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.
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?
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.
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!
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.
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.
Yesterday was surgery day. We had never been to this hospital before. We reserached and took the least mileage route to save on gasoline. We left at 6:30 in the morning. It made us appreciate the fact that we are retired because the rush hour traffic on the 3 highways we took was awful. I couldn’t imagine driving that every day. I was pretty numbed up until bedtime last night. So I got a lot of work for the party done when we got home. Today I am hurting but Tylenol is helping with that. I get my stiches out in a few weeks. Our annual checkups are in the same building that morning so I scheduled the surgeon’s appointment for right after those. That will save us some gasoline too.
They sent me home with one special waterproof bandage and a gauze pad to change it tomorrow morning. I was grateful for that because I need to change it daily. I ordered the same ones at Walmart this morning and they were very expensive.
I thought I would have my electricity and natural gas bill by now but for some reason they seem to be delayed. So maybe next post I will have it.
I cleaned our Keurig coffee maker and the parts that come off and all of the reuseable cups with hydrogen peroxide. The manufacturer sells special cleaner for this but it is between $15. and $16. a bottle. The hydrogen peroxide is only $1.00 a bottle and I think it does a much better job. Make sure you run clean water through a couple of times after you clean it. I always stock about 4 bottles of the hydrogen peroxide because I use it to clean so many things.
It is a bit chilly here this morning at 47 degrees. The house has gone down to 65. Instead of turning on the heat, we have the shades and blinds open on the sunny side of the house. I checked the weather the end of the week and it is supposed to go back to the 70’s. If not, we will turn the heat on so our guests don’t freeze.
We needed something easy to make last night for dinner. I had purchased Margaritaville Calypso Coconut Shrimp when they had it on sale for B1G1F. So I paid about $5.00 each. Instead of ordering out, we ate that instead.
I told you I thought there was something wrong with the brakes on the car. Hubby took it for the inspection last week. They passed inspection which really surprised me. But they gave him a paper that shows there is a recall of the braking system that just came out on Sept. 17th. Supposedly we are awaiting a letter with information on how to take it to the dealer for the recall. Hopefully they will have the website updated soon where you can put your VIN # in and check to see if your car is affected. But if we are included they will pay for the fix. Our inspection was only $21.
My annual check up for my eyes was done last week. Fortunately, my eyes are good and I still only need reading glasses that I can buy over the counter.
Hubby wants me to make lentil soup. I had no lentils so I ordered a 20 lb. bag and it fit perfectly in a 10 gallon bucket that I already owned. We will use a lot of them this winter.
Breakfast today was eggs over easy and sausage. Dinner will be hot dogs and some kind of veggie. I only have a few hot dogs left from the summer so we are going to use them up.
I have to look over my menu for the party and make a list of all the things that I still need to buy. That shopping will be done on the way home from my hairdresser later this week.
That is it for today! I hope you all are having a great day.
You all know that our dentist was expensive. We have spent a fortune especially on my denture expenses. Well our dentist sold his practice to a group that is actually owned by a private equity firm. He stayed for a while and then left abruptly a couple of months ago. The group actually started setting the prices about 6 months ago. Their priority seems to be making as much money as they can. They kept my old dentist’s prices as a starting point when they took over. Since then they have raised their prices twice. Hubby had an appointment recently for a cleaning and Xrays. He did not like the new hygenist. She was slow and he did not feel she was as good as we have had. The bill was outrageous.
I have been on the hunt for a new dental practice closer to home. I found one that will work for us thanks to my neighbors recommendations. I called them and asked a ton of questions. The receptionist was very helpful. The practice has more than one dentist so if we have a problem there is always someone to fill in if our dentist is on vacation. One of my questions was about my denture which is still under warranty until the end of February. I found out that warranties are not transferable between dentists. So I have an appointment for a cleaning coming up in October which I will keep with the old practice. My next one won’t be until March. So I will transfer my records on March 1st to the new practice. Hubby has an appointment in November so he is deciding if he will transfer then or wait for me and then we will both transfer.
Anyhow, the new dental practice has their own insurance plan for people who don’t have dental insurance. The plan is $400. for the first year and renewal each year is $350. It includes:
2 Cleanings (prophylaxis) 3 Exams including 1 emergency exam 4 Bitewing X-Rays 1 Panoramic X-Ray 1 Oral Cancer Screening 2 Fluoride Treatments 15% off all additional treatment needs (Crowns, Bridges, Sealants, Fillings, Veneers, Dentures, Root Canals, Implants and more.)
We will save more than 1/2 the cost of these procedures. It sounds good. However they have other insurances that they take. So I will be researching them this Fall. We will enroll in the best one for each of us. Bottom line is that we will save a lot of money. Their prices are much cheaper to begin with than the practice we are with now.
I had to go to our bank a few days ago with some legal paperwork. I pass B.J,’s Warehouse Club on the way home. I stopped in and picked up 2 rotisserie chickens at $4.99 each. One of the ones I got was huge compared to the others. When I got home, I took all of the meat off of that one and put the carcass in a large plastic bag in the freezer. When I have more time, I will make chicken stock. The other one I put in the crockpot on warm and we had chicken sandwiches for dinner. After dinner, I did the same with that chicken as the other one. All of the meat was portioned into 2 cups in each freezer bag. One bag I kept out in the fridge and that we have been eating. We made chicken Caesar salads for dinner last night. So we will be eating a casserole, salads, or sandwiches all weekend. I have lots of work to finish up before my surgery so I will be busy.
While I was out, I went to the catering department at Wegman’s and ordered all of the food for Hubby’s party with the exception of two salads that I will make. The cake has been ordered at the bakery. All of the paper products that we will be using have been purchased. I have some other odds and ends that need to get shopped for. That will get done this coming week! I am almost done.
I have saved a ton of money by shopping our pantry for loss leader meals for most of the past few months. That money was earmarked to pay for Hubby’s party and to replace our food that we are eating up when we see a great deal. That way I didn’t have to take money out of our investments for the party.
Our first company who will be staying with us will arrive this Friday afternoon. The second wave will come in on Saturday afternoon. Everyone else is local. I can’t wait. Hubby is going to have such a great time with family and good friends. I haven’t even thought about all the other meals that I will have to make. But I can whip them up quickly from our stockpile.
Our water bill came the beginning of September. It is for a 3 month period. This bill usually runs about $300. because it is summer and we water the lawn. However, this year we have had a lot of rain. Hence we only watered about 6 times. The bill was for $124. so that saved us quite a bit of money. Aqua Systems came and blew our lines out this week so there will be no more watering this season. Our bill will go back down to the normal of about $58. each time it comes now.
We will have a electric and gas bill coming on Monday. I will let you know about that when we get it. The government let us know that because of all the oil and inflation problems, this heating season the bills are going to increase about 31%+. Hence we will try to keep the heat off this year later than when we usually turn it on.
That’s it for today! I hope you all have a great weekend.
With the food prices going up beause of diesel costs, I firmly believe you should stockpile some food asap. I think it will be a very costly Fall and Winter and that prices will explode. It is a good time to can or freeze some produce if you can find farms that are selling the last of their crops at great prices. You can get potatoes, squash, and onions cheap in the fall that should get you through most of the winter.
We have been rationing our food for a while now. Make sure you have the proper portions when you make meals. How many of you never look at how many portions are in those cans or freezer packages that you open up for meals? Do you know what a proper portion of meat is? We do. It is 6 ounces. But we usually eat about 8 ounces because we only eat 2 meals a day. We need to get our protein in. We have lots of dried beans that will give you as much protein as meat and it is the cheaper option. With homemade soup season coming, we will use lots of beans in them. Hubby has decided to eat lentils too which is something he has never eaten before. They will make a great soup along with beef stock and whatever else you want to add. There are many charts on the internet that will show you what proper portions are of different foods.
In this season of high prices, rationing will help you save money while also keeping you healthy. It will also help you waste nothing. Have you ever kept track of what food in your fridge rots and then gets put in the trash? Look every week at what needs to be used up or can be frozen so that it doesn’t end up there!
Pork is not our favorite meat. I used to be able to roast a pork loin and have it turn out really tender. The pork I have gotten over the past few years at the supermarkets has been tough and very chewy. Hubby refused to eat it. So for about 3 years, I ordered ribeye pork chops from Rastelli’s Meat Market in New Jersey. They were tender and delicious but the price finally went up to where I refused to pay what they wanted. I think I have 6 of them left in the freezer. They will get used up over a two month period.
However, I did have this pork loin in my freezer for years along with some center cut pork chops. But I just kept ignoring them. On Saturday, I decided to find a way to cook the pork loin and make it tender. I wanted to use it up and never buy one again. So I found this recipe online:
It has a lot of ingredients which I don’t like but I had everything for it. I decided to try it. Yesterday morning I put it in the crockpot. Two thirds of the pork loin is pictured above. I forgot to take a picture before we ate. This recipe is excellent. It turned out melt in your mouth tender after cooking for 8 hours on low. We wanted the sauce to not only spoon over the meat on our plate but to put on some mashed potatoes also. So I doubled the chicken broth and soy sauce. When the pork was done, the sauce needed to be thickened a bit. So I used a little bit of brown gravy mix to do that. When I cut up my really large vidalia onion, I made thick slices which did not disappear after cooking so long. They were delicious and served as our vegetable in the sauce. Hubby and I loved it. It was the perfect meal after watching our Buffalo Bills win. The best part was that it is no longer being ignored in my freezer.
We have enough leftover to make 2-3 more meals. Tonight we will have this for dinner again warmed up in the sauce over rice. I will probably cook some broccoli to have with it. Perhaps the next night I will make pork tacos and the last night some pork fried rice. Add some easy meals the rest of the week like grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken patties on buns, or breakfast for dinner and we will eat well. We had leftover mashed potatoes last night and I made potato pancakes for breakfast along with some sausage. Waste not, want not!
I will keep my eye out for another pork loin on a rock bottom sale to put in the freezer and use down the road. In the meantime. we will use the same recipe to cook the center cut pork chops in about 2 months.
Over the weekend, Hubby recovered the 6 dining room chairs. It was not easy because it was so hard to get the old seat covers off. There were so many staples holding them on. But he persisted even though he worked up a good blister on one hand. They look so fantastic. So all it cost us was the price of the fabric. The lady who owns the Fabric Warehouse told me that there is a man who lives about 35-40 minutes away from us who would recover them for $25. a chair. You would have to bring the chairs to him along with the fabric though. So Hubby saved a lot of gasoline and $150. by doing them himself. I am very grateful.
I needed to do a load of laundry while we watched the football game. I do not use dryer sheets ever nor do I use fabric softener. Instead I use vinegar in place of the fabric softener. It is cheap and does a great job of softening and getting the extra soap out of our clothes. I only use 1/3- 1/2 of the soap that the manufacturer wants me to but it still leaves residue. I wash 99% of our clothes in cold water. I hang most of our clothes. But I do dry the towels and sheets in the dryer. So I use my wool balls to help them dry faster.
I had to go to an early Doctor’s appointment this morning. When I started our car this morning, the brake warning light came on. Every time I turned the car off and on while I was out the same light came on. I told Hubby when he got out of the hospital that the brakes seemed bad. He told me they were fine. He checked it out and saw the warning light too but now he is trying to tell me that it always comes on when you start the car. I told him I drive the car and he rarely drives it. I have never see that warning light before. I told him I refuse to drive the car until he gets them checked. Well he made an appointment for Thursday to have the yearly inspection and the brakes are part of that. So now I have to rearrange my plans this week and perhaps push ordering platters and rolls off until the day after my surgery. I will call Wegman’s today and see if I can order everything over the phone or not.
When I got home from the doctor’s, I changed out of my good clothes and rehung them in my closet. They were not dirty from the hour or so that I was in them. This is how I save on laundry loads which saves money over a year’s time. I do not wash clothes that are not dirty and don’t smell. I have older clothes that I wear around the house especially to clean.
I got a great deal on some pillows yesterday. They were delivered this morning. Our pillows in the house are getting old and flat so they were a necessity.
I have the dishwasher running with a full load. I use the Eco cycle. It does not heat to dry the dishes. I open the door and let the dishes air dry. I also wanted to tell you that the best dishwasher gel that I have found is Great Value. It cleans really well and leaves no film. I also use vinegar for the rinse instead of Jet Dry.
Well sorry to drone on and on. But my brain works overtime most of the time. I hadn’t planned on posting today but I had to drain my brain. So look for more as we do them to cut costs around here.
Feel free to leave a comment and share with all of us anything you are doing to cut costs in this bad economy. BTW, the stock market is in the red today. I figured this would happen today because of the pipeline porblem in Saudi Arabia.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh spoke on September 11th. He gave a warning to all Americans in his speech that inflation is going up. Of course we all have been aware of that. Remember, that food and gasoline are not in those inflation numbers. Because of the inflation numbers they looked at in August, they will probably raise interest rates on September 16th. I believe they will raise them again in the next 6 months. This is the only way they will get inflation under control.
He said, “If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial highfliers. Hard-working Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that is too high or jobs that suddenly appear less secure.” He needs to do this to control inflation and stabilize prices. In my estimation, this should have been done years ago under Powell.
They should have learned from the history of the Carter Administration. We had the same scenario we have today but I believe inflation is worse now. During the Carter administration they raised the interest rates and they went up to 20% over a few years. Finally inflation started cooling. Prices went down somewhat but never returned to what they had been. They won’t now either.
I know most people will not like it. But it is a necessity to raise interest rates to get inflation under control. This will raise mortgage rates, loan rates, and credit card rates. Most likely people will not buy homes when the mortgage rates get too high. So your home value may also take a dive.
Inflation is making everything cost more. We all know that the necessities of food, most products, appliances, our utility bills, our water bills, our property and school taxes, the cost of medical, home, and auto insurances, and gasoline have all been affected. We see it every day in our daily lives. Inflation has devalued the dollar. It will continue to do that until the Feds get this under control.
Since I believe that it will take a few years to get inflation down, it is important to realize that the rest of 2026, 2027, 2028 or beyond will not be easy.
Add to this the fact that Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was blown up and has been taken down while they try to fix it will affect the stock market on Monday. Oil prices will surge. Hopefully, you all have full tanks of gasoline before that happens.
You can take all that I have said with a grain of salt or you can prepare yourself to deal with it. Only you can help yourself which I have said many times over they years. NO ONE is coming to rescue you!
The first thing we will do is try to cut expenses where ever we can. You should too.
I will post more on how we will do this starting sometime this week. I have a busy schedule of doctor appointments this week along with getting ready for Hubby’s party.
