Thrifty Thursday-Finance Check Time

      Thursdays is where I try and recap how I best used time, resources, and money over the last week. As usual, my best money savings is that I a working from home so not spending money on gas, car wear and tear, impromptu coffee meetings or lunches. I'm also not buying clothes or spending even the little bit I used to spend on dry cleaning, not picking up the new pair of tights and trouser socks. Pretty much any expense related to work is gone. One would think that not having the commuting time would give me oodles of time to work on home frankly, I'm just not! I've been working longer days than usual, fitting in 15 minute breaks as I can throughout the day it's the nature of January-May, but with  the current economic and health crisis, even more balls in the air that I am juggling with others. Some nights, like last night, I am mentally drained and the last thing I want to do is purge my hall closet (yet it needs it!) With that disclaimer for the last week, here's my thrifty recap. 

Time

• Saturday was one of the best out and about days I have had in awhile, spending the afternoon with my daughter on a perfect winter day. I shared on Tuesday the photos of the Ice Fountains-check them out if you missed that post. We had pie and coffee in the car, and stopped at a cidery-splurging on cider for the Super Bowl. I'm glad she and I enjoy each other's company as we have been a life line to each other.
•  DH was antsy to get out of the house-not going to work out of the house. While I had looked forward to just diving into my book, I decided to tag along. Wow-two day trips in two days. 
• I had a good test chat with my son. His gift to my middle child arrived-she hasn't seen yet so I won't share, but it is lovely. DH's is still in postal world somewhere.
• We had a good long call with the  youngest late on Saturday afternoon. She and her floor mates were making a  pot pie/chicken dumpling kind of meal in their kitchenette. She had done veg prep and as they limit the number in the kitchenette, others were finishing up. She gave it a 7/10! Oh, and she did get the job in her department, so along with the library, she will also be working events for the Global Languages department. All together, she will work between 6 and 16 hours a week, plus volunteering at a local non-profit, 2-4 hours per week. 

Resources  

• I saved another glass jar, harder to find these days as so much goes to plastic, the perfect size for saving a serving of soup, or smaller jars of refrigerator pickles, my new favorite extra for sandwiches, burgers, and BBQ.
• I used a BB dated 1/9/21 soup mix-still just fine, to make a huge pot of cheddar broccoli soup. I added four large potatoes. We had 1/2 for supper last night with egg salad (a menu change), froze half, plus and additional single portion.
• We've used all food made for meals as ingredients sin new meals, or for lunch items, and had no waste this week. 
• I did a delicate, cold wash, and hung all items. This helps them last longer and saved energy. 

Money

• On the Sunday drive with DH, we stopped at a Duluth Trading Company store/outlet and found some really top quality gifts for people for  next Christmas and for DH's brothers birthday, 75% off retail. Now, I have to say at 75% off, the prices were not cheap on what I got-but the quality is very good, and very appropriate for our part of the world. Ill share a story to illustrate  how spendy  DTC is. My sister was on a girls weekend in Duluth and popped in with her friends. She though the quality of the men's boxers were great, so grabbed a couple pairs, four in total for her husband and son, a total of four pairs. She just about gagged when they rang up at $98! Again, This was four pairs-not four multi packs. She has means and was too embarrassed that she hadn't looked at the price, so she went home with the very pricey underwear, but safe to say, she never bought them again except on clearance. 
• I finally got in touch with the retirement planner from my old job so I could get an online account setup. While I confirmed I had in the account what I had projected, not having seen an actual statement in more than a year was unnerving. 

      As is the norm, not many opportunities to save-but also not to spend. We have bitter cold weather predicted to come in later tonight  through thee weekend, but got a good dumping of snow overnight. (see pictures). Depending on if the plows get out, I might go grocery shopping tonight and avoid the polar vortex, but likely I won't go until Saturday and just brave the cold. I still have my book to finish since I didn't read as much on Sunday as I planned since I went on another drive with DH. Have you found any new ways to earn or save money? Are you carefully watching the money you already have saved, and  figuring out if it will meet your needs for the future? How about your best use of other non-money resources or your  most valuable asset, time?