Another busy week, complete. It's been pretty fun to see the boys resume sports & activities & get ready for "back to school", but it's added a lot of overhead to my day. Some of it is adjusting to my "pre-COVID" life, and another part is that going back to school looks quite different right now, with many adjusted schedules & ramp back weeks, so a lot to catch up on & understand.
Here are our frugal wins for the week.
Saving on things we buy
- Used grocery store rewards to cover the cost of 5 lbs of ground beef, which I divided up for the freezer. Got a $.10 iBotta credit for any grocery purchase
- Used a "one free item" coupon at our local Chick Fil A. I also bought two lunches, and made sure to scan my reward card for future discounts.
- Saved $3.75 with iBotta on Easter purchases
- I submitted email on a product concern & received a $10 debit card back. I activated it & tried to use it at Amazon, & no dice. Spent the time to track down the issue with the debit card bank, got it resolved, and bought a $10 Amazon gift card with it, so I wouldn't forget to use it before it expired. Immediately applied it to my Amazon account.
- Tracked down $11.32 in missing Rakuten credit
Earning money
- My sales have picked up a bit. Here's what I sold last week:
- A Bodum tea press, that my husband had for 20+ years and never uses (doesn't drink tea any more). I found this in the back of the kitchen cabinet in our remodel, and set it aside. Five months later, it sold. Patience for the win.
- A crystal creamer & sugar set. I've decided I'm not that type of entertainer, so listed these on FB marketplace (too heavy to ship, given the price) & again, they sold at least 8 weeks after I'd listed them.
- A Christmas ornament
- A work out shirt that's too big for M
- A medal from a race. I'm not a medal keeper, and am always surprised when these sell
- A suit that no longer fits M
- Another tea insert (Teavana). I'm lazy & prefer bagged tea vs loose leaf
- A tshirt Nick didn't like
- 3 pieces of crystal (FB marketplace). To the same buyer who bought the cream & sugar set.
- Received a $25 refund for an old calling plan I'd forgotten I had.
- Cashed out $20.50 from iBotta
Avoiding spending
- I picked up a bike mechanic book for Nick off of the local Buy Nothing group. He's thrilled
- Used a Target gift card to pick up Easter items. We'll do a small egg hunt for the boys in our yard, as per our tradition. I picked up candy to put in the eggs. I also picked up the items I need to make a Basque (crustless) cheesecake for dessert.
Eating what we have
- Shredded the cabbage I found on a great sale before St. Patrick's Day. Added shredded carrots to make my own coleslaw mix for Egg Roll in a Bowl, and a Keto friendly coleslaw
- Noticed a few leftover protein bars in our pantry, with an upcoming expiration date. Had one for a quick breakfast ahead of a soccer drop off.
- Used an (almost last) Italian chicken sausage with a salad for lunch. One left in the freezer.
- I was able to use cilantro from the garden for a recipe this week. Cilantro is one of the spices we use the most, so it's great that our plant has really taken off.
- Picked oranges to juice for Easter mimosas.
For others
- Continued volunteer job
- Listed & gave away a few things on the local Buy Nothing group
What about you? Please share your frugal wins or things for others this week.
I love growing cilantro. It's one of the herbs that I can manage to grow abundantly here, and I even get it to seed itself. The seeds are the spice coriander, but they have to be roasted and ground before using, which I haven't tried.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, it has been a pretty lousy week on this end, so no frugal wins to report. No school yesterday or today, as those were designated for conferences, and Monday begins spring break. 4/19 is the day the schools are supposed to be open to all students, but attendance is optional. I'm still not sure of the logistics they have planned.
Cilantro is so great! I haven't ever tried roasting & grinding it.
DeleteWe are on the same school schedule with 4/19 & all of the logistical fun required to bring the kids back.
On my run this morning, I saw elementary kids on the playground for the first time in a year, and heard the school bell ring. It made me a little emotional - progress!
You DID sell a lot this week, congratulations. That is great. Sounds like a good and frugal week for you. We like the egg roll in a bowl too. Bailey likes anything Chinese or Japanese inspirited.
ReplyDeleteWE love the egg roll in a bowl, and it's so easy to make. That's the big draw for me. ;-) We serve ours with chopped peanuts on top, which give it a little crunch, and with sriracha for spice.
DeleteSounds like it was a fantastic week!
ReplyDeleteIt really was a good week
DeleteI'm sure adjusting to schedules will take time. Great news on all your sales. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThis week started off earlier than normal, but we all made it. Now to get everyone to their various orientations this week.
DeleteHappy Easter! Hope you enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, and likewise!
Delete"Received a $25 refund for an old calling plan I'd forgotten I had." Forgot about a $25 refund? What wrong with you? Most unlike you. Roderick
ReplyDelete"Received a $25 refund for an old calling plan I'd forgotten I had." Forgot about $25? Are you sick? Something is wrong. Roderick
ReplyDeleteYou know, for years I've wondered why you only reply with something rude or snarky to say, and now i know, you're a troll. :-) You'll be blocked moving forward, "Roderick"
Delete