An Ode To Egg

Google is offering a '$25-for-$60' coupon for Art.com -- a nice buy, if you enjoy artwork. (Google's special is good for 6 days -- you don't have to use the coupon until July, though. Go here for specifics.)
I was musing on getting 'Companions' by Augustus Egg:

Recognize it? Egg was a Victorian era painter, and one of Charles Dickens' traveling buddies. But more than that, he was a keen observer of humans -- how they looked, how one small gesture (like the girl's glance out the window) defined a personality.
    In grad school at Ann Arbor, I lived and worked in a house of one of the professors. Cleaning their house and taking care of their young daughter got me a room in the attic, plus breakfast. (Lunch too, if I came home and walked the dog.) They had two paintings by Egg on the dining room wall: one showing 'past travel' (rowdies and drunks in a coach) and one showing 'present travel' (well-bred men and women daintily seated on clean benches). I had never lived with paintings before, and used to study Egg's work up close, admiring his use of paint dots and blobs to accomplish what he needed. Take a look, for example, at the girls' silk dresses. Wow, what a use of light!
    Egg was popular in his time -- 19th century England -- but not very well known today. A shame, because his work was astonishing. (See more here.) His most recognizable work is probably an 1858 triptych called Past and Present, now hanging in Tate Britain in London. The paintings were accompanied by this fictional diary note:

August the 4th - Have just heard that B— has been dead more than a fortnight, so his poor children have now lost both parents.
I hear she was seen on Friday last near the Strand, evidently without a place to lay her head. What a fall hers has been!

Painting 1 -- Misfortune (Husband finds a lover's note to his wife; she begs for forgiveness)

Painting 2 -- Prayer (Orphaned daughters praying for their mother -- note the moon, because it also appears in...)

  Painting 3 -- Despair (The woman, now scorned and abandoned, finds shelter --note the little baby toes peeking out of her shawl.)

(paintings courtesy of Wikipedia and Art.com)

See what I mean? Subtle...but what power.

The Letters

     Lately I've been working on a very interesting line of study:  

     Signatures. Autographs. Letters. And such.

     Famous (and infamous) celebrity signatures go for WAY more than you would think. Many times these are clipped from letters, or scribbled on cards. They're interesting. And salable.

     But the real value, if you can find them, is on letters and notes -- especially those that reference places, people and events in these people's lives. A peek into their writing feels a bit strange, yet exciting...like a conversation you're accidentally overhearing. 

     I research paper ephemera on Ebay -- in part to keep appraising skills current. But I also am intrigued by what's showing up on the market from people, past and present.

Like Charles Dickens. 

     I've rattled on about Charley before; you know that if you've been reading this blog for a while. His work was the main subject of my Master's paper at the University of Michigan, and I've continued to read his books -- and books about him -- since then. 

     Dickens signatures average $700-900 on Ebay lately, with letters (bland ones) triple or quadruple that. I really could not see paying good money for just an autograph... or even worse, an envelope in his writing, but no signature. 

     Then this came onto Ebay: a 1906 Dickens novel. With two letters from Dickens pasted inside!

Letter #1 is the gem: a note from Dickens introducing his "old friend" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (who WAS an old friend), written to a then-famous artist. And it's on his office letterhead. Whoa. Notice the lavishly-underlined signature, and the blue ink -- both "tells" of Dickens during this period. (Yes, I studied to learn that)

Letter #2 is more your usual 'responding to a request' letter -- but it's written on Gad's Hill letterhead. Dickens' long-wished-for home, purchased in the last decade of his life. Scribbled quickly, also in blue ink. Typical of the stuff offered online -- nice, though.

    The Ebay seller was asking far more than I could afford. Then they sent a special offer -- still too much. Using the "Best Offer" principle, I made an offer for less than half of what they were asking. (ALWAYS offer less than they're asking, if they're open to the possibility of a Best Offer.)

    They accepted it!

    The letters are real. The ink and paper are consistent with the period. Longfellow WAS visiting Dickens in England at the time Letter #1 was dated. And Dickens WAS living at Gad's Hill during the period Letter #2 was written. Also, his writing and signature are consistent with other examples that have been authenticated. 

     I opened the package, trembling a little, and gently touched the pages. I could actually sell Letter #1 for much more than I spent for the entire lot. But Dickens ephemera has only been going up in value -- I will hang on these for a while, probably framing them. What an opportunity to study writing and signatures up-front and personal! 

    Soon after, I bumbled across a letter written by Augustus Egg, one of Dickens' buddies. It was at an already-low price, but I submitted a Best Offer, anyways. 

     The seller accepted that, too! 

         Egg had moved into The Elms not long before. I am a fan of this Victorian artist, including The Travelling Companions, one of his better-known paintings. He was very much in vogue in past years, though his work is selling a bit slower nowadays. (Good -- maybe I can get one cheaper!)

Dickens' and Egg's letters join a few notes I'd already collected, including Georgina Hogarth (Charley's sister-in-law) and Kate Perugini, his oldest daughter. I also have, I confess, an extensive collection of Dickens novels and commentaries -- all purchased at rock-bottom prices. I had to -- we didn't have enough $$ to spend more. Ironically, being retired has produced more income for us than we'd seen in decades. So it's given me more dollars for research and collecting than I ever used to have. But the Hollander instinct is still strong. I barter, dicker and trade a lot. 

You can buy books from Dickens' personal library, with his bookplate inside. This one's going for more than $500 on Ebay. Or, if you're curious, read the story behind his "lost portrait."  Found at a garage sale!

                                    ==============

    To make my study of signatures and autographs even more helpful, I've been reading the memoirs of Charles Hamilton, a well-known dealer in memorabilia. His books Great Forgers and Famous Fakes, and Scribblers and Scoundrels, are virtual classes in identifying famous signatures -- including up-close examples of fakes, as well as the real stuff. 

Case in point: Abraham Lincoln signatures are extremely popular -- and just as often faked. One way to tell these -- Lincoln rarely signed his full name; usually it was just 'A. Lincoln.' But here's the kicker: his 'A.' was higher or lower than the 'L' in 'Lincoln!' A quick look at Ebay offerings was startling -- you would not believe the straight-line signatures out there! 

    Another trick of the forgers: get an authentic deed, paper, pass, etc. of that time -- then just forge a quick note or signature. Study of those examples usually tanks when you research where that person was at that time period -- and what they were doing. (The ink, signature characteristics and style fail, too.)

     Hamilton had an extensive collection of fakes, which he paid for at lesser rates. (Sometimes, he says, the forgers' signatures have been more expensive than some of the people they copied.) He uses these for comparison, and keeping his eye sharp. This is one of the reasons I collect specific pieces of china (like an 1840s Gaudy Welsh cup and saucer), books and quilts. How can I understand what a c.1800 quilt is like, if I can't smell, feel and look at an example up-close? 

    Starting my own collection of signatures and letters, even if it's miniscule, feels wonderful.

Frugal Hits & Misses: May Report

    Compared to past years, we've had a surprisingly quiet month. I'm not sure exactly why -- but both of us seemed to crave quiet days and evenings. Unless it was important (or a client appraisal session), we generally limited our 30-minute trips to town just on Sundays. Even then, we'd fit in an errand or two before heading home. 

     It definitely paid off. We're regularly spending less than we're bringing in -- and that means more saved for projects looming in the near-future. We're not at the point that we don't have a penny to spare. We're also not afraid to go out to eat, or buy something slightly more upscale. (Like the kitchen faucet mentioned below, which was a very expensive piece -- if the Brick had paid retail, instead of ordering it via Amazon's Warehouse Deals. More than $250 saved - and it has a lifetime guarantee.) 

Sure, we could pay full price for a movie...but there's nothing we're aching to see. (Except maybe John Wick 4 -- that can wait for the small screen.) I can easily make a steak dinner or a fancy breakfast. It would taste just as good -- if not better -- than a restaurant version. And the Brick generally does the dishes! 

   Like others,  I enjoy cataloguing the especially good Hits in our life. But I also enjoy watching our credit card bills go down -- and our bank account up. I think we're going to stick to a quiet life for a while. Meanwhile, I'll continue to save for the next cruise or overseas trip.

FRUGAL HITS

*Rain -- lots of rain. Far more than we usually get. Wonderful.

*Plants on sale at Lowe's: the Memorial Day sale had hanging planters 2 for $20, perennials 2 for $10, and herbs 3 for $12. Got some tomatoes, too...and flowers for the girlies. (10% discount, because the Brick is a veteran.) I filled in with Walmart flowers for our friends' whiskey barrel planters and front deck, and made a little display by our lounge chairs. Warning: the perennials rang up at their regular price: $8.98. I had to go back days later to get this corrected. Make sure you check your receipts!

      I'm also rooting cuttings in water for new plants -- including geraniums and petunias. Tomatoes might be next. (Here's a helpful link.)

*Planted a small garden. Beans are in the 'garden tunnel' I got a few months ago -- so the silly deer don't eat them. (The deer already munched down a geranium I planted, though they ignored the marigolds and dianthus. The stinkers.) I put in a lot of greens, hopefully enough for both them and us. The tomatoes should be okay, and I deliberately bought herbs the deer don't care for: rosemary and lavender. (The oregano will have to take its chances.) I'll plant basil in a pot kept close to the fifth-wheel, and hope for the best.

It's still a bit more than $30 -- what I paid for it. A good deal, if it works.

*Took a few extra surveys, saved up my daily points-- and got a $25 giftcard for roughly $21.75 in Swagbucks. It's an early Father's Day present for the Brick. (You can do this, too -- and if you go through this link, you give me a little boost, as well. It's free, easy to do, and the points rack up quickly.)

*Sent in an order for free medical supplies. Every three months, we get an allowance for this via the Brick's Medicare plan. (Soon we'll be able to do it for me, too!)

*Soup from a friend -- and we took crackers and beer to a fajitas meal invite from friends.

*The Brick moved the birdfeeder outside the fifth-wheel. The birds have been having fun tussling over it -- and nearly flying into our window. In fact, we've been treated to "the Brick menagerie:" birds at the feeder, a wild turkey picking up seed underneath -- and a group of deer grazing nearby. I put the hummingbird feeder up as well, so they can get in on the fun.

Move on. Nothin' to see...

 

*Bought a painting! Walter Dendy Sadler's work reminded me so much of the Augustus Egg story paintings I lived with, when I was a grad student. (They were on the walls of the home I took care of; Egg was a well-known Victorian painter...and a friend of Dickens.)  

At least I can live with and enjoy this piece: 'A Little Mortgage.' Thanks to some negotiation, it was at a price I could afford.

You can see a collection of Egg's work here. Here are some of Sadler's works -- he's quite a droll artist. Researching him was a lot of fun. 

*The Brick fixed a bunch of things, including replacing the screen on the front door (that Ruby roared through one day), replacing the kitchen faucet with a much nicer version (works better now) and fixing a very persistent leak on the kitchen sink. He also replaced an exterior outlet that a bird was insisting could include her nest. (Final score, after much fussing and yanking twigs out: Brick 1, Mama Bird 0.) He helped overhaul our friends' tractor, and spent 5+ hours mowing their very large property. Two mowings in less than 3 weeks? Thank the rain. 

    He also drove regularly for a local church that helps adults with disabilities, and did several errands for the pastor and his wife. (Yes, he is that kind of thoughtful guy.)

*Grocery buys:  free Pop-Tarts; 99-cent bags of tomatoes, apples and limes** (King Soopers); 97-cent half-gallon milk and 8 oz Swiss cheese slices; 4-for-$19.99 meats (originally $9-14 each), with an additional 30% off. (Safeway); $3.55 roast chickens and several other marked-down items (Walmart - just happened to stop by at just the right time). I made a pact with myself to use up canned goods, and start clearing out the freezer -- so I honestly haven't shopped much. (One of the Easter hams has been our main source of protein all month.) Fresh veggies, other than sale stuff, have taken a side step. This will change as fresh summer produce comes into play.

**Getting 4-6 pieces in a bag, instead of 1 or 2, is okay with me! The tomatoes were especially welcome, and lasted nearly all month.

*Made bread, cinnamon rolls, apple crisp and cookies. The oven's heat kept the trailer warm, and I didn't buy as many of these items. 

*FINALLY got the Red Robin $25 bonus bucks credit I should have had back in December. Only it's $20, not $25. Hey, it only took 5 or 6 tries... we also took advantage of a BOGO 50% special.

*Gave away a few books. 

*Some appraisals done -- and several large reports close to finished. It's always a relief to get these taken care of.

*The Brick went on a men's retreat for our original church - Creekside Bible. He especially enjoyed the shooting matches. (We have a lot of hunters around here.)

*Put stuff in the Amazon cart -- took it out. Put stuff in...took it out.

*BOGO sale at the library used book room. Videos and adult books for a buck...or $1.50 ? Kids' books 25 cents each? Yes, please! Not only did I get several items for us, but some baby shower presents. The present box is restocked, as well. I spent more than usual this month, but it was worth it.

*Thrift shop buys: a Father's Day present for the Brick. (I've been dying to give it to him early, but have resisted, so far.) Branded, seasons #1 and #2, which makes it the complete series -- $5 each. Three t-shirts, quality brands $5 and $7 -- except they were 50% off that price. (A few dresses were also 50% off. One of those went to a friend.) A bunch of 50-cent birthday cards. A 'new,' badly-needed leather purse $8, with five chapsticks (and a condom!!) hidden inside. (10-20% taken off the total, as well, because I'm considered a senior now.)

That Chuck -- what a cutie.

Mother's Day goodies:  The kids were very kind. I loved a beautiful tulip bouquet and a huge chocolate bar, pea and dahlia plants -- and a travel mug emblazoned with Bigfoot carrying a Colorado motif. (Weird, but cute). A favorite book, and a pretty little triple vase. (See it above.) We were also treated to a lovely supper by the kids.   The sweethearts.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Library books and DVDs are checked out now for THREE MONTHS. (Okay, that's actually a Hit.) Our old library has closed, and is moving into the new building directly in front of it. The new library will open in late August. That's all well and good, but I have been using the study rooms to meet appraisal clients. Either my schedule's going to slow wayyy down (it often does in the summer months), or I have to find a new meeting place.

*The library returned cash I'd accidentally left in a book -- sooo nice of them! (I sent a card and a little present as thanks for helping this doofus.)

*The phone bill went up -- considerably. We've got a beefy insurance bill hovering in the wings. The Brick negotiated the bill down for the phone -- as well as Sirius, which quietly tried to QUADRUPLE our monthly charge. (It didn't work.)

April's report is here, and May's report from last year is here. And May 2021, too. 

And now for a (hopefully) calm summer that's not tooo hot.

Childhood Money Memories - the Redux

 Thought you might enjoy this classic post from many years back, edited and updated a bit. (I'm still having to send most of my old posts back to 'draft' status...someone is still trying to piggyback their posts onto mine.)

While the hambone is simmering in navy bean soup (it's the Michigan coming out in me), I ran across some bloggers talking about growing up -- and how they felt about money.

What are some of your childhood memories of money?

A few for me:

*Watching my brother pick up yet another dime or nickel from the ground...I rarely seemed to find any. (Daughter #2 has this talent, as well.) Worrying that I was going to lose the grimy pennies or nickel clutched in the fuzz at the bottom of my pocket. Admiring the shiny plastic coin purse or wallet I got for my birthday, and feeling pride at the dollar bills stashed inside.

*Halloween candy -- with Brother helping eat up my share. (He kept his under his bed, until it was hard and crunchy.) Christmas candy went the same route. (We rarely got any $$ for birthdays, though we had presents and a special cake.)

*A metal bank -- with a hand that reached under the door and snatched your coin, before yanking it back. (I always preferred coins to dollar bills -- the bigger, the better.) Large glass gumball machines that demanded a nickel -- or a quarter for a jawbreaker. Glass cases at the Ben Franklin five-and-dime, full of candy. (If I was feeling wealthy, I'd get 10 cents' worth of heart-shaped redhots.) The chocolate-covered peanuts the Mama invariably brought back from a shopping trip. (I preferred red licorice -- it lasted longer and didn't melt in your pocket.)

*A trip to the library on Saturday mornings -- then a stop at the ice cream store across the street. Should I try to work my way through the 24-or-so flavors...or stick with bubble gum, my favorite? (I usually caved to the latter.) Then it was on to the store for the week's groceries. We invariably had hamburgers and french fries for supper that night.

*Selling corn and raspberries (from our garden) out by the road to passing motorists, with a few homemade potholders of my own on the table, as well.

*Picking fruit -- especially blueberries and strawberries. We couldn't afford the little plastic boxes at the supermarket, but standing in the sun, popping a warm berry in your mouth, was a pleasure not to be bought at the store. My grandma in a feedsack apron, scarf wrapped around her head, looking like the pictures of European peasants I saw in books. (Europe was an incredible far-off place to this Michigan farmgirl. I had no idea I'd visit there in my college years.) Buckets of berries, poured carefully into quart boxes. Then home to make jam, with the sweetness permeating the kitchen air -- and 'foam' scraped off to eat on a cracker. Jars lined up on the table, with a hazy skim of wax protecting the fruit.

*Starting work at the hardware store, age 15. I worked there 5 days a week -- no Sunday or Thursday -- all through high school, and some college breaks and summers. I was so excited: instead of the 75 cents I was paid for babysitting, I would get a munificent $1.50 an hour!
(Daughters yawned at this...they got $5-6 hourly babysitting one kid.)

*Having a bowl of clam chowder one snowy day during lunch break from the hardware store -- and tipping the waitress $5. (Left a thank you note, too. She WAS great, even to a snot-nosed high schooler like me.) Watching the farmers come into Cnossen's for coffee and a doughnut, then across the street to pick up a part at the hardware store. Running across the street at breaktime to the bakery for a large, warm oatmeal cookie. (A huge splurge I didn't dare to attempt much -- cost perhaps 50 cents!)

*Buying The Mama an angel candle that cost TEN WHOLE DOLLARS for Christmas. I cannot even now tell you how much that sum represented back then. Must have been about 8th grade. (She never burned it -- I brought it home from her estate.)

     Saving for other presents took a very long time. Invariably they were homemade.

*Spending a day shopping 'downtown' (the la-dee-dah spot in Grand Rapids) with The Mama, cousins and our aunt. We'd head straight to Wurzburg's, have a chef salad at their lunchroom, then analyze the dresses before going down to the bargains in the basement. (To this day, I still associate chef salads and Wurzburg's -- long out of business -- with careless, prodigal luxury.) After a few more stops to check clothes styles, we'd go to the fabric store and pick out a pattern and fabric as close to the store models as we could get. My mom sewed beautifully -- she often did tailoring for other people, including suits and wedding gowns. Excepting cousins' hand-me-downs, I don't think I had a storebought dress until I was a junior in high school.

*Saving half my money for college. No matter what, even though this was a far-off dream back in the late 60s and 70s. Ten percent for tithing, the rest was mine for whatever was needed. (I tried very hard not to ask my folks for cash -- that's what jobs were for, although I did get 50 cents a week in allowance through middle school. Again, it's difficult to express HOW MUCH that 50 cents represented.) Dollar by dollar, that money built up my savings account -- and was enough to pay a good chunk of my first year in college.

*Working, working, working. Taking any job I could find at Grand Rapids Baptist College. That ended up including housecleaning, secretarial work for a CPA, selling at a pick-your-own apple orchard, waitressing, tutoring, typing papers for other students, teaching...and working the Sunday morning shift washing dishes in the "Pit," the college cafeteria. I would come back to the dorm exhausted, smelling of grease and eggs. (It was good training for a short stint at Wal-Mart years later, doing much the same thing...but adding making cotton candy and popcorn.)

*Grad school at the University of Michigan. Living on canned spaghetti, invites to the local commune from a fellow English Lit buddy, or the $1.35 fried rice special at a local Chinese restaurant in Ann Arbor. (Where, incidentally, I met a tall North Carolina boy, fresh out of the Navy, one day!) My home was the attic of a gracious, ivy-over-brick 'mansion.' I lived there, and got breakfast in return for keeping the house clean and looking after their 12-year-old daughter. (Lunch too, if I came home and walked the dog.) He was the chairman of the Classics department, she was a lawyer -- and the oldest daughter of the British novelist Evelyn Waugh. I read many British novels that year, and developed an appreciation for Victorian art -- especially Augustus Egg -- and Italian Nativity sets.

"The Traveling Companion," one of Egg's paintings

*Our first (student) apartment as a married couple -- $115 a month. Even that amount was hard to come up with, and I was working full-time! We ate a lot of ramen (especially a brand called Sapporo Ichiban, which was 25 lavish cents), chicken noodle soup and peanut butter sandwiches back then. I threw a surprise birthday party for the Brick our first year -- invited 11 or 12 people. I didn't think of our place being small until then. It was so crowded that no one literally had room to sit down. (My brother-in-law spent the evening lying underneath the dining room table.)

Writing these down, I suddenly realized -- a lot of my money-related childhood memories also have something to do with food! Weird...

This would have been incredibly luxurious, back when I was a kid.

Frugal Hits & Misses: June Report

     It's a lovely day in the neighborhood... and I feel 'deadbeat and plum tuckered out,' as the Brick likes to say. We're still having truck repair issues, although at least it's drivable now. (And no resolution on the Wheel Claim, either. See below.)

     I've had more appraising, teaching and work gigs than I usually do this month. Which is good.

     And we've had several visitors, which is also good.

     We've had way more rain than usual, according to our friends here. 

     And much to our mutual astonishment, our income almost covered our expenses. In spite of several extras -- and an investment I made. 

Mustn't grumble. Except for the truck business, these are all good.

So on life goes.

Maybe you can't afford moneybags -- but you can buy this Danish cutie for less than $10

FRUGAL HITS

(some of these are from late May)

*$25 gift card awarded to the Brick for getting a physical. (He needed it to renew his CDL, anyways.) Yes, I need to do this, too. (sigh)

*Free Rockies game (and a hotdog!) for the Brick (who paid for parking). Courtesy of friend Thom. 

*Two beautiful antique quilts -- traded for several hours of appraising. 

*Iced coffee is back on the menu, using leftover morning coffee. Iced tea is making an appearance, too.

*Found money:  7 pennies and a mystery coin (another penny?) from the Coinstar at the Alamosa Safeway, plus 2 pennies ( same spot) during an earlier visit. Whoo hoo -- 9 cents!!  (Can you hear the Brick laughing?)

*It RAINED. And rained some more! We so appreciate moisture in this dry climate.

*A $6.50 check from Colorado's Great Payback - via the Missing Money site. Have you checked this yet, to see if you're owed something?

*The Excel electric bill was nearly half of what it was last month. Hey, every $ counts.

*More buy-3-get-1-free books from Second Sale on Ebay...plus free shipping. Frugal living, a quilt book, plus a Dickens book I've been wanting to read, Dickens and Staplehurst. I found another Dickens book marked way down from another seller -- Dickens and the House of Fallen Women.  Update: I finished the Staplehurst book -- very well-written, and answered some questions I'd always had about this part of Dickens' life.

Me and Charley -- buddies forever.

*Postcards -- many at deep discount, including pioneers, Thanksgiving -- and several for an upcoming book we're collecting for. Reasonable shipping, too.

*Finished two long-overdue appraisal reports.  Thank God.

*Bought potatoes in bulk -- 50 pounds for $20. Big ones, too. Not a terrific price -- but not bad. Several had black spots, sadly.

*Dented and crumbly cookies -- from an Amazon order. Which they promptly credited when I complained. Thanks, Amazon!

*Another Amazon order had an item missing -- and a large colored hammock included. (Which I did NOT order.) The missing item was credited, and they told me to keep the hammock. Thanks again, Amazon!

*The truck's brakes are FIXED, thanks to the Brick's and Son #1's hard work. The transmission fluid was drained and replenished, too. Hopefully this makes our truck run happily for quite some time to come. 

*Bought THE BOOK. Or should I really say -- THE LETTERS.  See the post on this for more.

*An Augustus Egg letter -- made a very lowball offer -- and they accepted! (See the post on this.)

*Did some appraisals. (Actually, way more than usual for this time of year.) 

*Picked the first of our tomatoes. I planted two 'indeterminate' (whatever the heck that is) and two 'Early Girl' plants. Our climbing beans are coming up nicely. I planted more beans and some zinnias in another bin -- and dumped in the very smelly contents of our compost can before adding more dirt. I also planted the peppermint I'd nursed from Sedalia, seeds for greens, and the Jerusalem artichokes. These were put in by the drainpipes off the roof -- hopefully that will give them extra moisture.

     A friend has offered some baby plants growing under her perennials -- I'm thinking I'd like to start planting these on the slope behind the house. Hopefully they're grow and spread. 

*Thrift shop buys:  Man vs Wild ($4) and District 9 ($2) videos, a new white shirt and a few dishtowels with London scenes on them ($2 each) -- plus 20% senior discount. From the Nazarene Thrift Store in Monte Vista: a plaid workshirt ($4), some lampshades ($1.50-2.50) and some cream patterned curtains I used for 'tablecloths' at the pastors lunch ($8).

*FINALLY got the Tabor refund: $1600 to the good, but it sure took a while to get here. It arrived just in time to cut back on the money we had to take out of the emergency fund for truck repairs. 

*The Brick put up a quilt hanging system! And did a terrific job of it. You're seeing hooks and electrical conduit painted white. Simple, elegant -- and easy to switch out quilts, too.

Daughter #2 and Son #1 found this at an auction: $35. It's an imported quilt, but vintage and extremely well-made.

Catered a lunch for the regional pastors association -- The Mama was a caterer, and I've done several events in the past. This one was small: I planned for 30.  (We actually had less.)

      *Ordered four poundcakes from a friend -- she makes exquisite ones, using her grandma's "secret recipe." (I think I talked her into sharing it!) Used these for the pastors luncheon...and helped her earn some extra cash, as well. (She donated one, which was nice of her.) 

     *Food for the pastors lunch:  approx. 24 cents an ounce for Cheez-Its and Doritos, as well as plantain chips.(The latter were a big hit.) Individual bags meant we easily kept what was left. Hand pies (wonderful Amish pastries) were donated by a kind friend, basil and poundcake by other friends.

I made semmel Austrian hard rolls, and filled them with sliced ham ($3/lb at Sam's) and shaved chicken ($5.65/lb at the Amish store).   Swiss cheese (from the bargain wheel) was available, along with dill pickles, mayo and mustard from a previous Amazon Warehouse Deals order. Two kinds of homemade soup (loaded potato and chicken noodle), along with a platter of baby carrots (97 cents from Safeway) and celery completed the offerings, along with coffee, lemonade and ice water.

     Nearly everything I used was either on sale, or pulled out of our current stock. People LOVED the food. Hooray!

*Several meals from leftovers -- gained from the trip to Denver, and the pastors' lunch. (A number of goodies went home with my helpers, too.)

*Took care of Freya, Daughter #2 and Son #1's dog, for a few weeks. (They took us out to breakfast as a thank you. Sweet of them.) The Pup Pup will be staying with us more, as Phenomenal Gems has several booths in various shows this summer and fall.

Here she is...the sweetie-pie.

*Sold the stocks in my account. I felt I needed to take the profit now. It wasn't major $$, but still...

*Two books ordered at discount -- appraisers research (Ebay). A third antique book of Dickens and others' letters and speeches -- for a buck! Plus an 1863 book of Western photos that includes one on Fort Garland -- $36 and change, way under what other sellers were asking. (Yes, I'm working on a new book.)  

     A complete set of Frasier DVDs at deep discount for the Brick (Father's Day present). Also ordered: Nutter Butter cookies at discount -- these are terribly addictive, but at least I got them on sale, thanks to Amazon's Warehouse Deals.  (They weren't cheap, though.)

Really loving this book - it's perfect for anyone interested in autographs or paper ephemera. Got me started on Charles Hamilton's work, too. See 'The Letters.'

Grocery buys:  A variety of great stuff, including canned soup, spaghettios, chips, etc. - up to a quarter of their normal cost, salmon skins (really! like potato chips), 59 cents; fried chicken pieces ($2.50/lb); 9 oz. Jimmy Dean sausage, 79 cents (SLV discount - the Amish store). Maple syrup ($12.95/quart), Cheez-its, Doritos and plantain chips (24-26 cents/oz); white peach energy drinks (slightly more than a buck each) Amazon Warehouse Deals. Baby carrots, 99 cents (plus a free bag); ribeye for $5.35/lb, eggs (18-count) for $1.97 -- wow!  Safeway. 

*Bought supper at Red Robin for two dear friends -- and paid full price for a root beer float. Went back at lunch the next day with the Brick -- could have had the float for $2 less! (We drank water, instead, and used a giftcard.)

*Forster's Life of Charles Dickens -- all three volumes (III is especially hard to find) for $48 and change. I must have been on a Dickens kick right now. 

*Kept on keeping on. Especially important this month. 

FRUGAL MISSES

*Let a few things spoil. (Shame on me.)

*Missed out on a free investment lunch. (Maybe next time.)

*Messed up and paid $3 more for a Safeway pizza than I should have -- my fault. (I had to buy 2 or more to get the sale price.)

*Agreed to buy some furniture on Facebook Marketplace -- arranged for someone to pick it up...then was ghosted. Why wouldn't this lady just write and say, "It's not available anymore..."

*Got a big bouquet of flowers from Sam's -- not exactly a bargain at $15.99, but not bad, either. Split it into four for the pastors luncheon, then gave three friends each a bouquet. (The fourth one disappeared...)

*Paid 6 months insurance at once for the truck.  (Ouch) The second half of property taxes was paid, too. (Double ouch) Renewed the truck license, as well. (Wince) At least these are all taken care of. 

*Ruby had a 'belly incident' -- scrapes & scratches which then got infected. That meant a trip to the vet, and a week of keeping cloths under her while her wounds drained. (She liked the pills-in-peanut-butter, though.) When she wouldn't stop licking herself, the Cone of Silence went on -- which she hated. (She's doing fine now, but keeps a safe distance from the Cone.)

"Hopefully, I look pathetic about all this..."

*STILL no progress on the wheel claim. This, after we trudged down to Trinidad to pick up the then-repaired truck. Which WE paid for. (Triple ouch)

*ALMOST fell for a "Joann's" scam. I, you and the fencepost know that Joann's filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. What isn't quite as well known: they negotiated an arrangement with debtors that not only let them emerge from bankruptcy, but allowed them to keep all of their locations open, 

    Good for them.

    Unfortunately, that didn't keep some enterprising Brit from announcing a "Joann's 80/90% off sale," complete with "free shipping". Whoo hoo! I spent more than an hour putting various items in my cart, went to checkout -- and suddenly got an even larger discount. Sure, the page said it was "protected" and listed all sorts of reassuring icons -- but they looked a bit fuzzy. Suddenly a phrase came to mind. Wait a minute -- Joann Fabrics was www.joann.com . Why was this website different? 

     Then I checked the 'contact us' page -- and it listed a personal business, including address, for someone in Great Britain. 

     Whoops. I promptly deleted the page, and wrote a warning to you, Gentle Readers, on FB. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scammer took more than a few quilters in...I was all set to start notifying friends and family of the great "bargains." 

      Glad I didn't. And even happier that I didn't fall for it, either -- but it was close. Moral of the story is still 

         "If it sounds too good be true -- it probably is."

 Last month's report is here.  June 2023 is here -- and the 2022 version is here. 

 Keep on keeping on -- that's my motto right now. Hopefully it's yours, too.

Frugal Hits & Misses: March Report

    Oh my, what a month. 

    In contrast to the rock-bottom frugality of February, we let up a bit, thanks to extra money coming in from the Social Security backpay check. Wonderful. So we did something we've been planning for a few years now -- we booked a trip to Europe with friends in July! Five nights in Paris, four in Madrid and three in Amsterdam. We'll see a bunch of museums, take a memorial trip to Normandy, enjoy a flamenco performance...and stop by the Bayeux Tapestry mseum before it closes for renovation in September. Although our friend Tommy is griping about it (he says he's burned out on cathedrals), we'll also stop by Paris' Sacre Coeur ('Sacred Heart'). And of course, Notre Dame.

     The Brick and I both had several years of French class in high school, so we've been practicing our (very bad) Francais on each other -- and looking up fun stuff to do in each area. More as we get closer to July. 

     This opportunity reminds me that even small actions pay off, frugal-wise. We've been cutting a bit back here and there, and saving for ages. 

FRUGAL HITS

(Some of these are from late February. This report's a bit early - but I have deadlines to finish up.)

*Made a deep-dish apple pie...from 5 pounds of apples that have been in the crisper for months.

*Got a lovely bouquet for myself -- $3.20, regularly $18. Most of the flowers lasted for more than two weeks. 

*Waited to go to the post office -- and postponed other trips until we could cover more than one errand. 

*Friends over for St. Patrick's Day -- corned beef and cabbage, naturally. 'Irish' baklava (half-price from City Market's freezer) and 'Irish' cinnamon rolls (about $1/tube, from the Amish grocery).

*Extra goodies given, including eggs, mushrooms, salad greens and antelope steak, from Son #1 and Daughter #2.

*Played & sang for a funeral; our friend's 92-year-old aunt lived in nearby Blanca for decades, and was buried in the town cemetery.

*Two new dogs -- does this count as a 'Hit' or a 'Miss?'  

*No need to buy an upright freezer anymore! (At least for a while, that is.) Daughter #2 and Son #1 will be sharing theirs.

*Bought starts for Concord grapes and black raspberries: Buy 2, get 1 free -- and free shipping from an Ebay seller. Planning where I'll put these, so the deer don't get them. 

*Made bread, using my $15 thrift-shopped deep dish cast-iron pan, topped by a cast-iron frypan. (Couldn't find a Dutch oven, and ours is still in the Michigan storage trailer.) It worked!

*Batches of Buy-3-Get-1-Free books from Second Sale and OnTimeBooks, via Ebay. Some were research for a book-in-progress. Total for 8 books? About $32, plus free shipping. Just a a few bucks more than my monthly allowance, including Dickens' Dictionary on the Thames, edited by Charley's oldest son. 

Here he is -- Charles Dickens, Jr. 

*Royalties:  None from C&T -- but I didn't expect any. Arcadia came through with more $$ than the previous payment -- unusual! 

*Gave free books to some clients -- and sold some. 

*Finished up a BUNCH of appraisal reports. Other than one quilt early in the month, I didn't pick up any new work in March, which helped me make some headway. Two more Navajo rug appraisals are on the horizon, waiting for when these are done.

*Quora earnings: $14.26. Not much, but it will pay for a lunch sometime. A $5 tip from a client -- very kind of her.

*Two homemade pound cakes, from a friend: one for the church potluck, some to eat -- and the rest in the freezer.

*Lost money in the stock market - then gained it back. Then lost some back. Then gained some back. I feel dizzy.

*The Brick cleaned the chimney, using tools from Amazon, plus a burner log. We loaded the woodrack several times and kept the woodstove going, saving the propane for other purposes. He also emptied out and cleaned the hot water heater, which has been groaning periodically. (I am not making this up.)

*More postcards for the southern Colorado book-in-progress, as well as future articles: 20 percent off, plus free shipping. A few others, extremely reasonably priced, too. (A lot of Ebay sellers had March sales; It was hard to pick and choose.)

*$5 off Guiness beer...one of the Brick's favorites, but usually too expensive. He also got an 8-pack for the price of a 4-pack. Bless those folks for celebrating St. Patrick's Day!

*A $7 clearance pair of Walmart pants (reg. $24.98) had a stain on the backside. I took a chance and bought them, anyways. The stain came out in the wash!

*Planted flowers and peppers (inside) and spinach, greens outside. The bed of bunching green onions I put in last summer, thanks to sharing by a generous friend, are coming up nicely.

*More buffalo nickels. (I still can't find part of the Brick's monetary birthday present I hid "for safekeeping."

*A framed 1870 Dickens illustration,  some other Dickens-themed illustrations...and a batch of Cruikshank illustrations. (Cruikshank was one of Charley's major illustrators.) The unframed pieces were little more than a dollar each. I'll keep a few; one is already installed in a dollar thrift shop picture frame. I'll sell the rest. 

*The back pay promised from the Social Security Fairness Act came through -- hooray! Just in time for property taxes, I might add.

*Friends took us out for lunch! So nice of them.

*We took Daughter #2 and Son #1 out to lunch, and paid for their groceries at the Amish grocery, as well. And it felt wonderful. We also kept our silly granddog Freya while the kids were working; the puppies love romping with her. 

 

*Now that our house loan is paid, we've started saving for property taxes -- and a car. Property taxes are due the end of April, so they come first. 

*No found money for me --  the Brick found a gunky nickel at Safeway's change machine. We didn't do nearly as well as Daughter #2, who scavenged a treasure trove of coins from a Boulder King Sooper's change machine. Good for her!

*Thrift Shop buys:  Two pairs of $7 jeans for the Brick. (Goodwill/Colorado Springs) A $2 ceramic bunny bowl; some people-shaped embellishments (25-50 cents each); some research books ($1-2 ea); a few pins and an elaborate necklace ($1-5)...and a cotton turtleneck tunic for a buck! Paying in cash gave us a 5% discount. (Nazarene Thrift Shop)  

*Milk was a major purchase this month. Both major grocery stores had it on sale, so I really stocked up. In between, we made do with some shelf-stable milk I got at the Amish grocery store. Even the Brick said it tasted just fine. (I don't think he would have known, had I not told him.) Both groceries had half-off specials on our favorite pizza, so I stocked up on that, as well. (So much for emptying the freezer.) We also took advantage of a $5-off-$50 coupon Safeway was offering.

*Grocery buys:  Specialty coffee, both for us and Adopted Son #1's birthday (expensive, even on sale, but wonderful), more organic kidney beans, 29 cents a can!  (Amazon) Red Baron supreme mini-pizzas, less than a buck each; cans of chili, chicken noodle soup, clam chowder (59-99 cents) and the best buy - a 10-oz can of roast beef for 79 cents; some jars of unusual Indian sauces ($1.29), frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts (packages of 2 for 10 cents each), cans of peach nectar and protein shakes (3 for $1), and $3.99 dozen farm eggs -- still holding, so far, on egg prices there (SLV Amish discount grocery). Milk, $2.50-2.60 a gallon, Red Baron large pizzas, $2.99 each, catfish nuggets $2.99/lb - 30% off, tangerines ($1/lb), two $3.45 marked-down veggie trays (Safeway and City Market). The tangerines were 'okay;' tasty, but a little mushy. I won't get more until November. 

    My friend over at My Tireless Retirement (and before that, Thrifty Mom in Boise), finds discounted veggie trays regularly -- but this is the first time I have. And they've been delicious, particularly the peppers and broccoli. Hooray! 

*Caught up our financial commitments to missionaries and mission organizations. We're all set for 2025. 

*Did better re March expenses than I'd hoped-- in part because we had no truck repairs, and only paid to go out to eat once. If you don't count the 'payback' money from Social Security and the extra I spent on Ebay (ahem - red face), we came in almost exactly what we usually spend. And that includes purchasing some metal detecting and gold panning equipment for trips this spring and summer. More on these soon.

*Kept on keeping on. That in itself was an accomplishment.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Lost our Ruby. A vet visit and x-rays told us what we figured was happening -- her kidneys and liver were swollen and holding onto liquid. Probably a tumor as well, the vet said. We had meds to ease her pain some, but they weren't working. At least she is no longer hurting....but we will miss her.

She was a Very Good Dog.

*Let the last of some ham spoil, before I could use it all. Darn it. (It was getting a bit whiffy, anyways.) Lost a (fortunately) small package of beef tips the same way. On the flip side: I did manage to rescue some freezer-burned sausage by drenching it in spaghetti sauce. A great-tasting pot of chili resulted from leftover salsa, 29-cent cans of kidney beans and tomato sauce, and a package of ground pork from the freezer. Plus a few additional bits and pieces. Take that, leftovers!

*Bought a Henry Dickens letter on Ebay. Henry was one of Charles Dickens' more responsible sons, and made a name for himself in the British court system. The letter talks about his brother Francis, as well. It wasn't cheap -- but I paid less than half from the seller's price.

       And as the Brick reminds me: now I need to stop buying stuff on Ebay for a while. 

An interesting guy, really. 

    Now I have letters and/or notes from Henry Dickens, his sister Mary, his aunt, Geotrgina Hogarth -- and two from Charley himself. Plus one from a friend, Augustus Egg. Yes, Charley is my buddy. But then, you knew that already.

*Never used the Brick's free birthday burger at Red Robin. We just never made it there in time. (The nearest restaurant is in Colorado Springs, a two-hour drive away.)

*Spent a bit more than we'd planned for the European vacation pkg -- because we booked it a bit later. Thankfully the extra was less than $100 each.

*The flip side of getting puppies: more poo and pee 'accidents' cleaned up than I care to remember. (A few vomit situations too - Ruby contributed to this.) But in the long run, they'll be worth it. 

Always nice to have Son #1's help. 

Last month's report is here.  March 2024 is here, plus the year before that.

We've had good news, followed by bad news, all month. But we're still here...how 'bout that.

Frugal Hits & Misses: The September Report

 September is one of my very favorite months. The autumn breezes are kinder for breathing and sleeping, and this is the month that Colorado has the most fall color. It's also my birthday on Sept. 22. I am one of those oddballs whose natal day (Virgo) falls right before the next change (Libra). It's also close to summer's last official day -- and Fall's autumnal equinox. 

    So...am I temperamentally Virgo...or Libra? Or both? A Fall person (yes!)...or one of the Last Roses of Summer??Add in the lefthandedness and the odd hobbies, and who knows. I guess I am just myself.

    This month was mostly the same things: working on the roof for the Brick (12 rows done, 4 to go!) and appraisal reports for yours truly. We made a trip to Castle Rock for more appointments, plus a birthday supper with dear friends. We also stopped at the thrift shop there, as well as the diesel truck repair. Another visit's needed to both -- yay for one, boo for the other. But truck repairs seem to be part of our life. 

     No freeze yet, though we may have one next week.

FRUGAL HITS

(some of these are from late August)

*A new offer, to teach and appraise in Durango next year. Hooray! 

*Picked up more appraisals, on everything from quilts and poker tables to Navaho rugs.  These will generally be due in late October. Which is good.

*Got a job working elections for Costilla County. It's long hours -- but the work's not difficult, and I can do other things in between voter visits. And I'm getting paid.

*Fifty exra SB -- for my birthday. I'm close to a $25 giftcard -- but at a 12% discount. Have you ever thought about doing this? Just doing your normal search-and-buy schedule will get you giftcards. It's free, too. I've been doing it for years, and it works. (If you join up using this link, I'll get a little extra, as well.)

*A $25 giftcard from Safeway for a transferred prescription.  It's an old program, apparently, though my coupon had no expiration date. I had to really work for it at Customer Service, though.

*A Starbucks giftcard from our Medicare rep! What a nice guy.

*Started Book #2 of our monthly income/expenses. (Book #1 was begun in Dec. 2022, and filled with this year's August entries.) This also includes tax and sales tax info, as well as who we donate to, etc etc. Income goes on one side of the page; expenses, listed by category, on the other. Then I add each side up, and compare them to each other.

    Yes, I could do this online. Yes, I could use a spreadsheet. (The Brick does, for our finances.) But there is something 'personal' by filling in the numbers on the page, and seeing our savings, especially the house loan payments, add up. And it only takes me about an hour each month to do. You should try it!

*House repairs:  The Brick fixed the sinks (we had leaks in a few places), and replaced the screws holding down the roof metal panels. The screws were stripping, and lifting up the steel sheets as they degraded. Now we have watertight sinks and roof, but it has been A LOT of work. (Thank you, Sweetheart.)

*Watched friends' house while they were on vacation -- picked two tote bags of tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and yellow squash from their garden, as instructed -- and took it to share at church. (We kept some, .and loaded a crisperful for them to enjoy when they got back.)

*Got a Brick brother a buffalo nickel! The Brick appropriated coins out of his brothers' collection, as a kid. Then he went and bought candy with the proceeds. We sent a nickel to another Brick brother in May.  I'm considering these as compensation for wayward deeds. (Ahem)

*Made a big pot of chili -- sent some to friends, ate some and used the rest for our monthly potluck at church. Not bad. The Brick delivered the chili when he went to their house for an evening of music -- and to get a ladder they generously offered. They fed him, too. (Thanks, Dears!) 

*$12.65 from Quora, for answering questions. (And having people read my answers, I guess.) Every bit helps.

*We both got haircuts at Great Clips -- $10 off each!

*The first snow for Daughter #2 and Son #1 - Sept. 4. (And a lot of ski resorts.) Other than the Blancas, our closest mountain range, we haven't had any -- but friends in Forbes Park, five miles away, got their first snow on the 21st.

*Worked on reports - a lot. I have more to do. I also bid on several items on Ebay, using 'Best Offer.'  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't -- but I got several Bicentennial era items, including ribbons and Clinton/Dole boxing puppets.

Two bucks!!

*Lots of rain, to the point that some of our dirt roads have washed out and gotten very bumpy. (The paved roads are fine.) Temperatures have been ranging widely from heat to cold; the Blanca mountains got their first snow on the 21st. (We had rain. Bigtime.)

*Replanted four dianthus that were in our flowerpots -- it's a biennial, so should reappear in the garden bed. (One kicked the bucket-- but three seem to be ok..)  I also moved herbs to an inside pot, planted a vine I'd had since last November (a gift from an election judge),  picked a few handfuls of beans and a bowlful of tomatoes, and did a little weeding. Next year should be even better.

*Found a lime plant and a lemon plant for half-price at Lowe's: $12.50 each! Plus a yellow mum plant for $4.  

*A 19th century 'how to load a gun' French military handkerchief -- very rare. I was the only bidder!

Voila.

*A gold picture frame (one dollar!) for the Augustus Egg note.

*Started a Free Little Library charter. I have been hoping to do this for years. It became especially important when I visited Fort Garland's 'library:' really a junkroom full of older books and VHS tapes. The Library will be in front of Calvary Blanca church; we've got the box for it, but need to add a roof and a few other details. A 5%-off coupon saved us $2.50 on the charter.. Hooray!

*Found a railroad coverlet. I have been looking for one of these for soooo long. And got the already-reasonable price down a bit with the 'Best Offer' option. (It turned out to be a vintage reproduction...still a good price, but not the incredible bargain I'd hoped for. Darn it.)

*Flow blue cup and saucer -- c.1840-50 -- for nearly half off their asking price. (Helloooo, 'Best Offer!')

*Our granddog Freya spent a lot of time here, while her parents did several rock shows.  They'll be at the Albuquerque balloon festival -- look for Phenomenal Gems there!

*Continued to dry clothes outside. (They keep their color better, and smell so much nicer.) This keeps our electric bill lower, too. ($41 and change this month - up slightly.)

*A free aloe vera plant -  plus lunch with friends (who gave me the aloe vera).

*The wheel claim is finalized! It's about time. They docked us 20% for depreciation on some things, but oh well. We were also able to pay our friend for renting his truck. One check was delayed because the paperwork was returned -- we (me, sadly) put on the wrong address. I still do not know for sure how that happened -- but it did. (Has this been driving me crazy? Ummm... yes.)

*A hostess gift of veggies, plus more from church, including three Rocky Ford melons (the BEST). A baseball-bat-sized zucchini from friends in Castle Rock. And a zuke, offered by a stranger while we were at the Amish grocery. Weird.

*A quadruple payment on the house loan. We could only do a single one last month. 

*A Money Diary accepted! Do you read these fascinating 'what I spent in a week' reports from Refinery 29? They come from different people all over the country...including Fort Garland and yours truly. I'll let you know when mine is published. 

*Twenty antique Horatio Alger novels: less than two bucks each, including shipping. (Yes, Ebay's Best Offer.) I asked about more that the Ebay seller mentioned in the listing-- and he threw in two more books for free!  (Thank you, Castlebooksandtea!) Horatio and I are old buddies, and I will enjoy having him around again. 

       I also bought three Peter Spier Christmas! books for nearly $11.50, including shipping, on Ebay. A fourth Christmas, plus a Noah's Ark, came for even less. One of these will go in the Free Little Library box.  A wonderful book. 

*Ate or froze the rest of the peaches, as well as greens and a few green peppers. Made a peach pie, and froze a peach dumpling.

*Piano lessons for my girlie student -- she is just beginning to learn how to play with both hands at once. (She'll get a Christmas! book for... well, you know.) Her mom gave me an excellent loaf of seeded bread.

*Thrift shop deals:  An armload of books, videos, cards, piano student music books and CDs -- 50% off. (The most expensive was $4...and most were a dollar or less.) Eight smaller and four larger French crystal stemware -- $1 and $3 each!  Two large towels ($5 ea) -- 10% senior discount off the total, and a few holiday giftbags thrown in, for good measure.

*Worked on setting up a greenhouse for a friend -- watching for snakes all the time. (She was bitten by one a few weeks ago, after she shot it -- then leaned over with an axe to finish it off. The 'dead' snake leaped up and got her on the finger. An airlift and several days in the hospital ensued.)

*Planted more bunching green onions...for springtime use. Our pole beans, sadly, were decimated by the hail we got in late August. (I did get a few more.) I pulled out one bin of tomatoes, and planted Amish Deer Tongue and Kale greens.... which are FINALLY starting to come up. (I'll cover them for the next few months, hoping to get a spring crop, too.)

*A free birthday burger from Red Robin, plus a $10 reward on a second visit. They'd better! I bought a lot of stock after their price dropped.

*Grocery deals:  $2 coupon for bakery items, $7 coupon off meat (these were both rewards), milk, $2.27/gallon, Ribeye steak $5.37/lb, sirloin steak $4/lb (BOGO), $2.97/lb hamburger (in a 10-pound chub, carrots/cucumbers/green peppers for an astounding 47 cents each  (Safeway). Packages of coffee for less than $7/pound, plus discounted Dutch Stroopwafels, a sort-of waffle cookie sandwich (Amazon Warehouse Deals). Italian lemon soda (8- count 'em, 8 --the Brick and I both dote on this stuff) for $1.99/bottle, 35-cent pkgs of wet dogfood (to supplement Ruby's dry kibble), 10 pounds of flour ($2.65), chopped pecans ($3.29 for a 10 oz. bag), 29-cent cheese slabs (2 ounces each) and a variety of marked-down canned goods, including a 79-cent can of roast beef hash -- whoo hoo! (SLV Amish Grocery). Fifty pounds of potatoes for $15 (Worth the Drive bakery).

    Did you ever think that you'd be grateful for $3 or less/lb hamburger?? It's currently up to $5.47/lb at Safeway. Egg prices are back up in our neck of the woods, too -- nearly $5.00/dozen.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Missed out on using a '$10 off $10' birthday coupon from IKEA. Missed getting a free drink at Starbucks, too. That's life...

*Resin -- and molds.  Discounted prices, yes, but I really wanted to play around with them and the mica powders I got last month at the thrift shop.

*Who knows what our electric costs will be? The little dears at Excel have informed us they're putting in a 'smart' meter...which means they can automatically cut power whenever they so wish. We do have the option of keeping the regular meter...for $24 more a month. We can also opt out of varying costs-per-hour. ('Peak' is 4-7 p.m.; the lowest is from 7 p.m. - 1 p.m. The Brick thinks this has a lot to do with air conditioning use.) If we do, though, there will be an additional charge.

     We'll let them make these changes -- it wouldn't make sense to pay extra, just out of stubbornness. And they're not charging us for the new-and-improved meter. But we don't have to like it. 

      This is making our plans to eventually go solar just that much more important.

*Bought Restore-A-Finish to refinish the cabinets in the fifth-wheel. One step further to putting it up for sale eventually.

* A couple of Ebay purchases lost via the USPS. They should be refunded.

*No found money this month. Darn it. 

*The 32 little succulents I bought for use in terrariums are now down to 5 or so. I don't think they like me much.

*One of the garden bins was pretty much toast after the hailstorm. The other is barely hanging in there. Except for the dianthus (a gift from Daughter #2), I didn't buy any flowering plants. Which was hard. (The tomato plants were huge, and a terrific buy at 4/$10.)

*STILL had to throw some food out when it spoiled. Shame on me. 

*Late on some appraisal reports. But getting better, at least...gave some books away, to thank the clients for their patience. I am catching up now. 

*Had to delay delivering a restoration job that's seemingly been going on forever. I felt bad... but had a great sense of relief after my decision. (The client will get it in October, instead.)

Here's last month's report -- and 2023's September report. Plus the 2022 version. 

Here's hoping your October will be wonderful.