What Did You Do Frugal Today VIIII

[czechlady]

OSI: What size gold buttons were you needing for your project ?

Also keep meaning to tell you the purple candles I bought from you were the ideal gifts to give. This past week , attended a Christmas party where we had a gift exchange, so put some ribbon on the purple candle, added a purple soap and then a bath /body splash. the gal who received it was thrilled, she loved the smell of the candle.

I worked in the shed today, reboxing all sorts of items which I had stored out there. Hadn't checked on that stuff for nearly 4 yrs. so now have it checked over and have put the boxes in a small trailer which has a canopy on it. So now it's all out of the way for machinery to be stored for the winter.

Have a good evening, keep warm, it's chilly here. But can't expect anything different for this area. think it's a hot cocoa and popcorn night.

Joy

[RobertaD]

My frugal today was putting out 200 Avon brochures that were given to me by another representative with plastic bags & labels I got from my Sales Manager. A savings of $40 dollars.

RobertaD

[boggsZ]

Are any of you like me lately, feeling like you are chasing your tail and not getting anywhere?

Well that's about it for now. Take care everyone

Anna [/b][/quote]


Yes Anna thats just how iv been feeling lately there has been so much going on around here 4 people that we know have died in the past 2 weeks its been awful here but im trying to get some christmas stuff up and shopping done. dh and went shopping today i did get one good buy i found my nephew a camo shirt for 1$ at walmart iwas so happy he'll love it. take care everyone and have a good weekend

[leasmom]

I was stocking up on stuff and so I got about 7 or 8 eggs for .39 cents each and bread for .59 cents, about 5 loaves all put into my deep freezer. I also went to another store and they had a 10 for 10 sale. I stocked up there and got some meats on sale as well. We should be well stocked for when my mom gets here so I won't have to spend too much on groceries for when she comes. I also got all of my spices for the cookies I bake each year. Still need the baking powder/soda, sugar and flour and will be looking out for good deals in the upcoming papers.

Now off to get a few more things and then we're settling in for the night. It's cold, it's supposed to snow this night or tomorrow.

[crochet2]

Joesbaby:

I know exactly where you are coming from, and I have no husband and/or kids to take care of. When I first moved back here from another part of the state, I was devastated. I wasn't moving for a better job, but because my sister told me that with her new baby (6 months old at the time), a full time job and a mother who wanted at least as much attention as the baby (actually she wanted my sister to move in with her again), that life was just getting to much to handle.

I had a pretty good job with the county at the time, but had no "savings". What I moved into was a nightmare. I moved into my mother's apartment as my sister moved her the day before to an "assisted living" facility. Really it was a big house that a woman who used to live down the street from us opened to accommodate her mentally challenged daughter and several other people she knew in the community who could not live alone anymore. She did have all the proper credentials, and a nurse on duty 24 hours a day to dispense medicine and my mother trusted her. So I got her apartment.

The apartment was a chopped up old home the Germans built when they settled this part of New Jersey. It was backwards. The front door opened into the only room that was appropriate to be a bedroom. The back door opened into the kitchen. Then there was strangely situated living room.

I signed up with a "temp" agency immediately and they put me to work at slightly less than minimum wage. The woman who was renting to my mother, refused to rent to me, because she didn't think I could pay the rent ($350.00 per month for what I just described to you). So we went to another apt. owner in town and for the same money, I got 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and a dining room.

Anyway, I ended up with $13.00 per week after I put money in the checking account for the rent and utilities and money aside for the bus to work. That $13.00 had to buy my food, my cleaning supplies, my medicines, my clothes, etc. Talk about laying awake at night, so afraid that anything at all would happen, some unexpected expense that would throw everything off.

I did whatever I could - but in this area of New Jersey crafts aren't as big as they are up North, so I wasn't selling anything I was making. I crochet, and have created my own Raggedy Ann and Andy patterns. I used to sell sets of these by the multiples every weeked, if I had them, but not down here.

So I babysat, and people fed me. I had a lot of things, including a sewing machine, and I do sew. I did repairs, for a few coins here and there. And with those coins, I bought a Sunday paper every week for the coupons. And they helped.

As time went on, I got the job I have today with a law firm. It paid better and pays better every year. I am still so appreciative for the fact that he gave me the job. I won't leave on my own, no matter what perks they would offer.

I won't every forget those days, and if I were to find myself in that position again, I know I could survive.

So just hang in there, one day, one day things will be a little less stressful. It comes on very slowly. But one night you are so tired of worrying about everything, and you sleep through the night.
And it happens more than one night in a row. That's when you start to know it is a little less bad than yesterday.

I judge may financial status by my ability to buy asparagus. It is so silly, but I dearly love asparagus. At one time, I could only afford asparagus soup in the can, (and you know there is only a taste of asparagus there), probably on sale. Then I could only afford asparagus in the can. Then I could only afford asparagus when it was in the damaged section of the produce dept. Then I could only afford asparagus when it was on sale. Now I can choose to not buy asparagus, because I think it is too expensive.

I now own my own home, I don't rent. My mortgage is less than my rent ever was. I literally pay $213.12 per month. Mind you my house is small, much smaller than that 3 bedroom apt. But I own it, and I own the lot it is on. It is a house, not a trailer. It is in a decent part of town, right near the police station, town hall, etc. I have nice neighbors, who work a lot too.

But please believe me, faith in what God will do for you, if you ask, and believe, will help you to start sleeping those two nights in a row. But I also don't pray just for me, I pray for those who are more in need than I. And I have gotten a return on praying for others my 10-fold and more.

On to another subject. I have been having left overs all week - either stuffing at work or pork roast from Sunday's dinner. I took the pork, and shredded it, I make a mixture of bottles bbq sauce (free earlier this year from coupons from Carol Ann), and apple butter (free from my sister). I added some of the pork and ate it with some really cheap left-over rolls from Thanksgiving. It was really good - and not that sweet.

Later in the week I had some left over rice. I cooked some veggies from Hanover. It was called Latino mix. It is corn, black beans, onions, green and red peppers. Then I mixed them with some more of the shredded pork. Absolutely wonderful.

I will be off to the market tomorrow in search of some rotissierie chicken that wasn't sold today. They sell the left over ones for $1.99 (whole, cooked roasters). I feel some chicken and rice, maybe with a can of black beans and a little cumin and cinnamon mixed in. Sounds like lunch at work next week.

And I found a recipe for Zucchini Cheese Bread that I want to try this weekend. Also I will start baking cookies to be given away to those who are kind to me all year.

Well, I better go for this evening. Take care all!!!

Norma

[bluebird]

I had to shop for major groceries this week. It was down right scary the amount I spent. I still forgot potatoes! But we needed the groceries....

[bluebird]

I wasn't ready to post yet....

I went to the 'city' today. Did very very good.... Spent almost two hours each in two different thrift stores. Dd found a new pair of jeans..... I found lots of things. Some for gifts and some cuz we needed them! I bought five pair of long john bottoms for ds, $1.25 each. My best deal was a hand pieced, hand stiched, eight point star quit top for $3.00! Dd and I will finish it up for her room.

I think I bought all the stocking stuffers I needed.... I need a Santa gift for oldest son and I think I am done ........ with the five of us.

Has anyone made a rice pack for the neck? I think that would be great for FIL... he was talking about how tight his neck gets.... I will try to make a pattern....

I am so happy tonight, I don't know how I wll go to sleep! We have a diagnosis for dd!!!!!!! She has RA. We are trying different medications and will see the doctor on the 13. I am so thankful, we all are! Also I was talking to the doctor about her 'fighting' for us... Medicaid will not pay for RA type meds right now and before I finished speaking, the doctor was nodding her head. We are so blessed.....

[EMMJEAN]

Norma, anagin I love to read your posts. Thank you for sharing your story. God has truly blessed you in so many ways. I know it didn't seem like it at the time. Everyone has thier hard times. God bless you Dear.

Can I get you to post your Zucchini Cheese Bread ?

bluebird, I make them for my husband all the time. He just plain wears them out. I just make rectangles(SP?) out of felt and flannel layer them with the flannel on the outside sew them together leaving a whole put about 1 cup to 2 cups rice in them. Long grain rice. Not minute rice. Don't ask it was horrible. Slip stitch the whole closed a you are done.

Got to go shopping today. I think I can make one more dinner with what I got here at the house. Maybe. So that is what I will be doing today.

[justEricka]

today i have a full day. we are suposed to be at a local church for a xmas program, they will have a small gift, and snacks for the kids. so we will do thta today at 2.30.

when i get home, im going to get more auctions ready. i trying to figure out what is a good amount of auctions to have going at once. the more acutions i know is more money, but i have about 8 going right now. i think i coiuld maybe handle 8 at a time, like finsihing about 3 days apart. i have still over 1000 worth of mary kay product to get rid of. joe bought me a few lots on ebay to get me the things i wanted, so far, ive sold about 50, we spent just over 200 for the original lots, i kept over 1000 worth of product for myself. im happy with that. i have my own personal stash of things i wont have to buy for a while. so that makes joe happy to. i have the better priced things i like to use, and he only paid a fraction of the cost he would hav had to pay first.

savings ...i got 2 lg lots of meat at the local meat market for just over 250 yesterday. when i pick them up next week, ill have 100 lbs of meat, already for my deep freezer. and its the best cuts of meat, adn they cut them the way i want them. so that will totally load my freezer, plus since its already to get, i wont have to mess with doing it myself, and maybe just forgetting it and letting it go bad. im happy with that.

i also found 4 soft soap full size, a pocket watch, and a revolon all day lipstick at cvs for less than $6. it was all on clearnce, and im goinna use the soap and watch as xmas gifts. the lipstick, ive been wanting. just wont pay 12 for. im cheap.

well hope everyon has a good day. be back later to talk.

bye
ericka

[barbszy]

Ericka, you got a great deal on all that meat!! I will have to investigate whether we have a place like that around here.