Money Saving Challenge - wk 30 in review

These are the things I did this week to help save my family money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans to help lower my grocery bill.  
• We utilized the local public library for free books and kids' activities.
• I combined errands on outings to help save on gas.
• I avoided using the oven on the hottest days in order to keep the house cooler and help save on air conditioning costs.
• I opened the windows to catch the cooler morning and evening breezes to also save on cooling costs, and avoided using the AC completely on cooler days.
• I used the free raspberries from our plants at home for snacks and smoothies.
• I cut the dishwasher tablets in half for each load.
• My kids played several games in a free softball league.
• I used buckets to catch the air conditioner condensation and rain to help water my plants.
• One of my daughters had a birthday party to go to, so I was able to use a coupon at Joann's to purchase the gift she wanted to give at a reduced cost and was able to give it in a used (but in like-new condition) gift bag we already had.  When I realized we didn't have a birthday card on hand, my daughter chose to make one herself.
• We brought drinks and snacks from home (purchased on sale and with coupons, of course!) on our outings this week so there was no temptation to stop and buy pricier food while we were out.
• We utilized our local zoo membership for a fun, free outing. (While I did have to pay for the membership earlier in the year, we go often enough that it pays for itself after the 2nd or 3rd visit. Plus, it's nice to know that after the initial membership payment we can head to the zoo as many times as we want without any out-of-pocket costs.)
• I broke down one night and ordered a pizza, but I used a BOGO coupon.  This gave us enough for leftovers the next day.
• I found a bunch of "no beer purchase required" rebates that I'll be able to use to stock up on items for close to free.

Did you do anything in particular this week to help save some money? I'd love to read it in the comments below!

Tops Gas Points earning begins again on 7/22!

Do you get as excited about Tops gas points as I do?  Here is the reason I love them:

During the last gas points earning period I earned 3300 points, or a discount of $3.30 per gallon.  Since today was the last day to redeem gas points, I headed to the gas station to fill up.  The retail gas price was $3.59, so by using my gas points I paid just $0.29 per gallon. :-)  As you can see from the picture above, 22 gallons of gas cost me less than 7 bucks!  If I had paid the full retail price, that fill-up would've set me back nearly $80.  Such a great savings for me.  I can't wait to start earning those gas points again this week!

Money Saving Challenge - week 29 in review

Here is a run-down of things I did to help save money this week:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops to help lower my grocery bill.
• I submitted a Staples rebate online, which will return some of my spent money to me plus I saved the cost of a stamp by not mailing it in.
• I returned an empty printer cartridge to Staples and will get credit to use on a future purchase.
• We utilized the local public library for books and kids' activities.
• I combined errands on outings to help save on gas.
• I avoided using the oven on the hottest days in order to keep the house cooler and help save on air conditioning costs.
• I opened the windows to catch the cooler morning and evening breezes to also save on cooling costs, and avoided using the AC completely on a cooler day.
• I picked a lot of free raspberries from our plants at home.
• I cut the dishwasher tablets in half for each load.
• My kids played several games in a free softball league.
• I paid a bill online and saved the cost of a stamp.
• I used a free rental code at Redbox in order to enjoy a free movie at home.
• I noticed the condensed water dripping outside from an air conditioning window unit, so I placed a bucket underneath it to catch the drips and used it to help water my plants.
• I placed an online order through Ebates in order to get part of my purchase price returned to me.
• I redeemed my 3300 Tops gas points in order to get gas for just $0.29 per gallon.

Did you do anything in particular this week to help save some money? I'd love to read it in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 28 in review

I felt like this was a bit of an off week for me, savings-wise, but here are the few things I did to help save money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops to help lower my grocery bill.
• I download some free eBooks to my Nook.
• We utilized the local public library for books and kids' activities.
• I combined errands on outings to also help save on gas.
• I used the microwave and crockpot on the hottest days in order to keep the house cooler and help save on air conditioning costs.
• I opened the windows to catch the cooler morning and evening breezes to also save on cooling costs.
• I picked a lot of free raspberries from our plants at home.
• I cut the dishwasher tablets in half for each load.
• I signed 2 of my kids up for a local free softball league.

Did you do anything in particular this week to help save some money? I'd love to read it in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 27 in review

Here are a few things I did this week in order to help save some money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops to help lower my grocery bill.
• I download some free eBooks to my Nook.
• We utilized the local public library for books, DVDs, and kids' activities.
• I stayed home 2 days in order to help save on gas.
• I combined errands on outings to also help save on gas.
• I avoided using the oven on the hot days we've had this week, in order to keep the house cooler and help save on air conditioning costs.
• I opened the windows to catch the cooler morning and evening breezes to also save on cooling costs.
• Our fresh fruit for the week was picked for free from our raspberry and strawberry plants in our yard.
• I only had to run the dishwasher twice this week, and used half of a dishwashing tablet both times.
• I let the rain water my plants today instead of running the sprinkler or hose.

Did you do anything in particular this week to help save some money?  I'd love to read it in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - weeks 24 - 26 in review

I can't believe it's been so long since I've chronicled my attempts to save money!  For a while there, I was really good about jotting down my efforts on a daily basis and somehow I just got out of the habit.  I'm sure there are a few things I've forgotten over the past few weeks, but here are the things that come to mind:

• As a special treat, we took the family to see a movie (Madagascar 3 -- it was very cute!).  I used a free movie ticket I earned from a Kellogg's promotion, plus the tickets we bought were cheaper since we went to a matinee.
• I received a rebate check from a previous no beer purchase rebate for fresh fruit.
• I planted tomato plants that were given to me (free) and lettuce seeds (cheap).
• I cut roses and tiger lillies from my yard to enjoy, instead of buying flowers.
• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans.
• We've been enjoying free fruit from the strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries picked from our yard and a relative's yard.
• In order to limit my air conditioning costs, I've been keeping the curtains and blinds closed as well as opening the windows to catch the cooler morning and evening breezes.
• I used a free Redbox code to enjoy a movie at home.
• I cashed in Swag Bucks for a $5 Amazon gift card, to be used to offset Christmas gift expenses later this year.
• I combined errands on outings in order to save on gas.
• Now that school is out, we've been utilizing the public library more for books and free kids' activities.
• I received a free cereal coupon in the mail from a giveaway at Thrifty Ways and Ideas (thanks, Maria!).
• I received a free Target cosmetic bag in the mail, packed with nice samples and Target coupons.
• I paid a couple of bills online to save on stamps.
• I received a mailer from Tops containing store coupons.
• I've been running the dishwasher with half of a dishwashing tablet.
• I cashed out my SavingStar balance.

I have a feeling I'm forgetting some things, but there are still quite a few things I was able to do to help us save money.  If you have been tightening your budget, I'd love for you to leave a comment with the things you're doing to help stretch your dollars!

Frugal Tip: Make your own hair detangler

Last year, there was a Target coupon that enabled me to stock up on their up & up brand  hair detangler pretty cheaply, which was great because I have 2 girls with long hair.  I still have some in my stockpile, and it works well for my younger daughter whose hair is thin and fine and never tangles too badly.  However, my older daughter's hair is thicker and coarser and tends to tangle and knot to the point of me wanting to shave her head, and the cheaper brands of detangler don't help much. 

I rarely buy salon products, but a while back I bought a leave in treatment because I absolutely loved the way it smelled and made my hair feel.  I noticed on the bottle that it also detangles, so out of desperation one day, I used it on my older daughter's hair.  It worked like a charm, but when it was gone I couldn't stomach the thought of dishing out big bucks for such a little bottle again.  So, I decided to play around with what I had on hand to see if I could make my own.

I now use a detangler that can be made very inexpensively and can also be customized for particular needs. 

All you need is a spray bottle, conditioner, and water.  I use whatever conditioner I have on hand (I'm currently using a free sample -- how much better could that get?!).

Pour some conditioner into the bottle.  This is where you can play around with what you need in order to customize it for your hair.  I probably wouldn't need much more than 1/8 of a bottle for my younger daughter, but I've found I need closer to 1/4 or 1/3 of a bottle for the older one.

Fill up the rest of the bottle with warm water, then give the bottle a good shake to mix it up.

Voila!  Homemade, cheap hair detangler. I just give it another quick shake before spraying it. 

This has worked really well for my daughter's snarls. If you decide to give it a try, I'd love to read about your feedback in the comments below.

Money Saving Challenge: weeks 22 & 23 in review

I was so busy last weekend that I never had a chance to chronicle my money saving activities.  So, this week's post includes the things I did last week and this week to save money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans in order to save money on my groceries.
• I received a mailer from Target that included several Target coupons.
• I saved the juice from canned pineapple and used it to make a smoothie.
• We ate leftovers for a couple of dinners and lunches.
• I combined my errands on outings in order to save gas.
• I avoided using the oven on a hot day in order to keep the house more comfortable and avoid running the air conditioner.
• I stayed home 2 days in order to save on gas.
• I paid several bills online in order to save money on stamps.
• I opened the windows in the house in order to take advantage of some comfortable breezes on a couple days, which helped avoid running the air conditioning.
• I cashed in some Kellogg's cereal codes (bought on sale and with coupons, of course!) in order to obtain a free movie ticket voucher. 
• I received a free sample and coupon of Finish Quantum dishwasher detergent in the mail.
• I found a coupon for a product I buy often next to my car in a parking lot.  A love surprise scores like that! :-)
• I made a batches of homemade laundry detergent and homemade hair detangler.
• I recieved a free cosmetic-type bag filled with free samples and coupons from Always and Tampax in the mail.

I'd love to hear what you are doing to help save money.  Feel free to leave me a comment!

Money Saving Challenge - week 21 in review

I didn't have as many money-saving activities this week as I had last week, but I also didn't have as many expenses as last week which is a good thing.  Theses are the things I did during the last seven days to help save money:

• I received (and used -- these are so yummy!) a Kraft Fresh Takes free product coupon in the mail.
• We ate leftovers for dinner 2 nights.
• I received a free Tide Pod sample in the mail.
• I let the kids wash our 2 cars.  It saved me gas by not having to drive to the car wash, it saved me the cost of 2 car washes, and provided free entertainment for the kids on a hot day. 
• I combined my errands on outings to help save on gas.
• I stayed home 1 day this week to also help save on gas.
• The wooden playset we ordered last week arrived.  My husband and I are going to work as time allows to assemble it, rather than hiring someone to do it for us.  It will take longer this way, but it will be a substantial savings and the kids are looking forward to being able to to little jobs to help out.
• I took some of the extra money from couponing and my husband's overtime and deposited it into a savings account.
• I matched coupons, sales, and SavingStar offers at Tops to help save on grocery costs.
• I paid an additional amount on the principal of my car loan this month.  While it didn't save me money from leaving my wallet this week, it will save me on interest in the long run.
• The dishwasher was run only when it was full and with a half dishwasher tablet. I am very pleased that it seems to have also become a habit with my son and husband. :-)

What did you do to save money this week?  Let me know in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 20 in review

I'll be honest: I spent a TON of money this week.  Even though I had a lot of money leaving my bank account, there were still a lot of things I did to help lessen the impact:

• I received free samples of Lipton Tea & Honey and Gevalia coffee in the mail.
• We ate leftovers for dinner 2 nights and 1 day for lunch.
• I ordered pizza for dinner 1 night (bad!), but I used a coupon to get a second pizza for free (and there were enough leftovers for the lunch and 1 of the dinners mentioned above).
• I paid several bills this week online and over the phone, which saved on stamps and gas.
• I combined my errands on outings to help save on gas.
• I cashed in my Tops gas points to get $1.10 off per gallon, which saved over $15.
• We ordered a wooden playset for our kids.  This was a huge expense for us, but we shopped around online and ordered where we found the lowest price for the one we wanted (Home Depot, which surprised me).  It's getting shipped free to us, and I was able to purchase it through Ebates so we will be getting a portion of the purchase price refunded back to us.
• I cashed in my Swagbucks for another $5 Amazon gift card, which I will use towards Christmas gifts later in the year.
• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans to lower my grocery costs.
• I returned bottles when I went grocery shopping and used the proceeds to lower my grocery bill.
• I cashed out my Savingstar balance.
• I picked up some decent coupons for products we use from the reception desk at my daughter's orthodontist appointment. As a side note, I don't think I've ever mentioned that we paid for her orthodontia treatment in full upfront last year, which gave us a 10% discount, from my coupon savings over the course of a few months.  I am super proud of that accomplishment. :-)
• I only ran the dishwasher when it was full, and cut the tablets in half each time.
• I received All You and Wegmans Menu magazines in the mail, both of which contain coupons I'll use to lower grocery expenses.
• I received a free sample of Dr. Scholl's high heel insoles to test, along with coupons, from Bzzagent.  This comes at a great time, because my feet have been bothering me lately and I was planning on purchasing insoles for a few pairs of my shoes.

I love hearing about new ideas for saving money.  Feel free to share any things you do to save money and stretch your budget.

Money Saving Challenge - week 19 in review

Here is the list of things I did this week to try to save money:

• I combined sales and coupons at Tops in order to save money.
• I combined errands on outings in order to save on gas.
• We ate leftovers for dinner 2 nights this week.
• I received in the mail a coupon for a free quart of International Delight creamer.  I love saving free product coupons for a Tops gas points earning period -- not only do I get free stuff, but I help pad my gas discount this way!
• I also received my Johnson & Johnson coupon mailer from the Healthy Essentials rebate.
• I received my Renuzit Try Me Free mail-in rebate check. Between the coupon I used, the rebate, and store promo at the time, this ended up being a money maker for me.
• I read my MyPoints emails in order to keep increasing my point balance so I can cash in for several gift cards later in the year.
• I always run the dishwasher using a half dishwasher tablet.  I noticed that my husband cut the tablet in half, too, when he ran it earlier this week. :-)

  If you're doing things to help you maintain a frugal budget, I'd love to hear about it!

Money Saving Challenge - week 18

These is the list of things I did this week to try to save money:

• I combined sales and coupons at Tops, Wegmans, and Target in order to save money (I didn't write a separate blog post, but I received a Target mailer with a coupon for a free dozen eggs and combined a couple Target clothing coupons with a cheap shirt and a clearance pair of shorts)
• I combined errands on outings in order to save on gas.
• I stayed home 2 days in order to also save on gas.
• I received a free reusable grocery bag in the mail from Believe in Heroes/Wounded Warrior project.
• I also received free Nivea samples and coupons via snail mail from CVS.
• I made another batch of homemade hair detangler.  Watch for the upcoming tutorial -- it is so cheap and easy!
• I read my MyPoints emails in order to keep increasing my point balance so I can cash in for several gift cards later in the year.
• I utilized our Strong Museum membership and took the kids out for a fun day on the cheap.
• I took advantage of the school's PTA-sponsored family bowling event for a another fun and cheap outing.
• When a drive-thru was calling my name yesterday, I resisted the temptation and came home and made myself lunch. ;-)
• I only ran the dishwasher when it was full and used half of a dishwashing tablet each time.

Are you doing anything to pinch your pennies and stretch your budget? I'd love to hear about it!

Money Saving Challenge - week 17 in review

I felt very productive this week in my quest for being frugal and saving money.  Here is the rundown of what I did:

• I downloaded a free ebook onto my Nook.
• I received a bunch of freebie goodies in the mail this week: a coupon for a free drink at Dunkin Donuts, a full size bottle of MiO water enhancer, a Target beauty bad containing samples and coupons, and a bunch of Crest coupons. 
• I matched coupons and sales at Tops and Wegmans to save money on my groceries and deposited a portion of my savings into our bank account.
• I cashed in my Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon gift card, which I will use towards Christmas gifts later this year.
• I combined errands on my outings to help save on gas.
• I mailed out a $3 rebate which will make some fruit I bought a money maker. 
• I read my MyPoints emails to rack up points for gift cards that I will use for gift giving or a treat for my family.
• Since my car was on fumes, I used my gas points at Tops. I had a $4.00/gallon discount which enabled my to get about 17 gallons of gas for $1.00!  And to top that off, I did more shopping after my fill-up and am already up to another $0.50 per gallon discount with a full week's worth of shopping left in this earning period.
• I was in desperate need of a hair cut.  I went to the Supercuts close to my house (cheap price, plus saves on gas), used a coupon (even cheaper), and will get my next cut free (used my buy 8, get the 9th free card).

Did you do anything to help save money this week? I'd love to read about them in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 16 in review

Despite a nasty cold virus that hit 3 out of 5 of us this week (including me, who seems to have been hit the hardest by it, which is so not fair!), I was able to do a lot of things to help save money this week:

• I stayed home 2 days this week, which saved money on gas.
• I combined errands on my outings to also save gas.
• I matched coupons and sales at Tops to save money on my groceries, while racking up a huge discount off their gas price which I will take advantage off when my car is on empty.
• I cashed in my Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon gift card, which I will use towards Christmas gifts later this year.
• I made homemade hair detangler for free.  It is so easy, I will post a how-to tutorial later.
• I found a couple great mail-in rebates while I was at the grocery store, including one for fresh fruit.  I will definitely be using this one!
• My mailbox has been full of money-saving coupons lately.  Over the course of the week I received: a mailer containing several Proctor & Gamble product coupons, a coupon for a free Zone Perfect bar, a Target mailer which included a coupon for a free dozen eggs, and a Seeds of Change catalog which contained a $2 coupon off any product (will make for cheap organic rice at Wegmans).

If you have any frugal activities you did this week to help save money, I'd love to read about them in the comments below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 15 in review

With the kids off from school this week, I felt like my priorities didn't include saving money.  Even still, I found a few ways to be frugal:

• I combined errands on outings to help save on gas.
• I received a free sample box of Palmolive dish soap from Influenster to use and review (stay tuned for my review in the near future!).
• I cashed out my SavingStar balance.
• I rented movies from RedBox using free rental codes.
• I matched coupons and sales at Tops and Wegmans to save money on my groceries.
• I only ran my dishwasher when it was full and used a half dishwasher detergent tablet each time.
• I read my MyPoints emails to increase my points balance so that later in the year I can cash out for gift cards to give as gifts or use for my family.
• I took advantage of our zoo membership for a free outing with the kids.  I also packed drinks and snacks from home so I could avoid buying overpriced food while we were there (we didn't end up eating or drinking anything, but I was prepared!).

What were some things you did this week to save money?  I'd love to read about it in the comments!

Money Saving Challenge - week 14 in review

 

Here are the things I did this week to help save money:

 

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans to save money on groceries.
• I combined errands on my outings to help save money on gas.
• I stayed home 1 day this week to also save money on gas.
• Since I have an overabundance of fresh oregano growing in my kitchen, I picked some and am drying it.  When I need dried oregano, I won't have to go out and buy it. 
• I mailed out a Renuzit "try me free" rebate.
• I packed leftovers for my husband's work lunches.
• I received a Chicken of the Sea coupon via snail mail.  After the coupon doubles, I will be able to get an almost free can of tuna.
• I received a coupon and lotion sample of gud by Burt's Bees via snail mail.
• I read my MyPoints emails in order to build up my account balance so I can cash in on a variety of gift cards.

What are some things you did this week to save money? I'd love to read about them in the comments!

Money Saving Challenge - week 13 in review

 

This week felt to me like it was chock full of money-saving activities. Here are the things I did to help save money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops,Wegmans, and Target to save money on groceries and Easter goodies.
• I found a penny next to my car in a parking lot.  I know it's not much but every little bit counts, right? ;-)
• I combined errands on my outings to help save money on gas.
• I stayed home 1 day this week to also save money on gas.
• A few days this week I packed canned pineapple in my kids' lunches.  I saved the juice from the can and used it to add to a smoothie.
• I cashed in Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon gift card that I will use towards Christmas gifts.
• I packed leftovers for my husband's work lunches.
• I made sure not to run my dishwasher unless it was full, and I cut the tablets in half. I find this has really been a saver -- the tablets don't clean any differently when I only use half of one, so I'm getting them to last twice as long. I also picked up another big container of them at BJ's since they had a store coupon for them.
• I received some coupons and a packet of organic basil seeds from a giveaway I entered a while ago from Stonyfield YoKids. I can't wait to plant the seeds so I can use fresh basil along with the other herbs I have growing in my kitchen.
• I download a few free ebooks onto my Nook.
• After ignoring my MyPoints account for a really long time, I started reading the emails again.  I already have enough points sitting in my account to cash in for $10 or $25 gift cards.  I think I'll cash out and use them to give as gifts during the holidays, or when we're planning a special outing. (I'm not sure why I stopped reading the emails, because I really do like the MyPoints program.  If you're interested in joining, shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I'll send you a referral.)
• I mailed out my Johnson's Healthy Essentials rebate and will receive an envelope of coupons as a result.

What are some things you did this week to save money? I'd love to read about them in the comments!

Money Saving Challenge - week 12 in review

I feel like I really need to get back on the frugal bandwagon these days.  Here are the things I did this week to help save money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops and Wegmans to save money on my groceries.
• I saved the most money on my grocery expenses by doing the majority of my "shopping" from my existing stockpile.
• I combined errands on my outings to help save money on gas. 
• I stayed home 1 day this week to also save money on gas.
• I redeemed my Tops gas points to get a discount of $2.30 per gallon.  I was able to get about 25 gallons at $1.67 per gallon, which saved me a little over $56 in gas.
• I cooked a cheap cut of meat (smoked pork shoulder picnic, one of my favorites, bought previously on sale for only $0.99 per pound!) and had enough to serve dinner one night plus leftovers for 2 additional meals.  On top of that, I put the bone in my freezer to save for making soup or beans in my crockpot in the future.
• I packed leftovers for my husbands work lunches.
• I made sure not to run my dishwasher unless it was full, and I cut the tablets in half.  I find this has really been a saver -- the tablets don't clean any differently when I only use a half of one, so I'm getting them to last twice as long.
• I took advantage of several freebie sample and coupon giveaways I found online at Vocalpoint and Facebook.
• Because of the unseasonably warm weather, I didn't run the heat at all this entire week.  Hurray for the best March weather ever!

What are some things you did this week to save money?

Money Saving Challenge - week 11 in review

I've been so busy this week, I didn't have much time for money-saving activities but did manage to do a few things:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops to save money on my groceries.
• I returned bottles at the grocery store to lower my out-of-pocket grocery expenses.
• When sales items were sold out at the grocery store, I made sure to ask for a raincheck.  Not only will I be able to get them at the sales price, but I may possibly be able to earn gas points when they are back in stock.
• I combined errands on my outings to help save money on gas.
• I walked home from school with my girls one day.  In all honesty, this was not a planned event but it did save on gas nonetheless!
• I received a free sample of Tide Pod detergent in the mail.
• I used coupons for Toys R Us and a local pizzeria to help lower birthday party expenses.

After my third child's birthday next week, things should settle down a bit so that I can get back into a blogging and money-saving routine.  If you did some frugal things this week, I'd love to read about them.  Leave me a comment below!

Money Saving Challenge - week 10 in review

Boy, this week flew by quickly.  I can't believe it's already Saturday!  Here is a look back on the things I did this week to help save money:

• I matched sales and coupons at Tops to reduce my grocery costs, and tried to make sure I used as many coupons as possible in order to maximize my gas points.
• I combined errands on my outings so I could conserve gas.
• I stayed home 2 days in order to conserve gas.
• I used no heat at all one day this week when it was unseasonably warm.
• I received a box of Proctor & Gamble free samples and coupons.
• I needed to buy a birthday card, so I went to the nearby CVS and used a $1 ExtraCare Buck that was expiring that day in order to lower my out-of-pocket expense and not waste the "free money."  Now if only I had remembered that I had a $10 CVS cash card in my wallet, I could have spent no money on it.  Grr!  :-(
• My older daughter's birthday is tomorrow.  She wanted an American Girl doll for years and finally received one for Christmas, but has no clothes for it other than what the doll came with.  I went to Joann's and used their coupons, along with coupons from Michaels and A.C. Moore, to stock up on several 18" doll outfits.  Using the coupons, I was able to buy them each for 40% off their already-much-cheaper-than-official-American Girl prices. Shh!  Don't tell her until tomorrow! ;-)
• I made my own liquid hand soap from a free bar of soap.  Results and tutorial to come soon!
• I made a batch of homemade laundry detergent.  I know I've posted about this in the past, but I'll post another how-to soon.
• When I drove my husbands car to the grocery store one day this week, I returned a couple empty soda bottles I found in it and used the money towards my groceries.

Have you done anything this week to help save or avoid spending money?  I'd love to read about it in the comments!