Frugal Friday 436

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last weekend we had an impromptu Scrabble tournament. It started with Scrabble Junior but Owen especially was bored very quickly so I pulled out regular Scrabble for the first time. He whooped us with a double word play on "Zest" as his first play. We played several games Friday night and again Saturday morning. 

- Annabeth has been hearing about Crumbl Cookies from friends. They aren't safe for her so we made some Saturday with ingredients that we have on hand. I don't know the exact price of these but am guessing they are pricey. We made 18 without spending any extra money.

- Sunday after church we had lunch at Mark's mom's house. Mark and his brother worked on some outdoor projects for his mom while I enjoyed playing with my niece and nephew. Kristi also gifted us an air fryer that she had but wasn't using. We had been debating asking for one for Christmas but never did. This week we made lots of roasted veggies in it as well as chicken and salmon. It is a win for sure! Thank you Kristi.

- Monday after school we went to a different library than usual. Owen was especially excited that the children's area was decorated like a castle complete with drawbridge, knights, and banners. We took extra time and walked the prairie trail, storywalk, and over a mile in the neighborhood around the library as well. We came home just to walk/ride bikes. 

- Monday after dinner we enjoyed a front porch chat with our neighbors and then an evening out at the park/baseball fields for Owen's practice. I LOVE this time of year.

- Tuesday morning we kept our neighbors for a bit. The kids all play together so well and it's a nice way to ease into our school day. I had a nice chat with my friend when she came to pick them up. 

- Wednesday we got an hour outside in between rainstorms. We did read aloud extra that day as we are currently reading Harriet the Spy and the kids are LOVING it!

- I've been collecting all of our items for the Here We Grow Again - Indy South sale. This week my Express family dropped off their items so I knew I needed to get ours processed and out of the way. I have given away a great deal of school supplies/books this winter and I have sold $150+ in kids' clothing on Facebook. We still had 126 items to tag though. We tagged over 200 items for our Express family.

Although we had a lot of rain this week, we popped out during all of the sun-breaks for some Vitamin D and happiness.

We are very excited for the weekend and to celebrate the wedding of one of my oldest, dearest friends.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 435

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday night Mark and Annabeth went to a Daddy Daughter Dance. This is something that Annabeth has been wanting to do for years! We were so excited to have one in our area that was on an evening that we had open. It was a free event put on by a local church but Mark did splurge to surprise Annabeth with a corsage to wear. They also went out for pizza before the dance.

- Owen had a date night at home with Grandmama and me. They played several rounds of Sleeping Queens, we also enjoyed pizza, and then we watched the movie "Richie Rich" to round out Owen's dream date.

- Saturday and Sunday the kids had a dance competition. I made a quick grocery trip and grabbed healthy snacks and lunch items. We packed a cooler and ate safe, healthy food all day instead of buying concessions or going out to eat. Saturday night we had leftovers at home and Sunday evening we enjoyed dinner at a birthday party. 

- We do not buy any souvenirs at dance competitions. I started this Annabeth's first season and was very glad that I did as they always offer many items for sale (shirts, shorts, toys, etc) and none of them are ever affordable. Each year she gets one Nationals shirt at nationals but knows not to ask the rest of the year. This particular competition gifted each competitor a stuffed animal with a shirt with the company logo on it. They had additional clothing items for the animals for sale ($10/doll tutu) Annaebth said "I have so many things to dress my bear up at home!" I was so proud of her for using items that she already had on hand and for being content with how the bear came. 

I think the stuffed bears were the highlight of the weekend

- Monday after dinner we stopped by our friend the Kirby's house. The kids LOVED running in their yard and petting their horses. It was a great way to get out of town and onto a farm for a bit. We also walked at the Masonic Home and played at a park that evening. 

- Tuesday night Annabeth had a 4H meeting. They had a special presentation about the floriculure project and she enjoyed making her own bud vase at the end. 

I thought her arrangement turned out beautifully.

I cannot say enough about the lifeskills that I gained from 4H and I am so thankful

that my children are growing up in 4H as well. 

- Annabeth earned the right to choose our meals for the week. We had chicken/mashed potatoes/corn/gravy, stuffed crust pizza (the kids love the Sam's brand from Walmart), homemade pizza rolls, and we will have a few more of her choices this weekend. 

- Owen's baseball season began this week. Friends gifted him new cleats and a new bag. We donated a too small batter's helmet to our local Little League. We are passing on his old ball bag and t-ball bat to family members. 

- I listed several items online and sold one. I promptly made an additional Principal Payment on our mortgage for that same amount. I'll be updating at the end of the month how much additional we were able to pay down this month.

- I taught class at our co-op yesterday. My topic was snow, I was supposed to teach this in January but class was cancelled several times due to illnesses and weather, so I taught it on a 75 degree day! I have had so much fun this year and am very grateful for the group that we decided to join this year. Over our homeschool years, I have had mixed opinions about joining a co-op and I truly believe that God led us to just the right one in just the right time. We met friends at a park for play after class and we took picnic lunch. 

We are looking forward to a busy, fun weekend with gorgeous weather!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 434

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Saturday was gorgeous - 75 and sunny! We spent the afternoon at a local park, playing at two playgrounds, and then came home to spend more time outside in the backyard. 

- Mark had planned to test out a new tent-tarp with an overnight campout on Saturday but it was extremely windy so they packed it in and camped out in the living room. I am sure the tarp would have held but we had thunderstorms, tons of rain, and very high winds all night so I think it was better for the kids to be indoors.

- Sunday afternoon we went to Mark's moms for Mark's birthday dinner. We had a great time playing with our niece and nephew and Mark was very pleased with his birthday gifts. Kristi sent us home with berries and chicken. I was able to shred the chicken and we used it as the meat for Monday and Tuesday night dinners. These dinners, chicken with black beans over yellow rice and chicken taco soup, were also lunches for Tuesday and Wedndesday. 

- We did our first grocery trip in 2 weeks. I spent $68.54 at Walmart pick-up. People ALWAYS, especially now, ask "What do you spend on groceries?" and "What do you eat each week" Remember that our shelves/fridge/freezer were not empty when we went but here's what we bought this week.

Produce (Fresh): Cuties, Bananas, Onions, and Poblano Peppers

Produce (Frozen): 4 big bags of assorted frozen veggies

Meat: Lunchmeat Salami and Turkey

Cheese: Shredded mozzarella, Shredded Monterey Jack, Colby Jack Slices, and Cottage Cheese

Bread/Crackers: 1 loaf of bread, Low Carb Tortillas, and 1 box of Wheat Thins

Fridge Items: Sour Cream, Cold Brew Coffee

Pantry Items: Pop-Tarts (they were out of the little box I ordered so we got a larger box for the small box price), 4 cans black beans, 2 cans chic peas, 2 jars pasta sauce, 1 can rotel, 1 can tomatoes, lasagna noodles, and yellow rice 

- Monday after school we went to tour a new library in our library system. We ran into some friends and the kids spend 2+hours playing in the new children's area. We also found a great deal of books for the week. 

This light wall was REALLY fun (even for me!) 

The kids loved playing in the toy kitchen/restaurant.

It was neat to watch kids just learning to walk all the way to Annabeth's age (10)

explore and play together.

- A co-worker gifted Owen several pairs of baseball pants. Owen now has several pairs for this year and some to grow into for next year. We also received a pair of new-in-box cleats for the year. The pants that were too small we are passing on to a friend who is also playing ball this year.

- I listed and sold several items online. I immediately made a Principal Payment on our home mortgage. I am keeping track and at the end of the month I will share how much I made/added to our mortgage payments. We don't pay any fees to make additional payments/principal payments so I was sure to add it right away so I wasn't tempted to put the money somewhere else. This is my March Challenge for myself. 

- Last night I went to a Curriculum Night with our homeschool co-op. I took a large box of items, mostly preschool to Kindergarten ages, to share with other families. It was a huge relief to have so many materials leaving our house and going to homeschools that will use them. The mom hosting supplied dinner and we were each to bring a drink or dessert to share. I took some homemade fudge from our freezer.

- I was able to purchase Annabeth's science books for next year at a great discount. We have really enjoyed the materials we are using this year and a friend just happened to be selling the same publisher's 6th grade set for less than half of the price new. I was happy to get a deal and to buy from a friend.

- I was able to get THREE of the books that I had planned to buy for Owen for 2nd grade for FREE! This was a $55 savings!! 

We had a great week and although we miss the warm, sunny weather of last weekend we still found time/ways to spend at least an hour each day outdoors. This does such great things for our moods. 

We are looking forward to a weekend filled with dance!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 433

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Instead of having a big New Year's Resolution this year I am doing a Monthly Challenge each month. In January I did a low-spend month buying only groceries and a few neccessities for the kids. In February, I spent an extra 10 minutes in the morning and another 10 minutes in the afternoon working on little house projects. Overall, this really didn't impact my days too much but made a BIG difference over the course of the month. By the end of the month, I could really see that our home is more organized and that it's taking less and less time to pick up/maintain.

- Saturday we had a cooking/baking day. Annabeth made a Dutch Apple Pie and Owen made lasagna. We had Mark's mom over for dinner.

- Mark took a course for his work at the Coroner's Office on Saturday. He was compensated for his time and lunch was provided. 

- I booked two hotel stays for this spring. I like the ease of using Booking.com. I had forgotten to sign in though and realized when my e-mail confirmation came through that I had missed my 10% Geniuis discount. I canceled the original reservation, logged in, and made a new one to save my 10%. I also shopped through Rakuten for 4% cashback. 

- Monday morning we kept our neighbor's kids. The kids LOVED a morning of games/play and I just did a quick lunch of freezer pizza, fruit, veggies, and Girl Scout cookies. Quick to make, easy clean-up, and zero complaints. We also had some co-op friends over in the afternoon. It felt good to have people in and out of the house again!

- We had GORGEOUS weather on Tuesday and Wednesday. We spent 6+ hours outside over the two days which was wonderful. I really struggle through the winter, especially during long, dark days. To have a couple of warmer days with real sunshine made me weep with joy! I feel like I can do anything on a nice day. 

- Wednesday we finished school early so we could play at a park. We were happy to see some school friends there and the kids loved hours of play. Owen and I also walked a mile+ while Annabeth was at dance class.

- Wednesday evening Mark and I went out to dinner. We chose to eat at Big Woods so we could eat out on the porch overlooking the golf course. It was such a great, sunshiney refresh to our week.

- I avoided shopping for Easter clothing that I really wanted but that none of us needed. Often the best way to be mindful of our money is to simply say "no" and to say it often. While we do have the money, and I could have easily paid for what we wanted, both kids have plenty of items for the spring and this would truly have been a want vs need purchase.

- Yesterday was Mark's 34th Birthday. Annabeth found an adorable bison cake in a Duff Goldman cookbook and we modified it to be a buffalo cake for Mark. (Buffalo was his Wood Badge Animal and I LOVED that Annabeth knew that and wanted him to have something that was meaningful to him) I did the frosting but the kids baked the cake and did all of the fondant work. It was adorable!

Happy #34!

- Mark received money from a family member for his birthday. He spent half on an item that he has really been wanting and put the other half on a principal payment. Every little bit gets us SO much closer to being 100% debt free! I cannot wait to own our home!

We are looking forward to a fun weekend.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 432

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday we drove down to Charlestown to spend the day with our best friends. We had not been able to get together since before Christmas so we had a great time celebrating three birthdays, sharing lunch and ice cream sundaes, and talking/playing for hours. Thank you Rose and family for the wonderful time together!

- Mark took his Boy Scout Troop to Winter Camp. They were gone Friday evening to Sunday evening and had a great, safe weekend of camping together.

- The kids danced at Celebration Talent on Saturday. Since Mark was out of town, we spent the night at home (vs a hotel in Zionsville) for Oscar and left before 6 AM to be at dance. I woke up at 3:30 to pack breakfasts, make coffee, and to pack lunches. With careful preperation we didn't eat out any meals or snacks on Saturday. My parents came up around noon to let Oscar out and were kind enough to have dinner ready for us when we got home after 5. That was a HUGE blessing after a long day!

This was before the sun was even up!

They were such great sports about the early wake-up call and hour drive.

Owen really enjoyed his first competition.

He did a great job despite being VERY nervous beforehand.

Annabeth was very pleased with her performaces.

Two of her three groups placed first and her solo was First Overall in the Junior Protostar category. 

- Sunday, after church, my parents treated us to lunch out and a shopping trip to Costco. Thank you all! 

- Monday morning Owen and I had a Starbucks date. Owen earned this through our Behavior Rewards System at home. I was able to get it for free thanks to a giftcard from my friend Nicole.

- I contacted my friend Rebecca about purchasing some prayer themed gifts for some friends battling cancer. Rebecca was able to help me find the perfect gifts from her Mary & Martha site* and has also added these friends to her own prayer list. It is such a joy to support a friend in business and in sharing the Good News. 

- Monday, for President's Day the HSDLA had 40% off Government Books. I chose two books that we've had on our list for a while. This was a great savings for the next couple of school years.

- Monday evening I met with a group of homeschool moms.We were each asked to bring a snack to share. I took a cheeseball, made by my Mama's ladies church group, and crackers. 

- We bought 1/2 a pig in 2020 and went through the meat in about 7 months so last year we bought a full pig. We have sourced some great deals on local beef and chicken as well this year so the pork has held through longer. As we approach the one year mark, I wanted to make sure that we were using all that we have so I shared about 15 lbs of meat on our homeschool co-op page. 

- We did a huge cleanout of our reading corner and school room. We spread it out over two days but completely removed every item, deep cleaned, and then only returned the things we love. We have a big tote to share with friends, donated a big box, and recycled a big tote of paper/workbooks as well. This was a huge project and I am very thankful to have it done.

We are looking forward to a busy weekend with class for Mark, dance for Annabeth, and the start of baseball season for Owen.

Happy Savings to All! 

*I do not receive any kind of compensation for sharing her site nor did she ask me to. I share because I truly love the beautiful products that I have purchased in the past and am always happy to share a friend's business. 

Frugal Friday 431

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last weekend we all met in Evansville to celebrate Valentine's Day and my birthday. This was our first trip down in almost two months so we were very excited to see everyone. I received some great kitchen items and my sister made me homemade peanut butter fudge. We spent Sunday in Owensboro and celebrated my birthday and my cousin Adam's birthday. We used to do our birthdays together as kids and it was fun to have our kids all together to celebrate his 39th and my 35th birthdays.

My little Valentines

Owen's shirt is from last year and Annabeth found this sweet heart dress thrifting 

last summer. I love holiday outfits, especially at bargain prices!

- Monday was my actual birthday. I started off my new year with a sunrise walk and got over a mile in before 8 am. It was a great way to wake up #35. We spent the morning with my dear friend Nicole and her daughter and then headed back north after lunch. Mark had dinner ready for us and we gave the kids their Valentine's. The day was very low-key but spent with most of my favorite people. I thank and praise the Lord for my life. I pray that I will wisely use this next year to serve Him and His people. 

My sunrise walk. 

I really loved that the sun in the branches looked like a heart!

Valentine's Day picture with my Forever Valentine

- I received a giftcard in the mail for completing a COVID test study. I actually did the study in December but finally received my payment. We will save it for our eat-out and fun money for our summer vacation. The study was relatively quick and easy and I was glad to be able to quickly earn the money for our trip.

- Mark and the kids generously gifted me a gift certificate to my favorite make-up lady's shop. I was able to choose new makeup and I am going to try a new skincare product as well. Thank you Mark and kids! You can also shop with my friend Amanda via her Younique Site. 

- My friend Holly does incredible work raising money for the Little Red Door Cancer Agency. It was my pleasure to put together a basket for raffle for her Scrap Pink Weekend. I did a "Crafty Night In" basket complete with adult coloring books, magic paint book, coloring implements, chocolate, and a cozy candle. I hope her event is a great fundraiser for LRDCA. 

- Yesterday after co-op we enjoyed bowling with our school friends. As a school group we were able to enjoy the school rate of just $5/kid. That covered shoes and two games of bowling. It was a great time!

Frugal Fail: Wednesday night Mark and I treated ourselves to our first ever, and I mean EVER, fancy steakhouse dinner. We went to RFD and had the most wonderful dinner! This was such a special treat. Thank you to our parents who gifted us Valentine's Day and Birthday money. 

We are looking forward to a hectic weekend with all of us going many different directions. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 430

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Saturday, we surprised the kids with a quick little detour on the way to Mark's mom's house. We saw the Acton treasure Veal's Ice Tree. It's only about five minutes away from his mom's house and yet we've never been. It was a fun surprise for the kids and really beautiful to see!

- Mark left early Sunday morning for Bomb School in Alabama. He has been waiting many years to take this course and we are thankful that his number was finally up for the class. Mark has already served several years on the Johnson County Bomb Squad and this will allow him to expand his duties on the team. 

- Our church is sponsoring a new apartment for a formerly homeless family. They had little hearts with home items on them to donate. The kids and I took several on Sunday morning and returned them with their items at youth group Sunday night. I love that my kids really feel such joy from blessing others. We will be praying for this family and this exciting new step in their lives. 

- A friend had some boys clothing for sale on Facebook. Several of the items were a brand that Owen loves and are the right size for next summer. I was able to get four short sleeve shirts and one sweatshirt for $17. Just the sweatshirt would have been $45 new! Thanks Alysha for the great deal. 

- We did big clean outs of the kids' closets this week. Each kid had more than twenty items they had outgrown. We listed many for sale on Facebook and sold several. That helped me make back what I had spent on the next size. I love the cycle of buying and selling used clothing. 

- We received a package from Zulily that we did not order. I called the company to return it but because it did not have a shipping receipt we got to keep it. It was a size 5 dress from a VERY expensive boutique company and my sister-in-law is happily going to save it for my niece. 

- I had ordered some things for the kids online and they came in sizes/colors that weren't quite what I wanted/needed. I promptly returned everything. This gave us back $25 in our budget. We never keep items that we aren't going to use. I hear people say "I meant to take that back but never got around to it" Every dollar is worth the same amount and if something isn't exactly what I want or need than I need to return it and put that dollar to work elsewhere. 

- One of my main reasons for joining Usborne Books & More in 2017 was the desire to pay down our home mortgage at a quicker rate. Over time, I have become less diligent about applying a certain portion of my paycheck to our home mortgage. We have had other areas that needed the money more but I made it a goal this year to get back into the routine of making extra Principal Payments. I made a point this month to make the payment right as my paycheck came in. This helped me to not be tempted to spend it anywhere else. 

- Mark has been gone all week training in Alabama. Let me have a real, Mama Moment here. I used to DREAD the weekends/weeks that Mark was gone. I was bitter and angry that he was gone and that I had to stay home doing the same old things I always do. I felt left out, left behind. I felt like his life was moving forward, he was having adventures, and that I was stuck. Sunday morning we went to church and I was bitter. I mean my heart was hard. As we sang I thought "Why are you doing this Amy? You're singing about joy, hearing a sermon on love, and yet you're closed off to both of those things." So, dear readers, I decided to change my attitude about this week. I told myself - You GET to be home this week. You CHOSE the adventure of motherhood and here it is. And so, we had a week, a good week even! We missed Mark and I am exhausted but we succeeded in getting everything done and we had a great week of school. In the past the issue has never really been whether Mark is home or not but rather my attitude about my circumstances. It's amazing the peace that God gives us when we choose joy.

What can you change your mind about today? What hard part of your heart can you soften?

Happy Savings to All! 

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18