Thrifting & Grocery Shopping Adventures!
My friend Lise and I engaged in some thrifting/food shopping adventures and while I understand that few would categorize this as an "adventure," I say "to each their own!"
Our first stop was the Goodwill store on S.E. Powell Boulevard. I didn't find anything worth buying, but I took a moment to photograph the packaging on this vintage "Cookie Mold." Seriously adorable graphics! Even the table leg is next level cute! Again, I apologize for the photo quality, but I'm lucky to have a slightly function phone camera after running over it last month!
Lise bought a bag of unused lanyards with name tag clips for the volunteer events that she runs. I believe she spent a full 99¢, minus her 10% senior discount.
Next up was the "Dented Vegetable Store," which was oddly empty, both of customers and merchandise. I did purchase a $3.80 package of salad mix and a 90¢ box of stuffing mix.
Next door was another Goodwill, which also failed to part me from my money. Always interesting to see what people no longer want in their homes, even when it's stuff that fails to tempt me. Neither of us bought anything.
We hadn't planned on stopping at Trader Joe's, but we both agreed it was worth it, as our location is currently closed due to an asbestos issue. Lise picked up lettuce, hummus, chips and a few other things. I grabbed toilet paper and butter. Because I'm exciting that way.
We finally made it to the main event -- Winco Foods! I was too tired to set up a standard "grocery haul" photo, so you'll just have to make do with this blurry conveyer belt image. Not visible in the picture is a 32-ounce tub of Fage yogurt, two jars of gravy from the clearance shelf, a 48-pack of tortillas and three cans of refried beans. The bulk bags contain curry powder, ginger powder, thyme and garbanzo beans.
I spent $73.93 and filled four grocery bags.
Last stop was the low price (HA!) gas station on the way home. I paid $3.99/gallon, which was only this low as I had enough money on hand for the cash discount. I did find a dime and penny on the ground, but that didn't exactly soothe my frugal heart. I think I paid around $3.65/gallon when I last filled the tank. I'm seeing $4.50+ around town.
I want to point out that I was extremely tired yesterday and barely had the energy to get out of bed, let alone run a half-dozen errands! (I blame my first ever melatonin pill the night before.) I really didn't want to stop for gas, but I told both myself and Lise that "I can do hard things."
I came home and took a nap, which I never do as it makes it too hard to later fall asleep. I am happy that I went though, as Lise and I hadn't hung out in ages and both of us filled our larders and our social batteries.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
I enjoy reading about the amazing bargains you find in the U.S. Your groceries are often half the price I pay in NZ and Australia.
Do you have urges to splurge sometimes? Or do you have any expensive plans for retirement?
Gas is now $3.29 here and I am about to die over it. I really would fall out over 4 something. Gas has been $2.99 and lower it seems like forever so it is a shock to the system on the gas prices.
1. I went to my cost plus 10 percent store and purchased a corned beef, cabbage, onion, carrots and came home and added potatoes and turnips. It is currently cooking in the oven. The cabbage was 59 cents a lb. The bag of carrots was $1.05. The corned beef brisket was $12.97. The potatoes and turnips were from the large 1.00 bag last weekend so I think probably less than 25 cents total. I will portion it out and freeze. I bought vermicelli for 96 cents and tuna for 96 cents. I also bought a large bag of Fuji apples for $2.77 for my lunches.
2. We had storms last night so my back yard looks like I need a flotation device to go out there. That is ok bc we had a drought going on and hopefully this reduced it. I am extremely sleepy though from all the warnings going off last night though.
That is all I can think of at the moment.
Oh eggs were 98 cents for a dozen.
Oh, I do envy those gas prices. $5.19/gal the current lowest near us in the East Bay of CA. Not terrible for us personally as we are retired and drive little but hurting many others.
1. Shopped for just what we need to replenish at CVS and ACE. With sales and coupon saved $8.19 (24.6%) and drove very little to do it.
2. Met my goal for having more meatless/low meat dinners this week. 1) bean tostadas with small amount of chicken as topping 2) baked potatoes, cheese and broccoli 3) Huevos rancheros, spinach. We enjoyed them all.
3. Cancelled the extended warranty for our new car. The refund will go towards paying taxes.
We are nearby, on the peninsula in the Bay Area, and it’s $5.89.
I drive into work 4 days a week but luckily don’t have too long of a commute and my husband has an electric car so we are not terribly impacted. I do think of the people who have long commutes or are already in a tight financial situation, those increases could be devastating.
Fellow bay area resident checking in, from the south bay. We saw $6 this week, but typically fill up at Costco. Our electric car has made a huge difference in keeping costs low(er), but this summer with two kids home from school & working & driving, I can already imagine how much we will rack up in gas expenses. Yikes.
I've been tired this week. I think it's the time change throwing my natural rhythms off.
1. I have been listing a lot on eBay. I have a loved one who asked me to list a bunch of books for them, and they are giving me a percentage of the sales. I just started listing on Saturday and have already sold two of the books for $50 after taxes and fees. Makes us both a little money and gets the books to people who value them.
2. Yesterday I had a hair appointment. Since I was already in town I made myself pick up groceries and animal feed, so I would waste gas making a second trip later in the week.
3. This is kinda a crazy one. My brother-in-law passed away in July and so friends sent a beautiful flower arrangement. As the flowers died, I would remove them and keep moving what was left to a smaller vase. After many weeks all that was left was some greenery, then I noted that greenery was getting little flowers on it, so I Google lensed it. It is ruscus Israel and 7 months later it's still green. I currently have it in soil instead of water, and I am hoping it takes root. When the weather allows I plan on trying to move it outdoors, then back inside next fall as a true house plant. I know I am being fanciful, but I like to think it has my brother-in-law's spirit in it.
4. Still sticking with the low/no buy. Looking to come in under budget for a 3rd month. Fingers crossed.
5. Taking advantage of free stuff for entertainment. DVD from the library, books from the library, free yoga class, and using exercise equipment at home. If it's free it's for me!
"If it's free it's for me" is a great mantra/inspiration!
My mother rooted roses from her aunt's funeral, and they lived for decades.
Johanna, I love your #3. I didn't manage to save anything from the flowers I was sent after my DH died, but I'm glad that you did for your BIL. And I'm going to try to get some New England asters into my fall garden this year, since the meadow where DH's ashes are buried was ablaze with those asters and with goldenrod on the day a few friends and I placed him there.
I couldn't fall asleep last night -- nor could I stay asleep. I woke up at the usual time however. I was pretty tired all day and didn't try to go out. I read, mostly, and puttered.
I made pizza pockets, using crescent roll dough and the toppings I had already saved. I ate one and froze one.
Yesterday I learned that my sister's house sold after a short time on the market and for more than the asking price. This is such good news, because this will fund her residency in a senior living apartment. She lost her husband last year and a lot of income, and her health is declining, so this was something that needed to happen. This doesn't affect my finances, but just makes me so happy.
I wish I could have walked today, because tomorrow will be very windy and later we will get cold, even snow. With gas prices rising, I don't really want to drive to the community center. I'm thinking I need to go back to public transit as much as I can, because it's free.
Patting past self on the back for purchasing a tank of diesel in mid February. I also bought my fertilizer 2 months earlier than usual. Whew!
Not frugal. My dishwasher has one too many things wrong with it. Parts and labor $300+, since it is 9 yrs old...out with the old, my favorite local appliance store had a 2 yr old still in box Bosch on sale, it was a custom order return. It requires a cabinet front, no problem. Saving me about $500 if I were to buy that model now.
Took 2 laundry baskets full of clothes to the community closet.
Picked up my two corned beef orders from my caterer friend.
She also gave me 15 lbs of potatoes.
I babysat the 3 neighbor girls for 5 hours this morning. They have coughs, so can't go to school. We walked the fields looking for any new baby lambs, goats and calves to bring back to the baby barn (their words).
Afterwards they made hot cider and we made a batch of homemade grape juice finger Jello sweetened with home canned pear juice.
Neighbor has had horrible bad luck with their buried electricity lines, the contractors brought in a load of gravel and had half a dump truck load left and wondered if i could use it... Yes please! I gave the dump truck operator a fresh loaf of sour dough bread and 2 dozen cookies and a pkg of t-bone steaks. He took my phone number for future leftover rock.
You will not regret buying the Bosch dishwasher. I love mine. It is quite and water thrifty. If your dishwasher has a separate pipe double win. I put the stoppers in the sink as dishwasher and sink share a pipe.
My Bosch dishwasher lasted for 14 years! Hope yours lasts even longer.
1. Bought one of those Clapper things -- electric outlets that let you turn off/on lamps by clapping your hands. Hooked it up to bedroom lamps, much easier than getting out of bed to turn off the light the old fashioned way. Did not order via Schmeff Schmezos's big bad jungle website. Used DoItBest website instead. Since they have a warehouse in my city, it arrived the next day and my purchase helps support the local economy.
2. Clapper plug has 3 prongs, my outlets have only 2. Used a plug converter I'd earlier bought at Habitat ReStore for 50 cents and it was still in its original pkg --brand new. At those prices I bought several. Present Me is very happy Past Me stocked up.
3. While looking for #2, I found the electric timer l wanted. Will hook up the front room lamp to same.
4. As I write this, someone is loading up the remains of the downed tree. I advertised it as free firewood on Craigslist and also called dozens of people who might want the wood. This way, I avoid landfill fee and also avoid paying someone to haul it off.
5. My friend H. works for a legal research firm that specializes in lawsuits concerning businesses. Called her, told her about the downed live oak tree and the moving co. (which was responsible for it) not giving me their contact information. (Look on my previous days' posts since last Friday for the whole sad story ) This morning, I found out the cops did not get this info and failed to file a police report. (Yes, I am furious about this!) But H. has access to one of the best legal databases in the state! She volunteered to look up the info on these clowns so I can report them to the state Attorney General Consumer Protection office, the BBB, law enforcement, NTSB and many more. And so I can get Legal Aid or a lawyer to sue them for damages. The fly by night moving co. is about to have a very bad day.
I always say it's not Christmas until I see "the Clapper" commercial!!
Terrible winds here today with gusts nearing 100 mph. Wind has calmed enough this evening that I got outside and discovered the piece of fascia in our yard did come off our house. I’ve already contacted the very nice local man who has helped us before with things of this nature. He’ll possibly stop by tomorrow, if wind has calmed, and take a look. He’ll also look at a downspout the fertilizer people damaged last summer. I guess all of this to say we’ll pay for the repairs out of pocket because they would only apply to our homeowners insurance deductible and I prefer to involve insurance only as a last resort.
While the predicted gusts here won't be 100 mph, 60 mph is bad enough. Glad not damage beyond the piece of fascia.
Melatonin hits me like a ton of bricks..tired the WHOLE NEXT DAY ,No can do.
Katy, I am really missing connecting with one of my good girlfriends. I think I am going to propose we do some thrift store rambling in the near future. we have done that before and had a really nice day.
1. My daughter has been away but she got home, and came up to visit. I cut her hair – frugal for her, and a great bonding time.
2. I invested in another stack of tostada shells – at full price!! They have become a delicious and pretty healthy snacky supper – refried beans flavoured with homemade taco seasoning, and discount cheddar. I have been using the bolting onions from my onions stash as 'fake' green onions.
3. Speaking of snacks, I really wanted to drive to pick up something crunchy, and instead pulled out my electric knife (my grandfather's) and sliced an aging baguette into rounds. I spread hummus on some and enjoyed them right away, and put more in the toaster oven on low for later crunch.
The Roommate keeps bringing me pastries, and I keep eating them. Frugal as they are free to her, not so awesome for my waistline but I just walk the dog a bit more. YUM
4. Mom cancelled my visit with her this week, she feels she is getting enough visitors and it sounds like she wanted a break. Frugal for me time-wise and gas-wise (almost 3 hours of driving plus 2 or so with her) however I missed last week too so I need to look at my weekend commitments. I used the time for some local political organising, writing emails in advance for the AGM for a local party's Riding Executive. Tedious and of course I made a mistake, but am feeling better about where we are getting.
5. Unfortunately, Mom had had some worrisome blood test results and we were waiting for a 'rushed' CT scan to be arranged. I got the call and am heading down tomorrow to get her there – so I am doubly glad I didn't already go down this week. Fingers crossed but her doctor isn't pulling any punches even now, when we are in a “don't know enough to know anything” stage.
Melatonin gives my husband a sleep hangover the next day, but those Olly 3 mg gummies work fine for me, the chronic insomnia.
I mended a hole on the leg seam of DH's canvas work pants. Used up the last of a bag of chopped walnuts and half a lemon making muffins for breakfast. Used a stack of rags to clean my house and gave them a pre-wash in the sink - basically a nice soak with a little detergent and a splash of bleach -- to get them in fit state to be washed with other laundry. I don't have enough rags to ever have a wash load of just rags.
FFT, I'm in the Money (but Maybe Not for Long) Edition:
(1) When I picked up my tax paperwork and signed the final forms at my accountant's yesterday, I was happily gobsmacked to discover that NY State and I broke even, and that the Feds owe me $1073. Granted, this refund is probably mainly due to the extra bump that Orange Julius put on the standard deductions this year. But that's OK; I consider myself a much better investment than the &*%# going on in Iran.
(2) I'm glad I had the sense to gas up at $2.99/gal. the day after the war that's not really a war (if you believe Orange Julius) began. And I'm working even harder than before to batch errands, especially now that I'm driving out to NDN1's assisted living facility two or three times a week; this trip, fortunately, takes me past Wegmans and several other ports of call. But gas is now up to an average of $3.49 here and still rising. My sympathies to folks in Europe, the SF Bay Area, etc., who are facing even higher gas prices. But I think I see where much of my tax refund is going to go, especially as prices on other things rise along with the rise in transportation costs.
(3) Another piece of good financial news is that my long-term care insurance premium was not increased, for the third straight year. I was expecting a big rise in that premium this year, so I'm relieved. Those of you who know DH's and my story know that LTCI was critically important in DH's last years, and that I sure don't want to let mine go. (Don't get me started on what the current US administration isn't going to do about making health care and elder care the slightest bit more affordable.)
(4) Now that I've filed NDN1's tax paperwork and signed off on my own, I'm taking life a bit easy today. Not doing anything more strenuous than rack-drying some laundry and watching my birds.
(5) But I'm also starting some prep for the "Jane Austen and Thrift" presentation I'll be giving to my local JASNA region in April. As I currently see it, about half of this will be a description of the various types of thrift JA, her mother and sister, and their housemate Martha Lloyd practiced at Chawton Cottage; the other half will be a discussion of which JA characters are appropriately thrifty, which are spendthrifts, and which are cheapskates!
@A. Marie, your presentation sounds so interesting. Any chance it will be recorded and/or archived somewhere afterwards for the inspiration of non-JASNA folk?
Your presentation sounds so interesting! Wish I lived closer so I could attend. Good luck with it...you'll have to let us know how it went.
Spent $0 for $264 worth of groceries. Perk of insurance cards that my adult children with special needs receive.
Gas $3.43 here in Cincinnati but I will get 60 cents off a gallon filling up at Krogers.
Utilities high here and weather cold last 2 months so over $420 each month even with keeping thermostat low. We have an all electric home
Dryer stopped working and will be using our home warranty to get it repaired for $75.
Found spray adhesive while looking for something else. Will use it to fix a purse.
Happily wearing thrifted clothes.