Frugal, Single Mom

A Weekend of DIY (Do it Yourself)

2009-03-16T04:14:00.001-07:00

I was not bored this weekend. I was busily working away indoors while Houston received over half of our missing eight inches of rainfall in just three days. When it rains here at my small apartment complex, I have to hold off of the laundry. That's because the sewer drains get so full of water that the water backs up into my second bathroom, therefore rendering my laundry room useless.

This frugalista had two projects, one that popped up suddenly, the last of my four (albeit cheap) watches went kuput. The second project involved my vacuum cleaner literally blowing up in my face while trying to vaccum up kitty litter a couple of weekends ago.

The internet is great! How did I ever live without it before? Possibly the public library? I performed a Google search on "How to change a watch battery" and found all the details. I had to buy a few tools that my kiddo had misplaced from my powder puff toolbox. Some new needle nose pliers ($5.00 @ Target), two sets of eyeglass kits (for those small little screwdrivers ($4.00 @ Walgreens), and four watch batteries ($14.00 total @ Walgreens) saved me approximately $25.00, compared to the price of taking all four watches to the local mall. The service would have been $12.00 per watch for a total of $48.00. These days $25.00 savings is a windfall!

My other project, the vacuum cleaner, was nasty as usual. My vacuum cleaner gets gunked up with black dirt from outside and the teenager grease of tennis shoes. I took the vacuum totally apart and as many non-electrical parts as possible got a laundry detergent bath and a good hard scrubbing. This morning everything is nice and clean and ready to be put back together tonight, including taking the time to replace the vacuum cleaner belt. The secret to getting this type of project done? Take your time and remember what goes where. The cost of my project? $4.00 for vacuum cleaner belts (2/pack) and $1.00 (2/pack) for vacuum cleaner bags.

Who says you have to be bored in a difficult economy?

Financial Rescue/Bailout?

2008-10-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

I've been paying a great deal of attention to the news lately. Between the presidential debates and the "financial rescue", I'm almost news saturated. What irks me about the financial bailout are the foolish people that we are bailing out. Although I have great respect for V.P. candidate Sarah Palin, she made a comment Thursday night during the debates that the people we are bailing out are "financial victims". Baloney!

Buying a $500,000 home on an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) when you can only afford a $100,000 home at a flat rate mortgage does not prove stupidity, yet it does mean that you might have low self esteem and feel the need to compete with the neighbors. Charging up all of your credit cards and living beyond your means will hit you hard during the next few years. You have a good chance of losing it all.

For the last 10 years, I've lived on nothing more than the money I make and what we can afford. I do admit to having two lines of credit...one for the car which is a necessity to living in Houston; and, another one for the heavy duty washer/dryers that I NEED for day to day living. That's it!

What we can't afford, we don't buy. Sometimes it hurts to the point that I want to cry. We all want the best for our children. Right now, $60.00 high school yearbooks and $100.00/month guitar lessons have been cut out of the home budget. I would love to go out and buy the best film-making equipment for my son's class projects, yet what would I be teaching him in the end? Mom's an endless source of money and I'm going to live with her forever?

Hopefully I am teaching my son to live on what he makes and that saving makes sense. Also, maybe I can prompt him into growing up and getting a job, and finally getting brave enough to take driving lessons?

And, we're starting to rethink college. My son is already saying he wants to spend his first two years at the local community college. With this mom's frayed nerves and just trying to make ends meet by breaking the glass salary barrier, I'm almost nodding my head "yes" in agreement with him.

The media says that we're in for approximately 3 years of high inflation in order to pay for the bailout. I will be going back to the ways of the recession of twenty years ago...shopping the grocery sales, taking my calculator to the grocery store, buying only what we need, and becoming a fanatical couponer.

By the way, check out some of the various blog sites on couponing. You'll find lots of good tips, including one lady and her fan club who give you real examples of how they spend $2.00 or less by shopping the weekly bargains at CVS. Nothing like buying something for little or nothing!

Take care of you and yours...Terre

$3.00 Pot Roast

2008-08-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

$3.00 Pot Roast? Yes, believe it or not, I have been able to get some high quality meats at my local Randall's store, courtesy of their discount section. In Houston, at least on the far left side of the Randall's (grocery) meat case, there is a section containing meat that needs to be immediately cooked, or in my case frozen.

Last week while perfoming my taxi cab duties for my teen's film shoot, I grabbed four packages of meat (ground beef, chicken, pork and beef fajita) in 1 lb. packages for a grand total of $5.90. This will feed my household of two, anywhere from 4 to 8 meals.

Yesterday, I made a pot roast in the crock pot. My base was a package of onion dip mix (onion soup mix works well, too), with 1" of water. I turned the pot on high and put the frozen meat into the pot. After turning the meat a couple of times at the 1 and 2 hour marks, I finally added diced potatoes and carrots to the mix at the 3 hour mark. The result? Two hours later after returning from another teen taxi cab run, our delicious dinner is waiting for us. There were no leftovers last night, although the beef and onion broth (sans the fat ladeled out) will make for a good pot of soup later.

Do you have frugal recipe ideas? Please feel free to post and share, or send me your blog links.

Tired, and Mom's in the hospital again

2008-05-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

It was another long week. Mom went back into the hospital on Tuesday morning, with initial signs of a heart attack, but we learned her diagnosis was Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and once again, MRSA.

We hope she will be out of the hospital tomorrow. This caregiver is cross-eyed, and I've been resting all weekend. I'm praying for a quiet week.

Take care,
Terre

Medical and elderly care - keep an eye on your loved one

2008-04-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers...my Mom's arm finally healed, she cleared her MRSA infection, and finally she is back into her right mind, at least on a semi-daily basis. With dementia and/or Alzheimer's this is as good as it gets.

One area of concern for all of us in the sandwich generation (those of us caring for our children and caring for our parents)...be sure and keep up with a loved one's Standard of Care while in a hospital or nursing facility. Luckily, I worked in a large cardiac unit in Houston in my early career. Even though I was working in one of the best medical facilities in the country, I can tell you that it is extremely important to keep track of your relatives when they are in the hospital.

If possible, obtain a private room with an extra bed and rotate with your spouse, partner, relatives, or friends to keep an eye on your loved one. At a minimum, make sure someone is checking in on your loved one at least once a day and is visiting for at least one hour during lunch or dinner. It is usually during this time that the nurses are making rounds with medications. You can usually get an update from the nurse, and observe whether or not your loved one is receiving skilled care, getting enough pain medicine, and eating properly.

It's important to be an advocate for the patient, mainly because hospitals are so short-staffed these days. In the old days we had one Registered Nurse (RN), one Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and one nurse assistant (CNA) stationed for 15 cardiac patients. These days, you are lucky if your nurse is an LVN and you have a CNA as a back up.

Now Mom is back in her nursing home for a temporary stay, until we can get her moved back into her regular assisted living apartment. The Standard of Care she is getting in the nursing home is much lower than that she received in the hospital. I observe many nursing assistants (CNAs) and nursing students in this environment.

The bottom line...no matter what the age of the patient, it helps to have someone else around to keep an eye on care.

Stay well, enjoy the moment, and pray for the best. Terre

Still doing hospital visits

2008-03-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

It's almost 3 weeks later and my household is still making daily and semi-daily runs to the hospital. I am fortunate because the hospital is on my route to/from work, and I can run lots of errands on my way home. I feel like I am on auto pilot at this point.

It has been difficult to run a frugal household while having a sick loved one in the hospital. One thing I have discovered, the hospital volunteer shop is cheaper on snacks than the hospital cafeteria, and cheaper than the vending machines. I came out with 2 bags of Chex snacks and a bottle of water for $1.72. I know I would have paid at least $3.00 anywhere else, so it pays to have an open mind.

My grocery bill has been higher due to buying convenience foods. We don't always give in to eating fast food, although my waistline says "time to give it up". Last weekend, I bought lots of veggies for myself - easy to microwave and nutrition packed yams, potatoes and acorn squash. Also, I've been able to catch some of the lower salt microwave meals at $2.50/item, which is also much cheaper than eating out.

Anyway, say a prayer for my family. We've still got a long healing process for two family members during the next few weeks.

Take care,
Terre

MRSA strikes again

2008-02-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome again to my favorite medical subject...

MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphyloccus Aureus - i.e. staph infectection - it's struck my family again, luckily not my own household. Mama is 67 years old and suffers from dementia/Alzheimer's in addition to a host of other medical problems. Apparently, not only is MRSA common to hospitals and locker rooms, it also thrives among people who are in close contact with one another such as an assisted living retirement community.

Mama broke her arm two weeks ago. One of the first things the E.R. discovered when they started testing her last week was that MRSA had started colonizing in her nose. When I arrived to the hospital at noontime Friday, the nurses were frantically trying to get her bed moved so that she could be put into a private room and have her put into an isolation type setting. At her door you'll find a green label attached to a cabinet, mentioning the barrier precautions one needs to take...this include good hand washing, donning rubber gloves, wearing a plastic protective gown, and putting a mask over your nose and mouth.

As I have assisted with ice chips, drinks, meals and keeping her covered up, I have been extra cautious not to touch my skin or face with the rubber gloves. I don't even eat, drink or use the restroom when I'm in her room. I'll take a break, sanitize my hands thoroughly and take my meal either in the hospital cafe or at a nearby restaurant. When I get home, the clothes hit the washing machine in hot water almost immediately.

I.V. Vancomycin and nasal swabs of Bactroban have been the drugs of choice. We're six days into this and she's still not out of isolation yet. So, when you visit the hospital and see green and white signs about MRSA, take it seriously, use the sanitary foam and take all the precautions you need. Oh, and if you can, leave your kids at home - they don't need to catch this stuff.

Here's to being healthy...Terre

The art of feeding teenage boys

2008-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

All of this raising a boy stuff is totally new to me, even almost 16 years later. Why? I grew up in a household of all females, except for my father.

My main challenge these days is keeping my teen son fed. Last night, a pound of ground meat fed the boys sloppy joes and bolognese sphaghetti for me. This is one of my frugal mom secrets - he hates sphaghetti and I hate sloppy joes. One frugal sauce can sometimes produce many meals. Last night there was nothing left over. The good news? Where can you feed 3 people for $7.50 if we were eating out?

The other thing I've learned about feeding a teen is to NEVER, ever stock up the whole household at one time. If you do, you'd better have a locked cupboard somewhere. It doesn't matter how much food I buy, it's never enough for the bottomless pit. 90% of the food bill belongs to him, 10% of the other stuff is mine. My stuff is on the outside ring of the grocery store, his is all the inside, expensive stuff.

One thing I've gotten smart on, if my son will cooperate. Go feed him a meal at Sonic and then make a run to Dollar General. Teen junk food and beverages are a lot cheaper there. I'm talking $60.00 at DG vs. $100.00 at the local grocery. Sometimes I can persuade him to make the 99Cent Store run with me, but those days are very rare. He has to be in desperate need of cheap electronics and chocolate to go there.

Happy living...T

Don't be impressed when you visit my home

2007-12-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! My household is trying to mature these days by becoming better housekeepers.

One thing you won't find at my home is anything fancy, and lately that means living extremely frugally, especially with the high price of gasoline and starting a new job which caused me to be without any form of money for about 3 weeks, until my first paycheck arrived.

How did we make it? I keep my place thoroughly stocked for the hard times in life. This usually happens to me about every 3 years, for one reason or another. I keep my freezer fully stocked with meats, vegetables, and of course leftovers. Leftovers could be anything from vegetable soup to packets of macaroni seasoning, dried milk, etc. Also, since we live in hurricane alley, we keep lots of canned goods on hand. We don't starve around here. At one time years ago, my son wished that we could be "poor" again so that we could have more home made meals.

Another thing we do is recycle old things into new things. I can't tell you how many towels have become washclothes, and how many ripped Wally World towels have become handtowels. I have but one goal in all of this...to successfully get the kiddo through high school and into the college of his choice.

Live wisely! Merry Christmas! Terre

Ack, I'm back...

2007-12-15T19:48:00.001-08:00

I have been blog deprived for the last two months, due to lack of customer service with that mega conglomerate phone company that attempted to give me the universe, then conveniently deleted all of my e-mail accounts when I uninstalled their service. Nothing like cutting cable connections (with their permission, of course) to get the point across about lousy service.

I don't recommend the universe service. I live in an old place and the wiring is old here. My home electricity current fried two of their modems into total submission. I must have made at least 50 phone calls to them since Sept. 8th, when the universe was first installed. At this point, they owe me money...$156.00 for the lousy service I paid for, 1 week's worth of wages for waiting on their lame customer service lines, and psychological counseling for anger management (just joking on the last part, of course). You can guarantee that when I get a notice from a law firm stating that a class action suit has been filed that my name will be on it.

In the meantime, I've become a convert to gmail. Go Google!

Yes, I'm still around - Commentary

2007-10-19T17:26:00.001-07:00

Hello to everyone who occasionally reads my posts. I've been very busy with a new job and with luck, will be hired on as a permanent employee soon, with benefits!

If you don't understand what living with no health insurance means, dig through my earlier posts and you can get a dose of my reality.

And speaking of health insurance, you can bet I'm not happy with George W. Bush for vetoing the children's health insurance plan for under-privileged children in America. Republican Party please note, I want to vote Republican, but you guys have got to get real about the war in Iraq (getting our troops out), and also realizing that there's a poverty crisis here in the U.S. If you don't believe me, do a web search on "teen pregnancy Mississippi" and find out what's really going on. Many young girls, age 17 years old or less, high teen pregnancy rates, high infant mortality and mortality in children age 2 or less. I say, charity starts at home, USA !!!

By the way, please see my previous post on staph infection or MRSA. It's been a big item in the Houston news media lately. Sunday or Monday's Houston Chronicle had an article about a mother and son in Spring Branch who have battled the infection, including frequent trips to the Texas Medical Center for IV antibiotics.

Be safe, healthy and happy...Terre

Laundry Wise...frugal & healthy household

2007-09-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

"Houston - the national geographic wonderland of the world". This was the quote from one of my oil industry boss' wives. She had moved to Houston on the company transfer and couldn't believe that frogs were actually mating in her backyard pool.

In this warm climate, many other things flourish, too. A few summers ago, my son contracted a mild form of MRSA, the dreaded drug resistant version of the staph infection, now common to hospitals and locker rooms everywhere.

One evening after my son had his shower, he lifted his arms and I noticed a large 2" diameter looking boil about 4 inches below his armpit. I tell you, I just about freaked! One doctor visit later (luckily the pediatrician understands my budget), and a tube of prescription Bactroban in hand, we were told to swab our nasal passages with a dab of Bactroban ointment on a cotton swab twice daily, for a month. Then we were told to wash everything in hot water (and when able, bleach) and to especially keep the washing machine clean by periodically giving our machine a bleach bath.

What shocked me most was that although we are not the cleanest people in the world, I certainly could have won a clean laundry contest, as I was doing at least 20 loads of laundry a week.

To avoid germs, wash most things in warm water, towels in hot water, and clean your laundry machine periodically with a heavy bleach solution (at least one cup of bleach to a full load of water by itself) to avoid bacteria.

To frugually make the most of all that washing, do full loads. Buy your towels all in the same color - in my opinion, preferably white to bleach and know they are clean. Buy cheaper washclothes in bulk and use as one-time use hand towels - this avoids spreading germs between household members.

And, ooo gross, should you have a runny nose that won't stop (MRSA colonizes in the nose!), or a huge boil that appears out of nowhere, please go see your doctor immediately. MRSA can kill if you don't catch it quickly. For more information, do a search on the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website for MRSA.

Be healthy! Terre

Frugal things to do with old shampoo

2007-09-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Baby shampoo works great for getting the fleas off of your dog.
Put a drop or two of baby shampoo in 2 - 4 ounces of water and use it as a rinse to wash your eyelids. (This was a suggestion from my grandmother's doctor - it seems the oil on your eyelids can make your eyes burn - something I must have inherited.)
Use a drop of baby shampoo on a warm washcloth to clean your cat's eyes. My kitty gets extreme dry eyes - he hates this routine, yet it seems to be helping his eye allergies.
Use any non-oily shampoo to wash your hand washables. A little goes a long way, and your clothes will smell good, too.

Any more suggestions? I'm sure I've forgotten at least a dozen more uses.

Cable Internet Installed !

2007-09-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I haven't received the first bill yet.

I love the new internet ! I can have three home page tabs flash onto my screen within 10 seconds or less. The son can now run his internet and he's happy with the speed and he's running on wireless. Nirvana!

Only a few more days

2007-09-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

I've got to admit that I'm becoming a Blogger junkie. Luckily, the new cable internet will be installed this Friday, and hopefully that will mean I can start posting more often.

In the meantime, my friend Pat Veretto (see link on the right) has nominated me as a "Frugal Subversive" on her website. I had to look up "subversive" to see if that meant a good or a bad thing. It means that I honestly attempt to live the frugal lifestyle.

These days with the son now in high school, life doesn't seem frugal. I still need to write out $30 in checks for school supplies. The yearbook is $75 and the school dances are another $75. Eeek! I think I need to take on some technical writing sidework at home!

I hope to be successfully writing again next weekend. Until then...

Cable installation - new internet?

2007-08-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new AT&T/SBC Cable TV/Wireless internet bundled package deals.

I'm not up to paying $115 a month for new high-speed internet service, yet my 15 year old's computer animation habits and upcoming digital filmmaking class this year may prompt me to at least pay $65.00 for a bundled cable/internet/VOIP package.

Any thoughts?

Tax Free Weekend in Texas (Aug 17-19)

2007-08-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

Guess what? It's Tax-Free weekend here in Texas, at least on school-related items, up to $100, including backpacks and athletic shoes.

If you are braver than myself and enjoy shopping with mass crowds, go for it! 8.25% is a lot of sales tax in Houston. In addition, some stores offer additional discounts.

You may see me at the local grocery store. My back-to-school shopping is complete, other than the few odd supplies such as binders and a few more t-shirts. Enjoy the discounts...Terre

New Horizons

2007-08-09T21:33:00.001-07:00

I've got great news this week. I start a new oil industry job as a Project Admin. Asst. in just 10 days. I'm hoping this is my big break. Am I ever willing to work hard for this one? You bet! I'm looking at the eight-year plan for me and my son...four years of high school and four years of college. And then a new life for me, the mom, afterwards.

I also bit the bullet and bought a new car last week, yes, on a payment plan. It's going to cost me approx. $250.00 per month extra to pay for the new car and the associated insurance.

Boost to my sense of confidence and independence...PRICELESS ! Ending my worries about breaking down on the road...CAREFREE! Having a car with a built-in alarm - WELL WORTH IT ! Ability to play my choir CD's and sing to my heart's delight - TOO MUCH FUN!!! (with the added bonus that no one has to hear me sing out of tune...)

It's all about choices. Think it through and attempt to choose wisely. Until next time...Terre

Mom's frugal time out (from the dog!)

2007-07-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have a dog, a toy rat terrier, who loves to be loved. She makes you love her by being in your face everyone moment of every day. She follows me everywhere, because obviously, I am the mom of the wolf pack. Notice I didn't say alpha dog, because I would most certainly leave that honor to all 12 pounds of her.

When I need a break from this beloved creature, I attempt to find her rolled up rawhide bone, it's at least 8 inches long. Instead of going to the local pet store and buying expensive treats, I make my own, and the dog loves them.

I keep a jar of $1.00 store peanut butter in the refrigerator. Then I take a teaspoon and try to fill in every available hole in the bone. In addition, I usually smear a bit of peanut butter on top of the bone for her to lick off easily.

The end result...a dog who barks incessantly while I am refilling her rawhide bone. Then I hand it to her and she prances out of the kitchen with the bone and hides quietly under the table for an hour. When she's done, she drops in and says hello. And believe me, peanut butter breath smells a lot better than her usual doggy breath.

Frugal home computing

2007-07-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's frugal home computing time, so please excuse the lack of postings through the summer.

If anyone has the answer to this one, please let me know.

My son and I are manually handing off the DSL modem back and forth, because it is Houston summer time and we need to conserve the dollars for our electric bill. I ordered the megaconglomerate's wi-fi DSL modem and that cost me $130.00. It came with an offer for $$ off to have a geek come hook it up for me. Unfortunately, we did not have the $$ for the geek, either. The lack of instructions for the whole setup was thoroughly frustrating and I refused to play mega's "sock it to me" game. End result: We shipped it all back and I'm refusing to pay the bill until proper credits are made to my account.

So here's my dilemma: I've got wi-fi on my PC, so how can I hook up to the internet for relatively cheap at home without having to network my two home PC's? Would cable modems hooked into our TV cable system be a cheaper alternative overall?

Any help is appreciated.

Cheap, grime-busting degreaser

2007-07-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a simple formula for degreaser that I have made up myself. I'm not saying it's perfect for everyone, yet for degreasing countertops that my teen coats with pizza makings, I count this one as a favorite.

NOTE: IMPORTANT SAFETY RULE...never, ever, under any circumstance, DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA. You will create a vapor fog that will lock-up your lungs and potentially cause you further harm.

Simple Home Degreaser

(1) 32 oz. empty spray bottle
2 oz. of lemon ammonia (this is usually found at the bottom of the cleaning solutions at your local grocery store & it's only 99 Cents for 32 oz.)
1 tablespoon of your favorite Dawn Dish Detergent (without bleach!)
Hot tap water to fill the remainder of the bottle

Put the top back on the spray bottle and gently shake the solution. Spray on countertops and wipe down as usual. Or, spray your kitchen sink again after you have cleaned it, and you will have a sink that is much easier to clean the next time.

Questions, comments, or concerns? I'd love to hear from you.

New car blues...

2007-07-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Attempting to buy a car...I am on vacation this week and have the time to go out and play the car game...I attempted to buy a new car the old fashioned way. Although I had already been "pre-approved" via an internet application on one of the large car review websites.

July 1, 2007

2:00 p.m. - Walk into dealership and ask for salesman - get his underling instead. Sit at appointed desk and wait for 15 minutes.

Thoughts...Amazing how in this day and age, with all the electronics we have, how the car dealerships still attempt the old bait and switch routine when you go to buy a car.

2:15 p.m. - Salesman sits down with me and begins interview process. He still won't divulge an interest rate to me.

Thoughts...I didn't know that car dealerships still operated this way, or that we women were so far down on the societal totem pole that we still needed a man to go with us to buy a car.

2:30 p.m. - Walk the lot

So the car salesman walks the USED lot with me (I refuse to buy anything but a Japanese vehicle), and finally we find a 2007 Toyota Xion that I would like to test drive. There is no price tag on the car at all. Next we go for the test drive, where I get totally hooked and want the car.

3:00 p.m. - Back at the dealership, salesman heads to back room to crunch the numbers.

3:15 p.m. - Salesman wants more info

3:30 p.m. - Salesman presents financial terms, I gasp for air, and politely decline 16.8% interest rate on offered car.

Here's the reasons that this auto dealership wouldn't grant me a lower cost loan. I have a low credit score.

In addition, I'm a contract worker continuously employed by the same high profile firm for the last 3 years. The dealership refuses to call my employer directly to verify my employment, or the 1-800 number that I offered that professionally verifies my employment.

Salesman comment..."you're a single woman, how do you support you and your son on that income?"

Hello, are we in the dark ages? I've been doing this for the last 11 years, and I'm not homeless.

I believe this is the way this particular auto dealership works. They are not interested in what the customer wants, they have banks available that want to offer high interest loans.

Luckily, I have a reliable vehicle that I almost own outright. The last payment will be made this month or next, depending on how high my electric bills are this summer.

Will I try to buy again? Yes, most definitely. Except this time I will not allow myself to be jerked around. Finance rates will be disclosed to me before I ever get to an auto dealer's lot. And, regardless of my credit history and single household income, 10% is the max I will allow myself to be held to on a loan. And that car I own will definitely be sold by me to the highest bidder available, not at $2500 less than what it really sells for.

And if all else fails, I'm going to learn to be the best Honda repairman a single mother could ever be!

Houston gas prices - grocery shopping deals

2007-06-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend in Houston gas was down to $2.87 a gallon in the Copperfield area, and I believe at the HEB at Highway 529 & Barker Cypress, I saw $2.77/gallon. I'm wondering if July 4th Holiday is going to magically raise those gas prices again?

At my local super market, orange juice has gone up to $3.00 for a 1/2 gallon, even for the generic brand. Grocery prices in general are hitting the home budget this summer. In addition, my May electric bill just came in at $179.00. Youch! And the hottest summer weather hasn't even hit yet.

My parents noted a good local deal at the HEB supermarkets. If you pay attention to either the store ads, or the store displays at the front of the market, HEB allows you to buy a bundle of items such as items for a BBQ and then you get a couple of the items free. HEB tends to be less expensive than the other stores, so this might work out well, especially when you are cooking for a crowd.

I'd love to hear from readers about prices in your region of the U.S.

Yuck! Changing the litter box

2007-06-25T04:24:00.001-07:00

My 21 pound tomcat, Johnny Cat (yep you got his name right - my son named him after cat litter), is one of the most affectionate and empathetic cats I have ever known. When my son was a little guy, kitty would curl up beside him while he ran a fever and keep a watchful eye. Every breath noted and every mumble acknowledged, sometimes with kitty curled up on the pillow while keeping one paw on my son. Johnny Cat loves his family.

However, his cat box proves a dilemma. For years, I used just the plastic litter box alone without a liner, because inevetibly JC would scratch through the liner from his shear weight alone.

Recently one of my neighbors suggested a better alternative. She told me to put an old towel down in the freshly scrubbed litter box and then put the cat box liner (I use two large 13-gallon kitchen garbage liners) in as normal. I didn't have any old towels, yet I did have a couple of those rug grabbers that I had picked up at a local garage sale.

I lined his litter box with the rug grabbers, and kitty has not scratched through the lining again. It seems that the old towel or anything that kitty can get a grip on, will keep the cat from shredding through the liner. Yippee! Problem solved.

Reverse the litter box liners as you pull them out of the litter box and have a third bag ready for disposal. I can almost guarantee that you won't be strowing cat litter all over the place when you head for the garbage can.

Credit card points...really a good deal?

2007-06-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

My banking institution has been sending me advertisements both online and via U.S. mail lately about their latest credit card points system. The cost of the points club program is $1.00/month or $12.00/year.

When I looked further into the program, the fine print read that only 1 point was earned for every $4.00 spent. Then I look over at the reward list and note that I can receive a $100 Cash Rebate for 10,000 points or $40,000 dollars spent. So that would be net $88.00 for the year if I spent $40,000 on my credit card.

I don't mean to sound lame, but there have got to be better ways to earn $88.00 during the year, don't you think? I'd love to get some feedback on this one. Let me know what you think.

Gas...$2.95/gallon

2007-06-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

This week in Houston, gasoline prices are hovering between $2.95 - $3.10/gallon, depending on location and demand. $2.95/gallon is here the local neighborhood where there is high demand; $3.10/gallon was noted on long stretches of open road in northwest Houston.

I did okay last weekend during the Memorial Day specials, spending only $85.00 at my local grocery store compared to $100.00 the previous week.

This week the items in the dairy and cold sections of the store had gone up significantly. Shredded cheese was back to 2/$5.00, rather than 3/$4.98, lunch meat was up to $4.00/package rather than 2/$6.00 or 2/$7.00 and milk was back up into the $3.89/gallon or higher range.

Items at the 99 cent store that had previously been $2/.99 have now gone back up to 99 cents. It made for double the bill when I hit the checkout - GULP, so watch those prices. I need to take my own advice next time, and "think before I buy"!

Good luck, a little planning, $2.00 or less spent

2007-05-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

I've shopped for next to nothing for a couple of my "in-between" major shopping trips lately.

If you haven't heard me say it before, I enjoy shopping where you could literally set up a picnic on the floor and not worry about eating there. A couple of my local stores fit that profile, CVS drugstore and Randall's grocery store.

Both stores offer loyalty programs. CVS offers those wonderful CVS free bucks, in addition to giving $3.00 - $4.00 off every $15.00 - 20.00 spent. These coupons print at the bottom of your receipt, which probably tells you why my wallet is always overflowing even though there's no money in it. I take advantage of these free bucks.

Last night at CVS, I paid $1.36 for the following items: 1 gallon of milk, 1 Lever body wash, 2 bags of Goldfish crackers, and 2 pints of ice cream. Here's how I did it. I had a $1.00 coupon for the Lever body wash, I had the $10.00 freebie bucks from recent prescription purchases ($10.00 off for every 5 prescriptions purchased - I save on the prescriptions, too - that's another article in itself!), and a $3.00 coupon off for $15.00 spent. Hurrah, just enough groceries to make it to payday!

I came across a similar deal at Randall's approx. 2 weeks ago. I always ask for the extra coupons that are sitting on the register. Guess what? Two of those coupons ended up to be freebie bucks adding up to $13.00. In addition, I found an in-store grocery coupon for one of the items in my cart. I ended up paying only $2.00 that night for $15.00 worth of groceries.

Both of these shopping trips needed a bit of pre-planning, yet I think the 15 minutes I spent prior to each of the two shopping trips paid off. I'm not the world's best couponer; however, I do enjoy "free"!

Good luck, and think before you buy...Terre

Thanks to The Stretcher Community!

2007-05-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

I've got to say a huge "Thanks!" to the Dollar Stretcher community, especially Pat Veretto, for their help in giving my site a second look. It's a great incentive to keep writing.

Here's the link to the discussion/bulletin boards at stretcher.com:
http://community.stretcher.com/

I promise I'll get out there and create a profile soon!

Regarding the stretcher.com website, be sure to give their website a view, also. They have several areas in their website, everything from the bulletin boards with how-to's and advice on frugal living to articles on credit cards and how to stay out/payoff debt, to the pros/cons of renting vs. owning your home. It certainly pays to be an informed consumer.

Good luck, and think before you buy...Terre

Sticker shock, everywhere !

2007-05-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just came home from the grocery store after using all my best shopping skills to shop frugally at my local store without driving 10 miles to the superstore. Total Price: $100, for one adult, one teenager, and one dog. Kitty didn't get anything this weekend. And, I still need to go back Sunday night for one more week's worth of school lunch supplies. It's all frustrating at best.

Currently, gas here in West Houston is $2.94/gallon, so that made me think twice before running my Honda all over town to go bargain shopping. So, I'll probably do more bargain shopping on Sunday after church, while I'm out in the area of town where two of the good discount stores sit side by side (Dollar Tree and 99 Cent Store). Believe it or not, sometimes the sacks of potatoes I buy for .99 are better quality than the ones at my neighborhood market. Also, the dollar stores are a great place to stock up on canned goods for hurricane season.

I'd be interested in hearing what's going on in the rest of the USA, as far as gas prices and grocereis go. Take care, Terre

Frugal Home Computing

2007-04-25T04:10:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being all over the place with this blog.

I wanted to pass along a few computing tips for folks who don't always have the funds to keep up with Microsoft's latest and greatest.

Google is gradually adding free online software to its arsenal of products. For more information, read up on the news at the following link on ZDNET:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Berlind/?p=437&tag=nl.e622

I find that ZDNET generally has reliable freeware/shareware that helps the basic home PC user, so be sure to check out their downloads section, too.

In another thought, MS Windows Vista has been offering frequent security updates, firewalls, etc. on their Microsoft downloads website. Make sure you are signed up with Microsoft updates, especially if you still have sponsored versions of their software such as Windows XP or Windows Vista.

And if you're running software and you're not sure how up-to-date your security and firewalls are, check out AVG Anti-Virus Free Editon located at: www.grisoft.com

Happy, and safe computing! Terre

Shop those cellphone prices

2007-04-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

I admit it. My son and I had to trash our cellphones two years ago because the pricetag of $90.00/month was killing our household budget, especially as summer electricity bills kept rising.

Recently, we lost our home phone service for a whole week due to a bad thunderstorm that knocked out our landlines, and courtesy of the "new and improved extremely large mega-conglomerate phone company" passing the buck on the customer service front. I was not happy to say the least.

So being a good mom and not wanting to leave my child stranded at home without a phone line, I started shopping the internet for a temporary cellphone. The range of prices vary greatly, everything from those old family package plans to finally, a new and improved system of buying your cellphone and the number of minutes you want to go with it.

Here's what I did. I went to Walmart one morning and looked at the different phones. The sales clerk was very helpful, especially when I started asking questions about coverage areas and which satellite systems the phones ran from. Guess what? The cellphones are runnning off of the same towers your high-price major cellphone companies are using!

I'm not endorsing any one product here. However, I ended up choosing a remanufactured Nokia cellphone running off of the Net 10 system. The wonderful part? The cellphone purchase and two months of service are only costing me $40.00 total. When my 300 minutes expires after 60 days, I have the option of buying the number of minutes I need in quantities of 150, 300, 450, 600, etc. minutes - all at 10 cents a minute. If you're a low-end user, like myself, this plan is perfect. My potential $15.00 a month bill certainly beats the $90.00 + I used to pay.

Good luck in your cellphone search!

Carpet Cleaner for Extremely Old Carpets

2007-04-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Dawn dish soap has a million uses, although one of my favorites is using it to shampoo my cruddy old apartment carpet that is a lost cause to the world. I've tried several different carpet formulas over the years - generic oxyclean, the commercial carpet cleaning products containing ammonia, even just plain hot water. And still the best solution I've found is about 3 - 4 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap (pick your favorite scent - Apple smells heavenly) added to hot tap water, and then go to town shampooing your carpet.

I admit it gets really sudsy, yet I'm not complaining, especially when I'm pulling pure sludge out of my carpet. It is gross to say the least. Be sure to pour the dirty water tank remains down your toilet, and flush often.

The day after your carpet dries, make sure you run the vacuum thoroughly and pick up the pilled carpet dust bunnies. I assure you your carpet will be clean and remarkably soft for at least the next two months, and you won't have black feet as you get into bed at night. (No judgements here, I'm the lone woman coping with a 15 year old boy, frequent teen hangouts and a dog and a cat!)

Another benefit, I live in Houston and we don't have flea problems in my household.

Frugal Fun - A Toad in My Flower Pot

2007-03-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

It looks like this one - it is an endangered Houston Toad? We have a pair of them!

Tiny (my little 11 pound rat terrier) and I were outside early this morning repotting a couple of our herb plants. Who are the herbs for? Tiny, of course! She loves to eat fresh pieces of broken mint and also enjoys the earthy scents of thyme, rosemary and oregano.

Imagine my surprise when I looked down into the now empty pot of mint and found a toad inside! This is the second big toad we have found this week. We found the first one hiding underneath a mud hole beside the sidewalk.

Toads are frugal bug eaters. We don't mind sharing our container gardening space with these guys, yet next time I hope the toads won't almost kill my mint by digging underneath them and depriving them of water!

Frugal, Flavored Iced Tea

2007-03-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

My son and I drink lots of water - tap water, filtered into the Brita pitcher, usually.

However, we do get tired of drinking water all of the time, so I make up a couple of decaf iced teas that taste great and beat the heat. We're always watching our weight, so we use Splenda if we want a sweet tea.

Here's the recipes for our favorites - peach or raspberrry

1 bag decaf flavored peach or raspberry tea
2 bags decaf black tea
Approx. 20 ounces of boiling water
1 ceramic tea pot

Steep for 5 minutes. Allow to cool, or pour over lots of ice.

Yum, I think I'd better go make some now!

Living without health insurance

2007-03-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

After reading my last post, you are probably wondering, how does this idiot woman make it without health insurance? I will be glad to elaborate. I don't think any of my ideas are perfect, it's just that I've learned to make do after three years of living without health insurance.

A little background about my family situation. I'm a single mother for the past 11 years supporting an almost 15-year old son who is the light of my life. I also lovingly support a cat and a dog, although unfortunately, they do not qualify for tax relief of any sort. I generally fall about $1,000 - $3,000 short any year of qualifying for the Earned Income Credit, therefore disqualifying me of any significant discounts on my tax bill. I do get monthly child support from my ex, although I would consider it insignificant, in light of the fact that it never even came close to paying for a monthly childcare invoice. I'm ranting, I know...

So back to the subject, how do I make it on no health insurance?

Pay cash only at the doctor's office.
Tell your doctor you are a cash patient, especially if they are working for an HMO.
Be prepared to argue or discuss your medical fees with the clerk at the front desk. Explain that you are paying cash and have no health insurance up front. I know this is embarrassing! Be tough - your home finances should be treated as a business decision, too!
Be informed - know about the medical tests that have been requested for you and what benefit they have for reaching a diagnosis. I had to cut out several medical tests recently, just because I couldn't afford them.
Know your targeted health risks. Mine are heart health and diabetes. Your family history might suggest cancer or some other high risk illness.
Ask your doctor for a generic drug, free samples, or a low cost over-the-counter alternative.
Sign up for any prescription discounts that you may qualify for such as Partnership for Prescription America, etc.
Walmart and Target now have $10.00 or less generics. Ask for a generic alternative, if possible.
Do you really need to go to the Emergency Room? Do your ABC's - does it involve Airway/Breathing or Circulation (Bleeding)? If you can't breathe or are bleeding badly, definitely go. Otherwise, consider waiting until regular doctor's hours for a visit, or try one of the smaller 24/7 emergency clinics.
Home remedies - I was fortunate enough to come from a pioneer Texas family. One set of relatives was from West Texas and the other from North Texas. Luckily these traditions have been passed along verbally from one generation to the next. Don't know any home remedies? The internet is a great resource.
Live healthy, be proactive about your health. Take care of yourself including your dental health, eat right, be active.

Let's all pray that our health care system in America changes with the next Presidential election. I don't have the answers, yet I know something better awaits us. In the meantime, take care of yourself...Terre

Health care in America, or lack thereof...

2007-03-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Presidential Hopeful,

Team Hillary, you will need to convince me thoroughly about how you will change health care in America, after thoroughly messing it up during the first Clinton administration. Even as I worked diligently in my Fortune 500, Working Woman recommended jobs, you made my single mother life a living hell. First, I had to give up my favorite family doctors, then I had to change over to the preferred provider network, and finally I gave up and just threw in the HMO towel.

After working myself to death in corporate America, I quit working for that number one company, and started the life of a contract worker. Now I have less stress, no commitment to my job, AND NO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Sure, I could have stayed on with the number one company, but as I tell my current co-workers frequently, the amount of money I spend on health care today is no different than it was three years ago. If anything, my health care expenditures are less!

Believe me, I am not advocating that anyone live life without a safety net. I'm just stating that had I stayed at the top company, I would surely now be dead of a heart attack and financially drained, because there isn't much difference in my mind financially by having no health insurance.

Whereas I used to pay low co-pays, a trip to the emergency room less my $75.00 or $100.00 deductible would no less, wipe me out. As I signed my rights away to pay what health insurance didn't cover, I also signed myself up for being billed outrageous fees, only to learn that my insurance (buyer beware - that insurance was self-insured by the company I worked for, and they were really making the rules) was only going to pay for 1/4 of it, if at all. That left me holding the financial bag.

Tell me, Mrs. President, how are you going to fix the messes you made during the first Clinton administration?

Welcome to My Blog!

2007-03-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,
As I sit here at home this weekend, my bank account is $241.00 lighter after a trip to the doctor yesterday and no affordable health insurance. Please don't feel sorry for me, I'm just stating a fact.

It's going to be tough until I make it to the next payday. Maybe you're in this same situation, too? That's why I'm writing this blog...to give others hope that we can make it.

I try to live my life based on these principals:

Live stress free, or as close as humanly possible.
Be a decent and ethical Christian woman who makes everyone around her feel accepted and loved, whether it be at home, work or in my day-to-day living.
Pay cash for everything, live on the income I make, live frugally.
Live for today, hope for a better tomorrow.
Pull myself up by the bootstraps whenever possible.
Be thankful for all my blessings!

I'm hoping my blog generates a lot of ideas and that you, my reader, will enjoy the journey with me. Please post often! Cheers, Terre