Skip to main content

Free Friday- May 29


Making small changes that have big results. 
Living the Good Life On A Budget can happen with small changes repeated weekly.
When combining picking up free items and frugal living tips, your life can be
transformed.   Here are some ideas as to how you can make some small changes that
will have HUGE results over the course of a year.  

On Friday’s I share a few frugal ideas to help you maintain The Sweet Life on a
Budget along with my money saving deals.  Although I do not advocate shopping at a
large number of stores during this health crisis, if you are going to a particular store
that has a deal- just pick it up too.    Knowledge is power.   


Waste not- Want no-   This is an old adage from the Great Depression which still rings true
today.   According to the January 23. 2020 New’s Week article, “America Wastes $240
Billion in Food Each Year” (by Gaby Galvin), an average household wastes $2,000 in food
each year.   According to Penn State’s research, the least wasteful households come in at
8.7% vs ⅔ of the rest of the households wasting between 30% -50%.  

I take a refrigerator inventory each week before I go grocery shopping to see what produce
needs to be eaten.    This week I was able to save 2lb of strawberries that my son got tired
of eating by turning them into Strawberry Jam for the winter and 3 overripe bananas which
were turned into banana chip muffins.  
Re-growing produce from vegetable/fruit trimmings- I have previously regrew romaine l
lettuce, green onions and celery.  I recently saw a youtube video where someone regrew
strawberries with the tops, so I decided to test it out this summer.   I will keep you apprised
of my progress. 
Car Pooling-  Our state is slowly but surely starting to open up.    I have always carpooled
with my neighbors to cut down on gas costs for our swim team practices.    With a little bit of
planning, we are planning to do this again, but on a more limited basis.   We are cleaning
our cars really well, wearing masks in the car, limiting the number in the cars and making
sure we don’t attend when ill.   
In addition, our swim team is really limiting our swim practices.   We have cut down our
practices from 5 times a week @ 2-2.5 hours a session to 3.5 times per week for 45
minutes.    Each swimmer will get their own lane and strict cleaning will occur between
practice times and other procedures to keep everyone as safe as  possible.   I am proud of
our team's balance of getting our kids back in the pool and following health professionals
recommendations.   


Our Rich Backyard-  I took some time this week to plan our garden, slow down, sit outside
in the sunshine, and enjoy watching all of the wildlife that roams through our backyard-
Bunnies, variety of Birds, Fish in the Pond and so much more.   Not to mention, the beautiful
sun rises that I can watch from my patio.   

Careful Deal Finding- Over the past month, I have been careful with not going to many
stores during this time of staying at home and I wouldn’t encourage anyone to be out and
about unnecessarily because of the health impact.   However, if I am going to the store for a
particular reason, then I try to pick up my deals.     The deals are very small in number, but I
am grateful for any deal during this time.  
CVS Deals
(May 25- May 30)
See May 28th Post: 

Kroger Deals
Mega Deal- (May 27- June 9 )
Watch for your June Best Customer coupons.   Last month Kroger provided me with free
coupons for PopTarts and Bolt 24 (16.9 oz). 
Oral-B Complete Icy Cool Mint Floss Picks (30ct)
Cost: $0.99
Coupon: $1.00 (Digital Coupon- May 30) 
OOP/Final Cost: FREE
 
All Laundry Detergent
Cost: $2.99
Mega Deal: $1.00
Coupon: $1.00
Final Cost: $0.99
Bomb Pop Middies
Cost: $3.49
Mega: $1.00
OOP: $2.49
IBOTTA: $1.00
Kroger Cash: $1.00
Final Cost: $0.49
Bic Simply Soleil Razor (3 pack)
Cost: $3.49
Mega: $1.00
Coupont: $3.00 (digital, IP- see link) 
Final Cost: FREE and $0.51 MM
Reach Floss
Cost: $1.00
Coupon: $1.00 (Digital)
Final Cost: FREE
Kroger Fudge Covered  Cookies
Cost: $1.29
Coupon: $1.00 (DIgital)
 Final Cost: $0.29
Carefree Breathe liners or pads
Cost: $2.99
Mega: $1.00
Coupon: 2.00 (5/10- SS) or $3/2 (Digital)
Final Cost: FREE



Checkout 51 
(Varies by Account) 
Checkout 51 has been giving $0.25 on select whole food products such as bananas, onion,
potatoes, apples, eggs and more.  This offer varies per week, so check out what they are
offering.    Every little bit helps. 
Sample Requests 
Garnier Fructis Sleek Shot In-Shower Styler Sample
Fill out the form to get a FREE sample.

How have you lived frugally this week?   Share your ideas with our community. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menu Planning #132

Our meals need to be nutritious, clean, flexible, quick and cost effective. Between our work schedules and after school activities, we need to carefully plan our meals so that we do not end up ordering out.   The news is very scary at this time because of all the news of meat plants shutting down, grocery stories limiting the amount of meat a family can purchase and all of the talk about a depression on the horizon.    We have decided to keep our grocery budget the same, but to economize any way we can.     This week we tried to pick up some shrimp that was on sale, but the store was out of shrimp and not expecting to get any more in.    We were grateful to find wild caught salmon for the same price, so we picked that up instead for our Mother’s Day Dinner.    What did we spend?  Week 1: $96.44 Kroger: $96.44 Rebates: $3.55 IBOTTA: $1.35 Kroger Cash: $0.45 Checkout 51: $1.75 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Plan #322

  NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Published September 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $190.50. Since  October has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $952.50.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since our family has specific dietary needs, we limit our consumption of highly processed food.   Grocery Shopping Tip:     Rethink lunchmeat.     The deli will provide you with thin-sliced meat or presliced deli meat, but you will pay a premium per pound.     ($6.49 to $15.00 per pound) However, if you buy a ½ boneless ham (unsliced or presliced), the price point will drop to between ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Frugal Five: #133

  With inflation rising and salaries staying the same, our ability to make ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, we must be more careful with our money. The Frugal Five is a series that celebrates the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     This year, my focus is on Simple Abundance , so finding ways to live well while staying on budget will be challenging.    Come along and enjoy my journey of elevating joy, enjoying what you have, and finding luxury in my local area.    1- Giving Back to the Community  Supporting your community can take countless shapes. Some people choose to write a check, and that generosity absolutely matters. But many outreach efforts require more than funding—they need time, hands, and hearts willing to show up. I’m grateful that I’m able to participate in several programs that make a real difference for the people around me. One of the most meaningful ways I give b...
Post a Comment
Read more