Thrift store find

Today we went to find a dress for C for her Military ball for JrROTC. Instead, we found a pair of spirit wear pj pants. We paid about $4 for them which of course, was way too much for my taste, but she has wanted them for several months. This also represented a $21 savings over buying them new. We also found the entire set of Little House on the Prarie books for K for 75 cents each. Overall, I parted ways with $22.74 at Goodwill today.

Weekly Recap...

8.54 $ store

This week started off with some large expenditures. C is in ROTC at her school and it was time to pay for the Military Ball that they host - $50 and after school care for the little one $10 along with another field trip $5. By the time we paid for school lunches, some yarn on clearance, a movie for K and me, and some feminine stuff I had gone thorough $80 without blinking an eye. I also had a cup of coffee and got a loaf of my favorite bread at the bakery $5.50 and bought a pizza at Little Ceasars $5 another night.

This weeks grocery run down:

Kroger $42.20
Aldi $25.57

Jambalaya Tonight!

Tonight I made Jambalaya (from a box) and it was pretty good. Mostly, I was just really happy that I spent less than six dollars on my dinner for four.

Here's how it broke down:
- $2.19 jambalaya mix
- $1.30 sausage (used 1/2 of $2.59)
- $1.00 salad shrimp
- $1.28 chicken (used 1/3 of $3.54)
= $5.77

In our house we mostly drink tea so the cost for that is minimal - probably less than 20 cents for four servings.

We missed the boat on our one time a week eating out goal. We did sushi one night and mexican the next night so the six dollar dinner really helps. I know we could do better, but taste is very important and I'm not a great cook. Also, K had a school field trip today so I spent $2 on her lunch.

I went grocery shopping this week

Kroger - $42.88
Publix - $13.45

So, about $70 spent this week.

I hate my dishwasher!

My dishwasher is driving me crazy. The dishes are dirtier coming out than they were going in, so I'm going to try a name brand of detergent instead.

Kroger - $10.33

Oh, BTW it worked! I guess not all generics are the same.

Recap of this weeks' spending

I went to the my favorite thrift store to find a dish drainer, but instead I found two cool square glass storage containers with lids - $2.12.

Needed chocolate (enough said) - $2.04.

School lunch for K - $1.75.
School lunch for C - $4.00.
School lunch for me - $3.75.

Club registration - $15.00
School Museum field trip for K - $12.00
I don't remember - $2.52.
Gas for me - $41.32.

Breakfast for C - $4.72.
Breakfast for K and me - $11.43.

Shoe shine, black socks for uniform - $4.16

I just don't want to total this stuff up. Argh! Too much money going out!

Planned Spending

Today I'm working half a day. But, before I do that, I am going to run by my favorite thrift store where almost everything is $1. I'm not happy with how my dishwasher works so I am going to buy a drying rack for my dishes. New, this would cost me probably $10, but I'll wait until I find one with an acceptable price tag. It doesn't have to be fancy as it will live under the sink when not in use. This should also eliminate some of the electrical usage for the dishwasher. While I'm there, I will drop off the big box of shoes and clothes waiting in the back of my car so I'll get two things accomplished at once. Woohoo!

What does thrifty or frugal mean to you?

According to dictionary.com these words mean the following:

thrift⋅y  
–adjective
1. practicing thrift or economical management; frugal: a thrifty shopper.
2. thriving, prosperous, or successful.
3. thriving physically; growing vigorously.

fru⋅gal  
–adjective
1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.


Actually, these words mean different things to each of us as do the concepts that they represent. To me, it means saving on the stuff that doesn't matter to be able to afford what does. To each of us that means something different. My sister is frugal so that she can stay home and homeschool her children.

I am frugal so that my husband and I can have less stress on our jobs. He has a job where he gets paid much like a commission only sales person does. Lowering our expenditures means that he doesn't have to worry as much about how much he makes each week. To me it means that I can work with kids in school rather than in an office job that I hate.

In our family, we are working on becoming frugal. It is definitely a journey - one that we don't always do so well on. We aren't experts by any stretch of the imagination. I've been actively trying to lower our bills since 2003 and the going isn't always smooth. Sometimes I just get so frustrated that I give up and have to start all over.

Frugal isn't a dollar amount either. One can be frugal on a six figure salary too. Frugality is about prioritizing. As a CFO once said to me, "You can't have it all. Where would you put it?" Indeed.

What does frugal mean to you?

If I normally wouldn't buy it, did I really save anything?

Ok, I've been a bit lazy and only doing partial posts over the weekend so, I went back this morning to put in the details. As I look at these grocery receipts, I noticed that I have to hunt for what I spent, but the amount I "saved" is huge. I wonder if retailers in particular want us to only see what we saved and not the money we left behind.

The funny thing is that it is very rare for me to buy the items at the non-sale price. For instance, Kroger wants me to know that I saved $2.86 on my package of chicken breast. Well, no I didn't because I would never buy it at the $3.99/pound regular price. So, if my price point that I will pay for boneless, skinless chicken breast is $1.99 did I really save $2.86 or just simply spent $2.85 on it?

So, at the end of the receipt I learn in really big text that I saved $17.63, but I have to go three inches up to find that I spent $37.66 on that basket of groceries. I got a good bit, but I still feel a little deceived by how the text of the receipt is constructed.

It is funny, as I look at the receipt, I see that Kroger has figured out that I saved 32% of my total bill and that I have saved $30.76 so far this year. Personally, I'd rather have a running tab of what I actually spent instead, but that might encourage me to spend less. Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep this blog for that.

Have a great day!

Staying in

Ok, there wasn't a good job available for today so I am going to stay home, drink coffee, write my blog and clean. I am a substitute teacher while I study to take the certification tests and then look for a job. We get our jobs online and there wasn't anything good on there. I don't usually take afternoon jobs because I work in middle and high schools and my little one gets out an hour before the others, so if I only work an afternoon I wind up paying for after school care for a shorter day and less money.

This morning, I took K to school and got gas ($6) on the way back home, then I ran back for C. K will take the bus home and we will pick up C after she finishes her volunteer shift at the middle school.

We dodged the eating out trap

We went to see the Fantastic Mr. Fox today. We went to the matinee at the 2nd run theatre - $5.00 for the four of us. Afterward, we conquered our habit of eating out after a movie and stopped by Kroger on the way home. I made hotwing pizza when we got home so no money spent eating out today.

Groceries $37.66

Friday update

Well, the girls got their wish and Friday was a snow day. We stayed home for most of the day, watched movies and then went to run some errands. We went to the grocery store - $15.45 and had a snack at Chic-fil-a - $6.45.

Don't you hate when you go to the grocery store for one thing...

Last night D had eaten by the time C and I got home and K was still out with my sister so I didn't cook the ground beef that I got at Walmart and instead we had sandwiches. Tonight I made chili, but after letting the pantry run down so badly I had to go get canned tomatoes. I also needed bread for lunches for the girls tomorrow. After all was said and done I spent $20.13 at Aldi. The girls are praying for a snow day tomorrow and I'm praying for no snow day. I'm scheduled to work and I need the money.

Ok, between last friday and today we have not eaten out at all! Woohoo! Our goal for the week of eating out only once has been achieved. Naturally, I am not counting D's lunches or when K went out to eat with my sister and her family. Grant it - we had no money to eat out this week, but I will take little victories wherever I can.

Now where did I put that receipt?

I got C this cute shirt and hoodie set for Christmas, but it was the wrong size. I couldn't find the receipt, but I knew Walmart would take it back any way. I figured she could use the $13 that I spent for something else. Wrong Answer! Apparently, between when I bought it and now the sets went on clearance for $1. So, instead we brought it home and will use it for a gift for a smaller kid later.

While we were there we spent $4.50 on food.

Expensive Frugality

Ok, I try to use a minimum of gas by not making a lot of trips. However, when I don't use my car that much I tend to forget how much gas I have or don't have as the case may be. Anyway, running out of gas is definitely not frugal in time or money.

$8.94 spent on a gas can and one gallon of gas - ouch! That makes the gas shortage prices look good. :-(

Ok, and lets not forget the $10 I spent later to actually put gas in my tank.

Have a spendy new year... NOT!!!

So, four days into the new year and I'm already spending money. $9.52 at the grocery store and and an extra $100 because I was 40 minutes too late putting the rent in the box. Aargh!