Five Frugal Things | pictureless
Please enjoy some text for today, and I promise there will be pictures in tomorrow's post.
1. I used my Amazon Visa.
Birthday season approaches at our house (oodles of birthdays between mid-February and the end of March), so Mr. FG and I did a bunch of shopping on Amazon, and we used our Amazon Visa to pay. You can use the Amazon Visa anywhere, but you get 5% back when you use it on Amazon.
So, that's the only card we used when shopping there. 5% is 5%!
Also, we have an Amazon Prime membership, so we got free shipping on almost everything.
(I love Amazon Prime, and I think it's totally worth the price. If you want to try it free for 30 days, here's my referral link.)
(Not affiliated with Amazon Visa.)
2. I sold two more books.
I off-loaded a geometry book (on Amazon) and Lisey's college Spanish book (eBay). Woohoo!
3. Mr. FG negotiated our internet bill down.
I deserve no credit for this one. But I'm gonna throw it into my list anyway. 😉
4. I canceled a credit card that we no longer use.
It's one with an annual fee (we'd signed up for it with no annual fee, but the grace year is over).
Incidentally, I know that signing up for and then cancelling credit cards CAN negatively affect your credit score, but our credit scores have stayed fantastic even though we do this every now and again. So I'm not worried about it at all. Your mileage may vary, though, and I'm not telling you what to do. 😉
5. We got free wiper blades for Mr. FG's car.
He bought some, and then realized he could get a free pair at the dealer. Yay! So, we returned the ones he'd purchased.
Hmm, let's see:
1.) Returned a dress that I bought my wife. It fit her nice and it was her style but the zipper was so cheap it broke the first time she put it on. She opted not to get a new one because she suspected that the same issue would occur again.
2.) I've effectively given up my soda refill a day at the local gas station habit that I've had for a few years now. Unfortunately now I just buy some 2-liter bottles and fill my own bottle up. It's a start at least as a 2-liter is 60 cents and a refill at the station by my work is $0.99. It was one of those weird habits that's been hard to break because for years it was $0.69, then $0.79 but now that it's a buck I've been able to change.
3.) Found some books and listed them on Amazon. I don't know if they will sell but I can try!
4.) My local BJs was clearancing out some of their brand cereal. I got a gigantic box of cereal (the equivalent of two "family size" boxes or at least 4+ Aldi sized boxes) for $4. I know cereal isn't the best thing to eat in the morning but I take what wins I can get these days.
5.) Used some of the credit from #1 to replace one of my daughter's books ("Owl at Home") which sadly fell apart as her copy was used.
I have the same soda habit and am making the same transition. 🙂 Is it possible to make any money selling books on Amazon? If you have a moment, would you brieflyexplain the economics of it? Thanks!
In short, you won't get rich but if the book is worth more than a few dollars, it's worth it. Otherwise just donate it or toss it.
I refinished our bathroom vanity using leftover paint and supplies from our office renovation a few years ago! It looks so mich better now!
And we cashed in some credit card points for some Home Depot gift cards. 2018 is the year of finishing our home renovation (hopefully).
1. Needed some ribbon for a knitting project that I sold, and found a spool for $1 and was able to use a 50% off coupon. Plus, I only needed a little bit of the ribbon so still have about 9 yards to use for other projects!
2. Was invited to a confirmation celebration for my friend's son. Found an awesome book to give him at Half Price Books that still looked new. She said he was thrilled with it.
3. Attempted to rent skis for XC skiing this weekend. They were out, so we went for a winter hike instead. It was unexpectedly frugal, but we still had a great time! The only cost was the parking pass for the state park. We even had planned ahead and brought snacks so we weren't tempted to buy lunch out on the way home.
4. The salt from the roads was pretty bad on my car, so we swung through a coin car wash. My partner paid and washed the car for me (since I didn't have any cash on hand) and now my car is much better off. It's not quite as good as the more expensive washes, but spending a lot of money on car washes in Minnesota in the winter doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I thanked my partner profusely and cooked him dinner as a thank-you. 🙂
5. Split a mocha with my partner rather than buying two separate drinks. A nice $5 date!
I'm not so sure I can come up with five original things, but I love this so much: here goes:
1. I've now walked by at least three girl scout cookie tables and did NOT buy any.
2. I had some Kohl's cash from the purchase of a carpet cleaner (our old one finally bit the dust) and I used it to buy dish towels and some leftover Christmas candy on clearance that I will use in the kids valentine's gifts) The candy had no markings of Christmas and the use by date is still good!
3. It's Pinewood Derby time in my boy scouts' life and my in-laws purchased the weights that are needed for the cars. Savings of about $15.
4. I did some mending this weekend: my daughter's coat needed sewed and two afghans needed mending.
5. We were asked by the boy scouts to provide some needed food items for the upcoming pine wood derby race and low and behold I found it in our pantry!! Didn't need to buy a thing!
1) I finally figured out our EveryDollar budget app. It is free (I won't pay to sync it with our bank) and the impetus was to help my husband keep track of the portions of the budget he impacts...mainly Entertainment. He's the fun one.
2) I audited our 2017 activity in our accounts to look for ways to cut back. We are saving to work on the house and to replace our family car, and I like to do that kind of heavy lifting as quickly as possible so we can get back to vacations and increasing our investing.
3) Today is the weekly Make and Bake Day. I am baking bread and almond muffins and making egg salad, deviled eggs and homemade marinara.
4) We were out of town for two weeks over the Christmas Break and when I came back we needed ALL the groceries. Consequently the grocery budget for this week was a paltry $100. I have three teenage and pre-teen boys and one adult son and my husband. Feeding them on $100 a week without filling the diabetic husband with potatoes and pasta and rice is a challenge but I managed to stay under. Triumph! We are putting lots of things on spaghetti squash over the next two weeks.
5) Next week will be worse...just $85 and a Super Bowl party at our house. I can do it, though. Part of the stock up was grass fed hamburger from Adi's. Chili for a crowd with cheese from the freezer and onions, green chilies and other fixings from the pantry. Done. We will just need produce, eggs and maybe yogurt for the week.
Thank you for mentioning the challenge if budget meals that aren't carb heavy! My husband is diabetic, too, and if I see one more suggestion of a frugal meal that is carbs with a side of carbs, I swear I am going to loose it.
LOL! I know. Luckily, spaghetti squash, quinoa, and cabbage are all things my husband will eat and he can have a small amount of potatoes or brown rice. Pasta, not so much.
I find inexpensive ways to fill him up without carbs. Lots of veggies and good fats, primarily. My kids might get a protein, a veggie and a baked potato, for example, and for my husband and I (I am not diabetic but I am in my forties and don't need nearly the calories my teenage son needs, so...) will have a second veggie dish instead of a potato. Usually something the kids dislike, like sauteed mushrooms or curried spinach. Veggies are cheaper than filling him up with more protein.
In a pantry challenge I gave barley salad a go & it will be a regular in my diet now for lunch or dinner it was delicious, I read it's low GI & it's very filling and cheap.
Dietary restrictions definitely complicate grocery budgets. One of my kids is gluten- and dairy-intolerant. My girls kept hearing about s’mores and asking to make them. We made them this summer for the first time, and they will definitely be a special treat for us. Gluten- and dairy-free graham crackers and dairy-free chocolate are expensive!
We use Amazon Prime too! I just love the free shipping and the easy return policy. We thought about applying for Amazon Visa but decided not to since we don't want to open too many credit cards.
I also negotiated our monthly internet bill (Verizon) from $59.99 to $49.99 (saving $120/year). Woohoo!
Frugal indeed! Are y'all Amazon Prime members? I think you can double up on Prime and Amazon Visa rewards.
This week:
1. I made my own DIY dryer balls for $7. They usually go for $10 - $15 in the store.
2. I pre-cooked bulk amounts of pulled pork and sausage patties. I froze everything so it'll stay good for months. I love having pre-cooked meat available for easy meals. 🙂
3. I bottled my homemade blackberry wine and apple wine. Now I have two gallons of cheap, decent wine at my disposal. 🙂
4. I pulled in some extra freelance work today.
5. We did deep cleaning this past weekend. It isn't fun, but it keeps our house and belongings in tip-top shape. I'd hate to spend money on repair bills when we could have just avoided them with regular cleaning.
Yep, as I mentioned in the post, I love Prime!
FYI - If you have a college student - they qualify for Amazon Prime for half-price using their student email address.
Actually, Amazon Prime has a six month free trial for anyone with a .edu email address. Then it switches to a discounted membership.
It's going to be a trick to come up with 5 things but let's see here:
1) Supermarket was trying to get rid of the holiday hams so I got one for .75/lb.
2) We shopped for car & homeowners insurance. We saved 60% on homeowner's and 10% on car and the car policy was a better one with more coverage.
3) I sold some items on ebay. Accessories and such.
4) I used Swagbucks to get a $50 gift card and got a free vacuum. The old one is now being used for cars while the new one is in the house.
5)When I sell items through ebay, I use their shipping calculations and miscalculated the weight of my item so I got a refund. I had no idea that they are tracking items now to see if your weights are correct!!
1. Returning maple syrup that rand up 3× what is was tagged For! Glad I checked my receipt. If they offer it to me for the tagged price, I will keep it.
2. Packed our own water and snacks on a long car ride. We did stop for lunch but we were meeting a friend to visit, so it was worth it to spend the money.
3. I have been really paying close attention to Ibotta lately. Great savings, and I am finding that a lot of the items on Ibotta, there are also coupons through places like Kroger. Double savings!!
4. Picking up extra sitting jobs as they come up, making money is saving money.
5. Considering opening an Etsy shop for some of hand sewn projects. Still on the fence and doing a bit of research before I take the plunge, but I think I am going to give it a try.
We have 2 credit cards that pay 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay the bill. They are the only cards we use for everything and they are paid off every month. Since we use them for everything, it racks up a substantial amount of cash back, which I exchange for Amazon gift cards. Therefore, almost everything we buy on Amazon if free! Yay!
1. Used some Air Miles Cash for half of my car gas bill.
2. Scored 3 half-price whole wheat and oat bran in-store-baked loaves at the neighborhood grocer.
3. Eating down the freezer's meat section this month. Only meat I've bought in January is a family pack of hot Italian sausage on special, which I promptly bagged up into meal-size portions for pasta and pizza.
4. Glad we have stock on hand of fruit, veg and staples as both my husband and I are ending bad cases of a respiratory flu and it's been a blessing not having to shop.
5. We've been using all the herbs I grew and preserved: teas, tinctures, cough syrup for treating our flu.
Let's see:
1. Will be returning two pairs of boots and some jeans that I got my daughter. They were a very good price, but they didn't fit right so no use keeping them even if they are a great price!
2. Cooked at home this weekend and used a gift card for my kids dinner one night.
3. Ordered my son two presents on Amazon and chose free shipping. Although it always says that it will take a long time, we get the items within a few days since we live so close to a distribution center.
4. Joined the gym a few weeks ago. $325 for our entire family for a year. I try to go 5 days a week and the kids can go on the weekends and do the climbing wall or play basketball.
5. Tried to stay out of the grocery stores as much as possible and didn't spend very much.
1) we got quality frames for cheap at a garage sale!
2) we went to shop at Sam's for 50% off
3) we didn't eat out this weekend!!!
That's the only 3 for the week, we needed more frugal action :')
1. Received the title confirming we have paid off the car loan. It was at a ridiculously low rate so we weren't in a super hurry, but it still feels good to get that done.
2. Found potatoes unexpectedly for less than $0.20 unadvertised. I didn't need more potatoes, but at that price I bought 30 lbs. The plan for this week is to work them into our meals or process them for future eating. They won't last much longer just sitting in the pantry.
3. Made a double batch of turkey broth with the last bones from Thanksgiving. Used one batch to make turkey/chicken soup with some leftover chicken from a dinner last week, misc chicken from the freezer, the last of the fresh celery, and the end of a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
4. Bought gas at BJ's for $0.80/gallon less than the local gas station, even with gas points. Achieved this because of their pricing + BJ's Mastercard + identifying that location as my home BJ's on their app. That being said, I will need gas again by the end of this week and BJ's is rather far away. I'll use the gas points (which are now $0.80/gal) and it will probably still be more than if I was at BJ's, but the difference will probably be less than the time/gas I would spend getting there.
5. Dusted the house with microfiber cleaning clothes that went into the washing machine for reuse.
Every month that I don't have a car payment I feel is like another month of freedom. Congrats!
We're in birthday/anniversary/family wedding season here, so I love the reminder of saving money every way you can while shopping!
1. We needed to book a hotel for my brother's wedding, but found a cheaper hotel with a full kitchen rather than splurging for the ultra high-end hotel where the reception is held. Do you, or any readers have any suggestions for what we should pack for in-room hotel dining 2 days?
2. Used an Ulta Christmas gift card to get wedding make-up, can't wait to try it out!
3. Used a Christmas gift card to purchase new tires for the car. God is faithful to meet our needs. One tire completely exploded the other day while my husband was traveling to work in the freezing cold. Thankful for the friend that could come help him too.
4. We're homeschooling next year Lord willing, and I'm learning what my library has. Also searching for curriculum on ebay.
5. I've been using recyclables for kid's crafts. Painting on cardboard, diy road system, etc. I'm saving some empty creamer containers for sensory bottles at some point. Winter has us crafty:)
You just reminded me that I used an Ulta gift card to buy my Tarte Amazonian Clay concealer. I ended up paying $3, even though it's $25 concealer*.
*Yes, I realize that $25 sounds excessive for concealer, but....
a) I have a weird skin tone and spent probably twice that trying concealers that didn't work
b) I have really dark circles under my eyes and I get tired of being asked if I'm sick
c) This concealer lasts ALL. DAY. LONG. even in nasty, hot Houston summers
d) My current tube is about 3/4 gone and I bought it more than 2 years ago
e) I only wear it on days when I have to interact with the public, so it lasts longer
The end.
Now you have me curious, what brand concealer is it?
Tarte brand
I paid $3 too (after gift card) for my really good Bare Minerals radiance powder. Isn't great to find a product you know works & lasts well?!
Rachel, it really is. I think I might have to do the same for mascara. I am so tired of having mascara flake into my eyes. UGH.
Hotel eating: oatmeal or cold cereal for breakfasts, easy sandwiches for lunch, shop your own snacks at home for munchies (I'm always "snacky" when I'm staying at a hotel). Dinner is harder depending on what your "normal" dinner is. I have two little ones, so a box of shells and cheese and applesauce can cover dinner for them (and sometimes me). But if you need a "better" meal then maybe ordering in pizza or something like that. I hope that helps.
I was going to suggest oatmeal or cold cereal for breakfast, and sandwich makings for other meals. Perhaps a frozen meal for dinner? Many companies make decent microwavable/steamable meals (Contessa and Birdseye Voila are two such brands) and lasanga is always an inexpensive, filling meal. To some extent, what you pick for dinner depends on whether it's a real kitchen or just a microwave and sink.
Great ideas, my kids would love that dinner:)
Re dining, it matters somewhat how far you'll be traveling for the wedding. I prefer to bring as much as possible from home where I know the stores. We always do cold cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. For us that does mean stopping somewhere for milk. We tend to be out mid-day, but I would go with peanut butter sandwiches for lunch since I could bring everything from home. My go to hotel kitchen dinner is spaghetti as the pans there are never fabulous, but can heat things up. Soup would be another good option. Then think about snacks, sides, or other travel friendly beverages. You'll also want to take some dish soap and maybe even a few dishwasher pods as they never supply enough of those.
If you are flying (and have extra luggage allowance), try packing everything in a diaper box. They are super sturdy and easy to spot on the luggage carousel. If you have something that might make a mess if broken, ziploc or vacuum seal it (or just buy that item there).
1. I went to the grocery store a week ago Friday after work and before the snow storm hit. I only spent $120 and it lasted us the entire week.
2. I cooked at home every day for the last week and a half. We were snowed in most of the week.
3. Because of the snow storm I saved on gas. I didn't (couldn't) go anywhere.
4. I bought my husband a Keurig for Christmas. Not only has he used it for his morning coffee everyday, our daughter has been using it, and the grandkids have been using for their hot chocolate. At this rate it will pay for itself in no time.
5. My grandson finally found his phone he had misplaced.
Per the Keurig, have you looked into the reusable filters/cups that you fill up yourself? Less waste and less cost.
My daughter had a few of these that she gave us. I have not tried them yet.
I confess that I haven't been so frugal lately, but I'm still going to see if I can come up with some things:
1) I didn't go to Target when I *REALLY* wanted to just wander around. I love seeing what they have and I tell myself it's just for future inspiration. But then I always buy something.
2) I went to my quilt sampler meeting at my local quilt shop and didn't buy any cute fabric - even though there were some new fabrics I've been admiring for awhile.
3) I packed my breakfast with me this morning instead of stopping somewhere. This is my first early day of the spring semester and it was *VERY* tempting to reward myself with breakfast (or a Target trip...it's a problem.)
4) I helped my husband change out the gas shocks on his truck hood. We bought them with an Amazon gift card and credit card reward points, so they cost us $0.87 out of pocket and about 15 minutes of our own labor. Win. Win.
5) I learned how to make microwave popcorn in a brown paper sack. I'm not eating weird "butter" flavor chemicals AND I'm using up a bulk package of lunch bags. (I needed ONE bag, but could only buy a package of 150...)
That was rewarding! It hasn't been as bad as I thought!!
I'm lucky that Target is a bit of a drive for me and even luckier that Ikea is a several hour drive.
Oh and pretty soon you'll grow to dislike packaged microwave popcorn. I used to eat the stuff regularly in my teenage years until Alton Brown taught me to make it with the brown paper bag (and later on the stovetop.) Now the bagged stuff just tastes nasty.
Brown paper lunch bags can make excellent gift bags if you punch holes and thread ribbon through to tie them. Any "countryish" tags and decorations can be attached. I once even stamped and embossed on them for my Christmas gifts for my students.
How do you make popcorn in the microwave. We tried it once and it did not work. My son loves making microwave popcorn.
I followed the guidelines here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-make-microwave-popcorn-brown-paper-bag.html
I also often make popcorn on the stove, but the microwave option lets me use a little less oil, which I appreciate.
1) Went sledding over the weekend. We all had a great time and it cost $0.
2) We usually buy our kids doughnuts after church on Sunday. I had a $10 Panera gift card that was expiring (it was part of a holiday promotion). We stopped there instead and did not spend any additional money.
3) Picked up movies from the library for the weekend rather than stopping at the Red Box
4) My kids used paint we had on hand for their pinewood derby cars.
5) My husband is travelling toward the end of the month so we planned our February budget in YNAB this weekend rather than waiting until later (which usually leads to overspending)
Shopping at Aldies. Keeping chickens. Driving my Prius instead of my Subaru. Heating with a wood stove. Not wasting any food. Flying regular class instead of first class - kidding!
Love the joke about first class flying. We have been careful all our lives and now we're retired and travel a lot, but NEVER in first class, or even business class. Not something we would ever pay for, but, oh, we do long for those bigger seats. 😀
At this very moment I am simmering lamb bones for my husband's lamb broth. I can't stand the stuff (tastes exactly like mothballs smell to me, which is both weird and very unappetizing), but he loves it. He drinks it all day on days he doesn't eat (until dinner, that is). The fasting seems to help his digestion, and it certainly does save on food.
I waited to buy my beloved Community Coffee with Chicory until they had a 20% off sale and free shipping. If I time it right, I can always get the discount and free shipping, and it's the only kind of coffee I drink. Because it's the only kind of coffee my New Orleans-raised mother drinks. 🙂
I used an Amazon gift card from my birthday to buy new shoes. I really would have liked to get something more fun, but my current shoes were literally coming apart at the seams, and I wear them all day, every day, so I really needed new ones.
My husband took the three boys on a short road trip last Saturday, and I made sure they took their water bottles, some cheese, and apples, thus avoiding the gas station snack stop. Saves money and their sugar intake for the day.
Still making bread, yogurt, every single meal at home . . . man, I get sick of the kitchen. Not a lot of options for anything else out here in the sticks, though, which makes it a little easier.
Maybe his tastebuds are broken. Or maybe he likes mothballs.
I am not remotely tempted to try lamb broth after your description!
Me either. Lamb is too gamey for my taste.
What's funny is that venison broth--which I didn't bother making for years after we butchered the annual deer and only tried after my husband made it once--is actually very mild. I always thought it would be disgustingly gamy, but it's surprisingly mild and almost sweet tasting. Unlike the lamb. It's not just my husband that likes it, though. I've seen recipes for lamb stew and so forth that instructs the cook to make broth first, so I guess there are many people who find it edible. I don't like lamb much to start with, though, so don't take my word for it.
1. We had a tiny chip in a bathroom sink. I went to Lowe's, used my husband's veteran discount and bought a $4.98 porcelain repair kit minus the vet discount. I painted the chip last night; it's not perfect by a long shot, it looks better than the rusty chip.
2. Our downstairs bathroom now only gets used by us during the day and by overnight guests. The Formica in this bath was stained by our kids years ago, and so I painted it with an acrylic primer and acrylic paint about 4-5 years ago, plus a clear finish. The counter now has a couple of tiny nicks in it, and I admit it doesn't get full-time use/abuse, but we have been pleased with the results and it has let us hold off on replacement.
3. The hand towels I use in the kitchen had finally seen their day after years of service. I went to Goodwill and found new-looking thick, soft, absorbent hand towels for $1.69 each. Two "new" towels without the new price.
4. Our blender blade assembly is cracking in two places on the stem thingy that holds the blades. I ordered a replacement on Amazon using Prime and a gift card given as a rebate from when I bought my contacts.
5. We planted cabbage plants in pots and needed some saucers for putting under these free-to-us plastic pots. The saucers were so expensive -- some places wanted over $8 for just one clear plastic saucer. I discovered pie pans for 9" pies, for 88 cents apiece, that worked perfectly well.
1. I got more practice learning to cook local food today, a good skill for saving money daily.
2. I read another chapter to my kids before bed, reading can be a frugal hobby if you get books free or cheap.
3. We've been enjoying the free mangoes from our tree.
4. I made peanut butter balls for school snacks (just natural pb, honey, sugar and powdered milk).
5.I accidentally poured conditioner in my hand thinking it was shampoo, but instead of wasting it, I put it on the ledge and once I was ready for it, scrapped it off and used it.
1. My friend and I scored a 42% discount on our annual post-holiday celebration at a high-end Asian restaurant by combining 3 discounts. Frugal win!
2. Using variety of left-overs from various celebrations/parties/functions to save cooking time and $.
3. Turned 10# of potatoes with apparently very short lifespan into amazingly wonderful Shepard's Pie that the family loved.
4. Faithfully packing lunch for hub and I and using stocked kitchen for meals at one employer.
5. Baked chocolate chip cookies with free dough from completing survey, along with free take-and-bake pizza from daughter's activity card.
6. Using all "free" offers from aforementioned card before expiration. Will end up saving more than paid for the required sport fundraiser.
7. Picking up large box of free Christmas decorations offered on neighborhood website to keep and/or re-sell.
1. Keeping our heating bills low with lots of fires in the wood stove and wearing fleeces and slippers.
2. Staying within our weekly grocery budget.
3. Drinking hot water for most the day instead of tea. I need the caffeine first thing in the morning, but after that all I’m craving is the warmth. I don’t miss the tea at all.
4. Mended a pair of pajama pants to hand down to little brother. One pair became pajama shots and the extra fabric patched the knees of the second pair.
5. Listening to the Wow in the World podcast with the kids, fun, free, educational entertainment for car trips.
• lowered my car insurance coverage ‘cause my 10 yo car doesn’t need such complete coverage
• returned a Christmas present that really wasn’t useful
•deposited my families change jar $120 over 3 months
•ate only from pantry, no grocery shopping this week!
•5 $0 spend days, the other days we bought gas and an oil change for the car. It sure helped we were snowbound much of the week
I got my first smart phone, which isn't per se frugal, but I resisted the temptation to buy a lovely iphone, and instead got a basic samsung through ting mobile (thank you, Kristen, for the recommendation). We are cancelling our land line and I use my phone very little, so we will save money every month.
I used my Amazon points to buy a case for the new phone. (Yeah, Prime!)
1. Just recently solved an ongoing issue - my favorite moisturizer comes in a pump pack & the 'straw' part of the pump doesn't reach the bottom of the bottle, so when the level got too low to pump I unscrewed the pump lid, took it out, wiped the cream on it on to my hands to use, cut the 'straw' part off, reinserted the pump lid, & keep it upside down in a large glass jar. When I want to use it I remove the pump lid I & wipe the short end covered in moisturizer on to my hands or can put the tip of my finger in the bottle to easily get a bigger blob of moisturizer. I plan to keep an eye out for an inexpensive attractive container to keep the bottle in upside down but for no the jar will do fine. This will keep saving me money as there is quite a lot of cream still in the bottle.
2. Keeping going with a pantry challenge and using up what I have
3. Bought a 1litre bottle of non-soap wash to pour in to smaller bottles for the basins as it was much cheaper per ml
4. Have been using up some supermarket gift cards I got from a rewards program
5. Planning my laundry washing so I can hang it out on the line instead of using the dryer
I’m not sure I can come up with 5 but I’ll try!
1. I bought fruit/veggies at Costco (cheaper per lb than the grocery store) and we’re eating them, not wasting! This is big in my house.
2. I made a concerted effort to use our cloth diapers while we were in the house. (I don’t like leaving the house with them, it’s easier to throw away a diaper than tote it back home)
3. I haven’t gone into a store or bought takeout in 3 days, another accomplishment for me! (Though I did buy something I needed on amazon but with gift cards)
4. I nursed the baby (always frugal!)
5. We recently refinanced our house to get a lower interest rate and more money back in the budget. This is especially helpful since I’m still on maternity leave and will be returning part time.
During those months that Discover offers 5% cash back on Amazon purchases, we use that card instead. Discover let’s you redeem all of your accumulated points as a statement credit, our Amazon card only allows redemptions above a certain threshold.
when my annual fee comes up, I call, threaten to cancel and the fee is waived.