Friday, December 4, 2020

Frugal Friday

 


Saving on things we buy:

  • Picked up a Friday Freebie drink at the store
  • Bought a larger enchilada sauce than I needed (it was cheaper than the small one) & froze the rest for a second meal
  • Took advantage of a few Black Friday deals:
    • Buy 1, get 2 free granola bars
    • Inexpensive nuts (we go through a lot of nuts, due to M's keto diet)
    • Got a gift card off of my nephew's wish list, and earned $10 in Rite Aid Rewards
  • A neighbor gave me an expiring flight reward that she couldn't use, saving me $120 on a flight. I offered to pay, but she wouldn't accept any money.

Earning money

  • Continued to list things on eBay & made a few sales:
    • Sold a kids shirt that was outgrown (from the vacation house). Still selling things I listed this summer. Sometimes it takes a while, but it's nice to sell a few things. Junk out, money in.
    • Shin guard sleeves (soccer) x2
    • A set of espresso cups/saucers that we don't use
  • Sold the car mats for our electric car we no longer have. Made $20

Avoiding spending:

  • I find that this time of year involves lots of creative leftover usage, and we've been doing well incorporating small bits & bobs into our meals. A few examples: I made a stuffed acorn squash dish that called for farro cooked in apple cider. I substituted rice for farro & used the remainder of a flat sparkling cider (kids Thanksgiving drink) to cook the rice. It added a nice flavor. I've been using cranberry sauce on almost everything, we've eaten Thanksgiving sides for lunch, & I was able to incorporate kale & leftover goat cheese spread (both from Thanksgiving items) into the stuffed squash mix. There have been a few wins like that, which always makes me feel good about making the most of what we have. 
  • Ate all meals at home

For others:

  • Spent an hour tracking down a refund my parents were due & hadn't received. Saved them $500, so well worth the time. My dad wears hearing aids, so these types of calls are challenging for him.
  • Packaged up two large shopping bags for neighbor girls who came by collecting food donations for the local shelter. My son (same age as them) was helping me gather items, & the amount of shyness on all sides was hilarious between the kids. :-) 
  • Shared pumpkin pie & cranberry muffins with our neighbor
  • Made a food bank donation, as a thank you to another neighbor, who wouldn't accept money for the flight credit. She's very active with a local food bank, so I made a donation as a thank you for the credit.
  • Gave away a brand new "Elf on a Shelf" that I found in our Christmas decorations. 
  • Continued volunteer work

4 comments:

  1. I just love to read your saving money posts they really inspire me. When I grow up I want to be just like you....:)

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    1. I always find it so inspiring to read what others are up to as well.

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  2. I don't know if you normally shop at Target but if you do, they have 10% off their own gift cards this weekend up to $500. We usually pick some up for ourselves and for gifts.

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    Replies
    1. Awesome, thank you! I didn't know & went over & made a purchase online.

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