I have some frugal friends and I have some really frugal friends. And I can learn from them. However, I ran into a woman down here who can give lessons on frugality--or something.
I'm not calling her name because I found that Google is picking them up and I don't want to alienate anyone. Hint: she didn't believe I visited her church. Anyway...she is in Wally World every other day, if not daily. No different from quite a few others who don't have anything better to do with their time. Sifting through the clearance items. (Some good buys, although they are starting to dry up. Check out the linens, rugs, and curtain aisles.) She bought a candle for $3.00, a few days ago. On another trip, she noticed that it had been marked down to a dollar. Came in last night and was fumed that they were all gone. She had counted on getting the $2.00 difference. Excuse me...isn't the price of a gallon of gas sitting at or above $3.00? Was it really worth the ride, at $3.00 a gallon, to recoup $2.00? And she bought more items ($5.00 or below) to boot. Am I missing something here? And just where are these people getting all this money for gas? I'm husbanding every drop in my tank. If I don't have to move the car, it does not move.
Also learned a little bit more about having "friends in the right places." Two young ladies are employed at the store and attend Dyersburg State College, 25 to 30 miles away. One young lady is the daughter of an employee with a "position;" the other young lady, a real slacker, drives and lives closer to Dyersburg. Rumor has it that she isn't being dismissed because the daughter of the employee sleeps over on the day of classes which relieves the employee of having to drive the distance to deliver and pick her up. And do you want to lay odds that a little assistance for the rent (as it should be) is not being given? Daughter needs to get her driver's license or rent a place in Dyersburg. It's bad enough to drive back and forth when she needs to come to work. And before you think I must be the coldest thing on earth, I've been there, done that, with my offspring. The things mothers do for their young.
Trying to kill two birds with one stone--save gas and walk the brood--I decided to visit the smoker's shop on the other side of the square, roughly 5 blocks away. Mistake. Cindy resembles a prancing pony on her leash. High-stepping, on review. Big Boy? The leash is something to be eaten. His idea of walking is leaps, bounds, and jumping on Cindy's back. Not to mention tripping me up. Cindy pays him no attention; she is on a mission. He gets underfoot, she jumps over him and never breaks stride.
The cigarette store sits in a fork and has a drive-through window. I've never been there so I figured I could go to the window. Never considered going in because I didn't know you could. Sounds silly but if you saw the building, you would understand the confusion. Long story short, I go to the wrong window for service. And had the nerve to tap on it to get the employee's attention. Was my face red when she told me that I needed to come to the other side? She came out as I was trying to tie my troublesome friends to the trash can and told me that I could bring them in. Not on your life!!! She kindly took my money and brought back the cigs along with a treat for the brood. Away we go, homeward bound. Cindy understands about cars, the stopping and waiting thing. I guess so. She wanders enough. Big Boy? I don't think he even paid attention to the fact that you need to cede ground to moving objects. He was too busy leaping and trying to play.
To be fair, they don't get walked for several reasons: the weather (everyone knows I am not a cold weather fan) and fear of other dogs being on the loose. The brood would be on their own. I am not interceding. And to prove the point, what did I pass the other evening but a pack of dogs? Different breeds but about the same size, no pits, but mongrels just the same. I want no part of them.
Strange weather in these parts. Received the first real freezing rain. 60 degree temps are called for in the coming days. Was a little worried about getting out of the driveway and to Wally World. It's all downhill. Not to worry. Schools were closed but no problems navigating the roads. Drats. I was looking forward to not going out although we know that the paycheck cannot stand the hit.
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