April Frugal Chatter 2016

[jasperandchar]

Thank you everyone, I was really hoping things would get better but instead they are getting worse. I am going to see what happens when I get back and go from there.

I have seen therapists in the past and it has been helpful. Right now it looks like for the next while I will be coming and going a lot for work so maybe the best thing for both of us will be space. Once I am back for a period of time I will see where we are at and go from there. I am not putting it down just know the reality right now is with work I just cannot do it right now.

The good is I am getting a little bit of help, although my leadership coach is for work he does also go into personal issues as his main focus is our well being as a whole and he sees stress is a huge issue for me, as well he is the one who made me see I am a people pleaser and I do this at my own expense and he has really been forcing me so break this habit, as well we discussed my anxiety issues this past week. Honestly it has been helping, it has given me the strength to discuss something with Mom even the things she does not want to hear including what I said to her yesterday which started the fight.

I continue to be hopeful something will change and she will find her light at the end of the tunnel. We were finally getting to a good place and then this job thing happened and it has been nothing but downhill. I know there are good and bad days in life it just seems like the good are missing.

Okay I am rambling, thank you all for listening.

Sounds like your life coach is exactly what you need for career and home life, sounds like a sounding board to me

[Frugalbigmama]

Good morning! What a crazy busy weekend. I am tired today! Tonight will be sitting on my butt night. I will put a load or two of laundry on but just sheets/comforters that I can hang up to dry! Easy! Just updating my budget today from spending on the weekend. Didn't spend too much which is nice.
Hope everyone has a great start to the week

[Frugalbigmama]

Starting to plan our summer.
Blue Jays game for sure (with my sisters family too- great big ol' family fun)
Also looking at the Toronto City pass. May be worth it but hate that it has to be used up in 9 days. Wish it was good for 2 months.
Many festivals to attend. Farmers Markets. The beach! Camping trip.
So much to do and so little time so have to start planning now!

[sweet sparrow]

We are half way through the cycle of treatment before they will do another CT scan to see if these d@"=m drugs are giving this cancer the old "one-two!"

@avoncallingu : Congratulations on reaching a milestone in treatment! Being halfway through makes me think I only have to do what I just did one more time and that's it.

I ordered Costco ready made garden beds, we looked at building them but Costco's come already built and they deliver and it's less money.

@lilo0003 : Costco sells that? Wow. Factoring in the work and extra meals needed for the manpower, it's definitely less money!

I called into Canadian Tire before I stepped out and they were completely out of light bulbs. They said the nearest location was a half hour drive away. I don't need light bulbs as some people I guess.

Yesterday we popped into RONA as we needed a few things for the bedroom reno, they had 15% off plus I got a SCOP ($10 off) some ratchet straps dh wanted/needed they were $19.99 but rang it at $21.99 so only paid $9.99 which is awesome.

@jasperandchar : You'll have a really nice looking place when it's all finished!

We definitely have to do our bathroom and kitchen someday, and the bathroom much sooner than the kitchen. We've been putting it off since it hasn't fallen apart yet. I think the next thing in line to spend our money on is window coverings. We don't have window coverings and we've been in the house for seven years. Maybe it's time to choose something so we no longer have to hide in the bathroom to change.

Does anyone have recommendations for curtains or blinds? Which is easier to clean? Do curtains absorb smells? No one smokes in the house, but our home isn't that large that cooking smells won't make their way into fabrics.

We did splurge on a Dyson (refurbished model from their eBay site) and I'll have to clean and try it out.

I found a recipe from some budget website you ladies mentioned (something about dragon noodles?) for next week's potluck. We'll have to be very ambitious since the Saturday we'll be out both days but still have to cook for both gatherings, taking nothing home, so we'll be cooking again on the weekdays. Phew!

LO let me cook yesterday, surprisingly. Normally, she won't give me the time to steam broccoli. She actually flipped through my binder of printout recipes and then asked for more books to flip through. Dinner/lunch isn't too bad, rather tasteless though. We're trying to cut down on the sugar and sodium content to eat healthier so I guess I'm basically trying to reset my tastebuds. I wonder how long I have to eat this for before I enjoy it. Ha ha!

Yesterday, while cooking, I came across our last bottle of olive oil. I'll have to be on the lookout for the next sale. I'm sort of impressed that this is the very last bottle, no stockpile, no reserve. On one hand, I love having the space and non clutter that not stockpiling brings. On the other hand, I don't like paying full price either.

QOTD: What was the last thing you came across that you completely ran out of? Did you end up paying full price? Is there anything that you don't stockpile (non-perishable), even though you could?

[Frugalbigmama]

QOTD: I know what you mean about not having stockpile clutter. I like having stuff on hand so when I run out I can just go to basement and get what I need but then when I stock up I have rotate/organize it etc. Like this past weekend/today. I have 15 bottles of Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner to put away. I only bought it because it was totally free ($3 on sale (taxes of .39 each but received 500 PC pts on each)) so I was happy to stock us up.

But with food I have totally toned my stocking up down (besides meat lol, when I find a deal I go hog wild lol) Got boys to feed

[saundyl]

Hello folks!

Just short note. DH's oncologist appointment went well. No major tweaking of meds for the next round of chemo. We are half way through the cycle of treatment before they will do another CT scan to see if these d@"=m drugs are giving this cancer the old "one-two!"

Had a great visit with two long-time (we're talking 40 year) friends. We watched the Blue Jays sadly lose and had some great munchies.

Today I got a lot accomplished after they left. DH was fine with my going to do some grocery shopping. He usually likes to come but he wasn't feeling very energetic and wanted to watch the Masters Golf Tournament.

They were having a major clearance at RCSS and I got 7 bottles of Jergens lotion marked down to .94 for free as I had 7 $1.00 off coupons. I am going to make up some mother's day donations for the Women's Shelter and our church outreach.

Also, they had a couple of really pretty table runners mated down to $3.94 with 30% off.
I also picked up a couple of mugs and soup mugs which match. I am hoping to put together a "Kitchen Themed" gift basket for a wedding shower that I will be going to. The mugs were .77 each.

I also found some nice blue bowls for us to use as I am trying to make life easier by using our dish washer but we run out of dishes before it gets full. They were marked down to 2 in a box for $1.94 with 30% off. So about .72 apiece.

I also got the Scrubbing Bubbles for free and I think I can claim $3 from Checkout51.

Got the grandparent a long-sleeved indie which should fit her in the fall for $3.94.

Got extra points for the cleaning product and some dip that DH LOVES.

Cashed some points to cut the cost down.

We are almost exclusively using our PC MC these days and I am happy with getting the money back in groceries if we remember to price match and use what meagre coups that are useful to us.

Well, what was to be short turned into long.

Goodnight friends.

Oh, Saundyl, I did a double-take at Food Basics today as a woman was coming out who looked just like you in your picture. I almost thought it might be you but that would be a check of a long trek for you.

Crochet lady- so glad you will be able to get to see the specialist next month!

Im glad it went well! My fingers are crossed for you.

Kinda neat you saw my possible look a like! Would be awesome to meet some of you all!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[Angela273]

I saw the electronic MIR for Oxi Clean, so I went to pick one up at WM. In the process I found 2 Oxi Clean laundry products that said "then $5.97" "now $6.47". So I picked up one of each, plus another different one for the rebate. I got 2 jugs free from SCOP and 1 that I should get for free from the rebate that I will submit later today. Hopefully it works for me. I also picked up 5 buns on the reduced rack for $1, which we will have with pulled pork for tonight's supper.

[Angela273]

Double post.

[jasperandchar]

@sweet sparrow , if you are looking for great prices on curtains Giant Tiger has $10 panels and they have a really nice selection AND it's a cheap way to add some color, style, etc.

My kitchen is beside the dinning room/living room and I haven't noticed a smell in them, purchased from GT.

In the kitchen I have wood plantation shutters, very expensive and thruthfully I would not purchase them again. They look nice but even when the loovers are open it's so dark in there. I open the 2 doors during the day and close them at night....it drives dh crazy but don't feel like putting the lights on when daylight is free.

Stay away from those cheap vinyl blinds, they are awful to clean.

good luck

[jasperandchar]

I don't stockpile anymore, no coupons for what we use and I love having space.

I shop as we run out.

[coupon girl]

sweet sparrow -I have blinds metal ones that came with the house on my 3 bay windows(18years now ) -hate them -hard to clean-one day I will replace maybe

-babysat ashlyn today -she was a little stuffed gave her a Johnson's vapour bath and had the vapourizer on still took her outside from 11 to 11.45 mind you she cries when I bring her in she loves being outside -oh and she slept 1 and a half hours -so did 2 loads for my son/daughter-in-law

sweetsparrow -I completely ran out of ketchup and my kids only like Heinz ketchup so for easter I paid reg price -lol and now I bought one on extra sale
I still stockpile but have cut down on bodywash,cleaning stuff -I have gone down to one toothpaste -that always comes on sale plus using the small ones we got from dentist up too -coupons are getting scarce but I rely on checkout51 or caddle for extra small money deals -I slowely stocked up on my dishsoap from getting one each week from checkout51 with a rebate .50-1.00
-I will always have a stockpile even thou there is 2 of us

[sweet sparrow]

Kinda neat you saw my possible look a like! Would be awesome to meet some of you all!

Do they still have that photo thread somewhere? I guess everyone is concerned about privacy nowadays. How annoying that we have to worry about that. The days when there were no locks on doors seem far away (but, I will always have a lock on my bathroom ).

@sweet sparrow , if you are looking for great prices on curtains Giant Tiger has $10 panels and they have a really nice selection AND it's a cheap way to add some color, style, etc.

My kitchen is beside the dinning room/living room and I haven't noticed a smell in them, purchased from GT.

In the kitchen I have wood plantation shutters, very expensive and thruthfully I would not purchase them again. They look nice but even when the loovers are open it's so dark in there. I open the 2 doors during the day and close them at night....it drives dh crazy but don't feel like putting the lights on when daylight is free.

Stay away from those cheap vinyl blinds, they are awful to clean.

good luck

@jasperandchar : Thanks for the idea! Do they come in varying sizes or are they hard to match?

Right now, we have those horrid metal blinds on LO's window and the bay window. I can't stand them and the one in LO's room is not supported in the window and is leaning from the weight. We also have the flat panel blinds on the patio door. They are super old and all the ones on the sides are broken. We'll have to replace those too.

Ok, no cheap vinyl blinds, plantation shutters, or metal blinds!

sweet sparrow -I have blinds metal ones that came with the house on my 3 bay windows(18years now ) -hate them -hard to clean-one day I will replace maybe

sweetsparrow -I completely ran out of ketchup and my kids only like Heinz ketchup so for easter I paid reg price -lol and now I bought one on extra sale
I still stockpile but have cut down on bodywash,cleaning stuff -I have gone down to one toothpaste -that always comes on sale plus using the small ones we got from dentist up too -coupons are getting scarce but I rely on checkout51 or caddle for extra small money deals -I slowely stocked up on my dishsoap from getting one each week from checkout51 with a rebate .50-1.00
-I will always have a stockpile even thou there is 2 of us

@coupon girl : I'm really trying to cut back on toiletries and cleaning as well. I was really happy when my brother said he would take all my fabric softener (stopped using the stockpile since we had LO and her allergies). Now we have none in the house. It. Is. Glorious. He'll be taking some of my detergents next time. Happy dance!

I don't stockpile anymore, no coupons for what we use and I love having space.

I shop as we run out.

@jasperandchar : You are my hero. I am speechless. :D

[coupon girl]

sweetsparrow -yes I have the flat panel long blinds on my patio door -patio door is really old -in future if we get a new door -they have some installed with the blind inbetween the patio door how awesome is that -mind you you are looking at 1,000 for those patio doors

-just cashed out on a survey site 20.00 cheque coming my way -saving this money for something good

-going away with our grown kids and ashlyn in summer for 3 days-daughter booked it and paid in full to save 100.00-off each of our payments -so son and I owe her before her visa bill comes in -only stipulation you cant cancel-family time yeah
-feeling a bit crappy had a sore throat when I woke up not doing much today

[Natalka]

Good morning!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Did a shop yesterday - basics, mostly canned items, since Co-op had their dollar days. Only stockup was on TP.

[sweet sparrow]

http://globalnews.ca/news/2621007/wo..._campaign=2015

I was dismayed to see the news story above this morning. I watched a documentary about being frugal in the UK and it mentioned people who lived in the wilderness but would go to the city and eat out of grocery garbage dumpsters, food that was perfectly fine. Kudos to the reporter for eating it though! I'm not sure wilderness living allows for proper handwashing!

@coupon girl: I hope you feel better soon. Lots of hot tea and lemon!

I've heard the blinds between the patio doors are nice but when they break you have to replace the door because the blinds are internal. Else you get stuck with blinds that are permanently closed, open, or somewhere between the two. That would be annoying! The cleanup job would be great though, but I think the chances of it breaking are too risky for me.