On Saturday our power was out for seven hours due to a thunderstorm. Towards the end of that time I was ready to get in the car for some cold a/c and go somewhere for something ice cold to drink, but I resisted.
I'm keeping an eye on our meter reading on the electric company's website. I expect to see a drastic drop in the amount of kilowatts we used on Saturday due to the power outage.
We vacuumed both window air conditioners this week and took apart the fans and washed the cages very well. We do this on a monthly basis at least during this time of year.
This immediately made a difference in how the acs were cooling and how the fans were moving air.
We were at a thrift store last week when the cashier made an announcement that they had just received some Build a Bears and they were available at the front of the store.
There were two shopping carts full of them and they were going for $2.00 each.
Now I don't know the circumstances behind this donation, but I was surprised that someone would donate these.
My daughter treasured her childhood trip to Build a Bear and still has her bear, not wanting to part with Patches and the memories that go along with him.
All of our meals were cooked at home this week as usual.
On Wednesday we went to town to run errands and I brought food and drinks, but started getting hungry before we were done.
Combining errands to save money can sometimes take longer than expected. We resisted getting any fast food, but went home and had lunch there instead.
This is one of the keys to leading a frugal life ~ being disciplined when it comes to spending money. We have very specific goals we are saving for and don't want any unnecessary spending to get in the way of those goals.
We continue to find things we need at yard sales, rummage sales, and thrift stores.
My daughter recently expressed interest in having a pair of knee pads for certain activities. We found a pair this week at a church rummage sale for 50¢.
She also suggested finding a litter pan for three kittens and we found one a new one this week for 50¢ also.
She has made the comment a few times this summer that when she buys something retail she oftentimes finds it at a yard sale afterwards.
And it's probably related to the fact that we go to so many yard sales, but we enjoy it and it saves us money, which is a win-win situation.
We have had thunderstorms every day this week. Our driveway is a mess from all the rain. We'll be looking at the least expensive option to fix it this weekend.
I had a large medical bill from January where I was offered a deal to pay 50% and get 50% off my balance. I paid my half on June 6th and called on the 28th and they still hadn't written off the other half, so I will stay on top of this to make sure the other half gets removed.
How was your week?
Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~
