3 Positive Things Part 6

[GaryQ]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

My take is a bit different. I get a Dellisio Pizza deluxe or Canadian add some bell peppers I usually have some cut up and in a ziplock in the freezer. Grate some extra Mozarella and/or cheddar and slice up a tomato and put them on top. Get a monster pizza for 6$ or so. When the kids were growing up we made them the same as we did in our restaurants at home. But not worth it now living alone.

Extremely rarely eat out. Pretty much just when bud and I get together and he’s gone almost 2 & half month in Winter and I told him This week we’d get together only in September unless something important. (Give the guy a break his retirement schedule is insane and his wife won’t let him rest) Chinese buffet mostly and we alternate who’s buying.

Take out, eat out or delivery (don’t recall any delivery in almost 10 years) is no longer something that takes a bite out of my budget. (Pun intended)

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

In the U.S., we have Schwans, which delivers frozen foods to your door even to rural areas. (They started with just ice cream delivery in Minnesota a long time ago.) One of my favorites from them is the individually-wrapped French bread pizzas. So we just add our own toppings. I will start adding tomato now that you mention it

I also like their frozen biscuits. They taste like the ones from KFC, and we use them to make egg cheese biscuits.

 

[GaryQ]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

I will start adding tomato now that you mention it

i think you’ll both really like the difference it makes. I usually put 4 to 6 slices placed so each sliced of pizza gets its own and always on top of the cheese.

It does to a regular pizza what chocolate syrup does for a bowl of vanilla ice cream

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

Or go to Pizza Hut. Get a carryout deal, like a large cheese pizza. Put the slices in freezer bags. You now have 8 meals for one or 4 meals for two, especially if served with deviled eggs or egg salad

Yes! We sort of do that. Definitely pick up instead of delivery, usually last night’s pizza becomes tomorrow’s lunch. Normally we get frozen pizza, and sometimes add our own toppings. But, yeah, if it’s cheese only we can split it like you said and even put our own toppings on that.

And of course, always cheaper to buy fried or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store instead of KFC or Popeye’s: it’s still hot when you get home and you can have it with a salad kit or leftover veggies from a previous meal.

Similarly have saved $ by purchasing these giant 2-foot long Dagwood subs. We finish eating it on the 3rd day! lol Way less money than both of us getting subs at Subway or Mr. Sub.

Sometimes the store deli throws its leftovers in microwave-safe dishes, so I’ll grab the ones with a discount sticker and eat that as soon as I get home. Or you can buy 1 package of sweet & sour pork, another package of chunks of garlic chicken, another of ginger beef, and finally another with chicken fried rice. Instead of $40 it’s more like $20-$30. And it lasts a couple of days, too.

Superstore has more variety, too. Yummy butter chicken and quinoa, that sort of thing. Perfect for if we’re too tired to cook but don’t want to throw our money at things. lol




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[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

This is a big one that a LOT of people don’t know about.

Forgive me if I already mentioned it.

Dog or pet medication. If your fur-baby needs antibiotics, gabapentin, steroids, eyedrops, etc, have your vet transfer the prescription to your own human drugstore.

We’ve done this many times. A teeny tiny bottle of eye drops for our previous little dog with cataracts was an unbelievable $60 or something crazy like that. That’s when the vet said she could transfer the prescription to our drugstore. We got the same exact bottle for about half the price it would’ve been at the vets.

I’ve heard sometimes you can get cheaper pet meds online as well, but we usually just go to Rexall a few blocks away for our dog if we need to.




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[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

I'm getting to my anxiety level on .... only 4 1/2 tins left. Hope there's a great sale before I get under 2

I don’t know what the heck is going on with Maxwell House coffee... It seems to always be on sale.

My David used to drink Maxwell House but he actually prefers either Edward’s, PC from Superstore, or Nabob. He says now that he’s had the other coffees, Maxwell House is too bitter! lol

I used my Flipp app which can help you search for specials/sales and tell you for how long, and tell you which store. If you select the item, it opens up to the corresponding item shown in the store’s flyer.













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[David Baxter PhD]

3 Positive Things Part 5

A similar app is reebee:

• browser version at Shop Smarter | reebee
• iOS version for Apple mobile at reebee: Save Money with Flyers on the App Store
• Android version at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reebee.reebee&hl=en_CA
• Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/reebeeinc/

 

[GaryQ]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

I don’t know about Ontario but here all stores will price match the competition if you bring in a local flyer. That’s cool if you get the local flyers. Superstore does the work for you. They look at all the local big competitors flyers and 99% of grocery item sale shopping takes less time simply scanning the the isles as the prices are already matched if not in their own flyer.

Some giant tiger stores here on Wednesday or late Tuesday when a previous week special has leftovers especially fresh stuff it gets knocked down so low it’s like finding money. Once 200gr white mushroom packs 25 cents. (Credit goes to 2nd wife for that one) 10 nice packs. Used a couple and sliced and froze the rest for spaghetti sauce and stuff. I’ve posted quite a few of my super catches and FMN I remember once sharing getting a whole lot of on margarine once it was so cheap and she gave a lot to family and friends. My Granny’s grain fed chicken legs and drumsticks deal was a funny one I posted about a month ago.

1 -neat trick for singles especially. Garlic is cheap but unless you eat it in everything it goes funky or dehydrated before your done with one. Get one old ice cube tray or a cheap one just for the occasional use. Grease tray with oil. Press garlic. Fill each cube according to 1 time use Freeze and pop em out and then bag and tag them. Lasts forever. Great for sauces and stuff. And way better than having to resort to garlic powder or salt.

Me I’m a tad luckier than some. Heat, water and electricity are included in my rent so it doesn’t cost me anything more to have the freezer loaded up. Even it it stays there a year or more. Sealed stuff doesn’t suffer freezer burn or frost build up.

= Juan Valdez dark roast only. (Juan Valdez and his donkey for the younger crowd was Maxwell House’s equivalent to the Maytag Repairman in their commercials) Folgers occasionally. So no complaints when it goes on regular sale here. Load up to my 6 Tub threshold. I put 3.25% milk in my coffee. I like a stronger bold coffee. My price threshold is set at 6.97 max. Once open Tub goes in fridge to stay fresh. Have my 2nd container in cupboard take out of fridge overnight so that it doesn’t absorb condensation and fill the cupboard container with a week or so worth keeps the fridge one fresher by only opening it once a week at room temperature.

I’m lucky that although I’m a bit of a fussy eater I don’t have extravagant tastes, needs or wants. Beef is down to ground beef only nowadays Which is better for my health. chicken is the primary meat source now.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

My current favorite coffee: Donut Shop Regular Medium Roast K-cup

It’s not the cheapest but it’s my morning treat. At least one cup in the morning. Sometimes two if I’m working on a project. Never later in the day and not more than two cups for medical reasons: blood pressure, dehydration, insomnia, anxiety.

It was one of the things I really missed when I was on chemo. And it was only about 3 years later I discovered I could tolerate it again, although I think sometimes if I’m overtired it can still contribute to nausea.

I used to love Starbucks but Donut Shop made fresh by the cup in my single serve Keurig is close.

As for that swill Tim Horton’s sells, that’s not even coffee. As far as I can tell, the people who go there are the double double crowd who can’t even tell how watered down and tasteless the stuff is. Even McCafe is twice as good as Horton’s.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

Thanks Dr. Baxter, re: the other app.

As for Timmies swill, I don’t drink any coffee. I don’t normally drink black tea, either. I’m more into the orange pekoe... Red Rose and the like. I know it’s still black tea, but it’s specific to where the leaves are picked off the plant and also they have to be young leaves...

What exactly is Orange Pekoe? s Tea

Black (orange pekoe) tea contains approximately 34 mg of caffeine per 6 oz cup of tea, about 1/3 to 1/2 that of a comparable size cup of coffee.

Green tea has approximately 34 mg, while decaf orange pekoe has a negligible amount of caffeine.

Rooibos/red tea and herbal has no caffeine.


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[GaryQ]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

My current favorite coffee: Donut Shop Regular Medium Roast K-cup

It’s not the cheapest but it’s my morning treat. At least one cup in the morning. Sometimes two if I’m working on a project. Never later in the day and not more than two cups.
As for that swill Tim Horton’s sells, that’s not even coffee. As far as I can tell, the people who go there are the double double crowd who can’t even tell how watered down and tasteless the stuff is. Even McCafe is twice as good as Horton’s.

It all comes down to priorities. Some things have no compromises even at 1/10 the price. I will not eat anything else than Heinz ketchup. Kraft Miracle and Hellman’s Real mayonnaise. Of course I’ll make sure I have enough to last till the next sale. I usually only need one spare. Real Mayo I only used for my baked breaded Atlantic salmon fillets but haven’t bought it in a while.

Tim’s also has their bold or dark or whatever they call it.

And what may I ask is wrong with a double double? It’s not friggen tea! Some people like instant coffee. Daniel likes to eat grass and weird stuff. Gooblax eats vegemite, I may tease them for fun but I’m cool with it. We all have different tastes.

It all all comes down to balance. You make so much a month. If you’re financially balanced you cut where it’s less important to get the occasional treat like a Keurig pod at 5 to 10 times the price of regular coffee a cup.

I budget, track and cut where I can because it started as a necessity when I had to pay 20k back taxes starting in 2013. And I wanted it eliminated as fast as possible. Took me 2 years and 1 month to pay it off including interest. That’s almost 50% of my total income. That’s when I started logging and tracking and it turned into a very successful and extremely financially productive hobby. Then when I hit a bump in the road or decide I want to buy a 4K TV i can and did. When my 2000 car finally dies on me I have the possibility of not having to borrow to replace it with something quite respectful.

And even on tight budget I got the big instant pot the 55” 4K tv the dental emergency, some new vaping equipment and yet after 6 months I’m actually under budget! And my budget is not a break even or a save 10% of my net income. It’s surprisingly substantially higher. My brain may be messed up in many areas but I think I’ve managed to combine a positive aspect of OCD a love of math, saving money and making money with instead of paying money when I use my credit cards. Which are all paid immediately when the month flips usually before my statement is even available online. And not 1 single penny of unaccounted for expenses so far this year as an occasional entry. It didn’t happen overnight. The precision built up gradually over 6 years.

To return the thread on topic

1 - live according to your means and you stay afloat
2 - live under your means and you get richer
3 - live as if your means are way less than they really are and you build a safety reserve that can hold you up for quite a while should the feces hit the fan.

I chose option 3 to reduce and eliminate a lot of stress. And be prepared as best I can for what life might throw at me. Not having a spouse makes things possible. Otherwise it would be constant fighting over the difference between I need and I think I need but want and especially the “I deserve” this is just my way of seeing things. People can run their lives the way they see best for their wellbeing. I have learned not to judge but try and help. And contrary to many when someone I know gets a new this or that I’m happy not jealous. My best friend probably makes over 25 times my annual income. I’m happy for him he worked hard and don’t expect him to pay lunch every time we meet up. I’ve given him tools a portable air conditioner since I don’t need it here and he can use it at the cottage. And he did buy lunch for 2 years while I cleared my tax debt. That was his way of supporting me and showing me how proud he was of my determination and focus in achieving the goal.

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

This is a big one that a LOT of people don’t know about.

Forgive me if I already mentioned it.

Dog or pet medication. If your fur-baby needs antibiotics, gabapentin, steroids, eyedrops, etc, have your vet transfer the prescription to your own human drugstore.

We’ve done this many times. A teeny tiny bottle of eye drops for our previous little dog with cataracts was an unbelievable $60 or something crazy like that. That’s when the vet said she could transfer the prescription to our drugstore. We got the same exact bottle for about half the price it would’ve been at the vets.

I’ve heard sometimes you can get cheaper pet meds online as well, but we usually just go to Rexall a few blocks away for our dog if we need to.

It is shocking the difference. I also don't throw any extra meds away in case they are needed later.

Dos and Don'ts of Saving on Pet Costs

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

Otherwise it would be constant fighting over the difference between I need and I think I need but want and especially the “I deserve” this is just my way of seeing things.

The next recession, people will probably be using Costco to find dates And have the date there too with the free food samples or cheap pizza

Here’s Why the Costco Food Court Is the Perfect First Date Spot

“If they are not down to eat at a Costco food court with you they are not worth your time.”

Costco is always full of old married couples doing cute things like trying on hats or testing out the lawn furniture, and that’s enough to give any new couple warm, fuzzy feelings and visions of a lifetime of Costco trips together. Maybe you’ll even get married there, and you wouldn’t be the first.

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

1. Dog's UTI symptoms seem completely resolved within 24 hours of starting antibiotic.

2. Got a "new" set of table and chairs from family in Phoenix. (They have the taller pub-style chairs and so are easier to get into and out-of for my husband's back issues.)

3. Blue cheese dressing.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

How did “blue cheese dressing” get in there?

 

[gooblax]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

I would consider anything blue cheese related to be a negative, but to each their own :lol:

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

How did “blue cheese dressing” get in there?

It was at the salad bar I went to today They also had blue cheese. So I was extra happy to have both blue cheese and blue cheese dressing on my salad.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

Like @gooblax, i would be wondering why they were punishing me...

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

But... Blue cheese is terrific with Buffalo Wings... I’m not big on Blue Cheese on much but, as a dip for spicy chicken? Oh yeah! And also a little bit, sparingly, inside home-made lasagna, but only if you happen to need a substitute for Feta because you ran out. Because your spouse thought Feta was a main course and didn’t need to put it on or in anything. Except his mouth. Surprised he didn’t drink the brine...


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[David Baxter PhD]

Re: 3 Positive Things Part 5

Cheese should be white, yellow, or orange. If it's got blue or green on it or in it, it's gone bad: that's mold.

Mold or mould is a furry growth of minute fungi occurring typically in moist warm conditions, especially on food or other organic matter.

Might as well just add weevils while you're at it.