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 Update
I have been enjoying harvesting a few items from the garden. Strawberries are ready for picking, and our family has eaten them as fast as they ripen. In addition, the kale has been growing very well. I have several 2-cup packages in the freezer waiting for winter soups. Another way I use kale is to mix it with cabbage and lettuce to bulk up our salads.
Unfortunately, the peas have not grown this year, so I have substituted beans in their place. Now I just have to wait until they start producing. I have planted my tomatoes, various peppers, and the rest of the cucumbers. Finally, my friend gave me 2 additional heirloom tomatoes to plant and collect seeds from at the end of the season. These plants get huge, and I am excited to see what they do.
2- Eagle Scout Project Food
My son is finishing up his Eagle Scout Project, and the team needs to be fed, so instead of ordering pizza and picking it up, I decided to cook. I picked up the ingredients for baked ziti with bread as their lunch.
However, the bulk of the money was spent on snacks. UGG! I reduced the price slightly by shopping the sales, so I picked up soda for half price and chips for $2.00 a bag.
3- Summer Tasks
Our home is filled with antiques, and since we moved into a house with a boiler system for heating, special care needs to be given to our cherished possessions. This means I need to start oiling my furniture to prevent cracking, waxing the drawers, and assessing any damage that has occurred this year for repairs. I have created a schedule and will systematically care for each piece of furniture this summer.
4- Homemade Items on the Rise
Since I am finished my 9 to 5 for the school year, I will have more time to make homemade items such as yogurt, granola bars, snacks, etc. This will save us money on groceries. In addition, I am working on developing a few freezer meals that my family loves, so next school year we won’t eat out as frequently.
5- Hair Care→ Cutting the Cost
My hair salon will offer a discounted gift card twice a year. I take advantage of this each time. The officers are usually in May (Mother’s Day) and December (Christmas). I calculated the amount of money I typically would spend from May to November and purchased a card for that amount. In addition, I participate in their loyalty program, so I will also receive a $50.00 discount each time I fill up the card. The program has changed a little, so I recalculated how often I will receive the discount and moving forward to adjust my gift card purchase based on the math.
In addition, I cut my husband’s hair every two weeks, which saves us $80.00 a month. On occasion, we will invest in a good pair of hair clippers, but even with that expense, we are saving a lot of money each year.
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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Please leave a comment below with your ways of saving money this week.
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