Five Frugal Things I Did This Week

It's been a bit of a whirlwind, returning from vacation. I'm so, so excited that the boys will be back from Disneyland (they are with my parents right now) this evening. It was great to have a kid free week, but I miss them too much! :-)

So, here's what I did this week:

1. Drove to LA to pick up the kids. Okay, M did this, but we were originally planning on having M fly to LA, pick up the kids from my parents, & then fly all three of them home. Instead, he left for LA super late last night, stayed at a hotel, and then will drive back with them this afternoon. SUPER long drive (7+ hours each way), but a savings of about $500, after gas & hotel cost.
2. Ate at home, even without the kids. Normally, when the kids are gone, we treat each night like a date night & eat out. This time, we ate out just once. Even when we got home late from the airport on Sunday, with nothing prepared, we went to Trader Joes & picked up a couple of easy options for $15. A huge cost savings over a meal out.
3. Decided to clean the house on my own this week. To be fair, the cleaning lady asked if this was an option, as she had a family emergency. She offered to send someone else, but I'm skipping it, cleaning myself, & saving $90.
4. Returned a few things to Macy's that I ordered online, and were a better deal in the store. Got a price adjustment. Savings of $65.
5. Sent in for various reimbursements through my tax savings accounts. A few copays on prescriptions while I was sick, & my vision check. I almost let these both go due to the effort involved, but thought better of it. Savings of $61.

That's it! We did our first *real* grocery shopping in four weeks yesterday, and it was pretty crazy. :-) Now I need to make a menu, clean the house, and spend a lot of time with my sweet boys!

And, here's a great picture of my dad at Disney, with his four grandsons. :-)

Have a great Friday & weekend, everyone!!