View Full Version : My mother - a rant!
My mother just called. Havent talked to her in a few days and she wanted to know why. Said Ive had a really really bad headache and my back & hips have been hurting alot. I ran out of my pain meds on Thurs and have been going thru ibprophen & tylenol like crazy, both of which Im now out of too. Its been all I can do just to take care of the house & kids, let alone anything else. She asked why I didnt get my Rx refilled, told her we couldnt afford it. She just doesnt understand where our money goes. Im sorry WHAT????? :confused: Our normal take home is between $4-5 hundred a week. Gas, food, mortgage, utilities.....it doesnt go far ya know. Its costs between 40-50 just to fill Mike's jeep to go back & forth to work. I pretty much drive the kids to the busstop & back ( its 1/2 mile away) or to the store. "Well, you just dont spend it right?" What is the right way when both milk and gas are almost $4 a gallon, when a decent roast or steak cant be found for under $9!! I try to feed the kids red meat at least once a week....chicken, pork, fish, hotdogs the rest. And none of that is cheap either. So what am I blowing the money on....oh yea, around midnight when Mike gets home, I go partying at the local bar.....NOT!!!! Sometimes I swear she lives in an alternate universe! And she cant understand why her utilities get so high....cause she goes a couple months w/o paying them DUH. She raised 3 kids, she should know they aint cheap to feed.
Im sorry to b***h & moan but Im just AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!. :p
CJ's Mom
05-20-2008, 10:16 PM
b***h and moan away! I hear ya. My dad is the same. Just doesn't understand where it all goes. Tax refund-hospital expenses and catching up from when CJ was in the hospital, economic stimulus check-more doctor, meds, gas, groceries, gas...never ending. And he just doesn't realize what a lifesaver our health insurance is!
Exactly! Tax refund went to paying taxes & bills, clothes for the kids and my car. I went almost a year w/o a car. With kids that sux cause hubby works 2nd shift so we were stuck at the house. And I really hated having to wait for Mike to get up so he could take me to the store or wait for my girlfriend up the road to go. I needed to be independent again ya know? I hate asking for help for anything. ( Mike's jeep is stick & I dont know how to drive it :o ) Mom didnt understand why we bought it out right ( we got a great deal, under 2G total for the car, inspection, fees, everything & its great. 95 Olds Supreme Cruiser wagon in colbalt blue; 1 of my fave colors & it matches my kitchen lol. Runs great, wonderful condition. It was preowned by PennDot so it was well taken care of. ) We just didnt need a car payment on top of everything else.
The stimulus payment.....well, we are 1 of the 'unlucky' ones that got the advance in December for Xmas, filed electronically and paid the fees out of our refund. So according to the IRS site , we get a check in the mail god knows when. Its free money so I wont complain just wish it would hurry up already :p And its earmarked for bills, clothes for those pesky kids who wont stop growing LOL , plus Im gonna stock the freezer & pantry.
In light of milk prices, Im thinking about buying dry milk for cooking & baking. Does anyone else use it & does it work for you? I figured this way I could save the regular milk for the kids & my coffee ( I usually use soy in my coffee but thats gone up too)
Sorry for the babbling. Like I said before, when Im hurting and/or not sleeping well I do that. Sorry. :o
CJ's Mom
05-21-2008, 09:47 AM
I never thought about dry milk. Geeze, with just the 3 of us we go through 2 gallons a week easliy. I've also switched to using ground turkey in place of ground beef. It works ok in most recipes and the ones it doesn't I will mix half turkey and half beef. I tend to stock up on things when they go on sale, but seems like the "special" items we use never do. CJ has decided not to play football this fall (it's a long story), so that will help out with gas. I have a 96 Jeep Cherokee Country, paid for, great shape and so-so on gas. I love it and would get another one, same year and model, if I could find one. It would make sense to get a small economical car but can't afford another payment or higher insurance, probably what I would save in gas would be going to the payment. The only thing I won't give up is my Blackberry service.
What else is hurting right now is lack of vacation or sick time. That got burned up when CJ was in the hospital in January and running to Dr. apts. Guess I can't really complain though 'cause I'll get 20 vacation days in September. It's going to be a long summer.
Hmmmm ground turkey. I bet I could use that in a meat sauce or for meat balls & they'd never know. Great idea!! I buy generic whenever possible, its all really the same for most things, your just paying for a name. Frozen veggies may cost more but its worth it cause they're healthier and taste better to me. The only canned veggies I use is Bushes Baked beans & beets. I buy meats in bulk when I can. I swear half my shopping trip is calculating prices but if you dig thru the meats you can find them sometimes. Walmart always puts the higher priced meats on top. You should see the looks I get lol. I know the guy who works in the meat department and when he sees me he'll just laugh & roll his eyes cause he knows hes gonna have to straighten the case out when Im done. I do try to be as neat as I can & put stuff back though.
So, any other suggestions to help save on food prices? Im open to everything! I also go to a food bus about an hour from here once a month w/ a friend of mine. Sometimes you get really good stuff. And when it comes to feeding my kids, I have no shame lol.
Caydens_Mommy
05-21-2008, 10:35 AM
I can completly sympathize with you here.. We have the same problem, but I only get paid once a month, because I work for a state agency.. I live about 30 mins from my job, so I do a lot of driving lately, my parents live in the same town as where I work so I have been having to stay with them alot lately to save money on gas.. Some people think that we just blow our money and that's why we never have any, but we both work 30 mins or more from work, and have many many other bills.. They are going to have to raise the pay check to match the cost of living, or it would almost be pointless to work.
Mom2Deacon
05-21-2008, 10:36 AM
Hmmmm ground turkey. I bet I could use that in a meat sauce or for meat balls & they'd never know. Great idea!! I buy generic whenever possible, its all really the same for most things, your just paying for a name. Frozen veggies may cost more but its worth it cause they're healthier and taste better to me. The only canned veggies I use is Bushes Baked beans & beets. I buy meats in bulk when I can. I swear half my shopping trip is calculating prices but if you dig thru the meats you can find them sometimes. Walmart always puts the higher priced meats on top. You should see the looks I get lol. I know the guy who works in the meat department and when he sees me he'll just laugh & roll his eyes cause he knows hes gonna have to straighten the case out when Im done. I do try to be as neat as I can & put stuff back though.
So, any other suggestions to help save on food prices? Im open to everything! I also go to a food bus about an hour from here once a month w/ a friend of mine. Sometimes you get really good stuff. And when it comes to feeding my kids, I have no shame lol.
Do you have an Aldi or Save a Lot near you? They are cheaper than Wal-Mart. I go to Aldi all the time here. There are websites that have cheap recipes on them. Miserly Moms being one of them. I have a few recipes that use cheaper ingredients that will feed many. I can post those when I get back. I have 4 sons and I know how to keep to a budget and feed them well. So, I can give you tons of ideas if you want them.
--Sara
Do you have an Aldi or Save a Lot near you? They are cheaper than Wal-Mart. I go to Aldi all the time here. There are websites that have cheap recipes on them. Miserly Moms being one of them. I have a few recipes that use cheaper ingredients that will feed many. I can post those when I get back. I have 4 sons and I know how to keep to a budget and feed them well. So, I can give you tons of ideas if you want them.
--Sara
No we have Walmart, Weis & Bi-Lo. Theres an Aldi's in Elmira but thats an hour away. If gas wasnt so high Id go there in a minute. I wish there was a Save a Lot around here. I keep seeing the commercials and they look great.
And yes yes yes I would love your ideas! Thanks!! :cwds:
CJ's Mom
05-21-2008, 10:57 AM
I love Save a Lot. I get most of my canned goods there by the case. I still have to go to Wal-mart though for specialty items like Ovaltine.
When using ground turkey, if frying it first, you may want to season it while it cooks-a little salt, pepper, maybe onion powder. I've used it half and half in mini meatloaf and the kids don't know the difference.
I totally hear you - my mom was just saying that I needed a haircut and new clothes. So, I said -are you buying - and I got -I just don't understand how you blow all your money - she didn't like it when I said - what money - I don't have a trust fund to live off of! (she does - so it was below the belt)
I just think that people who don't struggle, don't understand - my mom always tells me how she raised me and my sister on $75.00 a week after bills - I say I am lucky to get that - and it is 30 years later!
RosemaryCinNJ
05-21-2008, 01:09 PM
With EVERYTHING costing more these days (gas, food, milk, meds) and it seems it keeps going up...Im surprised ANYONE would ask such a quesion to where all your money goes?
Im sorry you couldnt get your meds!! I know it sucks!!! Just look at the state I live in..its crazy expensive here and I have lived here all my life and never seen the prices so high as they are now!!!!! Now you got me on a roll....:)
Are you feeling any better???? I hope so :((
Ryans-Rock
05-26-2008, 04:11 AM
we changed to ground turkey along time ago. The kids didn't really mind the change. They say they actually like it better. You do need to add seasonings, But the turkey is nicer because it is much leaner then beef.
Charmed7
05-26-2008, 09:47 AM
Hope I'm not prying, but what are the meds for? Do you have a condition, or is it just pain management?
Charmed
vettechmomof2
05-26-2008, 10:35 AM
No we have Walmart, Weis & Bi-Lo. Theres an Aldi's in Elmira but thats an hour away. If gas wasnt so high Id go there in a minute. I wish there was a Save a Lot around here. I keep seeing the commercials and they look great.
And yes yes yes I would love your ideas! Thanks!! :cwds:
I cannot remember how far you are away from like Binghamton and Vestal, NY but there is an Aldi in Johnson City and they are putting anothe rin Binghamton. Might be worth a trip up for a day if not to far.
We buy from a local farmer a cow, or I should say parts of a cow every year.
We have chest freezers and that works well plus ALL cuts work out to about $2.00/lbs. Good stuff, very tasty and dense unlike most store meats. We did not think we would notice the difference but wow.
Sam's club is great for some items as well.
Hang in there,
Allene
Hope I'm not prying, but what are the meds for? Do you have a condition, or is it just pain management?
Charmed
Fibromyalgia, costrochondritis and migraines. The costrochondritis is ( My dr says ) from not healing right after my hysterectomy. I was up & cleaning & cooking the day I got home when i had been told to be on bed rest for at least a week. ( I had an incision from hip to hip) Long story but suffice it to say that the person who came & stayed w/ me to help did nothing but watch me do it all unless someone came by or DH came home. ( The twins were barely a year, joey 7 & Jim 12) Oh well....Excercise helps. Some days I can barely walk & other days its bearable enough to get things done. Saturday I helped mow the lawn w/ the push mower & was damn proud of myself.....barely hurt at all. Today Lanie was in the Memorial Day parade & it was a walk @ 3 miles there & back to the car. I could barely get back in the car! I never know one day to another but such is life.
I cannot remember how far you are away from like Binghamton and Vestal, NY but there is an Aldi in Johnson City and they are putting anothe rin Binghamton. Might be worth a trip up for a day if not to far.
We buy from a local farmer a cow, or I should say parts of a cow every year.
We have chest freezers and that works well plus ALL cuts work out to about $2.00/lbs. Good stuff, very tasty and dense unlike most store meats. We did not think we would notice the difference but wow.
Sam's club is great for some items as well.
Hang in there,
Allene
Im in Wellsboro so not sure........its @ an hour from Elmira. I hear about ppl buying 1/2 a cow or pig but not sure how they go about it.