Frugal Accomplishments - First Week of December

Hello, Dearies!  I hope you're having a wonderful December and getting done what needs to be done!  We have been busy-ish, without it being too hectic.  Here are the frugal accomplishments for the week.  I hope they help you come up with ideas for ways to spend less, save more and make do!

We checked out books and media from the library.

I received a coupon from Coca Cola for a free 12-pack.  There was a flash sale several weeks ago, and this coupon was available for only 30 points.  I am saving it, waiting for a buy one, get one free type sale, to see if I can stretch it even further.

Kohl's sent me another $10 of a $10/more purchase card.  They must really love me.  :)

120 oatmeal-raisin (and craisin) cookies.  If you put the raisins (and craisins - yum)
in the food processor and pulse them a few times,
you get smaller bits of fruit that don't puff and scorch.  

We signed up to bring snacks to Awana.  I baked oatmeal cookies and popped popcorn.  My friend loaned me some big Tupperware containers (two gallon ones!) to transport the popcorn.  I really appreciate this - I didn't have anything large enough.  We took four gallons of home-popped popcorn and 10 dozen oatmeal cookies.  There were leftovers (whew!  I was worried it wouldn't be enough!), so back at home, we had popcorn for snack a couple of times, and I put most of the cookies into the freezer for a little closer to Christmas time.

Bath and Body Works sent me a coupon for a free full-size item.  Daughter chose a nice lotion, which we wrapped up and gave to her teacher when we saw her at the aquarium field trip.  I didn't sign up for this coupon....and I haven't shopped there in a very long time, so we're not exactly sure why they sent me this coupon...just grateful!

If you shop at Amazon, you might want to check your offers.  They sometimes have a free Prime membership (three months, I think) and are currently offering $70 in Amazon credit (an e-gift card) to some people - if you apply and qualify for their credit card.  Be sure to read all the details and see if there is something there that will help pay for Christmas or other things you might need.

We used sales and coupons to get good prices on a few pantry staples, including Progresso soups (.50 a can) , C and H cane sugar (.99 for 4lb.) , and Kraft mayo (1.49 for 30 oz.).  I also got three tubes of Colgate toothpaste (6.4 oz) for 8 cents (total) after sale price and coupons were applied.

shiny!!

We washed the car at home, so we didn't have to pay anything, plus the runoff water helped to water the grass near the henhouse.  The headlights had become cloudy.  Did you know that you can shine them up with Brasso brass polish and a soft cloth?  In my case, it was an old sock, and they shined up quite nicely.  I was really happy with the results.

Daughter and I spent a lot of our time at home, rather than doing a lot of running around and errands.  It saves fuel and makes better use of our time.

I stocked Daughter's advent calendar with small treats I saved back from Halloween.

I don't even know how to photoshop - these are the actual colors!

Daughter's virtual school had a field trip for 3rd-5th graders at the Denver Downtown Aquarium.  There were significant discounts on admission and parking, and it was scheduled for a day when Husband was off work, so we went as a family.  There was a shark class for the students, then we toured the entire aquarium.  It was a nice field trip!

These moon jellyfish are illuminated with colored lights.

Hi, my name is 'Ray'.  I could go for a snack....

'Ray's'  favorite snack.

....nom, nom, nom....

I had lasagna on the menu this past week.  I learned (after having started the meal prep) that I didn't have any lasagna noodles.  I used wide egg noodles instead, and we actually liked it better.  Lasagna noodles rarely go on sale, so we will just use the wide noodles instead from now on.

We planned and prepared several meals to use the remaining Thanksgiving turkey - barbecue chicken (turkey) pizza with bacon and onions, turkey sandwiches, turkey-potato-onion hash and a turkey-vegetable soup, which Daughter made.  We're out of Thanksgiving turkey now, and we're OK with that, hee hee.  When all was said and done, I made more stock from the bits and bones.

When I put the turkey leg bones in the crock pot, the lid wouldn't fit.

Problem solved!  (I am disproportionately happy about this discovery!)

We opened canned fruit two times this week.  I drained off the syrups and used them to help sweeten some fruit punch that I made.

I used homemade laundry soap to wash our clothes.  It's been cold this past week so I've hung the laundry on wooden racks in the basement.  This coming week looks like it will be warmer so I can hang clothes outdoors!

Well, that's what I remember.  How was your week?  What did you do to spend less, save more and make do?  I'd love to learn from you in the comments - have a great week!!