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. 20
1- Cook Once Eat Twice
Are you finding it tough to juggle work and home life without feeling overwhelmed? Time has been tight in our house lately, and getting dinner on the table while working full‑time has become a real challenge. One strategy that’s been helping us is the “cook once, eat twice” approach. We make a larger batch of protein and turn it into two different meals on back‑to‑back days.
Here are a few examples:
Day 1 → Day 2
Baked Chicken & Rice → Fajitas
Mississippi Pot Roast → Beef Sliders
It saves time, reduces stress, and keeps our food budget in check.
What do you do to keep your family fed on a budget?
Share your ideas below.
2- Our Rich Backyard - Wood Burning Fireplace
Our area received even more snow this week, and the cold temperatures continue to settle in. To stay comfortable at home, we’ve been layering up, keeping slippers on our feet, and using cozy throws while relaxing in the living room. Our fireplace has also been a huge help in keeping the common areas warm, especially when we come back inside after shoveling the driveway and walkways.
As a bonus, the seasoned firewood we’re burning was cut and prepared over the last couple of years from our own small grove of trees, which makes it feel even more rewarding.
3- Getting Lunch for the next two weeks.
This week I found a pound and a half of sliced ham on sale for $8.00, which brings the cost down to just $5.33 per pound. Since that’s cheaper than buying lunchmeat from the deli, I picked up two hams to use for lunches over the next couple of weeks.
4- Banana Bread
I picked up five free bananas this week and turned them into a delicious loaf of banana bread. It came out great, and it’s now our go‑to breakfast for the next few days.
5- Rugs for $10.00
This week we found a good‑sized, attractive rug at Costco for only $10.00. With all the snow we’ve had recently, we’ve been looking for ways to protect our hardwood floors from the constant wet foot traffic. Since we have three entrances, we picked up three rugs to help catch the moisture and snow as people come in. So far, we’re very pleased with the investment.
What is on Sale this Month? This series looks at what is typically on sale during each month, so you can look ahead and make better choices.
What Free-bees have you been able to pick up this year? The 2025 Free-Bee Summary has been posted. If you missed it, then click on the link below.
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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