Frugal Friday - Getting Ready for Company Edition!


I feel like 2015 is just flying by - it's hard for me to realize that December is almost halfway done!  Yikes!  Where has the time gone?

We have company coming for Christmas starting next week for three weeks and then we're into 2016 and John's Birthday.  The semester is ending and I need to get grades done and all the other paperwork "stuff" that comes with end of the semester.   John is super busy with all the Advent and Christmas "stuff" and ministering to several ill and dying people and their families. I'm very grateful that the semester is almost over and the children and I can rest for a few days!  I'm hoping that John gets a few days too.
Frugal is still the name of the game here so here's what we've been doing the last week:

*  Ate all meals at home or brown-bagged except for one meal that was provided during a work meeting and another that was at a church event.

* Picked up a free loaf of bread with a punch card from a local bakery.

* A friend gave us a bag of carob powder.  She had ordered some online and didn't realize it came in a four pack!  She gave away two and we were the recipients of one of those two.

* A secret Santa event I'm participating in has been really fun - I've been using gifts from my "stash" and I've received a bottle of body wash, hair elastics and a bag of chocolates!  I needed the first two and I am definitely going to enjoy the third!

* Enjoyed free entertainment with the children's sporting events.  I have to say 5th grade basketball is hilarious!
* Put up all the greenery and lights from our Christmas decorations.  All were items we had purchased in the past.

* I spent $1.07 on a silver bell garland to add to our greenery this year. 

* I bought two boxes of tea at Target for $0.69 per box using coupons and a Cartwheel.  I also used coupons and a Cartwheel to get new underclothes for the children.  Those will go under the Christmas tree. Yep - we're exciting like that around here.

* We've been doing a huge amount of cleaning out - we've given away so many things that we've outgrown or don't use anymore.  I'm feeling lighter because of it.   There have been a few things going on that have been really wearing on me and I've been lightened by making progress with cleaning out.  It also makes me feel good to know that we will have the house looking great for our company this next week!

* While cleaning out we found two cans of paint that we didn't realize we had!  I was so excited since now I don't have to buy paint to re-paint my living room and upstairs hallway. The weather has been warmer so we're hoping to get this done over the weekend before our company comes.  I had bought paint last summer and absolutely hated the color once it was up on the walls.  Now I can remedy that.

* Worked on a few small house projects that we had all the things to work on.  Again, I'm so excited to have these done before our company comes!
* I put together a menu plan for the entire rest of the month using what we have in the house so we can use our grocery money for stocking our pantry and freezer and the "treats" we'd like to buy for Christmas. We are going to feed our company well and we could do it without purchasing any groceries! Yay!

* Re-arranged some furniture to make better study spaces for the children.  Their homework is getting more time-consuming and having the right space is getting to be important.  Our daughter really wanted to get a bean-bag chair but we used a chair we had in the house instead.  We told her she could put the bean-bag on her birthday gift wish-list instead. 

* We moved some things around to make the guest room more usable.  In August we tore out some shelves and things and made an office in a closet in there. The moving things around we did means that we have space for company to be in there comfortably, and space for the office to still work.

I'm really looking forward to our company and all the Advent and Christmas things coming up!  I'm really excited about finishing the Christmas gifts and celebrating with our family. 

What are you looking forward to in the next week or two?

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