Frugal Friday

 It was a busy week, with my parents in town & the holiday, but here's what we've been up to this week:

Saving on things we buy:

• I redeemed the last of my grocery store rewards for various items we needed while my parents were in town
• I was able to earn $30 in new rewards by picking up Home Depot gift cards that we need & use throughout the year

Earning money

• Continuing to upload receipts to Fetch. It's small, but minimal work required
• I sold a few things on eBay:
• Two crystal glasses (they were purchased on Thanksgiving - maybe due to someone breaking a couple of their own?)
• An ugly holiday sweater
• A pair of soccer cleats
• And, a wand for a magic game

Avoiding spending:

• I'm not sure I have a lot here, as I've started holiday shopping & feel like I'm enticed a lot at this time of the year to buy things

For others:

• I'm now working part-time as a volunteer at a non-profit, and enjoying it very much. More on this in a follow up post, as it's worth more detail.
• My son learned to loom & is making hats for the homeless. He's having such a good time.
• As a thank you to our neighbor for teaching my son to loom, he made a batch of homemade croissants (not a small time investment) & brought some to her
• I ordered a large amount off of an Amazon wish list as a donation to a local high school fundraiser for those students who are homeless in their district. There were a lot of practical items on the list: razors, deodorant, & the like
• I gave away a new puzzle (we'd just finished it that day) & passed it along to another family to enjoy via Buy Nothing
• I helped my parents book their flights to Hawaii for next fall. They aren't great at understanding how to use their companion fares, & didn't know they also had stored credit from a cancelled flight. All told, they got their desired flights for $50 out of pocket & they were thrilled
• M & I also helped my parents with a bunch of technical challenges that they bring to us when they come, and we were able to pass down a laptop that Nick no longer needs. It will help my dad with a work project he has going at the moment
• I sent two books for a neighbor of my parents (their library doesn't have digital services - very small town, & during COVID hasn't been able to re-open)
• I sponsored a 5k turkey trot through my work, and this was the week for donations & the actual event

That's it! I hope you are having a wonderful & quiet/peaceful week. What frugal things have you been up to, or things for others? Inspire us!