Frugal Friday

I'm testing out a new category for my Frugal Fridays. I love travel savings & it's easier to read everything in one place, I think. This will be optional when I've booked something. 

Travel savings - I'm doing a March trip to Las Vegas (one night) & St. George/Zion with friends. I set a very limited budget for this trip. Here are the things I'm doing to keep the cost in check:

• I booked a promotional offer in Las Vegas, which makes the room free, provides $50 in gambling money (hilarious, but maybe I'll win big) & $200 of resort credit, which should cover lunch & dinner for both of us, if we're careful (food at the hotel we're at is expensive, and we don't have transportation to get around, but might walk - weather dependent). 
• Used a $500 credit card cash back statement (only for Southwest) to book my flight. Because I have A list status (also through my credit card), I got to select seats for free. I still have $70 or so of the credit to use for another flight.
• My friend has a house in St. George, so we will stay with her for free. She is also renting a car, and I will reimburse her for 1/3 of it (another friend is also going). 
• My friend is staying in St. George longer at her house, so we had the choice to fly in/out of the smaller regional airport, rent a car ourselves for the trip, or book a shuttle. The shuttle was by far the most economical choice, coming in around $57. 
• The rest of the small budget I set will be used on food in St. George, a hostess gift for my friend, etc.

Saving on things we buy

• Nick cancelled the digital book subscription that is charged automatically each semester, as he could buy the required books for much less. We received a refund of $225. 
• Used a gift card to buy Sam some jeans & a shirt for his birthday. Made sure to click through to Rakuten to save a bit more in cash back. 
• Similarly, used a $20 grocery store gift card to pick up a few of Sam's favorites for when we are traveling. Uploaded my receipts to Fetch & iBotta & saved a couple of dollars. 
• I also used a CVS $10 reward to pick up a pack of Valentine's Day cards + a birthday card. 

Earning money

• Filled out my expense report quickly, so I can get money back from my employer for my London trip. Not quite "earning money", but getting reimbursed quickly.
• My paycheck was again hard earned this week. 

Avoiding spending

• Tried a free Pilates class

Eating what we have

• Our menu plan didn't go as expected, as M forgot to pick up the stuffed peppers from Costco, and the street tacos only lasted one meal. For Monday's dinner, I defrosted chicken noodle soup & a piece of salmon. I had the soup, M had the salmon. Sam was at a study group. 
• The following night we had a chicken/rice/black bean/salsa combo (also from the freezer), which was pretty good & enhanced by the cilantro crema leftover from the street tacos. 
• Another freezer meal was consumed on Wednesday - chicken orzo + veggies. It was a little bland, but everyone was fed. I suppose the benefit of my menu plan falling apart is that we used up some freezer meals & created a bit more space. ;-) 
• When I woke up on Sunday like a bear from hibernation, I'd eaten very little the previous day & slept a lot. M made me a large breakfast sandwich, using up the last bagel, a slice of cheese, tomatoes & eggs, which was all from the fridge & easy to whip together. 

For others

• My mom does a lot for my special needs aunt, particularly after my grandmother died. I fund part of this, to help them both & because I'm not around enough to take my aunt out for lunch, or treat her to an extra splurge grocery run, etc. I increased this contribution for 2026, because it's such a small thing but helps both my mom & aunt out so much, which is awesome. 
• Helped my sister with a long travel booking using my dad's miles, a mileage transfer, a code share... it was an adventure, but saved her a lot of money! :-) 

What about you? Any wins to share?