Frugal Friday 366

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Mark worked a great deal of overtime. His Chief has said many times that the pandemic has stopped many things this year but it has not stopped their ability to do good police work. Our community has been well served even during these difficult months.

- We celebrated Annabeth's 9th Birthday on October 5th. She and my Mama made homemade Garfield cakes for everyone. Mama and Dad found the pan at a consignment store and it quickly became one of Annabeth's favorite gifts.

- We gifted Annabeth many items that I hope she loves. I purchased most of them at small stores (mostly in Brown Co last spring) and from direct sales vendors like our friends Brittany Floyd with Thirty-One and Danielle Renbarger with Matilda Jane Clothing. In a year when small businesses need business more than ever it was my pleasure to shop with friends.

- Our neighbor's daughter called and said she had "a few clothes that might fit Owen" and could she bring them over. I said sure and she brought us a gigantic bag of clothing! Nearly all of it is his size or he will grow into over the next few years. We have all seasons covered in the next few sizes. We were so thankful for her generosity! 

These deer jammies were a HUGE hit!

- I ordered our Halloween cards from Shutterfly for FREE! Every October they offer 10 free holiday cards. Fun fact: You don't have to get the Christmas ones! I always order Halloween. It makes a nice keepsake to send to family/friends and it's a fun way to look back at all of their Halloween costumes. 

- I ordered a decent number of the same item from Etsy. The seller was kind enough to message me with a 10% bulk coupon code as well as a free shipping code. This saved me nearly $15. I look forward to gifting a special group of people with handcrafted gifts. 

- During Annabeth's Kindergarten Christmas, we got her a toiletry bag because she began going to camp that next summer. I splurged during a sale and got the Mackenzie travel bag from Pottery Barn Kids and we haved LOVED it! It has held up so well and has so many great pockets. They were on sale for $19 this week so I snagged one for Owen's Kindergarten Christmas this year.

- I took advantage of one Amazon Prime Sale. I combined a sale, free shipping, and gift card to get an item for just $14 OOP. 

- I did grocery pick up for the first time. I chose to do it at Mejier because they had a free pick-up for your first order and $15 off a $50+ order. We were able to order our usual grocery order, use online coupons/sales, and got the extra $15 off! 

The reason for our two week break in posts was that I had major surgery on October 2. This surgery came up quickly and so I didn't tell lot of people. We are endlessly thankful for those who did know and who served our family so kindly. Thank you to those who brought dinners, baked goods, help with the kids, magazines to read, gift cards, words of encouragements, prayers over texts, and most of all to my Mama and Dad who have taken turns staying with us and helping us clean clothes, cooking good food, and creating endless fun for the kids. I am eternally grateful for Mark and his steadfastness and kindness in all circumstances. I am also confident that this was God's plan and even when I have been unsure and weak, He knows what comes next and is my strength.