~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September 2022 Frugalistas~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[mommyoffive]

Back to school, Labor Day, Start of Fall bring on September.

How it is going everyone? 

I am a total space cadet today and almost forgot to start this.  Duh August is over.  

Kids start school tomorrow.  Ordering new glasses.  It has just been one thing after another since we got home.  Today other than glasses is our main TV just stopped working.  I hate stuff these days, it isn't even all that old.  

[JustEm]

We have a fun weekend planned with the Ren faire and a drive in all night movie marathon. To save money while at both places, dh and I will be grocery shopping for candy, snacks, large lunches and breakfasts. Then we'll spend food money there on fun foods like funnel cake at the drive in.

The rest of the month is no spend other than bills and groceries until the last day where dh and I will start our 2 nights away for a punk concert and brew fest.

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

We have a fun weekend planned with the Ren faire and a drive in all night movie marathon. To save money while at both places, dh and I will be grocery shopping for candy, snacks, large lunches and breakfasts. Then we'll spend food money there on fun foods like funnel cake at the drive in.

The rest of the month is no spend other than bills and groceries until the last day where dh and I will start our 2 nights away for a punk concert and brew fest.

Oh wow, I haven't ever heard of one going all night.  What a fun memory for a kid.

[JustEm]

30 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh wow, I haven't ever heard of one going all night.  What a fun memory for a kid.

Yeah, this place does it every labor day weekend. Dh and I have gone many times in the last 15 years. This will be the first year for the kids. We do have to make sure a good number of them fall asleep by the 4th movie because it and the 5th are R rated. But it starts pretty late so that shouldn't be an issue

[mommyoffive]

Saw this on moneysavingmom

For a limited time, Amazon is running a big Buy One, Get One 50% off Sale on a huge selection of books for kids! No promo code needed. Just add two books to your cart and one of them will automatically be 50% off.

[heartlikealion]

@mommyoffive we have to get new glasses here, too. Ds is wearing glasses that got damaged in his fall. Xh wanted to buy two more pairs (one as the main and one as a backup). I just got a bill from him today for my share of the cost. Ugh. At least he held back from the pricy name brand ones this time.

I just signed up on an app called Rover. I don't know if it'll be worthwhile. I just dropped $35 on their background check, ugh. The goal is to get some pet sitting/house sitting jobs through it. The pet sitting job I have this weekend (unrelated to Rover) is for a family that has a regular guy but he was out of town. So I don't know if I'll get any repeat jobs with this family. 

@hjffkj what band is playing? I couldn't do an all night one. I'd have sensory overload or something lol. I don't like sleeping with TVs on. Don't you walk dogs? Do you know what a fair rate is for dog walking and/or overnight pet sitting? The site prefilled some of the fields. They said $27/night and I thought that was way too low (that's like the price of gas to get to and from the house for me). So I raised it up. Feel free to PM me. 

[mommyoffive]

56 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

@mommyoffive we have to get new glasses here, too. Ds is wearing glasses that got damaged in his fall. Xh wanted to buy two more pairs (one as the main and one as a backup). I just got a bill from him today for my share of the cost. Ugh. At least he held back from the pricy name brand ones this time.

I just signed up on an app called Rover. I don't know if it'll be worthwhile. I just dropped $35 on their background check, ugh. The goal is to get some pet sitting/house sitting jobs through it. The pet sitting job I have this weekend (unrelated to Rover) is for a family that has a regular guy but he was out of town. So I don't know if I'll get any repeat jobs with this family. 

@hjffkj what band is playing? I couldn't do an all night one. I'd have sensory overload or something lol. I don't like sleeping with TVs on. Don't you walk dogs? Do you know what a fair rate is for dog walking and/or overnight pet sitting? The site prefilled some of the fields. They said $27/night and I thought that was way too low (that's like the price of gas to get to and from the house for me). So I raised it up. Feel free to PM me. 

I hope you get some pet sitting jobs.  That sounds like it would be a good fit for you. And the overnight babysitting.  I was going to mention that hjffkj does it.  

Around me $25 ish per night is what we pay in a few kennels around us.  Some go a bit cheaper with discounts for having them there a longer time or more than one dog.  But the higher end kennels go for about 40 or more up a night.  Some are super plush.  That has to be so far from you to spend all that in gas.  Or are you going a few times a day?  Maybe just have them be in your immediate area. 

We haven't ever boarded our dogs at someone's house.  We tried to and the person even having good reviews on Rover just ghosted us.  

Edited September 1, 2022 by mommyoffive

[JustEm]

47 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

@mommyoffive we have to get new glasses here, too. Ds is wearing glasses that got damaged in his fall. Xh wanted to buy two more pairs (one as the main and one as a backup). I just got a bill from him today for my share of the cost. Ugh. At least he held back from the pricy name brand ones this time.

I just signed up on an app called Rover. I don't know if it'll be worthwhile. I just dropped $35 on their background check, ugh. The goal is to get some pet sitting/house sitting jobs through it. The pet sitting job I have this weekend (unrelated to Rover) is for a family that has a regular guy but he was out of town. So I don't know if I'll get any repeat jobs with this family. 

@hjffkj what band is playing? I couldn't do an all night one. I'd have sensory overload or something lol. I don't like sleeping with TVs on. Don't you walk dogs? Do you know what a fair rate is for dog walking and/or overnight pet sitting? The site prefilled some of the fields. They said $27/night and I thought that was way too low (that's like the price of gas to get to and from the house for me). So I raised it up. Feel free to PM me. 

There are a bunch of bands playing. It's an event called Punk in Drublic. We're going specifically for NOFX.

We really enjoy the all night drive in event. It has gotten harder to do as we get older but we still make it through. 

Yes, I do walked dogs. I charge $20 for a 30 minute visit that includes feeding, playing, refill water, meds, and a short walk. Overnight at their house I charge $55/ night, which includes the evening visit and morning visit. If an afternoon visit is needed it is an additional $20. If they want to board the dog at my house and it isnt a puppy the. I charge $40.

[heartlikealion]

50 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

I hope you get some pet sitting jobs.  That sounds like it would be a good fit for you. And the overnight babysitting.  I was going to mention that hjffkj does it.  

Around me $25 ish per night is what we pay in a few kennels around us.  Some go a bit cheaper with discounts for having them there a longer time or more than one dog.  But the higher end kennels go for about 40 or more up a night.  Some are super plush.  That has to be so far from you to spend all that in gas.  Or are you going a few times a day?  Maybe just have them be in your immediate area. 

We haven't ever boarded our dogs at someone's house.  We tried to and the person even having good reviews on Rover just ghosted us.  

I wasn't sure what to charge for the Sat morning-Mon afternoon visit and asked the family if they had a figure in mind. Then they came back with $150. I accepted. It's like $30 in gas round trip give or take. I'm sleeping at the house so I'm not going to drive back to my house between days. They said they were seeking an overnight pet sitter since they let the dogs out in the morning at like 5:30am (the dogs will wake them at this time). They said it's fine for me to leave the home for periods of time, just let the dogs out every couple hours. So I will go attempt barter with CSpire while I'm in town and see if they will cut back any of those fast pass charges I racked up last month (like $50 in fast passes while my wifi was out). The town where I normally babysit is an affluent area so they tend to be more willing to pay decent. I lose money on gas, but still profit and try to tie in errands if possible. For babysitting my normal rate is $15/hr which isn't much given the cost of travel so I only take jobs that are several hours long. The family I used to babysit for a couple times a month booked me ~7 hours (I'd leave at lunch and they'd try to feed the kids and do nap then come back*). The nanny app I'm on defaults to $18/hr min. but because I did an overnight job we made it a flat rate instead. The benefit of the app to parents is they know the sitters on the app have been background checked, have experience and their request goes out to several sitters so usually someone can take the job. Most of those requests are last minute notice (next day or same day is common). 

*I would drive nearby to a drive thru or pack a lunch and eat in my car, walk around walmart or such. I didn't go all the way home. Then after sitting I would drive straight to a nearby church for Mass. 

My landlord has asked me to pet sit an upcoming day but they didn't specify if they meant for free or paid. If I'm home it's not a big deal, though as they are next door and I've met the dog. I hope they do offer me some money. 

48 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

There are a bunch of bands playing. It's an event called Punk in Drublic. We're going specifically for NOFX.

We really enjoy the all night drive in event. It has gotten harder to do as we get older but we still make it through. 

Yes, I do walked dogs. I charge $20 for a 30 minute visit that includes feeding, playing, refill water, meds, and a short walk. Overnight at their house I charge $55/ night, which includes the evening visit and morning visit. If an afternoon visit is needed it is an additional $20. If they want to board the dog at my house and it isnt a puppy the. I charge $40.

Thanks. I am not offering boarding at my home (for a few reasons) but I'm available to go to their home. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by heartlikealion

[HomeAgain]

September is starting off well! 

I went to our L.L. Bean outlet yesterday and found an entire outfit.  It's a darn near miracle, if I do say so myself. I hate shopping because nothing ever fits right, and jeans right now all seem to be low rise or in the armpits. I don't want to wear either.  Give me something that covers my butt, allows me to move properly, and doesn't make me feel like Erkel.  Please. Well, I found a pair of midrise stretch jeans and a soft long sleeve winter shirt.  Original price was $60 for the jeans and $55 for the shirt.  I got both for $60.

I also stopped by the butcher area in our grocery store.  I'm so tired of seeing $9/lb prices for beef, even stir fry cuts.  But I found $2.99/lb "shoulder steaks", which are stir fry or stew meat that isn't chopped.  Well, for less than $5 in meat, I took a pack home, marinated the dickens out of it, and threw it on skewers with veggies and fresh pineapple.  The meal fed all of us and had enough leftovers for lunches today. And it was so tender. I also picked up another $3/lb shoulder roast that went in the freezer for pot roast in a few weeks.

My classes starting next week do not have any textbooks to buy.  I think it'll be an interesting semester, and I thank the professors for spending more time with free resources than a stodgy book.

This weekend is going to be full with various home endeavors and volunteer work, so hopefully no extra money spent.  

[prairiewindmomma]

Costco is running a $40 off second pair sale right now (for the same individual). We are paying for seven pairs of glasses this month. 

[historically accurate]

AAARRRGGGHHH! I got a rockin' deal on a graphing calculator last month. Well, it never arrived and the only thing they will do for me is return my money. No, I want my $66 TI-84!!  

 

[JustEm]

Well my weekend plans are shot!!! I have covid 😭 we can exchange the tickets for the Ren faire so we aren't out any money on those as long as we go later in the season. The Airbnb is non-refundable so we're out $150 on that. We didn't pay for the drive in thankfully.

I think the plan for this weekend is to get a bunch of candy, popcorn, finger foods, and set up our projector for an in house all night movie marathon. We did that during the pandemic when we weren't comfortable attending the event. It'll be a good enough replacement 

[HomeAgain]

15 minutes ago, historically accurate said:

AAARRRGGGHHH! I got a rockin' deal on a graphing calculator last month. Well, it never arrived and the only thing they will do for me is return my money. No, I want my $66 TI-84!!  

 

We didn't get nearly as good a deal but our TI-84 went missing in transit as well.  We ordered a replacement but I don't have high hopes of that coming on time, either.

[HomeAgain]

9 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Well my weekend plans are shot!!! I have covid 😭 we can exchange the tickets for the Ren faire so we aren't out any money on those as long as we go later in the season. The Airbnb is non-refundable so we're out $150 on that. We didn't pay for the drive in thankfully.

I think the plan for this weekend is to get a bunch of candy, popcorn, finger foods, and set up our projector for an in house all night movie marathon. We did that during the pandemic when we weren't comfortable attending the event. It'll be a good enough replacement 

I hope you feel better!

 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, hjffkj said:

Well my weekend plans are shot!!! I have covid 😭 we can exchange the tickets for the Ren faire so we aren't out any money on those as long as we go later in the season. The Airbnb is non-refundable so we're out $150 on that. We didn't pay for the drive in thankfully.

I think the plan for this weekend is to get a bunch of candy, popcorn, finger foods, and set up our projector for an in house all night movie marathon. We did that during the pandemic when we weren't comfortable attending the event. It'll be a good enough replacement 

Oh that really really sucks.  I am sorry.  I am glad the Airbnb wasn't super expensive.   You guys had covid already too and I think it was a long slog from what I remember.  I am hoping you  have a better time of it this go around.  Does anyone else have it?

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, historically accurate said:

AAARRRGGGHHH! I got a rockin' deal on a graphing calculator last month. Well, it never arrived and the only thing they will do for me is return my money. No, I want my $66 TI-84!!  

 

That stinks!!!  Where did you order it from?  Yeah I hate when the deal doesn't work out and they act like refunding your money is enough.  No, give me the deal that was advertised. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

We didn't get nearly as good a deal but our TI-84 went missing in transit as well.  We ordered a replacement but I don't have high hopes of that coming on time, either.

Where did you order from?  This is odd that both of you lost the exact same thing in transit.  Don't you think?

[HomeAgain]

9 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Where did you order from?  This is odd that both of you lost the exact same thing in transit.  Don't you think?

We ordered from Amazon.  It's the first package that hasn't appeared.  Even my package that was sent a county over was tracked down by an awesome postmaster.

This one....never even made it to a post office.  It says it was transferred to it but our postmaster has no receipt of it ever being in the system.

[DawnM]

Well, I just paid the bills for 2 kids in college and my dad in a nursing home.....we may not eat this month!  Ok, kidding, it is dad's money for the nursing home and we saved for college for the most part, but this month was difficult because I haven't gotten paid since late May, so my paycheck yesterday was much needed.

In August we sold a car and sold a large piece of equipment DH had in the garage, so that brought in $3,500.   I am hoping we can sell some more this month.   We need the garage space too!

Other than that, I am hoping not to buy much this month other than necessities.

[mommyoffive]

Kohl's $10 off $25 started yesterday

 

National Cinema Day: How to score $3 movie tickets this weekend (cnbc.com)

 

 4 months of free sirius

Start Your Free Trial Subscription | SiriusXM

 

 

$10/$10 dsw, says keep trying code if it doesn’t work the first time(s) Code: 1AEC21RJKD41

[mommyoffive]

What is gas doing around you guys?  In my area gas was $3.38 last night.  Go to towns 20-60 mins away and it was anywhere from 3.59-3.94   I couldn't believe the difference in price with that.

[JustEm]

59 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh that really really sucks.  I am sorry.  I am glad the Airbnb wasn't super expensive.   You guys had covid already too and I think it was a long slog from what I remember.  I am hoping you  have a better time of it this go around.  Does anyone else have it?

Yeah, we had it in January and some members got it twice back to back because I guess my brother's family, who had it at the same time as us, had a different strain. So when we started spending time with them again we swapped strains with them and both households got it again. It was over a month of illness in the household.

So, far my symptoms are much better than last time. At this point it is a sore throat, aches, and headache. Yesterday was worse than today. So far, it's just me.

[mommyoffive]

Earn $1,300 to Watch 13 Stephen King Movies | USDish.com

[heartlikealion]

Man that stinks, you guys — the calculators, Covid @hjffkj @historically accurate 

hjffkj, I’m glad you have an alternative movie plan. Do you own a projector or fo you have to rent one? 

@prairiewindmomma and @HomeAgainglad you guys found some good deals! 

@DawnM hope you manage ok the rest of the month. That’s great you sold some big ticket items. 

I probably will be paid after Labor Day (I usually get paid around the 5th). I drove further than I expected today to attend a networking event. I don’t know what the gas price was when I stopped to get a little. The networking was two fold. Mostly ended up giving me connections for people that may want to advertise with us (which I passed along). Also was kinda curious who I’d run into if I need to apply to higher paying jobs after my contract ends. I’m in a contract til Feb. and I’m in a lease til Sept so I’m just doing the best I can with my current situation. The dog sitting won’t be profit. It will just offset other costs like ds’ new glasses or my upcoming medical bill from urgent care. 

My Rover account is just pending background check now. Takes about 2 weeks. 

Dd asked for Hulu last visit for a new show. I’ve been using a free trial but some shows I can only access season 1… that’s how they get you!! Pay to see more? The show she wanted is rated mature so I said no. We didn’t know at first. It’s animated. 

[JustEm]

@heartlikealion we own one. My sil got it for us for Christmas in 2020

[historically accurate]

3 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

We ordered from Amazon.  It's the first package that hasn't appeared.  Even my package that was sent a county over was tracked down by an awesome postmaster.

This one....never even made it to a post office.  It says it was transferred to it but our postmaster has no receipt of it ever being in the system.

Amazon here too. 3rd party seller though.

 

[historically accurate]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

What is gas doing around you guys?  In my area gas was $3.38 last night.  Go to towns 20-60 mins away and it was anywhere from 3.59-3.94   I couldn't believe the difference in price with that.

We had another drop last week to about 3.75ish. But it's been pretty steady since then. 

[heartlikealion]

I had set aside some money in a medical folder in my bank account for ds' ER bill. We think the ER office visit is covered, but there may be some parts of it we pay (I have no idea, I'm guessing we'll owe something for the stitches/xray). I just sent part of that to xh for my share of the glasses. I should have time to replenish the medical folder a little bit after pay day. I don't know when we'll get the hospital bill. For sure I owe ~$30 to urgent care for my copay but not sure how much on my tailbone xray. They told me the max should be $175 so I'm guessing less than that. 

[Shoeless]

5 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

What is gas doing around you guys?  In my area gas was $3.38 last night.  Go to towns 20-60 mins away and it was anywhere from 3.59-3.94   I couldn't believe the difference in price with that.

It dropped to $3.15 after weeks of sitting at $3.29. 

I did a double take at a station selling for $2.73.  Of course, I had already filled up at $3.15 😕

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, MissLemon said:

It dropped to $3.15 after weeks of sitting at $3.29. 

I did a double take at a station selling for $2.73.  Of course, I had already filled up at $3.15 😕

Oh my I would love to see that price!!  I hope you can hit that station the next time, or that others keep dropping.

[Brittany1116]

We saw but missed the Circle K 40c gas discount yesterday but managed to get one of their elusive 20c off 20gal cards for the month of September. We got the better deal with that anyhow.

Anyone ever do Gap mail-in returns? I have a feeling I'll have to make a call because tracking says they got it back days ago but no refund.

[JustEm]

Well, I'm feeling pretty much back to normal. Just a little snotty and a headache that acetaminophen takes care of. But sadly, I woke up to a feverish 2 year old finally happy that she could cuddle me again. So, now the two of us will spend the day locked away in my room hoping no one else gets sick.

Dh will be ordering candy and popcorn for the movie marathon while the kids make their fake cars.

[historically accurate]

3 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Well, I'm feeling pretty much back to normal. Just a little snotty and a headache that acetaminophen takes care of. But sadly, I woke up to a feverish 2 year old finally happy that she could cuddle me again. So, now the two of us will spend the day locked away in my room hoping no one else gets sick.

Dh will be ordering candy and popcorn for the movie marathon while the kids make their fake cars.

Awww, I'm sorry it spread. Glad you are feeling better though.

[mommyoffive]

Free National Parks Annual Pass for Families with 4th Graders | Hip2Save

[heartlikealion]

They didn't have time to get cash and Paypal took a cut of my pay. I brought my laptop here to do work and universal charger but it had an adapter tip that doesn't fit this laptop. I last used it with ds' old laptop. Oops. So if I can find a cheap set of adapter tips I'll have my laptop all weekend while I dog sit. If I can't, I'm not buying the whole adapter plus plug set for $20 or so. Not worth it. I left my book at home too ugh. I do have my cell phone at least. The laptop is better for work, though, which I hoped to do some work stuff. 

[mommyoffive]

got gas

did some shopping at Aldi.

Had to pay shipping to return something.

Got some medical bills in today.  Yay.

Will owe $ when I pick up the glasses.

I have 3 kids in braces now.  Made the payment for the newest one. 

DS hit a growth spurt and blew through sizes.  Only problem is I stocked up on New Balance men's shoes that I got new for $12 a pair.  I stocked up on all the sizes thinking he would grow through each one every few months.  Instead he went up 2 whole sizes.  So now I have to figure out what to do with all these brand new shoes.  He and dh now wear the same size.  Now he is going to need all new shoes and boots. 

I need to do a grocery order this weekend.  Oh and order some dance gear.

[prairiewindmomma]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

DS hit a growth spurt and blew through sizes.  Only problem is I stocked up on New Balance men's shoes that I got new for $12 a pair.  I stocked up on all the sizes thinking he would grow through each one every few months.  Instead he went up 2 whole sizes.  So now I have to figure out what to do with all these brand new shoes.  He and dh now wear the same size.  Now he is going to need all new shoes and boots. 

 

Donate them....maybe even directly to the schools in your area if they run a clothing bank. There are lots of families looking for shoes for their kids right now. 

We went to back to school night this year and for the first time the school was handing out food so that kids could eat well before school started. The summer meal program had ended, the food banks are overwhelmed with need, and a lot of the kids in some neighborhoods are only eating once a day.  The Little Free Fridge in my neck of the woods is being emptied out 5x a day, and the thank you notes the owner receives are heartbreaking.

 

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Donate them....maybe even directly to the schools in your area if they run a clothing bank. There are lots of families looking for shoes for their kids right now. 

We went to back to school night this year and for the first time the school was handing out food so that kids could eat well before school started. The summer meal program had ended, the food banks are overwhelmed with need, and a lot of the kids in some neighborhoods are only eating once a day.  The Little Free Fridge in my neck of the woods is being emptied out 5x a day, and the thank you notes the owner receives are heartbreaking.

 

Yeah it is either that or sell them.  I just last weekend donated lots of shoes.  But now he has a bunch of other shoes and boots to donate too.  

[JustEm]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Free National Parks Annual Pass for Families with 4th Graders | Hip2Save

Is it bad that I can't remember if one of my kids is in 4th or 5th this year?

[heartlikealion]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Yeah it is either that or sell them.  I just last weekend donated lots of shoes.  But now he has a bunch of other shoes and boots to donate too.  

Not to sound greedy, but this is the frugal thread so yeah, if I needed the money I'd try to sell first. Are they all well out of return period? Some stores are more strict than others. 

[mommyoffive]

3 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

Not to sound greedy, but this is the frugal thread so yeah, if I needed the money I'd try to sell first. Are they all well out of return period? Some stores are more strict than others. 

Oh yeah I bought them maybe a year ago?  I can sure use the money to pay for all the new shoes this kid now needs.  🙂

[heartlikealion]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh yeah I bought them maybe a year ago?  I can sure use the money to pay for all the new shoes this kid now needs.  🙂

I'd try to sell to local people first (maybe on facebook but maybe not using the marketplace feature unless you have better luck than me with that!). Consignment store as last effort, but they will probably not give you more than a few dollars ugh 

[prairiewindmomma]

On 9/2/2022 at 8:26 AM, mommyoffive said:

What is gas doing around you guys?  In my area gas was $3.38 last night.  Go to towns 20-60 mins away and it was anywhere from 3.59-3.94   I couldn't believe the difference in price with that.

We are stuck at the $4.50 at Costco/$5 elsewhere price point.  It’s crazy to think it’s $8.50 more per tank to fill up anywhere but Costco. I had debated giving up my membership at one point, but I am glad we didn’t.

[prairiewindmomma]

Groceries are easing a bit and shelves are looking fuller overall. I am stocking back up to replace the deep pantry backstock I used up over the summer. We are still paying well above what we used to, but having lots of inexpensive produce right now (apples at $1/lb, red peppers at $1 each) plus stuff from our garden is giving us some breathing room.

[Shoeless]

21 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh my I would love to see that price!!  I hope you can hit that station the next time, or that others keep dropping.

I think that price must have been the Circle K gas deal. I didn't realize they were doing a promo. 

[cjzimmer1]

4 hours ago, hjffkj said:

Is it bad that I can't remember if one of my kids is in 4th or 5th this year?

I don't know your kid but I'm quite certain he's in 4th! 

My kid was in 4th, then 6th, then 5th , depending on what activity we needed.  Our state lets us assign grade and I needed him to be in 6th after 4th to access some testing that was only open to 6th graders and above.  So we bumped him up to get the testing and then put him back in his chronological group. So unless your state has some really strict requirements, I think your kid is in 4th.

 

[Condessa]

The peaches are ready at the church orchard, so we went out to help harvest today.  A couple of the kids were grouchy about it at first, but really got into it after we talked with them about how this fruit will go to help feed families who can’t afford groceries.  We also came home with a small box of peaches for free that are too small to process through their machinery or had fallen on the ground.  I would have liked to take time to gather up more of the free peaches to bring home, but I started feeling sick and dizzy at the end.

[cjzimmer1]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Free National Parks Annual Pass for Families with 4th Graders | Hip2Save

Thank you for sharing that!  

 

My youngest is in 4th (without me even moving him) and we are traveling out west next spring for eldest DS wedding.  We have several national parks on our list of things to do.

[mommyoffive]

53 minutes ago, Condessa said:

The peaches are ready at the church orchard, so we went out to help harvest today.  A couple of the kids were grouchy about it at first, but really got into it after we talked with them about how this fruit will go to help feed families who can’t afford groceries.  We also came home with a small box of peaches for free that are too small to process through their machinery or had fallen on the ground.  I would have liked to take time to gather up more of the free peaches to bring home, but I started feeling sick and dizzy at the end.

I hope you are feeling ok.  Odd but I was feeling like that today too.  Weather changes?

That is really cool that your church has an orchard.  I think that would be a great idea for a ton of churches.