December 2023 Frugal Chatter

[Frugalbigmama]

I am not taking anytime off this year and I know that's not helping my festive spirit.
I have a few more things to do but for the most part I am done, just hoping we all stay healthy so the grandparents can come because last year I had Covid over the holidays.
I had a really good weekends for sales and points but its so much work, I ended up in 4 stores to get the offers I wanted and I just can't imagine I can keep this up. I am currently waiting for 10000 PCO from and instore offer and if it does not come through the item is going back. They are usually really quick with adjustments but so far nothing. I also have a few Air Miles receipts under review as well because Sobeys does not list the name brand and that seems to be the store that always has my yogurt on sale.

I think this is the 1st year in 24 years that I have not booked anytime off around Christmas either.
Not going away and it's usually quiet this time of year anyway so figured I may as well work and save the vacation time for when going away.

[Frugalbigmama]

What a productive morning!

On top of work stuff!

Cooked taco meat and it is in fridge ready for dinner.
Made a lasagna. It is cooling on the counter and will be wrapped and put in the fridge. Will toss it in the oven tomorrow for dinner.
Kitchen is spotless.
All garbage and recycling out to the garage.
Bedding washed/dried and bed made!
And now I am done. I don't know why but I hate making the bed after washing the bedding so I have to make sure I do it early in the day.

[Arjon]

I am not taking anytime off this year and I know that's not helping my festive spirit.
I have a few more things to do but for the most part I am done, just hoping we all stay healthy so the grandparents can come because last year I had Covid over the holidays.
I had a really good weekends for sales and points but its so much work, I ended up in 4 stores to get the offers I wanted and I just can't imagine I can keep this up. I am currently waiting for 10000 PCO from and instore offer and if it does not come through the item is going back. They are usually really quick with adjustments but so far nothing. I also have a few Air Miles receipts under review as well because Sobeys does not list the name brand and that seems to be the store that always has my yogurt on sale.

PCO claims for 5000 or more always seem to take longer

[coupon girl]

I bought 2 mcdonalds gift cards seperate orders and got 2 free cpns for a big mac or chicken burger-nice.

Tim hortons was sold out of gift cards by me so i bought it at rexall she was just putting them out so that made me happy ,i worry since i have been scammed once right.Still i keep all bills.

Used 10.00 of my rexall points as i spent a bit on chocolates for the house ,hair dye ,etc

Then home one lady honked at me and gave me a dirty look at a 4 way stop because i went ,i was there before her .Maybe she didnt see me because a truck was in front of her opposite me .I couldnt wait to get home .

[SassyAshley]

@coupon girl , I was surprised when I bought the giftcard at SDM the cashier took the activation slip and taped it right on the giftcard.

It is nice Mcdonalds is giving coupons, I saw someone post that Booster Juice has/had (not sure of the expiry) a spend X on giftcard get a free drink but when the person went and got the giftcards the free drink is only valid at the time of purchase.

[SassyAshley]

@Frugalbigmama , there is nothing worse than washing your bedding and then forgetting to make the bed and having to do it later in the day or at night.

If I am washing bedding it is done first thing in the morning with the goal of having it done and bed remade early afternoon before I start to lose steam. I have one too many times thought "Oh, I will just put my sheets on my bed and make it later," and then at bed time been forced to make my bed.

That reminds me I ordered both of us a new pair of sheets, I should wash those up and put them on the beds. It will be nice to have a spare set but I have told myself I still need to keep up with washin bedding and not just switch out the sheets and then end up with 4 sets to wash next wash cycle.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
Slow start to the morning, I did not sleep well last night. Snow Squalls started just before I went to bed and the wind was so strong I could hear it over my fan and it kept waking me up. Then I woke up wide awake at 3 am never a good sign, I think I should have just gotten up because then I slept in until 8.

Yesterday Mom slept most of the afternoon, she did not sleep well the night before and was in so much pain. So I put on a movie for her in case she woke up. But because she was asleep on the couch I didn't want to work on the main floor so I went upstairs and started working on the upstairs hallway. Everything that needed to move into the Bathroom Closet has been put away and now I just need to deal with all of the randomness that is living in the Hallway.

Last night I made Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes, Chicken and Green Beans on a Sheet Pan, love these dinners so easy to clean up, love it.

Tonight I am thinking of Pasta, just need to decide what kind of Pasta.

Right now I have a load of towels going and need to get working on something, so many projects to do, just need to decide what I will work on today.

Happy Tuesday Everyone.

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Morning! Snow day for the kids in our area.

Went out and shoveled the snow first thing this morning. Then walked to the mailbox. It was crammed full of flyers (expired)
Now enjoying my coffee while going through my work email listening to my dog snore. I need to move her bed up to my new office space since she will spend majority of her day in here.

Happy that I made that lasagna yesterday No kitchen messes for me today. Will pop it in the oven around 430/5pm so it is ready when the workers arrive home. I bought 10Lb bag of potatoes yesterday at RCSS ($1.99) since it is crockpot season! Will make a roast with all the fixings tomorrow or Thursday.
Thinking today may be a good day to clean out the upright freezer. My plan is to sort the food in shopping bins outside and defrost the freezer quickly. Think I will move my portable table to the garage this morning and plan to do that early afternoon. Then I can take inventory and pull a few things to the kitchen freezer to use for meals the next few days.

I want to go to RCSS this evening but thinking I will start my evening walk again. During covid I would take a backpack and walk to RCSS and it would be at least an hour which was great. I enjoyed the fresh air and it really helped me sleep at night.

Have a wonderful day!

[flemeth]

Good Morning Everyone,
Feeling bad for Mom, she had an appointment this and I could see looking at her she was not having a good day. Just as she was getting in the car they called and cancelled.

We still went out since she was dressed and ready and out of the house. We just went to Dollarama for two things I forgot last week but they did not have either. I needed a new stopper for our Kitchen Sink, the only ones that would fit a bathroom drain and we needed paper bags but they did not have any. Well we were there Mom found a few things for herself, she found some gold and silver markers and grabbed some pencil crayons to try, her new thing is colouring. Also grabbed some parchment squares since when I went to grab some yesterday for the burgers I discovered we were out.

Then I ran into Zehrs and found a smallish turkey on sale for $1.93, it cost me just over $18. Then I grabbed a bag of Frozen veggies which were on sale for $2.99 to get me over $20. Used PC Points to buy the Turkey.

Hoping maybe this week Sobey's has the same deal on Prime Rib they did last year but only time will tell.

I also ran to Shopper's to grab the last gift card I needed, I was going to buy it online but saw I had an offer for 5000 pts if I spent $50 or more so I grabbed a $50 giftcard.

Ran to Sobey's to try to get the Salad Dressing deal but the shelves have a lot of holes, mainly just have the calorie wise onces. I tried on Friday too. If I go out again I will try again but may just not be in cards since we really only buy ranch dressing.

Now I just need to plan my Christmas baking, all gifts have been bought and everything for Dinner has been bought. I think I know my main dessert and honestly, that might be the only things I take this year. So just need to plan the baked gifts I am giving.

Happy Monday Everyone.

@SassyAshley my SIL got a rain check for the salad dressing and on the rain check the $10 off Kraft Bundle was written on it so whenever the have stock she will have if for the price it’s on now. Maybe you should ask for a rain check

[SassyAshley]

@flemeth , Thank you, I did not realize Sobey's gave Rain Checks. I will look into this tomorrow if I head out.

[Frugalbigmama]

Upright freezer 80% defrosted! Thought I better start on it this morning or I will decide not to do it! (lose my steam as Sassy says
It's not as bad as I thought and happy to see that we have more stuff then I thought. (lots of roasts/steak/lean beef and chicken and shrimp!)
So no shopping needed for meat unless a kick a** deal.

[Frugalbigmama]

Freezer is done! And my back is feeling it now!! So happy to have that done.
It was long overdue!

[coupon girl]

Afternoon my ex sister-in-law is dropping in sometime soon,she has bought gifts for my grandkids for about 8 years now ,so nice of her.I bought her a tims giftcard and turtles as she loves them plus a small gift .

Her dad is in hospital age 80 he had a stroke so there is a tim hortons across the road so i thought the giftcard will come in handy.Keep him in your prayers ,its so hard at this time of year.

I popped over to zarkys local store
bartlett pears 1.99 a pound havent seen them this low in awhile
celery 1.99
mini raspberry tarts 8 small ones $2.00 -cant beat that price

plus a few other items and yellow potatoes
only spent $52.00 not my grocery order but a small one as their deli meat and fresh buns are very cheap.Way cheaper than sobeys for sure.

[SassyAshley]

Today was not the day I was planning. I am not sure why but I was feeling very overstimulated and overwhelmed.

Everything I went to do it felt like there were 50 other things I needed to do first and there was stuff in my way.

I washed the Kitchen Floor because I am going to be moving some stuff in there well we organized the living room, but there was a bunch of stuff that needed to go into the Dining Room. But there is no room in the Dining Room because there is a bunch of stuff living there that needs to be sorted, but now instead of working on the Dining Room, Mom wants to do the Living Room first so we can create a new workstation for her. It was just one of those days.

The Kitchen Floor is mopped, the laundry is done, and Mom folded it well I made dinner, then well I cleaned up from Dinner Mom packaged the Ground Beef and Taco Meat for the freezer. Now I have to seal it and put it in the freezer.

I am just going to remember tomorrow is another day.

Dinner was Instant Pot Lasagna with Cheesy Garlic Naan. This time I doctored up the sauce a little bit adding some mushrooms to bulk up the sauce.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
It is a new day, but I will admit, I am so tired today and I do not know why. I really did not want to get out of bed this morning but I am also determined to get my morning routine back and I feel like if I let it slide over shutdown I will be back at square one. So awake at 6:30 but took till 7:30 to get out of bed.

Yesterday was not my day, I was seriously overwhelmed and overstimulated and then Mom asked why are you working on the living room we should work on the dining room first was a little too much for me last night. I just needed to not think about it but today is a new day and I think I have a plan, I think.

Right now the hard part is there are going to be things in our way well we work because there are a lot of things we are getting rid of and are too big to take to the dump in my car so we will have to get someone to take them for us. Like our Dining Room Table, we are getting rid of it but obviously, it won't fit in my car but, the thing is there is also a chair in the Living Room that is going to go so I want to get rid of it all in one trip.

As well there is some new furniture I want to buy which I have budgeted for we won't be able to get everything right away.

Stuff like this is what makes me spin but, I am going to try to take it one step at a time and see how far I can get and hope I can not get overwhelmed. Because, I know that stage where it gets worse before it gets better is coming and that stage overwhelms me. Deep breaths, I got this.

Happy Wednesday Everyone.