Six (Mainly) Frugal Things!

I want to thank everyone who responded to my "honey and dear" thread. Obviously we all have different perspectives on this issue and I appreciate them all (although not being told to "move on"). My personal perspective on this is that each year it gets worse (the older I get the more honeys I get). So right now, my goal is to find  a way to dissuade this without become terminally rude or offensive myself, as I prefer to be kind. Onward and forward!

Meanwhile, it's been sunny and mid sixties here today in Denver. I got up much earlier than usual to accompany adult son to his pre-op appointment today (more below), so am experiencing my mid-afternoon I want to take a nap moment! As far as frugal and other things this week:

1.  Yesterday was a huge score on the passive earnings front. I made ten bucks in a quick half an hour while sitting down and watching TV, and then I purchased a one month trial of Barkbox for five dollars-and earned thirty dollars from Swagbucks in about five minutes. This was on top of my normal passive earnings routine so I am a very happy camper. I might end up keeping Barkbox for a while, but we will see. It depends on the ratio of toys to treats, I expect. We would prefer more of the former and less of the latter to keep Wilson's girlish figure. I'll talk about free trials in the future, but unless I love the box, I'll be cancelling after the first month. I also earned a $10 Amazon and $15 Target Card, $15 in Walmart credit and transferred $25 to my checking account this week.

2. I was overdue for an oil change and just happened to receive a $25 coupon yesterday from my local Nissan dealer-which expired today. I am now good to go for a much lower amount than my usual (I use synthetic oil). Less frugal and happy was the discovery that since my car is at 100 thousand miles and I hope to drive as close to another hundred as possible, I need to get my transmission flushed in the next month. For $250. But you know what? My car has been very, very reliable, and I knew as I hit that mileage mark that there would be things to be done. It's time to give car upkeep it's own monthly line item methinks.

3. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my son's torn labrum/separated bicep surgery will be much less intensive and have much less recovery than we first thought. Three arthroscopic incisions, an outpatient procedure, and a sling for two days. While I still suspect I'll be driving throughout our family trip down south, and he'll have the good stuff when it comes to drugs, he should be mainly fully functional again in less than a month.

4. While I haven't actually lessened my volunteer efforts as such, last night showed me that stepping back from Thursday night dinners was a good thing. It's an hour drive to the church in rush hour, for one thing.. While I am something of a night owl, I don't love to be out in the evening a great deal as such unless for a special event. My future volunteer gigs will be closer to home and much more advocating and fund raising oriented (except for my one morning with my homeless senior women). More frugal and flexible, both in terms of money and time. And equally needed.

5.  I spent the week comparing the Amtrak version of a rail pass to simply booking the route on my own, and actually think I come out ahead with the pass version. The question remains of course, once I get to San Francisco, do I go north to Seattle and Montana or south to California and Arizona and Texas and such!  Considering I'm talking March or April and I think I have more friends and bloggers on the southern route, that's my tendency at the morning.

6. Some DIY things are, of course more frugal than others, and cheaper than store bought does not in and of itself mean cheap. My many two inch square quilt requires alot of good quality fabric (which is why one quilted gift a year is my general limit). And while a handmade alpaca shawl is more unique and less expensive than one purchased from Etsy or a store or elsewhere at twelve dollars for a skein of yarn it may not necessarily be frugal. So I will thrilled to find out that I the gift I planned for all the distaff members of my family as well as my various groups, was both unique and cost effective-because I am one of those natural product girls who keeps large amounts of things like Shea Butter and Dead Sea salts on hand. Lavender salt and sugar scrubs and lotion bars?  Coming right up!

This weekend, I'm going to get my exercise walking the pathway that winds through Ikea, as we look to replace a few things. Other than that, a chili cook-off and church are the height of my social life this weekend. And so it goes!

Anything exciting or frugal in your neck of the woods?