Just 15 minutes ago I was online transferring from college savings account into checking and then making the first of eight tuition, room, and board payments. Voila! It is gone. All the saving, and making decisions to scale back or even do without came to fruition when we could comfortably hit submit. I'm not saying it will be a financial breeze. We will be continuing to plug that account and other college expenses with regular monthly cash flow, but knowing we are 12.5% closer to the end is a progressive step. Where to keep finding those spare dollars to back fill will continue to be my job over the next 40 months, December 2022, when her final tuition will be due. I'll take any savings, large or small. Here are a few wins for the week.
- Despite it being the company walk-run-ride and salsa day (long story how it came about), I avoided the food truck and brought my home packed lunch out on the patio area with colleagues. I did enjoy some free chips and salsa, provided by work. I was not the only one brown bagging it.
- After a lot of research, we ended up with a Mac Air for DD2. While the model we got didn't have the free Beats Head Phones, we cost compared and learned the same free ones bought separately plus the cost of the computer without the "deal" was $150 less.
- I earned $10 in Target gift cards through dog food, which finally included pup's brand, and general health and beauty supplies. I had another $4 in coupons towards the shampoo and deodorant.
- I brought a thermos of coffee along to the farmers market for DD1 and myself. We ended up having it at her house, but far less than had we stopped for coffee.
- For DH and DD2 horrible sinus congestion, I bought the store brand, buy one get one 1/2 off, plus was able to get $2 off the total through Walgreen points. I still do not understand their system as I just randomly get $2 credits at times.
My rough calculations say I spent $152 less than I would have on things I needed to buy, plus earned $10 for future expenses. Saving my money from not buying coffee or expenses food truck lunch means I can off set a future indulgence, like my scheduled lunch with my friend next Wednesday. It is hard to come up with big wins, but please share wherever you had success.
Awesome work on your tuition payment & frugal wins! I also am suffering from some sort of sinus "fun", and we ran out of Dayquil. I scrounged in the cabinets until I found something laying around, and am hoping to avoid buying anything this time. We'll see how I feel today. And, totally yes to Walgreens systems generally. :-)
ReplyDeletehope you turn a corner. I feel bad for my daughter-she is miserable, and actually couldn't work today as she works with kids, and they have firm rules and would have most likely sent her home. She looks ill!
DeleteI went out to buy plain yogurt, garlic powder and cheese but bought some rice half-price. I do not consume a whole lot of it but, I knew I had very little left. So, a win my book. The cheese were also on sale.
ReplyDeleteI find if nothing else, I can make a satisfying meal with rice and whatever is in the cupboards.
DeleteI can't remember if this has gone in a published spending diary yet, but the other day I saved something like $15 at CVS through coupons and Extrabux. That was quite a boost to the ole saved savings account.
ReplyDeleteCVS seems more straightforward than Walgreens but is more expensive and the deals are less around here.
DeleteHey any way you can save is great. We ate from the garden last night plus what our neighbors brought us, Halibut and fresh steamer clams. Yum, but then I had to take a meal in and was too tired and stressed to even look in the freezer so opted for pizza, $24.70. Win lose.....
ReplyDeleteWell I didn't share picking up take out Chinese for Wednesday because I was running late and people needed feeding. It last tow days so $27 for three people, five meals was the worst.
DeleteI swear my biggest savings were taking my breakfast, lunch, tea and coffee in to work every day - or at least 99% of the time (I'm not that anti-social). Crikey, when I saw my colleague buying it all every day I swear she spent the equivalent of $20-$25 per day. I don't understand it. I always had leftovers and prefer my own food anyway. My ex was the same. Even "back then" (9 years ago), I think he was spending about $500/month on this stuff and then complaining that it was rubbish. It doesn't take much discipline to do it and the savings are definitely worth it. I always looked at the savings as a way to get my house paid off quicker (it worked) and failing that I used to try to drum into my son's head that he was spending a car payment every month.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel brown bagging it is anti social at all-you actually get more time to connect since there is no ordering and waiting. I cringe to think of $500 a month on work meals. Think of the vacations that would buy-and I'm sure you have!
DeleteGood for all the ways you have saved through time. The big payoff was being able to pay tuition!
ReplyDeleteI have been staying fairly close to home mainly because of Mom, but it has been a real money saver. TheHub has been bombarded with work and has been working longer hours so we have done nothing at night either. Plus I am using a lot of things from the freezer so little has been spent on groceries. My new mantra "Boring is very cost effective"
I think once DD2 leaves, I'll be stretching the grocery budget pretty far. She eats very little, but food gets wasted. I can make due with leftovers for my meals, and will just train myself to cook minimally for the two of us, leaving nice reheat meals for him. We just need to not get in the habit of justifying take out and eating out more often.
DeleteOne trick we used in paying for college was to take advantage of subsidized Federal Student Loans. Those are the kind that don't accrue interest until they graduate. We weren't eligible for them until I had two in college but we made each of them take about $10K in loans and as soon as they graduated we paid them off. Essentially free money for 3 years and our savings that we would have used stayed in the bank and earned interest. Plus it builds their credit scores.
ReplyDeleteWe could use for the older two, but not for this one-only unsubsidized. It is a nice option if a family qualifies.
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