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 »

Sunday am

Things are progressing according to plan. I laid plastic down on the new back patio area and filled the area with marble chips. I will add a couple more bags of chips today and smooth the area over. That will use up all my marble chips. I will put in a few more termite poison stakes as I redo the back of the house area. The leaves on the south side, front are pretty much raked up. So I will figure on mowing that area after I pluck out the wild flowers for transplanting to beds. Wild flowers are notorious for growing where they can't.

I need to move more old driveway material back there to raise the sunken patio blocks and then reset the patio that extends out from the house. At that point, I will make it a more attractive area. I threw the patio pavers down when we first moved back because the area was somewhat dangerous walking with all the roots etc. Now to get the area raised up.

Hubs needs a shower and hair cut today. His operation is Tuesday morning. Based on last time, that will be a day lost. The turkey has not thawed out as I had hoped. I suspect the refrigerator is too cold. So I will have to adjust meal plans for the upcoming week. It will be cool, but not cold they say. We will see. I got out some cooked black beans to go with chicken, so that will probably be the plan for Tuesday evening. I plan fish for Monday night. I am annoyed that there will be no turkey this week. At the rate, it is thawing, it will be Thursday or Friday before it is truly thawed. It can sit in the frig. for a couple of days and then be cut up on Sunday as the weather turned much colder.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Monday am

I decided to tidy my FB groups. I deleted several and added several. The 2 I deleted were so called Frugal groups getting into politics and I objected. I was called rude and suspended. If they were going to do politics and only one side, I decided they weren't bringing that much to the party. I joined a group giving tips to reduce plastic use and a gardening group. Hope they stay on topic.

The turkey that I took out of the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator is still mostly frozen, so I will have to figure out other meals for the next several days. I will make fish patties from the canned mackerel Hurricane stockpile and then top it with salmon flavored cream cheese. See how that goes. Last time, I didn't squeeze enough water out of the fish and the patties tended to crumble. Hope I do better this time.

I have had difficulty finding sugar free Walmart brand jello. That was a surprise. I sure hope they are not discontinuing it. The price is substantially cheaper than the brand name.

Hubs says he is done with the yearly report. So a sit down sometime soon.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Thursday am

Today is garbage, recycle and green pickup. I think 2 of the 3 are already picked up. It has been chilly here the last few days even during the day. I saw my elderly neighbor had not put out her bags of leaves and I called her and offered to do it since I was already bundled up from putting mine out. But she said no. She would do it and she did. Still I am glad I offered. The next door neighbor called yesterday to tell me that they had finished re-doing their dock and I could look through the wood waste. I will do that this afternoon when it warms up a bit outside. A lot of times, there is nice pieces of new lumber that they cut and had a big piece of waste. Additionally, I will continue working on my patio in back if the weather warms enough.

I am always glad to get the leaves collected and sent off via green pickup. I am pleased to stay ahead of at least one section of the yard. Unlike snow, the leaves do not go away if I wait unfortunately. We anticipate a warming trend the next several days and a chance to rake up more leaves for next week's pickup.

I hung the plastic over the front picture window yesterday evening and I think it really helps. Longer stretches of cold weather are coming within the month before the weather associated with Florida returns. So the telling measure of the insulation is coming. I decided not to try to cover the screened porch for the cold weather. Just stay inside instead. Save the cost of the plastic and my time.

I have a new $5 off coupon from Home Depot. Drop by there in a couple of days to see if there are garden things I must have. My deployed to the Middle East son hopes to Skype late this week. And my middle son's snoring operation was not successful he says via FB messenger. We have had to go tech if we want to have contact with them. "sigh"
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Saturday noon

The handyman did not show up to put in the cheap windows. He said the place does not take phone orders. I said then we would have to go together. His lady friend had a procedure in the morning and he thought he would be over in the afternoon. Didn't happen. Not surprised. Procedures are the new buzz word to make people less afraid of an operation. But the area he will be working in is all clear and leaf free.

Off with the shutters today for the warm air. On with the shutters tomorrow against the cold. Maybe even the NE shutters. Wait and see on that.

Off for a walk with hubs. More later.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Sunday am

House is a nice 71F while the cold winter wind howls outside. However, as the house continues to be buffeted, the house temperature will drop. I have started the turkey bone soup on the stove. I carved out the breast meat and a leg thigh and froze a breast and leg-thigh. I will crockpot cook the other breast for dinner tonight. I will put on the north shutters this afternoon. Temperature in the mid 30F predicted for tonight. I saved a little off the electric bill last month by keeping the heat off. But this month, nope. Just too cold and the heat is needed.

Trip to get monthly nut meats and herbs within the hour. Then housework the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be a bigger spend day. Hubs eye doctor is just across the street from PetSmart where I get cat food and around the corner from the big Walmart. PetSmart brand cat food is 5-8c cheaper than Friskies and the cat likes it. Hubs wants to look at reading glasses and I need a couple of more trash cans for leaves.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Monday am

Frugal win! I put up the shutters on the north east side of the house and the house stays pretty warm all night. The furnace comes on at 65F at night and when I got up it was still at 67F. So no furnace last night. Hooray! I did raise it for daytime to 69F and it came on. This means that the additional shutters reduced the heat loss a lot increasing the temperature delta from about 20 degrees to almost 30 degrees.

I made broth, using the turkey bones and the last of my frozen home grown celery. Should be yummy later. I cooked one of the carved turkey breasts. Yum, yum.

I sure hope I can find several more trash cans at Walmart. They sell them the cheapest. I have lots of leaves to get rid of.
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