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Frugal Five: #112

 


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 that celebrates 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 

To make tomato harvesting easier and improve their production, we purchased good tomato cages.      These cages are strong, portable, and easy to assemble.   Installing them in the garden was easy and fast.    


This week we planted:

  • 2 Heirloom Tomatoes

  • Pole Beans

  • Parsley

 

This week we harvested:   

  • Strawberries

  • Kale

  • Radishes


2- Personal Development


Summers are a time for teachers to reset their mindset and participate in personal development to improve their skill set.    I am fortunate to have a school that provides personal development opportunities on Wednesday during the summer, and my Orton Gillingham group has opportunities on Thursday.     I am taking advantage of each opportunity to grow my skill set and become a stronger teacher.   


3-  Summer Tasks 


We have an area at the edge of our tree grove that becomes overgrown, making it difficult to walk.     This week, I removed the weeds, laid down a weed barrier, and applied mulch to the area.    This will make walking along our fence line easier and access to the washline less of an issue. 


4- Preserving Update


Our couple of kale plants are producing a lot of leaves, and we can’t eat them fast enough each week.  Therefore, the garden preservation process has begun.   So far, we have xx cups of kale cleaned, chopped, and frozen in preparation for winter soups.    In addition, my herb cabinet required replenishment, so I’ve dried oregano and thyme.   


5-  Minimizing the Dryer

A few days this week were sunny, so I completed the laundry on those days and hung out the clothes to dry.    This is a minimal savings to the electric bill, but we are making small changes to help preserve our planet.     That is where the true savings will be noticed.   Typically, I use the dryer during the busy times, but try to eliminate it during the slower times.   


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:

Do you want to see my last post?   

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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