Welcome to my inaugural post of the Frugal Friday File.
Last year we made some big expenditures that cut uncomfortably into our bank balance.
It has stirred up vivid memories of being a young mother with days left till payday, searching the house for change and counting out dimes to buy a loaf of bread and a carton of eggs to tide us over. We haven't had to do that in a long time, and we've gotten lax in our budgetary habits.
That's not to say that we are fiscally irresponsible. We have retirement accounts. Our house is paid for. But with retirement looming on the horizon, I'm beginning to anticipate the possibility of not having done enough preparation. I fear losing the ease of the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed.
It's
Successes:
1. Cooking at home vs eating out. When the kids spend the night, I often take them out for breakfast in the morning. This past week, I decided instead to break out the waffle iron and stir up some batter, which cost only pennies and makes them very happy. Also, when Carey asked last night if I would like to go out for dinner, I told him I would rather cook.
2. I stayed home for most of the week. That means no gas spent and no impulse purchases. I do need a 2016 wall calendar, however, so I am probably going to see if I can find one on sale this afternoon. I have printed my own in the past, but as mentioned before, the printer isn't working.
3. I had a phone call this morning from a nearby branch of the company I work for to schedule me for seven days of work over the next few months. I have a conflict for one of the days, but scheduled six.
4. I used the library website to reserve an ebook for free rather than purchasing elsewhere.
5. Carey and I are going to a matinee this afternoon to see the new Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Revenant. We will be using a theater gift card that I found in my purse recently.
Failures:
1. I fell victim to the Kindle Daily Deal one day this week; 99¢ isn't a lot for an ebook, but it does add up. It is so easy to click 'Buy Now With 1-Click.'
2. Ditto for the Missouri Star Quilt Co Deal of the Day. I have really cut back on ordering, but I did order one day this week. Now I need to do better at using some of that fabric!
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Great efforts! I'd be interested to hear how you liked The Revenant. We don't go to many movies but I think I would like to see that one. And I have a theatre gift card too! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was beautiful cinematography, and the story was interesting. However I only saw about half of it, because my eyes were covered for the other half. :) At one point my eyes were squeezed tightly shut, my fingers were FIRMLY plugging my ears, and though I didn't vocalize it audibly, inside my head I was singing, 'LA, LA, LA, LA, LA...' to shield myself from the carnage on screen.
ReplyDeleteCarey and I both thought there was some sloppy dramatization, so I would like to read some actual history now. But only two things drove me crazy. One: the sun always had perfect photographic starburst effect. At first it looked okay, but it started to look faked, and the story didn't need it. And two: I cannot believe these fur trappers (or any hard working person) couldn't find some way to keep their hair out of their face. I have long hair, and I hate it being in my eyes, and I'm not using deadly weapons and looking for enemies behind every tree. Braid it, put it under a scarf, cut it...something. Just a pet peeve. :)
You are always so organized and I love how you list your stuff. Once we both were retired we had to be more frugal and we do fine for the most part. We have never gone out a lot so that isn't hard for us. I personally would rather go to breakfast than dinner so that is cheaper too. We just used a Christmas gift card for the movies to see Star Wars in 3D. I am so shocked that they charge so darn much for concessions and families cannot take their kids out much at these prices. We loved the Star Wars movie but we have always been fans. I wasn't so impressed with the Revenant previews so good to know my instincts were right.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to have to cut back any more (WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Did that sound anything like Lucy Ricardo?) We seem fairly frugal as it is, but I do want to be more proactive and less head-in-the-sand.
DeleteWould you believe I have never seen a Star Wars movie? Oh, and the concessions are practically criminal! That will be a fail on next weeks list. :)