February 2016 Frugal chatter thread - All Welcome!!!

[coupon girl]

-well watched ashlyn today we played in the snow for half hour -she napped I did a load of laundry for them
-my daughter-in-law said she paid 4,500 last year for ashlyn to go to day care 2 days a week
-my daughter said in Toronto its 1,200 (about the cost of a mortgage )a month for day care a few have live in nannies at her work
-I ordered on amazon tonight got free shipping cause I spent 26.something -so pretty happy there
(my cousin wrote a book so I ordered it to read -he lives in the states)a book for ashlyn for easter and another for xmas

[saundyl]

Mine is teething too. She is sleeping and so am I (due to co-sleeping), but more wakings. We are trying to move away from the co-sleeping since the regression...this requires me to stay awake while doing night feedings. Ha!



So happy pneumonia is off the table. Feel better.

Question

Our cleaner has been unreliable of late. She keeps cancelling last minute. I think she cancels on me because I am nice. Her cleaning has not been as thorough lately. I am looking into other services. I have a difficult time knowing the best way to end such services. Do I tell her I no longer require them? or Do I explain why I am trying another service? I care about people enough that I want to be able to make eye contact without hurt feelings if we run into each other. It is a little thing but seems a big deal.

I have had this problem with out of home estheticians in the past. One I was able to leave a brief but honest message on her answering machine and the other well, I never rebooked, nor did I give notice because she embarrassed me during my appointment and did harm to my mother without apology.

You ladies have some good advice, so have at 'er!

I'd let her know that due to repeatec last minute cancellations lately you are looking for someone who can fit your home into their schedule without rushing.

No they didn`t. I finally called them to see if they got the fax. She asked if I needed it today. I felt like asking her "do you not hear me cough". I`m usually pretty easy going but coughing for a week with very little sleep can make me quite cranky.

On top of that I got a call yesterday that one of my brothers is in the hospital. After seeing numerous Dr. and being sent home because according to them there`s nothing wrong. They have a nurse come in for home care and after listening to his heart and lungs she told SIL to get him to emerge...by this time he could hardly breath. Was told he has about 20 lbs of fluid around his lungs.

I hope you're feeling better crochetlady... and that they take better care of your brother.

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[saundyl]

Off work for 3 days plus the weekend due to paint fumes.
We went grocery shopping today,the price of fruit makes me want to cry. $17.99/lb for grapes....9.99 for a small clamshell of strawberries.

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[Angela273]

Off work for 3 days plus the weekend due to paint fumes.
We went grocery shopping today,the price of fruit makes me want to cry. $17.99/lb for grapes....9.99 for a small clamshell of strawberries.

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Ouch. Those prices are the things that grocery nightmares are made of.

[SassyAshley]

Granger I would just tell her, her services are no longer needed. One thing I have been taught is you do not need to reason or justify your reason you made a decision and that is the end of it as it was put to me. I was also told the less information the better do not give them any information they can use to question you. If she asks why all you need to say is we no longer need you service.

Crochetlady hope the meds help and you can get some sleep.

[SassyAshley]

Maybe this is just me but I found something kind of funny when I stopped at the store on the way home last night.

This store had Olive Oil on sale but the Olive Oil they had on a End Cap was a smaller bottle for more, the one on sale you had to go down the aisle to find.

The same store had Mushrooms on sale, when you walked into produce there is a huge rolling rack you pretty much literally walk into entering produce but they are organic mushrooms which are not on sale. The mushrooms that are on on sale are in the back corner and you would have to look to find them.

Kind of made me wonder on my drive home (the car is a wonderful place to think) this is not the first time I have seen this. Are stores trying to trick customers. I remember previously end caps were always something on sale or clearance now you have to go looking for the sale items and the clearance section in this store is in a back hallway that leads to the public bathroom and unless you go looking for it you will not find it. I wonder if stores have noticed if they put the higher price item on an End Cap people do not realize and buy the more expensive one as I find in general the average shopper does not pay as much attention as couponers and frugal shoppers. It still shocks me the number of people I see in the produce area just grab a package of something even if it is moldy so are stores try to "trick" shoppers?

[Natalka]

^ You are right, I've noticed the same. I don't think it's to 'trick' customers, it's always buyer beware.

Good morning, all!

[Frugalbigmama]

Morning!
@sassy Ashly- Our RCSS will put the steak on sale in an end bunker and right beside it the same steak in smaller packages (usually it's the "club pack" on sale) so the smaller packages are more per Lb. So many times I will let the person know that is filling their cart with the small packages that they are not getting the sale priced and they are always shocked and thank me so much for letting them know. So I say for sure a little misleading!

[sweet sparrow]

@Angela273: Estevan is about the size of the town where DH and I were born. Technically, DH is from a small town of 500 north of where I'm from (about 20 minutes). We joke that they had to change the population sign when he moved out!

Another financial day lol. Never ends eh? I received my wonderful property tax bill and the 1st 1/4 payment is due at the end of the month and I keep reminding myself to pay it! (same thing worried I'm going to forget!)

I think I'm going to have to put a reminder on my calendar. Sometimes, I wish I had a phone so it would tell me automatically on the day! Or maybe sticky notes on the mirror, but that would be a lot of clutter.... White board on the refrigerator, it is!

The crazy thing is that until today the cough was the only symptom I had. Today I started with a runny nose. This is the first cold I've had in years.

How long did yours usually last?

I'm not the best person to ask. Usually, I get the first cold, then a second with the weakened immune system, and sometimes a third. My colds have lasted for months! Perhaps having a toddler carrying home germs from daycare has something to do with that.

@Granger: Constructive criticism is helpful, but in this case, I think your cleaner has failed to show pride in her work. If you did tell her you no longer needed her services, I'm sure she could either guess why or doesn't care. I would only give reasons if she asked.

@saundyl: Those are crazy prices! You really need fruit coupons there!

This store had Olive Oil on sale but the Olive Oil they had on a End Cap was a smaller bottle for more, the one on sale you had to go down the aisle to find.

@SassyAshley: I was watching Undercover Boss on T&T supermarket and one of the workers, while stocking an end cap remarked that putting items on an end cap will move items for sure. I think it's just an easy way of making money. I'm not sure if it's trying to fool people, but if the price is marked, location is just increasing visibility, I think. It's like offering different price points for different items for different budgets, different tastes, etc.

I wonder if everyone bought the lower priced items, if the businesses could afford that volume, and if they would eventually have to raise the prices. Savers like us are used to working harder to get the best deal, so I don't mind if they just move it down the aisle. As long as they have some available for us, I'll take the walk.

[Frugalbigmama]

Fridge is starting to look clean and empty and I like it! We still have clementines and apples so we are good for fruit. (I will buy bananas on the weekend). We should be good for date night dinner Friday (pasta with chicken) and Sat night our Vday dinner (steak and shrimp etc) We have all the stuff needed on hand. Romaine hearts are on sale so will grab 2 packs for salad and tacos etc. Think I will be able to plan good meals next week with stuff from freezer (taco meat is already cooked and in freezer) Just needed lettuce! (we have so much cheese it's crazy but good!) Don't think I will be spending much at all this weekend at the grocery store!

[Frugalbigmama]

@Angela273: Estevan is about the size of the town where DH and I were born. Technically, DH is from a small town of 500 north of where I'm from (about 20 minutes). We joke that they had to change the population sign when he moved out!



I think I'm going to have to put a reminder on my calendar. Sometimes, I wish I had a phone so it would tell me automatically on the day! Or maybe sticky notes on the mirror, but that would be a lot of clutter.... White board on the refrigerator, it is!



I'm not the best person to ask. Usually, I get the first cold, then a second with the weakened immune system, and sometimes a third. My colds have lasted for months! Perhaps having a toddler carrying home germs from daycare has something to do with that.

@Granger: Constructive criticism is helpful, but in this case, I think your cleaner has failed to show pride in her work. If you did tell her you no longer needed her services, I'm sure she could either guess why or doesn't care. I would only give reasons if she asked.

@saundyl: Those are crazy prices! You really need fruit coupons there!


@SassyAshley: I was watching Undercover Boss on T&T supermarket and one of the workers, while stocking an end cap remarked that putting items on an end cap will move items for sure. I think it's just an easy way of making money. I'm not sure if it's trying to fool people, but if the price is marked, location is just increasing visibility, I think. It's like offering different price points for different items for different budgets, different tastes, etc.

I wonder if everyone bought the lower priced items, if the businesses could afford that volume, and if they would eventually have to raise the prices. Savers like us are used to working harder to get the best deal, so I don't mind if they just move it down the aisle. As long as they have some available for us, I'll take the walk.

Some people just don't pay attention to prices and have no clue. I had a great chat with my son and his friends the other night after I told them they are paying too much for stuff (they go to Foodland in the middle of the night and buy stuff to snack on and I almost die when I see the receipt in the bag and what they pay lol) They seemed interested in what I told them (sale prices on the items they buy) so it's a start!

My honey and I are always looking in other peoples carts and then stare at each other and know what each is thinking (omg- they are paying way too much for that or look at all the crap in their cart lol) People waste so much money on groceries. It's crazy!

[sweet sparrow]

Fifteen more days of making it home in this cold February weather in the stroller. LO has already told me a few times that she's been cold.

More food for thought, I got both tax receipts for two daycares in 2015. They were around the same cost for the private school and the public daycare. The private school would have added expenses going forward of uniforms, books, supplies, and I would always have to pack LO a lunch. But, it would be so much shorter of a commute home for LO. No more two buses, no more waiting in the cold. The school LO's daycare is attached to now is not the one she is scheduled to attend based on our location. If they can take her this year, I may just take the offer.

In terms of clothes, I never knew how much extra it cost for daycare. LO needs a different change of clothes each day and the director seems to tell me that LO's clothes are too small, zippers are broken, or she needs more. LO is 2, her hat was rated to age 4. I thought the hat was supposed to fit snugly to keep her ears warm. The director said it leaves a red mark on her head. It doesn't unless you pull the coat hood tightly over and has enough space for me to fit both hands inside. So, we got her a new hat that fits me. No complaints.

The coat zipper on LO supposedly splits upwards from the bottom. I find that it doesn't as long as you make sure the zipper is put together properly (bottom is secured properly). I think she's asking me to buy an entirely new snowsuit, but I'm reluctant with about a month to go and DH and I agree that the coat works just fine on all other seven days of the week when we put it together, take LO out to play, etc.

If LO needs a change of clothes halfway through the day, I might stick her in the same outfit for the next day if it's completely clean, but I've been asked for a full set of new clothes, each and every day, two sets of clothes for changing, and I change her out of the daycare clothes when we get home. That totals at least nine sets of clothes during the weekdays (anticipating two spills or messes during the week), plus clothes for home, specialty clothes, etc. Is that more than usual or is that normal? LO's clothes are too small to launder twice a week unless I handwash.

Thanks ladies, for listening to my daycare headaches!

[SassyAshley]

I can see how some people cannot afford to buy milk because exactly so many people go in and just buy what they need/want.

Last week when we went shopping the person in front of me must have bought maybe 20 items maybe a couple less and the bill was $90 something and I almost choked. But you saw it this store had fries on sale but they did not buy the ones on sale so instead of paying I think it was $2.99 they paid $6.99. I on the other hand bought about 30 or so items and only paid $30 something.

But I can also see it even with in my own family, One house hold has 3 adult children living in the house who at various times are all on different diets for various reasons and they go out and just buy whatever they need at whatever the price. They have to buy Chicken Breast and Salmon for Child 1 who is on a high protein diet, where is child 2 is on a shake/veggie based diet and are buying Almond Milk, Spinach and Kale and child 3 is a mix of both diet but needs something else for their diet. So every week they go out and buy these items no matter the cost because they "need" them.

It is not hard these days to spend $100 in the grocery store and walk out with next to nothing.

[Frugalbigmama]

I can see how some people cannot afford to buy milk because exactly so many people go in and just buy what they need/want.

Last week when we went shopping the person in front of me must have bought maybe 20 items maybe a couple less and the bill was $90 something and I almost choked. But you saw it this store had fries on sale but they did not buy the ones on sale so instead of paying I think it was $2.99 they paid $6.99. I on the other hand bought about 30 or so items and only paid $30 something.

But I can also see it even with in my own family, One house hold has 3 adult children living in the house who at various times are all on different diets for various reasons and they go out and just buy whatever they need at whatever the price. They have to buy Chicken Breast and Salmon for Child 1 who is on a high protein diet, where is child 2 is on a shake/veggie based diet and are buying Almond Milk, Spinach and Kale and child 3 is a mix of both diet but needs something else for their diet. So every week they go out and buy these items no matter the cost because they "need" them.

It is not hard these days to spend $100 in the grocery store and walk out with next to nothing.

My neighbours have 2 boys at home still in early 20"s. (going to college/uni- one is away mostly but home on weekends and will be back for summer) No wonder they have no money (and dad is losing his job this summer) Their recycling bin is full of pop cans, name brand cereal, pizza take out boxes and tons of other processed food. Yikes!

[Crochetlady]

Had a good night`s sleep in the recliner last night. Did very little coughing. The only meds I`m on is the inhaler.
Called my niece this morning...she`s picking up some juice for me after work.