Since I am not living at my house right now, my life is a little…odd. Which means that my frugal activities are sometimes a bit few and far between.
This is one of those weeks where it feels like that has been true, so I may not make it to five this time around!
Let’s see what I’ve got.
1. I made a two-heel peanut butter sandwich
Yesterday I needed a snack to tide me over until dinner, and I noticed that the loaf of bread I’d bought had just ends left.
So, I took two of them and made a sandwich.
Was it the greatest peanut butter sandwich ever? No. But it served its purpose.
Incidentally, I think peanut butter and honey sandwiches on 100% whole wheat bread can occasionally serve as a meal option for:
- breakfast
- lunch
- snack
- dinner
They are quite versatile. 😉
2. I put a book on hold at the library
My therapist suggested that I read a particular book, so I hopped on over to the library website to see if I could snag a copy there.
There are 13 people on the wait list, BUT there are 13 copies. So here’s hoping my number pops up pretty quickly.
3. I submitted marriage therapy receipts to Cigna
Every marriage therapist we’ve seen has been out of network, so I always have to self-submit the receipts for reimbursement/credit toward the deductible.
This is an annoying process (something always seems to go wrong, and then I have to follow up/resubmit/follow up/resubmit), but at least it helps us get closer to meeting our deductible.
Every time I have to do this, I am reminded to be thankful that most healthcare providers have people who take care of insurance for me. God bless the dear people who deal with health insurance full-time!
4. I worked on my taxes
I actually hired a CPA to help me do my taxes for my blog, but she won’t take over until next year’s filing time. So, I’m still going the cheap DIY route this year.
Am I doing this rather last minute?
Well yes, yes, I am. Ahahahaha.
I am allllmost done though, so I should safely get them submitted before the deadline.
5. I found a free spreadsheet for blog money tracking
Since I have to submit financial records to the CPA now, I really need to be organized with my income and expense tracking.
It’s sort of like how if you, yourself, are going to the grocery store, you can make a somewhat disorganized, vague list, with lots of abbreviations, and you still will know what to buy.
But if you are sending someone else, then you have to make a very accurate, detailed list.
Anyway! I found a free Google spreadsheet template that is perfect for making my quarterly reports.
__________
Whew. I made it to five.
WyoAnnie
Thursday 14th of April 2022
I love the heels of bread. My husband always cuts me a nice first piece on a new loaf. Because he loves me. And doesn't like the heels.
Christine
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
FFTs... 1. I am attending a free concert tomorrow night at my local library. 2. DH and I took advantage of the spring weather here in New England and went for a hike on a wooded trail. We saw beautiful old stone walls, some tumbling down, built by the early farmers. We also passed by two shallow wells filled in with dried leaves. Good for the soul and free exercise. 3. A friend invited us to Easter dinner. She asked me to make a pot of Boston Baked Beans to go with the ham. Easy and frugal with dried beans. 4. I'm reading library books and have three more on hold. Finished reading Ordinary Grace by Krueger (fiction) and Cost of Living by Maloney (non-fiction memoirist essays). Enjoyed both of them and Ordinary Grace made me cry tears of astonishment. 5. My last bottom sheet became full of tears due to years of use. I've been using a top sheet tucked in at the sides until I can get an inexpensive replacement. Works fine.
Brandi
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
The heel... personally it's my favorite. I've been known to save the front heel and the back heel for, drumroll please... boring regular old toast! What an amazing vessel for butter (extra butter :) and homemade jam/jelly/honey! There is no leakage, no breaking, fewer crumbs and it's extra crispy deliciousness is ALL MINE!!
If I am faced with toast or sandwiches for the kids I will get out a new loaf of bread. They have a stern no heel policy in place... which is fine with me! LOL
FFT - I've never done this before! 1. All of our meals this week are from scratch - your pizza dough was on last night :) 2. My husband is a champ when it comes to eating leftovers for lunch in his cooler. 3. My daughter went on an overnight class trip to a nearby national park and hiking boots were required. I bought some on Ebay for less than half of new, and they were in near pristine shape. 4. I redeemed a rebate for purchasing a years supply of contacts, put it into my amazon account and got an additional $10 added to the original rebate amount! 5. Did you know you can use Good Earth tea bags 2x! Put two together for the second round. 2 bags = 3 cups.
Hawaii Planner
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
Oh, lets's see. How did we do? 1) Used a grocery store reward to save $25 off of my purchase. I was picking up items for my parents visit next week, so it was nice to have the reduction in cost, as we will undoubtedly spend more feeding six people. 2) Noticed our credit card had been used fraudulently, and disputed all of the charges, and cancelled my card/ordered a new one. 3) Meal planned for the first few days my parents will be here. We will be doing delivery pizza tomorrow (one teen has a tennis match, the other has soccer practice), but I purchased groceries & have a plan for the other nights. 4) Used a $6 Rite Aid reward to buy some Easter candy for our egg hunt on Sunday. 5) I had to leave work early yesterday (one of my office mates has COVID, so my company requires me to not be in the office, and test negative multiple times before I can return). A friend brought me lunch before I left, as I was on my way to get on a bunch of calls, so it was much appreciated. (Lunch is free at our office.) Bonus, my office supplies free rapid COVID tests, as well as a more accurate test. I can use the more accurate version + a free telehealth visit for international travel.
Becca
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
Batched a bunch of appointments and errands to save on gas. Was near the cheaper grocery store that sells clearance produce so I stopped and got enough produce to fill my whole kitchen counter for just $5. Also resisted the urge to buy a bottled Starbucks Frappuccino in the checkout while I was there.
Used the library and free state and county parks for entertainment for the boys.
Made homemade resurrection eggs for my kiddos with stuff I already had instead of buying them online.
Harvested some dandelion roots from the yard and made tea for free.
Made maple syrup with sap from the maple trees in our yard.