Hello everyone! The last two weeks seem to me to have been much like a whirlwind. With guests in town my days have been full with little time to breathe let alone blog my accomplishments and revelations. But with a tiny moment to inhale and exhale I now take the time to document my frugal endeavors.
*52 Week Savings Plan: I am abandoning this project but am determined to begin anew in the year 2015.
*Christmas Jar of Change: $16.72 is added to the previous balance of $147.52 for a grand total of $164.24!
*Favorite Frugal Accomplishments:
-Twice I watched the Midwest premiere of the stage production of Mary Poppins without paying the price of admission by volunteering to usher one show and work the boutique for another show. Volunteering at our community theatre is a great way for us to partake in top notch entertainment without paying a thing. My older sister and I hope to usher at least one time during every production this year allowing us to take in nine different productions at no charge.
-I got my military pass from the National Park Service that allows for free entry to all national parks, memorials, and monuments for a year. I used my pass to take my sister and nephew to our local national battlefield while they were visiting from out of state.
-While family visited we participated in other forms of free to cheap entertainment. We played games, learned how to do branch weavings, and played capture the flag at the park. My sister, Christie, and Bishop were taught how to skin animals by my nephew, Kevin. They skinned a badger. Later we found a badger pelt that we could have purchased for $75.
-While my father and his wife were visiting we took them to our local art museum and to a really cool art gallery that were both beautiful and free of charge.
-Our internet went out. There was a delay in it getting repaired so I negotiated a credit to my account of $55.
-I found a couple of books in the house that I had never read. I have now read them. More free entertainment.
-I really did an OK job planning ahead even with the distraction of out-of-state guests. One day as we girls were heading out for a day of flea markets, food, and fun I managed to get tuna salad, deviled eggs, and jello made for the boys to have for lunch. I also managed to get short ribs (gifted to me by my niece) in the oven to slow cook and chicken in the refrigerator to marinade (using lemons that I found in the fridge and herbs from my garden). The preparation of these two entrees allowed me to get dinners on the table for my guests even on the busiest of days.
-I purchased some drastically marked down produce. For $2.98 I got 3 large avocados, 4 bell peppers, about a dozen hot peppers, half a dozen limes, an orange, 3 mangoes, a kiwi, 4 large tomatoes, and 8 apples. I diced all the peppers and put them in the freezer. I made guacamole, salsa and apple crisp. Now I need to figure out what to do with the kiwi and mango, hmmmm.
Because our routine was seriously disrupted with our special visitors I did not feel as though the past two weeks had been particularly frugal. However, after completing this list I am very satisfied. I think that I may be forming some good habits...maybe.
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