DG's frugal journal

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alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by alliesmama4 »

Dgflorida wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:07 am Thinking on Janet's point about the plugs not frequently used. I don't know what is not frequently used. A puzzle?
I do not use my microwave all the time but if I leave it plugged in it is pulling phantom electricity. The clock is going all of the time and our electric company has told us that anything that is plugged in that you can instantly turn on like a TV is pulling phantom electricity and to unplug it when able. I have a CD player in my living room. I only plug it in when I want to listen to my music otherwise it is pulling electricity. I unplug my washing machine and only plug it in for the time that I use it. Otherwise if it sits for a week with the plug in it is sitting there and pulling phantom electricity. I do the same with my toaster/convection oven and when the big convection oven was working I unplugged it too when not being used. I have a big microwave above the stove on a power strip. It can no longer be used as a microwave but it is above the stove and when I need light to cook or to use the fan to vent I reach up in to the cabinet and flip the power strip on and when no longer needed I flip it off. Otherwise the microwave would be pulling electricity. I need to get a power strip for my new TV in the bedroom. I do not use that TV much right now but it is always ready to be turned on so it is pulling electricity too. The plug for it is behind the faux fireplace so not easy to unplug. The only thing that stays on all the time is my fridge for obvious reasons. It bugs me that the stove clock is going 24/7. The oven does not work. I have ordered an instant pot and have an induction plate and once I get use to the instant pot I am going to turn the stove off at the breaker box. I also unplug my electric dryer for long periods of time when I know I will be able to use the clotheslines in the garage. Also when it is winter I can hang things in the house and do not need to have it plugged in all of the time. My computer is also on a power strip. I flip it off at the end of the day otherwise it and my satellite dish would be pulling electricity. I have a dressing table where I can put on my makeup and do my hair. There are two lamps on the table that turn on by finger touching them. I rarely do makeup anymore when I am home. If I left them plugged in until I was ready they would be sucking electricity too. So they are on a power strip. I just have to go in touch the button on the power strip with my toe and then the lamps with my finger and let there be light...lol.
Janet Alliesmama
Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thank you for the information. I will think on it.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Monday am

I pushed hard in the garden and yard these last few days and my knee said ouch. So I stayed inside for the most part yesterday. It was rainy in the afternoon although it was just drizzle. I think it rained during the night as well. So I should be able to avoid watering today. I didn't walk this morning.

I am happy with this fly baby FB group. I have felt that I needed to up my de cluttering game and they are providing inspiration and structure.

I got the turkey breasts and roast beef yesterday. I needed to spend $40 to get the $5 off. I estimated I had about $45 worth. I had $42. So I was able to use the coupon. I got their biggest turkey breasts at 99c/lb and their biggest roasts(raincheck for beef at $2.99/lb). It was a good haul. We had one of the roasts for dinner last night and a turkey breast is thawing in the refrigerator. The rest are in the freezer. The roast gave us dinner plus a pint of shredded meat. A pint of mixed meat and beans and a pint of beans.

I am still staying with my one little bag of garbage per garbage day. I did have an extra bag of yard trash. Mostly black plastic bags that are falling apart and old roofing shingles. Still finding them all over the yard.

The outside temperature due to the rain was down in the 70's, so the ac did not come on last night. I didn't raise the temperature after hubs went to bed because it was unnecessary. I did use the slow cooker for 4-5 hours and I don't know how much power it pulls. The house humidity is up a couple of percents. The humidity outside is about 97%. So the house is not perfectly insulated.

This week, I see my doctor for my annual exam and gift card. I will pick up the home colon test as well. Take hubs and mine back in at his October checkup. Get another gift card for that. I have 4 trashcans filled with weeds to put out for the Thursday pickup.

One of the techniques the fly baby uses is called hot spots. Yesterday, the hot spot was fans. We each have a bedroom fan. Hub's sits on a table. Mine on the floor. Both were dusty inside and could not be taken apart like the big ones. So I worked on those using brushes and cloths. It took a lot of time and they are better, but not clean by any standard. But it is done. Today as well as cleaning the sink(fly baby first step), I will select another hot spot.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Monday pm

End of day. Today's fly baby hot spot was a tote with bathroom stuff. There were shampoo bottles and such with a little shampoo, so I combined them allowing me to toss some things in the recycle. I also found several mostly used, no longer squeezable toothpastes which I will use over the next few days. I cut one in half and used the toothpaste inside the bottom half and then took the little bit that was left and scoured a pan bottom that was a little greasy. The pan is better and all the toothpaste is used up. I also started to go over the car policy details sent to us by the agent. I called with a question and finally got an answer late in the day. I still have a couple of more things to look at. Reading insurance policies is slow work for me. I did a little bit of light yard work. And I did the normal frugal things. I will need to run the irrigation tomorrow.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Tuesday am

I hooked up the irrigation line on the south fence line yesterday and ran it awhile in the evening. I will run it again this morning. It is quite dry right now. I will also have to run the irrigation lines in the front as well. This means the well pump runs a lot and that means electricity use. I did turn the house temperature up a little last night and the ac did not come on. I do close the doors to exterior rooms at night which some say reduces ac at night when the exterior night time temperatures are high. I also turn off the stove and slow cooker and let the residual heat finish the cooking. Works very well.

Time to switch out the drip catcher in the refrigerator. I use the water to rinse out containers I put in the recycle bin. Also for some cleaning. Waste not. Want not.

Tomorrow, the turkey should be thawed and ready for cooking. I am using the slow cooker a lot as well this month. I have a feeling the electric bill will not be as low as I would like.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Wednesday am

The goal for today is getting my 4 trashcans of weeds out to the street for pick up. Maybe also some limbs I cut yesterday. We are in a really dry time and I am having to run my irrigation lines just to keep things from wilting. It is disappointing that plants here wilt so easily, but it is sandy soil. 2 of 3 rain barrels are empty.

I have decided to replace the hood over the stove before I have the lower half of kitchen redone. I will see if my handyman is ready to start working yet. If he does it, even hubs can be here to pay him if it happens when I am traveling.

When I go to the doctor tomorrow, I will stop at my shoe store and order another pair of these shoes. They seem to be what my knee likes. They are less than $50. a good buy.

I changed out the refrigerator drip container this morning and it was frozen water. Rather than just let it melt on the counter, I put it in front of a fan to make a swamp cooler for the office area. Swamp coolers really work. Yes, the old refrigerator needs to be changed out. Well I can only juggle so much and do it well.

I also want to finish going over the insurance paperwork. Get it done. Think I will do it in the office where the swamp cooler is.
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