Frugal Friday 546

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Saturday we had a rest and reset day. After being away for a week, we all needed some space and quiet. The boys ran a few errands, I did some housework, and then we just rested. Mark used the new smoker to make chicken and macaroni and cheese for dinner which was great. 

- Sunday after church, we headed to the fair. The kids had seven projects this year and did a great job! Annabeth earned a red, blue/honor group, reserve champion, and champion in Indiana Heritage. It's Owen's first year in 'big' 4H and he earned two blues and a GRAND champion in Auto/Truck. Both kids really applied themselves this year and worked on their projects ahead of time which showed great growth in their time management skills. We parked a friend's house so it was a free outing! Thanks Ann. 

- After the fair, we went to Mark's mom's for dinner. She and Luke made everything for nachos which was great! We all loved playing with the kids and are so thankful for our family.

- As we unpacked from vacation, we also sorted the kids' dance costumes. Owen had several pieces that can transition to every day wear including a t-shirt, shorts, and both pairs of tennis shoes. We had used a baseball belt for one of the costumes so that went back into the baseball tote. Annabeth is opting to keep three of hers from this year as she may use them again for a specialty. The one is she is ready to part with I am cleaning and preparing to list for sale. 

This was Ananbeth's lyrical group dance this year - "Oceans"

We both LOVE this costume and are excited to save it back

to possibly use again in the future. 

- Monday evening was the kids' dance banquet. This is an evening they look forward to all season. Since I knew we would just be getting back into town, I opted to donate 2-liters vs making food items. This was a great time saver and much needed. 

- We spent $65 on groceries this week. Our dinners at home were: smoked chicken/mac and cheese/green beans, eggs/sausage/homemade biscuits/fruit, homemade pizza and salad, and salad with grilled chicken. 

- One of my Express Taggers is very organized and was all ready for me to get to tagging. She dropped off items this week and I look forward to getting everything ready for her next week. I am so thankful for this part time job that makes our vacations possible! 

- I booked a hotel for our last weekend away for the year. I shopped across four sites and compared website prices with Ibotta cashback prices. I was able to get the best deal shopping directly with the hotel company (saving $55 from anywhere else online) and am going to earn 14% cashback with Ibotta! 

- We hit 1500 items on our clean out sheet! Once we saw we were close, Annabeth and I buzzed around cleaning out a few drawers so we could hit that number this week.  It has been so incredibly freeing to LET GO!

- As we have been getting rid of things, we've also been really thinking about what we bring into the house. I noticed that the kids were much more choosy while on vacation as to what they "had" to buy and they are also taking less free items at fairs and things. As for the adults, Mark and I noticed that we've been buying so much less. In cleaning out, we saw how much money we've really wasted in so many areas. I look forward to saving that money in the future as we learn that lesson from our past. 

We are looking forward to a busy, fun, and unusual week (at least for me) next week!

Happy Savings to All!