Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: April 5-April 11, 2026

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connie said:
I used to soak in Magnesium salts. My bad knees now make it too difficult to get out of tub. I keep a roll on magnesium bedside for cramps.
We made a big Costco run this week. It is 1 1/2 hrs away. Have vowed to go every couple of months as huge hauls just too tiring.
We are under storm watch later today.
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I have not been in a store since 2021.
I get delivery from Sam's and Walmart.
I also love a good soaking so about every other week I get it and out of ub on my knees. I have a shower stools the same level as tub I used for support.
At 71 I just have to figure a way to adapt to do things I need to do.
 
etdeb said:
I have not been in a store since 2021.
I get delivery from Sam's and Walmart.
I also love a good soaking so about every other week I get it and out of ub on my knees. I have a shower stools the same level as tub I used for support.
At 71 I just have to figure a way to adapt to do things I need to do.
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A few people have razzed me over how often I use delivery. Until I point out to them that each order would be a minimum of an hour of driving for me. And getting son in car. And just the stress of the idjits who have forgotten how to drive.

Even when I did once a month trips, it was 3 to 4 hours between driving and waiting for the pickup order to be brought out. And then I had to unload it all when I got home.

So now I order delivery or ask a friend who is already coming up if they could grab items for me. Even with the markup and tip or covering gas for a friend, it's still a break even on the time, gas, and stress. If I know I'm going to be in the city, and we need stuff, I will arrange a pickup order. But I rarely go into stores anymore.
 
I'm so happy the mortgage got approved and all that's behind you now it's just a matter of signing the papers thank God.

Since it's just me and my son we rarely go do a big shop, I just go to Dollar general or the market house. Just not worth it.

I rarely ever get myself anything but I did splurge because I had extra this month and got myself a portable DVD player. It is huge it's a 15-in screen actual screen. As big as a small tv. I got it at a good price really good and it was free shipping and got here in 2 days!
I had planned to get one for our trip in the fall and I'm so glad I got this because the deal came up on my phone for Walmart.
So I can play my DVDs and I cancel my subscription to YouTube because they raised it again.
Weather is gorgeous and warm, will be up for 70s tomorrow. Kids are coming out for the day.
 
I got a row of potatoes planted this morning and started more tomatoes and marigolds inside. The first planting of marigolds is doing well, but I generally start a second set for the community garden and to give away.

Most of the onions are in the outside container or the raised bed. I held back some onion sets. They will go in the ground in two weeks. I'm staggering all of the plantings because the weather has been so weird!

The squash (indoors) is hit and miss. The Hubbard squash is fine but only about half of the acorn squash seeds germinated and what did come up is really struggling. I'm going to plant new seeds, wait a week, and then cull. I had some bad seeds last year, and the first acorn squash plantings maybe have been part of that batch.

No biking today! My back is a little touchy, and planting at least some potatoes was a priority. I'll plant more later next week.
 
@ etdeb
Have no idea what lawn service costs here... that amount of $ was mind blowing...we have a smaller kubota tractor...cut yard with belly mower..have bushog and bucket and even a post hole digger and a few other attachments..
Out in the county...but no pool...
Have a cousin in AZ..on a subdivision lot...has pool person and yard person..also a tree person..and house cleaner...also the house cleaner is around around $150 per cleaning...several times per month..some months ..they are both in their 70s and still working...I think they will work until they die...
I'm the house cleaner and DH is the yardman...

@Anna I fully understand your shock...I lost 8 people in 6 weeks back in 1990...family, friends and people I worked with...it took awhile to get normal after that..it just takes time...sometimes a lot of time..
We just found out an old friend passed last September another in December..we have most all moved over time...and are scattered..and yet another one who had left the state has passed..most everyone we grew up with has left... ( fled ) Fairfax Co, Va..it has become a nightmare place to live..a small house (starter home) about 1200 square feet is 600 to 700 hundred thousand $...and the real estate taxes are between 6 to 7 thousand dollars per year....it is the illegal and liberal capital of Virginia ....it is a standing joke that you need a passport and Visa to visit there...when I grew up there it was the sticks..

..and another one just passed in March who lives close to us. He fled too..the longer you live the more people you lose
 
I got off to a slow start today after the big shopping day yesterday. I washed sheets and they are now back on the bed. It's been raining off and on, so I used the dryer. Only other project is I got down on hands and knees and used a yard stick to "clean" under the fridge and stove then vacuumed up the resulting mess. Also moved everything out of the corner next to the fridge and swept that area. I should have scrubbed while I had everything out, but energy/back said NO. It's supposed to be very windy again tomorrow and cloudy most of the week. I have no interest in getting out into the garden for another month. My dd's boyfriend loves to run my tiller so as soon as I give him the word, he'll be right here. At least he has for the last 10 years so hopefully again this year. He'd moved away but recently came back to help his mother as she's blind.

My maternal grandmother lived to 92. She often complained that she'd lost all her family even though at the time her children were all living. Her father died when she was 7 which was a major trauma for her and I think it haunted her all her life. My mother lived to 100 and refused to go to any more funerals after a summer where we lost two family members to accidents.

On the other hand, my dh's grandmother never complained but when doing genealogy, I discovered she'd lost her first child at one month, her first husband in a mine accident leaving her with two toddlers, one of those two died at 12 and the other at 21 in accidents. The only comment I recall her making was when her son (my f-i-l) was very ill, she said I just can't bury another child. On Find a Grave website, I spend a good bit of time linking dh's grandparents to family. Each had a first marriage with spouse passing, each had a son and daughter from their first marriage, then they married and had three children. It took forever to link because each change has to be approved before you can make another, but I did get everyone linked. Out of respect for the first spouses, I linked them to their children.
 
DH and I go shopping together...I have never done delivery...of my groceries..
I like going to the store...that are so many new different things appearing on the shelves...Lidl near us gets different wonderful things from Europe..at excellent prices...I can't imagine having someone else pick out my groceries..DH loves going and looking also...he finds things he wants to try...we find new and different things often..

Frankly I detest the people with the aisle blocking big carts..shopping for someone else...they most generally are rude...and act like they are more important than the customers in the store...walmart is the worst..as often two will get in the same aisle and stop to talk to each other..blocking the whole aisle in both directions...while shoppers pile up fumming...worst thing they have come up with...in my opinion.
 
hd5574 said:
DH and I go shopping together...I have never done delivery...of my groceries..
I like going to the store...that are so many new different things appearing on the shelves...Lidl near us gets different wonderful things from Europe..at excellent prices...I can't imagine having someone else pick out my groceries..DH loves going and looking also...he finds things he wants to try...we find new and different things often..

Frankly I detest the people with the aisle blocking big carts..shopping for someone else...they most generally are rude...and act like they are more important than the customers in the store...walmart is the worst..as often two will get in the same aisle and stop to talk to each other..blocking the whole aisle in both directions...while shoppers pile up fumming...worst thing they have come up with...in my opinion.
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I'm with you 100%. I can't imagine anyone other than Cary choosing my groceries for me. If he has to do the shopping, he has a list made out by me. If he has a question about a certain item, he calls me. Yes, to the big carts blocking the aisles when they are shopping for someone else. I've had to stand in line while those 2 block the aisles. They absolutely make no effort to let other shoppers get through.
 
I've been working on the house roof, getting it ready for the steel panels,
but it's too windy again today. Worked on removing the roof vents and will
be installing gable vents.

Anyway, wife was using the upright Bissell vacuum today. She picked up some
knitting yard, causing the belt to burn, stink!!!!

Five or six years ago, I replaced both older upright, heavy vacuums with two of the lighter
Bissells on sale. I ordered a dozen extra belts at the time.

Anyway, out to the garage with it.

Compressed air to clean it out. Removed the belt, cleaned the motor shaft, then 240 grit
sandpaper to remove the shiny polished finish on the motor shaft.

Then looked at the basement unit. The belt was stretched out on that unit also.
240 grit sandpaper to remove the polished finish on the steel motor shaft.
It only takes a moment with the motor running to remove the polished surface.
Of course count your fingers before and after when working around very fast moving parts.
 
DH recently replaced belt on main vacuum. Gotta add belts to my list.

Off today and tomorrow afternoon before working 3 x 13 hr shifts. Figured out breaks and meals today. DH didn't realize I had meat in garage fridge and meatloaf in freezer. I can make a quick meal in a 30 min break - cheeseburgers, lemon pepper catfish, leftover meatloaf, etc. Will make him some salads in advance. I have enough breaks built in so that work won't be that bad.

New plastic chair mat ordered. Lighter headset here. Loving it. The thick padding on my gaming one made my ears hurt after awhile. Only thing I have left to replace is my chair. That will have to wait. I will probably check out chairs at Nebraska Furniture Mart or Cargo Largo in KC. I need to try before buying. My current one has lasted well, it came from a sale at staples. Learned a long time ago that your chair is not something to skimp on if you spend hours in it.

It's beautiful out. Have all downstairs windows open. Was going to do ebay. Realized I can take pics of item while in ebay app on phone, save as draft, and later sit down at computer and complete listing. DH keeps returning from the barn with more parts for me to sell. I am eyeing my closet and considering another round of purse and shoe clearing out.

Cleaning out windowsills. The windows fold out to wash. I don't do windows, never have. DH thought he would do them. Now he has a massager on his neck and is chasing Aleve with tea. We are both considering taking the entire contents of a shelf unit below one window and tossing it all into trash bag. Don't think anything on there has been touched in the last 20 years.

Goal right now is to deep clean the whole house. It will take both of us. We are tackling it a bit at a time.
 
@ Southern Breeze..
Because DH shops with me ..he can shop if I'm not able...even figure out meals if need be..and a grocery list if need be..
We both had father's that could not cook or shop
So all of our marriage I have taught him to cook and shop ..I want him to be able to do for himself if something happens to me...some of the finest chefs in the world are him..so no shame for men..
His father ended up alone far from us in AZ..and for the last few years he either ate out...he was near places to eat...or ate frozen meals ..bad to be stuck with that for years on end.

My recipe card file..has lots of dividers....and I have recipe cards...with detailed instructions both for ingredients and instructions...even for things that I don't need a recipe to cook..things he really likes..so it would be easy for him..I don't want him stuck like his Dad was..
 
kyrsyan said:
A few people have razzed me over how often I use delivery. Until I point out to them that each order would be a minimum of an hour of driving for me. And getting son in car. And just the stress of the idjits who have forgotten how to drive.

Even when I did once a month trips, it was 3 to 4 hours between driving and waiting for the pickup order to be brought out. And then I had to unload it all when I got home.

So now I order delivery or ask a friend who is already coming up if they could grab items for me. Even with the markup and tip or covering gas for a friend, it's still a break even on the time, gas, and stress. If I know I'm going to be in the city, and we need stuff, I will arrange a pickup order. But I rarely go into stores anymore.
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It saves me money because I stick to list, shop for preplanned meals and nothing bought and not used before it spoils
No distraction of bright shining things.
 
hd5574 said:
@ Southern Breeze..
Because DH shops with me ..he can shop if I'm not able...even figure out meals if need be..and a grocery list if need be..
We both had father's that could not cook or shop
So all of our marriage I have taught him to cook and shop ..I want him to be able to do for himself if something happens to me...some of the finest chefs in the world are him..so no shame for men..
His father ended up alone far from us in AZ..and for the last few years he either ate out...he was near places to eat...or ate frozen meals ..bad to be stuck with that for years on end.
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Cary and I will be married 50 years in October. We started shopping together the first week we were married. That has never changed. I can count on one hand the times Cary has gone by himself to shop. He does a great job as long as he has my list with him. I know that he can cook small things for himself. He's had to on occasion when I'm down sick. It might not be a full course meal, but he can get by.

When we go out shopping, we make it a fun day for the both of us. Sometimes very tiring, but we wouldn't change a thing.
 
SouthernBreeze said:
Cary and I will be married 50 years in October. We started shopping together the first week we were married. That has never changed. I can count on one hand the times Cary has gone by himself to shop. He does a great job as long as he has my list with him. I know that he can cook small things for himself. He's had to on occasion when I'm down sick. It might not be a full course meal, but he can get by.

When we go out shopping, we make it a fun day for the both of us. Sometimes very tiring, but we wouldn't change a thing.
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We married 50 years in February...he began shopping with me before we were married...so 52 shopping together..after we went to AZ to visit his dad...and I looked in the fridge...and cabinets I was heart broken...he just never cooked much from scratch..
I keep showing DH more things to fix...
 
I would never have allowed my late dh to do the grocery shopping. He was a junk food addict, could not do more in the kitchen than make coffee and burnt toast, oh and popcorn in the microwave, air popper or on the stove. If he had to go shopping with me, he acted like it was torture so made the shopping miserable for me. Oh, he also would do dishes, so I guess was somewhat useful in the kitchen!!
 
Sabbath service went well today. Otherwise just a much needed day of rest. I really need to begin the tune-up on the Ford Sunday. Son will have to get the three spark plugs on the back side of the engine due to my hand issues.

I bought some sale items from Augason Farms that came in last week that I need to put away. I also need to do some rearranging after I assemble a couple of shelf units that I got on sale about a month ago. Then I have a desk to assemble. Not starting those until after I see the surgeon about my right hand Monday.

High hit 81 degrees today. Had .67" of rain Friday and .02" today. Forecast is for .35" Sunday with a high of 69 degrees. Possible severe weather on Tuesday and Wednesday. It looks like Ryan Hall is going to be busy the next several days.
 
nomifyle said:
We use pickup because it’s very difficult for me to go in the store. I prefer choosing my own groceries but limitations say otherwise. Age and health issues get in the way of preferences
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It's a great help for those who do need it. It's the workers that shop for other people that's my biggest gripe. It never fails that when I'm shopping, there will be at least 2 workers shopping for other people who stand and talk to each other for ever while others are waiting to get by them. Blocking the whole aisle. They are so rude in that respect.

I won't say that I will never have a need for others to shop for me, though. No one knows what the future might bring to any of us.
 
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hd5574 said:
DH and I go shopping together...I have never done delivery...of my groceries..
I like going to the store...that are so many new different things appearing on the shelves...Lidl near us gets different wonderful things from Europe..at excellent prices...I can't imagine having someone else pick out my groceries..DH loves going and looking also...he finds things he wants to try...we find new and different things often..

Frankly I detest the people with the aisle blocking big carts..shopping for someone else...they most generally are rude...and act like they are more important than the customers in the store...walmart is the worst..as often two will get in the same aisle and stop to talk to each other..blocking the whole aisle in both directions...while shoppers pile up fumming...worst thing they have come up with...in my opinion.
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I did it a couple times when COVID was at it's peak but I didn't like it. I will have to say though, my orders were perfect and I got the best produce. I swear they give the store shoppers access to to the good stuff in the back lol. Covid started something though, there are the big carts all over the place out there now during the day. When I shop in the evening, I don't have to deal with them.
 
We went to the city today and bought the fence and t-posts for the garden....finally.

When I got there and saw the five foot fence and the size of the roll, I conceded and made some changes. The two hundred foot roll of five foot woven horse fence had to weigh at least 200 pounds. They didn't have it in 100 ft. rolls. I settled on four foot fence and paid $25 extra to get it in two 100 ft. rolls...so much easier for DH to handle. We went ahead and got the taller t-post on our list since the shorter t-posts cost the same, and will run a couple strands of wire above the four ft. stuff if needed. If not, we'll eventually cut them off. I really wanted the five ft. height because I plan to use the fence as trellis for support of various crops. The wire will serve my needs in that direction just as well.

Another consideration, if we decide to make the garden a little bigger, we'll pick up another hundred feet of horse wire. I came in $150 under budget with the shorter wire lol. It may happen because I really wanted the fenced in area about twelve ft. longer but with the five foot, we would have had to buy another 200 ft. roll to do that with lots left over so we took that option completely off the table.

I'm really excited to get that fencing bought. DH dropped me and all my inventory off at my booth after we bought the fence and took DGS to buy new shoes and I'm sure drop by the motorcycle shop. Getting my booth restocked was another good thing. Our oldest son met us at Wendy's after I finished my booth and we had a nice visit...was a blessed day!
 
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Here is a video I completely enjoyed with some reminders and a few new ideas for quick, simple and cheap meals. Most I'm familiar with but a few were completely new ideas. Some of the things I consider comfort foods. It's a long video but not bad if you crank the speed of the video up a little and you are just sitting there drinking coffee. For me, it's not the cheap part but the ideas about what you can make with very little on hand. I've watched several of these kind of videos over the years but this is the best.

They mention Clara, the depression cook. Her videos are great too and I've made her fried potatoes with hot dogs multiple times because it's good, not because it's cheap. Everyone always wants the recipe. DDIL got it from me years ago and impressed her family with it at a big gathering while she and DS were dating...she was still just a teenager. Everyone wanted the recipe and her mother told them it was an old family recipe of ours and she couldn't share it lol.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKtTYTDekE



I decided to share Clara's recipe I mentioned. I believe it was the recipe that really put her on the map over at YouTube.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-GVl7scrYE
 
Wildwood said:
I did it a couple times when COVID was at it's peak but I didn't like it. I will have to say though, my orders were perfect and I got the best produce. I swear they give the store shoppers access to to the good stuff in the back lol. Covid started something though, there are the big carts all over the place out there now during the day. When I shop in the evening, I don't have to deal with them.
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I have read a couple of things saying Walmart ..wants more of the carts..
The main grocery stores..are not nearly as bad....I'm sure that Walmart is figuring that is going be more cost effective for them ...some how or another..
I don't enjoy being manipulated by corporations...I can proudly say I have never used a self checkout....another manipulation...people work checking out because they need jobs...I will not help them put people out of work
 
hd5574 said:
I have read a couple of things saying Walmart ..wants more of the carts..
The main grocery stores..are not nearly as bad....I'm sure that Walmart is figuring that is going be more cost effective for them ...some how or another..
I don't enjoy being manipulated by corporations...I can proudly say I have never used a self checkout....another manipulation...people work checking out because they need jobs...I will not help them put people out of work
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I'm sick of WM but have no other options that don't involve a long drive. They tried to force us to use self checkout the other night and we were about to have to do it with DH complaining when the nighttime manager relented and sent one of the three people overseeing self checkout over to a register and ushered us in that direction. She recognized us from another crappy incident we had with a rude employee a few months back. Three people followed us as fast as they could with one being very vocal.

We had no choice but to use the self checkout it because we had about $500 dollars worth of groceries and other things plus they are the only store in town and we live an hour from the city and a different option. Self checkout and online orders are their goal. If they'd give me a discount for checking myself out, I might consider it lol.
 
Wildwood said:
I'm sick of WM but have no other options that don't involve a long drive. They tried to force us to use self checkout the other night and we were about to have to do it with DH complaining when the nighttime manager relented and sent one of the three people overseeing self checkout over to a register and ushered us in that direction. She recognized us from another crappy incident we had with a rude employee a few months back. Three people followed us as fast as they could with one being very vocal.

We had no choice but to use the self checkout it because we had about $500 dollars worth of groceries and other things plus they are the only store in town and we live an hour from the city and a different option. Self checkout and online orders are their goal. If they'd give me a discount for checking myself out, I might consider it lol.
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I know they want people to work for free...
When I go Lowe's most times they have no cashiers..so I to the self check out and look the watcher in the eye and tell them they have their choice...they can check it out and bag it or they can reshop it...and smile as they look at a cart full from all over the store..
I stand there while they ring it and bag it
At home depot I go to the contractors line...
If I was you and they don't have a line open...get manager and tell..them
You get a cashier or reshop it...and tell them there is bunch of frozen on the bottom..
It works
Walmart has an 800 number that you can call and complain..do it everytime..
 
I just got back from WalMart...they tried to get me to use the self checkout. I said, "I don't work here" and walked past her to an open checkout.

From what I'm reading, self checkout aren't going to be around much longer in most places. Many states are passing laws about how many they can have, with requirements to have a minimum number of staff at the self checkout registers. And stores are limiting them to peop,e with fewer than15 or 20 items, because of theft. Serves them right!

Summerthyme
 
hd5574 said:
I know they want people to work for free...
When I go Lowe's most times they have no cashiers..so I to the self check out and look the watcher in the eye and tell them they have their choice...they can check it out and bag it or they can reshop it...and smile as they look at a cart full from all over the store..
I stand there while they ring it and bag it
At home depot I go to the contractors line...
If I was you and they don't have a line open...get manager and tell..them
You get a cashier or reshop it...and tell them there is bunch of frozen on the bottom..
It works
Walmart has an 800 number that you can call and complain..do it everytime..
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It was a manager that pulled the girl off the self checkout section. I know she remembered how justified and aggravated we were with the prior incident. They can use three people to oversee self checkout in a smaller super center and yet have no checker. They should all be cross trained.

I think the problem is, self checkout is just not catching on in our backward little town after all this time so they are trying to force it on us.

I know a woman whose reputation got completely ruined with their self checkout right after they started it in a neighboring town a few years back. She lost her job and was black balled and unable to find any work in her field. It was a bag of dog food they accused her of stealing. Now they overlook your first couple of incidents while collecting evidence to prosecute you later. I'm getting sicker of WM all the time.

They need to quit trying to catch folks cheating when they are self checking.
 
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