[Spirit Deer]

I make my own. I'm sure the recipe could be scaled down to make a very small batch. Been making them since the '80s. I made them directly in a metal baking pan over low heat on the stove before we had a microwave, melting the margarine and peanut butter, then stirring in crumbs and powdered sugar with a fork. Melt chocolate chips in small pan. Very little cleanup. Now I use a glass pan in the micro, same thing, no bowl. These freeze well and taste great eaten frozen. Cut them into squares before chilling. Not sure if they're cheaper than buying Reeses's but they taste even better!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Listen, we’ve all done it. Sometime, around the beginning of March, we’re at Target. We have a cart full of crap we don’t really need but had to buy, two kids in the cart, latte…

rumblytumbly.com

 

[marthamfi]

lord don't need to see this lol !! love reese cups

 

[Spirit Deer]

I know! I rarely make them because then I just eat them. Like, lots! 🤣 But I do better resisting if I store them in the freezer. Out of sight is out of mind.

I suppose I shouldn't mention they make good DIY DQ Blizzards...

 

[Zhoen]

SD, you are being BAD!!!! We are going to need another thread called the "I didn't snack it" thread at this rate!!! 😜

Lately I have seen only two things that were major temptations that I resisted (for now...)
#1 Lowe's has bar-shaped grow lights for $40ish
#2 A bareroot hydrangea for about $8 at Walmart--- ok, I didn't REALLY resist that one, it wouldn't scan so I took it as a sign from the universe.

There is a STRONG probability that I might own both of those sooner rather than later, though... 🤭

 

[Spirit Deer]

slinking away

WITH the peanut butter bars 🤣🤣🤣

Any light can be a grow light. You just need full spectrum bulbs. But I know they sometimes have fit and/or fill specific spaces.

 

[marthamfi]

lol you shouldn't esp since DQ is just a few blocks away... well no more pecan mudslides there for years so temptation isn't there. but I like my sugar.

 

[KathyB]

I was tempted by some patterns I saw online, but then I remembered the pattern books I have with lots of patterns I have not done yet.

I like making small felt dolls and sewing small stuffed animals. But I actually have a few favorites I make over and over with different fabrics.

 

[Spirit Deer]

DQ Blizzards are available locally. DQ is one of our 2 chain restaurants, along with Subway, and a new Dominoes if it ever opens. So we can buy them. But they're way expensive. I can make a quart of ice cream with Splenda and a can of fat free evaporated milk that tastes a lot like DQ ice cream, so Blizzards are an easy, cheap, healthier DIY. We can't clone all of them, but some are really easy, like any of the candy bar Blizzards. And the DIY version is less calories. We do still buy from DQ sometimes. We haven't eaten at DQ in almost 3 yrs, but did get Blizzards a month or so ago. We had coupons for freebies though.

I could say I resisted buying a small embroidery floss box and made one instead, but since I had that argument with myself weeks ago when I made the first one, I'm not sure it counts at all with the second one since buying one wasn't a consideration. I absolutely love the first one. At any rate, I have 2 now, because I expect to have a large and a small cross stitch project going at the same time for the foreseeable future. This way, I don't have to move floss around every time I switch between projects. I think I paid .50 for the two tins and of course the cardboard was free from, ironically, an Amazon box. Amazon wanted $26 for two floss boxes. Yea, me!

 

[meredith1629]

One of my favorite protein bars are on sale for 25% off today only. I've been strong so far. I have SO MANY protein bars at home already. I don't need more.

 

[Zhoen]

I resisted a mini-greenhouse rack thing the other day, but that may not last... it was about $60... if it goes on clearance, I'll lose the fight! Hopefully the other shoppers will have less self-control than me!!! 😜

Meanwhile, I found these pretty sewing kits sooooooo tempting... if it was just the scissors, I'd have probably been lost! But I don't need the clutter of the other stuff. I like the patterns of the Pioneer Woman products a lot, but I am patient and can wait for them all to start showing at the yard sales and thrifts 😜

On the other hand, y'all talking so much about cross-stitch lately had me looking at these iron-ons and finding it HARD to resist! It helps that I remember when they cost $.99, now $1.97... and that all my floss was lost to the vortex of DD18's room Looonnnnggg ago... and that I DON'T need more projects right now... but there is a strong chance that they will end up the kids' Easter baskets-- they would like them and they have WAY too much free time...

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Cute stitch kits. I have some around here, they were on clearance a year or two ago, I had a weak moment, they may never get done.

I resisted 6 yards of one of the most beautiful pieces of purple and blue batik fabric I have ever seen... half price, enough for a quilt back... amazing fabric. I'd probably never get to use it.

 

[Spirit Deer]

I love kits in cases, too. It helps to resist them if I remember the tools in them are usually junk. I make my own customized tool kits sometimes. I get exactly what I want in them. This one is for beading. Fun project made in a repurposed cookie tin. It has a couple more things in it now.

 

[dlrcpa]

Plastic canvas really handy for dividers. I keep making zippered "project bags" and of course the totes to show off the embroidery pieces from various projects. Yes my mom bought us lots of kits and sewing/embroidery stuff when we were kids, kept us occupied. Dresser scarves and pillowcases...We lived sort of in the middle of nowhere but had nice pillowcases - ha ha.

 

[josantoro]

I have a sweater that has pilled on the sleeves, so I wanted to get a de-piller (I used to have one). $9. on Ebay. Then I thought, what about my electric razor? I tried it and it worked.

 

[jettsmom]

Needing to paint all the door frames in the bedroom. There is a new product called Beyond. No prepping. Just paint and it's done. $50 for a quart. Didn't really like any of the colors available. Told dh to tell me how to prep the door frames and I'll use the paint from the baseboards. He said there were a couple of products I could get and it would be a lot cheaper. I think we already of the Kilz. I think what we need is called something like a liquid sand paper. It's under $10. I'll finally get the bedroom finished. Still need a door for the closet. We might be able to get both for the price of the Beyond paint.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Saw corned beef at the market today for $9.99/lb. Didn't buy it. I got the chuck roast @3.99/lb instead. I miss the days when they couldn't give corned beef away, I would fill my freezer for .99/lb.

Cheerios, which DH loves, were marked down to 5.09. Regularly 5.99. Didn't buy it.

Canned cat food..... none on the shelf. Selection has been getting worse over the recent few weeks, I try to buy a few cans each visit to supplement what we get delivered, but this was a surprise.

 

[Zhoen]

CH- those prices are AWFUL! The Safeway here is advertising corned beef for $1.67/lb through Thursday (and maybe after, but that is when the new ad comes out,) but I haven't seen anything from all their local competitors yet. Really nobody but me likes it, but I put it on the menu 3 times a year and they haven't died yet... 😜

 

[Spirit Deer]

Commodity prices fluctuate a lot. I'm hoping they drop if covid numbers keep dropping, and assuming a certain petulant dictator doesn't blow up the world.

I can't understand why cat food is so hard to get. Is it the new toilet paper and people are hoarding now? It seems like it's been a problem long enough now that the issues should have worked themselves out.

Cheerios knock-offs are cheap at Aldi. Husby got a big box a week or so ago. Our local grocery store also has big bags of another brand relatively cheap. We can't see any difference between them and the brand name.

I wouldn't pay $10/lb for corned beef either. I wonder how corned chicken would taste. 🤣

 

[Zhoen]

SD- it goes back to the availability of metal for the cans. SInce cat food comes in such small cans, it is better for the manufacturers to use the metal they have for bigger/higher profits items. The priority is given to people-food, of course, but even dog food is higher priority, because they tend to pack it in larger cans which is more efficient.

But then, also, yes, once word got out about it, I've heard about panic-buying in some areas... people who don't even understand the situation hoarding dry food (which isn't even in short supply except for the hoarding...)

Re: corned beef... you can pickle ANY cut of beef, not just brisket. I do that some years when I am freaking out about fat and calories. It takes a few days, but depending on the cut of meat you use, it is just as good/better than the pre-packaged stuff, and you can shop the sales to get a liveable price...

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Shortage of metal for cans makes sense. They seem to have plenty of the treats in bags, and the liquid food and gravy pouches for senior cats.

I don't think DH minds generic cereal or Aldi brand, but we're not there yet. Time to set up oatmeal in the crock pot, though.

I have corned beef left from last year, and I'll give DH the choice between that and the pot roast I just got. I love it but won't be heartbroken if I can't get any. I'll look next week and see what's left. I like to make one in the summer for sandwiches.