It’s been a slow, easy-going week here in Wake Forest. Not that any part of this trip with the kids is really “easy,” but I’ve appreciated that it’s felt a little more like real life here.
Forty-three whole days have passed since we left our little abode in Green Bay. I already know it’ll feel strange returning home in the spring time. And as much as I wish we were still riding the high of the six month road trip, the constant traveling has really become normal.
I’m absolutely loving learning how to live frugally everywhere we go. If I had to guess, the most prominent way we are saving money on the trip is through food. We still make so much from scratch, whether in hotel rooms, Airbnbs, or in a friend’s kitchen. This week, I scored a giant block of fresh parmesan cheese through Flashfood for just a couple bucks. We sprinkled it on salads, shredded it for homemade alfredo sauce, and gobbled up slices of it on crackers. We grabbed free chips and queso from a restaurant we passed called Torchy’s Tacos. It was delightfully spicy! And it’s been an ice cream-tastic week with free scoops from Baskin Robbins and mini concretes from Freddy’s… ALL FOR FREE! I can’t encourage y’all enough to be signing up for rewards programs through apps to score free food and goodies! I’m so passionate about it, I made an entire list of every single freebie I know about!
And just this morning, I made the most affordable breakfast with just a few ingredients. Try this Peanut Butter Berry Oatmeal recipe for breakfast tomorrow! Most of the recipes I share include high protein and clean ingredients. We’re always looking to fuel our bodies with goodness – well, when we’re not eating free ice cream that is.
Moving on from food, we enjoyed catching up with so many familiar faces this week. We attended our old church and shared hugs with so many old friends.
We shared meals with couple friends we made in seminary that now have kiddos of their own. It’s wild how our families have multiplied. It sure puts a whole new spin on hanging out, but the kid-filled craziness just reminds me what a blessing our children are from the Lord.
Plus, we stayed with a family I used to nanny for. I had the best time watching the kiddos I used to nanny now play with my own children. Here’s a five-year progression of the kids from 2020 to 2025. Our final evening in Wake Forest, they all put on a concert of Frozen songs. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
People keep asking me how Travis and I are surviving without any alone time. Well, I surely miss the comforts of easier bedtime and more frequent date nights. But I also know I’ll miss these little years once they pass, so we’re doing our best to just stay in the moment. (I assure you, it’s not easy.) Little joys like watching Travis and Ragen go on a daddy daughter date remind me to be thankful even when I have to share Travis more than I’d like. We actually did have a little date planned this past Friday afternoon, but plans fell through and we decided it was the perfect opportunity for Trav to take Ragen out. Honestly, she had been asking to go on a date with daddy and the Lord finally pushed us to make it happen. The trip is all about turning disappointments into blessings for someone else. And after watching her get all dolled up for her special date with daddy, I understood that was God’s plan all along.
The entire next month of our trip has completely changed as we’ve decided to head back south. We should have thicker skin being from Wisconsin, but we just couldn’t bear the idea of freezing our butts of for the next month as we traveled north east. Therefore, decided to head down through Georgia into Florida for a bit. We plan to visit a few more friends, hit up some free fun near Disney World, and check out Everglades National Park. I look forward to the possibility of wearing a t-shirt!
Be sure to click around on my website to learn more about the joys we experience living frugally. I have recipes, tips, and lots of app suggestions to try. My lists of sign-up and birthday freebies will give you ENDLESS options for free food in the coming months.
See y’all on the road!
