Today' Shopping

I went shopping today to stock up. I wrote sometime back that I don't use coupons, but I had an epiphany. If I have them, then I might as well use them.  All this was purchased for $60.71, plus I received a $5.00 off the next purchase coupon so that really makes it like $55.71. (Please excuse the grainy photo. I don't know why my photos look like this when posted via the Blogger app for my phone.)

I purchased 7 bottles of Wisk laundry detergent, 3 bottles of Clorox bleach, 2 bottles of Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, 4 jars of Kraft mayo, 4 bottles of Dove body wash, 10 cans of flavored almonds (for my dear husband), 12 Three Musketeers bars, 2 Reach toothbrushes, 4 body wash tools, 20 count flour tortillas, head of lettuce, tub of sour cream and 1 six count Handi Wipes.  (Whew!)

All items are regularly used/consumed items.  As a rule, I always stock up when prices are at their lowest.  Total coupon savings according to the receipt was $44.96 in addition to the store sales price savings of $42.78.  So that means if the items were not on sale and/or I did not use coupons, this shopping trip would have cost me $145.45! Now that's what I'm talking about!  I don't believe in using coupons just for the sake of using them, but when combined on top of sale prices, the savings make it worth the time to assemble and organize them.  Why didn't I think of it before??

Shopping Without Consequences

One spends a lifetime learning how to spend money.  There is no way out of it. In order to live, we are forced to spend money on food, clothing, shelter, transportation, the list goes on.  Commercials on TV are all about getting you to part with your money, whether it's for products or not. Even the PSAs are about spending your hard earned money for this cause or that.  And during a political season? Then it's about getting a candidate elected with the help of . . . your monetary contributions.  A lifetime of learned behavior is hard to give up, even if you try hard not to succumb to all of the temptations out there.  My trick to resisting the temptation to buy is to go "shopping" on Amazon.  Sounds weird, but it works for me.

You see, Amazon sells just about everything you can think of, and for the most part, the prices are cheaper than a brick and mortar establishment, due in part to the fact that they do not have the overhead to pay for a storefront.  I can search for items I'm coveting with the click of a button, and if I want it, I'll place it in the shopping cart.  But instead of checking out by paying for that item right away, I stop and just let the item sit in the cart saved under my account for months, or even years.  Why? This gives me a "cooling down period" to really determine if I really, really want an item, or if it's just a passing fancy on my part.  It also gives me the time to see if I can find it cheaper on Craigslist, eBay, or in a thrift store. 

For example, I have a serious weakness with books, but I hate going to the library to borrow them because I always forget to return them on time.  When the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl" came out, I wanted to buy all of Philippa Gregory's books then and there.  I placed them all in my shopping cart, and I was tempted to buy a couple of them right away, but I resisted.  And you know what? Over the last several years, I found a number of them at my local thrift store in almost mint condition for $1.99 each.  I figure just the books I have now would have cost me a couple of hundred bucks, but instead I paid around $10.00 for the lot. 

Over time, many of the items I thought I really wanted, turns out to have no lasting appeal.  I will then delete it from my shopping cart, and I'm no less poorer because I didn't buy anything.  Turns out, there is nothing out there one really, REALLY must have. Most of the things are a want, not a need, so for me, using Amazon to satisfy my immediate need to "buy that gizmo now" works.  It's fun to shop without having to face the consequence of forking over your money.  And being aware of what things cost on the retail level allows you to make an informed decision when you see a deal out there in a thrift store or some other venue.  That's spending your money wisely.

Sticker Shock

The 4th of July is over. Independence Day is usually filled with a lot of noise after twilight, but this year, it was very quiet due to the almost total ban on fireworks sale.  We have been experiencing severe drought in Texas, and as a result, the only fireworks allowed were the big public displays.  Texans are pyromaniacs, and there are huge warehouse stores all over that only open for about 20 days out of the year (10 days before the 4th of July and before New Year's Eve).  This year, all they were allowed to sell were small  fireworks that don't shoot up.  I'm sure the businesses were hurting pretty bad. We passed by one such store yesterday afternoon, and there were absolutely no cars in the parking lot although they had an "open" sign.  I guess this is what you get when you put all your eggs in one basket. . .  But I digress.

On Saturday, my son wanted to go browse in a sporting goods store, so I took him to a big box store that moved into a bigger building recently.  I had not been in a retail establishment other than grocery stores in a long, long time, and boy did I get a dose of sticker shock!  $24.99 for an Under Armor shirt? Good grief!  WHO pays that kind of money?  But you know what? The store was PACKED. I could not believe how full the parking lot was.  You would think it was the week before Christmas! 

I realized how much my values had changed since I was younger, when I thought nothing of buying things even if they were not marked down one bit.   I can't imagine paying that kind of money for one lousy shirt!  Then I was looking around children's clothing, and it was not much better. A toddler T-shirt was $16.99!  Can you imagine how much clothing you could buy at a thrift store for that amount, even though they too have been raising prices?  Insanity, I tell you!

I realise the economy needs consumers to purchase things to keep the economic engine going, but my days of paying full price for anything is over.  I'll leave that to those people who has not seen the light of being frugal. . .

Clearance Score!

Grabbed these 5 cans of powdered milk at Walmart on my last trip there. These are 3.52lbs/1.6kg cans. These went straight to my stockpile for future use.  These were marked off 50%, so each can came to $7.74!  With milk prices going through the roof and a gallon of milk hovering around $3.50 or so, regular milk has been relegated to drinking and morning cereal only.  I used to use evaporated milk for cooking, but I am down to my last can out of the stash I had on hand.  Last time evaporated milk went on sale for $0.50 a can, I think I purchased around 40 cans?  Since then, I have not seen them go on sale.  Regular price for them now is around $1.30 or so a can, so you can see what a good deal these canisters of powdered milk were!

I have been using powdered milk in baking and cooking for about a year now. It is convenient to have on hand. No last minute trips to the grocery store because I don't have milk to use in a recipe.  Taste wise, I think powdered milk is no different than regular milk in cooking.  I have to admit I have not tried to actually drink the stuff mixed with water.  What I have read is that if you do want to drink it, one must mix it in a container and chill it in the refrigerator first.  Otherwise, it is my understanding that it tastes like yuck!  I hope I never get to the point of having to resort to that!  I have used powdered milk in Southern biscuits, milk gravy, pot pies and cake recipes with success.  So if you come across deals like this, I recommend that you grab it! Unlike regular milk, these don't go sour on you!

My Louis Vuitton "Habit"

I had to go to the sporting goods store today to get my husband some new ear plugs for his swim workout.  As long as I was there, I might as well pop into the Goodwill thrift store nearby!  I found a Martha Stewart book for 99 cents and was checking out, when I noticed three mint looking Louis Vuitton bags behind the counter.  I asked to see them, and while I was convinced that they were the genuine article, I passed them by.

Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, my pet peeve recently has been that thrift stores in general are getting awfully proud of thier merchandise.  Yes, I realize it's for charity and a good cause, but recent pricing is bordering on retail levels.  For crying out loud, all the items were FREE!  Hellooooooooooo???

The bags were $39.99, $79.99 and $99.99 respectively.  For a split second, I toyed with the idea of buying one of them and putting it up on eBay, but what if it's a big flop?  The cheapest bag was in the best shape, but I was somewhat amazed at how cheaply made they all seemed to me. I just did not want to take the chance that I would have wasted the money. So I left the bags at the store.

You might say, if they looked cheap, surely it was a knock off? I'm convinced they were not, because all the purses had the LV logo on all of the hardware and "Louis Vuitton, made in France" leather label inside.  One of them even had a serial number on it.  My theory is that if it was a knock off, the manufacturer would not go through all that trouble.  It just is not worth the investment for them to do all that if they were just trying to make a quick buck.

Back in the day, when I was much, much younger, I desperately wanted one (or two or more) of these bags.  But even in my insane youth, I was not crazy enough to spend a king's ransom for one lousy bag.  So I never got one, until I purchased the three in the photo.  This is the extent of my Louis Vuitton "habit."

The largest one was purchased at a garage sale for a whopping $3.00.  Compared to the ones I saw today at Goodwill, this one was made when Louis Vuitton was synonymous with quality.  The leather handles have a rich patina from use by the previous owner, and I get a big kick every time I use it, which is not often.  But, I know I have the satisfaction of other people noticing that I own one, and the secret satisfaction of knowing how much it actually cost.  Hey, it cost less than coffee from Starbucks!

The white one was purchased about 3 years ago at Goodwill for around $3.00.  Funny thing is, it was in the "valuable goods" case at the store, but the price was not so valuable.  I purchased it not to use, but to eventually gift it to one of my husband's nieces when they are old enough.  Same for the other brown bag wich was about $1.50, no kidding! I purchased it last year at my local Goodwill.  I have not yet decided if I will gift it, but I'm probably going to use it as a make up bag when my current one falls apart, because it is just the right size for that.

Now, I have no clue how much these things retail for.  I thought, at most, $100?  I have a high school friend in Japan who has the Louis Vuitton account for a market research firm in Tokyo.  When I posted a photo of the two smaller bags on my Facebook account and wondered how much they were if new, she told me quite a bit.  She mentioned that an iPod case was going for over $300!  Insanity, I tell you!  I'm sure glad my "habit" cost less than lunch at McDonalds!

Do you have a "habit"?

(Almost) Free Pasta

Ronzoni pasta was on sale at Kroger for 50 cents each if you purchased 10 participating items in the store. Although I generally don't use coupons, I found out about their "$1 off of two boxes" coupons. I printed out the coupons at http://www.itpaystoeatpasta.com/, and had enough coupons for 16 free boxes. I had to buy 4 more to get the sales price, so I paid $2.00 for 20 packages, or 10 cents each! That's what I'm talking about!

I think deals like this makes me want to reevaluate my aversion to coupons.  I normally don't use coupons because, 1) I don't get the Sunday paper, 2) I don't buy that many processed foods, and 3) I am too lazy to try to find deals like this.  BUT, free is free, and if the stores and the manufacturers are having deals like this in these hard times, I think I better start paying attention!  A big "thank you" shout out has to go to the "Deals To Meals" blog I follow, where I found out about this.  Though the sale was over yesterday, you can still go online to print the coupons, which are good through June 9th. I would say one dollar off of two boxes is still a good deal! Hopefully the sales will continue through next week!  You can only print each coupon twice, but I have two computers in the house, so I got double that amount.  If you have access to more computers, then hurray for you!

BUT, as with most things in life, you get a break on one thing, and then get socked in another.  At the last dental appointment, our dentist informed us that both our sons better get thier wisdom teeth pulled because they are coming in and will screw up thier orthodontic work in progress. He recommended that it be done this summer.  My older son started complaining that his mouth was hurting two days ago, and is scheduled for the oral surgery tomorrow.  Out of pocket costs for us (with insurance) will be $1300+. Ouch!

Manager's Special

Had to make a run to Kroger last night to get cash for my son to buy tickets to an upcoming dance (remember I said children are NOT frugal?).  While there, I went up and down the aisles looking only for items marked down worth buying, and the above photo is most of what I came home with.  Three packages of Nolan Ryan's ground chuck (hormone and preservative free) marked down to $3.92 a package (about half off the per/pound price). Five packages of Ball pickle mix, from $0.94 cents to $0.59.  A tray of cinnamon rolls marked down to $2.19 (day old bakery is always 50% off). Four rolls of discontinued deodorant, priced at $1.30 each (sorry, the boys grabbed two as soon as I got home). And, two jars of Kim Chee at $1.99 a pop (regularly $4.99 each).

In addition, I purchased an off-season box of six 4-hour Duraflame logs for $6.00 (regularly $15.99), and 3 more boxes of Kroger brand 2-hour logs for $2.59 each (regularly also $15.99, go figure).  I had already put them away in the garage, sorry for the mess.  These logs are quite a savings, and we will surely use them once it gets cold again on its' own, or as starter logs for the fire wood we plan to buy this summer to prepare for winter (the wood is cheaper when not in season).

I was glad to find the Kim Chee, as I have not purchased any in a LONG time.  As with a lot of things I like to eat, it's something the rest of the family will not touch with a ten-foot pole, LOL. So I do feel bad spending five bucks just to please my cravings, aside from the fact that I think at that price point, it is waaaay overpriced.  I felt $1.99 was acceptable.  The reason they were on "special" was because the lids were starting to bulge out, I suspect.  I think those of you who don't eat the stuff would have been very disturbed to see me open it and then proceed to eat some this morning. You see, Kim Chee is fermented cabbage pickled with a ton of cayenne pepper, and the stuff continues to ferment in the bottle after packaging.  When I opened the lid, I heard a fizzing sound as the gas inside was freed from confinement.  Upon taking the lid completely off, there was a lot of bubbling going on!  Anyone not used to this would think the stuff had botulism and promptly thrown it out! I LOVE the stuff!

BUT, even with the substantial savings, the receipt was still over $40.00! I hate to go shopping.  You have to fork over so much money to buy so little. . .

Children are not Frugal

These are trying times. . . I have one son (17) on the verge of manhood. Yet, he starts CRAP with the younger one (15), who is going through some tough times, hormonally speaking.  Sometimes (often), I wonder why on earth my husband and I wanted kids in the first place.  Ever get that feeling?  But as with my younger son right now, hormones does a crazy number to yourself and your sanity, or lack thereof. I know way back when, when I was praying for children, it was the ticking time bomb doing all the thinking and feeling.  Had my hormones been under control, I wonder if I would have had kids?  Probably not.

But I guess that's how nature intended it.  If it weren't for the unexplainable urge to procreate the next generation, would humanity even exist?  Of course not!  I remember when I was pregnant with the first one, and I was scheduled for a C-section, the doctor asked me if I wanted to have my tubes tied because it would only have taken a couple of extra minutes of his time.  Did I say, "yes"? Of course not!  In the last stages of pregnancy, one is still not sane, because you are way deep in the midst of "procreate and nurture" mode.  What sort of question is THAT? "Do you want to sterilize yourself?" Sheesh!  Insanity, I tell ya!  Insanity on my part, that is.

Instead, we had two kids.  Private schools, sport activities, birthday parties, etc., etc.  If we did not have kids, my husband and I would be filthy rich by now! Just imagine the ROI on the money we could have invested in the stock market! We would be millionaires many times over!  <sigh>  But like most people, we're not.  And that's OK.  We're OK with the fact that our retirement will not be as rich and varied as Donald Trump's or Warren Buffet's will likely be.  As long as the boys grow up into men who care for each other and will be there for the other if one of them is hurting or is in trouble after we are gone.  I know time will change and improve things between them.  I have no doubt.

BUT.  If you are still childless and mulling the concept of procreating, think long and hard.  Run for the hills!  Children are not frugal.  No, not at all.

Cheap Chic

Many moons ago, when I was either in high school or college, there was a bestselling book on fashion titled Cheap Chic in the U.S. Lately, I've been thinking about what I remember from the book (it was a LOOOONG time ago), and I wish I had paid more attention to it than I did back then.  The book was about how one could dress fashionably even if you didn't have a lot of money, and interspersed throughout the book were bios of real life young women and how they shopped and dressed on a  limited budget.  The book promoted shopping in thrift stores as a way to combat the high cost of fashion at a time when, I realize now, people who were not "poor" never ventured into such stores to shop.  I know the concept was new to me. Heck, I've never even heard of it until the book came along!  I also remember myself feeling somewhat superior to a high school classmate who I ran into at a mutual friend's party after we had all graduated from college, when she mentioned how she regularly shopped at Goodwill so she could save money. Oh the horror! The truth is, she was waaaay smarter than me. I was downright STUPID.

Back in the day, I thought nothing of buying 10 ( ! ) pairs of shoes on one shopping trip. But that person no longer exists. . . I don't remember buying any "retail" new item of clothing for a minimum of 5-6 years.  I've shopped at thrift stores and garage sales for at least 20 years now.  The other week, a neighbor gave me the opportunity to look through some discarded clothes from someone she knew before she took them over to the women's shelter. I gladly took what fit me. New clothes from heaven! So what changed?

I think when one settles down and start a family, and you are no longer responsible just for yourself, one's priorities takes a big hit of reality check.  I know mine did.  Especially so after the birth of our first son.  We went from two paychecks to one paycheck in addition to the added burden of moving to a city with a higher cost of living (San Diego).  Something had to give, and that was paying full price for things.  If we could find it used, we did. If it was free, that was even better. And if we could do without, then we went without.

That doesn't mean we will never pay retail.  Another important concept I remember from Cheap Chic was the idea of "Price Per Use."  This is where that cute outfit you absolutely had to have because "it was on sale and so damn cheap" ends up costing you more in the long run if you end up wearing it once or twice or not at all, than the expensive, top-of-the-line item because if you divide the purchase price by the number of times you use it, the expensive item comes out cheaper than the throwaway item.  For example, if you purchased a classic blazer for the ungodly price of $500.00, but you wore that at least once a week for 5 years, then your price per use would be less than $1.92. But if you bought an outfit for $15.00 but only wore it once or none at all, your price per use is $15.00!  I'm not trying to rationalize here, I don't think I can fork over $500.00 for one item of clothing, but you get the idea.  Just because an item is expensive should not deter one from purchasing it if you absolutely know that it will be used over and over, and you can afford to buy it without putting it on credit.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that if you can't find what you need used, you don't necessarily have to dismiss buying it retail. But if you can't, or if the used item will end up costing you more to use it, as the case may be with old electric appliances, then you might consider buying it new (but preferably on sale).  Cheap Chic is all about being smart with your hard earned money. 

Roadside Treasures

My husband had a hernia surgery last Wednesday, and was under doctor's orders to be moving around instead of planting himself in bed as conventional wisdom used to be back in the day.  Two days after his surgery, he decided he needed a walk.  We went out for a leisurely stroll along a lonely stretch of road right outside our neighborhood:

This road has a VERY deep ditch along its' side to control runoff from the rain (in Texas, when it rains, it pours). Anyways, we were strolling along, and found a big, fat tire in the ditch. I said to my husband that the tire looked like it was the same size as those we made raised beds with. I decided we could use more vegetable beds, so we should come back and get it 

As we continued on with our walk, we found not one, not two, but 4 more tires of the same size along the road, meaning we found 5 tires total.  On one level, that was fine by us. We could sure use them. But on another level, it really made us mad. For crying out loud, doesn't whoever threw away those tires know that we LIVE here? Why do they think it's OK to dump tires along the side of the road? REALLY?  Talk about lack of civility and common courtesy!  Not to even mention that they are trashing our planet!  Sheesh! (Breath in, breathe out. . . OK,  I think I'm done venting. . .)

We sent our sons off to retrieve those tires after we got back from our stroll.  They were not all that happy about it, especially after they got home.  They were complaining that the tires were HEAVY, and they could barely get them lifted into the truck bed.  My husband asked them if they stacked them up in the driveway. The answer was negative. When asked why, they said all they could do was roll them off the bed of the truck, and that if they had not done so, that I would never have been able to move them!

When I went out to check them out, I understood why. These tires were even larger and heavier than the tires from my son's truck. The three guessed they were probably dump truck tires. When I measured them, they were fully 42 inches across. They will make sizable beds, and all for FREE!

We also found a sizable patch of wild blackberries. We went out later to pick some. I think they will be in season for at least several more weeks.  I washed them quickly and put them on a sheet pan in a single layer to freeze in the freezer.  That way, I don't have to worry about them going bad. I will probably make blackberry cobbler and blackberry dumplings (my husband's favorite childhood dish). If I get a sizable stash, I may even give a go at making blackberry preserves.

We also went back later that afternoon to dig up some of the blackberry plants to replant them in our garden.  Don't know if they will take, but at least it's worth a try, and it was free. Can't beat THAT!  So all in all, it was a good day, even if I got really pissed off at the sight of those tires initially. . .

Frugal Bathroom Part II

I completed the unfinished project for our hall bathroom.  This is what the other side of the bathroom used to look like:

Gag me with a spoon! I think you can see why this bathroom had to go. . . I HATED those faux marble looking smoky mirrors.  We used to live in a rent house when we first got married that had these same mirrors.  Ugh! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??  They must have been high on SOMETHING.  There is no other explanation. . .

Without a second thought, this bathroom got ripped out except for the tub as soon as we got title to the house.  We installed a new toilet and it stayed like that for two years.  Last year, we finally got around to finishing it off.  I had to find a new vanity because the one above was history.  Have you ever priced bathroom vanities? A basic, nothing-to-write-home-about vanity made of particle board WITHOUT a counter top, sink or faucet was running at a minimum of $500 at Home Depot or Lowes.  It was out of the question, and that vanity was really ugly anyway.  I was not interested.  What to do?

I searched high and low.  Again, Craigslist to the rescue.  The new-to-me used solid wood buffet was $100.  It sat in the dining room of an elderly lady who was moving into a nursing home.  I'm sure it never got much use.  It has the furniture look that is popular now, but I think it looks timeless because of its' Country French styling.  The undermount sink was less than $50 from Overstock.com.  The big splurge items here were the granite counter and faucet that came to around $500 total.  But, considering a bottom-of-the-line vanity from a big box retailer sans counter, etc was going for $500, my husband and I could live with that.  We don't plan on ever moving again, so we were willing to spend the money this time.



Here is the in between look with the temporary mirror we were using.  Notice that I am getting ready to install the mirror I showed you yesterday.  I was using the tapes to figure out where to install the hanging hardware.  I am not too bright when it comes to numbers, so I believe in the mantra, "measure twice, do once."  Even so, my husband complained that the mirror was too low and I had to redo it.  Drat!  In a perfect world, all the crap on the sink would not be there, but hey, I live in the real world.  Maybe one day when the boys are gone, my house will have the semblance of a model home. . . 

Which reminds me, I remember reading an old issue of Architectural Digest, and the feature was the home of Garrison Keller of Lake Woebegone fame (I think that was his name). He wrote an accompanying article, saying that the home in the photos does not exist, and that it was an illusion, meaning in real life, his house has all kinds of stuff strewn around because his family lives there. I thought it was reassuring of him to say that instead of making us believe that his life was perfection. . . But I digress. . .

So, without further delay, here is the finished bathroom.  I finished spray painting the chair and reupholstered it today.  What do you think??

The hanging black plaque was another thrift store find that was around $4.00.  The mirror we had been using was moved over to the other wall as art.  I LOVE to use mirrors. I don't look at myself much, but I love the silver color that reflects the light.  The chair was a freebie when I purchased the buffet/vanity.  It had a dated finish, but I liked the shape, so a quick spray painting with the same satin black paint as the mirror updated it.  I covered it with a fabric remnant also from the thrift store for, I think, 79 cents.

Yes, I am pretending that the bathroom always looks like this, but alas, it does not.  The photo is a grand illusion, I'm afraid.  Normally, the counter has all sorts of bottles and such strewn around, but one can dream. . .

Victory Garden in the Making!

Last year I got my feet wet with two raised beds, this year I'm expanding to eight beds!  I may add four more later, since we still have a lot of dirt left from the truckload full that we got delivered because it's cheaper to purchase dirt that way.  Not quite sure yet. . . My compost was not quite ready to add to the dirt to amend the soil, so I'm going to have to add commercial fertilizers this year. Hopefully, they will be ready by fall so I can mix it in before the fall planting.  I'm fortunate to live in an area where the winters are relatively mild and can grow some crops even in the dead of winter.

It's been a lot of work just getting the beds ready.  I had to drill 22 holes in each of the beds in order to hammer in big, fat nails to keep the beds in one piece.  It was a lot of work, to put it mildly.  It made me all sore the next day in places I never imagined I had muscles! The beds are all planted now except for one bed.  We also might plant some corn in the area of the yard around the front of the photo.  That is, if we can get our hands on a tiller somehow.  Digging up the grass by hand will be too much work for me since the weather's already turning rather warm.

Hopefully, we will have tomatoes, onions, beets, butternut squash, zucchini, yellow summer squash, spring onions, radishes, peas, snap peas, beans, kohlrabi, watermelon, eggplant, lettuces and bitter melon.  Bitter melon is a Chinese vegetable that looks like a wrinkly, deformed cucumber that is very, very bitter.  It's one of those things that you either love or hate, with nothing in between.  I love it.  The rest of the family doesn't. But,  since I'm the one tending the garden, I'm going to grow it again.  It is costly to make a trip to the Chinese grocery just to buy the stuff. It did very well last year, enough to put away the sliced surplus in the freezer.  I am just now eating the last of last year's bounty.  Apparently it does well in the US because it has no native pests that will attack it.

I still need to plant some cucumbers and perhaps some potatoes and eggplant in the last remaining bed.  It will be interesting to figure out what does well and what doesn't.  I wish I had discovered the joy of vegetable gardening earlier, but that's life.  Not only will it allow me to save a ton of money on produce once the beds start producing, It is really quite fun to watch the plants grow, sometimes even under your nose when you have not been paying attention. 

Will post more photos when the seeds start to sprout!

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Frugal Petcare

I LOVE my dogs.  I hate to admit it, but I do.  I grew up with a mother who was born the year of the dog under the Chinese Zodiac who HATED  dogs (go figure). I never had a pet dog growing up, and did not want anything to do with dogs ever since.  Marriage changed all that. I got married and had a couple of kids. My husband said they needed to grow up with dogs.  I said, "no way, I don't want that responsibility on top of the kids." I got overruled. I don't mind in the least.  : )

As you can see, Livingston, our mutt, is my alter ego photo of me for this blog.  I love her to death.

Anyways, my frugal "dog-owner" tip of the day is, sometimes, it is more frugal to spend a little more money to save a LOT.  We have our dogs on an anti-heartworm, flea & intestinal worm medication called Trifexis.  The medication is not cheap, it is about $70 per dog for a six month supply of the medication, but as far as I'm concerned, it is worth every penny.

We used to spend a small fortune buying flea/tick spray every other week or so to keep the fleas under control, in addition to the drops you would put down their backs.  As diligent as we were, we would have flea outbreaks and we would have to go out and buy more flea control medication and foggers to get rid of the fleas in the house.  We reached a crisis point when Livingston had an allergic reaction to flea bites and I noticed her skin turning red under her fur.  The vet said she was allergic to flea bites, and gave her a Cortisone shot (for about $100) and suggested that I put her on "Trifexis" .

He explained that the medicine will start working within 30 minutes, and will continue to kill fleas on her and in the house for approximately one month.  True to his word, it worked like a charm.  We have not had  flea infestations in over a year, and I have not had to purchase flea spray or drops.  Even though the medication  is expensive, we are saving a TON of money because we have not had to buy anything other than the pills.  The dogs are always comfortable, and they don't have to deal with us having to spray them all the time, which they hated.  It is a win-win situation.

Sometimes, you need to spend some money to save a lot.

Goodbye, Satellite TV

We live in an older, rural neighborhood where cable providers have not pulled in lines for cable service, and as a result we were limited to satellite TV.  Our bill was around $170 a month for a DVR and two additional basic boxes for the bedrooms. But you know the routine. . . Despite the hundreds of channels available, we were pretty much limited to watching a handful of channels. My husband likes watching movies, I like cooking and decorating shows, and we both are news junkies.  The TV is on in the morning when he is getting ready for work, but stays off until he gets home. I listen to talk radio most of the day as I am working about the house.  TV was getting just too expensive, not only because of the cost, but also because we just don't watch that much TV to make it worthwhile to pay that much.

We have decided to pull the plug and subscribe to Netflix and Hulu instead.   Netflix for the movies and Hulu for TV shows.  The cost for both services will be less than $20 a month plus the one time cost of the "Roku" box of about $80. If something is not available, that's just too bad.  Though I will miss the Fox News Network, the impact will be nominal, because I already get most of my news from the radio and the internet anyway. 

It is a win win situation as far as I'm concerned. We will be saving quite a large sum of our money, and it will give me more time to read, which I love to do.  We'll see how it goes. . .  I really doubt if we will ever get cable or satellite service again. . .

Tomato paste and American cheese

I was down to my last can of tomato paste, so I've been on the lookout for sales. They used to go on sale 4 for a dollar not too long ago for 6 oz cans, and now they are averaging 78 cents a can when they are not on sale. Kroger now has them "on sale" at $3 for 5 cans, which comes out to 60 cents a can! Talk about inflation!

Interestingly, they also had 12 oz cans for sale at 45 cents a can. Are you kidding me? I can buy twice as much for less than the current sales price of the 6 oz can? This was a no brainer. I purchased 20 cans, since I use tomato paste frequently to add flavor to spaghetti sauce and stews.

Kraft American cheese was also on sale for 99 cents. Though they are not my favorite, my sons and husband like them on grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers, so I purchased 10 packages. They will keep quite a while in the fridge. They regularly sell for about 3 dollars, so this is quite a savings as well.

Bottom line though, is it is always a sticker shock every time I go grocery shopping. One must save, and stock up whenever we can. 

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Making it from scratch

It was reaffirmed today what a difference it makes making your meals from scratch. Around 10 a.m. my husband was asking, "what's for lunch?" I had no answer. But he said, "I wouldn't mind some chili!" I put about 2 cups of dried pinto beans in my pressure cooker with some water and put it to boil.   It had been a LONG time since I used the pressure cooker. One hour later, the beans were all but done. I  adjusted the seasonings and let it simmer for a bit longer. I could not believe I made chili from DRIED beans in under two hours! I really need to remember to use my pressure cooker more often. Aside from the savings in time, think of the savings in energy costs!

After we were done eating lunch, I was trying to relax reading the supermarket fliers.  I complained to my husband how the price of Ranch Style Beans had come up over the price it used to be sold on sale (used to be 4 for a dollar, now about 78 cents for one can). He told me that the beans I cooked ( in the chili) tasted better than the canned ones, so don't even sweat over trying to find it at a sale price.

Goes to show, when you are used to buying it canned, you tend to forget how easy it is to make it yourself from scratch.  The chili tasted better than the stuff we buy canned, and it cost pennies per serving.  Note to self, don't forget to make things from scratch when you can, because the savings are astronomical. 

Once our supply of store bought chili is used up, I will start making a big batch and canning it at home in the future.  My chili tasted way better than those from the store, and it didn't have mysterious ingredients in it. I will be using my pressure canner that I invested in last year for just such projects.  If you are canning anything with meat or low acidity content, you must process the bottles properly under pressure. Safety first!

Buying Out of Season Part Deux

Amazing how even the price of everyday grocery items change! Before Thanksgiving and Christmas, I had my eyes glued open, waiting for the price of Libby's canned pumpkin to come down so I can stock up on it. Generally, it is at its' lowest price every year at that time.  This past season though, the lowest price I saw anywhere was about 78 cents for a 15 oz can.  Not really anything to write home about, so I gave up and didn't buy any, since it was not worth stocking up at that price.  Back then, I think I would have stocked up if they had them offered at 2 for a dollar.

Today, when I went to Walmart to buy some lunch items for my sons' school lunches, I hit jackpot! They were 25 cents a can. I had to look twice, as the sign above the shelf said $ 1.25, but the price on the shelf itself said 25 cents.  I double checked the price at the baking aisle to make sure, and it was really 25 cents.  According to the reciept, Walmart's regular price on this item is $1.50, so I think what happened here was that the store had a supply glut over its' normal level and wanted to move it quickly to clear shelf space. I happened upon a small window of opportunity before Walmart jacked up the price again.  Thank you grocery shopping fairies! (BTW, I had to go back inside the store after I checked out to get a couple of items I forgot, and they were ALL gone!)

I bought 4 cases, which comes out to 96 cans.  Yes, that is a LOT, but as I said before, buying groceries for me is a two pronged approach; trying shop smart day to day to not waste money, but also stocking up on non-perishable items so I have a food storage supply "just in case." I spent $24.00, and that bought me peace of mind.  I will be using it in the future to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin soup, etc.  In addition, it is supposed to be a good substitute for oil in many baking recipes, so the end result of my baking will be healthier!

Now, I am on a quest to find a good price for canned tuna. A little over a year ago, I purchased around 70 cans when they were on sale for an incredible price (which I don't recall). The other day, I opened the last can (yes, I like tuna). What are the chances that I will find an equally incredible deal?

Buying it Used, Even Under Duress!

I said before that I try to find things used if I absolutely need to buy something. . .

Last year in June, I fell off a 4 ft ladder while trying to remove a light fixture in our bathroom and broke two bones in my foot.  The human body/brain instinctivly tries to protect the head (which was my only thought in that split second before I landed), so my foot ended up in an unnatural position under my body, I think.  I quickly realized that I was going to have a hard time trying to get around on crutches, because they make you hurt pretty bad under the arms from the pressure, as well as being unsafe when you are getting tired from trying to stay standing on one good leg.  What to do?

My husband suggested getting a wheelchair, but should I? A new one was running at a minimum of $200. You could rent one for about $2.00 a day, which comes to $60.00 a month for God knows how long.  Oh yeah, let's check Craigslist!  A quick search while laying in bed turned up a model that looked brand new for $30.00!  A quick call to the seller lined up an appointment for my husband to go pick it up on the way home from work.  It had belonged to a young man who had wrecked his motor cycle but quickly recovered from his injuries. 

I used it for about a month, so that's a savings of $30.00 over the rental fees.  It still looks barely used, and I'm sure we could sell it for the exact same price as we had paid, which will make it free to us.  We are holding on to it for the time being in case my father-in-law who's had knee replacement surgery may need it later as he is getting along in his years.  It is amazing what is out there if you take a little time to look!

Spam!

Spam went on for sale at Kroger for $1.50 a can, so it's time to stock up. It normally hovers around $2.00 - $2.30 at any grocery store, so this is a good buy.  The timing was perfect as I was down to our last 7 cans from the previous time they went on sale.  Last time, I believe it was around $1.25, so that's inflation for you!  I try to buy as much as I think I will use in a year's time (though the expiration date on the can is for about 3 years into the future).  I think I purchased around 30 cans last time, so I'll probably purchase the same amount again.

I know Spam has a bad reputation as it is highly salted and processed, so you don't want to make a habit of eating it everyday, but it has its' place in a good food storage pantry. You can eat it right out of the can if you absolutely must, and it is quite good in small quantities or as a flavor enhancer in other dishes.  Due to my Japanese upbringing, I think it is quite comparable to the salted salmon fillets I used to eat with rice when growing up.  I normally use it diced in fried rice for my sons who love Spam prepared that way. Other than that, it is usually a trusty standby for times when I have no bacon in the fridge and I have to get breakfast on the table on the weekends.  Did you know the State of Hawaii consumes the most Spam per capita of any other place in the U.S.? Weird, but true.

Locking in the Interest Rate

I went to our bank yesterday to lock in a new interest rate for our preexisting home equity loans that we had taken out two years ago when we were renovating our home. We had two outstanding loans out, one fixed and one adjustable.  My husband was getting nervous that the rates might be going up soon and wanted the assurance of predictability.  After an hour, I walked out of the bank with the security knowing we locked in a lower interest rate and a lower monthly payment. That means that we will be able to knock out that loan sooner because we will be making extra payments over the minimum amount due. 

Our ultimate goal is to be completely debt-free.  In hindsight, we should have saved the money needed for projects in advance before we started it.  We now know better.  The additional work we have done since then have been on a cash basis.  That's the reason we still have unfinished projects, but it does not worry me in the least.  It will get done. . .eventually.  We went to visit Biltmore Estate in North Carolina this past summer, and were told during the tour that even that "house" had an unfinished room that was boarded up and never used when the Vanderbilts lived there!  I don't plan on not getting our projects done, but we can wait a while longer.  No big hurry.  For the time being, we have security in knowing that we will not be hit with an unexpected rate hike on the loan.