Free baseball tickets, eBay listings and a victory over United Healthcare – it’s been a busy week on the frugality front! Here’s what’s been happening.
1. Remember that fight I was having with United Healthcare? I won!
It’s true – the nearly yearlong battle I was having with UHC has finally come to a resolution, and two checks for $190.99 apiece have arrived to my home (and were directed immediately to my bank account). This took a considerable amount of legwork from both my company’s benefits team AND a patient advocate, but lo and behold, I came out the victor in the end. So many other patients would have given up and/or forgotten about it, but not me! And I hope not you, either, if you find yourself in a similar situation.
2. I earned two free Washington Nationals baseball tickets!
Our wonderful public library system (which I wrote a love letter about in these pages a full nine years ago!) is a great resource any time of the year, but its summer reading program is the cherry on top. Not only does it offer challenges for kiddos, it also has an adult reading program component for us grown-ups – with prizes! It reminds me so much of when I was an elementary-school student knocking back slices of pizza in the Book It! program. Thanks to a recent trip to the beach, I got ahead on my reading and have already won my first prize – five books read earned me two Nationals tickets for use later in the season! LeeLee and I got our calendars out, selected a date, used our voucher code, and voila – two seats are now ours. Take me out to the ballgame!
3. I returned two Amazon purchases with plenty of time to spare.
I must admit, one of my frugal flaws is a failure to return purchases that don’t work out. I have every intention, but the follow-through isn’t always there. Well, I am proud to report that I have a pretty good little streak going, and it is paying off (so to speak). I recently ordered two pairs of shorts that I was CONFIDENT I’d ordered before in the exact same style and size only to realize after arrival that I was in great error. So off they went to my local UPS Store, and back $50 came to my bank account!
4. I’m turning a Frugal Fail into a Frugal Win!
Remember a few weeks ago when I confessed that I found an extra pair of walking shoes in my closet after I’d gone out and purchased a new pair? Well, I got to thinking over the weekend: My new walking shoes will last me about a year, and while I could save the other pair until I need them, I could make use with that money now! So I’m going to list them on eBay and turn my failure into success.
5. I bought some veggies on BOGO last weekend and am actually using them.
This should be table stakes, I recognize, but it’s not always for me. But this week, I am proud to report that my extra bell pepper and baby bella mushrooms aren’t going to waste! Through salads, fajitas and more, I am using my abundance wisely. And healthily! And most important, tastily.
What frugal wins do you have going this week? Tell us in the comments!
:)