Saturday, April 18, 2015

Sharing Ways We Save

This post will be a two week compilation of things I or my family did to save money.  I missed last weeks post due to a temporary illness.

Recently we have saved various glass jars and bottles to up-cycle or reuse in the future.  I shared a Simple Centerpiece that we used some of them for.

We had already paid in advance to go to the fair twice, so we went back to the fair and received many free things like pens, pencils, emergency preparedness items etc.  We did also purchase some refillable souvenir cups to drink from while we were there, and we can use those as travel cups as summer weather approaches so that we are sure to have a drink with us.

My kids sat down on the carpet with a small tub of soapy water and cleaned their shoes with toothbrushes.  My son even went to so far as to touch up his black shoes with permanent marker.  When they were done they looked good as new.  I was very proud of them for taking care of what they have.

We used coupons for our breakfast out at Steak and Shake and saved $5.00 off of our bill and got to try a new breakfast item for free.  (We also talked and decided to limit our out of the house breakfasts to once a month from now on outside of special occasions.)

In the kitchen I made caramel and spaghetti sauce.

I have recommitted myself to intentional planning and cooking in the kitchen.  Last month we spent over 443.00 eating out according to our financial software provided for free by our bank.  (yikes) I contributed a post here about my heart attitude and realizing despite my efforts I still need a change.  This is a new venture that I hope to be able to contribute to regularly as my friend Lori and I attempt to reach out and possibly minister to others who may share similar struggles.

Speaking of my best friend we went to the beach together...it was completely free for me because she was sweet and drove....(Thank you Aunti Lori,)  we each packed our own lunches.  Lots of fun....and refreshing!  I hope she will share about our "beach therapy" soon.



(I have now survived one whole week of intentional cooking. There are moments I have had to pray because I am unsure what to put together for a meal, unsure if my kids will want to eat it, and I hate to wash dishes.  There was a night or two where I really just wanted to make that mad dash to a local drive thru...but we didn't.  It's been one whole week without McDonald's famous french fries.) Ah well.  It is doable, I can cook, meal plans can be made despite whatever past habits have been.  If you make a mistake it is good to recognize it and work to change the behavior.


I am learning more about when to shop which grocery stores around here lately.  I found at Winn Dixie veggies for .59 a can.  Tomato sauce buy one get one free at .79 a 15 oz can.  7 of those made up the 106 oz can I usually pay 5.00 for and i paid just 2.50 or so for them.  I will watch the ads more carefully now and note exactly when these sales are offered.  I believe that the Wal-Mart marks down their meat items on Sundays.

Next month it will be two years since I started blogging....it has taken me that long to get the hang of some of these frugal and intentional living practices, and I still have so much to learn.  Thank you for being a part of that journey.  You are irreplaceable and important!  How was your week?


13 comments:

  1. Congrats on cooking for the week.. Some times it is difficult , to not just give in and head to Mc Donald's. ha
    Hope you have a good week. Judy
    www.frugallivinginjudy'sworld.blogspot.com

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    1. THank you Ms. Judy. It is difficult when the task you have to do is not something you particularly enjoy. I am not quitting though, I hope to be like you ladies and have it become that second nature......

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  2. Knowing what changes you want to make is the biggest obstacle. The rest will happen organically with just a few steps. As the weather gets better and better, it is so much easier to pull a meal together if you have a few things prepped in advance. I wash all my produce and let it sit in a vinegar/water rinse, then dry it and store it in the fridge. Carrots are peeled and cut, likewise for radishes. I also cut chicken breasts into cubes or strips and freeze them for quick retrieval during the week. I brown a couple of pounds of ground beef in advance also. It really does make mealtime easier. Good luck to you.

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    1. I will put into practice the vinegar water rinse. What a great idea! And cutting your meat in advance too. Thanks for the practical tips. I am all for learning and trying. I have to find ways to make it work!

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  3. I love the beautiful picture taken at the beach! You are teaching your little ones well to take care of the things they have- I like the way they cleaned up their shoes. :)
    You got some really good deals at the grocery store! Years ago I was not into meal planning or grocery shopping at all and we winged it all the time. I had to really train myself to get it together and stay on top of things. Now after several years of carefully shopping for deals and planning meals for my family, it is completely natural to not head out to eat on a regular basis- it is more of an occasional treat that we indulge in once in a while and thoroughly enjoy that special time together. On nights when I feel like throwing in the towel and eating out or going through the drive through I turn my thinking around and make something really quick and simple like scrambled eggs for dinner.
    You are doing well, my friend. Give yourself some grace and know that not every meal you cook will be everyone's favorite but they will eat if they are hungry. ;) When you put too much pressure on yourself to be everything and do everything it isn't enjoyable. When you can laugh at your mistakes and persevere through it all, you will find that serving your home and family becomes a pleasure. You are doing a great job! :)

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    1. I will have to keep that scrambled egg idea in mind. I guess I am still in the training myself stages....but with everyone's encouragement maybe I can make it through.....I will have to work on that giving myself grace thing. It doesn't always come easy to me.

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  4. You are doing so well...I love to learn something new and apply it as much as I can.
    Love and adore the wonderful picture of the beach. Have a great week

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. i just deleted a duplicate comment that is all.

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  6. You are doing so well...I love to learn something new and apply it as much as I can.
    Love and adore the wonderful picture of the beach. Have a great week

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    1. Vicky that is so nice of you to say...i don't always feel like I am doing well. I do love this picture too...I think it shall become a frame-able moment.

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  7. Cooking at home and from scratch has become second nature to me. I don't give it a thought and once you master it, it really doesn't take that much extra time. Really, it takes far more time for us to go out to eat. We have to fight traffic and end up paying so much more for lower quality.

    http://www.atimeforhome.com/weekly-goals-april-20/

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    1. You are right Lisa about paying more for lower quality....I am working on the from scratch thing. It's still pretty hard for me, but I am not giving up. I hope one day to have it as second nature like you do.

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