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Frugal Five: #96

 The Frugal Five: #96


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.    


I am exploring how to keep costs down during busy weeks. One strategy is to keep dinner on the table instead of eating out. Here are some of my tips and trips.   


1- Errand Batching   


Gas prices are decreasing in my area, but they are still high and this is an area of our budget that we can only impact a little.     We still need to travel back and forth to work, school, and errands.    However, one way I can decrease the number of times I fill up at the gas pump is to batch my errands with everyday travel.   I pass by a pharmacy, drug stores, and a grocery store every day I go to work, so if we need something from one of these stores, I make a brief stop on my way home and the chore is done with little added gas consumption.  In addition, some things are cheaper at Costco, so I plan these trips twice a month to coincide with my need to fill up my gas tank.    This maximizes my savings.   What do you do to save on gas? 

   

2- Banana Muffins from free Bananas

I was able to pick up 4 more free bananas because they were getting too ripe to give to the kids.     So I made more banana muffins.  This time, I added walnuts to the mix because we have several bags in the freezer that I am trying to use up.    This was a quick breakfast for the family. 


3- Meal Planning 

Meal planning was essential this week because my husband was out of town for work.    I took this opportunity to cook the dishes my son enjoys.     We enjoyed Jambayala, Pasta, and Chicken and Rice Casserole.    In addition, I reduced my shopping this week and put a little more money aside for November sales.   (NOTE- The grocery sales were poor this week.) 


4- De-Cluttering  


De-cluttering may not seem very frugal, but it dramatically affects your mood and health.  I am taking 15-30 minutes daily to work on house cleaning and removing items we do not need or want anymore.    I will discard the items (if no one else can use them) or donate them to Goodwill.   Our home looks better and we feel less stressed.   

 


5- Spa Night

With the holiday season arriving, I am re-instituting Spa Night once a week.   My family always has something else to do on Friday nights, so that is my spa night.    I have face masks, deep hair moisturizers, nail polish and so much more to use from my self-care drawer.    It is time to get it out, use it, and enjoy some self-care time. 


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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