What Did You Do Frugal Today??

[czechlady]

Hello gals,

Have not been on for a bit, just busy being frugal, going to thrift stores and staying indoors from the heat.

Washed up all the throw rugs last few days, hung them out to dry on the line, with the wind / heat, it doesn't take long for them to dry.

Found some goodies at thrift stores, my best find was a huge Italian soup pot ( brand new) for only $1. Still keeping my peepers open for sweat pants, ( with the heat we are having I can sweat just thinking about them LOL) But this winter in our country they will sure feel good.

OSI...you lucky gal to be able to go fishing, even if all you do is drown worms, it's still fun. I did go boating over Labor Day, which was a bunch of fun.

Have a great day everyone.
Joy

[Songberries]

Today I need to make bread, and I also want to make an apple pie. I need to pick the rest of the seeds from my hollyhocks too. I cut them down the other day, and haven't had a chance to get back to them.
I've got some laundry hanging out ont he line too. I have a loaf of french bread that I made, I need to cube it up and put it in the freezer so it will be already for the sub meatball casserole.

Carol

[leasmom]

Hit the grocery store right by the post office cause I needed to send off my payment to ABC. I ordered more off my sister's account so I am set for Christmas. I just need to get a few little things for dd and my nieces but I got my 3 nieces they're big gifts and dd's big gift as well. Can't wait for it to come!

I got at the grocery store...a 10 lb bag of flour-(I usually buy the big huge one but I didn't this time...I'm not making biscuits and pancakes every week any more but I will buy that around the holidays! I bought a b1g1free sugar...5 lbs. So, 10 lbs for $2.99 is not bad in these parts. I just refilled my 10 lb sugar bag. I got roma tomatoes for .90 cents and some plums for $1.22. It was .99 cents a lb. I got 4 packs of instant pudding but I did buy cornstarch yesterday for making pudding but this was in case I just didn't feel like it. It was .79 cents each on sale.

These were all store-brand items, so no coupons. But, many times the store brands are cheaper than the brand name anyway! But, that's all I got. I won't need anything for awhile...there's no room in the freezer, shelves or fridge!!!

I just need to get some cat food from the dollar store later. I need to find out how much the bulk cat food at Walmart is. I am going through cat food like every week with my 1 adult cat and 3 growing kittens and they are eating me out of house and home-LOL! So, I need to find bulk cat food and litter. I know in Tennessee walmart had a huge bag of litter for $1.99 and if I bought cat food at Petsmart for about $7.99 it lasted me a good while, but in Colorado Springs, I noticed that the same bag of cat litter in Tennessee was smaller here and $2.99. So, will have to see what it's like here in Pueblo. I just have no reason to drive over to Walmart, so will have to put that off for awhile.

[justEricka]

sooooo unfrugal over the weekend. we went to walmart..they had dvds on sale..the older ones..adn joe cant pass them up. he got 5 or 6 for his collection of movies. we also got new tire covers for my cav, seat covers and a special wax to touch up the paint. sigh..there blows the budget..but wait..it gets better.

on sunday..we went to an auction. he bid on everything. we did get 3 nice new looking bikes for our kids for 40, but...sheese..we had 2 already so i guess we sell the kids old ones. plus, we did get a few nice toys for xmas, thats good.

i got a swiffer for 8 with a coupon. that was a good saveings. i also called about the trialer taxes on the new trailer we are getting they run about 52 a year. but we cant move it with a tractor. so we have to pay the 450 to get it done. sigh...one more thing. also ..joe found me an 84 ford conversion van that he wants to buy me for 600. it has alot more room, and woudl be good for takeing the kids places. its got a new motor, and looks really nice inside. i think we are going to get it. and sell the grand am, and my old pickup truck. id like to have it, it has a fold down back seat, the 2 captians chairs, but not the little table and the 2 front captins chairs. it would be really nice to take on a road trip with the kids..just give them their vcr and let them go. but im a bit worried that its an 84. any one got any feedback on them. its a ford econoline van. with all the windows..nice intrieor..but needs a couple rips sewn.

plus..my sister in law wants to get rid of her kerby vacume. it has all the neat attachments..including carpet shampooer. anyone got one of thoes? seh says we can have it for the payments, 50 a month. shes paid on it one year...how much more can it cost?? looking for your all input..i know you all can help me make a good decisoin here.
hope you all have a good day..
ericka

[nagymom]

anyone got one of thoes? seh says we can have it for the payments, 50 a month. shes paid on it one year...how much more can it cost?? looking for your all input..i know you all can help me make a good decisoin here.

I've personally owned 2 Kirby's and----HATED them both!!! They are expensive to buy and break too easily. Everything goes through the fan blade so it can and does break, though not easil;y. I once sucked a screw up and it broke one of the blades off. Why 2 then? Because I came home from work one day to a sweaty salesman vacuuming my living room for dh. I tried to take him aside and tell him I didn't want one but he made it look soooo good. Paid $900 for it back in 1988. I had it for about 4 years when we bought a Tri-Star--paid $1200 for that baby! No I wasn't very frugal in those days. :p I loved that one at first but eventually hated it too. I now use an inexpensive Dirt Devil--at $56 we figure we can afford to buy a new one yearly if necessary.

So my opinion is DON'T DO IT! (Then again I detest vacuuming and want the little robotic kind that sells for $200 )

Jayne

[Songberries]

Ericka - I agree with Jayne, don't buy a Kirby! We had one when I was growing up, and my mom and I hated that thing!!! My 20 yr old ds sells them now. Kirby was the first vacuum, but they are soooo expensive! My ds makes $500 when he sells one, someone else makes $100 for setting up the appointment, and I'm sure there's others making money off of it too, that's why they are so pricy! My dh installs central vacuums, and you can have a central vacuum installed for the price of a Kirby. You might want to try out your sil's Kirby and see if you like it. Also, I was wondering why she wants to give it up after paying on it for a year? Is there something she's not telling you?

Carol

[OSI]

Nagymom & Songberries-

you took the words right outa my mouth! joesbaby, don't do it. I've never owned a Kirby and at the prices they charge even if they gave me a lifetime guarantee on it, I still wouldn't. I've had a Dirt Devil for 3 years (one of those with the pull out cup). I paid around $150.00+ for it at Kmart and it picks up everything!!! I know it's easy to want everything right now, but part of being frugal is to satisfy the needs first, then later the wants. I don't want to sound critical but you can only put out so many fires at one time.

As to the minivan- a question I would want to know is how much it cost to fill it up. It sounds like it's big and something I wish I had considered when we bought our truck was gas cost. It cost us around $100.00 a month to keep that big boy running not including of course, higher insurance $1200.00 a year for it and straight liability on my old '85 minivan and the truck payments, 2 more years. So my best advice is do a little homework first. I hope this helps.

Anna

[justEricka]

i forgot to give enough background info. im sorry.

the van will have a big tank. the plus is that i will also have my little cavalier for the running i do when the kids are in school its mostly when we all want to go somewhre toghther. to have enough room for us all. joe has a pickup, and i have a cavalier, but the littlest one of our kids..cant sit comfortably in the cav in the back. so it wouldnt be a big expence..only 10 or so every 2 weeks probly. the insurance.is negligible since i already had 3 cars insured up to the 14th. so that would just be the same amount aproximatley.does that help out any more. on that one??

the kerby..she hates to use it. seh hates to vacume period and has a regular vacume for the floor she uses. i have a regular one i use too. and mostly wanted this one to use for carpet cleaning..and the carpets in the vehicles. things like that. i thought it may be cheaper tahn to rent a rug dr when the kids are little monsters as far as spilling goes.

+++edited to add++ the carpets in the new trailer need a good cleaning too. and id hve to rent a rug dr or buy one or something this time too. i thought it would be a good timewise investment. sort of. thats what i hoped anyway. mabye not!!lol..

thats all the background i have right now. hth
thanks for all the input so far.
ericka

[nagymom]

Dh and I owned a conversion (full size) van in the 80's and let me tell you, they are NOT cheap to drive. They carry a BUNCH of people (we had the captains chairs, table, fold out couch, the works) but they are not very economical. I wouldn't touch one with the price of gas now. I DO want a mini-van and hope to buy one within the year but not the full size conversion. YIKES!

As for a Kirby--hu uh--not even for carpet cleaning. It's not an extractor type of cleaner, just rolls and this tends to rub dirt deeper. My advice--like Anna said, "but part of being frugal is to satisfy the needs first, then later the wants. I don't want to sound critical but you can only put out so many fires at one time. "

Money can be spent on mch better and far more frugal things in life!

BTW if you seriously consider buying the van, at its age I would most definitely take it to a mechanic for a good going over BEFORE buying it.

That's my 2 pennies worth.

Jayne

[leasmom]

That I bought for $1,000. I spent about $1,500 in less than 6 months to get it fixed and up to snuff for our move from Tennessee to Colorado, but now the transmission is going out! It'll cost me $750 to fix it and I have no ideal when that will be.

I spend about $10 a week/$40 a month on gas because I don't fill it up all the way. If I did, I would pay $80 a month. I only have one kid and I have alot of space but I also use it for loading up groceries, furniture and when I drive my dd and niece/nephew around. First, I would have the van checked out...it'll cost you about $60 to $80 to see if they're are any problems. If so, and they aren't that bad, then buy it. If they'res alot, then don't. If you think it'll be better for your family, then I suggest that you get it. But, maybe you should consider selling one of your other cars so the amount of money coming out of your home isn't as much as if you had them all. You can only drive one at a time.