Introducing Elsi

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Sandy
Posts: 715
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:11 pm

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by Sandy »

elsi wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 1:09 am Ooooh! Tell me how you recruited people to plant on your land. I'd love to have a small garden as long as I didn't have to do the labor. (I suppose I'd be able to tend a raised bed if it were about waist high, but not much lower.) I'd even supply the seeds or starts and be responsible for watering. As long as someone else were willing to do the planting & weeding, all I'd ask for would be a small amount of the harvest.

I'm also looking for a canning buddy. I have a pressure canner which I have yet to use. I have done a little bit of small batch water bath canning using s large pot in lieu of a proper canner.
It all just seemed to come together a few years ago and became an every year thing. I was asked about the project and was thrilled to do my part. New people seem to come along every year. Your problems are my problems: inability to bend and stretch without needing someone to call 9-1-1. A cousin lives over in Arkansas and she has the world's greenest thumb. She does raised beds in her backyard and is a champion at it! She also has a hard time sitting still which is my strong suit :lol:
snowangel729
Posts: 348
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by snowangel729 »

Hi Elsie!

I tend to be one of the youngest members of the forum, but have been involved off and on since I was 16 here. I got into being frugal due to my family not being able to afford much, alot of that has continued into my adult years. I am currently 18 weeks pregnant with my second child and thrift shop or get alot of items for the baby for free or super cheap. I am from Western NC and have lived here for most of my life. I think I am the only one on here from NC if I remember correctly.
frugalmom
Posts: 1710
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by frugalmom »

snowangel729 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 10:12 am Hi Elsie!

I tend to be one of the youngest members of the forum, but have been involved off and on since I was 16 here. I got into being frugal due to my family not being able to afford much, alot of that has continued into my adult years. I am currently 18 weeks pregnant with my second child and thrift shop or get alot of items for the baby for free or super cheap. I am from Western NC and have lived here for most of my life. I think I am the only one on here from NC if I remember correctly.
CONGRATULATIONS, Snowangel!!!! I wish I live nearby you so I can give you a lot of our stuff that we got for my new grandbaby! Like she was a BIG baby 9 pounds and 5 ounces! So she went on newborn diapers for like one day and had to progress to size 1 already and already fitting 3-6 months clothes! So I was looking for someone to hand down what we didn't even use! We got a lot of hand me downs too and lots of new items too from a baby shower! Anyhow, I am so happy for you!!!
frugalmom
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by frugalmom »

elsi wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 12:31 am Hello everyone. I'm Elsi. My husband and I are empty nesters with three grown children who live within an hour of our home in Texas. He's retired and I just keep refusing to retire because I really like my job.

Once upon a time I participated in a forum on the Dollar Stretcher site. but it's been gone for a long time. Now I participate in a couple of frugal groups on Facebook, and I'm looking forward to getting to know people on this forum.

I've heard it said that frugal means different things to different people and that has been my experience. Here are some things that frugal means to me:
* Save. Put some money into savings as much as you can. Having money in savings means you won't be wiped out when there's an emergency or something breaks down.
* Spend less. Look for bargains and sales. Buy the less expensive item. Use the library rather than buying books or renting videos.
* Don't borrow. Make payments to yourself before you buy the big item (car, refrigerator, big screen TV) rather than borrowing the money and making payments afterward.
* Do it yourself. Eat at home. Make your own clothes. Wash your car. Mow your grass.
* Take care of what you own. Keep it clean. Repair when needed.
* Have a few luxuries. But make sure it's something that you really want. An occasional splurge is healthy as long as it doesn't mean you can't pay for the essentials.
* Be charitable. In times when you have more than enough, share with those who are needy. Contribute to the food pantry. Donate to your church or local charity. Volunteer.

One way in which we save is to participate in a local produce co-operative buying group. At the beginning of the week, everyone who wants to participate contributes $21 to the buying fund. On Thursday, the coordinators place a bulk order with a wholesaler who delivers the order on Saturday morning. Typically, there is quite a lot of variety with 5-6 different vegetables and 5-6 different fruits. Volunteers meet the truck and divide the produce up for that week's participants. Everyone else shows up for pick-up which is scheduled for about 1 hour after the truck is due. Comparing what we received to in-store prices, I see that we regularly get about $30 worth of fruits & veggies for the $21 that I paid in. I do my meal planning and create a grocery list on Saturday afternoon -- making plans to use various fruits and veggies before they spoil and also noting any shortcomings (like onions or salad greens) that I might need to pick up at the grocery store.

I'm not sure what else to share. I'll jump in the various topics and contribute where I can.
WELCOME ELSI! I have been here since the beginning and on a forum with many on here that have closed down so way back when! In fact, I think it was with me being pregnant with my third daughter who is now 22 years old that I joined up with this great group of people! Thank goodness when about.com closed its site that Erin was kind to open a spot for us to go! Thanks to Erin, Aaron, and Jackie we have a warm and welcoming place. The group here gives good advice-they have never steered me wrong whereas, Consumer Reports and other advice or best buys never worked for me-I just come straight here now if I need advice. I am a long-time frugal blackbelt,sometimes I get a bit of free-spending (although not too long because just not in my nature to want to spend even if I have money!) and I get back to my frugal ways-it just becomes a part of you, you know!

Anyways, I come and go nowadays. Even though I retired early, thought I would be an empty nester pretty soon, BUT I STILL have my teen son at home (kid #5) and daughter (22 years old one-graduated college but preparing for medical school so moved back home) and another daughter that moved back home (and had my third grandbaby-her first child and possibly her last she tells me and asks me how in the world I had so many-lol!). So my house is FULL STILL! Lol, I told my husband I don't think we will ever get rid of the kids-always someone here lol! With the prices out here hitting a million plus they may be staying here forever! I just saw gas hit 6.89 at a gas station that I actually took a picture of it because I NEVER saw it that high before!
snowangel729
Posts: 348
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by snowangel729 »

frugalmom wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 1:21 pm CONGRATULATIONS, Snowangel!!!! I wish I live nearby you so I can give you a lot of our stuff that we got for my new grandbaby! Like she was a BIG baby 9 pounds and 5 ounces! So she went on newborn diapers for like one day and had to progress to size 1 already and already fitting 3-6 months clothes! So I was looking for someone to hand down what we didn't even use! We got a lot of hand me downs too and lots of new items too from a baby shower! Anyhow, I am so happy for you!!!
Hi Frugalmom! I have watching for your updates! Congrats on the grandbaby! Yes, I would have loved some handmedowns. I have been slowly accumulating the things needed. I am having a baby shower as well, so hopefully I can get some of the bigger ticket items there.
frugalmom
Posts: 1710
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Re: Introducing Elsi

Post by frugalmom »

snowangel729 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 2:50 pm Hi Frugalmom! I have watching for your updates! Congrats on the grandbaby! Yes, I would have loved some handmedowns. I have been slowly accumulating the things needed. I am having a baby shower as well, so hopefully I can get some of the bigger ticket items there.
My daughter has a lookout system where like my other daughter-in-law who is on Facebook and this group that does freecycle, she is able to get freebies. In fact, my daughter also got a lot of free samples of formula too from not only friends but they gave her some too for having a baby. They also sent like lots of coupons like one for 17.00. I will have to ask her how she did all that and get back to you. I just recently got a free stroller and a free red tricycle with a bell on the side for my grandson to be handed down to Zoey after!

Oh, and she has a lot of friends lately that are having babies or had babies and so a lot of them are already done with babies and gave her so many things! We had a baby raffle for our baby shower and anyone that brought diapers was entered in the raffle for a nice gift basket prize. Her friends are all very kind and generous-they also felt bad for her being a single mom (dad left her right before she found out she was pregnant and didn't even want the baby-well now, he wants the baby at least after he met the baby but still doesn't want to be with my daughter bc he found another girl). But the friends really rallied around her trying to help her and they check up on her-some of those friends even guy friends (and actually many friends)have known her since second grade! So they even stepped up like being an uncle or auntie or godmother and showering the baby with many gifts. I did a nice baby shower-we had it at a park and it was normally the cold winter-I was hoping it would be a sunny day and it was a beautiful day (thank goodness!). As my daughter opened the gifts and her friends also helped with the dessert table,decorations,etc. she tried not to cry but was overwhelmed and did cry bc she was so grateful for those good friends. So luckily, this baby is very much loved! She recognizes my voice right away and she had a horrible first week (in ER, got Covid,poked and prodded) and as they held her down to draw her and cath her,etc she would calm down when grandma would talk to her baby Zoey and she would immediately calm down-they called me the baby whisperer-lol!
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