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Frugal Five: #116

 


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 

The tomatoes are starting to produce a large number of green tomatoes, and the jalapeno plants have a bunch of small peppers.    The kale, basil, herbs, and yellow squash are still producing strongly.      The cucumbers are coming to an end, but I am pleased with the number of cucumbers I was able to get from 1 plant in my backyard.   I will most likely be growing one in that bed next year. It is time to succession sow my green beans.   


2- Our Rich Backyard 

I have been enjoying my coffee on the back porch and watching the birds each morning while writing my morning pages.   This process has helped me to tap into my creative side again.    It is a peaceful way to start each morning.     


3-  Little Library 


Little libraries are located around town and are small enclosed structures with used books inside.    The concept is that you can take or trade a book to read and then return it.  This is another great way to read a variety of different books and keep them out of the landfills.    


4- Take Out Fake Out 

We enjoy going out and trying a wide variety of food from different ethnic backgrounds.   However, we are working on curbing our dining out habit, so each week I research different recipes and try them.    Pizza is an easy meal to make as a take-out fake-out.    We experiment with grilling the pizza and a variety of different crusts and toppings.    This month, we have been experimenting with Chinese food.     We have tried: Moo Goo Gia Pan, Beef and Broccoli, Chicken and Broccoli, Wonton Soup, and Egg Rolls.   Some of the food is entirely from scratch, and others are made with premade grocery items.   


5-  Hair Cut Time 


I cut my husband’s hair every two weeks, and we save $90.00 per month.   This job takes about 15 minutes, and his haircut is the same as a barber cut.   On occasion, we will invest in a good pair of hair clippers, which pays for itself within a few cuts.   


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.   The new Free-bee List will be coming this Wednesday. 


Here is my list:

If you want to see my last post, click on the picture for the link.



Please leave a comment below with your ways of saving money this week.


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