Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Done spending!

We recently just purchased our very first ever BBQ grill! In the past we have had one of those small $15 ones you screw on a little propane cylinder to, before, but it wasn't my favorite thing to use and only lasted a few years, if that.

So, we've all been craving BBQ burgers and hotdogs the past week or so and finally decided to "invest" in one. I got one for $148, so in the lower price range. It has 4 burners, plenty of room for our meals, a top warming rack, and also a side burner for cooking something in a pan. The last 2 nights we have had burgers and hot dogs and sat outside in our backyard to eat! It was yummy and relaxing. I'm pretty sure this will cut way down on DH eating McDonalds's or burgers from him favorite little mom and pop drive up stand - at least summer and fall months. The grill might even eventually pay for itself in savings from eating fast food burgers, so often.

I also bought a cover for it, for $20, and the propane tank was like $42, but refills will be $17 to exchange the tanks from here forward.  We spend so much time at home and now that our yard is getting spruced up we are enjoying spending more time outdoors every day. Now I just have to learn how to BBQ better! I really don't know much about it. Do I keep the lid down when cooking the food? Is the flame ups that happen ok? LOL. I'm also terrible at knowing how long to cook something and at what temperature setting. I'm a newbie. I'd really like to try BBQ chicken next! Better start looking for a recipe so I can try that this weekend.

I am done spending for awhile, though I did make 2 small "for me" purchases. One is a cute little dog holding a solar lantern for our yard. He reminds me of our younger dog.

Everywhere I looked online it was over $32 (plus shipping) but I kept looking and found it on a small garden accessories website for $17.70 plus $7.95 shipping so I ordered it. I finally broke down and bought a new purse to replace my old one that is loosing it's shape. I found one at Ross for $18 and it has the wallet built in, like my old one, so I didn't need to also buy a wallet, which I don't have since I have been using purses with built in wallets for years now. I saved the cost of the purse in gas this week by not having to drive into the office Monday and Tuesday, so it really didn't cost me anything extra.


I also bought the down alternative comforter at Kohl's for DS's bed, using the 30% off coupon and $10 Kohl's cash. I was going to order it online but DD and I were out and about and Kohl's is literally a mile from our house so we stopped in and got one. It ended up being $21 total for a regularly $80 comforter. It was $7 more in the store, but online would have been about $7 shipping, so it all came out the same and I didn't have to wait for it. I searched and searched online for an inexpensive duvet cover and finally found one I liked (that wasn't "girly") at Target.com for $20 (plus 5% off using Red card and free shipping). Now the cat can sleep on his bed and I can easily pull off the duvet cover to wash regularly.

All this was paid with cash, so I'm happy that we have some new things we will all enjoy and get lots of use out of.
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8 comments:

  1. ShellyJuly 17, 2013 at 6:53 PM

    For the you keep the lid closed while cooking. Think of it as an outdoor oven. U til you are use to using it have a test piece of meat to check for doneness. Don't worry too much about flame ups.

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    1. ShellyJuly 17, 2013 at 6:54 PM

      For the grill...silly kindle.

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    2. One FamilyJuly 18, 2013 at 8:38 AM

      thanks for the info. I had been leaving it open, but will close it now :-)

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  2. Cash Only LivingJuly 17, 2013 at 8:51 PM

    Hubby has been really wanting a grill like you just got. We always use those small table-top grills then toss them out after a few years. Think we might need to bite the bullet and buy a "real" grill too!

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    1. One FamilyJuly 18, 2013 at 8:38 AM

      I love it so far....now I just want a picnic table for outside :-) haha

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  3. Susie QJuly 18, 2013 at 8:27 AM

    Oh how we love our grill and use it so much! Love salmon on the grill.......and chicken......and burgers.........and steaks! And so much less expensive than dining out - much more enjoyable, too (IMHO). Just prep-warm the grill, make sure the grates are clean (buy a wire brush), and always spray it with PAM (or any other type of cooking oil) before you put your food/meat on it. A good temp is medium, and check it every 5 minutes or so (yes, keep the lid down - holds in the heat so your food will cook a bit quicker than an uncovered grill). My MOST fav thing on the grill is asparagus! Wash/clip it, dry it off, then lay in a casserole/dish - drizzle with olive oil and seasoning - roll it around to get it all coated, then put on the grill for just a few minutes! BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE!! ;-)

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    1. One FamilyJuly 18, 2013 at 8:42 AM

      All that sounds delicious! What kind of seasoning do you use on the asparagus? Believe it or not, I've only had asparagus once in my life! It came on my plate at a nice restaurant, so I tried it and it was good.

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  4. Susie QJuly 20, 2013 at 9:59 AM

    You can use some salt & pepper, or really any kind of a "blend seasoning" - I use to have one from Tastefully Simple (sells through home parties) that was really good. But really, anything works! Just be sure to drizzle olive oil and don't cook too long or it gets stringy and tough. But so so so good!

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