Thursday, November 20, 2014
Redoing the Budget
Today, the university system my daughter attends voted to increase tuition by at least 5%, starting next year. I suppose there were valid reasons for the tuition increase; after all, costs are increasing on an almost daily basis and additional revenue is needed to meet the rising costs.
Unfortunately, my salary doesn't increase and there is no easy way for me to increase my revenue to meet my rising costs. The tuition increase will mean an additional $200 per month. Time to redo my budget, I guess.
Belt tightening, anyone?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
This Day's Blessings
Today was one of those crazy, hectic days at the office, which left me feeling quite depleted and longing for retirement. As I drove home, I recited my devotions as usual, and, at the end of the devotions, I asked for a grateful heart with which to receive this day's blessings.
Several years ago, I got into the habit of writing down at least 5 things to be grateful for each day, in my diary. I have discovered that actively looking will reveal an abundance of blessings in each day.
Today, my blessings included having a job, which enables me to provide for myself and my daughter, which I usually enjoy, not withstanding the occasional crazy, hectic days like today.
I will have another rather hectic day at the office, tomorrow, too, as I strive to meet a schedule deadline for a project. No doubt I'll be stressed by the end of the day. But I will look for each day's blessings and know myself to be blessed.
Do you make it a point to look for each day's blessings?
Several years ago, I got into the habit of writing down at least 5 things to be grateful for each day, in my diary. I have discovered that actively looking will reveal an abundance of blessings in each day.
Today, my blessings included having a job, which enables me to provide for myself and my daughter, which I usually enjoy, not withstanding the occasional crazy, hectic days like today.
I will have another rather hectic day at the office, tomorrow, too, as I strive to meet a schedule deadline for a project. No doubt I'll be stressed by the end of the day. But I will look for each day's blessings and know myself to be blessed.
Do you make it a point to look for each day's blessings?
Monday, November 17, 2014
Post No. 101: Organizing Craft Projects
I didn't realize until I had posted that yesterday's post was my 100th post! So this is post no. 101 for me! I must say that I'm enjoying having a blog.
I have always enjoyed crafting. But it seems like for every craft project I complete, I have another half dozen or so patiently waiting their turn!
I finished making a quilt this summer, but there are 2 more quilts waiting to be worked on! One is a new quilt that is in progress and the other is an old quilt needing repairs.
I finished knitting a sweater, earlier, but waiting patiently for their turn are two other partially knitted tops. And daughter has sent me a photo of another sweater that she'd like me to knit for her!
I recently finished mending a pair of pyjama pants, but there are more sewing projects waiting.
And there are all the holiday gifts I have been meaning to make...
How do you organize your craft projects so that they get done in a timely manner instead of languishing in the closets and bins?
I have always enjoyed crafting. But it seems like for every craft project I complete, I have another half dozen or so patiently waiting their turn!
I finished making a quilt this summer, but there are 2 more quilts waiting to be worked on! One is a new quilt that is in progress and the other is an old quilt needing repairs.
I finished knitting a sweater, earlier, but waiting patiently for their turn are two other partially knitted tops. And daughter has sent me a photo of another sweater that she'd like me to knit for her!
I recently finished mending a pair of pyjama pants, but there are more sewing projects waiting.
And there are all the holiday gifts I have been meaning to make...
How do you organize your craft projects so that they get done in a timely manner instead of languishing in the closets and bins?
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Sunday - More Grocery Shopping
I went to the other grocery store, today. I don't often go to two different stores unless one is on the way to the other or on my way home or are located close to each other, in which case, I go to both stores in one trip. I like to combine trips to save on gas. But today's grocery store is located just over a mile from my home and the savings were worth the extra trip, I thought.
The two stores I went to this weekend are both owned by the same company; but the store I went to yesterday is the full service one, where they bag your groceries for you, and the one I went to today is the no-frills one where you have to bag your own groceries. The prices reflect this. The full service store has green beans for $1.99/lb., store brand peanut butter is on sale for $2/16 oz. jar; cans of condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup for $.79 each (provided you bought 10 participating items), and apple juice was $2.49 or higher. The no frills store had green beans for $1.49/lb., the same store brand peanut butter (since both stores are owned by the same company) is on sale for $1.49/16 oz. jar; condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup for $.59 each (limit of 12), and apple juice for $1.49.
Today's grocery shopping was to stock up on some items that were on sale - peanut butter, canned soups, and apple juice. I also bought a couple of other items:
4 bolillo rolls, $.25@ = $1.00
1 doz. eggs = $1.99
.42 lbs. green beans @$1.49/lb. = $.63
3 cup of noodle soup, 3/$1.00 = $1.00
2 apple juice, $1.49@ = $2.98
2 jars peanut butter, $1.49@ = $2.98
8 cans condensed soup, $.59@ = $4.72
Total spent = $15.30
(No tax on food.)
(I also bought a package of paper plates for the December prayer gathering that I will be hosting, but I don't include that in my grocery total; it's budgeted for separately. Including the paper plates ($1.50 + $.14 tax), my total came to $16.94.)
I will be sharing the cans of condensed soup with my daughter; four cans for her, four cans for me. The cup of noodle soups are for me to take to the office for lunch on those days when I don't have any leftovers to take or I haven't got my act together sufficiently to pack a lunch (happens, every so often!) The apple juice is intended for the December prayer gathering.
Would you shop at different stores if you can save some money by doing so? Or would the time and effort involved make it not worth your while?
The two stores I went to this weekend are both owned by the same company; but the store I went to yesterday is the full service one, where they bag your groceries for you, and the one I went to today is the no-frills one where you have to bag your own groceries. The prices reflect this. The full service store has green beans for $1.99/lb., store brand peanut butter is on sale for $2/16 oz. jar; cans of condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup for $.79 each (provided you bought 10 participating items), and apple juice was $2.49 or higher. The no frills store had green beans for $1.49/lb., the same store brand peanut butter (since both stores are owned by the same company) is on sale for $1.49/16 oz. jar; condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup for $.59 each (limit of 12), and apple juice for $1.49.
Today's grocery shopping was to stock up on some items that were on sale - peanut butter, canned soups, and apple juice. I also bought a couple of other items:
4 bolillo rolls, $.25@ = $1.00
1 doz. eggs = $1.99
.42 lbs. green beans @$1.49/lb. = $.63
3 cup of noodle soup, 3/$1.00 = $1.00
2 apple juice, $1.49@ = $2.98
2 jars peanut butter, $1.49@ = $2.98
8 cans condensed soup, $.59@ = $4.72
Total spent = $15.30
(No tax on food.)
(I also bought a package of paper plates for the December prayer gathering that I will be hosting, but I don't include that in my grocery total; it's budgeted for separately. Including the paper plates ($1.50 + $.14 tax), my total came to $16.94.)
I will be sharing the cans of condensed soup with my daughter; four cans for her, four cans for me. The cup of noodle soups are for me to take to the office for lunch on those days when I don't have any leftovers to take or I haven't got my act together sufficiently to pack a lunch (happens, every so often!) The apple juice is intended for the December prayer gathering.
Would you shop at different stores if you can save some money by doing so? Or would the time and effort involved make it not worth your while?
Saturday: Weekly Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning
I've been eating from the fridge, freezer, and cupboards, this week.
On Wednesday night, I took some leftover rice, added some vermicelli and vegetable soup powder and made a homemade version of rice-a-roni and had that with half of a 2-egg omelette and some of the sauted leeks and potato I had made and brought back with me from Berkeley.
On Thursday night, it was homemade chicken soup from the freezer with French bread I had bought from the farmers market that morning.
Friday night, it was leftover homemade rice-a-roni with the rest of the omelette and some of the sauted leeks and potato.
Today, I took out another container of the chicken and vegetable soup from the freezer and had that for both lunch (as it was, with French bread) and for tonight's dinner (with the addition of some leftover smoked sausage and baked potato). There's enough soup left over for tomorrow's lunch or dinner, as well).
I took out a package of ham slices, too, to thaw. Not quite sure what I'll make with the ham, yet. I should also take out a package of the frozen eggplant, as well.
I did my grocery shopping this afternoon. Bought 1 gal. milk ($3.29), bread ($1.29), 2 yogurt cups ($.50@), 2 whole chickens ($.89/lb; $3.23 & $3.37), 2 pkg. cocktail sausages ($2.50@), 2-lb. bacon ends ($4.99; regular packages of sliced bacon are much more expensive; $5.49/12 oz., etc.), 1 can cream of celery soup ($.49 on clearance - dented can), 2 boxed wild rice mix ($1@), 1 bottle oil ($1.99), 2 lb. bananas ($.69/lb), 2 bars chocolate ($.99@). Spend a total of $30.02.
I put one of the chickens in the freezer, but kept the other one in the fridge to cut up and make a chicken curry for the week. Froze both packages of cocktail sausages, too. I will divide the bacon into portions and freeze most of it, as well.
A different store is having a sale on canned cream soups and peanut butter, among other things. I might make a stock-up trip there, tomorrow.
In addition to all the groceries I bought, I picked an orange from the garden. It was the only one that was ripe enough to pick.
On Wednesday night, I took some leftover rice, added some vermicelli and vegetable soup powder and made a homemade version of rice-a-roni and had that with half of a 2-egg omelette and some of the sauted leeks and potato I had made and brought back with me from Berkeley.
On Thursday night, it was homemade chicken soup from the freezer with French bread I had bought from the farmers market that morning.
Friday night, it was leftover homemade rice-a-roni with the rest of the omelette and some of the sauted leeks and potato.
Today, I took out another container of the chicken and vegetable soup from the freezer and had that for both lunch (as it was, with French bread) and for tonight's dinner (with the addition of some leftover smoked sausage and baked potato). There's enough soup left over for tomorrow's lunch or dinner, as well).
I took out a package of ham slices, too, to thaw. Not quite sure what I'll make with the ham, yet. I should also take out a package of the frozen eggplant, as well.
I did my grocery shopping this afternoon. Bought 1 gal. milk ($3.29), bread ($1.29), 2 yogurt cups ($.50@), 2 whole chickens ($.89/lb; $3.23 & $3.37), 2 pkg. cocktail sausages ($2.50@), 2-lb. bacon ends ($4.99; regular packages of sliced bacon are much more expensive; $5.49/12 oz., etc.), 1 can cream of celery soup ($.49 on clearance - dented can), 2 boxed wild rice mix ($1@), 1 bottle oil ($1.99), 2 lb. bananas ($.69/lb), 2 bars chocolate ($.99@). Spend a total of $30.02.
I put one of the chickens in the freezer, but kept the other one in the fridge to cut up and make a chicken curry for the week. Froze both packages of cocktail sausages, too. I will divide the bacon into portions and freeze most of it, as well.
A different store is having a sale on canned cream soups and peanut butter, among other things. I might make a stock-up trip there, tomorrow.
In addition to all the groceries I bought, I picked an orange from the garden. It was the only one that was ripe enough to pick.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Friday
I had a fairly quiet day, today. I put gas to the car on my way to the office, in the morning, marveling at the fact that gas was $2.97 a gallon. I can hardly remember the last time when gas was under $3.
Had a productive day at the office. I'm always happy when I can meet my project deadlines.
Today, I instructed my gardener to cut down the sugarcane bushes in the front garden. They were more dead than alive due to the heat during the summer and a lack of water. They will be replaced with some cuttings I have taken from a succulent plant in the back garden. I was trying to do edible landscaping, but it's hard to do drought-tolerant edible landscaping.
I had a relaxed evening. I find that I don't have a lot of energy on a Friday evening. So, some TV and video chatting with daughter for a restful evening.
How was your Friday?
Had a productive day at the office. I'm always happy when I can meet my project deadlines.
Today, I instructed my gardener to cut down the sugarcane bushes in the front garden. They were more dead than alive due to the heat during the summer and a lack of water. They will be replaced with some cuttings I have taken from a succulent plant in the back garden. I was trying to do edible landscaping, but it's hard to do drought-tolerant edible landscaping.
I had a relaxed evening. I find that I don't have a lot of energy on a Friday evening. So, some TV and video chatting with daughter for a restful evening.
How was your Friday?
Friday, November 14, 2014
Thursday: Flu Vaccinations and French Bread
Today has been a busy day. The first day back at work, after being away for a few days, always tend to be a bit crazy. On top of that, everyone wants his or her projects done yesterday, especially with the holidays approaching.
I got my flu vaccination, today; I will count that as one of my 59 self-care things for this month. I also went to the farmers market and bought myself a loaf of my favorite French bread. Crusty bread and homemade chicken soup for dinner. There's more soup in the freezer for another day.
Once I got home from work, I put away the laundry from yesterday, watched a TV program, called and spoke with my half-sister and video chatted with my daughter. And just like that, the evening passed in a flash and here it is, midnight, already!
How was your day, today?
I got my flu vaccination, today; I will count that as one of my 59 self-care things for this month. I also went to the farmers market and bought myself a loaf of my favorite French bread. Crusty bread and homemade chicken soup for dinner. There's more soup in the freezer for another day.
Once I got home from work, I put away the laundry from yesterday, watched a TV program, called and spoke with my half-sister and video chatted with my daughter. And just like that, the evening passed in a flash and here it is, midnight, already!
How was your day, today?
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