Frugal Friday - Weeks 4 and 5 of 52 - January 19 - February 1, 2018


Our son took this photo about hallway through the huge snowfall we had a week and half ago.  In reality it's one of our fenced vegetable plots (the "towers" in the middle are trellis for climbing veggies such as pole beans).  The children both thought it looked like a snow castle and took a photo - I completely agree!  It's melted now, so we just have the fence and trellis with snow on the ground but I'm thoroughly enjoying the photo!

We've had a very crazy couple of weeks.  I feel like I have spent every day for the past two weeks putting out proverbial fires - little things that just drive you crazy or are completely unexpected and need to be taken care of RIGHT NOW, they can't possibly wait a minute more.  Some are very legitimate - our son's knee injury this past weekend needed to taken care of right away.  Others could wait until a reasonable hour or at least until your current thought was finished.  Then there's all the normal things that go with January and basketball season and winter weather. It's been quite the two weeks!

Here are some of the frugal things we've done during that crazy time:

*  We made spaghetti sauce, chicken wild rice soup, perfect potato soup, waffles, biscuits, cornbread, pizza, pizza twists, bread sticks, and French bread at home.

* We checked several books out of the library and returned several others.  We stopped on the way home from work another day to pick up a book on inter-library loan.

* John and I used a gift card to enjoy a coffee date out.

* John officiated 3 funerals (yes, three!) and was paid for those.

* We enjoyed a snow day at home with movies we already owned and books from the library.

* I worked the concession stand at our son's basketball tournament and received free admission.

* Our daughter helped at a music event and got to meet some professional musicians and was paid with lunch and a monetary gift.

* I worked from home two days to avoid bad weather.  We had a snow day one of those two days and I didn't have class the other day.

* We shoveled our own driveway after approximately 16 inches of snowfall rather than paying someone else to do it.

* A congregational member donated three really pretty three-ring binders to the church but the church didn't need them.  John brought them home for us to use at home.

* My mother sent our daughter a dress that she made.  Sewing is my mother's hobby and she had fabric on hand.  My daughter has a new dress that fits perfectly at no cost to any of us and my mother got to spend time on her favorite hobby. 

* The children were allowed to wear costumes to school three days last week for Spirit Week.  Both children wore clothes and costumes that they already had.  They looked great!

* John attended a week-long training session and was treated to lunch each day.  The training session was for clergy and was paid for as well.

What did you do the last few weeks that were frugal?

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