Good day to everyone! My goodness we have passed the half way mark of April. Times sure flies.
Today we are having a nice sunny day. It has cooled much this week from last week, but not too bad. We have some much cooler weather coming this coming week - possibility of freeze again! Dang I hate that. This year I am going to try to cover the grape arbor so I don't lose my grapes like I did last year.
The car saga all worked out. It is fixed and the price wasn't as much as I assumed. He even gave me a list of future things I might want to think about fixing, when the time is right. Most of them were things I already knew about. Nothing expensive or big.
I got it back Friday afternoon, and then decided to stay home!! LOL. Friday afternoons and weekends are way to busy at the stores for me - so I stayed in.
I was pleased with this garage - they seemed to be good fair people. I will use them again.
I feel so much better to see my vehicle in the drive.
My week:
- I mowed and trimmed the entire yard. Trimming sure made a difference in the look
- I did more yard work - (it never ends)
- I fixed 2 finch feeders that had broken perches. Crazy thing - I have always bought the same type and have had several that had a broken port or perch. I kept them in a box in garage. Came across them the other day and it just dawned on me that the parts are all the same. I repaired the 2 hanging with new posts from old ones. Saved me about $30 from buying 2 new ones (which was on my list)
- I worked in the garage while my friend/neighbor worked on car. I got a huge bunch of stuff for recycle and trash. Did some straightening. So much left to do!
- I ran to super WM with neighbor. I only go to WM grocery/market once in a while - hadn't been in super WM in many years. I checked for cat food and they bunches!!!! I got a bunch of canned food - stocking my shelves. I will check again in a week or two for different flavors. I looked for canning lids - none - but they had tons of jars
- I used leftovers in new dishes
- I received $6 in coupons for dry cat food from a friend
- Inventoried and straightened the upright freezer. Found a few things I forgot about! I have it very nicely arranged for the moment! (we all know how quickly that can change). LOL. Now I know what I need to add to stock
- I inventoried my canning lids. I have bought many in past years on discount. I have bunches of wide mouth and many regular. I will get regular when I see them. Everything all together now (they were scattered every where). Still need to work on organizing jars (don't need any of those for sure). Also have pectin out the wazoo!
- Using what I have and cooking from scratch
- Did NOT go to the grocery this week as planned - didn't bother me a bit
Meals this past week:
Taco salad
Cheesy broccoli soup (freezer) and fried egg sandwich
Fried potatoes and smoked sausage with steamed asparagus
Ham/cream cheese/veggie roll-up
Bean/beef tostadas
Mex. pasta (used leftover bean/beef from tostadas over shells)
3 slices Spam, grilled small zucchini and mashed potatoes (YUM)
Got through a semi stressful week. Truly just tried to go with the flow and not get too upset. I figure God had different plans for me than I did.
Not the most frugal week - but considering a repair is better than a car payment - I'll take it. THIS is why we try to be frugal most of the time. These unexpected things can knock you for a loop if there isn't an emergency fund.
How was your week? What did you get accomplished? Have you been stocking up? Staying frugal?
Prayers and good thoughts for all. Wishing you all health and safety. Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
Amen
Been a busy couple of weeks here and only going to get busier. We enjoyed the beautiful weather of two weeks ago, but last week was damp and cold. My strawberries started blooming Apr. 10, much too early, so I will have to cover them. It got down to 32 last night and is supposed to be 30 one night this week. Daffodils are done, jonquils and grape hyacinths are blooming now. I need to get my veggie and flower seeds started soon. Planted peas last Sunday, but they haven't had enough sun or warmth to come up yet.
ReplyDeleteMy wrist is getting better every day. It's been 7-1/2 wks since surgery. I think I will be discharged from PT this week or next. I can do pretty much everything I need to do with it. Now it is mostly a matter of building up more strength.
I had been having trouble finding composted cow manure locally. Real manure, not the mixes that are 90% wood waste and 10% manure and don't grow much besides toadstools. I finally found it at Agway and bought 10 bags. Got home and loaded them 3 or 4 bags at a time on my dolly and pushed them to the back yard. Like I said above, the wrist is getting better LOL! Also got 4cf of vermiculite for little more than the price of 2cf at the big box store.
Filed under Frugality: Bought 9 books for $7.52 at St. Vinny's. Some that were on my "want" list were included. Found coins in the street walking to the mailbox. Picked up four library books and ordered five more. Aldi had Husband's yogurt on sale for $.69/four-pack, so I stocked up. Cleaned up the mud porch and found a roll of trash bags suitable for scooping cat litter so I don't have to buy any.
Crafting: Bought an ergonomic handle for my crochet hooks. It looks like an egg, and is easier for arthritic hands to hold. I'm still trying to get comfortable using it, but I think it will work for my purposes. Also finished a Project Linus quilt and machine-sewed the binding instead of hand-sewing and aggravating my thumb.
We're in for 3 days of non-rainy weather, so I will be mowing the grass. I would have liked to wait another couple of weeks for the wrist's sake, but it is very long.
Husband has an appt Thursday to have a squamous cell cancer lesion removed from his forehead. He had one removed in the same spot last year, so I hope they get all of it this time.
Hope everyone has a safe and frugal week!
Well girlfriend you just got me exhausted!!!!! WOW you have been busy,. Sure glad you are healing so well, but dang girl don't over do it!!!
DeleteI went out this morning and pulled some more weeds (poison ivy), it is growing every where and it is in flowers - so I can't use anything.
I love finding things I was going to buy and then get a reprieve from spending.
Hope all goes well for your hubby. Prayers.
Have a good week!
Good Sunday morning! I believe we had a good week as I look back, lol. It's yard sale season here!!! We went to 4 this week and there were so many more but had to pass up. Found things for the trailer and some kids books and toys. One sale was at the cousins so we got to visit a bit with them. I finally went to the store it's been a couple of weeks, I needed orange juice so I had to go. Our weather has warmed up a lot we are up in the 80's but I don't know for how long. I need to get going with the garden plans. I'm planning on doing zucchini this year and tomatoes. Glad to hear your repairs on your vehicle weren't too bad and they were fixable. Cars can be so expensive. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteYard sales!!!!! Oh how I miss them! They haven't started here yet. Even if not buying, they are just fun to look at.
DeleteI hope you don't get more cold - we are still up and down here. No planting for me until after Mother's Day.
Glad you found stuff you could use and got a visit to boot!
Yep are necessary evil for sure. Got have them - so best to maintain than buy another.
Have a wonderful day my friend!
It's good to have the vehicle running again! This week we are putting ours in the shop for the whole 100K maintenance package. Our oldest son is an an engineer on our vehicle and he said we should do it before things happen that are way more expensive to fix. I have most of the money in the car repair budget which just rolls over every month so I just need to find about $300 more which I call skimming the budget, $25 here $10 there until I have enough.
ReplyDeleteSmart to get it all done when you can. The bigger the repair the more it costs. It is nice to take care of things so we don't get stuck somewhere.
DeleteI love that you have most of the $ and know how to come up with the rest. That is what we frugal gals do!!!
Good luck!
I'm glad to hear you got your car back, Cheryl. Yes, a repair is better than a car payment for sure. I'm glad you liked the garage. It can be hard to find a good and honest mechanic. It's been a little cooler here too,, especially in the morning. The weatherman said this coming up week will be blackberry winter. It's usually the last cold before the heat comes.
ReplyDeleteYes this garage was recommended by my neighbor and they were not only good but reasonable. 2 good things.
DeleteI hope this is the last cold. I guess I shouldn't complain it is after all still spring!!! The time anything can happen!
Amen to all that! :) I pray to fret less, trust Him more. "Choose joy." Working on it!
ReplyDeleteSo cool you were able to fix your finch perches for free! The Orioles I mentioned a couple posts back won't use the oriole feeder we bought them. Every year we try, but they head for the hummingbird feeder with the big openings, LOL.
Your meals sound so good: cheesy broccoli soup; fried potatoes, smoked sausage and steamed asparagus...ahhh ;).
It's good to know you have a good, honest mechanic/garage now for when you need it. And, you have a source for canned kitty food, yay! WW is a necessary evil, I guess.
I haven't been able to find quality canning lids :(. They're thin and their edges are sharp!
I had an inspiration for storing my canning rings, though. Got out an embroidery hoop (the frame part that comes apart) and "strung" the lids all on it! Now, they're all behaving themselves together and hanging up in the garage.
Today's temp is supposed to get up to 89🥵😱F. Our seedlings will love it - but, I'll be hiding indoors where it doesn't get near that hot, thank the Lord. I surely hope you can protect your grapes from freezing.
Take good care of you and tell all the critters "hi" for me.
Mary in SD
It is tough at times, but the Lord has it all covered and we just need to remember that!
DeleteI a old fashioned country kind of food eater!
Wow I can't believe it is that hot already where you are. That is stay indoor warm for me too.
I guess the Orioles know what they want. I will get my hummingbird feeders out at the end of this week, I guess.
Lot's of people having trouble finding lids. I am glad I thought to buy clearance in the past. Last year put a whammy on lots of things.
Funny how the world works.
Have a good one.
That is something I need to work on choosing joy now. When times are tough I just grumble and get down, I need to think of reasons to be happy.
ReplyDeleteYes mam. You hurt yourself and all those around you - when not being happy. I know happy isn't always possible - nobody is happy all the time. But we do have a choice!
DeleteLately to counteract all the negativity online I have been choosing a new thing each month to post on Facebook. February was Joy, March was Gratitude, and this month is Hope. So far it is working and I notice more and more of my social media friends choosing to post upbeat things.
ReplyDeleteI did finish a prayer shawl last week, and I have started another. I will be getting another cross stitch project put together to work on.
Baking is done, walking enjoyed and saving while shopping.
God bless.
I love that idea. I very seldom post on FB - just like or comment once in a while. That is a good idea and maybe it will help some others. It sure would be worth the try.
DeleteSounds like you have had a successful and lovely week!
Blessings.
Choose joy! Yes! Trust and obey.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right: begin frugal aids with unexpected expenses. It kinda stings when money has to go for repairs or a replacement but I'm always grateful that we have the $$ to do what needs to be done. For some reason it reminds me of the song "What a Mighty God We Serve".
Our strawberries are blooming and now light snow is predicted for the middle of the week. I transplanted some runners today but they are not looking very good. There are plenty more that escaped from the bed.
Lindy Thaxton posted on Instagram that she may be able to go back to work in May. She thanked everyone for their continued prayers.
Yes it hurts to spend those unexpected $, but glad to have it to spend. No debt.
DeleteOh no on your strawberries. I hope they will be ok. We lost so much last year with the late freeze, sure hope it doesn't happen again.
I saw that. Glad she is doing well.
Glad to hear you got the vehicle fixed easily and less costly than it might have been. It's always good to know a good repair shop.
ReplyDeleteTake care, stay well.
Yes mam it sure is. I imagine they have me from now on.
DeleteHope you are well.
Yeah, going into a WM is always a pain in the butt. We just got back from ours. We like going on Sunday nights as it is always very quiet. Although they were stocking so had to maneuver around all those boxes. Eye roll. We do like the self-checkout though. So glad everything worked out with your blazer and she is home.
ReplyDeleteGlad you gad a successful trip to the store. I don't do well driving at night - wish I could.
DeleteAt least you know they have merchandise while you have to dodge the boxes!!!
Have a good one
Good Morning Hippy Chick!.Glad to hear that you got your car fixed for less than you expected...its always a worry when something goes wrong.Infact we have even spoke about this week getting rid of ours because I have now got my Buss Pass!.Hubby is a bit older so he already has his.As I am a terrible passenger and a very nervous driver,lol,we are going to try and not use the car for a month and see how we manage.We rarely use it anyway.I turned 66 yesterday...how did that happen!!.It was great to be able to have my daughter and grown up grandkids here in my garden,who brought me flowers,chocolates and tins of assorted cocktails plus a bottle of Baileys.I just might have a drink problem by the end of the week,lol.We have plans to use our bus passes every week to market downs that we havent been to for years!.Hope the sun is shining for you,Love n best wishes from the Debi,the hippy chick in Leicester,UK.xx
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!!!!! We are the same age for a few months! I know I wonder how this happened every day! Thinking that the 70's was 50 years ago blows my mind.
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely day and lots of goodies.
I haven't been on a bus since I was a child. I can't imagine not having my car. Just knowing I can go whenever I want is wonderful.
Yes mam, the sun is shining this morning and the the sun of life shines on me every day.
Have a wonderful week.
Freeze/Frost is predicted here for the next few days. I'm a little worried about the peach tree..I'm going to cover that up too so I might get a peach this year.
ReplyDeleteHope everything turns out well in your garden.
Hope you can cover the tree successfully. So over this cold stuff - oh, well it is still spring!!
DeleteI love reading all your posts, it’s like having a chat with a friend. I’m glad about your car, have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind! Thank you so much.
DeleteYou are all my friends, so love chatting with you all.
So glad to hear that the car repairs were not as drastic or as expensive as they might have been and that the loss of the car didn't make things too inconvenient.
ReplyDeleteI do try to find the joy in simple things but it is tough at the moment as my entire province is back under a Stay-at-Home order until almost the end of May. We are only supposed to leave (very occasionally) for groceries or exercise and everyone who can work from home must do so! Variants have caused our infection rate to soar - it appears that we opened up a bit too quickly after the second wave (although openings in the city were still very limited) so we are paying the price now. It won't really affect my day to day life but I was looking forward to getting a hair cut and perhaps meeting some friends for a coffee on a patio - but neither of those things will be happening until June at the earliest. They announced this morning that nearly a third of the city has had their first shot and there are more and more mobile sites opening in particularly hard hit areas so there is progress - however, in a city with 3 million people it will take a while...
I am grateful for a few days of lovely Spring weather so that I was able to do some walking and this morning I did an inventory of my small freezer compartment on top of my fridge - and worked out that I have approximately 70 meals worth of meat, fish and poultry in there! My pantry is also full of canned goods, rice, pasta and all sorts of goodies so I need to cut back on grocery spending and add the funds to my emergency account! It will be fruit, veg and dairy only for the next few weeks!
I will also look forward to seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom at High Park later in the week. Last year we weren't allowed into this huge park (think slightly smaller than Central Park) at all during the cherry blossom time but this year we will be allowed to walk in - no cars - and we can see the trees but those areas will be fenced off and monitored so that people can walk by but not linger. I will go very early on Wed. morning if the weather cooperates.
I remind myself that I am able to work from home and to use Zoom to socialize and that I have lots to entertain myself with - but I do miss my friends. My family all live far from Toronto so I do not see them as often but certain friends I am used to seeing weekly so there is a big loss there. Oh well - nothing to be done but to hang in there for another month or so. Have a good week.
We still have some restrictions, but they are not obviously as monitored as yours. People still get out and walk and do and shop - I don't understand how they would know if you and your friends have a morning coffee on your patio.
DeleteSounds like you have got yourself set with many grocery items. That is wonderful. You have planned well my friend. It sure is nice to know that we can get by in the worst of times. I bet you could go even longer with the meat, if you cut the portions back a little.
Glad you can work from home.
Love you are keeping a positive outlook. Hang in there.
Glad to hear your car repair was less than you expected. Those things can really take their toll on the budget! Last week was good, overall, even for the budget. I stayed away from the stores until Sunday AM, when I typically go for groceries.
ReplyDeleteOn Friday, I got my Pfizer #2 vaccine and made a quick stop at an Italian deli my b-i-l has always talked about. It's not near me, so I haven't tried it before, but it was about 10 mins away from the pharmacy where I got my shot, so I figured I'd give it a try. Not as well stocked as my local Italian deli, so I only picked up a few of their homemade items to compare with what I get at my usual spot -- hot and mild Italian sausage, a small container of their specialty salad. When checking out, she said "cash or check only" -- first time I've heard that in a long time. I figured credit preferred, with less chance of human contact. I doubt I'll go back there, all things considered.
My daughter came and spent Friday night and Saturday with me. In the event that I had a reaction, she'd be closer and she'd also be able to get my pup out to do his duty (I'm in a townhome with no fenced yard, so he has to be walked and on-leash when outside). It was good to have her with me, even though I had little-to-no reaction. While she was there, I mentioned that I need to have a deck rail replaced and it's something that's beyond my expertise. I was lamenting the quote from a local handyman who was recommended on a community page -- way over budget. She mentioned that a guy she went to grammar school with alerted her, via FB, that he'd started a side business doing remodeling. He grew up just around the corner, so I knew him from way-back-when. She texted him, told him what I needed to have done, and asked if it was too small of a job for him, considering travel time (I'm now about a 1/2 hr. away). I've since been in contact with him and he's coming over later this week to give me an estimate. Since it's side work, I'm hopeful that his rates will be better. And I'm happy to support his hard work and new side gig.
When I was working I got in the habit of getting groceries early on Sunday mornings -- it's always less crowded before church gets out. It's kind of become routine. Make the weekly menu and finalize my grocery list over coffee and breakfast, and then head out to the store. My big savings this week came unexpectedly. I had French Vanilla flavored coffee on my list. I usually pick up a store brand bag. I make my morning coffee 1/2 regular and 1/2 French Vanilla (to cut the sweetness, while keeping the flavor). I had the bag of coffee in my cart and then glanced at the cans as I passed by -- Max House flavored was on sale for $2.47/can vs. $5.99 for the bag already in my cart. Guess what I got? 2 cans for the price of 1 bag -- score!!!!! They also had 40 ct. of dishwasher tablets on the clearance rack for $4.97 -- a good deal, so I added it to my cleaning stash. But what was costly, was vitamins. I've been looking for D3 for weeks, and they've been out at all of the stores I've checked. Meijer has them tagged as BOGO 50% off, but the shelves with that offer are bare. Because I was nearly out (down to a 3 day supply), I was forced to buy what they had available -- name brand, not on sale, no rainchecks. Glad I got the coffee and DW tabs at a savings; it off-set the vitamins.
Not looking forward to the colder temps and snow! Stay safe, everyone!
How neat you got to try a new place. Sorry you weren't as pleased with it as your regular place. The things you got sound tasty. we have a meat market that has been around for decades that is CASH only. If they know you they will take a check - but no charge.
DeleteThat would be great to get the railing fixed and help the young man get a foothold in business as well.
Glad you got to spend time with your daughter.
Good deals at the grocery. It is odd what is missing in some areas. I got D3 just recently - have seen it many places. You just never know - different places and areas have different shortages. It is strange.
Today just in 40's then it goes wonky for a few days. UGH. Stay warm!
I like SpAM too... I would have definitely enjoyed that. Glad things are good with the car. Enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteIt sure is tasty - I know many don't like it - but I sure do.
DeleteThanks, glad it all turned out good.