So in honor of St. Patrick, I am going to tell you about a nifty frugal project Brother Pat recently completed.  If you are a guy or gal who likes things such as tools, fire, appliances everyone else would regard as deader than dead, and taking things apart - this project is for you.

Oh, and I suppose, since it is in “re-use, recycle, and restore” mode, it is also Green, which would put a song in St. Patrick’s heart.  I know it put a song in Brother Pat’s!

This is what he did:  Brother Pat had an old, broken, “useless” washing machine laying around.  So a couple of days ago he had a great idea.  He took that sucker apart to get the metal tub out.  He made sure that all plastic pieces were off the tub.  Then he put that ol’ tub on his back patio, filled it with wood (he also had that laying around), and had himself a relaxing evening bonfire.

It’s fun to have mini-bonfires in your backyard but usually this means buying a firepit of some kind.  But it sure is a lot more fun when you use your creative genius and what you have on hand to get the job done for free.

Thanks for the great Frugal idea, Brother Pat!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I’ve read some hair-raising statistics on the amount of food that gets thrown out in the U.S.  I’ve seen statistics that claim that up to 40% of groceries get trashed.  I don’t know if that’s true; I really hope not because that is SCARY.  It’s really scary if you look at it this way: say a typical household spends $150.00 a week on groceries.  If the 40% dealio is true, than that means up to $60.00 of that 150 spent gets thrown out.  In a year that is $3120.

Hold on a minute while I take a minute to breathe deeply.  I need to calm myself.  Because $3120 is A LOT OF MONEY.

So, I’ve thought a lot about this issue, mostly because of the money angle.  And, not to mention, the I-Love-To-Save-Money angle. Now I will share with you some of these thoughts.

Shopping

A great way to save money on groceries is to bulk buy.  However, bulk buying can also open the door to bulk throwing away.  If “cheap” bulk bargains spoil before they can be used, then they will just end up as not-so-cheap trash.

A better approach is to figure out what groceries are actually loved, wanted, and used.  For instance, if you hate bananas, it’s best to pass up that .25/lb bargain.  Yep, that’s a great deal, and bananas are a nutritional powerhouse, but if you won’t eat them, they won’t do you or your wallet any good.

Now you may think that this bit of advice is so obvious that I shouldn’t even mention it.  But I should mention it because sometimes the Frugal Zeal takes hold so strongly that it is hard to pass up an exceptionally good deal, even when you know perfectly well that it’s an item you don’t even like.

Another thing about shopping: it’s better to just buy a few things at a time that you know for sure you will use up, even if it means visiting the grocery store more frequently.  Myself, I shop about two times a month, but if food waste was a big problem for me I think I’d go every 3-5 days and just buy exactly what I would need for that time period.  It is much better to use things up and so run out of things (making a trip to the store necessary) then to throw things out (making a trip to the poorhouse necessary).

Oh, and don’t be afraid of those powdered foods.  Dry milk in the pantry is a versatile staple.  You can make exactly the amount of liquid milk you need, so you don’t have to risk throwing any out.  Plus, dry milk can be used in baking, too.

At Home

This is the real danger zone.  This is where groceries can be neglected, forgotten, and thrown out as a result.  What to do?

Meal Planning: Ok, I will admit that I don’t really do this.  I usually think up something for dinner somewhat early in the day, so I can put my slow-cooker or solar oven into action.  But coming up with a weekly menu is a great strategy for using up leftovers and to make the most of grocery store trips.

Freezing: In my house this is a biggie, as far as making the most of my grocery dollar.  Since I’m lazy and only go shopping about twice a month, my freezer helps me keep food nice and edible until I’m ready to use it. It helps out with bulk-buying, too.  I can go ahead and buy 20 .55/lb chickens because I know they will keep in my big freezer.  Freezing is also a great way to deal with leftovers that won’t get eaten within a day or two.

Cooking, then Freezing:  Sometimes I do this. I’ll take some meat out of the freezer, defrost it, then not use it.  Duh! Well, I don’t want to re-freeze the raw meat.  I’m not sure why this would be bad, but for some reason I just believe it would be.  I sure don’t want to throw it out, though.  So I cook it up, then freeze the cooked meat.  This is actually pretty convenient, too.

Smoothies, Casseroles, and Pot Pies: Even with my best efforts, sometimes I miscalculate with fresh fruit and vegetable purchases.  Sometimes I don’t use them or freeze them when they are at their peak.  If this happens I probably will use sort-of-soft-but-still-edible fruits (and even some vegetables) in a delicious and healthy “green” smoothy.  In fact, I’m enjoying one right now while I write this.  It has an apple in it that has seen better days.

Casseroles and pot pies are also great for using up borderline veggies and other leftovers.  I do this quite a bit.  A casserole is really easy in the slow cooker.  Or, I will whip up some cornbread batter, pour half in the bottom of a casserole dish, pour all sorts of leftovers in the middle and then pour the other half of the cornbread on top.  Put it in a 350 oven until the cornbread is thoroughly cooked, and there you have a delicious (er, usually), economical, and easy “pot pie”.

Knowledge is Power

By this I mean a couple of different things.

One thing that helps me A LOT to avoid throwing out food is the fact that I own tons and tons of cookbooks.  So I can usually find some recipe to accommodate whatever I may happen to have in my fridge.

Also, keeping track of what is on hand in the fridge, freezer, and pantry is a great way to get a handle on food waste.  If you remember what you have the chances are greater you will use it up instead of throwing it out.

But just remember, don’t take any crazy chances.  When in doubt, throw it out.  Food poisoning stinks, believe me! (I have gotten food poisoning twice from eating out, but never at home.  Knock on wood).  With a little practice it’s not too difficult to figure out which food items can still be put to use. And for a possible annual savings of $3120 (or more!), it is so worth it.

Since I wasn’t here in Texas, I couldn’t post on my blog.  But I’m back now so all my cheap peeps can rest easy.

Right now I’m too sleepy to go into any details, but I have some good frugal thoughts rattling around in my head.  For instance:

My sis told me all about the high-style, low-cost sewing room she just recently put together.  I hope she sends me pictures so I can share all the exciting details with you.  I’m planning on using some of her tips in my own sewing hidey-hole.

I helped my brother make a remote control organizer from a face towel and a small canvas tool-belt.  How’s your mind?  Is it blown?  If so, stay tuned for the details.

My other sis is assisting me on my quest for fun, frugal sewing projects.  She promised to make her two little girls some cute and comfy jammies and flannel nightgowns.  She bought the patterns and the cloth, but just hasn’t been able to find the time to do it.  Well, I have plenty of time and like to sew.  So she gave all the stuff to me, and I brought it back with me on the airplane in my carry-on bag.  I can’t wait to get started.

My mom gave me a little serger sewing machine.  I don’t know how to use a serger.  That’s advanced-sewing mojo.  Still, it’s nice to have one.  It fit in my suitcase because for the first time in life I packed sensibly, with the result that my luggage only weighed 25 lbs.  If your suitcase weighs more than 50 lbs, you have to pay a lot more than the usual fee of $25.00.  Almost always my suitcase is exactly 50 lbs.  But with age comes wisdom in all things, including packing a suitcase.

I also asked my mom if she still had her old Singer Touch and Sew machine.  Turns out she sold it at a yard sale for $25.00.  Which just goes to show you - you can find awesome things at a yard sale.  But her current machine is pretty nice.  It’s an old White Jeans Machine. It seems pretty heavy-duty, being all-metal.

Ok, I need some more coffee and then I need to unpack and launder my undies.  See you all later, gators.

We didn’t have a lot of time together, but we managed to pack in a whole lot of fun.  And barbecue.  It’s what you do when you’re in Texas.

They took me and my husband to our very first professional hockey game.  Our team lost, but I was glad the other team won, because the Friends came so far to see them.  Hockey is a lot of fun.  It is so fast and furious you really have to keep your eyes peeled or you might miss something.  Also, it turns out that there are times when the refs just stand there and let the players duke it out, and other times when fighting is an absolute no-no.  From what I can gather, fighting really close to the goalie is a bad thing.

Also, Mrs. Friend and I discovered that we have a mutual passion for antique stores.  This is interesting, because we have been buds for 20 years, and I did not know this.  So I took her to one of my fave local places and she picked up a few bargains.  She got me a sign to hang in my guest room that says “Guest Room Limit 2 Days”.  That’s funny.  Because she got it for me.  But really I was sad they only stayed two days.  I wished they could have stayed longer.

I scored, too.  And what’s more, the Big Score happened to be in the sewing arena.  I got a little tiny electric iron for 12.95 (seen on ebay for 92.00) and a bunch of patterns dating from the late 60’s and early 70’s for 1.50 each.  The iron will make a cute, and apropos, decoration for my sewing room and I’ll frame the patterns and hang them up in my sewing room to lend it some genuine vintage flair.  Yes!  I even found a pattern for a manly leisure suit, circa 1971.  It’s awesome.  One of the models has a big mustache.  He looks like a Village Person.

Heck.  Maybe I’ll go ahead and make up some of those patterns too.  I’ll resurrect the 60’s, right in my very own sewing room.

Mr. Friend got a great deal on the airline tickets to come out and see us.  Because of circumstances (i.e., Life), they had to get their tickets at the last minute.  We’ve all been there.  And so we all know that this is generally a very expensive proposition.

But not for Mr. Friend.  He got their tickets on Southwest.com.  They had one stop in San Antonio.  They paid $109.00 each for two one-way tickets.  That’s the best I’ve ever seen.  And I know, because I fly between California and Texas quite a bit.

Then they caught a ride on a passing motor home and drove to Nashville to see another hockey game.  One way tickets home from there were $136.00 each.

Phew! Now that’s Advanced Bargain Traveling!  I am impressed.  Yes, I am.  Traveling all across the country for a measly $490.00.  And it just goes to show you, the opportunities for learning new Frugal strategies in every area of life are never-ending.  Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Friend.

Come back soon and visit!

Now I’ve come up with a new, cheaper, and more, er, classically American diet.  The Eat Like a Pioneer Diet.

I got this idea from reading the Little House on the Prairie books.

This diet is pretty simple, because it is based on the Ingalls’ family diet.  Which was very simple.

The Ingalls didn’t have a lot of money, but they had six mouths to feed.  Also they worked hard every day, so they needed lots of energy, too.  And not to mention that the Ingalls were very hospitable so they were always prepared to feed just about anyone who came to their door.

So how did they do it? First of all, they hardly ate meat or sweets.  Pa would go out and hunt when he could, but that was chancy.  The girls usually got a stick of candy (ONE STICK) in their Christmas stocking, and Ma would make a pie or some other baked goodie as a VERY occasional treat.

Every day meals, though, were usually pretty monotonous.  They were biscuits, bread, or cornbread, some sort of bean main dish, maybe bacon or sausage, tea, coffee, milk (if it hadn’t blown out of the pail), homemade butter (from the milk, when possible), and maybe molassess to flavor the bread.  That was pretty much it.

The Ingalls were wheat farmers mainly, but they usually had a kitchen garden, too.  So they might have potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.  But many times it seems as if things didn’t work out too well for them weather-wise, so they didn’t get much from any of their crops.  Then it was mostly beans, beans, beans.  And some sort of bread.

Is this a healthy diet?  I don’t know.  But I can tell you how long everyone lived.  I have a book right here beside me called Laura: the Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Donald Zochert that has that information.  Let’s take a look:

Pa 1836-1902, 66 years old

Ma 1839-1924, 85 years old

Mary 1865-1928, 63 years old

Laura 1867-1957, 90 years old

Carrie 1870-1946, 76 years old

Grace 1877-1941, 64 years old

Well, I’d say that’s a pretty good spread of lifespans for a pioneer family of six.  Of course, in all the pictures I have seen of them none of them are ever smiling, so I can’t tell what kind of shape their teeth were in.  I wonder about that because it seems like they weren’t getting a lot of vitamin C.  Or had any access at all to dentists.

So maybe the Pioneer Diet has something to recommend it.  Even in our times beans, flour, root vegetables, and milk are among the least expensive staples.  But with so much variety available to today’s consumer, it is easy to be led astray by delicious convenience foods.  And restaurant meals.  Believe me.  I know.

It’s interesting to contrast the Ingalls’ typical daily fare with that of Laura’s future husband, Almanzo Wilder.  His family were prosperous farmers in New York state, where Almanzo was born and raised.  A typical meal for the Wilder family would run something like this: all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, bacon, butter, pie (three different kinds, at every meal), fried apples ‘n’ onions (Almanzo’s favorite), doughnuts, cookies, cake, candied carrots, some sort of meat, and on and on and on.  Three gargantuan meals a day.  By the way, Almanzo  lived to be 92 and also survived a diptheria-induced stroke when he was about 30 years old.  So I guess those early years of high-fat, high-cholesterol eating didn’t harm him too much, either.

Whew!  After writing all that, I’m hungry!  Cornbread and beans, anyone?

I still have some juice left on the Half-Price Books gift card that my hubby gave me for Christmas.  He gives me one every year, and it is fun to see how long I can make it last.  Here it is almost March, and I still haven’t used it all up yet.

The other day I was there, and I thought it would be a good idea to get some sewing books.  So I did.

As I was browsing, the Little House on the Prairie books caught my eye.  It occurred to me that it was strange that in all these years I’ve never bought them, especially since I love them.  So I decided to start collecting them.

I’ve read four of the eight in the series so far, and just as I expected, they are still wonderful.  And not to mention, lots of food for thought from a frugal perspective.  And when you read them as an adult you also notice a lot more than when you are seven-years-old.

For instance, since I’m into it now, the sewing references really interested me.  Laura hates to sew, but she is an excellent seamstress because her mother was a stern taskmistress.  Laura is even able to make money by working for the town seamstresses, who hire Laura on the strength of her reputation alone.

One day, Pa goes to town with a cow tied to the back of his wagon, and comes back with a big surprise for Ma.  It’s a brand new sewing machine!  By this time, the Ingalls family was finally starting to enjoy a bit of prosperity after years and years of grinding struggle.

It’s interesting to me to think how much some things really cost way back then as compared to our  own time, even though we suffer from the effects of 130+ years of inflation between our time and the Ingalls’ time.   The purchase of a sewing machine for Ma demanded the relinquishment of a significant portion of the family resources - a whole cow, and all the time, work, and nourishment that that cow represented.  But for us, a sewing machine may cost a week or much less of wages.  And even the simplest $60.00 machine of today is way more technologically advanced  than Ma’s treadle model.

Ma loves her new appliance.  She just can’t get over the excellence and uniformity of machine stitching.  Just like many of us say today when we get an awesome new gadget, Ma says, “I don’t know how I got along without this before.”

Ma is one of those people who can sew just about anything.  Laura uses some of the money she earns and buys some beautiful pink cloth to make a new dress.  Laura is afraid to cut it up, because the cloth is so beautiful and expensive.  But Ma just takes her big shears right to it, and with the help of the new sewing machine makes a beautiful dress that Laura will wear for years and years.

By the way, my mom has told me her mom could do this.  She never sewed with a “boughten” (that’s a LHOTP word) pattern.  She would make her own out of newspaper.  My grandmother was one of those old-fashioned ladies who never in her life wore pants.   She always looked spiffy, too.

This is a strange thing, though.  In every single book I’ve read so far, several times a horrible blizzard will torment the prairie.  Pa takes a pail, and goes to the barn to milk the cow.  By the time he gets back to the house, most of the milk has blown out of the pail.  This very thing happens quite a bit.

Now why couldn’t Pa put a lid or SOME sort of covering on that pail?  They really depended on that milk.  I just don’t get that.  If I could get in a time machine and go back in time, I would take Pa a bucket with a lid on it.  I have lots of good ones in the garage that used to hold laundry detergent and kitty litter.  Something that many people would regard as trash in our day and age would be a real life-saver for Pa.   Just think how that one simple thing would improve the Ingalls’  life so much.

I love reading the Little House books, but one thing is for sure.  I am glad, glad, glad that I am a 21st century gal.  1870’s DeSmet, South Dakota is a fun place to visit, but I sure wouldn’t want to live there.  Especially without a pail with a lid on it!

I’ve been swinging both ways with it.  I’m working on a TOP SECRET FOR MY EYES ONLY project that will be revealed to your eyes sometime in March.  That endeavor is awesome, and awesomely frugal.

But I’m trying to learn how to sew.  Well, learn how to sew better.  So that means I went to the fabric section at Walmart. (BTW, they are closing a lot of those.  That is sad.  Maybe if THEY knew of my newly kindled interest in sewing they wouldn’t.  But there is still one Walmart in the vicinity with a fabric section; apparently that one will remain for the moment).

Woo doggies, I got some major sticker-shock-itis.  I guess it has been a long time since I’ve been in a fabric store.  Patterns are really expensive now.  And fabric and thread, too.

But then I kind of got lucky when I had I private moment with my brain and we got together and came to an honest assessment of my sewing-skill level.  Yep.  I’m just a beginner, really.

So I found a pattern for a blouse I decided I would actually wear, from the easy-pattern spinny rack. That was only $2.99.  And then I found some cute cloth with a fetching paisley print that would really make that blouse pop.  That was $4.44 a yd.  And some thread, which was $1.94 a spool (now that was somewhat shocking.  Thread is expensive).  I needed bias tape, too, but I had plenty of that already.

It ended up that that one blouse totaled about $11.00.  Yes, I did make it dear friends, and it is cute, cute, cute.  I did a great job.  Luckily, it was pretty easy.  But since it came out so cute, and I know for sure I will wear it, and it is so easy, I will probably make more.  That will bring down the cost of the pattern.  Which is nice, from a frugal perspective.

I suppose learning how to sew is kind of like getting an education, expense-wise.  It costs a lot up front, but once you’re done, you’re done and you have that little piece of paper that gives you a warm glow inside whenever you see it hanging on your wall or come across it when you’re spring cleaning.

Oh, wait a minute.  No.  Sewing goes on costing a lot.  But at least I’m learning a valuable skill.  And also, wherever a lot of money is being spent, it’s fun to find ways to save.  Time to put on our Frugal Thinking Caps, so to speak.

Heck, I’m having a good time, too.  That’s priceless!

Plus, I just did this today, so I need to blog about daily frugal stuff I do.  And also, my method has changed slightly, I think.  So this is by way of being an update.  But the old version will pop up on the bottom of this page, if you’re interested in comparing the posts.

Today I used up the last of my favorite French Vanilla coffee creamer. I need to make some more.

I got out my recipe. It is what I call a “cheat.” It is a cheat because I’m “cheating” and making my own. Also, the ingredients are “cheats”, too.

It’s easy to make with staple ingredients that you may have on hand in the pantry. Here is the recipe for that (I got it somewhere on the internet. I didn’t come up with this on my own. But I also didn’t write down where I got it from. Oops. But, it seems like this is a pretty common, well-known recipe floating around on the web. So who knows who invented it):

Mix together in a blender 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 tablespoon Vanilla.

But what do you do if you don’t have some of these ingredients? Then you have to kick it up a Frugal notch, that’s what.

Now things get a little more interesting.  Now you need to do this: Mix in a blender 1/2 cup hot water, 1 cup fake (cheaper) Splenda-alternative Altern, 1 cup dry milk, 3/4 cup liquid milk, and 1 TBSP vanilla.

Then pour the result into an empty, clean, re-cycled Coffe Mate container.

Oh, wait a minute, I got the recipe for sweetened condensed milk from the Hillbilly Housewife blog.  Thanks!

I even made the Vanilla myself, a year-and-a-half-ago.  I made it because I had some vanilla beans and my husband  had some vodka and gin he decided he didn’t  like.  He was never going to drink it.  What a waste.  So I stuck a vanilla bean in each bottle, and let it sit for about three months.  Now I have the best vanilla ever.  And I can keep it going for almost forever, too.  I just have to top the bottles off with more vodka and gin whenever it gets low.

Woo, it is really snowing here in North-Central Texas.  This is the most snow I have seen since I’ve lived here.  So as promised here is a picture of the kids playing in the snow today:

They are trying to pick up a tennis ball.  Good luck, little doggies.

I am experiencing this right now with my sick sewing machine. I have a project I am having a lot of fun with, but it is just sitting there waiting for my machine to come back from the shop.

For a few hours there, I thought I would actually be spared a repair bill. My husband managed to put the darn thing back together after all. Yay! I was so happy.

There I was, sewing for all I was worth, when PLOP!, out comes the whole needle-shebang again. I put it back on. It comes out again. I put it back on. It comes out again.

My craft room is upstairs. I was ready to throw the darn thing out the window.

Well, it was still pretty early in the day when all this happened. So I packed up the machine, got me and my problem in the car, and drove the whole mess to Plano, TX which is where the nearest Brother Authorized Dealer/Repair shop is. That isn’t too far from where I live, so I thought I might as well take it right to the horse’s mouth, so to speak, rather than to a generic repair shop.

Now, I’ve been in these types of stores before, just going along for the ride with others who were looking to buy a super-fancy machine. The people who work at these places are like car salesmen. So I was a little worried I would be subjected to the hard-sell. Oh, and to a not-so-subtle mockery of my very humble machine.

But, what a relief, nothing like that at all. They just took a look and said, “Don’t worry, we will get this all taken care of for you. It will be done by the end of the week.” That was so nice. They were so nice. I’m glad I took it there.

While I was there, I decided to just take a little peeky-peek of the the latest and greatest. The clerk just let me look, and didn’t follow me around and try to sell me a $5,000.00 machine. That sort of thing always makes me very uncomfortable, so I really appreciate that.

I can’t wait to get my machine back. I think it will be in great shape and have an even bigger lease on life, since I decided to go ahead and get it “tuned-up” too. I have never had this done, and the machine is a few years old, so I thought about it and decided it was worth it.

I am going to start looking around for another machine, though. I’m not in a hurry because I want to get something just right.

I am in two minds about a “new” machine. For about $500.00 I can get a brand-new computerized machine that will have more bells and whistles than I will ever need. That is a lot of fun. But I am also attracted to excellent condition all-metal “vintage”-type machines. These are not as “versatile” as modern machines, but they can be excellent quality. There seems to be a pretty good supply of these, and they seem like they are relatively easy and inexpensive to fix and maintain.

I learned to sew on my mom’s Singer Touch and Sew. She still has it, and still uses it as far as I know. Boy, that thing really took a beating from us three girls and it always worked great. I don’t remember it ever breaking down. But I do remember my mom regularly oiling it and taking it to the shop for maintenance every once in a while.

So another consideration is that from what I’m hearing, computerized machines are expensive to maintain and fix. My current machine is mechanical, so it’s pretty simple to work on. And all machines need to be worked on sooner or later, so it’s something to think about.

I can use my fixed-up Brother as the fancy-pants backup. It has 26 stitches (I’ve used two), does a blind hem and buttons and one type of buttonhole. Compared to some of these awesome new sewing machines, that’s not much. But then I thought about it really hard, and I kind of concluded that these features might serve the absolute limit of my personal reservoir of sewing skills.

Hmmm. Any opinions out there? Keep in mind that I’m just a “hobbyist”. I’ve picked up some decent skills here and there, just by virtue of a lifetime spent around excellent seamstresses (my mother and sisters). I’m not in their league, but I do alright.

This will be fun to think about and research. I wonder what I’ll end up with. Stay tuned….

There I was, sewing along happily, when all of a sudden the needle just falls out. But wait - it wasn’t just the needle - it was the thing that holds the needle onto the post. The needle was still in that piece.

That’s weird. I tried putting it back on, but it just fell off again. Well, I’m not Mrs. Fix-It, so I asked my husband to look at it when he got home from work. He’s pretty handy. But he couldn’t fix it either.

I’ve owned this machine for about six years, but in that six years it hasn’t gotten very heavy use because I’m not much of a seamstress. So I’m a little put-out by this. Then again, I don’t think it’s exactly a top-of-the-line model, which is perfect for my basic sewing-needs. I just want to sew mostly a basic straight-stitch, maybe a zig-zag once in a while. I don’t need a lot of fancy features. But I do like this a lot - it has a needle threader. That’s awesome!

But the relative “cheapness” of my machine puts me in a bit of a dilemma. Do I get it fixed, or do I buy another (cheap) sewing machine? Oh, I could also go without, but I regard a sewing machine as essential frugal housewife equipment.

After I thought about it for a while, I decided to go ahead and take it to the repair shop. I usually lean toward getting things fixed before replacing them. Sometimes this philosophy has bitten me in the butt, money-wise. But still. It seems such a waste to not try to fix something that is broken. Oh, and not to mention, my husband gave this machine to me as a gift. My very first sewing machine of my own! So it has sentimental value, too. XXXOOO!

So I will take it to a local sewing machine repair shop later today (it’s very early in the morning. I’ve been tossing and turning, worrying about my machine. Ok, just kidding. I really just had to get up to go potty and get a drink of water. And then one thing leads to another, and here I am blogging. Crazy). Yep, I think that’s the best approach. That way I can buy myself some time, and start putting a little bit away here and there for a replacement.

Sounds like a plan, Stan.