Yummy Saves

I was almost giddy at the license bureau today. I had to go there to replace my license (I think I threw the new one I got out and kept the old invalid one).

1. It was only $10 to replace my card

2. It is a picture license but I didn't have to get a new picture. This is a big deal when you go there on a friends bike and have major helmet head hair.

I got off easy. The new license cost me $60 in Oct - I had figured I'd have to pay that amount this time again as a "pay up cause you are stupid and lost your card" tax! They didn't need a new picture cause thanks to modern technology they already have my picture scanned in and will use that one.

Of course now the "thought thrown out" license will mysteriously reappear but that's just life right?

Actually I should say no planning.

No planning and very little time is giving me not enough time to cook ahead and bring food to work for lunch. Working til very late this evening meant a trip to McD's drive through.

Summer is here. The time when my thoughts to to finding my mittens.

You'd think with all the memos we get about doing things efficently and effectively at the office and about how we must keep our expense margins low that they'd not be cranking up the air conditioning every evening come 5pm. Can't get it too warm in here just in case the night security guard falls asleep?

The office no longer supplies styrofoam cups as an effort to be greener but they freeze you if you stay late. 5pm and they crank up the air conditining so much that I have goosebumps and find it hard to type my hands are that cold.

Welcome to summer. The time when construction blooms outside and you need snowsuits at the office. Seriously I think I'm going to bring in a pair of gloves. I'd bring in mittens but not sure if I can type with mittens on.

I'm calling the supermarket with the crappy meat an am on hold hearing about how important my call is to them.

You not only have crappy meat but right now you aren't making me feel very loved at all.

2 thumbs down for Superstore (ontario)

(Got them on the phone. They are going to look into it. Nice of them. Not like I'll trust their meat anymore though)

Mom always insisted that meat from the grocery store here called "Dominion" was the best meat around.

I have twice bought meat at one of the stores under the Weston's umbrella (not affiliated with Dominion) and have twice opened the package (despite my properly refridgerating it) to find it rotten. The meat wasn't in a small packages (this time it was a large tray of chicken thighs - about $18 worth). I likely should have kept them to return to the grocery store to get a refund but I don't want sticky rotten meat in my fridge.

Mom knew best. I'm thinking that I've never had trouble at Dominions and I should go back to buying my meat there.

So as not to violate copyright law this pattern is called "Amanda's Purse" by Sherri K Falls and was published by LIttle Scraps from This & That.

The purse is cute. The pattern is passable though it would have been better had there been more pictures. I still am confused about a couple of things it it that I think should have been better described. Yes it all fit on and regular piece of paper but I'd been more impressed had it showed the steps more clearly.

I go to the deli counter at the grocery store. The two clerks are talking to each other. The one is standing in front of me and I hear the sentence "I have a small hiney" just as I decide what I want.

I looked at her and asked he if she and her small hiney could help me. My tone of voice was more amused than anything else . Had her and her small hiney not came over I'd have been not so amused but she came right over and got my order and we started laughing.

We started talking and compared hiney's. Basically we came to the conculsion that she had a small white girl hiney and I have a black booty of a hiney.


So we got into a discussion of large vs small hiney's - she's the opposite body type to me - I luck out in that mine is the lower risk for a heart attack (small upper body relative to my large hiney, hips and thighs).

A surreal moment while grocery shopping.

A friend is coming over and for the first time in ages I'll likely quilt - this is a sewing date, she's bringing her machine too!

I have needed my creative energy sparked and I'm happy that I'm having the opportunity to today!

Should also be a no spend day.

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".

I keep wondering if i should join the site and be a "club member" but the cost per month will quickly add up.

Then I remember that poppit on pogo is pure evil. It steals your time, ,numbs your brain and causes your wrist and hand to hurt.

Last thing I need is to join that site and waste money too. I'd be better off banning the site from my computer..

Went out to lunch with some of the folks from work. Was a nice, abet unfrugal, ending to the week.

I had plans to go out tonight and I was going to treat my friend - but he ended up having to cancel so I had a pretty quiet weekend here at home.

I'm happy it is friday. It has been a busy week but a busy week in a very nice way!

Did a strange deal with a friend this week! Thursday there was some deal if you bought a subway sub that some of the money went to charity (no idea which one right now though I did go at one point). I was going to the store the night before to get salad stuff. So my colleague bought me a sub and I brought her a container of spring mix for her lunch as well as half of the 1lb clamshell fool of spring "lettuce" mix. Worked nicely for both of us because neither of us can ever finish the 1b container on our own.

Went out on a date last night! That was fun. Someone I have known for a long time. and like! Had a yummy steak dinner once I returned the medium steak for a medium rae one. Second time in a row that I've overed medium rare and got medium and had to ask the waiter replace it with what I wanted.

Going out to lunch today with the gang at work! So not too frugal but fun and necessary after a long week at work!

Well I didn't buy gas. Did you?



Oh for the record I wasn't participating in the gasout. I just didn't need to fill the tank. And in the pouring rain I was hardly going to go out and fill the tank and get soaked just to make some anti protest protest.

So what did you end up doing gas wise?

I bet you smart ones rode, walked or took transit to work!

Went in for some frozen french fries, as I didn't feel like doing oven fries starting with real potatoes.

Bought McCain superfries. Not sure if they are in mass distribution. Better than most frozen fries. That isn't saying much. Whatever they do to them to ensure they are super crispy is weird. I don't know if it is a weird chemical or a texturizing process. (I guess I should write and ask)

They aren't bad, but I won't rave about them. Best kept for teens, children and folks who are unable to cut a potato.

Much better is cutting a potato or 3 preferably yukon gold or russet (or other yellow fleshed potato of choice), cutting it into french fry sized pieces, tossing in bowl with some olive oil (1-2TBSP), seasalt, peppper and other spices or herbs. and then putting on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in the bottom shelf of the oven at 425. YOu may want to flip after about 10 minute. I cook until they are as crispy as I like 20 minutes or so (dang I don't time it).But might be longer too.. I'm not exact on this.

If you are trying to cut down on carbs use parsnip instead and keep a closer eye on time. Also excellent with sweet potato yams etc.

Convenince foods are convenient and easy but my palate is enjoying them less

Sent out a couple of coupon RAOK's to a couple of people in one of my trading groups. I used to do more trades but can't be bothered. I seem to end up with RAOK's from others now I do more RAOK's. Weird how that works.

Got another credit card offer from Citibank. Did what i always do. Wrote "take me off your list" and sent all the crap back to them. Did you know it costs the company about twice the regular postage when you use one of those business reply envelopes. They send me crap - I'll mail their crap back (yes I need to get out more as this gives me a wee bit of enjoyment).

I've joined up for quite a few coupon trains lately and still have a couple to move out. That was yesterday's job but it didn't seem to happen *blush*.

One of the stops on my way home from the northlands was at a grocery store to get a sandwich. I wasn't in the mood for McD's or other fast food.

I picked up a roast beef and cheese sandwich (reasonally priced and good). Then got wandering. .Bad idea. Picked up pretzel chips (okay but likely wouldn't buy again unless I had cream cheese around), Lavish flatbreads, light havarti cheese and some sort of blue cheese bacon dip. Oh yeah and a diet coke.

I'll be eating the sandwich for lunch tomorrow. Thinking with some pears and mesculin mix the dip might make a nice blue cheese salad and get me some veggies.

I spent $20 and got way more food than I needed. Any reason folks say not to go shopping hungry?

"I don't use those"

That is a quote from my father when I handed him a coupon. He held it like I gave him a box of extra large jumbo tampons with a trail pack of midol on the side to purchase for me along with some birth control pills and condoms.

I just said - well this way you save the tax.

So he did use the $1 off coupon for his tide. But man he did look pained. I was very proud.

Of course, this is the man who when he forgets something at the grocery store will go and buy it at the convenience store - and he expects to pay extra for the "convenience". This in a town where it is a 5 minute drive to decent priced stores.

This is the first Mother's day without my Mom. I have been in a really strange mood this evening and I wonder if that is part of what is doing it.

My mother is in a much better place. The Alzheimer's was stealing her mind the last few years. I don't miss her that way but I do miss, and have for a number of years, the mother I grew up with.

Please do something extra special for your Mom this Mother's day. Not monetarily - that is really meaningless but in terms of giving of yourself. Especially if you have been estranged or distant. Trust me, you'll never regret it.

Sorry for the maudlin post.

Dang, I'm single handedly supporting the economy.

Yesterday I tried on a bathing suit at the fancy store. $100 plus tax. I bought the same style at Walmart for $35 plus tax. Okay so I don't have the cute leopard print top bit and its plain black and white. I wasn't that crazy about the leopard print anyways.

Bought a replacement pair of black jeans too while I was at Walmart. As I'm a larger lucious lady I realised wearing the old pair yesterday that they had vents where they did not need any ventilation... So replaced them with the same pair

Went home with the two planned purchases and resisted looking for anymore "deals".

Hit the stores this afternoon on the way home.

At the first store bought two pairs of shoes - one sandals but with the support of runners. The brand is Merril I think and they are not cheap. Lets be frank. They are super comfie and super expensive.

The other pair are a pair of heels made by Rockport. Quite a high heel but really comfortable. Also not cheap.

To top off the spending I went to a second store to try on swimsuits. Didn't find any that said "buy me" but i did buy 2 pyjama tops and two bottoms. One set black and one black with a white stripe. The tops are different styles but it all mixes and matches.

Still need a swimsuit. Can't I skinny dip? I can't look much worse buck naked than in a suit and decent suit costs a fair penny.

I'm happy with my purchases but feel I should lock up my debit card for a while. At least it is a three paycheck month and I didn't put it on credit - I had the money in the account.

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.

At the grocery store the woman behind me was in a motorized cart - I offered to take her groceries out and put them on the counter. I thought she said thank you so I started to take an item out. She said "I said no thank you". I immediately apologized and said I was sorry and I misheard her and put the item back in her cart. Her next words to me floored me as she said "Yes, you did mishear me". The look I got was quite icy and irate.

Pffffffffft. Glad I never did offer you a coupon as I had I (I like to do this whenever possible) she likely would have gotten even more offended.

I honestly misheard her. And didn't mean to offend her. It is so hard to know the protocol about helping people. You offer and try and you offend and you don't try and you are seen as rude and uncaring.

I feel like its a "heads you win, tails I lose" proposition whatever you do.

I've been getting my balcony cleaned up over the last year. All the crap out there has now gone. I've had netting put up to keep out those blasted pigeons. The concrete floor has been scrubbed and pigeon poop removed.

The floor needs a last rinse (but out of courtesy for my neighbours below I'll wait for when its raining to add extra liquid to the water already falling, and then its time for furnishing.

I'd really like to put a cover on the floor. Flooring I've found costs money. I've looked at utility tile - not much nicer on the feet than the concrete. Astroturf stuff is just gross in my opinion. Outdoor carpet is a possiblity as are those activity tiles that are sold for children's playrooms. A cotton runner that can be washed is also being considered.

I think I've found some chairs and I have a low table but a bistro style table would be nice...

Dang.. this is going to run to a couple of hundred dollars and that's if I restrain myself from getting plants too. Plants would likely run up the cost another $50 t $100.

Oh well.. about another week or so til I need to have it done so I still have some time to angst.

Oh my this is just too silly. You know us Canucks with our "monopoly money". Well we get into having fun on our quarters.

A few years ago our 25 cent piece here had a red poppy in the centre. On rememberance day (veterans day) we all wear a poppy to remember those who have fought for our country.So why not remember them when we spend money too!

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.

I got a preapproved "upgrade" offer to move to a gold Visa card today. I would earn airmiles if I took this card and get a special bonus of 15,000 airmiles when I made my first purchase on the card.

Sounds good eh?

Then I read this: " Aeroplan Flighr Rewards. The convenience of a premium credit card. Acceptance worldwide. All the benefits of the ___ Aerogold Visa card can be yours for only $120 a year, with a current competative interest rate of 19.5%...."

Competative 19.5% .. ouch.. makes me happy this isn't a standard or a poor risk card.

I use the same bank for my chequing as for my visa. Yeah, yeah I know technically one is the bank and one is the credit card compnay but to me THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY THE SAME COMPANY

So why if I do an online transaction paying my visa card on Tuesday does it take til Thursday night for the payment to show on my Visa? The money gets debited from my chequing account on the Tuesday. That transaction seems to take about a nanosecond. Poof money gone.

Just where is that money for two days?

Enquiring minds want to know...

I'm off tonight to see the opening night of The Full Monte at a local dinner theatre. It is part of a subscription that a friend and I have.

We are going to renew this for next year so my credit card is going to say ouch this evening when that goes on the card. It will be paid off when I get paid in two weeks - May is very nicely a three pay month!!!