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Every Day

Thanksgiving Hauls

I apologize for not posting yesterday. I did two grocery hauls yesterday and had trouble with the SUV. I called my friend to come and rescue me. But then I finally was able to unlock the SUV. So I called her back and said not to come. Then my car said it did not detect the key fob so I had trouble turning it on. Finally I put the key fob right up to the ignition button and I was able to turn the car on. That happened at Walmart and Top’s is a block away. But instead I went straight home because I did not want to have this issue again. To make a long story short, my key fob is dead. So after a cup of coffee, I went back out using Hubby’s key fob to do the Top’s haul.

By the time I got home and everything was put away, I was exhausted. Then because I was too tired to cook and Hubby was craving Chinese food I went out again to pick that up. I went straight to bed after dinner and slept over 8 hours.

So here are my grocery hauls. At Walmart, I purchased 1 Duke’s Mayonaise( new to our area) for $ 4.47, 2 -5 lb. GV flour for $ 1.97 each, 1 Marketside Honey Cured Ham, $ 2.48 a lb. was $ 29.14, 2 double packs of Crescent Rolls for $ 4.47 each, 2 Jimmy Dean’s sausage rolls for $ 3.97 each, 2 GV sausage rolls for $ 3.12 each, 2 frozen DeepShell pie crusts(2 to a pkg.) for $ 1.24 each, 1 whipped topping for $1.00, 1 peach preserves for $4.08, 1 Hellmann’s mayonaise for $ 6.52, 1 Club crackers for $ 3.57, 2 of the 2 packs of GV cream cheese for $ 2.97 each, 4 Jiffy cornbread mixes for $ .50 each, 1 GV chopped pecans for $ 16.73, 5 assorted Nestle Toll House chips for $ 3.97 each, 2 French’s fried onions for $ 3.82 each, and 2 Stove Top stuffing for $ 1.50 each. My total came to $ 133.48.

We wanted to try the Duke’s. Hubby is a diehard Hellmann’s man but he is willing to try it. If he doesn’t like it, I will eat it because I am not fussy at all. I will be baking bread and other things all winter so I had to add to my flour supply. We had one of these ham’s last year and it was delicious. So it is worth the $ 2.48 a lb. especially when I can slice it on my meat slicer for sandwich meat. The crescent rolls will be used for appetizers. The Jimmy Dean’s sausage will be used for Sunday breakfasts and the GV for stuffing. I could not make the pie crusts for this price. The whipped topping will be added to my stash. I use it for desserts but also in my coffee. Since I didn’t make peach jam this year I am trying to keep Hubby happy. I need many more Hellmann’s mayonaise. When I saw the ad for Top’s after I got home yesterday for next week, I was sorry I purchased this at this price. But you win some and you lose some. The club crackers are a favorite with soup for me. Cream cheese is used for stuffed celery and ham roll ups in our home. Cornbread is a favorite once in a while with Mexican meals. The mixes are very easy and very cheap this time of year. We always have pecans in the freezer for Hubby’s waldorf coleslaw and some baking. The toll house chips will last about a year for cookie and brownies. We use the crispy onions on our hamburgers sometimes. After counting my stash, I needed more stuffing.

Before I went to Top’s, I had to go back to Walmart to get Hubby’s prescriptions. He forgot to tell me they were ready when I was there. Fortunately these stores are so close together that I didn’t waste much gas.

At Top’s. I purchased 1.30 lbs. of green grapes for $ 3.24, 1 Tony’s pizza for $ 3.34, 1 gallon of apple cider for $ 6.99, 2 dozen large eggs for $ 3.79, 2 pkgs. of American cheese for $ 5.00, 2 pkgs. of Ortega Fajita seasoning for $ 2.00, 1 Ortega Taco sauce for $ 3.29, 1 Sirloin Tip Roast at $ 6.99 a lb.= $ 19.08, 1 jar of Prego sauce for $ 1.88, 1 Nestle morsels for $ 3.99, 1 English Muffins for $ 5.69, and a 5lb. bag of King Arthur flour for $3.99. My total came to $ 62.28.

The green grapes we use in chicken salad. The pizza I bought to make for dinner last night because I was so tired. I always keep one in the freezer for my really tired days but I was out. However, Hubby wanted Chinese. So the pizza will be for the next time I am beat. The Chinese was so much food that we have enough for dinner tonight. We love apple cider this time of the year. It is also handy when Hubby has a low blood sugar. A large dozen of eggs was on sale for $.99 but they had none. So rather than go back to Walmart for the third time for a 60 count, I got these. My son is coming for breakfast this morning and I needed eggs. We were out of American cheese, taco sauce, and the fajita seasonings. The Prego gets added to my stash. The Nestle morsels was one that Walmart was out of. The English muffin price was horrendous but I paid it because Hubby needed it. However, they have a B1G2 free deal on them next week so I will stock up my freezer. I got the flour because it was a great price- limit 1.

I have plenty of grocery money this time of year because of eating out of our stash. So spending $ 195.76 didn’t hurt. Next week’s sales are unbelievable so I will be stocking up again.

My son is coming for breakfast and to put the regular tires up on the ceiling until Spring for us. He also has the tool we need to make a new key to go in the key fob. Instead of paying about $300. at the dealership to get one, we can buy one for about $43. online and do it ourselves with the tool and the software if need be. On ours he does not think we need the software. We will see when he gets here.

Did you get any great deals this week?

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Every Day

A Fun Day Yesterday

First, I have a piece of business to take care of. If any of you tried to get into this blog yesterday or today, it was down. I did not know it until Chris sent me a message that she was having problems commenting last night. My admin who is my son has fixed the issue and we are up and runnng again. Thank you for your patience.

I always have a wonderful girl’s day out with my friend. We left about 11am yesterday to go to https://www.tatteredtuliphome.com/ to browse and see the Christmas decorations. They were beautiful but I did not buy anything. I have enough Christmas things now. After browsing for a while, we went to https://www.platterschocolates.com/ where I purchased a few gifts.

Then we had lunch at https://woodcockbrothersbrewery.com/ . The service and food was wonderful. My friend treated me. We are taking turns doing that.

I had asked my friend when she picked me up if there was a Wegman’s close to where we were going. She said yes that it was very close. So after lunch we went there so I could buy a Shady Brook turkey which was 14.85 lbs. Using your Wegman’s card you could get 1 for $ .48 a lb. that cost me a total of $ 7.13. This is the best turkey deal that I have gotten in 2 years. I could get a Top’s turkey for $ .58 a lb. but I will save $ .10 a lb. any day. Since it was so close to where we were, she saved me from driving a 19 mile round trip to my store. I had brought a bag to keep it frozen while we were at our last stop. It is the last turkey I will buy unless I see a markdown deal at Walmart after Christmas.

Our last stop was at https://arrowheadspringvineyards.com/ where we enjoyed a glass of wine.

Since we didn’t get home until dinnertime, Hubby made easy ham and grilled cheese sandwiches.

I will be back tomorrow with my Top’s shopping haul of loss leaders that are the cheapest this time of the year.

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Every Day

A Little of This and a Little of That

These are a few of the things that we have been doing to save some money recently:

Hubby took the SUV to get the snow tires put on since we may have some snow coming the end of this week. He went to the garage that was giving 50% off for the changeover.

Hubby went and visited the dentist that he is planning on going to now that our dentist has retired from the practice he sold to. It is only 3.9 miles each way from our home. The old dentist was 10.1 miles each way. That will save us on gasoline. We will pay $ 103. less for a cleaning and exam than we paid at the old one. Hubby has made his appointment for this month. I will not be switching until my denture warranty is up which will be the end of February. Then I will go to the new practice also.

We have been eating up all the leftovers from having company: homemade chili, homemade garlic bread, waldorf coleslaw, ham and cheese sandwiches, and tonight we will make a salad with leftover meat and cheeses.

I purposely made too much rice to put the chili on so that I would have baggies of rice ready to go in the freezer. We ate one baggie when we ate the chili leftovers but we still have 4 more frozen for other meals. They heat up so nicely in the microwave. This is a huge savings of money when you make your own instead of buying those 90 second rice packets. Each of my packets cost about $ .30 vs. $ 2.48 at the market.

Our landscaper called to see if we wanted a Fall cleanup. Hubby said no and has been doing it himself a little at a time. He now has most of the weeds done and the trimming of the bushes done that needed it. That saved us anywhere from $700.- $1700. He just has some rose bushes to cut back and he will be done.

Hubby also mows our lawn himself with the riding lawnmower. This time of year our trees have been dropping leaves. Hubby mulched them most of the time but recently he bagged them with the mower. That is not easy for him but they are almost all down so he should have one more mowing and be done for the year.

Our snowplow guy finally came and put driveway marker stakes up to get ready for this snow plowing season. We were getting concerned that he forgot us and we were thinking about marking it ourselves. They are $ 5.47 each and he did 4 so that saved us some money that we were about to spend.

My son put our snowblower in the garage for us just in case for some reason the snowplow guy can’t get here. The snowplow guy does not do the sidewalk so if we get a lot of snow we can use it. We need to keep that and the porch cleared for deliveries. I checked our ice melt supply and we have enough that it should get us through the winter.

We have decided not to close off the 2 extra bedrooms this winter. After doing some research about cold air returns, we have decided that our furnace won’t work as hard by keeping them open. We had cold air returns put in these 2 rooms when the new furnace was installed last spring. So we will try it this year to see if it makes a difference in our bills. I will keep the blinds, drapes, and energy saving shades closed in those 2 rooms unless the sun is shining into them.

I have a girl’s day out coming up soon with my friend. We will be doing some shopping but I really need nothing so I doubt that I will spend much money except for lunch and perhaps a bottle of wine at the winery.

I have been researching the deals and making my list to go to Top’s this week. There are lots of loss leaders that I will be getting soon to get stocked for a year. I am waiting to go until the day I can get double gasoline points.

That is about it for now. What have you been doing to save some money?

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Every Day

How we plan on Saving on Household Goods in 2027

The biggest way we are going to save on cleaning products is by using up what we already have and not replacing them. Most cleaning can be done with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. NEVER EVER mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. That is dangerous! Research online or on you tube how to use them and what they clean.

We use very little paper towels in this house. That will continue. We have rags made from old towels to clean up cat puke and other messes. We own microfiber cloths for cleaning. They can be used over and over again for years without having to replace them. Paper towels are very expensive and get thrown out after one use. We probably go through less than 1 roll a year to drain bacon. We have enough right now to last a few years because we bought a package at a great price at our warehouse club. I save the grocery ad papers to wash windows. We do not have a newspaper delivery service. But the ads work just as well.

Our usage of paper napkins has decreased in the past year or so since Hubby does not prick his fingers anymore to check his sugars. He uses Libre 3 which goes in his arm and stays on for 2 weeks. Because of this we use cloth napkins at most meals. I just throw them in with the regular week’s wash. So I probably have enough paper napkins for picnics on our patio to last me years. I suppose in a pinch we could use them like tissues.

We have two bathrooms in our home. One is just for guests so not much toilet paper gets used in there. Our master bathroom toilet has a bidet with a dryer so we use very little toilet paper in that one. A big box of toilet paper lasts us years. If you go through a lot of toilet paper, it may save you quite a bit of money to put in a bidet. There is a huge price range for them so you can go cheaper or more expensive for what you need.

We do buy Kleenex for when we are out and about. But in the house, we use cloth hankies and just throw them in the weekly wash. I just put out Kleenex for guests. We have about 10 boxes so we will not buy any in 2027.

Plastic garbage bags have gotten ridiculously expensive. We use way too many 13 gallon tall kitchen garbage bags not only for trash but to bring bottles and cans back to the store to redeem them for the deposits. Our garbage company requires bagging all garbage. I stuff mine so I don’t use as many. I also use the garbage disposal to get rid of food scraps except for potato skins. Above is a picture of the loaded garbage bags with the bottle returns in my garage. We have a lot right now because of all the medical issues we had this summer. So they have piled up. You can see how many of these bags normally get thrown away. I have decided to keep these bags after I empty them at the store. I rinse my cans really well so they might be a little wet when they are emptied. But I can hang them up to dry when I get them home. I will reuse them for trash. From now on I will use the paper bags that I get my groceries in from Walmart to return them. By doing it this way, I will save a lot of money on these plastic bags.

I reuse plastic baggies. I wash them out with dish soap and water and put them on my bag stand to dry that I use to fill them up with food. If you don’t have a bag stand, put a large cooking spoon in a jar and hang the bags on it to dry. By doing this I cut my cost to buy plastic baggies. The only bags I will not reuse are ones that had meat in them. Those get tossed.

Our friends came to dinner on Saturday night while Hubby’s sister was here. Our friend is a wonderful baker and is always surprising me with goodies. She brought me these three pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for our breakfast the next day. They were so delicious. The plastic baggie was over the muffins that were on this paper plate. The only thing that got thrown away was the muffins wrappers. The large baggie got washed and dried and the paper plate got wiped off and is now ready in my stash of paper plates to use when I am too tired to wash dishes.

There are many other ways that you can save on household products too like clipping paper or digital coupons, researching where to get the cheapest prices, watching for sales, etc. Right now I am watching for a sale on water softener salt and furnace filters. I will eventually find good prices before my stash of these runs out.

Feel free to share with all of us how you save on household products.

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Every Day

Frugal Planning For 2027

It is not too early to start planning for next year. This time of year we should all be looking at every expense we have to see how we can lower them. I pose the following questions to you. Can you cut the cable bill, the electric and gas bill, the landscaping bill, your grocery bill, your dental, medical and prescription bills, your car and home insurance bills, your newspaper bill, your gasoline bill, your grocery and household products bills, your personal care bills, any of your paid streaming channels, your home security monitoring monthly charge, your garbage bill, and your water bill? If you heat with propane, can you fill up when the price is the cheapest? Can you eat out or get take out less often? Can you buy less liquor or at least get a better price? Can you spend less on movies, concerts, sport games, etc.? Can you go a year without buying any new clothing, handbags or shoes? Can you go a year without spending a penny unless it is absolutely necessary? Can you pay some bills like the taxes and the water bills in person instead of mailing them using a stamp? I know we can because these places are on my errand route so no extra gasoline. Some people like to pay these using their credit cards to get the points and if you pay off your credit card every month in full then go for it. I pay mine in person because the taxes charge a really steep fee if you use a credit card and the water bill can’t be paid by credit card.

I will take each of these things over the next few weeks and explain what we will be doing. But before I do, I want to tell you to fill up your gasoline tanks while the prices are down this week. There is a lot of misinformation about this out online. People believe the prices went down because the Democrats took the House and the Senate. Not true!

Gas prices fell sharply this week due to a mix of seasonal demand declines, refinery maintenance, and easing crude oil costs, with analysts warning the drop could be temporary. Seasonal demand slowdown: Cooler weather and the end of the summer travel season have reduced gasoline demand, a recurring fall pattern. Refinery maintenance: Many refineries are completing maintenance, which can temporarily boost supply and lower prices . So fill up while the prices are cheaper because they may rise at any time.

I will be back next week explaining what we will be doing with each one with a post daily. I am going to start with household products.

I hadn’t planned on posting today but Eloise had me up early so I had time. See you next week.

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Every Day

A Little of This and a Little of That

Before I forget, today will be my last post until Tuesday. Hubby’s sister is arriving tomorrow from Houston for a visit. So I will be busy until next Tuesday.

I have planned out our dinner menu’s for the time she is here. I will be making chicken parmesan tomorrow night with a side salad. Friday night will be hamburgers and FF’s. Saturday night we will have our friends joining us for dinner too. That will be a very enjoyable evening. Hubby is going to make his chili which will be served on rice and his coleslaw salad as a side. Dessert will be orange sherbert to cool down the heat from the chili. Sunday will be any leftovers from the other meals because you know I do not waste food. So they will get eaten or frozen. On Monday she leaves before dinner. So it will be something easy for just us. I like to get bedding washed and put back on the bed right after company leaves. All the towels and any cleaning that needs to be done will get done that evening so that I wake up to a clean house on Tuesday.

Yesterday, I shopped at Walmart after I took a return to Dollar General. For any of you that don’t know, they take returns for Fed Ex. It was a postage paid return so it didn’t cost us a dime.

At Walmart, I purchased a Butterball turkey at $.97 a lb. for a total of $14.92. If you are planning on getting one there, I would do it quickly. Our store had loads a week ago but they are dwindling fast. I also picked up some sausage for $ 6.94 for breakfasts and some chicken patties for $5.96 which Hubby and I love for quick sandwiches. Lastly, I got a 1/2 gallon of 1/2 and 1/2 for $ 4.98 and a 12 pack of Zero Sugar Fanta for $8.92. Every time I buy that it kills me because the price is so high. But Hubby always starts his day with one can. He calls it his juice. He let me know before I went that he had just opened his last can. I keep looking for a sale so I can stock at a better price. So my total was $ 42.43. I didn’t count the bottle deposits because I get my money back when I return them. Sorry, there was no picture because I quickly got all the meat in the freezer so we could run out to vote.

Talking about the voting, two things come to mind. If it didn’t go your way, don’t be upset because it didn’t go your way. Instead put your time and energy into making your individual finances better. Do all the frugal things everyday! They all add up! Secondly, be happy you don’t have any more political calls or ads to deal with!!!

I am going to put my energy into doing a load of wash today and hanging it to dry and changing our bedding. It is getting very close to the end of the year so we will be going over our finances and planning for the New Year. Then if I have any time left, I will do some more work in our basement. There are a lot of things down there that we no longer use. I will find them and decide if I should sell them or donate them.

BTW, have you noticed my new logo on the left hand side of my blog posts? My son, who is my admin, made that for me the other day. I was thrilled.

I hope you all have a great week. I will be back here next Tuesday.

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Every Day

Thanksgiving Sales: Cheapest Time of the Year To Stock on these Products

Turkeys are the cheapest meat right now that you can stockpile for the coming year. The only prices that I have seen in my area so far this year are Butterballs at $ .97 a lb. at Walmart, Shady Brook at $ .84 a lb. at Walmart, and Farmers Choice at Aldi’s starting on Wednesday, Nov. 4th at $ .99 a lb. I have no idea what Top’s or Wegman’s will be. B.J.’s is running a deal for a free turkey if you spend: $150 or more in one transaction between October 31 and November 9, 2026 (in club, in the BJ’s app or on BJs.com) and you get a coupon for a free fresh or frozen Butterball turkey worth up to $25.

I do not need $ 150. worth of food from B.J.’s right now so I will pass on that free turkey. Spending that amount of money just to get the free turkey if you need nothing is a waste of money. I still have 2 turkeys in my freezer from the sales last year. So I will most likely only buy 1 Butterball turkey before Thanksgiving and perhaps 1 when Walmart clearances their turkeys out like they did last year at $ .49 a lb.

Butter should go on sale at Aldi’s or elsewhere soon. I usually buy 30-40 lbs. on these sales. However, I am stocked right now so I do not need to buy any for the next year. I have been buying it when I saw a sale and at B.J.’s where I can get it at $ 2.40 a lb.

Ground sausage rolls will be on sale. I will buy a lot if the price is right because I use it in stuffing all year long and I make patties out of it for our Sunday breakfasts that I cook for my family.

Hams are a priority for us this year. I only bought one last year and that was a mistake. Hubby loves ham and the bean soup I make with the ham bone. I thought they were too expensive last year but they were even more the rest of the year. So whatever the sale is, I will pay it. They slice up so nice on our meat slicer also.

We love the mini hot dogs for dinners and appetizers and my grandson loves them for breakfast so I will get a few of these.

Chicken broth and stock will be on sale. I no longer buy them because I make my own. But if you don’t, they will be a good deal.

Cream soups should go on sale especially the cream of mushroom to make that green bean casserole. I have enough to last us a very long time.

I am in need of cream cheese. I will buy enough for about 6 months. I just keep it the refrigerator. I don’t like the way it freezes. If you are only going to use it cook a recipe, it’s fine.

Egg nog should go on sale. It was expensive last year because of the egg crisis. I am hoping it is cheaper this year. I just buy enough to get us through New Year’s day.

Turkey gravy packets should go on sale. I make my own gravy but sometimes during the year I crave French Fries and gravy. So I pick up about 12 of them.

Stuffing cubes and stove top stuffing should go on sale. The cubes don’t last long so I would watch the expiration date on those. But the stove top stuffing will last so I usually buy 12 for the year. However I have enough right now.

Baking supplies will be at the best prices of the year. I will get enough flour to last a year. White sugar is a great thing to stock for at least a year. It lasts forever as long as you keep it dry. I keep it in an air tight 5 gallon bucket. I just fill up a smaller container to keep in the kitchen. I do need some baking powder this year.

Pie crusts will be on sale. If you don’t like making your own, these freeze well. Frozen pies also go on sale. We do not buy them because we make out own. But if you have the freezer space and like them, knock yourself out.

Dinner rolls and crescent and biscuit rolls should be a good price. I would probably only buy one extra dinner rolls. The crescent rolls I use to wrap the mini hotdogs and then bake them. The biscuits we use for breakfast sandwiches. I get enough so that they don’t expire.

Canned pumpkin lasts a couple of years. I usually buy a case. But this year I have almost a case left so I will skip buying this. We use it to make pies and quick breads.

Canned fried apples will be in the stores. I always get a case of these no matter what the price. We love them as a side with many meals especially with pork.

Canned pineapple will also go on sale. I have plenty this year so I will be buying none. We use it with hams, for a side dish, and to make upside down pineapple cake. I save the juice to make muffins.

Cranberry sauce and cranberries should be very good prices. I buy about 6-8 bags of cranberries and freeze them. I use them to make homemade sauce and to bake muffins. I no longer buy the canned because even if I cook for holidays, no one eats it anymore.

Pie fillings will go on sale. I buy a few cans for crisps and other desserts during the year after my fresh apples run out.

We use condensed milk and evaporated milk. They last about 1 year or even longer if the date is right on the shelf. We use the evaporated milk in recipes and in a pinch if we run out of milk for coffee. Just add equal parts of the evaporated milk and water. It is fine for baking. The condensed gets used to make fudge. I have enough of each.

Pickles and olives will be cheaper so I buy enough for one year.

Frozen veggies have good sales. If broccoli is one of them, I buy 12 to last us 1 year.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions are good prices this time of year. If you have the space to keep them cool, dry, and in the dark, they should last until March. Take them out of those plastic bags though because they will not last in those. Put them in a box or basket where the air can flow and cover the top with a towel. Look at them every week to make sure that nothing is rotting. Just one will kill the others. Any signs of of rot, throw that one out. Basements and garages work well as long as your garage does not freeze. I have always wanted a root cellar but I have never had one.

Canned corn and green beans you can get on sale for about $ .50 a can. I have plenty for soups and meals.

Celery will be cheap. Get what you can use before it goes bad. Take it out of the plastic and wrap it in foil. It keeps a lot longer. If it goes limp, it just needs a drink. So put it in a glass of water and it will come right back.

Hubby and I love those crispy onions so I make sure to have about 6 cans of them. We put them on our hamburgers when we don’t feel like sauteing fresh onions. They will be on sale at the lowest price all year because of that green bean casserole.

Chex mixes and all kinds of nuts will go on sale because of people making party mix. I don’t need the Chex mixes because I already bought them. The sooner you get them, the better because they go out of stock here the closer to the holidays it gets. We buy our mixed nuts for the party mixes we make. We also buy all of the pecans, sliced almonds, and walnuts we need for a year and freeze them. They have oil in them and they will go rancid on the shelf.

Beverages and beer should be on sale also. We have plenty left from Hubby’s birthday party.

That is all I can think of right now. If you would like to add something to the list leave a comment.

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Every Day

This is a Very Difficult Economy for Many

So many people are trying to stretch their money to make ends meet. It is not only the minimum wage earners. I am seeing so many people who make six figures a year having the same issues. It is especially hard for people who are single and only have one income or seniors who are living on a fixed income. Prices just keep going up and eventually the money does not stretch any more.

Many have tried to get better jobs and have sent out hundreds of job applications with no response to any of them. Others have taken on a part time job along with their full time jobs. Many can’t even find part time jobs in their areas. Companies just aren’t hiring because their expenses have gone up also. This time of year you could always pick up a part time Christmas job. Not any more! The companies are trying to stay afloat too by downsizing their budgets.

People have not gotten raises for years now. If they have, they have been minimal and don’t even come close to keeping up with inflation. I know seniors have gone quite a few years over the past 15-20 without a raise. The January raises they do get do not keep up with inflation. Everytime you get that raise, your medicare cost goes up too. So if that is your only source of income in retirement, you are having a very rough time right now.

So what is important to pay when you are in any of these situations that I have mentioned. Your first priority is your mortgage or rent. You need a roof over your head or you will be homeless and living in your car. Food is your second priority. If you can’t afford it, go to the food banks. Hundreds of thousands of people are doing that right now. Many have incomes over $ 100,000. a year. Most food banks are not income based. You may not get food that is your favorite but it will sustain you.

If you still have money for food, buy the cheapest. Beef is out unless you can get it reduced for quick sale. Pork, turkey(this month) and chicken are your best buys when they are on sale. Buy whole chickens and break them down yourselves instead of buying chicken breasts. I can get a whole chicken for $ 1.64 a lb. and get a lot of soup stock from it too. Beans, eggs, and peanut butter are great sources of protein. Eating breakfast for dinner a couple of times a week will save you money. Toast and eggs make a great meal. Make a soup with leftovers. Never waste food. The food you throw away is the most expensive food you have purchased.

Health insurance is always a priority especially if you are over 50. One broken bone or operation will break you for good.

Your next priority should be life saving medications. Look for coupons online to save on these. Many manufacturers of drugs will give you coupons for your prescriptions. Most pharmacies will take these coupons along with your insurance. Look into Good RX or many other savings cards to see if it is cheaper than your insurance.

I would say heat if you are in a cold climate is your next priority. You do not want to freeze to death. Some states can’t shut off your power from November 1 to April 15. These are the dates here in New York. If you have a medical condition that requires power, they can’t shut you off. I am not saying “don’t pay your power bill” because eventually you will have to catch up. But if money is really tight one month, keep those dates in mind. If you are going to be late paying it, make sure you call them and make arrangements to pay.

Do whatever you have to do to keep the power bill low. No one needs more than one light on at night in the room they are in. Use a battery powered one if you have one. Or bring a solar light in that has soaked up the sun each night. If you have a choice between cooking with electricity or natural gas, the gas is cheaper. Use your outside grill if you have a full tank of propane, even in the winter.

Next priority is your car insurance and car payment. Those need to be paid no matter what. You need your car for work and to get groceries, etc. You don’t need to be paying delivery charges and tips to have food delivered.

Gasoline is your next priority. Buy it at the cheapest station which is usually B.J.’s or another warehouse club if you already have a membership. You can find your cheapest station by checking Gas Buddy.

Most importantly on all of your bills: Pay them yourselves. Do not let anyone take the money directly from your checking account unless it is absolutely necessary. If your checking account balance goes below zero, your will get a NSF charge when those bills hit. Then you will start a cycle that will never end. So shut off any direct payment that you can ASAP! Go! Do it now!

I know you won’t want to hear it but you know I am going to say it anyhow. Here are the things you do not need to be buying until you dig yourself out of this hole:

Do not buy fast food or eat out in a restaurant. No coffee while you are out and about unless you make it yourself and bring it. No costly entertainment like movies or streaming services. No cable tv. Get a Roku and watch You Tube or free streaming services. Do not buy junk food at the grocery store: no snacks, beer, liquor, or soda. Bake cookies, muffns or quick breads from scratch. Eat cheese and crackers. Hard boiled eggs are a great snack. No clothing or shoes unless yours are so worn out that you can’t wear them. I mean threadbare!

Your first priority when you dig yourself out of the hole you are in is to build an emergency fund and some savings so that you never end up like this again.

I really hope this helps someone. Please add anything that I haven’t thought of in the comments so that you can help these people too!

Categories
Every Day

An Exhausting and Busy Day Yesterday

I was out of here early for my medical tests and a doctor’s appointment yesterday. Everything is good.

While I was in this town, I went to the bank to deposit 2 checks and get a little cash for the winter. I do not drive in the winter if I can avoid it. I now have almost all of my next appointments scheduled for the end of April.

I also have Hubby’s sister coming to visit us from Houston soon. So I had to go to one liquor store to replenish what was needed. I had not gone to this shopping plaza in over 2 years. I noticed when I pulled in that Paula’s Donuts was there. I did not know they had moved. So of course, I had to go in and get a couple of apple fritters. I will not be going again. They are delicious but not good for us.

My next stop was at Niagara Produce. They had the extra large eggs on sale again for $ .99 a dozen. I got two to fill up my 60 count box in the refrigerator. They will go fast with company here and I will be cooking breakfast for my son this weekend.

I got home about 11am. I was craving a cup of coffee and needed some food. I could have neither before my tests. So after eating a donut and having two cups of coffee, I went back out to run some errands north of me.

My round brush broke so I went to Sally’s Beauty Supply to replace it. Then I filled up our gas tank. Next I went to Top’s and just picked up some loss leaders.

It’s a good day when you save more than you spend. We were out of English Muffins and Hubby loves one for breakfast with my homemade sugar free peach jam. They were on B1G1F. I also had a super coupon to get a jar of Ragu Kettle Sauce for $ 1.77. With the price of tomatoes here, I can’t make homemade sauce for that price. I also purchased a large pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts at $ 1.88 a lb. They have been packaged up and frozen.

My last stop was another liquor store that had the wine I needed for $ 7.00 cheaper than the liquor store I went to this morning. When you are buying 4 bottles, that is a savings of $ 28.00 so it was worth the extra trip.

Shopping for 2 gifts that I need in November was also completed.

Finally I got home about 4pm. We ate dinner and then I called my sister.

I got a whole lot done but I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow last night. I was exhausted!

I still have to get my flu shot but I am going to have to schedule it. Walking in is a long, long wait.

Hubby also will have a total of 3 returns that Abbott Labs wants. We have gotten one replacement and 2 others are on the way. Until we have them and all the paid for boxes to send the others back, I will not go out to Fed Ex. So I will try to do that and schedule my flu shot for the same day.

I am happy that I have almost everything that we need to get through the winter. I still will shop for a turkey or two on a good deal and some other good Thankgiving deals as I see them. I will also get some baking items and some hams as I see them go on sale.

I almost forgot to tell you that I ordered 4 boxes of turkey stuffing mix from Amazon for $ .75 each. I believe that this deal is still available. They arrived yesterday. They will come in handy to go with the extra turkeys I have or to stuff pork chops or chicken breasts.

Please feel free to share any deals and at what stores to help others anytime.

Categories
Every Day

Yep! I Made This For Dinner Last Night!

You all know that I have been trying to use up some of our stockpile over the past few months. Every once in a while, I see food that we no longer buy. But we spent good money on it so I don’t throw things out. I also don’t throw out food because it has passed it’s expiration date. I do a sniff and taste test and if it is a can, I make sure it doesn’t spurt when I open it. If it spurts, then I pitch it.

I grabbed a box of Tuna Helper to make last night. However, I did not want to use tuna in it. So I used some of the rotisserie chicken pieces that I had in the freezer. When it had been almost cooked, I added a couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese from the fridge that needed to be used up. We had it with a small salad. Was it a great meal? Nope! But it was edible and filled us up. The leftovers will be eaten for brunch today.

Every month or so, I cook up a bunch of rice in my rice cooker. Yesterday was that day. When it has cooled I bag it up into ziploc freezer bags and freeze it for the next time I need rice. I flatten the bag so that it does not take much room in the freezer. When I use it, it thaws quickly in a bowl of water. Then I take it from the bag, put it in a microwave safe dish and sprinkle it with a bit of water and reheat it for 60-90 seconds. It is my version of those instant 90 second rice packets that we have all spent a fortune for. Making your own instead only costs you pennies, not dollars. These two bags that I put it in will give us 2 meals for the both of us. If I know that I will need more, I just do two more bags worth. It will get used within the month so no need to waste a foodsaver bag for it. I no longer buy 90 second packets at the grocery store.

I am finding that making our own convenience foods is saving us many dollars. I would rather keep those dollars in my own pocket than pay someone to do the work for me. I am cooking more like I did in the 1960’s to save money.

Today I have some medical appointments so I will combine those with some errands that need to be done. Since I will be out at least 1/2 a day, I will cook hamburgers for dinner. I will also make some French fries in my new 9 in 1 air fryer. Yes, I will be putting the 11 in 1 oven out for bulk pick up in a week or so. It is sitting next to the garbage can waiting to go. I will load up the hamburgers with some romaine lettuce and sliced tomato. I also purchased a regular toaster. We have not had one for 19 years. Hubby wanted one that would not only do toast but Texas toast, bagels, etc. He did a bagel yesterday and he was very happy with the way it turned out.

When I get home, I will throw a load of clothes in the washing machine for a cold water wash. They will be hung to dry.

After dinner, I will call my sister. I have not talked to her for 2 weeks because she was away on vacation. I am looking forward to it.

I hope you all have a great day!