2024 reading challenge & small book haul

Every year I've pledged on my Goodreads Reading Challenge to read 50 books per year. And every year I have failed. HOWEVER, 2024 is my year to succeed. I dug out my Kindle, ordered some stickers for it, and I'm determined to read as much as I can this year. I have dozens and dozens of books sitting around my apartment and I'm determined to make a dent in them this year!

I met my dad for lunch one day and after we'd parted ways it was raining and gloomy (my favorite weather!) so I stopped by the local Barnes & Noble armed with a partial gift card and grabbed a coffee (tall skinny vanilla latte with oat milk, no whip, at kids' temp) and wandered around waiting for something to catch my eye. The book gods didn't disappoint! I first spotted the book about Secretariat (of whom I am still a huge fan). I grew up not far from Meadow Farm, so he's always had a soft spot in my heart. I find WWII interesting (in that morbid way) and grabbed this bargain book. Lastly, medical controversy has always intrigued me, especially lobotomies, so I can't wait to delve into that one. I rarely pay full price for books, so this was a little treat.

Here's to reading more this year! Be sure to add me on Goodreads!

my poshmark closet | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

frugal friday - february

The year is flying by! Somehow my Frugal Friday post for January got deleted, so here's starting the year with February. 😑

• Grocery deals: $1.49 blackberries, $2.99 strawberries, $1.44 markdown spring mix, free bag of Cheetos, $3.99 Freschetta pizza, $1.99 bag of Thomas bagels (into the freezer), $1.49 two liter of root beer, 99¢ tube of Colgate toothpaste, $3.99 bag of Totino's pizza rolls, $1.88 markdown bag of butter lettuce, 2 red peppers for 99¢
• I redeemed a free ebook from Amazon First Reads 
• After months of searching, I finally thrifted a push-lever salad spinner for $10!
• While I did order delivery food, I stayed in to watch the Super Bowl via Paramount+'s free trial week
• Over a four-day weekend, I only ordered one meal for delivery
• I picked up a second job that's part time. I really like seeing the number in my high interest savings account go up.

I'm still decluttering!

• A book on Pango - sold and mailed using recycled mailing supplies
• I unsubscribed from a bunch of email lists
• A slow feeder that was just a little too deep for Og, a Clarisonic facial brush - sold on Facebook Marketplace
• My old hair dryer that I had upgraded, four Yeti stickers - given away on Facebook
• The table and six chairs I borrowed for Friendsgiving - passed back to my dad when we met for lunch one weekend
• The 12 belly bands from when I had my two late elderly dogs - mailed to a senior dog sanctuary

I've done really well with food waste lately, so hopefully I can keep it up into February

• I used up a bunch of leftovers from work - cheesy mac, some delicious soup, salad toppings

Frugal Fails:

• Ogden has now chewed through four phone cases since the beginning of December, I'm on number 5 now

my poshmark closet | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

mini ulta haul

Little mini Ulta haul! I don't buy as many products as I used to since I only wear powder and mascara at work, but I love skincare. I've been trying to cut down on how many items I buy as I still have so many to use up, but I couldn't help finding some items on sale and using up some rewards points.

NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Balm // Wldkat Starflower + Snow Mushroom Ultra-Hydrating Sleep Mask // NYX Marshmellow Smoothing Face Primer // J.Cat Clear Eyesurance Anti-Fatigue Cooling Under Eye Balm

My skin is horribly dry in the winter, so I'm looking forward to trying out this sleep mask! I also haven't tried anything from wldkat before, so I'm excited to try a new brand, too.

I sleep pretty badly so I have some bad undereye bags, so I like to try different eye creams. Pacifica is usually my go-to, but I saw this balm from J. Cat and wanted to give it a go.

While I don't wear colored balm often, I love a good neutral! I plan to use this as an everyday color.

I didn't photograph the primer because I didn't want to shorten it's life while I'm still using up a sample tube from Too Faced, but I love a good primer and can't wait to try it.

my poshmark closet | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

frugal friday - november

Here's to this month's savings! (And another month closer to Christmas!)

• November's no spend days: 11!
• Grocery deals: $3.99 Freschetta frozen pizza (when did pizzas get so expensive??), free bag of Lay's ranch chips, $1.99 bag of petite potatoes, $1.99 strawberries, two bags of salad for 85¢ each, $1.99 package of snacking tomatoes, 25¢/pound sweet potatoes
• I checked out I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy as an ebook from the library

• I redeemed three offers via Ibotta and got 85¢ cash back for my regular deodorant, Og's food, and the receipt.
• My employer offered us our choice of fish, turkey, or ham and choice of pie for the holidays - I chose six pounds of fish and a pecan pie

Here's what I decluttered!

• Another couple bags of recycling, to the proper bin
• An over-the-cabinet plastic bag holder, my coffee table that ended up just too large for my space, iced coffee maker, bookshelf, a muzzle that I bought for Tucker and ended up not needing, three Lego sets, - all sold on Facebook Marketplace
• Six books - sold on Pango Books
• Two tote bags - given away on Facebook
• A pair of heels - one of which Og chewed up, thankfully they were a cheap pair I didn't love
• Four spools of destash ribbon - sold on Etsy

And again, how I saved on food waste!

• I brought home two and a half quarts of chili, some greens, and some diced tomatoes from work - all destined for the bin, but still good!
• Og helped me finish up a red bell pepper before it spoiled

my poshmark closet | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*