Frugal Friday 452 - 2022 Dancecation Edition!

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money the past two weeks: 

- This year's Nationals Trip took us to IL, IA, and MO! 

We always take a selfie on vacation

My dad took this fun picture of us taking our selfie

- We left for our trip Saturday, July 9th. We returned our nieces and nephew to their parents in IL. They had been here visiting Mark's mom for the week and this saved their parents a trip (nearly 6 hours each way) picking them up. We also had to take two cars on vacation anyway due to schedules so it felt better to have each car full of people with gas prices being so high. 

- On the way west, we stopped a bit over midway at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL. The visitor's center and house were both free! We did pay $8 to park both cars. 

- While at Matt and Jenn's we had a make-your-own sushi night, neighborhood walks and bike rides, park play, and Sunday morning church and Bible Class at their new church. We pray for Matt's Vicar year at St. James Lutheran. 

- Our kids have never been to Iowa. Matt and Jenn's new house is within 2 hours of Iowa, Jenn's home state, and so I said "Where can we take the kids?" Jenn planned a whole outing for us. We all drove up to the Starr's Cave Nature Preserve for a hike and creek stomp. We drove into Burlington where her mom made dinner for us (thank you!), drove the famous Snake Alley, and then we stopped along the river so the kids could see the Mississippi River on the drive home. 

It really was beautiful!

- Monday night we split up from the group and took the kids bowling, the Tangerine Bowl in Quincy has $1 Mondays so it was just $8 for all of us to bowl with shoe rentals, and to dinner. They really enjoyed a bit of time just the four of us. 

- Once we had the dance schedule, and knew we would be staying a few nights with Matt and Jenn, we cancelled three nights in our hotel. This saved us $400 which was AWESOME! 

- This is the first trip since having Oscar that we have paid a pet sitter. The only other trips we have taken my parents have kept him but they were coming along this time. We paid a family from our homeschool co-op to keep him. Saving the hotel room money certainly made the cost of a dog/house sitter less painful on the budget.

- Our friends Chad and Melissa found an awesome deal on our hotel LAST August! We were able to get a two bedroom, two bathroom suite with kitchen and living area for a great price. This worked especially well as Mama and Dad joined us for this trip. A HUGE thank you to my parents who surprised us by covering the hotel for the week. Thank you! 

- Wednesday was our off day from dance. We spent the day exploring the Lewis and Clark Boat House Museum and Historic St. Charles. We did a bit of shopping, lots of window shopping, and ate lunch/ice cream on Main Street. 

- Over the holidays, I took part in a COVID 19 research study. I was paid in a Visa gift card. I set it aside and saved it for this trip. With the gift card I was able to cover gas for my car, two meals out, and souvenir dance shirts for the kids. I also got coffee with my sister-in-law and ice cream with my Mama and Owen. It was well worth saving the gift card from February to now as it made vacation much more fun and affordable. 

- The kids and I returned home late Saturday evening. We spent Sunday getting settled back in the house, doing laundry, and giving Oscar LOTS of love! 

- Monday and Wednesday mornings we enjoyed the fair before the heat set in. Monday morning Mama and Dad came along to see the kids' 4H projects. Thank you to our friend Ann and her family for letting us park at her house for free both days.

- We enjoyed two free library programs this week - a class on prairie plants from DNR as well as the end of summer reading ice cream science class. After the ice cream class, everyone got a free bowl of ice cream. On the way out, a friend told me that those bowls are about $8 at the actual shop! What a savings. I am SO thankful for our incredible library system and all of the classes they offer.

- Yesterday we drove down to Charlestown for what felt like the fastest day of summer. We haven't seen our best friends since February due to busy busy BUSY schedules and the day just flew day! The kids had the best time swimming and we can't wait to spend several days with them next month! 

In light of all of the wonderful adventures we had, a heavy fog has hung over this week. One of our nation's most recent mass shootings came to our county this past weekend. Mark, despite being away serving at Scout Summer Camp, came back to serve with the bomb team and to help with evidence. I have been praying for all those who witnessed the senseless acts of violence, for the victims and their families, for the Good Samaritan and his mental health as well as his family, and also for the shooter. There is no amount of hate in the world that could separate me from Christ or for praying for His people, ALL people. 

Happy Savings to All. 

Frugal Friday 451

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday night we FINALLY had our "Last Day of School" dinner. We missed it in May and just haven't been out to eat as a family until Friday night. By making eat-out meals a VERY rare occasion it's always very special for the kids. 

- Saturday afternoon we drove down to the lake to visit our friends the Ottes. They generously opened their home and lakefront to us AND served us pizza dinner! They are truly so kind - especially as they had a baby later in the week! Our kids had the best time swimming together. We took along watermelon and dessert to add to the dinner. After dark, we headed over to the lake chapel to watch the fireworks. We were engaged during the lake fireworks and it's our special tradition. 

At the 2006 Lakeview Fireworks I prayed that God would let me be Mark's wife.

At the 2007 Fireworks we got engaged.

2022 We celebrated with our 10 and 7 year old! Time flies! 

- Sunday after church my sister-in-law came over. She recently joined my book team and we had fun training together. Through July 15 it's only $5 to join UBAM - How can I help you decide to change your finances? 

- Sunday evening we went to the pool during "Twilight Swim" - the last two hours the pool is open - for just $2/each. 

- The kids have been asking to re-do their bathroom for quite a while. They couldn't agree on at theme or they kept choosing themes that would require a lot of shopping. Finally they asked for Minnie and Mickey and we were able to change out our Lemon Bathroom to Mickey Bathroom for under $10. 

The big "picture" is actually a puzzle.

Annabeth received it for Christmas and asked to frame it for decor

We got the Mickey/Minnie towel for just under $10 online

We changed out this wreath from lemons

to the Mickey and Minnie heads.

They are from another sign we have in the living room. 

- Tuesday was our first day back to school. Annabeth is in 6th grade this year and Owen is in 2nd. It is our 10th official year of homeschooling with curriculum and I am excited for what we are all going to learn! 

- Tuesday evening I had dinner out with a friend. This was such a special treat and I am thankful for it!

- Wednesday after school the kids and I met up with Mark's mom and three of the cousins for a movie date. Kristi generously bought everyone's tickets and candy for everyone. This was the first time we have been to a movie in over a year so it was quite the treat! Thank you!

- I purchased a swimsuit from Zulily that didn't look how I liked and unfortunately I couldn't return it. I posted it for free on Facebook and was able to trade it to my friend Alysha for a bag of hand-me-downs for Owen. I was glad to be able to get it out of our house and to someone who will wear it. 

- We spent two evenings this week visiting on our neighbors' porch. Last Friday our power went out but we had the garage door up so we went over until the power came back on so we could put the door down. We also sat over on the 4th and watched some fireworks in the neighborhood. Our neighbors are in their 80s and are such an incredible encouragement to us in faith, parenting, and love. 

- Last night I tried my hand at French cuisine. I made Croque Monsieur Pie for dinner. The recipe called for bread with the crusts cut off. I kept all the crusts and baked them up this morning for the kids as "French Toast Sticks" - waste not, want not. 

We'll see you back in 2 weeks for a MEGA Frugal Friday!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 450

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday evening Annabeth and I enjoyed the church musical of one of her friends. It was a great little production and amazing that the kids had learned it all in one week. It's really important to us that we teach our children to show up, support, and cheer for others and we try to always say "yes" when asked by friends.

- Owen got called to sub into a baseball game so he and Mark went to the ballfield Friday night. We joined them after the musical. Afterwards, the kids and I went to our neighbors' house for a little cupcake birthday celebration. The kids had the best time with a pick-up soccer game and I enjoyed visiting with friends. It was a great summer evening.

- Saturday morning Mark and Owen took the red car to get new tires and alignment. We got a rebate from the tires and that covered the alignment. Car maintenance is one thing I will always spend money on because keeping up on the cars keeps them in good shape and prevents more expensive repairs later.

- While the boys were out, Annabeth and I ran to the store to do a mini-stock up on groceries and to get a frame to finish out a 4H project. We used a giftcard to also get Starbucks - this is one of her favorite treats. 

Coffee Girls.

Annabeth made her gorgeous headband at VBS last week!

- Saturday evening we had a simple dinner and then went out on a 2+ mile hike. One of our city trails has a wide variety of trees and prairie grasses/flowers. Mark downloaded an app so we could learn the name of the ones we didn't know.

- Sunday we took lunch to Mark's mom's house. She surprised our kids with prizes from Disney World. We had a great afternoon of visiitng.

- Sunday evening we enjoy a free pool party thanks to Grace UMC where the kids did VBS the week before. The weather was beautiful and a small group of only about 100 or so came out for the party so the kids loved not waiting in lines for the slides or diving boards. Annabeth went off the high dive for the first time and we all loved watching Mark go off the high dive as well! 

- We have changed some travel plans for the rest of the summer. We were able to cancel three nights in a hotel saving us $400! 

- This week Owen was at VBS at Mt. Olive Lutheran, the home church of our brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and Annabeth was at Production Dance Camp at the dance studio. I was especially proud of Owen for staying at VBS as it was the first time he's ever stayed away from us without Annabeth also being there!

Tiger "tattoo" after Wednesday's VBS.

Mt. Olive does SUCH a wonderful job with their VBS.

- While the kids were out each day, I enjoyed doing some computer work for my book business, Goodwilling (Tuesday I ran into my neighbor and friend Shirley so I shopped and chatted with her. Wednesday I went to brunch and then thrifting with my friend Katelyn) 

We had a lloonnngg busy week but it was also a great deal of fun! We are looking forward to the holiday weekend and are ever so thankful to be Americans.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 449

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday morning Owen had an eye exam. We took three pairs of old glasses to be donated. We also stopped on way home from Chic-FilA for lunch as Owen had a coupon for a free kids' meal. 

- Saturday morning I got to sleep in and Mark and the kids did a city hike. They hiked 5 miles and stopped at the Farmer's Market for a treat at the end of it.

- Sunday morning we did a 2.5 mile family hike on a local trail. We love walking as a family, or one-on-one with the kids, as it is such an organic way to foster conversation. 

- Mark chose the meals for Father's Day and Annabeth made him a special cake. We had a nice, low key afternoon at home. We gifted him a photo gift as well as a new watch in a style that he had been wanting for quite some time. 

- Monday - Thursday the kids enjoyed VBS at Grace UMC. This was the church we attended in 2020-2021 while our own church was closed due to the pandemic. The kids were very happy to see the teachers and friends that they love there. 

- Monday afternoon we met up with friends at a local park. They lived here several years ago and the kids took gymnastics with Annabeth. They moved away for their last army station and have moved back for retirement. The kids didn't remember each other but I had the BEST time catching up with Sarah while they played. Sarah is always so stylish and is so very creative. I always come away from our conversations feeling energized and ready to get out and do things!

- Tuesday and Wednesday Owen had his first appointments with the orthodontist. We are thankful for a Dr. that does a free consultation and x-rays to start off and for one that has a conservative but effective approach to treatment. 

- This week I celebrated 5 years in my book business! It truly has been life and finance changing for our family. You can currently join UBAM to curate your own book business for just $5! 

- Wednesday night was Owen's first night of Rookies Tournament play and his last game of the season. The Cubs played a great game and he was happy that when they lost that at least it was his best bud's team advancing in the tournament. We all met up for ice cream after the game and used free cone coupons from the library summer reading program.

- Last night we had a pitch in dinner with the Rileys. MJKEN were in town for a quick visit and it was great to have all of the cousins together. We look forward to seeing them again in July!

We are looking forward to a quiet weekend as we prepare for a busy week next week.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 448

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Thursday - Saturday I attended the Usborne Books & More National Convention. I opted for the virtual option due to some commitments here at home as well as cost. I received wonderful training and encouragement as well as a generous book and merchandise credit from Home Office. I LOVE what I do and feel so blessed to be celebrating 5 years in a job that I love! Through the rest of June, you can join my Book Team for just $5. Let me know if I can answer any additional questions for you. 

- Friday morning we enjoyed bowling with the kids' friend A for her 11th Birthday. We used our Kids Bowl Free Coupons (Click here to sign up for your own) Our friends generously covered the kids' shoe rental making it a free outing for us. We hosted them to lunch at our house afterwards.

- Friday evening through Thursday morning we dog/house sat for Mark's mom. She was away on a trip with some other family members. The kids LOVE staying at her house and I always try to make it feel like a vacation by doing special things close to her house. She left us pizza money so we ordered pizza one night. I used the extra bit of it to pay for u-pick strawberries on Sunday afternoon. We really lucked out and it was only about 85 and decently breezy after the thunderstorms. The kids had a great time and picked several pounds of strawberries. 

- Sunday evening a Facebook friend posted a small task that she needed done. Mark ran over and finished it in about an hour. Made: $50

- Monday morning we spent 3.5 hours creek stomping and hiking. The heat really held off until afternoon and we were mostly in the shade in the creek. We saw frogs, little fish, squirrels, dragonflies, butterflies, a water snake, and even a gorgeous owl. 

- Monday evening was Owen's last regular season baseball game. The Cubs won their 2nd game of the season and O sealed the win with a play as catcher - out at home plate! Way to go O!

- Tuesday morning was the kids' dance rehearsal and their recital was that evening. My parents came to town for the show. I did quick BBQ Chicken in the crock pot with some salads as sides. It made for easy set-up and clean-up. The kids danced really well and Annabeth was especially honored to receive the Moyra McCain Memorial Scholarship.

Recital 2022

- Wednesday we spent the day with my parents. They played lots of games, built K'Nex with the kids, and Mama facilitated water balloons. Thank you Aunt Nancy for the water balloons! They also treated us to dinner out at our favorite Mexican place. Thank you all! 

- We all went to Goodwill and for just $18 my parents bought the kids - 2 books, 10 clothing items, a unicorn light for Annabeth's room, and a roller coaster K'nex building set! Several items were 50% off color and it was 30% off for Senior Citizens. Just the building set would have been $40 new!

- Tuesday and Wednesday night since my parents were in town, the kids stayed at our house with them. This was wonderful for me to stay at Mark's mom's by myself as our new UBAM Websites launched this week and we had a soft-launch of our summer books. This allowed me to get nearly all of my computer work done for the week in the peace and quiet. 

- Last night we took advantage of the free night at the pool. It was crowded but we found plenty of space to swim. Annabeth was brave and went off the diving board for the first times! 

We had a busy week filled with finishing up a lot of the kids' activities. I chose to drive our car vs our SUV because it has better gas mileage. We also worked to pack out lunches and snacks so we were not tempted to eat out on busy days.

This Father's Day Weekend looks different for us. We are forever thankful for the grandfathers and Mark's father who have entered the Life Eternal. I am thankful for time with my Dad this week and that we were able to celebrate him in person. Most of all, we are thankful for our Father in Heaven who made us and saved us. To God be the Glory. 

Frugal Friday 447

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- We did our weekly grocery shop through Walmart online. We spent $95 for the week which was more than the past couple weeks but were very pleased as we hosted Owen's family birthday party on Saturday and had overnight company Sunday and Monday. 

- For Owen's party, we had 10 additional family members over. When all together we are a peanut-free, treenut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free group. To keep everyone safe we purchased four kinds of lunchmeat, three types of bread, and I made three gluten-free/dairy-free summer salads. We had plenty of salads for Saturday night and Sunday dinner leftovers. 

- Mark's mom got Owen an awesome batting practice set-up. He and Annabeth spent HOURS in the backyard working on swings. Thank you Nana!

- My parents gave Owen a bike for his birthday. Dad and I took the kids around to three stores to find the right size and style of bike for him. We were thrilled when the price tag was wrong and it was 50% off at check-out! 

- My dad took the kids out on a picnic/park date on Monday. I picked up lunch at Main & Madison Market Cafe (thank you Mark for the giftcard) and had a quiet lunch at home. 

- Owen's team won their first baseball game Monday night. My dad treated us all to ice cream afterwards to celebrate the win. Thanks Dad!

We LOVE our new dessert shop Frozen Paradise.

They are incredibly knowledgeable about food allergies and keep 

our girl safe! 

- Tuesday night Owen and I met up with my sister-in-law and her family for dinner. We had Chicago's Pizza and Red Line Ice Cream as part of a Dine to Donate for a program that my SIL volunteers with. Mark and Annabeth enjoyed the leftovers later that night. 

- Mark took in some custom orders from his Etsy shop. He made 7 soup bowl coozies for a friend (six she ordered for her boys and then we surprised her with a princess one for her) and also made our kids a Garfield one and Chicago Cubs one. 

- I thought I had gotten an awesome deal on some school supplies. I had planned to gift them alongside some great activity books for June birthdays. I had accidentally ordered these HUGE school sets of 120 colored pencils. We were able to return to Walmart for $30 back on our card. Keeping track of what comes into our home and if we will actually use it is a HUGE way that we spend wisely/save our money. I am always sure to promptly return items that we do not need. 

- Today kicks off a 2 Week Summer Reading Program with my book business. I have always used #morethanbooks and I really, truly mean that. My business is about sharing beautiful books with beautiful people. Hosting a summer reading program is a new, fun way for me to serve my community. Thank you to my book lady friend Mary for advice on running this!

We are looking forward to a fun weekend with friends.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 446

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- We got rained out on our garage sale on Friday but set up all day Saturday. We had a great time with our friends and made a decent amount of sales for all three families. We donated some of the leftovers and kept some back for the fall kids' sale. 

- We did our weekly grocery shop with Walmart online. We spent $75 for the week. Our goal has been to stay under $100/week and we have done that for the past 8 grocery orders. By buying just what we need for the week we have had very little food waste - something I am very proud of. 

- I shopped the Clinique Memorial Day Sale. I try to shop just 2x/year and always spend right above $50. I was able to get 30% off as well as free shipping and a free make-up kit. I love the summer sale for the Black Honey lipstick (I've worn this since college) and eyeliner freebie. I also earned 14% cashback through Rakuten. 

- We have been getting the mail/checking on the house of some friends for a couple of weeks. They kindly paid us in cookies for the kids and a Starbucks giftcard. Mark and I got coffee after church on Sunday and I left the rest of the giftcard to pay for the person behind me. 

- Sunday afternoon we went to our friends for an Indy 500 Party. We are always at the lake for Memorial Day Weekend so this was the kids first time listening to the race. We enjoyed a great cook-out and time with friends. Annabeth made homemade chocolate oreo cupcakes to take along.

- Monday we cooked out with the Rileys. We took along macaroni and cheese, buns, chips, and more cupcakes. The guys set up the sprinkler for the kids and they all had a great time running in the water. Mark's mom sent us home with leftovers which fed us for four meals - thank you!

- Tuesday night was Owen's last night of Tigers and the Pinewood Derby. He loved building his car with Mark, racing his car with friends, and closing out a great night of Cub Scouts. 

- Yesterday was Owen's 7th Birthday. He chose all of our meals and activities for the day. We had bacon/cinnamon rolls for breakfast, homemade pizza for lunch, and eat out Mexican for dinner. Owen and I worked together to make a Triple Berry Trifle Cake for his birthday. He chose this same cake last year and it's his favorite.

- For our activities for the day Owen chose to watch a movie in the morning, paint pottery in the afternoon (we had a 20% off coupon), and we went to an animal show at the library. The library show was VERY exciting for me as Owen had asked for them to come to our house for a birthday party but the cost was just too much. Then, we got our Summer Reading flyer and say that they would be at our library on his birthday! God is good! The show was absolutely awesome and we had the best time petting animals like an arctic fox and python! 

We are looking forward to a great weekend with family in town. 

Happy Savings to All!