Saturday, May 5, 2018

Thrifty Wins for the Week


I might as well get used to the fact that my life has expenses. Some of these will pop up that I maybe didn't specifically budget for, but are part of our cash flow regardless. Take the $17 field trip to the Festival of Nations for DD2, plus food money. Sure, she could have packed a lunch, and did bring a snack, but it wouldn't have been much fun without sampling the various foods. She used some  birthday money and bought herself a large tote bag as well, but her money, not ours. I have a check engine light on. It could be nothing or it could be something covered under the warranty, but I won't hold my breath. I'm waiting for the diagnosis. We have a confirmation for our nephew so money for his gift, Mother's Day brunch and gift (hanging basket) next week, and contributions to end of year appreciation luncheons for the school staff to pay for. With DH getting called into work, DD2 having homework project, and me not eating, picked up deli chicken for the two of them instead of cooking. Sigh. At least they will get a second meal out of it. Such is the norms of life. This is why I'm glad I can find a few thrifty wins here and there, none of which alone are huge savings, but added up over time and considering the alternative, they do help.

  1. I only had a 7 cents off gas coupon this week, but still over $1.00 savings on my weekly tank of gas is better than full price.
  2. My procedure ended up being a consult and a new mode of treatment is going to be tried first. Apparently my GP was too eager to book the dilation. I learned there is a high possibility that the repeat blockages may be the result of reflux and an acid blocker might relieve the constrictions. We're going to try this for three months, then look at food allergies as the culprit if this doesn't improve the situation. So instead of  the high deductible for the procedure, I just have the office copayment. With prescription, we are out  $129.69 for two office visits and meds but will get reimbursed trough my pretax fund, saving roughly 30%. (On a side note, this whole business apparently has been stressful as my blood pressure shot up even higher than a few weeks ago. My best savings plan is to be healthy so need to nip this in the bud, breathe, and relax.)
  3. DD2 had an early release then left for a track meet. She packed three little turkey sandwiches on dollar buns, a couple apples and an orange,  two granola bars, and some pretzel thins to eat after school and then later after she runs. Many of the kids were going to hit Chipotle before going to the meet, but her packed lunch saved at least $5. Teens are teens, and I don't want her left out to save money all the time, but since she spent money Thursday, she just made the lunches Friday without even asking about more money. 
  4. I ate the same bean soup for lunch all week. I didn't mind a bit since I varied other items. 
  5. I delicate washed and line dried several articles of clothing that supposedly were dry clean only. While I'm sure they would look crisper, I'm not seeing any harm,plus these were thrifted clothes to begin with that were most likely less than the cost to dry clean. 
  6. I stopped at the thrift store after picking up my prescription and found a very nice pair of gray pants for $4.99. 
After the confirmation today, I hope to stop in a thrift store near my  brother in laws and see if I can find the white shirt and black jacket. My goal will be less than $24 for the lot and I've got a good start. It's a big garage sale weekend as well, so perhaps might stop at a few. But as I'm trying to declutter, I doubt I'll buy anything. If I can find replacement chairs for the porch bench, I would be pleased. There will be no eating out this weekend. We'll spend $12 on the high school play to see DD2's friends, and go home for a glass of wine tonight. Sunday will be another frugal day spent on our house, getting it pulled together to enjoy summer weather. What about you? Any bargains your way? Are you conquering the battle of  unnecessary spending while still allowing for the joys of life? 

12 comments:

  1. I have wanted to order a pair of slip on shoes for summer, (think LL Bean espadrilles) but cannot stomach the $49. So, I keep tossing the catalogs in the garbage, and tell myself my running shoes are perfectly fine with shorts and jeans. I keep tossing out the catalog to help my resolve.
    You can always try a cool, steam iron on your clothes to "crisp" them up. And, just think about how much better for our poor lungs not using the dry cleaner is!
    Joys of life a lot more visible here today, as it's going to be sunny, close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I have some flower beds to clear out, and DD and I have a b.day party for the neighbor's kindergarten daughter, being held at a yogurt shop. I will bake the daughter some cookies for a gift, and forego the yogurt, but my DD will probably want to get some yogurt. I generally can't stand kids' b.day parties, but neither can this mother, so we're on the same page. If it was anybody else, I would not be going.

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    1. I hear you on th ehsoes. I am keeping my eyes on th elook out for comfy sandals but with a comfy price, but if I don't find them, I'll wear my flip flops down by th elake, and tennies everywhere else. I hate ironing, but I am going to get it out and make my shirts (not dry clean but I don't put in the dryer), skirts, and pants look better. Life jsut feels perfect when the weahter is. I can put stress aside when the sun shines and the air is mild. I'm not trusting yet that we will have no more frost, so givin gflowers another two weeks before I plant my pots and planters. Enjoy gettin in the dirt though!

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  2. I wash a bunch of so called dry clean items, except for suits. Havi g said that once my no spend mo th is over I'm tami g all my sweatersto the fluff and fold cause I am terrible at f,at drying sweaters. Expenses, they are always there.

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    1. I have a bunch of sweaters to de-pill, using a razor. Then, I put in the dryer for a few minutes wiht a couple tennis balls. It might not do the same as the fluff and fold, but I have pretty good luck getting my sweters back in shape. Might be worth a try before spending the money-no harm at least.

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    2. Just curious - why the tennis balls?

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    3. The tennis balls will plump up the sweaters so they have a softer feel after flat drying.

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  3. My gastroenterologist Found I had eosinophilic esophagitis. This is caused by allergies. So, he sent me to an allergist where I found about all the strange allergies I have. This has lead to Barrets. If you are choking like I am, go ahead and see what is the problem before it gets out of hand. Good luck on all this.

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    1. that's the official diagnosis for me as well. I may have to go the whole food elimination route, but he is hopeful controlling the acid will help the probelm. There is no way I'm not going to try this first with our trip to France in three month-too much delicious bread and cheese to consume!

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  4. We had a yard sale this morning to help dd make some extra money. I. HATE. YARD. SALES. It seems like there is always something waiting to take our money, doesn't it?

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    1. I'm not a fan of holding them either-too much work, but I ahvean awful lot to declutter so it might b enice to rasie a bit of cash while doing it. I hope she was successful. I ended up not stopping at any, so the elusive seating for the porch has not yet been found.

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  5. Don't you love it when you have a lot going on. I have been busy with the Avengers movie and yard work. The kids have been busy too. thankfully my son drives so I only have to drive YD. We always try to set up a carpool so that helps. My week is here: https://mcoia.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-frugal-list-week-of-april-30-2018.html

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