Well. I guess I’m going to have to come clean. After all, you guys are the ones I count on to keep me accountable. And I’ve kind of blown it.
I don’t mean that in a “I went out and got a brand new car” kind of way. Actually, I don’t even mean it in a “we ordered pizza 4 times this month kind of way.” Heck, we didn’t order any pizza this month! Given our old behavior, that in and of itself is a win.
But I haven’t had the most #yearofno kind of month.
Truth be told, I knew May would be rough before it even began. It always is! School is wrapping up, baseball is in full swing (come on, you know I love a good pun!), and life in general gets as crazy as a flying fidget spinner.
So I loosened our expectations. We’ve had a lot of frozen food (but not fast food!). We’ve eaten a ton from the concession stands. And we’ve even stopped for ice cream more than once.
I’m not against any of those things as long as they are planned. And once we’re out of debt, we’ll sometimes treat ourselves to those things again. But for now, it’s super important to keep our sights on knocking out credit card debt. And that’s a goal we will jump right back into, now that school’s out.
Woohoo!!
Don’t worry. I still found some ways to save money, even in the chaos that is May.
The 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week
Free Shoes
I put off buying myself new shoes for as long as I could. Then I waited another 2 months before I had the time and inclination to actually shop for new ones! It’s one of the crazy things we’ve done to get out of debt.
Before I left the house, I made a few decisions. I wanted New Balance shoes, since my old ones lasted for years. Good quality is important when you’re spending hard earned dollars! I also decided I wouldn’t spend more than $35. That’s a hard bargain to find for quality shoes, but I was determined.
The first few stores I shopped were a no go. I couldn’t even find anything close at Gabes (my go to store for shoe shopping!).
In a last ditch effort before going home, I tried JC Penney’s. I found a pair on clearance for $32. (Getting warmer!) I searched and finally found a pair in my size. (Awesome!) On my way to the register, I remembered that I had a couple of gift cards with something left on them for Penney’s.
I was so excited when I found out that I had enough to cover the whole cost of those shoes! After waiting for months to splurge on a good pair of gym shoes, I was rewarded by getting them for free. That’s how I choose to look at it, anyway! 🙂
Do you like free stuff, too??
Check out the Medium Sized Family Facebook page and leave a comment to be entered into a giveaway!
Brand New Thrift Clothes
I’m trying to put off any spending I can, but since I haven’t bought new shorts lately my pairs were getting pretty worn out. I had to find a couple more to add to my rotation.
At Goodwill I was able to find a pair that fit well with the tags and stickers still on them. I got a brand new pair of shorts for $3!
Cheap Clothes at Gabes
So I didn’t find any shoes for myself, but while I was at Gabes I checked out their clothing. I found shorts for the Hubby and our oldest son (who won’t stop growing…teenagers!) at a fraction of the cost at other stores. And the clothes seem to be good quality that will last!
Hyperbiotics
My kids have tummy problems, and after the diet we’ve had this month I needed some probiotics myself! I love the Hyperbiotics brand because it’s time released. It’s a natural probiotic that comes in a tiny pill that’s easy for my kids to swallow. And the best part…if it’s too hard to swallow, they can always chew it instead! (My kids aren’t always great at swallowing pills… they get that from me for sure.)
The Hyperbiotics company sent me two adorable t-shirts to try out. They’re so comfy! And since I always joke about raising free range kids, I couldn’t resist this one for my little guy.
Flowers for Teachers
I very much simplified the end of year teacher gifts this year. Next year I hope to have more flexibility to help them with the gift of my time.
Those are the 5 ways we saved money this week!
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How did you save this week?
“Free” shoes are a great reward for putting off your spending! And I love the new shirts.
So glad you were able to buy shoes and free at that! I love the shirts too!
I’m not on Facebook, so I will respond to the question for the giveaway here: I want to purge books & organize pictures, digital & otherwise- in chronological order to get rid of the stress.
Great job getting your shoes for “free”! I love being able to wait to find the best deal when shopping for needs.
This week we went on a hike one afternoon (free entertainment and exercise!) and I did a good job of walking to work all week. I just have to get better at walking home after work instead of calling the Mister to pick me up!
Great find on the shoes. Those kind of deals always put a smile on your face!!