Last week I mentioned the bird feeder I repaired rather than tossing it out, this week it was two pairs of shoes. One pair I’ve had about 15 years. I originally bought them from Sears in their summer clearance. They have a rope sole and heal and crochet top. I just love them; they’re comfortable and match just about any outfit. Last year I discovered a small tear in the sole, I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them so I thought the shoe repair shop might be able to put new soles on them. I dropped by there today and was told new soles would cost $45. What! I almost passed out in the store. I only paid $9.99 for them. No wonder landfills are filling up so fast. I’m not giving up on them just yet. I’ll either buy soles and put them on myself or ask around at other repair shops. I also have a pair of white canvas shoes, they look very well worn, and no matter how many times I’ve tried washing them they never look clean. I was thinking about buying some black dye, but today I saw some sneaker wash and thought I’d give that a try first.

It’s nice to eat out once in awhile but restaurant prices are going up. Great places to try are ethnic restaurants. Close to where we live are Chinese and Indian restaurants. The Chinese restaurant has an all you can eat lunch and dinner buffet, excellent food and prices. The Indian restaurant has a lunch buffet and regular menu in the evening. I have to say this is one of my favorite places to dine. The menu is extensive and the food is some of the best around. My husband and I ate there Saturday night, we each had drinks, entrée and a side order of naan bread, total with tip, less than $40. And here’s the best part, there was enough over that for Monday lunch I had curry, rice and naan bread.

One thing I love about summer is the great selection of produce you can get. Last week I went to Costco and bought a bag of avocadoes and tomatoes, and today I made guacamole. It’s cheaper and better tasting than anything you can buy in tubs at the supermarket.

I planted an herb garden about three years ago. We have a terraced area by the back of the house, it gets lots of sun and I planted chives, oregano, sage, tarragon and lemon balm. This year it’s really filled out. In fact, I’m going to have to start asking if anyone wants some oregano, it’s almost out of control. When I look at the herbs I start thinking about gifts for Christmas and might just make some herb vinegars to keep in reserve for spur of the moment gift giving.

For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm

One way to save money is to either fix stuff or find another use for it. About five years ago I bought a very cute looking bird feeder. The roof was made from tree bark but it had gradually rotted away from all the snow that sits on it every winter. It looked in bad way, and when things look that shabby your first thought is to toss them away. But I have a tough time doing that, not only because I think it’s a waste of money, but I really like this bird feeder. So I decided to try and give it a new roof.
This year I trimmed a lot of branches from the trees and kept them for later use around the garden. I thought how about cutting them to the size of the bird feeder roof and attaching them with some nails. I have to say it was a great idea. I’ve now extended the life of the bird feeder…and got more value for my money. And the branches and the bird feeder didn’t end up in the landfill. I’d say everyone wins with this one!

I’m enjoying using the new electric lawnmower. The only thing I hate now is using the trimmer to cut the around the edges of the grass. It’s also electric, but it has a cord that always seems to get in the way. I saw that our local DIY store is selling an electric one that doesn’t need a cord. Just like the lawnmower you charge it up and off you go… minus the cumbersome cord. It’s $69, and oh, so tempting for me to go and buy one. The only thing is the one I have now isn’t that old and works perfectly.

I’m just finished the article I’m working on for Arthritis Today. Next project is the Eating Well on a Budget book. Plus, I’m putting together the July article for Money Geyser, which I’ve decided will be about travel. I haven’t written on that topic before, so I’m looking forward to finding some great bargains and tips.

I went to the local co-op last week and have to say things are getting more expensive there. I’ve been shopping at co-ops for years and always enjoyed their low prices. From now on I’m just going to stick with buying items from the bulk bins etc. Plus, I’m going to do some research on the Web to see if any on line stores sell the same items and if their prices are any lower. I’ll let you know what I find.


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm

Last week I finally made it to the hairdressers for some highlights and a cut. I’ve been having highlights put in my hair for more years than I care to remember and boy, has the price shot up in the last couple of years. It’s something I only wish I could do myself. I did try coloring my hair once, many years ago. It was such a disaster that I decided it just wasn’t worth being that budget minded.

Writing wise I’m working on an article for Arthritis Today about insurance insecurity, problems with being underinsured and ways you can help pay for your healthcare. Seems like being underinsured is even more of a drawback than not having insurance. Hope you’ll read it; it should be in the January/February 2008 issue.

I was in such a hurry last week that I tore through the supermarket, saw my favorite Stonyfield yogurts were on sale and grabbed five. Today I discovered I’d accidentally picked up a plain flavored one. Yikes, you have to be a real yogurt lover to eat the plain ones. In fact, does anyone eat them ‘as is’? I hate throwing things away, especially food items, so I stood in the kitchen for a couple of minutes thinking about what I could do with it. Here’s what I came up with-

Combine a 6 oz. pot of plain yogurt with-
1 tablespoon vegetable masala (you can get this in the Indian food section of most supermarkets these days. It’s similar to curry powder, but I think it gives a more intense flavor to foods)
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons chopped Vidalia onion

I used it as a salad dressing on the salad fixings from last night’s dinner. And have to say it wasn’t bad; I couldn’t even detect the plain yogurt.

With the holiday travel season in full swing it was good to see that gas prices have actually fallen for the first time since January!


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm

It was back to gardening this week. I transferred some more plants, and now I’m looking for a few low cost perennials to fill in some areas. I’ll probably try the local farm stand. They sell flowers at the beginning of the season and then switch to vegetables at the end of July.

I even transplanted some sod. I dug some up to put landscape fabric around one of the bird feeders. It’s half grass; half weeds and I can never seem to cut the grass around it without pulling out large chunks of the stuff. So I’ve decided to throw some mulch around it. I was going to toss the sod away, but being budget minded I decided to use it to fill in areas where the grass isn’t that great. If it takes, that’s fine, if it doesn’t, no money wasted.

I was looking through a gardening catalog and found these paintings you can hang outside. I thought how nice they’d look at back of the house right by the herb garden. Then I saw the price $150. Now my plan is to find material that’s weatherproof and either copy of a photo onto it, or even paint my own! I’ve been thinking about taking an art class for ages. I’ll let you know if I find anything and how that project’s going in future blogs.

I was researching this week’s Budget Smart Girl about Father’s Day gifts and discovered that JC Penney’s has an online outlet store. There are some really good buys in all departments. The site might be ideal for visiting when the holidays come around. It got me thinking about other places that might have online outlet stores. I’m going to do some searching and will let you know what I find.


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm