Midweek

 It has been sunny and very warm here today. I am hoping that most of the ice will disappear from around our home. I would love to be able to get around a bit before the snow comes back the middle of next week. Quite a bit is forecast to fall so we will be back to seeing a white covering over everything.

I have not gone out today as I have once again been trying to get things done around the house and online. There were a couple of contracts I needed to renew if I wanted the early discount. Still even though I renewed my costs will be higher for the next two years, but lower than if I had not went into a contract. Canada has the highest internet and wireless costs in the world. I so wish our phones only cost $60.00 a month for the two of them, or that our internet was half the cost like so many. Oh well we do what we have to do. 

Bob wants outside, and there is no way we can allow him out. He is not very happy with us at this point in time. I am going to see if I can find all of Shania and Eiko's toys and see if I can get his mind off of "outside". Hopefully tire him out a little bit as well. 

With costs rising I am going to be going over our budget and see where costs can be cut. Of course there are lots of costs not coming in as of yet, which means I won't have a good idea of totals for a bit yet. The things I can begin to control right now are groceries, cleaning supplies, water costs, electrical costs, and heating costs. Days as sunny as today are wonderful as the drapes are open and I am taking advantage of the solar heat through our south facing windows. No furnace cutting in as of yet. 

Water wise I will need to see if there are ways of saving on that as well. 

Working on having more no spend days in the month as well. The longer I stay out of stores the better for our chequing account, I also want to cut down on the number of cheques we write as the cost of those is eyewatering. 

Right now I feel that the main way to save on rising costs is groceries. Isn't that the usual way us frugal people try first. We shop the sales, look for markdowns, and begin to purchase store brand items. However some store brand items just do not taste very good at all.

We have all become great at stretching meals out from very little and making our own breads as well as growing what veggies we can to add to our menus. 

This year because we are going away in the middle of the summer, Harvey says he is not going to plant as big a garden. I do believe there will be potatoes, carrots, corn, some pumpkins, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. I am not too sure if there will be any peppers and probably no eggplant this year. We will make do with whatever we can harvest and grow.

What ways are you going to use or have been using to keep your costs down?

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.