November 2018 Frugal Chatter Thread (Remembering...)

[Ciel]

@Angela273 -that's fabulous that you will be in a warm place with family during winter!
@SassyAshley -you are very thoughtful to think of meals for your future-in-law's mother. Can you stand Emergen C or do something with Epsom salts (nasal rinse, soak in tub) to see if either product helps your body to recover? Random thought is maybe your body is reacting to something in the environment hence the swollen throat--has there been any unusual fragrance, substance or gas that has crossed your path recently that preceded your illness? No one brought in a new carpet/rug that is offgassing or a new rubber mat or plastic something or fabric treated product?
@Frugalbigmama -Sobeys had the cardboard holder of Air Miles brochures at the end of the express checkout lane but brochure does not contain the Sobeys Dec 1-7 coupon offer (guess it'll need to be loaded online). Of the two Shell offers-the fine print mentions you need the digital coupon to pay at the pump for gas or the physical coupon if you pay instore. The Shell had the brochures flat on one of the counter sections near cash but the brochure holder was not seen. If Rexall is close to you (work or home), usually the store has a holder somewhere near an empty or busy cash register area.

[Ciel]

Yesterday afternoon called for a spice chiffon cake and when it was in the oven, I had to use up the stewing bison cubes so it was pantry surprise dinner time. I chopped up 6-7 celery sticks and one medium yellow onion and sauteed them in a Dutch oven with 1 tbsp of olive oil for several minutes. Then I added the 224g pkg of bison cubes (I rinsed them first-yes I know washing meat before cooking is not fine with some entities), cooked them to brown on all sides---then inspiration: adding 2/3 of a 680ml bottle of strained tomato juice (passata that was open in the fridge) and the entire 125 ml bottle of Nando's mild Peri-Peri sauce (it had an August 31 date but it was a 99cent buy and sealed, so trial time). I cooked the lot for 20min. Found the second sauce bit too vinegary but it had lots of flavour! Bison was chewy and a tad tough but very edible! Served the sauce over cooked rotini pasta! Would replicate it again but add some stevia or white sugar to take some the vinegar taste away.
Meanwhile, due to a Food Network magazine recipe, I diced my large sweet potato half into half-inch cubes, tossed them with 1tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp chili pepper flakes and a little salt. 400F toaster oven for 30min and yum! The actual recipe has more to it plus a dipping sauce but I love a recipe hack. Mom loved the roasted potatoes.

[Ciel]

Missed the Sunday preview and Monday 50% off clothing, shoes, & accessories sale at Value Village. I had previewed offerings on Friday and was without coins. Will see if someone nabbed the one boxed set of handkerchieves I saw (it's been months since I last saw a set of hankies in a package at my local store) and to see if any "new" winter coats have arrived.

December plan is to order another pair of shoes, depending on the postal situation. I read that there are over 400 trailer trucks parked with parcels yet to be received and that international postal entities have been asked not to send parcels to Canada (since Canada has about a 30-day backlog of parcels). So if you've been shopping online, US and China suppliers may have already asked you to cancel orders or you've noticed some items have been eliminated from your orders.

Thinking of a way to prop up one downspout so leaves don't keep jamming the end as it rests an inch or so above ground on the edge of a splashblock. Sibling and Dad never reinstated the wooden stake that kept the metal tube off the ground and I don't check it daily but try to. The other tube has the stake but could use a strap of a kind to keep the tube from falling off the stake in windy conditions. Glue/double-sided tape plus self-fastening tape squares plus grosgrain ribbon is where I'm heading--but tape tends to dry out very quickly in cold settings so...send me your quiet and worth a try MacGyver solutions! A bungee cord (short) would only work if there were screws in the stake to latch the curved metal prongs on them (then I'd have to figure out how to use the Makita power tool as well-been a few years) but could be a noisemaker for the person sleeping closest to either downspout during a windstorm.

Funds are low for more groceries so more pantry surprise culinary/snack making is going on with what's still on hand--mostly rice, oatmeal, pasta and seasonings. I'll use up my dried rosemary and get a new bottle next week. Found crumbled rosemary and cinnamon with some stevia added to my oatmeal porridge was quite a pleasant combination!

I had added ginger to the four spices in my cake last night and it was so good. I don't frost chiffon cakes-just take a slice (or a wedge or two) and enjoy (sometimes with tea!).

[lizzie bargain]

congrats Angela on your upcoming vacation-I am sure you will make many happy family memories. I am sure you will be busy getting passports etc for the kids.

[Giseledta]

spent a bit of time starting to figure out the budget / plan for 2019.
i know its a bit early, but i like to have a plan in place before Christmas crazy happens
when i budget , i budget high... example .. Hydro 200.00 .. but if i lower it . - energy efficiencies.. to say ... 170... then the 30 .00 .. i have a plan in place for where extra goes.
Bliss of zero based budget. every dollar has a plan.

it also gives me a plan for how to tackle a expense.
my focus for the next few months will be the groceries... i need to get it under control. or at least try really hard. lol.

so .. i have a plan.

[Angela273]

congrats Angela on your upcoming vacation-I am sure you will make many happy family memories. I am sure you will be busy getting passports etc for the kids.

We mailed off our passport applications through Service Canada earlier in the month for all 5 of us.

[Angela273]

We had a bit of a change in plans this evening, but I still did a quick trip to Walmart. Didn’t find any Club House products. However, I did SCOP 2 more boxes of pasta. I also bought a package of Charmin and used a 50c off coupon.

[barbis9]

I finally was able to return my online order at Old Navy, the Burlington location system was down since last Saturday. Was proud of my return until I walked past the Calendar store and bought my fav magnetic (for the fridge) cat calendar, my early Christmas gift to myself.

Popped into McDonald's for $1 coffee (any size), a nice treat.

[lilo0003]

Not loving this cold air but it’s November so I need to just suck it up. I am envious of your winter getaway @Angela273 . Today I was in the office late and it was past 9 when I got home. Sadly this is becoming the norm. And now I need to go to bed to I can do it all again tomorrow.

[Giseledta]

lilo - take care of yourself. !!! dont work to hard.

ok. 1 load of laundry done. i sorted a drawer in the kitchen already. .. i need to double check all of them and thin down if needed. i am really liking the thinned down... instead of clutter.

2 crafts on track for today.
not sure about supper, i will check whats left on the list.
my tree is up.. not decorated.. but its up.. 1 bin at a time is working well.

hugs to all

[Frugalbigmama]

@Angela273 -that's fabulous that you will be in a warm place with family during winter!
@SassyAshley -you are very thoughtful to think of meals for your future-in-law's mother. Can you stand Emergen C or do something with Epsom salts (nasal rinse, soak in tub) to see if either product helps your body to recover? Random thought is maybe your body is reacting to something in the environment hence the swollen throat--has there been any unusual fragrance, substance or gas that has crossed your path recently that preceded your illness? No one brought in a new carpet/rug that is offgassing or a new rubber mat or plastic something or fabric treated product?
@Frugalbigmama -Sobeys had the cardboard holder of Air Miles brochures at the end of the express checkout lane but brochure does not contain the Sobeys Dec 1-7 coupon offer (guess it'll need to be loaded online). Of the two Shell offers-the fine print mentions you need the digital coupon to pay at the pump for gas or the physical coupon if you pay instore. The Shell had the brochures flat on one of the counter sections near cash but the brochure holder was not seen. If Rexall is close to you (work or home), usually the store has a holder somewhere near an empty or busy cash register area.

thanks! I went to Shell on the last day of promotion last year and found the brochure and coupon while waiting in line to pay

[Frugalbigmama]

We are under snow and it keeps coming! Of course my DS had an out of town school trip but he has texted me that he has made it safely. They do not return till 6pm so I will pop out to No Frills for the Armstrong cheese (coupons expire end of month) on my way to pick him up at school.

Last night I cleaned up the messy kitchen and did a few loads of laundry then We went to see the Queen movie last night too. I really liked it.

Tonight- Continue on the laundry.

[coupon girl]

just went to the mall to return and old navy item ,gymboyee item cant return the gymboyee item as its been too long (that's what I get for buying in advance ) so I will give to someone else as its a button down fleece shirt and the wrists are to small for Sebastian ,just wanted to get out of mall I was too warm and it was crowded

paid the dentist from last month $138.00 -ouchhh this time of year plus paid the hydro

relaxing ,may put my small table tree up ,as my son called last night and they are popping in with pizza Thursday night and we will go see Ashlyn at her basketball lessons which is around the corner from us at a school

[smartbuyer]

[QUOTE=Frugalbigmama;6940138]We are under snow and it keeps coming! Of course my DS had an out of town school trip but he has texted me that he has made it safely. They do not return till 6pm so I will pop out to No Frills for the Armstrong cheese (coupons expire end of month) on my way to pick him up at school.


My .75 cents off coupon for Armstrong cheese doesn't expire until November 30, 2019.

[Ciel]

There was an article about natural gas prices for gas futures likely to go up due to lower supply and higher demand. Seems like a repeat of last fall so I expect that Union Gas et al have applied for gas prices changes for January 1. Have to check the OEB site to confirm what the article stated.

Realized that each packet of stevia (which a combo of organic dextrose aka corn sugar and organic stevia) is the same as two teaspoons of sugar x 3packets = too much sugar! Will cut down to one packet in the porridge. No wonder the past three mornings' of porridge were so good!

Len's Mill store has a flyer for Black Friday (1) beginning Nov.23. Then a second Black Friday (Nov. 30, Dec.1-2) will give 30% off items that have black in them (excluding labels, salvages and packaging). Cambridge location is having a grand reopening at month's end-some deals only at that store! Orfus Rd store (Toronto, not far from Yorkdale Mall!) is a fabric store that will have or does have Designer Fabrics leftover stock for sale only at that location.

Bennett's Apples (Ancaster) posted a Facebook video today and tweeted it too that they are selling squashes at squashed prices-29cents per pound! Winner roasted veggie/soup/casserole recipes! Plan to see what's there tomorrow with my cart in tow!

Ms. Sunshine beamed again this morning and during part of the afternoon. Not much flurry activity here or last night but Mr. Wind was up to no good (blowing hard and cold).

My coupon envelope had an expired Sept haircutting coupon page. Took a quick look through the rest of the coupons to ensure no other straggler expiries lurked inside the envelope.