My Frugal List: Week of May 27, 2018

Happy June everyone. I can't believe it is already June. Where has the year gone? I guess when you are busy, time flies. We had a nice week. The gardens are coming along great. I did have to replant 4 tomato plants that didn't survive being transplanted, but that is part of gardening. More herbs were planted. Yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash and pole beans were planted. My exciting garden news (for me) is I planted a small strawberry patch. Hubby and I agreed on a sunny spot where the 5 plants I had put in pots would work. So I took miss matched bricks that were extra from other projects or free and used them as the border. I then used free compost from our town and mixed it into the dirt. I used fencing that we had picked up from someone's garbage years ago. All it cost me was the $6 to buy the plants. It's small but I will take it. 

Youngest daughter and I cleaned out the upstairs pantry.It is above my washer and dryer in a closet in my kitchen. It was getting out of hand so it needed to be done. We took everything down, washed all of the shelves and then combined like items. Unfortunately some things were thrown away. I really hate food waste but I will not eat bad food. We had a modge podge of things for lunch to use items up. We had salsa and chips, hummus and chips, several kinds of nuts, and fruit. How there were 3 bags of open tortilla chips I will never know. I did not take a before picture because it was that bad. Now it looks wonderful! Lets hope it stays that way for a while. 

We like to do the fire pit often this time of year. We have had it for 6-7 years. It was not looking well. Hubby had a can of high temp paint that he had used on his motorcycle. So I spray painted the fire pit. It looks so much better and it cost me nothing. It took about 20 minutes of my time. 

It was my birthday and I received lots of goodies. My sister came with steaks and lobsters to celebrate. We had plenty of leftovers that became dinner another night too. We went to a BBQ at our friends for Memorial Day so I didn't have to cook. I did bring a chick pea salad and an apple cake with us. We had chili and rice that I pulled out of the freezer, grilled chicken and a big salad this week for dinner. We did grab Panera for dinner one night. We used my son's discount, got free drinks and used bonus gift cards to pay. I love a free meal.Our neighbor gave Hubby a venison burger (he was given them from a buddy) so Hubby had that one night while the rest of us had leftovers. 

Breakfasts were steel cut oats, eggs, waffles and lot and lots of bagels from my son's job. Lunches were lots of left overs, hard boiled eggs, salad, PB&J and tuna. My son and I did get treated to lunch when we went to my sisters to help her out. She also sent us home with lots of freebies.

I cut my bangs this week. I do it about once a month. It is quick and easy to do. I only get a full haircut 1-2 times a year. 

YD had a busy week. We started the week off going to a friend's Memorial Day BBQ. They have a daughter that is good friend's with YD. There were several other girls from school there as well. They have a beautiful backyard with an in ground pool. The kids had a great time swimming and dancing. They were playing music all night long. They are a really great group of girls. They included all of the younger kids in everything they were doing. 

YD is a Junior in high school and is in Student Government. She was asked to help at Senior Day. They do a BBQ and do games and activities. They had a blow up slide and a jousting game. They also gave out prizes. She helped with the set up, serving food and clean up. Otherwise she was allowed to join in on the activities. She had so much fun as she is friends with a lot of seniors.She got a free meal and ice cream. She even won a little guitar that she is having fun playing. Another night she went to the Jazz concert at the HS. She got to see a lot of her friends perform. The school also had its film festival on another night and she attended. One of her good friends is in film and made a short film. She had a good time going to both of those and supporting her friends.  All of these school activities were free. She always brings her refillable water bottle with her so she very rarely buys anything.  We carpooled so that I didn't have to drive constantly.

I listed several items on eBay. Nothing sold this week but that is OK. It happens very rarely. 

The weather has been wonderful so I hung all of our laundry outside. I love this time of year. I hang it up before I go to work and when I get home it is dry and I fold it. And I love the way it smells. 

Hubby worked on the tree stump 3 nights after dinner. It is cooler then so he can usually get an hour in. I weeded the front gardens while he was out there. Our neighbor came over 2 nights to talk while we were out there. 

I planted flowers in most of the pots that my sister gave me and put them around the yard and house. 

We are dog sitting for 2 weeks. My sister left Lip here when she came for my birthday. YD really missed him. My sister was going away for a few days and then she is having work done on her house so it is easier if he isn't there. We love having him so it all works out. 

I started doing Swagbucks again. I haven't done it in a while. I am hoping to earn some gift cards for Christmas presents so I figured I better get started. 

When I went food shopping I used digital coupons, paper coupons, rain checks and sales to get the best prices possible. When I got home I loaded everything onto Ibotta and Kelloggs. I did 2 free promos on Kellogg also. I earned 2 free EOS lip balms and a free reusable water bottle. They will go towards gifts. Both offers are still going on. I get free gift cards also several times a year from Kelloggs. 

My son has been working lots because he is out of school right now. They have been very busy which is good because he gets lots of hours. I did give him a bonus gift card I had so he could buy food. Otherwise he has been bringing food. One night dinner wasn't ready so I dropped it off after so he would have it for his break. Whenever I go I always get a free drink (employees families get free drinks). We drink them with dinner. 

Rented library movies this week. Hubby and I enjoy watching them at night. If we don't get to watch them all it doesn't matter because we didn't pay for them. I picked them up one night after dropping YD at the HS and will bring them back this week when I get her from drivers education. The library is close to the HS. 

What did you do this week to save some money? Did you plant a garden this year? Am I the only one that reuses egg cartons?