Tag Archives: costco

Frugal Friday

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, budgets, California, camping, cancer, decluttering, Walking by

My new budget starts next week. So far, groceries have come in under $400, so I think I’m getting the hang of buying less.

I went to Costco this week and spent $233 on food. Freezer and pantry stuff brought it down to @150. For the pantry, it was granola, which lasts months, butter for the freezer also will last 3 months, pulled pork will be for at least 4 dinners over a few months, tamales, the same as they will be used over the next 3 months, and coffee, which will be about a month. Non-food came in at $70, about for batteries, hair conditioner, TP, and paper plates were on sale, so I picked them up for easy clean-up dinners. All of that will last for months.

For wine, I bought my favorite Juliet Rose and a fancy bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer wine. That was around $40.

Overall, I was pleased. Then I bought 2 pizzas for the tree crew that were here. I’ll show the pictures below.

We just got our Allstate car renewal, and it went up $1000 ( fuck Allstate) because of the claim that the scammer did, saying my car door scratched his. It’s a long story, but suffice to say, my door did not scratch his, but it did touch his passenger door, so Allstate had to favor his claim. It was a scam to begin with because then he got the money, and of course, didn’t go to the body shop. I tried to explain the setup because he was extremely aggressive verbally, and never even got out of his car, but took a picture ( or someone did) of my license plate. My guess is someone else was waiting with him in the parking lot. Oh well, done is done, but that is going to cause me extreme stress trying to pay that. I guess the best I can do is do the payment plan at this point.

On a positive note, the tree crane was here and took the tree. It was quite the job, as you can see. It took all day and then the next to deal with it all.

I’d had other plans to meet a friend for coffee, but that went out the window dealing with this. I hate dealing with this stuff, but I don’t have a choice. The other tree, I guess we’ll just have to wait on because it wasn’t in their system, but I’m going to try and convince them, but that will also take a crane( I think).

It would have been too much to do both anyway. All the wood is gone now, and it looks good. They did a good job.

Today, I’m going to Auburn and will drop off a load at Goodwill. It’s mostly stuff from Rubi that I know I’m not going to use if we get a tent trailer eventually. I still have the bathroom in Rubi to sort out, though.

It’s been a stressful week with my ortho appt, labs, the tree, etc. BTW, the shot hurt like hell, and my knee was really sore from it, but yesterday it started feeling a lot better. So hopefully in the next two weeks I can increase my walking. It takes about 2 weeks for the steroid to take effect.

Also, on a positive note, my labs came back about the same. Kappa went up to 20.5ml/g, so a slight increase from 19.8. Really, in the big picture, that’s not much. My ratio, though, did go up a bit because the lambda went down. If the Kappa goes up, Lambda down, then the ratio goes up.

The heat is back, and 98 * is hot for us. I think today it’s supposed to go to 99*. I’ll have to turn the coolers on by 10. Our PGE bill did go down some, though, so there’s that, I guess.

On a sad note, it’s our 55th anniversary soon. It makes me sad. We did have a wonderful life, even with the ups and downs of it. I’m planning a day trip to Tahoe soon, just not sure when. Burning Man is happening, so the freeway has lots of crazies, which also means the Tahoe area has some overflow. I’m hoping next week sometime.

Frugal Friday

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, home stuff, swimming, Uncategorized by

Overall, except for the coast trip, it was a low-budget week. This week is an in-between; August’s bills are coming out, so it’s just basics.

After the gym, I went to Winco and spent $ 55. I bought wine as well, but that doesn’t go on my grocery bill.

The weather is turning hot again, so no eating on the patio, and dinners have been lighter. I made a brown rice salad with chickpeas, red onion, and cucumbers with some feta. I’ll have that for lunch today as well. I made some tofu in the air fryer, so I can use some of that for dinner tonight.

I’m planning on swimming today, and then I won’t go down to Roseville till next week. I need gas, so I’ll do that at Costco. I’m still waiting for my LLS to get finalized, and then I can submit my insurance premium. I’m very grateful for LLS’s support for patients.

Nothing new with books. I finished Fever Beach by Carl Hiasson. Funny and provocative to say the least. I don’t have any holds, so I need to go to the catalog and place some on hold.

Five on Friday/Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, Credit cards, frugalism, husband, knee injury, Multiple myeloma, Myeloma, velcade, Walking by

Frugal-wise, I’m not in the Cotswolds like Mavis over at $100 a month. She probably should change the name of her blog. But she’s got the money, so why not enjoy it? Plus, she loves England.

Here in my neck of the woods, N. Ca, it’s been too hot to do much outside. The temps are much nicer in the coming week, but still some 90’s, and I saw it gets in the low 80’s, so that will be much nicer. I miss sitting outside in the mornings and afternoons.

Money-wise, just paying bills, and I had to pay the overpayment from SS. It’s ok, I’ll deal with it. It’s done, and I’m going forward. I just need to work the budget with the SS I’m getting. I’m still working on my credit card bill because I put the cremation on there. But I should be able to knock it down next month. I hate having a balance. But needs must.

After my Velcade shot, I stopped at Costco to pick up some lox for the bagels I bought at Noah’s. I also picked up some rose wine( my favorite) and a Gloria Ferrier champagne-type brut. I wanted Mumm rose, but they were out.

I gave my daughter $100 in cash to buy the paint for the studio. She’s really done a great job clearing it out and rearranging it to suit her. We might go get that today as long as she drives, since I’m on Dex. I don’t sleep well on Dex nights, and last night was no exception.

I also have a food bank donation to drop off and some more stuff for Goodwill.

I’ve almost finished most of my list of things to do related to B. If something comes up, it’ll be an outlier I don’t know about. I may take care of a few things today or not. It depends on my focusing on which Dex does affect. So we’ll see.

I’m still debating getting the next steroid shot for my knee. Mostly it’s ok. When I try and do a little extra walking or swimming, it acts up, but then I seem to recover the next day. The shot did help quite a bit, so there’s that.

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgets, California, cancer, frugalism by

I’ve had 3 no-spend days while home this week.

I went to WinCo on Monday and spent about $30 on food. I didn’t need a lot there.

Then Wednesday after Sacramento, I went to Costco. Food was $190. My main reason for going was to get B the shoes(Sketchers) that you just slip on your feet. He’s quite unstable walking, so these have good support. He is using a cane, but still.

I’ll try and avoid grocery stores for a while:)

Today is almost a no-spend day. We are having someone come and finish the weed eating on the lower part of the property. I have a cash envelope for that, though.

I’m planning to go to the gym after he starts. The library doesn’t open till 10 on Fridays, so I don’t need to get there by 9. I need to get gas at Costco too for the coming week. I also have a Goodwill drop-off to do. It’s very convenient since it’s right across from the library/gym. They’re not very friendly, but that doesn’t really matter, I guess.

Some of the first of the month bills are out, but the bulk come out next week.

I’m thinking about a schedule for swimming and the gym. Not sure yet, plus it depends on how B is feeling. Someone needs to be here at all times with him. My daughter has a few work shifts next week, so that will change my schedule.

Yesterday I BBQed some chicken, and so we have some leftovers for lunch today.

I’ll update on Barclay soon. It’s hard to process, so I’m leaving it till I feel I can.

Frugal Friday

Posted in books, budgets, California, frugalism, library by

It was mostly normal stuff: getting the bills paid, some grocery stuff, and gas at Costco. Gas was $4.55 a gallon. When I went to pick up B’s pain meds, I was in Bel Air, so I used some coupons to pick up a few things. I had a $6 rebate to use. I got split peas for soup, pickled jalapenos, olives, and some pretzels.

Costco was the normal stuff: coffee, milk for B(I don’t drink milk), apples, and I don’t remember what else. But it was around $100 plus. I bought a set of clippers for my daughter(an early birthday present), which were 25. Also, I bought wine( prosecco and champagne for Mother’s Day). That and the clippers were on top of the $100 for food.

No eating out as usual. I am planning on brunch with my daughter for her birthday, but that’s at the end of May.

I went to the gym yesterday and did upper-body weights. Then I dropped off my library books. I didn’t see anything to get:( but it’s good for me to take reading breaks). This book, though, was excellent: Happy Land. It’s the story of a black family’s ownership of land after emancipation. It was a compelling story.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, bread, budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, cooking, Flylady, home stuff, Myeloma, simplicity by

It’s warm out but cloudy right now. It’s supposed to clear up and be in the 80s, so that’s a first this year.

I might go to the Auburn gym to do weights, but I’ll decide in a few hours. It depends on what I want to get done today. I vacuumed yesterday, so it’s maybe a quick mop. Flylady is the living room zone. Usually, that means in my LR, dust the Easton Press books and the ceiling fan, and wash the mirror. So not too much overall. Most of that I do anyway on Monday mornings when I do my house reset for the week. I need to start on the sunroom windows so I may do some of them.

I have some sourdough starter ready to use, so I’ll get that together. Last night we had the Costco chicken burgers on the BBQ and they were delicious. I think I’ll put together a chili tonight since I defrosted some ground turkey. I’m still working my way through the freezer, and this was the last pack of Costco turkey. I’ll probably cook that in the Le Creuset on the stove instead of the IP. I have my pressure-canned beans to add, so I don’t need the IP to cook the beans. I’m still contemplating the electric pressure canner. Does anyone reading use the Presto one? They are not cheap, but from the comments in the Facebook group, most everyone loves the convenience. Mostly because you set it up and there’s no watching it, etc, like the All-American. Like I said, it’s expensive, so not something I’m rushing to do.

It should be a quiet week, no appts, unless B ends up needing a blood transfusion, which I certainly hope not. He gets labs tomorrow, so he’ll know by Monday afternoon. I have nothing but need to call the sleep place to arrange getting the home test, and I need to call Ortho, as they should have reviewed the MRI by now. Mostly, from Ortho, I just want to get the PT referral to start doing that.

I do plan on going down to Roseville to the gym at least once. I think I’ll try and coordinate either WinCo or Costco with that.

How does your week look?, Do you have routines you follow, like Flylady? Some people really like Clean Mama ( I think that’s her blog name), but I tried it and it seemed way too involved for me. I’m always interested in minimalism, especially in older people, and how that helps with daily stuff.

Oh!!! I forgot my labs came back just a smidge above high normal, so all good. 19.6 kappa light chains, high normal is 19.4. It does tend to fluctuate, but this is still excellent. Boy, I am always so relieved that Velcade is working because I couldn’t handle one more thing right now. 🙁

Simple Sunday on Monday

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, home stuff, husband by

Yesterday was just an off day.

I went to the Auburn gym to do weights and then headed down to Costco. I had the motive to keep driving the Santa Fe to see if anything happened again. It didn’t. I plan on calling one garage today, though to see if they can run a diagnostic. I’m not sure if they will be able to do that this week, but I’ll try.

At Costco, I got coffee( the main reason), B needed Tylenol, and then I picked up eggs, bananas, and some other stuff.

It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures close to 70 degrees. Sitting in the sun, it felt much warmer. Today, it’s raining, and it’s certainly fickle weather. Spring, I guess.

We are at T-6 days and counting down to Stanford. B will find out Friday what time to be at the hospital Monday. I’m guessing very early, as this can be a long surgery. He’s had his pre-op video appointments, and they all went well. Today, he has to get labs to check his hemoglobin and, if necessary, get a transfusion. I hope not, but we’ll do what’s necessary.

I plan on being home today and doing a house reset and some baking. I have a loaf of sourdough to make. I’ll put my starter back in the fridge after this as I won’t be making bread for a while after this. I’m also going to make a new recipe of Chicken adobo.

Tomorrow, I plan on going to Mahany gym and the library. I have a couple of holds at the library. Then I plan on swimming on Wednesday.

I’m thrilled at the huge turnouts for protests against the administration. It’s exciting that so many people came out to do that. I’m an optimist, so I think it will matter in the long run. What this administration is doing is trying to rewrite history and destroy democracy. It’s scary what is going on.

Menu for the week:

Chicken adobo with basmati rice. I have some tofu for B; plus, he’s not eating very much, which is worrisome.

Beans in the crockpot. My Ranch Gordo order showed up so I may make a new bean to me. Eye of the goat. I’ll check Steve Sando’s The Bean Book for a recipe.

Pasta of some sort. I have a TJ’s pasta alfredo in the freezer, so I may pull that out.

Brinner

Pizza

TBD, and then we leave Sunday morning.

My daughter will be coming with us to help out with driving and navigating the hospital. My son is planning to stay here and take care of the cats. He still has to work most of that week but will stay here at night. The cats really like their routines so this will be somewhat upsetting to them. But it’s the best we can do right now.

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, frugalism by

I spent $88 at Trader Joe’s, which included some of their wine( Charles Shaw, which is no longer 2 buck Chuck). I went in to get their brand of chili powder, but they didn’t have any, which I thought odd. So, I’ll need to go to Winco to get some next week.

I got gas at Costco and it’s down to $4.43 a gallon so that was a savings.

I was planning to go to Costco today but B has a video appt with the nutritionist so either I go alone or wait. I’ll think about it. We need a case of water and some miscellaneous things. Mostly I need help lifting the case of water. The other stuff I can handle like the TP.

Other than that I didn’t spend $ on anything else. All of the bills are done for the month so that’s good. I have written up a tentative April budget. We are in limbo on Stanford till the CT comes in although we haven’t heard from them so I’m taking that as a good sign. Or it could be that UCD hasn’t communicated with them about what’s going on. Either way, we should know more next week.

With the hotel costs plus gas and food we need to not spend any extra because that’s going to be a fairly big CC bill. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.

Today is a cloudy day but then by Sunday we’re going to be seeing mid-70s temperatures. Spring will really pop then:)

Here’s a couple of Gus pictures!! it’s a rough life!!

He has his own Poang chair.!!!

Five on Friday

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, cooking, frugalism by

I spent $240 on food at Costco but that includes the protein drinks for B. So that was $25 on sale so closer to $200 for food. That included maple syrup(which lasts a long time), granola( because I didn’t make any), and some other pantry staples. I’d like to figure out what the breakdown is for long-term pantry stuff but not now.

I got gas at Costco this week and that was $4.65 a gallon. So saved some money there.

Today is my eye doctor’s appt for a retinal scan to see how my macular pucker is. I haven’t noticed any change, I still can’t really see out of my right eye. The left eye does all the work. 🙁

B had another blood draw and his ALP is still elevated( liver) so that’s what seems to be causing the abdomen pain. He has a message to his UCD oncologist to see what she thinks this is about. His ALT and AST are in the normal range. I think one of them is slightly out of range but those are liver markers too. This really throws a wrench into the whole process because I’m quite sure Dr. Lee won’t do the surgery if something is going on with the liver. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Somewhat stressful.

We have PGE’s tree people showing up today. We think they’re going to take the one tree today and then the big one next week. If we paid for these trees, it’d be at least $4K for one and the other is huge so probably $5-6K

I’m just glad they’re doing it. I may go for coffee in town as I get too nervous with trees coming down. We’ll see how it goes.

I made black beans for dinner last night. We each had half a cheese tamale with them plus avocado. I only gave B a small portion because of his stomach pain. I told him also to take one of his pain pills and he did and said that actually helped.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, Gratitude, swimming by

I’m so glad it’s Thursday and now 3 appts are done. My Wellness check went well for the most part. We talked about a number of things including my cholesterol being higher than it should be. So I decided to start a statin. Personally, I have no problem being prescribed drugs if they help and make the situation better. I mean I’m full of chemo drugs and still here to talk about it. Anyway, all good.

So grateful for that being over.

I’m grateful that our new Costco is so close and I can pop down there which I did after my appt. I went to get cottage cheese and a few other things but completely forgot cottage cheese. Oh well, there’ll be another trip I’m sure. I’m trying to eat more protein and cottage cheese is an easy way to do that.

I’m grateful for a wonderful swim yesterday. The pool was quite nice.

I’m grateful for my family who is always there to help as necessary.