By the end of the weekend, I should have a fully functioning and hopefully sleeker, less cluttered, and more organized kitchen. I can then go back to preparing both healthier and less expensive meals. We have eaten too much food cooked in the microwave, take out, and restaurant meals to last me for a long time! I'm having to reach pretty deep to find thrift in the past week, but sometimes thrift is just not spending as much as I could have. Here are my five thrifty things for Thursday, May 9th.
- Circumstances were crazy on Monday and I ended up getting Carside pick-up at Applebee's. however, I had a $5 coupon on my first order and we ended up with the 2 for $27, which had two entrees and an appetizer and was more than enough for the three of us.
- While I spent $22 on my Taco bar contributions for the Employee Appreciation lunch we hosted in our division, I had lettuce, salsa, and Pica de gallon leftover as I bought more than we opened. I used that for taco salads for supper.
- I got all the table ware, minus dinner plates, for DD2's party at the dollar store, and am under my target so far in that category. In party stores or even Walmart, the table cloths alone would have been double.
- This isn't really thrift, but I didn't spend as much as other months as DD2 still had $15 in her lunch account so I saved that much topping her account off for the end of the year.
- I keep finding change as I empty drawers and clean off shelves. Maybe I'll end up with enough to make a dent in all the take out!
Sometimes the small wins are enough. I'll bring fruit and yogurt for my lunch as all has to gt out of the fridge and that will be less to move. I can't imagine doing big projects if these little ones are disrupting my flow! How has your week been in the savings department?
We sold our Panhandle place, which covers the new construction. On that, however, I would say no savings. I added on a few things (mainly, bigger patio pours) but DH keeps saying that things like this are cheaper to do now. All other spending has effectively halted, save DH's eating out with the kids. It's not easy. As much as I'd like to say the whole crew is on board, that's not necessarily the case. For instance: DD has a trip to Europe this summer with the history club. It's something we want her to experience, and there's no way we could take her (logistics, stamina). In any case, she asked for a few things, including getting her hair done at a salon. I had to explain to her that these were simply not going to happen unless she could come up with the money herself.
ReplyDeleteTo that end, earlier in the week she asked me if I wanted a Mother's Day gift. I answered with a resounding "no" and explained why. She didn't take too kindly to that, so the kids offered to take me out shopping for fruit trees for our new place on Saturday, and said they would plant them as my gift. These mandatory gift giving holidays really irritate me...
*Other than that* not "on that, no savings."
DeleteSince I do not want to accumulate anything righ tnow, but I know there will be some gift giving, I try to respond to requests with practical or disposable. My older kids would buy me little one pot coffee sachets in different flavors. Inexpensive for them and a treat for me. Since your kids would have been disappointed, I think the tree is lovely-something you would have bought, but they get the joy of gifting, even if MD feels like another forced gifting event.
DeleteTakeout equals sanity sometimes when doing renos. I feel for you as you have a specific deadline - plus a family to feed and house during the reno. Take whatever small thrift victories you can get!
ReplyDeleteI fell guilty with people feeling like I'm doing any reno-it's just update, repair and replace, but even that feels like too much. I left more int0 the refrigerator than I would have liked so now I have to empty into coolers, probably finding a ton of waste and will throw a lot of food. tonight though, Take and Bake pizza in my new oven! Saturday, will be top to bottom cleaning and purging and then I'll decide on the border.
DeleteThis is an expensive time of year and you are doing great!
ReplyDeleteI was happy to find the $5 coupon. When I'm back to shopping and cooking, I can make a whole meal with leftovers for that $5, so I'm thinking of it as a good savings win.
DeleteWhen things are up in the air on the home front, you just have to do the best you can do. If it means take out, so be it. Look at the ways you managed to save instead of lamenting having more expenses than usual.
ReplyDeleteYou are right-I hope I haven't been too whiny, just factual. This is only one time in my daughters life, and if take out helps with some of the craziness, it is a bargain.
DeleteThansk for joining in with #5frugalthings - finding change is just SO satisfuing isnt it!
ReplyDelete