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Frugal Friday
On Friday’s I share 5 frugal ideas to help you maintain The Sweet Life on a budget.  These things will have money saving ideas and/or a way to enhance your lifestyle for very little money.


  • Balancing very simple/quick/frugal meals with one or two more expensive speciality meals.  For example, I always have a combination of some of these frugal meals on my meal plan:
    • A Vegetarian Pasta Dish w/ Green Salad
    • Some form of Mexican Dish such as tacos, enchiladas, etc.
    • Soup and Salad
    • Sandwich and Salad
    • Stirred Fried Rice
    • Homemade Pizza and a Salad
         For my speciality meals, I choose family favorites such as
    • Chicken and Mushrooms
    • Fish such as Salmon, Cod, Tilapia
    • Greek Style Chicken, Salad and Pita Bread  
  • Creating restaurant quality lunches on a budget.  Here are a few examples:
    • Knock Off Starbucks Bento Boxes- I include 2 hard boiled eggs ($. 08), a tablespoon of peanut butter (about $.25), 5 crackers (about $.25) and seasonal fruit (½ apple, some grapes- about $.25), 1oz sale cheese (about $.19), a bottle of water (free).  For a total of $1.12 you have a lovely lunch.  
    • Sandwich w/ side Salad
      • BLT (Bread ($.26), Bacon ($.50), Mayo (guessing at $.25), Lettuce ($1.00 for both the sandwich and salad), Tomato ($.50 for both the sandwich and salad), Salad (leftover lettuce and tomato- free, Onion (guessing at $.10), Balsamic Dressing ($.50).  For a total of $3.11 you have lunch from a nice cafe.  
  • Clean your house a little at a time daily.  I’m talking 15-20 minutes a day.  WHAT????  This tip will help you to maintain your homes value with the added bonus of being energized and experience a sense of satisfaction when you are finished.   
  • Practice indulgence daily or weekly.  This could look like having a cup of tea each evening, or cuddling up on the sofa and reading a good book or watching a movie.  The book or movie can be gotten for free from your local library and the cup of tea will cost at most $.16.  If you really want to indulge shop at a thrift or antique shop for a special tea cup for your experience.  When I was living down south a friend turned me onto the experience of drinking tea out of China that just elevates the experience to a whole new level.  The cup can be gotten for under $1.00 or just look through what you already own and find that special tea cup.  I know that I have boxes of dishes handed down to me from my family that I can’t wait to explore.

  • Check your clothing when you do laundry to see if anything needs mending.  With a little basic sewing skills you can ensure that your clothing looks neat and your outfits well put together.  
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