Skip to main content

Frugal Five: #38

 The Frugal Five: #38


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.    


With the New Year upon us, it is time to set goals for how we will be spending our money.    This can look like shopping carefully, DIY projects, wasting less or just doing without.     Let’s see how we can save our pennies this year.   


1-  Use Free Tickets

We received free tickets to a home expo in our local area.   Since our son was off to a swim meet, we took advantage of this opportunity.   A home expo has a variety of different companies who do home improvement work such as general contractors, basement repair, painting, and gutter work.   Since we purchased our home this year and knew it needed some work, we took this opportunity to learn what is available in our area.   As a bonus, they were giving out various discounts at this expo.         


2- Menu Planning 

Our lives are very busy, but I still need to get dinner on the table.    I have turned to simple meals for M-F and meal helpers such as kielbasa, and using my crock pot.  This has pulled in our tendency to order out this week. 


3- Dressing in Layers


This week we were in and out of our home a lot, so we kept the temperature on the lower side.   So, when we were at home, we layered up- sweaters, robes, and blankets.       


4- Volunteering

    

When my son has an away swim meet the entry fee is $10 per person.  However, if you volunteer to help, you get in free.  I took advantage of a volunteer spot this week and since my son is required to stay for the entire meet, there wasn’t a downside to this situation.   The job is easy and they even provide you with a drink for help.   


5-  Professional Group Membership

   

Although the membership is a little bit expensive, it was in my best interest professionally for me to join my local group.  However, as part of this group, I was able to sign up for life insurance and receive a pull jacket as part of my membership.  I consider these items as a bonus because that wasn’t the reason I joined.   

 

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.


Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Keeping Cool Without an AC- Part 5

  The news is full of headlines indicating that energy shortages are on the horizon for most of the world. Over the decades, we have become reliant on the coolness of our air conditioners and have forgotten how we survived without them. It is now time to rediscover how to stay cool without our AC. Our 5 part series provides ideas on how to beat the heat this summer without the AC.     House Adjustments- Part 2 By placing house plants, such as English ivy, ficus, and spider plants, throughout your home, you can drop the overall temperature of your house by 10 degrees. In addition, house plants are air purifiers and add oxygen to your home.     For quick relief, create a personal mister to help drop the temperature of your skin: thus making you feel colder. Some people combine a spray bottle and a fan to create a cooling effect. However, I use just the spray bottle with cold water throughout the day and it keeps me cool. In addition, we use coo...
2 comments
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

Frugal Five: #73

  The Frugal Five: #73 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.     1- “Potluck” lunch At work this week, we are having a potluck appetizer/dessert party for a colleague’s 60th birthday.  Everyone is expected to bring an appetizer or dessert for the party.    Since there will be a lot of food provided by everyone, I am not bringing my lunch that day and will eat from whatever people have brought.   In addition, on Friday, our social committee is providing us with a turkey lunch feast.     2- Picking up a Cheap Turkey This week at Kroger, if you spend $25.00, then you can purchase a Kroger turkey for just $0.49 per pound.  Although we do not prefer dark meat, we decided to take ...
Post a Comment
Read more