groceries

Costco stock up trip: this is what $800 looks like

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$799.40 to be exact. 60¢ under budget. 😄

First, though, an update on the truck.

The first thing I noticed when I started it this morning was that the clock’s time was wrong. I’d reset it yesterday. Which means, we lost power to the console during the night, and it came back.

As my daughter and I were starting the drive, we were talking about what’s been going on with the truck, and how weird it was for the tire warning message and light to not be there anymore.

Then, just shy of the highway, less than 2 miles from home, both the light and the message came on.

*sigh*

We had left earlier than usual to meet someone from the rescue to get our top loading cat carrier back, but also to stop in the town my mother is in (again). We picked up a couple of energy drinks and sandwiches for breakfast, then went to the feed store to pick up the lysine. They were still closed, though, so we kept on going to where we were arranged to meet up. We had plenty of time to eat our sandwiches and just sit and talk.

Once we had the carrier again (they even cleaned it!), it was off to the city and Costco.

I could not believe how full the parking lot was, for a Wednesday morning! It was really busy in the store, but the bigger surprise was as we left. There was a huge line to the customer service desk, running all the way to the main doors outside. I don’t usually see that kind of line except after Christmas.

Still, we got what we needed to get here; anything left on our list will be done on our next Walmart run.

There is is. $760.67, before taxes. After the cart was re-loaded, we had to stop and my daughter reorganized things. Because of the crowds and line to the Customer Service desk, we had to do it outside. As our stuff was being scanned, a guy showed up to load the cart and he basically just threw everything onto the flat cart with no attempt to be secure or even logical about it. My daughter and I are both very keen on packing and stacking things well, so it was hard to watch! 😄

This picture was taken before my daughter was done reorganizing so no, those eggs did not stay balanced on top of the pierogi at the end of the cart!! 😄

This is what we got today.

We did get cat supplies, though with the generous donation, we should only need maybe one more 40 pound bag of kibble before the end of the month for the outside cats. We didn’t need any for the inside cats, so the two 9kg and two 11.6kg bags are all for the outside cats. I think the price on the 11.6 kg bags went up. Either that, or they were on sale that last time I remember getting them.

We also got a case of canned cat food and a case of XL puppy pads. We now have enough canned cat foot that we won’t need to pick up more for the rest of the month. Usually, I get a couple smaller cases at Walmart to have enough for the month.

For non-food items, we got our toilet paper, AAA batteries, and some more Head and Shoulders that gets used as an anti-fungal body wash.

For beverages, we got a case of Coke Zero and a case of Monster. The Monster variety pack had replaced one of the flavours from before, and it’s to one I like but haven’t been seeing in stores much at all lately, so I’m happy. It was also on sale, so that was bonus. There is also a 3 pack of oat milk for the girls.

In dairy, we got a 4 pack of cream cheese, a carton of whipping cream, a block of Old Cheddar cheese, plus 5 pounds of butter.

For meat and other protein, there is a double flat of 60 eggs, a panini pack of sandwich meats, some pickerel fillets for the girls, two big packs of drumsticks that were $5 off at checkout, a pork blade, a pork loin, and a variety pack of dry sausages that was on sale. I also got two garlic coils, as the price was almost half what they are, locally. Oh, and some canned chicken. The price on that seems to be staying under $20 for six cans of late.

There is also a bag of carrots – organic, but they were on sale, and we didn’t see any non-organic ones anywhere, a 20 pound bag of Russet potatoes, frozen perogies, a case of ramen noodles, a bag of basmati rice, a case of tomato soup, large jars of mayo, peanut butter, and pickles. There is a two pack of butter chicken sauce, a shaker of powdered garlic (which, oddly, had more product for a lower price than the granulated garlic I usually get), and a large bag of granulated sugar.

For bread products, I got a 2 pack of rye bread and we got two packs of tortilla wraps. Finally, as a treat, my daughter selected from toffee and chocolate chip cookies.

Note that we did NOT get any beef. We haven’t been able to afford beef at Costco for a while, now. Lately, I’ve been picking up the odd package on sale, locally. The last couple of times I was in town because of the truck, I got some stew meat and some ground beef with sale prices much better than Costco these days.

Once the truck was loaded up, we filled the gas tank. Costco gas was at $1.239/L instead of $1.359/L everywhere else! It cost $51.69 to fill the tank.

On the way home, we stopped at the feed store and picked up the lysine. It came in adorable little 1kg buckets from a different brand this time. The price went up, so the two of them cost $67.20 after taxes. The containers I got before had been $20 each. Still better than buying it elsewhere.

When I saw the buckets, I commented on them, and that I would probably be keeping them to reuse. The woman behind the counter completely agreed with me – you can’t have too many buckets!

She also asked me if I was still wanting to get chicks.

I said yes, absolutely.

She asked if I was after a specific breed or anything like that, and I said I just want laying hens. She named several breeds, and I was fine with any of them. Then she asked about the date I’d want them, snowing the hatchery’s schedule on their white board.

There was no way we’d be ready for them in April! I told her, we need to be able to assemble the chicken coop first, which means, no snow on the ground. (Yes, I know; they’ll be in a brooder for weeks, first, but I still want to have the coop assembled and ready, before we get them.) So she put me down for the latest date they had, which is May 27. She has two other people who are interested in getting a smaller number of chicks than the 24 chick minimum the hatchery sells them for. I told her that, with our coop, we can have a maximum of 10 chickens, so we can go under, but not more than 10. So she will talk to the other two people and see what can be worked out to split an order of chicks between us, as well as splitting the shipping costs. With three people, we’ll be paying $15 each for shipping instead of $45.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to work something out with the other two people and get it all arranged and ordered. I’m flexible on the delivery date, too, as long as it’s not in April! She said, all three of us have said we are flexible on things, so this should work out quite well.

My daughter had been waiting in the truck all this time, so once we were back on the road, I updated her about the chicks discussion.

I think she is actually starting to look forward to having chickens! My daughters had been very reticent about it. Especially her sister. They have online friends who keep chickens, and my older daughter had commented about chickens getting sick, and we wouldn’t be able to take them to a vet.

Well, no, but we would be getting what we need to treat them ourselves! The feed stores carry medications and supplements for chickens, as well as feed. There’s lots of info out there on treating chickens.

Then we got to talking about where to set up the coop.

Ideally, I’d like to have it where we can easily see it, which would be in the south yards. Most of it isn’t level, and some significant portions of it floods in the spring, so that likely won’t work. I mentioned I was thinking of having it sheltered in the maple grove, or even where we currently have a pile of maple logs from the trees cleared away from the roof. The ground under that log pile is quite level, and I can see it out my bedroom window. Inside the maple grove would be more sheltered and there are fairly level spots there.

My daughter suggested we set it up against the retaining wall blocks at the end of the old kitchen garden. I had considered that area, but it would have to be at the northernmost end, as the south end is next to an area that gets deeply flooded in the spring. It’s not as sheltered from the wind, but it does get more light than if it were in the maple grove.

The other thing to consider is being able to secure the coop from being blown over in high winds. We’ve previously talked about getting panels that we can set around the mesh sides on windy days. The roosts are under the floors of the nesting boxes, rather than inside. There are three nesting boxes, with access from outside, at each end of the coop. When we assemble it, I want to find a way to attach a couple of roosts in the space in front of the nesting boxes, so they can roost for the night indoors, and not be exposed to the wind.

Ultimately, though, where we set up the coop will be temporary. I still plan to have some sort of polytunnel or greenhouse of some sort over garden beds in the main garden area. The coop and chickens would spend the winter inside that. So while we will need to secure it to make sure it doesn’t get blown over in high winds, we still need to keep it mobile.

I quite enjoyed talking it out with my daughter!

Anyhow.

Once at home, I had to drive up to the house to unload. I had some concerns on whether or not I’d cleared away enough snow before my body gave out. Especially the area I pull into behind the garage, so I can back up to the house. Sure enough, while in 2 wheel drive, I got stuck. I switched to 4 wheel drive and was able to back up. It was hard to tell, but I think that shuddering had started up again, while I was reversing in 4 wheel drive. The distance was so short, though, I really couldn’t say for sure. I just made sure to switch back to 2 wheel drive as soon as I was stopped, so I wouldn’t forget later.

Then it was the assembly line to unload the truck into the house. Last of all, my daughter and I took the kibble bags into the old kitchen. The whole time, we were constantly needing to make sure Sir Robin didn’t get into the house! He so wants to be inside!

Once the last of it was done, I left my older daughter to put things away while I grabbed some hot water and did the outside cats early. My younger daughter took over doing the kibble while I topped up the water bowls. Once all the cats were distracted, I was able to drive the truck out of the yard. I only had to scoot two of them away, first!

So there was have it. Finally. Our Costco stock up trip is done!

We will still need to do the Walmart and Canadian Tire trips, but that’s not as urgent, and there isn’t a lot we need to get there.

What I do need to do is visit my mother! I am planning to do that tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll be calling her tonight to let her know. My sister should have been able to visit her today. Maybe. During the drive home, we hit some pretty crazy blowing snow conditions, but it did clear up before we got home. As I write this, we are at our predicted high of -13C/7F, but the wind chill is -28C/-18F

Oh, my! Not only are we warming up over the next few days but, as I write this, we’ve got a high of 6C/43F forecasted for Sunday! 6C!!!! Wouldn’t THAT be nice!!

So, tomorrow (Thursday), I visit my mother. The day after, I have my doctor’s appointment. Saturday, I want to make a trip to the dump. Just a regular garbage and recycling run, though; my mother’s old mattress and box spring, and the broken office chairs, will have to wait for another day. Monday, my daughter has a doctor’s appointment. After that we don’t have anything scheduled until my dentist appointment near the end of the month, but March is also a birthday month for my older daughter. For her special birthday dinner, she usually chooses Pizza Hut pizzas. So at least one more trip there (no one delivers where we live. 😄)

Well, our mechanic has said, we need to drive the truck often. Mechanically, it’s running fine, with the possible exception of the shuddering in 4 wheel drive that comes and goes. I can just keep it in 2 wheel drive until absolutely necessary. They’ve checked and re-checked, and they can’t find anything wrong that could be causing it. The weird electrical thing has only affected the console and radio. The dashboard display has not been affected.

It’s still hell on my nerves, though.

The main thing is, we have transportation again, AND we finally got our first stock up shopping trip done – a week later than usual!

All is good.

I just have to keep telling myself that!

The Re-Farmer

Stock up shop: this is what $288 looks like

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Today, finally, we did the stock up shop that normally gets done at the end of the month!

Between issues with the truck and trying to get my mother’s apartment emptied before the end of January, what would have been our first stock up shopping trip to the city, didn’t happen.

This trip is normally a stop at Canadian Tire, a Walmart and then either the international grocery store we like so much, or a Superstore.

Well, we’ve done our Costco shop, and have done local shops, so today we only needed to go to Canadian Tire and Walmart. Both of which we could do in the smaller city where my mother is now in a Transitional Care Unit, until they can find space for her in a personal care home on a permanent basis.

I didn’t take a picture, but our first stop was at Canadian Tire, where we got three 40 pound bags of litter pellets. I was also looking for more seed starting mix, but they only had Miracle Gro, which has become increasingly filled with chunks of wood and twigs. So I skipped that, but I did pick up a new growing tray kit. They had 72 cell trays with hexagonal cells and a greenhouse dome lid for only about $9. I just got the one, as I have other things I can use. I’ll eventually need to get more drain trays separately, though. More and more of my older ones are starting to crack.

My Canadian Tire purchase was only three bags of pellets and the one tray kit, which totaled $35.24

Then, it was the Walmart.

This is what $288.51 looks like.

Most of my list was non-grocery items. My husband requested a few things, and my older daughter requested some heat and eats. None of us are doing well enough to stand in a kitchen, cooking a full meal, right now.

So this is what I ended up getting.

I couldn’t get the receipt to lie flat, but I think it’s still readable.

In the heat and eats, my daughter chose dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, just for fun. Not something we normally get, at all, ever! I grabbed a package of corn dogs at the last minute (they became supper!), plus we got a couple of bags of frozen tater tots.

For other food items, we got a couple more loaves of rye bread, sandwich pickles, 3% milk, a case of Kraft Dinner that was on sale, a bottle of Kefir (a rare treat), Birthday Cake flavoured coffee creamer, a box of Sleepytime tea and a bag of oranges.

My husband requested Fresca, sour candies and water flavours.

There are some feminine hygiene products, hair oil, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, paper towels, two cases of canned cat food, and the Jiffy seed starting mix I was looking for. Also, a package of baby wipes to keep in the truck for hand washing.

For the drive home, we got a couple of drinks and a snack to try. Samosa chips; rosemary vinaigrette flavoured. They were quite tasty!

And that’s it; 33 items in total came to almost $300.

Our Walmart shop actually cost more than getting the truck repaired. That doesn’t even include the Canadian Tire stuff, nor the gas we got on the way home (I only put in $20, but used my points to get 10¢ off per liter, so I got more for my money).

*sigh*

Thankfully, though, this should be our last big shop for the month. Which is already almost half over.

2026 is already just flying by!

The Re-Farmer

Finally! Costco stock up done. This is what $737 looks like.

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First up, I am happy to say, the truck behaved wonderfully today. The oil pressure gauge stayed right where it was supposed to. The check engine light even turned itself off, when I was on the way home. 😂

My husband wasn’t up to going into town to get his blood work done, so I went into the city for a much needed Costco stock up trip. I went to the new location this time, too.

First bonus was filling the gas tank. Gas was $1.099 instead of $1.279, like everywhere else.

This is what $737.33 looks like.

Today’s costs were a bit different, though, in that I renewed my Executive membership, as well as using the annual rebate. The renewal cost $130 and the rebate was $130.40, so they cancelled each other out. That’s why the receipt below has a total of $867.73.

First up, there’s the cat supplies. I got two 11.6kg bags of Whiskas, which was on sale, and two 9.1kg bags of Kirkland brand. One of the Whiskas will be for the outside cats, though we will still be getting 40 pound bags from the feed store. Mostly, it’s to give them variety. The remaining three bags of kibble should be enough to last the month for the inside cats. There is also a case of canned cat food (we’ll need to get more of that before the end of the month) and more puppy pads.

In non-food items, there is toilet paper and AA batteries. The batteries were on sale.

For beverages, there is a case of Monster energy drinks for the girls and I (which my daughter pays me back for later) and a case of Coke Zero for my husband and I. There is also a three pack of oat milk for the girls, which they use more for cooking than drinking.

We’ve been getting extra bread every chance we get, so I didn’t get a lot today. There’s two packages of tortilla wraps and a 2 pack of “rustic rye”. Not the rye I usually get, but it was a better price.

In dairy, there is 5 pounds of butter, a block of Old Cheddar cheese and a wheel of brie – the brie was on sale – a 4 pk of cream cheese and grated Parmesan.

There is also a 9 pack of pasta varieties that was on sale, a jar of mayonnaise, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of olives, dehydrated onion, a 2 pk of butter chicken sauce and canola oil.

The only frozen thing I got today was a “Normandy” bag of mixed vegetables. There is also a double flat of eggs (60 eggs). They’ve changed the eggs they carry. Now they’re “free run, farmer owned” (yeah… right), so they’re more expensive. I think we’ll be getting our eggs from the local grocery store now. They are every bit as “free run, farmer owned” as anything else.

In the meats and fish, I was able to get a fair bit. A large package of drumsticks, which was on sale, a large pork loin, a garlic coil – not on sale, but an excellent price – two panini packs for sandwiches, some snapper fillets for the girls, and mild Italian sausage. They didn’t have the wide variety of fresh sausages in stock this time, but they did have loose sausage meat, which was at a lower price, so I got that instead of sausage links. There is also a 6 pack of canned chicken.

Last of all, I got “supper”. For the girls, I got a nigiri platter. With how cold it is, I didn’t have to worry about raw fish in the box of the truck! I also picked up a meat lasagna that was supposed to be for my husband and I, but I forgot he has been cutting out cheese completely. The Lactase doesn’t seem to be helping, and even lactose free cheese is making him sick, so we’re not sure what he’s reacting too, all of a sudden.

That’s it. That’s what we got today, for over $730.

*sigh*

The Re-Farmer

We didn’t make it, so here’s another $184

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First, the cuteness. Breakfast time!

We have another milder day today, but it’s also supposed to snow later this afternoon.

We’ve already been out and back, but we didn’t make it.

The goal was to go to the nearest Walmart, mostly to restock on cat supplies. The prices aren’t quite as good as Costco, but certainly better than local.

Before we headed out, I backed the truck up enough that I could check for any new drips, and check the oil levels. I’d already texted the garage about a time when I could bring it in for a diagnostic, at least, since that check engine like it still on. It might turn itself off again when things get warmer, though. Plus, the driver’s side front tire has a slow leak still. That used to be the tire that leaked the fastest, so we got that sensor/valve assembly replaced. It no longer loses are like it used to, but it did still leak very slowly, somewhere. Both front tires got replaced, and the leak it still there, so that means it’s got to be the seal on the rim. It’s not an urgent thing, but it would be nice to not have any leak at all!

After I moved the truck, I saw fresh drips on the floor.

*sigh*

The oil level was actually low this time. I got my daughter to check it for me, because she can see the line better than I can. We ended up adding another 3/4 of a liter.

I messaged the garage about what I was finding. He is still perplexed, but we now have an appointment for Thursday afternoon, which is two days from when I’m writing this.

I asked if I needed to worry about going to the nearer city and he said it shouldn’t be a problem, but to check the oil again when we got there, and before we left. If it was a problem, they have their second location not that far from the Walmart that I could take it to.

We didn’t make it.

When my daughter and I headed out, I chose a route that took us towards town, where the garage is, first, instead of an alternate route through where my mother’s apartment was. There isn’t any difference in distance, really, but things were niggling at me and I decided to take the route that took us towards town.

We were maybe 2 miles from the highway turnoff when the truck started dinging. That oil pressure gauge just kept dropping, and was fast approaching zero, while the onboard computer was flashing a red message, “oil pressure low, stop engine.”

Well, we knew there was plenty of oil, so we just kept on going and tried to ignore the truck screaming at us. My daughter messaged the garage to say what was happening and that we were going straight there.

I’m so glad 1) I didn’t take the other route (though there is a garage I trust in the other town, too) and 2) it happened when it did, and not half way to the city on an empty highway.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too much further to the garage. Once we parked, I headed in while my daughter started messaging to update the family.

The owner had just got our message and was expecting me. I told him what was happening, and he was very perplexed. There was a lift open, though, so he sent one of his guys with the keys to bring the truck right in.

Which was quite a surprise for my daughter, when someone else got into the truck! I was going to message her first, but he would have gotten there before I could finish, so I didn’t bother.

They drove into the bay and my daughter joined me in the office, still laughing because she had to tell the guy how to get out of the truck. He was looking for a door handle that isn’t there!

The first thing they did was check the oil level, which was fine. Then they got it up, and I watched as the both of them were looking around with flashlights, trying to figure out what was going on.

I don’t have an oil leak.

It was the differential. Just a minor leak. Which explains the location of the “oil” drops I was seeing!

This leak would have been indistinguishable from any oil leaks we saw before that seal got replaced. It is also new, and likely another consequence of that last cold snap we had.

I already had the appointment set, so they’re going to replace the oil sensor, do an oil change and repair the differential leak.

I then asked about the possibility of getting pre-financing to see what we can afford to get to replace the truck. I just can’t be dealing with all these sensor issues! He’s going to send me a link, and I can start that process online.

There was no way we were going to continue on to the Walmart now. Instead, we went across the street to the regular grocery store. We wouldn’t be stocking up on cat supplies, but we could at least get enough to last us until the truck is worked on.

I didn’t get a picture of cart to show was $184.56 looked like, but I did get a shot of the receipt. Sorry for the poor quality image.

Top of the list is a 9.1kg bag of kibble. $43.99 The Kirkland brand kibble we get at Costco is also 9.1kg, but costs just under $30. Even the 11kg Whiskas brand bags they carry costs only a few dollars more.

*ouch*

They didn’t have cases of the larger size canned cat food we normally get at Walmart, so we got a dozen cans at 94¢ each.

After that, the only things we really needed to get that we would likely run out of over the next couple of days was milk, butter, bread and bananas. So I got a couple of pounds of butter, a 2L of milk and a couple of loaves of Texas Toast. Along with the bananas, I also got my husband more of the frozen curly fries. I remembered to get some plain cooking oil.

We also picked up a couple of packages of wieners on sale, so we got a couple of bags of house brand hot dog buns on sale, too. We just aren’t going to be up to doing proper cooking today, so those will likely be part of our supper tonight!

My husband requested some sour candies, plus Fresca that he splits with the girls. I got some more Coke Zero that he and I split. There’s some beef jerky, but that’s to keep in the truck.

Then, because we could really use some treats right now, we splurged. We got bags of chips for my daughters and I, plus there was a sale on baked goods, so we got chocolate croissants and chocolate brioche rolls.

My daughter and I were both quite hungry by then, so we got a couple of sandwiches and drinks for the drive home.

That’s it. That’s $184.56 Aside from the kibble and canned drinks, it all fit into three hard sided grocery bags, with room to spare. That cat food was what really kicked up the cost.

*sigh*

That done, we headed home. Thankfully, the oil gauge “behaved” and the needle was just low, but not low enough for the onboard computer to start screaming at us. We did make one stop at the post office. My daughter had ordered something could only be delivered by UPS, but they don’t go where we are, so it was delivered to the store the post office is in. It got there about half an hour before we did!

So now we will be staying home until after the truck is worked on. Then we can finally do a proper stock up trip, though with having to buy so much locally, it hasn’t been good on the budget! Plus, we’re going to have the truck repair bill to deal with soon.

*sigh*

Ah, well. It is what it is. As my father used to say, we can laugh, or we can dry, and I’d rather laugh.

The Re-Farmer

Not a stock up trip: this is what $181 looks like

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After all the driving I did yesterday – including some white knuckle driving in near zero visibility, the last thing I wanted to do was head out again.

Unfortunately, between having to focus on getting my mother’s apartment emptied, plus concerns about the truck, we haven’t been able to do our usual city stock up shopping. I’m glad I had been able to do the top ups earlier but, until I can finally get to the city, we had to do another smaller shop. Plus, with all the driving I’d done yesterday, I normally would have gotten more gas before heading home on that last trip, but there was no way we were stopping to get gas at that point.

I really wish I’d been able to stay home today. The roads sucked. Yesterday’s high winds came from the south-southeast. Today, we had winds coming from the north-northwest. Since the roads I was traveling ran east-west, that meant there was drifting from yesterday/last night’s winds on one side, and new drifting on the other! Not to mention the open areas, where I was being broadsided by winds and had to fight them to stay on the road. Thankfully, it wasn’t particularly slippery. Temperatures were actually pretty mild today – not as mild as yesterday, but close. The winds, however, negated that completely.

I don’t want to have to do this again, so I made a larger than usual shop.

I filled a whole three grocery bags for $181.02m plus a 12 pack of Coke Zero and a couple of bags of potatoes – and that’s with all the discounts and sales I took advantage of!

Here’s what we got, today.

There’s the Coke Zero at the top of the list, which was on sale. I remembered we were running low on ketchup, so I got a bottle. It’s mostly the girls that use it, so I tend to forget. The gingersnap cookies are a treat for my husband.

There was a sale on pasta sauce, so I got a couple of jars. I got two 18’s of eggs rather than a flat, because the flats don’t fit in the hard sided grocery bags, and I didn’t want to fuss with a larger soft sided bag, just for eggs.

Next is a couple of pounds of house brand butter. The cheapest branded butter was almost $8 a pound. The spiral fries are something my husband is able to cook himself, which he likes to do whenever his pain levels are more tolerable. Then there are a couple of bags of frozen mixed vegetables, and a couple of bags of frozen pierogi.

Potatoes were on sale, so I got one of white potatoes, one of yellow. I also got a bag of onions and some bananas.

Stew meat was on sale, so I picked up the largest package I could find. It was still smaller than what I used to be able to get for under $20. Now, without the sale price, it would have cost over $30. Insane.

They had “cook tonight” discounts on whole chicken, so I got a couple. Those went straight into the freezer. I also got a couple of sausage rings, then decided to get a treat of potato salad. Something we don’t make ourselves, so it’s a fairly rare treat.

Last of all was bread that was on sale; two loaves of marble rye and two of whole wheat Texas Toast.

With the sale prices discounted at the till, not counting the sale items that were priced by weight, I saved $34.10. I could have gotten $10 off on this shop with my loyalty points, but saved it for another time.

There’s a reason we do bulk shopping in the city.

Hopefully, I will hear back from the garage early tomorrow. I ended up sending another picture. Once again, there was fresh oil under the truck. Just another drop, really. Still, it shouldn’t be there. Especially not after just getting that seal replaced. That means it’s coming from somewhere else.

*sigh*

No change in what the oil gauge is telling me. It starts off in the normal range, then drops to the exact same level in the “low” range, and stays there.

Tomorrow is supposed to be colder, but that wind is finally supposed to be done by now, so it’ll probably feel warmer than it has for the past couple of days. Today is Sunday, and the 10 day forecast is saying we’ll reach a high above freezing on Thursday, drop significantly on Friday, then warm back up again by Saturday. If the forecast is at all accurate, that will be the last of the whiplash weather – at least for the highs we’re expecting in the long range forecast.

Which means, by the time we’ve got whatever it is figured out with the truck and we finally do our stock up shopping in the city, even if it’s just one trip, it should be much more pleasant driving!

Here’s hoping.

The Re-Farmer

Unexpected stock up: this is what $293 looks like

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Since we had to bring cats in for neuters yesterday, and would be hanging around until they were done, we took advantage of being in a city. We wanted to pick up a few things before the polar vortex hit, so there would be no need to go anywhere during the coldest days.

Of course, we got more than was on the list.

This is what $293.80 at Walmart looks like.

Except for the three boxes of tea. My daughter bought those separately.

Gosh, that added up fast.

Part of it was because I needed to pick up some supplements.

The “white cheddar” at the top is actually a popcorn seasoning. We still have plenty of lactose-free cheese.

The “mineral” is my potassium, which I got along with some magnesium and zinc.

My older daughter had sent some funds, and part of her list included more energy drinks. The cases of 4 were on sale, so we got two cases.

My husband let us know we were almost out of peanut butter and molasses, one of his favourite snacks since childhood.

Next is a 5 lb bag of carrots – a good price, there. The vinegar is 7% cleaning vinegar.

It took some searching, but I found a small bag of seed starting mix, since I finished what I had left from last year, when starting the onion seeds.

The “sticks” is pretzel sticks; my husband requested something crunchy.

Not on the list is something we spotted on clearance. 3×10 heat vent covers. We need to replace several.

Pizza pops at under $20 is a good price, these days. At least compared to other places.

Next on the list is a new sponge mop head. My daughter tells me our current one has started to disintegrate!

Then there’s a bag of brown sugar, followed by a case of XXL puppy pads, feminine hygiene product, and a liquid soap refill.

Normally, I’d get a flat of 30 eggs, but they don’t fit in the hard sided insulated bags, so we got an 18 of eggs, instead. Then there are four loves of rye bread, followed by a couple of chocolate bars, one of which became part of my “lunch” on the way home, several hours later!

I got a 4 pack of distilled water for my husband’s CPAP humidifier. He wasn’t out, but the prices are much better at Walmart, so he’s well stocked now for some times.

Next on the “multi discount” list: We got a couple of energy drinks for right away, rather than for home. There is also a couple of coffee creamers for the girls, and 4 boxes of water flavours for my husband.

And that’s it.

Even with larger stuff, we didn’t fill a shopping cart, and it cost almost $300.

We did end up getting more.

After a had a bit of a nap in the truck, waiting for a call back from the vet clinic, I ended up going to the Dollarama. I didn’t get a picture of what I got, though. I found some 10% acid cleaning vinegar, so I got that. I really ought to remember to go there first. Walmart only has up to 7% acid cleaning vinegar, and it costs almost twice as much. I also got a roll of clear, self adhesive plastic that will be used to protect things from cat. I finally found a particular small size of hair elastics I’ve been looking for, for ages. I also got a small cat bed/mat for the inside cats. Last of all, I grabbed a small bag of roasted, salted cashews, which became part of my lunch/supper during the drive home, after picking up the cats. In the end, the total was about $16 and change.

That done, I rejoined my daughter in the truck. We didn’t stay there for too long before we headed back into the Walmart so my daughter could use the facilities, and then we just looked around at other things.

To get to the bathrooms, we had to go through the shoe section, which is where I spotted something hilarious.

Yes, I did end up getting them.

I found slippers that perfectly matched the pattern on my new coat.

Different brands of product, but same brand in pattern!

I didn’t even try them on, because I didn’t want to fuss with my boots. When I had the chance at home, I spread out my coat and found the matching pattern sections for pictures.

I also found some underroos in one of the few brands that are actually comfortable, in stock for a change, so I got a package while I could. I “splurged” on some cheap yarn in graduated, rather than variegated, colours. My daughter picked up a sketch pad and drawing tools for herself, which is where I found a small spiral bound sketch pad for my mother. None of the drawing tools in that section were things my mother could manage, so we went to the stationary section, where I found some coloured pencils that don’t need to be sharpened.

Altogether, with the slippers and undies being the most expensive items, it came out to just pennies over $60.

It ended up being a long time before we got home but, thankfully, nothing we got was damaged by the cold while sitting in the truck box. The insulated bags made the difference, so we didn’t have to worry about frozen eggs.

The last thing I got, just before heading home, was $30 in gas. Gas is currently $1.249/L

As for my splurge on slippers, when I tried them on, they did fit – sort of. Something about the toe design doesn’t fit my feet right, which would have caused blistering.

My daughter now has new slippers. They don’t bother her feet the way they do, mine.

And that’s it. Our mini stock up trip of almost $300 at Walmart, plus a few unplanned extras that brought the total to just over $400.

*sigh*

The Re-Farmer

Small stock up trip: this is what $101 looks like – sort of

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Did quite a bit of running around today, which I’ll cover in another post. Since I was in town anyhow, I did a small grocery shopping trip that turned out to be bigger than originally planned. I was only there for bread, milk and cheese! 😄

This is what $121.25 looks like, but I got $20 off from my loyalty points.

Yeah, most of it fit into the one hard sided bag I brought.

One of my daughters mentioned we were running low on glass top stove cleaner, so I picked up a bottle of that. I also got a 12 pack each of Coke Zero and Fresca for the four of us, which were on sale.

There was actually ginger snap cookies in stock, so I got a box for my husband, along with two jugs of distilled water for his CPAP humidifier. I also got him some frozen tater tots as an each snack that he can prepare himself.

Then I got two packs of marble, two packs of white Old Cheddar, lactose free cheese, which were on sale. They didn’t have any 2L 3% milk in stock, so I got 2%.

I spotted hoagie sausages on sale, so I got two packages. The sale price is what used to be their regular price. The girls really like those. I also picked up a ring of garlic sausage, made by a local company.

Then, finally, I got the bread I was there for. Four loaves of regular white and whole wheat bread. The rye bread I normally get was on sale, and completely out of stock, so this was the substitute.

And that’s it. All that, with sale prices and discounts, came out to over $100.

*sigh*

On another note, our pantry just got a boost for canned soups and a few more cans of beans. With my mother still in the hospital and not going back to her apartment, I’m going to start clearing some things out, little by little. My brother and SIL had picked up a lot of canned soup and such for her, as it was a lot easier for her and something the home care staff could prepare for her. After talking to them about it, they told me to take them, since we have “more mouths to feed”. 😄 I certainly won’t say no to things to add to our pantry!

While shopping today, I saw the canned beans we used to get regularly were on sale as 2/$3 A sale price of $1.50 per can, that used to cost 97¢ a can, regular price, not that long ago.

What isn’t pictured is my stop at the pharmacy. I got ibuprofen for the girls. Two smaller bottles that were on sale, making them cheaper than getting one larger bottle. I got acetaminophen for myself, which is safe to take with my anti-inflammatories. I still have some prescription painkillers left, but I don’t want to be using those if I don’t have to. I also got a tube of Voltaren for myself, that was on sale, and lactaid for my husband, which was not on sale. That all came out to something like $98.

I did stop at the hardware store before going to visit my mother, trying to find some Roof Melt. Turns out, they don’t even carry it, though the website made it look like they did. The city stores carry it, not the small towns. The first staff I asked about it didn’t even know what it was. I ended up talking to a manager? I think? who has helped me before. They tried really hard to find something for me. One of the other staff came by and heard what I was asking for, and got all excited, because it’s a product she would be getting, too! In the end, the manager said he was going to try and order something in, but he wasn’t sure if it would work.

He did mention that you can get beet juice granules. Somewhere. He didn’t know. This would be sprinkled on the roof and in the eavestroughs in the fall, where they would keep things clear all winter, and are completely safe for the grass and water table the melt water would drain to.

Something to look for, for next year!

The Re-Farmer

Yard cats and how much does that cost???

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Today was my day to go to my mother’s to do her grocery shopping, but first, I headed out for my morning rounds and yard cat feeding.

I counted 26 or 27 this morning. In this picture, a well fed group is under the higher wattage heat bulb. When I did the evening feeding, I noticed none where hanging out under the lower wattage heat bulb, which is closer to the floor. I checked it and there was no heat coming off of it. It was plugged in, the switch was on but, nothing.

No. It wasn’t burned out.

Somehow, it was unscrewed, just enough to cut power to the bulb! The heat cover was also loose from its threads. I’m not sure how the cats manage to do this!

I headed to my mother’s earlier than usual, as I wanted to get her grocery shopping done before the home care aid arrived for her lunch assist. When I got there, she had actually started some vegetables cooking on her own. She does things in stages, so she can sit down frequently.

After double checking and modifying her list that we put together when I was there on Saturday, I headed out. There wasn’t much on it, so I was done quickly. Fast enough that I took the time to stop at a little department store along the way. I know my mother won’t be able to do a Christmas tree, and very little decorating, if any, so I wanted to get her something festive. I ended up finding a little tree set, complete with a string of lights, small enough to sit on her dining table. Then, spur of the moment, I got her a Hickory Farms set with a sausage, crackers, cheese and mustard.

When I got them out and showed them to her, making sure she knew that these were gifts from me, not something I got with her grocery money (because that would have been her first thought), she got all angry with me for getting her gifts. Especially the Hickory Farms pack. With that one, I opened the box and showed her what was in it, and saying it was something to go with her tea, if she wants, or to bring out if she has company. She was still angry with me.

Which is what I expected, really. My mother has never known how to accept gifts graciously, that I can remember. I know that she will eventually enjoy them, but will likely never admit it. At least not to me!

As I was putting her groceries away, the home care lunch assist worker arrived. Since I was there anyhow, she didn’t stay and I took care of making my mother’s lunch for her, and finishing off what she had started cooking, doing all her dishes, etc. At one point, she asked me to look for something in her cupboards (we never found it), but she has a bunch of stuff that she would like to take. These are things she brought from here at the farm – glasses, bowls, etc. – but had never used. They are, however, vintage things that we would actually keep and use. Especially my younger daughter, who really appreciates such things. They are fragile and just out of my reach, though, and we decided today was not a day to drag out the stool and start taking them down. Mostly, she’s just happy to know that they are claimed and won’t end up disposed of in some way.

I wasn’t in any hurry to leave today, as my husband messaged me to let me know there was a parcel to pick up. The post office was almost closed for 2 1/2 hours over the lunch period. Which meant I had time to do all my mother’s dishes, make room in her fridge, and prep containers of food to cool down before they would go into the fridge.

I did remember to go through my mother’s lock box. I knew there would be one bubble pack with her Sunday bedtime meds still in it. Those turned out to be the only ones in the pack. Another pack had only a Monday morning bubble with meds in it. I took both out and set them into a pill organizer she has, so the packs could be thrown away, and left a note in the lock box for the next med assist person. My mother will be getting her refills soon (which the pharmacy will no longer deliver to her, at my request; I will pick them up), so the lock box was going to need the space.

For some reason, the home care aids keep locking more and more of my mother’s pens into the lock box. They have a form to fill out, with each med assist. There should be one pen with their folder. Instead, it seems they use a pen from her table, then lock it up into the box. I’m guessing the pens fall to the bottom while the next care aid moves it to unlock it, so they don’t see it and grab another one… which gets locked into the lock box. There was one time I wanted to make my mother’s shopping list, but couldn’t find any of my mother’s pens in the container she has for them on her table. On a hunch, I went into the lock box. I found six pens in there!

While doing my mother’s shopping, I noticed some very good sales at the grocery store, so after I was finished at my mother’s, I went back to do a bit of shopping of my own. I actually bought beef today! They had a sale on tri tip that was at $6.99 a pound. That’s lower than ground beef is right now. I got a few other things, as well.

I did NOT get chocolate chips, though.

*gasp*

Good grief!!!

I was at Costco, yesterday, and their Kirkland brand chocolate chips were over $30 for a 2kg/4.4lbs bag. What gets me is not only how much more expensive the Kirkland branch chocolate chips are here, but that they are more expensive than the name brand chocolate chips – both are semi-sweet – in a 2.4kg/5.3lb bag.

I recall, two or three years ago, that there were predictions of the price of chocolate going up, due to things like weather damage, pests and disease. Add in everything else involved in production and processing going up and adding to the price, it’s really gotten insane. It takes a few years for the increase in prices of cocoa beans (they tripled) to affect retail prices, but now I’m seeing that there is a recovery and supply is increasing. Prices might start to ease a few months from now, though probably not by much. The beans may not be as expensive, but all the other costs are still going up.

That done, I still had time before the post office reopened, even with how long the drive it, so I ended up going to the local Chinese restaurant for a late lunch.

The store the post office is in is an old style general store that includes a liquor section, right next to the post office window. As I was waiting for my parcel, I started looking at the nearest display and spotted a new wine, with the label stating it was from our province. The postal clerk saw me looking and told me that the wine is actually produced locally. As in, just off the highway that runs through our little hamlet! There was a semi-sweet and a ginger and lemon, both sparkling white wines.

I ended up getting a bottle of ginger and lemon. It only cost $20. Technically, my mother bought it, since she gave me $20 in cash for gas. 😂😂 (It costs almost $30 a trip to go to her place, with the current local prices.)

I’m now debating: do we taste test it now, or save it for Christmas? 😁

With the extra stuff, I sent a message home and my younger daughter was sweet enough to come out and open the gate for me, then help bring the bags to the house. It was a bit early but, once everything was in and I still had my boots on, I took care of feeding and watering the outside cats, and doing my evening rounds, while my daughter put stuff away.

Then, opened up our parcel and go it set up, but I will write a review on that in my next post!

See you there…

The Re-Farmer

New Costco shop: this is what $563 looks like

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Today, my daughter and I made it into the city for our Costco shop, where we checked out a new location.

First bonus about this location is that we don’t need to drive through the city to get to it. It’s actually outside the bypass highway around the city. No city traffic, no frequent stops at lights, etc.

First down side: it’s near some pretty major event infrastructure, as well as some new apartments that weren’t there the last time we drove by here, years ago, so it shares entry lanes. Which includes two roundabouts.

I really dislike roundabouts. Yes, I understand efficiency of the design. I just have no faith at all in other drivers. The city we lived in before moving here had several roundabouts we had to go through regularly, much larger than the ones we had to use today, and they sucked when traffic was high.

Thankfully, traffic was not high.

When we first drove in, the parking lot looked really full. Our first stop was the gas station, which had more pumps than the other locations we’ve gone to. That went really fast.

Also, gas there was $1.139/L, instead of the $1.299 everywhere else. It cost me “only” $46.47 to fill my tank from a little over half.

As for the crowded parking lot, that turned out to be just the area closest to the entry. Once we got past a certain point and could see the rest, we found there was plenty of space to park.

The location is somewhat bigger than the others we’ve been to and, while they matched the layout of other locations pretty well, a few things were changed up. One of them was where the cat supplies were set up! We finally found it, pretty much opposite of where they are typically kept.

The shop itself was… well… okay, I have to admit. I hate shopping and I hate crowds, not that it was particularly crowded today.

I really hate it when people with half empty carts expect me, with my flat cart, to stop on a time to avoid hitting them as they wander and weave, not paying any attention to what’s around them.

Having said that, I was ready to abandon my flat cart only twice this trip.

My daughter is a sanity saver.

One of the things they have that’s different is their sushi bar, which was added on to where they have their in store made heat and eats, like Shepard’s Pie and chicken pie. I wasn’t able to check it out too thoroughly, though, because there was a lot of cart traffic and looky-loos. When pushing a flat cart, I’m just not flexible enough to get around everyone, though I still couldn’t see much even when I left the cart with my daughter and tried looking again.

Their food court menu was also different. They had sushi on the menu, but they also had their Montreal Smokes Meat sandwiches, too. The other locations dropped those from their menu, years ago. I was really looking forward to doing lunch after we finished our shopping.

It didn’t happen.

This is what $563.72 looks like.

That really isn’t much on there at all.

So, this is what we got today, starting with the non-food (at least, not for humans) items. There’s two 9kg bags of kibble – we have a good supply, but this should ensure we don’t run short at the end of the month – one case of wet cat food, a case of puppy pads, toilet paper and a dish detergent refill jug.

For drinks, there’s a case of Monster – yay! Finally in stock again! – a case of Coke Zero and a 3 pack of Oat Milk.

For meats, I got two rotisserie chickens, because it was cheaper than buying any of the uncooked chicken options. The fresh made sausage section was bigger and had new varieties, so we picked up a pack of Greek sausage, and one of Gouda and Cranberry. I also got two panini packs for sandwiches. That was it for meat. Beef prices were heart stopping. I should know better than to even look!

For dairy, we got a 4 pack of cream cheese, sour cream, 5 pounds of butter and a 2 pack of goat cheese. My daughter also grabbed some grated Parmesan, which I’ll be paid back for. We normally get blocks of cooking cheeses, but we still have plenty. I was sorely tempted to try new cheeses, though, as their cheese selection in much larger and more varied! Not in today’s budget.

In the frozen stuff, we got a box of perogies and a bag of mixed vegetables.

In breads, we got two 2 packs of rye bread and two 2 packs of tortilla wraps.

In the odds and sots, we got two large containers of mayo, a box of mixed instant oatmeal, a double flat of eggs (60 eggs) and a sushi platter to be supper for the girls. I meant to get something for my husband and I as a quick, heat and eat supper but I couldn’t find anything that both my husband and I can eat. More and more foods make him feel sick after eating, as if he were having a lactose intolerance reaction, even if there’s no dairy in the food. So I ended up not getting anything. It’s getting much harder to get food for him.

I was still thinking of going to the food court but by the time we were heading for the check out line, not only did I not want to have refrigerator/freezer items sitting out so long while we ate, I had basically lost all patience with being around people. In fact, we didn’t even finish going through all the food aisles. Aside from the usual cart traffic issues, I kept getting stuck behind one older couple that kept weaving back and forth in the middle of the aisles, stop suddenly, or split up and be doing the same thing in two aisles at the same time. We even ended up blocked by them again, while trying to get the the checkouts. At least I was able to get past them, though someone else was blocking the aisle from the other direction that I had to get around. We weren’t any any hurry, but I get really tired of trying so hard to not be in the way with my big flat cart, only to have to deal with people who are oblivious about being in the way. Even as lightly loaded as ours was today, flat carts are not easy to maneuver!

So… yeah. That’s all we got today. A whole 35 items.

Once we were loaded up and heading out, things went smoothly. The only down side was my not eating yet. On the way out, we’d stopped to pick up some energy drinks and I got a bag of beef jerky. That was all I’d eaten all day, and it was about 1pm as we were leaving the city. On the way home, my daughter insisted we stop for food. I was thinking a quick stop at the gas station in my mother’s town that we had to pass through; the one that has the best fried chicken, but she was thinking an actual sit down restaurant. There’s a restaurant right on the highway that is under new ownership and completely redone that she hasn’t been to yet, so we ended up stopping there and she treated me to breakfa… lunc… an early supper?

By the time we were done, it was late enough for the post office to have reopened for the afternoon, so we made a quick stop there (my expected items have not arrived, including something that got mailed more than a month ago. Thanks, striking Canada Post.) before finally getting home. Just in time to feed the outside cats after unloading the truck!

No more softening the kibble. It’s just too cold. Some of the trays still had frozen kibble from yesterday stuck to them!

Today, we reached a high of -12C/10F. Which isn’t too bad, except even the slightest breeze made it feel much colder. Tomorrow is supposed to be slightly warmer, which is good, because I’m going to my mother’s do to her grocery shopping. Overnight lows over the next while are expected to drop below -20C/-4F Looking at the long range forecast for December is just an exercise in crazy. This morning, I was seeing some pretty nasty drops in temperature over the next couple of weeks – but then seeing expected highs of up to 5C/41F before Christmas! Looking at it again now, those days are now forecast as being below freezing, but warmer than -10C/14F Around and just after Christmas, they’re now saying we’re suppose to reach highs of -1C/30F

I highly doubt that will happen.

Anyhow. That is our Costco stock up shop for today!

Now it’s time to go through and look at what got missed, because we never finished going through the store, and what we’ll need to get locally.

For now, though, I just want to stay home and not be around people.

I’m people’d out.

The Re-Farmer

First stock up shop: this is what $382 looks like

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Before I start, I just want to say (an early) Happy Thanksgiving to all my visitors from the US. I hope you have a wonderful day of family, friends and lots of food!

Today’s stock up shop was intended to be a run on several stores conveniently down one major street in the city. Usually, it’s Walmart, Canadian Tire, the international grocery store or maybe a Superstore.

My first stop at Canadian Tire, I didn’t bother taking pictures of. I got our usual bags of stove pellets for the litter boxes, but today I was also looking for a kettle. Our glass kettle had started to leak. Knowing that kettle wasn’t going to last much longer (it actually lasted far longer than I expected), I took advantage of a clearance sale and picked up a spare glass kettle. The girls dug that out and set it up, but we immediately had issues.

It kept shutting itself off.

At first, they thought it was a wattage issue. We’d gone from a 1200w kettle to a 1500w kettle. With our old wiring, we already couldn’t, say, have the AC running in the summer, and boil a kettle of water, without tripping the breaker. Even the range hood, if it was on, would slow down while the kettle was on, then go back to normal speed when it shut itself off.

After a few days of this, though, I concluded it was not the wattage. It was the switch. The kettle itself had a temperamental switch. Once it got going and stayed going, it was fine. It was just that initial start that was a problem. Last night, my daughter tried to make herself some tea while she was working, and just couldn’t get the kettle to say on.

We do have a stove top kettle, but that’s a whistling kettle. Not something to use in the wee hours of the night, when everyone else is asleep!

While looking at the kettles available at Canadian Tire, I was blown away by some of the prices. Particularly for one kettle. A retro style Smeg brand kettle, for $280. !!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, it was a 2400w kettle, but that’s not worth paying almost $300 for! Crazier still was that it was sold out; there was only a display model on the shelf. Who is buying these things??

I’ll stick with my glass kettles, thanks.

It came down to two brands for what we wanted, and we ended up going with the exact same make and model as the one with the malfunctioning switch. At $45, it was the more expensive brand, but the design and the filter in the lid are easier to clean.

Since it’s not on clearance, we’re hanging on to the receipt, just in case it needs to be returned!

That done, my next stop was Walmart, with a brief side trip to a Domo gas station. Today is Thursday, which is when they have discounted prices. Prices had done down a bit, from $1.339/L to $1.279/L. With today’s discount, gas was $1.239/L, so my $40 almost filled the tank. I’ll do a fill at Costco and reset my trip meter for the month, later on.

I had been thinking of just getting some cat supplies at Walmart, then going to Superstore. I didn’t have any specific reason to go to the international grocery store on this trip. My Costco trip would normally be this Friday, but we’re taking cats to the vet on Friday, and I’ll be hanging around the area until they call me for pick up. I’m thinking of checking out a newly opened Costco location, but not on a weekend. So I figured I’d get more than usual at the Superstore.

I never made it.

I ended up doing a much larger shop at the Walmart, instead.

Though, really, it wasn’t that large.

It was almost noon when I got there, though, so I did stop for lunch before shopping. That cost about $15 or so.

This is what $382.00 (with a small donation rounding it up to the nearest dollar) looks like.

Yes, stuff is hidden underneath, but still… that’s not even a full cart.

The bulk of it was cat supplies.

I got two 32 packs of canned cat food; one for the inside cats, one for the outside cats. I’ll be more for the inside cats at Costco. I also got a package of XXL puppy pads and two larger bags of dry cat food. The item labelled “brown cat” is actually a Christmas stocking of cat toys – much cheaper than buying them individually! – plus I got a couple of $2 cat toys, one of them for the isolation shelter.

There’s a bottle of Murphy’s wood cleaning spray. We have the oil that needs to be diluted, but my daughter requested the pre-diluted spray for spot clean ups. I picked up a 2 pack of lavender scented spray, as we’re running low, and lavender is supposed to be calming, even for cats.

I found a 4 pack of Monster energy drinks that was on sale, but only one flavour, so I just got one box. I hope that Costco has the flats in stock again.

Next, there’s 4 loaves of rye bread. I’ll get more of that at Costco, too.

There’s a box of 3 cheese Pizza Pops in there. I had a request for heat and eats, so there’s also 4 bags of frozen chicken nuggets and fingers.

I picked up some toilet paper on sale, even though I’ll be getting more at Costco. Not something to run out of! There’s a 2L carton of Homo (3%) milk, and some dark coffee that was on sale, for my daughters. I can’t believe how expensive coffee has become! It’s cheap turkey season, though, so I picked up a medium frozen turkey. There’s also some Havarti cheese. I recently picked up some lactose free cheese for the family, so that’s mostly for me.

My husband requested turkey breast sandwich meat, but I was aghast at the price for that. I got a larger package of it, but for almost $12, it’s good for maybe 4 sandwiches, in total, and that’s if we skimp on the meat a bit. The Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, to powder as a supplement for the cats. Good for the digestive system.

I did splurge on a mug for myself. Sadly, one of my favourite mugs cracked in the sink. The kitchen isn’t heated and the stainless steel sink gets cold enough that glasses, jars and mugs sometimes crack when, say, a spoon gets dropped into the container. At least it was just a crack and not a shatter, this time. So now I have another larger mug, and this one has line drawings of cats all over it.

Because I really am a crazy cat lady, these days!

I also found some Aurora brand bouillon cubes. I like that brand – plus, it’s a better price! I do miss all the interesting flavours they used to have. There was a European grocery store in the city we last lived in that carried them all, but now they’re not even available from their website.

Last of all, I got an energy drink for the road.

By the time I got everything, my back and hips were giving out, so there was no way I was going to another store after this. Especially not for another largish shop. I was more than happy to go straight home after loading up the truck!

So there we have it. Just a Walmart trip this time. A whole 34 items. It was $356.80 before taxes. $166 of that was for cats, including the pumpkin seeds.

Counting the stuff at Canadian Tire, gas and lunch, today cost about $475 altogether.

Oh! I just heard from my daughter. The new kettle is working flawlessly!

At least there’s that!

Next trip will be the Costco run. We’ve got Christmas dinner to think about with this month’s stock up shopping. We will be having our own dinner on Christmas Eve, and I expect to be going to my mother’s with turkey dinners already made up, on Christmas Day, weather willing. December is an odd month for when my husband’s disability pay comes in. CPP Disability, which normally comes in on the third last business day of the month, always comes in before Christmas and, with all the holidays at the end of the month, his private insurance (the one that actually pays the bills), might come in before Christmas, too. That one normally comes in on the last business day of the month. New Year’s falls on a Wednesday, so it might show up the day before. Either way, it messes up my stock up shopping schedule! 😄

It’s going to be another quiet Christmas. No gift giving. At least nothing purchased. Who can afford that anymore, when on a fixed income? Just a special dinner, and time together. Which is the most important thing, in the end.

November sure is blowing by fast. I expect December is going to fly by, too!

The Re-Farmer