My buddy, Susan, asked what sorts of things would I suggest stocking-up on for next year's grocery increase and my immediate answer would be anything involving vegetables and fruit since they're most affected by drought. Learning which foods can be safely frozen is a great project. Start here.
Also, anything involving corn--which is nearly everything-- will go up. Here's a list of those items. (If you've never seen a 'corn list' like that before, you'll be shocked. And yes, there's the GMO thing which I try not to worry about.)
Oh, and I highly recommend signing-up online with your local supermarket(s) if that's available. Mine has both mailed and emailed me extra coupons and they also have click-to-card ecoupons. Also, sign-up with at least one local coupon blogger who will alert you to unadvertised deals (and more) available only at your town's store(s).
And here's a spiffy thing about always shopping sales with coupons in your hot little hand : staying stocked-up, well--it just happens. You keep buying items for incredibly low prices and it naturally keeps you prepared to care for a whole village year-around.
In fact, this autumn my annual stock-up-for-winter project will be made easier because, through combining coupons and sales, I already, without really trying, have enough of these for months:
Laundry detergent
Bathroom tissue
Kleenex
Paper towels
Mayonnaise
Toothpaste
Bar soap
Shampoo
Mustard
Relish
Hot sauce
Brown rice
Raisins
Coffee
And I have nearly enough:
Dry cereal
Canned tomatoes
Salsa
Liquid coffee creamer (in the freezer)
Butter (also frozen)
Pasta
Hope this helps a little. Again, I highly recommend Internet coupons--it feels like printing your own dollar bills!
********
Yay! Debra's World upstairs now has air-conditioning. Now I can dare climb up here past 2 p.m. and actually spend some time in my favorite room. We bought a new window air-conditioner yesterday and moved our old one upstairs. Whew.
Over the past two days, Buffalo broke two heat records and this summer is, well, getting ridiculous. In fact, this early morning is the hottest, muggiest one I ever remember in all my 19 Buffalo years, so I'm doubly grateful that Debra's World is now air-conditioned!
*********
In other news.... Three weeks ago I remember thinking, "Gee, it would be nice to read a new issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine. I still have a stack of old ones, but I'd like to catch up with good ol' Mary Jane after these past two years of buying no new issues."
Well. The following week, guess what arrived in the mail? One of those cards which says you can receive a free issue if you'd like. Wow. So my new Mary Jane's Farm magazine arrived yesterday, free to me, and what a lovely reunion we shared.
And what came to mind? The verse which says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Now, I realize that also means He'll give you the desires He wishes you to have, but I also believe it to mean that He responds to those desires you don't even tell anyone about. Those little wishes that only He and you know about.
Happy sigh.
***********
And along those lines... for weeks I'd wondered what color to paint our kitchen arch and our short dining room wall. And well, when I visited my friend, Donna, last Friday, I loved the paint color on the walls of her living and dining rooms--I felt so happy just sitting within their pale buttery glow and I realized that color is very close to the one in our kitchen.
So. I asked her the name of the color shade, went home and considered it some more and then made plans to buy that shade at our local Sherwin Williams (the high cost be darned. heh). But oh! After I emailed Donna about my choice, she emailed back that she had a whole gallon of her paint leftover and I could have it.
Wow. Does God take great care of His kids, or what? (And thanks again so much, Donna!)
************
"You have not because you ask not..." ... James 4:2
************
10 comments:
I love buttery yellow walls all over the house, but especially in the kitchen! It's a happy color.
It can also be a great neutral color. There's one called they use around here called Builder's White, that looks white until you see it up against [really] white trim, then you realize it's the most lovely creamy pale yellow.
Happy painting!
Lots of good tips here my dear friend! It's getting that time to stock up, especially if you live in an area like mine that just may produce some snowy weather!
Happy to hear you have a nice cool spot to retreat to and how wonderful to have that lovely buttery yellow can of paint supplied - God is good!
I have noticed that canned fruit is especially hard to get at our dint store. {[things are not always dinted I just think of it that way }}. They seldom have many cans of fruit and the vegetables seem limited always too. Lots of canned ravioli and such but not the basics. We don't get there often and went last week. I got corn meal and flour and other basics that thankfully they had that day. The dates were way way ahead and that is sometimes unusual there too. I note that some people's stock up amount may be 10 lbs. of flour and another 50 lbs.! It helps to really know how much your particular family uses on basics! :) Also what you can store and still keep it fresh and good till it is all used up. I know people that don't use 5 lbs of sugar a year. My nature is to be frugal and I love helping others to good bargains. I was taught well by my family members. We made it a game. Life was hard but you could control the little money you had and do the best for your family if you kept you eyes open and wits about you..and worked hard. Sharing what you got with others was always part of our lives...and for most we lived around. Life might not be easy but it was good non the less. I count it a blessing to be raised where I was and with the people I was with. They all kept their focus on the rules God handed down to us. You could easily see it in everything they did and how they lived. I am off the subject...sorry.
I have had a very unexpected blessing happen to me recently too. I never told anyone I wanted something and it landed in my lap so to speak anyway! We know where it came from don't we!! and Who knew we wanted it!! :)
I am dreading Aug and Sept too cause the heat and humidity will naturally the higher... and since our swamp cooler can't keep up now...well. :( We are blessed though as in our generation there are other places we can go and there it Is cool. We will be sitting at one of those places I am sure!! I am sure glad you now have an air conditioner in your room!! :)
Have you noticed how few chairs or benches are at stores? Or for that matter how few places have the ride on carts for handicapped people? If stores had more benches for the weary customer to sit while the other shopped I would think they would sell more. They must have found out differently because some of the stores that used to have a bench have gotten rid of them. With both of us hurting now we sure shop less and hurry out. If they could just have a chair someplace...I see so many worse off than us who could sure use one to rest a few minutes. Ah Oh! Again off subject...!!!! But grocery store thinking led me to think of this. Have you noticed the lack of seating too? Sarah
Thanks, Everyone, for your encouragement and ideas and good thoughts!
And quickly--Sarah--actually? In our area, there's more seating than ever in shopping places, at least, in our supermarkets and in Target and Walmart, too. I remember in the old days that there seldom seemed a place to sit down while out shopping and you'd have to sit in your car or something if you got tired.
But now? Now,we have food courts in our supermarkets where you can buy coffee and even lunch or breakfast or just eat something from the store. You can always sit there,too, even if you don't buy anything to eat and read magazines or whatever if you want.
Don't you have those in your area? I remember them just beginning to appear back 19 years ago out in California and Nevada before we moved here, so I'm just wondering why your stores don't have them by now? Just curious. Those food courts, even small ones, seem to make people stay longer and buy more, at least, they affect me that way. heh, so they're a good idea!
Thanks again, Everyone! ... Debra
What a kind friend you have!! I hope you will enjoy the color on your wall too!!
Elizabeth in NC
Hello hon,
Lovely to read your posts as always. Especially like God's gifts in this one. I've had the same thing happen to me. I'll be sitting and thinking "You know I'd really like a so and so. I'll keep my eye out." and not tell anyone and then I'll find it dirt cheap in great condition, or someone will give me half and I'll find the other half for next to nothing. He is so good to provide that I'm turning over my grocery shopping and stocking to Him too. No one takes care of me the way my Abba does!
One of our Targets has a small food area with a few booths so we can sit there if no one who is buying food needs them. There are sometimes two chairs also there in what used to be the return area by the front doors but now is not used for anything... The Walmart has two benches in the prescription department but they are facing the area where people stand in line to get prescriptions so kind of crowded. Grocery stores have none even though we have lots of grocery stores. One Big Lots has a bench. Yes I guess some places do have places to sit..although they are usually full! :) I guess I am just hoping for more. :) I do remember there used to be more places to sit even in the stores I mentioned. When I think of it we shop in the same stores over and over! Nothing fancy that is for sure! Sarah
Terri--thanks for your comment! Sounds like you've experienced those special blessings from God, too, and I love hearing from new folks here in my comment box--so thanks again.
Sarah--wow! Sounds like your area needs to get into the 21st century! I can't believe how behind the times they seem to be and now I feel more grateful than ever for our Buffalo area with tons of seating for its customers.
I was thinking... many stores have a box or a desk where customers can leave their suggestions on pads of paper. Perhaps you could visit these and ask that extra seating be added? You can usually also do this online at the stores' websites, leaving suggestions and your impressions of specific stores at specific addresses. You never know--I've seen changes made after just a few people asked for them!
Thanks, Ladies..... Debra
Thanks for the suggestion Debra! I was told one time that they thought people just sat if they had a place and did not shop. Maybe if I mentioned that if we had a place to rest we could then go on to shop more!! Sarah
Hi Debra!
I have been craving an issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine. I let my subscription run out. :( I will have to see if I can get that issue at the bookstore. But one magazine is so expensive!
The color of your kitchen sounds delightful!
Post a Comment