Frugal Friday 392

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- The kids and I had a low-key weekend last weekend. We did their normal classes, spent time at the library, and had a movie night with freezer pizza and veggies. They loved that!

- Sunday evening we were treated to dinner, our favorite - taco bar, at Mark's parent's house. The kids loved being outside with PawPaw and driving his lawn mower tractor.

- Mark finished teaching a Scout Course. He's been teaching it many weekends since last fall and really enjoyed it. We are glad he enjoyed it but will be glad to have him home on the weekends now.

- Our friend Jeanette blessed us with duck eggs and Girl Scout Cookies for the police department. Thank you Jeanette.

- We spent $45 at the grocery this week. For dinner we had: Freezer Pizza and Grilled Veggies, Cheeseburgers and Sweet Potato Fries, Shrimp Fajitas and Mexican Rice (the rice was given to us following Mark's scout weekend), Alysha's Chicken and Noodles, and leftovers. 

- Owen had his first three t-ball games. He is REALLY enjoying the season and Annabeth is enjoying playing with friends. I got to help coach, aka remind the people to stop playing in the dirt, for two games. I LOVE t-ball season - great weather, old and new friends, and lots of extra hours outdoors.

- Owen was so so so excited to choose snacks for his t-ball team. I realized that while he has done many activities that serve snacks, he's never gotten to bring his own. He spent quite a while in the grocery but finally decided on Doritos and Gatorade Juice. The Gatorade was on sale AND I earned cashback through Ibotta.

- Last weekend we pet sat for friends. They very kindly paid us with a pizza gift card. The kids loved helping and we would have gladly done it for free but the gift was very much appreciated.

- I purchased the kids' math books for next year. This year I saved $25 by buying them during the April Sale. It was hard to believe I was checking out the right books when I chose 1st and 5th grade books! 

We had a hectic week. Mark has been gone for several weeks for Scouts and some work things and was finally home but worked nights. I am glad to have survived a busy school week/after school activities. I look forward to him FINALLY being home AND on a normal schedule next week.

Happy Kentucky Derby Weekend to All!

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 391

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last weekend Annabeth danced in Muncie, IN at Ball State University. We woke up early on Saturday and drove up saving the cost of one night in the hotel. We did have the cost of one night in a hotel and a few eat out meals. We did the whole weekend for around $250 which was my budget.

- Saturday afternoon we explored the Minnetrista Cultural Center. We did pay to see the museum exhibits, right now it's a Mythical Creature Exhibit that Annabeth LOVED and to tour the Oakhurst Home. For both of us admission was $27. While we did enjoy the day out, our favorite parts were all of the unique gardens and those were free. I would go ahead and just see them next time. I did feel that the price of admission was quite high for what we actually saw. Just a little travelers note for anyone in the area. That being said, we did enjoy the overall experience. 

Outside the Catalyst Center

We both loved this unique structure

Inside the Oakhurst Home. 

This home belonged to members of the Ball Family so we

needed pictures with Ball jars inside.

(Visiting this home was neat but NOT a traditional old home tour.

It's now used as a gathering place so you could sit, visit, read, have tea, etc

but it's NOT filled with the family's heirloom items or designed to look as it did when

they lived there) 

The gardens, and there are SO many, are beautiful!

Annabeth's favorite flowers are tulips so she loved seeing all

of the unique colors on the campus.

- Sunday evening Mark and the kids had pizza dinner at Luke and Cassidy's. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and Mark helped out by mowing their lawn for them. My dad did ours last week while he was gone and he was happy to pay it forward to the next person.

- While they had dinner, I dropped nearly 1,000 items at the Here We Grow Again Kids Sale. This sale is THIS weekend at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. I look forward to seeing how much I make! #vacationmoney

- I did the Walmart Pick-Up again. This week we spent $84 on groceries - a bit more than usual but almost $20 of that was paper towels, shampoo, and razors. What did we eat for dinner? Homemade Chicken Carbonara and Garlic Knots, Chicken Fried Rice with Egg Rolls, Homemade Pizza and veggies, and Veggie Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries 

- Tuesday we spent the day in Charlestown with our best friends. Both SJ and Rose have birthdays this week so we took their presents and spent the day playing outside. Because we had hit our budget over the weekend I skipped getting coffee at Coffee Crossing while there. I almost ALWAYS stop when I am in the area and the kids were shocked when I didn't. I explained to the kids that I had already met my eat out/fun budget for the month so we needed to save that money for the next fun thing. 

- Tuesday was 75 and sunny, I got my first good sunburn of the season, and the kids had switched to shorts by the end of the afternoon. We drove the 90 minutes home and by the time we were done with dinner it was SNOWING! It was such a strange way to spend a day!

Oscar LOVES the snow and was thrilled to spend hours romping around in it. He looked so cute with snowflakes all over his nose. 

-  Wednesday night I shopped the Here We Grow Again Sale. I went in with a list and a budget. I stuck to both coming in $20 under budget with some of the items on my list. You can read how I saved over $360 here! 

- I took a friend lettuce and garlic. She traded me two pairs of ballet tights. 

We had such a strange week. I told Mark I felt really restless this week and I think it was because of the weather. We had bright, sunny warm days, dreary snow days, and everything in between. I am looking forward to it warming up over the weekend and next week!

Happy Savings to All! 

 

 

HWGA - Spring 2021 Haul

 As always, I LOVED shopping the Here We Grow Again (HWGA) Indy South Consignment Sale!

I have been shopping the sale since 2012 and consigning with them since 2013. I always love to see just how much I can save while shopping.

I went in with a list today. Annabeth and I both were in need of new jean or dress shorts. I also always look for good deals on name brand, like-new, or new-with-tags items. I NEVER pay retail for fancy brands but I certainly love to snatch them up when I score an awesome deal. This sale never disappoints and today may have been my best/biggest savings ever!

Let's take a look at what I got for just $30.24 today...

Petite Collage Dinosaur Floor Puzzle

Retail: $18

I Paid: $4

Squeeze Denim Shorts for Girls

Retail: $12

I Paid: $3

Joe's Jean Shorts for Girls

Retail: $30

I Paid: $4

Levi's Jean Shorts for Women

Retail: $50

I Paid: $5

Matilda Jane Swim Cover-Up

Retail: $42

I Paid: $3

Patagonia Jacket for Girls

Retail: $80

I Paid: $4

BJU Complete 5th Grade Science Set (Teacher and Student books)

Retail: $160*

*This seller must have purchased it used, that's the $55 sticker you see there*

I Paid: $5

Did you do the math as we went?

I paid $30.24 for over $390 in retail items!!!!!!!!!! That's an incredible savings of $360+

I was BLOWN AWAY by my savings at this sale! Consignors choose their own prices so pricing is super hit or miss. I feel like that sale was a total HIT for our family!

Want to shop and save too?

HWGA Sale is at the Johnson County Indiana Fairgrounds THIS WEEKEND!

Public Sale Hours:

Thursday 12-8 PM

Friday 9AM-8PM

Saturday (All items with a * are 50% off) 10AM-5PM

As always parking and entrance to the sale is FREE

**Disclaimer: I was not compensated by HWGA for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

Frugal Friday 390

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Saturday, Owen had t-ball pictures. We did splurge (so not 100% frgual) on t-ball pictures again this year. In all honesty, they are surprisingly affordable for a little set of them and it's VERY important to Owen that he have them. He is very excited to pass them out to "all his fans"

- Saturday evening we went to a really fun birthday party. The kids were SO excited to play with some of their best friends and these friends REALLY know how to do kids' parties! The kids played, spent time in a jumbo monster truck photo booth, and ate their fill of pizza and cake. I note this because it was WONDERFUL to feel back to more normal, celebrating in person with friends.

- Mark was out of town last weekend leading a Boy Scout program. He was then gone this week as well for Raven's Challenge with the Bomb Team. We missed him but know that he did a great deal of learning and teaching this week.

- I had planned to explore some park or do a hike after church but failed to check the weather as I made my plans. We ended up staying home all day as it poured. We went ahead and did school since it was too rainy/cold to be outside. That felt like the best use of our time.

- Monday - Wednesday my dad was in town. It was great to have him here to play with the kids and it helped me get a great deal of work done while they still had someone to supervise them. The kids loved going to multiple parks, eating lunch out two days in a row, getting new bike accessories, and taking long bike rides. He also mowed the lawn for me which was so kind. Thank you Dad!

- Tuesday afternoon I took Owen for a haircut. For a while we did his haircuts at home sometimes that went okay, other times not so much. We decided to work it into our budget to have his hair done outside the home. Our dear friend Miss Christy does his hair as well as mine and Annabeth's but less often for us girls. If we can't do it for free at home, we are happy to pay our friend. Local and need great hair? Check out Hair by Christy Stearns

Stylin' with his Ring Pop

- I got to take Owen to Lions for the first time this week, obviously he usually goes with Mark since he's the leader, and they planted seeds as part of his very last Lion Elective. Owen is looking forward to growing his own little garden this spring/summer.

- I spent 7+ hours organizing and tagging ALL of my items plus three express taggers items for the Here We Grown Again Kids Sale. I put roughly 10-15 hours of work into each sale and I am SO thankful for this extra income each year. Last year we used the sale money as our souvenir money for Disney World. This year we plan to use it to pay towards a hotel stay.

- We did a small ($44) grocery haul for the week. What did we eat? Pork Loin/Broccoli/Sweet Potatoes, Chinese Chicken/Rice/Broccoli, BLTs, and Shrimp Fajitas. Owen also made a homemade fruit salad and Annabeth made cake pops.

Her first time making cake pops. 

They were lemon flavored and she did baseballs and unicorns

- Yesterday we babysat my niece. The kids had a great time holding her and looking at her little outfits. They are so cute with their little cousins. 

We had a great week, we missed Mark, but are looking forward to all being home together soon.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 389

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday we had friends over to play and they stayed for dinner. Mark made pork fajitas with rice. The kids are SO happy to have warmer/lighter evenings for longer outdoor play.

- I cleaned out my closet last week and so did my sister. We traded some clothes and she brought a big pile of headbands for Annabeth. I think Annabeth has worn a different one each day this week. 

- Saturday evening we had my family over for dinner. We ordered Jockamos pizza and provided cheesecake and brownies for dessert. It was a combined birthday party for my parents as it fell between their two birthdays. We tried to make it special with their favorite foods and with their favorite desserts.

- We were surprised with eggs in our front yard after Saturday dinner. The eggs weren't for us though - our friend Stephanie at Fuller Klipz Mobile Grooming had egged Oscar! All of the eggs had puppy treats in them. Stephanie not only does an amazing job with Oscar's hair but has so many special touches that make her business truly personal. 

- We were SO thrilled to have in-person church services for Easter this year. We had sorely missed celebrating Christ's Resurrection with people last year and are so thankful to be coming through the other side of this pandemic. 

- Sunday after church my parents did an egg hunt for the kids and we provided lunch. We served party ham sandwiches, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and we all decorated sugar cookies after lunch. Thank you to my friend Katelyn Schwander for the delicious cookie kits! 

- Sunday evening we went to Mark's parents' house where the kids hunted eggs with their cousins. Since we did not have family Easter last year, Owen didn't remember egg hunts or about the candy so he was VERY excited about all of it. We took deviled eggs, rice krispies, and Easter bark as our contributions to dinner.

- Monday night Owen had t-ball. Annabeth came along to the park and was happy to see three of her friends. She enjoyed playing on the playground and O enjoyed practice. 

- I wrapped up my Spring Book Drive for the Riley Cheer Guild at Riley Children's Hospital. With everyone's donation, my donation, and the Usborne Books & More 50% match program we are donating $375 in books to the Riley Cheer Guild! This year they requested baby/toddler books so we worked to fill that need. Thank you to everyone who prayed over this campaign, shared my posts, and especially to those who donated. 

- Last Night was Date Night for the kids. Owen and I headed to Greenwood and spent a giftcard from Christmas 2019. He, of course, chose a Hot Wheels item. We also had dinner out. Mark and Annabeth started a cooking project; they are going to cook through a series of cookbooks. Last night they made a chocolate cheese cake which received two thumbs up. They both love cooking/baking so I think they will really enjoy this.

Overall, we had a lovely sunny week with lots of school and lots of time outdoors. We're in the home stretch of the school year (which we are all so so so excited about since we started July 1) and ready for summer break! 

We are looking forward to a weekend with lots to do and beautiful weather in the forecast! 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 388

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday night Mark picked up pizza and had a pizza/show night watching the new "Mighty Ducks" show on Disney+. I was a HUGE Mighty Ducks fan and the show's first episode didn't disappoint. 

- Friday afternoon - Sunday I watched my in-laws' dogs while they were on a weekend trip. I saved them the cost of a dog sitter and I enjoyed some quiet evenings reading. I made it through 1.5 books this weekend!

- Saturday Mark and the kids came up to visit. We first went to Southeastway Park to play on the big playground. Annabeth was done after about 45 minutes so she hung out at the house with Mark. Owen and I went to another nearby park and he enjoyed climbing the bigger spiderweb there. We also took a nice long walk along the trail - we found a waterfall, bridge, and two lakes. Owen spent more than an hour throwing different items down the stream into the waterfall and enjoyed predicting how quickly each item (leaf, bark,rock, etc) would travel. We try to live by the principal "What the child finds worthy IS worthy." 

  

- Sunday evening I ran a book sale in my Usborne Books & More group to help people fill last minute Easter Book wishes. I love our Easter collection this year and was so happy to share it.

- We did an indoor campout Sunday night (we had some pretty high winds here). We ate Sunday Sundaes and watched UofL Women's Basketball beat Oregon! GO CARDS!

- Monday after an appointment in Greenwood we checked another park off our Park Visit List. We enjoyed a little nature walk and playground play. The kids loved showing Mark one of our favorite short trails.

- Monday evening Mark and I had a meeting at a church. The kids came along and enjoyed playing on the playground with new friends.  

- Tuesday morning I traded kids with a neighbor - she took all of the girls and I had the boys. All of the kids enjoyed two hours of playtime away from some of their siblings, much needed in homeschool families, and then we all came together for lunch. It was a great surprise to have lunch made for us and I really appreciated that.

- Tuesday evening Owen had a Pack Meeting at Cub Scouts. He earned five belt loops. He has now completed all of the required elements, and all but one of the electives, for the rank of Lion. Way to go O!

- I cannot believe that I haven't mentioned our BIGGEST savings of 2021 so far - Mark spent several weeks working in our kitchen and he has repainted all of the cabinet bases and doors. We never got a professional quote on this but we spent less than $100 on the project and I know it would have been more than that. It looks amazing! Thank you Mark! 

- I did a quick sweep of my closet and parted ways with 11 items. I will let my Mama and sister look through and then I will donate what no one can use.

- Wednesday we met at my friend Katelyn's house to assemble our Easter Book and Cookie Kits. Thank you Katelyn for being the baker for these fun sets! 

We are looking forward to a busy, fun weekend celebrating our Risen Savior!

Happy Easter and Happy Savings to All!