After all my huffing & puffing about DH not having Christmas shopping completed, he decided to go last w/e.  I wanted to buy a Wii Speak so went with him.  Ended up spending another $400 (400 from the w/e before also!)  However...everyone & I do mean EVERYONE's Christmas is bought.  I can't even begin to tell you what we got them all.  Miss Lilly -- 3 y/o is getting a dish set in a little picnic basket carrier + a 3 peice winter clothing outfit and some kind of Bert & Earnie DVD, her Brother 6 y/o Christopher is getting a very-much-asked-for DVD movie which you can also put in your computer & it has a game on it ($59.99...no wonder his parents refused to buy it for him!).  Plus for christmas their family is getting a Wii, so we bought him a game that he was oohing & awing over.  and their Sister 9 y/o Destiny is getting one of my scarfs, a very-much-asked-for Hannah Montana 3D video & we also got her a Wii video game that her parents said she had been asking for (on a different nintendo platform but they do have it for the wii also).   Our other grandchild, Justin is getting clothing, an alarm clock radio (surprisingly, his request!) & a handheld electronic game.  And then there's Temumin & conner...we got them 2 pairs jeans each, a fleece lined jacket each, 2 long sleeve tshirts, socks & undies & then got both boys the game, Cranium (they love board games...both boys are quite bright for their age & love trivia, reading & learning).  We also got them new vibrating controls for their PS2.  they have regular controls but have been asking their parents for vibrating ones (these boys are 6 & 8).  For DH 2 daughters I crocheted them both LionBrand Skinny Scarf's & crocheted 2 dishclothes.  (that was a total of 10 scarfs & 20 dishclothes I crocheted!)  for his 2 sons & a SIL we got 3 lined jackets with hoods.  for my Christmas present I picked out... a charger & rechargeable batteries for my Wii controllers, a $20 Wii points card, a gel cover for the Wiiware game controller and this w/e we are going to go to Catherines to see about buying me a new coat.  We looked at Walmart and they had absolutely NO plus size women's winter coats.  Had plenty of jackets, vests & sweaters but no coats.   Go figure.  I've put off buying a coat for 10+ yrs and when I finally decide to do it...can't find one!  They even had coats in regular sizes & had a ton of men's coats but nothing i would wear, LOL.  They all LOOKed like mens coats.  It I could have found something 'neutral' in the men's section I would have bought it.  

Have ate out several times this week so far.  Havn't used coupons or bought 'sale' items at the restaurants.

I really can't say I have been thrifty or frugal this week.  But then if DH had told me WHEN he was planning on doing his shopping I could have planned a little better, gone coupon hunting & looked online to see things we might want to buy (or maybe find cheaper online)....that way we could go to the store, go right to what we want, buy it and get out of there, LOL.  As it was...it took us 3 hrs at wally-world and another hr @ The Game Stop.  Plus we had 40MPH winds that day & it was freezing cold!  It started snowing that night & we ended up with 3 inches.  He had to pick the worse day of the year..weatherwise...to go christmas shopping, LOL.  The blowing wind was the catalyst that made me decide it was time for a new winter coat.  Plus I had been tinkering with the idea of crocheting my beanie longer. Today made up my mind for me!   it barely covered my ears and if I shrugged my shoulders it rode up my head.  so I used a metallic Blue fancy fur type yarn that I bought on sale for around $3.00 (regular $7.99) and used that with the original wool yarn and made a band for the hat.  Everyone is telling me how much better the hat looks, yadda,yadda,yadda...  And it is much warmer now that it's longer, LOL.  I made a hat & scarf for my husband for Christmas but i made it out of WW yarn.  I think I will buy some of this lionbrand wool-eze for him and make him one too.  the only problem being...i don't think he would want fur on his,, LOL.

Next Christmas I am going to try to NOT buy any gifts (for myself included) unless I have some type of coupon for it.  I will start in October by starting to take the daily newspaper.  When I was working I got to look at a newspaper for free (desk issue)and I use to always find coupons in the paper for toys & games & would use them when appropriate. I can also sign up at various toy websites (like toysrus, ect) and I'm sure they probably have newsletters & offer discounts & special online offers, ect.   Also, I was reading an article online about coupon codes (for online purchases).  Supposedly you can find a code for just about anything you want to purchase if you purchase it online and this code will get you some kind of deal, whether it be free shipping or a percentage off the cost.  I am going to research that some more but will wait until summer to do that.  I wish I would have thought to post that article here.  that way I could have it to refer back to because it did give several websites that deal in the online codes.  Oh well.  I'll worry about that later.  We had to buy for around 22-23 people and got it done in less than $600.  the other two or three hundred was spent on ourselves.

today I have a chiropractor appt.  It was determined that on top of the degenerative disk disease, thorasic & lumbar spurs, I also have 3 bulging disc.  L3, L4, L5.  With 4 & 5 being the worse.    I probably should go to my PCP with this knowledge but I just hate going to the dr.  Can you believe the chiro practically tortures me but i am more than willing to go to him.  My poor PCP has never even stuck me with a needle and I refuse to go to him unless I am on my death bed.  Go Figure.  I have a court date with an ALJ (administrative law judge) set up for Janurary 27th.  I need to go see my PCP about this (my back...not the judge, LOL)  so it will be more evidence in my favor that I really do have something wrong with my back and I can not work because it aggravates it.  sitting is just as bad as standing & walking.  the only thing that relieves it is to lay down.  i don't know but one job that allows you to lay down while you're working and I aint doing that job!!!

Well, DH decided to grace me with his presence so I'm gonna get off here & visit for a bit before he heads to work.

The news just said that it was reported to be raining in west Wichita.  that's where I have to go to see the chiro.  I hate driving in this weather.  They are expecting it to be a freezing drizzle.  I guess I getter get around & head to the chiro as early as I can.  The longer I wait...the colder it will get.  It's only suppose to get in the 40's for a few hours today.

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I hate Mondays.  I don't know why.  I just really don't like them.

Went with hubby while he did some Christmas shopping this w/e.  I saved him around $60 with coupons @ Circut City.  We bought a new WII microphone (the one we have really sucks) & we got $5.00 off that because of a WII 'special' coupon i had.  Had a coupon that cut off $20.00 if we bought 3 video's.  (we ended up buying 5!)  3 of them are Christmas presents.  2 were for us. and then I had a coupon for $30 off every $150 spent.  Our total bill after all was said and done:  $197.17...down from $247.17.  SAVINGS:  $55.00!!!

We went to the Texas Roadhouse.  they must have a new chef/cook.  My meal was excellent and there was also enough there for me to get 3 meals out of it!  Usually I get two meals out of what I order but 3? ...all I can say is "wow".  AND I had a BOGO coupon so we only payed the price of my drink & salad for my portion of the meal cost....somewhere in the $10.00 range.  Gary's meal cost somewhere around $10.00..so we got a $40 meal for around $20.  SAVINGS:  $20.00

Instead of going to the movie like we normally do (cost of about $36.00 + cost of dinner = approx $75 total)...we went to the Mosley Street Melodrama instead.  I received an special invitation email for Dinner & show for $16.00.  Half off their regular price.  Sooo...for what it would have cost us for 2 movie tickets, 1 lg popcorn & 2 lg drinks...we got dinner & a show.  It was excellent BBQ from PigOut PigIn.  They have been in the wichita community for YEARS.  The Melodrama was hilarious.  I was laughing so hard, tears were coursing down my face.  the next day I actually had sore facial muscles from laughing so hard the night before!  SAVINGS:  approx $40.

So that is $115 that I saved my husband this w/e.

Now...what did I spend though...that didn't come with a discount or coupon?  Lets me think...I bought a 12 pack of Bud Light @ around $15.00.  Bought a Venti Peppermint Mocha Twist Espresso from Starbucks to the tune of $4.41.  Bought a video game from Game stop with no coupon, $39.99.  DH spent a total of $90 @ Game stop with no savings.  YIKES.  However we did buy all 3 games on sale so I guess there was some savings, just not really noticible ones, lol.  Plus we entertained at home over the w/e so we saved money from meeting friends & family out and about on the town.  And all it cost us was the 12 pack of beer.  If we would have met them at a restaurant or sports club it could have run us anywhere from $30 to $100.  So i think we got off pretty easy with $15!  My stepson & his family brought chili dog fixings & we provided the Nintendo WII & games (we have like 30 games!!!) & the beer (and Ice tea, hot chocolate & water for the 3 kids---which we had all 3 already at home so no extra purchases were actually made).  We had a nice Saturday of playing WII games & enjoying the family.  Plus a couple of their friends stopped in...it was a very enjoyable day.

Friday night we went to TSO concert ($117) , Saturday with family ($15.00), Saturday night the Mosley Street Melodrama ($36.00), Sunday vegged out at home ($00.00). 

Wow!  I just added everything up & we spent $403 this w/e.  WOW.  It could have been worse.  It could have been $518.  I did save him $115.00.  Plus we got 5 christmas gifts bought.  only 3 more to buy.

Writing it all down, it appears we had a busy w/e.  No wonder I am so tired today!  LOL.  I need to also stay away from that darn coffee.  It is giving me the dizzy spells again.

Anna

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I didn't do as well as I was hoping at the craft fair.  I only sold 2 scarfs.  Period.   after lunch I dropped the price of the scarves to $10 & sold 2 of them so I only made $20 at the fair.  But still...seeings as it only cost me $4.00 to make the scarfs (four dollars total, not 4 each) I made a profit of $16.00 (spent $3 on breakfast so actually only made $13).

The booth next to ours said she wanted a dog sweater but I guess she decided she didn't like mine or didn't fit her dog maybe?  Jan said she never even came over to look at it.  I didn't get there until almost lunch time because Jinna & I decided to go to the Riverside Cafe and then she wanted to swing by her house to pick up something she forgot for the craft fair.  It is an old restaurant that has wonderful home cooked meals for a reasonable price.  Also they usually have coupons on the back of grocery store receipts so you can buy 2-for-1 meals.  Jinna just happened to have one of these coupons so we split a $5.99 meal.  I got half an order of B & G, hashbrowns, 2 eggs over-easy, 4 slices of bacon & a sausage patty for $3.00!  OH...and that included Coffee & a small milk also.  If I would have got the same thing Jinna did, it would have only come to $2.99 and I would have only had to pay $1.50 but Jinna only ordered toast, 1 egg, hashbrowns, hot tea & sm juice.  So they charged us for the higher price meal and jinna and i split the cost since it was a 2-for-1 coupon.

Today I have to go to the chiropractor & to crochet group.  I will stop at Dillons to use a coupon for a buy-1-get-1 free bread bowl.  I will take one of them with me to Crochet group & serve chicken noodle soup in it.  I made a double batch of it yesterday but we'll eat it today.  I'll use the other bread bowl to feed DH supper tonight.

DH took the day off work to go & have blood work drawn (part of his physical).  I imagine we will go out to eat this evening.  I have a 25% off coupon for one of our regular stops (The Texas Roadhouse) so will see if I can get him to take me there.  It shouldn't be a problem cuz it IS his favorite restaurant.  I think they are ok and I absolutely love the Beef Tips & mashed potato's but I also think they are a bit pricey and I cringe when he suggests we go there.  for the both of us it typically runs between $40-$60 each time.  It just depends if we get an appetizer or add a salad.  We've bought (3) $30 gift certificates from there recently and when he paid the bill on the first one, we had also had an appetizer AND a salad and the total bill was $99!!!  the next time I think it was like $78 but we didn't have appetizer or salad that time.  I didn't catch the price on this last one he bought.  we gave one of the gift cards to his daugher for her b/d & the other 2 will go to my sisters for Christmas.

speaking of Christmas...I've got 4 of the 8 scarfs made.  i better get busy on the other 4!  Got my family bought for already (the gift cards), my 2 neices will get scarfs (total cost $4 to make), DH 4 neices...2 of them will get scarfs and the other 2 will get shower gel & lotion from Bath & Body.  I had a coupon last year for buy-1-get-1 and I bought the 2 shower gels.  Well...they had a promotion going on at that time, for every $15 spent you got a free $15 or cheaper product.  Sooo...because I had spent $15 on the shower gel I got to pick a free product so I grabbed a matching body lotion.  And then it wasn't a week later I got another one of these coupons in the mail.  So I went back and bought another one.  So I basically got $60 in product for half price.  So DH 2 oldest neices will get the B & B product and the 2 youngest ones will get crocheted scarfs.  And then DH will have to buy for the 6 grandbabies because I offered to go to Kmart 2 months ago and put christmas on lay-away for them and he kept hem-hawing around so now...he gets to do the shopping for them.  I do NOT shop for christmas this late in the season.  I typically have my shopping done & all crafts made by Sept or Oct.  The only reason I didn't this year is because of our recent move & I've been down in the back and not been able to do a lot of that.  I also recently had shoulder surgery so that has put a crimp in things also.

I need to drop off some stuff at the thrift store today and will probably stop in & see if I can find any bargains in yarn, material or hopefully a cheap frame so I can work on a puzzle.  there's nothing worse than getting a puzzle put together and then not be able to frame it cuz you don't have a frame laying around.  It drives me crazy to leave a puzzle laying out not framed so I try to make sure i have a frame on hand before I put the puzzle together.  However I refuse to pay $8-10 or $12 for a used picture frame that doesn't even have glass in it.    Anyways...hopefully I will find one soon.

Ok...gonna get off here & get my day started.

Anna

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All I have to bring for my in-laws Thanksgiving dinner is Dinner rolls & Green Bean Casserole.  There will be 15 people there.  Plus probably 4-6 extra because the kids almost always bring a friend or 2 (and we have 4 kids!), my in-laws daughters almost always have a b/f there...so I plan on providing for around 20-25.  I shopped at sam's to be able to buy the stuff I need in bulk.  I got a hugh bag of french fried onions for around $4.00 (just one regular size in the grocery store costs this much!!!), bought the cream of mushroom soup (in a six pack) for a little more than $6.00 & a 3# bag of frozen green beans for a little more than $3.00.    total cost of  casserole:  $13.00.  It will actually only take about half of the ingredients to make a big enough casserole to feed everyone so I will actually get 2 casseroles out of all the ingredients so total cost of 1 casserole to feed 25 people = $7.50

The Texas Roadhouse (TTR) has a gift Card Deal going on.  Buy a $30.00 gift card and you get a small galvanized bucket of peanuts with TTR seasoning salt & TTR steak sauce for $5.00 (plus it has a cute little shiny christmas ball in it & it is cello-wrapped &  has a bow ready for gift giving!)  and you get a dozen of their dinner rolls for free.  so...everytime we have went to TTR for the past month we have ordered this gift card.  We go to TTR just about every w/e!  We now have enough dinner rolls for our Thanksgiving dinner and didn't have to pay for them, plus we have 8 of our Christmas gifts bought & paid for!  (4) $30 gift cards for TTR for my 2 siblings and my husbands 1 sibling and hubby's daughters b/d gift, & then we have 4 of the gift buckets (@ only $5.00 extra), 1 for each of my husbands kids.  Now all we have left to buy for is the grandkids.  I will probably go to Spangles where you can buy individual $1.00 gift 'bucks'.  I think it's spangles that does this.  Either spangles or BK.  anyways...u can get a kids meal at any of those places for about $5.00.  sooo...$5.00 for each kid = $35.00.  Not bad for gifts for 6 grandkids!  They will get plenty of toys from their aunts & gr. grandma so I doubt they will miss one less toy.  Plus it will be a special treat for them.  They love eating at fast food places but their parents can only afford it for them as special treats like on b/d's or for a good report card or a special night out.

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I started to head out this morning @ 10a.m. to the chiropractor.   Got sidetracked on the computer and forgot.  so I gave them a call and told a little white lie.  Said my husband just called and was broke down.  Can I come in later?  so...I went this afternoon instead.  I went ahead and got my running around done and then went to the chiro this afternoon.  I'm glad It happened the way it did cuz my back was screaming by the time I was done with my running around and the chiro sure helped it.

While out, I used a BurgerKing coupon for a free Whopper.  All I had to purchase was a side order of French Fries.  I brought my own drink (Iced Tea) so I paid .89 for a small fry and got my free burger.  So I got a whopper & fries ($2.89) for .89 cents.  savings of $2.00

I've started uploading my pics on my camera to the laptop and then using an online photo store to develop them for me.  However I shouldn't do this because I have my own photo printer...I've just gotten lazy lately and not wanted to dig it out.  It costs 16 cents for Walgreens to print a 4x6 online for me, .24 cents if I order it in store from a disk or SD card.  I figured out the cost of printing my own pics at home and it averages .14 cents.  so...i am only saving 2 cents per pic by printing my own.

I've been feeling guilty lately because I've been doing so much shopping at Sam's (translates to $$$$) instead of going to Dillons ($$$) or Aldi's ($ - $$).  So I decided today instead of spending $7+ for 2 b/d cards from The Hallmark store, that I would go to The Dollar Tree.  Most of their cards are cheesy and look cheap is why I don't typically use them.  However today I managed to find 2 nice cards @ .50 cents each.  Savings of $6.00!  so...I had heard that The Dollar Tree is now selling Lion Brand specialty yarns (not a lot of choices in color or type).  I have a pattern for a crocheted skinny scarf using LionBrand Trellis yarn & LionBrand Fun Fur, I have been dying to make it but refuse to pay the high price of trellis & fun fur. Both of which can run up towards $7.00 a skein!  so, I used that $6.00 b/d card savings to buy 6 skeins of yarn.  I should be able to make 3-5 scarves with this yarn I bought today.  I spent $6.00 on yarn but can sell these scarves for $20.00 each at the craft fair this next w/e.  And I have no doubt they will sell.  It is a very simple pattern and I should be able to whip them right out.  With Christmas coming up, people snatch up hand crafted stuff like it is lined with gold!  I also have crocheted 2 dog sweaters (I posted a photo of Buddy modeling one of the sweaters), 2 dish clothes, 2 adult beanie caps and 2 newborn beanie caps.  I am now gonna make 3 or 4 of these scarves and add that to my stash of craft items to sell next w/e.  Plus I am going to make dishclothes, beanie caps & scarves for family members christmas presents this year.  I also saved in Gas by not going to the Hallmark store!  The closest Hallmark is about 3 miles from me, the closest Dollar Tree is 3 blocks from me.  I now have $66.00 worth of merchandise for the craft fair.  If I get 4 of these scarves completed it will add an additional $80.00.  All of these items I have mentioned above was made with FREE yarn!  Except the scarves of course.  A woman in my crochet group gave me (2) 13 gallon trash bags full of yarn.  and that is what i used to make everything.  Oh...and the dishclothes.  I bought that yarn.  But still...it is only $1.98 a skein so I will still make $1.00 profit on one and a $2.00 profit on the other.

I stopped at a thrift store today, only because I was dropping off a big bag of stuff to donate.  I'm glad I decided to go in and look around.  I found a bag of yarn for $2.98 cents and it had probably $50 worth of yarn in it.  6 skeins of cotton yarn.  wonderful stuff to make dishclothes with.  I may try to get a few more done for the craft fair.  I also purchased a bag that had office supplies in it.  Mostly small writing tablets, a set of very nice stationary, matching stickers & envelopes, a book of hand written receipts.  I'm going to ask Jan if she thinks we could possibly use that at the craft fair!   some sticky notes,  a magnet sheet (will make nice backing for fridgie magnets!), half a dozen or so bookmarkers (will make nice inserts into christmas cards or thank-you cards, paper hole protectors, file folders, note pads and I don't remember what all it had, but it was a lot.  The main reason I bought it is because it had a container of tags in it.  One of my stops today was to be @ office max to buy some of these very same "selling tags".  they are small paperlike tags you put on merchandise when you are selling it.  they attach with a little string.  anyways...I would have paid probably up towards $10 at office max for them...but I got that AND all that other stuff for $2.98!  So...I had a savings of approx $7.00 on my tags.  (the sell tags was my contribution to the craft fair booth set up cost).  Jan covered the cost of the table & chairs and her friend rented the booth. 

It is so exciting about this craft fair.  I guess it is it's first year that St. Mary's Cathedral is holding a craft fair.  A certain amount of proceeds of sales go to the church.  I am so excited about getting in on the ground floor of this event.  I guess they had about 20 people/groups rent booth & table space so that means it will be a small event but still...for it's first year I have heard 20 is pretty good.  If they have a good enough turn out this year, they will hold it again and rumour has it that they are already planning for next year!  I am already looking at things I can make that would possibly sell.  I am thinking more along the lines of making scrapbooking pages, cards, magnets & bookmarks...and no telling what else I can come up with in the meantime.  Since I have a nice digital camera, a very nice photo printer...I can always buy blank button pins and put people's pics on them and sale them.  That could be something I could make right on the spot next year at this craft fair. 

I've gotten off topic, LOL.  I was talking about ways I was thrifty today.  All the different ways I saved my family money today. 

1.  Shopping at The Dollar Tree for b/d cards & crafting items. (savings of $6.00 for cards)  (savings of $42 in yarn)

2.  Shopping closer to home, saving in gasoline. (estimated $2.00)

3.  Using coupons for dining out. (savings $2.00)

4.  Using online Photo printing (no savings, cost me:    .36 cents)

5.  selling tags  (savings of approx $7.00)

6.  Purchase of Yarn (savings of approx $47)

7.  Purchased PaPaMurpheys Pizza with $10.99 coupon (savings of $4.99)

so it is Approx $69.00 in savings today!  Of course I did spend $7.00 on yarn & .36 on pictures so in all actualilty I only saved $61.64.

My husband won't notice the savings though.  He'll just notice how much I DID spend, LOL.  Actually though, he is wonderful and puts up with me.  Usually not saying too much about what I buy.  He knows that I am very conscientious about what I buy & spend.  And as I am unable to work...I am hoping he appreciates every little bit of savings I can bring him.

Well, I will try to do better.  Honest I will.  I don't know when my last blog was?  Probably my first blog was my last?  IDK.

anna

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I went to a YWCA thrift store yesterday.  I don't know why they called it a Thrift store because it was anything but that.  They had crockpots, coffeepots, countertop grills, panini grills...charging as much for them as if they were brand new.  There is a new crockpot out that has 3 interchangable crocks.  They had one there and I was so excited when I seen it.  I walked up to it real fast because I noticed another woman kept eyeballing it.  I was so disappointed when I looked at the price.  This crockpot runs about $50 in the store, at this thrift store they wanted $45.  Yes, it looked fairly new, it looked to be in good condition.  I'm sorry...if I'm gonna pay that much money for a used item I expect it to come in a box with instructions.

I mainly stopped there because I was at the medical supply store next door to it.  An acquaintance of mine is the owner/operator and I needed a new nebulizer kit & electrodes for my tens unit and he gives me a 10% discount.  Of course since he is a private owner and not a corporation his prices are a little higher, so his discount he gives me is just like I am going to a regular place like Harts or the big place over by the hospital...sorry can't think of the name of it.  anyways....I went to the thrift store looking for yarn & quilting material.  They had 2 skeins of veriagated blue yarn..so pretty.  They wanted $2.99 each for the yarn.  You can buy brand new yarn Redheart yarn for $3.12 at walmart.  even though the yarn had no sleeve on it, I'm pretty sure it was Red Heart.  they had no quilting material.  A few scraps of material but that was it.

I've been wanting to do a puzzle.  I have several Thomas Kinkaide puzzles already and was wanting to do one of those.  I noticed at this thrift store they had a lot of picture frames...very large ones, big enough to frame a 1000 or 2000 peice puzzle.  They wanted $9.00 for them.  None of them had glass in them.  So that means I would have to go somewhere (Lord only knows where cuz I don't) to have glass measured & cut to size...which I imagine is not cheap.  You can buy them brand new at walmart for around $12-$20 dollars.  Or if your  not picky about your frame you can buy a poster frame for about $8-$10.  There glass ware was expensive along with their dish sets.  I found a beautiful dish set called "Wheatland"  And since I live in a wheat state I thought it might be an interesting set to own.  I already have drinking glasses that look just like the design on the dishware.  It wasn't a complete set.  It had something like 6 plates, 7 underliners, a sugar & creamer, 5 or 6 bowls and one or two other peices.  They wanted $79.00 for it.  I seen no name on the back to say where it was made or the name of the design so I couldn't come home and look it up.  And then there were other little what-nots and knick-knacks...they just wanted entirely too much for it.  I did find a Michael Bolton CD for $2.99.  That is all I bought. 

There are several other thrift stores I like a lot better so I think I will go and visit one of them today.  I'm not looking for anything inparticular...one just never knows what good deal one will find at a thrift store.

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I am new to this site.  Not new to blogging.  However have never done a blog to a specific genre (frugality).  This is more hard than I thought.

A little back story first.  I'm married.  going on 10 yrs in Feb.  Both of us had good paying jobs for the first 8 yrs of our marriage.  His job at Boeing petered out and i had to quit my job d/t health issues.  Now we are a one income family.  It's been hard the past few yrs while DH went to school and I fought with workmans comp for every little penny they wanted to give me (which wasn't very many pennies, LOL).  But with time all bad things eventually get better.  We now have a home that's bought & paid for (thanks Uncle Ed---RIP).   DH has graduated school and took a job with COX communications doing IT work and I stay at home trying to figure out ways to save my honey money.

It doesn't seem like I save very much though!  I spent $205.00 @ Sam's on Friday.  Ok...so I won't have to go to Sam's for 3 months (or do much shopping other than bread, milk, butter..stuff like that) but still...that's a lot of money to spend at once.  Then I went to Dillon's and spent another $120.  Ok..20 of that was cash for my pocket.  Then filled my car up with petrol to the tune of $1.99 a gallon = $24.00  better than the $36 it was taking to fill it up just a week ago (and now gas has gone down even more, to $1.97).  So I guess all-in-all I do ok.  $300 for approx 3-4 months worth of groceries isn't really too bad.  That averages to $25 a week for 2 people.   Actually less than $25 because it's sometimes  5 or 6 months before I have to do any serious grocery shopping, just picking up bread, cheese, staples in between.  Mostly just bread.  We don't eat a lot of cheese, butter, milk, eggs...your typical staples.

Well, hubby has just come home from work.  He works a split shift so I really don't get to see him that much.  He leaves for work an hr after he gets up and I am usually in bed an hour or two after he gets home...sometimes I miss him but mostly I enjoy the time by myself.  I have DDD (degenerative disk disease), FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) and the rest of my joints are ate up with arthritis so I pretty much hurt all the time and don't get out much.  My computer is my lifeline to the outside world (pathetic but true) and I really think I would go crazy without it.  So now i must give up my laptop to visit with him for a bit, heat him up a plate for supper and then I'll go to bed after he eats.

I'll try to write more tomorrow.  I'm not real good about sticking to something but I'm gonna try!

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