My 2021 Challenge

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

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

My washing machine repairman was actually 10 min early. He took my machine apart and replaced a belt. He was here for over an hour and only charged me $24.50. That is the good news. The bad news is the ball bearings are wearing out on my machine. It is working well right now but he has no idea how long it will continue. When the time comes he said it will cost $400.00 + to get the parts, that is if they are even available. So the best thing for me is to look towards buying a new machine. He recommended a Speed Queen. He said, they last forever but cost around $900.00. I laughed and told him with me being just one person, and 76 y/o and not planning on living forever, I will look for a cheaper machine. At least I have some breathing room and will start to save up for a new machine. This machine is 16 y/o so if I can squeeze another year or more out of it I will be happy. He said he works on appliances and his son does electrical and plumbing if I need any other kind of work done. In the Fall I am going to have him come out to see if he can repair the oven in my stove. It has not worked for years and I am using a counter top airfryer/oven combo. It is great for using during hot weather like now but it would be wonderful to be able to have a bigger oven working during the cold weather.

Teddi's thyroid test came back negative which is great but at the same time does not help with finding out what is going on with him. He is getting picky again. I had been mixing in boiled potatoes with his pork and now he is picking out the pork and even leaving some pork that has too much potato on it.. gggrrr.

Today for breakfast I had oatmeal with currants and a few walnuts with cinnamon and a dab of butter and some cream. I cut back on the water to make it less soupy but cut back too much.

Lunch was a nuked "baked" potato (free) with sour cream, butter, and shredded cheddar cheese. Also had a small portion of canned pork-n-beans. I was just not in the mood to cook today.

Dinner will be the last of the lettuce made in to a salad. Doing well using up what I have in the house.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

mona50 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:01 pm Janet, when I read what you are planning to undertake with the poison ivy, it scares me. It really sounds like a job for the professionals (not sure who that might be) . . . but it just sounds too dangerous for you for a variety of reasons. Of course, it is not my business, but it concerns me when I read about it.
Mona thanks for your concern. It worries me more to let it continue to grow. I do not know who I could contact to come in to remove it. Goats are suppose to be able to eat it and not have a problem but then.. where do I rent a goat? lol. I think with all of my protective gear and following a good protocol I should be ok. I will discard all clothing in double bags in the garage where things will be set up for it. Then head straight to a cool shower and use the anti-poison ivy lotion. I think I read you have 15 min from contact to get it off and I am going to be very cautious. The weeds are going to be triple bagged and put in the trash using every precaution not to come in contact with it.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I am not eating healthy for my diabetes but not up to planning ahead as much as I should. Yesterday I ate a hardboiled egg for breakfast which was ok however for lunch I had potato salad and about 1/4 cup of pork n beans. Since Teddi is refusing to eat the boiled potatoes I decided to make a small batch of potato salad with them. I boiled 10 eggs to make tunafish salad and potato salad. I kept a few for Teddi and myself for breakfasts or snacks. By the time I finished making everything it was too late to eat the tunafish. I like it to sit for a while to absorb the onion and to meld all of the flavors. Dinner was two avocadoes that were starting to get a little too old so maybe ate 1.5 avacadoes after I finished dissecting the bad spots. Before bed had a small portion of tunafish salad and potato salad. Not a good idea my blood sugar was up this morning. So today need to work on cooking ahead. Still using up what I have in the house.

Today was my first day back to drinking brewed coffee. It tastes so good!
Janet Alliesmama
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by HappyDaze »

Janet, I don't know if this is an option you want to consider - it's not for everyone - but I buy my appliances, such as washing machines, second-hand. The washing machine I had at my trailer in the woods, I paid $50 for, used it for 7 years and sold it - for $50 - when I moved here (ex's mother purchased a "better one" at an auction - whatever...). The auction purchased "better" machine is still going strong - 7 years later. Yes, I kept it. I didn't keep much, but he didn't ask to take it and I didn't offer it.
Like I said, not for everyone - you have to deal with strangers, look on facebook maketplace, craigslist, etc. - and it can indeed be a real hassle, then you have to find someone with a truck who will help you get it...yeah. Just a thought.
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

HappyDaze wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:26 pm Janet, I don't know if this is an option you want to consider - it's not for everyone - but I buy my appliances, such as washing machines, second-hand. The washing machine I had at my trailer in the woods, I paid $50 for, used it for 7 years and sold it - for $50 - when I moved here (ex's mother purchased a "better one" at an auction - whatever...). The auction purchased "better" machine is still going strong - 7 years later. Yes, I kept it. I didn't keep much, but he didn't ask to take it and I didn't offer it.
Like I said, not for everyone - you have to deal with strangers, look on facebook maketplace, craigslist, etc. - and it can indeed be a real hassle, then you have to find someone with a truck who will help you get it...yeah. Just a thought.
Thanks for the idea but I tried that once. Paid $65.00 for it. The person I bought if from was known to me. She moved in to a home that came with a washing machine but she had her own machine. She said she had run it through a cycle and it worked. It did not work. I called a repair man and he said it could not be repaired more money out the window. My poor brother and a friend of his delivered it but I had to pay someone more money to haul it away. I would rather buy a new machine and hope it lasts just about the same length of time as I do..lol Glad you had just a good experience.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I worked off and on today on my budget for July and projected expenses for my trip to Mexico next year. It is doable if nothing unexpected happens like it did the last couple of months with my car. Also I am starting to put extra away each month to buy a new washing machine. The plan is to save enough in one year to buy a new one. However I will not buy a new one until this one drops dead.. lol. Hopefully it will last a lot longer than a year.

My eating habits are awful. I had potato salad and coffee for breakfast. Lunch was potato salad and tuna fish salad with some green olives on the side. Dinner was a nuked "baked potato" (free) with butter, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Dessert was a bowl of Vanilla yogurt (free) with a few raw walnuts thrown in. My aide brought me another large container of Vanilla yogurt the other day. She said one of her other clients received two containers of it and she gave me one but kept one for herself but decided she would not get around to eating it before it expires. The potato and onion used to make the potato salad were also (free) and the onion in the tuna fish salad was free. Teddi is eating(free) baby carrots for his treats.

Today I baked a large pork loin roast for Teddi for his meals. I cut it in half after I baked it and froze half for later. Doing it this way saved on the electric instead of doing half now and half later. I am unplugging anything that I can when not in use. ie my c-pap machine burns a steady green light when it is plugged in and not being used. I am unplugging my microwave when I am not using it. I am trying to make an effort to remember to turn ceiling fans off when I leave a room. I unplugged my water cooler. I have a whole bag of ice in my freezer that needs to be used up. No since in having a water cooler running when I have a pitcher that filters water and I can throw a few ice cubes in a glass and have a cold glass of water. The ice is left from when I went to the wedding and the friend who took care of Teddi uses ice to make protein shakes and my niece used it for her iced coffee every morning. I have the ice machine turned off in my fridge freezer since I needed the space for food storage and can live without ice being made automatically. When it gets cooler in the evenings and early mornings I open the windows to save on the electric. Also unplug my washing machine when not in use. I need to start to unplug the TV in my Great Room. Our electric company reminds us to unplug anything that turns on instantly. Those items are sucking phantom electric even when not in use. I also need to put the TV in my bedroom on a power strip. It is in an awkward place to try to plug and unplug.
Janet Alliesmama
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