Thursday, October 17, 2019

Still Saving


$130  as of 10-10-19
$163 as of 10-12-19
Need laundry soap and liquid hand soap
Pumpkin for bread
Stuff for Wild Rice soup
Large laundry soap
166 as of 10-17-19

     I keep making little notes to myself like this. I wasn't going to buy laundry soap anymore in the Dollar Tree because of the packaging waste, but I needed a baby and a wedding shower card and gift wrap and didn't want to make another stop and we were totally out on Saturday after my load of jeans and other heavy and dark clothes. I added both kinds of soap, but I was lazy and bought gift bags and just quickly wrapped the gifts on route to the shower. The baby gift was for the brides sister's baby. I count gift wrap in my gifting categories. I only buy perhaps six gift bags a year and people I tend to give gifts to are re-users, so I don't feel too bad about the purchase. How did I do this week to report on Thrifty Thursday?

  • I didn't throw any little tempting things in my basket at Dollar Tree. I bought two cards, two gift bags, and used tissue paper and ribbon I already had-plus the two soaps. Keeping my damage to $5.36
  • For the gifted themselves, I layered various Kohl's savings to get my cousin in law two sets of nice bath towels in very neutral gray (no registry or colors stated on invite). They still were not inexpensive as anyone who has bought towels lately knows, but it seemed like a useable gift and was from the three of us. Oh yes-I did add, as part of the gift, a bottle of hand soap and a candle, from DT, but kept the whole gift to under $40. Saved a bit of wear and tear by not driving back home to wrap the gift, but did right in the parking lot! . 
  • Other layered with  coupons and discounts included the baby gift (four cute onesies and two shorts for next summer, birthday hoodies and dual compartment hampers for my sister in laws birthdays, jeans, the same style and brand I've bought him before and he liked, and a long sleeve T for DS for either his December birthday or Christmas, and two items for DD1's upcoming birthday. All together I spent $108, in and earned $20 in Kohl's cash, which I'll use by Wednesday to buy a baby gift for my nephews new son.
  • Stopped on my way home from Aldi rather than a separate trip and bought only what we needed for the weeks meals and needed replacements like baking soda and peanut butter. 
  • My car had to be in the shop for  a few days as the light for the Anti lock Brake System went on. I do not want to be commuting with unknown break status. Because DH works with the  service area staff and they fit him around other jobs, the only cost was parts. He got my ties rotted and oil changed at the same time. 
     I already recapped our Anniversary Sunday where the compromise was a wine tasting and then more DH friendly BBQ. We had yummy nibbles to snack on for the week, letting DH enjoy pie twice in the same week. All and all, it was a pretty frugal week. We'll splurge a bit when our daughter is home, so it will sure to average out and then some. How about you? Any big wins this week?

10 comments:

  1. No wins over here. Just waste. I am so mad at myself for not realizing that the fridge door was not properly shut. Sigh... On another note, thanks for the DT gift wrap tip. I am bringing gifts but the wraps would be spoilt in the suitcases so, I figured I could get tissue paper and gift bags for them. Wouldn't think of the DT though. Probably would have spent more at a grocery store.

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    1. The DT selection isn't huge, but usually something will work. I had a huge waste that I just realized this morning-I'm bummed about it, but for a different post.

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  2. You had some great wins. Nothing big on our side. Just the normal prepping meals in advance, and a gift card deal on Netflix, that should cover our subscription for the majority of the year.

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    1. I would never think f Netflix as a gift card option, but that is a great suggestion.

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  3. I found 1 large zucchini under the copious plant leaves-it survived the 2 nights of deep freeze. Soooo, grated it up and made 2 loaves of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. 1 is in the freezer and the other we are eating away.

    I made a big pan of lasagna. It was oh so yummy. I generally only make it in deep winter but it sounded so good. A frugal meal to make IMO. I'm not sure why people say it's so expensive to make. We've got 6 meals in that pan!

    I've stocked up our personal care items and supplements for the rest of the year. Free shipping and BOGO on my vitamin complex and discounts on each item to boot.

    I'm using up free-to-me fabrics for 3 charity quilts this week. A friend near DC sent me a huge pile of squares she'd cut. This is the end of that pile. I'll donate them at charity group Saturday.

    I'm using up free-to-me yarn for a Christmas gift afghan. It's all done now except weaving in the ends from yarn changes. I have just enough yarn left for 1 more afghan. That's the end of 7 boxes of yarn shipped to me many many years ago! Just this afghan would cost nearly $74. at today's price.

    This will be my 3rd stay-at-home day this week. I'm still on the tank of gas I pumped Aug 24.

    My kitchen island is covered with the pre-freeze harvest of partially ripe tomatoes. They are about ready to use and I need to decide what they will become. My freezer is filled with ratatouille and our salsa shelf has enough as well. Good problem to have, right?

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    1. Gosh Elle, you've given me some ideas there - have never made zucchini muffins so that's on my list for tomorrow! Thanks for that!

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    2. Oh I have garden envy! You did so well using all your garden produce. Lasagna is one of my absolute favorite meals.

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  4. It is hard to stay on an an extreme budget when you are constantly buying gifts isn't it? But you did well my friend.

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    1. Baby gifts, Shower gifts, more wedding gifts. Yep, but people were generous to us and I love to welcome new people tot he family.

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  5. big win was finding things on sale that I needed. Oh, I did get a free blouse that was almost $40 for 50% off and using two $10 coupons so that the blouse was free, not one cent spent. Somehow there was no tax. The woman explained it to me but I did not understand.

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