27 and Frugal

Every weekend, I will detail my activities and expenses to provide an example of how to implement a frugal mindset while still having a fun and active life.

Since this was a long weekend, I’ll start by detailing Wednesday night (the 23rd) through Sunday (the 27th).

Wednesday

I went out to a local bar with some friends and spent $3 on an infamous chocolate cake shot (no chocolate involved, I swear!). I spent the rest of the evening chatting with my friends and had a great time. I only brought five dollars with me so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend more. The plan worked. I passed on a second drink and still had an enjoyable evening.

Wednesday Total Cost: $3.00

Thursday

Thursday was actually a half work day for me. After relaxing for the afternoon, I spent the evening at a friend’s Christmas Eve party with their family. The food was all home-made and absolutely delicious. I ate so much! We walked around my friend’s subdivision caroling (and freezing) then came back inside and warmed up with some hot cocoa. I finally watched A Christmas Story in it’s entirety and wasn’t impressed. Regardless, I had a great time visiting with my friend and felt very welcomed by her family.

Thursday Total Cost: $0

Friday

I spent Friday morning at my boyfriend’s house then the afternoon back at my house. This was a unique Christmas in that I didn’t travel to visit family. I’m really trying to save everything I can this month and they understood the circumstances. I spent Friday night enjoying the quiet and watching Christmas movie classics. I made an easy pork chop dinner with a home-made BBQ sauce broiled in the oven.

Friday Total Cost: $0

Saturday

I expected Saturday to be a more expensive day. Before leaving the house, I took $20 out from my cash tin. This is half of the money that I was given a few weeks ago for grading tests for a friend. I knew that I didn’t want to spend any more than that. I had plans to go to a friend’s party that evening and initiated dinner plans before the party. I knew that it was unnecessary but there is a fabulous Mexican restaurant right next to my friend’s house and I rarely get over that way. Since I knew the food was good and cheap, I justified the cost. Also, this is the first time I’ve eaten out all month. Before heading to the party, I picked up some egg nog to bring.

Saturday Total Cost: $15

Sunday

I spent Sunday cleaning the house and being productive in general.

Sunday Total Cost: $0

Total Christmas Break Cost: $18