Frugal Friday

 It's been a whirlwind of a week, but we are here again! It feels like we have some giant/expensive options ahead (college), so sometimes feels a little crazy to look for deals on ground beef & the like, but as many other bloggers have been mentioning, making good choices on a daily basis adds up, even when it doesn't feel like it. 

Saving on things we buy

• Used the Amex gift card at the store to pick up a few things I needed for a recipe. While I was there, picked up the Friday freebie, which was a sparkling water. That only lasted a few minutes at the house. I also bought ground beef for $1.99.
• I picked up a few Christmas gifts for Nick, and took advantage of a credit card offer (10% cash back), a retailer sale, and Rakuten. The items were also on sale. 

Earning money

• Sam found out he earned a four year scholarship at one of the schools he applied to. If he ends up going there, it will be worth about $50k, so definitely a big win if it works out. I've built a tracker mapping all of the various school costs & "discounts". Some schools, for example, participate in a tuition exchange for out of state students from California, others have scholarships, etc. It's a huge range in cost, so the spreadsheet will help us make a final determination. In addition to other non-financial factors, of course. 
• On the opposite end of the spectrum, made $45 in cash back via Rakuten.
• Similarly, bundled all of my Sephora purchases (I'm a lotion & mascara only girl, typically from the drug store, but have also reached an age where I wanted a better face lotion. Let's see if it helps :) to take advantage of a cash back offer from my credit card, saving $13. 
• Washed Sam's club soccer uniform, and will get $30 back from our club, as part of the turn in program. I'm thrilled to see the uniforms not go to waste. Our old club didn't have a program, and I tried to get them to start one, but there was no interest. Super happy these excellent condition uniforms will get more wear. 

Avoiding spending

• Sam is not playing spring club soccer this year (first time in 11 years), so I filled out the correct form by the deadline, to ensure we saved on the club fees. We'll be saving $1150. While money wasn't a factor (he wants to have time to do college prep, AP test studying, etc), it will be nice to be able to apply those funds to all of our upcoming college expenses. 

Eating what we have

• Nothing particularly exciting this week. We ate what was on the meal plan, kept food waste to a minimum, and I finally took the last of the Halloween candy to work, so I'd stop eating it. ;-) 

For others

• Noticed there was a peer match available during our giving campaign for the local food bank, so I made an additional donation, outside of my yearly plan. It was a 3x match, due to an employer match as well, so felt really good about maximizing that donation. 
• Donated to the school soccer team, and filled out the match via work as well. 
• Gave a friend a ride to/from work, when she needed a lift. 
• Gave away two pair of excellent condition teen jeans on BN. These are hard to find, so I'm thrilled when I can match them with someone who needs them. 

What about you? Any wins to share?