Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

December 9 - 15

Just throwing together some thoughts and accomplishments here...

-Bishop has pottery for sale at the studio that he creates at and he sold more of it.  It's so affirming for him and gives him some cashola.  It also serves as a reminder that I need to get my act together making some money of my own!

-We have friends that host an annual gingerbread house decorating gathering where we bring our own stuff, share decorating items and just have fun together.  Bishop never actually does the gingerbread.  Keeping that in mind I just didn't buy a kit.  I did need to take something to the gathering as we always have munchies on hand so I made cupcakes from items that I had stocked in the pantry.  I had cake mix that I stocked up on at $1 and frosting for $1.50  and I decorated it with festive sixlets that I had leftover from a previous project.  So nothing out of pocket at this time and the items were previously purchased at lowest price.  I love a well-stocked pantry.

-I don't typically send out Christmas cards anymore.  I'm not certain what happened.  I used to send them out like clockwork - they would be sent out the day after Thanksgiving.  Now I just don't send them out.  However, this year I did want cards to accompany some gifts that I was sending out to my son in London and daughter in L.A., my parents and siblings.  I didn't purchase nor give them Christmas specific cards.  I just looked through my stash and used what I had on hand.  Some received cards painted by a family member.  Others received cards made with my photography.  And others received quirky postcards; such as, a postcard that encourages you to collage fruit stickers all over it.

-I mailed out the aforementioned packages to family member with stamps that I had on hand.  These were a hodgepodge collection of stamps from pre-"Forever" stamp times.  I used the self-serve machine in the lobby of the post office to determine the price and put on the appropriate amount of postage.  I think they look fun and interesting!

-I worked Swagbucks and redeemed some for an Amazon gift card that I will use for Christmas presents.

-I discovered some free samples sites.  It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

-I created a progress chart for paying things off.  It is good for me to have visual reminders.

-Bishop has been helping a bakery with their Christmas orders and they have been sending food home with him.  It is so appreciated.  He is learning new skills and helping feed the family!  Double score!

-Gift giving done quite frugally with pride.  Total spent is $328.79.  Although I am not done yet it does include gifts for 25 people, this includes my kiddos (and husband) who have multiple gifts, shipping for those that are going to family in other parts of the country or world, and wrapping for all.  At this point the only thing that is not included are stockings, some odds and ends, and I might add a little cashola to a gift or two.  Full disclosure I don't count the cost of items that have been in the gift stash for over a year.  Examples of this would be the flannel shirts and pajamas that I bought through Kohl's, Ebates, etc. years ago and had never gifted the boys.  If it was added to the gift stash after Christmas of last year than what I spent counts towards this total.  An example of this is that towards the end of December 2018 I made a calendar for my Dad and his wife, I had a coupon for a free calendar from Shutterfly but I did pay for it to be shipped to me, I counted that expenditure in the above total.  Some items were absolutely free; such as the items purchased through Amazon using gift cards earned through Swagbucks. (give referral info).

-I purchased highly discounted toothpaste and stocking stuffers at CVS using Extracare rewards and coupons.  The hubby needed a new tube of toothpaste and the second tube I saved for a son's stocking.

-The buche de noel that is pictured above was made by Bishop at a baking class.  This is a class that we paid for and he learned to make four different traditional Christmas treats, including stollen and panettone.  Everything he made he brought home.  Although the class was not cheap I do consider classes such as this as a frugal accomplishment as long as I am budgeting them in properly.  And here is why...  These types of classes function as education and entertainment.  They teach a skill that can be parlayed into a money-making or money-saving venture in the future.  Additionally, they produce something that benefits the family.

That is all I have for you this week!
See you again soon!

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

December 2 - 8

The husband and I came to an agreement regarding the grocery budget.  We put it into practice this week and it has been a success.  He has agreed to a $600 per month grocery budget; for us this includes all household and hygiene items as well as food for family members and fur babies.  I put $150 cash in an envelope at the beginning of this week for us to use for our shopping.  We spent $156.45 this week so we went a little over the weekly amount but are still definitely on track for the agreed to monthly amount.  This is an area that has caused a great deal of stress for me over the last year and a half and it is so encouraging to have had a successful week.  To top it all off, when assessing how the week went the hubby and I both thought that we had eaten well over the week; there was no sense of deprivation.  This is huge; this totally increases the odds that we can persist and succeed.  Accordingly, most of the successes of the week that are noted below have to do with food.

So, here are a few of my successes for the week:

-One day I unexpectedly became responsible for dinner after having been out of the house all day.  I was so tired and so tempted to just get some pizza.  I resisted that temptation.  Instead, I thawed ground beef in the microwave and made tacos.  I added a bit of diced pepper that I had harvested from the garden just before the big freeze.  This one lonely pepper was beginning to shrivel but I got to it just in time and it added a nice little something to the meat.  I served it with taco shells that I purchased at a highly discounted price because the packaging had been damaged.  Of course, the taco shells had been broken just a bit, as well.  We just used the broken bits of taco shell to make taco bowls.  Everyone enjoyed it, maybe even better than pizza.

-Our little group of homeschoolers get together for a science group on Wednesday mornings.  Then those same kiddos have pottery in the afternoon so we have taken to having lunch together; we affectionately refer to this as lunch club.  When deciding where to have lunch I spoke up and requested that we select some place that is inexpensive.  Everyone else seemed relieved.  We ended up having Chinese at a restaurant that has been around for 24 years but none of us had ever been to it.  It was so cheap and so very good!

-Bishop's pottery studio hosted an open house and pottery show and sale.  Bishop participated and sold some of his pottery.  He earned $45.  They also had a special for that one day that allowed me to buy $100 gift certificates for 20% off.  I purchased $300 worth for $240 as I knew that Bishop's class (pottery, drawing and painting) would be coming due soon!

-The hubby made an excessive amount of bacon one morning for breakfast.  He then utilized it for lunch - he made a pasta dish akin to pasta carbonara.  He used  a box of fettuccine that I got for 66 cents as the box was slightly damaged.  It was very delicious and satisfying.

-For St. Nicholas Day we cobbled together a feast using what we had on hand.  Herb made schnitzel and served it alongside dirty rice and a tomato salad that were leftover from lunch.  The tomato salad would normally be made with balsamic vinegar and olive oil but we were out of those ingredients so he used red wine vinegar and sesame oil.  He also added some olives that we had leftover from Thanksgiving.  I made a pitcher of lemonade using some concentrate that I had in the freezer so that the beverage would be a little festive.

-I haven't pulled out any of my Christmas decorations yet so I improvised for my St. Nicholas Day centerpiece.  Using part of our grocery budget I had purchased the gold coins and chocolates and spiced cookies so I put them in a wooden trencher alongside some oranges removed from our fruit bowl and mixed nuts leftover from Thanksgiving.  Beautiful and festive and everyone has enjoyed grazing on it all week.

-Speaking of not having decorations out yet...  I wanted to put together our advent calendar but didn't have out our most traditional one.  Last year I did something unconventional and bought one from Aldi with little chocolates in it.  I had saved the calendar thinking that I might try to make a variety of homemade chocolates to put in it.  I didn't make any progress throughout the year on learning how to make proper chocolates but that calendar was readily available in my food storage pantry so I just put some mini chocolate bars in it.  I used part of the grocery budget to get the candy and the remainder will be put in the stockings.  It was convenient and fit in the budget!

-At one point during the week the hubby had it in his head that he needed a couple of whole chicken fryers.  He kept texting me whenever I would be out and about asking me to get these chickens.  I simply replied that I would only get them if I were already going to the store for something, I wouldn't make an extra trip, and if there was enough money in the envelope.  He accepted that.  One morning he went to the store with the envelope and purchased two fryers that had just been marked down.  Success.

-The hubby was also amenable to having a conversation about menu planning.  He is accustomed to cooking what he is desiring when he desires it and that is not the best way to keep a grocery budget under control.  One day he got several meat items out of the freezer and when I asked what he had planned he said that it depended on what the family wanted to eat.  I suggested to him that there was a different way to plan menus based on the best use of our resources - that we make those items that utilize perishables first and those that utilize shelf stable items towards the end of the week.  He heard that and enacted that.  Another success.

-I got my 2019 planner for $5 after using Walgreens rewards when purchasing.

-I got that planner just in time as the very next day I had the need to use it to schedule some time with a photographer.  There is a photographer in town that has decided to do a project - 40 Women Over 40.  I simply made an appreciative comment related to the project on his facebook page and he invited me to participate.  I agreed.  I will get a makeover, photo shoot and $250 in prints just for agreeing to be part of the project.  I am a little overwhelmed but a lot delighted.  I haven't had a professional picture taken in probably 17 years and being the family photographer there just aren't that many pictures of me.  I think that the timing is perfect as I explore who I am separate from my role as homeschooling mom.  Isn't this cool?

-Even at the end of this week there are no Christmas decorations out but the living room has been taken over with Christmas wrapping supplies.  I typically don't love to wrap presents but I have been having a good time this go around.  It has long been my goal to only use brown craft paper for my wrapping (and any gift bags that I might still have on hand).  I have steadily worked my way through my wrapping paper stash over the years and have resisted the urge to buy any clearance paper.  I like the idea of using the craft paper (that I get at the dollar store) because it works for all occasions, there is no need to have different types of paper for Christmas and birthdays (adult vs child) and baby showers, etc.  I just use different ribbons and tags for different occasions.  I think that this approach is going to work for me.  So I pulled out the tags that I punched from scrapbook paper and vintage ephemera.  And I pulled out the ribbon that I have owned for years after buying it a thrift store, and the twine that I purchased at the dollar store and the ribbon that I have purchased at Hobby Lobby on 50% discount.  And I wrapped some gifts.  I love them.  I think they are beautiful.  I know that they are frugal.  And they are so me!

The Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

November 25 - December 1

Sunday:  Well, it wasn't a no spend day but I didn't spend on anything that wasn't necessary.  I did make a trip to Lowe's to by some things that were needed for Bishop to finish a couple of Boy Scout merit badges.  This isn't something that could even be delayed.  Bishop has his Eagle Scout Board of Review in a week and he really needs to have his merit badges completed for his Eagle Palms.  That being said, I made the best choices possible.  I went cheap!

I am also making significant progress on developing a plan for a side hustle.

I can do this!

Monday:  I splurged a tiny bit.  For our Boy Scout meeting this evening I had planned an art walk through part of our city.  It has turned quite cold here so I thought it would be delightful to have hot chocolate available for the boys to take with them on the walk or to have after the walk or both.  So I did swing by Aldi and score some hot chocolate and disposable coffee cups with lids.  A friend, who is a caterer, brought a big pump thermos filled with hot water and some leftover flavored whipped creams that she wanted out of her refrigerator.  I grabbed a bag of marshmallows that I had on hand.  Altogether it was a fabulous treat to go along with a fabulous evening and was totally worth the $10.
Our meals were a win today.  We successfully used some leftovers.  I made some more rolls using the bread dough in the freezer.  Than we used the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and white cheddar leftover from the Thanksgiving grazing table to make sliders.  For dessert we had leftover cranberry sauce.  Yum!

Tuesday:  OK, I had a fail today.  Sigh.  I had my keys stolen and this will cost me.  Tomorrow I will pay about $36 to have the computer adjusted in the car so that it will not recognize the stolen key fob.  Then at some point in the future I will have to buy a new fob and those things are NOT cheap.  Ugh.  On the other hand, I also had a frugal success and made significant progress on my Christmas giving.  There is a project that I have long had in mind and I have now completed the project.  I will be sharing it with many members of my family.  Because of that fact, I must remain a bit cryptic on my blog but I can say that I am really proud of it.  When I completed the first one I actually cried a smidge and each one cost less than $6!
On Sunday Herb had made chili for hot dogs, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Today, for lunch, we utilized that chili to make chili mac and then, for dinner, we had chili dogs again.  A little redundant but a stellar use of our leftovers and of what we have in the freezer.  During the summer we stocked up on really good hot dogs and shoved them in the freezer.  And by stocked up, I mean that we could probably feed our family lunch and dinner for a month on those hot dogs alone.  It feels good to be using what we have on hand.
Last week the hubby and I had a good conversation about our finances.  He agreed to a budgeted amount for our groceries.  That amount is really generous in my opinion as it is the same amount that I used for the groceries when all six members of our family were home.  But I felt that he needed that little bit extra so that is what I suggested and that is what he agreed to.  He also agreed to the envelope system for the groceries.  Yet after we got paid today he went by the grocery store for no real reason at all.  He came home with $42 worth of groceries.  I deducted that amount from the budgeted amount and reminded him of the agreement.  He took it well.  I hope this works.  I will consider it a win for today!

Wednesday:  Bishop and I had science group today which usually means that we also go out to eat (we call this lunch club :)).  Today we didn't eat out but each family brought food for a fantastic smorgasbord.  I used items leftover from Thanksgiving to create a grazing board.  After lunch we went to our local science center.  They actually had a sale on annual memberships.  So I paid just a smidge more than what was necessary for today's admission but I know have a full years membership.  We already have plans for our science group to return.  Money well spent.
I also took the vehicle in to the shop to deal with the key issue.  It didn't get taken care of.  I spent two hours of time only to find out that they couldn't do what they said they could.  At least I didn't have to pay any money out on this situation just yet.
I met a friend for dinner and decided to treat her.  We only ordered soup and an appetizer.  Good food and great company for a low price.  Score!
The ornaments that I purchased at buy one get one free came in today.  I also sorted through my gift stash.  With the gifts that I made yesterday and the ones that I found and received today I have a total of 27 gifts.  I spent an average of $4.83 on each gift.  I am feeling pretty good right now.  I still have some presents to go and I have to get some things shipped but I am doing pretty well thus far.

Thursday:  A no spend day!!!  Love it!!  Although the hubby really wanted to go to the store to pick up a couple of items for a recipe he wanted to try, we avoided the grocery store using what we had on hand to prepare meals.  I promised him I would do bigger shopping tomorrow.  In preparation for that shopping trip I made a tentative menu and shopping list.  (Tentative because I am not the only one that prepares meals and things don't always go as I planned).  In the freezer, I have a corned beef so I added cabbage to the shopping list.  With the leftover corned beef I will make reubens, so I added rye bread to the shopping list.  We have a ton of hot dogs in the freezer.  We will probably have a meal of hot dogs but I also want to come up with something different so that we aren't too bored.  I have puff pastry in the freezer so I can make puffy pig in a blankets.  I might use them in a grilled cheese sandwich or in corn muffins for a corn dog type meal.  I have leftover spaghetti noodles from this evenings meal that I will either try in a frittata or make a pan fried noodle dish with.  Herb wants to make sweet and sour pork and a pork belly bacon sandwich (I think, that's what he said).  That gives us a week of main meals.  We can use leftovers, ramen and tuna for other meals and, of course, eggs and oatmeal for breakfasts.  I even gave thought to what to send with Bishop for his lunch tomorrow.  Bishop has history classes on Friday's.  The classes run back to back and they just eat lunch during class so we pack a lunch.  I admit that I usually pick up something for him at Panera.  I was prepared to do that again tomorrow then realized that if I got around properly in the morning I could make him something delicious.  I thawed some chicken today.  I thought that it was a couple of thighs that I could make a chicken noodle soup with but it turned out that it was chicken wings.  I am thinking that I can cook those up in the morning before class.  Buffalo wings or even fried chicken would make a great lunch.  Another option would be pizza.  I have a can of pizza dough in the fridge that could quickly be prepared.  Planning ahead is the key to making wise choices.
Other successes for the day include putting together a box of 46 homeschool resources to take to the consignment shop tomorrow.  I also put together a bag of stuff to take to the thrift store.  I will remember to get a receipt for my donation.

Friday:  I failed to mention some things yesterday that I will take liberty and put on today's record.  We have been doing better on utility usage as of late.  For years the hubby lived in housing where utilities were included in his rent and became accustomed to leaving lights on and running the a/c on high non-stop, etc.  To be honest, I think he also kept lights and music on because he was alone and it felt less lonely to him to have it all on.  His habit has continued now that he has returned home.  He will turn on nearly every light in the house and leave them on.  I have been gently trying to get him to be more conscious of just how much that habit costs us.  My thought is that if it increases the quality of his life significantly than it is worth the output in funds, assuming we have the funds, but if it doesn't than that money could be better spent.  Unfortunately, I don't think that he thinks that much about such things so it has been difficult to ascertain whether this expenditure serves any real purpose or not.  All of that to say, for whatever reason he has begun turning lights off with more regularity.  I hope that this continues.  Additionally, I have been working on a habit of mine.  I don't like to be cold and, unfortunately, I get cold rather easily so I tend to keep the heater higher than most might.  I evaluated the cost of my preference and wondered if I would rather spend that money in a different way.  The truth is, it is more important to me that Maceo's tuition be paid and that Bishop's college application fees are met.  For that, I can adjust my habit and I have.  I sleep in the coldest room in the house but I have piled on wonderfully warm blankets and have stayed rather toasty...mostly.  When I get a little nippy I play a little game.  It is my dream to live in a campervan for a while and tour the country.  There will be cold evenings during that venture so I try to look at this moment in this cold room as training.  I think about how I will address a similar situation in the campervan and I try out ideas.  So, yes, sometimes I find myself sleeping with a stocking cap on in my own home.  It doesn't feel like deprivation because of the goals that I have set for myself and the dreams that I have.

Saturday:  I took that bag of donations to the thrift store.  I remembered to grab a receipt so that we can deduct it on our taxes.  I also took the time to look at the children's books.  I needed two more gifts and thought that it was worth looking since I was already there.  I found two like new books that are just classics!  I am delighted with them and I only paid $1.50 for them.  I now only have to get gifts for two more people... oh, and wrap gifts... and get gifts shipped... and plan when the extended family will come over for hot chocolate and their little gifts... and plan and set up the hot chocolate bar!!!
I worked some on the little business that I hope to get going very soon - a little cottage industry.  I have a bit of a timeline in place and did significant research and planning today.  I am feeling very positive about the venture.  I am feeling like it is a good fit for me - that it works with my strengths and interests and time.  I will be sharing more very soon!  (There is a hint contained in this post!!)
And I have a HUGE blessing to report - I found my vehicle keys!!!  I am now so thankful that the auto shop was unsuccessful on Wednesday!  My keys were in another bag that I had in the vehicle.  I'm not certain how the vehicle locked with the key fob in the car.  That has happened one other time although it is not supposed to happen.  Curious!  I am sooo happy to have my keys - to know that the vehicle is secure and to not have to put out hundreds of dollars for a new fob!!!

It has been a good week financially.  We have been focused and deliberate.  It has felt very good.  I hope the success continues next week.
See you then!