The Sweet Life On A Budget

  Menu Plan #289 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 location.      August  USDA Low Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $186.60 per week.  We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since we have health concerns and are active individuals, we limit our processed food choices.          Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Breakfast Options:  Yogurt Muffins Hard Boiled Eggs Lunch Options: Chicken  Salad Bento Boxes Monday Jambalaya Tuesday Left Overs Wednesday Shrimp Scampi Pasta Salad Thursday Left Overs Friday Baked Shrimp Salad Noodles Saturday Sandwich Night Sunday Enchiladas Salad C...

  The Frugal Five: #89 With inflation on the rise and salaries not increasing, our ability to make ends meet keeps going down.    Therefore, we must be more careful with our money.   The Frugal Five is a series where we celebrate the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     This week I am exploring how to keep costs down during busy weeks.    Keeping dinner on the table instead of eating out is one of my strategies to get the job done.    Here are some of my tips and trips.    1- Free-Bee’s for your Birthday August is my birthday month, so I have been lucky to receive several free items from various stores.    I received coupons for free food at the following restaurants: Chick-fil-A, Jimmy Johns, Krispy Kreme, and Starbucks.     I also received a coupon for a free item from Bath and Body.   CVS gave me $3.00 in ECB, and Meijers gave me a 5% on 1 order this month....

  Food Waste According to Global Reports on Food Crisis, 59 counties or territories have food shortages.    In 2023 the number of people experiencing hunger is up 24 million from the previous year.  In America, we are very focused on the price of food and how inflation has impacted our households’ ability to maintain our budget.    This is causing more people to live paycheck to paycheck which is very uncomfortable, especially for those who have not experienced this level of stress before,         In January of 2013, Brad Plumer wrote an article for the Washington Post on food waste in America. At the time, we were wasting $165 billion in food each year.  Most of this comes from restaurants, grocery stores, food production, and farmers which I can not change.    However, I was able to control my household and work towards reducing our food waste.   At the time, Brad reported that American household...

  There are cycles in the weather, economy, politics, and general fabrics of life, but I am focused on the sale cycles that are predictable and consistent.  However, caution is best served here because overspending can easily occur in the name of saving money.  Since knowledge is power, here are a few tricks and skills to help you make an informed decision on your cycles.  This month we will focus on the September Sales Cycles and give a monthly tip/trick to maximize your budget.  September has Labor Day and the start of School.  Here are some of the things I look for in September:  Cereal Syrup Instant Oatmeal Bacon and Sausage Coffee Lunch  box items Peanut Butter and Jelly Capri Suns Fruit cups Chips  Applesauce Granola bars Lunchmeat  Trees, Shrubs, Bulbs (Fall Plantings)  Clearance Camping Supplies Clearance Summer Clothes Clearance Canning Supplies Clearance Back to School Supplies Items on the watch list:  Fall Cooking I...

  Menu Plan #288 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 location.      August  USDA Low Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $186.60 per week.  We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since we have health concerns and are active individuals, we limit our processed food choices.          Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Breakfast Options:  Yogurt Muffins Egg Sandwiches Lunch Options: Chicken Sausage  Bento Boxes Monday Steak Roasted Potatoes Salad Tuesday Street Tacos Salad Wednesday Left Overs Thursday Sausage Rice Broccoli Friday Left Overs Saturday Pork Chops Rice Sauteed Green Bea...