Friday, March 06, 2009

Spending Spree

Of course the day after I trumpet the "Austere" lifestyle and the value of being low on the consumer totem pole we went to town! Not Summerland, as we'd been there only three days ago, but to Penticton, which is 15 km away, and thus not a trip we make frequently.

We hadn't been to Penticton for several weeks, but since it's the only place we can buy the Red Chief's food we do have to go sometimes. There was a "list". Everything decides to break at once. One thing breaks and a wave of breaking spread like the chicken pox in a third grade classroom.

Two of our four big Corning ware coffee mugs, one split down the side, one spit a chip. The old ceramic pitcher I kept on the counter with my kitchen utensils in kicked out a side, and threatened me with sharp edges every time I reached for a spatula. Three of our four drinking glasses broke within days of each other, not dropped, they just split down the sides.

So, it was time to do a little replacing, either that or expect guests to pass a communal cup of coffee. True to my word (of yesterday) I hit the Sally Ann and scored four decent coffee cups, not as big as I'd like, but perfectly serviceable and matching.

At the builder's supply we picked up 160 pounds ( 4 - 40 lb sacks) of wood pellets. These are just sawdust dampened and extruded into pellets. No binders, fillers or chemicals. We have no wood stove, we use them as cat litter! They work well, there's no odour, and a 40 lb bag lasts for about three weeks, at a cost of $4.88, about a third of the cost of the recycled newspaper litter we used before. But these pellets are available only from Sept to March, so we stocked up today, and will try to make these last. We have a couple of bags left so have four or more months worth laid in.

Then we hit the dreaded and evil Wally World for an orgy of spending. Four new glasses, a container for the kitchen utensils, a few canned goods, some garden seeds, cat's food and 40 (yes 40) light-weight facecloths. Why you ask? How brave are you? If brave and not squeamish read Crunchy Chicken's Challenge.

If squeamish take a look at this and forget that I bought 40 facecloths.

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