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Monday, January 16, 2017

GROCERY SHOPPING ON A BUDGET

Hello dear friends!  Bet you didn't expect to hear from me so soon.  Dear Anonymous asked how I keep my grocery bill so low, so I thought I'd write this post now, instead of waiting until next Sunday.

Shopping On A Budget

The first thing I do is to take inventory of what I have and what needs to be used up soon.  That way, when we go to the grocer's I have an idea of meals already in my mind.  I study the sales flyers and make a list of things I might buy dependent upon if I find better deals while shopping.  You'd be surprised at how many times once you get to the store you find the sales weren't the cheapest items. For example they will advertise a national brand of canned tomatoes on sale, but the store brand is cheaper than the sale item.  So be flexible. After I'm home, I then make out a menu for the week.

Secondly, we carry cash.  Just knowing that all you have to spend is a certain amount keeps you from overspending.  I mentally tally up the groceries as I go, but I'm sure the new phones have some sort of calculators on them or you can bring one of those cheap little ones.  If I go over the budget, I put something back. Once you give into the thought that it's only a dollar or two, the next thing you know you are way over budget.  It's a slippery slope.

We avoid the middle section of the store, that is, the processed  and convenience foods. Most of the food I buy is in it's natural state, i.e., a bag of potatoes as opposed to a box of dehydrated ones with fixings for scalloped potatoes, plain rice as opposed to rice pilaf, plain oatmeal instead of those packets of flavored ones, a head of lettuce instead of those bags of salad greens.  

We especially avoid the cereal aisle.  To me, paying $3 for what is essential  less than a pound of flour with some flavorings is ridiculous. For breakfast we either have oatmeal, rice (good when cooked with milk and a little cinnamon sugar on top), toast or English muffins with homemade jam, eggs when they are cheap, homemade pancakes on occasion, yogurt or fruit.

We buy in bulk those things that we use regularly, such as; flour, yeast, sugar, rice, dried beans, brown sugar and oatmeal. And certain spices such as; cinnamon, chili powder, turmeric (plus we grow and dry quite a few of our own). A bulk food store can be your best friend. We allow a certain amount of our budget each month for stocking up.

We have set limits on what I will pay for certain items.  I won't pay over $2.50 for butter or more than $2.50 for beef.  If the prices are above that, we do without. We love cheese, it's our little luxury, but when it becomes cost prohibitive, we go without.

We find substitutes for expensive items.  When butter prices are higher than my limit, I will resort to margarine, or not bake as much, or bake with recipes that use shortening.  When eggs get to high, I have a bag of flax seed in the freezer that I substitute for eggs in baking. I'll bake something with cocoa to get my chocolate fix, rather than buy expensive chocolate chips, etc.

At least half of our meals are meatless.  Today we are having bean burritos.

I always check out the reduced-for-quick- sale items.  I don't think I've paid full price for coffee in years or tea either.  The reduced produce is almost as good as the regularly priced fruits and vegetables.  You learn what stores have those sort of best deals after a while.  Why pay full price for bananas if you are going to use them in banana bread?  Apples, peaches and such that might have a bruise, can have the bruise cut away and be used to make crisps or stirred into yogurt.

We're not afraid of carbs.  Bread, pasta, oatmeal, etc, are filling.

We don't always follow recipes exactly.  Just because a casserole recipe calls for 8 oz. of cheese doesn't mean you can't use 6 or even 4 ounces.  I bake chocolate chip cookies with only half the bag, they're still good!  Often when a recipe calls for two eggs, I'll only use one. I'll substitute plain milk for cream in soups, etc.  Who says chili need 1 pound of ground beef? 1/2 a pound and more beans or no meat at all, is ok.

We make meals stretch by adding cheaper ingredients.  To make chili stretch I'll add more beans, I'll add extra breadcrumbs or oatmeal to meatloaf, more noodles to soup, etc. We sprout our own seeds to add to or salads (and to make eggrolls) to make our winter lettuce purchases go further.

We have very little waste.  In the evening I'm planning tomorrow's meals by taking stock of what we have left over, what we need to use up before it goes bad, etc.  All my vegetables scraps go into a bag in the freezer to be made into vegetable broth, once I gather enough.  This is used for a basis in soups.  One of the cheapest meals you can have is Have-Not-Waste-Not Soup.

We do a lot of prep work.  All our beans are dried, so we have to plan ahead.  We make our own bread, crackers, noodles, soup stock, pie crusts and tortillas.

I only bake once a week and we portion out the goodies throughout the week. We eat things like my home-canned peaches for dessert.

We take advantage of lost leaders to stock up. Lost leaders are bargains stores offer to get you into the store, so that once there, you'll buy more.  At Thanksgiving time, it's turkey at Easter there's eggs.  We use those sales to stock up. We can our turkey but there's always freezing.  If you don't have room for a turkey, you can always cook them and take the meat off.  Eggs can be frozen simply by whipping them up and pouring them into ice cube trays and freeze. After the holidays we stock up on corned beef (post St Patrick's Day), cranberries, chocolates (that can be chopped up and used as chocolate chips), etc.

We limit snacks. We only buy one bag of tortilla chips from Aldis per month.  We like them in chili as well with our home canned salsa.  Popcorn is the cheapest snack out there.  We also like cheese and (handmade) crackers, just a few ounces, sliced very thin. Or homemade hummus and carrot and celery sticks.  If someone gets hungry later in the day, there's always leftovers.

We pay attention to the "price per unit".  This is a common error I see people do all the time, people always assume that the largest package is always the cheapest, but it isn't always. They think they are getting bargains at the dollar store, but often the cake mixes and such are actually smaller-sized.  And the canned goods are most often cheaper in the regular grocery stores.

If a recipe calls for some exotic ingredient, that is costly or hard to find, we don't make it. We stick to basic ingredients and make simple meals.

We explore different shopping outlets.  Recently we found a discount grocery store.  We stop at farm stands in the summer and stores such a Big Lots are fun exploring.  Sometimes you really get some amazing deals there.

We shop less frequently.  We do a big main shop at the beginning of the month, then only shop once a week  for fruits and vegetables and staples that we run out of.  The less often you shop the less temptation to spend money.

AND finally, as everyone that reads this blog knows, I grow and preserve most of my own vegetables and fruits. I truly believe that owning your own piece of land and having a garden is one of the surest paths to self-sufficiency, and that self-sufficiency is the only path to true freedom.

Some other posts you might find helpful are: Of Pantries and Pricebooks, Grocery Shopping 101, More Pantry Talk , and Bare Bones Baking Pantry.

Hope this helps!

Hugs
Jane















 

 




57 comments:

  1. Do you use flax seed as it is or ground to substitute for the eggs? I use the ground. Just wondering. It has been a while sine I used it..what are the proportions to mix it up now!! ?? I just realized I forgot. What + who = I egg? !! :-0 Jody

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    1. Hi Jody! It's 1 tablespoon of flax seed (either ground or seeds) to 1/4 C, of hot water is equal to 1 egg. You let the mixture set up until it thickens. Hope that helps!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Thank you Jane. I knew that 1 T flax was supposed to substitute for 1 egg but I didn't know about the 1/4 c water part. It makes sense now.

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  2. You have a treasure trove of good ideas! Just some random thoughts of mine...regarding your "price per unit" suggestion...I noticed at Walmart before Christmas that it cost more to buy 2 smaller orange juice containers than large! Usually I would think buying the larger (equal to 2 smaller containers) would be cheaper (in bulk). (And this week it switched). So true about not going down the aisles and just staying in the fresh areas!! I will try that out...because processed products look so tempting esp. if you go shopping while hungry (that is another thing...I learned you should eat first and then shop). I was just commenting to my husband the other day, how boxes of crackers look a good size, but inside there are hardly any crackers! Well I will re-read your post and try to memorize it! Hugs, Andrea

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    1. Grocery shopping keeps you on your toes, that's for sure, Andrea. Guess that's another reason to eat before shopping, so you can keep your mind on the business at hand, not on a growling stomach. On the other hand, when I shop with Ran and Jamie just after they've eaten, they never end up getting anything, only to have to go out the next day and buy the things they didn't get but now want.

      Packaging is deceptive that's for sure! That's why it's important to pay attention to weights and measure and costs per unit. Hope you're having a great day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. I have to admit...shopping with my husband saves a lot of money (and added calories on sweets) because he is frugal. But like you said, many times it just makes you go back the next day and get what you need! Somehow we will balance each other out I guess! ha. Hugs, Andrea

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    3. Ha! Those husbands! I always tell the guys, "I know you're not hungry now, but think about 7:00 this evening." Never works. I've learned just to ignore them. Ha! Now I'm off to your blog!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. I came back here after reading the other posts you listed. Yes thank you, your information helps. I think mine said like 3 Tablespoons of water to one or two of the ground flax. I know the ground of anything does not keep as well as the whole seeds do. Sometimes I used the flax for the egg then the banana or applesauce or whatever fruit I had that did not have a intense flavor mashed for the oil part of a recipe. Or at least part of it.

    I have also noted that the things you grow or the produce you get from some stores keeps way way longer than the things you get from others. The veggies and fruits may look the same in the store but not keep well. So watch how things keep. You may want to only buy things fresh from certain stores. Others may be buying a different grade of produce?? or not putting it out as fresh? Then learn how each thing needs to be stored to keep its longest. I have heard many now say to put strawberries in a glass jar with a coverer and they keep longer.

    I usually can some smooth applesauce in half pints just for this as and 'in case' that is the type wanted. But it is so easy to make even if you just have one apple. Usually all our applesauce is very chunky. All without sugar but putting in lemon juice in to help with any discoloration. In case anyone else wants to know the golden delicious apples do not discolor like all others. Even when dried. The best applesauce we think though is a mix of whatever you can find cheap at the time. Not just one type. But don't let the thought of having just one type to stop you from making up a batch!! :)

    So many of the eat cheap articles or live cheap ones have the same idea over and over. You always cover the basics and go even further. I always read anything I can and gain something new....or forgotten! ...with each read. Thank you again. Jody

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    1. Thanks for you contributions, Jody! I always say we are a community here, so I love it. I think some of the stores are less reputable than other and leave their fruit out longer. It pays to check around and find the best. Around here it's a fruit market called Jacks. Even their reduced produce is fresher than some of the other stores regular priced produce. We grow our own apples, but I've found that a combination of apples gives you the best flavor.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. Where I live in Southern California there are so many different chains of markets. Years back many Mexican based markets opened and gave the old standbys a run for their money. Mexicans use a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits in all their cooking. They want the best. The pricing at their markets was much lower and has stayed so. As is usual some stores though keep theirs fresher than others. The older markets had to step up and lowered their prices and put in more types of produce than they had had. Just last year we got our first Aldi. They located them in odd areas we seldom get to. I watch their ads and have gotten some good bargains a few times. Like all stores when they opened to get customers to come, they had rock bottom prices on Some Things. We know the drill and walked in and looked around the whole store and only got the best deals, paid and left. Sprouts is the very best for fruit and veggies. It is not real close but in line with several other places we go so not so bad. We wait till they have their weekly Wednesday sales where they always honor last weeks and this weeks ad. We wait till they have two ads with the best deals for us and go and plan other stops along the way. We may go only go every two months or but that trip is well worth it. I have not been going long enough to understand their sale cycles. Like I said it is like a fun job..a game, to feed us at the best prices and wth the best food for that price.

    I saw a picture of your kitchen. Thanks for the hint on where to get the best sinks. Can you imagine the savings you have had with Ran and Jamie doing so much !! [sorry...you too!!!! }Also reusing and keeping an eye out for things others might think throw aways you could reuse. Also makes for a unique and totally you home.....also a beautiful home. Jody

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    1. It must be nice to have a good selection of grocery stores, Jody. Locally we only have a Walmart and another store that has even higher prices. I never found Walmart to have particularly good prices, have you? That's why it's worth our while to travel to the big city 70 miles away to shop. We make a day of it, I guess you could say it's our "date night".

      I'm sure we've saved major money having the guys do it themselves. Are you planning on doing some remodeling?

      J

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  5. thank you so much for this post. Very helpful

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    1. You're very welcome! Glad to be of service!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  6. I came to visit from Vickie's Garden...
    Funny how a lot of things we've always done to be careful with money has not filtered down to much of the milenial set (they mustn't have been paying attention). Something we were always taught was to save up for big purchases, don't use credit if you can help it, buy the very best you can afford & then take CARE of it as though you'll never get another (because sometimes you won't). Mr Shoes & I haven't bought a new vehicle in over 15 years & both the car & truck are pushing half a million klicks (and going strong, well maintained); the newest thing we own is a tractor we bought last year & (take care of it) it sleeps in a barn.

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    1. Hello Mrs. Shoes! I wish I could get such service from my cars. Our car that we bought to see us through the first ten years of our retirement was a major lemon and we had to buy another. So far so good for this one!

      I have hope for the younger generation. They'll just have to learn life's hard lessons on their own. But it isn't only the youngsters that are rather foolish with their money.

      So I take it that you live on a farm?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. Excellent post, Jane. I'm always amazed at your depth of thriftiness. Love it. We love tortilla chips, but I find some are usually wasted (actually become bird food) if I buy more than one bag per month. Aldis is my favorite store. I leave there feeling like I dId very well with my grocery shopping..

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    1. Aldis has the best prices for produce and cheese most of the time, I've discovered. And I've heard that a lot of it's organic but because to get that organic seal costs so much it can't be advertised as such. I love looking at their interesting seasonal things too. All in all I'm with you, Toni, Aldis is one of the best!

      HUgs
      Jane

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    2. Yes to their seasonal items! You're going to think me ridiculous, but I once bought cheap but well made table tennis set at Aldi. We don't have room for a big ping pong table, but I do have a large country kitchen, and l wanted to teach the grands how to play so I got Aldi's set that had the paddles, balls and net that you can attach to any table. Hehe, it's working and makes the kitchen more fun than ever. ;)

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    3. On the whole I'd rather play ping-pong than cook! Your grandchildren must think of you as a fun grandma. Must be like visiting Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!

      J

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  8. So many good tips here! We do many of the same things. I've used flax seed for eggs when the girls were having a lull in their egg laying, & it turned out fine. Though I have tried making crackers and tortillas, I usually buy them. You've inspired me to try making them again. Following the soup link made me realize we have another connection, or at least used to. You said your son lived in NC (in 2011). If he still does, where & do you ever visit? Small world, I tell ya!

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    1. I buy some tortillas for burritos, Laurie, because I can't get them soft enough to fold. But I make the corn ones for casseroles, etc. My son lives in Burlington. I rarely visit him there because the come here for the 4th of July. I'm not much of a traveler and my husband isn't either, I'm afraid. Live anywhere near there?

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Yes, Burlington isn't very far, about an hour from us. I have to say I do love to travel. Home is wonderful, but I do love a good adventure now & then too!

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    3. That's neat! I guess I'm too much of a homebody, but I do enjoy traveling vicariously through others travels. And it's a lot thriftier too!

      J

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  9. HI Jane, great post! Years ago, when I was watching the show "Roseanne", there was an episode where she took a classroom full of kids from her daughter's school on a field trip to teach them how to shop on a budget. She showed them how to stretch a pound of ground beef to make a large meatloaf using cornflakes as a filler. I remember thinking to myself that was odd that she was using it to "stretch" the meat because isn't that just part of the normal recipe and way everyone make meatloaf? We used oatmeal, cornflakes or breadcrumbs when we made it growing up...I just thought that was normal! ;)

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    1. We always did too, Debbie! ANd my MIL would always add so many crackers to her hamburgers that they crunched. Ha!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. I loved your post==so practical.

    When I was a kid, I didn't know any other way to make chocolate chip cookies other than doubling the recipe on the back and still using the one bag of chocolate chips. Us kids gobbled them up and never knew the difference!

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    1. Ha! I know, Becky! I actually think that chocolate chip cookies are too rich when you use a full bag.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. What great tips! Thank you! Hoping that I can get my grocery budget lower.

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  12. There are a few things we get at Walmart that save but we usually gather a list of things to either price or buy for months before we even go. :) The store is only like 3 miles from us too!! I was looking the last time for a movie for a present. They had a set of two ..the one I wanted and another similar type that I liked for under $9.88 They had only the one movie for $4.88 and in a different place they had the same single movie with nothing extra on it for $9.88. What?? Pays to look around I guess. I even asked the clerk to check the prices and yes they were as I thought.
    I didn't buy any of them. The parking lot is always full there and so is the store. So far we have not found any time of the day or week when it is less crowded...or noisy. I think we are too used to getting used things and also know the prices we are willing to spend for things. Shopping at 'new' stores other than grocery stores is not that fun to me. :-) We go once in a while to the mall or regular stores {1 or 2 times a year} and get a huge sticker shock then we are again full up of those stores again. Even when the used stores raise their prices we know we still get a HUGE bargain. How do couples raise their children anymore with such prices? Even 40 years ago we could not have done it. And wouldn't. It is doubly special that your family lives on so little when your little 'burg' does not have shopping variety. And snow and other weather prevent much travel. Many of us have it easier. I would think for everyone in your area a pantry is a Must.

    WE have places in the house to redo and have done some but nothing that cannot wait. I used to dream of a nicer kitchen and all but now it functions and things work and I am not worried if the built in oven are brown and the cook stove and refrigerator are white. Used to be one was gold, one brown and one white. The wall ovens work and although not huge they meet our needs. To get a new set would cost a mint and we have no space for a built in stove unless we want to give up the only bottom cupboard we have and have then even less counter space. The cook stove is only 24" now. Then too a new wall oven would not fit into the space the old one was in and thus remodeling and new flooring etc... forget it! Let the next family who owns our place do it! :-)
    We put new roof on this year and that will outlive us. There is always a way to improve things without redoing everything. Mostly decluttering!! Always things to declutter aren't there. Jody

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    1. Had to laugh at your statement about Walmart being noisy, Jody! They certainly are! And the lighting is funny in them, turn Ran into a zombie. I wonder if they do it on purpose? I know it's hard to concentrate when I'm in there. I'd hate to work there!

      Yep, as long as it's functional, that's what's important. A lot can be done with paint and rearranging the furniture.

      I imagine you must have a pretty good sized movie library? I've been trying to downsize mine. Still takes up too much space. I wish the studios would have made some of the older movies into DVDs instead of the schlock that they make now. I have a lot of VCR tapes because the movies never were made into DVDs. Well, have a wonderful day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. All great tips Jane! It's amazing how much you can save by just not using as much. Next time I make chocolate chip cookies I'll only use half the chips! Great tip. We too have found that we only need half of the hamburger fir chili's etc. It really helps.

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  14. dear jane,
    i do many of the same things.
    have a nice day,
    regina

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    1. It's good to know that the tips work in Germany as well as here, Regina!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  15. Half a bag of chocolate chips - Eureka! You just gave me another way to save. I'll have to try that. I wonder if the Mister will notice? Hoping not. :)
    I need to start saving veggie scraps again for broth. Our ground is mostly clay so I have been composting as much as I can to fix the soil. Veggie broth used in place of water in some cooking just adds a nice depth of flavor.
    As always - Have a wonderful week!
    Hugs, Jen

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    1. Wel, he might noticed at first, but after a while it will become the new normal, Jen.

      Clay soil is good rich soil full of nutrients. We've been amending our soil for years. Adding sand to the soil helps lighten it up. We always mix it into the soil when planting root vegetables. Hope your week is enjoyable!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  16. We do a lot of similar things in preparing meals. One place that I could improve is to take better inventory of what is already in the pantry. Our trip to the local discount foods market is often tacked onto another errand in the same area, which doesn't leave me much time to think about what might be useful. As you know, a certain amount of buying at discount outlets has to do with the unpredictability of their offerings.
    I'm still working at paring down recipes to be more workable for two people--one of whom [not me] isn't fond of leftovers being trotted out.

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    1. It's the unpredictability that I find fun, Sharon! It certainly adds some interest to the daily meals. Fortunately, Jamie and Ran don't mind leftovers, which is what we usually have for dinner. I always make too many mashed potatoes, it's hard to get used to not cooking for an army!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  17. As a child of the 1970's, I remember meatloaf stretched with crackers, powered milk added to stretch milk, homemade yogurt and half a bag of chocolate chips in the cookies. My mom would only relent on the chocolate chip rule if the cookies were being made for company! It seems the really good useful information never goes out of style! Thanks for the post Jane.

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    1. Hi Jane! I remember adding powdered milk and water to stretch milk too. I think powdered milk is now more expensive than regular milk. Not sure,as I don't buy milk. That's funny about the cookie rule! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  18. Yes I do have a lot of movies. No VCR anymore and yes many older movies are not on DVD. :(( You could also out the disks in those albums they have for them with plastic pockets for each one. course you loose the box they came in and that info. You mentioned above you wish they had put the older ones into DVDS instead of the schlock they make now. What is schlock? Less and less of the older ones are for sale in stores or shown on tv. Sad. Like I told you before we have found many young people that have never seen a black and white movie let alone heard of Cary Grant or the earlier stars. Course if they asked me about the newer singers..or some of the young stars for that matter, I would come up with a blank look too!!!!! Touché !! I shouldn't judge. Jody

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    1. Yes, I do that to save space, Jody. Schlock is garbage or drivel, like a lot of the movies the produce these days. I wonder why the studios put everything out on DVD but won't reproduce some of the older classic ones? Whenever I go to the doctor's or dentist's office I never recognize any of the stars in People magazine. I have become an old fogey!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  19. Hi, Jane! I just had an aha! moment reading this post. I always, always put in extra chips for cookies since my husband is a terrible chocoholic. I'll eat them once in awhile but cake is really what i love. (Cake for breakfast on my birthday!) Anyway, why am i adding all that extra chocolate when it really doesn't matter to him? He'll still eat them, no matter what. Ha! I'm on it, now, that's for sure. Thanks for the tips!

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    1. Hi Debbie! Once you get him used to just a bag, maybe you can wean him into 3/4 a bag. Who knows where the madness will end? Ha! Cake for breakfast sounds pretty good! And not just for birthdays! Enjoying the warmer weather?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  20. Hi Jane, oh I love the bright orange tiger lilies too! I don't know if those little duckies were just sitting there.....or if they had glued them down or something? I wonder?

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    1. We'd have to cement them down around here, Debbi, with our winds!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  21. Hello Jane, haven't been here for a long while, in fact I dropped off the blogging world last July due to a curve ball thrown at me in the form of an car crash, but I am picking up the pieces again now. You have inspired me a lot with your approach to life.
    I think the best thing, at least for me to keep within my budget is to take just cash to get what you need, if I use a card I always spend too much.
    I am about to go on a preserving kick as the first of this seasons plums are ready. I already have jars of preserved plums and jam from a couple of years ago when one of the plum trees came down during a storm when it was fully laden. A question do you know how long we can keep preserves without it going off? I know my Grandmother used to scrape mould off the top of jams! If the seal thingy is still working it should be right shouldn't it?

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    1. Your older preserves are fine as long as they are sealed, Sharon. I always do a test before using mine: 1)look at the jar to make sure you don't see any discoloration in the preserves 2) feel the lid to make sure it is tightly sealed, if it comes off too easily discard 3) smell the preserves after opening, they should smell just as fresh as the day you canned them 4) take a small taste if they taste the tiniest bit off, discard. If there is any doubt, throw them out. A home extension office did a test on some jars of food they found in an old abandoned house and they were still safe after 40 years, however I wouldn't do that! I usually keep mine for 3 years at the longest. I assume after three years it isn't something that we enjoy eating. But I most certainly have eaten 4 and even 5 year old home-canned goods. Hope that helps and I hope you have recovered from you accident!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Thank Jane, they are 3 years old, I have been too nervous to try them, even open as I have childhood memories of my mother opening old preserves and jar of stuff exploding every where! I think it was tomatoes! If they are good, I past on most the new preserves to the folk who are clearing up my garden. And yes my Church family are wonderful, it took me a long time to find a church where I was comfortable, and accepted me as I am. it is a small one so the sense of family is very strong. Thanks once again.

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    3. You're welcome, Sharon! If they explode, they are not good! I would love to find such a supportive church family. We only have a United Protestant church here and they are sort of cliquish. But I'm sure there's a church out there somewhere for me.

      Hugs
      Jane

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    4. I am positive there is a church out there for you! I have lived in this town for 16 years and I only found it beginning of last year, it is Seventh Day Adventist, and what I love most about them is that they are so non judgemental and accept everyone is at their own particular level of truth, and it is not held against you if you dont subscribe to all their beliefs. It is also a very muticultural church our Pastor is from Tonga, and the senior elder is from Zimbabwe. Maybe because many are outsiders that I fit in!!!!!

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    5. Sounds like a very interesting a fun church, Sharon. I'm glad you found your "home"!

      J

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  22. Good evening Jane, I read this post earlier in the week and came back to read it again.
    You are truly amazing!
    I really enjoyed all the comments and answers to this post.
    Have a good weekend, Jane

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    1. Thanks Rhonda! Aren't the people that comment on here wonderful? They share so much good information. You and the others that read and comment are what keeps me blogging. Thank you!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  23. Do you mean I'll miss you tomorrow!?? Love this post and ideas! You are a gem! as ever.. m

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    1. Oh no, I'll be here tomorrow. This was a bonus. Ha!

      Hugs
      Jane

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