Frugal Hits & Misses: April Report

 Tired. Just tired. But a week's visit to see family in Washington helped. Now on to finishing up things, so I can start new things. One series I've been meaning to mention: The Frugal Girl's weekly 'Five Frugal Things.' These savings are sometimes small, sometimes big -- but always interesting. I make time every Tuesday to check -- as well as hitting up The Nonconsumer Advocate's weekly posts on similar frugal stuff. These bloggers, like My Tireless Retirement, One Hundred Dollars A Month and The Prudent Homemaker, are my heroes! Several have become online friends, too.

    I'm grateful for them -- and Gentle Readers, for you. Thank you for sticking with me.

FRUGAL HITS

(a few of these were from late March)

*DVD Bargains:  Some season #1, #2, #3 and #4 DVDs of our buddy, The Rifleman, plus a few Western movie collections -- ranging from $4.99 - $13.95 each. (Most were less than $8.00.) Only one set wasn't free shipping. This was a real steal for The Rifleman -- he has remained popular over the years with a lot of viewers, and series DVDs are NOT cheap, despite being from the Sixties.

*Filled out a business survey for a $15 Amazon giftcard. 

*Got a Tabor state refund** credit on our taxes -- $1600. A great help, considering we had to fork out nearly $700 on federal taxes. (They messed up calculating my insurance payments. We paid what was specified...but they said we owed more. Sigh.)  

    **Colorado residents, thanks to a bill called the Tabor amendment, will get a certain amount of money back from the overage of state sales tax collected. Usually it's at least $300-400...IF the legislature allows us to collect. Every year we have lived here, since 1984, the Powers That Be have desperately tried to think of some way to keep these funds for themselves. (After all, we everyday people are probably too stupid to know how to use the money wisely.) They've introduced ballot measure after ballot measure -- and all have failed. Last year, they managed to not award any money, on the grounds that the current ballot measure was still in play. (It failed, too.) So this year, they tied it to income taxes -- if you don't file by April 15, or unless you request the money via a special form, you're out of luck. Too bad. 

*We stopped at the ranch in Sedalia, to clear out nearly all our remaining things, including the freezer. On the way home, an upside-down bin flew off. (We figure right at a big bump outside Pueblo.) Lost: just a few bags of veggies -- - and a frozen pizza!

                Going to miss this view.

    On the plus side, our freezer at home is literally STUFFED with food. It's going to be my job to clear it out over the next month. The only things left to pick up in Sedalia: bicycles, some wooden trays...and Joshua Chamberlin.

*I made up some dogfood mixtures for Ruby, using old elk meat, leftover Hoppin' John and rice. She ate some, and the rest is in the freezer for later. (She loves it.)

*Managed to pay our bills in full, in spite of truck repairs, etc. -- thanks in great part to the emergency fund, and cutting back elsewhere. We also replaced a big chunk of money in our emergency fund. Which is good -- we're going to need it. 

*A quadruple payment on the house loan. Thanks to Tabor.

*Found money:  $13.50 in half-dollars, plus a bunch of old Mexican currency and a lucky nickel!  All from cleaning the fifth-wheel. Also found: an unused Red Robin giftcard. (To replace the ones we gave away, I guess.) And a surprise at the Coinstar machine in King Soopers: 61 cents! I haven't found that much since the bonanza a few years ago.

     Our trip to Bellingham, WA produced a bit more:  4 pennies on a seat at DIA, a Mexican peso at SeaTac...and a dime and a penny in a mud puddle at the gas station where we fueled up to go home. Weird.

*Royalties from Arcadia for the two Colorado books -- yay! These continue to sell well.

If you'd like either of these, we'll send an autographed copy for $20 postpaid -- and throw in a copy of the children's book based on Ghosts and Legends. Just e-mail me at cindyjbrick@gmail.com. (Yes, we accept credit cards and Venmo.)

*Found a rental car for $21/day in Seattle...for a total bill less than $300. (Our plane tickets were reasonable, too -- except for the single checked piece of luggage, which cost more than the Brick's plane ticket. Outrageous.)

*We were also careful on food purchased during the trip. Other than a lavish feed of fish & chips in Canada, we stuck to grocery snacks and lunch, and shared Panda Express and Taco Bell meals. Sister-in-law made us some wonderful meals, as well. (Thank you!!)

*Game night with friends -- and the usual monthly potluck at church.

*Did a few more appraisals -- and two large reports. More to go.

*Unsubscribed to a bunch of websites -- I've been getting way too many messages, and it was clogging up my e-mail storage.

*A LOT of work on the fifth-wheel. Propane refilled, fifth-wheel scrubbed and vacuumed to within an  inch of its life. It was cleaned again after it was brought back. 

*Got a beautiful 'Christmas' cactus plant -- Walmart was selling them post-Easter. Marked down price: $2.99.

*Thrift shop bargains:  Egyptian cotton bedsheets ($12), a sweetgrass basket ($8 - I've looked for these for ages), 4 lamps ($3-8 ea), 5 lovely cobalt goblets ($1.50 ea), two paintings ($12 and $9), some premium towels ($5 and $6), a free camping tent -- and a boatload of clothes for 50% off! I found two pairs of pants, the Brick got a pair -- and a like-new Carhart's overall for FOURTEEN DOLLARS. The man was full of himself, since he also found a pair of Italian leather shoes (handmade in Italy) for $12. Yow!  We also got a 10% (20% on Tuesdays) seniors discount off everything. 

    Plus a copy of Smart Ass, which we'd played with friends recently -- for $4!

    Buoyed by those bargains, we stopped at Walmart for 50% off Easter stuff -- and three more pairs of pants on clearance for me. (I did refrain from the jeans Wally had with holes already chopped in them -- I do that myself, very well.)

    Our Washington trip produced more goodies, including a Japanese engraved tray, Japanese bowls and chopsticks in a presentation box ($15 each) a strange textile copy ($3) of a Japanese million-yen bill, and an ombre silk shawl/scarf ($1.50). We asked the thrift shop lady why all the Asian stuff. She said she didn't know: "Someone just donated it all." I also found several books, a packet of British sewing needles (25 cents) and some Christmas presents.

*Supper with friends at Red Lobster. The birthday girl got the $20 lobster and shrimp special, and I had the 'endless' shrimp, still a reasonable bargain at $25. (Yes, I tried to make it endless. Didn't succeed.)

*Made some changes in our investments, on the advice of our advisors at Lord & Richards. These should increase the money we will eventually make on one annuity. We will also begin getting regular payments from the other annuity -- overseas travel, here we come! 

*Grocery specials:  A variety of British teabags for 7 cents each, and king-sized candy bars for approx. $1.35 each (Amazon Warehouse Deals). I used up the Easter ham -- even the bone went for Hoppin' John.  (Ruby got what was left.)

*Found a pale pink maxi polo dress on Amazon -- for $13.40, and free shipping.

*The grubby book I got from the Ebay seller? It was refunded!  Second Sale is a reputable seller, and I've ordered from them several times, with great results. They paid me slightly less -- but I got to keep the (mended) book.

*More piano lessons for my students -- one adult, one kiddo.  The mom of the latter brought us delicious banana bread and a pound cake. Yum.

*Played and sang at church. (Turns out that our Washington niece, as well as her daughter and husband, also sing on Worship Teams! Nephew does the soundboard.)

*Warmer temps here, in spite of several snowstorms. We are definitely using less wood.

*Adopted Son #1 worked on our furnace. Now it runs more efficiently, thanks to a new thermostat. (Thank you!)

*Leftovers from the kids, who stopped here on their way to Texas for the eclipse (see 'Misses'): tortilla chips, milk, sparkling water, a few veggies-- and a HUGE pan of amazing macaroni and cheese. (Thanks, Dears.)

FRUGAL MISSES

*Truck tires: originally $1800 - ended up $1600. At least we got a $100 or so discount, thanks to the Brick's veteran status and a rebate. As the Brick pointed out, tire prices have just skyrocketed in recent months. 

*The truck's wheel fell off!  What a fun situation. After three-plus weeks, we are STILL waiting for repairs to finish. The dealer is saying it won't be ready until May 5 or so. (Current bill is more than $4000, and that doesn't count all the cost and hassle in extra trips, etc. Also, ironically, one of the four new tires is permanently missing. (The kids couldn't find the wheel at the scene, either.)

    We are still renting another truck to get around. 

       The claim, needless to say, is still ongoing.

*Had to make a special trip to clear out our remaining boxes at our friends' ranch... the initial trip, we both had a feeling that we should just go home. And we hit a very scary blizzard the last two hours of the drive -- that would have been even worse, had we detoured to Sedalia. (The second trip was necessary to finish the job.)

*More trips to Denver than usual, thanks to the Bellingham trip (we flew out of DIA), the Sedalia clear-out, appointments and needed tasks. Oh well.

*And yes, we paid on Federal taxes. (See above.)

*A lot longer to clear out and clean the fifth-wheel than we'd hoped. Isn't that the way it always is? At least it's done.

*Some freezer items didn't smell quite 'right' -- out they went. (The seafood got buried in the garden beds for fertilizer.) Ruby cleaned up some meat, but I still had to throw out some mystery items. 

Last month's report is here.  April 2023 is here, and April 2022 is here.  We're cringing some, waiting for the Rolling Wheel Incident to finish. But otherwise, all's well.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Yeah, It's Spring (Sort Of)

     Another storm this past weekend -- rain, then snow mixing with rain, then snow. The trees and sage were suitably frosted when we got home...and back to their old selves by morning.

     Welcome to Colorado.

     We spent most of the week hanging out with the Brick's big brother, sister-in-law and his family, in the Seattle/Bellingham area. It was WONDERFUL -- peaceful, a lot of questions about their growing up, what happened to us as we grew up...and what the future may bring. Plus, we had a chance to see their kids, grandkids -- and great-grandkids! Yes, it rained...but we needed this time away. 

      We even made a quick trip into Canada for a walk around the bay at White Rock, fish & chips...and a stop at a grocery store for Dare maple and LeClerc chocolate butter cookies. (Yes, they are worth traveling for.) 

     The only blight on the trip was on Frontier, which was repeatedly 'delayed.' After a ride from our friends, we made it to Castle Rock at 10 p.m...and got home about 2 a.m. Lots of rain, and yes, it was snowing on La Veta Pass.

      It's good to be home. 

Meanwhile:

The Columbia Gaza protestors are being cleared away as I type this. UPDATE:  Well, sort of. Another UPDATE: the hall has been cleared, and dozens of students arrested.  (Here's the NY Post's version -- and CNN's.) I have a better solution than police and threats -- 

     Step One:  Close all the surrounding buildings, so there's no access to bathrooms.

     Step Two:  Pick up all the tents, sleeping bags, etc. Make sure to grab any water bottles and food containers, as well.

      Pick up the masks...people who wear hijabs and keffiyehs normally can continue to wear them, provided they show their faces occasionally. (Otherwise, they come off, too.) Require i.d. cards to be shown regularly -- and take down names. If the cause is important to them, these students should have no problem showing their faces.

     Step Three:  Restrict anyone from coming back, once they leave. (Hey, they wanted to be there -- they can stay there.)

     Step Four:     Restrict any food deliveries -- unless the delivery drivers also want to stay. (See Step Three.)

     Step Five:     Cut electricity to the area, including overhead lights. And now the best solution of all:

     Step Six:   Decide to fertilize the lawn in that area. After all, it's taken a lot of wear and tear in the past few weeks. Get a nice juicy truckload of fish fertilizer -- then spread a thick layer all over the grass. Say, a foot or so.

     Then you'll find out how dedicated these protestors really are.

A New York DA makes a startling -- but honest -- apology for chewing out a cop who gave her a much-deserved ticket. It's about time...

A millionaire interview (no. #394).  ESI Money has been running these for years; they're interesting and occasionally helpful.

John Jacob Astor's gold pocket watch sold for nearly 1.5 million dollars. Why? Because the bazillionaire died on the Titanic, and the watch was found on his body when it was recovered.  Titanic artifacts with good provenance have been skyrocketing in recent years. (Some appraiser has a very red face, after valuing this at $189,000.) 

     Wallace Hartley's bag, went at the same auction for nearly half a million -- also far above its presale estimate. Hartley was the bandleader; his bag, including his violin, was found strapped to his body. (Tradition says that Hartley's orchestra played "Nearer, My God to Thee" as the ship went under, although some accounts say it was a then-popular song, "Autumn.") 

      This price was just for the bag, monogrammed with Hartley's initials. Not the violin, though -- that's in the Belfast Titanic Museum.

Astor's watch -- beautiful. (And just a tad overpriced, in my opinion.)

After a hung jury in the first trial, the Arizona rancher charged with shooting a migrant will not be charged again. Good -- we have strong opinions about this. (In fact, he never should have been charged in the first place; he was simply protecting his property and family.)

     Now who pays his legal bills??

Have a great week. 

The Crockpot Is My Friend - Redux

 Another goodie from the Brickworks files:

Stephanie over at "A Year of Slow Cooking" has made it her goal to use the crockpot every single day in 2008.

I'm not up to that level of dedication, but I do love the crockpot -- its round self has saved my patootie more than once during the past few months of roofing. And there's nothing like coming in the house, cold and hungry, and smelling beef stew waiting for you. Right. Now.

Bliss.

Not only that, but crockpots use way less energy than your stove. Even your microwave. You do tend to cook in larger quantities-- occasionally a problem, now there's just Husband and yours truly -- but the stuff freezes nicely. Or we have it for lunch/supper again during the week.

Stephanie just gave an extremely nice recipe for Chocolate Fondue:

--1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white. Your choice.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in a Small Dipper crockpot -- or put in an ovenproof bowl or glass casserole dish inside your larger crockpot. Don't add water. (I don't know why the stuff doesn't burn, but it doesn't.) Cook on low until it's melted -- about 1-2 hours. Dip in marshmallows, apple or orange slices, bananas, whatever. Enjoy.

There are a ton of other recipes on Stephanie's website, but you can find about any dish on Allrecipes.com, as well.

Here are some of my favorites:

MEXICAN PORK

1 pork roast (cut off the most obvious fat)
1 envelope taco mix

That's it! Cook 4-8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. Don't add water -- the meat juices will give this a nice soupy mix. Tender, delicious --use for barbecue, enchiladas, tacos and such.

This is also good for beef, though I may substitute an envelope (or two tablespoons) of onion soup mix and 1/2 cup of wine.

CROCKPOT CHILI
(got us through a snowy, blustery day this week)

1 pound ground beef or pork
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 quart jar home-canned tomatoes. Or 1 large can tomatoes)
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons dried garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1 small can green chilies (optional, but very Coloradoan to use)
2 cups dried pinto beans

Rinse the beans and dump them into the crockpot; cover with water (about 1/3 of the pot). Dump everything else in -- do not brown the meat! (This way, the good juices go directly into the chili, rather than being wasted in the frying pan. The bouillon just boosts the meaty taste.) Rinse out tomato and/or chili cans -- add that water, as well. Cook on low 6-10 hours, or high 6-8 hours. Feeds 4-6 gorillas, especially when served with 'cheese guys' (cheese melted on corn tortillas in 450 degree oven approx. 5 min.). Stretch your meat further by doubling everything else --it's still delicious.

CHICKEN-BROCCOLI SOUP

1/2 pound raw chicken breast, chunked (1-2 cups cooked leftovers are good, too)
1 pound broccoli -- frozen package or approx. 2 cups chopped raw
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon marjoram or basil
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large can (or two small cans) cream of chicken, celery or mushroom condensed soup
approx. 2 cups milk
-----stop here -------------
1 teaspoon sour cream per bowl (optional, but good - yogurt works, too)
1/2-1 cup grated cheese

Here we go. Dump everything, from chicken through the condensed soup, into the crockpot -- fill the empty cans with milk to rinse, and dump that in, too. Add 1-2 cups water if mixture looks too thick. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or high 2-3 hours. Serve each bowl topped with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkled with cheese. Feeds 4-6.

Enjoy. And invite us over to dinner!

Monday (er, Tuesday) Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Yes, I'm Still Here

     Working on something this week...I'll check in periodically, but might be a bit quiet. Hang in there with me.

Queen of Sweden rose (Wikipedia) --

a sister-in-law's favorite

Meanwhile:

A gargoyle... behind an English toilet in a 700-year-old home? 

How would you like something from the international space station suddenly visit your home?

The woman who tried to use her dead uncle's body to get a bank loan. (He was 

'signing.')

The true rate of inflation.  (My Tireless Retirement has a point here.)

'Poverty meals' that just might help you save money.

A sketch of a marble block goes for more than 33 times its low estimate. The sketcher? Michelangelo.

Have a good week.

But I LIKE Oysters...

 

'Overheard a conversation about people talking about rich people and weird foods, and eventually they started talking about oysters.

 One of them remarked, “Well, if you wanna eat boogers outta rocks, you gotta be rich.”'

From "Oysters" on Wikipedia

Spring Is Here... And Updates

 

     We have now lived in Fort Garland for five months. It's been interesting to see how spring arrives here in the 'High Desert:' greener trees and sage, and grass growing along the roadsides. Real green!! What a lovely color, after winter shuffling through tan, gray and white, over and over. 

    This week, we brought back the last of our things from the Sedalia ranch we've called home for several years. When we pulled in, five deer greeted us with shocked expressions: "Where did you come from??" And we soon learned that hauling heavy boxes down the ladder from the garage loft was not exactly easy. (The Brick shimmied down three steps, trying desperately not to drop the box as I tried to grab it and ease it down. Do that a few times, and you'll feel it in back and shoulders.)

     We also cleaned out our share of food from our friends' freezer, and packed it in tubs. One of the tubs was put upside-down on top of a bag of quilts, to keep it secure. On the way home, just south of Pueblo, we hit a HUGE bump...and discovered, once we got home, that one of the tubs fell off. Weirdly, nearly all the frozen food stayed in the truck. Much of it stuck to the lid -- and the rest was scattered in the truck bed. All the road crew got was a few assorted bags of veggies, the empty bin -- and a frozen pizza!

     I hope they like Supreme. 

Our old home. We loved it there.

New home. Loving it here, too!

Lessons Learned From A Gunslinger: The Redux

      I wrote this post for another website years ago...but it's worth visiting again. And yes, Paladin and we are still buddies.

     We've been in good company lately, riding the Western backcountry with Paladin. (Hanging out in luxury San Francisco hotels, too.) In case you're not familiar with this knight errant, Paladin was a gun-for-hire in the American television show,  Have Gun Will Travel.  Richard Boone starred in this long-running series (1957-63) on CBS. His trademark was a knight embossed on his holster ("the most dangerous piece on the chessboard," Paladin says), and a business card prominently featured in each episode. Paladin quotes Shakespeare and the classics, appreciates fine food and wine (when he's not out in the boonies living on beans and coffee, that is), and shoots straight -- no matter what.

After multiple episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, I realized some of Paladin's lessons were good for life, too:

*An expert is worth his hire. "I can get three guns for your price," one of Paladin's clients announces. "Quality is not quantity," Paladin retorts. This hired gun charges a hefty fee for his services - $1000 or more, and that in the 1870s! If you're good at what you do, charging more makes sense.
     Our oldest daughter, in college and paying her way via dogsitting, learned this when she was featured on her sponsor site, Rover.com. Suddenly her services were even more in demand, and at a higher price.
     When I began teaching and lecturing (my other jobs, besides writing and appraising), a teacher friend urged, "Double your fee." I was afraid groups couldn't afford my services, but the truth was a surprise -- I was busier than ever. My higher price confirmed  to them, at least, that I was worth it. 

*Give your word -- and keep it. Paladin expects loyalty, both from his friends and himself. In spite of obstructions -- 'bad guys,' stormy weather or whiny females -- Paladin finishes the job, and does it well. He may grab a smooch or shoot the local tough in the process, but that just makes the plot more fun.

*Work hard, play hard.  Does the latest job demand travel for days in the heat and dust, a teeth-rattling ride in a stagecoach, arguing with a hostile crowd, or a showdown on main street? Whatever it is, Paladin accomplishes it, an nobly. Between gigs, he retreats to his suite at the Hotel Carlton in San Francisco for hot baths, fine wine and tickets to the opera. (Okay, a lot of flirting with pretty girls, too.) A thousand bucks, after all, covers a lot of playtime at post-Civil War prices.

*A good education comes in handy. Paladin is well-read, from Cicero to Keats. (Another lesson: education is lifelong, not just classes.) He speaks more than one language, and understands several different cultures. He needs it: he has to get along with everyone from English aristocrats to Apache warriors. Which brings us to another lesson --

*The great ones are versatile. Not only is Paladin equally capable of fighting with a variety of weapons, riding a horse up a steep canyon, and analyzing great whiskies -- so are the actors and actresses in Have Gun Will Travel episodes. A number are famous now, including Charles Bronson, June Lockhart, James Coburn and Martin Balsam. Even more interesting: the really good ones appear more than once, as different characters. (Did they honestly think we wouldn't notice?) It isn't just the actors; a number of the episodes were authored by people who went on to fame elsewhere. Those names include Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek), Bruce Geller (Mission Impossible) and Harry Julian Fink (Big Jake, Ice Station Zebra...and the Dirty Harry movies).

Good lessons, all. And if you like cowboy Westerns, the research is so much fun!