I had an unexpected adventure.
Since we had to sell my husband’s vehicle, and he then got called to work in another state, he had to take mine with his ladders and equipment.
After a week in a hotel (the hotels had all doubled their prices after 600 houses burned down), he was able to rent a house with five other people who were also there working with him, which saved a huge amount of money for everyone.
After his inspections were done, he needed to stay there to draw up new houses. Because he was staying with other people and there were no more inspections, I had a chance to fly up, get my vehicle and his equipment, and drive home.
So I took it.
I was able to get a decent price on a one-way ticket if I was willing to have a layover. It was an option of 5 hours instead of 2 1/2 for half the price of the next lowest ticket. In reality, it was actually 6 1/2 due to a delay with overfueling in Portland.
I looked online for gardens I could see in Spokane (where he is) and on the way home. This was a totally last minute trip, with a ticket bought on a Thursday afternoon and a flight Friday morning.
I dropped my husband back at the house after having a late lunch with him, and drove to see four gardens that are all free (and all in one location) in Spokane.
The next morning, I drove through Montana to Southern Idaho.
I stopped in Missoula, Montana, where I visited both a small free test garden and a local nursery. I had dinner at a local grocery store that had a sit down area on the recommendation of locals (I skipped lunch that day, as there weren’t many options along the way that appealed to me).
I spent the night with one child and stayed there Sunday as well.
The next morning, I drove home.
I stopped in Salt Lake City and visited another child, and had lunch there at his place. I bought a few snacks for the drive from the bulk section at Winco, (nuts, and chocolate) as well as some raspberries and water. This was both cheaper and healthier than many other options.
We visited a vintage clothing store together that he thought I would like, and it was fantastic.
I filled up gas at a Sam’s Club in Provo, saving about 50 cents a gallon over the other places I had filled up on the way.
I stopped to visit the grave of a professor, boss, and friend of mine and his wife in Provo.
A few other things I did to save money on the trip:
I filled up my water bottle at rest stops whenever possible. Some did not have water, but usually the next one did.
I downloaded two Urdu-learning e-books on the Hoopla app from the library. I listened to these on parts of the drive, which was especially nice as I didn’t always have internet for music in the middle of nowhere. I also listened to them on my flights.
Since being home, I have harvested okra, lemon verbena, and Indian snake cucumbers from my garden.
What did you do to save money the last few weeks?
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Gorgeous photos and what a lovely trip! Love your dress on you!!!You were about to see two kids and your husband which is fantastic! Gas has varied from $3.45 to $3.89 here. I shopped at Aldi on the way home from work to get sandwich stuff, bread, cheese, etc. for my lunches. I made potatoes salad, and Conecuh sausage (local company) dogs for Labor Day.
My mother has gone onto hospice, so the days have been a bit chaotic. In the midst of it all my husband kept up with the garden, harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes and green beans. I harvested rhubarb, apples, figs. We watered deeply using rainwater. We have never before reached September with rainwater left. I did a few things to reduce our water usage- mulched a few sections of my property and did not plant anything in those sections and removed a few things in our small front yard which left only the things that were established and only required once a week watering. Next year I need more consistent water on the grapevines, and I’m removing drip irrigation a some hardy bushes in order to give it to the grapes.
I sold about $350 worth of things for son/DIL, and a few things for us. We picked up 2 free items on a walk yesterday and 5 free items today. A couple items are to sell and I’m keeping the bookends and the Cuisinart pizza cutter (our pizza cutter of 15 years recently broke). I joked with my husband that he was really lucky that he got a wife that is thrilled to browse free piles.
I batched 4 errands and realized I forgot one item at Home Depot. Thankfully HD offers free next day delivery, so I won’t have to use gas to go back. I try to shop very minimally at HD since it is a company that does not share my values.
I’ve been doing a lot of purging, sorting, and selling as a way to de-stress at this time. I know it is to have some control over a situation that feels chaotic. And a tidy house is a nice bonus.
I’m sorry about your mother.
I am so sorry about your mother, Kara. You are all in my prayers on this journey.
So very sorry to hear about your Mom, sending good wishes for your family as you navigate this season in your life
You lucky girl, to be able to see and spend time with your kids — as well as your husband!
Our younger daughter and husband live in the fifth-wheel we did, on our property. But they sell rocks, gems and jewelry at various shows, and are gone a lot. I rarely see older daughter (who lives in Arvada, a Denver suburb) at all. That’s 3 1/2 hours drive north for us each way.
Ah well — it is what it is.
Hello, everyone!
I joined a book club and will be attending for the first time tomorrow. I’m looking forward to socializing, something I rarely get to do these days. I was lucky enough to find the chosen book at my library.
I’m seeing more spiders in my home than I care to, so I added some peppermint oil to my mopping spray hoping that might help. I also set out some sticky traps. I don’t want to spend money on professional treatments, and I do know spiders have their benefits. It just seems rather early to be seeing so many! We are having a major heatwave.
Fetch recently had an offer of 12,000 bonus points for referral. I had my daughter and husband both install the app. Those points bumped me up to a $50 gift card. My husband has been playing lots of games on there (something he loves anyway) and really racking up the points! Otherwise, it takes me a very long time to earn anything.
For anyone looking for a part-time, somewhat flexible job, I know there are plant merchandiser jobs in most areas. I was in a medical building one day and spoke with a woman watering plants. She told me she visits various offices and installs/maintains plants. She said they also do holiday displays-a busy time of year for them. I know Home Depot and Lowes use plant merchandisers as well. I believe one of the firms is Plant Partners. Just thought I would mention it…..I know there are many of us gardening enthusiasts here! Also, my mother’s independent living facility (and many others) are in desperate need of kitchen help! It makes me sad when I go over there and the residents are looking forward to their planned meals and are quite frequently disappointed by cancelled menus, etc. I would love to help out there, but have too much on my plate for the time being.
Have a great week!
D, we have found a way to combat spiders is to purchase a gallon (?) of spray with a nozzle and spray around the outside perimeter of the house. My husband typically does this in the spring and fall. Much cheaper than paying someone to do it and the application lasts us quite a while.
We’ve started using Pestie rather than a company with technicians for pest control. Pestie provides premixed bags that my husband sprays on our home’s outside perimeter. We got 4 quarterly applications for the price we had been paying for 1 quarterly service from a local company.
Got all of the basement trash put in our trash bins. It took three weeks to get it all, but saved money by not going to the dump.
Made cobbler with cheap blackberries from Costco.
Made beef and peppers with excess peppers in refrigerator.
I dumped Mcdonalds syrup into my big bottle
Found out I qualified for student door dash.
Earned $8.95 Amazon shopper panel reward
Been collecting freebies from the gas station. Mostly energy drinks, but my teen has a lot of friends.
For the last week we have been eating from the freezers. I plan to continue for awhile to clean them out.
The teen clipped the dogs nails for me.
Read and returned library books.
Eating at work whenever possible. The guys are getting better at taking leftovers for lunch.
Received some items when I went backed to work…pens, notebooks, cup, book, lots of snacks.
Our school received a big donation of kleenex, so every staff member was allowed a case of 4 boxes. This should get me to through the school year without having to buy any to keep at work.
I’m glad you got to have an adventure and see your husband and some children! We continue to use cloth hankies, napkins and towels. I haven’t been doing much to save money lately. I have made a meal plan and will try to get back on track. We have enjoyed the library. I have been reading a lot and listening to music on YouTube. If it cools off I hope to start walking again.
I made a meal plan for the week and we made meals at home today. My husband picked a sunflower for me from our backyard and I am enjoying it in the kitchen.
Such beautiful photos, the gardens are stunning. I love your dress, it is so elegant. Saving money is getting harder to do, prices for everything are going up. It was my friends birthday so I sent her Christmas present in the package to save on postage. She found it amusing that I was so organised. I’ve again started batch cooking things like curries, pasta sauces and stews, it works out a lot cheaper. I’m also adding extra canned goods to food orders especially when on offer. My daughter and I are buying larger (and cheaper) bags of rice, lentils etc and splitting them between us.
I’m looking into making a lot of Christmas presents this year so will be using your older articles fir inspiration.
Hi Brandy
How wonderful you were able to fly to your husband and enjoy such beautiful gardens on the way home.
I may never get the chance to visit the United States … what beautiful countryside. Thank you for sharing this trip with us .
I so enjoy reading your blog and learning so much from everyone who contributes.
Effie
I shared more pictures of the gardens in several Instagram posts. You can see them there.
Thanks for the garden pictures. They must have been a heart’s delight. The summer temperatures are waning so I’m sure it was a perfect day for strolling in Spokane’s gardens. Lucky you.
I was able to get some great prices at the discount produce store. Celery 1.68, reduced green onions .25, reduced asparagus .50( made soup), 5 lbs potatoes for 2.48, cabbage .48 lb, oranges .98 lb, broccoli crowns 1.68 lb and grapes for 1.98 per lb. I noticed their competitor has moved so will try them next time. Bought gas at Costco for 132.9 per litre which was 32 cents per litre cheaper than my local station.
I saw a sign at our corner offering to lubricate and tune up the garage door opener for $50 plus tax-so got my husband to do it for free.
Brandy I was noticing that Hawaii has been having some nasty storms lately-would your husband every be sent to work there or just on the mainland?
There are possibilities to work there, but as an independent agent, your housing, transportation, food, etc. are not covered. And he generally needs to have multiple extension ladders with him. So, it could mean a loss of money rather than making money. We discussed this recently, actually, and it just doesn’t seem practical to take work in Hawaii.
Brandy,
My youngest daughter and her active duty military husband are moving from Oahu next week after living there for three years. I agree that it is not a good idea for your husband to work in Hawaii. It is incredibly expensive and housing is very difficult to find. Unless you have lived there, it’s hard to fathom the costs (I visited frequently when my SIL was deployed). Think grocery items four times what we pay for them. I don’t know how people survive. My daughter had access to the commissary. Not to mention the cost of plane tickets.
Brandy, in those garden photos, you look like a 1920’s-era princess strolling through the palace grounds — or, at least, what I imagine one would look like. Glad you had a nice trip and a safe journey home.
I am changing my internet provider since Spectrum can’t seem to keep their WiFi on. It keeps going out. Every day! The rival company is giving me a better, cheaper deal. I signed up for Kanopy, a free streaming service via the public library here, but then found out my 20 year old TV set isn’t smart enough to do any streaming. Neither is the flat screen I got from Goodwill for $8. So I broke down and got a smart TV from Walmart; it was on sale for Labor Day. A 55 inch smart TV for under $250. It includes free streaming from the TV manufacturer. And 300 free channels. [I’d been getting only over-the-air TV but I got tired of it mostly having only true crime shows, crime dramas and shoot ’em up Westerns. Whoever said crime doesn’t pay wasn’t talking about all those OTA TV sub-channels!] Guess it was about time to upgrade. I won’t have any more cash outlays except for the regular internet/WiFi service.
I have found a new church congregation — friendly people, excellent pastor, good programs, theology and community outreach — and they have a free potluck dinner following Sunday services. The schedule is such that I can attend services, eat lunch, go home and get ready for work, and then get to the store to start my 2 p.m. shift. Perfect! It is close enough to the store so that I could easily go from church to work in 5-10 minutes, if need be. My friend, who introduced me to this church, says it’s OK to bring a store-bought pie or something if you don’t have time to bake a casserole.
I bought gasoline when it was $3.27/gallon, several days before the holiday weekend. All the stations raised their prices for Labor Day weekend, and it’s now $3.68 or more. Did not travel for the holiday, so I saved both money and gas.
I’m still air drying the laundry and keeping the AC on 77 (which, with the ceiling fan on, feels comfortably cool).
Your comment on who said crime doesn’t pay made me chuckle a good bit. I needed that this morning, so thank you!
Your visit sounds wonderful. And the photos are gorgeous – so is your outfit!
Thank you! It’s an inexpensive dress from Ross, and the parasol was $4 at a garage sale.
Hello, frugal friends. Brandy, such a great adventure. Beautiful pictures. I love visiting gardens, as well. I get great ideas and information. My favorite place so far is always Colonial Williamsburg here in Virginia. The Biltmore in NC is another beautiful garden. The past couple of weeks saw me in full canning mode. I canned 7 qts of spaghetti sauce, 15 half pts of apple butter, 7 qts vegetable soup, and 5 half pints of cherry berry jam. I found 2 loaves of whole wheat bread on sale for .63/loaf, chicken legs for .99/#, 24 count Hawaiian rolls for $3.60, lemons .69/lemon. I juiced and froze the juice. I have dried the zest. I repackaged the chicken into gallon size ziploc bags with marinade then froze the bags. I made 2 cups of bread crumbs from stale bread and dried basil and parsley. I went apple picking and picked apples for the apple butter plus extra for fresh eating. Flash Food has arrived in our area. I was able to get a good price on shrimp, spare ribs, and an eye roast. Garden Pat, I was wondering if she has ever picked up fresh produce from FF and been disappointed in the quality. I used digital coupons to get BOGO bacon, large cans of mushrooms, and 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. I dried most of the laundry on the line outside. With the high temps in the past two weeks we kept the a/c at 80. Last month our bill was below $200 for all our electricity use for our 3900sf house. All our neighbors’ bills were above $600. The geothermal and portable solar generators, plus our conservation efforts are paying off. I subbed 4 days in August. I have 4 days scheduled this month. That is my goal: 4 days a month. I get multiple calls daily. It just depends on how I feel physically. Still doing the usual frugal things like scratch cooking, cloth napkins and rags to clean up messes, etc. I wish everyone blessings for the week. Brandy, so happy you had a safe and fun trip and that your husband has work again.
I was given 12 more lb of beef and a dozen eggs.
I cancelled the monthly box I was getting from the food bank. Now that fall is coming I won’t have to pay to get the grass cut. I read that Food Banks Alberta is giving food banks more than is being donated by food businesses which will make it very difficult very soon! The food bank now has one less mouth to feed.
I have been buying what I need for the month and put off stocking up. I’ve bought vegetables. 10 lb of russets for $3.99, 2 acorn squash, a medium can of diced tomatoes so I can make chili.
I ordered a mailin ballot kit for the upcoming Alberta separation referendum which will save me the cost of a ride. $14!
Loved hearing about your adventure!
My daughter was married in that park about 1 1/2 weeks ago. Well,she had the ceremony. She actually got married a year ago, before he was deployed to Iraq. Anyway, that park is very near her house and she goes there often.
Glad you had a little adventure.
Diane
Oh, how lovely for her! It’s really beautiful and I find it amazing that it’s a public park.
The fact that the local hotels doubled their rates in a time of crisis breaks my heart.
It’s not the first time he has seen this happen.
Beautiful photos!
I signed up for a free sample of kitten canned food and it came with a coupon to B1G2 free. My husband signed up to get a free collapsible table – he just had to write a detailed review. It is perfect for putting a crate on for my foster cats to acclimate them to our home. I went thru all the ads to find the best deal on litter. We go thru around 150 pounds of litter each month for our own cats and the rescue provides us with another 150 pounds for the current fosters. I am shocked by the amount of litter we go thru! Food for all the various critters was bought on sale or at Cosco. I picked up fleece blankets and towels for free for the foster cats. I picked up a huge box of clothing for free and it had quite a few items that I can wear – so many of my clothes are just plain falling apart and beyond any more mending. I went thru our closets and reorganized it all so everything is off the floor. I sold 2 items on marketplace which put gas in the truck. We made the final payment on our truck (which now needs $1200 in repairs 🙄). It is our only vehicle. We also paid off my phone and unlocked it so we could get a cheaper plan. We got rid of most of the streaming services too. I harvested catmint, tomatoes, banana peppers, zucchini and thyme from the garden. We bought 20 pounds of bs chicken breast for $1.50 a pound then I split and froze it. We made all meals at home. My husband found someone to knock down (mow) the front yard weeds for cheap. It hasn’t been mowed at all as our mower is broken and the yard was looking pretty rough. Hope you all have a good week!
Melissa,
We go through a lot of litter too, with the 5 kittens & mama we rescued as well as two we already had. At the feed store we buy Stall Master pellets and use those They are biodegradable so you can all the litter to a compost pile (after sifting out the solid waste). We find it cheaper and definitely more environmentally friendly that clay or other mineral litters.
My personal cats do not like pellets so we use TSC’s clumping litter. With the current number if cats, we just can’t afford the high end litter and to be honest, I didn’t notice too much of a difference between keeping the smell down and how hard it clumps anyways. The rescue only provides clumping litter for the age of kittens/cats we’re fostering.
I don’t know what type of litter you use, but found I saved purchasing the clumping type bc I didn’t go through as much. Imho arm and hammer makes the best version of it, so ultimately saved using it.
I’m like you, visit the kids and any garden I can find. Love seeing what other states can grow.
Canned pears and apples from our trees. Picked all the blackberries which grow abundantly around here. Got a cheap price on grapes and canned them. Beans, zucchini and tomatoes are all still producing. Processing as they come in.
Enjoying watching my pie pumpkins grow. My family and dog will enjoy them, many ways.
Found 2 beautiful fall dresses at the thrift store for $16. They were both new. Got an amazing glass mason cookie jar with lid for $5. I’m storing dry goods in it.
Lots of gardening because fall in Washington state is the perfect temperature for working outside all day. Saving seeds from as much as I can.
Gave 1 daughter a haircut and colored her hair. I gave her husband and 2 year old a cut too. I added it up and I save them $2500 a year. Colored my own hair.
Have a blessed frugal week!
Hello Brandy! Sure sounds like a fun getaway! I’ve never taken a trip like that but it sure sounds fun! Here are a few ways that I saved $$ this week.
I made yogurt and strained it – making the nicest thickest yogurt. I had the dredges of some Cabot brand on hand as the starter and it is so good!
I stocked up making homemade groceries, like granola, brownies, banana bread, homemade biscuits (and milk gravy).
I harvested six Zucchini Rampicant (squash) (in their tan stage – each 4+ ft long). Having never eaten them, decided to make a pie with one (like pumpkin pie). We could tell no difference in pumpkin pie and that squash pie. I made a scratch crust. I was out of brown sugar and used granulated white sugar with a teaspoon of molasses. (I don’t make homemade brown sugar because it gets hard. Instead I use white sugar and add a drizzle of molasses and that works fine.) I’m super excited that something easy to grow is going to replace a store ingredient (canned pumpkin).
I harvested seeds for next year’s garden: Zucchini Rampicant, zinnias, carrots, onions, heirloom tomatoes.
I harvested so many dried beans: Pink Eye Purple Hulls and Cranberry Beans (pole beans that starts with green pods, turn hot pink and then dry like large pintos). About eight plants have given me four pounds of dried beans and counting.
Last fall, instead of buying unique pumpkin seeds, I bought two farmer’s market pumpkins that I wanted (“cinderella” and “peanut” pumpkins). I used them for fall decorating and then saved the seeds and processed the pumpkin. I planted those seeds last spring and the vines are growing behind our fence. I found four nice pumpkins growing. If they turn orange, they will be great for fall decorating and even more pumpkin recipes and seeds. I can also share the seeds at a local seed swap. Two pumpkins were way cheaper than the seed packets for those varieties.
Instead of thrift shopping, I cleaned and organized under my kitchen sink and other areas in my house. I used boxes, cutting off the flaps for organizers. We cleaned windows and vacuumed baseboards. It felt and looks great!
I cut flowers from my yard for a vase on my table – zinnias, wild goldenrod, and two pink roses. Very pretty!
I have had lots of anxiety lately with loved ones’ health concerns but working at home allowed me to relax and beautify the entire space – and that helped my heart/soul/mind more than anything.
Have a good week everyone!
First, I’d like to say to Kara how sorry I am about her mom.
Brandy, I followed your photos on Instagram and thoroughly enjoyed your impromptu trip. I’m so happy you were able to make the accommodations to go and see family and hubby AND get to do something you truly love as well. You looked lovely in the photos you shared but especially so in those here on today’s post.
I have come out of my gloom, funk, grieving period (sort of out) of the past two months. Since I barely left the house, in nearly every sense, I also didn’t water outdoor plant and lost nearly everything in a pot. Oh well. Some I’ve been dragging along barely alive for year and I find I am not too sorrowful that I may now start over with them. I was blessed before the excessive heat wave and dry spell to have quite a few pretty flowers to enjoy, something I’ve struggled with for years now.
I have been busy since last week bringing my home back to par. Both in deep cleaning and decorating and arranging. I’ve managed to find my cookery gene once more and am not picking my way through overcooked or thrown together odd and ends for meals. I just needed that down time to be sad. I’ve been very busy attending to much since John died, and when I did the last task it all just settled down on me. I got sick first, then had sciatica and finally just plain got a bit blue and I gave in to it. I slept late, went to bed early and just generally tried to eat healthily (if not well) and I am now feeling more myself.
I was concerned about what appeared to be a mouse issue on my porches but yesterday did a google search and apparently I have a bat problem due to leaving lights on the porches at night. I’d initially left lights on for my old dog who couldn’t see very well and especially not at night. He passed away in late July/early August and out of habit I continued to leave lights on at night. Well, problem easily fixed. I turned off the lights last night and there are no evidence of activity since. It was recommended that yellow bulbs would help and I will eventually get some of those but in the meantime, I can let go of that worry.
I also tracked an ant or two in the kitchen yesterday and made a note to keep my eyes open. Glad I did as they were scouts and by evening I had a trail running. Those were dealt with immediately.
I have pretty much avoided the grocery store lately since I do have a decent food storage on hand. I’ve done a complete inventory and know what I have now and need to use and what I need not buy more of.
I also paid closer attention to my finances overall, after having a large medical bill to pay off from John’s last day. That is well under control now, and finances are once more stretching as they ought.
I went through my fall wardrobe and determined what I needed, would like to have. I will pick those few things up as I find them in the coming month or so and then I’ll be set for another season or two if the winter is mild.
Terri,
I’m glad you’re feeling better and know it must have been a very difficult time. May you continue to heal.
Thank you for your kind words about my mother. I’m sorry life has been hard for you. It sounds like you have been wise in taking care of yourself. My best wishes to you.
Terri– Although falling into gloom is absolutely understandable, as I’m sure many people told you, it doesn’t make how it feels any less real to you. I am glad you are digging out and hope you continue to do so!
Terri, you have been missed. You did what you needed to do for yourself and to absorb the grief. Sounds like you have been busy recently. I have been going through clothes as well. My jeans are at least ten years old and I only had two pairs, which I wore virtually everyday for years…they are paper thin. I had given up hope on finding jeans that fit nicely, but at Costco in BC, Canada, I found a pair! They aren’t momma waist jeans but are in between the hips and the waist, but a bit closer to the waist. They have the legs that are wide all the way down (would not be my favorite until I tried them on and they are very flattering). $27.99 Canadian which makes them $20.28 usd. Good quality fabric, and all the little extras. So, I bought four pairs. Also found heavy sweats there as well and I haven’t had new sweats in forever…I am wearing my niece’s sweats from high school sports that my daughter wore, and also my daughter’s from high school sports and my niece graduated 22 years ago. I bought several pairs of sweats because they ended up being less than $12 each. Again good quality. Thinking these will last me a long time. Even as I lose weight, doesn’t matter with the sweats and I can then just wash in hot and dry for the jeans. It did give me a perking up to have some new wardrobe additions that didn’t cost an arm and a leg! Have a wonderful week!
I am so sorry for your loss. Everyone grieves at their own time. I am glad to see you commenting again.
I am sorry to hear of you losing your husband.
Your trip sounds like such fabulous self care time. I am so happy for you. The first 2 photos remind me of what Renoir would have painted.
I’m glad you carried a refillable water bottle – it is a great way to stay hydrated and keep money in your wallet.
If you have time, what do you use you lemon verbena for?
We saved money by staying home between visiting a parent at the hospital. When we had to eat out, we shared meals and I did appreciate the “complimentary” tea and coffee self serve stations at the hospital.
We had to re-stain my parents wrap around porch so I enlisted my spouse and uncle to help. I divided the porch into sections with small tasks (like grilling burgers) for everyone. It made short work for our aging hands and my mom was able to return the extra stain and roller we did not need. She is slowly downsizing her beautiful garden and offered me her garden of good and evil girl cement statue as a thank you.
I mended clothing and recycled zippers and buttons from clothes that are no longer wearable.
Was able to see Steel Magnolias (a true favorite of mine) on the big screen finally at a discounted cost and see friends I haven’t been able to see as often too. I handed out flannel squares in pinks for tissues to them – using flannel from my fabric stash.
Enjoyed long walks outside with the cooler weather.
I hope everyone has a calm and productive week!
Lemon Verbena is used to make herbal tea.
Thanks for the lovely garden photos and your dress is lovely too. Despite my best efforts, I did not save money, thanks mostly to an unexpected copper water pipe into the hot water tank that burst and flooded basement. Fortunately my friend’s brother drove a long way to reach my house and helped shut off water and mop. The floor there is unfinished concrete — so glad I did not have flooring that would have been ruined. Next morning, furnace company guys put in new pipe and I had a shut off lever put on hot water pipe from tank so in future we will not have to turn off water to entire house. I was glad to have an emergency back up supply of bottled water. Before that happened, I bought 3 new lawn chairs for $29.99 each reduced from $99.00 each. I wouldn’t have bought them had I known about the impending floor. Over the past three years I have bought clothing on sale. My latest purchase was a quilted sweater/jacket for $3.00 from Land’s End. Due to tariffs I will not be buying from Land’s End for a long time to come. I am glad I bought clothes I needed before all the tariffs went on them. Starting today, Canada has reciprocated dollar for dollar with retaliatory tariffs — in response to the american ones put on recently. My only regret is I couldn’t afford a new stove or fridge before tariffs went on. So when people say the prices are going up — that’s so true! And prices will be greatly increased because of tariffs. I have all I really need. When the furnace guys come back to do the annual servicing of my furnace, I’m also having them put in an anode rod which should greatly extend the life of my hot water tank.
Hi Brandy and everyone
What an unexpected and interesting trip. You made the most of the opportunity to visit gardens, family etc. I have enjoyed looking at all the photos on Instagram and love your outfit.
We have had some wonderful blessings and savings recently.
A guest brought us a couple of jars of homemade blackberry jelly and a daughter gave me a bouquet of flowers as a thank you for a favour.
I needed a new apron and stumbled on a lovely one in a charity shop. This brand retails for ÂŁ28 and I paid ÂŁ4.99. I also bought a like new book for winter reading.
I bought needed new underwear at a good price on line and received free postage. I also saved money on several packs of baby socks bought as a present.
I visited a supermarket first thing one morning and found several packs of Aberdeen Angus beef mince and chicken reduced in price. The UK government is suggesting we buy extra food to store at home in case of prolonged bad weather this winter. We have always kept extra stores,as many of you do, and the garden and particularly my husband’s hard work there is helping with this. I’ve frozen lots of sweetcorn and tomatoes and pickled several large jars of beetroot. I foraged and froze enough hedgerow blackberries for four blackberry and apple crumbles. We’ve also eaten cucumbers, courgettes, cabbage, bell peppers, aubergine, potatoes and celery from the garden.
A neighbour who was going on holiday asked if we would like to pick pears from their tree which we gratefully accepted.
I took a bouquet of homegrown flowers to the hostess of my sewing group and was given leftover cake to bring home for my husband.
Good luck to everyone.
How wonderful to see your husband and kids. I love your dress. Those gardens are beautiful. My brother in law passed over the weekend due to a heart attack and car accident. I have been helping my sister and nieces. We continue to walk every morning and use the library.
.
I am so sorry, Donna.
Thank you
I’m so sorry.
thank you
Donna, so sorry to hear of your loss. What a support you must be for your sister and nieces!
Thank you
I recognize those gardens. I absolutely love Manito Park. The Duncan garden is my favorite. So nice you got to make the trip and also able to see two of your children.
In the last few weeks, the DH and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. Just had a low-key celebration with the two of us.
Weeded the corn, onions, zucchini and cucumbers.
Picked tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onions, all of our garlic, green beans, and cucumbers. Also picked basil, oregano and thyme as needed.
Cooking – made granola each week, cauliflower soup, garlic green beans, chicken fajitas, BLTs, breaded zucchini, spaghetti sauce, 3 pints of pizza sauce using tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs from the garden. Also made a batch of “cream of soup. ” Dried 8 trays of basil.
Did my twice weekly volunteer work each week. I’m willing to give up some things, but my volunteer work is not one of them.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Happy Anniversary Nancy, to you and your husband! Wishing you many more happy, healthy years together❣️
Happy Anniversary
We went to Alaska. It was amazing. My SIL’s father owns a car service and we always use them. He only charged us gas and tolls this trip. We tipped the driver very well. I packed a collapsible cooler that was my husband’s personal item. I brought a backpack as my personal item. We got 2 days of meals into it for both of us. We only paid to check 1 bag. We did bring 2 free carry on bags with us, we made sure the heavy items went into these. We took all of the drinks and snacks that were included with our airfare. Hubby downloaded shows and movies for us to watch on our phones. I brought a little free library book. I rented us a tiny studio Airbnb in Anchorage for our 1st night. We were taking the train first thing the next morning. It was less then 1/2 of every hotel room I looked at. Even with the $18 uber fare it was a good deal. It was clean too. They left us a breakfast basket of 2 instant oatmeals, 2 granola bars, Keurig cups and 2 cookies for our arrival. I didn’t know we would get that but were happy to have them. I had brought hard boiled eggs, fruit and buttered rolls. We kept the granola bars for another time. At the train station I bought post cards for our kids, 50 cents each. On the trip I saw them up to $4 so I did good. I also got a pressed penny. On to the train ride. We bought tickets for the adventure class in advance. It was 1/2 the price. It didn’t come with a meal or 2 drink tickets. I had packed cold cuts and rolls. After sitting on a cramped plane for 8 hours the day before the train was luxury. The scenery was beautiful and we saw moose. Next was our Bed N breakfast for a night in Seaward. They were so nice and had snacks and drinks out when we arrived. We walked the mile because there are 4 taxis in the town and they cost a fortune. We took a nap and then went into town for a late lunch. I got Alaska crab legs lunch special and hubby got salmon. It was delicious. In the morning we had a huge breakfast. The lady cooked so much food and it was all delicious. We boarded the cruise that day. We walked the mile to the cruise terminal. Hubby’s job pays for Hubby’s WIFI. I don’t get it. I use his phone when I need it. We don’t get a drink package. There are plenty of drinks included. We bought 5 drinks all week. We didn’t eat at any of the specialty restaurants either. There is so much food. We did have $100 for free as onboard credit. I used it with a spa special. I only had to tip. We bring reusable water bottles that we took with us everyday at ports. We ate on shore 2 times. 1 day we shared a meal. The other day we each got one. We did buy a fried dough one day. We brought protein bars and other snacks that I had packed with us too. We did splurge on a whale watching tour, a husky mushing camp and another train ride. But we had budgeted for all of it. We splurge when it counts and it was worth it to us. We took the sky train from the cruise terminal to the airport. It was much cheaper then a taxi, uber or bus. We grabbed food at the airport to take on the flight home with us. Our son stayed at our house and watched our dog for us. Our daughter took care of the garden. She brought her mil 2 huge bags of vegetables as a thank you. We had an amazing trip, met so many nice people and have tons of photos.
Marybeth, I was so excited to read your post! Our Alaskan cruise starts on the 16th and I am thrilled. Our youngest son and his wife gifted us (totally unexpectedly) with the flights and cruise. They booked us a balcony stateroom. We, also, are not doing the specialty restaurants. Our plan is to get a meal from a locally recommended place in each of the ports. We didn’t buy the drink package either. A friend told me I should get the photo package, but the cost blew me away. We can take our own photos, or have someone take one of us. I, also, booked some excursions…a wildlife “over the top “, a six hour trip up to the Yukon, Bridal Veil Falls, Emerald Lake, a dog sled camp (comes with a camp meal), and an excursion to see the Mendenhall Glacier. The last one through the cruise line. We plan to walk around. I am hoping to see whales from the ship as smaller ships make me sick.🤢 Looking forward to the adventure!
Sounds like you have your excursions planned. If you have a port visit unplanned, I highly recommend hiring a taxi instead of excursions. When we cruised to Alaska, we hired a taxi to take us to Mendenhall Glacier. We arrived before the excursion and had the place to ourselves. It was majestic. Then the driver drove us around to a fishery to see a field full of bald eagles who enjoy being near the fishery. She also told us about a wolf that had domesticated itself to one man and dog in the area. There is even a book about it. (Sadly some awful person killed the wolf and if I remember correctly went to jail.). It was amazing to have a taxi driver who lived locally show us her city. It was a unique and very inexpensive way to see the port. Have an awesome trip!
That is an amazing gift. You are going to love it. Bring binoculars. We would sit out on deck(we had an inside room) and watch whales, seals, dolphins and birds. It was amazing. We didn’t buy any professional pictures. Everyone was so nice and offered to take lots of pictures of everyone else. Crew also took lots of pictures for us. In the daily guide there were free items in port for stopping at certain stores. I got a charm bracelet with a bunch of different charms. Hubby got several special edition coins with each location on them. I am very good at not buying stuff so I didn’t have any problem with taking my free item and leaving. Definitely eat in ports. Hubby had a spruce tip beer and really enjoyed it. All of the food was amazing. You are going to have such a wonderful time.
So great that you got to take advantage of a quick trip–and spend time with your husband and two of your kids. Can I ask what vintage store you visited in SLC? The thrift stores have been disappointing for years (thanks fast fashion!) so I’ve been thinking of going back to vintage shopping.c
Decades Vintage Clothing. It was fantastic. They don’t allow pictures inside (unfortunately) or I would have posted all about them on Instagram. I have never seen a place like this in person (but I have online). I wanted to buy so many things! But I chose just one item (a bracelet), that I thought would be the most used choice, and then my son surprised me by paying for part of it!
You always find the best parks and gardens! You looks so lovely, just like a portrait in a painting!
Biggest savings right now, is trying to push off ac repair/charging to next year. Last week ac stopped getting cold and today is the first day of a heatwave. Last time I charged the ac it was over $800, so I’m hoping to get through the rest of the year with fans.
Found a $3 two cup/tray set at gw for the bathroom I’m trying to reorganize. I also repurposed a decorative? ceramic shell into a holder for my handkerchiefs. So now it’s a “Kleenex” box in the bathroom with handkerchiefs instead of disposable tissues.
I donated two large boxes of dishes, glassware, and crystal to the charity shop.
Does anyone know of a place to donate medication? I have quite a lot bc medications that changed, etc and medication is so expensive it seems a shame to drop it off for disposal.
My optometrist redid my glasses rx for free.
Mostly trying to take advantage of a couple of vertigo free weeks to clean and organize. This is the first it’s cleared completely in a year enough to bend down/get on a step ladder. Repurposed/cut cardboard boxes to create custom cabinet organizers in the bathroom.
In advance of the heatwave I purchased some fans (end of summer sale) for the house. These are the first I’ve ever bought as others I had for30 yrs were free, finally died. Got gas at Costco bc I was nearby. Gas is still hovering at $5.50 there vs $6 or more at other spots. Hanging laundry to dry. Revisiting dentist as crown I got is too painful to chew on.
I got some free kitchen items from next door neighbors moving. They were my emergency contact and I was theirs. It’s sad as I’d been the twins sitter/grandma since they were 2. They just turned 16, their mom unexpectedly died in March and their landlord is evicting them w no explanation. They offered to pay more and they offered to buy the house, to no response at all. The landlord only said they’d been fired at trustee and has refused to give them contact information of owners. They hadn’t cashed their rent check for months and the last one was returned bc landlord had moved. It’s all very odd, but we have a common fence in need of repair so this impacts me as well. Given I/we don’t know how reach whoever the owners of the house are.
I’m reading a lot of library books right now. Seems the holds all come available at once.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Hi Maria, the public property records should have the owner listed. Hope this helps.
the way to find out who owns your neighbors’ house is a title search. You’ll need the legal description and for that you may need to start at the muncipal address, contact the correct department to get the legal description. To what department do you pay the property taxes on your own home? Start with that department. They’re not getting a response because the old landlord has been fired as trustee and he cannot be bothered to forward mail to the owner. Someone on here (I think it is Cindy/Cindi) is an attorney and maybe she can tell you more precisely who to contact to find the legal description of the title and what government department deals with property taxes and how to get an address for the owner who probably has evicted your neighbours for the last rent they did not receive and maybe the landlord didn’t transmit previous taxes either. just a thought…
We have been looking at the UK government’s advice on emergency preparedness, and the forecasts for a cold winter and an even drier summer next year. We have been, quite frankly, wondering what to do!
We live in the countryside and are well prepared for power cuts. We have a decent amount of water butts, which I guess in a pinch we could boil the water to make it drinkable? We have a wood burning stove we can use for heating if necessary. We certainly have more than a week’s worth of food in the house. (All of this is quite different from when we lived in the city.) Are we maybe just… prepared already?
It’s hard to figure out what to think about possible food chain disruption and price rises next summer. We have a kitchen garden but it’s relatively small, and I felt pretty maxed out on caring for it this year, so I don’t want to expand it right now. I guess just allocate more of our budget to food and less to optional extras? We have scope to spend less money on discretionary items right now, and we have some savings.
How are others dealing mentally with the uncertainty and fear-messaging?
How’s your wood supply? Could you install srip irrigation and connect it to the water buts when the invitable hosepipe ban happens next summer?
It’s a lot to think about and deal with. If there is something you can do now, that may save you money next summer, then I would do that thing.
I focus on what I can do. Buying a few more supplies that are shelf stable, having an alternative cooking source. In our community there are many that are working to build local networks of people so we have help around. We share produce with others and are gifted produce in return. Our Buy Nothing group is a great source for sharing/giving/receiving. I try and have well organized storage of essential items and things that can be repurposed.
Susie, the last word you used…fear-messaging. Yes, they are saying the El Niño will be bad, the worst in over 100 years, I believe. However, everyday the weatherman is a 50/50 toss up. This may be more predictable, but, at least for us, the droughts and flash floods were not predicted, nor all the tornadoes in Illinois, or the derechos. I saw one messaging from the news media that it will be worse than the last worst one and x amount of people died in that one. Well, considering it was over 100 years ago and we didn’t have heat or air systems or a lot of municipal waters, etc., it makes sense. Being prepared is appropriate and we should always be prepared and as self- sufficient as possible. Save seeds of all different varieties including drought resistant ones. Put away as much food as possible by canning. Any meds or herbs you might need. Basic necessities. Read as much as you can about how people survived the Depression and the Dust Bowl. The human spirit and its ingenuity is quite strong. We have gotten so used to having everything at our fingertips but Covid taught us a lesson. How did our ancestors, even as close in time as WWII survive? Community. Build a community of like-minded people. And, for me, pray. Fear can paralyze and it certainly eats away at everyday joy.
Hi Suzie
We have also been considering the UK preparedness advice. Like you I think we have many things in place already but there’s always room to improve. We keep a large supply of bottled water in the house, a decent but not crazy amount of cash, don’t let the cars run low on fuel and have kit in the car in case of being stuck out somewhere in bad weather( this has happened to us). We order medications at the earliest opportunity in the prescription cycle so we are never running low.
One of the simplest and most helpful actions was to set up a WhatsApp group for our small hamlet of houses. When something unexpected happens ,whether that be a power cut or one incidence of undesirable people knocking on doors at night ( rural area too) we can contact each other quickly and offer help / reassurance, share resources etc.
I know what you mean about uncertainty and action appears to be the antidote for me, I try to put plans/ equipment in place “in case” and that helps keep anxiety at bay.
I will be interested to read what you do going forward, good luck from Dorset!
Hi Suzie,
It is hard not to worry about these things but worrying does no good. You could have an emergency supply of bottled water. You could probably boil your water butt water. I myself have a water purifying system usually used for camping. You could also buy some purifying tablets. Because it is hard for me to go in and out of the house repeatedly, I have a small stash of bottled water outside (before the snow falls). This really came in handy when my hot water tank piping sprang a leak and flooded the floor. The water to the house had to be turned off overnight. I was so glad to have that bottled water. It was a short emergency but still…
Suzie — I suggest you might check out fall fairs and buy butternut squash there and apples of a variety that are keepers. Carrots too. My butternut squash last year lasted 6 months (and probably would have lasted more). Look for sales on large bags of rice, buy potatoes. Suzie – I suggest you have more than a week’s food in storage – I try for 3 months but others go longer.
The rest of my advice applies to North America more than the UK. I have stocked my pantry with canned goods like soup, beets etc. Here is one example of what I think may happen because of tariffs. The U.S. initially imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian aluminum and steel. So the US consumers pay that tariff in increased prices. However, many of the cans ultimately used in Canada are made into cans in the US which means retaliatory tariffs may be levied by Canada as the cans come back into Canada. So there will be a double whammy on price increases if tariffs apply to canned foods.
I also finished buying clothes on sale. I have been doing this for 2 years, very gradually. I notice that Land’s End’s regular prices for bathing/swim suits are about $150 US. That is so exorbitant but probably is because of tariffs put on imported suits from countries mostly other than Canada, and also the higher cost of transportation due to high gasoline and diesel prices due to the military war.
None of the clothes I have bought previously on sale from Land’s End have been made in the USA — as it happens but I think tariffs still affect them. I will not be buying any more clothes for quite some time. I bought from Land’s End because I knew they would fit me.
I bought powdered milk when it was on sale. It would be good for an emergency. I still want to get my emergency kit ready. I have an external hard drive that I’ve copied my computer contents onto and I’ll keep it elsewhere.
I will probably store an extra photo album in a safety deposit box at a bank.
Brandy gives excellent tips on saving money on buying beans etc in bulk. Another thing that keeps well is pasta.
How Mary Poppins you looked! Were there dancing penguins to serve you tea?
I found a pack of 4 LED light bulbs at about 2/3s off in a clearance section. I prefer these “cool”, or blueish ones, and they seem less common than the “warm” or yellowish ones.
Husband and I replaced the handle on the flush toilet, mostly peacefully. Seriously, to know who to marry, do small repairs or take a trip together, and you will learn how compatible you really are under pressure!
Although the grass stayed green much later this year, the recent lack of rain has made it quite dry and crunchy. I cancelled mowing for a week. Having someone mow for us is one of our luxuries. Thank you to everyone who shares their stories here!
Hahahaha! Just needed a big orange sash and those penguins!
Practically perfect in every way! 🙂
Brandy, I was thrilled to see your new post up! I look forward to reading them. What an adventure you had! How lovely for you! I am in BC right now (flew in last Thursday). My hubby flies in this Friday. Then we leave on our Alaskan cruise on the 16th. The flights and cruise were a gift from our youngest son and his wife in appreciation for all we do for them? It was an absolute surprise and totally unnecessary. It was also an extra gift in that our oldest daughter and her husband live in BC (he is from there). So, my son was able to accommodate different flight dates for us and because we are staying longer, saved money on the tickets as well. All of our flights are through Vancouver and my daughter drives over three hours each way. We do a lot of errands on the way, and sightseeing. We are paying for the gas as it is extremely expensive up here, and they have diesel. Over $9/gallon! And it costs over $200 to fill up the tank. Each round trip takes almost a full tank. It helps that I pay with an American card as the conversion rate is well in our favor. I would never dream of having them pay for this. It is all in our budget for the trip. We may pick up a few shirts, mugs for gifts, and if we find some unusual rocks, but that is it. On our jaunt yesterday, we went to a huge produce market in Ashford and purchased a LOT of produce at great prices (plus the conversion rate). I am going to help my daughter prep and freeze or can this. It will help them out for the winter. I also already wrote about some of my clothing finds in a reply to Terri C. They live remotely and it is honestly the most tranquil place I have ever been. The house is beautiful. The property gorgeous. Heat is fireplace and sometimes portable radiators. Water in the house is spring. Plenty of wood to cut for years to come. We have seen two different bears in their yard, hand fed the birds and Doris the squirrel (what a thrill), and the stars are incredible! I saw the Milky Way in all its splendor! I have never seen this many stars in my life, not even in the farm fields or the mountain we live on. They are brilliant. Hoping to see whales, eagles and the Northern Lights! Those are the souvenirs I want to take home. I feel incredibly blessed!
Dumpster diving for food and curb shopping some shelves. I cut my own hair.
Brandy, those gardens are stunning and you look right at home! It is so wonderful it worked out to make the trip, drive your car home, see gardens and visit with some of your grown children!
My last couple of weeks have been a bit slower and given me time to clean up more garden beds, amend them, plant more seeds( they are not germinating well in our heat here in N.C.), and plant again. My local nursery gave me a new pack of seeds as my first pack did not produce a seedling period. I bought some cabbage plants , and some cilantro and parsley and hope to get them I. The ground before some possible showers on Saturday. We are very dry here as well, tough conditions for germination. I have picked green beans, a few spindly cakes, a zucchini, herbs and pears. My neighbor let me pick his tomatoes before he pulled his plants, I got 2 gallons of them. I bought two large clamshells of organic lettuce for a birthday lunch and we have been eating that for 6 days straight . It has been perfect for the heat and the little that the garden is producing. I had some marked down chicken we have been eating with the salad. My husband has been great about finishing this up and I am grateful for almost free dinners all week.
I rescued some sweet potatoes from the trash at work and planted the sprouts! We bought apples that were seconds from a new to us orchard, 25# for $15 dollars and have been eating them and making fruit leather.
Our new freezer had frost issues and my husband worked on it and now it is working great!
I painted our porch rockers with existing paint and hope to pressure wash the porch this weekend and put a few new flowers in the pot, for a low cost refresh!
All laundry is being line dried in our heat and my windows are covered with sheets to block the heat in the house, under the blinds!
Hoping some cooler weather covers the country and we all have some relief!
Dear Brandy , I love how adventurous you are . I wish that when I was younger , that I had taken advantage of my life and traveled more. I will say that my college daughter is an incredible woman. She wanted to go hike the Tetons and off she went. She booked flights , rented a small camper , and along with a girlfriend, they hit the road. I explained to her that I admire her independence. The difference between us is I had a child at age 30 and she has none. She should be finished with school in 1 more year. I am on week 5.5 of shingles. Most of my time has been spent in my dark bedroom as my eye has been severely affected. I would have thought all this time at home would have been cheap but there won’t be anything cheap about the 4 hospital visits and ophthalmologist. The great news is that my poor eye is starting to open up a good bit. I’ve enjoyed many audible books and was very happy to have a large library available to me using my kids accounts in addition to mine. Sugar cookie has ate the freezer down . I’m happy it was stocked and that she enjoyed many nice treats. My tastebuds have definitely been affected. The only thing I have consumed is sweet ice tea. I haven’t had it in 20 years. The one good spot is I found Diet Coke disgusting and I haven’t totally weaned off of it. Dear Kara , I hope this next season of your life is a gentle one. Try to make some happy memories.
I hope you continue to improve Lilliana, shingles can be a horrible illness.
Lilliana, that must be so difficult! I hope and pray you feel much better soon!
At the very end of my comment to Maria, I said “property taxes” when i meant to say rents. Maybe the landlord did not transmit other rent payments to the owner.