Frugal Accomplishments

This past week, we had a pretty good week for our budget.  I've tried really hard to keep grocery spending down, so I only picked up $6 worth of groceries this week, instead focusing on what we could make with things from the freezer and pantry.  We also continued to use items from the food pantry that we gleaned last week, including yogurt, greens, and other veggies.  It was little man's 5th birthday, but at his request, we kept things small and low key, making dinner at home and baking a cake from things we had on hand.  It was a wonderful celebration, and he really enjoyed it.

• Made all meals at home including crock pot southwestern chicken soup, veggie stir fry with quinoa and egg rolls, homemade pizza and salads for birthday dinner, fermented veggies, large salads, smoothies, and roasted veggies.
• Spent $6 at the grocery store for almond milk on sale, free yogurt, and salad greens.
• Enjoyed a shared meal with friends Saturday night.  It was a great time for the boys to play, and a nice time for us to visit.  By eating in, we were able to accommodate everyone's dietary restrictions (there were several in this crowd), and save some money over eating out.
• Kept up with composting, recycling, and reusing as appropriate.  Reused wrapping paper and art done on large paper for wrapping birthday gifts.  Reused brown paper sacks for collecting items for Goodwill.
• Saved veggie scraps for making veggie stock this week, including onions, asparagus ends, and carrot peelings.
• Accepted some groceries that Mom purchased for us, so looking forward to using fresh spinach, kale, mushrooms, fruit, and buttermilk.
• Used homemade stock in soup that I previously froze instead of using store bought.  This is healthier and was far less expensive.
• Little man wanted icing for his birthday cake, so I made a chocolate ganache.  I didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I used evaporated milk and it worked just fine.  Used birthday candles we had on hand.  Honestly, it was a pretty simple cake to pull together, and it was easier to decorate than a sheet cake or layer cake.
• Mom paid for bowling at the bowling alley for little man's birthday.  (So nice of her!)  He had a blast with a few good friends, pizza, and cake.  Instead of gifts for himself, he asked for gifts for the humane society.  We'll take those things on a Saturday when we can go play with the animals some.  We really encourage this kind of gifting, because the boys already have everything they need and more.  It also teaches them to be compassionate and consider the needs of others.
• Enjoyed fresh eggs from the friends we're sharing chicken keeping responsibilities with.  We collected close to two dozen over the two days we checked on them.  We also took the chickens some veggie scraps, so they'll stay healthy and we had a little less to compost.
• Went to school every day (wow, a whole week with no snow!) and packed lunches from home.  Tried to combine trips to and from home with errands that needed to be run, saving on gas.
• Relisted our room ad on Craigslist.  Our current upstairs tenant will leave in March, so we'd like to have this space rented, even if it's short term.  We really enjoy sharing this space and doing life with someone else.
• Continued to press on with getting things lined up to prepare the house for possible sale.  We don't have a lead on land yet, but are trying to make some decisions there.
• Exercised four times with YouTube videos.  I also walked a few days when the weather was relatively warm, instead of exercising at home.  I took the dog with me on one of the walks, which was some good exercise for her too.
• Planned the menu for February, using pantry and freezer items as a basis.

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