I'm combining weeks, as I was in Tokyo last week. I spent a small amount of my own money to visit a local attraction, but otherwise, the trip was free (to me), and I earned miles & points on the airline & hotel.
Saving on things we buy:
- Uploaded a receipt to iBotta, finally seeing four offers that worked for us. This is rare, as I typically don't see anything we buy, and stick to the general "$.10 off any receipt" offers. This time, I bought: any hamburger buns, a juice Nick wanted for smoothies, and two containers of oat milk.
- Used a pizza coupon for many pizzas for the boys swim parties. We picked up, which is cheaper than delivery. Dominos was so much cheaper than our local pizza place, and it was a hit with the hungry teens.
- Adjusted my parents flights for an upcoming visit, saving $60
- Decided to just have M go with Nick to a soccer tournament in October. The tournament is Halloween weekend in Las Vegas (which, frankly, seems like a really crazy time to have a teenage soccer tournament), so the flights were outrageous. Used gift cards & left over credits from other trips to cover the flights for M & Nick. I'll stay home, see my parents that weekend, and save the money for my flight.
Earning money:
- Nick did another job helping his tennis coach move some furniture, and earned $20 + pizza, as well as helped him coach a tennis lesson
- Nick signed up to ref a bunch of soccer games
- I sold an outgrown ski fleece on eBay
Avoiding spending:
- Used a coupon for free bananas at the grocery store
Eating what we have:
- Ate leftover burgers from the freezer. As long as the boys have buns to go with the burgers, they are happy.
- Had leftover paella for as a side with the burgers
- Ate curry (freezer) for lunch
- Made the boys lunch, finishing off chicken from the freezer
For others:
- Discovered some late breaking Japan travel requirements, and knew my friend was on vacation. Tracked her down, and walked her through all of what she needed to do, including helping her with some print outs, so she could be ready for our flight.
- Shared garden goodies with a neighbor
That's it from our side. What about you? Any wins to share?
Just the same old same old.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, that's all we can do. The consistency of lots of frugal decisions over time really adds up!
DeleteIt all helps dies t it. Domino's isn't the highest quality but feeding lots of hungry kids, it gets the job done.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd had Domino's since college - really brought back the memories :-)
DeleteSo much free entertainment this week (we’re currently in Santa Cruz). We have a $20 Calif State Park pass, senior rate, and we’ve been using it almost daily to enjoy beautiful redwood and coastal walks. Our primary activity has been long scenic walks of between 7-10 miles. Today we hiked the Ohlone Bluff Trail out of Wilder Ranch State Park- exquisite!
ReplyDeleteAlso have been on the lookout for reasonable gas and found a station charging a flat $4.99 a gallon, regardless of cash or credit. We’ve seen it as high as $6.09 here, so that was a win!
And we continue to enjoy a shared coffee and muffin stop each afternoon, plus the occasional shared lunch, drinking our own water for beverage. I appreciate that my husband likes being slim and is therefore willing to share!
Tamara R
So much free entertainment this week (we’re currently in Santa Cruz). We have a $20 Calif State Park pass, senior rate, and we’ve been using it almost daily to enjoy beautiful redwood and coastal walks. Our primary activity has been long scenic walks of between 7-10 miles. Today we hiked the Ohlone Bluff Trail out of Wilder Ranch State Park- exquisite!
ReplyDeleteAlso have been on the lookout for reasonable gas and found a station charging a flat $4.99 a gallon, regardless of cash or credit. We’ve seen it as high as $6.09 here, so that was a win!
And we continue to enjoy a shared coffee and muffin stop each afternoon, plus the occasional shared lunch, drinking our own water for beverage. I appreciate that my husband likes being slim and is therefore willing to share!
Tamara R
Oh, enjoy Santa Cruz! Wish it would have been a different weekend - we were there two weekends ago for soccer, & could have met up for a coffee.
DeleteEnjoy the trip & all of the gorgeous scenery.
Well done. You had a very good couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Some weeks are definitely better than others, on the frugal front.
DeleteWelcome back from your trip! You did have some great wins this week!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteDomino’s is definitely cheaper than our local pizzeria and we like it to boot. Sounds like a real good frugal few weeks there. Can’t beat free bananas either. 😊
ReplyDelete