The Sweet Life On A Budget

With inflation on the rise and salaries not increasing, our ability to make ends meet is decreasing. Therefore, we must be more careful with our money. The Frugal Five is a series in which we celebrate the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     I am exploring ways to reduce costs during busy weeks. One strategy is to watch the pennies because they add up. Here are some of my tips and tricks.    1- Garden Set Up The outside seeds have been planted, so my root vegetables, pumpkins, cantaloupes, and peas are ready for the warm rainy weather to come and help them grow.     However, my tomatoes, peppers, kale, basil, rosemary, parsley, and other spring plants needed to be started indoors.     I took some time this week to get them into starter pots and they are headed to the greenhouse.    My friend will care for them until it is time to plant in May.     Another job done!    2-...

  Menu Plan #307 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.      February 2025  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $189.30 per week. Since March has 4 weeks, our monthly budget is $757.20.   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:     Utilize your grocery store’s loyalty program. This month, my 2 primary grocery stores have provided me with store coupons for bread, Silk milk, jelly candy, frozen vegetables, and Bali coconut water.  Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: ...

  With inflation on the rise and salaries not increasing, our ability to make ends meet is decreasing. Therefore, we must be more careful with our money. The Frugal Five is a series in which we celebrate the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     I am exploring ways to reduce costs during busy weeks. One strategy is to watch the pennies because they add up. Here are some of my tips and tricks.    1- Garden Set Up Spring is in the air.   It is time to top the garden with leaf mulch and turn it over.     Plant spring seeds such as snap peas, radishes, onions, beets, garlic, and carrots.  My garden will have more spring plantings, so we will have more root vegetables to eat in the spring and/or preserve for later.  In addition, this is the time to plant your seeds for indoor plant growth.  Hopefully,  I’ll have enough plants to plant outside by May/June to complete my garden and give to my n...

Italian Wedding Soup   Italian Wedding Soup is a staple in Italian restaurants and diners.     It is a soup that marries green vegetables with meat.      The simmering of the vegetables and meatballs, the soup's flavors combine to create a rich, delicious soup.    Growing up, this was my siblings and my favorite soup.   It always brings back great memories of my family, especially my grandmother.    Ingredients:  Meatballs ½ pound of ground beef  ½ pound of ground pork ⅓ cup of seasoned bread crumbs ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese  1 egg Soup ¼ cup of finely diced onions 1 large finely diced carrots 1 teaspoon of finely diced garlic Salt and Pepper to taste 8 cups of chicken stock ¾ cup of orzo pasta 2 cups of spinach, kale or broccoli rabe Directions: For the Meatballs In a bowl, mix all ingredients.    I use my hands to help prevent overmixing.     Roll me...