Hello to all my frugal readers. This week I was able to work Monday & Thursday and then a surprise 1/2 day on Friday. Next week we are off on Monday for Labor Day, and then I'm scheduled to work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
On Tuesday I woke up and started working in the kitchen. I picked grapes off the vines from three packages of grapes and washed them and divided them up into twelve individual containers. We picked these up at Aldi where they were on sale for 79¢ per pound. These went into lunch bags this week until they were gone.
I also cut up a watermelon, made some black bean burritos for dinner and baked some sweet potatoes for the week.
Our washer stopped working this week, so we went to Lowe's to replace it. We bought the lowest priced Roper model they had because of planned obsolescence. I figure I might as well go with a basic, no frills washer since they are designed now to not last as long.
This is a high efficiency washer without an agitator. The employee told me that's how all washers are made nowadays. She said they only use one to two tablespoons of detergent, so looks like we will be saving money there as well.
The reviews were very good on the model I chose and the price was $299 plus new hoses, taxes and delivery fee, which made the price come to $420.97 and that is with a 5% discount for using my Lowe's card. I will pay that off as soon as I receive the bill. The savings amounted to $17.14.
We could have bought a Maytag or Whirlpool machine online for $279, but I didn't want to buy one online. I'm glad I didn't too because when we arrived at the cash register the employee had just gotten off the phone with someone who was having trouble with her online order, so she told me to never to buy a washer online. LOL
On Wednesday I found a penny on the ground while I was dropping off garbage. It reminded me of something that happened when I was subbing one day last week.
One of the students found a quarter behind the door and picked it up to keep. He told me there was also a dime back there, but he didn't bother to pick it up. I told him he should get it too and he said it wasn't worth it. I found that odd.
It was cool on Saturday morning, so much so that we didn't need to turn on the a/c and I even put on a sweater to keep warm. Very odd for this time of year here.
We have family visiting us today, so we will be busy visiting with them all week. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Yes, scratching my head that it wasn't worth it to get the dime. The Roper should work well for you, I've heard good things. How old was the former machine?
Not very old at all, Carol. About 6 years is what we figured. The transmission went out on it right after we bought it and was replaced right away for no charge, so I figured it was the transmission again. It was just as cheap to buy a new one than repair the old one, unfortunately.
I pick up pennies - so a dime would have been worth it to me. Kids - go figure. I hope you like your new washer - I got one without an agitator last year (my other one lasted 30 yrs.). I don't like it! It takes so much longer to do a load of laundry. One hour without fail - regardless of the setting. Laundry is clean - but the time is ridiculous. I hope yours works ell for you. Glad you some work in. Blessings
That is good to know, Shara. I will have to see if our machine has a setting like that. I've heard that they are not made to last longer either. It's such a shame.
So true about today's appliances! Hubby and I had a Maytag washer and dryer for 23 years that were still going strong (We have four children) when I decided I wanted a newer looking set in my laundry room. Well, the Whirlpool washer lasted about 3 years, and the dryer about the same. Our new home had an expensive new gas stove that began to fall apart after a few years. You are smart for buying a cheaper washer. They fall apart sooner today at all price points.
That is what I figured as well, Isabella. They fall apart so soon, what is the point of buying a higher end model. It's a shame that we stopped building things to last in this country. :(
Roper is a great brand for the price and our last Roper washer lasted us many years. I was told by a technician that the Roper brand was better than many of the high priced models these days.
I too got some of Aldi's .79 cent a pound grapes, a delicious deal in our area!
That is good to hear about the Roper washers. Thank you. We love the grapes at Aldi as they are always so fresh and what a great price. Glad you were able to get some too. I hope you have a wonderful day too. :)
My washer and dryer are over 20 years old and I cross my fingers every time I use them since they are in a closet in the kitchen and I've heard the newer machines are bigger and probably won't fit. I'm not going back to the basement to do laundry so if they go we may end up with a stackable type. Good luck with your new washer.
For umpteen years, picking up coins has been a pastime. Kids ignoring coins is not new. I picked up coins in school hallways for years. (???) At year's end, lockers would be left with all sorts of things. I gave found calculators to math teachers, returned books to libraries, and collected a nice supply of books and materials for myself. Never once found a shirt with school logo, which was good. Kids do not identify value and responsibility.
My last washer (3-5 years ago) is one of the hour-long models. Dislike it.
I didn't do any canning this year as my stove top's two biggest burners are not working, so I can't can on this stove. If it ever dies for good I will get a new one and start canning again. y Dad brought me a bunch of tomatoes from Illinois though and I have the urge to can them. They are so good, grown in good Illinois black dirt. :) Yum!!
we have an Amana it also takes one hour. It seems like the HE washers do not work as well as the old school ones.I am grateful for a washer. We did hand wash for over a year once.kids are funny about coins. Maybe he has never seen anything for a dime and did not know 25 + 10 is 35:)That kid needs to go to a yard sale. We always pick up change. We even have big bags of change in our trucks in case we don't have money with us. The the the guy at Wal Mart thought it was a good idea and did it for his wife and mom. Well Belinda I hope you got tat dime. Blessings, Patti
He does need to go to a yard sale, when I told my daughter she was like, "He must be crazy"! She buys stuff all the time for just pennies, so a dime to her is a big deal. Another student picked up the dime, at least he knew it was worth something.
We can do without a dryer so much easier than without a washer. Washing clothes by hand for over a year is hard work. Those ringer/washer things are nice though. If we ever went off grid, that would be something to consider.
We have a music theory contest every month and the winner gets a $10 gift card to the store or restaurant of their choice. I've had students tell me it's not worth the work to do this Theory worksheet because that price is only $10. So the dime comment doesn't surprise me at all. Sad.
Do you ever freeze black beans? This works well for us. I make a big batch in the slow cooker, with olive oil, onions, salt, pepper, a little garlic powder and cumin. We freeze the results flat in quart-sized plastic bags and stack them in the freezer. They're ready to pull out for burritos, rice bowls or a chicken enchilada quinoa recipe that we both love.
Cook more than you think you'll need, though, because by the time they're done the house smells so good that we wind up eating black beans for dinner, either rolled up in bread-outlet tortillas (soooo cheap!) or over hot rice with a little salsa and sour cream on top. (My partner hates cheese.)
Oh, and don't throw out the broth because it's delicious. We freeze it as well, and add it to homemade soup pots or curries. Nothing gets wasted in our home. In fact, we even save the bean-soaking water to pour on the garden; you can also use it on houseplants.
Just found this blog and I'm in love. My washer went and I got the same Roper. It's the 2nd time I've purchased it. I did once in my previous house (the buyers got the appliances there). A week later my dryer went. It was a freebie so it lasted a good while. I went and got the Roper dryer. The capacity is HUGE. You can fit a comforter in it. Happy so far.
My oven was free. Only one stove burner works but we set an electric skillet on top. My fridge is a freebie as well.
I find many of these young people's attitude about money strange.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice visit with your family.
Thank you, Sluggy and I agree about the strange attitudes with the young people these days.
DeleteThat is weird about the dime because then he would have had 35 cents instead of 25 cents:)
ReplyDeleteExactly, Cathy.
DeleteYes, scratching my head that it wasn't worth it to get the dime. The Roper should work well for you, I've heard good things. How old was the former machine?
ReplyDeleteNot very old at all, Carol. About 6 years is what we figured. The transmission went out on it right after we bought it and was replaced right away for no charge, so I figured it was the transmission again. It was just as cheap to buy a new one than repair the old one, unfortunately.
DeleteI pick up pennies - so a dime would have been worth it to me. Kids - go figure.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like your new washer - I got one without an agitator last year (my other one lasted 30 yrs.). I don't like it! It takes so much longer to do a load of laundry. One hour without fail - regardless of the setting.
Laundry is clean - but the time is ridiculous. I hope yours works ell for you.
Glad you some work in.
Blessings
Thank you so much, Cheryl. I have heard that about these machines too taking a long time to do one load of laundry. Blessings to you too. :)
DeleteI don't think the new washers are designed to last as long either.
ReplyDeleteOurs does have a quick cycle on it though and I can run a load in 35 minutes if they aren't horribly soiled.
That is good to know, Shara. I will have to see if our machine has a setting like that. I've heard that they are not made to last longer either. It's such a shame.
DeleteSo true about today's appliances! Hubby and I had a Maytag washer and dryer for 23 years that were still going strong (We have four children) when I decided I wanted a newer looking set in my laundry room. Well, the Whirlpool washer lasted about 3 years, and the dryer about the same. Our new home had an expensive new gas stove that began to fall apart after a few years. You are smart for buying a cheaper washer. They fall apart sooner today at all price points.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I figured as well, Isabella. They fall apart so soon, what is the point of buying a higher end model. It's a shame that we stopped building things to last in this country. :(
DeleteRoper is a great brand for the price and our last Roper washer lasted us many years. I was told by a technician that the Roper brand was better than many of the high priced models these days.
ReplyDeleteI too got some of Aldi's .79 cent a pound grapes, a delicious deal in our area!
Hope you have a wonderful day!
That is good to hear about the Roper washers. Thank you. We love the grapes at Aldi as they are always so fresh and what a great price. Glad you were able to get some too. I hope you have a wonderful day too. :)
DeleteMy washer and dryer are over 20 years old and I cross my fingers every time I use them since they are in a closet in the kitchen and I've heard the newer machines are bigger and probably won't fit. I'm not going back to the basement to do laundry so if they go we may end up with a stackable type. Good luck with your new washer.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your visit with the family.
Thank you so much, Mary Lou. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your washer and dryer too. :) I hope you have a great week.
DeleteFor umpteen years, picking up coins has been a pastime. Kids ignoring coins is not new. I picked up coins in school hallways for years. (???) At year's end, lockers would be left with all sorts of things. I gave found calculators to math teachers, returned books to libraries, and collected a nice supply of books and materials for myself. Never once found a shirt with school logo, which was good. Kids do not identify value and responsibility.
ReplyDeleteMy last washer (3-5 years ago) is one of the hour-long models. Dislike it.
Did you can this summer, Belinda?
I didn't do any canning this year as my stove top's two biggest burners are not working, so I can't can on this stove. If it ever dies for good I will get a new one and start canning again. y Dad brought me a bunch of tomatoes from Illinois though and I have the urge to can them. They are so good, grown in good Illinois black dirt. :) Yum!!
Deletewe have an Amana it also takes one hour. It seems like the HE washers do not work as well as the old school ones.I am grateful for a washer. We did hand wash for over a year once.kids are funny about coins. Maybe he has never seen anything for a dime and did not know 25 + 10 is 35:)That kid needs to go to a yard sale. We always pick up change. We even have big bags of change in our trucks in case we don't have money with us. The the the guy at Wal Mart thought it was a good
ReplyDeleteidea and did it for his wife and mom. Well Belinda I hope you got tat dime.
Blessings,
Patti
He does need to go to a yard sale, when I told my daughter she was like, "He must be crazy"! She buys stuff all the time for just pennies, so a dime to her is a big deal. Another student picked up the dime, at least he knew it was worth something.
DeleteWe can do without a dryer so much easier than without a washer. Washing clothes by hand for over a year is hard work. Those ringer/washer things are nice though. If we ever went off grid, that would be something to consider.
We have a music theory contest every month and the winner gets a $10 gift card to the store or restaurant of their choice. I've had students tell me it's not worth the work to do this Theory worksheet because that price is only $10. So the dime comment doesn't surprise me at all. Sad.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, Ms. Sandie, that is so sad. I would have loved to win a $10 gift card when I was growing up. That is very sad indeed.
DeleteI hope you picked up the dime :-)
ReplyDeleteDo you ever freeze black beans? This works well for us. I make a big batch in the slow cooker, with olive oil, onions, salt, pepper, a little garlic powder and cumin. We freeze the results flat in quart-sized plastic bags and stack them in the freezer. They're ready to pull out for burritos, rice bowls or a chicken enchilada quinoa recipe that we both love.
Cook more than you think you'll need, though, because by the time they're done the house smells so good that we wind up eating black beans for dinner, either rolled up in bread-outlet tortillas (soooo cheap!) or over hot rice with a little salsa and sour cream on top. (My partner hates cheese.)
Oh, and don't throw out the broth because it's delicious. We freeze it as well, and add it to homemade soup pots or curries. Nothing gets wasted in our home. In fact, we even save the bean-soaking water to pour on the garden; you can also use it on houseplants.
We do freeze beans in portions that we can use for other meals. It's a great time saver. I even pack some for lunches to grab and go.
DeleteAnd I love beans with sour cream. They are so good!
That's a great idea about water the houseplants or garden with the bean broth.
Another student picked up the dime, so I didn't. :)
Just found this blog and I'm in love. My washer went and I got the same Roper. It's the 2nd time I've purchased it. I did once in my previous house (the buyers got the appliances there). A week later my dryer went. It was a freebie so it lasted a good while. I went and got the Roper dryer. The capacity is HUGE. You can fit a comforter in it. Happy so far.
ReplyDeleteMy oven was free. Only one stove burner works but we set an electric skillet on top. My fridge is a freebie as well.