Frugal Five: #70

 The Frugal Five: #70

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- Took Advantage of FREE Food

This week my school's PTO provided dinner for the teachers and there was a lot left over.     The teachers were able to make lunch the next day and since the large trays of salad and fruit were headed for the trashcan because it was Friday, I was permitted to take some salad and fruit home for dinner.     In addition, the school cafeteria was getting rid of a huge pile of bananas.    I picked up a few to add to the fruit salad and banana chip muffins.   

2- Practicing Discipline and Restraint

Last week, my husband indicated that we should pick up some LaCroix water for our son, but it would cost us the full price($4.99).   I knew the sale cycle was close to having our favorite produce on sale, so we waited to purchase it.    Our patience paid off!   This week it is on sale for $2.99.  We were happy to pick up our limit and ration it out so it lasts until the next sale.  

3- Using Leftovers 

 

Leftovers are one of my secret or not-so-secret tricks to saving money each week.   We use them in so many ways.   We take them for lunches or remake them into a new dinner the next night.    Our next trick is to clean out the refrigerator at least one time per week and put out all of the smaller portions of leftovers for dinner. Finally, if we still have some individual portions of leftovers, they are popped into the freezer for lunch the next week.   

4- Side Hustle 

Grateful for my side hustle.     Twice a week, I tutor a student in reading, and this adds a little money to my “fun” budget.   In addition, I use this money to pay for my Orton Gillingham materials, coursework, and observations.    I used some of this “fun” budget money to pick up soda for the family for the next 3 months.   

     

5- Asking our Contractors to Fix Errors

When we decided to invest in our home and get our basement sealed, it was a big decision due to the price.   Unfortunately, there were a few issues with the project.  Now some of the cosmetic issues, we chose not to make a fuss about because is a concrete floor and we plan to cover it someday.   However, one of our radiators was damaged and the pipe that connected a sink to the drain was severed.    My husband worked with the company and although it took a little while to get everything fixed, the company did make all the issues right and we are grateful.     We found that by hiring quality companies and being respectful when communicating with others, people are generally fair and honest.      

What Free-bees have you been able to pick up this year?    My September free-bee haul knocked it out of the park!    Hopefully, October will pick up soon, because it is looking a lot like my August haul.      

Here is my list: 

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.