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Sunday, January 5, 2014

My Frugal Week

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These are some of the things we've done this week to save money:

We shopped at Staples on Saturday the 28th and were able to pick up this free, reusable shopping bag. 


I gathered up all the nuts from all the stockings that Santa left and put them all in a big bowl. 


I did the same thing with the candy canes and fruit. 




Some of the oranges were actually from a school fundraiser. Pictured below is a box of oranges that I purchased through a school fund raiser. This is a 20 pound box of oranges and I paid $19.00 for the box, and there were 30 oranges in the box, so 63¢ per orange. Not the best buy, but supporting a good cause. 


Received a piece of mail with a nickle attached to it. :)



We had several no spending days this week. We have been out of school/work due to Christmas break and therefore had no reason to get out of the house, so we stayed home. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday we stayed home and spent no money. 

We ate every meal at home this week, and therefore spent no money on dining out.

I did a lot of reading, both on and offline this week. One of my favorite online articles of the week was over at Three Thrifty Guys, where Travis from Enemy of Debt shared his story of "How I Paid Off Over 100K in Debt". Very, very inspiring article. 

When we did venture out of the house this week we ended up at McKay's Used Books where we still had a credit left over from our last visit. So, I was able to pick up several new to me books that I want to read for free and we still have a credit left over for the next time we visit.

I was able to pick up Howard Lyman's "Mad Cowboy" book, which has been on my wish list at Amazon for a while now. 



I also picked up several other books. 



I picked up Ellie Kay's "A Tip A Day"


I also picked up my favorite couponing book, "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half". I had loaned this book out two years ago and haven't gotten it back yet, so I was glad to pick this one up again for free. 




I also went to Bi-Lo to run an errand, and while we were there we were able to enter a drawing for a $25o gift certificate for groceries. We were also given this free insulated reusable bag. 




My daughter had been wanting to see Wreck It Ralph on DVD, but I wasn't going to pay the $19.96 asking price, so we rented it on Redbox for $1.32. 




I purchased gas for $2.80 a gallon today using my Bi-Lo Bonus card and their fuel perks program. I saved 25¢ a gallon and purchased 11.36 gallons, so a total savings of $2.84. 

I was able to pick up three loaves of bread for garlic bread on the bakery reduction rack for $1.18 each.



I found a cheaper source of saltine crackers this week. Before the recession we paid 88¢ for a box of saltine crackers, but that price has risen to $1.78. 



While shopping at Fresh & Low this week, I was able to purchase Always Save saltines for $1.01 a box, which is a savings of 77¢. Continually looking for a better price on items we regularly purchase is a regular part of the frugal lifestyle. 





And last, but not least today we picked up several copies of the Sunday newspaper as there are five inserts in each one today. A good coupon day for sure. 

What are some of the frugal things you've done to save money this week?
Belinda
CFO ~ Chief Frugal Officer
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011-2014.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”

6 comments:

  1. Some awesome tips! I was going to mention Aldi's as a source for saltines, I think I pay 89 or 99 cents/box. Grocery stores are asking $3.59 for name brand! Thud! Really watching my pennies, I've joined what many are calling a "fiscal fast"-paying bills that I must such as rent, utilities, food, but trying to reign in varying expenses such as clothing, household goods, restaurant food, entertainment, etc. Also reviewing all budget items to see if they can be tweaked at all. I am facing a month of unpaid leave (at this point, subject to change) and will only receive child support that month. I am trying desperately to plan for that, and making choices now that will translate into a better cash flow come March, when I am not paid.

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    1. Thank you for the tip on the saltines at Aldi, Carol. I need to check there. Some of the brand name prices have gotten outrageous. We had spaghetti for dinner and I forgot Parmesan cheese, so we went to get a bottle and all they had was the small Kraft for $3.50, so I bought a small bag of mozzarella instead for $1.75 and we just made do.

      Having a month with only child support as your income will be rough. Hopefully with all your good planning you will make it through easier. Best of luck to you!

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  2. Thanks for including our article ;)

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  3. LOL LOVE your version of the job title! My husband always introduces me as the CFO of our 'company' when we're shopping for groceries. Now I'll think of your version of it and feel that much more proud.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Terri. I'm glad you like the job title. I think it fits all of us well. :)

      Delete

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