Frugal Accomplishments

This past week was kind of a whirl wind for us, since we were traveling for the weekend.  We still managed to save quite a bit and stick to our frugal ways, though!

• Travel was primarily for school, so fuel expenses will be reimbursed.  We could combine it with a visit to family, so that was nice.
• Radio in the "new" car needed replacing, so Benny ordered one online and he and his dad spent most of the day Saturday replacing it.  Much cheaper than paying for a new one, though we still have to figure out how to program it all.
• Packed our own snacks from home for the road trip, so we didn't pay for snacks or drinks along the way.
• All meals were made at home including banana bars for breakfasts, bagels and cream cheese, egg and cheese sandwiches, Thai beef over rice, and guacamole and hummus with pita chips (I honestly don't remember what else we ate for meals!)
• Continued with our regular composting, recycling, and waste reduction lifestyle.
• Accepted two gallons of milk, crackers, and fruit from the food pantry.  
• Gleaned four cheese sticks, several snack packs, carton of yogurt, and three apples from school cafeteria.
• Reused tea bags a few times for hot tea, saving on the cost of them and stretching them a little further.
• Gratefully accepted some hand-me-downs from a coworker for little man.
• Went to Costco with family, saving by purchasing wholesale and didn't have to purchase a membership.  We bought:  almonds, organic raisins, two large cartons of Greek yogurt, grape tomatoes, wild caught salmon (frozen), maple syrup, honey, and a set of clearance pjs for little man in a size that will fit next winter.
• Enjoyed shared meals with family, saving on cooking and food costs.
• Took a few walks and spent time at a park, getting free exercise and vitamin D!  Nice to have some warm spring weather!
• Continued to breastfeed and pump for baby, compiling a freezer stash of milk to help when I have to be away in a few weeks.  This will also help when the boys have colds for a little immune boost.
• Benny loves watches.  He offered to write a forum post for one company that he really likes in exchange for a new watch and band from them.  Win, win for both!
• Found a headboard we like on Craigslist for $30 (much cheaper than a similar one we found online), so hoping it is still for sale.  We'd like to give it a face lift with white paint and finally get around to really decorating our bedroom.  We love the boys room the most in the house, and our bedroom has taken a back seat.  We've chosen a new wall color and hope to give some of the existing furniture a face lift with a little paint, find some new curtains, and generally spruce up the space.  

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!