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

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...

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...

The Sweet Life On A Budget

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