FRUGAL FRIDAY

We used to go out to eat on Friday nights and then on over to Barnes & Noble for coffee, dessert and a few books to add to our stash to read. However, lately we have been pinching our pennies a bit tighter and have cut back on eating out and buying books. Instead we have made a couple of changes.

Last Friday my husband called from the grocery store and said they had some lovely salmon. I told him to get it and I would fix it for our evening meal. I figured out the cost of that meal and found that even though the salmon cost $7.28, our entire meal cost less than $15 and was delicious (although I did have to cook and clean up!). That is at least half what a good meal might cost at a nice restaurant. We also skipped going to Barnes & Noble because I have been checking my books out of the library. My husband likes to write in his books, so he either goes to sales for his books or goes to the library to buy his books--they have a large room of used books for sale there. My books cost nothing now and his cost a fraction of what they sell for at Barnes & Noble.

Occasionally we still go out to eat, but we pick less expensive places to eat or we share a meal (better for the waistline, too!) when we go to an expensive restaurant. Also, the dilemma of where to store books has lessened because I do not buy so many anymore. Less clutter! Whee!