Frugal Challenge 10/1 - 10/7

**baxjul** · 10-01-2006, 12:50 PM

Let's try and get creative this month, what with the holidays coming and all!

~made bread crumbs with leftover bread
~baking with powdered milk
~a/c turned off
~hanging all wash out on the line (have been slacking on this)
~washing in cold with cold rinse
~cooking from scratch

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 10-01-2006, 01:09 PM

Well today I washed some ziploc baggies,

combined errands

got dd's picture taken at $5 a sheet at Target, with no sitting fee and a free 8 X 10

did a load of laundry in cold

filled up with weekend for $1.29 a gallon! A grocery store here has a deal where you earn $.10 off per gallon for every $50 spent. I have been saving mine for awhile, because the gas station isn't near me. And in August they has it at $.20 off a gallon when you spent $50, so I had $.80 off per gallon.

Calling long distance this weekend to use our free cell phone minutes

cooking from scratch all weekend

packed a lunch for the soccer game yesterday

working on a menu for the month, my goal is to only spend $200 for the whole month of October on groceries, we have somewhat of a stockpile, so hopefully it will work

our electric bill was $32 less than last month

**suzysaver** · 10-01-2006, 01:22 PM

So far today I have washed 2 loads of laundry in cold and hung one load on line. I am making stew in crock pot and making sweet rolls from scratch. I woke up this moring and did not turn the t.v. on right away (usually I just do this out of habit, and just to hear it in the background). We have to go to the grocery store ...ran out of creamer for hubbys coffee (darn it)...but will be headed to walgreens for a couple deals it's right next to store (combined a trip and saved gas).

Things to work on this month:
Line drying the clothes (I need to work on this too!)
try not to forget to switch hot to cold on laundry...sometimes I forget after a hot water load.
Make more from scratch: rolls, buscuits, pizza dough, cereal bars
no t.v. in morning or when not watching
dress warmer, and find my slippers

**Lyn5** · 10-01-2006, 02:05 PM

~ baked bread on Saturday and made more hot-pockets for DH and in-laws
~ still cleaning up my home

I have only two spots left to clean/declutter and they are both not that bad....should be done today
~ I think we are taking our trash to the dump today...I don't have trash service since we can take it on our own
~ I will make a list of what I have in the freezers and cupboard and then make a meal calender for the month
~ played/did crafts with DD and DS

**Shellshome** · 10-01-2006, 04:14 PM

Well my car is going to need fixed so I will be staying home or walking where I need to go.

So this week my goals are
~~Eat at home all week
~~Use up some of my stockpile this month for eating at home
~~Make a small grocery list and do all my errands Friday (dh truck is a stick and I can't drive it so have to wait for him to go with me)
~~Deep Clean my kitchen (get things I don't need or use to take to goodwill) also do up a bag of food from my stockpile for my sister in law and brother
~~Deep clean the bathroom (get rid of old items or items we don't need or use)
~~Deep clean the laundryroom (get rid of old items or items we don't need or use)
~~Deep clean our bedroom later this week
~~Do laundry in cold/cold water (I have to put in dryer because it is to chilly here to hang out and I have no where to a line but I do use a drying rack for somethings)
~~Pay house payment this week and water bill
~~Take car to get looked at Monday and stop at Rite aid since we will be out and it is just down from the car place
~~Cut out and file my coupons (DONE!!)

I think that is about it this week!! I will proably add more to it later on. I want to take the dog for a few walks this week to. I think that this is a great way for me to be accountable for what we do. So I hope to be able to stick to it and get everything I want done and do it frugelly. (I don't know if that is a word but that is what I mean)

**peanut** · 10-01-2006, 05:31 PM

Things to work on this month:

~ hang drying laundry
~ megacooking to stock freezer for December
~ gift making - knitting dishcloths, sewing potholders, rug hooking trivets, etc.
~ shut doors to unused rooms
~ candlelight dinners to save heat and electricity
~ items for the craft sale
~ declutter art studio and set up an office for me

That's it.

**Jill B.** · 10-01-2006, 05:43 PM

This week I need to:
make a menu plan and follow it
Make sure I have no-spend days. (Today was one!)
Make things for lunches
Make breakfast things instead of cereal and bagels
Return bike lock that DD didn't want
Go back to the optometrist's office and request the appt. free since she prescribed the wrong prescription not once but TWICE. (Will change Dr.s when get a different insurance)
Walk with my buddy a few times this week.

I don't line dry clothes since it only costs about $10 a month to run my dryer. Natural gas is still cheap here.

**ScrapMama** · 10-01-2006, 07:00 PM

I had to go out this morning to get sweats for my youngest dd. I hadn't realized she had NONE and was freezing in her capris. I felt bad, all the other kids were all stocked up.
~Went to Target and bought sweats and long sleeved tees for dd #2, spent about $50.
~Cancelled a scrapbooking trip for Nov, saving money there.
~Switched to a cheaper photographer(she still does great work), just about a $100 less.
~Dh put a 2nd hanging rod up in the boys closet, only cost $8 and gave us so much more room in their closet.
~Eating meals from home(dh did get me some chicken tacos when he went out).
~Freecycling some items, I love freecycle.
~Dinner is tacos tonight.
~No AC or Heat on, wearing sweats to keep warm.

**dwallyfam** · 10-01-2006, 10:03 PM

Today I

-hung laundry out
-ordered a couple of GC from Mypoints for Christmas presents.
-trying to get ahold of a friend to see when she will be by for the candles I got her
-I did go to Target to pick up a couple of items and a prescription but avoided temptation.
-Worked on a cross stitch piece for myself.

**Goodwin17** · 10-02-2006, 12:33 AM

~Dh got two papers and I clipped then organized my coupons
~Ate all meals from home today
~Wasn't too frugal at WalMart, but I did have to buy some new unmentionables and dog food. Did also get two blue ink cartridges for my printer on clearance for $2.50 a piece.
~Instead of buying new dog toys, we found some older ones that they hadn't played with in a while. They're going wild over them.

**Lyn5** · 10-02-2006, 03:26 AM

~ stayed home all day and used up leftovers
~ cut and colored my hair
~ cut DD's hair

**tigo** · 10-02-2006, 09:23 AM

- No eating out this week
- Eating from the pantry and freezer (payday is Friday)
- No new charges on the credit cards
- At least 4 no spend days this week (today is shot- haircuts, tomorrow will be gasoline, bought the Sunday paper yesterday)
- Change the cell phone plan to drop some of the extras on there (soon to be ex gave back his cell- yippeee!)

**suzysaver** · 10-02-2006, 12:18 PM

Didn't turn on t.v. yet this moring....really trying to make this a habit.
hanging a load of laundry in spare room
No A/C and no heat
having leftovers for breakfast and dinner

**Stella** · 10-02-2006, 12:34 PM

*Brought my breakfast and lunch to work
*Using foods in the freezer to make dinner
*Getting oil change at new place by work (saves gas)
* did not spend ANY money at all this weekend

**Backtoreality** · 10-02-2006, 12:54 PM

So far this week:

Ate at home last night after work.
Cook all week from pantry - will have to get fresh veggies and fruit.
Wash in cold, hang out as much as rain will let me - thinking of buying an indoor hanger - does this really save much?
Used free minutes last night for phone calls to family.