Treats Your Dog Will Love

I’ve never given much thought to our pet budget and making homemade dog bones until I came across a peanut butter dog treats recipe that made me question the cost of the treats we purchase for our dog and what’s in them.

Pets cost money

We currently put away $113 a month into our pet budget category to cover costs such as vet bills, food and treats, pet licence, snow boots, leash, poop bags etc. Before you decided to own a pet you should do your research into all the potential costs associated with pet ownership.

The Peanut butter dog treats is a recipe that I found while reading the Facebook page of Kitchen Dreaming. They really are as easy to make as my 5 ingredient peanut butter cookies for humans, except for the chocolate of course. I thought it was a brilliant idea but I wasn’t sure if our dog would be into the whole peanut butter biscuit idea. I was wrong, he loves them, he more than loves them.

After he had the first peanut butter treat he literally sat and watched them baking in the oven. He made sure to come and keep reminding me that his peanut butter treats were baking and not to forget about them. I almost felt as if he was trying to say, “I don’t like burnt biscuits” so I had to bring my net-book into the kitchen to do my work otherwise I’d get nothing done with all the pacing back and forth he was doing.

He was literally driving me around the bend while they were in the oven. It was like he was championing the new homemade dog biscuit and was head of the company that produces them. Yes, like he was my boss.

The first batch I made I forgot that I had a cookie cutter so like the nerdy dog owner that I am I cut out dog bone shapes with a knife. I made enough for the photo and then I gave up and used my biscuit cutter and then cut that in half to make half moons. Honestly you can just cut them up with a knife your dog won’t care what blinkin’ shape they are.

There’s nothing funky in these homemade dog biscuits, its everyday pantry items that the recipe calls for. You will find vegetable oil, cornmeal, water, whole-wheat flour, eggs and a bit of peanut butter in these treats. There’s only 1/4 cup of peanut butter, so not that much.

I went on to make a second batch of these peanut butter dog treats the following week. This time I used a fish cookie cutter and didn’t cook them as long as the first batch. The recipe suggests leaving them in the oven to get harder but our dog didn’t fancy the hard treat. Probably too much work since his motto is chew once then swallow.

If you’ve followed my blog you know our dog has been ill and we have had some large vet bills over the course of the past two months. Since he’s just had his teeth cleaned and three teeth pulled out soft and chewy is what he prefers. I pulled the cookies out of the oven a bit early and let them sit for a few minutes. They did not harden but are nice and soft and he just adores them.

Store-bought vs. homemade dog treats

I don’t think we will waste our money on store-bought dog treats anymore especially since these are such a budget friendly alternative. The only problem is he loves and I mean he really loves his sausage rolls or what’s more commonly referred to as MarroBone treats from Pedigree.

MarroBone treats are made with real bone marrow and has a delicious meaty centre, no I did not try them either, I just read the bag. However if you ask my mum she will tell you that I fancied dog treats when I was a kid. Don’t ask me why but I taste my fair share. I admit it, my wife asked me to try the peanut butter dog treat just to see what it tasted like. She only did it because I told her I used to eat dog biscuits when I was young and didn’t believe me. Now she does.  It tastes like a peanut butter dog biscuit so let that be your human review and move on.

If you put a peanut butter biscuit and a Pedigree MarroBone on the ground the MarroBone always wins but they are pretty costly sometimes upwards of $3.99-$4.99 a bag. We have picked them up when they go on sale for $3.99 but that’s still a bit pricey for our pet budget for dog treats.

Each MarroBone has vitamins A and E plus vitamin D and Calcium to support healthy teeth and bones. The bag suggests that for a small dog up to 3 treats per day, medium dog up to 5 treats per day and a large dog up to 8 treats per day. Wow, I’ve never read the bag before and our dog has not had anywhere near 8 per day but that means we’d finish this bag off well before the month is up.

The bag doesn’t tell me how many are inside so I had to manually count them for a total of 68 treats at 8 per day that would last him just over eight days.  Over the course of a year 365 days x 8 treats per day / 68 treats in a bag = 42.94 bags of MarroBone per year x $5.19 ($4.59 * 1.13 = cost per bag with tax) = $222.72 for dog treats for the year! 

The peanut butter dog treats cost me approximately $2.50 to make approximately 70 treats plus my time and electricity (I baked on cheap rate) although I do know what every ingredient is in the recipe. What I don’t know is how many he should be having each day comparable to MarroBone. The recipe contains a mixture of eggs, whole wheat flour, oats, water, cornmeal and peanut butter. The peanut butter contains a healthy fat, protein and fibre. See recipe link above for the exact measurements and directions.

I think we may continue to purchase his favourite Pedigree MarroBone treats when they are on sale but on a limited basis. We will eliminate the generic brand of small dog bones we also typically purchase for around $3.99 a bag. That way he can still have his MarroBone fix just complimented with homemade peanut butter dog treats instead.

Sweet Potato dog treats

Since the wife has been on a low gi diet she’s been roasting up sweet potatoes or yams. Now I don’t mind them but they aren’t my favourite potato, let’s just say I prefer a traditional spud. Well our dog, loves roasted sweet potatoes. Who would have thought Mr.Picky would have a thing for an orange spud. What I’m thinking of doing is manipulating this peanut butter dog biscuit recipe and make homemade sweet potato dog treats.

I’ll simply replace the peanut butter with the sweet potato that I roast up or you can boil it and mash it.  Follow the same recipe for and there you have it, sweet potato treats for dogs homemade in your own kitchen. Now, I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it would work out just fine. If in doubt give it a taste. It’s like hiding sweet potatoes in fudgy brownies just so those who hate vegetables get a serving,  lots of people do that.

Homemade dog food

My friend who blogs at Nickel by Nickel took it one step further this week and shared a recipe about how to make homemade dog food. I think it’s brilliant that people are trying homemade dog food recipes for their pets as long as the pets are getting all their nutrients. That was one of the concerns from our veterinarian when we told her last week that our dog fancies Wheatabix and whole wheat toast for breakfast. Yes you read that right. Oh come on, how many of you pet owners don’t give your pet something special for a treat?

No he doesn’t get it slathered with butter and marmalade, although if he had it his way I’m betting on Nutella and peanut butter since he does love them both. When he was younger he managed to nick half of a Nutella sandwich from a plate when no one was looking and gobbled it all up. Lucky for him, he didn’t get ill since chocolate is not good at all for pets.

Dog spa

Harry’s Dog Grooming Van in Dumb and Dumber
Image Source: Google Images

So no fancy in-ground dog pool and spa pet wash that visits the home for the posh spa treatment each week. (It’s true, our neighbour has a mobile dog wash come once a week to pamper their poodle. The funniest convenience service you will ever see. It’s like watching a cartoon live on your own street because the mobile makes such loud noises your mind starts to wonder just really what is going on inside there. No, it’s not the “Mutt Cutts” van as seen in the movie Dumb and Dumber either.

Our boy just gets a standard dog wash, dry and brush with the occasional body massage from our mini hand massager we have just for him. That’s as spoiled as he gets. Our dog is getting older and he wants different foods now. He doesn’t have much time to live so for the last couple of years we will make his stay on this earth a good one. It makes us happy when he’s happy so it’s worth it for us as pet owners.

It doesn’t stop there though because now he won’t eat his dog food unless it’s soft and has some human food mixed in. We’ve been adding water to his food along with a bit of gravy and sometimes grated cheese, minced beef, boiled chicken, rice or pasta sauce. He gobbles it all up in a flash.

Some may think he’s spoiled but it’s his teeth that are giving him the problems as well he gets bored with eating the same thing day in and day out. I have to ask myself if I could handle eating the same food all day every day. Likely not so making sure we give him the best we can including all the valuable nutrients he needs is important.

Pet allergies

Our friend has a dog that is allergic to almost everything and she also has to make his dog food. Best of it is she makes his dog food from lamb. I don’t even buy lamb, my grocery budget would be shot. Have you seen the prices in Ontario for lamb? Oh yes, she spares nothing when it comes to her pet but he’s just that allergic to life he can only eat certain foods let alone hang out in the grass which gives him a rash. Clearly she’s a good pet owner who takes care of her pet.

Our pet is like family and sometimes we have to go above and beyond to accommodate them even if that means a fancy lamb dinner. Sure we could buy some expensive soft dog food but our dogs back-end doesn’t seem to approve, we’ve tried it, trust me. We’ve even tried the lower end brands of soft canned food and it just doesn’t agree.

Dog pet stores

We’ve been to the pet stores and bought organic dog food and gone through the range from the most expensive to the least expensive at the grocery store. We’ve even bought a fancy bag at the veterinarian which he liked for a short while then turned his nose up at once he got sick of it.

We mix it up now but have to add the extra bits like a topping so he’ll tuck in. We’re currently feeding him a British dog food called Harrington’s Lamb and Rice which we found on offer at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price otherwise it was pretty pricey.

So if you are looking to make homemade dog bones it’s a bit of work to bake up but it’s worth the 30 minute effort for your dog and your pet budget.  Making homemade dog treats  is fine and adding in nutrient rich meals we make in our kitchen to mix in his dry food bowl is what works for us and our dog.

We talked it over with our veterinarian who didn’t seem to have any problems with adding cheese, gravy or proteins as long as he got all the nutrients he needed. He does, and then some. That and a good dose of exercise to keep him in top-notch shape. If you are looking for some peanut butter dog treat recipes free on the internet I’d suggest trying the recipe at Kitchen Dreaming.

Now I just have to find a hiding spot for these homemade peanut butter dog treats because if he can smell them or see them you can bet he will guard them with his life. I don’t blame him, I feel the same way about my beer. A male protects his snacks.

Do you make homemade pet treats or pet food?

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Homemade Squares The Family Will Love

Father’s Day

My dad is one in a million!

Today I’m sharing with you the perfect dessert, some gooey millionaires shortbread squares for a simple yet elegant Father’s day dessert. Layered with homemade caramel on top of buttery shortbread and slathered with a chocolate topping then cooled and cut into squares. You know it’s got to be delicious.

As you may or may not know all my family and my husband’s family still live in the same village in Scotland. This is a very popular British dessert back home which I’m sharing with you today. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do. It’s on special occasions like today, Father’s Day that bring back all the memories of  living back at home.

I miss my dad so much (as I do all my family) but my dad is very special to me as this is where I get all my experimental cooking and recipe ideas from. He was a chef in his younger days in the Merchant Navy. Although I enjoyed baking with mom I loved watching my dad in the kitchen when I was younger.

He would make food come to life by tossing in things from the pantry and refrigerator. Whatever my dad could get his hands on to create a homemade meal, that’s what he would do to make sure we were all well fed. I can honestly say that not all his recipe creations were a success but  there were some great smells and tastes that will be with me forever.

My dad loves millionaires shortbread squares, it’s one of his favourite treats. Its one recipe that mom used to make often for dad when he returned from offshore after being away for two weeks out in the North Sea. He would always tell her that she made the best millionaires shortbread recipe that he’d ever tasted, and I don’t disagree. I still remember the anticipation of dad coming home when we were younger counting down the days before he would arrive back home.

My dad still works offshore and will be coming to Canada to visit with the family and I with mom in a couple of weeks. All those feelings of being a kid again is building inside of me as I await their arrival. I think I am more excited than the kids. So I am going to make a batch of his favourite millionaire shortbread squares and of course a cuppa tea. The best treat you can have after such a long journey or for an after dinner treat.

Although my parents have been to Canada before much has changed since their last visit. I look forward to showing my mom and dad more of my our new home in Canada and making every second count while they are here with us.

Today is dedicated to all the Father’s out there.

I love you Dad x

Millionaire shortbread squares

• Prep time: 30 mins
• Baking time:  50 mins
• Serving Size: Makes approximately 20 Millionaire shortbread depending on size of squares

How to make millionaire shortbread base

To make the shortbread base I use the same shortbread recipe that I make my Easter Bunny butter shortbread cookies.

Ingredients:

Note: Place parchment paper on the bottom of your dish. Don’t throw away that butter wrapper, use it again to grease your baking sheets leaving you with no greasy buttery fingers.

I can see the box of millionaire shortbread not lasting long in the refrigerator so I might have to make a double batch so that there’s plenty to go around for everyone. I always enjoy creating simple dessert ideas like this one because creating memories with my children are memories you can’t turn back and wish you had done when you are older.

Contribution By: Nicola Don is a regular recipe contributor to Canadianbudgetbinder.com. Nicola was born in Aberdeen Scotland and lived most of her years in Ellon Aberdeenshire Scotland. She is a stay at home mom of three kids to whom she adores. She has been married for 14 years to a wonderful husband who both moved from the UK 6 1/2 years ago to Ste Anne MB, Canada. Nicola  loves to cook and experiment with flavours while creating recipes as its a passion of hers. She wants  to give her family the best food and variety of tastes from all over the world while using fresh ingredients within her grocery budget.

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Looking Back Over The Past Week

New blog

When Saturday rolls around it has to be one of my favourite days for writing a blog post because it’s a time that I just let loose and tell you how great or miserable my week has been. I know that I’m teetering on very busy territory shortly as my new blog design and move to self-hosted is on the horizon. I hope you really do enjoy the new look that’s been created and that I continue to improve upon this site that has been built for you and for me.

I must admit that WordPress is one of the best free blogs I’ve ever used. It’s so easy to learn and navigate once you get used to it and support here has been absolutely wonderful to me. Moving to self-hosted has meant that I’ve had to find a hosting provider and I’ve decided to go with Bluehost which came highly recommended to me. You can read all you want online there will always be the good, the bad and the ugly so experimenting is what I plan to do. I’m sure I will do a small bluehost review once I’m settled in and have spent some time with them.

If you are a WordPress follower and if you still want to read my daily blog post once the blog sets up its new home you should probably subscribe via email from my home page as I’m pretty sure all you kind WordPress readers will be left behind at the free WordPress blog wondering why my posts are not showing in your blog reader.  Better yet, maybe subscribing now via email is the best way to go.

I know many of you have waited so long and believe me, so have I so I look forward to all the mess and magic I’m going to create at the new site. Please be patient with me as I make my way around behind the blog scenes to get everything sorted. You may notice some errors, blips or better yet nothing at all but the new blog design but we’ll work through all the kinks the best that we can and as efficiently as possible. It may take me some time so your patience and continued support is appreciated.

Gardening and Landscaping

The front gardens are as good as done. Now I need to focus on sealing the steps. I did manage to seal the drive this past week and it really makes a difference to the overall landscaping of the property. Our driveway seems to take a pounding each winter although it’s in perfect condition. We were going to replace it at a cost of over $12,000 but decided not to fix what’s not broken. I take my time and tape and measure so it’s perfect. How many driveway DIY sealing jobs have you seen where the black sealant is all over the place. Not at our house. A little planning and patience goes a long way.

I managed to get a new garage track and seal at Home Depot for a decent price so I figured I might as well get that replaced while I can. If I’m going to be landscaping the front and pouring money into it I might as well go the full yard and make it all new. I’ve also taken the caulking around the windows out as they were looking a bit discoloured and unsightly. I’ve re-caulked them and they look as good as new. Then I managed to pop off part of the trim and spray paint it white and it looks brand spanking new again.

I read a post on wise bread the other day about black spray paint is the new decorators weapon and I had a laugh because it’s so true. I can’t tell you how many cans of spray paint I’ve picked up but I have. I have sanded and spray painted anything in and around our house that I could. It all looks brand new and not worn at all, especially any light fixtures, tables, chairs, mail boxes, decorations, baskets. You name it and I’ve layered a black coat of spray paint on it. It makes a world of difference for the small price of a can of black spray paint $3.99 plus tax at Canadian Tire.

So, any time you see a bargain at a garage sale, online or free at the side of the road that needs some new life put into it, pick it up if you fancy it. All you need is some sand paper, a wire brush, black spray paint and good ole elbow grease. Do you remember that free roadside find, the barrel planter? If not take a look at the before and after photos. Stunning!

Price adjustment 

I ran out of driveway sealant and of course I paid a bit of money to get a good sealant from Canadian Tire but it was on sale the previous week that I bought it. I knew I had to go back and pick up another bucket so now I know the next time I seal the drive I need two. Unfortunately I had to pay full-price which happens as we can’t get everything in life on discount or with a coupon.

The best part is when I was reading the weekly flyers the driveway sealant is on sale again this week at Canadian Tire which means I can go back and get a $13.oo price adjustment. If you aren’t checking your receipts and flyers each week to get a product price adjustment, don’t miss the savings, start today. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve saved by reading the newspaper.

Limes

The limes, you know how much we love our fresh limes and lime juice dressings as there are so many lime health benefits it’s hard to say no to them. Limes are great for digestion, constipation, respiratory disorders, gout, to fight scurvy, excellent for skin care, eye care, gums, piles, weight loss, urinary disorders and other health benefits. I really enjoyed reading that article and makes me feel good that we enjoy limes the way we do.

We can’t get enough of that tangy flavour in our salad dressings, jelly, salads, rice and pasta dishes. We use lime every chance we get and if we see a deal on limes you can bet we will get in on it. While picking up some odds and ends at Home Depot while visiting friends last week we wandered back into the garden centre as I needed to pick up some bushes for the front yard.  Sometimes it pays to check in to big box stores that aren’t in your city because they all seem to carry bits that the other might not. Another couple of hundred dollars gone to landscaping but it looks beautiful.

While pushing the cart around if the wife doesn’t see a blinkin lime tree for $24.99 on the shelf. There were quite a few of them the last time we were there I just didn’t say anything to her. She was so excited and wanted one so she could grow it at home. I told her that she was responsible for learning how to grow a lime tree and that I had nothing to do with its life or death. She kills plants if you missed a previous post of mine.

So the lime plant is sitting pretty in a mini plastic whiskey barrel that I will drill holes into for her so she can baby her lime tree all she wants. I’m happy she’s happy and since she doesn’t often spend money on herself I thought it was a great to see her so excited about something she wanted.

I’ll keep you updated on the life of the lime tree. The lime tree is our new money tree so if we actually start growing limes it may save us a buck or two. Either way, it’s a great conversation piece when you have guests over and smells beautiful.

Weekly blog post review

If you are a regular reader you would have already received these awesome posts  in your email but just in case you missed reading one I’ve put them all together here just for you.

• PF Weekly Grab A Brew #24: Who has the $23,000 box
• Cloth Diapers vs Disposable Diapers And The Baby Budget
• The Grocery Game Challenge #2 June 10-16,2013- Store Self-Checkouts
• Investing 101 for Newbies
• Strawberry Cheesecake Streusel Muffins
• How To Overcome Laziness And Save Money In 5 Steps

Garage Sale finds

For the summer I will feature garage sale finds from Jen and the fans. Since Jen has started budgeting and saving money she tends to find her best deals at garage sales. Join in the fun! I’ll pick one fan each week along with Jen’s finds if you send in your photo and write-up no later than noon on Saturdays. If I don’t get any submissions I’ll just skip the post for that week.

Jen’s garage sale finds

Jen sent me a quick email to let me know that she is taking this Saturday off from garage sales but should be back in action soon. If you would like your garage sale finds featured simply send me an email with the products you purchased, the prices you paid and a photo of your garage sale bargains.

Making a difference

Starting a blog is not an easy task and for those who leave the corporate world to start their own online business it is serious stuff to them. You can find many blogs for free around but I hope you take the time to check-in and read the blogs that I recommend for you here each week.

Today a shout out to my mate Sean who is ready to share with you why he’s making a difference to his fans from all over the world.  If you run a blog or a website and you want to share your blog with the CanadianBudgetBinder.com fans why you are making a difference, email me today.

Hi my name is Sean. Some of you might know me from OneSmartDollar.com however in 2006 I started the couponing and deals blog FreeSnatcher.com.  I had only been out of college for a couple of years and I quickly realized how expensive it was to buy groceries when I saw my two bags add up to over $50. That is when I began to learn the in’s and out’s of using coupons.

It was then that I became passionate about showing other how much money they could save. I wanted to help as many people as I could cut their grocery bill so their family could use that savings to pay for the fun things life has to offer.

As a former banker I decided to get back to my roots in 2011 when I launched OneSmartDollar.com. This new blog helped me hit a completely different side of personal finance. It allowed me to take my education and work experience to help others better their financial situations. Financial literacy is the backbone to making our society a better place.

My goal for the years to come is to continue to reach new people and help them towards financial happiness. That could be by helping someone improve their credit score in order to get the best rate on a mortgage or showing someone the importance of saving for retirement at an early age.

Blog share 

I really appreciate when other blogs take time to recognize my hard work here at CanadianBudgetBinder.com and blog share it with their fans. My way of saying thanks is blog sharing your page with my fans so a big round of applause for some amazing blogs and websites that shared us with their community of fans. Thank-You! Don’t forget to subscribe to these blogs and tell them Mr.CBB sent you.

• Frugal Farmer
• Earth and Money
• Money Bulldog UK
• Fix Em Up and rent em out
• Coupon Christine
• Adventures of solar cooking
• Eyes on the dollar

Carnival glory

Some fans have asked me just what a blog carnival is so a little explanation is due here for anyone reading for the first time or for my long-time fans. A blog carnival is where a blog or website hosts what we call a carnival of blog posts from around the web. Most carnivals have a theme and certain rules for submitting which must be followed.

Each week I dedicate about 3o minutes to submit my best blog posts from the past week to blog carnivals. You can too. Blog Carnival HQ , BloggerCarnivals.com and Blog Carnival are just a few carnival pages I visit each week to submit my posts so they get shared around the web.

A big thanks to these pages for accepting my posts and sharing them in the following carnivals

• Carnival of money pros
• Carnival of financial independence
• Aspiring Blogger
• Carnival of financial planning
• Carnival of money pros
• Lifestyle carnival
• Carnival of financial camaraderie

Google keyword search terms

Keywords for search engines help me to understand what people are looking for at CanadianBudgetBinder.com. Any typos below are simply how the person who searched Google and typed it in search incorrectly, or me  Although I get thousands each week I pick out a few that caught my eye. It’s great what you get to see behind the scenes so I want to share some laughs with all of you.

• Canadian Is Me Budget Binder: Not sure what to make of this one. you?
• Love Letter About Money: I love you but money is important you know……..
• Woman Only Want Money: What about us men?
• Dash For Cash Jamaica Supermarket Game Show- Nope, no Jamaica here man!! I’d be interested to check that game show out though lol. Only have the grocery game challenge I’m afraid.
• 25, Single, Homeowner: Ha, no dating site here, this one was great.
• Pot in fence: Well, if you’re growing pot it’s a good sign your neighbour can tell what it is. Look… pot in fence.

That’s all for this weeks Saturday weekend review, please join me again next Saturday for more happening in and around the blog and at the CBB home.

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Two people are on the hunt for the $23,000 box and you might be the winner. I thought since it’s Friday this would be a great post about silly things people do since Saturday is typical a garage sale day around Canada and the USA. Today I’m sharing what I read about Eric and Racquel Cloutier from California just because I enjoy reading stories about things that make you go, hmm.

This poor guy really did have the best of intentions for his wife and children but now he hopes that honesty will bring back his mistake and make it right.  Keep reading to find out what happened. I’ve talked about what you can and can’t sell at a garage sale  in Canada and for good reason, a potential safety hazard and protecting those from harm, mainly children. Then there was the post where I share garage sale tips and another on how to price items at a garage sale.

Now I’m thinking I might need to write another post on what Not to sell at a garage sale and why you should always ask other occupants of the home if it’s OK to sell something. You don’t want to end up on the news like Eric hoping that someone does the right thing.

Grab A Brew Time

What did he do?

He just bought himself time in the corner, spare bedroom, the dog house, take your pick I’m betting his wife was far from pleased with him. While his wife was in hospital having their fifth child he decided to sell items in the house that have collected dust. What better time to hold a garage sale just before you bring your new baby home.

Clutter really does take up space and with five children space is at a premium for most families. Typically people go around their home and pick out stuff that has no value to them. When I say no value that means it’s worth nothing or hasn’t been used and likely won’t get used in the near future.

When you have items worth some money and you let them rot or collect dust it’s comparable to leaving money on the ground and stepping on it instead of picking it up. I have to interrupt my thought here because another story caught my attention in regards to silly things people do.

We’ve talked about 5 unusual places to stash your cash here at Canadian Budget Binder but where should you NOT stash your cash?

Just don’t make the same mistake as the woman in China who stashed $65,000 US  in her dresser drawer only to find out 6 months later that it was eaten up by termites. Yes that did happen, can you imagine the horror opening up your secret stash of money only to find bits and pieces left of it. I’d be horrified. Put it in the bank people or invest it, don’t keep piles of money or very expensive items stashed around the house that easily could get lost or in that case eaten up.

Back to the story… I seem to get off track when I start thinking of these odd stories I read on Yahoo while drinking my morning brew. So the husband goes around the house with good intentions of course picking out items on his own that he thought hadn’t been used and that he could score some money selling from.

He comes across this box which was a watch box in the closet which he felt had been there for far too long. He whips it out and prices it for ten dollars and sure enough someone snatched up this bargain which was likely worth between$120-$130 according to the Yahoo article.

What was in the old watch box?

Yep, Eric sold his wife’s $23,000 wedding ring, oh that was bright alright now you’re in big trouble. We’re not talking chump change here either. She hid the ring in a bottom compartment to keep it safe from their 2-year-old twins. Just not safe from her own husband.

I’m sure every person reading this story in California that went to a garage sale on the weekend and bought a box is currently hoping they find the golden ticket like Charlie and the Chocolate factory. The winner gets a dollar reward though but no chocolate factory tour unless of course they fancy a few chocolate bars for compensation. Honestly, if it were me I’d just give it back and (I’d take the chocolate and run).

Who has the golden ticket?

Although he is offering a reward not quite equal to $23,000 but a plea to the lady who bought the valuable box with his wife’s wedding ring inside. Any married couple would know that this is a big deal, sentimental and part of their union as husband and wife. I am going to be optimistic and say that the lady buyer will do the right thing and bring back the wedding ring to this couple.

Mistakes Happen

The morale of the story is we all make mistakes and sometimes costly ones for that matter. All we can do in life is learn from our mistakes because that is what helps us grow. If the buyer turns around and says you sold it to me, tough-luck buddy, well he just sold a box worth $23,000 for ten dollars. He will have to live with that decision for the rest of his life. I’m pretty sure he won’t be holding a garage sale on his own any time soon though.

My advice, next time you plan to have a garage sale and you are in a relationship or live with others in the home, do it together. If you have expensive items or cash in the house at least make each other aware of where in the home you stash your cash and valuables. If it’s not yours to sell, don’t sell it. That’s the easiest way to stay out of trouble.

Always make sure to have your valuables insured and/or leave them in a lock box at the bank for higher security measures if you only use the item once in a while. The price you pay for these services might be worth it in the long run. Short of cash, buy a vault, just one that you can’t move or sell at a garage sale. That’s a good way to make sure no one gets their hands on it, not even your spouse. I’m pretty sure insurance won’t cover, oops I sold my wife’s wedding ring at a garage sale a potential claim.

He made a mistake, it happens let’s just hope they both have a happy ending.

You can read the full story here.

Have you ever sold something worth money by accident?

Have you ever bought something for cheap at a garage sale worth alot more than you paid for? 

Top Recipe

If you haven’t had a change to check out my New Facebook Page titled The Free Recipe Depot please come around and Like my page. It’s a place where I share recipes and only recipes from blogs and websites from around the web. You come share your recipe and I’ll share it with my fans. It’s that easy.

Since the page went live I’ve had one page that has passed by every day and I want to recognize her. Her name is Bunny from Bunny’s Warm Oven and she shared this lovely Chocolate Cream Pie that I knew would be my Top Recipe today. Check out Bunny’s recipe and indulge, you deserve it.

Don’t forget to pass by my Canadian Budget Binder Facebook Page every Sunday for Frugal Food Sunday to share a blog recipe so I can share it with my almost 5700 fans!!

PF Weekly Reading Line-Up

Here are a few blog posts that I thought were worth mentioning this week.

Top Story: A Sad View Into Making Ends Meet- Debt Round-Up

• Health- Do Your Heart A Favour And Bike To Work- One Smart Dollar
• Frugal-  Table Scraps Or Free Food? Grow Your Own Pineapple Plants- Lil Suburban Homestead
  
• Money- Credit Card Management: It’s All About Being Smart - Monnaie Money
  
• Real Estate- Home Buying, It Aint’ Over Until The Fat Lady Sings- Modest Money
• Life- Managing Your Time As A Freelancer And A Full-time Mother- Money Rebound
  
• Relationships- She’s Not Into You. Period Lauren tells it like it is for the men looking for that special relationship at LBeeAndTheMoneyTree
• Income-  What To Do With A Bonus- Cajun Finances
  
• Children- The Power Of Money Conversations With Kids- The Heavy Purse
• Blog: Update Your Blogs About Page- Pro Blogger
  
• Things That Make You Go Hmm- 
  
• Finances- 5 Reasons Why We Make Terrible Financial Decisions- Stumble Forward
  
• Debt- 4 Warning Signs That A Person Will Not Get Out Of Debt-Bible Money Matters
  
• Career- Do We Care About Our Employers Any more? Frugal Rules
  
• Budget- How Waiting Before You Make That Purchase Can Save You Money- The Frugal Farmer
• DIY- How To Make Homemade Foaming Hand Soap-Budget and The Beach
• Creative- Turn Your Girl Scouts Vest Into A Pillow- Make It Or Fix It (brilliant idea and I think it’s girl guides though in Canada, check this out)

Have a great week everyone and I hope you enjoyed this edition of my PF Weekly Reading #24 Grab a Brew.

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Related articles

• PF Weekly Reading Line-Up #22~Grab A Brew-Making Someone’s Day (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
• PF Weekly Reading List #18-Come Hang Out In My Closet, I’ve Got Beer and Breakfast! (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
• PF Weekly Reading List #21-Pay me $100,000 And I’ll Flip You A Burger (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
• PF Weekly Reading List #20- May Two-Four Victoria Day Long Weekend 2013 ~Hands Off My Cookie Jar! (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
• PF Weekly Reading List # 19 And ‘Tough Titsday’ Class Win or Loss For Business! (canadianbudgetbinder.com)

By: Katrina

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