This Week...Beyond Money 2/1 - 2/7

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* I harvested 1 1/2 cups of greens from the garden.

Cooking/Groceries:
* We made chicken tortellini one evening for dinner. We used up a bag of tortellini from the salvage grocer, some cheddar cheese powder, onions, garlic, and leftover chicken.
* I found eggs on sale for $.99/dozen. I bought 6 dozen.
* I made quiche one day. I used a container of leftover ham from the freezer, caramelized onions, some leftover mixed greens, and the last of a bag of cheddar cheese.
* I tried something different for our snack. I made chocolate chip cookie dough pop tarts based on the recipe for cookie dough hand pies from the Magpie cookbook. They were fantastic. Trucker loves cookie dough ice cream, so I was excited to surprise him with these. I'll definitely put them into the rotation.

Fun:
* Dad took me out for dinner one evening. We went to a pizza buffet and ordered water. He used a BOGO coupon from the coupon book they buy every year for their county. Total cost: $7.
* We went on a couple coffee dates using our travel mugs, $3.18.
* I went to my grandpa's house one evening to catch up.
* We took a long walk in a fancy neighborhood one nice afternoon.

Nature:
* We went on a lovely hike at a state nature preserve. It was a gorgeous day for February, in the mid 60s and there had been no rain for awhile, so it wasn't soggy. This was one of the nicest places I've hiked in the state. I've shared some of my favorite photos, but it was hard to narrow it down!


Frugality:
* I took a box of books, magazines, DVDs and CDs to Half Price Books. While they don't pay a lot, it was good to clear out some space. The money will go into savings for
travelling to visit family.
* I spent an evening cleaning out the spare room. We will be using it for something else.

Waste Reduction:
* I had a towel that had torn. Rather than throw it away after I bought new towels a couple months ago, I put it in the scrap bag.This week I pulled it out of the bag and cut it into 12 squares. I sewed the raw edges on three of them. These will be used for rags. We use a lot of rags for cleaning items to sell at the booth and around the house/garden/cars. I don't use paper towels at all. When they start to get really rough, I'll use them for cleaning a really gross mess and just throw them away without guilt since they've been used scores of times already.


Work:
* I worked 2 days at my regular part time job.
* Trucker ate for free each day he worked. I brought food from home each day I worked.

Health:
* We went on a really good hike one day. It was 3 miles, but steep so we got a good workout in.
* We went on a few walks around the neighborhood.
* I've been better about eating less lately. I also drink mostly calorie-free or almost calorie-free beverages: water, coffee, hot tea.

Community:
* More exciting things on the horizon. It's a delicate situation right now, but I'm excited to share it with you all just as soon as I can!

How was your week?

This Week....Beyond Money 1/25 - 1/31

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* I harvested 1 cup of mixed greens from the indoor garden. Nothing is better than fresh greens in January.
* On a particularly nice day, I worked out in the front garden. I pruned a lot of trees and shrubs. I didn't prune the Rose of Sharon shrubs or rose bushes because we probably have some cold coming and I don't want them to put on new growth and then get damaged. However, I cut back a lot of terrible, invasive shrubs we've been trying to eradicate for 3 years. I figure anything I can do to stress these plants might help me get them under control (some of these will get pruned severely in spring, but grow 5+ feet by autumn). I also pulled up dead flowers and cleared branches from the yard. It was such a lovely day, I was glad for the excuse to get outside.
* Trucker was a dear and removed some poison ivy from the front garden so I wouldn't break out horribly.

Cooking/Groceries:
* I made twice baked potatoes to use up the last of the potatoes, plus some leftover bacon. I swished a bit of milk in two almost empty salad dressing bottles and used that to moisten the mix. I topped with a little bit of cheese.
* I used up the leftover potatoes to make Colcannon with some manager's special greens and half a leftover pepper (from manager's special)
* We had a quick dinner one night of grilled cheese and soup.
* Trucker made dinner for us one evening when I got home from work. He made spaghetti with leftover polish sausage. Served with garlic bread. Super frugal meal.
* I woke up one morning to hear Trucker in the kitchen. He'd made me french toast for breakfast. He also made enough extra for me to toss in the toaster for a quick breakfast. I love that thoughtfulness.
* I made sandwiches for our road trip.
* I baked some cookies from frozen dough. I'd gotten it for $.75/package on the after-Christmas sales. I baked off 6 of the 24.
* I baked off a bag of biscotti we'd gotten from Trucker's old job. It was baked the first time and then frozen. I sliced it and baked it off. I saved the crumbs for using in other dishes.
* We had popcorn as a snack one evening.

Fun:
* We went on a coffee date at our regular spot, $3.18 with our travel mugs. We also got a free bagel with our rewards card, with butter instead of cream cheese, as that was free.
* Trucker took me out for a date one afternoon. We love our frugal dates, and I think enjoy them far more than expensive dates. We went to Steak n Shake during their Happy Hour for 1/2 off shakes. He got a regular size and I got a kid's size (which is still half off). Our entire date cost around $5.
* Went over to my friends house for stove top popcorn and talking.
* We went to a city a couple hours away to take care of something exciting (see below). While we were there, we wanted to have a little fun. After we took care of business, we took a long walk around downtown and to the lake. Then we met up with a friend of ours who had moved away a few years ago. We got to meet his better half and had a wonderful double date. Dinner was around $25, but that was our only cost for the day trip, other than the cost of gas. We loved talking and singing together in the car as we drove.

Nature:
* We got to walk around Lake Erie for a bit. The weather has been ridiculous around here this week, mid 60s! Perfect for walking!

Frugality:
* I used the library for books, movies and audiobooks. The library is really an awesome resource. I can't imagine how much I must save each year.

Waste Reduction:
* I saved water from thawing rabbit water bottles to use to water plants once it was at room temperature. I saved other water from rinsing items or while waiting for dish water to get hot. While the water bill isn't super expensive, I think it is important to get in the habit of being responsible with my resources. It may save just a few dollars a year, but small practices become habits and take no real effort after learning. Just because I live in an area that has ample access to good water (for now!), doesn't mean that water will always be readily available. When I was growing up, our town's water would routinely be contaminated. We would have to use bottled water for weeks. Especially given what is going on in Flint right now, I feel it is even more important to be mindful.
* I used the last of a jar of pickles. I used the leftover pickle juice to make mock pickled peppers using dehydrated Hungarian Wax peppers.

Work:
* I packed lunch each day I worked.
* Trucker planned to eat light on days he worked and eat that evening. He had a hard time finishing and meal and hated throwing away part of the meal. So no more is being made, but we save a little money on his food 3 days a week.
* I worked a half hour overtime.

Future:
* Our sales have been fantastic. We did more in the first 9 days of this pay period than we usually do in 15-16 days.
* Trucker published ANOTHER kindle book. I'm overwhelmed by his productivity, passion and dedication. What an awesome partner to have on my team (I am so sappy this post...hehe).
* I listed some more items on my Etsy store.
* Trucker got an audition for a movie! We drove a few hours away so he could audition. Definite bucket list type thing! We are still waiting to hear back.

Health:
* I went for a run one day.
* Trucker and I went for a few nice long walks around the neighborhood.
* I have been getting my appetite under control better for the last few weeks. I don't have the urge to nibble like I used to. It hasn't resulted in a massive weight loss, but I feel better.

Setbacks:
* I've been picking up 2-3 days a week at my factory for the last 5 months. This week I came in and found out that effective that day, I was cut back to 2 days. This cut my income by 50-60%. I had a mild freak out for a minute, but then pulled myself together. However, it has worked out okay. I put in a couple applications and found a place hiring a temp for the 4 days before Valentine's Day. I walked in and filed out an application. They offered me the job on the spot and said if it goes well, there will be a part time job for me. The owner is perfectly willing to work with my factory schedule.

Community:
* I had meet someone from the neighborhood who is heading up a fantastic project right down the road from my house. I'll provide more details once I know exactly what is happening, but sufficed to say, I'm beyond thrilled.
* The common theme in my life has always been the library. When I was a kid, one of my best friends was the 90+ year old librarian who always hooked me up with the best reads. Flash forward a couple decades and I still have to plan at least a half hour when stopping in at the library to talk with everyone. Well, when I was in this week, we got to talking about foreign films. One of the women was telling me about a movie that I had to watch and she said that the system had it. Then she said, "Wait. You know, I have a copy here. I'll be right back." She let me borrow her personal copy. That is a great sign of community building and I can't wait to build it further.
* Basically, this week did a lot of good for me. I feel very optimistic about my place here.

How was your week?

This Week...Beyond Money 1/18 - 1/24

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* I bought a 25 lb bag of feed for $8.99. This brings my total cost to $196 so far. I've gotten no meat yet, but loads of fertilizer.

Cooking/Groceries:
* Trucker got a huge tub of mixed greens for $2.50 (usually $5) on manager's special, Special K cereal for $1 box (4 boxes), milk for $1/half gallon (great for here). He also wanted to treat me, so he got a container of fancy hot chocolate($1.50, usually $4) and a container of cajun mix which is my current favorite snack ($1.99 marked down from $6.99).
* I hit the mother load one day at the grocery store. I stumbled upon the meat section right as they were marking down breakfast and lunch meats. I got: 4 packs of bacon at $1.50 (usually $6.19; $2/lb), 2 small packs of olive loaf for $1 (usually $1.99; $2/lb), 1 pack of maple sausage patties for $1.50 (usually $4.99; $2.50/lb), a pack of mesquite turkey for $1.09 (usually $3.49; $2.18/lb), honey roasted turkey breast for $1.39 (usually $3.99; $2.47/lb) and a 1 lb tub of chicken breast for $2.89. Quite a fantastic score!
* On day while Trucker was at work, I made colcannon with fried eggs for dinner. So good and so cheap.
* Sunday morning I made fried eggs, maple sausage and toast for breakfast.
* I made apple galettes one evening with maple syrup under the apples and a liberal sprinkling of cinnamon sugar before baking. I used the leftover dough to make rugelach.
* I made toffee nuts. I used Amy Dacyzn's English Toffee recipe and tossed in a container of peanuts at the last minute and tossed to coat before the candy seized. I sprinkled some chocolate chips on top and covered with a plate to melt the chocolate. I spread the chocolate roughly over the peanuts and after it had set I crumbled it up. Delicious.

Food Preservation:
* I filled the freezer with discount meat.

Fun:
* We went out for a couple $3 coffee dates.
* We went over to our friends house one day to visit. He had surgery and has to stay in for a bit. It was great getting to catch up with him.
* Trucker took me on a nice date. He bought a groupon for a German restaurant we had never been to. For $13, we were both able to eat their lunch buffet. They had two types of sausage, fried cabbage, two types of potato salad, two types of soup (including a lovely broccoli beir cheese soup that was simply to die for). So our date cost $23 total after cash tip. Not too shabby.
* We went out with our movie lovers group to see Bridge of Spies. We went to the discount theatre on their $1.25 day. We didn't buy snacks there, so our outing cost $2.50.

Nature:
* We went for a chilly walk at a multi-use trail on the site of an old railroad track. There were cardinals everywhere. So cool.

Frugality:
* One day that it was warm, I turned off the furnace, bundled up and opened windows throughout the house. The air gets to stagnant and polluted in winter, especially after weatherproofing. I loved having the chance to freshen the air.
* We payed extra on two debts. Two are very close to being paid off.

Waste Reduction:
* I composted lots of weird things. I am being better about composting non-glossy paper to get my greens and browns in better balance.

Work:
* I worked 2 extra days this week and 3 hours of overtime.
* Trucker packed my lunches and breakfasts each day I worked. He ate for free at his job.

Future:
* We freshened up the booth together one afternoon.
* We had a good sales week at the booth.
* I had a trunk sale for a friend who is starting a baking business and hooked her up with some great cake and cupcake pans.
* I sold my first article ever. I've been published in a variety of magazines and websites, but it has always been free work and I won some writing contests that paid, but this will be my first check for selling a piece. I'm beyond excited.

Health:
* We went on a couple walks together.
* I've been a lot more mindful of what and how much I eat and drink.
* I checked my blood pressure and it has dropped significantly over the last few months since I made some lifestyle changes and implemented some things to drop my stress levels. My levels are now closer to what they were when I was 17.

Community:
* My coworker gave me a dozen eggs to say thank you for picking him up something from the city (where I live, 45 minutes from him). He raises his own chickens in the backyard. The eggs were incredible.
* Trucker got me an unbelievably wonderful hat. It's a penguin. It is perfect.
* I surprised DH with flowers one day ($3 from the grocery). He liked them and has them on his nightstand.

How was your week?

This Week...Beyond Money 1/11 - 1/17

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* I harvested greens for the bunnies while taking a walk. It wasn't a lot, but I'm sure they enjoyed them. I also picked up pine cones for them to play with/nibble on to beat winter boredom.
* Due to the cold weather, I haven't been interacting with them as much, just feed, water, and run into the house to get warm. Now they are a bit more nervous around me. I'm going to make sure to pet them a little each time I go out, after all, I'll have to get them to trust me enough to get them out of their cages for breeding!

Cooking/Groceries:
* I stopped at the grocery store in my parents' town. It is more expensive than our grocery stores generally speaking. However, they had a section of manager 's special meat. There were hams priced at $1.49/lb. In the city, it's $3.99/lb and almost never goes on sale. I bought two and tossed one in the freezer.
* I made ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch one day.
* I used the last of a jar of split peas, a big container of homemade chicken stock and 2/3 lb of ham to make soup. While split pea soup isn't our favorite, it was cheap and used up the last of the split peas (we probably won't buy more, but wanted to use the ones we'd gotten for almost free).
* I made tortilla pizzas one day, heavy on the peppers and sauce and light on the cheese.
* Trucker packed me PBJ sandwiches for breakfast and ham sandwiches for lunch when I worked.

Fun:
* I went over to my parents' house for dinner one evening. My dad and sister had just returned from Panama the night before and we all gathered around to hear their stories.
* Trucker and I had a couple coffee dates.
* We went out for dinner with our friends one evening. We decided to split a sub instead of getting a pizza. It cost $7 and with the fries that came with it, it was filling for both of us.

Nature:
* We went out to a local Metro park for a 1.5 mile walk. The second half of the walk it was snowing. It was very pretty. Since it's been warm, the mushrooms have been popping up all over the fallen trees. So beautiful.

Frugality:
* At a thrift store I found a sea shell decorated toothbrush holder. Since I am decorating the bathroom slowly with a beach at sunset theme, it was perfect. It only cost $2.
* I walked to the library to save money on gas and get a little exercise.

Waste Reduction:
* I composted weird things.
* I used the last of a bottle of hand soap that was too little to pump out for a bubble bath.

Work:
* I worked two extra days at my regular job.
* We had a pizza party at work one day for having a good safety month.
* Trucker ate for free at his job.

Health:
* I went running one evening. I got home after work and then dinner at my parents, so I'd been gone for 18+ hours. I wanted to run, but knew if I went inside I wouldn't come back out since it was so cold and nasty. So I hopped out of my car and ran a quick mile in my steel toes and factory whites uniform. I'll tell ya, if I trained in steel toes, my calves would be wicked. Hehe
* Trucker and I went for a 1.5 mile walk.



How was your week?

This Week...Beyond Money 1/4 - 1/10

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* The lettuce is growing nicely. I'll harvest some soon.
* One of the pepper plants put on a fresh batch of flowers. I plucked them all off so it put it's energy into growing a strong plant instead of peppers for now.


Cooking/Groceries:
* We had spaghetti for dinner one night. The next night, I baked the leftovers with more sauce, vegetables, spices and a cheese/bread crumb topping til it was warmed through and the cheese melted. It isn't the most fabulous meal ever, but it was an easy way to use up a lot of leftovers or items that would otherwise go to waste.
* Ate more chicken noodle soup (leftovers).
* I ate peanut butter and toast for breakfast most mornings.
* We snacked on stovetop popcorn.

Fun:
* My friend and I went out for coffee and chatting one evening.
* Trucker and I went on a few coffee dates ($3.18).
* I took my sister out for dinner after work one day for a belated birthday present. We had a great time talking and catching up.
* My mom came over for lunch/dinner (linner?) with Trucker and I one day after driving my sister and dad to the airport. We decided to order Chinese food. We ordered it at 2:45, just making it to get the lunch special price. We got two entrees and split them between the three of us. Total cost: $11.
* Trucker took me on a date to a Cajun restaurant for blackended chicken. Delicious! I brought enough chicken and fries home for another meal.

Frugality:
* I got gas at work to save ~$.10/gallon.
* I avoided going into stores so I couldn't spend money at them.
* Trucker hung up plastic to all of the windows/vents to the outdoors to keep the warm air in. It made a noticeable difference immediately.

Waste Reduction:
* I composted lots of weird things.

Work:
* Trucker brought home a free pizza from his job that hadn't been picked up.
* Trucker ate for free at his job. I packed lunch each day I worked.
* I picked up 2 extra days at my regular job.

Future:
* We took more items up to the booth.
* Since we rearranged the booth, we've started making many more sales. We will try to be more proactive about freshening the layout and rotating stock.
* Trucker has another audiobook in production.
* Trucker got a few more articles published.
* I worked on Etsy listings. It has been doing great for me lately. I'm trying out some new types of items to see if I can branch out a bit.

Health:
* We went for a few longer walks around the neighborhood.
* I went for 2 short runs.
* I'm being better about eating less and I'm drinking water.

Community:
* I spent the evening/night in the hospital with my mom when my sister got sick. They drove an hour to the city where I live since it's a better hospital. I brought snacks and coffee for Mom since we didn't know how long we'd be there and if Mom had to drive home that night (which she did at 5:30 in the morning!) I wanted her to be caffeinated.
* I bought Trucker a couple of gifts at a thrift store. One was a silly board game gag gift. The other was a like new coffee travel mug. His good one broke and he's been stuck using the backup mug that doesn't work as well. He really wanted another, but we didn't want to spend $20+ to buy one that would break just as quickly as a thrift store one. This one was a porcelain cup with silicone lid and a beautiful wooden handle. It had the label on the bottom still. Cost: $.90
* Trucker gave me what very well may be the sweetest gift anyone has ever given me. He ordered a box of 32 kid's Valentine's Day cards featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (my very favorite comic book characters). On each card he wrote one reason that he loves me. He then hid them around the house for me to find. So far I've found about half. Best gift ever.

How was your week?

Shared on:

This Week...Beyond Money 12/28 - 1/3

For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.

Gardening:
* Ray cat discovered the cilantro plants. I now have loads of cilantro stems, minus the leaves.
* The lettuce isn't quite ready to harvest yet.

Cooking/Groceries:
* One morning for breakfast, I made a dish I hadn't made in 6-7 years. It was one of my "decadent" meals during the recession. PBJ tortillas. I spread peanut butter and jelly (use a very small amount as it melts) on a tortilla, topped with another and browned each side over a medium heat. So delicious, and so cheap.
* Trucker made me French toast one morning. So yummy. He's the best.
* I stopped at the salvage grocer, but kept my spending to $24. I got: 1 4-pack of toilet paper (100% post consumer recycled materials; $.99), 1 large jar hot salsa ($.99), 2 jars of peanut and coconut butter (This stuff is incredible! $1.49/each), 1 jar chocolate hazelnut butter ($1.49; this is the same kind I saw for sale at the grocery store for $14.99 a jar!), 2 4-oz bars of Baker's premium white chocolate (I personally don't consider white chocolate to be chocolate, but Trucker loves it, and I love him, so I bought it. $.99), 2 small jars of mayo ($.20 each), 2 11-oz bags of 8 o'clock coffee ($2.49/each), 2 6-oz bags of french vanilla coffee ($.99/each; I would have gotten more of this coffee and not the other, but we don't drink a lot of flavored coffee. We will cut this in with unflavored), 2 1-lb bags of pasta ($.69/each), 1 can of refried beans ($.59), 9 cans of soup (Trucker sometimes uses these on days I work; about half of them were organic brands).
* I made caramel apple galettes. I made my yummy pie crust (the one I use for homemade pop tarts is based on a recipe from King Arthur), rolled into rough circles, spread with goat's milk caramel (on manager's special for $1 a bottle), and spiraled apple slices in the middle. I folded up the edges, dusted with cinnamon and baked at 325 til golden on the bottom.
* I cooked 10 pounds of chicken in the slow cooker. I strained the water off to use as broth for soup making. I divided the meat up into meal sized portions to make for a lot of good meals.
* I used all the bones, skins and other weird bits along with veggie scraps for stock making. The fat from the top of the broth was saved for cooking. While it is not super healthy to eat in large amounts, in reasonable amounts it is fine and it is free.
* I made chicken pot pie. I covered the bottom crust with shredded chicken, then a very thick layer of mixed veggies gotten through various frugal means (Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, potato), then poured on a can of turkey gravy (got last year on an after-Thanksgiving sale for $.10/can; I got a dollar's worth for days I'm trying to pull dinner together quickly, since that is the same price or a little lower than it would cost me to make). I sprinkled some cheese and seasonings over that, topped with the other crust and baked at 425 til golden brown. This is a great way to use up leftovers of all sorts.
* We made stir fry one night. We used some of the chicken and cooked the rice in chicken broth. I used a variety of veggies from the frig.
* The next day I made tacos to use up leftovers. I used the rest of a container of chicken (about 1 cup total), the leftover rice and an orange bell pepper ($.25 on manager's special). I served on flour tortillas with sour cream and the last of a head of romaine.

Food Preservation:
* I froze a lot of chicken in meal-sized portions.

Fun:
* We went on our $3.18 coffee date and got a reward for a free bagel. We will save that for another day.
* The first snow that was more than a light dusting was on New Year's Eve. Even more reason not to go out. Last thing we needed was to drive with drunks trying to remember how to drive in the snow.
* I went bowling with my parents, sisters, and sister's fiance. Everyone brought their own shoes (I found a pair for $2.50 at a thrift store; rental was $3). We rented two lanes for an hour for $20, instead of paying for two games each for 7 people at $3. Afterwards, we went out to eat at a hamburger place that had HUGE meals. We split meals and were full.

Frugality:
* We rearranged the booth. The shelving we had there didn't work because they were plastic and not sturdy enough to support all of those heavy glass pieces. So, we cleared off three sets of shelves from the house and used those (saved $90 over purchasing shelves at Big Lots, plus two were even bigger than the Big Lots ones). Then we brought back the two plastic shelves from the booth and used those for storage for cake pans I sell on etsy and other items.
* I organized my baking cabinet. It had gotten a little crazy. Now everything is organized and I know exactly how many of each item I have (and I can definitely stop opening containers of baking cocoa now that I know I have three open!). I also found some things I didn't realize I had, so I can use them soon.
* I walked the 3 mile round trip to the library to return items on time (and avoid fees), to save a tiny bit of gas money, and to get some exercise.

Waste Management:
* I saved veggie and meat scraps for making stock.
* I composted lots of weird things.
* We reused items for shipping items.

Work:
* No work for me this week since we are on holiday. How will I ever get used to waking up at 4 AM again?
* Trucker ate free meals at his job.

Future:
* I worked a lot on both my Etsy store and the antique booth.
* Trucker got a few more publications.
* I submitted another freelance article.


Health:
* We took a few walks around the neighborhood.
* I took a 3 mile power walk one day while carrying a bag full of books each way.

Community:
* I brought my family apple galettes for dessert after we went bowling together.
* My dad fixed the window on Trucker's car since the arm had worn and it would not close all the way.

How was your week?

Date Night Calendar

I've been wanting to be more proactive about planning exciting dates for Trucker and I. It's far too easy to fall into the routine of Chinese food and a movie, or a favorite bar and pool. Often, these can provide relatively little pleasure for the money spent, since it is a routine thing. When we go on "new" dates, we end up having a lot more fun and we are creating new memories together. The problem is constantly coming up with new ideas, or remembering what is going on the particular day we want to go out. I've solved this with my date night calendar.

I use Google Calendar. As I find out date ideas, whether it is a concert in two months or a regular event in our price range, I add it to the calendar. If the event is a regular event, say every Thursday or the first Saturday of the month, I add the event, set it to repeat and make it never end. That way I don't forget about it and can see at a glance whatever is going on.

I am always looking out for fun dates and there is no shortage of them. I find fun date ideas in all sorts of places, some unexpected.

Some museums have a regular free day or at least one a year. If they are every week, I add it and set it to repeat weekly. If it's once a year, I'll try to look early in the year to find what date it will fall on, so don't forget about it until it is past. All year, our art museum is free on Sundays, and during the summer, they have free concerts as well.  As soon as the concerts are announced, I add them all to the calendar. If I hear that a city within a reasonable drive has a free day, I will add it as well, so we could make a day trip around it. Don't forget about hole-in-the-wall museums in small towns.

Zoos sometimes have free or discount days as well. One day a week county residents get a discount. Around the holidays, they put up holiday lights. This year, they had a benefit day for the local food bank. For that night, if you brought 5 non-perishable food items to donate, you got free admission and parking.

Two local fancy grocery stores have wine tastings once a week. It is 5 wine samples for $5 (the other is 7 wine samples for $8) and, of course, no tip necessary. Each of these also offer food tastings along with the wine, and lots of samples as well. Between it all, it would be a light meal. While not the best on ambiance, it could be a fun way to try some new wines. This would be particularly nice if there was a concert or other free event nearby that you could walk to after.

A couple of coffee houses offer free concerts. One has an open mic on Fridays and a jazz, blues or folk concert on Saturdays. We tried the open mic, but it was a bit too crowded with school-age kids for us. We occasionally go to the Saturday night concerts when a musician we enjoy is playing. At this coffee house, they offer one free refill, so our date night, with tip, will cost around $6. Also look out for poetry slams.

Wineries also offer free concerts, usually jazz or singer/songwriter. If you can keep it to one glass of wine, and perhaps an appetizer to share, it can be a relatively cheap date. Some of them have a happy hour that ends when the concert time starts, but there is no reason you couldn't get there twenty minutes early, order your drinks and appetizer and nurse it. Some bars also have free concerts, in all genres. The website will usually have a calendar, and you can add all the concerts that sound appealing.

I love the symphony, but $50 tickets is a bit steep for regular attendance. However, my local theatre has some bargains. They have a happy hour event a few times a year intended to introduce younger people to the symphony. An hour before, they have drink specials and free appetizers; admission is free. One concert series offers $10 tickets for basically the worst seats in the house; that being said, this theatre is so good that no seats are horrible. Another concert series designed to teach newbies about classical music offers $15 tickets for any seats.  When they release the new season's shows, I check for each type and add them all to my calendar.

In the summer, a local theatre troupe offers Shakespeare in the Park. It runs Thursday through Sunday. For any performances that interest me, I add it to each day that it is going on, so if I have something going on Friday, maybe I can make it Sunday.

Also, many parks departments put on concerts or drive-in movies in the park during the warm months. Add the event for any movie that interests you.

Add small town or city festivals, cruise-ins, or flea markets, as they interest you. Again, look within a reasonable driving distance so you could make a day trip out of one that is farther out.

Two movie theaters offer once-a-week discounts. One first-run theater sells $5 tickets that include a small popcorn. A second-run theater usually costs $2.25 each, but one day a week (a different day than the other theater) has $1.25 admission. Add it to repeat weekly, and if you want to see a movie, you can look up showtimes.

Now, whenever we want to have a date night, we just look at the calendar and pick whatever sounds best at the time. Or, if we've been slaving away at work and home, we might look for the next "fancy" date that we can go to to have something special to look forward to. Most of these dates are $20 or less (and many are much, much less), so by planning ahead, we get to enjoy our regular date without wrecking our budget.

Shared on: