Each Friday here at Frugal Workshop, I love sharing the frugal wins, quiet savings, and simple strategies that helped us stretch our budget over the past seven days. It’s a gentle look back at the small things that make a big difference.
My Frugal Week
This week I didn't have any doctor appointments, which I loved. I was able to stay home, had multiple no spend days and conserved my gasoline.
Last Friday I had to be in town for an appointment, and afterwards I went to one yard sale. I picked up two Ball canning books for 25 cents each, which was a bargain. She also had groceries there, which she was offering for free, so I picked up a bottle of P.F. Chang's Teriyaki sauce.
Adding to the list of things that can break down during Miserly March, now our washing machine is acting up, sigh. Bailey thinks she can fix it though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. and the tool to fix it has been ordered. In the meantime, I've been using Dad's washer/dryer combo downstairs.
We also ordered our new air conditioner for the house, which was delivered on Thursday. Now we just have to have it installed. This time we bought the Friedrich Smart AC brand, which came highly recommended by the Reddit board, Buy it For Life.
Saving Money on Gas
Last Friday I pumped $36.64 worth of gas in my car at a cost of $3.59 per gallon, which was a discounted price.
Due to the price of gas, we decided to stay home from yard sales last Saturday and have no plans to go this weekend either.
The state of Georgia has decided to suspend the state tax on gasoline through May 20 due to the issues with Iran and the strait of Hormuz. We are only a few miles from Georgia and frequently shop there, so we will be filling up there for the time being.
One of the members of the Living Simply Facebook group, who is visiting Australia, mentioned that gas has reached $12 per gallon there. Let’s hope that gas prices do not reach that high here and hope for relief for those currently in Australia.
Blog News
Somehow I accidently deleted my list of blogs I read on the side bar, and I lost several of them in the process. I've been trying to get them all back but I know I may have missed some of them. If it looks a little odd for a while, as I work to fix this issue, you'll know why.
Freebies
- P. F. Chang's Teriyaki Sauce
Saving Money YouTube Videos
Here is a video from Sarah of the Frozen Pennies YouTube channel. This is a good video on how people saved money back in the 1970s. She has some great tips on how they saved money on gasoline back then that are relevant to us today, so I wanted to share this.
The gas saving segment begins at the 6:47 minute mark.
Here is a segment from this video:
"Gas prices skyrocketed during the 1973 oil crisis and driving became more of a luxury than a convenience. As a result, many families coordinated rides, consolidated errands, and planned every trip carefully. Every gallon saved was money in the bank. Car pooling cut commuting costs in half or more, and fewer trips meant less gas, less wear on the car, and fewer impulse buys. With fuel prices remaining volatile, this habit can significantly reduce monthly transportation expenses. "
My Reading Nook ~ What I've been Reading This Week
Rising energy costs are making grocery shopping more expensive ~ From the Consumer Affairs website, rising energy costs are pushing up prices across the food supply chain. As consumers we have a big stake here, If gas remains elevated, food inflation could persist, adding pressure to already strained household budgets.
How was your week?
Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here.
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.
$12 a gallon is so sad for Australians.We are all very careful about just hopping in the car and combine trips. I have plenty to keep me busy at home anyway.
It's true, I live in Australia, and gas (petrol) is now $12.30 AUD a gallon, which converts to $8.50 in USD. To put that into context it was close to $6 USD a gallon in February, and we considered that to be a good price. So its gone up around 40%.
Oh my gosh, my heart goes out to all of you in Australia. That is such a high price to pay and for something we depend on regularly. Years ago (1950s) the automobile industry, to our detriment, fixed it so that the USA didn't have the public transportation systems you see in other countries. I think I read on Annabelle's blog that Australia doesn't have public transportation like other countries either. Let's hope we see some relief soon.
Glad you have a little break from Dr appointments, and I hope you are healing well. Gas is sure expensive these days,, but nothing like the price in Australia. Wow! Sorry about the washer being on the fritz, but yay for Bailey, I hope she is able to fix it. Glad you were able to get an a/c, and it sounds like it will be of good quality to last a long time. Hope you have a great weekend.
Yes, I feel so bad for the people in Australia. They are telling truck drivers to bring canned food and extra water just in case they run out of fuel and get stuck in the midlands where fuel can be hard to come by normally. It's a bad situation to say the least. I hope you also have a great weekend. :)
Our gas price converted to gallons up here in Canadian dollars would be $8.25. Like Australia we use an Imperial gallon which is 5 liters and not 4 liters that are in a U.S. gallon. I have always combined errands so as to keep gas usage to a minimum. I am even considering a folding wagon to take grocery shopping and save even more.
I was out and about more this week then I wanted to be. Good news is I got all of my errands done. Bad news is that it was a little bit spendie. My grocery total almost made me croak! Gas is running $4.19 a gallon in central Indiana. We are now in hunker down mode.
I love it when I get all of my errands done, Wendi. I know what you mean about it getting spendy. Seems like it gets a little bit higher each month even with all the thrifty tips we can use. Gas is high there too, which is making me stay home today and not go to any yard sales. I hope you have a good weekend!
Hi Belinda, I'm so glad you're feeling better now and didn't need to see a doctor! The gas prices are a real problem. I just converted them on my notepad. We're paying €2.00 per liter for gas. That's $8.75 per gallon. Diesel is even more expensive. It costs $9.72 per gallon. Converted to Australian dollars, that's $12.73 per gallon for gas and $14.13 per gallon for diesel. Unbelievable! It's a shame you couldn't go to the flea markets, but I guess we all have to save on gas. Best regards, Sibylle
Thank you, Sibylle. That is unreal what you all are having to pay for gas now too. Yes, we are doing things differently now that gas is up so high in price. I hope we all see some relief soon.
$12 a gallon is so sad for Australians.We are all very careful about just hopping in the car and combine trips. I have plenty to keep me busy at home anyway.
ReplyDeleteI just said the very same thing on your blog, Sam. There is plenty here to keep me busy too.
DeleteIt's true, I live in Australia, and gas (petrol) is now $12.30 AUD a gallon, which converts to $8.50 in USD. To put that into context it was close to $6 USD a gallon in February, and we considered that to be a good price. So its gone up around 40%.
DeleteOh my gosh, my heart goes out to all of you in Australia. That is such a high price to pay and for something we depend on regularly. Years ago (1950s) the automobile industry, to our detriment, fixed it so that the USA didn't have the public transportation systems you see in other countries. I think I read on Annabelle's blog that Australia doesn't have public transportation like other countries either. Let's hope we see some relief soon.
DeleteGlad you have a little break from Dr appointments, and I hope you are healing well. Gas is sure expensive these days,, but nothing like the price in Australia. Wow! Sorry about the washer being on the fritz, but yay for Bailey, I hope she is able to fix it. Glad you were able to get an a/c, and it sounds like it will be of good quality to last a long time.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great weekend.
Thank you, Kathy.
DeleteYes, I feel so bad for the people in Australia. They are telling truck drivers to bring canned food and extra water just in case they run out of fuel and get stuck in the midlands where fuel can be hard to come by normally. It's a bad situation to say the least.
I hope you also have a great weekend. :)
Dear Belinda, your new air conditioner looks great.
ReplyDeleteI hope you manage to get your lost or deleted blogs back, dear friend.
Thank you Linda!
DeleteGot to love those no spend days.
ReplyDeleteYAY on no doctor appointments. Hope the washer gets fixed.
Yes, I love no spend days. Cheryl. Thanks on the washer too.
DeleteOur gas price converted to gallons up here in Canadian dollars would be $8.25. Like Australia we use an Imperial gallon which is 5 liters and not 4 liters that are in a U.S. gallon. I have always combined errands so as to keep gas usage to a minimum. I am even considering a folding wagon to take grocery shopping and save even more.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
$8.25 per gallon is also high, Jackie. Combining errands is a great way to help conserve gas. The folding wagon is also a good idea.
DeleteI was out and about more this week then I wanted to be. Good news is I got all of my errands done. Bad news is that it was a little bit spendie. My grocery total almost made me croak! Gas is running $4.19 a gallon in central Indiana. We are now in hunker down mode.
ReplyDeleteHope you are able to get the washer fixed.
Glas
I love it when I get all of my errands done, Wendi. I know what you mean about it getting spendy. Seems like it gets a little bit higher each month even with all the thrifty tips we can use. Gas is high there too, which is making me stay home today and not go to any yard sales. I hope you have a good weekend!
DeleteHi Belinda,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're feeling better now and didn't need to see a doctor!
The gas prices are a real problem. I just converted them on my notepad. We're paying €2.00 per liter for gas. That's $8.75 per gallon. Diesel is even more expensive. It costs $9.72 per gallon.
Converted to Australian dollars, that's $12.73 per gallon for gas and $14.13 per gallon for diesel.
Unbelievable!
It's a shame you couldn't go to the flea markets, but I guess we all have to save on gas.
Best regards, Sibylle
Thank you, Sibylle. That is unreal what you all are having to pay for gas now too. Yes, we are doing things differently now that gas is up so high in price. I hope we all see some relief soon.
Delete