Frugal wins and budget blips are par for my course each week. Do you relate?
Five Frugal Wins
1. Menu planned with food stocks. I* purchased no restaurant**, take out, or fast food.
2. Used Kohls cash for clearanced under garment for DD2 and warm cotton socks for us both. items are needed and only spent $2.83 additional.
3. Used up plain yogurt and two old bananas for 12 muffins and small bread loaf.
4. Ate at home before wine club, so just ate cheese and crackers and a couple other complimentary appetizers with wine tastings. (We still leave a gratuity for staff filling self serve water and cheese station when we don't order more food.)
5. Free library*** and Netflix for movies for DD and all of us when we got home.
Budget Blips
1. DH* picked up rotisserie chicken, instant potatoes and gravy, plus frozen meals, off plan.
2. The well below zero temps are impacting gas mileage and I got 15% fewer miles per tank last week.
3. Spent $36 mailing DS Christmas gifts he couldn't fit to take home on plane.
4. DD2** pooled money with other kids to order pizza before show choir as forgot a sandwich or healthy snack.
5. Have to run to library*** to get movies back to avoid late fee. Extra trip, but cheaper than $1.00 per day each for three movies. This is am annoying one but I'll quickly see what we need for fresh foods and combine the trip to mitigate.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
14 comments:
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I hit the library too. They just offer so much
ReplyDeleteI know, really, and we have paid for them and would like to justify the continuation of library hours and new materials. I have cancelled all my magazine subscriptions-they tended to stock up before I read. I can check out older circulation versions of dozens of magazines.
Deletesounds like a great week! I forgot to include my frugal fail, but it was a biggie (had to cancel a trip & due to change fees, got zero flight credits). Overall, it's a better financial decision, but hurt to make the decision & lose the money. I need to constantly remind myself that it's fine to frame out dates & loosely plan things, but we are not in a place for me to actually commit & pay for our travel right now. Too much is in flux. It causes me pain, but it's where we are!
ReplyDeleteUgh on the airline loss. This happened two years ago with tickets for DH and DD2. they were going to go visit his parents in Arizona, but then his dad took a very huge health turn. He had to fly out a week earlier, help get his dad moved back to Minnesota. He then passed away the week they would have bee there. while technically they still had a $98 credit, it had to be used within a year, and on same airline, and nothing worked out.
DeleteMy sister and I decided at the last minute to cancel a trip to our cousin's wedding last year. We took a big hit on he flight cancellation but Dad died while we would have been at the wedding. Best money I ever lost!
DeleteWell done Sam! Do you know the Nonconsumer Blog? She's always honest about her successes and failures on the thrift front. I've had a couple of good bargains today but managed to buy the only non reduced labelled loaf in the pile the other day even though it was at date. Ah well!
ReplyDeleteArilx
I figure this will give me a little journal to look back on and see if there are any patterns I can track. Some of these were one offs, like mailing of Christmas gifts,but others are potential foolish pattern slime late library materials, and not having DD pack a little dinner for her Wednesdays.
DeleteOh, and yes, I do read Kate's blog, and appreciate her candor.
DeleteI like this post - it's great to share the wins and the fails with the rest of us who are also fumbling along. I went almost a week without spending but picked up chinese food to share with a friend who couldn't get out (she doesn't drive plus we had a bunch of new snow). And then I went to a thrift store as I wanted a brown hat to go with my brown coat but no luck. However...I did pick up a couple of decor items and spent $20. Other than that I have only purchased gas and groceries. Not too bad for the first week of Jan.
ReplyDeleteI just read your post, and I think that falls into mental health when a good friend is involved. You didn't at least pay full retail, so a win there.
DeleteI like the idea of summarising the week this way... it really focuses the mind. Jx
ReplyDeleteAs I typed to Aril, hopefully a learning tool for me. If others are interested, that is a bonus.
DeleteI have decided if I make more good financial decisions than bad ones I am still ahead of the game. Life rarely fits into what I planned it to be, and if I "need" an occasional indulgence coffee while everything else is spinning out of control, or have to make an unplanned take out food stop because of one of Mom's demands or emergencies I am not calling it a fail. It is just a blip. Failures are for when I make a decision knowing fully well the consequences will not be great, but make it anyway. (Like buying a new coat when I already have 3. Bad, bad, bad)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely my perspective as well-budget blips. I more want to reflect the stupid blips. I went with the girls for a beer after volleyball on Wednesday, and I don't consider that a blip-[art of my life list to maintain social connectedness. I hesitated adding DD2's pizza, because it was a fun afternoon with her friends before practice, and so cold out to walk to get a bit to eat. I chose to include because the plan was for her to pack a snack and we just didn't plan. She still would have been hanging out with friends-many who packed a snack.
Delete