Happy Frugal Friday 576

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money the past two weeks:

- My parents were in town for the kids' dance competition and we took turns paying for/providing meals. We are all loving having them close by more often!

- We had a field trip to the Cool Creek Nature Preserve. This was an hour drive each way but the actual field trip was free so we went ahead and joined friends. The kids were able to build their own fire, take a small hike, meet some turtles, and talk about animal tracks. We stayed and played for a few hours as well. We packed along lunches, waters, and snacks for a free day out!

The kids each worked with friends to start their own fires!

- Friends came to visit on their Spring Break. Each of us moms pulled out random leftovers and things that needed finished for a picnic lunch. Nothing fancy or coordinated and yet everyone ate! Getting together does NOT have to be fancy or complicated. Your friends can eat lunch meat, chips, and applesauce - no themed foods required! We spent the afternoon at the park together and did enjoy getting treats afterwards at the Hoosier Candy Cupboard. Spent: $15

- On Saturday, Mark and Owen spent hours cleaning and picking up trash at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. They went on a walk there a few weeks ago and after noticing all of the trash Mark called to see how they could help. They organized a group of Scouts and spent many hours working. See a problem? Be the solution! 

- Saturday I spent the day at the Homefront Women's Conference. I have never been to a ladies conference before and really enjoyed the day. Thank you to my friend Lily, who provided the worship music, for putting it on Facebook. In one of the sessions, we learned about local organizations doing BIG things in our community. I can't wait to help where I can!

- Sunday afternoon we took lunch to Mark's mom's house for the family. Mark had promised the kids pizza so we picked up pizza at Aldi. We had a gift card so we were able to feed 8 people for $1.17 out of pocket.

- Monday evening we enjoyed a bonfire with our homeschool co-op. Five families were able to come. We each brought our own dinners and s'mores to cook. The host family graciously allowed us to use their gorgeous church property and the kids had the best time running in the woods and building forts. I will say it again - being together doesn't have to be big or flashy! Simple can be best. 

- We cleaned out each of the kids' clothing ahead of the spring kids' sale. Both had MANY items to pass on. We are taking a bag of clothing to a friend who can use for children at her work. I am working to pass along specific dance, Lakeview, etc shirts to families who those will mean something to. I did save some items for the spring kids' sale as the money from that we use for the kids' summer activities. 

I have had a lot of chatter in my life the past two weeks about local and national politics and problems. Other than Jesus, what's the good news? Well...YOU can help! If we each meet our neighbors where they are, walk alongside them in meaningful ways, we can make real and systematic changes. 

Not sure where to start? Here are two organizations that we work with on a weekly basis and love!

Mark has served many years on the Boys & Girls Clubs of Johnson County board and is the current president. The Clubs' mission is to: "inspire and enable all youth members to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens through active participation in positive youth development activities." How can you help these awesome kids? One time or monthly giving, volunteer your time and talents, or message me for more ways to become involved the lives of kids in our community! 

I work each week with Bridges Alliance of Johnson County. If you aren't familiar with Circles, I wasn't before I joined, it's an incredible program meeting people as they come out of crisis and walking with them through meeting life and financial goals. Maybe you would be interested in becoming an Ally and working with an individual or family over the next few years, maybe you have a community resource you would like to come speak about, or maybe you don't know where to begin but know you want to be part of a supportive community - ask me for more details! :) 

I have often been accused of not being a truly ally to a certain people group or not having an interest in politics. It's true - I am rarely posting my thoughts on these things on social media. Why? Change does not come from social media posts. Instead, our family works every single week in our community, we meet people where they are, we know the names of our neighbors, we look into the eyes of the people around us, we engage at the Statehouse, we know our legislators and we use their phone numbers, and we are active in seeking out ways to make a little difference every day. Are we perfect? Absolutely not but we are followers of Christ seeking to love each day like Him to seek the transformation of the world. 

Frugal Friday 575

 Welcome Back!

My last Frugal Friday post was in late May 2025. The next week we lost my Momaw. I planned to, for the first time ever, take time off from posting as life was heavy. Then over the summer I checked in sporadically, writing organically about faith and life. In August, Mark left for six weeks and I had decided to leave Frugal Fridays off for those weeks too. It isn't terribly time consuming but I needed to streamline our lives while he was gone. Then...I just never picked it back up...

Now. Here we are. March 2026. 3/4 away from the last time I let people into our week-to-week lives. The break was nice, it was needed. I've learned some hard lessons, been incredibly hurt, and wrestled with relationships in the past nine months. I am thankful that you all gave me space but still checked in. In this time I have learned how to better be a friend, who I want in my corner, and that my joy is truly only in Jesus. I am not made for this world and am merely stopping by. May you see Him in me. 

So...here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday Mark had the day off work as his birthday day. The city gives each employee one paid day off in their birthday month. He ran some errands for me while I ran school. He also stopped in the Columbia Outlet and found some great end of season deals. After our last three southern vacations have included weather with snow flurries, we have decided that fall 2026 and 2027 we will just head north! With growing kids, we have people who needed some new basics. For under $200 Mark found rain and winter coats for Owen, a new jacket for him, and two fleeces for us girls. Retail value of just one of Owen's coats was $300. We are stocked up and ready to head to lakes, mountains, and icy waters!

- Friday evening my parents were in town. They treated us to dinner at the Willard - thank you! The waiter was a little frenzied and we ended up with two free pizzas and a free drink. Mama and Annabeth ate the leftovers all weekend!

- We also walked around the March Madness event at our local shops. Each of the adults filled out and turned in a card to see if we could win a prize. I also stopped by At Home with Heartland to pick up my swag bag. I did their spring survey and was gifted a free coffee and lotion (Mama loved those), free bracelet (Annabeth took that), and a free t-shirt of my choice! Thank you! 

- Saturday and Sunday was the kids' first dance competition of the year. I stocked the pantry and fridge/freezer ahead of the weekend with high protein and electrolyte snacks. We carried over lunch/snacks OR came home to eat meals vs buying food at the venue. Mark, Mama, and I did splurge on a coffee each as Sunday was a 14 hour dance day WITH a time change. Caffeine became essential. 

- Saturday morning, before dance, I baked a few loaves of cornbread and put taco soup in the crock-pot. This was done by dinner time so as we left dance, we headed straight home to eat. This eliminated the temptation to order pizza or pick up food. About 20 minutes of work saved us some serious money. 

- My Mama and Dad brought some things to trade. Each of the kids got a new (used) book, some magazines for me, and a birthday gift filled with consumables for Mark. We had cleaned out our glass containers and they took a few of those. We donated the rest to a Little Free Pantry. 

- I edited an upcoming hotel stay. I booked it last month to be sure I had something reserved but was watching for a lower priced room. One came up this week and I was able to change. Saved: $95

- I used my mPerks to save on gas this week. Saved: $2.50

- I booked a flight using points. We have never been credit card people but I found the Southwest deal this winter made sense for our 2026 travel plans. Paid only: $11.50 

- Yesterday we had Annabeth's co-op class over for a movie day. I used some of our classroom budget for popcorn chips and our family provided cutie oranges and applesauce. Another family brought rice krispie treats. We had a great morning together! 

Happy Savings to All! 

While home at Christmas, Mark and I stopped in the Old North Chapel

on Christmas Eve. We were married here in 2009.

People have been worshiping there since 1832 and we are thankful to have

made our forever vows there. 

How to Give Without Spending Any Money

First of all, thank you all for your patience as I have taken off far longer than I intended to with Frugal Friday posts. I appreciate all of the messages and kind words you have shared in person. I will return with Frugal Fridays in 2026!

Until then, I wanted to respond to a question that I received earlier this fall...

How do you give when money is tight? Can you share some examples of how you give without giving money?

We've been there Friend! Trust me, especially in our early years of paying off student loans and medical bills, we were a couple that gave some to church and scrimped and saved just to give holiday gifts to loved ones. Through the years, as debts were paid off (we are debt free except for our house) and as I took on a true part time job, we've been able to give to church, support friends' fundraisers, and to give monthly Boys & Girls Club of Johnson County where Mark is the President of the Board.

To other organizations and individuals here's how we have been giving this fall in ways that cost us $0...

- We take clothes, books, and school items that the kids have outgrown to our co-op free table. It's so fun to watch the younger kids love new-to-them princess items, early readers, and more!

- We take books, puzzles, and games that aren't collected there to Little Free Library in our area. Visit Little Free Library to find a library near you. 

- Our local library has a Free Pantry for food items. There are many low-income and unhoused individuals who use our library for the wi-fi, air-conditioning or heat, a quiet place to read, etc. We love to take food but also home items. This week we took two lunch sized coolers, reusable shopping bags, some dishes, silverware, as well as some holiday decor. We have had many meaningful conversations checking in with people there and I pray that our children grow up to show eye contact, kindness, and time to anyone and everyone who needs it. 

- The boys did a huge garage organization project. Thanks to a Black Friday sale the wood and totes they needed were a good deal. As they cleaned out they took items to the curb. I listed them on Facebook and local people picked up: a dresser, filing cabinet, shelving unit, scooter, and bicycle. All for free! 

- I provide childcare on Wednesday evenings for a non-profit. A few weeks ago, they kindly gifted all of the childcare workers gift-bags from Ulta Beauty. Annabeth and I had SO much fun going through them. We kept some items and with others we created a cute Wicked themed makeup gift bag to donate to a local Christmas drive for teens. It's an adorable bag and was free for us to give!

- My sister brought clothes to trade with us. After I went through them, we took some to my sister in law and nieces and the rest we added to another donate pile. 

- One of Mark's Scouts is working on her Eagle Scout Project. She coordinated a massive hygiene and clothing drive for the Hope House in Greenfield, IN. The boys volunteered with her and also took along the clothes to donate. Any of the hygiene items from my bag that we didn't keep went there to bless others. 

- The shoe list came out for the kids' dance season. Owen needed white Adidas shoes. Our friends the Slaughters had passed down a pair to him two years ago but they were too small. I put them on our Company Facebook page and a friend was able to use them. I was thrilled to pass them along and to save their family the $70 from buying new!

- A local friend asked on Facebook about baby hangers. We happened to have dozens, one of the few baby items still around that I have struggled to part with, and I was happy to share them with her and her family. 

While we love giving, it's also always a little fun to get things too...

- I bought a few items from the Slaughters and Lish, SO kindly, passed along an extra bag as well. Owen LOVES wearing things from her boys and we so so so appreciate the gift of free (cool!) clothes. 

- While we give a lot to the co-op Free Table and Little Free Libraries, the kids also enjoy bringing home items from them too. We often read, play the game, and then pass along again. It's perfect! 

I hope maybe some of these ideas can encourage you to find simple, free ways to share with your community. Giving doesn't have to be big, flashy, or expensive. It can so easily be done with a humble heart and willing hands. 

A little Halloween Throwback

Annabeth was Luke and I was Lorelai from "Gilmore Girls

We used only items we had on hand for FREE fun! 

Our Fall 2025 Bucket List

 Hello Frugal Friends!

Many of you enjoyed reading our Summer 2025 Bucket List and now that we've completed it, I wanted to share our Fall 2025 Bucket List.

As a reminder, the kids choose these items without any kind of prompting or guidance (clearly). I LOVE seeing what they actually want to do...it's always so simple! So instead of running myself ragged giving them alllll the fall fun this year, we are just going to do what they want. Here's to affordable family fun!

Riley Family Fall 2025 Bucket List

Register for 4H (October 1)

Start 4H Projects

Take photographs for 4H

Annabeth's Birthday (October 5)

Chicken Fingers/Mashed Potatoes/Gravy/Corn Dinner

Make Homemade Starbucks

Vacation with Kuhns (Scheduled)

Apple Orchard with Cousins

Fall Camp (Owen and Mark)

Go on a Fall Hike

Go to a Football Game (Scheduled)

Bake a Pie

Playdate with Neighbors

Zoo Teen Sign-Ups

Trick-or-Treat with the Sichting Family (October 31)

Throwback to Fall 2017 and my favorite

picture from October ever!

I am looking forward to a busy fall filled with the things we want to do!

What's on your Fall Bucket List? 

Frugal Friday 574

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday to Sunday my parents kept the kids and Oscar for us. They went to the Strawberry Festival, played MANY games, spent Saturday in Nashville (IN), and sooooo much more! My parents have had an incredibly busy spring caring for my Momaw and I am so thankful that they were kind enough to set aside this weekend to help us. The kids loved having them here!

- While they stayed home, Mark and I went to Cincinnati to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. For Mark's birthday in March, I gifted him a hotel stay and tickets to the Reds/Cubs game. We found lots of free fun (I detailed it on my business Facebook page) and had fun on budget! Free stops included 21c hotel museum, William Howard Taft Presidential Site, Fountain Square, Findlay Market, Taft Museum of Art, and the riverfront. We parked our car on Friday and left it in the garage until Sunday. We walked over 10 miles exploring the city! We had a great time away, reconnecting. 

At the Cubs/Reds Game.

It was my first MLB game and I was excited to cheer for the Cubs.

My Grandma Chico was a huge, lifelong Cubs fan so it was really special

for me to see them play in person. 

- Sunday before coming home from Cincy, we stopped at Jungle Jim's. We found many Anna-Safe items and an incredible sale on crab cakes! We also bought lots of little treats for the kids.

- Monday we made a huge lunch for Memorial Day. Mark smoked ham and chicken. Mama and I made squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Annabeth made strawberry shortcake and a cookie cake. It was excellent! We ate it for leftovers for three meals.

- My sister came up for the day and while she was here she gifted Owen his birthday gift from her. She gave him a grocery store shopping spree. Together they went to Meijer and he chose: ice cream, fizzy waters, Mexican sodas, chocolate milk, Doritos, sushi, and watermelon. I think this is the third time she's given him this gift and he LOVES shopping with her for items of his own choosing. 

With Aunt Lu and his haul.

She also let him choose some Hot Wheels and toy cars. 

I am so thankful for the aunt and friend she is to my kids!

- After lunch and birthday excitement, us ladies all went to Goodwill to thrift. Each of the adults found a couple of items and Annabeth found five items. Thanks to a 10% off deal + a gift card, Mama spent under $50 for everything. One of Annabeth's sweatshirt was new with tags for $65 so we definitely came out WAY ahead of retail pricing! Thank you Mama for the fun outing!

- My sister brought some clothes to trade after cleaning out her closet. Annabeth and I each kept a few pieces and we will pass on the rest. Her clean out motivated me to do my own!

- Tuesday evening was Owen's last Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. I cannot believe that by next spring he will be in Scouts! Owen and Mark worked on his car for days and days. In the end, he was very proud of his design and placed 2nd Overall!

2nd place winner

Gold and Green design.

I especially liked the gold weights under the window!

- Mark cleaned out the garage some this week. We listed many items for sale. So far he has passed on one large item and sold another. The item he sold was a large set of cot bunk-beds. We bought them used several years ago but have only ever used while "camping out" in the living room. Neither kid ever wants to be on the top bunk and we end up just putting them side by side. We have plenty of cots to serve that purpose so these were just sitting in storage. We sold them for more than we paid for them so that was a win! 

- After being inspired by my sister, I cleaned out my closet and only found three items that I didn't immediately like. Here in Central Indiana, we're mid-seasons and wearing everything from shorts to sweats on a daily basis so I found it a tough time to clear out. I plan to do it again at the end of summer and to part ways with anything I don't wear this summer. Of the three items, one was donated and two went to Annabeth's closet. Both were sentimental items I haven't worn in 10+ years but now will fit her. One was a lace top I thrifted in San Fransisco and the other was a sundress I bought in Florida on our honeymoon. Neither have fit in ages but I am very attached to the memory of buying both and felt joy when I saw them in my closet. Now, I think I'll find even more joy seeing her wear them.

We're looking forward to a busy weekend with family, friends, and the biggest birthday surprise we've ever planned for one of the kids!

Happy Savings to All! meije

Frugal Friday 573

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday night we had stir-fry dinner and movie night. We made chicken sti-fry, egg rolls, and watched many episodes of Gilmore Girls. It was much more affordable than eating out and still felt special.

- Saturday afternoon we enjoyed a swim birthday party for one of Owen's favorite friends. The pool was kind enough to give swim passes to guests beyond just the party time and so the kids were able to swim the whole afternoon. Thank you to my sweet friend Lauren who sent home the extra Anna-Safe treats she had purchased for the party. I am forever thankful for friends who have safe foods for Annabeth. 

- Sunday after church we went to my nephew's baseball game. After the game, we went to Mark's mom's house for dinner and belated Mother's Day. I am so thankful for the gift of cousins for my kids - they truly love spending time with all of their cousins.

- Mark's mom did a grocery delivery order. When it came, it had bottled water that she doesn't care for. They refunded her for those and sent the correct ones. She kindly gave us the three cases!! We plan to take them on a trips later this summer. 

- Somehow over the course of our booster seat years, we ended up with five seats across our vehicles and the grandparents' vehicles. I've passed two along to a friend and last weekend I passed along the remaining three to a friend who is a social worker in the city. She will be able to use these to drive some of her clients. We were glad to have the room in the garage and to have them go where they will be used.

- Monday our friend Kelley and her girls had us over. With her church ladies group, she had started some diamond dot suncatchers that will be given to a local nursing home. We were able to complete nearly all of the rest of them as we visited. Annabeth particularly enjoyed this activity. Kelley is a great encouragement to me in always finding ways to bless others. 

- Tuesday we dropped a science text book off to a friend. We finished it this spring and she mentioned looking for something different for her daughter for next year. I was happy to pass it along! 

- The kids had studio dance pictures this week. As always, we did not buy any pictures. With our dance fees the kids do already get pictures from competitions do we don't spend double buying the studio ones too. Saved: TONS of money

- My debit card is set to expire next month. The new one arrived, I activated it, but chose not to save it to any of my devices. This stopped me from impulse spending this week. Saved: $25

- Last night my parents treated all of us to dinner at Bucca di Beppo for our anniversary. Mark's mom also let us know that she will keep the kids for us for a whole day so we can have a day date sometime! Thank you all! 

Frugal Fails:

- Somehow, even though we double check everything, Annabeth and I left her jazz shoes at her last competition venue. We didn't notice there or while processing the bags at home but we did notice when it came time for pictures this week. We searched the cars and house and didn't find them. So, she borrowed some for pictures and I ordered a new pair. This was especially painful as she had worn them literally four times and they would have worked for the next few years :( 

- Based on previous years' Nationals schedules and the kids' routines this year, I had guessed we would only be away four nights this summer. We've paid a ton for condos the past two years in Pigeon Forge so I decided to book a hotel room to save BIG. A tentative schedule has come out and it shows the kids will dance every day of the competition meaning we will be there seven nights. At the hotel, this would be an additional $500+ As it was a basic hotel room with mini fridge and no other ammeneties, I decided to check VRBO and AirBnB to see if anything was left for about the same price. In the end, I found a condo for a little less than the extended hotel stay. I am excited this means we will be able to cook with a full kitchen vs eating quick food in a hotel room or being very tempted to eat out. While we don't love spending the additional money in rentals and also three more days of paying a dog sitter, I was relieved to find a rental around the same price as the hotel. 

Celebrating 19 years since we met this weekend

AND 16 years since our wedding day today.

Happy Sweet Sixteen My Love. 

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 572

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last week, when we realized our new furnace/ac unit didn't use the same filters as our old one, I put our extras on Facebook for free. Within just a few minutes a friend claimed them and picked them up from our house the next day. Part of our decluttering journey has been the fun of giving away SO many items for free! 

- Mark spent a day giving speeches at one of the schools. They gave him a little gift basket as a thank you. He brought home a nice pen, coupon for a free McDonald's meal, candy, and a giftcard to Main & Madison which he kindly gave to me! 

- Saturday the kids had most of their group dances at a competition in Zionsville. The boys drove up separately to tick Boone County off our list. I left them to their own devices and instead of choosing some free fun they went to Greek's Pizza. They did compare it to our local one and said it's way better. They brought us girls leftovers and thus none of us ate the lunch I had packed. Saturday night we packed away the cooler food into the fridge and saved it for our Sunday lunch. 

- Sunday was Mother's Day. Both of our moms were out of state visiting family so we had the day with just the four of us. Owen had dance so he and I were in Zionsville from 9-3. Mark and Annabeth mowed the lawn, made a homemade cookie cake, and smoked chicken + Mac-and-cheese for dinner. On the way home from the competition, Owen and I popped into a "fancy" northside Goodwill. We were a little disappointed to not find nicer items then we find on our side of town but I did find a nice sweatshirt for Annabeth and a pair of pants for me. I had a giftcard so it was $0 OOP.

For Mother's Day they got me cute little items from one of my favorite local boutiques.

They knew I would appreciate that they shopped small, local, and woman owned! :) 

Annabeth chose this fun hairbow for me. 

It was such a great gift as it's something I would look at in the store

but never splurge on. 

Also, I love the dance costumes - always momming haha

- We had lots of free fun this week - visiting parks, going to the library, house projects put off during the school year, and lots and lots of board games!

- Wednesday morning Owen had a haircut downtown. We stopped in Main & Madison afterwards and I grabbed a salad for me and a drink for him. Thank you to Mark's mom for the gift card. $0 OOP

- Our neighbor planted her totatoes and had two extra plants. She kindly gifted them to us for our patio. Saved: $5

- Last night was our mom's planning meeting for next year for our co-op. The returning members hosted a pitch-in to welcome the new moms. The sign-up came out the week we were hosting Annabeth's Confirmation luncheon. I signed up for plates, napkins, and utencils. I brought items that we already had on hand (leftover from her party) so $0 OOP! 

This week we started Summer School. People often ask what our summers look like so I'll share here. The first week after school lets out I try to have zero requirements of the kids. They get long lazy days of reading, crafting, playing outside, TV, etc. Then, Week Two-End of Summer we have at least 30 minutes of reading a day and a math lesson a day. The reading has looked different over the years with everything from piles of picture books, to read aloud, to their own chapter books, and even audio books. The point is -we read! As for math, I've always mixed it up too. Addition races, games, out loud questions, multiplication races, and now they are each doing a lesson of next year's math. The average school child can lose two years of skills over the summer (they call it the Summer Slide) and it makes life SO much easier at back to school time if there hasn't been a big break in learning. We do these skills every day that we are home all day. If we're out on an adventure, at VBS, have company, etc we do not do Summer School. 

I hope that's helpful for anyone looking to continue summer learning with your kids!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 571

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- I took each of the kids on a little coffee date over the past few weeks. My best friend had given me a gift card and this was a fun way to use it! $0 OOP.

- Mark and I got ice cream one evening. I used a free Blizzard from the Dairy Queen App to make for a very cheap date. 

- We don't shop at Meijer super often but they do have some items we cannot find anywhere else. I made sure to use our "Free Item" coupons that came in the mail this month. We got a free peanut butter and free yogurt. Saved: $4.28

- Sunday the kids had a dance competition in downtown Indy. Our arrival time was 6 AM and we didn't leave until 8 PM. We packed along lunch and snacks. The boys went home midday for a break to let Oscar out. Although it cost them gas and time, it was more affordable than hiring a dog walker to come in for him. I did splurge on the way home and we ordered pick up pizza. After 14 hours of dance, I was in no mood to cook. I did use $2 Papa John's bucks and a 20% off coupon.

One year, Annabeth and I had seen another studio with the cutest, studded

studio jackets. We've talked about them on and off ever since. Annabeth thrifted

this black jean jacket last fall and a few weeks ago my dad got her the STYLE patches

for her to make her own. It turned out SO cute and earned her lots of compliments. 

- Monday, after two weeks without heat or ac, we had our new unit installed. I am very, very thankful that this happened in April/May when it didn't make any difference to not have anything running. We've had beautiful weather and typically don't run heat or air for most of April-early June anyway. We were excited that the new unit came in about $400 less than we thought. Even so, this was a major expense so are busy looking at our monthly budget to figure out how to trim it down to rebuild savings. Expect a LOT of free, frugal fun to appear here over the summer. 

- At my Wednesday night job, they often have excess food, supplies, etc that are donated. Once the group members go through, the volunteers can choose from what is left. This week's donation included some new-with-tag clothing basics donated from Maurice's. I chose 8 items for Annabeth and myself. We replaced worn out items in our dressers for free! 

- I ordered an item from Amazon that didn't come in exactly how I wanted. When I went to return it, Amazon told me that they would give me a full refund in the form of Amazon gift card and that there was no need to return the item. I will give the item as a gift in the future. I will also save the gift card amount until fall birthdays or maybe even Christmas as I don't shop online often at all. 

- Mark was sick all last week, I came down with it last Friday, and Owen started feeling poorly Monday. As a result, we've laid low the past two weeks trying to recover as quickly as possible. The worst part has been a persistent, dry, hacking cough. We hope to be fully through it soon.

Wednesday evening, I came home to our neighbor mowing our front yard. I was so surprised as he's a new neighbor, and we don't speak often. When I got out of the car to thank him, he just said he knew it had been rainy and maybe we needed that little bit of help getting ahead of Thursday's rain. It was such a simple, but deeply meaningful, act of kindness for us. It felt so wonderful to be seen and helped. It was a living reminder to us to always seek opportunities to be the hand and feet of Jesus. 

We are looking forward to another dance weekend! Good luck to our SDA Family at our last regional of the season!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 570

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday we spent the day in Elkhart with our friends the Evans family. We enjoyed time at their house and had a snack lunch. Spent $0 for many hours of fun!

- The kids and I rounded out a 9 county tour of Northern Indiana. I found a good hotel deal for under $100/night at a very safe, clean place. Especially traveling alone with the kids I did not want to risk an unfamiliar area so I stayed right where I knew how to get places and with a chain I was comfortable with. We spent $45 on gas as we drove many miles and $30 on stops. We supported a small family owned bakery and local candy shop with that $30.

- Friday night through Sunday the boys had Spring Camp with the Scouts. They camped at Lakeview for the first time in a while and I know Mark really enjoyed sharing that special place with Owen. Together they caught around 80 fish which was the highlight of all of the stories from campt this week.

One of the MANY fish they caught.

- While the boys were gone, Annabeth and I enjoyed a Girls' Weekend. She had really looked forward to this and asked for pasta dinner and lots of Gilmore Girls. Saturday we spent lunch with co-op friends and it was the sweetest, sunniest afternoon with dear friends. The highlight for me was as the girls waited in line for their lunch a worship song came up on the playlist and together we all sang. It was sweet.

- Sunday after church we went to my nephew's baseball game. It's his first year playing and we loved cheering him on. He's been great about sitting through Owen's games over the years and we were excited to cheer for him now!

- Mark worked many overtime hours. We find that just as school kids get Spring Fever - so do grown-ups! He always has some strange cases this time of year. 

- In early April, I placed an order for a a nephew's birthday gift with 3+ weeks for delivery. It's been stuck in Ohio since April 11 with UPS saying they've handed it off to USPS and USPS saying they never got it. I asked the seller to either refund or send again once we were 10 days passed the delivery date. They haven't been good about responding to my messages so I finally filed a claim with my bank for failure to receive. They have refunded me the money. I doubt the original item will ever appear and at least now I have my money back. 

- In looking through my e-mails about that order, I realized I never got a confirmation for another item. I had seen a sunscreen shared over and over again by influencers and one had a great code for it. I went through her link, used the code, and had the money come out of my account before Easter. When I realized it never arrived, I went through to look for tracking. Then I discovered I never even got an e-mail. I wrote the company to see if they could resend it, or at least give me an Order/tracking number. I was a little worried I had ordered through a shell company instead of the real one as I've had that happen with Instagram before. This was not the case though! I had an answer, with order number and tracking, within 12 hours. I cannot wait for it to arrive!

- Annabeth took an online high school math class this year. It was $10.97/month. I realized mid-April that she would only have a couple of lessons after the April payment so we stacked her final unit on fewer days to save the final $10.97 payment. I spent quite a bit on next year so every little bit we can save on school this year will help! 

- Yesterday was our last co-op event of the year - Field Day! We played kickball, did stations, and enjoyed a gorgeous spring morning together. I am very thankful for this group of friends to do life with. 

- Yesterday was our last day of school! Annabeth completed 8th, and some of 9th grade, this year and Owen completed 4th grade. I am forever thankful to be a homeschool family! Our tradition is to eat out on the last night of school, our kids are townies so they chose The Willard. We had a great dinner out and used a $5 off coupon on our meal. We had a movie and living room camp-out to complete the festivities. I love that even though they are "big kids" they still want to celebrate this way. 

We are looking forward to a busy and fun two months of summer! We use May and June to wrap up dance, visit family, celebrate some special events, and to work on 4H projects. I find it hard to believe that when we head back to school in July that I'll be teaching my last year of grade school and my first year of high school! 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Thursday 569

 Happy Frugal Thursday!

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

- My mama kindly took us to Costco ahead of a weekend luncheon. This allowed us to buy in bulk and save from buying more smaller quanities from a regular grocery. Thank you to my parents for helping us with this huge grocery purchase! It made feeding everyone much easier for us. 

- We had a great weekend with my family in town. We took lots of walks, played hours of card games, went to several parks, and did eat out two times. My parents treated us to lunch and we took everyone out for ice cream and treats on evening. We ate the rest of the meals at home. 

- Sunday was Easter and Annabeth's Confirmation. We are so proud of her willingness to share her faith and to serve our church community. We welcome her to full membership in the UMC and look forward to helping her live and love like Jesus. 

Her life and Confirmation verse is John 16:33

thus the "Take Heart" cake 

- We, as always, did not give our kids any kind of Easter candy/baskets/gifts. My parents always have done an egg hunt for the kids with candy inside the eggs and Mark's mom does Easter baskets. That is more than enough for or our kids, especially as we don't feel it is a holiday about gifts other than the gift of Eternal Life through Christ Jesus. 

- Monday afternoon I received a Nielsen survey postcard. It took me less than 4 minutes and I received a $20 gift card for my time. 

- Mark took on his biggest bulk order with his Marked By Riley business. He worked several evenings to complete it. We are thankful for friends who choose to support our small businesses. Mark's Custom Sewing Business and my travel business. 

- I changed a hotel reservation for next month. When I booked it originally, it was cheaper on one site vs another. I looked again to be sure I still had the best deal and the price had dropped overall + a different site had it for even less. I cancelled our original one and rebooked. Saved: $70

- I cannot eat egg yolks due to an intolerance. I have eaten egg whites only for years but this week Just Egg had a deal on their Instagram that if you bought their plant based eggs they would refund your entire purchase. We were able to find them at Kroger to try. Saved: $8.49

- Sadly our air conditioner unit is beyond repair. It's original to the house, from 1998, and we have limped it along with some fixes over the years but it's time. Mark called several places, got several quotes and opinions, and found the best deal for us. I am so thankful this came in 70 degree April so we didn't feel rushed by a heatwave into this huge purchase. 

I am posting a day early because the kids and I are off for an Indiana Adventure today and tomorrow. We are most looking forward to visiting friends!!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 568

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday afternoon Annabeth and I got our nails done. While this may not seem frugal, and it wouldn't be if it was a regular habit, BUT it was my birthday gift from Mark and the kids. He kindly gifted me enough for both of us to go. I saved it until right before Easter/Annabeth's Confirmation so she could have the fun of beautiful nails for this special weekend. 

- On Saturday, the boys took a tour of the Statehouse with Owen's Cub Scout Pack. Mark had not been before and Owen didn't remember much from our previous tours. A leader in the group paid for lunch for everyone so the boys also enjoyed a pizza lunch down on the Circle. They had a great time out, learning together.

- Saturday wrapped up the Kids' Sale. I felt very happy with my sales and my Express people's sales. When I break it down by hour, I typically make $30/hour worked and feel like it's a fairly easy way to add to our travel income. 

- Sunday after church, I picked up all of our leftover sale items. I took them to the free table at our co-op yesterday as we had some great homeschool books, books, and clothing leftover. I hope others were thrilled with their finds. 

- We spent time at Mark's mom's house this weekend. We helped with some yard work, shared a meal, and spent lots of time enjoying spring together. Sunday was his parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary which meant everyone missed his dad a little extra.

- I did a declutter on my Instagram. I had realized that I was following a ton of accounts that I was just scrolling right past each day. Even though it isn't "stuff" clutter around the house it's still clutter in my mind. I unfollowed around 50 accounts and now see more of what I want to see*

- Tuesday the kids and I escaped to the woods. We've been running non-stop and I just wanted some peace. We hit a great trail near Lake Salomonie in Wabash County. While the forest floor was greening up, the trees were still pretty bare. I let the kids each move at their own pace (we always wear bright hats in the woods so we can track each other) and we all came away from our time in the woods with some real peace. We technically didn't have the time, at all, for it this week but it was so needed and truly the best use of an afternoon.

At the top of Kissing Falls. 

The creek was flowing enough for a waterfall but still shallow enough

for us to cross safely at the top.

Owen at Frog Falls

Kissing Falls.

The kids were thrilled with the flow here.

I honestly thought it was going to be so much more after

all of the rain lately but they were still excited.

- Tuesday evening I took a meal to a family in town. The mom works at our local library and has been such a blessing to us in our library years! The husband had heart surgery last week so when I saw the ask for meals, I signed right up. I took over pasta Alfredo, bread, salad, and Mark's cookies.

- Wednesday afternoon we stuffed the Easter bags for church. At our church, the children find empty eggs (the tomb was empty so our eggs are a reminder of that) and they exchange them for a goodie bag. In the bags we have candy and information about our children's ministry and family ministry events. 

- This week the kids' 4H club had t-shirt orders. Owen immediately wanted one which was fine with me as he's always just had Annabeth's hand-me-downs. Annabeth decided she didn't love the design and will choose to keep wearing her one from several years ago. I LOVE that our kids don't have to immediately have what everyone else has or what they think everyone else is getting. 

- I did the bulk of our homeschool curriculum shopping for next year thanks to some online sales. I was able to save $75 + shipping costs by shopping this week vs other weeks. I will say we are spending over $250 more than ever before but I am proud to have waited for sales and sourced things as affordably as I could. I honestly cannot believe next year I'll be teaching 5th and 9th grade - pretty wild for a family who said "We'll try it a year and see how it goes..." in 2013. I thank and praise the Lord for the gift of homeschooling our children. 

- Last night we had the kids Spring Review at our co-op. Owen's class shared facts about space and the 7 continents. Annabeth's class made yearbooks for the group and handed those out. We had a special night celebrating their accomplishments. They were so excited to have Grandmama, Grandpa, and Nana all there. I am SO thankful for the women who pour into our co-op by sharing their time and talents. 

We are looking forward to a very special Easter weekend and cannot wait to shout, "He is Risen!" 

Happy Savings to All! 

*One note about social media. I make it a habit to immediately unfollow anyone who agitates me, makes me want to lash out with a quickly typed response, or makes me feel inferior about my own life/income/home/etc. 9/10 these people aren't people in my real life but rather "influencers" and if they aren't influincing me to have good, positive thoughts then I don't need to follow them. 

Frugal Friday 567

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday, Oscar had his annual vet visit. He never does very well with his shots and his ears are infected, again. Poor buddy. We ended up cancelling a Saturday adventure day to stay home with him. We made pasta bake and had a Gilmore Girls marathon. 

- We had a great deal of rain over the weekend. Mark and Owen made many trips to his office to check on rising waters. Thankfully he didn't have any major water damage to his spaces. Owen very much enjoyed checking on the flood around town.

- Sunday after church, I dropped off our items for the Kids' Sale. I tagged everything a few weeks ago and it was GREAT to get everything dropped off! I use our school room to store everything and we always love clearing it out when it's drop off time. So far my Express people and myself have had great sales and I look forward to getting totals tomorrow night.

- Monday we did a huge schoolroom clean-out. During the months that I use my half of it as storage, the kids' section often gets crazy as well. This year we also had the treadmill so it's been just packed. We spent an hour sorting through arts and crafts supplies and figuring out what we can take to the free table at our co-op. We are now at 1,000+ items cleaned out for our 2,025 in 2025 challenge!

- We ate meals at home. This week, and next week will be too, has been crazy. Instead of trying to be fancy, we did some fast meals at home to save money without taking up heaps of time. It would have been easy to want to stop out to eat several days this week but by planning ahead with easy groceries we avoided that! 

- It has been a very busy work week for me. SO many vendors - including Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and several major cruiselines - have all launched incredible summer sales. Quotes are going out and I cannot wait to finalize bookings. Want my (FREE!) help with your vacation plans - just send a message! a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com

- Yesterday the kids and I did an Indiana travels day. We stopped in Frankfort and then at Sycamore Row for our free stops. We also enjoyed a tour at Seiberling Mansion. We had all been really looking forward to this stop and I had planned ahead for the cost - $20 for the three of us. 

Sycamore Row.

This was Michigan Rd. which went from Michigan City to the Ohio River.

We loved walking where so many pioneers traveled. 

- We stopped in Tipton at the most darling little shop - Tinkerhouse. I had not planned to spend any money but it was even cuter in person than online and we HAD to shop small! The owner's mom was working and told me about taking her kids on Indiana county visits when they were kids. She loved being our Tipton County stop so much she gifted me a candy bar! Saved: $4

I am very thankful to be through this week. I now have my Kids' Sale work done until late summer and I also had my last meeting on our co-op board. I have served three years in leadership and I look forward to just having a classroom and committee next year. It has been an honor to serve our group in this way.

We are looking forward to the weekend and what will be our busiest, most exciting week of spring!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 566

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday after school and work we headed south for the weekend. My parents treated us to sushi dinner. On Saturday, we spent the day in Owensboro. Mama, Lu, and I stayed later than the rest visiting with Lance and Momaw and howling with laughter at old stories. It was the most perfect day!

Annabeth won't be confirmed until Easter but Momaw will not be 

traveling for the service so she gave her gift last weekend.

Fun fact: Momaw was my very first Methodist Sunday School teacher!

I still remember the joy of helping climbing on the chairs to open the big cabinet

and helping her lay out all of the booklets. 

- Sunday we opted to leave by 9:30 in the morning as there were huge storms projected. In the end, we had a mild thunderstorm late in the evening. I was disheartened as I felt like we should have just stayed longer but in the end we knew we had made the safest decision with the information we had.

- My sister sent us home with a bag of clothes to trade. I kept the ones that worked and took the extras along to our co-op's free table. We also took a long some books, CDs, and home decor to the table. As always, I picked up the extra items afterwards and took them to be donated to little free libraries around town. 

- We had a very rainy week here. Our treadmill got a LOT of use this week as we just didn't have enough sunshine to be out walking much. I am so thankful for the gift that piece of equipment for all of us to stay active even when the weather isn't ideal. 

- I have been very busy with work as many clients are on Spring Break and others are making plans to travel soon. Can I help plan your next adventure? Send me an e-mail a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com 

- We did a small $53 grocery trip and have been using up foods that we already had on hand. Our dinners were: tacos + Mexican rice, chicken Alfredo, tomato soup + sandwiches, and pork loin + stuffing + veggies. Nothing fancy this week but it got the job done! Owen has already asked to pull out cookbooks to make the menu for next week.

- I cashed out some of my Ibotta Cash and used it to get pick-up pizza last night. I never want to cook on Thursdays when I am tired from the week so I love to treat myself once a month to not cooking. I also used a buy one, get one free deal + $6 Papa John's cash. Start saving with Ibotta Here. 

- I also cashed out some of our Fetch Rewards for an Amazon Giftcard. Mark used it to order Annabeth's facewash which isn't sold anywhere in town. Use my code to get 2,000 points when you join Fetch: YK4JN

As much of the state has endured big storms and flooding this week, we are very thankful to have had very little of it at home. We pray for those who have had water or wind damage. 

Also, shout-out to Mark who was the MVP this week! It was an emotional visit home, my first since January and I was so sad to have it cut so short. We're also in our last weeks of school, wrapping up middle school with Annabeth, looking ahead to next year, and I am in my final week on our co-op's board. I am tired, maybe even exhausted would be fair, and I am running on fumes. Last night, after working a 10 hour day and then going out to work a community event, Mark came home and surprised me with an ice cream. It had a candle in it. Without even asking, he somehow knew I just needed something special, extra. I am thankful that he loves me so well and so often sees my breaking point before I do. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 565

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday evening into Saturday, Annabeth enjoyed her last Confirmation Retreat at church. We are so proud of the work Annabeth has been doing on her Confirmation workbook, field trips, and independent Bible study. Annabeth already serves in several areas at church and we are excited to see her faith continue to grow. She baked cookies and took them to share.

- Friday evening I enjoyed a Mom's Night with some ladies from our homeschool co-op. I took a long a cheeseball + crackers and gluten-free Oreos. We had a lovely time! 

- Saturday I tagged ALL of the items for the Kids' Sale. The sale has been moved up a few weeks this year so I needed to get organized sooner than usual. With my Express Tagger's items I had about 500 items to tag. We will use the money from this sale towards vacations this year.

- Saturday I did take a break for lunch out with the boys and again when my best friend popped in for a chat. We live 90 minutes away from each other and we treasure every moment we can snag together!

- Sunday after church we hosted Mark's mom for dinner. Owen helped make homemade stromboli and Annabeth made homemade cookies. We also had salad. I love love love how much the kids enjoy baking/cooking and that they love sharing that with others.

- This week Owen attended a FREE Lego Camp at a library. In all, he had 7 hours of class on Legos, coding, and some other math skills. As other camps in the area are quite pricey, I was so thankful for this free opportunity! The kids also enjoyed playing at the library, getting books, and I enjoyed fireside sits with several friends.

One of the newer additions to this library is this game table.

The kids loved the air hockey game!

- Mark's coworker gifted us another loaf of homemade sourdough. As she's perfected her recipe, she will now be selling in small batches. We will simply return her bread bag with our order/money and Mark's coworker will bring us back the bread. Her price is what we pay at the grocery store and the quality is MUCH better! While my own sourdough journey failed - I am thankful to support someone local!

The most perfect bread.

Look how cute her bread bags are!

- Owen worked many hours this week clearing part of the yard for a garden. We have tried bucket gardening in the past but failed due to critters eating all of our produce. As the kids have starts from 4H and free seeds from the library - we have agreed to try again. Thankfully, we still have all of the buckets from previous years so we will only need some soil. 

- I did some thrifting this week. I found Owen church shorts, a sweatshirt, and new t-shirt. I found Annabeth an extra lightweight jacket and new church dress. She is down to just two dresses and we've had a very hard time finding ones that meet her requirements. I was thankful to find one thrifting! 

- We are now 900+ items into our 2,025 clean-out. One of my goals this year was to sell more as I'm not in such a rush to just get stuff out. We've made $1100+ from selling items already. I am honestly amazed that we have had that many items leave our home already this year! Proof that while we made good progress last year, there's still work to be done! 

We are looking forward to a fun weekend! Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 564

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday night we took chips, queso, guacamole, and gluten free Oreos over to Mark's mom's house for dinner. Over the course of the evening, ALL of us were there! It was such a treat to learn Friday morning that the IL Rileys would be in town for the weekend. We had a great taco/nacho dinner with everyone + the Hoffs. 

- Saturday the boys were scheduled to go on a bike ride with Owen's Cub Scout Pack. We had some servere storms come through overnight with Tornado Watch through the morning so it was cancelled. Instead, they spent the morning with our neighbor working in his garage. Ed loves telling stories, imparting wisdom, and sharing Biblical Truth so it's a great thing that Mark and O both love hearing stories! They had a great morning and I think they were all blessed by it.

- Saturday afternoon, we picked up the twins from Kristi's and brought them along with us to Annabeth's Youth Group and Saturday Evening Service. The rest of the family was out at a church dinner auction. Mark actually led youth group this week and Annabeth loved precious time with her cousins. 

- Since we went to Saturday evening church, we had Sunday free and open. Annabeth and I used the time to go swimsuit shopping. We had already been to a half-dozen places looking and finally after four more stops found one that worked! I insisted on getting it in both colors so we can just be done for a while. I was incredibly proud that her indecisviveness was not about the fit of the swimsuit or an "issue" with her body but rather she had established certain modesty standards that she insisted on following. It makes me so happy to see her grow and develop her faith in such meaninful ways! 

- Owen chose the menu this week which means we spent nearly a dozen hours cooking from scratch - lasagna, bolognese, biscuits + proteins, poblano quesadillas, and more. Honestly, I'm hoping for a simpler menu next week!

We are cooking through Tieghan Gerard's and Hope's Table Cookbooks.

So far we've not had a single recipe that wasn't great!

- Our neighbors have been cleaning out their garage. In the process, they've had several sets of weights left out for free on the curb. We've added them to our garage gym - for FREE!

- A friend who is improving her sourdough skills brought us a loaf of bread this week. It was perfect to go with pasta meals and for sandwiches. Thank you!

- Yesterday we picked up the leftover Free Table items from co-op. There were just two books so we took them to a Free Little Library on the way home.

- We hosted our best friends for lunch and play yesterday. Between our families we manage 15+ food allergies so it's always a kitchen challenge to make it work. We did GF pasta, two kinds of sauce, veggies, applesauce, salad, and Rosie made her famous cookie sandwiches. It was so lovely to have a few hours with them!

- When we meet up with the Eblings we try to swap with them. This time we had boots for her oldest to try and a police t-shirt for the younger ones. She brought us a bag of make-up, lotion, etc that she can no longer use due to an allergy. We each took the items that will work for us and we will donate the rest. 

- Disney deals dropped for the rest of the year! I was happy to work on lots of quotes this week. Traveling in 2025 or 2026 - let's do it together! a.riley@magcialvacationplanner.com

Frugal Fails:

- Owen's bed frame broke while moving his room around this week. The frame was a hand-me-down to us and was over 20 years old. We decided it had lived a good life and bought a new one for him.

- While moving his room around, we also were planning to put up his humidifier for the season. Even though we are careful with water and cleaning, it hadn't been run in a week or more and there was mold inside. We opted to just throw it away (a $35 loss) but I am very fearful of black mold and didn't want to chance it. 

We are looking forward to a busy weekend. Annabeth is working on the end of her Confirmation Class at church. We welcome your prayers for her, the class, and for the future of the church.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 563

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Mark worked overtime. No matter how carefully he tries to plan his hours, something always comes up. We are hoping for a less busy weekend/week this coming week for him.

- Friday to Sunday we had my parents in town. We celebrated Mama's birthday on Friday night with deep dish pizza, cheese bread, salad, and two kinds of cookies. Annabeth made double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and Owen made no-bakes. We gifted her a card game and some special game-night snacks. After dinner, we took out her new game and played it.

- Saturday and Sunday the kids competed at the Applause Regional. We were there 11-8 on Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. The kids each danced really well and saw some success with their scores as well. We're so thankful for our SDA family! The kids loved having Grandmama and Grandpa there as it is the only time they are able to come up this year. 

- Monday I had an eye exam. I have been having continued issues with my eyes. The doctor suggested some new drops. Thankfully I had a discount and a credit on new eye drops making them free this month.

- Tuesday we enjoyed the 70+ degree weather in March and headed out to check off Clay and Vigo counties. In Vigo County we explored Riley, Indiana and in Clay County we enjoyed a 90 minute tour at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. We all loved it - especially seeing the white tigers!

This is their current largest Tiger - weighing over 500 pounds!

He was rescued from a roadside zoo and has lived with them for many years.

A gorgeous white tiger!

They have several - all are from a Las Vegas magic show

- Wednesday after school, we had friends over to play. The kids spent over two hours outside with old friends! I had a great time catching up with my friend Kelley. I just love having friends that have known my kids nearly their whole lives. It's lovely to pray for each other from the baby stages to the getting married stages of our kids lives.

- Wednesday evening, I ended up not being needed at work. Owen and I headed downtown for ice cream, park play, and then he and Mark took a 3+ mile bike ride. 

- Yesterday afternoon, we met some co-op friends for duck-pin bowling. We have the cutest little bowling place here in town but it's quite pricey. I believe we've only been twice and the kids ask often to go. It was nice to say "yes" to this splurge for once so they could enjoy it with friends. So...not the best Frugal Friday entry as it was $18 for just one hour BUT I felt like it was better to spend it with friends than random afternoon. 

- Last night, Annabeth picked up a few hours of subbing at the dance studio. She loves teaching and I love Style's willingness to help her improve her skills! 

We are looking forward to a busy weekend of Scouts, church, and hopefully some more lovely sunny days!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 562

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday night we joined the Indianapolis Hebrew Congergation for Shabbat Service. This was our first time sharing in this kind of worship. We all learned something new, enjoyed seeing the happiness in their welcoming their Sabbath, and we spent a great deal of time in prayer after the service.

- Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours entering my Express Taggers' items for the kids sale. It feels great to have everything in the system - now I just need time to print and tag. I'll do that closer to drop off as it gets harder to store nicely once things are on hangers. 

- Sunday after church we celebrated the February and March birthdays in the family. We all shared the cost of pizza, Kristi got salad and dessert, Luke made cute Pokemon cupcakes, and Cassidy had fun Pokemon decor and party favors. We were all happy to share the Pokemon theme as it was my nephew's choice. I cannot believe he is 6!  

- Monday was Mark's actual birthday. The city gives all city employees a day off in their birthday month. We felt SO thankful that Mark was able to take his actual birthday off AND that he truly got the day off! There was a minimal amount of work texts and zero call outs/phone calls. We gave him his presents in the morning, he chose to go to the Indiana Mad Ants game, and then we made homemade dinner. He chose meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans. Annabeth's gift to mark was a homemade chocolate cheesecake. 

Happy #37 to Mark! 

We LOVED the Mad Ants game! It's open seating so we snagged

third row seats right at center court. The kids loved being able to hear

everything the coaches and teams were saying. Tickets were super affordable, concessions

were limited so also pretty affordable, and parking was free!

- Yesterday we enjoyed a field trip with our homeschool co-op to the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. The kids had a great time coding, working with robots, and journaling. Admission to the library and classes were free. Thanks to a glitch in their parking computer system - parking was free too!

- Last night was family movie night. I made pasta bake and the kids chose Unsung Hero. We watched in a bit ago, thanks to my friend Amanda for the recommendation, but Mark didn't see it with us the first time. We love the story of Rebecca St. James and her family. I especially love it as it is a love letter to their Mom, thanking her for her unwavering belief in God and their family.  

Thank you to people who have been reading my Budget Notes at the end of my blogs. It always means so much when people write in or mention in the following week! 

This week I want to share three areas I stopped shopping during our decluttering journey:

1. Cheapie discount stores like Dollar Tree and Big Lots. There was a time, early in our marriage, where we did some grocery and home goods shopping at each of those stores out of necessity. Now, 15+ years later, their prices have really increased but the quality has not. I found that many items I chose to declutter because they were worn out or broken were from stores like this. Now, instead of ever bringing them into the house, I just don't shop there at all. 

2. Target's Dollar Spot. Kind of like the discount places above, I used to find cute little items in the Dollar Spot for the kids, decor pieces, holiday items, etc. Over the years, I am sure I spent $100 in the Dollar Spot and after decluttering only one of those items still lives in my home. Just One. Meaning nothing else I bought was something I loved or needed. I am sorry that I wasted that money - just $1 at a time but it all added up. 

3. Holiday clearance aisles. When building up our home decor, I often shopped clearance sections after holidays at places like Walmart, Walgreens, etc. While we purposed early on, to be intentional with our Christmas decor, I was much less careful with our other holiday decor. Over the years I amassed two cabinets of plastic, glittery, cheapie decor that decorated our shelves a few weeks each year and then got put away and forgotten about. When we began decluttering I found the only ones I actually loved putting out were homemade, antique, or in some cases gifts. So, I let the rest of them go! In order to keep more out of our space, I now no longer shop these aisles at all. We have much less than we used to BUT we love what we have!

If you're on your own money saving and/or decluttering journey - what places do you avoid to keep the clutter away and the money in savings? 

Happy Savings to All!