Skip to main content

The Frugal Five: #47

 The Frugal Five: #47




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 the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.    


This week I focused on food-gathering ideas and savings.  Grocery Budgets are stretched to unknown limits, so any free food is delicious. This week I was able to find several opportunities to pick up some free food/treat items and I am so grateful.


1- Free Food

I made a point this week to use the store coupons before they expired which allowed me to pick up a Silk Almond Milk, Pepsi Sugar Free and 2 cans of baked beans.   In addition, IBOTTA had a few offers which when combined with coupons made 2 Core Bars free.  I also had a Register Reward that was about to expire, so I used it to purchase 2 bags of Twizzlers.  When I combined the coupon, Register Rewards and Walgreens Cash, the cost was $0.00.  


2- Community BBQ at Work

This week was our annual School BBQ where the PTO provides the meat for the BBQ.   Each person can volunteer to bring a dish to share.    I voilunteered to bring Baked Beans and since I was able to pick up several cans of free Baked Beans and only needed to add another can, my contribution was under $5.00.    It was delicious and a nice break from having to pack my lunch. 

  

3- PTO Snack Cart

Our PTO hosted a snack cart for the teachers this week.   I selected a Diet Coke, bag of chips and a candy bar as my snack.   It was a nice treat during the week and I am grateful for the PTO’s kindness and generosity.   


4- Lunch and Snack Bag


Our family went to check out a church last Sunday and was invited to stay for lunch.   We were treated to pizza, salad, chips and a drink.  It was a nice treat and we were grateful for the hospitality.   In addition, they sent us home with a welcome back which had popcorn and water in it.        


5-  Harvested Re-grown Vegetables

The other week, I placed my green onion ends in water and waited for them to regrow their green stems.  This week I harvested them to add to my baked potatoes for my lunches.    The green onion stems elevated my lunches each day and the cost to my budget→ $0.00.   


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

Menu Planning: #245

  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/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan ccording to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: Check your sale flyers for loss leaders.   Each week grocery stores advertise specific products at a great price to get you in the store.   Recently, I have noticed a very specific time frame for getting these deals.   Good luck and happy hunting.   Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Refrigerator Clean Out Pre-cut all vegetables for the week Pulled older items to the front for easier consumption C...

Menu Planning: #250

  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/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: When I purchase fruit for the week, it helps to calculate the cost per serving vs. the cost in general.   For example, this week a whole watermelon was on sale for $3.99 each.    When it is cut up, the watermelon will yield at least 20 servings which will place the cost per serving at $0.20.    Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: Breakfast Options:  Hard Boiled Eggs Yogurt Homemade Breakfast ba...

Menu Plan #307

  Menu Plan #307 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.      February 2025  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $189.30 per week. Since March has 4 weeks, our monthly budget is $757.20.   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.    Grocery Shopping Tip:     Utilize your grocery store’s loyalty program. This month, my 2 primary grocery stores have provided me with store coupons for bread, Silk milk, jelly candy, frozen vegetables, and Bali coconut water.  Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: ...