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! 

Frugal Actions Add Up

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all well and that you had a lovely weekend. I have been quite busy running a lot of errands that had accumulated during my time of convalescence with a cold and just generally trying to catch up to everything I fell behind in.  I am not completely well and haven't caught up yet but I have made very good progress and I've almost gotten rid of my cough.

Photo from my archives. I need colour to counterbalance a gray day :-)

It has been awhile since I did a frugal post and I wanted to review and share with you some of my recent frugal finds because it astonishes me just how much savings can be had if one is diligent.

As always it gives me great pleasure when I can spend less money on something and stretch my dollars as far as they will go.  It not only gives me a sense of accomplishment but it provides me with a little breathing room to help me meet my many obligations. Two friends in Kenya have been so ill and require lots of medical help.  Kenyan university students need help with school activity fees and my sponsored children and their families need gifts to help offset food and other costs.  Things can get a little tight especially when things like medical and school costs are not always predictable.  I just have to do the best I can as the people truly do need the help.  Anyway, without further ado, the following is a detailed account of some of the larger savings I've realized recently.

First up with savings this week was saving money at the grocery market. In Canada we do not get the deeply discounted groceries that our American neighbours to the south and our friends in Great Britain and even in Africa can get.  I read with a bit of envy the prices one can get for food elsewhere. I've shopped at my local IGA for many years.  However it has been sold to Save-On Foods.  When I went shopping on Friday the store shelves were getting rather bare. I didn't need a lot of things because I had done some shopping the previous week.  But one of my neighbours stopped me on the street on Thursday night and and told me there were 25% off bargains to be had.  So the next day I went to the store where I discovered that the discounted items were not as many as I expected.  But I did pick up some items I need and saved $31.81.The store will make the transition to the new ownership in about another week or so.

Earlier in the week I also saved money at the local pharmacy where I have built up significant points (about $270 worth). I built these points over a few months through careful shopping on sales and during points promotions.  I wanted some books and magazines this week but I don't normally purchase them outright anymore.  I decided to use points since I had so many of them.

I purchased 2 health books and 3 magazines (two decor and DIY magazines and one financial magazine).  The total cost was $60 and I still have a balance of $210 in points.. I generally use these points to purchase things I may not otherwise buy.  Things like health supplements, electric toothbrushes or replacement brushes or other more expensive items. Whatever I do purchase I try to get it when it is on sale and stretch my points further. For example, the two health books I purchased were discounted at 25% each.  Here is a snapshot of the current rewards balance after buying the books and magazines.
 

 
Long ago I made a decision not to purchase books and magazines due to the high cost and the resulting clutter. However from  time to time I do break down and buy new books and magazines though it is a rare occasion.  Mainly I borrow books from the library so they can be returned and not added to my shelves.  When I do buy books it is usually from the thrift store and sometimes the used book store. My preference is the thrift store as the books are cheaper. Once I'm done with the books I give them back to the thrift store for resale or to someone who wants them.

This week was an exception to the rule as I purchased two books on Friday during on line sales. I debated about whether to purchase the electronic books or the paper versions.  In the end I opted for the electronic books so I could have instant access to them.  Also, one of the books is rather heavy and difficult to carry around. If I have the electronic book it is more likely to go with me when I leave the house.

The first book entitled  How to Get Dressed  ($10.49 on sale, regular Kindle price $14.99, paperback price $19.99) appealed to me partly because of all the positive reviews it received.  I was also interested in it because it is supposed to have a lot of tips about clothing and dressing. As you will read later in this post, I've been putting together a new wardrobe and doing so at clearance prices and so this book might help with a few issues in terms of pulling the wardrobe together. I haven't started reading it yet.

The next book is by Amy Tan, one of my favourite authors.  If you'd like to read a summary of her book you can find it here.   I borrowed the audio CDs for this book from the library last year but I simply couldn't sit and listen that long and I never got too far into the story.  The kindle edition is $4.99 while the hardcover price is $34.99. I purchased the electronic book and it is working very well for me. I've already gotten well into the story.  In general  I do prefer reading from a paper book but from time to time I like having electronic access to a book.

It seems to be my week for buying books because the very next day I purchased another 5 of them from the thrift store.  These are the titles.

• Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl  $1.00 ($10.50 new) 
• Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner  $1.00 ($4.99 new)
• The Ivory Trail by T. V. Bulpin  $1.00 (This is a rare book that costs $78 on Amazon Canada)
• Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda $1.00 ($19.99 new) , and
• A Guide to Navajo Weavings (Reference) $5.00 ($36.34 new)

One these books are read they will go back to the thrift store for resale with the exception of the rare book and the reference book on Navajo rugs.

When I am out and about and doing errand, I sometimes have to stop and have a snack or a meal.  Sometimes I stop at McDonald's fast food restaurant.  I've often noticed that there is a survey notice on the back of the receipt but I've never completed one until now. After I completed the survey I was given access to the coupon in the photo below.  It amounts to an approximate value of $5.50  value and is a time limited offer which must be used by March 22, 2016. I may get a chance to use it and I may not but it is free so I've printed it and put it in my wallet just in case. I very seldom drink their soft drinks so I hope they will substitute a coffee or a water.

I mentioned earlier that I've been putting together a new wardrobe and a lot of it is for warmer weather though not exclusively. The Clark's sandals in the photo were discounted from $130 down to to $34 and came in a multitude of colours. I found them on another site for $10 less at the regular price but the marked down price was only $66.

The colour I selected was pewter (or shimmery silver). I wanted to buy the sandals in red but pewter will go with more of the clothing and is a little more interesting than black or navy.

Amongst the new items of clothing I've bought recently are maxi dresses (all the rage) and some light cardigans.  I'm afraid I don't have any photos but the key thing is that they were all heavily discounted.  The dresses were originally priced at $89.99 and discounted to 29.99.  The sweaters were discounted from $49.99 each to $19.99. I actually got an additional 30% off of the discounted prices because I mainly shop flash sales where additional discounts are offered for a short period of time.

Right now my biggest issue is not the cost of the clothes because I've been getting rock bottom prices.  The difficulty is knowing what size or sizes to buy since I'm purchasing on line and sizing is not always consistent which can be frustrating. I've been losing inches (not weight) and some of the clothing I bought last Winter and Spring are already ill fitting in some areas.  Now I'm ordering smaller sizes most of which fit.  But anything so heavily discounted cannot be returned so I have to be very careful what to purchase so funds are not wasted on non-returnable items.

Last but not least, I purchased a bracelet and a black onyx pendant in the thrift store. The bracelet was only $1. and the pendant was $5. I've seen comparable pendants on line for at least $50 or more. I don't like to spend much on jewellery except for a few quality pieces.  The rest I spend little on because I don't change my jewellery too often so it would be a waste of money.

When I'm out and about running errands I do try to eat healthy and don't  just stop at McDonald's. 

On Saturday I stopped for Japanese food.  I had another dish of deep fried shrimp (breaded in panko crumbs) not pictured here, but I didn't like those so much.

I thoroughly enjoyed the snacks you see in the  photo below.  

Even my snacks were 40%  during happy hour though I would eat at this place even without the discounted prices.

Snacks from left to right.

Miso soup, Sushi (tamago, salmon, tuna), Seaweed salad

In summary I think you can see that with diligence many bargains can be had when shopping for food, clothing, books.  One can also find sales on many other things or good deals at thrift stores or even things for free on sites like Freecycle or Craigslist.  It really depends what you are looking for but it pays to spend time to find the deals.
I know my efforts are not the very best and lowest prices around. I know people who will spend far less than I do and only purchase second hand clothing or get them free through clothing swaps and that kind of thing.

However I am pleased with my results.  Personally I prefer to purchase new clothes that haven't been worn by anyone else except me. That is just my quirk. That means I have to find them at sale prices. The same goes for shoes. I don't mind buying 2nd hand when it comes to kitchen items, certain linens, furnishings or books. I always find it fun to shop around and see what kind of deal I can get.

 I'm leaving you with some beautiful scenes of the waterfront taken last month.


Thanks for stopping by. 

Enjoy your week!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
(March 8, 2016)

Joining in with Lady Fi at Our World Tuesday

A Bit of This and That

Hi folks,

I hope you are all doing fine.

I've been doing a little of this and that over the past 5 days or so.

First, I've been busy "window shopping" for various home decor accents, mainly throw cushions. Covers for throw cushions to be exact. I couldn't find what I want and certainly not at the prices I want to pay. Most cushion covers are priced at anywhere from $7.99 for a small lumber pillow to about $89 or so for a nicely patterned cover with cushion inside.   

Instead I decided to make cushion covers using some of my Japanese indigo fabric purchased over the summer at a sale price of $12. Canadian.  The remaining cushion covers will be made using some inexpensive solid burgundy pillow cases and burgundy/beige/white pillow cases with elephant pattern.  Both sets were purchased earlier in the week at $1.99 (+ tax) Canadian for each set.  Now I just need to find some deep gold coloured fabric (cost unknown) to make a few lumbar support cushions.  For closures, I will use buttons I have on hand instead of zippers. All cushions are for a friend who doesn't read this blog.  Grand total cost for 8 cushion covers will be around $20 (including tax) Canadian.  The cushion inserts will cost extra.

An idea of what the cushion covers will look like when done. I need to find fabric in gold/mustard colour.

This is the Persian inspired carpet in the living area. Current sofa and chair are a mustard colour.

At home I've started on another major decluttering exercise which usually gets combined with home organization.  Each time I get rid of a lot of things, I also end up moving things,  storing them in different locations and sometimes buying more storage containers.  Those of you who purge and organize on a regular basis know that the task is never really done.  I try to implement a major declutter once or twice each year.  But it has probably been a bit longer than that since I last tackled this task.  In this go around, I've decided one of my key tasks will be to organize my dresser drawers (and closet shelves) better so clothing is visible to the wearer.  I also plan to empty all the bags I've been storing under my dining table. Bags of fabric and clothing that need to find a home, go to the thrift or get thrown out.  I also have bags in my bedroom that need sorting. I am still trying to pare down what I inherited from my sister and my mother (mostly my mother). The storage room is filled to capacity so whatever I have in my home needs to be pared down. The kitchen will also be given a once over. I have at least one appliance to give away and a lot of cookbooks I need to pare down. Ideally I'd like to get rid of al cookbooks since I basically only use online recipes. But that is a pipe dream. I love books too much.

So to help with getting my dresser organized, I stopped at a Japanese variety store earlier this week.  The store is sort of like a dollar store though most goods cost at least $2.00 and go marginally upward in price.  I was looking for drawer dividers.  Not the basket or container type, but the kind that partitions the drawers.

I found two types of dividers to try and have since organized the small dresser drawers where socks and undergarments are kept.  The total cost was $10. but I need to buy one more sock container at another $2. for a grand total of $12. Canadian. Perhaps I will upload a photo or two when done with this project.

I also need to purchase some inexpensive fabric or plastic boxes suitable for larger clothing items.  These are for the larger dresser drawers and for the open grid shelves in my closets. For the moment, I've used several shoe boxes and a cardboard box in one large drawer. I've rolled up the t-shirts and put them side by side so they are clearly identifiable when the drawer is opened. If I had more boxes I would simply use them instead.

There are fabric boxes and various kinds of plastic storage containers widely available in my city and in a very wide range of prices.  I live in a large city but if you live in a smaller city or town, the best place to check for organizational items would be the local dollar store. If you don't have one of these, then Amazon is a good place to buy them and Wal-Mart also has these kinds of items.  Personally, I prefer to buy these types of items in a brick and mortar store so I can examine them and buy them on the spot if they will suit the purpose.

Dollarama and the Dollar Tree are the next stores I will check out.  I never get to the latter but will make a point of going there soon to check out what they have since all items are priced at no more than $1.25 Canadian whereas items at Dollarama can go up to $3.00 and the Japanese variety store prices are also $2. or more.

None of these prices sound so expensive.  But when you are purchasing a lot of items it is best to spend the least amount possible on each item.  The total can really add up even at small prices per item.  For example, to separate socks and undergarments the spend is a  grand total of $12 (+ tax ) Canadian.  But there are still 3 large dresser drawers (estimated cost to organize each drawer is at least 3 times more for each drawer ($36 each or subtotal $108  + tax).  There are also up to 8 closet shelves to organize.  Depending on what kind of containers one buys it can be anywhere from $6 to $20 per shelf (estimated subtotal $ 48 to - $160 total for the shelves). That means I potentially have another $158 to $268  (+ tax) total Canadian to spend on organizers dresser drawers and closet shelves.  This is still a high cost when you consider that all items are going to be purchased in dollar stores or inexpensive variety stores rather than the high end container stores.

There is no way I am going to spend this amount to organize clothing.  

I simply cannot fathom spending that kind of money when there are so many needs in Kenya and here at home.

  Now you see why I haven't already organized these spaces. 

In the past I've just folded everything nicely and tried to keep it organized as best I can by colour and garment type.  But my system just hasn't been working too well.  It is also  too much work to keep clothing from getting all jumbled and messy because my closet shelves are open grid.  I need an economical way to organize the clothing.

Perhaps the solution is to make my own out of foam board. Here is a good YouTube tutorial if any of you are also interested. You could even cover cardboard pieces with Mac Tac contact paper or wrapping paper. Personally this is too much work for me.  But it might work for you if you have time and especially if you already have all the required items around your home. Foam boards are available at Staples for about $14. (+ tax) for 3 sheets. I will need at least 9 sheets for a total of $42 (+ tax). I already have the cutter. Wal-mart Canada also sells the foam board in store at 2 sheets for about $6 (+ tax) so this is a better deal. Perhaps they also sell it at the dollar stores for even less. I also like the idea of just using boxes so you can use different size boxes that will fit into your space. If you don't like the look of boxes you can cover them with wall paper, Mac Tac, wrapping paper or colourful tape from the dollar store.  I'm not 100 percent sure yet what solution I will use but I will do what is quickest and cheapest for me to get the job done soon.

While I was out looking for organizing aids I was also finally able to find a suitable phone for my mother.  My brother and I have both been looking for a set for over a month both on line and in store.  He was even going to go across the border to buy the phone we need.  But on Thursday evening I found a suitable phone on a sale price of $69.99 (+ tax) marked down from $99.99 (+ tax).  I was happy.

Some time ago I started reading a biography on Charles Dickens and while I have been enjoying it I simply haven't had too much time for reading. I've renewed the book several times already and it can't be renewed any more so I've decided I'm prepared to pay a small over due find of about $1.50 for one week so I can finish the book.  After posting about this, I called the library and was able to get an extension to the loan period for one additional week. That's great and a savings of $1.50.

Besides shopping and organizing, I've been knitting a stash of dishcloths for home use and for small gifts. I've also been giving some thought to what to get for Christmas gifts this year and have a lot of ideas for economical and sentimental gifts that will be suitable for my family members.

In progress

This is a beautiful buck from the land of Kenya.

And here are two beautiful exotic birds living at the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver.

Pied Imperial Pigeon

An Electus Parrot. I think his name is Kiwi.

I hope your week has been a good one.

Joining with our host Eileen at Saturday's Critters.

Enjoy the weekend and the week ahead!

Time Passes

Time passes so quickly by. I know I say that a  lot and I hear it a lot from my friends too. But honestly, where does the time go? Hey I think there is a song by that name.

Let me digress a moment and check out that song. My mind does like to wander.

Okay I found "Where Does the Time Go" by Barry Manilow. But that isn't the song I'm thinking of. I thought there was a song from a few decades back.

There is another song by Sandy Denny & the Strawberries called "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" That's the one I remember.  I really only remember the very last refrain.

I prefer a slower version of this song as sung by the last Sandy Denny (died 1978)  in the band, the Fairport Convention.  Here is a video of this lovely folk song in case you'd like to listen to it. It isn't really a video because there are no moving pictures but there is good audio.

It's vibe captures how I feel about the passing of time (sad). There is just so much to do. I want time to slow down.

Here is another lovely version done by the late, beautiful Nina Simone (died 2003).  I love her introduction to the song and she does a moving rendition of it in case you have time to listen.

Isn't it funny how when we are children, a week is an eternity?  But when we are older, we want time to slow down a bit?

Anyway I hope you didn't mind the digression.

Where I live the very hot summer we've had is winding down and Fall is on the way. The days are still quite hot but not as blistering as it was even 2 weeks ago. Once the dinner hour arrives you can feel the distinct change in the air. The change in air temperature started about a week ago.  It is always amazing to me just how summer changes to Fall immediately at the end of August here. It is like clock work. Once our last long weekend of the summer is finished, you will know it is Fall. Fall is my very favourite season though I think it is too short of a season before Winter rolls around.  Don't I just sound like I could better organize the seasons of the year, lol.

I am grateful to have 4 distinct seasons where I live though it does make it more challenging and expensive to prepare for all the different seasons: heating wise, cooking wise, clothing wise and garden wise. Even the car needs special treatment for the different seasons. But the beauty you get in the changing scenery and the respite you get from the heat, cold or rain, is rather special.  My friends who live in the tropics probably don't believe that. *wink (Frugal tip:  Make sure to get your car serviced and oil changed at the right time. It will save wear and tear on your car and make it run better using less fuel.  If you are on a tight budget it can be very tempting to put off the oil change).

This past week has been very busy. The highlight of the week was hearing that little Baby Fidelis made it to Toronto, Canada with her mom. For awhile it looked a bit bleak that she would ever make it to Canada but she made it!  I'm so happy she will get the opportunity to have facial reconstruction surgery. Monday she was supposed to have surgery and I'm hoping and praying it went well.

Baby & Mom with host family at Toronto Int'l Airport.

The rest of the week I was busy catching up with things.  There is a lot of shopping and clothes preparation to do before I visit mom for her birthday very soon.  I only have a few days to get everything ready so will be busy with that.

For the coming seasonal transition, I've purchased a few warm sweaters, some cotton jersey nightgowns and a few bits and pieces. I have to label them all.  If I have time I will also try to make a top for her out of this fabric in the photo.  Pardon the purple items beneath the fabric.  They are two new nightgowns which I have to modify before she can wear (I have placed everything on my ironing board so I can start the labelling process). (Frugal tips:  If you are a caregiver for an elderly person and need to buy them a lot of things like I do, it pays to really shop around. I purchased 2 sweaters for less than the price of one sweater I was originally going to buy. With the savings, I was able to purchase the fabric at 50% off.  Altogether I think the fabric cost $14.20 which I think is good value.  I could get fabric which is less expensive but it wouldn't stand up to the washing in super hot water).

The fabric pattern looks a bit wild and busy but I think it will sew up nicely into a long sleeved jersey pullover. It will coordinate with the plum skirt I made awhile back and another burgundy skirt she has. Apparently the two dresses I made and gave her on my last visit were big hits and she has worn them a lot already .

Polyester knit fabric for top

Most of the rest of my week has been busy just catching up to house cleaning and various appointments and errands like shopping for my eye wear.  It seems I'm behind on everything! (Frugal tip: Save all your receipts and be sure to submit them quickly to your insurer if you expect any funds to be reimbursed.  Currently I have just over $200 owing to me. I will be submitting receipts today).

I did make some great progress this week, especially with the housekeeping. Though that may not sound too exciting, those of you who keep the household know how good it feels to be caught up for a few moments on housework. I am not quite caught up but made some very good progress.

Hopefully I can continue making progress next week too because next up I have plans to do some major closet and drawer decluttering. I haven't done a really large decluttering in a long while and it is definitely time. (Frugal tip:  If you have time, energy and patience you can sell a lot of your clothing. I understand there are groups on Facebook for this and of course there is also Craigslist though one has to be a bit careful who you let into your home.  There is always the old fashioned way of a garage sale outside if you happen to have a yard on ground level. Even a few dollars back can really help the pocket book. I usually just give my things away though I might put a few things on consignment now and then).

I'm also slowly catching up on my reading goals for the year.   Right now I am finishing up the book in the photo below.  It's an interesting story about a Jewish immigrant who leads a life of twists and turns and how she comes to make her livelihood making ice-cream. It's fascinating how a writer can take a subject like ice cream and right a compelling story around it. I admire that.

Once I'm finished, I will return to the biography of Charles Dickens and some health related books that are specific to women's issues. These are always quick reads and I learn a little more each time I read a new one. (Frugal tip:  Borrowing from the library is better value than buying a book and you don't have the problem of where to store the book once you've finished reading it.)

Here are a few photos I took while out and about this week.

The last photo I'm sharing was taken at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens earlier this summer. Can you spot the bee having a feast?  There were a large number of bees in the garden that day. (Frugal tip:  Where I live I signed up for the Inspiration Pass at my local library. It enables a person to visit multiple sights in the city over a 2 week period and to take a bunch of people with you as guests; all for free. You might have something similar where you live.)

 Unfortunately the water restrictions this summer means that all the plants in the Van Dusen Gardens (and other parks)  are in jeopardy. It is sad but what can be done?

Weather changes around the world impact us all. Hopefully the gardens can recover but I've been hearing that weather patterns and climate change is such that we can  no longer expect what used to be normal weather.  We should now expect the unexpected. I guess we all have to learn to adapt.

  I am linking up with Our World Tuesday this week.

Have a wonderful week!

Greek Dinner Revisited

Hi friends,

I don't know about you but when it is very hot outside I find it difficult to know what to eat. Only a few things appeal to me. Greek foods seem to agree with me well in this heat. You might remember I made a Greek dinner a few weeks ago.  It was time for another one.

This time I cooked the potatoes extra long to make sure they were brown. In my oven that takes awhile.

You can find the recipe here 

I skipped the oregano spice but made sure to put lots of garlic, lemon juice and oil. 

I didn't feel like making kebabs or souvlaki so cubed the pork, marinated it and put it on my indoor grill. It is so quick to cook but you need a bit of time for the marinade to work.

Frugal Tip: Purchase a full boneless pork loin roast and slice into pork chops as well as pork cubes for stir fry, kebabs and marinated cubes (as in photo below). I was able to get a full side of pork loin roast on sale for only $12.  It was a fabulously frugal way to get some nice dinners.

Here is a recipe. Again I skipped the oregano. I do like oregano but I am out of it at the  moment.

I also made some Greek Tzadziki (Cucumber) Sauce. I didn't have thick yogurt on hand so I strained the whey out of some before I used it. I found it was much runnier (thinner consistency) than last time even though I drained a lot of whey from the yogurt and water from the cucumbers too. You can avoid that problem by buying thicker yogurt or straining yours longer.  I decided to thicken up the sauce by adding a bit of ground up flax seeds.  This not only made it the right consistency but gave me some needed fibre. It didn't affect the taste either.  Here is a recipe for the sauce (minus the flax seeds).

Frugal Tip:  Purchase plain yogurt on sale and strain the whey out using a thin cloth. You can make it to your preferred consistency and save on cost of buying more expensive Greek yogurt.

To round out the meal there was some toasted pita bread and leftover green salad from the previous night's dinner. A few cherries for dessert. I love cherries and eat a lot of them during their brief season.

Frugal Tips:  There can be a tremendous gap in pricing at local food markets for fruits in season. Shop around. Prices in my neighbourhood range anywhere from $2.49 per pound to $9.99 per pound for cherries. One week a local grocer might have them on at the highest cost but the next week their cost is lowest. You can save a lot of money just by being willing to go a few blocks more for your treats.  Another tip is to purchase flax seeds whole and grind them yourself as needed. Store both the bag of whole seeds and the ground up seeds in the fridge to keep it from going rancid so quickly due to the oil in the seeds.

As you know I've been mentioning the excessive heat for long but in anticipation of some small rain we are having, it cooled off on Friday and Saturday. 

The predicted rain arrived on Saturday but there wasn't a lot of it.
Thunder and lightening storms are predicted for the rest of the province and the fear is the lightening will cause more wild fires.
We already have over 200 fires burning and the cost to the treasury is now in excess of 100 Million Dollars (Canadian).

Sunday (June 11th) called for a bit more rain. It did come down a bit but not a whole lot.

Here is a photo I took on Saturday morning.

The sky is very dark with a combination of smoke and rain clouds.

Today is Monday and we have a lot of blue in the skies for the first time in a week. The sun is also out in full force and there are a few clouds in the sky.
I may add today's pic later but right now am preparing to green my niece who will arrive within the hour.



Thank you for sharing my world with me.
Joining in with Our World Tuesday

I hope you visit again soon.

xx

Frugal Thursday & Party Plans

There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, 

But a foolish man swallows it up.

Proverbs 21:20

It was a very busy day Thursday dealing with mom's birthday party planning and financial matters.

It is only a small party but because I live out of town it is always a bit more difficult to get everything organized. I've bought her a small gift that she will really like. It is a child size pendleton blanket that she can use as a lap blanket. It will be much warmer than the one I made her a few years ago.

I hope mom will enjoy herself and feel special for the day. I've been rather worried about her as she has been feeling frail and weak for some time now.  This will be her opportunity to see those that mean a lot to her. She will be 79 on Sunday.  Many years ago I used to tell her she will live until she is at least 82 because she used to think she wouldn't make it to the age she is now.    If we are blessed to be able to celebrate her 80th birthday party I hope to try and do something special.  Maybe invite relatives from afar. I have to start thinking ahead for that one.  It would have to be a surprise or she may not like all the fuss so we will have to see how it goes.


 I sourced out the place to purchase the cake, appetizer tray and food. I also made sure my niece will be escorted to mom's residence and invited my nephew and his family and his mom (my SIL). My other nephew won't be there as he is going for a few days holiday to Las Vegas. He has been doing double duty this summer at his job and studying for his GRE exam to get into graduate school so he has long planned this one weekend away before university starts again. He told me yesterday that he will visit his grandma next week before classes begin.

Mini version of a blanket I bought mom many years ago. I have her big one.

I also undertook a number of activities to shave a few dollars from my monthly costs. I'm always looking for ways to be frugal and cut monthly costs. How about you?  Do you spend time looking for savings too and what do you do with it?

I have a friend in Kenya who could use a little help to finish his university and graduate and that is where I put some of my savings. His name is Elvis and he is finishing his medical studies in Kenya (read more to the upper right of my blog). Let me know if you would like to help him. Any amount would be appreciated by him and his single mom who looks after 3 other children on her small income as a worker in a flower factory.  If you live in Europe, just think she might have picked the flowers in your vase.! Life is very hard for your average person in Kenya. The vast majority are not privileged to have a big income or eat more than a meal a day.

Today I saved money by doing a number of things:

* cancelled my movie package on my television programming.  This is a savings of $18. (Canadian) per month.  Initially I purchased it when it was a promotional deal. I don't usually do this but was feeling extravagant at the time. I meant to cancel the deal after 3 months but ended up keeping it for 6.

* opted into another package of channels because of a 6 month promotional deal at half price ($9.00 Canadian). The cost of the package is the same as my movie package but is currently 50% for half a year. I'll decide in that time whether I want it or not. I will likely cancel it before the 6 months is over or just at the 6 months.

* switched my long distance call plan. The cost is half of what I have been paying ($6.00 a month).  I haven't been using that many minutes per month so this works out for me.  It is easier for mom to reach me when she needs me than for me to reach her. So she is the one that needs unlimited long distance calling plan. Her plan is $20. (Canadian) per month.

I also look after my mom's bills and try to save her money wherever I can. Given her many moves last year, the telephone company made a royal mess of  a number of things. After several attempts to straighten things out I discovered that they are now giving her a $10 discount each month for the next year. They call it a loyalty discount.  She really has been loyal to them in choosing to stay with them over 40 years!

* I asked my telephone company where else I can save money on my bill?  Apparently I am already paying for the least expensive options for the telephone, internet and television bundle.  But I have been a loyal customer of the same company for a very long time also so they gave me a 6 month discount of $5. for each of the services. It amounts to a total savings of $90. They said it was in recognition of the fact that I do have other options for my telecommunications needs.  I can get a much cheaper telephone rate somewhere else or cut my home phone altogether. I have Skype and I have unlimited cell service. However I keep the home phone the same for my mother's sake (reliability of service, same phone number, voice mail, etc). I would also probably be paying more on the internet and television without a bundle. Of course, I am always assessing whether to stay with the company or go elsewhere. I've determined that for my needs at this time, this company gives me the best rates and the best services for those rates. If things change, I can always change providers

* they also suggested I delete my paper bills for a monthly savings of $2. but I wasn't quite ready to do that given all the issues I've had over the last year (or so I thought with my mom's bill and my bill.  It turns out I misread my bill but I still like to check them over on paper not on the computer screen.  I dislike looking at documents on line but once I feel comfortable that things are straightened out with the service providers I can easily give up the paper bills. Update:  the very next day after posting this I learned that the telephone company has been challenged over the issue of charging people for paper bills. I also understand that they have recently stopped charging seniors, the disabled and those that don't have internet (another $2. saved on my mom's monthly bill).  In the not too distant future, the federal (national) government will prevent the telephone company from charging anyone for a paper bill. Now if only they would also stop the banks from charging us for the paper bills too and let the consumer decide how they want to receive their bills. Many would opt and have already voluntarily opted to receive bills on line to save paper and impacting negatively on the environment.  For those that can't or don't have internet usage (the economically disadvantaged, the disabled and many seniors), should not be charged for the privilege of having a paper bill.

* colouring my own hair. I have saved quite a lot of money by buying and applying henna to my roots every month. I go to the hairdresser only once or twice a year to get my entire head of hair coloured, get a few highlights and/or a trim. This usually costs $45.00 and I save $25 a month doing my own hair. I actually save more than this because my former hairdresser charged $45 a month to apply the henna, wash and blow dry and I now only pay $25 (different hairdresser).

* contacted my financial advisor to let him know I want to eliminate critical illness insurance. This costs $120. (Canadian) a month. I've been paying it for 16 years and I think it is time to stop especially since I am not working any more. I've tried to eliminate this several times before. My advisor always convinces me to keep it and to cancel my life insurance instead. I keep my life insurance mainly because lenders like to know you have insurance and I want to have a small amount for loved ones if needed when I ultimately pass.

* returned a pair of winter woolen socks and exchanged them for a different pair. Savings: $3.36 (Canadian)

* purchased an African basket from Ghana for a savings of $15.00 plus tax off the original price. Believe it or not, I purchased the basket at a postal outlet of all places.  Chatting with the proprietress I discovered that she was born in Kenya, a land that I love so much. She is clearing out old stock to make way for the new.  My basket got quite a lot of compliments as I wondered about the west side neighborhood doing my errands.

* shopping at a new to me store for a food items. I was pleased to discover that a lot of things I like are much less expensive there (examples: flax seeds, some cheeses, whole meal bread, molasses). I saved about $8.00 (Canadian) off just a very few items that I would normally purchase in my own neighborhood.

My work on "tweaking" the budget is not done. 

I still have a number of areas that I know I can eliminate and which I hope to do very soon. 

That brings me to the question how many of you my dear readers have critical illness insurance.

How much coverage do you actually have and do you think it is worth it? 

Personally, I think that once you hit 55 years or older, the critical illness is not so important. Most people are going to get critically ill before that time.  If they get critically ill when they are older then they usually have no need for a smaller lump sum for vacations or bills.  You usually have equity in your home for those purposes and some more fortunate people have more than adequate income in savings. If you don't have either of these, you probably wouldn't buy critical illness insurance as it would cost too much.


My benefit is not that great in the event I was to get very ill. When I purchased the insurance I was a lot younger but because I noted every little, small thing that was wrong with me at the time it ended up costing me a lot of money.  The primary issue was whiplash and back problems brought on by car accident and also some ear, nose and throat issues caused by a skating accident when I was a teenager.  These few problems and a bit of excess weight caused me to end up paying much more than I was expecting. Whenever I ask my advisor why I need this insurance he says to pay off bills or take a vacation if I should live long enough (3 months) after getting critically ill (cancer, stroke, heart attack...that kind of thing). When I was working and not retired it made more sense to me.  I was far too busy to scrutinize expenditures and maximize savings by implementing frugal measures and routines.  Even now that I am retired, I still don't have a lot of excess time for these two activities but I make time every year to evaluate where I'm at.  I'm retired now and eliminating critical illness insurance seems to be a good way to go. I've already notified my advisor by email so he wants to meet next month if I am free and get me to sign some papers. Perhaps he will try to convince me again but this time I am pretty certain. I also want to give up the accidental death coverage through my previous employer.

Total savings:  Approx. $265. dollars. $54 savings is spread over 6 months. The $120. on critical illness insurance won't be saved until my advisor gets me to sign papers next month. So real savings this month of August is about $91.to be used for charitable works and mom's birthday present.  Not too bad and soon I will have more savings. More tweaking of the budget and any resulting savings will allow me to continue with my ongoing charitable work in Kenya and also toward saving for household needs (renos, appliances, etc.).

 I'd like to hear your thoughts about your own experiences, if any, with critical illness insurance.

{Photos of flowers were all taken in Kenya.  Please do not use for Pinterest or any other purpose.  I hope I don't offend anyone but recently I found a number of my blog photos on Pinterest and no one had ever asked to use them. I guess this is kind of the purpose of Pinterest but I don't subscribe to that kind of usage.}

A Frugal Week

Hi friends,

I hope you all had a great week. I have had a busy and productive one. It was a good week.

I started the week with making a baby quilt for my soon to be great-niece or nephew who will be born any day now. It is exciting awaiting the arrival of a new baby. The quilt was sent off in the post and arrived yesterday.  Since I did not purchase any new materials and had all the necessary fabric, thread and batting on hand, this was a very cost-effective gift.

Early in the week I visited a new to me university in the city. It is a small, private American university. I went there to ask questions and gather information for a friend of mine who is contemplating attending there. I was very impressed with what I learned and the fact that the university seems very responsive to real needs of students.  I do think though that the cost of tuition is a bit prohibitive.This little outing was very interesting for me and brought back my own excitement about being a student so long ago.  Other than the cost of the bus ride ($3.50 Canadian) it didn't cost me anything for the outing.

The night before my meeting at the university I received a coupon from  Michael's Craft store for 50% off a regular priced item.  I am adding large balls of yarn to my stash in different colours.  I don't need the yarn right away so I am going to buy 1 large ball of yarn every now and then.  The usual savings I would have on one regular priced item is 40% off.  This time it was 50% so I saved $6. (Canadian) off the total cost.  I also bought  6 small balls of cotton (at a savings of  $3.00). Altogether I saved $9. on yarns.  I'm hoping to make something different with the balls of cotton to be unveiled later if the project is a success. Normally I make cotton dishcloths and I really enjoy making them. Now and then though it is nice to make something different and add to my repertoire.

Yesterday I spent $14.30 (Canadian) on veggies, fruit and a small bag of pita bread (celery, carrots, romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, bananas, pita bread).  The romaine was about $.50 off and the pita was only $.99 cents.  Though I am now trying to reduce my carb intake (no more bread baking, sigh), I haven't had a sugar spike when I make a veggie/pita (whole wheat) sandwich so now and then I buy the pita at this good price. At the supermarket it is about $2.50 for the same bag.

Today I purchased a few roma tomatoes ($1.49 per pound) and a small head of green cabbage ($.69 per pound) for an additional $5. (and a bit of change) spending on vegetables this week.  I haven't had any mandarin oranges since the winter and so I splurged to have for snacks.  Good thing the oranges are smaller ones.  I've also managed to find small bananas on my last few forays to the produce market. Having smaller oranges and bananas is a good thing because I have to watch the sugar intake.

I do use a lot of veggies and I like to have a variety of them each week. I also like to have a variety of fruits though bananas, oranges, apples, lemons and limes are the staples. It used to be that veggies and fruits were the least expensive things to buy in my neighbourhood.  But these days nothing is inexpensive.  I just try to scale back and buy those items that are not so expensive or are on sale in any given week.

An example of healthy soup made with fresh produce.

Last week in the produce store the zucchini was $1.59 a pound.  Today the same zucchini was $1.79 a pound.  I've noticed that since new owners took over at the neighbourhood produce store, a lot of the prices have increased considerably.  The quality however has gone down. A lot.  The new owner is now charging virtually the same prices as the chain supermarket across the street.  But the supermarket has much better produce.  For example, the small, shrivelled lemons on offer at the produce store were 3 lemons for $2.00 (Canadian).  The supermarket across the street has much bigger, fresher ones and you pay about $.89 each.  You couldn't get 3 for $2. but you can get 2 large and plump ones.

The other day my friend was shopping at the same produce store.  He felt he was overcharged so he got them to re-do the tally and discovered he was overcharged by $10! That is a significant over charge. They blamed it on the new cashier who was just learning the ropes.

Basically, it really pays to shop around.  It also pays to keep your eyes open for changing prices at your favourite stores. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the cashier and to put things back if you find the prices are too high.  At the larger supermarkets I always try to watch the cash register and have saved myself a lot of money this way.  Often the inventory being scanned has not been reduced in the system so if you don't catch it you may be significantly out of pocket.  If you know the prices you can always tell when you are paying too much. I speak up immediately (before I leave the store) and have the problem corrected before I leave.  This saves me a trip back to the store to sort things out later.

I save all bottles and containers that have a recycle fee attached. Whene I have a shopping bag full of bottles and cans, I take them to the supermarket for a refund.  They limit the amount of recyclables they take at any one time but it works for me since I can't have too many piling up in my small kitchen before they need to be returned for the deposit.  Usually the amount I get back for a full bag is around $1.40 Canadian and this week was no exception. I'm given a chit for the refund which I can then cash out when I go to the check out counter.

This week I also made $2. on a scratch ticket sent to me for my birthday.  This is like found money since I didn't have to do anything to get it but scratch the numbers.

I was also able to save several dollars on a donation of airtime to a Kenyan friend. Sending money to foreign countries can be costly, especially when multiplied many times over the course of a year. I never know when there will be a discount off the fees but when they do happen, I try to take advantage of them.

When I went to the pharmacy last night to pick up my medication I did some browsing around the store to see if anything I needed was on sale.   Just before I was going to pay for the items I checked my email and discovered that I could use a coupon that would earn me 16,000 (a  monetary value of about $20.).  I collect points so I can buy staples such as toilet paper, eggs, milk, butter and coffee and whatever else I may need.  What do you think I did?  I mentioned it to the pharmacist that I had points if I waited until Saturday and and she kindly offered to have someone put back everything I had taken off the shelves. I said I would be back Saturday. I did go back and I ended up earning 34,000 (16,000 of them I will get in a few weeks). That is like a dollar value of around $55. and will come in handy for use later.

Have you ever used Freecycle?  You can post offers to get rid of your no longer needed items or you can post want ads.  I usually post things to give away but a few weeks ago I responded to a give away for a bunch of unused fabric. The lady who was giving away the fabric kindly brought it to my home today because she had given me the wrong address when I went to her home just over a week ago. She is moving so she is working hard to declutter.

I'm keeping the larger pieces at the front of the photo. The other two piles will go to my friend.

I was able to sort through all the fabric today and decided I will only keep the largest pieces of muslin. I intend to give the coloured cotton and smaller pieces of unbleached cotton, to a friend of mine.  She's told me she will be organizing a bazaar to be held in the Fall just in time for Christmas gift buying. I told her I would donate a lot of yarn for her other friends to make things to sell and also give her some things I've made. I know she would like to make some quilts too that's why I want to give her the fabric but if she changes her mind I will donate the fabric to the thrift store.

I unearthed these quilt pieces this week while I was sorting a few things.  I should sew them together soon.

Besides sorting through my fabrics and seeing what fabric I could keep of the  new stash, I've been sorting through papers. This is one of my least favourite jobs.  But it saves money for it keeps you home when you could be out spending. It also helps to go through old bills and statements to compare expenses over the past year before you through things out. It helps to see where you can tighten up spending.  A lot of companies now charge a few extra dollars a month to receive a paper bill. I really detest that because I prefer paper bills which I can sit and compare with other paper bills over time. I've just discovered that my telephone provider is increasing fees by $2. a month and another $2. a month for paper bills.  Now I will have to call and make sure I  get invoices by email.  I also need to see where I can shave costs from the communications bundle I already use to save costs on internet, telephone and television. I was overcharged for some television costs so I need to deal with that too and have a few other things to discuss with them. By the time I am done I may find it cheaper to move my telephone service but I try to avoid making service provider changes if I can get some good service from customer service representatives and save a few dollars here and there.

I'm a paper keeper.  I keep all kinds of receipts, statements and documents. Problem is I don't have time to keep it all sorted. Slowly I am getting to that point. I'm working on a system that will work for me and still allow me to get rid of much of the paper I've been keeping for far too long.  It is a long process. Once I'm finished with the paper clutter, there are still many photos, books and crafting items to reduce. For the latter I like to try and use up as much of my craft items as possible and then see what I no longer want or need before donating it. It is also a source of pleasure and relaxation but only to a point. If there is too much clutter it is no longer relaxing and it has been at that point for some time.
 

All in all I had a frugal week. 

Every little bit of savings day after day and week after week does add up.

Whatever I'm able to save helps me to help Elvis (see right side bar) and others in Kenya.

What was your best frugal practice for the week?
What do you do with your savings?