The Sweet Life On A Budget

  So far this year we were able to pick up 62 free items.  With our current health crisis, the deals are very limited and hard to come.   We are grateful for everything we are able to pick up, especially because we are only going to the store when we need a list of items.       As always, I am able to secure these items through Kroger incentives, Giant Eagle Advantage Program, Drug Store (Walgreens/CVS)  Rewards programs, sales, Pinch Me, Smart Source, Meijer’s Buy 10 get the 11th free sale, and Rebates Programs (IBOTTA/SavingStar).       January (13 items)  February (5 items)  March (5 Items) Here is my April 2022 list of Free-Bees!   April (39 + Bonus Food)  Kroger Eggs (18 ct)- Kroger Coupon Mountain Dew Energy Drink- Kroger Coupon Bitchin Sauce Spinach Artichoke Dip- Kroger Coupon Meijers Black Beans- Meijer Coupon Larabars (6 ct.)- Meijer Sale and $5.00 Perk Coupon 8X10 photo-...

  The Frugal Five With inflation on the rise and our salaries not being able to keep up, it seems like we have taken a pay cut and must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate our daily or weekly activities that help us to live a frugal life.     1- Fighting against High Gas Prices   I put more effort into finding the best price for gas.    Through tracking prices for several days taking location into account, I discovered that prices are consistently cheaper in specific locations that I to travel frequently.    Therefore, I waited to refill my gas tank until I went to work on Monday, so I could take advantage of lower prices.   The Results:    10 gallons of gas at $3.41!    The price in my local area is $3.97/gallon.   This saved me $5.60 this week.   Although it is not a lot of money, it is something.        2- Take advantage of Gr...

  The Frugal Five With inflation on the rise and our salaries not being able to keep up, it seems like we have taken a pay cut and must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate our daily or weekly activities that help us to live a frugal life.     1- FREE Photos from CVS and Walgreens I was able to pick up 3 free 5x7 photos from CVS by using their promo code.   In addition, Walgreens provided a promo code for a free 8X10 photo.  It was easy to order online and then pick up at the store at my convenience.     Because I batch my errands, it didn’t cost me any additional funds to pick up the photos from each store.     2- Meijer’s 10 for $10 get the 11th Free         Meijer’s 10 for $10 get the 11th free Sale is back!  I was able to pick up 11 items for $1.00 each.   In addition to getting the 11th item free, I was able to use the $5.00 coupo...

  Slowing down and taking the time to enjoy our surroundings is essential to Living the Sweet Life On A Budget.  Whether it is enjoying nature or the beauty of city architecture, taking time to stop and appreciate beauty wherever you find it is essential.   Our Rich Backyard Life looks at the beauty surrounding us, whether it is animals, flowers, buildings, locations, or anything else that we can appreciate in our daily travels.  Ever since I was a little girl, I loved fountains!   The beauty of the water flowing through time and space.   The tranquility of the sound of the water hitting itself.    I could watch the flow fountains for hours on end.   I still found this experience to be relaxing and calming.      Here are some examples of fountains in winter.  I can’t wait until spring when the other local fountains are turned back on.  What beauty were you able to find in your backyard?  Leave a comment...

  Meal planning is essential to eating healthy, keeping the grocery bill down, and maintaining your sanity throughout a workweek.   In addition to meal planning, I try to prepare meals as much as possible over the weekend.   This helps to lower my stress during the week.    However, if we have a busy weekend, I try to plan simple or crockpot meals.    Meal Preparation Plan Breakfast Bread Yogurt Lunch Bento Boxes NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although at the time of the blog postings all prices were correct, the current cost of preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Breakfast Options:  Breakfast Bread Yogurt Bagels Monday Leftovers Tuesday Shrimp Fried Rice Wednesday Pasta w/ Homemade Gravy  Salad Garlic Bread Thursday Breakfast for Dinner Apple Pfannekuchen Friday Cheese Steaks Chips Vegetables w/ Dip Saturday H...

  The Frugal Five With inflation on the rise and our salaries not being able to keep up, it seems like we have taken a pay cut and must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate our daily or weekly activities that help us to live a frugal life.     1- Reusing Grocery Bags Each week I get several grocery bags from the store when I check out.    These bags could go into the landfill without using them for anything else, but why would I do that?    I use my grocery bags as liners for my trash cans, to wrap paint brushes, use them at Aldi grocery and for so much more.       2- Grocery Budget: 1 Chicken makes 3 Meals      Meat prices keep going higher and higher, so I tried to make three meals out of one chicken this week.  At Kroger I was able to pick up a 5.25 pound frying chicken for $7.82/$1.49 per pound.     On Sunday, I made a full roasted ch...

  Meal planning is essential to eating healthy, keeping the grocery bill down, and maintaining your sanity throughout a workweek.   In addition to meal planning, I try to prepare meals as much as possible over the weekend.   This helps to lower my stress during the week.    However, if we have a busy weekend, I try to plan simple or crockpot meals.    Meal Preparation Plan Egg Sandwiches Yogurt NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although at the time of the blog postings all prices were correct, the current cost of preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Breakfast Options:  Breakfast Bread Yogurt Egg Sandwiches  Hard Boiled Eggs Monday Chicken Soup Sandwiches Tuesday Fried Rice Wednesday Chicken Parmesan Pasta with Homemade Gravy Salad Thursday Leftovers  Friday Pizza Saturday Enchiladas Salad Rice Sunday Greek Chi...