Skip to main content

Frugal 5: #28

 The Frugal Five: #28


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 live a frugal life.    


1- Haircut Savings

Since haircuts are $30 per cut plus tip, each time my husband asks me to cut his hair, I am happy to.    This is a huge savings!   He gets his hair cut every other week, so on average we save $60 per month on just his hair cuts.   In addition, my salon is offering a special on gift cards this month.   Purchase $100 in gift cards and get $20 free.    Since my hair color/cut runs about $120 per month with tip, this is a 17% savings.    I am planning on picking up several gift cards this month.    In addition, for every X visits, I get a $50 gift card, so I am tracking this too.   Finally, I’m stretching my hair appointments out by 1 week which save me 3 appointments per year or $360.00, 



2- Taking Advantage Coupons and Perks


Meijers gave me a $5.00 coupon off groceries for just trying their store last week.    I clipped the coupon and in combination with another coupon, my lunch meat for the week was free!   My grocery bill for all of my fresh items this week was only a few dollars.  In addition, Simply Mills provided me with a few free product coupons, but I haven’t been able to find them in the stores I normally shop at.   So, I did a little digital shopping and found 1 of the products at a store on the way home from my husband’s work- score.    


3- Swimming Meet Snacks



This week started the competition season for my son’s swimming.   Eating out or just picking up snacks when out is very expensive, so I just packed a few items and we are set every time.     We pick heather options to fuel our bodies and when others are spending tons of money, we just don’t.   


4- Oil and Waxing Furniture


This seems like just another chore, but it will save you money in the long run.    Our home is heated with a boiler, so the steam is very hot and will dry out wood- especially antiques if you do not oil them every 4-6 months.   We take care of our furniture and it lasts a long time.   In fact, we have antiques from both sides of our family that are multi-generational in use.    The waxing of the furniture helps to keep the drawers from sticking and splitting.    This is another cheap and easy way to take care of your wood furniture.   

 


5- Ice Tea vs. Soda



Soda prices are very expensive and we got into the habit of taking a soda everyday for lunch.    This week, I made an effort to make ice tea at home which is a fraction of the cost for soda and pack a thermos of tea everyday for lunch.    


Do you want to see what we did last week?   

Just click on the picture for the link. 


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


Comments

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...

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...

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 ...