The Frugal Friday. Once upon a time in the elevator...

Pin It

When we arrived in San Fransisco two weeks ago, one of the first things on our to-do list was to buy a case of water. Because of my pregnancy, I knew I should stay away from water fountains due to possible bacteria contamination but, honestly, they are almost as rare as big box stores there anyway.

So, on the way to Muir Woods we stopped by Walgreens (yes, they do exist in the Fog City!) and got a 24-bottle pack for $3.99.

I got up to our hotel room first while my husband was following behind with some of our stuff including the water pack mentioned above. In the elevator there was a guy with a bottle of water in his hand going up too. With a chuckle the guy said to my Hubby, "You either love water too much or there is a big party planned in your room tonight". To that my husband responded that no, we'll just use it for our vacation, and that it's cheaper to buy in bulk. Still doubtful, the guy asked, "Well, how much did you pay for it, like $6??" With a smile, my sweet husband told him what we paid. The guy looked at the bottle in his hands and replied after a second, "Wow, you guys are smart! I paid $2 for the one in my hand!"...

I guess, it was a good lesson on frugality for him (and hey, don't stone me. I know that bottled water is not the greenest option but it was the best option for us!). It's funny, how sometimes we do things because we are used to it or just want it, without thinking twice. Since I started blogging, I was inspired so many times on how to cut corners and get the best deals that I didn't even think about before. Budgeting, menu planning and avoiding food waste are three examples that immediately come to mind. Refinishing furniture and developing DIY skills come close second.

This week I discovered Target all over again... I was never a big fan of Target, mostly because the closest store to us has the worst customer service I've ever dealt with. Most weeks, I casually look through their ad but rarely step my foot in. But this week I actually spent $112 there. On baby supplies :) There was a really good deal going this week on diapers. There was a $20 off $100 coupon off most of the baby things in the local paper. The big packs were $24.99, and if you buy two, you get a $10 gift card. I had a few coupons that made each box around $12-13. I spent a little more because I also got wipes. The deal on them wasn't as stellar but I still got $5 gc back for buying two boxes, and since it ended up being cheaper than the usual price even in Walmart (and a good deal on wipes is hard to find lately), I stocked up. So I spent $112 and ended up with $25 in gift cards. I used the gift cards to buy some shelves for the babies' closet. Going back to Target was the lesson on frugality for me :)

So what was the last good deal you got or your latest "aha" moment on how to save money?