Just a Bit of Cutting Costs

We had a nice Easter dinner with our son and grandson. Everyone else was sick so they stayed home. We have been eating those leftovers and finally finished them today.

I needed to buy some bourbon and Chardonnay for company that we are having to dinner on Saturday night. We have a new liquor store that opened a couple of months ago near me. Their prices are lower than the one I have been going to since we moved here. So this is where we will go from now on. They also built a beverage center next to the liquor store. I love one stop shopping. So I was able to get a 12 pack of Yeungling for Hubby. He likes to have a beer once in a while after he mows the lawn. I came home and submitted a rebate online for $6.00 for the beer.

While I was running errands, I stopped at Top’s gas station to fill up my tank that was getting pretty empty. The price at the pump was $ 4.20. I got $ .60 off a gallon using points. So I only paid $ 3.60 a gallon. That was high enough. Yikes!

We hired a carpet cleaning service to clean our great room and master bedroom wall to wall carpeting. Both off white carpets. They also cleaned all the carpeting on our stairs going to the basement and the landing at the bottom and our great room sofa and matching chair. Hubby has been cleaning all of these for the past 16 years with our Bissell Shampooer. His back does not like that work anymore. Hence the need to hire someone. They did a fabulous job. All of these look new with the exception that she could not get a spot of newsprint off the sofa arm. Hubby’s hands left that after reading the newspaper at home in prior years. However because she couldn’t get it out, she took $70. off our bill. That was a bonus we were not expecting. We would hire her again.

This morning, Hubby had an appointment at Dunn Tire which has been purchased recently by Discount Tire. We have been going to Dunn for 16 years and always had great service. We needed to have the snow tires taken off and the regular tires put back on. His appointment was at 10am. Hubby called me to say they still hadn’t taken the car in to do it. That was at 11am. He wanted to let me know so that I didn’t worry. But he was also quite pissed and he let them know it. Evidently the service there has gone downhill since they were purchased. So he got the telephone number of corporate and had every intention of calling them to complain when he got home. Believe me, I have been married to Hubby for almost 60 years and I don’t remember him ever being this pissed. When they finally finished the car at 11:30am, they let him know it was ready. He went to pay at the register and he was told there was no charge. The manager evidently made that decision. The cost to do this was $100.+ tax which would have been another $8.00. However, Hubby had a 50% off coupon with him. so it would have only cost us $50. and $ 4.00 in tax. Hubby still is going to file a complaint with corporate. They should know of the lousy service at this location. But he will let them know what the manager did for him. Hubby said none of the people who serviced us for 16 years there are employed there anymore. They probably hired cheaper labor and the customer service just isn’t there.

We had our heat turned off for most of the day because it was 54 outside and the sun was shining. I had all of the window coverings open. It was just beautiful. I have now turned it back on because it will be cold tonight. We had snow yesterday. This time of year the weather is a mixed bag. Hopefully we will be able to turn the heat off by the end of May.

I did a load of laundry today in cold water and dried it in the dryer using the tennis balls which caused it to dry faster than it would have.

Hubby did the first mowing of our lawn today. He was enjoying doing it on his rider and soaking up the sunshine.

We have been cooking and eating all of our meals at home. The prime rib just got finshed up today. I will be happy to make a Chef’s salad for dinner tomorrow night.

That’s it for now. Have you saved or not spent any money this week?