Frugal Friday 536

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week: 

- Saturday we had a BIG work day. The boys took care of our yard and our neighbor's yard. If you would, join us in prayer for her family as our neighbor entered the Life Eternal early Monday morning. Owen is especially devastated as she was one of his very best friends. She would have been 93 in a few weeks but that didn't stop them from sharing most afternoons telling stories, doing chores, and sharing special snacks in her garage. I am forever thankful for this dear friend. In lieu of flowers, we opted to plant a tree in her memory as we shared many hours underneath her front tree playing with the kids.  

- I spent Saturday tagging 500+ items for the kids' sale for our family and our Express people. Annabeth helped me and then also baked cookies for Sunday dinner. 

- I mentioned that we went on a Field Trip last week. I was really reminded of how far we have come on our decluttering journey. At the end, they had all kinds of handouts, booklets, and even plastic fireman hats. Each of the kids quickly knew they wouldn't use any of the items and didn't take any. 0 clutter!

- Sunday after church and a meeting, we had lunch at Mark's mom's house. Luke and Cassidy made everyone pulled pork nachos for lunch which was such a treat! Thank you all! The guys spent the afternoon working on Kristi's lawnmower and got it all fixed up for the season. Annabeth and I left a bit early so we could come home and make dinner for youth group. Different church members take different weeks to make dinner and this week was our turn. We made two kinds of pasta bakes, french bread, and homemade cookies. 

- I very much overestimated how much the kids would eat so we had leftover pasta bake for Monday lunch and dinner. I froze the rest BUT one of the children defrosted it for me again on Tuesday so we again had it Tuesday night for dinner also. We still have a 9x13 pan in the freezer. We spent around $18 on the meal and it's fed us all week plus the youth group kids on Sunday.

- Already this year, we have needed quite a bit of blood work and imaging done. Unfortunately, this is not new territory for our family I share to remind you to SHOP AROUND before you have medical scans/bloodwork done. It may not be the best deal at your doctor's office or hospital that you generally use. Always be sure to have insurance pre-approve scans as well. We have already saved over $3500 OOP this year by having imaging done at one location vs another. 

- Last night was our homeschool co-op's Spring Review. As the Lead Chair this year, I felt a great responsibility for this group and am so thankful for the 20+ women who have served us so well each meeting. It is, honestly, a relief to be nearing the end of this huge commitment. On top of homemaking, homeschooling, and working part-time this volunteer job has really stretched my capabilities and taught me a whole new level of organization. I am so thankful for these dear friends who boldly live in faith without fear of the world's reaction. 

So thankful for the Spirit led, God guided community 

that we do school with! 

Owen's class studied Marine Biology first semester and

American History second semester. 

Annabeth's class dove into Biology all year long.

We had a great week and are in the home stretch of the school year! We can't wait to finish 3rd and 7th grade strong in the weeks to come.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 535

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Saturday Owen had his Cub Scout Raingutter Regatta. He had a great time making his red pirate ship with Mark during the week and then a great time racing his friends. 

Mr. O and his Pirate Ship

- My sister arrived for the weekend on Saturday evening. We ate pasta bake for dinner, watched HGTV, and she took Owen out on a date to the car wash. He LOVED helping her wash and vacuum out her car. I love the special time that she pours into each of my kids. 

- Sunday we did not have church, it was closed due to the eclipse, so we mowed our lawn and then headed downtown. We walked and browsed many of our small town shops. I did take advantage of a sale and purchased two gifts from one shop - I love to buy locally when I can. We did stop at one food truck and split an order of fried Oreos between all of us.

- By Sunday evening my parents were in town to. We had a great time playing lots of games, cards, outdoor games, and eating together. We all went to Vienna, IL in 2017 to view totality and were excited to all be together again in Franklin for this one. Monday the view of Totality was everything we remembered and we were SO excited to share the moment with the kids at ages where they will remember. 

Eclipse Crew

*Taken before totality so I could just enjoy the moment when it came

Oscar Chase didn't seem bothered by the eclipse at all. 

He DID enjoy sitting on Owen's chalk drawing of an eclipse

- Mark worked many, many, many hours over the weekend and through Monday. For the sake of our town, our locals, visitors, and especially allllll of our first responders working I was SO thankful for the careful planning to keep everyone safe. Mark did earn quite a bit of overtime and it will go towards a summer trip we are taking. 

- Mark took our eclipse glasses to his work. They are making a large shipment to South America for people to use there during the eclipse this fall. We were happy to recycle. 

- Tuesday morning Disney released their summer deals. I changed current clients' reservations, saving them hundreds of dollars, before the sun was even up! THIS is one of the many advantages of using my FREE travel services - I love love love to save people money! Want help with your travel plans? Message me at a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com

- Tuesday evening, my dad and I took care of my neighbor's lawn. She has just been diagnosed with cancer and is unable to care for her lawn and it's our honor to care for her during this time of her life. I mowed and Dad trimmed/blew off the driveway and sidewalks. 

- Wednesday my parents treated us to a Costco shopping trip and lunch out. It was so hard to say good-bye when they left. We look forward to seeing them in a few weeks though! 

- Yesterday we took a field trip to the Survive Alive House and Firefighters' Museum in downtown Indianapolis. The staff there was incredibly kind and fantastic with our group of 45 homeschoolers! I cannot recommend this field trip enough to other school groups. I was so thankful that our friend Billie organized the trip - thank you! The field trip was free but I didn't find free parking. Total Cost: $4.55

Our weekend plans have been canceled due to the rain so Mark and I have each planned a work day tomorrow to get through a couple of projects. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 534

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we made extra money/spent money wisely/save money this week:

- We spent Thursday to Sunday down in Evansville and Owensboro. We were able to spend two whole days in Kentucky with Momaw and Lance. Thursday we went just for lunch and to visit and then Saturday we did a massive workday at her house. Mark and I did the powerwashing and were able to get the patio, walkways, porches, and driveways all done. We bought a new hose and some cleaning sprays which we will leave with the power washer -  my dad is kind enough to let us borrow it whenever we need it. The rest of the family moved furniture, worked on flowers, weeded, and completed many other projects.

- My parents treated us to dinner out at Fujiyama. It was wonderful and it just wouldn't be a holiday weekend without sushi and visiting our friend Miss Helen who works there. Helen even had sugar cookies on hand for the kids. I am so thankful for her friendship!

- Sunday we celebrated Easter at Old North, the church I went to from middle school on and where we were married. After church, my parents did an egg hunt and lunch for everyone. 

- Total money we spent on Easter - $0. We all wore clothes we already had on hand, no matching outfits here. We do not give our kids eggs/candy/baskets/etc but have always allowed the grandparents to do whatever they would like. Each year I do send Easter cards to our nieces and nephews, writing in a Bible verse or Easter hymn that is on my heart that year. All in all, Resurrection Sunday exists only because of Jesus - not a bunny, candy man, or any one else and therefore I like to keep the focus on Jesus. 

Easter 2024

- I hosted a meeting last night. I made black bean enchiladas, rice, chips and salsa, and special cookies that I only make for this group of ladies. It was one of the last important co-op meetings of the school year. I am so thankful for these women who choose to volunteer dozens of extra hours a year so the whole group can run smoothly. 

- 2,024 in 2024 Check-In. Our home is 934 items lighter and we've made over $200 selling items we are finished with! Hooray! 

This week I was reminded, twice in fact, of just how much our words and actions affect others. Both can be such a blessing, an uplifting moment to others but if we aren't careful they can also cause so much pain. My friend Lauren shared a reminder that our JOY doesn't come from the circumstances of our days but from the Lord. I pray as I move into the next week that I can let go of hurt. I pray that I can remember to speak only kind words, show only actions that support and affirm to others that they are loved, and that I can live in the joy that Jesus gives. 

Frugal Friday 533

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- A few weeks ago, Mark fixed our clothes dryer. It's been making a horrible sound for several months but we kept putting off the project because it was still working fine. We avoided the cost of a maintenance call ($90 in our area + supplies + labor) by having Mark buy everything and do it himself for just $130. 

- Friday we drove down to the lake to visit dear friends. The kids love seeing these friends on their school breaks and I treasure my visits with a friend I've had since college. Her birthday was the day before so we took along a birthday card as well as some peanut butter pie. The kids chose oranges to share as a snack. They had purchased some items from my Facebook page. I was thankful for the extra money as it helped purchase birthday gifts for April Family Birthdays.

- Saturday I spent an hour out alone and it was just what I needed. I had a meeting that was cancelled but we had already blocked out the time for Mark to keep the kids. I picked up coffee, birthday gifts for three family members, went to the library, and picked up groceries. Thank you to Kristi, Matt, and Jenn for coffee and breakfast gift cards which made my eat-out portion of the morning free to me. 

- Saturday morning Mark and Owen worked on cleaning up the backyard. About ten years ago, we put in a play area for the kids which has now become unnecessary as the play house, slide, etc have been passed on. We are not quite sure what we are going to do with the space and while we have several options, they are all pricey so we want to plan and choose them carefully.

- Saturday afternoon Annabeth baked and decorated sugar cookies for Easter. The boys took Mark's van to work and spent the afternoon cleaning it. Owen absolutely loves projects and this was his idea of a perfect day. 

- Sunday afternoon we sold Owen's old bike and helmet. A great little buddy of his bought it which made it  much easier to pass on. Typically with Facebook sales, we keep the money in an envelope that then gets used to cover dance, baseball, scouts, etc for the kids. This year though we're allowing them to keep any money earned from toys, games, bike, etc to save towards vacation. We have a very special, new location that we're headed to in January and I know know they are going to want a decent savings for it. This also helped motivate them to part with more items that they are truly finished with. 

- Sunday after church we headed to Kristi's for Easter with her. She made a special dinner, we took along cookies, and our niece and nephew told us all about their Disney trip last week. They are 3 and 5 and SO much fun!

- We had just enough daylight when we got home to get the yard mowed for the first time this season. I mowed while Mark trimmed and blew off the pavement. We typically don't work on Sundays but this was our only time to do it all week so we made it happen quickly. 

- Monday evening Annabeth took the rest of her decorated sugar cookies to dance to share with friends. There were about two dozen, obviously more than we would eat, and this created zero food waste.

- Tuesday afternoon we stuffed the treat bags for our church egg hunt. We put out empty eggs, as the tomb was empty that first resurrection morning, and then after the Bible lesson the children take home treat bags. I try to take the children along to serve as much as possible. We firmly believe that by taking our children along to volunteer and serve at church in our community it allows their faith to be moving and active. How will they learn to love others well if we leave them home when we go to serve? 

Big Purchase:

- Last week, Mark purchased not one new bike but two! Owen's birthday is in June and we had already decided that his gift would be a new bike and helmet as his are too small. Fortunately, the weather is unseasonably warm so we decided to make the purchase early so he doesn't miss the next few months of riding. Mark had also been looking for bikes and doing his research. An area bike shop had their big sale last weekend so he also got a bike and helmet for himself. I would have preferred to buy Owen a used bike as this one is not an adult size and he will need another however it was very important to Mark that he have a new bike vs a hand-me-down. I deferred to him on the matter and he made the purchase. 

Frugal Fail:

- Friday was quite busy with school, the drive to the lake, and then baseball practice in the evening. I decided that morning that we would pick-up dinner (a VERY rare treat in our house) We had some coupons and the family voted on Arby's. Even with a great coupon - saving us $15 - we still spent $35 on the meal! I was honestly in shock! I asked the cashier "Is that with the coupon?!" It was a great reminder why we never pick up food! It also helped us decide to do another "No Eat Out Meals" month in April. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 532

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday we spent the day down in Charlestown with our best friends. We have a system that one family drives and picks up coffee for the moms and the other family hosts and serves lunch. I picked up Coffee Crossing and we took along popcorn for a snack. 6 hours never went by so fast! 

- Saturday and Sunday was the kids' second dance competition. It was in Zionsville, roughly an hour drive from the house. We debated a hotel but the hotel prices were very, very high for the weekend plus the cost of having a dog sitter. We drove back and forth each day, packed our meals and snacks, and didn't buy any souvenir dance items to have as low cost weekend as possible. 

Annabeth in her lyrical costume

Annabeth in her jazz duo costume 

- Sunday evening we came home just exhausted from the weekend and were thrilled to cash in some Papa Johns rewards and a gift card for almost free pizza. That made all the difference as I fell asleep right after dinner! What a weekend though. Each of the kids showed so much improvement from the last competition and had a great time.

- Monday afternoon my dad came into town. He stayed through Wednesday afternoon and the kids had the best time with him! He had fun watching a bit of each of their dance classes and took them out on an adventure day on Tuesday. They cashed in some Christmas gift cards, shopped for used books, visited the library, and went out for lunch. 

- While they were out on their adventure, I took the morning to organize and enter all of my Express person's items for the Spring HWGA Sale. The sale isn't until the end of April but it felt great to get this task done so early. I will organize and enter our family's items tomorrow.

- Mark did a custom job with his Etsy business and I was up early yesterday making Disney Dining Reservations for clients. 

- We spent just $36 at the grocery for the week. For dinners we had BBQ Ribs/Homemade Mac and Cheese/Green Beans, Ruben Pizza, Chicken Nuggets and Fries (a rare treat), and Black Bean Enchiladas. 

- We did not spend any money outside of groceries, gas, and the cost of two scheduled appointments. We did stop at Miller's Dry Goods while out on a field trip and picked up some low cost baking items ahead of Easter baking season. 

- Yesterday we enjoyed a field trip to the Levi and Catharine Coffin House. Our homeschool co-op organized the trip and we received free admission as a school group. After the house tour, we made our way down the street to the Quaker Meeting House for lunch. They kindly offer their facility to school groups for a suggested donation of $1/person and also give a short talk on their local historical involvement with the underground railroad. Quakers and Methodists overlap in many ways and I admire many of their practices and beliefs so it was neat to learn more. We saved $23 off admission prices. 

We are looking forward to a really fun afternoon with friends today and then the beginning of Holy Week on Sunday. We look forward to listening this week for that Still Small Voice. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 531

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last Friday we had a doctor's appointment up north so we headed to the Indiana State Museum after. By combining the trip north we saved gas vs doing two trips. We used the library pass for the museum and only paid $4 for parking. The kids spent over 2 hours at the Lego exhibit. Saved: $56

The Riley Family Homeschool 

Lego Time

- Friday night into Saturday I spent nearly seven hours training on Royal Caribbean Cruises. So far with my travel business, I have only really worked with Disney Cruise Line and I wanted to branch out to better serve my clients. Are you looking to travel in 2024 or 2025? Reach out to take advantage of my FREE services at a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com 

- We spent Saturday afternoon and evening with our three nieces and one of our nephews. We had a great time having dinner with them, playing games, and getting conned into extra bedtime stories by the little ones. I am so thankful for precious time with each of these sweet kids. The rest of the adults were at the Trinity Treasures Dinner Auction. While Mark and I didn't attend, we both donated baskets to support the cause.

- Sunday after church we went to Kristi's to celebrate all of the family's February and March birthdays. It was great to have the IL Rileys in town and made celebrating all together even more fun.

- We had an $80 grocery bill this week and enjoyed the following dinners: corned beef pizza, pork roast/green bean casserole/mac and cheese, chicken Alfredo, chicken pot pie, and beef Ramen. I do not like to keep a lot of extra food on hand, with the exception of the beef and pork that we buy in bulk once each year. This week I used up some odds and ends from the freezer included the end of a bag of chicken, pot pie crust, tons of veggies, and some leftover pasta. We live right in town, a small town yet we have three groceries, so I don't feel the need to have a huge stockpile of food. We have always, even during covid lock-down, been able to find enough food for our family. I feel that having just what we need for each week forces us to eat what we have and to have very little food waste.

- We finished cleaning out the kids' closets and dressers ahead of the Kids' Sale. I listed many items on Facebook and have sold some. This always feels easier and faster than tagging for the sale so I try Facebook first always. Made: $18

- This week kicked off baseball season for Owen. He's grown quite a bit since the fall so new pants and cleats were a must - I was glad we've been cleaning out and that we had some extra money from that to put towards this season's gear. Last night he and Mark went to a local, free!, scrimmage to watch some game play. 

- Mark took a custom job for his Etsy Shop. Mark has been working his usual office hours but also many, many evenings and nights. He hasn't had the time to add a lot to his shop but has been taking custom orders as they have come in. Feel free to reach out if you have a sewing project that needs done.

- We continued working through our 2,024 in in 2024 cleanout. It feels SO exciting to color in each little box. The kids are really, really excited about this which I love!

- Last night Annabeth and I went to the Disney Princess: The Concert at Butler University. This was her big Christmas gift as we really try to gift experiences whenever possible. It was a beautiful concert and we loved having the night out together. With Mark's work schedule, drive time, etc it felt very rushed to try to eat out before so I made homemade beef ramen, a favorite of hers, to eat at home before we left. It still felt special, was more affordable, and we didn't have to rush. 

We're looking forward to the kids' second dance competition this weekend. Let's go SDA!

Happy Savings to All! 

 

Frugal Friday 530

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Mark worked a Friday night shift for the Coroner's Office. 

- We've had the warmest winter I can ever remember. Last week we got the grill, yard toys, and baseball items back out again. Mark grilled steaks, the boys played pitch and catch, and we ate some dinners on the patio. It's hard to believe we're able to do this in February and March! Thank you Lord!

- Saturday morning, Annabeth and I went to Space Day. This was a free event in our community to celebrate the upcoming eclipse. Annabeth really enjoyed learning about telescopes and looking at items from NASA. We had lunch together afterwards. It was great to have a day with just my girl!

- Mark and Owen spent Saturday at Trinity helping a friend with an Eagle Scout Project. Mark has been a leader for all of his adult life and has helped with dozens of Eagle projects both from his own troop as well as friends' kids' projects. Mark is also donating some very nice signs for the area of the project. Owen is enjoying being old enough to serve in this way as well. 

- Sunday was Mark's Birthday. His one birthday request was to be able to sleep in as late as he wanted. So, we set ourselves up for success by going to church on Saturday night and by having him open his gifts that night as well. We got him items and a giftcard to get ready for our upcoming Disney trip. Sunday morning he did sleep in and when he woke up he was surprised by Owen making coffee for him. Owen also had a "Menyou" with drink and breakfast choices as well as a reserved sign. It was such a great set-up! For lunch we headed to Mark's mom's house where she made a special lunch and we enjoyed the day with the Indy Rileys. 

- Wednesday night we had planned to grill out but Mark worked nearly 14 hours. When he got home and it was drizzling he did NOT want to grill. We used a pizza giftcard and cashed in for his free birthday treat on their website for dinner. It was a great solution and almost free!

- Yesterday after co-op, we met up with friends at a park. The kids played over 90 minutes before it was just too cold and windy (we had forgotten coats and were not properly dressed). We packed out lunches so we were not tempted to stop for fast food. On the way home, we took a long way and picked up a surprise piece of cheesecake for Mark as I still had a giftcard from Christmas. I know people say they hate gifting giftcards but I really love getting them! They help make ordinary days a little more special.

We had a busy week but tried to take lots of time for quiet, puzzles, read-alouds (we're reading Hatchet), snuggles with Oscar.

We are looking forward to a weekend and week with lots of out of town company visiting. We cannot wait!

Happy Savings to All!