My Argument with Extreme Bulk Buyers

Today is my story of my argument with extreme bulk buyers. By extreme....I mean the ladies who insist on shopping only in large quantities even when they are trying to stick to a budget.

And so today I brought an example. See to your left the lovely photo of a box of garbage bags I purchased this week at Dollar Tree in Ontario, Canada. If my memory serves correctly, I paid precisely $1.50 Canadian funds plus 13% tax for this box of 5 garbage bags.

Now, my extreme bulk buying friends are already pooo-pooing my choice...because they  say ¨ Why on earth would you pay good money for only 5 bags....when I shop I buy big boxes of garbage bags with at least 40 bags in a box!¨

But my comment to them is this ...Why on earth, if I am trying to stick to a predetermined grocery budget, allow such a large portion of my expenditure for the week to be allocated to the purchase of garbage bags.

I know, I know....people like to stock up.. People dont like to run out of things, and they really dont like shopping as often as I do. 

But, I must assert, that if you have a certain dollar figure that you try to stick to with your grocery shopping, then you need to discipline yourself not to splurge on a certain category, just because it happens to be a good deal. Do you understand what I am trying to say? 

Sometimes I see extreme bulk buyers go and spend 100$ on bathroom tissue because there is a good sale on....but they dont buy enough food for their children to make it to their next grocery shopping trip. Does that make sense? Is  it really a good deal if it leaves someone without the calories they need to function well during the week?

The painful part of disciplined shopping means being willing to pass up great deals, in order to stick to your preplanned budget. It may not feel like you are winning to buy a small box of garbage bags at your local Dollar store.....but you will most certainly feel a great sense of accomplishment when you realize that you can actually stick to the list you wrote to yourself and stick to the budget that you and your spouse or family members have agreed to. 

I can hear some of you saying....well, if you were rich, you wouldnt need to budget your grocery shopping. And to that I would tell you a little story about the great Mr. Warren Buffett...who is still one of the richest men in the world. I have watched ( several times over) the HBO special biographical film of Mr. Warren Buffett in which we, the viewers, are permitted a small peak into Mr. Buffettś daily habits.

One part of the film, shows Mr. Buffett with a handful of change his wife gave to him before he left the house, to spend on a preplanned breakfast sandwich from McDonalds on his way driving to the office. He knew exactly how much the breakfast sandwich cost and his wife gave him exactly that amount to pay for it. How wonderful! How disciplined and modest he is! 

If even, one of the richest men in the world, sees fit to preplan his modest  drive-thru breakfast meal, then certainly it is adviseable for us also to consider such a habit.

What is this habit? Simply the habit of planning what you are going to spend each day or week based on your income and outgoing expenses and savings and investing plans, and charitable giving.

Planning is good. 

Sometimes folks who are recovering shopaholics get their shopping fix by overspending on sale items in bulk purchases. They presume that they will not feel guilty for overspending because they got such a good deal! They soon figure out that they still feel guilty, because they have spent more than they planned to spend.

Well, thatś all for now. I apologize for the lack of ¨ apostropheś as this keyboard is hiding them from me as I type today :) Ha....lol!

Well friends, have a great day....and plan to succeed.

Peace,

Carla.

Don't Throw Out that Pumpkin! Make Old Fashioned Fried Pumpkin Seeds!

Some of my neighbors make displays around this time of year with whole bright orange pumpkins....They don't even carve them up, they simply arrange them..... perhaps with some other decorations to make their front porch look "harvesty" and abundant.

Well, as a professional scavenger, I refuse to let these beautiful pumpkins go to waste.
I was also given some great big pumpkins via my local Fruitshare organization that also has the same
"Waste not, want not" mentality.

So, our family set about to fry up some good ole fashioned pumpkin seeds and I'd like to share the simple and low cost process with you. Since we fried them in vegetable shortening and only seasoned them with salt, they are actually a vegan item. Yay :)

So hear goes......

 First you get a fresh whole pumpkin and cut a hole in it big enough to reach your hand in to collect the raw seeds. It's best to use a pumpkin that no one has tampered with first....no holes, bruises or carvings at all.
If you pumpkin is whole and complete, then the seeds inside will be perfectly fresh and ready to fry. Pumpkins stay fresh longest when they remain unopened and uncarved. Storing whole pumpkins is best done in a cool place such as outside or in a cool basement or garage.

Then you place all the collected seeds into a container complete with all the gushy orange odd pieces that come from the inner pumpkin.

                                                                                   

Then you wash the seeds in a collander or some kind of sifter until the seeds are clean and free of all debri. If you don't own a real sieve, then you can also use the upper pot of a double boiler and they work well too....as the holes in the upper pot of a double boiler are small enough to wash down and away the extra orangey stuff while not allowing the seeds to go escape down the drain.

Then you melt at least three large heaping tablespoons of vegetable shortening in your favorite frying pan or sauce pan. Add some salt to the seeds as well. Just use your individual taste to make sure you have just the right amount of salt.

I

Voila, it will probably take you about 10-15 minutes to fry up one pan of pumpkin seeds.
Take care to let them cool down a bit before you nibble.

Tasty and fresh and a great source of fiber as well.
Enjoy!

10 Quick ways to reduce your Bills:

10 Quick ways to reduce your Bills:

1/ save at least 14% off your hydro bill by hanging your laundry up to air dry instead of using your electric clothes dryer. Use clotheslines or hang your clothes on hangers first so that they keep the right shape while air drying inside around your home or outside on a clothes line.

2/ When you order drive thru food, ask for tap water or soda  water which most fast food chains will provide with your food order at no cost.

3/ Stop visiting the malls. Reserve your visits to shopping  malls for those times that you have something specific that you have consciously chosen to buy based on your own planned decision, not based on advertising or peer pressure or wistful window shopping.

4/ Start taking small chunks of peeled raw garlic and/or peeled raw ginger as part of your health regimen. These raw ingredients when used as supplements, can radically improve your body’s natural ability to fight off viruses and other bacteria. Garlic breath will be gone by morning if you swallow it the night before. Raw ginger can be used during the day anytime, as there is no offensive odor from taking it at anytime.( Always seek out medical advice from licensed medical professionals. This blog is intended for conversational purposes and accepts no liability for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other part of this blog)

5/ Instead of spending big money on over the counter stomach remedies like antacids or heartburn soothers, try just drinking more room temperature water. Tap water, as long as it is safe and clean is very effective at improving your body’s ability to naturally regulate healthy digestion. A lot of antacids simply mask symptoms of unhealthy eating which are easily fixed by simply drinking more regular clean tap water at room temperature.( Always seek out medical advice from licensed medical professionals. This blog is intended for conversational purposes and accepts no liability for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other part of this blog)

6/ Use inner means to improve the texture of your skin instead of buying expensive skin care products. You can easily save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year just by addressing an internalized method of healthy skin care.( always seek out medical advice from licensed medical professionals. This blog is intended for conversational purposes and accepts no liability for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other part of this blog)

First of all, drink at least 500 ml of room temperature clean water per day. If you want to drink more, go for it!

Maintain your body’s supply of Vitamins C and D. Ask your licensed medical professional for the correct dosage and type of supplements he/she recommends for both Vitamins C and D. Both vitamins C and D are now usually available also in a chewable form.

  

Regularly eat basic simple fresh produce such as apples and carrots and locally grown cucumbers, which are usually not very expensive. No reason to buy exotic pricey brands! Basic apples in season should be well priced and at a healthy ripeness.

Clean your skin daily with basic skin cleansers such as natural soap bars from the Bulk Barn or simple bottled cleansers such as hydrogen peroxide solutions. Those kind of bottled cleansers can be used with simple balls of cotton. Always be sure to read the labels and follow the instructions posted on the bottle.

Maintain clean facial sleeping arrangements by washing pillows and pillowcases regularly. This habit ensures that your pillow cases are absorbing excess oil from your skin while you sleep instead of spreading dirt or germs.

Perhaps this point is obvious….but always wash your face with fresh clean washcloths and towels. Germs and dirt are easily bleached away if you use and wash with white towels and washcloths. Keep your skin healthy by keeping all your towels and linens clean and fresh.

7/ When it comes to pricey shampoo and conditioners from hair salons, it definitely pays to shop around. The Bulk Barn carries a shampoo and conditioner bar of hardened soap that has no wasteful packaging and is made from pure and simple ingredients. It is gentle on coloured hair and easy on sensitive skin types. It is priced under $3 per bar.

8/ Natural and low priced simple moisturizers. There are several basic moisturizers which last a very long time and are usually priced well below brand name moisturizers. Natural moisturizers like coconut oil or olive oil are simple and healthy and good for your environment. They can be used sparingly for both skin and hair nourishment to add shine and smoothness. Coconut oil is the higher priced choice of the list, but a little bit goes a long way.

  Basic items from the dollar store such as white petroleum jelly and/or bottled mineral oil can also be used to moisturize the skin, but again, they need to be used sparingly and kept safely away from children.

9/ Realize the big time power available for free from the Bible. Yes, it really IS that simple. Save the hundreds of dollars you may be spending on the latest guru or yoga class and start respecting the simple power of the written words of the bible.  Reading the bible aloud on a regular basis will help motivate you, comfort, heal, direct and refresh you mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

10/ Stay away from “friends” who love debt. Stop hanging around with friends with “out of control” spending habits. Control your wallet with your conscious choices. You can’t control other people’s choices, but you can most certainly control your own spending by choosing your friends carefully.

Blessings and Peace.

Carla

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