We continue on with schlepping here, discarding, packing and picking up there. I need to schedule a donation pickup -- then another one after that. Busy, busy.
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| More, please! |
Ironically, with all the bags collected from the trailer, the house looks messier than ever -- but a good share of those are put away. We ARE making progress. I keep reminding myself of that.
FRUGAL HITS
(This includes some last-minute March deals, as well.)
*Found money: a quarter retrieved at DIA! Watched our young nephew find a nickel at a steak restaurant -- that was just as good as nabbing it myself.
*A free pint of Michigan maple syrup -- from our cousins' sugar bush. (Thanks, guys!) The Mama threw in another quart, as well, as a birthday present for the Brick.
*Good buys from Daily Deals -- this Grand Rapids, MI chain has all sorts of bargains. We got large jars of mixed nuts ($7.99 each), a frozen cheesecake ($1.24!) and some good buys on frozen fish filets ($2.99/lb), sausage ($1.49) and bacon (2 lb/$5.55) to help restock The Mama's protein supply.
*Restaurant freebies -- a free burger from Red Robin and Bloomin' Onion from Outback.
*Leftovers magic for dinner with friends: Cleared out the remains of a smoked turkey breast, plus some wonderful fish chowder the Brick made. (Recipe coming) Since they're already cooked, it's a simple matter of heating them up and serving. (Our friends contributed salads to dinner.) Used some 49-cent stuck-together marshmallows, plus a free box of rice krispies (from Safeway), to make rice krispies squares; they'll be served with what's left of a gallon of ice cream that was in the trailer freezer. All this for good friends who won't mind threading through the piles and bags around the house.
We all need people like this, who love you for yourself -- not your stuff.
*Dollar store deals. If you haven't visited one lately, you should. Avoid the junk items and stock up on the good stuff, like a 10 oz bag of frozen blueberries, a 10-pack of Vietnamese spring rolls and a huge tube of Dermasil hand lotion -- all for a buck each. Our local Dollar Tree has 4-packs of bagels, as well as 16-ct mini doughnuts and our favorite chocolate-covered grahams for the same price. (Warning: unless it's a brand you know, their chocolate doesn't taste like much.)
I also got Easter cards there 2/$1. (The doughnuts were Easter presents - enjoyed by the Brick more than candy, though he doesn't get them often.)
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| via Pinterest |
*Easter baskets. Said doughnuts, plus packages for the girlies with caramel corn, cheddar popcorn -- and videos from the library's used book room. I made hot cross buns, as well, for our family and a neighbor's.
*Just found more doughnuts at King Soopers, before posting this: 79 cents a dozen! People must eat more doughnuts around Easter.
Also found a huge, lovely bouquet of flowers -- for a third of the original price. Several blooms are long-lasting, and should keep the table cheerful for weeks.
*Free rides to/from the airport, thanks to kind friends. We schlep them back and forth when they need to go places, too. (The Mama picked us up and dropped us off in Michigan.) We did cover the tolls, which are horrendous around here.
*Four free drink coupons from Southwest Airlines. Guess they liked all the travel we've been doing lately.
*Kept the heat low, while we were away. We've had warmer weather, so it kicks on a little in the mornings -- and that's it. We work and sleep better at night if it's a bit chilly. I don't mind wearing a sweater, or pulling on an afghan. Our monthly heating bill was $40 lower than its predecessor a year ago.
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| From Furry Friends Country Blog, via Pinterest |
*More restoration work squeezed in.
*A $25 restaurant gift card -- cashed in points from one of our hotel rewards programs.
*Picked up some freebies from both King Soopers and Safeway, including candy bars, smoothies and a free donut, thanks to Safeway's Monopoly promotion. Found 3 pounds of hamburger for $3.99. Returned a bag of Yukon gold potatoes. (They were frozen.) Got several jars of pasta sauce for a buck each, and mushroom/cream of chicken soup for an astounding 49 cents. (I bought a case.) Also bought 6 packages of pasta -- also 49 cents each. Used up a few freebie coupons before they expired. I also baked a fair amount of bread, biscuits and cinnamon rolls, instead of buying them. Even day-old goods are more expensive.
*Sardines for 60 cents each. This warehouse deal from Amazon is for me; the rest of the family isn't fond of them. Hopefully, they will also keep Charley's allergies at bay this summer. (Or so I've read.) We're using up a tin of anchovies right now, to see if that works. So far, it is!
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| Bring 'em on, Mom -- I love fishies! |
*Excavating goodies from the trailer. When we cleaned it out, I found all sorts of items stashed away, including crackers, boxed brownie mix and all sorts of staples: cans and boxes. The freezer provided a smoked turkey and garlic sauced mussels for pasta.Since we won't have a lot of room for storing these, they're providing a lot of meals right now.
*Avoided a scam -- thank God.
*Three pairs of Chaco sandals: $10 each, thanks to a generous contact. (These retail for $70-110, normally.)
*Threw away a bunch of clothes -- worn out, stained or too well-used. (This was hard to do, but necessary.) Also donated nine bags of mixed clothing and books. (More donations are coming.)
*Got my first royalty check for the Ghosts & Legends book. Finally! Gave away a few books and sold some, too.
*Did an appraisal day for the Pueblo Quilt Guild -- had an apprenticing appraiser not only scribe for me, but make the drive to Pueblo. (Thank you, Gina.) Plus some extra appraising; I've had work regularly this year, in what normally is a quiet period.
*Storage items, plus some kitchen utensils from the thrift shop. For the trailer, naturally. That small colander, plus two copper mesh storage drawer inserts, will really come in handy.
*Two new pairs of pants: $11 and $13 on sale, respectively. I needed them.
*Did our own taxes. Thank God THAT'S done.
FRUGAL MISSES
*Did our own taxes. This drives both of us Absolutely. Nuts. And we found a few corrections that necessitated sending a revised version later in the week. At least we submitted them on time, and got a small refund.
*Watched the trailer go away. In a sense, this was a hit, too; we were spared having to deal with some serious water damage we didn't know we had. Thank you, God.
*Bought fried chicken and cheese at one store...after I got home, noticed they were on sale at another. This drives me CRAZY.
*Bought a bunch of groceries plus flowers for The Mama...but this is really a hit. She and Dad provided so much for us over the years that anything we do now is just a drop in the bucket.
*Two new crowns for me, courtesy of Tedford Dental -- and $$, until they're paid for. A day after the ordeal, the temporary caps popped off while I was cleaning around them. The office was closed -- but a staffer kindly met me there and glued them back on.
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| Actually, more than that... |
*Not as much side income. No piano lessons this month, or dogsitting. On the plus side, our neighbors took care of Charley & Ruby while we were in Michigan. (We owe them one.)
*A bunch of dinners/coffee out in Michigan. Granted, we paid for some -- and The Mama paid for some. We also had several meals/coffees in airports -- never a bargain.
Take a look at March's report to see what's happening around here at Chez Brick. Here's last year's report... and the 2017 version, as well, just for grins.
Back to work. P.S. After the rain this weekend, it's supposed to snow. Go figure.
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