Spring into Savings - April Frugal Chatter

[Crochetlady]

The cost of hospital parking is brutal. I took a friend for tests yesterday. We were there less than 3 hours and it cost $10.

In the summer we tend to eat more salads and sandwiches and use the BBQ. Most clothes are line dried. Last year we didn`t use the AC. We have an old window unit and it cost too much to run. Hope to get a new one this summer. Heat and humidity make my arthritis so much worse so I`m keeping my fingers crossed for a cooler summer.
Tomorrow I have to get my teeth cleaned...hate to even think how much that will cost.

[lilo0003]

We cook 100 % of our meals outside once the heat hits. We have a new BBQ that has a side burner and rotisserie so DH will do most of the cooking. Even if I am doing hard boiled eggs for sald it goes on the sider burner. We also did the natural gas when we bought this so never do I hear....carp we are out of propane.

[Caseythegoalie]

The cost of hospital parking is brutal. I took a friend for tests yesterday. We were there less than 3 hours and it cost $10.

In the summer we tend to eat more salads and sandwiches and use the BBQ. Most clothes are line dried. Last year we didn`t use the AC. We have an old window unit and it cost too much to run. Hope to get a new one this summer. Heat and humidity make my arthritis so much worse so I`m keeping my fingers crossed for a cooler summer.
Tomorrow I have to get my teeth cleaned...hate to even think how much that will cost.

tell me about it! I pay $65 a month JUST to go to work at my hospital!

[jasperandchar]

who was looking for beneful dog food coupons from the insert? pm me I have maybe 10 or so.

[lilo0003]

so in all this frugal chatter I totally missed that DH is spending 100. to 150 bucks a month on the 407. How could I have missed that you ask well back in December when I had my eye surgery ( trying to be smart and see if I needed my glasses) I overpaid the 407 bill by 500 bucks and it was easier to leave it on the account then deal with the hassle of getting it back. so today he has just hit the point where I have a balance. His company does not pay for the 407 toll so this is our cost but not one I had in the budget, yes really BUDGET. this is new for us so still a work in progress.

[lilo0003]

who was looking for beneful dog food coupons from the insert? pm me I have maybe 10 or so.

I think that was walkonby. does anyone collect coke pins? I cant be bothered as I am trying to give up the addiction but I have one in my van PM me and I will send it to whoever is 1st Wednesday night as I am too tired to go get it.

[thriftygranny]

Hiya Ladies,

Busy day, where has the time gone (lol), had to bring oldest son to audiologist today.

__________________________________________

Question of the Day

Now that the warmer weather is approaching (where or how do your cooking plans change)???

1. Do you cook outside more BBQ or use the BBQ side burner vs. stove
2. Crockpot more
3. Doesn't change
4.


Inquiring Minds Want to Know!!!

How do you keep your house cool during the warmer days and months (besides air conditioning) close curtains, don`t use oven,
SHARE YOUR TIPS.....Need to save on hydro cost as of May 1st the allowable kilowatts go from 1000 to 600 here in ON (after 600 the rate goes up). I`m not on time of use yet.

SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!!

I cook most of my meals on the BBQ in the summer months, and do a lot of cold salads and veggies.We also have an outdoor turkey fryer so that is used a lot if we are entertaining.
We don't have AC i can't justify it in the Alberta climate for the 3 weeks of really hot weather we may get, it always cools down so much at night here as well.However our second story is a cooker in the summer so when we replaced our window we paid to get the extra sunshade coating and it really works well.I also made roman shades with blackout lining which keeps the house a lot cooler.If it is really hot I will turn on just the furnace fan for an hour or so to circulate the cool air from the basement to the upstairs, other than trying to keep the stove off and having fans running there isnt much else I can do!

[sweet sparrow]

Oops, I am also ISO beneful dry dog food coupons that are coming in a smartsource soon.......trade anyone?

who was looking for beneful dog food coupons from the insert? pm me I have maybe 10 or so.

I think that was walkonby.

No, it was Caseythegoalie! PM her!! Awww, I feel like I'm playing coupon matchmaker.

[Angela273]

I think that was walkonby. does anyone collect coke pins? I cant be bothered as I am trying to give up the addiction but I have one in my van PM me and I will send it to whoever is 1st Wednesday night as I am too tired to go get it.

pm'd you

[Natalka]

Question of the Day

Now that the warmer weather is approaching (where or how do your cooking plans change)???

1. Do you cook outside more BBQ or use the BBQ side burner vs. stove
2. Crockpot more
3. Doesn't change
4.

We don't barbecue often, but do during the summer maybe once a week.
When it's hot, I do less top of the stove cooking, I'd rather do an oven meal - just to get the blast of heat over with, and I don't have to be getting hot by the stove cooking.
I just started using the slow cooker last fall, so I can definitely see me using it more during the summer.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know!!!

How do you keep your house cool during the warmer days and months (besides air conditioning) close curtains, don`t use oven,
SHARE YOUR TIPS.....Need to save on hydro cost as of May 1st the allowable kilowatts go from 1000 to 600 here in ON (after 600 the rate goes up). I`m not on time of use yet.

SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!!

Our living room windows face east, so blinds are closed all morning.
Usually we use fans in the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms.
My husband did jerry-rig an old a/c unit hanging in the hallway, but it's used only when it's horridly hot.

I'd gladly pay anything to have a/c running all summer long!!!

[SassyAshley]

We need to buy a new BBQ, we bought a new one when we moved into our house but did not get around to putting it together so my Nanny brought a friend over to put it together for us. When he was done there were ALOT of extra parts. Neither me nor my mom felt safe in starting the BBQ, my mom made a deal with a neighbour who has taken the BBQ and will get it inspected and we will buy a new one. Hopefully that happens shortly. Downside is both me and my mom are currently driving cars so I will probably need to borrow a truck to pick it up and it is almost impossible to get into our backyard so carrying it in is very difficult we either have to try to take it through the house which has narrow hallways or haul it around back and try to get down the narrow path with it.

We mostly eat cooler meals, salads, sandwiches stuff that can be cooked on the stove top or in the microwave (make side dishes in the microwave rice, veggies) and also will occasionally use the crock pot as it keeps the house way cooler than using the stove.

We do not have AC, there is a unit in the window in the front of our house we have not been able to get out (we need help as we are going to have to push it out the window as we cannot get it to come back into the house through the window) but the unit is way to small for our house. All it does is use a ton of electricity and does not cool it down at all, our house actually cools down faster using fans than this unit. We keep all the curtains closed, use ceiling fans plus stand alone fans and we avoid cooking. Also our washer & dryer is in the basement so that is a huge help as in our old house we only had a bungalow so using the dryer would heat up the house so when it got hot we had to avoid laundry but now with time of use that isn't an option I have to do laundry on weekends to for the lower peak times. Also we avoid things that will heat us or house up, don't use the dishwasher, will only do hand dishes in cooler weather (cannot stand with hands in hot water when it is too hot) and leave most of the cleaning for cooler days.

Hiya Ladies,

Busy day, where has the time gone (lol), had to bring oldest son to audiologist today.

__________________________________________

Question of the Day

Now that the warmer weather is approaching (where or how do your cooking plans change)???

1. Do you cook outside more BBQ or use the BBQ side burner vs. stove
2. Crockpot more
3. Doesn't change
4.


Inquiring Minds Want to Know!!!

How do you keep your house cool during the warmer days and months (besides air conditioning) close curtains, don`t use oven,
SHARE YOUR TIPS.....Need to save on hydro cost as of May 1st the allowable kilowatts go from 1000 to 600 here in ON (after 600 the rate goes up). I`m not on time of use yet.

SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!!

[gwennad]

I just got a BBQ (ordered online from walmart and it was delivered free) and put it together myself (feel very proud of that fact!). I still need a tank for it but will be able to BBQ this summer. My little guy is old enough now that he will hopefully not touch it, and let me cook without too much "help". Otherwise I try and avoid the big oven but as it's just two of us I will use the toaster oven to do smaller things, and the microwave. Crockpot is great too.

My new place is having a/c installed (it's in the lease he has to do it by May 15th, though given the weather lately who really cares lol). I am really looking forward to it and hope there is a programmable thermostat involved. I bought engery saving curtains for the main windows, there is one that is smaller and more sheltered. The windows all came with horizontal blinds which I hate for the cats and child, I'm paranoid they'll choke themselves somehow. But I left them up in most of the windows with curtains in front of them so hopefully that will help.

I'd like to get a clothesline or one of those umbrella types for the backyard, there is some line hung in the basement but I'd rather thang stuff outside in the summer if I can. I will use the dryer to fluff stuff at the end though because I don't like stiff clothes lol.

And I also use fans, I had fans and window a/c's in the old house. I had a big one upstairs that cooled the upstairs, but I would put it on power saver mode during the day while we were out, it kept the humidity down but not cold really. I would use a fan to direct the cold air around the upstairs. And had a fan in the kiddos room, but his room would be like an oven by the end of the day, so I am glad we will have central air now as he's already complaining it's too hot.

[Caseythegoalie]

who was looking for beneful dog food coupons from the insert? pm me I have maybe 10 or so.

me me me!
Please and thanks

[Giseledta]

remeber to look on kijiji if you need more fans. in the spring people tend to sell them. and ceiling fans rock. we use them alot in the house.

[Frugal ottawa]

Good day everyone! So else gets all nervous/ crazy excited for their grocery trips? It's only Wednesday and I am all ready to go. I am aiming for 50% coupon savings this week, I am very nervous because anything can go wrong and I really need this stock up week! <--- that's me right now! Lol I'm not going shopping until Friday night so I will spend the next few days like that! Lol!