1. I remembered to send an invoice
I had done some work for a company in the spring, and I remembered here at the end of the year that I had never sent them an invoice.
And it was a $500 job!
I would have been upset with myself if I had not remembered to submit it.
2. I bought a membership to a rec center for the girls and me
Sonia has been very into yoga of late (just doing it at home) and she was thinking it would be nice to have a place to go take some yoga classes.
I thought that would be a fun thing for the two of us to do together, and I remembered that the local rec center offers yoga classes.
I looked at the memberships, and once you buy one for two people, it’s basically the same price to do a family membership for four people.
So, I signed the girls and me up for a 90-day family membership for a total of $225 (that’s $18.75/person/month!). And that includes access to unlimited classes, plus all the weights, machines, and indoor track.
That’s way, way cheaper than signing Sonia and me up at a yoga studio.
And I figured a 90-day membership was a good way to test it out and see if we use it enough to make it worth my money. We have our first yoga class tonight!
3. I made a gallon of yogurt
Milk is on the expensive side of things right now, yes. But it’s still a screaming bargain when you use it to make yogurt.
I think I paid $4 for the gallon I used for yogurt, but that gallon made four quarts of yogurt. And there is NO WAY I could get four quarts of yogurt for that price.
Here’s how I make yogurt without a yogurt maker.
4. I listed three books on eBay
Zoe’s done with her books from last semester, so now they’re up on eBay. Hopefully, someone else will be looking for these before the spring semester starts!
All of my textbooks from last semester were the online variety, so obviously I can’t sell those. Oh well.
(Here’s how I sell books on eBay.)
5. I…
- bought the 8-pound bag of oranges because it was the cheapest. And oranges keep well!
- got some chocolate-covered pretzels from the clearance rack (Necessary? No. But a cheap treat makes me happy.)
- scanned a receipt with my Fetch app before my points expired from inactivity (if you wanna try Fetch, use code QG8V2 when you download the app, and you’ll get 2,000 points right away)
Lindsay B
Friday 6th of January 2023
Happy new year, everyone!
1. Hand-delivered Christmas cards to friends and family that we visited out of state.
2. New year = new rewards available from our insurance for completing health-related activities. I completed a personal health assessment and some wellness workshops for an easy $85 in FSA rewards, and will remind DH to do the same. We can earn up to $250/year for various activities, and I have several set up for later.
3. Took advantage of a return policy for a skin care product that didn’t work for me. I did pay return shipping, but it was still worth sending back and receiving about $23 back after shipping.
4. Received a nice selection of clothes for Baby E from my SIL.
5. MIL gave me two international forever stamps which she bought years ago when DH and I lived overseas, but which she doesn’t need anymore. I needed one for a Christmas card, so that was perfect timing.
Hawaii Planner
Thursday 5th of January 2023
The rec center sounds like an awesome option! We were on a ski trip the last week, which isn't at all frugal, but a few wins to share, and one fail: 1) Brought food for several meals (breakfasts & dinners). The kids skipped lunches most days on the slopes, and instead opted for a small snack until we could get home. 2) Bought gas at Costco, which is the cheapest around. While there, picked up lunch on the drive. Not the healthiest option, but lunch for three for under $6 is a huge win. 3) We stayed in a condo for a few nights, and then a hotel for the second half, as the condo was much cheaper over NYE. 4) Booked the hotel using a corporate code (allowed for personal travel), which saved us about $150/day between the actual rate reduction, and other perks. 5) Took advantage of free breakfast at the hotel.
Frugal fail. Tahoe got an absolutely insane amount of snow (record breaking, at the place we were skiing). We forfeited one night at the condo, and moved to the hotel one night earlier than planned, as the weather was so treacherous. At the hotel, we didn't have to drive back & forth each day to the lifts, which was much more enjoyable & relaxing, but $$$. It meant we also ate one more meal out than planned, etc.
Kristen
Thursday 5th of January 2023
Ooh, I am going to Tahoe in February this year!
Meghan
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
I was holding out to see if I got slippers for Christmas. Didn't. I had a gift card from Telwut Surveys that I cashed in for $25 to Walmart. Headed to Walmart & found holiday slippers that say naughty & nice on them, on clearance, for only $3.00 even! Woo. Even picked up my Xmas cards for next year for $1.99. Yay me. Also been eating out of the pantry & not ordering out. Big deal, b/c I am the queen of ordering out but that is what eats the money the most!
BettafrmdaVille
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
1. I was able to find several "loss leaders" at the grocery store: .88 lb whole chicken, .99 lb pork butt (carnitas), $1.97 for 5 lbs of potatoes. 3 (small) freezers are now stocked to the brim and we shouldn't need to purchase meat for a month (well, except if I find a real deal, of course!) 2. Between Swagbucks, on sale & coupon, I got 168 loads of laundry detergent for $3, which is great, until I remember that a few months ago, I made $3 on the deal. 3. Invited to two different friends' house and, for both, I was asked to make dessert. I was able to make two things with all ingredients that I had on hand (1. gingerbread, made with on sale/Swagbucks free molasses and mystery shop ice cream, eggs & milk and 2. lime curd tart made with mystery shop eggs & limes that I had bought on clearance, juiced and froze juice). 4. Bartered a Christmas present that isn't my thing (floor lamp - who gives a floor lamp as a gift?) with a colleague for a plate of cookies. (Okay, I would have given it to her without the cookies, but BONUS.) 5. I lent my work pied-a-terre to a colleague and she left me a generous gift certificate on top of giving me money to cover utilities, etc. Win-win. 6. My car has some persistent sap all over it. It was raining today, but strangely warm for New England in January, so I went out and scrubbed it and let the rain rinse it. Frugal fail: I had purchased a Groupon for an oil change. But today, when I went to use it, they would not honor it as I had used one a year ago. I'm trying to get a refund but, if not, I'll give it away and make someone happy.
Tiana
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
@BettafrmdaVille,I’m experimenting with only buying loss leaders.
Auntiali
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
Dh and I are spending a fortune on plane tickets to ds's wedding in Singapore this spring. So the month of January is a no spend month.
1. Used credit from Lands' End to get a cardigan and a waterproof hat. I look a little goofy in it but if it keeps the rain and snow off my head that's fine with me. 2. Refilled gas tank at $2.79. The Christmas Miracle is over and gas has gone up again. 3. The day after New Years hubs made our free turkey breast for dinner. Got it free for spending x amount of dollars at grocery store before Thanksgiving. Then he used the crock pot to make turkey soup. He has extra turkey to make turkey sandwiches for his lunches. 4. Purchased a half price ($5 from $10) disposable razor set at Walgreens after Christmas. Gave it to my friend along with other things in my stockpile, i.e. toothpaste, hand soap, and a few other things. Gave my sister in law and neice a gift bag of things from my stockpile. Toothpaste, toothbrushes (wonder how long it will take before they notice my dentist's name on them), laundry detergent, hand soap, and other things. My neice loved the bag of goodies and the fact that it will save her money.
5. Watching electricity usage and furnance thermostate. Hubs and I now wear either fleece pullovers or other layers to stay warm.