November 2015 Frugal Chat Thread

[jasperandchar]

Evening all,

What a day, I have an infection in my incision, so called the inlaws to see if they could drive me, yes they did but I had to wait 2 hours at the hospital to be picked up, I call mil and asked if FIL forgot about me but nope....sigh

Pharmacy said 1 hour for prescription to be ready I was about to cry as I was so fed up waiting at the hospital, fil said he'll run errands for the hour while the prescription is ready...sigh...oh well good news is I have my prescription.

On Wednesday had to get an appointment at the clinic because my yeast infection did not clear with the over the counter meds, so I got a prescription and asked for a renewal (smart me).

Anyways I had asked the inlaws to drive me on the 11th of November back in July and fil called this afternoon and said your appointment better not be in the morning sigh...my parents said they'll drive me.

I just hate asking for drives etc and then when told what I was told just makes me never want to ask for a ride...sigh...dh is trying to work so we have $ to fix the never ending list of truck maintenance.


Inquring Minds Want to Know!!!!

When you ask someone for a drive or give someone a ride to an appointment or if they want to tag along to the grocery store, etc do you offer cash for the gas?

If they say no do you insist or just put the funds back in your purse.
++++++++++++++++++++

I have offered the last 2 times fil has drove me and he has taken the $ both times, I'm not upset I just personally wouldn't accept the $ as I believe that if I could help someone I just would and count it as a favour. (just my 2 cents)

[Ciel]

@jasperandchar -I have provided money to my best friend when we've gone on a long daytrip or treated her to a meal. However, on an ongoing basis, treating to a fast-food meal or sometimes giving a small gift or gift card occasionally has worked with females. Given my past experience with brother and vehicle use, he insisted on $10 for gas each time I used his vehicle when I was housecleaning. So am not surprised that your FIL has taken the money. Men have an aversion to being seen as doing favours for nothing. Women in my experience value their social connections more (usually) so are keen to kind of balance the drives with something like gifts or gas money. No one really wants to be the friend/acquaintance that others avoid because s/he never offers something for a drive or show appreciation.

That said, sometimes family will do drives but the understanding is you do something in return or you'll risk being labelled a freeloader. That label is like putting gasoline on a family feud.

Back to shopping-I did not like the two flannel prints available for Double size at the Hamilton Target store. The prints for Queen size are brighter. Did see some Circo and Room Essential bed sheets to keep in mind next time. I ended up getting some solid tone tissue paper and some gift bags-all gift bags including the big Xmas ones are all $1-and a non-slip rug pad for a mat at home that has lost its grip on the reverse side. One Direction fans-there are some small blue bags with their mugs on it on a lower peg. There are Barbie bags too. Xmas wrapping paper-there is box near the outside wall of the kitchenwares section with two red prints-one with gingerbread cookies, bells, candles etc for $2.50 or the large snowflakes in brown and offwhite. Both rolls are like tall/oversize width. Smaller foil/clear rolls are near the Xmas bag section (across the store where the socks used to be).

In case anyone has King size bed and needs bedding-the Ancaster Homesense store has soft pink, putty-med. beige and one other colour in stock (Lameminho; there could be flannel sets in the luxe habitat, Queen St W and Grand Patrician lines which have a lot of white and gray tones in their prints. There are three Deane and White deep orange (think carrot) sheets sets on clearance at $44.99 (used to be 54.99). Homesense Eastgate has Deane and White sheets on regular price in white or a dark pine green.

[coupon girl]

jasper -I have taken my brother to appointments and his wife just today for groceries -I don't expect anything
-but I did have to pay 6.00 for parking a few months back at a lot across from hospital and my brother said(here is 3.00) as I ran out to put more in the meter on a private lot (mind you my brother gave me a 20.00 gift card last xmas and said on the card thanks for all that you do for us ) and I sold an item for him and made 15.00 on kijiji and he wouldn't take the money a few months back

-now my mom always had to go for blood years ago and she would give my hubby if he took her 2.00 or 3.00 for a coffee-but I didn't expect a thing it was my mom

[lizzie bargain]

Oh my Thrifty Granny and J and C-sounds like you have both had a challenging week healthwise. Here's hoping you both feel better soon!

[walkonby]

oh....((( worrying ))) @thriftygranny I sure hope the new meds are just trying to find their happy medium with you. Being very weak would be scary, yes I would not drive either. Hoping you get some answers about it all soon.

[Natalka]

I am struggling health wise this week, my doctor changed my meds and they are not fun at all. I am so dizzy and nauseous, I started them on Tuesday and the only good thing about it is I have lost 5 pounds in 4 days. I was feeling so good on my other ones but they just weren't keeping my blood pressure low enough in my right arm, today i am 110/80 in my right arm which is great and 76/60 in my left, which is not good. I will see in her a week and a half but if this keeps up I may go to walk in clinic. I am home alone for 5 days, the boys are hunting and I have spent the day lying down or on the computer. I am a go go go person and frankly I haven't even driven since Wednesday, I just don't trust that I am not going to faint. i was hoping to give the house a really good pre Christmas clean but it isn't happening today, I am hoping this is just an adjustment period for the meds and tomorrow will be a better day.
I have a 65th birthday party to go to tomorrow night for a dear friend but not sure if I will be able to drive as it is out of town, perhaps I will make a phone call and see if I can hitch a ride with someone that isn't planning on staying too late!

Maybe get to a clinic sooner than later - that bp is so low...
You are right to not drive - I am hoping you have someone close you can call should you need immediate help.
Big hugs that you feel better soon.

---
J&C - so sorry you got infected in your arm, and also about the other (have some yogourt, too!).
Hoping everything clears up quickly.

For rides, amongst family members (not a frequent occurance) - never any talk of money. There's always turnabout at some point in the future, so things eventually even out.

[thriftygranny]

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone! Yes all three of my daughters are with in 10 minutes of our home and my best friend is 3 doors down so I feel safe alone. This has been going on for a year so I am kind of used to it but jeesh things have been slow moving as far as finding the root of my issues.

[lilo0003]

TG: is someone free to stay with you well the men are away? You are wise not to drive.
J&C: I hope the infection clears up, schlepping back & forth when you don’t live in the city is not easy. As for the gas issue, I have been driving since I was 17 & the only person I every charged for gas for was my little brother, to my defense I was 17 & paid for the gas in my own car so did not think he deserved a free ride. I always do the driving with my mom & aunts when we go out (I like to drive) they would split my lunch when the boys were younger. But now they are all retired and I am happy to pay for my own lunch so we don’t even talk about the gas.
Cleaning up crap pays off. I was sorting bills & receipts today & happened to see a cheque attached to one of the medical claims. We had switch over to paperless so I am surprised they sent us a cheque. It was only 8.00 which is why I did not notice the amount was not deposited back in June, but I will happily take the money.

[thriftygranny]

Well I guess I may not be alone for 5 days, the boys got a moose tonight so they should be home by Sunday I think. Wow first day out and got their moose, that's a first!!

[Natalka]

^ That's great! I haven't had moose, just elk and deer.

[thriftygranny]

It is really delicious, we really enjoy it and it is very lean. My husband was lucky and got a draw for elk as well this year, it will cut the grocery budget a lot.

[Natalka]

Good morning, Happy Caturday!

Just need to finish doing my master shopping list for the week, and get some coupons sorted.

Have a great day, everyone!

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
TG hope you feel better.

Nancy I so totally feel your pain with the yeast infection, you are lucky they will give you something my doc won't tells me to use over the counter and I am now on week 5 or 6, I lost count.

As for rides within family there is never a mention of money. My Mom always drives she hates being a passenger so we always use her gas but in all honesty for what I cover we don't discuss it. Other family members is few and far between but we just do whatever needs to be done, it is family. If I can give someone a ride if I am going that way I do not expect anything in return.

I have in the past had people try to use me for my car and get me to take them all over the place and in those cases I do ask for compensation and in most cases they refuse and in these circumstances I knew I was being used. Example being someone asking me to drive 35 minutes to pick them up drive 20 minutes in the opposite direction of where I live, drop them off because they did not want to take the bus but wanted to go play video games at a friend's. This was constant with this person I knew pretty much anytime they texted me they wanted a ride somewhere and it was never to do anything with me, it was pick them up drop them off and then my job was done and I could go home. It was never for anything important like appointments or must have it was always I am bored, I am lazy, I don't want to pay for the bus.

[SassyAshley]

It has been a long week here. Work is still crazy insane busy and now we need to prepare for Shut Down and Year End so a ton is going on. Walked into my office Wednesday to be told I was going to another location the next day as they needed help. They are branch of 4, 2 are new employees still being trained and 1 is trying to come back off medical leave and it is a day by day process and they were off for months and needs some re training. This make me a little nervous as I had not time to prepare plus I get there and our controller decides to sit in on the training session and watch. Good news is all went well but the whole week has been a roller coaster.

It looks like some new things are happening at work and we are waiting for details to come down from management on the exact plan. I should have a lot more details this coming week. It is become clear we have a lot of projects and new things coming and a lot of it will involve me due to my computer knowledge including the fact we have to upgrade our system this winter, they will no longer support the version we have so we have to upgrade. There really aren't a lot of changes to the system but I have learned we have quite a few people who do not deal with change well even when the change is minimal.

I will admit I have been a little stressed this week just because it seems like every time I turn around there is a new project I am needed for. But after talking with management there might be a few options we are going to look into so I am hopeful we will make it work.

So needless to say work is taking up so much of my time, I cannot find time to spend money. So this has become really frugal for me, I just do not have the ambition to go out and spend money. Although last night I did hit up the Yarn Event at Micheal's and will admit I got 4 large bags of yarn and in the end I saved some where between 70% to 80% so I am happy. Got a lot of yarn for smaller projects I can take with me when I travel which is what I was looking for.

Have a great day everyone, off to see what today will bring.

[saundyl]

Good Morning Everyone,
TG hope you feel better.

Nancy I so totally feel your pain with the yeast infection, you are lucky they will give you something my doc won't tells me to use over the counter and I am now on week 5 or 6, I lost count.

As for rides within family there is never a mention of money. My Mom always drives she hates being a passenger so we always use her gas but in all honesty for what I cover we don't discuss it. Other family members is few and far between but we just do whatever needs to be done, it is family. If I can give someone a ride if I am going that way I do not expect anything in return.

I have in the past had people try to use me for my car and get me to take them all over the place and in those cases I do ask for compensation and in most cases they refuse and in these circumstances I knew I was being used. Example being someone asking me to drive 35 minutes to pick them up drive 20 minutes in the opposite direction of where I live, drop them off because they did not want to take the bus but wanted to go play video games at a friend's. This was constant with this person I knew pretty much anytime they texted me they wanted a ride somewhere and it was never to do anything with me, it was pick them up drop them off and then my job was done and I could go home. It was never for anything important like appointments or must have it was always I am bored, I am lazy, I don't want to pay for the bus.

Have you tried using apple cider vinegar down below? It stings like a son of a gjn but i find it helps faster than something like canesten.