2025-01 January Frugal Thread

[Ciel21]

@coupongirl Certainly hope your son is able to locate a retailer with the replacement washer seal part! Or can find a used one or order via US (could be cheaper, if he likes to do his own repairs). Never a fun time when a washer part fails.
@Frugalbigmama and @Giseledta I noticed this week Foodland has a receipt offer for Scene+ members who spend $75 or more on one transaction this week. Let me know what the offer is. I do not know if buying the $100 One4All Ultimate gift card (which has to be redeemed online for one or more retailer gcs) would count towards the receipt offer this week but it will get you 1000 Scene+ pts.

Re: wool blend mitts or gloves. Simons has some woolens on their site. $$. Ricki's right now has their wool blend (7% wool) mittens marked down to $11.94 but nothing is in stores in the Hamilton and horseshoe area in black. Grey is available at Lynden Park Mall in Brantford. I should have moved on the $20 pairs when local stores still had the grey ones...

Deal-last Friday, I was heading to my post office counter and glanced at the Clearout signs (back on the shelves yay!) in Shoppers and saw the lonely 2 XL printer ink pack was marked down from $88 and change to $65.66. Did not get charged eco fee! I was happy to have scored that price, as it is lower than what I would have obtained with 20% off coupon on Jan 21 if the product was still at regular price and available. Earned 975 PC Opt pts too. Bonus, the parcel I sent out Friday reached destination today. Faster than expected. I have not purchased more stamps but did use up my P stamps to offset parcel shipping cost. Fuel surcharge was $3.21 or so.

Given that the temperatures will drop again tonight and be sticking around for three days, please make sure to layer up your warm clothing and gloves/mitts! Next week will be worse, Monday to Friday will be skirting nearly -20C for five straight days in Southern Ontario. Need to get some pantry and personal items today so I can stay at home the other days. Stalling as I am loving the desktop computer experience and not keen to head out. Oh well.

Great weather for walking. I did wait out the snow flurries this morning before leaving home. Keep warm!!!

[Frugalbigmama]

Just had my 1st zoom meeting of 2025 and it wasn't as bad as anticipated. Have something to get ready for but I am not even starting to look at it till Monday so I will power through all my stuff so I am starting with a clean mind and desk Monday morning! My portable table was just cleaned off from my work piles but I have 10 new piles and will start going through them now to see what I can finish by the end of tomorrow!

Laundry was folded and put away. I washed a comforter that was in the laundry room and hung it to dry. The kitchen is clean. I am going to go peel my potatoes and carrots now and put them on the stove and start the gravy. Then it will all be ready when I am done working at 4pm and when people start coming home from work. I really want to go out but it just looks so cold and snowy. If I stay home then it will be a $0 spend day

[coupon girl]

Ceil-my son is getting a repairman to put the new seal on ,in fact he is giving us a 2 or 3 hour window to go to his house as they are both working.

Not going out today but at some point this week i am taking hubbys 61 year old sister out for lunch she is on a disability pension plus i have a xmas gift for her.

[SassyAshley]

@Frugalbigmama, I am also feeling the winter funk and think I should try to get out of the house more but also know usually when I leave the house I spend money.

I am not really a take a walk kind of girl, especially in any sort of weather (cold, hot, doesn't matter, I have a very slim oh this is nice window when it comes to weather, plus let's be honest I am just not an outdoors type of girl) so I end up at a store. I will walk and wonder the store but rarely do I walk out with nothing.

Even today, I went in for Canned Tomatoes, I then found Tortillas on sale, figured I should grab Hot Dog buns as we have been out for months but have Hot Dogs and then thought well I am here let's price match another pack of Ground Pork. Everything I grabbed was on sale but I also know these little trips add up so instead it is better for me to stay home.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
Full Moons are not my friend, I know I slept last night but I do not feel like I did which might be why my anxiety is spinning on me today.

Today is one of those days where I am having issues focusing because I keep thinking of all the other things I need to get done and I have tried all of my little tricks to help me focus but none are working.

I normally do not remember my dreams but I kind of remember last night's dream, I showed up to a meeting that somehow happened a day early (not sure why I showed up a day early) but then I wasn't ready for the meeting and was trying to fake my way through it. I woke up feeling like things were off.

But with all the being said, trying my best to push my way through today.

I have made Mom's dessert for tonight for her bday, no idea on dinner. Mom has been struggling lately, this weather does not help. I so badly want to give her a wonderful day but the one thing she wants the most is not possible, she wants relief from the pain. It is so hard because I know she won't want to leave the house because it is so much work but then she get frustrated because she cannot leave the house. I do not want to make it about me but it is so hard when all you want to do is help but there really isn't anything you can do and I constantly feel bad that I cannot "fix" it.

Trying to work through some stuff for work that is not working with me so that is not helping but I am about to give up.

So much to get done around the house. Still dealing some of the groceries and rotating stuff into and out of the freezer, still have a list of things to get done and tonight will need to be that night.

I swear I really am trying to have a good day.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

[Frugalbigmama]

Good Morning! School buses canceled in our area today.

The lean ground beef I had to deal with today has been cooked. We have tons of leftovers from dinner last night that I think I will wait till tomorrow to make the pasta sauce/pasta for dinner. I may make the small mac and cheese (test out new baking dish) then DS can have that with the roast beef (apparently he is not a fan of roast beef he now tells me lol)


Starting to get hungry so I better go make some eggs (we have so many!) so I can get some work done and not be thinking about food

Have a great day!

[lizzie bargain]

SA-I find it easier to put the groceries away immediately and make sure the dishes are always kept up. Then I don't have to deal with the mess. BTW we put everything in the dishwasher-out of sight and out of mind.

[harbie]

Good morning all. I say good morning because it appears that some of my HRT meds are working. I’m actually sleeping better . It’s fairly early but I’ve actually noticed a major improvement. I’m not a walking zombie in the morning. Much clearer head because of better sleep. This has been a 4 year battle so I’m beyond grateful.

Yesterday Dh and I did leg day! Wow, I’m a tad sore but good.

We tried to get his passport renewed but it was a 3 hr wait at that was just to get a ticket to then wait again for who knew how long. Apparently Monday's and Friday’s are the worst so he’s trying today.

It wasn’t the no spend day that I’d planned as I went to get an appointment for a contact lens fitting (I’ve worn them since I was in 10th grade and only stopped in 2020 with Covid). It’s was $50.

We were near a Best Buy and saw they had a Phillips airfryer on sale. We have been going back and forth about getting one and finally did it. A client has had her Phillips for a little over 5 years and loves it so that’s what we got. Regularly $199 on sale for $99 . 6.6 qt is a really nice size and they have a 30 day return policy. If it either is defective or we try it and feel it’s not the right fit for us we can return it. We won’t return it, we love it.

I'm heading to the gym for a little cardio this morning and then tonight for strength when Dh gets home.

Hope everyone has a great day.

[coupon girl]

Harbie good thing your meds are working .We love our airfryer i got it free from airmiles last year.

I had stomach cramps this morning ,feeling better now.Called the Gap and got 8.96 credit on my visa as 2 items were cheaper-nice.

Off to sons later to meet the repairman who will fix his washer.

[walkonby]

Day 2 of a no spend until Thursday. DH went along with it after I convinced him and DS that they would " survive " with whatever we have kicking around in the fridge, storeroom and freezers. I want to do all the errands on the 1 day, so Dr. appt, get gas and then grocery shop.

[Frugalbigmama]

We are getting lots of snow! Too stormy to walk around the neighbourhood so had a shower and went to the gym finally!
Now I want to go again tomorrow so I'm off to a good start.
DS arrived home before me and cleared the driveway so that was great timing.
He wanted pasta so I have the sauce simmering on the stove now and he can make pasta when he is ready to eat. (it was easy to toss together since I cooked the beef etc this morning!)
I didn't make the mac and cheese so that will be another day.

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm with this crazy weather.

[lilo0003]

I am so grateful I still have 2 more weeks of my employer health coverage as I now have an inhaler. I had a chest x ray even though my lungs sound clear to the dr. It’s all upper respiratory and basically she said it’s likely walking pneumonia. Fingers crossed this works as the inability to breathe is frightening.
I also finally sorted out private coverage so that’s one thing off my list.

[coupon girl]

lilo-that is what my grandson and daughter had in dec-walking pneumonia(only she had to beg her doctor for meds even thou Sebastian was already diagnosed.
You really have to advocate for yourself.

Take care lilo.

[harbie]

Glad you have answers and coverage for the inhaler @lilo0003

[SassyAshley]

@lilo0003 , hope you start to feel better soon.

We had walking pneumonia in November and it takes time to feel better. The inhaler really helped Mom who was having issues with her breathing. Happy to hear your coverage covered it, they are not cheap but so essential when needed.