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- Strategic Spending
Strategic spending is essential when you’re working to keep expenses below your income. This year I learned a surprising tip: when a hospital sends a digital request asking you to pre‑pay an upcoming bill, wait. If you call and speak directly with a cashier, you may qualify for a discount. With several procedures on our calendar, this simple step has saved us thousands of dollars. I encourage you to take five minutes to make the call and explore whether a discount is available.
2- Our Rich Backyard - Garden Harvest
Spring crops are growing fast, and our family has been enjoying a steady stream of fresh vegetables from the garden. So far, I’ve harvested 15.5 ounces of strawberries (about one store container at $3.49), 11.5 ounces of radishes (roughly two bags at $2.98), 68 ounces of lettuce (the equivalent of four 16‑ounce containers at $20.00), and one small beet at 1.6 ounces. Altogether, these early harvests have saved our family about $26.00, a reminder of how quickly small garden yields add up.
3- Adventures in Cooking
I’ve been diving into the cooking habits of the 1930s and 1950s, and one theme keeps standing out: use every part of the food you bring into your kitchen. Inspired by that mindset, I took a closer look at the beet I harvested this week and wondered whether the greens were edible. A little research confirmed they are—and deliciously so. I sautéed the beet greens in olive oil with garlic and a few spices, and the result was surprisingly flavorful. This simple experiment reminded me how much potential we overlook in everyday ingredients, and I’m excited to keep exploring ways to use every part of the food I receive.
4- Simple Pleasures- Morning Coffee to Bird Song
Each morning, I take my coffee out to our screened‑in patio and listen to the birds singing as the day begins. When the sun rises over the tree line, the view is absolutely breathtaking. This quiet ritual has become my favorite way to start the morning—it grounds me, calms my thoughts, and reminds me to appreciate simple beauty.
5- Hair Care on a Budget
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 similar to a barber's cut. On occasion, we will invest in a good pair of hair clippers, which pays for itself within a few cuts.
Unfortunately, I need to visit the hairdresser to maintain my appearance. Typically, people color their hair every 4 weeks, but they may stretch it out to 5 weeks. The result is that I save about $120 every quarter.
This past May, my salon is offering a gift card promotion that reduces the salon cost by 20%. Since I will be spending this money anyway, I invested in a gift card and received my 20% discount!
What Free-bees have you been able to pick up this year? The 2026 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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