March 2015 Frugals

[bke]

Dh and I have come to realize that if we don't buckle down and get serious about saving money we will never be able to retire. We are both starting to feel our age and are finding the physical demands of running the restaurant are really catching up to us. So, I am back and more determined than ever to save money.

We started doing a pizza carryout business in the evenings on top of our usual schedule. This has added about 50 hours a week to the work schedule. I am working 7 days a week and dh is working up to 17 hours a day. One of the up sides to this is that we're not spending much money. No time to go out and play and 90% of our eating is done at work. My grocery bill for the last 4 weeks has been right around $30.

I've been playing the on-line sweeps again and have one several small prizes lately: 4-5 candy bars which ds will be happy to indulge in, a package of cheese, and a jar of peanuts.

I stopped at Walgreen's last week and purchased 2 deoderants for 34 cents.

Spent some time this morning entering coke rewards points on line too. A customer gives me all of their points and in turn I share the rewards with them. We recently received coupons for 4 free 12 pks apiece.

[frugal-one]

Happy 12th Stella! Glad to see you back!

Went to the thrift store .. bought a book and paper cups... with points accrued ... paid a total of 8¢!

[SteveinMN]

I've been thinking hard if there have been any frugals beyond the usual this month...

There have been plenty of no-drive days; unless I have a few places to go (or a long distance to cover) I don't even like to start the car when it's this cold. One benefit of not driving is that I make fewer supermarket runs than I used to. Most runs were to pick up something we'd run out of faster than expected or to pick up an advertised deal, but that's been tempered by the time and the dollar or so in fuel it takes to get there and back.

The dog continues to be an "un-frugal" but it's really nice to have her around, so... At least we found a good kibble for her that's a few bucks cheaper per bag than what we were buying at first. And we've given up on buying toys; she's just not interested. I'm sure we could spend much more money in search of something that rings her bell, but if she's not worried, we're not worried.

[rosarugosa]

Wow BKE, it's been a very long time - nice to see you again!

[chrissieq]

I'm finding that owning a dog is not particularly frugal although so worth it! We bought a toy guaranteed indestructible before we picked him up - he had it chewed apart within an hour! I think the ball that was attached is still around so I can't really claim he destroyed it. Now his toys of choice (OK the only thing I offer him) are stuffed animals from the thrift store - no beanie baby types cause those beads end up all over, ribbons etc removed, the first thing he does is rip out the eyes and spit them out then stuffing everywhere. I did make dog biscuits this week but decided we could forgo a dog bone shaped cookie cutter. He can't tell squares from a dog bone shape.

Besides the unconditional love and plenty of laughs, I mostly appreciate the demands of walking him every day - this AM we were out in 6 degrees below - both bundled up and ready to go for a good 20 minutes.

[Aqua Blue]

Chris, some of m dog's favorite toys are: Old socks tied into knots, a plastic bottle with a couple of stones in it(it makes a lot of noise when he chases it around the house or patio in the summer). He also likes plastic water bottles without a lid as they make a "nice" noise. Tennis balls seem to hold up pretty well too.

[bke]

Thanks RR-it's good to be back.

My morning coffee was free. It was a sample I received in the mail. Does anyone know how much a bag of coffee costs at a Starbucks coffee shop-not the grocery store? It occurred to me that I have a gift card and buying a bag of coffee to drink at home would be a frugal way to use it.

I have had a bag of those laundry soap tablets laying around the house for over two years. They were free so I picked them up but really prefer liquid laundry detergent so I never got around to using them. The other day I dissolved a few of them in an empty detergent jug. They work so nicely as a pre-dissolved liquid! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

Yesterday was a no spend day. Today I must buy gas for the car. I am determined to make this my only spending for the day.

[Selah]

I figured out how to save $25 in parking charges for an upcoming day-trip to Seattle by doing a little online research and figuring out how to park for free at a shopping mall and take the bus in. Also, DH and I have already saved hundreds of dollars by getting some much-needed dental work at a dental school. I may also be picking up some extra work as an editor for a manuscript, so that could lead to some regular side income as the author is fairly prolific.

[lessisbest]

Our Tuesday Morning store is going out of business (which is sad, indeed) and they have everything on sale for 20% off. I already have a glass electric kettle I've purchased from them (twice over the years - one met with a tragic kitchen accident and went to appliance "heaven") that I absolutely love this kettle. When I checked the shelf they had one more, so I purchased it. Total $31.99 (plus tax). While looking at a trendy kitchen shop last night while out of town, I noticed the same kettle for $79.99. So much for a great deal-of-the-day. I'm off to a very slow start in March for it being a "shopping month" - one kettle and a pair of much needed slacks from Goodwill.

[rosarugosa]

BKE: I think it's about $12.00 a pound at Starbucks. My MIL buys her coffee by the pound there and has been very pleased.