Frugal Grandma

Winter Hiatus

2009-01-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

You would think that things would slow down in the winter but Frugal Grandpa and I have been busier than ever. I am going to take a short hiatus from blogging. Will have lots of fun thing to share when I return. Thanks to all of you who visit. Keep warm and God Bless!

PhotoHunt Theme: Aftermath

2009-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

Deja vu - didn't this just happen to us?

What's left of our Christmas Snowman!
We knew we were going to have record breaking high temps the Saturday after Christmas. I didn't think anything of it. Our snow quickly melted - I didn't think anything of it. Grandpa and the boys were at Charles helping with a project - they didn't think anything of it. I was home sitting on the computer. I was just about to enjoy all the wonderful PhotHunt pictures for the week's theme when it happened. The rains started - not a nice gentle rain - no, it was coming down in buckets. OMG, it was like I got punched in the gut. I threw on my coat and ran outside - we were in bad trouble - dangerously bad trouble! There was so much water and with the frozen ground there was nowhere for it to go - except into the house! In a panic I called the men home!

Diverting the water toward the river.
They got the first pump going but it couldn't work fast enough. The second pump wouldn't even start. So it was an emergency run to the local hardware. Of course the store sold out of pumps that morning - figures doesn't it! So off to the next town. Luckily that harware still had a few. Junior arrived home with the new pump only to discover it didn't come with the piece to connect to the hose. So it was a race to Ace a second time.

Waiting for the second pump.
Just in the nick of time. The second pump was put into action. Slowly the water came down to a safe level.

Our neighbor Paul watches Charles work on the second pump.
Our poor neighbor arrived home from his work too late - his home had already taken on water. If it wasn't for the men working for many hours in the rain we would have also.

The AFTERMATH: A dry home thanks to my four heroes!

Toy Hunt: Small Toy/s

2009-01-09T09:27:00.001-08:00

I have quite a few "Small" toys - I picked out my three "smallest" to share with you. This Elephant and Mahout is slightly bigger than a penny. I have no clue if he was a Cracker Jack prize, gum ball toy, found in a Christmas cracker - I just don't know.

There is a wheel on the bottom. When pushed along the Mahout bobs up and down.

I think this is supposed to be Disney's Pluto but I am guessing it's a look alike.

You can see the loop by his nose where you can attach a string - he walks amazingly well with perfect balance. Even if he's not really Pluto he's a fun part of my collection.

Just had to include a member of the Peanuts Gang - this vintage Charlie Brown finger puppet.

The best part of collecting "small" toys is that they take up very little space. That is unless you are one out of control collector - nah, not me! (Hee, hee!)

A Double Dose of Hope

2009-01-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

On January 20th Americans will receive a double dose of HOPE as Barack Obama and Joe Biden are inaugurated. Most media attention is focused on the president-elect. But, we must remember that the vice president-elect is our #2 man and will be working closely with Obama as he leads the country towards a better future. The days and months ahead are going to be very difficult. God bless them and guide them both in their endeavors.

My sister-in-law Becky gave me permission to post this picture she & her niece had taken with Joe Biden. She included this note: "Diane and I had our photo taken 2 years ago with Joe Biden. Diane hadn't ever met a politician, and he was her first. I didn't really even want to go to the dinner that night, but I am glad I did, so I could introduce her to him. He's so friendly and fun to talk to. He found out she worked for Head Start, and took her face in his hands and praised her for doing it. He said," God bless you for taking care of those kids". She just beamed with pride! I always say, "Everybody should have one Democrat in the family, to take care of us when we get old."

Photo Credit: Anita Campbell, Des Moines, Iowa

PhotHunt Theme: Hope

2009-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

America's "HOPE"
Our country's Hope for the future relies on our President elect Barack Obama. He has a tough road ahead - Godspeed him on his journey!

And who is that distinguished looking gentelman standing with Barack Obama? It's my brother! John is very involved with politics in Des Moines, Iowa. He worked diligently for the Democratic Party during the election.

This is the first time I am posting a picture for Photohunt that I didn't take myself. I credit my sister-in-law Becky for this wonderful picture of Hope! She said it was "A proud Moment!"

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com.

Toy HUNT (Toy/s with Wheels)

2009-01-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

Charles and Di gave me this Simpsons Springfield Elementary School Bus one year for Mother's Day. They gave Di's Mom two rose bushes. So, what does this say about the two Grandmas?

Di's Mom keeps a neat, tidy home. She loves to garden and her flowers flourish.
Frugal Grandma is a ~~certified nut case clutter bug~~ collector of fine and vintage toys and she hates to garden.

At any rate, this is one of my favorite toys with wheels which includes Otto, Bart, Millhouse, Ralph and Martin.

And you thought toys were only for kids - ha!

To see more toys with wheels check out whenmomtalks.com.

A Contest Winner!

2008-12-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, I won a contest. Or, I should say, I was one of the winners over at totallyfreecrap.com. All I had to do was brag about totallyfreecrap on my blog and link to it. Since I had already thanked the site for freebies in my Christmas post I thought oh what the heck, I'll enter the competition. Figured I wouldn't win anything but, hey, maybe someone might discover my blog.

Well, a few days later I learned I had won a prize! And what did I win? A totallyfreecrap.com mirror! Wow, I have never won anything before - just too cool! And a couple days later the postman delivered my cute little pocket mirror. Will I use it? No, it's now on my "Cool Things" shelf in the computer room - gotta display my fabulous prize ya know!

Totallyfreecrap really is a great site for acquiring Freebies. You don't always get what you sign up for. Manufactures only have a set amount to give away and requests often exceed the supply. Still, it's worth the try. After all, what could be better than "FREE".

Toy Hunt Theme: Toy/s received on Christmas Day

2008-12-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

I told Santa not to bring me any toys this year but to give Beth, Wullie and Henry a few extra presents Christmas morning. He agreed, but he surprised me anyway with these cute items in my stocking - a little sock coin purse, a Winnie the Pooh glitter pen (lights up when you use it), and a white chocolate snowman.

Beth got this huge gumball bank. We will encourage her to SAVE money. And Wullie is opening the nice tool kit we found at a garage sale. Handyman skills come in mighty handy and he will learn from the best teachers - his Daddy and Grandpa!

See all the toys that Santa delivered at Toy Hunt.

PhotoHunt Theme: SqueakyToy Hunt Theme: Christmas Toys

2008-12-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Wullie: Grandpa my wagon wheels are "squeaky"!

Grandpa: Not to worry Wullie, I am going to fix them so they won't be "squeaky" any more!

Wullie: Thanks Grandpa!

Beth: Grandma, are the little red wagon wheels "squeaky"?

Grandma: No Beth, you can take the Ziggy Santas for a nice quiet ride!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com. And to see all the wonderful Christmas toys from around the world go to whenmomtalks.com.

A Waa Hoo Christmas!

2008-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful, happy Christmas. The best part was that we were all together. I often take that for granted because the boys live so close. This time of year I have to remember other families are missing loved ones, especially those who are serving in the armed forces. I thank all those who are diligently working to keep us safe and free.

Every Christmas Eve we host an Open House. Family joins us. Then neighbors and friends pop in for a dram or two to celebrate. Local folks don't have to worry about driving - they just walk home after imbibing in too much holiday cheer.

Christmas morning, hang-overs or not, we go to watch the grandchildren rip into all their presents. The garage sale gods favored me yet again this year and fun presents were plentiful.

After observing the traditional ritual of "open it, open it" we retreated home with Sonny and Junior to indulge in a quiet gift exchange and long afternoon nap.

Now, I am not about to tell you that our Christmas is totally ~~cheap~~ frugal. We actually went to real stores and purchased a few real gifts. Charles asked for a boot dryer which we gave him in advance. The thing looks really stupid but let me tell you Charles says it works terrific. With all the snow we have had he said it's a marvelous feeling to go off to work in the morning with dry feet. Sometimes you have to pay full price but getting a quality product that is used frequently is worth the cost.

There is nothing like being appreciated for my freebie acquiring talents. Every time Sonny opened a stocking stuffer/gift that was questionable he'd say "I hope you got this cheap". I'd answer "I got it better than cheap". With that he'd give a loud "Waa Hoo" and a big thumbs up. He did it so many times I was just bustin' with frugal pride.

I wish to thank Walgreens, Menards, Freecycle and Totallyfreecrap.com for making my "Waa Hoo" Christmas possible.

Oh, and about the picture. Charles got the kids sleds and hung them on the Christmas tree. I guess Santa had a dram too many at Grandma & Grandpa's Open House! "Waa Hoo!"

Wrapped Up With A Christmas Story

2008-12-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sonny splurged on the awesome "A Christmas Story" wrapping paper (found it at Kmart). But what's a frugal uncle to do when he runs out of cellophane tape? Use duct tape of course!

Merry Chistmas!

2008-12-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are having a very "White Christmas" this year! Junior came over this morning and built Frosty. The eyes, mouth, buttons and carrot nose are from a handmade "Snowman Kit" my sister-in-law Becky made for us. Yes, she is one super crafty gal!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! God Bless!

Photohunt Theme: FavoriteToy Hunt Theme: Christmas Toys or Decor

2008-12-13T05:42:00.001-08:00

My pictures this week show my "Favorite" "Christmas Decor". I love the Peanuts Gang and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is such a special holiday classic. I wish I could say this outdoor display was ours - it's not - but we pass it everyday on our way to town. Gotta love Charlie Brown, Linus, Sally, Lucy, Schroeder, Snoopy and Woodstock!

My sister-in-law gave me this ornament set several years ago (she's such a sweetie!). It's from Hallmark - made to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the television special 1965 - 1995. I dispaly it as is all year long.

These are the six miniature ornaments I bought at a garage sale last summer - 25 cents - A Charlie Brown Christmas to me!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com
And find this week's Toy Hunt here!

PhotoHunt Theme: Breakfast

2008-12-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

OK, I am not one for the traditional breakfast. Forget bacon and eggs - instead give me a bacon cheeseburger!

One of my favorite morning meals is left over pizza. And it just so happened this week that orange juice was on sale for $2 a carton and I had a 75 cent off coupon (ah, if it could only be that way every time). Anyway, cheap and nutritious = a great frugal breakfast!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com

Toy Hunt December Theme: Christmas Toy or Decor

2008-12-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

I just bought this Christmas Spongebob a couple days ago. I found him at our local Tuesday Morning. This is a national chain that specializes in selling closeout merchandise at discount prices. Sometimes you can find a pretty good deal. Spongebob was priced $3.00 so that's 50% off regular retail. He was too cute to pass up and now sits on our Christmas tree along with other Spongebob and cartoon character ornaments.

For more photos and this week's Toy Hunt check out whenmomtalks.com By the way Joy is having a toy giveaway this week - see how you can have a chance to win The Bratz Swimwear Collection. (Of course I would love to win this for Beth's Christmas so wish me luck!)

Photohunt Theme: Metal

2008-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Is she transversing a METAL maze?.....no, just having fun on some shinny new playground equipment!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com.

PhotoHunt Theme: Reflection

2008-11-22T06:04:00.000-08:00

Who's that handsome boy in the mirror there?

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com.

PhotoHunt Theme: Ruin(ed)

2008-11-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

My sweet, sugary expectations have been ruined!

I admit I have a sweet tooth - not so much for candy - I crave pastry - the gooier the icing the better! So it has been with much anticipation that a combination Dunkin' Donuts - Baskin Robbins store was coming to town. Before, those donuts were only a rare treat. The closest Dunkin' Donuts was several towns over. Now, those sugary morsels would be conveniently available - oh yum!

The store opened a couple of weeks ago. We didn't rush right over - we were hoping for a "Grand Opening" coupon to arrive in the mail - so far zilch. So yesterday we decided to just go over and splurge on half a dozen donuts - ooooh, sweet anticipation!

Upon arriving at the new building I had hopes of taking a picture of the shop outside - it looked pretty festive with all the orange flags signaling that the store was indeed now open. But, there happened to be a group of teenagers smoking by the front door - um, not the best timing - forget it. My only thought was - you silly young people - you will so regret this choice later in life while you are trying to quit. (Charles and Di were both smokers and it was very difficult for them to break the habit so that's why I simply felt sympathy for those clueless young people).

Once inside I was surprised at the lack of donut quantity and variety. We arrived before noon but the shelves were three quarters empty. There was no indication that they were going to be replenished. My favrorites were missing: French donuts, jelly filled Bismarks, and crushed peanut covered cake donuts. They did have a few toasted coconut cake donuts left which we purchased.

I took the picture of Wullie waiting for our six donuts to be boxed. I was all set to take more photos when the clerk realized what I was doing and told me it was not permitted. Did the clerk not want his picture taken? Or was it really against store policy? I have never in my whole life been told I couldn't use my camera in a restaurant. Golly, I am a gray haired little old granny - is that the profile of a spy from Krispy Kreme?

Next came the reason this whole experience was ruined for me. We were charged $6.42 (including tax) for our purchase! Are you kidding me????? $1.07 per donut?????? OK, I know some of you are going to tell me I am out of touch with reality - that this is a reasonable standard price. Our local Dominick's Supermarket sells donuts for 60 cents (including tax) and they are just as good! They don't have a big variety but then Dunkin' Dounuts didn't have any variety either.

So sorry Rachael Ray, this Frugal Grandma ain't coming back anytime soon!

Garage Sale Finds: Planet of the Apes

2008-11-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

A historical museum is the last place you would expect to find a second hand treasure. The McHenry County Museum had a table set up covered with donated books for sale - hardcovers 50 cents, paperbacks 25 cents. I must admit I am not much of a reader - the books were mostly novels and I just didn't find anything that interested me. But, there in the center of all the romance and mystery was "Planet of the Apes". Now, it happens that the movie of the same name is one of Charles' favorites. And, yes, he belongs to the NRA and is a Charlton Heston fan. I just know he is going to love adding this book to his personal library. Book purchase was on the honor system - you put the money in a box provided. Luckily Charles didn't even notice the table - he was off with the kids in another section of the museum. So taking the book out to the car and hiding it was easy enough. I will wrap it up as a present - just a fun little surprise Christmas morning!

Free Admission Day At The Museum

2008-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

The 1847 log home at the McHenry County Historical Museum, Union, Illinois.

Each town in McHenry County gets a free admission day at the museum. When it was our town's turn Charles wanted to take Beth and Wullie for their first visit. He asked us to go along to help with the kids. Of course we said yes. The museum has lots of hands on exhibits for youngsters so it's great family fun. And of course I saw it as a chance to get a few good photos. Oh, and it ended up not being free. We all had such a good time that Charles and Grandpa both gave donations and I purchased some raffle tickets on a quilt.

Wullie checks out this funky old ~~keyboard~~ typewriter.

Beth got to ring the bell at the West Harmony one-room School.

What's a museum without a Sock Monkey on display?

PhotoHunt Theme: Together

2008-11-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Wullie and Beth are sitting together at a desk in a one room school house.

Museum guide teaches the kids what is was like for all grades to attend school together.

The 1895 one-room, West Harmony School is located at the McHenry County Historical Museum, Union, Illinois.

Garage Sale Finds: Antique Elephant

2008-11-03T05:09:00.000-08:00

OK, I got caught - Alice over at Alice's Restaurant took me to task for declaring that we have already had snow for my "Blue" Photohunt picture. I admit the photo was taken last Christmas - shame on me for not stating that fact. No more artistic license for me - bloggers will see through it every time.

Last weekend was not cold and snowy. It was balmy and gorgeous - we are having a true Indian Summer. So I wasn't surprised to find two final garage sales in town. I really think this was the end of the season - colder weather is on the way.

I only bought one item - a old elephant figure - $5. Sometimes it's hard to gauge the age of an item but the detail and patina of this statuette screamed vintage. The gal who sold it to me said she purchased it 20 years ago at the estate sale of a world traveler. So the age and origin of the piece is a mystery. The one feature that is most interesting to me is that the trunk is pointed down - not up as in the usual good luck elephant. This is yet another item that I will put on Ebay and if it doesn't sell, well, I won't be the least bit sad. It is one cool pachyderm!

October Freebies

2008-11-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

We received a few "Treats" in October - it was a good month for Freebies.

The Pert Shampoo was on sale - after using a manufactures coupon and store coupon it was free. The Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber was free after mail-in rebate. And the L'Oreal Cleanser was free from the Walgreens EasySaver Catalog.

After many months of waiting they have finally started construction on the CVS Pharmacy in the next town - wahoo! Hopefully it will be open for Christmas. So looking forward to even more bargains - love love love playing the Drug Store Game!

Surprise, surprise - I actually got a few goodies off Freecycle this past month. First I got a carton full of disposable diapers. I didn't bother photographing them - took them right over to Henry. They were used immediately. Also for Henry, two and a half gallons of Baby Laundry Detergent. The gal who was giving them away got a new washer that only uses HE detergent. Lucky for Henry that Mom & Dad have an older top loader.

And finally a pack of cloth napkins. When these were offered I got the impression that it was a pack of paper napkins. I wanted to include them in a Christmas gift box of consumables/edibles. Now, I am not sure what I am going to do with them. If Grandpa and I were by ourselves we would simply use them. But, it's a very rare meal that we are alone. It's just more practical for us to use paper napkins for the family especially with the grandkids. I could give them as a gift but I don't know anyone who would use them. I might come up with a clever way to incorporate them out of package in a Christmas gift - like lining a basket or bowl filled with cookies or candies. If I fail to get inspired I will simply offer them again on Freecycle after the holidays.

PhotHunt Theme: Blue

2008-10-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

We have had our first snow fall. The windmill is strung with lights. We are all set for a beautiful Blue Christmas!

Garage Sale Finds: Antique Sampler

2008-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mild weather is hanging around the Midwest so there were a few garage sales last week.

We found this set of Sheffield Stainless Steel Steak Knives - new, never used - $1. I am going to give them to Charles and Di for Christmas. Now, it just so happened that Charles and Di invested in half a cow a few months ago. I know Charles is saving the t-bone steaks for Christmas dinner so the knives will get immediate use.

I bought this Royal Cauldon tea and chocolate pot for $5. Leave it to me to not take off the lid and check them first. Sure enough, the inside rim of the tea pot has a chip missing - augh! I am still going to put them on Ebay - they are very decorative so I have my hopes up.

Our last find is my favorite and I really want to keep it - this framed antique sampler - $10. If I had my own studio/sewing room it would already be hanging. But the cottage has so little room that wall space is already taken. I am going to post the sampler on Ebay with a hefty price. If it doesn't sell, well then, I will just have to make a space for it won't I?

Go Ahead...Make My Day! (oops - wrong movie)

2008-10-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

~~Clint~~ Junior stopped by on his way to a Halloween party. Gotta love those Spaghetti Westerns!

PhotoHunt Theme: Scary

2008-10-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

A SCARY Frankenstein Spongebob Squarepants? Wullie and Beth don't think so!

You know what was really SCARY about this grocery trip? - my bill at the checkout!

Happy Halloween everyone!

(And, NO, Frugal Grandma did NOT buy Spongebob!)

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com

PhotoHunt Theme: Family

2008-10-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

You never know what you are going to find at "Clutter Cottage". A new generation is now playing with this Fisher Price Family.

And where does a Family go for a bite to eat? To the local Mickey Dee's of course!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Augie Doggie

2008-10-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

There was only one sale last week - an estate sale. Although we arrived late on the first day I was delighted with some fun vintage finds.

Here he is - Augie Doggie (or maybe it's Doggie Daddy - not sure). Ah, love those old Hanna-Barbera cartoons! I am sure somewhere on cable there is a new generation watching Augie and "Dear Old Dad".

And some more TV nostalgia - a Ben Casey M.D. game. OMG I am so old - even my boys didn't know who Vince Edwards was. They had to check it out on YouTube.

And do you know Betsy McCall? She was a paper doll in McCalls Magazine for years and then became a popular doll. What fun to find Betsy McCall Colorforms with almost all the pieces.

Can you believe this combination salt and pepper shaker in original box! The "Gigi" thermos has it's original glass liner.

And finally a knitted Barbie wardrobe. All these pieces were handmade. It boggles my mind - the knitting needles had to be as thin as a toothpick.

When I went to pay the seller looked at my pile and say "How about $6 for everything?". That was more than fair for so many treasures. Looks like this was a fabulous end to our garage sale season.

PhotoHunt Theme: Lazy

2008-10-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Antique dealers Lee Hettinger and Tory Huck enjoy a "LAZY" autumn afternoon at Memories, Fox River Grove, Illinois.

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Pipe Rack

2008-10-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

It looks like the garage sale season is grinding to a halt. There were no local sales last week.

Junior stopped by yesterday to show me his found treasure - he hit a sale out of town while running some errands. Yes, it's the pipe rack and tobacco box pictured above - $1. Junior doesn't smoke cigarettes but occasionally he likes a fine cigar or puff on the pipe. Now he has a specific place to keep his pipes and tobacco. It's a wonderful vintage find which will help him keep organized for ~~years~~ decades to come.

I love finding things that will help me keep my ~~clutter~~ treasures organized. What has been your best organizational find - vintage or new?

PhotoHunt Theme: Sad

2008-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Poor "Sad" one-eyed scruffy old Teddy Bear!

That's OK - Beth and Wullie love you!

For more photos and this week's PhotHunt check out tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Water Balloons - augh!

2008-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Early this past summer Beth and Wullie arrived for a visit bringing along a new package of water balloons. Nice, cool summer fun - right? Well, I am the one who had to tie the balloons and let me tell you they are absolute murder on the fingers. Yes, we used the balloons - sessions would only last until my digits screamed for "mercy"! A couple weeks ago we used up the very end of the supply. I was such a happy Grandma!

Until last Friday.

There were two local garage sales last week and the grand kids were with us. Yep, at the first sale they found a brand new unopened pack of water balloons! My heart sank but we bought them anyway - 50 cents. Sad to think they will last the rest of the Fall before being put away for the winter. And of course the kids won't forget we have them next Spring. Sometimes I just can't win!

The second sale we went to was a joint venture of several neighbors. One seller had a lot of interesting collectibles. She knew what she had so items were priced accordingly. Just no room for profit. Oh well. So my attention focused on the kids. Beth fell in love with a pink suede coat. It was a perfect fit which means no room when she gets bigger. But she looked so cute in it - I spent $2. She'll get the use of it until the snow flies.

We let the kids each pick out a small toy and they were happy with that, BUT they insisted Henry needed something too. They picked out a very nice small truck for him. Of course it will be a long time before baby can actually play with it. But the idea is that the kids didn't want their little brother to be left out. Bless their hearts - I was so proud of the two of them!

When I Am Not Frugal: A Birthday Card

2008-09-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

There are times I simply am not frugal. I knew my Dad's birthday was coming up. Could I have saved some money by making him a homemade card? Of course the answer is yes. But, not being very clever crafty I couldn't come up with an appropriate idea.

My Dad is in a nursing home 350 miles away in Northern Wisconsin. He has never seen his great grandchildren in Illinois or Washington state. Luckily he does get to have lunch everyday with his Wisconsin great grand-kids. So, what I am getting at is that I could have Beth and Wullie make him some cards but he just wouldn't understand who they were from. The kids' pictures are hanging in his room but to him they are only wall decoration. He is clueless.

So, what to do for a card? - a trip to Hallmark of course! There I found one in the "Expressions" line. It's big, bold lettering and very colorful - so OK, you see it at the top of this post. I felt it was perfect. I think he will understand it came from me and Frugal Grandpa - but then if he is having a bad day it won't register. It cost me 4.29 and I felt it was worth every penny.

Thank you Hallmark!

Post script. My sister has three September birthdays in her family - of course one of them is Dad. She had one party for all three. After dinner & cake she put a box of chocolates on the table. My Dad stuffed a bunch of them in his pockets (he doesn't eat much candy - he likes to treat the staff at the nursing home). My sister said by the time she had to take him home the chocolates had melted and his trousers were a disaster.

Bless his heart - Happy 88th Birthday Dad!

PhotoHunt Theme: View

2008-09-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Wullie and Beth each have a front row "VIEW" of a rainy day catastrophe. Heavy down pours in the Midwest after Hurricane Ike produced so much water that it couldn't drain off.

Beth is "view"ing Grandpa and Sonny trying to pump water away from the cottage. At this point they have already averted much of the water.

Wullie is "view"ing his Dad and Junior trying to push the flow of water towards the river.

It was only after a second pump was purchased that the men got the situation completely under control. We came so close to having the cottage flood.

Beth and Wullie are "view"ing Grandpa's plan to avert future flooding - a new drainage system!

Garage Sale Finds: A Time To Give Back

2008-09-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Beth is going to pre-school this school year. Our local Methodist Church has offered this program for decades - in fact all my boys attended when they were youngsters. You need not be a member of the church. There is a fee but it is very reasonable.

The church holds an annual rummage sale every September. Since we never did manage to have a sale ourselves this summer, I decided I would give a lot of the items we have been storing to the church. They are giving so much to Beth, surely we can give a few items to help with their fund raising. When we took our donation over I was amazed at the amount of items packed in the church itself - I couldn't wait to actually be a buyer.

We didn't go to the sale until late in the afternoon on the first day. In fact we were the only ones there so I took one quick photo. I should have aimed the camera in the other direction so you could see just how jam packed the pews were. We spent a lot of time going through all the books, housewares, toys, etc. I gave the clothing a quick look over. Pricing was simplistic - whatever you could fit into a plastic grocery bag was $1. Anything too big for a bag was $1. We filled one bag and I found a Stone Mountain purse - our total - $2.

So, what did I put in the bag? A few books for the kids. Pants for Beth and Wullie, pj's for Henry. A Bratz doll (not for Beth but for me to use as a model to make doll clothes). And a 1979 issue of Saturday Evening Post featuring John Wayne. I know, I was one happy customer.

The next day Charles called and asked if we wanted to go to the sale. Sonny was home for the weekend and he wanted to go. Grandpa declined. I was all for going again with the intention that I would spend my time really looking through the clothes. I had just glanced over them the day before. Beth needs pants and tops for pre-school so I was hoping to find a few articles for her.

We arrived at the sale early afternoon. After a closer look at the clothes I found a few tops for Beth. And for Wullie a winter jacket with snow pants to go with. It's a bit big which means he will get a couple years wear out of it. I spent another $2.

Charles bought the kids some toys. Children's books were free this day - limit five. So he and I each picked out five.

Sonny found a bunch of clothing to buy including some nice flannel shirts. He was charged a dollar but gave them two.

I hope the church made a lot of money from the event even though they were selling everything so cheaply. When we got there on Saturday I could see that much had sold - a lot of the items we donated were gone. In fact the workers at the sale said they were amazed at the amount of customers they had in the morning. And on top of that they were serving free corn dogs and ice cream novelties. We declined lunch but Beth and Wullie each enjoyed a fudgesicle. It was an amazing sale and the church members were so inviting and friendly.

When we got home Sonny was so thrilled with his purchases he proclaimed that he would only buy clothing from garage sales in the future. That's a bit unrealistic but it's possible to get much of ones wardrobe this way. Sonny said he just doesn't care what others think - no keeping up with the Jonses for him! In fact he is squirreling everything possible away, making solid investments, and is planning to retire early. He is aiming for the simple life. Am I a proud Frugal Grandma or what?

PhotoHunt Theme: Road

2008-09-20T06:16:00.001-07:00

Beth and Frugal Grandpa walking along the "Road" to Grandma's house!

For more photos and this week's Photo Hunt check out tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: (not so) Tastefully Simple

2008-09-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

I can't remember ever having a bad garage sale experience. For the most part sales have been interesting, surprising and fun. But yesterday I had a very uncomfortable encounter. There was only one local sale. It was obviously hosted by several neighbors & there was a lot of merchandise to check out. I immediately found the cutest Hallmark ornament - it was a snowgirl wearing a pink scarf marked "granddaughter". What a darling addition that would be to Charles & Di's Christmas tree this year!

Before I could look at another thing I was approached by one of the sellers and was told she was selling Tastefully Simple products via home parties. I've never heard of them before. She showed me her display of merchandise and insisted I should buy some as the products were so delicious. Well, the packaging was very colorful and impressive. But my little frugal granny brain did a quick calculation that looked like this:

gourmet + glitz + home party = expensive!

I politely declined. She continued to praise the delicious quality of the product. And then, horror of horrors, she asked me to host a party! Was she kidding? She had no idea who she was asking - Frugal Grandma does NOT do parties! I would never ask frugal family members and my friends to such an event! If I am not willing to pay an over inflated price, why would they? Just NO WAY!

Then, I suddenly hit panic mode - it was so uncontrollable - I simply had to get out of there. I asked the price of the ornament (nothing at the sale was priced). The gal said $2. I felt that was a bit high for a garage sale but I wasn't about to negotiate - I paid and then ran for the car. I couldn't leave fast enough.

You know, it was a shame. I might have found some other nice things to buy. But, the encounter was such a turn off. I suppose I over reacted. After so many years of going to sales you would think I'd just ignore the pushy sales pitch. It shouldn't have bothered me but it did. How do you react to sales pressure? Do you simply say "no", do you cave in and purchase, or do you high tail it and run?

PhotoHunt Theme: Wild

2008-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

This week I have a few pictures to share from our visit to Donley's "WILD" West Town, Union, Illinois.

We rode on the Union Express twice - it looped around the grounds for quite a fun ride.

We had a chance to talk with these actors after the "Wild" West Show. We were surprised to learn that a lot of Hollywood stunt men get their start at Donley's - it's a coveted job for any actor or stunt man's resume.

What would a visit to the "Wild" West be without a horse ride - it was Wullie's favorite activity of the day!

Answer to last week's Photohunt theme - "What was hanging on the two strings?" Jams at The Poor Mouth got it correct - two haggises! Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. From the dictionary: "haggis ,n, Scot., a dish made of the heart, liver, etc. of a sheep or calf, minced with suet and oatmeal".

The Bonnie Wee Prince

2008-09-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Prince Henry arrived September 8th weighing in at 7 lb 12 oz. Baby and Mom doing well.
Frugal Grandpa couldn't wait to hold him!

Garage Sale Finds: Stocking Stuffers

2008-09-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

There were only two garage sales over the weekend. This is the first time all season that I have actually found some items to use as stocking stuffers. I don't claim responsibility for providing little toys and baubles at Christmas - that's up to Charles and Di. But, if I happen across a few things it certainly helps them out. After all - a desperate trip to the dollar store just before Dec. 25th for a bunch of little items can end up being one big expense.

I found these five stocking stuffers - so OK, it's not much, but it's five less items that need to be purchased come the holidays. A mini Christmas teddy in box - 25 cents, Troll - 50 cents, little tub toys - 50 cents, Mary Engelbreit note pad - 50 cents and ladybug stickers - 10 cents.

We were lucky to be without the grandchildren when we hit the garage sales. I got Beth this Barbie horse and carriage - pretty impressive looking and only $6. And, NO, I am not going to go get her a Barbie Princess doll to go with it. She has a bunch of Barbies as it is - they don't have to be in Princess attire to ride in the carriage.

We found this cool plastic Home Depot tool set for Wullie - $2. I hope it will be a good introduction to the use of different tools.

And finally for Ebay - these salt and pepper shakers of the Marina Towers. They are so funnky and kitchy looking. They are so "Chicago" and surely someone on Ebay really needs them for their vintage collection. They weren't marked so I was a bit taken back when the gal said they were $3. I had already oohed and aahed over them and pretty well committed myself to the purchase. Of course I was also buying the stocking stuffers and tool set. Besides the sale was to help fund the seller's run in a race for some charity. So, I wasn't going to haggle - I paid the price and over all I was very, very happy with all my purchases.

Anyone have some great stocking stuffer advise or stories? We need all the help we can get come Christmas time!

Baubles & Balloons at Fox Fest

2008-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

Frugal Grandpa and I tagged along with Charles, Di and grandkids to our town's annual Fox Fest. This year it was held in the park just down the road from us so it was in easy walking distance. You can't have a festival without balloons - Beth and Wullie each got one. Grandpa didn't but the local beauty queen gave him a big smile so he was pretty happy with that.

Fox Fest is geared mostly towards children. Events included kid's bingo, cake walk, balloon art, owls and raptors on display, a Mad Science stage show and kids haunted house. The haunted house couldn't have been too scary - Beth went through it about a dozen times.

Our Chamber of Commerce was handing out the baubles which were placed in one of those nice reusable grocery totes. Freebies included a magnifying glass, magnetic clip, map of our area, pen and great coupons. I was a very happy Grandma.

There were a few monsters on hand to promote the upcoming Halloween Haunted House.

It was a fun afternoon for all of us. Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Strings

2008-09-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Two "STRINGS" attached to two ........?

Answer next week!

This is an older photo so the quality is rather poor. But the image fit the theme perfectly so I just had to use it. Here is a little hint to answer the question "what are the strings attached to?" - the photo was taken in Scotland.

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com

PhotoHunt Theme: Beautiful

2008-08-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Here comes the BEAUTIFUL Bride!

Read about the wedding here!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com

PhotoHunt Theme: Wrinkled

2008-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Two pair of very "Wrinkled" feet after many hours of swimming!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Chenille Skunks

2008-08-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am so envious of Jenny, Karl and Meghan over at Yard Sale Bloodbath and Tom at Yard Sale Addict. They take the most interesting photos at the garage sales they visit. Maybe they can do this because they are in large cities - Seattle, WA and Atlanta, GA. I just don't think I could get away with snapping pictures locally. I can just envision a seller saying to me "What the heck do you think your doing?" I would have to answer "Taking pictures to document your sale so I can write about it on my blog that no one reads". I just don't think that would fly. And when I think about it, no one wants to see pictures of baby clothes and toddler toys anyway. Our local sales are pretty boring and it's a real challenge to actually find a treasure amidst the diaper genies and receiving blankets.

But last week we hit the most incredible estate sale I have ever been to. It was so big it was like a mini flea market came to town. It made me wonder if the owners of all this ~~junk~~ stuff actually sold at flea markets. Or maybe he/they were just crazy ~~pack-rats~~ collectors. It was obvious that quite a bit of the merchandise had been in storage - much was mildewed and musty smelling.

We investigated the garage first. It was overflowing with tools, books, records, and 8 track tapes. A big section of yard held kitchen items - pots, pans, dishes, etc. All along the sidewalk were pictures, odd wall decor and lawn ornaments.

Inside the house there was table after table of assorted ~~junky~~ kitchy knick-knacks. At this point we were without supervision so I whipped out my camera and was able to take two pictures before the help returned to keep an eye on us. After all two senior citizens with grandchildren might abscond with some priceless artifact (yeah right).

There were a lot of "nude" items throughout the sale - this one bottle was typical.

I thought these skull mugs next to the crucifiction plate were unusual - no I didn't buy them.

So, what marvellous treasures did we dig up? Very little becasue I just didn't have the time to really look at everything - grandchildren are very distracting.
I did buy three Wilton cake pans- $3.00. These seem to sell well on Ebay so they were worth taking a chance.

Also for Ebay these Chenille skunks - $1.00. Many older crafters will remember Lee Wards - a catalog outfit in the 60's and 70's that sold everything for sewing, needlework, cake decorating and assorted other crafts.

I couldn't pass up this vintage Bambi mug marked Sango China, Japan - 25 cents.

One room of the house was devoted to toys. There were a lot of dolls and games that were in very bad condition. Beth did find the cute little angel doll for 50 cents.

We got a few other small toys I didn't photograph - Tootsietoy helicopter, new box of watercolor paints, and squirt gun still in package - another 75 cents.

Frugal Grandpa and I looked like true typical grandparents. Everything we bought would be construed as indulgences for the kids. I love NOT looking like an antique/collectible dealer - people are a lot friendlier to you when they don't think you intend to make a profit on your purchases. Thanks to Beth and Wullie for helping us go incognito!

There were three other garage sales in town last weekend. Beth got that purple TY Bear - $2.00. And for baby's Christmas this new pair of Chicago Bears sneakers - $1.00.

We spent very little and had the most interesting outing of the season.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Colorful

2008-08-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

"Colorful" Birthday Party Balloons!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com

Use It or Loose It: JCPenney & Kohl's

2008-08-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

A new JCPenney recently opened about 10 miles down the highway from us. As an incentive to visit we received a $10.00 off $10.00 purchase coupon in the mail - only good during the three day Grand Opening. We also had a $5.00 off $5.00 purchase at Kohl's that needed to be used up. Since the two stores were in the same area we headed on over to cash in on such good deals.

When we got to JCPenney I wasn't surprised to see customer after customer exiting the store with bag in hand - nothing like getting $10.00 free to spend. When we entered the store I was surprised to see how posh it was - so very upscale. Glistening marble floors, lavish jewelry displays and colorful cosmetic counters were there to greet all who entered. And then there were all the store execs milling around shaking hands and eager to answer questions. You knew right off they were corporate and not just sale staff - they were older, wore expensive suits, and looked miserably tired.

Since we don't really need anything ourselves we decided we were going to use our coupon to find a Christmas present for one of the grandchildren. The young girl's department was the first area encountered. We passed up rack after rack after rack of Hannah Montana merchandise. Then there were all the new fall fashions. Tops for $30 and pants to match for $28 - yikes! Very pretty and well made but how can parents afford to buy school clothes at those prices?

Then we found a little alcove full of classic cut clothing. There were beautiful high quality pleated skirts and nice knit tops to match. They had plain but very functional cardigans and v-neck pull-over sweaters. And would you believe co-ordinating knee socks to match - lovely, just lovely. Hmmm.....strange that these clothes are limited to three colors - white, tan and navy blue. Wait a minute.... (this is where you envision that the light bulb in my brain suddenly gets switched on)...D'oh! these are school uniforms! No wonder I was so impressed. If only all schools required uniforms. Parents would save a gazillion dollars and it would help alleviate some of the peer pressure students deal with. But then, who would buy all those Hannah Montana tops?

We gave up in the girl's department - finding something for about $10.00 was impossible. So, on to the boy's department and surprise, surprise - we found shirts on sale for $2.99 and $1.99. We quickly picked out five shirts and went right to check out. After the coupon was deducted we only owed $1.99 - what a bargain!

We had high hopes of doing as well at Kohl's with our $5.00 coupon but it just didn't happen. We must have spent a good hour looking in both the boys and girls departments. It was a case of use it or loose the coupon because it was about to expire. We finally found a boy's tank top on sale for $6.00. After the deduction the price was $0.97. So, we ended up with six shirts for $2.96 or about 50 cents each. Wullie will get three for Christmas and three for his birthday.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Garage Sale Finds: In Your Face Entrepreneurship

2008-08-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

There were quite a few garage sales over the weekend. People were finally able to take advantage of decent weather - no rain and low humidity. Of course we were with grandchildren but they were more than happy to go look at all the ~~junk~~ treasures.

One of the first sales we hit had something that the kids have not seen before - a lemonade stand. No sooner had the kids jumped out of the car when the 8 year old proprietor of the stand was literally in their face saying "Do you want some lemonade?". Our kids, so not garage sale savvy, of course said "Yes". As far as they knew he was just a nice friendly young man offering them liquid refreshment. How were they to know said treat required cold hard cash. Of course the brash sales tactic worked. Frugal Grandpa quickly produced two quarters and paid for the drinks. In the end it wasn't money wasted - the kids really did enjoy the lemonade.

We must have hit a dozen sales without finding any toys - very unusual. And the only thing I purchased were four coasters from the 1982 World's Fair - 50 cents. The kids were very good but after awhile were getting tired and discouraged - after all, we had promised they could each get a toy. It was tough to get the idea across that we had no control over what was being offered - but it was a good garage sale lesson - sometimes you come home empty handed. Finally we hit a sale that had a few toys. We found a Nerf pop ball gun that Wullie fell in love with but nothing for Beth.

On to the last sale of our outing. This was the most interesting sale of the season packed with tons of vintage collectibles. They were priced right for a collector but not low enough that I could turn a profit on Ebay. I had a fun time pouring over all the goodies but poor Beth - every time she said she'd like to have a $20 doll I had to keep telling her it was too expensive. Disappointing for her but another garage sale lesson - Grandma is only going to fork over the greenbacks if the price is low enough.

While I was salivating over all the vintage items Frugal Grandpa was eying a tractor lawn mower. The seller originally priced it at $275 but said he had just lower the price to $235. He said he had it tuned up & blades sharpened for the season at a cost higher than what he was selling it for. But now that his mother had given him her much nicer mower he needed to sell this one. He had Grandpa turn it on and give it a try - it was love at first ride. We were able to give $100 cash and the rest by check (since we are local).

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The seller was so thrilled to have made the sale that he insisted on throwing in something for each of the kids. He gave Beth a vintage Vogue doll (Beth took the doll home so I photoed a bit of the box) and to Wullie this Tonka hot rod. In my mind I could see the dollar signs floating away from me - what kind of price could these toys have fetched on Ebay - what sort of profit would they have produced? That evening I did check Ebay and surprise, surprise - there were quite a few of these dolls and cars listed - no bids, no sales (that's the way Ebay has been going lately - the market is too saturated). That made me very happy - no one in cyberspace wants these toys so I am happy that Beth and Wullie are having fun with them.

As for the tractor mower - we bought it for Sonny - the price was so low it was a real steal. It would be nice to keep it ourselves but our lawn is small enough that a push mower is sufficient and gets into all the odd corners. But, Sonny has a large lot and this will make his mowing a breeze. Not that old money bucks couldn't buy himself a tractor mower - he's just too tight to part with any of his savings. We told him that this is his Christmas present & not to expect anything under the tree - he was quite pleased with that.

Now, we just have to transport the thing to Rockford. Years ago Charles invested in a trailer. We store it behind our garage. It hasn't been used in a long time so the license plates are expired. In order to pick up the mower they took a chance and hitched up the trailer and drove it over to the sale and back - whew, made it without encountering the law. The mower won't be moved now until the trailer plates are renewed. In the meantime Grandpa is having great fun toodeling around our yard on the new wheels.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Dark

2008-08-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

Our beacon in the "Dark"!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out tnchick.com.

Playing The Drug Store Game

2008-08-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

When Walgreens came to our town three years ago I discovered their SuperSaver catalog. Each month several items would be free after mail-in rebate. Since I am not brand loyal I have enjoyed free shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant ever since.

Recently Walgreens has added "Register Rewards". You receive a coupon for you next store visit which needs to be used within a short period of time. It eliminates the hassle of mailing in your receipt and waiting four to six weeks for a refund.

This week Walgreens offered really fantastic Kellogg's/Keebler register rewards. In order to take full advantage I had to purchase 10 items that had to be on the same cash register receipt. Here is what was required.

If I bought 4 boxes of Kellogg's Cereal I got a $5 register reward.

If I bought 2 Club Crackers & 2 Nutri-Grain Bars I got a $5 register reward.

If I bought an extra two items I could also do a mail-in rebate.

So, my purchases added up to $25.44.

I used $3.00 manufactures coupons bringing the bill to $22.44.

I received two $5.00 reward certificates so my cost was now 12.44.

After receiving the additional $10.00 Kellogg's/Keebler mail-in refund my cost will end up being $2.44.

I paid for my purchases with last month's free after mail-in gift card so my up front expense was $0.00. Love, love, love this game!

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly had a really great post about the Drug Store Game which explains the concept much better than I can. It's well worth a visit.

There is nothing like getting FREE food - Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Garage Sale Finds: I Love Lucy

2008-08-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

There was only one garage sale in town last weekend. Perhaps the fact that it was miserably hot and humid deterred a lot of folks from having a sale. At any rate we were glad we were without grandchildren this time.

I spied this Cabbage Patch Newborn Baby right off. It was marked $10. All right, it is a new doll and that was fair enough but parting with 10 bucks really hurts. So first we looked around and I found some other items worth purchasing. Finally, I decided I'd ask for a better price. As I have said in the past, I am not a haggler, but this time it was worth the chance to inquire. Very nicely I asked the seller if he would be willing to give me a better price. He could see that we were going to buy several things so he said yes, he'd go down to $7.00. That was better than I had hoped for - Happy Dance, Happy Dance! One more Christmas present for Beth!

Also for Christmas we found this I Love Lucy ornament for $1.00. I'll share a picture of our tree this coming holiday. It's truly whimsical with lots of story, cartoon and TV characters - geared for the inner kid in all of us.

Finally we picked up a top for Beth, Tinkerbell sweat shirt for me, and I couldn't pass up Piglet. No, Piglet isn't for Beth - he is for me! I know, I know, just what I need - one more toy. But there was a space on my computer desk shelf that needed to be filled.

Beth had a lot of fun giving Piglet, Patrick and Mr. Krabs a tea party. See, I am not a stingy Grandma - I share my toys!

PhotoHunt Theme: Clouds

2008-08-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

I don't think there is anything beautiful about power lines. But, I thought the contrast against the "CLOUDS" was striking.

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com

We Now Have An Aldi!

2008-07-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hurray, an Aldi supermarket just opened in the next town! Now, we can get rock bottom prices on milk, eggs, and produce. Well, I think so anyway. I will be checking prices against the new Super Walmart (two towns over) the next time we go for our monthly stock-up visit. And, yes I know that 1.99 price for milk won't last too long. But, for now, that sure beats the 3.69 a gallon our local Dominick's charges.

We didn't buy much on our first visit. I was surprised that the prices on their own brand canned goods were comparable in price to the discount price on name brands at Walmart. Again, I will be doing some price comparisons just to see who has the best deal. I am also leery of taste - if a name brand is the same cost as generic - of course I will take the name brand.

Aldi is small in comparison to other super markets in the area so it had a very limited selection. I didn't see any customer service desk - maybe I just missed it. I couldn't watch items being scanned because the screens were turned away from the customers - that really bugged me. Credit cards are not accepted - you can pay by debit card, check, or cold hard cash.

If you want a plastic bag at check out there is a charge. So I didn't mind bringing my own canvas totes for bagging. Actually that's a good habit to get into for all stores.

I over-heard a customer say "This Aldi is much more expensive than our Aldi". Hmmm, interesting. I wonder where that gal lives. And why does the chain think they can charge higher prices in a different town - because the store is new? - because they think the populous is more affluent?

Will Aldi be big competition against other stores in town? In my humble opinion - NO. The town has a nice Jewel, excellent butcher shop and fabulous bakery. I can see Jewel stocking less milk and eggs but otherwise they won't loose much business.

We will pop into Aldi whenever we are in the area just to pick up a few things. But when the town gets it's new CVS Pharmacy we will plan a shopping day once a week. I know how to play the drug store game so I am really looking forward to even better savings.

How lucky we are to be getting more shopping options. It's a good feeling to save more money as the cost of groceries keeps rising.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Garage Sale Finds: Tony Trabert

2008-07-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few garage sales last week. Beth and Wullie were quite happy to come along and check out what was being offered. It was pretty disappointing. We didn't find anything until the very last sale.

All summer the kids have been having fun at our house hitting a rubber ball with a broken tennis racket. At this sale there were two rackets so we picked them up for the kids. But, one of the rackets was a vintage Tony Trabert signature Wilson racket - oh, the dollar signs were dancing in front of my eyes. Couldn't wait to check out the racket on Ebay - surely this was worth some bucks! Well, NO! There were a number of them listed on Ebay - no bids on current auctions, and no sales on completed listings. Oh well, that's the way Ebay has been going so I wasn't too surprised.

The kids ended up with two nice rackets and a new, unopened tube of balls for $5.00.

Beth also fell in love with these two china cats for $2.00 so I said she could have them. Oh no! I am letting my granddaughter turn into a collector! Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

And for Ebay I bought these two Precious Moments figurines for $2.00. I've had pretty good luck selling Precious Moments before so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will see a profit on them.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotHunt Theme: Hanging

2008-07-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

You can never have too many magnets "HANGING" on the fridge!

Answer to last week's "What IS That?" Photohunt theme:

Photo # 1. Gelatin molds on a rack. All my commentors were too smart - I didn't stump anyone!

Photo #2. Everyone who guessed cakes was right. But they were not for a birthday or sports event. They were Wedding cakes at the wedding reception we attended a couple weeks ago. The bride and groom are ~~certified baseball nuts~~ devoted Chicago Cubs fans.

Garage Sale Finds: Buzz Lightyear

2008-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

There was only one local garage sale last week. Maybe, if it stopped raining there would be more. I know we want to have a sale ourselves but we need sunny skies for a full week to do it. We have to set out our wares along the driveway and in the front yard so we are at the mercy of the elements. Rain and winds like we have been getting would scatter our junk all over the neighborhood - and the neighbors would not be pleased.

At any rate, we had Wullie and Beth with us when hit the one and only sale. Good thing as we finally found a bicycle helmet that we could try on Wullie - perfect fit and he loved that Buzz Lightyear was the graphic design on the helmet. It is in like new condition - only a dollar.

There were a lot of Polly Pocket bits in bags and my guess was that Beth would want those. I was surprised that she showed no interest. She fell in love with a cute teddy bear - 50 cents. The last thing she needs is another plush critter but she really loves her stuffed animals so it was a good buy - it is her new constant companion.

That was it - nothing else purchased.

Now that the kids live so close we can take them to lots of sales - WAIT - NOT A GOOD IDEA! I use sales to find Christmas and birthday goodies - can't do that with kiddies in tow. Guess we'll have to hit the sales first and take them to the ones that have toys later. Or maybe, we should just skip this activity with the grandkids and save money. Naw, it's good to reinforce the idea that garage sales are a wonderful source of toys and clothes. It's frugal summer fun.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: What IS That?

2008-07-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

This week I have two pictures for the PhotoHunt Theme:

Answers next week!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Route 66

2008-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to take full advantage of our drive down to the White Pines Forest State Park last Saturday. We left early dressed in our garage sale uniforms (blue jeans and tees). Our plan was to hit as many sales as we could find, or have time for, between home and Rockford. When we reached our son's place we would have a nice visit. Then we would change into our fancy party duds and head on to the wedding. All went perfectly. So, what did we find to buy? - nadda, ziltch, zip! We stopped at a lot of sales too. There was nothing for Ebay, children's gifts, or something we need or collect. Oh well, it happens that way sometimes. It was still a very pleasant drive. I feel we got extra value out of the money spent on gas and as always the fun is in the hunt even if we come up empty handed.

On our way home Sunday we were surprised to find an estate sale. Finally a few fun things - I spent a whole two dollars.

For Ebay: A Mary Engelbreit figurine titled "Get Over It, Get On With It", a small Route 66 mug, and A Disney/Pixar figurine "Francis the Ladybug" from "It's a Bug's Life".

For Us: A Disney magnet - can never have too many magnets on the fridge! (Ah, yes, what can I say - yet another one of my many collections!).

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

A Fairy Tale Wedding!

2008-07-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Is there any experience more magical than a fairy tale wedding? Ah, young love!

Last weekend's nuptials took place at the White Pines Forest State Park near Oregon, Illinois. What a gorgeous setting for this lovely outdoor ceremony. The Bride and her father arrived via horse and carriage - as befitting a beautiful princess! It was one of those days we will never forget because it was such a special event for everyone.

As wedding guests were we frugal? Well, sort of, but not cheap. The bride was my dearest friend's daughter - her baby - the last one of her children to tie the knot. We decided to give the wedding couple money - an amount we felt was generous but not insane. We had to remember that when our own son got married, my friend and her husband were extremely good to Charles and Di. We needed to reciprocate in kind - and we did.

So, how did we save money beyond the wedding gift?

We got a beautiful $4.00 wedding card free. Walgreens.com provided me with a $5.00 off a $20.00 purchase coupon. We purchased the free after rebate items for the month and a couple groceries on sale for $16.00 - the Wedding card was covered with the coupon.

The wedding party and guests were encouraged to rent cabins at the White Pines Forest State Park. Since our oldest son lives about 30 miles north of the park we decided to stay with him that night instead. We made sure our alcohol consumption was minimal (only one glass of beer for the evening) - driving back to the Rockford area was easy and saved us a night's lodging.

Clothing for the event was not a problem for my husband - he has a nice suit. Also shirt, tie and shoes relatively new. As for me - I must admit it was just pure luck. I needed a blouse to go with a dressy skirt purchased about three years ago at Khol's (free with coupon after $50 Christmas purchase). This has to be my favorite store because I am always lucky enough to find items geared towards a plump grandma body. I got the nicest top on sale for $15.00 and a classy looking purse big enough to hold my digital camera for $15.00 (both were free as I used a store gift card that Junior gave me last Christmas).

I took a ton of digital pictures and have had prints made for both the bride and groom and my best friend. This was an added expense BUT Walgreens just had a photo print special - 10 cents each. 140 prints cost me slightly more than $15.00 (including tax). I also splurged and got two classy looking photo albums at Walgreens (another $15.00). So, I spent a little more than I could have. But this was one of those fun, feel terrific little splurges for a dear, dear friend. Our treasured friendship is worth every penny.

We had a number of these at the reception - Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Pointed

2008-07-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

A Claymore is Pointed!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Whyte & MacKay

2008-06-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Garage Sales cancelled due to rain - that's the way it was in our town over the weekend. However, one subdivision in the next town north of us went ahead with their scheduled annual neighborhood sale. We had Beth and Wullie on Friday and we would have loved to take them to the sales - but we weren't going to drag them in and out of the car in the pouring rain. Bummer!

We were sans grandchildren Saturday. The skies looked ominous that morning but by noon the sun finally appeared. At last, a break in the weather and a chance to hunt down some treasures. Only 11 homes participated in the neighborhood sale - pickings were slim but we did find a few excellent items.

For Ebay - two collector plates - $5.00 each. Gotta love this Looney Tunes Christmas collectible - Bugs and gang on gift delivery - well, Santa deserves some time off! The Hank Arron plate commemorates his record breaking home run.

For the kids - a cash register - 50 cents. Beth and Wulllie love pretend play, especially grocery shopping. But they insist on someone being the cashier. We have been using a pencil box to hold play money & have been hoping to find a register to replace it. This battery operated one has lots of beeps and cha-chings - think the kids will have a good time with it.

For keeps - a miniature Hallmark ornament. An actual sized walnut with darling Christmas scenes inside. We have both a large Christmas tree and miniature one. Always nice to add to the ornament collection for the holidays!

For Christmas presents - two odd items that need explanation. First, the new, never used Rubbermaid container - 50 cents. This won't be the gift itself - it will be a presentation. My thoughts right now are to fill some baggies with homemade Christmas cookies and put them in the container. On top of the cookies I will include a gift card to a super market. With escalating grocery prices a gift of food cannot go wrong. I will decorate the container with a nice bow on top and holiday stickers on the outside. I am out of stickers at the moment - if I don't find any this summer at garage sales I will make some embossed ones. I have lots of holiday stamps, embossing ink and powders so I am all set.

Second Christmas gift - an advertising pitcher for Whyte & MacKay Scotch Whiskey - 50 cents. Never heard of it? Probably why the pitcher was so dirt cheap. It's a superb single malt scotch and the men in our family love it. Whenever pending company from Scotland ask us what we would like them to bring over there is always one reply -"Whyte & MacKay!".

I took this picture a few years ago when Frugal Grandpa's brother and his wife were here for a visit. Yes, they brought us four bottles of scotch from Scotland. Sonny was not available for the photo. From L to R: Uncle Jim, FG, Junior & Charles. The bottle Uncle Jim is holding is a special aged bottle of W&M - that's why the label is different. The three other Scotch bottles have the regular blue label. Back to the pitcher - not too sure which Scotch lover will find it under the Christmas tree - possibly Sonny because he has nice display shelves in his kitchen - but we'll see. It was our best find of the day!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Water

2008-06-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Shower time for the Loch Ness Monster!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Pudd'nhead Wilson

2008-06-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

With all the rain we are having here in the midwest, there were NO garage sales this past weekend. At least not in our town or the next town over. We hit quite a few sales the previous weekend but purchased only a few things - some really fantastic things. One wonderful vintage find I will have to save and share with you in a few weeks - it will my PhotoHunt entry - worth the wait I promise.

Two of my other finds should go on Ebay - I know I could make a good profit on them. But alas, they are keepers - for now anyway.

Beth isn't old enough for an American Doll yet. But I'm sure Santa will bring her one when she is ready. I really flipped when I found Samantha! In all the years I have been going to sales, I have never come across an Amnerican Girl Doll. She was only $12 - I would have been willing to pay more. Now, I have a model when I want to make doll clothes. I can even make matching outfits for my doll and Beth's future doll. And won't it be great fun to have tea parties & go on picnics. Golly, you'd think I never grew up. Hmmmm, guess I haven't - don't they call that the Peter Pan syndrom?

My second keeper is a vintage volume of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. It is copyrighted 1922. It's in excellent condition & complete with two illustrated plates. I am sure I could get a good price for it on Ebay but no - into my book collection it goes. Here is the funny thing. It was in a box with a few newer books surrounded by a sea of baby clothes and baby equipment. I learned a long time ago not to pass up kiddie garage sales. It is surprising what a little digging will uncover and the seller might not have any clue to an old item's worth. I paid $2 for the book - a real steal if you ask me. And yes, I read the book last week & really enjoyed the story. Think it's time to reread Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

For Beth's Christmas I got this new set of flannel Disney Princess sheets - $10.00. Maybe I should have tried to get a better price. For the most part I am not good at haggling . If I find something priced much higher than I feel it's worth I usually just pass it up. About the only time I request a discount is when I am buying a bunch of items from one sale. Just me. I know a lot of people automatically ask to pay less no matter how fair the price.

And last - I plan to keep this miniature trinket box - $1.00. It's only about an inch high. I don't know why I am attracted to the weird & unusual - maybe because I am weird and unusual myself (or just daffy). I am going to keep it on my dresser with this other trinket box I received as a gift. Oh No! Here we go again - another collection - won't I ever learn!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Emotion(s)

2008-06-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

Emotion: Apprehension - "Are your sure that tastes good?"

PhotoHunt Theme: Bad Hair

2008-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

When a bird nests in those gnarlly folicles you know it's Bad Hair!

For more photos and this week's Photohunt check out: tnchick.com

Garage Sale Finds: Shot Glasses Edition

2008-06-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

There were five local garage sales last week. I was very pleased with the few items I found.

Christmas & Birthdays - 6 new die cast cars for Wullie - $2.00.

For Ebay - 13 Shot Glasses. They were 25 cents each, but because I wanted all, the seller only charged me $1.50. In the past I have had no luck listing shot glasses as a lot. I am better off waiting for Ebay to offer a low listing fee day and auction them singly.

For family Fun - The Simpsons Jeopardy! - $1.00. I enjoy watching The Simpsons but after reading some of the questions in the game I realize my trivia knowledge about the characters is zip. Should still be very entertaining. Oh, and it will be a nice addition to my small Simpsons collection too. Yes, I know, I know - you are wondering if there is anything I don't collect! Silly Grandma!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Our One Day Holiday Weekend Sale

2008-05-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

We had no intentions of doing a garage sale over the Memorial Day weekend. In fact we had a bar-be-cue planned for Sunday. Family and friends had accepted our invitation and thanked us for the get-together because no one wanted to travel over the holiday. We were busy cleaning, shopping, and prepping our menu. Then enter our next door neighbor Rob.

We haven't seen much of our neighbor since he got married and moved into his wife's house. His home has been up for sale for months. So out of the blue he shows up the Thursday afternoon before the holiday with the news that he has a buyer for the house. Also, that he was going to have a moving sale that whole weekend. And of course we should take advantage as the ad had already been placed in the classifieds. If only we had known sooner.

A little thing like a big family bar-be-cue was not going to deter Frugal Grandpa. He decided we would do a one day sale on Saturday. All we had to do was throw stuff on a few tables. We already had boxes full of priced items. We needed to take advantage of the free publicity. And the fact that we didn't have to run around hanging up signs. Was it worth it?

Junior brought a few things over - he made $25. FG & I made $29.60. We were left with almost full tables and it was miserable repacking everything. Oh well, that's the way it goes.

Our mailman stopped and he bought some Batman pinback buttons (mint on card) from us. He collects comic books and related items. He was the only one to do a........

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Shoes

2008-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

What is it about little boys and puddles?

For more photos check out this week's photohunt here.

Garage Sale Finds: Brambly Hedge Edition

2008-05-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of our town's subdivisions held their annual Neighborhood Sale last week. The best strategy would be to go the first day before all the good stuff is sold. It so didn't happen. I had Beth and Wullie visiting Thursday and Friday. Frugal Grandpa was off to Rockford to help Sonny with a remodeling project. I did consider taking the kids with me BUT it would have been too much of a hassle. When it's one grandparent to one kid things go smoothly. But getting both kids in and out of car seats myself would be daunting - also dangerous with all the traffic.

Saturday morning I hit the Books and Baubles Sale at our local library. It was wonderful - so many terrific books! I didn't get to the neighborhood sale until the afternoon. The one good thing about arriving on the last day - there were many "half off" and "make an offer" sales. I know I made at least thirty stops. I didn't find much but I was pleased with a few treasures.

I only found one gift item - this Brambly Hedge Memory Game. It's new - never opened - $2.00.

Picked up some activity books for the kids to play with at our house. The kids have already enjoyed the paint with water storybooks - $1.00.

Finally, a few vintage items - $5.30. And that was it. Not much, but no complaints. I hit a lot of sales with minimal use of gas - it was a good outing.

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Books & Baubles

2008-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Our local library held it's semi-annual "Books and Baubles" sale last week. I must admit I am a cheat. Instead of showing up the first day and paying full price for story books and white elephant items, I only went on the last day. Then it was all the books you could fit into a bag for one price. Baubles were half price.This year they charged $5.00 for the bag. I was a bit surprised as last year it was only $3.00. But, after all, it's to benefit our library and I was more than happy to make my contribution.

My thoughts before hitting the sale were to find some books in nice condition that would make good Christmas/birthday gifts for the grandchildren. I also thought it would be nice to to find a few books to offer on Paperbookswap (I will post about this website later). Up to this point there haven't been any books I have really wanted to put on the wish list at the swap. But, I thought it would be nice to have some credit accumulated in case I did down the road.

I didn't buy any Baubles. I did purchase one bag of books.

So, what did I put in the bag?

Yes, I did find some very nice books to give as gifts. Love the Shark book and Thomas story that have clocks. The kids are still a bit young for the concept of 60 minutes in an hour, but they know we regulate the day by time. I think the best find of the day was the Disney Golden Book compilation published in 1978. It contains three Uncle Remus stories including De Tar Baby - ah, gotta love those politically incorrect tales!

Found 5 nice board books for the baby.

Picked up these three books to list on Paperbackswap. The swap isn't limited to paperbacks. These hardcover editions are in like new condition.

Unexpected finds included these preschool workbooks from My Discovery Book. A Children's Bible Treasury contains 12 small volumes of Bible stories. Di appreciates anything educational I send her way - the kids will just think its fun.

Here are some stories to include in my Grandma Library. I was especially happy to get Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Now, I think the only fairy tale I am missing is Goldielocks and the Three Bears. Also it was fun to find my first book from The Stupids series.

Finally, here is a Mr. T book - the only Mr. T book in the sale. I am not too sure what to do with it. I doubt anyone would want to buy it off Ebay as it was part of a series. For now I will put it in my own private vintage children's books collection. Oh yes, yet another one of my many collections. But, I have some of the most wonderful old books. When the kids are old enough I will share and expose them to a world they can only find at Grandma's house.

What a fantastic sale. I got far more books than my $5.00 worth!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Candy

2008-05-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is the Bassett's Candyman. He was originally filled with Liquorice Allsorts. Now that he is empty, he is a money box (bank).

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: http://tnchick.com

Love Beads at Woodstock

2008-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Now that Frugal Grandpa has retired, it is time to apply for a "Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption" (real estate tax relief). This meant a trip to the Treasurer's Office at the county seat in Woodstock, Illinois. We have been to the court house several times to do jury duty but this time we were directed to a new annex building. I was very surprised to see a memorial there for the 35 service men who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. McHenry County only lost 35 men? Well, 40 years ago the county was agricultural and the towns very small - my, how things have changed since then.

On the Vietnam Memorial were a number of bead necklaces - Love Beads? How ironic. The Hippie movement was so anti-war. In those days servicemen were chastised and treated like dirt. I hope this time the beads were left as a symbol of gratitude for the brave men who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This time I hope the beads say Thank You, you deserve our respect and our LOVE.

Frugal Garage Sale Lessons

2008-05-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

We happened to be watching the grandkids on a garage sale day last week. FG checked the classifieds and found a whole subdivision was having a neighborhood sale and suggested we hit it. Now, my first thought was "Augh! These kids don't need any more toys!". But reinforcing the idea that garage sales are a wonderful way to find useful (and not so useful) things is a very frugal lesson. After all, their parents take the kids to sales. Much of their clothing has been purchased this way. And, of course, many of their books and toys too.

We were blessed with a sunny day (our Spring has been such a soggy one). We spent a solid two hours hitting at least 20 sales. The kids were unbelievably good and seemed quite content to just look at things and play for a few minutes at each stop. Of course we had to splurge and buy them each something. Wullie got a Thomas and Friends Roundhouse and Beth was delighted with a Disney Princesses Wand and Care Bears House with bears and accessories. Pretty good entertainment for about half the cost of one Happy Meal at McDonald's.

Who was the kid that scored the absolute best !?! It was me, me, me !!! I confess, I collect. I collect too many things. But, nothing seriously - a small cottage and frugal lifestyle doesn't allow it. I collect what I find at garage sales. Things that I fall in love with. Things that I know I should put on Ebay but I am too fond of to part with - at least for now.

I have a small Charlie Brown, Peanuts Gang collection. I found this Hallmark Nativity Christmas miniature ornament set of the Peanuts Gang never removed from the box. The seller only charged me 25 cents. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. Having the kids with us helped - I also bought a cute top for Beth - another 25 cents. Surely the seller thought I was just an indulging Grandma - not a collector who knew she could make a very handsome profit on those ornaments if I ever wanted to part with them.

At the sale where we purchased the kids' toys there was a box of books. They wanted $1.00 each. Normally I wouldn't even look through them at that price but there were some nice large Disney books so I decided to have a look. Oh, be still my beating heart - there among all the newer volumes was a vintage Charlie Brown classic in very good condition. Printed in 1966 - it is a First Edition!!! Again, I just looked like the average Grandma buying toys and a book for the grandkids. It was all I could do to refrain from doing cartwheels up and down the gal's driveway.

It was one of those absolutely fabulous garage sale outings. We spent next to nothing. The kids had a fun time and got a new toy. Treasures are getting harder and harder to find. But I found two for myself!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

PhotoHunt Theme: Share ANY Photo

2008-05-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: http://tnchick.com

Bling For Mother's Day

2008-05-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

I recently told Frugal Grandpa that there was something I wanted for Mother's Day. You should have seen the delighted smile on his face. FG loves it when I actually tell him I have a want, or more realistically, a need of something. Instead of feeling guilty for not acknowledging a special day with a present, he can feel terrific by giving me something I will truly appreciate.

I then told FG that I wanted something shinny and very expensive. Substitute a happy smile with horrified bewilderment. Now he knows I am not a bling kind of gal. I have never asked for anything expensive before. Gracious, has Frugal Grandma gone off her rocker? It didn't matter - I asked and I received. Isn't it gorgeous!!!

PhotoHunt Theme: Time

2008-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

TIME for "Nick at Nite". This alarm clock gets us up on Time when we loose electrical power!

For more photos and this week's PhotHunt check out: http://tnchick.com

Menard's Freebie Gladiolus Bulbs

2008-05-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Menard's recently offered two bags of Gladiolus bulbs free after mail-in rebate. Ah, yes, the magic word "free" - of course we got them. Planting the bulbs would be a good frugal, learning experience for the grandkids.

Now, before I go on, I must tell you that I have the brownest thumb in the Midwest and Frugal Grandpa isn't much better. The only reason we have a raised flower bed in our front yard is because Charles made it years ago when he was still living with us.

Our yearly gardening routine goes like this - if the Spring flowers come up fantastic - if not - oh well. When they are finished we might buy some petunias and plant those - they are hearty and spread. This year though, we are really watching our pennies so I doubt we'll buy any annuals. Our perennials -snow on the mountain and some ferns do well every year and they will just have to suffice. Another reason to skip buying flowers this year is that the deer are finding them too tasty. We have already lost most of our tulips to Bambie and friends.

We got a good chuckle from reading the instructions on the Gladiolus packaging. It says we need to pull the bulbs at the end of the season and store them in a dry, cool place. Yeah right, like that is going to happen - hardy har har! Once they are in the ground, that's it. If they even grow this year, that will be fantastic. If they come up again next year, it will be a miracle - a "free" miracle.

We don't even own a watering can. The kids ran around with cups of water to give the newly planted bulbs a drink.

What Frugal lessons did the kids learn - well, none. We didn't tell them the Gladiolus were free. They did learn that some plants come from bulbs rather than seed and that watering all the plants is very important. I guess, it's pretty pathetic that I can't expose them to a love of gardening myself. Di doesn't garden, besides they are renting a house. Luckily their other Grandma will teach them a lot more about flowers - her garden has quite a large variety. She also has a watering can and proper tools. Thank goodness Grandma #2 has a green thumb!

PhotoHunt: Theme - unique/funny signs

2008-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

If I check Craigslist maybe I can find someone who has "LOVE For Rent".

Bicycle For Wullie

2008-04-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we found ourselves early for an appointment with our insurance agent. He's several towns over so we wanted to make sure we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there. In order to use up a bit of the extra time we stopped at the Salvation Army Thrift. We have been to this store many times and have always walked away disappointed. I don't know if folks just don't donate anything vintage anymore or if the antique dealers are always there ahead of us. I suspect the later. Yet again, we found nothing of value - to collect or sell that is.

We did find one excellent bargain - a bike for Wullie. The back tire is somewhat worn and the seat had a few torn spots that were easily covered with black tape. Because of these small flaws the bike was only $6. We happened to have a set of training wheels we found at a garage sale last year for a buck so our total investment was $7.42 (including sales tax). Grandpa lowered the handle bars and seat. Wullie can just reach the pedals now but by Fall I am sure he will be a perfect fit.

We found a bike for Beth at the end of last summer. So, OK, I must admit there are times we are not frugal. After looking for a bike at garage sales all season and posting "wanted" blurbs on Freecycle we finally gave up. We bought her a bike on sale. Grandpa was still working at the time and we could afford it. We refused to get her a pretty pink one (although she would have loved it). We bought one that had more of a boy's look so that it would eventually go to Wullie. So much for that strategy - now he has his own that is the same size as Beth's. Bless his heart - he's so pleased with himself that he's a "big boy" too!

We happen to live on a dead end street that loops in a circle at the back. Traffic is minimal so it's a perfect place for the kids to ride their bikes. They are not allowed on the road though without an adult with them. Every once in awhile a vehicle will zip on through and the driver won't be watching for youngsters so it can be dangerous. But this creates a real problem for me and Grandpa. The kids pedal so fast it is impossible for us to keep up on foot. We now need bicycles too! Know what we'll be looking for at garage sales this summer!

Freebies From Menards

2008-04-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Frugal Grandpa's #1, all time favorite store is Menards. He always needs something. Now that he has retired he heads off to the home improvement center almost daily. In the past I would go with him but didn't particularly enjoy the experience - lumber and tools just didn't turn me on. But over the years Menards has become more female friendly. They now have books, magazines, greeting cards, home decor, toys and even groceries! And their seasonal & holiday displays are fantastic.

Everyone in our family takes advantage of the Freebies Menard's offers. Recently we have acquired duct tape, gutter scoop, and a couple utility lighters for only the cost of sales tax and postage to mail in the rebates. The trick is to make sure you mail off those rebates immediately and we always do.

Recently Menards had a Freebie I was really excited about - photo storage boxes - you were allowed a total of 4. Now, I do need to organize photos, but I also want to get many of my rubber stamps easier to access. So this time I am concentrating on them. These boxes are perfect - they fit nicely on the shelf and look neat and tidy. The graphic design on the box tells me its contents. The box with birthday cake and candles holds my birthday stamps. The box with fairy princesses and red hearts holds my Valentine/heart stamps. And the Daisy decorated container has all my floral/botanical items. The second Fairy Princess box is for Beth - its so nice to have a home for all those Polly Pocket pieces.

What can I say - I love freebies and now I really love going to Menard's!!!
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Rubber Ducky For Baby

2008-04-10T07:46:00.001-07:00

I never go out of my way to find post holiday sales. If I happen across one - fantastic - if not - oh well. I was in the local grocery store yesterday and spied this cute rubber ducky family. It was on sale - all Easter items 75% off. That made momma ducky and three ducklings only $1.00. I happened to think that baby will be with us next Easter - the four duckys would be a perfect basket filler for him/her. OK, into my cart!

There were lots and lots of plush bunnies and chicks left on the shelf. The price was super good and I really had a very hard time convincing myself NOT to buy. Beth and Wullie already have so many stuffed animals and you just know baby will receive some for Christmas. It was a struggle but I said "NO" to the temptation.

The Easter items were pretty well picked over so the only other thing I found were these cute bunny container bubbles for 50 cents each - of course I had to buy three - even baby needs bubbles - right?

Charles and Di hit a 75% off Easter sale at the local Walgreens. I don't know what they bought but Charles said the only thing they will have to supply next Spring is the candy.

Stock piling gifts a year in advance isn't for everyone. But for our family it's a smart, frugal strategy.

Easter Sunday With The Family

2008-03-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

It has become a family tradition that Di's parents (the other grandparents) host Easter dinner. They live in our town so there is virtually no travel involved. This is a very casual family get together and the meal is potluck so no one person gets stuck with all the cooking. Even Junior contributed a lamb cake from a local bakery.

Beth and Wullie each hunted for an Easter basket that Grandma #2 & I put together. Of course the baskets have been recycled for years. We included dollar store goodies and some of the freebies we have recently received. Wullie got the little football Grandpa brought home from his work. And they each got a book from that wonderful Freecycle giveaway.
There is nothing like being together with the ones we love for a holiday celebration. We are blessed that our family lives close to us and we can share these special times. And the fact that Di's folks also embrace frugality and enjoy a simple gathering makes it all the more memorable.
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I Started My Christmas Shopping!

2008-03-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

I started my Christmas shopping this week! I found these puzzles at our local super market for only 75 cents a piece - that's cheaper than the dollar store! I know they were on sale as Easter basket fillers but I plan to sit on them until December. Beth and Wullie love puzzles and do well with ones that have 25 pieces. The puzzles I just purchased have 100 pieces and are for ages 5 and up. By the holidays the kids will be ready for a bigger challenge.

A Visit To Sparrows Nest

2008-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

While out running errands the other day I decided to stop at The Sparrows Nest - the thrift store in the next town. It's not an establishment I frequent because I seldom find anything to purchase there. The prices are too high for most items (in a lot of cases Wal-Mart or Target will be cheaper). However, a quick peek once in awhile might be worth my time. It's a nice, clean, large store and everyting is neatly displayed.
I am always disappointed with housewares - if there is anything vintage it has an antique store price attached. Books, both adult and children's, had nothing to offer. There was no fabric, no craft supplies and of course no toys as that is store policy. Finally I looked through clothing. I did find this darling Cherokee spring jacket for Beth. Pretty good timing with Easter almost here. Priced at $3 - ouch! But, it is like new - perhaps never worn - so I could justify the cost. It's a tad big on my granddaughter so she should get a couple years wear out of it - it was a good find - my only find.

Birthday Parties For The Prince And Princess

2008-03-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

Beth and Wullie's birthdays are only two weeks apart. Their parents insist they each have their own party and enjoy being the center of attention on their special day. The celebrations were simple but fun and there were tons of presents - what more could a 3 year old and 4 year old want?

The only thing my son splurged on was balloons and a canister of helium. Birthday cakes were homemade. Dinner was a make your own sandwich. Di made a cold-cut tray instead of paying a ridiculous amount for one of those ready made party platters.

The freebie candy dispenser that Grandpa got from his work was a big hit with both kids. Chocolate covered peanuts - yum!

Frugal Grandpa Has Retired!

2008-03-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Frugal Grandpa has retired! This was a long time in coming. He could have quit his job several years ago but opted to continue working. His co-workers are a fine group of hard working, dedicated individuals who have helped make his job a very satisfying one. But, alas, after 27 years of service it was time to call it quits - time to relax a bit and say good-bye to the old alarm clock.
Did Grandpa get a nice gold watch after 27 years of service? Ah, NO. Did he get a farewell dinner? Ah, NO, but that was Grandpa's choice. He knows well that some of the gals in the office would not attend because they need to go home to their families after work. He requested a nice lunch instead so everyone would be able to enjoy it. A huge Chinese/Thai buffet was provided along with a chocolate chip cookie cake from Mrs. Field's for desert.

If Frugal Grandpa was a Rolex type of guy I am sure the company would have presented him with a gold watch - they truly have valued his work and devotion to the company. But Grandpa has more of a Timex personality. I was astounded at all the wonderful, practical gifts he did receive, not only from the company but also from his co-workers.

Grandpa received a service award for his 27 years with the company. It's quite an impressive plaque - love the Art Deco look of the display stand.

This Spring floral arrangement is gorgeous! Doubt it will last through Easter but we will keep it as fresh as possible as long as we can.

Grandpa is going to get a lot of use from his new Werner Telescoping Multiladder. It has come in handy already.

Knowing that Grandpa loves to grill he received a gift card from Omaha Steaks.

And good cooks need good tools. This Premium BBQ Tool Set from Smart BBQ will get a lot of use.
Last but not least, Grandpa got some cold hard cash - gotta love it!
Grandpa really appreciated the thoughtfulness of his co-workers and all their well wishes for a happy retirement.
So, what will Grandpa do now? Spend more time with the grandchildren. Help the boys with home improvement projects. Work on my "honey do" list. And accept handyman jobs - he already has several lined up. He wants to learn more about the computer. And next Fall we will have lots of company to entertain. And he thinks he's going to relax - HA!!!
Oh yes, we also have more time now for romance. Listen, we might be old but we are not dead! That's what makes the golden years golden! As long as our good health prevails we are going to enjoy retirement to the fullest. We have much to look forward to!

Our Gift Giving Strategy For The Grandkids

2008-02-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

Our gift giving strategy for our grandchildren is very simple. #1 Come Christmas and birthdays we deposit money in their savings accounts. Sonny and Junior do the same. #2 We shop all year for incredible bargains to give as gifts so the kids have a few things to open. Just before Christmas I get out all the goodies accumulated over the last twelve months. I divide the booty between Christmas, birthdays and Easter (Beth and Wullie have birthdays early in the year so this works out really well). So far I have found we accumulate enough gifts without going overboard.

Bargain hunting is an art with a bit of luck thrown in (so ok, a lot of luck helps!). I shop at garage sales, church and school rummage sales, and resale/thrift shops. I look for retail store sales and never pass up a freebie.

Garage sales rock! I guess we are lucky to live in an area where sales are plentiful during the warmer months. Finding new things in original packaging is rare but not impossible. I also snatch up anything in like new condition.

I got Beth this Little Mermaid tote for only $1. It's in like new condition without the tags. I figured it would be the perfect beach bag for swim wear and towel. Ariel happens to be her favorite Disney Princess so this was a great find.

We have two thrift shops within 10 miles from our home. I occasionally am able to find some clothes for the grandkids but nothing in the line of toys. In fact one shop completely quit selling toys because customers were using the store as a play area and it was chaos. Can't blame the store for this decision but it's a bummer for me.

I love church and school rummage sales. Although I found very little in the line of gifts last year I did get some nice items to list on Ebay and Etsy.

Retail store sales are great if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. I was lucky enough to hit the 80% off rack at Target a month ago - Wullie will be getting pajamas and a couple zipped sweatshirts with hoods for his birthday.

FREE is the magic word. We never pass up a freebie (with the exception of pets). I posted about the wonderful books we got off Freecycle.org recently. Another website I have been using these past few months is totallyfreecrap.com. There is no guarantee you will receive the item you sign up for but I feel it's worth taking a chance. So far I have gotten three items - a baby bowl from Beechnut with cereal coupon, a baseball cap from Ridgid and a knit winter hat from Mikita - very nice items.

The other day Grandpa came home from work with this candy dispenser full of chocolate covered peanuts. It was from a temp agency. I was really amazed - it's the nicest freebie he has ever received. Usually sales reps will give a small bag of candy or popcorn - never anything that nice. Maybe, it is a sign of the times - as the economy worsens salesmen are working harder to attract business. We decided it would make a great birthday gift for Wullie - he can't read yet so who cares about the advertisement on the top. And every little three year old needs to be hyped up on sugar on his birthday - right? The little football was also an advertising freebie from a shipping company - we are saving it for Wullie's Easter basket.

As long as our grandchildren are young our frugal shopping strategy has worked wonderfully. The kids don't want anything in particular - they are just very happy with what they receive. And with two sets of Grandparents and many aunts and uncles they get plenty. They have no clue what lucky children they are. As Grandparents we must teach them to appreciate their many blessings.

Books From Freecycle

2008-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite websites is Freecycle.org. Here members can list stuff no longer needed that can be passed onto others. The idea is to find new homes for unwanted items so they don't end up in a landfill. Members can also post things they wish to receive.
When I joined Freecycle a couple years ago my hope was to occasionally acquire clothing for my grandchildren. Having a few extra shirts, pants and pajamas to keep at my house would come in very handy indeed. So far - ziltch. That's not to say that clothing hasn't been offered - it has. But this Grandma is always too slow on the draw. By the time I respond to an offering it has already been promised. I have even wished for items a few times but there wasn't any response. Augh! but I will keep on trying because you just never know.
Last week a member offered a bag full of children's books. Ooooooh, I was salivating at the thought of this offer - this is the first time books have been offered and being a bit of a biblio nut I was really hoping. Of course I was yet again too slow. The books had been promised but I was informed that I was second on the list. If the original respondent didn't show up they would be offered to me. I figured that was the end of it. After all, who could pass up a bag of children's books? So I put it out of my mind. Well, surprise, surprise, a couple days later I learned there had been a no show - the books were mine - all MINE!!!!
Picking up the books was so easy. The offeree lives just down the road from me. Freecycle encourages anonymity for safety reasons. So there was no direct contact with the person. The books were left outside - the bag was marked with my name - I stopped and picked up my new literary treasures.
Opening up that bag when I got home was like having Christmas all over again - the books are absolutely wonderful. Half of them look like they just walked out of Barnes and Nobel. Be still my frugal heart! It was just too much fun sorting the stories out. I have decided which books will soon become birthday gifts and Easter basket fillers. I have put some aside for next Christmas - not only for Beth and Wullie but for the new royal baby that will join the family next Fall. A few books will be saved for when the kids get older. The rest are now on our bookshelf. You can never have too many fairy tales!
I have only received a few things through Freecycle - guess our needs are pretty simple so I am not looking for much. But, these books were absolutely fantastic! And, the best part is, once the kids have outgrown the stories, they will be Freecycled again. Books are too precious to throw away. I LOVE Freecycle!

Frugal Birthday Lessons

2008-02-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Grandpa's birthday gave us the chance to teach our grandchildren some frugal lessons. We don't preach to the kids, we simply show them by example. We can have a fun birthday without unnecesay extras - at our age anyway.
Lesson 1 - You don't need decorations. When the kids arrived yesterday the first thing Beth asked was "Where are the balloons?" I explained that we didn't need them - not for us anyway. I am not a meanie and advocate no decorations for children. Beth and Wullie will have balloons, decorations and birthday paper plates for their next parties but Charles & Di will purchase them at the dollar store. It is possible to decorate on the cheap and save a lot of money.
Lesson 2 - It's fun to make your own birthday cards. No need to go to the store for a card. Over the years I have collected quite a few rubber stamps finding them at garage sales, dollar stores, etc. I also have plenty of crayons & markers. This past week the kids opted to use just the stamps for their cards. What was more fun than making the card, was presenting their creations to Grandpa - they were proud of their work and of course loved the praise they received for their efforts.
Lesson 3 - You don't need a lot of presents. The only presents Grandpa had to open were the ones Beth and Wullie brought. Beth felt sorry for Grandpa that he didn't have more. But we explained that the two were wonderful - Grandpa got new socks and hankies - what a lucky Grandpa he was! (Actually Junior renewed his subscription to Scottish Life magazine and since we needed a new bed for the kids room we ordered it over the weekend. Like I posted earlier - if it's something we need, that becomes the perfect present). Charles and Di would have spent more on a present but Grandpa simply didn't need anything else.
Lesson 4 - You don't need a birthday cake - pie works just as well. I think the kids were a bit disappointed that I didn't have at least some cupcakes to go along with the pie. But they still had the fun of blowing out the one lonely candle a few times. And of course we sang "Happy Birthday".
Lesson 5 - You don't need to play games. I was quite surprised when Beth asked if we were going to play games. She has been to a few parties for her little friends so this was a sensible question. It's just that it never entered my head that the kids would expect this. I explained that instead of games they were going to do something very special with Daddy and Grandpa instead - they went sledding. They love getting out in the snow and we have the perfect hill not far from our cottage - they had a great time.
Lifetime Lesson - Over the years the grandkids will realize that birthday celebrations are all about family. Just being together, and sharing that special day. You don't need the fancy extras to have fun. All you need is to share the love.

Frugal Grandpa's Birthday

2008-02-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Frugal Grandpa's birthday. We have a gift giving policy for ourselves that we have employed for years. If we need or want something it becomes the perfect gift. If there is nothing we need or want we don't get a gift. This eliminates buying something foolish just for the sake of having a present to open. Instead, we might (or might not) go out for a nice dinner. Or I can fix a favorite meal like I did yesterday.
Grandpa's birthday dinner consisted of Bangers and Stovies (Scottish dinner sausage and stewed potatoes). These were served with pickled beets and Walkers Oatcakes. We are fortunate to have an Irish import store a few towns over that stocks many of our favorite foods.
Grandpa doesn't care much for cake so in the past I always made birthday pie. Unfortunately a few years ago Grandpa was told by his doctor that he is border-line diabetic. He could have gone on medication but instead we are careful with his diet and keep sugar to the minimum. Goodbye cherry pie. Until last week - I just happened to stumble upon "Comstock's No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling". I don't know how long this product has been on the market but I was thrilled to find it in the baking aisle of our local store. Grandpa got his birthday pie topped with one lonely candle - it was all I could find in the ol' junk drawer so it had to do. Beth and Wullie didn't mind - we relit the candle several times so the kids could have the fun of helping Grandpa blow it out.
Celebrations at our house are simple and frugal. Having the grandchildren be a part of the fun made the day perfect. Happy Birthday Frugal Grandpa!

Meet The Family

2008-02-08T07:17:00.001-08:00

Our youngest son Charles found and married his princess Di five years ago. (Names NOT changed to protect the innocent - honest!) They have a beautiful little princess, Beth and a handsome prince, Wullie (Names are CHANGED to protect the innocent). They live in the next town so royal visits are frequent which we love.
Junior is our middle son. He lives just down the road from us. He pops in often (usually with laundry basket in tow). And of course if I happen to be fixing a dinner he loves I set an extra place at the kitchen table.
Our oldest boy Sonny lives in the Rockford, IL area. He is close enough that he visits a couple times a month (without laundry - he has his own washer and dryer).
We have lived in our home for the past 38 years. My brood is close at hand so the cottage is seldom quiet. I love it this way. I am a very happy, contented Grandma!

Ebay - New Listing Fees

2008-01-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

When I brought up my email this morning there was a message from Ebay labeled "Important seller pricing changes". My heart sunk, not another price increase! I hardly ever find high end items to sell so my auction offerings are usually low end. The fees kill me - insert, gallery, final value, not to mention Paypal fees as most customers pay me through that service. My strategy to help ease the fee crunch is to get auctions ready to go and then wait for Ebay to offer a special lower fee one day only type of deal. When Ebay had a 10 cent listing day earlier this month I put on a bunch of things without picture gallery. I sold about half my listing - for me that was exceptionally good.
When I read the email I was overwhelmingly surprised to discover Ebay is lowering their listing fees and making the gallery picture free! Be still my beating heart! This is the best after Christmas present ever! I was just about to jump up and do the happy dance when I thought, you know I think I will see what thatedeguy at ebayhabit.com has to say about this.........

My thoughts are mixed. The fee changes could potentially be good. The insertion drop isn’t really all that great. It’s only a nickel on anything with a starting price below 24.99, but they’ve also raised the final value fee to over 8% on those same items. An increase of 2.5%! Final value fees increased by 2.5% across the board. That means that if you list an item for 24.99 and it sells for 24.99 you’ll save $0.05 on the listing fee, but you’ll pay an extra $0.65 in final value fees. What about something that sells for $550? Well, you’ll save $0.80 on the listing fee. You’ll pay an extra $1.94 in final value fees. So much for less fees. The only sellers that the new fee structure will help are the ones that have a high number of auctions that end without a buyer!
If you use gallery, and you really should, you’ll also save an extra $0.35 there as they’ve made it free. You’ll still pay more for the auction though. The difference is that now you don’t have an excuse to not take a picture and put gallery on the auction. Start doing it now! Your sell through will improve.

Bummer - lower listing fee, free gallery but higher final value fee so Ebay in reality makes more money. The email never said the final value fee was going to increase - sneaky - get us all excited about getting a break while hiding the fact that Ebay sees yet higher profits. However, for someone like me who sees many items not sell this is a pretty good thing. Sometimes you have to list an item several times before you find a buyer - lower insert and free gallery will definitely work in my favor. The new fee structure goes in effect February 20th. I will be getting auctions ready to list and wait out the next three weeks. Time to do the happy dance!

Hi Frugal Grandma Here!

2008-01-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am just a little Frugal Grandma who lives with Frugal Grandpa in a little cottage in America's heartland. I intend to teach my grandchildren everything thrifty so as they grow up they will know how to live a simple life and be smart with their money. It should be a fun trip.