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Frugal Five: #85

 The Frugal Five: #85


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.    


This week I am exploring how to keep costs down during busy weeks.    Keeping dinner on the table instead of eating out is one of my strategies to get the job done.    Here are some of my tips and trips.   


1- Spring Garden 

Our garden group is meeting and planting a lot of our gardens for the spring.    My peas, radishes, carrots, and spinach are coming up.    In addition, I was able to plant cabbage and peppers.    I am hoping for a great harvest again this year and planning on how to preserve our bounty for the winter. 


2- Free Tickets to the Red’s Game

My husband’s work purchases season tickets to the Red Games each year.   This year we were able to use the tickets to see the Reds vs the Mets.   It was a great game and we enjoyed the outing as a family.     In addition to the free tickets, we received a parking pass that saved us a lot of money.    As a Bonus, it was a bobblehead game, so our family received 3 bobbleheads.    I was able to give 2 of them to friends who appreciated them.   


3- Packing Lunch

We pack our lunch every day, so we will not be tempted to eat out.     We eat leftovers, sandwiches, or other items we pack from the refrigerator such as hardboiled eggs or yogurt.   Our lunches are simple and not expensive, but they fill us up so we can get through the day. 


4- DIY Starbucks Coffee

We pick up delicious coffee from our local grocery store when it goes on sale.   Then we take to-go cups in the morning.     Since spring is warming up, we are making iced coffee in the morning.   If we were to get a mocha iced coffee at Starbucks it would cost us at least $6.00, but by making it at home this treat is within our budget.         


5- Getting Free Strawberry Plants


My gardening group was thinning out their strawberry patch and offered me 10 plants to start one in my backyard.   I wasn’t sure what to place in the garden bed I created last year, so I’m testing the strawberry plants there.     Hopefully, the bunnies will leave them alone. 


What Free-bees have you been able to pick up this year?    My entire year is attached below.    


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.


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