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Frugal Challenge - 12/23 - 12/29

3K views 41 replies 19 participants last post by  Mamaw 
G
#1 ·
Sunday, Dec. 23rd...

*Lunch was leftovers
*Dinner was leftover pasta with meat sauce from the freezer
*Had free coffee and pastries at church today
*Only money spent was for milk ($5)
*Ran errands after church to save gas
*Did a load of laundry using less detergent and fabric softener, and used the "stain treat" option for a boost of hot water instead of a whole cycle on hot.
*Drinking mostly water
 
#2 ·
Sunday 12/23

~ stayed home all day
~ kids watched a video from the library
~ reading a great book (from the library)
~ all meals from home
~ helped the boys make a "welcome home" t-shirt for dad - hanging to let the paint dry as I type.

:D
 
#3 ·
12/23

~DH's boss took us to eat dinner...no money spent
~Used 1/2 amount of laundry detergent needed
~Washed laundry in cold water
~DH and I have made a decision to not buy presents for everyone in the extended family next year.
~We also made a decision not to buy presents for each other next year, but to buy a "family" present instead....something we need.
 
#6 ·
Dec. 23rd

~hung laundry indoors to dry (took forever because of the rainy day)
~made homemade chocolate peanut butter bars
~DH "tricked out" an Encore Veal Parm frozen dinner and made it edible and tasty even
~no meals out
~no recreational shopping
~raided my personal grooming stockpile for gift baskets (yay less clutter)
~heat was low
~big decluttering resulted in "new" found toys for free
 
#9 ·
12/23: Sunday:
~ all food from home for Christmas party- groceries purchased over the past few weeks
~ all meals from pantry
~ gone half the day- everything but Christmas lights turned off

12/24 Monday:
~ exactly the same as yesterday, LOL... taking food to another party, already bought it, no other expenses today



The only money spent these two days is routine- uilities and gas. The car is filled up already, but we'll go through about half a tank of gas in the next few days of parties.
 
#10 ·
Took kids to mall but did not spend anything. Went to Joanns and spent $5 on thread for project. Otherwise nothing. All lights out when possible and computer in sleepy mode.
 
#11 ·
Cooked at home
washed clothes in cold water
Only going to church tonight and to FIL's house after which is just across the road..lil' gas used
Making big family breakfast on Christmas am and making a big salad to take to brothers house for Christmas dinner
Heat on low today
 
#12 ·
over the last few days...

~all coffee from home, or other homes:cutie:
~many wonderful meals and snacks...for free!
~no needless spending on last minute stuff
~recycled gift bags for next year
~not doing any wild after Christmas shopping (yet)

and the not so frugal?

~totally blew it with bouncing a cc payment (unless my company is very forgiving, which I doubt) which messes things up for quite a while, plus I'm beating myself up about it.
~left the heat on higher for the kitty cats while we were away visiting relatives...a Christmas present for them.
 
#13 ·
12/26

made my lunch for work today.
brought my own bottled water (from tap)
made my menu for the rest of the year LOL
have my cvs plan of attack all ready to go (i love cvs)
 
#14 ·
Postingfor the week to date:
~cooked many casseroles and side dishes with a ham. Lots of good eats, plus leftovers for lunches and to share
~visted family and friends = free food and great memories. Great entertainment
~Resisted urge to run out to after holiday sales. I really dont NEED anything. Just WANT a few items
~Italian leftover bread to oven and made into bread crumbs
~reading library books for entertainment and magazines I already own
~planning outfits for work related travel and trying to use what I now have on hand
~emptied pouch container of shampoo into a small bottle for easier use and no waste
~saving holiday gift bags and tissue for another use as much as possible
~using holiday cards received for gift tags for next year
~reading posts to try and get inspired for 2008
~realized I have almost enough saved for new chair in living room. WOO HOO
~Received Walgreens rebate, first time I ever sent for one!
~laundry in cold, with least amount of detergent to do a good job. Using dryer however as its too cold to hand anything out
~am drying sweaters on my drying racks however
~preparing for company for the rest of the week - menus made and minimal grocery shopping needed
~plan of attack for tomorrow to hit the bank, mailbox, grocery store and take holiday leftovers to share with my sister. 1 round trip = least amount of time and gas needed
~saving material scraps to use in quilts and maybe if I learn how..rag rugs
 
G
#16 ·
Wednesday, Dec. 26th...

*No spend day
*Took lunch to work
*Ate breakfast at home
*All coffee made at home
*Dinner was a "fake" hamburger helper creation using peppers, onions, and ground turkey from the freezer
*Did my own nails
*Cooked baked potatoes in the microwave instead of oven to save electricity
*Used the "Express Wash" setting and washed in cold to get stains out of a few delicate white sweaters
*Packed up a Sephora item I ordered that just in the wrong color for me, will return it for a refund
 
#18 ·
:sucker: did NOT do post-Christmas shopping
:sucker: trying to rely more on space heaters, less on central heat
:sucker: going nowhere today (snow storm helps, LOL!)
:sucker: hemmed and mended clothing this week (been in my pile for a long time!)
:sucker: downloaded free movies from library for ds
 
#19 ·
~ heat at 66
~ lights off
~ brought home 5 containers of chili and a ham from my mom's house on Sunday
~ traveling over the weekend we made sure that we were able to only have to get gas at the cheapest place along the way
~ Eaten two meals this week at in-laws
~ Used christmas money to buy the one frivolous thing I wanted (MP3 player - the one that is for kids and less then $30. It works fine for what I want it for).
~ took an inventory of our pantry and freezer - I have enough food for 6 weeks or more. Put the list on the fridge to remind me I DON'T need to go to the grocery store.
~ Made menu for the next couple of weeks
 
#20 ·
~Resisting urge to go shopping for after Christmas deals. I am afraid I will spend more than I should so I am staying home.
~Decluttered closet...donating clothes to Goodwill.
~Dinner in crockpot.
~Cutting dryer sheets in half.
~Balancing checkbook online.
~Working on January budget.
~Making a plan to get out of CC debt in 2008.
~Checking pantry and freezer before making a grocery store run.
 
#21 ·
Also resisting urge to go after Christmas shopping. I did go to Home Depot last night to get a new shovel. I picked up 8 rolls of wrapping paper for $5 {retail was $10}, and 2 sets of LED candles for gifts next year.
{retail $12, paid $6} I wanted to go to other stores then, but I came home.

Today I will:
finish 2008 budget
do laundry and iron
take care of sick little man
and NOT go looking for after Xmas deals!!!!
 
#22 ·
Well, today I:

~used a ShopRite gift card to stock up on toilet paper, diapers, wipes, treats for a birthday party, and wrapping paper
~returned two gifts from my sil and got store credit at Kohl's
~took the kids to the library to take out some movies for the week
~will be making muffins for treats for the kids while everyone is napping
~hanging clothes on the line instead of in the dryer
~all lights are off when we aren't in a room
~am monitoring those eBay listings to see when the bids go up, up, up! Very exciting!
~will be helping Dd with her life timeline for school (it's the vacation project this year)
~dinner will be leftover Christmas dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn)
~dessert will be cookies to be made by me while the boys nap
 
#23 ·
12/27

-lights off as much as possible
-dinner in crockpot
-will be getting dog food later using $2 off coupon
-have to get snow shovel
-otherwise probably at home since we are kinda stuck
 
#24 ·
yesterday:
~no spend day!!!
~all coffee & meals from home
~de-couponed all the expired ones and overly processed bad-for-me ones
~moved into my new purse. Got this tiny purse with special compartments for everything for Xmas, so I was able to ditch my wallet entirely.
~entered the last of the mycokerewards codes (from the bottom of my old purse) and redeemed the points for my t-shirt Yay!

today
~all coffee from home
~got a free pointsettia from Crate & Barrel, a cheap Barefoot Contessa marinade, and an "eh" deal on some sushi plates I neededLOL
~paid the gas bill
~ate up some languishing veggies and dinner is chicken parm from home tonite
~library movies and (if kids go to bed) books for free fun
 
#25 ·
thursday
* 1 round trip for shopping today so less gas used
* Got groceries and items for stockpile
* purchased 3 lighted garlands for half price for next holiday season
* DD took me out to lunch. Free food and nice conversation
*rented DVD's ( 7 day rental) for New Years eve at home. Cheaper than going out someplace and nice entertainment
* washing in cold...too much laundry!
*tonight will be cooking and cleaning for tomorrows company
*researching knifty knitter to figure it out
*received free book in the mail. Christian romance. Free reading
*strting to play around with 2008 goals...hummmmmmmm
 
#26 ·
I have to get back on the frugal wagon. Not that I fell off, buy my house did with so many people visiting. I can't tell you how many times I found EVERY light in the house on! And the guests were cold so we turned up the heat from our usual 65. I am dreading the gas and electric bills next month. Time to be ultra conservative and try to make up for some of it.

- washed ziploc baggies
- stayed home a couple of the past few days, so no driving and no spending
- parents took us to lunch one day
- brother took us to lunch one day
- brother babysat and we went out to lunch one day, so that wasn't so frugal, but it was the first time we had been out since moving to Ohio - well worth the money
- I made soup 2 nights guests were here and homemade bread one night
- cooked from scratch everything except for the meals out the entire week
- wrote an article on a cold remedy
- is it frugal that the kids got great entertaining gifts this year? We have nothing to return and love everything and everything is already being used a lot
- used a home depot GC to get everything we needed to finish up the sensory room in the basement for the kids and my dad helped put everything together

I can't wait to get this house back into frugal mode! My parents left today and my brother leaves tomorrow. While I hate to see them go, it is always nice to have your home back after having people over.
 
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