Frugal Accomplishments This Past Week

We had a busy week with lots going on...at least for me.  I have friends who are on-the-go a lot more than I am, and I just don't know how they manage it all.  Anyway, here's a summary of our frugal accomplishments for the week.

We ate meals at home, even on our run-around days, to save money (and time!)

The weather was warmish?  Less cold?  There were days we didn't really need a big fire to keep the house warm, so I tried something a little different.  I shut the vents in all three bedrooms and kept those rooms closed off during the day.  That way, the heat gain we get from sunny windows, cooking, etc. in the main part of the house was more effective at keeping the main rooms warmer.

We turned an old sweater into a kitty bed.  We'll be donating it to a local cat shelter.




We got books and media from the library.  Daughter is currently reading Wesley the Owl.  She says it's the best. book. ever!!

I made popcorn, enchilada sauce, chicken enchilada soup, pico de gallo, salsa, taco salad, taco seasoning, enchiladas, Mexican rice, potato salad, kalua pork and beef stew.  It was a tasty week!  I also made the menu for the coming week, which will be up soon.

We had a free field trip to a falconer's home.  His falcons are currently out of town at a breeding program, but we met one of his hawks.  Sonoma is a female Harris Hawk.  Isn't she beautiful?  Many thanks to Bob of Wings Over Colorado for all the information and education.  It was amazing!






At the store, I did what I do - price match, match sales and coupons, and stock up where it makes sense to.

I sold some household items that we no longer needed - some clothes Daughter outgrew, a couple of kitchen items, etc.  See the cutters below?  I got them in a bag at Goodwill - $2, for two of each size.  I sold one of each size for....$2, so mine were free! :)



I did some subbing at the library.  Every little bit helps.

I answered an ad for rabbits, because I need some for a series of library programs.  We are not raising rabbits for meat anymore, so I knew I'd be getting some when the time came around.  I found a person who was willing to 'rent' the rabbits to me, which is wonderful.  It's less costly for me, and he will get back very tame rabbits that have been fed for several weeks.  Photos soon!

How was your week?  Did you keep things frugal?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Great job!!!
Kellie said…
awesome kitty bed! love that idea! some kitty is gonna be very happy. The look on Lil' Bit's face with that Hawk is priceless! I loved it when I was working with Bluebirds. Birds are just amazing to me.
Courtney said…
Love the cat bed you made. So cute and comfy!
Laura said…
Thank you all for your kind words! We had a good, busy week, and it looks like the coming week will be more of the same.
momma-lana said…
Hmmm...I have a terrible time coming up with a list!

We had friends over for lunch instead of going out. I am sure I fed all 4 of us for less than we would have paid for the two if us. Another day friends came by for green tea and muffins. Again no restaurant tab.

I canned great northern beans for the first time. Eight pints cost $2.29.

We bought 2 Living Social certificates for a favorite little diner. It will save us about 50% on each visit.

We continue to keep our heat set rather low and use throws and sweaters when we are chilly. I am hopeful that the bill will be much lower.

We ordered a 16 x 20 photo for only the cost of shipping with a promo code. I have a frame that will fit when it arrives.

We finished the master bedroom/bath redo over the weekend. It cost way more money and time than I thought it would but the main thing is that we saw it all the way through and it should be fine the way it is now for many years. Now I will be on the lookout for a fabric that I like to freshen up the guest bath with new shower and window curtains.

I was able to purchase Smart Balance milk for a very good deal and have enough to last for 6 weeks or so. I have not done a lot of grocery shopping last week as the deals are not as great. That is okay as we do not need anything. I cooked from scratch and used some freezer meals so meals were frugal all week. We ate out less as hubby is feeling quite a bit better and working more hours.

I was able to scrape together and extra thousand dollars to send in our mortgage payment. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Pay off is near!

The cat bed is great! We have hawks in our woods. It is neat to see such a beautiful, up close picture of one. Have a good week!
momma-lana said…
One more thing-We had switched our cell phones to a no contract plan and are saving quite a bit on our bill every month. But, my phone had started just randomly turning itself off. I though maybe cleaning it would help so hubby took the battery and SIM card out and used a can of compressed air to blow it out. It has not turned itself off since! I was afraid I would have to go back under contract or buy a phone out of pocket but the problem seemed to be solved.

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