Frugal Friday 513

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last weekend we tent camped at Lynnville Park Friday and Saturday nights. My parents have a lakehouse on Lynnville Lake and since they bought it in 2000 we have wanted to camp out on a certain rock. This weekend we did it! Annabeth is not one for camping so she and Oscar spent the weekend in Evansville with Grandmama. We took along our tent, found firewood in the woods, and at out cold meals. We saw other people with big grills and elaborate camp equipment but we went for the basics this time. The park had their free Fall Festival on Saturday so Owen enjoyed pumpkin painting, bounce houses, hayrides, and more. 

This view!

I've wanted to camp here for over 20 years

Friday Night S'mores

Saturday Morning Rock Skipping

Our perfect, simple set up.

We told stories by the fire, looked for shells, and hiked in the woods. 

I loved the time away with my boys.

- We returned to real life this week. Mark worked overtime and I worked both my book business and my travel business. I'm busy finding winter and spring break deals for clients please reach out if you want to know more about those! 

- We spent just $70 on groceries for the week. We ate several simple suppers, used up leftovers, and enjoyed free potatoes that my dad gave us. 

- We have a new coffee shop in town, Scooters, that sent me a $2 coupon. I used that and enjoyed a coffee on Monday morning as a treat as we unpacked and settled into the week. 

- The kids have a birthday party next week and we needed one more item to put in the gift. I had hoped to find a certain book at our local bookshop, Wild Geese Bookshop, but they didn't have it. Instead the owner found me something even BETTER and we can't wait to gift it next weekend! 

- Last night, we enjoyed a FREE Halloween Party at Lucas Oil Stadium thanks to the Indianapolis Colts. They offered both free parking and free tickets to this event. We were able to go down on the field, play games, meet Blue the mascot, see cheerleaders, and more. While we aren't huge Colts or NFL fans both kids loved being in the stadium and enjoying all of the fun.

Last week, I posed a three point challenge - don't shop online, take three items out of your grocery cart, and list five items for sale from your home. How are you doing with those?

1. We chose not to shop online for the birthday gift and made a point of shopping small and local.

2. I did not add ketchup, mustard, or bread to this week's grocery cart. This caused us to use up other items we had on hand. Saved: $6.10

3. I listed some of my PaperPie overstock books for sale in my VIP Group. I have had this on my "To Do" list for weeks and this challenge made me do it finally. Made: $20+

We are looking forward to a very special weekend.

Happy Savings to All!