Skip to main content

The Frugal Five: #59

 The Frugal Five: #59




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- Front Yard Appeal

Your home's curb appeal starts with your front yard.  Keep your lawn mowed and clear of debris and clutter.   Our home has roses planted out front, and when flowering, they are beautiful.  However, when the flowering process is finished, they turn brown and do not look very good, so redhead the plant.   In addition, their leaves are prone to be attacked by bugs making them look bad.  To take care of this situation, I treat the leaves and deadhead the roses.   This will help the roses to rebloom this season.    At the end of the season, you cut the roses back to the ground.   


2- Children’s Art Work 

My son had a ceramics class this past year at school and made several pieces that he didn’t want.    These discarded pieces are cute and look great in the garden.   I added them to different spots along with previously purchased figures to add a little whimsy to our yard.    

  

3- Statues

Last year for my birthday, I picked out a Dancing Lady statue to add to my yard decor at a discount store.  When I put it out last year, I discovered that because it was so light that it blow around the yard.   This year I discovered a hole in the bottom of the statue to add sand or rock to.   It was missing the plug, but a little duct tape worked and no one can tell.     

4- Adding Lights


Adding accent lighting is important to highlight various design elements which elevate the beauty of your home’s exterior.    This year we were able to pick up two strings of lights at a Freight Harbor store which sold them at a very low price point.    Since we have been looking at these particular lights for a while, we knew what a good deal was and jumped at this opportunity.    In addition, we found a few solar spotlights to add to our yard, which light up the front of our home thus creating a safer entrance to our home. 

5- Eating Alfresco



Eating outside among nature elevates a meal.   We enjoy eating our dinners in our screened-in porch area.   We work on adding elements of joy to it each year which helps us to eat at home and enjoy our home more.   


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. 



Please leave a comment below with your ways of saving money this week.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more