~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~July 2022 Frugalistas~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[mommyoffive]

Hoping everyone has a frugal and fun Fourth of July!!   Summer is almost halfway done!

[HomeAgain]

Happy July!

If the infected part of the house tests negative tomorrow, we still plan on going to the lake house.  It's already paid for.  We will let my sister enjoy it alone if there's no change.

I did manage to get the 12yo a pair of skates.  None of the local stores had his size.  Everything is in short supply right now, so the closest we would have been able to find a pair was 1.5 hours away on a good day (It is summer.  There are no good days.  1.5 hours is more like 2.5).  But we managed to find a pair of lightly used ones locally for $30.  They're not the same quality and will not hold up to the stress he puts on his feet in the fall, but they will do until the end of summer.  He is very happy with them and their flexibility and began hinting that we should use the saved money for a pair of MarsBlades, which are nice, but are not for rapidly growing feet.  Maybe when he graduates high school. 😂

I am treating myself to a book this month and an author talk with Nathaniel Philbrick.  I have continued to test negative since Sunday when I began doing the rapids, plus will be in an N95. The talk is free but I'll be buying his new book after.

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

Happy July!

If the infected part of the house tests negative tomorrow, we still plan on going to the lake house.  It's already paid for.  We will let my sister enjoy it alone if there's no change.

I did manage to get the 12yo a pair of skates.  None of the local stores had his size.  Everything is in short supply right now, so the closest we would have been able to find a pair was 1.5 hours away on a good day (It is summer.  There are no good days.  1.5 hours is more like 2.5).  But we managed to find a pair of lightly used ones locally for $30.  They're not the same quality and will not hold up to the stress he puts on his feet in the fall, but they will do until the end of summer.  He is very happy with them and their flexibility and began hinting that we should use the saved money for a pair of MarsBlades, which are nice, but are not for rapidly growing feet.  Maybe when he graduates high school. 😂

I am treating myself to a book this month and an author talk with Nathaniel Philbrick.  I have continued to test negative since Sunday when I began doing the rapids, plus will be in an N95. The talk is free but I'll be buying his new book after.

Man I am sorry your family got sick.  Sending lots of get well vibes to your house.  I hope you are able to go to the lake. 

[saraha]

12 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

Happy July!

If the infected part of the house tests negative tomorrow, we still plan on going to the lake house.  It's already paid for.  We will let my sister enjoy it alone if there's no change.

I did manage to get the 12yo a pair of skates.  None of the local stores had his size.  Everything is in short supply right now, so the closest we would have been able to find a pair was 1.5 hours away on a good day (It is summer.  There are no good days.  1.5 hours is more like 2.5).  But we managed to find a pair of lightly used ones locally for $30.  They're not the same quality and will not hold up to the stress he puts on his feet in the fall, but they will do until the end of summer.  He is very happy with them and their flexibility and began hinting that we should use the saved money for a pair of MarsBlades, which are nice, but are not for rapidly growing feet.  Maybe when he graduates high school. 😂

I am treating myself to a book this month and an author talk with Nathaniel Philbrick.  I have continued to test negative since Sunday when I began doing the rapids, plus will be in an N95. The talk is free but I'll be buying his new book after.

Yay for the book and I hope you get to go to the lake house!

[JustEm]

I've got 2 pet sitting gigs this month. Pretty easy jobs for a few hundred bucks each. That money will offset the fact that it is mine and dh's birthday month.

Starting tomorrow I plan on spending an hour or 2 a day on eBay. My goal for the month is to get all my unlisted items listed and organize my inventory room before my sister and her kids come to visit at the end of the month.

My savings goal this month is putting $2000 into the emergency fund.

[mommyoffive]

McDonald's Coupons & Deals are Hot - Get Free Fries & More | Hip2Save

[Condessa]

We are taking a very anti-frugal step.  We are making an offer on a house.

If it works out, the changes to our budget will be painful.  Not quite double monthly payments, and we’ll lose the charter school funding and the kids’ secondary insurance through the state.  But it would relieve a lot of stressors.

The older kids who want to go to school could go to a good school there.  There’s even a classical charter that does ability-based grouping.  Keeping up with our 8/10 acre yard has been difficult, and dealing with the neighbors worse.  The new house has a small yard to maintain but a large shared community green space, park, and pool, so there’s still lots of room for the kids to play.  There’s lots of other families, and the boys want more opportunities to make friends, but it’s close enough it would still be easy for the girls to get together  with their friends.  We would be far less crowded.  Telehealth appointments for some of ds8’s specialists will become an option.  We would have lost the secondary insurance based on income in a year or two, anyway, but we may be able to get secondary insurance for ds8 through the new state based on his diagnosis and disability.  
 

I can see it simplifying a lot for us, but I am nervous about our ability to save up for college and retirement expenses if we make this move. Dh is confident that even if we have a few tight years when we can’t save much, we will be able to put away more in a few years as he gradually buys into a larger percentage of his firm and make up the difference then. We are only five years away from college, though.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Condessa

[heartlikealion]

I'm exercising a lot lately and don't have enough shorts. I wash the same couple pairs and prefer not to wear the pants due to the heat. I found some on clearance online, but they require store pickup so I don't want to order unless I know I'll be making a trip. Otherwise, the gas offsets any savings. I spent $30 on an exercise mat recently but it was worth it. 

Ants just came out of no where this week (I'm guessing due to the rain) and I've been fighting to keep them out of the cat food. I had to toss her food 3-4x within a 12 hr period before I made a moat around the food dishes. The ants aren't gone but they aren't in the food. I ordered some bug spray stuff, supposedly natural and effective. I returned an Amazon order yesterday (umm this nose pore sucker thing hurt my face) so when that credits back it will help offset the cost of the bug spray. 

I need to think twice about any extra purchases as I'm not doing well about saving. I've checked out a few things from the public library and took the kids there for a free event the other day which was nice (free entertainment). 

I felt like a king last night because I had a gift card from Christmas and used it to take the kids out. Yes, you may order an appetizer. Yes, you may have dessert. lol We took home leftovers and I still have enough for a second trip there. 

[mommyoffive]

Inflation has hit women more ‘acutely,’ experts say. Here’s why. (msn.com)

[JustEm]

@heartlikealion glad to hear you're exercising more. What type are you doing? I have the same issue in regards to workout clothes, not enough. I wash my workout clothes every 3 days. Hoping to find some good deals on exercise clothes sometime soon, specifically at goodwill. But I keep putting it off because I'm actively losing weight and don't want to waste money on clothes if they won't fit soon.

[heartlikealion]

1 hour ago, hjffkj said:

@heartlikealion glad to hear you're exercising more. What type are you doing? I have the same issue in regards to workout clothes, not enough. I wash my workout clothes every 3 days. Hoping to find some good deals on exercise clothes sometime soon, specifically at goodwill. But I keep putting it off because I'm actively losing weight and don't want to waste money on clothes if they won't fit soon.

I mostly bike on my upright stationary bike, but I want to start adding some walking (it's so hot outside and I'm not sure yet how safe it is to go alone). I am also doing some strength training now. I have one set of dumbbells and an exercise band. I own a DVD set I've used a little bit, exercises my friend sent me and this week I checked out a pilates video from the library. I've been trying to improve my vitamin levels and diet, too. My shorts are like a terry cloth or something. I want to get something lighter like mesh but still loose. These shorts are in my cart. Depending on the waistband, you might be OK. I've recently lost a little weight but not enough to drop me to another size.  

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Condessa said:

We are taking a very anti-frugal step.  We are making an offer on a house.

If it works out, the changes to our budget will be painful.  Not quite double monthly payments, and we’ll lose the charter school funding and the kids’ secondary insurance through the state.  But it would relieve a lot of stressors.

The older kids who want to go to school could go to a good school there.  There’s even a classical charter that does ability-based grouping.  Keeping up with our 8/10 acre yard has been difficult, and dealing with the neighbors worse.  The new house has a small yard to maintain but a large shared community green space, park, and pool, so there’s still lots of room for the kids to play.  There’s lots of other families, and the boys want more opportunities to make friends, but it’s close enough it would still be easy for the girls to get together  with their friends.  We would be far less crowded.  Telehealth appointments for some of ds8’s specialists will become an option.  We would have lost the secondary insurance based on income in a year or two, anyway, but we may be able to get secondary insurance for ds8 through the new state based on his diagnosis and disability.  
 

I can see it simplifying a lot for us, but I am nervous about our ability to save up for college and retirement expenses if we make this move. Dh is confident that even if we have a few tight years when we can’t save much, we will be able to put away more in a few years as he gradually buys into a larger percentage of his firm and make up the difference then. We are only five years away from college, though.

Good luck with the offer on the house.  I hope it works out the way you want it.  Relieving stressors is worth a lot too.  For a long time I resisted the thought of moving closer to the kid activity that is so far from our house due to higher cost of houses there.  But looking back I wish I had.  It would have been worth the extra money 100000%.

[HomeAgain]

DH is negative!  We all get to leave this morning for the lake house! 🙂

Since it's such a shaky start we will be grocery shopping there, not here.  It may work out better, since we're going from a high tourist area to a moderate one.  I got a reminder yesterday when I picked up things for oldest ds to always check both prices.  The endcap had single drinks for $.99, OR a 12-pack for $15.99.  😄

I'm a little glad to be getting out of town this year.  There are some nice events here that have felt the impact of the pandemic.  The big two are the concert and parade.

-The gazebo became in such a state of disrepair that they pulled it down, so now band concerts are on the tiny library lawn in town instead of in the midst of the grassy field where the kids are also playing ball, families picnicking, and games are held.

-The lake wasn't properly taken care of and the algae got so bad it is a 3in thick scum, so the boat parade had to be cancelled.

We will be spending our 4th in kayaks on the lake there, hanging out to watch the fireworks in a quiet corner.  Our one big thing is going to the Olympic center.  While they initially had bad news for us (no ice available), I got the sweetest message back last week letting me know that one of the rinks will be open for public skating because they finished renovations there ahead of schedule.  So now ds has that to look forward to as well as a hike, swimming, and kayaking.

 

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

DH is negative!  We all get to leave this morning for the lake house! 🙂

Since it's such a shaky start we will be grocery shopping there, not here.  It may work out better, since we're going from a high tourist area to a moderate one.  I got a reminder yesterday when I picked up things for oldest ds to always check both prices.  The endcap had single drinks for $.99, OR a 12-pack for $15.99.  😄

I'm a little glad to be getting out of town this year.  There are some nice events here that have felt the impact of the pandemic.  The big two are the concert and parade.

-The gazebo became in such a state of disrepair that they pulled it down, so now band concerts are on the tiny library lawn in town instead of in the midst of the grassy field where the kids are also playing ball, families picnicking, and games are held.

-The lake wasn't properly taken care of and the algae got so bad it is a 3in thick scum, so the boat parade had to be cancelled.

We will be spending our 4th in kayaks on the lake there, hanging out to watch the fireworks in a quiet corner.  Our one big thing is going to the Olympic center.  While they initially had bad news for us (no ice available), I got the sweetest message back last week letting me know that one of the rinks will be open for public skating because they finished renovations there ahead of schedule.  So now ds has that to look forward to as well as a hike, swimming, and kayaking.

 

Yay for the lake house!!!  Have a great time!!  I am glad you are all feeling better too.

And yay for the Olympic ice!!  That is so exciting.  Sounds like an awesome vacation

Edited July 2, 2022 by mommyoffive

[mommyoffive]

Just read this.

Inflation Stimulus Checks Are Coming To These States | RamseySolutions.com

[wisdomandtreasures]

Oh great...

[heartlikealion]

On Friday night I got a text that we were having a church potluck today. I was not making a special trip to the grocery store or DG if I could avoid it. I forgot to buy eggs on Friday night and was home before I got the text. I’m almost out of flour. I was going to bring pasta salad then ran out of dressing — Wishbone or bust for me with Italian dressing. I wasn’t confident I could make a good knock off and my town doesn’t sell that brand. 

So next thing I know I decided to make these Bisquick muffins. I had a ton of Bisquick from a Sam’s Club purchase months ago. I used up my remaining frozen berry blend plus some fresh strawberries. I substituted yogurt for the egg and butter for oil (I never use oil in recipes anymore). I do not recommend this recipe but I didn’t know til I was done. I had something to bring at least. Too much of a Church’s Chicken biscuit texture. Their biscuits are weird, sorta cake meets biscuit. The Bisquick on its own is not great so last time I made pancakes I modified with a recipe and it was better. I plan to keep the remaining Bisquick and do the same next time I make pancakes. But that modified recipe calls for heavy whipping cream which I didn’t have. And the cookie recipes all called for unsalted butter and/or flour I didn’t have. I originally wanted to bring 4th of July themed cookies. 

Long story short, I was able to use items I had. I did buy Wishbone after church and we’ll eat the pasta salad this afternoon. There was a sale on the dressing. 

Kids decided they didn’t want to see fireworks on Sat night so we stayed home. Saved gas. 

[mommyoffive]

Prices don't drop when inflation eases. Why your wallet will be hurting for a while. (msn.com)

[HomeAgain]

We're on vacation this week and taking turns grocery shopping.  We stopped at Aldi first, but they only had half the ingredients we needed for dinner, so between that and a longer trip to the other grocery store we put it all back and moved on.  However, we totally scored on our next stop.  The Dollar Tree across the way had the more shelf stable items, and by the time we got to the major grocery store the list was down to the perishable produce and meat.  AND, their prices at the regular grocery store were cheaper on that than Aldi was. 

Entertainment for the past 3 days has been the paddle boards and kayaks that came with the lake house, and the family games we brought for evenings while two adults are cooking.

[JustEm]

dh and i went on an impromptu date day on Sunday.  We went out to eat at a local restaurant I hadn't been to since we were dating and the food was fantastic!  Completely worth the expense.  We also went to a local game shop to check out their used game section.  We decided to spend $30 on a new set of 3 Unlock games.  If you've never heard of it, it is a game with a deck of cards that all have clues/puzzles/etc and you have an hour to complete whatever mission your scenario is.  We like these better than the Thames and Kosmos Exit games because they are replayable.  So, dh and I did one last night and the kids will be able to do it by themselves and then we'll hold on to it as a christmas gift for one of my siblings' family (we're all about the used gifts.) So, we get a lot of mileage out of the games.

Dh's bday is on Saturday so we'll have some spending on things for his party, just food and drink but that adds up quickly.

[Brittany1116]

Good morning. We are back from a 1000 mile round trip to see a newly-born family member. $210 in gas for that but worth it to see family.

Walmart had tons of clearance when we got back. Literally 2 aisles of marked down shoes. 3 of us each got a pair for $1. Also needed some new bowls. Got 8 for 40c each. School supplies are trickling into stores so I picked up our favorite brands of pens, pencils, and erasers, and a fat stack of 35c spiral notebooks. 

We have been making an effort to be more creative in the kitchen to avoid getting food out. Buffalo chicken mac and cheese was a huge hit.

 

[heartlikealion]

A mom gave me a tip that a yacht club has day passes for their pool... sounds too good to be true. I sent an email this morning. Waiting for a response. It would be closer than the other place I've gone (which charges $8/day but is quite the drive). 

Last night wrapped up my group therapy course. I will resume my individual therapy, but I think I need to limit the frequency. I was attending weekly. 

My current landlord confirmed that the security deposit is non refundable so that's annoying but it also means I won't stress about cleaning or replacing blinds the cat messed up when I move out at the end of the month. Future landlords are not requiring a sec. deposit (maybe because I know their family).

I ended up going to the city yesterday to try to catch a Pickleball group but there was a miscommunication so I didn't get to play (it was advanced players, so I have to go another time). They finally had a good stock of chicken at the store so I went ahead and bought a few packs (I usually feel greedy if I buy more than 2 pks). I have to think about gas and it just makes more sense to buy more at once. I stocked up on some other things and bought a whole pineapple. It's a much better deal than the cans. I actually hate the self checkout for fruit; I always seem to have issues. So I just bought a whole bag of apples and it actually seems to be the better deal. Just gotta make sure I use them. The price on some frozen veggies sounded too good to be true, so I scanned with the app and I was right. I didn't buy that brand. 

I looked at those sale athletic shorts and the inseam was way shorter than I thought from the website picture. I ended up not buying them. I held up a pair with long pant legs and there was no tag. I asked the associate and she said those were boy shorts that got there by mistake (lol!). I ended up getting a pair of legging fabric shorts that were on sale, but not advertised on sale (I scanned them with the app and they rang up that way at check out). 

I could never find my TJ Maxx receipt but they let me do the exchange. I got dd the next size in sandals. At checkout they gave the option to email receipt so I may have had the original receipt in my email all along. I never looked. 

Tried to drop off clothes at the consignment store, but they were not open for the holiday. I left them in the trunk for the next time. 

[heartlikealion]

Just got a response. Nope, no pool passes. Can only attend as a guest. Figures. 

[HomeAgain]

Well, we just bought ds's big Christmas gift.  Hopefully our oldest can hide it before we get back.

He's getting a new hockey stick.  It's a kinda/sorta gift because he would need one anyway by Christmas, but this is the next level up from what he currently has.  It's rather nice, but it was on summer clearance at half off, plus another 20% off on top of that (negated by the shipping), and fit into our range of what we would be willing to spend on a stick at all.

[Brittany1116]

Has anyone sold quality cleats at Play It Again Sports? I have 3 pair in great shape and little boy needs a new size for fall. Think trading 3 will net me a pair?

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

We're on vacation this week and taking turns grocery shopping.  We stopped at Aldi first, but they only had half the ingredients we needed for dinner, so between that and a longer trip to the other grocery store we put it all back and moved on.  However, we totally scored on our next stop.  The Dollar Tree across the way had the more shelf stable items, and by the time we got to the major grocery store the list was down to the perishable produce and meat.  AND, their prices at the regular grocery store were cheaper on that than Aldi was. 

Entertainment for the past 3 days has been the paddle boards and kayaks that came with the lake house, and the family games we brought for evenings while two adults are cooking.

Yay for grocery savings and for a frugal vacation.   I hope you guys have a great rest of the vacation.

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

Good morning. We are back from a 1000 mile round trip to see a newly-born family member. $210 in gas for that but worth it to see family.

Walmart had tons of clearance when we got back. Literally 2 aisles of marked down shoes. 3 of us each got a pair for $1. Also needed some new bowls. Got 8 for 40c each. School supplies are trickling into stores so I picked up our favorite brands of pens, pencils, and erasers, and a fat stack of 35c spiral notebooks. 

We have been making an effort to be more creative in the kitchen to avoid getting food out. Buffalo chicken mac and cheese was a huge hit.

 

Aww baby snuggles.  I just had a new baby be born in the family too.  Super far away however. 

Yay for clearance.  I always pick up the $1 shoes there.  The tennis shoes are super comfortable, however they do fall apart faster than brand name shoes.  But for $1 buck with kids who grow and ruin things anyhow I feel like it works out.  Some of their shoes have lasted a long time.  I am currently in my $1 walmart sneakers.  Way more comfy than my New Balance ones.

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

Has anyone sold quality cleats at Play It Again Sports? I have 3 pair in great shape and little boy needs a new size for fall. Think trading 3 will net me a pair?

No clue.  We are not really a sports family, other than mountain biking.  Let us know if you do it.  Can they give you a quote before you trade things in?

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Well, we just bought ds's big Christmas gift.  Hopefully our oldest can hide it before we get back.

He's getting a new hockey stick.  It's a kinda/sorta gift because he would need one anyway by Christmas, but this is the next level up from what he currently has.  It's rather nice, but it was on summer clearance at half off, plus another 20% off on top of that (negated by the shipping), and fit into our range of what we would be willing to spend on a stick at all.

Sounds like a great deal!!  Yay for Christmas shopping early.

[mommyoffive]

Ugh, the airline tickets for international travel that we got an amazing deal on now has field for bankruptcy.  I will have to keep my eye on that and see what happens.  Hmmm.

[JustEm]

@mommyoffive do your dancers do competitions?

[mommyoffive]

13 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

@mommyoffive do your dancers do competitions?

Nope, not at this time.  Are you doing them?   We were looking at a studio that does do YGAP and such.  But ended up at another school that doesn't have the students do that.  But ds is meeting some guys that have done different competitions and I think it is getting his wheels turning a bit.  The time it was brought up before he was totally against competing in dance as that isn't why he likes to dance.  I don't think it is my odd's idea of fun at all.  She feels the same way he used to.  My next dd I think would like it.  She is competitive.  She would have loved a competitive dance team.   I think some kids get some good scholarships from them for SI and year round study.  But have also known really really good dancers who haven't gotten scholarships from them and know how much $$$$$$$$ they have spent on all the related things to go to them.  Competition fees, private lessons for dance and choreography, costumes, travel, hotels, photos and video, and on and on.

Edited July 5, 2022 by mommyoffive

[JustEm]

22 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Nope, not at this time.  Are you doing them?   We were looking at a studio that does do YGAP and such.  But ended up at another school that doesn't have the students do that.  But ds is meeting some guys that have done different competitions and I think it is getting his wheels turning a bit.  The time it was brought up before he was totally against competing in dance as that isn't why he likes to dance.  I don't think it is my odd's idea of fun at all.  She feels the same way he used to.  My next dd I think would like it.  She is competitive.  She would have loved a competitive dance team.   I think some kids get some good scholarships from them for SI and year round study.  But have also known really really good dancers who haven't gotten scholarships from them and know how much $$$$$$$$ they have spent on all the related things to go to them.  Competition fees, private lessons for dance and choreography, costumes, travel, hotels, photos and video, and on and on.

No, we haven't done them but the director of the school just asked if my oldest would be interested in competing at YGAP and NBC. I'm waiting for info on expenses and have to have a discussion with dh. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea but the expense certainly isn't something that excites me. But I do see the value in n them if that is something she is interested in. 

We have experience with martial arts competitions so have a good idea of the pros and cons of those types of competitions

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

No, we haven't done them but the director of the school just asked if my oldest would be interested in competing at YGAP and NBC. I'm waiting for info on expenses and have to have a discussion with dh. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea but the expense certainly isn't something that excites me. But I do see the value in n them if that is something she is interested in. 

We have experience with martial arts competitions so have a good idea of the pros and cons of those types of competitions

Does she want to do them?  I think there are pros to them other than the scholarships and job offers that may come from them.  The ballet board I read some people are pro and against them.   If you guys do them let me know your experience.  

[JustEm]

8 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Does she want to do them?  I think there are pros to them other than the scholarships and job offers that may come from them.  The ballet board I read some people are pro and against them.   If you guys do them let me know your experience.  

She has expressed wanting to and not wanting to at different times. So, I've just not brought it up before. This is the first the the director or anyone has reached out to see if she is interested so I guess there is no better time to think about it than now. I guess we'll have our first real discussion about it tonight. 

[mommyoffive]

6 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

She has expressed wanting to and not wanting to at different times. So, I've just not brought it up before. This is the first the the director or anyone has reached out to see if she is interested so I guess there is no better time to think about it than now. I guess we'll have our first real discussion about it tonight. 

Here is the ballet board I read that has a whole section on competitions.

Classical Ballet Competitions - Ballet Talk for Dancers (invisionzone.com)

 

[Brittany1116]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Aww baby snuggles.  I just had a new baby be born in the family too.  Super far away however. 

Yay for clearance.  I always pick up the $1 shoes there.  The tennis shoes are super comfortable, however they do fall apart faster than brand name shoes.  But for $1 buck with kids who grow and ruin things anyhow I feel like it works out.  Some of their shoes have lasted a long time.  I am currently in my $1 walmart sneakers.  Way more comfy than my New Balance ones.

They were all sandals, which we need tons of in Florida. But my little one got a pair of Walmart sneaks from someone recently and raved they were so light and comfy. They just were falling apart in 10 days because he is so rough. LOL

[mommyoffive]

12 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

They were all sandals, which we need tons of in Florida. But my little one got a pair of Walmart sneaks from someone recently and raved they were so light and comfy. They just were falling apart in 10 days because he is so rough. LOL

I have had the most luck with the $1 sandals I have gotten at Walmart.  I got DS a pair a few years back and everyone fights over them, because they are soooo comfy.  I should have bought multiple pairs.  

[historically accurate]

Whoo-hoo! I saw my first gas under $5 ($4.98) at 2 different stations today!

 

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, historically accurate said:

Whoo-hoo! I saw my first gas under $5 ($4.98) at 2 different stations today!

 

I feel dumb cheering for that, because who would have thought it would be that high a year ago.  But yay!!   I hope it keeps dropping.

[Shoeless]

Gas is down to $4.19 by me. 

I decided to buy a Sam's Club membership. The nearest one is 30 miles away, but the savings will be enough to make a once a month trip to stock up worth it. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, MissLemon said:

Gas is down to $4.19 by me. 

I decided to buy a Sam's Club membership. The nearest one is 30 miles away, but the savings will be enough to make a once a month trip to stock up worth it. 

Is the 4.19 at Sam's?   There have been incredible deals on Sam's memberships that basically make them free after the deals they give you so the savings would just be a bonus

[Shoeless]

41 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Is the 4.19 at Sam's?   There have been incredible deals on Sam's memberships that basically make them free after the deals they give you so the savings would just be a bonus

No, the 4.19 was at Walmart.

I signed up for Sams on the website. Supposedly I will get $45 off my first purchase, which would make the membership free. 

We eat a lot of oats, raisins, nuts, and fish. The savings on those items is significant at Sams now. I can only get raisins in like a 12 oz box at the grocery store, which doesnt last long. I will still need to get fresh foods closer to home, because it doesnt make sense to drive 60 miles rt for milk every week, but the membership will still help a lot. 

[HomeAgain]

Gas dropped overnight from $4.85 to $4.79, so we're just a smidge excited. 🙂

Savings on vacation this week:

We spent yesterday hiking at a museum site (free, donation based) - $5

Grocery store run for the rest of the week - $100

6 large bundles of firewood and 1 of kindling for the week - $40

Hours of swimming and paddleboarding in the lake - $0

We did eat out yesterday, getting sandwiches made at a local shop ($20), but my only regret there was that it wasn't Thursday.  The couple running the place makes Indian food once a week as an option, and whatever they had started for the next day smelled wonderful.

 

We have 2 days left here and then head back on Saturday, but we have a full-ish kitchen and 6 of us eating, so I have no doubt that the food will be gone by Friday night.  We're planning a night of leftovers just in case.

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Gas dropped overnight from $4.85 to $4.79, so we're just a smidge excited. 🙂

Savings on vacation this week:

We spent yesterday hiking at a museum site (free, donation based) - $5

Grocery store run for the rest of the week - $100

6 large bundles of firewood and 1 of kindling for the week - $40

Hours of swimming and paddleboarding in the lake - $0

We did eat out yesterday, getting sandwiches made at a local shop ($20), but my only regret there was that it wasn't Thursday.  The couple running the place makes Indian food once a week as an option, and whatever they had started for the next day smelled wonderful.

 

We have 2 days left here and then head back on Saturday, but we have a full-ish kitchen and 6 of us eating, so I have no doubt that the food will be gone by Friday night.  We're planning a night of leftovers just in case.

I am glad you are having a great frugal vacation! 🙂

 

Gas is 4.29 by me!  I hope it keeps on dropping

[Brittany1116]

Gas was as low as 4.08 in parts of GA when we drove through. 4.08, 4.09, 4.11 were the outliers in far south and far north areas. Most of the state was in the 4.30s but my part of FL was 4.80s the same week.

[Shoeless]

I saw gas for $4.09 near my house today. There's one place where you can get it for $3.99 with a car wash.

I spent $380 at Sam's club, but $100 of that was paper goods and laundry soap that won't need to be replenished for several months. And then I impulse bought about $60 in produce 😄 But I don't feel bad about the produce impulse buys. We hadn't bought fresh in awhile and the cherries and raspberries looked really good 🥰

I *did* get the $45 off my order, too, making the membership free!

[heartlikealion]

I think gas was $3.99 at my Sam’s club recently. 

I posted my portable dishwasher on more Facebook buy/sell/trade groups today and have a pending sale. They will pay when they pick up but I’m making them wait a little because I’m still using it. I move out later this month. We have a mutual local friend so I don’t think I’ll be scammed. I listed it as $200 OBO and we agreed on $145. 

I have these little glass jars I now reuse for storing cut veggies in my fridge. One is an old Cheese Whiz jar and one is an old pickle jar. I know some people use mason jars but I’m happy with these. I’m eating salads regularly so they will probably not go bad though some would say wrap in foil instead. 

 

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I think gas was $3.99 at my Sam’s club recently. 

I posted my portable dishwasher on more Facebook buy/sell/trade groups today and have a pending sale. They will pay when they pick up but I’m making them wait a little because I’m still using it. I move out later this month. We have a mutual local friend so I don’t think I’ll be scammed. I listed it as $200 OBO and we agreed on $145. 

I have these little glass jars I now reuse for storing cut veggies in my fridge. One is an old Cheese Whiz jar and one is an old pickle jar. I know some people use mason jars but I’m happy with these. I’m eating salads regularly so they will probably not go bad though some would say wrap in foil instead. 

 

Awesome selling your dishwasher!  It is always awesome to get back $ on something you bought and don't need anymore

[JustEm]

Saved some money today by cutting my own hair. I cut about 3 inches off! This was only the second time I've ever done it. My sister will be over later so I'm going to have her fix anything in the back that needs it.