May Frugals

[Meezer_Mom]

Still logging everything AND I've started a new thing: I'm recording my frugal wins on my hotmail calendar. Reason being, for those days when I have none I can look to the others to encourage myself. It's not fancy; just where, how, and how much. For example, going to Del Taco, used c/o AND AARP discount = 1.46 saved. It's only savings if I'd've spent it regardless.

Aiming for my spending to reflect my lifestyle not the other way around.

Working for a client this week, was just shocked at how wasteful office staff was towards food. Ordered in, ate a few bites, declared themselves bored, let it sit out overnight, trashed it the next day. Not my business, but, yikes!

They ordered in for Cinco de Mayo. I scored a churro, some chips and guac. There was a lot of cinnamon sugar crumbs left at the bottom of the churro bag. I'm toting it home to add to my oatmeal tomorrow. Yum! That's how I roll but I'm keenly aware I can't judge others.

[Lainey]

Free entertainment today: went to the auto race track which the local auto-cross club had rented for the day. Watched experienced drivers and amateurs race around about a .6 mile track for a few hours while sitting under a shaded pavilion. My SO got to be a passenger on two of the races and had a blast.

[Yppej]

Cooked some soybeans someone gave my son that he did not want. Went to several shoe stores and only purchased two items in neutral tones, comfortable heights, and to company dress code. With these I can get by for awhile without my feet killing me from wearing heels for 8 1/2 hours a day.

[Selah]

Rode bicycles with DH today for 30 minutes nonstop and did NOT stop at Starbucks! Saved money, time, and calories! (I know 30 minutes isn't a lot, but it's a lot for me.)

[nswef]

30 minutes on a bike is quite impressive to me!

[Yppej]

Got free flowers from my mom who is thinning out her perennial beds. And I second that 30 minutes is impressive. Don't doctors recommemd just 20 minutes 3 times a week of cardio?

[Selah]

Got a Groupon for a medical treatment that knocked the price down from $199 to $99, then did some internet magic and got it knocked down even further to $84. Finally did the legwork to switch over my prescriptions to a mail-order company through my health insurance, which should save about 35% on what I'm already paying. My doctor gave me some great advice about using an OTC treatment for a particular problem, thus saving me time and money---thanks, Doc!

My particular doctor is suggesting I do 90 minutes of walking or 60 minutes of biking a day, at least six days a week. Sigh.

[early morning]

took lunch all week even on days it was very inconvenient. I almost always do this, but we've had several extended meetings at restaurants and if they provide meeting space and free wifi, I am sure not going to try to sneak in food, lol. This week all meetings were somewhere in house, so lunch went with me. Avoided happy hour at the coffee shop - avoided paying for anything at the coffee shop altogether this week. As always, bought gas at cheapest spot on my route. Picked up a DVD and book from the library for the weekend. I need to get some things from the big-box home store but I'm going through what we have FIRST, and make a list. It's way too easy to just go buy more of something I can't quickly lay my hands on, and justify it by saying "oh, it'll get used anyway" - unless of course I lose it too!! AND I'm leaving DH at home. He is like a kid in a candy store and always comes home with stuff we don't need, and often it is never used. In fact I've taken quite a bit of stuff back, and he has NEVER noticed.

[Yppej]

Skipped Friday lunch ordered out. Will try to hold off on purchasing more clothes until I see how my 30 day review goes Monday. For years I have not wanted to spend money in this area and things are starting to literally wear out, but I don't want to invest in work related wardrobe items without assurances I am doing fine in this job. Today was a rare jeans Friday so I lucked out.

[rosarugosa]

I have not been frugal at all recently, but I'm going to turn that around and hopefully you'll be hearing more from me. I have been cheering you on from the sidelines. Last Sunday was a major long-planned splurge at a specialty plant shop I've been wanting to visit for 2 years (Seed to Stem in Worcester and I was like a kid in a candy store). Splurge I did, but decided that now it is time to cool it for awhile. I've been virtuous all week, working every day and always bringing my lunch. I've been reading library books, and I cut bleeding hearts from my garden and lilacs from my Mom's garden, so my house is full of beautiful free flowers!
Our plan to allow everyone to work from home 2 days per week has been approved, so that will save time, bus fare and stress, although it may eventually push me in the direction of a desk and monitor purchase to improve my ergonomic setup at home (currently a laptop on the kitchen table). Even so, it's a definite win as far as saving time and improving quality of life. The bus tonight reeked of stale pee, and there are some things you just can't put a price tag on