Frugal Friday 478

Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday the kids and I had our last Christmas experience of the season. We saw Disney on Ice with some of our co-op friends. We were able to get tickets to the educational matinee for $17/each with zero fees. Our seats would have been over $100 the rest of the performances. As this was the kids Christmas gift we had budgeted for them each to get one souvenir - they each chose a special Disney cup with icee. A wise choice as it was both a snack and souvenir. 

Very happy with their souvenir choice

Fun Fact: I still have MY Disney on Ice icee cup from the 90s. 

We had a great time!

I love gifting experiences vs stuff

- Saturday we did a MASSIVE clean-out of our kitchen. We decluttered over 100 items! A good three dozen of them were new, or like new, items that we were able to donate. We found a great deal of paper clutter like old owner's manuals for kitchen gadgets and scrap paper. We recycled all of that. We also found a massive pile of grocery sacks which we took to recycle as well. We had some items that had rusted and just needed to be trashed. Finally, we had a neat sushi set that we never use. We will pass that along to friends who just began making sushi at home.

- Saturday evening we had friends over for a movie night. They brought pizza and we made a salad and served ice cream dessert. They are headed to Disney for the first time as a family this year and I was more than happy to help talk them through certain aspects of their trip. Want to talk Disney or just vacations in general? Reach out - my services are always free! 

- Sunday after church we had a nice, slow afternoon with games, puzzles, and naps. It's rare for us to have quiet time at home and we're working really hard to build it into our schedule where we can.

- We did our grocery shopping at Kroger and Meijer this week. Meijer was nearly out of produce so the Kroger run was necessary. We spent $64. Our dinners this week: pizza rolls/salad/fruit, pasta bake/salad/garlic bread, homemade waffles/bacon/eggs, pork and veggies over roasted squash, and homemade burgers/asparagus/roasted squash

- Monday evening we delivered a meal (pasta bake with veggies, rolls, and a birthday cake) to a family at our co-op that just welcomed a baby. Our co-op has a Meal Train going for the family through next month and I consider it such a joy to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

- We FINALLY had some snow this week. The kids had a great time building snow animals out back and we enjoyed hot cocoa afterwards.

We had a nice, slow winter week of school. I am so thankful that we have had a wonderful sunny winter!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 477

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- We checked out a game from the library and played several rounds across Friday evening and Saturday morning. While we have many shelves of games and puzzles, we love to borrow from the library when we want to mix it up. I also waited for Prince Harry's Spare to come to the library vs paying $30 to buy the book. 

- Saturday afternoon we went to the Artcraft Theatre. We spent $25 on movie tickets for each of us and a box of candy for each of the kids. They had the leftover candy for snack throughout the week. I love this local, little theater and that the tickets are a donation to keep it lovely and nice.

- We did our grocery pick-up on Sunday after church. We spent $89.66 this week. Our dinners were: pork chops/roasted veggies/mac and cheese, homemade sushi, keto meatballs/spaghetti, and chicken-broccoli-Alfredo with cauliflower rice

- I took each kid to Starbucks this week. They each had giftcards they wanted to use up so I had a little date with each of them and they spent their giftcards on a cake-pop each. It was $0 out of pocket.

- Mark was off Monday for MLK Jr Day. He and Annabeth had a date day working on some projects. I love how many practical skills Mark has and that he is always willing to help the kids learn.

- Owen and I took advantage of a free day at the Indianapolis Zoo. It was 40 degrees and rainy so the zoo wasn't terribly crowded. We enjoyed nearly 5 hours looking at all of the animals. A good 30 minutes of that was spent watching "his" bears and another hour with the sharks. I loved being able to give him his own time to go at his own pace. By visiting on a free day, with free parking too, we saved $70

Owen and I are both the animal people in the family.

We had a great day together!

It was our first time seeing the kangaroos up close.

They were cold and didn't care for the rain so we didn't get to

pet them as they were hiding under their shelter. We can' wait to go 

back to pet them sometime. 

It took two different tries in the shark room but O finally worked up

the courage to pet them! He has always wanted to but always been so

fearful. Once he did it, he wouldn't leave. 

- I finally printed our vacation photo book from November. I had been waiting for a free photo book or free pages deal from Shutterfly. They FINALLY offered free pages so I ordered with a $32 savings. 

- I cashed out my Ibotta acount. That paid the rest of our Shutterfly book. If you aren't earning cashback with Ibotta join here and start earning today

We had a great week and are thankful for such warm, sunny January weather!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 476

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday, we took a field trip to the Historic Artcraft Theatre. This is a 100 year old theater in our town and truly a treasure! I enjoyed coordinating this for our homeschool co-op. We got a brief history of the theater and enjoyed Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. My ticket was free as a teacher and the kids' tickets were $5 each for their movie, drinks, and popcorn for Owen (Annabeth is allergic so we brought her own snack)

- Friday evening I drove down the French Lick Resort. Instead of buying each other Christmas gifts, my best friend and I agreed to give each other the gift of time. We spent one night at the incredible West Baden Hotel. While this is not remotely frugal - it was a wonderful special treat and made a wonderful end to the Christmas season. We split the hotel bill and I drank water/chose affordable menu options at each meal. We skipped the guided tour ($50/person - ouch!) and did the self-guided free tour of both hotels and the grounds. It was a wonderful 24 hours of relaxation and it was such a blessing to pour into each other's cups. I feel relaxed and ready for 2023! 

This was such a beautiful location for a getaway!

Thankful for precious time together

- Monday we dropped off two carloads of donations from our homeschool co-op to KIC-IT Franklin. They serve homeless youth ages 16-25 and we were thrilled to be able to bless them in this way. I also donated over $100 of PaperPie books. Thank you to all who supported this book drive. 

- We did our weekly Walmart pick-up order on Tuesday. Total Bill: $77.05 For breakfast this week we offered the choice of toast with jam/sunflower butter, yogurt, fruit. Lunches were sandwiches with fresh fruits/veggies. Dinners: Baked ham with veggies, BBQ pork chops/roasted potato wedges/fruit, Keto Meatballs+Rao Sauce with roasted zucchini and leftover potatoes from the night before, Bacon/Eggs/Homemdae Waffles, Chicken Nachos over choice of Pork Rinds or Quest Chips, and Chicken Alfredo Zoodles. I try to do one meatless dinner a week but this week we served meat each night without breaking the budget by eating from our pork/beef in the freezer. I also try to serve breakfast for dinner one night each week and then use the leftovers for breakfast the rest of the week. 

- We did a quick clean-out in the kids' closets. We donated two bags of clothing and listed nicer items for sale on Facebook. 

- We had friends over to play twice this week. This was SUCH a treat for the kids and I am so thankful to catch up with my own friends while the kids played. 

- I had my first Zoom with my team for MVP - Magical Vacation Planners. I am so thankful for this new, fun business and I love helping people plan their vacations. 

We are looking forward to a family weekend and especially to celebrating the birthday of our favorite toddler.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 475

 Happy First Frugal Friday of 2023!

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

- We spent last Thursday through Monday in Evansville/Owensboro with my family. Dad/Mark took each of the kids out on dates which they all really loved. I was able to have lunch dates with Mama and Lu on both Friday and Saturday. Sunday we went to Owensboro and played games with the cousins all day. I am so thankful for the precious gift of time!

My dad and the kids love watching "Bluey" together

Mark surprised them all with matching shirts - on a funny note, Mom and Dad

had also looked at the shirts online! :) 

- One afternoon, Mama, Lu, and I went thrifting in Booneville. They have a store there they both love. It was pretty picked over thanks to the holidays so I was out the door for $0

- I worked many hours on my PaperPie (formerly Usborne Book & More) business as we had our first big release under the new name. I was so excited to reveal nearly 100 new books as well as the new SmartLab Products! You can shop with me here Amy Riley's PaperPie

- Disney World released its spring and summer deals so I also spent quite a bit of work time this week on updates quotes for clients. Interested in traveling in 2023? Message me here 

- From Christmas gifts and a bag of hand-me-downs from my sister I had 8 new items enter my wardrobe. I work very hard to follow the One In, One Out rule. I cleaned out my closet and 14 items left. Most I will let Lu look through before I donate but two items that I know she won't like will go into the Kids' Sale.

- One of our January Goals is to have a low spend month. Christmas means a lot of new, fun things so I always try to buy only groceries in January. We have also purposed to not eat out unless we are out of town on a trip. Looking forward to the budget reset this will help cause.  

We had a busy week at home completely unpacking from holiday trips and gifts and working to settle into 2023. We have some big goals to continue to "owe no man anything but love" and to work on a special project each month as our family's new year's resolution.

Happy 2023 and Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 474

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- A few weeks ago, Owen saw Miss Kari our dance studio owner vacuuming up a crumb mess from the night before. He took over so she could teach Annabeth's lesson. Not only did he clean up that mess, he moved the furniture/rugs and vacuumed the whole studio for her. She kindly paid him $5 and he saved it to purchase a Titus Painting from our church. Titus is the support dog and he has little pawprint paintings for sale to help offset costs for his care. Owen was so proud to spend his money in this way. 

- Last summer, our recliner bit the dust. It was a housewarming gift from Mark's parents in our old house! We have loved it well but it could no longer hold together. This week, Mark's mom generously passed on a new-to-us recliner from her house. We had looked some in stores/online but didn't feel we could justify the purchase as it was a want vs need. Mark and Oscar are both thrilled with it!

- We have had a wonderfully mild fall. This means we just pulled out winter clothes a few weeks ago. Annabeth is down to one pair of jeans and a few leggings. We hit up Goodwill and got 5 pairs of jeans for just $13. I love to shop used! 

- Mark had the 23rd off as his holiday. We had planned a couple of different things but with the blizzard coming in Thursday night we canceled all of them and stayed home. We all played piano, sang together, finished homemade Christmas gifts, and watched movies. It wasn't at all what we had planned but it was equally lovely.

- Christmas Eve we stayed home, finished some gifts, played Countdown, and then went to the Family Service at church. Mark had kindly suggested that we get Pizza King after church as it's my family's tradition. Ours was closed though so we picked up pizza elsewhere and enjoyed a movie together at home.

- Christmas Morning was perfectly lovely. We did a very small Christmas this year as we gifted some big experiences vs stuff. Every year I take one picture on Christmas morning with the kids' favorite gifts. We don't take any other pictures/videos and it's really helpful for me to stay in the moment. 

Owen LOVED his new toothbrush and Annabeth's favorite gift was this little mirror.

Total paid for both items: $3.99 

Christmas doesn't have to cost a lot to be special or memorable. It just needs to be thoughtful.

- After brunch with Mark's family, we spent Christmas Night at church. We enjoyed the free dinner and then helped serve meals and worked on the clean-up committee. Our church served 700+ free meals on Christmas Day and we enjoyed sitting and visiting with older people, lonely people, and church friends that night. 

- This week Mark's brother and his family were in town from Illinois. We all enjoyed exchanging gifts, catching up, the kids playing, and shared great meals. We took along ham, mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, deviled eggs, cupcakes, cookies, and a cheeseball/crackers. 

- We tend to lean on the side of practical for our wishlists. This year Mark's mom gave us all new bath towels and bathmats as our big gift. We were THRILLED! The last new towels we had were a housewarming gift from my parents when we bought this house - in 2013. Many of ours have been limping along since our wedding in 2009 and it was just time for new ones! So thankful for this gift! 

As I close out 2022, I reflect on this quote I read last week. I pray this year that I will live a life for Jesus sharing His Good News with everyone I meet. Here's my daily goal for 2023:

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone that can never repay you." 

- John Bunyan 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 473

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday evening Mark and I enjoyed the Scout Leader Party. Mark has been a leader with his pack/troop since he turned 18 and the other leaders are his best friends. This is the first year that I have gone along for the party and it was good to see everyone. Thank you to Kristi for keeping the kids for the evening and for making them dinner.

- Saturday we had a long, slow day at home. We have been running for weeks on end, going to bed way too late, and just generally wearing ourselves down. The boys did a little Saturday morning run for a scout project, I caught up on some work for our homeschool co-op and my book business, and Annabeth enjoyed reading for the day. 

- Sunday evening we enjoyed a free country concert at our church. They played a great mix of Christmas songs, original country songs, some old Gospel songs, and a beautiful version of one of my favorites "The Nails in Your Hands." This was the song that at age 16 I sang as I quietly dedicated my life to the Lord. I had known for years that Jesus died for my sins but on a warm summer night, near a campfire, I closed my eyes and sang that song just to Jesus. I let Him know that "forever my heart, forever my life is yours..." That night was my "heartwarming" moment as I knew Who I lived for, Who I served, and why I would choose to spend my life living Acts 20:24.

- Monday was delightfully sunny! We took a prairie walk around the Trafalgar Library after school. It was great to get some sunshine in.

- Each year, since 2015, Annabeth and I take an annual dessert walk around our town square. A few years ago, she asked if the tradition could be to get Starbucks Snowman cookies for the walk. Monday was so wonderfully, winter warm (43) that we did our walk that night. It was one of our remaining Christmas Bucket List items and while it wasn't free I had built it into our December budget.

- This week I ran my Annual Giving Tree fundraiser with my book business. This year, we will be donating activity books to KIC-IT. We will donate them the first week of January alongside donations from our homeschool co-op as it is our annual service project. Thank you to all who supported this fundraiser!

- The kids enjoyed several Christmas parties this week. Owen had his Cub Scout party and tagged along to the Boy Scout party with Mark. They both also enjoyed a pizza and game night at dance. They took along their teacher gifts - hand painted cards and boxes of chocolate. 

The real cold came in last night and we are thankful for a warm house, time together, and a weekend to celebrate the Savior's birth. 

Happy Savings to All! Merry Christmas to all! 

Frugal Friday 472

 Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Friday night the kids and I enjoyed a free Christmas event at a local library. They got their faces painted, played games, looked at Santa and gingerbread houses, and met a live reindeer. We always love the reindeer from Silly Safari - such a fun tradition!

Free Fun! Thanks JCPL

- While we were at the library, Mark attended the Coroner's Christmas Party. They were treated to a very nice dinner and he received some thoughtful gifts from the Coroner's Family and some other deputies. 

- Saturday the kids and I had Christmas with the Eblings. We went to their house so they cooked the meals and we took sides and desserts. We made sure to pitch in with dishes and clean-up as a thank you. We took all the kids down to the Charlestown Christmas Square. They have the most beautiful, well done Christmas music and light show. We love that it's free too! 

- Mark was on call so he stayed home. He finished a HUGE homemade Christmas gift that he has been working on. We're all excited to gift it! He did take a break during the day and did a bit of shopping with his mom. 

- Sunday after church we had lunch at Kristi's. She treated us to pizza, ice cream, and sent home the leftovers. Thank you!

- Tuesday we made homemade gingerbread men. We've never done this before but the kids had it on their checklist so we made them. In the afternoon, we went to the JoCo History Museum for the Tree Walk. We do this every year and even at 11 and 7 my kids think it's a winter wonderland! I love that it's free! 

- Yesterday we enjoyed the Eiteljorg Museum. We got into the museum free with a pass from the library and that also got us access to the beautiful Jingle Rails Exhibit. The library pass saved us $38. We also got our parking validated at the museum saving us $20! 

This has been on my Christmas Bucket List for years but we've never made it

It was WELL worth carving out the day for it! The train part was beautiful!

We had a good, busy week. The kids are counting down to Christmas break and we have 7/10 of our Bucket List finished now. Looking forward to more holiday fun this weekend. 

Happy Savings to All!