DG's frugal journal

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Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Tuesday

The goal today is to get the rest of the bulbs planted. I finally decided where. I planted all the onions bulbs yesterday. So only the summer flowers. I hate having to have pesticide sprayed around my house(this afternoon), but the Argentine ants had taken over and were literally dripping from the ceiling. They are vicious. They even kill fire ants. I think we have a good service. I interviewed several before selecting this one. The price is reasonable as well. But I hate having to do it. Even every other month.

Hubs will be offered the chance to quit his diabetic medication. I am not sure about it. On one hand, it will save money. But on the other hand, does it ensure no insulin spikes? I am conflicted.

All my tomatoes are begging for planting out of pots. I feel badly that I can't get to them fast enough. Well, I am working as fast as I can. I had a couple ripening, but I went outside and they were already picked. Squirrels like tomatoes. :x

I am out of places to put the fallen leaves, so I will give a trash can full to the green recycle people on Thursday.(sigh) But I will move the wood mulch to my new gardens.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Wednesday

I sure hope that I can get some time in the garden today. I think that one problem is that all the doctor appointments happen in the spring and fall. I wonder if I can start nudging them to the summer and winter, a less busy time in the garden. I am going to call and get hubs next checkup moved to near T day.

Time to store all the winter window coverings. I will start on that today. Even with the new windows, I will probably use them. i only have them for the north windows which takes the brunt of the cold winds. With luck, I will have moveable shutters installed by then too to break the wind.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thursday

Since I officially get up at 6:30 am, it is still dark and I must use lights. When the ipad alarm goes off at 7:30 am to get hubs up, I turn off all the lights. It feel frugal good.

I have bought all my needed vegetables for the week. Avocado, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, canned mushrooms, tomatoes. Also save alot had a better price on eggs, 30c less a dozen, so 36 eggs. We eat 4 a day. They go fast. No more car trips for a few days. :D

I looked at the calendar and realized that Thanksgiving day(US) comes early this year. I want to go to New Orleans for Halloween(October 31) and then to Houston via Cajun country. That might make it a bit tight to get back here for a doctor appointment. I want to get hubs to the doctor before we eat turkey since his weight will be temporarily up. Thinking on it.

I did move my next 6 month dentist visit to early September, still pretty hot here, so it should be ok depending on hurricanes. Hub's next dentist visit is August.

This week I didn't need to take out garbage twice, only one small bag this week. I also reduced recyclables and didn't have a full container, so that can wait until next week to take out to the recycle can. This means we are using more fresh foods and more from the freezer using my containers(which I wash and reuse). The wash water goes to the garden. That is good and I am less of a burden on the environment this week. I don't grow a lawn, so no water waste there. I am digging up the volunteer wildflowers from the yard and putting them in my flower beds. I will also have to thin out the marigolds and take the thin ones to the front flower beds. Busy time in the garden.

The house temperature is in the mid 70's so no heat or a/c. Hubs may turn on the fan in the late afternoon for a few hours if he is inside, not on the porch. Perfect weather.

Even after working several hours in the evening after dinner(daylight savings time) in the garden, I am tired but often restless when I go to bed a little after dark. So I have started bed exercises. There is a lot that can be done. I do crunches and "bridges" and using my band, stretch my legs and do a little tricep work to reduce those old woman arm wings. Time well spent when I look in the mirror.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Friday

Today, my frugal goals include more planting. It is odd that this year I seem to be growing flowers rather than focusing on the vegetable garden. The stores are providing a lot better vegetables and a low price and that seems to be satisfying me. Well, I do have all those tomato plants. I might get some tomatoes if the squirrels are full.

I learned a lot at a recent talk on caladiums. They don't last all season down here. They die back after about 4 months. Not a problem up north. Big problem here with a long growing season. However, I will buy them at the end of the store selling period like I did before. I think they were about 75% off. I felt the packages and selected the firmer ones. They did come back this year. At that price, I can afford a large selection of colors. They will go under the tree where I have bromiliads, cuban oregano, walking iris. A few coleus too, but they are not doing well there. Too much shade perhaps. I won't buy them except if they are on the clearance rack.

My neighbor may give me some hibiscus that they are going to pull out. May because she has a get "around to it" problem. If I get them, fine. If not, fine. Free is good.

I did some thinking on improving my frugality shopping. A big cost right now is car gas. I do need the car if I am transporting frozen or chilled foods, but not canned goods. I want to start walking to the winn-dixie and dollar tree, both are only a few miles away and near each other. However, I generally get chilled food at Winn-Dixie. I realized that I could park the car at Winn-Dixie and walk to dollar tree and back with the canned goods, etc and then buy the chilled food and drive home.

I am using up the bags of compost+cow manure pretty quickly. At $1.87/bag, I can be generous with my plants. I do mix it with my partly composted leaves and that extends it even farther and the plants seem happy.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by alliesmama4 »

Dgflorida wrote: Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:10 am Friday

Today, my frugal goals include more planting. It is odd that this year I seem to be growing flowers rather than focusing on the vegetable garden. The stores are providing a lot better vegetables and a low price and that seems to be satisfying me. Well, I do have all those tomato plants. I might get some tomatoes if the squirrels are full.

I learned a lot at a recent talk on caladiums. They don't last all season down here. They die back after about 4 months. Not a problem up north. Big problem here with a long growing season. However, I will buy them at the end of the store selling period like I did before. I think they were about 75% off. I felt the packages and selected the firmer ones. They did come back this year. At that price, I can afford a large selection of colors. They will go under the tree where I have bromiliads, cuban oregano, walking iris. A few coleus too, but they are not doing well there. Too much shade perhaps. I won't buy them except if they are on the clearance rack.

My neighbor may give me some hibiscus that they are going to pull out. May because she has a get "around to it" problem. If I get them, fine. If not, fine. Free is good.

I did some thinking on improving my frugality shopping. A big cost right now is car gas. I do need the car if I am transporting frozen or chilled foods, but not canned goods. I want to start walking to the winn-dixie and dollar tree, both are only a few miles away and near each other. However, I generally get chilled food at Winn-Dixie. I realized that I could park the car at Winn-Dixie and walk to dollar tree and back with the canned goods, etc and then buy the chilled food and drive home.

I am using up the bags of compost+cow manure pretty quickly. At $1.87/bag, I can be generous with my plants. I do mix it with my partly composted leaves and that extends it even farther and the plants seem happy.
Dg I would love to see your garden. You work so hard at it and have such a variety of plants.

Good luck with your tomatoes.. I have a squirrel that comes on my deck to munch on the plants. I call him Dennis the Menace.

Sounds like your plan to be more frugal is a good one. I wish I could walk to places from here but too far..Keep up the good work. Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thanks Janet. I really enjoy working in the garden. When you are surrounded by living things, all the anger, fear and tragedy of the world is far away.
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