Just chilling in January (2015 frugal chatter)

[Crochetlady]

[QUOTE=sweet sparrow;6285149]Oh, Andit! Now you are speaking my language! I have had the "jewelery itch" for the longest time. I call mine the Seven Year Itch, since that's about the time I really start looking for something special. I've been looking for something pretty in amethyst for a long time. Have you ever considered selling your creations? Or have pictures of things you've made?

I love jewelry too. Andit I would also like to see pics.

[Crochetlady]

I have a confession. I have never price matched. The only place I can do that is Walmart and it`s very small so don`t have a lot of stuff. Also only get flyers for Zehrs and FB and they are both in Listowel.

[bobbiegirl2010]

Crochetlady: Yes the Walmart in Listowel is very small and has no produce or meat I am lucky that in Palmerston we get a big variety of flyers. My husband also has a smartphone with a flyer app on it and Walmart will pm other stores from KW (Sobeys, RCSS, Target etc...) using flyer apps so I've pm'd some good deals there on canned food, cereal etc... Giant Tiger also pm's but only local stores so sometimes I will pm there if Food Basics is sold out of a sale item that Walmart doesn't carry (like the Black Diamond cheese bars). Now I think Food Basics does rainchecks.

The Food Basics in Listowel is also really small and does not have a big selection of anything (including cheese bars). They carry Black Diamond but only large bars of Mozza, Cheddar and Marble - non of the "select" kinds.

The joys of living in a rural area... Not much selection of stores and the stores we do have are smaller than those in the bigger cities.

One frugal benefit of small town living is that we never get tempted to get takeout. We only have a pizza place (which is very overpriced and not very good) and subway. Sometimes in the summer DH and I will get a sub to share if we're going somewhere for the day but that's pretty much it. Listowel has more fast food restaurants but its 20 mins away so I could cook something faster than it would take us to go and get it lol.

[jasperandchar]

crochetlady you are too cute, I can just see you eating grapes between your crochet stitches

[jasperandchar]

bank of Canada reduce interest rate by 1/4% today

[avoncallingu]

Hi folks!
It's been gently snowing all day. We were supposed to go to Windsor today to celebrate SIL's bday, but she wasn't feeling well. So a "get into the basement and keep working at the unpacking/packing/and organizing-to-get-rid-of" kind of a day.
Now I'm pooped - I'm making progress, but I keep unpacking things that I haven't seen for almost 2 years now.
I got a call from the Sleep-Apnea Dr.'s office to say that the sleep study I did found that I DO have an issue with my breathing and the first appointment with the specialist is in September... GREAT! But she has put me on the list for another sleep study using a CPAP machine (my dh has one already) and they'll call me. I hope this can explain why I have so little stamina and get pooped so easily during the day.
I've put out some of the suet blocks on our back porch and WOW, the latest one is a real hit! There have been junkos and wrens there all day.
Only 9 more days until "Groundhog Day." One has to set little goals to make it through the winter!
Pancake Tuesday will be coming up as Easter is at the beginning of April this year! MARDI GRAS!!!
I always wanted to go once I retired, buy my dh tells me I wouldn't like it and he's probably right.
I always used to cook pancakes for my staff on Pancake Tuesday - sometimes for my class and sometimes for the whole school (small school.)

[Crochetlady]

That`s funny bobbiegirl. We love Small Town Pizza. We often get it when we visit friends in Palmerston.

I have considered getting a smart phone but don`t really think it would pay for itself...I very seldom use my cell so basically would only use it for price matching. I was talking with a guy at Zehrs last fall. He said that Zehrs may become a RCSS. Don`t know if or when it will happen.

Nancy the grapes come out when I`m taking a break from crocheting.

[lilo0003]

FBM: even DH & I started doing this. I was terrible about washing jeans after one wearing & it’s not good for the fabric anyway. So now most things get a couple is uses and the boys are trained to not use a fresh towel every day. Our oldest will also re-wear before putting it in the laundry. We started this in the fall when looking at other ways to save and I can honestly say our water and gas bills both decreased. The best part is it’s a lot less laundry.
Crochetlady: I was late to the PMing party as well, but now I am totally on board. We are lucky because my store is so great that if I am PMing a product and its actually less somewhere else they will tell you and use that stores price. I also live in a town (Oakville) not know for frugality but I can tell you lots of people are doing it and in fact if I see someone PMing and I know there is a better price in another flyer we will share the flyers. All staff are super comfortable with it and I think that is why it has been easier to embrace.

[Ciel]

@avoncallingu -there has to be something for Mardi Gras. If you cannot be in New Orleans during the event week, perhaps there's a local party near you that you and DH can attend! Or a motor coach tour or package tour with a group for you?
That's very generous of you to have made pancakes for so many people on Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday in the past!

[Ciel]

I have to say that 99 cents per pound carrots at Fortino's is a nice price but the carrot flavour only impresses me if the carrot is in a soup or roasted. Raw-the flavour is somewhat sweet but also bitter.

Since Chinese New Year is coming up, look for dragonfruit deals, even in reduced produce sections!
Fruit has a nice sweetness but it's not as cloying as pineapple. Mom and I have taken to removing the scaly part of the skin off but keeping the red layer on as it provides a nice contrast to the seeds and flesh.

[Ciel]

@jasperandchar -you must be thinking that spray foam kit is within reach by the end of the month! Maybe tell DH to take photos but you'll post the ads (saves some of your time).
@Frugalbigmama -you asked about mentions. Placing the @ symbol in front of a member's name on SC causes a mention notice in the member's notifications (you will see one since I put your name in this post) after you enter your post on SC. Just like amira84 did in her post-she'd have seen a notice to herself that her name was mentioned in a post. That's how you do it. Yes, you have to the correct spacing/lettering or if there are gaps in the member's name, the notification won't be sent.
@SassyAshley -hope the roads are all clear for your driving this week!
@Andit - you are getting all that fresh air and Lily dog must be wanting a piece of the action. Quincy is keeping a low profile?
@amira84 - yes, it's harder for you to have a morning indoors if DH is sleeping during the am. See if there's a storytime group or playground that you can attend to give DH his am hours. But by lunch, he really needs to do something with you/DD after getting up for the day/having lunch. The other members mentioned household tasks/projects--is there a small repair project that needs doing? I don't know if you have a YMCA or rec centre nearby with day passes-that's another idea to go out as a family and swim or work out. Still try for a date afternoon if possible without DD if night outing is harder to arrange.

[cdngal75]

Sorry @cdngal75 and @MrsSunshine for the confusion about "on leave". See the joy of english not geing your first language? You make everyone confused! Lol

And thanks everyone for the ideas and advices about what to do on his days off from work. I guess he gets very very very lazy when he is at home. I showed him a couple posts with your ideas on what to do but he was not very interested. He likes his bed way more than doing household chores.

And frugalbigmama.... Are you a robot or what? You do so much everyday that i feel tired just by reading your posts. Dont you get tired?

No confusion at all. I knew exactly what you meant.

[Ciel]

Doing laundry has its moments and sometimes the familiarity of doing the task suits a mood or time. But then when it has to be done and there's a competing claim on the same time for another errand/task, laundry can wait usually. If we were to tally how many hours are spent each week on collecting laundry to wash to the folding and putting away of laundry, I think we'd want to claim more time back for other pursuits. It's a good reason to ensure that each family member keeps their clothing in good shape (mended/hung up) and edited (ie purged as needed) if only one person is doing all or most of the laundry.

[Andit]

Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

The test results were good - apparently, my pancreas is a dream (Dr said he can only wish his would behave as well as mine does). Kidney, otoh, is a tad cranky. Of course, it could have something to do with dealing with 4 rounds of anaesthetic within a year. The current function is going to be my new baseline, they think it will keep motoring along for at least a few more years. Here's hoping it behaves and competes with the pancreas for organ of the year.

Better go check on my sleepyheads - it's far too quiet in here.

Night all.

[Andit]

Oh, Andit! Now you are speaking my language! I have had the "jewelery itch" for the longest time. I call mine the Seven Year Itch, since that's about the time I really start looking for something special. I've been looking for something pretty in amethyst for a long time. Have you ever considered selling your creations? Or have pictures of things you've made?

I love jewelry too. Andit I would also like to see pics.

I'll dig out some of the amethyst pieces and take some pics in the morning, to give you an idea of my style. I pondered selling, but the market is waaaay to competitive for my taste (I'm anything but a salesman), so prefer to make them for my friends & their friends & family. I usually get a nice lunch or dinner out of it, which suits me fine, since all I really want is for the recipient to enjoy the jewelry.