Recapping the second half of our Lake Tahoe trip, as well as the rest of the week.
Saving on things we buy
- We'd planned on a nicer dinner on the way to Lake Tahoe, but Nick got off of work late, and the traffic was a hot mess (emphasis on hot, as it was 110 for a lot of the drive). We stopped for gas at Costco, and the boys decided a Costco food court dinner would be fine. Unfortunately, this was one of the rare Costco's near us with an outdoor food court. Very much not fun given the heat, but we all ate quickly & got back into the car. Also, dinner for five (including 3 teens) for under $25.
- I used a couple of free offers at the grocery store (free avocado & some sort of free soda), as well as two iBotta offers on Tyson chicken. I bought four packages of chicken tenders (great to have on hand when we have unexpected teens over for dinner). Two of the packages were the largest/family sized portions, and two were the smaller sized. I saved $22 from iBotta, on a purchase of $64. Other things I purchased: two Gatorades for Nick this week (still supposed to be 90+, and he's working outside), brioche hamburger & hot dog buns, two containers of juice to make smoothies, a bunch of parsley, & green onions.
Earning money
- Completed a few survey screens, and qualified for two health care surveys. Once paid, they will pay out $80.
- Completed a financial plan through my broker, for a $25 reward.
Avoiding spending
- Used Starbucks rewards to buy myself a free coffee at the hotel.
- The boys each passed various AP exams, which for Sam translates into 12 credits as OSU. Nick isn't sure where he will be next year, but is also likely to earn 12 credits from the school he attends. This also means that Sam isn't registering as a freshman with no credit, so will have a slight priority over other freshman (with no credits) when he registers for classes in a few weeks. Graduating in 4 years would be extremely frugal.
Eating what we have
- Brought snacks for Nick & his friends to have in the hotel room, which is always cheaper than buying at the hotel shop or going out.
- We've been eating plenty of our garden produce, and I'm thrilled to finally have strawberries! And tomatoes. Both of those are incredible fresh, and so much less so when purchased from a store.
- Used up the rest of the bag of frozen cranberries in muffins.
- Inspired by my cranberry muffins & freezer progress, I defrosted all of the overly ripe bananas & made a double batch of banana muffins.
- Remembered that I bought a bag of buffalo chicken flavored meatballs way back, & haven't used them. Added them as the protein to my lunch salad.
- I'm making good progress on my goal of avoiding bagged salad kits, and making my own salads at home. The nicer dressing & sunflower seeds definitely help with this. I've been adding tomatoes & peppers from the garden.
For others
- Had another call with the student I'm mentoring for the college counseling program, and wrote up my monthly progress reports for the same program.
What about you? Any wins to share?
Oooooh, you triggered me. Way to go for.your boys. My kids took advantage of dual enrollment, rather than AP classes. I like the AP program, but, sadly, in this era of privatizing and defunding the public schools, they are under budgetary attack. It s not so devastating in our district, because, again, of dual enrollment, and the ease of participating. The CC's are a hop skip and jump away, and, there are online/hybrid options. Honestly, once my kids stepped out of the h.s. doors onto a campus, where they were sitting next to students who came from all walks of life, were all ages, and were in class because they wanted to be in class, they blossomed academically. ( My kids really had little patience for the nonsensical social structure and hierarchy that is fabricated in the schools. Plus, our district is "hard R" and I don't say that lightly.) That said, the move to gut our public schools sickens me. I hasten to add that CTE program are not under the same attack. Granted, I love the tradesmen...nothing happens in this world without tradesmen. But these programs are not there to herd people into INSTEAD of giving them an education, teaching them a language, history, literature, science and higher maths. Really, how about teaching kids how to think before we force them to operate heavy machinery and act as if they have no choice? The lack of respect for higher education for no other reason than a higher education is appalling. I actually heard a guidance counselor tell one of my kids it was "a waste of resources" to go away to school if she wasn't sure of her major. Instead she should "get her core classes out of the way." EXCUSE ME???? My response was that I wasn't sure where she studied, but clearly she didn't pay attention in the "core classes" because that core classes were the foundation of a higher education,not something to be "gotten out of the way. Her response: "well, that's also a valid school of thought." Suffice it to say, that was the kid who blossomed the most in the college setting. Small towns are great, but thinking like that is what is leading to their own demise.
ReplyDelete::hops off.soap box::
I grew up in a small town, so I can definitely relate to the very narrow approach to education that can happen. My guidance counselor was decent, but my dad was a teacher, so it was never a question of if I was going away to college, but just a decision on where. To be fair, the only community college near us was abysmal.
DeleteWe're lucky in that the community colleges near us are fantastic (best in class), & have really high transfer rates to UCs. However, the first few years of being away from home are also really important for social & personal development, if your kid is ready for that. We were definitely open to Sam, in particular, choosing a path of a community college & then transferring. But, he's very clear that he's ready to move out & have the full four year experience, and we are supportive.
Our high school offers 17 AP courses, & while that's awesome, I also think they don't have nearly enough grade level classes. The bay area is WAY too intense with academics & I would have loved a bit more balance. But, my kids are definitely prepared! I suppose that's the plus side. (HP)
My kids took the cc classes WHILE IN high school, and they were credited for both hs AND transferred to their 4 year schools. DD actually entered her first year as a sophomore. She went the furthest away…east coast, sight unseen. We accompanied her as far as the airport! She is home for the summer, but, like many east coast schools, her university is in a semester system, so she will fly back out in mid August.
DeleteFYI, this is Meg B. Anyway, the point: AP classes in this district are being gutted in the junior and senior year with the rationale being the cc dual enrollment can fill the void.Yes, it CAN, and in many cases provides four year colleges with a better picture of a student’s ability to succeed in college level coursework. Nonetheless, the notion of gutting curriculars before even CONSIDERING extracurriculars (football, for instance) enrages me.
DeleteMeg, I'm with you. The entire education system is in a very rocky place right now. For whatever reason, while we do have the same option in CA (dual enrollment during high school, and we have lots of friends that have done Running Start or the equivalent in HS), they are still prioritizing AP classes, which I'm happy about. The idea of the dual enrollment is very minimized/not discussed by guidance counselors. DS17 is taking one dual enrollment class in the fall at a community college, & I think it will be good for him to try it out.
DeleteSpeaking of sports, there's also a real hierarchy in high school sports. DS17's tennis team went the furthest any team has ever gone in the history of his high school (placing in top 5 of California state). However, the only references the HS ever made to congratulate athletes this year was the boys baseball team... who, had a reasonable season but didn't win leagues. It cracks me up. Dont' get me started on the football funding vs how we paid for everything in tennis, including transportation, hotels for state, etc. I don't mind paying & we can afford it, but that's just not the case for the other sports.
Washington State just passed legislation requiring high school guidance counselors to inform parents of eligible students about dual enrollment (Running Start) before each quarter.
DeleteYou had some nice wins, and the college credit wins are huge.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest frugal win was Covid inspired. After the initial illness I was so tired that I wanted to do nothing, so we ate from the refrigerator and freezer most of the week. Going nowhere and buying next to nothing is a frugal win, no doubt.
Wow, those college credits are awesome. Still working my way through bits and bobs that pop up. Shopping only once every two weeks and trying my hand at making items that we can use to make our life a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.