2024 April Frugal Chatter Thread (here comes the sunshine)

[Ciel21]

Fans of Ines de la Fressange's Uniqlo collection-her last one is open for sale on April 4! For summer wear or your trip to the Paris Summer Games this July.
There's another French design team-Comptoir des Cotonniers-doing a collaboration with Uniqlo as well.

30 days to go until personal income tax returns are due. The Canada Post personal stamp rate will rise on May 6, so stock up on stamp deals this month. Lucky you if you manage to find the April 8 solar eclipse ones (if they are 10packs).

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Morning! A new month and decided to start a new routine!
I am now getting up early in the morning and going out to walk/ or if needed run around before I start work.
Enough of this staying in bed till I have to start work. I was getting extremely lazy and not wanting to go out etc.


This morning since I didn't shop at all the past 3 days I decided to go to Walmart/No Frills and FB.
Found all the healthy items we needed for the week but lettuce! Will walk to RCSS after work for that today.


We didn't have the steak yet so that is on the menu for tonight with grilled asparagus. Yum! Getting my fill with the FB sale!

I expect today to be a quiet workday as it was end of last week. Will let me get my stuff done without having extra from others!


Have a wonderful day!

[walkonby]

Kudos to you @Frugalbigmama for starting the day with physical energy and having that brisk walk or run before your work day starts.
I'll bet you'll reap the benefits of that going forward. When you spoke about lettuce.... I can relate! At 7 a.m. I did a quickie WMart
shop right after filling the vehicle up ( and getting Royally ticked about the jump in price ) .
Anyhow the 3 pack of Romaine got my blood boiling ( iirc it was $6.00 ? ), but I tossed one in my cart and I also bought a large bag of Iceberg
lettuce mixed Garden salad for $5.47.
I did scan over the receipt before leaving the store BUT it wasn't until I got home that I saw the 3 pack of Romaine was NOWHERE on the bill!!
Thank you WM for making my day a little brighter! Makes up for the overpriced gasoline...ha ha

[Frugalbigmama]

Kudos to you @Frugalbigmama for starting the day with physical energy and having that brisk walk or run before your work day starts.
I'll bet you'll reap the benefits of that going forward. When you spoke about lettuce.... I can relate! At 7 a.m. I did a quickie WMart
shop right after filling the vehicle up ( and getting Royally ticked about the jump in price ) .
Anyhow the 3 pack of Romaine got my blood boiling ( iirc it was $6.00 ? ), but I tossed one in my cart and I also bought a large bag of Iceberg
lettuce mixed Garden salad for $5.47.
I did scan over the receipt before leaving the store BUT it wasn't until I got home that I saw the 3 pack of Romaine was NOWHERE on the bill!!
Thank you WM for making my day a little brighter! Makes up for the overpriced gasoline...ha ha

Yes I saw the same prices for romaine at Walmart and they looked like garbage! I grabbed a bag of bean sprouts and they need to be put in the garbage- What a waste! The shelf was packed full and all of then were a mushy mess. They should have marked them down on clearance on Wed/Thurs!

[Frugalbigmama]

As for getting up early- Years ago when my kids were young and we were all in bed at 9pm I would get up and walk at 6am!
Then I slowly started staying up later and later and my morning got pushed later.
Day 1 and I feel so much better that I started my day at 7 and was actually outside by 730.
Cleaning the kitchen and then prepping the healthy food so I can grab and go.

[harbie]

Good morning all. I too am amongst the early risers but that’s because we’re usually asleep by 9/9:30 and awake at 4:30. Now I’m awake but not truly functioning so the earliest I’ll start a workout is 6 and that’s outside otherwise I hold off til 7am.

Yesterday was a great day. It was so sunny and warm so Dh and I did our second ride of 2024. We biked to the lagoon and around and ended up dusting off 14km. My quads were a tad angry but overall it was good. I did get some sciatic nerve pain (I think) which was short but intense lightening bolt type shooting jabs. It settled after some uncomfortable stretches so hopefully it won’t return.

We stopped in at NF on our ride home and I grabbed 1 box of Cliff bars on sale for $19.99 and Dh wanted corn chips ($2 plus 200 points).

Earlier in the morning we went to RCSS and I picked

2X Nextmilk @$4.79 ea -$1 coupon
2X Violife cheese @$3.99ea -$1.25 coupons
1X Gnocchi @$5.49-FPC
1X Laughing Cown plant based herb and garlic cheese wedges on sale $4.99** They are SO good!
2X Green onions

Now to meal prep today. Soup, energy balls, banana bread and my masala Mac and cheese sauce. Hopefully I’ll get some of it done before I head out for cartwork this afternoon.

Have a fantastic day everyone.

[Ciel21]

It was only when I was getting to settle in bed in the early hours today (5 episodes into Beacon 23; thanks @walkonby !), that I had some March grocery receipts to record and a March coupon to let go. Then I made my April 2024 expenses sheet and was able to settle into bed.

Omelet breakfast-so needed! Had a milky mug of tea too. I could not believe my eyes when other Fortinos stores (via the website) in my area are all out of stock of the desired smoked paprika-but one store MIGHT have stock. Probably I'll do the bus in the rain trip tomorrow to get my precious spice (no, I have not yet see Dune 2). It took several minutes looking through the President's Choice website to verify that the paprika is still listed because my local store has been on and off stocking the product. Usually I have to go farther afield if I am buying a second or third jar during a year. Sigh. I looked at Metro's site and there is no 3 in 1 hand repair cream showing on the website. Only two stores that carry the product are Walmart usually and Shoppers (so overpriced of late on "sale").

Lady bugs are restless-used the fly swatter to tip them into a plastic cup for release. So chilly but sunny outside. I'm stalling but I need to get some branches cut and today's that day. Rain is coming tonight...

Kelis' rosemary apple cobbler recipe is also planned for tomorrow. I was stunned to learn while watching the dessert making part of her episode (Selena+Chef on Crave) that she is an actual chef! Then why did she do those Uber Eats ads last year with the What Does the Fox Say singers? BTW, Kelis' kitchen has amazing azure glazed tiles that are angled left down to right. Never seen that look before!

Almost noon-would dearly love to know if there's a Becel coupon $2 or more that can be applied to their oil product, which is now $9.49 in stores. I need cooking oil (have a bit of olive oil and don't like the jug oil). Are coupon inserts in newspapers still in existence? Recent Mr. Moneysaver issues have not had household or grocery product coupons since summer 2023.

[coupon girl]

Morning took cara back to my sons at 10.00 this morning she was up at 6.30 .Son had borrowed our jump starter and someone stole it out of his old car in the driveway (of course he forgot to lock the car as its old.

So we picked up a new one at canadian tire on sale ,

i swapped out 2 offers and got $10.72 in points ,love that swap out program .

Hope everyone had a great easter mine is next week at sons house.First time in ages i havent cooked ,nice.

[SassyAshley]

I was bad for getting out of bed just in time to start when we first starting working from home during the pandemic, it was just too easy, I could sleep until it was time to start and with my phone even I wasn't logged in I knew what was going on.

Now I prefer to be up at 5 but some days it is 6 and I try to have a bit of a slow start to my morning before I dive in head first. Helps the day to not feel quite so chaotic. Although days I am in the branch it is still up and out the door.

[SassyAshley]

Happy Monday Everyone,
I should do some grocery shopping tonight after work but I am not sure how to plan my trip, I was hoping to just Price Match locally but lately my store is out of everything and it does not seem to be being restocked.

For over a month now, they have had no fries, on my last two trips no Peppers, not only are they out of the naturally imperfect but literally none, no 4-packs, no lose. Last trip no cucumbers. So not sure if it is worth the trip or if I should just go elsewhere and avoid the headache of not getting half my list.

I should also really go to Costco but tempted to see if I can put it off for another week. Our Costco is so insanely busy, I get jealous when you see these grocery hauls online and they have space to shop. I dislike when places are super peopley it makes me feel rushed and like I cannot think. I swear I am becoming more of a homebody as I age.

Happy Monday.

[Frugalbigmama]

Dinner is cooked and dishes all clean but the cast iron pan. (changed menu plan since I was to chilly to BBQ steak so it was chicken instead)
Food sorted into glass containers so you can make your plate and heat and eat.
When we have different schedules this works for us!
Now I can wait till I'm hungry to eat and not eat crap

[Purdee]

a few months ago, i got a lot of free or close to free kelloggs cereals that i shared with families and friends and saved a 3 boxes of the special k (3 different flavours). I was getting tired of eating cereals with milk so I googled for some recipes using cereals to make muffins so i can take muffins to work to have with my morning coffee. Tried 1 recipe today and it turned out ok but it will need some tweaking. I'm glad i can use the cereal in a different way because i hate throwing out food. Special k cereals are sweeter so i can't use it like breadcrumbs for coating etc. If anyone has other good use for cereals, please share. TIA. I opened all 3 boxes to try so i can't give them away

[HermanH]

Cereal goes well with yogurt or ice cream. I also like it with applesauce.

I have thought about it, but never tried to make a pie crust (like graham crackers). I don't know if it would work, but am curious to know if it is possible.

[Ciel21]

Becel oil is actually $9.99 at Fortinos, as I shopped last night and held off on the oil purchase. I noticed three racks of reduced produce-so many prepped rutabaga chunks on one rack with a few butternut squash chunk packets. Just decided to get the $3.49 green grapes as I don't often get them.
Did spot a $3 off Havoc snacks wub 3 bags coupon but the coupon was near the water enhancers shelf, not in the aisle where the snacks were so I left a coupon in front of the snacks. No Kraft peanut butter coupon was seen. Store has moved the seaweed snacks somewhere...I did not bother to hunt because I was sore and cranky from the tree branch exercise and wanted to check out soon before my back quit on me.

Shoppers-I decided to just get my Nivea hand cream: sale price of $7.09 vs $9.09 regular price. So that means it's part of the Nivea discount price in this week's flyer. I really don't like the newer cap on the tubes as it's very clicky and hard to open.

About shopping with lots of people at grocery store-I usually get a wide berth because of my cane in the aisle, for certain if I am dragging my cane and personal cart behind the shopping cart. What spooks me if someone comes up behind me quietly or suddenly-I get rather startled. Sometimes if I am getting a few light things and I have my personal cart, I just place a store basket on top of my cart and rally around as best I can. I am still encountering families/couples where they are walking two abreast and not giving space on opposite for me to move past them easitly. Rare to see double cart shoppers walking two abreast in an aisle but I saw that last month.

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Morning!

Heard on the radio that the weather is to change back to winter over the next few days. Guess I should look and see what the means exactly!

This afternoon I plan on bundling up and going for a little hike. Hoping the sun comes out but it isn't looking good.

Need to toss a load of laundry in and hang to dry today to keep up on it. Also need to clean my office. It is becoming a dump spot and I don't want that!
So that is my big plans today for a Tuesday!