Finances on Friday and more Mother's Day sweetness

I've missed joining in with Rebecca at Renaissance for several weeks and I don't really have a complete list but here are some highlights from the last 3 weeks or so

I found these giant cans of fruit cocktail for $2 - we mostly eat fresh fruit but canned fruit is well liked by my husband and grandchildren, these will come in handy, I am sure.

They aren't old, the can dates are use by 8/16. Not sure why they were so cheap.....

Got a free 8 by 10 print at Walgreens in one of their promotions before Mothers Day. 

My husband spotted free Tide samples at Crest Foods in Oklahoma City and got us each one. 

The weather has been frugal with mostly mild temperatures- we have run the heat a few times to warm up the house after a cool night and one weekend when it was in the 90s, the ac was needed, but for most part, no power has been used to heat or cool. 

For 2 graduations, I made cards with some graduation themed rubber stamps bought years ago, wrote nice notes and mailed them off with checks inside. It was much easier than trying to pick out gifts and get them delivered,  I think graduates like cash best anyway. 

I bought some heavy cream for Easter but did not use it then. So, a few weeks later I used it make a triple batch of freezer biscuits.  I also made 8 pie crusts for the freezer. 

In my hurrying to clean up, somehow the metal biscuit cutter with a porcelain knob screwed to the top for a handle fell into the garbage disposal. When I turned on the disposal, what a racket!  The knob broke into many pieces and one of the screws was lodged in the disposal. When my husband got home, he took off the disposal, took it apart, and pried out that screw. He had to spend about $10 on new  plumbing fittings when he reattached the disposal to the sink drain.  Thankfully, now that disposal is working good as new! 

I used $14 in CVS ECBs that were close to expiring on a second pocket hose for the backyard.  I usually roll ECBs into another deal that offers more ECBs but the recent ads have just not has things we are needing. 

Would you believe I have not been to a thrift store since my last finances on Friday post?

My daughter personalized this small insulated bag for us. When we do errands or take road trips, we always take bottles of water. This bag will hold 4 bottles.  She uses a Cameo and a Heatpress to put personalized designs on most anything and has had several sales through word of mouth and her Etsy shop.

This little book is so sweet! It has more pages but the picture shows 4 of them. 

it is one of those little gifts that will be kept and treasured always. 

My son bought a bunch of succulents and brought them over with potting soil and pots.

We had fun sitting at the picnic table and selecting which plants to put together and in which pots. He took some of the potted succulents  home and I kept some. We both think ours have already grown quite a bit.