The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #172985   Message #4211632
Posted By: Stilly River Sage
14-Nov-24 - 12:36 PM
Thread Name: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
MaJoC - when the local high end groceries do food promotions and don't sell all of them, their wholesale suppliers send the extras over to this place, pennies on the dollar. This place repackages those huge wheels of cheese and sells in large portions for a modest (still not necessarily cheap) price. Get it while they have it, because when it's gone, it's gone. High end yogurt is good at $1.59 a quart vs $7 and up at Central Market. I tend to avoid the frozen restaurant supply beef (too much salt solution added) and lots of processed foods I never bother with. They sell tons of produce and when they have breads gluten free I load up and freeze them - the prices are eye-watering at the Sprouts or HEB but they're usually $1 each here.

The groceries aisles have lots of sauces and canned goods and boxed stuff. I rarely buy chips or crackers because they tend to be a bit stale (since they also buy stuff at the end of their "best buy" period). I see stuff there that sells at Costco and Aldi - they all redistribute their excess and Town Talk is there to pass the savings on. They have produce out every day but on Saturday is when you can really dive in for savings. You have to be picky - sometimes the asparagus is wilted or the peppers are too close to gone. There may be mold on some of the strawberries - but if you're taking things home to prepare today - cut up, cook, freeze, whatever, then tossing a moldy organic strawberry and using the rest when they come at about $1.50 a pound or $8 a flat (8 pounds) is worth it. Don't go there with a shopping list - they don't have the same stuff all of the time. Most things that are novel come through, are sold out and never appear again. I've discovered some great salsas and hot sauces and tea flavors that way. One of the hot sauces was so good that I now order it online and pay the full price plus shipping.

Back in the yard the next section of the sunflower stand is cut and shoved in the trash; goggles and gloves this time. First I harvested a quart bag of seed heads for my daughter who thinks she wants some on her property in the next county north. Be careful what you wish for, but I cut some seeds for her.

The box with the embroidery thread is on the kitchen table; I'll pick a few primary and variegated colors to keep for reference or for adding to sewing projects here, and send the rest in the box to my son's partner. As my daughter and I went through them we realized why I had so many - when KMart closed about 25 years ago (!) they put notions on sale. Some of the old sale stickers are still on them. J.P. Coats most of those, but there are also a lot of DMC. Maybe I got those when Hancock closed?

I accomplished quite a lot yesterday, and have generally been more efficient over the last week. My usual catching up on news (on MSNBC or CNN) intermittently during the day habit is on hold for now; I can't stand to hear about Trump's stupid choices. I'll read the newspaper to get that stuff and not have to listen to his voice. Classical music via my CDs or radio are the main background noise now.