Second Frugal Friday of July 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

We should always be honest because honesty is the best policy. If we’re honest we will have a clear conscience in all matters, and we will truly be free. ~ Titus Yoder

My Frugal Week
Since we didn’t yard sale last Friday, I decided to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. I now have two tables set up in there to form an L shape in the corner to use as a desk. Someday I want to replace them with a real desk, but until I find a great deal, the tables will do just fine. 
We’ve continued to declutter this week, organize things we’re keeping,  sell some things, and price some things for an upcoming Sweet WeePeets consignment sale in September. We also sold a set of shelves for $20 on Facebook Marketplace.
I filed all of the paperwork from the last month into the appropriate files. I also tossed a lot of paperwork that I no longer needed. After cleaning up my Mom’s paperwork, some from the early 1960s, I want to make sure I’m not leaving stuff for someone else to have to go through and toss someday. 
The top of my cedar chest, which is upholstered, my footstool and armchair were all shampooed by me this week using our Little Green Clean machine by Bissell. They look and smell so good and make the whole room cleaner. 
Bills were paid this past week including my auto insurance. I keep a sinking fund for that expense and put the appropriate amount of money in there each month even though it’s not due every month. That way when the bill does come due, I already have the money to pay for it. 
It’s a good way to stay ahead of the game and ensure the money is there when I need it. Keeping or getting your finances straight will go a long way in giving you peace of mind. 
Bailey went to Kroger on Thursday to look for markdowns. She found 4 packages of lemon pepper chicken on markdown. They are now stored in the freezer for future meals. 
Joy of the Week

Mr. Bo Gatsby

My joy this week has been in having a new kitten. The cats we already have are older and not nearly as playful as having a kitten around. We named our newest addition Bo Gatsby, but now I’m wishing we would have named him Mr. Bojangles or Bocephus. I’ve been calling him Mr. Bo Man, so that name might stick. He provides a lot of free entertainment. 
Question of the Week
Do you know how much money you need in order to live each month?
The book I’m currently reading by author Annie Jean Brewer states she knew she needed at least $500 every month in order to make it. She wanted to be able to stay at home with her daughter at the time and looked for ways to keep their expenses under that amount. 
I’ve crunched my own numbers and know what it takes for me to make it each month. If you’re interested in knowing yours, crunch your numbers and find out for yourself. 
Avoiding Spending
I couldn’t avoid spending money this week as I had an RX to pick up for Vitamin D. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
We ran out of yellow onions this week, so I went to add a three pound bag to my grocery order this week. Walmart was out of stock, so I kept looking, comparing prices online and ended up going with a locally owned grocery store for the best price. 
Walmart $3.48 and out of stockAldi $2.65Fresh and Low $1.79
Comparison shopping will save you money. I’m going to the doctors office on Wednesday and I’ll drive right by Fresh and Low, so it will be no problem to get a curbside pickup. I’ll also be picking up an rx, going to the post office, dr’s office, and the grocery store. Combining errands when I’m going out will also help us save money by using less gas.
The egg rolls we normally buy have increased in price to almost $1.00 per egg roll, so that prices that brand out of my budget. What to do? Get out my tried and true recipe for homemade egg rolls. I can get 20 egg roll wrappers for $2.48, so making our own makes sense. 
We’ve done the usual things we do in the kitchen this week to save money including eating all leftovers and using up items we bought. One day I was rummaging through some cookbooks I bought when I came across a recipe card for sweet potatoes. 
The recipe called for pumpkin pie spice, so I decided to make it for dinner. I used some sweet potatoes that needed using and thought Bailey would like it and she did, so I’m counting that as a win since she isn’t a fan of sweet potatoes. The recipe will be In next weeks recipe of the week.
I’ve been making ice tea every day since it has been so hot this week. Several days this week I made two gallons just to keep up with thirsty people. 
Meals This Week
Friday:  Swiss Steak, Buttered Rice with Peas, Salad.
Saturday: Tostadas, Salad, Corn.
Sunday: Beefy Baked Beans, Fried Rice, and Salad. I took the leftover rice and mixed vegetables from Saturday night’s dinner and added toasted sesame oil, butter and seasonings to make a new side dish for tonight. It used up some leftovers, which was the goal in order to save money.
Monday: Fluffy Baked Omelet, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mixed Vegetables with Rice. 
Tuesday: Movie Night ~ Pizza.
Wednesday: Out all day running errands, but made it to the grocery store and bought stuff for sandwiches as it was too hot for anything else. Sandwiches, macaroni salad, watermelon. 
Thursday: Meatloaf, macaroni salad, watermelon. 
Recipe of the Week
One of the packages of meat I bought at the Food City priced at the 5 for $14.99 sale a few weeks ago was round steak, which I bought to make Swiss Steak.  I found this recipe in the instruction booklet for the crockpot received as a wedding present in 1989. It’s been a tried and true recipe all these years and doesn’t disappoint. 
Swiss Steak
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 to 2 pounds round steak2 teaspoons flour1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce1 large onion, sliced1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
Directions:
Cut steak into serving size pieces.Coat with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in skillet and brown the meat. In your slow cooker add the meat, tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, and celery. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 
There was enough left over for both of us to have for lunch the next day.
Saving on Entertainment
Bailey and I are continuing to watch North & South this week and have started season two. Bailey went to McKay Used Books in Chattanooga on Thursday. She found North and South season two for 95 cents and season three for $2.95, so we will continue the mini series rather inexpensively. 
What I've been Reading This Week
The Shoestring Girl: How I Live on Practically Nothing & You Can Too, written by Annie Jean Brewer. She has a blog called Annienygma, if you’re interested in reading more of her writings. 
This book reminds me of both Dolly Freed in her book titled Possum Living and Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette fame. The lengths these three writers go to save money is very similar.
The Feel Good Contacts website demonstrates how to tighten glasses that are fitting loosely. Warming the arms up with a hairdryer and bending them back into place is one of the suggestions. 
Freebies

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaDebt Free &~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree