Cheryl's Frugal Corner: Weekly Wrap Up 11/6

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Weekly Wrap Up 11/6

Happy Sunday to all! Hope this finds you well and safe.

Did those of you that had to - change your clocks? UGH.

I got up at the very same time I always do, Fluffy was on the handrail peeking in the kitchen door yelling at me for food at the same time - just the clock was different. It was earlier by an hour! So begins the rest of my winter!

What a day we had yesterday. The wind was just crazy. There were 60 mph wind gusts off and on all day. It was sustained winds of 35-40 mph. Many of the leaves are down - and most are now towards the back half of the yard. YAY - I don't have as far to rake them to the garden!! Pluses with all things!!!

It was still warm, so I had the back window open. I was standing there looking out and I heard a loud crack, and watched a tree, 4 houses down (across alley) fall in what seemed to be slow motion! The tree was a HUGE old, very dead (for years) tree. It was one of those trees that could never be climbed to take it down. Well, it is down now - and it hit nothing except the ground. Thank goodness.

I have tons of limbs down - and many leaves, so I am lucky. All is good here.

(not my picture)

I realized yesterday just what great contractors and engineers, squirrels are. All that wind, many times this year, and their nests are still there! They sure know what they are doing.

I have had tons of squirrels and blue jays again all week.

It has been above seasonally warm all week. We got a little rain, lots of wind and warm temps. This coming week looks to be mild as well - then next weekend, the prediction is much cooler.

My week:

Went for what I thought was last check-up on eyes. Yeah, one more this coming week! Just to be sure! That is OK
Changed out the furnace filter
Chunked up the end of a candle into bits for use in my melt pot
Thawed and cooked (in various ways) a pound of ground sausage - for present and future meals
Ran to library
Put new stair treads on back steps for safety
Water barrels are both empty and now stored away for the winter
Fixed the weather strip around the greenhouse door
Raked the back yard and put all leaves on the garden - and cleaned the deck again
Got rid of 2 boxes of junk from garage (it is a tiny start)
Cleaned the outer parts of kitchen cabinets
Cut back all the peony plants
Made a gallon a sweet tea
All the normal stuff we all do
Ran to Kroger for the egg special - 18 count for 1.99. I got a .99 bag of plums - oh my are they good - got a few things for stock, just not a lot. Make sure you check ADS this coming week - many places are having GREAT prices on turkey!!!!! Kroger - .49/lb. w/digital coupon and $25 purchase (starts 11/9) and Meijer is .55/lb. (limit 2) (starts today). Aldi has Butterball for 1.07. I am sure other stores are following suit. KEEP YOU EYES OPEN

Golden plums - so sweet and juicy - .99 for the bag on clearance!

Meals this past week:

Egg roll in a bowl

Ham & beans over rice

Peppery & cheesy goulash

Leftover goulash and salad

Chicken hoagie & chips

Loaded baked potato

Faux KFC chicken bowl - corn topped w/mashed pots, gravy and chicken all in a bowl

SNACKS - nuts, fruit, cheese & crackers

How was your week? Are you getting ready for the holidays? I still have much to do for Christmas - it will all get done in time! How is your weather?

I pray that each of you are safe and healthy. I hope no one had any damage from the big weather front that came across the country on Saturday - there was so much wind, and even tornadoes in places.

I hope all of you in the U.S. gets out and VOTES this week. It is so very important!

Blessings from my humble little home to you and yours.

*******************************

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31:24

Dear Lord, we pray that you will guide us each one through all our many trials in life. We all have times when we falter and wonder where to turn - help us to turn to You. Your spirit will always lead us in the correct direction. Thank You for lifting us up and filling our lives with courage to go forward.

Amen

50 comments:

BelindaNovember 6, 2022 at 8:43 AM
I remember the wind in Illinois when we lived there. Oh my! It would be a bitter cold in the winter time and I have to say I don’t miss that bitter cold wind. I do love wind though when it’s warmer.

Yikes on the neighbors tree. I’m glad it didn’t hit anything on the way down.

Yummy looking plums, you did good at Kroger on the eggs. That is a great price. I bought eggs this week too, but paid more for them. We had a bit of a stock up this week, which we needed.

I hope you have a great week, Cheryl.
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Mona McGinnisNovember 6, 2022 at 9:02 AM
Thanks for the prayers for my SIL. She suffered a small brain bleed after a fall. She's home now after a week in hospital & a full recovery is expected. It makes me mindful of how life can change on a dime with a health crisis. Aging can complicate things. On the plus side, the community rallies to offer support. Amen. Winter is here with snow on the ground and temps <0C. With winter comes a different routine. I pay more attention to indoor exercise routines, yoga, tai chi chih & 1-3mi walks. That dang time change; awake at 4:40am. The car had its regular oil change and there's some more work to be done. Remind me not to buy the cheapest car ever again. I'm paying for it on the other end. The good news? I found a mechanic whose hourly rate is much less than the dealership. Yesterday was a cooking day - apple crisp, bean soup, casserole with leftover pulled pork, squash, rice & tomato sauce.
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MaebemeNovember 6, 2022 at 9:47 AM
Glad to hear the tree fell without causing any harm to a person or building. Lucky that you happened to be watching as it went down.
The snow and cold are here now, along with the wind. It's an ugly day out there and I'll be hunkering down for at least a couple of days.
Nice of the wind to rake the leaves for you. ;)
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DonnaNovember 6, 2022 at 10:03 AM
Boy, do we need guidance from our Father! This is my prayer every single day.

The wind was fierce and our power was out for a while on Saturday. The tree could be firewood for some family, if it is not too rotten to burn. The Farmer went through our woodpile which has been there for years and a lot of it had rotted. It will be recycled into garden beds. The neighbor to the south of us refuses to rake his leaves but that strong wind on Saturday scattered all up and down the street, out of our yard.
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AnonymousNovember 6, 2022 at 10:47 AM
I'm back from my little trip to EMs area of AZ and out from under the pile of laundry. Was catching up on reading your blogs, which posted while I was gone, and discovered that you and I, Cheryl, have the same birthday! I couldn't share it with a nicer or more kindred spirit.
And speaking of kindred spirits, EM and hubby hosted me and mine, total strangers, for a delicious dinner. Your blog, Cheryl, brought us together. We got to meet beautiful Blue. A few more good meals and she will be stunning. It was a great evening where we were able to share our hearts and worries, which is something you don't often feel comfortable doing in our divided nation. Now THAT'S special.
And I'm wondering why I don't make roasted chicken more. After eating EMs, Ive been craving it .I'm off tomorrow to get one!
Off right now to take my grands, akas the chickadees, to church.
Your meals look great and have variety. I realized yesterday I have three kinds of soup made. So the choice at our house right now is soup, soup or soup.
Ellie
Central Az

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LoriNovember 6, 2022 at 11:18 AM
The wind was vicious here Friday night until midday Saturday. It was really howling. I was sitting outside for a bit and decided it didn't feel safe. I didn't want to get knocked out by a branch.
Glad the tree you saw come down didn't do any damage.
Congrat's on the good deals you found. Enjoy your Sunday Cheryl.
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EM GriffithNovember 6, 2022 at 11:31 AM
The biggest focus this week was a snowstorm that arrived on the day of Blue's spay. It's been quite a number of years since we've driven in near white out conditions, but I guess it's like riding a bike... you quickly remember how to do it. The little one's spay was complicated by the surprise she was in heat, but she's recovering nicely. I'm very grateful for that. I'm also thankful we were prepared (just in time) for snowy weather. The GOOD news is, at this altitude, it melts off quickly when the sun returns. The less than good news is lots and lots of mud. A whole acre of it. There are two scatter rugs, a broom and an old towel right by the front door now.

Shopping this week included farm fresh chicken and duck eggs, a few sales at Safeway with additional 10% off on Senior Day, and a stock up of vegetable oil, olive oil, peanut butter and a few other staples with $5 off $25 coupons (Saturdays only) at Dollar General. The freezers are full. The pantry is nearly full.

Our meals were simple: Soft tacos using 93% lean ground beef (leftover meat will be spaghetti or chili today, I haven't decided), smoked sausage with potatoes and peas on the side, bologna sandwiches one night, and a stir fried pork, rice and veggie skillet that fed us a few days. Question: does anyone freeze baked potatoes? If so, are there any special tips?

My birthday is at Christmas time and our sons have been asking about Christmas/birthday suggestions. I've told them both that a one year streaming service would be a much appreciated combo gift, as I have plenty of "stuff" and am loving streaming vs. cable. It took me years to pull the plug on cable, but now that I have, it's so nice to choose whatever it is we'd like to watch... with NO commercials. Trust me, I understand the hesitation, but I really don't miss cable TV. Or that monthly bill.

Have a blessed week! Stay safe and warm. --Elise
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LanaNovember 6, 2022 at 2:38 PM
It is crazy watching a tree come down! We had one come down on the empty lot next to us at the lake last tie we were there and first we heard many cracking sounds and then a big whoosh as the leaves brushed through the trees around it. It was crazy and for a minute I though it was going to hit our house but it really was completely on the neighboring lot.
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FrancesNovember 6, 2022 at 2:39 PM
This past week was not quite as busy as the previous week, but I did take advantage of some unseasonably warm weather to finish off nearly all my outdoor chores for the season. I even washed windows and dusted screens yesterday. We had the wind, but not as bad as in the midwest.
Best bargain of the week was a pair of Easy Spirit athletic shoes regularly $77 for $45 on Zappos. Last pair in my size, too. I'm hard to fit with a very narrow heel.
Made OJ from concentrate to cut Husband's full-strength OJ (which is now $3.15/52oz. He says he can't tell the difference. He's drinking less (expensive) prune juice since he started on Metamucil and with better results.
We've done two big clean-outs in the past two weeks, and I took two big loads to St. Vinny's. Still feeling the urge to purge, but just not physically up to it today and running out of hidden clutter to purge.
I have decided that my two family heirloom religious statues will be donated to St. Vinny's. They sell antiques online, so perhaps they can get some money for them. Based on internet research, one might be worth $150, the other somewhat less. I don't want to go to the trouble of selling them myself, especially since they could be on the market for many months (based on listings I saw on Etsy). I am better honoring my ancestors by doing genealogy research and sharing it online than by having these statues hidden away with no one to leave them to. These statues have lived rent-free in my house and in my head for far too long!
Read "The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living" by Daisy Luther. From the library, of course. Perhaps a primer for beginners, but some of the ideas are not truly frugal or are outdated. Didn't really get anything out of it that I could use.
Hamburger stroganoff is simmering in the slow cooker. We had (free) breakfast sausage and potatoes last night. Heading to Aldi tomorrow to pick up a few things and use one of my $5 off $30 purchase coupons. I'm so well stocked that I had to look hard to find things to stock up on.
Voting Tuesday and dental appt. Thursday. Husband's absentee ballot has already been sent in. Otherwise more cleaning and quilting, especially since the weather is turning colder and wetter later in the week. Had my annual haircut the previous week.
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AnonymousNovember 6, 2022 at 3:02 PM
We have lots of trees on our property and have had trees cut down for safety reasons. Still we've had 2 trees fall. One was close to the house and my husband saw it as he was watching tv. It was a 40-50 foot pine tree. The other I heard hit the ground. It was a 40- 50 ft walnut.
When we get winds like we did yesterday I start praying nothing hits the house! I did hear one last night but it was "only" about 30 ft tall and thin and very dead with no branches. When I looked it wasn't near the house thank goodness.

Our fridge/freezer we discovered was out on Wednesday so all my good bargains I got early in the week were mush or brown. Then I got sick on Friday. Repairman is coming Wednesday and hopefully he has the part! We were told we're lucky to get an appointment in a week. Some customers are waiting 3 weeks!

To perk myself up I'm thinking about ideas for homemade Christmas gifts. My son-in-law likes snacks and daughter likes sewn gifts. A couple of years ago I made all my kids potholders even the boyfriend of one of them.. Even if you don't cook you can use it for the microwave! I'm going to make my husband one of those rice packs you heat in the microwave since the heating pad quit working and I don't want to buy another.

Cheryl, you like to give homemade/thrifty but thoughtful gifts maybe you could do a post on that? I'm interested in gifts people really give and not these websites or magazine articles where I wonder does anyone actually make that? Or like that? Lol.
~margaret

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Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and GardenNovember 6, 2022 at 5:57 PM
Your wind was bigger than ours I think but I felt like I was in a wind tunnel. The trees here have lost all their glory too.
I'm glad that tree is down by you and no one was hurt.
We had a big fire in the next town with the wind they liked to never got it out. That was the big story of the day.
Have a great week.
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Debby in Kansas USANovember 6, 2022 at 8:11 PM
Comments first!
Falling trees- That wind came through here, too. I kept watching the cottonwood next door cuz it's a monster and I think that a SW to NE wind would land it straight onto our dining room roof!

I love hearing about the dinner get together in AZ! Very nice!

I'm glad Blue is safely done with her surgery and fattening up!

We've had a fridge/freezer go kaput and it's sickening! I'm not a bit surprised that Cheryl checks her upright daily! That's what happens when you get burned by something. Eternal terror! I know several people that disconnected ice makers after the hose broke and caused thousands in flood damage. Didn't happen to us, but after seeing the carnage?! I am perfectly content to empty ice trays!! Another friend checks the water meter daily after a leak ran her bill up to $2000 dollars. Another friend had a leak in their washer hose that flooded 2 floors of their house while they were on vacation. We now turn off the main water valve to the house whenever we leave overnight.
Yup, eternal terror!!! Or tightwad loss prevention?!

Speaking of overnight, we had a last minute trip to KCK yesterday. Just one night, but necessary. Everything is fine btw! But I mention it because I cost controlled pretty good. Got about $20 off the hotel with a AAA discount. But their pet fee was a whopping $30 per night!
It was only $10 last November! I also want to share that my doggy was far better behaved than a gaggle of kids there that ran screaming thru the halls from 6-10pm. No joke. Heck, a cattle drive would've been quieter. Cattle doesn't shriek and slam doors. Unbelievable.
Anyway, we had baked potatoes, chili, and small frosties from Wendy's for dinner last night. I brought PB &Js and Fig Newtons for lunch today before we left for home. Aside from the hotel, we spent only $15 at Wendy's, $3 for milk, and $44 on gas. I was stunned that gas was 30¢ more per gallon in the big city!!

Oh, Miss Scarlet is on PBS! I'll finish later!
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Staci @Life At Cobble Hill FarmNovember 6, 2022 at 9:23 PM
Good for you on the great deals! So happy to hear no one was hurt from the falling tree. They are scary indeed. It's eerie how it appears to be slow motion, isn't it? I hear you on raking the leaves again (and again, and again). The beauty while they are on the trees though makes it all worthwhile. We had heavy winds in our area (upstate NY) last night, but thankfully, not around us.
Wishing everyone a wonderful evening!
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AnonymousNovember 7, 2022 at 8:12 AM
(Little Penpen) wow, your weather was something else, wasn’t it? And that’s an interesting thought about how well the squirrels make their nests. They surely listen to their Father. ♥️
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Debby in Kansas USANovember 7, 2022 at 1:48 PM
I wanted to add that I was shocked when the Wendy's bill came to $15. All 3 items used to be on the dollar menu and with tax the bill was less than $7. It more than doubled!! I must need to get out more lol!!

We didn't get the egg sale . Nobody has had eggs or ground beef on sale in ages. Aldi had the only turkey deal. I've also been watching for cabbage and turkey kielbasa. The kielbasa has been over $4. Isn't cabbage in season now or am I daft?!

Meals this week were:
Rotisserie chicken from Sam's.
Chicken tacos.
Leftover Lima beans and ham.
Beef barley soup.
Tuna melts.
Chicken noodle soup (homemade)
Wendy's chili and baked potatoes.
We had 2 *treat* meals this week. We had Sam's hot dogs for lunch last Monday and the hotel had a great spread on Sunday morning. I oinked after that!! I had a Belgian waffle with strawberries, 2 pieces of bacon, and breakfast potatoes with peppers. It was all delicious!!

We're watching Season 8 of Father Brown.
Reading -
On my nightstand - The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais.
In my craft room CD player - The 6th Man by David Baldacci.
With my Bible study - For the Love of Christian Homemaking by Mrs Sharon White.
By my reading chair - Whirlwind by Rick Mofina.

See y'all tomorrow!! Stay warm!
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Debby in KansasNovember 7, 2022 at 3:02 PM
Does anyone know why this page is shrinking dramatically and showing only an inch wide on the far left side? Did I do something without realizing it? Any ideas to fix it are welcome! Thx!
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Out My windowNovember 7, 2022 at 3:08 PM
We had huge windstorms here also and a lot of rain, In fact 28 miles away there was major flooding.
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JackieNovember 7, 2022 at 6:36 PM
It was very windy and snowy at our son's place in the city. Now we are home, and it is windy and snowy here. Glad to be home safe and sound and able to enjoy the memories of our visit.

God bless.
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