Oh my...what a month. I worked hard to tidy up and put away things, and clear away several appraisal reports. The Brick worked hard to finish up the stairs on the back deck (see below) and get the car ready for a long trip. Which we took -- with our dear friends. Twelve states (including D.C.), 2 1/2 weeks, thousands of miles. We got home at midnight just before June ended -- and are still recovering a bit.
I'll give you hits & misses on the trip next month. Meanwhile:
Our Brickhouse Rose is loving all the water and special attention paid to it.
FRUGAL HITS
(some of these may be from late May)
The Brick got 20 cents a gallon discount for the last truck fillup. Normally, it's 10 cents at Love stations, so why 20?? We have no idea...but he didn't get any discount with the last visit. Maybe they were making up for it. Considering the total was $110 (yes, you read that right), we were grateful. During our trip this month, he got 13 cents a gallon off -- when we could find a Love's.
Homemade stuff: iced tea, potato salad (with a lot of leftover condiments used up), chili, apple crisp, a sort of apple pie/tart/crisp, peanut butter bars, pickled mushrooms (from the May mushroom haul). I also froze two pounds of sliced strawberries, and enough sliced apples for a pie.
Found money: The Brick came bouncing out from Walmart -- he'd found a dime in the change machine! ("I was in Customer Service anyway," he said.) The kids borrowed the truck -- and left $3.81 in change in one of the cupholders. (They say to keep it -- they did it on purpose. But I wonder... :
Finished more appraisal reports, plus a few extras. This month has been quiet -- totally normal for summer months. It's helped me catch up.
Two dozen fresh eggs every week. I pay a reasonable price, and it helps our friends, as well. We have enough for ourselves, and the kids, too. You really can't beat the taste of farm-fresh eggs. (I get an extra dozen now and then from them -- so kind. They also said I could have some manure for the garden beds.)
Got a Walmart order of deodorant, mouthwash, wipes, etc. -- that we didn't order! (They said we could keep it. Thanks, Walmart. Shared it with Daughter #2 and Son #1.)
Girls day out with friends to La Veta. The breakfast was a bit on the pricey side, but delicious. I made up with it, though, with DVDs (including Monk seasons 3-5 -- $2 each!) A few packs of napkins, 50 cents each...and a painting in a Walsenburg store I just could not get out of my mind.
We went back the next day -- and couldn't find it. I honestly wondered if I'd imagined the whole thing. So I went back the day after that -- and there it was! Right environment, wrong store. I got a $10 discount, which was nice.
And here's the painter's other paintings. And her prices. I paid $55.
Did a trip to Trinidad with friends. (This time, with the guys included.) We had a yummy Chinese 'family dinner' from Wonderful House, spent some time at the animal rescue thrift shop, and toured the Space Cowboy exhibit that Dundee and Lee released. The leftovers from the restaurant made supper the next night, and an appetizer the day after that.
Watched Freya. Then the kids watched Tiger and Bo while we were on vacation.
Threw away a bunch of chewed blankets. (Courtesy of Tiger and Bo, who thankfully seem to be past this.) Tidied up other areas, and put things away. That in itself makes a huge difference.
Used greens from the planting beds on the deck for soup a few times. (Little secret: some of the greens were lamb's-quarters which are technically a weed. They tasted good, anyways.) We also started a new garden bed down by the stacked firewood, lining it with cardboard before shoveling in the dirt. Then some buckets of rich soil from under the trees.
Free food: a free gallon of milk from the kids, who also shipped a package for me. (And wouldn't let me pay for both.) They've also been bringing up meat from their freezer for our corporate use.
Grocery buys : half-price snow peas, broccoli and carrots; BOGO sour cream, plus a free one; strawberries for $2/lb; chicken breast, 88 cents/lb (Safeway). Marked-down purple cauliflower (King Soopers/City Market). Sadly, I paid full price for milk for most of this month, but am happy to say I can actually see daylight in my freezer. Grocery costs in general are definitely higher -- something that's a bit scary. True, we still have our $54 x 2 debit cards from Devoted, but they can only be used at certain stores.
Finished the steps. Added lights (sale priced, naturally - $24.), plus wedge lights. They worked so well that we added some to the front steps, as well.
Aren't these great!! The Brick, Cousin Phil and Son #1 did a terrific job.
Book buys: 4 haunted books plus 8 for research -- buy 3 get 1 free, free shipping. (The haunted books are for research too, actually.) One more research book, full price: $6.99 plus free shipping. Add this to the dozen or so books I found at the Goodwill bins for 25 cents each, plus the batch from the Trinidad thrift shop -- and now you know why I needed to tidy up and restock our shelves.
I also sent a batch of books to the Brick's brother and wife...a sort of early Christmas present, before the postage hike.
Thrift Shop Deals: A silk Caribbean-style shirt for the Brick ($7.50), plus a rare Colorado history book - for our pastor, who loves this subject, too -- a half-gallon blue canning jar ($10.50) and antique painted bowl ($17.15 - worth way more), plus 10% senior discount and free bread (Treasures in the Park, Castle Rock). Millenium-themed fabric, Goodnight Moon fabric (!!!) and a $1 quilt pattern; 50 cent Fourth of July pinwheel and a package of tiny flags -- 50 cents for each (Nazarene Thrift Shop, Monte Vista). Lovely 50-cent books, many of them on Western history for my research shelf (yayyyy!!); a half-price swag bag, with many expensive items inside; $3.50 plaid throw (Animal rescue thrift shop, Trinidad). We walked away from a $50 down coverlet, similar to the one the Brick found in the bins, and a $35 partial set of hand-painted dishes. I half-wish we hadn't.
My luxury swimming pool. It's great for keeping cool -- only I can't get the dogs to try it yet. (They do drink out of it, the stinkers.)
Little Caesar pizzas - 2 for $5.95 each. Tasty, and a nice change from cooking.
Two Fourth of July banners -- one for church (below) and one for home. About $12 and $25 each, respectively, with free shipping. (The company accidentally sent me three of the big ones, and said to keep them. So I did!)
Best offer on some cool photos and fabric -- including this intriguing shot of Leadville, CO's Tabor Theater. (I wonder what the play was?) These were buy 2, get 1 free on Ebay, plus free shipping. Plus a few discounted ones purchased separately.
For Father's Day, the Brick got a case of his favorite Monster Mango Loco drinks, a book on the Adams Diggings...plus a new robe. (He's been wearing his old navy one since before we married 44+ years ago.) Those dogs -- they know how to spoil their dad!
Played and sang on Worship Team -- and set up snacks for class one Sunday. (I'm on the roster now, once a month.) The Brick taught a Sunday School class, then led music that same Sunday. I helped out at the potluck afterward. And once everything was cleaned up... we went home and took a nap.
Turned down a music gig -- just too many other things to take care of this month.
Rediscovered the Complete Tightwad Gazette. (It was in the trailer...in the bathroom. Of course.) I've read it so often that the cover was tattered and worn. So I taped the heck out of it. Yes, it's in the bathroom again. This is one of the BEST frugal living sources ever.
And if you're curious how the Dacyczyn kids turned out, here's a link to 2013 interviews with all three daughters. Jamie's is especially interesting.
Wasted a dollar on the Devoted OTC allowance for CVS -- $59 versus my $60 quarterly allowance. (Yes, I know I'm being silly, but a dollar is a dollar.) We use this for toothpaste, aspirin, etc. (The Brick managed to use all of his allowance, by the way.)
Truck license renewed. Brickwork LLC renewed. Both were important.
More than a thousand dollars of tires ordered and installed. The plus side: they're supposed to help keep mileage up on the Highlander, do well in snow and rain (if we ever get more!) and are warrantied for 60,000 miles. And this was the best price the Brick found, after extensive research. Otherwise -- ouch.
Last month's report is here. The 2025 June report is here. And the year before that: here. Hopefully we can keep the heat at bay in July...otherwise, it's just going to be HOT.
The Brick, cleaning off the platform leading down to the steps.
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