Frugal Activities 1st Week in January

I've been inspired by the weekly posts at http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/


- Received a free 13.75 lb. turkey from work (they handed out them out prior to the holidays, but on a day I was out of the office; a coworker kept it for me)

- received a free shampoo sample; used an earlier free sample to wash my hair

- read a library book (that will be discussed at a church book group -- free entertainment and socializing), and 2 (and a half) free Kindle books

- New Year's Day free entertainment of sledding down the hill in a nearby park

- used a gift card received from credit card points to put gas in my car

- used the last of the fall apples in the fridge to make apple crisp

- cooked fall squash that had been sitting on my countertop in the crockpot; used one batch for a meal last week and put the rest in the freezer

- packed my lunch for work almost every day; drank tea I brought from home and brewed with water heated in an electric teakettle at work (some of the tea was a pass-along from my sister, who received a tin of tea bags from a coworker; teakettle was a wedding gift several years ago)

- used CVS Extra Bucks credits to buy 2 gallons of milk, a loaf of bread, a package of spaghetti and a package of onion soup mix for 12 cents

- cashed in Walgreen's Balance Rewards points for juice, toilet paper, and cottage cheese for $3.60

- ate mostly from the pantry/freezer except for our planned weekend meal out: blueberry pancakes and apple crisp for New Year's Day; a roast in the crockpot, with carrots cleaned out of the fridge, mashed potatoes and gravy, apple crisp; squash-stuffed shells pasta with peas; leftovers; creamy cauliflower soup with blueberry muffins