This is my first OIT-only post in ages. Just when I thought there was no longer a point to keeping two blogs!
I'm trying to figure out why people still rent movies. When I was in Cochrane, I went to the Blockbuster to rent a movie and found out that rentals are now SIX DOLLARS. That's six dollars for something I'm going to bring home, watch, and return. I left the movie there.
This confirmed to me that what I've been doing the past couple of years is the most sensible way to enjoy movies, if you don't mind not getting the most current stuff right away. I stalk the '2 for 10$' bin at Walmart and the 2.99' bin at Zellers. That's right. I'm buying movies for a lot less than I would pay to rent them. The choice at Zellers isn't very good, but I get the odd gem like On a Clear Day. But the choice in the Walmart bin is fantastic. While not holding anything extremely current, it does hold big name titles, some of which are quite recent. A couple of years back, I scored both Batman Begins and the new King Kong in this bin, just months after they came out on DVD!
If I get a dud, like I did yesterday with Follow the River then I just leave it in a laundry room for someone else to watch. I'm still more ahead than if I had rented a movie. Then there are the times when I really get a good deal. One day, I found a fantastic four hour mini-series bundled with a music CD I actually enjoy as well as a couple dozen Hitchcock movies, all for 10$.
Since I'm storing my movies in small cases that don't take up much room, I'm not adding a lot to Miranda's payload, nor is my 'habit' taking up a lot of room, and it's definitely cheaper than going to the movies.
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
A Sign That You've Been Single Too Long
You have this sort of conversation with yourself:
-Dinner might be good.
*Yeah! But I don't feel like cooking.
-Have you ever felt like cooking in the past few weeks?
*No.
-You're not eating out AGAIN.
*Fine, then I'm not eating.
-How about... chicken in barbecue sauce?
*We have neither chicken nor barbecue sauce.
-GT has both and is right around the corner.
*So is Subways.
-*glares*
**glares*
-Maybe they'll have those frozen yoghurt things you like, too...
*FINE!
-*smugly* You're so easy to bribe.
And that's how I wound up having chicken baked in barbecue sauce, noodles on the side, and crudités (red pepper, cucumber, tomato). With chocolate covered coffee-flavoured frozen yoghurt for dessert. And leftovers for tomorrow.
I'm glad my evil twin wins these conversations.
-Dinner might be good.
*Yeah! But I don't feel like cooking.
-Have you ever felt like cooking in the past few weeks?
*No.
-You're not eating out AGAIN.
*Fine, then I'm not eating.
-How about... chicken in barbecue sauce?
*We have neither chicken nor barbecue sauce.
-GT has both and is right around the corner.
*So is Subways.
-*glares*
**glares*
-Maybe they'll have those frozen yoghurt things you like, too...
*FINE!
-*smugly* You're so easy to bribe.
And that's how I wound up having chicken baked in barbecue sauce, noodles on the side, and crudités (red pepper, cucumber, tomato). With chocolate covered coffee-flavoured frozen yoghurt for dessert. And leftovers for tomorrow.
I'm glad my evil twin wins these conversations.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sometimes It Pays to Dine Out
In these parts, a good-sized portion of salmon costs about 7$ at the supermarket.
For 6.90$ today, I picked up at the buffet in our food court a good-sized portion of salmon, several side dishes (rissotto, gnocchi, veggies au gratin, steamed veggies), and fresh fruit.
I most definitely could not have made such a delicious, and healthy, lunch at home for that price!
For 6.90$ today, I picked up at the buffet in our food court a good-sized portion of salmon, several side dishes (rissotto, gnocchi, veggies au gratin, steamed veggies), and fresh fruit.
I most definitely could not have made such a delicious, and healthy, lunch at home for that price!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sweeeeeet
3.5 hours and 25$ later, I essentially have a brand new laptop. A very slow, but still perfect for surfing, laptop.
25$. Or I could have gone on eBay and picked up a newer MacBook for 500$ or so.
25$. Or I could have gone on eBay and picked up a newer MacBook for 500$ or so.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Not a Good Position to Be In
At four this afternoon, I began to feel unwell. I experienced hot flashes and then started to shake. I recognized the symptoms to mean that I'd just had a serious drop in my blood sugar levels and I needed food immediately.
So, I went to my cabinet and pulled out my trusty jar of peanut butter, only to find it unpalatable! It turns out that I'd actually managed to pass the point of expiration for peanut butter! I'm obviously eating a lot more at home now.
Since it was the end of the day, I gathered my things and stumbled downstairs to a convenience store where I bought a Snickers bar that righted things quickly. Yup, I had to pay full price for a chocolate bar because I haven't been monitoring my store levels at work. Bad Raven, no cracker!
I got home and signed up at fitday.com so that I could get an idea of the number of calories I had eaten up to my energy drop. I'd eaten 700-800 calories.
Many months ago, I worked with a nutritionist to determine the number of calories I should aim for in a day. 1,200 to 1,400 when trying to lose weight, 1,400 to 1,800 when trying to maintain weight (depending on how active I am), and 1,800 to 2,000 when I'm doing some serious training for a race (which I should be doing right now, but that's neither here nor there). Today, I should have been aiming for about 1,400, meaning that by four I'd only eaten half my calories for the day.
The moral of the story is to have a much bigger breakfast than I've been having (which I thought was calorific enough), keep on aiming for the kind of lunch I had today, and have a snack mid-afternoon even if I have to buy one because I left my oh-so-delicious royal gala apple on the counter that morning.
So, I went to my cabinet and pulled out my trusty jar of peanut butter, only to find it unpalatable! It turns out that I'd actually managed to pass the point of expiration for peanut butter! I'm obviously eating a lot more at home now.
Since it was the end of the day, I gathered my things and stumbled downstairs to a convenience store where I bought a Snickers bar that righted things quickly. Yup, I had to pay full price for a chocolate bar because I haven't been monitoring my store levels at work. Bad Raven, no cracker!
I got home and signed up at fitday.com so that I could get an idea of the number of calories I had eaten up to my energy drop. I'd eaten 700-800 calories.
Many months ago, I worked with a nutritionist to determine the number of calories I should aim for in a day. 1,200 to 1,400 when trying to lose weight, 1,400 to 1,800 when trying to maintain weight (depending on how active I am), and 1,800 to 2,000 when I'm doing some serious training for a race (which I should be doing right now, but that's neither here nor there). Today, I should have been aiming for about 1,400, meaning that by four I'd only eaten half my calories for the day.
The moral of the story is to have a much bigger breakfast than I've been having (which I thought was calorific enough), keep on aiming for the kind of lunch I had today, and have a snack mid-afternoon even if I have to buy one because I left my oh-so-delicious royal gala apple on the counter that morning.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Home Again
Whew. What a week it's been. 4000+KM in 8 days. I'm beat!
I had to cut my trip short because I got an email informing me that I've been selected for an interview in Winnipeg this coming Friday. Flights won't be cheap, so I chomped two days off my trip. That said, I save a ton of money in an unexpected category while on this trip: gas. In my city, gas averages out to about 1.15$/L these days, making a full tank cost about 46CDN (OUCH). In the US, I was encountering gas prices that averaged out to 3.15$/G, making a full tank cost about 33$CDN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I tanked up, I had an extra 13$ to do something fun. I haven't finished crunching the numbers yet, but it looks like my gas expenses came in close to 200$ UNDER budget. Wow!
The main reason of my trip was to spend a day in Savannah, Georgia.
I'm glad I booked just one day, with a second spent exploring the environs (Bonaventure Cemetery, Fort Pulaski, Tybee Island). One day in Savannah was plenty. Maybe even too much. The following will make it seem like I had an awful trip, regret my holiday, had no business going to Savannah, etc., but that's not true!
Savannah is touted as being the US's most beautiful city. My eyebrows continue to raise at that. Its historic district is quite beautiful, but, overall, Savannah is no more beautiful than San Francisco or Chicago. So, right off the bat, I didn't succumb to this city's façade.
There was something else going on, though, something that not very many people understand. Those who know me well take this as being a fact about me, an integral part of me the same as my having grey eyes and a love for grilled cheese sandwiches cut into triangles--I am very 'psychic.' Not in the sense that I see the future (although I do have the odd premonition dream), but that I can feel 'vibes' around me, and, yes, I sometimes see dead people.
Savannah's vibes were really bad. I knew from the second I set foot in the historic district that this was a place where horrible things had happened, where the current beauty had come at a price paid with innocent suffering.
My last night in the city, I took a ghost tour. I'm not so gullible as to say that I took everything I was told at face value. But the guide did explain a lot of things to me about Savannah's history, things I've been able to corroborate with other sources, and the vibes the city gives off make a lot more sense now.
During my full day in the city, I noticed a house that bothered me. 432 Abercorn if you want to Google it. This house turned out to be the last stop on the ghost tour. The guide had stories about this house that completely freaked me out, but I'm pretty sure these stories were 99.9999% fiction. That said, there is still something horribly wrong with that house. Perhaps the problem lies with the ground the house is built on.
Edinburgh, Scotland, is another city with bad vibes (so bad, in fact, that I cut a four day stay there down to a day and a half!). I think that it's important for me to show respect when I go to this sort of city. I need to understand the history and pay my respects to those souls that have stayed behind, but once I understand what I'm feeling, I need to move on. It would simply be disrespectful to have a merry time in a place that is begging me to notice its suffering.
I'm glad I went to Savannah, but I'm not convinced that I'd go back.
My favourite part of the trip was definitely the excursion to Tybee Island on Wednesday. The day was gorgeous, temps in the high 20s (C!), the ocean plenty warm enough to swim. I couldn't believe that I was a mere three days driving time from winter. My skin was shocked by this sudden exposure to the sun and burned right through my two layers of sunblock, with my back being the worst, but I can't regret to decision to spend the day out in the full sun in skimpy clothes because it charged my thoroughly depleted batteries. It was the kind of afternoon that defines 'vacation.'
What this trip did best, though, was prove to me that the bus idea is a very good one. I could have stayed on the road forever, but would have been much happier to be able to sleep in my own bed at night with my cats.
I had to cut my trip short because I got an email informing me that I've been selected for an interview in Winnipeg this coming Friday. Flights won't be cheap, so I chomped two days off my trip. That said, I save a ton of money in an unexpected category while on this trip: gas. In my city, gas averages out to about 1.15$/L these days, making a full tank cost about 46CDN (OUCH). In the US, I was encountering gas prices that averaged out to 3.15$/G, making a full tank cost about 33$CDN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I tanked up, I had an extra 13$ to do something fun. I haven't finished crunching the numbers yet, but it looks like my gas expenses came in close to 200$ UNDER budget. Wow!
The main reason of my trip was to spend a day in Savannah, Georgia.
I'm glad I booked just one day, with a second spent exploring the environs (Bonaventure Cemetery, Fort Pulaski, Tybee Island). One day in Savannah was plenty. Maybe even too much. The following will make it seem like I had an awful trip, regret my holiday, had no business going to Savannah, etc., but that's not true!
Savannah is touted as being the US's most beautiful city. My eyebrows continue to raise at that. Its historic district is quite beautiful, but, overall, Savannah is no more beautiful than San Francisco or Chicago. So, right off the bat, I didn't succumb to this city's façade.
There was something else going on, though, something that not very many people understand. Those who know me well take this as being a fact about me, an integral part of me the same as my having grey eyes and a love for grilled cheese sandwiches cut into triangles--I am very 'psychic.' Not in the sense that I see the future (although I do have the odd premonition dream), but that I can feel 'vibes' around me, and, yes, I sometimes see dead people.
Savannah's vibes were really bad. I knew from the second I set foot in the historic district that this was a place where horrible things had happened, where the current beauty had come at a price paid with innocent suffering.
My last night in the city, I took a ghost tour. I'm not so gullible as to say that I took everything I was told at face value. But the guide did explain a lot of things to me about Savannah's history, things I've been able to corroborate with other sources, and the vibes the city gives off make a lot more sense now.
During my full day in the city, I noticed a house that bothered me. 432 Abercorn if you want to Google it. This house turned out to be the last stop on the ghost tour. The guide had stories about this house that completely freaked me out, but I'm pretty sure these stories were 99.9999% fiction. That said, there is still something horribly wrong with that house. Perhaps the problem lies with the ground the house is built on.
Edinburgh, Scotland, is another city with bad vibes (so bad, in fact, that I cut a four day stay there down to a day and a half!). I think that it's important for me to show respect when I go to this sort of city. I need to understand the history and pay my respects to those souls that have stayed behind, but once I understand what I'm feeling, I need to move on. It would simply be disrespectful to have a merry time in a place that is begging me to notice its suffering.
I'm glad I went to Savannah, but I'm not convinced that I'd go back.
My favourite part of the trip was definitely the excursion to Tybee Island on Wednesday. The day was gorgeous, temps in the high 20s (C!), the ocean plenty warm enough to swim. I couldn't believe that I was a mere three days driving time from winter. My skin was shocked by this sudden exposure to the sun and burned right through my two layers of sunblock, with my back being the worst, but I can't regret to decision to spend the day out in the full sun in skimpy clothes because it charged my thoroughly depleted batteries. It was the kind of afternoon that defines 'vacation.'
What this trip did best, though, was prove to me that the bus idea is a very good one. I could have stayed on the road forever, but would have been much happier to be able to sleep in my own bed at night with my cats.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Curbing Impulse Spending With Standards
Today, I found an amazing purse. It was love at first sight. I have a weakness for unique handbags, but I rarely do anything stupid and I'm not one of those gals who accumulates purses. I try to buy them inexpensively so I can rotate them out of my closet within a year.
Today, I came very, very close to being stupid, however.
The purse was 70$, marked down from 140$. For that price, I assumed that it was leather and, thus, worth buying. I'd made a decision a while back to not buy vinyl/PVC purses any more unless they're practically being given away since they simply don't last.
I grabbed the purse, but slowed down enough to thoroughly search it for confirmation that it was indeed leather. Instead, I found a label that said '100% PVC.' Obviously, the price tag was for the designer name, another pet peeve of mine. Back on the shelf it went. Phew.
But now I want that same purse. In leather. Oh, what a beauty.
Did I mention that it's orange?
Today, I came very, very close to being stupid, however.
The purse was 70$, marked down from 140$. For that price, I assumed that it was leather and, thus, worth buying. I'd made a decision a while back to not buy vinyl/PVC purses any more unless they're practically being given away since they simply don't last.
I grabbed the purse, but slowed down enough to thoroughly search it for confirmation that it was indeed leather. Instead, I found a label that said '100% PVC.' Obviously, the price tag was for the designer name, another pet peeve of mine. Back on the shelf it went. Phew.
But now I want that same purse. In leather. Oh, what a beauty.
Did I mention that it's orange?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Brr
I'm sitting here looking at my almost 170$ gas bill for the past month which I received this morning (and promptly paid in full, thank you kindly).
The bill is 50$ more than last month. We've had a proper winter with lots of deep colds.
I decided this year that I wasn't going to cheap out on heat. I've had it with that. I vowed that I would never again go through winter having to wear a coat and mitts indoors.
While the upper floor of the house remains positively chilly and uninviting, I've managed to be comfortable on the main floor, provided I wear thick socks and a warm sweater, all of which is quite reasonable. I've been cranking the heat up to 19 or even 20 some evenings. It's still chilly in here, though, and I have to hike the temp up even higher when I have guests, as well as run a space heater upstairs. So I'm guessing that I'm not being completely unreasonable.
The furnace has a programmable thermostat, so at least I'm only heating when I'm home, and that only when I'm awake. I've also programmed it to go up a few degrees before I get home or rise in the morning so that I don't end up cranking it up from 15 or 16 degrees straight to 20. At night, the temperature goes down to 17, which is just perfect for my outfit of flannel pjs with thick socks and a bed dressed with flannel sheets, a thick blanket, and a down comforter. I tried 16 for a while and that didn't work; I'd wake up in the middle of the night because I was too cold to sleep. It's amazing the difference a degree makes.
So far for the year, my heating bills average out to 50$ per month if I were to spread them out over 12 equal payments. Add to that the 50$ hydro is costing me thanks to the price hike and energy costs for this house average out to about 100$ per month. That's fifty dollars less per month than I was paying at my old house and could explain why I've been positively non-frugal about using electricity and gas here. Run the dishwasher? Sure! Have a fifteen minute boiling hot shower? Why not!
Eventually, I will return to more frugal and energy-wise ways, but that won't be for a while yet since I still associate those things with poverty. I can't wait to associate them with a new, energy-efficient, off-the-grid house of my very own. :-)
The bill is 50$ more than last month. We've had a proper winter with lots of deep colds.
I decided this year that I wasn't going to cheap out on heat. I've had it with that. I vowed that I would never again go through winter having to wear a coat and mitts indoors.
While the upper floor of the house remains positively chilly and uninviting, I've managed to be comfortable on the main floor, provided I wear thick socks and a warm sweater, all of which is quite reasonable. I've been cranking the heat up to 19 or even 20 some evenings. It's still chilly in here, though, and I have to hike the temp up even higher when I have guests, as well as run a space heater upstairs. So I'm guessing that I'm not being completely unreasonable.
The furnace has a programmable thermostat, so at least I'm only heating when I'm home, and that only when I'm awake. I've also programmed it to go up a few degrees before I get home or rise in the morning so that I don't end up cranking it up from 15 or 16 degrees straight to 20. At night, the temperature goes down to 17, which is just perfect for my outfit of flannel pjs with thick socks and a bed dressed with flannel sheets, a thick blanket, and a down comforter. I tried 16 for a while and that didn't work; I'd wake up in the middle of the night because I was too cold to sleep. It's amazing the difference a degree makes.
So far for the year, my heating bills average out to 50$ per month if I were to spread them out over 12 equal payments. Add to that the 50$ hydro is costing me thanks to the price hike and energy costs for this house average out to about 100$ per month. That's fifty dollars less per month than I was paying at my old house and could explain why I've been positively non-frugal about using electricity and gas here. Run the dishwasher? Sure! Have a fifteen minute boiling hot shower? Why not!
Eventually, I will return to more frugal and energy-wise ways, but that won't be for a while yet since I still associate those things with poverty. I can't wait to associate them with a new, energy-efficient, off-the-grid house of my very own. :-)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Lunch!
I went out for lunch with my colleagues today. Now that I hardly eat out beyond getting something at the foodcourt, I find that I'm a lot pickier and that I come out much more satisfied. Today was no exception!
We went to an Italian restaurant I'd suggested called Pacini. I hadn't been there in years, but remembered that it was really good and reasonably priced. I'm pleased to say that my memory still held!
The 12.95$ lunch special got me:
-unlimited grilled bread at the bread bar;
-a fantastic cream of vegetable soup (I would have been thrilled with just the soup and bread for lunch, they were that good!);
-haddock en croute (coated with asiago cheese, sundried tomatoes, and basil then grilled) served over garlicky (and slightly too oily, but still delicious) linguini with napoletana (tomato) sauce;
-unlimited coffee (since I don't drink soft drinks).
The haddock was soooooo good; sweet, firm, and flaky. I'd wanted shrimp, but the shrimp offering for the lunch special didn't inspire me, so I made an excellent alternate choice. I loved the warmed, but not cooked, halved cherry tomatoes swimming around in that lovely garlicky goodness!
I added a 3.95$ 'mochaccino terrine' which was essentially mocha-flavoured mousse; very light and the perfect complement to my lunch.
Total cost, including tip: 21$
I know that for some frugal people, eating out means cutting corners on costs by not having desserts or drinks, etc., but I now eat out so little that when I do, I want the full out treat!
We went to an Italian restaurant I'd suggested called Pacini. I hadn't been there in years, but remembered that it was really good and reasonably priced. I'm pleased to say that my memory still held!
The 12.95$ lunch special got me:
-unlimited grilled bread at the bread bar;
-a fantastic cream of vegetable soup (I would have been thrilled with just the soup and bread for lunch, they were that good!);
-haddock en croute (coated with asiago cheese, sundried tomatoes, and basil then grilled) served over garlicky (and slightly too oily, but still delicious) linguini with napoletana (tomato) sauce;
-unlimited coffee (since I don't drink soft drinks).
The haddock was soooooo good; sweet, firm, and flaky. I'd wanted shrimp, but the shrimp offering for the lunch special didn't inspire me, so I made an excellent alternate choice. I loved the warmed, but not cooked, halved cherry tomatoes swimming around in that lovely garlicky goodness!
I added a 3.95$ 'mochaccino terrine' which was essentially mocha-flavoured mousse; very light and the perfect complement to my lunch.
Total cost, including tip: 21$
I know that for some frugal people, eating out means cutting corners on costs by not having desserts or drinks, etc., but I now eat out so little that when I do, I want the full out treat!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
This Week's Deals
My uncouth neighbours were playing music too loudly for my taste today, so I decided to escape and do something rather unfrugal--recreational shopping.
I headed to two Value Villages to see what they had in stock. The pickings were slim today, thankfully. All I brought home were a puzzle by my favourite puzzle artist Charles Wysocki (1.99$), and two stainless steel bowls. I've been wanting to buy my cats stainless steel water and food bowls for years, but resented the prices for new ones. At VV, I found a large food bowl for 1.99$ and a smaller water bowl for .99$. Yay!
I also perused the skirts and found two skirts I own (!). One was marked 14.99$ and the other 19.99$. I bought them new for 1.99$ and 9.99$ respectively. Proof, that it's not always worth it to buy used.... Also, VV sure isn't the 'value' it used to be.
Yesterday, I went to GT to get some groceries and got some decent frozen pizzas for 2.98$ each. I'd bought them before and found the crust and cheese awesome, but the sauce bland. So, when I cooked one for dinner tonight, I sprinkled some dried basil and oregano on top and it made all the difference. YUM! I can't believe I used to buy an individual slice of pizza for 3$ when I can have a whole one for that price!
I headed to two Value Villages to see what they had in stock. The pickings were slim today, thankfully. All I brought home were a puzzle by my favourite puzzle artist Charles Wysocki (1.99$), and two stainless steel bowls. I've been wanting to buy my cats stainless steel water and food bowls for years, but resented the prices for new ones. At VV, I found a large food bowl for 1.99$ and a smaller water bowl for .99$. Yay!
I also perused the skirts and found two skirts I own (!). One was marked 14.99$ and the other 19.99$. I bought them new for 1.99$ and 9.99$ respectively. Proof, that it's not always worth it to buy used.... Also, VV sure isn't the 'value' it used to be.
Yesterday, I went to GT to get some groceries and got some decent frozen pizzas for 2.98$ each. I'd bought them before and found the crust and cheese awesome, but the sauce bland. So, when I cooked one for dinner tonight, I sprinkled some dried basil and oregano on top and it made all the difference. YUM! I can't believe I used to buy an individual slice of pizza for 3$ when I can have a whole one for that price!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Frugal, Not Poor
I really tightened the purse strings in January and this will continue through to April.
I haven't given up on the 'pantry method' of shopping, but am combining it with another technique. Now, I'm stocking up the pantry and not doing a 'big' grocery until it's completely empty. Until then, I'm stocking up on a few items that will encourage me to finish what I have at home. For example, last week I went out and bought some cheese and a package of chili spices to make chili, using up tomatoes and beans from the pantry. I know that all these 'systems' I'm trying out seem silly, that this shouldn't be a big deal. But I've never wrapped my brain around it. Perhaps one day I'll make my peace with grocery shopping. :-S
Yesterday, I went to visit a friend and passed a grocery store that I otherwise would not go to. I happened to have a 5$ gift certificate for that store. So, I went in and decided to stretch that 9$, plus another 4$ I had in change, as far is they could go. I will be eating out with my colleagues once this month and probably going to visit my family, so I want to tighten the grocery budget at least as much as I did in January. Therefore, my 9$ had to go for 'necessities', not treats.
Problem was, that grocery store is insanely expensive.
What I got for my 9$:
-2 oranges;
-1 loaf of good bread;
-2 lbs sugar;
-1 can tomato soup
-1 package pasta
I desperately wanted to get some fish, but I could not justify spending 6$+ on one meal when I got things that would give me several meals. The can of tomato soup might sound silly, but combined with the pasta and the cheese I have at home I can make three to four meals out of it!
The whole time I was shopping and trying to figure out how to combine what I had in my basket with what I had at home, I had to keep reminding myself "Raven, you're not poor. You're frugal. You can buy anything in the store but you choose not to."
Looking back on almost a year's worth of posts, I'm proud of the changes I've made, of going from poor and barely frugal to comfortable and more frugal, but I see how much further I need to go.
I haven't given up on the 'pantry method' of shopping, but am combining it with another technique. Now, I'm stocking up the pantry and not doing a 'big' grocery until it's completely empty. Until then, I'm stocking up on a few items that will encourage me to finish what I have at home. For example, last week I went out and bought some cheese and a package of chili spices to make chili, using up tomatoes and beans from the pantry. I know that all these 'systems' I'm trying out seem silly, that this shouldn't be a big deal. But I've never wrapped my brain around it. Perhaps one day I'll make my peace with grocery shopping. :-S
Yesterday, I went to visit a friend and passed a grocery store that I otherwise would not go to. I happened to have a 5$ gift certificate for that store. So, I went in and decided to stretch that 9$, plus another 4$ I had in change, as far is they could go. I will be eating out with my colleagues once this month and probably going to visit my family, so I want to tighten the grocery budget at least as much as I did in January. Therefore, my 9$ had to go for 'necessities', not treats.
Problem was, that grocery store is insanely expensive.
What I got for my 9$:
-2 oranges;
-1 loaf of good bread;
-2 lbs sugar;
-1 can tomato soup
-1 package pasta
I desperately wanted to get some fish, but I could not justify spending 6$+ on one meal when I got things that would give me several meals. The can of tomato soup might sound silly, but combined with the pasta and the cheese I have at home I can make three to four meals out of it!
The whole time I was shopping and trying to figure out how to combine what I had in my basket with what I had at home, I had to keep reminding myself "Raven, you're not poor. You're frugal. You can buy anything in the store but you choose not to."
Looking back on almost a year's worth of posts, I'm proud of the changes I've made, of going from poor and barely frugal to comfortable and more frugal, but I see how much further I need to go.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
How to Wisely Spend Your Entertainment Budget
Last night, I 'blew' a month's entertainment budget, plus a small chunk of my grocery budget on two tickets to see a performance of my favourite play.
(What's my favourite play? Check out the bit of soliloquy at the top of my blog that inspired my blog's name. *g*)
It was so worth it. I could have gone to ten movies for the same price and had none of the memories. It was an excellent reminder that my entertainment budget should be spent on theatre and opera, not movies.
(What's my favourite play? Check out the bit of soliloquy at the top of my blog that inspired my blog's name. *g*)
It was so worth it. I could have gone to ten movies for the same price and had none of the memories. It was an excellent reminder that my entertainment budget should be spent on theatre and opera, not movies.
Monday, December 17, 2007
More fun with yarn
My favourite winter outfit involves tights, a cord skirt, a long-sleeved or three-quarter sleeved tee-shirt, and a cardigan. Therefore, I cannot have too many cardigans.
I found a cardigan at Reitmans in a lovely blue, but I wasn't that crazy about the style. The cardigan was most certainly not worth 50$ to me, or even half that. 10$, that's what I felt I would be willing to pay. I liked the length of it and how it looked with a long top layered under it. I checked for my size and they had only one left, marked at 20$. I examined it carefully and was thrilled to find a ton of problems with it, including a half dozen pulls. This was the worst defect:
I was thrilled because I knew I could fix it!
The manager said that she couldn't just give me the cardigan and that she'd sell it to me for 4 dollars, taxes included. Perfect!
So, I took it home, pulled out my knitting kit, tucked in all the pulls, and repaired the run:
It took less than 10 minutes to effect all the repairs.
The bit that still looks like its a run is just the stitch, stretched. I'll be able to reduce the effect when I reblock the sweater.
There is no way I could have knit that sweater for 4$!
I repaired two other cardigans of mine this morning and yesterday... I got through my darning pile! I'm completely up to date and I feel like I have a new wardrobe! LOL
I found a cardigan at Reitmans in a lovely blue, but I wasn't that crazy about the style. The cardigan was most certainly not worth 50$ to me, or even half that. 10$, that's what I felt I would be willing to pay. I liked the length of it and how it looked with a long top layered under it. I checked for my size and they had only one left, marked at 20$. I examined it carefully and was thrilled to find a ton of problems with it, including a half dozen pulls. This was the worst defect:
I was thrilled because I knew I could fix it!
The manager said that she couldn't just give me the cardigan and that she'd sell it to me for 4 dollars, taxes included. Perfect!
So, I took it home, pulled out my knitting kit, tucked in all the pulls, and repaired the run:
It took less than 10 minutes to effect all the repairs.
The bit that still looks like its a run is just the stitch, stretched. I'll be able to reduce the effect when I reblock the sweater.
There is no way I could have knit that sweater for 4$!
I repaired two other cardigans of mine this morning and yesterday... I got through my darning pile! I'm completely up to date and I feel like I have a new wardrobe! LOL
Thursday, December 6, 2007
thinking outside the box
I received these two beautiful glasses from a colleague yesterday. Thing is, I currently have more drinking glasses than I truly need and I'm not sure I'd want to use these for drinking. They're fat and slick and I have short stubby fingers, so I'd be worried about them slipping.
That said, I think it's silly to relegate things to the back of a cupboard for years. Their pleasing shape immediately made me consider using them as a vase. Then I thought about all my little seashells and bits of sea glass I've got scattered throughout the house in no proper display container.
Not sure about leaving the basket there, but I think the seashell glasses look mighty purty.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Bathroom update
I put aside some money quite a few months ago to update the bathroom. My shower curtain and towels both coordinated well with each other, but not with the bathroom, since they had tons of brown while the bathroom is white, baby pink, baby green, and grey. It looks okay, but is not my favourite colour scheme by far. I wanted dark grey towels and a single-colour shower curtain. This morning, I took advantage of a fantastic offer at Sears to get the towels, an okay shower curtain, 'fancy' hooks, and a soap dish. I also added flannel sheets to the pile.
-Towels: 50% off;
-Sheets: 25% off;
-Soap dish 50% off;
-Shower curtain and rings: full price (but...)
by buying more than 100$ worth of stuff, I got an additional 20$ off, which essentially paid for the shower curtain and rings.
I'm tickled pink with the soap dish (on which I plan to put my nail brush). Its colours (the yellows are identical!) and style fairly match the pot I bought a while back, without being so coordinated as to look silly:
(I also scooped up leather gloves and more tights at 25% off... making it worthwhile to get up eeeearly on a Sunday morning!)
We've got a couple of hours of sunlight left and a nice breeze, so my clean new sheets and towels are on the clothesline. I'm looking forward to going to bed!
-Towels: 50% off;
-Sheets: 25% off;
-Soap dish 50% off;
-Shower curtain and rings: full price (but...)
by buying more than 100$ worth of stuff, I got an additional 20$ off, which essentially paid for the shower curtain and rings.
I'm tickled pink with the soap dish (on which I plan to put my nail brush). Its colours (the yellows are identical!) and style fairly match the pot I bought a while back, without being so coordinated as to look silly:
(I also scooped up leather gloves and more tights at 25% off... making it worthwhile to get up eeeearly on a Sunday morning!)
We've got a couple of hours of sunlight left and a nice breeze, so my clean new sheets and towels are on the clothesline. I'm looking forward to going to bed!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Using a frugal attitude to lose weight
I've been struggling for a couple of years to lose the lbs of fat I have left to lose without resorting to drastic measures (little changes are lasting changes). This was working great for me until this summer. I was exercising so much and paying enough attention to what I was eating to lose about an inch around the waist per season. I was monitoring inches, not lbs, since working out was really bulking me up. My biggest clue as to my progress was my wardrobe.
My surgery meant that I had to cut out my exercise, and I'll be limited for a long time. I've been watching what I eat enough to not start packing on the lbs, but I'm not losing and I don't feel like being stuck in my current situation. I'm unfortunately at the point where every single extra fat cell is concentrated in my tummy, which poses a health risk and also makes me look pregnant. I thought clothes would fit better after my surgery, but, no. I still find myself having to wear a tent, only this time to cover my tummy instead of my breasts!
One of my big battles with food is that I didn't have enough for a long time and had to eat what I had on hand or starve. Now, I find myself thinking "Why eat the oatmeal packet at my desk when I can afford to go downstairs and get a bagel/muffin/cup of fresh fruit/piece of cheese?" Food is now a symbol of my new relative financial freedom. I have to stop this habit of acquiescing to irrational desire for more appealing food options and to start once again to look at food as being fuel.
Enter my new frugal attitude. Every penny I spend on food is penny I'm not spending somewhere else, right? Don't I prefer to drop 50$ per month on clothes than on food? Well, starting next month, I'm putting myself on a strict 100$ per month food budget. I can eat aaaaaanything I want on that budget, but once I'm done, I have to eat the oatmeal/ramen/muffins in the back of the freezer/nothing until the first pay of the next month.
That said, I do make good food choices, nutrition-wise, I just tend to be excessive about volume, so in addition to the above budget, I want to go back to a habit I had when I was poor. I'd buy the cheapest healthy thing I could that would give me a huge volume of food with little calories. Tonight, for example, I had half of a spaghetti squash (about one quarter the calories of the same amount of pasta) topped with a homemade kidney bean tomato sauce and then sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese. It's absolutely stuffing, but very cheap and comes in at only 200-300 calories (depending on the sauce and the amount of cheese) vs 1000+ calories for the same quantity of pasta!
My surgery meant that I had to cut out my exercise, and I'll be limited for a long time. I've been watching what I eat enough to not start packing on the lbs, but I'm not losing and I don't feel like being stuck in my current situation. I'm unfortunately at the point where every single extra fat cell is concentrated in my tummy, which poses a health risk and also makes me look pregnant. I thought clothes would fit better after my surgery, but, no. I still find myself having to wear a tent, only this time to cover my tummy instead of my breasts!
One of my big battles with food is that I didn't have enough for a long time and had to eat what I had on hand or starve. Now, I find myself thinking "Why eat the oatmeal packet at my desk when I can afford to go downstairs and get a bagel/muffin/cup of fresh fruit/piece of cheese?" Food is now a symbol of my new relative financial freedom. I have to stop this habit of acquiescing to irrational desire for more appealing food options and to start once again to look at food as being fuel.
Enter my new frugal attitude. Every penny I spend on food is penny I'm not spending somewhere else, right? Don't I prefer to drop 50$ per month on clothes than on food? Well, starting next month, I'm putting myself on a strict 100$ per month food budget. I can eat aaaaaanything I want on that budget, but once I'm done, I have to eat the oatmeal/ramen/muffins in the back of the freezer/nothing until the first pay of the next month.
That said, I do make good food choices, nutrition-wise, I just tend to be excessive about volume, so in addition to the above budget, I want to go back to a habit I had when I was poor. I'd buy the cheapest healthy thing I could that would give me a huge volume of food with little calories. Tonight, for example, I had half of a spaghetti squash (about one quarter the calories of the same amount of pasta) topped with a homemade kidney bean tomato sauce and then sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese. It's absolutely stuffing, but very cheap and comes in at only 200-300 calories (depending on the sauce and the amount of cheese) vs 1000+ calories for the same quantity of pasta!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Coffee update
Last week, I started to make extra coffee and to bring it to work in a heat-retaining flask (stainless steel). It requires so little effort; I just put extra in the coffeemaker the night before, mix up my coffee in the morning, and then separate it into my mug and my flask after running hot water in the flask. Two hours later, my coffee's still hot.
This is definitely a forehead slapping revelation. Doh.
This is definitely a forehead slapping revelation. Doh.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Reheating Coffee?! And Raise
I'm starting to develop a two cup a day habit that involves drinking one cup at home and then buying a second one around 10. A colleague suggested that I try something she does--reheating coffee I made at home. I'm going to try this as of Wednesday (long weekend, woohoo!).
One thing I've discovered this week is that if I have a second cup of coffee around 10, I can 'last' till lunch (noonish) without having a morning snack AND I eat a smaller lunch! Is coffee an appetite suppressant?!
I drink my coffee with a splash of soy milk and about two tsp of sugar, so I'm looking at about 25-35 calories per cup of coffee, about a the same thing as a piece of fruit that leaves me hungry. Since I get in all my fruits and veggies for the day with my meals, I don't think that substituting coffee for fruit in my morning break is a huge deal.
Related to last night's post, I had an Outlook reminder this morning to enquire about my next raise which is due in three weeks rather than in December! HR is processing the paperwork to avoid what happened last year (having to cut me a 'catch up' cheque in December). I immediately called CIBC to up my bi-weekly contributions to my emergency fund by my estimated raise amount. Unfortunately, next year will be my last raise until the next union negotiations. So, in a way it's a good thing that it's next year I plan to start looking for a new job in the environmental sector since I don't want to be stuck at the same salary for five to ten years. Also, I have a vague career goal of earning 50K per year before overtime by the time I'm thirty. That said, I still can't get over the fact that my take home pay now is more than my net pay was this time three and a half years ago. It's no wonder I had no life back then.
One thing I've discovered this week is that if I have a second cup of coffee around 10, I can 'last' till lunch (noonish) without having a morning snack AND I eat a smaller lunch! Is coffee an appetite suppressant?!
I drink my coffee with a splash of soy milk and about two tsp of sugar, so I'm looking at about 25-35 calories per cup of coffee, about a the same thing as a piece of fruit that leaves me hungry. Since I get in all my fruits and veggies for the day with my meals, I don't think that substituting coffee for fruit in my morning break is a huge deal.
Related to last night's post, I had an Outlook reminder this morning to enquire about my next raise which is due in three weeks rather than in December! HR is processing the paperwork to avoid what happened last year (having to cut me a 'catch up' cheque in December). I immediately called CIBC to up my bi-weekly contributions to my emergency fund by my estimated raise amount. Unfortunately, next year will be my last raise until the next union negotiations. So, in a way it's a good thing that it's next year I plan to start looking for a new job in the environmental sector since I don't want to be stuck at the same salary for five to ten years. Also, I have a vague career goal of earning 50K per year before overtime by the time I'm thirty. That said, I still can't get over the fact that my take home pay now is more than my net pay was this time three and a half years ago. It's no wonder I had no life back then.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Revenge of the Small Appliances
My nine and a half year old toaster, seven year old coffee maker, and forty-five year old hand mixer all bit the dust this summer.
The toaster was easy to replace. I bought the cheapest on sale brand name model with wide slots that I could find.
The handmixer will wait since I only use it about three times a year.
Now, the coffeemaker, that warrants a story! And it's quite probably my most frugal shopping experience ever!
I thought that getting a new coffeemaker would be easy. My requirements were that it be a four cup model, be programmable (so my coffee could be ready when I wake up in the morning!), be fitted (or fittable) with a permanent filter, and be a good brand like Proctor Silex or Black & Decker.
I figured that since money was not really a factor, this would be an easy task.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!
The following takes place over the course of almost three weeks:
After touring Walmart, Zellers, Canadian Tire, Sears, a small appliance superstore, and the internet I came to the conclusion that the only four cup programmable coffeemaker is made by Sunbeam... not the most reliable company on the market, and it was more expensive than a plain model of a better brand. Okay, scratch programmable, reexamine the four cup models. Well, there wasn't much choice and I think GE was the most reputable brand I saw.
So, I conceded defeat and decided to evaluate the twelve cup models (too big!) before giving in to the Sunbeam model. Round and round the stores and internet I went again only to land at the Walmart where I started and where I found a twelve cup B&D programmable model on sale for half price at 19.99$. The Sunbeam was on sale for 26.99$ by this time and the GE four cup was 17.99$ (regular price). Add to that 8$ for a permanent filter.
Let's just say I can recognize the best value between three options.
So, I now have a twelve cup big ass coffeemaker on my counter. *sighs* But I can have real percolated coffee again! AND I'll be able to set the breadmaker to have my bread ready for wake up time so I can have both fresh bread AND coffee ready for breakkie. Woohoo!
Admitting that I can't give up coffee has definitely been frugal. I can't even begin to count how much money I've saved on my daily coffee runs since buying my own beans and grinding them at home.
The toaster was easy to replace. I bought the cheapest on sale brand name model with wide slots that I could find.
The handmixer will wait since I only use it about three times a year.
Now, the coffeemaker, that warrants a story! And it's quite probably my most frugal shopping experience ever!
I thought that getting a new coffeemaker would be easy. My requirements were that it be a four cup model, be programmable (so my coffee could be ready when I wake up in the morning!), be fitted (or fittable) with a permanent filter, and be a good brand like Proctor Silex or Black & Decker.
I figured that since money was not really a factor, this would be an easy task.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!
The following takes place over the course of almost three weeks:
After touring Walmart, Zellers, Canadian Tire, Sears, a small appliance superstore, and the internet I came to the conclusion that the only four cup programmable coffeemaker is made by Sunbeam... not the most reliable company on the market, and it was more expensive than a plain model of a better brand. Okay, scratch programmable, reexamine the four cup models. Well, there wasn't much choice and I think GE was the most reputable brand I saw.
So, I conceded defeat and decided to evaluate the twelve cup models (too big!) before giving in to the Sunbeam model. Round and round the stores and internet I went again only to land at the Walmart where I started and where I found a twelve cup B&D programmable model on sale for half price at 19.99$. The Sunbeam was on sale for 26.99$ by this time and the GE four cup was 17.99$ (regular price). Add to that 8$ for a permanent filter.
Let's just say I can recognize the best value between three options.
So, I now have a twelve cup big ass coffeemaker on my counter. *sighs* But I can have real percolated coffee again! AND I'll be able to set the breadmaker to have my bread ready for wake up time so I can have both fresh bread AND coffee ready for breakkie. Woohoo!
Admitting that I can't give up coffee has definitely been frugal. I can't even begin to count how much money I've saved on my daily coffee runs since buying my own beans and grinding them at home.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Summer's End...
It's been a most peculiar summer.
I had my breast reduction surgery immediately upon returning from my delightful, if not particularly frugal, vacation. I'd recommend the surgery to anyone whose quality of life is diminished by their breasts. Recovery is slow and humbling, however, as I can barely exercise and I need help to do such basic things has grocery shopping and house cleaning.
My two months off from work were busy indeed, even despite the fact that I was recovering from surgery. I wrote chapter upon chapter of my novel, started work on my Book of Shadows, reread all the Harry Potter novels, took small day trips to neighbouring villages, made use of free admission times at local museums, and more.
Of course, I continued my Wiccan education, reading some 'classics.' Last night, I finished Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. Tonight, I start Margo Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. One thing I have taken away from my readings is that I feel empty and purposeless because I am not serving the gods and I am working in complete solitude. I've come up with a couple of ideas on how to rectify that once I'm completely healed.
One of my favourite things I did was adopt a new cat!!! I went to the Humane Society with my list of criteria and was surprised to find a cat who matched those criteria exactly! He's a sweet seven year old brown tabby who fits into my household much better than my last cat did. His sister is slowly getting used to the idea of not having me to herself again. :-) The Humane Society loves me. Apparently, very few people walk in and say: "Hi, I'm looking for a cat. It has to be at least five years old, but seven to nine would be ideal, and I'd be willing to consider up to twelve."
The return to work has been brutal and I intend to make some major changes to my schedule come September. I don't want to quit this job, however. I think my supervisor will agree with the idea I came up with for keeping this job and still having time to do meaningful work. Some of this will depend on my meeting with a financial advisor in early September. I've been coasting along financially since late spring and I see the freedom trickling away. It's time to rein it in and come up with a plan I can live with and goals I can look forward to.
I had my breast reduction surgery immediately upon returning from my delightful, if not particularly frugal, vacation. I'd recommend the surgery to anyone whose quality of life is diminished by their breasts. Recovery is slow and humbling, however, as I can barely exercise and I need help to do such basic things has grocery shopping and house cleaning.
My two months off from work were busy indeed, even despite the fact that I was recovering from surgery. I wrote chapter upon chapter of my novel, started work on my Book of Shadows, reread all the Harry Potter novels, took small day trips to neighbouring villages, made use of free admission times at local museums, and more.
Of course, I continued my Wiccan education, reading some 'classics.' Last night, I finished Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. Tonight, I start Margo Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. One thing I have taken away from my readings is that I feel empty and purposeless because I am not serving the gods and I am working in complete solitude. I've come up with a couple of ideas on how to rectify that once I'm completely healed.
One of my favourite things I did was adopt a new cat!!! I went to the Humane Society with my list of criteria and was surprised to find a cat who matched those criteria exactly! He's a sweet seven year old brown tabby who fits into my household much better than my last cat did. His sister is slowly getting used to the idea of not having me to herself again. :-) The Humane Society loves me. Apparently, very few people walk in and say: "Hi, I'm looking for a cat. It has to be at least five years old, but seven to nine would be ideal, and I'd be willing to consider up to twelve."
The return to work has been brutal and I intend to make some major changes to my schedule come September. I don't want to quit this job, however. I think my supervisor will agree with the idea I came up with for keeping this job and still having time to do meaningful work. Some of this will depend on my meeting with a financial advisor in early September. I've been coasting along financially since late spring and I see the freedom trickling away. It's time to rein it in and come up with a plan I can live with and goals I can look forward to.
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