Frugal Friday

Another super busy week, and the boys & I head to Portland this weekend for my nephew's birthday party. From there, they will stay with my parents for a week or so, and I'll fly back on Sunday. Here's what we've been up to! 

Saving on things we buy

• Used a $2 Safeway reward and a gift card to pick up some groceries we needed
• Similarly, I used $6 in CVS rewards, and picked up two packages of flavored sparkling water, which is a fun treat to have on hand in the summer.
• I also called in an order to the local Greek restaurant last weekend (Nick picked up, saving the exorbitant fees on a delivery service) & used a 10% off coupon code. 

Earning money

• I have status on the airline I fly from work, and they sent premier luggage tags (to help your bags get through baggage claim faster, I presume). I don't ever check bags, so I sold them on eBay for $75.
• I also sold a skirt on eBay

Avoiding spending

• Picked up an almost full container of protein powder on Buy Nothing. Nick drinks a lot of protein smoothies, after working out. 

Eating what we have

• I ate a huge bowl of strawberries from the garden. Oh my, the taste of homegrown strawberries is so, so much different than those from the store.
• We've continued to eat lots of basil, peppers & tomatoes from the garden.
• We are largely having an "eat from the freezer" week, where I defrost leftovers, and pair those with fresh side dishes. 
• M polished off Greek salad leftovers, when he got home from a trip on Saturday.
• I managed to serve the last of the cauliflower rice & salmon, and nothing went to waste. Wasting salmon is always painful, given the cost, so I try to be really on top of it. 
• We finished off the last of the hoagie rolls, purchased for Philly cheesesteaks. I froze them, and have pulled out a few at a time as needed, as they are good fill in hot dog buns. 
• The boys finished off the last of a loaf of sandwich bread that they described as having an "odd" taste. 
• I used garden tomatoes & basil (plus some fresh mozzarella that needed to be used) to make a caprese salad
• We finished a bag of grilled chicken & leftover hot dogs (4th of July) for a few dinners. M made rice to pair with the chicken. Sometimes, adding the fresh side really "sells" the leftovers. 

For others

• We are doing a work offsite, and planning a social event for team bonding (many of the folks were hired during COVID, and have never met in person). I suggested a volunteer activity, vs the standard drinks & appetizers, and people are thrilled with the idea. We're volunteering at a food bank.
• M has spent hours helping our neighbor with a house project, and I've ordered her a few options to repair the garage door. Unfortunately, none of that worked, so it looks like she'll need a new unit. But, we tried!
  
  

That's it on our side. What about you? Any wins to share?