My poor daughter. She missed her Christmas party at school due to germs. And on Valentine’s Day, the germs paid her another visit. She desperately wanted to go to school, but I obviously couldn’t spread those germs through her classmates.
Instead, we popped some popcorn, I made some hot chocolate, and we watched Tangled. Not a substitute for fun with her friends, but at least it turned her frown upside down.
Sometimes you’ve just got to make the most of your situation. I hope I can teach her to look for the good!
After all, a positive attitude is important in life. Even when it comes to saving money!
Here are the 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week.
Saying No at the Bank
The ATM was down, so my Hubby had to go inside the bank to get some cash. While he was there, the teller excitedly told him that he was preapproved for a credit card. He laughed and said, “No way. My wife would kill me.” The teller said, “Oh, not if you buy her something nice with the card!” He explained that I blogged about paying off debt and saving money for a living.
After that, she got kind of quiet and just counted out his cash.
I’ll admit that I giggle when I picture that scene! I feel a little bad for the tellers and cashiers our there who have a quota of credit cards they have to fill each shift. But never bad enough that I’m willing to fall further into debt.
There’s an App for That
I love little factoids, and when I find one that might benefit a friend I always share it with them. I told my Hubby that I’d read that keeping a gratitude journal improves both your mental and physical health as well as promoting better sleep, he agreed that he should try it.
He considered buying a new journal to write in, but then found an app that would do the job just as well. He went for the free app. Same benefits, better price.
Free Samples
I used to sign up for free samples all the time, but for some reason I got out of the habit. That’s a shame, because having free samples on hand is perfect for when you run out of shampoo or have to take pack detergent for a road trip.
I’m always a fan of Money Saving Mom, and she has a page dedicated to free samples and other freebies. Check it out!
My Valentine
My Hubby brought home my Valentine’s Day gift, and I was so excited! Instead of a dozen roses, I got a dozen donuts. Donuts are my absolute favorite, so I kinda squealed when I saw it. So much cheaper than roses, and a lot less thorns to chew on! (Kidding…)
Generics
Hubby has been on some expensive medication. It’s the kind that prompts the clerk at the pharmacy to ask, “Do you know how much this costs?” before ringing you up.
But he’s been paying attention and knew that this drug had finally been released in generic form. So he was able to ask for the generic. Instead of a three figure bill, he got the medicine for free. You can’t beat that kind of savings! Get more tips for saving on healthcare here.
That’s 5 more ways we’ve saved money this week.
We’re always on the lookout for extra money saving tips here. It’s inching us ever closer to being debt free!
If you’re a blogger, you might be interested in my yearly goals for the blog (which I finally published this week…better late than never!). I managed to make more money from the blog last year than I’d realized!
How did you save this week?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
Yum, Valentine’s donuts sound great!
I have used a gratitude app and I did find it uplifting. I fell out of the habit, though. I’ve also thought about doing a gratitude exercise at dinner with the family. We could go around the table and each talk about one thing we’re thankful for from the day.
I really enjoy this blog series!
You had a great week. That’s so funny that you started back signing up for free samples. I also decided to get back with it and sign up for them again (Money Saving Mom). They would be great in bags for when there is a emergency. Some of them can be quite large and we just use them.
I am amazed at some of the free samples companies will send out!
Great list of how you saved, I’m going to check out the free samples page you suggested!
Definitely check it out. She’s collected tons of great samples.
I bought Valentine flowers and chocolates on the 15th still just as good.
Better! I was just wondering how many couples celebrate on the 15th to save some money.
Good for you! It is so rewarding to say no and reap a benefit also… so many little things can add up the savings. By the way, we don’t do Valentine flowers or candy… until clearance, either. 🙂
We certainly learned that lesson last year. The little things add up to big savings!
Good deal Jamie and so glad you’re not chewing on thorns:)
haha! Thanks.
HI! So nice to discover your site through the Coop Cape Blog Hop! Love your ideas on saving money. We homestead debt free and it IS an intentional thing. Thank you for your tips.
I think that’s awesome. Homesteading has some big start up costs (sometimes), so it’s great when you can wait and save up the money for it.
Way to score on the meds! And I would be way more excited about the donuts than the roses too, ha ha!
Thanks for partying with us every week at #FridayFrivolity
🙂
Let’s see: I cut my own hair, successfully. I made our valentine’s for the girls. I met friends for coffee and did not buy one, yet laughed just as much. I ran the drain/spinner cycle after each wash load to make the dryer work more efficiently. Somehow, I still feel broke. Oy vey. Thanks for your tips! #FridayFrivolity xo
You’re doing well! Especially on grabbing coffee with friends without the coffee. I have a tough time turning it down, but it would be just as much fun to see friends without spending money.
Donuts do sound better than roses, I’ll have to pass on that idea to my husband. Thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop!
🙂 Mine definitely liked the idea!