Good Lord, What An Expensive Day
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (78759)
United States
March 9, 2024 5:18pm CST
And it's not over yet. Tomorrow, we plan to take a drive to a campground near El Paso, Illinois to check it out and make sure it is good before we book a trip that we have some family joining us on in May.
It will be more gas, maybe lunch, and possibly dinner. Oh well. It is what it is.
But this morning we picked up our rider mower that was in for some repairs we took in this past February in the 1st week or so. That cost $201. We had to get some food stuffs and went to Ruler Foods and that lead us to shell out another $41. Then we had a few things to pick up at Walmart and that was another $62.
And of course, I wanted to fill up before our trip tomorrow which is about 6 hours round trip. That was $62 in gas.
Last night for dinner I made a batch of braised pork steaks with crinkle fries and buttered peas on the side.
What went on your dinner table last night?
20 people like this
17 responses
@LadyDuck (458730)
• Switzerland
11 Mar
@MarieCoyle 
I found those avocados at Lidl at a good price and they were delicious.
I found those avocados at Lidl at a good price and they were delicious.2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (28861)
•
10 Mar
Anna, that sounds delicious. I should have dropped by for dinner, haha...but it's just too far away.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (28861)
•
11 Mar
@LadyDuck
They were so ridiculously priced I had not been getting any at all. I am not paying $2 for a small avocado, ever. But those were good and super inexpensive. A good treat.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157645)
• United States
10 Mar
Pancakes with bacon, and maple syrup. The only way I am having any luck saving money is completely staying out of the stores.
3 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (36486)
• Toccoa, Georgia
10 Mar
@MarieCoyle We are trying to buy big cuts of meats that can make multiple meals, that my husband and son can take to work so they don't eat out at restaurants all the time, and I do think it is cheaper, but still, it is expensive. Our grocery bill is much more than it was 5 years ago.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (28861)
•
10 Mar
@LeaPea2417
I even freeze dinners in containers that can be heated up in a hurry if needed. It saves...fast food is so expensive, and very unhealthy--I didn't eat it anyway with the exception of going out with the kids once in a while for a special dinner, or pizza they have either brought over here or I've been there.
A person pretty much has to cook as economically as possible now in order to eat. You are definitely on the right track!
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (28861)
•
10 Mar
We buy food and gas. That's pretty much it. Most people I know are down to basics. Even people that I considered to have ''enough'' have tightened their belts and spend a lot less.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118521)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Mar
I had a filet mignon steak from the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. As always, the streak was amazing (and expensive).
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118521)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Mar
@porwest You’re a millionaire precisely because you are not at Disney eating filet mignon.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
14 Mar
@moffittjc That is probably a very valid point. lol
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (58153)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Mar
We just checked back into the hotel about an hour ago, and had a very late lunch at about 4 pm. It was $17 dollars and some change. So not really that expensive.
I got paid for some freelance work today, so we splurged for lunch, And that was our splurge.
Other than that, the only other stuff we have spent money on today was $40 in gas, $120 in hotel fees for two nights.
2 people like this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
12 Mar
Living in hotels can be expensive. Even at $60 a night, which is a cheap rate, that's over $1800 a month. Good you were able to splurge a little bit. I think if I were hotel living it, I'd buy an electric skillet or a hot plate or maybe just use a crock pot.
@dgobucks226 (34392)
•
16 Mar
Bidenomics rears its ugly head yet again. So, how much were those braised pork steaks with crinkle fries and buttered peas on the side? Was that meal a victim of Bidenomics too.. 
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34392)
•
19 Mar
@porwest Although I dislike shopping in my Walmart, the checkout lines are ridiculous at times, they do have some of the best prices on grocery items. 
Some excellent deals there. I just might have to break down and shop there again.
Some excellent deals there. I just might have to break down and shop there again.1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
20 Mar
@dgobucks226 It ALMOST pays to shop there. I wish the experience was better, both as a customer and as a shareholder. But it is what it is. The sad thing to me is that Walmart has the opportunity right now to keep a better customer in the future—many people that would not normally shop there are shopping there because inflation almost dictates they must. When the economy gets better, Walmart should want to keep them coming back.
I don't think they are taking advantage of that opportunity.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
16 Mar
Surprisingly, I have been able to maintain costs quite well on the pork steaks. They've been $1.94 a pound forever at Walmart. I used to be able to get some amazing deals at the regular grocery store, but lately they've been much higher on sale than the regular price at Walmart. Incidentally the peas also came from Walmart. About $2.50 or so for a 2 lb bag and I usually only ever use a cup or two. I believe the crinkle fries were just under $5 for a 5 lb bag I got from Ruler.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36486)
• Toccoa, Georgia
10 Mar
Last night I ate a pork chop, Mac and cheese and a salad.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43080)
• Staten Island, New York
10 Mar
I thought El Paso was in TX. It’s hard sometimes to avoid spending money.
It’s hard sometimes to avoid spending money.1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43080)
• Staten Island, New York
11 Mar
@porwest I think there is a Paris and a Rome in NY if I am not mistaken.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
12 Mar
@lovebuglena Yep. You are right, and there are Paris and Romes throughout the United States. I am pretty sure there is a Paris, Illinois.
@LindaOHio (156807)
• United States
10 Mar
I had a PB&J sandwich. Your dinner sounds good. Have a great day. Spending money follows you wherever you go!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28861)
•
10 Mar
El Paso is a little over an hour from me. I have driven thru it, but it's been awhile...there is not a lot there, so I hope you aren't looking for excitement!
I had to do a Target run for a few things and a huge trip to Aldi. If you go shopping, don't blink--the prices go up in between blinks!
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
10 Mar
Not expecting much at all. lol. El Paso was always our halfway point back and forth to Milwaukee. Usually stopped there for gas and sometimes lunch.
As for prices, ugh. I have found a few "deals" over the past week. But the way deals go these days, those deals are still higher than they were before. It can be irritating.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13360)
• Hong Kong
10 Mar
I'll have fried rice with eggs, peas, carrots and chopped onions.
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (18983)
• Indonesia
9 Mar
No dinner. Not enough money to buy dinner. To say nothing of booking a trip nowadays.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40577)
• United States
9 Mar
Life is sure expensive these days. Today we cooked a catfish stew that was so delicious and day before that, Dale fried some catfish that my cousin had just caught and brought to us.
Instead of going out to eat after church tomorrow, we plan to come home and eat the rest of the stew.
That afternoon there's a meal packing for Rise Against Hunger at a neighbor's barn. Several churches around here raise money for the supplies and then pack it in one day.
There's kind of an assembly line to pack each bag with rice, protein powder, veggie powder, and something else that when boiled makes a nutritious meal. This charity has fed many people around the world for many years now.
1 person likes this
