Sharing Ways We Save

Well this will be stuff I did over the last couple of weeks.

So I have a daughter that is three and she got some Easter money from a lovely lady who has sort of become their adoptive grandmother here in Florida.  I share about this because I am very proud of a decision she made.  We were doing some shopping, and she wanted to spend her money and she chose a toy first.  Then as we shopped on she saw nail polish with a small bag that had minnie mouse on it with two tiny bottles of nail polish.  I told her she had to choose between the toy and the nail polish (which personally I didn't think she needed the bag and the two bottles of  polish were so tiny and I just didn't think it was a wise choice,  it was expensive just because of the picture of minnie mouse on it, but I didn't say anything)  She really wanted nail polish.  So I showed her that there were big bottles of nail polish for 1.00 each that she could choose from more colors, but i told her she would have to put the other things back.  I stood back and let her make her choice.....

and she still had enough money left over for some colorful ponytail holders to use when she goes to gymnastics on Wednesday nights!   I was very proud of her for choosing what she could get the most use out of without my influence!!!!  I have noticed my 8 year old son thinking like that too...he won a game of bingo and there were toys and stuff he could choose from...he told me mom...i didn't need anymore toys so I chose a tshirt.....it's something he can get more use out of....wooohoooo...maybe I am teaching my kids something goood.

Other things that we did over the last few weeks:

* Repurposed a cabinet I used previoulsy as a craft babinet, as a computer desk
* Our son had a $10.00 gift certificate from the AR program at school and he put it towards the purchase of a game he wanted
* Paid off the final $550.00 of a bill my husband had.
* Set a new budget for our apartment living
* Changed cell phone plans and reduced the bill by $40.00 per month
* Filed form with water company regarding the leak we had and the repair that was made and recieved a $45.00 credit.
* Went to an Easter picnic at the park and was able to just take things I already had on hand.
* Made art for the wall from my son's art project using a frame i had already

He was thrilled to see it on the wall in our entry way. 
*  We didn't eat out for over a week! Which is a huge accomplishment for us.  Unfortunately though I have fallen off the wagon already and we spent about 20.00 out  right after we accomplished our no eat out week.
* We also invested in some seeds, and fruit trees, and I am trying to learn to garden a little, but my herbs that I tried to start already died.  I am not giving up though.  I am going to replant a different way and try again.
* I made brownies and pancakes from scratch...both big hits!  Oh and I made homemade lasagna too...making my own sauce.  That was pretty good too though I need to tweak the amount of spices I put in the sauce.
* I made homemade dish soap.
* Saved .20 per gallon on gas by using gas rewards from a local grocery store.
* I also just today made a jewelry display/holder using a frame we had but unfortuantely in moving the glass got broken....the hooks I used were .97 for six and I used 12 hooks.

And to wrap it all up I said no to alot of things...things that would have been fun like a trip to a local carnival, no to thrift store trips even on 50 % off Wednesdays, and even no to a trip to the dollar tree.  There just wasn't anything we really really needed, and to be honest I still have stuff I need to get rid of.  Thanks for stopping by.....what did you do to save....remember it all adds up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And you are appreicated, if no one said it this week, I am saying it to you now!