Frugal Challenge 4/15/07 - 4/21/07

[Mamaw]

Hope no one minds me starting this thread but I really need to get motivated here!
Today I have either done or plan to:
~used drippings from crock pot roast and odds and ends of left over veggies to make a crock pot of soup. Lunches for the week
~Use sample of laundry soap for 2 loads instead of only 1
~cut coupons from Sunday paper and organize them
~balance checkbook
~Begin to declutter closet in extra room. Will put some items into sale box and others will pack to store. ( We might end up moving within the next couple months so I need to start to prepare to sell my home. If we dont move, at least it will be cleaner! LOL)
~cooked some hamburger crumbles. Half will go to sloppy joes, the other half to a casserole.
~served baked apple slices to use up apples that were starting to go bad
~use old bread to make bread crumbs

[FrugalMomof3]

~ Use sample packs of Tide I received from a "super friend", to wash laundry
~ Use sample bottles of fabric softener, with clothes
~ Turn on dishwasher when FULL only
~ Use candles as lights at night
~ Hang laundry out to dry (if warm enough outside)
~ De-clutter & Recycle

[frugalwanttobe]

~Balanced check book
~Husband called from grocery store and son's non-hydrogenated butter is at the lowest price we have ever seen it. yipeeeeeee!!!!!
~DD is wearing a shirt that she would not have worn a few months ago when I was buying her new things it seemed every week. She is really trying to be frugal too.(soooooooooo cute when a 10 year old talks about frugality)
~Going to mother's house for lunch.
~Looked at debt snowball. I think we can get out of debt quicker than my debt snowball shows. DH receives 2 large checks a year that can go towards debt so my snowball does not reflect that.
~I will take my coupons to my mother's house and throw away my expired ones.
~DD is going to stay at my mother's house for a few days and do fun things with my mother, my sister and my niece.

[bumplett]

~ clip coupons / clean out coupon organizer
~ give big J & little j a haircut
~ make more laundry det

[julieb]

--clip coupons and get organized....I am a failure at couponing
--clean out my attic and find a home for fabric
--brush out dog.....shedding is terrible

[mustang80]

Yesterday was not frugal but DD15, DD5 and I sure had fun. Back on the wagon...

Applied for a low interest Capital One card to transfer my 27% interest "Care Credit" card (dental payments). I will save $60 in interest PER MONTH! I was approved, needless to say, so we can get this Dentist monster paid down.

Decluttered DD18's room since she is on her Senior Trip in Disneyworld. I'm sure she's having more fun than I did cleaning her dust bunnies. Got lots of trash out of there and now that's one more room spring cleaned!

Dinner from the pantry, chicken and stuffing

Stayed home all day. I'd need oars if I wanted to go anywhere anyway.

Using half laundry soap and drying consistently and only for 50 minutes at a time.

Need to plan meals and snacks for the week.

[Ceashels]

Bake bread and scones on Sun and Thurs morning.
Prep for trip to inlaws...(Thurs to Sunday)...
Work on clearing basement to set up for sewing area!
See if I can get away without visiting a grocery store until next Monday!!!

[dwallyfam]

4/15/07

1.Did have a few things to pick up. Did it all in 1 trip instead of several out
2.All food from home today
3.Laundry hanging outside to dry
4.No lights on until dark. Have to have on since I am sewing.
5.Shook the fat
6.Freecyled some items.

Sunday, 4/15...

*Took coffee to church this morning
*Ate out, but I ordered water for a drink
*Packed up 2 items I ordered from Smashbox to return them. One was an unflattering color and the other was something I already owned.
*Bid on some clothing on eBay, instead of buying it from JJill.com like I started out doing.
*Went to BJ's for groceries, had only one impulse purchase that was on sale.
*Looked over sale flyers online
*Used samples of shampoo and conditioner
*Using my K-cups twice
*Sorted through a bunch of coupons and free samples that had come in last week
*Found an item to list on eBay

[Marie78]

Used cold water and not much laundry detergent to wash clothes.
Made dinner tonight and planned out our weekly menu of homemade meals.
Used coupons at the grocery store and looked for sales.
Waiting to use dishwasher only when it is completely full this week.
Making chocolate pumpkin muffins for dessert and snacks this week.
Using only the amount necessary of soaps, detergents, paper products, toiletries.

[my4littlebuffaloes]

- homemade pizza for dinner tonight
- made lasagna yesterday, 1 for dinner and 1 for freezer- I had all ingredients on hand except the ricotta cheese
- purchased some great snacks for pretty cheap (sales plus coupons) and am saving them for our road trip in June, they will be very easy to eat in the car as we drive cross country
- washing some ziploc baggies
- stocked up on scrapbook paper today at 6 for $.96, used a 1/2 off coupon to get adhesive
- scrapbooked 20 pages this weekend, using items I already had on hand
- wrote some articles for $ including one on minimalism and one on scrapbooking
- combined errands yesterday
- purchased my sister's birthday present on sale for $10, instead of $20 regular price
- had free donuts at church today
- made homemade chocolate syrup
- borrowed a tool from a neighbor to help cut down branches and small trees

[crazyBMB]

I did ok today
-went grocery shopping w/ coupons and saved $39!!
-all lights and AC/heat off (chilly in FL today)
-coffee, breakfast and lunch at home
-did laundry, cold water

[peanut]

I didn't do bad.

~ free lunch at church.
~ free ride to a quilt show in another town.
~ friend paid my entry to the quilt show!
~ I was feeling pretty pampered. I paid for snack for her before we went home. It still was under $10. I told her next time I'd drive, thereby circumventing trying to figure out gas.
~ was invited to a free concert tonight. It was good.
~ leftover freezer meal for supper. Pork soup with homemade biscuits and homemade jams and jellies, and bulk sale honey, and almond butter (on sale).
~ DH made pancakes from scratch for breakfast. I ate mine with homemade applesauce from crabapples off a friend's tree.
~ drinking mostly filtered water from home.

[smk0817]

Sunday:
-stayed home all day...who wanted to be out in that monsoon?!?
-still using my ink cartridge on my printer even though it says it's low
-all meals at home
-lights and TV off for most of the day
-used a little less hamburger in homemade spaghetti sauce and no one noticed
-gave DH a much needed haircut
-no heat/no air
-no spending!!!
-read magazines from library for entertainment
-neighbor gave me a new sweater and shirt she couldn't wear (both American Eagle)

Monday:
-all meals at home (I'm really trying to do better with this!)
-used samples to shampoo and condition my hair
-used sample to do THREE loads of laundry
-decluttered my medicine cabinet and found a week's worth of my DS allergy meds my Dr. had given me (sample)
-blinds open to let in sunlight and to see if any trees are comin' down on my house. That wind is horrible!!!
-made my own first aid kit with supplies I already had, just put them all together instead of having to hunt for them during an emergency...with my crew around here that's pretty often!
-made juice from concentrate instead of buying juice boxes. I like the boxes for convenience if we're are going somewhere but my kids are wasting them at home.
-got lots of free magazines in the mail today. Will read them tonight
-going to give myself a pedicure tonight to pamper myself!
-pricing curriculum to use for next homeschool year...debating whether or not to keep finding "free" resources or take the easy road and have it all done for me. I'm leaning towards buying a math curriculum and doing the rest myself.

Stephanie

[mom2hancj]

PP I would love to see where you have found free curriculum resources.

Today I have...

~ dried diapers on my new drying rack on the sun porch
~ planted tomato, cucumber, pepper, and watermelon plants
~ no lights on today (loving this house with all the natural light)
~ leftovers for lunch, made homemmade waffles for breakfast and froze a bunch, dinner in a rice cooker/steamer
~ reviewing budget and trying to make sure we stick to it
~ paid off of all debt (YIPPEEEEEEEE!!)
~ researching savings accounts to begin a bigger house/EF savings
~ no drive day and no spend day (so far...hopefully I can stick to it)