Fourth Frugal Friday of May 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
Quote of the Week

"Don't count us out, we're [...] old school where hard work and sacrifice are the name of the game".  ~ Mrs. Patsi from A Working Pantry

My Frugal Week
This week I've been reading more reporting about the tariffs and how the cost of goods are going to rise. 
Another item I read this week is that a growing number of Americans are financing groceries with buy now, pay later loans. And more and more people are paying those bills late. This tells me that some consumers are struggling to afford essential expenses like groceries and the reasons are varied, but include inflation, high interest rates, and economic uncertainty. 
There are always going to be hard times, so it's important for us to use our best frugal skills to weather this latest storm as well as other storms in good or hard financial times. 
In previous generations, it was very common to live a life of careful thrift, which included wise spending, careful use of resources, and a consistent habit of saving.  Those things need to be front and center in our lives today to see us through these latest hard economic times as uncertainty is here for everyone. 
We need to be looking for ways we can manage with what we have. One way that we can combat rising prices is to shop the second hand market for things we need. There are no tariffs on thrift store or yard sale clothes. And shopping the second hand market not only reduces our carbon footprint, but it keeps those items out of the landfills, and funnels money into our local economies. 
So, use some of your time this summer to go to yard sales and thrift stores. Trade and barter things you need with friends and family. Amy Dacyczyn used to yard sale during the summer months for things she needed all year long including school clothes and Christmas gifts. 
Good financial management means a cautious and orderly outlook when it comes to our finances. Waiting, careful thought and planning are essential when it comes to getting the most out of our money. Having a budget with plans for our income are very important considerations in planning for both spending and saving.   

"Say no to [...] things that you know are going to decimate your budget. Saying no is free and sometimes saves you a fortune".  ~ Annabel from The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm

Look around your home at the things you have and ask yourself how you can use those items, maybe even in a different way. Look outside the box. Working hard is something we can all do in order to survive these current hard times. 
Maintaining Our Driveway
Over the years we have put a lot of money and time into maintaining our driveway, which is 1/8 of a mile long and requires routine maintenance.  
My Dad was especially the one who maintained it while he was alive, and since his passing, it has become even more challenging. 
My neighbor came last weekend and worked on it after he cleared his land last summer, which caused it to wash out both of our driveways. 
He is ordering a culvert for both his driveway and ours and I'll pay him for ours, but he is doing the work for free. (A definite blessing)
There are some also some potholes that have developed that need work. The local rock quarry will let you come and get a five gallon bucket of rocks for free. There is no way I could carry a five gallon bucket of them, but I did go and get a small bag and put them in one of the bigger pot holes and will continue to do this until the issue is resolved. 
I'm so grateful for our neighbor who is willing to do the work for free and for the rock quarry willing to let us have some free rocks. 
Speaking of the driveway, we had bad storms here on Tuesday night and when I went out Wednesday morning for physical therapy I found a tree had fallen across the driveway. 
Part of the tree was rotten, so lucky for me, it broke into several pieces. I was able to get out of my car and move enough of the pieces to get my car out of the driveway, which is something I wouldn't have been able to do before my knee replacements. I would have had to call my BIL Jody to help me, so another blessing in disguise for sure. 
Savings of the Week

On Thursday I went to Circle K to save 40 cents per gallon on gas, which was a loyalty discount for being part of their rewards program. I paid $2.39 per gallon and it only cost me $24.26 to fill up my car with gasoline. Now I have a full tank in preparation for Yard Sale Saturday. 
Freebies

Freebies this week included a Southern Living magazine, lemonade Capri Sun, two applesauce, two bars of soap, and a roll of toilet paper, which came from the free box at the thrift store. 
Package From Sluggy 

A package from Sluggy after her recent giveaway arrived on Wednesday. 
I saved it for after dinner so Bailey and I could enjoy opening it together. It was a great selection of items, and we both picked out different things we wanted. 
There was a pair of headphones in the package and I've been wanting a pair to carry in my purse when I go places, so I won't disturb others. 
And right now the linen scented Febreze plug in is sending a beautiful scent throughout my bedroom. 
I was really tickled to win Sluggy's giveaway. Thank you again Sluggy!
Bailey
If you're interested in reading about Bailey's first craft fair, she has started writing on Substack and you can read about it here. She is an excellent writer and you’ll find her posts to be engaging and fun to read. You may even learn more about our life here as she tries to do things frugally just like her Mom. I’m very proud of her. 
Joy of the Week
My goodness this was such a great week. I got to see family on Sunday that I had not seen since Christmas and saw additional family on Wednesday that I had not seen since Thanksgiving 2023. 
They were all very happy to see me up and walking around with no assistance along with my weight loss, and gave me lots of hugs. This was the joy of my week for them to see me walking around unassisted after all the hard work I put in towards that goal.  
What I've been Listening & Reading This Week
Home Depot Pledges to Keep Lid on Prices
Lisa Romano  ~ An excellent resource for those who are working on healing. 
In Closing
There can be a satisfying type of joy found in the rhythm and puttering around in our homes. The smell of good food cooking, coffee brewing, the glimpse of the morning light, or seeing the sun's rays behind a cloud.  
This week I hope you will take some time to pause and reflect on the ordinary things in your life and find simplicity and grace in your every day tasks as you go about your days. 

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.

Belinda 🫶 💕 Homemaker at Heart 💕 ~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #3 May 2025

My Frugal Week

This was a week of planning meals from what we have on hand and was more of a cook once, eat twice kind of week. 

Chicken Broth in the making

On Saturday we stopped in at Walmart for cottage cheese. They had their rotisserie chickens marked down to $2.02, so we bought five of them. I came home, deboned them, put the bones in the crockpot and all that good chicken meat in the freezer for future meals. I was able to get two gallon size bags of meat from the chickens and six pints of chicken broth for the freezer. 

Photo of the Week

Our first cantaloupe of the season, which was delicious and cost $4 from a roadside stand. He had watermelon for $12, but that was out of my price range.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday & Tuesday ~ Chicken Soft Tacos, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Chipotle Sauce. 

Wednesday & Thursday ~ Smoked Sausage, Potatoes, Green Beans & Onion Baked Casserole. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Chicken, Cucumber Salad, Stir Fry Vegetables. I added onions and peppers to the chicken along with Asian seasonings to go with the stir fry theme. 

I thought about going to the store for tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese and making our favorite tacos, but rather than do that I made dinner out of what we had here. It was a big hit and I saved money by not going to the store. Use what you have at home and save yourself some money. 

Sunday ~ Bailey was out of the house with her book club friends and I had a family event to attend. They made taco meat on the Blackstone and homemade queso with all the fixings. It was delicious. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Third Frugal Friday of May 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Last Friday I went to physical therapy where she told me I no longer needed to use the walker! Woo Hoo! Bailey and I went to Walmart for groceries and rather than use a motorized cart, I walked and got in almost 3,000 steps just getting groceries. It was a huge milestone for me. 
Afterwards we went to Publix for my free birthday ice cream (Black Cherry Frozen Yogurt), Starbucks for my free birthday drink (Iced Green Tea), and to the ATM for some Saturday yard sale cash. 
Yard Sale Saturday 
Saturday was spent going to yard sales, which was so much fun as usual. I normally drive, but my car is still in the shop, so Bailey drove her car, which made it more fun for me not having to drive. 
Here are some of the things we bought:

We bought this cat bag for 75 cents and Archie was the first kitty to check it out. This was a big hit with all the kitties. It unzips on the other end to make a tunnel too. 
Other items include:
- 4 cup Pyrex glass measuring cup- Hoodie with kangaroo pocket for $1.50- paper towel holder for $2- large plastic storage bin for $3- 1 wide mouth Ball quart canning jar for 25 cents- 1 package Angel Soft tissue for 25 cents
At the last sale we went to, the lady was packing up things to donate. She told us we could get one of her reusable bags and fill it for $1.00, so we both did that. 
Sunday we spent the day at home having a spa day and drinking cups of hot tea. I made a cheese board and added pickles, crackers, and clementines. 
On Monday I had physical therapy and needed Bailey to drive me. She goes to town on Monday to work and wanted to save gas, so rather than bring me home and go back, I needed to find something to do that didn’t involve spending money. 
My insurance company pays for my membership at the YMCA, so she dropped me off for a few hours. My swimsuit from last summer was too big for me now, so I looked in her online shop and found a swimsuit that fit, so used that and worked out while she worked. 
On Tuesday I had injections in both eyes at the retina specialist, and I was finally able to pick up my car! Yay!
Wednesday & Friday were also physical therapy days and while I was in town, I went to Lowe’s and bought a PVC pipe to use in the driveway for water runoff until my neighbor can fix it when it finally stops raining.
Freebies

Free six pack of chicken nuggets from McDonalds for my birthday. We split these after yard sales on Saturday.
Saving Money YouTube Videos
10 Frugal Habits That Saved Me Thousands ~ Vera, who lives in the Netherlands, and posts videos over at Simple Happy Zen shares ten frugal habits that save her thousands of dollars every year. These practical, mindful strategies go beyond basic budgeting tips and include meal planning and reducing impulse spending to building a strong saving mindset and how to avoid lifestyle creep. 
10 Frugal Dutch Habits to Save Money & Live Simple ~ Another video by Vera from Simple Happy Zen where she speaks about how the Dutch save money.
Saving Money on Entertainment
We’ve been watching Modern Family together on Hulu for the last few weeks. My Hulu subscription only cost me $1.08 per month and is definitely worth that.

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.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #2 May 2025

My Frugal Week

Did you know that a meal that cost you $10 to make at home will cost you $30 at a restaurant? Studies consistently show that cooking at home is significantly cheaper than eating out, with home cooked meals averaging $4 to $6 per person compared to $15 to $20 at a restaurant. 

Cooking at home will definitely save you money. The USDA Thrifty Food Plan shows two people, my and Bailey’s age, could spend $479.10 per month on the Thrifty Food Plan or up to $791.20 on the Liberal Food Plan. We definitely lean more towards the thrifty side.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday & Tuesday  ~Homemade Pizza & Salad.  

Wednesday ~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce or Honey Mustard for Dipping, Sunday Bean Salad. 

Thursday ~ 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans with Ham, and Southern Spoon-bread Corn Casserole. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Grilled Chicken Salads. They were so good! Sometimes a salad just hits the spot and today was one of those days. 

Sunday ~ Cajun Soup Beans & Ham and Cornbread. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Frugal Friday ~ Second Frugal Friday of May 2025

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 

Quote of the Week

"Be guided by the rule: If you don't need it, Don't buy it. 

                                                         ~ United States 1942 War Rations Booklet

Our Frugal Week

Bailey set up at her first craft festival on Saturday. She has worked diligently to make enough items to have to sell at the festival, and even though the rain threatened to keep people away she was hopeful. In the end the weather did keep people away and it was mostly vendors who were buying from each other. 
I stayed home and did the laundry, cleaned the house, vacuumed, took the trash out, cleaned out the litter boxes, cleaned the kitchen, prepped dinner, and all the other tasks that keep our home running smoothly.
Last summer our neighbor clear cut his land up above ours and the rainwater off the mountain has washed out our driveway in one section. I’ve spoken with him about this and he plans on fixing both of our driveways as his has washed out too. 
Until then, we had to find an alternative solution. So, on Sunday, we went to Rural King (RK) in Sweetwater, Tennessee. We went there for bags of tube sand to place into the huge ditch created by the water run off. 
The RK website stated they had it in stock, which is why we drove there. In the end, the store employees couldn’t find it, so we ended up buying a horse mat to place across the huge hole until our neighbor has time to fix it properly. 
I didn't realize that RK sold some grocery items like spices. I bought some cumin and Herbes de Provence to refill my supplies at home. 
I had a busy week with two doctor appointments and three days of physical therapy. I received good reports from both doctors and won’t need to see one of them for a year and the other one in four months.
Freebies
I have several birthday freebies I could cash in today, although many of them are for items I no longer eat or drink like milkshakes and dessert items. Hmmmm…decisions, decisions. 😂 
Avoiding Spending
Having been without a car for the majority of the week I certainly avoided spending this week. LOL I'll make up for it tomorrow when we do our grocery shopping. 
Saving Money YouTube Videos
10 Frugal Habits That Will Solve 99% of your Problems  ~ a video from Frozen Pennies 
Saving Money on Entertainment

It’s easy to spend money to watch movies, attend concerts, or gather with friends to dine out. But if you want to cut everyday expenses, you will want to substitute free or at least cheaper forms of entertainment that don’t cost money. 

For example, spend your evening watching a movie for free on YouTube instead of going to the cinema. Take a nature walk, visit your public library, or attend a community event to start cutting your expenses on entertainment.

Kirstie’s Homemade Home Series ~ Here is a British television show that you can watch for free on YouTube. Kirstie Allsopp makes it her mission to transform a run-down cottage into the perfect home. Along the way, she reveals the benefits of making do and mending in the Devon cottage she bought.

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.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week # 1 ~ May 2025

 My Frugal Week

I sorted out our freezer on Monday and put all the breakfast foods in one freezer and all the dinner items in another freezer. That really helped me to see what I have on hand for dinners, and I had more meat on hand than I realized. 

I had four turkeys on hand and actually used two of them last week. The first one was boneless, so I thawed it and cubed it. Bailey used it all week in her eggs for breakfast and I made taco meat out of the rest of it. The other turkey breast went in the refrigerator to thaw, and I cooked it in the crockpot for Saturday night's dinner. 

I'm not always a fan of turkey, and when I was rooting around in the freezer I found a bowl of Chef AJ's Lentil Taco Filling, so I defrosted that for my dinners where we had tacos this week instead of using turkey for mine. 

I made six strawberry-banana gelatin cups and six orange and mandarin orange gelatin cups. The orange ones were a huge hit, so on Saturday I made six more of those. 

I boiled one dozen eggs to have on hand and made deviled eggs with some of them on Saturday for that evening's dinner. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Grilled Chicken, Sunday Bean Salad, and Corn. 

Movie Night Tuesday ~ Homemade Pepperoni & Black Olive Pizza and Garden Salad with Cucumber Ranch Dressing. 

Wednesday & Thursday ~ Turkey Tacos, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Jalapeños, Taco Sauce, and Corn. I chopped up some of the diced turkey breast and added onions, green chilies, and taco seasoning and used that to make tacos for dinner. 

Friday ~ Bailey was busy setting up for the craft fair and had tacos on the run, so I had a simple dinner of cottage cheese with a homemade jello fruit cup. 

Saturday & Sunday ~ Turkey Breast, Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans with Onions. We often have leftovers for the next day since there are only two of us here, which just happens to save us money too. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27