Frugal Friday

A double week, as we were out of town last Friday.  

Saving on things we buy

• Bought a few things we needed at the grocery store, and uploaded my receipt to iBotta. I stocked up on the juice Nick prefers for smoothies, as it was on sale & had an iBotta offer. Saved $3.65 via iBotta. Paid for everything with Amex gift card. 

Earning money

• Gave another coworker an international upgrade for two, and received another gift card as a thank you. 

Avoiding spending

• Returned a jacket I bought for Paris, and didn't end up needing, as the weather was much warmer than expected. 
• We got upgraded to a nicer room at the hotel we stayed at. 

Eating what we have

• I defrosted a container of butternut squash soup, and M had this with leftover chicken one night. One more container out of the freezer!
• We made lots of progress eating freezer items, with Nick having one of the hoagie buns with a hot dog (both from the freezer). Sam & I finished off the chicken sausages.
• Sam invited a friend over for a late lunch one day, and I threw together cheese quesadillas, chicken tenders, two pears & a bowl of strawberries. Other than two chicken tenders, they ate everything.
• Sam's eating habits can be a bit erratic, as he takes a medicine that makes him not very hungry during the day. His appetite comes back late into the evening, so he often rummages the fridge, and/or makes himself something late at night. As a result, he's been cleaning out leftovers, so we've been avoiding food waste on that front. 
• M grilled kebabs & rice when my parents were here, and we had that for dinner our first night.
• For the second night my parents were here, we had grilled burgers, and avoided takeout. 
• My parents & the boys ate the banana bread I made for breakfast/snacks, so there is more room in the freezer now.
• I cobbled together a very easy dinner last night, as it's been busy returning to "real life", post vacation. 

For others

• Made a donation, & submitted the form to get it matched by my employer.
• Similarly, added my volunteer hours from the soccer club to my work hours, which then get matched at $10/hr by my employer.
• Added one of M's friends to an upgrade list for two of his flights, in an attempt to not waste my international upgrades before they expire. 

What about you? Any wins to share?