Thrifty Thursday-Freebies and Value Hunting

I've been watching the pennies this week as well as the dollars since every bit helps to get me where I want my financial future to be. Still basking in the glow of the mammoth cash register lights from my super grocer shop on September 1, I have needed very few groceries in the last week. My spending is tallied to $240.33, and that includes a book of stamps. I'm still hopeful I can meet my $350 September household and grocery (H&G) budget of $350. Here are some of my thrifty wins  to recap as part of Thrifty Thursday. Some are financial and some are resource frugality, equally important.

• This saved my MIL, but happy to help her by tracking down the battery her relatively old camera needs, plus a spare. before her epic cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii, to Australia, and New Zealand. She was prepared to replace her camera. I found rechargeable versions on line, plus a new SD card for her with 64 GB's less than she was going to spend. Buying a new camera would have caused her stress as well trying to figure out how to use it. She likes her current camera. 
• Filled up gas tanks with  7 cents and 10 cents off gas.
• Resisted the $2.00 diet cokes in the vending machine and took a well needed stretch break over to Target where I did spend, but only $0.85 on a bottle of bubbly strawberry lemonade water. When you are number crunching for five hours straight, this was needed to pep me up. 
• For some reason, I saved the brown paper that was the insert for a couple roles of wrapping paper. This worked perfect for covering my daughter text books. I rarely have brown paper bags anymore.
• Stretched a box of red beans and rice that are too salty, with an extra 1/2 cup of long grain rice to serve with leftover cheesy brats. 
• Was gifted a couple tomato's from a colleagues garden.
• Free entertainment at my sisters with BYOB, snacking contributions, and I brought chocolate from Belgium. 
• DD2 checked out free movies from the library. 

I think that is the bulk of it. Of course I packed lunches and we had no take out and no dinners out in the last week. My week has taken a turn as I now have to be in the office on e Friday, but will leave early to help a bit at the tournament lunch (after) and to see an apartment with DD1. She has two viewings on Saturday as well. It's the high school open house tonight. I'll pretend I am in DD2's shoes for a couple hours. Enjoy your Thursday. May it be thrifty