A little of everything today. Just touching on a few topics that have been on my mind.
Nothing pressing!
I have been seeing people complain the Dollar Tree is just TOO expensive anymore! True, they are no longer a $1 - but a $1.25 and that is a 25% increase. Well, for 30 years or more things stayed at a $1. I cannot think of any other store that has not raised their prices - not even once - in all that time! Can you? They are also complaining that now there are items that may cost $5 there. Yep, that is the "plus" department - with higher priced items - that many shoppers were requesting.
I don't go there often - because many things are just cheaper elsewhere - I know that sounds weird - but it is true. Look at the size of package and then price - sometimes the deals aren't that great.
I do love it for bags, cards, and tissue paper and things at the holiday!!!!!!
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New cooking show! Has anyone watched the first episode of Big Bad Budget Battle on the food network with Ree (Pioneer Woman) as host? In U.S. it is on Tuesday night. Well, I recorded it last week (#1) and finally watched. 3 people compete for a years worth of groceries. They get $20 to shop for 2 meals - which they know nothing about - and they have a pantry. They make the best budget meals they can with what they have, and they have to make it in 20 minutes.
It seemed right up our alley!!!!! I kind of liked it. The people (just everyday folks) were creative and made some tasty looking food. They are judged by 3 chefs. Might give it a look see!!!
I am jealous of you folks that have the scratch and dents stores or discount grocery stores. You always have the best deals to tell us bout. I sure wish we had something like that around here. I have even checked websites that give locations of these kinds of stores - only one listed here - went out of business many years back.
I want a discount place!!!!!!!!! LOL
I remember back when I was a kid, and even right after we got married, we used to go to the outside market - which was not far from where I live now. They sold produce both commercially and to individuals. It was something to see. Anything you could imagine was for sale there. Rows and rows of covered tables of beautiful fresh produce. That was a thrill in itself - just walking around there.
Nothing much like that now. That place is a parking lot and an offices (sadly - in the name of progress).
Do any of you have a great farm market that is just totally abundant with lovely goodies??
POTATOES - there is something go around that there is going to be a potato shortage this fall. Not sure what to believe. Maybe - maybe not.
I guess the thing to do is be prepared, just in case. Dehydrated potatoes (slices, chunks, or hash browns), maybe potato buds, canned, or can your own or get them and keep in your cold storage area. I will probably have some of all. My brother grows potatoes and cans them - I always get what I want. I usually have store canned potatoes as well and frozen potatoes of different sorts.
Just a heads up IN CASE. Not sending out panic or stressful messages - just plan ahead.
We can conquer anything if we have the mind to!!!!!!!
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Lastly, I am sorry so many have been not getting notices via email and having problems leaving messages on the blog. Blogger has changed so much, and I am not super computer literate - so bear with me please! I keep trying to figure it all out - it just gets me so frustrated. I did figure out that some that have said their posts disappeared - were in the background of the blog - asking me if it was Spam!!! I said no, and to post and it did. SO if you have a long post that disappeared - send a short note and let me know - I will hopefully find it and post for you!!!!!
UGH - I hate change!
OK, there you be - my rambling mind this morning. I write things down and sometimes forget to post about them - so I just made a menagerie post of items today!
Look forward to your thoughts! Have a great day everyone!!!!!!!
there is no place else you can get Hallmark cards for all occasions for 50 cents...dollar tree. No complaints from me.
ReplyDeleteI agree - I love their cards and decorations. No one will hear me complain either!
DeleteDollar Tree is still a great place to shop, I was in Walmart and was appalled at the prices. Dollar tree is great on paper plates, pens, scotch tape...Gift bags...cards....Christmas decor as you mentioned, fall and Christmas greenery. It's great. Love their plasticware too. Dollar Tree is usually around 75 percent cheaper than Walmart on many, many things. They have anti-itch cream etc. too. We always have to price check on things but usually it's a bargain. : )
ReplyDelete100% agree about Walmart, Amelia. It's kind of insane. I did get clearance priced daylilies at $1 per pot last week, but the household and grocery sections are nuts! Some prices have doubled just since April. --Elise
DeleteI still shop Dollar Tree. I just try to know my prices and be selective with what I buy. There are many things that I just can't get that low elsewhere.
DeleteThey do have some very good deals - I didn't mean to say they didn't. If you buy cleaning agents, that is a good place. Many items like paper products as well. I have gotten Neosporin type creams there as well as Band-Aids and wraps.
DeleteAll the holiday decor is great.
I still go - just not often.
Right on Cheryl. : ) I knew what ya meant...Just agreeing and sharing my deals. Have a great day!
DeleteHi EM, I was shocked when i saw the cotton dishtowels, a 3 pack of over sized ones to be fair but still....The 3 pack was almost 10 dollars. I went and bought a full size bath towel and cut it into fourths and that gives me 4 vintage pink cotton towels for around 75 cents a piece. Also the school supplies...Yikes. Usually they are so reasonable at Walmart but most were almost $4. The paper plates also seemed very expensive.
DeleteI love dollar tree for the eyeglasses. You can't find glasses for $1.25 anywhere. I don't know what happe
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish I could get glasses like that. Maybe someday after I get my cataracts done and lenses put in. It sure would be a great deal!
DeleteIll finish. ..our farmers market has a lot of baked goods now...not sure what is going on.
ReplyDeleteSame here - many baked goods and flowers. I want food!!!!! Real food!!!!!
DeleteWe all need a good ramble now and again. My mind rambles a lot these days. Like Amelia, I still shop at Dollar Tree for various things. I got a 2 lb. bag of rice, antibiotic ointment, Totally Awesome cleaner (my favorite spray cleaner that's food safe), and a few other things last week. $1.25 beats just about every store's price.
ReplyDeleteWalmart's prices have gone up, up, up! On food, especially.
I read from the Idaho Farmer's Association that yes, there's likely to be a potato shortage next year. Increased costs for fuel and fertilizer means all but the large farms have to scale back their crops. I've been buying bags of diced potato hash browns when I see them at a not too steep price and popping them in the chest freezer. The food vacuum sealer I ordered is stuck in Hodgkins, IL, but if it ever gets here, I'll 1/2 each bag and repackage them. The Farmer's Markets here have pretty steep prices. I hope to find a co-op instead.
I don't use any apps to get to your blog; it's saved to my favorites. When I comment, I sign in through my Google account. So far, no problems. Have a terrific Tuesday! --Elise
Rice and beans are good deals at dollar tree. Awesome is great stuff. I do keep that around - I usually use all natural - but that is one thing I keep.
DeleteI don't do WM much unless an emergency. Kroger has gone up some - but I ran there today and couldn't believe all the skids of goods being put on shelves! Of course tomorrow is a new sale week.
I pleasantly surprised at many canned goods and pasta I looked at - didn't buy. Prices are kind of back where they were before IT all hit. $1 pound - pasta. .59/.79 can on veggies. Not bad in my opinion.
Most farm markets are expensive here as well. I need to go next month to the big market up the way. It isn't bad. It happens once a month.
I save a lot of things to favorites too!
It's kind of funny (odd funny, not haha funny) what folks will complain about. The Farmer says that they would complain if you hung them with a new rope! It is what it is, folks! I still enjoy going in Dollar Tree and poking around. I went to Goodwill last Wednesday and they have done away with their color of the day being half price. Instead everything was a dollar off. According to the internet, Wednesday is still 30% off senior day. They have suspended the half off monthly Saturday sale. Still less expensive than what is in the store and most is better quality if you take your time and look carefully.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if there is actually a potato shortage. We have two raised beds plus a couple of tubs of potatoes that are about ready to be harvested. The plan is to can as many as possible. We are canning salsa today.
Regarding farmer's markets: it has been several years since we visiting the Wednesday farmer's market and the Farmer picked out a tomato he liked and it was almost $7 and that was years ago. I hate to think what prices are now. I don't begrudge the grower a just price, what with raising, fertilizing, harvesting and transporting to market, but still...
My neighbor got a new recliner so she gave Erin the Lazy Boy swivel recliner they had. My neighbor is an immaculate housekeeper so we know that it doesn't harbor any heebie-jeebies.
She gave Erin some things when her mom passed away and Erin was just moving into her house.
LOL - I have to agree with you. I know some people that regardless of what you do for them or what you give them - they complain it wasn't just right. Yep, some people just LOVE to complain!!
DeleteGlad you are raising potatoes. It will sure help this fall/winter.
I understand that farm stands are high - the best I ever used to find was roadside stands at actual farmer's homes. Those were great. I don't go much now - so never see that kind of thing.
Yay, on the new to her chair. All those gifts will help a bunch.
I avoid Dollar Tree like the plague. The ones by me carry mostly cheap imports, and even many of the canned, bottled, health and beauty, and bottled OTC meds are overseas. There is one face cream that I like that I've not found elsewhere, but I have to watch the labeling like a hawk.
ReplyDeleteAnd, thanks for the warning about potatoes. I don't use them a lot, but will add a couple of bags of instant to my pantry, just in case. Not to add fuel to the fire, but there are two other potential shortages to be aware of, as well. Last week, my local news report included a story about drought and excessive heat in Spain, which may have a significant impact on this year's production of olive oil.
That news story was followed by another, that discussed the war in Ukraine, noting that Ukraine is a world producer of sunflowers and sunflower oil. The report indicated that the production of sunflower oil has been impacted and we can expect shortages of sunflower oil. Olive oil is on my grocery list, and I'm going to add a back-up of vegetable oil, as well, as many people are likely to have to transition to the more "common" oils, if these shortages come to fruition.
Yes, they do carry a lot of China stuff!
DeleteI have been hearing since day one of the war about sunflower oil/seeds. I mean they started shouting that immediately. Kind of made me go 'hmmmmm'. I have also read we do raise a lot here to help ease that production. Olive oil, made need to add a little of that. I use that and mainly coconut oil. (and bacon grease!!) LOL
Thanks!
Oops, hit Publish too soon. Re: farmers markets, I feel blessed at having grown up in the fruit belt in SW Michigan, where fruit and vegetable production is prolific. Even though I'm now in the Chicagoland area, it is only about 90 minutes to get back to my hometown, where the rest of my family still lives. While gas prices have somewhat restricted the frequency of trips home this summer, I still HAVE to make that trek, when it comes to produce -- I just stock up and can what I can. While I have my favorite stops for tomatoes, there are numerous small roadside stands, some with just a change box to drop your payment in. At my tomato stand, they've had 20# boxes of Roma tomatoes for $10 (seconds), jalapenos, tomatillos, pickles, peppers, corn, and melon. They even had some quart-sized bags of peaches last time I went. Another stand, a couple of miles away has peaches, apples (when they're available), and various melons. Other stands carry smaller amounts, but larger varieties of crops grown on their farms. There's one that I want to try, but they're only open 2-3 days a week -- a wide variety of lettuces and flowers, certified organic. Sometimes it pays to just wander unfamiliar country roads and look out for roadside flatbeds or carts, taking note of who has what, and then what tasted the best -- so you can patronize that farmer again.
ReplyDeleteI just love roadside stands. There used to be a man about 10 minutes up the rod, that sold all kinds of garden goods on the honesty box method. He was always busy and people must have been honest, because he did it for years. He passed away a few years back. I sure miss that place.
DeleteSounds like you have some great places to get things and get to see family to boot!!!
Most of the things I buy from Dollar Tree are cards, gift wrap, party goods, disposable aluminum pans (which went from 3 at $1 to 2 at 1.25,) seeds, gardening items like pots, seasonal home décor (including artificial flowers,) some cleaning items, and spices. I feel like if it priced itself out of my budget I would just buy it elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about processing some of my locally grown potatoes into fries for the freezer. I usually buy 50# in October and they last most of the winter.
Same here. I buy all my cemetery flowers there. You can get some deals.
DeleteI may have to check out the ethnic market soon - they usually have the big bags of produce too. Thanks for that idea.
I found a new website for salvage stores yesterday. buysalvage food.com It seems to be a good site since all of our stores were listed. I am just like you on the potatoes and not sure what to think. We do have many types of not fresh ones stored but we do not like home canned ones so that I will not do. I will say that the prediction of egg prices seems to have been true. Good grief they are getting pricey. I will keep buying them if I can though because they are so good for us.
ReplyDeleteI got eggs today for 1.79/dozen - large at Kroger. They have been that price for a while now. I think it depends on the regions we live in a lot. Prices are just cheaper some places than others.
DeleteI guess we learn to cope and do what we can to stay ahead of the game!!!!
Best egg price today was cage free lg for 2.68. Aldi was 3.29. !.79 is unheard of here. I did notice that prices were down on some items at Aldi today. They were well stocked on potatoes and they had not gone up since last time.
DeleteI will pay what I need for eggs - they are great protein and heck, there is a lot involved in getting them to our table.
DeleteGood to hear about Aldi. I may go there tomorrow and look around!
I agree, you have look at the size of the package do determine what is a good deal at Dollar Tree (or Dollarama). I've gotten snookered a couple of times. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe cooking show sounded interesting and I checked our Food Network (Canadian) schedule for the next week (starting Tuesday) and they are just running re-runs of various programs. I'll have to keep an eye out for it - maybe later this year.
We do have a farmer's market but there is nothing like that photo. Unfortunately it's held downtown and the parking is horrid. When I was working I could walk over at lunch time but now I don't bother going.
I've been checking comments on every post because it seems a lot have been selected as spam. This isn't a user issue, it's the blogger format. An annoyance for sure but at least I can restore them.
I agree - many canned goods or packaged goods are smaller. I watch the sizes closely.
DeleteI always hear that Canada gets shows well after we do. It will be the second one tonight at 10PM here. I will record.
Oh how I would love to see a market like that. I think I might even drive to town for that!!! LOL
I am seeing so many changes with blogger - some good and some not. It is aggravating for sure.
I agree with Lori K. about dollar stores. Not a fan due to food/toiletries being made overseas and possibly of dubious quality.
ReplyDeleteSunflower seed products for feeding birds have doubled in price since last year. Haven't fed seed since Spring and won't start again until after Thanksgiving. I saved the leftover sunflower chips and peanut pieces in ziploc bags in the freezer. Bought whole sunflower seeds in the 40-lb bag before the price went up and store them in tightly closed, metal garbage cans.
Husband doesn't like white potatoes, but I love them. Am going to stock up on canned spuds at Aldi. Wish I had a cool, dry place to store potatoes so I could grow them.
Farmers markets here are outrageously priced, so I don't bother.
Cheryl, I seem to have the most problem with posts disappearing when they are longer. Perhaps you could just check the holding bin periodically, especially on Sundays? Thanks.
Really - I made the comment last month when I went to the feed store - that I was surprised the black sunflower seed hadn't increased in price. It is still reasonable here (for now).
DeleteI love potatoes fixed all kinds of ways!!!! Not a sweet potato fan - but do love white potatoes.
I will most definitely being keeping a watch on the comments from now on!! Thanks.
Today I stopped at our local Kroger and they had maybe 10 bags of potatoes total and maybe 20 individual regular potatoes and sweet potatoes out for sale. My husband is team lead at Walmart for groceries and he said they are having a hard time getting potatoes too. I am going to get some instant ones to add to the pantry for winter I guess.
ReplyDeleteWOW - thanks for the info. I saw plenty of potatoes at my Kroger - but that doesn't mean anything.
DeleteI say we would all be wise to have some alternatives on hand - just in case!!! Better safe than sorry.
This year I had a tiny potato patch that yielded perhaps 20 lbs of potatoes. They were so easy, requiring no weeding or watering because I mulched them so deeply with straw. They were prettier than than the lawn that used to be there, too. I wonder if there will be a "seed" potato shortage next year? I hope not because I want to grow Viking potatoes again and alater season russet. If I had a bigger yard and a way root cellar I would grow enough potatoes to feed all my relatives. It is our staple food, (Dad was Irish). Onions, garlic and herbs will round out my garden next year because they all grow well here, require very little work.and are easy to cure and store or dry for winter.
ReplyDeleteI did potatoes a couple years ago - in a barrel and just kept towering up. They did decent. That was my first time.
DeleteGlad you got 20 lbs. That is great. I actually used store bought potatoes that started growing - it worked!
It is a pretty plant! Good harvest!!!
Potatoes are so easy to grow, and I am not worried being from here but I know many farmers who just did not grow them because they could not get enough money from them to pay for the seed and the insecticides.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty easy to grow and I would think if necessary, come next spring, we can all give it a go!
DeleteThat makes a lot of sense - things have gotten so expensive.
I have gotten shoddy products from DT and try not to buy much from there. I do like the little milk crate bins for sorting things in the refrigerator. At WM I buy boxes of cards and the charge per card is about fifteen cents.
ReplyDeleteOh, you can get cheap things there, but there are a few bargains and deals. I have never seen the boxes of cards at WM. That would be a good deal. I have gotten some in other places. I do like more specific cards for most (brother, sister, niece, etc.)
DeleteFor cards, we buy nice colored cards with envelopes, but no writing. They typically come in a large set (50+) & they are often on sale for as little as $5. We then have the flexibility to write any message we prefer inside. I'm not a huge fan of cards that have messages already written, but this is also a cheaper option. We do make an exception for weddings & graduation, but everything else we make our own.
ReplyDeleteWe have a farm stand (it's indoor) that's huge & sells basically anything you could want, in season. I'm in California, and we have an exceptionally long growing season.
I would love to have a place to go get fresh produce that was not a 10 mile drive. And I know of not place that has even a fairly good selection. I got tomatoes at this one place and they were not a bit better than I get at the store. if as good. I also bought a couple green tomatoes to fry and I don't think they had the flavor that what we grow has.
ReplyDelete