Frugal Notes

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.
~ Lao Tzu

It has been a very long time since I made a post about what I've been doing to save money lately. The last post in August, was about curbing my impulse buying and doing without. If you'd like to read it, you can find it here. Curbing impulse spending is one of the best ways to save money and ensure you don't rack up more credit. I know this isn't always possible and some of us are more disciplined than others. I am an impulse buyer and if someone in my family needs something, it is always my first instinct to try and provide it. I still try to do that but now I carefully consider the purchases and timing of them.  I also have an instinct to purchase something when I know it is a really good deal.  These days I still do that but only after I've considered all the angles.

In my August post I had a list of "to dos" that could provide me with some cash. I've managed to follow up on all of them but one. I hope to do that soon. The last one is a receipt for health insurance which I forgot to submit over the summer months. I have to hunt around for my receipt as well as two items of paperwork that need to be submitted. I do have the paperwork but the receipt isn't in the obvious place. I have one more  place to look.

Other ways I've saved money this summer:

• Reduce:  Rather than purchase books I borrowed 7 from the library this past month.  I don't purchase books very often these days but  when I do I try to get them used on Amazon or for very cheap at the thrift store. I then give a lot of them away through Freecycle when I've finished reading them. I only keep the odd one that I might want to re-read because I already have so many books and don't need to add more to my shelves.  This summer I purchased one book off of Amazon for the cost of shipping. The price was for a used book and the cost for shipping was a dollar more than it would have cost me to take a return city bus trip to go and buy the book in person.  In fact, it would probably cost me more on a bus because first I'd have to try to find the  book somewhere.  Through Amazon, I didn't have to leave the house so I not only saved money but time.
• Reuse:  I made two bib type garments with pockets for my mother. The bibs are not for clothing protectors when eating but are made with pockets so she can carry her telephone and wallet as she travels around in her wheelchair. I used fabric I had inherited from her for one of the bibs. I had gotten rid of a lot of her fabric that I knew I wouldn't use and saved some I thought I could use within a reasonable period of time.  It has come in handy despite not really having a place to store it all. I also had a worn out sofa slip cover that I took apart about 2 years ago.  It still had a lot of reusable fabric and I used it for the 2nd bib.
• Recycle:  I put together some kitchen items and books for recycling.  There are always locals who are ready to pick up almost any kitchen, reading and bathroom item.
• Watch the flyers:  I purchased lots of toilet paper and paper towels for less than half the regular prices. When these items are very inexpensive I stock up on them and store them in my laundry closet. I know many people don't use much toilet paper at all and only allow themselves 1 or 3 squares maximum per use. I don't subscribe to this kind of savings. I would rather feel clean and comfortable. However, I would make reusable cloths to use in place of paper towels.  At this point I don't use enough paper toweling to warrant it but it is something on my 'to do' list of frugal practices that are also good for the environment.
• Browse discount fabrics:  From time to time I do browse the fabric at quilting shops and purchase fat quarters or smaller yardages that are put on clearance. I then try to purchase a few pieces of coordinating fabric along the way.  Getting enough fabric to use to make a quilt is something I'm learning to do by trial and error.  Crafting can be expensive so whatever I can do to save funds to help me continue crafting, is a good thing.  I've learned too that not all materials are created equal.  For example, at Wal-mart, one has to be careful about the cotton fabric you purchase.  A lot of the fabric is virtually see through because it is so thin and it isn't the best quality.  No doubt they purchase in bulk from the cheapest sources to give the best prices to the consumers.  But you get what you pay for and this kind of fabric won't stand up to a lot of washing.  Sometimes you can get some better quality cotton there. You just have to be careful.  The same is true of any discount fabric store. Unfortunately, where I live, we only have one fabric store handy and two quilt fabric stores. We don't even have a Wal-mart.  I have to go to the next suburb to shop there so I don't bother.  I only go to Wal-mart when I travel.  
• Grow the garden:  This year my floral garden didn't do well.  But the garden did grow hot peppers, large and miniature tomatoes and a small bit of kale.  Next year I will grow the same things.  Hopefully we won't have all the rain we had at the start of the growing season.
• Use points:  I collect all kinds of points.  It is a job you have to stay on top especially if you want to make sure you have your points cards with you when you are shopping at a particular place. You also don't want to buy things just for the sake of getting points. I always try to purchase on sale and very seldom ever pay full price for things. Sometimes I double up on things if there are bonus points but only on things I actually need. A few weeks ago I got $85 credit at my local drugstore.  This enabled me to stock up on laundry detergent, dish washing detergent (I make it when it isn't on sale), butter, bacon and various household needs. I also got a $60 credit on clothes shopping at a place where I often buy clothing items for my mom. The credits were mailed to me at the right time since it was during end of summer sales and many things were 50% off or less.  You can't make things with new fabric at those prices.  I was able to purchase a summer dress, a dressy sweater, 2 summer shirts and a jean capris for myself; all within the $60 credit.  I got brand new clothes for less than the price of many thrift store purchases in town.  I was very happy.
• Travel bargains:  This summer I took a trip to the Province of Quebec and to several eastern states in the USA. I was able to convert a lot of my air miles to get accommodations at one hotel for two nights in New York. This was a huge savings in terms of dollars out of pocket. It took me years and years to save those air points but when I needed them I was able to use them. Other travel bargains included taking chances on where to stay as we drove along the freeways.  The places that had comfortable beds and a huge, varied breakfast were the best bargain.  For the most part these tended to be Best Western Hotels. Not only was the price right (in the USA) but the breakfasts were very nice and for two people a fantastic savings on daily spending.  On top of that we got 10% off every time we spent a night through BCAA membership.  Since we were on the road non-stop, I also went to places like Wal-mart and purchased snacks like ready made sandwiches, salads and drinks for the road.  One thing I dislike about travelling is having to eat fast food all the time or dining in restaurants that are far too expensive to eat in three times a day, not to mention the health issues that come from dining out. Another big expense of travelling is gas. Gas in very expensive in Canada.  Much of our road trip was in the USA so we felt like we were saving money every time we fuelled up since gas across the border is much cheaper than where we live.

• Flowers:  For a long time I gave up having fresh cut flowers due to the expense. Lately at my grocers they have been discounting floral bouquets as new ones come in. I've been fortunate enough to find flowers I like and buy them from time to time. Fresh cut flowers are one of my favourite things and bright ones with a scent do lift my mood and give my days some beauty.  I just purchased 3 bouquets of snapdragons for $3. total. I think that is a great bargain. I don't buy flowers every week. I change their water often, use disinfectant, discard dead stems and try to make the bouquet last as long as possible.
• Food:  This summer I was fortunate to be able to buy 8 wild salmon (whole fish) at a huge discount (total cost $52. Canadian).  These were Pink salmon, not Coho which is very expensive. Nonetheless it was an excellent bargain especially since most of them were cleaned of their scales.  I didn't buy 8 whole fish at once because they wouldn't fit in my freezer at the same time.  But I was able to purchase the fish on 2 different occasions and cut most of the fish into portions.  I saved one big one for a dinner with friends. Another way I've been saving money is to purchase in bulk when an item is on sale. I drink coffee and I'm not a coffee snob. So when the big cans of coffee come on sale for half the regular price I buy 3-4 at a time. For some time now I've been adding more grains and pulses to my daily diet. I've also added a lot of greens and even more vegetables than usual. It has allowed me to cut down on the meat so that is also a big savings on the food budget and a benefit to my health. I do still use milk from time to time and I use butter instead of margarine. I get both of these on sale at my local pharmacy where I save about half the cost of a pound of butter and about $1. off a jug of milk over the regular price at the local grocery store.

Well there you have it my dear readers. I didn't actually tally my savings over the summer but it was easily within the hundreds of dollars.  Despite all the savings it has been a more expensive few months for me than usual and it will continue to be so for at least the rest of this year.  The challenge is always to find the best deals possible and to save wherever I can and s-t-r-e-c-h each and every dollar.  Whatever I can save in one area is applied to another high priority need.

If I can, I am going to do some no spend weeks between now and Christmas. That should help a lot.  For the year 2013, I have had several financial goals. I've done well on them for the most part and will give a report on the progress at the end of this year.

What about you dear reader? 

Have you been able to save money this summer?

My Next Project

Our lives are like quilts - bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.

Quilting Quote from Greenfairy Quilts.
 

My next project....

I made a start with cutting the fabrics.

My apologies for the colour and quality of the next photo.  My night lighting is very poor.

This quilt will be for my mother or my nephew. I haven't quite decided yet.  I do have fabric and quilt ideas for several more quilts although I still have to purchase the batting and backing fabrics.

 One of the quilts I have in mind will definitely be for my nephew. Originally I thought to make it for his birthday but that date has passed. I will likely give it to him at Christmas.

 I'm still new to quilting and I'm realizing that I would save a lot of time both in cutting and in finding coordinating fabrics and colours if I simply bought pre-cut fabrics.  I'm also finding that a lot of the new patterns I've been admiring are designed to be made from pre-cuts (jelly rolls or charm packs).

What about you  dear reader?
Do you cut from fabrics you've carefully selected or do you purchase already coordinated pre-cuts?

Move # 2

I've just returned after a long 3 days away. I was moving my mother for the second time in the space of two months.  You might remember I moved her from one facility to another in early July.  At that time there was no room available on the ground floor which she had requested.  Parts of the ground floor were closed to residents due to flooding and it has taken two months for all the repair work to be done.  So this week was the 2nd move and I'm glad it's done. 

I found the move from one floor to another to be more difficult than moving from one facility to another. Even though I was better rested this time, the move was still a chore.

The temperatures were still very hot at over 30 degrees celsius so that made errands and moving rather draining.  Thankfully the residence has fairly good air conditioning. Even at that it was even too warm indoors at times.  Just imagine what it would be like without air conditioning!

I spent the first day moving from one floor to another and unpacking and putting most of the clothing and personal items away.  The next day I concentrated on arranging things according to mother's specifications; hanging more photos and making lists of everything that needed to be purchased.  Today was devoted to a Care Conference with all the staff, completing a number of forms and settling financial accounts as well as following up on medical supplies which are still outstanding.

The good news is that I had more thinking time to complete forms, make enquiries, make phone calls, meet people, tour more of the facility, make lists and purchase things for mom.  I also had a bit of time for my own personal business and got to take mom for a very short walk.  We didn't stay too long outside due to the excessive heat. 

It is always difficult to leave mom because I cannot visit her as often as I would like.  But it is also good to get home. The facility was having a special event tonight so it made it easier to say goodbye  knowing that she had something to occupy her mind tonight before sleep. I hope to visit her again in about 6 weeks.

Sunset on the freeway to Vancouver

Join Skywatch Friday here. 

Have a great weekend!

A Glorious Day After All

Everyone must have felt that a cheerful friend is like a sunny day, which sheds its brightness on all around; and most of us can, as we choose, make of this world either a palace or a prison. ~ John Lubbock

 Today started off cloudy and threatening to rain.
(I didn't get a photo of the cloudy sky for comparison).

I was getting together for breakfast with a friend from Alberta, who if I am lucky, I get to see once a year.

Last year it was coffee and muffins at my home. This year it was breakfast out. Her treat.

We dined, drove around, then dined some more.

I forgot to take photos of the food.

Well it wasn't much. 

She had a BIG salad. I had clam chowder soup and a fresh Caesar salad. It was the first time I've had Caesar salad without the romaine lettuce leaves being torn into bite sized pieces. But the capers were certainly nice!

The day turned  out to be sunny and warm.

The scenery from my chair was spectacular.

I love days like this.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.


Joining up with Our World Tuesday.

One Night This Week

I managed to catch a beautiful light in the sky a few days ago.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Have yourself a beautiful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Salt & Progress on Reading Goals

I finished my expanded reading goal of 28 books last Thursday. I can't help myself, I've picked up another book.

A friend and I were going to go out to the local annual fair.  When she heard how I sounded this morning she suggested I stay home instead and have a good rest.  I seem to be coming down with congestion in the chest. I took her advice and it gave me a chance to begin a slow read of my new book.

The new book I've had on my shelves for a long while. It is called, Salt by Mark Kurlansky. It is a book all about the history of salt and how it has shaped civilization. 

Did you know that wars have been fought over salt; that salt has been used for currency, or that in 1930, Ghandi initiated a salt march to overthrow British rule in India? I also found it interesting that "sal" is the Latin word for salt and that our "sal-ary" derives from the word "sal" because soldiers used to be paid in salt. The word "sal-ad" also derives from the word "sal" because at one time, salad was made of vegetables flavoured with salt or a salt based dressing.  I've only just started the book but already it sounds very interesting.

Most of us use salt on a daily basis. North American table salt tends to be heavily processed,  stripped of its trace minerals and enhanced with anti-caking chemicals like aluminum to make it easier to shake from your salt shaker.  In fact, salt is crucial to your health but many of us use overly refined salt and  too much of it. In recent years, the governments in North America have been creating awareness of the danger of too much salt, warning that amongst other ailments, too much salt contributes to high blood pressure.  Consequently, many of us have cut down on our table and cooking salt, eliminated it or replaced it with herbs or what we think are healthier versions of salt.

I switched to "sea salt" years ago.  I put the words "sea" and "salt" in quotation marks because really, all salt comes from the sea.  Once salt water evaporates you are left with salt. The real difference comes in the processing of the salt and what is subtracted from, or added to it.  For more information on the difference between table salt and sea salt, please read here if interested.

First, I tried Himalayan Sea Salt and I also bought one of the Himalayan salt lamps) to counteract the positive ions created by the computer and television). This type of salt is sold in health food stores here and is very expensive so I switched to a refined Greek sea salt called Kalas, made by the largest producer of sea salt in Greece.  I've moved on again to another type of sea salt from an ancient sea bed in Utah, called Real Salt.  It is an unrefined salt containing over 60 trace minerals. I can't say it has made a huge difference in how I feel or in the swelling of my extremities but I'll stick with it because I believe the lack of processing and the presence of 60 trace minerals has to be good.

What about you dear reader? Do you also still use regular iodized table salt or have you made a change?

My Lodgings in Lanoraie - Images of Le Belle Province Pt. 4

On my recent travels to Quebec and the eastern USA, I mostly stayed in motels and hotels.  But in the small town of Lanoraie I got to stay in a charming old house.

It has a plaque showing the original owner of the house. 

When you are in the house, you know you are in an old house, at least by Canadian standards.  The house is primarily made of wood and has fairly low ceilings and a very narrow stairwell to the attic where there are two large bedrooms.  There is also a bedroom on the main level as well as a living room, kitchen, dining room, office and bathroom. I think there was also a basement but this would likely have been an addition to the house when it was moved from it's original location to it's present one

 in Lanoraie.

I slept in the attic.  There were two beds in my room. The bed in the photo below is made of wood but I  chose to sleep in the antique metal bed which I did not capture in a photo.

I did get several photos of the various nooks and crannies in the room.

 There were beautiful prints all over the room and many things to draw the eye.

 I thought this little bedside table with the "rabbit lamp"was cute.

 There were lots of books too in every little area where there could possibly be a small bookshelf.

 I had a wonderful sleep which I very much needed.  But the night was all too short as we went to sleep very late and had to leave very early in the morning.

However before we started on our journey, we had breakfast in the dining room.

The house has been modernized with the necessary conveniences but the room sizes and ceiling heights have remained more or less the same.

A view into the kitchen from the dining room.

The grandfather clock.

 

The office and television area. 

 I didn't get a good photo of the living room area or any of the other bedrooms and bathroom.

This historic house was featured in some kind of  exhibition along with 3 others historic houses in the towns of Lanoraie and Lavaltrie.

I really enjoyed my night in this historic house. Apparently while I slept, I was oblivious to the pounding rain, thunder claps and lightening. I had the windows open in  the bedroom for a cross breeze and it was such a welcome relief to have a breeze to help me sleep through the humidity of the summer.

Joining in with Our World Tuesday.

You can find some of my other travel posts on Quebec in the Blog Archive to the right of the screen. I also have some posts on New York from this trip. More to come.