Frugal Hits & Misses -- July Report

      Things have calmed down considerably in our peaceful mountain home. If anything, it's a little TOO calm -- because I have had a lot of appraising to finish up this month. We try to keep up on chores; the Brick has been a champ about this, particularly since mowing the lawn meant helping fix the tractor and the trimmer first. (The mower too, come to think of it.) I do my part to keep things watered, and help out here and there. Getting diagnosed with Covid a week ago was no fun, and slowed us both down. We are still recovering. (Do you EVER get less tired?)

     Two working trips made life interesting, too. 

FRUGAL HITS

(Some of these are from late June)

*Borrowed a cattle watering trough from our friends, for use as a soaking tub. I added a solar water fountain I'd bought on clearance ages ago, to keep the water circulating. (Okay, it looks pretty, too.)

*Used a work trip to Granby/Grand Lake as an excuse to hit the hot springs! (Peaks n' Pines Quilt Show)

*Discount at Hot Sulphur Springs Resort-- for being a senior and military. (Both on the Brick's side -- but she gave me a discount, too.)

*Leftovers from lunch, served for supper after we spent a few hours soaking. (Lunch wasn't cheap -- but it was good.)

*Three pennies found in the resort changing room -- 2 by the Brick, 1 by yours truly. Otherwise, I haven't found any change on the floor or ground for ages. I've been looking, too...

*Opened an investment account for the Brick. Opened one for myself, as well. (Index funds)

*Pulled 'free' bread (originally from the thrift shop) from the freezer. Used up other things in there, including elk. Our canned goods decreased some, too, thanks to staying home a lot.

     I also baked some bread -- which meant using the stove and heating up the trailer. But it was delicious. Our friends got a loaf, too.

*Tested for Covid, using kits we'd received a few months ago free. (I tested positive. The Brick was negative, in spite of the same symptoms -- but that was a few days before. We've both got it.)

*Did quite a bit of appraising -- mostly quilts, but some art prints -- and a Warhol painting. Judged at the Black Canyon Quilt Show, as well as appraising.

*One of the giftcards we got last month had already expired by the time it reached us! The Brick got them to reissue a new one. 

*Messed up and forgot the four eggs in a batch of carrot cake. It didn't rise as much, but actually tasted pretty good! I also made a surprisingly good 'crisp' by topping canned peaches with cookie crumbs, and topping with whipped cream.

*Got our internet service credited through mid-August. I don't know about you, but our internet and phone service has been horrible this summer. Is it due to solar flares? 

*The Brick replaced the driveshaft on the truck himself, with the help of our friend. The Brick is amazing! (And our friend is no slouch, either.) This was a 'miss,' part-wise...but the Brick saved us $400 or so in installation costs.

Not much metal for an $1100 price tag...

Fortunately, the truck handled two trips into the mountains pre-repair, plus trips into town for church & errands. (It was getting a bit iffy there.)

* Checked out several video series from the library -- my 'Brit buddies,' as the Brick says: Endeavour and George Gently. Nothing bought from the used booksale room. Picked up some holds for a friend while she was gone, and she picked up some for me.

*Grocery Buys:  A few free items via Safeway's Saturday Sampler program: plant-based sausage, and a kombucha drink. (The Sampler seems to be stopped now.) Other Safeway specials: $1.77 milk, 97-cent quarts of ice cream, $1.67 sliced Swiss (8 oz), two free cucumbers and a free pkg of plant-based sausage. (It was 'okay' hot, and nauseatingly greasy cold. We'll stick to the real thing.) From Amazon Warehouse: cans of chicken approx. 90 cents each -- tastier than tuna, and a heck of a lot cheaper. (Yes, I bought extra.) I also got Mary Kitchen corned beef hash for less -- it's the only brand to stock up on. P & G teabags were marked down...so got those, as well. (We were out.) Plus anchovies. (Hey, you get what you want -- I'll get what I want.) 

*A visit to a Goodwill outlet -- hot, dusty, sweaty...and wonderful! A goosedown comforter, prom dress (changeable satin, perfect for Crazy quilts) and antique handkerchiefs -- 49 cents a pound. T-shirts, a Wilson leather jacket, and several presents: $1.49/pound. Books - 49 cents each. WOW.

    The Brick found a $900 price tag on the comforter, and assumed that was its price, including a brass bed. Nope -- the brand is Brass Bed. And the comforter sells for that much! It's high-quality Polish goose down feathers encased in an Egyptian cotton cover. 

     Oh my.

     Daughter #2 loved the Wilson jacket, and looked great in it. Son #2 got two wild t-shirts for work. And our total bill for everything was less than $20! 

Beautiful. (But she was tired.)

     Our experience at the Goodwill Outlet spoiled me for the next stop - to 'Sally's,' or the Salvation Army in Boulder. Two bucks each for three shirts? Well, yes, but... with a few other things, the total was almost $12. Normally, I'd be thrilled, but I was sulking a little after the breathless buys earlier. 

*Other thrift shop buys: 99-cent and $2 t-shirts (mostly new and unused); $1.99 for a U.S. Constellation ship kit; a couple of videos for 99-cents each.

*Did our civic duty -- and voted. Hopefully you did, too.

*Dropped off a trailer full of branches at the local county site -- and got a free load of mulch in return. (The Brick took care of this -- I still was sick. What a guy.)

*Treated to some lunches and dinners for work -- and a supper from my appraiser friend. Thank you!

*Washed and restored two family quilts. I also washed the goose down comforter from the thrift outlet. (It came out beautifully.)

*Started singing again on Worship Team at church. Covid derailed this a bit, but we'll be back on schedule, once we're 'negative.' It's nice to be back. 

*An 1849 reprint of Charles Dickens' Master Humphrey's Clock -- at $39. A steal, considering other versions were triple and quadruple the price. I bought a small set of Dickens novels, too, with my allowance. 

My buddy.

*Took our friends to the airport, and picked them up. They'll return the favor, if we can only get away for a trip. 

*Ordered new business cards: 1000 were far cheaper than a few hundred. Used a health-connected debit card, which gave me more than $200, just for filling out surveys! (Also ordered some Christmas and birthday presents, using the same card.) 

*Earned a bit of Coca-Cola stock, thanks to a kind reader who must have opened a Robinhood account. Thank you! Transactions are FREE, and it's an easy way to invest in the stock market. When you sign up, you get free stock -- and I get some, too. Go here for more.

*A few times, took advantage of the $10 special at Red Robin: drink, burger, unlimited fries -- and a pretzel bites appetizer. Delicious...and we had enough leftovers for another full meal.

*RAIN!!! Some afternoon/evening brief showers -- and one lovely day when it dripped and drizzled all day long.  Every July, we invariably have a "monsoon period" that gives us rain nearly every afternoon for a few weeks. I cannot tell you how wonderful this is.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Watched the garden and perennial bed get decimated. What the grasshoppers didn't eat, the deer did. (Looking at Mavis' garden, or Jeannie's, just emphasizes that.) Fortunately, the greens and onions are growing back -- and neither of these two have figured out a way to climb the stairs to the balcony pots. Nyah, nyah, nyah, you critters! 

     Lessons learned: grasshoppers don't like wild sunflowers. And they're not very keen on herbs, either, or daylilies. The thyme does seem to have succumbed to the heat, rather than bugs. Everything else got munched on. The lone intact zucchini plant down in the perennial bed is shivering and waiting its turn. 

(If you've got any ideas for protecting my poor garden from these ravagers, please chime in!)

Go away, you bugger.

*Where in the world is our tax refund? Are you waiting on this, too??

*Our air mattress deflated. Right when we were both sick, and really needed that comfort. The Brick bought another one. Combined with a topper, it is very comfortable. 

*A stack of glasses smashed, right out of the cupboard -- one's left. 

*Let a bit of produce spoil. Not much -- half an onion, some greens, but still...we did better this month on eating up leftovers before they went to the Great Trash Can in the Sky.

*Bought two play tickets for Pirates of Penzance that never got used. (Our guests got Covid.) Ironically, that play may have been where we picked this up for ourselves...

*'Rented' a car from friends, for the Black Canyon Quilt Show. (I also washed and detailed their car, to say thank you.)

*Paid for 100 Colorado Curiosities and Ghosts & Legends books -- yow, that totals up to a lot. At least we got a discount, free shipping and a wire rack for display. But still...

*Stocks are doing better -- but they're nowhere near what they should be at this point. I am still under my original purchase price on several. It's nice to have the dividend payments, and I bought additional shares for less.

*Missed out on several events, including a wedding reception for friends. Covid will do that to you. (sigh)

*I am still trying to figure out a way to justify adding Mr. Bean and Teddy to our happy home.

Here's last month's report -- and last year's.  Please, let August be cooler. Hopefully.