April Frugal Chatter 2021 -Spring is there-!!!!

[flemeth]

Good morning all

Went for a walk it’s chilly out.

Did lot of baking yesterday afternoon. So today will be a relaxing day here.

Kitchen is clean and laundry is on the go.

@cath007 we are called smart shoppers because we know how to get the value for our money. I PM most of my groceries and if there is a coupon that can be used towards I will used it.

[cath007]

@SassyAshley @flemeth ; Yes for me pm and coupons and watch sales is the common sense since at least 10 years .In fact when I had my first appart.In QC it is equivalent of maxi and cie.When I go to iga I try to find sale items .Marche public for things I could not found in maxi and cie and iga.Noneless to say I did not judge him,just that I have difficulties to understand that altrought at my house we where like that too.When you have less money you want to strech it and want to be last and it is what I do!!! Thanks for yours reply and imput really appreciate it.

[cath007]

Good morning everyone!!! Happy Saturday!!! Minus 5 degres for now and sunny ,I hope it will heat up!!!
Plan today is baking and dishes..really hope to make it
Yesterday me and my childhood friend talked about a place for sushis we would like to try togheter .In fact we share the love of sushis.But I said tp her I still do crisis of panicking and that is so annoying in public sometimes so she offeredshe take take out and deliver to my door and eat each on his own so sweet of her!!!

Have an awesome day!!!
I do not do crisis pf panicking when I do grocery because i have my list to not thinking to much..JUst I dont like when the stores are too busy and crowded... sigh I hate that

[lilo0003]

Sassy, the issue is my son owns his car and it’s his own insurance so a G licence reduces his insurance and he needs a G for work. So an extension is useless and currently the 1st available appointments is October.
Yesterday was busy at my in-laws. They are too old to pack and will just take everything which they have no need for as meals are included in their new home. The amount of kitchen stuff we have for donation is crazy. I am hoping value village is open today and I did post quite a bit on our freebie site so it’s already gone. Off to SDM now as I have the cheap egg offer. Happy Saturday.

[flemeth]

Sassy, the issue is my son owns his car and it’s his own insurance so a G licence reduces his insurance and he needs a G for work. So an extension is useless and currently the 1st available appointments is October.
Yesterday was busy at my in-laws. They are too old to pack and will just take everything which they have no need for as meals are included in their new home. The amount of kitchen stuff we have for donation is crazy. I am hoping value village is open today and I did post quite a bit on our freebie site so it’s already gone. Off to SDM now as I have the cheap egg offer. Happy Saturday.

@lilo0003 my DD can’t get an appointment to book for her G. Her licence was Exp now .Did your DS got his where you live ?

[SassyAshley]

@lilo0 03 that sucks, sorry no better words.

[Giseledta]

good afternoon. i am truly happy with a 3 day weekend. i feel like i can actually get caught up a bit on stuff.

i may go downstairs and work on the desk for a bit.. i really need to do that.. may take a nap first. ..
looks like it may just be hubby and me for supper... chicken.. roast veggies. yummy

this is a very low grocery week. i have been doing food fund for veggies. we use alot of veggies.. alot.... lol.
any hoo chat later

[HermanH]

@cath007, I find a lot of people do not get what I will call this life style of shopping. A good portion of my family thinks I am insane.

I have family members who would never shop at the lower end stores No Frills, Freshco, Food Basics (Sorry not sure what the equal would be in Quebec), in there their eyes Zehrs, Sobey's, Longo's have "better products"

I have some who will shop the sales but they look at the flyers pick the store with the best deals for them this week and then buy everything there.

I have others who view groceries as a necessity so it is what it is you need it you have to buy it and just have to make it work. They would never go into a store and see Cherry Tomatoes at $5.99 and not buy them because it is food we need food we always buy Cherry Tomatoes. Or they want to make a big breakfast this weekend it is food we need food so even though Bacon is $6.99 oh well it is food it is necessity.

I also have a family member who believe grocery shopping is not "worth their time" so they only do grocery pick-up and again the prices are what they are because they only have one store locally that offers grocery pick-up. To them it is what it is, it is not worth their time to go into store.

Everyone is different, we just have to accept it and do what is best for us and our household. For me, I know I have everything on hand my household needs but I also know if needed I could help other family members, I have flour, yeast and all those little things we could not find at the start of the pandemic on hand.

Certainly, everyone manages their money the way they like. The same ones who think frugal shoppers are crazy are usually the same ones who lament about how expensive everything is and how they never have any money. While there may be a hint of truth that some shoppers get a bit obsessive, I just think that the whole world would be better off (economically) if folks cared enough about their money to actually track it; there certainly would be a whole heckuva lot less whining about how there is never enough cash.

[Giseledta]

ok.. cleared the desk. had a cry.. made my husband a medical file folder for all his heart attack related stuff. redated the desk calendar from last year... that never got used as .. ya know .. covid...

yep.

[GoodBoy]

ok.. cleared the desk. had a cry.. made my husband a medical file folder for all his heart attack related stuff. redated the desk calendar from last year... that never got used as .. ya know .. covid...

yep.

Stay strong. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Ciel]

Was happy to get my grocery order by 8am today. The fruit box and watermelon came just in time-the temperatures are going up (ok northerly winds too) and I will gauge what my upper temperature limit is before I have to nap. Half of the watermelon is sliced with rinds cut off. Had some watermelon with remainder of takeout lunch after my mall trip.

The mall-the one entrance I used to enter had a fairly steady trickle of people entering and leaving. So many people are sitting on the two big rocks outside the entrance closest to the bus terminal. There was a 3 or 4 year old girl that about walked into me when I was leaving the mall that I said she was going the wrong way and to use the other door (I had pressed the accessible door button and the child just about walked into that door as she was looking to her right and was 1m in front of me with my cane). An adult came to pull the child out of my path. That was a close call.

The stores with lineups at the mall-the sporting goods store near the Bay on the lower level, a long line (about 8-15 people depending when I walked past) waiting for American Eagle, about 8 people on the upper level waiting for Le Chateau and a few folks waiting to enter Bath & Bodyworks. Otherwise you could roll a bowling bowl in some parts of the Bay or into stores, there were more staff than shoppers.
The Bay has its second storey mall entrance closed-you have to enter and leave by the lower floor mall entrance. Seems that not everyone doing customer screening checks knows that CF Lime Ridge has that COVID-19 screening tool for shoppers to use prior to coming to the mall. I had printed off my OK to go result as I don't have a cellphone that could show the result. You get screened at the mall entrance and at most stores. While there was more foot traffic in one end of the mall, less than half of the shoppers were following the directional floor signs or keeping 2m distance from other shoppers. I had to be very aware of people around me due to walking with a cane and needing more space as a result. The photo booth is gone and I realized all the seating areas on the lower level had been removed.

Shoppers Drug Mart in the mall does not have Mountain Dew Major Melon. I forgot to check for any Aero Easter treats. I had watermelon at home for dessert with lunch, so the pop miss was not a big deal. I had dressed for a somewhat cool day but my light wool sweater and winter jacket were causing me to get thirsty near the end of my mall crawl. A couple of the stores were chilly-their HVAC systems must have been drawing in outdoor air.

Last night, I came across TVO's debut of Tripping the Niagara. 2h55min of Niagara River history and sites from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls. Learned a few things I did not know!Had no idea there was a Fort Mississauga in NOTL. Thought the Mississaugas had lived where the city of Missisauga is now which is far from Niagara Region. Recommended viewing. Mom and I watched the first 30min of the repeat showing at 10pm as I had missed that segment the first time. TVO.org>Documentaries-the page talking about the documentary has some behind the scenes stuff too about the filming (I have not watched it but it's on my weekend agenda). I'd like to know if more than one red-tailed hawk was used for the program and if it is from a wildlife rehab (no tethers or leg bands) but the bird(s) used was(were) filmed doing landings on sites and take-offs. It struck me that the bird(s) is(are) probably being raised by humans. The documentary can be streamed online. Just a caution some of the simulated events (war of 1812) stuff might not be suitable for young children (deaths etc.). The best simulation was showing how Niagara Falls came to be due to erosion!

I did a bit of browsing in kids' wear (section has been compressed into about 1/3 of the space it once had as luggage has taken over more floor space on the 2nd floor of the Bay). Could not resist buying the 24mo. CK kids outfit with the double ruffled hem on the zip-up jacket. Thought jacket was just regular poly-cotton sweatshirt knit fabric but exterior side has a long napped fleecy texture. Plan to see if I can mimick that ruffle technique despite not having a decent serger stitch (mine's a very narrow one that is almost useless) on some fabric leftovers I have. Picked up my sock order then glanced at the HBC Stripes merchandise display and the cart of Hello Kitty x HBC Stripes collection right by the down escalator. The Bay also has filled the former LL Bean space with Canada t-shirts and sweats and accessories between the up and down escalators. On the main floor, right opposite where I got of the down escalotor, a small display of Ever New Australia exclusive to the Bay (think mostly pastel daywear kind of like Forever 21 but with an Aussie feeling). Noticed that womenswear seems to have had some clothing racks removed-not so many clustered ones as I recall.
Thought that's weird, did the mall not recently announce a store by that very brand, Ever New? Yes, it's on the far end of the lower level and very narrow (seems to be a trend for returning or new stores not to have the big wide store but a narrower one with few lines of merchandise. Zack's Fashions is back at Lime Ridge Mall, next door to Aritzia (the former Frank & Oak store site I think was last in that location). Okaidi children's store is vacant, as is Naturalizer Shoes. Miniso must have closed again or moved as its location near the Bay upstairs is now filled by a Kids Footlocker store.

Spent 20-30min looking around at Urban Behaviour, as that store has plus size items that the Urban Planet staff said was offered (not at their store but they are affliated stores). Some fun cartoon print poly/modal sleep short or sleep pant sets, some cotton-blend crop top with short sleep sets, a little bit of linen/rayon blend striped and cuffed pants, or shorts and a very small Plus section. I found only 1 XL striped linen blend pant for Mom (fits perfectly in the waist with drawstring and elastic in waist) but the cuffs are not working for her and I plan to remove the elastic and cuff stitching to make pant hems next week. Will take some work as there are three rows of stitching per cuff to remove then opening of side seams for 3 inches as elastic seems connected to cuff seam (so I'll have to remove the serged seam on the side seams as well-sigh). I could not find a grey camisole with shelf bra (there are tons of schoolbus yellow ones) but I took the 1XL khaki green on (tag said $9.99; checkout price is $3-sweet!). Got 40% off the linen pants ($29.99 meant I paid $17). Saw some cropped rib tank tops (95% cotton 5% elastane) with thin integrated straps. There were about 8 colours and I was keen on sand or grey. No XL size in either pile-checked 4 other colours too and out of luck. Lower shelf had racer back styled tanks in black. Left the tops but would have loved XL in sand if possible. $7.99 each and I heard a customer ask if they were eligible for 40% (there's a spring sale on in the store and most racks that counted in the sale had signs but not all tables had signs) and yes they were.

I did not go up to the second level to visit one particular store as I wanted to get my Taco Bell takeout (food court seating all removed and placed against walls-it was almost a complete ghost town in the food court with few customers lining up) and make the connecting bus that would take me home. Was able to eat one of my two items before bus came (Bean Burrito) and had to wait until I was at home to have the Bean Fries Supreme (not so tasty when cold but edible when I added two packets of mild sauce). I seem to have a one-hour range for mall shopping then start losing energy. Just happy the trip was made and is over.

Have handwashed the two new clothing items and ran a load of laundry. Will take a snooze after a couple of quick sewing fixes on two things I have been putting off.

While taking the first bus to the mall, I noticed how many homes in one part of Ancaster already got their big yellow bags of garden soil! I should be having one delivered next week. It'll keep me busy for some time!

[Angela273]

I filled 63 plastic eggs this afternoon. I put 1 coin inside each egg. $0.05, $0.10, and some $0.25 were used. I also bought our kids one small solid chocolate Easter bunny each. We’ll do the Easter egg hunt outside in our yard tomorrow. This weekend is the warmest weekend in our forecast, in the high teens.

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Day!

My guy is on call this weekend so I went for a drive with him this morning while sipping on the coffee he made for us.
Then I came home and made bacon and eggs for breakfast/lunch/Brunch I guess it was since it was about noon.

Then went to SDM and spend $50.57 before tax for 20x the points and work owes me $25 of it
For us I got: milk, 2x Dawn dish detergent, 1 x downy fabric softener, 2x protein bars (received 1000 pc pts) 4 x pasta 1 x Janes chicken strips and something else I can't think of. Happy with my little haul. Also received 2400 personal points for the kleenex purchased for work that I didn't expect.

Looking forward to a quiet evening

[cath007]

Good late evening everyone!!!
This afternoon I made a brocoli salad changing a little bit the recepie it is so good!!! ( sorry no recepies it was in french)Even my dad who is not a salad person like it!!! Bonus will remake it!!!
And after I made @SassyAshley: Pineapple cake except that mine took 2 pans because they where not deep and I put marachino cherries in mine.So Good with whipped cream.!!!

Tomorrow the plan is to do a patatoes salad because I dont like the one at maxi and cie


Other than that tomorrow morning I will take my shower and di my grocery shopping list Just a few things and no meat because we are so stocked.good thing.I noticed when I have to much stuff in the fridge than my back shelves frozen..not happy about that...It is a brand new last year fridge so it is the stuff the problem....

I did the dishes on the sink and the baking dishes so no dishes tomorrow yay!!!

Alright time to relax and enjoy the evening !!! Wishing you a good one!"!!

[cath007]

ok.. cleared the desk. had a cry.. made my husband a medical file folder for all his heart attack related stuff. redated the desk calendar from last year... that never got used as .. ya know .. covid...

yep.

@Giseledta: many hugs to you,I know with what I had lived with my dad how it is difficult.Stray strong my friend.It will be better!!!