Thankful and Thrifty this Week.

Hey there, friends! Only 5 more days in this school year, and we head to Maine for the summer. I'm happy to report that I have been checking items off my to do list left and right. It's such a good feeling, isn't it? I saw a quote this week that really struck me. 

"What if it were easy?"

That was it, but the story behind it was that we often convince ourselves not to do something because we are afraid it will be hard, and often, when we finally start, we realize it wasn't so hard after all. So, what if it were easy? Would we do it?

We had what I call a "mattress run" this week. This is staying at a hotel simply to accrue stays to attain or keep status, or in this case, using up a free night before it expires. The above pictures are at the Hyatt Regency here in Hong Kong. We've stayed several times now, and always find it very relaxing. Bonus that we always get upgraded to a harbor view room. 

This photo was taken by a coworker, Justin, and it shows our side of Hong Kong. One of my favorite things about the city is that it has so much green space...and the mountains are amazing!

This is the view out our bedroom window. 

Some frugal happenings this week: I cut my husband's hair today. I dropped off 2 pairs of shoes to be re-heeled, which is definitely cheaper than new shoes. I picked up a bed sheet, some perfume, a large bottle of shampoo and several children's books from the free table at work. I bought very few groceries this weekend because we are trying to eat up all the food in the house before we leave for summer. I emailed our landlord because our AC unit started leaking. He had someone here the next day and the problem is fixed. Three cheers for great landlords and not having to pay for repairs. Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip hooray!! Hip, hip hooray!!!

We were gifted a Starbucks gift card, Haggen Daaz gift cards, and two umbrellas this week. We really do have generous parents and employers. So thankful!

See the crack in the bottom shelf? It was at a point where I could hardly use the shelf anymore. I had been dreading calling the Toshiba Parts line because of the language barrier, but I got a Cantonese friend to call for me, and the new shelf was delivered that same day for $25 USD, cash on delivery! Now I wish I had not put it off for so long. ("What if it were easy?" applies here!)

I also got a notice that one of my credit cards, the Citi Prestige, has a new benefit--cell phone protection if you use the card for your monthly payments. I read all the fine print, and it looks like they cover theft or replacement if the phone breaks. I made the switch for payments. Here's hoping I never have to use it. 

So what frugal things did you do this week? What are you thankful for?