Six months of frugal accomplishments! (This post is a combination of December and January, since I missed it last month.) Yesterday, I came across a post from The Frugal Girl, Marketers do not want you to be content, and it really resonated with me. During November and December, I spent a lot of time “browsing” the Internet as I searched for Christmas gifts and I could feel the discontent brewing. Suddenly, my list of woes against my furniture and my home decor and my kids’ wardrobe and my homeschool grew and grew. But isn’t it funny how a self-inflicted No Spend Month can completely change your mindset? I purposely don’t browse online stores or even Pinterest. I don’t open the sales emails, despite how tempting they sound. I have the head space to look at my house and be proud of it, despite its imperfections. I can clearly see the things I really need – like hand towels and shower liners – instead of what social media tells me I need. It’s freeing to be content.
+ I read and reviewed two free books from Netgalley.
+ While unpacking our decorations, I found a handful of old Christmas cards (received from others) from years ago. To give them one more life, I cut off the tops – the side without the writing – and used them as thank you cards for my Poshmark/ebay packages.
+ I used up four rolls of Christmas wrapping paper from last year and all of my tags. I even used the (sorta ugly, but completely useful) free sticker tags I received in some junk mail. Feels good to know that I can start fresh next December!
+ We committed to No Spend January and have done okay so far! Little things have popped up – like dental copays, an oil change, and a new phone for Mark when his old one wouldn’t hold a charge – but we’ve been able to pay for these things fairly easily. I’m really enjoying the challenge of being creative with what we have in all the ways: in the kitchen, in decorating, and in toys and books.
+ The boys’ sheets were looking dingy, so I added 1/3 cup of baking soda to the bottom of the washing machine before starting the load. Now they look as good as new! Baking soda is also a deodorizer, which is an added benefit because…boys.
+ I gave two of the boys haircuts and trimmed my own using the ponytail method.
+ I gathered up all of the random makeup and skincare samples I’ve accumulated and put them in a vintage glass container on my bathroom counter. I’m hoping this little action will help me actually use them up!
+ I started adding more potatoes to our meal plans. Potatoes are cheap, filling and are a starchy alternative to bread. (Mark may have a minor gluten sensitivity). And bonus: the kids love them in all their forms and eat without complaint!
+ I made my own Soap Scum Cleaner (from a “recipe” I found on Pinterest) using dish soap and vinegar. It worked fine but wasn’t amazing, so I won’t share it here. I’m on the hunt for another option.
Your turn! What did you do to save a little money this month?
"which is an added benefit because… boys"- I am laughing out loud! It's so true!
Josh did the twins' laundry when I was sick last weekend and he was like, "Shelly! It smells! So bad!" and I was just cracking up because he's right, but it's funny that he didn't realize it because he hasn't done their laundry for a while.
I am going to have to research what the ponytail method is for cutting your own hair. I need a haircut desperately but don't want to shell out any cash for one! Thanks for this tip!
I found a few different blogs/videos about the ponytail method on Pinterest. I just trimmed the ends in case I messed up, but it turned out pretty easy to do!