Staying in Michigan during June was miserable. Not only was it hot, but the humidity was so bad, even the Michiganders were griping about it. The only way we could handle it, especially at night, was with the air conditioning going full tilt. (We have tried and tried to get The Mama to install air conditioning, but she won't. Even with multiple fans going, her living space felt miserable.)
I wanted to bitch and moan about the heat a lot-- but then I read something like this. Others have had it a lot worse than us.
After we returned home to Colorado, it was still hot -- but not that clinging dampness that drags on you. Now it's cooler, and we're even having -- gasp -- RAIN!! Multiple days worth!! This is so infrequent that it's worth celebrating. Fortunately, I planted some perennials, moved others around, and they're getting a nice soaking.
I'm tired of June. It wasn't much fun this year, in more ways than one.
FRUGAL HITS
*We went on vacation with cousins to Shipshewana, IN, a popular Amish tourist town. We brought our trailer, and split the campground costs with them. (They slept in their van, which they've cleverly adapted for camping.)
Shipshewana buys: 'Shipshe' is known for its bulk food and clearance stores. Not only did we get some good buys -- but we filled several orders from family members who'd heard we were going. (Warning: many places only take cash! And that can be a problem, if you're filling family orders, as well as your own. Fortunately, our cousins reimbursed us with cash for their expenses-- and saved our bacon.) I bought: bags of peach jello, butter pecan pudding, a gallon of corn syrup (great for caramel corn) and a half-gallon of maple syrup.(MICHIGAN -- we were going to get some made in Indiana!) Jugs of limoncello-style lemonade and bags of potato chips were 50 cents each. The best bargain: tender white popcorn kernels for 59 cents/pound. (Yes, this kind really is better than the yellow stuff.)
Also: leather gloves ($6/pr -- perfect for weeding), 10 toothbrushes for a buck...and free popcorn samples at the Yoder Popcorn store.
Daily Deals -- the Grand Rapids version of our Fri/Sat store: Ball Park hotdogs 99 cents/lb; little smokies sausages 99 cents a pound (for breakfast and pig in blankets); boxed dessert mix (69 cents); ham steak $1.29/lb; mozzarella $1/lb; eggwhite mayo 79 cents a bottle. I also got a bottle of 'CRanch' (Ketchup mixed with ranch) sauce for cheap -- and pies for less than $3!
*I made meals -- a lot. Generally we cooked our own breakfasts and lunches, and I swapped supper preparation with The Mama. Since I was using mostly items from Daily Deals, or things we'd purchased earlier, our food costs were minimal. On the road, we still ate nearly all meals in the trailer -- most fast food places we encountered did not have their dining-in areas open yet. Trying to get our fifth-wheel through the lower-topped drive-through lanes, without ripping something off? Impossible.
*Picked up a lot of Amazon sale items that were shipped to The Mama's while we were elsewhere. One box of potato chips never arrived, so Amazon credited us. Their policy: if the item does eventually wander in, you can keep it -- and lo and behold, it did, weeks later. The Mama kept some chips for herself, and had fun gifting the rest to cousins and other family.
I also snagged some other Amazon warehouse deals, including rice wine, big bags of rye and white flour (fancy brand, organic -- and a steal of a price), plus a large bag of Asian-style rice. They were all waiting for us when we arrived in Colorado.
*Found a penny by the Walmart customer service desk. (Hey, priorities!)
*Hit the Michigan thrift stores. Found a walker ($25) for The Mama that she can keep in her van. Also found: Michiganopoly (the U of M version of Monopoly); craft items; a shirt or two; books and videos (the latter $1, and 3 for $5 -- the former, $1 each.
*Video finds from our local thrift shop - and the library used bookstore: including Dave and an early Father's Day present: Navy Seals vs Zombies. (The Brick spent 6 years in the Navy - yay for the Navy!!)
*The Brick installed several railings for The Mama. Cost: the hardware. His services were donated. (The sweet man.)
*Father's Day presents -- a few books (including American Sniper by Chris Kyle), two pairs of professional binoculars ($6 for both!), and some lovely Turkish-delight type jellies from Liberty Orchards, a company that's since closed. (I am very sad about this -- their candies were delicious.)
*Father's Day meals x 2 -- covered by our kids. (Thanks, Dears.)
*Groceries, birthday presents for Mom, and Christmas presents left for the family. (Some were also wrapped and taken with for the Colorado contingent.) All on sale, or from the thrift shop.
*Cheese and cottage cheese from friends going on vacation - and cleaning out their fridge. (We got invited to lunch, in order to use up more leftovers, she said. (They were delicious.)
*Fruit found while traveling: A few strawberries (2 pounds for $2.25) spoiled -- but we ate every one of the fresh blueberries (about 1.5 pounds, $2.50)
*Kept a running check of gas prices while we were traveling -- and invariably saved at least 10 cents a gallon by doing so. Try Gas Buddy -- it sure helped us. Also helpful:
*'Parky' helped us find Wal-Marts and other spots amenable to camping for the night while on the road. Free!
*Really good prices for Southwest plane tickets to Michigan in late fall -- using up the refunds we were due, from the cruise cancelled in the spring.
*Teeth cleaned and x-rays taken: $99, thanks to our friends at Tedford Dental. This was great -- we thought I had dental insurance, but apparently it did not renew.
FRUGAL MISSES
*Ate out a lot the first week we were back. We didn't save that much, either, though one of the meals was 'Tuesday Taco Night' at Del Taco -- 3 tacos for $2! We covered a few meals out in Michigan, too.
*The trailer brakes needed fixing. Thanks to the Brick's skills (and a lot of Youtube videos), this only cost us materials. (See, I told you he was a clever man. Next fix needed: the kitchen sink, which is sagging dangerously.) We've had some other messy encounters that I would rather not have endured, like a clog in the blackwater tank pipe that overflowed...well, you don't want to know.
*A new printer. The old one broke down. Thankfully, I'd printed the current appraisals before it went kerflooie. We'll get the new one just in time for the next batch of appraisal reports.
*Bought nearly 100 Colorado Curiosities and Spooky Colorado books. That's one of the bad parts about writing books -- you have to pay for the printed copies upfront. (And you wait several months for any royalties.) At least we got free shipping.
*Bought a couple of quilts -- some handkerchiefs and photos, too -- for future articles and lectures. At least they were all reasonably priced.
*No real 'fun' activities during the Michigan trip. Except for the Shipshewana trip, we stayed pretty close to the farm --and to The Mama.
Last June's report is here -- and last month's is here. I'd love to laze around, but we've got lots of work to catch up on for the next month. Had better get to it.
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