Frugal Activities #20
I really like doing this post as it keeps me more accountable and does make me think twice about some things ...
At long last, we are all on the road to recovery ... I've been sick for over 4 weeks and just went back to the doctor on Tuesday to get another round of (different) antibiotics ... so over this! Just can not get my lungs totally cleared out! I'm feeling way way better and at least getting more motivated in the kitchen and the house. Really trying to get some stuff cleared out as I just can't deal with trying to find something and having to go through so much to find it. It's not like "clutter" so to speak, just a LOT of stuff that gets in the way. I don't know how to explain it except that I have 8 coffee cups (that go with the rest of the set of dishes) and then 3 really cool orange coffee cups, 2 LARGE coffee cups (that we all really like), and then the 2 large clear cups ... do you see where I'm going? Too many of the same things in different styles ... uggg. So I'm trying to downsize, I suppose you could say?
Any way.
I'm playing around with possibly doing a sort of freezer/pantry challenge for July. But of course, I have a hard time commiting to that! So, what I did instead was take my $5 savings jar (which had over $400 in it, by the way!) and pulled out $300 for the month of July groceries. I've fallen off the wagon of being cash only at the stores (umm, I hadn't deposited any paychecks for June until July 1st, so I have not been by the bank!) and pulled out the debit card and american express cards from my wallet and put away. That leaves ONE credit card in my wallet and I know that I will be damned if I use a credit card for groceries ;-) I've got a really weird way of doing things, I know, but that is ONE thing I know will work for me! THEN I ended up putting the debit card BACK in my wallet for the doctor and pharmacy visit and that led to item #4 under the Not So Frugal Activities....
So ... with that, here are some of the Frugal Activities we did this past week:
1. Made a batch of Honey Mustard Dressing and another batch of the Olive Garden Dressing ...
2. Partially organized one of the three freezers. I really need to get focused and do all three so I know what we have for protein and such for the month!
3. Made pizza at home (used pizza dough from freezer that was bought several weeks previously on sale) and used some leftover fresh mozzarella (from a friend), tomatoes and basil (garden) to have margharita pizza. Saved me about $40 from ordering out!
4. Utilized our health insurance and went to the doctor to get checked out again ... thankful that I have prescription coverage too as this round cost me $120 ($100 for the flovent, $10 for antibiotics and $10 for cough medicine). For June, I have spent a total of $380 in doctors and prescriptions WITH insurance. Hubby is up to $90.
5. Opted to stay home on Friday, the 4th. Actually, Hubby and I are both petrified that we will have a THIRD relapse! Pathetic, I know. This is one of the first holidays I can remember where we didn't have a bbq/pool party. We still bbq'd (and made pulled pork from the freezer, burgers & dogs from the freezer) but no group of people besides the usual six of us.
And of course, full disclosure of our NOT so Frugal Activities:
1. McDonalds drive through on Tuesday morning ... the morning I was really down and out and thankful it was the day for the doctor appointment. Spent $4.
2. Out to dinner on Wednesday night with Hubby and Princess. $60 total.
3. Failure to utilize the menu plan. Had it all typed up but never posted as I went downhill fast on Monday.
4. Whole Foods for a "few" things. Ahem. Yeah, it was ugly. Almost rivals a stop at Costco. The #1 thing that sucked me in was the butcher counter, ribs ($11.99/lb) (I'll take all the slabs you have there, 4 of them total), 90/10 ground beef ($5.99), bone in chicken thighs ($2.49 I think/lb), and a big ole hunk of boneless beef chuck for the crockpot at $4.99/lb. Then of course, the watermelon, blueberries, deli ham, deli turkey (I've had real bad luck lately buying the prepackaged stuff so I'm splurging on this now), deli cheddar cheese and so on. YIKES!
5. Sent the kids to the store to pick up Coors Light and Yuengling beer (24 pks on sale for $14.99). Oh, and buns too. Gave the $60. They spent $58. Did NOT buy the beer that was on sale and bought more than I asked them to. K I D S.
Hows that ... 5 Frugal Activities and five NOT so Frugal Activities. I guess the week may have been a wash afterall.
At long last, we are all on the road to recovery ... I've been sick for over 4 weeks and just went back to the doctor on Tuesday to get another round of (different) antibiotics ... so over this! Just can not get my lungs totally cleared out! I'm feeling way way better and at least getting more motivated in the kitchen and the house. Really trying to get some stuff cleared out as I just can't deal with trying to find something and having to go through so much to find it. It's not like "clutter" so to speak, just a LOT of stuff that gets in the way. I don't know how to explain it except that I have 8 coffee cups (that go with the rest of the set of dishes) and then 3 really cool orange coffee cups, 2 LARGE coffee cups (that we all really like), and then the 2 large clear cups ... do you see where I'm going? Too many of the same things in different styles ... uggg. So I'm trying to downsize, I suppose you could say?
Any way.
I'm playing around with possibly doing a sort of freezer/pantry challenge for July. But of course, I have a hard time commiting to that! So, what I did instead was take my $5 savings jar (which had over $400 in it, by the way!) and pulled out $300 for the month of July groceries. I've fallen off the wagon of being cash only at the stores (umm, I hadn't deposited any paychecks for June until July 1st, so I have not been by the bank!) and pulled out the debit card and american express cards from my wallet and put away. That leaves ONE credit card in my wallet and I know that I will be damned if I use a credit card for groceries ;-) I've got a really weird way of doing things, I know, but that is ONE thing I know will work for me! THEN I ended up putting the debit card BACK in my wallet for the doctor and pharmacy visit and that led to item #4 under the Not So Frugal Activities....
So ... with that, here are some of the Frugal Activities we did this past week:
1. Made a batch of Honey Mustard Dressing and another batch of the Olive Garden Dressing ...
2. Partially organized one of the three freezers. I really need to get focused and do all three so I know what we have for protein and such for the month!
3. Made pizza at home (used pizza dough from freezer that was bought several weeks previously on sale) and used some leftover fresh mozzarella (from a friend), tomatoes and basil (garden) to have margharita pizza. Saved me about $40 from ordering out!
4. Utilized our health insurance and went to the doctor to get checked out again ... thankful that I have prescription coverage too as this round cost me $120 ($100 for the flovent, $10 for antibiotics and $10 for cough medicine). For June, I have spent a total of $380 in doctors and prescriptions WITH insurance. Hubby is up to $90.
5. Opted to stay home on Friday, the 4th. Actually, Hubby and I are both petrified that we will have a THIRD relapse! Pathetic, I know. This is one of the first holidays I can remember where we didn't have a bbq/pool party. We still bbq'd (and made pulled pork from the freezer, burgers & dogs from the freezer) but no group of people besides the usual six of us.
And of course, full disclosure of our NOT so Frugal Activities:
1. McDonalds drive through on Tuesday morning ... the morning I was really down and out and thankful it was the day for the doctor appointment. Spent $4.
2. Out to dinner on Wednesday night with Hubby and Princess. $60 total.
3. Failure to utilize the menu plan. Had it all typed up but never posted as I went downhill fast on Monday.
4. Whole Foods for a "few" things. Ahem. Yeah, it was ugly. Almost rivals a stop at Costco. The #1 thing that sucked me in was the butcher counter, ribs ($11.99/lb) (I'll take all the slabs you have there, 4 of them total), 90/10 ground beef ($5.99), bone in chicken thighs ($2.49 I think/lb), and a big ole hunk of boneless beef chuck for the crockpot at $4.99/lb. Then of course, the watermelon, blueberries, deli ham, deli turkey (I've had real bad luck lately buying the prepackaged stuff so I'm splurging on this now), deli cheddar cheese and so on. YIKES!
5. Sent the kids to the store to pick up Coors Light and Yuengling beer (24 pks on sale for $14.99). Oh, and buns too. Gave the $60. They spent $58. Did NOT buy the beer that was on sale and bought more than I asked them to. K I D S.
Hows that ... 5 Frugal Activities and five NOT so Frugal Activities. I guess the week may have been a wash afterall.
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