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 neighbors.
2- Christmas Present Alert
I found candles discounted at my local grocery store for $1.40 each. The candle's regular price would be $4.00. I picked up several for my gift closet. So at Christmas time, I would have nice basic gifts available to wrap.
3- Coffee at a Discount
Coffee is one of my non-negotiables. Since coffee is imported from other countries, the price is going up. When I see Starbucks, Silver Bridge, or German coffee on sale, I purchase what my budget will allow and store it in a cool, dark place. This helps to keep my daily pot at a reasonable price with a to-go cup with me to work.
Typically, I do not go out for coffee, but I have loaded my stockpile of gift cards to my Starbucks app for emergencies or a nice “date” with my husband. This simple luxury provides me with happiness daily.
4- Saving on Breakfast
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.
Oatmeal and other cereal-based items are handy for a lower breakfast cost. Once a week, I will bake sweet bread, baked oatmeal, or a batch of pancakes and eat off of my one baking session for the whole week. Therefore, I can have breakfast for under $1.00 per day.
5- Coupon Watching
Using coupons and rebate apps is a great way to leverage sales to achieve the lowest price for needed items. This month, laundry detergent was on sale at different stores and I purchased 3 bottles of laundry detergent (102 oz) for $8.00. Since a single bottle of laundry detergent costs $12.00 at regular price, the detergent was at a great price. In addition, I purchased 5 boxes of Honey Bunches of O’s Cereal (12oz) for $0.54 per box. (Typical price= $3.99 each) Coupons can be found on meat too! I purchased Zaterain Andouille Sausage ( 14 oz) for $1.49. (Typical price: $5.99 each) These items were purchased at rock-bottom prices and saved money in my overall grocery budget.
What Free-bees have you been able to pick up this year? The 2024 Free-Bee Summary has been posted. If you missed it, then click on the link below.
Here is my list:
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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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