I did my office work (there's a bit left to do over the weekend, since I need to make up a few hours). One of my cousins had texted me earlier in the morning; I texted her back and we texted back and forth for a bit. Called the oncology clinic about the rescheduled appointment, but, apparently, they are closed today! I will have to call them on Monday. Called the pharmacy to inquire about the status of my antibiotic. They told me they just received the medication and it will be ready for pick up later in the afternoon. Around 3:00 p.m., they texted me to say it was ready for pick up. I went to the pharmacy a bit later and picked up my medication.
After that, I decided to do a little bit of grocery shopping. I needed bananas (ate the last one this morning), eggs (finished the last one, yesterday), and milk (finished the last bit this morning). I also wanted some cereal (I finished the box of cornflakes I had, about a week ago) and butter was on sale for $2.50/lb., as part of the store's "buy 6 participating items and save $3.00" ($.50 per item) sale.
At $2.50/lb., the brand name butter on sale was cheaper than the store brand butter that was not on sale. $2.50 seems to be the best sale price here (I doubt very much if I'll ever see butter at $1.99/lb.
here, again). I stocked up and bought 4 lbs. butter; I have 2 lbs. in the freezer already, so now I have 6 lbs. of butter on hand! They'll probably last me for the rest of the year, unless I bake a lot of pastries and cakes.
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| April 14 Groceries |
I bought:
- rice krispies cereal, 12 oz. (340g) box = $1.69
- 4 lb. butter, @$2.49 = 9.96
- 6 pk. soda @$1.99 - $.50 coupon + $.30 deposit = $1.79
- 1 doz. large eggs = $1.99
- 1 box mac & cheese = $1.00
- 1/2 gal. milk = $1.89
- 2.11 lb. bananas @$.69/lb = $1.46
- 2 ears of corn @$.50 = $1.00
- .5 lb. beef round steak @ $4.99/lb = $2.50
Total = $23.48
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| April 14 Grocery Receipt |
Amount spent to date = $22.24 + $21.87 + $4.55+ $23.48 = $72.14
Balance left in the April grocery budget = $83.07 - $72.14 = $10.93
Hm, maybe the month when I had spent over half my budget in the first week is not the best time to stock up on things like butter! But that's OK. I might go over the budget by a little bit, this month, but, if I do, I will debit it from the May grocery budget. I am blessed to be able to do that. I realize that not everyone is able to "borrow" from the next month's budget. If that had been the case, then, I wouldn't have stocked up on the butter and wouldn't have bought the soda, etc.
I cooked the beef steak and one ear of corn for my dinner tonight, along with some broccoli and a baked potato. Since I was having both corn and potato (both considered as starch), I had half of each along with 1/3 of the steak (cooked with onions):
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| Dinner: Steak, Baked Potato, Corn-on-the-Cob, and Broccoli |
Dessert was an orange from the garden and a glass of chocolate milk.
My gardener friend mowed the front "lawn" for me, today, and fixed a broken sprinkler head. I had considered buying some mulch, earlier, but didn't get around to it. So, today, I gave my gardener friend some money to buy the mulch for me. Later, I watered the front garden and select areas of the back garden (the newly planted seeds, the orange tree, the lemon trees, and the rose bushes).
One of my cousins called while I was watering the garden and I called her back and we chatted for a bit. Later, one of my aunts called, too. And I called one of my friends. Plus I emailed with another friend. So, it was a good day for keeping in touch with family and friends.
Daughter went to work today, but left early as she felt tired and unproductive. She said she dozed for an hour or so after she got home. She found a couple of dead roaches, so we know the spraying is working!
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to work from home
- Being able to sleep in
- Being able to catch up on work over the weekend/the flexibility
- My antibiotics being ready
- Daughter is able to take time off from her work to go home early and rest
Friday's To Do List:
- Call supervisor - DONE
- Call the oncology clinic - DID, but apparently they are closed today! Will have to call again on Monday
- Call the pharmacy - DONE
- Pick up medication - DONE
- Work from home - DONE
- Grocery shop - DONE
- Call friend - DONE
- More paperwork
- Tidy the house a bit
- Water the front (newly planted areas) - DONE
- Water the back (newly planted areas) - DONE
- Buy mulch - Gave money to gardener friend to buy for me, instead.
- Cook - DONE
Saturday's To Do List:
- Tidy the house
- Dust
- Vacuum
- Change bed sheets
- Load of laundry
- Paperwork
- Office work
- Daily tasks (dishes, litter box, etc.)
- Plant some of the new succulents
- Buy wire mesh and some wood for stakes
- Fence off the vegetable planting bed
How was your Friday? Did you observe Good Friday? What have you planned for Saturday?
I think stocking up on butter or whatever is an exceptional deal is a smart thing to do. Aldi has butter for 1.99 a pound with a limit of 6, so I plan to get 6 and stick them in the freezer. I might even make 2 trips and grab 12. That would get me through the end of the year including Christmas baking.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anne. $1.99/lb. was what I was hoping for, but it hasn't happened and it seems rather unlikely it would. I'd definitely go twice and stock up with 12 lbs., if I were you and had the freezer space.
DeleteNice deals, Bless! Like Anne, I stocked up on butter at Aldi when it was on sale. I only was able to get 6 pounds before getting sick, but last year I had over bought by a bit, so I should have enough to last until at least the fall, when Thanksgiving and Christmas sales bring the price down again.
ReplyDeleteToday is the first full day of me feeling like a person again, so I spent it cleaning the house and planning for tomorrow's meal. Even though it's just Michael and I, I like to make a ham and then freeze the leftovers for easy future meals. I will say that I'm still taking a lot of rests, but I was pleased!
Thank you, Laura. So glad to read that you are feeling better, again. You did a lot, even if you rested! Just as long as you don't over-do and have a relapse! Sorry, that 'mother hen' in me keeps popping up every so often! LOL. Glad you were able to stock up on butter when it was on sale. I hope we have a good sale, later in the year, in time for holiday baking; I should like to stock up then, again.
DeleteI hope you and Michael have a very happy Easter, Laura. Take care of yourself.
That is a good deal on the butter Bless. Butter continues to rise in price here, it is now about $5 a block. Strangely cheese and milk have stayed the same price!?
ReplyDeleteI am now back reading blogs and commenting (I have had thyroid issues and my brain was too muddled, but medication is sorting it out, thank goodness.
Here everything closes over Easter, it is illegal for shops to open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. They get massive fines if they do. Only corner dairies and petrol stations are open. The whole country goes on holiday as Easter Monday is a public holiday as well.
Sharon, glad to hear from you, again! I checked your blog, earlier today to see if there was an update and was getting a bit concerned. Sorry to hear you've been having issues with your health, but hope things are under control, now.
DeleteNo holidays here for Easter; Good Friday is a working day and no Easter Monday, either. Shops and stores are all open. I think Christmas is the only religious holiday and even then, grocery stores, etc., remain open, although some might have reduced hours of operation.
I hope you have a very happy Easter and continued good health.
Thanks for telling us about Sri Lankan New Year. Does it adjust for Full Moon? Wonderful to learn about special holiday foods and family celebrations... Wish DD had planned to celebrate with you, not ill, coping with chemical sprays etc. I hope you'll note it on your calendar for next year as a special event.
ReplyDeleteGood Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday are major holidays in Canada. Most people have Good Friday thru Easter Monday off, family traditions based around foods like traditional ham dinner, scalloped potatoes, green vegetables, coconut cake and out door events for children. DKs love to dye eggs and transfer designs. Moms have to think up meals to use up those eggs quickly.
I'm throughly annoyed at our nearly daily snow, at some point. DH is desperate to clean the winter debris from the garage which results from sand and salted roads.
I wish you'd meet with a nutritionist. Sorry to repeat, there is so little nutrition in your last group, I'm alarmed. What fruits and vegetables offer happy childhood memories?
Yes, the new year is based on the lunar calendar. I wish we had a long weekend over Easter - that would be lovely! Sorry to hear that you are still having snow! I hope spring comes soon!
DeleteI appreciate your concern, Hon, but please do not be alarmed that my weekly shopping is lacking in nutrition. My weekly grocery shopping is usually meant to take advantage of that week's sales and to supplement what I already have on hand, and, occasionally, to satisfy a craving for a particular item.
This shopping trip, I didn't need any protein other than the eggs, although I bought beef, as well. I have chicken, fish, meat, lentils, nuts, peanut butter, etc. in my fridge/freezer/pantry.
I didn't need any fruit other than bananas, as I have fresh apples, pears, and oranges, and both frozen and canned fruit on hand.
I didn't need any vegetables but bought the corn because it was on sale; I have broccoli, green beans, carrots, beets, cucumber, and red lettuce on hand, along with onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, frozen vegetables and canned vegetables.
Hope you have a happy Easter, Hon. Are your sons coming home for Easter?
Butter is definitely more expensive this year than last (I'm pretty sure we were able to get it at $1.69 a lb last year before Easter) so it's a good thing to stock up when it's lower than the regular prices, if you have the space.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to get the antibiotic that you needed, finally!
Butter seems to be one of those items that continue to creep up in price. Bacon is another. I am out of bacon and it wasn't on sale; I was not willing to pay the regular price of $3.99 (and up, depending on the brand) for a pound of bacon.
DeleteThanks, Nathalie; hope the antibiotics will actually do something, this time around!
Butter on sale is $2.50 here too. I have not seen it at $1.99 since Christmas..
ReplyDeleteHope daughter will feel better soon.
Your meal looked really good.
Thank you, Judy. Yes, daughter is feeling better, although she says her throat is still hurting. I urged her to call her doctor for an appointment.
DeleteMaybe, just maybe, butter will go on sale for $1.99 later in the year. If so, then, I will definitely stock up.
Maybe it's the southern in me or the fact I come from a large family (10 children), but if we have less than 3 lbs of butter in the fridge, it's time to go to the store! lol I do not use margarine or any of that mess after the research I have done on it. NOT appealing. Glad you were able to get some decent deals. Your dinner looked yummo!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, Joy, that's too funny about the 3 lbs. butter being your clue to buy more. :) I, too, have stopped using margarine. But it is often hard to always buy the better for you product when it is so much more expensive than the not-so-good or even downright bad for you item due to cost differences. Especially if one is having to really keep to a budget.
Delete