Grocery Shopping 1-27-23

I have a bit of excited bragging to do.

I know it isn't polite to brag but this kind of  bragging is okay.

As you all know from my previous blog posts, I have been venturing into couponing for  a little over a year now. I have had my ups and downs with it but for the most part I have been able to save.

For the past two weeks I have really been putting time into my couponing and trying to find good deals.

I kind of made couponing my job. 

So last week on Friday I spent a couple of hours combing through my local Kroger and Community Market's sales ads. I compared my coupons with what was on sale. Then I made a list of what I wanted to get.

Here you can see my coupon box open with my homemade dividers.

I loaded all my sales ads, my lists, and my clear pocketbook coupon folder with the coupons I planned on using inside into my coupon box and closed it all up and headed to Kroger.

My Kroger is about a 15 minute drive from my home.

During this drive time, I am constantly running over the deals in my head.

I have my list and my game plan.

I don't know why but I always get really nervous.

But I had no reason to be nervous.

As you can see here, I got $333.81 worth of groceries for $151.97. That is a 54% savings!!!

The best deals I found:

Colgate toothpaste: Free

Colgate Toothbrushes: Free

All laundry detergent for $1.49

Snuggle Fabric Softener for $1.49

4 pack Activia yogurt $0.49

Hefty Slider Bags $0.49

Bagged Chicken, pork cutlets, and sirloin roasts were all buy one get one free so I was able to get about $50.00 of free meat!

I am sure there are a few deals I forgot to mention.

I am super proud of this accomplishment. I have not been able to get 50% savings until last week.

My next goal is 75% savings.

Faith is proud of our savings as well! And is astonished that our receipt is as tall as she is.

(She is nearly 12, 5 foot 1 inches...a mere 1 inch shorter than me )

I now see each week's shopping as a game.

I have to beat my previous score!

This is the coupons from last Sunday's paper..

They have been clipped and filed.

Tomorrow I will get out next week's papers and plan my menu and sales.

Until we meet again...

Be Blessed.

End of January Crochet WIPs

Happy Saturday everyone!

I just wanted to pop in and do a little show and tell.

Unfortunately, most of this fall and winter my hooks have been frozen.

I had no desire to crochet.

Sometimes I wanted to but wouldn't have time.

Others I just didn't feel like getting my bag.

The gray skies of winter always put me in the blahs.

I have come to realize that I am solar powered.

I need sunlight (or bright lights) to be productive.

When the outside is gray and yucky, I tend to just wanna sleep or just watch tv.

BUT 

I have forced myself to get out my hooks and work on some projects.

First I grabbed my hooks and a skein of gray Red Heart Super Saver and I began stitching some squares I had made together. I got one row done but decided to quit until I could figure out which squares I wanted to do next.

I also did some squares for my Granny Patchwork Blanket.

 I'm still not very far along with it. I have a feeling this project will take me at least until the end of this year.

I tend to get bored easily.

I also crocheted a draft block for our front door. It didn't turn out the way I wanted so I didn't photograph it.

I am finally putting my Stylecraft to good use. I bought 10 skeins a LONG time ago.

I decided to do a straight double crochet block type blanket.

 I am basically crocheting with a color until I run out and then attaching the next color. I love it so far!

I have some other granny squares made of Caron Simply Soft that I plan on making into a lap blanket soon.

I will post photos when I get it going.

Finally, I have began making some curtains for my house. 

Here I am using offset filet crochet to create a curtain panel.

This is a lovely melon color. I cannot wait to see it hanging over my bright sunny dining room window.

I will be making some red filet curtains for my big kitchen window too.

I have found a lovely pattern for a geometric squares pattern for the 3 little windows in my bay window.

I have to buy some size 10 cotton. I am kind of nervous about using it as I haven't crocheted with that type of thread before.

I have tons of ideas bouncing around in my head for stuff. I am really hoping to be able to turn out several smaller projects per month and maybe a bigger project every 2-3 months.

I want this year to be a year of crochet for me.

That is all for now my friends.

I will see you next post.

Be Blessed,

Erin.

Hit and Run Update

My friends.....I have to say, God works in mysterious ways.

If you remember my last post, I told you about the hit and run that did damage to our car.

Well, on Tuesday of this week a representative from the other guy's insurance company came out to survey the damage on our car. He had his camera and his laptop. He told us we should hear something by Thursday and no later than today.

We got the call on Wednesday. That insurance company deemed our car totaled.

It was a total loss. 

We bought our car from a little mom and pop business only a block or so from our home.

This business isn't open on Wednesdays so Thursday we went to this business and let the owner know what had happened, what the insurance company said, showed him the numbers the company had given us, and we had a conversation about the amount of money owed on the car and the fact that we would be needing to purchase another car when our income taxes came in.

Well, to break everything down...

After the insurance company pays the dealership what they deemed to be a fair amount, we were going to owe $800. 

The owner of the company told us not to worry about it.

He would eat that amount of money because "he really likes us, he likes our family, and we pay well"

We also talked about the purchase of another car.

Well, because he really likes us and how we treat our kids, he went ahead and let us get another car.

Our payments are $40 more a month which isn't really a huge deal.

So here is the breakdown.

The car that got hit was an 03 Malibu basic car.

We were gonna have to get new brakes when our taxes came in.

The car we have now is an 05 Malibu LS.

Has extra features. Needs no work.

Mileage was about the same.

The car was definitely an upgrade plus we owe nothing on the other car.

God works in mysterious ways.

Everything worked out!

God Bless,

Erin

Now What?

My friends, at the end of my last blog post I stated that I had more to tell you about!

Well, a week ago, last Monday, a guy who works at the hospital a block away left work because he wasn't feeling well.

Sadly, on his way home he hit 4 cars, one of them was ours!

As you can see he was coming up the road and he smacked into our Malibu. 

                                      

Here you can see how hard he hit our car...It has been moved over at least a foot.

Here is an up close view of the damage.

What you can't see is he hit our car so hard it actually bent the steel rim of the tire and broke the strut off of the back of the tire.

He missed our van (Praise God) and here you can see how he went off of the road again.

Here is his front passenger side tire that fell off.

After hitting our car (lucky #1). He proceeded up our street where he lost his tire. He then drove his Tahoe up by the school and hit a car there. He hit two other cars on his way to his home which is about a mile away.

We found out that day that the man who hit these cars is battling brain cancer and is currently in the hospital.

We have been praying for him!

We still don't understand why he left the hospital if he wasn't feeling right. He should have gotten checked out first or maybe even had someone drive him home.

At the time of me writing this, we are still waiting for his insurance company to come and survey the damage to our car. For some reason I have a sinking feeling that we are gonna get shafted big time. I know we will be getting our own estimate. I sure hope our car can be fixed but if it can't I hope they give us enough to pay it off and put a down payment on another vehicle.

That is gonna be all for today my friends.

I sure hope our fortune changes soon! I'm not too sure how much more I can take!

On a good note, our house is super cozy now that we have a new furnace! 

AND the changing of the furnace has somehow solved the musty old house smell we had that I thought I would have to live with forever!!

Until next time

Be Blessed

Crank that Heat Up

Hello my friends.

Good to see you again.

Guess what?!?

WE FINALLY GOT A NEW FURNACE!!!

We found out way back in October that our old furnace was putting out high levels of carbon monoxide.

So we did some shopping around to see how much it was gonna cost us to get a new one.

Well, it was gonna be way more than we can afford!

So we made contact with our local community action and filled out tons of paperwork, went through tons of inspections, and waited a LONG time.

We suffered through some pretty cold days and nights with just space heaters in room with doors blocked with blankets. But we are toasty warm now!!!

Wanna join me in the dungeon basement to see the old furnace?

Here it is from the back right corner. You can see how big and wide it is.

The front of our old monstrosity!  We found out that our old furnace was made in the 1960s and the company "ModernAire" isn't even around anymore!!!

Our old furnace was flawed by design. Most of the heat would go out of the chimney. Our house always had a chill to it. The furnace would kick on for several minutes then kick off then back on..Our electric and gas bills were over $500 each during the coldest days in the winter. Not good.

Now returning to the dungeon basement for the new furnace.

It is so shiny and clean. This furnace is brand spanking new. It is energy efficient! It is half the size of our old beast.

Another pic from the side.

From the back. The left side is the air return.

Here is where they vented it! Right out the basement window!!

We also got a new digital thermostat! We have it set on 70 degrees and our house is WARM! There is no chill in the air! I tell you, it has been a long, annoying, hard road but we can finally enjoy our house again!

I'm so happy!

Well that is all for today! 

I have more to tell you about very soon! 

Something that has happened twice in the past 6 months.

The hits just keep coming!

Until next time.

Be Blessed.

Support Gardeners

My friends I have posted several things about my garden over the years.

I am very proud to grow healthy food for my family.

There is a couple in Florida who are in a battle with their city to keep their front yard garden.

Their names are Jennifer and Jason Helvenston.

Their city wants them to rip up their front yard garden.

If they don't they could be fined up to $500 a day.

They have started a campaign called "Plant a Seed, Change the Law"

Their website Patriot Gardens explains the things they are going through!

They not only grow their own food to eat but they also share their homegrown goods with other people.

They help educated people about growing food and its benefits.

Please visit their website.

Post a link on your website to help support their cause.

Also, you can request a seed packet and a sign from them!

Lets help these people maintain their rights to grow their own foods.

Please, if nothing else, just visit their website and read about their cause!

Thank You!

Be Blessed,

Erin

Time for focus.

Hello all! 

I hope you all are doing well.

I am doing ok. I have been down with a cold for a week or so.

I think I am finally on the mend.

I wanted to tell you all that I am still around.

I think about you all a lot.

I think about my blog alot.

I have been taking time to reflect on myself.

I have been taking a look at the foods I eat, the amount of exercise I get,.

I have been reflecting on my relationships with my family and friends.

I have been praying and studying my Bible and forming a closer relationship to God.

I am just reflecting on myself. 

There are many thing I want to change.

Eating and exercising.

I want to start a new adventure BUT I can't disclose it yet unless I know for sure it may happen.

AND since it is the beginning of the year 

AND 

Since i have gotten TONS of seed and plant catalogs in the mail.

I have been making sure I have my spring garden planned.

The fine details have been sorted out.

Oh and I have been making sure to use coupons when I can.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

My friends, I do have lots of things to share with you.

I have pictures to share and stories to share.

I will do so soon.

I am constantly thinking of you all.

I want to tell you that I love you and I am sending big internet hugs to you all.

Be Blessed,

Erin