Friday, February 2, 2024

Frugal Friday 525

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday-Sunday we went to Fort Wayne for both kids to participate in the Refresh Dance Convention. Our studio requires one convention a year and the kids both LOVE this one! We booked a hotel through my travel business and saved over 50% the cost of hotels attached to the convention center. We did have about a 10 minute drive each day but the money saved was well worth it. 

Refresh Day 1 - Ready to dance!

- While the kids danced, Mark and I had a date day on Saturday. He really wanted to visit the Famous Coney Island hot dog stand so we went right at 9 AM when it opened at missed the long line of people it usually has. At just $1.95 for a coney dog it was a cheap breakfast out. We also did some antique browsing. For maybe the first time ever, we antiqued without buying a single item. We enjoyed many of the items we found but didn't feel like any of them needed to come home with us to add value to our lives. 

- Saturday evening we did eat a planned meal out. We always get Burger Bar in Fort Wayne as it's treenut/peanut free and Annabeth can have any item on the menu including dessert! We had planned ahead for this eat-out meal. 

- Sunday after we dropped the kids at dance, we drove down to the Morgan's house. Our friend Melissa's parents are kind enough to host us each Sunday of this annual Fort Wayne weekend. We split the cost of pizza with everyone and had a great day! We picked the kids up, exhausted and happy, and made the drive home.

- Our dear friend Lily was our house and pup sitter this weekend. We have had Lily house/pet/kid sit many times over the years and I just am so thankful for her! Oscar doesn't like many people but I always leave easily knowing he's happy with her. She always takes incredible care of the house too. We are so thankful for her! We also save a tremendous amount of money using a private house/pet sitter vs using a dog boarding business. 

- As we finished out January, we happily parted ways with 294 items as part of our "2,024 in 2024." The saddest items for me were two picture frames with beach pictures that I store in my closet in the winter as I rotate my decor through the year. They fell one day and both broke. One frame was from our wedding and one was from Mark and the kids for my 30th birthday. Both were very special items that I would not have parted ways with otherwise. Thankfully the pictures were fine so I saved those and let the frames go. The easiest item, was my student level flute. My nieces are both playing flute and I hope that it can be a blessing for them during their student years.

- Most of the items we let go of so far in the challenge have been donated, passed on, or just thrown away/recycled. I did list some of the kids' clothing and shoes items on Facebook. Total made so far in the challenge: $10. 

Yesterday, for the first time in weeks, we had a hint of sunshine! We cheered and ran outdoors to soak it in! I keep reading that the past 10 weeks have been the darkest weeks of the year - the sun, the light, spring is coming!!

Happy Savings to All! 


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