Skip to main content

Frugal Five: #11

 The Frugal Five

With inflation on the rise and our salaries not being able to keep up, it seems like we have taken a pay cut and must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate our daily or weekly activities that help us to live a frugal life.    



1- The Humble Sandwich to the Rescue.


This weekend we had a single-day out-of-town swim meet.   With gas, parking, and entrance fees being a set cost, we were looking for ways to cut our expenses.   So, we packed our lunches and drinks, so that we didn’t have to eat out for this trip.    It’s a little bit of savings, but every little bit counts.         


2- Focused on decreasing my grocery bill. 


I am still doing a pantry challenge with myself this month, so I shopped my pantry and freezer first when planning my meals and tried to limit my grocery shopping.   Last week Kroger had some awesome sales on fruit (blueberries and apples), vegetables (mini peppers), and meat (breakfast sausages).  In addition, Kroger had some great stock-up deals to take advantage of.  Yogurt- $1.99/4ct, Butterfinger Mini $0.27/9.5oz bag, Yasso Popables $0.97/4 ct.Even with the treats, I picked up, my grocery bill was almost half of the normal bill.    


3- Hygge: Enjoying my free book 

I have been reading a digital book, Let Me Go Mr. Hill by Shallow South, which was found online a month and is free to read.    I prefer to read this book through DesireNovel, but there are several other free reading sites to pick from.  It is a quick read and an enjoyable story.   This little bit of self-care has helped keep my stress levels down.       


4- Kitchen Love- 


This week my activity in the kitchen was limited, so I loved my kitchen by taking care of my future garden plants.   I repotted my seedlings and kept them in the sun and watered.    Another busy week, but we are in the home stretch of the school year, so it will ease up shortly.         


5- Water for Lunch Beverage 

I normally take a beverage to have with my lunch each day.   However, I forgot it one day this week, so I thought about taking out my emergency  $1.25 to buy a soda.  However, the price of the sodas went up $0.25 and I found my price point for skipping the drink. My solution was to rinse out my coffee cup and fill it with water at the water fountain.    Problem solved and at no additional cost.   


Please leave a comment below with your ways of saving money this week.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2025 Updated Breakfast Under $1.00

On the USDA Website, their thrifty grocery budgets range from  $25.70 to $72.80 per week ($3.67 - $10.40 per day) per person.   The two factors that determine the amount allocated are age and sex.  With such a small amount of money allocated daily for food and my attempt to eat healthily, I need to plan each week carefully.     With the Bird Flu hitting America hard recently, the egg is no longer a humble star but is turning into a luxury.     A dozen eggs cost $5.49 or $0.46 each.  At this price, I am looking at other options for breakfast.   Breakfast is a great place to add value to your meal planning.    It can be the cheapest or most expensive meal.  The choice is up to you.    NOTE: Prices are for the Northeast area for March 1,  2025 Let’s look at breakfasts that come in at or under $1.00.     Beagle and Cream Cheese ($0.69 per serving) Kroger Prices Bagels (6ct)- $2...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meal Planning: #287

  Menu Plan #287 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 preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and location.      August  USDA Low Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $185.60 per week.  We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since we have health concerns and are active individuals, we limit our processed food choices.          Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Breakfast Options:  Yogurt Muffins Egg Sandwiches Lunch Options: Grilled Chicken  Salads Chicken Salad Monday Hamburgers Roasted Potatoes Corn  Tuesday Street Tacos Salad Wednesday Enchilada Salad Chips w/ Salsa Thursday Leftovers Friday Chicken Parmesan Pasta Sal...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Frugal Five: #88

  The Frugal Five: #88 With inflation on the rise and salaries not increasing, our ability to make ends meet keeps going down.    Therefore, we must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     This week I am exploring how to keep costs down during busy weeks.    Keeping dinner on the table instead of eating out is one of my strategies to get the job done.    Here are some of my tips and trips.    1- Free-Bee Pick Up  Over the last month, we have been blessed with several Free-Bees.  First, a friend gave us a dozen eggs from his chickens.  In addition, we picked up several photos with discount codes from Walgreens and CVS.   Next, we used our local grocery store coupons for several free food items such as seltzer water, ice cream, etc.   Then, we picked up toothpaste and eyeliners from ...
Post a Comment
Read more