Just a few days ago, we realized we needed to leave quickly for Michigan: a family situation. We had planned a trip anyways, taking back some of the items stored in our friend's garage. (The rest will be used in the trailer, or donated.) We just didn't know we needed to leave at such short notice.
But we do.
FRUGAL HITS
*Kept within our final budget for the cruise -- in fact, we came out ahead. It's easier when many of your port stops (and excursions planned) are cancelled. We didn't spend much more than the 1000 pounds in our account that was part of the package.
We're supposed to get our money back for the last month of the cruise, but it hasn't turned up yet. (More on this subject in the future.) The refund for the unused plane tickets hasn't come, either -- but that will be from the credit card company. (Virgin Airlines was NOT cooperating.)
*The leaking kitchen sink pump fixed by a local expert -- the Brick!
*Restaurant giftcards at a discount -- they'll come in handy when things open back up. We may be able to use the Outback giftcard now; the Mama has come to realize how much she enjoys a hot meal, delivered.
*Strawberries for $1.00/lb. Used every single bite, including homemade shortcake.
*King Soopers astonished with 50-cent specials: a dozen doughnuts, 4 turnovers, a specialty pie, streusel coffeecake, sourdough and 'ancient grains' bread. Fifty cents each!
*Finally, haircuts! The cruise ship charged 59 pounds each (about $75), and the results we saw weren't impressive. In fact, they were downright goofy-looking. We were going to get our hair cut at the next stop; Jakarta, Indonesia. That was the port -- and the cruise after that -- that was cancelled. Last week, after nearly 6 months, we finally got our locks sheared. In the Brick's case, that meant 3" of shaggy hair clipped off. (We had to wait 90 min., masks in place -- and that was by calling ahead.)
*Had a replacement key for the truck re-keyed for free. Thank you, Batteries Plus!
*Got our stimulus checks. Though what we're supposed to stimulate, I'm not sure...
*A $50 check from The Mama, specifically for takeout. (Thank you, Ma!) We've been seeing if we could stretch it:
13.00 each for a Little Caesar's pizza and burgers at Burger King ($6.50 x 2)
10.00 for a weekend Safeway special: fried chicken (2 extra pieces free the first time!), mac & cheese, and a 2-liter of pop. ($5.00 x 2)
$12.99 for a family pack of Whoppers, burgers and fries, shared with a friend
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$35.99, so far.
*Bought plants on sale -- generally edible-producing ones. (Okay, the rosebush was for my mental nourishment.)
*Three loads of branches to the county chipping yard -- no charge. A load of trash to the local dump -- some $$, but not too bad, considering.
*Began eating up old items, left in the fifth-wheel over the winter -- onions, potatoes, candy, etc. Threw away an old can of baking powder...it just wasn't leavening that well. We managed to salvage some of the apples, in the form of applesauce.
Bought 25 pounds of rice, plus 6 cans of chickens, for our emergency 'prepper' shelf. Just in case. (These are kept in a lower compartment of the fifth-wheel, referred to as 'the basement.')
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| Makes nice chicken and rice, too! (Betty Crocker) |
*A Ticket to Ride game and a men's bike -- given to us by friends. Both needed, and much appreciated.
*Less than $1.10 pound for pork butt at Sam's Club -- a great price for any pork, especially during this meat shortage. Chicken breast at Sam's wouldn't normally have been a steal at $1.70/lb normally...but with today's prices, it is now. Got a free turkey breast, as well, from Safeway. (I could kick myself, though -- our last grocery shop there was $48. When we'd finished and were leaving, I remembered I had a $5 e-coupon...for $50 and up purchase. Aarrrghghghgh.)
*Some sale videos on Ebay and Amazon...including a few of our buddy Endeavour, most of the Alien/Predators franchise, and the complete series of Quantum Leap. I used my monthly allowance to pay for these. (Yes, they were that reasonably priced.)
*Put a BUNCH of books and videos on hold at the library. We pull in, call them, and the librarian, suitably masked, puts them in the back of the truck. Wonderful. I can reserve several movies that came out while we were on the cruise, and missed seeing. I'd be thrilled to see the library open up again -- I'm planning a beeline to the sale room!
*Wonderful one-of-a-kind hand-dyed fabric: $15/yd on sale from Ricky Tims! This isn't much more than what we pay nowadays for commercially-printed cottons.
*Did three appraisals, suitably masked and socially distanced. Other work is waiting for a letup in the Covid-19 restrictions.
*Inventoried shampoo, soap, etc. We'll be using these up before we buy more. (Found two extra rolls of toilet paper -- like finding treasure.)
*Like everyone else and their brother, we were stuck in quarantine -- so couldn't get out and Do Stuff.
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| All the world leaders listen! |
FRUGAL MISSES
*The key to the truck -- we had to get an extra, cost around $50, because I STILL couldn't find my keys after they were lost. Last fall. Sometime while we were staying with our friends. (Yes, I'm embarrassed.)
*The sad tale of Charley and the candle: Charley the dog freaked out late one night, trying to get outside, and banged into the table. A lit candle was on top. Fortunately, the shock knocked the flame out. Unfortunately, the candle fell over, and wax went everywhere -- including on my passenger bag purse and the chairs around the table. The bag is a goner. Two of the chair covers are, too -- but we were planning on reupholstering them, anyways.
Charley ended up with wax on, as well, but didn't seem to get burned. Thank God for thick fur.
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| Owwee, Mom... |
*An emergency trip back to Michigan. At least we could take some things back for storage, and the dogs could go with. Gas is fairly cheap right now, too.
*Couldn't handpick and choose meat, clearance, etc.for groceries, like I usually do. That's the problem of curbside pickup; you take what you can get.
*Threw some food out, including a handful of cooked shrimp I'd forgotten about. .(Ouch) I had to...most was food that just didn't keep well after we left in late December.
Last report is here -- and May 2019's report is here. Will this summer be as strange as the months preceding? Who knows. We'll have to live it to find out.
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