It’s April! And thankfully, by the time of this posting, April Fool’s is done, because it’s definitely up there on my least favorite holidays list (along with Valentine’s Day).

In other good news, my husband got his first COVID shot this week! The state opened up vaccinations to the construction industry, and I was able to get him an appointment for the first day he was eligible. (He was technically eligible previously through the VA, but the process to get a shot through them was likely more effort and time than it was worth).

The kiddo is still a ways out from getting a vaccination, but Washington opens up to everyone 16+ on the 15th, so our roommate will finally get his as well. We aren’t through this yet, but things are continuing to look up – at least locally.

Friday’s Frugal Five

1. We went camping in our friend’s backyard last weekend. He’s the one I borrowed the outdoor movie set up for the drive in back in January, and we watched a movie Saturday night outside next to a fire. He has five acres overlooking a valley, and it sure made me wish for more than our quarter acre. I love our home and our neighborhood, but I sure wish we had more space.

As the weather warms up, it gets easier to safely socialize with friends, and we all need that these days. As more of us continue to be vaccinated, things get easier and safer, but I think it will still be a while before we spend any amount of time indoors with people.

2. I honestly couldn’t tell you how much gas costs these days, because we drive little enough for even expensive gas to really matter to our bottom line. I did get 80 cents off when I filled my car this week though, so that saved me somewhere around ten dollars.

There were times where even an eight dollar savings felt huge, and while I still do love getting savings off things I would be spending on anyway, like gas, it feels good to know that it isn’t a huge deal. Our big expenses are small enough that the little savings are nice, but not game changing.

3. We finally tried Aceituno’s Mexican Food after so many recommendations in my local restaurant group, and they did not disappoint. Taco Tuesday meant $1.25 tacos, and they have a $45 taco box (tacos, rice, beans, and salsa in a pizza box), so we ended up with far too much food for a great price.

While the pandemic may be easing up – locally at least – so many of our small businesses are still struggling. Lately I’ve been reading about far too many closures, as places that were able to hold on through the winter simply can’t any more. I don’t know how long our restaurant budget is going to exist without a cap, but as long as COVID is around and we have the means to do so, it will be large.

4. We had purchased some potatoes a while ago and they ended up sprouting quickly before we were able to cook with them, so I planted them this week. Perhaps they aren’t heirloom and I don’t even know what specific variety they are, but we’d already purchased them, and now they will produce more food instead of simply becoming compost.

While our curbside compost is a huge deal to reducing the amount of trash we create as a household, it needs to be secondary to actually EATING the food we purchase. Composted potatoes are better than trash potatoes, but planted ones that will grow more potatoes are even better.

5. Since it is now April, I suppose I’ve gone another month without buying any clothing (and another month not writing about it). I said I would write about it again when I reached the four year mark, which was a year ago, so I’m putting it out here that I will write about it in the month of April.

If you want me to share anything specific, let me know! I’ve talked about it plenty in the past, but it’s been a while, and my mindset has really changed. Clothes are just not something I buy anymore.

Exercise Update

Saturday I went for a 5k run by myself in lovely dry weather. I may have run a lot in the rain over the winter, but I sure am appreciating the longer (and more dry) days. Tuesday and Thursday were both long work meetings while I walked.

Wednesday was another 5k run and then a good half hour walk to get back to the house. Beyond the two hour walk during my meeting on Thursday, I met up with a local friend and she and I did a workout in her backyard while the kiddos played.

What’s the weather like near you? Have you been taking advantage of the longer days?