- We had plans to buy Brett a Kindle before we go on our Big Mystery Adventure™ next year, but this past week YaYu offered him the one we bought for her in 2012. She doesn’t use it any more (she bought herself a Kindle Fire last year), and it still works great.
- I had a pair of Birkenstocks and another nice pair of flip-flops that I rarely wore any more, and was thinking of taking them to the thrift store. I asked WenYu though if she wanted them, and she snapped them up. She’s been wanting some Birkenstocks, so saved some $$, and the sandals fit her well and look great.
- On the positive, frugal side of things, we kept to our shopping list when we did our big shop at Costco, and didn’t buy anything not on the list. On the not-so-positive side, we were left with only $61.54 to finish our shopping today, and buy more fruit later this month. We will finish up our monthly shopping later today, and fingers are crossed that it’s less than $61.54!
- It’s been hot and humid here this past week (quelle surprise!), and a couple of times I’ve almost talked myself into us buying an air conditioner for the house (I tolerate this weather less well than anyone else). But, I’ve instead imagined myself on our trip next year, and decided I’d rather put up with a little discomfort now and save our money for later – it will be worth it!
- We put only $3.03 in the change/$1 bill jar this week: $2.00 in change Brett got back from YaYu, $1.00 left over from the farmers’ market, and 3¢ Brett found on the ground. Every little bit adds up!
What frugal wins did you have this week?
The Occasional Nomads 
You need to have Brett (or yourself) make one of these: http://abc13.com/weather/diy-homemade-air-conditioner-for-around-$8/150681/
🙂
and yay for WenYu snatching up the Birkenstocks. Those things last forever and so comfy.
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We’ve thought about it . . .
I may be one of the few people that can’t comfortably wear Birkenstocks. I love them, but my feet don’t.
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Great savings, Laura, and it’s always good to recycle/ reuse what you can, too. My frugal wins this week:
1) booked promotional train fares for our trip in Spain that saved us quite a bit .
2) ordered a SIM card to use in Spain, also with a promo that saved me 10 euros or about US$12.
3) booked free walking tours in four cities in Spain.
4) attended a free music festival at home.
5) prepared meals at home and no food waste.
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You always find such great travel deals! What site did you use for the SIM card? I had no idea you could buy them ahead of time.
And , I’d love to know more about where and how you booked your walking tours.
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For the SIM card, I compared what’s offered by OneSimCard, KnowRoaming, and SIMCardSpain. I ordered the SIM card from SIMCardSpain.es for my unlocked phone. I received email notifications that the card is on its way and should arrive next week. When I arrive in Spain, I key in an activation code to start using it. I’ve ordered SIM card ahead of time before (e.g. with Roam Mobility when I go to the US, and another company when we went to France), and it has worked very well for me. Literally, as soon as my flight crosses the border, the plan is active! What these companies offer and who offer change over time so it’s a good idea to research and choose what works for your travel needs.
For the walking tours, I typically do searches using key words “walking tours in X city name” or “free walking tours in X city name” on Google, the country’s official tourism web site, and Trip Advisor. Once I have the tour company name, I go to their web site, review what they offer, and usually they have an online form or an e-mailbox where I can sign up for the walking tour. In most European/ world cities or major towns, this service is very common. For my trip, so far I booked free English-speaking walking tours in Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville.
I hope you find this info useful for your upcoming trip. Let me know if you find a free walking tour where you’re going.
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You are amazing for holding out on AC. Here in Massachusetts I have one window unit and while I don’t run it constantly, I need one cool off room when things get so hot (which they’ve been lately).
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Pie windows here aren’t set up for a window unit – we’d have to get one of the portable units and they cost $$$. Thankfully it’s been cooling off nicely in the evenings (so far), and mornings have been very nice too.
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Laura, I would be the first to admit it has an upfront price, but have you considered a whole house fan? It’s ninety eight here and Im keeping the air at 78 or 79 and wondering after all these years in Colorado if I could survive in Washington DC where I lived for 20 years.
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Our landlord hinted that we were more than welcome to install either AC or a full house fan if we wanted, but we’re not willing to make that kind of investment in a house we don’t own. So, we will continue to keep the ceiling fans humming, and use smaller fans around the house when it gets really bad. I complain a lot, but the humidity we dealt with back in Southern Maryland was much worse, and the heat and humidity in Japan makes what we get here look like child’s play. It is brutal there
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