Work has been very busy, so I haven't been up to too much in the frugal world. I am often really tempted to buy this time of the year, so my primary goal is to avoid mindless spending & splurges.
Saving on things we buy
- Picked up Home Depot gift cards at the grocery store, earning $20 in store credit. We will use the gift cards in the spring, for gardening & such.
Earning money
- Listed a bunch of stuff on eBay
- Helped Sam with a job application
Avoiding spending
- Picked up free crackers, as part of a Friday Freebie at the store. They were then even better than free, as iBotta had a $.75 offer on them, making them a rare money maker.
- Used a Costco cash card (earned from our trip to Hawaii) to buy our groceries for the week, plus two new pillows we needed.
- Picked up a couple of shirts on Buy Nothing. It's always a bit hit or miss, but I think one will work well. I'll donate the second one.
Eating what we have
- I made an enchilada rice dish that used up enchilada sauce from the freezer, the last of a jar of salsa, the remnants of a bag of shredded cheese, and a few other things. It was turned into an enchilada chicken rice skillet, which was quite good & made several dinners.
- On a night when I just really didn't feel like cooking, I made a very easy dinner, using up some frozen breaded chicken & pasta. It was easy & everyone got fed. I had mine over salad, in an attempt to use up a bagged salad I bought. It was a BOGO salad, and let's just say that I won't be buying it again. There was a reason it was so inexpensive compared to the other brands!
For others
- Gave rides to soccer games, & coordinated carpools, to save parents time.
- Signed up to help with admin work for the food bank
What about you? Any frugal wins to share?
I hate when supposed deals, like your salad, are duds but well done not a wasting. I've done well cooking from our woeful stock, but it feels good to know I can be creative, avoid waste, and still reasonably get a meal made. My big win ai suppose,though I'm disappointed item sold out, was getting a Kohl's credit, but still keeping the Kohl's cash earned, this essentially replacing the sold out item for free. The quality is not the same as the first purchase was a Champion work out shirt for daughter clearanced to just $10, but the replacement was store brand.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the alternative works just as well for her. Sorry the original item didn't work out. I've been tracking all of the orders for the holidays (we don't get the kids much "stuff", but gifts for my parents to give them, like hoodies or pajama pants) & fingers crossed, I think the last gift may have arrived yesterday.
DeleteMy biggest win this week was only going out shopping once. Hey, it was much too cold two days this week and now the countdown is on to get gifts finished and baking done.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.