Grief

Friday(5/26/ 17) morning at 8:30 I lit this candle on behalf of my older dog Miss Kira. Hubby was taking her to have her put to sleep as she had stopped eating on her own and only ate a little from my hand as I tried to get her to eat. She gave me a kiss instead and I let her go...with heartbreaking and fighting denial that made me want to pretend she would be instantly cured of the tumor or better go in her sleep....

I stayed home with Rascal, he was only 6 wks old and hadn't been with his mommy due to his mommy fighting to live after being starved while she was expecting. So Kira was his doggy mommy when I am just mommy.... I side tracked him so he wouldn't get upset with her getting to go in the truck with Hubby and him not. (her favorite thing to do was ride in the truck with her Daddy without Rascal and me) When Hubby brought her collar home and put it with her leash in the mudroom. Later when the breeze changed direction her tags made a sound and he ran to the mudroom to see her.. with tears running down my face I took the collar and let him smell it. His eyes became sad and his head dropped and walked away and hide between my foot stool and the couch where she hid when she wanted to be left alone. He knew she wouldn't be without that collar,

But life goes on as we grieve . I have her lamb that she rested her head on, at time Rascal and I both need to smell it to smell her one more time. I know her scent will fade with time, and so will the  grief...Walking the perimeter for me is hard, she was my perimeter buddy and her cute prance brought a smile through the worst of weather we walked in. I remind myself she isn't in pain, wasn't when we let her go. She's not stuck in a perimeter and can roam to her heart's content. Her ashes will bring joy to others as they were mixed with wild flowers and sprinkled in a meadow. She loved walking through my flower gardens and smelling the flowers several times a day.

My Hubby grieves, she loved him the most and made that clear. She would sit in truck for hours with him. He said he needed to be the one to take her, to tell her to go on as she stopped and looked back at him as she left him.

Rascal is withdrawn and we try to let him have his time of grief but encourage him to eat, to play to go outside though one of us usually go out with him so he doesn't feel so alone. His routine and habits will change as he is now "top dog" as Hubby calls him. He finally slept on the loveseat and then on the couch that she had claimed as hers. He now lays beside Hubby's chair at the dining table where she laid instead of by me like he did... He's not playing unless we push the issue with him. I get him out to play 10 (10 throws of the ball) and am lucky to get 1 at this point. He will go out with me when I can bring myself to walk the perimeter but doesn't walk with me even if I take the ball to play 10, he will catch the ball and then go back up to the drive to watch me but not be with me.  I hope some day that he will walk with me.

I grieve, I just grieve. She had brought me out of sever depression when I got her out of the shelter 7 yrs ago. Spent 5 yrs of her life in the shelter ( first 2 owners lost their homes and gave her back).Now I fight the depression without her. I fight it in honor of her, to be there for Rascal as she would want me to .... I try to keep in mind she's better, she's free, she's happy...

I told Hubby I am not sure I could handle losing one of the kids, grandkids or great grandson. I nearly starved myself to death when I lost my younger brother...the grief just hits harder and harder as I age.

Hold your love ones a little longer today, call. text, whatever, the ones you can't hold and let them know you love them.

Life is too short, far too short, and shorter when they walk on 4 legs.

Blessed be  my baby girl..Miss Kira

Your last walk baby, I love you. I miss you ...baby girl

 

this week

started out being really frugal.

Monday we went to Wagner's IGA and hit the clearance cart to go along with the few odds and ends I didn't want to pay the Kroger's prices. Did a huge score on different breads and sweets for the freezer.Plus points for fuel and 5¢ each for bringing my own bags.

I stopped a FISH thrift shop and got 2 pillows to recover,scarf,2 skirts(one which be use to recover the one pillow)5 nightgowns of the style I love but never want to pay the price for and 1 pair of shorts for a total of $11.

I went to doctor appt... I had dropped my A1C from 6.4 to 5.8 (GO ME) and my cholesterol below 200, WITHOUT the statin ..haven't seem that low in a decade. Doc took me off 4 different meds as my blood work showed I was finally up to normal. Doc changed my one med from 90 days to 360 and sent it to a certain pharmacy because they sell it for half the price of getting it every 90 days for a year.. Saved me around $50.

I went to CVS to pick up Hubby's meds and the clerk caught I had been bumped out of the rewards for prescriptions so she put me back in.

I maxed out on May's pts at Walgreen as my FITBIT tracker is connected to their app. I now have a $10 credit but 3000 pts away from having a $20 credit.

I went to Ollies as they had fans in and  I had a 15% off coupons. I picked up 4 fans of different sizes and styles for 1/4 th less before the coupon than I had priced elsewhere.

Hubby called our phone company and complained that the credit we were suppose to get from April when both our land land and internet was out for a week wasn't on the bill like it was suppose to be. Took him 2 hrs to get it dealt with which didn't put him in a good mood at all but as I reminded him it got the credit If it's not on the next bill he will go through the roof.

I requested a credit from my GI office as they had charged me for her to file out family leave and she doesn't do that unless you are having a procedure and the front desk didn't know that as she had just started...also I found out my ins PAYS for that to be done so I shouldn't have paid anyways.She lets the hospital doctor do that instead. BUT Hubby's employer wants it filed in Jan so my primary was able to do it since he does all my blood work and meds to fight the malnutrition the Crohn's causes.  They were suppose to credit it to the Jan bill , then when that didn't happen it was send a check and then when I went in April it still hadn't been credited or sent . My GI nailed the billing office and stood over them until she saw that is was credited to my bill from April... GOOD DOCTOR.

I made potato salad, after I boiled the potatoes I just lifted them out instead of dumping the water and added some cold water and then put the eggs in to boil them.

Tuesday we had chiro appt and dogs went to vet.
I scheduled a manicure (not my norm) for Friday when we go in for another doctor appt at the salon across from Chiro. Since I'm not getting a gel just a regular manicure it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. This is my Mother's day present from the kids...it's going to cost them $5 each including the tip.
Our chiro was less than $6 for the two of us thanks to our ins now covering that .

AND THEN OUR WORLD FELL APART

Took the dogs to the vet to get their nails clipped (takes 3 of us to hold them down and clip). I always get the dogs weighed. Miss Kira...our older dog...about 100 yrs in dog years...had dropped another 3 lbs in one month... she did that in April and we didn't think anything of it as she was starting to run the perimeter more with the warmer weather... but this time I knew it was bad we had another dog, Cookie do that when she got cancer..Miss Kira has a tumor in her spleen/intestines that is already the size of a baseball. Doc felt it pretty good and she didn't moan, yelp or anything while he did it so she's pretty much pain free at the moment. She jumped down from the table that is 4 ft off the floor which bugs the crap out of me but shows she's stable in that area. No sense of doing a MRI as I wouldn't have her operated on at her age and there is a possible chance of the tumor exploding when they cut her open. Her quality of life means more to me. We almost lost her the spring of 2011 right after we moved here due to someone tossing rat poison out and her getting a hold of it. Almost put her into kidney failure even though I got the package away from her and her teeth was only through the cover on top. Law said the package had been coated with grease so everyone was watching out...our landlord had his dog poisoned a couple years ago and they never found who did it...anyways...she's moving slow,her perimeter walks are closer to half the perimeter in the morning and not much during the rest of the day. Her eating is slowing down unless it's people food then she can out eat me. Good thing we scored on bread as that with eggs is her favorite and french fries...She's eating grass at the edge of the garden pretty much every time she does go out. AND she finally didn't look away when I took her picture yesterday.

She is getting her way pretty much with what few weeks we have left with her. We know from Cookie that 4-6 wks will pretty much be the end and we won't let her go into pain . She still lays on her tummy so we know when she stops that or we can see the shape of it in her belly like we did Cookie it will be time to let her go... MEANTIME she has scored extra rides in the truck from her Daddy...

on the other hand Rascal... who loves getting his picture taken.

Yes he is begging,that's about as far as he raises his front feet unless he is wanting a hug. He has stayed close to me, he isn't trying to get her to play any more. isn't swiping the chew bone from her to get her to chase him. He is smelling her more instead so I know even though I haven't picked up the odor YET he has.He isn't playing 10 (fetch the ball) with me, just wants to be close but not play. When I walk the perimeter he stays with her most the time now. Protecting the weaker of our pack.

I did the wash on speed wash, tap water cold, homemade soap and then dried everything on the clothes line. She laid in the house on the hassock to watch me out the window (she didn't want out as I left the door open so she could come out whenever she wanted) and he laid under the tree watching her and me.

Hubby told me to feed her whatever she would eat. He didn't want her to feel hungry and she does let me know when she wants something but I think the dog food isn't going to be what she eats much longer. Rascal will definitely eat her share.

Blessed Be

being frugal May 19 2017

In our home being frugal is a lifestyle that changes with life.

I had a friend tell me how frugal they are and how little it costs to run their home until I started playing 20 questions with her and then she realized they weren't being frugal at all.

Spending $200 a week for two people at Krogers and doing the survey for another 50 pts so you can get $1. off 35 gals of gas, is not frugal. Keeping the curtains shut ALL the time and then run the furnace because none of the sunlight can heat the house and have to turn on ALL the lights (not just in the room they are in either) isn't being frugal. I did talk them into using LED light bulbs, Not opening windows and doors when it's warm out and there is a breeze and turning the AC to 70° (when they heat the house to 78° during the winter) isn't being frugal. Using the dryer as an iron because they left the clothes in the dryer and they got wrinkled not frugal. Buying the latest and newest of anything and then not using it is not frugal. Buying clothes or anything because they are on sale and you have coupons and then never wear them or use them is not frugal.Carrying 15 store credit cards and just making payments instead of paying them off.I didn't say anything to her that it wasn't being frugal, she realized it with just telling me about it.

Not carrying life ins and not having a will is going to be a huge problem for those you leave behind especially if you don't have your funeral and burial expenses paid which they just found out AFTER he didn't keep the life ins that he could have had when he retired.By time they got the funeral and burial arranged and paid for the two of them it was over $30,000 that came out of their assets instead of the life ins that wasn't costing him more than $39 a month that would have paid those bills.Even if you don't own anything , get a will, otherwise it goes through probate ($$$)when you die in most states. Your family or friends have to file in court to deal with your bills and funeral etc. Get POD(pay on Death) on all checking savings accts make sure you have beneficiaries on everything IRA , 401k life ins ...list two if not 3.

Getting trees trimmed, fence and locks on gates around pools or pets if they bite , repairing sidewalks, cleaning out the rain gutters have them drain AWAY from the foundation (add the hose things if needed), using septic cleaner (ridx most common around here) and cleaning the filters in the septic system.Her husband put a lock on the gate around their pool and their house ins dropped $50 . They just spent thousands repairing their foundation because the downspouts drained there. They had to pay for their son's car to be fixed after their tree that is into the driveway dropped a limb on his brand new car.

Sometimes it's pennies you are saving...and they do add up to dollars. AND sometimes you have to spend the dollars to save the hundreds or thousands.

It can be doing the laundry on short cycle with tap water and homemade soap or cheap that isn't brand name.

Using the clothes dryer on sensor, drying rack, clothesline or combination of all.

Eating from the pantry that I have spent time matching sales and coupons or hours growing, tending, harvesting, processing and then cooking for our meals OR eating out with coupons combined with specials or during bfast or lunch time when it's cheaper. Using senior citizen discounts is another one.

It's listing what we need, what we want and what we are willing to pay and then searching for substitutions that are cheaper and then  waiting for the sale (or Menard's 11% rebate).

It's thrift shops , yard sales and networking for things.

It's making do, using it up, wearing it out and sometimes doing without. Like the trimmer that just died and I'm using scissors to trim with the things that took 30 min with the trimmer.

BUT it's also about having beauty in our lives of 2 dogs, hummingbird feeders, birdhouse, flowers table cloths, oil lamps and candles...and my 100 plus herbs and spices that I use on a regular bases (that is sometimes a negative from my cheffing years LOL) I grow most of my herbs, half of my teas and have a source through an Amish store for the spices.

It's about sitting outside and enjoying it and not focusing on the trimming that isn't getting done (our friend is trying to find us a used one that is in our price range), the gardens that are starting to get weeds already or the storms that are gathering west of us AGAIN.

It's not about not buying, as the huge outlay of money we spent just this week will tell you...but the over 1/3rd savings when everything was totalled up shows the frugal. Things we need to run this home, maintain it bought at the lowest price we waited for. The amount I budgeted was 50% higher than what we paid.

It's about talking to our car ins guy about us renting a car when I need to get my dad instead of owning an old gas guzzler with full coverage when we don't need except for when I get Dad, We need a truck, or even two would be a lot better as one vehicle isn't doing well for us,.It's about looking at a secure credit card that is based on our savings to pay for the car rental instead of just a credit card that we can run up another bill. If the car rental took debit cards I wouldn't even bother with that.

Frugal can have some negative also...Using cash only ( 7 yrs of cash only) no credit cards or loans means our credit score is low...that's not a good thing when we will be buying a house, on the other side we will have the cash to pay for a house with in reason Our finance guy is still working out which way is better with our tax guy. Lucky for us, both are FREE. as they are close friends .

It's about needing clothes (Hubby has lost 20 lbs and is continuing to lose and I am not out in the workforce and chef jackets and dress clothes don't do well in gardens) that wear well with the hard manual work we do. Used clothes is fine, under clothes socks and Hubby"s work boots are new. I can usually get shoes off the grandkids as they outgrow my size. That benefit is going to end this year as the youngest is about to pass me and the great grandson isn't even one yet.

It's about turning off fans when you aren't in the room, turning off the lights when you leave the room. opening the curtains for light/warmth closing them when it's hot out to keep the house cooler.

It's about turning the central air on (which I don't like AC to begin with ) because the old dog (around 100 in dog years) throws up when she gets to hot and dehydrates when I can turn on the central air to 76 keep her cool and not run up the vet bill which is twice what I pay for running the Central air if I only run it during the hottest part of the day. We will run it if it is raining and the fan can't keep the house cool enough,

It's about using the outdoor grill instead of the stove and heating up the house when it's hot out. Using the oven when it's cold in the winter

Using leftovers to make more meals, eating more legumes and less meat. It's about doing my own nails even though I LOVE getting a manicure and pedicure.

Being frugal in your choices is good. Being frugal as a lifestyle will reap more rewards.

Blessed Be

What I bought the month of May

We have a few things we will get the rest of this month but not much. Yes the bill was huge , but about 1/3rd less than what we budgeted for when we waited for coupons, sales and rebates.

This was what the list was

Dollar General
Advil Allergy and Congestion BOUGHT
Sensodyne toothpaste BOUGHT (STORE BRAND)
Super Glue BOUGHT
hand soap BOUGHT LG REFILL
Corned beef hash BOUGHT

CVS
Xlear nose spray BOUGHT

Make up.BOUGHT WHAT WAS ON SALE WITH REWARDS

Menards (at 11% rebate)
dog food BOUGHT
dog snap treats BOUGHT
house water filter BOUGHT
Water pitcher filters BOUGHT
softener salt BOUGHT
dryer vent kit (daughter) BOUGHT
hummingbird nectar BOUGHT
canned veggies for emergency supply BOUGHT (done)
clothes line pins (mine are worn out) BOUGHT
regular canning lids BOUGHT
hardware for daughter's clothes line Hubby is making her (BOUGHT)
ground clear (usually get this from landlord but he ran out himself) BOUGHT
garden hose (one got a huge hole) BOUGHT
garden hose sprayer (old one got ran over) BOUGHT
kitchen brush (for my cast iron) BOUGHT
25 cu ft of potting soil( as I gave  my kids what I had for their pots) BOUGHT


Food.. BOUGHT
milk
Greek yogurt
lunch meat
apple
onions
green onions
mushrooms
bell peppers
celery
radishes (hopefully the last)
milk bone small biscuits for the dogs 
soup: cream of chicken, cream of mushroom and tomato
tomatoes, vine, Roma and cherry
strawberries as our is not doing well 
asparagus
broccoli
cauliflower
coles slaw
water for the emergency supply
lunch meat ham and turkey
tortilla wraps (still not time to make these and they are a quick meal for us)
kleenex
body soap
thin bagels 
mini blueberry bagels
lemons 
limes
foot long hotdogs
foot long hotdog buns
bananas
ice cream topping pineapple, strawberry and caramel ( will be getting the ice cream at local store due to being cheaper and I like banana splits just smaller than what I can buy at local ice cream place)
egg rolls (dinner and leftovers for bfast on the go)
potstickers (dinner and leftovers for bfast)
canned pineapple 
avocados
lean pockets for Hubby's lunch
yellow sq and zucchini
Fritos (walking taco salad, "nachos" and veggie dip)
Potato chips...Hubby gets 2 bags a month and when they are gone they are gone. Used to be 2 family bags a week. 
Starbucks decaf ground coffee...not for us but for my Dad that just went to decaf and complained he is drinking brown water with his milk .I left him some when we were there and my brother had him make him a pot to try it. Dad told him he thought it wasn't decaf because of the taste but wasn't going to tell me that he liked it better because he knew the price of it. Brother told me anyways as we all figured Dad wouldn't let me know because of the price. Man is 90 yrs old, buying his coffee is no big deal.

I will be glad when the gardens start coming in so the fresh veggies being bought will be lower

Blessed Be

When the day to day rolls over you

Home from the auction and unloaded in front of garage. I got the flowers we wanted and a few more as Hubby did the opening bid on some flats and no one bid against him. Oh well 36 flowers for $5 isn't bad and what I didn't want, I passed to 2 of my daughters. Got tomato plants, bell pepper plants and candy onion plants . I had to pick up eggplant over to the hardware store.

I've put in almost 40 hrs and still have some to plant.... BECAUSE I had a friend give me their extras LOL

I did put in this new flower garden. I will have scarlet runner beans on the trellis as the Hummingbirds love the red flowers on them, the green beans they produce is a side benefit for us. We had a baby hummingbird the other day. I wished I could have gotten a picture.

IF the winds we keep getting don't kill it off is should be a decent garden. We have went from floods to freeze to frosts to storms with winds 30-60 mph in the last 10 days and that train of storms is still rolling through this week. Temps have been to almost 90°.

We went over and saw both set of parents and spent some time with them.

Then made 2 trips down to the kids and realized we forgot somethings so will be going back down.

We ate mostly from the menu which was from the pantry. Leftovers got made into other dishes so I didn't fix a couple meals.

We hauled another 2 loads to thrift shop and 1 load down to kids.There are big holes in the farrowing house.

I should not have to buy any more green onions at the store as mine is starting to come in. The snow peas and Lincoln peas are up and look to have survived the nasty weather. Rhubarb is about to run me over. That's a priority this week.

I got laundry done on the day I could use the clothesline even though the winds were around 20 mph I was able to keep it on the line and not have to rewash anything. Sure did dry fast.

I haven't gotten around to baking...going to have to change my schedule to add that in along with the sewing I want to get done.

Blessed Be

Menu to this coming week

I am horrible at planning menus for just Hubby and me. For work as a Chef, no problem, as a mother that had over 7 at the table, no problem...just Hubby and me BIG PROBLEM.

We like variety...we like different cultures , types, etc  it is the negative side of being a chef.

I have also learned after noting what got threw in the garbage this past month that the 4th serving gets tossed... I eat bfast for my lunch... We have 2 servings at dinner and then Hubby takes the 4th for his lunch. Some things I am able to cut down to 3 servings or divide the four into 3 others not so much.

I used to freeze it for my Dad but he can't swallow solid food any more and then I gave it to our son but now he's on a special diet for his weight and that doesn't work either. When Hubby retires we decided to just plate it and cover it for the next day and both of us would eat it for dinner... meantime I need to quit tossing food.

We decided if it's something that has to be made as 4 that I have something else for him to take to work and we eat the last 2 servings the following day's dinner.

This week's menu
Dinner only

one pot green beans, potatoes and ham from freezer  and cornbread

Hobo packets , smoked sausage, celery , carrot, onion , potatoes, cheddar cheese and ice cube wrapped in a packet of foil and baked at 350° for 20-30 min with crescents

American chicken and broccoli stir fry and rice. I will pick up some potstickers and egg rolls from the freeze dept as I have coupons and they are on sale this week when I get out of the dentist office (no special trip to store)

Steak and potato ( not sure what kind I will fix depends on weather) and salad

grilled chipped chopped ham and cheese sandwich and soup as we will be spending the day at the Amish produce auction and I won't be up to fixing a meal after that.

Prime rib roast...veggies unknown at this point. I will probable make hash with the leftovers possible some soup if enough is left for both.

first 8 days of May

We celebrated with my Dad that turned 90. Took him to Bob Evans and which point about at the halfway point of my eating my meal he leaned over and told me I had ate enough and to box up the rest. He didn't forget that the last time we went out to eat I told him instead of being quiet about me eating too much or the wrong thing to tell me, to share his wisdom of being a diabetic for 30 yrs and still only taking 1/2 of a metaformin daily to control it. I was a good day as he walked through his "memory lane" while showing me the items he wanted to share the story about in his home.

His love of sausage gravy and biscuits continues through down to his great grandkids and most likely will another generation as the great great grandson is starting to reach the stage of being able to eat soft foods.

We did a stop by a viewing of a classmate and nephew of a old childhood friend of mine...very sad.
Triggered some of the old feelings of when I lost my late husband.

Then we can home to this

Right to our driveway,, grass was  a tiny strip on this side, no grass on the other side and it only got worse before it got better.

THEN there was a FREEZE... I'm not sure if the peas and spring crops made it yet as we have another cold morning tomorrow before it starting warming back up. I did cover up what I could.

We flopped the truck with daughter as she has my car to go get Dad as he can't get in the truck. Cheaper to flop than to rent a car, she did say if we sold her the car she was willing to flop it with us to go get him instead of us buying a car that I won't drive all that much. We will see.

We ate from the pantry through the week and then ate out most of the weekend. Got a Philly cheese steak pizza and chef salad that feed us 3 meals over the weekend.I'm not going to crab about it with how the days have been rolling.

Lawn is mowed but the trimmer was broke and Hubby couldn't fix it so a friend did. I got it back today.

I've been sorting through the farrowing house that has became our storage unit... Took 2 loads already to the thrift shop and have another one loaded to go tomorrow.

I made a list of the breads etc that we like and want me to start baking... AND I listed the time that was needed to do so so it's not "Oh let's have this bread" and then realise it uses a starter that need began the day before or it's something that takes 4 hrs. I did tell Hubby if it's a 4 hr bread I could start it before I started supper and it would be done before I went to bed. We will see.

What I am buying the month of May

I've wrote the buy list over 6 times...then let it lay and come back and think ...no

Dollar General
Advil Allergy and Congestion
Sensodyne toothpaste
Super Glue
hand soap

Check prices for :
Dawn
corned beef hash
corned beef
cream of chicken soup
V8 Fusion (doctor told me to add this as my body doesn't absorb nutrients like it should)
Carnation Essentials Low sugar

CVS
Xlear nose spray

check prices for:
 make up that needs replaced to see if it's on sale

Menards (hopefully at 11% rebate)
dog food
dog biscuits
dog snap treats

Food
milk
cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
lunch meat

apple
onions

Amish produce auction
 I am hoping to buy the following
tomato plants
bell pepper plants,
eggplants
flats of flowers (for two of our daughters and myself)
I might buy some other plants...depends on what is offered and what the price is.

The Merry Month of May

I saw this on Pinterest when searching for storage solutions and thought it looked wonderful.

May 3rd is my Dad's 90th birthday, we plan to go over on the 5th to celebrate with him. My brother or niece is taking him out on his birthday and the other one is doing it the next day...I got a feeling he is going to have a birthday WEEK. I put on my FaceBook to family and friends to mail him a card or call him and had his neighbor (my soul sister's mom) mentioned she would take him for a ride and sandwich for his birthday. He has been her garden guru for over 30 yrs.

We will be meeting with Hubby's parents to buy their old truck. Another trip.

ALSO will make 2 trips down to see the kids and drop off stuff might be 3 as 3 of the kids need help with yard work and getting rid of some things.

We have a produce auction to go to May 12th and maybe the 26th.

My to do list....sigh...

Priority. transplant sweet potato slips...then move vacuum to where the slips are sitting, the exercise bike to where the vacuum is setting and my desk and computer tray to where the exercise bike is so I don't have to clean off the dining table of my work every single meal. I also will hang the shelf I bought at a yard sale on the wall at my desk for storage and bring in the file cabinet I also bought at yard sale for my desk area. IF I can I'll move the printer to my desk and use the area the printer sit in for my jacket, boots etc for when I walk out that door to take dogs on perimeter. IF I can get that done things will be easier to maintain.

Plant something every day in the gardens or in pots. Weed and harvest and immediately process (I"m bad about letting it sit in frig or wherever) when needed.Make the weed killer spray, do another round of Neem oil spray, deal with fire ant nests and spray house for regular ants. Will have to check mice baits as Landlord's son told me he found a couple in the grainary which is right across the driveway from the house.

Get a better routine for Home Blessing and sewing to include time for push mowing that I will be doing instead of Hubby.Keep laundry caught up and try to use clothesline (without the items getting blew in the garden).

Change out the lights to LED bulbs in closets.

I need to get the pressure canner checked STILL.

Finish great Grandson's afghan...this is doable while I take the webinars of the courses I need for our health ins points , well really at this point I want the points for the Amazon card since I've already got my ins paid for

I need to update the yard sale list.

TO finish emergency supplies...pillows for us, a blanket for the dogs to lay on .Fresh water!! Double check cook stove and those supplies.Instant coffee would be good as when Hubby is wet and cold (he is with Homeland Security and does HAM radio for them so he knows) he wants hot black coffee.
Recheck medical supplies for both us and the dogs. Buy corned beef, corned beef hash, minute rice and cream of chicken soup to finish out the food supplies.

Go through the pantry and the butler's pantry for old stuff and what will need to be focused on putting up this season. Since I know we will go 4 months without any income I want to make sure we have a variety and plenty of food with Hubby being home also. We hope to find a new home in the spring and move during warmer weather. We've moved enough and moved the kids enough in winter and nasty cold wet rain of springs and falls to NOT want to do it again.

I need to update the grocery list and non food list and check for coupons and sales.

I need to keep checking that we are not missing something along the way as we move towards retirement.

I want to increase the savings from 20 % (still have 2 loans we pay on) to 30%. I'm not sure we can do that every month until he retires but I would like to try for it.

Blessed Be each and everyone of you.

What a month April was..what I did frugal

Miss Kira( about 100 yrs old doggy years) on the left and Rascal (a bit over 28 yrs in dogs years) on the right have had me up all night several times this month with the storms and winds that have went through.She doesn't like her picture taken and usually does a better job of moving before I click my camera. I've learned if I want ANY sleep to sleep on the floor in the front room. She doesn't want us in the bedroom since that's the wall that takes the hit from the winds during storms. AND she wants me on the floor where both of them can lay next to me instead of the couch where one of them is going to end up still on the floor. I have taken to laying the cushions for the lawn chairs on the floor and top with thick blankets for my bedroll.

One of landlord's sons rolled our yard for free since we help with the cattle without pay that they keep in the barn behind us. The other one brought a couple piglets in and I mentioned I wished he had said something and I would have had him bring me in one also. He mentioned cost and I mentioned I pay for the electric to run the pump for the water the cattle drink...he was shocked...he thought the water pump was on the barn meter he pays LOL.I doubt if he will bring me a piglet though.

We lost our internet and home phone service for almost 2 weeks( phone company gave us credit) and the cells stopped working right for a couple days during the same time.

I went in the ER (Crohns) and then spent a week pretty much down on the couch.

Add in doctor appts, lab work, house hunting for when Hubby retires, Produce auction (nothing we wanted) community yard sale in the pouring rain(prices were slashed half off the first day with the rain that was coming in all weekend) and Hubby going to the retirement meeting to start the process of retiring out. AND a load to the thrift shop as I sort through what we want from what we kept in case we or one of the kids needed.I also took my car to my youngest to use while she tries to find a car she can afford as the one she was suppose to buy needed more work than the seller had mentioned. Probably because she's female thinking she didn't know what a timing chain was and knew what it meant to replace it.

We had a nice Passover and Easter (ham was 99¢/lb).

We combined errands with chiro,doc appts and lab work. We even combined looking at houses while going over to the produce auction and coming back and when we took my car to the daughter and when we saw our parents (2 trips).

We used Wagner pts,Kroger pts and Speedway fuel card to keep the gas cost down while searching for lowest gas using Gasbuddy

I used my garage sale list for the yard sales I went to and didn't buy the "pretties" that I would have.

We had a freeze come through again and luckily I saw the forecast for it to be around 40° and left the straw on so we didn't lose anything. We might have lost the strawberries as Hubby put too much straw and too tight on them. I have them uncovered so we will just have to wait and see. The other box is fine and I found some on sale to fill in on sale. I have now removed the straw and put it in the north garden between the straw bale garden on the foot path part.

We ate out with friends and used 50% off coupon for the whole table.

I picked flowers several times for the house.Spring flowers are pretty much over and my lavender is just starting to bloom.

Hubby and I have done some activities that earns us points for our ins.. his ins for next yr is FREE and mine as his spouse is $1.50 a week. (yes we know we are lucky) PLUS his company gave us each $50 Amazon card ...when we max out our pts ( probably in a month) we each will get $100 Amazon card

I cashed in my points from Swagbucks and Pinecone research.I used coupons and mailed in rebates for things we bought this month.

We have been graphing my sugar and when I was in the office for follow up from the ER Doc moved my lab work and appt up since my sugar is rebounding and I have proof of it... goes low and then immediately goes high again. He is thinking more of Crohn's instead of the steroids...not what I wanted to hear.BUT at this point it's hard for him to tell since I am on steroids AGAIN for the Crohn's attack I had.IF my A1C is above 6.0 a second time,our ins will pay for test strips for me.If it's down I won't have to test any more.

I did the wash in tap water cold,short wash, double spin(cheaper to spin on 110 than dry longer on 220)

I used the clothesline...and ended up rewashing the same load 3 times when the wind kept blowing it off even with more pins on each item thankfully the straw bale garden caught them and I didn't have to chase it to the neighbors 1/2 mile away .... so I used the drying rack and sensor on the dryer to dry the clothes. Electric bill dropped $15 this month.Even with using the same amt of electric as last yr. Our landlord checks for lowest prices all the time for electric and propane.

I changed the pattern of the afghan I am making my great grandson so I wouldn't have to buy more yarn.

Miss Kira still goes on the shock collar when the wind is blowing, rain or storms. Hubby let her out the other day without it while I was at the doctor's office and the landlord's son called me to let me know she was at his parents house  and looking to head beyond that (their property is at the end of the range of our shocker)and I let him know Hubby was home but had no truck to go get her. Texted Hubby and he realized he had let her out without the collar so he couldn't even shock her to get her to stop and come back so he texted the landlord's son who went out and yelled at her to GO HOME and slapped his hands together so she pranced her way across the hay field and got met by one ticked off Daddy I am not sure who he was ticked off more at her for not staying in the perimeter or him for forgetting to put the collar on her. LOL

I've kept used coffee grounds for the tomato plants I will be putting in with in the next couple weeks.

I've saved my change, $1 and $5s for our savings.I didn't use all the grocery money this month and even with eating out more than we planned I had money left in that acct also so we put it together with some money we got refunded (over paid bill that ins finally paid) and bought a new...brand new push...excuse me...walk behind self propelled electric start lawnmower that mulches, bags or does normal mowing.It's a Toro with a 5 yr warranty. It's also what the guy that routinely fixes our mowers told me to get and it was on sale and he used his discount on top of the sale since his brother owns the store LOL. I used it today and it was great.We will still have to weed eat around things but not like we have and I won't have so much grass blown into my sq ft gardens.

We checked out Hubby's dad's old truck that he was going to put up for sale and decided we would buy it, It's a small truck, not full size like we have,so the gas mileage will be better plus Hubby can drive it back and forth to work when he doesn't take the bike or I can drive it instead of my Ford SUV that eats gas also. Our ins guy looked over our policy and thinks it will costs about $20 more after he adjust the other truck as pleasure and takes full coverage off the ford. Hubby's dad took it in to get a full check up and do some repairs and maintenance on it. We will still have our mechanic check it out before we drive it too much.I can guess it's going to need tires as no one can remember when the tires were replaced.

Blessed Be

Buying for April

I have made a list of what should be bought, a few items has been bumped a couple months as it is and can't be put off any longer.

Pressure canner checked , with possibility of replacing gasket, seal and pressure gauge....pretty sure the pressure gauge needs replaced. Last time I used it I saw moisture inside of it.

Wide mouth canning jar RINGS ONLY... next to impossible to find without the lids but I don't need any more lids. I found them at fillmorecontainer.com. Those will be ordered this month.

Filter for my vacuum. Hubby uses the air compressor to clean this out for me every other week but it only helps so long. I have a very small vacuum that is bagless. I love it ...I would get another in a heart beat It is a Dirt Devil dynamite plus.

Whink rust remover as it is the only thing that will remove the rust in the bathroom even with cleaning it daily we still get rust. Have a whole house filter and softener...pipes need replaced but it's not ours so we can't do that.As long as the water is running the landlord won't do it, not even for his own home because his wife complains of the same thing. LOL. She told me what to use. Odor is very light.

Ant traps, as the ant season has started

Amish produce auction will start April 21st. I will be able to get my spring plants there for the garden. Looking at possible cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages... not sure of what else until we get there and what the prices are going for.

Testing strips for my sugar tester. I know my sugar tester runs about 2 points above what the hospital testing does. With generic test strips it runs 15 points above so I will suck up the price for the brand name test strips. My ins has to have 2 A1C over 6. (6.5 is diabetes I'm at 6.4) before they will pay for the test strips... I found them at Amazon for 1/4th what I would pay at the drug store and 1/2 of what I would pay at Walmart.

Groceries....
Anything I need for Passover. As I am restricted on certain items that I know send my sugar up I will have to rework my menu for that week and the Seder meal.
Ham for Easter (Hubby and I are of different faiths)
Asparagus as it's in season and I don't grow it.
Milk (if I run out of yogurt I will need more milk)
cottage cheese
bell peppers
Apples.
thin bagels
English Muffins (coupon for this at local store half off)
sausage patties (4 oz patties , coupon for this at local store 1/3 off)
frozen hash browns (coupon at local store 1/2 off)
orange juice (coupon at local store 1/2 off)
hash brown patties
Carnation High Protein essential drink. I get powdered vanilla. I can drink it and it not send my sugar too far up. I can make it and put it in my small thermos if I am on the go and need to carry a "meal" with me. I can't get granola/bfast bars due to my Crohns)

Have a blessed Week

April Goals...Frugal plans

This used to be my Mom's and Pop's (stepdad). It's what they used to save money for Christmas to all the grandkids and great grandkids.They did cash  or wrote a check.

Since we have went to cash for groceries, dogs needs, eating out(the only entertainment we do) and other odds and ends. I've actually had change and have filled this up a couple times.

We have been doing "some" frugal things. Then Hubby decided he was retiring in Jan 2019, 2 yrs sooner than we had planned. I'm not going to tell him he can't for any reason, he works a very hard and active job and he is the oldest in the dept and has over 30 yrs at the plant.. He doesn't want to change jobs at the plant or shifts. Fine with me and it really is fine. We have a 401k and pension.

BUT I would like to "make up" what isn't going to be earned those 2 yrs as much as possible BEFORE he does retire out on the cash reserves part.

I went over to frugalwoods blog and started rereading.
Went back over our health ins and the budget. We need to decide where we will take the hit when he retires if we don't make up the missing reserves.

We decided to eat from the pantry for the month of April with only a few things to buy.

We made a list in Dec of what we wanted to get done this year by mid Aug.I need to work harder at getting it done in the that time frame with the weather getting warmer.

I want to have the gardens ready to plant by next weekend.

I want to finish changing the closet lights to LED light bulbs.

I am scheduling sewing time.

I am having sugar issues, borderlining  diabetes so I need to see what my ins will pay if I have to continuing to test.

Yard sales will be starting and I am going to make a list of what I am looking for this week.

Amish produce auctions start this month and I have a limit of amount I am going to spend.

We probably will keep updating this list.

End of March frugal

Sunshine peeking through is pretty much how it's been this week.
A lot of money was spent this week, still I would say it's a frugal week.

We ordered 2 beds from Amazon for our daughter who was going to go to a rental place. NO, pay us the payments and we will order them. She saved over $1000....which means we saved also as I know "dead season" at her work place is coming and she wouldn't be able to make the payment and still make the bills and we would have stepped in and helped. This way they will be paid OFF before dead season hits as she is paying us the payments instead. For those wondering...dead season is when a restaurant etc type place goes from good flow of customers to almost nothing or none at all due to seasons, right now we are getting warmer so people will be cooking out or might order pizza.Upscale restaurant  usually loses business. Kind of like construction in Ohio comes to a trickle during winter months.

I got new shorts...usually that means I bought shorts at yard sale, thrift shop or got hand me downs from one of the grandsons. I actually bought NEW shorts. Found them at Sam's club a style I like and I know I will wear these for years. I am still wearing the shorts I bought in 2005...fabric is starting to give.SO I figure if I wear these 12 yrs (that puts me at 70 and yes at 70 I would still be okay wearing these) I figure that's $1 a year.

While at Sam's club I also got sugar, flour, vinegar, honey mustard, coffee for me ( I drink med, Hubby drinks tar LOL) dogs dental treats which our vet thought was doing good for our dogs. Also got It. dressing, toilet paper, freezer bags(stocking for when the garden starts coming) diapers and wipes for the great grandson, carrots, baby carrots, apples and baking potatoes as I will be eating them for my lunches.Hershey candy bars as Hubby eats them with peanut butter before he goes to work...my dinner at 5 is his bfast... he doesn't get another meal until 4 am so he eats a candybar with peanut butter before work and an apple with peanut butter at first break at 2. Cookie butter...had no clue to what this was but had 1/2 dozen kids ask me for something that had it in it. Since I didn't want to special order the cookies that it's made with I bought this. Hope they like what they asked for when I get make it.

We got binoculars at Gander Mt. The old set is over 2 decades old and no longer has clear vision and it helps to see if the coyotes are running the woods that are about 1/2 mile from us before I let my dogs out.Hubby can use them when weather spotting also.

I got yarn on sale at Hobby Lobby. Hopefully this is all I need to finish my great grandson's  afghan. I thought I would need 5 but they only had 4 left.

We ate out, hit lunch time at one place and early dinner for the other. Ate cheap for eating out.

I mended a couple shirts.

We ate the majority from the pantry and stayed out of the grocery stores. I still need anchovies and sesame oil but won't go for just that.I did grab milk today at the local small store.

We got gas using points from a local grocery.

We combine errands with doc appts or when Hubby has meetings for HAM radio

I got the electric down by $25.

I got my car in the shop due to a problem with moving my seat and asked for the car to be checked out since I was going to lend it to my daughter. Good thing because it had a bad wire that could have caught fire. Now that is fixed and it runs better so better gas mileage...but he is still working on the seat LOL.

I have started buying the Christmas gifts when I see them on sale.

I have found if I add a 2nd spin on the new washer I  can cut dryer time down by 30 min on heavy loads. I use the sensor in the dryer.

My ins requested a A1C as part of my "points" to lower the cost of next year's ins for us...not something my doctor usually runs when fasting sugar is below 100... good thing the ins did because my A1C says I am borderline diabetic. I am now testing at home and monitoring it along with lifestyle changes as diabetes runs strong in the family. It's a bit weary to have to test one and two hours after I eat and not be able to drink anything except water ( I drink 72 oz of water a day now) I am a coffee drinker with real milk and real sugar but I can go black and I drink tea unsweetened.

Hope you had a frugal week and feel good about your choices you made.

Frugal week with back procedure

My grandson's mother in law to be suggested my snowman after I sent everyone a picture of my pots garden.

On Friday I had my back procedure, drove 2 hrs in snow, snow pellets, sleet, freezing rain and then rain...I don't think OHIO knows what season it is....my doctor had already given me my restrictions for the next 2 weeks before the procedure that I am to OBEY until the follow up appt. So we prepared for me to be down...It's not bad procedure, injections etc... I just am more limited than most because the injections flare up my cerebral palsy.We planned to eat at Golden Corral afterwards and was able to eat at lunch time so it was less than we had planned for. I put corned beef (bought on sale and froze), potatoes, carrots and cabbage in the crock pot for dinner that night which we were both thankful because Hubby wasn't really up to cooking since he hadn't slept that day and I was having problems walking.

I fixed the rest of the meals from the pantry.

I am hoping the weather forecast tonight is good so I can uncover my perennials this week and not continue to have a garden of pots.

We got haircuts while on sale and I noted on the calendar the next time they have their sale scheduled.

My son went to a coffee house and the one worker told him to rinse his paper coffee filter before putting the grounds in and he would be able to use less grounds. I tried it and have been able to cut about 1/4th to 1/3 rd of grounds in ours.

I combined sales and coupons to order the seeds I need to fall planting in late July/Aug.

I juiced some limes that were starting to get old and froze the juice. I zested them first.

Hubby moved our new washer in, I moved my wringer over to the side for now. I timed the first load that was for the longest wash cycle there is. About the same as what I do in the wringer washer but it took 1/2 the time in the dryer so the electric bill will be coming down. Plus I can toss a load in more often and use the drying rack for smaller loads which wasn't convenient to do with the wringer washer.

Did the usual of curtains open and closed, lights and power strips off,washing foil and plastic bags.

Hubby darned a couple of his socks. One of the things his grandmother insisted he learn from her.

My daughter's  been waiting to get moved into her new place. Her and the kids have stayed with friend as the landlord found busted water pipes and an issue with the furnace that stopped her from moving in. Her stuff is there though. He gutted the pipes and replaced them, fixed the toilet that he found wasn't working right after he fixed the pipes and is now replacing a couple parts on the furnace and making sure there is no carbon issues with it before letting her actually live there.Gave her money off next month rent. So we went to the store and got 2 lbs of spag, 2 jars of sauce, 2 loaves of garlic bread, and 3 lbs of hamburger saving over $16 on the total for the family that is keeping them until she can live in the new place. I also got 2 dozen of eggs at 69¢ a dozen, 3lbs of hamburger for $1.29/lb, tuna for 50¢ a can and bread for 59¢ a loaf along with rolls and some cin. bread and muffins that was marked down 50%. We had the muffins and cin. bread for snacks over the weekend and the rolls stuffed with meatballs pizza style (FB recipe) for dinner last night.

We paid on our loans that are against our life ins policies (taken out when Hubby went to 3 days a week working for 2 yrs , thankful his company kept him working those 3 days so we had health ins. and I was out of work). I have been paying more on his as his interest rate is higher than mine.It's the last 2 bills we had from those 2 yrs.

I finished inputting my coke caps and donated that money to USO. I am waiting to see what Coke does next for rewards.

We are planning to plant more in the gardens but not overwhelm me, which triggers back issues, with the upkeep. I would like an asparagus bed that is raised so that's in the plans also.

I have enjoyed the weather we had yesterday, since I was able to walk decent I took the dogs around the perimeter(carried cell phone in case I needed help since Hubby was in house studying for his EMT renewal test). Wasn't sunny but was high 40s so wasn't bad when there wasn't much wind.

What did you do?

Blessed Be

3.12.2017 Frugal and gardens

I really wished I was in the gardens because I was planting. Instead I have spent the time covering up plants that had come up due to another winter storm coming this week after our spring like weather.

I am actually going to use the aerator spike instead of buying a broadfork for the little space I want to use it in.I might use it to plant to popcorn...we will have to see if that will work.

I used straw from the north garden to cover the garlic, fall onions, strawberries and herbs in the south gardens.

I used old flower pots to cover the perennial flowers that are up by turning them upside down and making sure no holes in the bottoms would allow snow through.

I flipped my son's car back to him when we were already in the area( an hr away) helping move our daughter. Did his taxes and got lunch at his home that we split the price of a pizza and he used his discount.Saved gas and food money.

I didn't go to store, Hubby did get milk this morning at the gas station because I forgot to stop yesterday on the way home. Got it for $1.99... decent price for a gas station.

I turned the humidifier off even during the week and opened up the house.

Did the usual of washing plastic bags, foil etc and reusing. Went through the plastic containers for storage.

Open curtains for daylight and close them when getting dark except the day the wind was blowing with gusts up to 60 mph , then I left them shut to help keep the house warm.

Shared what I have in the pantry storage with daughter that moved to help her get her pantry back up. She just found a new job and a bigger place. She was proud of me that I didn't go BUY her groceries.

We did go out to dinner with friends at the local spot that had fish special so it was a little cheaper than normally it would have been.

We combined errands and appts to keep the trips to town down.

I turned off the power strip to my coffee maker and the one to my computer.

I used the leftovers to make different meals.

I saved all the five dollar bills and ones that made $5 from Feb to now  to put in my savings acct. Side benefit of paying cash for the groceries and eating out.

I mended a pair of pants and a shirt.

It doesn't seem like much LOL

Frugal note

Eat the food not pitch it in the trash after it's buried in the back of the frig behind the butter and other stuff...SIGH.

I cleaned out the frigs...we have decided to focus on eating REAL food and not preservatives as much.  We are already close to 80 % REAL and thought to try to go to 90 %.So I made a menu of 30 fresh salads with REAL food and dressings and then the grocery list... and then decided to check to see what else I needed.... mudroom frig is usually my stable stock up like butters and lard and such ... yogurt and sour cream got shoved behind it and then covered with the butter... WASTE of yogurt and sour cream and now realize I don't have as much butter as I thought.

That isn't FRUGAL.

I did some mending.

I put my coffee maker on a power strip ( garage power strip). I remember to shut it off but not unplug the coffee maker.

My son uses our mechanic and needed maintenance and tires so while I was done in his area(an hr away) at a doctor appt I flipped cars with him. I'm hoping it works out to flip again when I am down closer to him at our youngest's house. Saves both of us gas money.

Got groceries,between sales and coupons saved 37%.

We are combining errands to keep fuel costs down along with wear and tear costs.

I used the drying rack for 4 loads of laundry 

I bought a pizza and tossed salad the other night while coming home from doctor office that is 2 hrs away. Got home at 7 and Hubby had to leave for work at 8:30... the pizza made 3 meals with the salad making 2 .Not the best choice but Hubby didn't wake up until I called him I was on my way home so the roast didn't get started.

March Shopping

I would say goals but I have already done the shopping for March.

I will have to pick up milk, and a stick of pepperoni. It comes from Italy and our local IGA sells it.I slice it on my meat slicer and bag it in sandwich bags in the amts I use on our pizza. Then I put in it freezer bag and toss in freezer. The end pieces I dice for other meals, freeze it on a cookie sheet then bag and put back in freezer.

I spent $337. and saved 37%. The budget is set at $180/month I had about $75 left for Jan and Feb each.The produce should last 4-6 wks. The meat will stretch out what we have in the freezers. I'm $7 over budget. I wouldn't have spent it if I didn't have money set back to cover the rest of this month with the acknowledgement that I have to cut back the next 2 months to make up for it. That should be easy come May with the spring garden coming in.

Both of us are wanting spring to come in so I can plant salad stuff and sugar peas. Right now it's mid 50s until Sat then its back down to freezing until the middle of the following week. If I can between the rain storms I'll cover a few spots to try to have it warm enough after this next cold spell.

Aldis

corned beef tip (not flat brisket which is bigger) on sale for $1.99. They are small but for the two of us we don't need big. I have one out for tonight to make rubens with.

fresh whole chicken for 89¢lb, can't remember when we had a whole roasting chicken (weighs over 8lbs) instead of turkey.

potatoes, small potatoes,cabbage(several heads that are now in root cellar) apples, pears, lemons,limes,Romaine lettuce, flat leaf spinach,celery,bell peppers,grape tomatoes,bananas, mangos,cucumbers,kiwi, mushrooms,brussels sprouts,stuffed olives, jar of artichokes,dried figs and dried apricots,

IGA

Fresh chicken breast $1.49lb
cube steak that was marked down a 1/3rd of price
tomato soup for 75¢/can (my comfort food when I am sick)
sugar snap peas
baby mix spring lettuce
dark rye bread
Razzleberry pie (Hubby's favorite)
water chestnuts that was half price so the pantry is now restocked on that.

Krogers

toothpaste, on sale and had $1 coupon
strawberries 4 lb for $5. AND they actually had flavor.on sale
Red cabbage
navel oranges on sale and coupon
egg beaters (Kroger brand)
yogurt (coupons and sale)
cottage cheese (sale)
sour cream (sale)
sliced cheese (sale, coupons and one free)
asst pasta for daughter who just got the lease signed on her new place (was on clearance rack)
asst nuts...ouch price, wasn't as bad as I've seen else where but still..... but doc wants me to start eating small nuts in salads or jello salads.
asparagus. This just will not grow for us...sigh.
avocado.
bibb lettuce
scallions
red onions
vine ripe tomatoes (tomato salad, cucumber tom and onion salad BLT)
cilantro, parsley, and mint (won't grow in this house)
broccoli
cauliflower
radishes
bacon (sale, coupons and one free)
smoked sausage (sale, coupons and one free)
frozen chicken breasts (thin slice) (sale and coupon)
chuck roast ( been seeing it for $7.88/lb...got it for $2.88/lb)
ground beef (marked down 1/3rd)
cube steak (marked down 1/3rd)
London Broil (marked down 1/3rd...haven't had it in 7 yrs finally got back in my price range with it marked down for quick sale)

I don't plan meals out much as too much happens. We usually talk about what is going on the next day and what we need to eat etc over bfast since Hubby works 3rd. My bfast is actually his supper.

Blessed Be

Being Frugal during weather whiplash

 From mid 50s to mid 60s  on some days and down to 20s and 30s on others. Even with my fall garlic and onions covered up they are going to take the hit with their greens up.We tried covering them up with blankets but the winds were over 40 mph with gust higher at times. Pollen went up and took my allergies right with it. They are saying that this year will be a bad year for allergies so I picked up more distilled water for my sinus rinses and got 11% rebate on it. Turned the furnace off a couple times but had to turn the space heater on when the winds got and the furnace couldn't keep the heat up.

Filed our taxes with Credit Karma for free. We have to file a 1040 and usually that's a pretty penny.

Saved 20¢ a gal off gas buy using GasBuddy to find the cheapest and then it happened to be a Speedway so Hubby used his card for an additional 3¢.

Used the Kroger points from our shopping in Jan. Got 60¢ off per gal of gas. Won't get any off gas in March as I didn't shop at Krogers in Feb. Just didn't have any sales that was that good.

Hubby had a meeting that was going to run late so he he called me and told me to not fix dinnger good thing he had coupons with him for Wendy's and bought that for us to eat instead of my cooking dinner after he got home. Good thing because I would have only cooked for him (and for his lunch) as I wouldn't have had dinner done until 7. Very late for me to eat and take meds. IF we had knew it was going to run late I would have fixed soup or something that I could have ate and he could have when he got home.

Used my Subway card to get subs. I had enough points to pay for one and the other one was $6 on sale.

I cooked and dehydrated pumpkins...still have several to do. I turn the dried pumpkin into powder. We won't need pumpkin for about 2 yrs. I might get some wee be littles or jack be littles, some use them for decorations but they are about the right size for baking for a veg for one person.

I dehydrated a batch of the fall apples. Have one more batch of them to do . Starting to get mushy to eat but fine for dehydrating.

I took the scraps from the pumpkins and apples out to the field to compost as my composter isn't working as it should.

Figured out we save $86.50 by going after the washer instead of paying of it to be delivered. We figured milage not just gas.

Washed and dried food freezer bags, bread bags and dry food liner bags.

Saved more distilled water jugs for mini hot houses and the boxes the jugs(we buy it by the case as it's cheaper that way) for boards for my fabric.

Cleared sq ft gardens and added the dirt we already had. I have one more place to clear then I can start filling the pots that I have to plant it.

Got 4 reusable bags at home show to replace worn out ones. Using worn out ones to put donations in.

Found a great article in Real Simple Magazine( $2 for a year subs.) about HSA which is what our ins is changing to next year.

Started walking perimeter (1/3 mile) and stretching to adjust to using the clothes line and planting the garden BEFORE I actually start doing that so I don't end up in the doctor's office again this year.

Transferred my balance at Pinecone Research to my savings. I do that once a month. The same with my Swagbucks.

We were going to go visit my in law's but it was nice out and they wanted to meet us at a restaurant that was mid way to us so they could get out of the house. We used our tax refund to pay them the loan they had lent us. I used the last of the eat out budget and part of what was left of the grocery budget to pay their dinner so all it cost them was their gas.They are retired now and live on a very strict budget.They weren't planning to retire so soon but their companies sold out and that was the best to do.

We did end up eating out 4 times this month even with the pantry challenge. IF we hadn't bought mu in laws meal we would have still been under budget ...even so I still have money left in the grocery budget so we are still in budget. Leftover money was set aside to stock up this fall.

I had blood work and found my A1C had went from 5.2 to 6.4 (diabetes is 6.5) in 6 months. Doc thinks it's the steroids that the GI has had me on. SO I am being weaned off them (doesn't make GI happy , she understood though I haven't spent a lifetime doing what I can to NOT be a diabetic , runs strong in both sides of my family to go into it with meds that I don't have to take) as she was wanting me to take them for a year. The company that makes the steroid I am on said it would only work 3 months for my condition and then THEY suggest you come off...a year is for severe Crohn's. My VSL #3 seems to be doing the best for me which is not paid for by ins because my GI will not fill out the paperwork for that. She refused to fill out intermittent family leave for hubby so his company worked it out with the company that deals with that stuff so my primary could fill it out. She did say he needed it , she just doesn't do that unless you are being operated on.I would change doctors again but the others I have interviewed are worse about taking steroids and all said they wouldn't agree to me taking VSL #3 as it's not tradition meds.I will add my GI has my primary run all the blood work as she feels I don't need stuck twice and have 2 bills and I sure don't need to drive to her office to get blood work as she's not connected to the hospital here.

We decided to eat from the pantry in March.

Blessed Be

Frugal week, quick meals and a sign of spring to come

 I mended two items.

We found an automatic washer close to what my son uses that I do like. It's a little bigger than his so my comforter will fit so no more laundromat ($360 savings/yr) and the washer was on sale so one and half years of NOT going to laundromat will pay for the washer. Top with the fact it will wring out the clothes more than my wringer washer does so the dryer won't run as long. I will still  use the drying rack and clothes line just like always. The washer comes in on Thursday and we decided to pick it up ourselves to not pay the fee for delivery.

We tightened the clothesline as it's a decent couple of days and I should be able to use it somewhat with doing laundry this week.

I cut some boxes up to use to wrap extra fabric around when I finish putting my sewing room together. Which will not be this week since it's nice I will be outside in the gardens.

We went out to eat for our anniversary to our favorite steakhouse. Went during the afternoon to pay the cheaper prices, brought home enough leftovers for 2 meals as neither of us eat that much any more.

We went to a home show to see what is happening in that end, getting ideas for when we build and some ideas to pass to our son as he is looking at doing some changes in the home he bought a couple years ago. We ate brunch at Big Boy's using a coupon we still had so didn't need to eat any lunch. We finished some odds and ends in the frig for our dinner and went for ice cream for our dessert for our anniversary.

Checked the gardens to see what work was needed done before we started planting and make sure I have all the supplies I need for that.

Meal wise...

Quick and simple and cheap..

Pulled meatloaf from freezer(I always bake a second one and cool overnight and slice and package for freezer) and leftover mashed potatoes I had froze and leftover corn, Cherry pie filling in shortcakes for dessert (10 min total time, basic plate and nuke while putting cherry pie filling on shortcakes)

Pulled precooked hamburger from freezer and homemade pasta sauce from pantry for pasta, made cheese and garlic biscuits using Bisquick. Tossed what was left of the roasted winter sq in the sauce. (prep time...5 min, cook time 15 min, not including oven warming up...took less time to cook pasta that( I started with hot water and in a skillet to cut time on cooking pasta ) than it did to deal with the biscuits. Next time I will preheat oven before getting pasta around.

Pulled precooked bulk sausage, tossed with potatoes (boiled with skin on, cooled overnight and then skinned and diced) in frying pan and mixed in a couple beaten eggs. Served with toast and combination of leftover fruit.

Made soup from odds and ends and ham broth

tonight I am using leftovers from steakhouse to make philly steak pizza, pizza crust was from Tightwad gazette and takes about 10 min, I'll prebaked it while nuking the bell peppers,onions and mushrooms I will be adding to the leftover steak I cut up. Prep time 15 min, cook time 20 (I make 2 pizzas) Tropical fruit blend with kiwi added for the dessert. I have a late doctor appt today.

I plan on to eat from the frig freezers this week to clear those out.

My spring flowers, pretty sure they are my tulips LOL... even though I KNOW winter will be hitting again in a couple of days, it made me smile to see the beginning of spring.

Mid month Goal check in

Happy Valentine's day to each and everyone. No Hubby didn't give me flowers. Hubby doesn't do that sort of thing.I'll be lucky if Hubby remembers what today is when he comes in from work. I bought these for myself last year. Didn't spend the money this year.Decided I wanted hand towels and cloths for the bathroom more than flowers. I prefer to change towels and cloths daily and hadn't replaced the ones that wore out last year...we both have been sicker this year and I think that is part of the issue since I only do laundry once a week. With a wringer washer it's not toss it in and walk away.

I did my mid month goal check this morning... we have eaten out 2 times with 3 as the limit I wanted. Last night was a last minute eat out...I went to a doctor appt and it ended up with the doctor removing a spot that was cancer off my nose that hadn't been planned but he didn't feel I should drive another two hours (round trip ) for a 2 min procedure as it wasn't deep. On the negative side I drove myself and I wear glasses right where the spot is/was and it hurt like all get out with the my glasses and I ended up with a migraine by time I got home. I used grocery money to pay for the eating out.

SO where am I at.

Dogs budget is good, nothing has came out of their budget.I know dog food will come out this week since Menard's has their 11% rebate going on.

Our grocery budget is doing really good even with the Taco Bell run last night we have only spend $50. I got milk for $1.58 for a gallon and lg eggs for 59¢ a dozen and portibella mushrooms for 79¢ a lb this week. No limit on the eggs (I got 10 dozen) but was on the mushrooms.

We have ate from the pantry. I baked the last ham that was in the freezer. I have ham broth to can today and ham fat to strain and freeze today also along with apples, oranges, pumpkins and all else that needs to be dealt with that was in winter storage that will be getting icky with the coming of Spring. I made note of what we didn't use to compare to what we stored so I don't get as much this coming year.

We are doing the programs for our health ins. Have met the min requirement already and are working towards the next level. There are 3 levels and each level helps lower the cost of what we pay next year.

I still haven't finished the cookies and candy for the kids...SIGH.

I have been getting 50,000 steps a week even without walking the perimeter daily. Weather has either been too cold which makes me hurt or too wet with walking in mud as the perimeter isn't very grassy.

I haven't been doing my yoga but have been doing the stretches and PT my therapist told me to do at home.

I missed 2 days of shining my sink (not back to back)but caught them up the next day. I missed 2 days of decluttering but since I am down to 94 places to declutter for the year I am not too worried about that.

I started my great grandson's afghan yesterday at the doctor's office.

One on the sweet potato's that I started for slips isn't doing anything so I tossed it this morning and will start another one this afternoon

The mudroom frig freezer that I am working on emptying got filled back up with leftovers. I think I am going to have a eat from the freezer week next week to bring it back down. I do know we have several ice packs that I am probably going to get rid of a few. I need to make veggie broth also, that will clear out a pretty good spot as I keep that veggies peelings in the freezer.

I rolled my coins and put that in my savings this week. We put Hubby's attendance bonus in one week and his overtime in last week. I have the fives I've been saving for this week. We are trying to put something extra each week in the savings.

I am still struggling with my Home Blessing routine. I've got the shine the windows,shine the sink and take out the trash down. Dusting, swish and swipe , sweeping,vacuuming and mopping is still not regular...well the swish isn't daily but it's often enough because we have rusty water and it leaves a nasty ring in the toilet if you don't clean if often enough LOL.

How are you doing ?