Skip to main content

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.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menu Planning: #245

  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 preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan ccording to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: Check your sale flyers for loss leaders.   Each week grocery stores advertise specific products at a great price to get you in the store.   Recently, I have noticed a very specific time frame for getting these deals.   Good luck and happy hunting.   Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Refrigerator Clean Out Pre-cut all vegetables for the week Pulled older items to the front for easier consumption C...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Planning: #250

  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 preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: When I purchase fruit for the week, it helps to calculate the cost per serving vs. the cost in general.   For example, this week a whole watermelon was on sale for $3.99 each.    When it is cut up, the watermelon will yield at least 20 servings which will place the cost per serving at $0.20.    Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: Breakfast Options:  Hard Boiled Eggs Yogurt Homemade Breakfast ba...
Post a Comment
Read more

Crocktober Day 3==> Sloppy Joes

  The leaves are turning colors and starting to drop.   In addition, the weather is turning cool and October is Crock Pot Month. So dust off your slow cookers and start using them to help get dinner on the table this month.     My slow cooker is a big asset and gets a lot of use over the fall and winter months.    When it is cold outside I use my slow cooker to make soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals.      Since school is in full swing, I can get my dinner going in the morning when I have more time.   Then, dinner is done when I am exhausted and this avoids the desire to eat out.    Crocktober is a challenge, to use your crock pot every day in October.    Although I will not use my crock pot daily, I will use it more this month and post several recipes.    Come along for the month and see what is cooking.    Day 3 Our third recipe is homemade Barbeque or Sloppy Joe....
Post a Comment
Read more