January 2014 Frugals.........

[bke]

Last night was an excellent shopping night. I combined free coke coupons, a store deal offering $$ back on purchases, and several coupons for protein bars to receive the following for free last night: Eleven 12-packs of Coke products, 6 boxes of Atkins bars (these are great for a snack/quick meal when I'm busy at work), a candy bar for ds, and a jar of Biscoff spread.

Based on the prices that I normally pay for these items, I saved $84.09!!!

I price matched on Kleenex and used a coupon to save another $2.52.

We ate dinner at our favorite Chinese buffet saving about $10 by getting there in time for lunch prices and drinking free hot tea instead of ordering soda.

We passed several gas stations while running our errands last night and filled up at the cheapest saving 13 cents a gallon over the priciest.

[Blackdog Lin]

rosa - you remembered! We liked it okay, but it's not something we would seek out again for a special treat. Good but not awesome flavor, and mostly it's just not as sweet as the cheap imitation syrup we've been eating all these years and are used to. Maybe it's just the brand we bought - I have nothing to compare it to.

We'll use it all, we decided, by just mixing it half and half with our imitation stuff.

[TMC]

January 9 - I was thinking about what to post today, it's interesting that most of my frugal things are so passive. I did not eat out in two weeks, I did not buy wool boot socks, I just borrowed my husbands. So much of saving money is about doing "nothing".

So a lot of things the same here. Cooked at home, exercising in my basement instead of paying a gym and this weekend we have some cheap or free fun planned.

I will carry on with my frugal ways.

[fidgiegirl]

Yes, TMC, some months I think the thread could just as easily be what we DIDN'T do that saved money. So often it is the purchase NOT made, the action NOT taken that is the real frugal.

[Stella]

I was craving foods we can't generally have because of my dad's stomach issues and I was really, really thinking of getting a pizza since he wasn't home for dinner. In the end, I decided that chicken taco salad sounded just as good, and I had almost everything for it. I did send Zach to the store for one ingredient, but it was much, much cheaper than ordering pizza would have been, and healthier. It also used up some lettuce that I needed to use up.

[flowerseverywhere]

I misplaced my car keys so we only have one set. We called the dealer and they charge $250 for a replacement. So DH asked at our local ace hardware and they gave him the name of a locksmith. Apparently it needs to be programmed but he will do it for $75. Still outrageous, but way better. I bet we will find the keys as soon as we get a replacement made

granddaughters birthday is next month, so I made her a doll quilt to match the one I gave her for Christmas. She is a little girl who likes dolls. DH is making a bed for the doll.

[danna]

Jan 09
--supper from chicken bought yesterday at Costco...and plenty left to make a soup later (now in freezer)
--bought a family size pack of hamburger at Costco yesterday and made it up into 13 patties and 76 meatballs
froze all except enough for the next two nights supper of spaghetti and meatballs and fry mixed peppers (a whole bag of
mixed peppers bought on my way home from volunteering for $1.99)
--also got three bags of oranges all different varieties for $3.98 off mark down table all good

[TMC]

I misplaced my car keys so we only have one set. We called the dealer and they charge $250 for a replacement. So DH asked at our local ace hardware and they gave him the name of a locksmith. Apparently it needs to be programmed but he will do it for $75. Still outrageous, but way better. I bet we will find the keys as soon as we get a replacement made

granddaughters birthday is next month, so I made her a doll quilt to match the one I gave her for Christmas. She is a little girl who likes dolls. DH is making a bed for the doll.

The doll quilt is a very cute idea, something she will hopefully treasure as she gets older.

[cdttmm]

Agree with TMC and fidgiegirl, many of my frugals are because of things I DIDN'T do, as opposed to what I did do!

Took our three dogs to the vet yesterday for their annual exams. We get a multi pet discount if we bring them together so makes sense to get them all there on the same day. Bought a year's worth of heart worm preventative for each of them and got the paperwork to submit for a $36 rebate. Considering the overall cost of yesterday's visit, this is a drop in the bucket, but I have to keep in mind that the little things are what allows me to foot the huge vet bill without a lot of angst.

My MIL made goulash this week and sent leftovers home with my dearly beloved. He's happy as it provides him with dinner for a few days. He baked two loaves of bread yesterday to eat along with it. As a vegetarian, I can't participate in the eating of the goulash, so I made a huge batch of popcorn and enjoyed that yesterday instead of cooking up something more elaborate. Today I'm at a conference for work so free breakfast and lunch. Definitely not the healthiest meals I've eaten this week, but I'm just going to roll with it...

Didn't go to the gym on Wednesday night and saved on the gas expense. I'm trying to recover from a minor knee injury so I stayed home and watched a movie via Netflix instead. Good, frugal entertainment.

Found a coupon for a free ream of printer paper from Staples so will take advantage of that tomorrow.

Opened a new economy size jug of laundry detergent yesterday and transferred a portion of it to a smaller container to use. Last year I found that an economy size jug would last 3 months. We average one load of laundry a day at our house. I'm going to challenge us to make it last 4 months this year. Part of that is being more diligent about planning laundry so that there are fewer last minute, small loads. Part of it is about being more mindful about using the minimum amount of laundry detergent each time, too.

[TMC]

January 10 - Dinner is clean out the fridge night using up leftovers from what I cooked all week.

We have an event to attend for DH work so I did my own manicure. I work at home so rarely get "real" manicures. The cold weather really beats up my hands though so I find myself looking for manicures more in the winter. My job turned out just lovely.

I found something in my closet to wear for the shindig and I'm off like Cinderella to the (free) ball.