A few days ago I had to visit the library to pick up a book that was on hold for me.
It was late in the day, and I was very tired and very cold. The thought of slipping my freezing footsies into my cute little animal print flats was low on my list.
New ones. Last years has cream trim
I spied my Dearfoam slippers purchased last year at Costco for $9.99 and thought, "I'm just slipping in and out of the library and no one will notice I'm wearing slippers."
Well, they did. But they thought they were the cutest shoes they had ever seen and wanted to know where I got them. I told them the truth and they thought it was the greatest idea since, well, forever.
Fast forward to last Friday. After our first trip to Trader Joe's, we headed to Costco. I had mentioned that I hoped they had the Dearfoams back in for winter since I needed another pair and they were going to be my new winter "shoes."
They did. And, guess what? They had an instant coupon for $2.00, so the cost was only $7.99.
I price checked J.C. Penney, and their original price for the same slipper was $26.00. They were on sale for $15.60, so $7.99 turned out to be a hugely good deal.
These are indoor/outdoor slippers with a very thick sole. My pair from last year has at least another year left of wear and I wear them quite a lot.
Now the Men
Last year, hubby got a pair of cool slippers lined with thinsulate at Costco for $9.99. They are also rated as indoor/outdoor. He wanted another pair and Costco had those also.
These are perfect for a quick trip to the store or post office. Depending on where you work, they would certainly pass the sniff test for being appropriate.
Now I decided that since there was no way I could purchase a decent pair of shoes for $7.99 or $9.99 for hubby, we each should get another pair, so I planned a return trip to Costco.
But first I checked their website and there they were. Free shipping as a bonus. We each opted for the brown this time.
If you're in need of slippers and live near a Costco, go get you some; you won't find a better price!
Good for them. I've been saying this for years. Stores need to quit having all those phoney baloney sales where you mark something down by 40% or 50%, which means it's now the price it should have been to begin with.
I really like what the new CEO said, "Customers will not pay literally a penny more than the true value of the product" which echoes my motto of, "Something is worth only what someone will pay for it."
That's why I "heart" Costco. I know they will give me the best possible price on an item and it will be of the highest quality. I don't have time to clip coupons or be run ragged looking for "sale" items that are usually not a very good deal.
NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney is permanently marking down all of its merchandise by at least 40 percent so shoppers will no longer have to wait for a sale to get the lowest prices in its stores.
Penney said Wednesday that it is getting rid of the hundreds of sales it offers each year in favor of a simpler approach to pricing. On Feb. 1, the retailer is rolling out a three-tiered strategy that offers "Every Day" low pricing daily, "Month-Long Value" discounts on select merchandise each month and clearance deals called "Best Prices" during the first and the third Friday of every month when many shoppers get paid. read the rest
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Overwhelmed With Too Much Information
*****Sometimes the amount of information flowing into a person's life becomes just too much to handle. Lent, with my three posts per week rule, has been the perfect penance. The first few weeks I was so nervous as to be rendered almost comatose. But guess what? God knows what we need and guides us in our decisions. Of course this means paying attention when He bangs you upside the head.
*****I've discovered as Lent has progressed toward Easter, that I have become calmer and more focused (except for snapping at hubby a moment ago), and I am certainly getting more work done. I have lost my desire to obsessively read every little nugget of information that hits the airwaves or the internet. I've discovered that I can read a select number of sources which leaves time for reflection. It has fostered a climate where I can sort out what I have learned, and make decisions based on reason rather than hysteria. It means I can act rather than react.
*****With that being said, I will try and not overwhelm you with too much information in today's post. Besides, I have work to do and the longer I sit here doing this, the less work I'm getting done.
Glenn Beck and his "project"...
*****I like Glenn Beck. Quite a few people are of the opinion that his rhetoric is a bit "over the top." And many Catholics are horrified that he is a Mormon who came from a somewhat Catholic background. No doubt I would be happy if he became a Catholic, but we accept truth where ever it is found, and Glenn does a good job of telling the truth. Not to mention that most Mormon families do a darn sight better job of raising their children than the average Catholic parents do (but that's another post.)
*****Yesterday he launched his new blog The 9 - 12 Project and the response was so overwhelming the servers were crashing.
Glenn's Mission Statement
This website is a place for you and other like-minded Americans looking for direction in taking back the control of our country. It is also a place to find information that will assist you in navigating the rough waters we face in the days, weeks and months ahead.
We suggest that you start in your own homes. Talk to your family about the Values and Principles. Discuss the importance of what the Founders designed for America.
Hold or attend a weekly meeting in your neighborhood or town. Communication with your neighbors is vital to the process of protecting our country. Gather in living rooms, coffee houses or restaurants. Share your thoughts and ideas.
Visit this website often. Make use of the resources that are linked here. Share the ideas and resources that have worked in your home or town.
This is a non-political movement. The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.
That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.
Ask yourself these questions:
Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?
Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?
Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?
If you’ve answered YES, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull back the curtain, you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
We surround them.
At the origin of America, our Founding Fathers built this country on 28 powerful principles. These principles were culled from all over the world and from centuries of great thinkers. We have distilled the original 28 down to the 9 basic principles.
So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Read thenine simple principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common.
...But a more important point is that Obama is ratcheting up his class warfare to levels that would make Marxists blush. This self-professed uniter is sowing distrust and divisiveness among Americans by demonizing groups of people and appealing to our baser instincts of envy and jealousy, in defiance of God's commandments against coveting.read more
And to go along with Mr. Orwell's fine article: The Myth of Relativism and the Cult of Tolerance by Larrey Anderson
It has been twenty years since the late Allan Bloom shook the intellectual elite in this country with the opening line of The Closing of the American Mind: “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student in America believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.” read more
One of the best books written on the subject of relativism is by Francis Beckwith, a recent Catholic convert, who now blogs over at What's Wrong With the World, along with some other heavy hitters.
Our favorite Catholic Mom of Ten, Jackie, is back blogging at Catholic Mom of Ten Journey. Be sure and stop over and say "welcome back".
Tired of Winter
*****My closest blogger neighbor, thatsmarty pants lawyer feller in Spokane, went to North Carolina. He visited relatives, basked in the sun, ate great BBQ, did bunches of sight-seeing, and then he shopped. Did he return with a small gift for the blogger buddy who was left behind in the cold and the snow? Nooooooo........he didn't. Just sayin'!
Justice being served...
****I'm glad Howard Stern and the doctors who "cared" for Anna Nicole Smith have been arrested. Her death, just as the death of Marilyn Monroe, were very public displays of evil people using weaker individuals for their own gain. Both deaths saddened me greatly.
Use Those Toilet Paper Innards (admit it - you have a really funny picture in your mind when you read this heading!!)
*****It appears I'm the last person to find out about this clever use for your toilet paper rolls. Over at The Common Milkweed you'll find a fine set of photos showing you how to make little seed-starter pots using those innards that get pitched in the trash.
*****I'm used to keeping and using starter pots from the nurseries, but some plants don't transfer to the garden as well when their roots are disturbed. I'm way too cheap to buy biodegradable starter pots so these will be perfect. I've already made a bag full of these cute little toilet paper roll pots.
*****One caution: It is recommended that you just pop the whole pot in the ground which is fine, but I would suggest that the bottom be pulled opened before planting. I think the cardboard is too heavy to be quickly composted in the soil and may hamper the growth of the roots.
*****In the past I've made newspaper pots with a little Pot Maker thingy I received free with an online order years ago, and it worked really well. However, I've learned that almost any round item will work just as well and the Pot Maker is very expensive. Here's a great three minute videoshowing you how to make newspaper pots using a glass. Any round firm item could be used so you could have pots of different sizes.
Journey of the Begonia's
*****When Ifirst reported on my begonias, they were blooming happily in my back window. A few days ago I started taking my first cuttings. The first picture below shows them with the lower leaves trimmed off and left laying about for about an hour to let the ends heal over.
*****Next they are stuffed in a jar of water. In just a few days little roots will emerge. Any rational person would dip them in a bit of rooting hormone powder and stick them in some soil, but I'm not anywhere near rational. I like to watch the little roots pop out, and since it is cheap entertainment, I indulge myself.
*****I've started with 15 cuttings and the original plants still look like they haven't even been touched. Tomorrow I'll probably start another 30 or 40. I plan to start over 100 plants this year. I've made my first huge mistake by mixing up the variegated strain with the solid dark pink and will be more careful when I do tomorrow's cuttings, keeping them separate (but equal), with window blind markers in the jars.
First cuttings taking a rest
Close up after the tips healed over
In their water waiting for roots
The variegated begonia
The solid dark pink variety
Saturday, February 28, 2009
College for Everyone?
Now our current President thinks that everyone should go to college - on our dime, no doubt. Do I think college tuition is reasonable? Absolutely not! Do I think everyone should go to college? Absolutely not!
I ran across this short and to the point assessment of this idea of "college for everyone." Richard Vedder is a rare bird, indeed. A college professor who tells the truth.
Richard Vedder, Ohio University professor and member of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education assembled by former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings:
*****Not everyone can or should go to college. Given the dubious quality of our secondary schools as well as limited cognitive skills and motivation, many students are incapable of college-level work. Fulfillment of President Obama's goal would lead to many students failing, resources being squandered and the quality of post secondary education being diluted.
*****I think it is sheer fantasy to believe we will lead the world in the percent of young adults with college degrees by 2020. More generally, the president's approach is the equivalent of dropping dollars out of airplanes over student homes and college campuses. That will not change colleges' behavior to make them less arrogant and elite, and more affordable, efficient and accountable.
Obama's Friday Night Raids on Freedom
Watch closely what our current President does on Friday nights. While the people of this nation are preparing to celebrate their weekend, President Obama is a busy bee. It's a perfect time to slip in things that some folks may object to; such as not performing abortions or dispensing the "morning after pill".
Hmmm, it seems only people that follow the President's lead are allowed to have freedoms. The rest of us must do as we are told.
Reporting from Washington -- Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration today will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows healthcare workers to deny abortion counseling or other family planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials. read more
If you are still spending wads of money on coffee drinks at your local coffee shop, you are wasting an enormous amount of money that could be used in far better ways. I not talking to those of you who have an latte as an occasional special treat. I'm talking to folks who make Starbucks a regular stop just about every day. I know people who actually go more than once per day. Figure it out folks - in the course of a year that amounts to a down payment on a house. Talk about flushing money down the drain!
I for one like coffee drinks, so I've devised a way to have my coffee and drink it too (all right - I could have gone all day without saying that). There are several recipes that I use depending on how much work I want to engage in when the urge for a drink manifests itself.
First, get yourself a Bialetti Moka Stovetop Espresso Pot. Coffee snobs will tell you that it isn't "real" espresso, and they would be correct. But for the price and ease of use, it makes a pretty dang good substitute. Generations of Italians will attest to that. While your coffee is brewing, heat up some milk (I use skim), pour the two together, and add whatever flavoring you prefer. I really like mocha flavored and find the expensive syrups to be way too sweet for my taste. After years of experimentation, I discovered the lowest calorie and most flavorful (for me), to be plain bakers cocoa with either Stevia or Splenda. Mix it up with a whisk (I would like to have one of those hand-held electric or battery operated whisk doo-hickies), and enjoy.
When I am alone or in a hurry, I heat up a small amount of water with my milk, add a few teaspoons of instant coffee (coffee snobs heard hitting the floor in dead faints), add my other ingredients, and enjoy.
Since I have only racked up a calorie count of approximately ten, I than engage in perfect female reasoning and float a large blob of real home-made whipped cream on the top. You can add a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, or chocolate sprinkles from the baking isle to make it special.
The Story of the Bialetti Moka Express
Alongside and connected to the rise of Italian fascism came a revolution in the drinking habits of the Italian public. It might sound peculiar, but what has become known as THE Italian way to brew coffee in the home, Moka Pot (or Stovetop Espresso) Brewing is linked to the social, technological and economic changes that Italian fascism advanced during the 1930’s.read more
Brewing Espresso in a Moka- excellent directions and pictures. I have always just brewed my coffee, added a bit of sugar, and a twist of lemon. I am anxious to try this method.
The Simple Dollar has a wonderful interview with Vicki Robin, author of "Your Money or Your Life", a most excellent book and very large influence in my life. This is also a great site for money saving hints and inspiration.
Father John Speekman
First Sunday of Lent - Year B
*****We are all a bit like Little Red Riding Hood - we all find ourselves picking flowers on our way to grandma's house. What those flowers are varies with each individual person - they may be money, comfort, pleasure, sex, material possessions, promotion, prestige, security or a host of other sinful, or just distracting baubles - what St Augustine calls 'the love of the world'.
*****We Christians, of course, are not on our way to grandma's house; we are on our way to the Father’s house, our heavenly homeland. The path we walk is Jesus, our Way, and the Holy Spirit of God is the Light which shows us where to place our feet.read more
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saving Money Saturday
Get a Foodsaver
*****I've had a Foodsaver for well over fifteen years and there is no doubt in my mind it paid for itself within the first few months of use.
*****Even if you only have two people in your family it a time and money saver. We buy all our meat at Costco and by vacuum sealing we can keep vast amounts of meat fresh in the freezer for long periods of time.
*****Both hubby and I really like tri-tip steaks and they have gotten very expensive by the pound. I purchase an entire tri-tip at Costco and cut it into steaks myself saving almost half on the per pound cost. I slap them on cookie sheets, pop in the freezer, and vacuum them after they are frozen in packages ranging from 2 to 6 steaks. That will supply us with steaks for an entire year, and the steak I take out in 12 months will be just a fresh as the first one.
*****The other attachments that gets a real workout at our house is the jar sealer. It makes it possible to buy expensive items like spices in bulk. I keep out only what I will use in a few months and the rest is put in a mason jar and vacuumed using an ordinary mason jar lid. I actually have spices that I've used for up to three or four years with no loss in flavor.
*****I re-use the bags until there is no bag left to use, and while looking about the internet I've learned there are generic bags available at places like WalMart which I plan to investigate. I only have the few canisters that came with my Foodsaver, but I can see that they would be a good thing for some folks to have extras.
*****The new models of the Foodsaver take up very little room on the counter and are quite lovely compared with my much older version. I'm jealous!! I suggest you take a look at their website and check out all the uses. There is also an active Yahoo Group for sharing hints and uses for a Foodsaver.
Vinegar vs Fabric Softener
*****It's been a week of using nothing but vinegar as my fabric softener and I couldn't possibly be anymore pleased with the results than I am. While putting towels away a few days ago the ones rinsed with vinegar were many, many inches fluffier than the ones rinsed in fabric softener. I picked up more vinegar at Costco and it cost $3.59 for two gallons. Sure beats the cost of fabric softener.
30 Easy Ways to Save Money (and No, you are not doing them all!)
*****Let’s keep this one simple and clean - just a bunch of relatively easy ways to save money. As you incorporate more and more of these tips into your life, the savings add up and it wouldn’t surprise me if you could save thousands over the course of a year.read more
Lent
The season of Lent is fast approaching. Use this weekend to get together your plan, reading materials, website links, et al. Wednesday will be here before you know it.
Let us all know what you have planned for Lent. It would be fun and informative for me to be able to put them all up together in one post.
Ash Wednesday Prayers
Jesus, you place on my forehead the sign of my sister Death: “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
How not hear her wise advice? One day my life on earth will end; the limits on my years are set, though I know not the day or hour. Shall I be ready to go to meet you? Let this holy season be a time of grace for me and all this world.
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”
O Jesus, you place on my forehead the sign of your saving Cross: “Turn from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”
How can I turn from sin unless I turn to you?
You speak, you raise your hand, you touch my mind and call my name, “Turn to the Lord your God again.”
These days of your favor leave a blessing as you pass on me and all your people. Turn to us, Lord God, and we shall turn to you.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Saving Money Saturday
*****When I was a little girl my Mom still washed clothes with a wringer washing machine. Often she would pre-soak clothes in the laundry tub and then transfer to the washer. Dryers were not used and all the clothes were hung out on a line during the summer, and in the winter they were hung on lines in the basement.
*****About every 6 weeks or so, Mom would add white vinegar to the rinse water to help get rid of any soap buildup that may have occurred. At that time clothes were all made from natural fibers such as cotton. The towels and sheets could come off the line feeling pretty stiff, mainly because of the way the cotton was milled. Newer milling methods have pretty much erradicated that problem.
*****A few days ago I noticed my fabric softener jug getting low and added it to my shopping list. I really don't like buying fabric softener because it is so darn expensive, and so I popped on- line to look for some homemade alternatives. What an eye opener that was!
*****After discovering the amount of toxic chemicals in fabric softener and that the most widely recommended substitute was white vinegar (hmmmmmm, where have I heard that before), I decided to do the laundry this week with nothing but white vinegar in the final rinse.
*****My towels and my 100% cotton sheets came out of the dryer softer and fluffier than when I used a fabric softener and they smelled clean. In a regular sized load I used 1/4 cup and in the large load I used 1/3 cup. I ran across other more complicated recipes using essential oils and hair conditioner (ugh - I'll talk about hair conditioner another time), but since I have home-made lavender sachets in my linen chest, I think I'll just keep it simple and use vinegar.
*****What about static cling? Glad you asked. Most people over-dry their clothes, sheets, and towels, which is the main reason for static cling. You can add years to the life of your clothes by just drying them for about 10 minutes to heat them up, and hanging them on hangars to dry. I worked with a women years ago who had beautiful and expensive clothes. She never dry cleaned anything (except for the obvious, like winter coats or suits), and hung all her clothes to dry. One day she said, "What the heck do you think that is in your lint filter? It's your clothes!" I never forgot that and hung our clothes from that day on.
*****If your hubby is handy he can put up a drying bar in the laundry room or you can use the shower bar. My laundry room is teeny tiny and my hubby put up a bar that goes across the top of the back door.
More hints:
Don't dry synthetics with cotton. And hang most of your synthetics for the final drying time.
I have read that putting a tennis ball size of aluminum foil in the dryer helps cut down on static cling.
For extra freshness (particularily if you have little boys) add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash
A little squirt of cheap shampoo on a soft toothbrush will get rid of "ring around the collar". I also use inexpensive shampoo for cleaning my tub and toilet bowl. One time they had some green tea shampoo at the dollar store and I loved the smell. I bought 5 or 6 bottles and have been using that for at least a couple of years. My bathrooms smell wonderful - not like some chemical.
****I really like geraniums. I'm referring to the plants called zonal geraniums sold by the nurseries in the spring, along with the petunias and other bedding plants.
****Our local Ace Hardware gets them in in 4"pots for only $1.19. I use them in my pots on the front and back deck as well as plant them in my flower beds. It is nothing for me to be able to use 75 or more of these happy little plants. So for your project next fall , let's look at how easy it is to propagate these plants.
****At the end of the summer I dig up a few plants (one year I even rescued one of Father Bill's from the compost pile because it was a color I didn't have that year). I cut the plant waaaaay back until it looks like a pine tree after a forest fire, trim the roots, and stuff it in a pot. There are about three or four plants in each of these pots.
This is how they look now. You can see they take up very little space.
*****If you want to remember what color it is, put a little marker in the pot. For markers, I use old plastic window blinds available at a thrift store. They usually sell for about $1.00 and you can cut up the slats with a scissor and use an indelible marker. One blind will give you markers for years and year to use outside as well as inside. *****The cut back plant will grow like the little weeds they really are and should be blooming by Christmas, adding some cheeriness to your house. About 6 to 8 weeks before planting outside, I will cut them back and stick the cuttings in a glass of water. They can be put directly in some soil but I get a kick out watching the roots pop out over the course of a few days (I'm easily amused).
****When they have some roots, I fill a Dollar Store dishpan (only $1.00 - Wow!) with a bit of potting soil and vermiculite (three inches is more than enough), stuff the little cuttings in, and apply a small amount of water. I can get about 30 or 40 in each pan. This year I will start about 100 to 150 plants which saves me from $119.00 to $178.00 (if the price has not gone up).
A cutting before getting it's roots.
One cautionary note. To avoid any kind of rot, do NOT over water.
****There are as many methods for propagation as there are gardeners. Some people let them go dormant, others dry them and hang them in the basement, but why not enjoy the flowers during the winter? I try to keep things very, very simple. Gardening is not rocket science, and people who try to make it complicated are taking all the fun out of the process.
Paper Products
*****Don't worry - I'm not going to tell you to use one square of potty paper per bathroom encounter. Some Hollywood buffoon thought that was a good idea.
*****However -------------unbridled use of paper towels really irritates me. Paper towels are expensive and the sheets are purposely made huge so you just whiz through a roll. There was a time when I allowed no paper towels in the house. But when I heard hubby start mumbling something about "grounds for annulment", I dreamed up this compromise.
****All our paper towel rolls are cut in half. Yep, I know the manufacturers offer half sheet towels, but they still cost quite a bit more than the Kirkland Signature (Costco) paper towels that have been cut in half.
*****We've been doing this for years and the savings per year amounts to hundreds of dollars. I know I could save more by not using paper towels at all, but for some jobs I really do like to use a paper towel. Don't tell hubby, though!Important Note: DO NOT use a perforated (duh, serrated not perforated - thanks Angela) knife. You will end up with little bits of shredded paper everywhere! Just a plain butcher knife works fine.
****And if you're using paper towels for cleaning windows, stop! Newspaperworks much better and doesn't leave lint. Also, old T-shirts recycled into cleaning cloths are great. I use the free "Nickels Worth" since we quit subscribing to a local print newspaper 15 years ago - another huge savings!
Update: Hubby said, "Do you need to tell them about the dowel in case they have a dispenser without one?" I assured him my readers were smart enough to figure that out. We had a cheapo dispenser installed inside our kitchen cupboard and hubby cut a small dowel to slip through the rolls. That set us back at least 75 cents.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saving Money Saturday and More on the Pro-life Ad
*****Anyone who has a more than just passing acquaintance with me knows I "heart" Costco. Part of the reason is having worked there for about 9 years, I know what a well-run and employee-friendly company it is.
*****Forbes just listed it as the number one company to work for in Washington state. And in an article in the New Yorker, "Switch Your Supermarket," they showed how a family of four could save $7,339.28 in one year by shopping at Costco.
*****One year while working there, I tracked everything I purchased at Costco and compared it to my local supermarket prices. I did not include any large items such as computers or TV's. I even had the potty paper broken down to the square inch. As one of my co-workers said, "you have waaaaay too much time on your hands." Our savings for that year for just my husband and myself was close to $5000.00. That is HUGE!
*****If a grocery store has a store brand, like Western Family, I will usually purchase an item like soda crackers or potato chips there, rather than the name brand at Costco. Ditto for some canned items. Other than that, the bulk of my shopping is done at Costco.
*****Their brand name, "Kirkland Signature", is a guarantee that you will receive the very best that is available. For instance, Kirkland Signature white tuna in water makes all other name brands seem like cat food in comparison and still costs less.
*****The two biggest arguments against Costco I hear is, "it's just the two of us", and the cost of the membership. I will agree that a giant size bag of potatoes or box of oranges is hard for two people to use up in a timely manner. Might I make the simple suggestion that you split these items with a friend? This is what I have always done and it has worked well. Other items like potty paper don't spoil so I really don't see a problem.
*****The freshness of Costco produce also guarantees a much longer "shelf life" than comparable items purchased at the grocery store. I routinely purchase six packs of Romaine lettuce and rarely have any of it go bad, even though it sometimes takes us weeks to use it all. Try that with lettuce from the grocery store. And for you greenie's, Costco is stocking more and more organic brands.
*****As to the cost of a membership? Even though I am math challenged, I know that the cost of the membership is not a factor when compared against the savings. I always tell people that one trip through Costco usually saves you the cost of the membership plus some.
*****Sam's Club, which is just the warehouse version of WalMart, does not carry the same high-end items that Costco does, and so a comparison of the two would really be like the proverbial apple/orange comparison. Plus their business practices leave much to be desired. I purchase about one or two items from WalMart and always feel guilty (a good Catholic virtue) when I do this.
*****My other favorite place is the Grocery Outlet. There are many treasures to be found at this no frills store. I just purchased my favorite Brie cheese for $3.00 less than the Costco price (which is already low). Will it be there next week? Probably not, but that's part of the fun. It's the grown up version of the treasure hunt.
*****It appears everyone is happy because EWTN is going to show the pro-life ad that was rejected by whatever network is showing the Super Bowl. In my estimation, that is preaching to the choir. I would think that most of the folks that avail themselves of the programming on EWTN already have a pro-life stance.
*****Turning off your TV and telling them why is the only effective way of getting the attention of the networks. We talk often of the possibility of having to be martyred for our faith, and yet we are unwilling to turn off our TV's and refuse to watch the Super Bowl.
*****I will be the first to admit that it is pretty easy for me to do this, as I could care squat about the game. But for you football lovers, this could be a real way to do a bit of penance. Just imagine if every Catholic turned off the Super Bowl. Pretty powerful statement!
Last year, hubby got a pair of cool slippers lined with thinsulate at Costco for $9.99. They are also rated as indoor/outdoor. He wanted another pair and Costco had those also. 
