The Sweet Life On A Budget

  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 these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Published September 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $190.50. Since  October has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $952.50.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since our family has specific dietary needs, we limit our consumption of highly processed food.   Grocery Shopping Tip:     Rethink lunchmeat.     The deli will provide you with thin-sliced meat or presliced deli meat, but you will pay a premium per pound.     ($6.49 to $15.00 per pound) However, if you buy a ½ boneless ham (unsliced or presliced), the price point will drop to between ...

  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- Putting the Gardens to Bed It is time to pull and compost the garden’s plants, add compost, and cover the strawberries with straw.    This fall, I will add the leaves from our trees to the garden bed to decompose over the winter.    These few loving tasks will enhance my soil and help produce a higher garden yield next year.      2- Our Rich Backyard - Deer Come Visiting When we lived in Columbus, Ohio, our home was regularly visited by deer on their way to the pond located next to our yar...

  Menu Plan #321 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 these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Published September 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $190.50. Since  October has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $952.50.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since our family has specific dietary needs, we limit our consumption of highly processed food.   Grocery Shopping Tip:     Shop digitally before heading to the stores.  Since all of my local stores are within a 1-mile radius of each other, it pays to check prices digitally before going grocery shopping and create a separate grocery list for each store.    This way, the lowes...

  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 Harvest Preservation  This year's harvest is finishing up with a few bits of produce.    I processed a large amount of tomatoes and peppers into tomato sauce and jalapeno poppers.   In addition, I am incorporating the garden’s carrots, onions, garlic, and dried spices into my meal plans.     2- Our Rich Backyard -  Our local artisans participate in a farmers' market each Saturday.    Currently, our market is outside our local library from 9:00-1:00.   After I finish w...