Mom's Continuing Frugal Education

Well, on the June 2nd I started my Wilton's cake decorating classes. The classes at Hobby Lobby are $35 per person. Then the kit for class 1 is $24.99.

Now you know I am too cheap to pay $59 in a lump sum for a cake decorating class so here is the skinny....Hobby Lobby runs 50% off & Buy 1 class take a friend free sales! So my friend and I are going for $17.50 each. Additionally, I got a 50% off coupon at Micheal's and bought the kit for 12.50! so I spent $30 for the class and kit..Woohoo!

Well then I got to the class and found out there was about $26.45 more essential items that need to be purchased for the class. But wait it gets better there is more then $95 worth of "Recommended items" to help you complete the class in style. My bubble had officially burst!

Pride comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction!

So, I gathered up all of my 50% off coupons and headed back to Micheal's to get what I deemed to be essentials...I spent $23 more dollars and saved $14 with coupons! I also hit some garage sales where I picked up a lazy susan I will wrap in tin foil and use as my "Trim N' Turn Table" for a whopping .75 saving me $12.26! I purchased a tool box from the .99 store for you guessed it .99! Saving me $21.00! I am borrowing my friend Kim's round cake transporter saving me another $12. There is only one more item I want to purchase and that is the vanilla flavoring for the icing and it is $1.99.

So the total cost for the class is:

Class & Kit $30.00

Essentials $11.24

Reccomended: $22.44

Total: $ 63.68 a savings $59.26

It will take me about 2-3 birthdays to pay for this class! We have 4 more birthdays for 2008 !

Non-Frugal $181.44! (I do not have some prices for things that I simply would never purchase)

It would take me 7 birthdays to pay for the class!

My basic instinct in things like this is to buy every single item and worry about it later! But as I've grown in Christ it has become natural for me to see how I can save money for my families sake. The whole reason I am taking this class is so I can make cakes for my family and and save the $26 per cake I spend on Birthday parties. In the future I may buy a few more items and I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled at garage sales but for today I resisted the devil and found a happy frugal medium.

Happy Homemaking!