Thursday - Errand Day

Thursday is usually errand day for me and I often run several errands on this day.  However, today I only ran one and that was to do some grocery shopping.  I don't want to be running major errands this weekend unless it's to the library.

I really didn't want to go out today but I finally did and I closed out the store because I went out so late.  It means I didn't shop as carefully as I normally would but at least it's all done! Go me 👍🎉🎈. I intended to buy a few items needed to make taco soup. Would you believe I completely missed out on buying 2 of the items I need? I can probably get by without buying sour cream because I have plain Greek yogurt. I may need to go out and buy taco seasoning and cream cheese but there is a possibility I have both in my cupboards and refrigerator. I'll have to check more closely before buying more.

I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. I didn't mention that Friday and Saturday's menu consists of roasted chicken with red potatoes and veggies/salad. Another night is taco soup topped with avocado, shredded cheese and a dollop of cream. 

Once I got to the store I saw that a 2 pack of whole chickens, a "family pack" of steak and roast beef were on sale. I picked them up and also picked up a round of Kolbassa sausage. Though I haven't exactly planned the week's menu I have certain basic things that I do with the meat and fowl and I have been experimenting of late just to keep things interesting.  I find the cost of beef, pork and chicken have gone through the roof.  For awhile the store wasn't selling the 2 pack of chicken which had always been a staple of mine. I'm craving chicken souvlaki with rice pilaf and lemon-garlic potatoes. Maybe now I can make some.  I would buy more chickens but I have no available freezer space. (Please click on all photos to enlarge).

I got a good selection of vegetables, herbs and greens.

I don't often buy beef steaks or roasts anymore.

2 pack chicken, fruits, choc bars and other treats.

If you're like me you like to see how much other people pay for their groceries. I know that some places like England and parts of the USA, do not pay the same high prices we pay in Canada. Within Canada too the prices vary a lot.  It is much cheaper to buy groceries in places like Edmonton, Alberta or Toronto, Ontario, than it is in Vancouver, BC.  For what reason, I do not know and I find it rather annoying.

Today's haul cost me just over $100 (see receipt) and I paid for the pack of chicken with points, not cash. This food will last about 10 -14 days, perhaps longer if we have meatless days.  But I will need to supplement the haul with other things like more veggies, milk, eggs,yogurt and possibly bread/baked goods; all as needed. Considering prices here, I think the overall total was a good deal.

I haven't mentioned Kenya for awhile and I wanted to let people know that I'm still looking for a helper for Janet, the lady who started a hair business after being chased from her family home. My assistance will come to an end in March and I would like to find someone who could help her and her 4 daughters for a few months. It would mean $40 - 60 Canadian per month.  This is just enough to pay rent and a few food items. It would help her get a surer footing. If you cannot afford that but want to help her, please send any amount.

Rose, the mature woman who recently had a baby by C-Section is now in the town of Kericho with her friend. She has developed a bit of an infection in her wound and the doctor wanted her to visit the hospital more than once this week so she could be treated. She returns Friday (it's already Friday in Kenya) then hopefully she will be released to home. It costs approximately $35 - $40. Canadian for each visit. Almost two thirds of this amount is for private transport since Rose cannot ride the crowded vans they call matatu with her baby.  It isn't safe, especially during this time of Covid and it also isn't good for her wound. This past week was more expensive than $35 - $40 because the baby's umbilical cord area also required a bit of medical attention and Rose's wound needed treatment. 

In Kenya you can either pay the hospital to provide all medicines or you can buy it yourself at a less expensive pharmacy. In all cases we do what we can to save costs and buy medical supplies and even medicines at the pharmacy.  One needs to shop around to find the best pharmacy prices because costs vary a lot. Then the doctors will administer the medicine or use the supplies on your behalf when y\uou visit at the hospital or in their office. This is quite acceptable in Kenya but would never "fly" in Canada or in most western nations. 

By the way, Rose named her baby boy Kipkoech. I hope I am spelling it properly. It means 'new beginnings' or 'blessings of a new day' and is given to boy children who are born in the morning.  I thought the name was very fitting.

Anyway friends, if you are able to help either Janet and her 4 daughters or Rose and her baby boy please be in touch. You can find the Pay Pal link on the right hand side of this blog. Thank you for your consideration.

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Valentine's Day is coming soon.  Whether you do anything special or are with loved ones or by yourself, please be kind to yourself and enjoy the day.  Thank you so much for your visit.

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Frugal Food Shopping and Cost Comparisons

Those of you who have followed my blog for a long time know that I make a good effort to live frugally and find a bargain for virtually everything.

In this new year I am experimenting with going farther afield (on public transit) to buy good quality food rather than just my local grocer.  Last week I shopped at a place called Young Bros. Produce which is across town on the way to the University of British Columbia. It was recommended by a neighbour in one our hallway chats.  As it happens I have shopped here a few times before but it's been many years since I was last there and I did not know the store by name.

The photo below will show my produce haul.  It cost $24 Canadian  ($18 US, $27.50 Australian, 16.80 €, 2026 Japanese Yen and 1840 Kenyan shillings).  I found the prices to be quite low compared to most other places in the city and the produce is fresh. All of this produce would cost two or two and half times more if I bought it at my local grocer.  The downsides are that the store is very crowded with hardly any room to maneuver and they only take cash.

I bought about a quart of white mushrooms, 2 large English cucumbers, 2 large zucchini (courgettes), 1 small bunch of spinach, 6 small red peppers (capsicum), 1 big crown of broccoli, 1 small bag of green beans, 6 medium to large bananas, 9 small blood oranges, 6 navel oranges. All this cost $24 Canadian dollars.  I still have a small bunch of spinach, some red peppers, broccoli, courgette and green beans left to use this week but am all out of fruits.


Yesterday (Wednesday)  I tried a different place, called Persia.  They have several locations in the city and have very good reviews. 

This haul came to just over $34 Canadian ( $25.50 US dollars,$38.84 Australian dollars,  just over 23 €, 2800 Japanese Yen, 2600 Kenyan shillings).

I bought: 6 bananas, 4 large mandarin oranges, 6 medium blood oranges, 4 navel oranges, 2 grapefruit, 1 sweet lemon, 2 pints of strawberries, 3 small jalapeno peppers, 2 small eggplants, 1 bunch of spinach, a small handful of grape tomatoes, 2 avocados, 1 sangak bread ($2.99), 1 container of smoked paprika $2.99), 900 gr bag of green lentils (not pictured) and one 454 gr bag of black eyed peas ($2.99).  I have plenty of vegetables for the week ahead and lots of beans, lentils etc.

Cost wise it seems fairly similar to Young Bros. Produce on W. Broadway; maybe even a bit cheaper. It has the advantage of being a single bus ride from my home and more room to maneuver my shopping trolley while shopping. It also has alternative forms of payment which for me is far better than only having to pay by cash. I seldom have much cash on me.

 

This is my meat haul from a week ago. There is enough for 3 more dinners.

The meat (ground beef and roast) was packaged into portions for hamburger patties, spaghetti sauce, meatballs, stir  fry (2) and a roast. I also bought a small package of chicken wings (not pictured).  This was all purchased at the usual neighbourhood grocery stores and  cost a total of  $37 Canadian dollars ($27.75, $42.20 Australian, 25.36 €, 3054 Japanese Yen, 2802 Kenyan Shillings). 

 
I bought 10 kg of flour a few days ago.  It was on sale for $9.99 rather than the usual $13.99.  This large bag will last for up to 6 months if I make bread every week or so. I'll need more yeast before I run out of flour.

It's still been cold at night.  I like to have hot  decaf tea or herbal tea to warm up and sometimes have a muffin.  I made Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins last time instead of the usual Blueberry with white flour.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and added bran to the mix of ingredients.  They were delicious.  I prefer blueberry muffins and also cranberry muffins and alternate between these two over the seasons when it isn't too hot for baking.

All in all I'm pleased with the prices I've managed to get on these last few shopping expeditions.  I'm always keen to get a good price on foods and I'm also always curious about how much others pay for their foods. 

What I've discovered over time is that while Canada doesn't have the highest food prices, we certainly are no where near the least expensive.  Our neighbours to the south and some of our farther flung neighbours, like England, seem to pay a lot less for food than we do.  Canada is also such a vast country and the food prices vary wildly depending on where you live.  People who live in the far north, like Iqaluit, and other northern communities, pay an astronomical amount for fresh produce. In the Arctic one cannot grow fresh produce and it is very expensive to have it shipped in.  I can also say that food prices have skyrocketed in the last few years but that is probably true of most countries.

Added: By the way, this is a bit off topic but I wanted to say that I am also trying to change my ways when it comes to plastics. I go through phases of doing well and then not so well with reducing the use of plastics in stores. It can be rather challenging. Then too I am using plastics when I portion out foods for freezing. If I use plastic bags to store breads and muffins I reuse these many times over. But if I use them to store meat I discard them. 

I have actually purchased reusable net bags for my produce but right now I only have 3 of them. I need many more. I also intend to purchase silicone bags for freezing foods when my budget allows. I do use glass containers for storing food in the refrigerator when there are left over items.  All in all, if one wants to reduce or eliminate plastics altogether it can be very challenging at the best of times. One does have to try though for the sake of our environment. You would be amazed that there are now even plastic particles in the air we breathe. Particles which you obviously cannot see. Beyond that, I'm sure most of you are now aware that there is so much plastic in our oceans that ocean life is ingesting it. The problem of plastics is enormous. I cannot get into the issue properly here but I just wanted to point out that I am aware of the issue and my contribution to it. I am trying to do something about it.  Whatever plastics come into this household, are reused as much as possible before discarding. It would be better if stores and sellers did not wrap everything in so much plastic to begin with.

An Update

Hi friends,

 I haven't posted in awhile and there are a few updates and a short announcement.

Today was overcast and it rained a bit late in the day. It is supposed to rain a bit for several days this week. Not much rain but I hope it all adds up to enough to give the garden a good watering.

Sunday late evenings after dinner seem to be baking days for me, at least when it isn't hot outside.

I made date squares for the very first time as I had a small package of dates I've been wanting to use. I never used to like date squares but these days I don't mind them. I also made a batch of bannock bread to use up some milk which had passed it best by date.  I should have warmed the milk a bit first because it made the dough very cold. In the end though it tasted quite fine and took the edge off the hunger I was feeling despite having eaten dinner (marinated chicken, steamed rice and green salad).

The photo of the date squares isn't very good but oh my the square I had was very delicious. It must be all that sugar and butter. I know I won't be making these on a regular basis due to these two ingredients.  I'll be wrapping some up in wrapping paper and tin foil to take to a friend for her family. If I have another one or two that will be plenty and I will have saved myself from spending so much money on buying date squares. 

I calculated that this small pan of squares would have cost at least $18 Canadian if purchased in the supermarket here which usually sells 3-4 squares to a package. If purchased in individual squares at the cafe, the 12 squares would have cost 2 or 3x that.

I didn't calculate the cost of making the squares since I didn't go out and purchase anything to bake them  so I'm guesstimating the approximate cost of ingredients (only the amounts used and not the amount for the package of each item):  flour ($1),  sugar (25 cents), butter (60 cents), dates ($3), oatmeal (75 cents and shredded coconut (40 cents) for a grand total of $6.00 (Canadian). I used a recipe called Newfoundland Date Squares which you can find here.

I also made bannock bread.  Once it is baked and cooled, I  pack it away otherwise it gets dried out.  Bannock bread like this must be eaten within a day or two. It's best with butter, jam or cheese (Cheese Whiz is good too). I don't really follow a recipe. I make it often so it is by "feel" but here is a recipe to something similar. I make it in the slab but once I put the slab on a baking sheet I cut  the dough into squares with a sharp knife and prick it.  When it comes out of the oven it is already portioned out. I remember some ladies used to make a huge slab every day for their families rather than baked loaves. They didn't bother to cut it before baking. Everyone just tore pieces off at the dining room table or they would slice it into squares after baked and cooled.

Bannock bread

The root canal on one tooth was finished and I completed the antibiotics. It seemed like the tooth was quite badly infected and I know when they cleaned out the temporary cotton before finalizing the root canal there was still a lot of pain. They gave me extra freezing and they put some liquid antibacterial medicine which went down my throat and was burning. Right now there doesn't seem to be any real pain which is a relief as there had been slight pain for several days. I guess the tooth and gums needed time to heal. Anyway long story short is that I had to pay out of pocket due to the work needing to be done on emergency basis. Now I am hoping the insurance will reimburse me for most of the work. In the meantime I'm waiting for pre-approval for another major bit of tooth work. Even if they approve it I already know they won't cover much of it because my annual limit is almost exceeded with a bit of cleaning and the root canal.

Believe it or not I know some ladies that want to get dentures just to avoid pain and problems and future expense but I'm not at that point. My late mom had so many problems with partial dentures and if that were to happen to me it really isn't avoiding any future issues at all.

In Kenya, Ernest is slowly recovering at home. He will be in recovery mode for quite some time yet. I am still trying to raise the last $60 Canadian dollars or so to clear the hospital bill. I thank anyone reading this who has prayed for this need to be met, shared it on social media or given directly. You are all much appreciated and you know who you are. May God bless you also in your time of need.

Another friend is still in hospital about 3 hours from her home. She has been there for going on 3 months. I honestly don't know if she will improve as she has been in and out of ICU a few times but we continue to pray for her and I continue to try and meet the medical costs and to encourage her family as best I can.

I am letting one of my sponsored boys go. He is my most recently sponsored boy who lives in Uganda. His name is Kevin and I'm delighted to learn that his community will be graduating. I sponsor him through Food for the Hungry and the organization works intensively with communities for a10 year period during which time the community learns to be self sufficient. It will be an awesome time of celebration soon not just for Kevin and his family but also for the rest of the community they live in.

The other boys I sponsor in Kenya and Ethiopia are doing well.  John will turn 16 years old this month and is getting very close to graduating from the program.  He will be finished in 2 years and then he will be out of the program and I will be unable to communicate with him further but  I pray for and have hope and trust in his future. The other two boys, Ian from Kenya and Wondimu from Ethiopia are still several years away from finishing the program. I sponsor these three boys through Compassion International's Canadian office and have very much enjoyed working through this organization to help them.

We have started a short spell of rain this week. I hope it rains a lot for the gardens

Levi, one of the young university graduates I helped a bit during his last two yeara of university will be going to India next month. He is on a full scholarship to complete his Masters degree in Engineering over the next 2 years. While this is very exciting he first has to raise transitional funds and if he is successful he will leave for India in approximately 2 weeks.  

Alvin is another young graduate I have been helping. He graduated a year and a half ago and was hoping to do another year at his alma mater. It all fell through even though he was registered and paid the tuition.  We are now hoping he can continue studies in Canada but we need to get a scholarship for him. In the meantime he is keeping busy singing in the internationally renowned Kenyan Boys Choir.  After many months in the recording studio the choir has recently completed their latest album.  Soon they will be marketing it for sale. He also keeps very busy with church and helping his family in addition to looking for employment.  If he is able to come to Canada  to study it would greatly help him with future job prospects.

Last, but not least, is Carolly. He has been studying to become a medical doctor. Just yesterday he learned he has passed his examinations. He now has one 3 week internship in Ear, Nose and Throat department and after that he awaits graduation in November. I think Carolly will be snapped up by one of the Kenyan hospitals since the country is in need of doctors. That would be wonderful for him and his extended family.

I'm currently completing my 28th book of the year and will soon be reading Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. I had a modest goal of 25 books which I've now surpassed. From now until the end of 2019,  I will only be reading for sheer pleasure and not only to achieve a goal. 
I may just not read anything for a few months and spend time in other pursuits.

So many things take up time besides housekeeping and other tasks. I've been participating in various free on line webinars, spending time in prayerful study, keeping up with a few friends and family members, making future plans and going to appointments which at times seem never ending.  I asked the doctor about possible knee surgery but apparently I  go to a program first where they teach about pain management and other relevant things. I believe they also assess whether and when I need surgery. 
I don't mind going because we have a waiting list for various kinds of surgeries here and I want to be in the queue. One thing that has been bothering me is the idea that I might wait too long and then end up being a long time on a waiting list if I don't do something to get myself on a list somewhere.  I'm not 100% sure if it really helps but at least I feel like I'm doing something positive.  In the meantime I also help myself by taking my supplements, walking and a bit of other exercise.

  At the end of summer I will have a family visitor and so I'm thinking about what we will do over the week, the menu and so on.  I was also expecting a cousin to make her annual visit soon.  I spoke with her last week and she won't be coming this year.  Her daughter decided to move to the city where she lives.  They are now living together until her daughter gets settled and so she has been busy showing her around the city and getting her familiar with everything.

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I'm thinking of taking time away from blogging to relax and enjoy a slower pace over the summer.

 It has been a long time since I took a real blogging break and I've never taken a summer break from blogging. 
Summer always passes by so quickly and so I want to try and enjoy it this year.
  I'm not sure exactly when I'll start the break.  I was hoping to finalize my travel posts (Paris and Nairobi) first but not sure I will get to it.
Just in case you don't see me for awhile you will know that I've decided to go on break.
 🏖️  ☀️  🍹  🏝️

Until then enjoy your summer or your winter wherever you are in the world.

Spring Activities Continue

Hi friends,


It's been raining a lot here this week so I didn't get to plant my 2 gardens plot yet. I am happy about that because it gave me time to shift to doing a few other things. I'm still in Spring cleaning and spruce it up mode.  I'm making notes here for my own record and for future reference.

 I'm constantly in the process of decluttering and getting rid of things some of which has piled up for over a decade.  Things piled up when I spent years looking after my late sister's children then looking after my late mom.  I couldn't spend time to properly deal with my business while others in the family were in great need. The declutter project I'm doing will still take a lot more time.  I don't easily get rid of things and like to take time going through everything meticulously.

Sometimes I go through things 3 or 4 times before making final decisions and over the years, needs and wants change and things come into clearer focus as to what is needed or can be let go. I am no hoarder though and over the years have gotten rid of a lot of things mostly through giving to the thrift store or posting things on the local Freecycle website.  For now while I'm still in declutter mode I'm trying to spruce things up a bit.

Spring Cleaning

• A new bathroom shower curtain. I just changed it a year ago and felt the colours (navy on white) needed toning down. My new curtain is mostly white and has small designs in navy and gray). I intend to paint the bathroom (something I never seem to get to) and install a train rack for extra towel storage.
• Purchased some command hooks for the laundry closet on which to hang my mop and broom. I've had metal ones for many years but never got around to nailing them in the wall. So at last I have some stick on ones. I've purchased extra command strips if needed. One of the shelf units in the laundry closet came out of the wall so rather than put it back up I purchased some narrower plastic shelves from Wal-mart a year or two ago. I am happy with the new arrangement because I don't have a laundry room as such and have to make do with a very small laundry closet.
• I emptied and cleaned the vacuum cleaner, vacuumed the living room/dining room and moved the area rug from the front room into the master bedroom. I'm looking for another one or two larger area rugs for the living room and dining area. I've been looking for a very long time. I am not in a big rush because of all the other things I have to do and because I hope to live with my purchases for many years to come.
• I bought a new larger entry hall rug to replace the temporary one I bought last year.  I went back and forth to the store 3 times to buy and exchange the rugs. In the end I got a different colour than I wanted.  That's okay because the entry hall rug and the kitchen rug are now the same design (different colours) and can be interchanged if I want to change the colour scheme in the kitchen.
• I bought a new tablecloth (narrow brick red and tan stripes on natural background) and natural coloured napkins.  I've got a number of tablecloths I bought many years ago but wanted something to freshen things up. I think I can get rid of at least one or two tablecloths that have seen better days.
• New (slightly larger) kitchen rug, dish rack, draining mat and oven mitts. I've decided I'd rather have a dish tray under the Umbra dish rack but have been having problems finding just the right one. Maybe I'll change my mind as time goes on and stick with the draining mat. I will donate the well used teak dish rack and several drying mats. If no one wants them I'll be fine with putting them in the trash because all of the items have been used for quite a long time.
• I bought an under the sink shelf. I'm not sure if I'll use it in my kitchen or in the master bathroom. If I like it I may buy another one later. Right now I use plastic containers under the kitchen and master bath sink to keep things organized. Right now though the  master bathroom stuff is out of control and needs to be reined in again (I'm working on not buying more products and using up what I have. It takes discipline).
• I used some white wood putty to fill in some cracks on my kitchen cabinets. I'm not sure yet but I may paint out the lower cabinets some time in future or I may reface the kitchen cabinets.  It will depend on whether I can make a small repair to one of the cabinet hinges and also on overall costs. This is just one of so many projects that need to be done.  For now I am focussing on the smaller projects to try and make the household flow a bit better.  It seems to be a never ending process.
• I purchased a can of Scott's Liquid Gold to shine up the kitchen cabinets after washing. I only buy this stuff about once every decade and mainly use it on my laundry closet shutter doors to shine them up a bit. I got this tip from an Executive Assistant to a former boss.  We would share a few decorating ideas from time to time. I was surprised to learn that this product is multi-functional and can even be used on kitchen pots to shine them up.
• Notes: Most of my new purchases were done at HomeSense so the items were all at a discount.  Of course the stock changes daily.  If you waffle a bit and return another day you take a risk that it might not be in stock when you return.  Imagine my surprise when I returned the very next day for a red & beige rug for the entry hall (there were 3 of them less than 24 hours earlier) and they were all gone! Since I visited the store daily for 3 days in a row it was clear to me that stock turnover happens very quickly.  Overall though I've been very pleased with what I found there. I'd been wanting to stop at this store for years. I didn't realize it's location was convenient to me.

There is a lot more work to do in the coming weeks to continue spring cleaning and decluttering though I won't likely write about all of it in this space (lucky you).

Gardening

I bought some pansies to plant in the containers on the balcony. I should have time later this week to undertake this task. Pansies are one of my favourite little flowers and each year it is hard to find the starter plants here. When I saw a few earlier this week I snapped up 10 pots because the store didn't have much stock and very little of the purple colour I love so much.  I have to plant them soon and hopefully the weather will cooperate later this week.

Frugal Cooking

I've baked bread every week for the past 3 weeks. We haven't eaten it all up so I made bread pudding with some of the slices. I forgot to take a photo. It was good but I'm still looking for a good recipe. I find most of the recipes I've tried result in what I consider to be a dry pudding.

I want a pudding that is much creamier and similar to what my late mom used to make. Too bad I didn't learn her recipe but back then I really didn't enjoy cooking at all and had no interest in learning much about it.  In the version I made today I added more milk (find it here) and used less sugar. It was a decent outcome as in tasty but lacked the creamy texture I'm after.  I think the trick might be more eggs and milk though that might make a bread omelette, lol.  If you are a cook and have a creamy bread pudding recipe that you wouldn't mind sharing please let me know.

Right now I'm cooking from my food stock and only buying the barest minimum of foods, like a bit of fruit or eggs and milk to supplement what I have on hand.  I've got a lot of dried and canned goods as well as stuff in the freezer that I want to use up before I do any more grocery shopping.

So for today we had garlic mashed potatoes, fried pork chops and canned cream corn. I have salad fixings but I didn't make any salad.  Once I eat salad I tend to be too full for the main course. Dessert was bread pudding.

Yesterday we had baked chicken breasts (bone in) with canned browned mushrooms and mushroom soup "sauce" over steamed rice with steamed asparagus on the side. We had oranges for dessert.  I think Monday I'll make breakfast for dinner (bacon, eggs and hash browns or bacon with an omelette so I can put some veggies in there).  The goal is to use as much of my stock of food as possible so I can clean the freezer and the inside spaces of the cabinets.


If I run out of meat or fowl I will make vegetarian meals with chick peas, lentils and so on. In fact I hope to intersperse some of the meat and chicken dishes with vegetarian ones. I was inspired by browsing through the book by Mary McCartney (daughter to Paul and Linda McCartney). I didn't buy the book. I just sat down for awhile and thumbed through it (and a few other books) enough to be motivated once again to eat more vegetarian meals. One thing I want to make (which I saw in Mary McCartney's cookbook) is a corn meal bread with jalapeno peppers and corn niblets. I have several bags of cornmeal that a friend gave me and I need to use it up soon. In fact, I'm not sure what the expiry date is (it's in sealed plastic bags with no markings).  Perhaps I should open one bag and smell it first.

Creativity

The crochet afghan I am making is going to be large enough to comfortably cover a twin sized bed so it is much larger than the throws I've been making to cosy up while sitting on the sofa. I think I'll be gifting it to my uncle who is now in long term care but first I'll call his wife and see if this is okay with them because my idea is rather last minute.  I'll take some photos of the finished product and share them when I'm done.

Television/Movies

I started watching a new series called "Hanna" on Amazon Prime.  I'm on episode 4 and find it very interesting. Are any of you watching it? I wanted to go and see the movie Dumbo but haven't got around to it yet. Have any of you seen it and do you recommend it for adults?


Reading

I am also reading a bit here and there. I am slowly working my way through the book Beyond Expectations which  I  picked up during my recent travels to Kenya.

It is quite interesting and chock full of information about the early days of Kenya's independence and the power brokers of the day.

I also picked up 3 more books at the library.

The Piano Teacher,  set in the 40s and 50s in Hong Kong. It's a fictional story which is primarily about two separate but intertwined love stories set in the period before and after Japanese occupation.  I've just finished the book and I would probably give it a 3 or 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm about to start on the next two books.

On Island is a book of fictional short stories written by a former Canadian Member of Parliament. The stories revolve around island living.

We're Going to Need More Wine is a memoir by actor Gabrielle Union. Her essays are true stories about power, color, gender, feminism and fame.

Other

I was hoping to see an old friend for lunch but she's had some family issues come up as well as some health issues so our get together is temporarily on hold.  I have another friend who I hope to see early in the week. I've suggested we go and see the Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I thought we were going on "cheap night" but I now see it may still cost quite a lot so I'll have to reconfirm with her tomorrow. Next up I have to meet with a new financial advisor. I've been wanting to change up advisors for some time now but never have time to do the research. I've been called by a new to me advisor at one of the banks I deal with so am hoping to have a meet and get to know you session before any decisions are made. There have also been a number of dental and medical related appointments on the agenda this month and some family matters of my own (all is well) and the ongoing charitable work in Kenya. I didn't expect April to be so busy.

 ~~~~~

I hope you are well and busy and that you

 have a wonderful week ahead wherever you may be in the world.

Joining

Our World Tuesday

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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! 

My World is Good at the End of October 2017

I've been feeling so tired since my last post and I haven't been sleeping well. Many things I wanted to get done had to sit by the way side. I put off my much anticipated trip to town and walk along the waterfront.  However all was not lost. I did manage to get many smaller tasks done and out of the way and that adds to my gives me peace of mind.

I do have to get to the waterfront again though because rains are expected to start a few days earlier than I expected. I wanted at least one or two more walks along the waterfront before that happens as it could be months again before we have such warm and beautiful days.

I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are. I'm sharing some photos I took last Friday on my errand runs. I haven't shared any nature photos lately from my neighborhood or the adjoining neighborhoods. These ones show all the beautiful fall colours. I read on the internet that this year's fall colours on the west coast are more vibrant than usual due to the lack of rain over the summer and the sudden transition from summer heat to fall cold.

Sorry this photo isn't too clear. I used my phone camera.


These next two photos were taken near a small mall within walking distance of my home. The place is very old and has been there forever. The local school board owns it and is always under pressure from the government to sell it and use the funds for school district needs.  Those of us who shop at the small mall will be sorry to see it go some day.  Though rather outdated the place grows on you and provides all the basic necessities one needs in the neighborhood.

I haven't made much progress on the style course which I signed up for a few weeks ago. I knew that would happen and I tried to get out of signing up now. However the organizer said she wouldn't be offering the course "live" again so I signed up. Now I'm behind by several weeks. I'm keeping fingers crossed that I will be able to catch up soon.  I try to log in when sessions are live to at least listen to the teaching and discussion. It is helping and the good news is I can actually work at my own pace and will be able to access the course forever (or as long as the company and website last anyway), I've been very busy the past few weeks trying to buy new clothing items to "fill the gaps" in my wardrobe (jumping ahead in what I'm sure is much later in the course), look for new winter boots or rain boots for the cold and rainy weather. I haven't decided which one would be best but I am tired of having cold and wet feet on the wettest of days. I guess I will buy whatever fits and whatever I'm able to find first.  At least that will be ahead of where I'm at now.  I also need to get to the tailor to hem several pairs of slacks and jeans. I can do it myself but would rather pay someone else to do it if I have more than one or two items to alter.

One big thing I have managed to accomplish is Christmas shopping.  I've spent a lot of time comparison shopping and ordering on line.  I am a pragmatic person so everyone on my short list of recipients is getting clothing items that they need or I think they could use. One of the recipients is my niece.  I wanted to buy her several nice items of warm clothing for the winter and to match her newest (short) winter jacket.  I managed to find tops but am having more difficulty finding a warm pair of pants.  I decided to give her something I've newly purchased for myself instead but I will have to hem the legs for her before I can wrap it up.  Good thing I've taken her measurements.  I'm feeling rather good about getting most of the Christmas stuff done.  I still have a few others gifts to buy or make and parcels to wrap before the end of November so some things can be posted.  I often don't buy much in the way of gifts but now and then the spirit of generosity takes over and I want to buy for everyone!

When I'm running errands I often need or want to stop for a snack or a meal.  On Saturday I had Vietnamese Pho Soup and a roll dip. I prefer shrimp salad rolls to the roll dip but this is a special and it comes with the roll dip. Have you ever eaten this kind of soup? I like to put fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves and chili oil in mine. I always order the house special which comes with cooked beef, rare beef, tendons, tripe and beef balls.

I love having a bowl of Vietnamese soup and a roll dip for dinner from time to time.

In about 2 weeks a friend and I will attend Verdi's Requiem performed by the Vancouver Music Academy.  Though put on by students, the annual productions are very professional and held at the beautiful Orpheum Theatre downtown. I can't wait to go.

I'm also trying to organize another friend to get to a Verdi Opera, Un Ballo in Machera (A Masked Ball) in the middle of November.  If that doesn't work out I'm hoping she will want to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah. It has been awhile since I went to The Messiah and it is one of my favourite pieces.  This year it seems we have a choice of 3 different choirs and venues.  I am so happy about that because these tend to get sold out very early in the season.  Even if you wish to go you will miss out if you do not get organized very early.  I hope to confirm tickets very soon but my friend has been slow to get back to me which isn't normal behavior on her part. I hope everything is well with her and her family and that we can connect soon.  Other than that I hope to attend some craft fairs in late November and early December.  There will be some artisans that I can only access once a year.  Maybe I will find a unique find.

My reading has slowed down a lot.  In August I met my goal of 35 books for 2017.  Since then I have read several more books including the very long  A Column of Fire  by Ken Follett.  I enjoyed it a lot but reading the reviews some of his fans didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did or as much as they enjoyed his other books.  Right now I'm reading a book that is taking me forever to read. It isn't that bad but definitely not the kind of style I usually enjoy.   It's called Birmingham Blitz by Annie Murray.

This book is 928 pages long.

If you've been reading me for awhile you know I like to collect loyalty points where I shop at the local pharmacy. I don't shop often in other stores with loyalty points because I don't like all the work involved in keeping track of them and trying to maximize the points obtained.  But I can make good use of pharmacy products since they sell lots of things for day to day household needs.  They also see a lot of food products and some basic technology stuff.

In my last 2 shopping trips I earned about 30,000 points.  That brings me about 250 points shy of a grand total of 95,000 points which will give me $175 Canadian dollars.  I must use all this money to buy stuff at the pharmacy.  I don't normally need to spend  $175 at a pharmacy but it comes in handy when looking to purchase something more costly like a humidifier, electric toothbrushes or water piks, etc.  I have my eye on an air purifier or two but I like buying one big item and then using the rest for the daily household needs.

Whenever I am at the pharmacy I take my blood pressure. Lately it has been optimal or very close to optimal. The diastolic pressure has been lower though (more like 56 or so). The pharmacist doesn't seem too worried though I've asked several different ones about it. I will be seeing my regular doctor in about one month.  Blood pressure readings are usually a bit higher when I am at the doctor's office. They call it white coat syndrome but also the machines they use are probably more accurate than the ones at the pharmacy.

I wish you an excellent week until next time!

Joining up with

 Our World Tuesday

Nature Notes Tuesday

for the last day of October, 2017.

Frugal Notes & A Short Update

This week I've been trying to get back into a normal schedule and have had a very busy week.

I've taken out my wall calendar and plotted the appointments I've made for the months of September, October, November and December. Doing this makes me feel more in control and less frazzled and enables me to pace my days and weeks so as not to get too tired. When a friend calls for a get together it is also much easier to see when I can easily get together without feeling too squeezed for time. When I get together with friends I love to have a free day  so I can easily spend time with them and afterwards have a relaxing time of shopping or making my way back home.

It's also been a good week of frugality.  The freebies and good deals are welcome indeed because expenses have been rather high with all the travel and associated expenses to visit mom and the health care and daily essential needs of people in Kenya.

Ways I've saved money this week:

• free haircut and style (another has been booked for November). I colour my own hair as needed and purchase colour on sale. Sometimes I use henna which is much less expensive than hair colour but I don't like all the muck it entails.  Henna is a messy and time consuming process but very frugal.
• free movie (Jason Bourne) using points I've accumulated over several months
• free movie at the local library (Eye in the Sky)
• used a 50% off Subway sandwich coupon today. I purchased a foot long and shared with a new-to-my-street homeless woman. I also gave her some cash and asked her a few questions as well as talked to her about the local shelters.
• free purchase ($85 worth) of vitamins and personal care products using accumulated points at the pharmacy.
• Flyer food shopping. I've saved oodles of money this week buying 2 sides of pork loin that I cut into slices for stir fries, roasts and pork chops. This is an enormous help to the food budget and will last me a very long time.  I had also hoped to get a side of roast beef  on sale so I could do the same.  But the store didn't have the advertised sale when we got there today.
• large heads of cauliflower purchased for less than $2. (the lowest price we can get here and in fact $1. lower than usual). I will be making faux mashed potatoes with it.
• 10 kg bag of flour for less than $6. This will last a long time as I don't do a lot of baking these days.
• Okanagan peaches which cost $2.69 a pound at my local grocer were priced at $1.49 a pound at the produce store a few blocks away. I don't normally purchase peaches but I have a craving for peach cobbler now that cooler weather has arrived.
• Lots of other great deals which will really help with the food budget this month and into next month. I will likely do some menu planning which I haven't done for some time. I want to ensure that all the fruits and vegetables I purchased will not go to waste.
• Bedding linen - I purchased comforter duvet set and 400 TC sheets for a birthday gift. These were a  real steal at 50% off clearance  prices and I know will be used and appreciated by the recipient. 
• Borrowed several books from the library. Inexpensive entertainment and I don't need to store them or give them away once I'm finished.

New Books on My Reading Shelf

First up is The Illegal by Lawrence Hill. I've had this one on my "to read" list but see there are a lot of people waiting for it at the library. I noticed it on the Fast Read shelf this week so picked it up and am enjoying it immensely. It is quite a powerful book and evoked several emotional responses from me already.  You can read more about it here.

Update:  I finished the book on Saturday.  This book deals with the timely issue of undocumented aliens unwanted in the countries where they have sought refuge. It is set in fictional countries. I was moved by the book and thoroughly enjoyed the telling of the story.

I picked up this next book by a new to me author. I  have no idea what it is about but liked the first page when I read it. You can read more about it here.

I started this book on Saturday. It is a book about a man newly diagnosed with dementia. He travels from England to Spain where his newly separated son is living in Lomaverde, a Spanish utopia for expats.

Last but not least is

Dr. Zentner has herself struggled with weight loss and is currently an internal medicine specialist in Vancouver where she works with obese patients. In the book, Dr. Zentner defines and offers specific tips for those who fall under various eating personalities: the emotional eater, the calorie drinker, the fast-food junkie, the all-or-nothing dieter, the portion distorter and the sitting duck. Her book is a practical guide for how to address obstacles to weight loss for each of the  eating personalities.

I'm now reading about the portion distorter and will soon be finished before reaching the recipe section. The book is quite interesting and I think can be useful to anyone who wants to better understand his/her relationship to food and weight gain or loss.

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The weather here has turned from sunshine to rain as of today. In a few days Fall will officially arrive. I'm sad to see the end of the longer days of light but there is always the Spring to look forward to again.

Besides catching up on reading goals I've got a lot to do to catch up on things around the house. I'd  like to paint the master bathroom and get it organized before the Winter arrives. I already purchased shelving and racks, etc. and have painted the shelves.  But still have to purchase paint for the walls and get the shelves and racks put up.  Now that the growing season is over I'd also like to clear the garden in readiness for Spring. Normally I don't do this and just wait for Spring to do all the work but I want to be more organized for the next growing season.  At least that is the plan.  I also have a number of sewing projects (altering clothing for mom and for me) and making progress on works-in-progress (crochet and quilting). Besides all these projects, I have a few personal goals I want to embark on.  I'm still doing research and trying to get a few things in place. We'll see how far I get.

Update on Mom:  Mom is more or less the same. She calls me most mornings and struggles valiantly to speak. I notice that when I talk to her about relatives or family she is able to respond with clearer speech. My brother who lives in far north will be visiting her this weekend so I will delay my next trip to see her for another week or two.

Update on Eunice in Kenya:  Eunice's son took her to the hospital where she was treated after her stroke for her one week follow up visit. They kept her for several days which was unexpected. But whatever they are doing seems to be helping her. She is now able to walk a bit using the aid of a cane.  Unlike my mother, Eunice is able to speak.

Please continue to keep these women in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a wonderful weekend.