Fun and Frugal Finds for January

Hi! Welcome to another edition of Fun and Frugal Finds by no other than kuripot me! :-)

I find it hard to write about January finally ending. Wasn't it just Christmas season yesterday? No? Well, you can't blame me for feeling still Christmas-y. Blame the bed-weather! Anyway, now that it's the end of January, I have to accept that it's finally over. Guess I'd have to wait for 11 more months!

So what was I able to score for the month of January? Most of these are still grocery finds since I just lurve grocery-shopping. All of them are pretty affordable, too, since I already spent a lot during the previous month. Because of that, January needs to be a lean month.

I know this list is pretty long (lean month ba talaga?), but be patient to go through it because my most favorite find is at the bottom.

Okay, I'll stop babbling now. Here are my Fun and Frugal Finds for January:

1. Magic Board for Yuri

I actually didn't plan on buying Yuri one, but one Sunday, when we passed by Toy Kingdom, he was so amused with the Mega-Skecher. So I thought to myself, why not? It's educational anyway. Bakit nga naman hindi.

The only problem was that I was on a spending limit (lean month), and I didn't want to spend more than 1k for a board, which I bet would be used more by my sister and Yuri's yaya. So I looked for a cheaper alternative, which is pictured above.

Price: Around P300
Verdict: Perfect for my toddler's little hands!

2. Science Book Set

This was not in the plan, too, but when I was lining up at the cashier, my mom found this book set, made me look at it, convinced me to buy it, and promptly sent me back to the end of the line.

It didn't take much for me to be convinced, though. Had I found it first, I would've gotten it, too. It features topics of interest such as Ancient History and I have no doubt it would be of good use in the future.

Price: P500 for a set of 6!
Verdict: Pages are on the thin side, but who cares?

3. Cradle Bottle Cleanser

I ran out of Human Nature dishwashing liquid, so I had to buy a replacement. Unfortunately, there are no natural dishwashing soaps in the grocery, so I had to get this baby bottle cleanser. So #throwbackthursday!

Price: Around P120 for a 200-ml bottle
Verdict: It works well with milk bottles, but I guess that's it. It doesn't remove oil and grease from Yuri's plates at all!

4. Sanicare Wipes

This is not actually a new find. Actually, this is my favorite brand of wipes; unfortunately, it's not available in SM. I can only buy this in Gaisano Mall.

I love these wipes because, first, I like the aloe vera smell. Second, it's very soft and moisturizing. Third, the wipes are thick and cloth-like. (Unfortunately, I don't have a camera right now so I couldn't take a closeup photo of an individual wipe.) They remind me of the more expensive Pigeon wipes, but these have a more lotion-y texture.

Price: P85
Verdict: Duh? :-)

5. Crispy Rice Cereal

I prefer buying groceries in SM because it is more spacious; however, it is only in Gaisano Mall where I discover cheap but good brands - like this brand of cereal.

I tried this brand before and that time, I got whole wheat cereal. The little boy liked it, so I wanted to buy it again. This time, I wanted to try rice crispies.

Price: Only P65 for a big box! (200 grams)
Verdict: They taste yummy! Perfect for the future mallows-rice crispies recipe brewing in my head.

6. Cloud-9 Salted Caramel

I got curious when I saw this bar, and the deal was sealed when I carried it. It's heavy! (Or am I just used to lightweight chocolate bars?)

Price: Around P10
Verdict: Okay, so it doesn't really taste like gourmet salted caramel, but it's caramel-y and a bit salty so it works for me. I don't know; I like it!
In fact, I confess that I keep one bar in my desk drawer. Sssshhh.

7. Fitbar

From something sweet, let's go to something less caloric. Okay, these are my mom's, but I've been known to take one from the box. They're not very sweet, so I think they're fine for those watching their sugar intake. However, they are not filling at all! Since they are supposed to be whole grain, they should make me feel full. Well, they did not!

Price: Around P100 for a box of 5
Verdict: Go eat fruit instead.

8. Sky Flakes Fit

Now that I'm doing a Balik Alindog Project, I'm getting more conscious of my snacking. You see, I don't eat a lot during mealtimes. However, I tend to get hungry and binge in the mid-afternoon. I've been snacking on chocolate (see number 6), and I know it's not healthy, so I bought a pack of these.

Price: Around P56 for a pack of 10
Verdict: Yummy! That's the pro. The con is I couldn't stop eating them!

9. Johnson's Milk and Rice Bath

I ran out of liquid soap for Yuri, and this was the only available brand in Abreeza. I immediately reached out for it because I thought it was the same old milk bath. When I got it, I realized it said "Milk and Rice." Ooh, interesting.

Price: Around P55 for a 200-ml bottle
Verdict: It smells and feels pretty much like the plain milk variant. I couldn't find anything to complain about, though.

10. Gonuts Donuts

Photo from Abreeza Mall's Instagram account @ilovebreezamall

I mentioned in a previous post that I bought two boxes of donuts because they were on sale. Nothing special, I was just craving for donuts so I bought them.

Price: P216 for a dozen (buy 6 take 6)
Verdict: Sinfully sweet! Just looking at one made me gain 5 pounds.

11. Ultimate find of the month: The Maid Manual and The Yaya Manual!

I've been searching for these since forever! Well, I was really looking for The Yaya Manual, but having The Maid Manual wouldn't hurt, right?

I actually have a copy of The Yaya Manual in my Zinio, but I still haven't gone beyond the first page. The format was just too cumbersome for me.

Last Sunday, when Yuri was hanging out by the children's books section, I wandered off to the sale rack. Lo and behold, I did not just find The Yaya Manual but also The Maid Manual! The best part was that I only paid P150 - for both books! Sale na, bundled pa! Thank you, Lord, for this awesome gift!

Price: P150 for two books
Verdict: Need I say more? They're totally staying in my library!

Are you still with me? We're finally done! Haha! Making this list,I realize that budget wasn't so "tight" at all. I was able to buy Yuri's necessities with a little leftovers for our wants. I was even able to buy a bed! Ang galing, Lord! You're really a great provider!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-32
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

What are your Fun and Frugal Finds? Do share!

Again, sorry for the quality of some of the photos. I'm about to buy a new camera!