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Frugal Five: #126

 


With inflation rising and salaries staying the same, our ability to make ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult. 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.    


This year, my focus is on Simple Abundance, so finding ways to live well while staying on budget will be challenging.    Come along and enjoy my journey of elevating joy, enjoying what you have, and finding luxury in my local area.   


1- Freezer Resource 


Your freezer is a valuable resource that can “freeze” the price of meat, butter, cheese, and so much more.    This past week, pork loin was on sale for $1.99 per pound, so I picked up a loin.    Cutting the loin into chops and freezing will preserve the rock-bottom price while allowing you to have a high-quality cut of meat in the future.    Another way to use your freezer as a resource is to cook a double batch of a meal and freeze half for a future dinner.    I find this helpful when I have busy weeks, and it prevents eating out.   Finally, when we have leftovers that haven’t been eaten, we toss them in the freezer to eat later.     


2- Our Rich Backyard - Embrace Hygge 

The concept of Hygge comes from the Danish and Norwegian areas.   It emphasises mood over things and creates an atmosphere of calm, ease, and connection.    Since Hygge focuses on mood and not things, its execution can be embraced by all socioeconomic levels.  One way I am implementing this into my life is to create a reading nook and increase my reading.    I have several books that I have wanted to read but have never gotten around to, so this year I am committing to reading several times per week.        


3-  Chinese Stir-Fry 


A weekly cleanout of the refrigerator will prevent waste and save money.   A few types of recipes that help you use up the perishables.  I will place soup, salads, or stir fry on the menu to use up the bits and ends of the vegetables left in the refrigerator.   This week→ Stir Fry is on the menu.    

    

4- Organizing your Pantry 


My pantry is packed, and sometimes I repurchase items that I already have.     This winter break, I took a little time to reorganize and list what is already in the pantry.     I have included an area of priority use items, which are approaching their best-buy date and need to be used up.   


5- Gratitude

Gratitude helps to shape our mindset and allows us to view the world through a positive lens.    This helps us to see opportunities instead of obstacles.    Since I am embracing Simple Abundance this year, I am making a conscious effort to identify areas of gratitude.    


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:

Did you miss the last Frugal Five post?  No worries, click on the picture for the link.



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


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