Frugal Challenge--12/14-12/20

**AspiringToBeFrugal** · 12-16-2008, 12:51 AM

I didn't see this posted anywhere so I thought I'd start it.

Sunday:
~ Slept most of the afternoon
~ Thermostat on 64--it's been below 10 degress for the last day or so
~ Lights off until dusk
~ Surfed the FV

Monday:
~ Thermostat on 64
~ Lights off until dusk
~ Graded papers
~ Watched TV for entertainment
~ Going to read before bed
~ Received free copy of Sunday's newspaper w/ coupons!
~ Cut coupons
~ Put used paper in recycling
~ Made "to do" list for tomorrow

**qsaver704** · 12-16-2008, 02:59 PM

Sunday: not such a good day!

--stopped at drive thru (forgot breakfast, lunch not until 2) but only spend $4.50
--visited with family for Christmas (stayed at church longer so I wouldn't have to waste money driving home and then driving back to see family)

Monday

--cooked turkey (on sale 97 cents a pound) and will have enough to freeze for later use
--cooked at home all day
--turned heat off (70 degrees outside-WHAT!!!)
--washed baggies
--made Christmas presents

**Mamaw** · 12-17-2008, 10:23 AM

*Received a small dividend check - earmarked for work clothing (due to job changes will be on the road much more which necessitates clothing)
*washing in cold and watching time in dryer and amount of product used
*decorated the house for the holidays - decluttered old decorations -
*made a decorative basket that I had seen in a speciality store. Turned out great with very little cost
*paid bills and budgeted an additional 50 for debt
*trying to curb my spending - am spending way, way too much...Logging it all on my calendar so at least I can see where it went.
*sent in for reimbursement for travel
*sent in for reimbursement for health care spending account
*working on accepting the fact that I will not have alot of baking done for the holiday.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-17-2008, 03:28 PM

For this week.
- hung laundry
- washed ziploc bags
- cut dh's hair myself
- had leftovers for dinner, and dh took them for lunch
- having a soup and homemade bread night tonight
- scratch muffins for our breakfasts
- power was out 3 hours on Sunday, so that will save on our bill some I guess
- my mom insisted I mail our package of Christmas presents using their fedex acct #, saved at least $30
- insisted the library look for books that I turned in when they said I didn't. They found 3 of the 5. Now there are 2 more that I noticed didn't come off my account either. What the heck happened to so many books? I returned 40 at one time. Why were only some credited? I hate our library!

**Mamaw** · 12-18-2008, 08:43 AM

*used up frozen leftover spegetti sauce for dinner last night
*used more leftover sauce from last nights dinner in a crock pot of chile cooking as we speak
*making chicken and spinach casserole to use up cheese, sour cream and spinach before it goes bad
*Staying home = no gas and nothing spent
*reading books and magazines that I own for entertainment
*need to wash later today but will be in cold of course
*drinking hot tea with free tea bags
*marked calendar to use CVS bucks and free coupons before expiration at the end of the month
Thats all for now folks!

**Debbie-cat** · 12-18-2008, 01:42 PM

- used up leftover hamburger for dinner last night (wild rice casserole)
- no spend day yesterday!
- turned heat down alittle, FIL likes it really warm but it is killing us in heating
- not feeling great today so relaxing with a cup of tea and my laptop

**kestrel91316** · 12-18-2008, 03:16 PM

Last night turnned down the heat a bit - it was 58 inside when I got up but I had a nice comfy night because A: I like to sleep cold, and B: I remembered to put an extra blanket on the bed. Love breathing that cold air at night but I don't like my body to shiver, lol.

Made spaghetti with a jar of Newman's Own sauce I got on sale for the pantry. Lunch today is leftover chicken tortilla soup. Dinner tonight is leftover spaghetti, and maybe I will pick up some broccoli or brussels sprouts to have with it. I LOVES me some brussels sprouts!!

Of course my frugal but sad and lonely Christmas involves NOT flying to WI to be with family like I do every year. I refuse to put ANOTHER plane ticket on cc this year, and haven't finished paying for the ticket from my business trip to NOLA in July. I unfrugally spent $17 on a miniature tree (WITH lights) at Trader Joe's a few days ago so it actually looks a little Christmas-y now.

**EmilyD** · 12-18-2008, 03:57 PM

Heat at 65 degrees
Laundry in cold water
Several meals made with leftovers this week
No drive no spend all but one day this week

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-18-2008, 09:52 PM

- reading a finance book to stay motivated
- washed ziploc bags
- pizza from scratch for dinner
- hung laundry
- delivered homemade cranberry bread for teacher gifts today
- heat at 65
- dh got lunch at school today free
- doing what we can in advance to prepare for the ice storm - the worst part about losing power is we lose water too

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-19-2008, 07:36 PM

- dinner from scratch in crockpot
- cut 3 kid's hair myself
- washed ziploc bags
- hung laundry
- dh took leftovers for lunch
- had dh stop at the bank on his way home, saved a trip out for me
- didn't drive anywhere today