The Sweet Life On A Budget

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- Take Out from the Kitchen   Fridays are difficult for us to stay away from takeout.     Previously, I would make pizza every Friday, but due to dietary restrictions, I have not been making pizza.     However, I picked up Keto Wheat Flour at a reduced price.     This past Friday, I made pizza for the family and everyone loved it.   So, I went to the same grocery store and picked up 3 more bags.    It looks like pizza is back on the menu.   2-...

  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.      December 2024  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $187.40 per week. Since January has 4 weeks, our monthly budget is $749.60.   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.    Grocery Shopping Tip:  Week 3:   This week chicken was on sale at 3 different stores.     I needed chicken, so I went to the cheapest store and picked up enough for the rest of the month.     Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Meal Planning  Was...

  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- Take Out from the Kitchen   Fridays are difficult for us to stay away from takeout.     This week I struggled with not wanting to cook and order out instead.      I stopped at the grocery store for bread, peppers, and chopped steak to make cheese steak sandwiches for dinner.  For less than $20.00, I made sandwiches for everyone.      In comparison, 3 sandwiches would cost around $45.00 if we picked them up at a sandwich shop.   ...

  There are cycles in the weather, economy, politics, and general fabrics of life, but the cycle that I have focused on recently is the sale cycles which seem to be predictable and constant.  Therefore, caution is best served here because overspending can easily occur in the name of saving money.  Since knowledge is power, here are a few tricks and skills to help you make an informed decision on your cycles.  This month, we will focus on the January sales cycles and give you a few general tricks to help you maximize your budget.  January tends to be focused on getting healthy, New Year’s Resolutions, colds, and after-holiday sales.  Here are some of the things I look for in January:  Health and Beauty Cold Medicine Pain Relievers Vitamins Cough Drops Tissues  New product lines (Hair Color, Beauty Products, Cosmedics)  Getting Healthy  Soup Jello  Healthy foods (Healthy Choice, South Beach)  Lara Bars Oats/Quaker Products (Natio...