June 2015 Frugal Chatter

[avoncallingu]

With July just around the corner I really need to start thinking of easy meals to prep ahead & cook at the cottage, I always find it so difficult to maneuver at the cottage with no running water, no functioning stove and guys who are meat eaters....grr....Started to pin recipes to boards. I love to bbq no pots & pans but we all really love flavourful food so I see a lot of marinating in my future for kabobs, chicken breasts, etc w/ side dishes being a rotation of salads made at home .


I also want to continue to try and do the $5 suppers, however, with 2 young men home I think my grocery expenses will increase and not decrease like other lucky scers.

So the family reunion that dh is organizing is fast approaching, I need to figure out what I will be making, it's a pot luck, however, there always seems to be the odd folks that show up with nothing (I don't know if it's because they forsee not staying for the meal but then decided to stay a little later.....) and we don't know how many are coming and I don't want to be embarrassed with a lack of food. I

n previous years dh used to have his College classmates up for a potluck and 1 year a bunch of neighbours showed up unexpectantly and for some reason thought they were invited (who knows) regardless I was so embarrassed because we didn't have enough food, us 4 did without so that strangers could eat, I kept taking things out of our fridge because people were asking if there were more food (which I thought was rude), I was upset because 18 extra showed who were not invited or perhaps dh extended an invitation without thinking they would show. What happened is the aging parents told there 3 adult kids with spouses & kids and 1 group had friends visiting who also had 2 kids.....you get the picture - not enough food so I don't want a repeat as there are no grocery stores close (1 hour away is the closest) so no running for extra supplies.

I had to laugh MIL was over yesterday and said she was making the cheapest thing she could make - fried rice (not chicken fried rice) rice - she said it's cheap & it's easy . My mother in law doesn't cook unless she has to and even then calls a salad a supper (no protein) such salad . But I am grateful that she is brining something.

So are there are ANY etiquette rules for hosting a potluck in your opinion????

I always think that if I bring enough for my family to eat, then that's appropriate, although I always usually bring more. I have never HOSTED a pot luck, though, so ??? I think that some people tend to be like your MIL and not many want to invest in meat for a POT LUCK (especially when it's so expensive at the moment.) How about a chili that has a mixture of ground turkey (or moose) and beef?
Or how about a meatless protein dish such as baked beans? I think the days of the host providing the "BBQ chicken, steaks and/or hot dogs and hamburgers" should be long gone. Especially if there is a big crowd. Your "surprise" pot luck of a few years ago sounds like a nightmare! We'd be down to eating Ritz Crackers for sure! I hope you get some good advice from others.

[avoncallingu]

well did a load may not hang out-as w have rain off and on
-made lemon pie son is coming with wife and"ashlyn" for supper -pie cost 2.24 to make (okay maybe a bit more as i use 2 eggs)
and will cook the 4.49 ham I bought yesterday with mashed potatoes
I have a free seminar this afternoon on "high blood pressure" at the library with my neighbour
-cleaning a bit now don't want any loose change or anything around as "ashlyn" and my son will come at 4.00 his wife at 6.00 from work -cant wait love having my grown kids around me

I LOVE lemon pie! Ham - can't eat it - so sorry, I can't make it for supper! LOL! I wouldn't mind hearing about what you heard at your seminar.

[jasperandchar]

great way of supplementing your monthly income @lizzie bargain

[avoncallingu]

Well dh is off running errands by himself - he needs to borrow at pc at a school to put his name back on the CYW substitute list for the fall, so that's great and he said that if he gets calls before school is out he will take some of them as he can't work everyday because of his back injury/pain which is understandable I think that being out of the house will do wonders for his spirits.

Friday I have an appointment so I will pop into WM to return an item that we purchased which we really don't need, I will take the store credit and put aside for Christmas time should be enough to pickup a xbox game or something of that sort.

Vacuumed the whole upstairs, will do washroom after my soap .

Also going to talk to dh as we have some scrap metal sitting in a pile and the town that my appointment is in has a baker so hopefully we can load up the truck and cash in .

Wishing everyone a wonderful afternoon

OK - Just how is scrap metal related to a baker may I ask?
No wonder some loaves are "heavy"!

[jasperandchar]

@Crochetlady sorry about the property taxes

[jasperandchar]

@avoncallingu thanks for the input re potluck, hope your dh is feeling great these days, how's his wrist

[avoncallingu]

heh everyone. popping in quick to say hi.
busy here. working on getting sons car up and running. my word my son will be driving by himself to work. yikes..

also trying to get time to put a few fairy pots together. they are an addiction. on top of my crocheting. lol.

everyone here is so busy with life..

well... dad is now across the street from his new residence to be. he's in a larger hospital. hoping to find out what is wrong..
we have an idea.. however it may be the worst if we are right..

so for now were dealing with it one day at a time...

and between taking care of home and visits.. im keeping in shape and not doing much spending. basic needs yay..

take care..

Prayers and hugs for you and your dad.

[avoncallingu]

Ah the dreaded potluck. I must confess that I am not a picky eater but I am very picky about whose food I will eat at a potluck. Thankfully my mom and one of my aunts are great cooks, others not so much.
I have been pretty stressed lately because I had an unusual result on my mammogram so I had to go back for another and an ultrasound. Scary because I am the same age now as my mom was when she was diagnosed. Thankfully the ultra sound was clear and the second mammogram did not see whatever the 1st did. Needless to say I am pretty relieved.

Oh Lilo! I'm so glad to hear this. It's stressful, no doubt when they ask you back. Whew!

[avoncallingu]

J&C - thanks for asking about dh's wrist. He wouldn't go for an x-ray but his regular regime for his clinical trials for his cancer means that he has CT scans and Bone Scans every couple of months. He will have the Bone Scan next week which should show up anything which is an issue - and the researchers won't let that go as they are looking for metasteses.
He has promised not to swing heavy bags of groceries up onto the counter or to carry heavy items with that arm. He also has a permanently broken collar bone on that side. (The list is long.)

Tomorrow I go to the dr to talk to her about migraines, high blood pressure and blurry vision. I'm going to ask for a test for diabetes - dh has also agreed to take one as well. We are also going to a naturopath to see if we can't come up with answers about nutrition etc.

I have cancelled part of my trip this weekend because I'm not comfortable with so much driving since my eyes have been "off". I haven't tried night driving and that might be an issue right now.

Hopefully my family dr. will have some answers or at least some leads for me to follow tomorrow.

I worked a little bit on finishing our planters today after I got back from having my hair cut and coloured.
While I was there, there were 2 women beside me who were having quite an outlandish conversation about the people who will be involved in a wedding one was going to this weekend. They had just struck up a conversation and discovered that they had some mutual friends/relatives. Nasty allegations about certain people they knew. - Very inappropriate- especially for where they were. When I got up I almost handed one of my "wedding officiant" cards to them with a "See you Saturday." comment - just to point out you never know who overhears your conversations! (It's NOT the wedding I will be officiating, but it might have made them sweat a little!)

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning All,
It is Thursday, one step closer to the weekend although this weekend is not really going to feel like a weekend since I am working and may have other plans. I have been holding off confirming hoping I will get better as there will be people at this event with weaker immune systems and I do not want to pass on what I have. My cold seems to be getting better but for some reason I was up almost all of last night, I think if I am lucky I got maybe 4 hours of sleep, why is it you are always in your bed sleep pattern when your alarm goes off. I was super tempted to sleep in a bit since I am working this weekend but figured I might as well just get up.

I added up our grocery bills last night and we spent $69 this week, had to do some "fancy" taking with Mom as I still have a $20 surplus which I said she could use for Beef/Pork Blend but she decided to skip it. I completely know how we got over $50 but it is what it is. I have flex and can go up to $75 and not break the bank but as I said do not want Mom knowing this or all I will hear is that I am being cheap sticking the $50 if we can afford $75. Really for 2 of us and having the stockpile and freezers we have there should be no reason to over $50 or if we do there has to be weeks were we are under $50. Our biggest issue is monitoring this because sometimes the rebound effect is what gets us, we are under week go over the next week but some how some are still thinking of the surplus which we already used and go over again and before we know it our grocery budget is out the window. So my mission is to now keep us on track, I am going to have to take control of this and maybe be a little pushy but it is totally doable if we work at it.

Nothing is getting done at home right now well at least not from me, it is taking everything I have to get through my work day with this cold so hopefully by the weekend I feel better. I am working Saturday Morning, Mom is working Saturday night so I am hoping to feel better by then and after work I can clean the house like a mad woman since I will be home alone and no one will be there to get in my way. But only time will tell how I feel, right now just walking up the stairs leaves me gasping for air. But on a happy note Mom did clean the kitchen yesterday all dishes are done, now to see what it looks like when I get home tonight because Mom will be baking and cooking today.

Have a great day everyone.

[sweet sparrow]

[QUOTE=jasperandchar;6413315]

QUOTE]

I can't edit so here we go

I think I've changed my grocery plan (lol), I think I will pass up the NF's sausage @$1.97lbs and stock up on the lean ground beef at GT 4x400g lean ground beef tubes $10 which comes to .625 per 100grams I believe...geez some lunch meat is more expensive per 100g. Can someone confirm my math (lol)

AND cheaper than 1/2 beef & 1/2 ground @$2.99lbs

@jasperandchar :

GT's price is the only one for a set weight.
4 x 400 g = 1600 g = 1.6 kg for $10
*Yes, you are right, it is $0.625/100 grams*

If you were to buy the same quantity in sausages at NF:
$1.97/lb = $4.34/kg
1.6 kg of sausages would cost:
1.6 kg x $4.34/kg = $6.94

If you bought 1/2 beef and 1/2 ground (whatever, I don't think you specified):
$2.99/lb = $6.59/kg
1.6 kg of 1/2 ground meat would cost:
1.6 kg x $6.59 kg = $10.54

On a per kilogram basis, the sausages are the cheapest option. But, they also have the potential to contain the most fillers of fat and sodium. So if there are any health issues in the family, like weight or a low sodium diet, the GT beef might be cheaper in terms of health related costs, or maybe even the 1/2 beef, depending on whether or not they use lean ground beef.

With DH (genetic) and I having weight issues (post baby) here, I see processed meats like a buy now, pay later deal. It may be cheap, but I can't really afford to deal with the cost to get the weight off. My vote is that you're right, GT has the best deal, economically and health-wise.

Sorry, that was completely off topic!

[coupon girl]

morning -my sister-in-law asked me to take her grocery shopping well at least my older brother is realizing he cant do it
-he told me to keep the money from selling his one item on kijji for gas was nice of him- i gave him the socks I got buy 1 get 1 free -an early birthday small gift
-hubby was nominated for school bus driver for his lengthy service(5 years) and care for the little ones
-well 10 people got pins and he got an indigo and tim Horton gift card with a pin
-mind you it is tiring somedays for him( a lot of drivng all over the city) he picked up another run at end of the day all across town (construction is awful)only cause they asked him as someone had quit last month
-my car is running crappy -almost 11 years -may fix it or not if too much -we can always go down to one car maybe for awhile

[Frugalbigmama]

Happy Thursday!! I can almost taste Friday!! Sun is shining here now but they said the rain will be here at the end of the work day. Oh well. DS has sports tonight but it is indoors so we are still going. Starting to feel excited for kids being off school for the summer. And thinking that it will work well with oldest watching his brother sometimes. I'm thinking I will work mornings and take afternoons off somedays so we can go to beach. Then they can sleep in in the morning and I'm not wasting vacation time for sleeping lol

[sweet sparrow]

I think our workplace rules have changed for the better in the past few years. When it's time for someone to get a gift, retirement, baby shower, etc., there's an envelope passed around with a card. You can put money in anonymously or not, no one knows. At the end, the money is presented to the recipient, although there's a lot of trust that no one pinched any along the way.

About twice a week, I'd be harassed for donations to someone's kids sports team, buying a magazine subscription, chocolate bars, cancer research, jump rope for heart, etc. Corporate put a stop to that and said the workplace was not a place to fundraise for your own personal causes. Not that they aren't good causes, but multiply the number of kids in an entire company and that's a lot of money and a lot of time being asked for donations! I don't mind the ones where it's voluntary like food bank donations, where it's just a bin out, but I also don't want to be guilted for a contribution either.

For potlucks, our old group of friends used to divide the cost financially. Somehow, it always worked out to around $20 per person, per meal. Some people couldn't make anything so they would buy it, some people would make something elaborate with lobster, some people would get take out. If you made something, you would estimate your total cost of flour, eggs, etc. and the amount would be divided by the number in attendance. Those used to be really expensive.

Our new group of friends just circulates a sign up sheet via email and every one just brings something different, according to how much your family will eat and your budget. The person who hosts makes the main course, and the people attending bring the appetizers, snacks, dessert, and side dishes. The container you brought your food in becomes the container you bring home with the leftovers. I don't think anyone has abused the system so far.
@MrsSunshine : I hope they find out whatever is bothering your dad quickly, and I hope it's a lot better than you think it is. Hugs to you and your family.
@Natalka: Glad you're feeling better!
@SassyAshley: Sorry to hear you've got a nasty cold. I have one too and it's so hard to sleep at night. I'm on the verge of spraining my ribs again from coughing so much at night. Very little sleep too.
@lilo0003: Congratulations on your test results! Great news!
@walkonby and @SassyAshley: Good luck on your weekly shops!

Being in the city is hard. I pass by five major stores on the way home and it's really hard to convince yourself that you don't need that deal!
@Crochetlady: Sorry to hear about the taxes! That would make me mad too and I'm always afraid I'll forget something like that. This year, I nearly did the same thing and paid really close to the deadline in April (like day before or on the actual day).

I really need a daily reminder! Now I fear not having enough money in the account to pay for daycare. The new one LO is going to takes a bi-weekly payment instead of monthly. I'm keeping two payments in there just in case.

[walkonby]

great sunny start to the day.
I had a " moment " yesterday while filing the receipts where I panicked noticing that I had not filled up the gastank since June 13th? I quickly dashed out to fill up so DH would be not be close to empty when he left for work. I turn it over and the gauge shows 3/4 tank?? Then I remembered that he had Monday off as a floating day, so NOT driving that long distance to work and back ended up nice for us!
So instead I made my way over to Cineplex to redeem my 2 free wins for 2 bags of M&Ms candy ( whole almonds ones ). many patrons do not peel off the little thing from their cups of pop and bags of popcorn so I take advantage of them not doing it, ....lol! totally free for just entering the pins!