January 2024 Frugal Chatter thread (it's a leap year!)

[SassyAshley]

I have to go through our recycling and see if I can find the box for my Quaker Cereal but I am hoping I will be okay as I cannot remember when I bought it. I went through my Costco receipts for last 6 months and did not see it but I will check them again today and look for the box.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
Last night was a really weird night of sleep for me. I fell asleep around 10:30 then woke up just before midnight and felt like it was morning. Woke up again at 3 am thinking it was about 5 am, since it was 3 am I went back to sleep, feeling like this was a mistake. I woke up extremely groggy and lacking ambition.

The storm hit us last night around 7 pm, when it started it really started coming down. Now it is raining but is supposed to turn back to snow. I have a feeling the clean-up from this storm is going to be difficult and heavy.

I have quite a few things I want to do today but the ambition level is super low. I need to make a batch of Overnight Cinnamon Buns and maybe some Spinach Dip for Mom's bday tomorrow. Plus, some cleaning is needed to stay on track.

Right now, I am trying to write a meal plan for next week and so far it is not going well, I have no inspiration and Pinterest is not helping.

I really need to find some ambition but I am going to be honest, I am perfectly happy sitting on the couch drinking a cup of tea and watching Private Practice.

Happy Saturday Everyone.

[harbie]

Good morning everyone.
@lizzie bargain what luck having a retired RCMO find it! Hope you went out to buy a lottery ticket after that.
@walkonby I nearly choked on my tea reading what your FIL said . I know it’s childish and I personally as the cook would have been offended but fro my view it was


The Arctic blast has hit us on the west coast . Yesterday morning it was -15 plus with WC it was more like -24. I am SO NOT built for that kinda cold. Yuck. On the positive side the freeway was so empty on my way to work. Might have been because the night before so many people got caught in the snow that they took 3 hours on a trip that normally takes 45 minutes.

After a busy work week I’m headed to WM shortly to grab a few basics and then back under the covers

Hope everyone has a warm and cuddly day

[walkonby]

@harbie glad you could get a chuckle from my in laws story, they've provided many anecdotes for us to share at family celebrations. So, much like you @SassyAshley I was in and out of slumber as the snow fell outside. In fact I never even peeked out any curtains because once the tv signal was out I
KNEW the snowfall was heavy enough. So much for my shows recording....they didn't.
I am off to get my PC offer sale butter at SDM and maybe the eggs? Not a great sale on the eggs imho but we need 2 dozen at least. Also blueberries at Food basic, I like that these 2 stores are in the same plaza. A couple of other items that NF didn't have the other day, they're on my list but do you think I remember what they are now? lol. Should be a quick shopping excursion.

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Morning!

We didn't get much snow but it is snowing heavy now Shoveled at 9am and then just now again when I returned back home.

Popped out to WM to roam around and then downtown to do some banking. Couldn't go to the bank machines since there was a man in there with a cardboard sign asking for money. I bundled up and walked the street to the top and then down to the town docks. Then when I was back a the bank I noticed he was gone so I quickly went in and did what I had to do.

Went for drive with my friend yesterday late afternoon to Michael's (she had to pick up a few items) then we went to a restaurant that sells their homemade ceaser dressing (it is the best) So dinner tonight will be ceaser salad for sure! Maybe thinking steak and potato/veggie mix to go with!
Off to the freezer to pull something out!

Stay safe and warm everyone!

[Shwa Girl]

I have to go through our recycling and see if I can find the box for my Quaker Cereal but I am hoping I will be okay as I cannot remember when I bought it. I went through my Costco receipts for last 6 months and did not see it but I will check them again today and look for the box.

It's too bad about the Quaker products.
Costco actually called today. Recorded message. Take back for full refund.

[SassyAshley]

I found the box, it hit me, when I unboxes the cereal during my pantry clean I had so much other stuff to bring up I left all the boxes in the basement. Down I went and sure enough was in the pile of boxes I have collecting in the big room. I have been collecting them pack things in but I think I am going to go and buy new bins instead, only this is Canadian Tire keeps running out of the ones sale before I can get there. Hoping I can make it there Monday.

It's too bad about the Quaker products.
Costco actually called today. Recorded message. Take back for full refund.

[SassyAshley]

As much as I wanted to do nothing this morning I knew I would disappointed in myself tonight and would seriously dislike myself tomorrow if I had to get everything done in one day.

So I decided I would compromise with myself. I could binge-watch Private Practice but after each episode, I had to get up and do something around the house.

I have cleaned the bathroom except the floor and will take the vacuum up a little later.

I cleaned the Kitchen floor, one of the base plates to our cabinets has fallen off and I noticed, that we have no flooring under our cabinets, interesting.

I emptied the front hallway the best I could (I did not move the table or the filing cabinet) and vacuumed there, the amount of salt off our shoes was unreal.

I tidied the fridge so I can fit the cinnamon buns in. Just waiting for Mom to get up so I can confirm she doesn't want pizza for dinner because she does I will have to make that dough first.

I had planned to ask Mom if she wanted anything special for her Birthday to eat but since I did not go shopping I did not pick anything up. But I know she loves a good appetizer night and I was thinking maybe I could run out tomorrow. But, I realized I could make an appetizer night happen without shopping, might take a little more prep but I got it.

I will ask Mom if she would like this and then I can go from there. If she says yes my plan is:
Spinach Dip
Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Potato Skin Slices
Mozzarella Sticks
Fried Pickles
Pizza Bombs

The snow has started here again and so has the wind. I am in full hibernation mode. Just in case I have charged all of our devices and downloaded some movies, if we lose power we have something to watch. I can admit there is no worse than sitting here in the dark with nothing to do.

[walkonby]

Happy " early " Birthday to your Mom @SassyAshley !! I hope she goes for your home made APPY'S !

[HermanH]

Their are still good honest people in the world and I would have done the same if I found a wallet.

More to the budget subject-While at the store I pretended we had only $20 to eat for the week and what would I buy. We would get mighty sick of eggs, oatmeal, potatoes, beans and rice!! I am amazed how high prices are-and very thankful to have a variety of food in our fridge and pantry-not to mention a warm roof over our heads as it is -36(feeling like -46) this morning. Brrrr.

Very happy to hear how you found your wallet.

I don't pretend to only have $20 for a week; I try to live it every week.

[HermanH]

Rescued three cans of mushroom soup and a can of kidney beans from the dump.

[SassyAshley]

Came across this article this morning:

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/loblaws-re...211930040.html

My store already only uses 30% off stickers and honestly, I barely look at them anymore unless the product is on sale. 30% off regular price on most items especially meat, I might as well just shop at Costco and get a better quality.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
My sleep seems to be off again, I could not fall asleep last night, did not fall asleep until almost midnight. Woke up at 6 am but was exhausted but forced myself to get up because I knew going back to bed is bad, very bad.

Things did not go as planned last night. As always I think I can do more than I can. I made the Cinnamon Bun dough and somehow thought well dinner simmered for 6 to 8 minutes I could roll out the dough and make the cinnamon buns, nope. Mom ended up making the Cinnamon Buns well I finished dinner.

I understand that Mom has a lot going on but getting any sort of answer from her, even the Cinnamon Buns, I confirmed she still wanted them the answer was "I don't know." Then I asked if she wanted Pizza or Appetizers for Dinner and the answer again was "I don't know."

I am going to move ahead with my plan for appetizers, normally I would wait until she gets up but for appetizer night it is going to take quite a bit of prep so I need to start now.

Mom always complains no one makes her cake and, to be honest, she is right. I mean she used to make cakes for a living and taught other people how to decorate them and that part of baking is not my forte. I love to bake but icing and decorating are not my thing, but, I did some Pinterest research last night and found a chocolate flourless cake I am making. The cake is in the oven and once it cools I will make the topping.

Time to start prepping the appetizers.

Happy Sunday Everyone.

[Angela273]

Saskatchewan has been under an extreme cold advisory since Tuesday. We’re sitting at around -50 with the windchill. I had to leave my vehicle running while I got groceries. Dh’s truck froze while plugged in at his work, so we ultimately had to get it towed to a truck, we used our CAA for that. Hopefully they’re able to fix his truck tomorrow.

SK teachers are on a one day strike in Tuesday, January 16. Thankfully the extreme cold is supposed to lift that day.

[coupon girl]

We are home drove to toronto to see sebastian and my daughter yesterday,Took and hour and a half ,then we played games with sebastian .
Later went for a walk to "lady marmalade" such nice brunch we ate at 2.00.p.m.Then daughter said lets take the ttc back for a block ,my goodness the driver boots it before we even got seated at the back -wow that was a ride .

I did laundry for my daughter got her all caught up ,except for the mountain of socks .She told me she was chucking the spare socks after the last
load .All in all a great visit.

This morning we left with her tree to store at our house at 10.30 got home 11.30,not much drivers on the highway.

Now to do my laundry and relax .Keep warm everybody!