Last week's frugal efforts.

I would like to introduce you to my new craft cupboard. Someone locally was giving it away for free, and when I saw it I knew it would be the perfect home for my son's craft supplies and learning tools.

My son and I made gluten free raspberry muffins and mini muffins, chocolate chip mini muffins, raspberry and plain donuts and mini donuts. My plan is to freeze some for easy breakfasts. I used this pan for the smaller donuts, and this pan for the larger donuts.

My dryer is still broken. My mother-in-law took pity on my crunchy towels and took them to her house to re-wash. Besides that I managed to hang dry our laundry. We're saving up to buy a new dryer with cash and at the same time have the old one hauled away.

We went to a free Halloween celebration. It was pouring the entire time, but we managed to take a hayride, enjoy fresh s'mores and apple cider, and take pictures in the black light tent.

My son and I had a planning party. I bring out stamps, stickers, decorative washi tape, and stencils and decorate my planner (my new hobby). He likes to "plan" and write down important things like his preschool snack day in his little planner. I'll post more about this later.

What did you do to save money last week?

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Last week's frugal efforts.

• We attended a free pumpkin painting session at the library.

• I signed up for an online library card for another county. They have a lot of ebooks my local library doesn't have! So much money saved.
• I redeemed a $25 Amazon gift card and $25 PayPal cash via Swagbucks.
• I sold several items from my Etsy shop.

• We attended another free Home depot workshop for kids. This time my son made a helicopter.
• My dryer is still broke so I hung clothes to dry using this drying rack in my living room.
• I received a free cabinet from the local Buy Nothing group. I'll most likely use it to store craft supplies.
• I forgot to submit the Scholastic book order on time so I saved $10 by not buying my son books.
• When I was cold I put on a sweater instead of turning on the heat. Last year my reflex was to justify the heating costs so I could be comfortable.
• I had a local charity pick up 5 boxes of donations, and I met with a couple different people to give them much needed items.
• I've curbed the impulse to buy a rowing machine several times. I almost got a cheap one from a local Facebook group, but the seller was non-responsive. Maybe I'll come across another one soon.

What did you do to save money last week?

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement here.

I started a Facebook Page for this blog as well as an Instagram Page. Please like and follow. :)

Last week's frugal efforts.

 

We went to our local Home Depot for a free project. My son got to build a Fire Station bank. They provided the tools, paint, and project kit.

 

They even gave him their signature orange apron in his size to keep. After each project the kids get a special pin to put on their apron. All the staff were very friendly, and all the families that participated were friendly and respectable. It was really cool to walk into the area where a lot of young kids were hammering away with their parents. You can search your local store to see what free workshops they offer for kids and adults:

http://www.homedepot.com/workshops/#change_store


My dryer broke so I hung laundry to dry in the house. I use this rack, and I can fit two loads on it.

I brought out my old coffee machine since my Keurig broke last week. The pour over contraption isn't doing it for me.

We went for a free hay ride at a carnival.

I brought coffee and food to work.

My son attended a free indoor playground session.

I redeemed points for an Amazon Gift card from MyPoints.com


What did you do to save money last week?

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Last week's frugal efforts.

We purchased the Nest 3rd Generation thermostat. It was on an Alexa sale for $199, and my local power company has a $100 rebate. I'm really interested to see how this lowers our power bills because in the winter time they are ridiculously high. This is apparently a "learning" thermostat so after awhile it learns your habits so it can auto-adjust. You should definitely check to see if your power company offers a rebate. My husband was able to install this himself in a matter of minutes.

My keurig machine is breaking so I attempted to use my pour over coffee maker. I need to practice it more though because the coffee was very weak. Do you have any tips? I used the same amount of coffee as I put in a reusable Kcup.

I attended a free small business class at the library. I learned a lot of great information, and I didn't know the local library had so many free resources.

My son made stomp rockets for free at the library, and he got more books and a couple Fall themed coloring pages.

I purchased two pairs of pants and a nice shirt in larger sizes for my son at the local thrift shop. I also got him an awesome dragon book and a huge book of  monster stories. I resisted a cute pair of pajamas because I knew he already had enough at home.

I've been entering giveaways for things I will eventually buy or would be nice to have.

I washed out a couple small containers from food items to reuse as craft supply storage.

I put out small bowls of apple cider vinegar with a couple drops of dish soap to get rid of the fruit flies. It's amazing how effective this is.

What little things have you done to save money last week?

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Recent frugal efforts.

I redeemed a $25 Swagbucks gift card. I'm going to buy this silicone mini loaf pan to make banana bread and snicker doodle bread for Christmas gifts. I usually use these paper loaf pans, but I wanted to try something new this year.

I entered some giveaways.

I took my reusable K-cups to work to make coffee after I ran out of the regular K-cups that I got on sale. I had to grind more coffee beans too.

I picked up more books from the library, and my son got a bunch too.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it on here yet, but I picked up a part time job that I can do on my own time when I'm not at my full time job.

We made foaming hand soap.

I put out a few little glass bowls with apple cider vinegar and a couple drops if dish soap to control the fruit fly population in my kitchen.

I saved some little boxes and a glass bottle to store beads and craft supplies.

What did you do to save money last week?


This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Recent Frugal Efforts

• My son and I picked blackberries off the bushes in the yard for my mother in law.
• We made foaming hand soap.
• I picked up a huge stack of books from the library for myself and my son.
• We have limited the use of the air conditioner.
• I hung several loads of laundry outside to dry.

• I made my sister's birthday cake. I attempted a purple and white zebra pattern, but it didn't work as nicely as I thought. (my son wanted the middle piece.)
• I also made her birthday card.
• I took my stainless steel water bottle to work.
• I brought food to work. One day I had a work meeting, which turned into a free meal plus leftovers for another meal.
• I followed up on my Ebates shopping trips that didn't credit, and I "earned" $5.xx
• I received a free full-sized shampoo and conditioner to review.
• My mom brought over a potty chair that she got from the local buy nothing group. I'm really hoping it will encourage my son to be interested in potty training.
• I donated my Ebates rebate to a local food backpacks for kids program. 
• I spontaneously made a double batch of banana bread.

What did you do to save money or be frugal last week?


This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Recent Frugal Efforts.

I took advantage of the heat and hung lots of blankets and sheets out to dry instead of using the dryer. I use this Portable Umbrella Clothesline Dryer.

I made foaming hand soap.

I redeemed an Amazon gift card from Swagbucks.


























I canceled several items on my monthly Amazon Subscribe and Save. 

I made an art wall in the hallway using all the projects my son made in preschool and at the library from the past several months. It made him happy, and eh, why not?

My son and I "donated" five books to the neighborhood library shack, and he picked out five books to take home.

My mom brought over a box full of pajamas and some shoes in larger sizes for my son that she got from a garage sale.

What have you done lately to save money?

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Recent Frugal Efforts.

My work was giving a lot of things away so I scored a free wooden dining table with three chairs along with various craft supplies.

My son and I made lavender goats milk soap as part of a Mother's Day gift.

My son and I started making Mother's Day cards.

I opened my Etsy shop. My camera broke right before I started taking pictures so I had to make due with a decent one.

I unplugged and put away the space heater until Fall.

I entered Dave Ramsey's $20k giveaway.

I listened to The Minimalists free podcast.

I borrowed free ebooks from the library.

I attended a free class that helps parents get their kids ready for Kindergarten. They gave each parent some toys and tools with instructions on how to use them in a creative/educational manner. 

I used some of my credit card rewards points to buy more ink for my printer since it was a good price.

Someone in my area set up a little free library stand by their driveway. We picked two books, and we'll be looking for some books to donate to that library. Such a cute idea.


What have you done to save money recently? Are you planning a frugal Mother's Day? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section.

Recent frugal efforts.

We attended a free event at the library where we got to make a mason jar garden. (they also had St. Patrick's Day cookies) My son wanted a "flag" for his jar, and I labeled mine "Live!" because I am not good at keeping plants alive. I'm hoping if I put it in my window at work it will feel inspired to live.

I decided that my life would be a little easier if I had more than two pairs of pants that I regularly wear. I was considering saving up money to buy more from Target because that's where I got my pants last time, and I know the size so I don't have to bother with clothes shopping. (I dislike clothes shopping a lot.) Then after the library event I decided to stop into the little thrift store, and I found a nice pair of jeans for $4. $25+ saved!

I listened to free podcasts. I watched free videos on YouTube that I found inspiring.

I borrowed a book from the library instead of buying it.

And to counteract the above, I found a book at the thrift store for $0.25 or $0.50 that I've been waiting to read for 11 months because the library's ebook hold list is long for this particular title.

I brought food, water, and coffee to work most days. (bought coffee from a shop a few times.)

I received a free full-sized fancy toothpaste from BzzAgent to try.

I rescued various sized gift bags from work. They were cleaning out some old stuff, and these clean new gift bags were set to be tossed. I asked if I could take some. Even though they're branded I'm going to use them for future gift giving occasions. I grabbed some extras for my mother in law and son. He's at the stage where he loves filling bags with random stuff.

I redeemed a $5 Amazon gift card from Bing.

My son attended a free indoor playground.

We made foaming hand soap.


What did you do to save money last week?

Recent frugal efforts.

Due to snow days and sick days the cookies we bought for a school activity never made it to school. The best buy date passed so I stuck them in the freezer for us to enjoy later.

I redeemed a $5 Amazon gift card from Bing.

I started using everydollar.com again. We have variable income, and I haven't found the perfect way (for me) to budget stuff so at the least I'll use this to keep good track of how our money is being spent.

We made foaming hand soap.

My son borrowed books from the library and participated in the story time craft.

He also went to a free indoor playground.

I listened to Dave Ramsey's free radio show via his website.

I use handkerchiefs instead of disposable tissues.

I brought reusable water bottles and glass containers to work. I do bring ziplock bags sometimes, and I try to get multiple uses out of them, but that doesn't always happen. 

I donated my $14.xx Ebates PayPal credit to a local organization that provides food to children on the weekends so their families can eat.

What have you done to save money this week?

Last week's frugal efforts and fails.

Our washer and dryer have been acting up lately. I'm not sure how he fixed the dryer, but my husband also fixed the washer. The drainage hose was plugged up. I'm thankful to have working appliances! I was worried I'd have to hand wash some clothes in the tub.

I made foaming soap for our reusable foaming hand soap dispensers.

I've kept the thermostat off during the day since our system is occasionally acting up.

I picked up a free reusable tote bag from the local grocery store.

I filled out the grocery story survey for free fuel points.

We took advantage of some pizza deals so we got two large pizzas for a great price with plenty of leftovers.

I suddenly had the desire to work on my latent Etsy shop. I went through things I already had on hand as well as made a list of materials that I needed. I'm making a solid plan from how many items to start with to how often to post on my shop blog/website. If you use my link you can get 40 free Etsy listings (and so do I!)

An ebook I requested to be added to my library's online catalog was finally added so I borrowed it for my Kindle right away.

I filled out a survey for pizza to get $3 off our next purchase.

We're continuing to eat down our pantry and freezer.

I listened to Dave Ramsey's and Chris Hogan's free podcasts.


My frugal fails:

I forgot to keep up with my son's library books so I owe about $3 in fines.

My husband bought the wrong coffee creamer. I tried to drink it, but some of it did end up going to waste.

For accountability: I took advantage of PayPal credit to get some supplies for my Etsy shop. The total is less than $400, and if I pay it off within 6 months I don't have to pay interest. If for some reason I don't generate enough in sales to cover that I'll use my personal money so no interest will be paid.


What did you do to save money last week?

Last week's frugal efforts.

We made four loaves of banana bread. I used a cast iron bread pan and a glass Pyrex bread pan. I think the cast iron pan made the better loaves. I snuck in some chia seeds on the second batch.

I redeemed points for a $3 Amazon gift card from Swagbucks.

I ended up using some of my Amazon credit to purchase a set of two mini angel food cake pans so I can use those for future gifts of bird seed wreaths. I also got an ink stamp set with some all purpose greeting stamps. One of my goals this year is to make all cards instead of buying them.

My Keurig stopped working, and just as I was starting to rage I took a minute to Google it. I found a YouTube video that showed me the problem: a clogged pin. I'm happy I was able to fix it, and it was a nice learning moment for my son too.

We made foaming hand soap. Water + liquid Castile soap in a foaming dispenser we already had on hand.

It turns out that my dryer isn't broken. So it's great that I don't have to buy a new one, however, if it truly was broken I think I'd be okay with hanging things to dry for awhile.

I ate leftovers all weekend.

I brought food, coffee, and water to work in reuseable containers. (mostly)

I borrowed free ebooks from my library.

My son is using a handkerchief for his cold.


What have you done to save money last week?

Last week's frugal efforts.

I wasn't really planning on it, but I ended up hanging my clothes up inside to dry. The dryer wouldn't turn on. It's curious because earlier in the day I was reading a post about how to hang dry clothes inside and was thinking that I needed to get back to doing that sometime...I just wasn't expecting to so soon!

I composted when possible.

I brought food, water, and coffee to work in reusable glass containers and stainless steel. I keep a cat mug and a spoon at work.

I've kept the thermostat down and wore a sweater around the house when cold. I even got the little one to wear a sweater!

I've continued to eat down the pantry and freezer. I want to use up what we have then start intentionally eating better.

I redeemed a $3 Amazon gift card from Swagbucks.

I redeemed a $5 Amazon gift card from Bing Rewards. I'm not sure what to use these on yet. There is something about January that robs me of the desire to purchase things.

I've been burning candles to use them up. I find it relaxing too. The little guy sometimes does a candle flame dance. : )

Little Man is going through a phase where he asks for something then changes his mind and wants something new to eat. Um...nope. So I save his snack or meal to eat later. It's hard sometimes, but overall it seems to be working.

What have you done to save money this week?

Last week's frugal efforts.

I'm using a textbook that I rented from Amazon. It was much cheaper than buying, and they will give me a free shipping label to send it back when I'm done.

I kept the thermostat down and sparingly used a space heater in the bedroom. It's unusually cold here lately.

I meal planned using food items we already had in the pantry and freezer.

I'm being more strict with my son about being done with one food item and wanting another instead. Nope.

I upped my 401k contribution at the same time my new insurance rates will be reflected on my check so in a way this is a mind game in the sense that whatever my first paycheck of the year looks like, that's what I have to work with.

I'm on a mission to use stuff up around the house. I'm burning candles and eating or giving away food items.

I'm decluttering in spurts. This always helps curb any desire to spend money.

I watched some free YouTube videos. People are so inspiring and helpful.

We made foaming soap.

My husband bought the wrong coffee creamer. Instead of pouring it down the drain or giving it away I decided to mix it with my regular creamer when I make my coffee so it's more tolerable. Hopefully he won't make that mistake again.

I ended up with a free planner. I had ordered one from Amazon, then I was gifted one at work. I went on the Amazon site to see how much it would cost to send the planner back, but it said I would be refunded right away with no need to send it back. The planner from work I decided to use for work things. It actually has made me stay more organized and on task so that's a double win.

I signed up for MyPoints so I can earn some gift cards for little effort.


What have you done to save money lately?