Frugal Friday

 We had some good frugal wins this week, which was nice. We also came in under budget for our groceries in January, which was a nice surprise. 

Saving on things we buy

• I saw that I had a $10 Safeway offer (off of a $10 purchase), which made it worth it to make a stop. I bought treats we don't normally buy - four boxes of cereal, chocolate milk, dairy free mint chip ice cream, & two bags of coleslaw mix (not a treat). Out of pocket was $9.20, with another $2.50 in iBotta rewards. All in all, it was a good deal. 
• Took the boys to dinner for a "mom/boys" night out on Friday, and used a gift card for the majority of the purchase. 
• I used a 10% off coupon to buy Nick's birthday gifts (a ski helmet & goggles). He's grown a lot since we bought the last set. 
• The boys are mostly getting cash & college money for their birthday, so I picked up some candy at CVS to wrap. I used a $4 CVS reward, and also earned another $.50 via Fetch. 
• Used a $20 grocery store reward (earned by buying gift cards) to pick up a few things we needed, and some "wants" from the teens. 
• Called our auto insurance & sent Sam's transcript, to earn $166/year via the good student discount. Insuring teen boys is crazy expensive, so every bit helps. 
• Picked up a few clothing items the boys needed (we are keeping our heat lower, so everyone is asking for slippers). Found a really great sale, combined with a birthday offer, free shipping, and two rewards. I had to add a couple of tshirts to quality for the free shipping, but they were the boys preferred brand, and $3.50/each, so a deal. 

Earning money

• Sold a ref jersey on eBay

Avoiding spending

• Sam asked for a pull up bar for Christmas, and we got one that didn't work. We returned it, but hadn't gotten around to replacing it. Someone was giving away a like new one on Buy Nothing, so we are all set now. He's thrilled. 

Eating what we have

• I had the leftovers from our "Mom/Boys Dinner" for lunch one day
• I've also been eating soup that I made and froze when the boys were out of town a few weekends ago. 
• Finished off the rice, kebabs & yogurt sauce on Saturday, ensuring we had no waste from our previous dinner. 
• Made up a big batch of taco meat, prepping enough for two meals this week, and three more for the freezer. 
• Had fajitas from the freezer, as well as pulled pork (freezer) another night. I made coleslaw to go with the pulled pork, using everything on hand for the dressing, and the shredded veggies I picked up in the $10 Safeway offer stop. 

For others

• I was able to fulfill two "ISO - In Search Of" requests on Buy Nothing, for a fabric shaver, and a moving plastic wrap roll. I'd forgotten that we had both, so it was nice to get them out of our house & match them up with someone who would have otherwise had to purchase them.
• I also gave away a bunch of other stuff on Buy Nothing. Sam allowed me to do a quick pass on his room, which netted five items (three books, two wallets) that he didn't need.
• One of my pet peeves are carts strewn about the parking lot at the grocery store, particularly when they block spots. Whenever I see them, I try to take at least one, or two if I'm feeling it, back to the corrals. It's a little thing, but frees up more parking, & makes it easier for shoppers to get a cart.

That's it from my side. What about you? Any wins to share?