Sunday, July 19, 2015

Frugal Doings in the First Part of July 2015



   Jeff and I have been on a roll lately trying to stretch those dollars and pinch those pennies.  Earlier this month we took a much needed vacation to Montana and stayed with my parents at their home on the lake.  It was wonderful...thank you Mom, Dad and Fritz for everything!  Here are some other things we have done this month that saved us money.



~my parents treated us to tickets to see "Footloose" performed live onstage at the Bigfork Playhouse in Bigfork, MT
~we went to Glacier Park with my parents and used their Senior Gold Pass so we did not have to pay the $25 entrance fee
~shopped at thrift stores in Kalispell and Bigfork, MT and in CouerD'Alene, ID while on vacation and found some wonderful bargains on things we had been needing and wanting




~borrowed videos from the library to watch for our Saturday night date
~we also went to the movies several times but used a gift card, Jeff's senior discount and tried to hit the matinees
~used coupons and gift cards when eating out when possible




~I've been rereading some of my favorite books on saving money and budgeting
~doing Swagbucks, MyPoints and several other programs on the computer that allow me to earn points and then cash those in for gift cards or merchandise
~I've been testing products that I have been given for free and then then evaluating them for the companies





~we have been harvesting squash, peas, beans, raspberries, cherries and tomatoes from the garden
~used some overripe bananas to make banana bread
~used up some raspberries from the garden to make a double batch of mixed berry muffins



~cashed in at some of my points programs for $35 in Walmart gift cards, a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card and a $25 Olive Garden gift card
~took advantage of the back to school sales to stock up on craft supplies for the grandkids





~using the laundry line to dry most of our laundry
~filling up with gas at the lowest prices gas stations
~watering in the evenings so the water soaks in and the plants don't burn up



~using water from the rain barrel and a bucket that I catch the run off from the swamp cooler to water our fruit trees
~using the leftover dog's water at the end of the day to water the potted plants outside before I refill his dish and outside bucket with fresh water
~listening to my Hawaiian music on one of the channels on TV




~mulching with stuff that we get for free from our town's composting site...it helps keep the moisture in the ground and cuts down on the weeds
~trying to use up what we have in the refrigeratior before it goes bad




~freezing leftovers that we can't use up before they go bad
~searching out marked down items at the grocery store and shopping the clearance sections
~getting more free samples and magazines in the mail

  What have you been doing to save money or stretch your income lately?

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

A Few of our Meals

Thinly sliced beef and peppers with fajita seasonings, wild rice mix and crisp radishes from our garden.

Homemade macaroni and cheese, I made a double batch of this.

Homemade broccoli and cheese soup made with the leftover cheese sauce from the mac and cheese.


Shoyu chicken lo mein made with leftover shoyu chicken from earlier in the week.