The Frugal Five: #86

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- Side Hustle

Over the summer, I tutor a few students to keep up with my Orton Gillingham practices and earn a little money to pay for my Orton Gillingham training, observations, and supplies. The money isn’t a lot, but every little bit helps.

2- Hanging Laundry

The weather has turned warm and combined with the nice breezes, it is great for handing laundry outside to dry. The saving are minimal, but this combined with the conservation of energy and the wonderful smell it gives to the clothes is wonderful.

3- Spring Cleaning

I know it is summertime, but this is when I have the time to Spring Clean my home. I am going room by room, cleaning out all the cabinets, and deep cleaning the floors, windows, etc. This gives my home a freshness that can’t be described. In addition, I am selecting simple decorations to bring elegance to my house. Over the past year, I printed pictures of beautiful statues from Hawaii for free and picked up frames on sale. This, combined with the decor I already own, provides great touches to my home.

4- Cooking from Scratch

Since school is off for the summer, I have more time to cook and bake from scratch. I noticed a few bananas turning ripe, so I made them into bread for breakfast or a snack. In addition, I picked up milk when it was on sale, but it was going out of date, so I made yogurt, ice cream, and pudding.

5- Free Flowers

We have several rose bushes in our front beds. When blooming, I cut a few for our dining room table. My husband gave me a wonderful flower grid which I used in conjunction with my green class bowl to present them. It was a beautiful combination.

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.

Comments

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...

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...

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...

The Sweet Life On A Budget

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