Frugal Friday 544

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday morning our washer was acting funky. Of course, I already had a load in that got wet but not washed. We ran over to the laundry mat to wash it through and then brought it home to dry. Mark ordered two parts, $55, and was able to fix it himself. I did have to wash two loads at the laundry mat - $4. Even so, our $59 spent was less than the $90 service call + labor + parts. We know we saved probably $100+ by doing the work ourselves. 

- Friday night the kids asked and asked to go out to eat. We hadn't planned for it so instead we made a special meal together at home - homemade BBQ sauce for pulled pork, homemade macaroni and cheese, and baked beans. The kids then initiated a movie and game night after dinner. We didn't spend any extra money and still had a great night.

- Saturday morning we went to the Farmer's Market. We spent $19 and got fresh veggies and homemade sourdough bread. Owen did take some of his own money and got himself a lemon shakeup and chocolate pretzels. We also got some price sheets from local meat farmers so we can compare prices.

- Once we got home, Mark mowed our lawn and our neighbor's lawn. Then he completed a project he's wanted to do for a long time - he cut down our dying cherry tree. Our chainsaw wasn't cooperating so he borrowed one from a friend. In return, he refilled it with gas and took the trunk to Levi. Levi plans to plane the trunk to make a table. We saved the cost of buying our own saw and hundreds of dollars by doing it ourselves. It was over 90 degrees and we were so proud of Owen for hanging in with us for over four hours to get the whole project done! 

Every year since we moved in, we have taken our Easter and Mother's Day pictures

in front of our tree. I ran out before Mark got all of it down for one last picture. 

Then I cried because I'll miss our tree - it was a weepy cherry and one of my favorite parts of the house when we first moved in. 

- Saturday evening we enjoyed a free pizza and pool party at the city pool for the Little League. Due to illness and cool weather we hadn't made it to the pool yet this summer so the kids were thrilled.

- I printed several pictures for the kids' 4H projects this week. I used Walgreens as they had a 40% off prints deal. Our local Walgreens also makes great, quality prints that are ready within an hour. 

- We made several trips to Hobby Lobby for projects as well. Typically, I would shop different craft stores and find a deal but it's the only one in town so it wins by default as it saves time/gas to just walk over vs driving to Greenwood or Indy. All of the items we didn't end up using, I promptly returned for cash back on my card. By faithfully returning items that I bought but didn't use/didn't fit/wasn't what we needed I have gotten back nearly $100 this year! All of those "little" $8-10 returns really add up over time. 

- Annabeth was at production dance camp this week. Each summer, we allow the kids to each choose one paid for summer camp style activity. Since we travel for dance nationals in the summer also it is one way we keep our summer budget in check. Annabeth chose dance camp and had a wonderful time! We're looking forward to the performance today. 

- Owen and I had the week together and it was great! Once he finished his 4H projects, we had lots of time to play games, go for walks, get extra chores done, play at parks, and I did treat him to one special eat out meal at Chic-Fil-A. I love one-on-one time with each of the kids! 

The highlight of this week, probably of our summer, was listening to Annabeth share the message at church on Sunday. I don't know many adults, and even fewer children, who can confidently and boldly share their 'heartwarmining" moment of faith in front of a crowd. Annabeth did a beautiful job. 3 John 1:4 ("I have no greater joy than knowing my children walk in Truth.") has been heavy on my heart as I am forever thankful that my children know and love the Lord and His people.

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend! Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 543

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- We have had a very rough, sick couple of weeks. 3 weeks ago yesterday Owen started feeling poorly, then Mark, then me but for each of us it was 14+ days of coughing. As a result, we had a nice, slow weekend last weekend to try to give our bodies some time to heal as the week before had been very busy with work and dance recitals.

- Friday we stayed home all day, sadly sent my parents home to Evansville, and then had a quiet night in. I popped a Costco dinner in the oven for a quick, easy dinner for three of us and Annabeth made her own safe dinner as well. Thank you Mama and Dad for the meatloaf and potatoes as it was part of Owen's birthday haul.

- Saturday we had an at home day. Mark did yardwork in the morning, got our patio cleaned up, and did some work in the garage. The kids have outgrown our children's picnic table, it was a gift from Mark's parents many years ago. We were able to pass it on to homeschool friends with two young boys. That made it much easier to know it's going to people we love. Mark also packed up a grill from the back yard. He's taking it to scouts to use there. He gave the patio a good clean and now it looks spacious and ready for summer! 

- Annabeth and I ran out to a graduation party on Saturday. Neither of us were feeling great but "M" is a good friend of Annabeth's as they teach together at the dance studio so she really wanted to go. We dropped off the cutest little gift - thank you to my friend Melissa for crafting the best graduation gifts for everyone this year! I always love to shop small!

- Monday evening was Owen's last baseball game of the season. Our tradition is that at the last game of the season we go out for ice cream. We budget for this and so on the way home we picked up Dairy Queen. 

It's always the right night for Blizzard!

 I always eat mine with a nod to heaven and my dear friend Brandon Sage. 

- Tuesday evening the kids had their end of the year 4H Barn Party. The club purchased pizza and cookies as part of the evening so we had free dinner at the meeting.

- Wednesday night we enjoyed a free movie night at the Artcraft Theatre. I am on the Children's Ministry Team at our church and we rented the theater out as part of our "Get Reel with Jesus" VBS. It was a great way to celebrate the week with our church family and VBS friends. 

- Last night, after dinner, we stopped by our friend's garage sale. My friend Angel is SO organized and has the best, quality stuff! Annabeth found many pairs of jeans, skirts, a jean jacket, and two pairs of shoes. We also found a Nike sweatshirt for Owen. We spent $33 OOP - at home we did a quick retail estimate based on online comps which came in at $481 - so we saved $448 by buying used!

We are looking forward to a fun weekend and are excited to be sharing the message at church on Sunday. We thank and praise the Lord for a beautiful week of VBS!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 542

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday evening we squeezed in a quick friend birthday party for Owen. Our schedule has been hectic and he just wanted to "run around with my friends." So we did a little pizza and ice cream cake party at home. He invited five families, four were able to make it, and the kids had a great time playing outside and checking out his gifts from the party. We overestimated the amount of pizza we needed and ended up eating it all the way through Sunday dinner!

Owen had an Elvis themed party.

His hat is from Graceland, he found this shirt online, and the fun music cake

is from Dairy Queen. 

- Saturday I went down towards Lousiville and spent the day with my best friend. We quickly realized we weren't going to have time for a Girls' Getaway this year so we squeezed as much fun in on a Saturday as we could. We went to Coffee Crossing (2x - we love it so much), shopped, walked, had lunch and dinner together, and just talked all day. We each found outfits for upcoming special, summer occassions and had the best day together. I am so thankful for her!

- Mark and the kids cleaned out some paint from our garage on Saturday. We've had some of it, and yes this embarrases me, since we moved in 10+ years ago. Mark found a FREE place to dispose of it on Saturday which was lovely because our last quote was nearly $100 at a recycling place. We checked the items off our list and our garage is so happy for the space. After that, they headed to L&C's for a birthday cookout for Mark's mom. 

- Sunday after church we went next door to celebrate the 90th birthday of our neighbor and friend Ed. We are so incredibly blessed to be their neighbors. I really admire his willingness to share Truth and Light with everyone he encounters. He's always willing and ready to let people know that God loves them. What a great example for us all! 

- I used some of my Ibotta rewards to pay for a bus fare for vacation. This made transportation to and from the airport 100% free to us. Join Ibotta and save! 

- Mama and Dad came up Tuesday through Friday to enjoy dance recital and some summer fun. We always love having them here!

- On Wednesday, they took Owen to Costco for his birthday gift. Owen had asked for a shopping spree there. He budgeted well and came away with nearly everything on his list and more! Thank you all for this fun gift.

We had a busy, fun week with dance rehearsal/recital and then working the recreational recitals. 

Looking forward to a fun weekend celebrating graduations and Father's Day. Above everything else, we are thankful for the fathers who have taught us well here on earth and our Heavenly Father for both life and the Life Eternal. 

Frugal Friday 541

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday evening we had all of the kids's cousins and the aunties over for dinner and play. Cass brought the fruit tray, Jenn brought dessert and games, and we provided a chicken nacho bar. The kids had so much fun having a water/bubble fight in the yard, devoured nachos, and ate ALL of the cupcakes! The IL Rileys also brought Owen a big table tennis game for his birthday. We're having friends over a lot this summer and O was SO excited to get this to share with friends. 

- After dinner, some of us headed over to O's baseball game. He played the late games and we did end up splurging on some concessions. Thankfully Jenn had waters and kid safe snacks in her van so that helped us not spend quite so much. Spent: $4.25 

- Saturday we did chores in the morning: mowed our lawn and the neigbor's, did laundry, and baked banana bread. The bread was from a new mix I found at the store - dairy, egg, and nut free so safe for all. It was a fail for Owen and me but Mark and Annabeth liked and ate it this week. 

- Saturday afternoon Mark and Owen took some supplies over to his mom's house and the guys all gathered for "man time." Annabeth and I stayed home, had a quiet afternoon in, and then enjoyed her best friend's Alice in Wonderland birthday party.

- When my nieces were here, one of them mentioned wanting to go thrifitng for new pants. I happened to have several pairs in her size that I haven't been wearing. I took them out of my "maybe I'll wear these someday" section my closet and she's already wearing them! 4 items gone from my closet and free clothes for her!

- I had been falling into the Starbucks trap again after having many Giftcards from my birthday. I spent $13 at the grocery on decaf coffee blend and oat milk creamer and will have coffee at home for a month vs two coffes for that same price. 

- I mentioned last week in my Disney Savings blog that we took a DVC tour in order to tour some resort rooms and, mostly, for that $200 Giftcard. This week, we received a lovely PR package from our tour host. While we still won't be buying DVC, we were excited to get the whiteboard/pen, stickers, luggage tag, and cute backpack! Thanks Rich at DVC! :) 

- Sunday was Owen's 9th birthday! Our kids each get to choose the meals of their birthday day, one eat out meal, and one out of the house activity. We made homemade breakfast pizza for breakfast, went to church, picked up Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, went shopping to spend his Giftcard from Aunt Nancy, and then went to Kristi's for spaghetti dinner. We gifted him his big gift a few months ago, a new bike and helmet, but he was plenty spoiled on his actual day with some snacks, scout gear, and a few toys.

Owen budgeted carefully and was able to get a sqiushmellow, frog stuffed animal, 

two hotwheels cars, and two kinds of 0 sugar/calorie/caffeine sodas with his giftcard.

- This week Owen enjoyed VBS at a local church. His friend E invited him and I was SO proud of him for going on his own without Annabeth. This is something that he often struggles to do - going new places with out parents/sister - and he was so happy and confident walking in. I am thankful for Kingdom minded friends to share life with. Thank you for the invite Murphy Family! 

- While Owen was at VBS, Annabeth and I enjoyed mornings together. We worked on her 4H projects, had some of her friends over to play without little brother interrupting, and she taught her last dance class for the year on Wednesday. 

- Now that we are into June, we are less than a month away from the start of school. I have begun seeing teachers sharing their wishlist and after the encouragement of friends, I am sharing our short classroom wishlist.  Thank you in advance for you prayers over our upcoming school year! We will be reusing many of Annabeth's old textbooks for Owen and have only purchased two new books for next year. We will be paying for a monthly class subscription for the first time. I have successfully passed on every book that Owen has finished with. We are looking forward to 4th and 7th grade! 

2,024 in 2024 Update

Our home is now 1,281 items lighter. I honestly didn't think we would part with much this month as May was very busy and Mark and I were out of town a whole week. In the end, we have created the habit of parting ways with items and it's become a natural part of our routines! I also have noticed that the more we part with, the less we want to buy. I haven't been keeping track but I know fewer items are coming into our home as these months go by. It's SO nice to open drawers and closets and to have space!

Happy Savings to All!