Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

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SandiSAHM
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

HappyDaze wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:37 am You are doing great and I enjoy reading your updates! Jealous of your garden bounty - that is awesome! My daughter started a garden - cleared the spot, paid for dirt, plants, etc. - and never followed up with it - waste of money and time - left all the plants to die - so sad.
Had she ever gardened before?

I 'don't' garden (I cook what comes from... LOL) as I have a black thumb. DH is the grandson of a farmer and finds the whole thing soothing, which is a mystery to me as it just seems like a lot of work rather than relaxation :lol:.

Maybe container gardening would suit her better.
HappyDaze
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by HappyDaze »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 2:51 pm Had she ever gardened before?

I 'don't' garden (I cook what comes from... LOL) as I have a black thumb. DH is the grandson of a farmer and finds the whole thing soothing, which is a mystery to me as it just seems like a lot of work rather than relaxation :lol:.

Maybe container gardening would suit her better.
We had gardens when she was growing up and knows enough about it that there was no good reason to spend all that money on plants, etc. and then come to a complete stop. It really sickened me but I didn't have time to do it, with work and dogs, etc. I said a couple times, "let's plant everything this Saturday" - and she said okay - and I spent the whole day waiting for her to wake up.
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

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SandiSAHM
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

I've retired 2 credit card accounts in favor of 2 new cc accounts that offer cash back with $x in spending in the first 3 months. The new flooring goes on one, the 6-month car insurance on the other and boom, $400 saved off the top. A penny saved is a penny earned, right? :D

Not bad with the 2nd one - their $200 cash back on our car ins nets a 26%+ savings! Another 2% back in reward $ to be used toward the balance, but I failed to read if that's calculated before or after the $200 reward is figured in. Either way, it'll be another $11 - $15ish back, so yay.

The games you have to play these days... :roll:

I was really surprised that the flooring place didn't offer a discount for cash, since it costs them to process a cc transaction - however, 1) the guy I was talking to and I have different first languages, and I suspect our wires were crossed and 2) I think overall between the cash back for the purchase and the % back in rewards $, I think we've better off having used the card, strangely enough. We're doing so much of the work ourselves in terms of tearing out existing flooring, taking off baseboards, yada yada, that overall the expense is just the flooring product and the labor involved in just installation (I say 'just' installation, but what it's going to take to put this stuff in is a skill I hold in high regard. I imagine our learning curve would be pretty expensive by the time we buy enough extra product to cover potential "oops" moments. To say nothing of the chiropractor visits afterwards ;)).
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LWolfT
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by LWolfT »

It's nice that your flooring folks were OK with the credit card. The folks we use (a small family-run company) gave us a cash estimate, saying the credit-card price was x.x% higher. Since none of our credit cards paid back that much, we went with cash. On the other hand, we did save some $$$ by moving the furniture.
SandiSAHM
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

LWolfT wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:38 am It's nice that your flooring folks were OK with the credit card. The folks we use (a small family-run company) gave us a cash estimate, saying the credit-card price was x.x% higher. Since none of our credit cards paid back that much, we went with cash. On the other hand, we did save some $$$ by moving the furniture.
I think these guys are brothers (the co. name is like "Bob and Doug Flooring"), one does showroom sales, the other does the measuring and oversees the installation crews, and I think Mrs. Doug is office help. I can't complain, LOL, I did the math after posting because it was nagging at me and we are coming out better using the card - and it's 15 months no interest with that new card so, time value of money... I can pay it off the week after it gets installed OR 13-14 months afterwards.

In the old days when interest was a real thing, I'd have waited the year +. Now? It'll be paid off once we know we're happy with the installation. They have a whole lot of great reviews and a friend likes their work so, with any luck, before Thanksgiving there will be no. more. carpet. in the house. My allergies (dog + carpet = universal symbol for "no") have reminded me why we went to solid floors to begin with. There's no amount of carpet-cleaning that offsets the allergies.

Love the dog, but not the carpet :lol:
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LWolfT
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by LWolfT »

SandiSAHM wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:47 pm
so, with any luck, before Thanksgiving there will be no. more. carpet. in the house. My allergies (dog + carpet = universal symbol for "no") have reminded me why we went to solid floors to begin with. There's no amount of carpet-cleaning that offsets the allergies.

Love the dog, but not the carpet :lol:
I wanted no more carpet, but ended up with a compromise: no bedroom carpet (which is going to take a couple of years to achieve.) It is so much easier to run a duster or a stick sweeper around and under things in the bedroom and dining room. And they pick up appalling amounts of dust and cat hair ...
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