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.

Friday

I had plans to meet up with some friends for dinner on Friday night. I fixed myself a grilled cheese after work and snacked on some cashews on the way over. I did not purchase anything at the restaurant but still enjoyed myself. It was nice chatting with friends, some who I had not seen in a while. After dinner, we went to a local ice cream shoppe. I ate a delicious chocolate chip ice cream cone and socialized some more with friends.

Friday Total Cost:$3

Saturday

My friends were married on Saturday, so I spent most of the day getting ready for and attending to wedding things. They had an open bar so no money was spent!

Saturday Total Cost:$0
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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.

Friday

Since this was a long weekend, I took advantage of the extra day by doing nothing on Friday. I made a small dinner and got caught up with bills and things. Not too exciting, but it had to get done.

Friday Total Cost:$0

Saturday

I spent Saturday at the shore with some friends. I packed a lunch, brought a drink and some snacks. We took a route without any tolls and less traffic. An hour later, we were relaxing on the beach. My friends ate lunch at a place on the boardwalk where a slice of pizza and a drink was $8. I sat at the table with them eating my yummy sandwich.

Later that night, I had plans to watch the UFC fight at Buffalo Wild Wings. I knew I would eat there, which is why I did not want to eat out earlier in the day. Unfortunately, BWW changed their boneless wings into disgusting fried crap so that was rather disappointing. The Blue Moon’s helped washed the ickiness down.

Saturday Total Cost:$20
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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.

Friday

I’m just going to warn you now, this was the most non-frugal weekend ever! Fortunately, all of the extra spending was budgeted. Friday night started out cheap. We stayed in, ordered Thai food ($7) and watched Shutter Island.

Friday Total Cost:$7

Saturday

I knew that Saturday would be an expensive day. I spent the morning getting highlights ($115) then stocked up on a prescription ($80). I came home in time to watch the World Cup game then headed out again to eat yummy Mexican for dinner ($6). After dinner, I played poker at a friend’s house and lost a buck.

Saturday Total Cost:$201
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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.

Friday

A group of friends and I went out to dinner to treat a friend for his birthday. The six of us split the bill for $17/each; that way everyone was paying a bit of the birthday boy’s meal as well. It was far more than I normally spend on eating out, but was a special occasion.

After dinner, we went back to my house and just hung out for the rest of the night. I did not go out and buy any special food; I was already prepared to make cookies!

Friday Total Cost:$17
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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.

Friday

I started the night with some yummy home-made mac n cheese. Then some friends called so I met them at Chipotle (but didn’t eat anything) and ended up going out to a bar after. One beer was bought for me and I did not drink anything else. It was a nice low key night with friends.

Friday Total Cost:$0
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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.

Friday

I had Friday off and I splurged! I treated myself to $40 worth of cake supplies at Candyland Crafts with the thought to attempt making a cake for an Easter dinner on Sunday. After my shopping spree, I went for an evening run (which was wonderful) then spent the rest of the night playing Heavy Rain on the PS3 that my friend is letting me borrow over the weekend. I had a get together planned for Saturday so I did not mind having Friday just being a loungy evening.

Friday Total Cost:$42 (excluding the groceries) Continue reading »

One of the simplest ways to save money is to bring your own lunch to work everyday. It is easy to make excuses, “I don’t have time to pack a lunch,” “I get sick of sandwiches,” “I hate leftovers.” Enough already! There are a ton of lunch foods outside of sandwiches that are just as easy to bring to work. There are also many ways to kick your standard sandwich up a notch. Many foods even taste better the next day and are especially easy for cooking newbs!

Chili, Soups & Stews

These meals do not take long to put together. The most time consuming aspect is letting them simmer for 30-60 minutes but you can just watch TV or do pilates while you are waiting.

Chili is nothing other than tomatoes, meat, beans and spices! Put it all in a pot and walk away. Leave it in the fridge and bring it to work the next day. It’ll smell great and taste even better!

Chicken noodle soup is just as easy! I’ve already posted my favorite super-easy chicken noodle soup recipe. It’s simply chicken broth, chicken and veggies. Again, just boil, simmer then eat. Soup reheats perfectly and the flavors usually blend together to taste even better when reheated.

Similarly, beef stew is just beef bouillon, beef, water and veggies. You can season it to your preference. This will be a super easy dinner and an even yummier lunch.

Chili, soups and stews work so well when reheated because it completely eliminates the “soggy food” complaint. It is also very filling and not too messy to eat for lunch. In fact, you probably already purchase soup or chili for lunch at that overpriced cafe down the street!
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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.

Friday

Friday was another crazy day on the job front so I let loose on my budget a little and celebrated throughout the weekend. Friday evening, however, I just wanted to relax. I played some more Kingdom Hearts, watched the Olympic opening ceremony and had a relaxing night at home.

Friday Total Cost:$0 Continue reading »

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.

Friday

Friday was great day. I scored two job interviews and was given a KitchenAid mixer as a gift from my boyfriend! To celebrate, we went out to a local bar with some friends in the evening. One drink was bought for me but really the evening was just spent socializing. After the bar, we walked across the street to a pizza place where some people ordered food but I declined the cheap grease and made myself a snack at home.

Friday Total Cost:$0 Continue reading »

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.

Friday

On Wednesday, I went out for drinks with friends and spent $9. I considered that my “weekend money” so I really wanted to lay low over the weekend. Friday night, I did just that. I watched a movie, made myself dinner and just relaxed at home.

Friday Total Cost:$0 Continue reading »

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.

Friday

I knew all week that a cover band I liked was playing nearby on Friday and decided that it was worth $10 to me. So I got some friends together and had a good time there. I didn’t buy any drinks and just enjoyed the band instead. Prior to going out, I made my own marinara sauce served with some gnocchi. Those lil’ gnocchi are so filling!

Friday Total Cost:$10 Continue reading »

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 Continue reading »

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.

Friday

The entire weekend was plagued with a threat of a giant blizzard. So starting Friday, I didn’t do much other than relaxing inside and working on some personal projects. I made dinner out of some pasta I found buried in the back of the cupboard and my home-made marinara that I had already thawed. It was quick and filling.

Friday Total Cost:$0 Continue reading »

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.

Friday

I volunteered to grade finals for my friend who teaches at a local university, so I spent my evening doing that and just hanging out at home.

Friday Total Cost: $0 Continue reading »