A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #60

Hello Ladies!

Welcome to another thrifty week at Harvest Lane Cottage. I am honored by your visit. 

It's been a challenging week around here. First, we're getting used to my husband's work schedule.

 Yes work! 

Praise God, he found a good job. It's in a city about an hour from home, so he leaves early and comes home late, but we have hopes that he may be able to work from home after about six months. I've been trying to get the rest of the family into a routine that works with my husband's routine. I have added making his lunches and ironing his clothes to my regular work. It's a small thing compared to what he's doing for us. 

My kids have had their first experience with standardized testing this week. The younger two took the Stanford test, and Emily takes the ACT on Saturday. It's a new experience that I hope they take to well. This is our first opportunity to test. With all the extra driving for tests, taxes (my son's), and lessons, I haven't done much frugal work this week. But, as they say, every little bit counts!

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Trust God!

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~ I packed lunches for my husband to take to work! I expect that saved $10 a day.

~ My husband and I carried our water bottles we got for Christmas.

~ My friend gave her daughter and my Amy a sewing lesson.

~ My son took me out to lunch.

~ I bought three ties for $1.50 each for my husband at a thrift store. 

~ I ironed my husband's clothes instead of sending them to the cleaners.

~ My husband threw out two shirts after sorting his clothes. One square foot of real estate!

~ I mended a pair of my husband's dress slacks with some mending tape I bought at Walmart for about $1.25.

~ We bought reading glasses and sunglasses for my husband at Dollar Tree. He's hard on reading glasses, so we just buy the cheapies. He needed sunglasses, because he drives east to work and west home. John Denver had it right. "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy...sunshine in my eyes can make me cry...."

~ We received a second-hand mattress for my son. He had been sleeping on an air mattress. Thank you G!

~ We saved $20 on our registration fee for our homeschool co-op, because we registered early.

~ We had to eat out after co-op today, so I took the kids to Sonic. We had their chicken strip sandwiches. They're only about a buck fifty here, so four of us ate for a bit over six dollars.

~ Someone paid for my younger kids' standardized tests for us. Thank you!

~ Our auto insurance company had a rate increase. We were charged $282 extra for the same coverage for the next six months. We were given a gift of $282 to cover the extra, so we will continue paying the same amount until November. Thank you D!

We've been blessed. So many people have given to our need. We have two more weeks to go until my husband gets his first paycheck. We have enough money left to buy gas and a few things here and there. He goes through two tanks of gas a week, and I'll probably need a tank or two before he gets paid. So far, we've been able to pay our bills. As we get through these last couple of weeks, I'm not sure if we'll be able to keep that up. 

Please pray for us that we'll be able to keep gas in the car, and that I'll be able to stretch our food on hand. As we get near to the end of our resources, and things have gotten more hectic, I've been feeling very stressed. Please pray for me to be calm and that I will continue to trust God. 

He has done miraculous things for our family—without government assistance from food stamps or checks or unemployment. We've also been blessed in that we have not had to ask our children for their savings. I want to focus on that trust and on the blessings not our lack.

Thank you everyone who has prayed us through this situation!

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How are you blessing your family with your thrifty ways this week?

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Look for the joy!

ஐღLauraღஐ 

...doing what I can with what I've got where I am 

on a short shoestring budget!

You might enjoy reading Do With Watcha Got Sausage Succotash.

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Trusting in Jesus!

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