November 2016 Frugal Chatter - All Welcome!!!

[sweet sparrow]

-well had a rough day today watching ashlyn
first -my son was on nights so he needed to sleep so hubby and I took her to mcdonalds to play in their playground -nope we are cleaning -sorry lady at 10.00 a.m -gee why idnt they do it at 8.00 a.m when no kids were in there -so took her to a playground -kind cold out so didn't stay long
second- put ashlyn down to sleep for a nap in her pull-ups (she still wears these to bed for her nap and nighttime)we she had a big messy poo-so changed he and plopped her in the bath -went to pump some live clean -tearless oatmeal bath onto a wash cloth and the bottle was clogged so when I pumped it shot into my left eye -quickly got her out and back into bed-went and rinsed my eye out with water and iced it and had a cloth on it lying on the couch -let me tell you at 8.00 p.m my eye is still a bit sore and irritated this happened at 1.40-honestly could my day get any worse yes
3rd-i look on the moniter just around 2.30 to see if she went to sleep and I don't see ashlyn so son just woke up from nights -so we both went into the room the same time to see if ashlyn was reading on her floor -nope she was cleaning the headboard rails on her bed "I am cleaning nana with a huggies wipe in one hand and greasy hands from petroleum jelly -ahh it was all over the sheets her hands ,hair -she climbed on a soft luggage out of her closet to open the top drawer in her dressor and got the small petroleum jelly -out -wow we just stood there for a second then I said come on lets give ashlyn another bath
-just a life in a day of my babysitting-which can be a hard job at times

@coupon girl : That's every day with LO. I feel horrible for her as I can't pick her up and my patience seems so limited in these last few weeks of pregnancy. Of course, the doctor says it's absolutely normal as pregnancy hormones make you quite unlike your usual self. Poor LO knows exactly what my exasperated sigh sounds like, as when yesterday, when she decided to get the silicone baster and sweep all the toaster crumbs into the crack between the counter and the refrigerator, or draw on paper on the floor but go over onto the ceramic tile (the marks are still there from last week), or be determined that she's going to wash the glass dishes/sharp knives and climb up when I'm up to my elbows cutting raw meat. Then she'll have to tell me that she needs to go to the washroom for the fourth time (because solid and liquid waste are separate transactions), so I'll have to turn off everything on the stove, wash up, then do it all again.

Finally, when DH comes home around 8 PM and dinner isn't ready he asks me why things aren't done. And he has no idea why I'm so cranky.... Oh if looks could kill!! Of course the above all happens in the span of an hour after arriving home as it takes 1 hour to get to daycare after 4 PM, then one hour to get LO home on two buses, which takes the same amount of time as a 22 minute walk. However, the weather isn't as nice as it was and I underestimate how hard it is to push a 50 lb stroller uphill at nine months pregnant in strong winds, while LO is asking me to sing the entire way and me breathless. Then after getting home after 6 PM, it's upstairs to wash her face, hands, and feet, change her clothes and persuade her to come downstairs so I can do the dishes and finally prep dinner by 7 PM.

It certainly makes life before children seem so different by comparison! I have no idea how single moms do it. I hope it's a bit easier when I become a stay at home mom next year, but will need to walk LO to school and back by that point.

[momof5boys]

@coupon girl : That's every day with LO. I feel horrible for her as I can't pick her up and my patience seems so limited in these last few weeks of pregnancy. Of course, the doctor says it's absolutely normal as pregnancy hormones make you quite unlike your usual self. Poor LO knows exactly what my exasperated sigh sounds like, as when yesterday, when she decided to get the silicone baster and sweep all the toaster crumbs into the crack between the counter and the refrigerator, or draw on paper on the floor but go over onto the ceramic tile (the marks are still there from last week), or be determined that she's going to wash the glass dishes/sharp knives and climb up when I'm up to my elbows cutting raw meat. Then she'll have to tell me that she needs to go to the washroom for the fourth time (because solid and liquid waste are separate transactions), so I'll have to turn off everything on the stove, wash up, then do it all again.

Finally, when DH comes home around 8 PM and dinner isn't ready he asks me why things aren't done. And he has no idea why I'm so cranky.... Oh if looks could kill!! Of course the above all happens in the span of an hour after arriving home as it takes 1 hour to get to daycare after 4 PM, then one hour to get LO home on two buses, which takes the same amount of time as a 22 minute walk. However, the weather isn't as nice as it was and I underestimate how hard it is to push a 50 lb stroller uphill at nine months pregnant in strong winds, while LO is asking me to sing the entire way and me breathless. Then after getting home after 6 PM, it's upstairs to wash her face, hands, and feet, change her clothes and persuade her to come downstairs so I can do the dishes and finally prep dinner by 7 PM.

It certainly makes life before children seem so different by comparison! I have no idea how single moms do it. I hope it's a bit easier when I become a stay at home mom next year, but will need to walk LO to school and back by that point.

I'm often left wondering if it is worthwhile working outside the home when the kiddos are small. We did the math when our kids were youngsters and it absolutely did not pay for me to work outside the home. There would have been extra car, clothing, food (take out, restaurants because mom is too tired to cook), incidentals for work expenses that we factored into our decision for me to be a stay at home mom. Also, the baby bonuses are quite large now for those on the mid to lower income scale.

So we decided I would stay home and this has been the best decision of our lives. I saved A LOT of money on grocery cost especially and our home has been for the most part peaceful and relaxed. That has been huge for me. We could raise our children by our standards and not have to correct their behaviour from imitating others at daycare. We lived lean - I wrote down every single expense - but also treated ourselves once in a while. And through it all I can't believe how we have been blessed to be able to pay off our mortgage within 10 years, and have savings in the bank for retirement.

I think it is absolutely worthwhile for couples to consider talking to an accountant regarding the pros and cons financially of one parents working inside the home My hubby never made a large salary - averaged out to about $50K a year over all the years we have been married.

[sweet sparrow]

Just for fun tonight, I'll make a huge Santa wish list and have a good laugh or two while enjoying a cup of tea. At least I'll get some handwriting put on paper.

That sounds lovely. So, what is on everyone's Christmas list? DH asked me but all I ever see is the inside of a grocery store. I've been eating poorly, so the last thing I need is a lot of chocolate snacks. I walked all over SDM but didn't see anything interesting. WM is so packed that I only have time to walk in and walk out with what I came to get.

I'm also looking for a copy of Diablo 3, the Ultimate edition for the PS4. Amazon used to have it for $54.99 but the seller has been removed from their list. I was waiting for it to go lower in price, since it has fluctuated quite a bit in the past two years, and sometimes going to half price. Best Buy has it for $59.99, but I'm kicking myself a bit that I didn't get one at $54.99. I was waiting until it was closer to Christmas so the return window had time after the 25th. I didn't think they would sell out of a game that is two years old.

I don't suppose anyone knows where else I might find it? WM didn't have it and RCSS stopped selling games.

[Natalka]

@sweet sparrow

https://www.ebgames.ca/PS4/Games/714997

[coupon girl]

-ahhh got home at 12.30 -tired today after 2 full days and half with ashlyn -my darn eye is still a bit sore from that soap
-oh well gonna make a chicken(4.40 it cost me 1.49 pound at fortinos last week ) in oven with carrots and mashed potatoes -may be able to make a few cups of soup too after

[Angela273]

I paid our furnace bill and earned 285 Air Miles.

Dh requested a new wallet for Christmas. I think this is the third leather wallet that I have bought for him over the years. There is a leather goods store that comes each fall for the 3 months before Christmas. I bought him a new wallet for $20. I've purchased new toothbrushes for each of our children, to go in their stockings. I have to figure out where to buy a yo-yo for our son.

My daycare boys moved to another city, so now I don't have any daycare children. I created a poster with my name and number that they can rip off. I put it in our mall and another at the Family Centre. I have a few more in my van that I will put up around town. I also updated my Facebook advertisement and I'm getting the word out again.

[sweet sparrow]

I'm often left wondering if it is worthwhile working outside the home when the kiddos are small. We did the math when our kids were youngsters and it absolutely did not pay for me to work outside the home. There would have been extra car, clothing, food (take out, restaurants because mom is too tired to cook), incidentals for work expenses that we factored into our decision for me to be a stay at home mom. Also, the baby bonuses are quite large now for those on the mid to lower income scale.

So we decided I would stay home and this has been the best decision of our lives. I saved A LOT of money on grocery cost especially and our home has been for the most part peaceful and relaxed. That has been huge for me. We could raise our children by our standards and not have to correct their behaviour from imitating others at daycare. We lived lean - I wrote down every single expense - but also treated ourselves once in a while. And through it all I can't believe how we have been blessed to be able to pay off our mortgage within 10 years, and have savings in the bank for retirement.

I think it is absolutely worthwhile for couples to consider talking to an accountant regarding the pros and cons financially of one parents working inside the home My hubby never made a large salary - averaged out to about $50K a year over all the years we have been married.

We considered the costs as well with the first child. We live 10 minutes away from my work, but 1.5 - 2 hours away from DH's work. There is no extra car for me as DH drops me off in the morning, and I take transit when I do not walk home. I haven't bought new clothes or replaced any of mine. If I need to, I put it on my birthday or Christmas lists, so the cost is minimal if any. I would say my largest cost is a pair of running shoes every few years, but it gives me exercise so it's well worth it. We have no extra takeout or restaurant costs and I've been able to stick by that for the past three years. In the past, we were trying to pay off our mortgage, so we only ate out on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. My work benefits covered most of our medical costs, while DH had no benefits, so that was an asset as well. My workplace also has pension and RRSP benefits, so that worked well also.

If I stayed at home, there would be a move closer to DH's work so it would be at least $10,000 for the move, plus a possible new mortgage as housing costs have skyrocketed. The other factor is that DH has not been able to find a comparable job in our area for over eight years without being on contract or sitting in crazy traffic. My job is so specialized that I would likely have to work in a different field completely when I returned to work, possibly having to go through additional schooling, which would cost thousands more.

With a second child, there will be the cost of an added car as DH will not be able to make it to work with the public school's before and after care hours. DH's work actually costs more to keep as he incurs gas expenses (probably over $5,000/year) and non-reimbursed expenses for whatever reason (over $5,000/year) which makes his earnings quite lean as well. On paper, he makes much more than I, but in reality, we're probably almost even, with me coming out ahead with the benefits. But, DH will not stay home with the children. He would rather they go to daycare and he would work on his home business, which I think is unsustainable as a full time career. Therefore, it only makes sense for me to stay at home to save anything, but we would have to move, etc. and the high costs are associated with DH's job and not mine.

I hate that LO goes to daycare, but it seems like the only feasible option at this point. If I lose this job, chances are I will not be able to find something as close and will have to get a second car when I do return to work anyways.

[sweet sparrow]

I have to figure out where to buy a yo-yo for our son.

@Angela273 : I thought I saw the name brand yo-yo at Dollarama for $2.50. It's one of the few things I buy at the dollar store, but I've never tested them. They go to a charity box at Christmas, so I couldn't even tell you if the boys who received them like them or if they work.

[momof5boys]

We considered the costs as well with the first child. We live 10 minutes away from my work, but 1.5 - 2 hours away from DH's work. There is no extra car for me as DH drops me off in the morning, and I take transit when I do not walk home. I haven't bought new clothes or replaced any of mine. If I need to, I put it on my birthday or Christmas lists, so the cost is minimal if any. I would say my largest cost is a pair of running shoes every few years, but it gives me exercise so it's well worth it. We have no extra takeout or restaurant costs and I've been able to stick by that for the past three years. In the past, we were trying to pay off our mortgage, so we only ate out on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. My work benefits covered most of our medical costs, while DH had no benefits, so that was an asset as well. My workplace also has pension and RRSP benefits, so that worked well also.

If I stayed at home, there would be a move closer to DH's work so it would be at least $10,000 for the move, plus a possible new mortgage as housing costs have skyrocketed. The other factor is that DH has not been able to find a comparable job in our area for over eight years without being on contract or sitting in crazy traffic. My job is so specialized that I would likely have to work in a different field completely when I returned to work, possibly having to go through additional schooling, which would cost thousands more.

With a second child, there will be the cost of an added car as DH will not be able to make it to work with the public school's before and after care hours. DH's work actually costs more to keep as he incurs gas expenses (probably over $5,000/year) and non-reimbursed expenses for whatever reason (over $5,000/year) which makes his earnings quite lean as well. On paper, he makes much more than I, but in reality, we're probably almost even, with me coming out ahead with the benefits. But, DH will not stay home with the children. He would rather they go to daycare and he would work on his home business, which I think is unsustainable as a full time career. Therefore, it only makes sense for me to stay at home to save anything, but we would have to move, etc. and the high costs are associated with DH's job and not mine.

I hate that LO goes to daycare, but it seems like the only feasible option at this point. If I lose this job, chances are I will not be able to find something as close and will have to get a second car when I do return to work anyways.

All the best as you work out what is best for your family. I know that every family situation is different

[Granger]

Saw a post about SDM redemption and thought I would pop in. Trying to decide how to spend points and when...lol.

[sweet sparrow]

On baby names, I think I am more traditional whereas DH searches for those more unique names. For example, one of the girl names he chose was "Maddie". To me that sounds like a shorter form of a name like Madeline or Madison, not a name on it's own. I'm leaning more towards names that have few or not too bad of an abbreviation.

The girl name we're tentative on was something we almost chose for LO. The boy name was on my list, but didn't make it into the top five. I don't think I would name a boy anything else on DH's list. They just sound so strange to me. I think since DH got stuck with a common name, he's looking for something exotic. I have an old fashioned name, so I like common.

[lizzie bargain]

SS-well I for one am looking forward to the virtual arrival of your baby-we haven't had any little ones for awhile other than coupon girls new grandson. Wishing you a healthy, easy baby as, by your description, it sounds like your DD was a higher needs baby/toddler.

[coupon girl]

-yes sweet sparrow we are looking forward to a virtual baby -wish you all the best when your new little one arrives
-my son always says "ashlyn" is a diva-she is hard sometimes (I think she is a typical toddler mind you she doesn't like to play on her own -where as my daughter did)but my daughter-in-law said to my son she is not bad you should see some of the other kids in her daycare where she works
-popped over to shoppers for milk ,cheap persil too 7.99-2.00 cpn-2.00 checkout51-2.00 caddle =1.99 cashier gave me senior discount (not yet have 3 more years to go )on the milk and 2 chocolate bars I bought for hubby but I wont complain

[Angela273]

-popped over to shoppers for milk ,cheap persil too 7.99-2.00 cpn-2.00 checkout51-2.00 snapsaves =1.99 cashier gave me senior discount (not yet have 3 more years to go )on the milk and 2 chocolate bars I bought for hubby but I wont complain

What is snapsaves? Is that snap by groupon? I haven't used it or learned how to use it since they switched. I lost money that was in my account at the time.

[Angela273]

Johsonville garlic sausage, speghettini, Hunt's Thick & Rich original pasta sauce, and a glass of milk.

I bought a ticket to Ladies Night Market tonight. It includes appetizers, cocktails, lots of specialized booths, and door prizes. It should be fun. It's the first time that I have gone out with this new friend socially. We have volunteered together and she has a 3yr old son. I'll have to leave the event briefly in order to pick my 14yr old brother up from the bus depot. He is travelling by bus to visit us for the weekend. Do not worry, I do not drink and drive! I might have one cocktail while there for a 2hr stretch of time.

edit: The Ladies Nightarket was a huge disappointment. It cost me $21 for an advance ticket, $30 for my friend at the door. They ran out of appetizers and all drinks were seriously overpriced. No free lunch or water included. My can of Coke cost $3. It was an extremely overpriced trade show. Not even a festive one at that. We were both very disappointed. It was dead by 8:30pm and some tables were packed up by 9pm. My friend and I weren't able to go until 7:40 because our husbands needed to be home with our young children. So sad that I received nothing for my money and a lady pocketed this money...it wasn't a real fundraiser.