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.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Keeping Cool Without an AC- Part 5

  The news is full of headlines indicating that energy shortages are on the horizon for most of the world. Over the decades, we have become reliant on the coolness of our air conditioners and have forgotten how we survived without them. It is now time to rediscover how to stay cool without our AC. Our 5 part series provides ideas on how to beat the heat this summer without the AC.     House Adjustments- Part 2 By placing house plants, such as English ivy, ficus, and spider plants, throughout your home, you can drop the overall temperature of your house by 10 degrees. In addition, house plants are air purifiers and add oxygen to your home.     For quick relief, create a personal mister to help drop the temperature of your skin: thus making you feel colder. Some people combine a spray bottle and a fan to create a cooling effect. However, I use just the spray bottle with cold water throughout the day and it keeps me cool. In addition, we use coo...

Meal Planning: #287

  Menu Plan #287 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.      August  USDA Low Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $185.60 per week.  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.          Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Breakfast Options:  Yogurt Muffins Egg Sandwiches Lunch Options: Grilled Chicken  Salads Chicken Salad Monday Hamburgers Roasted Potatoes Corn  Tuesday Street Tacos Salad Wednesday Enchilada Salad Chips w/ Salsa Thursday Leftovers Friday Chicken Parmesan Pasta Sal...

Frugal Five: #73

  The Frugal Five: #73 With inflation on the rise and salaries not increasing, our ability to make ends meet keeps going down.    Therefore, we 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- “Potluck” lunch At work this week, we are having a potluck appetizer/dessert party for a colleague’s 60th birthday.  Everyone is expected to bring an appetizer or dessert for the party.    Since there will be a lot of food provided by everyone, I am not bringing my lunch that day and will eat from whatever people have brought.   In addition, on Friday, our social committee is providing us with a turkey lunch feast.     2- Picking up a Cheap Turkey This week at Kroger, if you spend $25.00, then you can purchase a Kroger turkey for just $0.49 per pound.  Although we do not prefer dark meat, we decided to take ...