Friday, January 27, 2017

January 27, 2017

As soon as I walked into the baby shower, I was sorry for being so grumpy. It was lovely.

I came home with a bag of chips and half the beans, plus a piece of cake for UFF Boy. The knitted baby socks and sweaters were a hit. The parents-to-be were joyous...

The frugal key is planning ahead for social events and experiences, so they can be enjoyed but the budget impact mitigated. I could have purchased the same food items for about $3.00 less  if I had batched them with a trip to the discount grocery store (about a 20 minute drive from my house).

Here's where planning ahead was helpful: I've been squirreling away food items for a month or so to send a birthday care package for UFF Son at college. These included things I know he likes but might not buy for himself, such as honey, pesto, simmer sauces, almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, tea, KIND bars (from races where I volunteer), organic ketchup, and jam…plus the fabulous cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day by Leanne Brown (the pdf is available for free! And if you buy a book, one is donated to a family in need). I'm not sure how much the items in the package contents added up to, but likely around $70. We mailed this off today in a flat rate box for $18.50. I also sent him a birthday card with a check for $50.

Today's spending: $68.50 on gifts (birthday check + care package shipping)

Tonight's agenda: Knitting on the couch with a movie. It's been a busy week.

How about you? What are your plans? How's your frugal January going?

No comments:

Post a Comment