A Very Merry Christmas to All

'Tis the Season

Welcome to December! May it be a good one.

The busyness of November is carrying into December with many different things going on.  I started my Aqua size class and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is only going to be 6 sessions long.  The class is really just to get you used to the type of exercise you could do in the pool so you can decide whether you want to continue on your own at a public pool.  The pool is heated and not too deep and the exercises are much different than what I’ve seen in most of the Aqua size classes organized by the community centers. Perfect for me.  So I’ll enjoy it while I can.

I’ve also been busy shopping for gifts for Christmas, graduation gifts, winter boots and a few casual and dressy clothes for the holidays. I’ve already been able to use much of what I bought and so that is great as I know the money has been well spent. 

I was invited to a friend’s convocation ceremony and spent almost a full day with him and his family at the convocation, taking photos afterward and joining at the Alumni Centre for cake and coffee.  Later we went to their home for tea and snacks, then they invited me (and a few others) to dinner at a fabulous African restaurant downtown called Simba's.  Some of you long time readers may remember that I took members of the Kenyan Boys Choir there several years ago when they were in town.  There are several African restaurants in town but I think the one downtown is best for consistency and the owner is very nice too.  The food was delicious as always.

My friend has been looking for a job the past weeks now that he has his Ph.D. in Linguistics. I was very pleased to hear he already has an interview lined up and pray it all works out for him. I've become very close to he and his family over the years that they've been in Canada and his wife and I try and get together as often as we can.  She is a wonderful woman who amazes me with her phenomenal energy.  She has a very kind heart and looks after her family and work, participates in community events, church and related activities and so on.  She is always looking to fulfill a need when people don't have family or friends here.  She will see a need and do something special for them like organize a bridal shower or a baby shower.  She is a darling and I don't know how she does it all.  In the new year she will be even busier as she will return to school part-time while continuing to work.

It’s also been busy with the missions in Kenya. My friend Eunice is still in hospital and has her ups and downs health wise. I thank God she is still with us and that her son watches over her and oversees every aspect related to her care.  We are still looking for a donor to help Ernest (the guy who was run down by a motor bike taxi) to start a small barber business and/or repair his humble home. We are also still investigating Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs to see if we can afford to sponsor a man named Charles to get treatment. The Alcohol Rehabilitation programs are very expensive especially as he needs at least 3 months in residence and another 6 months or so of follow up. If we cannot find an affordable program we will have to wait until we have the funds or until we can get someone who would step up to help him.  The Go Fund Me campaign link remains on the side bar for those who would like to contribute to any of these needs. I also continue to help Alvin with all aspects of finances (budgeting, budget forecasting, tracking spending, problem solving for needs) and some investigation into programs on offer here at the university. I do some preliminary research and he does the detail research in regards to graduate school here in Vancouver.

I have a lot of appointments coming up in the next while so I’m not sure how much I will be blogging for the rest of this month.  However I always make time to read and comment on other blogs as most of you will know.  My schedule is full up to the middle of December though mostly with things that have nothing to do with Christmas.  Then in mid-December a friend and I will attend Chantez Noel at one of the church's in the city.  We are both looking forward to it. We've already decided that next year if we are able we would like to splurge and go and see the concert called Winter Harp.  If you like you can google it on You Tube and see what it is all about. 

Yesterday I decided to pare back the schedule a bit in favour of getting more rest and to finish the year strong.  One of the things I want to do this week is to put up the Christmas tree and a few lights. My decorating is not over the top.  There will be just enough to add some sparkle and glow to my living space. In the meantime, I've got a  lot of gifts to prepare as I take them with me to dinner at a friend's house next weekend.  I can give out several gifts to various people I know will be there.  Otherwise it will be very difficult to deliver gifts before Christmas.  I also need to alter some of the clothing I purchased for my niece because she usually need sleeves and leg hems lifted.  I may actually deliver the gifts in person after Christmas which requires a short trip out of town. How I deliver will be decided based on time and energy after Christmas.

We are expecting snow. It may even arrive tonight and it has been super cold all this past week.  I'm well prepared this year with the addition of comfortable winter boots and my long faux fur coat.  I've had the coat for several years but seldom have a chance to wear it. It  only comes out on the very cold days when it isn't raining and I know I'm going to spend time outside.  It keeps me toasty warm.  I find it chilly indoors too.  I've got the heating on 24/7 which I never, ever do because of the very high cost of heating and electricity in general.  The rates have increased twice in the last 2 years and I'm keeping a very keen eye on things due to the significant increases in other costs (car insurance, strata fees, condo insurance and property taxes).  I also wear socks, slippers, puffer vest indoors or sit with the heating pad on. As the years go by I think more and more of moving to a warmer apartment or out of the city altogether. For now I am here because it is not only a lot of work to move but my city has the best access to medical services in the entire province and I would hate to lose that.  So far, I haven't seriously thought about a move but it comes to my mind every so often. Don't get me wrong.  I am grateful to have indoor heating. I just have to manage it properly to make it affordable.

For relaxation I'm reading books number 51 and 52 or watching recorded television programs (Dancing with the Stars, The Marylin Dennis Show, Y & R, New Amsterdam and whatever new and interesting series may be on) .  I have another few books in my reading pile but doubt I will finish them all before 2020 arrives.

Last night, in between running errands, I stopped at a new to me restaurant called Cafe D'Afrique, an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant. Since I had not been there before I decided on a combination dish in order to be able to sample as much variety as possible.  The main part of the dish (as you can see in the photo below) is beef  stew surrounded by rice, spinach and beet salad on far left and lentil stew on the far right. It is all served on a plate of injera bread and the small dish of rolled up things is more injera bread (a type of fermented bread).  I've been to Ethiopian restaurants before but this is the first time I had the food delivered on a regular plate.  It is also the first time I've had the beef stew.  Usually I order something called tibs which can be ordered in goat, beef and other meats. The beef stew and side dishes were very tasty.

Wishing you all a very beautiful season as you prepare for Christmas however humble or spectacular. 

May you have moments to pause and reflect on the reason for the season. 

I have been reminded so many times in the last few months to give thanks for all the many blessings I have and not to take even the simplest of things for granted. One of the many blessings I have is faithful blog readers who have become like friends.

I wish each you of you good health, love and happiness.

♥♥♥

On My Heart

I've been busy with the Kenyan missions non stop for some time now.  I haven't written about it because there has been so much going on. But God has been faithful. Perhaps I will have an opportunity to share more about it later. Today I want to give a brief update about a number of things.

One thing I would like to ask is prayer for my friend Jonah in Kenya. He is currently in hospital in Nakuru after contracting some kind of bug while in Nairobi. He was admitted to a  Nairobi but checked himself out to get to Nakuru. He was trying to recuperate at a pastor friend's home and was seeking outpatient treatment while there.

After several days with no improvement,  his pastor friend and a doctor who is a neighbour to the pastor, escorted Jonah to hospital and he was admitted. He is now there recuperating having undergone numerous tests and different medicine prescriptions over the past several days. At the  moment he is very tired and sleeping which is crucial for recovery.  He would appreciate your good thoughts and prayers.

...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication....

Ephesians 6:18

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Remembrance Day is now passed and Christmas is close behind. I know American friends still have Thanksgiving later this month but in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving just over a month ago.

I haven't had time to make too many granny squares for my latest quilt but I did make a few more.  I will take up making more again later this week and may even start on the new black, white and gray afghan.

Instead I've been finishing up my latest read by Kazuo Isiguro. It is very slow, sad and somewhat dark story.  Basically the book is about young people who are cloned for their body parts. The novel slowly takes you through the education and indoctrination or preparation for of the students for their future lives as donors and carers of donors. The ending wasn't very satisfying but perhaps that is how it should be. Given the subject matter how can there be a satisfying ending? In any case, I am glad I finished it. I wanted to read this book because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in  2005 and won several awards in addition to being turned into a movie. Have any of you seen the movie or read the book? I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Right now I'm reading the short stories of Sherman Alexie, Native American writer. I am not really a short story fan but I do like Sherman Alexie's work. I was first introduced to him when I watched the major motion picture called "Smoke Signals" in the late 1990s. I found it very funny and of course one of the very few motion pictures based on a work by a Native American. Alexie's work is raw and he uses a lot of cuss words. Again I am not a fan of this kind of stuff but there is still plenty of material in his stories that I find interesting.  Sadly I just found out that allegations of sexual impropriety have been levelled against Alexie. He has admitted to the truthfulness of several of the allegations. Sometimes I wonder just when the cesspool of such behavior will come to an end.

On a brighter note, I'm reading a book by Christian author and medical doctor, Don Colbert called "Let Food Be Your Medicine". It is based on the doctor's own medical health crises which caused his immune system to break down on more than one occasion.  The doctor then spent a decade and several hundreds of thousands of dollars learning learning about how certain foods cause of inflammation in the body and how to address it.  His interest and experience predated the proliferation of authorship on this subject.  Today you can find this information quite readily on line and in bookstores; even on PBS shows.  I used to watch the doctor and his wife, Mary on television years ago. I always found him very informative but I don't think he actually wrote this particular book until a few years ago though he has written at least 40 books.

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I'm getting a few gifts ready early for friends who are leaving in a few weeks for Tanzania. We are trying to work out time to visit once before they depart. Another friend has invited me to a Christmas lunch and dinner, an annual all day event for women. Someone she knows organizes these dinners as a ministry to women. It sounds intriguing. I have to decide whether I'm going. The timing might not be suitable for me. I'm also working on some other plans which I will unveil in future posts. I'm looking forward to sharing with you later.

Christmas cards are very much on my mind too. If I want them to get to far flung places I must send them out now. I don't send out so many any more.  It is primarily a way to touch base in a personal way with some of  my far flung friends.  I looked in stores for a few weeks for a card I liked but ended up ordering them on line instead. They arrived on Friday and I'll prepare them and get them out this week.  The problem is that Canada Post has been in contract talks with it's employees and we are currently experiencing rotating strikes across the country. I'm going to mail them out anyway and hope they will eventually reach the intended recipients.

Now that the children in the family are all grown and many of my loved ones have departed, my focus for Christmas has shifted. Rather than celebrate to excess and extravagance I choose a peaceful, quieter time of inward reflection and calm.  I  want to remain in an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving and spend the time doing things that bring me peace and joy.  Hopefully I also bring joy to others I know and spend time with over the Christmas season.  It's not likely that Jesus' birthday was on December 25th.  This date was chosen by the early Roman Church to correspond to Winter Solstice.  Since the season is now set aside as a Christian celebration I use the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and what he has done for men and women everywhere, including me.

I didn't start this post with the intention of preaching but perhaps this post is meant for someone who has been thinking about this issue. It seems to be the case that when I have a question on my heart, the answer somehow appears.  It may be that you are going through some questioning of your own and looking for how someone else looks at this issue.

Well I must sign out and get on with things. I hope you all have a terrific week ahead

Take care everyone. 

I won't be linking to any meme today. 

Saving Pennies

Hi friends,

In my last post I wrote that I would be sharing about ways I've recently been saving money.  I need to save money because the cost of living has only increased year after year and I want to continue giving to missions in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. Savings in my own needs helps me to continue giving.

I am not denying my own needs though I often put them off and try to save something first. This is good common sense which should be done in any event.


Television and Internet

I have been wanting a smart TV and so I finally took the plunge and bought one just over a week ago (Sony Android 55 inch). It was $200 off the original price.

 I'm just getting used to learning how to use it and have only watched a few You Tube videos on it. It will take some getting used to as I had my other TV for so long that using the controls became second nature to me. But my old TV while still working started showing signs of malfunction a few years ago already. I'm surprised it lasted so long and I think I will keep it as a bedroom television. So you might be wondering how this saves me money. It is only through shopping the sales.  I've already been looking for one for years and recently got the best price through online shopping at Costco. My American and Canadian readers will know that store. In addition to getting a sale I got some points toward a reward program I use.

It took 3 tries to get the right TV. The first time they sent the wrong model. The second time the TV had 2 scratches. The 3rd time it was the right model and it came scratch free. (A little funny story. Yesterday I was at my computer when a delivery man came to my door. He was delivering the 2nd TV back to me. Of course this was an error. For whatever reason someone put an X through the return label and left my name and address on the box. I sent it back).

I purchased through Costco on good advice. They don't put you through a hassle when it comes to returns. I was also advised by my family member to purchase a warranty because the TV is now a computer and I will require some technical support along the way.

The second way I saved money on TV and internet is by calling my local telecommunications provider. I've been wanting to do this for long and put it off for reasons that I won't get into right now for sake of brevity. I was very pleased to deal with two representatives who in the end gave me a very good package and shaved about $60 dollars off my monthly bill for a bundle of services: home telephone, TV and internet. It helped that I was willing to enter a 2 year contract. I don't like such contracts but I know from research that I cannot beat this pricing and I've been with this company for 25 years straight. I'm not likely to walk away from them in the next 2 years unless I give up watching TV altogether and I do consider it from time to time.  One time savings for the TV is $200.  The annual savings for the telecommunications package is $720.

Errors

When I was last paying my credit balances I discovered I had overpaid one company by a significant amount (almost $700).  I've only ever overpaid my utilities before which I do deliberately but in this case I must have accidentally hit the wrong "payee" button when online banking.  The refund just arrived (I had to ask for it) and  along with $200 I'm expecting from a portion of reimbursement for glasses and a refund from the tax man, my television costs and warranty costs are more than  covered.

I don't recommend over payments to credit card companies but I guess it is better than not paying one's bill. Also it was a pleasant surprise to have my cash ready there to be used when I made a decision about purchasing a big ticket  item.

Warranties 

In general I've learned over the years not to sign up for extended warranties. However in this day and age of appliances, televisions and so on being computerized I think it makes sense to sign up for warranties. This makes it cheaper in the long run if you have issues.

Earlier in 2018, I  purchased a washer and dryer with steam functions (among other things). You might remember I had an issue within a few weeks of purchase when the steam mechanism was dripping water after one use.  The original warranty was still in effect so someone came out to investigate, order a new part and returned to replace it. The fact that I could get two visits by the repairman, a part ordered and replaced, made me feel extra confident about having the additional years of warranty which I purchased. Now if anything else should go wrong I will be covered.

Same thing for the new Smart TV. I feel secure knowing that if I should have a problem someone will help me at no additional cost.


Reading 

As of now I've read 50 books this year and I'm still reading with no target goal in mind. I borrow the books from the library though from time to time I do purchase books. I can't help myself but these days I do very much limit myself because I want to off load stuff not collect more stuff.

Just think if I purchased 50 books at $10 each that would be $500. Most books cost more than $10. They are more like $20 each so that is a possible spending (and saving) of $1000 Canadian dollars. Some years I only read 35 books or so and that is still a savings of anywhere from $350 to $700 Canadian dollars. I've never really calculated the savings involved in my reading but it is interesting to do so and see that it all adds up. Approximate savings is $1000. since I am still reading books for another 3 months.

Yarn & Christmas Gifts

I've already been thinking about Christmas gifts. Some of my long term readers know that I am not real big on giving gifts or expensive gifts to all and Sundry but I like to surprise family and friends from time to time with what I think will appeal to them.

The afghans I made and wrote about here have been well received and so I decided I am going to make one for another friend who turns 70 this coming year. I know she often falls asleep on her sofa and I thought it will be nice to have a cosy blanket to cover up with when she is relaxing. I just asked her the other day about the colours in her living room.

I purchased some of the yarn I need before I spoke with her and it turns out I purchased the right colours (the one at the top of the pile in the above photo). How cool is that?

The yarn was on sale for a few dollars off. I went armed to Michael's with my 40% off coupon but couldn't use it because the yarn was already reduced. So if I did the math right I saved not quite 20% which is still a good savings. I should be able to save 40% off the next two balls of yarn as I'll only buy them one at a time so I don't have extra yarn cluttering up the room. (I went back on Tuesday and the manager gave me 40 % off the 2nd ball of yarn I need even though I think the item was still on a discounted price).

I've also ordered several items and have several other (online) discounted on my 'to order' list for Christmas gift. These are all lovely items such as mugs (like the ones below), book marks and trinket holders.

I still have to think about those things I will want to give to my family members who are always a bit more challenging to buy for. Since I drafted this post I found an awesome 1000 piece puzzle for only $3.99.  I think this must be old stock at a local supermarket and I have no idea what the regular price was. My niece loves puzzles so now I've got a start on her Christmas gift. Total savings approximately $10 to date (more savings expected before year end).

Clothing

I'm signed up on several sites so I get notices when there are sales events. I purchased some lighter winter jackets, as well as a few clothing items (blouse, pants and nightgown). These were all 40% off and this time I got smart and purchased 2 of everything in different sizes. This way I can try on and return what doesn't work and not wonder whether another size might do the trick. It costs more for the initial outlay but the shipping and returns are free. Also when you return the items of course you get your money back. I've done some other shopping this year at 40% off but am only counting this one purchase. Total savings approximately $95.00 once 

Food

Food shopping is always done based on flyer sales. But a few months ago I wrote here about menu planning and batch cooking. Since I've started doing that I no longer purchase so much food. I do not batch cook each and every week but what I have done really helps to keep the costs lower, keeps me thinking about using what is on hand and so far I would say my food costs and frivolous spending on food and snack items has been reduced by almost 50% or in real dollars by about $250 Canadian give or take $50. I think that is pretty substantial. I am still buying almond and coconut milks for cereal, meat and fowl and lots of fruits and veggies. Total savings approximately $250 monthly x 12 is $3000.

Toiletries

I've been using Dr. Bronner's liquid soap for some time now. I look for it on sale and I've also tried using the substitutes sold at my local environmentally friendly stores.  I found them a little too watery in consistency so have been looking for alternatives that are easy to find in my neighbourhood. Recently I tried the brand called 3-in-1  liquid soap (shampoo, body wash and face wash). I like it because it has a nice gel like consistency. Recently I found the soap for a very good sale price and purchased 2 large ones.  This will last me for a very long time because I still have just over half left in the original jug I purchased. I don't use it sparingly. I want to feel clean when I bathe and I like lather. Anyway this savings was about  $3. for each jug. I also found Tom's toothpaste for a few dollars off the tube. Instead of $6.99 or $5.99 I paid $4.99.  Finally, I purchased 3 different Garnier and Biore products, all at $4.-$7. off each, and one came with an additional $5. off coupon.  All these savings do add up because next to food drugstore products are one of my big ticket items. I've done a lot of this kind of shopping over the year but am only counting these purchases. Total one time saving is approximately $27.00.

Grooming

I only go to the hairdresser about 3-4 times a year at most and do my own hair in between. Some years I've only gone to the hair dresser once. My hairdresser charges about half the price of most hairdressers for root touch up, highlights and cut and dry.  Even so my hairdressers prices have gone up $10 - $20 for each visit and I feel a bit choked about it even though I know the cost of living has gone up for everyone. I started going to her because she was the only one who would apply henna that I premixed and she did it very reasonably along with wash and blow dry.  I saved $110 on my recent hair service. I'll count this savings once.

A new beauty salon opened up near by and I was able to get a main-pedi for half price. The cost was $39. and so my one time savings was $39. The promotion is now over but I was  pleased with the service. I haven't had any mani-pedi for long because the last place I went to I wasn't happy with the results and my fingernails were damaged. It took several months for me to want to try again. Normally I do mani-pedi over the summer but  this year I did none over the summer. I'll probably get one or two over the winter months.

Points

I've never been one to pay for a credit card just to collect points but last year I decided to try it and I liked what I was accumulating so I paid again this year. Not all my purchases are being done on this major credit card because sometimes I prefer to pay cash or use another card.  Also not every retailer accepts all credit cards, especially Amex due to their high service fees. Despite not being able to use Amex at many places I'm pleased to report that I've still collected enough points or cash back to fund a return air ticket to somewhere of my choosing. Now I must do some research and planning about the trip.

I also accumulate savings and rewards all year long by purchasing items at a local drug store. I mainly purchase sale items but I don't keep track of annual savings for discounted items. I also accumulate anywhere from $400-$500 cash back over the course of a year. I use this money to purchase items I need at the same drug store. Truthfully I've slowed down my shopping a lot at this drug store as there is only so much you can buy at a drug store.

Conclusion

These examples of savings are how I try to save money on an ongoing basis. Some of these I've been doing for years and other things are newer to me like the points Amex card. I am not an extremely frugal person or there are numerous ways I could save even more money. 

Altogether I calculate my savings at approximately $5201 in this current year (savings by purchasing items on sale and savings from not purchasing items at all).

If I count the washer-dryer I purchased a few months ago, that is an additional $300 savings.

I also have a cash back reward of approximately $1600 which I haven't used yet (and a few smaller cash back rewards which I am not counting here because the amounts are very small).

Overall  savings  $7101 (seven thousand one hundred and one dollars) Canadian. I am pleased with these results. I am all about maximizing my purchasing power and I make some smaller efforts at gaining cash back. I suppose if I move to using one credit card it would be easier to maximize cash back rewards. In order to really take advantage of this I would have to switch credit cards and I may do in future.  In future I may also think about being more extreme with my savings through non spending or reduced spending.

I'd love to hear about how you go about savings money on a day to day basis. Feel free to let me know in the comments section.

Have an awesome day!