what are you doing right now?

[daisylu]

Vent away, Pink Cashmere.

DH and I have been having similar conversations about how much money each of us spends to maintain our home. Like you, I have started stocking mostly only healthy foods. When DH asks went we don't have some junk he wants my reply is now "they sell it in the store everyday, and you know your way there". It still causes strife now and again, but I'm standing my ground.

[finnime]

Oct 19, 2023 5:43:36 GMT -5 ners said:

finnime Thanks for sharing your pictures.

You are most welcome!

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 19, 2023 6:47:05 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Vent away, Pink Cashmere .

DH and I have been having similar conversations about how much money each of us spends to maintain our home. Like you, I have started stocking mostly only healthy foods. When DH asks went we don't have some junk he wants my reply is now "they sell it in the store everyday, and you know your way there". It still causes strife now and again, but I'm standing my ground.

Can’t we all just get along?!

Another thing that is aggravating me about it is that because I have been doing more meal planning and cooking myself, we have not been eating out that often. In fact the only time he buys takeout or we go to a restaurant is when Kiddo is here sometimes, or when YD is here and she doesn’t want what’s in the kitchen. That’s on him, not me. But the fact that we haven’t been eating out when it’s just us 2, means we need more groceries. I don’t understand why the math is not mathing for him.

[flamingo]

A couple years ago we switched how we paid for groceries. Until then, we’d paid on the debit card attached to out joint account. When we switched to a credit card to get us more fuel points, DH started paying attention when the bill came. He’d always had access to the online bank info and the monthly statements, he just didn’t pay attention I guess. Anyway, the first bill came and it was $600 and change. He was AGHAST! How were we spending that much for just the 2 of us?! We do put other expenses on there besides groceries and paper products, but it was eye opening for him. 

I could have told him (and did!) years before how much we spent on groceries. But I guess he had to see the math for himself for it to sink in. 

It’s kinda backfired on me though. Now he won’t buy anything that’s not on sale, even if I’m insistent we need/want it, lol. And I’m not talking expensive things. I’m talking the bagels we eat every damn morning or the coffee we drink every damn day, haha. 

[Pink Cashmere]

For the last few months, on days like yesterday, when I’ve been bent out of shape about something, I am mindful of what I eat. If I don’t feel like figuring out vegetables, I just eat a baked potato or some rice. I don’t even really care for rice, and I have eaten more rice this year that I have in my whole life. It’s not a 100% guarantee that my stomach won’t act up, but it does seem to decrease the odds that it will. 

So my last brain misfire for the day yesterday, was to cook and eat a broiled salmon filet and some roasted broccoli. Broccoli doesn’t usually bother me, but I don’t even try it when I’ve had a bad day, because it is on the list of potentially troublesome foods and I avoid the whole list when my nerves are bad. I didn’t even think about it yesterday. Well I am paying for not thinking. I have been awake since shortly after 2am, when I woke up feeling like I was going to puke. Which was the beginning of the pattern when my stomach acts a fool, and now I am miserable and looking crazy once again. Maybe it would’ve happened anyway, even if I had eaten rice instead of the broccoli, Idk. I am sooooo tired of this!

[finnime]

I think men are typically oblivious, present company excluded of course, until something like a bill or retirement smacks them in the face and they see how much groceries etc. cost. And you think, how could they not get it? But they don't.

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 19, 2023 7:55:09 GMT -5 flamingo said:

A couple years ago we switched how we paid for groceries. Until then, we’d paid on the debit card attached to out joint account. When we switched to a credit card to get us more fuel points, DH started paying attention when the bill came. He’d always had access to the online bank info and the monthly statements, he just didn’t pay attention I guess. Anyway, the first bill came and it was $600 and change. He was AGHAST! How were we spending that much for just the 2 of us?! We do put other expenses on there besides groceries and paper products, but it was eye opening for him. 

I could have told him (and did!) years before how much we spent on groceries. But I guess he had to see the math for himself for it to sink in. 

It’s kinda backfired on me though. Now he won’t buy anything that’s not on sale, even if I’m insistent we need/want it, lol. And I’m not talking expensive things. I’m talking the bagels we eat every damn morning or the coffee we drink every damn day, haha. 

I prefer to shop sales too, but if we really need something that’s not on sale at the moment, I’ll still buy it. But when things we use a lot are on sale for a good price, if it’s shelf stable or can go in the freezer, I buy multiples and hope we don’t run out before it’s on sale again.

Thats what originally started these conversations, he wants to stock our household products, deep freezer and pantry back up, so I’ve started back shopping sales to do that, but I don’t always pay for it anymore, sometimes I ask him to pay for it. Because even though everything is on sale, it still costs money! When I didn’t have the money to keep up with it, we slowly depleted everything. He liked the convenience of having stuff on hand instead of constantly running to the store because we were out of something, which is why he wants it to be like that again. Well, you can’t have it both ways sir. It’s going to cost some money to get things back to that point, and I ain’t got it right now. It will level off eventually, because we won’t need to buy stuff even if it is on sale, and can just restock whatever we are getting low on.

[soupandstew]

Oct 19, 2023 8:29:13 GMT -5 finnime said:

I think men are typically oblivious, present company excluded of course, until something like a bill or retirement smacks them in the face and they see how much groceries etc. cost. And you think, how could they not get it? But they don't.

Agreed!  Several years back DH had a real wake-up call about the cost of eating lunch out daily when I ran a Quicken report showing in on an annual basis  .  We still do it because (1) he likes to "get out of the house" and I'm not cooking 3 times a day, but at least he knows what it costs us.  Ditto a lot of the expenses since I made him start paying the bills - he was a little surprised at how much he spends on Kindle books and pay-per-view movies.  

[soupandstew]

Pink Cashmere The Wallflower plug thing and the missing kitchen stuff would definitely get on my last nerve.  Stuff bought for the house should stay in the house, unless by mutual agreement.  

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 19, 2023 8:59:03 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Pink Cashmere The Wallflower plug thing and the missing kitchen stuff would definitely get on my last nerve.  Stuff bought for the house should stay in the house, unless by mutual agreement.  

Yeah, that kind of thing has always driven me crazy, for stuff to just sprout legs and disappear. I’ve already replaced our everyday glasses twice since we’ve moved here. Now it’s also bowls and other stuff missing. And not just kitchen towels, but towels from our bathroom. I’m also tired of replacing towels. I’m just tired of stuff going missing, period, all over the house.

[wvugurl26]

I send DH to the store occasionally if I'm out of 1-2 things I need to make dinner. He's been getting the sticker shock.

I do try to stock up on non perishable and freezer goods when they are on sale. The pantry shelves are looking a little bare though.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 18, 2023 23:12:53 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I want an induction stove when I need a new one. I think those do heat up/cool down instantly but maybe I am wrong. Would you please chime in with your experience With those The Walk of the Penguin Mich ?

Cooking on induction is so cool.  You put a pan on the counter top, turn a knob and the pan heats up.  The temp gets adjusted with the same knob, and when you are done only the pan and food are hot, you can sit your hand where you just had the pan.  The counter is NOT hot.
What’s nice is your stove is a spare 3’ of counter space when not in use.  You can use it to roll out pie crusts, if you need it.  

TD was talking about getting one when the electric stove dies.  I was all about gas.  I’m on board with induction now 100%.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 18, 2023 21:10:48 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

That’s a really nice condo and a good price. Why do you think your sister wouldn’t like it?

She wants a house and land to garden.  

I do have 3 concerns about that condo.  It is in Sudden Valley, which has an HOA.  HOA dues are nearly $600/mo and a huge chunk of that goes to support a golf course that a select few use.  Secondly, the HOA board always seems to be battling something.  Thirdly, stairs.  While my sister has intact joints unlike me, she is now 60.  I can see stairs getting real old, real fast.  

Probably 85% of the posts on NextDoor are about how screwed up that HOA is.  We hear about it as this development is the last unHOAed development before going into Sudden Valley.  The development was built as a retirement community for Canadians, and is considered the poor stepchild of the city.  House prices there are about 10% cheaper because of that.  So people buy there, and as the land is more undeveloped, any bad weather is exacerbated there.  When it gets bad here (and town can be totally clear, and we are in the middle of a snow storm), it’s a blizzard there.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 18, 2023 21:46:50 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Oct 18, 2023 19:21:03 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Before she came to pet and house sit, her short list was SC, FL, TX or possibly TN.  WA was not on her radar.  It is now, and it’s just so obscenely expensive here.  

A really cute condo just went on the market.  It’s not far from here, but she won’t consider it.  

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1-Lake-Louise-Dr-Unit-28_Bellingham_WA_98229_M25379-03148?from=srp-list-card

She could get a huge house in Arkansas for that amount of money. Just saying. Texas COL is way lower than WA also.

I know.  But she has decided she likes it here.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m here, or maybe she doesn’t want to go some place where she is totally alone.  I get that.  It is hard getting a new social network, and I can’t imagine how much harder it would be if you aren’t going into an office or lab for a job.  

She knows no one in Arkansas or TX.  In SC her son lives these.  In FL there is a friend, TN another friend.  I think that figured into her short list a year ago.  

[daisylu]

Oct 19, 2023 8:29:13 GMT -5 finnime said:

I think men are typically oblivious, present company excluded of course, until something like a bill or retirement smacks them in the face and they see how much groceries etc. cost. And you think, how could they not get it? But they don't.

When the kids and I moved in with DH after the wedding, he already had 2 vehicles in the driveway closest to the house (one that was only driven if the other was in the shop for maintenance). Our driveway is large enough that 2 vehicles can park right next to the house and 2 can park sideways away from the house. I just started parking in the sideways area, as I had when we were dating. After about 3 months of that I lost my sh*t on DH because I wanted the spot closest to the house because I was the one shuffling kids around (9 and 6 at the time) and doing the grocery shopping and carrying the groceries in because of DH's work schedule - most of which was done in the dark because there is no lighting in that area.

His reply - "I didn't even think anything about the driveway. All you had to do was say something.". But in my mind, he should have realized that my parking away from the house was a PITA. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 19, 2023 9:10:41 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I send DH to the store occasionally if I'm out of 1-2 things I need to make dinner. He's been getting the sticker shock.

I do try to stock up on non perishable and freezer goods when they are on sale. The pantry shelves are looking a little bare though.

Yeah, TD hasn’t been into the store in ages.  I spent $65 on just produce yesterday.  Grapes (sale), strawberries (sale), Brussels sprouts, asparagus (sale), onions, potatoes, cukes, tomatoes, a single avocado, 2 cans of crushed pineapple and macadamia nuts (sale, $4 for the cake I need to bake tonight).

All of our groceries I buy go on the Costco visa, and at the year end, we get an accounting.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the 6 months I have been buying groceries on it this year is equal to all of last year.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 19, 2023 8:56:37 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Oct 19, 2023 8:29:13 GMT -5 finnime said:

I think men are typically oblivious, present company excluded of course, until something like a bill or retirement smacks them in the face and they see how much groceries etc. cost. And you think, how could they not get it? But they don't.

Agreed!  Several years back DH had a real wake-up call about the cost of eating lunch out daily when I ran a Quicken report showing in on an annual basis  .  We still do it because (1) he likes to "get out of the house" and I'm not cooking 3 times a day, but at least he knows what it costs us.  Ditto a lot of the expenses since I made him start paying the bills - he was a little surprised at how much he spends on Kindle books and pay-per-view movies.  

My Kindle bill is probably pushing $40/mo.  I have stopped opening offers as I can’t read what I buy fast enough.  
Thinking back though, it was nothing for me to drop $20 for paperbacks a couple times each month, especially when I was flying back and forth to WA.

[bean29]

Oct 18, 2023 20:27:00 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I  like that condo Mitch and a decent price. You are right the prices there are crazy high.

We go back and forth about buying a different place up there later after we sell here or just living in it. It just doesn't fit our needs. We can probably add a shed and expand the storage building but still wouldn't
 own the land.  And I hate to admit it I think we are both a little bit of snobs anymore. It's very clean, but modulars and trailers. Yes, they are fixed up nicely and the place is super clean, but, its still a trailer.

We have plenty of time to decide. yet.

I got into the patient portal at the hospital complex where hubs is going. I read through the reports and it stated the cancer has not metatasized, and is not in his lymph nodes or glands so that makes me feel so much better. Why haven't they told us this? He does have an appointment with the surgeon Friday so maybe he will. Still its cancer and says it has more on his left side than the right in the tumor I suppose. I'm just hoping it has been caught early enough. He has some elevated labs but nothing crazy high. And as we know his blood type is O and the other stuff is negative.

Son called tonight and he was relieved. Also he said tomorrow he has a full physical scheduled, I'm glad he is doing this, he needs to.

His dad asked him if he had orders to go to the Middle East yet, and he said no nothing yet. If he did likely Israel or maybe on one of the ships.  We are just hoping he doesn't have to go there, but you never know. Likely some of them well, and I think the units he is with would go there. 

I'm heading for bed early again tonight. I'm just worn out and why I don't know. Hopefully not coming down with anything.

I understand it is a trailer/modular...but the really valuable thing is how close it is to your DS and his family.  The ability to run back and forth in just a short trip is invaluable imho, and I think you will be somewhat sorry if you live farther away.

[soupandstew]

Oct 19, 2023 10:20:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 19, 2023 8:56:37 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Agreed!  Several years back DH had a real wake-up call about the cost of eating lunch out daily when I ran a Quicken report showing in on an annual basis  .  We still do it because (1) he likes to "get out of the house" and I'm not cooking 3 times a day, but at least he knows what it costs us.  Ditto a lot of the expenses since I made him start paying the bills - he was a little surprised at how much he spends on Kindle books and pay-per-view movies.  

My Kindle bill is probably pushing $40/mo.  I have stopped opening offers as I can’t read what I buy fast enough.  
Thinking back though, it was nothing for me to drop $20 for paperbacks a couple times each month, especially when I was flying back and forth to WA.

Yes, DH spent a lot on paperbacks too, even though we regularly haunted the Half Price book store and various library sales.  Fortunately, some of his reading material is classics like Agatha Christie which are only $1.99 on Kindle.  But reading is a far better and cheaper hobby than some things he could be interested in like fast cars or fast women 

[bean29]

Oct 18, 2023 21:36:05 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Mister said something today that made me want to argue about groceries again. But I held my tongue while I marinate on what I’m going to say.

I told him that I stopped at the grocery store today to get some more salad greens, turkey for the salads or sandwiches, and shredded cheese, and how I was shocked at how much that cost, $30. 

He zoned in on how much the turkey I buy costs. It IS expensive because I buy Boar’s Head, and it costs more now than when I first started buying it. But I like it, and he has even said that it tastes better than the packaged deli meats like Oscar Meyer or whatever.

Anyway, today he said we might need to adjust our taste buds and not buy stuff that costs so much. Which made me think that if he spent less money on junk food, that would be more money to use for real food. But in the heat of the moment, I didn’t know how to say that calmly, since we just had an argument about food a few days ago.

I honestly don’t  know how to navigate this. I am still cleaning up the financial mess made from all the work I’ve missed due to my health issues, so I don’t have the money to spend like I use to. But when I do buy groceries, my shopping habits are very different from his. I didn’t even buy a lot of junk food when I was raising my children, I bought snacks they liked, but it was limited. That was even before I got into trying to eat “clean” as much as it made sense for my lifestyle.

Mister has been “spoiled” with all the things I’ve regularly spent money on to keep our kitchen stocked with necessities and other groceries, and other stuff I made sure was always available to make our home comfortable and have what we need at any given time. Now that my money is funny, he is having issues with paying for that stuff, even though I only ask him to pay for necessities when I can’t.

When he came home from work today, he asked what was the smell in the house. I’m tired of my bedroom smelling like dog, and my house not smelling good, so I’d scraped some money together and ordered some refills for the Bath and Bodyworks wallflowers that I unplugged many months ago because I ran out of refills and didn’t have money to buy more. He immediately noticed the difference and was pleased with it, but it is obviously not clicking in his brain that it cost MONEY for our house to smell good. And then he had the nerve to say he was taking the one in the laundry room to, work with him tomorrow, for his office, and that almost went sideways when I said no you aren’t, unless you give me some money to buy more plugs and refills, since I am missing several plugs (which is another story) .

If he takes it to work anyway, Imma be mad. 

All of this kind of stuff upsets me because even though I don’t shove receipts in his face to show him how much money I spend on food and making sure we have household basics like cleaning products and other stuff that keeps our household running, I feel unappreciated. 

To add to that, I have noticed that there is a lot of shit missing in my kitchen. From dishes, to utensils, to dish clothes, a lot of stuff has mysteriously disappeared. I’m not inclined to replace all of that AGAIN, on my dime, because I know for a fact that I’m not the reason that stuff keeps disappearing. When I lived alone, stuff didn’t disappear. Here, it’s not just children, I’ve been in Mister’s car and seen dishes and the “good” silverware hanging out in there. 

Just another random vent. And I am grateful for having a mostly safe place to vent about all of that, while I try to figure out how to handle it IRL. 

A lot of my better silverware has disappeared too.  It was better flatware.  I have two sets of cheaper flatware also, so I have backup pieces.  I only have like 3 salad forks but about 12 regular forks.  My kids came home from college with cheap flatware, so I don't think they took it.  When my MIL used to clean for me, she told me a few times that she found pieces of silverware in the garbage, so I suspect the family has been careless cleaning dishes and accidentally tossed a random piece of silverware here and there.  But why is it mostly the salad forks that are missing?  We have at least one relative that has a reputation as a klepto, but I don't like to go there.  

[giramomma]

Oct 19, 2023 9:08:48 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Oct 19, 2023 8:59:03 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Pink Cashmere The Wallflower plug thing and the missing kitchen stuff would definitely get on my last nerve.  Stuff bought for the house should stay in the house, unless by mutual agreement.  

Yeah, that kind of thing has always driven me crazy, for stuff to just sprout legs and disappear. I’ve already replaced our everyday glasses twice since we’ve moved here. Now it’s also bowls and other stuff missing. And not just kitchen towels, but towels from our bathroom. I’m also tired of replacing towels. I’m just tired of stuff going missing, period, all over the house.

I'm sorry. I can't imagine.

We replaced our every day glasses and silverware after 19/20 years. We still had enough silverware that DS can take our old set for his first place. I also replaced it with a full set MIL gave us because she already had two and didn't need a third for two people.

We haven't replaced our towels that we got for our wedding. They are 22+ years old. We did take some cast offs from MIL to use t water parks, spares for friends, etc.

The kids also know that the more careless they are the less they get. I usually start with Christmas/Birthday presents, because that makes the most impact. The more we have to spend on replacing towels means you'll get less Christmas presents. We only buy the kids 3 gifts for Christmas..so legit, they understand the only thing that they might get could be from Santa if they aren't careful.

While I would never say having less means is a "blessing," having less money to go around is useful for shaping some attitudes that we just can't go out and replace things without it being a time and money resource cost/trade off.

ETA: I also knew I couldn't ever marry a spender. So I didn't.  I trust DH enough to know he spends what he needs to on a day-to-day basis (I do very little of the routine spending because I'm working so much and he isn't). Though I'm entrusted with the rest of the finances (making the money, dealing with retirement savings, etc) I really don't budget anymore.

It has been a good thing that I married for partnership more so than love. I would have left DH a long time ago if it were the other way around. Even after all our baggage at the end of the day, we are well suited for each other. Which I find useful to fall back on when we love each other but you are hard pressed to see how that's actually being demonstrated.

[bean29]

Oct 19, 2023 10:30:58 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Oct 19, 2023 10:20:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

My Kindle bill is probably pushing $40/mo.  I have stopped opening offers as I can’t read what I buy fast enough.  
Thinking back though, it was nothing for me to drop $20 for paperbacks a couple times each month, especially when I was flying back and forth to WA.

Yes, DH spent a lot on paperbacks too, even though we regularly haunted the Half Price book store and various library sales.  Fortunately, some of his reading material is classics like Agatha Christie which are only $1.99 on Kindle.  But reading is a far better and cheaper hobby than some things he could be interested in like fast cars or fast women 

I really should drop my kindle unlimited subscription.  I use Libby to borrow library books and I can get them in kindle format.  The nice thing about kindle is you can take as long as you want to finish them.  Libby gives you about 2 weeks for books and 7 days for audiobooks.  I would keep my audible subscription - I have started choosing the new releases as audible picks b/c I think it is more reasonable than the price they want for some new releases as kindle books.  I also sometimes just put in a request and wait for my name to come up from the library.  The wait can be really long. I have one placed July 10th and it says 8 more weeks, another Aug 20, and it also says 8 weeks, another Aug 17, and it says 8 weeks, and one placed April 18 and it still says 10 weeks.  eta. what I usually do is set my filters for available now and the type of books I want to read and choose english for my language and then just pick through what they have available.  I listen to books via Apple Car Play on my commute.  I also use my ear buds and listen to books while I am walking my dogs.  

[Cookies Galore]

Oct 18, 2023 18:30:33 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Oct 18, 2023 18:22:58 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I just listened to the evening news, and apparently Joran van der Sloot finally admitted to killing Natalee Holloway with a cinder block back in 2005. this was part of his plea agreement for the extortion case he was extradited back to Alabama to face.

www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/us/van-der-sloot-holloway-murder.html

now if we could finally find Madeleine McCann, my 20s can rest. 🥀

I immediately recognized her name in your post, because I associate her disappearance to my desire to visit Aruba. I am glad her family finally has some clear answers about what happened to her, and the person that did it is being held accountable, even though it is still heartbreaking, even to me, and I’m not even related to her.

GO! Aruba is my happy place. This high-profile murder aside, it's an insanely safe and welcoming island. We're thinking of going a fourth time next year.

[seriousthistime]

Oct 18, 2023 20:27:00 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I  like that condo Mitch and a decent price. You are right the prices there are crazy high.

We go back and forth about buying a different place up there later after we sell here or just living in it. It just doesn't fit our needs. We can probably add a shed and expand the storage building but still wouldn't
 own the land.  And I hate to admit it I think we are both a little bit of snobs anymore. It's very clean, but modulars and trailers. Yes, they are fixed up nicely and the place is super clean, but, its still a trailer.

We have plenty of time to decide. yet.

I got into the patient portal at the hospital complex where hubs is going. I read through the reports and it stated the cancer has not metatasized, and is not in his lymph nodes or glands so that makes me feel so much better. Why haven't they told us this? He does have an appointment with the surgeon Friday so maybe he will. Still its cancer and says it has more on his left side than the right in the tumor I suppose. I'm just hoping it has been caught early enough. He has some elevated labs but nothing crazy high. And as we know his blood type is O and the other stuff is negative.

Son called tonight and he was relieved. Also he said tomorrow he has a full physical scheduled, I'm glad he is doing this, he needs to.

His dad asked him if he had orders to go to the Middle East yet, and he said no nothing yet. If he did likely Israel or maybe on one of the ships.  We are just hoping he doesn't have to go there, but you never know. Likely some of them well, and I think the units he is with would go there. 

I'm heading for bed early again tonight. I'm just worn out and why I don't know. Hopefully not coming down with anything.

Very glad to hear this!  What a relief it must be for DH, you, and your family. 

[Cookies Galore]

Oct 19, 2023 9:52:03 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 19, 2023 9:10:41 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I send DH to the store occasionally if I'm out of 1-2 things I need to make dinner. He's been getting the sticker shock.

I do try to stock up on non perishable and freezer goods when they are on sale. The pantry shelves are looking a little bare though.

Yeah, TD hasn’t been into the store in ages.  I spent $65 on just produce yesterday.  Grapes (sale), strawberries (sale), Brussels sprouts, asparagus (sale), onions, potatoes, cukes, tomatoes, a single avocado, 2 cans of crushed pineapple and macadamia nuts (sale, $4 for the cake I need to bake tonight).

All of our groceries I buy go on the Costco visa, and at the year end, we get an accounting.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the 6 months I have been buying groceries on it this year is equal to all of last year.

I make my husband come grocery shopping with me every week. I don't care that he hates it; I'm not exactly a fan, either. But I do every-fucking-thing to keep our household running, so he can take 30 minutes with me to pick out what meat he wants that week and help bag.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 19, 2023 10:30:58 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Oct 19, 2023 10:20:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

My Kindle bill is probably pushing $40/mo.  I have stopped opening offers as I can’t read what I buy fast enough.  
Thinking back though, it was nothing for me to drop $20 for paperbacks a couple times each month, especially when I was flying back and forth to WA.

Yes, DH spent a lot on paperbacks too, even though we regularly haunted the Half Price book store and various library sales.  Fortunately, some of his reading material is classics like Agatha Christie which are only $1.99 on Kindle.  But reading is a far better and cheaper hobby than some things he could be interested in like fast cars or fast women 

Exactly!  You don’t want to know how much I spend on yarn these days after having taken up knitting again!  While I can avoid the local shops (I have 2 I spread my money to), online is harder to avoid.

[azucena]

DH likes to buy exactly what he wants from grocery store for the current day. He also drives me crazy criss crossing the store as items pop in his head. Dude go aisle by aisle like a sane person.

[weltz]

Oct 19, 2023 3:47:25 GMT -5 finnime said:

weltz , does Simon have access to a group in Canada that he can work with to get support and maybe some ideas about what next? In the US there is an organization, NAMI, that offers resources. Simon needs a plan B, or C or D, to guide him through whatever happens next.

We have groups like that. I don't know if he will go.

[soupandstew]

Oct 19, 2023 10:52:26 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Oct 19, 2023 9:52:03 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Yeah, TD hasn’t been into the store in ages.  I spent $65 on just produce yesterday.  Grapes (sale), strawberries (sale), Brussels sprouts, asparagus (sale), onions, potatoes, cukes, tomatoes, a single avocado, 2 cans of crushed pineapple and macadamia nuts (sale, $4 for the cake I need to bake tonight).

All of our groceries I buy go on the Costco visa, and at the year end, we get an accounting.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the 6 months I have been buying groceries on it this year is equal to all of last year.

I make my husband come grocery shopping with me every week. I don't care that he hates it; I'm not exactly a fan, either. But I do every-fucking-thing to keep our household running, so he can take 30 minutes with me to pick out what meat he wants that week and help bag.

I usually ask DH to go with me as he is responsible for cooking 2 nights a week and he needs to select his own stuff.  It also helps him get ideas as he tends to get stuck in a rut big time.  He now has a much better understanding of how aggravating the grocery store can be with idiots in the parking lot, fools blocking the aisles, and stupids in the checkout line too busy talking on their phone to get their wallet out and pay.  

[soupandstew]

I finally found that cup of ambition and filled out the stupid forms to get partial reimbursement for our eye exams and glasses.  I don't know why I put it off - I just had a mental block against doing it which is really stupid.  It only took 15 minutes but it does mean a trip to the FedEx store for copies before mailing.  I absolutely HATE standing in line waiting for a copy machine   - almost as much as I hate forms I can't fill out online and print.  First world problems, for sure