Hello to all my readers from the Frugal Workshop.
Broken Dryer
From my side of the street, dryers are definitely part of the planned obsolescence, which irritates me a great deal. Manufacturers purposefully create products that do not last very long so they can make more money when you have to buy a replacement. This dryer, which replaced one that was two years old, was only three years old.
The dryer stopped working last Saturday night, so we had laundry hanging in various places around the house to dry. While it is definitely not the worst thing that could happen, hanging laundry to dry is not as quick as using the dryer. But on a positive note, we will be saving money on the electric bill, which is always a plus in my book.
September Ebay Sales
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| Image Credit |
Auto Repair
I received a call to work on Wednesday, but I already had an appointment to get my car checked out. I suspected it was leaking transmission fluid because of the sound it was making. I asked the serviceman who changed my oil last weekend to check, but he said it had to be checked underneath and I needed to take it to the dealership.
Never buy a car that does not allow you to check the transmission fluid easily from the top of the motor. I just knew this was going to cost me over $100.
Turns out there was a small leak in one of the lines and the fluid was five quarts low! The serviceman fixed it for me, filled it up and only charged me $50. He told me to keep an eye on it though because he only repaired the line and did not replace it, so I will have to keep a check on it from time to time.
Work Week
Other than Wednesday, I worked every day this week and brought a packed lunch from home, so no money spent there. We have one more week and then students are off school for one week for Fall Break. For me, that means five less days I could have on my paycheck.
Meat Markdown
On Wednesday, I found one pound packages of Italian pork meatballs with yellow stickers marked down to $2.58, so I bought two packages. I would have bought more, but I wasn't sure we would like them. Turns out they were good, so if I see them again, I'll definitely buy more than two.
While perusing the sale ads and shopping lately, I have noticed that ground chicken and ground pork have been cheaper than ground beef. I've always thought of ground pork as a breakfast item, but with the rising cost of beef and liking these pork meatballs, I will definitely be looking at ground pork in the future to include in our dinner menus.
WFD ~ Dinners this Week
Monday: "Salisbury Steak", Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Baked Potatoes, Broccoli
Wednesday: Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Bread
Friday: Nachos
Saturday: Deep Dish Pizza Pie
Free Entertainment
We went swimming on Friday night, and afterwards I made an easy dinner of Nachos and brownies for dessert. Free entertainment, which cost nothing.
That is our week in a nutshell, how was your week?
Belinda
CFO ~ Chief Frugal Officer
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011-2014.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”
"Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle ~ It will help you save money"
Belinda, was this a new dryer or a new to you, second hand one? If cost is an issue, try Habitat for humanity. Around here you can get a dryer for $250 or less, they warrenty it for a certain period, profits go to charity etc. Often it is a matter of people upgrading.
ReplyDeleteHTH
This was a brand new dryer, Carol. It was a GE and Mom says that she has had problems with GE appliances too.
DeleteThanks for mentioning Habitat for Humanity. I hadn't even thought of them. They have a nice new store here too. I will definitely be on the look out there for one. Thank you! :)
My former washer and dryer (sold washer in July, dryer in Aug) were second hand, basic, GE models. Never any worries save replacing the lightbulb in the dryer. Granted, a single man owned the set for approx 1 year before I owned it, and he was ill in the hospital for the last few months, so it sat, unnused. I used* to swear by Maytag, but like everything else, quality and durability have gone out the window. The rental here has a front loader, Whirlpool HE set that I love. I suspect that the dryer uses some serious energy, so after getting my more than doubled bill, I've pretty much stopped using it. : (
ReplyDeleteLove my new, Amish style clothesline, however! : )
Seriously, when I do finally buy my next forever home, I will look into second hand appliances, let someone else get the depreciation. That's how I felt about my new to me Prius. Paid cash, it's all mine, looks and runs great (hoping I didn't just jinx myself!)
I agree with buying second hand as it saves us so much money, especially with cars. There is a Warehouse appliance store here also that I am going to check out too.
DeleteWe had a clothesline like you have now back when I was growing up and we always hung our clothes out to dry. All our neighbors hung their clothes out to dry too. It was just the way we did things back then. I am so tempted to not replace the dryer and just hang our clothes out to dry, but my family wants it replaced.
Hopefully you will see a much smaller electric bill with the decreased dryer usage.
Belinda, I am doing everything I know how to, in order to reduce my bills. : (
ReplyDeleteThis rent is much higher. We have to live carefully.
I'm hoping for the best for you. If anyone can do it, I know you can. :)
DeleteGreat job on the Ebay sales!
ReplyDeleteI hate that appliances don't last. I think we've been through more in 22 years than my grandmamma ever did in her lifetime.
Thank you, Shara. :) I agree...appliances used to last a lot longer back in the olden days. lol
DeleteBelinda, did you ever replace your dryer?
ReplyDeleteNot yet, we are still haning the laundry up to dry. I'm fine with that for now, but dd is getting tired of it. I want to get the best deal I can, so I am still looking. :)
DeleteKeeping fingers crossed that you find something before the real cold weather sets in!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol. :)
ReplyDelete