Last Week's Thrifty Moves

Sunday morning the oldest one and I went grocery shopping at Trader Joes, Winco and Albertsons.  I had a list for Trader Joes and Winco and she had a list for all three places.  We were able to get all that we needed while keeping to a really tight budget.  I was really impressed with the meals she came up with to prepare in her dorm as well as her ability to get what she needed for a small amount of money.  Even though it required stops at three different stores, it was worth it to us in order to stay on budget.  Our particular route works really well so we don't waste fuel driving out of our way to shop.

Trader Joes & Winco

I bought two large cans and three small cans of tomato sauce to replace what I had used up from the pantry.  I bought two small cans of tomato sauce and four cans of tuna for my daughter to take to college.  I gave her a box of Triscuits and some canned tomatoes as well as a few other items we had in the freezer and pantry to take too.  Between the items I gave her and what she bought herself she went back to school with quite a bit of food to get her through the next couple of weeks, probably longer.  I will continue to help her with meals and food throughout the rest of the school year.

Our vegetable drawer nicely restocked

Sunday afternoon I trimmed both of my daughter's hair so they could start back to school with a fresh hairstyle.  I had trimmed my bangs a couple weeks before.  We are all trying to save our money and not go to the salon right now.

I baked my daughter this big loaf of French bread to take to her dorm

Monday was payday.  I was able to take care of my savings obligations, all of my bills (except the mortgage), fill the gas tank on my car and put a good sized payment toward my credit card bill.  I had $27 left in my checking account to hold me over until payday and with no real intentions of shopping much that should work.

We found a kitty in a box!

I cancelled our Netflix membership for the time being.  As a family we talked about it and decided it was a very wise decision right now.  There are plenty of free options for us to find online for TV and movie viewing if we wish.

One of our simple Keto meals last week
Turkey burgers smothered in cheese and spinach salad

Friday evening I had a card making date with myself after I got home from work.  I got out my supplies, put on a movie, poured myself a glass of wine and settled in for several hours of crafting.  It was a great way to unwind from a busy work week and do something I really enjoy.  By the time I was ready to call it a night I had made eight Christmas cards, three Valentines and fourteen birthday cards.  I couldn't believe I made that many birthday cards.

I restocked my card supply

Saturday my oldest came home to attend my youngest daughter's dance team show.  We had to drop her off an hour and a half early and since it was being held on the opposite end of town from where we live I decided it would be a good opportunity to go to Fred Meyer and use a few coupons I had that were set to expire.  I was able to walk out of the store with two bags of groceries for $14.21 which included a bag of cat food and several items my daughter needed to prepare meals she had planned for the coming week at her dorm.  Yay us!

Great bargains from Fred Meyer

I used 1 Tbs. of Twisted Peppermint body wash stirred into 1 cup of warm water to top off both of my foaming hand soap dispensers in our bathrooms.  Since I got the body wash at Bath & Body Works for free with a coupon this makes for some pretty thrifty hand washing!

I was able to restock my sprinkles for next Christmas pretty inexpensively
Dipping chocolate and almond bark for dipped pretzels were only $1 each

The icing and multi colored sprinkles were inside the box
I thought that was a pretty good deal

We rinsed out every last bit of soap from an empty laundry detergent bottle to use up before replacing it with a new one from our stockpile in the linen closet.  The empty bottle was then tossed into our recycle bin.  Later in the week I did the same thing with a bottle of fabric softener.

Yogurt was on my list of things to only purchase at rock bottom prices
With coupons on top of the sales and markdown prices this was very affordable!

I used up a lot of odds and ends of things around the house.  From hand lotion and laundry detergent to pancake syrup and dry pasta in a jar I cleared out quite a bit of stuff and didn't let it go to waste.  We have loads of odds and ends in our kitchen freezer to work on as well.

I worked a little bit of overtime last week.

Lots of healthy salads this past week

Some of the 15 Minute Chores I accomplished to keep my home in order:

Laundry Room & Half Bathroom - vacuumed floors.  Daily swish & swipe.

Dining Room - vacuumed floor.

Kitchen -  vacuumed & spot mopped the floor, cleaned top of refrigerator, cleaned range hood filter, wiped down the ceiling trim, cleaned the coffee maker.

Bedrooms & Main Bathroom - vacuumed & dusted.  Scrubbed sink & tub.  Daily swish & swipe.

Other - two loads of laundry, vacuumed & dusted living room, hallway & entry.  Swept front porch.

How was your thrifty week?