Sunday, August 24, 2014

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

*52 Week Savings Plan:  I am excited to say that I am adding $5 to this savings plan for a small, way behind  but making progress new total of $25.

*Christmas Jar of Change:  I have $9.62 to add to the jar.  When added to the previous balance of $113.60 I have a grand new total of $143.22.

*Favorite Frugal Accomplishments:

-Sunday:  I went to the grocery store for some donuts, bacon, orange juice and hot dog buns and came out with deals.  Serendipitously, the buns and bacon were on sale.  And, again serendipitously, there was a coupon in-store for $2 off when buying a dozen eggs and some orange juice.  Orange juice was on the list and it never hurts to have a few more eggs.  But most exciting were the managers specials.  I got some pineapple-orange juice for $2 that, if the kids do not drink it, I will freeze into cubes and add to smoothie packs.  I got a pack of really nice hamburger buns for .79 and three packages of ground beef for $2/lb.  The beef was particularly exciting because a group of people had formed around one section of ground beef that had just been marked down.  I saw that that beef would be about $2.20/lb. and didn't want to fight the crowd for that.  Passing it by and moving down the aisle I discovered the three packages that I bought.  Everyone was so distracted by the other beef that they didn't notice these packages that were higher quality and marked down even lower.  I felt triumphant.  I see hamburgers for dinner in our future.

I had a 30% off coupon for Kohl's that was due to expire today.  Bishop and I were both in dire need of new tennis shoes so we decided to see what we could find.  We both found tennis shoes that were on sale.  There was also one pair of cargo shorts in Bishop's size and a couple of nice t-shirts that were on sale.  While at the checkout counter I realized that there was another coupon in my mailer that was for $10 off shoes and, upon further inspection, found that the coupon had expired.  However, they very graciously opted to utilize the coupon despite being expired.  When both coupons were applied it dropped my total to $100 which I am very pleased with.

-Monday:  Today Bishop and I joined some friends at the park for a picnic.  Despite my love for true picnics I must admit that I most often bring carry-out to them.  This time, however, I triumphed - I made blueberry muffins with the berries that I had purchased on sale last week and made deviled eggs.  Bishop and I both enjoyed this simple yet yummy picnic.

-Tuesday:  Bishop enjoyed the muffins so much that he asked that I make more.  I made a triple batch of muffins today so that I could have some on hand for breakfasts and snacks throughout the week.  While the muffins were baking I also baked some potatoes for dinner.  We had stuffed baked potatoes using leftover chili and other goodies found in the fridge.  The environmental science merit badge that Bishop is working on requires that he list ways to conserve resources and then utilize two of those ideas for seven days.  He chose to be conscientious of how electricity was being used by making sure that we turn off lights when it is not imperative that they be on.  He also chose to only run the dishwasher when it is full.  I will be interested to see how these goals impact or energy and water usage.

-Wednesday:  I swung by the grocery and discovered some great managers specials.  I got the largest green bell pepper accompanied by three cucumbers and three hot peppers for .99!  I also picked up 12 packages of raspberries as they were on sale for .99 each and chicken thighs that had been highly discounted.  And I picked up summer sausage for $2 each.  I love to have summer sausage stocked in my pantry.  I frequently use it to serve to guests alongside cheese, crackers and fruit.  Sometimes we munch on it for lunch and it would be handy for a spontaneous picnic.  It was a good shopping trip and one that should help fill out our menus without filling up my freezer.  (Still awaiting the beef delivery!)

-Thursday:  Today Bishop and I met some friends at Wild Animal Safari.  We had coupons to get two of the kiddos in for free and more coupons for free bags of food.  They allowed us to stack the coupons and we were thrilled with our adventure.

-Friday:  I went to a park this morning and was captivated by its beauty.  Good, simple, free, and nourishing entertainment!  I continued to work Swagbucks and Bing Rewards and have earned another $5 Amazon gift card.  I have a couple more educational resources that I am wanting to have on hand so I intend on applying the gift card to this purchase.  I used that marked down chicken to make a delicious dish utilizing lemons that I had on hand and fresh herbs clipped from my garden.

-Saturday:  Other then seeing a show that I had purchased tickets for I just stayed home.  I served leftovers for lunch and cooked a simple pasta dish for dinner and just worked on household projects that need to be completed.  Productive and restful and the pocketbook stayed in the purse!

*Next Weeks Goals:

-I have been perusing this blog as of late and find it to be inspirational.  She has so many ideas for me to glean from including her frequent cleaning of her fridge, culling from it items for dinner or to put in the freezer.  Of course, I look at my leftovers as potential meals but I do not routinely go through it and put those tidbits in the freezer if I am not going to get them on the menu in a timely fashion.  This week I will clean my refrigerator and I will attempt to go through it every two or three days in order to be a good steward of what has been provided to me and, thus, reduce my waste.

-Also inspired by Blue House Journal and all of its delightful menus, I intend on returning to menu making this week.

-I want to make raspberry vinegar and/or cordial.

-Go through my freezer yet again to ensure that it is prepared for the beef delivery.

-Update my financial accountability log.

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