This month is full of family birthdays...including the Brick's. Valentine's Day was another bright spot. In between, we worked, did chores, watched movies, read a lot...and tried to save money. Successful, too, for the most part.
A friend mentioned a surprising way to save -- a subscription to the Unlimited Sip Club at Panera! She loves their tea, and a Panera is nearby, making it easy to stop at the drive-through on the way to other errands. For $11.99/month ($9.99, if she pays ahead for a year), she can get unlimited drinks -- and she uses it to the max. Lemonade, coffee, tea, sodas -- even Saturday specials. All for one price.
I hadn't thought about 'working' this subscription -- but she's right. And smart. P.S. You can even get the first month free, if you sign up now.
FRUGAL HITS
(some of these are from late January)
*Four free Covid tests, just by requesting them. You can, too.
*A Hunter's Lunch, for the Brick and his hunting buddies, plus their families. We brought a few packages of marinated elk backstrap, which I grilled, plus tortilla chips and homemade bread. Everyone else contributed various food... delicious. We heard some great stories, too.
We also had several meals with friends, using food on hand.
*The canned goods shelf is looking a little bare. This makes me a bit nervous -- I'm used to stocking up. But it will be easier to move pantry items back into the fifth-wheel in a month or so. Yes, we're still staying inside our friends' house for now, instead of in the fifth-wheel, parked by the garage. That will change in the spring, when they come back to Colorado for the summer and fall.
*Half-price candy for Valentine's, including dark chocolate espresso bars for the Brick and the kids. I threw in some half-priced peanut butter Christmas trees for the Brick, as well.
*A book on Roanoke's Lost Colony, that I couldn't find anywhere else- $9 and change on Amazon.
*Made chicken & rice for friends who were sick, and several loaves of Mavis' bread to give away. The leftover chicken & rice made a tasty casserole with extra cheese and green chili enchilada sauce.
*Water shoes for less than $17 (Amazon)...for use on the cruise. The Brick spent about $25 for his. (Sam's)
*A Ray Harryhausen Legendary Monsters pack -- for $21 and change on Ebay. (They were asking $10 more, but accepted a Best Offer.) I got another set of Harryhausen movies for $9, thanks to another Best Offer. Hey, you pick your monsters -- I'll pick mine.
*A gift card ($35) and refund ($25) from the Brick's healthcare. (Only we don't know why we got the refund...that doesn't happen often!) Plus a survey ($5) taken by yours truly, and $10 earned from the Brick's health plan for exercising. These add up.
*Kona coffee beans for less than $7 a pound! Amazon Warehouse comes through again.
*Kept the heat largely turned off in the fifth-wheel. (After all, we've been living in the house. Kept the temps low there, too.)
*Didn't visit the thrift shop much, from mid-January through the end of February. They don't offer free bread anymore, which was one of my reasons for going. That, and we don't need much right now. My two trips netted a shirt for each of us ($5), cards (50 cents), fancypants stationery ($2), mugs ($1) and some vintage Charlie Brown memorabilia -- all at 20-30% off.
*Fifty-cent Valentine's cards... especially for our great-nieces and nephews. The Mama had asked me to do this last year, but I never got to it, in the haze of the weeks following her death. (I think. Not sure.) I kept my word this year, and sent them out.
*Valentine's dinner at home -- including lobster ($10 each from Safeway), baked potato, beer-battered mushrooms and okra ("oker"), garlic toast...and chocolates.
*High Tea at the Brown Palace hotel with a friend -- no charge, thanks to our investment company, Lord & Richards. It was very relaxing. Plus a red rose and a $25 gift card for Fogo de Chao.
*Supper at Red Robin, using the Brick's free birthday burger. We went out to eat at Burger King (the 2-for-$10 special); Daughter #1 and her partner covered a nice Tibetan meal for the Brick's birthday. (Thank you, Dears!) The Brick also got a new pair of slippers, to replace his nasty wornout ones, and a Red Lobster giftcard.
*Local goodies from Hatch, NM: Daughter #2 and Son #1 spent some time in Tucson at the gem shows there. (Wish we could have gone.) They brought back roasted green chilies, a huge bag of pecans -- and local honey. (Thank you too, Dears!)
*Found money: a penny in the King Soopers parking lot. A quarter and a penny at Burger King. Plus a penny in the washer. Change found this month: 28 cents!
*Did some appraisals. Finished up more reports. Exciting, huh.
*Saw a movie, $13 for both of us -- Plane, which was wonderfully tense. (As the Brick loves to point out, Gerard Butler is my 'buddy.' But he's the Brick's, too.)
*Some videos and kids' books from the library's booksale room...most of these will go to our darling nieces and nephews in Michigan. Found a few interesting dvds at Dollar Tree, as well.
*DiGiorno 'carnivore' pizza -- it was tasty, but too small for the price. (How can you tell, in those big cardboard boxes...) It cooked up soggy in the middle, too. I complained, and got replacement coupons.
*Hand-stitched Panamanian molas -- for less than $10 each. (The shipping added a little, but the seller kindly refunded some because she didn't use it all. Wow -- that happens rarely!)
*The Brick worked some more on our friends' tractor, then faucets for two sets of friends. Plus a toilet. What a guy.
*Barely finished some leftovers, including cheese (some of which went to Ruby) and pea soup. At least they were eaten. I was more careful with leftovers from suppers with friends.
*Sold more Robinhood stock -- for about $100 profit. I could have made more, had I hung onto it for a few additional weeks. Ah well. (It's back down again now.)
*Figured out why we didn't get our tax refund from 2021. (We should now.) Figured out another tax problem, this time by the state of Colorado. Why can't these computers get their acts together?!?
*Food bargains: 97-cent milk half-gallon and $1.97 for a gallon (paid attention to the brand this time); $1.97/lb ground beef; Campbell's Chunky soup for 97 cents a can; a pound of baby carrots for a buck (Ruby's favorite snack); 3 pounds of mandarins 2.97; free items-- Greek yogurt, cream cheese, two cans of green chilies and a 'chili-maker' mix. I love this free stuff! (Safeway). Markdown bags of mandarin oranges for 99-cents each, plus a bag of limes; mix of a dozen fritters, cinnamon rolls and danish for $3.60; fancy spiral ham for 79 cents/lb! And no one was buying any ham at the store -- I don't get it. (King Soopers)
FRUGAL MISSES
*We were over budget again for January -- but also covered expenses we'd charged (and gotten cashback from): hotel expenses (for an upcoming cruise), a new mattress, as well as an 1845 jacquard coverlet. At least we've done better on February's purchases -- which will be paid in March.
*Had the remains of a rotisserie chicken spoil, only a few days after the Brick bought it. (Sam's Club). Eeerrggghghgh... I also ended up going to Safeway's customer service (again) to return a package of bratwurst (tasted 'off'), a bitter-tasting bottle of half & half -- and get prices adjusted. I get tired of this...
*Bought two gallons of the wrong brand of milk. It was NOT on sale, so I got to pay $4 more. Took advantage of a 'Buy Two, Get Two Free' special on chips -- only to find they'd raised the price on said chips, so it wasn't that frugal. (I bought them, anyways. Twice. Bad girl.)
*Signed up for excursions for the cruise -- they weren't cheap, but they were 20% off, ordering them now. We're going to enjoy them with our darling cousins, who are also going on the cruise.
I also had to pay ahead of time for a women's retreat in late April. Oh well -- at least it's taken care of.
*Bought myself three dresses - partly for the upcoming cruise, partly because I need something comfortable for summer. (My summer outfits are stained and worn, because I wore them so often! ) The dresses ranged between $20-26 each, and free shipping -- but still...that's a lot more than I usually spend on myself, clothing-wise. The Brick found a great beach towel to take along: $10!
Last month's report is here. Also here: February's report from last year, as well as the February report for 2021. Based on the comments I get (mostly on FB and verbally!) this feature continues to intrigue you, Gentle Readers. It helps keep me on the straight and narrow, frugality-wise... because I know I'm going to have to confess screwups to YOU. (My readership continues to grow. Thank you so much for believing in me.)
Upward and onward...and please, give me a thrill by now and then commenting right on the blog!
..
Antelope Canyon - Arizona
3 comments:
You had a great frugal month! Good for you! Have you seen the movie "Jesus Revolution"? It's really good! Blessings, Shirley
I have also had problems with food suddenly going bad, especially milk. It used to never happen. I wonder if people are being careless and leaving things out too long when handling it. Whatever is the problem, food is getting too expensive to be wasted and spoiled food is dangerous. Grrr.
You did well finding good sales. Keep up the good work!
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
But a rotisserie chicken, Jeannie?? That's the first time I've had trouble with it.
thanks for mentioning this -- and leaving a comment.
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