Skip to main content

Frugal Five: #52

 The Frugal Five: #52



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.    

.         


1- Garden Group Plants

As most of you know, we moved within the last year, and I am getting used to the new gardening schedule.    I was able to join up with a local gardening group that plants a community bed for the local food bank.    Several of the ladies are very generous with their time, knowledge, and extra plants.   I was able to get several gourd plants and potato starters.   In addition, I signed up with 2 large pots and will be planting them next week.    In trade, I go to the garden at least once a month to weed, prune, or harvest for the community beds.    I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group to be a part of. 


2- Homemade Pizza

It was a long week and I really wanted to order pizza, but my common sense won out.   I came home and made homemade dough, stretched it out, and topped it.     As a bonus, I was able to use up some vegetables that were just hanging out in the refrigerator.   Finally, I popped it into the oven for 15 minutes.     Yum!    In addition, I attempted to make baked pepperoni, but I cooked it a little too long.    It still tasted good, but next time, I only cook it for about 6 minutes.   

  

3- Free Training

I am so lucky to have a wonderful fellow to train me for the Certification Level.    She has included me in the Level 1 Certification Training for free.    I have to travel one more time to my old town, but then the last four trainings are all online.      In addition, I am working towards my first 100 hours of practicum and charge a discounted price for my tutoring.    However, the price of the tutoring will cover all of the observation fees.   I am so lucky to be supported by so many great people. 


4- Volunteer Luncheon  

This past week our school hosted a volunteer luncheon for our school volunteers.   My department was responsible for picking up drinks, so I picked them up on sale.     As a bonus, the teachers were permitted to enjoy lunch also.     It was a great treat. 


5- Sausage Sale 

This week Jimmy Dean Sausage was on sale at Kroger and I was able to pick up several pounds for a great price.    However, to make the deal a little sweeter, I was able to use my IBOTTA rebate to get a little more cash back.  Let’s hear it for cheap, premium meat!    


Living Large In The Cheap Seats is a Monthly series where I explore the activities that are in my local area that are free to enjoy.    If you are interested, check out my latest post→  Click on the picture. 

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...

Living Large In the Cheap Seats---> June -July 2025

  Living Large In the Cheap Seats June- July 2025 I was first introduced to “Living Large In the Cheap Seats” by a college friend, Chris J., who introduced me to lawn tickets for popular bands.   We were able to see concerts at a significantly discounted rate.   After reading Brokenomics by Dina Gachman, I revised this concept and decided to share it with you.  I have been doing this for years and enjoyed wonderful experiences for FREE! Concert in the Park Series The Keehner Park concerts are 7-9 p.m. on select Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day at the Keehner Park Amphitheater.  The free concerts welcome all guests to pack a picnic for the evening.  Sorry, but alcohol is NOT permitted. June 7 – Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band June 14 – Miami University Steel Drum Band   June 21- UC Community Band  June 28- West Chester Symphony Orchestra July 12-  Strings Attached Band July 19- Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - A Mid Summer Night's D...