PRACTICAL PARSIMONY: A Sudden Need

Saturday, September 22, 2018

A Sudden Need

Shortly after meeting Tommy, he happened to see my stash ( 8 big bottles, I think) of ALL Free and Clear. He never says anything snarky about how much I have or had. He understands I use coupons and sales to lower the price. But, I see the lingering looks. When I laugh and ask him if he thinks I have enough, he does remark but it is all positive.

He has his own stuff in abundance and will never accept anything that I bought that was wrong. For instance, I bought for practically nothing the brand dishwashing liquid my daughter wanted, but not the right formula.

He helped someone move, and they gave him a two-gallon bucket of dry detergent for the washing machine. He had used it for years before I met him. I suspect the bucket is more than two-gallons. He washes one load every two weeks, putting everything in one load. I know; it is crazy.

Well, I am at the bottom of the last bottle of All. The other day I panicked when the bottle of ALL felt light. I have about two inches left in the large bottle. So, it is time to start looking for sales and coupons to replenish the stash. No, I will not store so many bottles like I did before. I use it so slowly because I only use about a tsp in each wash, along with other things. I rinse in vinegar.

I have seen lots of ALL coupons and sales lately, but I am quite sure they will be hard to come by now that I am looking for them!

What do you suddenly realize is diminished in your stash?

8 comments:

Anne in the kitchenSeptember 22, 2018 at 7:43 PM
I generally have a huge stash but have let it side lately. I need a huge sale on Angel Soft toilet paper and All Free and Clear this coming week.
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tana50September 23, 2018 at 10:59 AM
Pickles and Miracle Whip. I go down to the wine closet (that is my food storage because we don't drink) and look at the shelves. I always think I have one or two jars left and am always sadly surprised when I have none left.
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Ur-spoSeptember 23, 2018 at 11:01 AM
I am stuck at wondering how on earth does he get by on such a low frequency of washing? Here, the washer seems to go continully.
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One FamilySeptember 23, 2018 at 12:39 PM
We use the All Free and Clear too. I usually just have one extra big jug of it in reserve. I'm looking forward to being able to stock up on everything, when I have lots more room in the new house and garage to store stuff.
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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.

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The Cast

Fancy is my favorite hen. She is one of the three youngest hens I adopted. Because she is so gentle and friendly, she may be the one I rescued when she was being pecked to death after she could no longer stand. She got to live in the house in a box. Sometimes, I let her sit in my lap while she was convalescing. Now, she comes to sit in the swing with me, cuddling up to my body like a cat or dog. She died in February 2012.

Fancy follows me begging, complaining, needing me to do for her. She talks to me in various voices. She allows me to pick her up and carry her. When she became an adult, her head was a darker red and her body was light brown. Around her neck were tips of black feathers. It appeared she had a necklace of jet around her neck. When I showed this characteristic to a friend, he said, "Oh, you have fancy chickens and plain chickens."

Chessie has a broken toe. I broke it! She had a habit of jumping really high and almost sticking. A raccoon ate her in October 2009.

Thelma is the blonde. She is also the largest hen and the alpha hen. I suspect the gigantic eggs are from her. She often squats and presents herself to me. She is top hen, but I suspect she knows she had better be deferent to top feeder of the flock--me.

Louise is the auburn-feathered hen. She looks like the true Rhode Island Reds in pictures. She is almost as large as Thelma. Some days I suspect she is trying to be top chicken. When I got Pepper, I found out Louise is the Alpha hen.

Pepper came here from the same home as the first four. We were discussing putting red pepper on their food, wondering if it really would increase egg production. Pepper is the only name we agreed on. She is terrorized each day by Louise. Even after the worst was over, she was and is still filled with terror and very wary.

Linda is owned by four hens. They allow her to fetch for them. She loves them dearly, so she allows them to boss her around. Linda comes out in the rain to perform chores for them and make sure they have food and water. She begs scraps from all sorts of places to make sure they have fresh fruits and vegetables.

Parsimony is not a vegetable

Parsimony is extreme care in spending money. Stick around and learn about my random thoughts on accomplishing goals economically--dumpster diving aka safari, gleaning, do-it-yourself, sewing tips, recipes, and whatever is happening in my life.

Okay so maybe "parsimony" is not your thing. How about thrift, frugality or just plain saving money? I try not to go the tightwad route as that seems to imply others will suffer from my habits.

Some of my not-spending habits have very much been a part of my lifelong habits. Other habits are newly acquired and are an extension of my lifelong not-spending habits.

I am very imaginative when it comes to substituting or making instead of buying. I will tell you about making a heater for the chickens' water. Not one dime was spent since I had everything I needed right in my basement.

Practicality must rear its head alongside parsimony. For example, I will use the dryer in bad weather or because of allergies in the spring. But, I will not wash clothes in a tub as long as I have a washing machine or can find one.

You may hear more about my four Rhode Island Red hens than you care to hear. They lay delicious brown eggs.

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Saturday, September 22, 2018

A Sudden Need

8 comments: