In decidedly unfrugal news, M surprised me, by arranging a flight, so I could join my sister & BFF this weekend, as they were together. They are doing a half marathon. I haven't trained *at all*, so I'm planning to do a 10k& hope for the best. We did have flight credits, but woohee, flights are super pricey. Our anniversary is in a few weeks, and he knows me well - experiences are definitely my preferred gift!
Saving on things we buy
- Used $4 in coupons for Safeway, off of 4 items. The app had the offer, and I've successfully used it before, but it didn't work this time. The cashier was very friendly & made it work.
- Picked up Panera after Nick's tennis tournament. Used the last of a few small gift cards, and an offer for a free loaf of bread. The boys love the Panera baguettes, and polished it off in no time.
Earning money
- Listed a few items on eBay & sold another of M's outgrown jackets.
- Drove Nick to reffing, so he could earn money. Or, rather, I sat in the car & supervised, while he drove, as he has his learner's permit.
Avoiding spending
- Rather than buying flavored sparkling water (the kids drink it really quickly), I've been using the bubly sparkling water drops in my water bottle. They are intended for a Soda Stream, but the teens don't use the Soda Stream much. This gives me a nice change from plain water, and is zero cost (we already have the flavors on hand, and a little goes a long way).
Eating what we have
- I used leftover chicken from Nick's dinner to make a salad for lunch. It was quite good. As long as there is protein to put on top of a salad, I'm pretty happy.
- Made muffins out of things in the fridge that needed using up (two different yogurts, a splash of juice, oat milk, etc.) I picked up cranberries at the store, and turned that, plus pantry ingredients & the random fridge items into M's favorite muffins. Lots of substitutions, but they turned out great.
- Similarly, I had a muffin & the remnants of a salad for lunch on Monday, when I was working from home.
For others
- Went through all of the Halloween costumes, and listed everything on Buy Nothing. Gave away all of it in no time.
- Helped a neighbor repair her mop. She was very frustrated, and didn't want to have to toss it.
- Gave away other random stuff on BN. It's homecoming time, so I went through & found a few things (black clutch, etc) that others can use. I've liked trying to be seasonal (e.g. Halloween costumes, etc). I also am giving away other random things I stumble across, but the seasonal items help draw attention to the rest. ;-)
What about you? Any frugal wins to share?
Not much in my post yesterday. The biggest is probably using produce from my daughter and free exercise. Boy do I now get reason for free exercise. It's a clean out the refrigerator dinner night. Then tomorrow, a top to bottom clean to make sure nothing is wasted.
ReplyDeleteFree produce from the garden is the best!
DeleteYou did a fantastic job of using what you had on hand this week to make meals. That was so sweet of your dh to plan that trip for you. 😊
ReplyDeleteWhile the trip may not be frugal money wise, it is frugal for your mental health. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Yay, what a lovely surprise gift!
ReplyDeleteI just remembered that I needed to hem JB's pants but I've spent my early afternoon energy on prepping a chicken marinade so that will have to wait a bit. I bought their uniform a size too large so it will last them longer through their next growth spurt. Here's hoping they actually stick with this activity that long!
We did an ok job getting through the week with only a little take out assistance so that was nice. We also picked up a bunch of things I'd held in my Target cart thanks to the sale and using my 10% off gift cards.
Your weekend getaway sounds so fun! What a great gift! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteAh, I ran a half marathon this weekend - Long Beach in the unlikely event you were there as well?
ReplyDeleteIt was my 60th birthday gift to myself. I was slow, but I had so much fun!
I'm always inspired by your use-it-up approach to leftovers, and am much more vigilant about doing same as a result. So many thanks!
Tamara R
Happy birthday to you! I was at the Vancouver Girlfriend's Half, which is a breast cancer event. It was on the water front downtown, and gorgeous. So happy to hear that you had a great time at your event! I opted for the 10k, since I was completely untrained, and convinced my mom to join me as well. I also had a great time, and no regrets doing the 10k. So much fun.
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