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Frugal Things I Did Last Week-Valentine's Day Week


We had a great week and a lovely day celebrating Valentine's Day as a family.  Here are some of the frugal things we did last week:
  • I appliqued the above shirt for Eli using a small bit of fabric and Wonder Under I had on hand.  I also sewed a simple skirt for Evangeline that matched.  I had purchased the turtleneck last summer at a yard sale for a quarter.  Her skirt is just a simple square really with a hem and elastic waistband.  I added rickrack along the bottom.  If you would like more specific directions let me know.  
  • We continued watching the Olympics this week.  
The happy hubby (who isn't smiling) holding his Valentine's Day cake.  

  • The hubby and I decided not to exchange expensive gifts this year.  Instead we are putting the money towards a FamilyLife Weekend to Remember conference in a few weeks.  The hubby did make me a really sweet card and we enjoyed lunch out as a family.  I baked him a non-Trim Healthy Mama cake.  We enjoyed a simple family night for Valentine's Day that was great.  
  • I made homemade kefir and yogurt.  Did you know that you can substitute plain yogurt for sour cream in almost any recipe?  Since I make yogurt weekly we no longer buy sour cream. Yogurt is also much healthier for you than sour cream.  
  • I dropped off over 100 oz of breast milk at Motherhood Express to be sent to the Indiana Mother's Milk Bank.  Last month I mailed 259 oz to the milk bank but it is much more convenient to use a drop off site where they package and mail it.  My milk will then be passed on to premature babies with a critical need for breast milk.  My goal is to donate 500 oz. As a one income family we have a limited amount of money to donate to various worthy charities but I can donate something very precious-my milk.  The need for breast milk is very high and unfortunately the need is always greater.  Feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about milk banking.  


  • Although the happy hubby is smiling in this picture we are all incredibly sick of snow.  We have been enjoying more books in our home and dreaming of the day when we can hop back into our kayaks for a nice paddle.  
  • We attended Financial Peace University.  Last week's class was really good.  We learned that I am the nerd of the family who loves to save (anyone surprised?) while the hubby is the free spirit who helps me have a life (as he says).  
  • We cloth diapered all week.  I estimate that last week this saved us between 12.60 (generic) to $26 (chlorine free).  
  • I breastfed Evangeline all week and attended La Leche League where I checked out a book from their library.  

  • I arrived really early to an out of town baby shower so I stopped in Goodwill and bought everything in the above picture for $8: jumper outfit, book, and baby legs for Evangeline, pattern for pjs, puzzle, Boggle game and sticker book for Eli, and travel guide on Columbus for Brandon.  It was really fun to bring presents home for my boys.  I also picked up a blue baby bib to embroider in the future.  
  • I baked a loaf of Sourdough Cranberry Nut bread as a thank you for a kind man from our church who scrapped our driveway.  
What frugal things did you do last week?

Comments

  1. MariveneFebruary 21, 2014 at 6:58 AM

    Thank you for being a milk donor! When I worked as a NICU RN, pasteurized human milk was literally liquid gold. The milk banks take care of the pasteurization, freezing & shipping, and charge $30/per ounce for the PHM. At the hospital where I worked, our neonatalogy team covered the cost of the PHM for the the parents.

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  2. HeatherFebruary 23, 2014 at 8:36 AM

    Eli is absolutely your twin and Evangeline is absolutely Brandon's twin! Adorable! We haven't been through FPU, but we did another Dave Ramsey course over the internet that Tyson's workplace offered for free. I am DEFINITELY the free spirit and Tyson is definitely the saver/nerd. :p I consider myself frugal, but it's hard to compete with someone who never spends money and never wants to eat out. :p Haha. It really helped us know that about ourselves so we could understand the other one better instead of me constantly feeling like Tyson was just never up for anything fun or Tyson feeling like I always wanted to order pizza...haha.

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