FFT | Let's start the week off on a frugal note!
This post contains affiliate links, which earn revenue for this site at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy here.
I mean, I'm not sure what other note we EVER start off with around here. 😉
1. I poured leftover paint into a glass jar.
I didn't have a ton of paint left from Zoe's room, and when you leave a small amount of paint in a bucket, I feel like it doesn't last as well, even if you do seal it up tightly.
So, I poured the paint into an old peach jar, labeled it, and stored it for future touch-ups.
2. I contested an erroneous charge.
I used to have some blog services through an unnamed company and they have been an absolute bear to cancel with.
I did successfully cancel my services a year ago, and yet this month, I got an invoice and a charge.
They made it very difficult to get a refund ("We'll need the 2nd digit of your credit card, the sixth digit, the date of the transaction, blah, blah, blah"), told me I was using the the wrong email address (even though I clearly wasn't), and their phone number only goes to an answering machine.
I finally got ahold of a live person by trying another number and then he hung up on me (!) when I explained what I wanted.
I'm a pretty even keel person, but this whole process was starting to really tick me off. Bad customer service just feels so, so shady.
I did eventually get a live person who did not hang up on me, and hopefully my refund is on its way and I NEVER EVER have to deal with this company again.
(It probably goes without saying that I 1000% do not ever, ever recommend this company. I have all my hosting services through Agathon now, and they are 10 times as fantastic as any blog hosting company I have ever worked with. Their product is great and their customer service is A M A Z I N G.)
Also: If this company doesn't refund my money, I will definitely dispute the charge with my credit card company.
3. I sold an old car radio.
I mainly listed it because I didn't want to throw it out! But apparently someone was willing to pay $20 for it.
So, two wins: a little cash, and I didn't have to throw it out.
4. I used a $40 Old Navy reward on some clearance items.
The $40 was from having their credit card (I always pay it off, of course), and I maximized my savings by buying deeply discounted items.
Because OF COURSE.
5. I used up the last of my beets.
Bonus points for me because I used a bruised apple. Bruises don't matter in a blender!
Is a lemon/apple/carrot/beet smoothie tolerable?
Yes.
Will I dream fondly about this smoothie in the future?
No.
_________________
Bought school clothes at half price day at Salvation Army. Only bought four items.
Grilled suspect slightly wrinkled squash and mushrooms. Very good!
My hubby and I ate out for nine dollars total this week.
Bought two ratty clearance perennials. Cleaned them up with My scissors and planted them!
Filled up grill propane tank on ten dollar day! Little bit of a line but saved 10 dollars!
1. Made homemade baby food instead of buying jars.
2. Bought a bunch of clothes for next year for my oldest on Facebook marketplace. Got an even better price because I bought all the seller’s lots.
3. Bought a bunch of marked down meat at the grocers. It all goes in the freezer anyway so it doesn’t matter to me if it expires the next day.
4. Switched my hours at work to the weekend so we don’t have to pay a babysitter.
5. Used the free cardboard boxes from Costco as under crib storage for baby clothes. Everything is neatly organized to access and it slides in and out perfectly on the carpet.
1. I'm up to my ears in tomatoes from the garden. I gave some to my daughter, took a massive one cut up to a club meeting yesterday and we've had them every night for dinner. I also dehydrated an abundance of romas. I may freeze some today for winter soups.
2. I froze fresh corn I bought for 3.00 a dozen. That's a good price this year since our corn crops are the worst they've ever been..
3. My husband is retiring this month and I'm planning a family party. I bought a Living Social for 30% off for barbecue. Our freezer is full of chicken breasts so that will be our other meat-on the grill, of course!
4. I tried on a pair of pants at Christopher and Banks and used the 10.00 off on a summer clearance shirt. I also looked through my out of season closet to reassure myself I had plenty as fall items are so pretty this year!
5. I went to Meijers to pick up prescriptions and to use some of the coupons the register spits out there. There were tons of closeout items throughout the store so I did a thorough check. My amount was still under budget but my cupboards are full of items we'll enjoy this fall.
Great price on the corn! Corn crops here are the best in years but we're paying $6/dozen. Go figure.
I make tomato basil soup with my extra tomatoes and freeze it. My DH says it is just as good after it is thawed.
Aw, you poor thing! Those hosting companies are awful to deal with. Hopefully you don't have to deal with them again. :/
This week:
1. I joined a coworking community! It does cost money, but hey, it's a business expense and hopefully I'll meet other female biz owners.
2. I purged my fridge of all homemade baked goods and dropped them off at said coworking office. I hate wasting food, so why not share and spread a little cheer?
3. Today I'm wearing all-thrifted clothes and traveling with a very nice, gifted laptop bag.
4. I baked macarons as a gift for a bridal shower. (Plus a gift card!)
5. We're retiling our floors. Instead of paying the tilers to remove our baseboards, hubs took care of most of it this weekend. And yes, he's sore. 😛
Kristen - Report the company to the local Better Business Bureau. They will investigate the complaint and rate the company (or update the rating if it has been rated) to warn others. I look up companies all the time online at the BBB website and it has been a life saver!
1. I'm wearing hand me up and hand me down clothes today. I find it much more enjoyable than clothes shopping.
2. While next door to Safeway I stopped and picked up a few sale and clearanced priced items.
3. A frugal weekend. We went to a huge Indoor Yard Sale at a friend's church. We spent $4 on books, CDs, and a gift. I resisted the urge to buy framed wall art since I couldn't picture where any of it would go.
4. I just boiled some eggs. I love having hard boiled eggs ready for a snack or to put in a salad.
5. We went to free outdoor concerts in the woods Saturday and Sunday evening. It's about a 5 minute drive so if we don't appreciate the music it is not a big deal. Of course we make a donation when they collect at intermission. The music last night was excellent where as we did not stay long Saturday night.
1. We are continuing to take advantage of the non-stop free summer events going on. This week we attended a surfing contest, a concert in the park, an art festival, and a full moon drum ceremony on the beach. Just Google "free events" and prepare to be amazed!
2. Cooked all of our potluck and entertaining items for the week from scratch. Cheaper, and so, so much tastier than picking something up. Plus, leftovers!
3. Several of my herbs are close to going to seed, so I'm making pesto today, which I'll freeze in small batches.
4. Shopped TravelZoo to find a dining voucher for an annual event we attend that we generally combine with dinner at a nearby restaurant. The voucher we're using is about 50% off menu price for four people, and a bit cheaper than the voucher for two people. I'm not sure why, but this is almost always the case(?). Anyhow, we'll be using it this week with visiting friends. Love that it simplifies the splitting of the bill as well.
5. Booked a cruise with a no-frills online travel agency that we've been using for years. By doing my research ahead if time, and knowing when, where, and how we want to go, we get great rebates. In this case, we got prepaid gratuities plus an onboard credit.
Bonus: Continued to fill our days (retired here) with free activities - biking, hiking, swimming, and walking along the beach. Energy expended = much frugal fun!
1. Continued to work on the $20 table I'm sanding, stripping, and restaining, to go with my couch. The sanding and stripping took many, many hours. I was jumping for joy when I finally hit bare wood.
2. Perseverance and pleasantness meant that the Crab Fest for 10 I bought at a charity auction two years ago, still happened. The charity neglected to include the donor's one year time limit; the donor decided to provide it anyway. Yet again: it's amazing what you can get by being nice. I don't have enough time to pick the leftover 2+ dozen crabs for meat, so my roommate gutted them and I'm making The Most Amazing Crab Stock.
3. I decided to give up (for now) trying to find a contractor to install an exhaust fan in my bathroom. So I will be recaulking my tub YET AGAIN. Is it normal to need to do this every couple of years? And for mildew/whatever to start showing after just 6 months? I don't remember this being an issue in other places I've lived.
4. Before buying the recommended fancy electric toothbrush from my dentist, I checked around to determine the reasonable price. Dentist's price was one of the lowest.
5. Still negotiating with my dojo for a reasonable price. It's taking two months already and I'm about ready to go public (on FB) with my frustration that the owner takes 2+ weeks to respond. This is someone I've known my entire time at the dojo - what is his problem?
I would also like to know about caulking and mildew. If you find out, please share. We had our tub refinished and our shower replaced a few years ago and both problems you mentioned have surfaced. Asked the contractors and both just said that was normal wear and tear, though previous tub/shower did not seem to have these issues.
Use a couple of microfiber cloths (or other absorbent material) to dry off your shower after each use. This pretty much completely eliminates mold/mildew just by itself and will greatly extend the life of both grout and caulk because you won’t have to use harsh cleaning agents to get rid of the mildew/mold; excess moisture and your typical cleaning products are two things that will destroy both grout and caulk pretty quickly. We’ve been drying our showers for years. It takes five minutes to do, but saves us having to frequently replace grout/caulk. Caulk should last 5 to 10 years, if properly cared for.
Good to know Cyndi, I know my mum used to hang a small hand held window wiper on a hook on the shower wall to quickly wipe over the walls & screen which worked great but I have a shower over the tub so cloths would work great for me
I think the cloths would work great William but you could also put a dessicant tub up on a shelf - provided no risk to animals or children getting in to or eating the granules.
Thanks for the ideas. I'll give them a try.
William B, I hope you see this. Replacing an existing fan is about the same as replacing a light fixture in terms of difficulty. Watch a couple of You Tube videos before you throw in the towel (hee) and hire a professional. We're big fans of Panasonic Quiet Fans (snirt). We just put four of them in a flip house. They're a bit spendy, but super duper quiet and very effective.
We had a terrible mold problem in our bathroom last year and had to have it professionally treated. The guy said it’s due to the increased wet weather we are now having. He used to only see this in the South now it seems to be everywhere. I put a box fan in the bathroom and we run it (along with the ceiling fan) with the door open after showers. It helps a lot
My nephew replaces showers for a living. He told us that soap increases mold but using shower gel does not. I can’t remember the exact ingredient.
Wow, you've done a lot! Most of my frugal energies this week have been focused on the leftovers my husband brought home from work. It was enough to feed us several times but I tried to change things up a little so my family didn't mutiny.
I have started pouring paint into old glass jars for future touch-ups after reading one of your posts about this. It really is a game changer. Takes up soooo much less space than all those cans in my utility closet, I can see what color is in the jar before I even read it, because it's small I can usually just shake to remix, and it's easy to carry around for simple touch ups.
1. My SO brought some older bananas from work and I had some currants lying around. I made a banana/currant cake and brought it when visiting some friends. They were happy and no food was wasted.
2. As single packed popsicles are kind of expensive here (at least the kind I prefer 🙂 ) and also produce so much waste, I made some juice-based popsicles myself. I found some delicious local apple juice which is sold in glass bottles that will be reused after I gave them back.
3. I arrived late at the farmers' market in our town and was given three packages of local blueberries for the price of two. And I can give back the plastic packages and they will be reused for the next harvest.
4. I chop some smaller vegetable parts that were left over when I was cooking last week and froze them for a soup base.
5. I planned to give some of my books away so that I would have more place for new ones. In my town, there are some public bookshelf were you can leave books and everyone can take them. While I left a big pile of books, I also found some books I always wanted to read. So double win: more space at home and possibly new favorite books for free!
I haven't found currants at my local grocery store for close to twenty years, but I wish I could! I used them in carrot cake and they are so much better than raisins, which I don't particularly like. I live in a not huge town with chain stores in the US midwest.
What a pity! Here in Germany, you can find quite a variety of currants (red, black and yellow) in grocery stores as well as on the farmers' markets every summer. Often I get a bowl with currants from neighbors as they are growing here abundantly.
1. Used fuel rewards at Kroger to save 40¢ per gallon for a full tank of gas. I like saving my rewards for when the tank is almost completely empty.
2. Got the schedule for toddler groups at my local library - sign up starts in 2 weeks for the fall & that will give Toddler and I something to do for free 2 mornings a week.
3. Now that I'll be in class 4 nights a week and home with Toddler the rest of the time, I'm going to be delivering groceries on Sundays only while my husband is home. I usually make enough on Sundays to cover our grocery bill.
4. We've been spending some time at a local park and nature center. The nature center sometimes has events that are <$5 which is pretty inexpensive for an afternoon activity.
5. I'm going to be the maid of honor for a wedding that is 2 years from now - I'm already setting aside some money to pay for wedding-related expenses.
Love reading this every week.. (just in case you thought to stop it)
1- used my Old Navy CC to buy the deal jeans and a bunch of random things I can wear to work.. so I could get the free shipping rate.. If they don't work I will return on my next trip to the shopping mecca!
2. scored a bunch of items with in store coupons and stacked with rebate apps for some great lunch box deals
3. cooked a huge roast and veggies on Sunday and that will definitely provide supper for the family Tuesday when I am at work...
4- Husband and I did not buy each other anniversary gifts.. although we are going out for a nice supper alone..
5- bought some random clothing items off FB marketplace some nwt!
1. We got home from camping Saturday around 5 and I thought about picking up a pizza, but decided to use the food that was left from our camping trip. We had just enough hot dogs and random other stuff that it worked.
2. Last week we took my daughter to the ER (our first ER trip in 5.5 years of parenting!) They referred us to a neurologist and recommended we follow-up with our pediatrician. I did the pediatrician first and carefully documented all of her symptoms and times from the last couple of weeks and the pediatrician doesn't think we need the neurology appointment. I agree. I would do it if it was necessary, but I'm glad that I waited and we're not doing it unnecessarily.
3. Since I know that ER bill is going to be super expensive, I cancelled my dog's vet check-up for later this week. Sorry, pup, you'll have to wait till the spring.
4. I made a Crock-Pot full of macaroni and cheese for a potluck last night and we're working on the leftovers for lunch. I also took watermelon and those leftovers will go with dinner.
5. My husband got a small bleach spot on a new pair of jeans and I used a 40% off coupon to buy a navy permanent marker to try to cover the spot so he can still use them. $4 is way cheaper than buying new jeans. Though I guess this is only frugal if it works. Haha. We'll find out soon!
Hi Ruth please let us know if no. 5 works would be good to know
It was a pretty close match. The small spots worked well. I think the larger spot will be fine from a distance. I suspect that he won't wear them to work on jean days, but will wear them out and about. So it's a win!
I used a permanent marker on jeans before. It will fade so you just redo it. Another alternative if DH is brave enough is to splash bleach on the rest of the jeans to make it look like it’s done on purpose. I did this to a pair of my DHs fav shorts that fit a bleach spot in them. I rubber banded the short like you would to tie dye and squirted bleach on the shorts in the kitchen sink then threw them in the washer on cold. After the wash take off the rubber bands and dry. That looked super cool and he wore them for many more years.
We're not that brave or trendy. 😉 But love the idea!
1. It was miserably hot and muggy this weekend, so I hung nothing on the line outside, but I used my indoor rack three times out of four loads.
2. My husband sometimes has problems negotiating doorways, so he pushes the door too hard in his frustration. I am repairing the hole in the drywall where he pushed the doorknob into the wall, even though there was a stop behind the door. Sigh. I only needed a patch, as I already have spackle and texturizer spray. I'll probably be keeping those items on hand now.
3. I saw a sign at my food co-op that they are doing compost exchanges now. I think I'll go back by, and if the process look reasonable for me, since I work in this town but don't live here, I'll start taking my vegetable scraps there. Those who contribute are then eligible to get free compost. I peel a lot of vegetables on Sundays, prepping food for the week ahead.
4. Reminded the clerk at a grocery store that I'm supposed to get a dime off for bringing my own bag. She had forgotten to take it off.
5. I'm eating the chicken back that no one else ever wants, for my lunch. I'm not being a martyr, though. I learned to like them because my dad liked them. My parents said that in my home area, at least, in the early years of the 20th century when my folks were kids, the rule was that at dinners with the extended family, potlucks, or church dinners, adults ate first and the kids only got to come eat after the adults were done. My dad said he only saw backs and necks left on the platter by the time he and the other kids got to the chicken, so he learned to like backs and necks. My parents made a pact before they had kids of their own, that they would always allow their kids to eat with them or before them -- never after them. The whole concept of making the kids wait for the adults' leftovers is incredible to me.
I remember as a child my grandfather would tell us that as a child his father insisted that he eat first and if there was any meat left then the kids could have it. He only got meat about once a week by the time his dad was done. I can't fathom anyone thinking that was or is ok. I know my grandfather always ate the turkey legs because no one else wanted them and he made sure his children and grandchildren got what they wanted before he took anything to eat.
Thanks for sharing about your grandparents, it brought back good memories from my childhood spending times with my grandparents.
My frugal things are all the things that I DIDN'T buy this week lol. I'm trying to whittle down my stuff and my first instinct is always to go out and buy pretty baskets to put things in but not this time! This time, I'm focusing on minimizing my stuff, THEN organizing, THEN getting baskets if they're actually needed (and they probably won't be, judging by all the baskets I've accumulated in past misguided attempts at organization lol). I also checked my pantry first before shopping so I avoided double or triple buying something I already have, but just forgot about because my pantry is in the basement instead of the kitchen.
I'm also using up frozen bananas today by making banana mini-muffins with my son :).
YES! Get rid of stuff, and then you need fewer organizational containers.
Hi Monica that made me laugh as I had a similar epiphany not long ago - I also really wanted to get all my pantry items in hand labelled mason jars but then realised I need to revamp my menu & reduce my pantry stock to avoid waste before I do that - no matter how pretty other people's pantrys look on utube & pinterest!
1. Used a Carter's gift card, that I got from returning some gifts for my baby, to buy my 5 year old son some school shoes and socks. They had a 15% off coupon and were offering free shipping. Cost me $0.80
2. My son is starting kindergarten next month. I got a $20 Amazon gift card via Ibotta rebates and $5 Amazon gift card for using Bing, which I used to purchase my son his backpack, lunch box, and school supplies. I ended up spending $45 ($20 if you include the gift cards) for everything, which I didn't think was too bad.
3. Called our county water authority to request lead testing of our water, now that we have moved to a new home. They say they no longer do it for free. Found a program through our state DOH that they will send me a free testing kit!
4. Repainted some decorations and frames from our previous home, to match the decor in our new home, rather than purchasing new items. Hung them all up on the wall yesterday and they look great.
5. Our new house needs the roof repaired. The previous owners gave us a $2,500 credit for this issue. Instead of repairing it, we decided to just replace the whole roof. We are doing the work ourselves. It will cost us $3,300 in materials. If we had a contractor replace the roof, it would cost us at least $10,000.
Yay for combining gift card with sale coupon + free shipping for 80¢ shoes and socks!!!!!
Gave five haircuts this morning. I have no idea what a haircut costs now. The opportunity cost of doing it when I could be doing freelance work would be the same whether I took people to a place and paid for the cut or stayed home and cut hair myself, so it's still a win no matter what a haircut costs.
I didn't mind giving haircuts at first, but I'm really starting to feel ... underwhelmed. Makes me appreciate people who enjoy doing it for a living.
Maybe just do one or two haircuts a day next time? Not so overwhelming?
My boys each received three really bad haircuts in a row at the barbershop, I figured if I got a set of clippers, I could learn to give them their haircuts. I watched a number of YouTube videos with my husband and after I set them up on a chair outside and I attempted to do the first haircut on my son. Well I got flustered and had hubby finish. He did a great job and after that it became his job. So he does them every three to four weeks for my boys and I take a seat every other month to have him cut my hair. My best friend visited when I was getting mine cut, liked his work and asked him to cut her hair too. He didn’t mind, he had his shears, clips, combs and cape out already. I know it saves me hundreds a year for my boys and the same for me. It is so convenient. He has only done three haircuts at most in one afternoon, and it didn’t bother him, but if he was doing it all day, it might become a hassle.
My husband cuts his own hair and our son's hair too! He also trims mine. He only has one "trick up his sleeve" for cutting mine, so I go to Super Cuts to get is freshened up once per year. So, essentially we pay $15 yearly for all of our hair cuts. I make my own conditioner (coconut oil, vitamin E oil, and Argan oil) and my husband makes his own hair paste (coconut oil, olive oil, and bees wax). I haven't found a good recipe for DIY shampoo yet.
1. My kids birthday party was this weekend. We ended up with plenty of leftovers for lunches and dinners this week.
2. The pediatrician bill came last week and when I went today for my kids annual checkup they asked for that payment. I politely stated that my payday was not until Friday and could I please wait until then to make the payment. She was very understanding and made a note on my account.
3. I've kept myself out of the thrift stores this past week. I need to keep myself accountable more when I step foot in that store!
4. We took our kids rollerskating for their birthday and used a buy one get one free pass.
5. Declared that we are finished with back to school shopping "for now." I am not interested in buying jeans and long pants for my kids right now. It will be in the 70's and 80's for at least another month here. I will wait to go through the larger clothes that I have and then determine if we need any more pants. (I am hoping that there will be a sale then!)
Good call on #5. One year I bought everything ahead of time, clipped the tags, washed the clothes, and by the time it was cold enough to wear long pants my son had out grown them! Never wore them and I couldn’t return them. Lesson learned.
My favorite frugal thing this week has to do with cowboy boots. Now that we live in actual cowboy country--not poser cowboy country, but real cowboy country with real cowboys in their hats and boots and everything--my sons are of course intent on getting their own cowboy boots like every other kid at their school has. My husband promised them that if they did the steer riding at the county fair, we would buy them each a pair. They did, so now we have to.
Do you know how much real cowboy boots cost? Even for kids? Over fifty bucks each. Just in case, I checked Swap.com and found one pair of a very good brand of boots in a size I think will be fit my middle son. That particular brand runs $100 new, even for little kids, but they were listed at $30 and look to be in very good condition. So lucky.
Still have to get a pair for the other two boys, but at least it will now be closer to $150, rather than over $200.
Oooh, fantastic find. Yay!
I hope some other pairs turn up for you too.
The middle son can hand his boots down eventually too, right?
Oh yes, they'll all be handed down. Takes the sting out of the cost a little, knowing that with such a sturdily constructed, all-leather boot, they'll last through more than one kid. At least, I hope so. I certainly have enough kids to hand them down to. Let's see if my eldest son's new boots make it through all three boys to his little sister. 🙂
I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks, which is one of the few times a year when I try to shift my mind from being frugal to spending more. That said,
1. Camped 8 nights of our 2-week trip and saved a bundle in lodging.
2. Stayed in an airbnb for a few days so we were able to cook some of our own meals (however, big part of travel for us is trying local restaurants). Our second airbnb fell through and we had to stay in a hotel. It was a bummer, but the hotel had a nice breakfast included, and we selected Marriott for which we get points. We also made sure to get our money reimbursed from the airbnb.
3. Refrained from most souvenir buying, but the things I bought were practical items like local foods, and some clothing/jewelry that supported local artists. We also bought a set of plastic revolutionary war army guys that gave our kids endless fun on our camp sites. This tied in with all the historic sites we visited.
4. Celebrated our anniversary on the trip. We will probably do a fancy meal later without kids, but we had nice low-key meal over the campfire.
5. My husband is going on a work trip soon. He also made sure to select Marriott as the hotel for which he gets points.
-I am making and freezing pesto from our very abundant basil patch to last us all winter.
-I needed a new swimsuit and found a couple on clearance sale online. I used a coupon to get free shipping as well!
-I am going to visit my family and will be staying at a hotel that does not offer fancy breakfast because it is cheaper. There is a tiny kitchenette and fridge so I will bring some items and also hit up the grocery store while there for some things like yogurt. Healthier and saves money!
-I meal planned to maximize using up things in the fridge before I leave. We have some open cheese so I will make mac and cheese today, and some vegetable fritters to use up a lot of the produce. I used the last cup of plain yogurt to make a dipping sauce for the fritters. Yeah reducing food waste!
-Hubby will be staying here (new job, can't take time off yet) so I got him some things to eat while I'm gone that were marked down and are now in the freezer. He loves to make pizza with naan bread and they were half off. Also some frozen steam in the bag veggies on sale. Let's hope he manages to eat a few veggies while I'm gone.
Love the paint jar idea Kristen & super brilliant to put where you used it as well as the paint name & type, that would also save space & look a lot nicer
Had a real treat this past w/e when my sis shouted a stay in a b&b when we went to visit old friends. We had a lovely dinner out & our friends had arranged dessert at their home which was so lovely. We went to 2 local galleries that were only $4 & $2 entry each, & enjoyed a long look around a collectables place & a local makers market - funny once I would have really wanted to buy something but I really didn't need to just enjoyed the looking.
Lovely catch up with a friend sun night watching a doco on tv
Oh, I'm so glad you had a fun weekend!
When I have stored leftover paint in a glass jar, I can’t get the lid off again. Any tips?
Hmm, that's a mystery to me! What kind of lid did you use? Was there any paint on the lid?
You might try a lubricant like petroleum jelly. Another option is to cover the jar with plastic wrap before putting the lid on. This will help give you a more airtight seal.
1. Too hot to take bus to dr.appointment today. Cancelling causes a 25.00 fee so the lady rescheduled me for very early another day. No charge. 2. This week is a good bread, sliced veggies,sliced cheese, large container of sliced ham week. Do not forget a large onion. 3. 1.00 tub of oatmeal at dollar tree makes a few nice breakfasts. 4. Cut old toothpaste open at bottom. Still some left. 5. Finish the two great dollar tree books drinking dollar tree mocha.
During decluttering, I found a bunch of household cleaners on a shelf that had gotten hidden behind stuff. So this week I shopped the basement for cleaners when I ran out.
Found a great B'day gift at a half price consignment store sale.
Made dinner from leftovers, pantry items and extra hamburger buns.
Swapped garden basil for garden onions with my neighbor.
Stored my basil sprig in a cup with an inch of water on the bottom. The basil looks fresh and unwilted days later.
1. DH haggled with the cable company, reduced yearly fee over 1/3. Also did for MIL as we pay her bill. Saved over $600 dollars total. DH caught an over charge on another bill, got it fixed, another $60 saved.
2. I brought in an extra $150 pet sitting, helping a friend get her house ready for an appraisal, and selling things I picked up for free.
3. Cooked from fridge and freezer this week. Only food purchase was $10. Mostly milk.
4. DH took son to zoo today on comped tickets
5. Our renters move in this week on a year long rent. We negotiated with them so that they will paint the much needed third floor for a reduced rent for first month. Saved us so much time if we painted it or the $ of hiring someone and out of pocket paint price. Saved over $1,000
1. Picked up a local part-time job. I haven't worked out of the home in 4 years, so I'm excited/nervous.
2. Joined homeschool gym instead of co-op, saving money & time.
3. Our dryer made a horrible metal on metal scraping sound last week. My husband used a YouTube video to figure out the problem. I ordered the parts for $20 (slides/glides) & we fixed it.
4. We went to our church cookout, which provided free dinner & entertainment. Found clearance g-free cookies to bring for dessert.
5. I've been shopping store sales more strategically & stocking up on essentials when they're on sale.
1) On our last night of vacation we ate up odds and ends instead of going out for dinner. Then we made sandwiches for the long ride to the airport.
2) I put a new pair of sneakers in my DSW cart to replace my falling-apart old pair. Then I didn’t buy them and won’t until I shop around a bit more.
3) We stayed under budget for vacation.
4) We came home to an almost completely empty kitchen but managed to pull together a couple of meals before my husband could hit the grocery store.
5) We are an hour and a half from our new regular health insurance kicking in without anyone breaking a leg in the two week gap between policies. I bought catastrophic gap insurance, but I sure am glad I didn’t have to use it.
Ohhh, what a relief that you made it to the new insurance kick in date. Phew!
Sounds like everone had a great week! 1. Drove out to the local Peach Orchard for $1 a pound peaches. Bought 20 pounds to freeze and share. 2. Harvested tons of tomatoes and bell peppers from the garden to freeze for sauce and to share. 3. Started my new part time job as a personal shopper at Walmart.Bought a case of water to keep in my truck so i dont have to pay .50 cents a bottle. Also packed a bunch of snacks to keep in my locker. 4. My pupper needs her teeth cleaned really bad so i sold one of my kayaks i dont use to finance it. 5. I dont have health insurance and needed a routine physical for my piece of mind so we sold a few unused household items on Craigslist and my doctor offers 30% discount for paying cash at time of service!