All Entries

Glad we're back to normal!

I have spent another uneventful day at home. The snowstorm was not as bad as expected -- I would say we got about 4-5 inches, and the lake-effect snow that was predicted is hitting the other side of the lake, not ours. I am leaving my car in the city garage, anyway, because they will be plowing the streets today and tomorrow. I do have to get it before noon tomorrow, when the free period ends. That means a short walk and a train ride, and then...
[ Read More ]

Awoke this morning to a water main break in our subdivision. As cold as it is, I guess it shouldn't be a shock. We did make it to church, but decided to spend money and eat out since we weren't sure if/when we would get water. We tried a place for breakfast we had never eaten before and it wasn't bad. Not planning on making a habit of it, but it was something different.

We were supposed to get 4-7 inches of snow yesterday and we got a light coat of freezing rain. After last...
[ Read More ]

The challenge this past week was to eat as much from the pantry, fridge and freezer as possible. In other words, not to buy more food before I ate what we had. I did really well. There wasn't physically anyway to actually eat it all, so as a result I have had to toss some food.

I didn't grocery shop until Friday night in order to buy more eggs and sausage for the rice mix. Because I buy organic eggs, I spent about $9.

I tossed out about a cup of cooked rice just now. It...
[ Read More ]

James, the site owner, has emailed me that the tech will work on the blog issue later today. Fingers crossed we can get quick resolution!
[ Read More ]

Thanks to Patient Saver for pointing this out to me via email
[ Read More ]

0000
[ Read More ]

Of course this field is missing data.
[ Read More ]

Well, they weren't kidding. We got snow. It looks like about 4-5 inches out there, and it's still snowing.

Blowing and drifting will come later, along with lake effect snow.

I'm so glad my car is in the city garage. If I really need something during this brief spell (the car has to come out on Monday) I can walk to Walgreens, which is four blocks away. It's one of those big Walgreens which has a food section.

Now I hope that we will not lose power. The snow on the...
[ Read More ]

Yesterday I blogged that I hoped to go shopping and get a new coffee maker. I had chased in $20 from Ibotta for a Kohls' gift card. I had looked up on line and the one I wanted was on sale for $34.99, originally, $44.99. We get there and cannot find the box with the coffee maker. We finally ask someone and he uses his computer and says they don't have any except the one that was on display. He said I could buy it, but there would be no directions and no box. I asked if it didn't...
[ Read More ]

I'm going to start on a positive note... these are the things that are going well (and there are a lot, I feel very grateful!)
- my family
- went to California to see my niece (and spent too much money, but we did stay with them, so no hotel cost)
- I have Asian Meatballs in the crockpot and a rice cooker of rice cooking away... tonight F has soccer practice at 8 pm so we had to have dinner worked out.
- School was canceled today due to snow; so got to hang out with F all day!...
[ Read More ]

Happy Friday Bloggers! Hope weather is being kind to you. And, if not, I hope you are safe and snugged up some place warm.

Today is a beautiful day in Florida and I have taken the opportunity to assess the flower beds. Many plants need to be trimmed back and some did not make it through the last cold snap. Yes, we get frost (& sometimes snow) where I live.

But the warmer weather makes me think of spring cleaning and getting the house in order. I need to go through what...
[ Read More ]

I got up early this morning and went to the gym before my 9:15 doctor's appointment. It was just the Medicare wellness appointment, which is free through my supplement. It did give me the opportunity to talk with my GP about my upcoming surgery.

After the doctor I went to Panera for my free bagel. I bought coffee this time and ate in the restaurant. Since I had a little money left on a gift card, the coffee was only .47! Then I stopped at the library and got two more books....
[ Read More ]

I heard back from the scheduler and DD's surgery has now been scheduled for February 7th. I didn't think we'd get in this soon, but I am glad we did. There is also a pre-op appointment on the 30th of January and I post-op appointment on the 22nd of February. So that will mean 3 trips to Seattle in 4 weeks. Ugh. But it will be worth it. I have to double our gas budget for that. We usually spend about $100 a month on gas, but I'll budget $200. That means not contributing...
[ Read More ]

My neighbor, who is on disability after the school bus he was driving was t-boned, invited me to check out a Habitat for Humanity store in a nearby town. While we didn't see anything interesting there, we also hit an estate sale I heard about. Everything was way overpriced, but when I asked the price on this unmarked wreath, he said I could have it for $6.



I just liked it for some reason..because I like birds, and there are 7 of them here on what's made to look like barbed...
[ Read More ]

If you know me, that is a rarity. Other than nosing around thrift stores and the weekly grocery store run, I don't usually go shopping very much.

But today is the day!

My coffee maker died before Christmas. I'm using an old one my mom had and gave me because she didn't like it. And believe me, I know why she didn't like it. It makes decent coffee and works, but my mom has been gone over 12 years and she gave it to me a few years before she died, so I figure it won't last...
[ Read More ]

I'm making great progress using up the food, or just using what I have on hand. I ate the rest of my Barley Potato soup yesterday. I had it with a salad at lunch and with a sandwich at dinner.

I have used up these items:
Spinach
Red onion
Tomato
Cucumber
2 slices of cheese
Grape juice
2 slices of bread
2 tangerines
Cheerios
Chocolate chips
Pistachios

Today, I will likely eat a sandwich for lunch with an apple and cucumber slices. I think I will make rice and eat...
[ Read More ]

I just put in a load of laundry, and later today I'm going to do a mystery shop at a restaurant, then pick up the boys.

The big snowstorm that is predicted will hit us hard on Saturday. I am toying with the idea of parking in a garage, which costs $11 per day. I'm not even sure that overnight parking is permitted, though, so I have to investigate more.

My afternoon with the boys yesterday was cheap. We went to the library, and I paid $2 to park. I could have moved the...
[ Read More ]

So the commenting feature is acting up again, claiming I'm not logged in when I am. Will they ever get this thing permanently fixed? I've gotten to the point where I don't even feel like complaining anymore, because they'll make it work for a week, but it never works for good. The emojis haven't worked for what, two years now? *sighs* I know it is little things, but it is really making it user unfriendly.

My goal to blog more consistently kind of went by the wayside. We...
[ Read More ]

Just wondering what people do when they become debt free? I think there are different areas that people see as debt free from what I have seen some see that being consumer debt free (CC loans etc) but they still ahve a morg and then there is totally debt free where you have no debt at all. People may argue with this but it is just an observation.

We are debt free but are saving to buy a house and whe that happens we will pay it off asap to be debt free again....i'm just wondering...
[ Read More ]

So DH found an insurance company that will cover him (did I mention he'd been given the pink slip by Farmer's??) His current liability only for 3 vehicles is $332 for 6 months. As of February, liability only (with slightly higher coverages) will be $882 for 6 months.


Ever since August I have been saving more than normal for his car insurance renewal - but nowhere near enough for this.


--

The vehicle which he has been dragging his feet on selling is $349 of that. I'm...
[ Read More ]