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!
- 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
1 comment:
The ice tree looks neat.
That is so neat that you were able to have a good week while Mark was gone and work through your feelings on that.
That is pretty cool that you have been able to pay off more on your mortgage principal. I have been working on that as well. It is fun whenever I can do a little.
Post a Comment