Why pay someone to make biscuit mix for you when its this easy:




Homemade Bisquick
10 cup flour
1/3 cup baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups shortening

Mix together til crumbly. Store in a a covered container.

Use in any recipe that calls for bisquick.


Notes:
*To increase healthiness swap out some flour for wholewheat - do not recommend that you do more than 50/50 mix

*I've found baking powder cheapest at a bulk store.

*if this seems like too to make - halve the recipe (half of a 1/3 of a cup is equal to 2TBSP plus 2tsp)

*contains no milk so good for anyone who can't handle lactose or who is vegan

If you buy minute rice (or other instant rice) - learn how to cook it yourself from regular rice. You'll save money and it will still be pretty convenient - and you can do what I do and make twice as much rice as you need. Rice freezes nicely. So freeze the extra rice and have some that is ready in about a minute the next time. To heat up put with lid ajar in the microwave for a minute or two.

[url]http://startcooking.com/blog/72/How-to-Cook-White-Rice[...

Monday I tried to pricematch and use coupons at walmart. The "cashier police" stopped me from doing that as that's one deal on top of another .. and once can't do that. Since I've done this many times at Walmart I let them reverse the items (all 9 boxes of cling wrap) and just bought the other items I wanted.

I didn't feel like waiting around for a manager and the supervisor (err.. other employee?) had backed up the cashier's statement.

So when I came home I sent walmart an email asking for clarification of policy.

Today ... manager at walmart called. Assured me the cashier was wrong and i was right .. and that they have been SPOKEN TO (uh huh). One can use coupons on price matched items.

So I asked if I could come by tonight and do it with no problem - he assured me I could and I have the name of the manager and the assistant working tonight.

My guess is that emails to head office get logged and the manager gets a black mark for them and a really big black mark if I have to write another email tonight. He assured me that I should phone him if I run into any other issues and he'll handle it "quicker than head office".

Still he was very nice and I did get his phone number.. just in case. I'm keeping that number.

So on the way home I go there and get my cling wrap.

Got to the cash, not a bad line up.. only two in front of me though dyno-boy on cash is straightening the baby clothes on the hangers before he takes them off of the hangers (it was interesting to watch...). Anyways the customer service manager - hey it said so on her tag- came over and took over cash. She assured me no problem about the price matching and coupons. Totally not an issue.

I smile and hand her over the 9 coupons I had - I bought nine boxes of cling wrap (price match for $1 and $1 off coupon .. the sort of deal one gets to like).

And of course you know what happened then don't you?

Yup she tried to tell me that it is one per purchase (you KNEW that was coming didn't you??). So I tell her yup, 9 coupons, I'm purchasing 9 items what's the problem. She looked dubious and she paged someone. I said, well if you want you can do it in 9 transactions. She didn't like that answer much. (and yes I'd have used my debit card for each transaction *grins*). Finally she gets an answer but not before she suspends my transaction and has dyno boy start on the next order.

Luckily for her she didn't end up up having to do 9 transactions for me as someone on the other end of the phone authorized her doing them on one bill. She took me to the cash at customer service so I'd not have to wait any longer. She was very pleasant but .. come on .. shouldn't a customer service manager know policy?

Never mind .. that last question was rhetorical

Gawd saving money is hard work.

Yvonne

In my paper purging today I have found a number of cheques (totalling about $12 .. a number of free product coupons (at least 3 all still good) and some uncancelled and some unused stamps..

Oh and a $10 bill

Who says purging is a bad thing? I'm finding it nicely lucerative!

I did some things today that have been on my to do list for a long time

* Changed my home phone provider to the same provider as my internet - this should save me some $$

* got the password for my email from my internet provider so i can change my mail set up

* Got new bank card so i can use interac (debit) and not be refused cause the card won't work cause its too old (humiliation is a great motivator)

* ordered cheques from the bank (I have two left)

It feels good to have these taken care of!

I got told on June 18th that I was getting a letter regarding my attitude and how I had to shape it up during the next 90 days or start thinking about a new job.

My boss was told by his boss who was told by his boss tht my attitude sucks. I have mega attitude and I did tell someone my opinion and they didn't want to hear it. Lesson learned yummy - shut up.

Anyways. It is now approximately 9 weeks later. No letter. My boss said that he thinks it might never show up. Last he knew he had brought the draft letter to HR. HR had issues about the letter being not specific enough and not giving the type of feedback one needs to address the issue. His boss had a meeting with HR to discuss it that never as far as I know happened.

Boss asked me if I wanted this followed up on. My answer was no. Why remind anyone its not done. I'm going to wait until Sept 18th and figure by then its pretty much dead - that being three month's after I was told about it.

Until then I am careful on adding to the Gross National Product by buying things.

Oh and the Sr Director was in today. I had two meetings with him where I got lots of new exciting projects.

My advice... if you are gonna do stupid stuff don't do it to people who have political connections and bitch to the very senior uppper management folks.

I have had a hankering for some nice make up so I cashed in some of my drug store points and bought some of the good stuff today - Lise Watier foundation and base - yeah I bought the "you need'm both line hook and sinker". She did my face for me using both and I LOVED the look.

Along with some other odds and sods I needed the amount I spent out of pocket was less than $14.

I'm happy. And all made up for a date tonight curtesy of Make Up girl at the drug store.. (alas I'm of the age where make up makes me look younger and not older .. *sigh*)

I've enjoyed today. Been lazy and relaxed. Did a little bit of decluttering but not much else.

It was a no spend day

Woo Hoo!

Yes, I have to confess that we tried to smuggle Jergens Gradual Tanner and Lubriderm SPF 15 lotion to Toronto. However, A and I were caught by the salwart airport security. She was caught trying to smuggle on 150ml of Jergens self tanner and I surrendered my Lubiderm 300ml lotion once I realised that nothing could slip by the steadfast and vigilant gaze of the three young vibrant blondes manning the security counter.

We were then prohibited from going further until we had placed our potions, creams and devilish lotions into 1litre plastic bags supplied by our trustworthy goverment. Never mind that the other airport we travelled from allowed us to bring them in larger size bags. Of course being the frugal souls we are instisted on packing our stuff into the little bags ourselves. We wanted to make sure, in our frugal way to ensure if stuff had to get left behind it wasn't the expensive stuff A told those behind us in line that we might be awhile and that they might want to try another line. We were worse than the little old lady in front of you in the check out line at the grocery store purse diving for 2 pennies.



They were kind to us in that they did not demand I be able to seal my bag when they let me through. I think they were afraid I'd just repack it until I got it to work holding up the line for hours. Anyone who has seen what I can put into a small purse realises that I do have the ability to make much fit into a very small space.

I got so confused that I almost forgot to put my bag on rollers so it could be scanned - they had to remind me.

And yes we had them all laughing and joking with us by the time we were through - hell our flight was delayed and we had time to kill and they were there until the end of their shift regardless!

I really wanted to go for a pedicure today but I decided that I could do my own rather than be a princess and go to the nails place to get one done.

The sacrifices I make for frugality - self painted "grape sorbet toes".

One way to save money is to not remember what you planned to buy. I went into the drug store with the knowledge that I needed to buy some emery boards. I wandered around and left without the emery boards. It wasn't until I got most of the way back to the office that I remembered why I had gone in there in the first place.

I need to start this entry with the information that I am a Bzz agent, and they sent me coupons and free product coupon for Silk soy milk.

A coworker has had digestive difficulties for a while (I'm sure you need no more elaboration to get the picture) and finally had an appointment with a gastroenteritis's who has told her to not eat dairy for the next 6 weeks.

One of the things she wants to do it to try soy milk. It was great having a coupon for $1 off from the Bzz campaign - I wished I had a free product coupon for her so she could try it but the $1 off was nice and so is the fact that Silk has a low calorie one (she like I is trying to lose weight). I have the low calorie one in my fridge now and it tastes great! Like - it has a flavour -unlike regular skim cows milk.

I love when campaigns like this allow me to introduce people to a new product. If you are in Canada and would like to try this product please send me a private email and I'll send you a coupon for $1 off as I have a couple left.

Spent a couple of hours today getting caught up on paperwork, bills and coupon trains.

I still have some to do but got the urgent stuff dealt with.

On a good note it was a no spend day.

After work last night I went crazy "shopping", but only spent about $5

I went to Home Depot and looked at flooring to see if they had any mats/runners/floor covering that would work for my balcony. I had seen something at a hotel that might work but didn't see it there. So spent nothing.

Headed to the local shopping centre and went into Marks Work Wearhouse - they had some nice priced t-shirts but nothing inspiring enough to bring it home. Then to check out their shoes. Lets just say their selection seemed pretty crappy to me (sorry Marks, but this is my blog I get to say what I think here). I have to say though that both staff members I talked to were genuniely friendly and helpful.

Checked out a woman's clothing store but nothing inspiring there. Reitmans is one of those "catch as catch can" stores for me. Caught nothing this time. Tempted for one shirt on sale but it had this weird keyhole thing in the back that showed off my bra (and if I turned it around it one would might start using the words wardrobe malfunction)

Then to the Superstore (a grocery store modelling itself on SuperWalmarts). You know the store is bad when the kid at customer service trashes the staff as lazy assed (it took three loudspeaker requests to get someone to call him back about the item I was asking for). I ended up just getting a raincheck for toilet paper from there.

Then to two dollar stores where I splurged and spent $4 at one and $1 at another on some headbands.

On so many trading boards I hear people having long discussions about "I don't want to get ripped of if I trade this coupon". What is that coupon really worth?

I gave up on all of that. I now send people coupons they need with no expectations. I do this in one of my smaller groups where I have gotten do know the people. And since I've been sending with no expection of getting I seem to be getting more coupons - both from other people in that group doing the same thing and from other sources.

It is strange but I like that while I'm saving money I'm also fostering that part of me that likes to give. Coupons cost me little (or nothing) and I can send them to others they can help. I have little stress after I put the stamped envolope in the mail. I have smiles when I think of them opening the good mail. This makes me happy.

Life isn't for me only about savings. It is also about being the person I want to be and being able to do things for others!

Random Acts of Kindness Rock!