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Five Frugal Things | In which I do not want to cook dinner

More on that don’t-want-to-cook-dinner thing in item #5.

1. I used up two extra egg yolks.

A dinner recipe called for two egg whites, which meant I had two yolks sitting in my fridge.   So, I added them into my scrambled eggs, which were part of my lunch plate the other day:

eggs

2. I used a 30% off coupon at Kohl’s.

Sonia and Zoe desperately needed some shorts for summer, and since I had a 30% off coupon, we stopped in at Kohl’s to see if we could find something that would fit them.

And hallelujah, we did! My kids are a little hard to fit due to their very narrow builds, so I am always very happy when we find shorts or pants that stay up.

Zoe’s were $9.60/pair and Sonia’s were $15/pair, so I was happy with that.

3. I got a shirt for $2.38.

In addition to Sonia and Zoe’s clothes, I found a shirt for myself on clearance.   After the 30% off, it was a little over $2.

That’s a thrift store price right there.

4. I ate a very leftover-y lunch yesterday.

I made a salad using the last of the spinach, I dressed it with leftover cilantro lime sauce from chipotle kebabs, and I heated up leftover chicken and some sauteed veggies to go on top of the greens.

5. I made dinner, despite being very uninspired.

I am in a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, do-not-want-to-cook funk this week.   If I were loaded with cash, I would have ordered out every night so far.

Despite this, I’ve soldiered on with the dinner making.   The ridiculous price of eating out keeps me motivated to cook even when I’d otherwise throw in the towel.

Alrighty! Your turn!

(And here’s hoping you’ve been a more motivated chef than me this week. ;))

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Jennifer Gustafsson

Monday 21st of May 2018

We were gone for a Swedish public holiday so not the most frugal of weeks but here are a few successes. * We ate all meals at home on our holiday * I made a hearty meal out of leftovers before travelling home so we only stopped for an ice cream break * I have been making it a routine to pay bills within hours of coming into the house so not to incur late fees * We had a clear out the fridge and concoct yourself a dinner evening once this week. Hubby and kids were surprisingly creative. * I picked up two summer tops for myself at a local flea market for only 10 dollars.

Deidre

Sunday 20th of May 2018

Having a lot going on so eating frozen meals & stuff from the freezer & my lovely sis is cooking a bit too - so grateful & balances out some not frugal days Wardrobe building nearly complete - got a black jacket I've had my eye on for $50 off; & a pair of jeans that are simple, dark, classic, & very affordable, I am getting much better at buying only well thought out long term goal purchases in a variety of categories - even if I've fallen off the meal planning & cooking wagon until I've moved house & life is a little less full.

ShibaGirl

Friday 18th of May 2018

1. Was out of town for wk all week. Hotel had a decent free breakfast! Bacon, sausage, eggs, omlettes, oatmeal, breads, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, juice, etc. 2. I picked up an El Pollo Loco meal and had that for dinner 2x. 3. Signed up for Players Card at one casino. Senior discount (age 55) cost me 10.59 for dinner, plus tip. Nothing fancy but I was able to get a decent salad bar, some prime rib, wings and a nice bowl of Asian noodle soup with lots of fresh broccoli, pea pods, bean sprouts and BBQ pork. Ate here twice. 4. Didn’t gamble a penny! I work too hard for my money! 5. I drove my own car and will be reimbursed .55 per mile. Gas only 2.99 at Costco so I made sure I filled up before heading home.

Me in PNG

Friday 18th of May 2018

1. Last month we moved to a smaller house (rental). It's only 3 bedrooms instead of 4, so it's a bit of a squeeze for our family of 6, but it's $20 cheaper per month! 2. Our old house had a huge freezer, so not having a freezer will lower the electricity bill. 3. The stove doesn't have pilot lights, so we should get an extra 2 months from our propane bottle over our old stove with pilot lights. 4. Butter dropped from $9/lb to $6/lb.and I will make cookies to celebrate. 5. I found round trip tickets to the U.S. on sale for only $10,000 for all six tickets, so we'll be able to go home for Christmas!

Kristen

Friday 18th of May 2018

Wow, it's crazy how expensive butter is where you are!

Kelly

Friday 18th of May 2018

1) My son asked for an ice cream cake for his birthday. I made one using generic store brand ingredients, it was a hit and cost about $6

2) We originally planned to go out to dinner on Mother's Day, we decided to eat at home and my inlays brought steaks.

3) Usually we go out for ice cream after my kids art show, this year we we went home and had left over birthday ice cream cake.

4) Went hiking this weekend at local preserve with free admission

5) Went through my closet and sold clothes I no longer want at our local Clothes Mentor.

Mary in VA

Friday 18th of May 2018

I'd never heard of Clothes Mentor, so I just checked it out online. There's one about an hour away, so the next time I'm in that area I'll give it a look. What we have locally is a Style Encore (owned by the same folks as Plato's Closet). I'll be submitting some dresses to them this weekend--the items they don't take I'll send to thredUP. And what thredUP doesn't take, they'll donate. Win, win, win!

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