Frugal Five: #56

 The Frugal Five: #56

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- Swim Meet On A Budget

My son is a competitive swimmer and tends to have travel meets multiple times per month.  How do we make sure that he can compete each time given a limited budget?    First, we are careful when selecting his swimming events based on where they are in the schedule, what goals he is trying to accomplish, and finally which strokes are his best.    We use to participate in 4 events per day but now we have cut this down to 1 or 2 events.   In addition, we look carefully at parking to see if there is a free or discounted lot within reasonable walking distance.   Last week we were super lucky because the University had its alumni weekend, so all parking was FREE!   We use our gas buddy to secure the cheapest gas prices, carpool when appropriate, and limited overnight stays.    In addition, we pack our meals, snack, and a water bottle.    Normally each pool has a refilling station for water at no charge.   Finally, I use my crock pot to cook dinner while we are at the meet which prevents us from eating out.   

2- Free Professional Development

I am a lifelong learner, but taking classes, seminars, or buying books can get very expensive.     I crave knowledge, so I have looked for ways to continue to learn while on a budget.   I use the library to get a variety of books to read, videos, etc. in the area of my hobbies, such as photography, frugal living, cooking, etc.    I am required to be a member of various professional organizations and one of their perks is webinars or podcasts on various professional skills.    Since these are free, I am taking advantage of these items.    In addition, your state may have various webinars or other opportunities for free.   Finally, Youtube can be a great resource if you are careful in your selection of videos.   I keep to know people in my field and recommendations from my colleagues.    

  

3- Gardening Update

I have been watering every day due to the draught-like conditions and my plants are rewarding me with growing strong and starting to produce vegetables/fruit.    I am so grateful for all of the support from my gardening group and hope to continue this relationship throughout my time here.   

  

4- Rice Krispy Treats 

I had all the ingredients to make Rice Krispy Treats this week as our dessert.   This treat is easy to make, makes a lot of portions, and lasts all week long.     

5- Giving My Eyes a Break from Contacts 

Wearing contacts daily can strain your eyes and my eye doctor recommends at least taking them out as soon as you are home for the night.   I needed to make an eye appointment and unfortunately, I was unable to get an appointment until August.   UGHHH.    I would have run out of contacts by the time my appointment came around, so I assessed what I had and tried to wear my contact for at least 2 days and wear my glasses all day at least 1-2 times per week.   This will help to conserve my contacts and I will be able to use them for the important days.     

June and July 2023- Living Large in the Cheap Seats is out.   I am excited that our Concerts in the Park series has started.   This area is rich in music.   

Check out all of the free or cheap things to do in the Cincinnati area or just for ideas of where to look for free/cheap things in your area. 

Do you want to see what we did last week?   

Just click on the picture for the link.