Yummy Saves

I'm down these days (can anyone tell? LOL). Though my boss had it worse than me today. He told me he almost walked out - rather than that he went to HR to talk to them about problems. My bosses boss is making all kinds of changes - most of which are to say how we have done stuff for years is wrong or not good enough. Very demoralizing for all of us.

On a happy front I was successful in my spending goals - bought only gas today. Didn't eat much during the day - way too much stress at work. Ate the main course part of my lunch a few minutes ago for supper. But having the food there, and having lots to eat and being able to snack on fruit was excellent for me - both health wise and monetarily.

I slept horribly last night. I think, even though I did go in to work yesterday to get caught up enough to be "totally behind" rather than "totally and hopelessly behind", that I have too much work to do! Duh eh?

I just had breakfast, and have my lunch to take to work (and a cuppa coffee for the drive!). My planned spending is a cup of coffee (I'll likely need another one at some point today) and a tank full of gas.

I did some pre-planning this weekend. I will eat better and healthier because of this and way cheaper than eating out (or buying a new wardrobe because I stress eat junk food all week)

I cooked up some pinto, tomato and barley casserole, so I have that for some lunches and am making southwest chicken (recipe below).

My lunch menu will look like this (I have a total of 5 of everything).

-pinto bean casserole or southwest chicken
-coleslaw with japenese ginger dressing
-apple
-pear
-plum
-vanilla yogurt pudding with mixed fruit

The pudding and the coleslaw are measured out already so I just have to grab and go. 3 of the main dishes are measured out and I just have to wait til the Southwest chicken cooks to have the rest ready.

A lot of food I know but I'm working long days so some will be for snacking. That will hopefully keep me away from the endless crap that is always floating around the office.

I also have the makings for chili but that will not end up getting done tonight. Probably will make it during the week and toss it into the rotation. And have enough of each to freeze so I'm ahead of the easy lunch and dinner things

Southwest Chicken

A package of chicken (6 pieces, I use boneless thighs, use whatever you have)
1 large jar salsa (16 oz)
1 can corn (11 -12 oz)
1 can black beans drained
1 3 oz can tomato paste (if desired)

Toss all in slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours. I put the tinned stuff and salsa in the bottom of the crockpot and put the chicken on top. Sometimes I cut up the chicken first.

When serving garnish with chedder and sour cream to taste. I don't eat this on rice but it would be good that way I imagine.

After doing some cooking so I'd not be eating out all week to come, I did some very non frugal things.

A wonderful pedicure. My toes are now "berry dancer" pink and my feet are soft and happy.

That was followed by a great steak dinner. The place has no decor and you get your food at a counter on a tray but they make the best steaks and greek salad.

And then a walk to walk off the dinner.

There is nothing nicer than waking up after a good long sleep, and enjoying a cup (or more) of coffee and some of your favourite blogs.




When I blog out I'll move to checking the flyers for deals so I can plan an economical shopping run. Also on the agenda is tossing something easy into the slow cooker that will transform itself, almost like magic into wonderful meals for next week. That will give me a nice start for next week - nutritious delicious calorie sensible food to take to work!

Says something about my life doesn't it?

My plan was to work late tonight. My body and mind disagreed with that plan and decided that I needed a nothing night. I'm too tired to do anything and don't want to sleep now or I won't tonight. So I'm blogging.



I'll likely do some work at home tomorrow or go in for a few hours. Would be smarter to go in I think - so that tangible progress can be made. Work will be nuts next week. Totally nuts. It has been a while since it has been this crazy.

Had egg and chips for dinner, bought the chips, cooked the eggs. Very easy quick and filling. I need to do some cooking ahead this week too, so I eat properly next week. After this I'll likely go ebsurf an easy to raheat casserole or two for my lunches and dinners next week.

I want to thank everyone who gave me their two cents worth about the money I'm going to be getting.

You are all the best! When I get the money, I am going to move it to my ING account. With Christmas coming and a work schedule that is nuts, it will be at least January before I have a chance to think about it again.

I'm sure with how my life goes that once I have it parked some place that my logical side will emerge and I'll do what the majority has suggested and give myself time to decide what I want to do with it.

But dang it, my "wannahaveit" side is jonesing for that fancy sewing machine. Don't worry though, that side of me has been wanting that machine for a year. It is good at waiting - and frankly I don't have the time to properly research the purchase either.

I want something. I don't need it, i want it. It might be really really cool. It might be nifty. It might be pretty. Likely it is all of those things. It is bright and shiny and sexy.



So I walk out without buying it. I don't tell myself I can't buy it. Nope that would be being nasty to me. I just tell myself I'll buy it tomorrow. I don't feel deprived because I'm going to buy it tomorrow.

Usually when tomorrow comes I really can't care less about it. It isn't important enough to go back for. And when it is, it was worth buying.

This works very well for me. I make many fewer impulse purchases.

Today was a really long day at work. I made some progress yes, but at 8:30 tonight, while still at work I had to concede that I had to cancel my plans for this weekend.



I had planned to see my boyfriend, but I will instead have to work late tomorrow night, be in early on Monday and likely have to take some work home or go in (or stay most of friday evening - which is likely the best alternative now I think about it.

The good news. - Only spending today was on a coffee (and the lottery pool I'm in but that is planned spending). No darn way I want to be the only person left at the office if they win the lottery.

I'm not exactly happy about this. Having one that is. I'd prefer to have my Mom. Sigh.

Anyways, Dad called me tonight. Both my bother and I signed over our money from the will to my Dad so he'd not have to take a mortgage on the house. Long story, but Mom's will didn't reflect their current finances. We did the right thing rather than get all "entitlement oriented".

Anyways, while we did Dad is splitting the money from Mom's account between my brother and I. He is sending us a cheque each. That is very sweet of him.

What to do with it. To put it aside in case it is needed for for my Dad at some point - though he does have the house as an asset. Or invest? Or buy something? I would love a high end sewing machine. One that does everything including vacuum the sewing room afterwards. Bernina is my brand of choice They have some nice features for quilting.

That isn't sensible. I need money towards a car at some point and I could use it for retirement. But the dream is nice.

It follows my terrible Tuesday at work.

Actually got some time with my bosses so was able to get some direction for the project I'm working on. This is much needed as my project is actually due before the other one they are working on. Still I'm thinking this might not be a bad way to help manage my stress.



Planned spending today - breakfast. Unplanned, though not really unexpected - one coffee bought as much to give me a caffeine boost as to warm me up. I think the powers that be that run the heating system at work aren't. I was freezing today.

Have leftovers from dinner to make lunch tomorrow. So will have lunch for tomorrow. I'm weaning myself from Lean Cuisine so I have control over what I eat and so I'm eating healthier. And likely saving some money though on the priority list that is lower than health and control.

I had this entry all written. All about my crappy day, my victory in coming home after a 10.5 hour work day and making dinner and about my spending plans for tomorrow and then internet monster ate the entry.




I hit a pothole on the information superhighway. I do this more frequently than I want to admit. Pfffffffft. Fits with how my day went.

Cheap meal idea btw - egg and chips (french fries) .. Yummy if i say so myself

Today has been a very bad day at work. My accomplishment, so far today, has been not telling them all to "go fly a kite" and walk out. I keep reminding myself that would be a huge step back financially to be out of a job.


I'm going to do some OT, then head home. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow.

Battled a headache all day today. The weather here has been wacky so I think it was due to that.

Probably didn't help that I spent my day at work analyzing some numbers that just didn't want to work. I did them right, they are just being ornery. So I'll look at them again tomorrow hopefully without a headache.

Had my breakfast at home as planned. Only unplanned eating spending was one coffee this afternoon. Was worth it for the pick me up. We do have free "coffee" available it tastes like the coffee is half made up of old cigarette butts *shudder*

Got my old set of dishes and some other decluttering stuff to the Sally Ann. Do they ever make it hard to give them stuff. Go to front door. Person doesn't want to take it there. They want me to go the unmarked hidden side door. Okay. But then the promised manager sort isn't there. Took a bit and finally got them the stuff. They are a good charity but will find another location when I next have stuff to give away.

Did some good shopping tonight. Between a special and coupons got 4 boxes of 100 splenda packets for $11.96. That will hold me a while

Time for sleep.

I have the coffee maker ready to go and figured out that I can use the oatmeal setting on the microwave to make hot three grain cereal.

Tried it this morning and it worked very nicely. Have the cereal measured out in a bowl and water in a measuring cup. Amazing how something so simple has alluded me for so long.

Hopefully turning on the coffee maker and pouring the water into cereal and nuking is within my capabilities in the morning.

Saving the cost of breakfast at Tim Hortons. That costs $2.64. Even if making my breakfast costs 64cents (and I doubt it costs that much) I'm saving at least $2 a day.

Today was another quiet day.

Even with the time change I managed to sleep in. Had a lot of trouble sleeping last night *sigh*. I just hope I manage to sleep tonight.

Didn't do any unplanned spending today
I have some stuff to get at the drugstore but as I'm not planning on spending $50 (They have a buy $50 get a $10 gift card promotion going on yesterday and today only) so that can wait til tomorrow - needs to be bought tomorrow, unless I decide I want to get out for a bit later this evening.

I did get out the sewing machine though to work on a a quilt. Been months since I did any quilting so it took a while for me to get into the swing of it. Went well once I got going. Did learn a lesson about using a not so sharp blade in my rotary cutter when cutting flannel - don't. I wasted some material but luckily still had enough to finish the project. So in the future I'll not be penny wise and pound foolish by trying to use the blade past it's prime.

I've had a quiet Saturday.



That was what my desk looked like when I started. Or at least what I felt it looked like.
Got my Canadian coupons all filed - that is if I don't find anymore where they aren't supposed to be. The US coupons are in a gift bag. At least they are now all in the same place.

Done some decluttering too. I have a spare bedroom that I'd like to get looking decent. A small stack of books and a pile of magazines are now heading to charity. I have to get all the stuff I've picked up out of the car - cause it is full of stuff go go. I get it to the car then it sits there. LOL.

I agree with Tina and Lux.

We went there for coffee a couple of weeks ago. I wanted my cheap gas station coffee but starbucks is on the way. Yuck. The stuff tastes bad.



I can't say much about their business practises. What I can say is when we go get a coffee at work there is a starbucks about the same distance from the office as the Second Cup and Timmies. We each have our favourite between those two but no one ever even suggests going to Starbucks.

Strangely I don't know anyone who is a big starbucks fan. Maybe folks go there in secret?

If only LOL - though I did do this last night for the last eight boxes of Kraft Dinner for which I had the coupon.

Actually it was almost obnoxious of me. I went to a store that pricematched because the grocery store that had the sale was out of them. They were 99 cents at this other store. I pricmatched to get them for 50cents each then i used the coupons to get them for FREE!!!

The cashier looked at me and said "but you are getting these for free".

My reply was "yes, pretty cool, eh".

While she did the rest of the transaction professionally she did not speak another word to me.

Okay so I should have bought something else so I had to pay SOMETHING. But dang it, I had no plans to buy anything else. And I am working on curtailing unplanned spending. So I didn't.

One of the horrible things about cross border shopping is trying to figure out where you get the best deal on what.

I think Splenda is way overpriced, but want to switch to it for health and not budget reasons.



Now to figure it out.

I priced splenda at about 6.99 for 100 packages *eeks* at one overpriced drug store here in Canada. After I regained conciousness.... I shook myself and thought chemicals are good - let me buy the cheap stuff. But this week it goes on sale for $4.99 at that same overpriced drug store and they'll give me 10X their loyalty points and I have a number of $2.00 off coupons expiring on Oct 31st that I can use for it.

So 100 for $2.99 - is that close to the price it sells for in the US? I saw at drugstore.com that they sell 200 for $7.99 - but I don't know if there prices are good benchmark prices or not.

Had cat food left from the days when my kitty was an "eats anything" cat. Now he's Mr "I can only eat my special (prescription) food Cat"

One of the girls at work knows another girl at work who fosters stray cats and has more than a few cats of her own. I broght her the leftover food today. Its nice to be able to find small ways to help others without incurring any costs.

This is a different approach to retirement planning. I don't think too many of us have this as part of our retirement planning but. unfortunately I think it is pretty typical of how many plan.

Picked up some specials tonight

20 Boxes of Kraft Dinner aka Kraft Macaroni and Cheese @$0.50 each with 10 coupons buy 2 save $1.00

9 boxes of Whole Wheat Pasta @ 1.00 each with 9 coupons for buy 1 save $0.50

4Litres of Milk $4.69 save $1.00 plus $1.00 off coupon.

Total spent $7.19

Had a bad moment when the cashier tried to tell me I only could use 5 coupons, but that got straightened out pretty quickly.

The KD will go to a local food bank.

I love shopping trips like this one

I went back to Weight Watchers tonight. I haven't managed to get there the last month with all that's been happening.

They were absolutely fabulous. I walked into the meeting feeling horrible. But I was treated so well. When I told the receptionist what had happened she waived the $25 "rejoin/new member fee". The meeting itself was relevent to me, friendly and interactive. and I had a chance to talk to the leader afterwards. I feel remotivated and ready to start again.

My spirit is feeling lighter - and if I keep to the plan my body should soon be lighter too. And unexpectedly, it all didn't cost me was much as I thought it would so my wallet isn't quite as light as I thought it would be.

I can't get interested in investing. Nope not at all. I just can't get up any interest in it. To my brain it is just borrrrrrrrrring. Totally, completely and utterly. This is pretty bad when one is blogging on a site called savings advice.

This doesn't mean I don't invest. I do. I might find it all boring but I do have some common cents err sense. But interested in it nope. Thank goodness for AFT transfers that automate the entire savings process.

Education and reading about it isn't going to help. Done the first. I know what to ask and look for and question and I get how it works. The thought of taking a securities course and becoming licensed is right up there with oh... going to work naked. Not likely to happen. And the second, my eyes glaze over and a Harlequin novel begins to look like a book of deep well written fiction worthy of being on the New York Times Bestseller list from now til Easter.

A few years ago I realised that on my own that I'd not do what I needed to do with my investments to be able to retire comfortably (the significant funds in a money market account that I'd been meaning to do something with for 5 years were proof postive of that)and I needed someone to help me get everything in one place and to ensure it was monitored and returns satisfied my risk tolerance and investment goals. I outsourced and found an investment advisor. It is one of the best financial decisions I have made.

I can't change who I am but I can enlist the help I need to get where I want to.

I'm frustrated today.

First pair of pantihose (actually tights) developed a run when I put them on. These cost about $12 a pair so I'm looking at having that expense this weekend. Second pair went on okay but didn't feel comfie. Third time was a charm though.

I'm up 20lbs from last winter. So I hate my wardrobe and nothing fits right. Been trying clothes on but basically doing a great imitation of a goodyear blimp. So haven't been buying much. But I need clothes - and shoes too for the winter now I think about it. My last shoe spree was on open toed shoes and sandals. Not an option in Canada in the winter.

I've been thinking I really need a new look and to learn how to find things that flatter me. I found this website http://www.MissusSmartyPants.com and I'm tempted to join to see if I can pick up any pointers - but that costs money. But buying stuff that turns into "closet clutter" costs money too. I've never been a fashion bug but I want to move from frumpy to "nicely put together". It would be nice to be fashionable too, but really I'm trying to avoid the middle aged dowdy look.

You know the ones. You get them all the time. From the son of someone who just died. Lots of money in the estate but they handpicked YOU, a total stranger (abet a frugal and honest lookng one) to help them get the money out of the country. And as a small token of their thanks they'll let you keep a million or two.

Yeah I get them all too frequently too.

Someone must get them more than me as they created this:

I made both my breakfast and coffee at home rather than buy it

A local store had KD on 2 for $1. I found a coupon for buy 2 Kraft products save $1. That makes the KD free. Why we call it Kraft Dinner up here and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the states - I dunno - it is exactly the same stuff. Macaroni with this strange orange powder that you mix with milk and butter/margarine.



I eat the stuff rarely. It doesn't quite fit the nutritional profile of food I want to be eating (even when made with skim milk).

I'm going to buy as much of it as I have coupons for (I used 4 coupons today and have 14 more) and donate it all the the food bank. I love finding deals where I can help others at no or little cost to me.

Went out last night to get some wire/plastic thingys (the technical term, LOL) to put in my cupboard so I could put more dishes in less space.

Checked a dollar store - nothing. Checked Zellers (the Canadian version of Target/Kmart) Nothing there but people who had mastered the art of stategically placing themselves so that they, their cart and their family blocked anyone else's progress around the store.

Got a cup of tea and a doughnut - gotta love Timmies. I figured after getting so irritated caffiene and sugar were required. As predicted once those were in my system I was a lot happier with life.

Went to Home Outfitters (Canadian version of Bed Bath and Beyond or Linen and things). Lots of 25% off sales and a spend $50 get a $20 gift card to use in the store. Well I had a $75 dollar gift card that was good in the store from last Christmas.

I bought:

*set of flannel sheets
*Nordica Bedskirt (marked down to 25% off of the orginal price)
*2 of the plastic/wire thingys for the cupboard
*set of christmas mugs (xmas present for Killer Kringle or other xmas event we are at)
*set of 2 travel mugs (again for the Killer Kringle or other small xmas gift we might need.

I'm pretty happy. Everything was 25% off except the wire things, and I only had to spend $3 (with taxes it all came to $78).

And I now have a $20 gift card. Not too happy that there is red tape on it. Use between Oct 30th and Nov 12, and need a minimum $50 purchase. But, that's 40% off if i spend $50 and no reason I can't plan some xmas shopping for this store during that period. Usually can get some good deals there if I'm careful to shop sales etc. I want to have my shopping done early this year so that will hopefully help move me along in the right direction!