Successes:
1. I'm trying not to buy books this month. It's not hard when the books are available through the library ebook website or if a hard copy is available in the library...even if I have to wait on the reserve list...but if I really want to read it and it's not available anywhere for free? Ouch. Standing firm.
2. I took the time to complete three surveys for Sonic. Occasionally a receipt has an offer to complete a survey within two weeks of receipt date to earn a validation ID worth a free large drink. I used to throw receipts away without checking, or just put them in my purse and forget to follow through. Now I spend a few minutes to complete the survey. Usually the offers are few and far between, but for some reason I've gotten one on almost every visit over the past couple of weeks. Three free drinks!
3. I have work scheduled in a nearby town next week and the week after. I had to be in that town yesterday for a medical appointment, so I made sure to swing by that branch to pick up a key so I wouldn't have to make another trip just for that purpose.
4. I am thinking about finances and future finances, trying to simplify some steps. One of these involves changing which account the hub's paycheck is direct deposited into, one of them involves opening another account (free) at our credit union to use to hold budgeted funds until needed...an 'escrow' account if you will for property taxes, insurance premiums, etc., and adding our executor as joint account holder so that they can more easily pay bills if either or both of us are unable to for whatever reason. None of these activities have expenses involved, and hopefully they will organize things in a way to make it simpler in the future.
5. Though I have the prescription in my purse, I haven't ordered new glasses yet...the cold weather is keeping me home (it's not unbearably cold for me, but it is hard on Rudy if left outside for long)...therefore, not much gasoline being used...or shopping being done...really not much needed...I've been thinking more about what can be donated and removed from the house.
Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday: steak, baked potatoes
Sunday: Hungarian Goulash Fusion
Monday: New Year's family supper at Kasey's
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: *fried chicken
Thursday: *Schlotzky sandwiches
Friday: Dublin Coddle
(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)
I call that type of escrow account a "Freedom" account because you have the freedom to just pay those annual or unexpected expenses without having to worry about where the money has to come from - it's already sitting in your account.
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