make you smarter (Don't know how to do it? Learn). It can make you stronger (Many productive activities are good exercise). It's good for the psyche (Ah, the pride of accomplishment!) And it's good for the bank account (Last but not least, and an obvious benefit).
I've also been thinking about something Stella said a while ago. I'll paraphrase very loosely, and Stella, feel free to jump in if I get it wrong. It was words to the effect that much unnecessary/recreational shopping is born from frustrated creativity, i.e. we want to make or create something, but it's too much work, we don't have a glue gun, etc. etc. so we just go buy something, for the little thrill of accomplishment. Except we usually haven't accomplished much :(
So my takeaway/conclusion from this ruminating is that I'm going to make a list of creative projects that I've been wanting to do for awhile, and try to tackle them during the winter. "The Creativity Project of Winter 2011/2012."
I feel like I've curbed my consumerism by a large margin over the past three years, but I'm still not quite where I want to be. I don't expect or even want to be a total minimalist, but I'm not quite where I want to be yet, and I think I'll know it when I get there!
Went to a yard sale today and found a 1956 Betty Crocker cookbook that was AWESOME (50¢). It tells how to make all kinds of things from scratch. Talks about being able to keep egg whites in a jar in the fridge for x days and how to use the egg yolks to make ice cream in the refrigerator. Interesting to note how to cook a squirrel, quail or rabbit, filet a fish etc.... Also found a book on herbs that gives directions on herb combinations for different ailments. More ideas on how to be more frugal!
@frugal-one, those are fun books to find.
@Stella, you have a nice dad :)
@rosa, I also love MMM! That post really spoke to me, too, or at least one that I'm about to link to did, if we're talking about two different things :) (Here it is, if you missed it. He's less than dainty, BTW.) It makes me think about things like fixing the car or, as I mentioned above, grooming a dog! That said, haha, DH's car just had problems and he wanted to check out the sparkplugs before taking it in but I insisted he just bring it to the shop. It's a lot easier to do the kinds of stuff MMM is talking about when not slave to the work-clock. :|(
The creativity project sounds fun, too!
Frugal-one: If my new feeder doesn't work, I might be looking for some squirrel recipes!
Seriously, DH has a Betty Crocker that is definitely his go-to book. So it must be a great book, because he makes some really great food.
Rosa, I think that sums up my feelings about creativity. I really have found that to be true in my life. It's when I feel the most stymied creatively that I spend the most.
Kelli, yes I have a super nice Dad! He's fabulous really.
Frugal-one that is a fabulous score!
I still have to work up a menu for this week but I really don't need much. I have a full pantry, two full freezers and enough fruits and vegetables to feed a family of chimpanzees for a week, so other than milk and a few thises and thats I should be fine. This is how I like to start the fall. I still have to process apples and get some squash, but overall I feel good.
Cheyenne is making everyone omelets for breakfast this morning. She is so proud of herself! I don't know that this is strictly frugal, but in my head it's related. If my kids inherit my love of cooking, and at least the older three seem as though they have, I have plans for the future. I'm picturing old fashioned group cooking days where we can make and can sauce, pickles and salsa, freeze pie crusts, biscuits, soups, stews, lasagnas and bread dough and other stuff like that. I can see different kids having different specialty dishes. Cheyenne has a particular fondness for Asian food. Also, with that many people capable of cooking I'd imagine we'd never end up eating out because of tiredness.
Another sort-of related thing, the girls decided on their own to declutter some of their unused toys. They put together a whole bin for donation without me having anything to do with it. I was quite pleased. They are moving from being interested in having a ton of toys of their own to liking the sets of toys, like the Lincoln logs and legos, that everyone shares.
Speaking of legos, today is my friend's son's birthday party. They've requested legos or gift cards to the lego store. I was going to go and buy a giftcard, but I decided I'll just give him cash instead. It's not worth the gas to drive all the way out to the Mall of America just to get a giftcard. The lego store takes cash too.
you guys, i have been indulging in way too much retail therapy these last few weeks. mostly online shopping -- makeup, shoes, jewelry. i have to stop using this as the way i deal with stress ... cause the stress isn't going anywhere and i need to save up some money again!
ugh, it was a rough night. my grandma fell down, and she seems pretty out of it in general the last week or so. she has no appetite, forgets to eat, etc. i've been going over there twice a day for an hour or so to check on her, but if i'm not sitting there reminding her to take a bite every few minutes, she doesn't eat. and then she gets so weak and dizzy when she stands up to go to the bathroom. vicious cycle and i'm not sure what to do about it. however, i'm sure that spending all the money i make is not the right response. i need to find another way to deal...
Rosarugosa ... So funny! Actually when I was a kid we ate squirrels and rabbits. They were very good. The only other thing I remember my mother saying you needed a lot of squirrels for a meal since they are so small. The other book that I got recently is Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything". I now have an old version and new version on how to cook from scratch. These should both really come in handy I think. Today I plan on cleaning out the freezers and food cupboards. I sure wish I had as full a pantry as Stella!
Went to a few yard sales today and found myself Clarks sandals. Checked online and they are on sale now at 20% off for $85. I paid $1. Also bought my almost DIL a pair of Keen sandals that retail for $95. I paid $2. Both pairs of sandals looked never worn. Shocking to me! Am I correct if you buy shoes and they are not a good fit you can take them back? Also found Saran wrap. Can't understand why anyone would get rid of that. The woman said she never bakes so... ??
Madgeylou... I wonder if that is the case with my MIL. She has lost all kinds of weight too. We live far away and there is no other family to check on her. Sigh.
Stella,
Cheyanne might enjoy these Asian oriented food blogs I follow -- Eating Asia is really amazing as it gives real insight into the culture that underlies the food:
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/
Scroll down to the entry on Beyond Pho in Hanoi -- that one had my mouth watering. and their posts on food in Chengdu, Sichuan are great - make me miss my old stomping grounds!) Basically if you are interested in Asian food you can spend hours here....)
www.appetiteforchina.com
Diana Kuan's recipes are really great and usually quite simple. YOu might want to try the tea eggs with the kids -- very easy to make and a nice savory variation on hard boiled eggs. Great for fall/winter.
Those are two of my favorites. Enjoy!
Actually, food blogs have become a huge frugal pleasure for me. I still have somethign of a cookbook addiction, but it is so nice to be able to look something up on the fly and experiment.
WE've been doing pretty well on the frugality front. Managed to get in and out of Ikea yesterday while only spending about $15 on house stuff, all of which was on our list. And I didn't buy a few things that were -- decided not to splurge on new covers for the dining room chairs after all, since spending nearly $150 for six covers seemed a bit excessive. The covers we have are beige ultrasuede, which is a pain because it shows the dirt, but it is highly washable. the alternatives we were considering would have been different fabrics and probably would look worn after a couple of washings.
I did spend a lot on food, but all stuff that we eat regularly that is cheaper at Ikea than other alternatives -- coffee, organic pasta sauce, smoked salmon and dark chocolate.
Probably will eat all meals in this weekend. Though grocery costs have gone way up, we still spend less when we eat in than when we go out.
lhamo
Today was a no drive/ no spend day. Dinner varied for everyone but it involved using up things that would go to waste. The guys ate chicken with leftover mashed potatoes and a salad of fresh tomatoes, onions and peppers. I ate 2 veggie sandwiches on whole wheat bread and drank a glass of soy milk. My frugal was about using up food before it spoiled since I'm the only one eating these things and the guys ate leftovers from work.
I recieved my free postage stamps from quadreaders yesterday.
I'm on line now to do sweeps ( yes, I'm still interested in more wins!!) and swagpoints. The guys are hanging out doing their own thing so no one minds me being on the computer this evening. I make sure that my computer time doesn't interfere with family time.
madgey, sorry about your Grandma :( (((madgey & Grandma)))
thanks, fidgiegirl. she seems a bit better today after us basically haranguing her to eat all day yesterday -- she has more pep at least! we located an agency around here that works with frail elderly folks to help them stay home and are going to reach out for some support from them tomorrow ... hoping we can make sure she gets all the care she needs through this. whether she gets better or if it's her time to depart this life, i just want it to be as simple and painless and easy for her as possible. i think we can get some more support to make that happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by fidgiegirl
in frugal news, we planned out our meals today and i did all of our grocery shopping AND i resisted going to sephora. baby steps. :)
Thanks for the links Lhamo! Cheyenne is going to love those!
Madgey I am praying for your grandma and for you and your family. What a tough time!
We had a good weekend. We miscommunicated Friday night about a birthday party we had planned on going to. I thought he was saying he was too tired to go and he thought I was saying I was too tired to go. It turned out we had both wanted to go, but maybe it was for the best as it was at a bar and could have been expensive.
Saturday we cleaned, decluttered and organized most of the day. Sunday we decided to follow through a bit on Cheyenne's request to learn more about Asia. We had lunch at a Chinese restaruant owned by a friend of mine. The prices for their buffet are quite good. All of us ate for $20. Then we went to the Japanese Garden at Como Park, which is free. We went to the evening mass. It was a nice day.
Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I printed some fun hidden picture pirate stuff for the girls and I am making eggs and toast and cutting the toast into pirate ship shapes with my pirate ship cookie cutter. There's a new sculpture in the water at the park that is a miniature pirate ship and the kids were all excited about that, so I am going to have them write a story in their story journals about The Pirates of the Lake. I am going to write one too. That sculpture really captured their imaginations last week, so I think they'll like that assignment. Bella was convinced that the ship had been made by fish and Cheyenne decided there were mermaids in the lake to go with the pirate ship. They decided some rocks in the lake were a Native American village made by fish and mermaids and the pirates were raiding it. I think we have a lot to work with here.
I love the way your children think, Stella! The imaginative connections are priceless!
The install on our new furnace was completed Friday morning. Yeah! It runs so much more quietly than the old one. And the heat did seem more even which will be nice during those cold winter days. However, they still need to come back and do the vent cleaning. AND Saturday morning we realized that the pipe that they moved the water heater from (it had to be moved & properly vented) is dripping like crazy. So I'm waiting for them to come fix that.
Also on Friday I drove down to pick up Ian in AA. Used up some salsa for dinner by making Mexican chicken. And then I worked at the concession stand for the football game which gives us another $15 off the cost of Tyler's Disney trip. The band is performing at Disney on spring break.
Saturday had an early morning XC meet. I took one box of the fruit snacks and made some no bake cookies as my contribution to the team. We had sandwiches & brought some water from home for lunch. It was a beautiful day!
Took the boys to Kohls to get them their winter coats. The coats were on sale & I had a 30% off coupon. Ended up getting Ian a cute faux leather jacket with a sweatshirt hoodie. And Ian got 1 new shirt and Tyler got 2. Tyler couldn't find a coat he liked. So we spent $97 and saved $183. Plus I got $20 in Kohls cash to use later this week.
DH was taking a nap so Ian started the grill & grilled some hot dogs for dinner. It was his first time grilling. After dark he made a fire in the fire pit and grilled marshmallows and sat around talking for quite a while.
Sunday we had a picnic lunch in the back yard. Pulled pork sandwhiches - yummy! So we had some nice FFF moments. Forgot another FFF - Ian wanted funnel cakes so he made us each one.
Visited DMIL. Had white pizza for dinner. So good besides being easy & inexpensive! Then took Ian back to school.
So today I am waiting for the furnace man. Doing dishes & laundry. Think I'll use up some leftover rice in crockpot caramelized rice pudding. I know DH likes that. Not sure what's for dinner yet, though.
On the down side DH's father is getting out of control. They had to call in a social worker for an emergency visit. And they may be taking him to the hospital for a psych eval & to get his meds changed up. I may be going to sit with MIL for a while today.
Went to the NYC Honey Festival this weekend. Bought $20 in raffle tickets (it was for a good cause!) and won $75 in gift certificates! Brought home 3 loaves of fresh bread from the bakery that we didn't end up using at the honey festival. It was supposed to be for the honey tasting contest, but we ended up using dipping sticks instead, so we got to keep the bread! Used a loaf to make up what we affectionately call "ghetto" pizzas (slices of bread covered in pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and put under the broiler for a few minutes). The pizza sauce was homemade from the last of the tomatoes from our garden plus some peppers. I added in some garlic and some rosemary that I found in the refrigerator. Overall, a tasty and relatively cheap meal.
Spending today catching up on some housework and relaxing. Had a meeting this morning about an etiquette dinner that I am giving for the local university. They are paying me a sizable amount to teach students proper dining etiquette for formal situations. Should be a lot of fun!!!
Need to figure out what to do with the grocery bag of apples that I have. Likely they will be made into applesauce or fruit leather. Just haven't decided which one, but should probably get that project done today as the rest of the week is going to be busy!
Thanks Siouxz! I like their imaginations too. I think a good imagination is one of the best frugal resources one can have.
Dh's birthday - dd and I took a free introduction to leathercrafting workshop and made a bookmark and money clip. I found him several excellent books at a library book sale (.50 each) and made him a card with my new skills in Calligraphy.
Made a feast of roast vegetables (sweet potatoes, various other potatoes, carrots cooked in honey and apple cider vinegar) and tofu burgers. Very tasty and affordable!
We saw friends the other night and bought through them a 50 pound bag of yukon gold potatoes and about 35 pounds of winter squash for just $24. They have a friend who goes out to the agricultural area in the state and buys directly from the farmers. We were telling them that the wild grapes were ripe and we picked some for jam making. Our friend brought us out to her back yard and she had tons of wild grapes and told us to take as much as we want! This couple now has a kid in college and are now feeling a financial pinch that they never had before. I was proud when they told us how much they admire us for our frugality and willingness to grow and preserve our own food. We will bring a loaf of DH's fabulous artisanal bread to them and their friend as a thank you.
Other frugals made baked beans and pressure canned them for our pantry. Planted a cool weather crop of swiss chard and hope it will be big enough to eat before the frost kills it. Pulled up all the green beans and beets.
Frugal plans for today - finish defrosting the chest freezer. Walk to the library to return a book. Wash sheets & hang outside to dry. Start working on the menu plan & shopping list for next week so I'll be ready to go on payday Friday.
And the biggie- which is all about state of mind, is to stop focusing on what I'm running out of and figure out what to do with what I have until payday. I'm worrying because I only have 1 trash bag left until Friday and I need to put it in the trash can today. And the milk will probably run out. And the laundry soap. And we're out of eggs. Nothing that's really a big deal but it stresses me because I hate to say to DH that we're out of things. I think it makes him feel poor. Last night we spent money we should not have due to the stress of the family situation. Again nothing big but I need to put a stop to it. A large can of veg. beef soup & a brownie mix on my part. And ice cream & chocolate syrup on DH's part. I just hope he doesn't ask me for gas money! :0!
I have some sirloin defrosting for dinner but I'm not sure how I'm going to cook it. Need to make sure I have a good mix of quality protein & carbs so Tyler will be ready to run for tomorrows meet.
Sooo, I may not be running out of laundry soap before Friday. I can't get the basement door open to get to the washer. lol
The furnace guy came yesterday and put a clamp on the leak and said it will seal itself in time. But if it doesn't in the next few days call them back. I think it is actually leaking faster now. But I can't get into the basement to empty the water bucket! I hope it seals up before my water bill goes through the roof. Those old pipes are a real pain in the behind.
DH called me yesterday to come and sit w/MIL. When I got to the house there were 2 ambulances out front. But they paramedics said they couldn't take FIL in because they could find no organic problems with his health and he was answering questions appropriately. The cops came and said the same thing. So even though he had threatened his daughter with his cane and was being a total bully and inappropriate he is still at home. But we packed up MIL and moved her to SIL's. Haven't yet heard if anyone has checked on FIL this morning. By the time I got home I was starving so I bought the soup and made grilled ham & cheese & soup for dinner. And brownies. We NEEDED brownies. DH got home and said we really do NEED brownies. But they are missing ice cream. So he went to the store for ice cream and chocolate syrup. I'm sure I slept better because of it LOL
Sorry for the novel, but I do feel better now lol
OK, guess I'm adding cleaning the pantry to my frugal to do list. Looking for WD 40 for the door hinges and discovered a few things that I'd forgotten we had. oops Guess this job is waay over due
I am using the leftover roast chicken from last night to make chicken wild rice casserole for dinner. I'll use the carcass for stock.
I am in such a good mood today! My friend who helps me clean helped me finally get my laundry room, craft room, bedroom and dressing room cleaned up and organized! Now I can easily sort through the clothes and change things out for winter.
We've also discussed starting a monthly craft group with some other women we know. We'd have potluck appetizers and wine or tea and work on our craft stuff while we talk. I think it would be fun and it would definitely be frugal.
The kids got the rest of their older friends' Lincoln Logs. Wow! There are so many Lincoln Logs! They have already had hours of fun with them.
Paid off another bill this month!! Got some coupons in the mail because it was my birthday month - one was for a free watch battery replacement, which I needed, so that saved me approx. $8.00. Another coupon was for a buy 1, get 1 free pizza buffet, so one night last week, DH and DS used that. It's the little things in life! LOL.
Decided to not drink so much soda. I'm not going to purchase any liter bottles or cans to bring home anymore. I never did buy cans, and the liters always were purchased at less than $1 each, but it'll be healthier and I'm all about the little things these days.
Way to go!!Quote:
Originally Posted by beckyliz
ps - I'm almost your neighbor - I'm by Abilene
Volunteered at an event over the weekend and brought home several pounds of pulled pork and sausages, plus we were well fed at the Friday night volunteer dinner. Froze some pork for later, eating the rest this week - yummy! Put off a trip to Gettysburg this fall in favor of a cheaper, closer-to-home weekend. We like history of all sorts, so we're going to drive historic RT 30 through Ohio. I've done Rt 66 from Chicago to St. Louis, Old 25-Dixie highway through Ohio on some of its many alignments, and bits of the Old National Road -Rt 40 - again through Ohio. Not expensive for day trips, and lots of local history to discover. The county is downsizing - big surprise - and I don't know how it might affect us. Boss says I'm golden, but... not in the mood to spend extra money. We aren't union but generally go by seniority. I have the most of the academic staff, but I'm really pushing to NOT base any layoffs on that alone. I am afraid that our kids will end up being short-changed if that's the criteria (not by me, but....). Why doesn't management see - and react to - poor performance?!?!?
In attempting to salvage 1/4 pound of already thawed hot Italian turkey sausage, I accidentally made a very good chili. Throwing this and that into the crockpot used up canned kidney beans that have been sitting in the cupboard for a while, the last bit of a jar of oregano which was nearly impossible to get out with a measuring spoon (I just gave the bottle a good whack and dumped it in unmeasured), half an onion that was headed over the hill, leftover spinach with the vegetable broth that came from steaming it, and some corn that was close to getting freezer burn. Made at least four servings and it was nearly free. Love it. :D
It sounds like Zach's work season is coming to an end for the year a bit earlier than usual, probably ending Thursday. I'm actually OK with this. We are in pretty good shape for it and I am excited to get to spend more time with him again. Honestly, even with me practically single parenting these past couple of months while he's worked crazy hours I have been able to get a ton of stuff done, so I am excited to see what I can do with him here.
I've been thinking about it and our needs are pretty minimal right now. Our basic needs are met. I have a well stocked pantry and freezer, so much so that I didn't buy any groceries at all this week.
We also have a lot of free, fun things to do. The girls have their "Party Club" that they started, their Girl's Club at church, Faith Formation, Karate and play group at church. I've got my class at church, my women's group, the neighborhood cooking club, my craft group, my Friday Night Girl's Night with my friends, and plenty of friends coming over for coffee. Oh and a friend and I are starting a group to work through The Artist's Way together. Zach has all of his volunteer stuff, his Knight's meetings and some side work with a friend of his. None of that really costs much money. Actually, outside of karate, which my dad covers, and the $5 donation for ingredients for the cooking club, they are all free and none of them even requires much in the way of gas. All are within 2-3 miles of my house, some of them within walking distance.
Another money saver is that Zach and I have discovered a good, cheap place that is open late to go for our dates. As you know, we like to go out and just have alone time together somewhere and dad doesn't care as long as the kids are asleep. We had been going to get coffee and pie for about $15+ tip each time, which isn't super expensive, but we go out often enough that it adds up. We recently discovered that a pizza place nearby has $1 mini pizzas after 9PM with the purchase of a soft drink or coffee.
I have some projects I am really excited about getting to work on. I have 3-4 unfinished embroidery projects I need to work on and a few skirts and pants to make for the kids. I have fabric to make pajama pants for Zach too. The girls and I were also working on a project a while back to make a bunch of cloth napkins and cloth sandwich bags. I think we'll work on that too.
I think reading for inspiration has been one of my biggest frugals this week. I have always enjoyed ERE but have recently discovered the forum. So many people who are dedicated to retiring ASAP! I also continue to enjoy MMM. Dh and I commonly spend our evenings talking about what our needs and expectaions for retirement are.
I am making a shopping list this morning and will search for any appropriate coupons to go with it to help keep costs down. We don't need much this week but are running out of some basics like bread and soy milk.
Swagcodes, sweeps, and quadreaders-you all know my routine!
bke, what does "ERE" and "MMM" stand for? Thanks
Sorry. The Early Retirement Extreme Blog and MrMoneyMustache blog. Both are pretty popular these days with others on this site. Both have sucessfully retired before the age of 40.
Stella, can you tell us more about the cloth sandwich bags? That sounds like a cool idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stella
BKE: I'm really enjoying the MMM blog as well. I think he helped us make the decision to take money from E-fund/savings and pay off our home equity loan, leaving us debt-free. We had already been considering it, and he helped nudge us along. We're glad we made the move. You might want to think about trying Pinecone Research (if you aren't already). Their surveys only take about 10 minutes and they send you a $3.00 check for each one. That's not a bad return for 10 minutes.
Stella, My DH's new work is seasonal too and has just ended a bit sooner than we expected. In the past, we both had totally stable incomes, so we've been getting into new budgetary territory this past year or so. I think we're up for the challenge - we'll see.
Went out to luch with some friends Monday at a foodcourt-type place. Lunch cost almost $8.00 for something that would have cost me $2.50 at the office cafeteria. It was well worth it to have lunch with the girls, but from a $$$ perspective, I'm glad I don't do it often - and I'm glad the cafeteria is an option for me. I do also bring lunch from home sometimes.
Anne, I have seen a lot of patterns for the cloth sandwich bags that use oilcloth like this one, but I just use plain old cotton since they seem to keep the sandwiches moist enough and they're as easy to wash as a cloth napkin. I didn't really use a pattern. I just make a square shaped bag with a lip on top and sew vecro to attach the lip to the bag. It's easy and it works well.
Rosa it is defintely an adjustment moving to seasonal work. We've been doing it so long I'm not too worried about it anymore, but there's always a little nervousness as you adjust from having tons of money and no time to having tons of time and no money.