It's been an expensive week what with life insurance premium due (it's outrageous!) and a swarming ant invasion making an exterminator treatment a necessity rather than an option. I gave in to the lure of an online sale for some clothes, and I went to The Container Store for a birthday present and succumbed to their display of organization tools (some of which I have set aside with the receipt to return on my next trip to the city). My successes this week were not stellar, but, hey...
Successes:
1. Worked on Wednesday. Wasn't hungry, so I skipped lunch and read my library book for the entire lunch hour instead.
2. I listed a used book for sale on Amazon. It is one I bought years ago for $1 to use for a craft project. (As per my usual I never got around to making the craft.) When I was whittling down books recently, I checked Amazon for the going price of used copies of this book. It was enough to make it worth a try...but I don't think I'll hold my breath.
3. I used leftover chili from our Frito Pie on Tuesday to make an Easy Enchilada Casserole on Thursday. I was short of cheddar, so I combined some shredded mozzarella for the layers instead of running to the store. It was a little lasagna-esque, but it wasn't bad.
4. I did not buy any fireworks for the 4th of July (that is for people who have money, quite literally, to burn). I didn't drive to any festivities. I stayed home and put Rudy to bed early so the sounds wouldn't get him wound up. And I tried to ignore the concussion of the neighbors' fireworks (which went on past 2 a.m.) This neighborhood makes me crazy sometimes. I like fireworks, but I prefer the organized, professional displays rather than the too-often careless individuals spreading sparks in our dry brush growth. The county instituted a burn ban yesterday. We should have been under a burn ban BEFORE the holiday. Talk about low-level political backscratching.
5. I'm not the manicure type; I used clippers to trim my nails uniformly short when I broke two very close to the quick.
Bonus: I didn't rush toward a quick fix for the appearance of the blog. Yesterday it had a really obtrusive and annoying Photobucket ad/warning placed all over my page. I went to Photobucket to read more about whether or not I needed to pay for their service (that used to be free, but now they want anywhere from $5.99 to $39.99 a month for a package to keep the blog like you want it. Oh, and it's billed annually, so that's a nice chunk paid up front.) Thank goodness I didn't pay, because you know how many images they have been hosting that affected my blog? Two. The background and my signature, and the background wasn't even in my account, it was in the designer's account. So I will be doing without those two things. I will work on the layout as I have time to make it pretty again, but I'm not going to throw money at it. OH, and DEFINITELY won't be throwing any money in Photobucket's direction...their website was SO ANNOYING AND HARD TO NAVIGATE because of all the pop ups you had to keep closing in order to read their new rules. It was so frustrating I literally screamed at the computer more than once before I could get things figured out and delete my account! It was like they didn't want you to be able to get out of their grasp. I closed the account which had one photo...ONE...and I left a comment letting them know how unnecessarily difficult they were making things. I realize that they are in business to make money, and giving things away for free was not working out for them, but to be so obnoxiously difficult!? Great business strategy.
Sorry. I needed to vent.
Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday: *Chinese takeout
Sunday: sushi (son's treat)
Monday: *burger
Tuesday: Frito Pie
Wednesday: *sandwich
Thursday: Easy Enchilada Casserole
Friday: Bow-tie Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)
I never think to sell my books on Amazon I just donate to Goodwill and take a write off at the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteI would say that that is the wise choice, and is normally what I do as well. This particular book seems to be collectible, so can go for upwards of $30. Since my copy is in very good condition, I thought I’d give it a shot. But again, not really holding my breath.
DeleteI LOVE your Frugal Friday posts. They are so authentic. It makes me feel close to you. I am working at the Jailer's Inn tonight (I have to sleep over) and tomorrow night--6pm to 7am. I'll make enough to pay for my August haircut and pedicure! Yea. Sorry you aren't sleeping well. Love the quilt story. My dogs hated the fireworks, too. That makes me hate them as well. I have been invited to a friend's houseboat next week (a Frugal vacation) AND R&J and the boys will be vacationing 5 miles across the lake! I am taking S'more stuff that I bought on sale with a coupon...
ReplyDeleteRudy doesn’t really seem bothered by them (or by storms), but I’d like to keep it that way. Fergus didn’t show any anxiety until I had to grab him and run for shelter once out on the ranch, so it seemed like he picked up on my fear of that event, and he was fearful of storms from that time on. I don’t know if Minne was fearful on her own or because she saw that Fergus freaked out. With Rudy I’m trying to always make sure he feels secure and relaxed in his kennel when there are loud booms of any kind. He loves his kennel.
Delete