Each week I fix a fruit salad. Same fruit. During the winter it is pricey, but we pay for it anyway because we believe it has helped us stay healthier. Our fruit salad consists of grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and sometimes I get wild and add an apple at the last minute or kiwi. Each night I slice a banana and then put the fruit salad over it. It's pretty and yummy, and we like it. That being said, this week DH found strawberries on sale so we had leftover salad. I took the remainder of it in my lunch. The ladies I eat with were amazed that we have fruit every night. Cleaning the fruit and cutting up strawberries doesn't take that long. I know folks are busy, but THAT busy?

I've blogged about the bread making and so far, the kids have loved it. I do have some left at the end of each day and I hate for it to go to waste so I offer it to staff. One lady who I know cooks quite a bit was shocked that it was a recipe and not a box mix for the bread machine. I told her those box mixes about $4 each and why spend so much when with 6 ingredients, you can make basic white bread? So, she asked for the recipe.

We hit a true thrift shop today and found some great bargains. I found two small American flags, made in America, a small Howard Miller clock with a picture frame, some linen napkins, a small blue and white candle holder, and an unused candle...total cost: $6 for all. I did not need any of this stuff, but the candle will go in my stash when I need a quick gift. The candle holder is for me...I like blue and white stuff. We will use the napkins, and the flags are going in our yard. The clock is going to go next to my chair in the family room because I take off my watch when I get home and we don't have a wall clock. It had been a gift to someone who works for a large milling company here in Decatur...there is a small (less than an inch wide) logo on it, but it looks news. Fine with me. Howard Miller is a famous clock maker so hopefully the clock will run for a long time...it had a battery in it and it was working.

About a month and a half ago a university offered an online course to any teachers in our district on financial matters and retirement. You are to sign up, agree to take the coursework, and they pay you $25 for signing up and $25 when you finish. I signed up not only for the money, but also, I hoped to learn some things. I have taken three modules and I can say I have learned a few things about vocabulary and such. Some of the things are common sense like emergency fund and savings accounts. But, it never hurts to learn new things and get paid to do it besides. I don't think many signed up. Oh, well.

It was a beautiful day here in Central Illinois. After hitting the library and the thrift shop, we went to Lowe's and bought some plants. DH has been busily planting tomato plants, bell pepper plants, and herbs. We sure hope for a good harvest!

On the news tonight part of the midsection of the country is forecasting tornadoes. Hope they don't get them and hope they don't come here either.

Hope you had a great Saturday as well.

Currently I have two bread machines whirring away in my kitchen. No, I have not gone carb crazy...I bought both machines used and need to see how long it takes to make a loaf of white bread. I intend to take them to school and make bread with some of the classes. So many of our students have no idea that bread can be baked...if you ask them where bread comes from, they say from the store. It is sad they have little concept of how bread is made.

We had our usual Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs, sausage, cheesy grits, and toast today. I have leftover sausage so it will go into another dish this week. Probably a fritatta. I have a stew simmering on the stove for tomorrow night's supper. We had leftover pork roast from last night's supper. There's enough stew for supper and a lunch or two. I figure we will have some of the bread that is currently being baked. I plan on giving away the second loaf.

Our church will be getting a vicar in June. In our denomination, a vicar is like an intern or student teacher who works for a year learning the ropes. The ladies guild put out big plastic tubs and are encouraging us to help fill the pantry for the vicar and his wife and soon to be born baby. I think it is a lovely gesture. It reminds me of when I married almost 23 years ago. The staff of the school I worked with went in and bought a toaster, a paring knife, and a recipe box and they all included recipes, then they filled a laundry basket with canned goods and nonperishables. It was so thoughtful and practical. A few years later one of the ladies I worked with was getting married and she and her soon to be husband were going to buy a house. I bought bags of groceries to help fill their pantry instead of some of the fancy cookware she registered for. She was disappointed. She was polite, but I could tell she wasn't thrilled. One of the other teachers who was like a second mom to her told me she thought it was a great gift and she would appreciate it a little later. She was correct...after they ate all the cans of soup and pasta and used most of the stuff, she went to the store and tried to replace it. She later told me she didn't realize groceries were that expensive and that was over 15 years ago. I suggested to her then she needed to check the grocery ads and buy things on sale and stock up.

The hubster has been busy in the garden. He planted herbs and has also planted green onions, lettuce, radishes, and carrots. He said he's thinking of getting tomato plants this week. Tonight it is supposed to be pretty cool, but temps are going to be in the 80s starting Tuesday.

We hit Walgreens after brunch today. They had some things on sale that I also had coupons for. A couple of things we didn't need, but decided to stock up since they aren't going to go bad. Plus, I found a couple of things to put in the pile for the vicar's pantry. According to the receipt, we saved almost $30 with specials, coupons, and the loyalty card. Other than a couple of things I bought for the vicar's pantry, everything else was stuff we use. I will never achieve the Extreme Couponing success as they do on the television, but figure if I save a few dollars here and there, I'm doing decently.

It is sunny and a lovely day for all the mothers and grandmothers to be celebrated. Hope your day is wonderful as well.

On HGTV there is a new program where two families compete by having garage sales. They put out tons of stuff and get primo prices. Not sure how realistic is it for "reality TV", but interesting to see what they reuse and redo a d put out.

That being said, we went to some garage sales last weekend and most were, well pathetic. I am almost shocked at what folks think others might want. So many had clothes and most of the clothes were pretty tired looking. As for goodies, the term slim pickins comes to mind.

I know not every sale can have things that interest me, but I wonder if folks think ahead and realize in order to make money, they have to have some stuff to sell to make up for the ad and the trouble.

How are the garage sales in your area?

Yesterday we did get to the bulk food store run by Amish and I bought some cheese, sausage, and some spices. Their spices are far more reasonable than those in the grocery. I commented the dried mustard in my cabinet was purchased when we married which will make it 23 years old come June 15. We didn't spent a ton, but I felt like we bought some things we would use.

We stopped at a local store and looked around the gourmet food section. DH was shocked at looking at the jars and packages of spices and spice mixtures and the prices of $8 to $15 after buying similar things in less fancy packages at the bulk food store.

Today, after church, we hit Walgreens for a few of their specials. I even had a couple of coupons to put towards the purchase and with the mark downs and coupons, we saved over 25% on our purchase.

All in all, we didn't spent a huge amount either day, I feel like my shelves have a few more necessary items, and I most certainly did not go in debt. I would say that was a success.

I have perused many money saving or frugal living sights and so many say to buy in bulk. I get that it can save money, but I wonder where to put a lot of this stuff.

We don't belong to a warehouse store because we found two things: we really didn't save all that much after paying the yearly fee and we were tempted in buying things we really didn't need.

I try to keep things on hand and I have blogged that I keep my pantry fairly well stocked. For paper items I try to use coupons and hit sales and keep stuff on hand.

There is an Amish run bulk foods store near us called Beachy's and I really like utilizing it. They have a huge assortment of herbs and spices which are more reasonably priced than the grocery or speciality food stores. And, one can buy different flours and grains in smaller and larger quantities. I enjoy making bread and like experimenting with flour. I bought a half pound of rice flour to see if we liked the bread it made. And the storage isn't as much an issue since I am not buying huge bags of stuff and not using it all.

I am curious, do you buy in bulk? Are you realizing a huge cost savings if you are? And, where are you storing your purchases?

When DH and I were first married, Mr. Clotheshorse would never look at marked downs or clearance racks. Last week, he was in Kohls and found a pair of dress slacks for less than $6....originally over $60.

So, have I trained him well?

I have been grousing most of the evening. We came home from the regular grocery store to fill in its some items we couldn't get at Aldi last night,. It was $26 for bananas, raspberries, bell peppers, lactose free milk, 3 cans of tomato sauce, and whole wheat bread.

It just seems like we got so little for $26.

One of the local food pantry's reported their giving is up 17% since so many folks are coming in for food.

I can certainly see why.

I know we can afford it, but when your bring in two small bags of groceries, one wonders how families afford to eat.

DH made a comment that so many of our friends do not plan. I would agree.

One couple eats out at least once a day. They complain about not having enough money...hmmm...wonder why! Everything is spontaneous and they grouse because they might call and ask us to join them and we often don't because I have already begun the meal or have something defrosted and feel like I need to cook it,

Each Thursday night I figure out what the menu is going to be for the next week. I will admit we are kind of in a rut for Sunday brunch and Sunday supper, but DH is happy and we are eating at home, so there is a comfort in that, I also try to fix things for suppers so we have leftovers for lunches.

Besides meal planning, we have separate accounts beyond our checking and regular savings accounts. We have a Christmas Club, a vacation, and our mad money account that we use to save up for things. In the past we have saved up for a new stove and dishwasher. It means we try to make regular monthly deposits in these accounts,

As for shopping and running errands, we try to plan for that as well. We try to bundle our trips together so we aren't making a lot of extra trips.

We are not, by any means, perfect, but we have seen a substantial savings in the past few years with our planning. Perhaps we are considered stodgy, but I feel the ends justifies the means. I think one has to purposefully plan to succeed.

My dad used to say that when you no longer want things, you are dying. Interesting concept, yes?

We went to Menards yesterday to buy light bulbs since we were already close to them. (Granted, 12 miles from home isn't huge, but we try to cluster our northbound trips together.) We walked around and looked at things and DH asked if there was anything I wanted and I said, "No, not really."

Right now DH and I are saving up for hardwood floors for the family room, dining room, and hallway. I guess I'm thinking of trying to find ways to save money and sock more of it away. This is over and above our regular savings and my retirement account.

So, to one extent I don't really crave anything, except looking forward to new floors. And shopping for the sheer thrill of it doesn't excite me either. But, I'm not sure my dad's idea rings true entirely. What do you think?

DH and I went to the mall today. Not to shop, but because the weather is cold and the sidewalks are icy, so he could walk. Normally, when I'm at work, DH goes by himself, but today, I thought I'd join him and browse. He never worries because I basically am not a spender and I only came so I could walk around a little too.

First, let me say I am a Paula Deen fan. I like the fact she started on a shoestring and worked hard and has been successful. Years ago we went to Savannah and we took the Paula Deen tour. One thing the tour guide kept saying is how she remembered the folks who helped her out when she started and continued to purchase things from them although she has made her way. For example, there was a fruit and vegetable stand that gave her 'credit' each morning when she was running the "Bag Lady" lunches. She would go and get her vegetables and fruits and she would charge them until the lunches were sold and she could pay the bill later that day. A local antique store found her chairs for her first restaurant and let her buy them on time.

So, I love the fact she was an American success story and loyal to those who helped her on the way up.

So, my gripe? Every single thing she now sells is made in China. I saw pots and pans and bake ware and dishes and everything had "Made in China" on the boxes and dishes.

Come on, Paula, you are American so how about helping the American economy and having stuff made in America? Be one of the first of the Food Network stars to show where your patriotism is! Help put Americans to work, because it is, after all, Americans who helped you realize your dream!

I have enjoyed my holiday break. Today was a busy day at our home, DH wanted a new watch for Christmas. We had a Christmas Club so I had a good budget. He really wanted one that is solar charged and I bought him one. So today we took it so he could get links removed so the band would fit. While there, I had the band replaced on mine that was a few years old. It was ready to break so I figured it would be a good investment.

We dropped some things to a local food pantry. They not only take food but also clothing and kitchenware. We had some clothes to donate and kitchenware...how I wound up with so many muffin tins is beyond me. We also had a turkey we got free and it was far too big for the two of us. The only thing that irritated me was seeing some if the clients who were waiting for the pantry to start calling numbers for food boxes were outside smoking. I wanted to say maybe you'd have more money for food if you weren't smoking, but I kept quiet. One of the things we like about this place is the clothing and kitchen stuff are given to clients. They do a lot of good.

DH had received a Target gift card so he wanted to stop and see if they had a DVD or CD he wanted. He looked around and finally decided he didn't want anything. I looked at Christmas cards, but I didn't buy any. I really hoped to find some that weren't made in China. I may be looking for a needle in a haystack, so to speak. We then went to Kohls. DH had Kohls cash. He found a shirt on clearance for that. We walked around the mall a little for some exercise. We did see some people we knew so they was good,

We had meal #4 of ham. DH said said he was "hammed out." So, I put the remainder in the freezer to be revisited at a later time. Last night I had roasted a chicken for something different so tonight I used the broth, leftover chicken, and leftover roasted vegetables from Christmas and made chicken stew for lunch tomorrow. I had baked cornbread for Christmas and we finished it up tonight. I still have some honey wheat bread I baked for dinner Sunday so I think I am going to put olive oil on it and toast it to serve with the stew. I am trying to use up what we have and not waste food.

We were going over our finances and since we have curtailed our eating out, we are seeing more money in the bank account. One of the ladies from church was at the mall and we were talking about how much money one saves by planning meals and creating a grocery list. She said her husband takes a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and some jelly to work. For his mid morning break, he toasts a piece of bread and puts a little peanut butter and jelly on it. She said that often his coworkers tell him how much better his toast looks and smells than what they bought out of the vending machine. As she said, it just takes some planning.

I struggle often with do I spend too much or too little? Am I deserving of nice things, or should I do without?

I grew up with parents who were frugal. They had to be. They grew up during the depression and although both worked hard, they never really made a lot of money. More often than not, most of my thinks were used. Don't get me wrong, I did get some new things, but unlike many of my peers, most of my things were what we call recycled nowdays.

I went through a stage in my life where I only wanted new things. I would wait and save and scrimp until I could afford them.

But, as a I age, whether it is new or used doesn't seem to have the significance anymore. In fact, I kind of like buying something really nice that has been used thinking I got a good deal.

Last night we had an early Christmas dinner with my brother and his wife. Most of the things on my table had been purchased preowned. The plates and glasses were bought at flea markets. The table cloth was bought at an antique shop. The centerpiece was picked up at a flea market. The napkins were purchased at a garage sale. All but one of the trivets were bought at resale places. I thought it made a pretty table setting with the blue and white dishes. I thought about putting out Christmas linens, but figured since my dishes are blue and white, why not go with the theme?

I enjoyed using my things. After all, if they had been purchased brand new, I might have worried if we spilled something on them. They just seemed like old friends we could relax with. If something is spilled or stained, well, so be it. We could enjoy the company and the food.

I still sort of struggle with things...but I will say I enjoyed using many of them last night. I think many people save their tablecloths for good or their cloth napkins for company. We use them all the time. I don't have fine china...we have the same dishes we use day to day. Some have become chipped, but I'm not a fancy person, so unless it means hurting someone, I keep using them. I think I have saved quit a bit of money buying used things and I have enjoyed using these items.



Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

A calm Tuesday in the Midwest. My kind of day, that's for sure.

Well, calm for me anyway. Seems the boys at my school were riled up and no one knew why. So many were making such poor choices and I don't even think they could verbalize why.

I wonder if that is the problem with so many folks who are unwise with money. Can they verbalize why?

It is interesting hearing this one couple justify buying a new vehicle last week. Both felt they had to buy a new vehicle because the youngest will be driving next year. She said that they got a great deal and $3,000 cash back which just about made up for what they owed on the other one?!?

Their family isn't the only one I knew who trades vehicles while still owing money. It's one thing if you have an accident and you owed money and had to replace the car, but to go out and buy another when you didn't have the original one paid off.

I'm not nosy enough to ask, but I wonder how many cars these folks never paid off and rolled over. Maybe I really don't want to know.

A couple of weeks ago DH and I went to Springfield to venture into a couple of antique malls. We collect Blue Willow dishes and we like to see if there are any good deals out there.

Most of the items we purchase really aren't antiques. I tend to buy things that have already been used because I can usually get them more reasonably.

Anyway, I saw this nice black leather purse. I checked it out and it was in mint condition -- no scratches or tears and the inside was pristine. It was $8. It had three sections and had sturdy straps. DH said it looked like a deal. So, I bought it.

This purse piqued my interest. It had a name plate and I looked it up on google and it is a name brand that is sold by Macy's and Nordstrom's for between $200-400. So, I really felt like I got a deal!

A gal I work with is always talking about her name brand purses and how much they cost. So, I asked her how she liked mine. She went on and on about how great it was and wanted to know where I got it and how much. She is certainly one who has to have the name brand and the prestige of buying it at a fancy store. I finally admitted I bought it for $8 at an antique mall. She suddenly lost interest.

She has made a couple of derogatory remarks about my $8 purse. It doesn't bother me for a number of reasons. I didn't buy the stupid thing to impress anyone, I bought it because I liked it and it seemed like a well made purse for a reasonable price. And I certainly didn't buy it for the name because until I googled it, I was blissfully unaware of this name brand.

And, knowing this gal is deep in debt and is always after the next brand item makes feel realize there's something missing in her life that her buying isn't filling.

So, I feel I am a winner...saved money and found a practical item.

We are in day 3 of the official Christmas shopping season and I'm tired of the ads already. I haven't gotten to the point of frustration as I did with the political ads, but it is just getting to be too much.

I understand that merchants have to sell stuff to stay in business. A healthy economy benefits everyone.

But really, why is it the ads seem to claim you can't be happy unless you have the newest, shiniest, biggest, fanciest...does stuff really breed satisfaction?

Of course the merchants have turned any holiday into a shopping experience. I'm not sure veterans really benefit from my buying some at a Veteran's Day Sale.

And somehow I can't imagine Lincoln and Washington being especially happy if I buy something during the presidents' day sales.

I give and get my share of Christmas gifts. But, Linus was so correct when he spoke about Christmas becoming too commercial.

I picked up a book at the library the other day in the new arrivals section titled, "Brandwashed." I am about half way finished and although we probably think we know how brands determine our shopping, it is frightening to think how we often let them tell us what to buy.

The author says research shows that many companies are trying to get brand loyalty from the womb because change it hard once it becomes a habit. No kidding!

The author worked in advertising and mentioned how certain things in advertising make us crave things.

It is informative and I'd say worth checkiing out.

With that in mind, just coming off of a wonderful Thanksgiving, we were watching the nightly news and how folks started lining up at Best Buy Wednesday night to get in "first" at Midnight this morning. I guess I can't understand the desire for a television to give up a holiday with family. Maybe if it was for a kidney or something...

All last year we had been saving regularly in our Christmas Club. Since it is the first of November, it was time to get our money. We had over $1600.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg -- bus trip with the credit union where we have the Christmas Club -- $30 each. That is incredibly reasonable for a 170 mile (one way) trip.

DH has been scouring the ads and checking this and that. He knew what he wanted...a new suit for church. He saw one at our Penney's, but not in his size. The great thing was it was marked down a bit yesterday, so he got a suit and a new shirt and I still have quite a bit of money left.

Some friends asked how we could afford to just go and buy something like that and pay cash. I said because we saved all year. In fact, I just wrote a check for next year's Christmas Club tonight. Got to be regular and start saving.

We did some other shopping for other folks and other than a couple of things I need to get closer to Christmas, I think my shopping is done. I usually make baskets with goodies for many of my friends. We are at the point in our lives the last thing we need is more stuff. But food is always a good gift. I have most of the ingredients bought for my Christmas basket food making other than stuff like eggs. I have been finding baskets and found some beautiful napkins to put in them.

Oh, we and splurged! We bought some Godiva chocolates to enjoy in the next few days. Expensive, but rich, and paid for!

Saturday DH and I had the opportunity to take Amtrak to Chicago for the day. We had a lovely luncheon at the Walnut Room at Macy's and then walked around in some of the stores.

One of the buildings on State Street has escalators that either go to TJ Maxx or down to Burlington Coat Factory. We went to both to look around.

At Burlington there was a Prada purse with the marked down price of $1134.

Not being familiar with Prada, this kind of surprised me. I mean, I know Prada is pricey, but I guess I didn't realize it was that pricey, and that was the marked down price.

Yikes!

I looked at it and it was nice, but I'm not sure it was THAT nice.

At lunch yesterday at school, we were discussing it. One gal we work with is always buying expensive purses. But, the concensus was we couldn't see spending that much money on a purse.

We had a variety of reasons:

1. If we paid that much, we'd have to stuff it with newspaper because we wouldn't have any money left;
2. If we paid that much we'd have to carry it until it wore out and we'd be sick of it;
3. If we paid that much, we'd be sick because we don't like to spend more than $50 (and usually less) on a purse; and
4. Name brands aren't THAT important.

Needless to say I am Pradaless which is just fine.

Our local humane society had a huge "garage" sale over the weekend. It is in an area called Progress City near our local community college. We thought it would be nice to support the humane society because the funds would go to help those folks pay for neutering if they can't afford it.

One downfall is they did not have the sale place marked clearly. There was another building that said they were having a sale. We got in there and it was basically a disappointment. Three people set up and we realized then this wasn't the humane society sale...it was individuals. But, I did score a retro spice rack that was complete.



We brought it home and I washed it and let it air dry overnight. When I was washing it, I thought it was interesting that the spices listed are not the ones I often use a lot of. We aren't into major spicy, so cayenne pepper isn't at the top of our list. Then there was cloves. In fact, there were cloves in it. Not sure how old they were and the set was pretty dirty, so I wasn't keeping them.

I wonder if cooking has changed since the 50s...that when I think this set came out. I bought it because it was alumnimum, seemed to be complete...except there were two paprika so I'm sure there is something else that should have been there...but are we using many different spices?

I know I use far more than my mom ever did. I always chuckle when I think of the things in her cabinet she had for spices...more than a year old? You betcha. So, I kind of wonder if we got a lot of flavor out of some of them...I think most things were over a decade old...it was too expensive to replace every year if you didn't use much of it.

My set set me back $2 and some elbow grease in washing it. I thought the aluminimum would go well with my stainless appliances.

Mugs.

No, I'm not talking about one's face. I'm talking about those devices we use to hold coffee, tea, milk, water, etc.

Yesterday, we perused a couple of thrift stores. I noticed that at each one there was a shelf set aside just for mugs.

Poor, abandoned, lonely mugs.

I bet at one time they were either given as gifts or bought with joy of using. Now, they are abandoned, left to their own, to sit on a shelf for folks like me to notice.

I decided to do a mug count at our house. I thought while I was cleaning out the cabinet, I'd take a few photos. Bet you can tell which ones my DH uses. I have to admit not all my mugs are in one cabinet. I have 6 on a mug rack, some in a hutch, and another in another cabinet. I didn't take photos of the ones on the top shelf because I didn't want to get a step ladder.
















After all is said...drum roll please...I counted 51 mugs in our house. That averages out to 25.5 mugs per person (MPP) in our home. This doesn't count the coffee and tea cups.

And yes, I succumbed to the call of the lonely mug yesterday and bought this clear one. I thought it needed a new home.

I am, in effect, a bit ashamed. Yesterday we went shopping at a larger city near us.

I am 51 years old and I did my back to school shopping. We spent a ton! OK, I work in education, so perhaps that is sort of justified.

I can rationalize it to an extent. I have been going to the local stores and thrift shops and have found nothing I liked in my size. I'm overweight and I hate so many of the new patterns that are huge. They are not flattering. And what's with all this sleeveless stuff? Not everyone has the toned arms of Michelle Obama. I wish I did, but as I get older, my upper arms are getting uglier. I don't have huge upper arms, but they still aren't pretty. I have lost enough weight that many of the things I own are very unbecoming -- most are years old because I haven't like many of the things I've seen in clothing the past couple of years.

So, yesterday, I took a plunge and went into a store with more classic looks. My DH is a wonderful clothes shopper, so he's ideal to take along. Bet many of you are jealous already. :-) Anyway, I found quite a few things and his comment was he didn't care how much it cost, I should get them because it is important to look professional. So, after three stores, my purchases included 3 dresses, 3 slacks, 7 blouses and a pair of shoes. Not everything was on sale, but I liked what I bought.

I always get a little upset when I spend this much money. It isn't that it put us into debt -- we have the money. I just don't like spending large sums of money and I hate clothes shopping because I have unfortunately been made ashamed of my body and therefore often think I'm not worth it. DH is wonderful and very encouraging. And as for the money, he doesn't get upset over it.

Hopefully this will help my self image a bit. A friend told me to letter my inner diva out and enjoy it. Her words were, "Let her rip!"

It is me, or are there more commercials on television?

Furthermore, do these folks think we are stupid?

DH says I observe too much. For example, some of the processed foods show these fancy kitchens with beautiful cabinets, granite countertops, and perfect appliances and nothing out of place -- the gourmet kitchen to heat up a junk food snack in the microwave. Even the dog and cat food commercials show pretty elaborate kitchens! Really? Do they think most of America has the fancy kitchen of these commercials or is it a subliminal message that if you buy this stuff, you'll be like these folks?

I'm not sure the draw is for these car commercials where they drive in some of these settings like big cities and storm out and go rapidly down these streets. In most big cities, it is usually bumper to bumper during the day. I guess the car companies think we will think we can avoid the traffic and have a blast driving their car. I'll just putter along in mine and hopefully save some gas!

I wonder how many homes look as fancy as the ones in the commercial? I guess they feel it is everyone's dream to have these elaborate, fancy homes with up to date everything. Do we all buy into this? Is it a way to make folks unsatisfied with what they have and buy bigger and better?

Right now on Facebook it seems most of my friends keep putting these photos asking if we remember this and that such as a potato masher or speakers from a drive in theatre. I do have a potato masher and often use it, so I guess I not only remember it...I'm not up to date with whatever the kitchen market industry thinks I should be using. It was my grandmother's and it works just fine.

I remember Charlie Brown and Linus talking about commercialism as well as it being a sticking point in "Miracle on 34th Street." Maybe I'm becoming sick of it as well. Have we become too infected with commercialism?

We've been out and about the past couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago there was a garage sale in our subdivision. We look forward to this couple's sales because they usually have good stuff marked reasonably.

This time was no exception. They had a metal kerosene lamp that had been electrified for $8. I asked if it worked and it did. I knew it was missing both the chimney and the shade, but figured for $8, I could come up with something. I also bought a couple of tablecloths and some like new jars for pasta.

As my summer quickly seeps away, we decided to go antiquing down I55. We try to do this a couple of times a year. We usually take a friend with us, but she was unavailable. My mission was to find a shade for this lamp at a reasonable price. We took the lamp with us so we could make sure we bought the right size.

The first two antique malls didn't produce the shade, but the third one had a possibility. I asked them if we could bring the lamp in and try it on...I thought it might fit, but didn't want to buy the shade and find it didn't. They said that would be fine and so we did and it did! The shade was $8. They not only sold me the shade, but wrapped it up and my lamp as well to make sure both made it home safely.

The chimney I had at home on another kerosene lamp. I figure I'll replace it when we find a cheap one sometime. But, I like the looks of lamp and it is sitting on the tablecloth that I bought at the garage sale for $2. We did see lamps very similar to this one at two different places starting at $75 so I figure we didn't get hurt.



In other searches, I have been looking for a mug rack. I found this oak one at one of the stores. It said handcrafted by someone on the bottom. I bought it because it was handcrafted, matched my kitchen cabinets, and was cheap. I know these mug racks aren't technically in, but a friend of mine gave me these Blue Willow mugs a couple of Christmas ago and I wanted to be able to display and enjoy them.

Gas prices in our town went up twice last week...to $3.55 by Saturday. We felt it was weird since the price of oil had gone down by the end of the week.

Saturday night we drove to a smaller town north of us -- less than 30 minutes away -- to eat out with another couple. Amazing, the gas prices were lower -- $3.29.

One would think the gas station owners are in a conspiracy in our city...especially since the two larger cities, one east and one west, either around 45 minutes away, are both cheaper. I realize we aren't in Chicago or on the coasts, but trying to figure out the rationale for higher prices is beyond me.

What are gas prices in your neck of the woods?

I live in Central Illinois. If you do not live in the Midwest and haven't watched the news, we are in drought conditions. Last night they said 56% of the country is in drought.

The corn fields around here are pitiful. It has tassled and we have had no rain. The leaves have curled and many plants are stunted in growth.

No, I'm not a farmer...I'm telling you this to tell you the next part.

I'm stocking up. We went to Aldi yesterday and I bought some bottles of oil, and some extra crackers, flour, and sugar. I predict grocery prices are going to skyrocket because of the corn crop. Today I'm buying corn meal to put in the freezer. The sugar and flour went into the freezer as well. I might even buy a little more beef to put in the freezer, but it doesn't keep THAT long.

The reason I bought some of these items...well here is my reasoning. Sugar -- I believe the price of sugar will go up because many things are made from high fructose corn syrup. When there isn't as much corn to make this corn syrup, sugar will be used and the demand will increase.

Flour -- people will start using flour in place of corn products.

Oil -- a lot of vegetable oils are made from corn and the lack of corn...well you get the picture.

As for beef, well, the price will probably go up because the price of corn will go up to feed those cattle.

Also on the national news was with the extreme heat, cows aren't giving as much milk...I wonder if we will see an increase in dairy products as well.

My pantry isn't bulging by any means, but I thought I'd pick up a few extra things to ofset major jumps in the coming weeks.

I'm going to 'fess up here...I feel guilty spending money on luxuries. I like a bargain, but I like nice things as well.

DH is retired. We are blessed he has a nice pension and Social Security. I work full time and have a good job and benefits.

We just returned from an 8 day trip to Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Niagara Falls. It was with a church group on a bus. Our hotels and tours were paid for, as well as some of the meals. We had saved the money and paid cash for everything except for one expenditure of $20. We had cash left over from the trip and put it back in the bank. DH bought a tie in Boston -- hence the $20 charge because they were closing down the register and didn't want cash. He bought 3 ties for $10 in NYC. I bought 4 packages of tea in Boston as a souvenir for friends (read less than $10) and postcards in each major city. We had a nice time and I'm glad we don't owe any money other than the $20.

Once a month we have massages. I rationalize them that they seem to help my arthritis. I don't see a chiropractor, but I do know I feel a lot better after. DH says the same thing. It is paid in cash each month.

I spend money on fruits and vegetables when I grocery shop. Very little ever goes to waste because we eat at home quite a bit. I try to hit bargains on other things.

I collect Blue Willow dishes. I did buy a couple of items and put them on the credit card, but I pay the credit card off every month.

Sometimes I look at the money we spend and feel guilty. I don't need Blue Willow dishes. I'm sure I could make it without the massages. As for the trip, life would go on without it. I validate the buying of fresh fruits and vegetables because I think it keeps me healthy. I only missed work this year because I had food poisoning, not from my food.

We have friends who constantly spend on things. They tell us they deserve these things. He draws a larger pension than DH. His home is not paid for. For years, when he worked, he made far more money than DH and I did put together. He bought a bigger house, a fancier car, and more things. His home is filled with them. He bought fancy jewelry for his wife. And the quest continues for buying more, more, more.

A few years ago we paid off our home. It was a goal that we had -- we intended to pay off the house before DH retired. His mom died and with the selling of her property (shared with his brother) we paid off the remainder of our home. We then used the money we didn't need for the house payment to pay off a vehicle. So, we didn't owe much money and started saving money. Then we could take a big trip like we did this year.

I cut corners whenever I can. I use coupons on the things we would normally buy; I make a lot of things from scratch. We buy used whenever we can. We pay cash for everyday items so we aren't tempted to overspend. If I do use the credit card, it is paid off as soon as the bill comes.

I still feel guilty when we do spend money, but I guess it could be called a guilty pleasure. Perhaps saving up for things is one of the reasons we save...but sometimes it is difficult to spend that hard earned money!

An aquaintance of ours has grandchildren. He appears to care for them, but every conversation he has about them, usually contains what major purchase he made for them or with them.

I don't mean to sound cheap, and I enjoy being generous with those I love as well. But I don't purchase stuff for folks for each time I see them, even if I see them a couple or three times in a week.

This person loves to shop and I think part of this scenario is the pleasure of shopping. But, I also think there is a competition there between the other grandparents...this person wants to be thought of as the generous one. Believe me, these grandchildren are not poor and are not doing without -- the parents have good jobs and take good care of their offspring.

I reflected the other day about my grandmother. She was kind to me and she often bought me gifts for Christmas and birthday. But, she didn't have the money to constantly purchase gifts. I didn't feel like I was unloved by any means. She gave me something else -- her time and attention.

In a way, I sort of feel sorry for this person because he must feel he has to buy his grandchildren's affection. The sad part, he can't afford all this spending.

When I was a kid, there wasn't a lot of money for new things. I kind of resented it because I didn't understand that there just wasn't the extra. But, my folks were smart...they bought second hand to save money and usually "traded up" when given a chance. Besides my dad working for a soda pop plant, they ran a used furniture store. I remember going to auctions, sales, etc.

Fast forward a couple of decades and here I am scouting flea markets, second hand places, and garage sales. I've found some good bargains too. I feel that not only am I saving money, I'm also "recycling" things by giving them a new home.

One friend of mine loves the same things and since we both collect a certain type of dishes, we are always on the look out for the other's pattern. Neither of us minds that is has been used.

Recently I've found some like new things and I'm tempted to purchase them for gifts. I guess I don't get the idea of someone thinking they are too good for used things. I'm not talking about abused or chipped stuff. I'd rather have a really nice dish that had been enjoyed before than a piece of junk purchased new.

So, what's the opinion of the SA folks? Is it OK to buy a like new item to gift?

Ever since I've been out of school for summer break, I've been trying to get some projects taken care of. Last week I cleaned the garage. I decided it was time to replace the miniblinds that came with the house when we bought it 14 years ago. For the past 14 years, I've washed and scrubbed them when I cleaned the garage, but they are so soiled, they looked bad. So, I thought I'd splurge and replace them.

I haven't purchased blinds for awhile and I can say I had sticker shock, even for the cheaper ones. I didn't want fancy ones, just basic blinds.

After visiting two home improvement places, I bought two blinds (one store didn't have the size I needed), a quart of exterior white paint, a pint of interior white paint, a brush, a furnace filter, a can of Pledge, and 4 caps for wheels for a wagon. We spent nearly $60 on this and I can say I was shocked. These are just little projects and $60 in less than 30 minutes! Ouch!

I painted the trim on the garage door and the regular door to the garage, and hung up the blinds. So, two more projects are completed. Last summer when I painted the trim, I used the paint I had bought about 12 years ago, but alas, the paint came to an end last year. I figure doing a little trim paint here and there not only freshens up the trim, it also protects the wood from the elements.

The caps are for the wagon I painted. Years ago my mom gave my husband a wagon to haul stuff around the yard. It has sat in the weather for these years and it was pretty ratty looking. I took a steel brush and tried to get the peeling paint and rust off of it and then I painted it with some paint I had purchased previously. It looks better, but it will never look showroom new...it is starting to rust out in spots, but I figure anything is better than having it look so bad.

I think I know why folks put off projects...not only because of the work, but also because of the expense. I realize this isn't a huge amount of money, but it seemed like we got so little for what we spent. But, I'm trying to look at it as an investment in our house by maintaining things.

OK, maybe ghastly is a bit strong. But, they were sad.

Each spring our subdivision does sales on a Friday and Saturday in April. DH got up early, showered, and hit them early with a list of things we were looking for as well as a list of things a friend was looking for.

He came home empty handed. He said the pickin's were slim.

I wonder if the economy is showing it's hoary head.

I suggested this to DH -- perhaps folks don't have the money to buy new stuff, so they aren't letting go of anything we are interested in, just trying to sell those things that aren't necessary.

I know the local thrift shops are booming around here. I certainly hope things start looking up for the families in my community as well as the rest of the country. Not because I feel the desire for better garage sales, but it's difficult for so many families to keep their heads above water.