Frugal Five: #136

 

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- Appliance Sale Cycle 

Strategic spending is essential when you’re working to keep expenses below your income, and understanding sales cycles can make a big difference.  Memorial Day is traditionally one of the best times to replace major appliances because so many stores run competitive promotions.  Many retailers will even match each other’s perks, including free delivery, haul‑away, and installation.  When our dishwasher broke in April, we intentionally waited until the end of May to buy a replacement.  That small act of patience paid off—we saved $488.95 simply by timing the purchase with the holiday sales. 

2- Our Rich Backyard - Line Drying Laundry

During the summer, I choose to line‑dry my laundry because it’s an easy way to help the environment while saving my family a little money.  I’ve learned it pays to pay attention to the weather, planning my wash days for when the sun is shining and the breeze is steady.  By taking just a bit of extra time and energy to hang clothes outside, I save about $0.60 per load, and as a bonus, everything comes back inside smelling naturally fresh.  

3-  Adventures in Cooking- Greek-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing 

My cooking adventure this week was creating a Greek‑Inspired Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing.  I started with a base recipe I found on Pinterest and then customized it to fit our family’s preferences.  Since our garden blessed us with an abundance of lettuce, I swapped it in for the spinach.  Kalamata olives were running about $0.60 more per 6‑oz container, and I already had black olives in the pantry, so I made that switch too.  I also adjusted the quantities of the main ingredients to balance the flavors.  The result → the family loved this salad and immediately requested it again.   

4- Simple Pleasures- Open Windows

Cracking open a window on a cool evening invites fresh air inside, instantly cooling and refreshing your home.  The gentle drop in temperature helps your body relax, making it easier to unwind after a long day and allowing sleep to come more quickly.  The oxygen‑rich airflow pushes out stale indoor air and creates a naturally calming environment.  It’s one of those simple pleasures that costs nothing yet makes your space feel cleaner, quieter, and more peaceful. 

5- Caring for my Tomato Plants

This week I noticed that my tomato plant leaves developed black spots which typically indicate plant disease.    Last year, I lost an entire plant to disease, so I promptly trimmed the affected leaves and  removed any leaf stalk which was pointed towards the ground.    Going forward, I will be checking the plants regularly because when issues are caught early, they are easier to correct.   

My next task was supporting my tomato plants.   Since the tomato plants are small, this is the best time to set up cages or stakes before the plants become too large to handle easily.   build and set up the tomato cages or stake each plant.       Last year, I purchased 3 square cages which require assembly yearly, but  they’re sturdy and are excellent at supporting heavy fruit.  In addition, I placed stakes next to the tomatoes to stabilize and support the tomato stalks until they are strong enough to rely on the cage.    At our community garden, I was able to borrow 3 cages and I also stakes each of the tomatoes in my community bed to ensure they grow upright and healthy.      

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.