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.
- 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.
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