Frugal Activities #25
I really like doing this post each week as it makes me stay accountable and think twice about some things!
This past week was somewhat frugal, I'd say ... and also made me think twice about the freezer situation ... if that storm Bertha had headed east instead of more northerly, I would have been scrambling to get the 3 freezers organized a lot quicker than I have been for the past 6 months. Yes. 6 months I've been mumbling that I need to get them inventoried and organized. Hrmp. See how that's coming along?
Any way. It shouldn't take a threat of a hurricane/tropical storm to prompt me to finish a long over due task and I know that. So ... that's what I'm working on!
Here are some of the Frugal Activities that we did this past week:
1. Allocated myself $30 to shop at Winn Dixie (my least favorite store) to stock up on chicken thighs (both boneless and bone in). Spent $34 and used a $5 off $30 coupons ... walked out with change in my pocket. That's always a good feeling! Bone in was $1.59 a pound and boneless was $2.49 a pound. They didn't have any family packs left so the butcher changed the price on the smaller packages on the shelf which suited me way better as they were already packaged the way I'd want to freeze them!
2. Did my nails again at home. The polish is lasting about 10 days which is about 5 days longer than a professional paid for manicure. I attribute that to the chip skip stuff I put on before the polish. I'm thrilled!
3. Menu planned and stuck with it for the most part. No, not everything was made but at least we had a rough idea of things that we could make with what we had on hand! Breakfast all days, lunch and dinner all but one day each.
4. Paid all bills that I had on hand for the month online. Reduced the cost of postage and by paying NOW when I have the statement, reduce the chance of any late fees (ahem. In my quest with Comcast to lower my bill that increased by $25 in one month, I failed to catch that it was late. $8 late fee, those b@stards.)
5. I set up a budget for August. A NEW budget, just for this month. I'm thinking that sometimes re-doing the budget is a necessity. I am keeping the food at $400. Gave myself $200 for Costco. $100 for beer/wine/booze (and/or bar hopping). $80 gas. $100 entertaining (dinner out). Yes. Looking at that sounds like I'm being stingy on the food budget, doesn't it? If I spent $100 on booze this month, it's only because we'd be entertaining at home ... and honestly, I doubt I'd spend that much (unless I scored a great deal on the Peach Vodka!)
6. Set up money envelopes and funded all but the last 2 weeks of groceries ($200). So far, so good. Have money left in week 1 envelope and left it in there in hopes of moving it to the savings jar at the end of the month.
7. Hubby returned an outdoor light that burned out. It's an "Eco Bulb" that is to last 10 years. Smarty pants kept the package and receipt ($5.99) and swapped out the burned out one for a new one. Smart dude, don't you think?
8. Did fairly well with the grocery store stops this week. $35 at Publix one day and $25 the other day. Made an effort to really stay in line and keep it around $30 to use my $5 off $30.
9. Listened to Hubby on Friday night when I was tired and cranky. I wanted to order pizza. He convinced me not a good idea money wise or health wise. Not sure which one made me listen. Ended up making deli rollups for myself and a sandwich for him. Hmmm. Oh, yeah, also a seabreeze to try and chill me out ... (didn't work, I was too stressed out). But at least we didn't go out to eat or make bad food choices ;-) Did NOT buy beer on Friday as we usually do, opted instead to drink a less than favorite thats already in the fridge and the aforementioned seabreeze.
And of course, full disclosure and some of our Not So Frugal Activities:
1. Dinner out with Hubby and Kids on Thursday ... $40. Granted, I DID use coupons and told the Boy that he was treating his sister to dinner (I paid) so that we could use 2 coupons.
2. Had to take my dad to eye doctor at 9:30 on Tuesday morning. Did NOT pack a lunch so did the dollar menu stop at McDonalds. Could have been worse, believe me!
All in all, I'm fairly pleased with how the week went!
Looking forward to sharing over at Money Propeller and The Prudent Homemaker ... go check out both of them!
This past week was somewhat frugal, I'd say ... and also made me think twice about the freezer situation ... if that storm Bertha had headed east instead of more northerly, I would have been scrambling to get the 3 freezers organized a lot quicker than I have been for the past 6 months. Yes. 6 months I've been mumbling that I need to get them inventoried and organized. Hrmp. See how that's coming along?
Any way. It shouldn't take a threat of a hurricane/tropical storm to prompt me to finish a long over due task and I know that. So ... that's what I'm working on!
Here are some of the Frugal Activities that we did this past week:
1. Allocated myself $30 to shop at Winn Dixie (my least favorite store) to stock up on chicken thighs (both boneless and bone in). Spent $34 and used a $5 off $30 coupons ... walked out with change in my pocket. That's always a good feeling! Bone in was $1.59 a pound and boneless was $2.49 a pound. They didn't have any family packs left so the butcher changed the price on the smaller packages on the shelf which suited me way better as they were already packaged the way I'd want to freeze them!
2. Did my nails again at home. The polish is lasting about 10 days which is about 5 days longer than a professional paid for manicure. I attribute that to the chip skip stuff I put on before the polish. I'm thrilled!
3. Menu planned and stuck with it for the most part. No, not everything was made but at least we had a rough idea of things that we could make with what we had on hand! Breakfast all days, lunch and dinner all but one day each.
4. Paid all bills that I had on hand for the month online. Reduced the cost of postage and by paying NOW when I have the statement, reduce the chance of any late fees (ahem. In my quest with Comcast to lower my bill that increased by $25 in one month, I failed to catch that it was late. $8 late fee, those b@stards.)
5. I set up a budget for August. A NEW budget, just for this month. I'm thinking that sometimes re-doing the budget is a necessity. I am keeping the food at $400. Gave myself $200 for Costco. $100 for beer/wine/booze (and/or bar hopping). $80 gas. $100 entertaining (dinner out). Yes. Looking at that sounds like I'm being stingy on the food budget, doesn't it? If I spent $100 on booze this month, it's only because we'd be entertaining at home ... and honestly, I doubt I'd spend that much (unless I scored a great deal on the Peach Vodka!)
6. Set up money envelopes and funded all but the last 2 weeks of groceries ($200). So far, so good. Have money left in week 1 envelope and left it in there in hopes of moving it to the savings jar at the end of the month.
7. Hubby returned an outdoor light that burned out. It's an "Eco Bulb" that is to last 10 years. Smarty pants kept the package and receipt ($5.99) and swapped out the burned out one for a new one. Smart dude, don't you think?
8. Did fairly well with the grocery store stops this week. $35 at Publix one day and $25 the other day. Made an effort to really stay in line and keep it around $30 to use my $5 off $30.
9. Listened to Hubby on Friday night when I was tired and cranky. I wanted to order pizza. He convinced me not a good idea money wise or health wise. Not sure which one made me listen. Ended up making deli rollups for myself and a sandwich for him. Hmmm. Oh, yeah, also a seabreeze to try and chill me out ... (didn't work, I was too stressed out). But at least we didn't go out to eat or make bad food choices ;-) Did NOT buy beer on Friday as we usually do, opted instead to drink a less than favorite thats already in the fridge and the aforementioned seabreeze.
And of course, full disclosure and some of our Not So Frugal Activities:
1. Dinner out with Hubby and Kids on Thursday ... $40. Granted, I DID use coupons and told the Boy that he was treating his sister to dinner (I paid) so that we could use 2 coupons.
2. Had to take my dad to eye doctor at 9:30 on Tuesday morning. Did NOT pack a lunch so did the dollar menu stop at McDonalds. Could have been worse, believe me!
All in all, I'm fairly pleased with how the week went!
Looking forward to sharing over at Money Propeller and The Prudent Homemaker ... go check out both of them!
Oh lightbulbs! My husband just changed all curly bulbs to LED's. not sure he kept the receipts though - i am going to ask him. I am off the check out the rice cooker boiled eggs - looks interesting.
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