Frugal Friday File 2018, week 29...

Successes:
1.  My gas tank was severely depleted when I arrived to work a few minutes early this morning.  I filled my tank full-to-the-fullest-full at the lowest-priced store in the area (just one block from the branch I was working), and I got that little chore out of the way before work.  I wanted to eliminate any chance that I would forget and run out halfway home.  :)

2.  Thirteen days of consecutive 8 hour days.  DONE!  I have no work days scheduled on the calendar.  Zero.  Zip.  Zilch.  And I am SO looking forward to it...for awhile at least.  That doesn't mean that I wasn't really pleased with the paycheck that went into the bank account today.

3.  I've pretty much decided not to schedule future work at non-local branches.  Those may prove to be famous last words, but the extra hour or two of my time commuting (unpaid) and eating out when I am SO tired at the end of the day really cut into the take-home pay.  Then there is poor Rudy having to stay outside all day every day in 100 degree weather (or in the cold on winter days).  How is it frugal to turn down work?  Well...fewer meals out...less gasoline...less wear and miles on the car...less wear on its tires...less wear on my work clothes and shoes, and avoiding replacing them...fewer makeup days means a lower expenditure there...less opportunity for impulse spending (oh the vendors that hit up office staff and the seekers of charitable donations...more days at home in the second half of the year means more time for handmade gifts rather than expensive store-bought ones as the holidays draw ever nearer.

Now all those savings may not balance out the fewer pay checks, but maybe I'll figure out a side gig that will make up some of it too.

4.  I did pretty well packing a lunch for work.  On the mornings I didn't bring one from home, I stopped for breakfast tacos; one for breakfast and one to put in the fridge and warm up for lunch.  Not free, but $2.50 total for breakfast AND lunch isn't too bad.  

5.  Are you seeing a theme with the frugal list?  From home to work and back again has been the extent of my month so far.  I've read library ebooks.  I did some cross-stitch.  I haven't gone to the movies.  I didn't buy anything on Prime Day.  Oh, and not to ignore Carey's work contribution, his check that went into the account today was a nice one, what with the double-time-and-a-half holiday pay for the 4th and all.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  chicken fried steak, steak fries, cream gravy
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey and Beau's
Monday:  *burger
Tuesday:  *takeout
Wednesday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Thursday:  *Chinese
Friday:  *pizza

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)