Friday, March 17, 2017

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/11-3/17 2017

   


   It's been a busy week here with me trying to push through despite the Fibro flare and my Chronic Fatigue deciding to join the party too.   UGH!  Despite all that, we did have a good week filled with fun and family and that balanced out the bad stuff. 😉  I am thankful that my work was cancelled for this week though because I was not moving well at all on Monday and Tuesday.  Now onto the savings!



~Jeff used a Home Depot gift card we got for Christmas to buy a Air Hammer wrench and some router bits that he wanted.  Both will be used quite a bit to work on our vehicles and on household projects.  He still has a remaining balance on the card to use later.
~We went out to Olive Garden for lunch and used another gift card that we got for Christmas.  They are having their Buy One Take One deal so we had a nice meal there and were able to bring home 2 additional entrees for free.  We chose Cheese Ravioli in Marinara Sauce and a Five Cheese Ziti as out take home meals.  We used these for dinner, served with a nice salad, for dinner another night.


~Jeff picked up some other tools he needed from Harbor Freight where they were on sale.
~While we were in Coeur d'Alene, ID, we also went to the Grocery Outlet and spent $32 for groceries that would have cost us $82 anywhere else.  I found 3 bunches of asparagus marked down to .79 each and some marked down hot Italian Sausage and marked down mushrooms.
~Sunday I used the marked down hot Italian Sausage, some potatoes and onions that needed to be used up and half a large bag of kale that I picked up (for 1/3 the price of regular grocery stores) to cook up a huge batch of Zuppa Toscana soup. We had some for lunch on Sunday, had some Monday and I froze some for future meals also.


~The thrift stores in Coeur d'Alene yield some amazing deals for us.  I was specifically looking for some black pants, dark blue dress shorts, snow bibs for the grandboys for next year and a few other things.  I found all of them!  Both the black pants (Chico's brand), shorts (Coldwater Creek) and a new flannel pajama gown were all brand new.  I also found some gorgeous Cookie Lee earrings (also brand new) and some large Rubbermaid containers for storing cereals, books, a CD for Jeff and a few other things.
~Sunday afternoon Chris called and asked us if we would be interested in having a big family dinner at a place that we all had gift cards to (another Christmas gift) if he would arrange it.  Jeff and I thought that was a wonderful idea!  Chris was able to arrange it and asked if we would like to go bowling beforehand.  The bowling alley has specials on Sundays for families and we had money on a gift card there also. :)  It was a fun way to spend the afternoon and evening and for this Grammie, the ultimate moment was when both my grandsons, who were sitting on either side of me at dinner, decided to make me a "Grammie Sandwich" by hugging me and the same time.  I love those little guys so much and oh they make my heart sing! It was so great to have 2 weekends that we got to spend time with Jaysn, Rachel, Jeremy, Chris, Heather and the grandboys. :)
~I baked 2 loaves of bread and made another batch of croutons.
~I had saved some perfume sample inserts from some older magazines.  Monday I tried out one of the Versace fragrances and I am in love.  I would never spend how much they want for it, but it was sure fun to enjoy it for one day. :)
~Jeff is continuing to strip good parts off his old car to use on his newer one as needed.


~The outside fresh pine wreath came down this weekend.  I stripped the pretty velvet bow and some of the pinecones off it to use on future wreaths before I threw the other drying out part away.
~The thick rubber bands that held the asparagus in bundles was saved.  These come in so handy.  I have no idea when the last time was that I actually bought rubber bands.
~Our hot tub was used multiple times this week because I both overdid it several times and had fibro flare on top of that.  When ever fiber of your body is aching, the hot tub really is the only thing that helps sometimes.
~I worked my points programs as time allowed.
~Stress has caused another yeast infection.  I used a homeopathic treatment here at home to treat and get rid of it.
~I had to refill two prescriptions and did that at Walmart where they only charge $4 for a 30 day supply.


~Jeff and I stopped at the thrift store that helps the disabled.  I had a loyalty card that I had filled up so we got the first $20 of merchandise free on this trip.  We ended up paying $8.36 out of pocket.  I was able to find more shirts for the little boys and some cute baby things for Steven along with an adorable little girl's sunsuit on the .10 clearance rack.   Other great finds were a pair of Dansko leather clogs, a shirt for Jeff, a sweatshirt for me, some outdoor solar lights, a CD, a beautiful coffee mug (found it selling on ebay for about $16 and some change) for .49 and 2 really nice large pasta/soup bowls with the wife rims that were made for Macy's that retail at $18.00 and I got for .79 each.  We also found some cool books on making birdhouses and another recipe book for sandwich wraps, 2 brand new leather men's wallets at .99 each, another Rubbermaid storage canister, some dessert plates for baby Steven's baby shower and something else that Jeff picked up that I have not idea what it is used for, but he does. ;)


~I borrowed a book and a movie from the library.
~The sun was out Thursday so I took advantage of that and no rain to hang out some laundry to dry on the laundry line.
~I conditioned and used brown shoe polish to bring the Dansko shoes I bought for $4.99 at the thrift store on Wednesday back to looking almost brand new.


~I was craving a salad for dinner on Thursday so I used some of the greens I had on hand, some of the rotisserie chicken and some apple to make a yummy dinner for me.
~Priceline.com is one of my go to spots to book hotel rooms.  I was able to score a $225 a night room for $66 a night.  Woohoo!  We have stayed at the hotel we "won" before and are looking forward to a belated anniversary getaway. There is also an indoor pool at our hotel that I am sure we will be using


~Friday I got a bag of goodies ready to take on our weekend away.   There is a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in the room.  I'm taking Pumpkin Bread, chips, crackers, cheese, sausage meat stick, tea, coffee, hot cocoa mix, seltzer water, bananas, creamer (travel size), juice, milk (those little aseptic packs) along with some insulated mugs (so we can take our hot cocoa or tea with us when we leave the hotel to go shopping), some paper plates and plastic silverware.  We can pick up things at the Grocery Outlet or Safeway since they are right down the road and zap them in the hotel room so we don't have to eat out as much.  The hotel also offers free cappuccinos each morning to their guests.  We will be taking advantage of that.
~I stocked up an area of our kitchen with goodies for our house and pet sitter.  I hired one of our neighbors to come and stay here since Caesar knows him and Doofy will love having him here too.


~We had been wanting the movie "Moana" so I bought the dvd/blu ray combo pack.  I am giving the dvd to our grandsons who are thrilled about it and keeping the blu ray here for us.
~Friday turned into another cold, gloomy and wet day so I made some Cheese and Beer Soup.  I had half a can of beer that was unfinished last night so I put it in the fridge with this soup in mind. ;)
~We are taking a baby gift to our good friend's daughter who had a baby in December.  I babysat that same daughter when she was just a baby. :)  Luckily I had bought some adorable NWT baby girl clothes and put them away in my gift closet.



   I know it sounds like we are spending money like crazy, especially with us going away this weekend and staying at a hotel.  There are times though when you just need to escape for awhile and both Jeff and I have been feeling like we needed some time away, just the two of us.  I am trying to keep it as frugal as possible.  I'll share in another post more on how we are doing just that.  Be blessed and I hope you all have a great weekend!



23 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that you had a crash this week. Hope your time away re-energizes you. Way to go in packing your snacks and food. When I had to travel a lot and knew I was going to be in the same place for more then a night, I'd also pack my small crockpot. It was nice to come back after shopping or working to a 'home' cooked meal.
    Great finds this week. I miss Olive Garden as well. We don't have anything similar here. Cheers, SJ

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    1. Thank SJ. :) We had a microwave in the room but sadly, the coffee pots have all been taken out so you have to go down to the lobby to get hot coffee. They did not have hot water or tea available either. I'm a person who likes to have a hot cup of coffee in the morning before I shower and get dressed for the day.

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  2. I've got fibro as well so I know what a killer it can be. I'd like to have a hot tub to soak in--glad you're able to relieve your pain this way. Would you mind sharing your homeopathic for the yeast problem. Seems I might be headed this way too. :(
    Enjoy your weekend...sounds like fun!
    Judy in CA

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    1. HI MaeCat, midwife gave a friend of mine this treatment and I cleared it with my doctor. You fill a gelatin type pill capsule (you can get them at amazon.com or you can just buy some cheap echinacea at the Dollar Tree, open the capsule and dump out the contents) with some Boric acid. You insert this as high up into your vaginal canal as you can. Do this every night until your symptoms disappear. This is for vaginal yeast infections obviously. I also take large doses of acidophilus orally to help get things back under control. This has worked well for me when regular medications did not. Now for the official disclaimer...I am not a doctor or medically trained. I am just sharing information that was shared with me and that worked for me. I do hope you find some relief MaeCat. Be blessed!

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  3. Yogurt is one of the best things for yeast infections--eating it and douching with it (yeh that is messy but years ago I advised a coworker to try it-- she swore it was worth the messiness). I also save the perfume and cologne sample inserts from magazines-- a great, free way to try new fragrances. Being frugal and watching where you spend your money doesn't mean you can't treat yourself- so enjoy your getaway.

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    1. HI Delorise, I used to eat a lot of yogurt too and tried the other way of using it...that did not work for me but I have heard it worked for others. :) The thing that worked for me I share in my reply above, but it too can be messy so I advise wearing a panty liner when doing so. ;) Everyone's body chemistry is different so I am so happy when people share what has worked for them because it may be just the thing that helps someone else too. :) I love trying new fragrances too!

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  4. Hope you are on the mend, Debbie. I think we all could use some time away this time of year. LOve those Cookie Lee earrings!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. HI Jane, I love them too. I am seriously wrestling with myself about whether I should keep them my myself (at this point that is winning) or save them for a nice gift for someone else. ;)

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  5. Looks like you had a nice, frugal week with lots of good finds! Hope you feel better and have a lovely weekend away. We are often frugal so we can afford that splurge every now and then. Have fun!

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    1. HI Bless and thank you! Yes, this is one of the many reasons Jeff and I try to be so frugal because we need these special times away for just the two of us. :)

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  6. Hope you are feeling much better. You got some awesome deals again, as usual!
    We all need some me time once in a while. Hope the mini vacation was great!
    Blessings.

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    1. Hi Cheryl, it was nice to get away and most of the trip was great. :)

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  7. Hope your weekend away was awesome.

    Thanks to you I went to the Dollar Store and found seeds. The packet was marked as $0.79 which I thought was a great deal. But, the price at the cashier was $0.31!! I almost went back for more...and still might but not today. Thanks again for the tip.

    And, I was in this shopping center because it has my favorite WalMart. This one is one floor and has lots of above ground parking. My closest one is 3 floors and a parking garage...ick. Anyway, last week when I went thrifting I found to my shock that the 'decent' sweat pants were priced between $16 and $19--crazy. Brand new walmart brand was $12.97. Pays to know your prices since the thrift is not always thrifty.
    Just checking in and saying Hi! SJ

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    1. Yay!!!! I am so glad you found some of the seeds! I have never heard of a Walmart having 3 levels. The only ones I have ever been in are single level buildings. You are right, it pays to know your prices! :)

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  8. Hope you enjoy your much deserved time away. Nothing like a mini vacation to renew one's spirit. Take care. :)

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    1. Thanks...it was nice to get away with my hubby and to see old friends too. :)

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  9. Nice to see you're back.
    Interesting to hear about the coffee pots. Had to laugh, though, as it's been a long time since I stayed in a hotel.
    Your posting about taking the weekend away made me think of something. Being frugal or thrifty isn't about not spending money, imo. It's about being intentional about the money we do spend. For me, I'm thrifty with my grocery budget so that I can have and take care of my dog. Just a thought.
    It's Tuesday so I'm heading to the senior's day at the thrift. SJ

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    1. You are so right SJ! I do hope you found some good things today at the thrift store. :)

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  10. Debbie you get some amazing finds at your thrift stores. I guess I just don't go often enough. Moana is a current favourite movie of mine. There are no little people here, just this big Disney movie lover. Have a great week.

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    1. Hi Jane, I think I may go more times than I should, so I am more than making up for you not going. ;) I still have to watch Moana. I had planned on watching it over the weekend before we made plans to go away. I hope your week is going well!

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  11. I had a good time thrifting yesterday. I mentioned how the thrift store had really jacked up prices on sweat pants. So yesterday, I intentionally looked for the pajamma section and found some 'lounge' pants that were just like sweat pants. And about $3 with my discount. Yipee. Also found a new workout t-shirt - the kind that will wick away moisture. Not that I workout in them -hahaha! But I like to put them on after I've been swimming. And, finally a few dvds. At $2.10 they're a great deal.
    I went swimming this morning. This week I'll be going twice, hopefully. I'm slowly working back to 3X a week.
    Hope you're doing ok and that your energy is good.
    Cheers, SJ

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    1. I am thrilled for you with your great finds! I love those kinds of shirts too. I bought one for me the other day (it was a men's shirt but hey, I don't care) and my hubby was very appreciative thinking it was for him. ;) I just handed it over and said "You're welcome". :) He wears them on a daily basis for work and with all he does for us, he can have it. :) Be blessed!

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